Skip to main content

Full text of "History of Berks county in Pennsylvania"

See other formats 


olln 


M 


j 


Cornell  University 
Library 


The  original  of  this  book  is  in 
the  Cornell  University  Library. 

There  are  no  known  copyright  restrictions  in 
the  United  States  on  the  use  of  the  text. 


http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028852196 


HISTORY 


OF 


BERKS  COUNTY 


PENNSYLVANIA. 


jrBY 

zmzoir/toust  Xj.  lyconsrTG-o^diEi?,^", 

f 

MEMBER  OF  THE  BERKS  COUNTY   BAR. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

EVERTS 

,  PECK  &  RICHARDS 

1886. 

(;  l\  lid  M 

UK1! vi  k an y 

I    1  1-  t-  /   !.•  V   ■ 

f 

(51 

V3MTfr 


YRI&HT,  1886,  BY  M.  L.lMdi 


COPYRI&HT,    1886,    BY  M.    L.%(5nTGOMEEY. 


JAS.    a.    RODGERS  PRINTING   COMPANY, 
PHILADELPHIA. 


PREFACE. 


The  history  of  Berks  County,  one  of  the  early  political  organizations  in  the 
State  of  Pennsylvania,  is  presented  in  this  volume.  It  embraces  the  important 
facts,  relating  to  the  several  affairs  of  the  county,  from  the  beginning  of  the  eigh- 
teenth century  until  now,  which  the  author  collected  during  the  past  ten  years ; 
and,  upon  having  arranged  them  in  a  systematic  narrative,  he  now  submits  the  re- 
sult of  his  labors. 

The  author  acknowledges  with  pleasure  the  thorough  co-operation  of  the 
publishers,  Messrs.  Everts,  Peck  &  Richards,  in  its  production ;  for,  through  their 
enterprise  and  liberality,  he  has  been  enabled  to  issue  it  in  a  comprehensive  plan 
much  beyond  his  original  intentions.  The  services  of  Mr.  George  R.  Prowell, 
Mr.  J.  L.  Rockey  and  Capt.  Frank  H.  Cole,  whom  they  sent  into  the  county  for 
the  purpose  of  aiding  him  in  the  completion  of  his  enlarged  undertaking,  are.  worthy 
of  particular  mention. 

Many  persons  in  every  district  of  the  county,  and  friends  at  Harrisburg, 
Philadelphia  and  Washington,  encouraged  the  author  in  the  course  of  his  labors, 
and  he  recognizes  their  kindly  attentions  to  him. 

M.  L.  M. 

Reading,  May,  1886. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


Introduction   . 


PAGE 

1 


Chapter  I. 
General  History  of  Pennsylvania 


Early  Settlers  ;  Dutch,  Swedes,  English,  German,  etc. 
— Provincial  and  Constitutional  Government — Pur- 
chases of  Territory  from  the  Indians — Counties  erected 
— Development. 

Chapter  II. 


Physical  Geography  of  Berks  County 

Geology —  Minerals — Botany  —  Mountains — Valleys — 
Streams — Relative  Elevations. 


Chapter  III. 


Indians . 


26 


56 


Origin — Delawares  :  Tribes,  Clans  and  Sachems — 
Ganawese — Five  Nations — Manners  and  '  Customs — 
Retreat  of  Indians — Present  Location — Villages — In- 
dian Names — Indian  Relics. 

Chapter  I"V\ 
Nationalities       

Swedes— Germans— English — Welsh— Irish— Hebrews 

— Negroes. 

Chapter  V. 


Erection  of  County 

General  Situation  of  Territory— Petitions  for  County- 
Act  erecting  County — Districts — Names  of  Townships 
and  Towns— Reductions  of  Territory,  Northumberland 
County  and  Schuylkill  County— New  Counties  Pro- 
posed. 

Chapter  VI. 


64 


72 


Chapter  VIII. 
French  -and  Indian  War 104 

Military  Periods — Cause  of  War — Officers,  Supplies, 
etc.  —  Colonial  Forts  —  Burd's  Journal  —  Invasion  of 
County  by  Indians — Numerous  Letters  on  Sufferings 
of  Early  Inhabitants — Peace  Declared — Persons  Mur- 
dered, Taken  Prisoners  and  Missing. 


Chapter  IX. 
Revolution  and  Independence    . 


136 


84 


Agriculture 

General  Condition  and  Progress — County  Society  and 
Exhibitions— Farms,  Production,  etc.,  of  County,  1870 
and  1880. 

Chapter  VII. 
Early  and  General  Industries 87 

Early  Furnaces  and  Forges  of  County — Production, 
1828-30— Industries  in  1840— Comparative  Statement, 
1860-76— Memorial  for  National  Foundry— Summary 
of  Present  Furnaces,  Forges  and  Mills— Comparative 
Table  of  Statistics  for  1880—  Production  of  Iron  in 
County  at  three  recent  periods — General  Industries- 
Statistics  of  Manufactures  of  County,  1870  and  1880. 


Revolution — Stamp  Duty — Patriotic  Spirit  at  Reading 
— Various  Committees  chosen — Battle  at  Lexington 
awakens  County — Companies  from  Berks  County — 
Conscientious  Scruples  against  War — Tory  Feeling  in 
County — English  Prisoners  at  Reading — Associators — ■ 
Brigadier-General  Elected — Quota  of  County  Exceeded 
— Patriotism  of  Joseph  Hiester — Battle  of  Long  Island 
— Deserters— Hessian  Prisoners — Hessian  Camp  Sur- 
prised— Hessian  Officer  Drowned — Militia  Refuse  to 
March — Militia  Returns  of  County — Army  Supplies — 
Affairs  at  Reading  in  1777 — Conway  Cabal — Duel  at 
Reading — Independence  Won  and  Peace  Declared — 
Revolutionary  Survivers — Continental  Paper  Money. 

Chapter  X. 
Whiskey  Insurrection  of  1794 167 

House  Tax  and  Liberty  Poles  of  1799 — Embargo  ot 
1807— War  of  1812-15  and  Companies  of  County  En- 
listed. 

Chapter  XI. 
Mexican  War 180 

Cause  of  the  War— .Reading  Artillerists  Departure  for 
Mexico — Participation  in  War — Battles  Engaged  In — 
Return  of  Artillerists — Brilliant  Reception. 

Chapter  XII. 
Civil  War 186 

Introduction— Patriotism,  of  County— War  Meetings 
and  Appropriations — Ladies*  Aid  Society — Reading 
Hospital— Drafts  and  Quotas  of  Berks  County — North- 
ern Men  in  Service — Summary  of  Battles — Paper 
Money — List  of  Companies  from  Berks  County  in  Civil 
War —President's  Call  for  Troops— First  Companies  in 
War — Ringgold  Light  Artillery  the  First  Company — 
Statement  of  Captain  McKnight — Soldiers  of  Berks 
County  in  Three  Months'  Service,  1861 ;  Three  Years' 
Service;  Nine  Months'  Service;  Volunteer  Militia  of 
1862;  Drafted  Militia  of  1862;  Volunteer  Militia  of  1863; 
One  Hundred  Days'  Service  of  1864 ;  One  Year's  Ser- 
vice 1864-65— Miscellaneous  Enlistments  from  Berks 
County — Soldier's  Buried  in  Berks  County — Grand 
Army  Posts — Society  oi  Ex-Prisoner's  of  War. 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS. 


Chapter  XIII. 


Militia 


349 


Legislative  Provision  —  County  Battalion  of  1783 — 
County  Militia  proffer  Services  to  President  Adams  in 
1798— County  Military  Division— Encampment  at  Read- 
ing in  1842—  Battalion  Day  of  1843— County  Militia 
Companies  in  1856— State  National  Guard — Reading 
Artillerists — Military  Cadets. 

Chapter  XIV. 
Religious  Denominations ... 

Lutherans —  Reformed—  Friends — Baptists — Dunkards 
—  Moravians — Roman  Catholics — Amish  —  Other  De- 
nominations— Religious  Excitement,  Heidelberg  and 
Exeter  Meetings — Sunday  Mails — County  Bible  So- 
ciety. 

Chapter  XV. 
General  Education .   . 

Early  Encouragement  —  Charity  Schools  —  Common 
School  Education — County  Institute — Pay  Schools — 
Comparative  Table  of  Schools  and  Scholars. 

Chapter  XVI. 
Language,  Manners  and  Customs  .    . 

Chapter  XVII. 
■  Newspapers 

Chapter  XVIII. 
Internal  Improvements 


357 


374 


386 


392 


424 


Schuylkill  River — Bridges,  Roads  and  Turnpikes — 
Stages,  Canals  and  Railways — Public  County  Build- 
ings— Post-Offices — Telegraph  and  Telephone. 

Chapter  XIX. 
Politics  and  Civil  List 


474 


Election  Districts— Political  Sentiment  of  County- 
Prominent  Representative  Men — Offices  by  Special 
Legislation  —  Political  Parties  —  Political  Festivals — 
State  Conventions  and  Mass  Meetings  at  Reading — 
List  of  Officials — Biographical  Sketches. 

Chapter  XX. 
Judiciary — Bench  and  Bar 532 

Judges— Attorney-at-Law— Biographical  Sketches. 


Chapter  XXI. 
Medical  Profession  of  Berks  County .       .    . 

Early  Medical  History— Introduction  of  Medical  Prac- 
tice into  Berks  County— Biographical  Sketches— Med- 
ical Faculty  of  Berks  County— Medical  Society  of  Berks 
County— Pathological  Society— Reading  Medical  As- 
sociation— Homoeopathy— Early  History  of  Homoeo- 
pathy in  Berks  County — Hahnemann  Medical  Society 
—Biographical  Sketches  of  Homceopathists — Medical 
Registry —  Lenti  stry. 


587 


Chapter  XXII. 
Census  of  Berks  County 644 

Early  Population  of  State— Rate  of  Increase  of  Popu- 
lation-Census Table  of  County,  1790  to  1880— Census 
of  Villages,  1880— Table  of  Houses,  Farms,  etc.,  in 
County,  1850— Taxables  and  Voters  of  County,  1876 
and  1885— Property  and  Money  Assessed,  1885. 

Chapter  XXIII. 

Reading. 

Part  1.— Town  from  1748  to  1783 .       .  •    650 

Selection  of  Town  Site— Town  laid  out— Lots  sold  at 
Public  Sale— First  Patentees— Ground-Rent— List  of 
Taxables,  1759— District  of  Reading  Erected— Churches 
—Schools— Public  Buildings  —  Markets  and  Fairs, 
CharLer  to  Reading  for  Them — Citizens  against  Change 
of  Government — Early  Innkeepers — Early  Occupations 
— Rainbow  Fire  Company — No  Newspapers  nor  Inter- 
nal Improvements— Fuel,  Light  and  Entertainments — 
Hunting  and  Fishing — Indian  Invasion — Revolution — 
Prominent  Men — Pound  Sterling — Old  Style  to  New 
Style. 

Part  2.— Borough  from  1783  to  1847  666 

Charter  of  Incorporation — Election  Districts — News- 
papers— Post-Office — Internal  Improvements — Ferries 
and  Bridges — Fire  Companies,  Banks  and  Water  Sup- 
ply— Light — Public  Buildings — Stages,  Canals  and 
Railway — Manufactures — Traffic — Merchants  of  Read- 
ing in  1830  —  Occupations  in  1839  —  Distinguished 
Visitors — Memorial  Services — Streets,  Changes  of 
Names  —  Executions — Early  Exhibitions  —  Prominent 
Men. 

Part  3.— City  from  1847  to  1886 682 

Review  of  Reading  in  1847 — Incorporation — Develop- 
ment— Riot  in  Reading,  July,  1877. 

Part  4.— Manufacturing  Industries 692 

Part  5. — Internal  Improvements 744 

City  Buildings,  etc.— Post  Office— Cemeteries— Gas  and 
Electric  Light— Halls— Private  Market  Houses— Hos- 
pitals—Private  Parks— Street  Railways. 

Part  6.— Churches 767 

Part  7.— Schools 793 

Part  8. — Associations sxi 

Part  9.— Officials 841 

Part  10. — Census 353 

Chapter  XXIV. 
Boroughs  of  County §55 

Kutztown g65 

Womelsdorf ,       .  g,™ 

Hamburg.       .  .  .  m 

Birdsboro-  •  •  ....      893 

Boyertown  ...  .901 

Bernville .913 

Fleetwood        .  .  gl„ 

T°Pton-  •  ...      926 

Centreport ...  g2* 


TABLE   OP   CONTENTS. 


vu 


PAGE 

PAGE 

Chapter  XXV. 

.    .   .    1067 

.    .    1076 

Townships  of  County    . 

928 

Tulpehocken  Section                     

.    1082 

Manatawny  Section  .  . 

02(1 

Oley 

030 

Upper  Tulpehocken  ....               . 

.    .        1093 

1097 

Colebrookdale .       .   . 

...               .    .      962 

1104 

Douglass  .    . 

.       .           .    .              967 

Heidelberg       . 

1107 

Exeter              ... 

972 

Lower  Heidelberg  .               

1115 

North  Heidelberg 

1125 

Muhlenberg .... 

992 

Bern  .                                  ... 

1127 

Hereford 

996 

Upper  Bern  .               

1132 

.    1(100 

Penn 

1136 

Ruscomb-mano  r 

.    .    .        1006 

Centre        .           .... 

.    1139 

Rockland 

.       .           .            1010 

Bethel                     

1141 

District.       .                   .    . 

11114 

Schuylkill  Section  .           .    . 

1147 

Earl 

lOlli 

Robeson        ... 

1148 

Pike  . 

...                   .        1018 

Caernarvon  .               .               ... 

1157 

Ontelaunee  Section            .    .    . 

1021 

Cumru   . 

1161 

.    1022 

Spring        

.       .    1170 

Ontelaunee  .                   . 

1029 

Brecknock       ....*•• 

1181 

Richmond    . 

.    1035 

Union    .       . 

1185 

Maxatawny . 
Longswamp ... 

.    .           .                       1040 
1048 

Appendix   

Windsor   . 

1058 

Early  Townships  erected  and  Taxables 

assessed   in 

Perry. 

1063 

.  Schuylkill  County  before  1811. 

.  1191 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

Adlor  Building .895 

Arnold,  William.  .   .  .    708 

Arthur,  John  E. .  .  .  268 

Baer,  George  F.  .  .  .  678 

Baird,  Wm.  M.  .  .   .  .  569 

Banks,  John  .       .  541 

Barbey,  Peter .  .  723 

Barto,  A.  H .  .  1006 

Batdorff,  M.  D.  M.  ....    622 

Bear,  Benjamin  C."  .  .   .  .  1057. 

Beidler,  Conrad  Y .   .       .  1169 

Bertolette,  Levi  J .  .  .935 

Bethany  Orphans'  Home .  .  .       .  .   .  1112 

Bickel,  Geo.  H .  620 

Binder,  Frank  G.,  Kes.  of .   .  ...  .  911 

Birth-place  of  Daniel  Boone 974 

Boas,  F.  S.  .   .  305 

Boas,  Augustus  F.  .    .  .  744 

British  Stamp.  .  .  .  .  .  .    136 

Brunner,  D.  B .  ...  ...  382 

Brooke,  Geo.  .   .  895 

Brooke,  Edward ...    894 

Buskirk,  Daniel. .  .  .   .    557 

Carpenter  Hall .  .  .  .  .  ...     15 

Clingan,  Chas.  M .  .   .  .  .  .  .   .  .  1189 

Clymer,  Daniel  K .  848 

Continental  Currency.  166 

Court-Honse,  The  Old.  .  ...       403 

Delaware  Indian  Family.  .  .  ....  58 

Delaware  Indian  .  .  •  ....  57 

Dechert,  Elijah ...  *  .  .   .  .  563 

Dives,  Pomeroy  &  Stewart,  Building  of 738 

Eckert,  Henry  S 835 

Eckert,  Isaac  ...  834 

Eckert,  Geo.  J      .721 

JEgelman,  Charles  F  .  407 

Ermentrout,  Daniel .  .   .    512 

Ermentrout,  John  S .  ....    380 

Ermentrout,  James  N .  546 

Evans,  Charles  V.  K 1124 

Evans,  Charles  .   .  757 

Fegley,  L.  P.  G.  .  .   .  967 

Ferguson,  Nathaniel ....  .   .  1114 

Findlay,  James •       .   ■  1055 

First  Befonned  Church  .   .  .  776 

Fisher,  Eeily  L HIS 

Focht,  L.  H .901 

Franklin,  Benjamin ...       469 


PAGE 

Friends'  Meeting-House,  1765      .  .   .  .   .  .781 

Friends'  Meeting-House,  1886 782 

Gerasch,  CharleB  A  .  .  599 

Getz,  J.  Lawrence .  410 

Getz,  James  K ,  853 

Good,  Bev.  William  A .      .  .  .   .  379 

Gordon,  David  F .  ...  542 

Grim,  D.  B .    .       .    .  1081 

Hagenman,  J ...  543 

Harbster,  William 701 

Harbster,  M 702 

Harris,  William 893 

Heinly,  David  ....  1075 

Heller,  F.  P 733 

Hendel,  Henry  B.  &  Co.,  hat-factory 711 

Hendel,  John 710 

Hiester,  Joseph ...  523 

Hix,  Joseph  S      .   .       .  .  1135 

Hoffeditz,  J.  C.  A .  .  .  219 

Hottenstein,  Edward  ....  624 

Howe,  M.  A.  De  Wolfe  .  .  .  ....  786 

Iaeger,  G.  F.  I 889 

Jail,  the  old 465 


Jones,  Jonathan  ... 
Jones,  Jonathan,  Kes.  of       .  . 
Jones,  J.  Glancy      .  .  . 

Keim,  George  De  Benneville    .  . 

Keim,  George  May 

Keim,  George  De  B 

Keim,  William  H 

Keim,  John 

Keim,  Nicholas 

Keller,  D.  C       

Keystone  State  Normal  School 

Kline,  Simon 

Knabb,  Jacob 

Koch,  Daniel 

Kraemer,  Louis 

Kremp,  Louis   ... 

Krick,  Adam  B 

Kutz,  David      

Lauer,  Frederick 

Levan,  Isaac  W 


.  142 
.  1160 

.  516 

.  179 

.  608 

.  456 

.  205 

.  681 

.  664 

.  263 

.  867 

.  719 

.  402 

.  923 


827 

1179 

.     .555 

...      722 

714 

Levan,  Nathan 873 

Levan,  Joseph ' 981 

LeoBer,  Thomas  S 185 

Lentz,  Levi  B 638 

Log  House,  the  first  in  Pricetown 1009 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Lorah,  George  K .   .   . 

Lichtenthaeler,  B 

Ludwig,  Elam  M  .  .  .   .  . 

Map,  outline  of  County  .   .   . 
Map  showing  purchases  from  Indians  . 
Map,  Geological,  of  County  . 

Marks,  W.  F 

Mauger,  B.  B 

McMichael,  Richards  ....".. 
McLean,  Joseph  A  . 
McManus.  John  .  .  ... 

McKnight,  David 

McHose,  Isaac 

Miller,  J.  B 

MiBhler  Academy,  auditorium  of .  . 

Mishler  Academy,  stage  of 

Montgomery,  M.  L  . 

Muhlenberg,  H.  H  .  .   .       ,  .   .   . 

Muhlenberg,  H.  A  .  

Muhlenberg,  Henry  A.  .   . 

Nagle,  H.  31  .  

Nagle,  Peter,  Jr  .       . 

Nicolls,  G.  A 

Otto,  John  B 

Otto,  Dr.  Bodo 

Pearson,  John  S  .  .  .   . 

Penn,  "William  ....  .... 

Plank,  D.  Heber 

Printz,  John  H  .  .   .  .... 

Prison,  ground  plan  of  . 

Bea,  Samuel  M  .  

Reading  PasBenger  Station  . 
Beading  roads,  plan  of       ... 
Heading,  paper  money  . 
Reading,  early  surveys  of  . 
Beading,  town  plan  of,  1748. 
Beading  Hospital  . 
Beading  Hardware  Company, . 

Beber,  James  T 

Reservoir  and  present  jail  .   . 
Bhoads,  Thomas  J.  B  . 
Bhoads,  Ezekiel.  .   .   . 

Richards,  John  S  .   . 
Bitter,  William  S  .  .       . 

Bittenhouse,  S.  B 
Bocks  in  Rockland 
Rosenthal,  AV. 


PAGE 

958 

.    734 


1 

18 
27 
W.U 
971 
321 
250 


.       .        837 

716 

916 

.    761 

.    .    760 

Frontispiece 

...       833 

.    .    515 

506 

610 

847 

.    .        454 

.   .  .593 

591 

740 

10 

615 

718 

.        467 

.  1190 

462 

442 

672 

651 

652 

764 

701. 

742 

466 

.    909 

955 

.    566 

397 

632 

.  1011 

413 


Eowe,  W.  G.         .   .  .  .   .   .  • 

Sanitary  Fair  Buildings 

Schwartz,  John  .   . 

Schweitzer,  Samuel  Z.    .       .  • 

Schneider,  Ephraim  .   . 

Schmucker,  E.  Z 

Schaeffer,   Lewis 

Schaeffer,  John 

Schwartz,  H.  H. 

Seidel,  Franklin       .  . 

Seyfert,  Simon 

Shoemaker,  Charles  E.    .  ■ 

Shaffner,  Jacob  .... 

Shollenberger,  J.  M.  .... 

Slegel,    E.      .  .    .   .   . 

Smith,   George  .  .... 

Smith,  L.  Heber  . 

Smith,  Levi  B  .  . 

Spohn,  Daniel.  . 

Stein,  Adam  ... 

St.  Luke's  Lutheran  Church  . 

Stitzel,  George  D  .   .   . 

Stoudt,  George  K  . 

Stuy vesant,  Peter  .  .  .       . 

Swedes'  Building . 

Swedes'  Church..  . 

Times  and  Journal  Building  . 

Trinity  Lutheran  Church  . 

Tyson,  Henry  A  . 

Umbenhauer,  William.  .  ... 

Van  Reed,  Henry.  . 

Van  Beed,  Charles,  residence  and  paper-mills  of  . 

Van  Reed,  Charles  . 

Van  Reed,  Charles  L  .  . 

Van  Beed,  Henry  Z  .  r  . 

Walter,  Bobert 

Washington  Grays  ...  . 

Weaver,  Jeremiah  .   .  

Weidman,  W.   Murray  .  . 

Weidman,    B.  B  .  

Wertz,  Samuel  ... 

Wheeler,  Caleb  . 

Whitner,  George  K. 

Wily,  ().  H  . 

Wily,    Penrose  .  .... 

Woodward,  W.  J  .  ... 

Yocum,  William  . 


PABE 

852 

191 

510 

.  1184 

982 

636 

925 

913 

.  547 

.  1028 

694 

613 

.  1093 

312 

644 

739 

.  1156 

.  1154 

730 

.  1080 

774 

553 

.  1092 

7 

945 

948 

399 

768 

850 

.  1138 

545 

.  1120 

.  1121 

.  1123 

.1122 

.  1125 

.  179 

961 

618 

.  1178 

.  1180 

741 

755 

603 

602 

530 

956 


JL-__ 

IT 


-< 


Ay 


jrPp/  Ulfa 


^i"?  f  u\ 

tuft*.  "2*^ ^\  ( 


■'■■■"■"  l^^Vlih  ^<\U^ 


'^t^Ci 


*       "VM   .  D 


,  Jls>st\, 
'■     -\^>    )         A.    //  V&yV*arJ/77£y- 

{  ,      V/    i  <■'■»•         -s=rv; 


^-i- 


k^U/;>, 


4- 


"i&Us 


ia,    /KobvsojiL 
JF.  0., 


Map    o  f 
BERKS    GOUNTY 


PENNSYLVANIA , 

1886. 


TO. 


HISTOET 


OF 


BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


INTRODUCTION 


Ix  the  beginning  of  colonization  in  this  sec- 
tion   of  the   earth   for  several   hundred    miles 
round    about    us   settlements   were   first   made 
along  the  sea  or  prominent  inlets,  and  after- 
ward, from  decade  to  decade,  they  gradually 
advanced  farther  and  farther  into  the  interior, 
being  influenced  in  their  onward  movement  by 
flowing  rivers  and  rolling  valleys.     The    set- 
tlers found  the  country  open,  accessible  and  in- 
viting, with  many  valuable   features,  such  as 
strong  streams,  fertile  soil,  great  forests,  inex- 
haustible beds  of  limestone,  iron-ore,  sand  and 
clay,  and  numerous  animals,  fowls  and  fishes. 
These  were   conditions    which   gave   the    new 
country  a    strong    character  and  inspired   the 
early    im  migrants  with   hope    and  confidence ; 
these    were    considerations   worthy  of  especial 
mention  to  kindred  and  friends  who  remained 
at  home  in  the  old  country,  and,  fortunately  for 
Pennsylvania,  these  were  sufficient  to  exert  a 
favorable  influence  upon  the  minds  of  such  per- 
sons there  as  contemplated  emigration. 

The  early  settlement  of  the  country  was 
slow.  From  its  first  possession  till  1681  the 
number  of  inhabitants  had  not  multiplied  be- 
yond a  thousand.  Accordingly,  its  develop- 
ment during  this  time  (about  a  half-century) 
was  insignificant.     The  chief  occupations  were 


trading  and  commerce.  But  in  1681  a  new 
era  began  in  its  eventful  history,  and  thence  for 
nearly  a  century  its  growth  was  marvelous, 
even  though  it  continued  under  the  sway  of 
monarchic  government.  The  constant  influx  of 
foreigners  made  all  things  active,  especially 
such  as  related  to  the  possession  of  land,  its  im- 
provement, etc.  The  people,  however,  did  not 
obtain  a  higher  plane  of  action  in  respect  to 
motive-power.  The  physical  forces,  such  as 
animal,  wind  and  water,  which  had  aided  them 
and  their  progenitors  time  out  of  mind,  still 
prevailed.  Distance  still  separated  them  in 
their  settlements,  and  travel  and  transportation 
remained  slow;  but  during  the  next  century 
many  revelations  were  made.  These  superin- 
duced various  improvements,  which  brought 
the  people  into  a  closer  relationship  and  ele- 
vated them  to  a  higher  standard  of  life.  The  dis- 
covery of  coal,  and  the  appreciation  of  its  mar- 
ketable value  as  a  substance  for  fuel,  quickened 
trade.  It  awakened  genius  in  respect  to  the 
necessity  for  increased  and  convenient  motive- 
power.  This  was  supplied  through  steam, 
and  iron  then  arose  into  greater  prominence  for 
its  utility  in  connection  with  both.  These 
three  agents  formed  the  great  triumvirate  in  the 
increased  development  of  the  people ;  and  the 

1 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


acceleration  of  our  movements  as  a  people,  es- 
pecially in  respect  to  trade  and  transportation, 
necessarily  developed  a  fourth  agent.  This  was 
the  telegraph.  The  results  of  their  combined 
influences  at  the  close  of  this  century  were  val- 
uable beyond  computation. 

In  the  march  of  improvements  the  district 
comprising  the  county  of  Berks  has  occupied  a 
prominent  position.  The  first  active  agent  was 
iron.  Indeed,  the  first  forge  and  the  first  fur- 
nace in  Pennsylvania  for  its  manufacture  were 
established  and  successfully  conducted  on  its  ter- 
ritory ;  and  it  has  continued  active  here  for 
over  one  hundred  and  sixty  years.  The  next 
agent  was  coal.  This  valuable  mineral  was  dis- 
covered whilst  the  inexhaustible  anthracite 
fields  were  a  part  of  this  county.  Its  transpor- 
tation developed  the  canal  and  the  railway 
along  the  Schuylkill.  The  third  agent,  steam, 
was  then  utilized  to  cheapen  and  hasten  its  de- 
livery in  and  through  the  valley  from  the 
mountains  to  the  sea,  and  also  to  stimulate 
manufactures,  especially  in  the  county-seat 
after  1835.  And  the  fourth  agent  was  intro- 
duced soon  after  its  practical  value  had  come  to 
be  recognized. 

Industry  has  ever  been  a  prominent  charac- 
teristic of  our  people.  The  most  general  em- 
ployment has  been  in  agriculture,  and  the  next 
in  iron  manufactures.  These  two  have  con- 
stantly created  demands  for  diversified  indus- 
tries, and  have  made  us  not  only  a  prosperous 
but  a  contented  people.  Continuous  employ- 
ment has  kept  us,  as  a  whole,  so  engaged  in 
private  affairs  as  to  be  comparatively  free  from 
those  ambitions  and  vanities  of  life  which  de- 
velop restless  energy  in  the  direction  of  per- 
sonal aggrandizement.  It  would  have  been 
better  for  us  if  a  different  spirit  had  prevailed 
to  such  an  extent  as  to  have  led  us  into  a  more 
active  zeal  for  the  public  welfare,  and  into  a 
more  general  thinking  for  competent  political 
representation.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  too  few 
men  of  liberal  mind  and  education  have  exer- 
cised thought  for  the  whole  community.  A 
hope  was  expressed  that  general  education 
would  stimulate  this  weakness  and  agitate  new 
impulses,  looking  to  the  greatest  good  for  the 
greatest  number.     But  an  experience  extending 


through  the  past  fifty  years  has  not  improved 
us  in  this  respect.  It  has  rather  licensed  ambi- 
tion to  run  wild,  and  permitted  men,  more  or 
less  inexperienced,  incompetent  and  irrespon- 
sible, to  represent  us  in  positions  of  trust  and 
responsibility. 

Our  people  in  these  two  important  particu- 
lars—labor on  the  one  hand  and  government  on 
the  other — have  moved  along  undirected.  This 
is  a  common  but  an  unfortunate  weakness  in 
the  United  States ;  and  through  it  the  people 
of  our  county  have  not  developed  prominent, 
thoughtful  men  to  lead  us  out  of  this  social 
apathy  and  to  agitate  questions  and  measures 
relative  to  our  common  progress — that  progress 
which  concerns  communities  rather  than  indi- 
viduals, and  develops  public  enterprise  and 
equality  rather  than  private  enrichment  and  dis- 
tinction. This  is  surprising,  especially  when 
we  consider  the  prominent  territorial  position 
which  we  have  occupied,  the  large  wealth 
which  we  have  possessed  and  the  high  degree 
of  business  sagacity  and  social  intelligence 
which  we  have  enjoyed.  It  is  a  difficult  mat- 
ter to  determine  just  what  caused  this  condition, 
except  it  be  that  we  have  been  indisposed  to 
political  thought  and  feeling  ;  indisposed  to  ex- 
press ourselves  with  force  and  fearlessness  in 
public  measures ;  indisposed  to  lead  the  way  in 
some  common  purpose  for  the  public  good. 
Others  round  about  us  have  created,  but  we 
have  followed — we  have  imitated.  Possibly 
this  arose  from  the  peculiar  German  element  in 
our  composition,  which  is  so  apt  to  be  contented 
at  labor  with  the  certain  profit  that  it  yields. 
In  the  sense  of  untiring  industry,  of  rigid  econ- 
omy, of  pure  and  simple  religion,  our  people 
have  displayed  a  remarkable  degree  of  excel- 
lence. Indeed,  a  long  observation  leads  me  to 
say  that  in  these  several  respects  we  have  seen 
perfection.  And  if  we  were  not  now,  and  had 
not  been  for  a  hundred  years  past,  living  un- 
der a  system  of  representative  government  of, 
for  and  by  the  people,  in  which  all  tax-payers, 
especially  freeholders,  should  take  an  active 
and  earnest  interest,  I  could  not  persuade  my- 
self to  say  anything  else  than  that  we  have 
been  worthy  all  possible  commendation.  But 
we  have  been  existing  under  a  political  govern- 


INTRODUCTION. 


ment;  we  have  had  legislation  pertaining  to 
our  several  rights  ;  we  have  borne  taxation  for 
our  convenience,  safety  and  progress,  and  yet  in 
these  important  respects  we.  have  been  compara- 
tively indifferent  and  inactive,  notwithstanding 
the  prominence  and  necessity  of  these  things 
before  us.  Hence,  in  a  political  sense,  we  have 
been  slow  and  weak,  considerably  beyond  what 
our  age,  wealth  and  intelligence  should  have 
permitted.  We  have  not  produced  the  charac- 
ters of  political  energy  which  our  citizens  in  the 
enjoyment  of  suffrage  should  naturally  have 
produced. 

From  these  remarks  it  will  be  observed  that 
I  shall  have  much  to  say  of  our  untiring  and 
successful  industry,  of  our  practical,  pure  and 
simple  religion  and  of  our  general  education, 
from  which  we  have  realized  such  fruitful 
local  results.  But  of  our  politics  I  can  have 
comparatively  little  to  say,  because  we  have  ob- 
tained so  little  worthy  of  especial  mention.  We 
have  produced  only  a  few  men  who  have  been 
leaders  of  prominence  in  a  vast  district  of 
territory.  We  have  developed  little  or  no  legis- 
lation for  our  own  good  or  the  good  of  our  fel- 
low-citizens here  or  elsewhere.  We  have  not 
taken  a  leading  part  in  agitating  public  meas- 
ures. Our  local  pride  should  be  awakened  to  a 
sense  of  our  importance  as  a  people  possessing 
numbers,  wealth  and  power.  This  should  in- 
duce us  to  take  a  stand  proportioned  to  our 
condition ;  this  should  inspire  us  to  raise  up 
more  sons  and  educate  them  to  a  proper  appre- 
ciation of  political  duty,  political  knowledge 
and  political  progress.  We  cannot  elevate  our 
political  sentiments  by  encouraging  inexperi- 
enced and  incompetent  men  to  represent  us  in 
local  or  in  legislative  offices,  or  even  to  lead  us 
in  manipulating  conventions  and  elections. 
The  time  has  arrived  for  the  better  class  of 
men,  possessed  of  education,  experience,  influ- 
ence and  wealth,  to  step  forward  and  show  a 
positive  interest  in  the  selection  of  officials. 
Through  them  must  we  direct  our  energy  in 
the  political  channel,  as  it  has  been  successfully 
directed  in  the  industrial,  and  through  them 
only  can  we  expect  to  produce  representative 
men  who  can  create  for  us  a  new  political  life 
and   lead   us  into  a  nobler  political   activity. 


We  should  therefore  awaken  them  to  a  sense 
of  their  political  duty,  so  that  such  men  shall 
be  produced  for  the  strong  spirit  that  they  shall 
develop  amongst  us  and  for  the  true  patriotic 
pride  that  they  shall  have  to  arise  from  us  in 
the  time  of  political  revolution. 

With  these  general  preliminary  observations, 
it  is  my  earnest  purpose  to  present  in  this  vol- 
ume a  historical  narrative  of  Berks  County 
from  the  time  of  the  first  settlements  upon  its 
territory  till  now.  I  shall  detail  all  the  mat- 
ters which  I  could  find  relating  to  its  develop- 
ment from  a  vast  uncultivated  wilderness,  oc- 
cupied by  a  few  non-progressive  and.  feeble 
Indian  tribes,  into  a  cultivated  country,  pos- 
sessed and  enriched  by  thousands  of  civilized, 
progressive  people.  Nearly  two  centuries  have 
elapsed  since  the  first  settlement  was  made  by  a 
small  but  zealous  colony  of  Swedes  on  the  east- 
ern bank  of  the  Schuylkill,  several  miles  above 
the  mouth  of  the  Manatawny  Creek.  In  the 
history  of  the  world  this  is  an  insignificant 
period ;  but  in  these  years  a  great  work  has 
been  accomplished  in  this  vicinity  for  twenty 
miles  round  about  our  county-seat.  The  period  is 
therefore  of  great  interest  and  significance  to  us. 
Besides  increasing  from  two-score  of  people  to 
a  thriving  population  which  exceeds  in  number 
one  hundred  and  thirty  thousand,  and  ad- 
vancing from  a  feeble  association  of  individ- 
uals full  of  fear  into  a  strong  community  of 
citizens  who  exhibit  privilege  and  power  in 
every  action,  we  have  passed  from  one  stage 
to  another,  decade  after  decade,  ever  bringing 
our  several  districts  into  a  closer  relationship 
with  one  another,  and  we  have  realized  all  the 
material  improvements  which  such  a  remark- 
able growth  necessarily  produces  in  the  course 
of  social  progress. 

The  first  century  was  signalized  by  a  number 
of  important  events,  such  as  the  immigration  of 
many  foreigners ;  the  founding  of  Reading ;  the 
erection  of  Berks  County,  with  its  conveniences 
to  the  people  through  local  courts,  public  build- 
ings, etc. ;  the  French  and  Indian  War ;  the 
Revolution,  with  its  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence, seven  years  of  costly  warfare  and  success- 
ful conclusion ;  the  introduction  of  the  news- 
paper, stage-coach  and  post-office. 


HISTORY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


But  the  second  century,  till  now,  has  been 
signalized  to  a  greater  degree.  The  first  fifty 
years  were  particularly  fruitful  of  great  results 
from  well-directed  energy.  Our  highways  were 
improved  into  turnpikes ;  bridges  were  erected 
to  take  the  place  of  ferry-boats;  canals  were 
substituted  for  roads  to  facilitate  the  transport- 
ation of  large  quantities  of  materials  at  reduced 
cost ;  railways  were  then  introduced,  which  en- 
couraged travel,  expedited  traffic  and  increased 
carrying  capacity  to  answer  the  demands  of  en- 
terprise ;  steam  not  carrying  our  letters  with  suf- 
ficient speed,  the  telegraph  was  supplied ;  and 
the  message  becoming  too  slow  for  our  active 
minds,  the  telephone  was  produced,  which  en- 
ables us  to  speak,  as  it  were,  face  to  face.  Con- 
trast the  two  extremes,  then  and  now,  in  the 
single  respectof  communicating  with  one  another, 
and  behold  the  progress  which  we  have  made  ! 

We  passed  through  three  wars,  the  last  of 
which  was  especially  costly  to  us  in  the  lives 
that  were  sacrificed,  the  suffering  that  was  en- 
dured and  the  great  taxation  that  was  borne. 
But  I  will  not  have  any  battles  upon  our  terri- 
tory to  recount,  no  dreadful  losses,  no  violence 
from  desperate,  invading  foes  to  narrate, — a  cir- 
cumstance fortunate  for  our  homes  aud  families, 
properties  and  lives.  Industry  gave  us  develop- 
ment in  every  department  of  life.  Manufactures, 
especially  at  Reading,  grew  wonderfully  and 
invited  thousands  of  strangers  to  settle  here. 
Labor-saving  machinery  for  the  work-shop  and 
then  for  the  farm  was  introduced ;  and  educa- 
tion was  encouraged  by  legislation  through 
general  taxation.  After  the  common  school  had 
become  a  fixed  institution  the  English  language 
began  to  obtain  more  extensively,  and  demand 
for  English  preaching  in  our  growing  community 
arose.  Theretofore  the  German  language  was 
used  almost  entirely  in  the  church  and  in  the  as- 
sociations of  life.  But  in  the  courts,  English 
speaking  prevailed  necessarily,  owing  to  a  col- 
onial law  which  required  it,  just  as  the  laws 
were  promulgated  in  the  English  language.  I 
will  not  have  a  great  park  and  fine  monuments 
to  mention,  notwithstanding  the  Penns  had  set 
apart  a  fine  tract  of  land  along  the  western  base 
of  Penn's  Mount,  many  years  ago,  for  the  for- 
mer, and  our  community  afforded  appropriate 


subjects  for  the  latter.  Our  situation  in  these 
two  respects  must  be  deprecated  by  the  intelli- 
gent people  of  this  community.  The  newspapers 
will  receive  particular  mention.  They  played 
an  important  part  in  our  growing  community, 
especially  after  1820,  when  they  began  to  devote 
more  attention  to  local  news  and  the  discussion 
of  measures  of  a  public  character.  Societies  of 
all  kinds,  especially  secret  and  beneficial  orders, 
were  started  here  with  peculiar  but  surprising 
energy.  They  grew  rapidly  after  1840.  The 
Odd-Fellows  developed  a  strong  spirit  in  their 
behalf  throughout  the  county,  and  influenced 
the  formation  of  a  great  many  associations  for 
purposes  of  friendship,  protection  and  assist- 
ance. The  number  of  different  societies  now  is 
very  large.  Steam  would  seem  to  have  been  at 
the  bottom  of  these  also,  for  they  began  in 
earnest  just  after  its  introduction;  and  during 
the  last  forty  years,  strange  though  the  coinci- 
dence may  be,  the  one  multiplied  in  numbers  and 
character  just  as  the  other  expanded  in  utility 
and  power. 

The  building  and  savings  associations  must  be 
mentioned  for  the  prominence  they  have  occu- 
pied and  the  good  they  have  accomplished.  They 
started  with  the  incorporation  of  our  city,  and 
they  have  grown  in  number  and  influence  with 
the  development  of  the  city.  They  have  been, 
in  this  time,  an  important  factor  in  building 
up  many  substantial  homes  for  the  industrious 
and  economical  working  people.  Their  receipts 
and  expenditures  have  increased  from  thousands 
of  dollars  into  millions.  The  city  is  largely  in- 
debted to  them  for  many  improved  and  inhab- 
ited sections ;  and  there  is  a  feature  in  them 
which  I  cannot  fail  to  observe — the  laudable 
tendency  to  distribute  and  preserve  property, 
influence  and  public  interest  in  the  hands  of  the 
people. 

In  closing  this  introduction  I  refer  with  pride 
to  our  patriotism.  From  the  beginning  of  our 
history  till  now  we  have  exhibited  a  strong 
love  for  our  country.  We  took  an  active  and 
earnest  part  in  its  trying  periods  of  warfare, 
contributing  many  companies  of  soldiers  and 
large  amounts  of  money  towards  upholding  the 
general  government,— first,  in  defending  the 
early  settlers  from  the  barbarous  incursions  of 


GENERAL  HISTORY  OP  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Indians ;  then  in  declaring  and  obtaining  inde- 
pendence from  the  English,  and  afterward  in 
maintaining  this  independence ;  again  in  recog- 
nizing the  measures  of  the  national  administra- 
tion against  Mexico,  which  resulted  in  the  an- 
nexation of  Texas ;  and  lastly,  in  the  Rebellion 
of  the  Southern  States.  Our  services  in  the  first 
and  last  periods  were  especially  noteworthy,  for 
in  them  many  lives  of  our  own  people  were  sac- 
rificed. At  least  eight  thousand  men  from  the 
county  were  mustered  into  military  service  dur- 
ing the  Rebellion.  Our  total  population  in  1860 
was  ninety-three  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
eighteen ;  over  eight  per  cent,  went  to  serve  the 
government  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union. 
The  number  of  our  electors  then  did  not  exceed 
twenty  thousand.  From  this  it  appears  that  we 
sent  one  man  out  of  every  three  ;  or,  speaking 
more  accurately,  two  out  of  every  seven.1  We 
did  our  whole  duty.  Our  record  in  this  great 
and  costly  struggle  is  noble  and  shows  remark- 
able patriotism.  And  we  sent  the  first  company 
of  volunteers,  uniformed  and  equipped,  in  re- 
sponse to  the  President's  call  for  troops — an 
honor  worthy  of  particular  mention.  In  order 
to  present  this  important  subject  with  the  full- 
ness that  it  deserves,  I  will  set  apart  a  large 
space  in  this  history  for  its  extended  considera- 
tion. 


CHAPTER  I. 

GENERAL  HISTORY  OF  PENNSYLVANIA. 

Early  Settlers :  Dutch,  Swedes,  English,  Germans,  etc. — 
Provincial  and  Constitutional  Government — Purchases  of 
Territory  from  Indians — Counties  Erected — Development. 

EARLY    SETTLERS. 

Dutch. — The  Dutch  were  the  first  explorers 
of  this  section  of  our  vast  country.  They  dis- 
covered the  great  inlet  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean, 
now  called  the  Delaware  Bay,  in  1609.  In  that 
year  the  Dutch  East  India  Company  sent  Cap- 
tain Henry  Hudson,  with  a  crew  of  English 
and  Dutch  sailors,  numbering  about  sixteen 
men,  on  a   voyage  in   search  of  the  supposed 


'This  proportion  is  too  great  if  we  take  into  account  the 
numerous  young  men  between  the  ages  of  sixteen  and 
twenty-one  who  enlisted. 


short  passage  to  India.  Hudson  entered  the 
mouth  of  the  bay  ;  but  finding  water  shallow 
and  suspecting  danger  ahead,  he  withdrew  into 
the  ocean  and  proceeded  northwardly.  He  re- 
ported this  discovery  to  the  company.  Some  years 
afterward,  the  Dutch  East  India  Company 
was  incorporated  and  invested  with  great  priv- 
ileges and  powers,  and  this  company,  in  1623, 
took  possession  of  the  territory  which  adjoined 
the  bay  and  river  and  called  it  "  New  Nether- 
land."  The  expedition  was  sent  by  it  under  the 
command  of  Captain  Cornelius  Jacobsen  May.2 
He  and  his  crew  had  first  landed  at  Manhattan 
(now  New  York).  Some  of  the  families  were 
sent  thence  to  the  South  (Delaware)  River, 
where  they  erected  a  fort  and  carried  on  a  peace- 
ful and  successful  trade  with  the  natives.  Dur- 
ing the  summer  of  1633  a  commissary  named 
Arendt  Corssen  bought  from  the  Indians,  under 
the  direction  of  the  company,  a  tract  of  land 
within  the  limits  of  Pennsylvania,  along  the 
Schuylkill  river,  and  established  a  trading  post. 
During  these  years  the  administration  of  affairs 
was  not  smooth ;  the  directors  in  charge  were 
therefore  frequently  changed.  In  the  sprround- 
ing  territory,  especially  in  the  northern  posses- 
sions of  "New  Netherland,"  considerable  war- 
fare was  carried  on  between  the  Indians  and  the 
colonists.  It  was  estimated  that  sixteen  hun- 
dred Indians  were  killed.  Nearly  all  the 
Dutch  settlements  were  attacked  and  visited 
with  general  destruction.  The  Schuylkill  set- 
tlement was  not  molested. 

Swedes. — Whilst  the  Dutch  were  carrying 
on  these  settlements  in  the  New  Netherland, 
Gustavus  Adolphus,  King  of  Sweden,  was  in- 
duced by  William  Usselincx,  the  person  who  had 
proposed  the  establishment  of  the  Dutch  West 
India  Company,  to  entertain  the  notion  of 
founding  colonies  in  America.  This  was  in 
1624.  But  Adolphus  fell  at  Lutzen,  in  1632, 
before  he  had  completed  his  plans.  His  daugh- 
ter Christina,  successor  to  the  Swedish  throne, 
and  his  chancellor,  Oxenstiern,  however,  enter- 

2  The  year  1624  may  be  taken  as  the  era  of  a  continuous 
civil  government.  May  was  the  first  Director.  It  had 
power  to  punish,  but  not  with  death.  Judgments  for  cap- 
ital crimes  were  to  be  referred  to  Amsterdam. — 2  Ban- 
croft's "Hist,  of  D.  S.,"  p.  39. 


HISTOEY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


tained  the  matter,  and,  in  1634,  incorporated 
the  Swedish  West  India  Company.  The  news 
of  this  new  enterprise  induced  the  discharged 
director  of  the  New  Netherland  colony,  Peter 
Minuit,  to  offer  his  services,  to  this  company. 
Finding  him  experienced,  they  fitted  out  an 
expedition  of  fifty  emigrants  and  placed  him  in 
command.  It  was  determined  that  they  should 
settle  in  the.  vicinity  of  the  Delaware  River. 
They  sailed  from  Gottenberg  in  the  latter  part  of 

1637,  and  reached  their   destination  in  April, 

1638.  They  proceeded  up  the  Delaware  River 
to  a  creek  which  they  named  "  Christina,"  in 
honor  of  their  Queen.  There  they  met  the 
Indians,  made  a  treaty  with  them  and  succeeded 
in  purchasing  all  the  land  which  lay  on  the 
west  side  of  the  river  in  length  from  Cape  Hen- 
lopen  to  the  falls  near  Trenton,  and  as  far  west- 
ward in  width  as  they  wished  to  possess.  They 
then  established  a  trading  post  and  erected  a 
fort  near  the  mouth  of  the  creek,  which  they 
gave  the  same  name.  The  territory  they  called 
New  Sweden.  This  settlement  awakened  the 
opposition  of  the  Dutch  to  such  an  extent  that 
in  May  following  they  issued  a  proclamation  in 
which  they  warned  the  Swedes  to  desist.  But 
Minuit  disregarded  the  proclamation  and  pro- 
ceeded in  the  more  thorough  settlement  of  the 
country.  The  colony  prospered  and  its  trade 
increased  rapidly.  Its  great  prosperity  and  its 
beautiful  surroundings  awakened  a  wonderful 
feeling  in  its  behalf.  In  ]  639  new  immigrants 
came  at  three  different  times  and  brought  abun- 
dant supplies.  In  the  fall  of  the  year  the  ves- 
sels were  so  crowded  with  passengers  that  many 
persons  who  had  also  wished  to  emigrate  from 
Europe  could  not  be  taken. 

From  1638  the  Dutch  and  Swedes  occupied 
the  territory  together ;  but  in  respect  to  trade, 
the  Swedes  were  superior.  In  two  years  the 
Dutch  trade  was  reduced  to  a  small  amount. 
This  was  effected  by  the  Swedes  underselling 
them  and  depressing  the  market.  It  had  fallen 
short  thirty  thousand  beaver-skins.  In  1642 
the  English  also  tried  to  effect  a  settlement  in 
this  locality;  but  they  were  expelled  by  the 
co-operation  of  the  Swedes  and  Dutch.  In  1643 
John  Printz  became  the  Governor  of  the  Swedes. 
He  was  a  rough,  bold  officer,  very  large  and 


heavy,  having  weighed  over  four  hundred 
pounds  and  been  fond  of  liquor;  yet,  withal, 
he  possessed  many  admirable  qualities.  His 
management  of  the  Swedish  interests  won  the 
entire  approbation  of  his  superiors.  He  built 
a  fort  on  Tinicum  Island,  and  obliged  every 
vessel  that  passed  it  to  strike  her  colors,  and 
he  permitted  no  trade  without  tribute.  He 
also  erected  a  handsome  dwelling,  built  of 
brick  brought  by  him  from  Stockholm,  which 
was  called  "Printz  Hall."  The  Dutch  ob- 
jected to  his  proceedings  and  demands;  but 
they  hesitated  to  oppose  his  administration; 
and  they  became  alarmed  at  the  wonderful 
growth  and  progress  of  the  Swedes.  During 
1644  the  Swedish  trade  was  very  large.  In 
that  year  two  vessels  were  sent  home  with  car- 
goes, which  included  two  thousand  one  hundred 
and  twenty-seven  packages  of  beaver-skins  and 
seventy  thousand  two  hundred  and  forty-one 
pounds  of  tobacco.  After  governing  ten  years, 
he  asked  to  be  relieved,  and  John  Claude  Ry- 
singh  was  appointed  his  successor. 

Rysingh,  on  July  11,  1654,  addressed  a  let- 
ter to  the  home  government,  in  which  he  esti- 
mated the  entire  population  at  three  hundred 
and  sixty-eight  persons.  Of  these,  only  sev- 
enty were  Swedes.  Through  kindness,  he  re- 
newed the  treaty  of  friendship  with  the  Indians. 
His  administration  dawned  with  bright  pros- 
pects; but  these  were  soon  blighted,  for  after 
governing  less  than  two  years,  he  and  nearly 
all  the  Swedes  were  driven  out  of  the  settle- 
ment. The  Dutch  had  been  much  displeased 
in  the  capture  of  one  of  their  forts  several  years 
before  (Fort  Casimir,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Brandywine),  and  therefore  had  determined  to 
revenge  their  wrong  by  driving  the  Swedes 
from  the  river,  or  compelling  submission.  In 
1655  this  determination  was  renewed,  and 
Stuyvesant,  with  over  six  hundred  men,  forced 
the  surrender  of  the  territory.  And  this  was 
the  end  of  the  Swedish  government  in  America, 
after  having  maintained  a  separate  existence 
for  more  than  seventeen  years.  Though  the 
Swedes  could  not  maintain  their  hold,  they  are 
nevertheless  entitled  to  the  credit  of  having 
effected  the  first  permanent  settlements  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  of  having  given  the  terri- 


GENERAL  HISTORY  OF  PENNSYLVANIA. 


tory  a  commercial  character  which  it  never  lost. 
These  influences  certainly  tended  towards  the 
rapid  enrichment  of  the  settlements  and  the 
increase  of  their  population.  The  number  of 
inhabitants  then  was  about  seven  hundred. 

Dutch. — -After  the  Dutch  had  re-possessed 
the  settlements  on  the  Delaware,  John  Paul 
Jacquet  was  appointed  vice-director,  the  ap- 
pointment having  been  made  on  November  29, 
1655.  Peter  Stuyvesant,  a  brave  soldier  of 
experience  and  a  man  of  some  learning,  was 
the  director,  located  at  Manhattan,  afterward 
called  New  York.  The  Swedes,  under  the 
promise  of  protection  and  of  quiet  enjoyment 
of  their  estates,  remained  and  gave  their  alle- 
giance to  the  Dutch  government.  The  Dutch 
West  India  Company,  in  their  efforts  to  re- 
possess this  territory,  had  incurred  a  large  in- 
debtedness. To  satisfy  this  debt  they  sold  to 
the  city  of  Amsterdam,  their  creditor,  all  that 
portion  south  of  the  Delaware,  from  Christina 
Creek  to  the  ocean.  This  sale  was  confirmed 
by  the  States-General  on  August  16,  1656,  and 
the  territory  sold  took  the  name  of  New  Am- 
sterdam. The  government  was  then  vested  in 
forty  commissioners,  who  were  to  reside  in 
Amsterdam.  They  appointed  Jacob  Aldrichs 
as  director,  and  upon  his  arrival  the  authority 
of  Jacquet  ceased.  He  administered  affairs  for 
nearly  two  years,  until  towards  the  close  of 
1659,  when  D'Hinyossa,  the  person  recom- 
mended by  him,  received  the  appointment. 
Many  evils  existed  during  this  period.  They 
arose  from  the  bad  administration  of  Aldrichs. 

The  year  1659  was  one  of  great  distress  to 
the  colonists.  Sickness  prevailed,  the  affairs  of 
the  government  were  unsettled,  the  crops  were 
short,  and  the  winter  was  severe ;  the  new  im- 
migrants arrived  without  supplies,  and  the 
company  made  new  and  exacting  conditions. 
All  these  things  caused  great  discontent,  and 
many  of  the  colonists  fled  to  English  settle- 
ments in  Maryland. 

The  administration  of  D'Hinyossa  was  also 
turbulent,  owing  to  conflicts  between  him  as 
the  representative  of  the  city  of  Amsterdam 
and  the  collector  of  revenues  for  the  West  In- 
dia Company.  He  refused  to  recognize  the 
authority   of  Stuyvesant,   and    his   difficulties 


finally  obliged  him  to  visit  Holland  in  1663. 
Through  this  visit  the  city  of  Amsterdam  ob- 
tained the  entire  government  of  all  the  settle- 


PETER    STUYVESANT. 

ments,  and  upon  his  return  Stuyvesant  made 
a  formal  transfer  of  all  authority  to  him.  This 
induced  the  colonists  to  return  from  Maryland. 
He  held  undivided  authority  till  the  conquest 
of  all  the  territory  of  New  Netherland,  in  1664, 
by  the  English,  when  he  returned  to  Holland. 

English.— The  English  had  claimed  the 
territory  by  right  of  discovery.  Cromwell  had 
planned  its  recovery,  and  similar  plans  had 
been  renewed  during  the  reign  of  his  son,  but 
forcible  measures  were  not  adopted.  The  dis- 
content of  the  colonists,  however,  caused  the 
English  to  renew  their  claims.  They  sent 
commissioners  to  demand  the  surrender  of  the 
territory,  but  the  Dutch  succeeded  in  resisting 
these  demands,  and  they  held  it  till  it  was 
taken  from  them  by  the  English  by  right  of 
conquest  in  1664. 

Soon  after  King  Charles  II.  had  ascended 
the  English  throne  he  granted  by  patent,  dated 
12th  of  March,  1664,  all  the  territory  between 
the  Connecticut  and  Delaware  Rivers  and  the 
adjacent  islands,  including  the  possessions  of 
the  Dutch,  to  his  brother  James,  the  Duke  of 


8 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


York  and  Albany.  Colonel  Richard  Nicholls 
was  sent,  accompanied  by  three  commissioners, 
to  take  possession.  Before  they  began  formal 
negotiations  with  Stuyvesant  they  had  issued 
a  proclamation  to  the  people,  in  which  they 
offered  the  most  liberal  regulations  and  entire 
security  to  them  and  their  property  if  they 
would  peaceably  transfer  their  allegiance  to  the 
English  crown.  This  was  successful.  The 
people  did  not  encourage  Stuyvesaiit  in  his  pro- 
posed resistance  of  these  demands,  and  he  ac- 
cordingly surrendered  possession  on  the  8th  of 
September,  1664,  when  the  New  Netherlands 
passed  to  the  English. 

In  May,  1667,  Nicholls  was  succeeded  by 
Colonel  Francis  Lovelace.  He  administered 
affairs  till  he  was  forced  to  surrender  to  the 
Dutch  in  the  fall  of  1673.  Captain  John  Carr 
then  became  the  Governor  of  the  settlements  on 
the  Delaware. 

In  1673  Louis  XIV  declared  war  against 
the  Netherlands,  and  .in  this  declaration  the 
English  united.  But  the  Dutch  were  victorious 
over  the  French  and  English,  defeating  them 
in  three  great  naval  battles,  which  were  fought 
on  the  7th  and  14th  of  June  and  on  the  21st  of 
August  in  that  year.  During  this  time  the 
Dutch  had  sent  a  squadron  to  recover  the  terri- 
tory of  New  Netherland.  It  arrived  before 
the  fort  of  New  York  on  the  6th  of  August, 
shortly  before  the  final  naval  battle,  and  a  sur- 
render was  demanded.  After  a  brief  resistance 
the  surrender  was  made,  and  the  entire  terri- 
tory, as  it  had  passed  from  Stuyvesant,  was 
thus  recovered.  In  honor  of  the  Prince  of 
Orange,  it  was  called  "  New  Orange."  Peter 
Alrichs  was  appointed  Governor  of  the  terri- 
tory west  of  the  Delaware,  and  he  confiscated 
the  property  belonging  to  the  English  govern- 
ment. Scarcely  had  the  authority  of  the  Dutch 
on  the  Delaware  been  confirmed  and  settled 
when  a  treaty  of  peace  was  concluded  on  the 
9th  of  February,  1674,  by  which  the  territory 
of  New  Netherland  was  restored  to  the  Eng- 
lish. King  Charles  then  renewed  his  grant  to 
the  Duke  of  York,  and  Sir  Edmond  Andros 
was  sent  to  repossess  the  government  of  the  ter- 
ritory. On  the  9th  of  November,  1674,  he 
issued  his  proclamation  whereby  he  reinstated 


affairs.  Edmund  Cantwell  was  commissioned 
to  be  captain  and  schout,  and  substantially  in- 
vested with  the  power  of  a  Deputy-Governor. 
On  the  23d  of  September,  1676,  John  Collier 
was  appointed  to  succeed  him.  Before  a  year 
expired  Collier,  on  the  24th  of  August,  1677, 
was  deposed  by  Andros  because  he  had  usurped 
the  authority  of  a  judge,  and  Christopher  Bil- 
lop  was  commissioned  in  his  stead.  This 
authority  continued  till  1681,  when  the  terri- 
tory, which  included  Pennsylvania,  was  granted 
to  William  Penn. 

Penn  had  become  interested  in  the  settle- 
ments in  America,  and  especially  in  the  prog- 
ress of  civilization  on  the  Delaware  River, 
through  the  purchase  of  a  part  of  New  Jersey 
in  company  with  eleven  other  persons.  His 
father,  Admiral  William  Penn,  had  distin- 
guished himself  by  meritorious  services  under 
the  English  government,  whereby  he  became 
entitled  to  a  claim  of  sixteen  thousand  pounds. 
This  claim  he  bequeathed  to  his  son,  and  the 
son,  in  satisfaction  thereof,  made  application  for 
a  large  grant  of  territory  west  of  the  Delaware. 
King  Charles  II  readily  consented,  for  he  was 
in  great  need  of  money,  and  he  regarded  the 
payment  of  so  large  a  claim  against  him  in  this 
manner  as  a  most  desirable  performance.  He 
accordingly  granted  to  him  by  patent,  dated  the 
4th  of  March,  1681,  the  land  applied  for  and 
named  it  "  Pennsylvania."  Penn  himself  had 
drawn  the  patent,  but  it  was  revised  and 
amended  by  Chief  Justice  North,  "  to  guard  the 
sovereignty  of  the  King  and  the  commercial 
supremacy  of  Parliament."  Many  obstacles 
had  been  thrown  in  the  way  of  its  confirmation 
to  him  by  Lord  Baltimore,  but  his  claims  and 
solicitations  finally  prevailed.  He  then  wrote, 
"  God  will  bless  and  make  it  the  seed  of  a  na- 
tion." On  the  2d  of  April,  1681,  the  royal 
proclamation  announced  to  all  the  inhabitants 
of  the  province  that  William  Penn  was  their 
absolute  proprietary,  with  all  the  powers  neces- 
sary for  its  government,  and  Penn  himself  also 
issued  a  proclamation  on  the  8th  of  April.  It 
was  in  the  following  remarkable  language  : 

"My  friends:— I  wish  you  all  happiness  here 
and  hereafter.  These  are  to  let  you  know  that  it 
hath  pleased   God   in   his   Providence   to    cast   vou 


GENERAL  HISTORY  OP  PENNSYLVANIA. 


within  my  Lot  and  Care.  It  is  a  business  that  though 
I  never  undertook  before,  yet  God  has  given  me  an 
understanding  of  my  duty  and  an  honest  mind  to  do 
it  uprightly.  I  hope  you  will  not  be  troubled  at 
your  change  and  the  king's  choice,  for  you  are  now 
fixed  at  the  mercy  of  no  Governor  that  comes  to 
make  his  fortune  great.  You  shall  be  governed  by 
laws  of  your  own  making,  and  live  a  free  and,  if  you 
will,  a  sober  and  industrious  people.  I  shall  not 
usurp  the  right  of  any  or  oppress  his  person.  God 
has  furnished  me  with  a  better  resolution  and  has 
given  me  his  grace  to  keep  it.  In  short,  whatever 
sober  and  free  men  can  reasonably  desire  for  the  se- 
curity and  improvement  of  their  own  happiness  I 
shall  heartily  comply  with.  I  beseech  God  to  direct 
you  in  the  way  of  righteousness,  and  therein  prosper 
you  and  your  children  after  you.  I  am  your  true 
friend,  "  Wm.  Penn." 

Perm  was  not  ready  to  visit  his  new  province. 
He  therefore  deputized  his  kinsman,  William 
Markham,  a  young  man,  to  go  and  take  formal 
possession  thereof  and  act  as  Deputy-Governor 
until  his  arrival.  Markham  proceeded  directly 
to  New  York  with  the  two  declarations.  There 
he  exhibited  to  the  Governor  the  King's  dec- 
laration, and  the  Governor  gave  him  a  letter 
addressed  to  all  the  magistrates  in  the  new 
grant,  requesting  them  to  transfer  their  alle- 
giance to  the  new  proprietor.  This  was  on  the 
21st  of  June,  1681.  Markham  then  proceeded 
to  the  Delaware  and  made  known  the  contents 
of  the  declarations  entrusted  to  him.  He  was 
kindly  received  and  his  authority  was  accordingly 
accepted. 

Markham  also  had  a  letter  addressed  by 
Penn  to  Lord  Baltimore  in  reference  to  a  set- 
tlement of  the  boundary  line  between  Pennsyl- 
vania and  Maryland.  By  the  charter  the 
southern  line  of  the  province  was  on  the  fortieth 
degree  of  north  latitude.  This  extended  upon 
the  territory  of  the  province  of  Maryland.  He 
delivered  the  letter  to  Baltimore,  but  they 
could  not  agree.  The  controversy  about  the 
line  was  kept  up  for  over  eighty  years.  Finally 
an  agreement  was  effected,  which  was  much  to 
the  advantage  of  Maryland.  The  line  was  sur- 
veyed by  two  surveyors — Thomas  Mason  and 
Jeremiah  Dixon — who  were  appointed  for  this 
purpose  in  1763,  and  located  on  a  line  forty 
degrees  forty-four  minutes  north  latitude.  It 
has  since  been  known  as  "  Mason's  and  Dixon's 


line,"  and  it  marked  the  division  between  the 
free  and  slave  States  for  a  hundred  years. 

In  the  fall  of  1681  certain  commissioners 
from  Penn  arrived,  having  been  sent  by  him  to 
treat  with  the  Indians,  purchase  lands  from 
them  and  lay  out  a  great  city.  In  his  letter  to 
the  Indians  he  addressed  them  as  follows  : 

"  There  is  a  great  God  and  power  that  hath  made 
the  world,  and  all  things  therein,  to  whom  you  and  I 
and  all  people  owe  their  being  and  well-being,  and  to 
whom  you  and  I  must  one  day  give  an  account  for  all 
that  we  do  in  the  world.  This  great  God  hath  written 
his  law  in  our  hearts,  by  which  we  are  taught  and 
commanded  to  love  and  help  and  do  good  to  one 
another.  Now  this  great  God  hath  been  pleased  to 
make  me  concerned  in  your  part  of  the  world ;  and 
the  king  of  the  country  where  I  live  hath  given  me 
a  great  province  therein ;  but  I  desire  to  enjoy  it 
with  your  love  and  consent  that  we  may  always  live 
together  as  neighbors  and  friends ;  else  what  would 
the  great  God  do  to  us  who  hath  made  us,  not  to  de- 
vour and  destroy  one  another,  but  to  live  soberly  and 
kindly  in  the  world?" 

After  the  management  of  affairs  in  the  prov- 
ince by  a  Deputy-Governor  for  over  a  year, 
Penn  himself  arrived  and  assumed  personal  con- 
trol. He  arrived  at  New  Castle  on  the  27th  of 
October,  1682.  On  the  next  day  he  met  the 
neighboring  inhabitants,  consisting  of  families 
of  various  nations, — Dutch,  Germans,  Swedes 
and  English.  He  produced  before  them  his 
charter  and  deeds  of  feoffment  and  explained  his 
system  of  government.  The  education  of  rich 
and  poor  was  to  be  provided  for ;  justice  was  to 
be  administered  without  delay ;  prisons  were  to 
be  regulated  in  such  a  manner  as  to  lead  to  the 
reformation  of  criminals;  and  the  penalty  of 
death  was  to  be  abolished,  except  in  the  cases  of 
murder  and  treason.  Several  days  after  this 
meeting  the  Assembly  (which  had  been  called 
by  Markham  to  meet  for  the  purpose)  adopted 
his  frame  of  government,  and  from  that  time 
onward  the  development  of  the  province  was 
wonderful.  Philadelphia  was  then  founded 
upon  a  plan  which  contemplated  the  growth  of 
a  magnificent  city.  The  lands  of  the  province 
were  surveyed  and  settlements  were  located  in 
various  directions.  Many  houses  were  built; 
immigrants,  mostly  English  and  German,  came 
in  great  numbers ;  schools  were  founded ;  a 
printing  press  was  set  up ;  a   post  was   estab- 


10 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


lished,  and   the  great   outposts  of  civilization 
were  erected. 

Penn  was  particularly  successful  in  his  treaty 
with  the  natives.  He  won  their  unqualified 
confidence.  In  the  following  kind  and  re- 
markable language  he  expressed  his  ideas  and 
intentions  to  them  : 

"  We  meet  on  the  broad  pathway  of  good  faith  and 
good-will ;  no  advantage  shall  be  taken  on  either 
side;  but  all  shall  be  openness  and  love.  I  will  not 
call  you  children,  for  parents  sometimes  chide  their 
children  too  severely ;  nor  brothers  only,  for  brothers 
differ.  The  friendship  between  me  and  you  I  will  not 
compare  to  a  chain,  for  that  the  rains  might  rust  or 
the  falling  tree  might  break.  We  are  the  same  as  if 
one  man's  body  were  to  be  divided  into  two  parts ; 
we  are  one  flesh  and  blood." 

These  words  made  a  deep  impression  upon 
the  Indians,  and  they  replied, — 

"  We  will  live  in  love  with  you  and  your  children 
as  long  as  the  moon  and  the  sun  shall  endure." 

And  such  was  the  introduction  of  the  English 
government,  such  the  beginning  of  the  promising 
settlements  superinduced  thereby.  Its  language 
as  well  as  its  laws  was  the  fixed  medium  of  in- 
tercourse. And  it  could  not  be  disturbed,  not- 
withstanding the  great  immigration  of  other 
nationalities,  especially  Germans.  These  were 
encouraged  by  the  English,  especially  by  the 
policy  of  William  Penn  ;  and  they,  acknowledg- 
ing the  government  as  they  found  it,  conducted 
themselves  accordingly.  And  this  accounts  for 
the  continuation  of  the  predominance  of  Eng- 
lish in  every  department  of  life,  particularly  as 
it  concerned  trade,  legislation  and  jurisprudence. 

A  short  sketch  of  the  founder  of  Pennsylva- 
nia is  appropriate  in  this  connection. 

William  Penn  was  born  at  London,  Eng.,  on 
October  14,  1644.  He  obtained  a  thorough 
education  at  home  under  a  private  tutor  and 
at  Oxford  University,  and  then  entered  Lin- 
coln's Inn  for  the  purpose  of  studying  law. 
After  prosecuting  his  studies  for  a  while  he,  in 
1665,  accompanied  his  father,  Admiral  William 
Penn,  to  Ireland  and  took  upon  himself  the 
management  of  a  valuable  estate.  Subsequently 
he  entered  the  army  whilst  visiting  a  prominent 
friend  of  the  family  in  Ireland,  and  gained 
some  experience  as  a  soldier.   Whilst  in  this  ser- 


vice 


his  portrait  was  painted,  which  is  said  to 
be  the  onlv  genuine  portrait  of  him  ever  pro- 
duced. He  then  united  with  the  Society  of 
Friends,  having  been  imbued  with  the  principles 
of  this  sect  through  the  preaching  of  Thomas 
Loe.  His  earnest  preaching  at  Cork,  in  1667, 
caused  his  arrest  and  imprisonment.  His  re- 
lease was  effected  through  the  Earl  of  Orrery ; 
but  he  began  again  with  more  vigor.  His  re- 
ligious writings  then  led  to  his  second  arrest, 
when  he  was  imprisoned  in  the  Tower.  Whilst 
there  he  wrote  his  distinguished  religious  work, 
entitled,  "  No  Cross,  no  Crown."  His  father 
obtained  his  discharge,  but  he  persisted  in  ex- 
pressing his  opinions  and  beliefs  on  the  highways 
and  in  public  places,  for  which  he  was  arrested 
in  1670,  and  committed  to  Newgate.  He  was 
indicted  and  tried.  During  the  trial  he  pleaded 
his  own  cause  and  the  jury  acquitted  him.  But 
he  was  detained,  nevertheless,  for  a  time.  The 
jurors  were  fined  for  returning  such  a  verdict. 
In  Newgate  he  also  wrote  a  number  of  religious 
articles,  which  were  published  in  tracts.  In 
1674  he  wrote  and  published  an  able  defense  of 
the  freedom  of  conscience  and  the  rights  of 
Englishmen,  which  was  entitled,  "England's 
Present  Interest  Considered."  In  1677  he  ac- 
companied Barclay  and  others  on  a  mission  of 
preaching  in  Holland  and  Germany. 

In  1681  he  obtained  a  charter  from  King 
Charles  II  for  the  province  of  Pennsylvania, 
in  satisfaction  of  a  large  debt  which  had  been 
owing  to  his  father  for  meritorious  naval  services. 
He  visited  his  province  in  1682  and  remained 
two  years.  In  this  time  he  did  many  things  for 
the  welfare  of  the  province.  He  distinguished 
himself  by  his  kindness  to  the  Indians,  who 
gave  him  in  return  their  unqualified  confidence 
and  regard.  His  great  treaty  with  them  at 
Kensington  in  1682  has  been  immortalized  by 
a  masterly  painting  by  Benjamin  West,  the 
famous  American  artist.  He  prepared  and  pub- 
lished various  important  papers  relating  to  the 
advantages  of  Pennsylvania  for  inducing  emi- 
gration thither,  in  which  he  was  very  successful 
with  the  Germans.  In  1686  he  secured  the 
liberation  of  over  twelve  hundred  imprisoned 
Quakers,  and  in  1687  also  the  passage  of  the 
"  Toleration  Act."      In  1688  he  was  tried  for 


£?/Gmy££>  m-jaiAr&wTmr. 


atrhflbPTL 


£?. 


i)/«v#//i?:  6//<y<,;/y////'^Y' '#  /&/'■ v<MjM>m ////fs„  ^i  '.j/Wr;/Kfo?dtye/Uf>«.jpA 


■jiazwTEDmaMZjmzNiffiiE/ifijgse. 


GENERAL  HISTORY  OP  PENNSYLVANIA. 


11 


treason  and  acquitted.  In  1699  he  visited 
Pennsylvania  a  second  time,  and,  after  remain- 
ing two  years,  he  returned  to  England.  In  his 
efforts  to  establish  a  permanent  government,  etc. 
in  Pennsylvania  he  became  heavily  involved  with 
debts  ;  these  pressed  him  so  hard  that  in  1708 
he  was  imprisoned  for  debt.  His  friends,  how- 
ever, united  in  his  behalf  and  effected  his  release. 
He  also  had  serious  and  extended  litigation  iD 
reference  to  the  province,  but  he  eventually 
succeeded  in  maintaining  his  grant  and  the 
rights  secured  to  him  under  it.  He  died  of 
paralysis  at  Rushcombe,  on  July  30,  1718,  in 
the  seventy-fourth  year  of  his  age.  His  chil- 
dren held,  governed  and  disposed  of  the  prov- 
ince till  the  Revolution,  when  they  released 
their  rights  to  the  commonwealth  of  Pennsyl- 
vania.1 

Germans. — Soon   after  affairs   in  the   pro- 
vince had  attained  an  acknowledged  permanent 
character    the    influx    of    settlers    was   won- 
derful.    They  came    over   the    ocean    by  ship- 
loads at  a  time.      The  Germans  were  especially 
numerous.    In  Germany  a  company  had  formed 
about    1684    for    the   purpose     of  influencing 
emigration.      It   was    called   the   "Frankfort 
Land  Company."    It  was  composed  of  ten  men 
who  lived  at  Frankfort-on-the-Mayne, — G.  Van 
Mastrick,  Thomas  V.  Wylick,  John  Le  Bran, 
F.   Dan   Pastorious,  John  J.  Schuetz,  Daniel 
Behagel,   Jacobus    Van    Dewaller,   John   W. 
Peterson,  Johannes  Kimber,  Balthaser  Jowest. 
They  entered  into  articles  of  association  on  No- 
vember  24,   1686,  and   then   purchased   large 
tracts   of  land  from  William  Penn, — the  Ger- 
mantown  patent  for  five  thousand  three  hundred 
and  fifty  acres,  and  the  Manatawny  patent  for 
twenty-two  thousand  three  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-seven acres.     For  more   than  fifty   years 
emigration  was  encouraged.     Thousands  of  the 
emigrants    were    Palatines ;    many   proceeded 
from  the  Palatinate  to  England  upon  the  invi- 
tation  of  Queen  Anne,  and  thence   she  trans- 
ported them  to  America.  Among  them  were  peo- 
ple of  all  religious  denominations, — Mennonites, 
Moravians,   Dunkards,    Schwenkfelders,    Lu- 
therans,   German     Reformed    and    Catholics. 

1  See  Januey's  ''Life  of  William  Penn." 


The   tide   of  emigration   from    Germany   had 
become  so  great  as  to  awaken  apprehension  on 
the   part   of  the   English,  who   controlled  the 
government.     In  1717,  Logan,  the  secretary  of 
the   province,   expressed    his  fears   as  follows  : 
"  We  have  of  late  a  great  number  of  Palatines 
poured  in  upon  us,  without  any  recommenda- 
tion  or  notice,  which  gives  the   country  some 
uneasiness ;  foreigners  do  not  so  well  among  us 
as  our  own  English  people."     And,  in   1755, 
Samuel  Wharton  said  that  they  came  in  such 
numbers  (estimated  five  thousand  in  1754),  "I 
see  not  but  that  they  may  soon  give  us  law  and 
language  too,  or  else,  by  joining  the  French,  eject 
all  the   English."     In  the  years  1749,  1750, 
1751  and  1752   they  were  especially  numerous 
(about  twenty-five  thousand).    Many  were  poor 
and  had  not  the  means  of  paying  their  passage. 
Upon  their  arrival  at  Philadelphia  they  were 
sold  for  a  term  of  years.     Their  services  under 
these  indentures  discharged  the  cost  of  trans- 
portation.    In   this  way  they  redeemed    their 
freedom,  and    were    called    "  redemptioners." 
The  Palatine  redemptioners  were  usually  sold 
at  ten  pounds  for  a  period  varying  from  three 
to  five  years.     The  influx  of  these  was  particu- 
larly large  in  the  years  1728, 1729, 1737, 1741, 
1750   and    1751.      They   generally   proceeded 
northwardly  and  westwardly  and  settled  in  the 
districts  now  included  in  the  counties  of  Mont- 
gomery, Berks,  Lancaster,  York  and  Cumber- 
land.    Some  of  these  Germans  began  to  settle 
in  Oley,  Berks  County,  as  early  as  1712.    They 
were  industrious,  and  they,  by  their   industry, 
soon  had  the  country  to  show  marked  improve- 
ment. 

The  Germans  were  chiefly  farmers.  Gov- 
ernor Thomas  alluded  to  them  when  he  said,  in 
1738:  "This  Province  has  been  for  some 
years  the  asylum  of  the  distressed  Protestants 
of  the  Palatinate  and  other  parts  of  Germany ; 
and  I  believe  it  may  be  truthfully  said  that  the 
present  flourishing  condition  of  it  is  in  a  great 
measure  owing  to  the  industry  of  those  people; 
it  is  not  altogether  the  fertility  of  the  soil,  but 
the  number  and  industry  of  the  people,  that 
makes  a  country  flourish."  2 

'  4  Col.  Rec,  315. 


12 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


England  encouraged  the  industrious  Germans 
to  emigrate  to  America,  but  she  retained  her 
own  subjects ;  and  this  class  was  at  one  time 
feared.  The  influx  was  so  great  that  it  was 
thought  their  numbers  would  soon  produce  a 
German  colony  here,  and  perhaps  such  a  one 
as  Britain  once  received  from  Saxony  in  the 
fifth  century.1  The  personal  description  of  the 
territory  by  Penn  himself  to  the  Germans,  his 
kindly  encouragement  to  them  to  emigrate  and 
possess  its  fertile  soil  and  his  liberal  promises 
of  religious  toleration  and  of  self-government 
had  made  a  deep  impression  upon  their  troubled 
minds  ;  and  corroborating  letters  to  them,  sub- 
sequently, from  those  who  emigrated  had  in- 
clined them  to  more  freely  entertain  thoughts  of 
emigration.  And  thus  influenced,  they  came 
into  Pennsylvania  by  thousands — by  such  a 
continuous  tide  of  Immigration  for  a  period  of 
over  fifty  years,  that  the  officers  of  the  govern- 
ment became  alarmed  for  the  preservation  of 
English  laws  and  the  continuation  of  English 
control.  But  their  fears  were  not  realized, 
though  the  province  became  German  in  charac- 
ter and  industry,  and  in  general  social  and  re- 
ligious feeling. 

The  Dutch  had  discovered  the  country;  the 
Swedes  had  effected  the  first  permanent  settle- 
ments in  it,  but  had  lost  control,  not  so  much 
by  want  of  energy  and  enterprise  as  by  want  of 
encouragement  and  support  from  their  govern- 
ment; the  English  had  defined  the  rights  of 
property  and  government  and  characterized  the 
laws,  language  and  associations ;  but  it  remained 
for  the  Germans  to  come  after  these,  take  pos- 
session of  the  great  portion  of  its  territory  and 
control  its  destiny.  This  was  a  fortunate  cir- 
cumstance for  Pennsylvania.  Who  will  say 
that  either  of  the  other  nationalities  mentioned, 
if  they  had  kept  control  of  the  country  in  all 
its  departments,  would  have  shown  a  qualifica- 
tion to  develop  it  in  so  great  a  degree  and  in 
such  harmonious  proportions  as  the  German  in 
respect  to  agriculture,  industry  and  population  ? 
Who  will  say  that  the  people  would  have 
manifested  the  same  general  social,  political  and 
religious  tendencies  ?     Who  will  say  that  they 

1  2  Watson's  "Annals,"  255. 


would  have  caused  such  a  general  distribution 
of  land,  wealth  and  power?  And  who  will  say 
that  they  would  have  created  and  maintained 
such  general  social  and  political  equality? 
All  these  developments,  proportions,  tendencies 
and  equalities  are  found  here  now,  after  the 
lapse  of  two  hundred  years.  In  all  these  years 
the  German  influences  predominated.  Her 
names  of  persons,  her  language  and  her  manners 
have  been  preserved,  notwithstanding  the  gov- 
ernment ordered  the  names  changed  to,  and 
education  taught,  and  the  laws  published  and 
judicial  proceedings  recorded  in,  the  English. 
This  is  an  exhibition  of  inherent  natural  great- 
ness and  power  truly  wonderful  as  it  is  admir- 
able. 

Welsh. — The  Welsh  made  early  purchases 
from  Penn  in  England,  amounting  to  forty 
thousand  acres  of  land  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Schuylkill  River.  Their  number  of  settlers  had 
multiplied  to  such  an  extent  before  1692  that 
they  settled  six  townships  in  Chester  County 
within  ten  years  after  it  had  been  formed. 
They  moved  gradually  northwardly,  and  took 
up  lands  along  the  head-waters  of  the  Conestoga 
and  vicinity.  Some  of  the  lands  are  now  in- 
cluded in  Caernarvon,  Brecknock,  Robeson  and 
Cumru  townships,  in  Berks  County.  In  1686 
and  1698  many  Welsh  families  arrived.  Among 
them  were  William  Jones,  Robert  Jones,  Thomas 
Evans,  Robert  Evans,  Owen  Evans,  Cadwalla- 
der  Evans,  Hugh  Griffith  and  John  Humphrey. 
They  took  up  lands  by  patent.  Through  them 
certain  townships  were  named.  And  their  de- 
scendants are  still  on  the  first  settlements.  Some 
of  these  Welsh  immigrants  moved  to  the  east 
of  the  Schuylkill,  into  the  district  now  included 
in  Montgomery  County,  but  none  of  them  pro- 
ceeded so  far  northwardly  as  to  enter  the  district 
now  part  of  Berks  County.  Those  who  entered 
and  settled  in  the  county  remained  to  the  west 
of  the  Schuylkill. 

Irish. — Comparatively  few  Irish  immigrants 
settled  in  Pennsylvania.  They  were  not  among 
the  first,  and  their  limited  number  could  not 
and  did  not  in  the  least  affect  the  established 
laws,  associations  and  institutions  of  the 
province.  It  was  quite  different  with  the  Ger- 
mans.     The   English   had    possession  of  the 


GENERAL  HISTORY  OF  PENNSYLVANIA. 


13 


territory ;  they  controlled  the  government  and 
influenced  the  direction  of  all  the  affairs  of  the 
province.  Still  the  Germans  modified  every- 
thing. This  modification  arose  not  only  from 
their  great  numbers,  but  also  their  nature  and 
enterprise. 

The  first  Irish  immigrants  came  into  the 
province,  about  1719.  They  located  mostly 
near  the  Maryland  line,  in  the  territory  which 
was  then  included  in  Chester  County.  In  1729 
Logan  was  apprehensive  of  evil  from  the  Irish 
settlers.  The  common  fear  was  that  if  they 
continued  to  come  in  such  numbers  as  they 
were  then  coming,  all  Ireland  would  be  here 
and  they  would  eventually  make  themselves 
proprietors  of  the  province.  The  Assembly 
deemed  it  advisable  to  levy  a  tax  of  twenty 
shillings  on  each  servant  in  order  to  discourage 
their  immigration.  He  thought  it  strange  that 
they  continued  to  crowd  into  places  where  they 
were  not  wanted.  Many  convicts  were  among 
them.  This  was  the  alarming  feature.  Even 
the  Indians  feared  a  breach  between  them  and 
the  settlers,  because  the  Irish  were  rough  to 
them.  And  in  1730  he  complained  of  the 
audacious  and  disorderly  manners  of  the  Scotch- 
Irish  in  forcibly  taking  possession  of  Conestoga 
manor.  They  were  dispossessed  and  their  huts 
were  burned.  Thirty-three  years  afterwards 
they  figured  conspicuously  in  the  cruel  massacre 
of  the  Indians  at  Conestoga. 

In  1735  and  1740  Scotch-Irish  immigrants 
settled  in  the  territory  beyond  the  Susquehanna 
River,  in  what  was  then  Lancaster  County,  now 
in  York  and  Adams  Counties.  They  came 
from  Scotland  and  the  north  of  Ireland.  The 
Germans  had  settled  in  the  upper  section,  or 
York  County,  and  the  Scotch-Irish  in  the  lower, 
or  Adams  County.  Their  respective  nationali- 
ties preserved  them  distinct  peoples  and 
eventually  led  them  to  separate  into  two  distinct 
county  organizations.  The  names  of  the  Scotch- 
Irish  are  particularly  prevalent  in  Adams 
County.  The  settlers  were  principally  of  the 
better  class  of  peasantry  and  the  lands  are  to  a 
great  degree  still  possessed  by  their  descendants. 
They  were  recognized  for  their  intelligence,  in- 
dustry and  morality.  These  qualities  have  been 
very   successfully   transmitted   to    the   present 


time  and  have  exerted  a  beneficent  influence 
over  the  people  of  the  district  in  several  re- 
spects, social,  industrial  and  political.  I  could 
not  discover  any  settlement  of  this  class  in 
Berks  County. 

GOVERNMENT   OF     PENNSYLVANIA    SINCE 
1681. 

Penn's  Charter. — The  original  charter,  as 
prepared  by  Penn,  supervised  and  amended 
by  the  crown  officers,  and  granted  by  King 
Charles  the  Second  on  the  4th  of  March,  1681, 
is  a  long  document.  In  order  to  avoid  its  en- 
tire publication  in  this  history,  to  save  time  to 
the  general  reader  in  obtaining  a  knowledge  of 
its  contents  and  to  make  it  more  intelligible,  I 
have  condensed  it  in  the  following  manner : 

In  the  preamble  Charles  II.,  King,  etc.,  gives  all 
people  to  know  that  William  Penn,  out  of  a  com- 
mendable desire  to  enlarge  the  English  empire  and  to 
promote  such  useful  commodities  beneficial  to  her  do- 
minions, as  well  as  to  reduce  the  savage  natives  by 
gentle  and  just  manners  to  the  love  of  civil  society 
and  Christian  religion — had  applied  for  a  grant  of  a 
certain  part  of  America  not  yet  cultivated  and 
planted. 

Section  1. — Recognizing  the  services  of  his  father, 
Admiral  William  Penn,  to  the  government  in  the  war 
against  the  Dutch,  in  1665,  and  favoring  his  petition, 
the  King  granted  unto  William  Penn,  his  heirs  and 
assigns,  the  large  body  of  land  now  known  to  us  as 
the  State  of  Pennsylvania. 

Section  2.- — Grants  all  harbours,  rivers,  etc.,  fishes 
and  ores,  with  free  egress,  ingress  and  regress. 

Section  3. — Creates  Penn  proprietary,  requires  alle- 
giance and  the  payment  of  an  annual  rent  of  two 
beaver-skins  and  of  one-fifth  of  all  gold  and  silver-ore 
found  on  the  premises,  and  names  the  province 
Pennsylvania. 

Section  4. — Confers  authority  to  make  and  execute 
laws,  raise  money  for  public  use,  etc. 

Section  5. — Grants  authority  to  create  courts  with 
incidental  powers. 

Section  6. — Grants  authority  to  make  ordinances 
for  the  government  of  the  people,  and  direct  the  law 
of  descent  to  continue  as  in  England,  until  altered. 

Section  7. — Directs  that  a  transcript  of  its  laws  shall 
be  forwarded  to  the  privy  council  of  England,  which, 
if  found  inconsistent  with  the  government,  shall  be 
declared  void. 

Section  8.— Gives  the  right  to  English  subjects  to 
emigrate  to  Pennsylvania. 

Section  9. — Grants  license  to  carry  on  trade  with 
any  English  ports,  subject  to  customs,  duties,  etc. 


14 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Section  10. — Grants  the  right  to  subdivide  the  terri- 
tory, to  create  boroughs,  markets,  etc. 

Section  11. — Requires  all  commodities,  etc.,  ex- 
ported, to  be  unloaded  in  the  ports  of  England,  and, 
after  one  year,  permits  trade  with  other  countries, 
subject  to  duties,  etc. 

Section  12. — Grants  power  to  erect  ports,  harbors, 
etc. 

Section  13. — Grants  power  to  assess  and  collect  cus- 
toms, etc.,  at  the  port,  etc. 

Section  14. — Requires  an  agent  to  be  located  at  Lon- 
don to  answer  offenses,  etc.,  against  the  laws  of  Eng- 
land, etc. 

Section  15. — Prohibits  correspondence  with  any 
King,  etc.,  at  war  with  the  English  government ,  or 
warfare  with  any  power  at  peace  with  the  govern- 
ment. 

Section  16. — Grants  right  to  create  military  for  pro- 
tection, and  to  pursue  and  vanquish  enemies,  robbers, 
etc. 

Section  17. — Grants  right  to  dispose  of  divided  ter- 
ritory in  fee  or  subject  to  rents,  etc. 

Section  18. — Confirms  all  sales  of  estates  to  be  made 
to  purchasers. 

Section  19. — Grants  license  to  purchasers  to  erect 
manors  and  establish  courts-baron  with  incidental 
powers. 

Section  20. — Prohibits  the  levy  of  customs  or  taxes 
without  the  consent  of  the  proprietary  and  his  Assem- 
bly, or  of  the  English  Parliament. 

Section  21. — Requires  from  all  courts  and  judges  a 
recognition  of  this  charter. 

Section  22. — Provides  for  the  sending  of  preachers 
on  application  of  twenty  inhabitants. 

Section  23. — Requires  the  most  favorable  construc- 
tion of  the  charter  to  be  made  for  the  proprietary, 
etc.,  but  which  shall  not  prejudice  allegiance,  rents, 
etc. 

On  the  11th  of  July,  1681,  William  Penn 
agreed  upon  certain  conditions  for  the  regula- 
tion of  affairs  in  his  province.  These  condi- 
tions consisted  of  twenty  paragraphs.  The  first 
ten  paragraphs  referred  to  the  location  of  a 
town,  the  laying  out  of  roads,  lots,  etc.,  and  the 
improvement  of  lots  by  possession,  etc. 

The  11th  and  12th  provided  for  the  purchase  and 
sale  of  articles  in  a  public  market. 

In  the  13th  offenders,  whether  settlers  or  natives, 
were  to  be  punished  according  to  law. 

In  the  14th  Indian  offenders  were  to  be  tried  by  a 
mixed  jury  of  twelve  men,  half  Indians  and  half 
settlers. 

In  the  15th  Indians  were  to  enjoy  equal  rights  with 
planters,  for  improving  property,  etc. 

In  the  16th  English  laws  relating  to  slander,  drunk- 
enness, cursing,  trespassing,  etc.,  were  to  govern. 


In  the  17th  all  live  stock  should  be  marked  within 
three  months,  otherwise  to  be  forfeited  to  the  Gov- 
ernor. 

In  the  18th  every  acre  in  five  acres,  in  clearing  off 
land,  was  to  be  kept  in  woods,  especially  oak-trees  for 
shipping,  and  mulberry  trees  for  silk. 

In  the  19th  shipmasters,  upon  their  arrival,  were 
to  give  names  of  passengers,  describe  freight,  etc,  with- 
in two  days  afterwards. 

And  in  the  20th  all  persons  who  intended  to  leave 
the  province  were  to  publish  their  intention. 

Subsequently  Penn  published  three  frames  or 
plans  of  government,  a  table  of  laws  and  a 
Charter  of  Privileges.  The  first  frame,  with  its 
preface,  was  published  April  25,  1682;  the 
table  of  laws  May  5,  1682;  the  second  frame 
April  2,  1683;  the  third  frame  November  7, 
1696  ;  and  the  Charter  of  Privileges  October  28, 
1701.  All  these  charters,  frames,  etc.,  appear 
in  full  in  the  first  volume  of  the  Colonial  Records 
of  Pennsylvania  and  cover  nearly  fifty  pages, 
closely  printed. 

First  Frame. — Penn  introduces  the  first 
frame  by  a  superior  preface.  In  it  he  refers  to 
the  necessity  of  government  through  the  sinful- 
ness and  disobedience  of  man,  and  he  regards 
government  not  only  useful  for  purposes  of  cor- 
rection, but  for  the  care  and  regulation  of  our 
many  daily  affairs  which  make  up  much  the 
greatest  part  of  it.  Men  entertained  different 
notions  about  systems  of  government ;  all  sys- 
tems were  modified  in  the  course  of  time,  and 
each  system  had  its  admirers.  But  he  regarded 
that  government  free  to  the  people  under  it, 
whatever  its  frame,  where  the  laws  ruled  and 
the  people  were  a  party  to  the  laws. 

"  Governments  like  clocks  " — said  he — "  go  from  the 
motion  men  give  them,  and  as  governments  are  made 
and  moved  by  men,  so  by  them  they  are  ruined,  too. 
Wherefore  governments  rather  depend  upon  men  than 
men  upon  governments.  Let  men  be  good  and  the 
government  cannot  be  bad ;  if  it  be  ill,  they  will  cure 
it.  But,  if  men  be  bad,  let  the  government  be  never 
so  good,  they  will  endeavor  to  warp  and  spoil  it  to 
their  turn.  I  know  some  say,  let  us  have  good  laws 
and  no  matter  for  the  men  that  execute  them ;  but  let 
them  consider  that,  though  good  laws  do  well,  good 
men  do  better;  for  good  laws  may  want  good  men, 
and  be  abolished  or  evaded  by  ill  men;  but  good  men 
will  never  want  good  laws  nor  suffer  ill  ones.  It  is 
true,  good  laws  have  some  awe  upon  ill  ministers,  but 
that  is  where  they  have  not  power  to  escape  or 
abolish  them,  and  the  people  are  generally  wise  and 


GENERAL  HISTORY  OF  PENNSYLVANIA. 


15 


good ;  but  a  loose  and  depraved  people  love  laws  and 
an  administration  like  themselves.  That,  therefore, 
which  makes  a  good  constitution,  must  keep  it,  name- 
ly, men  of  wisdom  and  virtue — qualities  that,  because 
they  descend  not  with  worldly  inheritances,  must  be 
carefully  propagated  by  a  virtuous  education  of  youth ; 
for  which  after  ages  will  owe  more  to  the  care  and 
prudence  of  founders  and  the  successive  magistracy 
than  to  their  parents  for  their  private  patrimonies." 

These  are  certainly  words  of  wisdom  and 
worthy  our  sincere  consideration  even  at  this 
day,  two  hundred  years  after  they  were  given 
to  the  first  settlers. 

The  English  laws  had  prevailed  over  i 
the  territory  before  the  control  of  it 
passed  to  Penn.  These  are  now  known 
as  the  "  Duke  of  York's  Laws."  They 
were  published  by  authority  of  the 
State  of  Pennsylvania  in  1789.  They 
were  considerably  modified  by  the  laws 
and  privileges  agreed  upon  and  given 
by  Penn.  Under  these  provisions, 
privileges,  etc.,  the  government  was 
continued  till  the  people  of  the  Ameri- 
can colonies  declared  their  freedom 
from  English  rule  and  enacted  laws 
by  their  own  representation.1 

The  Continental  Congress  passed  a 
resolution  on  May  15,  1776,  recom- 
mending the  total  suppression  of  all 
authority  under  the  King  of  Great  Bri- 
tain. In  pursuance  of  this  recommend- 
ation, a  Provincial  Conference  was  held 
in  Carpenter  Hall,  at  Philadelphia,  on 
Tuesday,  June  18,  1776,  which  was 
attended  by  representatives  from  all 
the  counties  in  the  province,  then  eleven 
in  number.  The  representatives — or 
delegates,  as  they  were  called — from 
Berks  County  were  Jacob  Morgan, 
Henry  Haller,  Mark  Bird,  Bodo  Otto, 
Benjamin  Spyker,  Daniel  Hunter,  Val- 
entine Eckert,  Nicholas  Lotz,  Joseph 
and  Charles  Shoemaker. 

This  conference  decided  that  a  Provincial 
Convention  should  be  called  to  meet  on  Mon- 
day, July  15,  1776,  "for  the  express  purpose 


of  forming  a  new  government  in  this  province 
on  the  authority  of  the  people  only."  It  pro- 
vided the  qualifications  of  electors,  fixed  the 
number  of  representatives  from  each  county 
and  the  time  of  their  election,  ordered  an  address 
to  the  people  to  be  prepared,  and  agreed  upon  a 
Declaration  of  Independence  for  the  colony. 

At  the  time  appointed  the  convention  as- 
sembled. The  delegates  who  represented  Berks 
County  were  Jacob  Morgan,  Gabriel  Hiester, 
John  Lesher,  Benjamin  Spyker,  Daniel  Hunter, 


CARPENTER    HALL. 


Hiester 


1  In  reference  to  petitions  to  royal  government  for  change 
of  proprietary    government,   see    Gordon's    "History   of 


Pennsylvania,"  pp.  413  to  423. 


and 


Valentine    Eckert,    Charles    Shoemaker 
Thomas  Jones,  Jr. 

Constitution  op  1776. — A  Constitution  was 
adopted  on  September  28,  1776.  It  consisted 
of  a  Preamble,  Declaration  of  Rights  and  Frame 
of  Government,  and  it  was  signed  by  all  the 
delegates  present.  There  were  some  absentees, 
amongst  them  being  two  from  Berks  County, 


16 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


John  Lesher  and  Daniel  Hunter.  The  Declara- 
tion of  Rights  was  reported  by  a  committee  of 
eleven  delegates,  including  one  member  from 
Berks  County,  John  Lesher. 

Representatives'  Feame  of  Govern- 
ment.— The  frame  of  government  adopted  by 
the  representatives  of  the  people  provided, — 

"  That  the  commonwealth  should  be  governed  by  a 
single  house  of  representatives,  with  the  executive 
power  vested  in  a  president  and  council ;  that  courts 
of  justice  should  be  established  in  every  county  and 
judges  commissioned,  etc.;  that  militia  should  be 
trained ;  that  the  electors,  representatives  and  assem- 
bly should  have  certain  qualifications,  powers,  etc.; 
that  business  should  be  done  openly  and  published 
regularly;  that  representation  should  be  rated  ac- 
cording to  inhabitants ;  that  the  council  should  con- 
sist of  twelve  members  (one  from  Berks),  for  three 
years,  with  certain  powers;  that  officers  should  be 
liable  to  impeachment;  that  trials  should  be  by  jury ; 
that  courts  should  be  held  quarterly,  and  be  open, 
and  administer  justice  impartially,  without  corrup- 
tion or  unnecessary  delay,  and  their  officers  be  paid 
adequate,  but  moderate  salaries;  that  debtors  should 
not  be  imprisoned  after  bona  fide  surrender  of  their 
property,  and  prisoners ,  should  be  bailable  without 
excessive  bail ;  that  each  district  should  elect  a  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  for  seven  years,  and  a  sheriff  and 
coroner  for  one  year ;  that  all  elections  should  be  by 
ballot,  free  and  voluntary;  that  all  office  fees,  etc., 
should  be  paid  into  the  treasury ;  that  each  county 
should  have  a  register,  a  recorder  and  commissioners, 
all  removable  at  pleasure;  that  printing  presses  should 
be  free;  that  every  freeman  should  have  some  trade 
or  occupation,  and  that  public  offices  of  profit  should 
be  discouraged;  that  entails  and  penal  laws  should 
be  regulated,  and  jails  established;  that  officers  should 
be  qualified  by  oath ;  that  taxes  should  alone  be  lev- 
ied by  law,  with  purpose  expressed;  that  every  for- 
eigner, after  allegiance,  should  be  permitted  to  hold 
property,  etc. ;  that  inhabitants  should  be  permitted 
to  hunt  and  fish ;  that  schools  should  be  established 
in  each  county;  that  virtue  and  religion  should  be 
encouraged  and  vice  prevented,  and  that  a  council  of 
censors — two  from  each  county — should  be  elected, 
with  certain  powers,  etc.,  to  meet  in  1783,  and  every 
seventh  year  thereafter." 

Censors. — By  the  forty-seventh  section  of 
this  frame  of  government,  a  provision  was 
made  for  the  election  of  censors,  who  were  "to 
inquire  whether  the  Constitution  was  preserved 
inviolate  in  every  part."  James  Read  and 
Baltzer  Gehr  were  chosen  to  represent  Berks 
County.  The  council  met  in  October,  1783. 
James  Read  was  appointed  on  the  committee  to 


make  the  inquiry  provided  for.  This  commit- 
tee reported  in  August,  1784,  against  a  con- 
vention. Both  Read  and  Gehr  agreed  to  the 
report.  There  were  some  dissenters.  Reasons 
for  and  against  it  were  entered.  Gehr  signed 
those  for  it,  and  Read  those  against  it ;  but  he 
"would  have  it  understood  that  he  had  senti- 
ments as  favorable  to  the  constitution  as  any 
from  whom  he  dissented."  Remonstrances, 
signed  by  eighteen  thousand  citizens,  were  pre- 
sented to  the  council,  protesting  against  the 
calling  of  a  convention  for  altering  or  amend- 
ing the  constitution.  An  address  to  the  free- 
men of  Pennsylvania  was  then  ordered  to  be 
published.  Read  voted  for  it;  but  Gehr  did 
not  vote. 

Convention  of  1789-90. — The  General 
Assembly  of  the  State  met  on  March  24,  1789. 
The  representatives  from  Berks  County  were 
Joseph  Hiester,  Gabriel  Hiester,  Joseph  Sands, 
John  Ludwig  and  Daniel  Brodhead.  The 
Assembly  determined  that  alterations  and 
amendments  to  the  Constitution  of  1776  were 
necessary.  Sands  and  Brodhead  voted  in  the 
affirmative,  Ludwig  in  the  negative;  both 
Hiesters  were  absent. 

The  Assembly  met  again  on  September  15, 
1789.  A  resolution  was  reported  by  a  com- 
mittee of  the  whole  Assembly,  favoring  the 
calling  of  a  convention  to  amend  the  Constitu- 
tion, which  was  adopted.  Sands,  Brodhead  and 
Ludwig  voted  in  the  affirmative;  Gabriel 
Hiester  in  the  negative ;  Joseph  Hiester  did  not 
vote.  Delegates  were  accordingly  elected  by 
each  of  the  districts  in  the  State.  In  Berks 
County  they  were  Joseph  Hiester,  Christopher 
Lower,  Abraham  Lincoln,  Paul  Groscop  and 
Baltzer  Gehr.  The  convention  assembled  in 
the  State-House,  at  Philadelphia,  on  November 
24,  1789,  and  a  New  Constitution  was  adopted 
and  all  the  delegates  subscribed  it  on  September 
2,  1790.  The  delegates  from  Berks  voted 
generally  onv  the  same  side  of  questions.  It 
was  then  submitted  to  the  people  by  a  special 
election  and  adopted. 

Constitution  of  1790.— This  Constitution 
comprised  nine  articles : 

Article  1st  provided  for  a  Legislature  tobe  composed 


GENERAL  HISTORY  OP  PENNSYLVANIA. 


17 


of  two  houses — Senate  and  Assembly— and  fixed 
qualifications,  powers,  terms,  etc. 

Article  2d  vested  supreme  executive  power  in  a 
Governor  and  fixed  his  qualifications,  powers  and 
duties. 

Article  3d  created  elective  franchise  and  fixed 
qualification  of  electors. 

Article  4th  provided  for  impeachment  of  civil 
officers. 

Article  5th  vested  judicial  power  in  various  courts 
and  fixed  terms  and  power  of  judges,  and  created 
office  of  register  and  recorder. 

Article  6th  provided  for  appointment  of  sheriffs  and 
coroners  by  the  Governor  for  military  discipline,  for 
location  of  county  officers,  for  State  commissioners, 
for  State  treasurer  and  all  other  officers,  State  and 
county. 

Article  7th  provided  for  the  establishment  of 
schools,  promotion  of  arts  and  sciences,  and  preserva- 
tion of  religious  freedom  and  corporate  powers. 

Article  8th  provided  qualification  of  Assembly  and 
all  State  and  county  officers  by  oath. 

Article  9th  provided  a  Declaration  of  Rights.  It 
contained  twenty-six  sections,  copied  after  the  Decla- 
ration of  1776,  but  arranged  differently,  with  some 
important  amendments. 

A  schedule  was  added,  by  which  provision 
was  made  for  the  alteration  and  amendment  of 
the  Constitution. 

This  Constitution  was  continued  as  the 
general  political  law  of  the  State  until  the 
adoption  of  a  new  Constitution  in  1873.  In 
the  mean  time  efforts  were  made  to  improve  it. 
On  March  28,  1825,  an  act  of  Assembly  was 
passed  providing  for  an  election,  at  the  next 
succeeding  election,  to  ascertain  the  opinion  of 
the  people  relative  to  the  call  of  a  Constitu- 
tional Convention  ;  but  the  people  decided  by 
ballot  that  such  a  convention  should  not  be 
called.  The  vote  was  :  For  it — 44,474 ;  against 
it,  59,884— a  majority  of  15,410.  In  Berks 
County  it  was :  For  it,  752  ;  against  it,  3757 — a 
majority  of  3005.  In  1837,  however,  such  a 
convention  was  duly  assembled  at  Harrisburg, 
and  amended  the  Constitution  in  various  par- 
ticulars, which  amendment  was  adopted  by  the 
people  at  an  election  in  October,  T.838.  The 
vote  in  the  State  was :  For  it,  113,971 ;  against 
it,  112,759 — a  majority  of  1212;  and  in  Berks 
County:  For  it,  5823 ;  against  it,  3883— a 
majority  of  1940.  The  delegates  from  Berks 
County  were  John  Eitter,  George  M.  Keim, 
Win,  High,  Mark  Darrah  and  James  Donagan. 
2 


Amendments. — Subsequently,  until  the  adop- 
tion of  the  new  Constitution  of  1873,  amend- 
ments were  proposed  by  act  of  Assembly  and 
ratified  by  election. 

The  first  amendment  was  made  in  1850.  It 
provided  for  the  election  of  all  the  judges  of 
the  commonwealth.  The  vote  was  :  For  it, 
144,578;  against  it,  71,982— majority,  72,596; 
and  Berks  County  vote :  For  it,  5160 ;  against  it, 
3552 ;  majority,  1608. 

This  was  considered  a  wise  political  move- 
ment. It  is  right  in  principle,  but  it  is  ques- 
tionable whether  the  people  were  then,  or  even 
in  1873,  possessed  of  sufficient  independence  in 
political  knowledge,  thought  and  action  as  to 
have  enabled  them  to  dispose  of  so  important  a 
matter  by  the  exercise  of  their  political  fran- 
chise. This  amendment  transferred  the  matter 
of  the  fitness  of  the  candidate  for  judicial 
power  from  the  lawyer  and  prominent  citizen 
to  the  politicians,  and  of  the  appointment  from 
the  Governor  to  the  people. 

The  second  amendment  was  made  in  1857. 
It  provided  for — 

1st.  The  contraction  of  debts  owing  by  the  State. 

2d.  The  erection  of  new  counties. 

3d.  The  apportionment  of  Representatives;  and  the 
term  of  State  Senator  to  be  three  years. 

4th.  The  alteration  or  revocation  of  charters  if 
found  injurious  to  the  people. 

And  a  third  amendment  was  made  in  1864, 
which  provided  for  the  right  of  suffrage  to  elec- 
tors in  the  military  service. 

Besides  these  amendents  the  State  Legislature 
ratified  the  several  amendments  of  the  Constitu- 
tion of  the  United  States  by  Congress,  relating 
to  the  abolition  of  slavery  and  to  the  exercise 
of  political  suffrage  without  respect  to  race, 
color  or  previous  condition  of  servitude. 

Constitution  of  1873. — The  advancement 
of  the  people  in  wealth,  of  politicians  in  influ- 
ence, of  corporations  in  power  and  of  legislation 
in  behalf  of  special  classes  and  localities  in  a 
period  of  fourscore  years  had  rendered  a  new, 
fundamental,  general  law  necessary.  The  com- 
plaints had  become  both  loud  and  numerous, 
and  they  had  proceeded  from  all  quarters  of  the 
State.  The  selfishness  of  men  had  grown  be- 
yond their  judgment  and  integrity.      The  good 


18 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


of  the  people  had  come  to  be  of  minor  import- 
ance. Self-aggrandizement  in  wealth  and  power 
had  been  set  up  as  the  great  idol  of  men  who 
were  at  the  head  of  the  various  important  affairs 
and  enterprises  of  the  State.  A  general  feeling 
had  come  to  prevail  throughout  the  State  that 
political  ambition  and  influence,  corporate  power 
and  special  legislation  should  have  to  be  checked 
on  the  one  hand,  and  considerably  modified  on 
the  other,  in  order  to  have  these  important 
agencies  to  subserve  the  public  welfare. 

An  act  of  Assembly  was  therefore  proposed 
and  passed  in  1871.  It  provided  for  the  call- 
ing of  a  general  convention  to  amend  the  Con- 
stitution of  the  State.  It  was  submitted  to  the 
people  at  the  October  election  of  1871  and 
ratified.  The  vote  was:  For  it,  331,169;  against 
it,  71,369,— majority,  259,800.  Berks  County 
vote  :  For  it,  5269  ;  against  it,  10,905, — majori- 
ty against  it,  5636. 

The  following  delegates  were  elected  to  repre- 
sent Berks  County  :  Ceorge  G.  Barclay,  Henry 
W.  Smith  and  Henry  Van  Beed. 

The  convention  first  assembled  at  Harrisburg 
in  November,  1872.  After  sitting  there  two 
weeks  it  adjourned  to  reconvene  at  Philadel- 
phia on  January  7,  1873.  After  reconvening 
it  deliberated  many  weeks.  It  had  a  great  work 
on  hand,  and  many  minds  had  to  be  satisfied  in 
respect  to  many  proposed  improvements.  Great 
discussions  ensued.  The  proceedings  are  pre- 
served in  nine  large  volumes.  With  all  the 
ability,  time  and  expense  of  the  convention,  the 
work  was  generally  not  satisfactory.  But  it  was 
the  best  that  so  large  and  various  a  body  could 
do.  The  Constitution  as  modified  was  submitted 
to  the  people  on  December  16,  1873,  and  rati- 
fied. The  vote  was  :  For  it,  252,744  ;  against 
it,  108,594,— majority,  144,150.  Berks  County 
vote  :  For  it,  9114 ;  against  it,  1866, — majority, 
7248. 

At  best  such  a  great  body  of  laws  cannot  be 
perfect.  The  ingenuity  of  men  to  subserve  their 
own  ends  and  interests  would  seem  to  be  equal 
to  the  task  of  discovering  the  weakness  of  the 
laws.  In  the  language  of  Penn, — "  If  men  be 
bad,  let  the  government  be  never  so  good,  they 
will  endeavor  to  warp  and  spoil  it  to  their 
turn."   What  the  State  needs  more  than  a  good 


Constitution  is  good  men ;  for  if  they  find  it 
weak,  they  will  strengthen  it  for  the  common 
good  of  all. 

PURCHASE   OF   TERRITORY. 

Immediately  after  Penn  had  obtained  his 
charter  for  the  province,  and  had  begun  his  ad- 
ministration of  its  various  affairs,  he  negotiated 
with  the  Indians  for  the  purchase  of  their  lands. 
He  regarded  them  as  the  rightful  owners  of  the 
territory  by  virtue  of  their  possession.  King, 
Charles  disagreed  with  him,  and  claimed  the 
territory  by  right  of  discovery.  Penn  won- 
dered then  whether  the  King  would  admit  title 
to  England  in  the  Indians  if  they  should  chance 
to  discover  it  in  the  King's  possession. 

Many  purchases  were  made  by  him.  He 
gave  in  consideration  for  the  land  mostly  arti- 
cles which  the  Indians  regarded  as  useful,  such 
as  blankets,  coats,  guns,  powder,  lead,  etc.  Com- 
paratively little  money  was  paid  to  them.  Bum 
was  occasionally  given.  The  accompanying 
map  shows  the  extent  and  time  of  the  various 
purchases. 

There  are  two  deeds  for  lands,  included  in 
Berks  County,  in  which  we  are  particularly  in- 
terested.1 One  is  dated  7th  of  September,  1732. 
It  is  from  Sassoonan,  alias  Allummapis,  sachem 
of  the  Schuylkill  Indians,  in  the  province  of 
Pennsylvania,  Elalapis,  Ohopamen,  Pesqueeto- 
men,  Mayeemoe,  Partridge  and  Tepakoaset,  alias 
Joe,  on  behalf  of  themselves  and  all  the  other 
Indians  of  the  said  nation,  unto  John  Penn, 
Thomas  Penn  and  Bichard  Penn.  The  territory 
contained  in  the  grant  is  described  as  follows : 
"  All  those  tracts  of  land  or  lands  lying  on  or 
near  the  river  Schuylkill,  in  the  said  province, 
or  any  of  the  branches,  streams,  fountains  or 
springs  thereof,  eastward  or  westward,  and  all 
the  lands  lying  in  or  near  any  swamps,  marshes, 
fens  or  meadows,  the  waters  or  streams  of  which 
flow  into  or  toward  the  said  river  Schuylkill 
situate,  lying  and  being  between  those  hills 
called  Lechay  Hills  and  those  called  Keekach- 
tanemin  Hills,  which  cross  the  said  river  Schuyl- 


1  The  lower  section  of  the  county,  lying  southwardly  of 
the  South  Mountain,  or  "  Lechay  Hill,"  was  released  by 
the  Indians  in  1718,  it  having  been  included  in  previous 
purchases  of  territory. 


GENERAL  HISTORY  OF  PENNSYLVANIA. 


19 


kill  about  thirty  miles  above  the  said  Lechay 
Hills,  and  all  land  whatsoever  lying  within  the 
said  bounds ;  and  between  the  branches  of  Del- 
aware river,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  said  land, 
and  the  branches  or  streams  running  into  the 
river  Susquehannah,  on  the  western  side  of  the 
said  land,  together  with  all  mines,  minerals, 
quarries,  waters,  rivers,  creeks,  woods,  timber 
and  trees,  with  all  and  every  the  appurtenances, 
etc." 

The  consideration   mentioned  in    the    deed 
consisted  of  the  following  articles  : 

"  20  brass  kettles,  100  stroudwater  matchcoats  of 
two  yards  each,  100  duffels  do.,  100  blankets,  100  yards 
of  half  tick,  60  linen  shirts,  20  hats,  6  made  coats,  12 
pairs  of  shoes  and  buckles,  30  pair  of  stockings,  300 
lbs.  of  gun  powder,  600  lbs.  of  lead,  20  fine  guns,  12 
gun  locks,  50  tomahawks  or  hatchets,  50  planting 
hoes,  120  knives,  60  pair  of  scissors,  100  tobacco  tongs, 
24  looking-glasses,  40  tobacco  boxes,  1000  flints,  5 
pounds  of  paint,  24  dozen  of  gartering,  6  dozen  of  rib- 
bons, 12  dozen  of  rings,  200  awl  blades,  100  pounds  of 
tobacco,  400  tobacco  pipes,  20  gallons  of  rum  and  fifty 
pounds  in  money." l 

Lingahonoa,  one  of  the  Schuylkill  Indians, 
executed  the  deed  on  the  12th  of  July,  1742, 
upon  receiving  his  full  share  and  proportion  of 
the  several  goods  mentioned,  he  "  happening  not 
to  be  present  when  his  brethren  signed  and  exe- 
cuted the  same."  His  execution  was  attested  by 
Benjamin  Franklin,  William  Peters,  Conrad 
Weiser  and  Lynford  Lardner.2 

The  other  deed  is  dated  22d  August,  1749. 
It  is  from  nine  different  tribes  of  Indians  unto 
Thomas  Penn  and  Richard  Penn.  The  several 
tribes  were  represented  by  their  chiefs,  who  ap- 
peared and  executed  the  deed  in  their  behalf, 
namely : 

Oneyders  (Oneidas). 

*  Tachneedorus. 

Anuchnaxqua.  Sagoguchiathon. 

Saristagnoah.  Cachnaora  Katack-ke. 

Watshatuhon. 

Shawanes. 

Cayuikers  (Cayugas).  Backsinosa. 
Tawis  Tawis.  Mohocks. 

Kacnoaraaseha.  Peter  Ontachsax. 

Ta  Kachquontas.  Christian  Diaryhogon. 

Tuscurrorows.  Belawares. 

Tyierox.  Nutimus. 

Ralichwananach-shy.  Qualpaghach. 


Onontagers.  Sinichers  (Senecas). 

Canasatega.  Cayianockea. 

Sataganackly.  Hanatsany. 

Kanalshyiacayon.  Agash  Tass. 

Canechwadeeron.  Caruchianachqui. 

The  consideration  was  five  hundred  pounds 
lawful  money  of  Pennsylvania.  The  tract  of 
land  conveyed  lay  north  of  the  Blue  Mountain 
and  extended  from  the  Delaware  on  the  east  to 
the  Susquehanna  on  the  west.  It  included  the 
whole  of  Schuylkill  County.3 

Conrad  Weiser  was  the  interpreter  for  the 
Indians  in  this  transfer. 

COUNTIES   ERECTED. 

The  following  statement  contains  the  coun- 
ties erected  in  the  State  and  arranged  in  chrono- 
logical order : 

1682. — By  order  of  William  Penn,  three  counties 
were  laid  out  in  the  southeastern  section  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  November,  1682, — Bucks,  Chester  and  Phil- 
adelphia. Subsequently  the  counties  were  erected  by 
the  Assembly  and  the  Legislature,  upon  petition  from 
the  inhabitants. 

1729. — Lancaster  was  formed  from  a  part  of  Ches- 
ter, and  erected  May  10,  1729. 

1749. — York,  part  of  Lancaster,  August  10,  1749. 

1750. — Cumberland,  part  of  Lancaster,  January  27, 
1750. 

1752. — Berks,  parts  of  Chester,  Philadelphia  and 
Lancaster,  March  11,  1752.  Northampton,  part  of 
Bucks,  same  day. 

1771.— Bedford,  part  of  Cumberland,  March  9, 1771. 

1772. — Northumberland,  parts  of  Lancaster,  Cum- 
berland, Bedford,  Berks  and  Northampton,  March  21, 
1772. 

1773—Westmoreland,  part  of  Bedford,  February 

26,  1773. 

These  eleven  counties  participated  in  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  and  in  the  War  of 
the  Revolution  for  its  establishment.  They 
comprised  the  entire  territory  of  the  State, 
though  many  districts  were  not  yet  settled. 

The  following  fifty-six  counties  were  erected 
after  1776.  They  are  arranged  chronologically 
to  show  the  development  of  the  State.  The  re- 
spective districts  of  the  State  were  necessarily 
created  into  county  organizations  as  they  be- 
came well  occupied  by  settlers.  Certain  counties 
at  first  included  very  great  areas  of  territory,  as 


*1  Penna.  Arch.,  344-345. 


*  lb.  346. 


»2  Penna.  Arch.,  33-36. 


20 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


in  the  case  of  Northumberland,  which,  in  1772, 
included  about  a  third  part  of  the  State ;  but  the 
remaining  portions,  which  were  left  after  the 
reductions  had  been  made,  generally  indicated 
the  locality  of  the  first  considerable  permanent 
settlements.  This  is  somewhat  remarkable. 
Berks  County  at  first  included  all  the  territory 
which  lay  between  the  present  eastern  and 
western  boundary  lines  extended  to  the  northern 
line  of  the  State.  The  first  settlements  beyond 
the  Blue  Mountain  were  quite  naturally  made 
in  that  part  now  included  in  Schuylkill 
County,  but  Northumberland  County  was 
erected  many  years  before  Schuylkill  County, 
not  because  it  possessed  more  settlers,  but  be- 
cause they  were  so  far  distant  from  the  county- 
seat  (Reading),  whereby  they  suffered  great  in- 
convenience and  expense  in  attending  to  local 
affairs,  requiring  attendance  at  court,  etc.  The 
number  of  settlers  was  comparatively  few,  but 
the  number  of  inhabitants  in  that  district  of 
Schuylkill,  which  was  taken  from  Berks  in 
1811,  was  over  six  thousand.  It  was  not  set 
apart  into  a  separate  county  at  an  earlier  time 
for  the  reason  that  the  several  townships  were 
not  considered  inconvenient  in  respect  to  dis- 
tance from  the  county-seat. 

1781. — Washington  was  formed  out  of  part  of  West- 
moreland, March  28,  1781. 

1783. — Fayette,  also  part  of  Westmoreland,  Sep- 
tember 26,  1783. 

1784. — Franklin,  part  of  Cumberland,  September 
9,  1784.  Montgomery,  part  of  Philadelphia,  Septem- 
ber 10,  1784. 

1785. — Dauphin,  part  of  Lancaster,  March  4,  1785. 

1786.— Luzerne,  part  of  Northumberland,  Septem- 
ber 25,  1786. 

1787.— Huntingdon,  part  of  Bedford,  September 
20,  1787. 

1788. — Allegheny,  parts  of  Westmoreland  and 
Washington,  September'^,  1788. 

1789. — Mifflin,  parts  of  Cumberland  and  Northum- 
berland, September  19, 1789.  Delaware,  part  of  Ches- 
ter, September  26,  1789. 

1795.— Lycoming,  part  of  Northumberland,  April 
13,  1795.     Somerset,  part  of  Bedford,  April  17, 1795. 

1796. — Greene,  part  of  Washington,  February  9 
1796. 

1798.— Wayne,  part  of  Northampton,  March  21 
1798. 

1800.— Adams,  part  of  York,  January  22,  1800. 
Centre,  parts  of  Northumberland,  Huntingdon,  Mif- 
flin and  Lycoming,  February  13,  1800.    Armstrong, 


parts  of  Westmoreland,  Allegheny  and  Lycoming, 
March  12,  1800.  Beaver,  parts  of  Washington  and 
Allegheny,  same  day.  Butler,  part  of  Allegheny, 
same  day.  Crawford,  part  of  Allegheny,  same  day. 
Erie,  part  of  Allegheny,  same  day.  Mercer,  part  of 
Allegheny,  same  day.  Venango,  parts  of  Allegheny 
and  Lycoming,  same  day.  Warren,  parts  of  Alle- 
gheny and  Lycoming,  same  day. 

1803.— Indiana,  parts  of  Westmoreland  and  Lyco- 
ming, March  30,  1803. 

1804. — Cambria,  parts  of  Bedford,  Huntingdon  and 
Somerset,  March  26, 1804.  Clearfield,  parts  of  Nor- 
thumberland, Huntingdon  and  Lycoming,  same  day. 
Jefferson,  part  of  Lycoming,  same  day.  McKean, 
part  of  Lycoming,  same  day.  Potter,  part  of  Lyco- 
ming, same  day.   Tioga,  part  of  Lycoming,  same  day. 

1810. — Bradford,  parts  of  Luzerne  and  Lycoming, 
February  21,  1810.  Susquehanna,  part  of  Luzerne, 
same  day. 

1811. — Schuylkill,  parts  of  Berks  and  Northamp- 
ton, March  1,  1811. 

1812. — Lehigh,  part  of  Northampton,  March  6, 
1812. 

1813. — Lebanon,  parts  of  Lancaster  and  Dauphin, 
February  16,  1813.  Columbia,  part  of  Northumber- 
land, March  22,  1813.  Union,  part  of  Northumber- 
land, same  day. 

1814.— Pike,  part  of  Wayne,  March  26,  1814. 

1820.— Perry,  part  of  Cumberland,  March  22, 1820. 

1831.— Juniata,  part'of  Mifflin,  March  2,  1831. 

1836. — Monroe,  parts  of  Northampton  and  Pike, 
April  1, 1836. 

1839. — Clarion,  parts  of  Armstrong  and  Venango, 
March  11,  1839.  Clinton,  parts  of  Lycoming  and 
Centre,  June  21,  1839. 

1842.— Wyoming,  part  of  Luzerne,  April  4,  1842. 

1843.— Carbon,  parts  of  Northampton  and  Monroe, 
March  13,  1843.  Elk,  parts  of  Clearfield,  Jefferson 
and  McKean,  April  18,  1843. 

1846.— Blair,  parts  of  Bedford  and  Huntingdon, 
February  26,  1846. 

1847.— Sullivan,  part  of  Lycoming,  March  15, 1847. 

1848.— Forest,  part  of  Jefferson,  April  11,  1848, 
(part  of  Venango  added,  October  31,  1866). 

1849.— Lawrence,  parts  of  Beaver  and  Mercer, 
March  20,  1849. 

1850— Fulton,  part  of  Bedford,  April  19,  1850. 
Montour,  part  of  Columbia,  May  3,  1850. 

1855.— Snyder,  part  of  Union,  March  2,  1855. 

I860.— Cameron,  parts  of  McKean,  Potter,  Clinton 
and  Elk,  March  29,  1860. 

1878.— Lackawanna,  part  of  Luzerne,  August  21, 
1878. 

The  State  comprises  sixty-seven  counties. 

DEVELOPMENT  OP  STATE. 

The  development  of  Pennsylvania  from  a  vast 
uncultivated  wilderness  in  the  possession  of  un- 


GENERAL  HISTORY  OF  PENNSYLVANIA. 


21 


civilized  Indians,  through  a  period  of  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years,  into  a  productive  country 
in  the  possession  of  progressive  Christians  lias 
been  truly  wonderful.  The  course  of  improve- 
ment in  this  long  period  of  time  is  indescribable, 
— a  period  long,  very  long,  to  us  who  can  at  best 
comprehend  only  several  scores  of  years  in  our 
lives  and  by  our  experiences,  but  when  com- 
pared with  the  march  in  countries  whence  our 
early  settlers  emigrated  it  is  small,  and  when 
compared  with  ancient  countries,  such  as  Greece 
and  Egypt,  it  is  insignificant. 

Population  and  Territory. — In  1681, 
when  Penn  obtained  possession  of  the  province, 
he  estimated  the  population  at  one  thousand, 
including  all  nationalities.  Two  hundred  years 
afterward,  by  the  census  of  1 880,  it  was  4,282,- 
891  ;  and  now  it  is  four  and  a  half  millions. 
Then  all  the  territory  in  the  actual  possession 
of  the  early  settlers  amounted  to  only  several 
hundred  square  miles,  and  this  lay  along  the 
Delaware  River,  in  the  vicinity  of  and  below 
Philadelphia,  and  it  was  improved  merely  with 
ordinary  buildings  for  domestic  use;  and  the 
combined  wealth  could  not  have  exceeded  a 
million  of  dollars.  Now,  the  State  comprises 
forty-five  thousand  square  miles — an  extent  of 
country  three  hundred  miles  long  and  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles  wide — and  this  vast  area  is 
improved  with  buildings  of  every  description, 
and  roads  and  turnpikes,  and  canals  and  rail- 
roads, which  facilitate  life  and  intercourse  and 
transportation  to  a  surprising  degree,  and  the 
combined  wealth  counts  into  billions  of  dollars. 

First  Century. — The  first  century  was 
devoted  almost  entirely  to  rapid  influx  of  set- 
tlers, to  taking  up  land  in  tracts  varying  mostly 
from  one  hundred  to  four  hundred  acres  and 
improving  the  same  with  dwellings  and  barns, 
to  laying  out  public  roads  from  settlement  to 
settlement  in  every  direction,  and  to  organizing 
townships  and  counties  and  courts  of  justice. 
Agriculture  was  the  principal  employment  of 
the  inhabitants  ;  but  numerous  trades  and  voca- 
tions were  pursued  to  supply  necessary  articles. 
In  this  time  the  population  increased  to  about 
four  hundred  thousand.  This  was  certainly  a 
large  increase ;  and  it  can  be  said  that  immi- 
gration was  the  most  marked  feature  during 


this  century  in   the  development   of  the  pro- 
vince. 

Second  Century. — The  second  century 
began  under  a  dark  and  threatening  cloud. 
The  inhabitants  had  grown  in  strength,  not 
only  in  respect  to  number,  but  also  in  respect 
to  industry  and  wealth,  to  social  influence  and 
to  feelings  for  political  independence  and  ambi- 
tion for  local  power.  And  this  strength  was 
being  tested  in  their  efforts  to  establish  represen- 
tative government  entirely  from  the  people 
through  the  terrible  trials  and  losses  of  war. 
It  proved  strong  enough  for  victory.  With  the 
Revolutionary  War  over,  in  the  first  few  years, 
this  century  then  started  out  earnestly  with 
grand  prospects  for  the  years  to  come,  similar, 
at  least,  if  not  superior,  to  those  foreshadowed 
by  the  liberal  policy  of  Penn.  From  a  single 
individual,  who  fortunately  possessed  excep- 
tional views  in  behalf  of  mankind,  the  power  of 
government  passed  to  the  whole  community. 
Under  the  beneficent  influences  which  proceeded 
from  this  change  these  prospects  have  been 
fully  realized ;  indeed,  the  results  have  sur- 
passed the  highest  expectations  of  the  most  san- 
guine advocates  of  the  new  system. 

Government. — Government  was  the  prin- 
cipal subject  which  engrossed  the  public  atten- 
tion for  the  first  decade  and  it  was  a  compre- 
hensive one  for  the  time.  But  how  admirably 
the  people  came  to  master  it,  not  by  themselves, 
but  through  the  fortunate  selection  of  compe-  ' 
tent  representatives !  We  may,  indeed,  ask 
how  such  men  came  to  be  selected,  what  senti- 
ments led  public  feeling  in  the  right  direction 
and  created  such  a  unanimity  of  purpose.  It 
was  not  accident.  It  resulted  from  general  re- 
spect for  learning  and  fitness,  which  superinduced 
men  who  were  not  qualified  for  responsible 
positions  to  show  no  desire  for  office  or  polit- 
ical preferment.  Our  early  Governors  and 
judges  were  exceptional  men.  In  respect  to 
prominence,  they  stood  out  above  the  great  mass 
of  the  people  just  as  certain  high  oaks  appear 
above  the  surrounding  trees  in  a  wide  forest. 
In  the  course  of  time,  as  decade  after  decade 
passed  away,  it  cannot  be  said  that  we  have 
maintained  this  state  of  political  affairs.  Lat- 
terly, especially,  men  obtain  offices  through  acci- 


22 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


dent,  without  any  preparation  for  the  positions 
which  they  are  called  upon  to  fill,  and  without 
any  prominence  to  designate  them  as  men  for 
the  times.  And  if  recognized  fitness  and  prom- 
inence were  characteristics  worthy  of  considera- 
tion in  the  early  history  of  our  representative 
government,  when  we  had  a  population  num- 
bering only  four  hundred  thousand,  how  much 
more  should  they  be  now,  when  we  have  a  popu- 
lation exceeding  four  million,  with  numerous 
interests  which  involve  enormous  appropriations 
of  money  and  require  the  greatest  possible  exhi- 
bition of  wisdom,  honor  and  courage  for  their 
directions  towards  subserving  the  public  wel- 
fare. 

Internal,  Improvements. — The  next  sub- 
ject in  point  of  prominence  was  internal  im- 
provements. When  the  century  began  we  had 
nothing  in  this  respect  beyond  public  roads, 
not  even  bridges  to  facilitate  the  crossing  of 
flowing  rivers.  But  a  decade  had  hardly 
passed  before  turnpikes  and  canals  were  sug- 
gested ;  and  the  half  of  the  century  had  not 
elapsed  before  we  had  turnpikes  and  canals,  and 
bridges  and  railroads.  These  were,  indeed, 
rapid  strides  in  advance  of  the  closing  period  of 
the  first  century.  They  were  superinduced  by 
the  energy  of  trade  and  transportation,  and  by 
the  great  demands  of  the  time  for  all  kinds  of 
manufactured  articles,  through  rapidly  increas- 
ing population.  The  discovery  of  coal  and  the 
•application  of  steam  to  motive-power  encour- 
aged the  development  of  these  valuable  im- 
provements. Rut  in  this  behalf  iron-ore  exerted 
the  strongest  influence.  These  three  agents 
placed  the  State  foremost  of  all  the  States  in 
respect  to  internal  improvements,  and  brought 
her  energy  to  such  a  condition  of  activity  that 
her  productions  alone  exceeded  those  of  all  the 
other  States  together.1  In  connection  with  this 
subject  I  must  mention  manufactures, — for  in- 

1  This  has  been  the  case  at  least  in  iron  articles,  coal  and 
petroleum.  Pennsylvania  has  always  produced  one-half  of 
the  pig-iron  cast  in  the  United  States,  and  more  than  one- 
half  of  the  iron  and  steel  rails,  and  of  the  steel  ingots.  In 
1883  the  production  was  as  follows  : 

Tons  Tons  Tons 

Pig  Iron.  Rails.  Ingots. 

United  States  .    .  5,146,972  1,360,694  214,134 

Pennsylvania  .    .   2,638,891  857.818  136,020 


ternal  improvements  and  manufactures  in  our 
great  State  have  traveled  together  side  by  side. 
The  latter  necessarily  preceded  the  former,  for 
they  required  a  way  for  convenient  and  rapid 
transportation  so  as  to  answer  the  demands  of 
the  growing  communities.  The  life  and  wealth 
and  progress  of  the  State  within  the  last  fifty 
years  are  attributable  mainly  to  them.  Phila- 
delphia is  particularly  indebted  to  them  for 
remarkable  increase  of  wealth,  influence  and 
population.  The  county  of  Berks  has  ever  been 
active  in  encouraging  and  carrying  on  industries 
of  various  kinds,  such  as  furnaces,  forges,  mills, 
shops  and  factories, — especially  the  county-seat, 
Beading.  In  this  respect  our  county  stands  out 
as  boldly  as  any  other  district  in  the  State. 

Education. — In  looking  over  the  various 
affairs  of  the  State,  the  subject  of  education  is 
prominent.  Before  1834  there  was  legislation 
encouraging  the  education  of  children  in  the 
several  counties  throughout  the  State,  but  there 
was  no  fixed  system  for  its  regulation,  and 
therefore  its  results  were  not  successful.  In 
1834  a  general  system  was  devised,  but  it  was 
not  compulsory.  The  spirit  of  improvement 
labored  on,  and  through  its  influences  amend- 
ments of  the  system  were  made  at  different 
times.  Finally,  in  1854,  each  county  was  re- 
quired to  elect  a  superintendent  for  the  purpose 
of  supervising  the  system  and  of  giving  it 
proper  direction ;  and  when  this  important 
factor  was  introduced  the  progress  of  general 
education  began  in  earnest.  The  intellectual 
development  of  the  people,  through  the  increas- 
ing liberality  of  the  State  in  this  behalf  for  the 
last  half-century,  has  been  as  remarkable  on  the 
one  hand  as  successful  on  the  other.  In  the 
matter  of  school  buildings  and  teaching,  es- 
pecially in  the  boroughs  and  cities,  a  great 
improvement  is  apparent  in  every  section.  The 
contrast  of  the  present  with  the  past  is  very 
marked.  The  education  afforded  by  means  of 
our  colleges,  academies,  seminaries  and  numerous 
pay-schools  is  worthy  of  notice.  They  are  an 
important  element  in  this  great  cause,  and  are 
entitled  to  much  credit  in  the  intellectual  pro- 
gress of  the  people ;  indeed,  the  greater  part 
of  the  credit  for  thorough  and  advanced 
knowledge. 


GENERAL  HISTORY  OF  PENNSYLVANIA. 


23 


The  following  statistics  show  the  progress  of  common- 

school  education  in  the  State  : 

YEAK. 

No.  of 
Districts 

No.  of 
Schools 

No.  of 
Scholars. 

No.  of 
Teachers. 

Appropriations 
from  State. 

School-tax. 

Expenditure 
for  building. 

Expenditure 
for  teaching,  etc. 

1836 

907 
1656 
2103' 
22401 

762 
10,469' 
17,783 
19,919 

150,781 
581,992 
902,412 
966,039 

808 
13,108 
20,652 
21,464 

$146,287 
159,554' 
723,784' 
700,340 

$287,105 
1,127.992' 
6,623,273' 
7,623,678 

$135,236 

266;i98' 

1,276,578 

1,686,132 

$193,972' 
1,041,571 

1854 

1876 

4,817,563 

1884 

5,403,6362 

1  Not  including  Philadelphia. 


2  Total  expenses,  $9,463,221. 


Buildings. — The  buildings  throughout  the 
State  for  the  transaction  of  public  business  also 
exhibit  great  progress;  and  the  private  build- 
ings, both  for  business  and  domestic  uses,  are 
particularly  expressive  of  taste,  enterprise  and 
liberality.  Some  of  the  buildings  erected  by 
corporations,  such  as  railroad  companies,  bank- 
ing companies,  insurance  companies  and  pub- 
lishing companies,  are  imposing  structures  which 
call  forth  our  admiration.  This  spirit  is  grow- 
ing so  rapidly  that,  through  active  competi- 
tion, we  are  drifting  into  extravagance,  if  we 
have  not  already  reached  that  point  in  improve- 
ments of  this  kind.  It  were  well  for  us  if  the 
structures  represented  so  much  actual  wealth, 
clear  of  debt;  but,  unfortunately,  many  of  them 
are  encumbered  to  such  an  extent  as  to  amount 
to  a  burden  upon  our  energy,  especially  that 
part  which  is  carried  away  in  rents  and  interest 
beyond  the  limits  of  the  State.  And  the  church 
buildings  can  be  mentioned  in  this  connection. 
Many  of  them  are  truly  magnificent.  But  their 
magnificence  is  overshadowed  by  extravagance 
and  expensiveness,  and,  in  many  cases,  by  ac- 
tual debt.  We  have  a  prevailing  spirit  that 
conceives  and  inculcates  the  idea  that  grand 
structures,  with  or  without  debts,  will  lead 
worldly  people  "unto  the  Lord,"  and  direct 
their  steps  into  paths  of  Christian  virtue;  yet 
this  same  spirit  tolerates  the  suffering  of  many 
poor  people  and  the  gradual  degradation  of 
many  poor  children.  And  this  spirit,  besides 
exciting  generosity  in  behalf  of  costly  buildings 
with  great  spires,  also  gathers  large  sums  of 
money,  in  every  community,  for  foreign  mis- 
sions, notwithstanding  crimes  and  offenses  and 
unlawful  practices  of  various   kinds  blot  our 


social  life,  and  notwithstanding  the  tendency  to 
continue  them,  if  not  to  multiply  them,  obtains 
a  stronger  hold  upon  the  present  generation. 
The  taxes,  assessments  and  collections  of  all 
kinds,  taken  together,  amount  truly  to  an  enor- 
mous sum. 

Railroad  corporations  are  improving  the 
State  in  every  quarter.  Their  enterprise  and 
generosity  excite  our  amazement.  But  do  we 
realize  the  debt  which  rests  upon  these  improve- 
ments,— the  interest  which  is  carried  away? 
Municipal  corporations  possess  a  similar  spirit ; 
they  have  beautified  towns  and  cities  with  mag- 
nificent structures.  But  what  of  the  alarming 
debts  ?  what  of  the  heavy  taxes  upon  our  en- 
ergy and  industry?  This  spirit  was  actually 
running  away  with  councilmen  and  legislators, 
and  public  sentiment  finally  arose  and  put  a 
limit,  if  not  a  check,  to  their  extravagance  by 
legislative  enactment.  Insurance  companies,  ' 
against  death  and  fire,  display  everywhere  a 
similar  spirit.  What  buildings,  indeed,  and 
what  salaries  and  commissions  to  officers  and 
agents !  Are  they  not  a  burden,  instead  of  a 
benefit,  as  now  conducted,  taking  away  from 
us  more  than  they  are  returning  ?  Their  busi- 
ness is  truly  enormous.  They  are  so  success- 
ful, indeed,  that  from  their  collections  they  not 
only  erect  costly  buildings  and  pay  extravagant 
salaries,  but  return  our  money  for  our  obliga- 
tions, thus  leading  us  into  paying  interest  be- 
sides assessments.  Theatres  and  public  halls 
could  also  be  mentioned.  Altogether,  we  have 
buildings  that  are  truly  wonderful.  But  what 
of  the  burdens  which  they  have  occasioned? 
What  of  the  strain  upon  our  energy  ?  What 
of  the  drain  from  our  income  ?     What  of  the 


24 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


tendency  to  elevate  and  empower  capital  and 
to  humiliate  and  weaken  labor  ? 

Under  all  we  seem  to  thrive.  The  improve- 
ments are  evidence  of  enrichment.  But  who 
can  say  that  this  condition  of 'our  State  is  not 
really  an  evil.  If  it  is,  what  is  the  remedy  to 
cure  it?  We  must  reverse  the  tendency  of 
drawing  our  people  from  the  rural  districts,  we 
must  direct  their  energy  back  into  simple  and 
small  communities,  and  the  results  of  their  la- 
bor into  local  improvements  ;  we  must  scatter 
the  people  more  from  the  large  cities  into  vil- 
lages and  towns  ;  we  must  encourage  numerous 
populous  places  throughout  the,  valleys '  of 
our  State  rather  than  boast  of  great  cities  with 
hundreds  of  thousands,  if  not  millions,  of  in- 
habitants ;  we  must  distribute  wealth  and  politi- 
cal power  more  amongst  our  towns  and  town- 
ships and  counties  rather  than  concentrate  them 
in  one  large  metropolis,  more  amongst  the  people 
ratherthanina  limited  number  of  capitalists  and 
party  leaders. 

Inventions. — In  referring  to  the  several  in- 
fluences' which  have  been  incessantly  at  work  in 
our  gradual  development  as  a  State,  I  cannot 
overlook  the  productions  of  genius  in  respect  to 
discoveries  and  inventions.  A  history  of  them 
in  the  order  of  their  presentation  to  us  would 
be  not  only  very  interesting,  but  also  valuable. 
They  have  exerted  a  wonderful  power  over  our 
actions.  Our  progress  is  mainly  attributable  to 
them.  By  comparing  the  situation  of  the 
people  throughout  the  State  in  1776,  without 
the  use  of  coal,  steam,  petroleum,  gas  and  elec- 
tricity, railroads  and  bridges,  telegraphs  and 
telephones,  and  labor-saving  machines — such  as 
the  mower,  reaper,  binder,  planter  and  thresher, 
the  sewing-machines  and  the  machinery  of  var- 
ious kinds  for  manufacturing  goods  out  of  iron 
and  wood,  cotton  and  wool,  etc., — with  our  sit- 
uation in  1876,  in  the  possession  of  all  these 
things,  we  can  readily  see  and  appreciate  the 
great  progress  which  we  have  made. 

The  wealth  which  we  now  enjoy  has  come 
to  us  mostly  through  them ;  and  they  are 
the  things  that   continue  from   generation  to 

i  Railroads  are  draining  income  from  labor  more  and 
more  into  large  cities;  but  they  are  developing  and  popu- 
lating interior  districts  rapidly. 


generation.  People  come  and  go,  wealth  is 
unstable  like  water,  government  fluctuates  with 
the  passions  of  mankind ;  but  discoveries  and 
inventions  never  leave  us, — they  contain  those 
eternal  principles  which  survive  the  revolutions 
of  governments  and  the  struggle  of  rival  nations, 
and  they  witness  the  change  and  antagonism, 
of  progressing  and  succeeding  religions.  These 
governments  and  nations  and  religions  have 
their  different  measures  and  standards  and 
theories,  providing  one  set  of  opinions  for  one 
age  and  another  set  for  another  age ;  but  they,  in 
the  onward  course  of  time,  pass  away  like  a 
dream.  The  discoveries  of  genius,  the  inventions 
of  practical  minds,  alone  survive. 

Patriotism. — The  patriotism  of  Pennsylva- 
nia during  the  several  trying  periods  of  our 
country,  especially  during  the  Revolution  and 
Rebellion,  stands  out  like  a  bold,  grand  monu- 
ment above  all  our  achievements.  Her  people 
have  not  only  shown  great  ability  in  developing 
her  resources,  her  influence  and  her  power,  but 
also  devotion  to  the  principles  of  political  inde- 
pendence and  unity.  As  her  share  of  assistance  to 
the  general  government  in  prosecuting  the  Civil 
War  to  a  successful  conclusion,  she  furnished 
millions  of  money  and  over  three  hundred  and 
sixty  thousand  soldiers,  a  number  exceeding  one- 
tenth  of  her  population.  In  the  course  of  her 
brilliant  history  she  has  exhibited  energy  and 
liberality  enough  on  the  one  hand  to  create  a 
country;  but,  in  the  hour  of  peril,  she  has  mani- 
fested power  and  devotion  enough  on  the  other 
to  preserve  it. 

Troops  were  furnished  as  follows : 

1861 130,594 

1862 , 71,100 

1863 43,046 

1864 91,704 

1865 25,840 


362,284 
The  population  in  1860  was  2,906,215. 
Agriculture.— In  concluding  this  brief 
narrative  of  the  development  of  Pennsylvania, 
I  must  mention  a  subject  which,  if  not  more  im- 
portant than  the  subjects  already  mentioned,  is, 
nevertheless,  equally  prominent — it  is  agricul- 
ture. 

The  great  majority  of  our  people  have  been 


GENERAL  HISTORY  OF  PENNSYLVANIA. 


25 


engaged  from  the  time  of  our  earliest  settlements 
till  now  in  this  enriching  department  of  labor. 
It  was  a  necessary  employment  with  which  to 
begin  the  settlement  and  improvement  of  a 
new  country.  The  immigrants  came  qualified  to 
carry  it  on  successfully.  They  possessed  all  the 
qualifications  for  pioneer  farmers — physical 
strength  and  determination,  industry  and  econo- 
my, and  practical  judgment  and  perception. 
Before  the  Revolution,  everything  was  depend- 
ent upon  them.  They  were  the  motive-power 
which  set  the  whole  community  moving  in  the 
several  avenues  of  life.  In  matters  of  labor, 
government  and  religion  they  constituted  the 
one  great  element  of  society  which  was  indis- 
pensable. If  they  had  been  taken  away,  the 
province  would  have  returned  to  its  primitive 
state.  Hence  they  were  the  agency  which  ele- 
vated the  country  above  the  condition  in  which 
it  had  been  held  by  the  aborigines  for  centuries.1 
Their  improvements  extended  mostly  throughout 
the  eastern  and  southeastern  sections,  which  lay 
to  the  east  of  and  about  the  Susquehanna  River, 
and  comprised  about  one-fourth  of  the  area  of 
the  province ;  and  these  were  effected  altogether 
by  actual  manual  labor,  without  the  aid  of  labor- 
saving  implements  and  machinery,  a  fact  worthy 
of  especial  mention.  After  the  Revolution,  for 
at  least  fifty  years,  the  general  condition  of  agri- 
culture remained  about  the  same  in  respect  to 
influence.  It  was  extended  more  thoroughly 
throughout  the  territory  of  the  State  beyond  the 
Susquehanna  River.  But  the  genius  of  man 
then,  decade  after  decade,  began  to  introduce 
new  subjects  which  invited  capital  and  energy 
into  new  channels,  especially  for  improved  high- 
ways, and  shops,  mills  and  factories  of  various 
kinds.  The  spirit  of  concentration  gradually 
led  away  a  considerable  part  of  this  strong  in- 
fluence from  agriculture  and  directed  it  into 
capital  and  into  political  and  social  power,  and 
it  was  made  to  subserve  the  welfare  of  persons 
rather  than  the  welfare  of  communities.  The 
majority  of  persons  still  continued  for  some  time 

'Pennsylvania  took  the  lead  of  all  the  colonies  in  agricul- 
ture. In  1751  the  exports  in  grain  were, — wheat,  86,000 
bushels;  flour,  129,960  bushels;  Indian  corn,  90,743 
bushels  ;  and  the  total  amount  of  exports  then  exceeded 
one  million  of  dollars. — Eupp. 
4 


in  agriculture,  and  agriculture  was  benefited' 
in  various  ways  by  improved  transportation  and 
by  labor-saving  machinery.  But  its  real  inde- 
pendence grew  less,  and  it  would  seem  to  have 
grown  less  as  mechanical  power  developed  itself 
into  greater  prominence  and  usefulness.  The  ten- 
dency of  legislation  was  gradually  directed  to- 
wards capital  through  steam  and  coal  and  iron 
and  manufactured  products,  rather  than  agricul- 
ture through  manual  labor  and  the  products  of 
the  soil — towards  towns  and  metropolitan  places 
rather  than  towards  the  larger  divisions  of  ter- 
ritory, such  as  townships  and  counties — towards 
the  leaders  of  wealth  rather  than  towards  the 
people.  Hence,  the  country  districts  did  not  ad- 
vance in  as  marked  a  manner  in  respect  to  pop- 
ulation and  wealth  as  towns  and  cities  advanced. 
The  total  productions  of  agriculture  have  in- 
creased wonderfully  during  this  century,  es- 
pecially during  the  last  three  decades.  This 
arose  mostly  through  the  introduction  of  im- 
proved farming  implements  and  machinery,  the 
clearing  of  land  and  the  increase  of  farms  for 
agricultural  purposes.  The  general  live-stock 
and  barns  and  dwellings  have  been  improved  in 
character  and  value.  More  attention  has  been 
directed  latterly  to  the  successful  cultivation  of 
fruit.  The  general  condition  of  farmers  has 
been  elevated  very  much ;  but  as  a  prominent 
class  in  the  State  they  do  not  give  that  direction 
to  various  important  affairs — political,  social 
and  religious — which  they  naturally  should  give 
by  reason  of  their  number  and  wealth. 

The  following  statistics  are  submitted  in  this 
connection  to  show  the  general  progress  of  agri- 
culture ;  but  they  reveal  also  the  power  and 
profit  of  manufactures  as  compared  with  agri- 
culture. The  investment  in  farms,  implements 
and  stock  is  over  one  billion  dollars,  the  income 
not  two  hundred  million,  or  one-fifth ;  but  the 
investment  in  manufactures  does  not  amount  to 
one  billion  dollars,  and  yet  the  income  is  nearly 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  million,  or  three- 
fourths  of  the  investment. 

In  1880  the  total  population  of  the  State 
over  ten  years  of  age,  was  3,203,215.  The 
number  engaged  in  agriculture  was   301, 112.2 

*  In  manufacturing  and  mining  industries,  528,277. 


26 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Productions  of  grain,  etc.,  for  the  following  years 


.  i 


Wheat,  bushels 

Rye,  bushels 

Oats,  bushels 

Corn,  bushels 

Potatoes,  bushels 

Wool,  pounds 

Hay,  tons 

Tobacco,  pounds 

Improved  farms,  acres 

Value  of  farms 

Value  of  implements,  etc, 
Live  stock 


1850. 


15,367,691 

4,805,160 

21,538,156 

19,835,214 

5,980,732 

4,481,570 

1,842,970 

912,561 

8,628,619 

$407,876,099 

14,722,541 

41,500,053 


1860. 


13,042,165 

5,474,788 

27,387,147 

28,196,821 

11,687,467 

4,752,522 

2,245,413 

3,181,586 

10,463,296 

$662,050,707 

22,442,842 

69,672,726 


1870. 

1880. 

19,672,967 

19,462,405 

3,577,641 

3,683,621 

36,478,585 

33,841,439 

34,702,006 

45,821,531 

12,889,367 

16,284,819 

6,561,722 

8,470,273 

2,848,219 

2,811,654 

3,467,539 

36,943,272 

11,515,965 

13,423,007 

$1,043,481,582 

$975,689,410 

35,658,196 

35,473,037 

115,647,075 

84,242,877 

Statistics  on  manufactures  for  comparison  with  foregoing  table : 

l 

1850. 

1860. 

1870. 

1880. 

21,605 

146,766 

$94,473,810 

87,206,377 

155,044,910 

22,363 

222,132 

$190,055,904 

153,477,698 

290,121,188 

37,200 

319,487 

$406,821,845 

421,197,673 

711,894,344 

31,232 

387,072 

Capital  invested , 

$474,510,993 

Materials 

465,020,563 

Products 

744,818,445 

CHAPTEE  II. 

PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY. 

Geology  —  Minerals  —  Botany  —  Mountains  —  Valleys  — 
Streams — Relative  Elevations. 

GEOLOGY. 

Science,  in  her  survey  of  the  earth,  has  recog- 
nized three  kingdoms  of  nature — first,  the  an- 
imal ;  second,  the  plant ;  and  third,  the  crystal. 
The  animal  and  plant  are  both  endowed  with 
life.  This  life  commences  from  a  germ  and 
grows  by  means  of  imbibed  nutriment.  In  its 
growth  it  passes  through  a  series  of  changes  and 
a  gradual  development  until  it  reaches  the 
adult  state,  wherein  it  continues  to  death.  In 
its  adult  state  it  evolves  new  germs  or  seeds, 
and  thus  it  multiplies  life  after  its  own  kind. 
But  the  crystal  is  a  lifeless  object.  It  begins  in 
a  nucleal  molecule  or  particle,  and  it  enlarges 
by  external  addition  or  accretion  alone.  There- 
fore it  has  no  development.  It  simply  exists. 
It  does  not  reproduce  particles  after  its  kind. 

The  earth  in  the  beginning  was  like  a  germ. 

United  States  Census  Reports,  1880. 


It  was  brought  to  its  present  condition  through 
a  series  of  changes  or  progressive  formations. 
Like  an  animal  or  plant,  it  has  its  special  sys- 
tems of  interior  and  exterior  structure,  condi- 
tions, movements  and  changes.  Under  the 
guidance  and  the  appointed  law  of  an  Infinite 
Mind  it  passed  through  a  regular  course  of 
growth  or  history,  and,  like  the  animal  or  plant, 
it  has  also  individuality. 

In  the  grand  system  of  the  universe,  the  earth 
holds  a  very  subordinate  position.  The  sun  is 
the  centre  of  this  system,  and  the.  earth  is  only 
one  of  his  smaller  satellites.  The  sun  is  four- 
teen hundred  thousand  times  larger.  It  is  esti- 
mated that  this  system  has  a  radius  of  three 
thousand  million  miles.  The  nearest  star  to 
the  earth  is  seven  thousand  times  farther  off 
than  the  planet  Neptune,  and  Neptune  is  dis- 
tant two  billion  six  hundred  and  fifty-five  mil- 
lion miles.  Thus  it  appears  that  the  earth, 
though  vast  to  us,  is  only  a  very  little  object  in 
the  universe.  Through  gravitation,  light,  me- 
teoric stones  and  the  moon,  we  learn  that  there 
is  oneness  of  law  throughout  space.  From 
these  we  can  say  that  the  laws  which  govern 


PHYSICAL  GEOGKAPHY. 


27 


the  earth  are  the  laws  which  govern  the  uni- 
verse; and,  though  it  is  but  an  atom  in  immen- 
sity, it  is,  nevertheless,  immensity  itself  in  the 
revelations  of  truth. 

The  earth  is  in  form  almost  a  perfect  sphere. 
It  is  somewhat  flattened  at  its  poles.  Its  equa- 
torial diameter  is  7926  miles,  and  its  polar 
7900  miles.  Its  circumference  is  24,899  miles. 
Its  entire  surface  comprises  197,000,000  square 
miles.  The  surface  is  composed  of  land  and 
water ;  about  one-fourth  part  is  land  and  three- 
fourths  water.  It  is  divided  into  two  hemi- 
spheres— the  eastern  and  western.  The  land 
surface  of  the  western  hemisphere  comprises 
fourteen  million  five  hundred  thousand  square 
miles.  The  whole  of  this  hemisphere  is  called 
America.  The  northern  portion  is  North 
America  and  the  southern  South  America.  The 
surface  of  North  America  comprises  seven  mil- 
lion nine  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  square 
miles.  The  United  States  occupy  the  central 
part,  and  extend  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean  on 
the  east  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  on  the  west,  and 
from  the  British  possessions  on  the  north  to 
Mexico  on  the  south.  They  comprise  two  mil- 
lion three  hundred  thousand  square  miles. 
Pennsylvania  is  one  of  these  States  and  com- 
prises forty-six  thousand  square  miles.  It  is 
divided  into  sixty-seven  counties.  Berks  County 
is  one  of  them  and  comprises  eight  hundred  and 
twenty-two  square  miles,  or  five  hundred  and 
twenty-six  thousand  square  acres.  To  us  this 
county  is  a  great  and  important  tract  of  country; 
yet,  by  comparison,  what  a  speck  it  is  on  the 
earth  !  But  the  natural  laws  which  govern  its 
people,  its  animals  and  plants,  its  waters,  etc., 
are  the  same  as  those  which  govern  the  people, 
animals,  plants  and  waters  of  the  whole  earth. 

In  treating  of  the  earth  as  an  individual  ex- 
istence in  the  universe,  we  must  consider,  first, 
its  geology  in  respect  to  structure  and  develop- 
ment; second,  its  physiography  in  respect  to 
surface  arrangements  and  physical  changes ; 
and  third,  its  relation  to  man  in  respect  to  the 
distribution  of  races  and  their  progression.  Ge- 
ology has  been  divided  into  four  sub-divisions 
— historical,  lithological,  dynamical  and  phy- 
siographical.  The  first  treats  of  the  successive 
stages  in  the  formation  of  the  earth's  structure 


and  the  concurrent  steps  in  the  progress  of  life, 
through  past  time ;  the  second  of  the  constitu- 
ents of  this  structure ;  the  third,  of  the  active 
forces  and  mechanical  agencies  which  were  the 
means  of  physical  progress  ;  and  the  fourth,  of 
the  systematic  external  form  and  feature  of  the 
earth. 

The  progress  of  the  earth's  development  is 
marked  by  ages.  These  ages  are  not  separated  by 
distinct  dividing  lines.  All  efforts  to  make  such 
divisions  have  been  fruitless.  The  culminant 
phases  of  different  periods  are  traced  in  the  pro- 
gress of  development,  and  each  culmination  is 
the  centre  of  a  separate  period.  But  the  germ 
of  that  period  was  long  working  onward  in  pre- 
ceding time  before  it  finally  came  to  its  full 
development  and  stood  forth  as  the  characteris- 
tic of  a  new  era  of  progress.  Geologists  recog- 
nize five  ages.  The  first  age  is  the  Azoic.  It 
is  so  called  because  it  is  without  life.  It  is 
admitted  that  at  one  time  the  earth  was  in  a 
state  of  universal  fusion.  The  period  inter- 
vening between  this  state  and  when  the  cli- 
mate and  waters  had  become  fitted  for  animal 
life  is  called  the  Azoic  age.  The  second 
is  the  Palaeozoic,  or  ancient.  In  this  age 
there  are  three  periods :  1,  the  Silurian  or 
period  of  Mollusks ;  2,  the  Devonian,  or  period 
of  Fishes ;  and  3,  the  Carboniferous,  or  period 
of  Coal  Plants.  The  third  is  the  Mesozoic,  or 
middle,  the  age  of  Reptiles.  The  fourth  is  the 
Cenozoic,  or  recent,  the  age  of  Mammals.  And 
the  fifth  is  the  Age  of  Man,  or  era  of  mind.1 

Professor  H.  D.  Rogers  made  the  First  Geo- 
logical Survey  of  Pennsylvania  during  the  years 
from  1836  to  1857 ;  and  published  a  geological 
map  in  1858.  In  the  section  of  the  State  which 
includes  Berks  County,  there  are  four  principal 
strata.  These  extend  through  the  county  from 
north-east  to  south-west. 

First.  The  Matinal,  in  trie  northern  section.  It 
occupies  about  two-fifths  part  of  the  county. 

Second.  The  Auroral,  in  the  upper  central  section. 
It  occupies  about  two-fifths  part. 

Third.  The  Gneiss  and  Primal,  in  the  lower  central 
section.    It  occupies  about  one-fifth  part. 

Fourth.  The  Mesozoic  Red  sandstone,  in  the  south- 
ern section.    It  occupies  about  two-fifths  part. 

1  Dapa's  "  Manual  of  Geology." 


28 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


The  first  three  are  placed  by  him  in  the 
Lower  Palaeozoic  Age,  and  the  last  is  placed  in 
the  Upper  Palceozoic. 

The  Azoic  Age  is  also  represented  in  the 
southern 'section,  in  the  South  Mountain  and  in 
the  Welsh  Mountain.  By  some  geologists  it  is 
called  the  Laurentian  system.  The  Palaeozoic 
or  older  secondary  system,  beginning  with  No. 
1  Potsdam  sandstone,  is  represented  in  Penn's 
Mount,  a  spur  of  South  Mountain,  at  the 
"  White  Spot."  This  system  is  magnificently 
developed  throughout  the  entire  State. 

Dr.  John  P.  Hiester  published  a  Geological 
Map  of  Berks  County  in  1854,  which  was 
copied  from  the  Rogers  Survey.  A  copy  of 
this  map  is  presented  in  this  chapter.  The 
streams  and  creeks  on  the  map  illustrate  admir- 
ably the  distribution  of  water  and  the  general 
topography  of  the  county.  At  that  time  there 
were  twenty-five  iron-ore  mines  in  the  county, 
as  indicated  on  the  map.  Other  mines  have 
been  opened  since,  especially  in  the  East  Penn 
Valley.  The  construction  and  operation  of  the 
railroad  caused  them  to  be  developed  rapidly. 
Several  mines  are  not  indicated  on  the  map, 
though  they  were  operated,  at  least  had  been 
discovered  then,  notably  Boyertown  (on  Iron- 
stone Creek),  Seisholtzville  (at  head-waters  of 
Perkiomen  Creek)  and  Heffner's  (several  miles 
east  of  Coxtown,  now  Fleetwood). 

MINERALS.1 

Mineralogy  is  that  branch  of  natural  science 
which  treats  of  the  different  kinds  of  ores,  com- 
position of  the  rocks  and  stones,  etc.,  and 
teaches  us  to  distinguish  their  properties  and 
classify  them.  There  are  sixty-eight  different 
elements,  or  separate  substances  in  the  material 
world.  Everything,  therefore,  must  be  com- 
posed of  one  or  more  of  these  elements.  Oxy- 
gen comprises  one-fifth  of  the  air,  eight-ninths  of 
the  water,  three-fourths  of  all  animal  bodies 
and  about  one-half  of  the  crust  of  the  earth  ; 
hydrogen,  one-ninth  of  the  water ;  and  carbon 
is  a  large  constituent  of  limestones,  marbles  and 
magnesian  rocks.  The  other  elements  are  less 
abundant ;  and  as  their  abundance  diminishes, 

1  From  articles  published  in  Spirit  of  Berks,  at  Reading, 
by  Professor  D.  B.  Brunner,  in  1881, 


their  value  among  mineralogists  increases. 
Among  the  precious  stones,  the  diamond  is  the 
most  valuable,  and  among  the  metals,  vanadium. 
Iron  is  worth  one  cent  a  pound,  silver  $18.60, 
gold  $299.72,  and  vanadium  $4792.40.  To 
the  best  of  the  knowledge  and  belief  of  the 
mineralogists  of  Reading,  vanadium  has  no 
existence  within  the  confines  of  Berks  County. 

About  one-third  of  the  elements  form  the 
mass  of  the  earth,  and  these  are  found  in  Berks 
County.  Most  of  the  others  are  found  only  in 
a  few  localities  in  the  world,  and  in  very  small 
quantities.  The  few  simple  elements  met  with 
everywhere  are  compounded  by  the  operations 
of  nature  in  wonderful  and  astonishingly  fine 
and  exact  proportions.  These  elements  are 
combined  in  an  infinite  number  of  ways,  and  so 
minutely  that  it  requires  the  highest  scientific 
skill  to  separate  them.  The  crystallization  in 
minerals,  the  result  of  a  combination  of  the 
elements,  is  often  so  small  that  its  forms  can 
only  be  seen  with  a  powerful  microscope.  So 
varied  are  they  that  Dana  (who  is  one  of  the 
best  authorities  in  mineralogy)  has  described 
six  thousand  five  hundred ;  and  new  ones  are 
added  yearly. 

Gold. — It  is  known  to  some  persons,  and  to 
others  it  may  be  a  great  surprise,  that  we  have 
gold  in  Berks  County,  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  Reading ;  at  least  so  says  the  eminent  chem- 
ist, Professor  Charles  M.  Wetherill,  Ph.D., 
M.D.  Dr.  Wetherill  made  an  examination  of 
rocks,  and  reported  the  results  of  his  search  to 
the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  Philadelphia, 
December,  1854.     In  his  report  he  says, — 

"  Tn  a  paper  upon  the  occurrence  of  gold  in  Penn- 
sylvania, I  alluded  to  an  auriferous  quartz  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Reading,  Pa.,  and  the  examination  of 
which  afforded  me  slight,  though  uncertain,  traces  of 
gold.  I  stated  at  the  close  of  the  article  that  I  had 
no  doubt  that  a  more  careful  examination  of  the 
rocks  in  the  vicinity  would  yield  affirmative  results  in 
an  examination  for  this  metal.  ...  I  have  noticed 
this  quartz  scattered  over  the  ground  in  various  parts 
of  Berks  County,  some  bearing  very  strong  gold  charac- 
teristics ;  they  are  partially  water- worn,  but  the  angles 
are  moderately  sharp.  On  breaking  them  open,  the 
inclosed  masses  of  dark  oxide  of  iron  are  apparent." 

Silver. — The  most  reliable  information 
about  silver  in  Berks  County  is  from  the  pen 


PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 


29 


of  Dr.  Wetherill.  In  speaking  of  a  heap  of 
stones  at  the  junction  of  Eighth  and  Ninth 
Streets,  he  says, — 

"  Eighth  Street  quartz— 65  grammes  x  130  litharge 
x  10  black  flux  gave  a  lead  button  of  14  grammes, 
and  silver  .0075,  which  contained  gold  beyond  a 
doubt,  as  judged  from  its  lustre  and  resistance  to 
nitric  acid. 

"  Another  portion  of  quartz  from  the  same  locality 
— 200  grammes  x  400  litharge  x.5  charcoal  dust,  gave 
lead  17  grammes,  silver  .00875,  containing  gold, 
though  not  as  distinctly  as  the  last. 

"Quartz  from  Jonathan  Deininger's  field — 185 
grammes,  370  litharge  x.5  charcoal  gave  20  grammes 
of  lead,  containing  .00825  silver,  in  which  no  gold 
could  be  detected." 

By  looking  at  the  figures  denoting  the  quantity 
of  silver,  it  would,  at  first  sight,  appear  to  be 
infinitesimal ;  but  when  it  is  remembered  that 
the  quantity  of  ore  from  which  it  was  taken, 
was  only  one  hundred  and  eighty-five  grammes, 
and  that  a  ton  of  the  same  rock  would  have 
produced  over  forty  pounds  of  silver  or  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  it  will  be  seen  that, 
if  there  were  a  large  body  of  the  argentiferous 
quartz,  yielding  the  same  per  cent,  of  silver,  the  | 
mine  would  be  a  very  remunerative  one. 
Judging  from  the  geological  formation  of  North 
Reading,  it  is  probable  that  the  argentiferous 
quartz  is  not  found  in  a  body  in  or  along  the 
mountain,  but  in  isolated  fragments  scattered 
over  the  alluvial  soil  in  the  valley. 

Professor  H.  W.  Hollenbush,  who  had  a 
large  experience  in  mineralogy  and  visited  every 
"  nook  and  corner"  in  Berks  County,  exhibited 
a  few  years  ago  a  beautiful  globule  of  pure  silver 
which  he  obtained  from  a  fragment  of  a  rock 
found  in  the  northwestern  part  of  Oley  town- 
ship. He  returned  and  investigated  the  local- 
ity for  silver,  but  he  found  nothing. 

Some  twenty  years  ago,  there  was  found  in 
Alsace  township,  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of 
Fies'  Hotel,  a  combination  of  the  elements 
among  which  silver  was  supposed  to  be  con- 
spicuous. A  small  organization  was  formed  to 
extract  the  silver  from  the  refractory  elements. 
The  party  secured  the  services  of  an  expert,  who 
had  charge  of  the  mining  and  smelting  opera- 
tions. After  a  large  amount  of  labor  had  been 
expended  in  drilling  the  hard  rock  and  getting 


it  out  of  its  natural  bed,  it  was  thought  advis- 
able to  smelt  the  ore  on  hand  and  see  what 
quantity  of  silver  it  contained.  A  foundry  was 
rented  at  the  foot  of  Penn  Street,  a  crucible  ob- 
tained and  a  quantity  of  the  ore  smelted.  At 
the  proper  time  the  stockholders  of  the  "Gneiss 
Silver  Mining  Company"  were  invited  to  see 
the  shining  metal  poured  out  of  the  crucible, 
and  behold !  there  was  enough  silver  in  it  to 
make  a  half-dollar!  The  operator  asked  for 
more  funds  to  purchase  the  necessary  apparatus 
to  carry  on  the  operations  more  successfully. 
The  stockholders  paid  over  the  required  amount, 
but  the  operator  went  to  Philadelphia  and 
never  returned.  It  was  supposed  that  the 
operator  had  put  a  half-dollar  into  the  crucible 
with  the  ore.  No  further  effort  was  made  to 
obtain  silver  from  the  ore. 

Copper. — Copper  combines  with  many  of 
the  other  elements,  and  in  consequence  of  this 
combination  about  fifty  different  minerals  are 
found  in  which  copper  forms  one  of  the  con- 
stituents; six  of  these  varieties  are  found  in 
Berks,  viz., — chalcopyrite,  chrysocolla,  mala- 
chite, azurite,  oxyd  of  copper,  bornite  and  ven- 
erite. 

Copper  is  found  at  various  places  in  the 
county,  but  there  is  only  one  locality,  Jones' 
mine,  in  the  eastern  part  of  Caernarvon  township, 
near  Joanna  Station,  in  which  it  has  been  found 
in  such  quantities  as  to  make  the  mining  re- 
munerative. There  being  no  record  of  the 
opening  of  this  copper  shaft,  we  give  only  such 
information  as  we  obtained  from  the  oldest  per- 
sons still  living,  who  spent  the  earlier  part  of 
their  lives  in  the  vicinity  of  the  mine.  Mrs. 
Lavinia  Simmers  (nearly  eighty-four  years  of 
age)  said  that  she  could  remember  distinctly 
when  the  first  search  was  made  for  copper.  It 
was  about  seventy-five  years  ago  (1806)  when 
the  first  mining  operations  began  there,  by  Cap- 
tain Thomas,  who  had  obtained  the  privilege 
from  the  owner  of  the  land.  Richard  Trealich 
was  the  superintendent  of  the  mine,  and  he  was 
assisted  by  two  men  named  Ryfert  and  Oldfield. 
These  were  Englishmen.  A  building  was  erected 
at  the  large  excavation.  The  slate  for  the  roof, 
some  building  material  and  the  machinery  for 
operating  the  mine  were  brought  from    Eog- 


30 


HISTOKY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


land ;  and  it  being  before  the  time  of  railroads, 
they  were  conveyed  from  New  York  in  wag- 


ons. 


It  appears  that  Richard  Trealich  was  a  miner 
of  great  experience,  because  subsequent  excava- 
tions proved  that  he  sank  a  shaft  near  the  spot 
where  the  richest  copper  was  deposited.  The 
miners  descended  perpendicularly  one  hundred 
feet,  then  drove  a  short  distance  northeast  and 
sank  a  shaft  eighty  feet,  making  the  entire 
depth  of  the  shaft  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet. 
In  the  bottom  of  the  shaft  a  very  hard  rock  was 
met,  showing  that  the  miners  had  struck  a 
different  geological  formation.  In  sinking  the 
shaft  Alexander  Young  lost  an  eye  and  another 
man  was  crippled  by  an  accidental  blast.  Shortly 
afterward  Anthony  Petz,  while  looking  down 
the  shaft  at  the  pumping  machinery,  inadver- 
tently got  his  head  under  the  bob  and  had  it 
crushed. 

A  considerable  amount  of  copper-ore  was 
taken  out  of  the  shaft.  They  had  no  fur- 
nace to  smelt  the  ore,  so  Thomas  erected  one 
about  midway  between  the  present  house  and 
barn.  The  ore  was  smelted  in  crucibles ;  but 
the  furnace  and  its  fixtures  being  imperfect 
and  the  ore  not  yielding  a  very  high  percentage, 
it  is  believed  Thomas  did  not  obtain  enough  of 
copper  to  pay  his  expenses  ;  at  least  the  mining 
was  not  profitable.  In  1814  the  machinery  was 
taken  away.  The  copper-mine  was  then  idle 
until  1838,  when  it  was  operated  by  a  man 
named  Sands,  who  realized  a  considerable 
amount  of  money  from  the  copper.  In  1840  a 
Mr.  Simons  endeavored  to  get  a  lease  on  the 
mine ;  but  failing,  after  strenuous  efforts,  he 
commenced  to  take  out  ore  and  continued  until 
1854  without  paying  a  royalty. 

There  were  at  that  time  only  two  copper  fur- 
naces in  this  part  of  the  country :  one  at  Tyson's, 
in  Baltimore,  and  the  other  in  Jersey  City.  Mr. 
Simons  hauled  much,  if  not  all  of  his  ore,  with 
wagons  to  Jersey  City.  With  all  this  expense 
and  inconvenience  in  transportation,  he  is  said 
to  have  realized  considerable  money.  He 
separated  the  copper  from  all  the  other  minerals 
by  a  process  called  "jigging"  and  "bucking." 
These  operations  were  performed  as  follows : 
The  ore  was  taken  to  the  Conestoga  Creek,  and 


there  placed  into  sieves  which  were  immersed 
in  barrels  filled  with  water,  and  by  a  "jig" 
movement  the  dirt  was  washed  out  and  the  re- 
fuse worked  on  the  top  and  scraped  off.  The 
copper-ore,  then  almost  free  from  impurities, 
was  put  into  barrels,  for  convenience  in  trans- 
portation. 

From  1850  to  1854  the  mine  was  in  the 
hands  of  the  American  Mining  Company, 
whose  branch  office  was  in  New  York.  This 
company  also  sent  the  ore  to  Jersey  City,  and 
was  reported  to  have  been  successful. 

The  mine  was  lying  idle  from  1854  till  1869, 
when  it  was  operated  by  the  Schuylkill  Copper 
Company,  of  Phcenixville,  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  James  Harvey.  This  company 
opened  a  place  a  little  farther  east  of  the  shaft, 
and  took  out  a  copper  clay,  which  yielded  about 
six  per  cent,  of  copper.  Some  of  this  clay  was 
sent  to  England  and  the  rest  to  Jersey  City,  till 
the  company  at  Jersey  City  broke  up ;  then  the 
Copper  Company  at  Phcenixville  erected  a 
furnace  and  smelted  all  the  clay  which  the 
mine  produced  till  1878.  They  then  abandoned 
the  mine,  and  it  has  been  idle  since.  This  clay 
runs  in  veins  a  few  feet  thick.  It  is  believed 
by  some  that  it  is  far  from  being  exhausted. 

At  this  mine  are  found  fine  specimens  of 
malachite,  chalcopyrite,  chrysocolla,  bornite  and 
venerite. 

Iron. — Iron  ore  has  been  found  in  the  county 
in  very  great  quantities.  It  is  not  known  when 
mining  for  this  ore  began  in  this  vicinity.  The 
first  places  were  doubtless  in  Colebrookdale  and 
Caernarvon  townships.  Its  rich  deposits  have 
been  a  source  of  great  wealth  to  the  county. 
They  have  caused  forges  and  furnaces  to  be 
erected  in  every  section,  which  have  been 
worked  almost  constantly  till  now.  The  Boy- 
ertown  Mines  and  the  Jones  Mines  are  particu- 
larly prominent.  The  East  Penn  Valley  has 
supplied  immense  quantities  of  this  ore.  The 
total  weight  carried  away  cannot  be  estimated. 

In  1882  there  were  over  one  hundred  mines 
in  successful  operation,  whose  annual  produc- 
tion exceeded  three  hundred  thousand  tons.  They 
then  furnished  constant  employment  to  over  a 
thousand  men  and  brought  into  our  county  over 
a  million  of  dollars.     The  many  improvements 


PHYSICAL  GEOGKAPHY. 


31 


in  Schuylkill  and  East  Penn  Valleys  indicate 
the  prosperity"  afforded  through  this  single 
source — iron-ore. 

The  annual  product  of  the  county  in  1880 
was  two  hundred  and  fifty-two  thousand  nine 
hundred  and  forty  tons.  The  Census  Report 
placed  the  county  third  in  the  list  of  ore-pro- 
ducing counties  in  Pennsylvania — Lehigh  hav- 
ing been  first  and  Lebanon  second.  In  the  en- 
tire country,  our  county  was  seventh. 

The  following  are  the  prominent  mines  in  the 
county  with  the  per  centum  of  iron  in  the  ore  : ' 

Ikon  Mines. — Primitive  ore  is  designated  by  an 
asterisk  (*) ;  hematite  ore  is  designated  by  a  dagger  (f). 

Longswamp. 

Per  cent. 

1st  Eange,  Gap  Mine* 30 

2d        "        Eock     "    * 39^1 

3d        "        Ginkinger  Mine* 45-52 

4th      "        WeilerMine* 52 

Wetzel's* 38 

Miller* 48-53 

Dunkel* 40 

Gardner* 35 

Marateller* 42-57 

Mickley* 50 

Boyer* 43 

Frederick* 35 

Fritch  &  Bro* 22 

Tatham* 29 

Mertztownf2 • 49 

Klein  f 45 

Lewis  f 44 

Trexler  f 52 

Merkelf 47 

Zieglerf 45 

Longsf 

Farmingtouf  (at  least  twenty) 

Maxatavmy. 

Kutzf 45 

Levanf 45 

Bieberf 45 

Matzf 45 

Miller  f 45 

Richmond. 

Moselem  Mines  (4)t 50 

Eothermelf 50 

Schaefferf 45 

Kieferf 50 

Old  Heffnerf.' 45 

Heffnerf 45 

'  See  Geol.   Survey  Berks  Co.,  vol.B.  3-ii.  pp.  237  to 
375. 
2  Kaolin  also. 


Ruscomb -manor. 

Clymer* 59 

Tunnel* , 35 

Schitler* 

Schwartz  &  Kutzf 

Udreef 40 

Mellertf 45-50 

Medary  f " 

Messersmithf " 

Kelchnerf " 

Schollenbergerf " 

Hochf " 

Hereford. 

Siesholtzville* 22 

Bittenbender  * 45 

Gehman* 41-66 

Bittenbenderf 

Washington. 

Landis* 56 

Barto* 38 

Stauffer* 39 

Gilbert* 49 

Gilberg* 49 

Sparr* 30 

Eline* 30 

Pike. 

Eohrbach* 60 

Lobach  (red  oxide) 45 

District. 

Beitler* 64 

Earl. 

Dotterer  (red  oxide) 30 

Oley. 

.  Oley* 25 

Taliey* 30 

Weaverf2 50 

Hunter  f 

Manwiller  f 

Alsace. 

Hartman  * 

Reading. 

Miller* 37 

Eckert* 37 

Colebrookdale. 

California* 40-50 

Gabel* " 

Warwick* 

Ehoads* 

Caernarvon. 

Jones  * 

Oumru. 

Fritz  Island* 54 

Baudenbush* 

Eureka  f 48 

Spring. 

Wheatfield* 37 

Eaub* 37 

Buth* 42 

Seitzingerf 44 

Muhlenberg  f 41 


32 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


CATALOGUE    OF    MINERALS    IN    COUNTY. 

The  following  alphabetical  catalogue  contains 
the  names  of  all  the  minerals  which  have  been 
found  in  Berks  County  : * 

Allanite  is  found  on  Haines',  Rhoads'  and  Schrce- 
der's  farms,  near  Pricetown,  in  Ruscomb-manor 
township.  It  is  associated  with  magnetite  and  zir- 
con. The  mineral  is  black,  and  was  named  after  T. 
Allen,  the  discoverer. 

Allophane  has  been  found,  in  small  quantities, 
at  Jones'  mine,  in  the  eastern  part  of  Caernarvon 
township.  It  occurs  in  fine  white  and  sky-blue  mam- 
millary  and  stalactitic  masses. 

Apatite  is  a  phosphate  of  lime,  and  crystallizes  in 
six-sided  prisms  of  a  greenish  color.  It  is  found  in 
magnetite  at  Jones'  Mine,  and  in  serpentine  in 
Ruth's  Mine. 

Aeagonite. — (See  Calcite.) 

Amphibole, — a  hornblendic  rock,  which  extends 
over  a  large  portion  of  the  county.  The  best  speci- 
mens are  found  in  the  vicinity  of  Antietam  Lake. 
It  takes  different  forms,  according  to  the  locality,  viz., 
that  of  Actinolite,  at  Jones'  Mine ;  Asbestos,  at  Earl- 
ville,  on  the  Manatawny,  and  at  Antietam  Lake ;  of 
Mountain  Leather,  at  Boyertown,  and  on  Mr.  Ezra 
High's  farm,  a  mile  south  of  Reading,  in  a  cut  of 
the  Pennsylvania  Schuylkill  Valley  Railroad,  from 
which  specimens  a  foot  square  have  been  obtained; 
of  Hornblende,  a  constituent  of  many  of  the  South 
Mountain  rocks,  on  Henry  Ruth's  farm,  Mohnsville; 
and  of  Byssolite,  at  Antietam  Lake  and  in  Long- 
swamp  township. 

Apophyllite. — (See  Zeolites.) 

Aueichalcite  is  reported  to  have  been  found  at 
Jones'  mine  and  on  Fritz's  Island;  but  it  has  been  of 
very  rare  occurrence. 

Aztjrite,  in  fine  azure-blue  crystallization,  was 
obtained,  a  few  years  ago,  at  Jones'  Mine  and  on 
Fritz's  Island. 

Baeite  occurs,  abundantly  associated  with  other 
mineral  matter,  at  Mt.  JEtna  (Tulpehocken  town- 
ship), which,  when  it  is  struck,  emits  an  odor  resem- 
bling sulphureted  hydrogen,  and  hence  it  is  called 
Fetid  Baryta. 

Boenite  is  a  sulphuret  of  copper  of  a  brilliant  red 
and  blue  color.  Very  fine  specimens  are  found  at 
Jones'  Mine  and  on  Fritz's  Island. 

Beucite,— a  hydrate  of  magnesia,— takes  its  name 
from  Dr.  Bruce,  of  New  York,  the  discoverer.  It  is 
of  a  yellowish  tint,  and  is  met  with  on  Fritz's  Island, 
both  laminar  and  botryoidal.  A  vein  of  this  mineral 
was  also  struck  in  Ruth's  Mine. 

Calcite,— a  carbonate  of  lime,— is  found  in  various 
forms  through  the  extensive  limestone  formation  of 


l  The  author  is  indebted  to  Professor  D.  B.  Brunner,  of 
Reading,  for  this  catalogue  of  minerals,  he  having  pre- 
pared it  expressly  for  this  history. 


the  county.  Very  beautiful  acicular  crystals  and 
botryoidal  coatings  of  this  mineral  are  found  at 
Jones'  Mine,  which  are  called  Aragonite,  from  Ara- 
gon,  a  place  in  Spain  where  the  crystallization  was 
first  discovered.  ;  It  is  also  found  on  Fritz's  Island, 
Ruth's  and  Wheatfield  Mines,  and  in  Crystal  Cave. 
From  its  peculiar  crystallization  at  the  Big  Dam, 
Fritz's  Island  and  Luckenbill's  Cave,  it  is  called 
Dog-Tooth  Spar.  It  is  met  with  in  some  parts  of 
Bern  and  Cumru  townships,  in  rhombohedral  crys- 
tals, and  is  called  Gale- Spar. 

Chalcocite — from  chalcos,  copper — is  a  sulphide 
of  the  mineral.  It  crystallizes  in  rhombs,  and  occurs 
sparingly  at  Fritz's  Island  and  Jones'  Mine. 

Chalcopieite — copper  pyrites — occurs  at  Fritz's 
Island,  Jones'  Mine  and  Boyertown. 

Chloeite — from  chloros,  green — is  found  at  Fritz's 
Island,  Jones'  Mine,  Wheatfield  and  Ruth's  Mine. 

Chloropal  is  a  silicate  of  iron,  and  is  found  in 

the  hills  in  the  neighborhood  of  Longswamp  Church. 

Cheysocolla — from  chrusos,  gold,  and  holla,  glue 

— is  a  silicate  of  copper  of  a  blue  or  green  color^  and 

is  met  with  at  Jones'  Mine  and  Fritz's  Island. 

Chrysolite — from  chrusos,  gold,  and  lithos,  stone 
— is  composed  principally  of  silica  and  magnesia,  and 
occurs  in  thin  layers  on  Fritz's  Island  and  Ruth's 
Mine. 

Copper. — Large  quantities  of  copper-ore  were  taken 
out  of  Jones'  Mine  some  years  ago.  The  iron-ore 
and  rocks  are  saturated  with  copper,  but  the  percent- 
age is  too  small,  and  the  process  of  working  the  ore  is 
too  expensive,  to  be  remunerative.  Fritz's  Island, 
Wheatfield  and  Boyertown  also  contain  small  veins 
of  copper. 

Damourite — named  after  the  French  chemist, 
Damour— is  found  on  Jacob  Fox's  farm,  in  Ruscomb- 
manor  township;  at  the  Rockland  Forge  of  a  yellow- 
ish pale-green  color,  with  a  pearly  lustre,  found  in 
masses,  with  lilac  quartz;  on  Levi  Merkel's  farm,  in 
Oley  township ;  at  the  Wheatfield  Mine  and  in  the 
various  limolite  mines  in  the  Limestone  Valley. 

Datolite  is  a  white  mineral  in  small  crystals, 
found  only  on  Fritz's  Island. 

Dendrites— from  dendron,  tree — are  marks  or  im- 
pressions on  rocks  on  Fritz's  Island,  at  Ruth's  Mine 
and  in  Albany  township,  resembling  trees. 

Deweylite— named  after  Professor  Dewey— is  ob- 
tained in  several  forms  in  Ruth's  Mine,  and  is  a  sili- 
cate of  magnesia. 

Epidote  abounds  in  masses  and  in  crystals  at  An- 
tietam Lake  and  in  Longswamp,  two  miles  southwest 
from  Mertztown,  in  masses  at  Fleetwood,  Boyerstown, 
Pricetown,  Hancock  and  at  various  places  in  the  South 
Mountains. 

Feldspar  group  forms  the  principal  constituent 
of  the  South  Mountain  rocks  and  contains  a  variety  of 
pyroxene,  viz.:  LabradorUe,  from  Labrador,  where 
the  mineral  was  first  observed.  It  is  found  in  small 
crystals  in  the  rocks  at  Antietam  Lake;   Oligoclase  or 


PHYSICAL  GEOGKAPHY. 


33 


Albile  at  the  Nestor  and  Gilbert  Mines,  in  Washing- 
ton township  ;  at  Siesholtzville,  Orthoclase  and  other 
feldspar  minerals  at  Antietam  Lake. 

Fltjorite  is  composed  of  fluorine  and  calcium, 
and  is.found  in  the  limestones  on  Leinbach's  Hill  and 
at  the  Big  Dam.  The  crystals  are  cubical,  and  of  a 
deep  blue  color. 

Galenite— asulphide  of  lead— was  found  in  a  small 
vein  on  Fritz's  Island. 

Garnets— garnatees,  like  a  grain— are  found  both 
crystallized  and  massive,  of  a  rich  red  color,  in  Al- 
sace township,  east  of  Antietam  Lake,  at  Hertzog's 
Mill,  in  Exeter  township,  and  at  Euth's  Mine.  The 
lime-alumina  garnets  of  Fritz's  Island  are  called 
grossularite. 

Gold.— Dr.  Charles  M.  Wetherill  analyzed  several 
rocks  found  in  North  Reading  and  discovered  traces 
of  gold  and  silver. 

Goethite  is  an  iron  ore  of  a  peculiar  crystalliza- 
tion found  at  the  Udree  Mine,  one  and  a  half  miles 
south  of  Pricetown.  Another  variety  of  this  ore  is 
found  at  the  head  of  Walnut  Street,  Reading,  on  the 
farm  of  P.  D.  Wanner,  Esq.,  and  is  known  by  the 
name  of  lepidokrokite — from  lepis,  scale,  and  krokis, 
fibre. 

Graphite — from  grapho,  I  write— is  found  in  the 
vicinity  of  Boyertown,  o/i  the  farms  of  Messrs.  Fege- 
ley,  J.  Bechtel  and  Daniel  Himmelreich,  and  at  Dr. 
Funk's  fish-pond,  on  Schmeck's  farm,  in  Longswamp, 
in  Magnetite,  at  Siesholtzville,  and  at  Antietam 
Lake. 

Gypsum. — The  name  of  this  mineral  is  from  the 
Greek  word  gupsos,  and  was  anciently  applied  to  the 
same  mineral.  It  is  a  sulphate  of  lime  and  occurs  at 
Bushong's  Mine,  north  of  their  furnace,  at  Boyertown 
and  in  beautiful  hexagonal  prisons  at  Jones'  Mine. 

Hematite  is  a  very  abundant  ore  in  the  East 
Penn  Valley.  When  scratched  or  crushed  it  has  a 
deep-red  or  blood  color,  and  hence  the  name — haima, 
blood.  The  micaceous  and  specular  varieties  occur  at 
Fritz's  Island,  at  J.  F.  Dum's  Mine,  near  Fleetwood, 
and  in  mas>es  at  Lobachsville. 

Kamererite — named  after  Kamerer,  a  Russian — is 
composed  principally  of  silica  and  manganese,  and 
is  met  with  in  small  quantities  only  at  Wheatdeld. 

Kaolin  is  derived  from  Kaul'vAg,  a  place  in  China, 
where  the  Chinese  obtain  the  material  for  their  fine 
ware.  It  is  found  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Penn,  at  Boy- 
ertown, James  F.  Dum's  mine  at  Fleetwood,  at 
Mertztown,  on  Schmeck's  farm  in  Longswamp,  at 
Weaver's  mine  in  Oley  township,  and  at  various 
other  places  in  smaller  bodies. 

Limonite  is  one  of  the  most  important  iron- 
ores.  It  is  a  brown  hematite,  and  was  called  limo- 
nite — from  leimo,a.  meadow — because  it  was  first  found 
in  bogs  and  low  places. 

Magnetite. — The  iron-ore  at  Ruth's,  Wheatfield, 
Fritz's  Island,  Boyertown  and  other  places  is  mag- 
netite. It  is  crystallized  in  fine  octahedrons  and 
5 


dodecahedrons  at  Fritz's  Island,  Boyertown  and 
Jones'  Mine.  It  is  titani/erous  at  Treichlersville,  at 
Huff's  Church  and  at  Pricetown. 

Magnesite  is  a  carbonate  of  magnesia  from  Kauf- 
man and  Spang's  Mine,  near  Spangsville,  in  Earl 
township. 

Malachite  is  a  green  carbonate  of  copper  from 
Jones'  Mine,  and  Fritz's  Island  furnished  some  speci- 
mens some  years  ago. 

Marble. — A  good  quality  is  taken  from  Deppen's 
quarry  at  Wernersville,  Dr.  Eppler's  quarry  at  Lees- 
port,  and  Hill's  quarry  at  Shillington. 

Marcasite  is  a  term  of  Arabic  origin  and  is  ap- 
plied to  a  sulphuret  of  iron  found  in  Dr.  Eppler's 
quarry  and  on  Fritz's  Island. 

Mica. — Group  extends  in  small  crystals  over  the 
whole  South  Mountain  range.  The  largest  specimens 
are  found  near  Spangsville,  in  Earl  township,  though 
fair  specimens  are  found  on  Furnace  Hill,  in  Rus- 
comb-manor  township.  Muscovite  and  biotite  occur 
near  Huff's  Church. 

Molybdenite. — This  mineral  is  met  with  on  Valen- 
tine Hartman's  farm,  and  a  number  of  other  places  in 
the  vicinity,  but  only  in  foliated  crystals. 

Ochre. — Small  quantities  of  yellow  and  red  color 
may  be  obtained  at  Noll's  Mine,  Fleetwood,  Udree's 
Mine  and  at  Siesholtzville. 

Prochlorite  is  a  green  foliated  mineral  and  ap- 
pears very  much  like  mica.  Very  excellent  specimens 
have  been  collected  at  Wheatfield,  Jones'  Mine  and 
on  Fritz's  Island.  Its  crystals  are  hexagonal  and 
some  have  lines  parallel  to  the  sides. 

Psilomelane — from  psilos,  smooth,  and  melas, 
black — is  a  peroxide  of  manganese.  The  best  speci- 
mens have  been  obtained  near  the  Rockland  Forge. 

Pyrites. — Sulphuret  of  iron  abounds  in  many  of 
the  ore-beds  of  the  county,  and  especially  at  Wheat- 
field,  Jones'  Mine,  Boyertown  and  on  Fritz's  Island. 
Some  fine  octahedral  crystals  are  found  at  these 
places.  Globular  radiating  specimens  are  found  in 
Centre  and  Windsor  townships. 

Pyroxene. — This  mineral  is  of  a  dark-green  and 
black  color.  The  largest  crystals  are  found  on  Gott- 
schall's  farm,  in  Alsace  township.  It  is  abundant  in 
the  vicinity  of  Antietam  Lake  and  at  Rauch's  Mine, 
in  Hereford.  Sahlite,  a  variety  of  this  mineral,  is  a 
frequent  constituent  of  the  syenites  of  the  South 
Mountains.  Augite,  another  variety,  is  found  atBabb's 
tavern  and  around  Antietam  Lake. 

Pyrrhotite  is  a  sulphuret  of  iron,  slightly  nickel- 
iferous.  Its  localities  are  Gottschall's  Mine  and  other 
places  in  Alsace  and  at  Boyertown. 

Pyrolusite  is  an  oxide  of  manganese  and  is 
mentioned  by  Dr.  Genth  as  occurring  "  in  small  rhom- 
bic crystals  in  geodes,  frequently  associated  with 
turgite,  in  Kmonite  beds''  in  the  county,  but  he  states 
no  locality. 

Quartz. — Transparent  crystals  are  found  on  Lee's 
farm,   southeast  of   Friedensburg,  in   Windsor    and 


34 


HISTOKY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Greenwich  townships;  and  fine  doubly  terminated 
crystals  at  Noll's  Mine  at  Fleetwood.  Smoky  quartz 
crystals  occur  on  Updegrove's  farm  in  Union,  on 
Berg's  farm  in  Albany  and  on  Flint  Hill.  Good 
specimens  of  ferruginous  and  drasy  quartz  may  be 
obtained  on  Flint  Hill  and  on  Bomegratz's  farm  in 
-Ruscomb-manor.  Chalcedony  is  found  on  Flint  Hill, 
at  Bomegratz's,  Fleetwood,  Fritz's  Island,  Friedens- 
burg  and  Mertztown.  Oolitic  Chalcedony  at  Moselem. 
Chalcedonic- Jasper,  Jasper,  Agate  and  Agate-Jasper  are 
abundant  at  Wernerville,  along  the  mountain,  at 
Bomegratz's,  Gottschall's,  Flint  Hill  and  in  Long- 
swamp,  two  miles  south  of  Mertztown.  Hornstone 
occurs  only  at  Friedensburg,  and  floatslone  at  Boyer- 
town. 

Basanite,  Lydianstone  or  Touchstone  is  a  companion 
of  jasper  and  chalcedony,  and  is  usually  found  in  the 
same  localities  where  they  exist,  but  the  largest  and 
purest  specimens  are  found  in  the  Pennsylvania 
Schuylkill  Valley  cut  southwest  of  Reading. 

Retinalite — from  retina,  resin— is  a  species  of  ser- 
pentine of  a  resinous  color  met  with  at  Ruth's, 
Wheatfield,  Jones'  Mine  and  on  Fritz's  Island. 

Eipidolite  occurs  on  Fritz's  Island  and  at  Jones' 
Mine. 

Serpentine. — Very  excellent  specimens  of  this 
mineral  were  taken  out  of  the  mines  at  Ruth's  and 
Fritz's  Island,  and  among  them  were  some  fine  speci- 
mens of  Precious  or  noble  serpentine.  The  same 
mineral  was  found  associated  with  soapstone  at  Jones' 
Mine,  Boyertown  and  Topton. 

Siderite. — Dr.  Genth  found  this  mineral,  a  species 
of  iron-ore,  on  Valentine  Hartman's  farm  and  at  the 
Weaver  Mine  in  Oley. 

Sphene — from  sphen,  wedge,  because  the  crystal  is 
wedge-shaped — is  a  variety  of  titanium,  and  is  found 
in  small  crystals  in  magnetite  south  of  Huff's  Church, 
in  Hereford. 

Stibnite  is  a  tersulphide  of  antimony,  very  rare, 
only  a  few  small  crystals  having  been  found  on 
Fritz's  Island. 

Talc  or  steatite  is  usually  associated  with  the  ser- 
pentines of  Fritz's  Island  and  Jones'  Mine. 

Titanite  occurs  two  miles  northeast  of  Jones' 
Mine. 

Tuegite  is  a  common  iron-ore  and  generally  forms 
thin  black  or  red  layers  on  limonite,  on  P.  D.  Win- 
ner's farm,  at  Moselem,  and  at  many  of  the  mines  in 
the  East  Penn  Valley. 

Veneeite  is  a  clay  of  chlorite  at  Jones'  Mine  con- 
taining about  five^>er  cent,  of  copper. 

Wad  is  an  earthy  oxide  of  manganese,  found  at 
Lyons,  at  old  Oley  tunnel-mine  and  at  the  Half- Way 
House  in  Maiden  Creek.  It  is  frequently  associated 
with  the  limonite  ores. 

Watellite,  named  after  Dr.  Wavel,  has  a  finely- 
radiated  structure ;  a  few  specimens  were  found  at 
Wheatfield. 


Xanthite  is  a  Fritz's  Island  mineral  of  a  yellow 
color  and  crystallized  in  cubes  and  hexagonal  prisms. 

Xanthosideeite  is  an  oxide  of  iron  from  a  brown 
to  a  brownish  red  color ;  occurs  in  mines  in  the  East 
Penn  Valley.  The  best  specimens  were  from  the  vi- 
cinity of  Fleetwood. 

Ziecon  crystals  of  a  deep  wine  color  are  found  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Pricetown,  associated  with 
magnetite. 

Zeolite  Family. — Ihomsonite,  named  after  Dr. 
Thomson,  and  mesoliteare  Fritz's  Island  minerals.  The 
crystals  of  each  are  of  a  white  or  pearly  color,  round 
and  radiating  from  a  small  nucleus  in  the  centre. 
The  Thomsonites  are  hard  and  solid,  but  the  mesolites 
are  generally  softer  and  fibrous. 

Chabazite,  principally  a  Fritz's  Island  mineral, 
crystallizes  in  cubes  of  a  white  pearly  lustre  and  was 
quite  abundant  at  one  time.  It  was  recently  found 
at  Euth's  Mine. 

Apophyllite  is  also  found  exclusively  on  Fritz's 
Island.  Its  color  is  white  and  it  crystallizes  in  various 
forms. 

Stilbite — from  silbe,  lustre — is  so  called  on  account 
of  its  beautiful  lustre.  Some  years  ago  Kaudebush's 
mine  produced  many  specimens.  It  is  found  at 
Wheatfield,  Fritz's  Island,  Birdsboro',  and  on  Feg- 
ley's  farm,  near  Bechtelsville. 

Undesceibed  Zeolite. — A  mineral  belonging  to 
this  family  is  found  on  Fritz's  Island ;  the  crystals 
differ  from  all  others  of  the  same  family,  and  since 
no  one  has  ever  described  them,  they  have  always 
been  called  undescribed zeolites. 


BOTANY. 


Botanical  research  in  Berks  County  was  begun 
by  Gerhard  Gottlieb  Bischoff,  a  native  of  Stadt- 
Ilm,  in  Thuringia,  Germany,  born  May  18, 
1775.  He  was  a  brother  of  the  distinguished 
Professor  G.  W.  Bischoff,  of  the  University  of 
Heidelberg.  After  having  received  a  good  edu- 
cation he  studied  pharmacy  with  his  father. 
From  1793  to  1817  he  served  as  apothecary's 
assistant  in  various  parts  of  Germany  and 
Switzerland.  His  brother  Frederick  having 
come  to  this  country  and  settled  at  Reading,  he 
decided  to  leave  his  native  land  and  join  him, 
and  accordingly  sailed  from  Rotterdam  on  July 
29,  1817,  arriving  at  Reading  on  the  23d  day 
of  October  following.  In  time  he  established 
himself  here  as  an  apothecary,  doing  business 
on  Penn  Street,  midway   between   Sixth  and 


1  The  author  is  indebted  to  Dr.  Daniel  B.  D.  Beaver,  of 
Reading,  for  this  article  on  the  botany  of  the  county,  he 
having  prepared  it  expressly  for  this  history. 


PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 


35 


Seventh  Streets,  where  he  resided  till  his  death, 
in  1856.  He  left  a  well-preserved  collection  of 
European  and  American  plants,  which  passed 
into  the  possession  of  Dr.  Daniel  B.  D.  Beaver. 
Among  them  are  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
specimens  which  were  collected  in  this  county. 

Next  in  order  of  time  came  Dr.  John  P. 
Hiester,  whose  professional  career  is  mentioned 
in  the  chapter  on  the  Medical  Profession.  He 
was  an  enthusiastic  lover  of  the  natural  sciences, 
to  which  he  devoted  much  time,  although 
actively  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine. 
He  made  a  collection  of  the  plants  of  the  coun- 
ty, which,  after  his  death,  was  presented  to 
Franklin  and  Marshall  College,  Lancaster,  Pa. 
He  also  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  geological 
features  of  the  county,  and  published  a  colored 
map  illustrating  them. 

Contemporaneous  with  Dr.  Hiester  was  Rev. 
Dr.  T.  C.  Porter,  now  holding  the  chair  of 
botany  in  Lafayette  College,  Easton,  whose 
reputation  as  a  reliable  observer  and  botanist 
needs  no  comment  here.  He  resided  at  Reading 
during  part  of  the  years  1848  and  1849,  and 
in  that  time  collected  many  of  the  native 
plants.  Of  these  a  few  specimens  are  pre- 
served in  the  Bischoff  Herbarium. 

Another  name  that  deserves  mention  is  that 
of  Hiram  W.  Hollenbush,  a  native  of  this 
county.  He  devoted  his  life  to  the  study  of 
the  minerals  of  the  county,  and  accumulated  a 
mass  of  fragmentary  knowledge  of  the  subject, 
which,  but  for  his  lack  of  the  distinguishing 
mental  trait  of  the  successful  scientist — the 
faculty  to  generalize  facts— and  a  life-long  strug- 
gle with  poverty,  might  have  secured  him  a 
high  position  among  the  mineralogists  of  his 
State  and  day.  He  also  took  some  interest  in 
botany.  He  made  a  collection  of  the  different 
kinds  of  wood  growing  in  the  county,  and  at 
one  time  gave  some  attention  to  the  fungi,  but, 
unfortunately,  left  nothing  to  indicate  the  extent 
of  his  labor,  or  point  the  way  to  his  successors 
in  the  field  of  botany. 

At  present  there  are  many  amateur  botanists 
in  this  county,  but  their  work  has  been  done 
without  organized  effort — a  consideration  highly 
necessary  for  obtaining  the  most  fruitful  results. 
The  first  attempt  to  prepare  a  list  of  the  known 


plants  of  the  county  was  made  by  Dr.  Daniel 
B.  D.  Beaver,  when  he  presented  a  list  to  the 
Reading  Society  of  Natural  Sciences.  Since 
then  no  further  progress  has  been  made. 

In  regard  to  some  of  the  conditions  which 
determine  the  richness  of  the  flora  of  a  section 
of  country,  this  county  is  unfavorably  situated. 
The  distribution  and  propagation  of  plant-life 
are  largely  dependent  upon  water-courses  and 
the  character  of  the  soil.  The  former  compris- 
ing the  connecting  links  between  highland  and 
lowland,  and  draining  large  areas  of  territory 
varying  in  altitude  and  latitude,  and  diverse  in 
geological  character,  they  are  the  receptacles  by 
which,  during  the  wet  season,  numberless  seeds 
and  spores  of  plants  are  swept  along  and  mixed 
in  the  surface  washings  and  deposited  elsewhere, 
frequently  upon  distant  banks  of  the  stream. 
In  this  manner  the  flora  of  lowlands  is  enriched, 
and  usually  in  proportion  to  the  surface  drained 
by  the  streams  which  water  them.  In  this  re- 
spect, this  county  lacks  the  advantages  of  some 
others  in  this  State.  Its  borders  are  on  line 
with  the  water-shed  between  the  main  stream — 
the  Schuylkill — and  other  streams  on  the  east, 
west  and  south ;  on  the  east,  on  the  divide  with 
the  Lehigh;  on  the  west,  with  the  Susquehanna; 
and  on  the  south,  with  the  tributaries  of  the 
Delaware.  From  the  north  it  receives  the 
waters  of  the  Schuylkill,  which  drains  the  east- 
ern two-thirds  of  Schuylkill  County,  and  carries 
along  a  number  of  plants  which  are  native  in 
that  section,  the  most  conspicuous  being  Rhodo- 
dendron maximum  (great  laurel)  and  Rubus  odo- 
ratus  (purple  flowering  raspberry).  The  former 
does  not  grow  on  limestone  soil.  Both  have  been 
found  here  only  on  the  banks  of  the  Schuylkill. 

The  flora  of  this  county  have  received  acces- 
sions by  water  channel  from  the  north  only  ; 
and  these  it  has  transmitted,  with  its  own  pecu- 
liarities, to  neighboring  sections  to  the  south- 
ward. In  so  far,  then,  as  their  native  characters 
have  been  modified  by  the  distributive  effects  of 
water-courses,  they  do  not  differ  much  from 
those  of  Montgomery,  Chester  and  Schuylkill 
Counties,  while  with  those  of  the  counties  bor- 
dering on  the  Susquehanna  and  Delaware  they 
are  in  strong  contrast,  lacking  much  of  their 
richness. 


36 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


The  county  may  be  wanting  in  some  respects, 
but  it  is  peculiarly  adapted  for  rich  flora  by  its 
geological  formation.  It  possesses  unusual  va- 
riety of  soil.  In  the  older  formation  of  South 
Mountain,  east  and  west  of  Reading,  there  are 
the  old  Laurentian  gneiss  and  Potsdam  sand- 
stone, which,  by  their  disintegration,  give  a  dis- 
tinguishing character  to  the  soil.  Immediately 
to  the  north  of  this  is  the  belt  of  Trenton  lime- 
stone, extending  east  and  west  through  the 
county.  Northwardly  from  Reading  these  lime- 
stones are  overlaid  by  the  Hudson  shales,  which 
become  continuous  on  the  surface  with  the  Oneida 
sandstone  of  the  Blue  Mountains,  but  south- 
wardly the  surface  is  composed  mainly  of  the 
new  red  sandstone  formation,  with  an  occasional 
small  area  of  trap  rock.  The  most  conspicu- 
ous trap  formation  is  that  of  Flying  Hill. 
This  furnishes  several  plants  which  have  not 
been  found  elsewhere  in  the  county.  With  this 
varying  soil  for  plants  of  different  habits  upon 
which  to  take  root  and  flourish,  the  native  flora 
of  this  county  were  probably  enriched  long  ago 
by  those  agencies  which  serve  to  distribute  the 
germs  of  plant-life  independently  of  local  con- 
ditions— such  as  the  flight  of  birds,  winds  and 
the  transportation  of  merchandise.  They  should 
therefore  be  expected  to  compare  favorably  with 
those  of  the  adjoining  counties. 

The  plants  which  form  the  basis  of  this  ar- 
ticle have  been  collected  mainly  west  of  the 
Schuylkill.  A  few  were  found  on  "  Neversink 
Mountain"  and  "  Penn's  Mountain,"  and  on  the 
red  shale  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the 
county.  West  of  the  Schuylkill  they  were  ob- 
tained from  all  the  various  kinds  of  soil — on 
the  South  Mountain,  on  the  limestone  and  shale 
in  the  valley,  on  the  red  sand  and  shale  of 
Cumru  and  adjoining  townships,  and  on  the 
trap  of  Flying  Hill — and  may  be  taken  to 
represent  fairly  the  flora  of  the  county,  except- 
ing that  part  comprising  the  southern  slope  of 
the  Blue  Mountain.  They  include  only  the 
phamogamous  and  vascular  cryptogamous  plants. 
The  mosses,  fungi,  liver-worts  and  lichens  have 
not  been  studied  sufficiently  to  warrant  a  report 
of  what  has  been  done. 

The  progress  made  with  the  classes  here  pre- 
sented  can   be  estimated   only  by  comparison 


with  what  is  known  of  the  flora  of  neighboring 
counties.  For  this  purpose  Chester  County 
will  serve  best,  inasmuch  as  its  plants  have 
been  studied  more  extensively  than  those  of  any 
other,  which  is  shown  by  Dr.  Darlington's 
"Flora  Cestrica,"  a  book  devoted  entirely  to  a 
description  of  the  plant-life  of  that  county,  and 
recognized  as  one  of  the  most  complete  works 
of  its  kind. 

Dr.  Darlington  enumerates  ten  hundred  and 
seventy-six  flowering  plants,  including  all  those 
in  cultivation,  which  have  been  found  in  Ches- 
ter County.  The  list  here  given  is  not  intended 
to  include  cultivated  plants.  The  distinction 
between  cultivated  and  wild  is  in  some  instances 
so  difficult  to  make  that  hardly  two  observers 
would  draw  the  line  at  the  same  place.  Then, 
again,  a  plant  may  grow  wild  luxuriantly  in 
certain  localities,  while  in  others,  owing  to  dif- 
ferences of  soil,  it  will  flourish  only  under  cul- 
tivation. To  determine  the  relative  value  of 
our  work,  it  becomes  necessary  to  compare  Dr. 
Darlington's  list  of  cultivated  plants  one  by  one 
with  ours. 

This  comparison  shows  his  list  to  contain  nine- 
ty-two species  which  are  known  to  be  in  cultiva- 
tion here,  and  which  are  therefore  excluded  from 
ours.  Deducting  these  ninety-two  from  ten  hun- 
dred and  seventy- six,  there  remain  nine  hundred 
and  eighty-four  species  as  wild  plants,  according 
to  our  classification  against  which  our  list  presents 
eight  hundred  and  ninety-six  species.  Of  vas- 
cular cryptogams,  horsetails,  ferns  and  club- 
mosses  Dr.  Darlington  gives  thirty  nine  spe- 
cies, whilst  our  list  contains  thirty-eight.  Sup- 
posing the  flora  of  each  county  to  contain  about 
the  same  number  of  species,  there  would  remain 
undetermined  in  this  county  eighty-eight  flower- 
ing plants  and  one  cryptogam. 

The  botanical  work  which  remains  to  be  done 
in  this  county  lies  chiefly  amongst  the  trees, 
sedges  and  grasses.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that 
so  little  has  been  done  with  the  lower  forms  of 
vegetable  life.  This  is,  probably,  owing  to  the 
difficulty  which  the  amateur  encounters  in  the 
study  of  them.  Few  of  them  can  be  examined 
satisfactorily  without  the  aid  of  a  microscope. 

Among  the  rare  plants  here,  the  following 
may  be  mentioned  :  Arabia  patens,  one  of  the 


PHYSICAL  GEOGKAPHY. 


37 


rarest,  found  on  the  banks  of  the  Schuylkill, 
near  Flying  Hill ;  Lepidum  campestre,  near 
Boyertown  ;  Viola  rostrata,  banks  of  the  An- 
gelica; Impatiens  pallida,  banks  of  the  Tulpe- 
hocken,  in  Heidelberg  township ;  Oxalis  viola- 
cea,  Spring  township ;  Agrimonia  parviflora, 
copse  near  Bethany  Orphans'  Home;  Rosa  mi- 
craniha,  Angelica  Creek ;  Hydrangea  arbores- 
cens  and  Sambucus  pubem,  Flying  Hill ;  Dio- 
dia  teres,  hills  near  Fritztown  ;  Drosera  rotun- 
difolia,  Chamcelirium  luteum,  near  Bethany 
Orphans'  Home ;  Rhododendron  maximum, 
Asplenium  trichomanes  aud  Woodsia  obtusa, 
Flying  Hill;  Camptosorus  rhizophyttus,  Flying 
Hill  and  limestone  ridge  near  Penn  Street 
bridge,  Reading;  Aphyllon  reniflorum,  Obolaria 
Virgmica,  Limnanlhemum  lacunosum,  Habena- 
ria  lacera,  Spiranthus  latifolia,  Pogonia  verticil- 
lata,  Aplectrum  hymenale,  near  Hertzog's  saw- 
mill, Cumru  township  ;  Stachys palustris,  Arisce- 
ma  dracontium,  banks  of  the  Tulpehocken ; 
Gnaphalium  polycephalum,  Neversink  Moun- 
tain. 

The  following  list  has  been  compiled  mainly 
from  the  plants  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  T.  J. 
Oberlin,  at  Sinking  Spring, — who  has  probably 
the  best  collection  of  native  plants  in  the  coun- 
ty, from  the  Bischoff  Herbarium,  and  from  the 
collection  of  Dr.  Daniel  B.  D.  Beaver.  Profes- 
sor Porter  supplied  some  species  in  the  latter's 
collection,  which  he  and  Dr.  Hiester  found 
here,  and  which  are  not  in  the  other  collections. 
The  nomenclature  used  in  the  catalogue  of 
plants  is  that  of  Gray,  as  given  in  his  "  Manual 
of  Botany." 

CATALOGUE    OP    THE    KNOWN    PHCENOGAMOUS    AND 
CBYPTOGAMOUS  PLANTS  OF  BERKS  COUNTY. 

Ranunculacew. 
Clematis. 

verticillaris,  DC. 

Virginiana,  L.  (common  virgin's  bower). 
Anemone. 

Virginiana,  L.  (Virginian,  A). 

nemorosa,  L.  (wind-flower). 
Hepatica. 

triloba,  Chaix. 
Thalictrum. 

anemonoides,  Michx.  (rue  anemone). 

dioicum,  L.  (early  M). 

purpurascens,  L.  (purplish  M). 

Cornuti,  L.  (tall  M). 


Ranunculus. 

aquatilis,    L.,    var.    trichophyllus,    Chaix. 
(common  white  water-crowfoot). 

Flammula,  L. 

rhomboideus,  Goldie. 

abortivus,  L. 

sceleratus,  L. 

recurvatus,  Poir. 

Pennsylvanicus,  L. 

fascicularis,  Muhl. 

repens,  L. 

bulbosus,  L.  (buttercups). 

acris,  L. 
Myosuras. 

minimus,  L. 
Caltha. 

palustris,  L.  (marsh  marigold). 
Helleborus. 

viridis,  L.  (green  hellebore). 
Aquilegia. 

Canadensis,  L.  (wild  columbine). 
Delphinium. 

Consolida,  L.  (field  larkspur). 
Actsea. 

alba,  Bigel  (white  baneberry). 
Cimicifuga. 

racemosa,  Ell.  (black  snakeroot). 
Magnoliacem. 

Liriodendron. 

tulipifera,  L. 
Anonacem. 
Asimina. 

triloba,  Dunal.  (common  papaw). 
Menispermacece. 
Menispermum. 

Canadense,  L.  (Canadian  moonseed). 
Berberidacece. 

Caulophyllum. 

thalictroides,  Michx.  (pappoose-root). 
Podophyllum. 

peltatum,  L. 
Nymphosacem. 
Brasenia. 

peltata,  Pursh. 
Nymphaea. 

odorata,  Ait.  (sweet-scented  water-lily), 
var.  minor,  Sims. 
Nuphar. 

advena,  Ait.  (common  yellow  pond-lily). 
Papaveracem. 
Papaver. 

somniferum,  L.  (common  poppy). 
Chelidonium. 

majus,  L.  (celandine). 
Sanguinaria. 

Canadensis,  L. 
Fumariacew. 
Dicentra. 

Cucullaria,  DC.  (Dutchman's  breeches). 


38 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Oruciferce. 

Nasturtium. 

officinale,  R.  Br.  (true  water-cress). 

palustre,  DO.  (marsh-cress). 

Armoracia,  Fries,  (horse-radish). 
Dentaria. 

laciniata,  Muhl. 
Cardamine. 

rhomboidea,  DC.  (spring-cress). 

rotundifolia,  Michx.  (mountain  water-cress) 

hirsuta,  L.  (small  bitter-cress). 
Arabis. 

lyrata,  L. 

patens,  Sulliv. 

hirsuta,  Scop. 

laevigata,  DC. 

Canadensis,  L.  (sickle-pod). 
Barbarea. 

vulgaris,  R.  Br.  (yellow  rocket). 
Sisymbrium. 

officinale,  Scop,  (hedge  mustard). 
Brassica. 

nigra,  Gray  (black  mustard). 
Draba. 

verna,  L.  (whitlow-grass). 
Alyssum. 

maritimum,  L.  (sweet  alyssum). 
Camelina. 

sativa,  Crantz. 
Capsella. 

Bursa-pastoris,  Mcench. 
Lepidium. 

Virginicum,  L.  (wild  pepper-grass). 

campestre,  L. 

Violacew. 
Viola. 

blanda,  Willd.  (sweet  white  violet), 
odorata,  L.  (English  violet), 
palustris,  L. 
cucullata,  Ait.  (common  blue  violet). 

var.  palmata,  Gray, 
sagittata,  Ait. 
pedata,  L. 

var.  bicolor. 
canina,  L.  (dog  violet), 
rostrata,  Pursh. 

Canadensis,  L.  (Canada  violet), 
pubescens,  Ait. 

var.  eriocarpa,  Nutt. 
tricolor,  L.  (pansy,  heart's-ease). 

var.  arvensis. 

Oistacece. 

Helianthemum. 

Canadense,  Michx.  (frost-weed), 
minor,  Lam. 

Hudsonia. 

ericoides,  L. 
tomentosa,  Nutt. 


Droseraeece. 
Drosera. 

rotundifolia,  L. 

filiformis,  Raf. 
Hypericaceas. 
Hypericum. 

angulosum,  Michx. 

Canadense,  L. 

corymbosum,  Muhl. 

mutilum,  L. 

var.  gymnanthum,  Gr. 

perforatum,  L. 

Sarothra,  Michx.  (pine-weed). 
Caryophyllaoex. 
Saponaria. 

officinalis,  L.  (common  soapwort.) 
Silene. 

stellata,  Ait.  (starry  campion). 

Pennsylvanica,  Michx.  (wild  pink). 

Armeria,  L.  (sweet  William  catch-fly). 

antirrhina,  L.  (sleepy,  catch-fly). 

noctiflora,  L. 
Lychnis. 

Githago,  Lam.  (common  cockle). 
Arenaria. 

serpyllifolia,  L. 
Stellaria. 

media,  Smith  (common  chickweed). 

pubera,  Michx.  (great  chickweed). 

longifolia,  Muhl. 

uliginosa,  Murr. 
Cerastium. 

viscosum,  L. 

nutans,  Raf. 
Sagina. 

procumbens,  L. 
Spergularia. 

rubra,  Presl. 
Spergula. 

arvensis,  L.  (common  spurrey). 
Anychia. 

dichotoma,  Michx. 
Scleranthus. 

annuus,  L. 
Mollugo. 

verticillata,  L.  (carpet-weed). 
Portulacacece. 
Portulaca. 

oleracea,  L.  (common  purslane). 
Claytonia. 

Virginica,  L. 
Malvaceae. 
Malva. 

rotundifolia,  L.  (common  mallow). 

sylvestris,  L.  (high  mallow). 

crispa,  Gray  (culled  mallow). 

moschata,  L.  (musk  mallow). 
Sida. 

spinosa,  L. 


PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 


39 


Abutilon. 

Avicennse,  Gsertn.  (velvet-leaf). 
Hibiscus. 

Trionum,  L.  (bladder  ketmia). 
Syriacus,  L.  (shrubby  althaea). 
IHliacece. 
Tilia. 

Americana,  L.  (basswood). 
var.  pubescens,  Gray. 
Linacece. 
Linum. 

Virginianum,  L. 
Geraniacem. 
Geranium. 

maculatum,  L.  (wild  cranesbill). 
columbinum,  L. 
pusillum,  L. 

Robertianam,  L.  (herb  Eobert). 
Impatiens. 

pallida,  Nutt.  (pale  touch-me-not), 
fulva,  Nutt.  (spotted  touch-me-not). 
Oxalis- 

Acetosella,  L.  (common  wood-sorrel), 
violacea,  L.  (violet  wood-sorrel), 
stricta,  L.  (yellow  wood-sorrel). 
Rutacese. 

Zanthoxylum. 

Americanum,  Mill,  (northern  prickly  ash). 
Ruta. 

graveolens,  L. 
Anacardiacece. 
Rhus. 

typhina,  L.  (staghorn  sumach), 
glabra,  L.  (smooth  sumach), 
copallina,  L.  (dwarf  sumach), 
venenata,  DC.  (dogwood). 
Toxicodendron,  L.  (poison  ivy). 
Vilaeece. 
Vitis. 

Labrusca,  L.  (northern  fox -grape), 
aestivalis,  Michx.  (summer  grape), 
cordifolia,  Michx.  (frost  grape). 
Ampelopsis. 

quinquefolia,  Michx. 
Rhamnacece. 
Ceanothus. 

Americanus,  L.  (New  Jersey  tea). 
Oelagtracece. 
Celastrus. 

scandens,  L.  (climbing  bitter-sweet). 
Euonyinus. 

atropurpureus,  Jacq.  (burning-bush). 
Sapindacece. 
Staphylea. 

trifolia,  L.  (American  bladder  nut). 
Cardiospermum. 

Halicacabum,  L. 
iEsculus. 

Hippocastanum,  L.  (common  horse-chestnut) 


Acer. 

Pennsylvanicum,  L.  (striped  maple). 

spicatum,  Lam.  (mountain  maple). 

saccharinum,  Wang,  (sugar  maple). 

rubrum,  L.  (swamp  maple). 
Negundo. 

aceroides,  Mcench. 

Polygalacece. 
Polygala. 

ambigua,  Nutt. 
cruciata,  L. 
lutea,  L. 

paucifolia,  Willd. 
polygama,  Walt, 
ramosa,  Ell. 
sanguinea,  L. 
verticillata,  L. 

Leguminosas. 
Lupinus. 

perennis,  L.  (wild  lupine). 
Crotalaria. 

sagittalis,  L. 
Trifolium. 

arvense,  L.  (stone-clover), 
pratense,  L.  (red  clover), 
repens,  L.  (white  clover), 
agrarium,  L.  (yellow  or  hop  clover), 
procumbens,  L.  (low  hop  clover). 
Melilotus. 

officinalis,  Willd.  (yellow  melilot). 
Bobinia. 

Pseudacacia,  L.  (common  locust), 
hispida,  L.  (rose  acacia). 
Wistaria. 

frutescens,  DC. 
Tephrosia. 

Virginiana,  Pers.  (catgut). 
Desmodium. 

acuminatum,  DC. 
Canadense,  DC. 
canescens,  DC. 
ciliare,  DC. 
Dilenii,  Darl. 
humifusum,  Beck, 
nudiflorum,  DC. 
paniculatum,  DC. 
pauciflorum,  DC. 
rigidum,  DC. 
Lespedeza. 

procumbens,  Michx. 
violacea,  Pers. 
hirta,  Ell. 
capitata,  Michx. 
Vicia. 

Cracca,  L. 
Lathyrus. 

palustris,  L.  (marsh  vetchling). 
var.  myrtifolius,  Gray. 


40 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Apios. 

tuberosa,  Mcench. 
Phaseolus. 

perennis,  Walt,  (wild  bean). 

diversifolius,  Pers. 
Clitoria. 

Mariana,  L. 
Amphicarpaea. 

monoica,  Nutt. 
Galactia. 

mollis,  Michx. 

glabella,  Michx. 
Baptisia. 

tinctoria,  R.  Br.  (wild  indigo). 
Cercia. 

Canadensis,  L.  (red  bud). 
Cassia. 

Marilandica,  L.  (wild  senna). 

nictitans,  L.  (wild  sensitive  plant). 
Gleditschia. 

triacanthos,  L.  (honey  locust). 
Rosacea. 
Prunus. 

Americana,  Marshall  (red  plum). 

pumila,  L.  (dwarf  cherry). 

Pennsylvanica,  L.  (wild  red  cherry). 

Virglniana,  L.  (choke  cherry). 

serotina,  Ehrh.  (wild  black  cherry). 
Spiraea. 

opulifolia,  L.  (nine-bark). 

salicifolia,  L.  (common  meadow-sweet). 

Aruncus,  L.  (goat's  beard). 
Gillenia. 

trifoliata,  Moench  (Bowman's  root). 

stipulacea,  Nutt.  (American  ipecac). 
Poterium. 

Canadense,  Gray.  (Canadian  burnet). 

Sanguisorba,  L. 
Agrimonia. 

Eupatoria,  L.  (common  agrimony). 

parviflora,  Ait. 
Geum. 

album,  Gmelin. 

Virginianum,  L. 

macrophyllum,  Willd. 
Waldsteinia. 

fragarioides,  Tratt.  (barren  strawberry). 
Potentilla. 

Norvegica,  L. 

Canadensis,  L.  (common  cinquefoil). 
var.  simplex,  T.  &  Gray. 
Fragaria. 

Virginiana,  Ehrh. 

vesca,  L. 
Dalibarda. 

repens,  L. 
Rubus. 

odoratus,  L.  (purple  flowering  raspberry). 

triflorus,  Richardson  (dwarf  raspberry). 


strigosus,  Michx.  (wild  red  raspberry), 
occidentalis,  L.  (black  raspberry), 
villosus,  Ait.  (high  blackberry). 
Canadensis,  L.  (low  blackberry), 
hispidus,  L.  (running  swamp  blackberry). 
Rosa. 

setigera,  Michx:.  (prairie-rose). 
Carolina,  L.  (swamp  rose). 
lucida,  Ehrh.  (dwarf  wild  rose), 
rubiginosa,  L  (sweet-brier), 
micrantha,  Smith  (smaller  flowering  sweet- 
brier). 

Crataegus. 

tomentosa,  L.  (black  or  pear  thorn), 
var.  pyrifolia,  Gray, 
var.  punctata,  Gray. 

Crus-galli,  L.  (eockspur  thorn). 
Pyrus. 

coronaria,  L.  (American  crab-apple). 

arbutifolia,  L.  (choke  cherry). 

Americana,  DC.  (American  mountain-ash). 
Amelanchier. 

Canadensis,  Torr.  &  Gray  (shad-bush), 
var.  Botryapium,  Gray, 
var.  oblongifolia,  Gray. 
Calycanthacece. 
Calycanthus. 

floridus,  L. 
Saxifragacea. 
Ribes. 

hirtellum,  Michx. 

rotundifolium,  Michx. 

floridum,  L.  (wild  black  currant). 
Hydrangea. 

arborescens,  L.  (wild  hydrangea). 
Saxifraga. 

Virginiensis,  Michx.  (early  saxifrage). 

Pennsylvanica,  L.  (swamp  saxifrage). 

erosa,  Pursh.  (lettuce  saxifrage). 
Heuchera. 

Americana,  L.  (common  alum-root). 
Mitella. 

diphylla,  L. 
Chrysosplenium. 

Americanum,  Schw. 
Crassulacece. 
Penthorum. 

sedoides,  L. 
Sedum. 

acre,  L.  (mossy  stone-crop). 

ternatum,  Michx. 

Telephium,  L.  (garden  orpine). 
Samamelacece. 
Hamamelis. 

Virginica,  L. 
Onagraceas. 
Circaja. 

Lutetiana,  L. 

alpina,  L. 


PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 


41 


Gaura. 

biennis,  L. 
Epilobium. 

angustifolium,  L.  (great  willow-herb), 
hirsutum,  L. 
palustre,  L. 
molle,  Torr. 
coloratum,  Muhl. 
Oenothera. 

biennis,  L.  (common  evening  primrose), 
fruticosa,  L.  (sundrops). 
Ludwigia. 

alternifolia,  L.  (seed-box), 
palustris,  Ell.  (water  purslane). 
Lythracece. 
Nesasa. 

verticillata,  H.  B.  K. 
Cuphea. 

yiscosissima,  Jacq.  (clammy  cuphea) 
Cucurbitaceoe. 
Sicyos. 

angulatus,  L. 
UmbellifertB. 
Hydrocotyle. 

Americana,  L. 
Sanicula. 

Marilandica,  L. 
Daucus. 

carota,  L.  (common  carrot). 
Pastinaca. 

sativa,  L.  (common  parsnip). 
Archangelica. 

hirsuta,  Torr.  &  Gray, 
atropurpurea,  Hoffm. 
Thaspium. 

aureum,  Nutt. 
trifoliatum,  Gray. 
Zizia. 

integerrima,  DC. 
Bupleurum. 

rotundifolium,  L. 
Cicuta. 

maculata,  L.  (spotted  cow-bane), 
bulbifera,  L. 
Sium. 

lineare,  Michx. 
Crypto  tffinia. 

Canadensis,  DC. 
Osmorrhiza. 

longistylis,  DC.  (smoother  sweet  cicely). 

Araliacece. 
Aralia. 

spiriosa,  L.  (Hercules'  club), 
racemosa,  L.  (spikenard), 
his'pida,  Michx.  (wild  elder), 
nudicaulis,  L.  (wild  sarsaparilla). 
quinquefolia,  Gray  (ginseng), 
trifolia,  Gray  (ground-nut). 
6 


Cornacem. 
Cornus. 

florida,  L.  (flowering  dog-wood). 

circinata,  L'Her. 

sericea,  L.  (silky  cornel). 

stolonifera,  Michx.  (red  osier  dogwood). 

paniculata,  L'Her. 

alternifolia,  L. 
Nyssa. 

multiflora,Wang.  (pepperidge). 

CaprifoliacecB. 

Symphoricarpus. 

racemosus,  Michx.  (snowberry). 
var.  pauciflorus,  Bobb. 
Lonicera. 

sempervirens,  Ait.  (trumpet  honeysuckle). 
Diervilla. 

trifida,  Moench. 
Triosteum. 

perfoliatum,  L. 
Sambucus. 

Canadensis,  L.  (common  elder). 

pubens,  Michx.  (red-berried  elder). 
Viburnum. 

Lentago,  L.  (sheep-berry). 

dentatum,  L.  (arrow-wood). 

acerifolium,  L.  (dock-mackie). 

Opulus,  L.  (cranberry-tree). 

Rubiaceae. 
Galium. 

Aparine,  L.  (goose-grass). 

asprellum,  Michx.  (rough  bed'Straw)* 

trifidum,  L.  (small  bed-straw). 

triflorum,  Michx.  (sweet-scented  bed-straw); 

pilosum,  Ait. 

circsezans,  Michx.  (wild  liquorice). 

lanceolatum,  Torr.  (wild  liquorice). 

boreale,  L.  (northern  bedstraw). 
Diodia. 

teres,  Walt. 
Cephalanthus. 

occidentalis,  L. 
Mitchella. 

repens,  L. 
Houstonia. 

cserulea,  L. 
Valerianacem. 
Fedia. 

olitoria,  Vahl. 

radiata,  Michx. 

ZHpsacece. 
Dipsacus. 

sylvestris,  Mill,  (wild  teasel). 
Fullonum,  L. 

Gompositm. 
Vernonia. 

Noveboracensis,  Willd. 


42 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Liatris. 

scariosa,  Willd. 
spicata,  Willd. 
Eupatorium. 

ageratoides,  L.  (white  snake-root), 
album,  L. 

perfoliatum,  L.  (boneset). 
purpureura,  L.  (trumpet  weed). 
rotundifolium,  L. 
sessilifolium,  L.  (upland  boneset). 
teucrifolium,  Willd. 
Mikania. 

scandens,  L. 
Sericocarpus. 

conyzoides,  Nees. 
Aster. 

cordifolius,  L. 
corymbosu«,  Ait. 
1 83 vis,  L. 
linifolius,  L. 
macrophyllus,  L. 
miser,  L.,  Ait. 
nemoralis,  Ait. 
NovajAngliae,  L. 
patens,  Ait. 
prenanthoides,  Muhl. 
puniceus,  L. 
sagittifolius,  Willd. 
simplex,  Willd. 
tenuifolius,  L. 
undulatus,  L. 
Erigeron. 

Canadense,  L.  (butter-weed), 
bellidifolium,  Muhl.  (robins'  plantain). 
Philadelphicum,  L.  (common  fleabane). 
annuum,  Pers.  (daisy  fleabane). 
strigosum,  Muhl.  (daisy  fleabane). 
Diplopappus. 

linarifolius,  Hook, 
umbellatus,  Torr.  &  Gray, 
amygdalinus,  T.  &  Gray, 
cornifolius,  Darl. 
Solidago. 

altissima,  L. 
arguta,  Ait. 
bicolor,  L. 
Canadensis,  L. 
caesia,  L. 
lanceolata,  L. 
latifolia,  L. 

neglecta,  Torr.  &  Gray, 
nemoralis,  Ait. 
odora,  Ait. 
serotina,  Ait. 
Inula. 

Helenium,  L.  (common  elecampane). 
Polymnia. 

Uvedalia,  L. 


Ambrosia. 

trifida,  L.  (great  rag- weed), 
artemisiaefolia,  L.  (bitter-weed). 
Xanthium. 

strumarium,  L.  (common  cocklebur). 
Eclipta. 

procumbens,  Michx. 
Heliopsis. 

lsevis,  Pers. 
Rudbeckia. 
hirta,  L. 
fulgida,  Ait. 
laciniata,  L. 
Helianthus. 

annuus,  L.  (common  sun -flower), 
decapetalus,  L. 
giganteus,  L. 
strumosus,  L. 

tuberosus,  L.  (Jerusalem  artichoke). 
Coreopsis. 

tripteris,  L. 
Bidens. 

frondosa,  L.  (common  beggar- ticks), 
connata,  Muhl.  (swamp  beggar-ticks), 
chrysanthemoides,  Mx.  (larger  bur-marigold), 
bipinnata  L.  (Spanish  needles). 
Helenium. 

autumnale,  L.  (sneeze-weed). 
Maruta. 

Cotula,  DC.  (common  May-weed). 
Anthemis. 

arvensis,  L.  (common  chamomile). 
Achillea. 

Millefolium,  L.  (milfoil). 
Leucanthemum. 

vulgare,  Lam.  (white  daisy). 
Parthenium,  Godron.  (feverfew). 
Tanacetum. 

vulgare,  L.  (common  tansy). 
Gnaphalium. 

decurrens,  Jves  (everlasting), 
polycephalum,  Michx.  (common  everlasting], 
uliginosum,  L.  (low  cud-weed), 
purpureum,  L.  (purplish  cud-weed). 
Antennaria. 

margaritacea,  R.  Br.  (pearly  everlasting), 
pkntaginifolia,  Hook. 
Filago. 

Germanica,  L.  (herba  impia). 
Erechthites. 

hieracifolia,  Raf.  (fire-weed). 
Cacalia. 

atriplicifolia,  L.  (pale  Indian  plantain). 
Senecio. 

aureus,  L.  (golden  rag-wort). 
Centaurea. 

Cyanus,  L.  (blue  bottle). 


PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 


43 


Cirsium. 

lauceolatum,  Scop,  (common  thistle). 

discolor,  Spreng. 

altissimum,  Spreng. 

muticum,  Michx.  (swamp-thistle). 

pumilum,  Spreng.  (pasture-thistle). 

arvense,  Scop.  (Canada-thistle). 
Lappa. 

officinalis,  Allioni. 
Cichorium. 

Intybus,  L. 
Krigia. 

Virginica,"  Willd. 
Cynthia. 

Virginica,  Don. 
Hieracium. 

Canadense,  Michx.  (Canada  hawk-weed). 

scabrum,  Michx.  (rough  hawk-weed). 

Gronovii,  L.  (hairy  hawk-weed). 

venosum,  L.  (rattle-snake  weed). 

paniculatum,  L. 
Nabalus. 

albus,  Hook  (white  lettuce). 

altissimus,  Hook. 

Fraseri,  DC.  (gall-of-the-earth). 
Taraxacum. 

Dens-leonis,  Desf.  (common  dandelion). 
Lactuca. 

Canadensis,  L.  (wild  lettuce), 
var.  integrifolia,  Torr.  &  Gray. 
Mulgedium. 

leucophseum,  DC. 
Sonchus. 

oleraceus,  L.  (common  sow-thistle). 

asper,  Vill.  (spiny-leaved  sow-thistle). 
LobeliacecB. 
Lobelia. 

cardinalis,  L.  (cardinal  flower). 

syphilitica,  L.  (great  lobelia). 

inflata,  L.  (Indian  tobacco). 

spicata,  Lam. 
Campanulacece. 
Campanula. 

rotundifolia,  L.  (harebell). 

aparinoides,  Pursh.  (marsh  bell-flower). 

Americana  L.  (tall  bell-flower). 
Specularia. 

perfoliata,  A.  DC. 
Erieacece. 

Gaylussacia. 

brachycera,  Gray  (box-huckleberry). 

frondosa,  Torr.  &  Gray  (blue  tangle). 

resinosa,  Torr.  &  Gray  (black  huckleberry). 
Vaccinium. 

Canadense,  Kalm.  (Canada  blueberry). 

corymbosum,  L.  (swamp  blueberry). 

macrocarpon,  Ait.  (American  cranberry). 

Pennsylvanicum,  Lam.  (dwarf-blueberry). 

stamineum,  L.  (deerberry). 


Epigssa. 

repens,  L. 
Gaultheria. 

procumbens,  L.  (creeping  winter-green). 
Leucothoe. 

racemosa,  Gray. 
Cassandra. 

calyculata,  Don. 
Andromeda. 

Mariana,  L.  (stagger-bush). 

ligustrina,  Muhl. 
Clethra. 

alnifolia,  L. 
Kalmia. 

latifolia,  L.  (mountain-laurel). 

angustifolia,  L.  (sheep-laurel). 
Azalea. 

viscosa,  L.  (white  swamp-honeysuckle). 

nudiflora  L.  (pinxter-flower). 
Rhododendron. 

maximum  L.  (great  laurel). 
Pyrola. 

rotundifolia,  L. 

elliptica,  Nutt.  (shin-leaf). 

chlorantha,  Swartz. 

secunda,  L. 
Chimaphila. 

umbellata,  Nutt.  (prince's  pine). 

maculata,  Pursh.  (spotted  winter  green). 
Monotropa. 

uniflora,  L.  (Indian  pipe). 

Hypopitys,  L.  (pine  sap). 


Ilex. 

mollis,  Gray. 

verticillata-,  Gray  (black  alder) 
Ebenacem. 

Diospyros. 

Virginiana,  L.  (common  persimmon). 
Planlaginacece. 
Plantago. 

major,  L.  (common  plantain). 

lanceolata,  L.  (rib-grass). 

Virginica,  L. 

Patagonica,  Jacq. 
Prirnulacem. 
Trientalis. 

•Americana,  Pursh.  (star-flower). 
Lysimachia. 

stricta,  Ait. 

quadrifolia,  L. 

ciliata,  L. 

lanceolata,  Walt. 

nummularia,  L.  (money-wort). 
Anagallis. 

arvensis,  L.  (common  pimpernel). 
Bignoniaceoe. 
Tecoma. 

radicans,  Juss.  (trumpet-creeper), 


44 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Catalpa. 

bignonioides,  Walt. 
Orobanchacem. 
Epiphegus. 

Virginiana,  Bart. 
Aphyllon. 

uniflorum,  Torr.  &  Gray  (cancer-root). 
Scrophulariacem. 
Verbascum. 

Thapsus,  L.  (common  mullein). 

Blattaria,  L.  (moth  mullein). 

Lychnitis,  L.  (white  mullein). 
Linaria. 

Canadensis,  Spreng.  (wild  toad-flax). 

vulgaris,  Miller  (toad-flax). 
Scrophularia. 

nodosa,  L. 
Chelone. 

glabra,  L. 
Pentstemon. 

pubescens,  Solander. 
Mimulus. 

ringens,  L. 
Gratiola. 

Virginiana,  L. 
Ilysan  the"s. 

gratioloides,  Benth.  (false  pimpernel). 
Veronica. 

Virginica,  L.  (Culver's  root). 

Anagallis,  L.  (water  speedwell). 

Americana,  Schwein.  (brooklime). 

scutellata,  L.  (marsh  speedwell). 

oflicinalis,  L.  (common  speedwell). 

serpyllifolia,  L.  (thyme-leaved  speedwell). 

peregrina,  L.  (neckweed). 

arvensis,  L.  (common  speedwell). 

Buxbaumii,  Tenore. 
Gerardia. 

purpurea,  L. 

tenuifolia,  Vahl. 

flava,  L.  (downy  false  fox-glove). 

quercifolia,  Pursh.  (smooth  false  fox-glove). 

integrifolia,  Gray. 

pedicularia,  L. 
Castilleia. 

coccinea,  Spreng.  (scarlet  painted-cup). 
Pedicularis. 

Canadensis,  L.  (common  louse-wort). 
Melampyrum. 

Americanum,  Michx. 
Verbenacea. 
Verbena. 

angustifolia,  Michx. 

hastata,  L.  (blue  vervain). 

urticifolia,  L.  (white  vervain). 
Phryma. 

Leptostachya,  L. 
Labiatce. 

Teucrium, 


Canadense,  L.  (wood  sage). 
Trichostema. 

dichotomum,  L.  (bastard  pennyroyal). 
Mentha. 

rotundifolia,  L. 

viridis,  L.  (spearmint). 

aquatica,  L.  (water-mint). 

arvensis,  L.  (common  mint). 

Canadensis,  L.  (wild  mint). 
Lycopus. 

Virginicus,  L.  (bugle-weed). 

Europseus,  L. 
Cunila. 

Mariana,  L.  (common  dittany). 
Pycnanthemum. 

incanum,  Michx. 

clinopodioides,  T.  &  Gr. 

lanceolatum,  Pursh. 

linifolium,  Pursh. 
Thymus. 

Serpyllum,  L.  (creeping  thyme). 
Satureia. 

hortensis,  L. 
Calamintha. 

Clinopodium,  Benth.  (basil). 
Melissa. 

officinalis,  L.  (common  balm). 
Hedeoma. 

pulegioides,  Pers.  (American  pennyroyal). 
Collinsonia. 

Canadensis,  L.  (rich-weed). 

lyrata,  L.  (lyre-leaved  sage). 
Monarda. 

didima,  L.  (Oswego  tea). 

fistulosa,  L.  (wild  bergamot). 
Lophanthus. 

nepetoides,  Benth. 
Nepeta. 

Cataria,  L.  (catnip). 

Glechoma,  Benth.  (ground  ivy). 
Brunella. 

vulgaris,  L.  (common  self-heal). 
Scutellaria. 

canescens,  Nutt. 

pilosa,  Michx. 

integrifolia,  L. 

parvula,  Michx. 

galericulata,  L. 

lateriflora,  L. 
Marrubium. 

vulgare,  L.  (common  horehound). 
Stachys. 

palustris,  L. 

var.  aspera,  Gray. 
Leonurus. 

Cardiaca,  L.  (common  motherwort). 

Marrubiastrum,  L. 
Lamium. 

amplexicaule,  L. 


PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 


45 


Borraginacew. 

Heliotropium. 

Europseum,  L. 
Echium. 

vulgare,  L.  (blue- weed). 
Symphytum. 

officinale,  L.  (common  comfrey). 
Lithospermum. 

arvense,  L.  (corn  gromwell). 
latifolium,  Michx. 
canescena,  Lehm.  (hoary  puccoon). 
Myosotis. 

palustris,  Withering  (true  forget-me-not). 

var.  laxa,  Gray, 
arvensis,  Hoffm. 
Cynoglossum. 

officinale,  L.  (common  hound's  tongue). 
Virginicum,  L.  (wild  comfrey). 
Morisoni,  DC.  (beggar's  lice). 
Hydrophyttacece. 
Hydrophyllum. 
Virginicum,  L. 
Polemoniacece. 
Phlox. 

maculata,  L.  (wild  sweet  William), 
divaricata,  L. 
subulata,  L.  (moss-pink). 
Gilia. 

coronopifolia,  Pers. 
Convolvulacece. 
Ipomoea. 

purpurea,  Lam.  (common  morning  glory), 
pandurata,  Meyer  (wild  potato  vine). 
Calystegia. 

sepium,  E.  Br.  (hedge  bird-weed.) 
spithamsea,  Pursh. 
Cuscuta. 

Gronovii,  Wild.  , 

Solanacece. 
Solanum. 

Dulcamara,  L.  (bittersweet), 
nigrum,  L.  (common  nightshade). 
Physalis. 

pubescens,  L. 
viscosa,  L. 
Pennsylvania,  L. 
Nicandra. 

physaloides,  Gsertn. 
Lycium. 

vulgare,  Dunal. 
Hyoscyamus. 

niger,  L.  (black  henbane). 
Datura. 

Stramonium,  L.  (thorn-apple). 
Tatula,  L. 
Nicotiana. 

rustica,  L.  (wild  tobacco). 
Gentianacece. 
Erythrsea. 


ramosissima,  Pers. 
Gentiana. 

crinita,  Froel.  (fringed  gentian). 

ochroleuca,  Frcel. 

Andrewsii,  Griseb. 
Obolaria. 

Virginica,  L. 
Menyanthes. 

trifoliata,  L. 
Limnanthemum. 

laconosum,  Griseb. 
Apocynacece. 
Apocynum. 

cannabinum,  L.  (Indian  hemp). 

androssemifolium,  L.  (spreading  dogbane). 
Asdepiadacece. 
Asclepias. 

Oornuti,  Decaisne  (common  milkweed). 

incarnata,  L.  (swamp  milkweed). 

obtusifolia,  Michx. 

phytolaccoides,  Pursh.  (poke  milkweed). 

purpurescens,  L. 

quadrifolia,  Jacq. 

tuberosa,  L.  (butterfly  weed). 
Oleacece. 

Ligustrum. 

vulgare,  L.  (common  privet). 

Fraxinus. 

Americana,  L.  (white  ash). 

Aristolochiacece. 
Asarum. 
Canadense,  L. 
Aristolochia. 

Serpentaria,  L.  (Virginia  snakeroot). 

Phytolaccacem. 
Phytolacca, 
decandra,  L.  (common  poke). 

Chenopodiacece. 
Chenopodium. 

album,  L.  (pigweed). 

murale,  L. 

hybridum,  L  (maple-leaved  goose-foot). 

Botrys,  L.  (Jerusalem  oak.) 

ambrosioides,  L.  (Mexican  tea). 

var.  anthelminticum,  G.  (worm-seed). 
Salicornia. 

herbacea,  L. 

Amarantacece. 
Amarantus. 

paniculatus,  L. 

retroflexus,  L. 

albus,  L. 

spinosus,  L.  (thorny  amaranth). 

Potygonacece. 
Polygonum. 

acre,  H.  B.  K.  (water  smartweed). 
amphibium,  L.  (water  persicaria). 
arifolium,  L.  (halberd-leaved  tear-thumb). 


46 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


aviculare,  L.  (knot-grass). 

Pilea. 

var.  erectum,  Roth. 

pumila,  Gray  (rich-weed). 

Convolvulus,  L.  (black  birdweed). 

Boehmeria. 

dumetorum,  L.  (climbing  false  buckwheat). 

cylindrica,  Willd. 

Hydropiper,  L.  (water  pepper). 

Cannabis, 

hydropiperoides,  Michx.  (mild  water  pepper). 

sativa,  L.  (hemp). 

incarnatum,  Ell. 

Humulus. 

orientale,  L.  (prince's  feather). 

Lupulus,  L.  (common  hop). 

Pennsylvanicum,  L. 

Platanacem. 

Persicaria,  L.  (lady's  thumb). 

Platanus. 

sagittatum,  L.  (arrow-leaved  tear-thumb). 

occidentalis,  L.  (sycamore). 

tenue,  Michx. 

Juglandaaeos. 

Virginianum,  L. 

Juglans. 

Fagopymm. 

nigra,  L.  (black  walnut). 

esculentum,  Mcench  (buckwheat). 

cinerea,  L.  (butternut). 

Rumex. 

Carya. 

orbiculatus,  Gray  (great  water-dock). 

alba,  Nutt.  (shell-bark). 

crispus,  L.  (curled  dock). 

microcarpa,  Nutt.  (small-fruited  hickory). 

obtusifolius,  L.  (bitter  dock). 

tomentosa,  Nutt.  (mocker-nut). 

sanguineus,  L.  (bloody-veined  dock). 

porcina,  Nutt.  (pig-nut). 

Acetosella,  L.  (sheep  sorrel). 

amara,  Nutt.  (bitter-nut). 

Lauracece. 

CupulifercE. 

Sassafras. 

Quercus. 

officinale,  Nees. 

alba,  L.  (white  oak). 

Lindera. 

coccinea,  Wang,  (scarlet  oak).. 

Benzoin,  Meisner  (spice-bush). 

var.  tinctoria,  Gray  (black  oak). 

Thymehaeea. 

falcata,  Michx.  (Spanish  oak). 

Dirca. 

ilicifolia,  Wang,  (black  scrub  oak). 

palustris,  L. 

macrocarpa,  Michx.  (bur  oak). 

Santalaceai. 

nigra,  L.  (barren  oak). 

Comandra. 

obtusiloba,  Michx.  (post  oak). 

umbellata,  Nutt. 

palustris,  Du  Roi  (pin  oak). 

Callilrichacece. 

Prinus,  L.  (chestnut  oak). 

Callitriche. 

var  acuminata,  Michx. 

verna,  L. 

rubra,  L.  (red  oak). 

Euphorbiaceas. 

Castanea. 

Euphorbia. 

vesca,  L.  (chestnut). 

Cyparissias,  L. 

Fagus. 

hypericifolia,  L. 

ferruginea,  Ait.  (American  beech). 

Lathyris,  L. 

Corylus. 

maculata,  L. 

Americana,  Walt,  (wild  hazel-nut) 

marginata,  Pursh. 

rostrata,  Ait.  (beaked  hazel-nut). 

Acalypha. 

Carpinus. 

Virginica,  L. 

Americana,  Michx.  (water  beech). 

var.  gracilens,  Gray. 

Myricacece. 

Oaroliniana,  Walt. 

Myrica. 

Urticacece. 
Ulmus. 

gale,  L.  (sweet  gale). 
Comptonia. 

fulva,  Mich,  (red  elm). 

asplenifolia,  Ait. 

Americana  L.  (white  elm). 

Betulacece. 

Celtis. 

Betula. 

occidentalis,  L.  (sugar  berry). 
Morus. 

rubra,  L.  (red  mulberry), 
alba,  L.  (white  mulberry). 

lenta,  L.  (black  birch). 

alba,  (American  white  birch), 
nigra;  L.  (river  or  red  birch). 
Alnus. 

Urtica. 

dioica,  L. 

serrulata,  Ait.  (smooth  alder). 
Salicacece. 

Lapertra. 

Salix. 

Canadensis,  Gaudich. 

alba,  L.  (white  willow). 

PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 


47 


humilis,  Marshall  (prairie  willow). 

spiralis,  L. 

nigra,  Marsh. 

Orchidacem. 

sericea,  Marsh. 

Orchis. 

viminalis,  L.  (basket  osier). 

wpectabilis,  L.  (showy  orchin). 

Populus. 

Habenaria. 

tremuloides,  Michx.  (American  aspen). 

blephariglottis,  Hook. 

grandidentata,  Michx. 

ciliaris,  K.  Br. 

balsamifera,  L.  (balsam  poplar). 

fimbriata,  R.  Br. 

var.  candicans,  Gray  (balm  of  Gilead). 

lacera,  R.  Br.  (ragged-fringed  orchis). 

Coniferce. 

psycodes,  Gray. 

Pinus. 

tridentata,  Hook. 

rigida,  Miller  (pitch-pine). 

Goodyera. 

pungens,  Michx.  (table  mountain  pine). 

pubescens,  R.  Br. 

inops,  Ait.  (Jersey  pine). 

Spiranthes. 

Strobus,  L.  (white  pine). 

latifolia,  Torr. 

Abies. 

cornua,  Richard. 

Canadensis,  Michx.  (hemlock  spruce). 

gracilis,  Big. 

Larix. 

Pogonia. 

Americana,  Michx.  (black  larch). 

ophioglossoides,  Nutt. 

Juniperus. 

divaricata,  R.  Br. 

communis,  L.  (common  juniper). 

verticillata,  Nutt. 

Virginiana,  L.  (red  cedar). 

Calopogon. 

Aracese. 

pulchellus,  R.  Br. 

Arisaema. 

Iiiparis. 

triphyllum,  Torr.  (Indian  turnip). 

lillifolia,  Richard. 

Dracontium,  Schott.  (green  dragon). 

Lcesclii,  Richard. 

Symplocarpus. 

Corallorhiza. 

foetidus,  Salisb. 

odontorhiza,  Nutt. 

Orontium. 

multiflora,  Nutt. 

aquaticum,  L. 

Aplectrum. 

Acorus. 

hyemale,  Nutt. 

Calamus,  L. 

Cypripedium. 

Lemnacem. 

parviflorum,  Salisb.  (smaller  yellow  L). 

Lemna. 

pubescens,  Willd.  (larger  yellow  L). 

trisulca,  L. 

acaule,  Ait.  (stemless  L). 

Typhacem. 

Amaryllidacess. 

Typha. 

Hypoxys. 

latifolia,  L.  (common  cat-tail). 

erecta,  L. 

Sparganium. 

Iridacece. 

eurycarpnm,  Engelm. 
simplex,  Huds. 

Iris. 

versicolor,  L.  (larger  blue  flag). 

var.  Nuttallii,  Gray. 

Pardanthus. 

Naiadacex. 

Chinensis,  Ker. 

Naias. 

Sisyrinchium. 

flexilis,  Bostk. 

Bermudiana,  L. 

Potamogeton. 

Dioscoreacece. 

crispus,  L. 
natans,  L. 

Dioscorea. 

villosa,  L.  (wild  yam-root). 

perfoliatus,  L. 

Smilacew. 

pusillus,  L. 
Alwmacese. 
Alisma. 

Plantago,  L.,  (var.  Americanum,  Gr). 

Smilax. 

rotundifolia,  L.  (common  greenbrier). 

tamnoides,  L. 

herbacea,  L.  (carrion  flower). 

Sagittaria. 

ZiliacecB. 

variabilis,  Engelm. 
heterophylla,  Pursh. 

Trillium. 

cernuum,  L.  (wake-robin). 

graminea,  Michx. 
Hydrocharidaceas. 
Vallisneria. 

Medeola. 

Virginica,  L. 
Melanthium. 

48 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Virginicum,  L.  (bunch  flower). 
Veratrum. 

viride,  Ait.  (Indian  poke). 
Chamselirium. 

luteum,  Gray  (blazing  star). 
Uvularia. 

perfoliata,  L. 

sessilifolia,  L. 
Smilacina. 

racemosa,  Desf.  (false  spikenard). 

stellata,  Desf. 

bifolia,  Ker. 
Polygonatum. 

biflorum,  Ell.  (smaller  Solomon's  seal). 

giganteum,  Dietrich  (great  S). 
Asparagus. 

officinalis,  L.  (garden  asparagus). 
Lilium. 

Philadelphicum,  L.  (wild  orange-red  lily). 

Canadense,  L.  (wild  yellow  lily). 
Erythronium. 

Americanum,  Smith  (yellow  adder's  tongue). 
Ornithogalum. 

umbellatum,  L. 
Allium. 

tricoccum,  Ait.  (wild  leek). 

vineale,  L.  (field  garlic). 

Canadense,  Kalm.  (wild  garlic). 
Muscari. 

botryoides,  Mill. 
Hemerocallis. 

fulva,  L.  (common  day  lily). 
Yucca. 

filamentosa,  L.  (Adam's  needle). 
Juncacece. 
Luzula. 

campestris,  DO. 

spicata,  Desv. 
Juncus. 

acuminatus,  Michx. 

var.  legitimus,  Engelm. 

bufonius,  L. 

effusus,  L. 

marginatus,  Rostk. 

tenuis,  Willd. 
Pontederiacese. 

Heteranthera. 

reniformis,  Ruiz.  &  Pav. 
Schollera. 

graminea,  Willd. 
Commelynacem. 
Commelyna. 

Virginica,  L. 
Tradescantia. 

Virginica,  L.  (com.  spiderwort). 
XyridacecB. 
Xyris. 

flexuosa,  Muhl. 


Cyperacem, 
Cyperus. 

diandrus,  Torr. 
filiculmis,  Vahl. 
navescens,  L. 
strigosm,  L. 
Dulichium. 

spathaceum,  Pers. 
Eleocharis. 

acicularis,  R.  Br. 
melanocarpa,  Torr. 

obtusa,  Schultes. 

palustris,  R.  Br. 

tenuis,  Schultes. 
Scirpus. 

atrovirens,  Muhl. 

debilis,  Pursh. 

Eriophorum,  Michx.  (wool-grasi). 

planifolius,  Muhl. 

polyphyllus,  Vahl. 
Eriophorum. 

Virginicum,  L. 

graeile,  Koch. 
Rhynchospora. 

alba,  Vahl. 

glomerata,  Vahl. 
Scleria. 

triglomerata,  Michx. 
Carex.  - 

conoidea,  Schk. 

crinita,  Lam. 

debilis,  Michx. 

gracillima,  Schw. 

granulans,  Muhl. 

hystricina,  Willd. 

intumescens,  Rudge. 

lanuginosa,  Michx. 

laxiflora,  Lam. 

laxiflora,  Lam.  (var.  styloflexa,  Boot). 

lupulina,  Muhl. 

Muhlenbergii,  Schk. 

Novs8-Anglise,  Schw. 

oligocarpa,  Schk. 

pedunculata,  Muhl. 

Pennsylvanioa,  Lam. 

pubescens,  Muhl. 

rigida,  Good. 

rosea,  Schk. 

scoparia,  Schk. 

sparganioides,  Muhl. 

stellulata,  L. 

stipata,  Muhl. 

straminea,  Schk. 

stricta,  Lam. 

tentaculata,  Muhl. 

triceps,  Michx. 

varia,  Muhl. 

virescens,  Muhl. 

vulpinoidea,  Michx. 


PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 


49 


Graminece. 
Leersia. 

Virginica,  Willd.  (white  grass). 

oryzoides,  Swartz  (rice  cut  grass). 
Phleum. 

pratense,  L.  (timothy). 
Vilfa. 

vaginaeflora,  Torr. 
Agrostis'. 

vulgaris,  With. 

alba,  L.  (white  bent  grass). 
Muhlenbergia. 

Mexicana,  Trin. 

Wildenovii,  Trin. 

diffusa,  Schreb.  (trimble  will). 
Calamagrostis. 

Canadensis,  Beauv.  (blue  joint  grass). 
Aristida. 

dichotoma,  Michx.  (poverty  grass). 
Eleusine. 

Indies,  Gsertn.  (wire  grass). 
Tricuspis. 

seslerioides,  Torr.  (tall  red  top). 
Dactylis. 

glomerata,  L. 
Melica. 

mutica,  Walt. 
Glyceria. 

nervata,  Trin.  (fowl  meadow  grass). 

fluitans,  R.  Br. 
Poa. 

annua,  L.  (low  spear  grass). 

compressa,  L.  (wire  grass). 

serotina,  Ebrh.  (false  red  top). 

pratensis,  L.  (common  meadow  grass). 
Eragrostis, 

pooeoides,  Beauv. 
Festuca. 

elatior,  L.  (meadow  fescue). 
Bromus. 

secalinus,  L.  (chess). 

ciliatus,  L. 
Lolium. 

perenne,  L.  (rye  grass). 
Triticum. 

repens,  L.  (quick  grass). 
Elymus. 

Canadensis,  L. 

striatus,  Willd. 
Gymnostichum. 

Hystrix,  Schreb. 
Danthonia. 

spicata,  Beauv. 
Holcus. 

lanatus,  L.  (velvet  grass). 
Anthoxanthum. 

odoratum,  L. 
Phalaris. 

arundinacea,  L.  (reed  C). 
7 


Paspalum. 

lceve,  Michx. 

setaceum,  Michx. 
Panicum. 

agrostoides,  Spreng. 

capillare,  L.  (old  witch  grass). 

clandestinum,  L. 

Crus-galli,  L.  (barnyard  grass). 

depauperatum,  Muhl. 

dichotomum,  L. 

latifolium,  L. 

paueiflorum,  Ell. 

sanguinale,  L. 
Setaria. 

verticillata,  Beauv. 

glauca,  Beauv.  (foxtail). 

viridis,  Beauv.  (bottle  grass). 

Italica,  Kunth. 
Tripsacum. 

dactyloides,  L. 
Andropogon. 

furcatus,  Muhl. 

scoparius,  Michx. 

macrourus,  Michx. 
Sorghum. 

nutans  Gray.  (Indian  grass). 

VASCULAR  CRYPTOGAMIA. 

Equhelacece. 
Equisetum. 

arvense,  L.  (common  horsetail). 

limosum,  L. 

hyemale,  L.  (shave  grass). 
Filices. 

Polypodium. 

vulgare,  L. 
Pellsaa. 

atropurpurea,  Link. 
Pteris. 

aquilina,  L.  (common  brake). 
Adiantum. 

pedatum,  L. 
Campt'isorus. 

rhizophyllus,  Link. 
Asplenium  (spleen-wort). 

Trichomanes,  L. 

ebenium,  Aiton. 

angustifolium,  Michx. 

thelypteroides,  Michx. 

Filix-foemina,  Bernh. 
Phegopteris. 

hexagonoptera,  Fe"e. 
Aspidium  (shield  fern). 

arcostichoides,  Swz. 

Noveboracense,  Swz. 

spinulosum,  Swz. 

var.  intermedium,  Willd. 

Goldianum,  Hook. 

marginale,  Swz. 


50 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Onoclea. 

sensibilis,  L.  (sensitive  fern). 
Woodsia. 

obtusa,  Torrey. 
Dicksonia. 

punctilobula,  Kunze. 
Schizsea. 

pusilla,  Pursh. 
Osmunda. 

regalis,  L.  (flowering  fern). 

Claytoniana,  L. 

cinnamomea,  L.  (cinnamon  fern). 
Botrychium. 

ternatum,  Swz. 

var.  dissectum,  Milde. 

Virginicum,  Swz. 
Lyi  opodiacew. 

Lycopodium. 

lucidulum,  Mx. 

inundatum,  L. 

alopecuroides,  L. 

dendroideum,  Michx.  (ground  pine). 

clavatum,  L.  (common  club  moss). 

complanatum,  L. 
Selaginella. 

rupestris,  Spring. 

apus,  Spring. 
Isoetes. 

lacustris,  L. 

MOUNTAINS. 

The  Appalachian  chain  of  mountains  extends 
through  the  eastern  territory  of  the  United 
States  from  the  St.  Lawrence  River  on  the 
north,  to  the  State  of  Georgia  on  the  south. 
The  greatest  heights  are  in  North  Carolina. 
There  they  are  between  six  thousand  and  six 
thousand  eight  hundred  feet  above  the  sea. 
This  chain  includes  all  the  ridges.  Two  ridges 
of  this  conspicuous  chain  extend  through  Berks 
County.  They  are  the  "Blue  Mountain"  and 
the  "South  Mountain." 

The  Blue  Mountain,  in  its  course  south  twenty- 
five  degrees  west  from  the  Delaware,  at  Easton,  to 
the  Susquehanna,  at  Harrisburg,  forms  the  pre- 
sent northern  boundary  line  of  Berks  County, 
It  was  a  barrier  to  migration  in  the  earliest  set- 
tlements of  this  section  of  the  State,  and  it  was 
the  limit  of  the  earliest  surveys  which  were 
made  northwestwardly  from  the  Delaware 
River.  The  earliest  map  of  surveys  was  pre- 
pared by  Lewis  Evans,  and  published  by  him 
on  March  25,  1749,  pursuant  to  an  act  of  Par- 
liament.    This  map  is  in  the  possession  of  the 


Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania,  at  Philadel- 
phia. Several  drafts  of  earlier  dates  appear  in 
the  first  two  volumes  of  the  Pennsylvania  Ar- 
chives, and  relate  to  purchases  of  land  from  the 
Indians.  The  apex  of  this  mountain  undulates. 
Its  average  height  above  the  sea  is  about  twelve 
hundred  feet.  The  distinguishing  peculiarities 
in  the  formation  of  the  mountain  in  Berks 
County  are  the  "  Pinnacle"  (a  deep  and  rugged 
projection  in  the  northeastern  part,  of  equal 
height,  extending  southeast,  about  two  miles  in 
length,  at  an  angle  of  about  forty-five  degrees), 
the  "Schuylkill  Gap"  (a  picturesque  break  in 
the  northern  part,  several  hundred  feet  wide  at 
the  base,  through  which  the  Schuylkill  River 
flows),  the  "  Round  Head"  (a  similar  projection 
in  the  northwestern  part,  extending  southwest) 
and  numerous  ravines  which  were  washed  out 
in  the  mountain-side  by  rolling  waters  in  the 
course  of  time,  and  came  to  be  useful  to  man  in 
having  marked  out  for  him  easy  passes  over  the 
mountain. 

A  wonderful  feature  of  this  mountain  is  its 
intersection  by  five  gaps  at  almost  equal  dis- 
tances for  a  length  of  one  hundred  and  four 
miles, — first,  the  "  Delaware  Gap,"  at  the  State 
line  on  the  east;  second,  the  "Lehigh  Gap," 
twenty-eight  miles  distant;  third,  the  "Schuyl- 
kill Gap,"  twenty-six  miles;  fourth,  the  "Swa- 
tara  Gap,"  twenty-eight  miles;  and  fifth,  the 
"Susquehanna  Gap,"  twenty-two  miles.  At 
the  "  Schuylkill  Gap"  there  are  apparent  in  the 
outlines  of  the  mountain  ten  curious  hooks  or 
coves,  which  were  caused  by  geological  disturb- 
ances. 

In  looking  at  the  mountain  from  a  dis- 
tant point  it  has  a  bluish  appearance.  Hence 
it  was  and  is  called  "Blue  Ridge."  The  first 
mention  of  this  name  appears  in  the  printed 
draft  of  land  which  was  purchased  from  the 
Indians  in  1749.  It  is  published  in  2  Penn- 
sylvania Archives.  In  the  Evans  map  men- 
tioned, it  is  called  the  "  Kittatinny  Mountain," 
corrupted  from  the  Indian  word  "Kau-ta-tin- 
chunk,"  meaning  endless.  It  is  also  sometimes 
called  North  Mountain.  The  grand  succession 
of  mountains  to  the  northward  for  many  miles, 
in  almost  parallel  ridges,  have  been  named  "St. 
Anthony's  Wilderness." 


PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 


51 


The  South  Mountain  extends  through  the 
county  southeastwardly.  It  enters  about  the 
middle  of  the  western  boundary,  near  the  cor- 
ner-stone of  the  dividing  line  between  Lancaster 
and  Lebanon  Counties.  At  this  point  it  is  distant 
from  the  Blue  Mountain  about  fifteen  miles.  It 
is  called  South  Mountain  because  it  lies  south  of 
the  Blue  Mountain.  The  distance  between 
them  increases  as  they  diverge  eastwardly. 
At  Reading  it  is  about  twenty-three  miles 
distant.  The  highest  point  in  this  mountain 
is  near  the  county  line  in  Lebanon  County, 
on  a  spur  extending  several  miles  southwest- 
wardly.  Its  height  is  about  twelve  hundred 
feet.  There  is  a  prominent  projection  of  large 
rocks  near  by  in  Berks  County,  somewhat  less  in 
height.  It  is  called  "  Adler's  Kupf "  (Eagle's 
Head).  Years  ago  many  native  eagles  roosted 
there.  Now  they  are  seldom  seen  in  the  vicinity. 
Their  departure  was  induced  through  the  re- 
peated removal  of  the  surrounding  trees.  The 
ringing  axe  of  the  woodman,  the  curling  smoke 
of  the  coal-burner  and  the  cracking  gun  of  the 
hunter  disturbed  his  wild  solitude. 

In  the  southern  section  of  the  county  this 
mountain  has  a  greater  width.  It  includes  a 
succession  of  rolling  hills,  almost  entirely 
covered  with  growing  trees.  Some  portions 
have  been  cleared  and  converted  into  farming 
lands.  This  district,  being  thus  covered  and 
having  the  appearance  of  a  forest,  is  called 
"  The  Forest."  The  "  Welsh  Mountain  "  and 
the  "  Flying  Hills  "  are  included  in  this  range. 

The  "  Flying  Hills  "  extend  along  the  south- 
erly side  of  the  Schuylkill  River  for  several 
miles.  They  comprise  a  small  ridge  broken  by 
gorges.  They  were  given  this  name  by  the 
early  settlers  because  numerous  grouse  were 
seen  flying  there.  They  are  indicated  on  the 
Evans  map,  and  also  on  a  draft  which  shows 
the  line  of  the  Schuylkill  from  this  point  north- 
wardly about  eight  miles,  having  been  made  in 
the  year  1743,  by  Nicholas  Scull,  in  a  survey 
for  a  road  from  Reading  to  Maiden  Creek. 
From  that  time  till  now  they  have  been  so 
known  and  called.  They  can  be  seen  and 
identified  for  forty  miles  down  the  Schuylkill 
Valley.  From  afar  they  resemble  great  monu- 
ments, and  they  were  famous  for  game  until 


recently.  Of  the  gorges  mentioned,  the  "  Gib- 
raltar "  is  the  most  remarkable  and  picturesque. 
Its  narrowness  and  steep  hill-sides  suggested  its 
name. 

Numerous  hills  are  scattered  throughout  the 
county.  They  subserve  the  agricultural  dis- 
tricts admirably  in  respect  to  wood  and  water. 
Their  natural  arrangement  and  distribution  are 
wonderful.  The  cupidity  of  man  is,  however, 
gradually  breaking  up  this  harmony  of  nature 
by  cutting  down  the  trees  and  tilling  the  land. 
The  destruction  of  the  woods  has  been  consid- 
ered, for  some  years,  as  impolitic ;  and  it  has 
become  a  subject  of  increasing  concern. 

In  the  western  section  the  most  conspicous 
hills  are  "  Stoudt's  Hill,"  located  at  the  great 
bend  of  the  Schuylkill,  about  six  miles  north  of 
Reading  (named  after  the  owner  of  the  land), 
and  "  Scull's  Hill,"  distant  about  five  miles 
farther  to  the  north  (named  after  Nicholas 
Scull,  the  surveyor-general  of  the  province  from 
1748  till  1761). 

In  the  eastern  section  the  county  is  consider- 
ably broken  by  intersecting  hills  which  extend 
in  different  directions,  mostly,  however,  to  the 
north  and  south.  The  "  Oley  Hills  "  are  most 
conspicuous  in  a  historic  aspect.  They  are  men- 
tioned in  patents  and  deeds  of  lands  before  1720. 
Since  1783  the  most  prominent  hill  in  that  vi- 
cinity has  been  called  "Earl  Mountain,"  because 
it  was  cut  from  Oley  and  included  in  a  new  town- 
ship of  that  name  then  erected.  The  "  Monocacy 
Hill,"  cone-shaped,  is  situated  several  miles 
southwardly,  near  the  river.  The  "Reading 
Hills  "  are  the  most  conspicuous  in  the  central 
section  in  a  natural  aspect.  They  were  included 
in  the  "  Manor  of  Penn's  Mount,"  a  large  tract 
which  was  set  apart  for  the  use  of  the  Penns 
before  the  erection  of  the  county,  and  included 
about  twelve  thousand  acres.  The  hill,  known 
by  the  citizens  of  Reading  as  "  Penn's  Mount," 
adjoins  the  city  on  the  east.  Its  elevated  top 
commands  a  magnificent  view  of  the  Schuylkill 
and  Lebanon  Valleys  to  the  north  and  west, 
which  are  especially  rich  in  agriculture,  manu- 
factures and  internal  improvements ;  and  it 
overlooks  an  area  of  territory  about  five  hundred 
square  miles.  It  has  two  conspicuous  spots  at 
the  apex,   facing   the  west,   which  are  called 


52 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


"  White  Spot"  and  "  Black  Spot."  They  are  visi- 
ble to  the  naked  eye  for  a  distance  of  thirty  miles. 
They  were  called  so  by  the  first  inhabitants  of 
Reading.  Their  general  appearance  does  not 
seem  to  change  any.  They  are  bare  spots  on 
the  hill-side,  composed  of  stones  and  rocks. 
The  "  White  Spot "  is  the  nearer  and  more  acces- 
sible. It  has  been  for  many  years,  and  is  still, 
resorted  to  for  stones  for  building  purposes,  and 
it  is  frequently  visited  also  by  resident  and 
stranger  for  the  view  it  commands.  The  re- 
moval of  the  stones  gives  the  spot  a  white  ap- 
pearance. Time  and  the  weather  are  not  given 
an  opportunity  to  darken  the  surface  of  the 
stones.  The  "  Black  Spot "  has  not  been  disturbed 
till  recently  ;  hence  its  black  appearance.  Their 
elevation  above  the  Schuylkill  River  at  the  foot 
of  Penn  Street  is  as  follows:  White  Spot, 
767.64  feet ;  Black  Spot,  879.78  feet.  The  ele- 
vation of  the  higher  point  above  the  sea  is  about 
eleven  hundred  feet. 

The  hill  known  as  the  "  Neversink  "  adjoins 
the  city  on  the  south.  Its  highest  point  is 
somewhat  lower  than  Penn's  Mount.  It  com- 
mands a  magnificent  view  of  the  Schuylkill 
Valley  to  the  southeast  for  forty  miles  and  of 
"  The  Forest "  to  the  south  and  southwest  for 
upwards  of  ten  miles.  It  overlooks  the  double 
bend  in  the  river,  which  forms  a  large  S,  both 
projections  being  mostly  farming  land ;  the  one 
extending  northwardly  being  known  as  "  Lewis' 
Neck"  (from  the  first  settler  there),  and  the  other 
southwardly  as  "  Poplar  Neck  A  (from  the  great 
poplar- trees)  for  more  than  one  hundred  and 
fifty  years.  The  point  of  observation  is  called 
"  Fairview."  It  also  has  been  for  years,  and 
still  is,  frequently  visited.  This  hill  lies  east 
and  west  and  forms,  with  Penn's  Mount,  a  large 
T.  Its  northern  declivity  is  rather  gentle,  but 
the  southern  steep  and  rugged.  It  has  been 
known  by  the  name  of  "  Neversink  "  for  many 
years.  It  is  mentioned  in  surveys  of  adjoining 
land  which  were  made  as  early  as  1714.  An 
interesting,  though  ridiculous,  tradition  is  con- 
nected with  its  origin.  It  was  said  by  early 
settlers  that  an  Indian  had  devised  a  "  flying 
machine,"  by  which  he  proposed  to  fly  from 
the  one  hill1  to  the  other  and  "neversink." 
1  Flying  Hill  at  Poplar  Neck. 


His  effort  proved  a  failure.  Instead  of  flying 
into  fame  he  sank  into  shame.  The  word  is  of 
Indian  origin,  "Navesink,"  and  means  fishing- 
ground.  The  Schuylkill  River  in  this  vicinity 
was  formerly  a  famous  fishing-ground  for  shad. 
Fisheries  were  carried  on  successfully  until  the 
construction  of  the  canal,  about  1820. 

"Schwartz-wald  "  is  situated  several  miles  to 
the  east.  It  was  included  in  the  "Manor 
lands."  The  woods  are  dark  and  like  a  forest. 
This  name  was  given  by  the  early  settlers  in 
commemoration  of  their  native  place  whence 
they  emigrated. 

"  Irish  Mountain  "  is  near  the  centre  of  the 
county.  It  is  prominent  and  overlooks  the 
Schuylkill  Valley  from  the  Blue  Mountain  to 
the  South  Mountain,  especially  the  fertile  lands 
which  adjoin  the  Maiden  Creek  and  its  tribu- 
taries. The  early  settlers  round  about  were 
mostly  Germans.  They  named  the  hill  after 
English  settlers  who  had  located  or  rather 
"  squatted  "  there.  The  language  and  manners 
of  the  latter  were  more  or  less  objectionable  to 
them,  and  they  among  themselves  entertained 
contempt  for  the  intruders,  and  in  conversation 
called  them  the  "  Irish." 

"  Spitzenberg  "  is  a  cone-shaped  hill  near  by 
the  Pinnacle.  Its  peculiar  shape  makes  it  con- 
spicuous. It  is  not  as  elevated  as  the  mountain 
to  the  north. 

VALLEYS. 

Nature  has  arranged  the  earth's  surface  within 
the  borders  of  Berks  County  in  a  superior  man- 
ner. The  arrangement  is  not  surpassed  by  that 
of  any  county  in  the  State.  Its  rolling  charac- 
ter, interspersed  with  hills  and  mountains,  and 
intersected  by  numerous  irrigating  rivulets  and 
streams,  renders  it  most  admirable  for  success- 
ful cultivation  with  ordinary  labor.  The  well- 
directed  energy  and  enterprise  of  the  farmers 
have  enriched  and  improved  it  to  a  wonderful 
degree. 

A  depression  in  the  central  portion  of  the 
county  extends  from  the  Blue  Mountain  on  the 
north  to  the  boundary  line  on  the  southeast,  a 
distance  of  thirty-two  miles.  It  resembles  an 
"  L  "  irregularly  drawn.  It  is  called  "  Schuyl- 
kill Valley,"  and  takes  its  name  from  the 
meandering  river  that  flows  through  its  bosom. 


PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 


53 


It  is  not  distinguished  for  width  ;  above  Read- 
ing it  is  rather  open,  below  rather  confined. 
Valleys  enter  it  on  the  east  and  on  the  west. 
The  most  conspicuous  of  the  eastern  valleys  are 
the  Maiden  Creek,  the  Antietam,  the  Mouocacy 
and  the  Manatawny ;  and  of  the  western  the 
Tnlpehoeken,  the  Wyomissing,  the  Allegheny 
and  the  Hay-Creek.  All  take  their  names  from 
the  streams  which  flow  through  them.  On  both 
sides  they  begin  at  the  extreme  limits  of  the 
county,  excepting  the  Antietam  and  Monocacy, 
which  begin  in  the  central  portion.  Together 
they  present  a  remarkable  conformation ;  they 
distribute  the  water  supply  equally.  Their  de- 
pression is  from  the  limits  of  the  county  towards 
the  centre,  with  a  southern  inclination.  The 
principal  valley  has  the  lowest  points  of  the 
county  from  the  northern  limit  to  the  southern. 
The  limits  on  the  east,  west  and  south  are 
water-sheds  to  a  great  degree ;  inside  the  waters 
flow  inwardly;  but  at  the  lines,  and  outside 
thereof,  they  flow  outwardly — on  the  east  into 
the  Lehigh  River  and  Perkiomen  Creek,  and 
on  the  west  and  south  into  the  Swatara  Creek 
and  Conestoga  Creek,  which  empty  into  the 
Susquehanna  River.  These  valleys,  therefore, 
gather  all  the  waters  within  the  county  and  first 
direct  them  into  and  through  its  territory,  for 
the  great  benefit  of  its  industrious  inhabitants, 
before  they  allow  them  to  depart.  Berks 
County  occupies  the  central  portion  of  the  large 
district,  in  area  forty-six  hundred  square  miles, 
which  lies  between  the  Delaware  and  Susque- 
hanna Rivers.  The  plan  of  distribution  of  val- 
leys and  waters  between  these  rivers  is  marvel- 
And  the  leaders  in  the  movement  for  the 


ous. 


erection  of  the  county  in  this  large  body  of  land 
displayed  remarkable  foresight  and  knowledge 
in  obtaining  such  boundary  lines. 

The  "  Tulpehocken  Valley  "  forms  the  east- 
ern section  of  the  Lebanon  Valley,  the  Swatara 
Valley  (which  extends  westwardly  through 
Lebanon  and  Dauphin  Counties)  the  western 
section.  These  two  valleys  are,  together,  about 
fifty-four  miles  long,  and  they  take  the  name  of 
Lebanon  Valley  from  the  town  which  occupies 
the  highest  point  midway. 

There  are  other  valleys,  but  they  have  only 
a  local  character  and  take  their  names  from  the 


respective  streams  which  flow  through  them. 
The  "Schuylkill  Gap,"  in  the  Blue  Moun- 
tain, where  the  Schuylkill  River  enters  the 
county,  is  the  only  gap  of  marked  features  in 
the  county. 

STREAMS. 

Springs  are  the  great  sources  of  all  streams. 
They  supply  us  with  water  for  all  purposes. 
They  arise  mostly  in  the  mountains  and  ele- 
vated portions  of  country.  They  supply  all  the 
streams  in  Berks  County,  and  almost  the  entire 
quantity  flows  from  springs  which  are  situated 
within  its  borders.  This  is  exceptional ;  com- 
paratively little  water  is  drained  from  the  ad- 
joining counties  into  Berks  County,  but  a  great 
quantity  is  drained  from  Berks  County  into  all 
the  adjoining  counties,  excepting  Schuylkill 
County,  on  the  north.  This  indicates  that  the 
borders  of  Berks  County  are  higher  than  the 
surrounding  territory.  Bethel  township,  in  the 
northwest,  is  entirely  drained  by  the  Little 
Swatara  Creek,  into  the  Swatara,  and  the  wat- 
ers pass  through  Lebanon  and  Dauphin  Coun- 
ties into  the  Susquehanna  River.  Caernarvon 
township,  on  the  south,  is  entirely  drained  by 
the  Little  Conestoga  and  Muddy  Creeks,  into 
the  Conestoga,  and  the  waters  pass  through 
Lancaster  County  into  the  Susquehanna  River. 
A  part  of  Union  township,  on  the  southeast,  is 
drained  by  French  Creek,  and  the  waters  pass 
through  Chester  County  into  the  Schuylkill 
River.  Considerable  parts  of  the  eastern  town- 
ships— Colebrookdale,  Washington  and  Here- 
ford— are  drained  by  Perkiomen  Creek,  and  the 
waters  pass  through  Montgomery  County  into 
the  Schuylkill.  And  the  greater  part  of  Long- 
swamp  township,  on  the  northeast,  and  the  re- 
maining part  of  Hereford  are  drained  by  the 
Little  Lehigh  into  Lehigh  River,  and  the  wat- 
ers pass  through  Lfhigh  County  into  the  Dela- 
ware River. 

There  are  numerous  large  springs  in  the  dif- 
ferent sections  of  the  county.  They  are  mostly 
situated  in  the  valleys,  though  in  elevated  posi- 
tions compared  with  the  Schuylkill  River. 
Those  worthy  of  particular  mention  are  Silver 
Spring  and  Orphans'  Home  Spring,  in  Heidel- 
berg township  ;  Sinking  Spring,  in  Spring  town- 
ship, in   the   western   section   of  the  county  ; 


54 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Moselem  Spring,  in  Richmond  township  ;  and 
Hampden  Spring,  in  Reading,  in  the  eastern 
section. 

The  streams  of  the  county  are  numerous; 
they  irrigate  every  section  and  contribute  much 
to  the  natural  fertility  of  the  soil.  The  accom- 
panying geological  map  illustrates  the  whole 
system. 

The  most  conspicuous  feature  of  the  water 
system  is  the  Schuylkill  River.  The  streams 
flow  into  it  from  the  east  and  from  the  west,  and 
the  territory  on  each  side,  thus  supplied,  is 
about  equal  in  area.  On  the  eastern  side,  be- 
ginning in  the  upper  section,  they  are  1,  Wind- 
sor;1 2,  Perry;1  3,  Maiden  Creek,2  which  has 
two  principal  tributaries  flowing  into  it,  both  on 
the  east,  Moselem  and  Sacony  ;  4,  Laurel  Run ; 
5,  Bernhart's  Run ;  6,  Rose  Valley  Run ;  7, 
Antietam ;  8,  Monocacy,  which  has  two  prin- 
cipal tributaries  flowing  into  it, — the  Limekiln, 
from  the  east,  and  the  Little  Monocacy,  from 
the  west ;  and  9,  Manatawny,  which  has  two 
principal  tributaries  flowing  into  it,- — the  Iron- 
stone, from  the  east,  and  the  Little  Mana- 
tawny, from  the  west.  Of  these,  the  Maiden 
Creek  and  Manatawny  are  especially  large. 
The  Bernhart's  Run  and  the  Antietam  (for- 
merly, for  a  time,  known  as  Ohlinger's 
Creek)  have  been  entirely  appropriated  by 
the  city  of  Reading  for  a  municipal  water 
supply. 

On  the  western  side  they  are  1,  Mill  Creek ; 
2,  Irish  Creek ;  3,  Tulpehocken,  which  has 
four  principal  tributaries  flowing  into  it  on  the 
north  (Mill,  North  and  Plum)  and  three  on  the 
south  (Mill,  Spring  and  Cacoosing)  ;  4,  Wyo- 
missing ;  5,  Angelica ;  6,  Allegheny  ;  7,  Hay 
Creek  ;  8,  Six-penny ;  and  9,  Mill  Creek.s  Of 
these,  the  Tulpehocken,  Wyomissing  and  Hay 
Creek   are  especially   large.     All  the   streams 

'These  two  streams  have  no  particular  names.  I  name 
them  thus  to  identify  them.  The  former  passes  through 
Hamburg  and  the  latter  through  Mohrsville. 

2  At  Lenhartsville,  about  twelve  miles  from  its  mouth, 
and  thence  northward,  it  is  commonly  known  as  the 
"  Ontelaunee." 

3  The  creeks  by  this  name,  "  Mill,"  have  been  quadrupli- 
cated in  the  western  section.  The  inhabitants  in  the  re- 
spective localities  named  them  for  the  water-power  in  run- 
ning grist  and  other  mills. 


mentioned  afford  valuable  water-power.  They 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  early  settlers  of  the 
county.  The  first  lands  taken  up  by  warrant, 
survey  and  patent  were  those  through  which 
these  streams  flowed.  Their  invaluable  and  in- 
exhaustible water-power  was  fully  appreciated. 
It  was  appropriated  immediately  by  the  settlers 
and  turned  to  account  in  running  grist-mills 
and  iron  furnaces.  Many  of  the  early  deeds  on 
record  relate  to  it. 

Schuylkill.4— The  Schuylkill  River  rises 
in  Schuylkill  County.  It  flows  generally  in  a 
southeasterlv  direction  and  traverses  the  State 
for  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
miles  until  it  empties  into  the  Delaware  River, 
at  Philadelphia. 

It  has  many  important  branches  which  flow 
into  it  on  the  east  and  on  the  west  from  its 
source  to  its  mouth.  These  contribute  much  to 
the  physical  and  productive  welfare  of  the  south- 
eastern section  of  the  State.  They  together  drain 
a  very  large  area  of  territory. 

The  important  branches  are  the  following  : 
On  the  east,  beginning  in  the  north,  1,  Main 
Branch ;  2,  Little  Schuylkill,  formerly  called 
Tamaqua;  3,  Maiden  Creek;  4,  Manatawny; 
5,  Perkiomen;  and  6,  Wissahickon ;  and  on  the 
west,  1,  West  Branch ;  2,  Bear  Creek  ;  3,  Tul- 
pehocken ;  4,  Wyomissing  ;  5,  French  ;  and  6, 
Pickering.  Each  is  conspicuous  for  length  and 
large  flow  of  water,  and  in  a  general  way  they 
are  about  equal  in  these  respects.  This  harmony 
in  their  proportions  is  wonderful.  The  earliest 
drafts  show  the  Maiden  Creek,  Manatawny  and 
Tulpehocken,  which  indicates  that  the  surveyors 
regarded  them  of  more  than  ordinary  import- 
ance. The  Schuylkill  is  not  only  the  grand 
trunk  of  this  system  of  water,  but  it  occupies 
the  central  line  of  the  territory  in  which  this 
system  is  arranged. 


*The  word  "  Schuylkill "  is  of  Dutch  origin.  It  means 
Hidden  Creek,  or  Skulk  Creek.  The  Dutch  named  the  river 
when  they  took  possession  of 'the  land  about  its  mouth. 
The  outlet  is  very  wide  and  deceiving.  It  appears  to  be  a 
part  of  the  Delaware  River,  instead  of  being  a  tributary. 
By  some  persons  it  is  said  to  be  of  Indian  origin  ;  but  this 
is  not  correct.  The  name  given  to  it  by  the  Indians  was 
"Ganshowehanne,"  which  means  a  roaring  or  falling 
stream. — Haldeman.  Kupp  says  they  called  it  "  Mana- 
I  jung,"  which  means  mother. 


PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 


55 


In  this  magnificent  arrangement  nature  would 
appear  to  have  been  wisdom  herself.  The  sub- 
division of  this  comparatively  small  portion  of 
the  earth's  surface  in  such  a  perfect  manner  can- 
not have  been  the  result  of  chance.  Some 
great  sceptre  marked  out  the  courses  for  our 
mountains,  valleys  and  streams.  It  was  the 
finger  of  God  !  It  was  He  who  indicated,  by 
His  prescient  wisdom,  the  ways  which  we  should 
follow  for  our  welfare  and  progress.  And,  for- 
tunately for  us,  we  have  pursued  these  ways. 
Our  roads,  canals  and  railways  are  laid,  as  it 
were,  in  paths  especially  prepared  for  them. 
Nearly  two  hundred  years  have  elapsed  since 
settlements  began  in  Berks  County.  In  the 
course  of  events  we  seem  to  have  developed  in 
facilities  for  intercourse  by  periods  of  fifty  years  ; 
for,  in  the  first  period  our  prominent  roads  were 
marked  out  j  in  the  second,  our  canals  and  turn- 
pikes ;  and  in  the  third,  our  railways.  By  the 
end  of  the  fourth  period,  1 900,  all  the  natural 
ways  will  be  fully  appropriated.  The  tendency 
and  the  demands  of  the  present  time  indicate 
such  a  result. 

Latitude  and  Longitude. — The  county  of 
Berks  lies  in  the  lower  central  portion  of  the 
north  temperate  zone,  between  40°  and  41° 
north  latitude,  and  between  |°  and  1J°  east 
longitude,  reckoning  from  Washington. 

Relative  Elevations. — The  following 
statement  exhibits  the  elevation,  above  mean 
ocean-tide,  of  the  several  places  in  Berks  County 
and  other  places  out  of  the  county,  as  compared 
with  Reading,  in  different  directions,  north, 
south,  east  and  west.  The  figures  to  the  left  of 
the  place  indicate  the  distance  in  miles  from 
Reading,  and  those  to  the  right  the  elevation  in 
feet  above  mean  ocean-tide  at  Philadelphia.  , 
Reading— 265  feet. 


5 

8 

10| 

12 
17 
20 
25 
28 
31 
34 
35 


Tuckerton 295 

Leesport 295 

Mohrsville 2" 

Shoemakersville 311 

Hamburg  372 

Port  Clinton 407 

Auburn 468 

Landingville 500 

Schuylkill  Haven 523 

Mount  Carbon 603 

Pottsville 611 


Port  Carbon 620 

Tamaqua 800 

Ashland 856 

Frackville 1476 

Head  of  Mahanoy  Plane 1482 

Foot  of  Mahanoy  Plane 1129 

SOUTH. 

11TV  Hampton 220 

ISA  White  Bear 346 

15TV  Geigertown 429 

16&  Cold  Run 522 

19tV  Joanna 624 

21T%  Springfield 642 

22TV  Conestoga  644 

Westchester 403 

SOUTHWEST. 

8i  Fritztown 469 

10  Deep  Cut  (South  Mt.  Summit) 570 

12|  Reinhold's 446 

19|  Ephrata 381 

35  Lancaster 309 

45|  Columbia 261 

EAST. 

Glasgow 162 

Manatawny 189 

Iron  Stone 309 

Colebrookdale 313 

Boyertown 386 

New  Berlin 361 

Bechtelsville 398 

Barto 466 

NORTHEAST. 

5  Temple 384 

8  Blandon 415 

11|  Fleetwood 446 

15  Lyons 468 

18£  Topton 482 

Trexlertown 411 

36      Allentown 254 

NORTHWEST. 

Swatara  Gap 444 

Pine  Grove 517 

Tremont 763 

Shamokin 735 

Mine  Hill  Gap 827 

Mine  Hill  Plane 1524 

SOUTHEAST. 

6  Exeter 190 

9  Birdsboro' 170 

10i    Monocacy 159 

131     Douglassville 158 

18      Pottstown 147 

30£    Phoenixville 107 

32|    Perkiomen  Junction 106 

41      Norristown 72 

53      West  Falls 58 

58      Philadelphia 25 


56 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


WEST. 

Schuylkill  Bridge 271 

6      Sinking  Springs 345 

9      Wernersville 385 

121    Robesonia 438 

15      Womelsdorf 453 

17J    Sheridan 456 

19      Richland 488 

211    Meyerstown 471 

24      Prescott 498 

26      Avon 484 

28      Lebanon 463 

Cornwall 600 

54      Harrisburg 318 


CHAPTER    III. 

INDIANS. 

Origin — Delawares  :  Tribes,  Clans  and  Sachems — Ganawese 
—Five  Nations — Manners  and  Customs — Retreat  of  In- 
dians—Present Location — Villages— Indian  Names— In- 
dian Relics. 

Origin. — Where  the  Indians  of  this  vicinity 
came  from  and  when  they  settled  in  this  imme- 
diate section  of  country  no  one  has  yet  deter- 
mined. It  has  been  generally  conceded  that 
they  migrated  eastwardly  hundreds  of  years 
ago  till  they  reached  the  "  Great  Salt-water 
Lake,"  the  large  body  of  water  which  we  call 
the  Atlantic  Ocean.  As  a  nation  they  were 
known  as  the  Lenni  Lendpe'.1  This  general 
name  comprehended  numerous  distinct  tribes 
which  spoke  dialects  of  a  common  language — 
the  Algonquin.  According  to  the  traditions 2  of 
their  ancestors,  the  Lenni  Lendpt  were  an  un- 
mixed and  unchanged  race,  residing  many  cen- 
turies ago  toward  the  setting  of  the  sun,  some- 
where in  the  western  part  of  this  continent. 
For  some  reasons,  not  explained,  they  deter- 
mined to  migrate  toward  the  rising  of  the  sun. 
iVfter  journeying  for  a  time  they  arrived  at  the 
Mississippi    River3    (Namasi   Sipu,    meaning 

1  This  name  signifies  "  original  people." 

4  See  Heckewelder's  work  on  the  "  Indian  Nations  "  (pub- 
lished by  the  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania). 

'It  has  been  asserted  latterly  that  the  Indians  wandered 
eastwardly  through  the  lower  f  xtremity  of  the  territory 
which  is  now  known  as  British  America  to  the  St.  Law- 
rence River,  and  thence  proceeded  southwardly,  scattering 
themselves  through  the  territory  which  is  now  known  as 
the  Eastern  and  the  Middle  States. 


Fish  Eiver).  There  they  fell  in  with  another 
nation  of  Indians,  who  were  also  in  quest  of  a 
new  home  to  the  eastward.  Those  were  the 
Mengwe,  or,  as  they  have  been  named  by  the 
French,  the  Iroquois.  At  that  river  both  na- 
tions united  their  forces,  because  they  antici- 
pated opposition  to  the  east  of  the  river  from 
the  Alligewi,  who  were  a  populous  race  of 
gigantic  form.  Shortly  after  their  union,  and 
before  they  had  advanced  any  distance,  they 
realized  their  anticipations,  for  they  were  com- 
pelled to  fight  many  severe  battles  in  carrying 
out  their  determination  to  march  onward.  At 
last  their  enemy,  the  Alligewi,  to  escape  exter- 
mination, abandoned  the  country  to  them,  fled 
far  southward  and  never  returned.  The  victors 
then  divided  the  country  between  themselves— 
the  Iroquois  choosing  the  country  to  the  north 
along  the  great  lakes  and  their  tributary  streams, 
and  the  Lendpl  taking  possession  of  the  country 
to  the  south  of  them,  from  the  river  eastward  to 
the  ocean. 

The  Lendpi,  on  their  way  hither,  became 
divided  into  three  separate  bodies.  One  body 
settled  along  the  Atlantic  Ocean  and  the  country 
adjacent  for  some  hundreds  of  miles  to  the  west 
of  the  coast,  comprising,  it  was  supposed,  one- 
half  of  the  nation,  and  the  other  bodies  settled 
to  the  east  and  to  the  west  of  the  Mississippi 
River.  That  part  of  the  body  which  was  sit- 
uated in  Pennsylvania  became  known  as  the 
"  Delawares."  4 

Delaware  Tribes. — The  Delawares  divided 
themselves  into  three  tribes — the  Unamis  or 
Turtle,  the  Unaldehtgo  or  Turkey,  and  the 
Minsi 5  or  Wolf.  The  first  two  were  settled  on 
the  territory  which  lay  nearest  to  the  ocean, 
between  the  coast  and  the  high  mountains,  and, 
as  they  increased  in  numbers,  they  extended 
their  settlements  from  the  Hudson6  River  to  the 
Potomac.     The  Minsi  lived  back  of  the  other 

*'-The  word  '  Delaware'  is  unknown  in  the  Indian  lan- 
guage. At  first  the  Indians  thought  that  the  white  people 
had  given  this  name  to  them  in  derision,  but  when  they  were 
informed  that  they  were  named  after  a  great  white  chief — 
Lord  de  la  Ware— they  were  satisfied." — Heckewelder's 
"  Indian  Nations,"  xli 

5  Sometimes  called  Monseys. 

6  Mohicanmttuck,  or  river  of  the  Mohicans.  Subse- 
quently named  "  Hudson""  after  the  great  navigator. 


INDIANS. 


57 


tribes,  to  form,  as  it  were,  a  bulwark  for  their 
protection  and  to  watch  the  actions  of  the 
Mengwe.  Their  settlements  extended  from 
Minisink,  on  the  Hudson  (a  place  named  after 
them  where  they  had  their  council-seat),  to  the 
west,  far  beyond  the  Susquehanna.  Their 
northern  boundaries  were  supposed  to  be  along 
the  head-waters  of  the  great  rivers  Delaware 
and  Susquehanna,  which  flowed  through  their 
territory,  and  their  southern  boundaries  along 
that  ridge  of  hills  known  in  Pennsylvania  by 
the  name  of  Lehigh. 

Many  clans  sprang  from  these  three  tribes.  They 
selected  distant  spots  as  places  of  settlement, 
and  gave  themselves  names  or  received  names 
from  other  tribes.  Their  names  were  generally 
taken  after  simple  natural  objects  or  something 
striking  or  extraordinary.  Though  they  formed 
separate  and  distinct  clans,  yet  they  did  not 
deny  their  origin,  retaining  their  affection  for 
the  parent  tribe,  of  which  they  were  proud  to 
be  called  grandchildren.  Many  families  of 
them,  with  their  connections,  lived  by  them- 
selves. They  were  settled  along  the  larger  and 
smaller  streams  throughout  the  country.  They 
had  towns  and  villages,  in  which  they  lived  in 
separate  clans,  with  a  chief  in  each  clan  ruling 
over  them.  These  chiefs  were  subordinate  to 
the  council  which  comprised  the  great  chiefs  of 
the  nation. 

Minsi  Clans  —  Lenape  Sachems. — The 
clans  of  the  Minsi  Indians  were  the  Schuyl- 
kills,  Susquehannas,  Neshamines,  Conestogas, 
Assunpinks,  Rankakos,  Andastakas  and  Shack- 
maxons. 

These  clans  were  regarded  as  the  most  war- 
like of  all  the  Indians  in  these  tribes.  Each 
clan  had  a  chief  to  control  its  actions.  The 
chief  of  the  Schuylkill  clan,  which  was  settled 
along  the  Schuylkill  and  its  tributaries  in  this 
vicinity,  was,  for  a  time,  Manangy ;  and  each 
chief  was  under  the  command  of  a  "  Grand 
Sachem."  The  sachems  of  the  Lenni  Lenap6, 
from  the  time  of  the  first  English  settlements 
till  the  Indians  retreated  before  the  onward 
march  of  civilization  and  eventually  disappeared 
entirely  from  this  part  of  our  country,  were,  in 
succession,  Kekerappan,  Opekasset,  Taminent, 
Allumapees  (who  was  afterward  also  called 
8 


Sassoonau)  and  Tecdyuscung.  They  had  their 
headquarters  at  Minisink,  on  the  Delaware 
River,  some  miles  above  the  Blue  Mountains 
(now  in  Pike  County),  and  also  at  Shamokin, 
on  Shamokin  Creek  (at  one  time  in  Berks 
County  for  a  period  of  twenty  years,  and  since 
1772  in  the  eastern  part  of  Northumberland 
County). 


DELAWARE    INDIAN. 

Ganawese. — The  Ganawese l  were  also  one 
of  the  tribes  of  the  Lenni  LenapS.  They  had 
lived  formerly  along  the  Potomac  River,  and 
were  permitted  by  the  Governor  of  Pennsylva- 
nia to  locate  among  the  Schuylkill  Indians, 
near  Tulpehocken,  in  pursuance  of  a  request 
from  Manangy — the  Indian  chief  in  this  sec- 
tion— with  a  guaranty  of  their  friendship  by 


1  Sometimes  called  Shawnees  ;  also  Piscataway. 


58 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


the  Conestoga  Indians.  This  request  was 
made  in  the  year  1705,1  because  the  Ganawese 
had  been  reduced  by  sickness  to  a  small  num- 
ber and  had  expressed  a  desire  to  settle  here. 
It  is  not  known  whether  they  came  here  imme- 
diately or  not ;  but  four  years  afterward  they 
were  classed  with  the  Indians  in  this  vicinity. 
In  1728  they  were  represented  at  Philadelphia 
by  their  king,  Manawkyhickon,  who  was  called 
Shekellamy,  also  Winjack.     He  was  appointed 


DELAWAEE    INDIAN    FAMILY. 
(A  reproduction  from  an  old  design.) 

by  the  "Five  Nations,"  in  1728.  It  is  sup- 
posed that  he  then  lived  at  Shamokin,  his 
tribe  having  by  this  time  removed  thither  be- 
yond the  Blue  Mountains.  After  Conrad 
Weiser  had  settled  in  Tulpehocken,  in  1729,  an 
intimacy  was  cultivated  between  him  and 
Shekellamy.  In  1732  these  two  were  ap- 
pointed to  travel  between  the  Indians  and  the 


1  This  is  the  earliest  reference  made  to  any  Indians  in 
this  immediate  vicinity. 


settlers,  "in  order  to  speak  the  minds  of  each 
other  truly  and  freely,  and  to  avoid  misunder- 
standings;" and  as  such  agents  they  per- 
formed invaluable  services  in  our  early  history 
by  the  satisfactory  and  amicable  adjustment  of 
disputes.  "  They  were  universally  respected 
for  their  wisdom  in  council,  their  dignity  of 
manner  and  their  conscientious  administration 
of  public  affairs." 

Five  Nations. — The  Five  Nations  were  a 
confederacy  of  Indians  which  in- 
habited the  territory  now  the  State 
of  New  York.  As  confederates,  they 
called  themselves  Aquanuschioni,  or 
united  people ;  and  the  French  called 
them  Iroquois.  They  comprised  the 
following  five  nations  of  Indians : 
Cayugas,  Mohawks,  Oneidas,  Onon- 
dagas  and  Senecas. 

The  language  of  these  nations 
was  radically  the  same,  but  it  was 
somewhat  different  from  that  of  the 
Lenni  Lenape. 

The  Mohawks  took  the  lead  in 
matters  pertaining  to  warfare,  and 
the  Onondagas  in  matters  pertaining 
to  the  adjustment  of  their  own  per- 
sonal rights  and  difficulties.  The 
Senecas  were  regarded  as  the  most 
powerful  nation  in  respect  to  num- 
bers and  military  energy. 

The  grand  council-fire  of  the  con- 
federacy was  held  in  the  Onondaga 
Valley,  and  it  was  guarded  by  the 
Onondagas. 

The  Iroquois  (as  they  were  mostly 
called  by  the  settlers)  were  possessed 
of  remarkable  height,  strength  and 
symmetry  of  personal  development.  These  char- 
acteristics distinguished  them  from  other  nations. 
They  were  as  brave  as  they  were  strong,  as  cruel 
as  they  were  ferocious  and  as  overbearing  as  they 
were  treacherous.  They  effected  an  early  alliance 
with  the  Dutch  settlers  on  the  Hudson  River, 
in  the  vicinity  of  Albany,  and  thereby  secured 
the  use  of  fire-arms.  With  this  powerful  auxiliary 
they  were  enabled  to  repel  the  encroachments  of 
the  French,  and  to  exterminate  or  reduce  to 
vassalage  other  nations  of  Indians.     It  is  said 


INDIANS. 


59 


that  they  even  conquered  the  Lenni  Lenape, 
and  held  this  great  and  powerful  nation  under 
subjection  till  1756,  when  Teedyuscung  forced 
from  them  an  acknowledgment  of  their  inde- 
pendence. 

Manners  and  Customs. — The  early  set- 
tlers of  Pennsylvania  found  the  Indians  pos- 
sessed of  a  kindly  disposition  and  inclined  to 
share  with  them  the  comforts  of  their  rude 
dwelling-places.  When  they  were  guests  of 
the  Indians  their  persons  were  regarded  as 
sacred.  Penn  said  that  they  excelled  in  liber- 
ality ;  that  they  never  had  much,  for  they  never 
wanted  much  ;  that  their  wealth  circulated  like 
the  blood ;  that  none  wished  for  the  property  of 
another  ;  and  that  they  were  exact  observers  of 
the  rights  of  property.  "  They  are  not  disquieted 
with  bills  of  lading  and  exchange,"  said  he, 
"nor  perplexed  with  chancery  suits  and  ex- 
chequer reckonings.  We  sweat  and  toil  to 
live  ;  they  take  pleasure  in  hunting,  fishing  and 
fowling,  which  feeds  them.  They  spread  their 
table  on  the  ground  anywhere,  and  eat  twice  a 
day,  morning  and  evening.  They  care  for  lit- 
tle, for  they  want  but  little.  If  they  are  ignor- 
ant of  our  pleasures,  they  are  free  from  our 
pains." 

The  Indians  loved  rum.  Traders  generally 
carried  quantities  of  it  in  bartering  with  them. 
It  was  to  them — as  they  called  it — "  fire-water," 
for  it  inflamed  their  passions  and  made  them 
savage  and  destructive.  In  1731  their  chief 
here  (Sassoonan)  complained  to  the  provincial 
government  about  its  introduction  and  sale. 
He  then  "desired  that  no  Christians  should 
carry  any  rum  to  Shamokin *  to  sell ;  when  they 
wanted  auy  they  would  send  for  it  themselves  ; 
they  would  not  be  wholly  deprived  of  it,  but 
they  would  not  have  it  brought  by  Christians  ; 
they  desired  that  some  rum  might  be  lodged  at 
Tulpehocken  and  Paxtang  to  be  sold  to  them, 
so  that  their  women  might  not  have  too  long  a 
way  to  fetch  it."  In  purchases  of  land  the 
Executive  Council  at  times  included  rum  as  a 
part  payment  of  the  consideration.  Doubtless 
the  Indians  asked  for  it. 

The  Indians,  in  their  peculiar  savage  life, 

1  Sassoonan  lived  at  Shamokin. 


possessed,  on  the  one  hand,  certain  personal  vir- 
tues, a  high  sense  of  honor  (according  to  their 
perceptions  of  duty),  mutual  fidelity  among 
individuals,  fortitude  that  mocked  the  most 
cruel  torments  and  devotion  to  their  own  tribe, 
for  whose  welfare  they  were  ready  to  make  any 
sacrifice ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  they  had  no 
appreciation  of  domestic  virtues,  for  they  treated 
their  wives  with  cruelty  and  their  children  with 
indifference.  They  were  gloomy,  stern  and 
severe,  and  strangers  to  mirth  and  laughter. 
They  permitted  no  outward  expression  of  pain. 
Remarkable  indifference  to  the  good  or  ill  of 
life  was  one  of  the  grand  elements  of  their 
character ;  and  they  exhibited  no  pleasure  in  any- 
thing, save  boisterous  joy  in  the  moment  of  vic- 
tory. They  had  a  great  aversion  to  regular 
labor,  and  yet  they  were  capable  of  enduring 
the  greatest  possible  exertions  during  the  chase 
or  times  of  war.  They  were  extremely  improv- 
ident. When  they  had  an  abundance  of  food 
and  liquor  they  ate  and  drank  great  quantities, 
not  thinking  of  the  morrow  and  the  famine 
they  might  have  to  endure.  They  recognized 
polygamy.  They  believed  in  the  existence  of  a 
Supreme  Being  and  of  a  Being  in  a  subordinate 
position.  The  former  was  the  Great  Spirit  to 
them  which  did  not  require  prayers  for  aid  and 
protection,  but  the  latter  was  looked  upon  as 
hostile  to  them,  and  to  this  they  addressed  their 
worship.  And  they  also  believed  in  a  future 
state,  where  the  souls  of  brave  warriors  and 
chaste  wives  enjoyed  a  happy  existence  with 
their  ancestors  and  friends.  Their  funerals 
were  conducted  with  great  decorum.  They 
dressed  the  deceased  persons  in  their  best 
clothes,  and  buried  them  in  various  ways  and 
in  different  places — some  were  buried  in  the  air 
on  scaffolds,  some  in  the  water  and  some  in  the 
earth.     They  also  practiced  cremation.2 

The  general  dress  of  the  Indians  in  the  tem- 
perate and  cold  parts  of  the  country,  previous  to 
the  arrival  of  the  Europeans,  consisted  of  three 
articleS — a  cloak  of  buffalo  skin  (which  hung 
from  the  shoulder),  a  piece  of  skin  used  as  an 


2  See  interesting  and  valuable  article  on  Mortuary  Cus- 
toms, with  numerous  illustrations,  by  H.  C.  Yarrow,  in 
Powell's  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  1879-80,  pp. 
89-199. 


60 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


apron,  and  a  pair  of  moccasins  or  loose  boots, 
manufactured  out  of  undressed  skin.  The 
women  wore  a  long  robe  of  buffalo  skin,  which 
was  fastened  around  the  waist. 

Their  habitations  were  huts  or  cabins,  gener- 
ally of  a  circular  form,  constructed  of  poles 
fixed  in  the  ground  and  tied  together  at  the 
top.  The  outer  covering  consisted  of  the  bark 
of  trees.  A  hole  was  left  at  the  top  for  ven- 
tilation, or  for  smoke  to  escape.  Beds  and  seats 
were  made  out  of  skins.  The  width  of  some 
huts  was  thirty  and  even  forty  feet. 

The  painting  of  their  bodies  was  a  universal 
custom.  Tattooing  was  practiced;  some  painted 
only  their  arms,  others  both  arms  and  legs; 
those  who  had  attained  the  summit  of  renown 
in  successful  warfare  had  their  bodies  painted 
from  the  waist  upward.  This  was  the  heraldry 
of  the  Indians.  Besides  this  ornamentation, 
the  warriors  also  carried  plumes  of  feathers  on 
their  heads. 

Their  weapons  consisted  of  the  tomahawk, 
knife,  club  and  bow  and  arrow.  When  the 
Dutch  arrived  they  introduced  the  rifle  to  them ; 
and  then  the  Indians  became  as  expert  in  the 
use  of  this  weapon  as  they  had  been  in  the  use 
of  the  tomahawk  and  bow  and  arrow. 

They  subsisted  chiefly  on  wild  game  and  fish. 
They  were  great  hunters  and  fishers.  In  the 
use  of  the  spear  in  fishing  they  were  very  suc- 
cessful. They  carried  on  agriculture  to  a  lim- 
ited extent  in  raising  maize,  beans  and  pump- 
kins; but  the  labor  was  performed  entirely  by 
their  women. 

Each  tribe  was  governed  by  an  elected  chief 
and  council.  In  matters  of  great  importance 
all  the  warriors  were  consulted.  In  their  delib- 
erations, questions  were  decided  by  the  consent 
of  all,  not  by  a  majority.  Their  assemblies 
were  conducted  with  great  formality.  Their 
debates  were  carried  on  by  set  speeches  which 
abounded  in  bold  figures  and  bursts  of  impas- 
sioned eloquence.  The  oldest  chief  always  com- 
menced the  discussion  of  a  question.  The  young 
men  were  permitted  -to  attend,  but  not  to  speak. 

They  conducted  their  warfare  in  a  particular 
and  peculiar  manner.  They  declared  war  by 
sending  a  slave  with  a  hatchet  (the  handle  of 
which  was  painted  red)  to  the  offending  party. 


In  taking  the  field  for  action,  they  proceeded 
in  small  squads,  and  from  the  time  of  entering 
the  enemy's  territory  they  killed  no  game,  they 
lighted  no  fires,  they  made  no  disturbance  of 
any  kind ;  but  they  advanced  with  the  utmost 
caution,  not  even  speaking  to  one  another,  only 
communicating  by  signs  and  motions.  In  mak- 
ing an  attack,  they  would  first  lie  flat  a  whole 
night,  and  at  the  break  of  day,  upon  the  signal 
of  the  chief,  rush  upon  the  enemy.  If  they 
succeeded — as  they  generally  did  succeed  in 
such  a  quiet,  but  deliberate,  mode  of  warfare — 
their  horrifying  deeds  baffled  description. 

Purchases  by  Treaty.  —  The  Indians 
owned  this  territory  by  right  of  possession. 
Penn's  arrival  found  them  occupying  and 
claiming  the  land,  he  negotiated  with  them  by 
treaties  and  purchased  their  title.  In  this  way 
he  won  their  high  regard.  They  sold  him  large 
tracts  at  different  times,  and  as  they  sold  the 
land  they  departed.  The  first  departure  from 
land  in  this  section  was  in  1718,  the  district 
lying  to  the  south  of  South  Mountain  ;  and  the 
next  was  in  1732,  when  they  left  all  that  section 
lying  between  the  South  Mountain  and  the 
Blue  Mountain. 

Having  mentioned  that  Penn  held  certain 
treaties  with  the  Indians  in  carrying  on  his 
negotiations  with  them,  the  following  descrip- 
tion of  a  treaty  by  Penn  himself  in  1683  will 
be  interesting  in  this  connection  : 

"  Every  king  hath  his  council ;  and  that  consists  of 
all  the  old  and  wise  men  of  the  nation — which  is  per- 
haps two  hundred  people.  Nothing  of  moment  is 
undertaken — be  it  in  war,  peace,  selling  of  land  or 
traffic — without  advising  with  them;  and,  what  is 
more,  with  the  young  men  too.  It  is  admirable  to 
consider  how  powerful  the  kings  are,  and  yet  how  they 
move  by  the  breath  of  their  people.  I  have  had  occa- 
sion to  be  in  council  with  them,  upon  treaties  for 
land,  and  to  adjust  the  terms  of  trade.  Their  order  is 
thus: 

"  The  king  sits  in  the  middle  of  an  half-moon,  and 
hath  his  council— the  old  and  wise — on  each  hand. 
Behind  them,  or  at  a  little  distance,  sit  the  younger 
fry  in  the  same  figure.  Having  consulted  and  resolved 
their  business,  the  king  ordered  one  of  them  to  speak 
to  me.  He  stood  up,  came  to  me,  and,  in  the  name  of 
his  king,  saluted  me.  Then  he  took  me  by  the  hand 
and  told  me  he  was  ordered  by  his  king  to  speak  to 
me  and  that  now  it  was  not  he  but  the  king  that 
spoke,    because  what  he  should  say   was  the  king's 


INDIANS. 


til 


mind.  He  first  prayed  me  to  excuse  them  that  they 
had  not  complied  with  me  the  last  time.  He  feared 
there  might  be  some  fault  in  the  interpreter, 
being  neither  Indian  nor  English.  Besides,  it  was  the 
Indian  custom  to  deliberate  and  take  up  much  time 
in  council  before  they  resolve.  And  that,  if  the  young 
people  and  owners  of  the  land  had  been  as  ready  as  he 
was,  I  had  not  met  with  so  much  delay.  Having  thus 
introduced  his  matter,  he  fell  to  the  bounds  of  the  land 
they  had  agreed  to  dispose  of  and  the  price — which 
now  is  little  and  dear,  that  which  would  have  bought 
twenty  miles  not  buying  now  two.  During  the  time 
that  this  person  spoke,  not  a  man  of  them  was  observed 
to  whisper  or  smile — the  old  grave,  and  the  young 
reverent,  in  their  deportment.  They  speak  little,  but 
frequently,  and  with  elegance.  I  have  never  seen 
more  natural  sagacity,  considering  them  without  the 
help  (I  was  going  to  say  the  spoil)  of  tradition  ;  and 
he  will  deserve  the  name  of  wise  that  outwits  them  in 
any  treaty  about  a  thing  they  understand.  When  the 
purchase  was  agreed  to,  great  promises  passed  between 
ua :  'of  kindness  and  good  neighborhood,  and  that 
the  Indians  and  English  must  live  in  love  as  long  as 
the  sun  gave  light,'  which  done,  another  made  a 
speech  to  the  Indians  in  the  name  of  all  the  Sachamakers 
or  kings — first,  to  tell  them  what  was  done;  next,  to 
charge  and  command  them  to  love  the  Christians,  and 
particularly  live  in  peace  with  me  and  the  people  un- 
der my  government ;  that  many  governors  had  been 
in  the  river,  but  that  no  governor  had  come  himself  to 
live  and  stay  here  before ;  and  having  now  such  an  one 
that  had  treated  them  well,  they  should  never  do 
him,  or  his,  any  wrong.  At  every  sentence  of  which 
they  shouted,  and  said  amen  in  their  way.'' 

Retreat  of  Indians.— The  Indians  hav- 
ing moved  north   of    the  Blue   Mountain    in 
1732,  the  "Friends"  then  entered  and  took  up 
large  and  fine  tracts  of  land  in   the   Maiden 
Creek  Valley.     Within   the  previous   decade, 
against  the  complaints  of  the  Indians,  a  small 
colony  of  Germans  had  settled  in  the  Tulpe- 
hocka  Valley.     Onward,  persistently  onward, 
along  the   flowing,    meandering    streams    and 
toward  their  wild  and  rich  sources,  the  early 
settlers   proceeded.      Were  these  enterprising 
Christians  bent  upon  ascertaining  where   the 
streams  rose,  in  their  efforts  to  gratify  a  desire 
for  the  best  settlements,  and,  consequently,  their 
worldly  enrichment,  just   as  the   Indians — the 
heathen,  as  they  were  called — were  bent  upon 
ascertaining  where  the  sun  rose  in  their  journey 
around  the  world  to  gratify  a  desire  for  spiritual 
enrichment?     Before    1750  these  settlers  had 
reached  and  occupied  points  beyond  the   Blue 


Mountain,  lying  towards  the  sources  of  the 
Schuylkill.  And  thus,  as  they  came  and  pressed 
forward,  the  Indians  went.  The  Indians  had, 
indeed,  reached  the  "  Great  Sea ;  "  but,  for  want 
of  worldly  cupidity  or  genius,  they  did  not,  or 
could  not  master  its  mighty  rolling  waters. 
Therefore,  they  began  to  return,  not  because 
they  had  no  more  worlds  to  conquer,  not  because 
they  had  completed  their  great  journey,  but  be- 
cause they  had  met  the  Bible !  Wonderful 
revelation  to  them,  indeed  !  Return  ?  No,  they 
had  to  retreat!  The  "Armor  of  God"  pre- 
vailed against  them !  Cupidity  had  found  this 
great  country  of  theirs,  but  persecution  was 
peopling  it.  This  persecution  justified  (?)  the 
persecuted  immigrants  to  take  possession  of 
their  lands  and  homes  and  hunting-grounds, 
which  they  had  possessed  time  out  of  mind,  in 
order  to  spread  the  "  Kingdom  of  God."  These 
immigrants  were  forced  to  have  a  home  where 
they  could  worship  God  freely,  according  to  the 
dictates  of  their  own  consciences ;  and  they  got 
it.  But  the  Indians  had  to  lose  theirs  !  The 
immigrants — moved  more  by  cowardice  than  by 
enterprise  in  leaving  their  homes  where  they 
were  born  and  where  they  expected  to  take 
affairs  as  they  found  them  or  improve  them  in 
the  course  of  time  if  they  could — reasoned  ap- 
parently like  the  enterprising  (?)  men  of  the 
present  generation  in  appropriating  the  property 
and  possessions  of  others  for  the  promotion  of 
the  public  weal.  First,  the  quiet  possession  of 
the  Indians  had  to  be  disturbed  by  the 
Christians  for  the  public  advancement  of  civiliza- 
tion and  the  general  improvement  of  morals ; 
then,  that  of  the  Christians  by  corporations  for 
the  general  improvement  of  communities  in  re- 
spect to  convenience  and  wealth.  This  is 
wonderful.  What  agency  is  coming  in  the 
future  to  disturb  the  corporations  ?  Two  hun- 
dred years  were  required  to  develop  the  right 
and  exercise  of  eminent  domain.  What  right 
or  rights  will  two  hundred  years  more  develop 
in  the  great  interests  of  mankind,  so  that  all 
men,  irrespective  of  condition  or  position,  will 
have  justice  pure  and  simple  done  to  them  in 
all  departments  of  life,  not  through  the  law's 
delays,  but  by  the  natural  and  noble  impulses  of 
the  whole  community? 


62 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Present  Location. — And  having  been 
forced,  if  not  driven,  out  of  the  territory  which 
we  have  come  to  occupy,  where  are  the  brave 
and  strong  Lenni  Lenape  now  ?  Back  again  in 
the  vast  wilderness  which  their  great  progeni- 
tors had  occupied  years  and  years  before  them. 
Like  locusts  before  the  storm,  they  were  swept 
by  the  tide  of  civilization  westward,  westward 
beyond  the  Mississippi.  Centuries  elapsed, — how 
many,  no  one  knows — between  their  march 
hither  and  thither.  Their  own  energy  and  de- 
termination had  brought  them  hither ;  but  the 
energy  and  determination  of  a  mighty  and  pro- 
gressive element  sent  them  thither.  What  a 
mistake  they  found  that  they  had  made  in 
searching  too  persistently  after  knowledge,  in 
going  the  way  of  the  material  world  !  Instead 
of  realizing  their  fond  hopes  of  finding  what 
they  wanted  to  know,  what  they  yearned  to  see, 
they  could  only  look,  look  to  the  eastward  into 
the  restless  sea,  there  to  find  at  last  coming  to- 
wards them  an  "  armor-bearer,"  with  the  "  cross 
of  salvation  "  before  him,  directed,  as  it  were, 
by  the  King  of  Day,  against  the  motion  of  the 
world  and  across  the  wide  expanse  of  waters. 
And  this  was,  apparently,  the  "  light "  which 
their  tradition  had  inspired  them  to  look  for 
through  centuries  of  time. 

In  1749  the  Delaware  Indians  left  the  great 
region  beyond  the  Blue  Mountains  for  thousands 
of  square  miles.  And  they  departed  with  the 
firm  intention  of  remaining  away.  But,  shortly 
afterward,  having  been  deceived  by  misrepre- 
sentations of  the  French,  they  returned,  not, 
however,  to  retake  possession,  but  to  murder 
the  settlers,  and  in  this  malicious  invasion  they 
were  very  successful,  and  they  kept  the  country 
in  an  unsettled  and  uncertain  condition  for 
eight  years.1  Then  they  fled,  never  to  return 
again. 

In  1789  the  general  government  placed  them 
on  a  large  reservation  of  land  in  the  State  of 
Ohio.  But  what  was  a  reservation  in  or  against 
the  onward  march  of  civilization  ?  It  could 
not  be  firmly  and  certainly  reserved.  The 
Christians  were  too  many  and  too  powerful  for 
them,  even  for  the  government  which  manifested 

1  See  chapter  on  "  French  and  Indian  War." 


such  a  generous  feeling  in  their  behalf.  The 
poor  and  powerless  Indians — poor  in  the  sense 
of  possessions  and  powerless  in  the  sense  of  or- 
ganized political  combinations  for  influence  and 
promotion— had  to  go,  and  they  went.  A  gen- 
eration afterwards,  in  the  year  1818,  they  were 
located  in  Missouri.  Numerous  removals  fol- 
lowed during  the  next  fifty  years,  when,  in 
1866,  they  accepted  land  in  severalty  in  the  In- 
dian Territory.  They  then  gave  up  tribal  re- 
lations to  settle  down  to  civilized  life,  to  do  as 
civilized  people  do.  And  now,  it  is  said,  they 
are  at  last  useful  and  prosperous  citizens  of  a 
united  people,  numbering,  it  is  estimated,  one 
thousand.  And  there,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  after  re- 
troceding  for  over  one  hundred  years  from 
stream  to  stream  and  from  mountain  to  moun- 
tain, toward  the  setting  sun,  they  will  be  per- 
mitted to  grow,  if  not  a  stronger,  a  more  sub- 
missive and  a  more  honorable  people,  to  be, 
nevertheless,  a  wiser,  a  better  and  a  more  culti- 
vated people  after  our  own  day  and  generation. 

A  popular  notion  prevails  that  the  Indian 
tribes  are  disappearing  and  their  numbers  grow- 
ing less.  But  it  has  been  ascertained  that, 
though  certain  tribes  have  decreased  in  num- 
ber, and  others  even  disappeared  entirely,  many 
of  the  tribes  have  increased  ;  and  therefore  the 
Indian  population,  as  a  whole,  in  North  Amer- 
ica has  not  decreased  very  much  since  the  ad- 
vent of  the  Europeans.  In  1880  there  were  in 
the  United  States  three  hundred  and  three 
thousand  two  hundred  and  forty-eight,  and  in 
the  British  possessions  one  hundred  and  three 
thousand  nine  hundred  and  sixty-nine — total, 
four  hundred  and  seven  thousand  two  hundred 
»nd  seventeen.  The  general  policy  of  our  gov- 
ernment has  been,  for  some  years  past,  to 
treat  with  the  Indian  tribes  in  a  respectful  man- 
ner, purchase  their  lands,  place  them  upon  cer- 
tain reservations,  where  they  are  required  to  re- 
main, and  appropriate  supplies  for  them  in  the 
nature  of  food,  clothing,  arms  and  ammunition. 
In  this  manner  the  government  has  been  humane- 
ly endeavoring  to  civilize  them  after  our  own  pat- 
tern of  civilization.  And  it  has  accomplished  con- 
siderable good  results  in  respect  to  some  tribes, 
but  failed  in  respect  to  others. 

Villages. — Some  of  the  Minsi  Indians  had 


INDIANS. 


63 


villages  in  this  district  of  territory,  now  in- 
cluded in  Berks  County.  These  villages  were 
numerous.  They  were  located  in  different  sec- 
tions of  the  territory,  more  particularly,  how- 
ever, along  the  Schuylkill  and  its  principal 
tributaries,  and  known  as  follows  : 

Tulpewehaki — in  the  western  section  of  the  county, 
a  short  distance  east  of  Stouchsburg,  near  the  Tulpe- 
hocken  Creek. 

Sakunk-^-va.  the  northern  section,  on  the  Maiden 
Creek,  in  Richmond  township,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Sakunk  Creek ;  now  called  Sacony. 

Maschilamehanne  —  situate  some  mil? s  east  of 
Sahink,  on  the  stream  of  the  same  name ;  now  known 
as  Moselem. 

Machksithanne — still  farther  east,  the  place  being 
now  in  Maxatawny  township,  near  Kutztown. 

Oanshowehanne — in  the  central  section  adjoining 
the  Schuylkill,  near  the  northern  base  of  "  Neversink," 
at  the  mouth  of  Rose  Valley  Creek,  the  place  being 
included  in  Reading. 

Angelica — opposite  "  Neversink,"  at  mouth  of  An- 
gelica Creek. 

Navesink — a  short  distance  below  the  southern  base 
of  "  Neversink,"  near  the  "  Big  Dam,"  on  the  De 
Turck  farm,  and  it  is  believed  that  a  village  was  also 
in  "  Poplar  Neck,"  on  the  High  farm. 

Menhaltanink — at  a  large  spring  now  in  Amity 
township,  several  miles  northeast  from  Douglassville. 

Ollnk — in  Oley  township,  a  short  distance  south  of 
Friedensburg,  on  land  included  with  the  Bertolet 
farm ;  and  it  is  believed  that  a  large  village  was  sit- 
uated several  miles  to  the  eastward,  on  the  Lee  farm, 
adjoining  the  Manatawny  Creek. 

Indian  Names. — All  the  prominent  streams 
in  the  county  have  been  given  Indian  names  j 
also  two  townships  and  two  mountains.  These 
names  are  as  follows : 

Angelica. — 

Antietam. — 

Allegheny — Fair  water. 

Oanshowehanne — Roaring  or  tumbling  stream.  This 
is  now  known  as  the  Schuylkill.  In  old  deeds  it  is 
called  Manaiunk,  the  signification  of  which-  word  was 
a  mother  of  streams. 

Gokhosing — Place  of  owls ;  now  Cacoosing. 

Kau-ta-tin-chunk—  Endless  (applied  formerly,  now 
changed,  to  Blue  Mountain). 

Lechauweki — Place  of  Forks;  now  Lehigh. 

Machksithanne — Bear's-path  Creek;  now  Maxa- 
tawny. 

Maschilamehanne — 'Trout  Stream ;  now  Moselem. 

Menakes.se — Stream  with  large  bends;   now    Mo- 


Navesink — Place  of  fishing ;  now  Neversink. 

Olink — Hole,  cavern  or  cell ;  also  a  cove  or  tract  of 
land  encompassed  by  hills ;  now  Oley. 

Ontelaunee — Little  maiden ;  now  Maiden  Creek. 

Pakihmomink — Place  of  cranberries;  now  Perki- 
omen. 

Sakunk — Place  of  outlet,  where  a  smaller  stream 
empties  into  a  larger;  now  Sacony;  also  Saucon. 

Sinne-hanne — Stony  Stream  ;  now  Stony  Creek. 

Sipuas-hanne — A  plum  stream  ;  now  Plum  Creek. 

Tamaque-hanne— Beaver  Stream — a  stream  across 
which  the  beaver  throws  a  dam ;  now  Beaver  Creek ; 
also  changed  to  Little  Schuylkill. 

Tulpewihaki — Land  of  turtles ;  now  Tulpehocken. 

Wyomissing. — 

COLLECTIONS   OF   INDIAN    BELICS   IN   THE   COUNTY.* 


Cbas.  A.  Klink,  Douglassville  .  . 
Jonas  D.  De  Turck,  Neversink  Station 
Isaac  D.  De  Turok,  Neversink  Station 
A.  J.  De  Turck,  Neversink  Station. 
Solomon  H.  Christian,  Neversink  Sta. 
Henry  D.  Dick,  Neversink  Station.  . 

Amos  Lewis,  Big  Dam 

Ezra  High,  Poplar  Neck  .  ... 

Cyrus  R.  Yost,  above  Poplar  Neck.  . 

Charles  W.  Berg,  Cumru 

Maj.  S.  L.  Young,  Beading 

Henry  Weidensaul,  Reading  .... 
I.  W.  Keim,  Reading. 

D.  B.  Brunner,  Reading 

Society  of  Natural  Science,  Reading. 

J.  H.  Bubp,  StouchBburg 

William  Reith,  Stouchsburg  .... 
Franklin  B.  Reith,  .Stouchsburg.  .   . 

H.  L.  Illig,  Millbach 

Howard  J .  Herbein,  Sinking  Spring. 
Abraham  H.  De  Turk,  Leesport.  .  . 
W.  J.  Dreibelbis,  Virginsville .... 
Alfred  S.  Dreibelbis,  Virginsville  .  . 
Abraham  G.  Mengel,  Virginsville  .  . 

Jonas  J.  Boyer,  Virginsville 

L.  H.  Leaner,  Perry 

Dr.  C  Wanner,  Kutztown 

E.  J.  Sharadin,  Kutztown 

Samuel  C  Bastif  Kutztown 

William  K.  Deisber,  Maxatawny  .  . 
Walter  S.  Fritz,  Wessnersville.  .  .  . 
A.  F.  Berlin,  f  Allentown 


Total 48  89  39    298    314  80    18195    19181 


S.3E 

S  o  o 
~  t.'s 


u 

C  o 


;- a. 


600 
400 

2480 
160 
320 
125 
475 
800 
350 

1410 
200 
150 
100 

4350 
200 

10O0 

170 

300 

500 

40 

1200 

50 

50 

100 

13 

53 

105 

960 

500 

120 

24 

1000 


508 
438 

2512 
169 
330 
129 
498 
862 
355 

1454 
366 
160 
108 

4507 
212 

1078 

210 

328 

513 

50 

1205 

56 

59 

103 

16 

60 

133 

973 

513 

125 

26 

1025 


nocacy. 

Menhaltanink- 
atawny. 


-Where  we  drank  liquor  ;  now  Man- 


*Brunner's  "Indians  of  Berks  County,"  pp.  76,  77. 

■f-  Estimated. 

X  Present  collection  about  six  thousand. 

This  statement  is  not  intended  to  be  a  correct 
classification  of  the  relics  found  in  Berks 
County,  but  to  exhibit,  under  a  few  heads,  the 
total  number  at  the  present  time  (1881).  Some 
of  the  collectors  began  to  gather  specimens  re- 
cently ;  a  few  are  not  ambitious  to  make  large 
collections,  and  hence  accept  only  the  best 
specimens  (this  accounting  for  a  few  small  col- 
lections), whilst  others  have  many  more  than  are 
indicated  by  the  figures  in  the  statement,  such 
specimens  not  being  from  Berks  County — gen- 


64 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


erally  from  the  West.     The  statement  is  con- 
fined exclusively  to  Indian  relics  of  this  county. 

If  the  specimens  recently  carried  away  from 
the  county  were  added,  the  total  number  would 
be  largely  increased.  There  are  many  single 
specimens  of  axes  and  small  lots  of  arrow  heads 
in  the  hands  of  farmers  who  do  not  make  col- 
lections, but  they  cherish  and  hold  them  be- 
cause they  found  them  on  their  farms. 

Messrs.  Ezra  High's,  J.  D.  De  Turck's  and 
Isaac  D.  De  Turck's  collections  have  a  peculiar 
value,  because  they  were  found  on  their  re- 
spective farms. 

Mr.  Cyrus  R.  Yost's  specimens  were  all  found 
by  him  on  the  lower  part  of  Fritz's  Island,  a 
short  distance  below  Reading. 

Mr.  Charles  W.  Berg  found  his  specimens  on 
the  farm  of  the  Reading  Land  Improvement 
Company,  on  an  area  of  six  acres.  This  was 
also  the  site  of  an  Indian  village. 

Major  S.  L.  Young's  collection  is  remark- 
able for  its  many  rare  specimens  and  large  pro- 
portion of  fine  axes. 

The  collection  of  Mr.  H.  L.  Illig,  Millbach, 
Lebanon  County,  deserves  mention  here.  It 
contains  over  five  thousand  specimens,  and 
shows  that  Lebanon  also  had  a  large  Indian 
population.  Only  a  small  portion  of  his  col- 
lection is  from  Berks  County. 

About  one-third  of  Prof.  Brunner's  collection 
is  from  the  vicinity  of  Virgiusville,  one-third 
from  Maxatawny,  and  the  remainder  from  all 
parts  of  the  county  where  relics  have  been 
found. 


CHAPTER     IV. 


NATIONALITIES. 


Swedes  —Germans  — English — Welsh — Irish — Hebrews — 
Negroes. 

Swedes. — The  first  permanent  settlement 
along  the  Delaware,  in  Pennsylvania,  was  ef- 
fected by  a  small  colony  of  Swedes  in  1638. 
Ten  years  before  this,  the  subject  of  encourag- 
ing Swedes  to  settle  in  Pennsylvania,  for  pur- 
poses of  trade,  had  been  discussed  by  the  King 
of  Sweden  ;  but  his  earnest  engagement  in  war- 
fare with  the  Germans  about  that  time,  and  his 


death  suddenly,   ended  the   matter,  till  it  was 
reconsidered  and  revised  by  his  lord  chancel- 
lor, in  behalf,  and  under  the  patronage  of,  his 
daughter,  the  young  Swedish  Queen,  Christina. 
The  whole  number  of  settlers  then  in  the  new 
country  (which  they  called  New  Sweden)  did 
not  exceed  fifty.     The  Swedes  effected  the  most 
of  their  settlements  on  the  western  side   of  the 
Delaware  River,  and  extended  them  along  this 
river  and  its  prominent  tributary,  the  Schuyl- 
kill. In  ten  years  their  number  did  not  increase 
to  one  hundred.     Notwithstanding  their  success 
in  carrying  on  trade,   they  could  not  acquire 
such  a  firm  hold  upon  the  country  as  to  con- 
tinue their  government  a  score  of  years.     In 
1655  their  Governor  surrendered  to  the  Dutch, 
and  this  ended  the  rule  of  the  Swedes  in  Penn- 
sylvania.    But  those  who  had  settled  and  taken 
up  lands  along  the  Delaware  and  Schuylkill  did 
not  abandon  their  settlements.    They  remained. 
Penn,  upon  his  arrival  nearly  thirty  years  after- 
ward, encouraged  them  to  move  towards  the  in- 
terior.   The  English  settlers  multiplied  rapidly 
after  Penn  had  given  a  fixed  government  to  the 
province.    Towards  the  close  of  the  seventeenth 
century  the  Swedes  began  to  consider  the  pro- 
priety of  accepting  Penn's  offer.     They,  doubt- 
less, then  moved  up  the  Schuylkill  and  viewed 
the  adjoining  country.      A  small  colony,  under 
the  leadership  of  Andrew  Rudman,  found  suit- 
able land  along  the  river,  several  miles  above 
the  mouth  of  the  Manatawny  Creek,  and  they 
petitioned  for  ten  thousand  acres.     This  was  in 
1701.     And  immediately  afterward,  in  pursu- 
ance of  warrants,  certain  tracts,  aggregating  ten 
thousand  five  hundred  acres,  were  surveyed  and 
laid  off  for  them.      The  names  of  these  Swedes 
were  Andrew  Rudman,  Andrew  Bankson,  Ben- 
jamin  Burden,   Peter  Boon;   Benjamin  Boon, 
Mounce   Jones,    Justa  Justason,  Mounce  Jus- 
tice, John  Cock,  Peter  Cock,  Otto  Ernest  Cock, 
Jacob  Culinn,  Matthias  Holston,  Morton  Mor- 
ion, Richard  Roads  and  Jonas  Yocum. 

All  of  these,  excepting  Rudman,  remained 
there  and  made  permanent  settlements.  A 
building  erected  by  one  of  them,  in  1716,  is 
still  standing.  It  is  the  oldest  building  in  the 
county.  The  descendants  of  some  of  them  are 
still  in  the  township,  which  was  called  Amity 


NATIONALITIES. 


65 


very  shortlr  afterward — notably  the  Joneses 
and  Yocums,  This  was  the  only  colony  of 
them  which  came  into  the  county,  and  the  only 
section  of  the  county  in  which  they  took  up 
lands ;  and  they  did  not  wander  away,  remain- 
ing in  the  township  almost  entirely. 

They  were  the  first  settlers  who  erected  a 
building  for  religious  worship  in  this  county. 
They  were  members  of  the  Lutheran  denomina- 
tion. They  possessed  admirable  characteristics 
to  take  up  and  develop  a  new  country.  They 
remained  more  immediately  together  than  any 
other  subsequent  class  of  settlers  in  this  terri- 
tory. The  Indians  must  have  appreciated  their 
virtues  in  suffering  them  to  remain  unmolested 
before  the  land  was  released.  Hence  they  were 
a  peaceable  people.  The  name  of  the  township 
indicates  the  pleasant  relation  which  prevailed 
between  them  and  the  Indians.  There  was 
amity  between  them,  and  so  the  township  came 
to  be  named  in  1720.  They  pursued  the  voca- 
tion of  farming. 

Germans. — The  German  immigrants  were 
the  second  to  enter  this  section  of  territory  after 
the  Swedes.  The  first  settlement  was  effected 
by  them,  in  1712,  along  the  Manatawny,  in 
Oley.  Many  arrived  within  the  next  decade. 
To  the  east  of  the  Schuylkill  Eiver  they  proceed- 
ed northwardly  from  Philadelphia.  To  the 
west,  however,  the  first  colony  of  Germans,  be- 
fore 1730,  entered  from  the  west,  proceeding 
from  New  York  southwardly  and  from  the 
Susquehanna  River  eastwardly  into  Tulpehocken 
Valley.  The  total  number  of  Germans  who 
settled  in  the  county  previous  to  1752  cannot 
be  estimated.  They  were  certainly  more  numer- 
ous than  all  the  other  nationalities  taken  to- 
gether. In  1747  Governor  Thomas  wrote  to 
the  bishop  of  Exeter,  in  England,  saying  that 
the  Germans  of  Pennsylvania  comprised  three- 
fifths  of  the  whole  population,  or  about  one 
hundred  and  twenty  thousand. 

Many  of  these  German  immigrants  were  re- 
demptioners,  or  persons  who  had  bound  them- 
selves or  one  or  more  of  their  children  to  the 
masters  of  vessels,  upon  their  arrival,  for  a 
term  of  years,  to  pay  for  their  passage  across  the 
ocean.  The  usual  terms  of  sale  depended  upon 
the  age,  strength  and  health  of  the  persons  sold. 


Boys  and  girls  generally  served  from  five  to 
ten  years,  till  they  attained  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  years.  Many  parents  were  compelled  to 
sell  the  service  of  their  own  children  in  order 
to  satisfy  their  passage-money,  so  that  they 
might  be  released  from  the  vessel  upon  which 
they  were  brought  to  this  country.  Children ' 
under  five  years  of  age  could  not  be  sold  to  ser- 
vice. They  were  disposed  of  gratuitously  to 
persons  who  agreed  to  raise  them  and  give  them 
their  freedom  when  they  attained  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years.  In  this  manner  the  redemp- 
tioners  came  to  occupy  a  very  humble  position ; 
but  "  from  this  class  there  have  sprung  some  of 
the  most  reputable  and  wealthy  inhabitants  of 
the  province."  x 

Prior  to  1727  most  of  the  Germans,  who 
immigrated,  carried  with  them  hither  considera- 
ble means.  But  afterward,  many  of  them  were 
poor  and  they  came  to  be  redemptioners  on  that 
account.  The  years  in  which  these  arrived 
were  1728,1729,  1737,  1741,  1750  and  1751. 
The  principal  part  of  them  were  farmers  ;  but 
many  were  mechanics,  who  brought  with  them 
a  knowledge  of  those  arts  which  are  necessary 
and  useful  in  all  countries,  comprising  weavers, 
tailors, tanners,  shoemakers,  (cordwainers)  comb- 
makers,  smiths  of  all  kind?,  butchers,  paper- 
makers,  clock-makers  and  bakers.2  These  Ger- 
mans became  perfect  mechanics  and  workingmen, 
through  a  custom  of  "Peregrination "  ( Wander^- 
sehaft),  which,  as  young  men,  just  after  the  close 
of  their  apprenticeship,  they  carried  on  for  one  or 
more  years,  in  order  to  make  themselves  more  pro- 
ficient in  their  several  trades.  This  was  required 
of  young  mechanics  .before  they  were  permitted 
to  set  up  for  themselves.  By  this  course  they 
were  afforded  opportunities  of  acquiring  much 
useful  general  knowledge  which  books  could  not 
supply,  besides  proficiency  in  their  trade.  They 
were  called  " Traveling  Journeymen"  (Hand- 
werhs-Bursch).  The  intention  of  this  custom 
was'  to  enable  them  to  gain  experience, 
learn  methods  practiced  in  other  countries 
besides  their  own,  and  acquire  also  a  knowledge 

1  Gordon's  "  History  of  Pennsylvania,''  p,  556. 

2  "  Manners  of  German  Inhabitants,"  by  Dr.  Benjamin 
Rush.  Written  bj  him  in  1789.  Annotated  by  Rupp  and 
republished  in  1875,  p.  10. 


66 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


of  the  world.  "It  is  nothing  unusual  to  meet 
in  Germany  common  mechanics  who  speak 
three  and  four  different  languages,  are  well  in- 
formed as  to  the  condition  of  most  countries  in 
Europe  and  possess  a  general  fund  of  knowl- 
edge which  is  far  superior  to  that  in  persons  of 
the  same  class  in  England."  l 

And   many  of  the  earlier  immigrants  were 
Huguenots,  who  had  been  encouraged  by  Penn 
and   the   English   government  to    emigrate   to 
Pennsylvania  and  New  York.     In  France  this 
name  was  used  as  a  term  of  reproach  for  those 
who  aimed  at  a  reform  of  religion  according  to 
the  principles  enunciated  by  Calvin.    The  name 
attached  itself   to  these   reformers  when  they 
broke  off  all  connection  with  Lutheranism  and 
began  to  organize  themselves  both   as  a  church 
and  as  a  political  body.    Their  churches  sprang 
up  with  wonderful  quickness  during  the  middle 
of    the   sixteenth   century ;    but  they   became 
unpopular — bitterly  disliked  by  the  court  and 
by  the  majority  of  the  French  people.     During 
the  reign  of  Francis  I.  the  persecutions  against 
them  gave  place  to  a  vehement  desire  to  crush 
"  the  rising  heresy."     After  the  massacre  of  St. 
Bartholomew's  day,  in  1572,  the  subordination 
of  their   religious   interests   to   their   political 
interests  became  inevitable,  and,  having  become 
followers   of  Henry  of  Navarre,    heir   of  the 
French  crown,  their  subseqent  discontent  ob- 
tained from  him,  as  King  Henry  IV.,  in  1598 
(April  13th),  the  famous  "Edict  of  Nantes."  2 
But  the  provisions    of  this   Edict  were  found 
as  helpful  for  Catholics  as  for  Protestants,  and 
they  were  so  modified  as  to  show  a  decreasing 
favor   of  the  Calvinists,  who  had  dreamed  of 
dominance  and  had  hoped  for  equality,  but  were 
put  off  with  tolerance.     This  situation  caused 
them   to    become  dissatisfied  with    the    Edict  • 
and  the  King  then  expressed  a  determination 
'•  to  reduce  to  nothing  the  Huguenot  faction." 
About  1590the  Huguenotscarried  on  worship 

1  Murray's  Hand-Book,  218. 

»  "  This  Edict  was  drawn  up  in  92  open  and  56  secret 
articles.  It  was  a  code  of  old  and  new  laws  regulating 
the  civil  and  religious  position  of  Protestants  in  France, 
the  conditions  and  guarantees  of  their  worship,  their  liber- 
ties and  their  special  obligations  in  their  relations,  whether 
with  the  crown  or  with  their  Catholic  fellow  countrymen.'' 
—  Guizut's  "  History  of  France,"  vol.  Hi.  p.  444, 


in  about  thirty-five  hundred  chateaux  and  two 
hundred  towns,  which  were  situated  chiefly  in 
the  south  and  west  of  France.     In   most  parts 
of  the  north  they  had  a  place  for  worship  in 
each  bailliage.    In  1598  the  King  granted  a  list 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty  places  to  them  for  their 
safety,  the  chief  groups  being  in  the  generalities 
of  Bordeaux,  Montpelier  and  Poitou.     During 
the  next  quarter  of  a  century  their  history  passes 
through   a  series   of  outbursts  indicating  im- 
patience and  dissatisfaction.     In  this  time  they 
had  five  hundred  churches;  in  1637  they  had 
seven   hundred  and   twenty.      Richelieu    and 
Mazarin  treated  them  with  prudence,  but  their 
synods  were  discouraged  and  their  grumblings 
ceased.     They  grew  in  piety  and  purity  as  the 
political  arena  was  closed  to  them  ;  and  this  was 
the  time  of  their  material  prosperity.     When 
Louis  XIV.  took  up  his  reign  the  tranquillity  of 
the  Huguenots  began  to  pass  away.     In  1657 
they  were  forbidden  to  hold  colloquies,  lest  they 
might  take  to  politics,  and  in  1659  they  were 
told  to  hold  no   more  synods.     Soon  the  court 
went  further,  and  conversions  were  undertaken. 
Wherever  a  pastor  could  be  bribed,  converted 
or  got  rid  of,  his  temple  was  torn  down.    Their 
worship    then    became    almost    impossible   in 
towns.     As  the  King's  conscience  grew  morbid, 
he  became  more  eager  to  expiate  his  own  crimes 
by  punishing  the  heretics.    Within  twenty  years 
seven  hundred  churches  were  destroyed.  Through- 
out that  trying  period,  whilst  thousands  of  them 
yielded  to  oppression  or  bribery,  thousands  of 
others  fled  the  land.      The  emigration  began 
in    1666    and    continued   for  fifty  years.       It 
is  probable  that  in  1660  there  were  over  two 
millions  of  Huguenots,  who  were  regarded  as 
the  best  and  most  thrifty  citizens  in  that  coun- 
try ;  and  of  these  it  is  said  "  fully  a  million  of 
French  subjects  escaped  from  their  inhospitable 
fatherland."   At  last  the  King  revoked  the  Edict 
of  Nantes,  because  he  thought  that  the  Hugue- 
nots were  suppressed.     This  was  on  the  15th  of 
October,  1685.     "  This  revocation  was  the  sen- 
tence of  civil  death  on  all  Huguenots.  It  crushed 
more  than  half  of  the  commercial  and  manufac- 
turing  industry  of  the   kingdom."     The  pre- 
amble was  as  follows  :  "  Our  pains  havehad  the 
end  we  had  proposed,  seeing  that  the  better  and 


NATIONALITIES. 


67 


greater  part  of  our  subjects  of  the  religion  styled 
the  Reformed  have  embraced  the  Catholic ;  the 
execution  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes,  consequently 
remaining  useless,  we  have  considered  that  we 
could  not  do  better  for  the  purpose  of  effacing 
entirely  the  memory  of  the  evils  which  this 
false  religion  has  caused  in  our  kingdom  than 
revoke  entirely  the  aforesaid  Edict  of  Nantes 
and  all  that  has  been  done  in  favor  of  the  said 
religion." ' 

"Whatever  difference  of  opinions  there  may 
be  as  to  the  numbers  who  fled  from  the  king- 
dom at  this  time,  there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the 
quality  of  them.  They  were  the  thriftiest  and 
readiest  hands  in  France ;  they  carried  the  arts 
and  taste,  which  were  till  then  the  special  gift  of 
their  country,  to  Spitalfields,  or  Amsterdam,  or 
even  to  Berlin.  They  crowded  into  the  armies 
which  were  arrayed  against  their  oppressor; 
they  helped  to  man  the  ships  which  destroyed 
the  navy  of  France ;  they  planted  their  indus- 
tries in  many  places,  and  gave  that  wealth  and 
prosperity  to  other  lands  which  was  driven  from 
their  homes." 2 

This  was  the  class  of  Germans  which  settled  the 
country  along  the  Schuylkill  and  its  tributaries. 
They  were  a  valuable  acquisition  to  Penn  and 
his  sons  in  the  development  of  their  great  prov- 
ince. They  were  just  what  a  new  country 
needed  to  start  it  grandly  in  the  march  of  ma- 
terial progress.  Their  labor,  their  economy, 
their  perseverance  and  their  stability  added 
great  and  increasing  wealth  to  the  country, 
decade  after  decade.  They  prepared  the  way 
for  the  erection  of  a  new  county;  and  having 
fitted  the  settlements  for  a  separate  political  or- 
ganization, they  proceeded  earnestly  in  behalf  of 
its  establishment.  Their  determination  towards 
this  end  extends  through  a  period  of  fourteen 
years,  from  1738  to  1752,  when  the  county  was 
erected.  They  were  largely  in  the  majority. 
But  they  did  not  have  this  preponderance  to 
appear  by  the  name  that  was  given  to  the  coun- 
ty. Possibly  they  could  not  have  secured  a 
German  name  if  they  had  desired  to.     In  the 

1  Guizot's  "  History  of  France,"  vol.  iv,  p.  334. 

2  "Ency.  Brit.,"  rol.  ix.  p.  510,  France;  and  see  Macau- 
lay's  "Hist,  of  Eng.,"  vol.  ii,  p.  11,  12. 


vast  sections  of  territory  which  they  inhabited, 
only  three  townships  had  been  named  with  Ger- 
man names, — Heidelberg,  Bern  and  Alsace.  The 
English  influence  is  apparent.  The  previous 
counties,  excepting  Philadelphia,  were  given 
English  names. — Bucks,  Chester,  Lancaster, 
York  and  Cumberland. 

The  proprietary  government  was  English, 
and  an  English  name  for  the  new  county  was 
to  be  expected ;  and  the  Penns .  having  been 
at  the  head  of  provincial  affairs,  the  name  of 
their  own  shire  naturally  stood  out  with  prom- 
inence as  a  proper  name  for  the  new  organiza- 
tion.    So  it  was  named  Berks. 

Before  this  event  the  Germans  had  done  much 
for  the  territory  in  improving  its  soil,  in  erecting 
buildings,  in  laying  out  roads.  They  were  along 
every  stream,  excepting  the  Wyomissing,  Alle- 
gheny and  Hay  Creek,  in  the  southern  section. 
They  were  in  the  valleys  and  on  the  hills,  rather 
than  along  the  Schuylkill.  This  singular  selec- 
tion of  locality  was  not  accidental.  They  found 
the  best  quality  of  land  away  from  the  Schuyl- 
kill. Our  best  farms  in  productiveness  and  in 
appearance,  are  in  the  localities  where  they 
settled — in  Oley,  in  Maxatawny,  in  Heidelberg. 
In  these  respective  localities  we  find  the  grand- 
children and  great-grandchildren  of  the  first 
German  patentees.  This  adherence  to  the  soil  is 
not  only  a  peculiar,  but  also  an  admirable  quality 
of  the  German  people.3 

3  The  following  extract  is  taken  from  an  article  entitled 
"  First  Families,"  which  I  contributed  to  Historical  Register 
(published  by  Dr.  W.  H.  Egle,  at  Harrisburgy,  January, 
1883,  and  copied  in  Reading  Times,  February  6,  1883.  The 
great  majority  of  the  names  mentioned  are  German. 

"FIRST  FAMILIES." 

"In  the  several  quarters  mentioned,  east,  south,  west, 
and  north,  the  descendants  of  many  of  the  first  settlers  are 
still  nourishing  in  numbers,  in  industry,  in  wealth,  and  in 
social,  religious,  and  political  influence.  In  taking  a  hasty 
glance  over  its  broad  territory,  I  can  mention  in  the  east- 
ern district,  along  the  Manatawny  and  its  tributaries,  the 
Baums,  Bertolets,  Boones,  De  Turcks,  Egles,  Griesemersi, 
Guldins,  Hartmans,  Herbeins,  Hochs,  Hunters,  Kauffmans, 
Keims  Knabbs,  Lees,  Leinbachs,  Leshers,  Levans,  Lin- 
colns  Lobachs,  Ludwigs,  Peters,  Pottses,  Reiffs,  Rhoadses, 
Bitters,  Schneiders,  Spangs,  Van  Reeds,  Yocums,  Yoders, 
Weavers,  and  Witmans ;  and.  on  the  border  along  the  head- 
waters of  the  Perkiomen,  the  Bauers,  Bechtels,  Boyers, 
Clemmers,  Ehsts,  Funcks,  Gabels,  Rushes,  Sassamans, 
Schalls,  Schultzes,  and  Stauffers  ;  in  the  southern  district, 


68 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


In  the  representative  positions,  secured  to  the 
people  by  our  Constitution,  our  officials  have 
been  mostly  Germans,  excepting  in  one  partic- 
ular, the  office  of  president  judge.  They  were 
in  Congress  without  interruption  from  1789  till 
1847  ;  and  in  the  State  Senate  till  1856,  except- 
ing one  term,  1817-20. 

English.— The  English  entered  this  terri- 
tory and  took  up  lands  shortly  before  1720. 
They  were,  accordingly,  the  third  class  of  set- 
tlers, the  first  having  been  the  Swedes,  and  the 
second  the  Germans.  Their  first  families  were 
the  Boones,  Ellises,  Lees  and  Lincolns.     They 


along  the  Allegheny,  Hay  Creek,  Little  Coneetoga  and  Wy- 
omi-sing,  the  Blands,  Evanses,  Geigers,  Harrisons,  Huyetts, 
Joneses,  Mohns,  Moores,  Morgans,  Planks,  Redcays,  Robe- 
sons,  Scarlets   and  Ziemers  ;  in  the  western  district,  along 
the  Tulpehocken  and  its  tributaries,  and  the  Little  Swa- 
tara,  the  Adamses,  Althouses,  Batdorfs,  Bergers,  Boeshores, 
Bordners,    Brechts,    Conrads,    Eckerts,    Eplers,    Deppens, 
Duudores,  Ermentrouts,  Fishers,   Fitlers,  Frantzes,  Groffs, 
Hains,  Hiesters,  Keysers,  Kissingers,  Klingers,  Kurrs,  Liv- 
ingoods,   Millers,   Newcomets,    Obolds,   Potteigers,   Reeds, 
Rebers,  Rehrers,  Riesers,  Riegels,  Scharfs,  Seiberts,  Selt- 
zers, Schaeffers,  Speichers,  Spohns,  Tryons,  Umbenhauers, 
Walborns,  Weisers,  Wenrichs,  Wilhelms,  Womelsdorfs,  and 
Zerbes ;  and,   in  the  northern  district,  along  the  Maiden 
Creek  and  its  tributaries,   the  Brobsts,  Dav'ises,  Dreibel- 
bises,   Gernants,   Greenawalds,    Grims,    Hahns,    Heffners, 
Heinlys,     Hottensteins,    Kauffmans,     Kaerchers,    Kellers,' 
Kemps,  Kiefers,  Kirbys,  Kuizes,   Leibys,  Levans,  Merkels! 
Mertzes,  Parvins,  Penroses,   Piersons,  Prices,  Rothenberg- 
ers,  Rothermels,  Saylors,  Schaffers,  Shalters,  Starrs,  Trex- 
lers,  Wanners,   Weilers,  Wileys  and  Zachariases.     Others 
could  be  mentioned.     These,   however,   stand  out  promi- 
nently in  the  development  of  the  county  from  the  first  set- 
tlements of  the  several  districts  to  the  present  time.     The 
great  majority  of  the  descendants  have  continued  persis- 
tently engaged  in  agriculture  upon  or  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
original  settlements.     Some  moved  to  other  districts  of  the 
county  ;  others  to  Reading.    Many  sons  and  daughters  mi- 
grated to  the  West,  and  settled  particularly  in  Ohio,  Indi- 
ana,  Illinois,   Iowa,    Wisconsin,   Kansas,   and    Colorado. 
Some  of  the  sons  turned  to  the  professions— divinity,  law, 
and  mediciae— in  which  they  shone  with  more  or  less  dis- 
tinction ;  others  to  trades  and  manufactures,  in  which  they 
realized  rich  rewards  for  their  industry  and  well-directed 
energy.    In  tracing  down  all  the  pursuits  of  life  carried  on 
in  the  county,  it  is  only  occasionally  that  a  complete  stran- 
ger appears  and  identifies  himself  with  her  onward  move- 
ments for  any  considerable  length  of  time.     This  is  espe- 
cially the  case  in  our  politics.     The  names  of  the  old  fami- 
lies  are   continually   on   the  surface.      Not  particularly 
demonstrative,    they  are   like  expert  swimmers   in   deep 
water.     They  float  onward  majestically  in  the  great  stream 
of  time;  their  hea.Js  are  always  visible;  their  endurance 
prevails." 


settled  in  Oley, — the  Ellises  and  Lees  in  the 
eastern  section,  along  the  Manatawny,  and  the 
Boones  and  Lincolns  in  the  central  and  western 
sections,  along  the  Monocacy  and  the  Schuyl- 
kill. Witb-in  ten  years  after  their  permanent 
settlement,  they  established  a  meeting-house 
for  religious  worship.  This  was  about  1726, 
at  a  point  where  the  present  Exeter  meeting- 
house stands,  in  an  elevated  position  near  the 
northwestern  limit  of  the  Swedes'  tracts,  then 
called  Amity  township. 

Shortly  after   1730   they  settled  along  and 
about  Hay  Creek  and  Allegheny  Creek,  to  the 
west  of  the  Schuylkill,  and  also  farther  north, 
along  and  about  the  Maiden  Creek,  immediately 
after  the  Indians  had  released  their  rights  to 
the   territory.     The  first  families1  in  the  for- 
mer settlements   were   the   Embrees,  Lewises, 
Humphreys,  Scarlets,  Harrys,  Prices,  Webbs, 
Hughes,  Moores,   Williamses   and   Thomases; 
and  in  the  latter  settlements  the  Parvins,  Light- 
foots,  Huttons,  Starrs,  Da  vises,  Penroses,  Pear- 
sons, Wileys,  Wrights,  Willits,  Harveys  and 
Reeds,  and  these  respective  families  also  estab- 
lished meeting-houses  in  the  midst  of  their  set- 
tlements, about  the  year  1736,— the  one  at  the 
cross-roads,  near  the  centre/' of  Robeson  town- 
ship, and  the  other  near  the  centre  of  Maiden- 
creek  township. 

All  these  families  were  connected  with  the 
Friends.  They  exerted  a  strong  influence  in 
these  three  sections  of  the  county.  The  numer- 
ous English  names,  given  to  the  townships  east 
of  the  Schuylkill,  were  suggested  by  them. 

George  Boone  was  particularly  prominent  in 
the  lower  section,  and  Benjamin  Lightfoot  in 
the  upper  section,  in  respect  to  proceedings  for 
setting  apart  new  townships.  They  were  sur- 
veyors and  men  of  more  than  ordinary  ability. 
And  just  as  these  two  men  were  prominent  in 
their  branch  of  service,  Anthony  Lee  and  Jacob 
Parvin  were  equally,  if  not  more)  promineilt  in 
these  respective  sections  as  justices  of  the  sev- 
eral courts  of  the  county.     Indeed,  for  a  time,2 


]  The  Robeson,  have  been  classed  with  the  English  or 
with  the  Swedish  Church  at  Molatton 

frnJf '  f!  R!rlu,i°n-     They  ™™  at  the  head  of  affairs 
from  forty  to  fifty  years. 


NATIONALITIES. 


09 


through  the  influence  of  the  provincial  govern- 
ment, the  Friends  exerted  the  most  influence  in 
the  direction  of  our  political  affairs,  notwith- 
standing their  number  was  far  less  than  the 
Germans.  But  during  the  Eevolution,  and 
immediately  afterward,  the  natural  energy  of 
the  Germans  carried  them  forward  in  political 
matters,  just  as  it  had  carried  them  forward  in 
agriculture  and  manufactures  before  the  Revo- 
lution. Independence  elevated  them  into  po- 
litical rights,  the  exercise  of  which  placed  them 
in  power.  So  the  Friends  lost  their  position  in 
the  community,  and  with  it  their  public  influ- 
ence. Before  the  Revolution,  their  number 
was  strong  and  their  religious  meetings  were 
active  and  successful.  But  since  that  time 
they  have  gradually  decreased  decade  after  de- 
cade till  now.  Indeed,  they  have  become  so 
weak  that  they  can  hardly  carry  on  their  meet- 
ings. This  is  a  matter  to  be  regretted ;  for, 
whilst  in  influence  and  power,  they  conducted 
themselves  with  justice  and  ability.  Their  best 
men  were  always  elevated  to  positions  of  re- 
sponsibility. The  early  county  records  are  dis- 
tinguished for. neatness  and  legibility,  this  of 
itself  indicating  their  carefulness  and  attention 
to  business.  This  cannot  be  said  of  their  suc- 
cessors. 

In  looking  over  the  lists  of  men  who  have 
held  representative  offices  for  the  county  since 
the  Revolution,  we  find  only  a  few  who  are 
distinctively  English,  especially  of  the  families 
mentioned.  The  Germans  have  been  our  rep- 
resentative men  almost  entirely.1  It  is  safe  to 
assert  that  this  would  not  have  been  the  case 
if  the  Revolution  had  not  terminated  success- 

fully.  _ 

During  this  trying  period  the  Friends  here 
were  mostly,  if  not  entirely,  Tories.  They 
were  opposed  to  the  war ;  but  the  Germans 
were  extreme  Revolutionists,  and  they  encour- 
aged the  War  for  Independence  to  the  utmost 
of  their  ability.  Their  conduct  was  admirable. 
When  the  struggle  closed,  with  the  acquisition 
of  increased  power  to  the  people,  they  naturally 
asserted  their  rights  and  presumed  to  take  posi- 
tions and  power  unto  themselves. 

1  See  "Political  Hand-Book  of  Berks  County,"  pp.  10-20. 


I  cannot  omit  to  add  that  there  were  English 
people  here  besides  the  Friends.  At  first,  be- 
fore the  erection  of  the  county,  they  were  in  the 
southern  and  southeastern  portions  of  the  county. 
They  manifested  themselves  in  a  religious  way 
about  the  same  time — between  1735  and  1740 
— the  one  body  in  Caernarvon  township  '  and 
the  other  in  Amity  township.2  They  were 
members  of  the  Established  Church  of  England, 
called  Episcopalians.3  Afterward,  when  the 
county  was  erected,  they  also  appeared  in  Read- 
ing, though  without  sufficient  strength  to  cause 
the  erection  of  a  church  for  themselves  till  1824. 

Welsh. — Just  as  the  Swedes  settled  in  the 
county  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Schuylkill, 
so  the  Welsh  settled  in  the  county  to  the  west 
of  this  river.  They  migrated  through  Chester 
County  lands  till  they  crossed  the  South  Moun  - 
tain,  and,  though  some  of  them  reached  a  point 
beyond  the  mountain  before  the  purchase  of  the 
territory  from  the  Indians  in  1732,  yet  the 
most  of  them  entered  this  district  immediately 
afterward.  The  Swedes  did  not  have  a  town- 
ship named  after  any  of  their  places  in  their 
distant  home  across  the  wide  ocean.  But  the 
Welsh  were  more  impressive  ;  they  named  three 
townships — Caernarvon,  Cumru  and  Breck- 
nock. 

The  Welsh  had  purchased  from  Penn,  in 
England,  before  1700,  a  large  body  of  land 
aggregating  forty  thousand  acres,  to  be  selected 
in  Pennsylvania ;  and  these  acres  they  selected 
to  the  west  of  the  Schuylkill.  They  settled  the 
country  so  numerously  that,  before  1698,  they 
had  named  six  townships  in  the  county  of  Ches- 
ter. 

Rowland  Ellis  was  a  prominent  Welshman 
who  induced  a  large  Welsh  emigration  from 
Wales  to  this  country.  After  having  induced 
Thomas  Owen  and  his  family  to  emigrate  and 
settle  in  Chester  County,  he,  in  1686,  embarked 
with  one  hundred  Welshmen  for  this  province. 
Some  of  the  settlers  were  named  Thomas  Evans, 
Robert  Evans,  Owen  Evans,  Cadwallader  Evans, 

1  Where  Morgantown  now  is. 

2  At  Molattou,  now  Douglassville. 

3  In  the  former  localityl  can  mention  especially  the  Mor- 
gans, and  in  the  latter  the  Birds  and  Brookes. 


70 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


William  Jones,  Robert  Jones,  Hugh  Griffith, 
Edward  Foulke,  John  Humphrey. 

The  district  of  territory  which  lay  to  the 
south  of  the  South  Mountain  and  west  of  the 
Schuylkill  was  gradually  settled  by  these  "Welsh 
people,  and  they  migrated  farther  and  farther 
up  the  river  during  the  next  fifty  years. 

Before  1740  several  hundred  of  them  had 
settled  in  the  district  beyond  this  mountain. 
The  following  persons  were  some  of  the  tax- 
ables : 


John  Bowen. 
Edward  Davis. 
Hugh  Davies. 
Gabriel  Davies. 
John  Davies. 
Davis  Davies. 
James  David. 
John  David. 
Alton  David. 
Thomas  David. 
Morgan  Evans. 
David  Evans. 
Nathan  Evans. 
Eleazer  Evans. 
David  Edward. 
James  Edward. 
Robert  Ellis. 
William  Griffith. 
Henry  Harry. 
Hugh  Hughes. 
William  Hughes. 
Evan  Hugh. 
Francis  Hughes. 
Morgan  John. 
David  Jones. 


Thomas  Jones. 
James  Jones. 
William  Jones. 
Watkin  Jones. 
John  Jenkin. 
Thomas  Jenkin. 
George  Lewis,  Sr. 
George  Lewis,  Jr. 
James  Lewis. 
John  Lewis. 
Evan  Lloyd. 
Thomas  Lloyd. 
John  Lloyd. 
Thomas  Nicholas. 
John  Persall. 
Edward  Price. 
Evan  Price. 
Griffith  Rees. 
William  Rettew. 
David  Thomas. 
William  Thomas. 
John  Thomas. 
John  Treeby. 
John  Treeby,  Jr. 


They  were  adherents  of  the  Baptist  denomi- 
nation. Their  lands  were  taken  up  mostly 
along  and  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Wyomissing 
and  Cacoosing  Creeks,  and  there  they  were 
most  thickly  settled.  In  their  midst  they 
caused  a  meeting-house  to  be  erected.  They 
took  up  many  tracts  of  land,  aggregating  twenty 
thousand  acres,  before  1752.  They  were  enter- 
prising, having  a  gristmill  along  the  Wyomis- 
sing before  1740.  This  flowing  stream  was  ap- 
preciated by  them  for  its  superior  water-power, 
and  they  accordingly  erected  different  factories 
along  its  banks  for  the  manufacture  of  gun-bar- 
rels, files,  etc,  Agriculture  was  their  principal 
employment.  Like  the  Swedes,  they  remained 
in  their  first  settlement,   southwardly   of  the 


Schuylkill  and  Cacoosing.  And  they  did  not 
enter  politics.  They  attended  strictly  to  their 
personal  affairs.  They  co-operated  earnestly  with 
the  Germans  in  obtaining  a  new  county  out  of 
the  upper  sections  of  Lancaster  and  Philadel- 
phia Counties. 

Irish. — Persons  of  Irish  nativity  did   not 
settle   in    Pennsylvania   for   nearly  forty  years 
after  Penn  had  obtained  the  province.     During 
this  time  persons  of  other  nationalities,  espec- 
ially Germans  and  English,  had  been   encour- 
aged to  locate  in  Pennsylvania.      Penn  visited 
Germany  in  this  behalf,  kindling  a  strong  interest 
for  the  province  in  his  own  country.     But  it 
would  seem  that  he  did  not  care  for  the  Scotch  or 
Irish,  not  having  encouraged   them  to  emigrate 
to   his  province ;    and,  accordingly,  neither  of 
these  came  till  after  his  death  ;  and   when  they 
did  arrive,  they  settled  that  portion  of  the  prov- 
ince which  lay  mostly  along  the  southern  borders 
adjoining  Maryland.     Though   some   of  them 
followed   the   course   of  the  Susquehanna  and 
settled  in   Lancaster  County,   the  great  body 
of  them  migrated  into  the  country  which  lay 
west  of  the  river.     Very  few,  if  any,  proceeded 
up  the  Schuylkill  Valley. 

Doubtless,  the  German  element  in  this  direc- 
tion, which  composed  the  greater  part  of  the  pop- 
ulation, was  not  agreeable  to  them.  Hence, 
they  directed  their  way  to  the  westward  from 
Philadelphia,  immediately  after  landing,  rather 
than  to  the  northward.  No  settlement  was 
effected  by  them  in  any  of  the  districts  which 
are  now  included  in  Berks  County.  Possibly, 
single  individuals  or  families  of  them  came  at  a 
time  and  located  within  the  county,  but  I  have 
not  been  able  to  find  any  data  worthy  of  special 
mention. 

Hebrews.— And  the  same  must  be  said  of 
the  Hebrews  in  this  respect.  Indeed,  their  im- 
migration into  the  country  has  been  so  limited 
and  so  quiet  that  no  notice  has  been  taken  of 
them.  They  have  made  no  impression  at  all  as 
a  class  of  people.  They  have  not  tilled  the 
soil  j  they  have  not  built  any  shops  ;  they  have 
simply  traded.  Some  of  them  have  been  in 
the  county  for  many  years,  almost  entirely,  how- 
ever, at  Reading.  But  they  did  not  show  en- 
ergy or  devotion  enough  in  this  time  to  acquire 


NATIONALITIES. 


71 


even  a  church  for  religious  worship  till  1885. 
Their  number  was  too  small  to  associate  to- 
gether successfully  for  such  a  purpose. 

A  number  of  them  settled  along  the  head 
waters  of  the  Tulpehocken,  at  or  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  Myerstown.  Single  individuals  of 
this  class  wandered  to  Womelsdorf  and  even  to 
Eeading.  In  1836  there  were  eight  Hebrews 
at  Reading — Abraham  Speier,  John  Siegel, 
Mayer  Siegel,  Mayer  Arnold,  Alexander  Hey- 

man, Spiegel,  Bernard  Dreifoos, De 

Young. 

The  Jews1  have  been  engaged  almost  exclu- 
sively in  trading.  They  have  used  the  Ger- 
man language  entirely  amongst  themselves. 
Through  their  children  and  English  education, 
the  English  language  has  made  some  progress 
with  them. 

In  1864,  the  following  Hebrews  were  in 
Eeading  :  B.  Dreifoos,  Sol.  Hirsch,  Abr.  Speier, 
Mayer  Einstein,  Aaron  Henlein,  Sol.  Weil, 
Marcus  Lyons,  Henry  Loeb,  Isaac  Mann,  Isaac 
Hirschland,  Joseph  Loeb,  Jacob  Levy,  R.  Aus- 
trian, Abr'm  Arnold,  Aaron  Einstein,  Isaac 
Schwerin. 

Negeoes. — The  negro  is  worthy  of  special 
mention  in  the  history  of  this  county.  Though 
living  under  political  disability  till  a  score  of 
years  ago,  his  labor,  his  patience  and  his  integ- 
rity require  respectful  treatment.  He  has  had, 
indeed,  a  great  struggle  with  destiny  in  this 
vast  country  for  nearly  two  centuries  and  a  half. 
It  is  rather  surprising  that  two  great  elements 
should  have  entered  the  country  about  the  same 
time — the  one  a  sentiment,  the  other  a  fact, 
the  one  moved  by  religious  enthusiasm,  the 
other  by  selfishness,  the  one  for  freedom,  the 
other  for  slavery — and  traveled  through  our 
wonderful  history  in  direct  antagonism  to  each 
other. 

Slavery  existed  to  a  very  limited  extent  in 
Berks  County.  The  slaves  of  which  I  found 
any  notice  were  owned  almost  entirely  by  iron- 
masters. But  they  were  few  in  number.  This 
condition  of  servitude  was  incompatible  with  the 
notions  of  our  early  settlers;  hence  it  was  not  en- 
couraged.    The  farmers  had  no  slaves. 

Pennsylvania   instituted  an  early  movement 

1  They  are  commonly  so  known  and  called. 


for  the  gradual  abolition  of  slavery.  This  was 
in  1780,  during  the  progress  of  the  Revolution. 
An  act  of  Assembly2  was  passed  on  March  1, 
1 780,  to  this  end.  In  the  preamble,  the  Act  set 
forth,  among  other  things, — 

"  We  esteem  it  a  peculiar  blessing  granted  to  us  that 
we  are  enabled  this  day  to  add  one  more  step  to  uni- 
versal civilization,  by  removing  as  much  as  possible 
the  sorrows  of  those  who  have  lived  in  undeserved 
bondage,  and  from  which,  by  the  assumed  authority 
of  the  Kings  of  Great  Britain,  no  effectual  relief  could 
be  obtained.  Weaned  by  a  long  course  of  experience 
from  those  narrow  prejudices  and  partialities  we  have 
imbibed,  we  find  our  hearts  enlarged  with  kindnes< 
and  benevolence  toward  men  of  all  conditions  and 
nations,  and  we  perceive  ourselves  at  this  particular 
period  extraordinarily  called  upon,  by  the  blessings 
which  we  have  received,  to  manifest  the  sincerity  of 
our  profession,  to  give  substantial  proof  of  our  grat- 
itude." 

And  then  it  enacted  "  That  all  persons,  as 
well  negroes  and  Mulattoes  as  others,  who  shall 
be  born  in  this  State  from  and  after  the  passage 
of  this  Act,  shall  not  be  deemed  and  .considered 
as  servants  for  life  or  slaves  ;  and  that  all  servi- 
tude for  life  or  slavery  of  children  in  conse- 
quence of  the  slavery  of  their  mothers,  in  the 
case  of  all  children  born  within  this  State  from 
and  after  the  passing  of  this  Act,  shall  be  and 
hereby  is  utterly  taken  away,  extinguished  and 
forever  abolished ;"  with  the  condition  that  such 
child  should  be  a  servant  till  the.age  of  twenty- 
eight  years,  after  the  manner  of  indentured 
servants. 

The  Act  required  the  owner  of  slaves  to  file  a 
statement  in  the  Quarter  Sessions'  office,  giving 
age,  surname,  etc.,  of  each  slave.  I  could  not 
find  a  statement  of  this  kind  in  the  office  of  our 
county. 

There  were  some  colored  people  in  the  county 
at  an  early  period.  They  were  in  the  service  of 
iron  men ;  and  they  were  at  Reading  soon  after 
it  was  founded.  It  was  not,  however,  till  after 
1830  that  they  became  sufficiently  strong  to 
form  a  society  for  religious  purposes,  and  thence 
till  now  they  have  grown  in  number  and  influ- 
ence. In  1860  it  would  seem  that  they 
reached  their  highest  number,  four  hundred  and 


2  See  Egle's  "  History  of  Lebanon  County,"  pp.50,  51   in 
which  a  complete  copy  of  the  Act  is  published. 


72 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


ninety-seven;  for  in  1870  it  was  four  hundred 
and  twenty-four,  and  in  1880  four  hundred 
and  forty-nine.  These  were  almost  entirely  at 
Reading,  if  not  entirely.  Some  of  them  owned 
real  estate  here  before  1800.  As  a  class,  long 
before  their  enfranchisement,  in  1863,  they  were 
orderly,  industrious  and  progressive. 


CHAPTER   V. 


ERECTION  0E  COUNTY. 


General  Situation  of  Territory — Petitions  for  County — -Act 
erecting  County — Districts — Names  of  Townships  and 
Towns — Reductions  of  Territory,  Northumberland  County 
and  Schuylkill  County — New  Counties  Proposed. 

General    Situation    or    Territory. — 
When  the  province  of  Pennsylvania  was  granted 
to  William  Penn  by  Charles  II.,  King  of  Great 
Britain,  in  1681,  no  township  or  county  organi- 
zations existed  in  the  province.     There  was  no 
necessity  for  them.     The  settlements  were  lim- 
ited and  they  were  confined  to  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  Delaware  River.     And  the  gov- 
ernment had   no   definite  character.     But  the 
arrival  of  Penn  was  the  dawn  of  government, 
progress    and    civilization.     Within   a    month 
after  his  arrival  he  caused  three  counties  to  be 
laid    out — Bucks,    Chester    and    Philadelphia. 
County    government   then    began,  and   county 
representation  in  the  Provincial  Assembly  was 
inaugurated.     During  this  period  thousands  of 
immigrants  came  into  the  province  and  effected 
permanent   settlements;    and    each    succeeding 
year   found   them    farther    removed   from   the 
county-seats  of  the  counties  named.     They  pro- 
ceeded up  the  courses  of  streams  mostly.    Very 
few  followed  the  streams  from  their  sources  to 
their  outlets.     Only  one  colony  came  from  New 
York  overland,  and  this  was  nearly  fifty  years 
after  the  settlements  had  begun,  and  the  govern- 
ment had  been  given  a  fixed  character.     Very 
nearly  all  landed  at  Philadelphia;  and  thence 
the  great  majority  proceeded  towards  the  inte- 
rior districts  and  the  head-waters  of  streams. 
This  is  particularly  the  case  with  the  Schuylkill 
River  and  all  its  tributaries.     The  settlements 


between  the  Schuylkill  and  Delaware  Rivers 
were  numerous  before  1700.  Every  decade 
thereafter  found  them  farther  northward  from, 
the  Wissahickon  to  the  Perkiomen,  from  the  Per- 
kiomen  to  the  Manatawny,  and  from  the  Mana- 
tawny  to  the  Maiden  Creek.  And  so  they  pro- 
ceeded between  the  Schuylkill  and  Susque- 
hanna Rivers. 

Gradually  those  who  had  settled  in  the  in- 
terior districts,  toward  the  mountains,  began  to 
feel  the  inconvenience  and  expense  incident  to 
their  location.     They  were  compelled  to  travel, 
regardless  of  roads  or  weather,  to  the  county- 
seat  far  removed  from  their  settlements,  and  to 
haul  their  goods   many  miles   to   the   market 
before  they  could  realize  any  value  for  the  pro- 
duct of  their  hard  manual  labor.     Naturally, 
they  felt  inclined  to  improve  their  condition. 
A  county  organization  was  the  first  step  to- 
wards   accomplishing   this   object,    as   well   to 
bring  the  county-seat  into  their  midst    as    to 
create  a  market  near  by  for  the  disposition  of 
their  produce.     But,  notwithstanding  the  nu- 
merous settlements  and  the  large  population  in 
the  great  district  of  territory  east  of  the  Schuyl- 
kill and  south  of  the  Blue  Mountain,  no  addi- 
tional counties  were  erected  before  1750.     It 
was  different  to  the  west   of  the    Schuylkill. 
The  tide  of  emigration   seems   to"  have  been 
greater  in  that  direction.     It  pursued  the  Cones- 
toga  Creek.     And  the  people,  if  not  more  ener- 
getic, were  disposed  to  have  local  government 
more  convenient.     They  did  not  have  the  natu- 
ral  facilities   to   enable    them   to   reach   their 
county-seat  in  Chester  County,  as  the  settlers  did 
have  in  the  districts  to  east  of  them,  which  lay 
in  Philadelphia  and  Bucks  Counties.     In  1729 
they  induced  the  Executive  Council  to  separate 
them  from  Chester  County  and  erect  their  set- 
tlements into  a  new  county,  which  they  called 
Lancaster.     This  county  comprised  a  very  large 
area  of  territory.     Immigration  into   its   rich 
valleys  continued   for   twenty  years.      It  ex- 
tended over  and  beyond  the  Susquehanna  River. 
Then  the  settlers  petitioned  for  another  county 
and  obtained  it  under  the  name  of  York.    This 
was  in  1749;  and  in   1750,  other  settlers,  lo- 
cated to  the  north,  also  petitioned  for  and  ob- 
tained a  county  under  the  name  of  Cumberland. 


ERECTION  OF  COUNTY. 


73 


The  territory  of  both  these  counties  lay  west  of 
the  Susquehanna  River. 

During  the  first  quarter  of  the  eighteenth 
century  many  immigrants  proceeded  to  the  right 
into  Perkiomen  Valley  along  the  West  Branch, 
and  into  Oley  Valley  along  the  Manatawny 
and  its  tributaries.  These  were  mostly  Ger- 
mans ;  some  were  English  and  others  Swedes. 
Other  immigrants,  mostly  Welsh,  proceeded  to 
the  left  into  Conestoga  Valley.  The  settlements 
for  miles  on  both  sides  of  the  river  were  mostly 
confined  to  the  south  of  the  succession  of  hills 
commonly  called  "  South  Mountain."  This 
was  especially  the  case  to  the  right.  In  this 
district  of  territory  the  settlements  were  then 
known  by  the  names  "Amity,"  "  Oley  "  and 
"  Colebrookdale."  But  to  the  left  a  small  set- 
tlement of  Germans  had  taken  place  in  the 
Tulpehocken  Valley, — the  enterprising  settlers 
having  come  down  the  Susquehanna  River  from 
New  York,  and  migrated  eastwardly  to  the 
head- waters  of  the  Tulpehocken  Creek  ;  and 
another  settlement  of  English  (commonly  called 
"  Friends  ")  and  Welsh  had  taken  place  along 
the  Allegheny  and  Wyomissing  Creeks.  These 
settlements  were  known  by  the  names  "Tulpe- 
hocken" and  "  Robeson."  An  earlier  settlement 
to  the  south  was  called  "Caernarvon."  Ac- 
cordingly, during  the  first  quarter  of  that  cen- 
tury six  distinct  settlements  in  this  vicinity  had 
come  to  be  formed  and  recognized. 

During  the  second  quarter,  the  way  for  settle- 
ments north  of  the  "  South  Mountain "  was 
opened  by  the  purchase  of  the  territory  from 
the  Indians.  The  "  Friends  "  were  the  first  to 
enter  the  new  district  to  the  right  of  the  river. 
They  took  up  large  tracts  of  land  along  the 
Ontelaunee,  called  by  them  Maiden  Creek. 
Many  Germans  followed  immediately  after- 
ward. And  to  the  left  many  Germans,  Friends 
and  Welsh  were  added  to  the  settlements  along 
the  Tulpehocken,  Wyomissing  and  Allegheny 
Creeks.  Improvements  were  carried  on  with 
great  energy  and  success  throughout  the  great 
valleys  which  lay  between  the  South  Mountain 
and  the  Kittatinny  Mountain  (sometimes  called 
"  North,"  but  commonly  "  Blue  Ridge  ").  These 
valleys  extended  from  the  east  and  from  the 
west  and  united  in  the  picturesque  Schuylkill 
10 


Valley,  forming,  as  it  were,  a  great  cross,  to 
symbolize  the  wonderful  faith  that  directed  the 
settlers  iuto  this  new  and  fertile  country  for 
freedom  and  religious  toleration.  New  districts 
were  formed  to  encourage  local  government  and 
to  facilitate  intercourse.  To  the  right  they 
were  called  Douglass,  Exeter,  Ruscomb-manor,1 
Alsace,  Maxatawny,  Maiden-creek,  Richmond,1 
Longswamp1  and  Allemengle;  and  to  the  left, 
Heidelberg,  Bern,  Cumru,  Bethel  and  Breck- 
nock. Altogether,  till  1750,  the  districts  were 
twenty  in  number. 

This  was  the  territorial  situation  of  the  set- 
tlements in  this  section  of  the  province  towards 
the  close  of  the  second  quarter  of  the  eigh- 
teenth century.  The  settlers  in  the  several  dis- 
tricts had  provided  themselves  with  meeting- 
houses and  schools  for  their  religious  and  secu- 
lar education.  In  this  respect  they  had 
exhibited  commendable  zeal.  The  German 
population  predominated ;  consequently,  the 
preaching  and  teaching  were  mostly  done  in 
the  German  lauguage.  But  the  Friends  were 
not  backward.  They  were  prominent  in  Exe- 
ter, Robeson  and  Maiden-creek;  and  their 
schools  were  distinguished  for  excellence. 
Manufactures  were  carried  on  everywhere ; 
spinning  was  a  common,  if  not  a  necessary 
employment  in  every  household.  Wearing 
apparel  was  home-made ;  carpenters,  masons, 
blacksmiths  and  shoemakers  were  in  every 
locality  ;  and  iron-ore  mines  and  furnaces  and 
forges  were  in  operation  to  the  north,  south, 
east  and  west.  But  the  great  highways  were 
comparatively  few.  The  most  prominent  pub- 
lic road  was  the  Tulpehocken  road.  It  ex- 
tended from  the  Tulpehocken  settlement  in  the 
west,  in  a  southeasterly  direction,  via  the  ford 
across  the  Schuylkill  (now  the  site  of  the  Penn 
Street  Bridge  at  Reading)  and  Pine  Iron- 
Works,  to  Philadelphia.  From  this  ford  a 
prominent  road  extended  to  the  north,  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  river,  called  Maiden  Creek 
road;  and  another  to  the  south,  on  the  western 
side,  called  Schuylkill  road.  This  point  of 
concentration  naturally  attracted  attention  to- 
wards this  locality  as  a  practicable  place  for  a 

1  Named,  bu(  not  regularly  erected. 


74 


HISTORY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


town-site.  Elsewhere,  for  many  miles  round- 
about, there  was  no  town,  not  even  a  village, 
and  there  were  then  apparently  no  steps  to- 
wards founding  either.  But  just  as  the  settlers 
had  labored  for  years  to  establish  a  county  out 
of  the  surrounding  territory,  similar  efforts  were 
expended  for  a  town  here. 

Petition  for  County. — The  first  efforts 
for  the  establishment  of  a  new  county  out  of  the 
upper  sections  of  Philadelphia  and  Lancaster 
Counties,  adjoining  the  Schuylkill,  were  made  in 
the  latter  part  of  1738.  On  the  13th  day  of 
the  Eleventh  Month  (January),  1738,  the  Hon. 
George  Thomas,  Lieutenant-Governor  of  the 
province,  "  laid  before  the  Council  two  petitions 
addressed  to  him — one  from  the  inhabitants  of 
Providence,  Limerick,  etc.,  in  Philadelphia 
County,  and  the  other  from  the  inhabitants  of 
the  northeast  side  of  the  county  of  Lancaster, 
(with  a  Map  of  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania) — 
praying  that  a  new  county  may  be  bounded 
as  by  the  dividing  lines  in  the  said  Map,  for 
that  they  labor  under  great  inconveniences  and 
damage  by  reason  of  their  distance  from  the 
Courts  held  at  Philadelphia  and  Lancaster,  and 
for  many  other  reasons  in  the  said  petition  men- 
tioned ;  which  were  read  and  ordered  to  lie  on 
the  table  for  further  consideration." l  The  pe- 
tition from  the  inhabitants  of  Providence,  Lim- 
erick, etc.,  districts  (now  in  Montgomery 
County)  has  not  been  found  ;  but  a  copy  of  the 
other  is  in  the  possession  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Historical  Society,  at  Philadelphia.  It  is  as 
follows,  including  the  names  of  one  hundred 
and  seventy-two  subscribers,  of  which  the  first 
sixty-one  were  Welsh,  the  others  Germans  : 

"To  the  Hon.  Geo.  Thomas,  Esq.,  Lieut.  Govr.  and 
Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Province  of  Pennsylva- 
nia and  counties  of  New  Castle,  Kent  and  Sussex  up- 
on Delaware,  etc. 

"  The  petition  of  the  Inhabitants  of  the  North 
East  side  of  the  county  of  Lancaster  in  the  said  Prov- 
ince. 

■'  That  whereas  our  Neighbours,  the  Inhabitants  of 
the  county  of  Philada.,  have  petitioned  Your  Honor 
That  the  upper  part  of  the  said  county  may  be  made 
&  erected  into  a  County,  We,  Therefore,  in  considera- 
tion of  our  sufferings  and  by  their  approbation  and 
consent,  pray  That  part  of  this  county  may  be  Divid- 

UCol.  Reo.  317-318. 


ed  by  a  North  West  line  at  such  a  reasonable  distance 
as  you  in  your  Wisdom  shall  think  fit,  upon  a  right 
angle  from  the  river  Schuylkill  and  added  to  the  said 
proposed  division  and  be  made  and  erected  into  a 
County  &  allowed  the  usual  priviledges  for  the  fol- 
lowing reasons  : 

"  1st.  The  Town  of  Lancaster,  where  the  Courts  of 
Justice  and  Publick  Offices  are  held,  is  seated  very 
advantageous  for  a  Division,  there  being,  according 
to  the  best  account,  three-fourths  of  the  Distance  be- 
tween Skulkill  and  Susquehanna  on  this  side  of  it. 

"  2ndly.  That  our  Trade  and  Commerce  are  equal 
with  that  of  our  neighbours,  the  Inhabitants  of  the 
Upper  part  of  the  county  of  Philada.  aforesd,  and 
[we]  transport  our  produce  by  the  same  methods,  so 
that  we  have  [no]  business  nor  trade  at  or  near  Lan- 
caster, save  only  to  attend  the  administration  of  Jus- 
tice by  reason  [of]  the  disadvantage  of  their  length 
of  land  carriage  [and]  will  not  allow  us  a  market  there 
for  our  produce  and  for  the  same  reasons  we  cannot  pur- 
chase such  goods  as  our  occasions  require  but  at  a 
very  dear  rate. 

"  3rdly.  If  the  Seat  of  Justice  were  fixed  upon 
Skulkill  we  could  there  cheerfully  attend  the  Courts 
and  dispose  of  our  produce,  or  have  it  carried  down 
by  water  for  less  than  the  fourth  part  of  what  we 
must  pay  for  land  carriage  or  store  it  there  ready  for 
markets,  to  wait  the  freshets,  or  if  we  travel  with  our 
wagons,  having  mist  all  the  aforesd  opportunities. 
Yet  we  are  still  in  our  way  to  Philada. 

"  4thly.  That  many  of  us  are  divided  from  Lancas- 
ter by  vast  ridges  of  mountains  ;  that  the  quiet  and 
peaceable  people  rather  choose  to  suffer  thefts  and 
abuses  from  the  idle  and  dissolute  people  who  always 
choose  to  resort  to  such  places  which  are  furthest 
from  the  Seat  of  Justice  (Especially  the  Advantage  of 
the  River  considered)  than  be  at  the  expense  and 
trouble  of  such  a  journey,  the  distance  and  difficulty 
thereof  when  attempted,  oftentimes  gives  such  oppor- 
tunities to  escape. 

"5thly.  That  Whereas  Skulkill  is  the  principal 
River  in  the  Province,  We  Humbly  conceive  that 
these  proposed  Divisions  being  annexed  as  aforesd 
and  the  Seat  of  Justice  fixed  as  aforesaid  it  would  be 
a  great  advancem't  to  trade  and  a  benefit  to  the  Prov- 
ince in  General  as  well  as  to  every  particular  within 
the  proposed  division  and  no  detriment  or  disadvan- 
tage to  any. 

"  6thly.  That  as  our  natural  situation  is  such  That 
we  are  a  great  distance  from  any  Seaport  and  conse- 
quently it  is  with  great  labour  &  difficulty  we  trans- 
port the  effects  of  our  Industry,  thereby  yielding  aben- 
efit  to  the  other,  our  neighboring  Counties,  through 
which  we  travel  and  with  whom  we  Barter,  We  There- 
fore hold  ourselves  excusable  if  not  Commendable  in 
craving  the  reasonable  advantages  we  humbly  con- 
ceive belong  to  a  people  deprived  of  equal  advantages 
with  their  neighbors,  so  that  being  fully  satisfied  with 


ERECTION  OF  COUNTY. 


75 


the  Justice  of  our  Request,  and  that  Your  Honors' 
care  and  study  is  for  the  good  of  the  Public  Weal,  We 
Therefore  Humbly  pray  that  our  cases  in  conjunc- 
tion with  our  neighbours  aforementioned  may  be 
equally  considered. 

"  And  your  petitioners  as  in  duty  bound  shall  pray, 
etc. 


(Subscribed  by) 
"Hugh  Hughs. 

William  Hughs. 

William  Thomas. 

Edward  Davis. 

Morgan  Evans. 

Robert  Ellis. 

Hugh  Davies. 

Gabriel  Davies. 

Morgan  John. 

Evan  Hugh. 

John  Davies. 

John  Bowen. 

David  Davies. 

David  Jones. 

James  Jones. 

James  David. 

David  Evans. 

Thomas  Jenkins. 

John  David. 

Alton  David. 

Thomas  Lloyd. 

John  Thomas. 

Thomas  Jones. 

Henry  Harry. 

John  Davies. 

John  Persall. 

James  Edward. 

Evan  Lloyd. 

Edward  Price. 

Evan  Price. 

David  Lewis. 

"  Johannes  Bernard. 
John  George  Ceh. 
Cunradt  Wiser. 
Johannes  Rauhoose. 
George  Heff. 
Michael  Grove. 
Jacob  De.rrup. 
Peter  Ritter. 
Cunrad  Sherf. 
Michael  Bush. 
Henry  Dun. 
Peter  Vanbebber. 
Peter  Faulk. 
Christopher  Stump. 
Johannes  Ritter. 
Hance  Hitz. 
Hance  Wire. 
Adam  Shite. 
Antony  Shad. 


Thomas  Nicholas. 
George  Lewis,  Sr. 
John  Lewis. 
George  Lewis,  Jr. 
William  Jones. 
Griffeth  Rees. 
John  Lloyd. 
Thomas  David. 
Watkin  Jones. 
Nathan  Evans. 
Eleazer  Evans. 
David  Thomas. 
William  Griffith. 
David  Edward. 
Thomas  Immass. 
Israel  Robison. 
Francis  Hughs. 
John  Treeby. 
Samuel  Robison. 
James  Lewis. 
John  Treeby,  Jr. 
Alexander  Brindley. 
John  Scarlet. 
Moes  Martin. 
William  Rattew. 
Christian  Jonely. 
John  Jenkin. 
George  Hudson,  Sr. 
Nicholas  Hudson. 
George  Hudson,  Jr. 

Lodwick  Kormen. 
Thomas  Davis. 
Martin  Fartrigher. 
Christopher  Steep. 
Henry  Grubber. 
Cunrad  Sharf. 
John  Michael  Bush. 
George  Adam  Bush. 
Lodwick  Bush. 
John  Iste. 
John  Zerpe. 
Philip  Zerpe. 
Lodwick  Butner. 
Zach.  Wanger. 
John  Michael  Teeter. 
Herman  Deedus. 
Adam  Shrouf. 
Michael  Lousereel. 
Michael  Shouer. 


George  Einer. 
Paul  Engle. 
Frederick  Pickle. 
Christian  Pilgus. 
John  Henry  Rool. 
Henry  Seller. 
Jacob  Beyler. 
David  Jones, 
Windel  Loudermilk. 
John  Loudermilk. 
John  Michael  Cap. 
Michael  Neff,  Jr. 
Johannes  Ceddor. 
Michael  Ceddor. 
John  Adam  Stumf. 
Johannes  Lebo. 
Leonard  Reed. 
Peter  Rule. 
Michael  Felgeller. 
Michael  Platter. 
Johannes  Teginham. 
Christian  Ewig. 
Jacob  Sensibach. 
George  Fredk.  Lapp. 
Michael  Neff. 
Andrew  Kolp. 
John  Shinfelt. 
Andrew  Boyer. 
Godfrey  Fiddler. 
Jacob  Mouts. 
George  Lendel. 
Henry  Shiggerd. 
George  Dedrick  Kohl. 
George  TJnruh. 
John  Craul. 
Jacob  Wilhelm. 


Adam  Shouer. 
Tobias  Beoger. 
Jacob  Koofer. 
Johannes  Kirshner. 
Johannes  Gutslinger. 
Cunrad  Caplinger. 
Tobias  Bickle. 
John  Adolph  Henry. 
John  Mekur  Huller. 
John  Jost  Hek. 
Nichs.  Reem. 
Balser  Reem. 
Johannes  Reem. 
George  Frick. 
Isaac  Crooker. 
Henry  Razer. 
Jacob  Razer. 
Peter  Herbein. 
John  Epler. 
John  Huster. 
Joseph  Huster. 
Lawrence  Thompson. 
Thomas  Thompson. 
Jacob  Bowman. 
John  George  Hege. 
Christopher  Stoof'el. 
George  Heil. 
Peter  Fry. 
Peter  Zoller. 
Henry  Zoller. 
Youchim  Ryman. 
Christopher  Shaup. 
Yenik  Hefft. 
Michael  Eagle. 
Hermanus  Edee. 
Peter  Cry. 
Jacob  Cry. 


John  Shall. 

Several  mouths  afterward  (on  19th  of  Third 
Month  [May],  1739)  Lieutenant-Governor 
Thomas  addressed  a  message  to  the  Assembly 
in  which  he  referred  to  these  petitions  and  said  : 
"  If  it  shall  be  thought  likely  to  conduce  to  the 
security,  ease  and  good  order  of  that  part  of  the 
government,  I  shall  be  willing  to  grant  the 
prayer  of  the  petitions ;  and  as  a  provision  will 
be  best  made  by  a  law  for  the  establishment  of 
Courts  of  Judicature,  I  shall  also  be  willing  to 
join  with  you  in  one  for  that  or  other  necessary 
purposes." 

The  Assembly  did  nothing  in  the  matter. 
The  petitioners  waited  six  years  and  heard  noth- 
ing. They  then  (25th  of  Second  Month  [April], 
1745)  addressed  another  petition  to  the  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor, and  renewed  their  former  re- 
quest for  a  new  county.     It  was  read  to  the 


76 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Council,  "and  their  case  being  thought  proper 
to  be  recommended  to  the  Assembly,  the  same 
was  done,"  in  a  message  similar  to  the  first. 
The  Assembly  ordered  it  to  lie  on  the  table. 
It  was  signed  by  John  Potts,  Henry  Harry, 
William  Bird,  Francis  Parvin  and  numerous 
other  inhabitants.  On  the  14th  of  the  Eleventh 
Month  (January),  1745,  a  similar  petition  was 
presented,  in  which  the  petitioners  (the  persons 
named  "  in  behalf  of  themselves  and  a  great 
many  other  inhabitants")  prayed  "that  their 
former  petition  may  now  be  considered,  and 
that  for  the  reasons  therein  contained  a  new 
county  may  be  laid  out  and  erected,"  according 
to  the  lines  drawn  in  a  map  then  laid  before 
the  House,  or  in  such  other  manner  as  to  the 
House  shall  seem  meet.  It  was  read  and 
ordered  to  lie  on  the  table.  The  next  day, 
(15th)  it  was  again  read,  but  referred  for  fur- 
ther consideration.  In  two  weeks  afterward 
(on  the  30th)  another  "  petition  from  a  consid- 
erable number  of  inhabitants  of  Philadelphia 
and  Lancaster  Counties,  praying  to  be  set  off 
into  a  new  county,"  was  presented,  read  and 
ordered  to  lie  on  the  table.  On  the  28th  of 
Twelfth  Month  (February),  1745,  sundry  per- 
sons appeared  before  the  House  and  urged  the 
matter  of  the  erection  of  this  new  county,  when 
a  resolution  was  passed,  "  That  the  House  will, 
at  their  next  sitting,  take  the  said  petition  into 
consideration."  The  matter  seems  to  have  been 
dropped  then  for  five  years  more.  Nothing  is 
recorded  in  the  "  Votes  of  the  Assembly."  A 
diligent,  but  fruitless  search  was  made  for  these 
petitions,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  names  of  the 
petitioners. 

In  the  mean  time  settlements  had  been  ex- 
tended westwardly  and  northwestwardly  beyond 
the  Susquehanna  River.  York  County  had 
been  erected  on  the  19th  of  August,  1749,  and 
Cumberland  County  on  the  27th  of  January, 
1750,  both  out  of  the  westerly  part  of  Lancas- 
ter County.  This  successful  action  on  the  part 
of  the  German  settlers  west  of  the  Susquehanna 
seems  to  have  awakened  a  new  interest  in  behalf 
of  the  new  county  between  the  Susquehanna 
and  the  Delaware  ;  for,  some  months  afterward, 
on  the  7th  of  the  Third  Month  (May),  1750, 
there  was  presented — 


"A  petition  from  a  great  number  of  the  back  in- 
habitants of  Philadelphia  County  and  the  adjacent 
parts  of  Cheater,  Lancaster  and  Bucks  Counties,  set- 
ting forth  that  by  their  remote  situation  from  their 
respective  county  towns  (where  the  courts  and  public 
offices  are  kept),  they  are  put  to  such  extraordinary 
expense  of  money  and  time  in  their  long  journeys 
thither,  as  parties  in  causes,  witnesses,  jurymen,  con- 
stables, etc.,  that  their  burthen  on  that  account  is  al- 
most double  to  what  those  bear  who  are  so  fortunate 
as  to  live  within  a  convenient  distance  of  their  coun- 
ty town ;  that  their  being  at  a  great  distance  from  the 
metropolis  of  the  province,  and  the  charge  of  carriage 
of  their  produce  to  market,  make  the  burthen  still 
more  heavy  upon  them ;  that  as  the  other  remote  in- 
habitants of  the  province,  who  were  lately  in  the  same 
circumstances,  have  obtained  laws  to  have  new  coun- 
ties erected,  they  are  encouraged  to  expect  the  like 
favor;  humbly  praying  that  this  House  would  take 
their  case  into  consideration,  and  grant  them  a  law 
for  erecting  them  into  a  distinct  county  of  such  extent 
and  in  such  manner  as  to  their  wisdom  shall  seem 
meet." 

It  was  read,  but  it  was  not  effective.  The 
House  was  not  in  the  proper  spirit.  Its  mem- 
bers may  have  thought — as  their  successors 
thought  a  hundred  years  afterwards — that  coun- 
ties were  becoming  too  numerous,  that  the  people 
were  getting  too  many  offices  and  office-holders, 
and  that  the  taxes  would  become  too  burden- 
some. The  very  argument  which  the  petition- 
ers had  so  ably  and  truly  set  forth  in  their 
petition,  and  used  in  their  behalf,  seems  to  have 
moved  the  House  against  them.  They  ordered 
the  petition  to  lie  on  the  table.  Here  was  a 
clear  case  of  partiality.  The  petitioners  must 
have  been  bitterly  disappointed.  What  was 
the  reason  of  the  refusal?  The  settlers  of  the 
districts  erected  into  York  and  Cumber'and 
were  not  removed  from  Lancaster,  the  county- 
town,  more  than  an  average  distance  of  thirty 
miles ;  yet  the  average  distance  of  the  settlers  in 
this  district,  especially  those  situated  east  of  the 
Schuylkill,  exceeded  sixty  miles,  or  twice  the 
distance  from  their  county-towns.  Had  they 
not  used  enough  money  ?  Had  they  not  first 
fed  the  politicians  before  asking  a  favor  at  their 
hands?  Or  were  they  wanting  in  policy? 
Their  representatives,  Potts,  Harry,  Bird  and 
Parvin,  who  can  be  presumed  to  have  taken 
an  active  interest  in  this  petition  also,  were 
wise,  as  they  were  wealthy  and  influential,  and 
the  conclusion  must  therefore  be  expressed  that 


ERECTION  OF  COUNTY. 


77 


the  Assembly  deemed  the  erection  of  a  new 
county  so  soon  after  York  and  Cumberland  as 
inexpedient. 

If  they  were  then  disappointed,  they  were 
not  discouraged.  Their  determination  prepared 
them  for  another  effort.  A  year  afterward  they 
tried  it  again.  They  caused  their  petition  to  be 
brought  up  before  the  Assembly  on  the  16th  of 
Sixth  Month  (August),  1751,  and  read  a  second 
time ;  but  it  was  "  referred  to  the  consideration 
of  the  next  Assembly." 

When  the  next  Assembly  met,  these  earnest 
petitioners  were  on  hand.  They  prepared  the 
way  by  presenting  still  another  petition.  This 
was  on  the  4th  of  February,  1752.  It  repre- 
sented— 

"  That  they  were  inhabitants  of  Reading-town,  upon 
the  Schuylkill.  That  they  had  settled  in  the  said 
town,  expecting  that  it  would  be  a  great  place  of  trade 
and  business,  and  had  put  themselves  to  vast  ex- 
penses in  building  and  removing  thither  with  their 
families,  several  of  whom  had  left  tolerably  good 
plantations  ;  that  though  the  said  town  had  not  above 
one  house  in  it  about  two  years  ago  (1750),  yet  it  now 
consisted  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  dwelling-houses, 
besides  forty-one  stables  and  other  out-houses ;  and 
that  there  were  one  hundred  and  sixty  families,  consist- 
ing of  three  hundred  and  seventy-eight  persons,  settled 
therein  ;  that  they  had  good  reason  to  believe  that  in 
another  summer  they  would  be  much  increased,  as  the 
chief  part  of  the  province  that  could  be  settled  was 
already  taken  up,  and  the  settling  of  the  town  would 
be  of  great  benefit  to  tradesmen  and  others  who  are 
not  able  to  purchase  tracts  of  land  to  live  on;  that 
they  humbly  conceived  it  their  interest,  to  the  hon- 
orable proprietaries  as  well  as  to  themselves,  and 
that  unless  this  House  would  be  pleased  to  erect  part 
of  the  counties  of  Philadelphia,  Chester  and  Lancas- 
ter into  a  separate  county,  they  should  be  entirely 
disappointed  in  their  expectations,  notwithstanding 
all  the  cost  and  trouble  they  had  been  at;  they  there- 
fore prayed  that  this  House  would  take  their  case  into 
consideration  and  grant  them  relief  by  erecting  such 
parts  of  said  counties  as  they  should  think  most  proper 
into  a  new  county,  with  the  same  privileges  that  the 
other  counties  of  this  province  enjoyed  ;  and  that  the 
seat  of  judicature  should  be  fixed  within  the  said 
town  of  Reading." 

And  on  the  following  day  (oth)  another 
petition  was  presented,  in  which  they  stated 
that — 

"  Although  their  grievances  were  laid  before  the 
Assemblies  of  this  Province  several  years  past,  and 
their  petition  again  renewed  at  the  last  sitting  of  the 


Assembly,  yet  as  they  find  the  causes  of  their  com- 
plaint still  continue  growing,  they  humbly  beg  leave 
further  to  represent  that  they  are  settled  at  a  very 
great  distance  from  the  place  of  judicature,  many  of 
them  not  less  than  one  hundred  miles,  which  is  a  real 
hard>hip  upon  those  who  are  so  unhappy  as  to  be  sued 
for  debts,  their  charges  in  long  journeys,  and  some- 
times in  severe  weather,  with  the  officers'  fees,  amount- 
ing to  near  as  much,  if  not  more,  than  the  debts ;  that 
the  hardships  on  jurymen,  constables,  etc.,  in  being 
obliged  to  attend  when  required,  is  also  very  great ; 
that  now  there  is  a  new  town  laid  out  by  the  Proprie- 
taries' Order,  within  fifteen  perches  of  the  division  line 
between  Philadelphia  and  Lancaster  counties,  and 
above  one  hundred  and  thirty  houses  built,  and  near 
as  many  families  living  therein ;  it  is  very  easy  for 
rogues  and  others  to  escape  justice  by  crossing  the 
Schuylkill,  which  has  already  been  their  practice  for 
some  years ;  that,  though  their  grievances  when  laid 
before  the  Assembly  some  years  past  were  not  re- 
dressed, because  of  other  weighty  affairs  being  at  that 
time  under  consideration,  yet  the  prayer  of  their  pe- 
tition was  thought  reasonable,  and  the  number  of  pe- 
titioners being  since  doubled  by  the  increase  of  the 
back  inhabitants ;  they  therefore  pray  that  this  House 
would  grant  relief  in  the  premises,  by  erecting 
them  into  a  separate  county,  bounded  as  to  the  wis- 
dom of  the  House  shall  seem  best." 

In  pursuance  of  the  reference,  the  petition 
was  read  on  the  5th,  and  referred  for  the  next 
day.  The  6th  arrived  and  it  was  read  again 
and  referred.  On  the  12th  the  same  proceed- 
ings were  had.  And  finally,  on  the  13th,  the 
monotony  of  reading  and  reference  was  broken  ; 
for  then  the  House,  after  having  considered  the 
petition  and  also  the  petitions  from  Reading, 
"  Resolved,  that  the  petitioners  have  leave  to 
bring  in  a  bill  pursuant  to  the  prayer  of  their 
petition." 

On  that  day  some  of  the  petitioners  presented 
themselves  before  the  House  "  and  desired 
leave  to  be  heard  respecting  the  bounds  which 
they  understood  the  House  proposed  for  a  new 
county  in  case  it  should  be  granted."  Their 
objections  were  heard ;  and,  after  answering 
such  questions  as  were  put  to  them,  they  with- 
drew. 

On  the  18th  the  bill  was  read  the  first  time 
and  ordered  to  lie  on  the  table.  On  the  19th 
it  was  read  a  second  time,  considered  paragrapli 
by  paragraph,  and,  after  some  debate,  ordered 
to  be  transcribed  for  a  third  reading.  On  the 
20th  it  was  read  a  third  time,  and,  upon  the 


78 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


question,  "  Resolved,  that  the  Bill  do  pass/'  it 
was  "  Ordered,  that  Henry  Pawling  and  George 
Ashbridge  do  carry  up  the  same  to  the  Gover- 
nor and  desire  his  concurrence  thereto."  On 
the  21st  "the  gentlemen  named  reported  that 
they  had  delivered  the  Bill  according  to  Order, 
and  that  the  Governor  was  pleased  to  say  he 
would  give  it  all  the  dispatch  he  could."  On 
the  6th  of  March,  the  Governor,  by  his  secre- 
tary, sent  down  the  bill  with  some  amend- 
ments ;  it  was  read  and  agreed  to  by  the  House 
and  ordered  to  be  engrossed ;  and  on  the  11th 
day  of  March,  1752,  the  Speaker  reported  to 
the  House  that  the  bill  was  assented  to  by  the 
Governor  and  enacted  into  a  law. 

At  last,  after  the  lapse  of  fourteen  years,  the 
zeal  and  persistent  determination  of  the  peti- 
tioners were  rewarded  with  success.  The  act 
fixing  the  boundary  lines  of  the  county,  and 
authorizing  the  erection  of  county  buildings 
for  the  public  service,  etc.,  was  as  follows  : 

ACT  ERECTING  COUNTY.1 

"  Whereas  a  great  number  of  the  back  inhabitants 
of  the  county  ot'Philadelphia,  and  the  adjacent  parts  of 
the  counties  of  Chester  and  Lancaster,  by  their  peti- 
tion, have  humbly  represented  to  the  Governor  and 
Assembly  of  this  province  their  remote  situation  from 
their  respective  county-towns,  where  the  courts  of 
justice  and  public  offices  are  kept,  whereby  they  are 
frequently  put  to  extraordinary  expense  of' money, 
and  loss  of  time,  in  their  long  journeys  thither,  as 
parties  in  causes,  witnesses,  jurymen,  &c. :  For 
remedying  which  inconveniencies,  and  relief  of  the 
inhabitants  in  those  remote  parts  in  the  premises,  be 
it  enacted  by  the  Hon.  James  Hamilton,  Esq.,  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor, under  the  Hou.  Thomas  Penn  and 
Richard  Penn,  true  and  absolute  proprietaries  of  the 
province  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  the  counties  of 
New  Castle,  Kent  and  Sussex,  upon  Delaware,  by 
and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  representa- 
tives of  the  freemen  of  the  said  province,  in  general 
assembly  met,  and  by  the  authority  of  the  same — 
That  all  and  singular  the  lands  lying  within  the  prov- 
ince of  Pennsylvania  aforesaid,  within  the  metes  and 
bounds  as  they  are  hereinafter  described,  be  erected 
into  a  county,  and  the  same  are  hereby  erected  into  a 
county,  named,  and  henceforth  to  be  called  BERKS ; 
bounded  as  follows  :  by  a  line,  at  the  distance  of  ten 
superficial  miles  southwest  from  the  western  bank  of 
the  river  Schuylkill,  opposite  to  the  mouth  of  a  creek 


■Dallas'  "  Laws  of  Penua.,"  vol.  i.  pnges  347  to  351. 
Sections  2,  3,  4,  5,  7,  8,  9,  10,  11,  12  and  13  are  abbre- 
viated. 


called  Monocasy,  to  be  run  northwest  to  the  extremity 
of  the  province,  and  southeast,  until  it  shall  intersect 
the  line  of  Chester  county  ;  then  on  one  straight  line 
crossing  the  river  Schulkill  aforesaid  to  the  upper  or 
northwestward  line  of  McCaU's  manor ;  then  along 
the  said  line  to  the  extremity  thereof,  and  continuing 
the  same  course,  to  the  line  dividing  Philadelphia 
and  Bucks  counties  ;  then  along  the  said  line  north- 
west, to  the  extent  of  the  county  aforesaid. 

"  Sec.  2.  The  inhabitants  empowered  to  elect  one 
representative  in  the  Assembly. 

"See.  3.  Taxes  already  laid  in  the  county  of  Berks, 
to  be  paid  to  the  Treasurers  of  Philadelphia,  Chester 
and  Lancaster  counties. 

"  See.  4.  Jurisdiction  of  Supreme  Court  extended 
to  Berks  County. 

"  Sec.  5.  County  Courts  established,  which  shall  sit 
in  May,  August,  November  and  February. 

"See.  6.  It  shall  and  may  be  lawful  to  and  for 
Anthony  Lee,  Francis  Parvin,  William  Maugridge, 
William  Bird  and  Joseph  Millard,  or  any  three  of. 
them,  to  purchose  and  take  assurance  to  them  and 
their  heirs,  of  a  piece  of  land,  situate  in  some  con- 
venient place  in  the  said  town  of  Reading,  in  trust, 
and  for  the  use  of  the  inhabitants  of  said  county,  and 
thereon  to  erect  and  build  a  court-house  and  prion, 
sufficient  to  accommodate  the  public  service  of  the 
said  county,  and  for  the  ease  and  conveniency  of  the 
inhabitants. 

"  Sec.  7.  Charges  for  these  purposes  to  be  assessed 
on  the  inhabitants,  but  not  to  exceed  three  hundred 
pounds. 

"Sec.  8.  Suits  commenced  to  be  prosecuted  in  the 
counties  where  instituted. 

"  Sec.  9.  John  Hughes  appointed  collector  of  excise 
with  power  to  collect  the  same,  &c. 

"Sec.  10.  Said  collector  shall  apply  to  collectors  of 
Philadelphia,  Chester  and  Lancaster  Counties  for 
lists  of  excise,  etc. 

"Sec.  11.  Collector  to  give  bond  for  performance 
of  duties. 

"See.  12.  Sheriff  and  Coroner  of  Philadelphia  to 
officiate  till  the  same  officers  be  chosen  in  Berks 
County. 

"  Sec.  13.  Boundary  lines  of  county  to  be  run  with- 
in six  months  by  Edward  Scull,  of  Philadelphia 
County;  Benjamin  Lightfoot,  of  Chester  County; 
and  Thomas  Cookson,  of  Lancaster  County,  commis- 
sioners specially  appointed,  etc.'' 

The  surveying  commissioners  surveyed  the 
boundary  lines  of  the  county,  and  extended  the 
easterly  and  westerly  lines  to  the  Susquehanna 
River,  which  was  then  the  limit  of  settle- 
ments. The  settlers  having  ascertained  that 
the  lines  of  the  new  county  had  been  run 
extended  their  settlements  rapidly.  But  com- 
plaints arose.     The  adjoining  counties  claimed 


ERECTION  OF  COUNTY. 


79 


the  right  of  levying  taxes  on  the  inhabitants 
and  their  property  along  these  lines,  and  this 
caused  dissatisfaction.  An  Act  was  therefore 
passed  on  the  18th  of  February,  1769,  which 
authorized  commissioners  (William  McClay, 
William  Scull  and  John  Biddle)  to  run  the  lines 
between  Lancaster,  Cumberland  and  Berks 
Counties,  and  also  between  Berks  and  North- 
ampton Counties,  by  actual  survey,  and  extend 
them  in  a  northwestwardly  course  as  far  as  the 
lands  extended,  which  were  purchased  by  the 
proprietaries  from  the  Indians  in  1768. 

The  most  extended  limits  of  the  county  in- 
cluded about  one-tenth  part  of  the  province,  or 
five  times  the  present  area.  As  the  State  is  at 
present  subdivided,  the  vast  tract  of  land  cut 
away  from  Berks  County  constitutes  the  follow- 
ing twelve  counties,  either  in  whole  or  in  part, 
as  now  bounded  :  All  of  Montour  and  North- 
umberland,1 the  greater  part  of  Schuylkill,2 
Union,  Lycoming,  Clinton  and  Potter,  and  part 
of  Columbia,  Snyder,  Tioga,  Cameron  and 
McKean. 

The  population  of  the  county  at  the  time  of 
its  erection  cannot  be  approximately  estimated. 
The  records  at  Philadelphia  and  Lancaster  were 
thoroughly  examined  for  the  assessments 
of  the  years  1750  and  1751  without  success.  It 
may  have  been  about  twelve  thousand. 

The  territory  which  comprised  the  county 
upon  its  erection  was  taken  from  Philadelphia 
County  to  the  east  of  the  river  Schuylkill,  and 
from  Lancaster  and  Chester  Counties  to  the  west. 
The  estimated  area  of  land  contributed  by  the 
several  counties  named  to  the  county,  as  it  is  at 
present  enclosed  by  boundary  lines,  is  as  fol- 
lows : 

Acres. 

Philadelphia  County 280,000 

Lancaster  County 238,500 

Chester  County 7,500 

Total  area  of  county 526,000 

Districts. — At  the  erection  of  the  county, 
in  1752,  there  were  twenty  districts  or  town- 
ships. Taking  the  river  Schuylkill  as  the  di- 
viding line  which  separates  the  county  into  two 
great  divisions,  they  were  as  follows : 

1  Erected  partly  from  Berks  County  in  1772. 
1  Erected  mostly  from  Berks  County  in  1811. 


Eastern  Division  (twelve). 

Amity.  Maiden-creek. 

Oley.  Maxatawny. 

Colebrookdale.  Albany. 

Douglass.  Eichmond. 

Exeter.  Euscomb-manor.1 

Alsace.  Longswamp.1 

Western  Division  {eight). 
Caernarvon.  Bern. 

Robeson.  Cumru. 

Tulpehocken.  Bethel. 

Heidelberg.  Brecknock. 

Immediately  after  the  erection  of  the  county 
townships  were  formed  ;  and  the  formation  con- 
tinued for  a  period  of  one  hundred  years.  They 
were  as  follows : 

Eastern  Division  {eleven). 

Hereford.  Pike. 

Greenwich.  Washington. 

Windsor.  Perry. 

Bnckland.  Ontelaunee. 

District.  Muhlenberg. 
Earl. 

Western  Division  {ten). 

Union.  Heidelberg,  Lower. 

Bern,  Upper.  Heidelberg,  North. 

Tulpehocken,  Upper.  Marion. 

Penn.  Spring. 

Centre.  Jefferson. 

The  following  districts  were  erected  from  the 
townships  as  named : 

Eastern  Dioisi  m.  Western  Division. 

Bsading  from  Alsace.  Birdsboro'  from  Eobeson 

BoyertownfromColebrook-  and  Union. 

dale.  Bernville  from  Penn. 

Fleetwood  from  Eichmond.  Centreport  from  Centre. 

Hamburg  from  Windsor.  Womelsdorf  from  Heid- 

Kutztownfrom  Maxatawny.  elberg. 
Topton  from  Longswamp. 

The  total  number  of  territorial  districts  in 
the  county  is  fifty-one. 

Names  of  Townships. — The  great  majority 
of  the  early  settlers  in  the  county  were  Germans. 
From  this  fact  it  might  be  supposed  that  the 
majority  of  the  names  given  to  the  townships 
erected  upon  application  to  court  would  be 
German.  But  this  was  not  the  case  ;  for  there 
was  only  one  township  to  the  east  of  the  Schuyl- 
kill named  by  the  German  influence,  and  this 
was  Alsace,  and  only  two  to  the  west,  and  these 

'So  known  before  1752. 


80 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


were  Heidelberg  and  Bern.  The  English  were 
more  successful  in  this  respect  to  the  east  of  the 
river,  they  having  named  the  following  nine 
townships : 


Richmond. 
Greetiwieh. 
Windsor. 
Albany. 


Colebrookdale. 

Exeter. 

Hereford. 

Ruscomb-manor. 

Maiden-creek. 

And   the  Welsh 
named  three, — 

Caernarvon. 
Brecknock. 

The  other  townships  were  named  after  their 
several  localities  or  prominent  individuals. 


to  the   west,  they  having 


Cumru. 


LOCALITY. 

East  of  River. 

West  of  River. 

Oley. 

Tulpehocken 

Amity.1 

Union. 

Pike. 

Spring. 

District. 

Centre. 

Rockland. 

Bethel. 

Maxatawny. 

Longswamp. 

Ontelaunee. 

INDIVIDUALS. 

East  of  River.  West  of  River. 

Douglass.  Robeson. 

Washington.  Penn. 

Earl.  Jefferson. 

Muhlenberg.  Marion. 
Perry. 

Names  of  Towns. — In  the  county  there 
are  one  hundred  and  twenty  towns. 2  The 
greater  number  of  them  are  named  after  indi- 
viduals. They  are  well  distributed  throughout 
the  county.  For  convenience  I  have  arranged 
them  in  two  classes  in  the  two  divisions  and 
four  sections  of  the  county  according  to  my  his- 
torical narrative 3  The  names  of  the  one  class 
were  given  to  the  towns  after  the  individuals 
who  laid  out  the  town-plans  or  owned  the  land 
in  the  vicinity,  and  sold  off  lots  or  first  began 
local  improvements,  and  are  called  "  personal ; " 4 


1  From  friendship  with  Indians. 
» Including  all  classes — city,  boroughs  and  villages. 
3  See  narrative  of  townships. 

*  Several  have  been  named  after  prominent  railroad  men 
— Tuckerton,  Fleetwood  and  Lyons. 


and  the  other  class  after  localities  or  some 
feature  of  the  neighborhood,  and  are  called 
"local." 

PERSONAL  NAMES    (78). 

East  of  Schuylkill. 

Manatawny  Section  (27).       Ontelaunee  Section  (24). 

Blandon. 
Bowers. 

Coxtown  (now  Fleet- 
wood.) 
Evansville. 
Fetherolfsville. 
Grims  ville. 
Hancock. 
Jeffersonville. 
Kearnsville. 
Kempton. 
Kirbyville. 
(now        Klinesville. 
Kutztown. 
Leesport. 
Lenhartsville. 
Lyons. 
Mertztown. 
Mohrsville. 
Molltown. 
Rothrocksville. 
Shoemakersville. 
Smithsville. 
Trexlertown. 
Wessnersville. 


Barto. 

Baumstown. 

Boyertown. 

Bechtelsville. 

Claytonville. 

Douglassville. 

Engelsville. 

Eschbach. 

Fredericksville. 

Gabelsville. 

Grie3emerville. 

Greshville. 

Hillegas3ville 

Herefordville). 

Jacksonwald. 

Lobachsville. 

Marysville. 

Pricetown. 

Schultzville. 

Seisholtzville. 

Shanesville. 

Snyderville. 

Spangsville. 

Stonersville. 

Stoneville. 

Treichlersville. 

Tuckerton. 

Weavertown. 


West  of  Schuylkill. 
Tulpehocken  Section  (14).      Schuylkill  Section  (13). 


Brownsville. 
Frystown. 
Hetrichstown       (now 

Mt.  Pleasant). 
Millersburg. 
Rehrersburg. 
Robesonia. 
Schaefferstown. 
Schartelsville. 
Stouchsburg. 
Strausstown. 
Wernersville. 
Winters  ville. 
Wohlebertstown  (now 

Mt.  Aetna). 
Womelsdorf. 


Beckers  ville. 

Birdsboro'. 

Fritztown. 

Geigertown. 

Gickersville. 

Gouglersville. 

Joanna. 

Mohnsville. 

Morgantown. 

Naomi. 

Seyfert. 

Shillington. 

Weitzel  ville. 


ERECTION  OF  COUNTY. 


81 


LOCAL  NAMES   (41). 

East  of  Schuylkill. 
Manatawny  Section  (16).       Otdelaunee  Section  (13). 


Amity  ville. 
Antietam  (now  Stony 

Creek  Mills). 
Churchville. 
Earlville. 
Friedensburg. 
Monocacy. 
New  Berlin. 
New  Jerusalem. 
Pleasantville. 
Beading. 
St.  Lawrence. 
Stonetown. 
Stony      Point      (now 

Dryville). 
Suckertown. 
Wood  ville. 
Yellow  House. 

West  of  Schuylkill. 
Tulpehochen  Section  (5).         Schuylkill  Section  (7). 


Berkeley. 

Buena  Vista. 

Esgle  Point. 

Farmington. 

Hamburg. 

Monterey. 

Moselem. 

Shamrock. 

Temple. 

Topton. 

Virginsville. 

Walnuttown. 

Windsor  Castle. 


Bern  ville. 
Centreport. 
Centreville. 
Mechanicsville. 
West  Leesport. 


Gibraltar. 
Mt.  Airy. 
Mt.  Pleasant. 
Sinking  Spring. 
Port  Union. 
Springville. 
Unionville. 


REDUCTIONS  OF   TERRITORY. 

Northumberland  County,  1772. — As 
near  as  it  was  possible  to  do  so,  the  provincial 
government  kept  the  settlers  from  going  beyond 
the  limits  of  the  purchases  from  the  Indians. 
After  the  purchase  of  1749,  the  settlers  extended 
the  settlements  beyond  the  Blue  Mountain. 
Within  the  next  score  of  years,  numerous  set- 
tlements were  made  in  that  territory,  especially 
in  the  district  which  lies  between  the  Blue 
Mountain  and  "  Schne^d  Berg,"  or  Sharp 
Mountain, — named  so  from  the  sharpness  of  its 
apex.  Many  persons  located  beyond  the  pur- 
chase, in  the  vicinity  of  the  great  fork  in  the 
Susquehanna ;  and  this  induced  the  additional 
purchase  of  1768.  Within  the  next  four  years, 
the  Governor  was  persuaded  to  feel  the  necessity 
of  erecting  another  county,  even  in  that  remote 
locality,  notwithstanding  a  much  larger  popu- 
lation existed  within  the  limits  of  the  purchase 
of  1749.  Its  distance— averaging  seventy-five 
miles— from  the  county-seat,  Reading,  was  the 
11 


principal  cause  of  complaint,  and  the  prime 
reason  to  the  Assembly  in  granting  the  prayer 
of  the  petitioners  for  a  new  county.  Northum- 
berland was  erected  on  March  21,  1772.  It 
comprised  about  one-third  of  the  whole  State, 
including  the  entire  northwestern  section.  Over 
three-fifths  part  of  Berks  County  was  cut  to  it. 
No  townships  had  been  formed  in  that  section. 
Immediately  after  the  erection  of  the  new 
county,  townships  were  formed,  and  a  county- 
seat  was  established  and  laid  out  at  Shamokin.1 
The  place  was  named  Sunbury.  Names,  statis- 
tics, etc.,  were  not  obtainable  to  show  who  were 
the  first  settlers,  what  was  their  number  and 
wealth,  and  what  amount  of  taxes  they  contrib- 
uted to  Berks  County  in  1771.  Fort  Augusta, 
at  the  fork  of  the  river,  was  a  conspicuous 
place  during  the  French  and  Indian  War.  It 
was  erected  in  1756. 

In  the  first  efforts  towards  erecting  the 
county  of  Dauphin,  in  1782  a  proposition  was 
made  to  cut  off  a  portion  of  the  western  sec- 
tion of  Berks  County.  But  the  citizens  of  the 
county  generally  remonstrated,  and  their  oppo- 
sition was  successful.  It  caused  the  political 
movement  in  behalf  of  the  new  county  to  con- 
fine itself  within  the  limits  of  Lancaster  County ; 
and  it  was  erected  several  years  afterward, 
in  1785. 

Schuylkill  County,  1811.— A  score  of 
years  had  passed  by  when  Berks  County  was  first 
reduced  in  area  by  contributing  territory  to- 
wards the  erection  of  a  new  county.  After  two- 
score  of  years  more  elapsed  there  was  a  second 
reduction.  In  these  sixty  years  many  surpris- 
ing developments  were  made,  not  only  in  settle- 
ments and  population,  but  more  especially  in 
internal  resources.  The  condition  of  affairs  in 
Berks  County  was  equal  to  that  of  any  sec- 
tion of  the  State.  Coal  was  discovered  as  early 
as  1775,  along  the  head-waters  of  the  Schuyl- 
kill. Its  need  had  come  to  be  felt.  It  quick- 
ened enterprise  in  developing  new  means  of 
transportation.  Agriculture  had  enriched  the 
land  wonderfully.  Numerous  furnaces  and 
forges  were  carried  on  successfully,  not  only  in 


1  Not  present  Shamokin,  but  near  Great  Fork  in  the  Sus- 
quehanna River. 


82 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


the  more  populous  parts  of  the  county  south  of 
the  Blue  Mountain,  but  north  of  it,  even  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  coal  region.  The  population 
and  improvements  in  the  county  beyond  the 
purchase  of  1749,  when  Northumberland  was 
erected  in  1772,  were  comparatively  trifling. 

But  within  this  purchase  they  had  grown  to 
a  surprising  proportion  when  the  second  county 
was  taken  from  it,  for  the  population  numbered 
about  six  thousand,  and  the  several  townships 
together  contributed  over  eight  hundred  dollars 
in  taxes. 

(For  the  erection  of  townships  in  the  terri- 
tory beyond  the  Blue  Mountain  till  1811,  the 
first  taxable  inhabitants  in  the  several  townships 
erected,  etc.,  see  Appendix). 

New  Counties  Proposed. — Before  a  score 
of  years  more  had  elapsed,  movements  began  to 
further  reduce  Berks  County.  They  were  con- 
tinued with  marked  determination  for  thirty 
years ;  but,  fortunately  for  her  territory  and 
people,  fortunately  for  her  wealth  and  influence 
and  fortunately  for  her  greatness  in  the  family 
of  counties  which  comprise  our  grand  common- 
wealth of  Pennsylvania,  they  all  failed. 

In  1824  three  different  movements  were  made 
to  cut  off  parts  of  Berks  County  : 

One,  for  the  formation  of  a  new  county,  which 
was  to  have  been  called  Penn,  out  of  the  follow- 
ing territory:  Albany,  Greenwich,  Windsor 
(part),  Maiden-creek  (part),  Richmond,  Max- 
atawny,  Longswamp,  Rockland,  Ruscomb- 
lnanor  (part)  and  Oley  (part),  with  Kutztown 
as  the  county-seat.  This  met  with  great  oppo- 
sition, representations  having  been  made  that  it 
would  be  impolitic  and  very  expensive,  that 
Reading,  the  county-seat,  was  in  the  central 
position  of  the  county,  and  that  the  project  was 
the  result  of  a  few  ambitious,  designing  and 
speculating  individuals  who  wanted  profit  in 
increased  value  of  property,  and  who  doubtless 
wauted  place  also  for  political  power. 

A  second,  for  the  erection  of  part  of  Berks, 
Montgomery,  Chester  and  Lancaster  into  a  new 
county.  And  a  third  for  the  annexation  of  part 
of  Berks  to  Lehigh  County. 

In  1825  the  spirit  continued,  and  it  advanced 
so  far  as  to  have  bills  presanted  to  the  Legisla- 
ture : 


1.  To  erect  part  of  Berks  into  a  new  county,  with 
Kutztown  as  the  county-seat. 

2.  Td  erect  part  of  Berks  and  Montgomery  into  a 
new  county,  with  Pottstown  as  the  county-seat. 

3.  To  erect  part  of  Berks,  Chester  and  Lancaster 
into  a  new  county,  with  Churehtown  as  the  county- 
seat. 

And  petitions  were  circulated  for  the  annexa- 
tion of  part  of  Berks  to  Lebanon,  and  thus  was 
there  "  a  disposition  to  clip  old  Berks  in  every 
direction."  But  these  bills  having  been  earn- 
estly opposed,  they  were  dropped. 

In  January,  1838,  after  slumbering  thirteen 
years,  the  feeling  manifested  itself  again.  Peti- 
tions and  remonstrances  from  Berks  County  for 
and  against  a  division  of  the  county  were  pre- 
sented almost  daily  to  the  Legislature.  And 
besides  the  new  counties  named,  a  fourth  ap- 
peared, which  was  to  be  erected  out  of  part  of 
Berks  and  Schuylkill,  and  to  be  called  "  Wind- 
sor." If  the  prayers  of  all  the  petitions  had 
been  granted,  Berks  would  have  only  comprised 
Reading  and  several  adjoining  townships.  Bills 
were  reported  for  all  the  projects,  and  many 
persons  were  at  Harrisburg  urging  their  pas- 
sage. 

In  March  following,  the  Kutztown  party 
came  very  near  accomplishing  their  scheme. 
Mr.  Samuel  Fegely,  a  resident  of  that  borough, 
and  then  one  of  the  Assemblymen,  opposed  the 
matter.  His  pleasing  personal  appearance  and 
acknowledged  good  character  carried  great 
weight  before  the  Legislature.  On  the  2d  of 
March,  1838,  the  bill  for  "Penn  County"  was 
submitted  to  a  vote;  thirty-nine  voted  aye  and 
thirty-nine  voted  nay.  Fegely  received  much 
denunciation  from  his  neighbors  for  his  action. 
He  was  somewhat  like  the  property-holders  of 
Rehrersburg.  But  his  conduct  won  the  favor  of 
politicians  at  and  surrounding  Reading.  Soon 
afterward  he  was  promoted  from  the  Assembly 
to  the  Senate,  and  he  was  kept  in  this  office  for 
two  terms,— 1841  to  1846. 

In  February,  1841,  another  bill  was  reported 
by  Mr.  Daniel  B.  Kutz  (of  Kutztown),  then  in 
the  Assembly,  for  the  erection  of  a  new  county 
out  of  part  of  Berks  and  Lehigh,  with  Kutz- 
town as  the  county-seat.  By  this  scheme  four- 
teen townships  were  to  have  been  cut  from 
Berks.     But  it  was  tabled. 


EKECTION  OF  COUNTY. 


83 


On  November  15,  1845,  there  was  a  grand 
meeting  at  Pottstown  to  encourage  a  new  county 
which  was  to  have  been  formed  out  of  part  of 
Berks,  Chester  and  Montgomery,  and  named 
"Jackson."  The  townships  to  have  been  taken 
from  Berks  were  Amity,  Douglass,  Earl  and 
Colebrookdale.  William  Johnson,  from  Berks, 
was  president  of  the  meeting,  and  on  this  occa- 
sion Dr.  Andrew  Bush,  of  Chester  County, 
"  made  an  eloquent  address  favorable  to  the  new 
county."  Resolutions  were  adopted  with  great 
unanimity  and  enthusiasm,  in  which  there  were 
expressed  "the  grievances  and  inconveniences 
which  the  people  suffered  from  their  remoteness 
from  the  seat  of  justice,  county  records,  etc.,  and 
their  indisputable  claims  to  a  new  county  by 
reason  of  their  business  resources,  locality  and 
population,"  the  population  of  those  three  parts 
having  then  been  estimated  at  thirty  thousand, 
and  capital  in  business  upwards  of  three  mil- 
lions of  dollars.  This  aroused  great  feeling  and 
caused  meetings  in  opposition  to  be  held  at 
different  places  for  four  successive  weeks  :  in 
Amity,  November  22d ;  in  Earl,  November  29th ; 
in  Douglass,  December  6th  ;  and  in  Caernarvon, 
December  13th.  The  bill  for  this  new  county  of 
"Jackson"  passed  through  the  committee,  but 
"  it  was  killed  on  the  second  reading,"  the  vote 
by  the  Assembly  having  been, — yeas,  twenty- 
one;  nays,  sixty-one. 

In  December  of  that  year  there  was  also  an 
application  for  a  new  county  out  of  part  of 
Berks,  Chester  and  Lancaster,  to  be  called 
"  Conestoga,"  with  Churchtown  as  the  county- 
seat,  but  it  was  not  encouraged. 

In  1847  the  leaders  for  the  new  county  of 
"  Jackson  "  were  again  at  work  before  the  Leg- 
islature. Their  efforts  stirred  up  opposition  in 
all  parts  of  the  county.  On  the  4th  of  January, 
1847,  a  large  and  enthusiastic  meeting  was  held 
in  the  court-house  at  Reading,  and  resolutions 
were  passed  in  which  determined  opposition  to 
this  movement  was  expressed.  Citizens  from 
all  parts  of  the  county  attended  the  meeting. 
At  that  session  also,  on  the  15th  of  January, 
1 847,  Mr.  Jacob  Graeff,  then  in  the  Assembly, 
presented  a  bill  for  the  new  county  of  "  Penn," 
to  be  erected  out  of  a  part  of  Berks,  but  it  was 
referred  to  a  select  committee  of  three.    A  third 


new  county  was  applied  for,  to  have  been 
formed  out  of  parts  of  Berks,  Chester  and 
Montgomery,  and  named  "  Madison,"  with  the 
connty-seat  at  Pottstown.  The  part  to  have 
been  taken  from  Berks  comprised  all  of  Union, 
Douglass,  Colebrookdale,  Washington,  Here- 
ford, District  arid  Earl,  half  of  Amity,  two- 
thirds  of  Pike  and  half  of  Longswamp.  The 
efforts  for  the  new  counties  of  "  Madison  "  and 
"  Penn  "  were  so  great  and  persistent  at  that 
session  that  fears  were  entertained  that  the  bills 
would  pass.  The  opponents  accordingly  de- 
veloped a  feeling  against  them  by  public  meet- 
ings which  they  caused  to  be  held  in  Windsor 
on  the  16th  of  January,  in  Pike  on  the  19th  of 
January,  and  in  Maiden-creek  on  the  23d  of 
January.  The  bill  for  "  Penn  County "  was 
voted  for  on  the  1st  of  March  and  defeated  by  a 
vote  of  nineteen  ayes  to  forty-four  nays ;  and 
the  bill  for  "  Madison  "  was  voted  for  on  the 
3d  of  March  and  defeated  by  a  vote  of  forty- 
two  ayes  to  thirty-six  'nays.  The  leaders  for 
''  Madison  "  had  apparently  worked  very  hard, 
and,  securing  such  a  strong  vote — nearly  two- 
thirds — they  must  have  been  greatly  disap- 
pointed. 

In  1849,  the  subject  of  new  counties  was 
agitated  with  renewed  vigor ;  but  earnestly  and 
sincerely  as  the  one  party  worked  for  them  the 
other  party  worked  against  them.  During  the 
winter  and  spring  of  that  year,  numerous  oppo^ 
sition  meetings  were  held  at  different  places. 
The  most  conspicuous  and  enthusiastic  meeting 
favorable  to  a  new  county  was  one  held  at 
Kutztown  on  the  16th  of  February,  1849.  It 
was  for  the  "  County  of  Penn."  Very  appro- 
priate resolutions  were  reported  and  adopted. 
The  proposed  division  was  to  have  cut  off  fif- 
teen townships.  But  their  enthusiasm  passed 
away  with  general  satisfaction  to  the  county. 

In  November,  1849,  the  people  of  Hamburg 
were  also  seized  with  this  ambitious  feeling. 
They,  too,  wanted  their  borough  to  become  a 
county-seat,  and  accordingly  prepared  a  petition 
for  the  erection  of  a  part  of  Berks  and  Schuyl- 
kill into  a  new  county,  to  be  called  "  Windsor," 
which  they  circulated  for  subscribers,  in  antici- 
pation of  the  next  meeting  of  the  Legislature. 

In  February,  1850,  bills  were  reported  to  the 


84 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Legislature  for  the  new  counties  "Madison," 
"  Penn  "  and  "  Windsor." 

And  besides  "  Windsor,"  a  petition  for 
another  county  in  the  same  region  of  territory — 
to  have  included  part  of  Berks  and  Schuylkill, 
and  to  have  been  named  "Fulton" — was  pre- 
sented to  the  Legislature;  but  on  the  1st  of 
May,  1850,  Henry  A.  Muhlenberg  (the  State 
Senator  from  Berks  County)  reported  adversely. 

And  still  another  new  county  was  to  have  been 
formed.  It  would  seem  that  the  circle  about 
Reading  had  to  be  completed  in  the  numerous 
efforts  to  cut  off  the  surrounding  territory.  The 
citizens  in  and  about  Bernville  caught  the  spirit 
at  last,  and  they,  too,  had  a  bill  presented,  in 
March,  1852,  for  the  erection  of  a  new  county 
out  of  part  of  Berks,  which  was  to  have  been 
called  "  Lee,"  with  Bernville  as  the  county-seat. 
No  particular  excitement  followed  this  applica- 
tion. The  intelligence  from  Harrisburg,  com- 
municating to  the  people  of  Beading  that 
"  there  were  no  hopes  of  the  passage  of  the  bill," 
must  have  had  a  cheering,  if  not  a  soothing, 
effect  upon  their  agitated  minds. 

At  the  session  of  1854,  and  also  of  1855,  re- 
newed applications  were  made  for  the  county  of 
"  Madison,"  but  without  any  progress.  Sud- 
denly, however,  all  these  movements  collapsed, 
as  a  bellows  would  have  done  from  a  break. 
What  struck  the  wind  out  of  them?  From 
the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  of  1790,  for  a 
period  of  three  score-years,  the  spirit  for  new  cou  n- 
ties  had  passed  through  the  whole  State  like  fire 
through  a  woods.  The  year  1800  was  especially 
prolific.  In  these  sixty  years  forty-three  new 
counties  had  been  erected.  The  politicians  and 
men  of  public  spirit  at  Kutztown,  Hamburg 
and  Bernville  had  apparently  started  too  late. 
The  growth  of  the  number  of  counties  and  the 
consequent  increase  in  representation,  in  offices 
and  in  local  taxation  had  been  gradually  formu- 
lating legislation  against  this  evil,  and  finally 
the  bold  genius  of  Charles  R.  Buckalew  broke 
the  storm  by  a  constitutional  amendment,  which 
thus  set  the  minds  of  ambitious,  designing  men 
at  rest.  The  citizens  of  the  county  are  to  be 
congratulated  in  having  had  preserved  for  them 
such  a  magnificent  natural  arrangement  of  ter- 
ritory for  their  political  existence. 


CHAPTER    VI. 


AGRICULTURE. 


General  Condition  and  Progress— County  Society  and  Ex- 
hibitions—Farms, Productions,  etc.,  of  County,  1870  and 
1880. 

General  Condition  and  Progress. — 
When  the  first  settlers  entered  this  territory 
they  found  it  entirely  without  cultivation  or 
improvement  of  any  kind.  The  land  along  the 
Schuylkill  and  its  tributaries  was  in  a  primitive 
state  in  every  respect.  But  it  was  in  a  good 
condition  for  farming  purposes.  Its  location 
was  fine,  its  irrigation  was  superior.  Alto- 
gether it  was  very  inviting  to  them.  Labor 
stood  out  prominently  before  them  as  the  one 
thing  necessary  to  cause  it  to  become  fruitful. 
Fortunately  for  them,  they  possessed  this  per- 
sonal quality  in  the  highest  degree ;  and  with 
this  quality  they  also  possessed  other  qualities 
equally  important  in  taking  hold  of  an  unculti- 
vated country, — economy,  perseverance  and 
patience.  They  were  in  every  way  adapted  to 
their  situation.  Their  preparation  was  of  the 
best  order ;  and  driven  from  home  by  religious 
persecution  or  intolerance,  they  must  have  re- 
joiced in  finding  such  a  pleasing  situation,  such 
inviting  conditions.  After  the  beginning  had 
been  made,  can  we  wonder  that  immigrants  came 
by  the  thousand  ?  They  knew  their  sufferings, 
their  uncertain  condition  at  home.  Their  sense 
of  well-being  induced  them  to  leave.  But  in 
leaving  the  valleys  and  hills  so  dear  to  them, 
they  came  to  possess  and  enjoy  a  country  equal- 
ly favored  for  beauty,  for  health  and  for  profit  ; 
but  more  highly  favored  in  respect  to  a  con- 
dition which  was  to  them  more  important  than 
all  the  others  combined— freedom.  It  is  sur- 
prising to  find  in  the  course  of  time  and  govern- 
ment the  development  of  a  condition  for  man- 
kind so  unfortunate,  so  objectionable,  so  dis- 
couraging ;  but  it  is  equally  surprising  to  find 
in  the  same  course  of  time  and  government, 
though  in  a  country  far  removed,  over  a  thou- 
sand miles  across  a  dreaded  sea,  a  condition  ex- 
actly opposite,  fortunate,  acceptable  and  encour- 
ing. 

The  condition  of  the  settlers  was  encouraging, 
not  only  in  respect  to  an  acceptable  country, 


AGRICULTURE. 


85 


but  also  in  respect  to  their  own  constitution, 
physically,  mentally  and  morally.  They  were 
strong  and  enduring  in  physical  development ; 
they  were  sensible  and  practical  in  thought  and 
feeling;  they  were  sound,  hopeful  and  trustful 
in  religious  convictions.  These  fitted  them  ad- 
mirably for  their  vocation. 

.The  land  was  cultivated  then  as  it  is  now — 
by  manuring  and  enriching  the  soil,  by  turn- 
ing the  sod,  by  sowing  and  planting  seeds,  by 
rotating  crops ;  but  the  manner  was  infinitely 
more  laborious.     Every  act  was  performed  by 
muscular  exertion  and  endurance,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  horse-power.    The  plow,  the  harrow,  the 
scythe,  the  sickle  and  the  rake  were  important 
then.    By  comparison  of  the  past  with  the  pres- 
ent, we  can  readily  appreciate  the  vast  difference. 
The  farming  implements  were  rude  and  simple 
in  construction  and  continued  so  for  many  years. 
The  whole  of  the  eighteenth    century   passed 
away  without  any  improvement.     The  farmer 
labored  on  earnestly  and  faithfully  year  after 
year,  and  decade  after  decade,  with  the  same 
muscular  exertion.     These  rude  implements  re- 
quired him  to  be  at  his  place  all  the  time,  if  he 
wished  to  be  in  season.    His  devotion  was  equal 
to  the  task.     He  was  up  with   the  sun  in  the 
morning,  and  he  was  up  with  the  moon  in  sea- 
son.    He  was  never  behind ;  he  could  not  be, 
without  great  loss  and  inconvenience.     His  im- 
plements were  satisfactory  to  him,  because  he 
gave   them   no  thought  beyond  the  assistance 
which  they  afforded  ;  and  sons  followed  in  the 
footsteps  of  their  fathers — by  imitation.     Half 
of  the  nineteenth  century  passed  away  without 
any  material  advancement  in   this  vicinity  be- 
yond the  days  of  1700,  of  1750  and  of  1800. 
Labor-saving  machinery  had  begun  to  be  intro- 
duced within  a  score  of  years  before  1850,  and 
this  naturally  led  to  an  improvement  in  farming 
implements.    The  mower  came  to  be  substituted 
for  the  scythe,  the  reaper  for  the  sickle  and  the 
drill  for  the  hand.    Improved  plows  of  various 
patterns  were  introduced.     And  now  we  have 
the  combined  reaper  and  binder — a   machine 
truly  ingenious. 

The  same  slowness,  simplicity,  but  earnest 
labor,  followed  the  threshing  of  grain  after  it  j 
had  been  harvested.    The  flail  and  the  walking  i 


of  horses  on  the  barn-floor  were  continued  for  a 
hundred  and  fifty  years.  Indeed,  some  of  the 
poorer,  non-progressive  farmers  in  districts  dis- 
tant from  railroads  and  prominent  highways  still 
carry  on  this  laborious  performance.  For  long 
straw  the  flail  is  still  indispensable.  But  about 
lSSO'thethreshing-machine  was  introduced,  and 
also  the  horse-power  machine  for  running  it  with 
speed  and  success.  Patent  hay-rakes,  hay-forks, 
corn-shellers  and  implements  and  machines  of 
various  kinds  are  also  used  in  every  section  of 
our  county.  All  these  things  were  developed 
from  the  easy  manufacture  of  iron  into  any 
shape.  Accordingly,  the  model  and  the  foundry 
played  an  important  part  in  these  improve- 
ments. And  at  the  bottom  of  all  this  progress 
to  and  for  the  farmer  we  find  iron,  coal  and 
steam. 

We  no  longer  see  from  ten  to  thirty  and 
forty  persons  engaged  in  hay-making  and  har- 
vesting on  our  surrounding  farms  as  they  were 
seen  one  hundred,  indeed,  only  thirty  years 
ago.  A  farmer  and  his  own  family,  with  the 
aid  of  his  horses  and  improved  farming  ma- 
chinery, can  carry  on  all  the  work,  from  begin- 
ning to  end  successfully.  He  has  little  or  no 
hired  help  to  deal  with.  This  is  certainly  a 
great  consideration  to  him.  His  investment  in 
improved  machinery  is  therefore  profitable; 
and  it  is  always  reliable  and  ready.  During 
the  last  thirty  years  numerous  manufacturing 
establishments  were  erected  in  our  country. 
They  caused  a  great  demand  for  working-peo- 
ple, and  this  demand  was  supplied  to  a  great 
degree  from  the  farming  districts.  The  manu- 
facturer paid  higher  wages  than  the  farmer, 
and  limited  the  time  of  daily  labor  to  ten  hours. 
Towns  and  cities,  at  which  these  establishments 
were  almost  entirely  erected,  afforded  the  work- 
ing-people more  and  better  advantages  and 
facilities  in  respect  to  schools,  churches,  pleas- 
ures and  associations.  These  naturally  inclined 
them  to  quit  laboring  on  farms  in  the  country 
and  enter  establishments  in  populous  places. 
Accordingly,  farm-laborers  began  to  grow 
scarce,  and  farmers  became  alarmed,  but  for- 


i  Possibly  1840.     Between   1840  and  1850   they   were 
manufactured  at  Reading. 


86 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


innately  for  farming,  whilst  enterprise  was 
drawing  one  way  against  its  interests  and  wel- 
fare, genius  was  acting  with  equal  force  in  the 
other  for  them.  The  result  has  actually  come 
to  be  beneficial  to  the  farmer,  especially  in 
respect  to  making  him  more  self-dependent. 

County  Society  and  Exhibitions. — A 
society,  formed  for  the  purpose  of  promoting 
the  interests  of  farmers  through  the  progressive 
cultivation  of  land,  may  not  be  strictly  regarded 
as  an  intellectual  association.  But  it  is  cer- 
tainly intended  for  the  discussion  of  matters 
whose  principal  object  is  the  improvement  of 
farmers,  as  well  respecting  their  condition  as 
the  ways  by  which  they  can  conduct  their  op- 
erations with  greater  ease  and  success  ;  and  the 
process  is  purely  intellectual — the  direction  of 
affairs  through  an  improved  understanding. 

In  1823,  a  State  Agricultural  Society  was  sug- 
gested to  the  people  of  the  State  by  an  Act  of 
incorporation  ;  but  nothing  resulted  from  the 
legislative  movement.  Nearly  thirty  years 
elapsed  before  a  successful  movement  was  made. 
A  public  letter  was  addressed  to  the  farmers  of 
the  State,  in  May,  1850,  which  suggested  a 
convention  to  be  held  at  Harrisburg,  in  January, 
1851,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  State  Agri- 
cultural Society.  There  were  delegates  from 
the  several  counties  in  attendance, — those  from 
Berks  County  having  been  Henry  A.  Muhlen- 
berg, John  C.  Evans,  Jacob  Reifsnyder,  Alex- 
ander S.  Feather,  William  D.  Robesou  and 
Samuel  Fegely.  It  resulted  successfully,  and 
the  first  State  Fair  was  held  in  October,  1851. 
This  movement  having  met  with  success,  a  pre- 
liminary meeting  for  organizing  a  society  in  the 
county  was  held  at  the  Keystone  House,  in 
Reading,  on  December  20,  1851.  It  was  at- 
tended   by   fifteen    prominent   citizens1    of  the 

1  There  were  present  at  this  meeting  Dr.  John  P.  Heis- 
ter,  Hon.  Charles  Kessler.  General  William  H.  Keim,  Ja- 
cob Gehr,  Peter  Filbert,  Augustus  F.  Boas,  Frederick 
Lauer,  Hon.  J.  Pringle  Jones,  George  W.  Oakeley,  Samuel 
L.  Young,  Edward  M.  Clymer  and  Jacob  Knabb. 

Dr.  John  P.  Hiester  was  elected  chairman,  aud  Peter 
Filbert,  Esq.,  secretary  of  thi3  first  meeting,  and  a  call  was 
issued  for  a  county  meeting,  which  was  held  at  the  court- 
house, in  the  city  of  Reading,  on  Tuesday  afternoon,  Jan- 
uary 13,  1852,  at  which  Henry  Flannery,  Esq  ,  of  Union, 
presided.  A  constitution  and  rules  of  order  were  pre  ■ 
seuted  by  A.  F.  Boas,  Esq.,  and  adopted.   LThe  election  for 


county,  all  from  Reading  excepting  two,  who 
caused  a  public  address  to  be  issued.  A  formal 
organization  was  effected  at  the  court-house  on 
January  13,  1852,  and  one  hundred  and  eight 
persons  subscribed  the  constitution.  The  first 
exhibition  was  held  on  17th  of  August,  1852,  in 
the  parlors  of  Hou  sum's  new  hotel  (now 
American  House),  on  the  southwest  corner  of 
Fourth  and  Penn  Streets,  Reading.  It  was 
confined  principally  to  grains,  vegetables,  fruifs 
and  flowers  ;  and,  though  small,  it  exceeded  all 
expectations  and  was  an  entire  success,  having 
attracted  a  large  number  of  visitors  from  Read- 
ing and  all  parts  of  the  county.  This  was  a 
"horticultural  fair."  The  first  "agricultural 
fair"  was  held  in  October,  1853;  the  exhibi- 
tion of  speed  took  place  on  a  large  lot  on  the 
northeast  corner  of  Sixth  and  Walnut  Streets  ; 
of  farming  implements,  stock,  poultry,  etc.,  in 
the  lot  on  southeast  corner  of  Fifth  and  Elm 
Streets ;  and  of  grain,  fruits,  flowers,  fancy  arti- 
cles, etc.,  in  the  Academy  building,  on  north- 
east corner  of  Fourth  and  Court  Streets.  It 
was  a  great  success, — the  attendance  was  esti- 
mated at  twenty  thousand. 

In  the  spring  of  1854  (April)  an  exhibition 
was  held  with  success  on  a  lot  below  Laurel 
Street,  between  Fourth  and  Fifth  Streets. 

In  a  report  to  the  society,  made  April  5, 1853, 
a  recommendation  was  made  that  the  public 
park  and  parade-ground  be  obtained  as  a  suit- 
able locality  for  the  erection  of  buildings,  etc., 
to  promote  agricultural  science.  This  recom- 
mendation was  acted  upon,  and  on  May  13, 
1854,  the  county  commissioners  leased  to  the  so- 
ciety the  ground  known  as  the  '-'commons," 
for  the  purpose  of  holding  its  annual  fairs,  for 
the  term  of  ninety-nine  years.  The  third  an- 
nual fair  was  held  there2  in  October,  1854 ;  and 


officers  resulted  in  the  choice  of  Dr.  John  P.  Hiester  as 
president ;  Colonel  Henry  Shubert,  of  Bethel,  and  Major 
Henry  S.  Kupp,  of  Union  township,  vice-presidents ; 
Thomas  Penrose,  of  Maiden-creek,  as  recording  secretary ; 
A.  F.  Boas,  of  Reading,  as  corresponding  secretary ;  and 
Adam  Leize,  of  Reading,  as  treasurer.  The  terms  of 
membership  were  ore  dollar  per  annum,  which  entitled 
the  member  to  a  family  ticket  to  the  society's  exhibitions 
during  the  year. 

2  On  part  limited  by  Washington  Street  on  north  ;  sub- 
sequently the  fence  was  removed  to  Walnut  Street. 


EARLY  AND  GENERAL  INDUSTRIES. 


87 


every  succeeding  year  till  now  the  fairs  have 
been  conducted  with  increasing  success  on  the 
"  Fair  Ground "  excepting  during  the  Civil 
War  for  three  years  (1862-3-4),  when1  it  was 
taken  and  held  by  the  United  States  govern- 
ment for  the  purposes  of  a  military  hospital  and 
camp. 

The  exhibitions  of  the  society  since  its  organ- 
ization have  been  held  altogether  at  Reading. 

The  annual  "  Fair  "  is  one  of  the  principal 
objects  of  the  society.  But  beyond  this,  there 
is  an  important  feature — monthly  meetings  for 
the  discussion  of  topics  which  pertain  to  the  ag- 
ricultural and  horticultural  progress  of  the 
farmer.  These  are  interesting  and  profitable  in 
various  ways.  They  have  been  held  in  the  third 
story  of  the  court-house  for  some  years  past. 
Formerly  they  were  held  at  different  places, 
prominent  among  them  being  the  "Keystone 
House  "  and  "  Keystone  Hall." 

The  society  is  collecting  an  agricultural  li- 
brary, the  books  now  numbering  several  hun- 
dred. 

A  similar  society  was  formed  at  Kutztown  in 
1870,  and  its  exhibitions  have  been  very  success- 
ful. The  success  of  this  society  should  stimulate 
the  residents  of  the  county  at  and  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  several  boroughs,  Boyerstown,  Hamburg, 
Birdsboro',  Bernville  and  Womelsdorf,  to  organ- 
ize similar  societies  and  conduct  annual  exhibi- 
tions for  the  encouragement  of  local  interest  in 
the  progressive  development  of  agriculture  and 
of  everything  connected  with  its  profitable  di- 
rection. 

The  "Patrons  of  Husbandry"  was  organized 
into  a  prominent  and  influential  association  at 
Washington,  D.  C,  in  1867.  The  first  subor- 
dinate organization  of  this  kind  in  Pennsylvania 
was  called  a  "  grange."  The  "  State  Grange  " 
was  organized  at  Reading,  on  September  18, 
1873.  Delegates  from  twenty-five  granges  were 
in  attendance.  Shortly  afterward  local  granges 
were  formed  in  different  parts  of  the  county. 

Farms,  Productions,  Etc.,  of  County. — 
The  following  statement  exhibits  the  number, 
acreage,  value  and  productions  of  the  farms  in 
the  county    at    two    periods.      Some   marked 

1  Taken  in  June,  1862. 


differences  appear,  as  in  value  of  farms,  live 
stock  and  farm  products,  which  doubtless  arose 
from  a  different  process  of  ascertaining  them. 


Farms,  number l 

Land  in  farms,  acres 472,008 

Improved  land 374,560 

Woodland 70,932 

Unimproved  26,516 

Value  of  farms 143,638,465 

Value  farm  implements,  etc..  $1,753,750 

Value  live  stock $4,544,490 

Value  farm  products $9,150,789 

Value  orchard  products $171,215 

Value  garden  products $36,224 

Horses 16,783 

Mules  and  asses 1,333 

Working  oxen 37 

Milch  cows 32,112 

Other  cattle 19,178 

Sheep 5,610 

Swine 37,553 

Wheat,  bushels 930,653 

Rye,  bushels 281,867 

Oats,  bushels 1,425,157 

Buckwheat,  bushels 4,992 

Barley,  bushels 411 

Corn,  bushels 1,267,194 

Potatoes,  bushels 400,846 

Tobacco,  pounds 1,000 

*Not  given  in  U.S.  Census  Reports. 


1880. 

6,847 

488,183 

405,288 

76,602 

6,293 

$36,989,274 

$1,365,615 

$2,859,533 

$4,485,551 

$140,701 

$49,732 

17,969 

1,905 

13 

33,541 

20,572 

2,823 

37,790 

737,125 

431,721 

1,207,657 

11,476 

1,824 

1,586,896 

448,259 

240,027 


CHAPTER    VII. 

EARLY  AND  GENERAL  INDUSTRIES. 

Early  Furnaces  and  Forges  of  County — Production,  1828-30 
— Industries  in  1840 — Comparative  Statement,  1850- 
1876 — Memorial  for  National  Foundry — Summary  of 
Present  Furnaces,  Forges,  and  Mills — Comparative  Table 
of  Statistics,  for  1880 — Production  of  Iron  in  County  at 
three  recent  periods— General  Industries — Statistics  of 
Manufactures  of  County,  1870  and  1880. 

EARLY  FURNACES  AND  FORGES  OF  COUNTY.2 

The  county  of  Berks  was  formed  out  of  parts 
of  Philadelphia,  Lancaster  and  Chester  Coun- 
ties in  1752.  In  each  part  there  were  iron  in- 
dustries at  an  early  period  in  the  history  of  the 
county,  especially  in  the  lower  portion  of  the 
part  taken  from  Philadelphia  County.  They 
were  scattered  many  miles  from  one  another, 

■'  "Penna.  Mag.  of  Hist.,"  vol.  viii.,  p.  56-81 ;  prepared  by 
the  author  of  this  history  and  published  in  March,  1884. 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


extending  from  the  southern  boundary  to  the 
northern,  and  from  the  eastern  to  the  western. 
All  were  located  along  strong  streams  which 
afforded  cohstant  water-power,  and  in  the  midst 
of  thickly-wooded  territory  which  furnished  an 
inexhaustible  supply  of  charcoal.  The  greater 
number  were  east  of  the  Schuylkill.  The  eight 
following  streams  were  occupied  before  the 
Revolution  :  Manatawny  and  its  tributary, — the 
Ironstone,  West  Branch  of  Perkiomen,  French, 
Hay,  Allegheny,  Tulpehocken  and  its  tributary, 
— Spring. 

South  of  the  "South  Mountain"  were  the 
following  :  Furnaces, — Colebrookdale,  Mount 
Pleasant,  Hopewell  and  Oley ;  Forges, — Pool, 
Pine,  Hay  Creek,  Oley,  Spring,  Mount  Pleasant 
and  Gibraltar. 

North  of  this  mountain,  however,  there  were 
one  furnace,  Roxborongh  or  Berkshire,  and  two 
forges,  Charming  and  Moseleni. 

The  following  historical  facts  are  submitted, 
relating  to  the  industries  named.  They  conflict 
with  and  antedate  numerous  statements  hereto- 
fore made  and  published.  They  were  gathered 
almost  entirely  from  the  recorded  deeds,  etc., 
in  the  recorder's  office  of  Berks  County.  For 
this  reason  they  can  be  generally  relied  upon  as 
correct.  Notwithstanding  my  diligent  search, 
this  narrative  is  incomplete.  Further  investi- 
gation will  doubtless  reveal  additional  facts  with 
respect  to  some  of  the  industries  named,  both 
before  and  after  the  Revolution,  and  these  may 
modify  certain  statements  made  and  opinions 
expressed. 

FURNACES. 

Colebrookdale  Furnace.  —  The  Cole- 
brookdale Furnace  was  situated  on  the  Ironstone 
Creek,  an  important  branch  of  the  Manatawny, 
in  Colebrookdale  township,  within  a  mile  to  the 
south  of  the  borough  of  Boyertown.  A  valua- 
ble deposit  of  iron-ore  there  induced  its  erection 
at  that  point.  It  is  supposed  to  have  been 
erected  in  the  year  1720,  "  or  a  year  or  two 
earlier,"  by  a  company  comprising,  among 
others,  Thomas  Rutter,  Anthony  Morris,  James 
Lewis  and  Thomas  Potts.  Especial  mention  of 
it  is  made  in  Watson's  "Annals,"  in  the  "  Potts 
Memorial,"  by  Mrs.  James,  and  in  the  able  and 
exhaustive  chapter  on  "  Iron-Making  in  Penn- 


sylvania," by  Mr.  James  M.  Swank,  in  "  Penn- 
sylvania and  the  Centennial  Exhibition,"  vol.  i. 
The  transmission  of  title  to  this  furnace  proper- 
ty is  complicated.  The  facts  about  its  inception, 
operation  and  abandonment  are  involved  in  con- 
siderable obscurity.  A  correct  statement  of 
facts  about  it  will  therefore  not  be  attempted. 
It  is  generally  conceded  to  have  been  the  first 
furnace  which  was  erected  in  Pennsylvania. 
Thomas  Rutter  died  in  1730.  In  November, 
1728,  he  executed  a  last  will,  by  which  it  would 
appear  that  he  owned  two-thirds  of  a  furnace 
and  of  a  forge ;  the  former,  it  is  supposed,  was 
this  furnace,  and  the  latter  "  Pool  Forge."  In 
1731  it  was  owned  in  one-twelfth  parts,  as  fol- 
lows— the  Rutter  family  apparently  not  owning 
any  interest :  Anthony  Morris,  one-twelfth  ; 
Alexander  Wooddross,  three-twelfths ;  Samuel 
Preston,  one-twelfth  ;  William  Attwood,  one- 
twelfth  ;  John  Leacock,  one-twelfth  ;  Nathaniel 
French,  three-twelfths;  George  Mifflin,  one- 
twelfth  ;  Thomas  Potts  and  George  Boone,  one- 
twelfth. 

About  that  time  the  furnace  was  carried  on 
extensively.  Pig-iron  was  manufactured  and 
sold  in  large  quantities.  The  price  was  fifteen 
dollars  a  ton.  "  Country  castings  " — articles  of 
iron  used  by  farmers  in  the  vicinity — were  also 
made,  the  price  of  which  was  twice  that  of  pig- 
iron. 

A  stove-plate,  inscribed  as  having  been  cast 
at  this  furnace  in  1763,  was  exhibited  at  the 
"  Centennial  Exhibition"  in  1876.  It  is  sup- 
posed that  the  furnace  was  abandoned  soon  after 
this  cast  was  made. 

The  furnace  was  named  after  one  of  the  same 
name  in  Shropshire,  in  England.  The  sur- 
rounding territory  naturally  took  the  same 
name;  and,  subsequently,  in  1736,  upon  its 
erection  into  a  township,  it  was  called  "  Cole- 
brookdale." 

Mount  Pleasant  Furnace. — The  Mount 
Pleasant  Furnace  was  situated  on  the  West 
Branch  of  the  Perkiomen  Creek,  in  Colebrook- 
dale (now  Washington)  township,  about  five 
miles  north  of  Colebrookdale  Furnace,  at  a 
point  a  short  distance  beyond  Barto,  the  term- 
inus of  the  Colebrookdale  Railroad.  It  is  said 
to  have  been  erected  by  Thomas  Potts,  Jr.,  in 


EARLY  AND  GENERAL  INDUSTRIES. 


89 


1738.  The  first  blast  was  made  ou  the  12th  of 
October,  1738,  and  continued  to  the  11th  of  De- 
cember following,  during  which  time  there 
were  manufactured  :  Pig-iron,  85  tons ;  country 
castings,  6  T.  1  cwt.  2  qr.  2  p. ;  and  forge  cast- 
ings, 7  cwt.  3  qr.  6  p. — altogether  91  T.  9  cwt. 
1  qr.  8  p.  Six  blasts  were  made  to  the  20th 
of  July,  1741 — a  total  of  four  hundred  and 
seventy  days — during  which  time  six  hundred 
and  ninety  tons  of  iron  were  produced.  The 
subsequent  history  of  the  furnace  is  not  known  ; 
at  least  it  has  not  as  yet  been  published,  perhaps 
not  even  investigated  thoroughly,  owing  to  the 
absence  of  unrecorded  agreements  and  title-pa- 
pers. Its  exact  locality  can  still  be  identified 
by  the  base  of  the  stack. 

Hopewell  Fuenace. — The  Hopewell  Fur- 
nace is  situated  ou  French  Creek,  in  Union 
township,  near  the  county  line.  It  is  said  to 
have  been  erected  by  William  Bird  in  1759. 
This  is  possible,  but  not  probable.  He  died 
November  16,  1762.  But  this  furnace  was  not 
then  part  of  his  possessions.  And  yet  he  then 
owned  the  Roxborough  Furnace,  in  Heidelberg, 
distant  at  least  fifteen  miles  from  Birdsboro'.  If 
he  had  owned  it,  why  should  he  have  sold  it 
just  before  his  death,  inasmuch  as  it  was  only 
five  miles  distant,  whereas  the  Roxborough  was 
situated  three  times  as  far  off?  But  there  is 
no  title  of  record  from  him  to  any  one.  It  is 
more  than  likely  that  Mark  Bird  built  this 
furnace  after  his  father's  death,  say  about  1765. 
He  was  then  twenty- six  years  old.  He  held  it 
for  twenty  years.  The  first  mention  of  it  is 
made  in  a  mortgage,  dated  in  1772,  made  by 
him  to  his  sister  Mary  and  brothers  William 
and  James  to  secure  the  payment  of  certain 
trust  moneys.  Becoming  subsequently  em- 
barrassed, he,  in  1785,  was  first  compelled  to 
borrow  money  (two  hundred  thousand  Spanish 
milled  dollars)  from  John  Nixon,  a  merchant, 
of  Philadelphia,  on  a  mortgage,  in  which 
(among  other  properties)  he  described  the  Birds- 
boro' Iron- Works  and  eight  thousand  acres  of 
land,  which  included  the  Hopewell  Furnace 
property ;  and  then,  finding  himself  insolvent, 
he,  in  1786,  transferred  the  property  to  Nixon, 
in  trust,  to  sell  and  satisfy  debts,  etc.  Nixon 
accordingly  exposed  it  to  public  sale,  and  in 
12 


1788  transferred  one-third  to  Cadwallader  Mor- 
ris and  two-thirds  to  James  Old,  both  iron- 
masters. At  that  time  the  furnace  lands  comprised 
altogether  five  thousand  one  hundred  and 
sixty-three  acres.  In  1790  Cadwallader  Morris 
sold  his  one-third  of  the  premises  to  Benjamin 
Morris;  and  in  1791  James  Old  sold  his  two- 
thirds  to  the  same  person.  In  1793  Benjamin 
Morris  resold  the  entire  furnace  property  to 
James  Old.  After  the  lapse  of  seven  years 
Old  became  embarrassed  and  was  forced  to  yield 
up  his  title  through  the  law  and  the  sheriff  to 
his  creditor,  Benjamin  Morris,  who  bought  it  at 
the  sale.  This  was  in  1800.  In  August,  1800, 
Morris  sold  it  to  Daniel  Buckley,  of  Lancaster 
County,  Thomas  Brooke,  of  Montgomery 
County,  and  Matthew  Brooke,  Jr.,  of  Berks 
County,  for  ten  thousand  pounds.  The  furnace 
was  rebuilt  in  that  year.  The  Brookes  subse- 
quently sold  out  their  interests,  and  Dr.  Charles 
Clingan  acquired  an  interest  in  it.  Edward  S. 
Buckley  is  now  a  joint  owner  with  the  estate  of 
Dr.  Clingan.  Charcoal  has  been  used  from  the 
beginning  till  now.  It  may  be  the  oldest  furnace 
in  the  county  now  in  existence.  The  "  Oley  " 
was  built  about  the  same  time.  The  "Hope- 
well" has  been  in  the  Buckley  family  over 
eighty  years.  The  "  Joanna "  has  been  in  the 
Smith  family  nearly  ninety  years. 

Oley  Fuenace. — The  Oley  Furnace  is 
situated  on  Furnace  Creek,  a  branch  of  the 
Little  Manatawny,  in  Oley  township,  a  short 
distance  north  of  Friedensburg,  and  near  the 
line  between  Oley  and  Ruscomb-manor  town- 
ships. It  was  built  most  probably  by  Dietrich 
Welcker,  an  iron-master  of  Skippack,  between 
1758  and  1768,  say  about  1765  ;  and  it  is  pos- 
sible that  William  Mayberry  was  a  joint  owner 
with  him  in  the  beginning.  In  1768  the 
furnace  was  certainly  in  existence  and  in  active 
operation,  for  Welcker  then  borrowed  one  hun- 
dred pounds  from  John  Lesher,  an  iron-master 
of  Oley,  and  executed  a  mortgage  to  him,  in 
which  the  furnace  is  mentioned  and  five  tracts  of 
land,  together  558  acres,  110  perches  He  had 
borrowed  money  from  others,  who  sent  the  sheriff 
after  him.  Subsequently  Daniel  Udree  came  to 
own  this  furnace,  and  carried  it  on  in  connection 
with  the  "  Rockland  Forges,"  situated  several 


90 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


miles  to  the  northeast,  till  his  death  in  1828.  It 
is  flow,  and  has  been  for  years,  owned  by  the 
"  Clymer  Iron  Company."  .  A  plate,  with  an 
inscription  "  1770,"  is  built  in  the  stack  of  the 
furnace ;  but  this  must  certainly  relate  to  some 
other  fact  than  the  date  of  the  beginning  of  the 
furnace.  An  ore-bank  is  near  by.  But  iron- 
ore  was  also  supplied  in  its  early  operation  from 
the  Moselem  Mine,  in  Richmond  township, 
distant  about  eight  miles  to  the  northwest. 

Berkshire  Furnace. — The  Berkshire  Fur- 
nace was  situated  on  a  branch  of  Spring  Creek, 
in  Lower  Heidelberg  township,  about  two  miles 
southwest  of  Wernersville.  It  was  erected  by 
William  Bird  about  1760.  It  was  part  of  his 
estate  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  1762.  The 
name  first  given  to  it  was  Boxborough.  It  is 
not  known  when  the  name  was  changed  to 
Berkshire.  About  1790  George  Ege  purchased 
the  furnace  property  and  carried  it  on  for 
several  years,  when  he  abandoned  it,  doubtless 
owing  to  scarcity  of  water.  During  the  Revo- 
lution cannon-balls  were  manufactured  at  this 
furnace.  Ege  carried  it  on  under  a  lease  with 
the  widow  of  ¥m.  Bird — intermarried  with 
John  Patton — from  1774.  She  owned  it  from 
1764  to  1790.  Mr.  Ege  rendered  an  account  to 
the  "  United  States"  April  3,  1783,  in  which  it 
appears  that  he  furnished  the  government, 
November  14,  1780,  with  the  following  shells 
and  shot,  altogether  of  the  value  of  £2894 
lis.  6d. : 

Shells :  867,  10  in. ;  714,  8  in. 

Shot:  843,  24  pd. ;  2137,  18  pd.;  289,  12  pd. 

FORGES. 
Pool  Forges. — Pool  Forge  was  situated  on 
the  Manatawny  Creek,  a  short  distance  below 
the  point  where  the  Ironstone  flows  into  it ;  and 
another  of  the  same  name  on  the  Manatawny, 
several  miles  below.  The  latter  is  supposed  to 
have  been  the  first  of  the  two,  and  erected  in  the 
year  1717.  This  would  be  a  few  years  before 
the  time  generally  allowed  as  the  date  of  the 
erection  of  the  Colebrookdale  Furnace.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  the  remarks  of  Jonathan  Dickinson 
in  a  letter  written  in  1717,  related  to  this  forge. 
He  said:-  "This  last  summer  one  Thomas 
Rutter,  a  smith,  who  lived  not  far  from  Ger- 


mantown,  hath  removed  farther  up  in  the 
country,  and  of  his  own  strength  hath  set  upon 
making  iron.  Such  it  proves  to  be,  as  it  is  highly 
esteemed  by  all  the  smiths  here,  who  say  that  the 
best  of  S  weed's  iron  doth  not  exceed  it.  And 
we  have  accounts  of  others  that  are  going  on 
with  iron- works."  It  is  not  known  when  the 
former  forge  began.  Thomas  Rutter  was  in- 
terested in  one,  or  perhaps  both,  of  these  forges. 
A  forge  is  mentioned  in  his  last  will,  dated 
1728,  in  which  he  disposes  of  two  one- 
third  interests.  In  1731  a  "Pool  Forge" 
was  owned  in  one-sixteenth  parts,  as  follows : 
Anthony  Morris,  two-sixteenths  ;  Alexander 
Wooddross,  two-sixteenths  ;  Samuel  Preston, 
one-sixteenth  ;  William  Attwood,' one-sixteenth ; 
John  Leacook,  one-sixteenth ;  Nathaniel 
French,  one-sixteenth ;  George  Mifflin,  one- 
sixteenth  ;  Thomas  Potts  and  George  Boon, 
one-sixteenth  ;  Rutter's  estate,  six-sixteenths. 

The  subsequent  history  of  this  forge  is  un- 
known. It  is  possible  that  Pine  Forge  was 
built  in  ]  740,  near  by,  to  take  its  place  in  the 
manufacture  of  blooms. 

Pine  Forge. — The  Pine  Forge  was  erected 
in  1740,  by  Thomas  Potts.  It  was  situated  on 
Manatawny  Creek,  in  Douglass  township,  very 
near  the  line  of  Amity.  One  of  the  Pool  Forges 
was  situated  a  short  distance  above  and  the 
other  some  distance  below.  His  son,  John 
Potts,  succeeded  him.  After  the  forge  had  been 
carried  on  for  some  years  by  him,  it  was  sold 
in  1769  to  David  Potts,  Jr.  In  1783  David 
Rutter  bought  it  at  public  sale,  and  he  carried 
it  on  till  his  death  in  1815,  when  his  son  John 
became  the  owner  of  the  property.  Subse- 
quently Joseph  Bailey  came  to  own  the  works, 
and  in  1845  he  converted  the  forge  into  a  roll- 
ing-mill. There  was  a  "  Little  Pine  Forge  " 
not  far  distent,  but  its  locality  and  history  have 
not  been  ascertained. 

Hay  Creek  Forge.— William  Bird  ob- 
tained land  along  Hay  Creek,  in  the  eastern 
extremity  of  Robeson  township,  in  1739,  the 
patent  therefor  having  been  taken  out  three 
years  before  by  Francis  Hughes.  In  the  fol- 
lowing year  he  began  the  iron  business  in  this 
locality  by  the  erection  of  a  forge  on  Hay 
Creek,  about  half  a  mile  above  the  Schuylkill. 


EARLY  AND  GENERAL  INDUSTRIES. 


91 


He  then  took  up  additional  tracts  of  land  by 
warrant  and  survey,  and  by  1756  he  had  se- 
cured about  three  thousand  acres.  This  forge 
was  carried  on  by  him  till  his  death  in  1762. 
Subsequently  his  widow  owned  it  for  some 
years.  His  son,  Mark  Bird,  carried  on  business 
there  till  he  failed  in  1788,  and  was  sold  out  by 
the  sheriff.  At  that  time  it  is  supposed  that 
Mark  Bird  had  about  eight  thousand  acres  of 
land  in  connection  with  his  iron  industries. 

In  1764  the  iron-works  there  comprised  three 
forges,  corn  (grist)  mill,  saw-mill  and  about 
two  thousand  four  hundred  acres  of  land. 

The  pig-iron  was  probably  obtained  at  Cole- 
brookdale  Furnace,  distant  about  ten  miles,  for 
about  twenty-five  years,  till  the  erection  of  Hope- 
well Furnace,  five  miles  distant  to  the  south. 

Mr.  Bird  laid  out  a  town  below  the  forge 
towards  the  river.it  is  believed  about  1750,  and 
called  it  Birdsboro.'  In  1751  he  erected, 
within  the  limits  of  the  town-plan,  a  fine  two- 
story,  cut^stone  mansion-house.  This  building 
is  still  standing,  and  is  now  the  Birdsboro' 
House. 

At  the  sheriff's  sale  in  1788,  the  forge  property 
was  purchased  by  Cadwallader  Morris,  James 
Wilson  and  others,  of  Philadelphia;  and  in  1796 
John  Louis  Barde  became  the  owner.  Mat- 
thew Brooke  married  a  daughter  of  Barde,  and 
subsequently  purchased  the  property.  It  has 
since  remained  in  the  Brooke  family.  Edward 
Brooke  and  George  Brooke,  brothers,  began 
business  here  in  1837.  The  iron- works  then 
comprised  two  forges,  with  a  capacity  of  two 
hundred  tons  of  bar-iron  per  annum.  In  1846 
they  erected  a  charcoal  furnace,  called 
"Hampton;"  in  1848  a  rolling-mill  and  nail- 
factory  ;  in  1851  an  anthracite  furnace,  and 
some  years  afterward  two  additional  furnaces. 
Their  total  annual  capacity  is  about  thirty-eight 
thousand  tons  of  pig-iron  and  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  thousand  kegs  of  nails.  After  the 
death  of  Edward  Brooke  in  1788,  the  Brooke 
Iron  Company  was  instituted ;  and  this  com- 
pany is  now  carrying  on  the  business.  The 
iron  industry  at  Birdsboro',  which,  in  the 
course  of  one  hundred  and  forty  years,  has  been 
so  admirably  developed  out  of  the  "  Hay  Creek 
Forge"   of  William   Bird,  was   in   1878   the 


largest  and  richest  personal  enterprise  in  this 
section  of  the  State. 

Oley  Forge.— The  Oley  Forge  was  situated 
on  the  Manatawny  Creek,  about  ten  miles  from 
its  confluence  with  the  Schuylkill,  and  about 
a  half-mile  south  of  the  "Oley  Churches."  It 
continued  in  active  operation  for  one  hundred 
and  twenty  years. 

In  1744,  John  Ross,  gentleman,  of  Philadel- 
phia, and  John  Yoder  and  John  Lesher,  of 
Oley,  entered  into  a  joint  partnership  for  erect- 
ing a  forge  for  manufacturing  pig-metal  into 
bar-iron.  They  then  purchased  from  Sebastian 
Graeff  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  ninety-seven 
acres  of  land,  situated  in  Oley  township,  on  the 
Manatawny  Creek,  adjoining  lands  of  Robert 
Stapleton  and  John  Yoder,  and  the  "  Great 
Road "  leading  to  Philadelphia,  and  thereon 
erected  a  forge,  constructed  a  water- pond,  water- 
courses and  the  necessary  buildings,  and  sup- 
plied the  utensils  for  the  business  of  making 
bar-iron  ;  and  they  also  purchased  warrants  for 
taking  up  land  on  the  hills  adjacent  to  the 
forge,  in  order  to  supply  it  with  charcoal.  In 
1750  John  Yoder  sold  to  John  Lesher  his 
one-third  interest  "  of  said  tract  and  of  the 
forge,  working-gears,  tools,  implements,  dams, 
etc."  Lesher  and  Ross  held  their  respective 
interests  in  the  forge  till  Ross'  death.  In 
the  settlement  of  the  partnership  affairs, 
litigation  arose  between  Lesher  and  the  Ross 
estate.  This  was  being  conducted  in  1784, 
when  Lesher  sold  his  two-thirds  to  his  son, 
Jacob  Lesher,  an  iron-master,  and  his  sons-in- 
law,  John  Potts,  a  miller,  and  Jacob  Morgan, 
a  merchant.  In  1794,  Frederick  Spang,  an 
iron-master  of  Oley,  obtained  an  interest  in  this 
forge  property,  and  some  years  afterward  secured 
all  the  interests.  He  and,  after  his  decease, 
his  son  Jacob,  and  grandson  of  the  same  name, 
carried  on  the  iron  business  there  for  seventy 
years,  until  the  close  of  the  Rebellion.  During 
this  long  interval,  especially  for  fifty  years,  the 
forge  was  known  as  the  "  Spang  Forge."  It 
was  abandoned  about  1870.  Nothing  is  left  to 
mark  the  spot  excepting  the  dam.  In  the 
transfer  by  Lesher  to  his  son  and  sons-in-law 
in  1784,  mention  is  made  of  a  furnace.  It  was 
situated   in  District  township,   near  the  head- 


92 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


waters  of  Pine  Creek,  a  tributary  of  Mana- 
tawny. The  Oley  Furnace  was  then  in  opera- 
tion several  miles  to  the  northwest.  Lesher 
loaned  money  on  it  in  1768,  and  between  that 
time  and  1784  he  may  have  come  to  own  it, 
but  the  titles  of  record  do  not  disclose  the  fact. 

Spring  Forges. — A  Spring  Forge  was  at 
one  time  in  existence  on  the  Manatawny,  not 
far  from  "Pool  Forge."  It  was  owned  by 
Anthony  Morris,  and  in  operation  in  1729. 
Pig-metal  was  supplied  -from  Colebrookdale 
Furnace.  No  definite  information  in  relation  to 
it  has  as  yet  been  developed. 

Another  Spring  Forge  was  situate  on  Pine 
Creek,  a  branch  of  the  Manatawny,  in  District 
(now  Pike)  township,  about  four  miles  north  of 
the  "  Oley  Churches."  Its  early  history  is  in- 
volved in  obscurity.  In  1760  Rebecca  Potts 
purchased  at  sheriff's  sale  a  one-sixth  interest 
in  it.  She  died  possessed  of  this  interest,  and  in 
1773  her  executor  sold  it,  and  a  like  interest  in 
six  tracts  of  land,  together  containing  eight 
hundred  and  thirty-eight  acres,  to  John  Old,  an 
iron-master,  resident  in  District  township.  Old 
subsequently  obtained  an  increased  interest  in 
this  industry,  and  in  1778  sold  seventeen  twen- 
ty-sevenths parts  to  Mark  Bird.  During  its 
later  history  it  was  owned  successively  by  Wil- 
liam Schall,  Jacob  Deysher  and  Francis  R. 
Heilig.  It  was  abandoned  by  Heilig  about 
1865. 

A  third  Spring  Forge  was  erected  by  John 
Schenkel  Bertolet  about  1812.  It  was  situated 
on  the  Manatawny  Creek,  in  the  southern  ex- 
tremity of  Earl  township,  near  the  line  of 
Amity.  He  carried  it  on  till  his  death  in 
1828.  Then  his  son,  Dr.  David  K.  Bertolette, 
took  the  forge  property  under  his  last  will  and 
continued  operations  till  1840.  Subsequently 
it  passed  through  various  hands,  and  was  finally 
abandoned  about  1860.  It  is  possible  that  the 
forge  first  mentioned  of  this  name  was  situated 
here  or  near  by.  But  it  (the  first)  may  have 
been  the  second  mentioned.  And  this  is  prob- 
able, for  it  existed  before  1760 ;  it  occupied  a 
superior  site,  ore  was  not  far  distant  and  wood 
was  abundant  in  the  immediate  vicinity. 

Mount  Pleasant  Forge. — A  forge,  it  is 
believed,  was  connected  with  the  Mount  Pleas- 


ant Furnace ;  but  there  is  no  definite  knowledge 
concerning  its  early  history.  It, stood  on  the 
West  Branch  of  the  Perkiomen,  about  a  mile 
above  the  furnace.  If  it  was  not  erected  and 
carried  on  by  the  Potts  family,  it  is  probable 
that  it  was  by  either  Nicholas  Hunter  or  his 
son-in-law,  John  Fisher,  about  fifty  or  sixty 
years  afterward.  Mr.  Fisher,  it  is  certain,  car- 
ried it  on  for  a  number  of  years,  till  his  decease 
in  1828,  when  his  estate  continued  operations 
for  over  twenty  years, — latterly  by  a  son,  J.  N. 
H.  Fisher,  and  son-in-law,  Abraham  B.  Bech- 
tel.  On  the  25th  of  March,  1854,  it  was  sold 
to  Samuel  W.  Weiss,  and  then  operated  by 
him  till  the  close  of  the  Rebellion.  The  dam 
was  washed  away  by  a  freshet  several  years 
ago.  The  Dale  Iron- Works  were  situated  a 
mile  above  it,  on  the  same  stream. 

Gibraltar  Forge. — Mark  Bird,  it  is  sup- 
posed, in  connection  with  his  other  enterprises, 
began  a  forge  on  the  Allegheny  Creek,  about  a 
mile  from  the  Schuylkill,  in  Robeson  township, 
and  named  it  Gibraltar.  The  year  of  its  erec- 
tion is  not  known, — though  it  is  supposed  to  be 
about  1770, — nor  its  subsequent  history  for 
many  years;  but  this  supposition  is  questionable. 

It  is  more  than  probable  that  this  industry 
was  founded  by  Thomas  Bull,  John  Smith  and 
Thomas  May  about  the  time  that  they  erected 
the  Joanna  Furnace,  about  six  miles  to  the 
south  in  the  same  township.  They  were  in-, 
terested  then  in  Dale  Furnace,  and  probably 
prepared  the  way  for  selling  it  by  first  erecting 
the  Gibraltar  Forge,  which  was  to  be  used  in 
connection  with  the  Joanna  Furnace. 

In  1827  the  estate  of  Thomas  May  owned  it. 
In  1828  his  two  sons,  Newton  and  Addison, 
by  their  guardians,  sold  it  and  four  hundred 
and  forty-four  acres  of  land  to  Simon  Seyfert 
and  John  Schwartz,  for  six  thousand  five  hun- 
dred dollars.  These  two  iron-masters  then 
operated  it  in  connection  with  the  Mount  Penn 
Furnace,  several  miles  to  the  west  on  Flying 
Hill  Creek.  In  1835  they  dissolved  partner- 
ship, Schwartz  taking  the  furnace  and  Seyfert 
the  forge.  Subsequently,  the  forge  property 
was  transferred  to  Seyfert,  McManus  &  Co. 

Charming  Forge.— The  Charming  Forge 
is    situated    on  the   eastern    border    of    Ma- 


EARLY  AND  GENERAL  INDUSTRIES. 


93 


rion  township,  on  the  Tulpehocken  Creek, 
several  miles  north  of  Womelsdorf.  It  was 
erected  by  John  Gqorge  Nikoll,  a  hammer- 
smith, and  Michael  Miller,  in  1749.  Then,  in 
pursuance  of  an  agreement  entered  into  shortly 
before,  they,  "  at  their  joint  expense,  erected  an 
Iron  work  or  Forge  and  Dam,  and  dug  a 
Race  or  water-course,  and  made  other  great 
improvements  for  the  commencing  of  forging 
and  the  manufacturing  of  iron."  After  passing 
through  several  parties,  Henry  Wm.  Stiegel  be- 
came the  owner  in  1763.  It  was  known  as  the 
Tulpehocken  Forge.  Soon  afterwards  he  sold  an 
undivided  half-part  of  the  forge  property  and 
of  eight  hundred  and  fifty-nine  acres  of  land  to 
Charles  Stedman  and  Alexander  Stedman,  mer- 
chants, of  Philadelphia.  By  1770  the  quantity 
of  land  used  in  connection  with  the  forge  had 
increased  beyond  three  thousand  seven  hundred 
acres.  In  that  year  Charles  Stedman  bought 
his  brother's  interest  in  the  forge  property  at 
sheriff's  sale.  In  the  sheriff's  deed-poll  to 
him,  the  forge  is  called,  for  the  first  time,  in 
the  title,  Charming  Forge.  It  had  been  so 
known  and  commonly  called  for  some  years 
previously.  Its  name  arose  from  the  picturesque, 
charming  locality.  In  1773  the  sheriff  of  the 
county  sold  Stiegel's  undivided  half-interest  in 
the  forge  property  (then  comprising  one  thou- 
sand two  hundred  and  ninety-one  acres)  to  Paul 
ZeDsinger,  merchant,  of  Lancaster,  for  one  thou- 
sand six  hundred  and  sixty  pounds.  Zensinger, 
on  the  same  day  that  he  obtained  the  sheriff's 
deed-poll  for  the  property  (February  9,  1774), 
conveyed  his  interest  to  George  Ege,  iron-mas- 
ter, of  York  County,  for  eight  hundred  and 
thirty-eight  pounds,  fourteen  shillings  and  nine 
pence.  Nine  years  afterward  Ege  bought  Sted- 
man's  interest  in  the  property  for  one  thousand 
five  hundred  and  sixty-three  pounds,  thirteen 
shillings  and  six  pence.  From  this  time  on- 
ward, for  nearly  fifty  years,  Mr.  Ege  was  very 
prominently  identified  with  the  industrial  life 
of  Berks  County.  From  1791  to  1818  he  was 
an  associate  judge.  In  1804  he  built  and  oper- 
ated the  Schuylkill  Forge,  which  was  situated 
on  the  Eittle  Schuylkill  (Tamaqua  Creek),  a 
short  distance  north  of  Port  Clinton.  At  that 
time  he  was  doubtless  the  largest  land-holder 


in  the  county.  His  possessions  then  were, — 
Charming  Forge,  with  four  thousand  acres ; 
Reading  Furnace,  with  six  thousand  acres; 
Schuylkill  Forge,  with  six  thousand  acres;  also 
four  large  and  valuable  farms,  situated  in  Hei- 
delberg and  Tulpehocken  townships,  comprising 
together  nearly  a  thousand  acres,  and  known 
in  the  vicinity  as  the  Spring,  Sheaff,  Leiss  and 
Richard  farms.  In  1824  he  was  forced  to 
make  an  assignment.  His  debts  and  expenses 
exceeded  three  hundred  thousand  dollars.  But 
his  estate'  proved  entirely  solvent.  Through 
the  prudent  management  of  his  estate,  for  a 
period  covering  fifteen  years,  by  his  acting  as- 
signee, Andrew  Taylor,  all  the  debts  were  sat- 
isfied, and  a  large  balance  was  left  for  distribu- 
tion to  his  heirs.     He  died  in  December,  1830. 

This  forge  property  then  passed  through  a 
number  of  parties  until  1855,  when  it  became 
vested  in  Andrew  Taylor  and  his  two  sons, 
William  and  B.  Franklin.  In  1866  Mr.  Tay- 
lor died,  and  his  interest  passed  to  the  sons 
named  by  devise.  They  have  since  held  and 
operated  the  forge.  They  own  in  connection 
with  the  forge  about  thirty-six  hundred  acres  of 
land.  Five-sixths  of  this  large  quantity  lie  in 
the  Blue  Mountain  range.  The  land  extends 
from  "  Round  Head  "  eastwardly  in  an  unbrok- 
en tract  for  seven  miles. 

In  1777  Ege  improved  the  property  at  the 
forge  by  the  erection  of  a  large,  commodious 
and  conveniently  arranged  cut-stone  two-story 
mansion-house.  It  is  still  standing  in  fine 
order.  At  that  time  he  hired  from  the  govern- 
ment thirty-four  Hessian  prisoners,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  cutting  a  channel  from  twelve  to  fifteen 
feet  deep  and  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long, 
through  a  bed  of  limestone,  in  order  to  supply 
with  water-power  a  "  slitting-mill "  which  he 
had  erected.  The  channel  is  still  used.  No- 
vember 5,  1782,  he  allowed  the  United  States 
government  £1020  for  their  services. 

In  1780  he  owned  ten  slaves — seven  males 
and  three  females — certified  of  record  in  the  pro- 
thonotary's  office  of  the  county. 

Moselem  Forge.  —  There  was  a  forge, 
known  by  the  name  of  "  Moselem  Forge,"  sit- 
uated on  the  Moselem  Creek,  in  Richmond 
township,  probably  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Moselem 


94 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


iron-ore  mine.  In  August,  1767,  Jacob  Shoffer, 
of  Maxatawny,  yeoman,  for  the  consideration  of 
five  hundred  pounds,  sold  one  undivided  fourth 
part  of  a  tract  of  land,  containing  one  hundred 
and  seventy-five  acres,  situate  on  the  Moselem 
Creek,  in  Richmond  township,  and  also  one- 
fouth  part  of  all  forges,  mills,  etc.,  thereon 
erected,  to  Christian  Lower,  of  Tulpehocken,  a 
blacksmith.  And  I  found  the  forge  referred  to 
in  the  description  of  a  road  laid  out  in  1768, 
leading  from  the  "  Moselem  Forge  "  to  Read- 
ing. I  could  not  find  any  additional  facts  in 
connection  with  this  early  industry.  It  is 
probable  that  the  forge  was  erected  some  years 
before  1767.  Iron-ore  had  been  discovered 
there  before  1750,  and  doubtless  this  discovery 
led  to  the  early  erection  of  a  forge  near  by. 

OTHER   FURNACES  AND    FORGES. 

Furnaces  and  forges  were  erected  in  different 
parts  of  the  county  during  or  subsequent  to  the 
Revolution  and  before  1800.  Among  them 
there  were  the  following :  Furnaces — Union, 
District,  Sally  Ann,  Joanna,  Dale,  Mary  Ann, 
Reading  and  Greenwood  ;  Forges — Brobst's, 
Rockland,  Burkhart's,  Dale  and  District. 

Union  Furnace. — The  Union  Furnace  is 
mentioned  in  connection  with  the  Union  or 
"  Brobst's  Forges." 

District  Furnace. — The  District  Furnace 
was  situated  on  Pine  Creek,  in  District  township, 
about  a  mile  from  the  line  of  Pike  township. 
The  time  of  its  erection  is  not  known,  nor  the 
builder,  though  it  has  been  asserted  that  Jacob 
Lesher  erected  it  previous  to  1797.  It  was 
owned  by  John  Lesher,  father  of  Jacob,  previous 
to  1784.  He  may  have  erected  it  about  the 
time  of  the  erection  of  the  Oley  Forge.  This 
is  possible,  even  probable.  The  distance  be- 
tween the  two  industries  was  about  six  miles. 
The  pig  metal  was  obtained  from  some  furnace. 
He  was  a  man  of  wealth,  energy  and  enterprise; 
and  it  is  more  than  likely  that  he  supplied  his 
own  pig  metal  rather  than  purchase itatthe  Cole- 
brookdale  and  Mount  Pleasant  Furnaces  (which 
were  situated  across  the  "  Oley  Hills,"  and  dis- 
tant from  eight  to  ten  miles),  and  haul  it  over 
rough  and  steep  roads.  In  1791  he  conveyed 
it  to  his  son  Jacob,  "  out  of  love  and  affection," 


together  with  a  grist-mill,  saw-mill  and  three 
tracts  of  land.  The  "  furnace  tract "  in  Dis- 
trict comprised  fifteen  hundred  and  eighty-two 
acres  one  hundred  and  four  perches.  The  other 
tracts  were  in  Earl,  and  contained  two  hundred 
and  thirteen  acres  sixty  perches.  Its  subsequent 
history  is  not  known.  On  a  county  map  of 
1820  it  is  marked  as"Lesher's  Furnace."  It 
is  supposed  to  have  been  abandoned  about  1797 
by  Jacob  Lesher,  because  he  could  not  satisfac- 
torily work  up  to  the  primitive  rock-ore  of  that 
vicinity.  (By  a  deed  of  record  dated  in  1793 
it  would  appear  that  John  Lesher  sold  one-third 
of  this  furnace  to  John  Teysher,  it  having  been 
called  "  German  "  or  District  Furnace.) 

Sally  Ann  Furnace. — The  Sally  Ann 
Furnace  was  erected,  it  is  supposed,  by  Valen- 
tine Eckert,  an  iron-master,  about  1791.  It  is 
situated  on  the  Sacony  Creek,  in  the  northern 
section  of  Rockland  township.  This  supposi-. 
tion  is,  however,  doubtful,  if  not  erroneous. 
Previous  to  1811  Abraham  Biever,  a  farmer, 
owned  the  tract  of  ninety-four  acres  upon  which 
the  furnace  stands.  In  the  year  named  he  sold 
this  tract  to  Nicholas  Hunter,  an  iron-master. 
There  was  no  furnace  on  then.  It  is,  therefore, 
probable  that  Mr.  Hunter  erected  this  furnace 
soon  after  the  purchase  of  the  land.  Subse- 
quently he  transferred  the  furnace  and  lands  to 
his  son,  Jacob  V.  R.  Hunter,  whose  estate  still 
holds  it.  Active  operations  were  discontinued 
about  1869.  It  was  leased  in  1879,  but  work 
was  carried  on  for  only  a  year. 

Joanna  Furnace. — The  Joanna  Furnace 
was  erected  in  1792,  by  Potts  &  Rutter,  and 
named  after  a  daughter  of  the  former.  It  is 
situated  on  Hay  Creek,  in  Robeson  township, 
near  the  line  of  Caernarvon.  In  1796  it  was 
purchased  by  Thomas  Bull,  John  Smith  and 
Thomas  May.  Subsequently  Levi  B.  Smith, 
son  of  John  Smith,  became  the  owner,  and 
operated  it  till  his  decease  in  1876,  when  it 
passed  to  his  sou,  L.  Heber  Smith,  who  is  the 
present  owner.  Nearly  six  thousand  acres  of  land 
are  connected  with  the  furnace,  lying  together 
in  a  great,  irregular  tract,  and  situated  in  Robe- 
son, Caernarvon  and  Brecknock  townships. 
The  furnace  was  rebuilt  in  1847.  It  is  run  by 
water  and  steam-power. 


EARLY  AND  GENERAL  INDUSTRIES. 


95 


Dale  Furnace. — The  Dale  Furnace  was 
situated  on  the  West  Branch  of  the  Perkiomen 
Creek,  two  miles  above  the  Mt.  Pleasant  Fur- 
nace. It  was  erected  about  1791  by  Thomas 
Potts,  Joseph  Potts,  Jr.,  and  John  Smith,  iron- 
masters. In  the  year  named  they  purchased 
from  Lewis  Walker  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  in  Hereford  township  (but  since 
1839  in  Washington),  and  doubtless  imme- 
diately proceeded  to  erect  thereon  a  furnace. 
In  1793  it  was  certainly  in  existence,  for  then 
Joseph  Potts,  Jr.,  sold  his  one-third  interest  to 
Robert  E.  Hobart.  In  1811  it  was  owned  by 
Thomas  Bull,  Robert  May,  John  Smith  and 
John  Thompson,  iron-masters.  About  that 
time,  probably  soon  afterward,  a  forge  was 
erected  near  by.  Then  this  enterprise  took  the 
name  of  "  Dale  Iron-Works."  In  1819  these 
works  were  in  active  operation.  The  furnace 
was  abandoned  about  1821.  In  1822  they 
were  owned  by  Dr.  Jacob  Loeser.  In  1826 
they  were  purchased  by  George  Schall  and 
David  Schall  for  eleven  thousand  nine  hundred 
dollars,  comprising  a  forge,  a  large  dam  cover- 
ing fourteen  acres,  a  fine  commodious  stone 
mansion  and  tenant-houses  and  other  buildings 
and  over  six  hundred  acres  of  land.  Subse- 
quently David  Schall  became  the  sole  owner  of 
the  works  and  operated  them  till  the  year 
1868,  when  he  abandoned  the  manufacturing 
business. 

Mary  Ann  Furnace. — The  Mary  Ann 
Furnace  was  situated  in  Longswamp  township, 
on  the  head-waters  of  the  Little  Lehigh.  It 
was  erected  before  1797,  possibly  about  1789, 
by  Jacob  Lesher,  and  carried  on  by  him  active- 
ly till  1808.  He  then  sold  it  to  his  son-in-law, 
Reuben  Trexler.  It  was  operated  by  Mr.  Trex- 
ler  till  1837,  when  he  transferred  it  to  his  son 
Horatio,  who  carried  on  work  till  a  suspension 
of  business  there  was  forced  in  1869  by  the 
scarcity  of  wood,  high  price  of  labor  and  the 
increased  demand  and  cost  of  the  Longswamp 
ore,  superinduced  by  the  introduction  of  the 
East  Penn  Railroad,  through  the  East  Penn 
Valley,  from.  Reading  to  Allentown.  The  rail- 
way, instead  of  benefiting  the  "  Mary  Ann,"  as 
it  had  been  argued  and  hoped  that  the  result 
would  be,  actually  robbed  her  of  glorious  and 


profitable  activity,  and  transferred  the  life  of 
industry  into  the  Lehigh  Valley. 

The  first  "  stone  coal "  stoves  manufactured 
in  Pennsylvania  were  made  at  this  furnace  by 
Reuben  Trexler.  They  were  called  the  "  Le- 
high Coal  Stoves."  The  plates  of  these  stoves 
were  first  made  in  the  open  sand  about  1820 ; 
subsequently  flasks  were  introduced.  They 
were  made  here  till  1857,  but  the  development 
of  foundries  for  this  purpose  caused  the  dis- 
continuance of  this  branch  of  industry. 

Reading  Furnace. — Upon  the  abandon- 
ment of  the  "Berkshire"  Furnace  by  George 
Ege,  he,  in  the  same  year,  1794,  erected  a  fur- 
nace several  miles  to  the  west,  on  Spring  Creek, 
in  Heidelberg  township,  and  carried  it  on  suc- 
cessfully till  his  assignment  for  the  benefit 
of  creditors,  in  1824.  In  1807  he  improved 
the  property  by  the  erection  of  a  mansion-house 
(similar  to  the  one  occupied  by  him  at  Charm- 
ing Forge)  for  the  manager  of  the  furnace,  An- 
drew Taylor.  It  subsequently  became  vested 
in  Robeson  &  Brooke,  who  abandoned  it  about 
1850.  They  improved  the  property  by  the 
erection  of  an  anthracite  furnace  in  1845,  and 
another  in  1858.  It  was  then  purchased  by 
White,  Ferguson  &  Co. 

Greenwood  Furnace. — In  1796  Lewis 
Reese  and  Isaac  Thomas  erected  a  furnace  near 
Schuylkill  Gap,  on  the  north  side  of  Sharp 
Mountain,  and  carried  on  the  manufacture  of 
iron  till  1806.  They  then  sold  it  to  John  Pott, 
of  District  township,  in  Berks  County.  In 
1807  Pott  tore  it  down  and  erected  in  its  stead 
another  furnace  which  he  named  "  Greenwood." 

Near  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Schuylkill,  a 
short  distance  above  Port  Clinton,  George  Ege, 
it  is  said,  erected  the  "  Schuylkill  Furnace " 
about  1804. 

These  two  furnaces  are  also  mentioned  in 
this  narrative  because  they  were  included  in  the 
territory  of  Berks  County,  beyond  Blue  Moun- 
tain, till  1811,  when  Schuylkill  County  was 
erected. 

Brobst's  Forges. — In  Albany  township,  in 
the  northern  section  of  Berks  County,  on  a 
branch  of  Maiden  Creek,  called  Pine  Creek, 
there  were  two  forges  and  a  furnace.  It  is  not 
definitely  known   when  or  by  whom  they  were 


96 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


erected.  In  1780,  Arnold  Billig  sold  to  Mich- 
ael Brobst  two  tracts  of  land  in  this  township, 
one  of  one  hundred  and  fifteen  acres  and  the 
other  of  fifteen  acres,  with  the  buildings,  im- 
provements, etc.,  for  the  sum  of  eleven  thousand 
pounds.  No  iron-works  are  mentioned,  as  they 
generally  are  in  deeds  conveying  property  in- 
cluding such  important  improvements.  But 
why  should  Brobst  pay  such  a  large  considera- 
tion for  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres  of  land 
if  there  had  not  been  erected  thereon  valuable 
improvements,  such  as  iron-works  ?  Accord- 
ingly, it  may  be  inferred  that  there  were  iron- 
works in  this  township  then.  Billig,  however, 
is  not  described  as  an  iron-master,  nor  Brobst. 
But  Brobst  was  subsequently  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  iron  in  this  locality  with  his 
brother,  John  Brobst ;  and  in  1818  they  were 
sold  out  by  the  sheriff,  the  properties  sold  com- 
prising one  furnace,  two  forges  and  three  thou- 
sand six  hundred  and  forty-six  acres  of  land. 
These  iron-works  were  subsequently  know  by 
the  name  of  "  Union,"  and  operated  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  by  George  Reagan. 

Rockland  Foeges. — The  Rockland  Forges 
were  situated  in  the  southern  section  of  Rock- 
land township,  on  Beaver  Creek,  a  tributary  of 
Manatawny.  One  of  the  forges  was  erected  by 
John  Truckenmiller,  an  iron-master  of  Rich- 
mond township,  in  the  year  1783;  and  shortly 
afterward  he  erected  a  second  forge  about  one- 
fourth  of  a  mile  farther  up  the  creek.  In  1788 
he  was  sold  out  by  the  sheriff  of  the  county,  and 
Richard  Lewis,  an  iron-master  of  Robeson 
township,  bought  the  forges.  Ten  years  after- 
ward, in  1798,  he  sold  them  to  Daniel  Udree, 
who  operated  them  continuously  till  his  decease 
in  1828. 

They,  in  connection  with  a  very  large  estate, 
then  passed  to  his  son-in-law,  J.  Udree  Schnei- 
der, and  were  operated  by  him  also  till  his 
death  in  1834.  Subsequently  the  Udree  estate 
became  involved  by  its  management,  and  in 
1841  these  forges  were  again  put  under  the 
hammer  by  the  sheriff  and  sold.  After  passing 
through  several  hands  they  were  finally  aban- 
doned about  1850.  A  third  forge  stood  on  the 
same  creek  a  short  distance  above  these  forges. 
It  was  erected  about  1830  by  Daniel  Oyster, 


and  operated  ten  years.     Its  site  was  just  above 
the"Rohrbach  Mill." 

Bubkhabt's  Foege.— The  Burkhart's  Forge 
was  situated  in  Alsace  township,  on  Antietam 
Creek,  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  north 
of  the  "  Stony  Creek  Mill."  It  was  erected  by 
Philip  Seidel,  an  iron-master,  resident  in  this 
township  about  1792.  He,  in  1791,  had  pur- 
chased tract  No.  82  of  "  Penn's  Manor,"  con- 
taining fifteen  acres  one  hundred  and  eigh- 
teen perches.  By  the  record  it  would  appear 
that  he  erected  forges  on  this  tract.  On 
the  12th  of  March,  1796,  he  sold  these  forges 
to  Samuel  Burkhart,  of  Bern  township.  Burk- 
hart  operated  them — at  least  one  of  them — sub- 
sequently for  a  number  of  years.  In  1830  one 
forge  was  operated  by  Burkhart  &  Keen.  It 
was  known  as  the  "  Green  Tree,"  having  taken 
its  name  from  the  evergreen  trees  on  the  steep 
hillsides  in  the  vicinity.  It  was  abandoned 
about  1850. 

Dale  Foege. — The  Dale  Forge  is  mentioned 
in  connection  with  the  furnace  of  same  name 
constituting  "Dale  Iron-Works." 

Disteict  Foeges. — The  District  Forges  com- 
prised two  forges  situated  on  Pine  Creek,  in 
District  township.  The  first  of  these  forges 
was  erected  about  1793,  by  Jacob  Lesher.  About 
fifteen  years  afterward  he  conveyed  it  to  his  son- 
in-law,  Reuben  Trexler,  who  carried  it  on  till 
about  1830,  when  he  demolished  it,  and  erected 
in  its  stead  a  large  stone  grist-mill.  Another 
was  built  by  Jacob  Lesher,  a  half-mile  farther 
up  the  stream,  about  the  year  1812.  He  built 
it  for  his  son-in-law,  Samuel  Sands.  It  was 
discontinued  several  years  afterward.  A  third 
was  built  (it  is  supposed)  by  Jacob  Else  about 
the  same  time,  lower  down  the  stream,  in  what 
is  now  Pike  township.  Subsequently  it  was 
operated  by  William  Schall,  Jacob  Deysherand 
Francis  Heilig.  This  supposition  must  be 
erroneous.  This  forge  was  known  in  the  vicin- 
ity as  the  "  Pott  Forge,"  formerly  the  "  Spring 
Forge"  hereinbefore  mentioned.  A  fourth 
forge  was  erected  by  Reuben  Trexler,  in  1828, 
a  half-mile  distant  to  the  north.  He  carried  it 
on  till  1846,  when  he  sold  it  to  his  son,  Horatio 
Trexler.  This  also  subsequently  became  vested 
in  Francis  Heilig.     He  operated  both  for  some 


EARLY  AND  GENERAL  INDUSTRIES. 


97 


years,  till  about  1865,  when  he  gradually  dis- 
continued active  operation,  and  finally  aban- 
doned them.  They  were  latterly  known  as 
"  Heilig's  Forges." 

Speedwell  Forge. — The  Speedwell  Forge 
was  erected,  it  is  supposed,  by  Philip  Seidel, 
about  1800.  In  1815  it  was  purchased  by 
Nicholas  Yocum,  who  operated  it  for  some 
years.  It  was  situated  in  Cumru  township  on 
Angelica  Creek,  about  five  miles  south  of  Read- 
ing. Speedwell,  No.  2,  was  built  by  Mr. 
Yocum  in  1835.  Moses  and  Daniel  Yocum, 
his  sons,  then  operated  them  separately  till 
about  1870,  when  they  were  abandoned. 

Recent  Industries. — Among  the  more 
recent  furnaces  and  forges  in  the  county,  there 
were  the  following,  the  date  after  the  name  in- 
dicating the  year  of  erection : 


Furnaces. 


Windsor 

Hamburg 

Moselem 1823 

Mount  Penn 1825 

Earl 1835 

Mount  Laurel 1836 

Henry  Clay 1844 

second  stack 1854 

Monocacy 1852 

Leesport 1853 

Maiden  Creek 1854 


Reading    (Seyfert, 

McManus  &  Co.)..1854 

second  stack 1873 

Temple 1867 

Keystone 1869 

second  stack 1872 

Topton 1873 

East  Penn  (2  stacks). 1874 

Kutztown 1875 

Bechtelsville 1875 


Forges. 


Do-Well 1825 

Meyer's 1825 

Moselem 1825 

Sixpenny 1825 

North-Kill 1830 

Bloom 1830 


Exeter 1836 

Mount  Airy 1840 

Seidel's 1853 

Keystone 1854 

Reading 1857 

Douglassville 1878 

Ikon-Masters. — The  iron-masters  of  the 
county  comprise  many  men  distinguished  for 
their  energy,  enterprise,  success  and  wealth. 
They  extend  through  the  history  of  the  county 
from  its  earliest  settlements  till  now.  A  great 
proportion  of  the  material  prosperity  and  en- 
richment of  the  county  has  been  contributed  by 
them.  They  have,  to  a  great  degree,  influenced 
its  social,  political  and  industrial  welfare.  In 
the  settlement  and  development  of  its  several 
sections,  south,  east,  west  and  north,  they  have 
been  pioneers.  Though  their  great  and  influen- 
tial industry  does  not  antedate  agriculture  in  the 
18 


affairs  of  the  county,  it  has,  nevertheless,  been  a 
traveling  companion ;  and,  like  agriculture,  it 
has  been  transmitted  from  grandfather  to  son  and 
grandson.  Their  names  reveal  the  fact  that  the 
great  majority  of  them  have  been  Germans  or 
of  German  origin. 

In  the  year  1806  Berks  County  was  distin- 
guished for  its  numerous  manufacturing  estab- 
lishments, its  trade  and  enterprise.  The  follow- 
ing iron  industries  were  then  in  operation : 

Tilt  hammers 9  1   Furnaces 8 

Slitting-mill 1  I   Forges 20 

Other  industries  of  the  county : 


Grist-mills 155 

Tanneries 49 

Oil-mills 20 

Hat  factories  (Read- 
ing)   40 


Powder-mills 4 

Fulling-mills 14 

Hemp-mills 2 

Paper-mills 10 

Saw-mills 235 

Distilleries 212 

(These  were  reported  by  assessors  and 
published  in  the  Reading  Adler  April  22, 1806.) 

The  county  at  that  time  was  evidently  a  great 
industrial  centre.  In  the  manufacture  of  iron 
alone  it  contained  thirty-eight  establishments.  In 
1 830  there  were  eleven  furnaces  and  twenty-four 
forges  ;  in  1850,  thirteen  furnaces  and  twenty- 
three  forges ;  and  in  1876,  twenty-seven  fur- 
naces, but  only  four  forges.  The  great  decrease 
of  forges  is  accounted  for  by  the  introduction  of 
rolling-mills,  of  which  there  were  ten  in  the 
year  last  named.  Water-power  was  apparently 
supplanted  by  the  introduction  of  steam-power ; 
and  instead  of  being  located  in  many  places 
throughout  the  county,  as  theretofore  through  a 
period  of  one  hundred  years,  they  were  concen- 
trated in  several  places. 

The  only  industries  of  those  named  which 
were  begun  before  1800,  now  still  in  operation, 
are  the  following:  Furnaces — 01ey,'Hopewell, 
and  Joanna;  Forges— Charming  and  Gibral- 
tar. 

Production,  1828-30. — The  following  two 
tables  were  arranged  by  Daniel  M.  Keim,  to 
show  the  furnaces  and  forges  in  operation  in 
Berks  County  for  the  years  1828,  1829  and 
1830,  number  of  hands  employed,  the  amount 
of  production,  etc.,  and  published  in  the  Berks 
and  Schuylkill  Journal,  from  which  they  were 
copied : 


98 

HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 

Furnaces. 

Owners. 

Work- 
men. 

Depend- 
ent per- 
sons. 

No.  of 
horses. 

Cords  of  wood. 

Todb  of  pig 
metal. 

Tons  of 
castings. 

Wheat,  rye, 

and  corn 

used. 

Beef and 
pork  used. 

Reading 

228 

168 

168 

220 

153 

150 

153 

195 

18 

18 

12 

1056 

1600 

1358 

1050 

765 

750 

765 

1075 

90 

90 

60 

198 
84 
80 

120 
75 
51 
81 
48 
15 
15 
12 

23,822 

15,000 

15,000 

15,000 

10,500 

10,800 

12,000 

11,200 

4,500 

6,000 

4,500 

3,568 

1,279 

2,200 

1,700 

1,050 

1,300 

1,350 

650 

643 

700 

250 

95 
981 
500 
500 
360 
252 
330 
750 

33,000 

21,000 

21,000 

16,890 

14,226 

11,650 

12,500 

8,600 

2,000 

2,500 

3,000 

150,000 

Hopewell 

Buckley  &  Brooke .. 
William  Darling.... 
Seyfert  &  Schwartz. 
J.  Udree  Schneider. 
J.  V.  R.  Hunter 

Reuben  Trexler 

Jones,  Keim  &  Co... 
N.  V.  R.  Hunter  ... 

Jonas  Kern  &  Co... 

30,000 

Joanna 

78,500 

Mount  Penn 

92,000 

Oley 

46,500 

Sally  Ann  

Mary  Ann 

36,000 
47,000 

Windsor 

49,000 

2,000 

15,000 

100 

3,000 

Total 

1483 

8659 

779 

128,322 

14,690 

3868 

146,366 

549,000 

Forges. 


Charming 

Gibraltar  (2) 

Do-Well 

Six-penny  

Birdsboro'  

Speedwell 

North-Kill 

Green  Tree 

Moselem 

Rockland  (2) 

Union 

Spring 

Oley 

New  District 

District  (2) 

Mount  Pleasant  (3). 

Dale 

Rockland 

Pine 


Total. 


Owners. 


George  Ege 

Seyfert  &  Schwartz, 

Jonathan  Seidel 

George  Zacharias... 
Heirs  of  M.  Brooke 

Daniel  Yocum 

B.  &  J.  Seyfert 

Keen  &  Burkhart.., 

N.  &  J.  Hunter 

J.  Udree  Schneider, 

George  Reagan 

J.  S.  Bertolette 

Jacob  S.  Spang 

William  Schall 

Reuben  Trexler 


David  Schall.. 
Daniel  Oyster. 
J.  Rutter 


Work- 
men. 


99 

168 
85 
62 
94 
99 
36 
19 

110 
53 
61 
41 
35 
30 
62 
93 
32 
18 
90 


1287 


Depend- 
ent per- 
sons. 


475 
740 
425 
310 
470 

99 
160 

82 
550 
265 
305 
205 
165 
146 
320 
453 
146 

81 
460 


5857 


No.  of 
horses. 


70 
60 
60 
36 
52 
54 
22 
12 
60 
31 
37 
40 
61 
48 
64 
47 
19 
17 
61 


851 


Cords  of  wood. 


9,000 
9,000 
5,000 
3,000 
7,500 
3,450 
3,000 
1,600 
7,500 
4,500 
3,000 
3,750 
3,000 
3,000 
5,300 
9,600 
3,100 
2,500 
8,500 


95,300 


Tons  of 
bar  iron. 


6160 


Tons  of 
blooms. 


800 

1900 

1000 

600 

750 

205 
300 

300 

150 

300 
450 

750 
'"606" 

375 

300 

240 

480 

720 

240 

150 

700 

5150 


Wheat,  rye, 
and  corn 

used. 


9,000 

12,000 

7,000 

5,500 

10,500 

11,000 

5,000 

2,500 

13,000 

6,000 

5,600 

6,000 

5,000 

4,000 

7,000 

10.000 

3,500 

2,400 

10,000 


Beef  and  pork 


98,550 
175,000 
65,000 
56,000 
81,000 
86,000 
33,000 
17,000 
102,000 
5,000 
25,000 
36,000 
32,000 
26,000 
53,000 
78,000 
25,000 
16,500 
79,000 


135,000 


1,089,050 


Industries  in  1840. — In  18401  there  were 
in  the  county  eleven  furnaces  and  thirty-six 
bloomeries,  forges  and  rolling-mills  ;  total  num- 
ber of  iron  industries,  forty-seven.  The  pro- 
duction, investment,  men  employed,  etc.,  were 
as  follows: 

Tons  of  cast-iron 9,165 

"     bar-iron 6,569 

"     fuel  consumed 45,765 

Men  employed 1,245 

Capital  invested $367,444 

Value  of  mine  product $54,800 

Capital  in  mines $32,100 

Other  industries  in  county  then  : 

Flour-mills 27 

Grist-mills 114 

Oil-mills 15 

1  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal,  December  20,  ]  840, 


Stores 119 

Saw -mills 108 

Paper-factories 5 

Potteries 3 

Powder-mills 3 

Pounds  of  powder 549,000 

Distilleries 29 

product  (gals.) 54,644 

Breweries 6 

product  (gals.) 61,600 

In  1851  there  were  forty-one  iron-works  in 
the  county,  a  larger  number  than  in  any  other 
county  of  Pennsylvania;  and  there  was  no 
county  in  the  United  States  which  contained 
more.  Lancaster  County  had  thirty;  Chester 
County,  twenty-five.  The  whole  number  in  the 
State  was  five  hundred  and  four.  The  capital 
invested  in  iron-works  in  the  county  then  was 
$1,231,000. 


EARLY  AND  GENERAL  INDUSTRIES. 


99 


Comparative  Statement,  1850-1876. — 
The  following  statement  shows  the  number  of 
iron-works  in  Berks  and  adjoining  counties  for 
the  years  1850  and  1876,  respectively : 


Location. 


Berks 

Bucks 

Chester 

Dauphin 

Delaware 

Lancaster  .... 

Lebanon  

Lehigh 

Montgomery. 
Philadelphia 
Schuylkill.... 


Total  of  State... 


Furnaces. 


1850.         1876 


13 
2 
5 
6 
0 

16 
6 
9 
6 
0 
5 


6S 


298 


27 

1 

4 

12 

0 

15 

10 

28 

15 

1 

9 


122 


279 


FOBQES. 


1850.      1876. 


23 
0 
6 
2 
0 

12 
3 
0 
2 
3 
6 


57 


127 


17 


39 


Mills. 


5 
0 

14 
1 
1 
2 
0 
0 
4 


36 


79 


10 
1 
9 
5 
2 
6 
2 
3 
9 

14 


67 


156 


Memorial  for  National  Foundry. — 
In  February,  1845,1  a  "memorial"  was  pre- 
pared by  a  committee  of  citizens  of  Reading, 
appointed  at  a  town-meeting,  setting  forth  rea- 
sons why  Reading  should  be  selected  as  a  site 
for  one  of  the  national  foundries,  and  it  was 
presented  to  Congress.  The  committee  referred 
to  the  security  of  Reading  in  time  of  war,  its 
central  position  with  regard  to  points  of  defense 
and  supply  of  ordnance,  its  facilities  of  trans- 
portation, its  supply  of  iron,  coal  and  other 
materials  and  its  low  wages  of  labor.  John 
Banks,  Isaac  Hiester  and  Isaac  Eckert  were  on 
this  committee — theothers  not  being  mentioned.2 
A  statement  of  the  furnaces  and  forges  in  the 
county  was  added,  including  those  along  the 

1  There  had  been  a  movement  in  this  behalf  seven  years 
previously,  the  completion  of  the  Reading  Railroad  having 
suggested  the  feasibility  of  procuring  at  Reading  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  National  Foundry,  the  building  of  which  was 
then  being  agitated  in  Congress.  A  large  meeting  of  the 
citizens  of  Reading  was  held  in  March,  1838,  with  this 
object  in  view,  at  which  meeting  General  George  M.  Keim 
was  appointed  the  chairman  of  the  committee  to  present  a 
memorial  to  Congress,  and  Henry  A.  Muhlenberg  and  John 
Ritter  accompanied  him  to  Washington  to  urge  the  claims 
of  Reading. 

'Reading  Gazette,  February  1,1845.  The  entire  memo- 
rial appears  in  this  issue.  Fifteen  members  were  on  the 
committee.  The  committee  who  carried  the  memorial  to 
Washington  were  Wm.  Darling,  Wm.  Strong  and  J.  Pringle 
Jones. 


Schuylkill  Canal,  in  Schuylkill  County,  and 
also  those  along  the  Union  Canal,  in  Lebanon 
County.  They  afforded  employment  to  about 
eleven  hundred  hands. 

The  following  statement3  comprises  only  the 
furnaces  and  forges  in  Berks  County  in  1845: 

DiBtAnce  from 
Reading. 
Furnaces.  Owners.  Miles. 

Mount  Penn John  Schwartz 3 

Joanna Darling  &  Smith 11 

Hopewell Brooke  &  Buckley 14 

Reading D.  R.  Porter  &  Co 12 

Alsace J.  &  S.  Kauffman 4 

Moselem N.  V.  E.  Hunter 12 

Sally  Ann J.  V.  R.  Hunter 15 

Mary  Ann Horatio  Trexler ,.18 

Oley JacobS.  Spang 10 

Windsor Jones  &  Co 16 

Schuylkill Schuylkill  Nav.  Co 18 

Oley J.  Udree  Snyder 8 

Glasgow Jacob  Weaver 15 

Union George  Reagan 24 

Henry  Clay Eckert  &  Bro.... [Reading] 

Speedwell  (1) Nicholas  Yocum 2 

Speedwell  (1) Daniel  Yocum 2 

Gibraltar  (3) Simon  Seyfert 3 

Allegheny  (1) — — -Thompson 3 

Birdsboro'  (2) E.  &  G.  Brooke 10 

Clinton  (1) George  Zacharias 11 

Pine  (1) .' Joseph  Bailey 15 

Charming  (1) David  R.  Porter 11 

Spring  (1) D.  K.  Bertolette 11 

Oley  (1) Jacob  S.  Spang 10 

Rockland  (2) Snell  &  Co 14 

Araminta  (1) Gottlieb  Moyer 3 

Maiden-creek  (2).Merkel  &  Co 20 

Union  (2) George  Reagan 24 

Mt.  Pleasant  (l)..John  Rush 20 

Glasgow  (1) Jacob  Weaver 15 

Do-Well  (2) J.  Seidel 4 

Dale  (1) David  Schall 16 

Green  Tree(l) J.  W.  Burkhart 6 

Sally  Ann  (1) J.  V.  R.  Hunter 15 

District  (1) Jacob  Deisher 15 

Iron  and  nail-works,  Reading,  Whitaker,  Seyfert 
&  McManus, 

Total — 15  furnaces  and  21  forges  (including  nail- 
works). 

Summary  of  Present  Furnaces,  Forges 
and  Mills.  —  Statement  of  iron  furnaces, 
forges  and  mills  in  county,  including  size, 
capacity,  etc.,  as   published   in  "  Directory  of 


'  Reading  Gazette,  February  1,  1845. 


100 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Iron  and  Steel-Works  in   United  States,"  by 
American  Iron  and  Steel  Association,  1884  : 

ANTHRACITE  FURNACES. 

BechtelsviUe  Furnace,  at  Bechtelsville ;  now  known 
as  Norway  Furnace.  One  stack,  58 i  x  14,  built  in 
1875;  open  top;  one  iron  hot-blast  stove;  ore,  Berks 
County  magnetic ;  product,  foundry  and  mill  pig- 
iron  ;  annual  capacity,  16,000  net  tons.  Brand,  "  Nor- 
way." 

Fast  Perm,  Furnaces,  at  Lyons  Station,  owned  by 
Philadelphia  and  Reading  Coal  and  Iron  Company. 
Two  stacks,  each  48  x  12  ;  built  by  East  Penn  Iron 
Company  in  1874-75  ;  injured  by  fire  in  1881 ;  closed 
tops  ;  annual  capacity,  17,000  tons. 

Henry  Clay  Furnaces,  at  Reading,  owned  by  Eckert 
&  Brother.  Two  stacks,  each  57x13;  one  built  in 
1842,  and  blown  in  in  August,  1844;  the  other  built 
in  1855,  and  blown  in  in  September,  1856;  four  iron 
hot-blast  stoves;  closed  tops;  fuel,  anthracite  coal 
and  coke ;  ores,  hematite  and  magnetic  from  Berks 
and  Lebanon  Counties ;  product,  No.  2  foundry  and 
gray  forge  pig-iron  ;  total  annual  capacity,  22,000  net 
tons.     Brand,  "  Henry  Clay." 

Keystone  Furnaces,  at  Birdsboro',  owned  by  E.  &  G. 
Brooke  Iron  Company.  Three  stacks ;  one,  50  x  12, 
built  in  1853;  one,  55x15,  built  in  1871;  one, 
60  x  16,  built  in  1873  ;  closed  tops  ;  fuel,  anthracite 
coal  and  coke;  ores,  principally  magnetic,  with  a 
mixture  of  hematite ;  product,  forge  pig-iron ;  annual 
capacity,  50,000  net  tons.     Brand,  "  Keystone." 

Keystone  Furnaces,  at  Reading,  owned  by  Keystone 
Furnace  Company.  Two  stacks ;  one,  50  x  15,  built 
in  1869 ;  the  other,  50  x  14,  built  in  1872-73 ;  blown 
in  during  June,  1873;  closed  tops;  total  annual 
capacity,  20,500  net  tons. 

Leesport  Furnace,  at  Leesport,  owned  by  Leesport 
Iron  Company.  One  stack,  55  x  15,  built  in  1852; 
first  blown  in  in  1853,  and  rebuilt  in  1871 ;  closed 
top ;  fuel  five-sixths  anthracite  coal  and  one-sixth 
coke ;  ores,  three-quarters  hematite  from  Moselem, 
Berks  County,  and  one-quarter  magnetic  from  Corn- 
wall, Lebanon  County ;  specialty,  foundry  pig-iron  ; 
annual  capacity,  14,000  net  tons.  Brand,  "  Leesport." 

Kutztown  Furnace,  at  Kutztown  ;  owned  by  Phila- 
delphia and  Reading  Coal  and  Iron  Company.  One 
stack,  55  x  15,  built  in  1875,  by  Kutztown  Iron  Com- 
pany ;  closed  top ;  annual  capacity,  8300  net  tons. 

Monocacy  Furnace,  at  Monocacy ;  owned  by  Mono- 
cacy  Furnace  Company.  One  stack,  50  x  13,  built  at 
Hopewell  in  1852;  removed  to  Monocacy  in  1854; 
specialty,  foundry  pig-iron  ;  annual  capacity,  10,000 
net  tons.  Brand,  "Monocacy.''  Formerly  called 
Theresa  Furnace. 

Moselem  Furnace,  at  Moselem,  owned  by  Leibrandt 
&  McDowell.  One  stack,  49x12,  built  in  1823  for 
charcoal,  and  rebuilt  several  times;  two  Ford  hot- 
blast  stoves ;  closed  top ;  fuel,  anthracite  coal ;  ores, 


three-quarters  Moselem  hematite  and  one-quarter 
Cornwall  magnetic;  specialty,  foundry  pig-iron ;  an- 
nual capacity,  8000  net  tons.    Brand,  "  Moselem." 

ML  Laurel  Furnace,  one  mile  east  of  Temple; 
owned  by  Clymer  Iron  Company.  One  stack,  50  x  11, 
built  in  1836,  rebuilt  in  1847;  changed  to  anthracite 
in  1873,  but  not  blown  in  afterwards  until  February 
1,  1880 ;  closed  top  ;  annual  capacity,  5000  net  tons ; 
two  hot-blast  stoves;  ore  principally  hematite;  pro- 
duct, foundry  pig-iron. 

Reading  Iron- Works  Furnace,  at  Reading;  owned 
by  "  Reading  Iron- Works."  Two  stacks,  55  x  15  and 
55x16,  built  in  1854  and  1873,  respectively;  closed 
tops;  ore,  principally  hematite  from  Lehigh  and 
Lebanon  Counties ;  product,  foundry  and  mill  pig- 
iron  ;  total  annual  capacity,'  20,000  net  tons. 

Robesonia  Furnace,  at  Robesonia ;  owned  by  Fer- 
guson, White  &  Co.  One  stack,  80  x  18,  built  in 
1858,  and  rebuilt  in  1874,  and  again  in  1884;  three 
Whitwell  hot-blast  stoves;  closed  top;  fuel,  anthra- 
cite coal  and  coke;  Cornwall  ore  is  exclusively  used; 
product,  red-short  pig-iron  for  Bessemer  steel  and  bar- 
iron  ;  annual  capacity,  25,000  net  tons.  Brand,  "Rob- 
esonia." A  furnace,  built  here  in  1845,  was  aban- 
doned in  1880. 

Topton  Furnace,  at  Topton  ;  owned  by  Topton  Fur- 
nace Company.  One  stack,  55  x  16 ;  built  in  1873, 
by  Topton  Iron  Company. 

Temple  Furnace,  at  Temple ;  owned  by  Temple  Iron 
Company.  One  stack,  55  x  14,  built  in  1867,  and 
rebuilt  in  1875 ;  two  iron  hot-blast  stoves ;  closed  top ; 
ores,  from  Lehigh,  Berks  and  Lebanon  Counties,  and 
from  New  Jersey ;  specialty,  foundry  pig-iron ;  an- 
nual capacity,  12,000  net  tons. 

CHARCOAL    FURNACES. 

Hampton  Furnace,  at  Birdsboro',  owned  by  E.  and 
G.  Brooke  Iron  Company.  One  stack,  30  x  8,  built  in 
1846,  and  rebuilt  in  1872  ;  closed  top  ;  cold  blast ;  ore, 
principally  hematite,  obtained  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
furnace  ;  product,  car-wheel  iron  ;  capacity,  1500  net 
tons. 

Hopewell  Furnace,  in  Union  township,  south  of 
Monocacy,  owned  by  Edward  S.  Buckley.  One  stack, 
30  x  7,  built  in  1765,  and  rebuilt  in  1800  ;  cold  blast; 
water  and  steam-power ;  ores,  hematite  and  magnetic, 
obtained  in  the  neighborhood ;  product,  car-wheel  pig- 
iron  ;  annual  capacity,  1200  net  tons. 

Joanna  Furnace,  at  Joanna,  owned  by  L.  Heber 
Smith.  One  stack,  30  x  8,  built  in  1792  by  Potts  & 
Rutter,  and  rebuilt  in  1847;  cold  blast;  water  and 
steam-power;  open  top;  ores,  local  magnetic  and 
hematite;  specialty,  car-wheel  pig-iron ;  annual  capac- 
ity, 1200  net  tons.     Brand,  "  Joanna." 

Mary  Ann  Furnace,  in  Longswamp,  owned  by 
Horatio  Trexler.  Built  in  1793.  Out  of  blast  since 
1869. 

Maiden-creek  Furnace,  at  Lenhartsville,  owned  by 
Jacob  K.  Spang.    One  stack,  33  x  9,  built  in  1854; 


EARLY  AND  GENERAL  INDUSTRIES. 


101 


cold  and  warm  blast ;  water  and  steam-power ;  open 
top ;  annual  capacity,  1600  net  tons. 

Mount  Perm  Furnace,  in  Cumri*  township,  owned 
by  W.  M.  Kaufman  &  Co.  Built  in  18^0.  One  stack, 
80  x  8£.    Abandoned  in  1883. 

Oley  Furnace,  in  Oley  township,  near  Friedensburg, 
owned  by  Clymer  Iron  Company.  One  stack,  30  x  8, 
built  in  1772  ;  open  top ;  cold  blast ;  steam  and  water- 
power  ;  ores,  three-quarters  hematite  and  one-quarter 
primitive  ;  specialty,  No.  1  dead  gray  iron  ;  annual 
capacity,  2000  net  tons. 

Sally  Ann  Furnace,  latterly  called  Rockland,  in 
Rockland  township,  owned  by  Hunter  estate.  Built 
in  1791,  rebuilt  in  1879,  and  burned  in  1881. 

MILLS. 

Birdsboro'  Nail-Works,  at  Birdsboro',  owned  by  E. 
&  G.  Brooke  Iron  Company.  Built  in  1848 ;  2  single 
and  11  double  puddling  furnaces;  2  scrap  and  4  heat- 
ing furnaces,  113  nail-machines,  and  5  trains  of  rolls ; 
steam  and  water-power;  product,  nails;  annual  ca- 
pacity, 250,000  kegs.     Brand,  "  Anchor." 

Blandon  Iron-  Works,  at  Blandon,  owned  by  Maiden- 
creek  Iron  Company.  Built  in  1867;  11  single  pud- 
dling furnaces,  2  heating  furnaces  and  3  trains  of 
rolls;  product,  round,  square,  flat,  hoop,  band  and 
skelp-iron  ;  annual  capacity,  8000  net  tons. 

Gibraltar  Iron-Works,  at  Gibraltar,  in  Robeson 
township,  owned  by  S.  Seyfert  &  Co.  Built  in  1846, 
and  completely  rebuilt  in  1883-84,  and  new  machinery 
erected;  2  heating  furnaces  and  one  18-inch  train  of 
rolls;  product,  boiler-plate  and  boiler-tube  and  pipe- 
iron  ;  annual  capacity,  3000  net  tons. 

Keystone  Iron- Works,  at  Reading,  owned  by  J.  H. 
Craig  and  Jacob  Snell.  Built  in  1854;  1  double  and 
5  single  puddling  furnaces,  2  heating  furnaces  and  one 
18-inch  train  of  rolls;  product,  boiler-plate,  skelp, 
tank,  chute,  stack,  pipe,  boat  and  car-iron  and  muck- 
bars;  annual  capacity,  3600  net  tons. 

Mcllvain  &  Sons'  Boiler-Plate  Mill,  at  Reading 
owned  by  Wm.  Mcllvain  &  Sons.  First  put  in  opera- 
tion in  1857 ;  2  double  and  4  single  puddling  fur- 
naces, 3  heating  furnaces,  2  trains  of  rolls  (break- 
down rolls,  52  by  25  inches,  and  finishing  rolls,  81  by 
25  inches)  and  one  3-ton  hammer ;  product,  every 
variety  of  plate-iron  ;  annual  capacity,  6000  net  tons. 
Brand,  "  Mcllvain.'' 

Philadelphia  and  Reading  Boiling-Mill,  at  Reading, 
owned  by  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Coal  and  Iron 
Company,  built  in  1868 ;  12  single  puddling  furnaces, 
10  heating  furnaces  and  3  trains  of  rolls  (one  12,  one 
23  and  one  24-inch)  ;  product,  rails,  splice-bars,  and 
muck-bars;  annual  capacity,  50,000  net  tons.  Spe- 
cialty, reheated  iron  rails.  Bessemer  steel  rails  are 
rolled  from  purchased  blooms.     Brand,  "  P.  &  R." 

Reading  Bolt  and  Nut  Works,  at  Reading,  owned 
by  J.  H.  Sternbergh.  Established  in  1865  ;  enlarged 
in  1872  and  1881 ;  4  heating  furnaces,  3  trains  of 
rolls  (one  9,  one  10  and  one  12-inch,)  and  1  hammer ; 


product,  refined  merchant  bar,  band  and  skelp-iron  ; 
also,  bolts,  nuts,  washers,  rivets,  etc. ;  annual  capacity, 
about  8000  net  tons. 

Rending  Iron-  Worts,  at  Reading,  owned  by  "  Read- 
ing Iron-Works."  Flue-iron  mill  built  in  1836;  12 
single  puddling  furnaces,  4  heating  furnaces,  1  rotary 
squeezer,  3  trains  of  rolls,  28  nail-machines  and  1 
spike-machine;  product,  cut  nails,  bar,  band,  hoop 
and  skelp-iron;  annual  capacity,  7000  net  tons. 
Plate  mill  built  in  1863  ;  8  double  puddling  furnaces, 
4  heating  furnaces,  1  hammer  and  4  trains  of  rolls ; 
product,  sheet,  plate  and  bar-iron  ;  annual  capacity, 
10,000  net  tons. 

Seyfert  Rnlling-Milh,  at  Seyfert  Station,  W.  &  N. 
R.  R.,  in  Robeson  township,  owned  by  Samuel  R- 
Seyfert.  Built  in  1880-81,  and  started  in  March, 
1881 ;  4  double  puddling  furnaces,  4  forge  fires,  3 
heating  furnaces,  one  4-ton  hammer  and  2  trains  of 
rolls;  product,  boiler-plate,  boiler-tube  and  pipe-iron, 
blooms,  and  puddled  bar ;  annual  capacity,  5,000  net 
tons. 

BLOOMEKIES   (FORGES). 

Charming  Forge,  in  Marion,  near  Womelsdorf, 
owned  by  W.  &  B.  F.  Taylor.  Built  in  1749;  5 
forge  fires,  1  heating  furnace,  1  refinery  and  1  ham- 
mer ;  water  power ;  product,  charcoal  and  coke  blooms 
for  boiler-plate  and  sheet-iron,  made  from  pig-iron  ; 
annual  capacity,  1000  net  tons. 

Gibraltar  Iron- Works,  at  Gibraltar,  in  Robeson, 
owned  by  S.  Seyfert  &  Co.  Built  in  1846 ;  1  coke  run- 
out, 4  charcoal  forge  fires  and  2  hammers;  water- 
power;  product,  charcoal  blooms  for  flue-iron  and 
boiler-plate;  annual  capacity,  500  net  tons. 

Mount  Airy  Forge,  on  North  Kill,  in  Tulpehocken 
Upper,  nearShartlesville,  owned  by  Robert  C.  Green. 
Built  about  1840 ;  2  forge  fires,  one  4-tuyere  run-out 
and  1  hammer ;  water-power ;  product,  run-out  anthra- 
cite, charcoal  and  scrap  blooms  and  billets  for  boiler- 
plate, sheets  and  wire;  annual  capacity, 450  net  tons. 

Moyer's  Forge,  on  Antietam  Creek,  in  Exeter,  south 
of  Jacksonwald,  owned  by  Morgan  J.  Althouse.  Built 
in  1825;  3  fires  and  1  hammer;  water-power;  product, 
charcoal  blooms  for  steel,  made  from  pig-iron  and 
steel  scrap.  Abandoned  in  1883,  and  converted  into 
a  chopping-mill. 

North  Kill  Forge,  near  Shartlesville,  on  North  Kill, 
owned  by  M.  B.  Seyfert  &  Co.  Built  in  1830,  and  re- 
paired and  started  in  1879  after  a  long  idleness.  Pro- 
duct, run-out  anthracite  blooms. 

Schuylkill  Steam  Forge,  at  Douglassville,  owned  by 
B.  F.  Morret.  Completed  in  1878;  8  fires,  1  double 
run-out  and  1  hammer;  product,  charcoal  blooms  for 
boiler  plate  and  sheet  iron,  made  from  charcoal  pig- 
iron  and  scrap-iron. 

COMPARATIVE    T ABLE .  OF    STATISTICS   FOR 

1880. — Statistics  relating  to  iron  establishments 
and  their  production  in  Berks  and  surrounding 
counties  for  the  year  1880,: — 


1  From  United  States  Census  Report,  I860. 


102 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Number  of  establishments. 

Capital  invested 

Hands  employed 

Wages  paid..... 

Value  of  all  materials.... 

Value  of  all  products 

Total  weight  of  "    (tons 


Berks. 


33 
5,365,118 
3,048 
1,123,94C 
5,049,091 
7,730,512 
213,580 


Chester. 


12 

$2,159,900 

1.735 

$812,079 

$2,650,898 

$4,162,957 

78,363 


18 

$2,407,500 

1,605 

$444,305 

$1,757,828 

$2,663,223 

87,019 


13 

($1,4*28,628 

501 

$230,134 

$1,250,411 

$1,904,489 

73,149 


Lehigh. 

Montgomery. 

9 

19 

$9,514,850 

$5,245,613 

2,673 

2,973 

$890,926 

$1,301,610 

$5,631,985 

$4,593,563 

$8,578,871 

$7,194,821 

324,875 

168,628 

PRODUCTION  OF  IRON  IN  BERKS   COUNTY,  AT  THREE 
RECENT  PERIODS.1 

1876.  1882. 

Pig  Iron.  Net  tons.2    Net  tons. 

Anthracite  and  coke 55,962       148,359 

Charcoal 2,679  8,391 


1884. 
Net  tons. 
133,664 
2,283 


Total 58,641       156,750        135,947 

The  following  table  shows  the  production  of 
all  forms  of  rolled  iron,  including  bar-iron, 
plate-iron,  nail-plate,  sheet-iron,  and  iron  and 
steel  rails.  (No  steel  was  produced  in  Berks 
County.     Steel  for  rails  bought  elsewhere.) 

years  Net  tons. 

1876.' 31,799 

1882 94,996 

1884 49,795 

Years.  Hammered  Iron  Blooms.         Net  tons. 

1876 460 

1882 3,457 

1884 2,185 

General  Industries. — The  industries  pre- 
viously mentioned  were  prominent  in  their  sev- 
eral sections  on  account  of  the  capital  invested 
and  the  men  employed  to  carry  them  on  success- 
fully.   But  besides  these  there  were  many  other 
industries  in  the  several  townships.  Blacksmith- 
shops  and  wheelwright-shops  were  located  and 
conducted    in  every  community.      They    were 
necessary  for  the  accommodation  of  the  settlers. 
Thev  were  not  large.    Only  a  few  individuals 
worked  together — mostly  a  master-workman  and 
his  apprentice.     Grist-mills  for  flour  and  feed 
were  situated  along  all  the  large  streams.     The 
mill  of  George  Boone,  Esq ,  on  the  Monocacy,  is 
the  earliest  one  of  which  I  found  any  notice — it 
having   been   referred    to   in    1 727 ;    and  the 
Price  Mill,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Wyomissing,  was 
one  of  the  earliest,  having  been  erected  about 
1735.     The  Welsh  were  mechanics  who  con- 
ducted their  trades  in  small  factories  along  the 


Wyomissing.     Eope-makers  were  common  in 
every  section.     Ropes  and  cords  were  largely 
used  in  the  daily  affairs  of  life.     This  industry 
was  conducted  for  many  years  by  individuals  at 
their  homes;    but    improved    machinery  and 
steam  caused  its  decline,  and  small  ropewalks 
were  compelled  to  discontinue.    Carpenters  and 
builders  were  numerous.     They  were  finished 
workmen,  preparing  every  article  out  of  wood 
by  hand.     Some  of  the  old  buildings,  still  in  a 
good  state  of  preservation,  attest  the  excellence 
of  their  workmanship.  Doors  and  windows  and 
frames  of  all  kinds    used    in  .building   opera- 
tions were  hand-made.    This  custom  amongst 
them    continued   till   the    introduction   of  the 
planing-mill  about  1835,  and  then  it  began  to 
decline.    The  country  saw-mill,  run  by  water- 
power,  was  active  then  in  preparing  lumber  ;  but 
great  steam  mills  in  the  lumber  regions  have 
caused   them   to  become  less   and   less  active. 
Great  rafts  of  logs  are  no  longer  towed  down 
the   canals   to  Reading,  especially  the    Union 
Canal  from  the  Susquehanna  River,  to  afford 
employment  to  our  saw-mills.     The  railroads 
instead  deliver  finished  lumber. 

Every  community  had  a  weaver,  who  con- 
ducted his  business  at  his  home.  He  wove  car- 
pets and  coverlets  (plain  and  fancy)  and  linen 
and  cotton  stuffs  for  domestic  use.  He  did  not 
carry  a  large  stock  on  hand  ;  he  manufactured 
articles  to  order.1     And  so  with 'other  trades. 

Fulling-mi  lis,  paper-mills,  oil-mills  and  distil- 
ling-mills  were  conducted  for  cloths,  paper,  oil 
and  whiskey,  but  they  were  limited  in  capacity. 
Statistics  of  Manufactures  of  County, 
1870  and  1880. — Two  tables  are  introduced  for 
the  years  1870  aud  1880.  The  statistics  were 
taken  from  the  Census  Reports  of  the  United 
States : 


1  Furnished   by    James     M.    Swank,    vice-president    of 
American  Iron  and  Steel  Association. 

2  A  net  ton  consists  of  two  thousand  pounds. 


1  County  industries  are  described  in  the  districts  where 
they  were  or  are  situated.  Full  statistics  of  county  pro- 
ductions were  not  ob  ainable, 


EARLY  AND  GENERAL  INDUSTRIES. 


103 


Manufactures  of  Berks  County,  1870* 


Manufactures. 


Estab- 
lish- 
ments. 


Hands 
employ'd 


Agricultural  implements 

Boats 

Boots  and  shoes 

Brass  founding,  etc 

Bread  and  bakery  products 

Bricks 

Brooms,  etc 

Carpets  (rag) 

Carpets  (other  than  rag) 

Carriages  and  wagons 

Cars  (freight  and  passenger; 

Charcoal 

Clothing  (men's) 

Coffins 

Confectionery 

Cordage  and  twine 

Cotton  goods 

Fertilizers 

Flour-mill  products 

Furniture -. 

Gas 

Glue 

Hats  and  caps 

Hubs  and  wagon  material 

Iron  (bloom*) 

forged  and  rolled 

bolts,  nuts,  etc 

nails,  etc 

wrought,  tubes,  etc 

Pigs 

castings 

stoves,  heaters,  etc 

Leather  (tanned) .-. 

(curried) 

Lime 

Liquors  (distilled) 

(malt) 

Lumber  (planed) 

(sawed) 

Machinery  (not  specified) 

(engines  and  boilers) 

Malt . 

Marble  and  stone  work  (not  specified) 

(tombstones) 

Masonry  (brick  and  stone) 

Millinery 

Oils  (vegetable  and  linseed) 

Paper  (not  specified) 

(printing) 

Saddlery  and  harness 

Sash,  doors  and  blinds 

Scales  and  balances 

Stone  and  earthenware 

Tin,  copper  and  sheet-iron  ware 

Tobacco  and  cigars 

Woolen  goods 

Total 


10 

3 

11 

1 

3 

29 

7 

13 

2 

54 

1 

3 

59 

2 

2 

1 

5 

2 

63 

37 

1 

2 

16 

2 

3 

19 

2 

3 

1 

17 

12 

3 

38 

39 

57 

2 

5 

1 

15 

6 

3 

1 

3 

18 

18 

8 

3 

1 

3 

33 

6 

1 

13 

33 

38 

13 


1414 


64 

121 

177 
13 
13 

386 
26 
27 
16 

185 
20 
14 

307 

8 

6 

46 

341 
12 

154 

130 
12 
17 

432 

19 

16 

1027 

26 

140 

241 
1244 

421 
71 

113 
74 

172 
9 
66 
26 
46 
68 

112 

6 

20 

63 

125 
31 
6 
13 
50 
85 

130 

9 

49 

95 

282 

227 


8991f 


Capital  invested. 


166,050 

59,500 

70,900 

28,000 

3,100 

191,160 

7,350 

2,775 

5,500 

67,950 

10,000 

350 

88,375 

5,500 

6,000 

100,000 

198,400 

22,000 

557,550 

50,475 

150,000 

12,000 

391,188 

13,500 

62,500 

2,199,659 

110,000 

180,000 

750,000 

2,378,600 

505,500 

121,000 

180,765 

111,525 

86,450 

22,000 

421,000 

70,000 

43,200 

72,990 

95,500 

40,000 

16,000 

40,135 

690 

8,820 

8,500 

30,000 

68,000 

18,500 

56,500 

25,000 

72,431 

59,985 

89,500 

197,780 


$11,182,603 


Wages. 


$27,329 

46,470 

60,150 

7,020 

5,528 

81,416 

1,910 

4,423 

2,525 

40,846 

6,000 

2,850 

■  54,647 

2,240 

1,800 

10,000 

77,450 

5,200 

29,555 

27,013 

8,300 

2,880 

177,460 

5,600 

5,133 

581,260 

13,564 

66,250 

108,410 

332,945 

171,283 

40,340 

26,191 

15,777 

34,878 

3,025 

36,720 

15,000 

11,000 

23,090 

40,600 

5,000 

9,900 

16,171 

19,630 

3,200 

1,140 

4,000 

15,000 

13.773 

61,417 

3,600 

15,345 

18,502 

49,910 

57,473 


2,711,231 


$29,810 

106,401 

89,622 

6,730 

10,090 

97,915 

4,495 

14,160 

8,900 

44,064 

75,000 

22,336 

137,143 

8,400 

5,860 

]  14,800 

175,574 

29,125 

1,127,265 

35,904 

24,533 

8,972 

458,299 

5,410 

40,415 

2,196,684 

52,309 

288,472 

437,206 

1,415,166 

348,888 

55,002 

281,499 

250,961 

96,433 

28,689 

150,715 

28,000 

43,250 

14,480 

42,350 

34,100 

18,200 

18,428 

44,488 

7,275 

20,750 

21,400 

76,488 

26,652 

112,852 

9,375 

10,601 

47,381 

86,198 

158,795 


$10,646,049 


Products. 


$85,675 

155,801 

170,417 

25,000 

19,291 

260,110 

14,300 

25,175 

12,400 

137,233 

106,500 

32,000 

228,801 

18,924 

13,000 

145,600 

299,550 

37,500 

1,308,233 

93,668 

72,471 

14,000 

951,880 

20,328 

59,220 

2,983,755 

71,000 

383,500 

569,684 

2,041,025 

616,609 

101,950 

348,564 

314,831 

185,979 

92,520 

257,679 

50,000 

85,666 

68,750 

107,640 

50,000 

31,500 

50,322 

99,900 

15,320 

24,900 

55,000 

129,679 

56,859 

211.861 

15,300 

54,125 

101,961 

196,543 

285,435 


$16,243,453 


*  For  year  1860  :  Number  of  establishments,  679  ;  hands  employed,  5,009  ;  capital  invested,  $5,829,440  ;  wages,  $1,313,568  ; 

material,  $4,268,210;  products,  $6,821,840. 
•f  Males  above  sixteen,  7,671 ;  females  above  sixteen,  701 ;  youths,  619. 


104 


HISTOEY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Manufactures  of  Berks  County,  1880. 


Manufactures. 


Agricultural  implements 

Boots  and  shoes 

Boxes  (cigar) 

Bread  and  bakery  products 

Brick  and  tile 

Brooms  and  brushes 

Carpets  (rag) 

Carriages  and  wagons 

Clothing  (men's) 

Confectionery 

Cordage  and  twine 

Cotton  goods 

Flouring  and  grist-mill  products 

Foundry  and  machine-shop  products.. 

Furniture 

Hardware 

Iron  and  steel 

Iron  forgings 

Iron  pipe  (wrought) 

Leather  (curried) 

Leather  (tanned) 

Liquors  (distilled) 

Liquors  (malt) 

Lumber  (sawed) 

Marble  and  stone  work 

Mixed  textiles 

Paints 

Paper 

Printing  and  publishing 

Saddlery  and  harness 

Shirts 

Shoddy 

Spectacles  and  eye-glasses 

Tin,  copper,  and  sheet  iron  ware 

Tobacco,  cigars,  etc 

Woolen  goods 

Wool  hats 


Estab- 
lish- 
ments. 


9 

4 

4 

30 

25 


12 

33 

8 

1 

1 

155 

21 

28 

4 

33 

1 

1 

23 

29 
3 
7 

36 

14 
2 
1 
4 

12 

24 
3 
1 
1 

44 

61 

10 

17 


Hands 
employ- 
ed. 


Total I  1044 


84 

70 

17 

89 

316 

29 

47 

88 

217 

27 

28 

226 

174 

867 

116 

619 

3048 

43 

700 

40 

101 

6 

80 

47 

44 

106 

13 

115 

202 

31 

21 

7 

117 

80 

406 

192 

891 


Capital  invested. 


10008* 


$99,812 
74,600 
10,950 
41,800 
216,570 
8,128 
6,300 
51,800 
102,091 
20,100 
50,000 
150,000 
789,300 
762,265 
125,625 
422,363 
5,365,118 
40,000 
1,000,000 
69,747 
241,833 
45,000 
577,000 
48,540 
87,087 
15,167 
70,000 
90,000 
230,900 
22,705 
5,400 
25,000 
100,000 
101,015 
167,840 
114,167 
662,500 

$12,522,140 


$24,668 
17,730 
5,180 
26,137 
51,978 
7,375 
10,476 
26,096 
45,334 
7,600 
7,200 
38,445 
34,229 
304,749 
36,709 
182,562 
1,123,946 
16,816 
240,000 
12,988 
22,802 
2,500 
43,580 
6,665 
14,040 
35,485 
5,600 
28,833 
63,909 
8,700 
5,180 
1,400 
35,000 
26,472 
77,493 
51,966 
248,987 


Materials. 


3,077,919 


$17,880 
54,280 
25,750 
78,023 
87,297 
16,600 
12,650 
39,000 
134,777 
28,400 
50,000 
83.334 
1,320,305 
546,044 
69,441 
188,241 
5,409,091 
58,113 
2,000,000 
155,381 
270,831 
25,500 
214,791 
44,173 
50,000 
72,417 
72,000 
157,198 
66,845 
18,565 
12,700 
20,000 
15,000 
53,890 
221,612 
•  171,760 
818,704 


Products. 


$71,993 
78,017 
45,450 
147,280 
197,269 
38,900 
32,243 
87,200 
209,512 
49,600 
75,000 
125,175 
1,522,821. 
1,049,648 
178,383 
579,789 
7,730,512 
76,792 
3,000,000 
192,840 
362,211 
38,500 
390,520 
79,830 
96,600 
149,936 
80,000 
213,551 
173,800 
40,835 
23,800 
32,000 
60,000 
104,095 
380,091 
288,692 
1,385,026 


$13,026,331  $20,143,164 


*  Hands  employed  :  males  above  sixteen,  8,307  ;  females  above  fifteen,  890  ;  youths  811. 


CHAPTEE    VIII. 

FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR. 

Military  Periods— Pause  of  War— Officers,  Supplies,  etc.— 
Colonial  Forts — Burd's  Journal — Invasion  of  County  by 
Indians— Numerous  Letters  on  Sufferings  of  Early  In- 
habitants— Peace  Declared — Persons  Murdered,  Taken 
Prisoners  and  Missing. 

Military  Periods.  —  Like  every  other 
country,  ours  has  also  its  military  periods. 
They  are  very  interesting  to  us,  and  the  interest 
is  not  of  an  ordinary  kind.  Its  nature  is  more 
or  less  thrilling.  Nothing  in  the  progress  of 
our  country  is  more  so.  Our  growth  in  popu- 
lation and  wealth,  its  fluctuations  from  different 
causes,  losses  by  storm  and  fire,  and  death  by 


famine  and  pestilence,  awaken  in  us  great  interest. 
As  we  advance  step  by  step  in  our  researches, 
from  interest  we  grow  into  eagerness,  and  from 
sympathy  we  are  carried  into  a  sort  of  terror 
at  the  wonderful  power  of  an  apparently  inex- 
plicable and  uncontrollable  law.  But  when  we 
get  beyond  the  agency  of  natural  forces,  study 
the  actions  of  man  against  man,  tribe  against 
tribe  or  nation  against  nation,  incited  by  inter- 
est or  hate  in  the  onward  movements  of  our 
social  organization,  and  see  that  at  times  they 
result  in  war,  bloodshed  and  death,  our  interest 
becomes  intense  and  thrilling  sensations  move 
us  into  inexpressible  pity  or  revenge. 

The  citizens  of  Berks  County  participated  in 
the  following  five  wars,  in  which  our  country 


FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR. 


105 


was  engaged  during  its  eventful  history,  from 
the  beginning  till  now :  French  and  Indian 
War,  1755  to  1762  ;  Eevolution,  1775  to  1782  ; 
English  War,  1812  to  1815;  Mexican  War, 
1846  to  1848  ;  War  of  the  Eebellion,  1861  to 
1865. 

At  present  we  have  a  strong  feeling  of  secu- 
rity in  the  enjoyment  of  life  and  property.  This 
is  a  great  blessing.  It  is  both  inspiring  and  en- 
nobling. It  conduces  to  the  persistent  direc- 
tion of  labor  in  the  various  channels  of  indus- 
try, and  to  the  development  of  our  general  life 
as  a  free  people.  This  feeling  did  not  exist  one 
hundred  and  thirty  years  ago.  Then,  for  some 
years,  our  people  were  in  constant  alarm  and 
great  dread  of  loss  and  death.  Our  county  or- 
ganization had  just  been  established  after  re- 
peated efforts  in  the  Colonial  Assembly  running 
through  a  number  of  years.  Before  this  the  pros- 
pects for  rapid  improvement  were  bright  and 
promising.  But  these  prospects  were  darkened 
by  a  cruel  foe.  The  inhabitants  had  confidence 
in  themselves,  but  they  needed  protection.  The 
colonial  government  was  weak.  It  could  not 
extend  its  power  effectively  over  the  entire 
State.  They  were,  therefore,  discouraged. 
Driven  by  dread,  and  suffering  from  loss,  they 
were  obliged  to  petition  the  Governor  for  pro- 
tection. In  pursuance  of  their  petitions,  forts 
were  erected  along  the  Blue  Mountain,  and 
small  detachments  of  soldiers  were  stationed  in 
them  to  guard  the  neighboring  settlers  from  the 
atrocious  cruelties  of  the  Indians.  Formerly 
the  Indians  and  settlers  were  on  the  most 
friendly  terms.  They  associated  and  dealt  with 
each  other  in  the  most  satisfactory  manner. 
The  change  from  friendship  and  peace  to  hate, 
revenge  and  war  was  most  surprisiug.  It  was 
produced  by  the  wicked  misrepresentations  of 
the  French,  and  terminated  in  what  is  known  in 
our  history  as  the  "French  and  Indian  War." 

Cause  of  War. — Whilst  the  Penns  were 
endeavoring  to  locate  a  town  on  the  eastern 
bank  of  the  Schuylkill  at  the  "  Ford,"  war  was 
being  carried  on  between  England  and  France, 
and  the  treaty  of  Aix-la-Chapelle  was  formed 
between  them  in  the  same  year  in  which  the 
town  was  laid  out.  But  this  treaty  of  peace 
did  not  settle  the  controversy  between  them  in 
14 


respect  to  territory  on  the  American  continent. 
The  English  colonies  were  originally  planted 
along  the  sea-coast.  But  they  advanced  west- 
wardly.  The  English,  therefore,  claimed  the 
right  to  extend  their  settlements  across  the  con- 
tinent, from  ocean  to  ocean.  The  French,  how- 
ever, had  possessed  Canada  to  the  north  and 
Louisiana  to  the  south.  They,  too,  claimed  the 
intervening  territory  which  lay  along  the  Ohio 
and  Mississippi  Rivers.  Both  parties  claimed 
the  same  country,  and,  in  order  to  maintain 
their  respective  rights,  they  "  rushed  into  a 
fierce  and  bloody  war  for  lands  which  belonged 
to  neither,  and  which,  in  twenty  years  after  the 
termination  of  hostilities,  passed  away  from 
both  and  became  vested  in  a  new  power  whose 
national  existence,  by  a  mysterious  Providence, 
in  a  great  measure,  grew  out  of  their  conten- 
tions." '  It  was  accelerated  by  a  large  grant  of 
six  hundred  thousand  acres  of  land  in  that  dis- 
puted territory  by  the  English  to  certain  per- 
sons who  associated  under  the  title  of  the  "  Ohio 
Company."  This  great  company  agitated  a 
scheme  for  the  settlement  of  the  land  .granted  to 
them,  which  alarmed  the  French.  Remonstrances 
and  complaints  having  proved  fruitless,  each 
party  seized  and  plundered  the  subjects  of  the 
other  ;  and  hostilities  ensued  which  resulted  in 
the  defeat  of  Braddock  in  the  western  section 
of  the  province  in  1755.2 

The  Indians,  having  united  with  the  French 
through  misrepresentation,  and  finding  the  fron- 
tier open,  proceeded  eastwardly  to  recover  and 
repossess  the  territory  which  had  formerly  been 
theirs,  and  out  of  which  they  believed  they  had 
been  swindled.3     On  their  way  they  committed 

1  Ramsay's  "  History  of  United  States,"  276. 

2  The  declaration  of  war  was  published  at  Eastou  by  the 
Governor,  on  the  30th  of  July,  1756,  and  at  Philadelphia  in 
August  following.  It  was  issued  by  King  George  on  the 
17th  of  May,  1755.     See  2  Penn.  Arch.,  735. 

3  In  a  message  to  the  Executive  Council  on  the  3d  of 
November,  1 755,  Governor  Morris  said,  — 

"  This  invasion  was  what  we  had  the  greatest  reason  to 
believe  would  be  the  consequence  of  General  'Braddock's 
defeat  and  the  retreat  of  the  regular  troops,  and  had  my 
hands  been  properly  strengthened,  I  should  have  put  this 
province  into  such  a  posture  of  defence  as  might  have  pre- 
vented the  mischiefs  that  have  since  happened. 

"  It  seems  clear,  from  the  different  accounts  I  have  re- 
ceived, that  the  French  have  gained  to  their  interest  the 


106 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


depredations  and  cruelties  which  resulted  in  a 
great  loss  of  li  fe  and  property.  Notwithstanding 
forts  were  erected  by  the  provincial  govern- 
ment along  the  Kittatinny  Mountain,  from  the 
Delaware  to  the  Susquehanna,  to  afford  pro- 
tection to  the  settlers  in  the  vicinity,  and  were 


Delawares  and  Shawanese  Indians  under  the  ensnaring 
pretense  of  restoring  them  to  their  country,  their  intimate 
knowledge  of  which  will  make  them  dangerous  enemies  to 
the  colonies  in  general,  and  to  this  in  particular.'- 

The  Governor  doubtless  founded  his  opinion  upon  the 
following  report  which  was  made  to  him  by  a  committee  of 
three  persons  (Robert  Strettell,  Joseph  Turner  and  Thomas 
Cadwalader),  who  had  been  appointed  to  make  a  full  in- 
vestigation for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the  causes  that 
occasioned  the  defection  of  the  Indians  : 

"And  wefurther  beg  leave  to  remind  yourhonor,  that,  at 
one  of  the  conferences  held  with  Scaroyody,  one  of  the  Six 
Nation  chiefs,  and  Andrew  Mountour,  in  the  council 
chamber,  they  being  particularly  asked  if  the  Delawares  or 
Shawanese  had  any  cause  of  complaint  given  them  by  this 
government,  they  declared  that  those  Indians  never  men- 
tioned any  to  them,  and  that  they  never  heard  or  did  be- 
lieve they  had  any;  but  that  they  attributed  their  de- 
fection wholly  to  the  defeat  of  General  Braddock,  and  the 
increase  of  strength  and  reputation  gained  on  that  victory 
by  the  French,  and  their  intimidating  those  Indians  and 
using  all  means  by  promises  and  threats  to  seduce  and  fix 
them  in  their  interest,  and  to  the  seeming  weakness  and 
want  of  union  in  the  English,  and  their  appearing  unable 
or  unwilling  to  protect  them,  and  particularly  this  govern- 
ment, who  had  constantly  refused  to  put  the  hatchet  into 
their  hands ;  and  we  beg  leave  to  say  we  are  entirely  of 
opinion  that  this  is  the  true  and  sole  cause  of  their  de- 
fection." 

Teedyuscung,  the  chief  of  the  Delawares,  referred  to  this 
treaty  with  the  Indians  at  a  meeting  in  Easton,  June  28, 
1762,  in  a  speech  to  Governor  Hamilton,  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  Sir  William  Johnson,  of  New  York,  when  he  said,— 

"At  a  treaty  held  here;  about  six  years  ago  I  made  a 
complaint  against  the  proprietors  and  charged  them 
with  depriving  us  of  our  lands  by  forgery  and  fraud, 
which  we  did  at  a  time  when  we  were  just  come  from  the 
French,  by  whom  we  were  very  much  incensed  against  our 
brothers,  the  English.  This  matter  was  afterwards,  by  our 
mutual  consent,  referred  to  the  great  King  George  over  the 
waters,  who  directed  you,  brother,  to  enquire  into  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  case  and  make  a  report  to  him  that  he 
might  see  what  was  just  therein. 

"You  have  taken  the  trouble  to  come  for  this  purpose 
and  many  days  have  been  spent  in  this  affair.  It  now  ap- 
pears, by  sundry  old  writings  and  papers  which  have  been 
shown  by  the  proprietary  commissioners  and  read  at  this 
conference,  that  the  said  charge  of  forgery  was  a  mistake 
into  which  mistake  we  were  led  by  the  accounts  we  had  re- 
ceived from  our  ancestors  concerning  the  lands  sold 
by  Maykerikishe,  Sahoppey  and  Tahaughsey  to  old  Wil- 
liam Penn  in  the  year  1686." 


garrisoned  with  twenty-five  companies,  compri- 
sing   one  thousand   four   hundred   men,   they 
even  crossed   the   mountain  and  carried  their 
wickedness,  arson  and  murder  into  the  counties 
adjoining.     Berks  County  was  entered.     Nu- 
merous  persons,   including   men,   women   and 
children,  were  killed,  and  many  dwellings  and 
barns   were   burned.      This    naturally   spread 
consternation    throughout    the    county.      The 
settlers  along  the  mountain  fled  and  abandoned 
home  and  property.     The  enemy  extended  their 
incursions  to  a  point  near  Reading.     The  in- 
habitants of  the  town  became  alarmed  for  their 
safety.     They  armed  and  organized  themselves 
to   defend  the  town,  and  even  marched  to  the 
mountain  to  assist  in  driving  the  cruel  foe  out 
of  the  county.     Many  letters  have  been  pub- 
lished which  describe  the  wretched  state  of  the 
people  who  lived  in  the  townships  to  the  north 
and  west  of  the  town. 

The  cruelties  of  the  Indians  and  the  unsettled 
condition  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  upper  sec- 
tion of  the  county  continued  during  the  years 
1755,  1756  and  1757.  During  these  years  the 
English  were  unsuccessful  in  their  campaigns 
against  the  French  and  Indians.  Their  affairs 
here  were  in  an  alarming  situation.  Their 
efforts  had  produced  only  expense  and  disap- 
pointment. But  in  1758  the  tide  turned  in 
their  favor  through  the  vigorous  administration 
of  a  new  leader,  William  Pitt.  The  Indians 
retreated  and  victory  crowned  the  British 
armies  everywhere  during  the  succeeding  years 
till  1760,  when  the  French  were  dispossessed  of 
all  the  territories  in  dispute  and  forced  to  surren- 
der Canada.     Peace  was  declared  in  1763. 

The  town  of  Reading  had  just  been  fairly 
started  when  this  terrible  shock  fell  upon  the 
inhabitants.  Though  discouraged,  they  did 
not  abandon  their  new  settlement  and  its  bright 
prospects,  as  the  settlers  were  forced  to  do  along 
the  mountain.  They  remained,  they  perse- 
vered, they  succeeded.  It  is  probable  that  the 
unsettled  condition  of  affairs  during  that  period 
in  the  townships  bordering  on  the  mountain, 
which  arose  from  the  incursions  and  cruelties  of 
the  Indians,  contributed  much  towards  the  rapid 
growth  of  the  town. 

The    Friends,   through   Christopher    Sauer, 


FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR. 


107 


the  publisher  of  a  German  newspaper,  at  Ger- 
mantown,  induced  the  German  settlers  to 
co-operate  with  them.  They  persuaded  them 
to  believe  that  the  Provincial  Council  intended 
to  enslave  them,  enforce  their  young  men  to 
become  soldiers  and  to  load  them  down  with 
taxes.  These  representations  induced  the  Ger- 
mans to  travel  to  Philadeiphia  from  all  parts  in 
order  to  vote,  and  they  carried  all  the  elections. 
Almost  to  a  man,  the  Germans  refused  to  bear 
arms  in  the  French  and  Indian  War. 

Officers,  Supplies,  etc.,  in  County. — 
The  provincial  military  officers  of  Berks 
County  in  1754  were :  Lieutenant-Colonel,  Con- 
rad Weiser :  Captains,  Christian  Buss6  (at  Fort 
Henry),  Frederick  .  Smith,  Jacob  Orndt,  Jacob 
Morgan  (at  Fort  Lebanon) ;  Lieutenant,  Philip 
Weiser;  Ensigns,  Harry  (at  Fort  Leb- 
anon), Edward  Biddle ;  Sergeant,  Peter  Smith ; 
Corporal, Schaeffer. 

Weiser  was  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Second 
Battalion  of  the  Pennsylvania  Regiment,  which 
consisted  of  nine  companies.  This  was  a  por- 
tion of  the  troops  which  were  ordered  by  the 
Governor  and  provincial  commissioners  to  be 
raised  for  the  purpose  of  repelling  the  invasion 
by  the  Indians,  the  total  force  to  comprise,  twen- 
ty-five companies,  numbering  fourteen  hundred 
men.  Of  the  nine  companies  under  Weiser, 
one  and  one-half  companies  were  at  Fort 
Henry,  and  one  company  was  at  Fort  Williams. 

In  March,  1756,  an  independent  company 
of  grenadiers,  in  General  Shirley's  regiment, 
was  stationed  at  Reading  on  duty.  Upon  re- 
ceiving orders  to  march  to  New  York,  twenty- 
five  men,  under  the  command  of  a  lieutenant, 
were  ordered  to  Reading  to  remain  on  guard 
till  further  orders. 

In  June,  1756,  the  town  was  occupied  by  a 
company  of  men,  under  the  command  of  Con- 
rad Weiser.  It  was  composed  of  two  sergeants 
and  twenty-eight  privates.  Shortly  before,  an 
independent  company  of  grenadiers,  from 
General  Shirley's  regiment,  had  been  stationed 
here  on  duty.  The  ammunition  at  Reading 
then  consisted  of  twenty-five  good  muskets, 
twenty-five  muskets  out  of  repair,  eleven  broken 
muskets,  nine  cartridge-boxes,  two  hundred  and 
forty  pounds  of  powder,  six  hundred  pounds 


of  lead.  In  August,  1757,  "fifty  men,  from 
Cumru  and  other  townships  near  Reading,  set 
out  in  expectation  of  bringing  in  some  Indian 
scalps." 

In  February,  1758,  Fort  Williams  was  gar- 
risoned by  Captain  Morgan  and  fifty-three  men ; 
and  Fort  Henry  was  garrisoned  by  Captain 
Busse  with  eighty-nine  men,  and  Captain  Wei- 
ser with  one  hundred  and  five  men ;  and  Fort 
Augusta  with  eight  companies,  numbering  three 
hundred  and  sixty-two  men. 

The  whole  number  of  men  receiving  pay 
then  in  the  province  was  one  thousand  two 
hundred  and  seventy-four. 

In  June,  1758,  Berks  County  had  in  the  ser- 
vice fifty-six  good  and  strong  wagons.  Each 
wagon  was  completely  furnished  with  four  able 
horses  and  an  expert  driver.  These  wagons  were 
formed  into  two  divisions, — the  first  division 
containing  twenty-six  wagons,  and  the  second 
thirty  wagons.  A  deputy  wagon-master,  ap- 
pointed by  Colonel  Weiser,  was  over  each  divi- 
sion. Their  names  were  John  Lesher  and 
Jacob  Weaver,  who  were  reported  to  be  free- 
holders and  able  to  speak  the  English  and  Ger- 
man languages  and  to  understand  smith  and 
wheelwright  work. 

In  1761  the  inhabitants  of  Tulpehocken 
and  Heidelberg  townships  raised  one  hundred 
and  fifty  men  as  rangers  to  guard  the  county 
lines  of  Berks  and  Lancaster  Counties. 

The  following  is  from  a  return  of  troops, 
commanded  by  Major  Asher  Clayton,  stationed 
on  frontiers  of  Lancaster,  Berks  and  Northamp- 
ton Counties,  dated  Juue  1,  1764: 

In  Berks  County. 

At  Fort  Henry,  Bethel  township,  Captain  John 
Philip  De  Haas ;  one  sergeant,  eighteen  men. 

(Conrad)  Rehrer's,  Bethel  township,  Lieutenant 
Christopher  Seely ;  fourteen  men. 

Christopher  Young's,  Tulpehocking  township,  En* 
sign  William  Wild  [Wiles] ;  one  sergeant,  thirteen 
men. 

Kauffman's  Mill,  Bern  township,  Captain  Jacob 
Kern  ;  one  sergeant,  fourteen  men. 

Hagabaugh's,  Albany  township,  Lieutenant  John 
Sitzhoupt;  fifteen  men. 

John  Overwinter's,  Albany  township,  Ensign 
George  Nagle;  twelve  men. 

,  Bern  township ;  one  sergeant,  ten  men. 


108 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


,  Heidelberg  township,  Captain  Nicholas 

Houssegger,  Endgn  William  McMean ;  one  sergeant, 
twenty-six  men. 

Colonial  Forts.— When  the  officials  of  the 
provincial  government  learned  that  the  Indians 
and  French  had  united  for  the  purpose  of  co- 
operating against  the  English  on  this  continent, 
they  decided  to  afford  protection  to  the  settle- 
ments near  the  frontiers  by  the  erection  of  forte ; 
and  the  number  of  settlers  who  had  gone  beyond 
the  Blue  Mountains  till  this  time  having  been 
small,  they  determined  to  locate  these  forts 
along  this  natural  boundary  line  from  the 
Delaware  on  the  east  to  the  Susquehanna  on 
the  west.1  The  object  of  these  forts  was  simply 
for  refuge,  as  places  to  which  the  inhabitants 
could  retreat  when  danger  was  imminent.  They 
were  erected  hastily  to  serve  a  temporary  pur- 
pose. Unfortunately  for  the  people,  they  were 
too  few  in  number  and  too  far  apart  to  serve  the 
purpose  for  which  they  were  intended,  especially 
to  those  who  were  somewhat  removed.  The 
Indians  did  not  march  over  the  mountains  in 
large  numbers  together,  and  they  did  not  attack 
the  forts.  They  came  quietly  and  in  small  par- 
ties. Without  any  warning  they  fell  upon  the 
unprotected  families  like  a  thunderbolt,  and  af- 
ter murdering  men,  women  and  children  indis- 
criminately and  setting  fire  to  dwellings  and 
barns,  they  departed  like  a  flash.  And  their 
success  in  these  wicked  incursions  was  truly 
wonderful. 

The  following  forts  were  erected  in  the  terri- 
tory which  was  embraced  in  Berks  County, 
the  first  four  having  been  along  the  Blue  Moun- 
tain, and  the  last  at  Shamokin  (now  Sunbury)  : 

Fort  Henry,  Fort  Dietrich  Snyder,  Fort  North- 

1  In  1758,  the  location  and  distances  were  reported  to  be 
as  follows : 

Miles. 

From  Wind  Gap  to  Doll's  Block-House 20 

Thence  to  Fort  Leychy 8 

"       "  Fort  Allen ...10 

"       "  Block-House 20 

"       "  Fort  Everit 10 

"       "  Fort  Williams 12 

"       "  Fort  Henry 22 

"       "  Fort  Swatara 14 

"       "  Fort  Hunter,  on  Susquehanna 24 

Total  distance 140 


kill,  Fort  Lebanon,  Fort  Franklin  and  Fort 
Augusta. 

Fort  of  1754. — The  house  within  the  stock- 
ades was  built  of  logs,  and  often  crowded  uncom- 
fortably by  the  neighboring  inhabitants  in  times 
of  danger.  The  stockades  were  logs,  about 
eighteen  feet  long,  cut  in  the  woods  where  the 
forts  were  built,  and  planted  in  the  ground  as 
closely  as  possible.  They  were  intended  to 
protect  the  house  and  prevent  the  Indians  from 
shooting  its  occupants  when  they  stepped  out  of 
the  house. 

Fort  Henry  was  situated  in  Bethel  township, 
in  what  was,  and  still  is,  commonly  known  as 
"  The  Hollow,"  about  three  miles  northwardly 
from  the  present  village  of  Millersburg,  some 
fifty  yards  to  the  east  of  the  "  Old  Shamokin 
Road,"  which  leads  over  the  mountain.  The 
spot  was  somewhat  elevated,  to  enable  the  guard 
to  look  out  some  distance  in  every  direction. 
There  is  no  particular  mention  of  this  fort  in 
the  Colonial  Records,  which  omission  induces 
the  belief  that  it  was  a  fort  erected  by  the 
people  of  that  vicinity  for  their  protection.  It 
was  sometimes  called  "  Dietrich  Six's,"  doubt- 
less because  it  stood  on  the  land  of  Dietrich  Six. 
The  records  mention  several  times  that  the 
people  fled  to  Dietrich  Six's,  but  the  place  was 
not  indicated  as  a  military  post.  The  field  where 
it  was  situated  has  been  under  cultivation  for 
many  years.  Not  a  single  mark  remains  to 
indicate  where  it  stood.  It  was  erected  some 
time  before  June,  1754. 

In  the  beginning  of  June,  1757,  the  Gover- 
nor of  the  province  visited  Fort  Henry,  having 
been  escorted  thither  by  sixty  substantial  free- 
holders of  the  county  on  horseback,  completely 
armed.  "  They  presented  a  very  dutiful  ad- 
dress to  his  honor,  in  which  they  expressed  the 
warmest  loyalty  to  the  King  and  the  greatest 
zeal  and  alacrity  to  serve  His  Majesty  in  defense 
of  their  country." 

Michael  La  Chauvignerie,  a  French  officer, 
was  captured  at  Fort  Henry,  and  examined  in 
Reading,  October  16,  1757,  by  Conrad  Weiser, 
James  Read  and  Thomas  Oswald,  but  nothing 
of  any  particular  importance  was  developed 
except  that  he  had  been  in  this  part  of  the 
country  once  before  and  that  his  party  killed 


FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR. 


109 


and  scalped  a  German  and  took  seven  children 
prisoners.  He  stated  that  the  Indians  had  a 
great  number  of  prisoners  which  they  would  not 
part  with. 

Fort  at  Dietrich  Snyder's. — A  fort  was  situ- 
ated on  the  top  of  the  Broad  Mountain,  north  of 
Fort  Northkill.  It  occupied  one  of  the  most 
promiuent  spots  on  the  mountain.  Being  within 
two  miles  distant  from  Fort  Northkill,  it  is 
supposed  that  this  fort  was  designed  for  an 
observatory  or  watch-house.  It  is  mentioned 
in  the  "Historical  Map  of  Pennsylvania." 

Fort  Northkill  was  situated  in  Upper  Tulpe- 
hocken  township,  near  the  Northkill — a  branch 
of  the  Tulpehocken  Creek — about  two  miles 
east  of  Strausstown  and  about  a  mile  south  from 
the  base  of  the  Blue  Mountain.  It  was  built  in 
the  early  part  of  1754. 

With  regard  to  the  dimensions  of  the  fort 
Commissary  Young  says,  June  20, 1756  :  "The 
fort  is  about  nine  miles  to  the  westward  of  the 
Schuylkill,  and  stands  in  a  very  thick  wood, 
on  a  small  rising  ground,  half  a  mile  from  the 
middle  of  Northkill  Creek.  It  is  intended  for 
a  square  about  32  feet  each  way ;  at  each  corner 
is  a  half-bastion  of  very  little  service  to  flank 
the  curtains — the  stockades  were  ill  fixed  in  the 
ground,  and  open  in  many  places — within  is  a 
very  bad  log-house  for  the  people;  it  has  no 
chimney  and  can  afford  but  little  shelter  in  bad 
weather." 

Ensign  Harry  had  command  of  the  fort  in 
June,  1754.  "  Harry  marched  out  of  the  fort 
about  12  o'clock  with  his  men  to  Fort  Lebanon, 
according  to  orders.  Provisions  I  found  in  the 
fort  as  follows:  5  pounds  of  powder,  198 
pounds  of  flour,  10  small  bars  of  lead,  15 
pounds  of  beef  and  pork,  3J  pounds  of  can- 
dles." * 

In  1879  there  was  a  heap  of  ground  close  by. 
This  was  caused  by  the  excavation  of  the  cellar 
or  underground  chamber  into  which  the  women 
and  children  were  placed  for  security.  Some 
of  the  ground  has  fallen  into  the  opening,  and 
the  autumn  leaves  have  been  blown  into  it  for 


1  2  Penna.  Arch,  159.  He  delivered  possession  of  the 
fort  to  his  successor  on  the  15th  of  June,  1754 ;  the  name 
of  the  commander  is  not  mentioned. 


one  hundred  and  twenty-five  years,  so  that  now 
it  is  nearly  full.  Mr.  Jonathan  Goodman,  of 
Strausstown,  a  man  nearly  eighty  years  of  age, 
who  was  born  and  who  lived  all  his  lifetime  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  fort,  said  then  that  he 
remembered  that  the  stockades  were  still  in 
position,  higher  than  the  ceiling  of  a  room,  and 
that  the  form  of  the  fort  could  still  be  seen  in 
his  younger  days.2 

There  was  an  attack  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Fort  Northkill  on  the  1st  of  October,  1757. 
Application  was  made  to  Conrad  Weiser  (who 
was  in  Reading  at  the  time)  for  immediate  as- 
sistance. Captain  Oswald  (who  commanded  the 
guards  about  Reading)  sent  two  lieutenants 
with  forty  men  to  their  relief. 

Fort  Lebanon  was  situated  "  on  the  forks  of 
the  Schuylkill,"  in  that  section  of  the  county 
beyond  the  Blue  Mountain,  near  the  outlet  of 
the  "  Little  Schuylkill."  This  was  at  a  point 
just  above  Port  Clinton.  It  was  erected  in  the 
beginning  of  the  year  1754.  In  1758  it  was 
known  as  "  Fort  Williams  ; "  and  it  was  also 
called  sometimes  "  Fort  Schuylkill."  It  is 
frequently  mentioned  in  the  Pennsylvania  Ar- 
chives. Two  years  after  its  erection  it  was 
described  as  follows :  "  Fort  Lebanon,  about 
24  miles  from  Gnadenhutten,  in  the  line  to 
Shamokin.  Fort  100  feet  square.  Stockades 
14  feet  high.  House  within  built  30  by  20, 
with  a  large  store-room.  A  spring  within.  A 
magazine  12  feet  square.  On  a  barren,  not 
much  timber  on  it.  One  hundred  families  pro- 
tected by  it  within  the  new  purchase.  No 
township.  Built  in  three  weeks ;  something 
considerable  given  by  the  neighbors  towards 
it." 

Fort  Franklin. — The  fourth  and  last  fort  on 
the  frontier  of  Berks  County  was  situated  sev- 
eral miles  above  the  Blue  Mountain,  on  Lizard 
Creek.  It  was  built  about  two  years  later  than 
the  other  forts.  It  was  sometimes  called  Fort 
Allemangael,  or  Fort  above  Allemangael,  or 
Alle  Mangel  (all  wants),  afterward  changed  into 
Albany. 

The  first  information  of  this  fort  is  from  Ben- 
jamin Franklin,  who  (while  superintending  the 

2  Brunner's  "  Indians  of  Berks  County,"  p.  23. 


110 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


erection  of  Fort  Allen,  where  Weissport  now 
stands)  wrote  to  Governor  Morris  after  it  was 
finished,  and  said  :  "  Foulk  is  gone  to  build 
another  between  this  (Fort  Allen)  and  Schuyl- 
kill Fort  (Lebanon),  which  I  hope  will  be 
finished  (as  Texter  is  to  join  him)  in  a  week  or 
ten  days.  As  soon  as  Hays  returns  I  shall 
detach  another  party  to  erect  another  at  Surfas' 
which*  I  hope  may  be  finished  in  the  same  time, 
and  then  I  hope  to  end  my  campaign."  This 
letter  was  written  January  25,  1756.  A 
"Block-House"  and  several  other  buildings 
stood  between  Fort  Franklin  and  Fort  Allen, 
in  which  soldiers  were  stationed,  and  Surfas  was 
evidently  the  name  of  a  man  upon  whose  prop- 
erty one  of  the  forts  was  located.  The  fort  was 
named  in  honor  of  its  projector,  Benjamin 
Franklin. 

James  Young,  "  commissary  of  ye  Musters," 
visited  the  fort  on  June  21st.  He  reported  the 
road  from  Fort  Lebanon  "  a  narrow  path,  very 
hilly  and  swampy  ;  about  half-way  we  came 
through  a  very  thick  and  dangerous  pine 
swamp ;  very  few  plantations  on  this  road, 
most  of  them  deserted  and  the  houses  burnt 
down  ;  half  of  a  mile  to  the  westward  of  this 
fort  is  good  plantation  ;  the  people  retire  to  the 
fort  every  night.  This  fort  stands  about  a  mile 
from  the  North  Mountain  ;  only  two  planta- 
tions near  it.  This  fort  is  a  square  of  about 
forty  feet,  very  ill  stockaded,  with  two  log 
houses  at  opposite  corners  for  bastions ;  all  very 
unfit  for  defence ;  the  stockades  are  very  open 
in  many  places ;  it  stands  on  the  bank  of  a 
creek,  the  woods  clear  for  120  yards;  the  lieu- 
tenant (Igle)  ranges  towards  Fort  Lebanon 
and  Fort  Allen  about  four  times  a  week;  much 
thunder,  lightning  and  rain  all  night." 

Fort  Augusta. — The  first  allusion  to  this  fort 
is  in  a  letter  by  Governor  Morris,  on  1st  of 
February,  1756,  in  which  he  states  that  he  pro- 
posed to  build  a  fort  at  Shamokin,  at  the  forks 
of  the  Susquehanna,  as  soon  as  the  season  would 
admit  a  passage  of  that  river.  And  in  a  letter 
dated  July  20th  following,  he  stated  that  a  fort 
was  then  building  at  Shamokin  (where  a  camp 
was  stationed  for  some  time)  by  Colonel  Clap- 
ham,  who  had  five  hundred  men  with  him. 
Shortly  afterward  (August  14,  1756),  the  colo- 


nel addressed  a  letter  to  the  Governor,  dated  at 
"Fort  Augusta,"  in  reference  to  a  necessary 
supply  of  military  stores.  This  fort  was  there- 
fore built  during  July  and  August,  1756.  No 
dimensions  are  given.  But  it  was  large  and 
commodious,  affording  room  for  many  men  and 
a  large  quantity  of  military  stores  at  a  time. 
Frequent  reports  of  the  supplies  on  hand  and  of 
the  forces  stationed  there  appear  in  the  records 
and  archives ;  and  cruelties  by  the  Indians 
were  committed  in  the  vicinity.  These  matters 
are  not  included  in  this  narrative.  Though 
the  fort  was  within  the  territorial  limits  of  the 
county,  it  was  many  miles  beyoud  the  settle- 
ments of  its  inhabitants. 

In  order  to  give  some  idea  of  the  activity  of 
the  soldiers  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the 
county,  the  journal  of  the  commander 1  at  Fort 
Northkill  is  presented  in  this  connection.  It 
begins  June  13,  1754,  and  ends  on  August  31st. 
It  contains  an  account  of  what  was  done  every 
day  during  this  time,  and  it  also  furnishes  the 
first  information  relating  to  the  actual  invasion 
of  the  county  by  the  Indians  so  far  as  to  and 
even  on  this  side  of  the  Blue  Mountain,  and  to 
the  murders  committed  upon  our  inhabitants. 

The  commander  says  in  his  journal 2 — , 

"  Accordingly  I  set  out  from  Reading  by  break  of 
day  on  the  14th,  and  arrived  at  Lieut-Colonel 
Weiser's,  where  I  received  orders  to  march  with  the 
company,  or  detachment,  to  Fort  Henry,  and  from 
there  take  a  detachment  of  twenty  men  and  continue 
till  to  Fort  on  Northkill.    Accordingly,  on  the 

"  15th. — In  the  morning  I  took  the  said  twenty  men 
from  Fort  Henry  of  the  new  levies,  and  marched 
straitway  to  the  said  fort  (Northkill),  accompanied 
with  Captain  Busse  and  Captain  Smith.  As  soon  as  I 
arrived,  I  gave  ensign  Harry  (then  commander  at 
Fort  Northkill)  notice  of  my  orders,  and  sent  off  two 
men  immediately  to  Col.  Weiser  with  a  report  of  the 
condition  I  found  the  fort  in,  and  sent  him  a  list  of 
the  new  levies  who  were  detached  from  Captain 
Busse's  fort  (Henry)  with  me  to  this  fort. 

"  16th. — Captains  Busse  and  Smith  set  off  about  10 
o'clock  with  a  scout  often  men,  which  Captain  Busse 
had  ordered  of  his  company  on  the  15th.  [Here  a 
description  of  the  fort  appears,  quoted  before]. 

"  17th. — I,  with  a  corporal  and  twenty  men,  accord- 
ing to  orders  from  Lieut.-Col.  Weiser,  went  a  scouting 

1  Name  not  given  in  Archives. 

2  2  Pennsylvania  Archives,  159-166.  Some  of  the  days 
have  been  omitted,  being  of  no  interest  or  consequence. 


FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR. 


Ill 


and  ranging  the  woods  till  to  Fort  Lebanon,  where  we 
arrived  at  2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  We  staid  there 
all  night,  being  not  able  to  scout  any  farther  or  return 
home  because  of  a  heavy  rain. 

"  18th. — Ret  off  from  Fort  Lebanon  in  the  morning, 
being  rainy  weather,  and  ranged  the  woods,  coming 
back,  as  before,  with  the  same  number  of  men,  and 
arrived  at  Fort  on  Northkill  about  4  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon. 

"  19th. — Gave  orders  to  Sergeant  Peter  Smith  to 
scout  to  Fort  Lebanon  and  to  bring  me  report  the 
next  day  of  his  proceedings.  Accordingly  he  arrived 
on  the  30th  about  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  and  made 
report  that  he  had  done  according  to  his  orders,  and 
that  he  had  made  no  discoveries.  Received  a  letter 
from  Captain  Morgan, *  informing  me  that  he  had  no 
news,  &c. 

"20th. — Sent  off  Corporal  Shafer  to  scout  as  be- 
fore. 

"21st. — Minister  Shumaker'2  came  and  preached  a 
sermon  to  the  company.  The  scout  arrived  from  Fort 
Lebanon.  The  corporal  reported  that  nothing  strange 
had  come  to  his  knowledge.  A  scout  of  Captain 
Busse's  arrived  about  11  o'clock,  and  returned  about 
4  towards  their  fort,  but  upon  the  Indian  alarms,  they 
immediately  returned  back  to  my  fort  and  gave  me 
notice ;  in  the  midst  of  the  rain  I  sent  on  the  first 
notice  Sergeant  Smith  with  eighteen  men,  and  ordered 
them  to  divide  themselves  in  two  parties. 

"  23d. — Sergeant  Smith  returned  and  made  report 
that  he  arrived  at  Dietz's  house  about  10  o'clock  in 
the  night,  where  they  heard  a  gun  go  off  at  Jacob 
Smith's,  about  a  mile  off.  They  immediately  set  off 
again  from  said  Smith's  towards  the  place  where  the 
gun  went  off,  and  surrounded  the  house  (according  to 
my  orders).  They  searched  all  the  house  but  found 
no  marks  of  Indians.  From  this  they  .marched  to 
Falk's  house  in  the  Gap,  and  surrounded  it,  but  found 
no  Indians.  From  there  they  went  to  the  mountain, 
and  arrived  there  at  2  o'clock  in  the  morning,  where 
Sergeant  Smith,  according  to  orders,  waylaid  the  road 
in  two  parties,  and  as  soon  as  it  was  day  went  back 
and  buried  the  man  that  was  killed,  to  wit:  Peter 
Geisinger,  who  was  shot  and  killed  the  day  before. 
At  burying  him,  they  heard  five  guns  go  off  about 
two  miles  from  said  place,  whereupon  Sergeant  Smith 
immediately  repaired  to  the  place,  and  divided  them- 
selves into  two  parties.  (I  have  sent  off  Corporal 
Shafer  with  eight  men,  on  the  22d,  to  their  assistance). 
Sergeant  Smith  also  makes  report  that  this  morning, 
about  7  o'clock,  a  girl  about  15  years,  daughter  of 
Balser  Schmidt,  was  taken  prisoner  by  two  Indians, 
whose  tracks  they  saw  and  followed,  but  to  no  pur- 
pose. A  party  of  Captain  Busse's  company  went 
along  from  this  and  remained  with  my  men  all  the 
time.      Fifteen  or  sixteen  of  the  inhabitants  came  to 

1  Commander  at  Fort  Lebanon. 

2  Pastor  of  Trinity  Lutheran  congregation  at  Reading. 


me  and  applied  for  assistance.  I  ordered  out  several 
detachments  to  assist  them. 

"June  24. — I  set  off  with  twenty  men  from  this  to 
Captain  Busse's  fort,  along  the  mountain,  and  called 
at  the  place  where  the  murder  was  committed.  Went 
up  as  far  as  the  gap  of  the  mountain,  but  as  I  found 
no  tracks  there  I  thought  the  Indians  would  be  on 
this  side  the  mountains,  therefore  I  went  up  along  the 
mountains  without  opposition,  till  to  Captain  Busse's 
fort,  and  as  it  rained  very  hard  all  day  and  we  went 
far  about,  we  arrived  there  towards  the  evening. 

"June  25. — Set  off  in  the  morning  with  the  same 
number  of  men,  and  scoured  the  woods  nearly  the 
same  way  back  again,  and  arrived  towards  evening  in 
the  fort,  being  rainy  weather. 

"  June  26. — Received  in  the  morning  aletter  for  me, 
positively  not  to  neglect  my  scouting  toward  Fort 
Lebanon ;  accordingly,  immediately  called  in  my  de- 
tachments. This  afternoon  a  woman  living  about  one 
and  a  half  miles  from  here  came  to  the  fort  and  said 
she  had  seen  an  Indian  just  now  in  her  field,  almost 
naked,  and  had  a  gun,  but  said  she  did  not  stay  to 
look  long.  '  I  immediately  sent  off  Sergeant  Smith 
with  two  parties,  consisting  of  about  20  men.  They 
searched  the  place  and  found  nothing,  but  saw  two 
bare  feet  tracks.  They  divided  into  small  parties,  and 
scoured  the  woods  till  evening  and  then  returned  to 
the  fort,  and  as  I  had  to-day  but  men  sufficient  to 
guard  the  fort,  I  sent  out  no  scout.  This  evening  in- 
telligence came  to  me  from  the  Colonel  [Weiser]  in- 
forming me  that  he  had  notice  from  Captain  Orndt  of 
fifteen  going  to  fall  on  this  settlement  on  hereabouts. 
He  ordered  me  therefore  immediately  to  send  notice 
to  Captain  Busse's  fort,  in  order  that  it  might  be  from 
there  conveyed  to  Fort  Swatara.     I  did  accordingly. 

"June  27. — Gave  orders  to  Sergeant  Smith  to  go 
scouting  the  woods  between  this  and  Fort  Lebanon, 
and,  if  Captain  Morgan  thought  that  it  wasserviceable, 
to  range  some  way  up  Schuylkill  (as  that  gap  is  their 
common  rendezvous). 

June  28. — A  scout  of  Captain  Busse  arrived  in  the 
forenoon,  and  set  off  again  this  afternoon. 

"  June  29. — In  the  evening  there  came  two  men  to 
the  fort,  and  reported  that  the  Indians  had  invaded 
about  six  miles  from  this,  about  nine  o'clock  this 
morning.  I  was  somewhat  concerned  that  I  had  no 
sooner  intelligence  of  it;  however,  I  immediately 
sent  off  twelve  men  under  two  corporals. 

"  June  30. — About  noon  the  two  corporals  returned 
and  made  the  following  report:  That  yesterday  they 
could  not  reach  the  place,  as  they  were  tired,  but  staid 
at  a  house  till  nigh  break  of  day,  and  then  set  off  again. 
He  did  not  immediately  go  to  the  place  where  the  man, 
etc.,  were  killed,  but  went  somewhat  further  down 
towards  the  Schuylkill,  thinking  that  the  Indians 
had  invaded  lower  down,  but  as  it  was  not  so  he  took 
another  route  towards  the  place  where  the  murder 
was  committed,  and  as  he  came  there  he  found  the 
man's   wife   (Frederick   Myers),  who  had  been  at  a 


112 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


plough,  and  shot  through  both  her  breasts  and  was 
scalped.  After  that  he  went  to  look  for  the  man, 
whom  they  found  dead  and  scalped  some  way  in  the 
woods.  They  took  a  ladder  and  carried  him  to  his 
wife,  where  the  neighbors  came  and  helped  to  bury 
them,  after  which  they  went  towards  the  mountain, 
and  scouted  along  the  same  and  arrived  here  about 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  It  is  reported  by  the 
farmers  who  saw  the  deceased  a  short  while  before, 
that  he  was  mowing  in  his  meadow,  and  that  his 
children  were  about  him,  which  makes  them  believe 
that  the  man,  after  he  had  heard  the  shot  which 
killed  his  wife,  went  to  run  off  with  only  the  youngest 
child  in  his  arms,  as  the  man  was  shot  through  his 
body,  and  the  child  is  one  anda  half  years  of  age  and 
is  scalped,  but  yet  alive,  and  is  put  at  a  doctor's.  The 
other  three,  who  were  with  their  father,  are  taken 
prisoners ;  one  of  them  is  a  boy  about  ten  years  old, 
the  other  a  girl  of  eight  years  and  the  other  a  boy  of 
six  years.  There  was  a  baby,  whom  they  found  in  a 
ditch,  that  the  water  was  just  to  its  mouth.  It  was 
lying  on  its  back  crying.  It  was  taken  up,  and  is  like 
to  do  well.  A  boy  of  one  Reichard,  of  eight  years, 
was  taken  prisoner  at  the  same  time.  This  was  all  done 
within  half  an  hour,  as  some  neighbors  had  been  there 
in  that  space  of  time." 1 

A  squad  of  soldiers  were  ranging  the  woods 
daily  between  Forts  Henry,  Northkill  and 
Lebanon,  but  no  Indians  were  seen  for  three 
weeks.     On  the  23d  of  July  the  commander  of 


>  This  heart-rending  tragedy  occurred  about  a  mile  and 
a  half  north  of  Shartlesville,  in  Upper  Bern,  on  the  farm 
owned  by  Frederick  Moyer,  the  grandson  of  the  little  child 
that  had  such  a  narrow  escape  from  cruel  death. 

Tradition  says  that  the  child  found  in  the  ditch  was 
scalped  and  otherwise  hurt,  and  died  afterwards. 

The  child  Frederick,  who  was  scalped  and  put  to  a  doctor, 
was  also  shot  through  the  arm,  probably  pierced  by  the 
bullet  that  killed  the  father,  but  recovered  and  in  due  time 
became  the  owner  of  the  farm  and  died  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
eight  years.  The  property  then  came  into  the  possession 
of  his  son,  Jacob  M.,  and  after  his  death  into  the  possession 
of  his  grandson,  Frederick,  who  is  the  present  owner. 

The  Reiohard  mentioned  in  the  report  belonged  to  a 
family  living  on  the  farm  owned  by  Mr.  Daniel  Berger. 
Tradition  says  that  the  Reichard  family  was  murdered 
except  one  of  the  boys,  whom  the  Indians  had  intended  to 
take  prisoner.  Mr.  Reichard  used  to  tell  his  children  that 
if  the  Indians  should  come  and  attempt  to  take  any  of  them 
alive  they  should  resist  to  their  utmost.  This  young  boy, 
wishing  to  carry  out  his  father's  request,  resisted  the  Indians 
who,  after  conveying  him  as  far  as  to  Moyer's,  and,  chafed 
by  his  insubmission,  killed  him  with  their  tomahawks  and 
scalped  him. 

It  was  also  about  this  time  that  the  Hostetter  family  was 
killed  near  the  forge  west  of  Shartlesville.—  Brunner's 
''Indians  of  Berks  County,''  p.  29-30. 


Fort  Northkill  marched  along  the  mountain  as 
far  as  to  the  east  side  of  the  Schuylkill,  and  re- 
mained at  Fort  Lebanon  during  the  night. 
Then  he  continues  in  his  journal, — 

"  July  24th. — Returned,  and  as  soon  as  we  came 
over  on  this  side  of  the  mountain  (it  being  yet  early 
in  the  day),  I  took  quite  another  route  through  the 
woods,  but  made  no  discovery,  so  we  arrived  at  Fort 
Northkill  in  the  evening.  I  had  not  been  there  one- 
half  an  hour  before  three  farmers  came  and  informed 
me  that  this  morning  the  Indians  had  taken  a  boy  of 
about  14  years  prisoner,  but  had  done  no  other  dam- 
age. I  immediately  sent  off  a  party,  but  as  it  hap- 
pened, the  boy  being  taken  prisoner  in  the  morning, 
night  came  on  before  my  men  could  get  there. 

"25th. — In  the  morning  I  heard  that  the  boy  had 
escaped,  and  that  he  made  report,  and  that  there 
were  four  white  men  and  four  Indians  with  him,  and 
that  at  night  he  escaped  ;  they  had  tied  him  and  he 
was  obliged  to  lie  between  them,  but  as  they  all  got 
drunk  and  fast  asleep,  he  untied  himself  and  ran  off. 
He  further  says  that  when  he  was  taken  prisoner  he 
made  a  noise,  and  that  they  struck  him  and  told  him 
to  be  silent.  I  imagine  they  saw  me  with  my  men  go 
over  the  day  before  yesterday.  The  Indians  were 
this  night  about  the  fort,  but  it  was  very  dark,  there- 
fore I  did  not  sally  out. 

"26th. — This  morning  sent  out  Sergeant  Smith 
with  five  men  to  search  about  the  fort  for  tracks,  but 
he  only  found  one  which  was  in  a  muddy  place. 
But  it  being  nothing  but  stones,  he  could  not  follow 
the  tracks.  It  rained  all  day,  therefore  I  could  send 
no  scouts. 

[Scouts  were  sent  out  every  day,  but  nothing  was 
seen  of  the  Indians  for  a  week.] 

"  August  4th.— A  scout  of  Captain  Busse  arrived 
and  returned  the  same  day.  The  inhabitants  desir- 
ing assistance  to  bring  in  their  harvest,  I  gave  them 
some  men,  and  went  scouting,  but  as  I  left  few  men 
in  the  fort  I  returned  this  evening." 

[The  soldiers  often  guarded  the  fields  while  the 
farmers  took  off  their  grain  and  hauled  it  away, 
because  when  they  were  engaged  in  this  work,  the 
Indians  could  approach  them  more  closely  without 
being  observed.] 

"7th.— This  being  Sunday,  I  took  a  party  and 
went  to  church,2  as  the  church  lies  near  the  moun- 
tain and  the  minister  could  not  come  without  a 
guard. 

"  8th.— The  sentry  fired  at  an  Indian.  The  Indian 
stood  behind  a  bush  about  300  yards  off,  and  was 
viewing  the  fort.  I  went  off  with  eighteen  men,  and 
parted  them  in  six  parties,  and  went  after  the  In- 
dians, but  could  not  come  up  with  them.  Went  to 
clearing  about  the  fort,  it  being  thick  of  bushes. 


2  The  old  church  situated  half  a  mile  east  of  Strausstown. 


FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR 


113 


"9th. — Continual  clearing  and  burning  bush. 
"  10th. — Sent  off  a  scouting  party  who  returned  and 
brought  no  intelligence.  This  night  the  sentry  about 
an  hour  after  dark  perceived  that  a  fire  which  had  been 
kindled  to  burn  brush,  but  was  before  night  gone  out, 
began  to  burn  afresh,  upon  which  he  called  the  Ser- 
geant of  the  guard,  who,  perceiving  the  same,  ordered 
the  guard  to  fire,  on  which  the  Indians  ran  off.  The 
dogs  pursued  them  and  kept  barking  after  them  about 
half  a  mile.  I  had  the  men  all  under  arms,  but 
everything  being  now  quiet,  dismissed  them,  ordering 
them  to  be  in  continual  readiness  with  their  accoutre- 
ments on.  In  about  an  hour  the  Indians  returned 
and  took  a  fire-brand  out  of  the  fire  and  ran  off. 
They  were  immediately  fired  on,  but  in  vain. 

"  14th. — Being  Sunday,  Minister  Shumaker  came 
here  and  the  soldiers  being  fatigued  with  continual 
scouting,  there  was  no  scout  to-day. 

"  20th. — Sent  a  scout  of  fifteen  men  to  range  the 
woods  towards  Schuylkill,  into  Windsor  township, 
and  with  orders  to  call  in  some  detachments  lying  in 
the  said  township,  according  to  Lieut.-Colonel's 
order. 

"  23d. — A  scout  of  Captain  Busse  arrived.  The 
sentry  heard  the  Indians  distinctly  whistle  this  night. 

"  26th. — Ensign  Biddle  returned  from  his  scout 
having  been  at  Captain  Morgan's  Fort  [Lebanon], 
and  thence  scouted  over  the  mountains  into  Al- 
bany, and  thence  along  the  foot  of  the  mountain 
till  here." 

In  June,  1756,  James  Young,  "commissary 
general  of  ye  musters,"  was  sent  "to  examine 
into  the  state  and  condition  of  the  forts,  arms, 
ammunition,  provisions,  blankets,  accoutre- 
ments, tools  and  other  stock  and  things  belong- 
ing to  his  majesty  or  the  province,"  and  report 
to  the  Governor.  He  rendered  his  report  July 
2,  1756.  That  part  of  the  journal *  which  re- 
lates to  the  forts  of  Berks  County  is  as  fol- 
lows: 

"  Reading,  June  19. — At  11  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing I  came  to  Reading.  I  sent  an  express  to  Lieut.  - 
Col.  Weiser,  to  acquaint  him  of  my  intended  journey 
to  the  northern  frontier,  that  I  inclined  to  muster  the 
company  here,  and  that  I  should  want  some  men  to 
escort  me  to  the  next  fort.  Ammunition  at  Reading, 
25  good  muskets,  25  muskets  want  repairs,  11  broken 
muskets,  9  cartouch  boxes,  250  pounds  of  powder  and 
600  pounds  of  lead. 

"  At  6  p.m.,  Col.  Weiser  came  here,  I  mustered  his 
company  that  is  posted  for  a  guard  to  this  place. 
They  consist  of  30  men,  viz :  two  sergeants  and  twen- 
ty-eight private  soldiers ;  two  of  them  were  absent  at 
Col.  Weiser's  house. 


i  2  Penna.  Arch.  675-677. 


"  Fort  Northkill. — June  20,  at  2  p.m.  I  set  out 
from  Reading,  escorted  by  five  men  of  the  town,  on 
horseback,  for  the  Fort  at  Northkill ;  at  half-past  6 
we  came  to  the  fort,  it  is  about  19  miles  from  Bead- 
ing, the  road  very  hilly  and  thick  of  woods.  When  I 
came  here  the  Sergeant,  who  is  commander,  was  ab- 
sent and  gone  to  the  next  plantation,  half  a  mile  off, 
but  soon  came  when  he  had  intelligence  I  was  there; 
he  told  me  he  had  14  men  posted  with  him,  all  de- 
tached from  Captain  Morgan's  company,  at  Fort  Leb- 
anon, five  of  them  were  absent  by  his  leave,  viz., 
two  he  had  let  go  to  Reading  for  three  days,  one  he 
had  let  go  to  his  own  house,  ten  miles  off,  and  two 
more  this  afternoon,  a  few  miles  from  the  fort,  on 
their  own  business ;  there  were  but  eight  men  and  the 
Sergeant  on  duty.  I  am  of  opinion  there  ought  to  be 
a  commissioned  officer  here,  as  the  Sergeant  does  not 
do  his  duty,  nor  are  the  men  under  proper  command 
for  want  of  a  superior  officer;  the  woods  are  not 
cleared  above  forty  yards  from  the  fort ;  I  gave  orders 
to  cut  all  down  for  two  hundred  yards;  I  inquired  the 
reason  there  was  so  little  powder  and  lead  here,  the 
Sergeant  told  me  he  had  repeatedly  requested  more  of 
Captain  Morgan,  but  to  no  purpose.  Provisions  here, 
flour  and  rum,  for  four  weeks ;  Mr.  Seely,  of  Reading, 
sends  the  officer  money  to  purchase  meal  as  they  want 
it.  Provincial  arms  and  ammunition  at  Northkill 
Fort,  viz.,  eight  good  muskets,  four  rounds  of  powder 
and  lead,  per  man,  fifteen  blankets  and  three  axes. 

"  June  21. — At  eight  o'clock,  a.m.,  Captain  Busse, 
from  Fort  Henry,  came  here  with  eight  men  on  horse- 
back, he  expected  to  meet  Conrad  Weiser  here,  in  or- 
der to  proceed  to  the  several  forts  on  the  northern 
frontier,  but  Colonel  Weiser  wrote  him  that  other  bus- 
iness prevented  him,  and  desired  Captain  Busse  to 
proceed  with  me,  and  return  him  an  account  how  he 
found  the  forts,  with  the  quantity  of  ammunition  and 
stores  in  each,  of  which  I  was  very  glad,  as  the  escort 
on  horseback  would  expedite  our  journey  very  much, 
and  be  much  safer. 

"  Fort  Lebanon. — Accordingly,  we  set  out  for 
Fort  Lebanon  ;  all  the  way  from  Northkill  to  Lebanon 
is  an  exceedingly  bad  road,  very  stony  and  mountain- 
ous. About  six  miles  from  Northkill  we  crossed  the 
North  Mountain,  where  we  met  Captain  Morgan's 
lieutenant  with  ten  men,  ranging  the  woods  between 
the  mountains  and  Fort  Lebanon;  we  passed  two 
plantations,  the  rest  of  the  country  is  chiefly  barren 
hills ;  at  noon  we  came  to  Fort  Lebanon,  which  is  sit- 
uated in  a  plain  ;  on  one  side  is  a  plantation,  on  the 
other  a  barren,  pretty  clear  of  woods  all  round,  only 
a  few  trees  about  fifty  yards  from  the  fort,  which  I  de- 
sired might  be  cut  down.  .  .  .  The  fort  is  a  little 
too  much  crowded  on  that  account;  I  acquainted 
Captain  Morgan  that  the  Sergeant  at  Northkill  did 
not  do  his  duty,  and  I  believed  it  would  be  for  the  good 
of  the  service  to  have  a  commanding  officer  there,  on 
which  he  ordered  his  Lieutenant,  with  two  men,  to  go 
and  take  post  there,  and  sent  with  him  four  pounds 


15 


114 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


of  powder  and  ten  pounds  of  lead.  Provincial  arms 
and  ammunition:  28  good  muskets,  10  wanting  re- 
pair, 9  rounds  of  powder  and  lead,  4  pounds  of  pow- 
der, 24  pounds  of  lead,  30  cartouch  boxes,  40  blankets, 
1  axe,  1  wall  piece. 

"  By  Captain  Morgan's  journal,  it  appears  he  sends 
a  party  to  range  the  woods  four  or  five  times  a  week, 
and  guard  the  inhabitants  at  their  labor.  At  1  P.  M. 
I  mustered  the  people  and  examined  the  certificates 
of  enlistments  which  appear  in  the  muster  roll,  after 
which  I  ordered  the  men  to  fire  at  a  mark ;  15  of  28 
hit  within  two  feet  of  the  centre  and  at  the  distance 
of  80  yards.  Provisions  here— flour  and  rum  for  a 
month  ;  the  commissary  sends  them  money  to  pur- 
chase meal  as  they  want  it. 

"Fort  above  Alleminga  (Albany).1 — At  one- 
half  past  three  p.m.  we  set  out  with  the  former 
escort  and  two  of  Captain  Morgan's  company  for  the 
fort  above  Alleminga,  commanded  by  Lieutenant 
Engle.  Provincial  stores — 28  good  muskets,  8  want- 
ing repair,  16  cartouch  boxes,  8  pounds  of  powder,  24 
pounds  of  lead,  and  twelve  rounds  for  36  men,  36 
blankets,  1  axe,  1  adz,  1  auger,  2  planes,  1  hammer,  2 
shovels,  9  small  tin  kettles. 

"  June  22 — At  6  a.m.  I  ordered  the  people  to  fire 
at  a  mark ;  not  above  4  in  25  hit  the  tree  at  the  dis- 
tance of  85  yards ;  at  7,  mustered  them ;  found  25 
present,  2  sick,  2  absent  on  furlough,  2  sent  to  Read- 
ing with  a  prisoner,  and  5  at  Port  Allen  on  duty.  Pro- 
visions— one  cask  of  beef,  exceedingly  bad,  flour  and 
rum  for  three  weeks.'' 

In  1758  the  number  of  men  in  the  pay  of 
the  province  was  one  thousand  two  hundred 
and  seventy-four  men.  These  were  employed 
in  garrisoning  the  forts  and  ranging.  In  the 
limits  of  Berks  County,  there  were  at  Fort 
Henry  two  companies,  comprising  one  hundred 
and  five  men;  at  Fort  William  (Forks  of 
Schuylkill),  one  company,  fifty-three  men;  and 
at  Fort  Augusta,  eight  companies,  three  hun- 
dred and  sixty-two  men.  These  were  reported 
at  Philadelphia,  on  the  9th  of  February,  1758, 
by  James  Young,  commissary  of  the  musters. 

Bued's  Journal. — During  the  month  of 
February  of  that  year  Colonel  James  Burd 
visited  the  forts  between  the  two  rivers.  That 
part  of  his  journal  which  relates  to  the  forts  in 
Berks  County  is  as  follows : 

"Tuesday,  21st  February.— March'd  at  1  p.m.  for 
Fort  Henry  (from  Fort  Swatara) ;  at  3  p.m.  gott  to 
Soudder's  (7  miles);  left  Lieutenant  Broadhead  to 
march  the  party  4  miles  to  Sneevly's,  there  to  hault 


•  About  nineteen  miles  northeast  from  Fort  Lebanon. 


all  night,  'and  to  march  to  Fort  Henry  in  the  morn- 
ing (6  miles).  The  roads  being  very  bad,  marched 
myself  with  Adjutant  Thorn  and  8  men  on  horse- 
back; arrived  at  Fort  Henry  at  5  p.m.;  found  here 
Captain  Weiser,  Adjutant  Kern  and  the  ensigns  Bid- 
die  and  Craighead  doing  duty  with  90  men.  Ordered 
a  review  of  the  garrison  to-morrow  at  9  A.M. 

"  Wednesday,  22d. — Had  a  review  this  morning  at 
9  A.M.;  found  90  soldiers  under  good  command,  and 
fine  fellows;  examined  the  stores  and  found  about  2 
months'  provision  in  store,  and  am  informed  by  the 
Commanding  Officer  there  is  2  months'  more  about 
6  miles  from  hence,  at  Jacob  Myers'  Mill ;  no  poud- 
der;  224  lbs.  of  lead;  no  flints;  about  80  province 
arms,  belonging  to  these  two  companies,  good  for 
nothing;  ordered  Ensign  Craighead,  with  18  men  of 
this  garrison,  to  march  to-morrow  morning  to  Fort 
Swettarrow,  and  there  to  apply  to  Captain  Allen,  and 
to  receive  from  him  7  men,  and  with  this  party  of  25 
men  to  march  from  thence  to  Robertson's  Mill,  there 
to  take  Post,  to  order  from  thence  a  Serg't,  Corporall 
&  8  men  to  the  house  of  Adam  Read,  Esq.,  and  to 
employ  his  whole  party  in  Continuall  ranging,  to 
cover  these  Fronteers.  This  I  found  myself  under  a 
necessity  of  doing ;  otherwise  several  townships  here 
would  be  evacuated  in  a  few  days.  Ordered  Ensign 
Haller  to  march  back  my  escort  to  Hunter's  Fort 
to-morrow  morning,  and  Captain  Weiser  to  continue 
to  range  from  this  to  Forts  Northkill  &  Swettarrow ; 
to  employ  all  his  judgment  to  waylay  the  enemy  & 
protect  the  Inhabitants.  This  is  a  very  good  stock- 
aded fort,  &  everything  in  good  order,  &  duty  done 
pretty  well;  marched  to-day  at  11  a.m.,  &  arrived  at 
Conrad  Weiser,  Esqr.'s,  at  3  p.m.  (14  miles),  where  I 
found  4  quarter-casks  of  poudder  belonging  to  the 
province,  3  of  which  I  ordered  to  Fort  Henry,  and  1 
to  Fort  Swettarrow;  no  lead  here;  very  bad  roads  & 
cold  weather;  stayed  all  night. 

"  Thursday,  23d.— Marched  this  morning,  and  ar- 
rived at  Reading  at  3  p.  m.,  found  Capt.  Morgan 
here  ;  this  is  14  miles  from  Mr.  Weiser's.  Examined 
the  stores  here  and  found  77  blankets,  8  pounds  of 
powder,  300  pounds  of  lead,  and  half  a  cask  of  flints. 
Ordered  56  blankets  to  be  sent  to  Captn.  Patterson's 
Co.  and  11  to  Capt.  Lieut.  Allen's;  200  pounds  of 
lead  to  Fort  Henry,  and  100  pounds  to  Swettarrow ; 
gave  the  8  pounds  of  poudder  to  Captn.  Morgan,  and 
400  flints  to  each  company. 

"Before  I  came  to  Reading,  Adjutant  Kern  had 
sent  by  Lieutenant  Engle  blankets  for  four  companies, 
viz:  Ornd,  Weatherholt,  Davis  and  Garaway,  224, 
and  one-quarter  cask  of  poudder,  300  bars  of  lead, 
and  1600  flints. 

"Friday,  24th.— This  morning  set  out  for  Fort 
William,  arrived  at  Peter  Rodermil's  at  2  p.  m.,  15 
miles  from  Reading ;  it  snowed  and  blew  so  prodi- 
giously, I  stayed  here  all  night. 

"Saturday,  25th.— Marched  this  morning,  the  snow 
deep,  for  Fort  William,  arrived  at  Fort  William  at  12 


FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR. 


115 


m.  ;  here  was  Lieut.  Humphreys  and  Ensign  Harry ; 
ordered  a  review  of  the  garrison  at  2  p.  m.  ;  at 
2  p.  m.  reviewed  the  garrison  and  found  53  good 
men,  but  deficient  in  discipline ;  stores — 3  quarter 
casks  of  poudder,  150  pounds  of  lead,  400  flints  and 
56  blankets,  no  arms  fit  for  use,  no  kettles,  nor  tools, 
nor  drum  ;  two  months'  provisions. 

"  Here  I  found  a  target  erected,  ordered  the  com- 
pany to  shoot  at  the  mark,  set  them  the  example  my- 
self by  wheeling  round  and  firing  by  the  word  of 
command.  I  shot  a  bullet  into  the  centre  of  the 
mark,  the  size  of  a  dollar,  distance  100  yards.  Some 
of  them  shot  tolerably  bad ;  most  of  their  arms  are 
very  bad. 

"  Ordered  Captain  Morgan  to  continue  to  patrol  to 
Northkill  and  Allemangel." 

Invasion  of  County  by  Indians. — The 
English,  under  General  Braddock,  were  de- 
feated by  the  French  and  Indians  on  the  9th 
of  July,  1755,  in  the  western  part  of  the  prov- 
ince. This  victory  encouraged  the  Indians  to 
move  eastward,  and  it  was  this  movement  by 
them  which  threw  terror  into  the  quiet  rural 
districts  of  this  vicinity.  The  news  of  their 
shocking  cruelties  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
province  on  their  way  had  been  carried  before 
them.  We  cannot  appreciate  the  excitement 
that  prevailed.  Preparations  for  defense  were 
made,  but  these  were  feeble.  The  forts  along 
the  frontier  were  either  too  distant  from  the 
settlers  or  too  far  apart  to  be  serviceable.  The 
community  were  not  organized  to  carry  on  vig- 
orous measures  against  the  approaching  foe. 
Arms  and  ammunition  were  scarce.  Weak- 
ness was  apparent  on  every  side,  and,  conscious 
of  this  weakness,  all  the  inhabitants  trembled 
with  fear  and  many  fled  from  their  homes. 

LETTERS   ON   SUFFERINGS   OF   EARLY   INHABI- 
TANTS. 

The  following  important  and  interesting  cor- 
respondence by  prominent  persons  is  submitted 
to  show  the  state  of  affairs  which  existed  during 
this  trying  period  of  our  early  history. 

The  earliest  information  on  the  subject  of 
departing  residents  of  Berks  County,  who  feared 
the  Indians,  is  contained  in  a  letter  addressed  to 
the  Pennsylvania  Gazette,  dated  25th  of  August, 
1755.  It  stated  that  there  were  then  several 
families  in  Reading  on  their  way  to  New  Jer- 
sey, who  had  left  their  habitations  on  the  frontiers, 


and  that  forty  more  were  expected  some  time 
during  the  same  week,  thinking  that  it  was  not 
safe  to  stay  any  longer  on  account  of  the  scalp- 
ing Indians. 

Weiser  Letters. — The  first  remarkable 
letter  from  a  resident  of  this  county — which  re- 
lated to  the  approaching  Indians  and  their 
cruelties — was  by  Conrad  Weiser  to  Governor 
Morris, — 

"  Honored  Sir, — 

"  I  take  this  opportunity  to  inform  you  I  received 
news  from  Shamokin  that  six  families  have  been 
murdered  on  John  Penn's  Creek,  on  the  west  side  of 
Susquehannah,  aboutfour  miles  from  that  river,  several 
people  have  been  found  scalped  and  twenty-eight  are 
missing;  the  people  are  in  a  great  consternation  and 
are  coming  down,  leaving  their  plantations  and  corn 
behind  them.  Two  of  my  sons  are  gone  up  to  help 
one  of  their  cousins  with  his  family  down.  I  hear  of 
none  that  will  defend  themselves  but  George  Gabriel 

and .     The  people  down  here  seem  to  be 

senseless,  and  say  the  Indians  will  never  come  this 
side  of  Susquehanna  River,  but  I  fear  they  will  since 
they  meet  with  no  opposition  nowhere.  I  don't  doubt 
your  Honor  heard  of  this  melancholy  affair  before 
now  by  the  way  of  Lancaster,  perhaps  more  particu- 
larly, yet  I  thought  it  my  duty  to  inform  you  of  it, 
and  when  my  sons  come  back  I  will  write  again  if 
they  bring  anything  particular.  I  have  heard  noth- 
ing of  the  Indians  that  are  gone  out  to  fight  against 
the  French  on  Ohio.  Their  going  I  fear  has  been  the 
occasion  of  this  murder.     I  have  nothing  to  add,  but 

am, 

"  Honored  Sir,  Your  very  humble  servant, 

Conrad  Weiser." 
"Reading,  October  22,  1755." 

Several  days  afterward  Weiser's  two  sons 
returned.  He  then  addressed  another  letter  to 
Governor  Morris,  as  intimated  in  his  previous- 
letter  to  him.     It  was  as  follows : 

'  "  Heidelberg,  in  the  County  of  Berks, 

Oct.  26,  1755,  at  5  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
«  £(,. : — just  now  two  of  my  sons,  to  wit,  Frederick 
and  Peter,  arrived  from  Shamokin,  where  they  have 
been  to  help  down  their  cousin  with  his  family.  I 
gave  them  orders  before  they  went,  to  bring  me  down 
a  trusty  Indian  or  two  to  inform  myself  of  the  present 
circumstances  of  Indian  affairs,  but  they  brought 
none  down ;  they  saw  Jonathan  but  he  could  not 
leave  his  family  in  this  dangerous  time.  Whilst  they 
were  at  Geo.  Gabriel's,  a  messenger  came  from  Shamo- 
kin, sent  by  James  Logan,  one  of  Shickelamy's  sons, 
and  Cacachpitow,  a  noted  Delaware  always  true  to 
the  English,  to  let  Geo.  Gabriel  know  that  they  had 
certain  intelligence  that  a  great  body  of  French  and 


116 


HISTOKY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Indians  had  been  seen  on  their  march  towards  Penn- 
sylvania at  a  place  where  Zinaghton  river  or  rivers 
comes  out  of  the  Allegheny  hills,  and  that  if  the 
white  people  will  come  up  to  Shamokin  and  assist, 
they  will  stand  the  French  and  fight  them.  They 
said  that  now  they  want  to  see  their  brethren's  faces, 
and  well-armed  with  smooth  guns,  no  rifled  guns — 
which  require  too  much  cleaning.  They  in  particular 
desired  the  company  men  gathered  at  George  Gabriel's, 
Captain  McKees'  and  John  Harris',  they  being  in- 
formed that  people  had  gathered  there,  and  that  they 
are  extremely  concerned  for  the  white  people's  run- 
ning away,  and  said  they  could  not  stand  the  French 
alone.  This  message  was  delivered  to  George  Gabriel, 
and  about  ten  whites  more,  among  them  were  my  two 
sons,  by  a  Delaware  Indian  named  Enoch,  and  a 
white  man  called  Lawrence  Bork,  who  came  with  the 
Indians  as  a  companion.  The  Indians'  messenger 
that  brought  the  news  to  Shamokin  from  the  Indians 
living  up  the  river  Zinachtow  (the  North  West 
Branch  of  the  Susquehanna)  arrived  at  Shamokin  at 
midnight  before  the  23d  of  this  instant.  The  Indians 
are  extremely  concerned,  as  my  sons  tell  me,  people 
are  coming  away  in  great  hurry,  the  rest  that  stay 
plundering  the  houses  and  make  the  best  of  other 
people's  misfortune.  The  French  want  to  see  Jona- 
than taken  prisoner,  etc.  All  this  in  great  hurry.  I 
pray,  good  sir,  don't  slight  it.  The  lives  of  many 
thousands  are  in  the  utmost  danger.  It  is  no  false 
alarm. 

"I  am,  Honored  and  Dear  Sir,  your  very  obedient, 
"Conrad  Weiser. 

"P.  S. — If  a  body  of  men  would  go  up  they  could 
gather  plenty  of  Indian  corn,  beef  and  other  provi- 
sions; now  everything  is  in  the  utmost  confusion.  I 
suppose  in  a  few  days  not  one  family  will  be  seen  on 
the  other  side  of  Kittatiny  Hills." 

On  the  same  day,  at  eleven  o'clock  at  night, 
he  addressed  the  following  letter  to  James  Eead, 
Esq.,  at  Beading,  whereby  he  communicated 
the  first  intelligence  pertaining  to  the  arrival  of 
the  Indians  across  the  Susquehanna  Eiver. 

"Loving  Friend  .-—This  evening,  about  an  hour  ago, 
I  received  the  news  of  the  enemy  having  crossed  the 
Susquehanna  and  killed  a  great  many  people,  from 
Thomas  McKee  down  to  Hunter's  Mill.  Mr.  Elder 
the  minister  at  Paxton,  wrote  this  to  another  Presby- 
terian minister  in  the  neighborhood  of  Adam  Read, 
Esq.  The  people  were  then  in  meeting,  and  immedi- 
ately desired  to  get  themselves  in  readiness  to  oppose 
the  enemy,  and  to  lend  assistance  to  their  neighbors. 
Mr.  Read  sent  down  to  Tulpehocken,  and  two  men- 
one  that  came  from  Mr.  Read— are  just  now  gone, 
that  brought  in  the  melancholy  news.  I  have  sent 
out  to  alarm  the  townships  in  this  neighborhood,  and 
to  meet  me  early  in  the  morning  at  Peter  Spicker  to 


consult  together  what  to  do,  and  to  make  preparations 
to  stand  the  enemy  with  the  assistance  of  the  most 
high.  I  write  you  this  that  you  may  have  time  to 
consult  with  Mr.  Seely  and  other  well-wishers  of  the 
people,  in  order  to  defend  your  lives  and  others.  For 
God's  sake,  let  us  stand  together  and  do  what  we  can, 
and  trust  to  the  hand  of  Providence.  Perhaps  we 
must  in  this  neighborhood  come  to  Reading,  but  I  will 
send  armed  men  to  Susquehanna,  or  as  far  as  they 
can  go,  for  intelligence.  Pray  let  Sammy  have  a  copy 
of  this,  or  this  draft  for  his  Honour,  the  Governor.  I 
have  sent  him  about  three  hours  ago  express  to  Phil- 
adelphia, and  he  lodges  at  my  son  Peter's.  Dispatch 
him  as  early  as  you  can.  I  pray  beware  of  confusion. 
Be  calm,  you  and  Mr.  Seely,  and  act  the  part  as  fath- 
ers of  the  people.  I  know  you  are  both  able ;  but 
excuse  me  for  giving  this  caution — time  requires  it. 

"  I  am,  Dear  sir,  Your  very  good  friend  and  humble 
servant,  "  Conrad  Weiser. 

Mr.  Eead  received  this  letter  the  next  morn- 
ing (Oct.  27th),  and  he  immediately  addressed 
the  following  brief  letter  on  the  same  sheet  of 
paper  to  Governor  Morris  : 

"Sir: — I  must  not  detain  the  bearer  a  moment.  I 
have  sent  the  original  letter  from  Mr.  Weiser,  that  no 
mistake  may  arise  by  any  doubts  of  the  justness  of  a 
copy. 

"  I  shall  raise  our  town  in  an  hour,  and  use  all  pru- 
dent measures  for  our  defense.  I  could  wish  that 
your  Honour  could  order  us  two  or  three  swivel  guns 
and  blunderbusses,  with  a  few  muskets,  and  some 
powder  and  swan  shot.  Nothing  shall  be  wanting  in 
me — who  has  the  misfortune  of  being  Major  of  two 
associated  companies ;  but  I  know  not  how  my  people 
will  behave,  as  they  are  under  an  infatuation  of  an 
extraordinary  sort. 

"  I  am,  May  it  please  your  Honour,  Your  Honor's 
most  obedient  and  most  humble  servant, 

"  James  Read. 

"  [P.  S.]  Many  wagons  that  are  got  thus  far  are 
bound  back  again  immediately  upon  hearing  the 
news." 

On  the  30th  of  October,  which  was  four  days 
after  he  had  addressed  the  foregoing  letter  to 
Eead,  Weiser  communicated  additional  news  to 
the  Governor  in  a  letter,  which  was  as  follows  : 

"  Reading,  October  30,  1755. 

"  May  it  Please  Tour  Honor  .-—Since  the  date  of  my 
last  letter,  which  I  sent  by  express,  by  Sammy 
Weiser,  dated  last  Sunday  evening,  5  o'clock,  and 
about  11  o'clock  the  same  night,  I  sent  a  letter  to  Mr. 
Read  in  this  town,  who  forwarded  it  to  your  honor, 
by  the  same  opportunity. 

"The  following  account  of  what  has  happened 
since,   I  thought  it   was  proper  to  lay  before  your 


FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAK. 


117 


honor,  to  wit : — after  I  had  received  the  news  that 
Paxton  people  above  Hunter's  Mills,  had  been  mur- 
dered, I  immediately  sent  my  servants  to  alarm  the 
neighborhood.     The  people  came  to  my  house  by  the 
break  of  day.     I  informed  them  of  the  melancholy 
news,  and  how  I  came  by  it,  &c.     They  unanimously 
agreed  to  stand  by  one  another,  and  march  to  meet 
the  enemy,  if  I  would  go  with  them.     I  told  them 
that  I  would  not  only  myself  accompany  them,  but 
my  sons  and  servants  should  also  go — they  put  them- 
selves under  my  direction.     I  gave  them  orders  to  go 
home    and  get  their   arms,  whether  guns,  swords, 
pitchforks,  axes  or  whatever  might  be  of  use  against 
the  enemy,  and  to  bring  with  them  three  days'  pro- 
vision in  their  knapsacks,  and  to  meet  me  at  Benja- 
min Spicker's,  at  three  of  the  clock  that  afternoon, 
about  six   miles  above  my  house,   in  Tulpehocken 
township,  where  I  had  sent  word  for  Tulpehocken 
people  also  to  meet. 

"  I  immediately  mounted  my  horse,  and  went  up  to 
Benjamin  Spicker's,  where  I  found  about  one  hun- 
dred persons  who  had  met  before  I  came  there  ;  and 
after  I  had  informed  them  of  the  intelligence,  that  I 
had  promised  to  go  with  them  as  a  common  soldier, 
and  be  commanded  by  such  officers  and  leading  men, 
whatever  they  might  call  them,  as  they  should  choose, 
they  unanimously  agreed  to  join  the  Heidelberg  peo- 
ple, and  accordingly  they  went  home  to  fetch  their 
arms,  and  provisions  for  three  days,  and  came  again 
at  three  o'clock.  All  this  was  punctually  performed ; 
and  about  two  hundred  were  at  Benjamin  Spicker's 
at  two  o'clock. 

"  I  made  the  necessary  disposition,  and  the  people 
were  divided  into  companies  of  thirty  men  in  each 
company,  and  they  chose  their  own  officers  ;  that  is, 
a  captain  over  each  company,  and  three  inferior  offi- 
cers under  each,  to  take  care  of  ten  men,  and  lead 
them  on,  or  fire  as  the  captain  should  direct. 

"  I  sent  privately  for  Mr.  Kurtz,  the  Lutheran  min- 
ister, who  lived  about  a  mile  off,  who  came  and  gave 
an  exhortation  to  the  men,  and  made  a  prayer  suita- 
ble to  the  time.  Then  we  marched  toward  Susque- 
hanna, having  first  sent  about  fifty  men  to  Tolheo,  in 
order  to  possess  themselves  of  the  gaps  or  narrows  of 
Swatara,  where  he  expected  the  enemy  would  come 
through ;  with  those  fifty  I  sent  a  letter  to  Mr.  Par- 
sons, who  happened  to  be  at  his  plantation. 

"  We  marched  about  ten  miles  that  evening.  My 
company  had  now  increased  to  upwards  of  three  hun- 
dred men,  mostly  well  armed,  though  about  twenty 
had  nothing  but  axes  and  pitchforks— all  unani- 
mously agreed  to  die  together,  and  engage  the  enemy 
wherever  they  should  meet  them,  never  to  inquire  the 
number,  but  fight  them,  and  so  obstruct  their  way  of 
marching  further  into  the  inhabited  parts,  till  others 
of  our  brethren  come  up  and  do  the  same,  and  so 
save  the  lives  of  our  wives  and  children. 

"This  night  the  powder  and  lead  came  up,  that  I 
sent  for  early  in  the  morning,  from  Reading,  and  I 


ordered  it  to  the  care  of  the  officers,  to  divide  it 
among  those  that  wanted  it  most.     On  the  28th,  by 
break  of  day,  we  marched,  our  company  increasing 
all  along.      We  arrived  at  Adam   Read's,  Esq.,  in 
Hanover  township,   Lancaster   County,1    about    ten 
o'clock.     There  we  stopped  and  rested  till  all  came 
up.      Mr.  Read  had  just  then  received  intelligence 
from  Susquehanna,    by  express,  which  was  as    fol- 
lows :  'That  Justice  Forster,  Capt.  McKee,  John  Har- 
ris and  others,  to  the  number  of  forty-nine,  went  up 
to  Shamokin  to  bury  the  dead  bodies  of  those  that 
had  been  killed  by  the  enemy  on  John  Penn's creek, 
and,  coming  up  to  George  Gabriel's,  about  five  miles 
this  side  of  Shamokin  and  on  the  west  side  of  Sus- 
quehannah,  they  heard  that  the  dead  bodies  had  been 
buried  already,  and  so  they  went  along  to  Shamokin, 
where  they  arrived  last  Friday  evening  and  were 
seemingly  well  received,  but  found  a  great  number  of 
strange  Indians,  though  Delawares,  all  painted  black, 
which  gave  suspicion,  and  Thomas  McKee  told  his 
companions  that  he  did  not  like  them,  and  the  next 
morning — that  is,  last  Saturday — they  got  up  early 
in  order  to  go  back,  but  they  did  not  see  any  of  the 
strangers ;   they  were  gone  before  them.      Andrew 
Montour  was  there,  painted  as  the  rest ;  advised  our 
people  not  to  go  the  same  way  they  came,  but  to  keep 
this  side  of  Susquehanna  and  go  the  old  road ;  but 
when  they  came  to  the  parting  of  the  roads  a  majority 
of  them  was  for  going  the  nighest  and  best  road,  and 
so  crossed  the  Susquehanna  contrary  to  Andrew  Mon- 
tour's council,  in  order  to  go  down  on  the  west  side  of 
that  river  as  far  as  Mahoning.     When  they  came  to 
John  Penn's  creek,  in  going  down  the  bank  they  were 
fired  upcn  from  this  side  by  Indians  that  had  way- 
laid them.     Some  dropt  down  dead ;  the  rest  fled  and 
made  towards  Susquehanna  and  came  to  this  side, 
and  so  home  as  well  as  they  could.     Twenty  six  of 
them  were  missing  and  not  heard  of  as  yet  (last  Mon- 
day evening).' 

"  Upon  this  we  had  a  consultation,  and  as  we  did 
not  come  up  to  serve  as  guards  to  the  Paxton  people, 
but  to  fight  the  enemy,  if  they  were  come  so  far,  as 
we  first  heard,  we  thought  best  to  return  and  take 
care  of  our  own  townships. 

"  After  I  had  given  the  necessary  caution  to  the 
people  to  hold  themselves  in  readinesss,  as  the  enemy 
was  certainly  in  the  county,  to  keep  their  arms  in 
good  order,  and  so  on,  and  then  discharge  them — and 
we  marched  back  with  the  approbation  of  Mr.  Read. 
By  the  way,  we  were  alarmed  by  a  report  that  five 
hundred  Indians  had  come  over  the  mountain  at 
Tolheo  to  this  side,  and  had  already  killed  a  number 
of  people.  We  stopped  and  sent  a  few  men  to  dis- 
cover the  enemy,  but,  on  their  return,  proved  to  be  a 
false  alarm,  occasioned  by  that  company  that  I  had 
sent  that  way  the  day  before,  whose  guns  getting  wet, 
they  fired  them  off,  which  was  the  cause  of  alarm — 


1  Now  in  Lebanon  County. 


118 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


this  not  only  had  alarmed  the  company,  but  the 
whole  townships  through  which  they  marched.  In 
going  back,  I  met  messengers  from  other  townships 
about  Conestoga,  who  came  for  intelligence,  and  to 
ask  me  where  their  assistance  was  necessary,  promis- 
ing that  they  would  come  to  the  place  where  I  should 
direct. 

"  I  met,  also,  at  Tulpehocken,  about  one  hundred 
men  well-armed,  as  to  fire-arms,  ready  to  follow  me; 
so  that  there  were  in  the  whole  about  five  hundred 
men  in  arms  that  day,  all  marching  up  towards  Sus- 
quehanna. I  and  Mr.  Adam  Eead  counted  those  who 
were  with  me — we  found  them  three  hundred  and 
twenty. 

"  I  cannot  send  any  further  account,  being  uncom- 
monly fatigued.  I  should  not  forget,  however,  to  in- 
form your  Honor  that  Mr.  Eead  has  engaged  to  keep 
proper  persons  riding  between  his  house  and  Susque- 
hanna, and  if  anything  material  shall  occur,  he  will 
send  me  tidings  to  Heidelberg  or  to  Reading,  which 
I  shall  take  care  to  dispatch  to  you.  I  find  that  great 
trouble  has  been  taken  at  Reading  to  get  the  people 
together,  and  nearly  two  hundred  were  here  yester- 
day morning;  but  upon  hearing  that  the  people  attend- 
ing me  were  discharged,  the  people  from  the  country 
went  off  without  consulting  what  should  be  done  for 
the  future,  through  the  indiscretion  of  a  person  who 
was  with  them  and  wanted  to  go  home;  and  near  the 
town  they  met  a  large  company  coming  up,  and  gave 
such  accounts  as  occasioned  their  turning  back.  I 
think  most  of  the  inhabitants  would  do  their  duty, 
but  without  some  military  regulations  we  shall  never 
be  able  to  defend  the  province. 

"I  am  sure  we  are  in  great  danger,  and  from  an 
enemy  that  can  travel  as  Indians.  We  may  be  sur- 
prised when  it  would  be  impossible  to  collect  any 
number  of  men  together  to  defend  ourselves,  and 
then  the  country  would  be  laid  waste.  I  am  quite 
tired  and  must  say  no  more  than  that. 

"  I  am  your  Honor's  most  obedient  servant, 

"  Conkad  Weisee." 

Parsons'  Letter. — On  the  31st  of  October, 
1755,  William  Parsons1  wroteto  Richard  Peters, 
at  Philadelphia.  His  letter  communicated  the 
first  direct  intelligence  of  murder  within  the 
borders  of  Berks  County,  in  the  year  1755, 
after  it  was  apparent  that  the  Indians  had  de- 
termined to  invade  the  county  for  the  certain 
purpose  of  committing  as  many  outrages  upon 
the  inhabitants  as  possible.  It  was  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  When  I  wrote  last  to  you,  I  informed  you  that  I 

was  engaged  in  laying  out  the  road   from   Easton   to 

.  Heading.     ...     On   Monday  (whilst  at  Reading) 

1  Then  atStrong-kill,  in  Lancaster  County  (now  Lebanon). 


I  heard  a  rumor  of  Thomas  McKee's  engagement  with 
some  strange  Indians.  I  had  heard  before  of  some 
murders  having  been  committed  by  them  on  the  west 
side  of  Susquehanna,  near  Shamokin.  Monday 
evening  I  received  an  express  from  Mr.  Weiser,  in- 
forming me  that  he  had  summoned  the  people  to  go 
and  oppose  the  Indians,  and  desired  me  to  meet  a 
large  company  near  the  foot  of  the  mountain  in  the 
Shamokin  road,2  while  he  went  with  about  300  to 
Paxtang.  When  I  came  to  the  company  at  the  foot 
of  the  mountain,  about  100  in  all,  I  found  one-half  of 
them  without  any  powder  or  lead.  However,  I  ad- 
vised them  to  go  forward,  and  those  that  had  no  am- 
munition I  advised  to  take  axes,  in  order  to  make  a 
breastwork  of  trees  for  their  security  at  night ;  and 
the  next  day  advised  them  to  go  forward  to  the  Upper 
Gap  of  Swarotawro,  and  there  to  make  another  breast- 
work of  trees,  and  to  stay  there  two  or  three  days  in 
order  to  oppose  the  enemy  if  they  should  attempt  to 
come  that  way ;  which,  if  they  had  done,  I  am  inclined 
to  think  what  has  since  happened,  would  have  been 
prevented.  I  promised  them  to  go  to  Tulpehocken, 
and  provide  powder  and  lead,  and  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  lead  to  be  sent  immediately  after 
them.  But  they  went  no  further  than  to  the  top  of 
the  mountain,  and  there  those  that  had  ammunition, 
spent  most  of  it  in  shooting  up  into  the  air,  and  then 
returned  back  again  firing  all  the  way,  to  the  great 
terror  of  all  the  inhabitants  thereabout,  and  this  was 
the  case  with  almost  all  the  others,  being  about  500 
in  different  parts  of  the  neighborhood  ;  there  was  an- 
other company  who  came  from  the  lower  part  of  Bern 
township,  as  far  as  Mr.  Freme's  Manor.  So  that 
when  I  came  to  Tulpehocken  I  found  the  people 
there  more  alarmed  than  they  were  near  the  moun- 
tain. For  when  they  saw  me  come  alone  they  were 
overjoyed,  having  heard  that  we  were  all  destroyed, 
and  that  the  enemy  were  just  at  their  backs,  ready  to 
destroy  them.  At  Tulpehocken  there  was  no  lead  to 
be  had;  all  that  could  be  had  from  Reading  was 
taken  to  Paxtang.  I  therefore  sent  an  express  over 
to  Lancaster  to  Mr.  Shippen  that  evening,  desiring 
him  to  send  me  some  lead.  He  sent  me  seven  pounds, 
being  all  that  the  town  people  were  willing  to  part 
with,  as  they  were  themselves  under  great  apprehen- 
sions. I  also  procured  20  pounds  of  powder,  papered 
up  in  one  quarter  pounds,  and  ordered  out  a  quantity 
of  bread  near  the  mountains,  but  when  I  returned 
home  I  learned  that  my  people  had  given  over  the 
pursuit,  in  the  manner  above  mentioned.  I  have 
since  distributed  a  good  deal  of  the  powder  and  lead, 
and  the  bread  I  ordered  to  the  poor  people  who  are 
removing  from  their  settlements  on  the  other  side  of 
the  mountain,  from  whence  the  people  have  been  re- 
moving all  this  week.  It  is  impossible  to  describe  the 
confusion  and  distress  of  those  unhappy  people.    Our 


2  This  place  was  in  the  upper  section  of  Bethel  township, 
Berks  County. 


FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR. 


119 


roads  are  continually  full  of  travelers.  Those  on  the 
other  side,  of  the  men,  women  and  children,  most  of 
them  barefooted,  have  been  obliged  to  cross  those 
terrible  mountains  with  what  little  they  could  bring 
with  them  in  so  long  a  journey  through  ways  almost 
impassable,  to  get  to  the  inhabitants  on  this  side. 
While  those  who  live  on  this  side  near  the  mountain 
are  removing  their  effects  to  Tulpehocken.  Those  at 
Tulpehocken  are  removing  to  Reading,  and  many  at 
Reading  are  moving  nearer  to  Philadelphia,  and 
some  of  them  quite  to  Philadelphia.  This  is  the 
present  unhappy  situation  of  Pennsylvania. 

"Yesterday  afternoon  I  was  informed  that  A  dam 
Reed  was  come  from  over  the  mountain  and  reported 
that  he  had  been  at  the  house  of  Henry  Hartman, 
whom  he  saw  lying  dead,  having  his  head  scalpt.1  I 
sent  for  him,  and  before  five  o'clock  this  morning  he 
came  to  me  and  told  me  that  between  eleven  and  twelve 
o'clock  yesterday — being  then  at  home  on  his  planta- 
tion on  the  west  side  of  Swatawro,  about  nine  miles 
from  my  house  and  about  five  miles  from  the  nearest 
settlement  on  this  side  the  hills,  he  heard  three  guns 
fired  toward  Henry  Hartman's  plantation  which  made 
him  suspect  that  something  more  than  ordinary  was 
the  occasion  of  that  firing.  Whereupon  he  took  his 
gun  and  went  to  Hartman's  house — being  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  from  his  own,  where  he  found  Hart- 
man  lying  dead,  with  his  face  to  the  ground,  and  all 
the  skin  scalpt  from  his  head.  He  did  not  stay  to 
examine  in  what  manner  he  was  killed,  but  made  the 
best  of  his  way  through  the  woods  to  this  side  of  the 
mountain.  He  told  me  further  that  he  had  made 
oath  before  Adam  Reed,  Esq.,  of  the  whole  matter. 
This  day  I  set  out  with  some  of  my  neighbors  to  go  and 


i  The  Indians  performed  the  operation  of  scalping  in  the 
following  manner  :  They  placed  their  foot  on  the  neck  of  the 
victim,  seized  the  hair  with  the  left  hand,  and  twisted  it 
very  tight  together,  in  order  to  separate  the  skin  from  the 
head.  Then  they  cut  it  all  around  with  a  sharp  knife,  and 
tore  it  off.  This  operation  was  often  performed  in  a  min- 
ute. Under  certain  circumstances  it  was  fatal,  though  not 
always.  The  scalp  was  painted  red,  placed  upon  a  red  pole  in 
token  of  victory,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  the  whole 
nation,  and  carefully  preserved  in  memory  of  their  courage 
and  prowess,  in  avenging  the  cause  of  their  country.  They 
like  to  carry  off  their  prisoners  alive,  but  bound,  till  they 
were  not  in  fear  of  their  pursuers.  In  the  night  they 
fasten  them  to  the  ground,  with  their  arms,  legs  and  necks 
bound  to  large  stakes,  and,  for  greater  security,  a  cord 
passed  from  them  to  a  free  Indian,  who  was  immediately 
awakened  if  they  attempted  to  move.  Notwithstanding 
these  precautions,  prisoners  sometimes  escaped.  The 
European  prisoners  were  immediately  shorn  after  the  man- 
ner of  the  Indians,  and  their  heads  and  faces  painted  red, 
so  as  hardly  to  be  distinguished  from  the  Indians  them- 
selves. If  any  dispute  arose  between  two  warriors  about  a 
prisoner,  he  was  immediately  killed,  to  put  an  end  to 
it. —  Loskiel. 


view  the  place  and  to  see  the  certainty  of  the  matter 
and  to  assist  in  burying  the  dead  body.  Mr.  Reed  had 
appointed  the  people  about  him  to  go  with  him  for 
that  purpose,  and  we  intended  to  meet  him  at  the  place 
by  way  of  Shamokin  road.  When  we  got  to  the 
top  of  the  mountain  we  met  with  seven  or  eight 
men  who  told  us  that  they  had  been  about  two  or 
three  miles  further  along  the  road  and  had  discovered 
two  dead  men  lying  near  the  road  about  two  hundred 
or  three  hundred  yards  from  each  other  and  that  both 
were  scalpt,  whereupon  I  advised  to  go  to  the  place 
where  these  two  men  were,  and  with  great  difficulty 
we  prevailed  with  the  others  to  go  back  with  us — being 
then  twenty-six  men  strong.  When  we  came  to  the 
place,  I  saw  both  the  men  lying  dead  and  all  the  skin 
of  their  heads  was  scalpt  off.  One  of  them  we  perceived 
had  been  shot  through  the  leg.  We  did  not  examine 
further,  but  got  some  tools  from  a  settlement  that  was 
just  by  and  dug  a  grave  and  buried  them  both  together 
in  their  clothes  just  as  we  had  found  them  to  prevent 
their  being  torn  to  pieces  and  devoured  by  wild  beasts. 
There  were  four  or  five  persons,  women  and  children 
yet  missing.  One  of  the  dead  men  had  been  over  on  this 
side  of  the  mountain  with  his  family  and  was  return- 
ing with  his  daughter  to  fetch  some  of  their  effects 
that  were  left  behind.  She  is  missing  for  one.  It  is 
not  for  me  to  describe  the  horror  and  confusion  of  the 
people  here  and  of  the  country  in  general.  You  can 
best  imagine  that  in  your  own  mind.  But  where  will 
these  proceedings  end?  For  myself  I  do  not  know 
whether  1  shall  stay  where  I  am  or  leave  all  that  I 
have  to  be  destroyed  by  those  barbarians,  or  to  be 
plundered  by  wicked  people  amongst  ourselves." 

A  letter  dated  November  3,  1755,  stated  that 
two  men  had  been  lately  killed  and  scalped  near 
the  first  branch  of  the  Swatara,  on  the  road  to 
Shamokin,  one  being  named  Odwaller,  the  other 
unknown;  that  both  had  families  and  that  it 
was  supposed  that  their  missing  families  had 
been  carried  off  by  the  Indians.2 

On  the  31st  of  October,  at  eight  o'clock,  at 
Reading,  five  of  the  county  justices  (John  Potts, 
Conrad  Weiser,  "William  Maugridge,  Jonas 
Seely  and  James  Reed)  prepared  a  paper  of  in- 
telligence, in  which  they  stated,  among  other 
things, —  > 

"  We  are  all  in  uproar,  all  in  disorder,  all  will- 
ing to  do,  and  have  little  in  our  power.  We  have  no 
authority,  no  commissions,  no  officers  practiced  in 
war,  and  without  the  commiseration  of  our  friends  in 
Philadelphia,  who  think  themselves  vastly  safer  than 
they  are.    If  we  are  not  immediately  supported,  we 

2  Pennsylvania  Gazette.  It  is  probable  that  these  two 
men  are  the  same  to  which  Parsons  refers  in  lus  letter. 


120 


HISTOKY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


must  not  be  sacrificed,  and  therefore  are  determined 
to  go  down  with  all  that  will  follow  us  to  Philadel- 
phia, and  quarter  ourselves  on  its  inhabitants  and 
wait  our  fate  with  them." 

This  was  addressed  to  the  Executive  Council 
and  read  at  a  meeting  on  the  2d  of  November, 
1755,  whence  it  was  sent  by  expresses  from  town- 
ship to  township,  into  all  parts  of  the  western 
counties,  in  order  to  put  the  inhabitants  upon 
their  guard. 

On  the  16th  of  November,  1755,  a  party  of 
Indians  crossed  the  Susquehanna,  and  fell  upon 
the  county  of  Berks.  They  murdered  thirteen 
persons,  burnt  a  great  number  of  houses,  de- 
stroyed vast  quantities  of  cattle,  grain  and  fod- 
der, and  laid  waste  a  large  extent  of  country. 

Morgan  Deposition. — The  following  de- 
position (relating  to  certain  murders  which 
were  committed  in  Berks  County,  but  not  men- 
tioned by  Weiser  or  Parsons)  was  taken  at 
Reading,  on  the  18th  of  November,  1755,  and 
published  in  the  Pennsylvania  Gazette,  on  the 
20th  of  November,  1755  : 

"  Berks  County,  Pennsylvania,  ss. 

"  Jacob  Morgan,  a  captain  in  Col.  Weiser's  regi- 
ment, being  sworn  on  the  Holy  Evangelists  of  Al- 
mighty God,  doth  depose  and  say,  that  on  Sunday, 
the  16th  November,  1755,  at  about  five  o'clock  p.m., 
he,  the  deponent,  Mr.  Philip  Weiser  and  Mr.  Peter 
Weiser,  set  out  from  Heidelberg  towards  Dietrich 
Six's,  to  get  intelligence  of  the  mischief  done  at  Tol- 
heo,  or  thereabouts,  and  to  get  a  number  of  men  to 
join  them  to  go  and  seek  for  the  persons  scalped  by  the 
Indians  ;  and  to  help  in  the  best  manner  they  could, 
the  poor  distressed  inhabitants.  That  about  nine 
miles  from  Mr.  Weiser's  they  found  a  girl  about  six 
years  old  scalped,  but  yet  alive,  and  a  vast  number  of 
people  there ;  but  he  knows  not  at  whose  house  it  was 
nor  the  name  of  the  child.  That  at  the  request  of  the 
people  there,  Mr.  Weiser's  son  and  deponent,  went  back 
to  Mr.  Weiser's  for  powder  and  lead.  That  at  or  about 
two  o'clock  yesterday  morning  they  were  alarmed 
at  Mr.  Weiser's  with  an  account  that  the  Indians  had 
beset  George  Dollinger's  house,  and  his  family  were 
fled;  whereupon  Philip  Weiser,  and  the  deponent, 
and  a  person  whose  name  deponent  does  not.  know, 
set  off  immediately,  and  at  Christopher  Weiser's 
overtook  a  large  company,  consisting  of  about  one. 
hundred  men,  and  with  them  proceeded  to  George 
Dollinger's,  and  surrounded  his  house,  where  they 
found  a  good  deal  of  damage  done,  and  in  the  gar- 
den, a  child  about  eight  years  old,  daughter  of  one 
Cola,  lying  dead  and  scalped,  which  they  buried. 

"That  the  whole  company  went  on  to  a  plantation 


of  Abraham  Sneider,  and  found  in  a  corn-field  the 
wife  of  Cola,  and  a  child  about  eight  or  nine  years 
old,  both  dead  and  scalped,  and  in  the  house  they 
found  another  child  of  the  said  Cola's  about  ten  years 
old,  dead  and  scalped ;  but  the  deponent  knows  not 
of  what  sex  either  of  these  two  children  was.  That 
while  they  were  preparing  the  grave,  they  were 
alarmed  by  the  firing  of  a  gun,  and  flying  to  their 
arms,  they  went  (a  few  staying  to  take  care  of  the 
dead)  to  the  place  from  whence  the  sound  came,  and 
about  half  a  mile  from  the  place  they  came  from,  they 
met  the  company,  one  of  whom  had  indiscreetly  dis- 
charged his  musket,  and  then  went  back  to  bury  the 
dead  ;  on  their  return  they  found  the  scalp  of  a  white 
person.  That  having  buried  the  woman  and  children, 
they  went  to  Thomas  Bower's,  in  whose  house  they 
found  a  dead  man,  scalped,  whose  name  the  deponent 
thinks  was  Philip,  by  trade  a  shoemaker,  but  knows 
no  more  of  him. 

"  That  the  company  increased  fast,  and  were  now 
about  one  hundred  and  thirty  men,  who  marched  on 
the  Shamokin  road  to  near  Dietrich  Six's ;  about  half 
a  mile  from  whose  house  they  found  Casper  Spring 
dead  and  scalped,  and  having  buried  him,  they 
marched  about  one  hundred  rods  and  found  one  Bes- 
linger  dead  and  scalped — they  buried  him.  That  at 
the  same  distance  from  Beslinger's  they  found  an  In- 
dian man  dead  and  scalped,  which  Indian,  it  was 
generally  believed,  was  a  Delaware.  Mr.  Frederick 
Weiser  scalped  him  the  day  before. 

"That  twenty  of  their  body,  who  had  gone  a  little 
out  of  the  road,  about  two  miles  from  Dietrich  Six's, 
found  (as  the  deponent  and  the  rest  of  the  company 
were  informed,  and  as  he  believes  without  any  doubt) 
a  child  of  Jacob  Wolf — he  cannot  say  whether  a  boy 
or  a  girl — which  was  scalped !  Its  age  the  deponent 
does  not  know,  but  the  father  carried  it  in  his  arms 
to  be  buried,  as  they  were  informed.  That  the  de- 
ponent was  informed  by  Mr.  Frederick  Weiser,  that 
a  company,  with  whom  he  had  been  the  day  before, 
had  buried  John  Leinberger  and  Eudolph  Candel, 
whom  they  found  scalped. 

"  That  the  deponent  and  company  finding  no  more 
scalped  or  wounded,  they  returned,  being  then  by  the 
continual  arrival  of  fresh  persons,  about  three  hun- 
dred men,  to  George  Dollinger's.  That  Casper 
Spring's  brains  were  beat  out ;  had  two  cuts  in  his 
breast ;  was  shot  in  his  back,  and  otherwise  cruelly 
used,  which  regard  to  decency  forbids  mentioning ; 
and  that  Beslinger's  brains  were  beat  out,  his  mouth 
much  mangled,  one  of  his  eyes  cut  out,  and  one  of  his 
ears  gashed,  and  had  two  knives  lying  on  his  breast. 
That  the  whole  country  thereabouts  desert  their  in- 
habitations, and  send  away  all  their  household  goods. 
The  horses  and  cattle  are  in  the  cornfields,  and  every 
thing  in  the  utmost  disorder,  and  the  people  quite  de- 
spair. And  further  that  he  heard  of  much  mischief 
done  by  burning  houses  and  barns  ;  but  not  having 
been   where  it  was  reported  to  have  been  done,  he 


FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR. 


121 


chooses  not  to  have  any  particulars  thereof  inserted 
in  this  deposition. 

"James  Morgan. 
"  Sworn  at  Reading,  the  18th  of  November,  1755, 

before  us. 

"  Jonas  Seely. 

"  Henry  Harry. 

"James  Read. 
"Besides  the  persons  mentioned  in  the  above  de- 
position, one  Sebastian  Brosius  was  murdered  and 
scalped,  whose  scalp  was  brought   to  Philadelphia, 
having  been  taken  from  an  Indian." 

Biddle  Letter. — The  following  letter,  writ- 
ten by  Edward  Biddle,  of  Reading,  to  his  father 
in  Philadelphia,  expresses  the  perturbed  state  of 
feeling  in  the  city  of  Reading.  There  is  no 
date  attached  to  it,  but  it  is  supposed  to  have 
been  written  on  the  16th  of  November  : 

"  My  Dearest  Father — I  am  in  so  much  horror  and 
confusion  I  scarcely  know  what  I  am  writing.  The 
drum  is  beating  to  arms,  and  bells  ringing  and  all  the 
people  under  arms.  Within  these  two  hours  we  have 
had  different  though  too  certain  accounts,  all  corrob- 
orating each  other,  and  this  moment  is  an  express  ar- 
rived, dispatched  by  Michael  Reis,  at  Tulpehocken. 
eighteen  miles  above  this  town,  who  left  about  thirty 
of  their  people  engaged  with  about  an  equal  number 
of  Indians  at  the  said  Reis'.  This  night  we  expect 
an  attack ;  truly  alarming  is  our  situation.  The  peo- 
ple exclaim  against  the  Quakers,  and  some  are  scarcely 
restrained  from  burning  the  houses  of  those  few  who 
are  in  this  town.  Oh,  my  country!  my  bleeding 
country  !  I  commend  myself  to  the  divine  God  of 
armies.  Give  my  dutiful  love  to  my  dearest  mother 
and  my  best  love  to  brother  Jemmy. 

"  I  am,  honored  sir,  your  most  affectionate  and  obe 
dient  son,  "  E.  Biddle. 

"  Sunday,  1  o'clock.  I  have  rather  lessened  than 
exaggerated  our  melancholy  account." 

Weiser  Letters. — The  following  letter  de- 
scribes the  condition  of  the  settlements  beyond 
the  Blue  Mountain  during  this  exciting  period ; 
and  it  also  shows  to  some  degree  a  want  of  pa- 
triotic feeling  on  the  part  of  the  inhabitants, 
notwithstanding  their  perilous  situation.  It 
was  addressed  to  Governor  Morris  by  Conrad 
Weiser,  from  his  home,  on  2d  of  November, 
1755,  at  night: 

"  I  am  going  out  early  next  morning  with  a  com- 
pany of  men,  how  many  I  can't  tell  as  yet,  to  bring 
away  the  few  and  distressed  families  on  the  north  side 
of  Kittidany  Hills  yet  alive  (if  there  is  yet  alive 
such).  They  cry  aloud  for  assistance,  and  I  shall  give 
as  my  opinion  to-morrow,  in  public  meeting  of  the 
'     16 


townships  of  Heidelberg  and  Tulpehocken,  that  they 
few  who  are  alive  and  remaining  there  (the  most  part 
is  come  away)  shall  be  forewarned  to  come  to  the  south 
side  of  the  hills,  and  we  will  convey  them  to  this  side. 
If  I  don't  go  over  the  hills  myself,  I  will  see  the  men 
so  far  as  the  hills  and  give  such  advice  as  I  am  able 
to  do.  There  can  be  no  force.  We  are  continually 
alarmed;  and  last  night  I  received  the  account  of 
Andrew  Montour.  .  .  .  My  son  Peter  came  up 
this  morning  from  Reading,  at  the  head  of  about  fif- 
teen men,  in  order  to  accompany  me  over  the  hills.  I 
shall  let  him  go  with  the  rest ;  had  we  but  good  reg- 
ulations, with  God's  help  we  could  stand  at  our  places 
of  abode,  but  if  the  people  fail  (which  I  am  afraid 
they  will,  because  some  go,  some  won't,  some  mock, 
some  plead  religion  and  a  great  number  of  cowards), 
I  shall  think  of  mine  and  my  family's  preservation 
and  quit  my  place,  if  I  can  get  none  to  stand  by  me 
to  defend  my  own  house.  But  I  hope  you  will  excuse 
this  hurry,  I  have  no  clerk  now,  and  had  no  rest  these 
several  days  nor  nights  hardly." 

And  two  weeks  afterward  he  addressed  the 
following  two  letters  to  the  Governor  in  refer- 
ence to  the  murders  committed  upon  the  settlers 
in  the  county  south  of  the  Blue  Mountain, — 

"  Honored  Sir :  On  my  return  from  Philadelphia,  I 
met  in  Amity  township,  Berks  County,  the  first  news 
of  our  cruel  enemy  having  invaded  the  county  this 
side  of  the  Blue  Mountains,  to  wit:  Bethel  and  Tul- 
pehocken. I  left  the  papers  as  they  were  in  the  mes- 
senger's hands,  and  hastening  to  Reading,  where  the 
alarm  and  confusion  was  very  great,  I  was  obliged  to 
stay  that  night  and  part  of  the  next  day,  to  wit :  the 
17th  inst.,  and  set  out  for  Heidelberg,  where  I  arrived 
that  evening.  Soon  after  my  sons,  Philip  and  Fred- 
erick, arrived  from  the  pursuit  of  the  Indians,  and 
gave  me  the  following  relation :  That  on  last  Satur- 
day, about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  as  some  men 
from  Tulpehocken  were  going  to  Dietrich  Six's  place, 
under  the  hills  on  the  Shamokin  road,  to  be  on  the 
watch  appointed  there,  they  were  fired  upon  by  the 
Indians  but  none  hurt  nor  killed  (our  people  were  but 
six  in  number,  the  rest  being  behind),  upon  which  our 
people  ran  towards  the  watch-house,  which  was  one- 
half  of  a  mile  off,  and  the  Indians  pursued  them,  and 
killed  and  scalped  several  of  them.  A  bold,  stout 
Indian  came  up  to  one  Christopher  Ury,  who  turned 
about  and  shot  the  Indian  right  through  his  breast. 
The  Indiun  dropped  down  dead,  but  was  dragged  out 
of  the  way  by  his  own  companions  (he  was  found  next 
day  and  scalped  by  our  people).  The  Indians  divided 
themselves  into  two  parties.  Some  came  this  way,  to 
meet  the  rest  that  were  going  to  the  watch,  and  killed 
some  of  them,  so  that  six  of  our  men  were  killed  that 
day  and  a  few  wounded.  The  night  following  the 
enemy  attacked  the  house  of  Thomas  Brown,  on  the 
Swatara  Creek.    They  came  to  the  house  in  the  dark 


122 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


night,  and  one  of  them  put  his  fire-arm  through  the 
window  and  shot  a  shoemaker,  that  was  at  work,  dead 
on  the  spot.  The  people  being  extremely  surprised 
at  this  sudden  attack,  defended  themselves  by  firingout 
ofthe  windows  at  the  Indians.  The  fire  alarmed  aneigh- 
bor  who  came  withtwoor  threemoremen.  They  fired 
by  the  way  and  made  a  great  noise,  scared  the  Indians 
away  from  Bower's  house,  after  they  had  set  fire  to  it, 
but  by  Thomas  Bower's  dilligenceand  conduct  it  was 
-timely  put  out  again.  So  Thomas  Bower,  with  his 
family,  went  off  that  night  to  his  neighbor,  Daniel 
Schneider,  who  came  to  his  assistance.  By  eight 
o'clock  parties  came  up  from  Tulpehocken  and  Heid- 
elberg. The  first  party  saw  four  Indians  running  off. 
They  had  some  prisoners,  whom  they  scalped  imme- 
diately ;  three  children  they  scalped  yet  alive,  one 
died  since  and  the  other  two  are  likely  to  do  well. 
Another  party  found  a  woman  just  expired,  with  a 
male  child  on  her  side,  both  killed  and  scalped ;  the 
woman  lay  upon  her  face;  my  son  Frederick  turned 
her  about,  to  see  who  she  might  have  been,  and  to  his 
and  his  companion's  surprise  they  found  a  babe  about 
fourteen  days  old  under  her,  wrapped  up  in  a  little 
cushion,  his  nose  quite  flat,  which  was  set  right  by 
Frederick,  and  life  was  yet  in  it  and  it  recovered 
again.  Our  people  came  up  with  two  parties  of  In- 
dians that  day,  but  they  hardly  got  sight  of  them. 
The  Indians  ran  off  immediately.  Either  our  people 
did  not  care  to  fight  them,  if  they  could  avoid  it,  or 
(which  is  more  likely),  the  Indians  were  alarmed  first 
by  the  loud  noise  of  our  people's  coming,  because  no 
order  was  observed.  Upon  the  whole,  there  were 
fifteen  of  our  people  killed,  including  men,  women  and 
children,  and  the  enemy  not  beat  but  scared  off. 
Several  houses  and  barns  are  burned.  I  have  no  true 
account  how  many.  We  are  in  a  dismal  situation. 
Some  of  these  murders  have  been  committed  in  Tul- 
pehocken township.  The  people  left  their  planta- 
tions to  within  six  or  seven  miles  from  the  house.  I 
am  now  busy  putting  things  in  order  to  defend  my 
house  against  another  attack.  Guns  and  ammunition 
are  very  mui-h  wanted  here.  My  sons  have  been 
obliged  to  part  with  most  of  that  which  was  sent  up, 
for  the  use  of  the  Indians.  I  pray  your  Honor  will 
be  pleased,  if  it  is  in  your  power,  to  send  us  up  a 
quantity  upon  any  condition.  I  must  stand  my  ground, 
or  my  neighbors  will  all  go  away  and  leave  their 
habitations  to  be  destroyed  by  the  enemy  or  our  own 
people.  This  is  enough  of  such  melancholy  account 
for  this  time.  I  beg  leave  to  conclude,  who  am,  sir, 
"  Your  very  obedient, 

"  CONKAD  WeiSER. 

"  Heidelberg,  Berks  County,  November  19,  1755. 

"  P.  S — I  am  creditably  informed  just  now  that  one 
Wolfl7,  a  single  man,  killed  an  Indian  at  the  same 
time  when  Ury  killed  the  other,  but  the  body  is  not 
found  yet.  The  poor  young  man  since  died  of  his 
•wound  through  his  belly." 


"  May  it  please  the  Governor :  That  night  after  my 
arrival  from  Philadelphia,  Emanuel  Carpenter  and 
Simon  Adam  Kuhn,  Esqrs.,  came  to  my  house  and 
lodged  with  me.  They  acquainted  me  that  a  meet- 
ing was  appointed  (of  the  people  of  Tulpehocken, 
Heidelberg  and  adjacent  places,)  in  Tulpehocken 
township,  at  Benjamin  Spicker's,  early  next  morning. 
I  made  all  the  haste  with  the  Indians  I  could,  and 
gave  them  a  letter  to  Thomas  McKee,  to  furnish 
them  with  necessaries  for  their  journey.  Scarujade 
had  no  creature  to  ride  on.  I  gave  him  one.  Before 
I  could  get  done  with  the  Indians,  three  or  four  men 
came  from  Benjamin  Spicker's  to  warn  the  Indians 
not  to  go  that  way,  for  the  people  were  so  enraged 
against  all  the  Indians,  and  would  kill  them  without 
distinction.  I  went  with  them,  as  also  the  gentle- 
men before  named.  When  we  came  near  Benjamin 
Spicker's  1  saw  about  four  or  five  hundred  men,  and 
there  was  a  loud  noise.  I  rode  before,  and  in  riding 
along  the  road  (and  armed  men  on  both  sides  of  the 
road),  I  heard  some  say,  Why  must  we  be  killed  by 
the  Indians  and  we  not  kill  them  ?  Why  are  our 
hands  so  tied?  I  got  the  Indians  to  the  house  with 
much  ado,  when  I  treated  them  with  a  small  dram, 
and  so  parted   with  them  in   love  and   friendship. 

"  Captain  Dieffenbach  undertook  to  conduct  them 
(with  five  other  men),  to  the  Susquehanna.  After 
this  a  sort  of  a  council  of  war  was  held  by  the  officers 
present,  the  gentlemen  before  named  and  other  free- 
holders. It  was  agreed  that  150  men  should  be 
raised  immediately,  to  serve  as  out  scouts,  and  as 
guards  at  certain  places  under  the  Kittatinny  Hills 
for  40  days.  That  those  so  raised  to  have  two  shil- 
lings per  day,  and  two  pounds  of  bread,  two  pounds 
of  beef  and  a  gill  of  rum,  and  powder  and  lead. 
Arms  they  must  find  themselves.  This  scheme  was 
signed  by  a  good  many  freeholders  and  read  to  the 
people.  They  cried  out  that  so  much  for  an  Indian 
scalp  they  would  have  (be  they  friends  or  enemies) 
from  the  Governor.  I  told  them  I  had  no  such 
power  from  the  Governor  or  assembly.  They  began, 
some  to  curse  the  Governor ;  some  the  assembly ; 
called  me  a  traitor  to  the  country,  who  held  with  the 
Indians,  and  must  have  known  this  murder  before- 
hand. I  sat  in  the  house  at  a  low  window.  Some  of 
my  friends  came  to  pull  me  away  from  it,  telling  me 
that  some  of  the  people  threatened  to  shoot  me.  I 
offered  to  go  out  to  the  people  and  either  pacify  them 
or  make  the  King's  proclamation.  But  those  in  the 
house  with  me  would  not  let  me  go  out.  The  cry 
was :  The  land  was  betrayed  and  sold.  The  common 
people  from  Lancaster  County  were  the  worst.  The 
wages,  they  said,  were  a  trifle,  and  said  somebody 
pocketed  the  rest,  and  they  would  resent  it.  Some- 
body has  put  it  into  their  heads  that  I  had  it  in  my 
power  to  give  as  much  as  I  pleased.  I  was  in  danger 
of  being  shot  to  death.  In  the  meantime  a  great 
smoke  arose  under  the  Tulpehocken  Mountain,  with 
the  news  following  that  the  Indians  had  committed 


FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR. 


123 


murder  on  Mill  Creek  (a  false  alarm)  and  set  fire  to  a 
barn.  Most  of  the  people  ran,  and  those  that  had 
horses  rode  off  without  any  order  or  regulation.  I 
then  took  my  horse  and  went  home,  where  Iintended 
to  stay  and  defend  my  own  house  as  long  as  I  could. 
There  is  no  doings  with  the  people  without  a  law  or 
regulation  by  Governor  and  Assembly.  The  people 
of  Tulpehocken  have  all  fled ;  till  about  six  or  seven 
miles  from  me  some  few  remain.  Another  such  attack 
will  lay  all  the  country  waste  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Schuylkill.     I  am,  sir,  "Your  most  obedient, 

"  Conrad  Weiser. 
"Heidelberg,  Berks  County,  Nov.  19,  1755." 

Spicker  Letter. — Three  days  before  these 
letters  were  addressed  to  the  Governor,  Conrad 
Weiser  received  the  following  letter  from  Peter 
Spicker  (who  resided  on  the  Tulpehocken  road, 
near  the  western  boundary  line  of  the  county), 
detailing  the  great  anxiety  of  the  community  in 
that  vicinity,  and  the  losses  which  the  people 

suffered  : 

"  Tulpehocken,  Nov.  16, 1755. 
"Conrad  Weiser,  Esq. 

"  John  Anspack  and  Frederick  Read  came  to  me 
and  told  me  the  miserable  circumstances  of  the  peo- 
ple murdered  this  side  of  the  mountain  yesterday. 
The  Indians  attacked  the  watch,  killed  and  wounded 
him  at  Dietrich  Six's,  and  in  that  neighborhood  a 
great  many  in  that  night.  This  morning  our  people 
went  out  to  see ;  came  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing to  Thomas  Bower's  house,  finding  a  man  dead, 
killed  with  a  gun-shot.  Soon  we  heard  a  firing  of 
guns ;  running  to  that  place  and  found  four  Indians 
sitting  on  children  scalping;  three  of  the  children  are 
dead;  two  are  alive;  the  scalps  are  taken  off;  here- 
after we  went  to  the  watch-house  of  Dietrich  Six, 
where  the  Indians  first  attacked,  finding  six  dead 
bodies,  four  of  them  scalped  ;  about  a  mile  this  side 
of  the  watch-house  as  we  went  back  the  Indians  set 
fire  to  a  stable  and  barn,  where  they  burned  the  corn, 
cows  and  other  creatures,  where  we  found  seven  In- 
dians, five  in  the  house  eating  their  dinner  and  drink- 
ing rum,  which  was  in  the  house,  and  two  outside  the 
house ;  we  fired  to  them  but  in  vain ;  the  Indians 
burned  four  plantations  more  than  the  above  account 
told  me.  Peter  Anspack,  Jacob  Caderman,  Christo- 
pher Noacre,  Leonard  Walborn  told  me  in  the  same 
manner;  George  Dollinger  and  Adam  Dieffenbach 
sent  me  word  in  the  same  manner. 

"  Now  we  are  in  a  great  danger  to  lose  our  lives  or 
estates,  pray,  therefore,  for  help,  or  else  whole  Tulpe- 
hocken will  be  ruined  by  the  Indians  in  a  short  time, 
and  all  buildings  will  be  burned  down  and  the  people 
scalped,  therefore  you  will  do  all  haste  to  get  people 
together  to  assist  us.  The  Assembly  can  see  by  this 
work  how  good  and  fine  friends  the  Indians  are  to  us, 
we  hope  their  eyes  will  go  open  and  their  hearts  ten- 


der to  us,  and  the  Governor's  the  same.    They  aTe 
true  subjects  to  our  King  George  the  Second,    of 
Great  Britain  ;  or  are  willing  to  deliver  us  into  the 
hands  of  these  miserable  creatures. 
"I  am  your  friend, 

"Peter  Spicker. 
"N.B. — The  people  are  fled  to  us  from  the  hills. 
Peter  Kryger  and  John  Weiser  are  the  last." 

Report  of  Cruelties. — On  the  24th  of 
November,  1755,  Conrad  Weiser,  IJnianuel 
Carpenter  and  Adam  Simon  Ruhm  subscribed 
and  addressed  a  communication  to  the  Gov- 
ernor, which  set  forth  to  him  the  result  of 
their  deliberations  upon  the  "  miserable  condi- 
tion of  the  back  inhabitants  of  these  parts,"  and 
the  means  which  should  be  adopted  in  order  "to 
withstand  our  cruel  Indian  enemy." 

"  First. — Since  the  last  cruel  murder  committed  by 
the  enemy,  most  of  the  people  of  Tulpehocken  have 
left  their  habitations ;  those  in  Heidelberg  moved 
their  effects ;  Bethel  township  is  entirely  deserted. 

"Second. — There  is  no  order  among  the  people; 
one  cries  one  thing,  and  another  another  thing.  They 
want  to  force  us  to  make  a  law,  that  they  should  have 
a  reward  for  every  Indian  which  they  kill  ;  they  de- 
mand such  a  law  of  us,  with  their  guns  cocked,  point- 
ing it  towards  us. 

"Third. — The  people  are  so  incensed,  not  only 
against  our  cruel  enemy  the  Indians,  but  also  (we 
beg  leave  to  inform  your  Honor)  against  the  Governor 
and  Assembly,  that  we  are  afraid  they  will  go  down  in 
a  body  to  Philadelphia  and  commit  the  vilest  out- 
rages. They  say  they  will  rather  "be  hanged  than 
to  be  butchered  by  the  Indians,  as  some  of  their 
neighbors  have  been  lately,  and  the  poverty  that 
some  are  in  is  very  great. 

"Fourth. — Yesterday  we  sent  out  about  seventy 
men  to  the  mountain  to  take  possession  of  several 
houses,  and  to  range  the  woods  along  the  mountain  in 
Berks  County,  on  the  west  side  of  Schuylkill.  The 
same  number  are  sent  to  the  back  part  of  Lancaster 
County,  we  promised  them  two  shillings  per  day, 
two  pounds  of  bread,  two  pounds  of  beef,  and  a  gill 
of  rum  a  day,  and  ammunition,  and  that  for  forty 
days,  or  till  we  shall  receive  your  Honor's  order.  We 
persuade  ourselves  your  Honor  will  not  leave  us  in 
the  lurch;  we  must  have  such  a  thing  done  or  else 
leave  our  habitation,  if  no  worse  ;  and  all  this  would 
not  do,  we  and  others  of  the  freeholders  have  been 
obliged  to  promise  them  a  reward  of  four  pistoles  for 
every  enemy  Indian  man  that  they  should  kill. 
Many  things  more  we  could  mention,  but  we  don't 
care  to  trouble  your  Honor  any  farther." 

And  Conrad  Weiser  added  the  following 
postscript : 


124 


HISTOKY  OP  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


"  I  cannot  forbear  to  acquaint  your  Honor  of  a  cer- 
tain circumstance  of  the  late  unhappy  affair :  One 
Kobel,  with  his  wife  and  eight  children,  the  eld- 
est about  fourteen  years  and  the  youngest  fourteen 
days,  was  flying  before  the  enemy,  he  carrying  one, 
and  his  wife  a  boy,  another  of  the  children,  when 
they  were  fired  upon  by  two  Indians  very  nigh,  but 
hit  only  the  man  upon  the  breast,  though  not  danger- 
ously. They,  the  Indians,  then  came  with  their 
tomahawks,  knocked  the  woman  down,  but  not  dead. 
They  intended  to  kill  the  man,  but  his  gun  (though 
out  of  order,  so  that  he  could  not  fire)  kept  them  off. 
The  woman  recovered  so  far,  and  seated  herself  upon 
a  stump,  with  her  babe  in  her  arms,  and  gave  it  suck; 
and  the  Indians  driving  the  children  together,  and 
spoke  to  them  in  high  Dutch,  be  still,  we  won't  hurt, 
you.  Then  they  struck  a  hatchet  into  the  woman's 
head,  and  she  fell  upon  her  face  with  her  babe  under 
her,  and  the  Indian  trod  on  her  neck  and  tore  off  the 
scalp.  The  children  then  ran  :  four  of  them  were 
scalped,  among  which  was  a  girl  of  eleven  years  of 
age,  who  related  the  whole  story;  of  the  scalped, two 
are  alive  and  like  to  do  well.  The  rest  of  the  chil- 
dren ran  into  the  bushes  and  the  Indians  after  them, 
but  our  people  coming  near  to  them,  halloed  and 
made  a  noise.  The  Indians  ran  and  the  rest  of  the 
children  were  saved.  They  ran  within  a  yard  by  a 
woman  that  lay  behind  an  old  log,  with  two  children; 
there  were  about  seven  or  eight  of  the  enemy." 

The  onward  movement  of  the  Indians  and 
the  terrifying  reports  of  their  barbarity  excited 
the  settlers  to  such  a  degree  that  the  sections  of 
the  county  near  by  and  beyond  the  Blue  Moun- 
tain became  almost  entirely  deserted.  Even 
the  inhabitants  of  Reading,  though  they  were  a 
considerable  body  together,  manifested  much 
anxiety  for  their  welfare.  Conrad  Weiser 
stated  in  a  letter  from  Reading,  dated  13th  of 
December,  1755, — 

"  The  people  of  this  town  and  county  are  in  very 
great  consternation.  Most  of  this  town  are  but  day- 
laborers,  and  owing  money,  are  about  to  leave  it,  they 
have  nothing  at  all  wherewith  to  support  their  fami- 
lies. All  trade  is  stopped,  and  they  can  get  no  em- 
ployment, and  unless  the  Government  takes  about 
thirty  or  forty  of  them  into  pay  to  guard  this  town, 
they  must  go  off  and  the  rest  will  think  themselves 
unsafe  to  stay,  and  the  back  inhabitants  will  have  no 
place  of  security  left  for  their  wives  and  children, 
when  they  are  out  either  against  their  enemy,  or  tak- 
ing care  of  their  plantations  and  cattle,  and  when 
things  should  come  to  extremity." 

The  massacres  by  the  Indians  continuing 
month  after  month,  the  Governor  visited  Read- 
ing in  the  latter  part  of  December,  for  the  pur- 


pose of  acquainting  himself  with  the  situation 
of  the   people,  and,  after  an   examination,  he 
found  that  the  policy  of  defense  was  not  satis- 
factory, and  that  new  measures  had  to  be  taken 
to  subdue  the  Indians.    Whilst  at  Reading  he 
also  consulted  with  the  Executive  Council  and 
the  commissioners  in   respect  to  a  proper  dis- 
tribution of  the  regular  troops  which   had  ar- 
rived at  Carlisle  from  New  York.     The  Gren- 
adiers were  ordered  to  be  quartered  at  Reading. 
Their  rations  were  three  pounds  of  pork,  three 
pounds  of  beef,  one  pound  of  fish,  ten  and  one- 
half  pounds  of  bread  or  meal  for  a  week,  and 
one  gill  of  rum  per  day. 

Premium  for  Scalps. — In  pursuance  of 
this  spirit  of  carrying  on  active  measures  against 
the  Indians,  the  board  of  commissioners  de- 
cided on  the  9th  of  April,  1756,  to  recommend 
to  the  Governor  that  bounties,  or  premiums,  be 
paid  for  prisoners  and  scalps, — 

For  every  male  Indian  prisoner  above  ten  years 
old,  that  shall  be  delivered  at  any  of  the  gov- 
ernment forts  or  towns $150 

For  every  female  Indian  prisoner  or  male  pri- 
soner, of  ten  years  old  and  under,  delivered  as 
above ... 130 

For  the  scalp  of  every  male  Indian  above  ten 
years  old..: 130 

For  the  scalp  of  every  Indian  woman SO 

Probst  Letter.— By  the  foregoing  letters 
and  others,  it  would  seem  that  the  Indians  con- 
fined their  invasions  into  the  county  beyond 
the  Blue  Mountain  before  1756,  to  the  west  of 
the  Schuylkill.  But  in  the  beginning  of  1756 
they  reached  the  district  along  the  mountain  to 
the  east  of  the  river,  and  committed  similar 
outrages  upon  the  unprotected  settlers.  Valen- 
tine Probst,  a  resident  of  Albany  township,  ad- 
dressed the  following  letter  to  Jacob  Levan, 
(one  of  the  justices  of  the  county,  who  resided 
in  Maxatawny  township,)  on  the  15th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1756,  in  which  he  mentions  the  horrible 
murders  committed  upon  the  Reichelderfer  and 
Gerhard  families : 

Me.  Levan— I  cannot  omit  writing  about  the 
dreadful  circumstances  in  our  township,  Albany.  The 
Indians  came  yesterday  morning  about  eight  o'clock, 
to  Frederick  Eeichelderfer's  house,  as  he  was  feeding 
his  horses,  and  two  of  the  Indians  ran  upon  him,  and 
fo.lowed  him  into  a  field  ten  or  twelve  perches  off; 


FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR. 


125 


but  he  escaped  and  ran  towards  Jacob  Gerhard's 
house,  with  a  design  to  fetch  some  arms.  When  he 
came  near  Gerhard's  he  heard  a  lamentable  cry, 
'  Lord  Jesus !  Lord  Jesus  ! '  which  made  him  run  back 
towards  his  own  house ;  but  before  he  got  quite  home, 
he  saw  his  house  and  stable  in  flames,  and  heard 
the  cattle  bellowing,  and  thereupon  ran  away  again. 
"Two  of  his  children  were  shot;  one  of  them  was 
found  dead  in  his  field,  the  other  was  found  alive  and 
brought  to  Hakenbrook's  house,  but  died  three  hours 
after.  All  his  grain  and  cattle  are  burned  up.  At 
Jacob  Gerhart's  they  have  killed  one  man,  two  women 
and  six  children.  Two  children  slipped  under  the 
bed;  one  of  which  was  burned;  the  other  escaped, 
and  ran  a  mile  to  get  to  the  people.  We  desire  help, 
or  we  must  leave  our  homes." 

Muhlenberg  Letter. — The  Rev.  Henry 
Melchior  Muhlenberg  described  this  shocking 
affair  as  follows  :■ 

"In  New  Hanover  (Mont.  Co.)  I  had  confirmed 
two  grown  daughters  of  Frederick  Reichelsdorfer. 
This  man  subsequently  bought  a  tract  of  forest  land 
near  the  Blue  Mountains,  which  he  cultivated  suc- 
cessfully, with  much  toil  and  great  sacrifice,  to  enable 
him  to  support  his  family.  But  fearing  the  Indians, 
who  scouted  the  region,  sacking,  burning  and  mur- 
dering, he  removed  his  family  back  to  New  Hanover, 
whilst  he  journeyed  to  and  fro  to  attend  to  his  place. 
In  the  month  of  March,  after  he  and  his  daughters 
had  threshed  out  his  wheat,  .on  a  Friday  morning, 
they  suddenly  felt  an  uncomfortable  presentiment  of 
fear.  Entering  upon  their  evening  devotions,  they 
joined  in  singing  the  old  hymn,  '  Wer  weiz  wie  nahe 
mir  mein  Ende.'  Committing  themselves  to  God, 
they  retired.  On  the  following  Saturday  morning,  as 
the  father  had  gone  upon  the  open  field  to  bring  in 
his  horses,  and  on  the  eve  of  starting  for  home,  he 
was  surrounded  by  Indians.  From  sudden  fright,  in 
view  of  his  great  peril,  he  could  neither  utter  a  cry, 
nor  move  a  limb.  As  the  savages  were  within  twenty 
paces,  he  turned  his  thoughts  to  God,  and  was  enabled 
to  cry :  'Jesus !  I  live  by  Thee !  Jesus !  I  die  in  Thee !' 
In  the  moment  of  this  exclamation,  he  felt  himself  at 
once  endowed  with  superhuman  energy,  in  virtue  of 
which  he  turned,  became  swift-footed  as  a  deer,  and 
winged,  like  the  ostrich.  He  escaped  from  their  sight 
and  reached  his  home ;  but,  alas !  his  hut  lay  in  ashes  ; 
the  cattle  were  bellowing  in  a  sheet  of  flame,  his  eld- 
est daughter  lay  a  crisp,  and  the  younger,  partly 
alive,  scalped  and  horribly  mutilated,  had  barely 
strength  to  relate  the  harrowing  circumstances,  and 
to  impress  a  dying  kiss  upon  the  distracted  brow  of 
her  father,  bending  over  her." 

Gerhart  Murder. — The  Gerhart  murder 
was  committed  on  a  farm  in  the  extreme  north- 
western section  of  Albany  township,  owned  by 


George  Bolich.  A  house  was  immediately 
afterward  built  on  the  spot  where  the  original 
house  stood.  It  was  toru  down  by  Mr.  Bolich, 
who  erected  a  handsome  dwelling  in  its  stead. 
The  traditional  account  of  the  murder,  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  years  after  it  occurred,  as 
given  by  Mr.  Bolich,  was  as  follows: 

"  While  the  whole  family  was  in  the  house,  quietly 
enjoying  the  comforts  of  a  rural  home  in  the  wilder- 
ness of  Albany  in  the  month  of  February,  an  unusual 
noise  was  heard  in  the  vicinity  of  the  house.  Noth- 
ing was  known  of  the  presence  of  the  Indians  or  of 
any  other  person,  until  they  heard  a  suspicious  noise 
which  excited  their  fears  at  once  that  a  sad  fate  was 
awaiting  them.  Mr.  Gerhart,  solicitous  about  the 
safety  of  his  beloved  family,  opened  the  door  and 
peeped  out,  but  saw  no  one.  He  quietly  stepped  out- 
side of  the  door  to  make  a  closer  inspection  of  his 
premises,  when  a  concealed  Indian  shot  him  and  he 
fell  dead  at  the  door.  The  women  dragged  Mr.  Ger- 
hart into  the  house.  The  Indians  knowing  that  the 
head  of  the  family  was  killed,  had  less  to  fear,  aj- 
proached  the  house  and  set  it  on  fire.  The  women 
and  children  knew  that  a  horrible  death  was  staring 
them  in  the  face — that  they  must  either  be  burned 
alive,  or  leave  the  house  and  submit  to  a  death  fully 
as  revolting.  They  chose  the  first  alternative.  A 
boy  of  about  twelve  years  of  age,  whose  hair  had 
already  been  burned  off  his  head,  and  had  seen  suffer- 
ing among  his  mother,  little  brothers  and  sisters, 
which  no  pen  or  human  tongue  can  portray,  jumped 
out  of  a  window  on  a  side  of  the  hou-e  opposite  the 
Indians.  He  ran  to  a  family  over  a  small  hill  south 
of  this  place  to  give  the  alarm,  but  when  assistance 
came  the  house  was  consumed  by  the  flames  and  the 
Indians  had  made  their  escape."  l 

This  occurrence  naturally  alarmed  the  neigh- 
borhood and  many  of  the  settlers  moved  away 
to  places  where  they  could  feel  secure  in  the 
enjoyment  of  life  and  property.  A  letter 
dated  24th  of  March,  1756,  describes  the  fatal 
consequences  to  a  party  in  an  attempt  at  remov- 
ing :— 

"Ten  wagons  went  up  to  Allemaengel  to  bring 
down  a  family  with  their  effects;  and  as  they  were 
returning,  about  three  miles  below  George  Ziesloff's, 
were  fired  upon  by  a  number  of  Indians  from  both 
sides  of  the  roads,  upon  which  the  wagoners  left  their 
wagons  and  ran  into  the  woods,  and  the  horses 
frightened  at  the  firing  and  the  terrible  yelling  of  the 
Indian*,  ran  down  the  hill  and  broke  one  of  the 
wagons  to  pieces.  The  enemy  killed  George  Ziesloff 
and  his  wife,  a  lad  of  twenty,  a  boy  of  twelve,  also  a 

1  Brunner's  "Indians  of  Berks  County,''  p. 47. 


126 


HISTOEY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


girl  of  fourteen  years  old,  four  of  whom  they  scalped. 
Another  girl  was  shot  in  the  neck  and  through  the 
mouth  and  scalped,  notwithstanding  all  this  she  got 
oft'.  A  boy  was  stabbed  in  three  places,  but  the 
wounds  were  not  thought  to  be  mortal.  They  killed 
two  of  the  horses  and  five  are  missing,  with  which  it 
is  thought  the  Indians  carried  off  the  most  valuable 
goods  that  were  in  the  wagons." 

In  March,  1756,  the  Indians  burned  the 
house  and  barn  of  Barnabas  Seitel  and  the  mill 
of  Peter  Conrad,  killed  Balser  Neytong's  wife 
and  took  a  son  eight  years  of  age  captive. 
Captain  Morgan  sent  seven  men  in  pursuit; 
but  they  failed  to  overtake  the  Indians. 

Kltjck  Murder.— On  the  24th  of  March, 
the  house  of  Peter  Kluck  (about  fourteen  miles 
from  Reading)  was  set  on  fire  by  the  savages, 
and  the  whole  family  killed;  while  the  flames 
were  still  ascending,  the  Indians  assaulted  the 
house  of  one  Linderman,  in  which  there  were 
two  men  and  a  woman,  all  of  whom  ran  up- 
stairs, where  the  woman  was  shot  dead  through 
the  roof.  The  men  then  ran  out  of  the  house 
to  engage  the  Indians,  when  Linderman  was 
shot  in  the  neck  and  the  other  through  the 
jacket.  Upon  this,  Linderman  ran  towards  the 
Indians,  two  of  whom  only  were  seen,  and  shot 
one  of  them  in  the  back,  when  he  fled,  and  he 
and  his  companion  scalped  him  and  brought 
away  his  gun  and  knife. 

The  report  of  the  several  preceding  massacres 
is  not  definite  with,  regard  to  the  locality;  but 
it  is  probable  that  they  occurred  within  the 
limits  of  Albany  township. 

At  the  same  time1  the  Indians  carried  off  a 
young  lad,  named  John  Shoep,  about  nine  years 
old,  whom  they  took  by  night  seven  miles  be- 
yond the  Blue  Mountain  ;  but  where,  accord- 
ing to  the  lad,  the  Indians  kindled  a  fire,  tied 
him  to  a  tree,  and  took  off  his  shoes  and  put 
moccasins  on  his  feet;  that  they  prepared  them- 
selves some  mush,  but  gave  him  none.  After 
supper  they  marched  on  further.  The  same 
Indians  took  him  and  another  lad  between 
them,  and  went  beyond  the  second  mountain; 
having  gone  six  times  through  streams  of 
water,  and  always  carried  him  across.  The 
second  evening  they  again  struck  up  fire,  took 


Time  of  the  Ziesloff  murder. 


off  his  moccasins,  and  gave  him  a  blanket  to 
cover  himself;  but  at  midnight,  when  all  the 
Indians  were  fast  asleep,  he  made  his  escape, 
and  at  daybreak  had  traveled  about  six  miles. 
He  passed  on  that  day,  sometimes  wading 
streams  neck  deep,  in  the  direction  of  the  Blue 
Mountain;  that  night  he  sta'yed  in  the  woods. 
The  next  day,  exhausted  and  hungry,  he  ar- 
rived by  noon  at  Uly  Meyer's  plantation, 
where  Charles  Folk's  company  lay,  who  wished 
him  to  remain  till  he  had  regained  strength, 
and  they  would  conduct  him  to  his  father.  He 
was  accordingly  sent  home. 

The  eastern  part  of  the  county  was  disturbed 
only  once  by  the  Indians  during  the  French 
and  Indian  War.  They  would  not,  in  their 
invasions,  go  any  distance  into"  a  country  settled 
by  the  white  people  where  it  was  possible  to 
intercept  their  retreat.  In  March,  1756,  they 
ventured  as  far  south  as  Hereford.  On  the 
22d  of  that  month  (March)  one  John  Krausher 
and  his  wife,  and  William  Yeth  and  his  bov 
about  twelve  years  old,  went  to  their  place  to 
find  their  cattle,  and  on  their  return  were  fired 
upon  by  five  Indians,  who  had  hid  themselves 
about  ten  perches  from  the  road,  when  Yeth 
was  mortally  wounded  in  the  back;  Krausher's 
wife  was  found  dead  and  scalped,  and  had 
three  cuts  in  her  right  arm  with  a  tomahawk. 
Krausher  made  his  escape,  and  the  boy  was 
carried  off  by  the  enemy. 

Indian  Treaty. — During  the  war,  messen- 
gers were  sent  by  the  Governor  to  the  chiefs  of 
the  Indians,  and  the  Indians  sent  representa- 
tives of  their  tribes  to  Philadelphia  or  some 
place  midway  between  Philadelphia  and  the 
council  fires  of  the  Indians.  One  of  the  most 
important  treaties  was  held  at  Easton  in  the 
latter  part  of  July,  1756.  Teedyuscung,  with 
fourteen  other  chiefs,  was  present.  He  said  he 
was  an  ambassador  appointed  by  ten  nations, 
and  authorized  to  treat  with  the  Governor  of 
Pennsylvania.  In  attempting  to  palliate  the 
breach  of  former  treaties  and  the  numerous 
massacres  of  settlers  upon  lands  bought  of  them, 
he  assured  the  Governor  that  the  "present 
clouds  "  owed  their  origin  to  the  custom  of  their 
ancestors  from  having  a  "  multitude  of  kings." 
He  made  strong  professions  of  friendship,  de- 


FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR. 


127 


plored  the  hostile  feelings  between  the  white 
people  and  the  Indians,  and  said  that  all  the 
harm  inflicted  upon  the  white  people  was  com- 
mitted by  the  French  Indians  who  lived  on  the 
Ohio.  After  faring  well  for  a  week  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  government,  and  receiving  a  large 
quantity  of  presents,  the  chiefs  took  "  some  of 
that  good  tobacco  that  the  Six  Nations  put  into 
our  pipe,"  and  all  parties  smoked  the  pipe  in 
turn ;  and,  according  to  their  custom,  a  lasting 
peace  and  friendship  was  to  be  maintained.  But 
the  fumes  of  "  that  good  tobacco  "  had  scarcely 
disappeared  when  the  Indians  again  fell  upon 
the  settlers  of  Berks  County,  burned  their 
buildings  and  cattle,  lurked  behind  the  thickets 
and  shot  men  at  work  in  their  fields,  scalped 
women  and  children  alive  and  captured  others, 
many  of  whom  were  subjected  to  great  hard- 
ships and  cruel  sufferings.1 

Two  Women  Scalped. — Three  months 
afterward,  Conrad  Weiser  addressed  the  follow- 
ing letter  (dated  at  Heidelberg,  19th  of  October, 
1756,)  to  Governor  I>enny  : 

"  Honored  Sir  :  Last  night  about  10  o'clock  I 
received  the  melancholy  news  that  the  enemy  Indians 
had  again  made  an  invasion  in  Berks  county,  and 
killed  and  scalped  two  married  women  and  a  lad  of 
fourteen  years  of  age,  and  wounded  two  children  of 
about  four  years  old,  and  carried  off  two  more ;  one 
of  the  wounded  is  scalped  and  like  to  die,  and  the 
other  has  two  cuts  on  her  forehead,  given  her  by  an 
Indian  boy  in  order  to  scalp  her,  but  did  not ;  there 
being  eight  men  of  Fort  Henry  posted  in  two  differ- 
ent neighbors'  houses  about  one  and  a  half  miles  off, 
when  they  heard  the  noise  of  the  guns  firing  they 
made  towards  it  but  came  too  late. 

"The  people  are  moving  away,  leaving  their  barns 
full  of  grain  behind  them ;  and  there  is  a  lamentable 
cry  among  them.  It  is  with  submission  a  very  hard 
case  that  so  many  men  are  taken  away  to  protect  Sha- 
mokin  (a  wilderness)  and  the  inhabited  part  be  with- 
out it.  I  have  ordered  eighteen  men  out  of  the  town 
guard  of  Reading  to  re-enforce  Fort  Henry  im- 
mediately, of  which  I  hope  your  honor  will  ap- 
prove.   ..." 

Culmore  and  Fell  Murder.— On  the 
4th  of  November,  1756,  Jacob  Morgan,  the 
commander  at  Fort  Lebanon,  addressed  the  fol- 
lowing letter  to  the  Governor  in  reference  to 
outrages  committed  in  Albany  township: 

i  Brunner's  "  Indians  of  Berks  County,"  p.  51. 


"Yesterday  morning  at  break  of  day  one  of  the 
neighbors  discovered  a  fire  at  a  distance  from  him ; 
he  went  to  the  top  of  another  mountain  to  take  a  bet- 
ter observation,  and  made  a  full  discovery  of  the  fire, 
and  supposed  it  to  be  about  seven  miles  off,  at  the 
house  of  John  Fincher  ;  he  came  and  informed  me  of 
it;  I  immediately  detached  a  party  of  ten  men  (we 
being  about  22  men  in  the  fort)  to  the  place  where 
they  saw  the  fire,  at  the  said  Fincher's  house,  it  being 
nigh  Schuylkill,  and  the  men  anxious  to  see  the 
enemy,  if  there,  they  ran  through  the  water  and  the 
bushes  to  the  fire,  where  to  their  disappointment  they 
saw  none  of  them,  but  the  house,  barn,  and  other  out- 
houses all  in  flames,  together  with  a  -considerable 
amount  of  corn ;  they  saw  a  great  many  tracks  and 
followed  them,  and  came  back  to  the  house  of  Philip 
Culmore,  thinking  to  send  from  thence  to  alarm  the 
other  inhabitants  to  be  on  their  guard,  but  instead  of 
that  found  the  said  Culmore's  wife  and  daughter  and 
son-in-law  all  just  killed  and  scalped;  there  is  like- 
wise missing  out  of  the  same  house  Martin  Fell's  wife 
and  child  about  one  year  old,  and  another  boy  about 
seven  years  of  age,  the  said  Martin  Fell  was  he  that 
was  killed,  it  was  just  done  when  the  scouts  came 
there,  and  they  seeing  the  scouts  ran  off.  The  scouts 
divided  in  two  parties,  one  to  some  other  houses  nigh 
at  hand,  and  the  other  to  the  fort  (it  being  within  a 
mile  of  the  fort)  to  inform  me.  I  immediately  went 
out  with  the  scout  again  (and  left  in  the  fort  no  more 
than  six  men),  but  could  not  make  any  discovery,  but 
brought  all  the  families  to  the  fort,  where  now  I 
believe  there  are  upward  of  sixty  women  and  children 
that  are  fled  here  for  refuge."  2 

Ten  Women  and  Children  Rescued. — 
On  the  14th  of  the  same  month,  Lieuten- 
ant Samuel  Humphreys,  who  was  stationed  at 
the  fort  above  Northkill,  wrote  to  Conrad 
Weiser  as  follows : 

"May  it  please  the  Colonel: — Yesterday  we  were 
alarmed  by  a  number  of  Indians  who  came  and  took 
a  child  away.  Immediately  upon  hearing  the  news, 
I,  with  nine  men,  went  in  pursuit  of  them,  leaving  a 
number  of  farmers  to  guard  the  fort  till  we  should  re- 
turn. But  we  found  nothing  till  this  morning,  we 
went  out  again ;  and,  in  our  return  to  the  fort,  we  were, 
apprized  of  them  by  the  firing  of  several  guns;  when 
I  ordered  my  men  to  make  what  speed  they  could. 
We  ran  till  we  were  almost  out  of  breath,  and,  upon 
finding  Nicholas  Long's  house  attacked  by  the  In- 
dians, the  farmers  who  were  with  us  to  the  number  of 
twenty,  deserted  and  fled,  leaving  the  soldiers  to  fight/ 
We  stood  in  battle  with  them  for  several  minutes  till 
there  were  about  sixty  guns  discharged,  and  at  length 
we  put  the  Indians  to  flight. 


2  3  Pa.  Arch.  30.     Subsequently,  in  September,  1763, 
Fincher  and  his  family  were  murdered  by  the  Indians. 


128 


HISTOKY  OP  BBEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


"  We  have  one  man  wounded,  and  my  coat  was  shot 
through  in  four  places.  The  number  of  the  Indians 
was  twenty.  Our  number  at  first  was  twenty-four. 
But  they  all  deserted  and  fled  except  seven.  Two  old 
men  were  killed  before  we  came,  one  of  whom  was 
scalped.  Ten  women  and  children  were  in  the  cellar 
and  the  house  was  on  fire ;  but  we  extinguished  it  and 
brought  the  women  and  children  to  the  fort.  I  desire 
the  Colonel  to  send  me  a  reinforcement,  for  the  men 
solemnly  say  they  will  not  go  out  with  the  farmers, 
as  they  deserted  in  the  battle  and  never  fired  a  gun. 
The  Indians  cried  the  halloo  during  the  battle.  We 
have  one  of  their  guns  and  a  blanket  which  had  two 
holes  with  a -bullet  in  it,  and  is  bloody.  The  Indians 
had  all  red  hats  and  red  blankets.'' 

Girl  taken  Captive. — A  letter  was  ad- 
dressed to  the  Governor  from  Bethlehem,  on  the 
30th  of  November  following,  stating  the  com- 
mission of  another  murder  in  Albany  township : 

"John  Holder  came  here  this  evening  from  Alle- 
mangle  and  informed  me  that  last  Sunday  evening, 
the  28th  instant,  three  Indians  came  to  the  house  of  a 
certain  man  named  Schlosser  and  knocked  at  the 
door ;  the  people  within  called  who  is  there.  Answer 
was  made,  a  good  friend ;  they  within  not  opening  the 
door,  they  knocked  again  ;  they  within  asked  who  is 
there ;  no  answer  being  made  from  without,  then  one 
of  the  men  named  Stonebrook  looked  out  of  the  win- 
dow, when  an  Indian  discharged  a  gun  and  killed  him 
on  the  spot.  They  then  opened  the  door,  the  woman 
and  two  children  endeavored  to  escape,  and  the  In- 
dians pursued  and  took  both  the  children.  One  of 
the  men  fired  at  the  Indians  and  saw  one  of  them  fall, 
when  one  of  the  girls  he  had  possession  of  made  her 
escape  from  him,  but  the  other  they  took  away.  The 
Indian  that  was  fired  at  fell,  cried  out  very  much 
but  in  a  short  time  he  got  up  and  made  off." 

About  this  time  the  Indians  also  appeared  in 
this  township  and  carried  off  the  wife  and  three 
children  of  Adam  Burns.  The  youngest  child 
was  only  four  weeks  old. 

Petition  for  Fort.— At  a  meeting  of  the 
Executive  Council,  held  on  the  7th  of  May,  1757, 
a  petition,  addressed  to  the  Lieutenant-Governor 
was  read,  setting  forth, — 

"That  your  petitioners  are  informed  that  Fort 
Franklin  is  to  be  removed  to  this  side  of  the  Blue 
Mountains,  and  a  considerable  way  into  Albany  town- 
ship. 

"  That,  if  in  case  the  said  Fort  is  to  be  removed 
your  petitioners  will  be  obliged  to  desert  their  plan- 
tations, for  their  lives  and  Estates  will  then  lay  at 
stake,  and  a  great  part  of  this  province  will  lay 
waste,  and  your  petitioners  will  become  a  burden  to 
the  other  inhabitants. 


"  That  your  petitioners  humbly  conceive  that  it 
would  be  the  safest  way  to  have  the  said  Fort  con- 
tinued and  rebuilt,  as  it  is  very  much  out  of  order  and 
repair. 

"  Therefore  your  petitioners  humbly  pray  your 
Honor  to  take  the  premises  into  consideration  and 
issue  such  orders  as  will  prevent  the  removal  of  the 
said  Fort,  and  order  a  sufficient  number  of  men  in  it, 
and  to  grant  your  petitioners  such  other  relief  as  to 
you  in  your  wisdom  shall  deem  meet. 

"  This  petition  was  signed  by  George  Gilbert  and 
Adam  Spittlemeyer,  at  the  request  and  in  behalf  of 
the  following  persons,  '  all  inhabitants  of  Berks 
County,  within  four  miles  of  and  about  Fort  Franklin 
over  the  Blue  Mountains ' : 


"  George  Gilbert. 
Adam  Spittlemeyer. 
Henry  Hauptman. 
Casper  Langeberger. 
Nicholas  Kind. 
George  Merte. 
Henry  Norbeck. 
Widow  of  Mark  Grist 

(deceased).1 
Widow  of  Geo.  Krammer 

(deceased).1 
William  Ball. 
Philip  Annes. 
Jacob  Leisser. 


William  Weigand. 
Anthony  Krum. 
Philip  Scholl. 
Jacob  Keim. 
John  Frist. 
William  Gable. 
Philip  Kirsbaum. 
John  Wissemer. 
George  Wartman. 
Jacob  Richards. 
Christopher  Sprecher. 
John  Scheefer. 
George  Sprecher.'' 


Peter  Gersinger  was  shot  and  scalped  about 
the  middle  of  June,  1757,  while  plowing  in  a 
field.  The  place  of  this  murder  is  not  named, 
but  the  report  of  it  seems  to  indicate  Bethel 
township. 

Trump  Murder.— James  Read,  Esq.,  ad- 
dressed the  following  letter  from  Reading  on 
the  25th  of  June,  1757: 

"Last  night  Jacob  Levan,  Esq.,  of  Maxatawny, 
came  to  see  me,  and  showed  me  a  letter  of  the  22d 
inst.,.from  Lieutenant  Engel,  dated  in  Allemangel,by 
which  he  advised  Mr.  Levan  of  the  murder  of  one 
Adam  Trump,  in  Allemangel,  by  Indians  that  even- 
ing, and  that  they  had  taken  Trump's  wife  and  his 
son,  a  lad  of  nineteen  years  old,  prisoners ;  but  the 
woman  escaped,  though  upon  her  flying  she  was  so 
closely  pursued  by  one  of  the  Indians  (of  which  there 
were  seven)  that  he  threw  his  tomahawk  at  her,  and 
cut  her  badly  in  the  neck,  but  'tis  hoped  not  danger- 
ously. This  murder  happened  in  as  great  a  thunder- 
storm as  has  happened  for  twenty  years  past;  which 
extended  itself  over  a  great  part  of  this  and  Northamp- 
ton Counties-for  I  found  much  mischief  done  as  I 
came  from    Easton,   Northampton    County,  to  this 


»  ''Which  said  Grist,  and  Krammer  have  lost  their  lives  in 
the  defense  of  their  country  last  fall." 


FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR. 


129 


town,  the  length  of  fifty-two  miles — the  day  before 
yesterday,  and  which  I  hear  has  broken  down  the 
dams  of  seven  forges  and  six  grist-mills  on  Maxa- 
tawny  Creek,  chiefly  in  this  county,  the  rest  in  Phila- 
delphia County. 

"  Mr.  Levan  told  me  that  at  the  same  time  that  the 
Indiansdid  themischief  in  Allemangel,  another  party 
killed  and  scalped  a  man  near  Fort  Henry,  in  this 
county,  and  the  next  day  carried  off  a  young  woman 
from  the  same  neighborhood.  I  am  told  too — though 
I  cannot  tell  what  credit  is  to  be  given  to  it — that 
two  persons  were  killed  and  scalped  near  the  Fort  at 
Northkill,  in  this  county,  Wednesday  evening  last, 
at  the  time  of  the  thunderstorm. 

"  I  had  almost  forgot  to  mention  (for  I  am  so  hur- 
ried just  now,  'tis  no  wonder)  that  the  Indians,  after 
sGalping  Adam  Trump,  left  a  knife  and  a  halbert,  or 
a  spear,  fixed  to  a  pole  of  four  feet,  in  his  body." 

In  a  letter  from  Tulpehocken,  dated  4th  of 
July,  1757,  to  the  Pennsylvania  Gazette,  it  was 
stated, — 

"  If  we  get  no  assistance  from  the  county  all  the 
inhabitants  of  Tulpehocken  will  move  away.  The 
county  should  rise  and  send  a  large  body  to  drive  the 
Indians  off,  and  keep  a  strong  guard  in  the  houses  on 
the  frontiers  besides  the  soldiers,  or  all  will  be  lost." 

On  the  4th  of  July,  1757,  two  Indians  were 
seen  near  Reading. 

Seven  Persons  Murdered  —On  July  5, 
1757,  "seven  persons  (three  men  and  four  chil- 
dren), who  had  been  murdered  and  scalped  all 
in  one  house,  were  brought  to  our  burying- 
ground  for  burial.  They  were  killed  by  the 
Indians  yesterday,  about  sun-down,  five  miles 
from  here."    This  was  at  Tulpehocken  church.1 

Mother's  Defense  of  Children. — The 
following  extract  is  taken  from  a  letter  dated  at 
Heidelberg,  on  9th  of  July,  1757  : 

"  Yesterday,  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
between  Valentine  Herchelroad's  and  Tobias  Bickel's, 
four  Indians  killed  two  children, — one  about  four 
years  old  and  the  other  five.  They  at  the  same  time 
scalped  a  young  woman  of  about  sixteen,  who,  with 
proper  care,  is  likely  to  live  and  do  well.  A  woman 
was  terribly  cut  with  the  tomahawk  ;  but  she  was  not 
scalped — her  life  is  despaired  of.  Three  children 
were  carried  off  prisoners.  Christian  Schrenk's  wife 
— who  was  among  the  party — bravely  defended  her- 
self and  her  children  for  a  while.  During  an  assault 
upon  her,  she  wrested  the  gun  out  of  the  Indian's 
hands,  and  also  his  tomahawk  and  threw  them  away  ; 
and  in  the  meantime,  whilst  saving  her  own  life,  two  of 

i  rennsyloania  Gazette,  July,  1757, 


her  children  were  taken  captive.  In  this  house  there 
were  also  twenty  women  and  children  who  had  fled 
thither  from  their  own  habitations  to  take  shelter. 
The  men  belonging  to  them  were  distant  about  one- 
half  a  mile,  engaged  in  picking  cherries.  They  came 
as  quickly  as  possible  and  went  in  pursuit  of  the  In- 
dians, but  to  no  purpose,  for  the  Indians  had  concealed 
themselves.'' 

Appeal  for  Aid. — It  would  seem  that  as- 
sistance was  asked  generally  from  the  people  of 
the  province  by  the  inhabitants  of  Tulpehocken 
township  during  their  terrible  sufferings  and 
losses.  A  notice  to  this  effect  was  advertised  in 
the  German  newspaper,  published  at  German- 
town  by  Christopher  Saner,  in  July,  1757.  It 
was  as  follows  (being  translated  from  the  Ger- 
man) : 

"  The  distant  inhabitants  of  Tulpehocken  would 
pray  for  assistance  to  enable  them  to  give  more  atten- 
tion to  their  security,  inasmuch  as  the  forts  lay  so  far 
from  one  another,  and  the  persons  therein  do  little 
service.  Whoever  may  be  willing  to  give  anything, 
can  inform  Eeverends  Otterbein  and  Gerock,  Lutheran 
ministers  in  Lancaster;  Revs.  Muhlenberg  and  Leydig, 
at  New  Hanover  and  Providence ;  Dr.  Abraham 
Wagner  in  Madetsche.;  Mr.  Michael  Beyer,  in  Gosch- 
enhoppen  ;  Christopher  Sauer,  Sr.,  at  Germantown  ; 
and  Rev.  Handschuh,  in  Philadelphia,  and  write  also 
how  much  they  may  have  given.  And  these  persons 
can  forward  the  same  to  Col.  Conrad  Weiser  or  Peter 
Spycker,  or  Eev.  Kurtz,  as  each  may  be  pleased  to 
do.  Those  who  have  been  able  to  carry  on  their  har- 
vest in  peace  and  security,  cut  and  deliver  it  at  home, 
have  reason  to  be  thankful  to  God." 

Four  Killed  and  Srx  Scalped. — A  letter 
from  a  place  in  Lynn  township  (now  included 
in  Greenwich)  reported  the  following  cruelties: 

"Adam  Klaus  and  his  neighbors  were  surprised  by 
a  party  of  Indians  on  the  9th  of  July,  whilst  they 
were  engaged  in  reaping  rye  ;  two  men,  two  women 
and  a  young  girl  escaped;  Martin  Jaeger  and  his 
wife  were  killed  and  scalped  ;  John  Kraushaar's  wife 
and  child,  Abraham  Seckler's  wife  and  one  of  Adam 
Clauss's  children  were  scalped,  but  they  still  lived, 
though  badly  wounded ;  one  of  the  women  is  wound- 
ed in  the  side  and  the  other  in  the  hip ;  two  of  Kraus- 
haar's children  were  killed,  and  one  of  Seckler's  and 
one  of  Philip  Eschton's,  but  these  were  not  scalped. . 
The  alarm  being  raised,  a  party  went  in  pursuit  of 
them,  and,  overtaking  nine,  fired  upon  them.  But 
they  soon  eluded  the  pursuit  of  the  whites." 

Conrad  Weiser,  whilst  at  Easton  for  the  pur- 
pose of  conferring  with  the  Indians,  detailed  the 
circumstances  connected  with  a  murder  of  ten 


130 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


people,  in  a  letter  to  the  Governor  on  the  15th 
of  July,  1757: 

"  In  coming  along  through  Maxatawny  I  heard  a 
melancholy  account  often  people  being  killed  by  the 
enemy  Indians.  They  passed  by  two  or  three  planta- 
tions on  this  side  of  the  mountain  before  they  at- 
tacked. A  certain  woman  ran  off  towards  her  place 
and  told  her  husband  of  the  attack,  who  cut  the  gears 
off  his  horses  then  in  the  plow,  and  rode  as  fast  as  he 
could  to  Lieut.  Wetherholt,  about  three  miles  off. 
Lieut.  Wetherholt,  with  a  small  detachment.  I  am  told 
seven  in  number,  came  away  immediately,  and  came 
to  the  place  where  the  murder  was  committed,  where 
by  that  time  a  number  of  people  had  gathered.  Weth- 
erholt proposed  to  pursue  the  enemy,  but  none  would 
go  with  him,  so  he  took  his  seven  men  and  pursued 
the  enemy  a  few  miles  from  the  house  and  found  the 
place  where  they  rested  themselves,  and  in  about 
three  miles  he  overtook  them  in  thick  bushes,  at  a 
Very  little  distance.  It  seems  they  saw  one  another 
at  once.  One  of  the  Indians  was  beforehand  with 
Wetherholt  and  aimed  at  him,  but  his  gun  flashed. 
Wetherholt,  a  moment  after,  fired  at  the  Indian,  and 
thinks  he  hit  him,  but  is  not  sure.  Several  guns  were 
fired  by  our  people,  but  did  no  execution,  and  the  In- 
dians' guns  missing  fire,  they  ran  off  and  left  two 
horses  behind  them,  one  belonging  to  the  man  they 
killed,  laden  with  the  best  of  his  household  goods." 

Morgan  Journal. — A  monthly  journal, 
kept  by  Jacob  Morgan,  for  the  month  of  July, 
1757,  indicates  that  considerable  vigilance  was 
exercised  in  this  vicinity,  and  yet  the  outrages 
just  mentioned  were  committed  by  the  Indians. 
The  journal  records  the  following  circum- 
stances : 

"  July  the  1st. — Sent  a  corporal  with  11  men  on  a 
scout  to  Clingaman  Hausabough's,  at  Allemingle,  who 
staid  all  night. 

"  2nd. — The  scout  returned  from  Allemingle  and  re- 
ported that  they  had  made  no  discovery  of  the 
enemy. 

"  3rd. — Sent  a  party  to  range  to  Allemingle. 

"4th. — Our  men  returned  from  Allemingle  and  re- 
ported that  some  of  the  inhabitants,  who  were  afraid 
near  the  mountain,  were  removing  downwards. 

"  5th,  6th  and  7th. — Was  exceeding  heavy  rain  and 
waters  very  high. 

"8th. — Being  a  day  of  humiliation  we  applied  our- 
selves thereto. 

"  8th. — Rainy  weather,  we  could  not  scout. 

"  10th. — I  sent  out  a  party  to  range  to  Allemingle. 
This  day  Sergeant  Matthews  returned  from  Colonel 
Weiser's  with  orders  for  me  to  station  10  men  in 
Windsor  township,  and  to  keep  10  men  in  readiness  to 
go  to  Easton. 

"11th. — The  scout  returned.    I  prepared  the  men 


in  readiness  according  to  orders ;  and  sent  some  men 
to  guard  the  farmers  in  their  harvest. 

"  12th.— I  went  with  ten  men  to  Windsor  township 
and  stationed  them  there,  where  I  found,  the  most 
proper.  In  the  evening  very  heavy  rain  and  thunder, 
obliged  me  to  stay  all  night ;  we  sent  some  parties  to 
guard  the  farmers. 

"13th.— I  returned  in  the  morning  to  the  fort.  .  .  . 
Parties  went  to  guard  the  farmers,  and  this  day  in  mv 
return  I  met  the  scout  which  I  had  posted  in  Windsor 
township,  ranging  about  the  farmers'  houses. 

"14th. — Parties  ranged  and  guarded  the  farmers. 

"  15th.— Being  all  day  heavy  rain,  and  the  creeks  so 
high  that  the  Schuylkill  rose  perpendicularly  fifteen 
feet  in  nine  hours' time,  being  considerably  higher 
than  ever  was  known  in  these  parts ;  the  guards  could 
not  return,  and  we  remained  in  the  fort  with  only 
eight  men  to  guard." 

During  the  remainder  of  July  soldiers  were 
sent  out  daily  to  guard  the  farmers  in  their  ag- 
ricultural work,  but  no  Indians  came  to  molest 
them. 

On  the  27th  of  July,  1757,  James  Read,  Esq., 
at  Reading,  wrote  to  the  Governor  stating  that 
white  men  had  appeared  in  Bern  township  and 
were  co-operating  with  the  Indians.  His  ac- 
count is  as  follows : 

"  It  is  with  great  uneasiness  I  must  inform  your 
honor  that  the  day  before  yesterday  four  white  men 
took  away  from  a  plantation  in  Bern  township,  about 

thirteen  miles  from  this  town,  one Good  (I  think 

that  is  the  surname),  a  lad  about  sixteen  years  old, 
and  carried  him  to  four  Indians  about  eight  miles 
from  the  place  where  he  was  taken.  The  white  men 
and  Indians  all  got  very  drunk,  and  the  lad  happily 
made  his  escape  in  the  night.  Of  his  being  taken  I 
heard  the  evening  it  happened ;  of  the  rest  I  was  in- 
formed by  Robert  Smith,  a  sergeant,  who  came  yes- 
terday from  Fort  William  (Lebanon),  and  on  his  road 
was  told  by  one  Peter  Rodermel,  a  farmer  of  very 
good  credit,  who  had  seen  and  conversed  with  the 
lad.  Monday,  in  the  afternoon,  an  Indian  was  seen 
near  Sinking  Spring,  five  miles  from  the  town,  by 
Peter  Rood,  a  person  of  as  high  credit  as  is  in  the 
county.  Some  of  the  inhabitants  went  immediately 
in  pursuit  of  the  Indian,  but  returned  without  having 
overtaken  him.  I  have  taken  care  ever  since  the  9th 
of  this  month  to  keep  a  patrol  of  ten  of  the  inhabit- 
ants every  night  about  this  town  ;  and,  as  our  people 
are  very  uneasy  upon  hearing  that  white  men  are 
among  the  Indians,  we  purpose  to  have  a  guard  to- 
night of  twenty-one,-— seven  at  either  end  of  the  town 
and  seven  in  the  centre,— who  will  keep  out  a  patrol 
all  night.  In  this  service  I  am  cheerfully  assisted  by 
Mr.  Seely  and  Mr.  Biddle.  We  hope  our  very  dan- 
gerous condition  will  be  considered  and  some  measures 


FKENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR. 


131 


will  be  taken  for  our  security.  ...  I  am  sorry  to 
have  occasion  to  assure  you  that  if  our  defense  be 
committed  to  the  soldiers  now  in  these  parts,  our 
people  will  be  still  as  uneasy  as  they  are  now." 

By  the  latter  statement  it  would  appear  that 
the  soldiers  were  not  thoroughly  patriotic,  hav- 
ing doubtless  done  something  to  sacrifice  the 
confidence  of  the  people.  There  is  no  published 
information  on  the  subject.  Read  added  in  his 
letter  that  he  would  not  then  assign  reasons, 
though  he  might  "some  time  next  week  acquaint 
him  with  the  principal  grounds  of  their  objection 
to  such  a  protection." 

In  August,  1757,  fifty  men  from  Cumru  and 
other  townships  near  Reading  set  out  in  expec- 
tation of  bringing  in  some  Indian  scalps. 

Alarming  Condition  of  People. — The 
following  earnest,  pathetic  letter  was  addressed 
by  Conrad  Weiser  from  his  home  in  Heidel- 
berg on  the  4th  of  October,  1757,  to  the  Gov- 
ernor's secretary.  It  narrates  the  alarming 
condition  of  the  people  at  that  time,  showing 
that  the  Indians  were  still  active  in  their  cruel- 
ties, notwithstanding  treaties  or  the  protection 
afforded  by  forts  and  scouting-parties : 

"Sir: — I  did  not  think  of  the  post  till  he  entered 
my  door,  else  I  would  have  written  particularly  to  the 
'  Governor,  though  I  have  been  very  busy  with  writing 
to  the  commanding  officers  of  the  several  forts  under 
my  care.  It  is  now  come  so  far  that  murder  is  com- 
mitted almost  every  day;  there  never  was  such  a 
consternation  among  the  people ;  they  must  now 
leave  their  houses  again,  with  their  barns  full  of 
grain ;  five  children  were  carried  off  last  Friday ;  some 
days  before  a  sick  man  was  killed  upon  his  bed ;  he 
begged  of  the  enemy  to  shoot  him  through  his  heart, 
which  the  Indian  answered,  I  will,  and  did  so.  A  girl 
that  had  hid  herself  under  a  bedstead  in  the  next 
room  heard  all  this ;  two  more  families  were  about 
that  time  destroyed.  Inclosed  is  the  journal  of  last 
month  of  my  ensign  at  Northkill.  Captain  Busse  lies 
dangerously  sick  at  John  Harris'.  I  hear  he  is  tired 
of  everything.  I  have  neither  men  nor  a  sufficient 
number  of  officers  to  defend  the  country.  If  his  honor 
would  be  pleased  to  send  orders  to  recall  all  the  men 
belonging  to  my  battalion  from  Fort  Augusta  he 
would  justly  bring  upon  him  the  blessings  of  the 
Most  High.  I  cannot  say  any  more.  I  think  myself 
unhappy ;  to  fly  with  my  family  in  this  time  of  dan- 
ger I  can't  do.  I  must  stay  if  they  all  go.  I  am  now 
preparing  to  go  to  Fort  Henry,  where  I  shall  meet 
some  officers  to  consult  with  what,  may  be  best  to  be 
done.  I  have  ordered  ten  men,  with  the  Governor's 
last  order,  to  Fort  Augusta ;   I  shall  overtake  them 


this  evening  at  Fort  Henry  and  give  them  proper  in- 
struction. For  God's  sake,  dear  sir,  beg  of  the  Gov- 
ernor, press  it  upon  him  in  my  behalf,  and  in  behalf 
of  these  distressed  inhabitants,  to  order  my  men  back 
from  Fort  Augusta.  I  will  give  my  reason  afterwards 
that  I  am  in  the  right.  I  conclude  with  my  humble 
respects  to  his  honor." 

Petition  for  Soldiers. — In  March,  1758, 
Conrad  Weiser  forwarded  to  the  Lieutenant- 
Governor  a  petition  subscribed  (in  German)  by 
a  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  Bern  township, 
with  the  recommendation  that  they  be  favored 
with  soldiers,  to  be  stationed  for  their  defense 
in  some  of  the  most  exposed  farm-houses.  The 
petition  set  forth — 

"  That  from  the  beginning  of  the  Indian  incursions 
into  this  province,  the  neighborhood  wherein  your  per 
titioners  live  hath  been  frequently  harassed  by  the 
enemy,  and  numbers  of  their  neighbors  cruelly  mur- 
dered, others  captivated,  and  many  of  your  petition- 
ers obliged  to  fly  from  their  dwellings  to  avoid  the 
same  unhappy  fate,  to  their  unspeakable  terror  and 
distress.  That  during  this  winter  the  severity  of  the 
weather  had  prevented  those  barbarians  from  commit- 
ting their  wonted  cruelties  ;  but,  as  the  snow  is  now 
melting  and  the  weather  is  growing  fair,  your  peti- 
tioners are  every  moment  dreading  an  attack  from  the 
enemy,  and  find  themselves  less  secure  than  hereto- 
fore from  their  attempts,  as  the  block-house  at  North- 
kill  is  destroyed  and  no  garrison  kept  in  those  parts. 

"  Your  petitioners,  in  the  deepest  distress,  implore 
your  honor's  protection,  and  most  earnestly  beg  that 
they  may  not  be  left  a  prey  to  the  savage  enemy,  pro- 
testing that,  without  assistance  from  the  public,  they 
are  utterly  unable  to  defend  themselves,  and  must,  on 
the  first  attack,  abandon  their  habitations  and  rather 
embrace  the  most  extreme  poverty  than  remain  sub- 
ject to  the  merciless  rage  of  those  bloody  murderers. 
And  that  they  have  the  greatest  reason  to  expect  an 
attack  is  obvious  from  the  many  former  successful  at- 
tempts of  the  enemy— three  or  four  Indian-paths  lead- 
ing into  their  neighborhood." 

In  the  following  month,  (April,  1758,)  the 
people  of  Reading  were  likewise  alarmed,  and 
thev,  too,  sent  a  petition  to  the  Governor,  setting 
forth  their  dangerous  situation  and  praying  for 
assistance.  The  Governor,  in  pursuance  of  its 
earnest  representations,  said,  in  a  message  to  the 
Assembly  on  the  27th  of  April,  1758  :  "We 
have  just  received  a  petition  from  the  distressed 
inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Reading  ;  their  un- 
happy situation  seems  to  be  more  easily  con- 
ceived than  described,  occasioned  by  the  want  of 
a  due  exertion  of  the  military  force  in  that 


132 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


quarter."  He  therefore  entreated  the  Assembly 
to  order  provincial  forces  to  be  sent  to  their  im- 
mediate relief.  Their  prayer  was  granted  and 
a  hundred  men  were  sent. 

Liebenguth  Murder. — About  this  time 
the  Indians  again  divided  themselves  into  small 
parties  and  surprised  the  settlers  unawares.  At 
Tulpehocken  they  killed  and  scalped  a  man  by 
the  name  of  Liebenguth  and  his  wife ;  and  at 
Northkill  they  killed  and  scalped  Nicholas  Gei- 
ger's  wife  and  two  children  and  Michael  Ditzel- 
er's  wife. 

The  following  correspondence  in  German  is 
added,  relative  to  the  murders  just  mentioned:1 

"Wichtige  Nachrichten  aus  Sauer's  'Pennsyl- 
vanische  Nachrichten,'  von  dato  lsten  April  1758. 

"  Am  verwichenen  Montag  sind  abermahl  bei  zvvan- 
zig  ganz  fremde  Indianer  zu  Bethlehem  angekom- 
men,  welche  auch  willens  sind  mit  den  Englischen  in 
Frieden  und  Freundschaft  zu  leben.  Wie  man  ver- 
steht  so  haben  sie  der  Tidiuskung's  Sohne  berednet 
zum  Frieden,  und  haben  sie  mitgebracht.  Sie  mel- 
den  auch,  dass  dem  Tidiuskung  sei  angesagt  worden 
dass  der  so  sehr  beruffene  Indianer  Captain  Sohingas 
auch  kommen  wollte,  und  wieder  mit  den  Englischen 
in  Fried  und  Freundschaft  leben.  Darauf  habe 
Tidiuskung  fuer  Freiden  einen  hohen  Luft-Sprung  ge- 
than,  welches  er  kaum  vermuthet  hat. 

"Und  also  dorfften  die  Forten  an  der  Grenze  mit 
ihren  Garisonen  von  wenig  Nutzen  sein,  und  viele 
von  unsern  L'indes-Leuten  aus  ihrer  Gefangenschafft 
losz  und  wieder  heim  kommen. 

"  Auszug  eines  Briefs  von  einem  Officier  in  dem 
Dienst  dieser  Provinz  geschrieben  zu  Dolpehacken 
den  8.  April  1758. 

"Ich  und  Mr.  Kern  sind  soeben  bei  Jacob  Scher- 
man  angekommen,  da  hat  man  uns  berichtet,  dasz 
den  vorigen  Abend  eine  Frau  von  den  Indianern  ge- 
todtet und  gescolpt  worden,  von  feindlichen  Indianern 
etwa  drei  Meilen  von  hier. 

"Wir  sind  soeben  bereit  ihnen  nachzufolgen.  .  .  . 
Die  Liste  von  denen  die  getodtet  worden,  nebst  einer 
die  sie  mitgenommen  haben  lautet  wie  folgt,  nehm- 
lich:  zu  Schwatara  sind  zwei  ledige  Bursche  zwei 
Brueder  mit  Namen  Schnatterle  getodtet,  Michel  Sau- 
ter  und  William  Hardt  sind  auch  todt,  und  eine 
Wittfrau  haben  sie  mitgenommen In  Dolpe- 
hacken istein  Mann  mit  Namens  Liebegut  und  seine 
Frau  getodtet  und  gescolpt  worden.  ...  An  der  Nord- 
Kill  ist  des  Nicolaus  Geigers  Frau  und  ihre  zwei  Kin- 
der getodtet,  und  auch  Michel  Ditzeler's  Frau,  die 
sind  all  gescolpt. 

"Die  Indianern  haben  sich  in  kleinen  Partheien 


'Taken    from    Penna.    Gazette,    printed    by    Benjamin 
Franklin,  1707-58. 


vertheilet  und  kriechen  durch  das  Gebuesch  zu  den 
Plantaschen.  Esgiebt  verschiedene  Muthraassungen  : 
Einige  dencken  es  seien  von  den  Indianern  welche 
schon  Frieden  gemacht.  Andere  aber  glauben  :  Weil 
die,  Franzosen  wissen,  dass  eine  grosse  Macht  von 
Krieg-Schiffen  und  Landvolkern  aus  England  kommt. 
und  hier  viel  Volker  angewerben  werden,  welche  alle 
gegen  die  Franzosen  fechten  sollen,  so  hatten  die 
Franzosen  eine  sehr  grosse  Menge  Indianer,  welche 
mit  ihnen  nicht  nur  in  Freundschaft  sondern  gar  in 
Verwandtschaft  stehen,  die  schickten  sie  an  die  Grenze 
um  Schaden  zu  thun,  damit  die  Volker  in  den  Forten 
bleiben  sollen  und  nicht  gegen  ihre  grosse  Festungeu 
hinziehen  sollen  u.  s.  w.  Die  Todten  konnen  eben 
nicht  sagen  wer  die  sind  die  sie  getodtet  haben,  und 
wann  wirs  wustzen,  so  hatten  wir  wenig  Nutzen  dafon. 
Nur  selig  sind  die  im  dem  Herrn  sterben.  Sie  ruhon 
ihrer  Arbeit,  und  ihre  Wercke  folgen  ihnen  nach. 

"  Im  ubrigen  gehen  schwere  Gerichteueber  den  Erd- 
boden  und  das  Gericht  der  Verstockung  ist  ein  sclrwe- 
res  Gericht.  Man  sollte  auf  die  Hand  sehen,  die  mit 
der  Ruthe  streichet,  und  nicht  auf  die  Ruthe  wie  ein 
Hund,  der  in  den  Stein  beiszt,  womit  er  getroffen  ist. 
Juni,  den  16ten.  1758.  Wir  horen  dass  seither  noch 
mehr  Botschafter  von  fremden  Indianern  nach  Phila- 
delphia gekommen  sind,  welche  sich  auch  erbieten, ' 
dass  sie  mit  den  Englischen  in  Freundschaft  leben 
wollen.  Es  sei  ihnen  aber  nicht  gar  zu  freundlich 
geantwortet  worden.  Doch  werde  eine  grosse  Menge 
kommen  um  ein  Traty  halten.  Ob  aber  die  hin- 
tern  Einwohnern  diesen  Sommer  so  ruhig  sein  wer- 
den wie  den  Winter  das  ist  ungewisz,  ueberhaupt  mo- 
gen  wir  wohl  ein  hartes  Jahr  haben." 

Frantz  Murder.— Captain  Busse,  at  Fort 
Henry,  wrote  to  Conrad  Weiser  on  19  th  of 
June,  1758, — 

"At  noon  I  received  news  that  this  morning  about 
eight  o'clock  the  Indians  took  and  carried  away  the 
wife  of  John  Frantz,  with  three  children,  six  miles 
from  here,  deep  in  the  country.  I  sent  momently 
Lieutenant  Johnston  with  a  party  of  nine  men  to  go 
along  the  mountains  and  to  stay  at  the  Hole  to  inter- 
cept them.  They  being  gone,  a  farmer  who  was  fol- 
lowing on  horseback,  came  back  and  told  me  that  he 
saw  three  Indians  near  the  Fort  at  Six's  (Dietrich 
Six's  or  Fort  Henry,  in  Bethel  township).  Being  not 
able  to  spare  more  men,  as  just  a  detachment  was  out 
to  meet  the  wagon  with  provision,  I  sent  Sergeant 
Christ.  Mowrer  with  only  two  men  to  look  for  their 
tracks.  It  is  a  cruel  fate  that  we  are  brought  to ;  we 
shall  fight  without  powder  and  lead.  If  some  is  there, 
be  pleased  to  send  it  to  us.  .  .  . 

"Just  now  I  received  news  that  the  son  of  John 
Snabele,  not  far  from  Dub's,  is  killed  and  scalped, 
having  five  shots  in  his  body.  As  this  has  happened 
at  the  same  time  there  must  be  undoubtedly  a  good 
number  of  the  Indians.  It  is  probable  that  they  are 
still  m  the  country,  all  the  tracks  going  in  and  none 


FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR. 


133 


out.  I  suppose,  according  to  the  tracks,  that  there 
are  ahout  twenty  in  the  country.  I  believe  that  our 
very  good  allies  at  Wyoming  have  done  this  service 
to  us,  as  all  the  tracks  over  the  mountains  come  from 
the  east. 

"  The  farmers  of  Tulpehocken  have  brought  up 
some  men  toward  the  Hole,  and  desired  me  to  join 
them  with  a  part  of  the  garrison,  whereupon  I  have 
sent  them  a  sergeant  with  eight  men." 

A  letter  from  the  same  place  about  the  same 
time  mentions  that  the  wife  of  John  Frantz  and 
three  children  were  carried  off  by  the  Indians, 
and  that  the  woman  was  murdered  a  little  way 
from  Frantz's  house,  she  having  been  weakly 
and  not  able  to  travel.  Also,  that  the  son  of 
Jacob  Snavely,  a  shoemaker,  was  killed  and 
scalped  about  the  same  time.  From  the  tracks 
of  the  enemy,  their  number  was  supposed  to  be 
about  twenty.  (Penna.  Gazette,  June  29,  1758). 

"  The  Indians  burnt  a  house  on  the  Swatara 
and  killed  one  man.  Three  men  are  missing. 
Two  boys  were  found  tied  to  a  tree  and  re- 
leased. We  are  alarmed  in  the  fort  almost  every 
night  by  a  terrible  barking  of  dogs;  there  are 
certainly  some  Indians  about  us.  " ' 

After  General  Forbes  had  taken  possession  of 
Fort  du  Quesne,  25th  of  November,  1758, 
many  of  the  soldiers  were  marched  to  and 
quartered  at  Lancaster  and  Reading.  They 
were  quartered  among  the  inhabitants,  and  their 
conduct  caused  grievous  complaints.  To  rem- 
edy the  evils,  the  Assembly  caused  a  barracks  to 
be  erected  at  Lancaster,  in  1759,  large  enough 
to  accommodate  five  hundred  men. 

Horses  Stolen. — In  the  middle  of  Sep- 
tember, 1759,  three  Delaware  Indians  were 
hunting  near  Tulpehocken,  and  whilst  there 
stole  six  horses.  The  owners  pursued  them  as 
far  as  Fort  Augusta  and  there  informed  Major 
Orndt  of  their  loss.  Upon  making  inquiry  the 
major  discovered  the  thieves.  In  their  confes- 
sion they  expressed  themselves  sarcastically  that 
when  any  of  their  property  was  taken  very 
little  was  said  about  it,  but  when  they  took  a 
few  horses  a  great  noise  was  made.  An  order 
was  given  that  they  restore  the  horses  to  the 
owners;  but  they  went  away  without  compliance. 

Fincher  Murder. — For  several  years  after 


i  Letter  to  Penna.  Gazette,  Oct.  1758. 


the  terrible  excitement  which  prevailed  in  the 
county  during  the  years  1755,  1756,  1757  and 
1758,  there  would  seem  to  have  been  no  invas- 
ions or  losses  in  life  and  property  worthy  of 
mention.  No  letters  have  as  yet  come  to  light 
indicating  that  the  Indians  had  been  on  this 
side  of  the  Blue  Mountain.  But,  whilst  all 
was  quiet  with  the  settlers  along  the  frontier, 
and  they  were  busily  and  hopefully  carrying  on 
their  daily  labor  on  their  farms  and  intheirshops, 
how  they  must  have  been  shocked  by  a  sudden 
invasion  over  the  mountain  and  into  Albany 
township  during  the  month  of  September,  1763, 
when  a  party  of  Indians  fell  upon  and  murdered 
John  Fincher  and  his  family,  and  this,  too, 
within  a  mile  from  the  place  where  a  small 
body  of  soldiers  were  stationed  under  the  com- 
mand of  Ensign  Shaffer  !  The  following  letter 
from  Jonas  Seely  (one  of  the  justices  of  the 
county),  at  Sinking  Spring,  dated  10th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1763,  communicated  the  sad  intelligence 
to  the  Governor,  John  Penn : 

"Honored  Sir:  I  am  sorry  I  have  to  acquaint 
your  honor  of  the  following  melancholy  account 
which  I  received  from  Captain  Kern  .last  night :  On 
the  eighth  instant  a  party  of  Indians  came  to  the  house 
of  one  John  Fincher,  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
distant  from  Captain  Kern's  men,  commanded  by 
Ensign  Shaffer ;  they  killed  Fincher,  his  wife  and 
two  of  his  sons,  his  daughter  is  missing ;  one  little 
boy  made  his  escape  from  the  savages  and  came  to  the 
ensign,  who  immediately  went  to  the  place  with  his 
party.  But  the  Indians  were  gone,  and  finding  by 
their  tracks  which  way  they  went,  pursued  them  to 
the  house  of  one  Nicholas  Miller,  where  he  found 
four  children  murdered ;  our  party  still  pursued,  and 
soon  came  up  with  the  enemy  and  fired  on  them. 
They  returned  the  fire,  but  the  soldiers  rushed  on 
them  so  furiously  that  they  soon  ran  off  and  left  behind 
them  two  prisoners,  two  tomahawks,  one  hanger  and 
a  saddle ;  the  Indians  were  eight  in  number,  and  our 
party  seven  ;  three  of  the  enemy  were  much  wound- 
ed. The  two  prisoners  that  our  party  recovered  were 
two  of  said  Miller's  children  that  they  had  tied  to- 
gether and  so  drove  them  along.  Miller's  wife  is 
missing;  in  all  there  are  eight  killed  and  two  missing 
in  that  neighborhood." 

And  on  the  following  day  he  addressed 
another  letter  (then  at  Breading)  to  the  Governor, 
relatingto  an  attack  upon  Frantz  Hubler's  house, 
in  Bern  township — the  premises  being  now  in 
Upper  Bern.     It  was  as  follows : 


134 


HISTOEY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


"  Honored  Sir  :  This  moment,  at  Reading,  as  I 
was  sending  off  the  express,  certain  intelligence  came 
that  the  house  of  Frantz  Hubler,  in  Bern  township 
about  18  miles  from  here,  was  attacked  Friday  even- 
ing last  by  the  Indians;  himself  is  wounded,  his  wife 
and  three  children  carried  off,  and  three  other  of  his 
children  scalped  alive,  two  of  whom  are  since  dead." 

Small-Pox. — During  November,  1763,  the 
small-pox  prevailed  at  Fort  Augusta.  James 
Burd,  stationed  there,  informed  the  Governor 
that  volunteer  parties  had  brought  the  disease 
there,  and  that  sundry  of  the  soldiers  were  down 
with  it ;  that  a  great  number  of  the  men  never 
had  it,  and  he  expected  all  would  be  infected ; 
and  having  no  medicine,  Nature  would  have  to 
effect  a  cure. 

Three  Men  Killed.— On  the  25th  of  No- 
vember, 1763,  Jonas  Seely  addressed  a  third 
letter  to  the  Governor,  in  which  he  stated  that 
three  men  were  murdered  by  the  Indians  on  the 
north  side  of  the  mountain,  in  the  forks  of  the 
Schuylkill,  about  twenty-two  miles  from  Read- 
ing. These  men  were  on  their  way  returning 
to  a  plantation,  which  they  had  deserted.  Cap- 
tain Kern,  immediately  after  hearing  of  the 
murder,  marched  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy  for  two 
days,  but,  a  very  heavy  snow  having  fallen  and 
the  Indians  having  fled  a  considerable  distance, 
he  desisted  from  further  pursuit  upon  reaching 
the  place  where  the  murder  had  been  committed. 
This  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  last  murder 
committed  in  the  county. 

Peace  Declared. — After  the  French  had 
receded  into  Canada  before  the  advancing  army 
of  English  soldiers,  the  Indians  naturally  fol- 
lowed their  allies.  Hence  the  cruelties  here 
ceased  after  1758.  And  when  Canada  was  sur- 
rendered in  1760,  the  peace  and  safety  of  our 
community  were  assured.  The  declaration  of 
peace  was  delayed  for  three  years.  When  it  was 
published  in  1763,  only  a  few  Indians  remained 
in  the  eastern  section  of  Pennsylvania.  A  small 
settlement  of  them,  who  were  friendly  to  the 
government  and  the  inhabitants,  remained  at 
Shamokin  ;  and  some  families  were  scattered 
in  different  parts  of  the  county,  where  they 
remained  for  many  years  afterward. 

Before  the  war  considerable  trade  had  been 
carried  on  successfully  between  the  settlers  and 
the  Indians,  continuing  indeed  without  inter- 


ruption from  the  time  of  the  first  settlement 
till  1744,  and  even  a  decade  .afterward.  The 
relations  had  become  so  pleasant  and  firm  that 
certain  Indians  remained  iu  the  county  unmo- 
lested during  the  war,  and  carried  on  their 
peaceful  vocations,  such  as  basket-making,  bead- 
work,  etc. ;  and  after  the  war  traveling  parties 
of  them  frequently  visited  the  county  and  sold 
articles  of  their  handiwork. 

During  the  French  and  Indian  War  the  In- 
dians killed  about  one  hundred  and  fifty,  and 
captured  thirty  inhabitants  of  the  county.  Sev- 
eral of  those  who  were  taken  captive  returned 
after  the  war.  But,  strange  to  say,  during  these 
eight  years,  only  four  of  the  Indians  were 
killed  in  the  county.  We  may  well  ask  what 
enabled  the  Indians  to  be  so  successful  in  their 
warfare  against  the  colonial  government.  The 
protection  afforded  by  the  government  was 
wholly  inadequate.  The  forts  were  too  few  in 
number  for  the  one  hundred  and  forty  miles  of 
frontier  which  they  were  designed  to  protect ; 
they  were  too  far  apart  to  render  assistance  to 
fleeing,  terror-stricken  people  when  danger  was 
upon  them.  But  the  Indians  were  cunning, 
fleet  and  enduring.  They  approached  settle- 
ments stealthily,  committed  outrages,  arson  and 
murder,  and  then  departed  speedily.  They 
were  always  in  small  parties  of  three,  four  or 
six.  Being  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 
mountains,  they  were  enabled  to  escape  pursuit 
by  various  routes. 

Persons  Murdered,  taken  Prisoners 
and  Missing.— The  following  persons  were 
murdered  by  the  Indians  in  the  county  during 
the  "French  and  Indian  War,"  the  number 
being  about  one  hundred  and  fifty.  The  exact 
number  cannot  be  stated,  because  in  four  in- 
stances a  man  and  his  family  were  killed— but 
the  number  was  not  mentioned  in  the  report. 
Twenty-seven  persons  were  taken  prisoners  and 
eight  were  reported  as  missing.  Many  persons 
were  wounded,  some  of  whom  doubtless  died 
from  their  wounds : 

MURDERED. 

June,  1754.— Peter  Geisinger,  Tulpehocken. 
June,  1754.-Fred.  Myers  and  wife,  Tulpehocken. 
June,  1754,-Young  girl,  Tulpehocken. 
June,  1754.— Hostetter  family,  Bern. 
June,  1754,-Sebastian  Brosius,  Bethel. 


FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR. 


135 


October,  1755. — Henry  Hartnian,  Bethel. 

October,  1755. — Two  men  (unknown),  Bethel. 

October,  1755. — Odwaller  and  another  unknown,' 
Bethel. 

November,  1755. — Thirteen  persons  unknown, 
Bethel. 

November,  1755. — Child,  eight  years  old,  daughter 
of  a  man  named  Cola,  Bethel. 

November,  1755. — Cola's  wife  and  two  children 
older,  Bethel. 

November,  1755. — Philip a  shoemaker,  Bethel. 

November,  1755. — Casper  Spring,  Bethel. 

November,  1775. Beslinger,2  Bethel. 

November,  1755.— Child  of  Jacob  Wolf,  Bethel. 

November,  1755. — John  Leinberger,  Bethel. 

November,  1755. — Rudolph  Candel,  Bethel. 

November,  1755. — Sebastian  Brosius,  Bethel. 

November,  1755. — Six  men  killed,3  Bethel. 

November,  1755. — Unknown  man,  a  shoemaker  at 
Brown's  house,  Bethel. 

November,  1755. — A  child  scalped  and  died,4 
Bethel. 

November,  1755. — A  woman5  and  male  child,  Bethel. 

November,  1755. — Fifteen  persons  (excluding  five 
preceding),  Bethel. 

November,  1755  — Christopher  Ury,  Bethel. 

November,  1755. Youngman,  Bethel. 

November,  1755.— Wife  of Kobel,6  Bethel. 

February,  1756. — Two  children  of  Frederick  Rei- 
chelderfer,  Albany. 

February,  1756. — One  man,  two  women  and  six 
children,7  Albany. 

February,  1 756. — George  Zeisloff  and  wife,  two  boys 
and  a  girl,  Albany. 

February,  1756. — Wife  of  Balser  Neyfong,  Albany. 

March,  1756. — Peter  Kluck  and  family,  Albany. 

March,  1756. — A  woman  at  Linderman's  house, 
Albany. 

March,  1756.— William  Yeth,  Hereford. 

March,  1756. — Wife  of  John  Krausher,  Hereford. 

October,  1756. — Two  married  women  and  two  boys,8 
Bethel. 

Possibly  these  two  and  the  two  immediately  before  are 
the  same. 

2  Near  by  an  Indian  was  found  dead  and  scalped — of 
Delaware  tribe — scalped  by  Frederick  Weiser.  Another 
was  shot  and  scalped  several  weeks  afterward. 

3  Supposed  to  have  been  soldiers. 

4  Two  others  also  scalped,  who  doubtless  recovered. 

5  Under  this  woman  her  babe  only  fourteen  days  old  was 
found.     It  was  alive,  wrapped  up  in  a  little  cushion. 

6  Four  of  their  children  were,  scalped  at  the  same  time. 
They  had  eight  children  with  them.  Two  probably  died. 
The  father  was  wounded. 

7  All  killed  at  house  of  Jacob  Gerhart,  situate  in  the 
upper  section  of  the  township,  commonly  known  as  the 
'•Eck"  (corner).     Eight  of  them  were  burned. 

8  One  of  them  reported  as  likely  to  die  from  scalping. 


November,  1756. — Wife,  daughter  and  son-in-law  of 
Philip  Culmore,  Albany. 

November,  1756.— Martin  Fell,  Albany. 

November,  1756. — Two  old  men,9  Bethel. 

November,  1756. Stonebrook,  Albany. 

June,  1757. — Man  unknown,  near  Fort  Henry, 
Bethel. 

June,  1757. — Two  persons  near  Fort  Northkill, 
Tulpehocken. 

June,  1757. — Adam  Trump,10  Albany. 

June,  1757. — Peter  Geisinger,  Bethel. 

July,  1757. — Three  men  and  four  children,11  Bethel. 
.    July,  1757. — Two  children  near  Biekel's. 

July,  1757. — Martin  Jaeger  and  wife,12  Greenwich. 

July,  1757. — Two  children  of  John  Krausher, 
Greenwich. 

July,  1757. — One  child  of  A.  Sechler,  Greenwich. 

July,  1757.  —One  chi  Id  of  Philip  Eshton,  Greenwich. 

July,  1757— Ten  people.13 

September,  1757. — A  man  shot  in  bed  whilst  sick. 

September,  1757. — Two  families.14 

April,  1758. — Jacob  Lebenguth  and  Margaret  his 
wife,  Tulpehocken. 

April,  1758. — Wife  and  two  children  of  Nicholas 
Geiger,  Tulpehocken. 

April,  1758.— Wife  of  Michael  Ditzeler,  Tulpe- 
hocken. 

June,  1758. — Wife  of  John  Frantz,  Tulpehocken. , 

June,  1758. — Son  of  John  Snabele,  Tulpehocken. 

October,  1758. — A  man,  Bethel. 

September,  1763. — John  Fincher,  wife  and  two 
sons,  Albany. 

September,  1763. — Four  children  at  house  of 
Nicholas  Miller,15  Albany. 

September,  1763. — Two  children  of  Frantz  Hubler, 
Bern. 

November,  1763. — Three  men  near  forks  of  Schuyl- 
kill.16 


9  Ten  women  and  children  were  rescued  at  this  place 
from  the  cellar  of  a  burning  building. 

10  Found  with  a  knife  and  a  spear  (fixed  to  a  pole  four 
feet  long)  in  his  body. 

11  All  murdered  and  scalped  in  one  house. 

12  John  Kraushaar's  wife  and  child,  Abraham  Sechler's 
wife,  and  a  child  of  Adam  Clauss  were  scalped  at  the  same 
time  and  badly  wounded. 

13  Alluded  to  in  Weiser's  letter.  Probably  he  referred  to 
party  killed  in  Greenwich. 

14  No  number  mentioned. 

is  Two  of  Miller's  children  were  prisoners,  but  were 
rescued.  When  rescued  they  were  tied  together,  in  which 
manner  they  had  been  driven  along. 

16  These  are  supposed  to  have  been  the  last  persons  killed 
by  the  Indians  at  this  time.  But  during  the  Revolutionary 
War,  in  August,  1780,  John  Negman  and  his  two  young 
children  were  cruelly  murdered  by  the  Indians  thirty- 
three  miles  from  Reading  on  road  to  Shamokin;  and  at  the 
same  time  a  little  girl  was  carried  off.     (8  Pa.  Arch.,  529:) 


136 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


TAKEN  PRISONERS. 

June,  1754.— Daughter  of  Balser  Schmidt  (fifteen 
years  old),  Tulpehocken. 

June,  1754.— Three  children  of  Frederick  Myers 
(two  boys,  ten  and  six  years  old,  and  a  girl  eight 
years  old),  Tulpehocken. 

June,  1754. — Son  of Eeichard  (eight  years  old), 

Tulpehocken. 

February,  1756  — Son  of  Balser  Neyfong,  Albany. 

March,  1756.— Son  of  "William  Yeth,  Hereford. 

November,  1756. — Girl  named  Stonebrook,  Albany. 

June,  1757. — Son  of  Adam  Trump,  Albany. 

Tune,  1757. — Young  woman  from  near  Fort  Henry, 
Bethel. 

July,  1757. — Three  children  from  near  Bickel's. 

July,  1757. — Two  children  at  same  time. 

September,  1757. — Five  children. 

June,  1758. — Three  children  of  John  Frantz,  Tul- 
pehocken. 

-   September,   1763. — Wife    and    three    children    of 
Frantz  Hubler,  Bern. 

MISSING. 

November,  1756. — Wife  and  child  of  Martin  Fell, 
Albany. 

November,  1756. — A  boy  seven  years  old,  Albany. 

October,  1758. — Three  men  missing,  Bethel. 

September,  1763. — Daughter  of  John  Fincher, 
Albany. 

September,  1763.— Wife  of  Nicholas  Miller,  Albany. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

REVOLUTION  AND  INDEPENDENCE. 

Revolution — Stamp  Duty — Patriotic  Spirit  at  Reading — 
Various  Committees  Chosen  —  Battle  at  Lexington 
awakens  County — Companies  from  Berks  County — Con- 
scientious Scruples  against  War — Tory  Feeling  in 
County — English  Prisoners  at  Reading — Associators — 
Brigadier-General  Elected— Quota  of  County  Exceeded — 
Patriotism  of  Joseph  Hiester — Battle  of  Long  Island — 
Deserters. — Hessian  Prisoners — Hessian  Camp  Sur- 
prised— Hessian  Officer  Drowned — Militia  Refuse  to 
March — Militia  Returns  of  County — Army  Supplies — 
Affairs  at  Reading  in  1777— Conway  Cabal — Duel  at 
Reading — Independence  Won  and  Peace  Declared — 
Revolutionary  Survivors — Continental  Paper  Money. 

The  consternation  incident  to  the  invasion  of 
the  county  by  the  Indians  had  not  fully  sub- 
sided before  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  came  to 
be  agitated  about  a  proposed  change  of  provincial 
government.  Their  opposition  was  active  and 
the  preservation  of  the  prevailing  form  was 
doubtless  gratifying  to  them.    Numerous  things 


were  being  conducted  in  their  midst  to  keep 
them  interested  in  public  progress.  But  fol- 
lowing the  "Indian  Invasion,"  the  establish- 
ment of  the  "  District  of  Reading,"  the  proposed 
change  of  government,  the  erection  of  the  court- 
house and  the  opening  of  the  public  offices, 
etc.,  public  matters  one  succeeding  the  other  in 
quick  succession,  together  with  many  private 
enterprises,  there  came  a  subject  which  developed 
a  general  excitement  surpassing  all  the  previous 
subjects  combined.  The  way  was  unconsciously 
prepared  for  them  by  foreign  legislation,  and, 
though  it  resulted  in  no  increased  burdens,  it 
stimulated  the  discussion  and  appreciation  of 
personal  rights  to  such  a  degree  during  the  next 
decade  as  to  develop  in  them  a  wonderful  energy 
and  combined  resistance  which  carried  them 
through  suffering  warfare  for  seven  years, 
and  eventually  realized  the  establishment  of  au 
independent,  representative  government. 


BRITISH  STAMP. 

Stamp  Duty. — The  Parliament  of  Great 
Britain  passed  an  act  on  March  22, 1765,  which 
required  all  instruments  of  writing,  such  as 
deeds,  bonds  and  promissory  notes,  to  be  written 
on  parchment  or  paper  and  stamped  with  a 
specific  duty,  otherwise  they  were  to  have  no 
legal  effect;  but  this  measure  met  with  such 
general  opposition  in  Great  Britain  and  through- 
out the  American  colonies,  and  was  found  to  be 
so  unpopular,  that  the  act  was  repealed  in  the 
following  year,  February  17,  1766.1  This  oppo- 
sHion,  however,  led  the  Parliament  to  pass  a 
declaratory  act— which  accompanied  the  repealing 
act — asserting  the  power  over  the  colonies  "  in 

'  The  cheapest  stamp  was  of  the  value  of  one  shilling. 
The  stamps  on  documents  increased  in  value  according  to 
their  importance.  All  the  colonists  manifested  unbounded 
joy  over  the  repeal  of  this  odious  law. 


REArOLUTION  AND  INDEPENDENCE. 


137 


all  cases  whatsoever."  And  then  an  act  was 
passed  which  imposed  a  tax  on  tea,  glass,  paper 
and  painters'  colors  imported  into  the  colonies. 
"Legislation  without  representation,"  as  this 
was,  awakened  in  the  colonies  a  great  spirit  of 
resistance ;  and  this  grew  year  after  year  till  it 
finally  culminated  in  a  violent  demonstration  at 
Boston  in  December,  1773,  when  certain  men 
in  the  disguise  of  Indians  went  upon  three 
vessels  loaded  with  tea  at  the  wharf  in  the  night 
time  and  threw  the  tea  overboard.  This  act  led 
to  the  passage  of  the  "  Boston  Port  Bill  "  on  the 
14th  of  March  following,  which  provided  that 
after  the  18th  of  June,  1774,  no  person  should 
load  or  unload  any  ship  in  that  harbor.  In  this 
manner  it  was  thought  that  the  customs  and 
commerce  would  be  transferred  from  Boston  to 
Salem.  And  other  acts  were  passed  in  reference 
to  the  government  of  Massachusetts,  the  trial  of 
the  offenders,  etc.  Through  these  acts  the  people 
of  Boston  were  visited  with  suffering  and  loss. 
But  their  situation  won  the  sympathy  of  all  the 
colonies.  The  colonists  expressed  themselves 
with  disgust  and  rage  at  this  treatment,  and 
formed  associations  for  their  relief. 

Patriotic  Spirit  at  Reading. — When  the 
news  reached  Reading,  in  Berks  County,  the 
citizens  manifested  great  excitement  and  sym- 
pathy. Meetings  were  held  at  which  the  action 
of  the  British  government  was  condemned. 
These  meetings  were  called  by  notices  headed 
"  Boston  Port  Bill  "  and  posted  throughout  the 
town.  The  following  report  of  one  of  these 
meetings  at  Reading  has  been  preserved,  and  is 
presented  in  this  connection  to  show  what  action 
the  people,  of  the  town  were  inspired  to  take, 
and  what  expressions  they  were  led  to  make  in 
the  matter : 

"At  a  meeting  of  a  very  respectable  body  of  free- 
holders and  others,  inhabitants  of  the  county  of  Berks, 
at  Reading,  the  2d  of  July,  1774,  Edward  Biddle, 
Esq.,1  in  the  chair. 

'Edward  Biddle  was  born  in  1732.  He  entered  the 
provincial  army  in  1764  and  became  an  ensign.  In  1759 
he  was  promoted  to  lieutenant,  and  in  1760  he  was  com- 
missioned captain.  Resigning  from  the  army,  he  studied 
law,  and,  after  the  usual  course  of  study,  established  him- 
self as  a  lawyer  at  Reading.  He  represented  Berks  County 
in  the  Assembly  of  Pennsylvania  from  1767  to  1781 — 
having  been  Speaker  in  1774.  During  his  service  he  was 
17 


"  This  assembly,  taking  into  their  very  serious  con- 
sideration, the  present  critical  situation  of  American 
affairs,  do  unanimously  resolve  as  follows,  viz. : 

"  1.  That  the  inhabitants  of  this  county  do 
owe,  and  will  pay  due  allegiance  to  our  rightful 
Sovereign,  King  George  the  Third. 

"2.  That  the  powers  claimed,  and  now  attempted 
to  be  put  into  execution,  by  the  British  Parliament 
are  fundamentally  wrong,  and  cannot  be  admitted 
without  the  utter  destruction  of  the  liberties  of 
America. 

"3.  That  the  Boston  Port  Bill  is  unjust  and 
tyrannical  in  the  extreme.  And  that  the  measures 
pursued  against  Boston  are  intended  to  operate 
equally  against  the  rights  and  liberties  of  the  other 
colonies. 

"  4.  That  this  assembly  doth  concur  in  opinion  with 
their  respective  brethren  of  Philadelphia,  that  there 
is  an  absolute  necessity  for  an  immediate  congress  of 
the  deputies  of  the  several  advices,  in  order  to 
deliberate  upon  and  pursue  such  measures  as  may 
radically  heal  our  present  unhappy  disturbances,  and 
settle  with  precision  the  rights  and  liberties  of 
America. 

"5.  That  the  inhabitants  of  this  county,  confiding 
.  in  the  prudence  and  ability  of  the  deputies  intended 
to  be  chosen  for  the  general  congress,  will  cheer- 
fully submit  to  any  measures  which  may  be  found 
by  the  said  congress  best  adapted  for  the  restoration 
of  harmony  between  the  mother-country  and  the 
colonies,  and  for  the  security  and  firm  establishment 
of  the  rights  of  America. 

"  6.  That  as  the  people  of  Boston  are  now  suffering 
in  the  grand  and  common  cause  of  American  liberty ; 
Resolved, 

"That  it  is  the  duty  of  all  the  inhabitants  to  con- 
tribute to  the  support  of  the  said  sufferers,  and  that 
the  committee  hereafter  named  do  open  subscriptions 
for  their  relief.  And  further,  that  the  said  committee 
do  lay  out  the  amount  of  such  subscriptions  in  pur- 
chasing flour  and  other  provisions,  to  be  sent  by  them 
to  our  said  suffering  brethren. 

"7.  That  Edward  Biddle,  James  Reed,  Daniel 
Brodhead,  Henry  Christ,  Esqs.,  Christopher  Schultz, 

placed  upon  the  most  important  committees.  In  July,  1774, 
he,  with  seven  others,  was  elected  to  represent  Pennsylva- 
nia in  the  First  Continental  Congress.  He  was  re-elected 
to  Congress  in  December,  1774,  in  November,  1775,  and  in 
November,  1778.  In  January,  1775,  on  his  way  to  Phila- 
delphia from  Reading  in  a  boat,  he  fell  overboard.  Through 
this  accident  he  contracted  a  weakness  from  which  he 
never  recovered.  He  died  at  Baltimore,  September,  5,  1779. 
"Love  of  country,  benevolence  and  every  manly  virtue  ren- 
dered him  an  object  of  esteem  and  admiration  to  all  that 
knew  him."  He  had  two  sons,  Nicholas  and  Charles,  the 
latter  paving  represented  Berks  County  in  the  General 
Assembly  in  1788.  (See  "Autobiography  of  Charles  Bid- 
dle," pp.74,  127,  389-391.) 


138 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Thomas  Dundas  and  Jonathan  Potts,  gentlemen,  be, 
and  they  are  hereby  appointed  a  committee  to  meet 
and  correspond  with  the  committees  from  the  other 
counties  of  the  Province." 

The  thanks  of  the  assembly  were  unanimously 
voted  to  the  chairman,  for  the  patriotic  and 
spirited  manner  in  which  he  pointed  out  the 
dangerous  situation  of  all  the  American  colonies, 
occasioned  by  the  unconstitutional  measures 
lately  adopted  by  the  British  Parliament  with 
respect  to  Boston  ;  expressing,  at  the  same  time, 
the  greatest  loyalty  to  our  sovereign,  and  the 
most  warm  and  tender  regard  for  the  liberties  of 
America. 

There  never  appeared  to  be  greater  unanimity 
of  sentiment  upon  any  occasion  than  in  the 
resolves  made  by  the  freemen  of  this  county, 
all  cordially  agreeing  to  sacrifice  every  tempo- 
rary advantage  for  the  purpose  of  securing 
liberty  to  themselves  and  their  posterity. 

From  this  meeting  to  the  close  of  the  Revo- 
lution, the  people  of  the  town  and  of  the  county 
participated  actively  in  all  the  affairs  of  the 
province  which  were  conducted  towards  the 
establishment  of  independence.  They  were  rep- 
resented by  delegates  at  the  several  conferences 
held ;  and  they  contributed  their  quota  of  men, 
money  and  supplies  in  the  successful  prosecu- 
tion of  the  war. 

Various  Committees  Chosen.— The  depu- 
ties chosen  to  represent  the  county  at  the  pro- 
vincial meeting,  held  at  Philadelphia,  on  July 
15,  1774,  were  Edward  Biddle,  James  Read, 
Daniel  Broadhead,  Thomas  Dundas,  Jonathan 
Potts  and  Christopher  Schultz. 

Pursuant  to  advertisements  scattered  through- 
out the  county,  a  respectable  number  of  the  inhab- 
tants  met  on  the  5th  of  December,  1774,  at  the 
court-house,  in  Reading,  and  proceeded  by  bal- 
lot to  the  election  of  a  committee,  as  recom- 
mended by  Congress,  when  the  following  gen- 
tlemen were  duly  chosen :  Edward  Biddle, 
Christopher  Schultz,  Dr.  Jonathan  Potts,  "Wil- 
liam Reeser,  Baltzer  Gehr,  Michael  Bright,  John 
Patton,  Mark  Bird,  John  Jones,  John  Old, 
Sebastian  Levan,  George  Nagel,  Christopher 
Witman,  Jacob  Shoemaker  and  James  Lewis. 

The  Committee  of  Correspondence  for  the 
county  appointed  in  reference  to  the  safety  of  the 


colonies,  etc.,  met  at  Reading  on  January  2, 1775, 
and  unanimously  agreed  to  the  proposed  Provin- 
cial Convention,  to  be  held  at  Philadelphia  on 
January  23,  1775,  and  they  appointed  the  fol- 
lowing delegates  to  represent  the  county  at  the 
convention :  Edward  Biddle,  Mark  Bird,  Balt- 
zer Gehr,  Sebastian  Levan,  John  Patton,  Jona- 
than Potts  and  Christopher  Schultz. 

And  they  also  then  appointed  a  Committee  of 
Correspondence  for  the  county, — Edward  Biddle, 
Mark  Bird,  Jonathan  Potts,  William  Reeser 
and  Christopher  Witman. 

This  committee  addressed  a  letter  to  the  com- 
mittee of  Lancaster  County,  dated  January  5, 
1775,  in  which,  among  other  things,  they  said : 
"  When  we  consider  that  our  disputes  are  drawing 
fast  to  a  crisis,  and  that  the  most  cordial  unanimity 
is  absolutely  necessary  for  our  preservation,  we  can- 
not doubt  but  that  your  respectable  committee  will 
without  hesitation  appoint  deputies  to  attend  the  pro- 
vincial congress.  The  neglect  of  any  one  county 
may  have  the  most  fatal  consequences.  And  we  well 
know  the  pleasure  it  would  give  our  enemies  to  see 
even  the  appearance  of  disunion  at  this  very  impor- 
tant time." 

The  following  letter,  in  reference  to  sheep 
and  wool  in  the  county,  was  circulated  through- 
out the  county  during  January,  1775  : 

"To  the  Farmers  of  Berks  County  : 

"  Reading,  January  16th,  1775. 

"  The  Committtee  of  the  County  of  Berks  having 
considered  the  association  of  the  butchers  of  this 
town  not  to  kill  any  sheep  whatsoever  till  the  first 
day  of  May  next,  take  the  liberty  earnestly  to  recom- 
mend to  the  inhabitants  of  this  county  not  to  sell  any 
sheep  whatsoever  to  any  butcher  from  Philadelphia 
or  elsewhere  till  the  first  day  of  May.  The  preserv- 
ing of  wool  being  an  object  of  the  greatest  conse- 
quence, the  committee  flatter  themselves  that  the  far- 
mers will  cheerfully  observe  this  recommendation, 
and  as  the  committee  will  meet  in  Reading,  on  Tues- 
day, the  14th  day  of  February,  if  any  inhabitants 
have  any  objections  to  make  to  the  measure  hereby 
recommended,  such  inhabitants  are  requested  to  at- 
tend the  committee,  to  make  their  objections,  that  the 
same  may  be  maturely  considered. 

"Any  person  having  wool  which  he  cannot  dispose 
of  in  the  country,  may  bring  it  to  the  house  of  Mr. 
Mark  Bird,  in  Reading,  who  will  give  fourteen  pence 
per  pound  for  any  quantity. 

"  By  Order  of  the  Committee. 

"Jonathan  Potts,  Secrrtary." ' 


1  1  American  Achives,  p.  1144. 


REVOLUTION  AND  INDEPENDENCE. 


139 


From  the  patriotic  spirit  that  prevailed,  this 
recommendation  was  doubtless  observed. 

Battle  at  Lexington  Aavakens  County. 
— The  battle  of  Lexington  was  fought  on  the 
19th  of  April,  1775.  When  the  news  of  the 
battle  reached  Reading,  about  a  week  afterward, 
a  company  of  men  was  formed,  who  wore  crape 
for  a  cockade  in  token  of  the  sorrow  for  the 
slaughter  of  their  brethren.  Each  township  in 
Berks  County  resolved  to  raise  and  discipline  its 
company.  On  the  25th  of  April,  a  town  meet- 
ing was  called  at  Philadelphia,  when  thousands 
of  the  inhabitants  assembled,  and  agreed  to 
associate  for  the  purpose  of  defending  with  arms 
their  lives,  their  property  and  their  liberty.1 
This  patriotic  feeling  prevailed  at  Reading  and 
in  the  county.  The  following  extract  of  a  let- 
ter from  Reading,  dated  26th  of  April,  1775, 
presents  it  forcibly : 

"  We  have  raised  in  this  town  two  companies  of 
foot  under  proper  officers ;  and  such  is  the  spirit  of 
the  people  of  this  free  county,  that  in  three  weeks 
time  there  is  not  a  township  in  it  that  will  not  have 
a  company  raised  and  disciplined,  ready  to  assert  at 
the  risk  of  their  lives  the  freedom  of  America."  2 

COMPANIES  FROM  BERKS  COUNTY. 

A  number  of  companies  from  Berks  County 
were  enlisted  and  served  in  the  great  struggle 
of  the  colonies  for  independence.  A  record  of 
their  respective  services  has  not  been  published, 
and  I  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain  satisfact- 
orily what  they  did  or  where  they  served. 
This  will  account  for  the  want  of  an  introduc- 
tory narrative  with  the„  several  rosters.  The 
companies,  so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  ascer- 
tain them,  were  the  following.  I  made  diligent 
search  amongst  the  records  of  our  county 
in  order  to  ascertain  what  companies  were  fur- 
nished by  the  county  in  this  period,  but  I  could 
not  find  any  statement  or  evidence  of  any  kind 
relating  to  this  subject. 

Captain  George  Nagel,  Thompson's  Battalion  of 
Riflemen. 

Captain  Jonathan  Jones,  D.  Haas'  First  Pennsyl- 
vania Battalion. 

Captain  Henry  Christ,  Miles'  regiment  Pennsyl- 
vania Riflemen. 

i4 Bancroft's  "Hist,  of  U.  S.,"  p.  549  (Centenary  Ed., 
1879.) 
2  2  American  Archives,  p.  400. 


Captain  John  Spohn,  Magaw's  Fifth  Pennsylvania 
Battalion. 

Captain  Peter  Decker,  Magaw's  Fifth  Pennsylvania 
Battalion. 

Captain  John  Lesher,  Patton's  regiment. 

Captain  Jacob  Moser,  Harmar's  Sixth  Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Continental  Line. 

Captain  Jacob  Bauer,  Von  Ottendorff  's  corps  Penn- 
sylvania Continental  Line. 

Captain  Benjamin   Weiser,  Hjausegger's  regiment. 

Nagel's  Company  of  Riflemen. — On 
June  14,  1775,  the  Continental  Congress  passed 
resolutions  requiring  twelve  companies  of  expert 
riflemen  to  be  raised  for  the  purpose  of  joining 
the  army  near  Boston.  Eight  of  these  compa- 
nies were  to  be  raised  in  Pennsylvania,  formed 
into  a  battalion,  and  commanded  by  officers 
recommended  by  the  Assembly  or  convention 
of  the  province.  The  officers  were  recom- 
mended and  commissioned;  and  the  command 
formed  of  these  companies  was  called  "Colonel 
Thompson's  Battalion  of  Riflemen."  Each 
company  consisted  of  one  captain,  three  lieuten- 
ants, four  sergeants,  four  corporals,  a  drummer 
or  trumpeter  and  sixty-eight  privates.  The 
pay  was  as  follows :  Captain,  f  20  a  month ; 
lieutenant,  $13^;  sergeant,  $8;  corporal,  $7£; 
drummer,  $7 J;  private,  $6§. 

They  supplied  their  own  arms  and  clothes. 
The  term  of  enlistment  was  one  year. 

One  company  in  this  battalion  was  from 
Reading.     It  was  Captain  George  Nagel's. 

ROLL  OF  CAPTAIN  GEORGE  NAGEL'S  COMPANY.3 

Captains. 

George  Nagel,  commissioned  June  25, 1775  ;  promoted 
major  of  the  Fifth  Battalion,  Colonel  Robert  Ma- 
gaw,  January  5,  1776. 

Morgan  Conner,  commissioned  January  5, 1776 ;  March 
9th  called  from  camp  by  Congress,  and  sent  into 
the  Southern  Department;  afterwards  lieutenant- 
colonel  of  Colonel  Hartley's  regiment. 

First  Lieutenants. 
Morgan  Conner,   commission  dated  July  17,   1775 ; 

promoted  captain. 
David  Harris,  appointed  January  5,  1776. 

Second  Lieutenants. 
Peter  Scull,  commissioned  July  17,  1775 ;  promoted 
captain  of  Third  Pennsylvania  Battalion,  Colonel 
John  Shee's,  January  5,  1776. 


3Penna.  Archives  (2d  series),  vol.  x.  p.  34       For  his- 
tory of  this  battalion,  see  same  volume,  pp.  3-13. 


140 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Benjamin  Chambers,  Sr.,  from  private,  Captain 
Chambers'  company,  January  5,  1776;  subse- 
quently first  lieutenant  First  Pennsylvania. 

Third  Lieutenants. 
Peter  Grubb,  com.  July     Peter  Weiser,  appointed 
17,  1775  ;  appointed  to  January  5,  1776. 

Miles'  rifle  regiment. 

Surgeon. 
Dr.  Jonathan  Potts. 
Sergeants. 
Jacob  Bower,  appointed      John  McKinty. 

quartermaster.  Alexander  Brannon. 

Hananiah    Lincoln,    see      Philip  Gibbons. 
Twelfth  Pennsylvania. 

Corporals. 
James  Williams.  Henry  Senevely. 

Hugh  Hughes.  Casper  Heiner. 

Drummer. 
John  Molay. 


Privates. 


Thomas  Bain. 
Christopher  Baldy. 
Yost  Berger. 
Conrad  Bourke. 
Peter  Bowman. 
Peter  Brough. 
James  Brown. 
John  Bermeter,  living  in 
Berks  County  in  1810. 
Michael  Ceney. 
Casper    Cool,    or    Kool, 
died  in  Berks  County 
in  1807. 
John  Cox. 
Robert  Creed. 
William  Crowley. 
Henry  Deckert. 

Christian  Derr,  re-enlist- 
ed in  old  Eleventh,  Col. 
Humpton. 

Hugh  Dennison. 

John  Dombaugh. 

Jacob  Duck. 

Jacob  Elgerts. 

Jacob  Ebright. 

Andrew  Engel. 

Peter  Felix. 

George  Fisher. 

Christian  Fought. 

Michael  Foust. 

Lewis  Franklinberry. 

George  Gearhart. 

Charles  Gordon. 

Daniel  Gorman. 

Daniel  Graff. 

John  Grant. 


Abraham  Griffith. 
John  Grow. 
Timothy  Harris. 
John  Huber. 
William  Jones. 
George  Kemmerling. 
John  Kerner,  wounded  at 
Lechmere  Pond,  Nov. 
9,  1775 ;  re-enlisted  in 
Sixth  Pennsylvania  in 
1777. 
Charles    Kleckner,    pro- 
moted  ensign   of  Ger- 
man Regiment. 
Nicholas  Leasure. 
John  Learn  an. 
Casper  Leib. 

Harmon    Leitheiser,   en- 
sign Sixth  Pennsylva- 
nia. 
John  Lewis. 
Samuel  McFarland. 
Christopher  Martin. 
Michael  Miller. 
Peter  Mingle. 
Alexander   Mogey    [Mc- 

Gee]. 
Adam  Moyer. 
Christian  Moyer,  or  Chris- 
topher Myer. 
Michael  Moyer. 
Ernst  Nibber  [Lawrence] 
Frederick  Nipple. 
Henry  Orwig. 
Samuel  Parks, 
Adam  Pickle. 


George  Spotts. 
John  Stone. 
John  Streker. 
Frederick  Tueo. 
Abraham  Umstedd. 
Philip  Waggoner,  of  Tul- 

pehocken. 
Nicholas  Waltman. 
Christian  Wander. 
John  Weiser. 
Isaac  Willey. 


Elias  Reiger,  discharged 

July  1,  1776;   resided 

in   Union    County    in 

1820. 
Thomas  Reilly. 
John  Rewalt. 
William  Robinson. 
Christian  Rone. 
Nicholas  Shanefelt. 
Andrew  Shirk. 
Joseph  Smith. 
Henry  Senevely,  Sr. 

A  return  of  March,  1776,  states  the  strength 
of  the  company  as  follows :  One  captain, 
three  lieutenants,  four  sergeants,  four  cor- 
porals, one  drummer  and  sixty-five  privates 
present. 

In  Massachusetts  Campaign. — "Within 
three  weeks  from  the  time  of  their  enlistment 
some  of  the  companies  took  up  their  line  of 
march  to  the  Hudson  River  on  their  way  to  the 
army  at  Cambridge,  Mass.  During  July  and 
August,  1775,  they  passed  through  New  Wind- 
sor— 0n  the  Hudson  several  miles  above  West 
Point.  Nagel's  company,  from  Reading,  re- 
ported at  headquarters,  at  Cambridge,  on  the 
18  th  of  July.1  The  last  of  the  battalion  arrived 
on  the  18th  of  August.  The.  appearance  of  the 
men  was  described  as  follows  : 

"They  are  remarkably  stout  and  hardy  men,  many 
of  them  exceeding  six  feet  in  height.  They  are 
dressed  in  white  frocks  or  rifle-shirts  and  round  hats. 
These  men  are  remarkable  for  the  accuracy  of  their 
aim,  striking  a  mark  with  great  certainty  at  two  hun- 
dred yards  distance.  At  a  review,  while  on  a  quick 
advance,  a  company  of  them  fired  their  balls  into  ob- 
jects of  seven  inches  diameter  at  the  distance  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  yards.  They  are  now  stationed  in 
our  lines,  and  their  shot  have  frequently  proved  fatal 
to  British  officers  and  soldiers  who  expose  themselves 
to  view  even  at  more  than  double  the  distance  of  com- 
mon musket-shot." 2 

"  Each  man  bore  a  rifle-barreled  gun,  a  toma- 
hawk or  small  ax  and  a  long  knife,  usually  called 
a  '  scalping-knife,'  which  served  for  all  purposes 
in  the  woods.  His  underdress — by  no  means  in 
military  style — was  covered  by  a  deep  ash-colored 
hunting-shirt,  leggins  and  moccasins — if  the  latter 


'A  letter,  dated  July  24,  1775,  from  the  camp  at  Cam- 
bridge, stated — "The  Reading  Company  of  Kifles  got  into 
camp  last  Tuesday  (18th)." 

2  Thatcher's  "  Military  Journal  of  Revolution,"  August, 
1775. 


REVOLUTION  AND  INDEPENDENCE. 


141 


could  be  procured.    It  was  the  silly  fashion  of  those 
times  for  riflemen  to  ape  the  manners  of  savages."  l 

The  battalion  was  first  actually  engaged  and 
sustained  its  first  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  on 
the  27th  of  August,  whilst  covering  an  intrench- 
ing party.  Captain  James  Chambers,  of  Cum- 
berland County,  described  the  engagement  in  a 
letter,  dated  29th  of  August,  as  follows : 

"  On  the  evening  of  the  26th  instant  (Saturday)  I 
was  ordered  to  draw  fifty  men  out  of  each  of  the  Cum- 
berland companies  and  to  be  ready  to  march  at  sun- 
set. I  did  so,  and  marched,  without  beat  of  drum,  to 
Prospect  Hill,  and  thence  proceeded  with  the  riflemen 
stationed  there  (in  all  about  four  hundred)  to  Ploughed 
Hill  and  then  to  the  hill  within  three  or  four  hundred 
yards  of  the  enemy's  strongest  works,  to  cover  a  party 
of  about  two  thousand  musketmen,  who  were  at  the 
same  time  to  entrench  on  Ploughed  Hill.  They  la- 
bored hard  all  night  and  at  daybreak  had  the  redoubt 
nearly  completed.  The  English  began  a  heavy  can- 
nonading, which  continued  all  day.  They  killed  one 
adjutant  and  one  soldier  with  cannon  and  wounded 
three  others  with  musket-balls.  William  Simpson, 
of  Paxtou,  was  struck  by  a  shot  and  his  foot  carried 
away." 

Simpson  was  a  young  man  in  Captain  Smith's 
Company,  from  Lancaster  County.  During  his 
illness  he  was  visited  and  consoled  by  General 
Washington,  in  person,  and  by  most  of  the  offi- 
cers of  rank  belonging  to  the  army.  Every 
exertion  was  made  to  save  him,  without  avail. 
He  died  on  the  29th  of  August,  1775,  and  his 
death  became  a  theme  of  common  sorrow  in  an 
army  of  twelve  or  fourteen  thousand  men.  He 
was  the  first  Pennsylvania  soldier  who  fell  in 
the  War  of  the  Revolution.2 

Jones'  Company. — The  campaign  for  the 
conquest  of  Canada  was  conducted  during  the 
year  1776.  The  company  of  Captain  Jonathan 
Jones,  of  Berks  County,  participated  in  it.  In 
January,  1776,  he  and  his  company,  number- 
ing eighty-three  men,  set  out  upon  the  long 
march  of  six  hundred  miles  to  Canada,  pro- 
ceeding by  way  of  Easton,  the  Hudson  River 
and  Albany,  and  arriving  at  Quebec  in  the  lat- 
ter part  of  March.  They  suffered  much  cold 
and  sickness   and   endured    many    hardships. 

1  Description  by  Judge  Henry,  of  Lancaster,  who,  when 
but  a  boy,  was  one  of  the  riflemen. 

2 ''  History  of  Lancaster  County  "  (Everts  &  Peck,  1883), 
pp.  39-40. 


After  their  retreat  from  Quebec,  they  returned, 
at  the  risk  of  capture,  and  secured  valuable 
papers  which  had  been  left  behind.  They  par- 
ticipated in  the  battle  of  Three  Rivers,  on  June 
8,  1776,  and  accompanied  the  army  in  its  dis- 
astrous retreat  to  Ticonderoga. 


ROLL 

OP   COMPANY.3 

Captain. 

Jonathan  Jones. 

Corporals. 

Bean. 

Jacob  Candy. 

Kelly. 

Matthew  Clark. 

Privates. 

George  Alexander 

Patrick  McLaughlin 

John  Brown. 

Clement  Merls. 

James  Dagley. 

Philip  0.  Miller. 

Brice  Dunlap. 

Robert  Murdock. 

Joseph  Fullerton. 

James  Murphy. 

Robert  Gougher. 

Albert  Pearson. 

Daniel  Leary. 

Ezra  Shea. 

James  McCorley. 

Joseph  Skelton. 

John  McGregor. 

William  Tennent. 

Robert  McKillup. 

William  Walker. 

Joseph  McMuller 

i.              Thomas  Walters. 

Jonathan  Jones  was  a  son  of  David  Jones, 
one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Caernarvon  town- 
ship. He  was  born  in  this  township  in  1738. 
Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolution  he 
raised  a  company  of  Associators  in  that  locality, 
and  was  appointed  a  captain  in  the  First  Penn- 
sylvania Regiment  of  the  regular  Continental 
army,  October  25,  1775,  and  ordered  with  his 
company  to  the  "  British  Barracks,"  at  Phila- 
delphia. He  acted  as  part  of  the  escort  of 
Martha  Washington  into  Philadelphia,  and  in 
December  was  ordered  into  Northampton  Coun- 
ty, Va.,  to  protect  it  against  Lord  Dunmore. 
The  alarming  state  of  affairs  in  Canada  led  to 
the  revocation  of  this  order,  and,  by  command 
of  Congress,  he  marched  with  his  company  of 
eighty-three  men  for  Quebec,  over  the  snow  and 
"  frozen  lakes."  This  terrible  mid-winter  march 
consumed  two  months.  After  the  precipitate 
retreat  from  Quebecj  he  voluntarily  returned, 
at  the  risk  of  capture,  and  recovered  valuable 
papers.  He  was  with  Arnold  in  his  pursuit  of 
the  British,  after  the  battle  of  the  Cedars,  and 
took  part  in  the  battle  of  "  Three  Rivers,"  June 

a  10  Pa.  Arch.  (2d  ser.)  57.     Roll  incomplete. 


142 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


8,  1776.  He  shared  the  terrible  and  distressing 
sufferings  of  the  army  in  its  disastrous  retreat  to 
Ticonderoga,  and  underwent  at  that  post  the 
severe  and  exacting  routine  of  military  duty  in- 
cident to  its  fortification  and  defense  to  resist 
the  attack  of  General  Carleton.  He  was  stationed 
there  from  July  9  to  November  15,.  1776. 
On  October  27th  the  time  of  enlistment  of  his 
men  ran  out,  but  through  his  exertions  they 
consented  to  remain  as  long  as  the  enemy  was 
in  their  front.  After  a  year's  active  service  he 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major,  October  25, 
1776,  and  to  lieutenant-colonel  of  his  regiment, 
which  had  become  the  second  under  the  new 
arrangement,  March  12,  1777.  His  constitu- 
tion was  so  shattered  by  the  hardships  and  ex- 
posure of  the  campaign  against  Canada  that  he 
was  obliged  to  return  home  to  recruit  his  health 
in  the  winter  of  1 7  7  6-7  7 .  Having  partially  re- 
covered, he  rejoined  his  regiment  in  the  spring 
of  1777,  the  command  of  which  devolved  upon 
him  after  the  resignation  of  Colonel  James  Ir- 
vine, June  1,  1777.  Two  companies  of  the 
regiment  were  then  on  duty  in  Philadelphia 
and  the  remainder  were  guarding  the  upper 
ferries  of  the  Delaware.  Increasing  ill-health, 
however,  obliged  him  to  resign  his  commission 
in-the  latter  part  of  July.  In  December,  1778, 
he  was  appointed  by  the  Assembly  a  commis- 
sioner under  the  test  laws,  and  he  was  a  member 
of  the  General  Assembly  of  Pennsylvania  from 
Berks  County  from  October,  1779,  to  October, 
1780.  His  health  continued  steadily  to  decline, 
and  he  was  shortly  afterward  stricken  with 
paralysis,  of  which  he  died,  after  a  lingering 
illness,  on  September  26,  1782,  at  the  early  age 
of  forty-four.  He  was  buried  at  Bangor  Church, 
Churchtown,  of  which  members  of  his  family 
had  been  wardens  and  vestrymen  from  its 
earliest  foundation. 

Christ's  Company. — The  following  is  the 
roll  of  Captain  Henry  Christ's  company  in 
Pennsylvania  Rifle  Regiment,  under  command 
of  Colonel  Samuel  Miles  : 

Captain. 
Henry    Christ,  Jr.,  Berks  County,  March  9,   1776  ; 

resigned  March  19,  1777. 

First  Lieutenant. 
Daniel  Topham,  March  28,1776;   captured  August 

27,  1776 ;  exchanged  April  20,  1778. 


Second  Lieutenant. 
Jacob  Maess,  March  16,  1776. 

Third  Lieutenants. 
Abner    Davis,   March    28,  1776;  resigned    October 

19,  1776. 
George  Gyger,  from  sergeant  October  24,  1776. 

Sergeants. 

George  Gyger,  April  1,  1776 ;  promoted  third  lieu- 
tenant October  24,  1776. 

Matthew  Whitlow,  April  20,  1776;  missing  since 
the  battle,  August  27,  1776. 

Jeremiah  Geiss,  March  29,  1776  ;  missing  since  the 
battle,  August  27,  1776. 

Adam  Christ,  from  private;  wounded,  ball  passing 
through  his  breast  at  Brandywine. 

Joseph  Starke. 

Drum  and  Fife. 

Samuel  Keiser.  Matthias  Rehrer. 

Nathan  Hinkel. 


William  Albert,  March  29,  1776. 

Henry  Alter,  April  8, 1776. 

Michael  Arnold. 

William  Butler,  April  12,  1776  ;  re-enlisted  in  Second 
Pennsylvania. 

Adam  Christ,  March  18,  1776  ;  promoted  sergeant. 

Melcher  Close. 

Godfry  Dering,  April  11,  1776. 

John  English,  April  22,  1776. 

Francis  Fisher. 

Henry  Fisher,  April  11,  1776. 

Godfrey  Fister,  April  20,  1776. 

Henry  Frederick,  April  17,  1776. 

Paul  Frederick,  May  4,  1776 ;  missing  since  the  bat- 
tle, August  27,  1776. 

Yost  Fuchs  [Fox],  March  23,  1776  ;  missing  since 
the  battle,  August  27,  1776. 

Hermon  Geiss,  April  11,  1776. 

John  Green,  April  9,  1776. 

Peter  GrofT,  April  6,  1776. 

Michael  Groff. 

Valentine  Gyger,  of  Shamokin,  April  13,  1776. 

John  Hambright,  of  Shamokin,  April  15,  1776. 

Nicholas  Hamm,  March  26,  1776. 

William  Harbert,  March  24,  1776. 

Jacob  Heckman. 

Yost  Heck,  April  2,  1776. 

George  Heffner. 

John  Hermon,  April  8,  1776. 

Michael  Hienerleiter. 

Henry  Hill,  March  25,  1776. 

Nathan  Hinkel,  April  12,  1776. 

Daniel  Houseknecht,  March  23,  1776. 

John  Hummel,  March  23,  1776. 

George  Jones,  April  7,  1776. 

Francis  Keehl. 


LT.  COL.  JONATHAN  JONES, 
Second  Penna.  Regt.  Continental  Army. 


REVOLUTION  AND  INDEPENDENCE 


143 


Christian  Kemmeror,  May  8,  177t>. 

George  Kettner,  March  25,  1776. 

Christian  Kreamer,  April  5,  1776. 

Simon  Kreisher,  March  22,  1770. 

Abraham  Lantsert,  March  25,  177(1. 

Henry  Leffler,  March  24,  1776. 

George  Lehnig,  April  13,  1776. 

Isaac  Linwill,  April  9,  1776. 

Emanuel  Lippert,  April  5,  1776. 

John  Long. 

Philip  Lott,  April  22,  1776. 

John  Lutz,  April  22,  1776. 

Gotlieb  Mack. 

Simon  Maderia,  April  9,  1776. 

George  Mengel,  April  13,  1776. 

Henry  Merts,  April  14,  1776. 

Philip  Miller. 

Joseph  Muffly. 

Daniel  Nitterhous,  April  8,  1776. 

John  Nothstein. 

Frederick  Poust  [Boust],  March  22,  1776. 

Matthias  Rehrer,  April  10,  1776. 

Charles  Reichard,  April  3,  1776. 

Jacob  Reiff,  March  26,  1776. 

Jacob  Riegle. 

David  Seebold. 

Yost  Seyler,  April  28,  1776 ;  resided  in  Centre  County 

in  1830. 
Adam  Shaffer,  April  22,  1776. 
Joseph  Stark,  May  14,  1776. 
Adam  Streckdefinger. 
Frederick  Struble,  April  26,  1776. 
Peter  Treher,  March  25,  1776. 
Christian  Walk,  April  6,  1776. 
John  Weaver,  April  7,  1776 ;  discharged  January  1, 

1778 ;  resided  near  Germantown  in  1821. 
John  Weidman,  April  10,  1776. 
Henry  Weiss. 
George  Whitman,  March  24,  1776 ;  his  wife,  Maria, 

shared  with  him  the  fatigues  of  army  life;  died 

in  1823. 
Michael  Wissler. 
Henry  Wolf,  April  8,  1776. 
George  Zenig. 
Philip  Zott. 

Spohn's  axd  Decker's  Companies. — In  the 
Fifth  Pennsylvania  Battalion,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Colonel  Robert  Magavv,  there  were 
two  companies  from  Berks  County,  one  from 
Reading,  Captain  John  Spohn's;1  and  the 
other,  mostly  composed  of  men  from  the  county, 
Captain  Peter  Decker's.2 

1  Penna.  Arch.  (2d  ser.),  vol.  a.  p.  151. 

2  Same,  p.  155.  For  history  of  battalion,  see  same  volume, 
pp.  103  and  137. 


ROLL   OF    CAPTAIN   JOHN   Si'OHN'S    COMPANY. 

[This  roll  is  incomplete.] 
Enlisted  at  Reading,  Pa.      On  the  28th  of  May, 
1776,  his  company,  officers  and  men,  numbered  seventy- 
eight. 

Captain. 

John  Spohn,  Reading,  commissioned  January  5, 1776  ; 
resigned  November  4,  1776. 

First  Lieutenant. 
John  Morgan,  Philadelphia,  commissioned  January 
6,  1776 ;  taken  August  16,  1776 ;  same  day  pro- 
moted captain,  vice  Miller,  killed  June  1,  1778, 
became  supernumerary;  exchanged  August  26, 
1778. 

Second  Lieutenant. 

William    Stanley,    commissioned    January  8,   1776 ; 
taken  August  16th;  same  day  promoted  first  lieut- 
enant ;  exchanged  August  25, 1780. 
Ensign. 
John  Gansel,  commissioned  January  8,  1776. 

Sergeant- Major. 
Enoch  Wright,  appointed  November  16,  1776. 
Sergeants. 

Jacob  Vanderslice,  Reading,  taken  November  16, 1776. 
Adam  Ruth. 

Corporals. 

Henry  Vanderslice,  Reading,   taken  November    16; 

1776  ;  residing  at  Sunbury,  1792. 
Henry  Goodheart,  Reading,  taken  November  16, 1776. 
James  Campbell,  Reading,  taken  November  16,  1776. 

Privates. 

Jacob  Albert,  Reading,  taken  November  16,  1776. 

John  Allison,  subsequently  sergeant-major  of  Fourth 
Pennsylvania. 

John  Barnhest,  taken  November  16,  1776;  paroled 
December  26,  1776. 

Richard  Barington,  Cecil  County,  Md.,  taken  No- 
vember 16,  1776. 

Anthony  Bishop,  Reading,  taken  November  16,  1776  ; 
paroled  December  26,  1776. 

George  Cole,  Reading,  taken  November  16,  1776  ; 
paroled  December  26,  1776 ;  residing  in  Berks 
County,  1811. 

William  Collins,  taken  November  16, 1776. 

Timothy  Carney,  Cecil  County,  Md.,  taken  November 
16,  1776  ;  paroled  December  26,  1776. 

Dennis  Calaghan,  enlisted  June  1,  1776. 

Valentine  Dengler,  Reading,  taken  November  16, 1776. 

Peter  Duck,  Philadelphia,  taken  November  16,  1776. 

William  Fletcher,  Cecil  County,  Md.,  taken  Novem- 
ber 16,  1776  ;  paroled  December  26,  1776. 

Henry  Goodhart,  residing  at  Sunbury,  1791. 

Christopher  Havener,  Reading,  taken  November  16, 
1776. 

George  Heilman,  Reading,  taken  November  16, 1776  ; 
paroled  December  27, 1776, 


144 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


CHristian  Holick,  Reading,  taken  November  16,  1776. 
Jacob   Hausknecht,   Reading,  taken    November  16, 

1776. 
George  Hoffner,  Reading,  taken  November  16,  1776 ; 

paroled  December  27,  1776. 
Martin  Link,  Reading,  taken  November  16,  1776. 
Nicholas  Mann,  Reading,  taken  November  16,  1776 ; 

paroled  December  26,  1776. 
George  Marshal,  Reading,  taken  November  16,  1776. 
Jacob  Miller,  Reading,  taken  November  16,  1776 ;  re- 
enlisted  in  Colonel  Hartley's  regiment;  discharged 

1781 ;  died  in  Walker  township,  Centre  County, 

1822,  aged  sixty -seven. 
Peter  Miller,   Reading,   taken  November  16,  1776  ; 

paroled  December  26, 1776. 
John  Nair,  Reading,  taken  November  16,  1776. 
John  Rangier,  Reading,  taken  November  16,  1776. 
Michael  Raume,  Reading,  taken  November  16,  1776. 
John  Rheam,  Reading,  taken  November  16,  1776. 
Michael  Selser,  Reading,  taken  November  16,  1776. 
John  Shelson,  Cecil  County,  Md.,  taken  November 

16,  1776. 
Michael  Whitmer,  taken  November  16,  1776  ;  residing 

in  Cumberland  County,  1809. 
George  Whitmire,  Reading,  taken  November  16, 1776 ; 

died  in  New  York,  two  days  before  exchange. 
Benjamin    Ziegler,    Reading,   taken   November    16, 

1776. 
Michael  Zurn,  Reading,  taken  November  16, 1776. 

On  May  26,  1776,  Decker's  company  num- 
bered eighty-six  officers  and  men.  Decker  was 
from  Reading  ;  commissioned  January  5, 1776  ; 
taken  prisoner  November  16,  1776  ;  broke  his 
parole,  and  resigned  February  1,  1777. 

In  a  return  dated  October  7, 1776,  Spohn's 
company  was  reported  to  have  had  seventy 
officers  and  men,  of  whom  fifteen  were  sick  and 
absent,  and  Decker's  seventy-four,  of  whom 
nine  were  sick  and  absent.  On  November  15th 
following,  Spohn's  had  one  first  lieutenant,  one 
second  lieutenant,  four  sergeants,  and  of  rank 
and  file,  twenty  present  fit  for  duty,  and  nine- 
teen sick,  present;  and  Decker's  had  one  captain, 
first  lieutenant  and  second  lieutenant,  each,  four 
sergeants,  two  drum  and  fife,  and  rank  and  file 
thirty-seven  present  fit  for  duty,  and  six  sick, 
present. 

ROLL   OF  CAPTAIN  PETER  DECKER'S   COMPANY. 

[This  roll  is  incomplete.] 
Captain. 
Peter  Decker,   Reading,    commissioned    January   5 
1776 ;  taken  November  16,  1776 ;  broke  his  par- 
ole; resigned  February  2,  1777. 


First  Lieutenant. 
Charles  Phile,  Philadelphia,   commissioned  January 
6,  1776;  taken  November  16th;  promoted  cap- 
tain  February   1,  1777;  exchanged   August  26, 
1778 ;  became  supernumerary. 

Second  Lieutenant. 
John  Rudolph,  Darby,  Chester  County,  commissioned 
January  8, 1776;  taken  November  16th;  promoted 
to  first  lieutenant  February  1,  1777 ;  exchanged 
October  25,  1780. 

Ensign. 

James  Mulloy,  commissioned  January  8,  1776. 
Sergeants. 

James   Forsythe,  Cumru,  Berks  County,  taken  No- 
vember 16,  1776. 

Michael  Gabby,  New  London,  Chester  County,  taken 
November  16,  1776;  paroled  December  26,  1776. 

Christopher   Weiser,  residing  in   Buffalo    township, 
Union  County,  1792. 

Corporal. 
Philip  Duck,  Cocalico,  Lancaster  County,  taken  No- 
vember 16,  1776 ;  paroled  December  26,  1776. 

Privates. 
Abraham  Brosious,  Cumru,  taken  November  16, 1776. 
Michael  Burkhart,  Cumru,  taken  November  16, 1776 ; 

died  in  prison. 
Jacob  Cherchner,  Cumru,  taken  November  16,  1776; 

died  in  prison. 
Andrew  Cook,  Darby,  taken  November  16,  1776. 
Leonard    Dell,   Cumru,  taken   November  16,  1776 ; 

died  in  Penn  township,  Snyder  County,  1792. 
James  Finerty,  Mildrick,  Del.,  taken  November  16, 

1776. 
Robert  Fry,  Philadelphia,  taken  November  16,  1776. 
George  Huber,  taken  November  16,  1776;   residing 

in  Dauphin  County,  1806. 
George  Huber,  taken  November  16,  1776;    residing 

in  Dauphin  County,  1807. 
Anthony     Lehman;     Pennsylvania    pension,    York 

County,  in  1818,  aged  sixty-five. 
Peter  Moyer,  taken  at  Fort  Washington  ;  exchanged 

1778 ;  re-enlisted  in  Captain  Bankson's  company. 
Matthias  Spang,  Cumru,  taken  November  16,  1776; 

paroled  December  26,  1776. 
Leonard  Strow,  Cumru,  taken  November  16,  1776. 
Edward  Welsh,  Cumru,  taken  November  16,  1776. 
Jacob  Young,  Cumru,  taken    November    16,  1776; 

paroled  December  26,  1776. 
Michael   Zeller,  Cumru,  taken  November  16,  1776; 

residing  in  Dauphin  County  in  1807. 
John  Zuier,  Cumru,  taken  November  16,  1776;  died 

in  prison. 

Lesher's  Company.— The  following  is  a 
copy  of  the  roster  of  a  company  from  Berks 
County  which  served  during  the  campaign  com- 


REVOLUTION  AND  INDEPENDENCE. 


145 


mencing  with  the  battle  of  Long  Inland   (dated 
Perth  Amboy,  August  27, 1776) : 

Colonel. 

John  Patton. 

First  Major. 

Joseph  Thornburgh. 

Second  Major. 

Christian  Lower. 

Staff  Adjutant. 

Henry  Spyker. 

Quarter -master. 

George  Lechner. 

Captain. 

John  Lesher. 

First  Lieutenant. 

Jacob  Rehrer. 

Second  Lieutenant. 

John  Anspach. 

Ensign. 
Jacob  Bortner. 


Sergeants. 


Valentine  Beuler. 
Francis  Zeller. 


Wm.  Eichberger. 
Conrad  Sherman. 


Corporals. 
Philip.  Eichberger.  Peter  Weis. 

Henry  Krum.  Jacob  Read. 

Fifer. 

Andrew  Zeller. 

Drummer. 

John   Weis. 


Privates. 


Ludwig  Wirtenberger. 
Lorentz  Wolfe. 
George  Fisher. 
John  Gebhart. 
Peter  Mayer. 
John  Reinhart. 
Jacob  Megant. 
George  Brobst. 
Christian  Emerich. 
Baltzer  Houtz. 
Frederick  Young. 
Michael  Katterman. 
Nicholas  Stouch. 
Peter  Forney. 
Conrad  Wentzel. 
Samuel  Read. 
Jacob  Hitzman. 


Baltzer  Noll. 
John  Teisinger. 
Philip  Weber. 
Henry  Snyder. 
Jacob  Brown. 
Godfried  Seltzer. 
Nicholas  Teisinger. 
Hieronymus  Schrift. 
Nicholas  Smith. 
Ludwig  Ohrenbaum. 
George  Paffinger. 
Leonard  Emerich. 
Abraham  Snyder. 
Peter  Pontius. 
Nicholas  Bressler. 
Henry  Sterner. 


"Rations  furnished  to  Colonel  Patton's  Regiment, 
at  Womelsdorf,  1068. 
18 


"  Record  of  March  to  Long  Island. 
"  At  Womelsdorf,  from  August  1st  to  9th,  getting 
cloth  for  tents  and  making  tents.  August  11,  marched 
at  12  M.  from  Womelsdorf  to  Sinking  Spring,  nine 
miles.  August  12,  to  Reading,  five  miles,  and  detain- 
ed there  by  Committee  13th  and  14th.  August  15, 
inarched  to  Levan's  (Kutztown),  eighteen  miles. 
August  16,  to  Bethlehem,  twenty-four  miles.  August 
17,  to  Straw's  Tavern,  fifteen  miles.  Next  day,  Sun- 
day, remained  there,  raining  all  day.  August  19th, 
inarched  to  South  Branch  of  Raritan  River,  twenty 
miles.  August  20th,  to  '  Punch  Bowl,'  twenty  miles. 
August  21st,  to  Boneantown,  seventeen  miles ;  and  on 
22d  arrived  at  Perth  Amboy,  seven  miles  ;  total  dis- 
tance marched,  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  miles.'' 

Mosee's  Company. — The  following  is  the 
roll  of  Captain  Jacob  Moser's  company  in  Sixth 
Pennsylvania  Regiment  of  Continental  Line : 

Captain. 
Jacob  Moser,  February  15,  1777. 

First  Lieutenants. 
George  Will,  Berks  County,  February  14, 1777 ;  had 
been  eleven  years  in  Prussian  and  English  ser- 
vice ;  left  the  regiment  October  7,  1777. 
Samuel  Smith,  October  8,  1777. 

Second  Lieutenants. 
Samuel  Smith,  promoted  October  8,  1777,  first  lieu- 
tenant. 
Farquhar  McPherson,  October  8,  1777. 

Ensign. 
Ernest  Greese,  February  15,  1777. 

Sergeants. 
Peter  Sackville,  April  30,  1777. 
John  Albright,  March  26,  1777. 
John  Gallagher,  April  30,  1777. 

Dennis  Carroll. 

Corporals. 

Dennis  Carroll,  April  28,  1777. 

Jacob  Boyer,  March  10,  1777  (three  years). 

Drummer. 

Jacob  Busvalt. 

Fifer. 

Francis  Parvin,  April  28,  1777. 

Privates. 

William   Adam,    Maxatawny,   June  9,   1778    (three 

years). 
Martin  Armfighter,  April  30,  1777. 
Charles  Bates,  May  1,  1777. 
John  Barnhart,  April  10,  1777. 
Jacob  Bower,  April  25,  1777. 
Samuel  Boyer,  March  10,  1777. 
John  Boyd,  April  12,  1777;  missing  June  26,  1777. 
Edward  Brown,  March  13,  1777. 


146 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


George    Camp,  Maxatawny,   June   28,    1778   (three 

years.) 
John     Casedy,    Maxatawny,    June    9,    1778    (three 

years). 
Adam  Decker,  Maxatawny,  July  9,  1778. 
James   Dietrick,   Maxatawny,  May  15,   1778   (three 

years. 
John  Dumb,  April  2,  1777. 
Phineas  Eachey,  September  18,  1777. 
David  Gibson,  March  8,  1777. 
Jacob  Glasmire,  May  3,  1777. 
John  Glasmire,  May  8,  1777. 
Ludwick  Guthbroad,  Reading,  May  28,  1778. 
John  Hawkins,  May  11,  1778  (three  years). 
John  Herman,  March  10,  1777. 
Henry  Hopper,  May  1,  1777  ;  transferred  to  artillery 

in  October,  1777. 
John  Howard,  Reading,  July  27,  1778  (three  years). 
Daniel  Keel,  May  5,  1778. 
Henry  Kelchner,  Maxatawny,  May  11,  1778  (three 

years). 
John  Kerner,  March  10,  1777;   promoted    sergeant 

(see  general  list). 
Casper  Knorr,    Maxatawny,  May   19,    1778    (three 

years). 
Conrad  Kline,   Maxatawny,  March   12,  1778  (three 

years). 
John  Leslie,  February  23,  1777  (for  three  years). 
Jacob  Leimmes  (Lemer),  May  5,  1777. 
James  Mathews,  Reading,  April  25,  1778. 
John  Metz,  April  22,  1777. 
Adam    Meyer,    Maxatawny,    May    5,     1778    (three 

years). 
Thomas  Mitchell,  May  17,  1777. 
Isaac  Muller. 

Jacob  Oswald,  April  30,  1777. 
Thomas  Pickworth,  Reading,  May  7,  1778. 
Abraham  Py  ke,  Reading,  May  7,  1778. 
John  Reedy,  April  5,  1777. 
Daniel  Reel,  May  5,  1777. 
John  Roland,  Maxatawny,  April  30,  1778. 
Balther  Sheaf,  May  1,  1777. 
Jacob   Schrader,    Maxatawny,   May  15,  1778  (three 

years). 
Michael  Stainer,  May  3,  1777. 

Philip  William  Stewart,  Maxatawny,  June  17,  1778. 
Peter  Ulrick,  May  8,  1778. 
Peter  Wendland,  May  4,  1777 ;  missing  September  11, 

1777. 
Jacob    Wetzel,   Maxatawny,    July   16,   1778   (three 


Jacob  Welrick,  March  30,  1777  (for  three  years). 

James  Wilson,  May  5,  1777. 

George  Wright,  Maxatawny,  June  30, 1778  (for  three 

years) 
Jacob  Young,  Sr.,  pioneer,  April  1,  1777. 
Jacob  Young,  Jr.,  April  27,  1777. 
Michael    Zern,    Maxatawny,     June    9,   1778  (three 

years). 


(Those  not  marked  three  years  were  enlisted  "  dur- 
ing the  war"). 

Bauer's  and  Weiser's  Companies. — These 
two  companies  were  also  doubtless  from  Berks 
County.  The  following  is  the  roll  of  Captain 
Jacob  Bauer's  company  in  Von  Attendorff's 
corps,  Continental  Line : 

Captain. 

Jacob  Bauer.1 

First  Lieutenant. 

Lewis  Aug.  de  Mechtritz. 

Second  Lieutenant. 

John  Sharp. 

Sergeants. 
George  Bamberg.  Jacob  Young. 

Corporals. 

Andrew  Hornberg.  John  Mannerson. 

Drummer. 

Andrew  Ransier. 


Charles  Butner. 
George  Eirich. 
Charles  Feidler. 
Jacob  Fernecorn. 
John  Geisel. 
John  Geo.  Klein. 
Jonathan  Lynch. 
John  Mitchell. 


Privates. 


John  G.  Neimrich. 
John  Pattis. 
Andrew  Rebourg. 
William  Roch. 
Jacob  Shafer. 
Adam  Sypert. 
John  Shepherd. 
John  Walch. 


The  following  is  the  roll  of  Captain  Benjamin 
Weiser's  company,  in  German  Begiment,  com- 
manded by  Colonel  Nicholas  Haussegger. .  Cap- 
tain Weiser  resided  in  Heidelberg  township  and 
was  a  son  of  Conrad  Weiser  : 

Captain. 

Benjamin  Weiser. 

First  Lieutenant. 

Jacob  Bower.2 

Second  Lieutenant. 

Frederick  Yeiser. 

Ensign. 
Jacob  Kreamer. 
Sergeants. 
Charles  Glichner,  July  10,  1776. 
Stewart  Herbert,  July  15, 1776. 


1  Also  spelled  Bower. 

2  A  resident  of  Heidelberg  township.  In  a  deed  on  rec- 
ord his  name  is  spelled  Bauer.  He  was  promoted  to  cap- 
tain. 


REVOLUTION  AND  INDEPENDENCE. 


147 


John  Benkler,  August  15,  1776. 
Joseph  Miller,  August  19,  1776. 

Corporals. 

Nicholas  Waldman,  July  10,  1776. 
George  Price,  July  14,  1776. 
Conrad  Eahn,  August  15, 1776. 

Drummer. 
William  Marx,  July  25,  1776. 

Fifer. 
Adam  Bush,  July  12,  '76  ;  disch.  Sept.  16,  '76. 

Privates. 
John  Barnheisell,  July  22,  1776. 
John  Bishop,  July  28,  1776. 
John  Christman,  August  6,  1776. 
John  Derr,  August  25,  1776. 
George  Fick,  July  10,  1776. 
John  Heier,  July  25,  1776. 
John  Henry,  August  12,  1776. 
Casper  Kealer,  August  23,  1776. 
Philip  Killmar,  July  14,  1776. 
Peter  Lesher,  August  15,  1776. 
John  Lorash,  August  6,  1776. 
Joseph  Mast,  July  19,  1776. 
John  Maurst,  August  15,  1776. 
Eberhart  Mayer,  August  27,  1776. 
Jacob  Mickley,  September  1,  1776. 
Baltzer  Newfang,  July  15,  1776. 
John  Portner,  August  3,  1776. 
Abr.  Price,  August  9,  1776. 
John  Eazor,  July  24,  1776. 
Michael  Eiegel,  July  20,  1776. 
Martin  Eeiskell,  August  6,  1776. 
Joseph  Eomick,  August  6,  1776. 
Adam  Eosemeisell,  July  12, 1776. 
Peter  Shiffer,  July  12,  1776. 
Benj.  Servey,  July  19,  1776. 
Henry  Seyfert,  July  22,  1776. 
Jacob  Smith,  July  21,  1776. 
John  Snyder,  August  16,  1776. 
Frederick  Spire,  July  15,  1776. 
Adam  Stull,  July  20, 1776. 
Peter  Toney,  August  2,  1776. 
Frederick  Trester,  July  26,  1776. 
Conrad  Treywitz,  August  18,  1776. 
John  Tudro,  July  15,  1776. 
William  Wallman,  July  27,  1776. 
Philip  Warley,  July  22,  1776. 
Christopher  Weigle,  July  28,  1776. 
Frederick  Williams,  August  9,  1776. 
Vincent  Williams,  August  19,  1776. 
Michael  Yeisley,  August  9,  1776. 

The  following  is  the  roster  of  the  Berks 
County  regiment  in  the  Revolution,  August  27, 
1777: 


First  Battalion.  —  Colonel,  Daniel  Hunter;  Lieuten 
ant-Colonel,  Jacob  Boyer ;  Major,  Martin  Kercher 
Adjutant,  Philip  Berlet;  Chaplain,  Jacob  Michael 
Quartermaster,  Isaac  Feeder;  Surgeon,  Dan'l  Velcher 
Captains,  Conrad  Geist,  Joseph  McMurray,  Charles 
Krause,  John  Lesher,  Jacob  Whetstone,  Christopher 
Foulke;  Lieutenant,  Henry  Knauss. 

Second  Battalion. — Colonel,  Daniel  Udree;  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel, John  Guldin  ;  Adjutant,  George 
Eelhm ;  Surgeon,  John  Umstead ;  Surgeon's  Mate, 
Thomas  Kerlin ;  Quartermaster,  Conrad  Foose ;  Cap- 
tains, Stephen  Krumrein,  John  Eeitmeyer,  George 
Battorf,  John  Eisington,  Peter  Smith,  Conrad  Minich; 
Lieutenant,  Joseph  Colier. 

Third  Battalion. — Colonel,  Michael  Lindemuth  ; 
Captains,  Sebastian  Lentz,  Daniel  Deturck,  Jacob 
Eothermel,  David  Strouse,  Sebastian  Miller,  Jacob 
Shartly,  George  Souter,  George  Beaver ;  Lieutenants, 
Daniel  Womelsdorf,  Francis  Umbehacker,  William 
Williams,  Philip  Boenig. 

Fourth  Battalion. — Colonel,  Joseph  Hiester;  Cap- 
tains, Sebastian  Emerick,  Peter  Nagle,  George  Grant, 
Conrad  Weiser;  Lieutenants,  Isaiah  Davis,  Jacob 
Dreibelbis. 

Fifth  Battalion. — Lieutenant-Colonel,  Geo.  Miller ; 
Captains,  Michael  Bretz,  George  Eeihm ;  Lieutenants, 
Kerper,  Joseph  Talbot. 

Sixth  Battalion. — Colonel,  Henry  Spyker  ;  Cap- 
tains, Michael  Vogge,  Jacob  Ehoads,  Jacob  Shap- 
pell,  Henry  Weaver,  Conrad  Eckert,  Jacob  Hill. 

Seventh  and  Eighth  Battalions. — Colonel,  Jacob 
Weaver;  Major,  John  Cinte;  Adjutant,  Leonard  Ger- 
ber;  Captains,  Daniel  Eeif,  John  Eagner,  Ferdinand 
Eitter,  Philip  Creek,  David  Morgan,  Jacob  Kremer, 
Philip  Filbert,  Conrad  Mingle ;  Wagonmaster,  John 
German;  Sergeant,  James  Lone;  Ensign,  John  Kidd. 

Captain  Joseph  Hiester's  Company. — 
Joseph  Hiester  raised  a  company  of  eighty  men 
at  Reading  about  June,  1776,  and  commanded 
it  in  the  battle  of  Long  Island.  No  record  of 
this  company  has  been  preserved. 

Captain  Jacob  Mauree's  Company. — 
Jacob  Maurer  also  raised  a  company  of  men  at 
Reading,  and  it  was  also  engaged  in  the  battle 
of  Long  Island,  but  no  roll  of  it  has  been  pub- 
lished. 

Captain  Jacob  Livingood's  Riflemen. — 
By  the  colonial  records  it  would  appear  that 
Jacob  Livingood,  of  Middletown  (Womelsdorf), 
had  formed  a  company  of  riflemen  in  Heidelberg 
township  during  the  latter  part  of  September, 
1781,  who  were  enlisted  to  serve  till  the  succeed- 
ing January.  He  was  appointed  captain  of  this 
company.     I  could  not  find  the  roster.     They 


148 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


performed  service,  and  the  Executive  Council 
passed  orders  in  January,  1782,  to  satisfy  them. 

Other  Teoops  from  County. — On  No- 
vember 18,  1777,  Morgan  reported  that  he  had 
sent  to  camp  four  hundred  militia,  out  of  the 
Fifth  and  Sixth  Classes,  under  the  command  of 
Colonel  Henry  Spyker. 

In  January,  1 778,  General  Washington  recom- 
mended that  Captain  Edward  Scull  recruit  one 
hundred  and  fifty  men  in  Berks  County  for  the 
battalion  of  the  State  in  the  Continental 
army. 

Jacob  Morgan  reported  to  Council,  on  the  16th 
of  August,  1778,  that  he  had  sent  from  Berks 
County,  pursuant  to  orders,  one  hundred  and 
eighty  men,  including  officers,  to  Sunbury,  and 
one  hundred  and  twenty-three  to  Easton.  He 
also  reported,  on  the  26th  of  June,  1780,  that 
he  had  sent  to  Philadelphia  a  company  of 
twenty-five  men  with  a  muster-roll, — these  hav- 
ing been  raised  as  volunteers  in  Berks  County. 

The  Fifth  Regiment  of  Infantry  in  the 
Pennsylvania  Line  was  ordered  on  the  23d  of 
January,  1781,  to  be  recruited  at  Reading.  And 
on  the  30th  of  January  following  an  order  for 
five  hundred  pounds  was  drawn  to  Henry 
Christ  for  enlisting  men  into  this  regiment. 

Valentin eEckert  (lieutenant  of  Berks  County) 
reported  to  President  Reed,  on  the  8th  of  Oc- 
tober, 1781,  that  he  had  sent  to  Newtown, 
Bucks  County,  upwards  of  three  hundred  men, 
exclusive  of  officers.  Three  companies  were 
composed  of  Berks  County  men — two  of  which 
were  armed,  the  other  was  not  armed — and 
three  more  companies  were  then  forming. 

In  August,  1782,  the  Indians  invaded  Berks 
County,  and  the  lieutenant  of  the  county  was 
required  to  call  into  service  a  lieutenant  and  en- 
sign with  twenty-five  men  for  the  defense  of 
the  frontiers  of  the  county.  Shortly  afterward 
he  was  ordered  to  send  fifty  men  to  defend  the 
frontiers  of  Berks  County  in  parts  adjacent  to 
Northumberland  County,  and  thence  to  march 
to  Sunbury,  where  they  were  to  be  placed  under 
the  command  of  Colonel  Samuel  Hunter.  And 
in  September  following  he  was  ordered  to  call 
into  service  immediately  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  of  the  county  militia,  who  were  to 
march  to  Northumberland,  and  rendezvous  at 


Muncy.  On  the  2d  of  October,  1784,  a  de- 
tachment of  fifty  men  out  of  Berks  County 
militia  was  ordered  to  be  sent  to  Wyoming  to 
quiet  the  disturbances  there  and  support  the  civil 
authorities. 

Daniel  Broadhead  was  born  probably  in  Al- 
bany, N.  Y.,  1725.  In  1738  his  father  migrated 
to  Pennsylvania,  and- settled  in  Monroe  County, 
now  East  Stroudsburg.  He  grew  up  in  a  frontier 
settlement.  Their  house  was  attacked  by  In- 
dians in  1755.  In  1771  he  removed  to  Read- 
ing, and  soon  afterward  was  appointed  deputy- 
surveyor  under  John  Lukens,  surveyor-general. 
In  July,  .1775,  he  was  appointed  a  delegate 
from  Berks  County  to  the  Provincial  Convention 
at  Philadelphia.  In  March,  1776,  he  was  ap- 
pointed lieutenant-colonel  of  Miles'  rifle  regi- 
ment ;  and  in  October  following  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Third  Pennsylvania  Battalion, 
known  as  Shee's.  He  was  then  promoted  to  col- 
onel of  Eighth  Pennsylvania  Continental  Line, 
March  12,  1777,  to  rank  from  September  29, 
1776.  He  joined  this  regiment  in  April,  1776; 
and  in  January,  1781,  he  was  transferred  to  the 
First  Pennsylvania  Line,  and  he  was  still  colo- 
nel of  the  regiment  in  September,  1783.  Upon 
the  capture  of  Colonel  Miles,  at  the  battle  of 
Long  Island,  the  command  of  the  remainder  of 
the  battalion  devolved  upon  him  ;  and  he  was, 
in  fact,  after  the  battle,  in  command  of  the 
whole  Pennsylvania  contingent,  being  then  the 
senior  officer  remaining  in  the  army ;  shortly 
afterward  he  went  home  on  sick-leave,  and 
when  he  rejoined  the  army  it  was  as  colonel  of 
the  Eighth  Regiment.  He  made  some  import- 
ant treaties  with  the  Indians,  and  for  this  he 
expected  to  be  ordered  to  move  into  the  Indian 
country,  but  he  was  disappointed,  the  command 
having  been  given  to  Colonel  Clark,  a  Virginia 
officer.  The  war  having  then  been  virtually 
ended  he  was  not  assigned  to  any  command.  It 
is  believed  that  he  received  the  appointment  of 
brigadier-general  before  the  close  of  the  war. 
In  1789  he  represented  Berks  County  in  the 
General  Assembly  and  participated  in  the  im- 
portant discussion  relating  to  the  alteration  and 
ammendment  of  the  Constitution  of  1776.  He 
voted  in  the  affirmative.  Subsequently,  in  the 
same  year,  when   the  Assembly  reconvened,  he 


REVOLUTION  AND  INDEPENDENCE. 


149 


voted  for  the  calling  of  a  convention  to  amend 
the  Constitution.  In  1789  he  received  the  ap- 
pointment of  surveyor-general  of  Pennsylvania, 
which  he  held  for  eleven  years.  He  then  re- 
moved to  Milford,  Pike  County,  Pa.,  where  he 
died  November  15,  1809.  He  was  twice  mar- 
ried, his  first  wife  having  been  Elizabeth  Depin, 
and  his  second  the  widow  of  Governor  Thomas 
Mifflin. 

William  Adams,  of  Maxatawny,  private,  Sixth  Penn- 
sylvania Continental  Line,  in  Humphrey's  com- 
pany, September,  1778  ;  resided  in  Henry  County, 
Ky.,  1832,  aged  eighty-six  years. 
Matthias  Babb,  the  first  private  who  enlisted  in  Cap- 
tain Hiester's  company  ;  was  a  tall,  well-propor- 
tioned and  handsome  man,  and  a  coppersmith  by 
occupation  at  Beading ;  he  died  in  1825,  at   an 
advanced  age. 
Matthias   Baughter,  sergeant,   Captain   Scull's  com- 
pany, in  Fourth  Pennsylvania  Continental  Line ; 
enlisted  in  1777 ;  discharged  January,  1781 ;  re- 
sided in  Berks  County,  1814. 
David    Bloom,  private,    German    Kegiment,    Penn- 
sylvania Continental  Line,  August  8,  1776  ;  three 
years. 
Detner  (Botmire)   Bonser,  private  Second  Pennsyl- 
vania Continental    Line,  from    German    Regi- 
ment;  discharged  January   14,   1781;    died    in 
Brecknock,  Berks  County,  1790. 
Jacob   Botamer,  private,   German  Regiment,   Penn- 
sylvania Continental  Line,  August,  1776,  in  Cap- 
tain  Bergen's  company  ;  wounded  at    Trenton, 
N.  J.,  January,  1777 ;  resided  in  Westmoreland 
County,  1813. 
Jacob  Bower,  Reading,  quartermaster,  Thompson's  bat- 
talion of  riflemen  ;  lieutenant  January  18,  1776  ; 
afterward    captain    in    Plying    Camp ;    captain 
Sixth  Pennsylvania  Continental  Line  February 
15,   1777 ;   transferred   to   Second  Pennsylvania 
Continental  Line  January  1,  1783 ;  died  in  Berks 
County,  1822. 
Edward  Burd,  major,  First  Pennsylvania  Line. 
Peter  Cryolick,  private,  Von  Heer's  dragoons  Conti- 
nental Line ;  pensioner. 
Sebastian    Cunitz,    Reading,     private,    Von    Heer's 

dragoons,  Continental  Line,  April  1,  1780. 
Peter  Decker,   captain,  Sixth   Pennsylvania    Conti- 
nental Line ;  prisoner  of  war. 
Samuel  Dewees,  captain  in  the  Eleventh  Regiment, 
superintendent  of  certain  hospitals  ;  died  at  Al- 
lentown,  1777. 
Samuel  Dewees,  fifer  in  Eleventh  Regiment,  enlisted 
when  a  boy  fifteen  years  old ;  born  at   "Reading 
Furnace,"  Heidelberg  township,  in  1760  ;  son  of 
Captain  Samuel  Dewees. 
Jacob  Dodridge,  private,  Hazen's  regiment,  Conti- 
nental Line,  December  4,  1776 ;  discharged  at 


end  of  war,  June  20, 1783,  with  two  wounds  in  his 
arm;  resided  in  Berks  County,  1835, aged  ninety., 

John  Dougan,  of  Cumru,  private,  Fourth  Pennsyl- 
vania Continental  Line;  died  1787  and  left  a' 
widow,  net  Mary  Evans. 

David  Edgar,  private,  Second  Pennsylvania  Conti- 
nental Line;  died  in  Berks  County  January  15, 
1822,  aged  seventy-one  years. 

Michael  Engle,  sergeant,  Nicholas'  company  Artillery 
Artificers,  Continental  Line. 

Andrew  Fox,  private,  Von  Heer's  dragoons  Conti- 
nental Line ,  pensioner. 

David  Fox,  Reading,  trumpeter  Von  Heer's  dra- 
goons Continental  Line,  1778;  pensioner;  in 
Berks  County,  1835,  aged  sixty-nine  years. 

Jacob  Fox,  Reading,  private,  Von  Heer's  dragoons 
Continental  Line,  1778 ;  pensioner. 

George  Fricker,  private,  Von  Heer's  dragoons,  Con- 
tinental Line ;  resided  in  Reading,  1787 ;  pen- 
sioner. 

Peter  Fricker,  private.  Von  Heer's  dragoons,  Conti- 
nental Line ;  pensioner ;  died  in  Berks  County, 
1827,  aged  sixty-two  years. 

Stephen  Gilbert,  private,  Third  Pennsylvania  Conti- 
nental Line;  died  in  Berks  County  November  8, 
1819,  aged  sixty-three  years. 

Jacob  Glassmire,  private,  Second  Pennsylvania  Con- 
tinental Line,  also  private  Sixth  Pennsylvania 
Continental  Line;  resided  in  Berks  County,  1835, 
aged  eighty-one  years. 

John  Gohoon,  corporal,  German  Regiment,  Penn- 
sylvania Continental  Line,  August  6, 1776. 

John  Gonter,  farrier,  First  Partisan  Legion,  Conti- 
nental Line,  May  27, 1782,  for  eighteen  months. 

Frederick  Graff,  private,  Von  Heer's  dragoons,  Con- 
tinental Line;  resided  in  Berks  County,  1787  ; 
pensioner. 

Adam  Grawley,  private,  Artillery  Artificers ;  resided 
in  Berks  County,  aged  seventy-seven  years. 

Ernest  Greese,  ensign,  Sixth  Pennsylvania  Conti- 
nental Line  February,  1778  ;  captured  at  Short 
Hills  and  made  his  escape ;  served  in  Royal 
American  Regiment  in  French  War;  became 
supernumerary  1778;  resided  at  Reading,  1814. 

Ludwig  Gutbreath,  ofReading,  private,  Sixth  Penn- 
sylvania Continental  Line. 

Andrew    Hagar,    German    Regiment    Pennsylvania 

Continental  Line. 
Thomas    Hartley,     colonel,  Eleventh    Pennsylvania 
Continental  Line  January  15,  1777  ;  previously 
of  Sixth  Battalion ;  he  was  born  near  Reading 
September  7,  1748,  and  removed  to  York,  Pa., 
when  eighteen  years  old ;  he  there  studied  law 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bars   1769.     He  was  a 
prominent  representative  man  in  York  till  his 
decease  in  1800. 
Jacob  Hartman,  private,  Captain  Douglass'  company 
wounded  above  knee  at   Brandywine   and  dis- 
charged 1779 ;  resided  at  Reading,  1792. 


150 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


William  Henderson,  captain,  Fourth  Pennsylvania 
Continental  Line;  from  lieutenant  May  16,  1778, 
succeeding  Captain  Edward  Scull. 

John  Herman,  private,  Hazen's  regiment,  Continen- 
tal Line ;  resided  in  Berks  County,  1812. 

John  Hess,  private,  Captain  Bower's  company,  Sixth 
Pennsylvania  Continental  Line,  April  28,  1777. 

John  George  Hiller,  Reading,  trumpeter,  Von  Heer's 
dragoons,  Continental  Line,  January  1,  1778. 

Jacob  Holder,  private,  Second  Pennsylvania  Conti- 
nental Line ;  wounded  at  Brandywine ;  resided  in 
Berks  County,  1820,  aged  seventy-five  years. 

William  James,  a  Revolutionary  survivor,  died  on 
the  24th  of  February,  1850,  in  the  ninety-third 
year  of  his  age. 

Henry  Kalkner,  Maxatawny,  private,  Harmar's  com- 
pany, Sixth  Pennsylvania  Continental  Line,  Sep- 
tember, 1778. 

Peter  Keplinger,  private,  Captain  Davis'  company, 
Ninth  Pennsylvania  Continental  Line,  1777; 
discharged  February,  1780,  time  expired. 

John  Kerner,  sergeant,  Captain  Nagle's  company ; 
re-enlisted  in  Captain  Moser's  company ;  wounded 
October,  1777,  and  lost  two  fingers;  transferred 
to  Captain  Finney's  company;  discharged  1781; 
died  in  Union  County,  1829,  aged  eighty-four 
years. 

John  Keim,  private,  Captain  Peter  Nagle's  company, 
in  Colonel  Joseph  Hiester's  regiment. 

Francis  King,  private,  First  Pennsylvania  Continen- 
tal Line;  died  in  Berks  County,  July  3,  1825,  aged 
eighty-five  years. 

Samuel  Kline,  private,  First  Pennsylvania  Continen- 
tal Line,  January  1,  1777;  January  18,  1781;  re- 
sided in  Berks  County,  1834,  aged  seventy-four 
years. 

Adam  Koch,  private,  Armand's  Legion,  Continental 
Line  ;  died  in  Berks  County,  1827. 

Herman  Leitheiser,  of  Reading,  ensign,  Sixth  Penn- 
sylvania Continental  Line,  February,  1777 ;  died 
in  Berks  County  February  11, 1829,  aged  seventy- 
seven  years. 

Michael  Lenig,  of  Bethel,  private,  Seventh  Pennsyl- 
vania Continental  Line. 

William  Marks,.  Reading,  drummer  in  Selin's  com- 
pany, Von  Ottendorfs  corps,  Continental  Line, 
March  21,  1777. 

James  Matthews,  Reading,  private,  Sixth  Pennsyl- 
vania Continental  Line. 

Alex.  McQuillon,  private,  Captain  Scull's  company 
and  transferred  to  Tenth  Pennsylvania  Continen- 
tal Line. 

John  Mears,  of  Reading,  captain,  Fourth  Pennsylva- 
nia Continental  Line,  July  3,  1777;  served  till 
May  26,  1778 ;  resided  in  Reading  1781 ;  com- 
manded Captain  Tudor's  company  till  his  return 
from  captivity. 

Peter  Meyer,  Heidelberg,  private,  German  Regiment, 
Pennsylvania  Continental  Line. 


Jacob  Miller,  Reading,  private,  Captain  Spohn's  com- 
pany, Fifth  Pennsylvania  Continental  Line;  died 
in  Centre  County,  1823,  aged  seventy  years. 

Abel  Morris,  second  lieutenant;  from  lieutenant  of 
Flying  Camp  to  Second  Pennsylvania  Continen- 
tal Line,  1777;  became  supernumerary. 
Frederick  Miiller,  Reading,  private,  Von  Heer's  dra- 
goons, Continental  Line,  August  1,  1780. 
Wm.  Muneback,  private,  Artillery  Artificers;  resided 
in  Berks  County,  1835,  aged  seventy-three  years. 

George  Nagel,  major  in  Magaw's  Fifth  Pennsylvania 
Battalion,  commissioned  January  5,  1776;  lieute- 
nant-colonel Ninth  Pennsylvania  Continental 
Line,  October,  1776,  to  rank  from  August,  1776 ; 
promoted  colonel  Tenth  Pennsylvania  Battalion, 
February,  1778 ;  became  supernumerary  July  1, 
1778. 

Philip  Nagle,  private,  First  Pennsylvania  Continen- 
tal Line;  resided  in  Berks  County,  1835,  aged 
eighty-one  years. 

Dr.  Bodo  Otto,  Reading,  hospital  physician,  Septem- 
ber 30,  1780. 

John  Pearson,  Reading,  first  lieutenant  Eleventh 
Pennsylvania  Continental  Line,  1776 ;  promoted 
captain  September  7,  1777 ;  transferred  to  Ninth 
Pennsylvania  July  1,  1778. 

Abraham  Pike,  Reading,  private,  Sixth  Pennsylvania 
Continental  Line;  resided  in  Luzerne  County 
1835. 

Thomas  Pikeworth,  Reading,  private,  Sixth  Pennsyl- 
vania Continental  Line. 

Dr.  Jonathan  Potts,  Reading,  surgeon,  Canada  De- 
partment, 1776;  deputy  division-general  North- 
ern Department,  April  11,  1777 ;  resigned. 

Daniel  Rightmyer,  Reading,  private,  Von  Heer's 
dragoons,  Continental  Line,  1778. 

John  Roland,  Maxatawny,  private,  Sixth  Pennsylva- 
nia Continental  Line. 

Jacob  Ruppert,  private,  Von  Heer's  dragoons,  Conti- 
nental Line,  August,  1778;  resided  in  Berks 
County,  1831. 

Edward  Scull,  of  Reading,  captain,  Fourth  Pennsyl- 
vania Continental  Line;  from  Adjutant  of  Colo- 
nel Haller's  battalion,  Flying  Camp,  January  3, 
1777;  resigned  May  16,  1778,  and  appointed  sec- 
retary of  Board  of  War. 

Peter  Scull,  captain  in  Shee's  Third  Pennsylvania 
Battalion,  commissioned  January  4,  1776;  ap- 
pointed brigadier  major  March  23,  1776. 

Charles  Shumann,  Reading,  private,  Von  Heer's  Dra- 
goons, Continental  Line,  April  1,  1780. 

John  Smeltzer,  Tulpehocken,  private,  German  Regi- 
ment, Pennsylvania  Continental  Line,  February, 
1780. 

Conrad  Smith,  private,  Third  Pennsylvania  Continen- 
tal Line,  February  29,  1777  ;  died  Oct.  15,  1778 ; 
his  widow,  Elizabeth,  resided  at  Reading,  1794. 

Henry  Snyder,  Reading,  private,  German  Regiment, 
Pennsylvania  Continental  Line,  July,  1776. 


REVOLUTION  AND  INDEPENDENCE. 


151 


Henry  Swetzgay,  private,  German  Regiment,  Penn- 
sylvania Continental  Line ;  died  in  Berks  County, 
1825,  aged  seventy-seven  years. 

Frederick  Tisius,  Reading,  private,  Von  Heer's  dra- 
goons, Continental  Line,  March  15,  1780. 

Bartholomew  Von  Hear,  Reading,  captain,  Provincial 
Guard  Dragoons,  Continental  Line ;  removed 
with  family  from  Berks  County,  in  1785,  to  near 
Falls  of  Schuylkill,  Philadelphia  County. 

Michael  Wallizer,  of  Heidelberg,  private,  Captain 
Scull's  company,  Fourth  Pennsylvania  Continen- 
tal Line;  transferred  to  Third  Pennsylvania,  1781. 

John  Weidman,  private,  German  Regiment,  Pennsyl- 
vania Continental  Line,  August,  1776  ;  promoted 
to  first  lieutenant  May  14, 1777  ;  retired  January 
1, 1781 ;  died  June  9,  1830,  aged  seventy-four 
years ;  buried  in  Lutheran  Cemetery,  Reading. 

Christopher  Weigel,  private,  Weiser's  company,  Ger- 
man Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Continental  Line  ; 
wounded  in  ankle ;  discharged  at  Valley  Forge, 
1778  ;  resided  in  Berks  County,  1835,  aged  seven- 
ty nine  years. 

Benjamin  Weiser,  captain,  German  Regiment,  Penn- 
sylvania Continental  Line,  1776  ;  resided  after 
the  war  at  Selin's  Grove. 

Peter  Weiser  (grandson  of  Conrad  Weiser),  second 
lieutenant  First  Pennsylvania  Continental  Line ; 
wounded  and  captured  at  German  town. 

Jacob  Weisler,  Reading,  private,  German  Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Continental  Line,  October,  1776. 

George  Whitman,  private,  from  Rifle  Regiment  to 
First  Pennsylvania  Continental  Line  ;  re-enlisted 
1776 ;  discharged  July,  1781 ;  resided  in  Berks 
County  in  1813. 

Jacob  Michael  Wilhelm,  private,  Armand's -Legion, 
Continental  Line. 

Henry  Willhausen,  Reading,  private,  Von  Heer's 
dragoons,  Continental  Line,  April  1,  1780. 

Thomas  Williams,  private,  First  Pennsylvania  Conti- 
nental Line  ;  died  in  Berks  County,  1792. 

Jacob  Wirtz,  private,  Fifth  Pennsylvania  Continen- 
tal Line ;  resided  in  Berks  County,  1835,  aged 
seventy-seven  years. 

Peter  Withington,  captain,  Twelfth  Pennsylvania 
Continental  Line,  October  1,  1776 ;  took  sick  in 
Philadelphia,  December,  1776,  and  sent  home  to 
Reading  and  died  May  11,  1777. 

William  Witman,  second  lieutenant,  Ninth  Penn- 
sylvania Continental  Line,  February,  1777  ;  shot 
through  the  body  with  a  musket-ball  at  German- 
town  ;  taken  prisoner  and  paroled ;  left  out  in 
arrangement  in  1778;  resided  in  Berks  County  in 
1789;  died  October  12,  1808. 

Michael  Youse,  private,  from  Lowdon's  company  in 
Thompson's  Rifles  to  First  Pennsylvania  Conti- 
nental Line,  1776-83;  resided  in  Maxatawny, 
Berks  County,  1817. 

Henry  Ziegler,  Reading,  private,  Von  Heer's  dra- 
goons, Continental  Line. 


Conscientious  Scruples  against  "War. — 
A  meeting  of  deputies  of  divers  inhabitants  of 
the  county,  who  were  conscientiously  scrupulous 
against  bearing  arms,  was  held  at  Reading,  on 
September  1,  1775.  They  passed  certain  reso- 
lutions, which,  briefly  stated,  were  as  follows : 

1.  Agreeing  to  voluntary  subscriptions  for  the  uses 
pointed  out  by  the  recommendations  of  the  Assembly, 
on  June  30,  1775,  and  of  the  Continental  Congress,  on 
July  18,  1775. 

2.  Ordering  accounts  of  moneys  received  and  ex- 
pended to  be  kept  by  a  treasurer. 

3.  Submitting  the  moneys  to  the  disposal  of  the 
Committee  of  Safety  as  a  part  of  the  share  to  be  ac- 
counted for  by  Berks  County. 

4.  Agreeing  to  answer  requisitions  on  them  by  the 
Committee  of  Safety. 

These  resolutions  were  signed  by  Wm.  Reeser, 
as  president  of  the  meeting.  On  September  11, 
1775,  he  sent  a  copy  of  them  to  the  Committee 
of  Safety,  stating  in  his  accompanying  letter 
that  they  were  conscientiously  scrupulous  of 
taking  up  arms,  though  fully  sensible  of  the 
justice  of  our  cause,  but  that  they  were  willing 
to  contribute  to  its  support.  '  He  acknowledged 
to  have  received  in  hands  the  sum  of  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty-two  pounds  for  the  Committee  of 
Safety,  and  assured  the  committee  that  they 
would  ever  cheerfully  contribute  their  propor- 
tion towards  the  safety  and  welfare  of  the 
public. 

On  the  20th  of  January,  1776,  the  people  of 
the  county  were  asked  by  the  Committee  of 
Safety  to  sign  the  Articles  of  Association.1 

Tory  Feeling  in  County. — About  this 
time  it  would  seem  that  certain  persons  in  the 
county  possessed  the  "  Tory  "  feeling,  and,  under 
its  influence,  endeavored  to  depreciate  the  "Con- 
tinental currency."  Two  men  were  apprehended 
for  doing  this,  but  they  were  discharged,  having, 
on  30th  of  January,  1776,  at  Reading,  publicly 
acknowledged  their  error,  begged  the  pardon  of 
the  community  and  promised  to  conform  to  the 
rules  and  regulations  that  existed.  Their  ac- 
knowledgment was  then  published  "so  as  to 
deter  others  from  following  the  same  shameful 
and  wicked  practice." 2 


1  3  American  Archives,  795. 

* 

2  4  American  Archives,  887. 


152 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


English  Pkisoners  at  Reading. — The 
Committee  of  Correspondence  at  Reading  ad- 
dressed a  letter  to  the  Pennsylvania  delegates 
in  Congress,  dated  4th  of  February,  1776,  in 
which  they  stated  that "  a  number  of  English 
soldiers,  lately  taken  prisoner  in  Canada,  ar- 
rived at  Reading  with  their  wives  and  children. 
The  committee  were  surprised  at  the  arrival  of 
so  large  a  party  by  order  without  notice  to  them, 
and  without  any  attending  person  to  supply 
them  with  necessaries ;  but  they  immediately 
appointed  Henry  Haller  one  of  the  committee 
to  provide  houses,  firewood  and  provisions  for 
the  party,  who  must  have  otherwise  suffered 
much  at  this  severe  season."  They  asked  Con- 
gress for  instruction.  In  this  communication 
they  recommended  that  Haller  be  retained  as  the 
commissary  for  the  soldiers  stationed  at  Read- 
ing. 

Some  months  afterward,  10th  of  July,  1776, 
Congress  ordered  that  the  privates  who  were 
prisoners  in  the  town  of  Reading  should  be  re- 
moved to  Lancaster. 

A  number  of  prisoners  of  war  were  stationed 
at  Reading  in  September,  1776.  Their  conduct 
and  late  hours  excited  the  citizens  to  such  an 
extent  that  a  meeting  of  the  committee  of  Berks 
County  was  called  on  3d  of  September,  and 
resolutions  were  adopted  praying  the  Council 
of  Safety  to  require  the  prisoners  to  disarm 
themselves  and  to  repair  to  their  respective 
lodgings  at  a  seasonable  hour — -eight  p.m.  every 
evening.  Captain  John  Witman,  Thomas  War- 
ren and  Michael  Graus  were  appointed  to  take 
possession  of  the  fire-arms,  etc. ;  and,  on  the 
4th,  Daniel  Rose,  Philip  Kremer  and  Krauff 
Hiiner  were  appointed  to  assist.  On  the  5th 
they  reported  that  General  Prescott  had  refused 
to  deliver  up  his  pistols  until  he  had  first  bro- 
ken and  rendered  them  useless,  and  that  he  had 
declared  they  acted  like  robbers.  He  admitted 
his  conduct.  The  committee  resolved  that  he 
had  misbehaved  himself,  and  "  that  he  be  com- 
mitted to  the  Common  Goal  till  the  opinion  of 
the  Council  of  Safety  be  known."  James 
Reed,  chairman,  reported  this  action  to  the 
Council,  and  made  request  that  "  a  Guard  be 
kept  as  a  security  from  any  attempts  which  may 
be  made  by  the  prisoners  in   our  present   de- 


fenceless situation."  The  Council  heard  the 
matter  on  the  10th  of  September,  and  ordered 
guard  to  be  kept  as  long  as  the  prisoners  re- 
mained, at  the  Council's  expense.1 

James  Read  wrote  to  the  Council  of  Safety, 
on  December  27,  1776,  the  letter  having  been 
induced  by  the  delivery  at  Reading  of  seven 
prisoners  from  Northampton  County, — 

"  Reading,  being  the  nearest  place,  we,  who  have  al- 
ready more  prisoners  (French  and  Scotch)  than  we 
have  men-at-arms  (old  and  young  together)  in  this 
place,  shall  have  all  the  Tories  that  Northampton  can 
find,  whereby  the  Ruin  of  this  Town  is  justly  appre- 
hended. Lancaster  has  Barracks,  and  neither  that 
town  nor  York  has  any  prisoners  in  it.  But,  if  the 
people  of  Northampton  have  their  choice  of  three 
places,  they  will  always  send  to  the  nearest  of  them. 
Thus  Reading  must  be  endangered  and,  at  best,  bur- 
thened.  Our  Prison  is  small ;  that  of  Lancaster  large ; 
and  that  Town  is  three  times  as  large  as  this.  Pray, 
sir,  let  these  things  be  immediately  considered.  We 
are  distressed.  .  .  .  We  have  heard  that  a  Hospi- 
tal is  to  be  made  in  this  place.  Strange,  this !  when 
we  have  not  one  house  in  town  unoccupied.  Many 
families  have  come  hither  from  Philadelphia." 

Associatoes. — A  Provincial  Conference  was 
held  at  Carpenter's  Hall,  in  Philadelphia,  dur- 
ing June  (18  to  25),  1776,  for  the  purpose  of 
taking  the  necessary  steps  towards  the  forma- 
tion and  adoption  of  a  Constitution  for  the  gov- 
ernment of  Pennsylvania.2 

In  the  proceedings  of  this  conference  provi- 
sion was  made  "  for  raising  4500  militia,  in  obe- 
dience to  resolutions  of  Congress  of  the  3d  and 
4th  of  June,  1776,  for  establishing  a  flying 
camp,  to  consist  of  10,000  men,  in  the  middle 
colonies,"  and  a  direction  given  for  the  prepara- 
tion and  publication  of  an  address  to  the  Asso- 
ciators  of  the  province  on  this  subject.  The  ad- 
dress was  as  follows : 

"  lo  the  Associators  of  Pennsylvania. 
"  Gentlemen, 

"  The  only  design  of  our  meeting  together  was  to 
put  an  end  to  our  own  power  in  the  province,  by  fix- 
ing upon  a  plan  for  calling  a  convention,  to  form  a 
government  under  the  authority  of  the  people.  But 
the  sudden  and  unexpected  separation  of  the  late  As- 

1  5  Pa.  Arch.,  19.  For  a  list  of  the  names  of  the  prison- 
ers, see  1  Pa.  Arch.  (2d  ser.)  424  ;  certified  by  James  Read, 
to  Council  of  Safety,  on  October  11,  1776. 

2  For  delegates  from  Berks  County,  see  chapter  on  Gov- 
ernment. 


REVOLUTION  AND  INDEPENDENCE. 


153 


sembly  has  compelled  us  to  undertake  the  execution 
of  a  resolve  of  Congress  for  calling  forth  4500  of  the 
militia  of  this  province,  to  join  the  militia  of  the 
neighboring  colonies,  to  form  a  camp  for  our  imme- 
diate protection.  We  presume  only  to  recommend 
the  plan  we  have  formed  to  you,  trusting  that,  in  a 
case  of  so  much  consequence,  your  love  of  virtue  and 
zeal  for  liberty  will  supply  the  want  of  authority  del- 
egated to  us  expressly  for  that  purpose. 

"We  need  not  remind  you  that  you  are  now  fur- 
nished with  new  motives  to  animate  and  support  your 
courage.  You  are  not  about  to  contend  against  the 
power  of  Great  Britain,  in  order  to  displace  one  set  of 
villains  to  make  room  for  another.  Your  arms  will 
not  be  enervated  in  the  day  of  battle  with  the  reflec- 
tion that  you  are  to  risk  your  lives  or  shed  your  blood 
for  a  British  tyrant ;  or  that  your  posterity  will  have 
your  work  to  do  over  again.  You  are  about  to  con- 
tend for  permanent  freedom,  to  be  supported  by  a 
government  which  will  be  derived  from  yourselves  and 
which  will  have  for  its  object,  not  the  emolument  of 
one  man  or  class  of  men  only,  but  the  safety,  liberty  and 
happiness  of  every  individual  in  the  community.  We 
call  upon  you,  therefore, by  the  respect  and  obedience 
which  are  due  to  the  authority  of  the  United  Colonies, 
to  concur  in  this  important  measure.  The  present  cam- 
paign will  probably  decide  the  fate  of  America.  It  is 
now  in  your  power  to  immortalize  your  names  by  ming- 
ling your  achievements  with  the  events  of  the  year  1776 
— a  year  which,  we  hope,  will  be  famed  in  the  annals  of 
history  to  the  end  of  time,  for  establishing  upon  a  last- 
ing foundation  the  liberties  of  one-quarter  of  the 
globe. 

"  Remember  the  honor  of  our  colony  is  at  stake. 
Should  you  desert  the  common  cause  at  the  present 
juncture,  the  glory  you  have  acquired  by  your  former 
exertions  of  strength  and  virtue  will  be  tarnished  ; 
and  our  friends  and  brethren,  who  are  now  acquiring 
laurels  in  the  most  remote  parts  of  America,  will  re- 
proach us  and  blush  to  own  themselves  natives  or  in- 
habitants of  Pennsylvania. 

"But  there  are  other  motives  before  you.  Your 
houses,  your  fields,  the  legacies  of  your  ancestors,  or 
the  dear-bought  fruits  of  your  own  industry,  and  your 
liberty,  now  urge  you  to  the  field.  These  cannot 
plead  with  you  in  vain,  or  we  might  point  out  to  you, 
further,  your  wives,  your  children,  your  aged  fathers 
and  mothers,  who  now  look  up  to  you  for  aid,  and  hope 
for  salvation  in  this  day  of  calamity  only  from  the  in- 
strumentality of  your  swords. 

"  Remember  the  name  of  Pennsylvania — Think  of 
your  ancestors  and  of  your  posterity. 
"  Signed  by  an  unanimous  order  of  the  conference, 
"  Thomas  M'Kban,  President. 
"  June  25,  1776." 

A  letter  from  the  Committee  of  Berks  County  was 
laid  before  the  Board,  and  the  same  being  considered, 
and  it  being  therein  represented  to  this  Board  that 
19 


some  misrepresentation  of  the  intention  of  Congress 
has  arisen  amongst  the  Associators  of  this  State  and 
the  Officers  who  were  appointed  to'  form  the  Flying 
Camp,  with  respect  to  the  March  and  Arrangement 
of  the  Associators  and  militia  who  were  to  compose 
the  said  Camp,  and  in  order  that  it  may  be  better 
understood,  it  is, — 

"Resolved,  That  all  the  Militia  who  may  be  fur- 
nished and  equip'd  agreeable  to  the  Resolve  of  Con- 
gress do  march  to  such  place  as  they  have  been 
respectively  ordered  by  Congress,  and  that  the  per- 
sons who  have  been  appointed  Captains  in  the  Flying 
Camp  and  have  not  Inlisted  25  men  for  that  service, 
do  return  them  to  their  respective  Corps  of  Associa- 
tors to  which  they  formerly  belonged,  and  continue 
with  them ;  the  appointment  of  the  officers  for  the 
Flying  Camp  still  to  continue,  and  the  men  already 
enlisted  to  be  considered  as  bound  by  their  enlist- 
ment, and  to  be  continued  in  service  when  the  militia 
may  be  permitted  to  return,  and  subject  to  further 
orders  of  the  Convention  or  this  Board.  And  it  is 
further  recommended  that  those  Companies  which 
have  been  raised  to  form  the  Flying  Camp,  which 
already  consists  of  25  privates  and  upwards,  do  im- 
mediately proceed  to  Trenton  or  Brunswick,  as  here- 
tofore directed. 

"Resolved,  That  this  Board  will  allow  the  Officers 
who  were  appointed  to  command  the  Flying  Camp 
all  such  reasonable  expenses  as  have  accrued  in  the 
recruiting  service. 

The  Following  Letter  was  written  to  the  Com- 
mittee of  Berks  County,  and  signed  by  the  Chair- 
man : 

"Gent'n; 

"Your  letter,  22d  Inst.,  to  the  Hon'ble  B. 
Franklin,  Esq",  Presid't  of  the  Convention,  was  re- 
ferred by  the  Hon.  Convention  to  the  Council  of 
Safety.  They  must  acknowledge  the  Laudable  zeal 
with  which  your  Committee  has,  at  all  times,  carried 
into  execution  the  recommendation  of  such  powers  as 
acted  under  the  People;  But,  particularly,  your  ready 
&  cheerful  Obedience  to  the  ordinance  of  Convention 
for  disarming  of  non- Associators. 

"  The  embarrassments  you  Labor  under  in  conse- 
quence, of  Resolves  of  Congress  and  others,  which, 
from  the  confused  state  of  the  times,  appeared  some- 
what Contradictory,  appears  to  us  excusable.  In 
order  to  render  the  intentions  of  Congress  more  plain 
&  Comprehensive  and  to  their  expectations,  The 
Council  of  Safety  have  inclosed  you  their  resolution 
upon  the  matter,  requesting  that  you  will  take  such 
Measures  to  publish  it  through  your  district  as  will 
be  most  Effectual  &  Expeditious,  and  that  you  would 
encourage  the  Associators  to  turn  out  on  this  very 
important  Immergency. 

"  By  order  of  Council  of  Safety. 

"24  July,  1776." 


154 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Brigadier-Generals  Elected. — A  pub- 
lic meeting  was  held  at  Lancaster  on  July  4, 
1776,  for  the  purpose  of  electing  two  brigadier- 
generals  to  command  the  battalions  and  forces 
in  Pennsylvania.  The  meeting  consisted  of  the 
officers  and  privates  of  fifty-three  battalions  of 
the  Associators  of  Pennsylvania.  A  full  ratio 
of  men  was  sent  by  the  military  of  Berks 
County.  The  following  delegates  represented 
the  county  at  the  meeting : 

First  Battalion:  Officers — Major,  Gabriel  Hiester; 
Lieutenant,  Philip  Cremer;  privates,  John  Hartman, 
Peter  Filbert. 

Second  Battalion:  Officers — Colonel,  Mark  Bird; 
Major,  John  Jones;  privates,  David  Morgan,  Benja- 
min Tolbert. 

Third  Battalion  :  Officers  —  Lieutenant-Colonel, 
Nicholas  Lutz ;  Captain,  George  Bheam ;  privates, 
Henry  Spoon,  Matthias  Wenrich. 

Fourth  Battalion :  Officers — Major,  Michael  Linde- 
mut ;  Captain,  George  May ;  private,  Mich'l  Moser. 

Fifth  Battalion:  Officers — Colonel,  John  Patton; 
Lieutenant-Colonel,  John  Eice ;  privates,  Jacob  Sel- 
ser,  Christ'n  Winter. 

Sixth  Battalion:  Officers — Major,  Conrad  Leffler; 
Lieutenant,  John  Miller ;  privates,  John  Hill,  Henry 
Lark. 

Seventh  Battalion  :  Officers — Colonel,  Sebastian  Le- 
van  ;  Adjutant,  Samuel  Ebey ;  privates,  Philip  Bis- 
ters, Casper  Smack. 

Colonel  Mark  Bird,  of  the  Second  Battalion, 
was  one  of  the  judges  of  the  election.  Daniel 
Roberdeau  was  elected  the  first  brigadier-general, 
and  James  Ewing  the  second.  Mark  Bird 
received  seven  votes.  Eight  candidates  were 
placed  in  nomination. 

Quota  of  County  Exceeded.— The  Com- 
mittee of  Correspondence  of  Berks  County  ad- 
dressed a  letter  to  Congress,  dated  13th  of  July, 
1776,  in  which  they  stated  that  they  had  raised 
a  company  more  than  the  quota  of  the  county 
for  the  Flying  Camp  of  four  thousand  five  hun- 
dred men,  in  order  to  complete  the  battalion, 
concluding  as  follows  :  "  Our  conduct  is  dictated 
by  the  warmest  attachment  to  the  cause  of  our 
country,  and  we  trust  it  will  be  considered  in 
that  light  by  the  honorable  Congress."  ' 

Patriotism  of  Joseph  Hiester.— Among 
the  many  men  of  Reading  who  were  actively 
engaged  in  the  Revolution,  Joseph  Hiester  oc- 


1  1  American  Archives  (5fh  Series),  254. 


cupies  a  prominent  position.     When  the  excite- 
ment began,  which   disturbed   all  the  elements 
in  the  community,  he  was  a  young  man,  twenty- 
three  years  of  age.     But  he  was  not  too  young 
to  rally  to  the  call  of  the  country  for  indepen- 
dence.    He  was  first  selected  as  one  of  the  dele- 
gates of  the  county  to  the  Provincial  Conference, 
which  was   held  at  Carpenter  Hall,  in  Phila- 
delphia, during  June,  1776 ;  and  this  confer- 
ence, in  its   proceedings,  provided   for  raising 
certain  militia  to  form  a  part  of  the  "  Flying 
Camp,"  and  ordered  an  address  to  be  issued  to 
the  Associators.     Upon  the  adjournment  of  the 
conference,  he  carried  the  spirit,  which  had  been 
developed  there,  back   to   Reading  and  acted 
promptly  in  behalf  of  the  provision  for  troops 
to  constitute  part  of  the  "  Flying  Camp."     On 
July  10, 1776,  he  called  together,  by  beat  of  the 
drum,  twenty-five  or  thirty  of  his   fellow-citi- 
zens and  asked  them  to  take  into  consideration 
the.  alarming   state    of  the    country.     He  ex- 
plained the  situation  and  said  that  there  was  a 
necessity  for  action. 

Having  aroused  their  patriotism,  he  expressed 
a  desire  to  raise  a  company  of  volunteers  and 
march  with  them  to  the  assistance  of  General 
"Washington,  who  was  then  in  a  perilous  situa- 
tion in  New  Jersey.  He  was  listened  to  with 
great  respect.  At  the  conclusion  of  his  remarks 
he  said  (laying  forty  dollars  in  money  on  a 
drum-head) :  "  I  will  give  this  sum  as  a  bounty 
and  the  appointment  of  a  sergeant  to  the  first 
man  who  will  subscribe  the  articles  of  associa- 
tion to  form  a  volunteer  company  to  march 
forthwith  and  join  the  commander-in-chief;  and 
I  also  pledge  myself  to  furnish  the  company 
with  blankets  and  necessary  funds  for  their 
equipment  and  on  the  march." 

Matthias  Babb  was  the  first  to  step  forward. 
He  took  the  money  from  the  drum-head  after 
signing  the  articles.  This  example  induced 
twenty  others  to  sign  also.  Notices  were  sent 
out  into  the  neighborhood  and  meetings  were 
held.  In  ten  days  afterward  Hiester  had  en- 
rolled ninety-six  men.  They  were  promptly 
organized.  This  success  led  him  to  determine 
to  raise  a  regiment.  His  liberality  and  popu- 
larity paved  the  way  for  promotion  to  the 
highest  office  over  these  troops  that  were  to  be 


REVOLUTION  AND  INDEPENDENCE. 


155 


raised.  Notwithstanding  their  preference  for 
him,  he  used  all  his  influence  for  the  election  of 
Henry  Haller  to  the  office  of  colonel,  and 
Edward  Burd,  major.  This  he  did  at  their 
request.  He  assured  his  fellow-soldiers  that  he 
was  satisfied  to  serve  as  captain,  and  even  de- 
clared a  willingness  to  serve  in  the  ranks  if  he 
could  there  better  serve  the  country.  He  then 
marched  his  company  from  Reading  to  New 
Jersey,  and  they  became  a  part  of  the  Flying 
Camp  in  the  regiment  commanded  by  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Nicholas  Lotz. 

At  Elizabethtown  they  learned  that  General 
Washington  had  marched  to  Long  Island.  Some 
of  his  company,  and  the  company  commanded 
by  Captain  Graul,  declared  their  determination 
not  to  march  any  farther,  and  said  that  they 
had  proceeded  farther  than  they  could  have  been 
compelled  to  go.  He  called  the  men  into  line 
and  addressed  them  in  bold,  impassioned  patri- 
otic language,  and  asked  them  to  fall  in  with 
him  and  march  forward  to  join  Washington 
and  fight  for  freedom.  All  responded  nobly 
excepting  three.  When  the  drums  began  to 
beat  and  the  men  to  march,  these  three  could 
not  resist  the  feeling,  and  they,  too,  joined. 
They  then  marched  to  Long  Island.  There 
some  were  killed  and  others  wounded.  The 
concentration  of  the  British  troops  resulted  in 
the  capture  of  many  of  the  American  troops. 
As  prisoners  they  were  treated  with  great 
cruelty.  Along  with  other  officers,  Hiester  was 
confined  for  six  weeks  on  board  of  the  prison- 
ship  "Jersey."  Thence  he  was  removed  to 
another  prison-ship.  Shortly  afterward  he  was 
confined  on  board  of  the  ship  "  Snow  Mentor," 
and  there  similar  bad  treatment  was  inflicted 
upon  him.  He  became  very  sick  with  fever, 
and  very  weak  under  such  imprisonment,  so 
feeble  indeed  that  he  was  compelled  to  crawl  on 
hands  and  knees  to  get  up  and  down-stairs. 
Whilst  there  he  was  plundered  of  all  his  clothing 
and  money.  He  was  exchanged  in  December, 
and  then  returned  to  Beading.  During  his 
imprisonment  he  was  elected  a  major,  and  upon 
his  return  home  he  was  elected  a  colonel. 
He  received  both  commissions  at  the  same  time. 
At  home  he  soon  recovered  his  wasted  strength. 
Feeling  it  his  patriotic  duty,  he  left  home  and 


friends  and  rejoined  the  army  of  General  Wash- 
ington in  Philadelphia  (now  included  in  Mont- 
gomery County),  remaining  with  his  troops  until 
his  term  of  service  expired,  when  he  returned 
home.  Soon  afterward  an  attack  on  New  York 
was  apprehended.  General  Joseph  Beed  com- 
manded the  Pennsylvania  troops.  In  sending  out 
circulars  for  troops,  he  sent  one  to  Colonel  Hies- 
ter asking  him  to  raise  volunteers  for  service. 
Hiester  responded  promptly,  raised  six  hundred 
and  fifty  men  and  joined  Beed's  army  in  New 
Jersey.  For  this  patriotic  action  Beed  gave 
him  a  highly  complimentary  recognition.  He 
remained  in  the  army  until  the  close  of  the  war, 
and,  after  his  honorable  discharge,  returned 
home.  His  unselfish  conduct  and  his  devotion 
to  the  country  in  the  great  struggle  for  freedom 
made  him  a  most  popular  man  and  prepared 
the  way  grandly  for  him  in  his  successful 
political  life  in  after-years.1 

Battle  of  Long  Island. — Eight  bat- 
talions of  Pennsylvania  troops  in  the  "  Flying 
Camp  "  were  sent  to  the  army  at  New  York. 
Three  of  them  were  incomplete,  and  of  these, 
two  were  composed  of  Berks  County  militia, 
under  the  command  of  Lieutenant-Colonels 
Nicholas  Lotz  and  Peter  Kachlein.  Lotz's 
major  was  Edward  Burd,  and  his  colonel  was 
Henry  Haller,  of  Beading,  who  did  not  join  the 
army  till  after  the  opening  of  the  campaign. 
The  commands  of  Lotz  and  Kachlein  comprised 
each  two  hundred  men  and  were  in  Stirling's 
brigade.  On  the  24th  of  August,  1776,  Wash- 
ington was  in  doubt  as  to  the  intentions  of  the 
enemy.  He  found  the  British  sixteen  thousand 
strong,  but  they  had  been  estimated  at  only 
eight  thousand.  He  ordered  more  reinforce- 
ments over  on  the  Brooklyn  side,  and  among 
these  was  Lotz's  command.  The  battle  of 
Long  Island  was  fought  on  August  27,  1776. 
In  the  engagement  part  of  Lotz's  command,  un- 
der Major  Burd,  was  stationed  at  the  coast- 
road,  at  and  around  the  "  Bed  Lion  Tavern." 
Burd  was  at  the  lower  road  with  Hand  till  he  was 
relieved.  The  British  in  numbers  exceeded  the 
Americans  on  the  island  three  to  one.     The  ad- 

1  Taken  partly  from  correspondence  in  United  States  Ga- 
zette, 1832  ;  and  see  Rupp's  ''  History  of  Berks  County," 
pp.  176-179. 


156 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


vance-guard     of    the    British,   under    Grant, 
marched  up  the  Narrows  and  struck  the  Amer- 
ican pickets  in  the  vicinity  of  the  "  Eed  Lion  " 
about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning.     The  pickets 
retreated   before  the  enemy  without  checking 
their  march.     There  was  hardly  more  than  an 
exchange  of  fire  with  Major  Burd's  detachment 
when  he  and   many  others — about  eight  hun- 
dred— were   taken    prisoners.     This    skirmish 
took   place  on  the  "  Narrows  Road,"  between 
Thirty-eighth     and     Fortieth    Streets.       The 
Americans  were  defeated  because  the   British 
had  completely  outflanked  and  surprised  them 
on  the  Jamaica  road.      Among  the  prisoners 
there  were  ninety-one  officers.     The  killed  were 
six  officers  and  fifty  privates,  and  less  than  six- 
teen officers  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  privates 
were  wounded.     The  total  loss  of  the  British 
was  reported  at  three  hundred  and  sixty-seven 
officers  and    men.     No   official   report   of  the 
losses  in   Lotz's   and  Kachlein's  detachments 
can  be  found.    Lotz  had  six  officers  taken  from 
him,  all  prisoners,  none  killed  or  wounded,  and 
Kachlein  not  more.     The  following  appeared 
among  the  list  of  prisoners  :  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Nicholas  Lotz,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Peter  Kach- 
lein,  Major    Edward    Burd,    Captain     Jacob 
Graul,  Captain  Joseph  Hiester,  Captain  Jacob 
Maurer.     Hiester  and  Maurer  were  exchanged 
in   December,   1776.1     Lotz   was   admitted    to 
parole  within  certain  bounds  on  April  16, 1777, 
and  exchanged  on  September  10,  1779.     He 
returned   to   his   home  in   Reading,  where  he 
must  have  died  shortly  after,  for  it  does  not  ap- 
pear that  he  ever  called  on  the  commissaries  of 
prisoners  for  anything  that  may  have  been  due 
him  during  his  imprisonment  and  parole.2 

Deserters. — Henry  Haller  was  on  duty  at 
Reading  in  December,  1776,  with  his  battalion. 
On  the  16th  of  December  he  left,  and  on  the 
30th  of  December  he  wrote  to  the  Council  of 
Safety : 

"  That  the  greatest  number  of  the  men  of  my  Bat- 
talion deserted  on  the  13th  and  14th,  a  thing  that 
might,  in  my  opinion,  have  been  prevented  had  the 

1  "  Campaign  of  1776  around  New  York  and  Brooklyn," 
by  Henry  P.  Johnson. 

"Saffel's  "Record  of  Revolutionary  War,"  309.  [He 
lived  nearly  twenty  years  afterward.] 


officers  taken  proper  steps ;  but  some  of  them  were  as 
willing  as  the  privates  to  break  up  the  Battalion  ; 
took  no  pains  to  get  their  men,  and  this  conduct  en- 
couraged others.  Since  that  I  have  been  here 
waiting  to  get  the  pay-rolls,  that  money  might  be 
drawn  to  pay  off  the  men,  that  they  might  be  encour- 
aged to  re-enter  the  service.  But  some  of  the  cap- 
tains give  me  all  the  delay  in  their  power.  There- 
fore, I  pray  your  attention  to  the  matter.  I  think  it 
a  paymaster  was  ordered  up  here  to  pay  off  the  Bat- 
talion, it  would  have  a  good  effect." 

The  Executive  Council,  on  the  18th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1777,  took  the  following  action  in  refer- 
ence to  the  refusal  of  the  associators  in  Hun- 
ter's Battalion  to  march  to  the  seat  of  war  in 
New  Jersey : 

"  Whereas,  This  Council  is  informed  that  many  of 
the  principal  associators  of  Colonel  Hunter's  Battalion, 
of  Berks  County,  refuse  to  march  to  join  General 
Washington's  army  at  this  Important  Crisis,  when  so 
glorious  an  opportunity  offers  of  crushing  the  enemy, 
and  thereby  have  prevented  and  discouraged  the  rest, 
and  proceeded  even  to  dare  them  to  enforce  the  re- 
solves of  this  Council  upon  them;  therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  Colonel  Hunter  be  directed  forth- 
with to  collect  all  the  well  affected  in  his  Battalion, 
and  seize  upon  the  ringleaders  in  this  defection  and 
send  thern  under  guard  to  Philadelphia,  and  that  he 
do  execute  the  Resolve.  The  resolve  of  this  Council 
of  the  seventh  of  December  last  upon  all  who  refuse 
to  march  without  favor  or  affection,  and  that  they  do 
collect  blankets  and  other  necessaries  of  those  who 
are  to  march,  paying  a  reasonable  price  for  the  same ; 
and  should  any  person  refuse  to  deliver  such  neces- 
saries as  they  can  spare,  the  Colonel  is  directed  to 
take  and  pay  for  the  same.  Those  that  turn  out  are 
to  march  the  most  direct  road  to  Head  Quarters." 

And  three  days  after  this  (21st  of  January, 
1777,)  General  Israel  Putnam  addressed  a  letter 
from  Princeton  to  the  Council  of  Safety  of 
Pennsylvania,  saying  that  "Captain  Echard 
and  Captain  Fisher,  of  Berks  County,  had  just 
informed  him  that  their  companies  had  run 
away  to  a  man,  except  a  lieutenant,  sergeant 
and  a  drummer."  He  added,  "  I  hope,  gentle- 
men, no  pains  or  cost  will  be  spared  to  apprehend 
these  men  and  bring  them  back  to  their  duty. 
I  think  it  is  of  the  last  importance  that  this 
spirit  of  desertion  should  be  crushed  in  its  in- 
fancy, and  the  militia  taught  that  there  is  a 
power  that  can  and  will  detain  them." 

Hessian  Prisoners.— In  1775  the  king  of 
Great  Britain  obtained  by  treaty  from  the  Ger- 


REVOLUTION  AND  INDEPENDENCE. 


157 


man  princes  seventeen  thousand  men  for  the 
purpose  of  sending  them  to  America  to  assist  in 
subduing  the  American  colonies.     These  men 
were  sent  early  in  1776.     Many  of  them  (Hes- 
sians) were  taken   prisoners   at   the   battle  of 
Trenton  on  December  26,  1776,  and  conveyed 
to  Lancaster.1     Some   of  these   prisoners  were 
afterward   stationed  at   Reading.      Their   first 
quarters  in  the  town  were  in  the  southern  section, 
and,  after   remaining   in  that    locality  several 
years,  they  were  removed  to  the  southern  de- 
clivity of  Penn's  Mount.     This  removal  was 
caused  by  the  frequent  disturbances  which  arose 
between  the  prisoners  and  the  citizens  of  the 
town.      In  May,  1779,  a  proposition  was  made 
to  send  them  to  New  Jersey.     On  the  27th  of 
June,  1781,  President  Reed  wrote  to  Valentine 
Eckert,  "  that  it  was  the  desire  that  the  prisoners 
should  be  encamped  in  huts  at  some  small  dis- 
tance from   Reading,    where  wood  and   water 
were   convenient,   that   Colonel    Morgan    had 
mentioned  a  piece  of  ground  which  had  belonged 
to  the  proprietaries,  which  would  be  convenient 

1  The  Continental  troops  took  the  following  prisoners, 
arms,  etc.,  at  the  battle  of  Trenton  :  750  Hessians,  1  lieut- 
enant-colonel, 2  majors,  4  captains,  15  subalterns,  3  stan- 
dards, 6  brass  field-pieces,  and  near  1000  stand  of  arms. 
Two  days  afterward  General  Washington  commanded  them 
to  be  forwarded  to  Lancaster. 

The  following  letter  was  addressed  to  Daniel  Clymer, 
Esq.,  at  Lancaster,  in  1777,  in  reference  to  the  removal  of 
prisoners  from  that  place  to  Reading  : 

"Dr.  Sir, — The  Board  have  directed  me  to  write  to  Wil- 
liam Atlee,  Deputy  Commissary  of  Prisoners,  to  whom 
you'll  please  to  render  all  the  assistance  in  your  power  in  the 
removal  of  the  Prisoners  of  War  from  Lancaster  towards 
Readingand  Lebanon.  Congress  having  just  been  informed 
by  Express  that  the  Enemy  are  landing  in  Maryland  above 
Baltimore,  &  its  being  past  a  doubt  the  rescuing  their  Pris- 
oners &  the  destruction  of  our  Stores  are  the  objects  they  have 
in  view.  On  this  important  occasion,  anything  in  your 
power,  the  Board  are  well  satisfied  will  be  done.  You'll 
please  to  have  an  eye  to  the  Prisoners  at  York,  &  if  Mr. 
Atlee  can  do  the  Business  by  himself  at  Lancaster,  it  is  the 
desire  of  the  Board  you  proceed  thither,  &  the  Committee 
are  hereby  earnestly  requested  to  furnish  such  a  number 
of  Militia  as  shall  put  it  out  of  the  power  of  the  Prisoners 
to  effect  an  escape.  We  are  unacquainted  with  the  Number 
of  Prisoners  at  York;  you  will,  therefore,  act  as  your  own 
good  sense  may  dictate.  I  am  with  all  due  Respect 
' '  Your  very  humble  Serv. , 

"Joseph  Nourn,  D.  S. 

"  Philadelphia,  Friday  evening,  seven  o'clock. 
"  Danl.  Clymer,  Esq.,  Lancaster." 


and  proper."     Three  persons  were  appointed  to 
select  a  location, — Valentine  Eckert,  lieutenant 
of  Berks  County ;  Major   Bayley,  and  Colonel 
Wood,  Lancaster.  On  the  17th  of  July,  follow- 
ing, Colonel  Wood  wrote  President  Reed,  "that 
he  could  not  decide  where  to  locate  the  prisoners, 
that  certain  persons  who  thought  they  did  not  have 
a  legal  title  to  the  commons,  had  paid  the  taxes 
and  claimed  the  land."     He,  therefore,  referred 
the  matter  to  him  for  a  decision.      He  also 
alluded  to  the  Continental  stable  at  Reading, 
which,    he   thought,   might  be   converted  into 
barracks.    This  stable  was  in  dimensions,  twenty 
by  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet,  and  a 
store-house,  twenty  by  sixty  feet.     The  "  Com- 
mons "    was   not   selected ;   but  the  committee 
went  half  a  mile  to  the  eastward,  and  selected  a 
spot  on  the  hill-side,  where  they  caused  huts  to 
be  erected,  and    in  which    they   stationed  the 
prisoners.    At  the  close  of  the  Revolution  many 
of  the  prisoners  remained  and  settled  perman- 
ently in  Berks  County,  mostly  in  Alsace  and 
Oley   townships.      The   place   has  since   been 
known  as  "  Hessian  Camp."     The  greater  part 
of  these  huts  were  standing  in  1841.     In  July, 
1780,  the  prisoners  at  Reading  numbered  one 
hundred.      On    16th    of  June,   1781,  a   large 
number   of  convention    prisoners   of  war,  ten 
hundred  and  fifty,  all  Germans,  excepting  sixty- 
three  Britons,  arrived  in  Reading  under  guard 
of  the  York  County  militia.    Valentine  Eckert 
called  out  two  classes  of  companies  from  the 
Sixth  Berks  County  regular  militia  to  guard  the 
encampment.     They  were  under  the  charge  of 
Major  Bayley.     During  the  week  following,  ad- 
ditional  prisoners  were  brought,   so  that  the 
whole  number  was  near  eleven  hundred.    They 
were  encamped  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Schuyl- 
kill, near  Reading.      It  is  not  known  whether 
they  were  taken  along  to  "  Hessian  Camp  "  or 
not.     On  February  23d,  1782,  the  lieutenant  of 
the  county  was  ordered  to  call  out  the  first  class 
of  the  militia  to  guard  the  military  prisoners  at 
Reading;  but  only  forty  men  were  wanted  at  a 
time  for  this  purpose.     The  order  was  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  Ordered,  That  the  Lieutenant  of  the  county  of 
Berks  be  directed  to  call  out  a  class  of  the  militia  of 
the  said  county,  for  the  purpose  of  guarding  the 


158 


HISTOEY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


military  prisoners  of  that  county  ;  that  as  forty  men 
are  only  wanted  at  one  time  for  the  said  purpose,  the 
lieutenant  be  directed  to  call  out  no  more  than  that 
number,  and  that  the  battalion  be  called  up  in  their 
numerical  order,  beginning  at  the  first,  for  the  said 
one  class,  so  far  as  may  be  necessary  to  furnish  the 
aaid  number;  and  when  the  time  of  the  first  forty 
shall  expire,  he  then  call  on  the  next  battalion  or  bat- 
talions for  the  like  number,  so  as  to  have  the  succeed- 
ing numbers  ready  to  take  charge  of  the  said  prisoners 
when  the  time  of  the  first  shall  expire,  and  so  on 
until  the  said  one  class  shall  have  served  their  tour 
of  duty,  or  until  further  orders  from  this  Council." 

Some  of  the  Hessian  prisoners  at  Reading, 
during  the  course  of  their  imprisonment,  were 
hired  out  to  service,  notably  to  George  Ege  at 
Charming  Forge  and  to  John  Patton  at  Berk- 
shire Furnace. 

Hessian  Camp  Surprised. — The  following 
interesting  incident  transpired  at  the  Hessian 
camp  on  Christmas-Day,  1781.  The  Hessian 
prisoners  and  their  guard  were  suddenly 
alarmed  by  certain  soldiers  in  the  disguise  of 
Indians,  which  caused  them  to  fly  from  the  en- 
campment. A  court-martial  was  afterwards 
held,  but  no  one  was  punished  : 

'•'  Van  Campen,  whilst  at  McClure's  Fort,  which 
was  on  the  Susquehanna  Eiver,  above  Sunbury,  upon 
the  service  of  conducting  scouts  around  the  line  of  the 
settlements,  was  ordered  with  his  company  to  Lan- 
caster, late  in  the  fall  of  1781.  He  descended  the 
river  in  boats  as  far  as  Middletown  (a  place  ten 
miles  below  Harris's  Ferry),  where  the  order  was 
countermanded  by  another,  directing  him  to  march 
to  Reading,  Berks  County,  where  he  was  joined  by  a 
part  of  the  Third  and  Fifth  Pennsylvania  Regiments, 
and  a  company  of  the  Congress  Regiment.  Their 
principal  duty,  while  here,  was  to  take  care  of  a  large 
body  of  Hessians  that  had  been  taken  prisoners  with 
General  Burgoyne.  These  had  been  under  the  guard 
of  a  company  of  militiamen,  whose  time  had  not  yet 
expired.  The  march  which  Van  Campen 's  soldiers 
had  performed  was,  on  account  of  lateness  of  the  sea- 
son and  bad  roads,  extremely  fatiguing,  and,  as  the 
time  for  which  the  militia  were  engaged  continued 
them  in  service  a  little  longer,  he  allowed  them  the 
space  which  intervened  as  a  season  of  rest.  This 
proved  grateful  to  the  soldiers,  and  it  no  doubt 
served  to  invigorate  their  spirits,  for,  in  the  approach- 
ing Christmas  holidays,  they  were  found  to  be  suf- 
ficiently recruited  to  engage  in  the  exercises  of  sport. 
Some  of  those  belonging  to  Van  Campen's  company 
determined  to  have  a  frolic  with  the  militiamen  be- 
fore they  should  be  discharged  from  their  posts. 
These  were  stationed  at  a  little  distance  out  of  the 


village,  near  the  direct  road  from  Reading  to  Phila- 
delphia, on  the  side  of  a  hill,  around  which  the  way 
turned,  and  which  hid  the  view  to  the  road  before 
reaching  the  place.  When  Christmas  came,  twelve 
or  fifteen  young  soldiers  set  out,  with  music  in  their 
heads,  for  the  militiamen's  camp.  Just  before  they 
came  to  where  the  road  turned  around  the  hill,  and 
while  they  were  yet  out  of  sight,  they  arrayed  them- 
selves in  Indian  dress  and  crept  along  up  the 
ascending  ground  until  they  came  in  sight  of  the 
militiamen's  camp.  There  they  fired  their  guns, 
which  contained  an  unusual  charge  of  powder,  and 
followed  the  discharge  of  these  by  loud  and  continued 
yells.  They  presented  themselves  to  the  view  of  the 
soldiers,  and  began  to  jump  from  tree  to  tree  so  as  to 
produce  an  enlarged  idea  of  their  numbers.  Their 
unexpected  appearance  produced  the  intended  efFect. 
The  soldiers  were  startled  by  the  sudden  roar  of  the 
rifles,  which  echoed  through  the  deep  forest  like  the 
terrible  thundering  of  cannon.  The  loud  yells,  too, 
from  the  supposed  Indians,  were  enough  to  have 
startled  them  at  a  time  of  peace,  much  more  when 
the  savage  was  looked  for  at  any  moment  to  commit 
his  deeds  of  violence.  The  soldiers  conceived  an  in- 
stantaneous alarm ;  fear  was  scattered  throughout 
their  ranks,  and,  with  a  sudden  bound,  they  started 
from  their  encampment.  The  sentinels  fled  without 
firing  a  single  gun  and  the  whole  company  deserted 
their  posts,  leaving  the  poor  Hessians  (whom  they 
were  placed  to  guard)  without  a  man  to  prevent  their 
being  retaken.  But  these,  too,  apprehensive  that 
they  might  be  mistaken  for  rebels,  were  infected  with 
the  universal  panic  and  showed  their  heels  to  the 
enemy.  The  camp  was  entirely  deserted  in  a  few 
moments  after  the  first  alarm  had  been  given.  No 
sooner  had  the  militiamen  deserted  their  camp  than 
they  began  to  spread  the  alarm,  saying,  'that  all 
Niagara  was  let  loose ;  that  a  party  of  several  hun- 
dreds of  Indians  had  attacked  their  camp,  and  that 
they  had  just  escaped  with  their  lives.'  The  intelli- 
gence was  soon  brought  to  the  troops  at  Reading,  who 
were  immediately  placed  in  the  order  of  defence,  and 
who  began  forthwith  to  march,  with  Van  Campen  at 
their  head,  towards  the  enemy.  They  had  not  gone  far, 
however,  before  they  were  met  by  some  of  their  own 
soldiers,  who  assured  them  that  they  had  started  out 
upon  a  false  alarm,  at  the  same  time  giving  them  a 
history  of  the  secret  of  the  attack  and  of  the  brave  de- 
fense which  had  been  made  by  the  militiamen.  They 
returned  to  their  quarters,  very  much  amused  and 
with  the  laugh  upon  the  poor  soldiers  who  had  made 
such  a  display  of  their  bravery. 

"  But  this  little  event  (which  had  been  conceived 
only  in  sport,  like  many  others  of  the  same  origin) 
was  the  occasion  of  serious  difficulty.  To  one  party 
it  afforded  the  highest  amusement,  but  to  those  who 
had  committed  their  valor  to  their  heels  it  was  a  sub- 
ject of  constant  annoyance.  They  could  not  endure 
the  chagrin  that  was  brought  upon  them  by  having 


REVOLUTION  AND  INDEPENDENCE. 


159 


been  put  to  flight  by  a  few  boys  who  had  been  dis- 
guised as  Indians,  and  who  had  so  successfully  played 
off  their  wits  upon  them  of  a  Christmas  holiday.  The 
militia  officers,  whose  bravery  was  somewhat  impli- 
cated in  the  affair,  declared  that  they  would  be  satis- 
fied with  no  reconciliation  short  of  the  punishment  of 
those  who  had  been  concerned  in  creating  the  alarm- 
"  A  court-martial  was  held,  in  which  Lieutenant 
Van  Campen  sat  with  the  militia  officers,  to  decide 
the  point  at  issue.  These  affirmed  it  to  be  but  right, 
— that  those  who  had  occasioned  the  mischief  should 
be  whipped  ;  while  Van  Campen,  whose  soldiers  were 
implicated,  unwilling  that  his  men  (who  belonged  to 
some  of  the  most  respectable  families  of  that  part  of 
Pennsylvania,)  should  suffer  such  a  disgrace,  would 
allow  of  this  only  upon  condition  that  the  sentinels, 
who  had  fled  from  their  posts  without  firing,  should  be 
punished  as  the  martial-law  required — with  death. 
These  terms  were  not  agreeable  to  the  minds  of  the 
officers,  and  Van  Campen,  who  declared  that  he 
would  sooner  see  his  men  shot  than  whipped,  con- 
tinued to  sit  in  court-martial  for  the  space  of  three 
weeks.  A  compromise  was  finally  made  between  the 
two,  it  being  proposed  that  the  sergeant,  who  had 
been  one  of  the  leaders  in  the  affair,  should  be  broken 
of  his  rank.  This  was  allowed,  and  harmony  was 
again  restored  between  the  two  parties.  The 
sergeant  was  broken  of  his  rank  at  night  and  restored 
the  next  morning ;  so  that  his  punishment,  after  all, 
was  more  nominal  than  real.  Immediately  after,  Van 
Campen  and  his  men  entered  upon  the  care  of  the 
Hessian  soldiers  and  remained  in  this  service  until 
the  next  spring,  when  they  were  relieved  by  the 
militia,  who  again  took  them  under  charge.1 

Hessian  Officer  Drowned. — During  the 
time  that  the  Hessian  prisoners  were  at  Read- 
ing, a  Hessian  officer  of  rank  was  fishing  from 
a  canoe  one  day  in  the  Schuylkill,  and  fell 
overboard.  A  servant  on  the  shore  saw  the  ac- 
cident, but,  instead  of  alarming  the  occupants 
in  a  house  near  by,  he  ran  and  informed  the 
commanding  officer.  When  the  officer  arrived, 
he  found  the  Hessian  at  the  bottom  of  the  river, 
drowned,  and  his  efforts  to  resuscitate  life  were 
fruitless. 

During  the  winter  of  1776-77  there  was 
much  sickness  amongst  the  prisoners.  Many  of 
them  died.  The  burials  were  made  in  "  Pot- 
ter's Field,"  which  comprised  two  lots  of 
ground,  numbers  398  and  399  on  the  west  side 


1  Taken  from  "  Life  and  Adventures  of  Moses  Van  Cam- 
pen,''  by  his  grandson,  John  N.  Hubbard,  in  1841  ;  pp. 
239-243.  Copy  of  work  in  library  of  Pennnsylvania  His- 
torical Society,  at  Philadelphia. 


of  North  Sixth  Street,  south  of  Walnut,  in 
Reading.  The  deaths  were  so  numerous  at 
times  that  it  became  necessary  to  bury  two,  and 
even  three,  in  one  grave.  I  heard  this  state- 
ment made  frequently  by  some  of  the  older 
residents. 

Militia  Refuse  to  March. — About  Jan- 
uary 1,  1777,  some  of  the  militia  at  Reading 
refused  to  march  under  orders  given.  Daniel 
Brodhead,2  by  direction  of  General  Mifflin, 
took  a  company  of  Northumberland  County 
militia,  stationed  at  Reading,  and  compelled 
them  to  march.  In  a  letter  to  Owen  Biddle  he 
said  he  believed  "  the  remainder  were  so  much 
alarmed  that  few  will  think  of  staying  at  home." 

The  Council  of  Safety  was  informed,  on  Jan- 
uary 18,  1777,  that  "  many  of  the  principal  as- 
sociators  of  Colonel  Hunter's  Battalion  of  Berks 
County  refuse  to  march  to  join  General  Wash- 
ington's army  at  this  Important  Crisis,  when  so 
glorious  an  opportunity  offers  of  crushing  the 
enemy,  and  thereby  have  prevented  and  dis- 
couraged the  rest,  and  proceeded  even  to  dare 
them  to  enforce  the  resolves  of  this  Council 
upon  them."  It  was  then  decided  that  the  Colo- 
nel should  forthwith  collect  all  the  well  affected 
in  his  Battalion,  seize  the  ring-leaders  in  this 
defection  and  send  them  to  Philadelphia. 

Militia  Returns  of  County.  —  Jacob 
Morgan  and  his  sub-lieutenants  met  at  Reading 
on  April  25,  1777,  for  the  purpose  of  receiving 
returns  of  the  inhabitants  of  Berks  County,  be- 
tween the  ages  of  eighteen  and  fifty-three  years. 
The  number  then  returned  was  about  four 
thousand.  These  were  divided  into  six  districts, 
and  meetings  were  ordered  to  be  held  on 
the  5th  and  6th  of  May  following,  for  the 
purpose  of  electing  officers  and  of  forming  com- 
panies. Morgan  reported  that  he  had  forwarded 
to  the  Executive  Council  an  exact  list  of  the 
field  officers,  captains,  subalterns  and  court- 
martial  men,  comprising  the  six  battalions  of 
the  Berks  County  militia.     But  this  list  was 

2  Daniel  Brodhead,  of  Berks  County,  was  appointed 
Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the  Second  Battalion  of  Colonel 
Samuel  Miles'  Pennsylvania  Rifle  Regiment,  on  March  13, 
1776.  He  had  removed  to  Reading  in  1771.  For  sketch 
see  Pennsylvania  Arch.  (2d  ser.),  vol.  10,  p.  645 ;  and 
supra. 


160 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


lost,  not  having  been  included  in  the  Archives. 
It  has  not  been  discovered  since. 

On  August  17,  1777,  Morgan  reported  that 
two  classes  of  militia  had  marched  from  Read- 
ing on  their  way  to  West  Chester.  They  con- 
sisted of  twelve  companies.  They  left  mostly 
in  the  beginning  of  August ;  the  last  company 
on  the  16th.  The  whole  number  of  officers  and 
men  was  six  hundred  and  fifty-six.  The  two 
battalions  were  commanded  by  Daniel  Hunter 
and  Daniel  Udree.  "In  the  opinion  of  every 
one  here  they  were  hearty  and  able  men,  fit  to 
take  the  field  against  our  inveterate  enemies." 

In  the  State  returns  of  the  militia,  dated  Sep- 
tember 6,  1777,  these  two  battalions  included 
the  following  officers  and  men : 

r  Hunter.  Udree. 

Colonel 1  1 

Lieutenant-Colonel 1  1 

Major 1 

Captains 5  5 

Lieutenants 7  10 

Ensigns 4  6 

Chaplain 1 

Adjutant 1  1 

Quartermaster 1  1 

Surgeon 1  1 

Sergeants 17  21 

Drummers 4  6 

Fifers 3  4 

Fit  for  duty 184  183 

Sick,  present 27  21 

Sick,  absent 13  5 

On  command 47 

On  furlough 1  1 

Total 272  210 

Deserted 2  45 

The  total  number  of  the  State  was  two  thou- 
sand nine  hundred  and  seventy-three. 

Army  Supplies. — In  the  beginning  of  the 
Revolution,  Reading  was  selected  as  a  place, 
adapted  by  its  situation,  for  storing  army  sup- 
plies. It  was  capable  of  easy  defense  in  the 
event  of  an  attack  from  the  enemy ;  and  it  was 
not  far  distant  from  the  operations  of  war  in  the 
State.  Large  quantities  of  provisions  were 
stationed  here.  In  April,  1780,  the  Executive 
Council  was  directed  by  General  Washington  to 
furnish  the  State  out  of  the  supplies  at  Reading, 
with  the  following  articles  :  Two  hundred  bar- 
rels of  flour  ;  five  hundred  and  sixty  gallons  of 


ram ;  one  hundred   and   eighty  tons   of  hay ; 
and  fourteen  thousand  bushels  of  corn. 

At  this  time  Nicholas  Lotz  was  the  com- 
missioner of  purchases  for  Berks  County.  Two 
years  before,  there  were  two  commissioners, 
Valentine  Eckert  and  John  Lesher.  In  1778 
the  supplies  at  Reading  were  large  and  valuable ; 
and  then  Congress  requested  the  State  to  station 
two  hundred  militia  at  this  point  to  defend  the 
magazines  of  military  stores,  and  keep  commu- 
nications secure  from  sudden  incursion  of  the 
enemy.  Colonel  Cowperthwaite  was  the  store- 
keeper. The  Executive  Council  made  such  an 
order.  In  May,  of  this  year,  Jacob  Morgan  re- 
ported that  he  had  reduced  theguard  in  Read- 
ing to  fifty  men,  rank  and  file. 

In  November,  1777,  in  pursuance  of  orders 
received,  three  hundred  and  fifty  wagons  were 
sent  from  Berks  County  to  Philadelphia ;  also  a 
wagon  master-general  and  wagon  masters. 
When  they  reached  Philadelphia,  the  enemy 
had  left.  The  wagons  got  nothing.  Twenty 
were  taken  into  service.  The  men  returned  and 
demanded  pay.  Henry  Christ,  Jacob  Shoe- 
maker and  John  Ludwig  requested  the  president 
of  the  Executive  Council  to  forward  money  for 
this  purpose.  The  sum  required  was  between 
twenty-five  hundred  and  three  thousand  pounds. 

The  quota  of  articles,  etc.,  from  Berks 
County  to  the  State  in  July,  1780,  was— six 
hundred  barrels  of  flour  per  month ;  six  hundred 
bushels  of  forage  per  month  ;  twenty  wagons 
and  two  hundred  horses;  and  three  hundred 
militia;  and  there  having  been  then  a  great 
want  of  teams  in  the  army,  a  requisition  was 
made  on  the  county  to  furnish  twenty  wagons. 
In  September,  1778,  the  quota  of  wagons  was 
one  hundred  and  ten,  and  these  were  then  ordered 
to  be  sent  to  Philadelphia.  On  June  14,  1779, 
Jacob  Morgan,  Jr.,  reported  that  he  had  sent  to 
camp  at  Middle  Brook,  thirty-six  good  Con- 
tinental teams  and  fifty-four  spare  horses,  and 
on  the  next  day  twelve  teams  properly 
equipped. 

Nicholas  Lotz,  as  commissioner  of  forage,  re- 
ported on  June  5,  1780,  that  he  had  purchased 
forty  tons  of  flour,  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
two  bushels  of  oats  and  nineteen  bags ;  and  on 
the  19th  of  June,  following,  he  reported  the 


REVOLUTION  AND  INDEPENDENCE. 


1G1 


purchase  of  ten  head  of  cattle  and  forty  sheep, 
which  he  was  obliged  to  take  under  the  law. 
Cattle  and  sheep  he  reported  to  be  scarce,  be- 
cause many  butchers  and  drovers  had  come 
from  Philadelphia  and  other  places  and  bought 
them  up.  He  was  appointed  commissioner  on 
April  3,  1780. 

It  was  reported  to  Council  on  August  12, 
1780,  that  John  Patton  by  agreement  with 
Captain  Jay,  agreed  to  supply  the  Board  of 
War  with  ninety  tons  of  shell  and  shot ;  for 
which  purpose  he  put  his  Berkshire  Furnace  in 
blast.  He  was  then  at  work  ;  but  how  long  he 
would  continue  he  could  not  tell  because  his 
workmen  were  not  exempted  from  military  duty. 
Then  they  were  ordered  out,  and  unless  they 
were  released  he  could  not  keep  his  works  going. 
At  this  time  he  also  had  some  Hessian  prisoners 
employed.  These  were  demanded  from  him ; 
and  if  they  were  not  returned  his  bond  would 
be  put  into  suit. 

In  May,  1776,  Mark  Bird  offered  to  buy  or 
have  made  in  Berks  County,  one  hundred  mus- 
kets, provided  he  were  supplied  with  the 
necessary  funds.  This  offer  was  accepted  by  the 
Executive  Council  and  an  order  to  him  for  four 
hundred  pounds  was  drawn.  And  in  August, 
1776,  the  committee  of  safety  also  drew  an  order 
'  in  favor  of  Samuel  High,  a  county  commissioner, 
for  six  hundred  dollars,  on  account  of  arms 
making  in  the  county. 

On  July  8,  1776,  the  Council  passed  a  resolu- 
tion : 

"  That  the  Iron  Masters  employed  in  castiDg  cannon 
or  shot  for  the  public  service  in  the  counties  of 
Chester,  Lancaster  and  Berks,  be  permitted  to  employ 
any  of  the  soldiers,  prisoners  of  war  at  Lancaster  and 
Reading,  as  laborers  in  the  said  business,  giving  an 
account  to  the  committees  of  Lancaster  and  Beading 
of  the  time  of  such  soldiers  as  they  shall  so  employ. 

"  This  permission  was  given  in  view  of  the  public 
exigency  which  required  additional  artillery  and  war 
materials  to  repel  the  invasion  of  the  country  by  the 
army  of  General  Howe,  who  had  recently  appeared 
at  New  York  with  the  British  fleet." 

On  January  10,  1777,  Captain  Daniel  Jay 
reported  to  Councils  from  the  Beading  Furnace 
that  Mr.  Old  was  casting  different  sizes  of  shot 
and  expected  to  have  by  January  12, 1777,  four 
tons  of  shot,— 3-lb.,  2i-lb-,  2-lb.,  lj-lb.,  1-lb.  and 


£-lb.,  with  a  quantity  of  canister  shot.  But  he  an- 
ticipated difficulty  in  getting  teams  to  haul  them 
down. 

That  week  he  sent  down  to  Philadelphia 
two  tons  of  shot,— 62  18-lb.  shot;  250  3-lb. 
shot;  400  1-lb.  shot;  300  £-lbshofc; 1350  Up- 
shot; 815  pounds  canister  shot. 

Owing  to  the  aid  given  by  divers  inhabitants 
of  the  State  to  the  enemy,  the  Council  of  Safety 
appointed  a  committee  in  the  several  counties  to 
seize  upon  and  dispose  of  all  the  property  of 
such  offenders  and  make  an  inventory  and  return 
of  their  proceedings  under  oath.  This  was  in 
September,  1777.  The  following  committee 
was  appointed  in  Berks  County :  Thomas 
Parry,  David  Morgan,  Peter  Nagle,  Henry 
Haller,  Daniel  Udree,  Henry  Spycker  and 
Joseph  Hiester. 

And  about  that  time  the  Council  also  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  collect  arms,  clothing, 
etc.,  from  the  inhabitants  of  the  county  who  did 
not  take  the  oath  of  allegiance,  or  who  aided  the 
enemy,  and  deliver  them  to  the  clothier  general. 
The  committee  in  Berks  County  was  Henry 
Christ,  Henry  Haller,  Thomas  Parry,  Daniel 
Udree,  Philip  Miller,  Nathan  Lewis,  John 
Lower,  Godfrey  Ream,  Jacob  Seltzerand  Nicho- 
las Shaffer. 

Jacob  Morgan  was  qualified  on  September  3, 
1777,  as  a  councillor  from  Berks  County  in  the 
Supreme  Executive  Council  of  the  State,  and  he 
then  took  his  seat.  On  May  25, 1778,  an  order 
was  drawn  to  him  for  three  hundred  and  one 
pounds  and  five  shillings  for  attending  Council 
one  hundred  and  eighty  days,  including  mileage. 
James  Reed  succeeded  him  as  the  councillor 
from  Berks  County  and  was  qualified  on  June 
30,  1778. 

The  following  interesting  miscellaneous  items 
are  added  to  this  chapter. 

Aug.  15, 1776. — The  Committee  of  Safety  appointed 
two  persons  in  each  district  of  the  county  to  make 
provision  for  distressed  families  whose  husbands  and 
fathers  were  in  actual  service.  Henry  Hahn  and  Peter 
Feather  were  appointed  for  Beading. 

December  4,  1776. — Order  to  pay  expense  of  remov- 
ing public  papers  to  Beading. 

'  June  9,  1777. — Order  to  Colonel  Jacob  Morgan 
(lieutenant  of  Berks  County)  for  one  hundred  and 
fifty  stand  of  arms  and  one  thousand  five  hundred 


162 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


flints  and  order  on  treasurer  to  Colonel  Morgan  for 
£500. 

August  26,  1777. — Henry  Spyker  appointed  pay- 
master of  militia  of  Berks  County  in  place  of  Colonel 
Hunter,  to  whom  inconvenient. 

September  12,  1777. — Ordered  that  Bucks  County 
militia  be  employed  as  a  guard  to  conduct  the  British 
prisoners  to  Reading,  and  such  others  as  may  be  neces- 
sary to  be  added  and  ordered  that  the  third  and  fourth 
class  of  militia  of  Berks  County  be  called  into  immed- 
iate service. 

October  23,  1777. — Ordered  that  sixth  and  seventh 
class  of  Berks  County  be  immediately  called  out. 

January  1,  1778. — Order  to  pay  expenses  for  remov- 
ing Quaker  prisoners  to  Reading— £159  3s.  id. 

January  9, 1778. — Leonard  Reed  was  wagon-master 
of  Berks  County.  Subsequently  the  appointment  of 
wagon  master-general  was  tendered  to  him.  Henry 
Haller  was  appointed  wagon-master  in  1778,  and  he 
held  this  appointment  till  1780.  In  June,  1779,  he 
was  wagon  master-general. 

January  10,  1778.— Ordered  that  Val.  Eckhard  and 
John  Lesher,  of  Berks  County,  appointed  to  act  as 
commissioners  for  purchasing  forage,  supplies  and 
fire-arms. 

February  20,  1778.— Ordered  that  the  sum  of  £4000 
be  sent  by  Jacob  Morgan  to  Val.  Eckhart  and  John 
Lesher  for  purchasing  supplies. 

Order  to  treasurer  for  $150  for  recruiting,  etc. 
March  24,  1778.— Ordered  that  two  hundred  mili- 
tia of  Berks  County,  for  guard  at  Reading. 

March  28,  1878.— Order  drawn  on  treasurer  in  favor 
of  Henry  Spyker,  paymaster  of  militia  of  Berks 
County  for  £5,000. 

July  13,  1778.— Letter  of  Colonel  D.  Hunter  to 
several  colonels  of  Berks  County  militia  for  immediate 
assistance,  laid  before  Congress. 

July  23,  1778. — Order  of  one-third  ton  of  gunpow- 
der, etc.,  be  delivered  to  lieutenant  of  Berks  County 
militia. 

June  1,  1779.— Letter  from  Reading  to  Mr.  Haller, 
inclosing  sundry  papers— respecting  prisoners  at 
Reading,  and  disturbances  between  them  and  the  in- 
habitants of  the  town.  Ordered  that  papers  be  sent 
to  Board  of  War  and  request  that  prisoners  be  sent  to 
some  other  place. 

June  29,  1779.— Congress  authorized  a  loan  of  $20,- 
000,000,  and  suggested  the  appointment  of  persons  to 
take  subscriptions  for  loans.  The  Executive  Council, 
on  the  14th  of  July  following,  appointed  Henry  Hal- 
ler a  commissioner  for  this  purpose  in  Berks  County. 
July  14,  1779.— Henry  Haller,  Esq.,  appointed  to 
receive  subscription  in  Berks  County  for  loan  of 
$20,000,000  on  interest. 

July  15, 1779.— Letter  from  Henry  Haller  as  to  sugar 
and  rum,  sent  to  John  Wilman,  tavern-keeper -at 
Reading. 

March    13,   1780.— Letter   from   commissioners   of 


Berks  County  as  to  obstructions,  in  way  of  executing 
their  office,  and  answer. 

May  19,  1780. — Petition  of  Christian  Shultz,  as- 
sessor of  county  of  Berks,  complaining  of  commis- 
sioners; read  and  referred  to  judge  of  the  Supreme 
Court. 

August  14, 1780.— Jacob  Morgan,  Jr.,  was  appointed 
superintendent  of  the  commissioners  of  the  State  for 
purchasing  supplies,  and  also  of  the  wagon-masters, 
at  a  salary  of  £1,000  per  annum,  and  an  order  was 
then  drawn  in  his  favor  for  £20,000,  which  he  was 
directed  to  forward  to  the  commissioners  to  enable 
them  to  purchase  supplies. 

November  25,  1780. — John  Witman  appointed  col- 
lector of  excise  for  Berks  County. 

November  30,  1780. — Order  on  treasurer  drawn  to 
Henry  Spyker,  paymaster  of  Berks  County,  for  £163,- 
000  to  pay  militia  of  said  County,  if  so  much  in  treas- 
ury for  militia  fines. 

December  13, 1780. — Resolved  that  Jacob  Morgan 
pay  off  militia  who  marched  on  late  tour  of  duty. 

December  13, 1780. — A  petition  from  divers  inhabit- 
ants of  Berks  County  who  were  convicted  of  misde- 
meanor, in  associating  together,  to  oppose  the  col- 
lector of  the  public  taxes  in  said  county  was  read, 
setting  forth  that  they  are  unable  to  pay  fines  laid  on 
them  by  court,  and  pray  remission.  Resolved  that 
they  be  remitted. 

January  26,  1781.— Petition  of  Inhabitants  of 
Bern,  praying  for  remission  of  fine  of  £300  sentenced 
for  misdemeanor  in  confederating  against  payment 
of  taxes. 

July  1, 1781. — Letter  from  Henry  Christ  and  Henry 
Haller.  Ordered  that  secretary  do  answer  that  coun- 
cil understand  the  tract  of  land,  on  which  the  town' 
of  Reading  stands,  to  be  an  estate  held  by  the  pro- 
prietors in  their  public  capacity,  and  accordingly  de- 
volves to  the  State  ;  but  that  if  any  advice  respecting 
construction  of  law  be  necessary  to  Christ  and  Haller, 
that  it  is  proper  they  should  stale  the  question  to  the 
Attorney-General,  who  will,  of  course,  give  his 
opinion. 

Affairs  at  Beading  in  1777.— The  steady 
advance  of  the  English  upon  Philadelphia  during 
the  Summer  of  1777  had  thrown  the  city  into 
a  great  panic.  Many  persons  went  to  Reading 
as  a  place  of  safety— the  fugitive  families  having 
been  estimated  at  a  score  or  more.  The  ensuing 
winter  (1777-78)  at  Reading  was  gay  and  agree- 
able, notwithstanding  that  the  enemy  was  in 
possassion  of  the  metropolis.  The  society  was 
sufficiently  large  and  select;  and  a  sense  of 
common  suffering  in  being  driven  from  their 
homes  had  the  effect  of  more  closely  uniting  its 
members.  Besides  the  families  established  in 
this  place,  it  was  seldom  without  a  number  ot 


REVOLUTION  AND  INDEPENDENCE. 


163 


visitors,  gentlemen  of  the  army  and  others. 
The  dissipation  of  cards,  sleighing  parties, 
balls,  etc.,  were  numerous.  General  Mifflin, 
at  this  era,  was  at  home — a  chief  out  of  war, 
complaining,  though  not  ill,  considerably  mal- 
content, and  apparently  not  in  high  favor  at 
headquarters.  According  to  him,  the  ear  of 
the  commander-in-chief  was  exclusively  pos- 
sessed by  Green,  who  was  represented  to  be 
neither  the  most  wise,  the  most  brave  nor  the 
most  patriotic  of  counsellors.  In  short,  the  cam- 
paign in  this  quarter  was  stigmatized  as  a  series 
of  blunders;  and  the  incapacity  of  those  who  had 
conducted  it  was  unsparingly  reprobated.  The 
better  fortune  of  the  northern  army  was  ascribed 
to  the  superior  talents  of  its  leader;  and  it 
began  to  be  whispered  that  Gates  was  the  man 
who  should,  of  right,  have  the  station  so  incom- 
petently sustained  by  Washington.  There  was, 
to  all  appearance,  a  cabal  forming  for  his  depo- 
sition, in  which  it  is  not  improbable  that  Gates, 
Mifflin  and  Conway  were  already  engaged,  and 
in  which  the  congenial  spirit  of  Lee  on  his 
exchange  immediately  took  a  share.  The  well- 
known  apostrophe  of  Conway  to  America,  im- 
porting "  that  Heaven  had  passed  a  decree  in  her 
favor  or  her  ruin  must  long  before  have  ensued 
from  the  imbecility  of  her  military  counsels,"  was 
at  this  time  familiar  at  Reading.  And  I  (Gray- 
don)  heard  him  myself — when  he  was  afterwards 
on  a  visit  to  that  place — express  himself  to  this 
effect :  "  That  no  man  was  more  of  a  gentle- 
man than  General  Washington,  or  appeared  to 
more  advantage  at  his  table  or  in  the  usual 
intercourse  of  life ;  but,  as  to  his  talents  for 
the  command  of  an  army  (with  a  French 
shrug),  they  were  miserable."  Observations  of 
this  kind  continually  repeated  could  not  fail  to 
make  an  impression  within  the  sphere  of  their 
circulation ;  and  it  may  be  said  that  the  popu- 
larity of  the  commander-in-chief  was  a  good 
deal  impaired  at  Reading. l 

Conw ay-Cabal.  —  The  "  Conway-Cabal " 
was  a  secret  movement  by  which  it  was 
intended  to  remove  Washington  and  put  Gates 
in  his  place.  Conway  spent  the  winter  of 
1777-78  at  York  intriguing  with  Mifflin,  Lee 

'Graydon's  Memoirs,  283. 


and  some  members  of  Congress  to  bring  about 
the  removal  of  Washington.  The  correspond- 
ence between  Gates,  Mifflin  and  Conway,  reflect- 
ing upon  Washington,  became  known  through 
the  indiscretion  of  Wilkinson,  who  had  seen 
one  of  the  letters  and  repeated  its  purport  to 
Stirling.  The  unfavorable  impression  produced 
by  this  discovery  was  not  removed  when  Gates, 
with  some  bluster,  first  demanded  of  Washing- 
ton to  know  who  had  tampered  with  his  letters, 
and  then  denied  that  Conway  had  written  the 
letter  whose  words  had  been  quoted.2  Mifflin 
had  written  to  Gates,  informing  him  that  an 
extract  from  Conway's  letter  had  been  procured 
and  sent  to  headquarters.  This  perplexed  Gates 
and  caused  him  to  suspect  that  his  portfolio  had 
been  stealthily  opened  and  his  letters  copied, 
and  in  a  state  of  mental  trepidation  he  wrote  to 
Washington  on  the  8th  of  December,  in  which, 
among  other  things,  he  said  :  "  I  conjure  your 
Excellency  to  give  me  all  the  assistance  you  can 
in  tracing  the  author  of  the  infidelity  which  put 
extracts  from  General  Conway's  letter  to  me  in 
your  hands."  Washington  replied  with  char- 
acteristic dignity  and  candor  on  the  4th  of  Jan- 
uary following, — saying,  among  other  things  : 

"  I  am  to  inform  you  then,  that  Colonel  Wilkinson, 
on  his  way  to  Congress  in  the  month  of  October  last, 
fell  in  with  Lord  Stirling  at  Reading  and — -not  in 
confidence  that  I  ever  understood — informed  his  aid- 
de-camp,  Major  Williams,  that  General  Conway  had 
written  this  to  you :  '  Heaven  has  been  determined 
to  save  your  country,  or  a  weak  general  and  bad 
counsellors  would  have  ruined  it.'  Lord  Sterling — from 
motives  of  friendship — transmitted  the  account  with 
this  remark :  '  The  enclosed  was  communicated  by 
Colonel  Wilkinson  to  Major  McWilliams.'  Such 
wicked  duplicity  of  conduct  I  shall  always  think  it 
my  duty  to  detect.'  " 

Attempts  to  influence  State  legislatures 
proved8  equally  abortive,  and  when  the  purpose 
of  the  "  Cabal "  became  known  to  the  country 
and  to  the  army,  it  met  with  universal 
condemnation.  It  has  been  said  that  this 
"  Cabal "  was  conceived  at  Reading,  one  tra- 
dition locating  the  place  of  meeting  in  a 
low  one-story  log  building  on  the  south  side  of 

■■>  3  Bryant's  "  History  of  U.  S.,"  596. 
3  3  Irving's  "  Life  of  Washington."     Also  Sparks'  "  Life 
of  Washington,"  vol.  5,  pp.  484  et  seq. 


164 


HISTOKY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Penn  street  sixty  feet  above  Eighth,  (which  was 
torn  down  several  years  ago),  and  another 
tradition  in  a  two-story  stone  building  on  the 
south  side  of  Penn  street,  one  hundred  and 
twenty  feet  above  Tenth,  called  for  many  years 
the  "  Fountain  Inn."  But  these  traditions  are 
not  correct.  Conway  was  not  at  Reading  at 
any  time.  Wilkinson  was  on  his  way  from 
Saratoga  to  York,  where  Congress  was  then 
assembled,  with  dispatches  from  Gen.  Gates 
concerning  the  surrender  of  Burgoyne's  army 
on  the  17th  of  October.  Accordingly  the  peo- 
ple of  Reading  knew  of  the  surrender  before 
Congress. 

Duel  at  Reading. — Col.  Richard  Butler's 
regiment  was  quartered  at  Reading  during  1780 
—81.     Most  of  its    officers  were   very  worthy 
men,     It  was  commanded  by  Lieut. -Col.  Metz- 
ger,  in  the  absence  of  the  Colonel,    who  was 
not  at  Reading  most  of  the  winter.     Metzger 
was  one  of  the  very  few  foreign  officers  who 
were  valuable  to  the  colonists.     There  was  a 
Captain    Bowen    in   the   Regiment.      He   was 
recognized  as  an  excellent  officer ;  but  he  had  a 
warm  temper  which  occasioned   some  disturb- 
ances  at  Reading   about  that  time.     On  one 
occasion  he  took  ofFense  when  none  was  intended, 
and  on  that  account,  fought  a  duel  with  the 
major  of  the  regiment.   The  duellists  each  fired 
a  shot,  and  Bowen  had  a  button  shot  from  his 
coat.      Their   seconds  then  settled  the    matter 
between  them.     An  investigation  of  the  cause 
of  the  difficulty  was  then  made.     "  It  appeared 
the  major  was  walking  with  some  girls  on  the 
night  before,  and  they  burst  out  laughing  just 
after  Bowen  had  passed  them.     Their  laughter 
was  caused  by  the  major  telling  them  pf  his 
and  Bowen's  being  at  a  dance  on  the  evening 
before,  when  the  blind  fiddler  broke  one  of  the 
strings  of  his  fiddle  and  the  landlady  took  a 
candle  and  held  it  for  him  while  he  was  fitting 
a  new  string."     This  story  even  set  the  seconds 
to  laughing   and    they   all    returned   in   good 
humor.      Upon  another  occasion,  soon  after- 
ward, whilst  Bowen  and  Charles  Biddle  (who 
was  then  residing  at  Reading)  were  playing 
backgammon,  at  a  certain  place,  Captain  Bower 
— an  officer  in  the  same  Regiment,  came  into 
the  room  and,  addressing   himself  to  Bowen 


said :  "  I  hope  you  are  very  well,  Major." 
Bowen  immediately  started  up  and  replied  to 
him:  "Don't  major  me,  sir!  None  of  your 
majors !  You  know  I  am  not  a  major,  sir ! 
What  do  you  mean,  sir?"  Bower  declared 
that  he  had  not  intended  to  give  any  offense. 
Bowen  then  took  Biddle  into  an  adjoining  room 
and  inquired  if  he  should  not  challenge  Bower. 
Biddle  replied  to  him  that  "  a  man  who  would 
not  fight  on  some  occasions  was  not  fit  to  live, 
nor  was  a  man  fit  to  live  who  was  always  quar- 
reling." They  returned,  and  Biddle  made  the 
captains  shake  hands,  and  so  avoided  a  second 
duel.  Bowen  held  the  appointment  of  Town- 
Major  for  a  time.1 

Independence  Won  and  Peace  De- 
clared.— The  surrender  of  Lord  Cornwallis, 
at  Yorktown,  on  the  19th  of  October,  1781, 
was  virtually  the  end  of  the  war  between  Eng- 
land and  America.  The  news  of  the  surrender 
reached  London  on  the  25th  of  November,  fol- 
lowing. Several  months  afterward,  the  war- 
fare in  the  American  Colonies  was  discussed 
and  its  continuance  discouraged  in  the  House  of 
Commons,  a  resolution  having  been  passed, 
declaring  that  fchey  who  advised  the  continua- 
tion of  the  war  were  enemies  of  their  country. 
These  discussions  were  continued  with  earnest- 
ness till  they  culminated  in  a  preliminary  treaty 
of  peace  on  the  30th  of  November,  1782.  In 
the  first  article  of  this  treaty,  "  the  independ- 
ence of  the  thirteen  United  States  of  America  " 
was  recognized.  The  treaty  was  not  made  final 
then,  owing  to  the  three  allied  powers— Great 
Britain,  France  and  Spain  —  having  been 
pledged  to  one  another  not  to  conclude  a  treaty 
except  by  common  consent ;  and  the  consent  of 
France  and  Spain  was  to  be  obtained.  This 
occasioned  further  delay  and  obliged  the  United 
States  to  await  the  adjustment  of  the  differences 
between  them.  The  final  treaty  of  peace  was 
concluded  at  Paris  on  the  3d  of  September, 
1783,  and  thereby  the  United  States  were  ac- 
knowledged to  be  "free,  sovereign  and  inde- 
pendent." 2 

During  these  two  years  of  negotiation  and 
delay  there  were  no  general  military  operations. 

'Autobiog.  of  Charles  Biddle,  pp.  150-51. 
2  Bryant's  U.  8.  History,  pp.  73-90. 


REVOLUTION  AND  INDEPENDENCE. 


165 


But  great  anxiety  was  felt  over  the  prospects 
for  a  permanent  peace.  Through  the  inactivity 
of  the  army,  the  officers  and  soldiers  became 
restless ;  also  discontented  because  they  were 
not  rewarded  for  their  patriotic  services.  An 
attempt  was  made  by  anonymous  and  seditious 
publications  to  inflame  their  minds  and  to 
induce  them  to  unite  in  redressing  their  griev- 
ances whilst  they  had  arms  in  their  hands.  But 
Washington  succeeded  in  quieting  them.  His 
wisdom  and  eloquence  elicited  from  the  officers 
the  unanimous  adoption  of  a  resolution  by 
which  they  declared  "  that  no  circumstances  of 
distress  or  danger  should  induce  a  conduct 
that  might  tend  to  sully  the  reputation  and 
glory  they  had  acquired ;  that  the  army  con- 
tinued to  have  unshaken  confidence  in  the  jus- 
tice of  congress  and  their  couutry ;  and  that 
they  viewed  with  abhorrence  and  rejected  with 
disdain  the  infamous  propositions  in  the  late 
anonymous  address  to  the  officers  of  the  army." 

In  order  to  avoid  the  inconveniences  of  dis- 
missing a  great  number  of  soldiers  in  a  body, 
furloughs  were  freely  granted.  In  this  way  a 
great  part  of  the  unpaid  army  was  disbanded 
and  dispersed  over  the  states  without  tumult  or 
disorder.  The  soldiers  returned  to  labor.  As 
they  had  been  easily  and  speedily  formed  out  of 
farmers  and  mechanics  and  laborers,  in  1775, 
so  with  equal  facility  did  they  throw  off  their 
military  character  and  resume  their  former 
occupations.  They  had  taken  up  arms  earn- 
estly for  the  purposes  of  self-defense  and  politi- 
cal freedom,  but  when  these  were  no  longer 
necessary  they  laid  them  down  peaceably  to  be- 
come again  good  industrious  citizens  as  they 
had  been  for  eight  years  devoted  and  patriotic 
soldiers.1 

The  manner  and  the  time  of  the  return  of 
the  Berks  county  troops  from  the  seat  of  war 
have  not  as  yet  been  ascertained.  There  was  no 
record  here  or  elsewhere;  and,  at  that  time, 
there  was  no  newspaper  publication  in  the  town 
to  report  the  arrivals.  No  written  or  printed 
statement  has  been  prepared  or  published,  show- 
ing the  companies  and  men  which  were  supplied 
by  the  county,  the  men  killed  or  wounded,  or 

•Ramsay's  U.  S.  History  (Introduction-pp.  35-37). 


returned.  Doubtless  the  citizens  of  the  town 
rejoiced  with  all  the  people  of  the  country 
when  the  struggle  was  over  and  peace  declared. 

Revolutionary  Suevivoes. — The  follow- 
ing survivors  of  the  Revolution,  who  were  resi- 
dents of  Reading,  are  presented  in  this  connec- 
tion, though  not  strictly  a  part  of  this  period. 

In  1823  there  were  thirty-nine  survivors. 
They  held  a  public  meeting  on  the  19th  of 
August,  of  that  year,  for  the  purpose  of  endors- 
ing Andrew  Gregg  as  a  candidate  for  Governor 
of  the  State.  Peter  Nagle  was  chairman  of  the 
meeting  and  Michael  Madeira  secretary.  Ap- 
propriate resolutions  were  adopted, — 

Peter  Nagle.  Michael  Madeira. 

John  Strohecker.  Jacob  Dick. 

Nicholas  Dick.  Daniel  Rose. 

George  Snell.  Gottlieb  Christine. 

Henry  Miller.  William  Mannerback. 

Henry  Stiles.  Philip  Nagle. 

Michael  Reifschneider.       Alexander  Eisenbise. 

Michael  Spatz.  Balthaser  Ottenheimer. 

John  Snell.  George  Slear. 

George  Price.  John  Bingeman. 

I»avid  Fox.  John  Pox. 

Christian  Miller.  Henry  Holm. 

Jacob  Petree.  Christopher  Diem. 

Andrew  Fichthorn.  George  Yerger. 

Peter  Stichter.  John  Row. 

James  Haiden.  Ludwig  Katzenmyer. 

John  Giley.  Christian  Hoffman. 

John  Sell.  Samuel  Homan. 

Frederick  Heller.  Henry  Diehl. 

John  Syder. 

In  1840  the  census  reported  nine  surviving 
Revolutionary  soldiers  in  Reading  who  were 
then  drawing  pensions  from  the  State  Govern- 
ment, viz. : 

Michael  Spatz,  aged  seventy-eight  years. 

Peter  Stichter,  aged  seventy-eight  years. 

Aaron  Wright,  aged  seventy-eight  years. 

William  James,  aged  seventy-nine  years. 

Sebastian  Allgaier,  aged  eighty-three  years. 

John  P.  Nagle,  aged  eighty  three  years. 

Henry  Stiles,  aged  eighty  four  years. 

Joseph  Snablee,  aged  eighty-four  years. 

Christian  Miller,  aged  eighty- five  years. 

In  1846  two  still  survived— Michael  Spatz  and 
William  James. 

Continental  Papee  Money. — During  the 
progress  of  the  Revolution  the  government  of 
the  United  States  was  compelled  to  resort  to  the 
emission  of  "  bills  of  credit "  with  which  to 


166 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


purchase  army  supplies,  etc.,  and  to  satisfy  the 
demands  of  carrying  on  the  war.  Gold  and 
silver  was  not  then  known  to  exist  in  the  conn- 
try  in  any  quantity  equal  to  the  demands  of 
war  ;  nor  could  they  be  procured.  Direct  taxa 
tion,  though  practicable,  was  deemed  impolitic. 
The  only  plausible  expedient  in  the  power  of 
Congress  was  the  emission  of  bills  of  credit 
which  were  to  represent  specie  under  a  public 
engagement  of  redemption  through  taxation,  or 
of  exchange  for  gold  or  silver.  This  practice 
had  been  familiar  from  the  first  settlement  of 
the  colonies ;  and,  under  proper  restrictions,  it 


CONTINENTAL    CURRENCY. 

had  been  found  highly  advantageous.  Congress, 
therefore,  resolved,  in  June,  1775,  to  emit  such 
bills  to  the  amount  of  two  millions  of  dollars; 
in  July,  ordered  a  million  more,  and  in  Novem- 
ber, three  millions  more ;  and  for  their  redemp- 
tion congress  pledged  the  Confederated  colonies. 
Subsequently  other  emissions  were  made  ;  and, 
such  was  the  animation  of  the  times,  that  these 
several  emissions,  amounting  to  twenty  millions, 
circulated  for  some  time  without  any  deprecia- 
tion, and  commanded  the  resources  of  the 
country  for  public  service  equally  with  gold  or 
silver.  For  a  considerable  time  the  Govern- 
ment derived  much  benefit  from  this  paper 
creation  of  their  own,  though  it  was  without 
any  established  funds  for  its  support  or  redemp- 
tion.     Whilst  the  ministry  of  England  were 


puzzling  themselves  for  new  taxes  and  funds  ou 
which  to  raise  supplies,  congress  raised  theirs 
by  resolutions  directing  paper  of  no  intrinsic 
value  to  be  struck  off  in  the  form  of  promissory 
notes.     But  there  was  a  point  both  in  time  and 
quantity  beyond    which  this  process  ceased  to 
operate ;  that  time  was  about  eighteen  months 
from  the  date  of  first  emission  and  that  quantity 
twenty  millions.      The  rulers  thought  it  still 
premature  to  urge  taxation,  and  they  therefore 
resorted  to  the  expedient  of  further  emissions. 
The  ease  with  which  the  means  of  procuring 
supplies  were  furnished  by  simply  striking  off 
bills  of  credit  and  the  readiness  with 
which    the    people    received    them, 
prompted  congress  to  multiply  them 
beyond  the  limits  of  prudence ;  and 
a  depreciation  of  their  value  was  the 
unavoidable  consequence.  At  first  this 
depreciation  was  scarcely  perceptible, 
but  it  increased  daily,  till  finally  the 
currency  became  worthless.     The  de- 
preciation began  at  different  periods  in 
different  states ;  but  in  general  about 
the  midd  le  of  the  year  1777,  and  then 
increased    progressively   for   several 
years. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1777  it  was 
two  dollars  in  currency  for  one  in 
specie ;  in  1778,five  for  one ;  in  1779 
twenty-seven  for  one;  in  1780, 
fifty  for  one.  After  this  year  the  circulation 
was  limited  to  certain  localities  ;  but  where  the 
currency  passed  it  depreciated  to  one  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars  for  one.  In  Pennsylvania  the 
executive  council  resolved,  as  late  as  Feb- 
ruary 1,  1781,  that  continental  money  should 
be  received  for  public  dues  at  the  exchange  of 
seventy-five  dollars  in  currency  for  one  in  specie. 
But  an  act  provided  that  after  June  1st,  following, 
only  specie  or  equivalent  bills  of  credit  should 
be  received  for  taxes  or  other  public  dues ;  and 
this  rendered  the  currency  worthless  in  the 
State.  This  extraordinary  depreciation  brought 
great  loss  to  many  of  the  people  who  had  aided 
the  government  in  the  grand  struggle  for  free- 
dom. In  this  respect  the  soldiers  suffered 
most.     The  people  of  Reading,  and  especially 


WHISKEY  INSURRECTION  OF  1794. 


167 


of  the  county,  met  with  considerable  losses 
thereby.  Some  of  them  had  large  quantities 
which  were  transmitted  for  some  time  till  lost  or 
destroyed.     It  was  not  redeemed. 


CHAPTEE    X. 

Whiskey  Insurrection  of  1794 — House  Tax  and  Liberty 
Poles  of  1799— Embargo  of  1807— War  of  1812--15  and 
Companies  of  County  Enlisted. 

Whiskey  Insurrection  of  1794. — As 
early  as  1756  the  province  of  Pennsylvania  had 
looked  to  excise  on  ardent  spirits  for  the  means 
of  sustaining  its  bills  of  credit.  The  original 
law  was  limited  to  a  period  of  ten  years;  but  it 
was  extended  from  time  to  time  as  necessities 
pressed  upon  the  treasury.  During  the  Revo- 
lution the  law  was  generally  evaded  in  the 
western  part  of  the  State  by  considering  all 
spirits  as  for  domestic  use,  such  having  been  ex- 
cepted from  excise.  But,  when  the  debts  of 
the  Revolution  began  to  press  upon  the  States, 
the  government  officials  became  more  vigilant 
in  the  enforcement  of  the  law.  Congress, 
after  a  long  debate,  passed  a  law  in  March, 
1791,  increasing  the  duty  on  imported  spirits 
and  levying  a  tax  '  on  distillation,  and  this  went 
into  operation  in  July  following.  The  Legisla- 
ture of  Pennsylvania  had  instructed  their  rep- 
resentatives in  Congress  to  vote  against  the  law. 
Opposition  arose  at  once  in  the  western  counties 
of  the  State,  and  resolutions  were  adopted  at 
public  meetings  demanding  an  unconditional 
appeal.  Liberty  poles  were  erected,  and  people 
even  assembled  in  arms  to  resist  officers  in  the 
enforcement  of  the  law.  Various  public  ex- 
citements continued  till  1794,  when  an  insur- 
rection ensued.  Governor  Mifflin,  of  the 
State,  on  various  excuses,  declined  to  call  out 
the  militia  to  suppress  the  insurrection,  and,  as 
a  consequence,  the  spirit  extended  into  conti- 
guous States.  President  Washington,  who 
feared  that  successful  resistance  to  one  law 
might  be  the  beginning  of  rebellion  against  all 
law,  called  on  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey,  Mary- 
land and  Virginia  for  fifteen  thousand  men, 
and  sent  commissioners  to  the  scene  of  the  dis- 


1  Four  pence  per  gallon  on  all  distilled  spirits. 


turbance,2  with  power  to  arrange  for  peaceful 
submission  any  time  before  September  14, 1794. 
But  the  commissioners  returned  to  Philadelphia 
ten  days  after  that  date,  having  failed  to  obtain 
a  satisfactory  settlement.  The  troops  were 
promptly  put  in  motion,  the  governors  of  the 
several  States  named  commanding  their  respec- 
tive quotas.  Governor  Lee,  of  Virginia,  had 
chief  command  of  the  army.  On  the  appear- 
ance of  the  troops,  in  November,  the  insurrec- 
tion subsided.  There  was  no  opposition  and 
no  bloodshed.  Among  the  Pennsylvania  troops 
there  was  a  company  from  Reading  under 
the  command  of  Captain  Daniel  de  .B.  Keim. 
This  company  was  formed  from  certain  survi- 
vors of  the  Reading  Battalion  in  the  Continen- 
tal Army,  which  had  been  commanded  by 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Nicholas  Lotz,  and  was 
called  the  "  Reading  Union  Volunteers."  It 
was  afterwards  known  as  the  "  Reading  Artil- 
lerists." This  insurrection  cost  the  government 
eleven  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

The  proportion  of  troops,  which  was  to  be 
supplied  by  Berks  County  towards  the  quota  of 
Pennsylvania  militia  under  the  requisition  of 
the  President  of  the  United  States,  was  four  hun- 
dred and  thirty  four  officers  and  privates,  and 
twenty-six  cavalry.  The  four  hundred  and 
thirty-four  men  were  placed  under  the  command 
of  Brigadier-General  Francis  Murray,  in  the 
second  brigade.  The  Adjutant-General  of  the 
State  issued  an  order  on  September  11,  1794, 
requiring  "  the  quota  for  the  counties  of  Bucks, 
Northampton  and  Berks  to  assemble  at  Read- 
ing, where  they  will  be  furnished  with  arms 
and  equipments  and  camp  equipage,  and  march 
from  thence  by  way  of  Harrisburg  to  Carlisle." 

The  quartermaster-general  of  Pennsylvania, 
Clement  Biddle,  arrived  at  Reading  on  Sunday 
evening,  September  28,  1794.  In  a  letter  by 
him  to  Governor  Mifflin,  dated  the  day  follow- 
ing, he  remarked  about  the  Berks  County  troops : 
"  Colonel  Cowperthwaite  had  collected  four  hun- 
dred men  in  the  encampment  at  Peters's  farm, 
who  were  fully  furnished  with  everything  they 
required.  The  drafts  from  the  county  continu- 
ed to  come  in  and  he  proposed  marching  to- 
morrow."    And  he  reported  that  Captain  For- 

2  In  Washington  County,  I'enna. 


168 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


rest's  troops  had  moved  from  Reading  on  Satur- 
day (27th) ;  that  he  expected  the  Bucks  County- 
Militia  here  on  30th ;  and  that  the  Militia  of 
Berks  County  would  assemble  on  October  1st; 
also  that  the  rear  of  the  Jersey  troops  would 
march  from  here  on  30th  under  General  White. 
Washington  at  Reading. — In  another 
letter  to  Governor  Mifflin,  dated  at  Reading, 
October  2,  1794,  he  stated  that— "  The  Presi- 
dent (Washington)  was  here  last  night,  and 
went  on  this  morning  to  Carlisle."  He  also  re- 
ported then  that  "  the  cavalry  of  this  county 
(Berks)  are  by  this  time  at  Carlisle.  Captain 
Spade  has  a  fine  company  of  infantry  ready  to 
march,  and  I  shall  hasten  the  drafts  from  the 
county  off  to-morrow."  The  cavalry  mentioned 
was  Moore's,  and  contained — one  captain,  one 
lieutenant,  one  cornet,  four  sergeants,  four  corp- 
orals, one  quartermaster,  one  surgeon  and  twen- 
ty-five privates. 

The  militia  of  Berks  County  responded 
promptly  on  the  requisition  of  the  President  to 
suppress  this  insurrection. 

House-Tax  and  Liberty-Poles,  1799. — 
During  the  early  part  of  Adams's  administra- 
tion, Congress  passed  an  act  requiring  a  direct 
tax  to  be  levied  upon  houses.  This  tax  was 
called  the  "house-tax,"  also  "window-tax."  The 
federal  government,  in  collecting  it  in  the  eas- 
tern counties  of  Pennsylvania,  caused  a  consider- 
able excitement  and  opposition,  which  eventually 
broke  out  in  an  insurrection  in  1799.  "In 
some  townships  associations  of  people  were  act- 
ually formed  in  order  to  prevent  the  officials 
from  performing  their  duty  and  more  particular- 
ly to  prevent  the  assessors  from  measuring  their 
houses.  This  opposition  was  made  at  many 
public  township  meetings  called  for  the  pur- 
pose; and  in  many  instances  written  resolutions 
were  entered  into,  solemnly  forewarning  the  o  f- 
ficers,  and  accompanied  many  times  with 
threats."1  The  leader  in  this  insurrectionary 
proceeding  was  John  Fries,  of  Bucks  County; 
who  was  tried  and  convicted  of  high  treason 
and  sentenced  to  be  hanged.  But  President 
Adams,  against  the  advice  of  his  Cabinet,  par- 
doned Fries  and  also  issued  a  general  amnesty 


1  Day's  Penna.  Historical  Coll.  422. 


for  all  the  /  offenders.  It  was  reported  that 
"  great  men  were  at  the  bottom  of  the  business." 
Thirty-one  persons  were  arrested  in  Northamp- 
ton County,  fifteen  for  high  treason.2  The  ex- 
citement— if  not  actual  opposition — about  the 
direct "  house-tax,"  extended  into  the  northeas- 
tern border  of  Berks  County. 

Excitement  at  Reading. — The  insurrec- 
tion— though  not  directly  active  in  the  county — 
was  indirectly  the  cause  of  a  considerable  com- 
motion at  Reading.     Certain  troops  were  called 
out  to  suppress  the  insurrection ;  and  among 
them  was  Captain  Montgomery's  company  of 
Light  Dragoons  from  Lancaster.     Their  way  to 
the  scene  of  excitement  was  through  Reading. 
Upon   arriving    here  they    cut   down    certain 
"  Liberty  Poles,"  insulted  the  people,  etc. ;  and 
these    unwarranted   performances    induced   an 
anonymous  correspondent  of  the  Adler  to  publish 
a  letter,  criticising  their  conduct.  He  subscribed 
it  "  A  Friend  of  Truth."    This  appeared  whilst 
the  company  was  on  the  way  to  Northampton 
County.     But  upon  their  return  they  heard  of 
it.     Naturally  it  developed  in  them  as  soldiers 
a  spirit  of  revenge.     So  they  went  to  Jacob 
Schneider,  the  senior  proprietor  of  the  Adler, 
and  demanded  from  him  the  name  of  the  per- 
son who  had  written  the  letter  condemning  and 
ridiculing  them.    He  was  bold  enough  to  refuse 
compliance.     His   refusal    led   the   soldiers   to 
spend  their  anger  on  him  by  taking  him  forcibly 
to  the  market-house  and  giving  him  a  certain 
number  of  lashes.     The  letter3  which  caused 
the  trouble  was  as  follows : 

"  On  Monday  afternoon,  April  1, 1799,  Capt.  Mont- 
gomery's troop  of  Light  Dragoons  arrived  here  on 
their  march  from  Lancaster  to  Northampton  County, 
in  order  to  apprehend  the  'rebels,'  and  to  quell  the 
insurrection.  But  their  determination  will  be  more 
likely  to  create  an  uproar  than  to  restore  order. 

"  Upon  their  arrival  here,  their  first  undertaking 
was  to  go  quietly  and  unnoticed  to  a  citizen  of  the 
town  who  had  erected  a  Liberty  Pole  upon  his  own 
ground  and  cut  it  dowu.  But  not  satisfied  with  this 
they  were  desirous  of  disturbing  this  man's  family, 
before  whom  they  flourished  pistols  and  drawn  swords 
and  took  with  them  the  instrument  with  which  they 


2  Names,  including  Fries,  are  given  in  Adler,  Apiil  16, 
1799.  V 

3  Adler,  April  9,  1799.     Translated  from  the  German. 


HOUSE  TAX  AND  LIBERTY  POLES. 


169 


had  cut  down  the  symbol  of  true  freedom.  Then 
they  went  upon  a  second  expedition.  At  a  particu- 
lar place  children  had  raised  a  pole  with  some 
patches  attached ;  but  when  they  observed  the  troops 
coming,  they  took  it  down  and  carried  it  into  the  house. 
But  these  troops  went  into  the  house  with  pistols 
and  drawn  swords,  struck  the  owner  of  the  house  up,on 
his  breast  and  threatened  to  shoot  him  if  he  said  one 
word.  They  broke  the  pole  in  pieces,  took  up  the 
patches  and  other  articles  which  did  not  concern 
them  at  all  and  carried  them  away.  They  sought  a 
third  adventure  a  short  distance  away  and  found  a 
single  small  boy  whom  they  commanded  not  to  throw 
a  certain  tree  (already  cut  down  and  lying  near  the 
river),  into  the  water,  and  clubbed  him  unmercifully 
without  the  slightest  reason.  Thence  they  went  to 
numerous  other  places  and  committed  offenses  not 
any  less  shameful  and  cruel.  By  this  time  night  had 
come  when  they  were  forced  to  discontinue. 

"  On  the  following  morning  they  arose  very  early 
for  new  adventure.'.  But  they  were  so  unfortunate 
as  to  find  one  immediately.  Why  unfortunate? 
Yes,  it  appeared  dreadful  to  them,  for  these  adven- 
turous cannibals  feared  to  approach  within  eighty 
steps  of  a  well-guarded  Liberty  Pole,  .  .  .  which  ap- 
peared to  be  surrounded  with  explosive  pipes.  They 
hesitated,  stood  still  and  gaped  at  this  wonderful 
thing,  as  a  cow  at  a  newly  painted  stable  door.  They 
were  asked  to  come  nearer ;  but  they  were  afraid ; 
they  would  not  move  a  step,  till  a  messenger  was 
sent  informing  them  'they  might  come  a  little  nearer 
in  order  to  be  able  to  see  the  emblem  of  Liberty,  for  no 
harm  should  be  done  to  them.'  Upon  this  one  of 
them  took  courage  and  rode  along  ;  when  the  others 
saw  that  nothing  was  done  to  him,  another  followed. 
They  were  then  asked  what  they  wanted.  They 
replied  :  '  Nothing  more  than  to  see  the  country  and 
this  Liberty  Pole  and  to  give  their  horses  a  little 
exercise.'  They  were  asked  further  whether  they 
had  not  intended  to  cut  down  this  Liberty  Pole,  and 
they  answered  '  No.'  Still  another  question  was  put 
to  them  whether  they  had  a  right  to  cut  down  such  a 
Liberty  Pole  and  to  abuse  the  people.  They  an- 
swered :  'They  did  not  in  reality  have  the  right  then, 
but  they  might  perhaps  obtain  it,  in  which  case  they 
would  not  only  cut  down  all  the  Liberty  Poles  but 
also  burn  and  destroy  everything  where  such  poles 
stood  and  were  erected.'  Upon  this  they  were 
asked  to  examine  this  Liberty  Pole  particularly  to 
see  if  anything  objectionable  was  upon  it,  and  if  so 
they  were  welcome  to  cut  it  down ;  but  they  replied 
that  they  could  not  see  anything  and  would  not  give 
it  the  slightest  injury.  Then  three  cheers  were 
shouted,  and  we  saw  that  the  caps  of  the  Dragoons 
could   flourish    in    the    air  as   well    as  the   round 


"  The  troops  which  left  here  to  arrest  the  disturbers 
of  the  peace  in  Northampton   County  returned  to 
Reading  oh  April  20,  1799— Saturday  afternoon.    On 
20 


the  following  Monday  afternoon  and  Tuesday  morn- 
ing all,  excepting  the  regular  troops,  marched  to  their 
respective  homes.  ...  A  party  of  them  (Captain 
Montgomery's  Company  of  Light  Dragoons)  came 
into  my  printing  establishment,  not  as  men  of  good 
character,  but  as  scoundrels  and  rascals,  tore  off  my 
clothing  and  dragged  me  before  their  fine  captain, 
who  is  not  a  particle  better  than  any  of  his  company. 
He  immediately  commanded  them  to  give  me  twenty- 
five  lashes  on  my  back  at  the  Market  House,  and  this 
would  have  been  done,  if  one  of  Captain  Leiper's 
company,  from  Philadelphia,  had  not  interfered,  and 
said  that  they  should  be  ashamed  of  their  perform- 
ance. Through  this  interference  I  did  not  receive  the 
whole  number.  .  .  ."  [An  editorial  in  Adler,  23 
April,  1799,  subscribed  by  the  proprietor,  Jacob 
Schneider.] 

Mr.  Schneider  made  complaint  before  a  justice 
of  the  peace  and  caused  the  criminals  to  be  ar- 
rested, but  Captain  Montgomery  denied  the 
authority  to  make  the  arrest.  The  matter  was 
then  referred  to  General  Macpherson,  who  said 
he  would  look  into  it ;  and  so  they  rode  away 
on  Sunday  evening.     [Adler,  7th  May,  1799.] 

By  the  time  that  Montgomery's  troops  re- 
turned to  Reading  on  their  way  home,  Stro- 
hecker  had  erected  a  liberty-pole  in  the  place  of 
the  one  erected  by  his  children.  Hearing  this, 
the  soldiers  went  to  Strohecker's  place  and  there 
attempted  to  compel  a  common  laborer  to  cut 
down  the  "  offensive  wood,"  notwithstanding 
that  he  protested  against  doing  so,  declaring  at 
the  same  time,  on  the  most  solemn  asseveration, 
that  he  also  was  a  Federalist.  They  succeeded 
in  divesting  the  pole,  and  with  it  appended  as  a 
trophy,  they  rode  through  the  streets  of  Read- 
ing to  their  quarters.  In  a  few  days  they  left, 
but  on  the  24th  of  April  an  army,  under  the 
command  of  Brigadier-General  W.  Macpher- 
son, arrived  at  Reading.  They  apprehended 
some  of  the  insurrectionists,  who  were  after- 
wards tried  before  Judge  Peters;  some  of  them 
were  found  guilty,  some  were  fined  and  im- 
prisoned and  others  condemned  to  be  capitally 
punished  ;  but  none  atoned  with  their  lives — 
they  were  pardoned  through  executive  clem- 
ency.' ' 1 

Complaints. — Some  persons  doubting  that 
the  troops  had  misbehaved  themselves,  the 
charge  was  reiterated,  and  the  names  of  other 


Rupp's  History  of  Berks  County.,  pp.  165-CO 


170 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  OOUJSTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


persons  were  added  who  suffered  from  their 
cruel  treatment.     These  persons  were, — 

Rudolph  Lampe. 

Isaac  Feather,  a  landlord,  and  his  family, 
treating  him  in  the  most  cruel  manner  [Adkr, 
21st  of  May,  1799]. 

On  the  18th  of  May,  1799,  the  following 
persons  appeared  before  Peter  Nagel,  Esq.,  a 
justice  of  the  peace  of  Reading,  and  made  com- 
plaint against  the  Lancaster  troops  : 

1.  Jacob  Gosin,  bad  treatment  of  himself  and  fam- 
ily and  larceny  of  an  ax. 

2.  John  Strohecker,  bad  behaviour  and  the  taking 
of  a  flag  from  a  Liberty  Pole  which  his  children  had 
erected  and  of  other  things  which  did  not  belong  to 
them. 

3.  Jacob  Epler,  assembling  and  resolving  to  cut 
down  a  certain  Liberty  Pole  which  stood  near  his 
house  (in  Bern  township)  [Adler,  21st  of  May,  1799]. 

Captain  Dewees  narrates  the  following  ac- 
count in  relation  to  the  cutting  down  of  Epler's 
liberty-pole  and  the  cow-hiding  to  Schneider 
[Hanna's  Life  of  Dewees,  p.  329]  : 

"  There  was  a  farmer  of  the  name  of  Epply,  who 
lived  about  three  miles  from  Reading,  who  was  an 
influential  and  wealthy  man.  Epply  stood  in  the 
front  rank  of  the  '  Liberty  Boys,'  in  that  section  of 
the  country.  The  insurgents  rendezvoused  on  his 
farm  and  erected  a  '  Liberty  Pole '  in  front  of  his 
house.  There  was  a  company  of  Light  Horse,  com- 
manded by  Captain  Slow,  sent  on  from  Lancaster 
with  orders  to  cut  it  down.  When  this  company  ar- 
rived on  the  farm  of  Epply,  and  within  sight  of  the 
Liberty  Pole,  Captain  Slow  was  surprised  to  find 
upwards  of  one  hundred  Riflemen  under  arms  and 
guarding  the  pole ;  and  finding  that  he  had  too  few 
men  to  contend  against  this  force,  he  retired  without 
making  any  effort  to  fill  the  measure,  of  his  orders. 
He  returned  to  Reading  with  his  company  and  ob- 
tained a  reinforcement  and  moved  on  a  second  time 
to  execute  his  orders.  When  he  arrived  within  sight 
of  the  Liberty  Pole  a  second  time,  the  insurgents  find- 
ing that  Slow's  force  was  augmented  and  too  strong 
for  them  to  contend  against,  gave  way  and  dispersed 
in  all  directions.  Captain  Slow  and  his  force  then 
moved  up  to  the  pole,  which  was  immediately  cut 
down.  These  prompt  measures  put  an  end  to  the 
Liberty  Boys  in  the  neighborhood  of  Reading.  After 
Captain  Slow  returned  to  Reading  the  second  time,  a 
printer  in  town,  whom  I  knew  very  well,  published 
an  article  in  his  newspaper  derogatory  to  the  charac- 
ter of  Slow  as  a  gentleman  and  as  a  soldier.  Slow, 
who  was  a  large  and  powerful  man,  no  sooner  beheld 
it  than  he  went  and  bought  a  cow-hide  and  went  to 
the  printing-office  and  took  hold  of  the  printer  and 


dragged  him  across  the  street  to  the  Market-house, 
which  was  opposite  the  printing-office,  and  cow-hided 
him  severely.  There  was  not  any  person  interfered, 
nor  did  any  person  say  anything  against  it,  for  the 
printer  was  looked  upon  as  the  aggressor." 

Keim's  Company  Complimented. — Upon 
the  breaking-up  of  the  head-quarters  at  Reading, 
on  April  22,  1799,  Brigadier  General  W.  Mac- 
pherson  addressed  the  following  interesting 
letter  to  Captain  Daniel  Keim  : 

"  While  I  congra'tulate  you  and  the  company  you 
command  on  their  return  home,  I  take  an  additional 
pleasure  in  expressing  my  complete  satisfaction  with 
every  part  of  their  steady  and  soldier-like  conduct 
during  a  very  fatiguing  though  short  expedition.  It 
is  much  to  be  regretted  that  in  a  country  blessed  as 
this  is,  by  an  excellent  constitution  faithfully  admin- 
istered, there  should  be  found  any  portion  of  its  in- 
habitants so  ignorant,  or  so  wicked,  as  to  oppose  laws 
peculiarly  adapted  to  the  ease  of  the  mass  of  the  peo- 
ple, since  the  burden  falls  immediately  upon  the 
opulent.  But  it  is  agreat  consolation  to  see  gentlemen, 
such  as  compose  your  company,  come  forward  and 
brave  fatigue  and  danger  in  support  of  the  honor 
and  happiness  of  their  country.  Accept,  sir,  my 
sincere  thanks  for  this  instance  of  your  patriotism 
and  be  pleased  to  convey'  to  every  individual  my 
particular  acknowledgments,  best  wishes  and  affec- 
tionate farewell.'' 

Embargo  of  1807. — Congress  passed  an  act 
on  December  22,  1807,  laying  an  embargo  on 
all  theships  and  vessels  in  the  ports  and  harbors 
of  the  United  States  in  pursuance  of  the  recom- 
mendation of  President  Jefferson.  It  prohibited 
the  departure  of  all  American  vessels  and  of  all 
foreign  vessels,  except  those  in  ballast.  No 
merchandise  whatever  was  to  be  exported.  The 
act  was  not  simply  to  save  American  ships  from 
danger,  as  Jefferson  suggested  in  his  message ; 
but  it  was  a  measure  of  aggression  against  Eng- 
land. It  was  unpopular  in  proportion  as  men 
were  or  were  not  engaged  in  commerce.  The 
maritime  states  thought  that  the  agricultural 
states  took  a  special  satisfaction  in  a  quasi  war, 
of  which  all  the  burden  fell  at  first  upon  com- 
merce. But  the  burden  at  length  became  uni- 
versal. The  men,  whose  tobacco,  corn  and  cot- 
ton could  not  be  sent  to  market,  soon  learned  that 
they  also,  as  well  as  the  carriers  of  those  products, 
were  paying  a  heavy  tax  by  this  interdiction  of 
commerce.  Under  the  pressure  of  publicopinion, 
this  act  was  repealed  on  March  1, 1809,  and 


THE  WAR  OF  1812. 


171 


another  act  was  then  substituted  which  interdict- 
ed the  commercial  intercourse  between  the 
United  States  and  Great  Britain  and  France, 
and  forbade  imports  from  Europe.  From  this 
policy  of  non-intercourse  and  from  other  diffi- 
culties, which  in  a  state  of  war  hindered  impor- 
tations from  Europe,  there  was  born  unexpect- 
edly that  gigantic  system  under  which  the 
United  States  has  become  a  great  aianufacturing 
nation.1 

During  this  interdiction,  the  people  of  Berks 
County  begau  to  feel  the  evil  effects  of  this 
policy  of  non-intercourse.  A  number  of  mil- 
lers and  other  citizens  met  at  the  public  house 
of  Valentine  Brobst,  in  Reading,  on  April  11, 
1812,  "  for  the  purpose  of  taking  into  consider- 
ation the  late  measures  of  Congress,  the  perilous 
situation  of  our  common  country,  and  of  consult- 
ing and  devising  such  means  or  measures  as  may 
tend  to  relieve  us  from  the  distress  which  im- 
pends over  us ;  "  and  passsd  the  following  reso- 
lutions : 2 

"1.  Resolved,  That wedisapproveofthelate measures 
of  Congress,  particularly  the  act  establishing  an  Em- 
bargo, which  will  induce  great  hardship  and  oppres- 
sions to  the  millers  and  farmers  of  the  State  of  Penn- 
sylvania in  particular,  and  to  the  citizens  generally- 

"2.  t\  evolved,  That  a  committee  be  appointed  to 
draught  a  memorial  to  our  representatives  in  Congress, 
praying  ior  a  repeal  of  the  act  establishing  the  Em- 
bargo. 

"  3.  Resolved,  That  the  friends  of  the  peace  and 
prosperity  of  our  country  be  requested  to  assemble 
generally  throughout  the  union,  and  express  their 
disapprobation  by  remonstrance  or  otherwise  of  the 
said  act  of  Congress  and  solicit  the  repeal,  to  save  our 
country  from  the  evil  with  which  it  threatens  to  over- 
whelm her. 

"4.  Resolved,  That  a  remonstrance  be  prepared  and 
transmitted  to  the  Representatives  of  Congress  from 
this  district,  disapproving  of  their  conduct  in  support- 
ing by  their  votes  the  late  obnoxious  law  establishing 
an  Embargo  in  the  ports  of  the  United  States,  with 
instructions  calling  on  them  to  use  their  endeavors  to 
have  the  same  repealed  at  the  expiration  of  sixty  days 
or  sooner. 

"  5.  Resolved,  That  committees  be  appointed  in  the 
different  townships  in  the  County  of  Berks,  to  obtain 
the  signatures  of  such  of  our  citizens  to  the  memorial 
as  are  unfriendly  to  the  continuance  of  the  Embargo. 


"  6.  Resolved,  That  the  following  persons  be  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  obtain  signatures  to  the  me- 
morial to  Congress  in  the  different  townships  as  fol- 
lows :  In  Albany,  Jacob  Risler  ;  Alsace,  Henry  Leiss, 
Martin  Rothermel ;  Bern,  Joseph  Conrad  and  Samuel 
Bell ;  Cumru,  Henry  Van  Reed  and  David  Hemmig  ; 
Colebrookdale,  Daniel  Boyer  and  John  Thompson, 
Esq.;  Exeter,  Peter  Howsem  and  Isaac  Broome ;  Amity, 
Thomas  Boone,  Esq.,  John  Schrack  and  Valentine 
Boyer  ;  Douglas,  William  Long  and  Henry  Keely  ; 
Heidelberg,  William  Addams  and  Frederick  Bechtel ; 
Greenwich,  Jacob  George ;  Longswamp,  Peter  Trex- 
ler;  Maxatawny,  Benjamin  Levan  and  Motheral  Wil- 
son ;  Maidencreek,  John  Wily,  John  Stichter  and 
John  Uerich;  Oley,  John  Knabb  and  Frederick 
Spang;  Reading,  Jacob  K.  Boyer  and  Benneville 
Keim;  Robeson,  Daniel  Hartzel  and  Christopher 
Thomson ;  Ruscomb-manor,  Benjamin  Parks  and 
Jonathan  Price;  Rockland,  Benjamin  Klein  and 
John  Hoch  ;  Richmond,  Solomon  Eckert  and  Thos. 
Dumm;  Tulpehocken,  John  Furry,  Christopher 
Leiss  and  George  Ege,  Jr.;  Union,  John  Smith,  Esq., 
John  Brown  and  Daniel  Kerst. 

"  7.  Resolved,  That  the  proceedings  of  this  meeting 
be  signed  by  the  chairman  and  secretary,  and  pub- 
lished in  the  German  and  English  papers  in  Reading. 


1  Ramsay's  History  of  U.  S.  132 :  4  Bryant's  History  of 
C.  S.  178-80. 
s  Weekly  Advertiser  of  Reading,  April  18,  1812. 


"April  11,  1812." 


"  Adam  Leiss,  Chairman. 
"  David  Hemmig,  Secretary." 


ENGLISH  WAR  OF  1812-15. 

The  Revolution  of  the  United  Colonies  was 
carried  to  a  successful  termination.  The  inde- 
pendence, which  they  had  declared  in  1776,  was 
thereby  established.  But  though  peace  was  de- 
clared to  exist  between  the  two  nations,  the  Brit- 
ish government  conducted  itself  persistently  in 
an  offensive  manner  towards  the  people  of  the 
United  States,  their  commerce,  etc.,  and  to  their 
great  injury  for  thirty  years.  The  United 
States  government  passed  naturalization  laws 
whereby  foreigners  could  be  naturalized  and  be- 
come citizens.  But  the  British  government 
contended  that  a  British  subject  could  not  be 
naturalized,  and  claimed  the  right  of  stopping 
United  States  vessels,  searching  for  seamen  ot 
English  birth,  and  impressing  them  into  their 
service.  In  exercising  this  right  they  stationed 
ships  at  harbors  of  the  United  States  and 
searched  every  departing  and  arriving  vessel. 
They  were  so  vigilant  that  within  a  period  of 
eight  years  they  captured  nine  hundred  vessels 
and  impressed  over  six  thousand  seamen  into 


172 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


their  navy.1  All  this  humiliation  was  borne 
with  patience,  superinduced  by  an  admitted  in- 
ability to  carry  on  war.  But  finally  the  com- 
plaints became  too  loud,  and  the  injuries  too 
grievous  to  be  endured  any  longer,  and  Presi- 
dent Madison  made  them  the  subject  of  a  mes- 
sage to  Congress  on  June  1,  1812.  It  was  re- 
ferred to  the  Committee  on  Foreign  Eelations ; 
and  this  committee,  after  giving  its  contents  a 
serious  consideration,  reported  a  bill,  declaring 
war  between  the  two  governments. 

Causes  of  War. — The  following  is  a  sum- 
mary of  the  manifesto  of  the  causes  which  im- 
pelled this  declaration  : 2 

"  1.  Impressing  American  citizens,  while  sailing  on 
the  highway  of  nations;  dragging  them  on  board  their 
ships  of  war  and  forcing  them  to  serve  against  nations 
in  amity  with  the  United  States,  and  even  to  partici- 
pate in  aggressions  on  the  rights  of  their  fellow-citizens 
when  met  on  the  high  seas. 

"2.  Violating  the  rights  and  peace  of  our  coasts 
and  harbors,  harassing  •  our  departing  commerce  and 
wantonly  spilling  American  blood  within  our  terri- 
torial jurisdiction. 

"  3.  Plundering  our  commerce  on  every  sea,  under 
pretended  blockades,  not  of  harbors,  ports  or  places  in- 
vested by  adequate  force,  but  of  extended  coasts,  with- 
out the  application  of  fleets  to  render  them  legal,  and 
enforcing  them  from  the  date  of  their  proclamation, 
thereby  giving  them  virtually  retrospective  effect." 

"4.  Committing  numberle-s  spoliations  on  our  ships 
and  commerce  under  her  orders  in  council  of  various 
dates. 

"5.  Employing  secret  agents  within  the  United 
States  with  a  view  to  subvert  our  Government  and 
dismember  our  union. 

"  6.  Encouraging  the  Indian  tribes  to  make  war  on 
the  people  of  the  United  States." 

This  bill  was  passed  by  both  houses,  and  ap- 
proved by  the  president;  and  the  proclamation 
of  war  was  made  on  June  19,  1812. 

Anticipating  this  "Declaration  of  War," 
Governor  Snyder  issued  an  "Order"3  dated 
May  12,  1812,  requiring  the  quota  of  troops 
from  Pennsylvania,  fourteen  thousand,  to  be 
promptly  raised  and  formed  into  two  divisions. 
The  first  division — which  included  the  troops 
from  Berks  County — was  placed  under  the  com- 


1  Egle's  "  History  of  Lebanon  County,"  p.  53. 
2 3  Ramsay's  "History  ofU.  S.,"  p.  163. 
'Egle's  "  History  of  Lebanon  County,"  p.  53-54.     The 
complete  order  is  published. 


mand  of  Major  General  Isaac  Worrell.  A  noble 
response  was  made  to  this  call.  The  troops 
tendered  exceeded  three  times  the  quota  re- 
quested. The  destruction  of  the  Capitol  and 
public  buildings  at  Washington,  in  August, 
1814,  and  the  threatened  attack  on  Baltimore 
by  the  enemy  shortly  afterward,  brought  the 
war  near  to  Pennsylvania.  The  march  of  the 
enemy  towards  the  interior  by  way  of  the 
Potomac  River  and  Chesapeake  Bay  naturally 
stimulated  the  military  spirit  in  the  State,  and  a 
great  number  of  men  came  forward  in  her  de- 
fense. 

The  following  notice  for  volunteer  troops 
appeared  in  the  Weekly  Advertiser,  of  Reading, 
on  May  30,  1812: 

"fame  and  fortune!" 
To  men  of  patriotism,  courage  and  enterprise: 

"Every  able-bodied  man,  between  the  age  of  18 
and  45  years,  who  shall  enlist  in  the  service  of  the 
United  States,  for  the  term  of  5  years,  will  receive  a 
bounty  of  16  dollars;  having  faithfully  served  the 
term  of  his  enlistment,  and  obtained  an  honorable  dis- 
charge, he  shall  be  allowed  three  months  additional 
pay  and  160  acres  of  land,  to  be  designated,  surveyed 
and  laid  off  at  public  expense.  Should  he  die  in  the 
service,  his  heirs  or  representatives  will  be  entitled  to 
the  aforesaid  3  months  of  pay  and  160  acres  of  land. 
Apply  at  the  Recruiting  rendezvous  at  Reading  to 
Jas.  F.  McElroy, 

„„,      „„  ,  Captain  U.  S.  Infantry. 

"May  25th,  1812."  J        y 

The  companies  enrolled  at  Reading,  in  the 
beginning  of  the  war,  could  not  be  obtained. 
They  have  not  been  published.  A  record  of 
the  military  companies  of  Berks  County  for  the 
years  1812  to  1815  is  deposited  amongst  the 
county  records  in  the  Prothonotary's  office  at 
Reading,  but  there  are  no  dates  attached  to  sig- 
nify the  time  or  even  the  fact  of  their  enlist- 
ment. Those  companies  which  do  appear  in  it, 
correspond  with  the  companies  included  in  the 
following  statement,  excepting  Elder's  company. 
The  company  of  Captain  Moore  was  composed 
entirely,  and  the  companies  of  Captain  Marx 
and  Captain  Marshall  mostly,  of  men  from 
Reading. 

Local  Preparation  for  War.— After 
Washington  was  taken,  and  the  news  of  its 
destruction  by  the  enemy  reached  Reading,  the 


THE  WAR  OF  1812. 


173 


military  spirit  of  this  community  was  thorough- 
ly aroused.  The  following  notice  from  the 
Weekly  Advertise?',  September  10,  1814,  indi- 
cates the  action  which  was  taken  by  the  people 
of  Reading : 

PUBLIC  NOTICE. 

"  At  a  large  and  respectable  meeting  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  borough  of  Reading,  convened  agreeably 
to  public  notice,  to  take  into  consideration  the  very 
alarming  situation  of  our  beloved  country,  and  par- 
ticularly the  city  of  Philadelphia,  it  was  resolved, 
after  first  appointing  John  Spayd,  Esq.,  chairman, 
and  Henry  Betz,  secretary,  that  we,  the  subscribers, 
should  be  a  committee  for  the  purpose  of  collecting 
and  calling  upon  our  fellow-citizens  of  Berks  County 
for  all  Public  Arms  now  remaining  in  their  hands. 
We  hope,  therefore,  every  patriotic  citizen  will 
promptly  and  immediately  forward  to  either  of  the 
said  committee  any  musket  or  muskets  in  their  hands, 
so  that  they  may  be  immediately  repaired  and  deliv- 
ered to  the  different  volunteer  companies  now  form- 
ing in  this  town,  to  march  for  the  defence  of  Phila- 
delphia, etc.,  etc.  It  was  further  resolved,  that  the 
citizens  of  the  borough  generally,  will  meet  every 
evening  on  the  common  of  this  borough  at  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  to  train  themselves  and  go 
through  the  different  evolutions  necessary  for  a  mili- 
tary corps — and  all  young  men  from  the  county  are 
invited  to  attend  those  exercises  if  they  think  proper. 

"  Jacob  Snyder, 

"Lewis  Reese, 

"John  Potter,  r  Committee 

"  Charles  Snowden, 

"  Curtis  Lewis, 

"  Reading,  September  6th,  1814." 

The  companies,  which  were  organized  here, 
had  left  Reading  shortly  before  to  take  an  ac- 
tive part  in  the  military  service  of  the  country. 

The  naval  battle  on  Lake  Erie  was  fought 
on  September  10,  1813,  with  brilliant  success. 
Commodore  Perry  then  sent  his  famous  de- 
spatch to  General  Harrison :  "  We  have  met 
the  enemy,  and  they  are  ours."  The  news 
reached  Reading  on  the  27th  of  September  fol- 
lowing, and  a  grand  illumination  of  the  town 
took  place  in  the  evening  from  seven  till  ten 
o'clock,  to  signalize  the  glorious  event. 

English  Families,  compelled  to  leave 
Philadelphia,  locate  at  Reading. — Du- 
ring this  period  a  number  of  foreign  English 
families,  resident  at  Philadelphia,  left  the  city 
for  the  interior  parts  of  the  country,  owing  to  a 
law  which  required  them  to  move  away  from 


the  sea-coast  and  ports  at  least  fifty  miles. 
Some  of  these  families 1  came  to  Reading,  and 
took  quarters  at  the  Tyson  Inn,  at  the  head  of 
Franklin  Street  (now  Bechtel's  Hotel).  Whilst 
here,  the  City  of  Washington  was  captured  by 
the  English,  who  wantonly  destroyed  the  gov- 
ernment buildings,  excepting  the  patent  office. 
This  was  in  August,  1814.  This  news  caused 
them  to  rejoice,  and  to  express  their  joy  they 
carried  on  dancing,  with  the  assistance  of  mu- 
sic ;  but  they  misconceived  the  temper  of  the 
German  people  of  this  inland  borough,  who 
were  thoroughly  patriotic  and  in  sympathy 
with  the  government,  and  they  soon  found  that 
their  conduct  wounded  the  national  pride  of 
the  people.  In  the  midst  of  their  demonstra- 
tions of  joy,  they  were  suddenly  attacked  by  a 
party  of  citizens,  and  the  attack  was  made  so 
earnestly  as  to  require  the  building  to  be  closed 
and  the  performance  to  be  stopped.  And  it  is 
said  that  if  certain  prominent  English-speaking 
men  of  the  borough  had  not  interposed  in  their 
behalf,  they  would  have  been  driven  out  of  the 
town.  These  men  invited  and  took  the  women 
and  children  to  their  homes.  The  names  of 
these  men  were  John  McKnigbt,  John  Spayd, 
Marks  John  Riddle,  Charles  Evans,  Dr.  James 
Diemer,  Collinson  Read,  Rev.  John  F.  Grier 
and  Hon.  Robert  Porter.  The  names  of  the 
families  have  not  been  preserved,  excepting 
possibly  two  of  them, — Wood  (father  of  the 
late  Archbishop  Wood,  of  Philadelphia,  and  a 
small  boy)  and  Hood  Irvin.  I  examined  the 
papers  published  here  during  this  time;  but 
they  contain  no  notice  of  such  a  local  event, 
and  I  interrogated  a  number  of  persons  without 
obtaining  any  definite  information  beyond  the 
facts  mentioned. 

Officers  and  Companies. — The  following 
officers  and  companies  from  Berks  County  were 
enlisted  in  the  service  during  this  war : — 

The  following  were  the  staff  officers  of  Sec- 
ond Brigade : 

Major-General,  Daniel  Udree,  1812-14. 
Brigadier-General,  David  Hottenstine,  1812. 
Brigadier-General,  John  Adams,  of  Reading,  1814. 
Aid-de-Camp,  Samuel  D.  Franks,  of  Reading ;  re- 
signed November  1,  1814. 


1  Reported  to  have  been  twenty-five. 


174 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Aid-de-carap,  Samuel  Humes ;  appointed  November 
1,  1814. 

Brigade-Inspector,  Peter  Shoemaker,  1812. 

Brigade-Major,  Gabriel  Hiester,  Jr.,  of  Reading. 

Brigade  Ordnance  Master,  Charles  Shoemaker,  of 
Windsor  township. 

Brigade  Forage-Master,  Lucius  Wallace. 

Brigade  Wagon-Master,  George  Shreffler,  of  Read- 
ing. 

The  following  is  the  muster-roll  of  field  and 
staff  officers  of  First  Regiment,  Second  Brigade, 
from  September  1,  1814,  to  November  1, 1814: 

Lieutenant-Colonel,  Jeremiah  Shappell,  of  Windsor. 

First  Major,  Samuel  Jones,  of  Heidelberg. 

Second  Major,  Andrew  Kepner,  of  ReadiDg. 

Adjutant,  Isaac  Myers,  of  Reading. 

Quartermaster,  John  Schwartz,  of  Reading. 

Quartermaster-Sergeant,  Samuel  Byerly,  of  Read- 
ing; appointed  October  1,  1814. 

Quartermaster-Sergeant,  William  Frill,  of  Reading; 
resigned  October  1,  1814. 

Paymaster,  Charles  Witman,  of  Eeading. 

Sergeant-Major,  Jacob  Bright,  of  Reading. 

Surgeon,  John  de  Benneville,  of  Beading ;  appointed 
October  1,  1814. 

Surgeon,  Samuel  Humes,  of  Reading ;  transferred 
October  1,  1814,  to  First  Brigade. 

Surgeon's  Mate,  Alexander  Melloy. 

Drum-Major,  John  Seitzinger,  of  Eeading. 

Fife-Major,  Philip  Rush,  of  Reading. 

Wagoner,  Jacob  Dippery,  of  Reading. 

Wagoner,  Jacob  Seyler,  of  Windsor. 

Wagoner,  Henry  Rapp,  of  Reading. 

Wagoner,  John  Laughlin,  of  Reading. 

The  following  were  the  field  and  staff  officers 
of  Second  Regiment,  Second  Brigade : 

Lieutenant-Colonel,  John  Lotz. 
First  Major,  John  McClure. 
Second  Major,  John  Clemson. 
Adjutant,  Samuel  McClellan. 
Adjutant,  Lewis  T.  Riter. 
Quartermaster,  Henry  Good. 
Quartermaster,  George  Nagle. 
Paymaster,  Jasper  Scull. 
Surgeon,  John  B.  Otto. 
Surgeon's  Mate,  John  Baum. 
Sergeant-Major,  John  Dunwoody. 
Quartermaster-sergeant,  Abner  Mitchell. 
Drum-major,  Henry  Homan. 
Fife-Major,  Davis  Witmyer. 
Colored  Waiter,  Arthur  Clymer. 

The  following  companies  were  in  ShappelPs 
regiment :  Captain  John  May's,  Captain  John 
Mauger's,  Captain  Jacob  Marshall's,  Captain 
George  Marx's,  Captain  George  Sitter's,  Cap- 


tain Henry  Willotz's,  Captain  Jonathan  Jones', 
Captain  George  Zieber's. 

The  following  companies  were  in  Lotz's 
regiment :  Captain  Thomas  Moore's,  Captain 
John  Christman's,  Captain  Gabriel  Old's. 

The  following  is  the  muster-roll  of  the 
company  commanded  by  Captain  John  May. 
They  performed  a  tour  of  duty  at  York,  Pa., 
under  order  from  the  Governor  dated  August 
26,1814: 

John  May,  captain,  Windsor. 
Edward  Goheen,  lieutenant,  Caernarvon. 
George  Reagle,  ensign,  Windsor. 
Paul  Arnon,  first  sergeant,  Robeson. 
Andrew  Steel,  second  sergeant,  Caernarvon. 
George  Wheeler,  third  sergeant,  Windsor. 
John  Lindemuth,  first  corporal,  Bern. 
Nicholas  O'Neil,  second  corporal,  Windsor. 
Christian  Shoemaker,  third  corporal,  Bern. 
Daniel  Wentzel,  fourth  corporal,  Bern. 

PrmaUs. — George  Arnold,  Windsor;  Peter  Ahman, 
Bern ;  Robert  Bradshaw,  Windsor ;  Peter  Boucher, 
Windsor ;  John  Beam,  Robeson  ;  Jacob  Beam,  Robe- 
son ;  Frederick  Boucher,  Albany ;  John  Bart,  Wind- 
sor; William  Coulter,  Windsor;  Abraham  Kum- 
merer,  Greenwich;  David  Kachel,  Greenwich;  An- 
drew Kachel,  Cumru  ;  John  Davis,  Windsor ;  George 
Eatzel,  Cumru  ;  Daniel  Eisenhouer,  Greenwich  ;  Jacob 
Finkbone,  Windsor ;  Christian  Frees,  Albany ;  John 
Frewfelder,  Windsor;  Henry  Furman,  Robeson; 
Jacob  Glass,  Robeson ;  John  Gearhart,  Cumru  ■ 
Henry  Glass,  Robeson  ;  Philip  Guss,  Albany ;  Andrew 
Hummel,  Windsor;  William  Heattrick,  Windsor; 
John  Hoyer,  Windsor;  David  Hamm,  Robeson  ;  Ed- 
ward Hughes,  Union;  Peter  Hoffman,  Robeson 
Daniel  Ham,  Albany ;  Samuel  Hine,  Albany ;  Philip 
Hollenbach,  Bern;  John  Hollen,  Windsor;  Samuel 
Hoyer,  Robeson  ;  John  Hartz,  Cumru;  John  Homan, 
Robeson  ;  George  Kreitz,  Bern  ;  Christian  Lochman, 
Windsor;  John  Laup,  Brecknock;  Jacob  Mayer, 
Windsor ;  John  Maurer,  Robeson  ;  David  Marckel, 
Greenwich ;  Andrew  Miller,  Bern  ;  John  Neas,  Wind- 
sor; Solomon  O'Dair,  Cumru ;  Peter  Roush,  Windsor; 
John  Reagel,  Windsor;  Daniel  Reaperd,  Robeson; 
Jacob  Seeger,  Windsor;  Alexander  Sillyman,  Wind- 
sor; Thomas  Smith,  Windsor;  Joseph  Shomo,  Wind- 
sor; Charles  Spatz,  Windsor;  Nicholas  Swoyer, 
Windsor  ;  Samuel  Smith,  Windsor  ;  Benjamin  Smith, 
Windsor;  Jacob  Smith,  Albany;  Samuel  Sohl,  Wind- 
sor; John  Sously,  Albany;  Jacob  Savage,  Albany; 
Philip  Sously,  Windsor;  John  Sear,  Windsor;  Wil- 
liam Steiger,  Ciimru  ;  Samuel  Unger,  Windsor;  Dan- 
iel Westley,  Robeson  ;  John  Westner,  Albany;  John 
Will,  Greenwich;  William  Watson,  Robeson;  John 
Welsh,  Robeson  ;  Benjamin  Wendel,  Robeson ;  Chris- 
tian Shoemaker. 


THE  WAR  OP  1812. 


175 


The  following  is  the  muster-roll  of  the  com- 
pany commanded  by  Captain  John  Manger,  at 
York,  from  August  28, 1814,  to  March  5, 1815. 

John  Mauger,  captain,  Douglass. 

Jacob  Fisher,  lieutenant,  Douglass. 

Jacob  Griner,  ensign,  Amity. 

Christian  Breyman,  first  sergeant,  Amity. 

Henry  Mauger,  second  sergeant,  Douglass. 

Jacob  Nagle,  third  sergeant,  Colebrookdale. 

John  Camwell,  first  corporal,  Douglass. 

Jacob  Mauger,  second  corporal,  Douglass. 

Frederick  Mauger,  third  corporal,  Douglass. 
Privates. — Henry  Aumau,  Amity ;  John  Baker, 
Douglass  ;  Edward  Boone,  Amity  ;  Hugh  Boone,  Am- 
ity ;  Dewalt  Barrall,  Maxatawny ;  Daniel  Bachman, 
Richmond ;  Jacob  Breshall,  Greenwich ;  RoDert 
Clark,  Amity  ;  Joseph  Christman,  Greenwich  ;  Jacob 
Dehart,  Amity  ;  Peter  Folk,  Greenwich ;  Daniel 
Freyer,  Colebrookdale  ;  Samuel  Gerber,  Exeter ;  John 
Gerber,  Douglass ;  Jacob  George,  Greenwich  ;  Jacob 
Herner,  Douglass ;  Henry  Herner,  Amity ;  Jacob  Hop- 
ple, Amity ;  Daniel  Hopple,  Amity ;  John  Hendricks, 
Maidencreek  ;  John  Hains,  Richmond  ;  Daniel  Heff- 
ner,  Richmond ;  Samuel  Knouse,  Colebrookdale ; 
Jacob  Kern,  Exeter ;  Jacob  Keely,  Douglass  ;  Mich- 
ael Kaup,  Maxatawny  ;  Henry  Koehler,  Greenwich ; 
George  Koehler,  Greenwich ;  William  Knouse,  Pike  ; 
Abraham  Ludwig,  Amity  ;  William  Leffel,  Amity ; 
James  Lafferty,  Amity ;  Daniel  Luckins,  Greenwich  ; 
John  Mullen,  Amity  ;  Daniel  Meek,  Amity;  William 
Mullen,  Reading  ;  John  Nagle,  Douglass  ;  John  Poh, 
Greenwich;  Reuben  Rinaler,  Exeter;  John  Rush, 
Amity ;  Abraham  Smith,  Amity  ;  Jacob  Spatz,  Doug- 
lass ;  Samuel  Spare,  Union  ;  John  Schoener,  Long- 
swamp  ;  Peter  Sidler,  Richmond ;  John  Sieder,  Green- 
wich ;  John  Teater  [Dieter],  Amity ;  Abraham  Tea'er, 
Amity ;  George  Yocum,  Douglass. 

The  following  is  the  muster-roll  of  the 
Company  commanded  by  Captain  Jacob  Mar- 
shall, which  left  Eeading  on  September  2, 1814 ; 
at  York  till  March  4,  1815  — 

Jacob  Marshall,  captain,  Reading. 
Henry  Burcker,  first  lieutenant,  Reading. 
William  Hiester,  second  lieutenant,  Bern  twp. 
Lemuel  Alston,  ensign,  Reading. 
Jasob  Bright  sergeant-major,  Reading. 
John  E.  Yungman,  first  sergeant,  Reading. 
John  Frailey,  second  sergeant,  Reading. 
William  Freaner,  third  sergeant,  Reading. 
Jesse  Lincoln,  fourth  sergeant,  Caernarvon. 
Isaac  Jackson,  first  corporal,  Reading. 
Jacob  Ely,  second  corporal,  Reading. 
Joseph  Shirey,  third  corporal,  Reading. 
Samuel  Beyerly,  fourth  corporal,  Reading. 
Privates—  Jos.  Allgier,  Reading ;  George  Bennick, 
Reading ;  John  Benton,  Cumru  ;  John  Buzart,  Caer- 


narvon ;  Benjamin  Bressler,  Reading ;  Henry  Bressler, 
Reading,  William  Boone,  Bern ;  Abraham  Clemence 
Reading  ;  Jacob  Camp,  Reading ;  John  Deitrich,  Al 
sace ;  Henry  Diehl,  Reading ;  Wm.  Dewees,  Cumru 
Jacob  Diehm,  Reading ;  George  Drinkhouse,  Read 
ing;  Frederick  Eberhard, Reading;  Peter Fick,  Alsace 
Peter  Fletcher,  Bern ;  Jacob  Felix,  Reading ;  Solo- 
mon Felix,  Reading ;  William Furman, Reading;  John 
Fix,  Reading;  Michael  Fix,  Reading;  John  From, 
Bern  ;  Samuel  Fesig,  Reading ;  Jeremiah  Foley,  Read- 
ing ;  John  Gerhard,  Alsace ;  George  Gantz,  Alsace ; 
Abraham  Gress,  Reading ;  George  Gilbert,  Reading ; 
George  Hartman,  Exeter  ;  Henry  Hettrick,  Cumru  ; 
Daniel    Haberacker,   Reading ;    David    Hollenbach, 
Reading;  John  Hill,  Exeter;  Samuel  Hill,  Exeter; 
Joseph  Jones,   Reading;    John   Kendall,   Reading; 
John  Klinger,  Exeter ;  Peter  Kiemer,  Reading ;  John 
Kelley,  Reading;  William  Lawyer,  Reading;  Daniel 
Leinbach,  Alsace ;  Christian  Leinbach,  Alsace ;  Wil- 
liam Miller,   Alsace;   Joseph  Miller,   Alsace;   John 
Moore,  Alsace;   Peter  Mengel,  Caernarvon;   Samuel 
McKinney,  Reading;  William  Moyer,  Exter;  William 
Machemer,  Bern  ;  Dewalt  Meek,  Cumru ;  John  Nail, 
Bern ;   James  Norton,   Reading ;    Leonard   Ossman, 
Reading;    Peter  Phillippi,  Reading;   John    Phyfer, 
Alsace;   Philip   Reitzel,  Reading;  Thomas   Rorick, 
Reading  ;  Joseph  Rehr,  Hereford ;  John  Ritner,  Read- 
ing; Jacob  Ritner,  Reading;  H.  Reifsnyder,  Bern; 
John  Stuart,  Caernarvon  ;  George  Spicker,  Reading  ; 
John   Schambers,   Reading;    Jacob    Small,   Alsace; 
Henry  Spangler,  Reading;   Daniel  Smith,  Reading; 
John  Thomas,  Reading;  Thomas  Wilson,  Reading; 
Alfred  Wheatly,  Reading;  John  Weaver,   Reading; 
John   Yaumer,   Reading;   Samuel  Zieber,  Reading; 
George  Phillippi,  musician,  Reading ;  Jacob  Phillippi, 
musician,  Reading;  John  Laughlin,  wagoner.  Read- 
ing ;  John  Warner,  wagoner,  Reading. 

The  following  is  the  muster-roll  of  the  com- 
pany commanded  by  Captain  George  Zieber, 
at  York  from  September  1,  1814  to  December 
4,1814: 

George  Zieber,  captain,  Reading. 
Isaac  C.  Griesemer,  first  lieutenant,  Oley. 
Charles  Witman,  second  lieutenant,  Reading. 
Jacob  Fuhlman,  ensign,  Reading. 
John  Epley,  first  sergeant,  Reading. 
Samuel  Goodman,  second  sergeant,  Earl. 
Thomas  May,  third  sergeant,  Earl. 
Solomon  Stateman,  fourth  sergeant,  Earl. 
Matthias  Armpriester,  first  corporal,  Oley. 
Caleb  Perry,  second  corporal,  Union. 
John  Linderman,  third  corporal,  Union. 
William  Drumheller,  fourth  corporal,  Earl. 

Privates.— Jacob  Albright,  Union ;  A.  Achey,  Oley  ; 
George  Bechtel,  Oley ;  John  Boyer,  Oley  ;  Abraham 
Dodinger,  Earl ;  John  Davidheiser,  Earl ;  George  Diet- 
rich, Isaac  Dickison,  Hereford;  Ernst  Dessauer,  Read- 


176 


HISTOEY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


ing;  Henry  Emore,  Exeter;  George  Epner,  Cumru; 
Aaron  Gilham,  Union;  Henry  Gable,  Earl;  John 
Glenser,  Cumru  ;  John  Goodman,  Cumru ;  John  Glau- 
ser,  Oley;  Jacob  Hoch,  Oley;  John  Hammelton, 
Union ;  John  Hoffman,  Caernarvon  ;  William  Hoster, 
Cumru  ;  Stephen  Hughes,  Windsor ;  John  Kepner, 
Colebrookdale ;  Jacob  Keller,  Union ;  George  Kep- 
linger,  Cumru ;  John  Kessler,  Cumru  ;  Jacob  Kiener, 
Hereford ;  Christian  Long,  Rockland ;  Adam  Leven- 
good,  Earl ;  George  Mosser,  Cumru ;  David  Mackafee, 
Robeson ;  Henry  Moore,  Robeson ;  Jacob  Moore,  Robe- 
son ;  John  Neiman,  Union ;  John  Noll,  Alsace ;  Jacob 
Petry ;  Caleb  Richards,  Bern  ;  George  Rodes,  Earl  ; 
Henry  Reifsnyder,  Oley ;  Henry  Rapp,  Reading ; 
Andrew  Spotz,  Bern  ;  George  Stout,  Alsace ;  William 
Springer,  Colebrookdale ;  Matthias  Stout,  Bern ;  An- 
thony Schrader,  Oley ;  Abraham  Shatz,  Beading ;  John 
Snyder,  Peter  Statler,  John  Schaffer,  Robeson  ;  Daniel 
Spies,  Oley;  George  Schwenk;  Thomas  Silly  man; 
Samuel  Schaffer ;  Valentine  Wenrich,  Bern  ;  Conrad 
Weise,  Pike ;  Michael  Wolf,  Robeson ;  George  Wam- 
sher,  Union  ;  David  Wamsher,  Union  ;  Samuel  Wam- 
sher,  Caernarvon ;  Samuel  Zerby,  Cumru ;  Jos.  Zerby, 
Cumru  ;  Valentine  Ziegler,  Reading ;  Samuel  Zetter, 
Cumru;  Jacob  Schroeder;  Philip  Schaffer. 

The  following  is  the  muster-roll  of  the  com- 
pany commanded  by  Captain  Henry  Willotz,  at 
York,  from  August  28,  1814,  to  March  5,1815  : 

Henry  Willotz,  captain,  Bern. 

William  Harman,  first  lieutenant,  Beading. 

John  Herberling,  ensign,  Cumru. 

John  Y.  Cunnius,  first  sergeant,  Reading. 

Jonathan  Moyer,  second  sergeant,  Cumru. 

Samuel  Evans,  third  sergeant,  Reading. 

Solomon  Houder,  fourth  sergeant,  Heidelberg. 

Daniel  Miller,  first  corporal,  Cumru. 

John  Kremar,  second  corporal,  Bern. 

Daniel  Hoyer,  third  corporal,  Cumru. 

Jacob  Wingert,  founh  corporal,  Cumru. 

Samuel  Benton,  fifth  corporal. 

Daniel  Hacket,  sixth  corporal,  Reading. 

Privates. — Frederick  Ahman,  Cumru ;  Jos.  Bushey  ; 
Joseph  Briton,  Longswamp ;  Dewalt  Bast,  Maxa- 
tawny ;  Samuel  Boyer,  Richmond ;  James  Coffee, 
Maiden-creek;  George  Clouser,  Ruscomb-manor; 
Samuel  Eberly,  Heidelberg;  John  Eck,  Longswamp, 
John  Fous,  Cumru ;  Daniel  Feather,  Cumru  ;  Benja- 
min Featherolf,  Maiden-creek  ;  Daniel  Hare,  Cumru ; 
Isaac  Heister,  Cumru ;  George  Hassler,  Cumru  ;  Ja- 
cob Heller,  Alsace ;  Nicholas  Hamerstein,  Bern  ;  Isaac 
Heller,  Bern ;  John  Heister,  Bern ;  William  Heister, 
Bern;  Francis  Krick,  Cumru  ;  Samuel  Lash,  Cumru ; 
John  Learch,  Bern  ;  Michael  Louck,  Cumru ;  John 
Lupt,  Cumru  ;  George  Mulloone,  Cumru ;  Jacob  Mes- 
sersmith,  Ruscomb-manor;  William  McCoy,  Read- 
ing; James  McCurdy,  Caernarvon  ;  Jacob  Miller,  Al- 
sace;   Nicholas  Maidenfort ;  Peter  Miller;  Andrew 


McMickens,  Longswamp ;  Jacob  Neaudrace,  Maxa- 
tawny;  Michael  Niess,  Longswamp;  James  R.Phil- 
ips, Caernarvon ;  Casper  Rader ;  Conrad  Rader ;  Wil- 
liam Ruth,  Cumru;  Jacob  Reifsnyder,  Bern;  John 
Reifsnyder,  Cumru  ;  Benj.  Reaber ;  George  Reaber  ; 
Philip  Ruth,  Cumru ;  John  Rothermal,  Richmond ; 
Peter  Rockafeller,  Bern ;  John  Rollman,  Cumru  ; 
Daniel  Ruth, Cumru;  Samuel  Snyder,  Alsace;  Henry 
Snyder,  Alsace;  Isaac  Snyder,  Alsace;  Godfrey 
Seiler,  Cumru  ;  Daniel  Smeck,  Alsace ;  Samuel  Sle- 
gle,  Ruscomb-manor ;  John  Strunk,  Cumru  ;  Henry 
Sassaman,  Reading;  Jacob  Shell,  Richmond;  Wil- 
liam Shell,  Bern  ;  Henry  Spohn  ;  Jacob  Wanner;  Al- 
sace; Isaac  Wagner,  Cumru;  Geo.  Weigner;  Isaac 
Weigner;  Henry  White,  Reading ;  Philip  Wolfinger, 
Heidelberg ;  Jacob  Zweitzig,  Alsace. 

The  following  is  the  muster-roll  of  the  com- 
pany commanded  by  Captain  George  Marx,  at 
York,  from  August  28,1814  to  March  5,1815: 

George  Marx,  captain,  Reading. 
George  Boyer,  first  lieutenant,  Reading. 
Michael  Christian,  ensign,  Reading. 
John  Camlen,  first  sergeant,  Reading. 
Michael  Reifsnyder,  second  sergeant,  Reading. 
Charles  Kessler,  third  sergeant,  Reading. 
Jacob  Fritz,  fourth  sergeant,  Reading. 
Jacob  Frenz,  first  corporal,  Reading. 
Peter  Briner,  second  corporal,  Reading. 
Joseph  Bright,  third  corporal,  Reading. 
Samuel  Kraucer,  fourth  corporal,  Reading. 
Philip  Rush,  musician,  Reading. 
John  Seitzinger,  musician,  Reading. 

Privates—  George  Albright,  Bern;  James  Aston, 
Reading;  Andrew  A ulebach,  Reading;  Daniel  Ber- 
ger,  Bern ;  Henry  Bingeman,  Reading  ;  John  Binge- 
man,  Reading;  Peter  Bingeman,  Reading ;  Michael 
Bright,  Reading;  Samuel  Briner,  Reading;  Andrew 
Bralzman,  Reading;  George  Brown,  Reading;  George 
Coleman,  Robeson;  Jacob  Dippery,  Reading;  Mi- 
chael Eage,  Reading  ;  Joseph  Ebbert,  Reading ;  Dan- 
iel Ely,  Beading  ;  David  Ely,  Reading;  George  Em- 
merick,  Reading;  Christian  Fisher,  Reading;  John 
Foster,  Reading;  John  Fox,  Reading;  John  Frill, 
Reading ;  William  Frill,  Reading  ;  Jacob  Goodman, 
Reading;  Samuel  Graul,  Reading;  Jacob  Greese, 
Reading;  George  Harf,  Reading;  Adam  Harbold, 
Reading ;  Daniel  Hoffman,  Reading ;  Peter  Homan, 
Reading;  John  Keating,  Reading;  John  Keller, 
Reading ;  Nicholas  Knower,  Robeson  ;  John  Lebo, 
Exeter;  William  McNeil,  Cumru;  Daniel  Moser, 
Bern ;  John  Moore  ;  Daniel  Mauger,  Reading ;  George 
Nagle,  Reading;  Peter  Nagle,  Reading;  Samuel 
Reeser,  Bern;  Jacob  Reitmeyer,  Reading;  Jacob 
Seyler,  Hamburg ;  Daniel  Seitzinger.  Cumru ;  John 
Shenfelter,  Reading;  Charles  Sigfried,  Reading;  Jo- 
seph Sigfried,  Reading;  Thomas  Sigfried,  Ruscomb- 
manor;  Samuel  Sinclair,  Reading;   John  Snell,  Jr., 


THE  WAR  OF  1812. 


177 


Beading ;  Christian  Spang,  Reading ;  John  Tobias, 
Beading;  Samuel  Witman,  Reading ;  William  Wit- 
man,  Reading  ;  John  Wunder,  Reading;  Daniel  Yea- 
ger,  Cumru ;  Jacob  Young,  Reading  ;  Michael  Young, 
Reading. 

The  following  is  a  muster-roll  of  the  com- 
pany commanded  by  Captain  Jonathan  Jones, 
at  York  from  September  1,  1814,  to  Decem- 
ber 4,  1814. 

Jonathan  Jones,  captain,  Amity. 
Samuel  Morrow,  first  lieutenant,  Amity. 
Samuel  D.  Franks,  second  lieutenant,  Reading. 
Simon  Grove,  ensign,  Douglass. 
Nicholas  Jones,  first  sergeant,  Amity. 
Thomas  Church,  second  sergeant,  Caernarvon. 
Lewis  Beish,  third  3ergeant,  Colebrookdale. 
Ezekiel  Jones,  fourth  sergeant,  Amity. 
John  Bunn,  fifth  sergeant,  Amity. 
Peter  Bush,  first  corporal,  Amity. 
Abraham  Hesser,  second  corporal,  Union. 
William  Sheridan,  third  corporal,  Caernarvon. 
Joseph  Russel,  fourth  corporal,  Amity. 
Michael  Serjison,  fifth  corporal,  Caernarvon. 
William  Akins,  sixth  corporal,  Amity. 

Privates. — John  Arp,  Colebrookdale ;  Emanuel 
Britten,  Douglass ;  David  Boyer,  Amity ;  Charles 
Bell,  Amity;  David  Babb,  Alsace;  David  Borst, 
Exeter;  Peter  Borst,  Exeter;  Alexander  Bartley, 
Caernarvon ;  John  Boyd,  Robeson ;  John  Barrick, 
Albany;  Jeremiah  Cunningham,  Bern;  John  Carson, 
Caernarvon  ;  Nicholas  Carver,  Exeter  ;  Daniel  Diet- 
rich, Exeter  ;  Samuel  Dietrich,  Exeter ;  Samuel  Ep- 
penheimer,  Douglass ;  Daniel  Fair,  Amity  ;  Abraham 
Fies,  Alsace ;  David  Fox,  Reading ;  George  Frey- 
berger,  Exeter;  Philip  Fillman,  Douglass;  Daniel 
Goodman,  Amity  ;  George  Gevens,  Caernarvon ;  Mat- 
thew George  ;  Henry  Harpester,  Amity  ;  Jacob 
Heater,  Exeter ;  Jacob  Hill,  Alsace ;  John  Heck- 
man,  Exeter;  William  Hammilton,  Caernarvon; 
Henry  Hallibach,  Greenwich  ;  Jacob  Jackson,  Exe- 
ter; William  Jackson,  Caernarvon;  James  Jacobs, 
Robeson ;  John  Kreider,  Douglass ;  John  Kutz, 
Windsor ;  John  Long,  Amity  ;  Samuel  Lapsly,  Doug- 
lass ;  John  Laver,  Douglass;  George  Matthew, 
Union ;  Christian  Miller,  Alsace ;  Adam  Miller, 
John  McCracken,  Douglass;  David  McBride,  Caer- 
narvon; Jacob  Mills,  Caernarvon;  John  Morgan; 
Union;  John  Null,  Alsace;  George  Null,  Alsace; 
Frederick  Ox,  Amity  ;  Jeremiah  Putz,  Amity  ;  Jacob 
Roue,  Exeter ;  William  Rice,  Union  ;  John  Spies, 
Amity;  John  Strunk,  Exeter;  Samuel  Smech,  Ex- 
eter; Daniel  Stubblebine,  Amity  ;  Philip  Shloppich, 
John  Salter,  Bern  ;  Nathan  Thomas,  Exeter;  Peter 
Willbouer,  Robeson;  George  Wikel,  Colebrookdale; 
George  Wurtz,  Douglass;  George  Robinson,  Caernar- 
von ;  Henry  Bunn. 


The  following  is  the  muster-roll  of  the  com- 
pany commanded  by  Captain  George  Ritter, 
at  York  from  August  28,  1814,  to  March  5, 
1815. 

George  Ritter,  captain,  Ruscomb-manor. 
John  Bertow,  first  lieutenant,  Oley. 
Isaac  Moyer,  second  lieutenant,  Reading. 
Daniel  Stotman,  ensign,  Ruscomb-manor. 
Philip  Berninger,  first  sergeant,  Hereford. 
Abraham  Breidigam,  2d  sergt.,  Ruscomb-manor. 
William  Clauser,  third  sergeant,  Rockland. 
John  Fosc,  fourth  sergeant,  Ruscomb-manor. 
Henry  Haffer,  fifth  sergeant,  Ruscomb-manor. 
Daniel  Acker,  first  corporal,  Earl. 
Abraham  Beriow,  second  corporal,  Rockland. 
Jacob  Berninger,  third  corporal,  Hereford. 
Mathias  Haeffer,  fourth  corporal,  Oley. 
Michael  Lowra,  fifth  corporal,  Ruscomb-manor. 
Jacob  Moyer,  sixth  corpor»l,  Ruscomb-manor. 
Joseph  Bingeman,  drummer,  Ruscomb-manor. 
John  Stoteman,  fifer,  Ruscomb-manor. 

Privates. — John  B.  Andy,  Earl ;  Jacob  B.  Andy, 
Earl;  Mathias  Oley,  Oley;  John  Adams,  Oley; 
Jacob  Andy,  Oley;  Jacob  Brown,  Rockland;  John 
Bierman.  Ruscomb-manor ;  Jacob  Bowman,  Oley  ; 
John  Boyer,  Oley ;  John  Beam,  Rockland ;  John 
Beaver,  Oley  ;  Devald  Beaver,  Hereford  ;  John  Bor- 
kal,  Oley ;  Henry  Berger,  Rockland  ;  John  Becker, 
Rockland  ;  David  Clark,  Pike ;  Peter  Donberd,  Long- 
swamp  ;  Daniel  Dillinger,  Hereford  ;  Christian  Edin- 
ger,  Pike;  John  Emrich,  Rockland;  Daniel  Eby, 
Robeson ;  Henry  Folic,  Ruscomb-manor ;  Jacob 
Flicker,  Earl ;  Henry  Fegely,  Hereford ;  Engel  Fox, 
Rockland ;  Henry  Gerver,  Oley ;  Samuel  Gilbert, 
Ruscomb-manor;  Samuel  Gregory,  Hereford ;  Peter 
Gregory,  Hereford ;  Michael  Gruber,  Rockland ; 
Jacob  Hobbes, Ruscomb-manor;  Jacob  Himmelreich, 
Oley  ;  George  Haas,  Ruscomb-manor  ;  Adam  Hass, 
Ruscomb-manor  ;  Jacob  Herb.  Hereford  ;  John  Him- 
melreich, Oley  ;  Henry  Hemig,  Rockland  ;  Samuel 
Herbst,  Pike ;  George  Heist,  Rockland  ;  Jacob  Hoff- 
man, Pike;  George  Klein,  Hereford;  George  Keller, 
Ruscomb-manor;  Conrad  Kisster,  Earl;  Christian 
Lehman,  Earl ;  George  Ludwig,  Robeson ;  Peter 
Leas,  Rockland ;  Abraham  Mayer,  Ruscomb-manor; 
John  Miller,  Hereford  ;  Daniel  Mohn,  Oley ;  David 
Ohlinger,  Ruscomb-manor;  John  Ohrens,  Ruscomb- 
manor  ;  Severin  Peterson,  Oley  ;  George  Price,  Rus- 
comb-manor; John  Paulies, Rockland;  Herman  Rup- 
pert,  Rockland  ;  Abraham  Ruppert,  Rockland ;  John 
Rush,  Hereford ;  Henry  Stetler,  Hereford ;  Peter 
Speght,  Ruscomb-manor  ;  Henry  Speigelmoyer,  Rus- 
comb-manor ;  John  Shirry,  Pike;  Nicholas  Shirry, 
Ruscomb-manor  ;  William  Smith,  Earl ;  George  Wel- 
ler,  District ;  John  Werstler,  Earl ;  Philip  Windbig- 
ler,  Oley;  George  Yost,  Robeson. 


178 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


The  following  is  the  muster-roll  of  the  com- 
pany commanded  by  Captain  Thomas  Moore 
at  York  from  September  1,  1814,  to  March  5, 
1815.  Entire  company  enlisted  from  Reading: 

Thomas  Moore,  captain. 

William  Tilton,  first  lieutenant. 

George  Baum,  ensign. 

Samuel  Moore,  first  sergeant. 

Jacob  Homan,  second  sergeant. 

Jacob  Slichter,  third  sergeant. 

Jacob  Stout,  fourth  sergeant. 

Peter  Muffert,  first  corporal. 

Thomas  Christ,  second  corporal. 

Peter  Aurand,  third  corporal. 

Henry  Homan,  drummer. 

David  Eightmyer,  fifer. 
Privates. — Jacob  Allgair,  Jonas  Baum,  John  Binga- 
min,  Thomas  Chadwick,1  Jacob  Cyder  [Seider],  John 
Dager,  George  Goodman,  Frederick  Graeff,  Christian 
Haberacher,  Samuel  Haberacher,  Frederick  Hyne- 
man,  John  Heller,  Mathias  Isebeisse  [Eisenbeis], 
John  Kepner,  John  Kroh,  George  Kreisher,  John 
Kim,  Nicholas  Lotz,  Joseph  Lowry,  William  Lotz, 
Daniel  Lotz,  Michael  Louaberger,  Joseph  McKoy, 
Francis  Muhlenberg,  George  Nagle.  Richard  Porter, 
Jacob  Phillippi,  Abraham  Prutzman,  William  Row, 
Abraham  Reinhart,  George  Roland,  Jacob  Stout, 
Benjamin  Stout,  Samuel  Stout,  John  Witman,  John 
Weisman,  William  Witman,  Charles  Witman,  Peter 
Wunder,  Joseph  Wood,  George  Wunder,  Daniel 
Young,  George  Zimmerman. 

The  following  were  in  the  company  com- 
manded by  Captain  John  Christian,  Second 
Regiment,  Second  Brigade : 

John  Christian,  captain,  Reading. 

John  Schwartz,  second  lieutenant,  Reading. 

John  Mcintosh,  first  sergeant,  Reading. 

John  Homan,  private,  Reading. 

Samuel  Homan,  drummer,  Reading. 
The  other  officers  and  privates  of  this  com- 
pany were  from  Schuylkill  County. 

The  following  is  the  muster-roll  of  the  com- 
pany commanded  by  Captain  Gabriel  Old,  at 
York  from  September  1, 1814,  to  March  5, 1815 : 

Gabriel  Old,  captain,  Longswamp. 

John  Fisher,  lieutenant,  Maxatawny. 

William  Shook,  ensign,  Greenwich. 

Rudolph  Meislin,  first  sergeant,  Richmond. 

Isaac  Levan,  second  sergeant,  Maxatawny. 

William  Graeff,  third  sergeant,  Maxatawny. 

George  Amor,  fourth  sergeant,  Richmond. 

Daniel  Graeff,  first  corporal,  Maxatawny. 

John  Witman,  second  corporal,  Richmond. 


1  Promoted  to  fourth  corporal. 


Jacob  Layman,  third  corporal,  Maxatawny. 
Jacob  Longbien,  fourth  corporal,  Maiden  Creek. 
Jonas  Freyler,  fifer,  Longswamp. 
William  Marx,  drummer,  Maxatawny. 

Privates — William  Addam,  Longswamp  ;  Jonathan 
Aker,   Maxatawny;    Abraham    Biehl,    Maxatawny; 
Samuel  Bushy,  Maxatawny  ;  Abraham  Boyer,  Rock- 
land;'John  Bowman,  Maiden-creek;  Andrew  Brocon, 
Maiden-creek;    George  Braish,  Maxatawny;  Daniel 
Boyer,    Richmond ;     Jacob     Danner,     Longswamp ; 
Michael   Delong,   Maxatawny ;  William  Dox,  Max- 
atawny ;    George  Esser,   Maxatawny ;   Jacob   Eisen- 
hart,  Longswamp ;  John  Fisher,  Maxatawny  ;  Jacob 
Fisher,  Maxatawny ;  George   Fegeley,  Maxatawny ; 
Adam  Flower,  Longswamp  ;  Samuel  Flower,  Maiden- 
creek;   Peter  Folk,  Longswamp;    William   Frasher, 
Richmond ;  John  Frimot,  Maxatawny ;  Jacob  Glauser, 
Rockland;  Jonas  Gilgart,  Maiden-creek;   Valentine 
Geist,    Longswamp ;     Joseph    Hoffman,    Rockland ; 
Gideon  Hoffman,  Ruscomb-manor ;  Peter  Hill,  Rich- 
mond;   Jacob    Housknecht,   Greenwich;    Jeremiah 
Hughes,     Richmond;     John    Keyser,    Maxatawny; 
Benjamin  Kercher,  Maxatawny ;  Jacob  Keiffer,  Long- 
swamp;  John    Kimerling,   Ruscomb-manor;    Jacob 
Kemp,  Richmond;  Samuel  Kemp,  Richmond;  An- 
drew Kaup,  Maxatawny ;  Nicholas  Kreisher,  Maiden- 
creek;    Daniel    Long,    Longswamp;    Abraham   Lit- 
weilor,    Longswamp;    Reuben    Leiby,   Maxatawny; 
John  Minker,  Richmond  ;  Henry  Minker,  Richmond  ; 
Philip   Miller,   Richmond;    John   Noll,  Richmond; 
George  Old,  Greenwich ;  Jacob  Polsgrove,  Longswamp ; 
John  Reeder,  Maxatawny ;  Henry  Raff  [Rapp],  Max- 
atawny; John  Roof[Rapp],  Maxatawny;  David  Rau- 
zan  [Rauenzahn],   Richmond;   Christopher  Rauzan 
[Rauenzahn],   Richmond;    Moses   Reifsnyder,   Rus- 
comb-manor; John  Reninger,  Ruscomb-manor;  George 
Stroup,  Maxatawny;    Samuel   Stout,  Maiden-creek; 
Jacob  Shaffer,  Maiden-creek ;  Nathan  Shaffer,  Long- 
swamp ;  John   Strome,  Richmond  ;  William  Simons, 
Longswamp;    John   K.   Snyder,    Richmond;    John 
Snyder,  Greenwich;   Andrew  Smith,  Maiden-creek; 
Michael   Sherer,   Greenwich;   Jacob    Wisser,   Max- 
atawny;     Jacob      Winter,    Maiden-creek ;     Henry 
Weaver,    Longswamp;    George    Woulison,  Maiden- 
creek;    Peter  Weaver,   Greenwich;   Daniel  Young, 
Ruscomb-manor;  Benjamin  Zeigler,  Longswamp. 

Reading  Washington  Guards.— Another 
company  from  Reading  was  enlisted  in  this 
war.  It  was  the  "Reading  Washington 
Guards,"  under  the  command  of  Captain  Daniel 
De  B.  Keim.  The  company  was  raised,  uni- 
formed and  equipped  within  fifteen  days. 
On  the  16th  of  September,  1814,  previous  to 
departure  it  was  paraded  and  then  formed  in  a 
circle  on  Penn  Square  where  the  Rev.  J.  F. 
Grier  (pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church)  deliv- 


THE  WAR  OF  1812. 


179 


ered  an  appropriate  and  pious  address.    A  band 

of  music,  under  the  leadership  of  Colonel . 

Simons,  escorted  the  company  to  the  Schuylkill 
where  boats  were  taken.  Upon  its  arrival  at 
Philadelphia,  its  services  were  not  required  for 
the  defense  of  the  city.     But  it  was  ordered  to 


WASHINGTON    GRAYS. 

join  the  army  near  Wilmington,  and  thence  it 
marched  to  "  Camp  Dupont."  It  was  afterward 
attached  to  the  "Advance  Light  Brigade," 
Eleventh  Company,  First  Regiment,  Pennsyl- 
vania Volunteer  Infantry,  under  the  command 
of  General  Cadwalader  and  served  till  the  close 
of  the  war.     The  following  is  the  roll : 

Daniel  De  B.  Keim,  captain. 

Henry  Betz,  first  lieutenant. 

Jonathan  Good,  second  lieutenant. 

Samuel  Baird,  ensign. 

Samuel  Conner,  first  sergeant. 

James  D.  Biddle,  second  sergeant. 

Nathan  P.  Hobart,  third  sergeant. 

David  Medary,  fourth  sergeant. 

John  C.  Neidly,  fifth  sergeant. 

Henry  W.  Pearce,  first  corporal. 

John  W.  Eoseberry,  seeond  corporal. 

Charles  A.  Bruckman,  third  corporal. 

J.  R.  Thomas,  fourth  corporal. 
Privates.— Gerhard  Geisse,  Robert  E.  Hobart,  Rob- 
ert Lafferty,  William  Brooke,  John  Schambers,  Jacob 
Rahn,  David  Potts,  Jr.,  Robert  M.  Ross,  Thomas 
Potts,  Wm.  Kleinginni,  William  Bird,  Samuel  Potts, 


George  Snyder,  James  Leits,  John  Metzger,  William 
Skeen,  William  Nice,  Lewis Stichter,  Daniel  Kaercher, 
Christian  Brobst,  James  Eckert,  George  Hahn,  Wil- 
liam Bower,  Matthew  M.  Brooks,  Samuel  Kerschner, 
Richard  Boone,  John  Kulp,  Samuel  Schaeffer,  Wil- 
liam Shower,  Thomas  Baird,  Robert  May,  Samuel 
Barde,  Timothy  Lindsley,  John  Bannan,  Benjamin 
Putt,  Jacob  Seitzinger,  David  Jones,  William  Thomp- 
son, Henry  Keiser,  John  Barde,  Thomas  Wilson, 
Charles  Bushar,  Jonathan  Stroud,  Peter  Yeager,  John 
Bright,  Thomas  Kepple,  George  Wile,  George  Drenkle, 
Samuel  Graul,  Joseph  Green,  Abraham  Seifert,  John 
Ruth,  Joseph  Kendall,  James  B.  Hubley,  Elisha  Ely, 
Henry  Schoener,  John  Hanley,  Thomas  Reiffsnyder, 
Adam  Bell,  Thomas  B.  Smith,  Jacob  Maurer. 

Peace  Declared. — Peace  was  concluded  at 
Ghent  on  December  24,  1814.  But  it  was  not 
till  February  22,  1815,  that  the  event  became 
known  at  Reading.  During  the  day,  the  citizens 
of  the  borough  signalized  it  by  shooting  off 
cannon,  and  at  night  by  a  grand  illumination  in 
which  sixteen  hundred  pounds  of  candles  were 
consumed. 

The  following  extract  of  a  letter,  dated  at 
Reading,  on  February  23,  1815,  written  by 
Mrs.  Mary  Keim  to  her  husband  George  De  B. 


GEORGE  DeBENNEVILLE  KEIM 

Keim,  who  was  then  at  Philadelphia,  describes 
the  manner  in  which  the  people  of  the  borough 
received  the  news : 
"  With  pleasure  did  I  peruse    your    affectionate 


180 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


epistle  and  the  preparations  for  last  night's  illumina- 
tion have  alone  prevented  my  answering  it  sooner.  As 
the  wife  of  a  true  American,  I  felt  disposed  to  enter 
patriotically  into  it,  and  I  exhibited  a  few  emblematic 
pieces  from  my  chamber  windows,  which  attracted 
crowds  of  gazers,  who,  by  loud  shouts,  evinced  their 
admiration  of  our  house,  which  was  said  to  excel  all 
the  others.  But  to  "do  justice  to  the  people,  the  town 
was  brilliantly  lighted  up  and  the  utmost  order  pre- 
vailed during  the  early  part  of  the  evening.  But  we 
unfortunately  have  two  classes  of  beings ;  one  who 
considered  it  a  day  of  privileges,  and  not  even  the 
blessedness  of  peace  to  our  country  could  restrain 
them.  By  this  the  Laws  of  Heaven  are  violated,  the 
peace  of  society  broken,  religious  duties  and  morality 
ridiculed.  Vice  alone  ruled,  and  this  urged  them  to 
destroy  a  great  deal  of  harmony  by  breaking  windows, 
lamps,  etc." 


CHAPTEE   XI. 


MEXICAN    WAR.' 


Cause  of  the  War— Reading  Artillerists— Departure  for 
Mexico — Participation  in  War— Battles  Engaged  In — 
Return  of  Artillerists— Brilliant  Reception. 

Cause  of  the  War. — The  Mexican  War 
arose  out  of  the  question  relating  to  the  annexa- 
tion of  Texas  to  the  Un  i  ted  Stat  is.  The  constitu- 
tion of  Mexico  prohibited  slavery  in  Texas,  and 
this  provision  was  a  sufficient  reason  why  the 
Southern  States  of  the  Union  should  wish  to 
control  it.  President  Adams  and  also  President 
Jackson  made  fruitless  efforts  to  buy  the  prov- 
ince; and  subsequently  for  some  years  the 
scheme  of  annexation  was  considered.  One  of 
the  last  acts  of  Jackson's  official  life  was  the 
appointment  of  an  official  agent  to  Texas, 
thereby  acknowledging  the  independence  of  the 
province.  This  was  looked  upon  as  the  first 
step  towards  obtaining  possession  of  territory 
iarge  enough  for  five  new  slave  states.  Hence- 
forward the  project  was  urged  with  persistence, 
but  little  success  till  about  1842,  when  Presi- 
dent Tyler  gave  it  his  encouragement.  It  was 
argued  that  if  slavery  were  abolished  in  Texas 


'A  series  of  interesting  articles  on  the  "Mexican 
War"  appeared  in  the  Berks  and  Schm/lkillJournal,  begin- 
ning with  the  issue  of  March  19,  1853,  contributed  as 
"Leaves  from  the  Diary  of  ti  Volunteer."  I  could  not 
ascertain   the  author. 


the  ruin  of  the  Southern  States  was  inevitable ; 
but  if  the  province  were  annexed  to  the  Union, 
the  future  of  the  slave  States  would  be  brilliant. 
Van   Buren   having    declined    the   request   of 
Texas  for  admission  into  the  Union,  he  was 
"killed  politically;"  and  subsequently  Webster 
was  removed  from  Tyler's  cabinet  because  he 
was  not  willing  to  encourage  the  scheme.     In 
1844,  Calhoun  became  Secretary  of  State,  and 
he  "  believed  in  annexation  at  any  cost,"  and 
President  Tyler  justified  Calhoun's  invitation 
to  Texas  to  join  the  United  States  because  he 
thought  Great  Britain  was  engaged  in  a  diplo- 
matic intrigue  to    abolish   slavery   in   Texas. 
Calhoun   then   made   a   treaty  with  Texas  in 
reference  to  annexation  without  the  consent  of 
Mexico,  but  offered  Mexico  $10,000,000  as  an 
indemnity.     But  the  Senate  rejected  the  treaty; 
it  was  not  even  supported  by  the  Democratic 
party.  Yet,  in  the  Presidential  election  of  1844, 
Polk  was  elected  as   a  Democrat,   because  he 
favored   annexation,    whilst   other   Democrats, 
such  as  Van  Buren  and  Benton,  were  retired 
from  political  favor  because  of  their  opposition, 
— the   opposition   of  the    former   closing  his 
public  career.     At  the  close  of  Tyler's  admin 
istration,  a  joint  resolution   was  passed  annex- 
ing Texas;  and  Tyler  acting  under  this  resolu- 
tion the  annexation  was  carried.     But  as  Tyler 
went  out   of  office   with   the   scheme   carried 
through  Congress,  Polk  came  into  office  with 
the   certainty   of  war   with   Mexico.     In   the 
beginning  of  May,   1846,  the   regular   troops 
under  General  Taylor   were  intercepted  along 
the  Rk>  Grande  by  the  Mexican  troops  under 
General  Arista,  and  the  battles  of  Palo  Alto 
and  Resaca  de  la  Palma  ensued.     Before  the 
news  of  these  events  reached  Washington,  Con- 
gress had  declared  war  on  the  13th  of  May, 
and  authorized  the  President  to  call  for  50,000 
volunteers  for  one  year.     After  carrying  on  war 
for   nearly  two  years,  the  Mexicans  were  con- 
quered, and  a  treaty  of  peace  was  signed  in 
February,  1848,  at  the  City  of  Mexico,  whereby 
the  United  States  acquired  not  only  Texas,  but 
also  Arizona,  New  Mexico  and  California. 

During  the  excitement  throughout  the  coun- 
try incident  to  the  declaration  of  war,  a  great 
patriotic  feeling  was  developed  at  Reading.  On 


THE  MEXICAN  WAE. 


181 


the  20th  of  May,  1846,  a  large  town  meeting 
was  held,  presided  over  by  Chief  Burgess 
William  Betz,  at  which  the  national  govern- 
ment was  sustained.  A  second  meeting  was 
held  on  the  next  day,  at  which  appropriate 
resolutions  were  adopted,  approving  the  course 
of  President  Polk.  A  prominent  prevailing 
sentiment  was — "  Our  country,  our  whole  coun- 
try, our  country  right  or  wrong."  And  during 
this  week  the  volunteer  companies  of  Reading, 
— Reading  Artillerists,  Washington  Grays  and 
National  Grays — held  meetings  and  tendered 
their  services  to  the  President. 

Reading  Artillerists.1 — The  following 
officers  and  privates  comprised  the  Muster  Roll 
of  the  "Reading  Artillerists"  when  the  ser- 
vices of  the  company  were  tendered  to  the 
President,  and  accepted  with  marching  orders 
to  proceed  to  Pittsburg  : 

Captain,  Thos.  S.  Leoser. 

First  Lieutenant,  William  Wunder. 

Second  Lieutenants,  Levi  P.  Knerr  and  Henry 

A.  M.  Filbert. 
First  Sergeant,  Lewis  H.  Wunder. 
Second  Sergeant,  Henry  Beidinger. 
Third  Sergeant,  Ellis  L.  Aker. 
Fourth  Sergeant,  William  W.  Diehl. 
First  Corpora],  William  R.  Graeff. 
Second  Corporal,  Jefferson  Alocher. 
Third  Corporal,  Charles  Leader. 
Fourth  Corporal,  William  Herbert. 
Drummer,  Jacob  Coleman. 
Fifer,  Thos.  McGee. 

Privates. — Joseph  Alexander,  New  York ;  Paul 
Albert,  John  Q.  Anderson,( Virginia);  John  E.  Arthur> 
Jacob  Armpriester,  John  Briestly,  Lewis  Brown, 
Geo.  Bachman,  (Baltimore) ;  John  Bertlinger,  Frank- 
lin Bitting,  Henry  Boyer,  Nehemiah  Bean,  Hiram 
Bauchter,  Thomas  Carragan,  Charles  dinger,  Cyprian 
Cobb,  Schuylkill  County ;  William  S.  Diehl,  John 
Donnelly,  Charles  Dunbar,  James  Eason,  Josiah 
Ebbert,  Edwin  Fritz,  Charles  Flickinger,  William 
Flickinger,  John  Frymire,  Augustus  Fisher,  John 
Fisher,  Daniel  L.  Forney,  (Schuylkill  County) ;  Wil- 
liam Frey,  George  H.  Gibbs,  Frederick  Gast,  Daniel 
Graeff,   John    Hardee,  Isaac   S.   Hottenstein,   Peter 

'Major  Richards  MoMichael  has  "muster  iu"  and 
"  muster  out ''  rolls  of  the  company  ;  also  "  Daily  Morning 
Report  Book"  of  the  company;  all  of  which  by  his  kind 
permission  I  examined  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  correct 
statements  of  the  men  mustered  in  and  out  of  service,  etc. 

For  age,  size  and  weight  of  men,  see  Reading  Gazette, 
January  16,  1847. 


Hogan,  John  G.  Hambright,  Charles  W.  Horrell, 
George  Henry,  William  Herbst,  John  A.  Heil,  Jesse 
C.  Jones,  (Delaware) ;  John  H.  Jones,  (Pottstown) ; 
John  Jordon,  Josfiph  Kohlberg,  Israel  Kaercher, 
(Schuylkill  County);  Henry  Kaercher,  (Schuylkill 
County) ;  Valentine  Klotz,  George  R.  Kramer,  (Schuyl- 
kill County) ;  John  Kurtz,  George  H.  Long,  William 
Laing,  Christian  Linderman,  Richards  McMichael, 
Lewis  Mouzert,  Peter  B.  Madara,  George  L.  Moss, 
Isaac  Moyer,  Peter  Moyer,  Albert  Myers,  John  Miller, 
William  Marks,  Adam  Mathias,  Nathan  Metz,  Ran- 
dall McDonald,  Sylvester  McCaragan,  Napoleon 
Merceron,  (Baltimore) ;  William  Patterson,  Jacob 
Rapp,  Abraham  Roland,  Charles  Ritchey,  Thomas 
U.  Rissler,  (Pottstown) ;  Charles  Smith,  Daniel  G. 
Saul,  John  Sheetz,  Frederick  Saener,  Garret  Scher- 
merhorn,  (New  York) ;  William  Trayer,  William 
Umpleby,  (Chester  County);  William  Van  Thiel, 
Cornelius  Van  Doren, (Schuylkill  County);  Bernhard 
Vaux,  (Schuylkill  County) ;  William  Clemens,  John 
Fleshour,  John  Foesig,  Henry  Gardner,  Lewis  Heil- 
man,  Christian  Jaus,  John  Steel,  William  M.  Smith, 
William  Walters  and  John  White. 

At  a  town  meeting  held  in  the  court-house  ou 
December  19,  1846,  for  the  purpose  of  devising 
means  to  aid  the  volunteers,  a  committee  of 
prominent  citizens  was  appointed  to  escort  the 
company  to  Philadelphia.  At  the  meeting,  G. 
A.  Nicolls,  in  behalf  of  the  Philadelphia  and 
Reading  Railroad  Company,  offered  the  company 
a  free  passage  over  their  railroad  to  Phila- 
delphia. The  meeting  recommended  to  Town 
Council  that  one  thousand  dollars  be  appropriated 
towards  the  comfort  of  the  soldiers  and  the  re- 
lief of  such  of  their  families  as  needed  assistance. 
Subsequently,  on  December  22, 1846,  the  Town 
Council  authorized  a  loan  of  one  thousand 
dollars  for  the  purposes  mentioned.  A  similar 
appropriation  was  recommended  by  the  grand 
jury  of  the  county  on  the  5th  of  January,  follow- 
ing, to  be  made  by  the  county  commissioners. 

Departure  for  Mexico. — The  company 
left  Reading  for  Philadelphia  on  the  26th  day 
of  December.  The  following  interesting  de- 
scription of  their  departure  was  published  in 
the  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal,  issued  on  the 
2d  of  January,  1847: 

"The  departure  of  this  fine  corps  of  Volunteers,  on 
Saturday  morning  last  [26th  December,  1846],  for  the 
theatre  of  war,  exhibited  one  of  those  scenes  which 
occur  but  once  in  a  life-time.  At  an  early  hour  our 
streets  were  crowded  with  citizens  of  the  town,  and 
people  and  military  from  various  parts  of  the  countrv 


182 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


At  eight  o'clock  the  gallant  little  band  formed  into 
line  on  Fifth  street,  near  Penn,  and,  preceded  by  the 
Committee  of  Escort  and  the  carps  of  '  Washington 
Grays,'  they  were  paraded  through  our  principal 
streets,  followed  by  crowds  of  people  anxious  to  take 
a  last  look  at  those  who  had  so  nobly  volunteered 
their  services  to  defend  the  honor  of  our  flag  on  the 
plains  of  a  distant  country.  As  they  passed  through 
the  town,  the  windows  were  crowded,  and  many  a 
fond  bosom  throbbed  with  anguish  and  many  a  bright 
eye  moistened  at  the  idea  of  parting  for  an  indefinite 
time,  perhaps  forever,  with  those  endeared  to  them  by 
the  ties  of  kindred  and  affection.  The  scene  was 
solemn — so  solemn,  indeed,  that  not  a  cheer  rose  from 
the  thousands  who  accompanied  them  through  the 
streets.  The  feeling  was  too  deep,  too  sad ;  the  re- 
flection which  their  departure  excited  too  melancholy 
to  enliven  the  spirits  of  the  most  enthusiastic. 

"  At  half-past  nine  o'clock  the  company  reached 
the  Depot  and  took  their  station  in  the  cars  provided 
for  their  accommodation  by  the  liberality  of  the  rail- 
road company.  Here  a  thrilling  scene  ensued.  The 
last  farewell  was  to  be  said — the  last  words  spoken. 
The  separation  of  wives  from  their  husbands,  mothers 
from  their  sons,  sisters  from  their  brothers  and  friends 
from  one  another  was  touching  in  the  extreme.  We 
noticed  many  a  stout  heart,  that  would  scorn  to  waver 
on  the  field  of  battle,  heaving  with  emotion  while 
going  through  the  feeling  ceremony  of  leave-taking. 
The  crowd  around  the  Depot  was  one  of  the  largest 
we  have  ever  seen  collected  in  this  borough,  and  when 
the  signal  was  given  and  the  cars  moved  off,  they  rent 
the  air  with  a  shout  that  seemed  to  well  up  from  the 
bottom  of  every  heart,  in  one  unanimous  "  God  bless 
you."  Most  heartily  do  we  hope  that  every  one  of 
'  this  glorious  little  band  of  patriotic  soldiers  may  live 
to  return  and  enjoy  the  reward  of  their  gallantry  for 
many  years  yet  to  come."     .     .     . 

The  Artillerists  arrived  at  Philadelphia  in 
the  afternoon  of  the  same  day.  After  their  ex- 
amination by  Dr.  Wurte,  United  States  Surgeon, 
he  pronounced  them  the  finest  body  of  men  he 
had  yet  passed  into  the  service. 

On  the  day  previous  to  their  departure,  the 
officers  were  the  recipients  of  numerous  testi- 
monials of  regard.  The  workmen  of  the  rail- 
road company's  shops  distinguished  themselves 
in  this  respect.  The  Captain  and  the  Second 
and  Third  Lieutenants  were  in  the  company's 
employ.  The  officers  were  presented  with  swords. 
Sergeant  McMichael  was  presented  with  an  ele- 
gant sword,  revolver,  sash,  belt  and  accoutrements 
by  his  friends  and  shop-mates  engaged  at  John- 
ston's foundry.  And  numerous  Colt's  revolving 
pistols  and  Bibles  were  also  presented. 


The  Artillerists  left  Philadelphia  by  railroad 
on  Monday  morning,  December  28,  and  ar- 
rived at  Harrisburg  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same 
day.  After  dining  at  Colonel  Herr's,  they  pro- 
ceeded by  railroad  to  Carlisle  and  Chambers- 
burg,  where  they  arrived  on  Tuesday  morning 
at  two  o'clock.  After  breakfast,  they  immedi- 
ately proceeded  afoot  on  their  way  to  Pittsburgh. 
That  day  they  walked  to  McConnellsburg, 
twenty-two  miles.  Wednesday  they  walked  to 
Bloody  Run,  twenty-six  miles.  The  distance 
was  arranged  so  as  to  reach  Pittsburgh  by  Tues- 
day, January  4th.  Three  large  six-horse  bag- 
gage teams  accompanied  them,  having  been 
supplied  by  Joel  Bitter,  who  was  sent  by  the 
citizens  of  Reading  to  pay  their  expenses  to 
Pittsburgh.  They  arrived  on  January  5th.  On 
the  same  day,  the  company  wei  e  mustered  into 
the  service  of  the  United  States,  as  Company  A, 
in  the  Second  Regiment  of  Pennsylvania  Vol- 
unteers, under  the  command  of  Col.  William  B. 
Roberts.1  Two  regiments  of  volunteers  from 
Pennsylvania  were  mustered  into  the  ser- 
vice ;  and  two  companies  of  men  from  Penn- 
sylvania volunteered  to  make  up  the  quota  of 
New  Jersey,  which  were  mustered  in  and  attached 
to  the  Second  Regiment  from  Pennsylvania, 
as  Companies  L  and  M. 

Participate  in  War. — The  company,  with 
other  companies,  left  Pittsburgh  on  the  8th  of 
January  in  the  boat  "Anthony  Wayne,"  and 
proceeded  by  way  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
Rivers  to  New  Orleans,  arriving  there  on  the 
15th.  They  encamped  on  the  old  battle-ground 
of  ] 812-15,  seven  miles  below  the  city.  "And 
there  they  laid  all  night  in  the  rain  without 
tents ;  and,  owing  to  the  negligence  of  certain 
government  officials,  they  were  without  provis- 
ions for  thirty-six  hours.  This  caused  much 
dissatisfaction  in  the  ranks,  and,  as  a  consequence, 
twelve  men  of  the  company  deserted."  Such 
was  their  beginning  in  active  military  service. 

^'The  ten  persons  last  named  in  the  muster  roll  were 
not  mustered  in  with  the  "  Artillerists,"  though  they  went 
with  the  company  for  that  purpose,  owing  to  the  military 
regulation  as  to  the  number  of  each  company.  They,  how- 
ever, enlisted  in  other  companies,  and  were  mustered  into 
the  service.  In  the  election  of  staff  officers  for  the  regiment, 
at  Pittsburgh,  on  January  6, 1847,  Richards  McMichael  was 
elected  sergeant-maj  or. 


THE  MEXICAN  WAR. 


183 


The  company  served  with  distinction  through- 
out the  war  and  was  particularly  recognized  for 
its  bravery.  The  following  highly  compliment- 
ary mention  was  made  of  the  company  by 
Colonel  Geary,  of  the  Second  Regiment,  in  his 
report  to  General  Scott : 

"  Company  A,  commanded  by  Captain  T.  S.  Leoser, 
allowed  no  one  to  surpass  them  in  the  performance  of 
their  duty  :  in  crossing  the  swamp,  ascending  the  hill, 
and,  in  fact,  during  the  whole  day,  they  maintained 
their  positiou  well.  I  would  here  beg  leave  to  call  to 
your  recollection  the  gallant  conduct  of  Captain  Leo- 
ser and  Lieutenant  McMichael,  of  this  company,  in 
crossing  from  the  Garita  to  the  breastwork  near  the 
citadel  during  the  afternoon.  The  great  coolness 
with  which' they  acted  in  an  unusually  exposed 
position  will,  I  hope,  receive  your  particular  atten- 
tion." 

The  following  extract  was  taken  from  a 
letter  dated  May  20,  1847,  at  Jalapa,  and 
published  in  the  Philadelphia  Ledger,1  in  refer- 
ence to  the  brave  conduct  of  Richards  McMich- 
ael at  the  battle  of  Cerro  Gordo  : 

"  After  we  had  received  the  first  round  of  grape  and 
canister,  our  company  fell  back  with  the  rest  of  the 
ten,  when  Richards  McMichael  sprang  forward,  crying 
to  us  to  come  on.  We  immediately  followed.  He 
led  us  through  the  thickest  of  the  fire,  the  men  fall- 
ing on  each  side  of  him,  but  he,  undaunted,  still  en- 
couraged the  wavering  and  reprimanded  the  cow- 
ardly. Such  conduct  has  gained  him  the  esteem  of 
this  regiment.  Words  I  find  insufficient  to  express 
our  admiration  of  this  brave  young  man.     .     .     ." 

Battles  Engaged  in. — The  company  was 
engaged  in  the  following  battles  :  Vera  Cruz, 
March  19th  to  28th ; 2  Cerro  Gordo,  April  18th; 
Chapultepec,  September  12th ;  Belen  Gate, 
September  13th.3 

Return  of  Artillerists.  —  The  City  of 
Mexico  was  taken  on  the  14th  of  September, 
the  Mexicans  having  evacuated  the  capital 
during  the  previous  night,  owing  to  the  cap- 
ture of  the  San  Cosmo  Causeway  and  the 
Belen  road.  The  troops,  including  Com- 
pany A,  were  stationed  in  this  famous  city  till 
the  18th  of  December,  when  they  were  removed 

1  Copied  in  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal,  June  26,  1847. 

2  A  grand  illumination  took  place  in  Reading  when  the 
news  of  the  victory  at  Vera  Cruz  arrived,  20th  April,  1847. 

3  See  sketch  of  Captain  T.  S.  Leoser,  at  end  of  chapter, 
for  other  battleB  mentioned. 

Also,  see  sketch  of  Richards  McMichael,  in  Chapter  XII. 


to  San  Angel,  at  which  place  they  continued 
till  peace  was  declared.  They  were  ordered 
home  about  the  middle  of  June,  1848. 
They  then  marched  to  Vera  Cruz — consuming 
about  a  month  in  the  march  —  where  they 
took  transportation  on  the  bark  "Florida" 
for  New  Orleans.  Thence  they  proceeded  up 
the  Mississippi  and  Ohio  Rivers  to  Pittsburgh, 
and  were  mustered  out  of  service  there  on  the 
21st  of  July.  The  company  then  were  com- 
posed of  the  following  officers  and  privates  : 

Thomas  S.  Leoser,  captain. 
Richards  McMichael,4  first  lieutenant. 
William  Graeff,5  Ellis  L.  Aker,  2d  lieutenants. 
Jefferson  Alocher,  first  sergeant. 
Charles  Leader,  second  sergeant. 
William  Herbert,6  third  sergeant. 
Peter  Hogan,'  fourth  sergeant. 
John  A..Heil,  first  corporal. 
John  Frymire,8  second  corporal. 
John  E.  Arthur,6  third  corporal. 
Nehemiah  Bean,  fourth  corporal. 
Thomas  McGee,6  Musician. 
Privates. — Jacob  Armpriester,  John  Briestley,  Lewis 
Brown,  Franklin  Bitting,  Henry  Boyer,  George  Bach- 
man,  Hiram  Bauchter,  Jacob  Coleman,  Charles  Flick- 
inger,  Augustus  Fisher,  George  Gibbs,  Frederick  Gast, 
John  Hardee,  Jesse  C.  Jones,  Thomas  Carrigan,  Geo. 
Long,  Peter  B.  Madara,   Isaac  Moyer,  John  Miller,6 
William  Marks,   Randall   McDonald,   Jacob  Rapp,6 
Charles  Ritchey,  Thomas  C.  Rissler,  Daniel  G.  Saul,6 
Garrett  Shermerhorn,    William  Umpleby,   William 
Herbst,  John  H.  Jones. 

Samuel  Burns,  drummer,  Danville ;  Adam  Bumber- 
ger,  Philadelphia;  Patrick Coldricht  Pittsburgh  ; 
Leopold  Hess,  York ;  Edward  Lay,  York  ;  Au- 
gustus Myers,  Holidaysburgh;  David  Welsh,  Phil- 
adelphia. [These  seven  men  joined  the  company 
in  December,  1847,  and  January,  1848.] 

Brilliant  Reception. — The  company 9  then 
took  packets  and  traveled  by  canal  to  Harris- 
burg,  and  thence  by  railroad  to  Philadelphia 


*  Promoted  to  first  lieutenant  9th  September,  1847  ;  and 
in  the  election  of  officers,  occasioned  by  the  death  of  Col. 
Roberts,  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  major. 

5  Promoted  1st  November,  1847. 

6  Wounded  at  Chapultepec  and  recovered. 
i  Wounded  at  Belen  Gate  and  promoted. 

s  Wounded  at  Belen  Gate  and  recovered. 

9  The  men  from  Reading.  William  Graff  was  compelled 
to  remain  at  Pittsburgh  on  account  of  sickness,  with  Long 
and  Rapp  to  wait  upon  him  ;  they  arrived  at  Reading  10th 
of  August,  1848.  Bachman  left  the  company  at  Baltimore 
on  their  return  to  Harrisburg. 


184 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


and  Reading.  Some  of  the  men  went  by  stage 
to  Reading.  Upon  their  arrival,  on  the  29th 
of  July,  they  were  given  a  brilliant  military 
reception.  Numerous  buildings  and  streets 
were  handsomely  decorated  with  flags  and 
wreaths.  The  military  procession  was  under 
the  command  of  Gen.  "William  H.  Keim.  The 
troops  numbered  over  eight  hundred  men.  The 
battalion  consisted  of  two  companies  of  cavalry 
under  the  command  of  Gen.  William  High, 
viz.: — National  Troop  and  Reading  Troop — 
and  of  eight  companies  of  infantry  under  the 
command  of  Major  H.  A.  Muhlenberg,  viz. : — 
Reading  Artillerists,  Washington  Grays,  Ham- 
burg Artillerists,  Womelsdorf  Legion,  Moselem 
Bines,  Washington  Rifle  Blues,  Friedensburg 
Light  Infantry,  Cadets  of  Military  Institute. 

After  parading  through  the  principal  streets 
of  the  city,  the  procession  was  taken  to  "  Inde- 
pendence Island,"  where  an  appropriate  oration 
was  delivered  by  Charles  Davis,  Esq.;  with  which 
the  demonstration  ended. 

Deaths. — The  following  twenty-seven  men 
of  the  company  died  in  Mexico,  mostly  from 
sickness  contracted  there  : 

Abraham  Roland,  April  27,  1847,  at  Jalapa  Hospital, 
from  wounds  received  at  Cerro  Gordo  in  head  at 
right  ear  ;  ball  lodged  under  his  tongue. 

John  Sheetz,  April  29,  1847,  at  Jalapa  Hospital, 
from  wound  received  at  Cerro  Gordo,  in  calf  of 
left  leg. 

Charles  Dunbar,  April  29,  1847,  at  Jalapa  Hospital.1 

John  Kutz,  May  16,  1847,  at  Vera  Cruz  Hopital. 

William  Van  Thiel,  June  11,  1847,  at  Perote  Hos- 
pital, from  diarrhoea. 

William  Patterson,  June  17, 1847,  at  Perote  Hospital, 
from  diarrhoea. 

Israel  Kaercher,  July  14,  1847,  at  Perote  Hospital, 
from  rheumatism. 

Henry  Kaercher,  July  30,  1847,  at  Perote  Hospital, 
from  diarrhoea. 

Henry  Gardner,  July  20,  1847,  at  quarters  in  Puebla. 

Christian  Linderman,  August  3,  1847,  at  Perote  Hos- 
pital, from  diarrhoea. 

James  Eason,  August  19,  1847,  at  Perote  Hospital, 
from  diarrhoea. 

John  Fisher,  August  25,  1847,  at  Puebla  Hospital, 
from  diarrhoea. 

Napoleon  Merceron,  August  27,  1847,  at  Perote  Hos- 
pital. 

1  Charles  Dunbar  fell  a  victim  to  camp-fever  and  died  of 
medical  neglect.  The  sick  soldiers  were  badly  treated,  and 
loud  complaints  were  made. 


William  S.  Diehl,  August  29,  1847,  at  Puebla  Hos- 
pital, from  diarrhoea. 

George'  L.  Moss,  August  30,  1847,  at  Perote  Hospital. 

Henry  Beidinger,  September  1,  1847,  at  Puebla  Hos- 
pital, from  diarrhoea. 

John  Donnelly,  September  1,  1847,  at  Perote  Hos- 
pital, from  diarrhoea. 

Daniel  L.  Forney,  September  5,  1847,  at  Puebla  Hos- 
pital, from  diarrhoea. 

Peter  Moyer,  September  13,  1847,  killed  in  storming 
of  Chapultepec. 

Lieutenant  William  Wunder,  September  14,  1847,  at 
Miscoac.2 

Sylvester  McCaragan,  September  27,  1847,  at  Puebla 
Hospital,  from  diarrhoea. 

Nathan  Metz,  October  17,  1847,  at  City  of  Mexico,  of 
wound  received  at  Chapultepec. 

William  Flickinger,   November   3,   1847,  at  Puebla 
Hospital,  from  diarrhoea. 

Sergeant  J.   G.   Hambright,3  November  7,  1847,  at 
Mexico  Hospital. 

Bernhard  Vaux,  November  16,  1847,  at  Mexico  Hos- 
pital. 

George  Henry,  November  29,  1847,  at  Mexico  Hos- 
pital, of  wound  received  at  Gate  of  Belen. 

Daniel  Graeff,  February  16,  1848,  at  San  Angel. 

Discharged. — The  following  men  were  dis- 
charged during  their  term  of  service  on  account 
of  sickness : 

Sergeant  L.  H.  Wunder,  April  4,  1847. 

Private  William  M.  Smith,  from  Vera  Cruz  Hospital, 

April  4,  1847. 
Private  John  Q.  Anderson,  from  Vera  Cruz  Hospital, 

May  17,  1847. 
Private    William   Frey,   from   Vera  Cruz  Hospital, 

May  17,  1847. 
Private  Albert  Myers,  from  Vera  Cruz  Hospital,  May 

17,  1847. 
Private    William  Trayer,  from  Vera  Cruz  Hospital, 

May  17,  1847. 
Private  Edwin  Fritz,  from  Vera  Cruz  Hospital,  May 

17,  1847. 
Lieutenant  Levi  P.  Knerr,  June  1,  1847. 
Private  Charles  W.  Horrell,  from  Castle  of  Perote. 
Sergeant    William  W.   Diehl,  wounded  in  arm  at 

Puebla  de  los  Angelos. 


2  Fell  sick  at  Jalapa.  His  body  was  sent  to  Reading.  It 
lay  in  state  in  the  court-house.  On  May  13,  1848,  an 
oration  was  delivered  by  J.  Glancy  Jones,  Esq.,  after 
which  the  burial  was  made  in  the  Charles  Evans  Cemetery. 
The  funeral  procession  was  very  large,  including  military, 
municipal  officers,  and  Councils,  judges,  lawyers,  physi- 
cians and  secret  organizations.  The  city  generally  was 
crowded  with  people  from  the  country.  After  the  burial 
appropriate  services  were  also  held  in  Trinity  Lutheran. 
Church. 

3  Promoted  April  1,  1847. 


THE  MEXICAN  WAR. 


185 


Lieutenant  H.  A.  M.  Filbert,  November  1,  1847  (re- 
signed). 

Private  Lewis  Monzert,  from  Puebla  Hospital,  No- 
vember 5, 1847. 

Private  Joseph  Alexander,  from  Puebla,  where  he 
was  sick. 

RECAPITULATION. 

Commissioned  officers 4 

Sergeants 1 

Corporals 1 

Sergeant-major 1 


Discharged  on  account  of  sickness 12 

Deserted 13 

Honorably  mustered  out  of  service : 

Commissioned  officers 4 

Non-commissioned  officers  and  musicians  10 
Privates 35 


Total. 


53 

49 
102 


Thomas   S.  Leoser  was  one  of  the  best- 


d*^7^ — *^^Z  qZL^aj? 


Musicians • 2 

Privates 80 

Privates  joined  from  regimental  depot. 6 

Private  joined  by  transfer  as  musician 1 

Total  strength  during  war 102 

Killed  in  action 1 

Died  of  wounds 4 

Died  of  disease 22 

Eesigned 1 

21 


known  citizens  of  Berks  County  from  1845  to 
the  time  of  his  death. 

He  was  born  in  the  lower  part  of  the  county 
May  27,  1818,  and  was  the  son  of  Dr.  Jacob 
Leoser  and  Sarah  Bull  Leoser,  the  daughter  of 
John  Smith,  of  Joanna  Furnace. 

He  was  graduated  at  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania at  an  early  age,  and,  on  the  7th  of  No- 
vember, 1838,  was  married  to  Mary  Hillegas 


186 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Rheem,  the  daughter  of  Jacob  Rheern,  Esq.  of 
Philadelphia. 

Pie  always  took  an  active  interest  in  military 
matters  and  commanded  a  company  of  militia 
called  the  "  Eeading  Artillerists  "  for  some  years 
previous  to  the  Mexican  War. 

At  the  breaking  out  of  that  war  the  company 
volunteered,  and  was  mustered  into  the  service 
of  the  United  States  as  Company  A,  of  the  Sec- 
ond Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  with 
him  as  the  commissioned  Captain.  The  Regi- 
ment joined  Scott's  column  at  Lobos  Island  and 
took  part  in  the'  work  of  his  army  until  the  oc- 
cupation of  the  city  of  Mexico,  participating  in 
the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz,  the  battle  of  Cerro  Gor- 
do, the  engagements  at  Jalapa,  Perote  and  Pu- 
ebla,  the  battles  of  Contreras  and  Cherubusco, 
and  the  storming  of  Chapultepec. 

On  the  return  of  the  company  to  Reading, 
the  enthusiasm  of  its  reception  ,was  unbounded, 
and  the  citizens  so  far  forgot  their  accustomed 
phlegmatic  demeanor  that  some  of  them  carried 
Captain  Leoser  from  the  station  to  his  residence 
on  their  shoulders. 

Before  the  war  began,  he  had  received  from 
Governor  Shunk  a  commission  as  brigade  in- 
spector for  Dauphin,  Lebanon,  Berks  and 
Schuylkill  Counties  for  four  years.  During  his 
absence  in  Mexico  the  duties  of  this  office  were 
performed  by  a  substitute. 

After  his  return  from  the  war,  Captain  Leo- 
ser enjoyed  the  greatest  popularity  among  his 
fellow-citizens,  and,  when  he  died,  September  12, 
1849,  of.  an  affection  of  the  stomach  and  liver 
contracted  in  Mexico,  his  loss  was  universally 
mourned  by  the  community.  He  left  to  sur- 
vive him  two  sons — Charles  McKnight  Leoser 
and  Christopher  Leoser — and  a  daughter,  Sid- 
ney H.,  married  to  Morton  C.  Mcllvain  ;  a 
third  son,  Thomas  S.,  having  died  in  infancy. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

CIVIL  WAR. 

Introduction — Patriotism  of  County — War-Meetings  ami 
Appropriations— Ladies'  Aid  Society — Reading  Hospital 
— Drafts  and  Quotas  of  Berks  County — Northern  Men  in 
Service— Summary    of  Battles — Paper    Money — List  of 


Companies  from  Berks  County  in  Civil  War— President's 
Call,  for  Troops— First  Companies  in  War — Kinggold 
Light  Artillery  the  First  Company — Statement  of  Cap- 
tain McKnight— Soldiers  of  Berks  County  in  Three 
Months'  Service,  1861  ;  Three  Years'  Service ;  Nine 
Months'  Service ;  Volunteer  Militia  of  1862 ;  Drafted 
Militia  of  1862:  Volunteer  Militia  of  1863;  One  Hun- 
dred Days'  Service  of  1804;  One  Year's  Service,  1864-65 
— Miscellaneous  Enlistments  from  Berks  County— Sol- 
diers Buried  in  Berks  County  —Grand  Army  Posts— So- 
ciety of  Ex-Prisoners  of  War. 

The  Civil  War  in  our  country  broke  out  in 
April,  1861.  The  direct  cause  was  the  agita- 
tion of  the  great  subject  which  related  to  slav- 
ery. In  1620  religion  started  the  movement 
for  freedom  in  the  northern  part  of  our  coun- 
try, and  about  the  same  time  trade  started  the 
movement  for  slavery  in  the  southern  part. 
These  two  agents  in  the  development  of  our 
people  moved,  as  it  were,  westwardly  from  the 
Atlantic  Ocean,  side  by  side  in  the  onward 
course  of  time,  the  one  in  the  northern  section 
and  the  other  in  the  southern  section,  without 
any  substantial  interference  for  two  hundred 
years.  When  independence  from  the  British 
government  was  agitated  on  account  of  burden- 
some taxation,  all  the  States  north  and  south 
united  in  the  one  common  purpose  of  establish- 
ing a  free,  representative  government,  separate 
and  apart  by  themselves,  of,  for  and  by  the 
people,  and  through  this  union  they  were  en- 
abled to  carry  on  successfully  the  Revolutionary 
War,  which,  after  a  severe  trial  of  eight  years, 
resulted  in  their  favor.  In  1787  delegates 
from  these  several  States  assembled  together  for 
the  purpose  of  formulating  a  Constitution  for 
their  general  government  and  protection  as  a 
nation,  and  in  this  they  were  entirely  successful. 
In  the  interest  of  harmouy  and  progress,  large 
concessions  were  made  to  the  Southern  States 
on  the  subject  of  slavery.  The  two  agents, 
religion  and  slavery,  were  able  to  move  along 
successfully  side  by  side  for  a  number  of 
years  afterward  by  reason  of  their  separation. 
But  as  education  developed  greater  notions  of 
liberty  and  equality,  and  as  steam  brought  the 
people  of  the  several  sections  of  the  country 
closer  together,  and  as  manufactures  and  traffic 
induced  them  to  trade  with  one  another  more 
intimately  and  more  frequently,  these  two 
agents  began  to  antagonize  each  other  more  and 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


187 


more,  and  statesmen  of  the  North  and  of  the 
South  anticipated  the  danger  of  an  inevitable 
conflict  between  them.  Increasing  liberality  in 
religion  introduced  many  improvements,  di- 
rectly and  indirectly,  amongst  the  people  of  the 
North.  Population  and  wealth  increased  rap- 
idly over  an  enlarging  area  of  territory,  and 
these  gave  the  northern  section  more  States  and 
a  stronger  political  influence  and  power.  But 
slavery  was  stationary  in  the  South,  new  poli- 
tical rights  were  not  awakened,  progress  in 
any  direction  was  not  developed,  though  new 
States  were  erected  and  political  representation 
was  increased  to  preserve  the  balance  of  power 
between  the  two  agents.  After  1850  the  ex- 
tension of  slavery  on  the  one  hand,  aud  its 
restriction  on  the  other,  became  thoroughly 
national  questions  and  their  animated  discus- 
sion resulted  in  a  terrible  struggle  for  the  su- 
premacy. Till  this  time  the  South  had  the 
general  control  of  political  affairs  through  lead- 
ership and  legislation.  But  the  Southern  states- 
men then  saw  that  their  political  power  was  in 
reality  passing  away  through  the  wonderful 
growth  of  the  North  in  population  and  wealth, 
and  in  political  representation  in  the  national 
government.  A  similar  growth  could  not  be 
effected  in  the  South  ;  so  its  leaders  desired  to 
extend  the  rights  of  slavery.  This  was  particu- 
larly apparent  upon  the  admission  of  Kansas  as 
a  State.  The  Republican  party — the  exponent 
of  restricting  slavery  to  territory  then  occupied 
— became  an  active  political  factor  in  the  country 
in  1856  ;  but  its  Presidential  candidate  was  de- 
feated. Threats  of  secession  by  the  Southern 
States  had  been  made  about  that  time,  and  it 
was  thought  that  if  the  Republican  party  had 
been  successfulvsecession  would  have  been  at- 
tempted. 

For  four  years  this  question  was  prominent 
above  all  other  questions.  Buchanan  preserved 
the  peace  during  his  administration,  but  he 
could  not  preserve  the  balance  of  power.  Pub- 
lic opinion  grew  more  favorable  towards  the  Re- 
publican party,  and  in  1860  this  party  appeared 
before  the  people  with  renewed  strength.  During 
that  time  •  the  Democratic  party  agitated  the 
question  of  slavery  to  such  an  extent  that  two 
branches  of  the  party  were  created, — one,  the 


Douglas  branch,  for  submitting  the  question 
to  the  peojjle  of  a  new  State  upon  its  erection ; 
and  the  other,  the  Breckenridge  branch,  for  sub- 
mitting it  to  the  Supreme  Court  for  adjudication 
underthe  national  Constitution, — and  in  the  Pres- 
idential campaign  of  1860  their  political  power 
was  divided.  The  party  was  still  strong  enough, 
as  a  whole,  to  elect  a  candidate ;  but  it  was  not 
strong  enough  to  bear  a  division,  especially 
such  a  division  as  Douglas  was  able  to  create 
by  the  support  which  he  had  won  through  pub- 
lic discussion.  Lincoln,  the  Republican  candi- 
date, was  elected.  From  the  sentiments  of  his 
party — especially  from  the  sentiments  of  its 
ultra-leaders,  who  were  styled  "Abolitionists" — 
the  Southern  leaders  felt  constrained  to  take 
earnest  steps  towards  secession  ;  and  these  steps 
were  taken  between  the  day  of  the  election,  in 
November,  and  the  day  of  Lincoln's  inaugura- 
tion, in  March,  not  only  vigorously,  but  suc- 
cessfully, without  the  slightest  hinderance  on 
the  part  of  the  national  government.  Promi- 
net  Cabinet  officials,  Senators  and  Representa- 
tives withdrew  from  their  respective  positions 
and  caused  their  several  States  to  pass  ordi- 
nances of  secession,  declaring  the  contract  be- 
tween them  and  the  national  government 
broken.  When  Lincoln  took  p6ssession  of  the 
government,  the  status  was  not  only  discourag- 
ing but  very  alarming.  In  his  inaugural  ad- 
dress, he  stated  that  apprehension  seemed  to  ex- 
ist among  the  people  of  the  Southern  States 
that,  by  the  accession  of  a  Republican  adminis- 
tration, their  property,  peace  and  personal  se- 
curity were  to  be  endangered,  but  that  there 
•never  had  been  any  reasonable  cause  for  such 
apprehension  ;  and  he  declared  that  he  had  no 
purpose,  directly  or  indirectly,  to  interfere  with 
the  institution  of  slavery  in  the  States  where  it 
existed.  He  had  no  inclination  to  do  so  on  the 
one  hand,  and  on  the  other  he  had  no  lawful 
right.  Those  who  had  nominated  and  elected 
him  did  so  with  the  full  knowledge  that  he  had 
made  these  declarations,  which  he  had  never  re- 
canted ;  and,  besides,  his  party  had  placed  in 
their  platform  the  clear  and  emphatic  resolu- 
tion : 

"That  the  maintenance,   inviolate,  of  the   rights 
of    the    States,    and    especially    the   right  of   each 


188 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


State  to  order  and  control  its  own  domestic  insti- 
tutions, according  to  its  own  judgment  exclusively, 
is  essential  to  that  balance  of  power  on  which  the 
perfection  and  endurance  of  our  political  fabric  de- 
pend ;  and  we  denounce  the  lawless  invasion  of  the 
soil  of  any  State  or  territory  by  armed  force,  no  mat- 
ter under  what  pretext,  as  among  the  gravest  of 
crimes." 

He  then  reiterated  these  sentiments  and 
pressed  upon  the  public  attention  the  most  con- 
clusive evidence  of  which  the  case  was  suscep- 
tible, that  the  property,  peace  and  security  of 
no  section  were  to  be  in  any  wise  en- 
dangered by  his  administration.  Notwith- 
standing his  plain  and  direct  language,  to 
perform  the  duties  of  his  office  according 
to  the  Constitution  and  laws,  without  any 
mental  reservations  or  any  purposes  to  con- 
strue them  by  hypercritical  rules,  and  his  ex- 
pressed sentiments  for  peace  and  inseparable 
union  of  the  States,  the  Southern  leaders  per- 
sisted in  secession  and  disunion  ;  and  when  he 
endeavored  to  protect  national  property  they 
rose  up  in  arms  and  committed  positive  acts  of 
treason. 

In  April,  1861,  Fort  Sumter  was  bom- 
barded from  the  fortresses  and  batteries  at 
Charleston  in  such  a  furious  manner  that  the 
commander  was  forced  to  surrender  it.  This 
was  the  signal  for  war,  and  the  people  in  the 
North  rose  with  a  grand,  patriotic  impulse  to 
punish  the  outrage.  The  President  issued  a 
requisition  for  seventy-five  thousand  troops,  in 
order  to  quell  the  disturbance  in  the  insurrec- 
tionary States,  and  the  response  was  prompt 
and  noble.  The  national  government  had  not, 
as  yet,  done  anything  to  cause  the  South  to  feel" 
alarmed,  but  this  hostile  demonstration  required 
it  to  show  some  positive  action  towards  defend- 
ing its  property  and  enforcing  its  laws.  The 
excitement  at  Reading,  as  everywhere  else  in 
the  North,  was  intense.  Captain  James  Mc- 
Knight  offered  his  company  of  Ringgold  Light 
Artillery,  and  it  was  the  first  military  organi- 
zation that  responded  to  the  call  and  moved  to 
the  defense  of  the  country.  This  historical  fact 
is  worthy  of  especial  mention,  for  in  it  our  peo- 
ple take  a  just,  patriotic  pride,  and  it  is  a  dis- 
tinction in  this  great  crisis  of  our  country  which 
no  other  community  enjoys.     It  was  hoped  that 


this  simple  manifestation  of  executive  author- 
ity would  restore  peace ;  but  the  organization  at 
the  South  was  too  thorough,  and  its  purpose  to 
establish,  if  possible,  a  confederation  by  itself, 
was  too  premeditated.  Men  rushed  to  arms 
and  were  forced  into  dreadful  warfare,  call  after 
call  for  troops  was  made,  and  thousands  of  lives 
were  sacrificed,  and  millions  of  dollars  were  ex- 
pended, in  the  two  sections,  for  a  right  which 
each  claimed, — the  one  to  establish  a  con- 
federation and  the  other  to  maintain  constituted 
authority, — and  this  terrible  contest  continued 
four  years  before  peace  was  restored. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  write  a  history  of  the 
war.  I  simply  desire  to  record  the  patriotism 
which  our  county  displayed  upon  this  occasion 
by  narrating  the  more  prominent  events  which 
transpired  in  our  community'  during  this  per- 
iod. 

Patriotism  of  County. — The  feeling  here 
for  maintaining  the  Union  and  upholding  the 
Constitution  was  strong  and  continuous  during 
the  entire  period  from  the  beginning  to  the  close 
of  the  war  ;  and  this  was  exhibited  by  Demo- 
crats and  Republicans  alike.  Breckenridge  had 
received  a  majority  over  Lincoln,  exceeding  two 
thousand  votes,  but  the  sentiment  for  the  Union 
was  general  in  all  our  districts,  especially  at 
Reading.  Companies  were  raised  rapidly  and 
mustered  into  service — numbering  eighty-seven, 
almost  entirely  enlisted  in  and  from  the  county. 
They  went  to  the  rescue  freely,  moved  by  the 
highest  patriotic  impulse.  Public  meetings 
were  numerous  and  earnest  sympathy  for  the 
cause  was  manifested  at  all  of  them.  The 
prominent  men  took  the  lead.  Our  judges, 
lawyers  and  merchants,  and  business  men  gen- 
erally, without  respect  to  party  affiliations, 
united  to  encourage  and  sustain  the  national 
administration.  Their  pronounced  opinion  in 
the  matter  created  and  preserved  a  proper  spirit 
in  the  community.  The  county  and  city 
governments  were  constantly  liberal  in  appro- 
priations of  money  towards  encouraging  volun- 
teer enlistments.  But  the  methods  of  conduct- 
ing the  war  received  a  degree  of  criticism 
amounting  to  condemnation.  This  was  natural 
from  partisans  who  entertained  political  opin- 
ions opposed  to  those  of  the  administration  in 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


189 


power.  A  disposition  to  criticise  and  condemn 
was  shown  even  in  small  local  matters ;  how 
much  more  was  it  to  be  expected  in  national 
matters  of  such  enormous  proportions,  involv- 
ing the  appropriation  of  millions  of  dollars  and 
the  exeicise  of  extreme  legislative  and  executive 
authority  over  the  people  !  Certain  measures, 
which  were  resorted  to  during  the  progress  of  the 
war,  such  as  the  suspension,  of  the  writ  of  habeas 
corpus,  the  issue  of  paper  money,  the  conscrip- 
tion of  men  for  military  service,  the  proclamation 
of  emancipation,  the  enlistment  and  enfranchise- 
ment of  negroes,  etc.,  were  particularly  objec- 
tionable, but  they  were  consequences  that  were 
unavoidable  under  the  trying  circumstances 
in  which  the  country  was  placed ;  and,  if  they 
were  not  exactly  within  the  letter  of  the  Con- 
stitution, the  preservation  of  the  country,  its 
property,  its  government  and  its  people  justi- 
fied them  entirely.  A  national  Constitution 
and  all  the  laws  growing  out  of  it  could  not  be 
paramount,  in  such  an  extreme  emergency,  to 
national  existence,  inasmuch  as  they  were  par- 
ticularly designed  to  preserve  it;  and  this 
was .  certainly  no  time  for  "sympathizers," — a 
class  of  individuals  which  prevailed  here  as 
elsewhere.  Further  indulgence  of  the  South — 
after  it  had  taken  national  property  and  carried 
on  destructive  warfare,  and  especially  after  its 
army  had  invaded  Pennsylvania,  not  for  the 
purpose  of  defending  its  property  and  po- 
litical rights,  but  for  the  purposes  of  vengeance, 
of  destroying  our  property  and  of  jeopardizing 
the  peace  and  security  of  our  political  exist- 
ence— ceased  to  be  a  virtue;  and  those  who 
were  not  for  the  Government  were  against  the 
Union.  These  two  were  one  and  inseparable. 
For  them  extraordinary  measures  were  enacted, 
not  promptly  and  hastily,  but  only  after  much 
discussion  and  delay.  They  were  forced  upon 
the  people  as  justifiable  war  measures. 

Our  county  contained  a  large  majority  of  peo- 
ple who  were  against  the  war,  if  we  interpret 
their  opinion  from  the  exercise  of  their  political 
suffrage  at  elections;  but  they  were  submissive — 
thejteaused  no  trouble,  no  riotous  demonstration. 
This  reflects  great  credit  upon  them  as  a  law- 
abiding  community.  Our  national  and  State 
governments,   by   enactments,    required    these 


things  of  them,  and  therefore  they  bore  them. 
They  went  to  the  war  by  the  thousand,  they 
endured  conscription  without  opposition  and 
they  permitted  the  assessment  of  burdensome 
taxation.  They  encouraged  appropriations  of 
money,  amounting  to  nearly  a  million  of  dollars, 
expressly  for  the  enlistment  of  men,  and  they 
invested  large  sums  of  money  in  the  national 
securities.  These,  taken  together,  truly  consti- 
tute significant  evidence  of  devotion  to  their 
country  and  to  the  administration  of  its  affairs 
by  an  opposite  party, — a  party  whose  principles 
were  not  only  different  from  theirs,  but,  in  fact, 
objectionable,  if  not  repulsive,  to  them.  Their 
general  conduct  of  co-operation  under  such  cir- 
cumstances is  therefore  commendable  and  wor- 
thy of  this  prominent  mention. 

During  this  period,  the  excitement  throughout 
the  county  was  ever  active,  and  several  times, 
when  the  State  was  invaded  by  the  revengeful, 
destructive  rebels,  and  our  own  county  was 
threatened  with  the  horrors  of  war,  it  became 
alarming.  This  was  particularly  the  case  at 
Reading.  Penn  Square  was  daily,  more  or  less 
in  commotion  with  the  enlistment  of  men,  the 
formation  and  exercise  of  companies  and  their 
departure  to  the  seat  of  war  or  their  return 
from  it.  The  music  of  fife  and  drum  and  the 
marching  of  men — fathers,  husbands,  brothers 
and  sons — thrilled  the  entire  community  time 
and  again.  These  were,  indeed,  events  that 
made  a  lasting  impression  upon  that  generation. 
Two  encampments — one  in  the  northern  part  of 
Reading  in  1862,  and  another  in  the  eastern 
part  in  1863 — attracted  much  attention.  They 
afforded  the  people  an  opportunity  of  forming  a 
proper  conception  of  camp-life  and  military  dis- 
cipline. If  our  peaceful  inhabitants  did  not 
realize  the  actual  terrors  and  horrors  of  warfare 
by  the  booming  of  cannon,  the  explosion  of 
shells  and  the  destruction  of  property  in  their 
midst ;  if  they  did  not  see  blood  and  death  in 
their,  highways  and  upon  their  fields  as  the  evi- 
dence of  bitter  opposition  and  revenge,  they  saw 
officers  and  soldiers  in  uniforms  and  witnessed 
military  exercises  with  the  weapons  of  war,  and 
they  knew  by  their  own  personal  observations  that 
earnest  preparations  were  made  for  encounters 
with  the  enemy.      How  they  looked  at  these 


190 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


military  cities,  with  tents  and  streets  under 
strict  regulation  !  how  they  watched  the  men  in 
drill, by  platoons  and  companies  and  battalions! 
how  they  pointed  out  generals  and  colonels  and 
captains  as  the  men  who  had  been  in  war  and 
passed  safely  through  the  jaws  of  death !  But 
when  the  wounded,  the  dying  and  the  dead  were 
brought  home  to  them,  then  they  felt  that  the 
curse  of  rebellion  was  in  the  land.  Did  they 
catch  the  true  spirit  with  these  things  about 
them?  Yes;  they  sprang  to  the  rescue, — they 
either  went  themselves  or  urged  others  to  go  to 
preserve  the  Union, — they  raised  money  and  en- 
dured burdensome  taxation,  amounting  to  the 
millions ;  their  mothers,  wives  and  daughters 
prepared  flags  for  the  men,  and  said,  "  Go,  de- 
fend these  banners ;  let  not  a  star  be  torn  away. 
You  have  our  prayers.  Your  patriotism  must 
win  the  crown  of  victory."  With  such  inspira- 
tions our  men,  as  men  everywhere  throughout 
the  North,  went  to  this  war. 

The  religious  services  during  this  time  were 
intensely  interesting.  Oh,  what  praise,  what 
sermons,  what  tears,  what  prayers  !  The  souls 
of  this  great  community  in  the  numerous 
churches  were  as  one  in  earnest  efforts  to  win 
the  favor  of  God, — the  God  of  our  fathers  who 
had  been  blessed  in  their  Revolution  and  struggle 
for  independence  and  f  reedo  m, — so  that  the  Union 
could  be  preserved  as  it  had  been  transmitted 
unto  them.  Every  minister  was  eloquent,  and 
he  could  well  be  eloquent  upon  such  a  subject 
with  au  excited  audience  before  him. 

The  "  Union  League,"  a  Republican  associa- 
tion at  Reading,  organized  after  the  great 
"Union  League"  at  Philadelphia,- was  very 
active  in  enlisting  men  for  military  service;  and 
so  were  the  various  secret  societies,  especially 
the  "  Junior  Sons  of  America." 

In  the  midst  of  the  great  excitement  incident 
to  the  general  feelings  for  war  and  the  necessary 
preparations  to  carry  it  on  successfully,  our 
local  energy  displayed  itself  to  a  remarkable  de- 
gree in  every  department  of  business.  Trade 
was  both  active  and  profitable,  and  it  stimulated 
various  enterprises.  Railroads  were  projected 
and  substantial  improvements  were  made  in 
every  section  of  the  county,  especially  at  Read- 
ing ;  and  matters  pertaining   to  education  and 


religion  were  directed  with  earnestness  and  suc- 
cess. The  prices  of  all  kinds  of  material  were 
high  ;  but- money  was  abundant  and  a  spirit  of 
increased  liberality  kept  it  moving  aboutactively 
from  hand  to  hand,  from  store  to  store,  from 
bank  to  bank  and  from  place  to  place. 

War-Meetings  and  Appropriations.  — 
After  the  election  of  Lincoln,  a  sentiment  of  fear 
tor  the  preservation  of  the  Union  of  our  several 
States  developed  more  and  more  rapidly 
with  each  passing  day.  This  was  more  espec- 
ially caused  by  the  action  of  certain  Southern 
States  on  the  subject  of  secession.  This  fear  ob- 
tained at  Reading ;  and  in  order  to  express  the 
opinion  of  this  community  on  the  subject  of 
"  preserving  the  integrity  of  the  Union,"  a 
large  meeting,  including  prominent  men  of  both 
political  parties,  was  held  in  the  court-house  on 
December  13,  1860.  Hon.  John  Banks  was 
chosen'  president.  Appropriate  resolutions  were 
adopted,  favorable  to  the  Union,  but  particularly 
recommending  non-interference  with  the  rights 
of  property  in  slaves  guaranteed  by  the  Constitu- 
tion to  the  Southern  States.  John  S.  Richards 
and  Hiester  Clymer  delivered  most  effective  and 
highly  appreciated  speeches. 

On  the  10th  of  December  (three  days  before) 
the  Democratic  City  Club  had  met  and  reported 
a  "  Memorial  to  Congress  on  the  State  of  the 
Union,"  prepared  by  a  committee  of  thirty-three 
prominent  Democrats,  in  which  similar  senti- 
ments of  non-interference  and  compromise  had 
been  expressed. 

In  July,  1862,  when  there  was  a  threatened 
invasion  of  Pennsylvania,  our  people  became 
very  much  alarmed  for  the  safety  of  their  lives 
and  property.  Large  and  enthusiastic  meetings 
were  held  in  the  court-house  to  devise  means  for 
protection.  They  included  all  the  prominent 
and  influential  citizens  of  Reading,  such  as  Hons. 
W.  J.  Woodward,  J.  Pringle  Jones,  John 
Banks,  J.  Glancy  Jones,  Wm.  M.  Hiester  and 
George  D.  Stitzel,  Drs.  H.  H.  Muhlenberg,  Dil- 
ler  Luther  and  C.  H.  Hunter,  and  Messrs. 
Jacob  Knabb,  J.  Lawrence  Getz,  A.  F.  Boas, 
John  McManus,  G.  A.  Nicolls,  John  S.  Rich- 
ards, Isaac  Eckert,  Levi  B.  Smith  and  William 
M.  Baird.  Their  public  expressions  were 
thoroughly  patriotic ;  and,  in  pursuance  of  their 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


191 


earnest  recommendation,  the  county  commis- 
sioners—Paul  Weudicli,  Ceorge  K.  Lorali  and 
Jacob  Donahower— offered  a  bounty  of  fifty  dol- 
lars to  every  officer  and  private  mustered  into 
the  service  from  the  comity.  In  September 
following,  the  commissioners  again  offered  the 
same  bounty  for  every  volunteer  soldier ;  aud 
the  City  Councils  appropriated  ten  thousand 
dollars  additional  for  the  purpose  of  encourag- 
ing volunteer  enlistments;  and  in  June,  1863, 
similar  meetings  were  held. 

The  city  of  Heading  appropriated   altogether 
for  war  purposes,  in  bounties,  relief,  etc.,  $373,- 
179,  as  follows:  1*61,  $500;  1862,  $804;  1863 
$2,509;    1864,    $258,760;      1865, 
$1 10,606.   And  the  County  of  Berks 
the   sum    of  $452,389,   as  follows  : 
1861,  $12,319;  1862,$45,082;  1863, 
$19,788;    1864,    $347,750;    1865, 
$27,450. 

The  total  amount,  for  the  city  and 
county,  was  $825,568.  Besides  this 
sum,  the  boroughs  likewise  appro- 
priated and  raised  moneys  for  the 
same  purpose:  Kutztown,  $16,005- 
21 ;  Bernville,  $6953.81 ;  Boyertown, 

;    Hamburg,  -         -;    Wo- 

melsdorf, 


"depot"  was  established  at  Reading,  to  which 
all  the  goods  were  carried  and  from  which  they 
were  consigned.  This  was  in  a  small  frame 
building  situate  on  North  Fifth  Street,  No.  116. 
The  country  districts  were  encouraged  to  co- 
operate in  this  benevolent  work,  and  the  ladies 
there  responded  nobly  by  forwarding  materials 
to  Reading.  The  meetings  of  the  society  were 
held  for  a  time  in  the  "  Pearson  Building,"  No. 
432  Penn  Street,  on  the  second  floor,  the  room 
for  this  purpose  having  been  generously  given 
by  Mr.  John  S.  Pearson,  free  of  rent ;  and  af- 
terward in  the  building  occupied  by  the  provost- 
marshal  of  this  district,  No.  520  Penn  Street. 


Ladies'  Aid  Society. — The  men 
of  our  community  are  presented  very 
prominently  in  this  period  of  our  history.     But 
the  women  are  also  worthy  of  respectful  "mention 
for  their  patriotism.  They  did  not  enlist  in  prac- 
tical military  service ;  but  they  gave  the  national 
administration  a  moral  support  which  is  truly 
praiseworthy.     Just  as  the   "Ringgold   Light 
Artillery  "  were  preparing  to  take  the  Lebanon 
Valley  railroad  train  on  the  afternoon  of  April 
16,  1861,  to  proceed  to  Harrisburg  in  answer 
to  the  call  of  President  Lincoln  for  troops,  cer- 
tain influential    ladies   of  Reading   assembled 
in  the  parlor  of  Mrs.   Dr.  Diller  Luther,   on 
Penn  Street  (No.  530),  and  formed  a  society, 
which  they    entitled    "Ladies'  Aid    Society"" 
Its  object   was   to   supply    the  soldiers    with 
clothing  and  materials  useful  whilst  in  military 
service  away  from  home.     It  was  actively  en- 
gaged during  the  entire  period  of  the  war,  col- 
lecting and   forwarding  tons  of  materials.     A 


SANITARY    FAIR    BUILDINGS. 


This  was  the  first  society  of  the  kind  organ- 
ized in  the  country ;  and  as  we  take  a  just  pride 
in  having  furnished  the  military  company  which 
was  the  first  to  respond  to  the  call  for  troops 
and  to  report  at  Harrisburg  for  service,  so  do 
we  take  a  similar  pride  in  having  organized  this 
Ladies'  Aid  Society,  which  was  the  first  to  take 
active  and  successful  steps  towards  providing 
for  the  comfort  and  welfare  of  the  soldiers. 

This  society  participated  actively  in  the  mat- 
ters pertaining  to  the  Sanitary  Commission  at 
Philadelphia,  and  it  was  represented  by  a  num- 
ber of  ladies  at  the  great "  Sanitary  Fair,"  which 
was  held  in  that  city  for  the  purpose  of  raising 
funds  to  relieve  the  wants  of  the  soldiers. 

The  officers  of  the  society  were  Mrs.  Rosa 
C.  Nicolls,  president;  Mrs.  Catharine  Hause, 
vice-president;  Mrs.  Annie  H.  Muhlenberg, 
treasurer;  Mrs.  Maria  W.  Brooke,  secretary. 


192 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


In  July,  1866,  a  general  review  of  its  chari- 
table work  was  published  by  the  treasurer,  Mrs. 
Annie  H.  Muhlenberg  (widow  of  the  Hon. 
Henry  A.  Muhlenberg).     It  was  as  follows : 

"A  statement  of  money  and  supplies  received  and 

forwarded  during  the  war  : — 

"  Cash  received  from : — 

Individuals $1541.30 

Church  collections 1265.12 

Lodges 237.00 

Soldiers'  Mite  Society 181.28 

State  of  Pennsylvania  for  woolen  socks...     137.32 

Fairs,  exhibitions  and  concerts 921.47 

Sanitary  Fair  for  "  Berks  Co.  Kitchen  ".      305.95 
"     one  day's  income 8407.83 

$12,997.27 

Estimated  donations  of  clothing,  provi- 
sions, etc.,  for  Sanitary  Fair 5,000.00 


$17,997.27 


''  Cash  disposed  of  as  follows : 

To  Sanitary  Fair $9,012.00 

To  Soldiers'  Orphan  Aid  So- 
ciety       683.00 

To  Sanitary  Commission 200.00 

To  Christian  Commission:..       200.00 
To  New  York  Soldiers'  Hos- 
pital         72.00 

For  clothing,  provisions,  etc., 
sent  to  hospitals,  etc,  whilst 
armies  were  in  the  field....    2,830.27 

$12,997.27 

"Mrs.  Annie  H.  Mupilenbekg, 

"  Treasurer, 
"  Reading,  July  9,  1866." 

Eeading  Hospital.— A  "  Military  Hospi- 
tal "  was  fitted  up  at  Eeading  during  the  mid- 
dle of  June,  1862,  in  the  main  exhibition  build- 
ing of  the  Agricultural  Society,  on  the  "  Fair- 
Ground"  with  cots  sufficient  to  accommodate 
one  hundred  and  thirty  patients,  and  success- 
fully conducted  till  the  spring  of  1863.  The 
"  Ladies'  Aid  Society  "  of  Eeading  took  an  ac- 
tive interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  sick  and 
wounded  soldiers,  and  performed  admirable  ser- 
vice during  the  continuance  of  the  hospital.  The 
regularly  commissioned  surgeons  in  attendance 
were  Dr.  Martin  Luther  and  Dr.  John  B. 
Brooke. 

Draft  and  Quotas  of  Berks  County. 

During  the  progress  of  the  war,  requisitions  for 
troops  became  so  frequent  that  the  government 
was  compelled  to  resort  to  the  conscription1  of 


men  for  the  purpose  of  enabling  it  to  prosecute 
the  war  with  success.  Numerous  volunteers  en- 
listed from  Berks  County,  and  the  citizens  of 
this  district  responded  nobly  to  the  several  calls 
for  troops.  But  here,  as  elsewhere,  the  draft 
had  to  be  made. 

There  were  four  drafts,  one  in  each  of  the 
years  1862,  1863,  1864  and  1865.  The  pro- 
vost-marshals of  this  district  were,  in  succession, 
Henry  I.  Kupp,  Jacob  C.  Hoff  and  George  W. 
Durell. 

The  first  draft  was  conducted   in  October, 

1862.  By  the  following  table,  the  total  enroll- 
ment of  men  in  the  county  numbered  17,809; 
the  volunteers,  3,186;  and  the  quota,  2,719. 
The  number  of  men  who  volunteered  in  lieu  of 
draft  was  345 ;  and  the  substitutes  who  enlisted 
for  three  years  numbered  146.  The  total  num- 
ber of  men  drafted  in  the  county  was  1,242. 
These  men  were  encamped  on  the  "  Deininger 
Farm,"  adjoining  the  Evans'  Cemetery  on  the 
north,  formed  into  companies  and  placed  under 
the  command  of  Colonel  Charles  Knoderer. 
They  were  mustered  into  service  as  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Sixty-seventh  Eegiment. 

A   second   draft   was  made  August  26-29, 

1863.  The  quota  of  men  to  be  furnished  by 
the  county  was  1,554— this  number  having  been 
fifty  per  cent,  in  excess  to  provide  against  ex- 
emptions. 

The  draft  was  made  on  a  platform  in  front  of 
the  marshal's  office,  southwest  corner  of  Fifth 
and  Cherry  Streets,  Eeading,  by  a  blind  man 
(George  Phillippi),  who  was  blindfolded  in  the 
presence  of  the  following  committee  of  promi- 
nent citizens  specially  appointed  to  be  present 
upon  the  occasion  : 

Charles  Kessler,  editor  of  Adler;  J.  Lawrence 
Getz,  editor  of  Gazette;  Jacob  Knabb,  editor  of 
Journal;  Arnold  Puwelle,  editor  of  Beobaehter; 
A.  S.  Whitman,  editor  of  Times;  H.  J.  Moore, 
editor  of  Press;  Hon.  W.  J.  Woodward,  presi- 
dent judge;  H.  E.  Hawman,  county  commis- 
sioner :  Hon.  J.  S.  Hoyer,  mayor ;  Eev.  C.  A. 
Pauli;  Eev.  F.  A.M.  Keller;  Eev.  Francis 
O'Conner ;  Hon.  George  D.  Stitzel ;  Hon.  S.  E. 
Ancona;  Hon.  Hiester  Clymer;  Daniel  Ermen- 
trout;  Eichard  Boone;  Isaac  Eckert :  Peter 
Hoch. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


193 


The  third  draft  proposed  in  March,  1864,  for 
Berks  County,  was  postponed  for  a  time.  The 
quota  in  the  call  for  two  hundred  thousand  men 
was  767 ;  the  deficiency  of  the  county  under 
former  drafts  was  298 ;  total  number  required, 
1,065,  and  the  credit  of  the  county  on  April  15, 
1864,  for  men  supplied  to  the  government,  1036. 
This  deficiency  of  29  men  was  more  than  sup- 
plied by  re-enlisted  veterans.  Subsequently, 
however,  in  May,  a  draft  was  ordered,  upon 
finding  a  deficiency  in  certain  sub-districts  in 
the  county.  Each  sub-district  was  required  to  fill 
its  own  quota.  The  total  number  drawn  was  172. 

In  service  1862.       'Aug.,  1863.1     1864.     '     1865. 


5 


297! 

Alsace 

288 

Bern 

3741 

347 

105 1 

Bethel 

370' 

144! 

Caernarvon 

158 ' 

245 

Colebrookdale... 

34l! 

396 

139 

223! 

Earl 

180 

448 

320 

276, 

180 

Heidelburg,  L... 

493 

Heidelbnrg,N... 

176i 

223 1 

2141 

187 

2441 

Maxatawny 

408 

Maiden-creek.... 

249 

Marion 

285 

326 

408' 

279, 

264 

287 

Pike 

178 

Richmond 

419 

Robeson 

486 

257 

Ruscomb-tnanor 

228 

430 

Tulpehocken.  ... 

331 

Tulpehocken,  1 

209 

39b 

309 

WindBor..., 

213 

204 

County  total 

12744 

Beading : 

N.  B.  ward.... 

1334 

N.  W.  -ward... 

849 

S.  E.  ward 

1115 

S.  W.  ward 

872 

Spruce  ward.. 

885 

5065 

17809 

21 
23 
57 
28 
17 
27 
8 
4 
30 
10 
38 
62 
1 
43 
21 


97 
34 
43 
3 
9 
10 
52 
68 
25 
16 
31 
44 
73 
66 
10 
10 
10 
24 

102 
17 
27 
28 
21 
20 

119 
20 
23 
57 


a? 


i  K 


H  !  ft 


71 

40 

21 

1 

33 

55 

00 

3 

*1 

4 

36 

67  129 
51  128 
36!  110 
46,  188 

81'  15" 
16,  47 
98'  220 
45|  77 
13 1  66 
69  125 
30,  138 
155 
76 
77: 
79' 
193 
159 
91 
84 
1171  212 
56,  88 
54  106 
53!  100 
10 1  74 
■Si  191 
94  j  158 
58'  100! 

68  129 
551  179; 
621  1791 


332 
322 
334 
300 
252 


3186 


2452  5897 

141  527 
81  381 
377 
266 
325 


169 

115 

114 

81 


22 
17 
21 
30 
29 
6 
49 
11 
11 
19 
23 
34 
11 
11 
19 
30 
29 
19 
16 
31 
16 
13 
20 
10 
27 
32 
22 
25 
35 
30 
21 
21 
17 
14 
47 
33 
32 
23 
35 
43 
20 
33 
29 
25 
20 

nu- 
ns 

80 
96 
83 
79 

456 


31 

48 

22' 

44 

22 1 

44 

4:i 

78 

46 

3 

59i 

118 

22| 

38 

14, 

28 

25 

50 

■•,. 

32 

44' 

22 

44 

19 

34 

34 

58 

40, 

68 

13 

24 

20' 

20 

54! 

96 

19 

16 

28 

56 

24' 

44 

14' 

56 

49| 

84 

31 

58 

201 

36 

33' 

56 

311 

60 

3! 

6 

22 

42 

29 

50 

35 
17 


8 

15 

1?. 

14 

48, 

13 

49 

9 

27 

34 

35! 

3 

29 

121 

172 

1277 

74 

42 

62 

49 

56 





56  106 
84 
24 

28 


2719  7773'  2331  1563, 


I  283,  .... 

J I 

,1560' 1970 


A  call  for  500,000  men  was  made  on  July  18, 

1864.  The  quota  for  Berks  County  was  1887 
— for  Beading,  450.  On  August  1st,  the  defi- 
ciency in  the  county  was  1,625 — in  Beading 
212.  A  draft  was  made  on  September  22d,  but 
only  for  one  sub-district — Buscomb-manor,  fifty- 
two  men — all  the  other  sub-districts  having 
supplied  their  deficiencies. 

A  fourth  draft  was  made  February  23-25, 

1865.  Reading,  Upper  Bern,  Bernville,  Cum- 
ru,  Douglass,  Spring,  Upper  Tulpehocken, 
and  Womelsdorf  had  supplied  their  quota  of 
men  by  volunteers.  The  call  was  made  in  De- 
cember, 1864,  for  300,000,  the  quota  of  which 
for  Pennsylvania  was  49,563,  and  of  Berks 
County,  1560. 

Northern  Men  in  Service. — The  calls, 
periods  of  service  and  number  of  men  obtained 
during  the  Civil  War  from  the  Northern  States 
were  as  follows : 

Number 
obtained. 

93,326 
714,231 

15,007 
431,958 

87,588 

16,361 

374,807 

284,021 

83,652 

384,882 

204,568 

2,690,401 


Number 
called. 


Period  of 
Service. 

3  months 


9  months 
6  months 
3  years  \ 
3  years  J 
3  years 
100  days 
1,  2  and  3  yrs. 
1, 2  and  3  yrs. 


1  Two  over  quota. 


Date  of  Call. 

April  15,  1861 75,000 

May  and  July,  1861. ..582,748    3  years 

May  and  June,  1862 3  months 

July  2,  1862 300,000    3  years 

August  4,  1862 300,000 

June  15,  1863 100,000 

October  17,  1863 300,000 

February  1,  1864 200,000 

March  14,  1864 200,000 

April  23,  1864 85,000 

July  18,  1864 500,000 

December  19, 1864 300,000 

2,942,748 

The  aggregate  number  of  men  furnished  by 
Pennsylvania  was  three  hundred  and  sixty-six 
thousand  three  hundred  and  twenty-six;  re- 
duced to  three  years'  standard,  two  hundred 
and  sixty-seven  thousand  five  hundred  and 
fifty-eight.  It  is  estimated  that  during  the  war 
fifty-six  thousand  national  soldiers  were  killed 
in  battle,  and  about  thirty-five  thousand  died 
in  hospitals  of  wounds,  and  one  hundred  and 
eighty-four  thousand  by  disease.  The  total 
casualties,  if  we  include  those  who  died  subse- 
quent to  their  discharge,  were  about  three  hun- 
dred thousand.  The  loss  of  the  Confederates 
was  less  in  battle,  owing  to  the  defensive  char- 
acter of  their  struggle;  but  they  lost  more  from 
wounds  and  by  disease,  on  account  of  inferior 


22 


194 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


sanitary  arrangements.  The  total  loss  of  life 
caused  by  the  Rebellion  exceeded  half  a  million 
of  men,  and  nearly  as  many  more  were  dis- 
abled. 

Summary  of  Battles. — In  the  four  years 
of  service,  the  armies  of  the  Union — counting 
every  form  of  conflict,  great  and  small — had 
been  in  twenty-two  hundred  and  sixty-five  en- 
gagements with  the  Confederate  troops.  From 
the  time  when  active  hostilities  began  until  the 
last  gun  of  the  war  was  fired,  a  fight  of  some 
kind — a  raid,  a  skirmish  or  a  pitched  battle — 
occurred  at  some  point  on  our  widely-extended 
front  nearly  eleven  times  a  week,  upon  an 
average.  Counting  only  those  engagements  in 
which  the  Union  loss,  in  killed,  wounded  and 
missing,  exceeded  one  hundred,  the  total  num- 
ber was  three  hundred  and  thirty.  From  the 
northernmost  point  of  contact  to  the  southern- 
most, the  distance  by  any  practicable  line  of 
communication  was  more  than  two  thousand 
miles.  From  East  to  West  the  extremes  were 
fifteen  hundred  miles  apart.  During  the  first 
year  of  hostilities — one  of  preparation  on  both 
sides — the  battles  were  naturally  fewer  in  num- 
ber and  less  decisive  in  character  than  after- 
wards, when  discipline  had  been  imparted  to 
the  troops  by  drill,  and  when  the  materiel  of 
war  had  been  collected  and  stored  for  prolonged 
campaigns.  The  engagements  of  all  kinds  in 
1861  were  thirty-five  in  number,  of  which  the 
most  serious  was  the  Union  defeat  at  Bull  Run. 
In  1862  the  war  had  greatly  increased  in  mag- 
nitude and  intensity,  as  is  shown  by  the  eighty- 
four  engagements  between  the  armies.  The 
net  result  of  the  year's  operations  was  highly 
favorable  to  the  Rebellion.  In  1863  the  bat- 
tles were  one  hundred  and  ten  in  number, — 
among  them  some  of  the  most  significant  and 
important  victories  for  the  Uniou.  In  1864 
there  were  seventy-three  engagements,  and  in 
the  winter  and  early  spring  of  1865  there  were 
twenty-eight.1 

Paper  Money. — Before  the  Civil  War,  it  had 
been  the  uniform  practice  of  the  different  States 
to  allow  banks  to  be  established  for  the  issue  of 
notes,   payable   in   specie   on    demand.     These 

l  2  Blaine's  "Twenty  Years  of  Congress,"  20. 


banks  were  established  by  acts  of  the  local  Leg- 
islature, which  limited  the  liability  of  the  share- 
holders. Banking  then  was  quite  free,  and  all 
individuals  could  carry  it  on,  provided  they  pur- 
sued the  requirements  of  the  law.  But  under 
this  system  there  was  great  fluctuation  in  value, 
which  produced  an  unprecedented  amount  of 
bankruptcy  and  ruin.  Between  1811  and  1820 
many  banks  became  bankrupt;  and  twenty 
years  afterward  another  financial  panic  oc- 
curred. The  inflation  of  the  bank-notes  was 
wonderful  between  1830  and  1837.  But  just 
as  the  amount  had  then  increased,  so  it  decreased 
during  the  following  six  years  till  1843 ;  and 
this  caused  the  ruin  of  many  moneyed  institu- 
tions. Among  them  was  the  Bank  of  the 
United  States,  the  renewal  of  whose  charter 
had  been  denied  by  President  Jackson. 

The  loss  in  the  value  of  stocks  and  property 
of  all  kinds  was  enormous.  But  great  as  the 
loss  was,  it  was  trifling  compared  with  the  in- 
jury which  resulted  to  society  in  disturbing  the 
elements  of  social  order  and  in  causing  the  utter 
demoralization  of  men  by  the  irresistible  temp- 
tation to  speculation  which  it  afforded  and  by 
swindling  to  retain  riches  dishonestly  obtained. 
Another  crash  took  place  in  1857. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  war  the  paper  money 
in  circulation  amounted  to  $200,000,000,  of 
which  three-fourths  had  been  issued  in  the 
Northern  or  loyal  States ;  and  the  coin  amounted 
to  $275,000,000.  The  early  necessities  of  the 
national  treasury  in  this  trying  period  compelled 
the  government  to  borrow  money,  and  in  this 
behalf,  in  February,  1862,  Congress  authorized 
the  issue  of  treasury  notes  amounting  to  $150,- 
000,000,  and  declared  them  to  be  legal  tender 
except  for  customs  duties  and  for  interest  on 
the  national  debt.  This  action  was  taken  after 
a  full,  if  not  a  bitter,  discussion  of  the  question. 
Its  constitutionality  was  contested  vigorously, 
but  unsuccessfully. 

A  premium  on  gold  naturally  followed,  caus- 
ing it  to  be  drawn  entirely  from  circulation, 
and  this  increased  as  the  treasury  notes  multi- 
plied. Then  the  National  Banking  system 
was  introduced  to  supply  a  circulating  medium. 
This  was  created  on  February  25,  1863,  and 
amended  June  3,  1864,  whereby  a  Bureau  and 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


195 


Comptroller  of  Currency  were  appointed  in  the 
Treasury  Department,  with  power  to  authorize 
banking  associations,  under  certain  provisions, 
for  public  security.  The  existing  State  banks 
were  rapidly  transformed  into  national  banks 
under  this  system  and  their  previous  notes  were 
withdrawn  from  circulation.  The  currency  of 
the  country  in  this  manner  came  to  consist  of 
treasury  demand  notes,  which  in  1865  amounted 
to  $450,000,000,  and  of  national  bank  notes, 
which  approached  the  limit  of  $300,000,000. 
The  latter  circulated  as  freely  as  the  former, 
because  their  ultimate  redemption  was  assured 
by  the  deposit  of  an  adequate  amount  in  United 
States  bonds  at  the  national  treasury.  This 
system  was  found  superior  in  the  protection 
against  loss  which  it  afforded  ;  but  it  could  not 
prevent  a  financial  crisis  from  sweeping  over 
the  country,  especially  when  other  causes,  such 
as  excessive  manufactures  and  enormous  losses 
from  fire,  contributed  greatly  towards  the  result. 

Congress  also  authorized  small  notes  for  five, 
ten,  twenty-five  and  fifty  cents  to  be  issued  for 
the  purpose  of  supplying  the  loss  of  the  small 
denominations  of  coin  money  from  circulation. 
This  was  commonly  known  as  "currency."  It 
was  all  redeemed  after  the  war. 

During  this  period  our  merchants  at  Reading 
issued  and  circulated  for  a  time  their  own  frac- 
tional demand  notes  for  the  purpose  of  encour- 
aging trade  amongst  one  another.  But  it  was 
gradually  redeemed  as  the  national  currency 
was  supplied. 

List  of  Companies  from  Berks  County 
in  Civil  War. — The  following  eighty-seven 
companies  of  men  were  enlisted  from  Berks 
County  and  mustered  into  the  service  of  the 
National  Government  in  the  Civil  War.  Eleven 
of  the  companies  included  men  which  were  ac- 
credited to  other  counties.  Eeckoning  all  the 
men  together  in  the  companies  named  and  in 
the  unclassified  alphabetical  arrangement  fol- 
lowing them,  it  can  be  asserted  that  at  least 
eight  thousand  five  hundred  men  of  our  county 
were  engaged  in  the  great  and  successful  strug- 
gle for  the  preservation  of  the  Union: — 

THREE  MONTHS'   SERVICE,  1861. 

Twenty-fifth  Eegt.— Ringgold  Light  Art.,  Jas.  Mc- 
Knight,  capt. 


First  Regt.— Co.  G,  Reading  Artillerists,  Geo.  W. 

Alexander,  capt. 
Fifth  Regt— Co.  H,  Union  Light  Inf.,  Frank  M. 

Cooley,  capt. 
Seventh  Regt.— Co.  C,  Wash.  Art.,  Isaac  Schroeder, 

capt. ;  Co.  D,  Penn.  Art.,  Geo.  S.  Herbst,  capt. ; 

Co.  G.,  Reading  Rifles,  Albert  F.  Rightmyer, 

capt. 
Fourteenth  Regt.  Co.  A, — Union  Guards,  David  A. 

Griffith,  capt. ;  Co.  E,  Keystone  Infantry,  John 

C.  Shearer,  capt. 

THREE  YEARS'  SERVICE,  1861-64. 

Thirty-second  Regt.  (3d  Reserves).;— Co.  A,  Reading 
Artillerists,  Jacob  Lenhart,  Jr.,  capt. ;  Co.  D,  Me- 
chanics' Infantry,  Wm.  Briner,  capt. ;  Co.  F, 
Wash.  Guards,  Washington  Richards,  capt. 

Thirty-sixth  Regt.  (7th  Reserves). — Co.  I  (Berks  and 
Lebanon  Cos.),  Jos.  G.  Holmes,  capt. 

Forty-fourth  Regt.  (1st  Cav.). — Co.  L,  Reading  Troop, 
J.  C.  A.  Hoffeditz,  capt. ;  Co.  M,  Reading  Cav., 
Thos.  S.  Richards,  capt. 

Forty-sixth  Regt. — Co.  E,  Reading  Rifles,  Cornelius 
Wise,  capt. 

Forty-eighth  Regt.— Co.  D  (Berks  and  Schuylkill  Cos.) 
Daniel  Nagle,  capt. 

Fiftieth  Regt. — Co.  B,  Ellsworth  Zouaves,  Hervey 
Herman,  capt. ;  Co.  E,  Reading  Light  Infantry, 
Wm.  H.  Diehl,  capt. ;  Co.  H,  Union  Light  In- 
fantry, Thos.  S.  Brenholtz,  capt. 

Fifty-fifth  Regt.— Co.  B,  Wash.  Legion,  John  C. 
Shearer,  capt. 

Fifty-ninth  Regt.  (2d  Cav.).— Co.  K  (Berks  and  Phila. 
Cos.),  Stephen  H.  Edgett,  capt. 

Seventieth  Regt.  (6th  Cav.). — Co.  G,  Reading  Dra- 
goons, Geo.  E.  Clymer,  capt. 

Seventy-fourth  Regt. — Co.  G  (Berks  and  Adams  Cos.), 
William  J.  Bart,  capt. 

Eightieth  Regt.  (7th  Cav.).— Co.  L  (Berks  and  North- 
umberland Cos.),  Chas.  C.  McCormick,  capt. 

Eighty-third  Regt. — -Co.  I  (Reading  and  Harrisburg 
Co.),  Robt.  W.  McCartney,  capt. 

Eighty-eighth  Regt. — Co.  A,  Junior  Fire  Zouaves, 
Geo.  W.  Knable,  capt. ;  Co.  B,  Neversink  Zou- 
aves, Henry  R.  Myers,  capt.;  Co.  H,  Union 
Guards,  David  A.  Griffith,  capt. 

Ninety-third  Regt. — Co.  B,  Union  Zouaves,  John  E. 
Arthur,  capt. ;  Co.  G,  Coleman  Rifles,  Alex.  C. 
Maitland,  capt. ;  Co.  K,  David  C.  Keller,  capt. 

Ninety-sixth  Regt.— Co.  G,  Hamburg  Light  Infantry, 
Jas.  M.  Douden,  capt. ;  Co.  H,  Jacob  W.  Glase, 
capt. 

One  Hundred  and  Fourth  Regt. — Independent  Bat- 
tery, Geo.  W.  Durell,  capt. 

nine  months'  service,  1862-63. 

One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth  Regt.— Co.  A, 
Wash.  Infantry,  L.  Heber  Smith,  capt. ;  Co.  B, 
Muhlenberg  Infantry,  William  McNall,  capt. ; 


196 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Co.  E,  Reading  Artillerists,  William  H.  Andrews, 
capt. ;  Co.  H,  Felix  Light  Guard,  John  Kennedy, 
capt. ;  Co.  I,  Reading  Iron  Works  Guard,  Richard 
H.  Jones,  capt. ;  Co.  K,  City  Guard,  Geo.  New- 
kirk,  capt. 
One  Hundred  and  Fifty-first  Regt.— Co.  E  (Ontelau- 
nee),  Jacob  S.  Graff,  capt. ;  Co.G  (Bernville),  Levi 
M.  Gerhart,  capt. ;  Co.  H  (Upper  Tulpehocken), 
Wm.  K.  Boltz.  capt. ;  Co.  I  (Berks  and  Schuyl- 
kill Cos.),  Wm.  L.  Gray,  capt.;  Co.  K  (Long- 
swamp),  Jas.  W.  Weida,  capt. 

VOLUNTEER    MILITIA  OF   1862. 

Second  Regt. — Co.  G,  Fifth  Ward  Guards,  Franklin 

S.  Bickley,  capt. 
Eleventh  Regt. — Co.   E,  Nicolls  Guards,  Chas.  H. 

Hunter,  capt. ;  Co.  I,  McKnight  Guards,  Nathan 

M.  Eisenhower,  capt. 
Twentieth    Regt. — Co.    G,    Liberty  Fire    Zouaves, 

William  Geiger,  capt. ;    Co.  H,  McLean  Guards, 

Samuel  Harner,  capt. ;  Co.   I,  Halleck  Infantry, 

Frederick  S.   Boas,  capt.;    Berks   County  Cav., 

Samuel  L.  Young,  capt. 

DRAFTED  MILITIA  OF  1862 — NINE  MONTHS'  SERVICE. 

One  Hundred  and  Sixty-seventh  Regt. — Co.  A,  Jon- 
athan See,  capt. ;  Co.  B.  Chas.  Melcher,  capt. ; 
Co.  C,  Peter  Y.  Edelman,  capt. ;  Co.  D,  Samuel 
A.  Haines,  capt. ;  Co.  E,  Hiram  H.  Miller,  capt. ; 
Co.  P,  Jos.  Groh,  capt. ;  Co.  G,  Wm.  A.  Schall, 
capt. ;  Co.  H,  Abraham  H.  Schaeffer,  capt. ;  Co. 
I,  Jonas  M.  Shollenberger,  capt. ;  Co.  K,  Edward 
F.  Reed,  capt. 

One  Hundred  and  Seventy  Ninth  Regt. — Co.  I,  Amos 
Drenkel,  capt. ;   Co.  K,  John  B.  Wagoner,  capt. 

VOLUNTEER    MILITIA    OF  1863. 

Thirty-first  Regt.— Co.  H,  David  A.  Griffith,  capt. 

Forty-second  Regt. — Co.  A,  William  F.  Walter, 
captain ;  Co.  B,  Reading  Loyal  League,  Samuel 
Harner,  capt. ;  Co.  C,  Muhlenberg  Guards, 
John  E.  Arthur,  captain;  Co.  D,  Wm.  D. 
Smith,  capt. ;  Co.  E,  McKnight  Guards,  John 
McKnight, 'capt. ;  Co.  F,  Bently  H.  Smith,  capt.  ; 
Co.  G,  Samuel  A.  Haines,  capt. ;  Co.  H,  Lerch 
Light  Infantry,  John  Obold,  capt. ;  Co.  I,  Ed- 
ward Bailey,  capt. ;  Co.  K,  Jacob   Deppen,  capt. 

Forty-eighth  Regt. — Co.  G,  Jos.  G.  Holmes,  capt. 

Fifty-third  Regt. — Co.  A,  Richmond  L.  Jones,  capt. ; 
Co.  B,  Felix  Guards,  Jacob  Lehman,  capt.; 
Ringgold   Light  Art.,  Wm.  C.  Ermentrout,  capt. 

ONE  HUNDRED  DAYS'  SERVICE,  1864. 

One    Hundred    and    Ninety-fourth    Regt. — Co.    I, 

Henry  E.  Quimby,   capt. 
One  Hundred  and  Ninety-fifth  Regt. — Co.  A,  Henry 

D.  Markley,  capt. ;  Co.  B,  Harrison  Maltzberger, 

capt. 
One  Hundred  and  Ninety-sixth  Regt. — Geo.  S.  Eow- 

botham,  capt. 


one  year's  service,  1864-65. 
Two    Hundred    and  Fifth   Regt.— Co.    B,   Jos.   G. 

Holmes,  capt. ;  Co.  E,  Wm.  F.  Walter,  capt.;  Co. 

H,  Franklin  Schmehl,  capt. 
One  Hundred  and  Ninety-eighth  Regt.— Co.  D,  Isaac 

Schroeder,    capt.;    Co.    G,    Wm.    L.    Guinther, 

capt. 
One  Hundred  and  Ninety-second  B,egt. — Co.  F,  John 

Teed,  capt. 
President's  Call  foe  Troops. — The  Civil 
War  was  begun  on  the  morning  of  the  12th  of 
April,  1861.  The  military  forces  of  South 
Carolina,  under  the  leadership  of  General  Rob- 
ert Beauregard,  then  began  to  fire  upon  Fort 
Sumter,  which  was  under  the  command  of  Ma- 
jor Robert  Anderson.  The  President  of  the 
United  States,  finding  the  laws  of  the  country 
opposed  and  the  execution  thereof  obstructed  in 
seven  Southern  States x  "  by  combinations  too 
powerful  to  be  suppressed  by  the  ordinary 
course  of  judicial  proceedings  or  by  the  powers 
vested  in  the  marshals  by  law,"  issued  a  procla- 
mation on  the  15th  day  of  April,  1861,  calling 
for  seventy-five  thousand  militia  of  the  several 
States  of  the  Union,  "  in  order  to  suppress  said 
combinations  and  to  cause  the  laws  to  be  duly 
executed ; "  and  therein  he  appealed  "  to  all 
loyal  citizens  to  favor,  facilitate  and  aid  this 
effort  to  maintain  the  honor,  integrity  and  exist- 
ence of  our  national  Union,  and  the  perpetuity 
of  popular  government  and  to  redress  the 
wrongs  already  long  enough  endured."  A  call 
was  made  on  Pennsylvania  for  sixteen  regi- 
ments. Two  regiments  were  wanted  within 
three  days,  inasmuch  as  the  city  of  Washington 
was  entirely  unprotected  and  a  sudden  dash 
upon  it  was  strongly  threatened. 

First  Companies. — AmoDg  the  first  troops 
to  respond  to  this  call  were  the  Ringgold  Light 
Artillery  (Captain  James  McKnight)  of  Read- 
ing, the  Logan  Guards  (Captain  J.  B.  Selheimer) 
of  Lewistown,  the  Washington  Artillery  (Cap- 
tain James  Wren)  and  the  National  Light  In- 
fantry (Captain  McDonald)  of  Pottsville,  and 
the  Allen  Rifles  (Captain  Thomas  Yeager)  of 
Allentown. 

On  January  21,  1861,  Major-General  Wil- 


1  South  Carolina,  Georgia,  Florida,  Alabama,  Mississippi, 
Louisiana  and  Texas. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


197 


liam  H.  Keim  (then  surveyor-general  of  Penn- 
sylvania, from  Reading),  with  characteristic 
sagacity,  advised  Captain  McKnight  that  the 
services  of  his  company '  would  probably  soon 
be  needed,2  and  counseled  him  to  hold  them  in 
readiness  for  immediate  service.  From  that 
time  till  April  16th  almost  daily  drills  were 
practiced.  On  the  22d  of  February  they  were 
in  readiness  to  obey  marching  orders.  The 
dispatch  announcing  the  attack  on  Fort  Sumter 
found  the  company  at  drill  at  some  distance 
from  the  city.  The  effect  was  electrical.  All 
were  impatient  to  move  to  the  defense  of  the 


On  the  morning  of  the  16th  of  April,  march- 
ing orders  were  received  from  Governor  Curtin ; 
and,  on  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  the  com- 
pany moved  by  the  Lebanon  Valley  Railroad 
to  Harrisburg,  where  it  arrived  at  eight  o'clock 
in  the  evening.3  The  company  numbered  one 
hundred  and  eight  men,  fully  armed  and 
equipped  as  light  artillery.  On  reporting  at 
the  Executive  Office  (the  Governor  being  absent 
in  Washington)  orders  were  sought  from  the 
Secretary  of  War  (Simon  Cameron),  who  tele- 
graphed that  the  company  be  forwarded  by  the 
earliest  train.  This  order  was,  later  in  the  day, 
countermanded  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Com- 
monwealth.4 


1  The  Ringgold  Light  Artillery  of  Reading,  a  volunteer 
company,  was  organized  and  equipped  under  James  Mc- 
Knight, captain.  It  was  armed  with  four  six-pounder 
brass  field-pieces  and  caissons,  with  full  equipments  of  ar- 
tillerists, including  sabres.  The  muster-roll  included 
ninety  men.  It  was  composed  of  good  material,  and  was  well 
drilled,  and  was  the  pride  of  the  city  of  Reading.  It  had 
participated  in  several  volunteer  encampments,  one  at 
Easton,  of  a  week's  duration,  where  it  was  entertained  by 
ex-Governor  Reeder  and  other  leading  citizens. 

2  At  this  time  Captain  McKnight  recommended  to  Major- 
General  Keim  three  other  companies  in  Berks  County — one 
at  Friedensburg  (Schroeier's),  a.  second  at  Womelsdorf 
(Clouse's)  and  a  third  at  Hamburg. 

3  Immediately  after  their  departure  Jacob  Knabb  (senior 
editor  of  the  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal)  sent  the  follow- 
ing telegram  to  the  Associated  Press  : 

"  Reading,  April  16,  1861.— The  Ringgold  Flying  Artil- 
lery (Captain  James  McKnight),  with  108  men  and  four 
field-pieces,  having  received  a  requisition  from  the  Governor 
this  morning,  set  out  this  evening  for  Harrisburg,  the  place 
of  rendezvous.  They  are  the  first  Pennsylvanians  in  the 
field." 


The  five  volunteer  companies  named  were 
mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States 
at  Harrisburg  for  three  months,  and  departed 
for  Washington  by  railroad,  on  the  18th  of 
April,  at  nine  o'clock  a.m.  They  arrived  at 
Baltimore  at  one  o'clock  p.m.  They  were 
under  the  necessity  of  marching  about  two  miles 
through  the  city,  from  Bolton  to  Camden  Sta- 
tion. On  leaving  the  cars,  a  battalion  was 
formed  in  the  following  order  :  Fourth  Artil- 
lery (regulars) ;  Logan  Guards ;  Allen  Rifles,  of 
Allentown ;  Washington  Artillery  and  National 
Light  Infantry,  of  Pottsville ;  with  the  Ring- 
gold Artillery  bringing  up  the  rear.  As  the 
column  was  forming  near  Bolton  Station, 
the  police  of  Baltimore  appeared  in  large  force, 
headed  by  Marshall  Kane,  and  followed  by  a  mob, 
who  at  once  commenced  an  attack  upon  the  vol- 
unteers, countenanced  by  a  portion  of  the  police, 
who  had  been  sent  to  give  safe  conduct  through 
the  city.  Orders  were  given  to  the  men  to 
preserve  their  temper,  and  to  make  no  reply  to 
anything  that  should  be  said  to  them.  At  the 
command  "  forward,"  the  mob  commenced 
hooting,  jeering  and  yelling,  and  proclaimed, 
with  oaths,  that  the  troops  should  not  pass 
through  their  city  to  fight  the  South. 

A  rriving  near  the  centre  of  the  city,  Pember- 
ton,  with  his  regulars,5  filed  off  toward  Fort 

4  "Harkisbukg,  April  16,  1861. 
"  Captain  James  McKnight: 

"Dear  Sir.— You  will  please  delay  your  march  to  Wash- 
ington until  ordered  by  the  Governor. 

"  Respectfully  yours, 

"Eli  Slifer." 

If  this  order  had  not  been  given  the  company  would 
have  reached  Washington  before  daylight  on  the  morning 
of  the  17th  of  April,  or  before  any  of  the  other  Pennsyl- 
vania companies  left  their  homes.  It  was  the  first  organ- 
ized volunteer  company  in  the  United  States  to  offer  its  ser- 
vices to  the  government — an  offer  having  been  made  to 
General  Scott  a  month  before  the  President's  first  call  for 
troops.  It  was  the  first  company  to  leave  home  after  the 
call,  and  the  first  to  reach  Harrisburg  and  report  for  duty. 

A  long  article  was  prepared  by  Hon.  William  M.  Hiester 
and  published  in  the  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal  on  June 
18,  1870,  proving  these  assertions.  But  similar  assertions 
were  made  before  in  the  Journal  (see  issue  of  June  16, 
1866  ;  also  May  7,  1870). 

5  The  regulars  were  under  the  command  of  a  sergeant. 
Pemberton  was  not  with  them,  he  having  been  in  the 
passenger  train.     Captain  McKnight  met  him  there. 


198 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY.  PENNSYLVANIA. 


McHenry,  leaving  the  volunteers  to  pursue 
their  way  through  the  city  as  well  as  they  could. 
At  this  juncture  the  mob  were  excited  to  a  per- 
fect frenzy,  breaking  the  line  of  the  police,  and 
pushing  through  the  files  of  men,  in  an  attempt 
to  break  the  column.  Every  insult  that  could 
be  heaped  upon  the  troops  was  offered,  but  no 
word  of  reply  was  elicited.  The  officers  and 
men  marched  steadily  on  toward  Camden  Sta- 
tion. At  every  step  the  mob  increased  till  it 
numbered  thousands  of  most  determined  and 
desperate  men. 

As  the  volunteers  were  boarding  the  train  at 
the  station,  the  angry  mob  hurled  a  shower  of 
bricks,  stones  and  clubs  into  their  disorganized 
ranks,  fortunately,  however,  inflicting  only 
slight  injuries.  In  the  midst  of  the  confusion, 
an  attempt  was  made  to  detach  the  engine  from 
the  train  and  run  it  away.  This  was  only  pre- 
vented by  the  determined  character  of  the 
engineer  and  his  assistants,  who  drew  revolvers 
and  threatened  to  shoot  any  who  dared  to 
make  the  attempt.  At  length,  amidst  the 
demoniac  yells  of  the  crowd,  the  train  moved 
off,  carrying  the  volunteers  safely  beyond  the 
reach  of  their  desperate  assailants.1  They  ar- 
rived in  Washington  at  seven  o'clock  in  the 
evening.2  Arms,  ammunition  and  equipments 
were  furnished  and  the  work  of  barricading  the 
Capitol  was  commenced  immediately.  Squads 
of  the  rebel  soldiers  were  then  drilling;  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  Potomac  River  in  full 
view  of  the  Capitol.  It  having  been  ascer- 
tained on  the  23d  of  April  that  an  attempt 
would  be  made  to  capture  Washington  by  way 
of  the  arsenal  and  the  navy-yard,  the  "  Ring- 
gold Artillerists"  were  ordered  to  report  to 
Captain  Dahlgreen,  at  the  navy-yard.  Three 
twelve-pound  howitzers  were  assigned  to  them, 
with  which  they  were  expected  to  defend  the 

1  The  House  of  Representatives  passed  a  resolution  on 
22d  of  July,  1861,  tendering  thanks  to  these  companies 
for  passing  through  the  mob  of  Baltimore  and  reaching 
Washington  on  the  18th  of  April,  for  the  defense  of  the 
national  capital.  Such  a  resolution  is  rarely  passed  and 
only  to  signalize  great  and  distinguished  service. 

2  The  Washington  Chronicle,  in  publishing  a  chronological 
list  of  the  troops  which  arrived  in  Washington,  stated  that 
these  companies  were  the  very  first  to  arrive  in  the  city 
after  the  publication  of  the  President's  proclamation. 


place.3  Excepting  a  detachment  of  twelve 
men,  detailed  to  guard  the  "Short  Bridge," 
the  entire  command  was  required  to  man  these 
guns.  On  the  25th  a  sergeant  and  six  men 
were  detailed  to  serve  as  a  guard  on  the  steamer 
"  Powhatan,"  which  was  dispatched  to  make  a 
reconnoissance  down  the  Potomac  for  the  pur- 
pose of  searching  for  obstructions  and  of  ascer- 
taining if  forts  were  being  erected  along  the 
river.  On  the  26th  the  company  were  ordered 
to  duty  at  the  Capitol ;  and  on  the  15th  of  May 
the  Secretary  of  War  assigned  them  to  duty  at 
the  Washington  Arsenal,  where  they  remained 
till  the  expiration  of  their  term  of  service, 
excepting  a  short  interval,  when  they  were  de- 
tailed to  mount  guns  in  the  forts  about  Wash- 
ington. They  were  mustered  out  at  Harris- 
burg. 

These  first  five  companies  were  justly  entitled 
to  the  first  place  in  the  First  Regiment  of  the 
Pennsylvania  troops ;  but  they  were  not  organ- 
ized till  after  twenty-four  regiments,  which  suc- 
ceeded them  in  the  service,  had  been  organ- 
ized and  fully  equipped,  when  they  became  part 
of  the  Twenty-fifth  and  last  regiment  for  the 
three  months'  service.  Henry  L.  Cake,  of 
Pottsville,  was  elected  colonel  of  this  regiment. 
But  these  companies,  serving  in  Fort  Washing- 
ton, did  not  see  their  regiment  or  colonel. 
Nearly  two  months  of  the  three  for  which  they 
had  enlisted  passed  by  before  they  received 
adequate  clothing  or  camp  equipage  from  either 
the  State  or  the  national  government;  and 
many  of  the  men  were  excused  from  duty  be- 
cause of  their  partial  nakedness.4 


3  When  the  company  left  Harrisburg  they  were  ordered 
to  leave  behind  their  field  pieces  and  equipments,  with  the 
exception  of  sabres,  and  these  were  not  restored  to  them 
(ill  the  16th  of  May. 

4  This  statement  is  made  by  Bates,  in  the  '•  History  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers."  But  it  is  erroneous.  The 
Ringgold  Artillery  was  the  only  company  that  was  regular- 
ly uniformed  and  equipped  when  these  companies  reached 
Washington.  The  other  companies  were  in  citizens'  dress, 
but  received  uniforms  and  equipments  several  days  after 
their  arrival.  The  Ringgold  Artillerists  retained  their 
uniform  and  drew  none  from  the  government.  The  com- 
panies without  uniforms  were  not  recognized  in  the  mob 
at  Baltimore ;  and  only  a  dozen  or  fifteen  men  in  Sel- 
heimer's  company  carried  rifles. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


199 


'  RINGGOLD  LIGHT  ARTILLERY  (THE  FIRST  COM- 
PANY). 

At  a  military  celebration  held  at  Philadelphia 
on  July  4,  1866,  the  post  of  honor  in  the  parade 
was  not  given  to  the  Ringgold  Light  Artillery, 
as  the  first  company  from  Pennsylvania  in  the 
War  of  the  Union  ;  on  which  account  the  com- 
pany refused  to  participate  in  the  parade.  Its 
place  in  history  having  been  unjustly  given  to 
another  company,  the  Hon.  William  M.  Hiester 
prepared  a  paper  to  prove  that  the  Ringgold 
Light  Artillery  was  the  first  company,  and 
read  the  same  before  the  Historical  Society  of 
Berks  County  on  June  14,  1870.  In  it  he 
sustained  the  claim  by  incontrovertible  evidence. 
I  submit  the  following  extracts  as  a  valuable 
part  of  the  chapter  in  this  history  to  the  Civil 
War: 

President  Lincoln  issued  his  proclamation 
for  seventy-five  thousand  men,  April  15,  1861. 
On  that  morning,  the  Ringgold  Light  Artillery 
were  drilling  with  full  ranks,  armed  and 
equipped,  on  their  parade-ground,  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  city,  when  telegraphic  news 
of  the  proclamation  of  the  President  reached 
the  company  on  parade.  The  following  dis- 
patch was  forthwith  sent  to  Governor  Curtin 
and  appears  in  the  record  of  dispatches  in  the 
office  of  the  adjutant- general  at  Harrisburg : 

"  Beading,  April  15,  1861. 
"  Governor  A.  O.  Curtin  : 

"  The  Ringgold  Light  Artillery  are  parading  this 
morning  with  their  guns  for  practice,  have  ninety 
men  on  parade,  every  one  of  them  expecting  to  be 
ordered  on  duty  for  the  U.  S.  service  before  they  leave 
their  guns.  "  H.  A.  Lantz." 

The  deputy  secretary  of  the  commonwealth, 
as  appears  by  the  first  dispatch  recorded  on  that 
day  as  sent,  answered, — 

"  Harrisburg,  April  15, 1861. 
"H.  A.  Lantz,  Beading  : 

"  Dispatch  received.  Will  answer  more  fully  as 
soon  as  possible. 

"  S.  B.  Thomas,  Deputy  Secretary." , 

This  was  followed  by  another  dispatch  from 
the  secretary  of  the  commonwealth,  omitted  in 
the  record  of  dispatches  at  Harrisburg,  but 
found  transcribed  in  the  minute-book  of  the 
company. 


"Harrisburg,  April  15,  1861, 
"  Captain  James  McKnight: 

"Bring  your  command  to  Harrisburg  by  first  train. 
If  any  of  the  men  need  equipments,  they  will  be  pro- 
vided here  by  the  General  Government.  Lose  no 
time. 

"  By  order  of  the  Governor, 

"  Eli  Slifer." 

This  dispatch  was  received  by  Captain 
McKnight  at  11.20  a.m.,  April  16th.  By  the 
first  train  after  its  receipt,  the  Ringgold  Light 
Artillery,  one  hundred  and  one  men,  took  pas- 
sage, fully  uniformed,  armed  and  equipped,  for 
Harrisburg,  and  reached  there  at  eight  o'clock 
p.m.  They  at  once  reported  for  duty  to  the 
secretary  of  the  State,  (the  Governor  being  absent 
at  Washington,)  who,  by  telegram  to  the  Secre- 
tary of  War  at  Washington,  reported  the  Ring- 
gold Light  Artillery  at  Harrisburg,  awaiting 
orders.  The  Secretary  of  War  telegraphed  in 
answer, — 

"  Push  forward  the  company  by  first  train." 

This  telegram,  conveying  orders  to  march,  was 
transmitted  by  the  secretary  of  the  common- 
wealth to  Captain  McKnight.  Orders  in 
obedience  thereto  were  then  issued  to  the  com- 
mand, to  take  the  train  for  Washington  at 
three  o'clock  a.m.,  April  17th.  If  these  orders 
had  not  been  countermanded,  the  Ringgold 
Light  Artillery  would  undoubtedly  have  reached 
Washington  safely  in  advance  of  all  troops 
from  Pennsylvania  and  elsewhere,  and  before  the 
Logan  Guard  and  the  companies  from  Potts- 
ville  reported  at  Harrisburg.  At  midnight, 
however,  the  order  to  march  was  countermanded ' 
in  the  following  counter-order  : 

"Harrisburg,  April  16, 1861. 
"  Captain  James  McKnight: 

"  You  will  please  delay  your  march  to  Washington 
until  ordered  by  the  Governor. 

"  Respectfully  yours, 

"  Eli  Slifer." 

This  order  fixes  so  indisputably  the  time  of 
the  arrival  and  the  report  for  duty  at  Harris- 
burg by  the  Ringgold  Light  Artillery  that  any 

1I  asked  Major  McKnight  if  he  knew  why  this  was 
done.  He  said  that  Governor  Curtin  was  punctilious  about 
his  authority,  he  wanting  to  order  the  troops  as  commander 
of  Pennsylvania. 


200 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


cumulative  evidence  is  wholly  superfluous.  If 
any  be  needed,  it  will  be  found  in  the  following 
extract  from  the  Pennsylvania  Daily  Telegraph 
of  April  17,  1861,  an  evening  paper  published 
at  Harrisburg: 

"  Last  night  about  eight  o'clock,  the  Ringgold 
Artillery,  Captain  James  McKnight.  numbering  one 
hundred  men,  arrived.  They  took  up  quarters  at 
Herr's  Hotel.  They  are  a  fine  body  of  men  and  are 
fully  prepared  and  determined  to  do  their  whole  duty 
in  the  present  crisis.  Our  citizens  welcomed  them 
with  cheers." 

It  is  stated  in  Bates'  "  History  of  Pennsyl- 
vania Volunteers :" 

"Oq  the  afternoon  of  the  day  of  the  President's 
proclamation  for  seventy-five  thousand  men,  the 
Secretary  of  War  telegraphed  the  call  to  the  Governor 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  it  was  telegraphed  to  all  parts 
of  Pennsylvania.  Among  the  first  to  respond  was  the 
Ringgold  Artillery,  Logan  Guard,  Washington  Ar- 
tillery, National  Light  Infantry  and  Allen  Rifles.  On 
reporting  at  the  Executive  office — the  Governor  being 
absent  in  Washington — orders  were  sought  from  the 
Secretary  of  War,  who  telegraphed  to  push  company 
forward  in  earliest  train.  That  order,  for  prudential 
reasons,  was  almost  immediately  countermanded  by 
the  Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth." 

The  Logan  Guard  did  not  reach  Harrisburg 
till  midday  of  the  17th,  and  the  Pottsville  com- 
panies till  the  evening  of  the  17th. 

[From  Pennsylvania  Daily  Telegraph,  April  17,  1861.] 
"  More  Military.— The  Logan  Guard  of  Lewis- 
town  arrived  here  this  morning." 

[From  Pennsylvania  Daily  Telegroph,  April  18,  1861.] 
"We  give  below  a  list  of  the  companies  that 
arrived  last  night :  Washington  Artillery,  Pottsville, 
Captain  Wren,  one  hundred  and  ten  men ;  National 
Light  Infantry,  Pottsville,  Captain  McDonald,  one 
hundred  and  four  men;  Allen  Infantry,  Allentown, 
Captain  Yeager,  sixty-four  men." 

[From  Bates'  "  History  of  Pennsylvania  "Volunteers."] 
"The  Logan  Guard  were  in  line  and  ready  to 
march  at  10  p.m.  of  the  16th  of  April,  and  move  to  the 
station,  but  for  lack  of  transportation  did  not  reach 
Harrisburg  till  the  morning  of  the  17th. 

"The  two  Pottsville  companies  under  marching 
orders  left  Pottsville  on  the  17th,  and  arrived  in  Har- 
risburg at  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening." 

Statement  op  Captain  McKnight.— "I  com- 
manded the  Ringgold  Light  Artillery  from  the  year 
1850  until  June  14,  1861,  when  I  was  appointed  to  a 
captaincy  in  Fifth  United  States  Artillery. 

"On  or  about  the  21st  day  of  January,  1861,  I  was 


visited  by  William  H.  Keim,  then  surveyor-general 
of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  and  major-general  of  the 
Fifth  Division  Pennsylvania  Militia. 

"  The  general  first  meeting  me  in  a  public  place  at 
my  residence,1  stated  that  he  had  a  subject  of  much 
importance  and  great  secrecy  in  regard  to  which  he 
desired  to  advise  me,  and  requesting  at  the  same 
time  that  I  would  suggest  some  place  to  which  we 
could  both  retire,  where  the  nature  of  the  communi- 
cation which  he  was  about  to  make  to  me  would  be 
unheard  by  others.  We  then  both  withdrew  to  a  pri- 
vate apartment. 

"  The  general  then  proceeded  to  state  that  the  gov- 
ernment was  in  possession  of  facts  tending  to  develop 
an  intention  on  the  part  of  the  rebels  to  seize  Wash- 
ington on  the  22d  of  February,  and  not,  as  was  at  first 
supposed,  upon  March  4,  1861-  He  came  to  me, 
(he  further  stated,)  by  direction  and  under  the  orders 
of  Governor  Andrew  G.  Curtin,  commander-in-chief 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Militia,  who  had  commissioned 
him  to  select  from  the  best  volunteer  organizations  of 
the  State  such  companies  as  could  be  relied  upon,  if 
the  emergency  should  arise  and  who  would  be  ready 
to  move  upon  twenty-four  hours'  notice. 

"Upon  satisfying  the  general,  not  only  of  the  willing- 
ness but  also  of  the  ability  of  my  command  to  start 
whenever  desired,  he  then  and  there  directed  me  to 
consider  myself  and  command  as  under  orders. 

"  The  general  about  the  same  time  imparted  similar 
information  to  other  volunteer  organizations  of  this 
county. 

"My  orders,  coming  as  they  did  from  the  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  Pennsylvania  troops,  were  so 
imperative  in  their  nature  and  admitted  of  so  little 
delay  that  I  immediately  set  about  perfecting  and 
equipping  my  command  for  active  field  duty.  The 
same  day  upon  which  my  orders  were  received,  the 
company  was  divided  into  squads  for  the  purpose  of 
more  effective  drilling,  which  was  continued  uninter- 
ruptedly, (save  on  Saturdays  and  Sundays,)  up  to  the 
day  before  we  left  for  Harrisburg,  April  16, 1861.  The 
drills  were  not  confined  to  the  service  of  the  guns  and 
the  duties  incident  to  drivers  and  the  care  of  horses ; 
the  men  were  also  well  instructed  in  the  use  of  the 
sabre,  the  only  legitimate  arm  of  defense  of  an  artil- 
leryman when  dismounted  and  away  from  his  guns. 

"  During  the  month  of  January,  a  number  of  the 
leading  citizens  having  been  apprised  of  the  secret 
orders  under  which  my  command  was  placed,  pur- 
chased for  the  use  of  the  men  one  hundred  overcoats,2 
which  were  worn  on  the  22d  of  February  at  a  general 
parade  of  the  company.     On   the  15th  day  of  April, 


1  Union  Bank  Building.     He  resided  in  the  rear  part. 

2The  meeting  comprised  the  following  gentlemen,  who 
then  raised  a  fund  for  that  purpose  :  John  McManus,  G.  A. 
Nicolls,  David  McKnight,  Edward  Wallace,  Horatio  Trex- 
ler,  H.  H.  Muhlenberg,  William  M.  Hiester,  James  .Mill- 
holland  and  C.  H.  Hunter. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


201 


1861,  whilst  at  drill  some  three  miles  from  the  city, 
intelligence  was  received  of  the  proclamation  of  the 
President  of  the  United  States  calling  for  seventy-five 
thousand  men. 

"  The  Governor  of  the  State  was  immediately  tele- 
graphed that  the  Ringgold  Light  Artillery  was  ready 
to  move  without  any  delay  whatever.  I  then  sus- 
pended drill,  returned  to  the  city,  and,  after  di- 
recting a  certain  signal  to  be  sounded  upon  receipt  of 
orders,  dismissed  the  command. 

"At  twenty  minutes  after  eleven  o'clock  a.m.,  April 
16,  1861,  the  following  telegram  was  received  by  me : 

"'Harrisburg,  April  16,  1861. 
" '  To  Captain  James  McKnight.  : 

'"Bring  your  command  to  Harrisburg  by  first  train. 
If  any  of  the  men  need  equipments  and  arms  they 
will  be  provided  here  by  the  General  Government. 
Lose  no  time. 
"'By  order  of  the  Governor. 

"'EliSlifer.' 

"At  noon  of  the  same  day,  forty  minutes  after  the 
receipt  of  the  order,  the  command  declared  itself 
ready  to  move  at  one  o'clock  p.m. 

"A  committee  having  been  appointed  to  make  all 
arrangements  for  transportation,  reported  that  after 
conferring  with  G.  A.  Nieolls,  general  superintendent 
of  the  Philadelphia  and  Beading  Railroad,  they  were 
advised  by  him  to  take  the  regular  passenger  train  at 
six  o'clock  P.  m.,  as  a  special,  being  subject  to  un- 
avoidable delay,  would  in  all  probability  not  reach 
Harrisburg  until  after  the  arrival  of  the  regular 
train. 

"Acting  upon  this  advice,  I  left  Reading  with  my 
command,  numbering  one  hundred  and  one  men, 
fully  armed  and  equipped,  on  the  evening  of  April 
16,  1861,  at  six  o'clock,  reaching  Harrisburg  at 
eight  o'clock." 

three  months'  service. 

First  Soldiers  prom  Berks  County  in 
Civil  War. — The  following  eight  companies 
comprise  the  men  from  Berks  County  who,  as 
volunteers,  offered  their  services  to  the  govern- 
ment in  answer  to  the  call  of  the  President  for 
troops,  and  were  mustered  into  military  service 
for  three  months  : 

Ringgold  Light  Art.,  25th  Regt.,  Capt.  Jas.  McKnight. 

Co.  G,  1st  Regt.,  Capt.  George  W.  Alexander. 

Co.  H,  5th  Regt.,  Capt.  Frank  M.  Cooley. 

Co.  C,  7th  Regt.,  Capt.  Isaac  Schroeder. 

Co.  D,  7th  Regt.,  Capt.  George  S.  Herbst. 

Co.  G,  7th  Regt.,  Capt.  Albert  F.  Rightmyer. 

Co.  A,  14th  Regt.,  Capt.  David  A.  Griffith. 

Co.  E,  14th  Regt.,  Capt.  John  C.  Shearer. 

Ringgold  Light  Artillery. — This  com- 
23 


pany  was  recruited  at  Reading,  and  mustered 
into  service  at  Harrisburg  April  18,  1861. 

James  McKnight,  captain. 

Henry  Nagle,  first  lieutenant. 

William  Graeff,  second  lieutenant. 

George  W.  Durell,  first  sergeant. 

Daniel  Kreisher,  second  sergeant. 

Henry  Rush,  third  sergeant. 

Jeremiah  Seiders,  fourth  sergeant. 

Levi  J.  Homan,  first  corporal. 

F.  W.  Folkman,  second  corporal. 

Jacob  Womert,  third  corporal. 

Horatio  Leader,  fourth  corporal. 

John  A.  Hook  and  George  B.  Eckert,  buglers. 

Privates. — Solomon  D.  Ash,  James  M.  Anthony,  An- 
thony Ammon,  Charles  B.  Ansart,  Augustus  Berger, 
George  S.  Bickley,  Reuben  R.  Burkhart,  Harrison  G. 
Bouse,  William  W.  Bowers,  David  Bechtel,  Addison 
Gehry,  Charles  W.  Gebhart,  Henry  Geiger,  Lemuel 
Gries,  James  H.  Gentzler,  Samuel  Hamilton,  Amos 
Huyett,  William  Herbst,  Nathaniel  B.  Hill,  Andrew 
S.  Helms,  William  Haberacker,  Jacob  J.  Hessler, 
Franklin  Housel,  John  L.  Kennedy,  Geo.  W.  Knabb, 
John  D.  Koch,  Aaron  Bechtel,  Charles  A.  Bitting, 
Henry  Coleman,  William  F.  Christ,  Amos  Drenkel, 
Daniel  M.  Dickinson,  Edward  G.  Ebling,  Benjamin  F. 
Ermentrout,  Henry  E.  Eisenbeis,  William  C.  Eben, 
Samuel  Evans,  Robert  Eltz,  Henry  Fleck,  Adam  Frees, 
John  Frees,  Jr.,  Harrison  Fox,  Christian  C.  Frantz, 
Adam  Faust,  William  W.  Fix,  James  A.  Fox,  Jacob 
Leeds,  Harrison  Lutz,  Peter  A.  Lantz,  Daniel  J.  Le- 
van,  George  D.  Leaf,  Aaron  H.  Levan,  Christopher 
Leoser,  George  S.  Lauman,  Isaac  S.  Leeds,  Charles 
Levan,  Franklin  Shaeffer,  Edward  L.  Smith,  Franklin 
Smeck,  Geo.  W.  Silvis,  Edward  Scull,  Chas.  Spangler, 
Jonathan  Shearer,  Wm.  H.  Smith,  Albert  H.  Shirey, 
William  Sauerbier,  Albert  H.  Seyfert,  Daniel  Witman, 
Henry  Whiteside,  Daniel  S.  Yohn,  John  L.  Yohn, 
Frederick  M.  Yeager,  Daniel  Maltzberger,  Charles  P. 
Muhlenberg,  Joseph  LT.  McKnight,  Wm.  M.  Miller, 
William  P.  Mock,  James  L.  Mast,  Howard  Mcllvaine, 
John  H.  McLenegan,  Henry  Neihart,  Edward  P.  Pear- 
son, Jr.,  James  Pfleger,  Frederick  Peck,  Frederick  H. 
Phillippi,  Ferdinand  S.  Ritter,  Henry  Rush,  William 
Rapp,  Jr.,  Francis  Ratnbo,  Isaiah  Rambo,  George  B. 
Rhoades,  Jackson  Sherman. 

Major  James  McKnight  was  the  son  of 
John  McKnight,  cashier  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Branch  Bank  at  Reading.  He  was  born  in  the 
bank  building  March  20,  1820,  and  received  his 
higher  education  at  Princeton  College.  Upon 
his  return  from  college  he  entered  the  hardware- 
store  of  Daniel  M.  Keim  &  Co.  as  a  clerk.  In 
1841  he  became  associated  with  Joseph  L. 
Stichter,  and  they  together,  under  the  name  of 


202 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Stichter  &  McKnight,  conducted  the  business 
till  he  retired  in  1858.  During  that  time  he  was 
actively  interested  in  military  affairs.  When 
the  Civil  War  broke  out  in  1861,  he  was  the  first 
captain  to  offer  the  services  of  his  company,  the 
Ringgold  Light  Artillery,  to  the  government 
and  to  report  for  duty  at  Harrisburg.  He 
served  with  this  company  for  three  months. 
Then  he  was  commissioned  a  major  of  artillery 
in  the  regular  army  and  served  till  the  close 
of  the  war.     He  has  since  lived  in  retirement. 

FIEST   REGIMENT. 

The  First  Regiment  was  organized  at  Har- 
risburg on  April  20th.  In  pursuance  of  orders, 
it  performed  duty  at  several  places  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, Maryland  and  Virginia  till  July  23d, 
when  it  returned  to  Harrisburg,  and  was  there 
honorably  discharged.  During  its  service  it 
did  not  participate  in  any  battles;  but  it  ac- 
complished much  good  by  checking  any  move- 
ment on  the  part  of  the  rebels  in  arms  along 
our  borders.  It  included  the  following  com- 
pany, which  was  recruited  at  Reading,  and 
mustered  into  service  on  April  20,  1861 : 

COMPANY  G. 

George  W.  Alexander,  captain. 

William  A.  H.  Lewis,  first  lieutenant. 

Thomas  M.  Richards,  second  lieutenant. 

William  McNall,  first  sergeant. 

William  Eisenhower,  second  sergeant. 

Patrick  Bloomfield,  third  sergeant. 

Samuel  G.  Boone,  fourth  sergeant. 

Diller  B.  Groff,  first  corporal. 

Daniel  Kelly,  second  corporal. 

George  Ashenfelter,  third  corporal. 

Henry  Beckhart,  fourth  corporal. 

Richard  H.  Fisher  and  D.  H.  Snyder,  musicians. 
Privates. — William  H.  Andrews,  David  L.  Acker> 
Charles  Boyle,  John  Boland,  Allen  Bechtel,  Henry 
Becker,  Jacob  K.  Becker,  Charles  A.  Briner,  Jacob  N. 
Boyer,  George  W.  Boger,  Philip  Benson,  Elijah  F. 
Body,  James  A.  Clark,  John  Connelly,  William  Cox- 
ell,  William  H.  Clark,  Samuel  K.  Clark,  Charles  H. 
Davis,  William  F.  Dougherty,  James  Eisenhower, 
Thomas  T.  Eyrich,  Charles  Eisenhower,  Harrison  Fix, 
William  S.  Fox,  Henry  Goodhart,  George  Graff,  Chas. 
A.  Golden,  Jr.,  Nathaniel  Gay,  Jacob  Gabriel,  Henry 
Gossler,  Michael  Hasson,  J.  Brooke  Harper,  Patrick- 
Holland,  Charles  A.  Heckler,  Daniel  E.  Hafer,  Wm. 
D.  Krause,  George  W.  Leedom,  Wellington  Levan, 
George  F.  Linderman,  Isaiah  Miller,  De  Witt  Clinton 
Morris,  Frank  P.  Muhlenberg,  George  W.  McMichael, 
William  Miller,  Charles  D.  Nagle,  Albert  Nagle,  Wm. 


G.  Row,  Henry  S.  Reeser,  Jacob  R.  Reigel,  William 
Reilly,  Percival  Rhoads,  James  H.  Reed,  Geo.  Rum- 
mel,  Wm.  Strawbridge,  John  D.  Stieff,  Albert  Sheri- 
dan, Henry  A.  Summons,  Joel  Setley,  John  Shine, 
Conrad  Strahle,  James  E.  Teed,  Robert  Toole,  May- 
bury  Van  Reed,  John  F.  Witman,  George  F.  Yeager. 

FIFTH  REGIMENT. 

The  Fifth  Regiment  was  organized  at  Camp 
Curtin  (Harrisburg)  on  April  21st.  It  per- 
formed guard  duty  mostly  at  Baltimore,  Wash- 
ington and  Alexandria.  It  was  at  the  latter 
place  during  the  disastrous  battle  of  Bull  Run, 
in  which  the  brigade,  to  which  it  had  been 
transferred,  participated.  It  was  discharged  at 
Harrisburg  on  July  25th. 

Company  H. — The  following  company  was 
recruited  at  Reading.  It  was  mustered  into 
service  on  April  20,  1861. 

Captain,  Franklin  M.  Cooley! 

First  Lieutenant,  Thomas  S.  Brenholtz. 

Second  Lieutenant,  Charles  Parker. 

First  Sergeant,  Henry  A.  Flickinger. 

Second  Sergeant,  James  R.  Boyer. 

Third  Sergeant,  William  D.  Clemens. 

Fourth  Sergeant,  Howard  Potts. 

First  Corporal,  John  R.  Stettler. 

Second  Corporal,  Joseph  Goodhart. 

Third  Corporal,  Madison  Sutlade. 

Fourth  Corporal,  William  E.  Van  Reed. 

Musicians,  John  Reed,  Theodore  Hertman. 
Privates. — Jacob  Andy,  Theodore  Aker,  Henry 
Anthony,  Matthew  Baxter,  William  Banon,  Peter 
Clouser,  Henry  Cleveland,  Aaron  Doebler,  Robert 
Devine,  John  B.  Eisenbise,  James  Ely,  Julius  A.  En- 
gleman,  Peter  Finkbone,  Elias  Fox,  Reuben  Homan, 
George  Haines,  Hiram  B.  Homan,  Daniel  Hogan, 
Jacob  Hell,  William  High,  John  Hetrick,  Lewis 
Hummel,  Richard  Hebit,  John  H.  Johnson,  John 
A.  Keen,  Julius  W.  Korfkowoski,  James  W.  Kis- 
singer, George  J.  Killner,  Aaron  E.  Killner,  Henry 
A.  Lotz,  Henry  Lott,  John  Lancaster,  Michael  E. 
Lotz,  John  Lutz,  Charles  McDonough,  Isaac  D. 
Morris,  Samuel  G.  McKnable,  John  Meek,  Daniel 
Moore,  Harrison  Neider,  Joseph  Nagle,  Peter  Noll, 
John  O'Reilly,  William  Phillips,  William  Quigg| 
John  W.  Rambo,  Henry  Rapp,  Frank  E.  Reifanyder, 
Elias  Shafer,  John  W.  Seiders,  John  Smith,  Henry 
Stettler,  George  Shaefer,  John  Stoltz,  Charles  Saun- 
ders, Henry  Schreffler,  William  Ulrich,  William 
Vergees,  John  Weidner,  William  Weidner,  Daniel 
M.  Weidner,  Aaron  S.  Wright,  John  K.  Wright, 
Edward  Young. 

SEVENTH   REGIMENT. 

The    Seventh   Regiment   was   organized  at 
Camp  Curtin  on  April  22d.     It  was  encamped 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


203 


for  over  a  month  at  Chambersburg.  On  June 
8th  it  moved  southwardly.  It  was  stationed 
at  Williamsport  on  the  1 9th,  and  whilst  there, 
late  in  the  evening  of  that  day,  an  alarm  was 
raised  which  caused  the  whole  brigade  (Third) 
to  be  called  to  arms  and  formed  into  line  of 
battle;  but,  beyond  distant  picket-firing,  nothing 
further  was  heard.  On  July  2d  it  began  the 
march  to  Martinsburg.  On  the  way  it  confis- 
cated the  contents  of  an  extensive  flour-mill,  (a 
large  amount  of  grain  and  flour  and  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  barrels  of  whiskey),  the  owner 
having  been  a  captain  in  the  rebel  army. 
Shortly  afterward  it  was  encamped  at  Charles- 
town,  where  it  remained,  without  special  inci- 
dent, until  ordered  to  Harrisburg,  where  it  was 
mustered  out  of  service  in  the  latter  part  of 
July.  The  following  three  companies  were  re- 
cruited in  Berks  County  : 

Company   C. — Recruited  at   Friedensburg, 
Berks  County,  and  mustered  in  April  23, 1861 : 

Isaac  Schroeder,  captain. 

Henry  It.  Myers,  first  lieutenant. 

Peter  Y.  Edelman,  second  lieutenant. 

Franklin  B.  Laucks,  first  sergeant. 

Henry  S.  Boyer,  second  sergeant. 

William  C.  Baker,  third  sergeant. 

Reuben  Kaufman,  fourth  sergeant. 

Isaac  Pott,  first  corporal. 

George  Poos,  Jr.,  second  corporal. 

Jeremiah  H.  Hauck,  third  corporal. 

John  0.  Steckline,  fourth  corporal. 

Peter  H.  Hauck  and  George  A.  Eltz,  musicians. 
Privates — Enoch  Adam,  Benneville  Angstadt,  Edwin 
S.  Bear,  Aaron  Bright,  Thomas  Best,  Wm.  D.  Brown, 
Edmond  Y.  Bock,  Alexander  Bigger,  John  H.  Clem- 
mens,  Washington  G.  Dengler,  John  G.  Dengler,  Ed- 
ward Draher,  Wellington  Egel,  Jos.  Eberhardt,  John 
Fiese,  Joel  Ginder,  Celestial  Good,  Caleb  Gallagher, 
Harrison  Gechter,  Charles  Hafer,  Israel  Hafer,  Daniel 
Hunter,  Jas.  H.  Harner.  Henry  Hauck,  Jacob  Holm, 
Henry  H.  Harbold,  Samuel  B.  Jones,  Fred'k  Kindly, 
David  Keller,  Ebenezer  C.  Lell,  Henry  R.  Laucks, 
Jacob  Link,  Nathaniel  Lindermuth,  Jeremiah  Lotz, 
Daniel  Meek,  Aaron  Moyer,  Frederick  Mohle,  Seyer 
Melot,  John  Madary,  Peter  Maurer,  Mahlon  A.  Mc- 
Noldy,  Wm.  Poorman,  Chas.  Rothermel,  Ginder  Rank, 
Daniel  Rothenberger,  Henry  Sheaffer,  Jacob  F.  Schild, 
Henry  Schroeder,  Zachariah  Swavely,  Isaac  Sider, 
Henry  Schmeck,  Michael  R.  Shultz,  Frederick  H. 
Sener,  Jacob  Trexell,  Albert  S.  Tool,  William  Voght, 
Amos  Wentzel,  Jonathan  Wentzel,  John  Weidner, 
Daniel  Wentzel,  John  Williams,  Aaron  Yoder,  Solo- 
mon Yeakle. 


Company  D—  Recruited  at  Pleasantville, 
Berks  County,  and  mustered  in  April  23, 
1861: 

George  S.  Herbst,  captain. 

Samuel  Baus,  first  lieutenant. 

Joel  Ruppert,  second  lieutenant. 

Charles  G.  Kline,  first  sergeant. 

Abraham  Ruppert,  second  sergeant. 

Peter  Shafer,  third  sergeant. 

Edward  F.  Reed,  fourth  sergeant. 

John  J.  Nash,  first  corporal. 

William  Hassler,  second  corporal. 

Jacob  Shafer,  third  corporal. 

Lenhard  Swizhard,  fourth  corporal. 

Joel  Frederick  and  Elias  Angstadt,  musicians. 
Privates. — Benjamin  Angstadt,  Abner  Brutzman, 
Henry  Bobb,  Henry  Beck,  Abraham  Bobb,  Marcus 
Bean,  Franklin  Burns,  Henry  Boyer,  William  Bouchat, 
Simon  Clouser,  Levi  Clouser,  William  Cleaver,  Daniel 
Crackens,  Jacob  Drezer,  David  H.  Delcamp,  William 
Dreyer,  Peter  Eck,  Samuel  Eckert,  Robert  En  gel, 
Francis  Fisher,  William  Foreman,  Benjamin  Goodwin, 
George  Hewett,  William  Hassler,  Jonas  Hassler,  Joel 
R.  Housman,  Joseph  Harris,  George  F.  Hungerford, 
George  Hummel,  Edward  Harper,  Charles  Hatner, 
Henry  Kash,  Geo.  Kemp,  John  List,  John  S.  Leeds, 
Franklin  Lins,  Daniel  Moyer,  George  Moore,  Michael 
Miller,  James  A.  Murron,  John  Mitchell,  C.  Henry 
Mathew,  David  Paul,  Franklin  Reidenauer,  John  Rei- 
mer,  William  Roland,  Francis  Rothenberger,  George 
Richards,  Julius  Shafer,  Franklin  Specht,  Amos  Syler, 
Daniel  Staufer,  D.  George  Sellers,  Paul  Simon,  Simon 
Stout,  H.  John  Sowers,  Michael  Sulvier,  William 
Souder,  Albert  Stewart,  Albert  Sides,  Levi  Strunk, 
Ephraim  Updegrove,  Joseph  Wibel,  Daniel  Yoder, 
Peter  Yoder, 

Company  G. — Recruited  at  Reading,  Berks 
County,  and  mustered  in  April  23,  1861  : 

Albert  F.  Rightmyer,  captain. 

Cornelius  Wise,  first  lieutenant. 

Jacob  H.  Worth,  second  lieutenant. 

John  G.  Ulrich,  first  sergeant. 

Anthony  Heller,  second  sergeant. 

Abraham  Latshaw.  third  sergeant. 

William  Runyeon,  fourth  sergeant. 

Jacob  Ege,  first  corporal. 

William  H.  Dehart,  second  corporal. 

Thomas  Craton,  third  corporal, 

George  Hart,  fourth  corporal. 

Gideon  Ginder  and  Henry  Benneville,  musicians. 
Privates. — John  C.  Anthony,  Charles  Bachman, 
Marks  Bechtel,  Sidney  Bank,  William  Brown,  James 
Boyer,  Augustus  Burkert,  William  Boone,  William 
Breneiser,  Fillermachus  Berkert,  Daniel  D.  Baker, 
James  Berstler,  Samuel  T.  Baker,  William  Clymer, 
Aaron  Deem,  Edward  Dyer,  John  Denhard,  George 
Dougherty,  Stephen  Edgar,  Reuben  Freas,  Martin  S. 


204 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Goodhart,  George  W.  Grant,  William  Graul,  Levi 
Hildebrand,  Henry  A.  Haak,  William  Heifert,  Au- 
gustus Hauck,  Samuel  H.  Jones,  George  L.  Knupp, 
William  Kline,  Samuel  Kissinger,  John  C.  Kribbs, 
John  S.  Ludwig,  William  A.  Lewis,  William  Mohr, 
George  Miller,  John  Mergert,  William  Murphy,  Russel 
Miller,  George  Obenhauser,  Obediah  R.  Priestley, 
Henry  J.  Penrose,  Marion  Rauck,  Simon  M.  Rush, 
Isaac  E.  Robinson,  Damon  Steuben,  Albert  A.Simon, 
William  Sands,  Damon  Shultz,  Jacob  Spotz,  John  R. 
St.  Clair,  Henry  Siegfried,  Alfred  J.  Stout,  James  E. 
Stout,  John  Taylor,  Francis  Thomas,  James  H.  Van- 
deever,  James  D.  Whitman,  George  Wunder,  Oliver 
B.  Wilson,  Frank  B.  Wilson,  Godfrey  Weiler,  John 
A.  Walker,  John  Whitman. 

FOURTEENTH  KEGIMENT. 

The  Fourteenth  Regiment  was  organized  at 
Camp  Curtin  on  April  30th.  Richards  Mc- 
Michael l  was  elected  lieutenant-colonel,  and 
Joseph  A.  McLean  major  of  the  regiment. 
Both  were  from  Reading.  It  was  encamped  at 
Camp  Johnston,  in  Lancaster,  till  June  3d, 
having  been  thoroughly  drilled  during  this 
interval ;  and  subsequently  it  marched  to 
Chambersburg,  Hagerstown,  Sharpsburg,  Mar- 
tinsburg,  Bunker's  Hill  and  Harper's  Ferry, 
doing  picket  and  guard  duty,  and  making  vari- 
ous expeditions  to  encounter  the  enemy.  "Whilst 
at  the  latter  place  the  term  of  enlistment  expired 
and  it  was  accordingly  ordered  to  Harrisburg. 
On  its  way  it  encamped  and  remained  two  weeks 
at  Carlisle,  where  it  was  mustered  out  of  service. 
Harrisburg  was  then  full  of  returning  troops. 
A  large  proportion  of  this  regiment  re-enlisted  in 
various  military  organizations  of  Pennsylvania. 
It  included  two  companies  from  Berks  County. 

Company  A. — Recruited  at  Reading  and 
mustered  in  April  27, 1861 : 

D.  A.  Griffith,  captain. 

J.  A.  McLean,  first  lieutenant. 

E.  J.  Rauch,  second  lieutenant. 
J.  Phillippi,  first  sergeant. 
Amos  Arnold,  second  sergeant. 
H.  Missimer,  third  sergeant. 

F.  W.  Berg,  fourth  sergeant. 
Thomas  Gabriel,  first  corporal. 

G.  W.  Rapp,  second  corporal. 
S.  Dampman,  third  corporal. 
Bentley  Smith,  fourth  corporal. 

H.  Goodhart  and  Francis  Bauer,  musicians. 
Privates. — John  Armstrong,  Moses  Burns,  Joseph 
Bauman,  Daniel  Bosler,  John  H.  Brookins,  Matthias 

1  For  further  account  see  194th  Regiment. 


Bell,  Nelson  Bell,  Joseph  Chalfant,  William  Cook, 
Bartholomew  DeVoute,  Charles  M.  Diehm,  Jacob 
Finkbone,  Augustus  Farrel,  Daniel  Finkbone,  Samuel 
Fix,  Henry  Getrost,  Leonard  Getz,  Aaron  Goodman, 
Emanuel  Gottschall,  Gotlieb  Hiller,  John  S.  Hind- 
man,  John  H.  Hassinger,  George  M.  Hayes,  Jacob 
Houder,  James  High,  Samuel  Husk,  Benjamin  Hum- 
mel, Benjamin  Klemmer,  Nicholas  Kramer,  Daniel 
Kerper,  William  R.  Lewis,  William  Large,  William 
Lawrence,  Joseph  Lawrence,  Levi  Miller,  Charles 
Miron,  Joel  May,  Charles  Noland,  George  Pollam, 
Henry  Quimby,  Charles  Riegel,  Milton  Roy,  Henry 
Regenfuss,  Ephraim  Smeck,  Harrison  Stieff,  Robert 
Simon,  Charles  Smith,  Nicholas  Smith,  F.  B.  Shalters, 
Jr.,  A.  S.  Seaman,  Henry  Sailor,  Henderson  Sample, 
James  A.  Shultz,  Cyrus  Trout,  Urias  Traite,  James 
Toole,  James  M.  Thompson,  Van  Tassel,  Frederick 
Ulmer,  Cornelius  Uxly,  Peter  Wolf,  Edwin  Whitman, 
Philip  Weidner,  Samuel  Zellers. 

Company   E.  —  Recruited   at  Womelsdorf, 
Berks  County,  and  mustered  in  April  24,  1861  : 

John  C.  Shearer,  captain. 

John  T.  Schoener,  first  lieutenant. 

William  G.  Moore,  second  lieutenant. 

George  N.  Steach,  first  sergeant. 

Cyrus  Oberly,  second  sergeant. 

Henry  Weighman,  third  sergeant. 

William  Weinhold,  fourth  sergeant. 

James  Gaul,  first  corporal. 

Henry  Gutwald,  second  corporal. 

Levi  Bennethum,  third  corporal. 

Eli  Dougherty,  fourth  corporal. 

John  Daniels  and  Cyrus  Heffelfinger,  musicians. 
Privates.— James  Ayres,  Henry  Arnold,  Samuel  Ar- 
nold, Samuel  Barket,  William  Bennethum,  Charles 
Bennethum,  John  Brechbill,  Jonathan  Bennethum, 
John  Clouser,  Peter  Capp,  Jacob  Deppen,  David  Dis- 
singer,  Levi  Dehart,  Isaac  Fiddle,  William  Fink,  Chas. 
Folk,  William  Fry,  William  Gast,  Henry  Haywood, 
Henry  Harp,  Wm.  Honies,  Mandon  Hawk,  Reuben 
Hendricks,  John  Hampton,  Frederick  Hoffman,  Wil- 
liam Himmelreich,  John  Haas,  Samuel  Klahr,  Israel 
Koch,  George  W.  Kuhns,  Henry  P.  Kautz,  Henry 
Kohler,  William  Lash,  John  H.  Liveringhouse,  Ben- 
jamin Lash,  Lawrence  Meek,  Elias  Moyer,  William 
Madary,  Samuel  Mathew,  Thomas  McGuire,  Augustus 
Milligsock,  Peter  Muskness,  Milton  B.  Nice,  Lew 
Owens,  Samuel  Parsons,  Frederick  Putt,  Jas.  Pollum, 
James  Reinhart,  Henry  Rosenberger,  Jeremiah  Rus- 
sell, Isaac  Rose,  Isaac  Scholl,  Emanuel  Stout,  Zadoc 
Smith,  Michael  Shaffer,  William  W.  Seidel,  William 
Strouse,  James  Seidel,  Daniel  Spotz,  Cyrus  Ulrich, 
Peter  Wise,  William  H.  Wenrich,  Levi  Wise,  George 
Weiser,  William  H.  Wells,  Samuel  Whitaker,  Per- 
cival  Zechman. 

General  William  H.  Keim  was  born  at 
Reading  on  June  13,  1813.     He  was  the  eldest 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


205 


son  of  Benneville  Keim,  the  President  of  the 
Farmers'  Bank  for  a  number  of  years,  Mayor 
of  Reading  for  three  terms,  and  a  prominent 
and  enterprising  business  man  of  the  county. 
His  mother  was  Mary  High,  a  daughter  of  Gen- 
eral William  High,  a  wealthy  farmer  of  Cum- 
ru  township,  at  "Poplar  Neck,"  and  a  man 
prominent  in  the  military  affairs  of  the  county. 
At  the  age  of  twelve  years  he  entered  the 


sides  the  store  business,  he  encouraged  enter- 
prises generally  for  the  development  of  Read- 
ing. 

His  early  military  training  gave  him  a  nat- 
ural taste  for  military  affairs,  and  he  found  a 
field  fbr  its  gratification  in  the  volunteer  service 
of  the  State  Militia.  Before  the  age  of  seven- 
teen years,  he  was  an  Orderly  Sergeant  of  the 
"  Washington  Grays,"  and  in  1837  he  became 


Military  Academy  at  Mount  Airy,  near  Phila- 
delphia, which,  during  its  active  existence,  was 
one  of  the  foremost  educational  institutions  in 
the  United  States,  and  was  graduated  with  hon- 
or in  1829.  Upon  returning  home  he  entered 
the  store  of  his  father,  which  was  then  one  of 
the  largest  general  hardware-stores  in  Reading, 
and  continued  actively  engaged  in  this  pursuit 
for  nearly  thirty  years — the  greater  part  of  the 
time  as  a  proprietor  of  a  large  store  in  co-part- 
nership with  his  brother,*  John  H.  Keim.  Be- 
23* 


Captain — succeeding  his  cousin,  Captain  Daniel 
M.  Keim.  He  was  promoted  rapidly  till  1842, 
when  he  was  elected  Major-General  of  the  Fifth 
Division  of  Penna.  Vols.,  which  was  composed 
of  Berks,  Lebanon,  Dauphin  and  Schuylkill 
Counties.  In  that  year  he  took  a  prominent 
part  in  the  Military  Encampment  held  at  Read- 
ing, which  was  an  eventful  occasion  in  the  his- 
tory of  military  affairs  in  this  county.  Among 
other  distinguished  military  men,  General  Win- 
field  Scott  was  in  attendance.     In  1844,  during 


206 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


the  terrible  religious  riot  at  Philadelphia,  he  was 
ordered  to  assist  in  quelling  the  disturbances, 
which  resulted  in  loss  of  life  and  property.  He 
was  under  Gen.  Robert  Patterson,  Senior  Major- 
General  in  the  State.  The  good  opinion,  which 
General  Keini's  command  had  won,  was  justly 
expressed  in  the  following  extract  from  General 
Order,  No.  30,  issued  by  General  Patterson, 
when  the  detachment  of  the  Fifth  Division  was 
relieved  until  further  orders  : 

"  The  Major-General  further  desires  to  express  his 
knowledge  of  their  exemplary  and  soldier-like  deport- 
ment while  under  his  command.  He  will  at  all  times 
be  happy  to  serve  with  such  troops.  Berks  County 
may  well  be  proud  of  her  volunteer  soldiery." 

His  services  in  organizing  our  local  militia 
and  in  bringing  them  under  proper  discipline 
were  both  untiring  and  successful,  thereby  plac- 
ing them  in  the  front  rank  of  the  volunteer  sol- 
diers of  the  State. 

In  1848  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  Mayor 
of  Reading  for  one  term.  He  was  the  second 
Mayor  of  the  city.  He  had  been  nominated  and 
run  as  the  Whig  candidate  in  the  previous  year, 
but  a  third  candidate  in  the  field,  who  ran  inde- 
pendently, caused  his  defeat.  Several  years  after- 
ward, he  took  great — if  not  the  principal — inter- 
est in  establishing  at  Reading  the  "  Pennsylvania 
Military  Institute,"  for  the  purpose  of  enabling 
voung  men  to  obtain  education  in  military  mat- 
ters. In  November,  1858,  he  was  elected  to  rep- 
resent Berks  County  in  Congress,  to  fill  the 
vacancy  till  March  following,  caused  by  the  res- 
ignation of  Hon.  J.  Glancy  Jones.  In  Octo- 
ber, previously,  Jones  had  been  defeated  in  a 
campaign  for  re-election  by  John  Schwartz, 
through  a  coalition  of  Republicans  and  Inde- 
pendent Democrats.  When  Jones  resigned  to 
accept  the  mission  to  Austria,  this  political  feel- 
ing was  still  active,  and  it  resulted  in  the  elec- 
tion of  General  Keim  as  the  Republican  candi- 
date against  Joel  B.  Wanner,  the  Democratic 
candidate.  He  was  the  first  and  the  only  Re- 
publican elected  to  represent  this  district  in 
Congress.  In  1859  he  was  elected  Surveyor- 
General  of  the  State  for  the  term  of  three  years. 
At  that  time  he  also  held  the  office  of  Major- 
General  of  militia. 

In  1860,  whilst  at  Harrisburg,  after  the  re- 


sult of  the  Presidential  election  in  favor  of  the 
Republican  party  had  become  known,  General 
Keim  suggested  to  Governor  Curtin  that  the 
commonwealth  be  put  in  a  condition  of  defense, 
inasmuch  as  the  signs  of  discontent  indicated 
civil  strife ;  and  he  recommended  in  that  behalf 
a  general  encampment  of  the  militia  of  the 
State.  Governor  Curtin  accepted  this  timely 
suggestion,  and,  in  pursuance  of  an  order  by 
him,  an  encampment  was  held  at  York,  in  the 
beginning  of  September,  1860,  with  General 
Keim  as  the  chief  in  command.  In  January 
following,  upon  visiting  his  home  at  Reading, 
he  called  upon  Captain  James  McKnight,  who 
commanded  the  Ringgold  Light  Artillery,  a 
company  of  volunteers  in  his  brigade,  and  asked 
him  to  keep  his  company  in  readiness  so  as  to 
be  able  to  respond  promptly  to  any  order  that 
might  be  given.  Through  this  notice,  the 
Ringgold  Light  Artillery  came  to  be  the  first 
company  that  responded  to  the  President's 
call  for  troops  and  reported  for  duty  at  Harris- 
burg in  April,  1861.  General  Keim  offered  his 
services  when  the  crisis  arose,  and  Gov.  Curtin 
appointed  him  to  a  command  of  State  troops 
under  the  first  requisition  of  the  President. 
Major-General  Robert  Patterson  commanded 
the  Pennsylvania  line,  which  was  composed  of 
two  divisions,  and  served  for  three  months  in 
the  campaign  on  the  Upper  Potomac.  The 
headquarters  were  at  Chambersburg,  and  Gen- 
eral Keim  was  in  command  of  the  Second  Di- 
vision. On  June  15th,  this  army  was  encamped 
at  Hagerstown,  and  on  July  2d,  it  crossed  the 
Potomac  into  Virginia. 

A  force  under  "  Stonewall "  Jackson  was  met 
shortly  afterward  at  "Falling  Waters,"  but 
after  a  skirmish  it  fell  back,  and  its  camp 
at  Hoke's  Run  was  occupied.  On  July  15th, 
the  army  advanced  from  Martinsburg  to 
Bunker's  Hill,  and  on  the  17th  Charlestowu 
was  reached.  By  that  time  the  term  of  service 
of  many  of  the  regiments  expired  and  orders 
for  their  muster  out  were  issued.  The  column 
was  so  much  weakened  thereby  that  it  withdrew 
to  Harper's  Ferry. 

After  the  campaign  on  the  Upper  Potomac, 
General  Keim  received  from  the  President  the 
appointment  of  Brigadier-General  of  National 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


2(17 


troops;  and  then  resigning  the  office  of  Survey- 
or-General, he  was  ordered  to  join  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac.  Hi?  brigade  was  attached  to 
General  Casey's  division  of  General  Keyes' 
corps,  and  was  sent  to  Fortress  Monroe,  where, 
under  the  command  of  General  McClellan,  it 
advanced  towards  Richmond.  At  the  battle  of 
Williamsburg,  (one  of  the  most  severe  contests 
of  the  war),  General  Keim  distinguished  him- 
self. Although  too  sick  to  be  on  duty,  he  could 
not  be  prevented  from  leaving  the  hospital, 
mounting  his  horse  and  leading  his  brigade  on 
the  field.  His  coolness,  judgment  and  great 
bravery  during  the  action  were  conspicuous. 
Though  under  fire  nearly  the  whole  time,  he 
was  perfectly  calm.  A  bomb  fell  almost  under 
his  horse.  Every  one  about  him  turned  pale 
from  fear.  The  explosion  covered  him  with 
mud.  After  the  battle,  General  McClellan 
called  on  him,  complimented  him  for  the  great 
service  which  he  had  rendered,  and  ordered  him 
to  the  post  of  honor  in  advance  of  the  army. 
But  the  excitement  incident  to  this  battle  aggra- 
vated his  illness  and  he  was  obliged  to  ask  for 
a  furlough.  This  was  granted  and  he  returned 
to  Harrisburg,  where  his  family  had  taken  up  a 
temporary  residence.  Unfortunately,  his  health 
was  too  far  gone,  and  he  died  on  May  18,  1862, 
in  the  very  prime  of  life  and  usefulness,  aged 
forty-eight  years.  The  news  of  his  death  pro- 
duced a  profound  sensation  of  regret  through- 
out the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  General  Mc- 
Clellan was  deeply  affected  by  the  loss  of  this 
faithful  commander,  and  he,  on  May  26th  fol- 
lowing, issued  a  General  Order  announcing  his 
death  and  complimenting  his  faithful,  patriotic 
services  to  his  country,  which  was  read  to  every 
regiment  in  the  army.  His  remains  were 
brought  to  Reading,  and  buried  with  military 
honors  in  the  Charles  Evans  Cemetery. 

A  public  meeting  of  citizens  was  held  on  May 
20, 1862,  for  the  purpose  of  expressing  regret 
over  General  Keim's  death.  A  committee — of 
which  Hon.  J.  Pringle  Jones,  ex-president  judge 
of  the  county,  was  chairman — reported  appropri- 
ate resolutions,  including,  among  truthful  senti- 
ments, the  following  high  tribute : 

"For  long  years,  a  prosperous  merchant,  we  knew 
him  as  one  whose  praises  were  on  all  men's  tongues, 


as  well  for  enterprise  in  business  and  liberality 
in  promoting  the  good  of  the  community,  as  for 
indulgence  to  those  who  were  his  debtors,  and  for  the 
exercise  of  a  wide  charity  to  the  poor.  We  knew  him, 
too,  when  misfortune  overtook  him,  and  we  know 
with  what  honor  and  honesty  and  with  what  fortitude 
he  passed  through  the  dark  days  of  adversity.  In  the 
varied  relations  of  his  private  life  he  was  greatly  be- 
loved; and  in  his  death  our  city  and  county  have  lost 
a  citizen  whose  modest  deportment,  exemplary  con- 
duct, public  spirit  and  sterling  integrity  endeared 
him  most  deservedly  to  the  people." 

THREE  YEARS'  SERVICE. 

The  insurrection  having  been  too  powerful  to 
be  suppressed  by  the  first  display  of  military 
authority,  the  President  issued  a  second  procla- 
mation,  calling  upon  the  States  to  furnish  two 
hundred  thousand  men  who  were  to  be  enlisted 
for  three  years.  The  response  was  prompt  and 
vigorous.  The  quota  of  men  from  Pennsyl- 
vania was  soon  filled  by  the  patriotic  impulses 
of  her  people. 

The  following  companies  comprise  the  men 
from  Berks  County  who  enlisted  as  volunteers 
for  three  years : 


Company 
Company 
Company 
Company 
Company 
Company 
Company 
Company 
Company 
Company 
Company 

holtz. 
Company 
Company 
Company 
Company 
Company 

mick. 
Company 

ney. 
Company 
Company 
Company 
Company 
Company 

land. 
Company 
Company 
Company 


A,  32d  Regt.,  Capt.  Jacob  Lenhart,  Jr. 

D,  32d  Eegt.,  Capt.  William  Briner. 

F,  32d  Regt.,  Capt.  Washington  Richards. 
I,  36th  Regt.,  Capt.  Jerome  Myers. 
L,,  44th  Regt.,  Capt.  J.  C.  A.  Hoffeditz. 
M,  44th  Regt.,  Capt.  Thomas  S.  Richards. 

E,  46th  Regt.,  Capt.  Cornelius  Wise. 

D,  48th  Regt.,  Capt.  Henry  ^agle. 

B,  50th  Regt ,  Capt.  Hervey  Herman. 

E,  50th  Regt.,  Capt.  William  H.  Diehl. 
H,  50th  Regt.,  Capt.  Thomas  S.  Bren- 

B,  55th  Regt.,  Capt.  John  C.  Shearer. 
K,  59th  Regt.,  Capt.  Charles  Chauncey. 

G,  70th  Regt.,  Capt.  George  E.  Clymer. 
G,  74th  Regt.,  Capt.  William  J.  Bart. 
L,  80th  Regt.,  Capt.  Charles  C.  McCor- 

I,  83d  Regt.,  Capt.  Robert  W.  McCart- 

A,  88th  Regt.,  Capt.  George  W.  Knabb. 

B,  88th  Regt.,  Capt.  Henry  A.  Myers. 
H,  88th  Regt.,  Capt.  David  A.  Griffith. 
B,  93d  Regt-,  Capt.  John  E.  Arthur. 
G,  93d  Regt.,  Capt.  Alexander  C.  Mait- 

K,  93d  Regt.,  Capt.  David  C.  Keller. 
G,  96th  Regt.,  Uapt.  James  >T.  Douden. 
D,  Capt.  George  W.  Durell. 


208 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


THIRTY-SECOND   REGIMENT. 

The  Thirty-second  Eegiment  included  com- 
panies A,  D  and  F,  from  Berks  County,  the 
other  companies  being  from  Bucks  and  Phil- 
delphia  Counties.  It  was  mustered  into  the 
United  States  service  at  Harrisburg,  on  Ju- 
ly 27,  1861,  after  an  experience  of  two 
months  in  drilling  in  camp  near  Easton. 

It  was  immediately  ordered  to  Washington  ; 
and  after  remaining  there  till  August  2nd,  pro- 
ceeded to  Tennallytown,  a  village  six  miles 
northwest  from  the  Capitol,  and  was  there  en- 
camped with  other  troops.  While  in  camp  the 
regiment  was  drilled,  and  assisted  in  erecting 
Fort  Pennsylvania,  which  was  a  formidable 
and  very  important  earthwork.  On  October 
9th  it  moved  over  the  Potomac  and  encamped 
near  Langley  in  the  army  line  stretching  nearly 
twenty  miles  along  the  Virginia  shore.  Here 
they  did  skirmishing,  picketing  and  drilling. 

On  March  10th,  1862,  it  moved  with  the 
"Army  of  the  Potomac"  in  search  of  the  enemy. 
On  April  10th  it  was  taken  by  rail  to  Manas- 
sas Junction  with  the  brigade  (second),  and 
thence  proceeded  to  a  point  opposite  Fredericks- 
burg. Whilst  there  the  trooops  were  reviewed 
by  President  Lincoln.  From  this  point  they 
marched  down  the  Rappahannock,  arriving  at 
the  White  House  on  the  11th  of  May,  where 
the  2nd  brigade  checked  the  enemy's  move- 
ments, and  repulsed  an  attack  upon  the  train  of 
the  Reserves.  On  May  13th  they  were  within 
a  few  miles  of  Richmond ,  occupying  the  ex- 
treme right  and  in  advance  of  the  main  line ; 
there  they  were  attacked  by  the  enemy,  and  held 
their  ground  against  vastly  superior  numbers, 
resting  upon  the  field  at  night.  At  2  A.  M.  on 
the  following  morning  the  regiment  was  relieved. 
In  withdrawing  from  the  field,  it  passed  under  a 
heavy  fire  from  the  enemy  by  which  it  suffered 
some  loss.  At  Gaines'  Mill,  the  division,  inclu- 
ding this  regiment,  was  held  in  reserve;  but  the 
enemy  soon  broke  through  the  first  line,  and  for 
two  hours  the  regiment  was  left  to  bear  the 
brunt  of  the  fierce  assault  of  the  enemy,  when 
it  was  relieved  by  other  troops.  Its  conduct  in 
this  battle  was  highly  praised  by  General  Meade 
upon  the  field.  On  May  15th  the  regiment  was 
withdrawn  across  the  Chickahominy,  and   in 


June  following  it  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of 
Gaines'  Mill,  which  was  fought  by  McClellan 
to  save  the  material  of  his  army.  On  June  29th 
it  was  posted  on  picket  duty  toward  Richmond. 
In  an  engagement  there,  the  regiment  was  sent 
forward  to  feel  the  enemy,  and  was  received 
with  a  withering  fire  of  musketry. 

While  the  whole  line  was  engaged  a  support- 
ing regiment  mistook  the  32nd  Regiment  in  the 
smoke  of  battle  for  the  enemy,  and  opened  fire 
upon  its  ranks,  throwing  the  men  into  disorder 
and  causing  them  to  break ;  but  they  did  not 
leave  the  field.  At  11  o'clock  in  the  night  of 
that  day  the  division  was  withdrawn  and 
marched  to  Malvern  Hill,  and  afterward  to 
Harrison's  Landing,  where  it  was  encamped  un- 
til August  1st  following. 

After  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  ordered 
to  evacuate  the  Peninsula,  the  32nd  Regiment 
moved  to  Warrenton  after  passing  other  points, 
and  there,  on  August  24th,  was  formed  in  line 
of  battle,  but  without  entering  an  engagement. 
Subsequently  the  regiment  was  engaged  in  a 
battle  at  Hall's  Hill,  near  Manassas  Junction, 
and  its  loss  was  severe ;  and  at  Antietam,  on  the 
16th  and  17th  of  September,  where  they  fought 
for  hours  until  relieved  by  other  troops.  Fifty- 
one  of  their  number  were  killed  and  wounded 
in  this  battle.  In  October,  November  and  De- 
cember they,  moved  toward  Fredericksburg, 
where  they  were  engaged  in  battle  on  the  l-3th 
of  December.  During  the  charge- upon  the  en- 
emy the  regiment  maintained  its  position  with 
great  firmness,  and  was  among  the  very  last  to 
retire.  It  lost  there  in  killed,  wounded  and 
missing,  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  men. 

After  marching  to  several  places  without  an 
engagement  it  moved  to  the  defenses  of  Wash- 
ington on  February  8th,  where  it  was  attached 
to  the  22nd  Army  Corps.  There  it  was  given  an 
opportunity  to  rest  and  recruit  its  ranks,  hav- 
ing been  greatly  reduced  by  severe  fighting  and 
by  long  and  fatiguing  marches.  It  remained 
here  until  January  6th,  1864,  when  it  was  or- 
dered to  duty  in  West  Virginia,  under  General 
Sickel.  The  regiment  was  then  commanded  by 
Major  William  Briner,  and  with  other  troops 
(Fourth  Reserves)  did  picket  duty  on  the  roads 
in  the  vicinity  of  Martinsburg  during  January; 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


209 


and  after  marching  and  counter-marching  for 
about  a  week  for  the  purpose  of  finding  the 
enemy  and  guarding  against  surprise,  in  which 
the  men  were  completely  exhausted  by  loss  of 
sleep  and  much  exposure,  they  again  performed 
picket  duty  on  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Rail- 
road near  Martinsburg  until  March  29th,  when 
they  moved  to  Harper's  Ferry.  In  the  begin- 
ning of  April  they  proceeded  across  the  Alle- 
gheny Mountaius  to  Grafton  and  thence  to  the 
Kanawha  Valley ;  there  this  regiment  was  placed 
under  the  command  of  Captain  Jacob  Lenhart, 
Major  William  Briner  having  been  sent  to  the 
hospital  at  Grafton,  on  account  of  severe  injury 
on  his  right  hand.  On  the  6th  of  May  they 
had  a  lively  skirmish  with  the  Sixtieth  Virginia 
troops  at  Princetown  and  during  the  next  two 
days  had  a  long  march  of  thirty  miles  to  the 
gap  in  Walker  (or  Cloyd)  Mountain,  near 
Shannon  bridge.  On  May  9th  they  had  an 
engagement  near  by,  in  which  the  enemy  was 
routed ;  there  Captain  Lenhart  was  wounded 
and  the  command  of  the  regiment  devolved 
upon  Captain  Robert  Johnson.  In  the  charge 
upon  the  enemy's  works  the  regiment  had  three 
color-bearers  shot  down.  After  considerable 
inarching  they  halted  at  Meadow  Bluff  on  May 
19th.  In  this  time  they  had  much  skirmishing 
with  the  enemy ;  and  every  night  a  strong  guard 
was  posted  around  the  camp  to  avoid  surprise. 
The  men  suffered  much  from  hunger,  and  many 
were  without  soles  on  their  shoes.  On  May 
22d  they  moved  to  Millville,  near  Louisburg, 
and  while  there  their  term  of  service  expired. 
In  pursuance  of  orders,  they  proceeded  via  Pitts- 
burg to  Philadelphia,  where  they  were  mustered 
out  of  service  on  June  17,  1864. 

Company  A. — This  company  was  recruited 
at  Readiug,  aad  mustered  out  June  17,  1864, 
except  where  otherwise  mentioned. 

Jacob    Lenhart,   Jr.,  capt.,   must,  in  June  7,  1861 ; 

wounded  at  Cloyd  Mountain,  May  9,  1804. 
Jacob   Lehman,   1st  lieut.,   must,  in   June  7,  1861  ; 

disch.  by  order  of  War  Dept.,  Aug.  19,  1862. 
Michael  Walters,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in   July  28,  1861; 

disch.  Sept.  15, 1863. 
Amos  N.  Seitzinger,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861; 

pro.  to  2d  lieut.  Sept.  26,  1862 ;  to  1st  lieut.  Oct. 
,      26,  1863. 
24 


Jeremiah  A.  Clouse,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ; 

res.  Feb.  20,  1862. 
Sebastian  Eckle,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  res. 

July  18,  1862. 
Daniel  Setley,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  June  7, 1861 ;  pro 

to  1st  sergt.  Nov.  1,  1862 ;    to  2d  lieut.  Oct.  24 

1863. 
John  S.  Painter,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  June  18,  1861 

pro.  to  1st  sergt.  Nov.  1,  1863. 
Jacob  C.  Esterly,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in   June  7,  1861 

disch  on  surg.  certif.  Oct.  31,  1862. 
George  Mosser,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  June  7, 1861 ;  pro.  to 

sergt.  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Lewis  Griffith,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  sergt.  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Henry  K.  Mull,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  sergt.  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Chas.  Fredericks,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.  Dec.  31,  1862. 
John  Wittich,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  June  7, 1861 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  June  14,  1862. 
Richard   Yeager,  1st  sergt.,  must,   in   July  9,  1861 ; 

trans,  to  3d  brig.,  2d  div.  dept.  West  Va.,  June  6, 

and  to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,   1864. 
Francis  D.  Nagle,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in   June  7,  1861  ; 

killed  at  White  Oak  Swamp,  June  30,  1862. 
Henry  Kenler,  corp.,  must,  in  June  18,  1861;  pio.  to 

corp.  July  1,  1862. 
Peter  Hartenstein,  corp.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  March   1,  1863. 
William  J.  Smith,  corp.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Henry  W.   Esser,  corp.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Flarian  Harbach,  corp.,  must,  in  June  7, 1861 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  Feb.  28,  1863. 
Henry  J.  Richards,  musician,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
John   D.  Hertzog,  musician,   must,  in   June  7,  1861 ; 

must,  out  as  private. 

Privates. 
Jacob  D.  Angstadt,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
James  D.  Ash,  must,  in  June  18, 1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif. 
John  Bedencup,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Richard  Boone,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
John  Broadhurst,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Benjamin  Brady,  must,  in  Sept.  23,  1862 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Aug.  24,  1863. 
Henry  Bowman,  must,  in  June  7, 1861 ;  trans,  to  54th 

Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864 ;  vet. 
John  H.  Babb,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  wounded  and 

pris.  at  Cloyd  Mountain,  West.  Va.,  May  9, 1864; 

must,  out  May  30, 1865. 
James  Calvert,  must,  in  June  18,  1861. 
Samuel  Derr,  must,  in  June  18,  1861. 
William  Degroat,  must,  in  Feb.  19, 1862;  trans,  to  3d 

brig.  2d  div.  dept.,  West  Va.,  June  6,  and  to  54th 

Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864. 


210 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


David   English,  must,   in   July   20,   1861;  killed   at 

Fredericksburg  Dec.  13, 1862. 
Andrew  Fegely,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Samuel  B.  Frey,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
James  A.  Fix,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Feb.  23,  1863. 
Allen  M.  Frey,  must,  in  Feb.   1,1864;  trans,  to  3d 

brig.,  2d  div.  dept.  West  Va.,  June  6,  and  to  54th 

Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864. 
Daniel  Greaff,  must,  in  .June  7,  1861. 
David  J.  Goodman,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Jacob  Ganster,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Feb.  13, 1863. 
Joseph  Good,  must,  in  July  18,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Feb.  28, 1863. 
Frederick   Garst,  must,   in   July  28,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif. 
Albert  S.  Greth,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  trans,  to  54th 

Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864 ;  vet. 
Henry  A.  Harner,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
George  Hodern,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
John  Hodern,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Lewis  Hart,  must,   in  July  28,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Oct.  J7,  1861. 
Peter  F.  Holland,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Oct.  29,  1861. 
Marks  D.  Haws,  must,  in  July  18,  1861 ;  trans,  to  3d 

Brig.,  2d   Div.   Dept.,  West  Va.,  June  6,  and  to 

54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864. 
Harrison  Harbach,  must,  in  July  20,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

3d  Brig.,  2d  Div.  Dept.  of  West  Va.,  June  6,  and 

to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864. 
William  P.  Holland,  must,  in  June  7, 1861 ;  trans,  to 

54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4, 1864;  vet. 
Albert  S.  Henershotz,  must,  in  June  7,  1861;  trans. 

to  54th  Regt.  P.' V.  July  4,  1864 ;  vet. 
Daniel  Harbach,   must,   in   July  20,  1861 ;  died   at 

Washington,  June  7,  1862  ;  bd.  in  Mil.  Asy.  Cem. 
Andrew   Jackson,   must,  in   June  7,  1861 ;  killed  at 

Fredericksburg,  Dec.  13,  1862. 
Christian  J.  Koch,  must,  in  June  7, 1861. 
John  Koch,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Francis  Koch  er,  must,  in  June  18,  1861. 
Jacob  S.  Kunsman,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  wounded 

at  Fredericksburg,  Dec.  13,  1862;  absent,  in  hos- 
pital, at  muster  out. 
Samuel  S.  Kissinger,  must,  in  July  18,  1861 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  Nov.  18,  1862 
Henry  0.   Keehn,  must,  in  July  18,   1861;  trans,  to 

54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4, 1864 ;  vet. 
Lewis  Kershner,  must,  in  July  19,  1861 ;  trans,  to  3d 

Brig.,  2d   Div.  Dept.  West  Va.,   June  6,  and  to 

54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864. 
Augustus  Marquat,  must,  in  July  18,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Oct.  28,  1863. 
Henry  G.  Milans,  must,  in  Sept.  9,  1861 ;  wounded 

and  ordered  to  report  to  the  adj.-gen.'s  office 

Washington. 


Patrick  Murphy,  must,  in  Feb.  11,  1862;  trans,  to  3d 

Brig.,  2d  Div.  Dept.  West.  Va.,  June  6, 1861,  and 

to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864. 
Wm.  McDonough,  must,  in  June  18,  1861 ;  wounded 

at  Gaines'  Mill,  June  27, 1862 ;  absent,  in  hospital, 

at  muster  out. 
Peter  McQuaid,  must,  in  June  18,  1861. 
John  McDonough,  must,  in  June  18,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  June  26,  1863. 
Hugh  McGettigan,  must,  in  July  28,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Dec.  7,  1862. 
Charles  Neebe,  must,  in  July  18,  1861. 
John  O'Neal,  must,  in   June  7,  1861 ;  wounded  and 

prisoner   at  Cloyd   Mountain,  West  Va.,  May  9, 

1864;  must,  out  Sept.  23,  1864. 
Henry  Otten,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  died  at  Smoke- 
town,   Va.,  Oct.  12,  1862,  of   wounds    received 

at  Antietam  Sept.  17,  1862. 
James  B.  Old,  must,  in  July  18, 1861 ;  killed  at  Cloyd 

Mountain  May  9,  1864 ;  vet. 
William  Peters,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Abraham  Perry,  must,   in  Feb.  17,  1862 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Nov.  4, 1862. 
Levi  Richards,  must,  in  July  28,  1861. 
Augustus  Rhein,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Levi  B.  Rhoads,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
John  Rork,  must,  in  June  18,  1861. 
Ludwig  Rupp,  must,  in  June  18, 1861. 
Emanuel  Richards,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Jan.  16,  1863. 
Nicholas  Ribble,  must,  in  July  18,  1861 ;  killed  at 

White  Oak  Swamp  June  30,  1862. 
Charles  Schroth,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Ephraim  Z.  Sellers,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Henry  S.  Smith,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Wm.  Stifienburg,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Albert  S.  Stautler,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  June  2,  1862. 
James  A.  Schofield,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Feb.  9,  1863 ;  trans,  to  54th  Regt.  P. 

V.;  vet. 

Frederick  Say  lor,  must,  in  July  20,  1861. 

James  Salada,  must,  in  Sept.  23,  1862 ;  trans,  to  3d 

Brig.,  2d  Div.   Dept.  West  Va.,  June  6,  and  to 

54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864. 
Chas.  Schaneberger,  must,  in  July  20,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

3d  Brig.,  2d  Div.  Dept.   West  Va.,  June  6,  1864, 

and  to  54th  Regt  P.  V.  July  6,  1864. 
Daniel  Shafer,  must,  in  June  7, 1861. 
William  Warner,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Charles  Weber,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
A.  Weidenhamer,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Jonas  Youse,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
John  R.  Yeich,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
John  M.  Yohn,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  trans,  to  54th 

Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864;  vet. 

Company  D. — This  company  was  recruited 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


211 


in  Berks  County,  and  was  mustered   out  June 
17,  18G4,  except  where  otherwise  mentioned. 

William  Briner,  capt.,  must,   in   June  7,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  major  Aug.  1,  1802. 
F.  H.  Straub,  capt.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861;  pro.  to  1st 

lieut.  Nov.  19,  1861  ;  to  capt.  Aug.  1,  1862 ;  killed 

at  Antietam,  September  17,  1862. 
Andrew  J.  Stetson,  capt.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  pro 

2d  lieut,  Nov.    19,  1861;  to  1st  lieut.,  Aug.  1 

1862  ;  to  capt.,  March  1,  1863. 

Franklin  S.  Bickley,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 
resigned  Nov.  13,  1861. 

Jacob  V.  Shilling,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 
pro.  to  1st  sergt.  Jan.  7, 1862  ;  to  2d  lieut.  Aug.  1, 
1862;  to  1st  lieut.,  (let.  1,  1862;  killed  at  Fred- 
ericksburg, Dec.  13,  1862. 

Albert  Briner,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  pro. 
to  1st  sergt.,  Aug.  1,  1862 ;  to  1st  lieut.,  March  1, 
1863. 

George  B.  Davis,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  June  7, 1861 ;  pro. 
to  sergt.,  Aug.  1,  1862 ;  to  2d  lieut.,  March  6, 
1863. 

Abra'm  B.  Yocum,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861  ; 
pro.  to  Corp.,  Nov.  20,   1861 ;  to  sergt.,  Jan.  1, 

1863  ;  to  1st  sergt.,  May  1,  1863. 

James  Schrader,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  June  11,  1861  ; 

pro.  to  sergt.,  March  1,  1862 ;  to  1st  sergt.,  Oct.  1, 

1862 ;  killed  at  Fredericksburg,  Dec.  13,  1862. 
David  Hollenback,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ; 

pro.  to  1st  sergt.,  Nov.  20,  1861. 
Wm.  K.  Leaman,  sergt.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.,  Nov.  20,  1861 ;  to  sergt.,  Jan.  1,  1863. 
Franklin  Trussel,  sergt.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.,  Aug.  1,  1862;  to  sergt.,  Jan.  1,  1863. 
Levi   Boyer,  sergt.,  must,   in   June  7,  1861 ;  pro.  to 

q.m.-sergt.,  Sept.  30,  1861. 
William  H.  Parker,  sergt.,  must.  July  21,   1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.,  March  20,  1863  ;  to  sergt.,  Jan.  1,  1863  ; 

trans,  to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.,  July  4,  1864. 
Francis  Eisenbeis,  sergt.,  must,  in  July  18, 1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.   Aug.  1,   1862;  to  sergt.,  May  1,1863; 

trans,  to  54th  Eegt.  P.  V.,  July  4, 1864. 
John  A.  Price,  sergt.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  pro.  to 

sergt.,  Nov.  19, 1861 ;  killed  at  Charles  City  Cross- 
Roads,  June  30,  1862. 
John  N.  Smith,  sergt.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  pro.  to 

sergt.,  Aug.  1,  1862. 
H.  H.  Hemming,  corp.,  must,  in  July  18,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.,  Jan.  1,  1863. 
Nelson  G.  Sheeder,  corp.,  must,  in  June  11,  1861 ; 

pro.  to  Corp.,  Jan.  1,  1863. 
Lewis  F.  Henderson,  corp.,  must,  in  June  11,  1861 ; 

pro.  to  corp.,  Jan.  1,  1863. 
William  Carlin,  corp.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  pro.  to 

Corp.,  Jan.  1,  1863. 
William  S.  Lamb,  corp.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  Corp.,  Jan  1,  1863. 


Peter  B.   Keehn,  corp.,  must,  in  June  11,  1861;  pro. 

to  corp.,  Jan.  1,  1863. 
Adam  F.  Waid,  corp.,  must,  in  July  13,  1861 ;  pro.  to 

to  corp,,  Jan.  1,  1863 ;  trans,  to  54th  Regt.  P.  V., 

July  4,  1864. 
Ephr'm   Strohecker,   corp.,  must,   in   June   7,   1861; 

died  at  Washington,  D.  C,  March  19,  1862. 
John  G.  Bland,  corp.,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  pro.  to 

corp.,  Nov.   20,   1861 ;  killed  at  Fredericksburg, 

Dec.  13,  1862. 
Henry  Setley,  corp.,  must,  in  July  9.  1861 ;  pro.  to 

corp.,  March  1,  1862 ;  killed  at  Fredericksburg, 

Dec.  13,  1862. 
John  S.  Keever,  musician,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Charles  K.  Bechtel,  musician,  must,  in  July  21, 1861  ; 

pro.  to  principal  musician,  Sept.  1,  1862. 
M.  L.  Huntzberger,  musician,  must,  in  June  11, 1861; 

pro.  to  pi'incipal  musician,  July  1,  1863. 

Privates. 
Obediah  Achey,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  died 

at  Van  Clevesville,  W.  Va.,  March  25,  1864. 
Edward  Allen,  private,  must,  in  July  28,  1861 ;  trans. 

from  Co.  I. 
Henry  Barr,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Clark  Bishop,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Jeremiah  Boone,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Thomas  D.  Boone,  private,  must,  in  June  11,  1861. 
Charles  Boyer,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Philip  Billing,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.,  Dec.  10,  1862. 
Samuel  Bobst,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.,  Jan.  29,  1862. 
William  Broom,  private,  must,  in  Sept.  19,  1862 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.,  Feb.  1,  1863. 
Charles  H.  Barber,  private,  must,  in  July  13,  1861 

trans,  lo  54th  Regt.  P.  V.,  July  4,  1864;  vet. 
John  H.  Becker,  private,  must,   in   July  12,  1861 

trans,  to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.,  July  4,  1864. 
Wash'n  L.  Boyer,  private,  must,   in  June   7,  1861 

trans,  to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.,  July  4,  1864;  vet. 
Jefferson   Briner,   private,   must,   in   July  12,  1861 

trans,  to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.,  July  4,  1864. 
John  Babb,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  killed  at 

2d  Bull  Run,  August  30, 1862. 
David  Bechtel,  private,  must,  in  July  18,  1861 ;  mis. 

at  Charles  City  Cross-Roads,  June  30,  1862. 
Jacob  Bechtel,  private,  must,  in  July  18,  1861;  wd. 

and  mis.  at  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  Dec.  13,  1862. 
John  H.  Boyer,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Peter  Cunningham,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Josiah  Coller,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.,  March  25,  1863. 
James  Caldwell,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Samuel  Davies,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
De  Losier  De  Parson,  private,  must,  in  Sept.  30,  1862  ; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.,  March  1,  1863. 
Peter  Dehart,  private,  must,  in  July  13,  1861 ;  trans. 

to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.,  July  4,  1864. 


212 


HISTORY  OE  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Henry   Dengler,   private,   must,   in   Sept.   30,    1862; 

trans,  to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.,  July  4,  1864. 
James  Doty,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
David  C.  Epphimer,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ; 

pro.  to  com.-sergt,  March  1,  1864. 
William  Ellis,  private,  must,  in  Sept.  30, 1862  ;  trans. 

to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.,  July  4,  1864. 
Franklin  Ellis,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Josiah  Focht,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.,  Nov.  27,  1862. 
Edward  Frill,  private,  must,  in  June  11,  1861. 
David  Fisher,  private,  must,  in  Sept.  30,  1862 ;  must. 

out  June  23,  1865. 
Henry  Geiger,  private,  must,  in  June  11,  1861. 
William  S.  Good,  private,  must,  in  June  11,  1861. 
Reuben  G.  Gearhart,  private,  must,  in  June  11,  1861; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.,  Feb.,  1862. 
Emanuel   Good,   private,   must,   in   Sept.    19,   1862 ; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.,  July  25, 1863. 
Henry  S.   Good,   private,   must,  in   July  18,   1861 ; 

trans,  to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.,  July  4,  1864;  vet. 
William    Grath,   private,   must,   in   Aug.   26,   1862 ; 

trans,  to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.,  July  4,  1864. 
Alexander  Geiger,  private,  must,  in  July  13,  1861 ; 

killed  at  Bull  Run,  August  30,  1862. 
Alfred  Harner,  private,  must,  in  June  11,  1861. 
Sam'l  L.  Harrison,  private,  must,  in  June  11,  1861. 
Henry  Hoffman,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
James  L.  Hobson,  private,  must,  in  June  11,  1861  ; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.,  Nov.  24,  1862. 
Fred'k  Hendley,   private,  must,  in   June  11,   1861; 

killed  at  Antietam,  September  17,  1862. 
Jer'h  C.  Hunsberger,  private,  must,  in  July  13,  1861 ; 

wd.  and  pris.  at  Cloyd  Mountain,  West  Va.,  May 

9,1864. 
Albert  D.  Helmer,  private,  must,  in  July  12,  1861. 
Morgan  Kupp,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861;  pro. 

to  q.  m.  167th  regt.  P.  V.,  Dec.  11,  1862. 
William  Kelchner,  private,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1862  ; 

trans,  to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.,  July  4, 1864. 
Adam  F.  Kellar,  private,  must,  in  June  11,  1861. 
James  Long,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Henry  A.  Lorah,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Patrick  Lowrey,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Alexander  Lorah,  private,  must,  in  July  20,  1861  ; 

must,  out  Aug.  12,  1864. 
David  Levan,  private,  must,  in  Sept.  8,  1862. 
Henry  Lichtenfelt,  private,  must,  in  June  11,  1861. 
Samuel  Mann,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Nathaniel  Miles,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
William    Miller,    private,  must,    in   June  7,   1861  ; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.,  May  18,  1862. 
Jacob  Mellen,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  killed 

at  Gaines'  Mill,  June  27,  1862. 
Isaac  Moohn,  private,  must,  in  Sept.  30,  1862. 
Sam'l  McChalicher,  private,  must,  in  July  13,  1861 ; 

disch.  Nov.  27,  1862,  for  wounds  received  at  Bull 

Run,  Aug.  30,  1862. 


Heber  M'Cord,  private,  must,  in  July  18, 1861 ;  trans. 

to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.,  July  4,  1864. 
Geo.  A.  Raudenbush,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
William  Rank,  private,  must,  in  June  7,   1861 ;  died 

at   Fairfax   Seminary    Hospital,   Va.,   Sept.   24, 

1862. 
Joseph  Rorke,  private,  must,  in  July  13,  1861  ;  miss" 

ing  in  action  at  Charles  City  Cross-Roads,  June 

30,  1862. 
William  S.  Sagee,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Augustus  Sayboldt,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ; 

pro.  from  corp.  to  sergt.,  Nov.  19,  1861. 
Roland  G.  Scarlet,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Solomon  S.  Shaner,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Joseph  Slichter,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
John  Schiefley,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861;  disch. 

June  22,  1863,  for  wounds  received  at  Fredericks- 
burg, Dec.  13,  1862. 
Richard  Steeve,  private,  must,  in  June  7, 1861 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.,  April  10,  1862. 
Harrison   Shaffer,  private,  must,  in  Aug.  25,  1862 

trans,  to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.,  July  4,  1864. 
Henry  J.  Simmons,  private,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1862 

trans,  to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.,  July  4,  1864. 
Andrew  M.  Shepherd,  private,  must,  in  July  18, 1861 

trans,  to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.,  July  4,  1864. 
Cyrus  Schwartz,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  mis, 

in  action  at  Charles  City  Cross-Roads,  June  30, 

1862. 
George  Setley,  private,  must,  in  June  11,  1861;  died 

at  Stafford  C.  H.,  Va.,  Nov.  24,  1862. 
George  Shaffer,  private,  must,  in  Sept.  9,  1862. 
James   P.  Thomas,   private,   must,  in   Sept.  1,  1862 ; 

trans,  to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.,  July  4,  1864. 
Benj.  F.  Walker,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Henry  Wann,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Geo.  O.  Weigner,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861. 
Charles  E.  Wright,  private,   must,  in  June   7,  1861 ; 

wd.  and  mis.  in  action  at  Fredericksburg,  Dec. 

13,  1862. 
Charles  Wilkins,  private,  must,  in  July  18,  1861. 
Samuel  Yoder,  private,  must,  in  June  7,  1861 ;  disch. 

Nov.  28,  1862,  for  wounds  received  at  Bull  Run, 

Aug.  30,  1862. 

Company  F. — This  company  was  recruited 
in  Berks  County,  and  was  mustered  out  June 
17,  1864,  except  where  otherwise  mentioned. 

Washington  Richards,  capt.,  must,  in  June  11,  186i  ; 

trans,  to  Vet.  Res.  Corps  July  1,  1863;  resigned 

September  5,  1863. 
Albert  P.  Moulton,  capt.,  must  in  June  11,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  1st  lieut.  to  capt.  Sept.  15,  1863 ;  trans,  to 

Co.  M,  54th  Regt.,  P.  V.  July  4,  1864. 
Henry  S.  Moulton,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  July  28,  1861 ; 

pro.  to  2d  lieut.  Oct.  1, 1862  ;  to  1st  lieut.  Sept.  15, 

1863. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


213 


Albert  A.  Jamison,  2d  lieut.,  must,  iu  June  11,  1861; 

pro.  to  adjt.  June  24, 1861. 
Edward  K.  Moll,  2d  lieut,  must,  in  June  11,  1861 ; 

resigned  July  28,  1862. 
Benjamin  D.  Hemming,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  June  11, 

1861 ;  pro.  to  2d   lieut.  Sept.  16,  1863  ;  must,  out 

Sept.  27,1864. 
Isaac  Addis,  sergt.,  must,  in  June  11,  1861 ;  detached 

to  Bat.  G,  43d  Regt.  P.  V.;  disch.  Dec.  4,  1862. 
Daniel    Murphy,   sergt.,   must,    in   June   11,   1861  ; 

wounded  ;  disch.  March  4,  1863. 
Levi  Hoffmaster,   sergt.,   must,   in   June   11,   1861 ; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.  Dec.  9,  1862. 
Robert  Smith,  sergt.,  must,  in  June  20,  1861 ;  trans. 

to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864;  vet. 
John  Vandorn,  sergt.,  must,  in  June  11,  1861 ;  trans. 

to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864 ;  vet. 
Edward  Clater,  sergt.,  must,  in  June   11,  1861 ;  trans. 

to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864 ;  vet. 
James  M.  Phillips,  sergt.,   must,  in  June   11,  1861 ; 

trans,  to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864;  vet. 
John  M.  Biery,  sergt.,  must,  in  June  11,  1861 ;  trans. 

to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864;  vet. 
George  Able,  Corp.,  must,  in  June  11,  1861. 
Levan  Lehr,  corp.,  must,  in  June  27,  1861. 
Wellington  Miller,  corp.,  must,  in  June  11,  1861. 
John  P.  Douth,  musician,  must,  in  June  11,  1861. 
Calvin  Reedy,  musician,  must,  in  June  11,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  musician  Oct.  1,  1861. 

Privates. 

John  Andy,  must,  in  June  20,  1861 ;  must,  out  Oct. 

27,  1865,  to  date  June  18,  1864. 
Charles  Adler,  must,  in  July  18,  1861 ;  trans,  to  54th 

Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864 ;  vet. 
Jesse  Adams,  must,  in  June  20,  1861 ;  trans,  to   54th 

Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864;  vet. 
Henry  Acker,  must,  in  June  20,  1861  ;  killed  at  Fred- 
ericksburg, Dec.  13, 1862. 
John  Brown,  must,  in  June  11, 1861  ;  trans,  to  Vet. 

Res.  Corps  July  1,  1863. 
John  L.  Bard,  must,  in  June  20, 1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Sept.  1, 1862. 
William  P.  Butz,  must,  in  June  20,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Feb.  6, 1863. 
Henry  Bowman,  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  May  13, 1863. 
Edward  Blose,  must,  in  July  21,  1861 ;  trans,  to  54th 

Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864 ;  vet. 
Levi  Beechart,  must,  in  July  17,  1861 ;  trans,  to  54th 

Regt.  P.  V.  July  1,  1864 ;  vet. 
Levi  Bernheisel,  must,   in   June   11,  1861  ;  trans,  to 

54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864;  vet. 
William  Borman,   trans,  to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4, 

1864;  vet. 
Henry  Boger,  must,  in  June  27, 1861 ;  trans,  to  Co.  K 

Oct.  2,  1861. 
John  A.  Becker,  must,  in  July  18,  1861;  died  at  Mill 

Creek,  Va.,  Sept.  19,  1862. 


Henry  Burkhart,   must,  in  June   11,1861;  killed  in 

action  July  10,  1862. 
Joseph  Bellas,  must,  in  June  27,  1861. 
Joseph  Connor,  must,  in  June  11,  1861.  ■ 
Allen  Christman,   must,  in  July  20,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864  ;  vet. 
Jacob  Cooper,  must,  in  June  11,  1861. 
Henry  Eisenboth,  must,  in   July  20, 1861 ;  disch.  by 

order  of  War  Dept.  Aug.  6,  1862. 
Henry  Ecknold,  must,  in   June   11,  1861;  trans,   to 

54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864 ;  vet. 
Daniel  Filbert,  must,  in   June   27,  1861  ;  wounded  ; 

disch.  June  20,  1862. 
Adam  Gilbert,  must,  in  June  11,  1861. 
Andrew  Gangwer,  must,  in   June  20,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864. 
James  Glennose,  must,  in  July  20, 1861 ;  trans,  to  54th 

Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864. 
James  Hartzel,  must,  in  June  28,  1861. 
Jacob  Heming,  must,  in  June  11, 1861. 
Rudy  Haverstick,   must,  in   June   11,1861;  died  at 

Easton,  Pa.,  July  10,  1861. 
Joseph   Herbrant,  must,  in   June   11, 1861 ;  died  at 

Washington,  Aug.  24,  1861 ;  buried   in  Military 

Asylum  Cemetery. 
Henry   Harsta,  must,  in   June  11,   1861 ;    killed   at 

Gaines'  Mill,  June  27, 1862. 
William  Henry,  must,  in  June  11,  1861. 
Mark  Hogan,  died  at  Philadelphia  Oct.  7,  1862. 
John  House. 
Joseph  Helbrick. 
.William   Jones,  must,  in  June   27,  1861 ;  wounded  ; 

disch.  Feb.  1,  1863. 
Henry  Jones,  must,  in  June  11,  1861 ;  killed  at  Antie- 

tam,  Sept.  17,  1862. 
Charles  Jennings,  must,  in   July  22,  1861 ;  trans,   to 

54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864 ;  vet. 
Edward  Killpatrick,  must,  iu  June  11, 1861 ;  trans,  to 

Vet.  Res.  Corps  July  1,  1863. 
Theo.  Killpatrick,  must,  in  June  11,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864 ;  vet. 
Thos.  Kochel,  must,  in  June  11,  1861 ;  trans,   to  54th 

Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864 ;  vet. 
John  H.  Killian,  must,  in   June  20, 1861 ;  killed  at 

Gaines'  Mill,  June  27,  1862. 
Manassah  Kline,  must,  in  June  20,  1861. 
John  Kelly,  must,  in  June  11,  1861. 
Willoughby  Labold,  must,  in  June  20,  1861. 
Pompelius  Lippi,  must,  in  June  20, 1861. 
Harrison   Lutz,  must,  in   June   11,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Oct.  27,  1865,  to  date  June  17,  1864. 
James   Leese,  must,  in   June  20,  1861 ;  killed  at  An- 

tietam,  Sept.  17,  1862. 
Franklin  Leh,  must,  in  July  8,  1861. 
Samuel  Miles,  must,  in  June  11, 1861. 
Eugene  Mertz,  must,  in  June  28,  1861 ;  trans,  to  54th 

Regt.  P.  V.  July  4, 1864;  vet. 
Adam  Mier,  must,  in   June  20,  1861 ;  trans,  to  54th 

Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864  ;  vet. 


214 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Monroe  Mertz,  must,  in  June  20,  1861. 

Lew.   D.   McFarland,  mustered   in   June  20,   1861  ; 

killed  at  Fredericksburg,  Dec.  13,  1862. 
George  S.  Neal,  must,  in  June  11, 1861 ;  trans,  to  54th 

Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864  ;  vet. 
Uriah  Nuuemacher,  must,  in  June  20,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864 ;  vet. 
Josephus  Ruth,  must,  in  July  18, 1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Dec.  1,  1862. 
Alexander  Rambo,  must,  in   June  11,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864;  vet. 
Peter  Rusk,  must,  in  July  18,  1861 ;  killed  at  Antie- 

tam,  Sept.  17,  1862. 
John  Ruhle,  must,  in  June  11,  1861. 
Cyrus  Reed,  must,  in  July  20,  1861. 
Andrew   Rohrer,   must,  in   Feb.    26,  1861  ;    not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
John  School,  must,  in  June  11, 1861. 
John  Silbeman,  must,  in  June  11, 1861. 
Levi  Schneer,  must,  in  June  11,  1861 ;  trans,  to  54th 

Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864 ;  vet. 
William  H.  Stotz,  must,  in   June  20,  1861  ;  trans,  to 

54th  Regt.  P.  V.  Julv  4,  1864;  vet. 
John  Seidere,  must,  in  June  28, 1861 ;  killed  at  Gaines' 

Mill,  June  27,  1862. 
John  Stadler,  must,  in  July  20, 1861. 
Joseph  Seidere,  must,  in  July  24,  1861. 
Hugh  Sweeny,  must,  in  July  15,  1861. 
John  H.  Stailnecker,  must,  in  July  18,  1861. 
Wm.  Tonia,  must,  in  June  20,  1861. 
Michael  Tracy,  must,  in  July  20,  1861. 
John  Trexler,  must,  in   July  12,  1861 ;  trans,  to  54th . 

Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864  ;  vet. 
Lewis  B.  Tice,  must,  in  June  11,  1861. 
Jacob  Trapold,  must,  in  June  11,  1861. 
William  Walters,  must,  in  June   11,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Sept.  1,  1862. 
Adam  Weber,  must,  in  June  27,  1861 ;  trans,  to  54th 

Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864  ;  vet. 
John  Wentzel,  must,  in  July  12,  1861  ;  trans,  to  54th 

Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864. 
Edward  Wild,  must,  in  July  20,  1861. 
Jacob  Whiteneck,  must,  in  June  11,  1861. 
Adolph  Zetze,  must,  in  June  11,  1861 ;  trans,  to  54th 

Regt.  P.  V.  July  4,  1864  ;  vet. 

THIRTY-SIXTH   REGIMENT. 

The  Thirty-Sixth  Eegiment  was  composed  of 
companies  recruited  in  several  counties  east  of 
the  Allegheny  Mountains.  Company  I  was 
made  up  of  men  recruited  in  Berks  and  Lebanon 
Counties.  The  regiment  was  mustered  into  ser- 
vice July  27, 1861.  It  was  not  engaged  in  any 
fighting  until  the  latter  part  of  June,  1862,  when 
it  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Gaines'  Mill.  It 
occupied  the  left  of  the  line.  Its  next  engage- 
ment was  at  Charles  City  Cross-Eoads,  June 


30,  1862.  It  passed  through  seven  days  of 
fighting,  and  upon  mustering  the  regiment  only 
two  hundred  men  were  present  to  answer  to 
their  names.  It  was  also  engaged  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Antietam,  Fredericksburg  and  the 
Wilderness.  Nearly  the  entire  regiment  was 
captured  in  the  latter  battle,  and  the  men  were 
imprisoned  at  Anderson ville.  The  regiment 
was  mustered  out  of  service  June  16,  1864. 
The  following  men  in  Company  I  were  from 
Berks  County,  recruited  at  Reading  : 

Joseph  G.   Holmes,   capt.,   must,    in   May  10,  1861 ; 

pro.  to  capt.  Nov.  7,  1861. 
Aaron  Zeigler,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  May  28,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  1st  lieut.  July  5,  1862. 
J.  H.  G.  Marquette,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  May  20,  1861 ; 

must,  out  with  company  June  16,  1864. 
Wm.  Harmon,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  June  1,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  2d  lieut.  July  1,  1862. 
Edward   F.   Smith,  sergt.,   must,   in   May  26,  1861  ; 

wounded  June  30,  1862;  disch.  on  surg.  certif. 

March  5,  1863. 
Wm.  R.Smith,  sergt.,  must,  in  July  7, 1861 ;  wounded 

at  South  Mountain  Sept.  14, 1862;  disch.  on  sur 

certif.  Feb.  1863. 
Peter  S.  Haintz,  sergt.,  must,  in  July  7, 1861 ;  missing 

in  action  at  Wilderness  May  5,  1864. 
Wm.  Vancamp,  sergt.,  must,  in  May  26,  1861 ;  cap- 
tured May  5,  1864;  disch.  June  16,  1865. 
Edward  O.   Geiger,  corp.,  must,  in  May  26,  1861; 

must,  out  with  company  June  16,  1864. 
Henry  C.  Housum,  Corp.,  must,  in  May  26,  1861; 

wounded  at  Gaines'  Mill  June  27,  1862 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  Jan.  14,  1863. 
Peter  F.  Seaman,  corp.,  must,  in  July  7,  1861  ;  pris- 
oner from  May  5,  1864,  to  Feb.  27,  1865. 
Jos.  Vondrock,  corp.,  must,  in  May  26,  1861 ;  died  at 

Point  Lookout,  Md.,  July  25,  1862. 
Oliver  Vondrock,  musician,  must,  in  July  15,  1861 ; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.. Oct.  15,  1862. 
Privates. 
Alonzo  Auberton,  must,  in  May  26,  1861 ;  missing  in 

action  at  Wilderness  May  5,  1864. 
Charles  August,   must,   in   July   18,   1861;    died  of 

wounds  received  at  Bull  Run  Aug.  30,  1862. 
Lewis  Bournman,  must,  in  July  17,  1861 ;  died  May 

12, 1863. 
George  Becker,  must,  in  May  26,  1861 ;  killed  at  An- 
tietam Sept.  17,  1862. 
John  Drom,  must,  in  May  26,1861;  missing  in  action 

at  Fredericksburg  Dec.  13,  1862. 
Frederick  Fey,  must,  in  May  26,  1861  ;  died  Aug.  7, 

1862  ;  buried  in  Cypress  Hill  Cem.,  L.  I. 
Cornelius  Gerhart,  must,  in  May  26,  1861 ;  wounded 

at  Gaines'  Mill ;  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  Jan.  16, 

1863.     • 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


215 


Jeremiah  Horner,  must,  in  May  26, 1861 ;  missing  in 

action  at  Wilderness  May  5,  1864. 
Wm.  J.  Haines,  must,  in  June  1, 1863  ;  prisoner  from 

May  5,  1864,  to  Feb.  28,  1865 ;  disch.  July  17, 

1865. 
Frederick  Hertzel,  must,  in  July  7,  1861 ;  prisoner 

May  5,1864;  died  at  Anderson ville  Oct.  26, 1864; 

grave  11,481. 
Alfred  B.  Meek,  must,  in  July  7,  1861 ;  missing  in 

action  at  Wilderness  May  5,  1864 ;  veteran. 
Aaron  Miller,  must,  in  July  7,  1861 ;  missing  in  ac- 
tion at  Wilderness  May  5,  1864 ;  veteran. 
Lawrence  Roesler,  must,  in  May  23,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

Vet.  Ees.  Corps  Oct.  7,  1863. 
W.  H.  Rothenberger,  must,  in  July  7, 1861  ;  killed  at 

Charles  City  Cross-Roads  June  30,  1862. 
John  Stehle,  must,  in  July  16,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  May  31,  1864. 
Jacob  T.  Strohecker,  must,  in  May  26,  1861 ;  trans. 

to  190th  Regt.  P.  V.  May  31,  1864  ;  veteran. 
Alfred  Shappel,  must,  in  July  7,  1861 ;  missing  in  ac- 
tion at  Wilderness  May  5,  1864. 
F.  Shollenberger,   must,  in   July   7,   1861  ;    died   of 

wounds  received  at  Antietam  Sept.  17,  1862. 
John  Ulmer,  must,  in  July  16,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  October  8,  1862. 
John   Weikamp,   must,   in   May  26,  1861 ;  must,  out 

with  company  June  16,  1864. 

FORTY-FOURTH   REGIMENT   (FIRST   CAVALRY). 

The  Forty-fourth  Regiment,  or  First  Cav- 
alry, was  recruited  in  a  number  of  counties — 
Company  M  in  Berks  Connty,  and  Company 
L  in  Berks,  Lebanon  and  Lancaster  Counties. 
Company  L  was  mustered  into  service  as  an 
independent  company  on  July  30,  1861,  and 
was  stationed  at  Baltimore  for  five  months,  and 
Company  M  was  mustered  into  service  August 
5,  1861,  and  was  stationed  at  same  place  until 
October  3d.  On  January  7th  these  companies 
joined  their  regiment  and  moved  with  the  army 
towards  Manassas.  They  were  engaged  in  the 
battles  of  Strasburg,  Woodstock,  Harrisonburg 
and  Fredericksburg  during  the  year  1862 ;  and 
afterward,  in  1863,  in  the  battles  of  Brandy 
Station,  Beverly  Ford  and  Aldie.  They  were 
also  concerned  in  Sheridan's  raid  upon  Rich- 
mond, during  the  spring  of  1864,  in  which 
they  encountered  the  enemy  in  a  number  of 
engagements,  and  in  the  following  summer  they 
were  engaged  in  fighting  with  the  enemy  at 
Saint  Mary's  Church,  Malvern  Hill,  Gravel 
Hill  and  Ream's  Station.  On  August  29, 1864, 
they  were  encamped  on  the  Jerusalem  Plank- 


Road,  near  the  left  of  the  army.  Their  term 
of  service  having  expired,  an  order  was  issued 
for  their  relief  from  duty.  They  withdrew 
from  the  front  September  1st,  and  proceeded  to 
Philadelphia,  where  they  were  mustered  out  of 
service  September  9,  1864. 

Company  L. — This  company  was  recruited 
at  Reading,  and  was  mustered  out  September  9, 
1864,  except  where  otherwise^mentioned. 

J.  C.  A.  Hoffeditz,  capt.,  must,  in  July  28,  1861 ;  re- 
signed April  16,  1862. 
William  A.  Sands,  capt.,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  1st  lieut.  April  16, 1862;  captured  June  21, 

1864 ;  must,  out  Dec.  19,  1864. 
Henry  S.  Gaul,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  July  30, 1861 ;  pro. 

from  2d  lieut.  April  19,  1862. 
C.  A.Litchenthaller,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  July  30, 1861 ; 

pro.  from  sergt.  April  19,  1862;  resigned  June 

25,  1863. 
David  S.  Buxton,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  July  30,  1861  ; 

wounded  in  action  Dec.  27, 1863 ;  pro.  from  sergt. 

March  7,  1864;  wounded  and  prisoner  June  21, 

1864 ;  died  in  Libby  Prison,  Richmond,  Va.,  July 

5, 1864. 
Cyrus  Bentz,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  Oct.  6,  1861. 
Jer.  K.  Rhoads,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.  March  10,  1863. 
Benj.  F.  Hull,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  sergt.  June  28,  1863. 
Daniel   Howder,  q.m.-sergt.,  must,  in  July  30,  1861  ; 

captured  June  21,  1864;  absent  at  muster  out. 
Augustus  Rhoads,  com. -sergt.,  must,  in  July  30, 1861; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.  March  10,  1863. 
John  Howder,  com.-sergt.,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ; 

trans,  to  battal.  Sept.  9,  1864 ;  veteran. 
W.  D.  Kofenhaver,  sergt.,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.  Nov.  8,  1861. 
Benj.  F.  Bright,  sergt.,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  disch. 

by  order  Sec.  of  War,  March  25,  1863. 
George  Kemp,  sergt.,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  died 

July  17,  1863  ;  burial  record,  July  18,  1863. 
Michael   Donovan,  sergt,  must,   in   July   30,  1861; 

killed  at  Brandy  Station,  Va.,  June  9,  1863. 
James   N.  Hunter,   sergt.,   must,   in   July   30,  1861 ; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.  Nov.  8,  1863. 
Joseph  Buck,  sergt.,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  missing 

in  action  June  21,  1864.  , 

Milton  Hoffeditz,  sergt.,  must,  in  Dec.  15, 1861 ;  trans. 

to  battal.  Sept.  9,  1864. 
Samuel  H.  Shiffert,  sergt.,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ; 

pro.  from  corp.  July  22, 1863. 
William   A.  Tobias,  sergt.,  must,  in  July   30, 1861 ; 
pro.  from  corp.  July  22, 1863  ;  absent,  in  hospital , 
at  muster  out. 


216 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Peter  Dasher,  sergt.,  must.in  July  30, 1861 ;  pro.  from 

corp.  July  22,  1863. 
B.  G.  Pretzman,  corp.,  must,  in  July  30,  1861;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  June  27, 1862. 
John  Guires,  corp.,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Dec.  9,  1862. 
John  Kramer,  corp.,  must,  in  July  30, 1861 ;  wounded 

at  Culpeper,  Va.,  Sept.  13,   1863;  killed  in  ac- 
■  tion  June  21,  1864. 
John  H.  Johnson,  corp.,  must,  in  July  30, 1861 ;  capt- 
ured June  9,  1863,  at  Brandy  Station,  Va.,  and 

June   21,   1864;    trans,  to  battal.  Sept.  9,   1864; 

veteran. 
Thomas   Wendling,   corp.,   must,   in  July  30,  1861 ; 

captured;  died  Jan.  23,  1864;  buried  at  Rich- 
mond, Va.;  veteran. 
Robert   M.  Devine,  corp.,   must,   in   July   30,  1861 ; 

trans,  to  battal.  Sept.  9,  1864 ;  veteran. 
Dewilla  PI.  Long,   corp.,   must,   in   July  30,   1861 ; 

trans,  to  battal.  Sept.  9,  1864;  veteran. 
John  M.  Algier,  corp.,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  Oct.,  1863. 
David  Mundshower,  corp.,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ; 

pro.  to  corp.  Oct.  1863. 
Francis  M.  Coover,  corp.,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  Oct.,  1863. 
George  Kesler,  bugler,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  trans. 

to  battal.  Sept.  9,  1864;  veteran. 
Wm.  W.  Warner,  bugler,  must,  in   July  30,  1861; 

trans,  to  battal.  Sept.  9,  1864;  veteran. 
M.  A.  Bertolette,  bugler,  must,  in  Feb.  5,  1864;  trans. 

to  battal.  Sept.  8,  1864. 

Privates. 

Daniel  Addis,  must,  in   July  30,    1861;  wounded   at 

Brandy  Station,  Va.,  June  9,  1863. 
James  Angstadt,   must,  in   Feb.   6,   1864;  trans,   to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864. 
Elias  Allgaier,   must,   in    Feb.   12,   1864;    trans,   to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864. 
Samuel  Bilman,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
William  Burns,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
John  O.  Burkman,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
Peter  B.  Buck,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
Isaac  Bobst,  must,  in  Feb.  6,1864;  captured  June  21, 

1864;  trans,  to  battal.  Sept.  9,   1864;  must,  out 

with  Co.  L  by  G.  O.  Aug.  7,  1865. 
Franklin  Brenizer,  must.in  Feb.  6,  1864;   captured 

June  21,  1864;  trans,  to  battal.  Sept.  9,  1864. 
Hugh  W.  Black,  must,  in  July    30,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864 ;  pro.   to  sergt.  Co.   L  Dec. 

15, 1864;  must,  out  June  20,  1865;  veteran. 
John  Brown,  must,  in  Aug.  17,  1863;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864. 
Thomas    Bower,   must,  in   Feb.   6,   1864;    trans,   to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864. 
John  Black,  must,  in   July   30,  1861 ;  died  April  25 

1862. 


Aaron  E.  Bachman,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  captured 

Dec.  1,  1863 ;  must,  out  May  31,  1865. 

H.  H.  Brownmiller,  must,  in   Jan.  1,  1864 ;  wounded 

June   21,    1864;     pro.    to     corp.  Co.   L   battal., 

March  4, 1865  ;  must,  out  June  20,  1865  ;  veteian. 

James  Conrad,  must,  in  Feb.  3,  1864;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864. 
Henry   Derrick,  must,   in    July   30,   1861 ;  wounded 

Nov.  27,  1863. 
Jago  Doyle,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
Isaac  S.  Dissenger,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Nov.  3,  1861. 
Daniel  K.  Dixon,  must,  in  Feb.  6,   1864;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9, 1864. 
John  H.  Doyle,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  captured  at 
Cedar  Mountain,  Va.,   Aug.   9,  1862 ;  killed   in 
action  June  21,  1864. 
Peres  S.  Fisher,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
Urias  Fink,  must,  in  July  30,  1861;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864;  veteran. 
Geo.  W.  Fincher,  must,  in  July,  30,  1861 ;  pro.  to 

q.m. -sergt.  Nov.  1,  1864;  veteran. 
George  P.  Froese,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  killed  in 

action  May  23, 1864. 
Daniel  Folk,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
Patrick  Fagan,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
James  Garis,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
Daniel  A.  Geiger,  must,  in  Feb.  6,   1864  ;  captured 

June  21,  1864 ;  trans,  to  battal.  Sept.  9,  1864. 
Charles  Gries,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864. 
James  Glasscr,  must,  in  Feb.  6, 1864;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864. 
John  Gross,  must,  in  Feb.  6,  1864;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864. 
Thomas  Glenney,   must,   in   Feb.  6,  1864;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864. 
Jer.  Gromlich,  must,  in  July  20, 1861 ;  killed  in  action 

Nov.  17,  1863. 
Hamilton  Gehert,  must,  in   July  30,    1861;  prisoner 
from  July  11   to  Dec.  10,  1864;  must   out  Feb. 
27,  1865. 
Abram  Horrock,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
Mahlon  G.  Hoyer,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
Charles  L.  Harrison,  must,  in  July  30,   1861  ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  May  6,  1862. 
Peter  Hummel,   must,   in   July    30,  1861  ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Dec.  16,  1861. 
Joseph    Holster,   must,  in    Feb.   4,    1864;   trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9, 1864. 
John   Herring,   must,   in   Feb.  11,  1864;    trans,    to 

battal.  Sept.  9,1864. 
Amos  Hafer,  must,  in  Feb.  4,   1864 ;  trans,  to  battal. 
Sept.  9, 1864. 

George  Huyett,  must,  in  Feb.  5, 1864 ;  trans,  to  battal. 
Sept.  9,  1864. 

Samuel  Hendricks,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864 ;  trans,  to 
battal.  Sept.  9, 1864. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


217 


Reuben  Homan,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 

Robert  F.  Irwin,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864;  veteran. 
Wm.  H.   Irwin,  must,   in  July  30,  1861;   trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864 ;  pro.  to  corp.  Co.  L  Jan.  1, 

1865;  must,  out  June  20,  1865  ;  veteran. 
George  W.  James,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  captured 

June  21,  1864 ;  trans,   to  battal.  Sept.   9,  1864 ; 

pro.  to  corp.  Co.  L  Nov.  1, 1864 ;  must,  out  June 

20, 1865 ;  veteran. 
John  Jackson,  must,  in  Feb.  6,  1864;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864. 
Robert  W.  Jackson,  must,  in  Feb.  11,  1864;  killed 

in  action  June  21,  1864. 
Thomas  Knauss,  must,  in  July  30,  1861  ;  captured  at 

Cedar  Mountain,  Va.,  Aug.  9,  1862 ;  wounded  in 

action  Nov.  27,  1863. 
John  A.  Kerns,  must,  in   July  30,  1861  ;  disch.   on 

surg.  certif.  Dec.  8,  1862. 
Lewis  KarShsarf,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Nov.  17, 1863. 
Jonas  Keller,  must,  in  Feb.  5,  1864  ;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864. 
Edwin  Kerling,  must,  in   Feb.   13,  1864;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9, 1864. 
J.  H.  A.  Lindemuth,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
Albert  S.  Levan,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
Thomas  Lindley,  must,  in  July  10,  1863  ;  wounded  at 

Culpeper  C.  H.,  Va.,  Sept.  13,   1863;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  June  15,  1864. 
Henry  W.  Loy,  must,   in  July   30,  1861;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9, 1864. 
William  B.  Leister,  must,  in  Feb.  6,  1864 ;  wounded 

inaction  July  28,  1864;  trans,  to  battal.  Sept.  9, 

1864. 
William  D.  Lotz,  must,  in  Feb.  4,  1864;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864. 
Cyrus  Lesher,  must,  in  Feb.  11, 1864;  trans,  to  Battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864;  must,  out  May  14,  1864. 
Joseph  R.  Lacy,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  died  Dec.  3, 

1863;  buried  at  Culpeper  C.  H.,  block   1,  sec.  A, 

row  1,  grave  23, 
Henry  Minker,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
Adam  Moyer,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864;  veteran. 
Andrew  McElwee,  must,  in  March  30,  1863  ;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864. 
John  McLellen,   must,  in   Feb.    6,   1864;    trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864. 
Charles  H.  Millet,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1864;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864. 
John  Miller,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;   died  Oct.  13, 

1863. 
Henry  Machamer,  must,  in  Nov.  28,  1861 ;  died  April 

7,  1862 ;  buried  in   Military  Asylum   Cemetery, 

D.  C. 
Aug.  R.  Noacker,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
John  Newkirk,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
25 


Peter  Noll,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;   disch.  on   surg. 

certif.  April  24,  1862. 
Samuel  Ness,  must,  in  Dec.  12,  1861;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Dec.  19,  1862. 
Samuel  M.  Pfleager,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;    absent, 

on  detached  service,  at  muster  out. 
Isaac  Porter,  must,  in  March  30,  1863 ;  trans,  to  bat- 
tal. Sept.  9,  1864. 
George  Patterson,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  died  Dec. 

21,  1862;   burial  record,  Dec.  31,  1862,  buried  at 

Point  Lookout,  Md. 
Joseph  F.  Rodgers,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
Jacob  Roland,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
Daniel  L.  Ringler,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
Joseph  Ritter,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Dec.  11,  1863. 
Effinger  Rhodes,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;   disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Dec.  19,  1862. 
Daniel  H.  Ruth,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;    disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Dec.  16,  1861. 
W.  A.  Rightmeyer,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864 ;  vet. 
Henry  S.  Rudy,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;    trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864;  vet. 
H.  R.  Reifsnyder,  must,  in  Feb.  3,  1864;    trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864. 
Jacob  Ringler,  must,  in  Feb.  3,  1864;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864. 
Thomas  Ramer,  must,  in  Feb.  11,  1864;  trans,  to  bat- 
tal. Sept.  9,  1864. 
Jacob  H.  Reber,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  died  Aug.  8, 

1864. 
Levi  Reeder,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  died  Sept.  10, 

1862. 
Samuel  P.  Reed,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  wounded  in 

action  June  21,  1864;  died  Aug.  3,  1864;  buried 

at  Philadelphia ;  vet. 
Richard  Reinhold,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
John  Raudenbush,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
Daniel  Reed,  must,  in  Feb.  6,  1864;    captured  June 

25,  1864;  not  on  muster-out  roll. 
J.  W.  Reinoehl,  must,  in  April  4, 1864 ;  not  on-  muster- 
out  roll. 
D.  B.  Reifsnyder,  must,  in  Feb.  3,  1864 ;  not  on  mus- 
ter-out roll. 
Lewis  Sherman,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;    disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Aug.  11,  1861. 
Aaron  Stamm,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Nicholas  Seyfert,  must,  in  July  30,  1 861 ;    disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Dec.  16,  1861. 
Samuel   Schmale,  must,  in   July  30,  1.861 ;    trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,1864;    must,  out  Aug.  9,  1865; 

vet. 
Isaac  Seiders,  must,  in  July  30, 1861 ;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,1864;  vet. 
James  Sanders,  must,  in  Feb.  6, 1864 ;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864. 
Jesse  W.  Strasser,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1864 ;    trans,  to 


I 


218 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


battal.  Sept.  9, 1864 ;  must,  out  by  G.  0.  Aug.  10, 
1865. 
David  Snyder,  must,  in  Feb.  6, 1864;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9, 1864. 
Reuben  Smith,  must,  in  Feb.  4,  1864;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864. 
Jonathan  Sanders,  must,  in  Feb.  6,  1864 ;    trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9, 1864. 
George  F.  Sanders,  must,  in  Feb.  6,  1864 ;   trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864. 
Martin  Scheirer,  must,  in   Feb.  11,  1864 ;    trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864. 
Henry  E.  Seiders,  must,  in   Feb.  1,  1864 ;    trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864. 
James  Sedar,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864 ;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9, 1864. 
John  Stoltz,  must,  in  Jan.  1, 1864;  captured  June  21, 

1864 ;  not  on  muster-out  roll ;  vet. 
George  Vernervault,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;   killed 

in  action  May  28,  1864. 
Eeuben  Wagner,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
George  P.  Wilson,  must,  in  July  30,  1861. 
August  H.  Warner,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,1864;  vet. 
Juliu3  Wideman,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1863 ;    trans,  to 

battal.  1st  Pa.  Cav.  Sept.  9,  1864. 
Barney  Winne,  must,  in  Dec.  7, 1863;  trans,  to  battal. 

1st  Pa.  Cav.  Sept.  9,  1864. 
William  Werkes,  must,  in  July  30,  1861 ;  died  Sept. 

27,  1863. 
Jesse  W.  Wise,  must,  in  Nov.  17,  1863. 
James  Watson,  must,  in  Feb.  16, 1864 ;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 
George  S.  Zimmerman,  must,  in  Dec.  30,  1861 ;  trans. 

to  battal.  1st  Pa.  Cav.  Sept.  9,  1864. 

Captain  J.  C.  A.  Hoffeditz  is  of  German 
descent.  His  father  was  the  Rev.  Theodore  L. 
Hoffeditz,  D.D.,  who  was  born  near  Karls- 
haafen*  in  Germany,  in  1780.  He  there  ob- 
tained an  education,  learned  the  trade  of  a  piano- 
maker  and  emigrated  to  America  when  eighteen 
years  of  age.  He  located  at  Reading  and  car- 
ried on  his  trade  for  some  years,  when  he  took 
up  the  study  of  theology  at  Philadelphia.  Sev- 
eral years  afterward  he  was  duly  ordained  as  a 
minister  in  the  Reformed  Church,  and  then 
receiving  calls  to  preach  for  five  congregations 
in  Northampton  and  Monroe  Counties,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  the  former  and  there  fixed  his  resi- 
dence. He  preached  with  great  success  in  those 
counties  for  forty-six  years,  till  his  decease.  He 
died  in  1856,  aged  seventy-six  years.  Some 
years  before  he  died,  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Divinity  was  conferred  upon  him  by  the  Synod 


of  the  German  Reformed  Church.  He  was  a 
well-known  and  distinguished  minister  of  the 
Gospel.  He  acted  as  the  first  presiding  officer 
of  the  meeting  of  the  United  Synod  of  this 
church,  which  was  held  at  Mifflinburg,  Pa. 
He  was  married  to  Julia  Roth,  of  Northampton 
County,  and  had  thirteen  children,  of  whom 
eight  survive  him, — Louisa,  Theodore  (who 
became  a  minister),  Maria  (married  to  Rev. 
George  Weber),  C.  W.  Lorenzo,  Pauline,  John 
Christian  A.,  William  B.  and  Emma  J.  (mar- 
ried to  Rev.  Eli  Keller). 

John  C.  A.  Hoffeditz  was  born  April  5,1826, 
in  Upper  Mount  Bethel  township,  Northampton 
County.  After  having  been  sent  to  school  in 
that  township  till  his  twelfth  year,  he  became  a 
pupil  of  the  Moravian  school  at  Nazareth, 
familiarly  known  as  the  "Nazareth  Hall." 
Upon  completing  his  studies  there-  he  removed 
to  Carbon  County  and  devoted  four  years  to 
acquiring  the  trade  of  a  tanner.  He  then  pur- 
sued this  vocation  at  Easton  for  a  year,  after 
which  he  settled  at  Reading  and  carried  on  the 
mercantile  business.  In  1880  he  associated  with 
his  son,  J.  Calvin  Hoffeditz,  in  the  manufacture 
of  carriages,  they  together  erecting  for  the  pur- 
pose an  extensive  four-story  brick  factory  and 
warehouse,  and  continued  in  this  enterprise  for 
several  years. 

Several  months  after  the  Rebellion  had 
begun,  and  just  after  the  disastrous  battle  of 
Bull  Run,  when  the  whole  country  was  alarmed 
over  the  defeat  of  our  army,  he  raised  a  company 
of  cavalry,  called  the  "  Reading  Troop,"  and 
became  its  captain.  He  offered  the  services  of 
his  company  to  the  national  government  by 
telegram  to  General  Simon  Cameron,  Secretary 
of  War,  and  it  was  the  first  company  of  cavalry 
from  Pennsylvania  accepted  by  him  for  military 
service  in  the  Civil  War.  He  reported  for  duty 
and  it  was  attached  to  the  Forty-fourth,  or  First 
Cavalry  Regiment  of  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 
as  Company  L.  He  continued  in  command  of 
the  company  till  sickness  obliged  him  to  resign 
his  commission.  His  resignation  was  accepted 
April  6)((J862.  Upon  returning  to  Reading  he 
acted  for  some  time  as  deputy  provost  marshal  of 
the  Eighth  Pennsylvania  District,  comprising 
the  county  of  Berks. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


219 


In  polities  he  is  an  ardent  Republican,  fre- 
quently taking  an  active  part  in  the  conventions 
of  this  party.  The  school  affairs  of  the  city 
have  received  his  earnest  attention.  He  is  now 
representing  his  ward  (the  Seventh)  in  the 
school  board.  His  enterprise  in  behalf  of  the 
city  improvements  led  him  to  organize  the 
"  Eeading  Electric  Light  and  Power  Company," 


this  extensive  and  influential  organization.  He 
is  a  charter  member  of  McLean  Post,  No.  16, 
and  also  of  Keim  Post,  No.  76,  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic.  He  is  connected  with 
St.  Paul's  Memorial  Reformed  congregation  at 
Reading,  having  been  a  member  of  the  church 
for  many  years. 

On  July  24,  1853,  he  was  married  to  Emma 


for  the  purpose  of  supplying  Reading  with  a 
light  superior  to  gas,  and  he  filled  the  office  of 
president  of  the  company  for  the  first  year. 

Captain  Hoffeditz  is  a  prominent  and  highly 
respected  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  in 
this  community.  He  is  connected  with  four 
lodges  of  the  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, — Chan- 
dler Lodge,  No.  227 ;  Reading  Chapter,  No. 
152;  De  Molay  Commandery,  No.  9;  and 
Reading  Council,  No.  16.  He  has  received  the 
Thirty-third  Degree,  "  Right  of  Memphis,"  in 


H.,  daughter  of  Michael  Reifsnyder,  of  Reading. 
They  had  four  children, — John  Calvin,  Theo- 
dore M.,  William  C.  and  Rosa  M.,  all  of  whom 
have  died  excepting  the  first. 

Company  M. — This  company  was  recruited 
at  Reading,  and  was  mustered  out  September  9, 
1864,  except  where  otherwise  mentioned, — 

Thomas  S.  Richards,  capt.,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ; 

pro.  to  maj.  May  5,  1862. 
Hamp.  S.  Thomas,  capt.,  must,  in  Aug.  1,  1861 ;  pro. 

from.  1st  lieut.  Co.  G  May  1, 1862;   detached  as 


220 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


A.  A.  I.  G.  1st  Brig.  April,   1863 ;    trans,  to  Co. 

M  battal.  Sept.  9,  1864;  pro.  to  maj.  Jan.  4, 1865; 

to  bvt.  lieut.-col.  and  bvt.  col.  April  5, 1865;  trans. 

to  2d  Regt.  Prov.  Cav.  June  17,  1865. 
John  Hill,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Aug.,  1861. 
George  D.  Leaf,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  11,  1861 ; 

resigned  Feb.  3,  1863. 
Henderson  Sample,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Dec.  30,  1861 ; 

pro.  from  2d  lieut.  Feb.  12,  1863 ;  resigned  Aug. 

12,  1864. 
A.  J.  Sbollenberger,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ; 

resigned  Dec,  1861. 
Joseph  S.  Wright,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ; 

pro.  from  sergt.  Feb.  12,  1863 ;  died  July  4, 1864, 

of  wounds  received  at  St.  Mary's  Church,  Va., 

June  24,  1864. 
Job  H.  Cole,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  pro.  to 

battal.  adjt.  May  5,  1862. 
J.  B.  Rothenberger,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ; 

pro.  from  sergt. ;  wounded  July  12,  1864 ;  trans. 

to  battal.  Sept.  9,  1864;  pro.  to  2d  lieut.  Co.  M 

March  4,  1865 ;    trans,  to   2d  Regt.  Prov.  Cav. 

June  17,  1865;  vet. 
Henry  P.  Smith,  q.m. -sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ; 

wounded  at  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  Dec.  12,  1862. 
Frederick  Munson,  com. -sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861 ; 

.    pro.  from  corp.  Oct.  1,  1862. 
James  R.  Smith,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861. 
Zachner  P.  Potts,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  Dec.  23,  1862. 
Abraham   B.  Kerst,  sergt.,  must,  in   Aug.  5,  1861  ; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.  Sept.  20,  1862. 
D.  B.  Shollenberger,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ; 

trans,  to  Vet.  Res.  Corps,  date  unknown. 
William  A.  Scott,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861;  trans. 

to  battal.  1st  Pa.  Cav. ;  vet. 
George  S.  Glisson,  sergt.,  must,  in   Aug.   5,   1861 ; 

wounded  in  action  May  28, 1864;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864;  pro.  to  sergt. -maj.;  to  2d  lieut.  Co. 

F  Dec.  18, 1864 ;  to  1st  lieut.  Co.  L  March  4, 1865 ; 

must,  out  June  21,  1865  ;  vet. 
Emanuel  R.  Britton,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ; 

wounded  in  action  Nov.  27,  1863 ;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864;    pro.  to  2d  lieut.  Co.  M  Oct.  20, 

1864;    to  1st  lieut.  Feb.  20,  1865;    trans,  to  2d 

Regt.  Prov.  Cav.  June  17,  1865;  vet. 
Charles  B.  Miller,  sergt.,  must,  in  Nov.  21,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  corp.;   wounded  in  action  Aug.  14,  1864; 

trans,  to  battal.  Sept.  9,  1864;  vet. 
James  R.  Aten,   sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  corp.  April  1,  1863. 

W.  R.  Shollenberger,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861; 
disch.  on  surg.  certif.  May  18,  1862. 

N.  T.  Baer,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861 ;  pro.  to  corp. 
Jan.  1,  1862;  died  Aug.  29,  1862;  burial  record, 
Aug.  2,  1862,  at  Alexandria;  grave  122. 

William  A.  Harper,  corp.,  must  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  pro. 


to  corp.  March  1,  1863 ;  missing  at  Brandy  Sta- 
tion, Va.,  June  9,  1863. 

Charles  Morrissey,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  pro. 
to  corp.  Jan.  1,  1864;  captured  at  St.  Mary's 
Church,  Va.,  June  24,  1864 ;  trans.  -  to  battal. 
Sept.  9,  1864;  must,  out  Aug.  8,  1865  ;  vet. 

Abr.  Shollenberger,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861 ;  trans, 
to  battal.  Sept.  9,  1864;  vet. 

Henry  F.  Williams,  corp.,  must,  in  Jan.  8, 1862;  trans, 
to  battal.  Sept.  9,  1864;  must,  out  as  sergt.  Co. 
M  June  20,  1865;  vet. 

Anton  Wolf,  corp.,' must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861;  trans,  to 
battal.  Sept.  9,  1864 ;  must,  out  as  sergt.  Co.  M 
June  20,  1865 ;  vet. 

Edw.  L.  McGinley,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  15, 1861 ;  trans, 
to  battal.  Sept.  9,  1864;  vet. 

Charles  H.  Engel,  bugler,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861 ;  miss- 
ing at  Brandy  Station,  Va.,  June  9,  1863. 

George  Mentzer,  bugler,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861  ; 
trans,  to  brigade  band,  date  unknown. 

Robert  H.  Scott,  bugler ;  not  on  muster-out  roll. 

Privates. 
James  Allison,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Jan.  15,  1863. 
John  Alt,  must,  in  May  13,  1864;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864. 
George  H.  Britton,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861. 
Samuel  Brown,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  wounded  in 

action  May  28,  1864. 
Thomas  R.  Boyer,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861. 
Joel  Black,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;    disch.  Aug.  12, 

1862,  for  wounds  received  at  Falmouth,  Va.,  April 

18, 1862. 
H.  R.  Baxter,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  March  27,  1862. 
John  Britton,  must,  in  Nov.  14, 1862;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864. 
William  Buckelman,  must,  in  Aug.  21,  1862 ;  trans. 

to  battal.  Sept.  9,  1864. 
Linderman  Britton,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1864 ;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864;  died  April  5,  1865;  buried 

in  Philadelphia. 
Alonzo  Bird,  must,  in  Aug.  25,  1864,  one  year;  trans. 

to  batt.  Sept.  9, 1864;  must,  out  in  Co.  M  June  6, 

1865. 
Frederick  A.  Britton,  must,  in  Aug.  19,  1864,  one 

year;  trans,  to  battal.  Sept.  9,  1864;  mu'st.  out  in 

Co.  M  June  6,  1865. 
E.  W.  Carpenter,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861. 
John  M.  Cochrane,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Sept.  18,  1861. 
Samuel  Carver,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  April  30,  1862. 
Daniel  Carter,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864;  vet. 
Peter  Casper,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864;  vet. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


221 


Nathaniel  F.  Confer,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861 ;  wounded 

at  Falmouth,  Va.,  April  19,  1862,  and  Culpeper, 

Va.,  Sept.  13, 1863;  trans,  to  battal.Sept.  9,  1894; 

vet. 

Thomas  Devine,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861;   disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Dec.  18,  1861. 
Barclay  M.  Denny,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  June  22,  1862. 
Patrick  Devlin,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  killed  at  Fal- 
mouth, Va.,  April  18,  1862. 
George  W.  Ebert,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  wounded  in 
action   May  28,  1864 ;    trans,  to    battal.   Sept   9, 
1864. 
Henry  Eberly,  must,  in  Mar.  29,  1864 ;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 
Jacob  Feather,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861. 
Jacob  Frill,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861. 
George  Foster,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  captured  Aug. 

1862. 
James  Fisher,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861  ;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864;  vet. 
Orville  French,  must,  in  Jan.  4, 1862  ;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864;  vet. 
Charles  S.  Flag,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  died  Oct.  12, 
1862  ;  burial  record,  Apl.  22,  1864,  at  Alexandria, 
grave,  1788. 
Henry  Garto,  must,  in  Mar.  25,  1864 ;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 
John  B.  Gable,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861. 
Charles  Geltner,  must,   in   Aug.   5,   1861 ;   captured 

Aug.,  1862  ;  trans,  to  battal.  Sept.  9,  1864;  vet. 
William  Griffith,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  wounded  at 
Falmouth,  Va.,  April  18,   1862  ;  trans,  to  battal. 
Sept.  9,  1864;  pro.  to   corp. ;  died  Feb.  19,  1865; 
buried  at  Point  Lookout,  Md. ;  vet. 
Henry  Gay,  must,  in  Feb.  15, 1864 ;  trans,  to  battal. 
1st  Pa.  Cav. ;  must,  out  by  general  order  May  14, 
1865. 
T.  D.  Grimsly,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861. 
John  Garison,  not  on  muster-out  roll. 
Thomas  Grimsley,  trans,   to  brigade  band    Jan.    1, 

1863. 
David  Harrigan,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861 ;  wounded  June 
9,  1863,   at  Brandy  Station,  Va.,  and   Nov.   27, 
1863. 
Joseph  Hale,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  June  6,  1862. 
Milton  P.  Hawley,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9, 1864 ;  vet. 
Henry  Hoffman,   must,   in  Aug.   5,  1861  ;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864  ;  vet. 
William   Hendricks,  must,    in   Feb.  9,  1864;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
William  Hartman,  must,  in   May  27,  1864;   not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
Joseph  M.  Hale,  must,  in  Feb.    15,  1864;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
J.  T.  Jackson,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 
certif.  April  30,  1862. 
25* 


Aaron  B.  James,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861;  disch.  on  surg: 

certif.  April  30,  1862. 
John  P.  Klink,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861. 
George  W.   Kline,  must,  in  Aug.  4,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864  ;  vet. 
H.  R.  Kline,  must,  in  Dec.  23,  1861 ;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864. 
John  Kline,  must,  in  Mar.  22,  1864;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864. 
Abraham  Kerst,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1864;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864. 
Jacob  P.  Kinney,  must,  in  Aug.  24,  1864;  trans,  to 

battal.    Sept.    9,  1864 ;    must,    out    in    Co    M 

May  27,  1865. 
Wellin.  E.  Kershner,  must,  in  March  30,1864;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
Henry  Long,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Sept.  18,  1861. 
William  Leeds,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Brandy  Station,   Va.,   June    9,   1863;   trans,   to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864 ;  vet. 
Nath.  Lindenmuth,  must,  in   Aug.  5,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864 ;  vet. 
Nicholas  H.  Lose,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864;  vet. 
John  J.  Lose,  must,  in  Feb.  9,  1864  ;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864. 
John  W.  Long,  must,  in  May  13, 1864 ;  captured  ;  died 

July  21,  1864 ;  buried  at  Staunton,  Va. 
George  McFarland,  must,  in  May  28,  1864 ;  not  on 

muster-out  rolJ. 
Thos.  A.  Martin,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Falmouth,  Va.,  April  18, 1862,  and  at  Fredericks- 
burg, Dec.  12, 1862. 
William  McEwen,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861. 
Patrick  McGargle,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861. 
John  K.  McGinley,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861. 
Levi  Moore,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861. 
Enoch  Mains,  must,  in  Feb.  13, 1864 ;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 
Don  Carlos  Miller,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861. 
M.  M.  Margnett,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  April  28,  1862. 
William  Montgomery,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  April  6,  1862. 
Patrick  McNamara,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  July  21,  1862. 
Thomas  McGlone,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  disch.  Oct. 

18,  1861. 
John  H.  Miller,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  July  21,  1862. 
Daniel  Moore,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Oct.  22,  1862. 
Edward  Moon,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Feb.  29,  1863. 
Edward  Miller,   must,   in  Aug.   5,   1861 ;    disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  May  18,  1862. 
Daniel  E.  McGinley,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  trans,  to 
battal.  Sept.  9, 1864;  vet. 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


George   Miller,  must,  in    Aug.  5,  1861;    trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9, 1864 ;  vet. 
E.  F.  Muthard,   must,   in   Aug.   5,   1861;   trans,   to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864  ;  vet. 
William  Miller,  must,  in  June  3,  1863 ;  drowned  in 

James  River,  July,  1864. 
John  McEwen,  must,  in  Jan.  1,  1862. 
Thomas  Martin,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1864 ;  missing  at 

Todd's  Tavern,  Va.,  June,  1864;  trans,  to  battal., 

Sept.  9,  1864. 
George  W.  Musser,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864;  must,  out 

as  corp.  Co.  M  battal.  June  27,  1865 ;  vet. 
John  Mover,  must,  in  April  8,  1863 ;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 
Henry  Numan,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861. 
T.  Norton  (Morton),  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  killed  at 

Falmouth,  Va.,  April  18,  1862. 
Monroe  Phillips,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Culpeper,  Va.,  Sept.  13,  1863. 
William  Potell,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Dec.  30,  1862. 
George  Paulis,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861 ;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864;  vet. 
Henry  F.  Potter,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861 ;  died,  1863,  of 

wounds  received  at  Brandy  Station,  Va.,  June  9, 

1863. 
Henry  A.  Rapp,  must,  in  Aug.  5,   1861 ;  trans,   to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864 ;  vet. 
Joseph   Richards,  must,  in   Aug.  5,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864;  vet. 
John  Roberts,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.    9,    1864 ;     must,  out    in  Co  M    Aug.    7, 

1865 ;  vet. 
John  Ehodewalt,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  died    Sept. 

13,  1863  ;  buried  in  Military  Asylum  Cemetery, 

D.  C. 
Samuel  Rhodes,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861  ;  died  Nov. 

26,  1863,  of  wounds  received  in  action. 
Michael  Rudy,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861 ;  killed  at  Fal- 
mouth, Va.,  April  18, 1862. 
Jeremiah  Raw,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861 ;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 
Jeremiah  Strine,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Sept.  18,  1861. 
Henry  Strine,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Sept.  18, 1861. 
Charles  E.  Scott,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Culpeper,  Va.,  Sept.  13,  1863  ;  trans,    to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864 ;  vet. 
John  Sheets,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861  ;  captured  Aug.  11, 

1862 ;  trans,  to  battal.  Sept.  9,  1864 ;  must,  out  as 

corp.  Co.  M  June  20,  1865  ;  vet. 
Augustus  Shealer,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.    9,  1864;    must,  out  as   corp.  Co. 

M  June  20,  1865  ;  vet. 
John  Snovel,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864 ;  vet. 
Henry  Stetler,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  wounded  May 

28,  1864;  trans,  to  battal.  Sept.  9,  1864;  vet. 


William  Souder,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861 ;  wounded  at 

Culpeper,  Va.,  Sept.  13,  1863 ;  trans,  to   battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864 ;  vet. 
Robert  Strine,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  trans,  to  battal. 

Sept.  9,  1864 ;  vet. 
Jeremiah  Shappel,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864;  vet. 
George  Shaffer,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861 ;  died  Sept.  18, 

1861. 
William  Strine,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861 ;  died  Sept.  18, 

1861. 
Joseph  Smith,  must,  in  April  26, 1864 ;  not  on  muster- 
out' roll. 
Samuel  Schealer,   must,  in  March  30,  1864 ;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
Finegan  Smith,  must,  in  1861. 
Henry  P.    Urner,  must,   in   Aug.  5,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864  ;  vet. 
John   Umphris,  must,   in  March   26,    1864;  not   on 

muster-out  roll. 
John  Wentzel,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.,  date  unknown. 
Charles  Williamson,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

battal.   Sept.    9,    1864;    must,   out   as  corp.  Co. 

M  June  20,  1865 ;  vet. 
L.  Winegardner,  must,  in   Aug.   5,  1861 ;   trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864;  vet. 
William    Winegardner,    must,    in    Aug.    5,     1861 ; 

wounded  at  Culpeper,  Va.,  Sept.  1863  ;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  9,  1864  ;  vet. 
Joseph  H.  Whitmer,  must,  in  Aug.  5, 1861 ;  wounded 

in   action  May  28,  1864 ;  trans,  to  battal.  Sept. 

9,  1864 ;  vet. 
Henry  B.  Wagner,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1861. 
August  Wauner,  must,  in    April    8,    1864;    not    on 

muster-out  roll. 
John  L.  Wingard,   must,   in   Feb.   1,  1864;   not  on 

muster-out  roll ;  vet. 
David  Yocum,  must,  in   Aug.  5,  1861 ;  captured  at 

Shepherdstown,    Va.,    July   17,    1863;    died  at 

Andersonville,  Aug.  6,  1864 ;  grave  4900. 
Charles  Zink,  must,  in  May  13,  1864 ;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 

FORTY-SIXTH   REGIMENT. 

The  Forty-sixth  Regiment  was  organized  at 
Harrisburg  on  Sept.  1,  1861.  It  included  one 
company,  E,  which  was  recruited  at  Eeading. 
Soon  after  organization  it  was  ordered  to  Har- 
per's Ferry  and  placed  under  the  command  of 
General  Banks,  in  First  Brigade  of  Second  Di- 
vision. The  regiment  was  engaged  in  drilling 
and  camp  duty  till  the  opening  of  the  spring 
campaign.  Its  first  conflict  was  at  Winchester, 
where  for  five  hours  it  held  its  position  with 
great  coolness  and  bravery  whilst  retreating  to- 
ward the  Potomac  before  Stonewall  Jackson. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


223 


On  August  8,  1862,  it  was  in  the  battle  of  Ce- 
dar Mountain.  Its  position  fell  opposite  the  en- 
emy's advanced  pieces,  and  upon  these  the  men 
charged  with  desperate  valor;  and  on  Sept. 
17th  following,  it  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of 
Antietam.  In  May  1863,  it  participated  in  a 
fierce  engagement  near  Chancellorsville ;  and  in 
July  following  it  took  a  prominent  part  in  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg.  On  the  3d  it  occupied 
the  extreme  right  of  the  line.  After  the  with- 
drawal of  Lee  it  was  attached  to  the  Army  of 
Tennessee,  under  General  Eosecrans.  Its  first 
service  there  was  in  guarding  the  Nashville 
Railroad  from  Tullahoma  to  Bridgeport.  In 
January,  1864,  the  Regiment  proceeded  to  Penn- 
sylvania on  a  veteran  furlough,  the  greater 
part  of  the  officers  and  men  having  re-enlisted 
for  a   second  term  of  three  years. 

Among  the  re-enlisted  men  in  the  regiment 
was  a  young  man,  Henry  Weidensaul,  a  native 
of  Morgantown,  in  Berks  County.  He  entered 
the  regiment  in  his  fourteenth  year  and  par- 
ticipated in  the  battles  of  Winchester,  Cedar 
Mountain,  Chancellorsville,  Gettysburg,  Resaca, 
Dallas,  Kenesaw  and  Peach  Tree  Creek.  He 
was  first  wounded  at  Cedar  Mountain,  where 
he  was  taken  prisoner  and  confined  in.  Libby 
Prison  for  five  weeks.  He  received  wounds 
also  at  Peach  Tree  Creek  and  Atlanta.  On 
July  1,  1863,  he  was  seventeen  years  old. 
The  Keystone  State  claimed  him  to  be  the 
youngest  veteran  soldier  in  the  service. 

Upon  recruiting  its  ranks  it  rejoined  the 
army  at  Chattanooga,  and  participated  in  the 
Atlanta  campaign  under  General  Sherman  in  his 
great  march  to  the  sea.  After  nearly  four 
years  of  faithful  service  it  was  mustered  out  on 
July  16,  1865,  near  Alexandria,  Va. 

Bibdsboeo'  Band. — Mustered  into  service 
for  three  years  on  August  27,  1861,  as  the 
regimental  band  of  the  Forty-sixth  Regiment ; 
but  discharged  on  August  16,  1862,  in  pursu- 
ance of  an  order  dispensing  with  regimental 
bands. 


K.  J.  Stanley,  leader. 
Augustus  Dewitt. 
John  W.  Deeds. 
Benneville  Evans. 
Daniel  Fix. 
Isaac  Hoyer. 


George  W.  Horner. 
John  H.  Karch. 
William  V.  Light. 
Joseph  Lacey. 
Augustus  Minker. 
James  H.  Minker. 


John  Nagle.  James  Shule. 

Harrison  Rigby.  William  J.  Stanley. 

Company  E. — This  company  was  recruited 
at  Reading,  and  was  mustered  out  July  16, 1865, 
except  where  otherwise  mentioned, — 

Cornelius  Wise,  capt.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1861;   re- 
signed Sept.  24,  1862. 
Sefra  T.  Ketrer,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861;  pro. 

from  2d  lieut.  to  capt.  Sept.  17,  1862 ;  died  July 

21,   1862,   of    wounds   received   at   Peach   Tree 

Creek,  Ga.,  July  20,  1864. 
Samuel  Evans,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.    4,    1861;   pro. 

to  corp.  to  sergt.  to  1st  sergt. ;  to  2d  Heut.  March 

20,  1864;  to  capt.  May  22,  1865;  veteran. 
Obadiah  R.  Priestly,  1st  lieut.  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ; 

killed  at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2, 1863. 
Levi   Hildebrand,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ; 

pro.  from  sergt.  to  2d  lieut.  Nov.  1,  1862 ;  to  1st 

lieut.  March  21,  1864;  disch.  July  13,  1864. 
William  Baron,   1st  lieut.,  must,  in   Sept.  4,  1861  ; 

pro.  to  Corp.,  to  sergt.,  to  1st  lieut.  May  22,  1865 ; 

veteran. 
Samuel  F.  Jones,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ; 

killed  at  Cedar  Mountain,  Va.,  Aug.  9,  1862. 
Edmund  Cramsie,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  4, 1861 ; 

pro.   from   priv.  to   sergt.  Dec.  22,  1862 ;  to  2d 

lieut.   May   22,  1865 ;  prisoner   from  May  2   to 

May  13,  1863. 
Joseph  R.  Ward,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864 ; 

pro.  from  corp.  to  sergt.  March  21,  1863 ;  to  1st 

sergt.  May  1,  1865 ;  vet. 
Reese  B.  Thompson,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861; 

wounded  at  Montieth  Swamp,  Ga.,  Dec.  9,  1864  ; 

died  at  Savannah,  Ga.,  Feb.  18,  1865 ;  vet. 
Daniel  D.  Baker,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861  ; 

wounded    at    Peach  Tree  Creek,  Ga.,  July  20, 

1864;  died  at  Vining's  Station,   Ga.,   July   31, 

1864 ;  vet. 
John  Bechtel,  sergt.,  must,  in  January  13,  1864 ;  pro. 

to  corp. ;  to  sergt.  Sept.  6,  1864 ;  prisoner  from 

May  2  to  May  13,  1863  ;  vet. 
Samuel  B.  Weidner,  sergt.,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864 ; 

pro.  to  corp. ;  to  sergt.  Sept.  4,  1864 ;  vet. 
Rueben  R.  Burkhert,  sergt.,  must,  in  Feb.  28,  1864; 

pro.  to  corp.  Sept.  5,  1864 ;  to  sergt.  May  1,  1865. 
Samuel  Rork,  sergt.,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864  ;  pro.  from 

priv.  to  sergt.  May  1,  1865. 
Charles  A.  Row,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  must. 

out  Sept.  18, 1864,  expiration  of  term. 
John  R.  St.  Clair,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  4, 1861 ;  killed 

at  Cedar  Mountain,  Va.,  Aug.  9,  1862. 
David  E.  Snyder,  corp.,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  Sept.  6,  1864 ;  prisoner  from  May  2  to 

May  13,  1863  ;  vet. 
D.  M.  Eisenhower,  corp.,  must,   in   Jan.  13,   1864 ; 

pro.  to  corp.  Sept.  25,  1864;  vet. 
Levi  Strunk,  corp.,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864 ;    pro.  to 

corp.  Sept.  25, 1864 ;  vet. 


224 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


James  Whitworth,  Corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  28,  1864;  pro. 

to  corp.  Sept.  25,  1864. 
Hiram  Johnson,  corp.,  must,  in  July  14^1863,;  draft- 
ed ;  pro.  to  corp.  Jan.  13,  1865. 
Henry  Spohn,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  28,  1864;  pro.  to 

corp.  Jan.  13,  1865. 
Albert  Birch,  corp.,  must,  in  Jan.  13,1864;  pro.  to 

corp.  May  1,  1865 ;  vet. 
Peter  T.  Phillippi,  corp.,  must,  in  March  27, 1864;  ab- 
sent, sick,  at  muster  out. 
Jordan  Collar,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;   must. 

out  Nov.  16, 1864,  expiration  of  term. 
John  F.  Goodhart,   corp.,   must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ; 

wounded  at  Cedar  Mountain,  Va.,  Aug.  9,  1862 ; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 
Henry  Geiger,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  must. 

out  Sept.  18,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Augustus  Houck,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  killed 

at  Cedar  Mountain,  Va.,  Aug.  9, 1862. 
Gotfried  Wiler,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  4, 1861;  killed  "at 

Cedar  Mountain,  Va.,  Aug.  9,  1862. 
Jeremiah  Lotz,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  died 

near  Edward's  Ferry,  Va.,  date  unknown. 
John  Beadencup,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  killed 

at  Winchester,  Va.,  May  25,  1862. 
Henry  Connor,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  killed 

at  Peach  Tree  Creek,  Ga.,  July  20,  1864. 
Willard  Kerry  hard,   mus.,  must,  in  Feb.  28,   1864; 

must,  out  with  company  July  16,  1865. 
Daniel  C.  Clouse,  mus.,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif,  date  unknown. 
Charles    Bennethum,    mus.,    must,    in    Sept.   1861  ; 

not  mustered  into  United  States  service. 

Privates. 

Charles  Ammerell,  must,  in  Feb.  18,  1864. 
Wellington  Adams,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 
Jacob  Andy,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  must,  out  Sept. 

13,  1864. 
Wm.  Alexander,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  disch.  for 

wounds  received  at  Antietam,  Sept.  17,  1862. 
Richard  B.  Adams,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  18,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Peter  Adams,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861. 
Nicholas  E.  Baker,  must,  in  Feb.  2,  1864 ;  vet. 
Edward  H.  Beard,  must,  in  Jan.  13, 1864 ;  vet. 
James  Boyer,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864;  vet. 
Charles  Bard,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864 ;  vet. 
Joseph  Bowman,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864 ;  vet. 
Daniel  Briel,  must,  in  Jau.  13,  1864  ;  vet. 
John  S.  Brown,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864;  vet. 
John  Bonseley,  must,  in  July  3,  1863  ;  substitute. 
William  Blum,  must,  in  Feb.  28,  1864. 
Benton  D.  Bitner,  must,  in  Feb.  28,  1864. 
Francis  Bright,  must,  in  April  15,  1864. 
William  Butler,  must,  in   March  15,  1865,  one  year ; 

drafted. 
William  Boyer,  must,  in  March  18,  1865,  one  year. 


Wilson  Bishop,  must,  in  Aug.  2,  1863 ;  absent,  sick, 

at  muster  out. 
Andrew  Bumgardner,  must,  in  July  16,  1863 ;  sub- 
stitute ;  must,  out  July  27,  1865. 
John  Bause,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.,  date  unknown. 
Michael  Bowers,  must.. in  July  14,  1863;  substitute; 

wounded  at  Eesaca,  Ga.,  May  15,  1864 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.,  Jan.  31,  1865. 
Andrew  J.  Byerly,  must,  in  July  16,  1863  ;  drafted ; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.,  June  24,  1865. 
John  W.  Baker,  must,  in  Feb.  28,  1864 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.,  March  25,  1865. 
Charles  H.  Briner,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  killed  at 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  2,  1863. 
Samuel  T.  Baker,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  killed,  acci- 
dentally, near  Frederick,  Md.,  date  unknown. 
William  F.  Becker,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  wounded 

at  Cedar  Mountain,  Va.,  Aug.  9,  1862  ;  died  near 

Alexandria,  Va. 
James  A.  Calhoun,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1863  ;  drafted. 
Walter  Craig,  must,  in  July   16,  1863 ;  drafted ;  ab- 
sent, sick,  at  muster  out. 
William  J.  Cannon,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  18,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Daniel  Culler,  must,  in  March  3,  1864 ;  not  on  mus- 
ter-out roll. 
Daniel  P.  Dumb,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864 ;  vet. 
Edward  Dyer,  must,  in  Sept.  1,   1861 ;  wounded  at 

Cedar  Mountain,   Va.,   Aug.    9,  1862;   disch.  on 

surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 
John  Danhart,  must,  in  Sept.  4, 1861 ;  must,  out  Sept. 

18,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Henry  Durstine,  must,    in  July  13,  1863;   drafted; 

wounded  at  Peach   Tree   Creek,  Ga.,  July  20, 

1864;  disch.  on  surg.  certif.,  Nov.  30,  1864. 
George  Dease,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  mis.  in  action 

at  Cedar  Mountain,  Va.,  Aug.  9,  1862. 
Cyrus  Eppenstine,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864;  vet. 
Anthony  Eiler,  must,  in  Sept.  4, 1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.,  date  unknown. 
Emil  Eyles,   must,   in   July    13,    1863;    substitute; 

wounded  in  action  June  23,  1864 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.,  Nov.  22,  1864. 
Jno.  L.  Espenshade,  must,  in    Feb.  28,  1864;  died 

Sept.  22,  1864,  of  wounds  received  at  Peach  Tree 

Creek,  Ga.,  July  20,  1864. 
Charles  Farbion,  must,  in  Feb.  28,  1864. 
Charles  Fritz,  must,  in  April  16,  1864. 
Franklin  Frantz,  must,  in  July  13,  1863 ;  drafted. 
William  H.  Fox,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;   wounded  at 

Winchester,  Va.,  May  25,  1862 ;   disch.  on  surg. 

certif.,  date  unknown. 
Henry  Fricker,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  died  July  26, 

1864,  of  wounds  received  at  Peach  Tree  Creek, 

Ga.,  July  20,  1864. 
Philip  Foulk,  must,  in  April  18,  1864 ;   died  at  Dal- 

ton,  Ga.,  July  10,  1864. 
Danjel  C.  Fields,  must,  in  July  13,  1863  ;  drafted ; 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


225 


wounded   at  Culp's  Farm,   Ga.,  Juno  27,  1864; 
died  at  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  July  5,  1864 ;  grave 

517. 
William  Gahres,  must,  in  Jan.  13, 1864  ;  vet. 
Samuel  Gross,  must,  in  Feb.  28, 18154. 
Amos  Goodman,  must,  in  Jan.  23,  1865,  one  year. 
Isaac  Good,   must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861  ;  diseh.  on  surg. 

eertif.,  date  unknown. 
David  Good,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;   diseh.   on  surg. 

eertif.,  date  unknown. 
Charles  Gross,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Cedar  Mountain,   Va.,  Aug.  9,  1862;   diseh.  on 

surg.  eertif.,  date  unknown. 
Adam  S.  Gillett,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861  ;  pro.  to  hosp. 

steward,  date  unknown. 
Warren  C.   Gulden,  must,  in    Aug.,  1861 ;  not  must. 

into  U.  S.  service. 
Jared  Hoyer,  must,  in  March  14,  1864. 
Anton  Heitger,  must,  in  July  13,  1863  ;  drafted. 
John  H.  Hughes,  must,  in  July  13,  1863  ;  drafted. 
Lewis  Hoslinger,  must,  in  July  13,  1863  ;  drafted. 
Gideon   Hepler,   must,   in  Feb.  25,  1864 ;  diseh.  by 

G.  0.  July  24,  1865. 
Geo.  D.  Hoffmaster,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861  ;  discli.  for 

wounds  received  at  Cedar  Mountain,  Va.,  Aug. 

9,  1862. 
Levi  Heckman,  must,  in   Sept.  4,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  18,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Win.  B.  Hoffmaster,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  diseh.  on 

surg.  eertif.,  date  unknown. 
Henry  G.  Hoyer,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Winchester,  Va.,  May  25,  1862;  diseh.  on  surg. 

eertif.,  date  unknown. 
Nathaniel  Hantch,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;   must,  out 

Sept.  18,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Clement  Hamilton,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1864;  diseh.  by 

G.  O.  June  7,  1865. 
John  Hetrick,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861. 
Samuel  Kissinger,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864 ;  vet. 
Eeinhardt  Keiffer,  must,  in  Feb.  28,  1864. 
William  Knight,  must,  in  July  13,  1863 ;  drafted ;  ab- 
sent, sick,  at  muster  out. 
Daniel  Kilpatrick,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  diseh.  on 

surg.  eertif.,  date  unknown. 
William  S.  Keffer,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861;  diseh.  on 

surg.  eertif.,  date  unknown. 
John  Kilbride,  must,  in  April  15,  1865  ;  substitute. 
Peter  S.  Keffer,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864 ;  prisoner  from 

April  14  to  April  30,  1865 ;  must,  out  May  18, 

1865 ;  vet. 
Thomas  Kelly,  must,  in  March  11, 1864 ;  not  on  mus- 
ter-out roll. 
Daniel  J.  Levan,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864;  vet. 
Edward  Lane,  must,  in  April  18,  1864. 
Michael  E.  Lotz,  must,  in  Aug.,  1861 ;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 
Jacob  Minnich,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864;  vet. 
Levi  Miller,  must,  in  Jan.  13, 1864 ;  vet. 
Franklin  0.  Maurer,  must,  in  March  14,  1864. 
26 


Lucien  Miller,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Winchester,  Va.,  May  25,  1862 ;  diseh.  on  surg. 

eertif.,  date  unknown. 
Richard  B.  Miller,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  18,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
John  Moore,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861  ;  wounded  at  Ce- 
dar Mountain,  Va.,  Aug.  9,  1862;  died  at  Alex 

andria,  Va. 
Emanuel  Minnich,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  must,  out 

by  S.  0.  July  16,  1865  ;  vet. 
Henry  F.  Mullen,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861. 
John  McCurdy,  must,  in  Aug.  21, 1863  ;  substitute. 
Philip  McCall,  must,   in  Aug.   21,  1863;   substitute; 

must,  out  July  5, 1865. 
Joseph  MeKee,  must,  in  April  13,  1863;  sub.;  diseh. 

on  surg.  eertif.,  date  unknown. 
Samuel  D.  Neil,  must,  in  July  13, 1863  ;  drafted;  died 

at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  May  18,  1864. 
Henry   F.  Onnor,  must,   in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  18,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Freernan  Onnor,  must,  in  Aug.    14,  1861 ;  not  must. 

into  U.  S.  service. 
Henry  Paff,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864  ;  vet. 
Alexander  Price,  must,  in  March  14,  1865,  one  year. 
William  Pyle,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;   mis.  in  action 

at  Winchester,  Va.,  May  25,  1862. 
Aaron  Rightmyer,  must,  in  Feb.  28,  1864 ;  vet. 
Jacob  A.  Reigel,  must,  in  Feb.  28,  1864. 
Robert  Root,  must,  in  Jan.  26,  1865,  one  year. 
Henry  Rice,  must,  in  Jan.  30,  1865,  one  year. 
Dan.  Rodenberger,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  wounded 

at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863;  diseh.  on 

surg.  eertif.,  date  unknown. 
J.  K.  Richardson,  must,  in  March  27,  1864;  diseh.  on 

surg.  eertif.,  Jan.  16,  1865. 
Hiram   Raymond,   must,   in   Aug.   31,   1863;    sub.; 

wounded  at  Peach  Tree  Creek,  Ga.,  July  20, 1864 ; 

diseh.  on  surg.  eertif.,  June  21,  1865. 
Samuel  E.  Rigg,  must,  in  April  3,  1862 ;   diseh.  on 

surg.  eertif.,  date  unknown. 
Wm.  Rosenberger,  must,  in  July  14,  1863 ;  drafted  ; 

wounded  in  action  July  20,  1864;  trans,  to  Vet. 

Res.  Corps  Dec.  12,  1864. 
Daniel  Sweitzer,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864 ;  vet. 
Albert  A.  Simon,  must,  in  Jan.  13, 1864;  vet. 
George  Setley,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864 ;  vet. 
Michael  R.  Schultz,  must,  in  Jan  13,  1864 ;  vet. 
Llewellyn  J.  Spohn,  must,  in  Feb.  28,  1864. 
Edwin  Simon,  must,  in  Feb.  28,  1864. 
Ross  Snyder,  must,  in  February  6,  1865,  one  year  ; 

substitute. 
William  Spohn,  must,  in  Feb.  28,  1864;  absent,  sick, 

at  must.  out. 
Emanuel  Souders,  must,  in  Sept.  4, 1861 ;  diseh.  on 

surg.  eertif.,  date  unknown. 
John  Shaffer,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  diseh.,  date  un- 
known. 
Israel  Smeck,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  diseh.  on  surg. 

eertif.,  date  unknown. 


226 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


William  H.  Setley,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  must,  out 
Sept.  18,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 

Albert  Steward,  must,  in  Feb.  22,1864;  disch.  by 
General  Order  June  15,  1865. 

Elias  Shaffer,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Vet. 
Res.  Corps,  date  unknown. 

Franklin  Shultz,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Bat. 
F,  4th  Regt.  U.  S.  Artillery,  date  unknown. 

Nathaniel  Sassman,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  died  at 
Hagerstown,  Md.,  date  unknown. 

Damon  Strubeng,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  killed  acci- 
dentally, date  unknown  ;  vet. 

Albert  Seiders,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  died,  May  16, 
1864,  of  wounds  received  at  Resaca,  Ga.;  vet. 

John  Tritt,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864 ;  vet. 

Jacob  Tippett,  must,  in  Feb.  28,  1864. 

John  Troxell,  must,  in  March  18,1864;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 

Levi  Weitzel,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864 ;  vet. 

Wm.  M.  Wells,  must,  in  Feb.  6, 1864. 

W.  Wannamacher,  must,  in  Feb.  28,  1864. 

Harvey  Wright,  must,  in  July  21,  1863 ;  drafted ;  ab- 
sent, sick,  at  must.  out. 

Samuel  B.  Wynn,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 

Andrew  Wilford,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861  ;  must,  out 
Sept.  18,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 

John  Wilford,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  must,  out  Sept. 
18,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 

Amos  Wentzel,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  killed  at  Ce- 
dar Mountain,  Va.,  Aug.  9,  1862. 

John  J.  Wisner,  must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864 ;  must,  out  by 
Special  Order  July  16,  1865. 

Geo.  M.  D.  Yeager,  must  in.  Oct.  15,  1864,  one  year. 

Elias  Yeager,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Bat.  F, 
4th  Regt.  U.  S.  Artillery,  date  unknown. 

FORTY-EIGHTH  REGIMENT. 

Company  D  of  this  regiment  was  recruited 
at  Pottsville,  in  Schuylkill  County,  and  must- 
ered out  July  17,  1865,  except  where  otherwise 
mentioned.  Daniel  Nagle  was  captain.  The 
following  men,  however,  were  from  Hamburg, 
in  Berks  County.  The  regiment  was  in  the 
battles  of  Antietam  and  second  Bull  Eun.  It 
was  prominent  in  the  Petersburg  campaign, 
having  exploded  the  great  mine  : 

Henry  E.Stichter,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  23,  1861; 

pro.  from  corp.  to  2d  lieut.  Sept.  1,  1863;  to  1st 

lieut.  Sept.  22,  1864;  must,  out  Oct.  6, 1864,  exp. 

of  term. 
H.  Rothenberger,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  23,  1861 ; 

pro.  to  sergt ;  to  1st  lieut.  June  16,  1864. 
H.  C.  Burkholder,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  23,  1861 ; 

pro.  to  sergt. ;  to  2d  lieut.  May  22,  1865. 
George  Bowman,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  23,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  sergt. ;  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  April  13,  1865. 


Franklin  Dorward,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  23,  1861 ; 

pro.  to  corp. ;  to  sergt.  May  22,  1865 ;  veteran. 
Walter  P.  Ames,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  23,  1861 ;  mis- 
sing in  action  near  Cold   Harbor,  Va.,  June  6, 

1864;  veteran. 
Henry  D.  Moyer,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  27,  1864 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  April  1, 1865. 
James  L.  Baum,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  24,  1864 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  May  22,  1865. 

Privates. 
Charles  W.  Baum,  must,  in  Feb.  26,  1864. 
Orlando  H.  Baum,  must,  in  Feb.  26,  1864. 
Jonathan  Bower,  must,  in  March  1,  1864. 
Albert  Bean,  must,  in  Feb.  6,  1865,  one  year. 
Jacob  L.  Casper,  must,  in  Feb.  27, 1864;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.,  June  27,  1865. 
James  J.  Dalious,  must,  in  March  1,  1864;  must,  out 

by  General  Order  June  7,  1865. 
Henry  Dorward,  must,   in   Feb.  4,   1864;  killed  at 

Petersburg,  Va.,  July  5,  1864. 
Horatio  Grim,  must,  in  Sept.  23,  1861 ;  disch.  July 

19,  1865;  veteran. 
William  Goodfleck,  must,  in   Feb.  13,  1865,  one  year. 
George  Jacoby,  must,  in  March  1,  1865,  one  year. 
Jos.  Lindenmuth,  must,  in  March  15,  1864;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  April  3,  1865. 
C.  M.  Lindenmuth,  must,  in  Sept.  23,  1861. 
Jeremiah  Meinder,  must,  in  Sept.  23,  1861. 
Gustavus  A.  Miller,  must,  in  Feb.  19,  1864;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Nov.  18,  1864. 
Jonas   Z.   Raber,  must,   in    March  9,  1864;  died  at 

Washington,  D.  C,  July  1,  1864. 
Samuel  Reeser,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864. 
Simon  Ritter,  must,  in  March  2,  1864;  disch.  by  order 

of  Sec.  of  War  July  22,  1864. 
Charles  Schollenberger,   must,  in  Feb.  6,  1865,  one 

year. 
Addison  S.  Seamen,  must,  in  Sept.  23,  1861. 
Alfred  J.  Stichter,  must,  in  March  2,  1864. 
Samuel  Stichter,  must,  in  Sept.  23,  1861. 
Madison  Smith,  must,  in  Sept.  23,  1861. 
Perry  L.  Strasser,  must,  in  Feb.  3,  1864. 
Peter  Trump,  must,  in  March  1,  1865,  one  year. 
Daniel  Weldy,  must,  in  Sept.  23,  1861. 
Henry  Williams,  must,  in  Jan.  25,  1865 ;  substitute. 
William  H.  Williams,  must,  in  Feb.  6,  1864 ;  prisoner 

from  Aug.  19,  1864,  to  Feb.  8,  1865 ;  disch,  by 

G.  0.  June  21,  1865= 

The  following  men  from  Hamburg  were  also 
in  this  regiment : 
Isaac  Otto,  private,  Co.  A,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ; 

killed  at  Spottsylvania  C.   H.,   Va.,    May   12, 

1864;  buried  on  battle-field ;  veteran 
Henry  Casper,  corp.,  Co.  C,  must,  in  Sept.  11,  1861 ; 

pro.  to  corp.  May  21,  1865  ;  veteran. 
Jonas  Geier,  serg.,  Co.  C,  must,  in  Sept.  11, 1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp  ;  to  sergt. ;  wounded  at  Wilderness  May 

6,  1864;  veteran. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


227 


Jacob  Haines,  private,  Co.  C,  must,  in  Sept.  11,  1861  ; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.  June  27,  1865 ;  veteran. 
Charles  Millet,  private,  Co.  I. 

FIFTIETH   REGIMENT. 

The  Fiftieth  Regiment  included  three  com- 
panies from  Berks  County, — B,  E  and  H.  It 
was  organized  at  Harrisburg  on  September  25, 
1861.  Captain  Brenholtz,  of  Company  H,  was 
selected  as  lieutenant-colonel.  The  regiment 
proceeded  to  Washington  on  October  2d,  and  on 
the  9th  to  Annapolis,  where  it  was  assigned  to 
Stevens'  brigade,  which  was  then  fitting  out  for  an 
expedition  to  South  Carolina.  On  October  19th 
the  regiment  embarked  upon  transports,  Com- 
panies B  and  E,  with  right  wing,  on  the  "  Win- 
field  Scott"  and  Company  H,  with  left  wing,  on 
"  Ocean  Queen."  On  the  night  of  November 
1st,  a  heavy  gale  was  encountered  off  Cape  Hat- 
teras,  and  the  "  Winfield  Scott,"  an  unseaworthy 
craft,  was  in  imminent  peril.  Her  masts  were 
cut  away,  the  freight  and  camp  equipage  were 
thrown  overboard,  a  portion  of  her  officers  and 
crew  deserted  her  and  everything  was  given 
up  for  lost.  She  was  finally  saved  through  the 
superhuman  efforts  of  the  soldiers,  who  had 
been  left  to  their  fate  without  food  or  water. 
The  regiment  went  into  camp  on  the  island  at 
Hilton  Head  and  was  employed  for  a  time  in 
building  fortifications.  On  December  6th  it 
proceeded  to  Beaufort  and  there  experienced  its 
first  skirmish  with  the  enemy.  It  participated 
in  the  battle  of  Coosaw  on  January  1,  1862. 
In  General  Hunter's  demonstration  against 
Charleston,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Brenholtz  and 
six  compan  ies  took  a  prominent  part.  They  drove 
the  enemy  from  a  railroad  bridge  which  spanned 
a  stream  near  Pocotaligo.  The  planks  on  this 
bridge  had  been  removed  and  a  crossing  could 
only  be  effected  by  running  the  gauntlet  of  the 
causeway  and  walking  the  stringers,  which  still 
remained.  For  some  time  firing  was  kept  up 
from  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream,  and  it  be- 
came evident  that  the  enemy  could  only  be  dis- 
lodged by  crossing.  At  this  juncture  Captain 
Parker  of  Company  H,  volunteered  to  brave 
the  danger  of  the  causeway  and  lead  his  men  over 
upon  the  stringers.  The  feat  was  accomplished 
and  the  bridge  replanked.  But  Captain  Parker 
was  killed.     "His  gallantry   in   crossing  the 


frail  bridge  at  Pocotaligo  cost  him  his  life.  He 
was  pierced  by  three  rifle-balls,  and  fell  while 
cheering  his  men  on  the  perilous  passage." 
This  expedition  was  not  successful. 

The  regiment  then  remained  near  Beaufort 
till  July  12th;  then  it  proceeded  to  Fortress 
Monroe  and  became  part  of  the  Ninth  Corps. 
This  corps  was  ordered  to  support  Pope  on  the 
Rapidan.  Subsequently  it  was  engaged  in  the 
first  and  second  days'  fights  at  Bull  Run.  Bren- 
holtz commanded  the  regiment.  He  was  one 
of  the  wounded  in  the  second  day's  fight.  On 
August  1st  it  participated  in  the  battle  of 
Chantilly,  where  its  conduct  was  not  excelled  for 
gallantry ;  and  several  weeks  afterward  also 
in  the  battle  of  Antietam.  In  this  latter  en- 
gagement Major  Overton  fell  severely  wounded, 
and  the  command  devolved  upon  Captain  Diehl, 
of  Company  E. 

The  regiment  witnessed  the  battle  of  Freder- 
icksburg on  December  13th,  but  was  not  actively 
engaged.  Subsequently  it  was  moved  to  Ken- 
tucky and  then  participated  in  the  siege  of 
Vicksburg.  In  the  great  battle  for  the  occu- 
pancy of  that  place,  the  regiment  had  been  de- 
ployed as  skirmishers  in  a  very  exposed  position. 
There  Brenholtz,  whilst  gallantly  leading  his  men 
before  the  enemy's  works,  was  mortally  wound- 
ed. His  fall  was  greatly  lamented.  Much  of 
the  credit  which  the  organization  had  acquired 
was  due  to  his  excellent  qualities  as  a  soldier. 
No  braver  man  ever  led  in  battle,  and  upon  his 
fall  the  service  lost  one  of  its  most  valued  lead- 
ers. In  August  only  eighty  of  the  regiment 
were  present  for  duty,  and  nearly  all  of  these 
had  chills  and  fever.  The  other  men  of  the 
regiment  were  in  hospitals  suffering  from  wounds 
or  malaria. 

On  October  10,  1863,  it  took  part  in  an  en- 
gagment  at  Blue  Springs,  in  East  Tennessee, 
and  in  November  at  Lenoir  Station,  on  Tennes- 
see Railroad,  and  at  Knoxville,  which  was  un- 
successfully besieged  by  Longstreet.  Nearly  the 
entire  regiment  re-enlisted  on  January  1,  1864. 
For  several  months  previously  the  men  endured 
intense  suffering  from  cold  and  hunger  without 
a  murmur.  On  Christmas  they  had  nothing  to 
eat  till  evening  and  then  only  a  part  of  a  ration. 
During  January  they  marched  to  Nicholasville, 


228 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


a  distance  of  two  hundred  miles,  in  ten  days. 
Many  of  the  men  were  barefooted  and  walked 
thus  through   the   snow.     In   February   they 
proceeded  to  Harrisburg  on  a  veteran  furlough, 
and  visited  their  homes.     In  March  the  regi- 
ment encamped  at  Annapolis,  and  in  May,  on 
the  6th,  it  was  heavily  engaged  in  the  battle  of 
the  Wilderness.     In  moving  from  the  field  it 
was  designated  as  the  rear  guard  to  the  corps. 
On  May  9th  it  was  again  engaged  in  battle  near 
Spottsylvania  Court-House.     The  brigade  car- 
ried the  heights  in  its  front.  With  fixed  bayonets 
the  regiment  charged  up  the  steep  ascent  and 
routed  the  enemy  greatly  superior  in  number. 
But  the  cost  was  fearful.  Among  the  killed  was 
Captain  Cleveland,  of  Company  H.  Three  days 
afterward  the  regiment  had  another  desperate 
encounter,  in  which  the  men  had  a  struggle 
hand  to  hand.     Adjutant  Kendall,  three  ser- 
geants and  twenty-five  privates  were  taken  pri- 
soners.   From  the  Ny  river  to  the  North  Anna, 
and  thence  to  Cold  Harbor,  the  regiment  was 
engaged  almost  daily.  At  Cold  Harbor,  on  June 
2,  1864,  it  occupied  the  front  line  and  suffered 
severely.     Shortly  afterward  it  lay  in  line  be- 
fore Petersburg.    On  June  18th,  Captain  Lantz 
of  Company  E,  and  several   men   were  killed. 
It  then  performed  picket  duty  during  July  and 
participated  in  the  siege  and  great  explosion  of 
the  mine ;  and  during  August  it  was  engaged 
in  continuous  fighting,  with  but  little  interrup- 
tion.    It  remained  in  the  front  during   Sep- 
tember, October  and  November,  when  it  went 
into   winter-quarters  immediately  in    front   of 
Petersburg. 

The  Union  lines  began  to  close  in  on  the 
rebel  works  on  April  1,  1865.  The  regiment 
was  engaged  during  the  operations  of  the  2d  and 
3d,  and  it  was  among  the  first  regiments  to 
enter  Petersburg  upon  its  fall.  It  moved  to 
City  Point  on  April  15th,  and  thence  by  boat 
to  Washington,  where  it  remained  till  June 
30th.  By  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  upon 
the  recommendation  of  Lieutenant-Ceneral 
Grant,  this  regiment  was  ordered  to  represent 
the  infantry  of  the  army  upon  the  occasion  of 
laying  the  corner-stone  of  the  national  monu- 
ment at  Gettysburg  on  July  4,  1865.  From 
Gettysburg  it  went  into  camp  near  Georgetown 


where  it  was  mustered  out  of  service  on  July 
31st. 

Colonel  Thomas  Brenholtz  was  the  son 
of  Isaac  Brenholtz,  a  master-machinist  of  Read- 
ing.    He  was  born  in  1834.     He  taught  school 
for  some  years  at  Reading  very  successfully, 
and  then,  studying  law,  was  admitted  to  prac- 
tice on  September  20, 1860.  When  the  Rebellion 
broke  out  he  enlisted  as  a  lieutenant  in  Com- 
pany H,  Fifth  Regiment,  three  months'  service. 
This  term  expiring,  he  raised  one  of  three  com- 
panies in  the  three  years'  service,  which  were  re- 
cruited at  Reading  for  the  Fiftieth  Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  and  upon  its  organi- 
zation was  elected  lieutenant-colonel.     As  such 
officer  he  served  for  nearly  two  years  with  great 
gallantry.     His   regiment   participated   in    the 
first  expedition  against  the  coast  of  South  Caro- 
lina, and  subsequently  in  a  number  of  engage- 
ments, prominent  among  which  was  the  costly 
battle  of  Fredericksburg,   in   all  of  which  he 
displayed  the  courage  of  a  true  soldier.     He 
had   chief    command    of    the    regiment    upon 
several  occasions.     He  was  wounded  at  Jack- 
son, Miss.,  and,  from  the  effects  of  the  wounds, 
died   at    Evansville,    Ind.,    on    August    19th, 
1863,   leaving  to  survive  him  a  young  widow 
and  two  small  children.     He  was  a  highly  re- 
spected and  promising  young  man,  recognized 
for  his  exemplary  life  and  marked  ability.    His 
remains  were  brought  to  Reading  and  interred 
in  Charles  Evans'  cemetery.     The  funeral  was 
largely  attended.     Major-Gen.  Franz  Sigel,  his 
staff  and  other  military   officers  were  present 
upon  that  occasion. 

Company  B. — This  company  was  recruited 
at  Reading,  and  was  mustered  out  July  30, 
1865,  except  where  otherwise  mentioned. 

Hervey  Herman,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  re- 
signed Aug.  1,  1862. 
George  A.  Yeager,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  1st  sergt.  to  2d  lieut.  Feb.  12,  1862 ;  to  capt. 

Dec.  17,  1862 ;  disch.  Feb.  20,  1865. 
Frank  H.  Barnhart,  capt.,  must,   in  Sept.   16,  1861; 

pro.  from  sergt.-maj.  to  1st  lieut.  Nov.  26,  1864 ; 

to  capt.  Mar.  21,  1865  ;  vet. 
Henry  S.  Eush,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861; 

died  at  Beaufort,  S.  C.,  May  31, 1862,  of  wounds 

received  accidentally. 
Joseph  S.  Ingham,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  9,  1861 ; 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


229 


pro.    from   2d  lieut.  Co.  K    Aug.  1,    1862 ;  re- 
signed Nov.  4,  1862. 
H.  A.  Hyneman,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ; 
pro.  to  1st  sergt.  Feb.  15,  1862 ;  to  1st  lieut.  Dec. 
17, 1862 ;  disch.  for  wounds,  with  loss  of  arm, 
rec'd.  in  action,  Sept.  28,  1864. 
Alfred  J.  Stevens,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  16, 1861 ; 
pro.  from  sergt. -maj.  to  1st  lieut.  Mar.  21,  1865 ; 
vet. 
Charles  G.  Gresh,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ; 

resigned  Dec.  7,  1861. 
Daniel  H.  Snyder,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  16, 1861 ; 
pro.  from  sergt.  to  2d  lieut.  Dec.  17,  1862 ;  dis- 
missed Sept.  27, 1864. 
Lucian  H.  Plucker,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ; 
pro.  from  priv.  to  sergt.  Mar.  1, 1863  ;  to  1st  sergt.; 
•   to  2d  lieut.  Apr.  16,  1865  ;  vet. 
Frederick  R.  Eidel,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ; 
pro.  from  priv.  to  sergt. ;  to  1st  Sergt.  May  1, 
1865;  vet. 
William  Weidner,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ; 
pro.  from  corp.  to  sergt.  March  1,  1863 ;  to  1st 
sergt. ;  disch.  Mar.  9,  1865,  for  wounds  rec'd.  in 
action ;  vet. 
Robert  Gerlach,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861;  pro. 

to  corp. ;  to  sergt.  May  1,  1865 ;  vet. 
Benjamin  Robinson,  sergt.,  must,   in  Sept.  16,  1861 ; 

pro  from  corp.  to  sergt.  Jan.  1,  1865  ;  vet. 
William  W.  Hart,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  priv.  to  sergt. ;  vet. 
Thomas  J.  Hyneman,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ; 

pro.  to  corp. ;  to  sergt.  March  10,  1865  ;  vet. 
Howard  Potts,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  pro. 
from  corp.  to  sergt.  Mar.  1,  1863 ;  disch.  on  surg. 
certif.  Jan.  22,  1865;  vet. 
H.  J.  O'Connell,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  pro. 
from  corp.  to  sergt.  Mar.  1,  1863;  died  at  City 
Point,  Va.,  June  27,  1864,  of  wds.  rec'd  in  action ; 
vet. 
Henry  A.  Boyer,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  Jan.  1,  1865 ;  vet. 
Jacob  Eidel,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  pro.  to 

corp.  Jan.  1,  1865 ;   vet. 
Henry  Eyler,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  pro.  to 

corp.  Jan.  1,  1865;  vet. 
Joseph  White,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  pro.  to 

corp. ;  vet. 
Jacob  G.  Endy,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  Mar.  10,  1865 ;  vet. 
H.  A.  Bingamen,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  May  1,  1865 ;  vet. 
Augustus  Graber,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861  ;  killed 

at  Wilderness  May  6,  1864  ;  vet. 
Daniel  Batz,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  pro.  to 

corp.  July  1, 1865 ;  vet. 
Henry  Plucker,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  Feb.  1,  1863  ;  vet. 
Franklin   Fabian,   corp.,   must,   in   Sept.   16,   1861; 
disch.  on  surg.  certif.,  Jan.  13, 1862. 


J.    R.  HofFmaster,  corp.,  must,  in    Sept.   16,   1861; 

disch.  Dec.  10,  1862. 
Robert  Smith,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
Charles  Barlet,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  vet. 
Robert  Bingamen,  musician,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ; 

vet. 
Joel  Coffman,  musician,  must,  in  Sept.  16, 1861 ;  vet. 
Samuel  Shaffer,  muscian,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1862; 

disch.  May  20, 1862. 

Privates. 

James  Allen,  must,  in  Mar.  13, 1865,  one  year ;  sub. 

J.  D.  Anderson,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1864 ;  disch.  by  G. 
O.  June  17,  1865. 

Adam  Augustine,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 

Samuel  Albert,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  not  on  mus- 
ter-out roll. 

Franklin  Boyer,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  absent,  pris- 
oner, absent  at  must,  out;  vet. 

Albert  Bartlett,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  vet. 

John  Baker,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  vet. 

Samuel  Becker,  must,  in  Feb.  11,  1864. 

S.  E.  Benjamin,  must,  in  Mar.  10, 1865,  one  year;  sub. 

Geo.  K.  Beidleman,  must,  in  Mar.  9,  1866,  one  year ; 
substitute. 

Henry  A.  Borrell,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  must,  out 
Sept.  29,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 

H.  G.  C.  Bertolette,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  must, 
out  Sept.  29,  1864 ;  exp.  of  term. 

Samuel  Brown;  must. in  Sept.  20, 1864;  drafted ;  disch. 
by  G.  O.  June  2,  1865. 

Cyrus  Burket,  must,  in  Sept.  16, 1861 ;  murd.  in  Cin- 
cinnati, date  unknown. 

Thomas  B.  Burcher,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  disch. 
May  21,  1862. 

Jacob  Bothner,  must,  in  Sept  16,  .1861  ;  trans,  to  Co. 
E,  2d  IT.  S.  Art.,  Oct.  5,  1862. 

John   B.  Bard,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861  ;  disch.  Dec. 
31,  1862. 

Josiah   Bradford,  must,    in    Sept.  16,   1861;    absent 
sick,  at  must.  out. 

Daniel  Bixler,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861. 

David  .Baker,   must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  disch.   Dec. 
18, 1862. 

Joseph  Cooper,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  vet. 

William  Coleman,  must,  in  Mar.  13,  1865 ;  sub. 

Wm.  J.  Correll,  must,  in  Mar.  9, 1865,  one  year ;  sub. 

Philip  Cunrod,  must,  in  Mar.  9,  1865,  one  year  ;  sub. 

James   Calloway,  must,  in  Mar.  13,  1865,  one  year; 
substitute. 

Thomas  F.  Christley,  must,  in  Sept.     20,  1864,  one 
year;  drafted;  disch.  by  G.  0.  June  2, 1865. 

Glenn  W.  Christie,  must,  in  Sept.  20,  1864,  one  year ; 
drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  21, 1865. 

Washington  Campbell,  must,  in  Sept.  20,   1864,  one 
year  ;  drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  2,  1865. 

Frederick  Capper ;  not  must,  into  U.  S.  service. 


230 


HISTOKY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Martin  Cordell,  must,  in  March  13,  1865,  one  year; 

sub.,  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  27,  1865. 
Henry  Deace,  must,  in  Feb.  8, 1864 ;  vet. 
Henry  P.  Douple,  must,  in  Sept.  20,  1864,  one  year; 

drafted ;  disch.  by  Special  Order,  June  2,  1865. 
Daniel  Eyler,  must,  in  Oct.  3,  1861,  one  year;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
Jacob  Fair,  must,  in  April  6,  1864. 
Eurch,  Flieg,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  vet. 
Jeremiah  Focht,  must,  in  Sept.  16, 1861 ;  vet. 
Orlando  Fry,  must,  in  Mar.  30,  1864 ;  absent,  prisoner 

at  must.  out. 
James  Fisher,  must,  in  Mar.  10,  1865;  sub. 
Daniel  Feterow,  must,  in  Mar.  9,  1865,  one  year ;  sub. 
John  Folk,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  must,  out  Sept. 

29,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Samuel  Firing,  must,  in    Sept.  16,  1861 ;    killed  at 

Wilderness  May  6, 1864 ;  vet. 
John  Flickinger,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  died  at  An- 

dersonville,  Ga.,  Aug.  12,  1864;  grave  5586;  vet. 
Peter  Farren,  must,  in  Sept.  16, 1861 ;  disch.  Feb.  20 

1863. 
Levi  Fritz,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861;  died  Sept.  26, 

1863,  of  wnds.  rec.  at  Chantilly,  Va. ;  bur.  in  Mil- 

Asyl.  Cem.,  D.  C. 
Mathias  Gahris,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  disch.  Sept. 

29,1864;  exp.  of  term. 
John  Grossman,  must,  in  Sept.   20,  1864,  one  year . 

drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  2,  1865. 
William  Green,  must,  in   March   13,  1864 ;  absent, 

sick,  at  must.  out. 
Peter  H.  Geiton,  must,  in  March  10,  1865,  one  year ; 

sub. 
Conrad  Huber,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864. 
Cyrus  Hoffa,  must,  in  March  29,  1864 ;  absent,  pris- 
oner, at  must.  out. 
James   W.  Hasting,  must,  in   March  20,  1865,  one 

year;  sub. 
Jasper  Hoadley,  Jr.,  must,  in  March  10,  1865,  one 

year ;  sub. 
George  Hagan,  must,  in   March  10,  1865,  one  year ; 

sub. ;  absent  at  must.  out. 
Peter  Herman,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  disch.  Sept. 

29,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Philip  A.  Huber,  must,  in  Sept.  16, 1861 ;  disch.  Sept. 

29,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Franklin  Hanford,  must,  in  March  9,  1865,  one  year; 

sub. ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  29,  1865. 
Lucien  Heller,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  disch.  by  G. 

O.  June  6,  1865 ;  veteran. 
Peter  Hartz,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Jan.  15,  1863. 
John  Hyneman,  Sr.,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1861 ;  wounded 

at  Chantilly,  Va.,  Sept.  1,  1862;  noton  must.-out 

roll. 
George  Jackson,  must,  in  Sept.  20,  1861,  one  year ; 

drafted  ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  2,  1865. 
George  Keihle,  mu4.  in  Sept.  16,  1861  ;  vet. 
John  Kerr,  must,  in  March  14,  1865,  one  year ;  sub. 


John  A.  Kepner,  must,  in  March  10,  1865,  one  year ; 

sub. 
Frank  W.  Kepner,   must,  in  March  10,  1865,  one 

year ;  sub. 
John  Kreider,  must,  in  Sept.   16,  1861  ;  must,  out 

Sept.  29,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Harrison  Leininger,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  vet. 
Henry  Lebengood,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  vet. 
Benjamin  Landis,  must,  in  March  13,  1865,  one  year ; 

sub. 
Charles  Lyons,  must,  in  March  10, 1865,  one  year;  sub. 
John  Lamont,  must,  in  March  13, 1865,  one  year;  sub. 
Henry  Lichtly,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  disch.  Nov. 

1,  1861. 
John  Long,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  not  on  must.-out 

roll. 
Patrick   Morris,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  killed  -at 

Spottsylvania  C.  H.  May  11,  1864 ;  vet. 
Jeremiah  Miller,  must,  in  March  10,  1865,  one  year ; 

sub. 
Adam  Machulder,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  March  14,  1863, 
Daniel  Madana,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  left  sick  at 

Newport   News,   Va.,   March   21,  1863;   not  on 

must.-out  roll. 
Jeremiah  Moll,  must,  in  March  7, 1864 ;   not  on  must. 

out  roll. 
Peter  McLafferty,  must,  in  July  16,  1863;  drafted. 
Wm.  J.  McKissick,  must,  in  Sept.  20,  1864,  one  year; 

drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  2,  1865. 
Thos.  D.  McFarland,  must,  in   Sept.  20,   1864,  one 

year ;  drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  2,  1865. 
Andrew  McMurray,  must,  in  Sept.  20,  1864,  one  year; 

drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  2,  1865. 
Samuel  A.  McKinuey,  must,  in  Sept.  16, 1861 ;  not  on 

must.-out  roll. 
Henry  Newman,  must,  in  March  10,  1865  ;  sub. 
C.  Neatman,  must,  in  March  14,  1865,  one  year;  sub. 
John  O'Bryan,  must,  in  March  15, 1865,  one  year ;  sub.; 

disch.  by  G.  O.  June  29,  1865. 
John  Paul,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  must,  out  Sept. 

28,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
John  Patton,  must,  in  Sept.  20,  1864 ;  drafted ;  disch. 

by  S.  O.  June  2,  1865. 
Daniel   Plucker,   must,   in    Sept.    16,   1861 ;  not    on 

must.-out  roll. 
John  Phillips,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861;  disch.  March 

18,  1863. 
Horace  Reber,  must,  in  Feb.  11,  1864. 
George  Reber,  must,  in  Feb.  11, 1864. 
Henry  Redmond,  must,  in  Feb.  2,  1864. 
George  Rowe,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  vet. 
John  Rice,  must,  in  March  16,  1865,  one  year  ;  sub. 
Solomon  Rhoads,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Jan.  22,  1865  ;  vet. 
Emanuel  S.  Riddle,  must,  in  Sept.  20, 1864,  one  year; 

drafted;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  2,  1865. 
John  Robinson,  must,  in  Sept.   16,  1861 ;  killed  at 

Spottsylvania  C.  H.  May  11,  1864. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


231 


John  Reiger,  must,  in  Sept.  16,   1861 ;  left  sick   at 

Pleasant  Valley,  Md.,  Oct.  15, 1862 ;  not  on  must.- 

out  roll. 
Joseph  Reinhart,  must,  in   March  28,  1864;  not  on 

must.-out  roll. 
Isaac  Steinrack,   must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  absent  at 

must,  out ;  vet. 
Daniel  Showers,   must,   in  Feb.   29,   1864;    absent, 

wouuded,  at  must.  out. 
Samuel  Suavely,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864. 
George  Seid,  must,  in  March  8,  1865,  ono  year ;  sub. 
Daniel  Shannon,  must,  in  March  11,  1865,  one  year; 

sub. 
Gibson  Steeter,  must,  in  March  1»,  1865,  one  year;  sub. 
Joseph  Stokes,  must,  in  March  10, 1865,  one  year ;  sub.; 

absent  at  must.  out. 
John  Siegfried,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861  ;  must,  out 

Sept.  29,  1864,    exp.  of  term. 
Samuel  Snyder,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861;  must,  out 

Sept.  29,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Marks  B.  Scull,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  29,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
James  J.  Sutton,  must,  in  Sept.  20,  1864,  one  year; 

drafted  ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  2,  1865. 
William   P.   Stewart,   must,   in  Sept.   20,  1864,  one 

year  ;  drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  2,  1865. 
Francis  Strawick,  must,  in  Sept.  20,  1864,  one  year ; 

drafted  ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  2,  1865. 
William  Stevenson,  must,  in  Sept.  20,  1864,  one  year; 

drafted ;  died  at  City  Point,  Va.,  Dec.  24,  1864. 
Charles  Smith,  must,  in  Feb.  9,  1875,  one  year ;  sub. 
Frederick  Shilling ;  not  must,  into  U.  S.  service. 
Samuel  Sellers,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  killed  at 

Antietam  Sept.  17,  1862. 
Theodore  Taggart,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  29,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
William  Thompson,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  must. 

out  Sept.  29, 1864,  exp.  of  term. 
William  Updegraff,   must,   in    March   8,   1865,   one 

year;  sub. 
Augustus  Upham,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  29,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Monroe  Unger,  must,  in  Feb.  11,  1864  ;  died  at  Alex- 
andria, Va.,  Oct.  31,  1864 ;  grave  2832. 
John  Vivian,  must,  in  April  23,  1862. 
James  Vincent,  must,  in  March  9, 1865,  one  year ;  sub. 
James  Wise,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  vet. 
William  Wummer,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1864. 
William  Warnock,  must,  in  March  15,   1865,  one 

year;  sub. 
C.  Wilkins,  must,  in  March  14,  1865,  one  year ;  sub. 
Henry  Wentzel,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  killed  near 

Petersburg,  Va.,  Aug.  17,  1864 ;  vet. 
George  Walker,  must,  in  March  13,  1865,  one  year; 

sub. 
Isaac  Weand,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  trans,  to  2d  U. 

S.  Artillery  Oct.  13,  1862. 
Reuben  Yohe,  must,  in  March  11,  1864. 
John  Young,  must,  in  March  14, 1865,  one  year  ;  sub. 


Company  E. — This  company  was  recruited 
at  Reading,  and  was  mustered  out  July  30, 
1865,  except  where  otherwise  mentioned. 

William  H.  Diehl,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  re- 
signed Feb.  3,  1863. 

Henry  A.  Lantz,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  30,  1861  ;  pro. 
from  sergt.-maj.  to  1st  lieut.  Jan.  18,  1X62;  to 
capt.  Feb.  4,  1863 ;  killed  at  Petersburg,  Va., 
June  18,  1864. 

Richard  Herbert,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  pro. 
from  1st  sergt.  to  2d  lieut.  Dec.  17,  1862  ;  to  1st 
lieut.  Nov.  8,  1863 ;  to  capt.  May  9,  1865 ;  disch. 
Sept.  2,  1865. 

Peter  A.  Lantz,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861;  re- 
signed Jan.  18,  1862. 

Nicholas  H.  Sell,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861  ; 

pro.  from  private  to  sergt. ;  to  1st  sergt. ;  to  1  st 

lieut.  April  15,  1865  ;  com.   capt.  Aug.  1,  1865  ; 

not  must. ;  veteran. 
H.  A.  Flickinger,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ; 

resigned  Jan.  18,  1862. 
Frank  H.  Forbes,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Jan.  1,  1864 ; 

pro.  from  q.m.-sergt.  May  10,  1865. ;  veteran. 
Abraham  H.   De  Turk,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  13, 

1861 ;  wounded  at  Chantilly,  Va.,  Sept.  1,  1862  ; 

pro.  from  private  to  1st  sergt.  April  1,  1865 ;  com. 

1st  lieut.  Aug.  1,  1865;  not  must. ;  veteran. 
George  McConnell,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861  ; 

captured  at  Spottsylvania  C.  H.,  May  12,  1864  ; 

died  while  prisoner,  date  unknown;  veteran. 
Levi  Garrett,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  13, 1861 ;  wounded 

at  Antietam,  Sept.  17,  1862;  pro.  from  private  to 

sergt.  April  1,  1865;  veteran. 
David  R.  Boughter,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ; 

pro.  from  private  to  sergt.  May  1,  1865 ;  veteran. 
M.  R.  Thompson,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  corp.  to  sergt.  May  1, 1865 ;  veteran. 
William  B.  Gambler,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ; 

pro.  to  Corp.;  to  sergt.  May  1,  1865;  veteran. 
Solomon  K.  Grim,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  corp.  to  sergt. ;  captured  at  Spottsylvania 

C.  H.,  May  12,  1864;  died  while  prisoner,  date 

unknown ;  veteran. 
Augustus  N.  Rhoads,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ; 

pro.   from   corp.  to  sergt. ;  trans,   to   Vet.   Res. 

Ccrp ;  veteran. 
William  P.   Moyer,  sergt,  must,  in  Sept.   13,  1861 ; 

disch.  Nov.  21, 1862. 
John  H.  Rice,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept  13,  1863  ;  veteran. 
George  Rosebury,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp. ;  veteran. 
John  B.  Kline,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  13, 1861 ;  pro.  to 

corp.  May  1,  1865  ;  veteran. 
John  P.  Yoder,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  pro.  to 

corp.  May  1,  1865  ;  veteran. 
James  Huy,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  pro.  tn 

corp.  May  1,  1865;  veteran. 


232 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


John  W.  Seiders,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861  ;  pro. 

to  corp.  May  1,  1865 ;  veteran. 
Thomas  C.  Garrett,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  13,  1864;  pro. 

to  corp.  May  1,  1865. 
George  Doran,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861  ;  pro.  to 

corp.  May  1,  1865;  veteran. 
F.  R.  Hoffman,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp. ;  killed  at  Spottsylvania  C.  H.,  May  12, 

1864;    buried  in    Wilderness    Burial-Grounds ; 

veteran. 
William  P.  Winters,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ; 

pro.  to  corp-. ;  killed  at  Spottsylvania  C.  H,  May 

12,  1864 ;  buried  in  Wilderness  Burial  Grounds ; 

veteran. 
David  W.  Boyer,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  13, 1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp. ;  wounded  at  Spottsylvania  C.  H.,  May 

12,  1864;  died  June  19,  1864;  buried  in  National 

Cemetery,  Arlington,  Va. ;  veteran. 
John  Kelcher,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  pro.  to 

corp. ;    wounded  at   Wilderness,   May  6,   1864 ; 

died  at  Washington,  D.   G,  date  unknown  ;  vet- 
eran. 
Frank  R.  Smith,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  13, 1861 ;  must. 

out  Sept.  28,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
William  Taylor,  musician,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1864; 

veteran. 
Walworth   W.   Wood,   musician,   must,   in  Feb.  23, 

1864 ;  pro.   to  2d  lieut.  14th  Regt.  U.  S.  army, 

date  unknown. 

Privates. 
Anthony  Adams,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1864. 
Wash.  Armpriester,  must,  in  Feb.  9,  1864. 
William   F.   Ash,  must,   in    March    14,   1865,    one 

year;  substitute. 
Jonathan  Allwine,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1864;  killed  at 

Petersburg,  Va. ;  buried  on  Mrs.  V.  Armstead's 

property,  Virginia. 
William  Adams,  must,  in  March  10,  1864 ;  substitute. 
George  W.  Boyer,  must,  in  Feb.  22,  1864;  died  July 

18,  1865,  of  wounds  received  in  riot  at  Balto.  & 

Ohio  R.  R.  Depot,  Washington,  D.  0. 
James  Butler,  must,  in  March  7,  1864. 
Thomas   Blackburn,   must,  in  March  16,  1865,  one 

year;  substitute. 
Edmond  Be£tn,  must,  in  March  11,  1865,  one  year; 

substitute. 
Richard  Bernell,  must,  in  March  8,  1865,  one  year  ; 

substitute. 
John  Baldwin,  must,  in  March  16,  1865,  one  year ; 

substitute ;  absent  at  must.  out. 
Alfred  D.  Burns,  must,  in  March  22,  1864 ;  killed  at 

Petersburg,  Va.,  June  21,  1864 ;  buried  in  9th 

Corps  Cemetery,  Meade  StationJ  Va. 
David  Bierd,  must,  in   March  2,  1864;  captured  at 

Spottsylvania  C.  H.,  May  12,  1864;  died  while 

prisoner,  date  unknown. 
Jacob  Boyer,  must,  in  Feb.  24,  1864;  captured  near 

Petersburg,  Va. ;  died  while  prisoner,  date  un- 
known ;  veteran. 


Gabriel  Boyer,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1864 ;  captured  at 

Spottsylvania  C.  H.,  May  12,   1864;  died  while 

prisoner,  date  unknown. 
David  Biery,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  must,  out  Sept. 

28,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Tobias  Boor,  must,  in  Feb.  24, 1865,  one  year ;  drafted  ; 

disch.  by  G.  O.  May  9, 1865. 
William  Biery,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

I,  date  unknown. 
John  H.  Bord,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861  ;  wounded  at 

Chantilly,  Sept.  1,  1862 ;  disch.  Feb.  23.  1863. 
John  H.  Boughter,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  killed  at 

Bull  Run,  August  30,  1862. 
Benjamin  Boyer,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Bull  Run,  Aug.  29,  1862;  disch.  Dec.  17,  1862. 
Philip  Blatz,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  disch.  Sept.  20, 

1862. 
Joshua  W.Beale,  must,  in  Feb.  9,  1864;  not  on  must.- 

out  roll. 
Aaron  L.  Carpenter,  must,  in  Feb.  27,  1864 ;  veteran. 
George  Coxe,  must,  in  March  9,  1865,  one  year  ;  sub- 
stitute ;  absent,  in  hospital,  at  must.  out. 
William  Christy,  must,  in  March  6,  1865 ;  substitute ; 

absent  at  muster  out. 
William  J.    Carpenter,    must,     in    Feb.     24,     1865, 

one  year;  drafted  ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  May  9,  1865. 
Robert  Carter,  must,  in  March  10,  1865,  one  year. 
William   Conrad,    must,   in   Sept.   13,  1861 ;  not  on 

must-out  roll. 
Charles  Dieter,  must,  in  March  27, 1864. 
William  Deviese,  must,  in  March  27,  1864. 
Jeremiah  Drayher,  must,  in  Feb.  11,  1864. 
Henry   Drumbore,   must,  in    March   14,    1865,   one 

year ;  substitute. 
William  Drayher,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  killed  at 

Petersburg,  June  18,  1864 ;  buried  in  9th  Corps 

Cemetery,  Meade  Station,  Va.    veteran. 
Joseph  C.  Dermer,  must,  in  March  13, 1865,  one  year ; 

drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  May  9,  1865. 
William  Derrick,  must,  in  Sept.  13, 1861 ;  disch.  Feb. 

17,  1862. 
Benneville  Dewalt,  must,  in  July  27,  1864,  one  year; 

not  on  muster-out  roll. 
Charles  H.  Eckenroth,  must,  in  Sept.  9,  1861  ;  must. 

out  Sept.  28,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
George  D.  Eisenhower,  must,  in  Sept.  9,  1861 ;  must. 

out  Sept.  28,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Addi  Ebling,  must,  in  Sept.  9,  1861 ;  disch.  Sept.  20, 

1862. 
Franklin  Fisher,  must,  in  March  7,  1864. 
William  Flammer,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  wounded 

at  Antietam,  Sept.  17, 1862  ;  veteran. 
Theodore  G.  Faber,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  veteran. 
Joseph  Felding,  must,  in  March  9,  1865,  one  year ; 

substitute. 
Edward  Fox,  must,  in  Feb.  22,  1864 ;  killed  at  Spott- 
sylvania C.  H.,  May  12,  1864 ;  buried  in  Wilder- 
ness Burial-Grounds. 
Adam  Fisher,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  captured  at 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


233 


Spottsylvania  C.  H.,  May  12,  1864;  died  while 

prisoner,  date  unknown  ;  veteran. 
Thomas  Fisher,  must,  in  March  24,  1865,  one  year; 

drafted ;  disch  by  G.  O.  May  9,  1865. 
Jeremiah  Fees,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Vet. 

Res.  Corps,  date  unknown  ;  veteran. 
J.  Fenstemacher,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  disch.  Sept. 

20,  1862. 
Daniel  Fiuefrach,  must,   in  Sept.   13,   1861;  disch. 

Nov.  24,  1862. 
Edward  Fisher,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  disch.  Dec. 

6,  1862. 
Howard  W.  Gift,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1864. 
John  Granrath,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  veteran. 
Jacob  Good,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  veteran. 
John  Good,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1865,  one  year. 
Percival  Gahrett,  must,  in  Feb.  11,  1864. 
John    Garber,   must,  in   Feb.   24,   1865,   one    year; 

drafted. 
Justice  Gerrett,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

I,  date  unknown. 
Alfred  W.  Gift,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  pro.  to   com. 

sergt.  March  21,  1865;  veteran. 
Henry  H.   Geiger,  must,  in    Sept.  13,  1861 ;  disch. 

Feb.  28,  1862. 
Aaron   Goodman,   must,  in  Sept.  13,   1861 ;   not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
William  H.   Good,  must,    in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  disch. 

May  23,  1862. 
Samuel  Gambler,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  veteran. 
William  Haines,  must,  in  March  11,  1864. 
Curtis  S.  Hissner,  must,  in  March  9,  1864. 
John  Higgins,  must,  in  March  20,  1864;  absent,  on 

detached  duty,  at  muster  out. 
John  Hurst,  must,  in  March  3,  1864;  absent  at  muster 

out. 
Elias  S.  Hoffman,  must,  in  Feb.  26,  1864. 
Isaac  High,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861;  veteran. 
David    Hunt,   must,    in   Feb.   23,   1865,    one  year; 

drafted. 
James  Haines,  must,  in  March  11,  1864 ;  wounded  at 

Cold  Harbor,  June  3,  1864;  died  June  26,  1864; 

buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Arlington,  Va. 
Frederick  Harp,  must,  in  March  18,  1864;  captured 

near  Petersburg,  Va. ;  died  at  Salisbury,  N.  C, 

Dec  9,1864. 
George  Heckman,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  28,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Benneville  S.  Huy,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861  ;  must  out 

Sept.  28,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Edward  Hiskey,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  28,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
William  Herbst,  must,  in  Feb.  11,  1864 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 
William  Hannuing,  must,  in  Feb.  24,  1865, one  year; 

drafted  ;  disch.  by  G.  0.  May  8,  1865. 
Frank  H.  Herbert,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  pro.  to 

q.m. -sergt.,  date  unknown  ;  veteran. 
27 


Thomas  Hobbs,  must,  in  March  11,  1865,  one  year; 
substitute. 

Christ  Hartman,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  killed  on 
picket  at  Beaufort,  S.  C,  June  21,  1862. 

Frank  Harvey,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861;  not  on 
muster-out  roll. 

Barney  Hegan,  must,  in  March  22,  1864;  not  on 
muster-out  roll. 

Alexander  Irieland,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  trans,  to 
Co.  I,  date  unknown. 

Emanuel  Kauffman,  must,  in  Feb.  26,  1864. 

Daniel  Kauffman,  must,  in  Feb.  26,  1864. 

Charles  S.  Kline,  must,  in  Feb.  9,  1864. 

David  Koch,  must,  in  Feb.  9,  1864. 

Peter  Kubb,  must,  in  Nov.  11,  1864,  one  year ;  sub- 
stitute. 

Matthias  Keyser,  must,  in  March  10,  1865,  one  year ; 
substitute. 

John  Keller,  must,  in  Feb.  12,  1864 ;  died  at  Annap- 
olis, Md.,  Dec.  29,  1864. 

Charles  Kendall,  must,  in  Sept.  19,  1861 ;  captured  at 
Spottsylvania  C.  H.  May  12,  1864  ;  died  at  Flor- 
ence, S.  C,  Oct.  12,  1864  ;  vet. 

John  Kerney,  must,  in  Sept.  19,  1831 ;  captured  at 
Spottsylvania  C.  H.  May  12,  1884;  died  while 
prisoner,    date  unknown;  vet. 

Benjamin  Koch,  must,  in  Sept.  19,  1861 ;  captured  at 
Spottsylvania  C.  H.  May  12,  1864;  died  while 
prisoner,   date  unknown  ;  vet. 

Henry  H.Kline,  mustered  in  Sept.  19,  1861 ;  wounded 
at  South  Mountain  Sept.  1 1,  1862 ;  disch.  Nov. 
22,  1862. 

Nathan  Leininger,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  missing 
in  action  Sept.  30,  1864 ;  vet. 

John  W.  Larrish,  mu-t.  in  Sept.  13, 1861 ;  disch.  Aug. 
7,  1865,  to  date  July  30,  1865  ;  vet. 

Levi  Lewis,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  killed  at  Peters- 
burg June  28,  1864;  buried  in  9th  Corps  Cem. 
Meade  Sta.,  Va. ;  vet. 

Samuel  Moll,  must,  in  Feb.  28, 1864. 

John  H.  Meser,  must,  in  March  7,  1864. 

Jacob  Menard,  must,  in  Feb.  9,  1864. 

Charles  Musig,  must,  in  March  7, 1*64. 

Jeremiah  Miller,  must,  in  Nov.  14,  1864,  one  year  ; 
drafted ;  absent  at  muster  out. 

Wm.  H.  Miller,  must,  in'  July  5,  1864  ;  drafted ;  ab- 
sent at  muster  out. 

Wm.  Maxton,  must,  in  Feb.  22,  1864;  prisoner  May 
12,  1864;  died  at  Andersonville,  Ga.,  Aug.  31, 
1864 ;  grave  7407. 

George  Meade,  must,  in  March  11,  1865. 

Wm.  Penn  Mack,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  not  on 
muster-out  roll. 

Wm.  McCray,  must,  in  March  10,  1865,  one  year  ; 
substitute. 

Casper  McConnell,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  died  at 
Philadelphia  May  28,  1864;  vet. 

Jeremiah  Noll,  must,  in  March  7,  1864. 

George  Nester,  must,  in  March  9,  1 865,  one  year. 


234 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


John  T.  Nays,  must,  in  March  9,  1864 ;  killed  at  Pe- 
tersburg, Va.,  June  27,  1864 ;  bur.  in  9th  Corps 
Cem.,  Meade  Sta.,  Va. 
John  Neyer,  must,  in  March  21,  1864. 
George  Prescott,  must,  in  March  1,  1865,  one  year ; 

substitute. 
Samuel  Peffer,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  accidentally 

killed  at  Beaufort,  S.  C,  June  2,  1862. 
Alonzo  H.  Eapp,  must,  in  Feb.  9,  1864. 
Samuel  Rise,  must,  in  March  24,  1864 ;  wounded  at 
Spottsylvania  C.  H.  May  12, 1864;  died  at  Alex- 
andria, Va.,  June  7,  1864. 
Lewis  Rahn,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1864 ;  trans,  to  Vet. 

Res.  Corps,  date  unknown. 
Tobias   Richards,   must,  in  Sept.   13,   1861;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
Nathan  Saylor,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  vet. 
AVm.  S.  Smith,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  vet. 
Lucas  Smith,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1864. 
Alfred  Snyder,  must.. in  Feb.  9,  1864. 
John  W.  Stoudt,  must,  in  Feb.  12, 1864;  must,  out  by 

G.  O.  May  26, 1865. 
Reuben  Snyder,  must,  in   Sept.  13,  1861;    captured 
May   12,   1864;    died  while   prisoner,    date  un- 
known ;  vet. 
Philip  Sigel,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1864 ;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 
Solomon  Stoudt,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  wounded  at 
Wilderness   May   6,   1864;  died  at  Washington, 
D.  C,  July  25,  1864;  bur.  in  Nat.  Cem.,  Arling- 
ton ;•  vet. 
Thomas  Saylor,   must,  in   Sept.  13,1861;  wounded 
at   Wilderness   May   9,    1864;     died,     date  un- 
known ;  vet. 
Daniel   K.   Sell,   must,    in   Sept.  13,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif. ;  vet. 
Wm.  Smith,  must,  in  Sept.  13,1861  ;  disch.,  date  un- 
known. 
John  Scott,  must,  in  March  16,  1865,  one  year ;  sub- 
stitute. 
David  Snyder,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Chantilly  Sept.  1,  1862;  disch.  Feb.  14,  1863. 
Nicholas  Sassaman,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  died  at 
Washington,  D.  C,  Oct.  12,  1861  ;  bur.  in  Mili- 
tary Asylum  Cem. 
Mayberry  Swoyer,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  wounded 
at  Chantilly  Sept.  1,  1861 ;  disch.  Feb.  14,  1863. 
Sam.  B.  Smith,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1864;  not  on  mus- 
ter-out roll. 

Joseph  Tobias,  must,  in  Feb.  11,  1864;  killed  at  Pe- 
tersburg June  24,  1864 ;  bur.  in  9th  Corps  Cem., 
Meade  Sta.,  Va. 

George  Turner,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.,  date  unknown ;  vet. 

George  Thompson,  must,  in  March  18,  1865,  one 
year;  substitute. 

Charles  L.  Ulrich,  must,  in  Feb.  27,  1864;  killed  at 
Petersburg  June  17,  1864. 


Levi  Valentine,   must,   in   Sept.   21,  1864,  one  year  ; 

drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  0.  Aug.  16,  1865. 
Israel   Walmer,   must,   in   Sept.   13,1861;  absent  at 

muster-out;  vet. 
Isaac  R.  Weisor,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  vet. 
John  H.  Whitman,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  vet. 
Dallas  Wentzal,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  28,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Leonard   Wynings,   must,   in   Sept.  13,  1861 ;  must. 

out  Sept.  28,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
William  Weiser,  must,   in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  28,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
William   Wertz,  must  in   Feb.   23,   1865,  one  year ; 

drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  May  9,  1865. 
Henry  Williams,  must,  in  March  11,  1865,  one  year ; 

substitute. 
Joseph  Walmer,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  killed  at 

Petersburg    June   17,    1864;   bur.  in  9th  Corps 

Cem.,  Meade  Sta.,  Va. ;  vet. 
M.   Weidenhamer,   must,    in  Sept.    13,  1861 ;  disch. 

Jan.  7,  1863. 
John  Wynings,  must,  in  Sept.  13, 1861 ;  died  at  New- 
port News,  Va.,  Aug.  6,  1862. 

Captain  Henry  A.  Lantz  was  a  native 
of  Reading,  having  been  born  at  this  place  on 
May  26,  1825.  He  was  a  grandson  of  Peter 
Aurand,  sheriff  of  Berks  County  from  1815  to 
1817.  He  carried  on  a  book-store  at  Reading 
for  a  number  of  years,  and  then  became  the  pub- 
lisher of  the  Reading  Times,  which  he  conduct- 
ed with  great  ability  till  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Civil  War.  Its  successful  establishment  was  at- 
tributable to  his  energy  and  good  management. 
He  then  sold  it  to  Whitman  &  Haas,  and  en- 
listed in  the  fall  of  1861  as  a  private  in  Co.  E, 
Fiftieth  Regiment  P.  V.,  for  three  years'  service. 
Shortly  afterward  he  received  the  appointment 
of  sergeant-major,  and  accompanied  the  first  ex- 
pedition to  South  Carolina.  There  he  displayed 
much  bravery  and  was  promoted  in  consequence 
to  first  lieutenant ;  and  upon  the  resignation  of 
Capt.  William  Diehl  he  was  made  captain,  in 
February,1863.  He  was  shot  before  Petersburg 
on  June  17,  1864,  and  instantly  killed;  and  his 
body  was  decently  interred  under  a  large  oak- 
tree  near  where  he  fell.  He  enjoyed  the  con- 
fidence of  his  entire  company  for  his  ability, 
bravery  and  exemplary  life. 

Company  H.— This  company  was  recruited 
at  Reading,  and  was  mustered  out  July  30, 1865, 
except  where  otherwise  mentioned. 
Thomas  S.  Brenholtz,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ; 

pro.  to  lieut.-col.  Sept.  30,  1861. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


235 


Charles  Parker,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  pro. 
from  1st  lieut.  to  capt.  Oct.  21,  1861 ;  killed  in 
action  at  Pocotaligo,  S.  C,  Aug.  1,  1862. 
John  A.  Rodgers,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  re- 
signed Sept.  19,  1862. 
H.  E.  Cleveland,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  pro. 
from  1st  sergt.  to  1st  lieut.  Oct.  21, 1861 ;  to  capt. 
Dec.  19,  1862;    died  May  20,  1864,  of  wounds 
received  at  Spottsylvania  C.  H.,  May  12, 1864. 
John  A.  Snyder,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  pro. 
from  sergt.  to  1st  sergt. ;  to  1st  lieut.  Nov.   26, 
1864 ;  to  capt.  April  17,  1S65  ;  vet. 
Henry  T.  Kendall,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861; 
pro.  from  Corp.  to  1st  lieut. ;  to  adjt.  May  3, 1864; 
vet. 
Harrison  S.  Gechter,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1861 ; 
pro.  from  sergt.  to  1st  sergt. ;  to  1st  lieut.  May  15, 
1864;  resigned  Oct.  27,  1864  ;  vet. 
Joseph  V.  Kendall,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1861 ; 
prisoner  from  May  12,  1864,  to  March  80,  1865; 
pro.  from  corp.  to  sergt. ;  to  1st  sergt. ;  to   1st 
lieut.  May  21,  1865 ;  vet. 
Robert  R.  Taylor,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ; 

resigned  March  28, 1864. 
Henry  S.  Francis,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ; 
wounded  May  12,  1864  ;  pro.  to  corp. ;  to  sergt. ; 
to  2d  lieut.  May  18,  1865 ;  vet. 
Henry  Carl,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861;  pro.  to 

corp. ;  to  sergt.;  to  1st  sergt.  May  2,  1865 ;  vet. 
John  S.  Hendricks,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ; 
pro.  to  corp.;  to  sergt.;  captured  May  12,  1864; 
vet. 
Patrick  Sullivan,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  private  to  sergt.;  vet. 
Henry  Anthony,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.;  to  sergt.  May  21,  1865 ;  vet. 
Harrison  Fry,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  18,  1861 ;  pro.  to 
Corp.;  to  sergt.  May  21,  1865  ;  wounded  and  pris. 
May  12,  1864 ;  vet. 
Franklin  Stoneback,  sergt.,  must,  in   Sept.  10,  1861 ; 
pro.  from  private  to  sergt.;  killed  at  Spottsylvania 
C.  H.,  May  12,  1864;  vet. 
James   M.  Kissinger,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861  ; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 
Julius  Kurkowski,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.;  mis.  in  action  May  12,  1864;  vet. 
George  Miller,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1861 ;  pro.  to 

corp.  April  1,  1865 ;  vet. 
Harrison  Briel,  Corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  pro.  to 

corp.;  yet. 
Harrison  Neider,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  April  1,  1865 ;  vet. 
James  Duncan,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  12,  1864;  pro.  to 

corp.  April  1,  1865 ;  vet. 
Michael  Neider,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  May  21,  1865 ;  vet. 
John  R.  Davis,  corp.,  must,  in  April  8,  1864;   pro.  to 
corp.  May  21,  1865  ;  vet. 


Benjamin  H.  Frederick,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1861 ; 

trans,  to  Vet.  Res.  Corps  March  24, 1865  ;  vet. 
David  Burkett,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  died 

May  11,  1863. 
Moses  Wadsworth,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 
David  Dampman,  musician,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864. 
William  Keller,  musician,  must,  in  Feb.  11,  1864. 
George  Devinney,  musician,  must,  in  Sept.  30,  1861 ; 

died  Jan.  24,  1864,  of  wounds  received  at  Blue 

Springs,  Tenn.;  buried  at  Knoxville  ;  grave  100. 

Privates. 

Daniel  Albert,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  vet. 

Jacob  AHd,er,  must,  in  Sept.  19,  1864,  one  year; 
drafted  ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  2,  1865. 

W.  P.  Brownback,  must,  in  Feb.  22,  1864. 

Morris  Boyer,  must,  in  March  10,  1865,  one  year; 
substitute. 

Albert  Baker,  must,  in  March  11,  1865,  one  year ; 
substitute. 

Isaac  Behney,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  must,  out  Sept. 
29, 1864,  expiration  of  term. 

George  Bogardus,  must,  in  Sept.  30,  1861 ;  must,  out 
Sept.  29,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 

Jacob  Baker,  must,  in  Sept.  21,  1864,  one  year ; 
drafted  ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  1,  1865. 

Michael  Boyer,  must,  in  Sept.  21,  1864,  one  year  ; 
drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  1,  1865. 

Nicholas  Blichner,  must,  in  Sept.  23,  1864,  one  year; 
drafted;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  1,  1865. 

Azariah  Broadstone,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861;  died 
June  13,  1864,  of  wounds  received  at  Spottsyl- 
vania C.  H.,  May  12,  1864;  buried  in  National 
Cemetery,  Arlington,  Va. ;  veteran. 

William  Barr,  must,  in  Feb.  9,  1864;  died  at  AVash- 
ington,  D.  C,  June  26,  1864 ;  buried  at  Alexan- 
dria, Va. ;  grave  2253. 

F.  George  Batzel,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 

Benjamin  Bolton,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 

John  Becker,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 
certif.,  date  unknown. 

Isaac  Briel,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 

Francis  G.  Boucher,  must,  in  March  3,  1864;  not  on 
muster-out  roll. 

John  Cogswell,  must,  in  March  13,  1865,  one  year; 
substitute. 

Ebenezer  Cully,  must,  in  March  11,  1865,  one  year  ; 
substitute. 

George  Cummings,  must,  in  July  12,  1864;  drafted  ; 
absent,  sick,  at  muster  out. 

Alban  Clay,  must,  in  Sept.  30,  1861 ;  must,  out  Sept. 
29,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 

Isaac  Coates,  must,  in  Sept.  20,  1864,  one  year; 
drafted  ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  1, 1865. 


236 


HISTOEY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Jacob   Clark,   must,   in  Sept.   21,   1864,   one    year; 

drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  0.  June  1,  1865. 
Benjamin  Couch,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  taken  pris- 
oner Dec.  14,  1863 ;  died  at  Andersonville,  Ga., 
July  11,  1864 ;  grave  3430. 
Israel  Cook,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  disch  on  surg. 

certif.,  date  unknown. 
Amos  Cole,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 
Lewis  Crater,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  pro.  to  com.- 

sergt.  May  1,  1862. 
James   Connelly,  must,   in  March  10,  1864;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
John  Donivan,  must,  in  March  11,  1865 ;  substitute  ; 

disch.  by  G.  O.  Aug.  16,  1865. 
William  Duulap,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861  'veteran. 
John  C.  Dehart,  must,  in  Sept.  30,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  29,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
John  A.  Dunmire.  must,  in  Sept.  21, 1864,  one  year; 

drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  1,  1865. 
Andrew  Deibert,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1865,  one  year  ; 

drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  May  11,  1865. 
Thomas  S.  Drake,  must,  in  Sept.  21,  1864,  one  year; 

substitute ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  1,  1865. 
William  Deckert,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 
William  Dreber,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  died  Nov. 
4,  1862;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Antietam, 
Md.,  sec.  26,  lot  D,  grave  368. 
John  Eagle,  must,  in  March  7,  1865,  one  year  ;  sub- 
stitute. 
Julius  Engleman,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  29,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
James  Egan,  must,  in  March  13,  1865,  one  year ;  sub- 
stitute. 
William  Ellis,  must,  in  Sept.  10,   1861;   disch.   on 

surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 
Joseph   Everdale,   must,   in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
John  Fritz,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861  ;  veteran. 
Daniel  Fritz,  must,  iu  Sept.  10,  1865  ;  veteran. 
Jacob  Fry,  must,  in  March  13,  1865,  one  year ;  sub- 
stitute. 
Peter  Finkboon,  must,  in  March  18,  1864 ;  disch.  by 

G.  O.  May  24,  1865. 
Lewis  Folk,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  killed  at  Bull 

Run  Aug.  29,  1862. 
John  Francis,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif. ;  date  unknown. 
Franklin  Gresley,  must,  in  March  10,  1865,  one  year  ; 

substitute;  disch.  by  G.  O.  July  11,  1865. 
Jacob  Gliniser,  must,  in  March  11,  1865,  one  year; 

substitute. 
Michael  Grogan,  must,  in  March  11, 1865  ;  substitute  • 

absent,  wounded,  at  muster  out. 
Keith  Gilmore,  must,  in  April  2,  1864;  killed  in  ac- 
tion at  Norfolk  Railroad  June  18,  1864. 
George  Gerstenmayer,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861;  disch. 
on  surg.  certif.,  date  uuknown. 


disch. 


surg. 


Isaac  Gross,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861  ; 

certif.,  date  unknown. 
Peter  Heller,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  veteran. 
George  Heller,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  186 L  ;  veteran. 
William  Himmelreich,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  vet. 
John  Haas,  must,  in  March  7,  1865,  one  year ;  sub- 
stitute. 
Robert  Hayes,   must,  in  March  11,  1865,  one  year  ; 

substitute. 
John  Hill,  must,  in  March  13,  1865,  one  year ;  sub- 
stitute. 
John  Hickman,   must,  in  March  15,  1865,  one  year  ; 

substitute. 
George  Homan,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  29,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Jonathan  Holmes,  must,  in  Sept.  27,  1864,  one  year ; 

substitute;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  1,  1865. 
David  Herring,  must,  in  Sept.  10,   1861 ;   killed  at 

Chantilly,  Va.,  Sept.  1,  1862. 
John   Hartman,  must,  in  March  26,   1862  ;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
Henry  J.  Heinerts,  must,  in  March  3,  1864 ;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
William  Ingram,  must,  in  Sept.  27,  1864,  one  year ; 

substitute ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  1,  1865. 
Lewis   Jacob,   must,   in   Sept.   10,   1861 ;   died   Oct. 

15,  1862. 
Samuel  Kissick,  must,  in  Feb.  12,  1864. 
George  Kunsman,  must,   in  Feb.  29,  1864;  absent, 

wounded,  at  muster  out. 
Henry  Kepple,  must,  in  April  6,  1864. 
William  Kesler.  must,  in  March  11,  1865 ;  substitute. 
John  Keen,  must,  in  Sept.  26,  1861 ;  veteran. 
Gottleib  Kugle,  must,  in  March  13,  1865,  one  year  ; 

substitute. 
Patrick  Kaden,  must,  in  April  9,  1864;  died  at  Phila- 
delphia, Pa.,  Aug.  29,  1864. 
Charles   Keen,   must,   in  Sept.  26,  1861 ;   died  Aug 

17,  1862. 
Peter  Katzmoyer,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 
James  A.  Lowry,  must,  in  Sept.  21,  1864,  one  year ; 

drafted;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  1,  1865. 
James  Lambert,  must,  in  March  13, 1865;  substitute; 

disch.  by  G.  O.  June  16,  1865. 
Michael  Miller,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  veteran.       ' 
John  Meek,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  veteran. 
Christian  Merkle,  must,  in  March  15,  1865,  one  year  ; 

substitute  ;  absent,  sick,  at  muster  out. 
Benjamin  F.  Martin,   must,    in  Sept.   28,   1864,  one 

year;  substitute ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  1,  1865. 
Samuel  F.  Milford,  must,  in  Sept.  28,  1864,  one  year; 

drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  1,  1865. 
Jacob  Miller,  must,  in  Sept.  28, 1864,  one  year  ;  sub' 

stitute;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  1,  1865. 
Thomas  S.  Matson,  must,  in  March  13,   1865,   one 

year;  substitute;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  16,  1865. 
Jonas  Markley,  must,  in  March  13,  1865,  one  year; 
substitute ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  24,  1865. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


237 


Ferdinand  Meinhart,  must,  in  Sept.  10,1861;  disch. 

by  G.  O.  June  9,  1865 ;  veteran. 
Moses  Mattis,  must,  in  Feb.  19,  1864 ;  prisoner  May 

12,  1864;   died   at   Fortress   Monroe,   April  18, 
1865  ;  buried  at  Hampton,  Va. 

Charles  Miller,  must,  in  Feb.  9,  1864. 

John  H.  Moyer,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  killed  at 

Chantilly,  Va.,  Sept.  1,  1862. 
Charles  Moyer,  must,  in  Sept.  18,  1861 ;  died  Dec. 

13,  1862. 

Christian  Miller,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 
John  Mellon,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.,  date  unknown. 
Joseph  Miller,  must,  in  Sept.   10,  1861 ;   disch.   on 

surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 
William  F.  MAdams,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864. 
John  McDonald,  must,  in  March  10,  1865  ;  substitute  ; 

absent,  wounded,  at  muster  out. 
John  McNabb,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept  29,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
John  Miller,  must,  in  April  22,  1864 ;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 
Henry  Nagle,  must,  in  March  13,  1865,  one  year; 

substitute. 
M.  Neidhauimer,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861;  prisoner; 

died  at  Salisbury,  N.  C,  Dec.  30,  1864;  veteran. 
Lafayette  Neider,  must,  in  March  25,  1862;  prisoner 

Dec.  14,  1863 ;  died  at  Andersonville,  Ga.,  July 

8,  1864;  grave  3023. 
William  Neibling,    must,    in  March  10,   1865,   one 

year ;  substitute. 
John  Neff,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.,  date  unknown. 
William  Neider,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 
Frederick  Patchen,   must,   in   March   11,  1865,  one 

year ;  substitute. 
Isaac  Pyle,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861  ;  must,  out  Nov. 

17, 1864.  to  date  Sept.  29,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Michael  Peterman,  must,  in  Sept.  21,  1864,  one  year; 

drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  1, 1865. 
William  G.  Pierce,  must,  in  Sept.  28,  1864,  one  year  ; 

drafted  ;  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  Dec.  29,  1864. 
C.  Poffenberger,  must,  in  March  7,  1865,  one  year ; 

substitute. 
David  Polm,  must,  in  March  16,  1 864. 
Franklin  Eeinart,  must,  in  March  8,  1865,  one  year; 

substitute. 
Alexander  Eeinart,  absent,  sick,  at  muster  out. 
John  Eankin,  must,  in  Sept.  21,  1864,  one  year; 

drafted ;  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  Dec.  29,  1864. 
John  F.  Eoland,  must,  in  Sept.  21,  1864,   one  year; 

drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  1,  1865. 
James  Eupert,  must,  in  Sept.  21,  1864,  one  year; 

drafted  ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  1,  1865. 
Mahlon  Ehoads,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

Vet.  Ees.  Corps  March  3,  1865 ;  veteran. 


H.  Eichardson,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861  ;  not  on  mus- 
ter-out roll. 
John  Eoorke,  must,  in  April  12,1864  ;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 
Jacob  Strunk,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  veteran. 
James  Setzler,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861  ;  wounded  at 

Spottsylvania  C.  H.,  May  9, 1864 ;  veteran. 
Joel  Searfress,   must,   in    March  8,  1865,  one  year ; 

substitute ;  absent,  sick,  at  muster  out. 
Eudolph  Solter,  must,  in  March  13,  1865,  one  year; 

substitute. 
George  Stark,   must,  in  March  14,  1865,  one  year ; 

substitute. 
Samuel  Souders,  must,  in  Sept.  30,  1861,  must,  out 

Sept.  29,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Daniel  Sterner,  must,  in  Sept.  30,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  29,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Henry  Schreffler,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Jan.  23,  1865 ;  veteran. 
George  Shaffer,  must,  in  Sept.  -21,  1864,  one  year ; 

drafted ;  diech.  by  G.  O.  June.l,  1865. 
Tatty  Speer,  must,  in  Sept.  20, 1864,  one  year ;  drafted; 

"disch.  by  G.  O.  June  1,  1862. 
Hamilton  Seitzinger,  must,  in  March  28,  1864 ;  trans. 

to  Vet.  Ees.  Corps,  May,  1865. 
David  Schmale,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1861 ;  died  July  17, 

1864,  of  wounds  received  at  Petersburg  ;  veteran. 
John  Struhm,   must,   in   Sept.   10,   1861 ;   killed   at 

Petersburg,  June  28,  1864  ;  buried  in  9th  Corps 

Cemetery,  Meade  Station,  Va. ;  veteran. 
Jacob  Shager,  must,   in   Sept.  10,  1861  ;   disch.   on 

surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 
Andrew   Smouder,   must,   in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
George   Trumpe,   must,  in   April  27,   1864 ;  absent, 

wounded,  at  muster  out. 
Andrew  L.  Turner,  must,  in  Sept.  20, 1864,  one  year  ; 

drafted,  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  1,  1865. 
Charles  Trexler,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 
Dennis  Toole,   must,  in   Sept.   10,   1861 ;  killed   at 

Chantilly,  Va.,  Sept.  1,  1862. 
Ezekiel  Thomas,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 
William  Wall,  must,  in  April  22,  1865  ;not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 
William  Watkins,  must,  in  March  13,  1865,  one  year ; 

substitute. 
John  S.  Wenner,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  prisoner 

from  May  12,  1864,  to  April  30,  1865;  disch.  by 

G.  O.  June  22,  1865  ;  veteran. 
Jos.  T.  Watson,  must.. in  Sept.  10,  1861;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 
Thomas  Williams,  must,  in  April  22, 1864 ;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
William  Yeager,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1864. 
John  Youngblood,  must,  in  Sept.  30, 1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.,  Oct.  19,  1864. 


238 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


John  Yerger,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1861 ;  must,  out  Sept. 

29,1864.  exp.  of  term. 
William   Zumbrun,   must,   in   March   13,  1865,  one 

year ;  substitute. 

FIFTY-FIFTH  EEGIMENT. 

The  Fifty-fifth  Regiment  was  recruited  du- 
ring the  summer  and  autumn  of  1861,  and  in- 
cluded Co.  B  from  Berks  County.  It  was  or- 
ganized at  Harrisburg,  and  in  November  pro- 
ceeded to  Fortress  Monroe.  There  it  was  drilled 
and  disciplined  several  weeks ;  then  moved  to 
Port  Royal.  It  experienced  some  service  near 
Frampton  in  October,  1862.  For  a  year  after- 
ward it  performed  picket  duty  at  Port  Royal 
Ferry,  ten  miles  from  Beaufort. 

January  1,  1864,  the  major  part  of  the  men 
re-enlisted  for  a  second  term  of  three  years,  and 
were  given  a  furlough.  In  March  the  regi- 
ment returned  to  South  Carolina,  and  in  April 
it  was  stationed  at  Gloucester  Point,  opposite 
Yorktown.  Here  it  was  assigned  to  the  Third 
Brigade,  Third  Division  in  Tenth  Corps,  Ar- 
my of  the  James,  and  participated  in  the  move- 
ments and  engagements  of  this  corps  under  the 
command  of  General  Butler.  It  reached  Rich- 
mond on  April  25th,  and  encamped  near  by, 
performing  fatigue  and  guard  duty  till  the  lat- 
ter part  of  July  ;  then  it  was  stationed  at  differ- 
ent points  surrounding  Petersburg  till  it  was 
mustered  out  of  service  on  August  30,  1865. 

Company  B. — This  company  was  recruited 
at  Robesonia,  and  was  mustered  out  August 
30,  1865,  except  where  otherwise  mentioned  : 

John  C.  Shearer,  capt.,  must,  in  Oct.  17,  1861 ;  must. 

out  Nov.  7,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Frank  Z.  Deppen,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861;  pro- 

to  corp.;  to  sergt.  April  4,  1864;  to  1st  sergt.;  to 

1st  lieut.  Apr.  14,  1865;  to  capt.  June  9, 1865;  vet. 
George  M.  Parsons,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861; 

must,  out  Sept.  22,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Elijah  B.Smith,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861; 

pro.  to   corp.  April    4,  1864;  to   sergt.   July   1, 

1864;  to  2d  lieut.  April  14,   1865;  to  1st  lieut! 

June  9,  1865. 
Adam  M.  Parsons,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 

res.  Feb.  7,  1862. 
Thomas  G.  Hughes,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861; 

pro.  from  1st  sergt.  Feb.  10,  1862;  died  at  Hilton 

Head,  S.  C,  Aug.  8,  1862. 
V.  S.  Bloomhall,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861- 

pro.  from  sergt.  Aug.  10,  1862;  res.  Sept.  22, 1864 
John  H.  Kendall,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Feb.  3,  1864- 


pro.  to  corp.  July  1,  1864;  to  1st  sergt.  April  14, 
1864;  to  2d  lieut.  July  10,  1865. 
James  B.  Ayres,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ; 

killed  at  Petersburg,  Va.,  Juri-e  18,  1864;  vet. 
Samuel  Klahr,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  vet. 
George  L.  Burkhart,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ; 
com.  1st  lieut.  Sept.  24,  1864,  and  capt.  Nov.  7, 
1864;  not  must.;  vet. 
William  Fessler,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  pr: 
to  corp.  April  4,  1864;  to  sergt.  March  20,  1865  ; 
wounded  April  6,  1865  ;  abs.  at  must,  out ;  vet. 
William  Reninger,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp. ;  to  sergt.  April  15,  1865  ;  vet. 
George  Shaffer,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  pro. 
to  corp. ;  to  sergt. ;  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  Jan.  23, 
1865;  vet. 
William  H.  Wenrich,  si  rgt.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ; 

died  at  Beaufort,  S.  C,  July  5,  1863. 
William  G.  Smith,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861  ; 

died  at  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  March  16,  1864. 
Eber  fvelloy,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  vet. 
Franklin  Bergsr,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861;  pro. 

to  corp.  July  1,  1864;  vet. 
Joshua  Howe,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861;  pro.  to 

corp.  April  4,  1864;  vet. 
George  W.  Miller,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  March  20,  1865 ;  vet. 
M.  M.  Kalbach,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  9,  1864;  pro.  to 

corp.  April  15,  1865. 
George  Farenbach,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  2,  1864;  pro. 

to  corp.  April  15,  1865. 
John  Mohn,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864;  pro.  to 

corp.  July  23,  1865. 
Jacob  Beifr,  corp.,  must,  in   Oct.  5,  1863;  drafted; 

pro.  to  corp.  July  23,  1865. 
Franklin  Kern,  corp..  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  Feb.  8,  1863. 
William  D.  Shearer,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.  Feb.  27,  1865;  vtt. 
E.  J.  Froelich,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  5, 1834;  captured; 

died  at  Salisbury,  N.  C,  Nov.  25,  1864. 
Samuel  Startzer,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  died 
June  16,  1865;  buried  in  Hollywood  Cemetery, 
Richmond,  Va. ;  vet. 
John  Garber,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  kil'el  at 

Petersburg,  Va.,  June  18,  1864;  vet. 
Henry  B.  Dewald,  mus.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861;  vet. 
George  W.  Hackman,  mus.,  must,  in  Sept.  17, 1861 ;  vet. 

Privates. 

Reuben  Althouse,  must,  in  S-pt.  17,  1861 ;  vet. 

Levi  Artz,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864. 

John  Auman,  must,  in  Feb.  27,  1864;  disch.  on  surg. 
certif.  June  6,  1865. 

Jonathan  Arnold,  must,  in  Oct.  14,  1863;  drafted; 
trans,  to  Co.  C  April  27,  1864. 

John  A.  Aulenbach,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  capt- 
ured ;  died  at  Andersonvillo,  Ga.,  July  24,  1864. 

James  Artz,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


239 


Isaac  Beckey,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 

Otto  Berenes,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 

Fidel  Beirer,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 

Cyrus  Binner,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 

John  Bickhart,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864. 

Isaac  Breniser,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864. 

Augustus  Brady,  must,  in  Feb.  24,  1864 ;  disch.  by  G. 

0.  July  20,  1865. 
Peter  Burket,  must,  in  Sept.   17,  1861;    killed  at 

Drury's  Bluff  May  16,  1864;  veteran. 
Benjamin  Bechtel,  must,  in  Sept.  17, 1861 ;  drowned 

at  West  Point,  Va.,  May  29,  1864. 
John  Brown,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  died  July  20, 

1864;. burial  record,  July  17,  1864,  at  Hampton, 

Va. 
Daniel    Bodicher,   must,   in   Jan.   1,  1864;   died   at 

Hampton,  Va.,  June  2S,  1864,  of  wounds  received 

in  action ;  veteran. 
Jeremiah  Baker,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  died  Aug.  7, 

1864 ;  veteran. 
William  Brady,  must,  in  Oct.  2,  1863 ;  drafted. 
Andrew  Blacher,  must,  in  March  2,  1864 ;  prisoner 

from  Sept.  29,  1864,  to  March  9,  1865 ;  disch.  by 

G.  0.  June  13,  1865. 
William  Carr,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1864. 
Peter  Oaten,  must,  in  Oct.  7,  1863;  drafted;  trans,  to 

Co.  C  April  27,  1864. 
John  M.  Clouse,  must,  in   Feb.  9,   1864;   killed  at 

Drury's  Bluff,  Va.,  May  16,  1864. 
Charles  Devil,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 
Elijah  Dewald,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864. 
James  Dillen,  must,  in  Jan.  28,  1865,  one  year. 
Anthony  Darnbach,  must,    in  March  4,  1865,   one 

year. 
George  Daumiller,  must,  in  July  26,  1864,  one  year; 

disch.  by  G.  O.  June  12,  1865. 
John  Decrone,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  April  24,  1863. 
Thomas  Davis,  must,  in  Oct.  5,  1863 ;  drafted ;  died  at 

Hampton,  Va.,  Aug.  30, 1864. 
James  Ely,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  June  26,  1863. 
John  Eick,  must,  in  Sept.  17, 1861  ;  trans,  to  1st  Regt. 

U.  S.  Art.  May,  1863. 
William  H.  Fry,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 
William  R.  Feather,  must,  in  Feb.  2,  1864. 
William  J.  Foucht,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  absent, 

sick,  at  must,  out ;  veteran. 
John  Fink,  must,  in  Aug.  13,  1864,  one  year;  disch. 

by  G.  O.  June  12,  1865. 
Isaac  S.  Fry,  must,  in  Feb.  27,  1864;  disch.  by  G.  0. 

June  12,  1865. 
William  Fink,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 
Peter  Grimes,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864. 
Thomas  Gregg,  must,  in  Feb.  9,  1864. 
Edward  H.  Granger,  must,  in  July  20,  1863 ;  drafted  ; 

trans,  to  Co.  C  April  27, 1864. 
Cyrus  W.  Grime,  must,  in  Feb.  2,  1864;  disch.  by  G. 

0.  May  24,  1865. 


John  Grimes,  must,  in  Feb.  4,  1864 ;  died  May  11, 

1864 ;  burial  record  May  17,  1864,  at  Beaufort, 

S.  C. 
Nathaniel  Gay. 
Charles  Grimm,  must,  in  Jan.  19,  1865  ;  disch.  by  G. 

O.May  3,  1865. 
Adam  Groff,  must,  in  Feb.  12, 1864. 
Jacob  S.  Hine,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 
William  Hoffner,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 
Patrick  Hickey,  must,  in  Oct.  2,  1863;  drafted. 
Elias  Howe,  must,  in  Feb.  27,  1864. 
Abraham  Hackman,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  killed  at 

Cold  Harbor,  Va.,  June  4,  1864. 
Samuel  Heft,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864 ;  died  June  11, 

1864,  of  wounds  received  at  Cold  Harbor,  Va., 

June,  1864. 
William  S.  Hawk,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  died  July 

26,  1864;  of  wounds  received  in  action  ;  buried  at 

Hampton,  Va. 
Joseph  W.  Hughes,  must,  in  April  15,  1862 ;  pro.  to 

hosp.  stew.  June  3,  1862. 
William  Idle,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864. 
John   J.   Jones,   must,  in  Sept    17,   1861 ;   died    at 

Beverly,  N.  J.,  Aug.  27,  1864. 
James  Katen,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 
Martin  Kline,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864. 
John  Kenney,  must,  in  Feb.  22,  1864. 
William  Kintzey,  must,  in  Feb,  23,  1864. 
Joseph  Kissinger,  must,  in  Feb.  4,  1864. 
Frank  Kemmerer,  must,  in  Feb.  27,  1865,  one  year. 
John  C.  Keller,  must,  in  Feb.  3,  1864. 
John  Keiffly,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  June  6,  1865 ;  veteran. 
Franklin   Kern,  must,  in  Feb.  24,  1864;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  March  24,  1865. 
George  Katterman,  must,  in  Sept.  5,  1864,  one  year  ; 

disch.  by  G.  0.  June  12,  1865. 
Abraham  F.  Kline,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1864;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  July  21,  1865. 
Jacob  Koons,  must,  in  Feb.  13,  1864 ;  died  June  12, 

1864,  of  wounds  received  at  Cold  Harbor,  Va., 

June,  1864. 
Benjamin  Katterman,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  killed 

at  Petersburg  July  27,  1864 ;  veteran. 
Abraham  TCinard,  must,  in  July  21,1863;  drafted; 

died  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  July  21,  1864. 
Benneville  Klopp,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
Martin  H.  Lorah,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 
John  Layman,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 
John  Langton,  must,  in  Oct.  2,  1863 ;  drafted. 
John  W.  Legg,  must,  in  Oct.  5,  1863 ;  drafted ;  trans. 

to  Co.  C  April  27,  1864. 
Robert  Leonard,  must,  in  Oct.  7,  1863 ;  drafted. 
William  H.  Madary,  must,  in  Sept.  17, 1861 ;  veteran. 
Barney  Muck,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 
William    Manderbach,    must,    in     Sept.    17,    1861 ; 

veteran. 
John  G.  Moyer,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 


240 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Richard  Mohn,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864. 

John  A.  Mathew,  must,  in  Feb.  12,  1864. 

George  N.  Moyer,  must,  in  Feb.  5,  1864. 

John  Moroney,  must,  in  Oct.  29, 1861;  drafted;  trans. 

to  Co.  C  April  27,  1864. 
Isaac  Machmer,  must,  in  Sept.  17, 1861 ;  died  June  11, 
1864,  of  wounds  received  at  Bermuda  Hundred, 
Va. ;   burial    record,   June    6,   1864;    buried    at 
Hampton,  Va. ;  veteran. 
Franklin  J.  Miller,  must,  in  Feb.  23, 1864;  died  June 
26,  1864,  of  wounds  received  at  Cold  Harbor,  Va', 
June,  1864;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Arl- 
ington, Va. 
Jacob  Minder,  must,  in  July  20,  1863  ;  drafted ;  died 
June  10,  1864,  of  wounds  received  at  Cold  Har- 
bor, Va.,  June,  1864. 
Morris  Menderbach,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1864;  died  at 

Point  of  Rocks,  Va.,  Nov.  14,  1864. 
Cornelius  Mahonay,  must,  in  Oct.  7,  1863;  drafted. 
WJliam  R.  Miller,  must,  in  Sept.  5,  1864 ;  pro.  to 

principal  musician  Nov.  1,  1864. 
John  K.  Nicholas,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861;  died  July 
11,  1864,  of  wounds  received  in  action  June  17, 
1864;  buried  at  Hampton,  Va. 
John   Norris,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861;  accidentally 

killed  at  Edisto  Island,  S.  C,  June  21, 1862. 
Henry  Oberdorf,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  killed  at 

Cold  Harbor  June  3,  1864. 
Frederick  Putt,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 
Mo«es  Price,  must,  in  Feb.  12,  1864. 
Franklin  Putt,  must,  in  Feb.  27,  1864;  killed  at  Cold 

Harbor  June  3,  1864. 
A.  Paffenberger,  must,  in  March   3,  1864;  died  Aug. 
31,  1864;  buried  in  Cypress  Hill  Cemetery,  L.  I. 
Josiah  Rittenhouse,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 
James  Reifsnyder,  must,  in  Feb.   12,  1864;  absent, 

sick,  at  muster  out. 
John  Rathman,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864. 
Charles  Rudy,  must,  in  Feb.  19,  1864. 
Theodore  Reisher,  must,  in  Oct.  12,1861;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  April  16,  1863. 
James  Reifsnyder,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  June  2,  1863. 
Charles  T.   Reisher,  must,   in   Sept.   20,   1864,    one 

year;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  12,  1865. 
Joseph  Rambo,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861;  must,  out  Oct. 

6,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
George  Ruby,  must,  in  Sept.  17, 1861 ;  must,  out  Aug 
29,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 

Daniel  Rich,  must  in  Oct.  12,1861;  trans,  to  Vet. 
Res.  Corps  July  1,  1863. 

James  C.  Robinson,  must,  in  Sept.  29,  1863 ;  drafted ; 
trans,  to  Co.  C  April  27,  1864. 

Thomas  Ryan,  must,  in  Oct.  2,  1863 ;  drafted ;  trans 
to  Co.  C  Apiil  27,  1864. 

Samuel  Reichert,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  died  Sept. 
12,  1862 ;  burial  record,  Sept.  23,  1862,  at  Beau- 
fort, S.  C. 


Michael  K.  Ruth,  must,  in  Feb.  12,  1864;  killed  at 

Petersburg  June  18,  1864. 
William  Reifsnyder,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  died 
July  30,   1864,  of  wounds  received  in   action  ; 
veteran. 
Henry  F.  Rohrer,  must,  in  Feb.  3,  1864;  died  near 

Richmond,  Va.,  July  9,  1865. 
H.  Rothenberger. 

John  T.  Stamm,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 
George  Strickler,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 
John  Swarlens,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 
H.  A.  Showalter,  must,  in  Feb.  20,  1864. 
Benjamin  Steffey,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1864. 
John  Steffey,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1864. 
Henry  Snyder,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 
John  Sheppard,  must,  in  Dec.  14,  1864 ;  one  year. 
Joseph  Smith,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Feb.  16,  1863. 
George  Shearer,  trans,  to  Co.  —  at  Camp  Curtin,  Pa., 

Oct.  1,  1861. 
Francis  Salada,  must,  in  Feb.  3,  1864;  trans,  to  Vet. 

Res.  Corps,  date  unknown. 
Joseph  Summers,  must,  in   Oct.   2,   1863 ;   drafted  ; 

trans,  to  Co.  C  April  27,  1864. 
Moses  Spicber,  must,  in  Sept.  17, 1861 ;  died  at  Beau- 
fort, S.  C,  July  22, 1863. 
Israel  Strawbridge,  must,  in  July  21,  1863  ;  drafted  ; 
died  Dec.  18, 1863 ;  burial  record,  March  22, 1864, 
at  Beaufort,  S.  C. 
James  A.  Seidle,  must,  in   Feb.  23,  1864;  died  at 

Beaufort,  S.  C,  April  10,  1864. 
William  Stutzman,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861;  killed  at 

Petersburg  June  18,  1864 ;  veteran. 
Jacob  Schoeneck,  must,  in  Oct,  20,  1861 ;  died  July 
9,  1864,  of  wounds  received  in  action  ;  buried  in 
National  Cemetery,  Arlington,  Va. 
Jacob  A.  Snyder,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864;  captured; 

died  at  Salisbury,  N.  C,  Feb.  5,  1865. 
Amos  R.  Stout,  must,  in  Feb.  9,  1864;  captured ;  died 

at  Salisbury,  N.  C,  Feb.  22,  1865. 
Amos  Steffy. 
Christian  Steffy,  must,  in  Aug.  6,  1864,  one  year;  not 

on  muster-out  roll. 
Thomas  Tyson,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 
Philip  Tole,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864 ;  disch.  by  G.  O. 

June  25,  1865. 
William  Tyson,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  June  2,  1863. 
James  Tyson,  must,  in  Jan.  25,  1864  ;  captured  ;  died 

at  Salisbury,  N.  C,  Dec.  13,  1864. 
Cyrus  Ulrich,  muat.  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 
George  H.  Valentine,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864. 
James  Wiggins,  must,  in  Jan.  23,  1865. 
Jonathan  Wartman,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. ' 
Sylvester  Wood,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  veteran. 
John  Wilhelm,  must,  in  Feb.  20,  1864  ;  absent,  sick, 

at  muster-out. 
W.  S.  Williams,  must,  in  Feb.  17,  1864. 
David  S.  Weiant,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  186*4. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR 


241 


John  Weidner,  must,  in  Feb.  23, 1864;  wounded  June 

19,  1864 ;  absent  at  muster  out. 
Joseph  Weike,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861  ;  veteran. 
William  Williams,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  June  6,  1865 ;  veteran. 
Frederick  Walters,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Jan.  9,  1863. 
Peter  Weinberger,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  April  7,  1 863. 
Levi  A.  Weike,  must,  in  March  1,  1864;  disch.  by  G. 

0.  June  23,  1865. 
Joseph  White,  must,  in   Sept.  17,  1861 ;   disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  June,  1864. 
Thomas  Walton,  must,  in  July  24,  1863;    drafted; 

trans,  to  Co.  C  April  27,  1864. 
George  Wilson,  must,  in  Oct.  3,  1863;  drafted ;  trans. 

to  Co.  C  April  27,  1864. 
Adam  Weike,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861  ;  killed  at  Cold 

Harbi  r,  Va.,  June  3,  1864. 
James  Weidner,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861;  died  Sept.  3, 

1864,   of  wounds  received  in  action ;  buried  at 

Hampton,  Va. 
Peter  Weinhill,   must,   in   Sept.    17,   1861 ;   not   on 

muster-out  roll. 
Jacob  S.  Young,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864. 

PIFTY-NINTH  BEGIMENT. 

The  Fifty-ninth  Regiment,  or  Second  Caval- 
ry, included  some  men  who  were  recruited  in 
Berks  County,  and  became  part  of  Company 
K,  under  command  of  Captain  Chauncey.  It 
experienced  much  severe  marching  and  partici- 
pated in  a  number  of  battles,  prominent  among 
them  being  Bull  Run,  Chantilly,  Gettysburg 
and  the  Wilderness  campaign.  It  was  present 
at  the  surrender  at  Appomattox  and  participated 
in  the  grand  review  at  Washington  on  May  23, 
1865.  It  was  mustered  out  of  service  at  Cloud's 
Mill,  Va.,  on  July  13,  1865. 

Company  K. — The  following  men  of  the 
company  were  recruited  at  Reading : 

Stephen  H.  Edgett,  capt.,  must,  in  Nov.  12, 1861 ;  pro. 

tocapt.  March  17,  1865;  disch.  June  14, 1865. 
J.  P.  Heister  Jones,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Nov.  12, 1861; 

resigned  June  22,  1863. 
Wm.  F.  Dougherty,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Nov.  30,  1861; 

captured  at  Charles  City  Cross-Roads,  Va.,  Aug. 

16,  1864 ;  disch.  Dec.  16,  1864. 
William  B.  Graul,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Nov.  30,  1861 ; 

pro.  to  1st  lieut.  Sept.  7, 1864;  disch.  Nov.  25, 1864. 
Benneville  Ehrgood,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  May  1,  1862; 

resigned  Jan.  3,  1863. 
James  M.  Long,  corp.,  must,  in  March  3,  1862 ;  cap- 
tured; disch.  by  G.  O.  June  28,  1865. 


Private. 
Benjamin  F.  Buck,  must,  in  Nov.  12,  1861;  captured; 

died  at  Anderson ville,  Ga.,  Aug.  8,  1864;  grave 

5082. 
William  Butz,  must,  in  Nov.    12,    1861;  captured; 

died  at  Richmond,  Va.,  Feb.  22,  1864. 
George  W.  Butz,  must,  in  April  5.  1862;  trans,  to  Co. 

K.,  1st  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865. 
John  G.  Butz,  must,  in  April  5,  1862 ;  trans,  to  Co.  K, 

1st  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865. 
William  Cole,  must,  in  Nov.  12, 1861 ;  trans,  to  Co.  K, 

1st  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865. 
Frederick  Coster,  must,  in  Nov.  12, 1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

K,  1st  Pro.  Cav..  June  17,  1865. 
Henry  H.  Call,  must,  in  Dec.  17, 1861 ;  trans,  to  Co.  M 

vet. 
James  Calvert,  must,  in  Dec.  17, 1861 ;  trans,  to  Co.  M 

vet. 
Dennis  Dreskill,  must,  in  Nov.  19,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co 

M ;  vet. 
Henry  Graeff,  must,  in  Nov.  26, 1861 ;  captured ;  trans 

to  Co.  K,  1st  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865;  vet. 
John  Heck,  must,  in  Nov.  12,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co.  M  ; 

vet. 
Conrad  Heisel,  must,  in  Nov.  12,  1861;  died  at  Din- 

widdie  C.  H,  Va. 
Henry  Hineman,  must,  in  Nov.  26,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

K,  1st  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865. 
James  Kistler,  must,  in  Nov.  12,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

K,  1st  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865. 
Matthew  Moyer,  must,   in  March  7,  1864;  trans,  to 

Co.  K,  1st  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865. 
John  Madara,  must,  in  Nov.  12,  1861 ;  must,  out  Dec. 

24,1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Lawrence  Morden,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Dec.  24,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
John  Murkett,  must,  in  Dec.  17,  1861;  must,  out  Dec. 

24,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
W.  M.  Miller,  must,  in  March  12,  1861;  must,  out 

Dec.  24,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Mahlon  Nine,  must,  in  Nov.  30,  1861 ;  must,  out  Dec. 

24,1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Adam  Ripple,  must,  in  Nov.  12,  1861;  trans,  to  Co. 

K.,  1st  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17, 1865. 
Jones  Rash,  must,  in  Nov.  25,  1861;  trans,  to  Co.  K, 

1st  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865. 
Jacob  Roland,  must,  in  Nov.  30,  1861;  trans  to  Co. 

K,  1st  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865. 
Joseph  Ruth,  must,  in  Nov.  30,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co.  K, 

1st  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865. 
John  K.  Strickter,  must,  in  Nov.  19, 1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

M. 
Charles  H.  Smeck,  must,  in  Dec.  17, 1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

M. 
Henry  Whitman,  must,  in  Dec.  17,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

M. 

SEVENTIETH  REGIMENT. 

The  Seventieth  Regiment,  or  Sixth  Cavalry, 


242 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


was  composed  almost  entirely  of  Philadelphia 
men,  excepting  Company  G,  which  was  re- 
cruited at  Reading,  under  commaud  of  Captain 
George  E.  Clymer.  It  participated  in  the 
Peninsula  campaign,  and  in  various  engage- 
ments, the  most  prominent  of  which  were 
Antietam  and  Gettysburg.  Subsequently  it  took 
part  in  the  Virginia  campaign,  and  in  the 
famous  raid  by  General  Sheridan.  It  was  also 
present  at  the  surrender  at  Appomattox,  and 
participated  in  the  grand  review  at  Washington. 
It  was  mustered  out  of  service  at  Louisville, 
Ky.,  August  7,  1865. 

Company  G. — This  company  was  recruited 
at  Heading. 

George  E.  Clymer,  capt,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  maj.  March  29,  1862. 
Henry  P.  Muirheid,  capt.,  must,  in   Sept.   10,  1861  ; 
pro.  from  1st  lieut.  Co.  A  March  29,  1862  ;  disch. 
on  surg.  certif.  April  2,  1863. 
Henry  Winsor,  Jr.,  capt.,  must,  in  Oct.  14,  1861 ;  pro. 
from  commissary  Aug.  10,  1863 ;  disch.  July  28, 
1864. 
Edward    Whiteford,  capt.,   must,  in  May  28,  1863  ; 
pro.  from  commissary  Feb.  10,  1865  ;  disch.  June 
20,  1865. 
Augustus  F.  Bert^lette,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  8, 1861; 

disch.  April  5,  1862. 
Emlen  N.  Carpenter,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  13, 1861 ; 
pro.   from  2d  lieut.  Co.  D  to  1st  lieut.  April  15, 
1862;  to  capt.  Co.  E  April  16,  1863. 
Eugene  P.  Bertrand,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  29, 1861 ; 
pro.  from  2d  lieut.  Co.  K  March  1,  1863;  must, 
out  Oct.  31.  1864,.  exp.  of  term. 
Charles  A.  Vernon,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Feb.  19,  1865  ; 
pro.  to   1st  lieut.  Feb.  19,  1865  ;  to  capt.  Co.  D 
March  22,  1865. 
T.  Campbell  Oakman,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  March  4 
1865 ;  pro.  from  2d  to  1st  lieut.  March  22,  1865  ; 
to  capt.  Co.  A  March  27,  1865. 
"William  B.  Call,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861;  disch. 

Nov.  29,  1861. 
Osgood  Welch,   2d   lieut.,   must,  in  July   29,  1862; 

disch.  Sept.  19,  1863. 
John  Laird,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  May  7,  1865  ;  pro.  to 

1st  lieut.  Co.  D  June  9,  1865. 
John  D.  Koch,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Henry  Umpleby,  q.m.-sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Thomas  Best,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  8. 1861. 
John  R.  Smith,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861  ;  trans, 
to  Co.  M,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865  ;  veteran.  ' 
Christian  Huber,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
William  G.  Gummere,  sergt.,  must,  in  Oct.  2,  1862  • 
pro.  to  corp.  Jan.  1, 1865*;  to  sergt.  May  31,  1865; 
disch.  by  G.  0.  June  20,  1865. 


John  A.  Mover,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861 ;  trans. 

to  Co.  M,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865;  veteran. 
John  J.  Huntzinger,  sergt.,  must  in  Nov.  29,  1861  ; 

must,  out  Dec.  17,  1864,  exp  of  term. 
Robert  Henderson,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  6,  1862;  pro. 

to  corp.  Dec.    1,   1864 ;  to    sergt.  Feb.  1,  1835 ; 

disch.  by  G.  O.  June  20,  1865. 
William  Hobeson,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Thomas  Walker,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  8.  1861. 
James  A.  McMichael,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Martin  S.  Goodhart,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug  8,  1861. 
Michael  Fritz,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  8.  1861. 
Samuel  Phillips,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Mandon  Rauch,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Penrose  W.  Mengel,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1831. 
John  B.  Moycr.  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  8,   1861;  must. 

out  Dec.  13,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Edward   Keisler,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov    5,  1864,    two 

years;  trans,   to  Co.  G,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17, 

1865. 
Edward   F.  Goheen,   blacksmith,   must,   in  Aug.  8, 

1861. 
Nicholas  Burkhart,  farrier,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Isaac  Steflfy,  saddler,  must,  in  Aug.  8.  1861. 
John  G.  Keiser,  bugler,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Joseph  Winters,  bugler,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1831. 

Privates. 

Samuel  Armpriester,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1831. 
Anthony  Aberle,   must,  in  Oct.   9,  1861;  must,  out 

Dec.  7,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Lewis  Bower,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Tellamac  Burket,  mu-t.  in  Aug.  8,  1861  ;  trans,  to  Co. 

G,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865  ;  veteran. 
John  Butler,   must,   in  Aug.   8,    1861 ;  died  Dec.    9, 
1863  ;  buried  in  Military  Asylum  Cemetery,  D.  C. 
John  K.  Becker,  must,  in  Aug.  8.  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

M,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865  ;  veteran. 
Benjamin  F.  Boyer,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Hiram  Barder,  must,  in  Aug.  8, 1861;  trans,  to  Co  M, 

2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  27,  1865;  veteran. 
Cyrus  Boone,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861  ;  veterm. 
Emanuel  Bechtel,  must,  in  Aug.  8, 1861. 
Aaron  S.  Boyer,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Joseph  Bennett,  must,  in  Jan.  5,  1884 ;  disch  by  G  O 

May  25,  1865. 
Jacob  Bullinger,  must,  in  Jan.  1,1834;  trans  to  Co. 

M,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865 ;  veteran. 
James  Barton,  must,  in  Oct.  31,  1864,  one  vear. 
Henry  Blair,  must,  in  March  3,  1865.  one  year. 
John  A.  Dougherty,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  186L 
Charles  H.  Dankle,  must,  in  Aug.  8,'  1861. 
H.  R.  Davidsheiser,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Franklin  Dengler,  must,  in  Aug.'8,  1861. 
J.  R.  Dunkleberger,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1831 ;  trans,  to 

Co.  M,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865 ;  veteran. 
Wdham  H.  Dean,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
John  M.  Englehart,  must,  in  Aug.  8.  1831  ;  trans,  to 
Co.  M,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1835;  veteran. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


243 


Frederick  Epler,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 

Joseph  S  Esterly,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 

Peter  Eckhart,  must,  in  Nov.  9,  180-1 ;  disch.  by  G.  O. 

May  81,  1865. 
Daniel  H.  Fasig,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Valentine  W.  Fisher,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Henry  Fireing,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
John  P.  Felden,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Augustus  Fall,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

M,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865 ;  veteran. 
James  A.  Fasig,  must,  in  March  24,  1865,  one  year. 
Benneville  Goheen,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

Co.  D,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865;  veteran. 
John  A.  Gross,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
John  A.  Griner,  must,  in  March  30,  1864. 
Kobert  Griffin,  must,  in  Oct.  31,  1864,  one  year. 
Aaron  P.  Gring,  must,  in  March  3,  1865,   one  year ; 

trans,  to  Co.  F,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865. 
Hezekiah  K.  Gaul,  must,  in  March  4,  1865,  one  year ; 

trans,  to  Co.  F,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865. 
Francis  Harman,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Samuel  Hoyer,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

M,  2J  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865  ;  veteran. 
James  R.  Handwork,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Daniel  Hoffman,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

H,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865  ;  veteran. 
Harrison  Howe,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861 ;  veteran. 
William  Heckler,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861  ;  trans,  to  Co. 

H,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17, 1865  ;  veteran. 
William  Harbeson,  must,  in  Jan.  1,  1864;  trans,  to 

Co.  L,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17, 1865 ;  veteran. 
John  H.  Hamilton,  must,  in  March  4, 1865,  one  year; 

trans,  to  Co.  B,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865. 
John   Hoban,   must,  in   March  9,  1865,   one  year ; 

trans,  to  Co.  A,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865. 
John  H.  Johnson,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861 ;    trans,  to 

Co.  G,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865 ;  veteran. 
John  W.  Kemp,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Jacob  H.  Kissinger,  must,  in  March  3, 1865,  one  year; 

trans,  to  Co.  F,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865. 
Conrad  Kilman,  must,  in  Sept.  14,  1864,  one  year. 
Peter  B.  Lessig,  must,  in  Aug.  8, 1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

M,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865  ;  veteran. 
Evan  Moyer,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Joseph  H.  Marks,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861;  died  Jan. 

9, 1863  ;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Antietam, 

Md.,  section  26,  lot  E,  grave  484. 
John  Mell,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co.  H,  2d 

Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865 ;  veteran. 
Charles  F.  Miller,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
William  K.  Masser,  must,  in  Aug.  8, 1861. 
Henry  F.  Miller,  must,  in  Aug.  8, 1861. 
Charles  H.  Miller,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

Co.  M,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865 ;  veteran. 
Joseph  Morgan,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
George  Mihr,  must,  in  Feb.  4,  1885,  one  year. 
John  A.  Moyer,  must,  in  Jan.  29,  1864. 
William  Mell,  mu-t.  in  Feb.  25,  1864 ;  died  at  Anna- 
polis, Md.,  Nov.  9, 1864. 


John  Morrow,    must,  in  March  9,  1865,  one  year  ; 

trans,  to  Co.  D,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17, 1865. 
Samuel  G.  McNabb,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Daniel  O'Brien,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
John  Pewterbaugh,  must,  in  March  81.  186  4;  died 

March  16,  1865;  buried  in  National  Cemetery, 

Winchester,  Va.,  lot  25. 
Martin  V.  Pabor,  must,  in  Sept.  23,  1884,  one  year. 
Isaac  K.  Richards,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Samuel  Rhoads,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
William  Reedy,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861 ;  veteran. 
William  Reeser,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
John  D.  Roth,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Samuel  Roth,  must,  in  Jan.  1,  1864;  veteran. 
John  B.  Regan,  must,  in  March  30,  1864. 
Lewis  Richter,  must,   in  Nov.  22,  1804;    died,  date 

unknown  ;  buried  in   National  Cemetery,  Win-. 

Chester,  Va.,  lot  18. 
Isaac  Steiff,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861 ;   trans,  to  Co.   M, 

2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865 ;  veteran. 
Andrew  Simpson,  must,  in  Aug.  8, 1861. 
Peter  R.  Schlegel,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
AVilliam  Sands,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861 ;  veteran. 
Daniel  Strunk,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Henry  Simmers,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Peter  Stout,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co.  G, 

2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865 ;  veteran. 
John  R.  Stout,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861  ;  trans,  to  Co.  G, 

2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1805;  veteran. 
William  Seiders,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  18S1 ;  veteran. 
Henry  R.  Sallada,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

G,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1863;  veteran. 
John  M.  Setley,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

H,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865  ;  veteran. 
Cornelius  Strain,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Alexander  L.  Smith,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861 ;  veteran. 
John  Schmale,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Mahlon  Sands,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
William  H.  Schaffer,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1831 ;  died  at 

Philadelphia,  Pa.,  Sept.  16,  1861. 
Frederick  Smith,  mu-t,  in  Dec.  12,  1861;  must,  out 

Dec.  12,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Edmund  B.  Stout,  must,  in  Jan.  1,  1864;  trans,  to  Co. 

G,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865 ;  veteran. 
George  H.  Stout,  must,  in  March  21,  1864;  died  at 

Lynchburg,  Va.,  July  21,  1864. 
William  Stout,  must,  in  March  21,  1864. 
Charles  H.  Thompson,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865,   one 

year;  trans,  to  Co.  I,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865. 
Patrick  Thomas,  must,  in  March  9,  1865 ;  trans,  to 

Co.  A,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865. 
Henry  Ulrich,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Benjamin  Weaver,  must.  Aug.  8,  1861. 
George  Whitmoyer,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
John  H.  Weaver,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

G,  2d  Pro.  Cav.,  June  17,  1865  ;  veteran. 
Henry  S.  Wright,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1861. 
Samuel  D.  Warner,  must,  in  Aug.  8,  1801. 


244 


HISTOKY  OF  BEEKS  CO UM'1%  PENNSYLVANIA. 


SEVENTY  FOURTH  REGIMENT. 

The  Seventy-fourth  Regiment  included  some 
men  recruited  in  Berks  County  in  Company  G. 
The  regiment  was  mustered  into  service  on  Sep- 
tember 14,  1861.  After  breaking  up  winter- 
quarters  at  Hunter's  Chapel,  it  participated  in 
the  Peninsula  campaign.  Its  first  engagement 
was  at  Cross  Keys,  on  June  8,  1862  ;  and  the 
next  near  Groveton,  on  June  29-30.  Subse- 
quently it  participated  in  the. battles  of  Chancel- 
lorsville  and  Gettysburg,  and  performed  serv- 
ices in  South  Carolina,  at  Washington,  and  in 
"West  Virginia.  The  entire  company  is  given — 
not  being  able  to  designate  the  men  from  Berks 
County. 

Company  G.  — This  company  was  recruited 
in  Adams  and  Berks  Counties  for  one  year, 
and  was  mustered  out  August  29,  1865,  except 
where  otherwise  mentioned. 

William  J.  Bart,  capt.,  must,  in  Feb.  6,  1865. 
Jacob  Lohr,  1st  lieut,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1865. 
Charles  Helfrich,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Feb.   18,  1865; 

captured;  disch.  by  G.  O.  May  15,  1865. 
James  A.  Werkert,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1865. 
Franklin  Beamer,  sergt.,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1865. 
Isaac  W.  Hankey,  sergt.,  must,  in  Feb.  24,  1865. 
Theodore  B.  Horner,  sergt.,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1865. 
Edmund  Lippy,  sergt.,  must,  in  March  9,  1865. 
J.  Stewart  Walker,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1865. 
Laac  Myers,  Corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1865. 
Uriah  J.  Baughman,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  27,  1865. 
Henry  K.  Wentz,  corp.,  must,  in  March  8,  1865. 
John  W.  Flaherty,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  24,  1865. 
Amos  Leister,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865;  pro.  to 

corp.  July  15,  1865. 
John  Wagner,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  17,  1865 ;  pro.  to 

corp.  July  24, 1865. 
Samuel  A.  Kindig,  corp.,  must,  in  March  9,  1865. 
James  S.  Snyder,  musician,  must,  in  Feb.  21,  1865. 
Daniel  E.  Weiss,  musician,  must,  in  March  9, 1865. 

Privates. 

Isadore  Brechner,  must,  in  Feb.  21,  1865. 
Jacob  Baughman,  mustered  in  Feb.  28,  1865. 
Ezra  N.  Baughman,  must,  in  March  4,  1865. 
John  Berk,  must,  in  February  22,  1865. 
John  Betz,  must,  in  Feb.  21,  1865. 
Samuel  Breniser,  must,  in  Feb.  27,  1865. 
Ephraim  Bowers,  must,  in  Feb.  22,  1865. 
Emanuel  Bunty,  must,  in  Feb.  17,  1865. 
Josiah  Becker,  must,  in  Feb.  21, 1865. 
Adam  R.  Bolinger,  must,  in  March  13,  1865. 
David  Conover,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865. 
John  Culp,  must,  in  March  1,  1865. 
John  W.  Cranmer,  must,  in  March  8, 1865. 


Joel  Ebaugh,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1865. 

John  T.  Feeser,  must,  in  March  2,  1865. 

Samuel  Fitz,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1865. 

James  Felix,  must,  in  Feb.  24,  1865. 

Anthony  Fowler,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1865. 

Wm.  N.  Flaherty,  must,  in  March  10,  1 865. 

William  Forney,  must,  in  March  2,  1865 ;  disch.  by 
General  Order  May  31,  1865. 

Charles  W.  Gilbert,  must,  in  Feb.  28, 1865. 

Oliver  W.  Garrett,  must,  in  March  8,  1865. 

Jacob  C.  Geehr,  must,  in  Feb.  21,  1865. 

Chas.M.  Gallagher,  must,  in  Feb.  16, 1865. 

Edmund  Garrett,  must,  in  March  10,  1865. 

Titus  E.  Geehr,  must,  in  Feb.  21,  1865. 

Peter  Gouker,  must,  in  March  4,  1865. 

Franklin  Hartsock,  must,  in  March  10,  1 865. 

John  W.  Hofford,  must,  in  March  3, 1865. 

James  Helbert,  must,  in  March  21,  1865. 

John  Hart,  must,  in  March  16,  1865. 

Adam  Harget,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1865. 

Elijah  Hoffman,  must,  in  March  13,  1865. 

John  Irvin,  must,  in  March  27,  1865. 

George  Krug,  must,  in  Feb.  6,  1865. 

William  Krug,  must,  in  Feb.  15.  1865. 

Levi  King,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1865. 

Cornelius  King,  must,  in  March  10,  1865. 

Valentine  J.  Long,  must,  in  Feb.  24,  1865. 

Daniel  Lorash,  must,  in  Feb.  21,  1865. 

Cornelius  Mathias,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1865. 

Jacob  Miller,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1865. 

William  Mathias,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1865. 

Edward  Markle,  must,  in  March  8,  1865. 

Robert  Newman,  must,  in  Feb.  21,  1865. 

Lloyd  Norris,  must,  in  March  8,  1865 ;  disch.  by  Gen- 
eral Order  June  3,  1865. 

Francis  Null,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1865;  disch.  by  Gen- 
eral Order  Aug.  1,  1865. 

Lewis  Overdeer,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1865. 

William  Ohlinger,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1865 ;  disch.  by 
General  Order  May  30,  1865. 

Chas.  K.  Overdorf,  must,  in  Feb.  27, 1865. 

Andrew  Rickrode,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1865. 

William  B.  Robert,  must,  in  March  6,  1865. 

Samuel  Rimert,  must,  in  March  7,  1865. 

John  B.  Shafer,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865. 

Michael  Sanders,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1865. 

Ephraim  Spangler,  must,  in  March  8,  1865. 

Isaac  Z.  Shriver,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1865. 

Abra'm  Sponseller,  must,  in  March  6,  1865. 

John  Sponseller,  must,  in  Feb.  20,  1865. 

Jesse  Iltz,  must,  in  March  8,  1865. 

George  Willet,  must,  in  March  9,  1865. 

David  Willet,  must,  in  March  8,  1865. 

Cornelius  S.  Wink,  must,  in  Feb.  21,  1865. 

Edward  C.  Wintrod,  must,  in  March  7,  1865. 

Nathan  Wink,  must,  in  March  10,  1865. 

William  Wisner,  must,  in  March  6,  1865. 

Jacob  Yingling,  must,  in  March  9, 1865. 

John  Zumbrum,  must,  in  March  8,  1865. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


245 


Lafay'e  Zetelmoyer,  must,  in  Feb.  21,  1865. 
David  Zumbrum,  must,   in   March  8,  1865 ;  died  at 
Clarksburg,  W.  Va.,  Aug.  6, 1865. 

EIGHTIETH  REGIMENT. 

The  Eightieth  Regiment,  or  Seventh  Cavalry, 
included  some  men  who  were  recruited  in  Berks 
County,  and  mustered  into  service  witli  Company 
L.  It  participated  in  various  engagements  with 
the  Army  of  Tennessee,  where  it  had  been 
ordered  to  service.  In  March,  1865,  it  marched 
under  Gen.  Wilson  across  the  Gulf  States,  and 
in  the  beginning  of  April  participated  in  the 
battles  of  Plantersville  and  Selma,  Ala.  At  the 
latter  place  the  regiment  led  in  the  assault  upon 
the  work,  and  the  conduct  of  the  men  was 
highly  meritorious.  Its  last  engagement  was 
near  Columbus,  on  April  16,  1865.  It  was 
then  stationed  at  Macon,  Ga.,  from  April  20, 
to  August  1 3th,  when  it  was  mustered  out  of  ser- 
vice. Not  being  able  to  designate  the  men  who 
were  from  Berks  County,  I  publish  the  entire 
company. 

Company  L. — This  company  was  recruited 
in  Berks  and  Northumberland  Counties,  and 
was  mustered  out  August  23,  1865,  except 
where  otherwise  mentioned  : 

Chas.  C.  McCormick,  capt.,  must,  in  Oct.  9,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  priv.  Co.  D.  to  capt.  Nov.  18,  1861 ;  to  col. 

Jan.  10,  1865. 
William  Wren,  capt.,  must,  in  March.  11,  1864;  pro. 

from  1st  lieut.  Feb.  13, 1865. 
John  Umpleby,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861 ;  re- 
signed Nov.  1862. 
Robert  McCormick,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Dec.  15,  1862  ; 

pro.  to  1st   lieut.  Dec.   15,  1862 ;  to   capt.  Co.  G 

March  11,  1865. 
Otis  G.  Gerald,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in   Dec.  7, 1861 ;  pro. 

from  1st  sergt.  Feb.  13,  1865;  vet. 
Albert  Bechtel,  2d  lieut.,  must,   in   Dec.   18,   1861 

accidentally  wounded  July,  1862  ;  resigned  Aug 

18,  1862. 
Jas.  H.  B.  Warfield,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Dec.  26, 1862 

dismissed  June  1,  1863. 
Eichard  H.  Fisk,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  March  11,  1864 

com.  capt.  Co.  F  Oct.  15,  1864 ;  not  must.;  disch 

July  25,  1865. 
Henry  H.  Snyder,  2d  lieut.,   must,  in   Dec.  2,  1861 

pro.  from  q.m.-sergt.  May  1,  1865  ;  vet. 
Samuel  Milrmre,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Oct.  14,  1861 

pro.  from  sergt.  April  30,  1865 ;  vet. 
H.  H.  Brown,  1st  sergt..  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861 ;  pro 

from  sergt.  May  1,1862;  disch.  on   surg.  certif. 

Aug.  18,  1862. 


George  W.  Smith,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861 

died  at  Muufordsville,  Ky.,  March,  1862. 
Francis  W.  Reed,  1st  sergt.,  must,   in  Dec.  5,  1861 

pro.   from   sergt.  Aug.  31,   1862  ;  com.  2d   lieut, 

June  28,  1863 ;  not  must.;  killed  at  Shelbyville. 

Tenn.,  June  27,  1863. 
Isaac  E.  Robinson,  q.m.-sergt.,  must,  in  Feb.  8, 1864 

pro.  from  priv.  April  30,  1865. 
Thomas  H.  Parker,  com. -sergt.,  must,  in  Oct.  15,  1861 

vet. 
Benjamin   E.   Rakes,  sergt.,  must,  in  Oct.  15,  1861 

vet. 
John  Duffy,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  26,  1861 ;  pro.  from 

corp.  March  1,  1864;  vet. 
John  H.  Miller,  sergt.,  must,  in  Dec.  12,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  corp.  May  1,  1865;  vet. 
John  M.  Berger,  sergt.,  must,   in   Dec.  7,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  corp.  May  1, 1865;  vet. 
Chas.  M.  Ketner,  sergt.,  must,  in  March  5,  1864 ;  pro. 

from  corp.  May  1,  1865. 
James  Rawley,  seigt.,  must,   in  Sept.  26,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  corp.  March   1,   1864;  trans,  to  Vet.  Res. 

Corps  1865 ;  vet. 
Chas.  J.  Loeser,  sergt.,  must,   in  Dec.  18,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  priv.  May  1,  1863  ;  must,  out  Jan.  3,  1865, 

expiration  of  term. 
John  Riley,  sergt.,  must,  in   Dec.  7,  1861 ;  killed  at 

Lebanon,  Tenn.,  May  5,  1862. 
William  D.  Williams,   corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1861  ; 

vet. 
William  Rader,  corp.,  must,   in  Sept.  27, 1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  April  30,  1864 ;  vet. 
William  D.  Webster,  corp.,  must,  in  March  8,  1864 ; 

pro.  to  corp.  May  1,  1865. 
De  Witt  C.  Robinson,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864  ; 

pro.  to  corp.  May  1 ,  1865. 
John  Stanley,  corp.,  must,  in   Feb.  8,  1864;  pro.  to 

corp.  May  1,  1865. 
St.  Clair  Kyle,  corp.,  must,  in   Jan.  22,  1863  ;  pro.  to 

corp.  June  30,  1864. 
Franklin  S.  Ebling,  corp.,  must,  in  Dec.  7, 1861 ;  trans. 

to  Vet.  Ret.  Corps  1863. 
Washington  Frizell,  must,  in  Feb.  4.  1864. 
Adolph  Frohn,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  20,   1862;   pris. 

from  Oct.  1,  1864,  to  April  21,  1865;   disch.  May 

31,  to  date  May  18,  1865. 
John  Lutz,  corp.,  must,  in  Dec.  7, 1861;  disch.  by  G. 

O.  May  18,  1865. 
Seth  Morgan,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  14,  1862;  pro.  to 

corp.  March  1,  1864;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  23, 

1865. 
James  Seibert,  corp. ;  died  at  Murfreesboro',  Tenn., 

1862  ;  burial  record,  June'  15,  1863 ;  grave  341. 
Jacob  Neargard,  corp.,  must,  in  Dec.  18,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  April  30, 1862 ;  died  at  Nashville,  Tenn., 

Aug.  30, 1863. 
Winfield  S.  Carpenter,  corp.,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861. 
John  Shaw,  corp.,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1881. 


246 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Lloyd  B.  Husted,  corp.,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861. 

Charles  Gillams,  bugler,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1864. 

Edwin  S.  St.  Clair,  bugler,  must,  in  April  28, 1864;  vet. 

Sebastian  Dellseit,  bugler,  must,  in  Dec.  18, 1861. 

Jacob  Uplinger,  saddler,  must,  in  Dec.  18,  1861'. 

Jeremiah  Keller,  saddler,  must,  in  Nov.  28,  1863. 

Elias  Seiler,  farrier,  must.in  Dec.  28,  1861 ;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.  Aug.,  1862. 

Miles  G.  Lee,  blacksmith,  must,  in  Nov.  20,  1861 ;  ab- 
sent, sick,  at  muster  out;  vet. 

Simon  Greer,  blacksmith,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864. 

Privates. 
Wellington  Adams,  must,  in  Feb.  5,  1864. 
Henry  Abson,  must,  in  Dec.  8,  1863. 
Solomon  Burkliart,  must,  jd  Oct.  19,  1861 ;  vet. 
Joseph  Bowi-rs,  must,  in  Oct.  1, 1861  ;  absent,  sick,  at 

muster  out ;  vet. 
Pierce  Bowsman,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864. 
Adam  Bowers,  must,  in  Feb.  19,  1864. 
Charier  Bellman,  must,  in  Feb.  5,  1864. 
Daniel  Barnhart,  must,  in  Feb.  5,  1864. 
John  Betz,  must,  in  March  3,  1864. 
David  Buchter,  must,  in  Feb.  5,  1864. 
Charles  Bowsman,  must,  in  Feb.  29,1864. 
John  Brown,  must,  in  Feb.  29, 1864. 
Francis  Brown,  must,  in  Feb.  27,  1864. 
Abraham  Bauf-r,  must,  in  Dec.  5,  1861. 
David  Bloch,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  July,  1862. 
Harrison  Bechtel,  must,  in  Dec.  5,  1861 ;  disch.  by  G. 

O.  June  23, 1865. 
Wm.  0.  Bateman,  must,  in  Feb.  27, 1864;   pro.  to  2d 

lieut.  Co.  K  Dec.  17,  1864. 
James  Bowman,  mus*.  in  Dec.  7,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  July,  1862. 
Josiah  Briner,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861 ;   died  at  Bards- 
town,  Ky.,  Feb.,  1862. 
Jesse  Bryant,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864 ;  died  at  Louis- 
ville,  Ky.,  Feb.  24,  1865;  burial  rec,  Feb.  24, 

1864  ;  sec.  C.  range  3,  grave  100. 
Charles  Cooney,  must,  in  Nov.  22,  1851 ;  vet. 
Adam  Coble,  must,  in  Feb.  6,  1864. 
John  Coble,  muht.  in  Feb.  6,  1864. 
Joseph  Coryell,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864;  absent,  sick, 

at  muster  out. 
Francis  M.  Copp,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864. 
John  Cator,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864 
John  J.  Cohoon,  must,  in  March  19, 1864. 
Daniel  Cook,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  April,  1862. 
Wm.  A.  Campbell,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Dec.  6,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Paxton  L.  Clark,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864 ;   disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  May  12, 1865. 
John  Cluff,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861 ;  died  at  Murfrees- 

boro',  July  27,  of  wounds  received  at  Shelbyville, 

Tenn.,  June  27, 1863. 
Horace  Dart,  must,  in  Feb.  29, 1864. 


Thomas  Drew,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861;  trans,  to  Vet. 

Ees.  Corps,  1863. 
Eliphalet  Decker,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861 ;    must,  out 

Dec.  6, 1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Isaiah  Donaldson,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864 ;  pris.  from 

Oct.  1,  1864,  to  April  21,  1865  ;  disch.  Jan.  10,  to 

date  May  19, 1865. 
George  W.  Dunlap,  must,  in  Feb.  22,  1864;  died  at 

Stone  River,  Tenn.,  Oct.  29, 1864 ;  buried  in  Nat. 

Cem.,  sec.  L,  grave  376. 
Charles  H.  Ebbtrt,  must,  in  Feb.  4,  1864. 
Christian  Erb,  must,  in  Feb.  4, 1864. 
Christian  Eberly,  must,  in  Feb.  14, 1864. 
Henry  Eberly,  must,  in  Feb.  20, 1864. 
Charles  Eben,  must,  in  Oct.  7, 1864. 
Reuben  Englehart,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861;    died   at 

Murfreesboro',  Tenn  ,  April  18,  1862. 
Henry  Emberger,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864;  died  near 

Dallas,  Ga.,  May  28,  of  wounds  received  May  27, 

1864. 
Jacob  L.  Eiy,  must,  in  Feb.  8, 1834 ;  disch.  Sept.  6,  to 

date  Au-.  23,  1865. 
Jacob  Fastler,  must,  in  Nov.  27, 1861 ;  vet. 
Jacob  Frick,  must,  in  Feb.  24, 1854. 
William  Formau,  must,  in  Feb.  21, 1864. 
A  iron  Gantz,  must,  in  Feb.  4,  1864. 
John  H.  Gehret,  must,  in  Feb.  20,  1864. 
Samuel  Gehret,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1864. 
Isaac  Gift,  must,  in  Feb.  22,  1864. 
William  Glennon,  must,  in  Feb.  17,  1864. 
Randolph  Goodman,  must,  in  Feb.  17, 1864. 
James  Gardner,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  July,  1862. 
David  Gardner,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1882;  dissh  by  G.  0. 

June  23,  1865. 
William  F.  Hoy,  must,  in  Feb.  4,  1864. 
Abraham  Hennes,  must,  in  Sept.  28,  1861  ;  vet. 
George  F.  Haines,  must,  in  Dec.  5,  1861 ;  vet. 
Stephen  Billiard,  must,  in  Feb.  24,  1864. 
Sidney  A.  Hoagland,  must,  in  Feb.  28,  1864. 
John  Haas,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1864. 
Henry  Hartland,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1864. 
William  Hardnut,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864. 
B.  D.  Hellenthall,  must,  in  Feb.  27,  1864. 
Thomas  N.  Herman,  must,  in  April  2,  1864. 
Robert  Huntzinger,  must,  in  Dec.  18,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  1863. 
Francis  Hobson,  must,  in  Dec.  5, 1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  March  24,  1863. 
John  Hutchiugs,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861 ;   must,  out 

Dec.  6,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Jacob  Hartman,  must,  in  Dec.  7, 1861 ;  must,  out  Dec. 

6,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
George  W.  Hutchens,  must,  in  Sept.  14,  1862 ;  disch. 

by  G.  O.  June  23,  1865. 
Martin  L.  Havens,  must,  in  Sept.  14,  1862 ;  disch.  by 

G.  O.  June  23,  1865. 
Wm.  S.  Hoagland,  must,  in  Aug.  29,  1864,  one  year ; 

disch.  by  G.  O.  June  23,  1865. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


247 


John  T.  Hazzard,  must,  in  Dec.  18, 18(51 ;  captured  at 
Stone  River,  Tenn.,  Jan.  1,  1863;  died  at  Annap- 
olis, Md.,  February  10,  1863. 
Jacob  Hammer,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861. 

David  S.  Ireland,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861 ;  must.  out. 

Dec.  6,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Samuel  Jobson,  must,  in  Feb.  2, 1864. 

David  Jericho,  must,  in  March  16,  1864. 

Alonzo  L.  Johnson,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861 ;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.  June,  1862. 

Jacob  Kemp,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1864. 

Adolph  Krauskopff,  must,  in  Feb.  4,  1864. 

William  Keener,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861 ;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.  July,  1862. 

Samuel  Katzmoyer,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861 ;  died  at 
Murfreesboro',  Tenn.,  Aug.  18,  1862. 

Eobert  Keener,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861 ;  died  at  Bards- 
town,  Ky.,  Nov.,  1862. 

Peter  Koch,  must,  in  March  3,  1864 ;  died  at  Colum- 
bia, Tenn.,  Aug.  24,  1864 ;  buried  in  Nat.  Cem. 
Stone  River,  sec.  L,  grave  379. 

Joshua  Kayton,  must,  in  Feb.  29, 1864 ;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 

Henry  Lott,  must,  in  Sept  23,  1861;  vet. 

Heny  J.  Lavallt-y,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864. 

Raymond  B.  Lewis,  must,  in  Feb.  12,  1864. 

Andrew  Long,  must,  in  Feb.  5,  1864 ;  absent,  sick,  at 
must.  out. 

Jacob  Lard,  must,  in  Feb.  3,  1864. 

Edward  Lee,  must,  in  Dec.  8,  1863. 

Ephraim  Mattern,  must,  in  Feb.  3,  1864. 

Charles  A.  Marvin,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864. 

Isaac  Marvin,  must,  in  April  15,  1864  ;  absent,  sick,  at 
muster  out. 

Henry  B.  Marvin,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864;  disch.  July 
12,  to  date  June  28,  1865. 

Edward  W.  Mayuard,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864. 

Henry  Miller,  must,  in  Feb.  4,  1864. 

David  W.  Morton,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1864. 

Daniel  M.  Morgan,  must,  in  Nov.  14,  1862;  disch.  by 
G.  O.  June  23,  1865. 

Marion  May,  must,  in  Feb.  19,  1864;  pris.  from  Oct. 
1,  1864,  to  April  21, 1865 ;  disch.  June  10,  to  date 
May  19,  1865. 

Nathan  Moyer,  must,  in  Dec.  7, 1861. 

Patrick  Murphy,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861. 

Henry  Marboil,  must,  in  Dec.  18,  1861. 

George  W.  McMichael,  must,  in  Feb.  11,  1864. 

John  McQuiston,  must,  in  Feb.  24,  1864. 

Lindsay  Newcomer,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861;  must,  out 
Dec.  6,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 

Heury  W.  Noll,  must,  in  Feb.  4, 1864 ;  disch.  Aug. 
23,  1865. 

Jesse  O'Brigant,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1864 ;  not  on  mus- 
ter-out roll. 

Jacob  Packer,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1864. 

Joel  Packer,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1864;  captured  near 
Lovrjoy  Station,  Ga.,  Aug.  20,  1864. 


David  Pittington,  must,  in  Feb.  24,  1864. 

John  Pay,  must,  in  Feb.  26,  1864 ;  absent  at  muster 

out. 
John  Patchen,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861. 
David  D.  Playford,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1864;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
William  F.  Quigg,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  July,  1862. 
Reuben  Raber,  must,  in  Feb.  5,  1864. 
Hillarus  Roth,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1864. 
Warren  Robinson,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864. 
Geoige  W.  Raber,  must,  in  March  2,  1864. 
John  Ro?sey,  must,  in  Dec.  18,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  April,  1862. 
Augustus  Shott,  must,  in  Oct.  14,  1861 ;  vet. 
Thomas  H.  Sheridan,  must,  in  March  8,  1864. 
Joseph  L.  Shull,  must,  in  Feb.  24,  1864. 
Jacob  H.  Siegfried,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864. 
Albert  Siegfried,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864. 
Samuel  Schaeffer,  must,  in  Jan.  19,  1864. 
Patrick  Sullivan,  must,  in  March  4,  1864. 
William  Sell,  must,  in  Dec.  18,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  April,  1862. 
Merrick  C.  Seely,  must,  in  Dec.  7,   1864;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  March  8,  1863. 
John  W.  Smith,  must,  in  Dec.  7, 1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  April  27,  1863. 
Henry  Siegfried,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864;  disch.  on 

surg.  cerlif.  May  6,  1865. 
Anthony  Sheele,  must,  in  Dec.  1, 1862;  prisoner  from 

Oct.  1,  1864,  to  April  21,  1865;  disch.  June  10, 

to  date  May  19,  1865. 
William  J.  Stephens,  must,  in  Dec.  18,  1861;  disch., 

on  surg.  certif.  Aug.,  1862. 
Henry  W.  Snyder,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861 ;  died  at 

Nashville,  Tenn.,  July  27,  1864. 
Brittian  W.  Salerly,   must,  in  Feb.  24,  1864 ;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
William  G.  Thompson,  must,  in  Feb.  22,  1864. 
Michael  Troy,   must,    in    March   5,    1864;    absent, 

wounded,  at  muster  out. 
James  Teseter,  must,  in  March  5,  1864. 
Isaac  Trout,  must,  in  April  5,  1864. 
Peter  Timner,  must,  in  Feb.  J.0,  1864;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 
John  Taylor,  must,  in  Feb.  4,  1864 ;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 
Richard  C.  Videan,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864. 
Barnet  Vankirk,  must,  in  Feb.  17,  1864. 
William  Wain,  must,  in  Nov.  19,  1861;  vet. 
Samuel  B.  Wolfkill,  must,  in  March  3,  1864. 
Philip  A.  Wertz,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1864. 
James  Walker,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864 ;  captured  at 

Lovejoy  Station,  Ga.,  Aug.  20,  1864. 
W.  H.  Weidenhammer,  must,  in  March  3, 1864;  absent, 

sick,  at  muster  out. 
Samuel  Weaver,  must,  in  Feb.  .16,  1864;  absent,  sick, 

at  muster  out. 


248 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLTANIA. 


Samuel  Wagoner,  must,  in  Feb.  4,  1864. 

Albert  Wheat,  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  March  4,  1863. 

Julius  Wrinkle,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861;  must,  out 
Dec.  6,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 

Henry  Wrighter,  captured  at  Dallas,  Ga.,  May  27, 
1864;  died  at  Anderson ville,  Aug.  16,  1864. 

Nicholas  A.  Wynkoop,  must,  in  Oct.  15,  1861 ;  pro. 
to  battalion  adjt.  Jan.  1,  1863. 

Isaac  B.  Walker,  must,  in  Feb.  13,  1864;  not  on  mus- 
ter-out roll. 

W.  H.  H.  Yonman,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864. 

Henry  Yoh,  must,  in  March  3,  1864. 

EIGHTY-THIRD  REGIMENT. 

The  Eighty-third  Kegiment  was  composed  of 
men  mostly  from  western  counties  in  the  State. 
Company  I  of  the  regiment  included  some  men 
who  were  recruited  at  Reading.  It  was  mus- 
tered into  service  near  Erie,  on  September  8, 
1861.  After  thorough  preparation  it  partici- 
pated in  the  Peninsula  campaign  and  its  several 
battles,  and  afterward  was  engaged  at  Gettys- 
burg, in  the  Wilderness,  and  in  the  several  bat- 
tles preceding  the  surrender  at  Appomattox. 
It  was  mustered  out  of  service  at  Washington 
June  28,  1865.  The  regiment  was  engaged  in 
twenty-five  battles,  two  more  than  any  other 
regiment  of  Pennsylvania  Infantry.  Not  be- 
ing able  to  designate  the  men  from  Reading,  I 
present  the  entire  company. 

Company  I. — This  company  was  recruited  at 
Harrisburg  and  Reading  for  one  year,  and  was 
mustered  out  June  28, 1865,  except  where  other- 
wise mentioned. 

Robert  W.  McCartney,  capt.,  must,  in  March  1,  1865. 
Lewis  F.  Mason,  1st.  lieut.,  must,  in  Dec.  22,  1861, 

three  years. 
Abraham  Frauenthal,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  March   1 

1865. 
John  S.  Campbell,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1865. 
William  H.  McConnell,  sergt.,  must,  in  Feb.  15, 1865. 
Alex.  Backenstoss,  sergt.,  must,  in  March  1,  1865. 
Philip  P.  De  Haven,  sergt.,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
Benjamin  K.  Taylor,  sergt.,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1865. 
Wm.  H.  Saultsman,  Corp.,  must,  in  March  1, 1865. 
Wm.  H.  Pritchard,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1865. 
Chauncey  M.  Shull,  corp.,  must,  in  March  1,  1865. 
John  A.  Mattis,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
George  W.  Burd,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  16, 1865. 
David  D.  Burross,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1865. 
John  Stoomer,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  8, 1865. 
Francis  Alexander,  corp.,  must,  in  March  1, 1865. 

Privates. 
John  Anderson,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
Hiram  Alwin,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 


Samuel  Boyer,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
Fidel  Book,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
John  Brandon,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
John  Bechtol,  must,  in  Feb.  8, 1865. 
Levi  Berger,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1 865.  . 

James  Brown,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
James  Black,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865;  not  accounted  for. 
Henry  Campbell,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
Wm.  W.  Conover,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
John  Callahan,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
Benjamin  Demar,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
Richard  Densmore,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865 ;  not  ac- 
counted for. 
William  A.  Evans,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
Joseph  Echilberger,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1865. 
Barger  Freeburn,  must,  in  March  1,  1865. 
John  Fink,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1865 ;  disch.  by  G.  0. 

May  30,  1865. 
John  C.  Gantt,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1865. 
John  C.  Gelts,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
Charles  Gibson,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1865. 
James  F.  Gardner,  must,  in  March  1,  1865. 
Andrew  Graft,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
Abraham  Huss,  must,  in  March  1,  1865. 
John  Holtry,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
William  Herring,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
Solomon  Hilbert,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
Charles  Hasson,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
Thomas  C.  Hay,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1865  ;  dish,  by  G.O. 

June  2,  1865. 
Henry  Hantz,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865;  not  accounted 

for. 
Hetherington,   must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865;  not  ac- 
counted for. 
John  Harvey,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  ]  865 ;  not  accounted 

for. 
Jesse  Irvine,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
Michael  Knapp,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1865. 
Charles  Kain,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1865. 
Charles  Kroninger,  must,  in  Feb.  8, 1865. 
Harrison  Lorah,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1865. 
Alexander  Lorah,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1865. 
Alonzo  Myers,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
Oliver  D.  Marks,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1885. 
Henry  Marks,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
James  K.  P.  Martin,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
William  McCarty,  must,  in  Feb.  22,  1865. 
John  McCurdy,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
Amos  Nigh,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1865. 
William  D.  Neff,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
William  Phillips,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
Anthony  Ruelius,  musr.  in  Feb.  15,  1865. 
John  Richards,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
Daniel  Smaltz,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
Henry  Shell,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 
Jacob  Seidell,  must,  in  March  1,  1865. 
George  S.  Sayler,  must,  in  Feb.  9,  1865. 
George  W.  Stahl,  must,  in  March  1,  1865. 
Reuben  Shade,  must,  in  Feb.  10, 1865. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


249 


N.  Swartzwelder,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865  ;  disch.  by 
G.  O.  June  3,  1865. 

Taylor  Slaughter,  must,  in  Feb.  8, 1865  ;  died  at  Alex- 
andria, Va.,  May  30,  1865  ;  grave  3185. 

David  Shoop,  must,  in  Feb.  23,1865;  not  accounted 
for. 

Edward  Town,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865 ;  not  accounted 
for. 

John  W.  Twerd,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 

Samuel  Woods,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1865. 

John  Woods,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1865. 

Michael  Weirich,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1865. 

Lewis  Wysard,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 

Thomas  Witman,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1865. 

Anthony  Wertz,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 

Gilbert  Youngblood,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1865. 

William  Ziemer,  must,  in  Feb.  8,  1865. 

EIGHTY-EIGHTH     REGIMENT. 

The  Eighty-eighth  Regiment  included  three 
companies — A,  B  and  H — from  Berks  County. 
It  was  organized    about    October    1,   1861,  at 
Wissahickon,  near  Philadelphia.      Then  it  was 
ordered  to  Washington,  where  it  remained  till 
October  12th,  when   it  was  assigned  to  guard 
duty  at  Alexandria.    It  was  continued  on  guard 
duty  at  different  places  thereabout  till  the  25th 
of  May  following.      Then  it  marched  to  Front 
Royal,  and  thence  by  rail   to  Manassas,  War- 
renton  and  Culpepper.     On  the  9th  of  August 
it  was  marched  hurriedly  towards  Cedar  Moun- 
tain.   There  it  was  in  Tower's  brigade  and  occu- 
pied the  extreme  right  of  Banks'  corps,  placed 
in  this  position  to  relieve  troops  which  had  been 
actively  engaged  during  the  afternoon  of  that 
day.    Whilst  moving  into  position  it  was  under 
two  fires,  one  from   Second  Maine  Battery  and 
the   other   from   the   enemy's  artillery.      The 
enemy's    guns   were   silenced  in  a  short  time. 
The  regiment  then  marched  to  Pony  Mountain 
and  Warrenton.      On  the  27th  of  August  a 
forced  march  was  made  and   a  portion   of  the 
division  (Ricket's)  encountered    the    enemy  at 
Thoroughfare  Gap,  where  a   fierce   fight   was 
conducted.   This  brigade  was  not  engaged  in  it. 
The  regiment  formed  into  line  and  was  ordered 
to  advance,  but  finding  the  enemy  too  numer- 
ous, withdrew  with  the  whole  corps  to  a  posi- 
tion near  Gainesville.      Thence   it   moved   to 
Manassas  Junction  and  Bull  Run.     At  the  lat- 
ter place,  on  the  30th  of  August,  it  was  engaged 
in  battle.      Lieutenant-Colonel  Joseph  A.  Mc- 
29 


Lean  was  left  on  the  field  and  never  recovered. 
The  brave  conduct  of  the  brigade  was  compli- 
mented by  General  Pope.    Thence  the  regiment 
proceeded    through    Fairfax,  Washington  and 
Frederick  City  to  Antietam  Creek,  where,  on 
September  17th,  it  engaged  in  a  hot  and  fierce 
engagement  with  the  enemy.     Subsequently  it 
crossed  the  Potomac  and  engaged  in  a  conflict  near 
BowlingGreen  roadon  the  13th  day  of  December. 
At  this  point  the  Eighty-eighth  kept  in  position, 
though  the  other  part  of  the  brigade  had  gone 
to  the  rear.  Soon  afterward  it  went  into  winter- 
quarters   at    a   point   near   Fletcher's   Chapel. 
During  the  middle  of  January,  1863,  it  partici- 
pated in  the  famous  "  Mud   March."      On  the 
28th  of  April  it  participated  in  an  engagement 
on  the    Rappahannock,  below  Fredericksburg, 
and  on  the  29th  a  forced  march  was  made  from 
the  extreme  left  to  the  extreme  right  of  the  line 
at  Chancellorsville,   a  distance  of  thirty  miles. 
During  May  it  was  encamped  at  White  Oak 
Church.     On  the  12th  of  June  it  started  for 
the    Gettysburg   campaign,    reaching  the    field 
after  forced  marches,  on  July  1st,  and  partici- 
pated in   this  memorable    battle.      It   was   in 
Reynolds'    corps.      On    the    6th    of  July   the 
regiment  joined  in  the  pursuit  of  the  enemy. 
After  marching  to  and  through   various  places, 
it  went  into  winter-quarters  at  the  town  of  Cul- 
peper  in    the  beginning  of  December.     Whilst 
there  a  large  proportion  of  the  regiment  re-enlist- 
ed.     It   remained   at    Culpeper   till    May   3, 
1864.     On  the  8th  of  May  it  participated  in 
an  engagement  near  Spottsylvania  Court-House, 
and  also  on  the  12th  at  the  same  place.    On  the 
23d  it  crossed  the  North  Anna  and  took  part  in 
a  severe  engagement,  and  in  a  slight  engage- 
ment at  Bethesda  Church  on  the  26th.    Thence 
it  co-operated  in   the  movements  of  the  army 
towards  the  James  River.  On  the  12th  of  June 
it  stood  an  artillery  fire  at  White  Oak  Swamp. 
On  the  16th  it  crossed  the  James  River  and 
halted  in  front  of  Petersburg.      On  the  18th  it 
drove  the  enemy's  skirmishers  into  their  main 
line  of  works,  and,  with  the  corps,  charged  upon 
the  entrenchments.     The  regiment  was  in  ad- 
vance, and,  after  getting  within  sixty  yards  of 
the  enemy's  first  line,  was  compelled  to  lie  flat 
upon    the   ground,  a   terrific  fire  of   artillery 


250 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


being  centred  upon  that  portion  of  the  line.  It 
was  so  far  in  advance  of  the  rest  of  the  division 
that  it  could  not  be  withdrawn  or  re-enforced. 
During  the  night  entrenchments  were  thrown 
up  and  the  next  afternoon  the  regiment  was  re- 
lieved. On  its  way  to  the  left  of  the  brigade  it 
was  exposed  to  the  sharpshooters  of  the 
enemy.  Shortly  afterward  it  was  again  engaged 
in  this  section  before  Petersburg.  The  next 
serious  fight  was  near  Danby's  Mill,  on  Feb- 
ruary 6, 1865,  where  it  was  repulsed,  and  on  the 
next  day,  at  Hatcher's  Run  ;  near  that  point  it 
went  into  camp  and  remained  till  the  29th  of 
March.  Then  it  participated  in  active  opera- 
tions and  hot  engagements'  till  Lee  surrendered, 
on  the  9th  of  April.  The  homeward  march 
was  then  made  to  Washington,  where  it  was 
mustered  out  of  service  on  June  30,  1865. 


Lieutenant-Colonel  Joseph  A.  McLean 
was  born  at  Philadelphia  in  1823,  and  there 
learned  the  trade  of  a  machinist.  In  1848  he 
removed  to  Reading,  found  employment  with 
the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  Com- 
pany, and  continued  in  its  employ  till  1861. 
In  this  time  he  took  an  active  interest  in  the 
local  affairs  of  Reading.  He  represented  the 
Spruce  Ward  in  Common  Council  for  one  year, 
1855-56,  having  been  selected  as  its  j>residing 
officer;  and  he  was  also  a  member  of  the 
school  board  for  a  time. 

At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion  he  was 
prompt  in  recruiting  troops,  and  was  commis- 
sioned adjutant  of  the  Fourteenth  Pennsylvania 
Regiment,  in  the  three  months'  service  under 
General  Patterson.  At  the  expiration  of  this 
term  of  service,  with  his  brother,  George  B. 
McLean,  he  began  actively  recruiting  for  the 


Eighty-eighth  Pennsylvania  (Three  Years')  Reg- 
iment, of  which  he  was  commissioned  lieutenant- 
colonel  August  9,  1861.  With  his  regiment 
he  participated  in  the  battles  of  Cedar  Mountain, 
Rappahannock  Station,  Thoroughfare  Gap, 
Freeman's  Ford,  Gaines'  Mill  and  second  battle 
of  Bull  Run.  In  this  latter  disastrous  engage- 
ment he  was  ordered  with  his  regiment  to  sup- 
port a  battery  which  held  the  enemy  in  check; 
whilst  the  army  was  retired.  Three  times  he 
charged  with  his  command  under  a  fierce  fire, 
and  in  a  fourth  charge  was  mortally  wounded 
and  left  upon  the  field,  where  he  died  and  was 
buried. 

Regimental  Band. — The  regimental  band 
was  the  famous  "  Ringgold  Band  "  from  Read- 
ing. It  was  discharged  from  service  by  Gen- 
eral Order  dispensing  with  bands,  issued  on 
June  21,  1862. 

E.  Ermentrout,  leader,  must,  in  Aug.  30, 1861. 

Musicians. 
Blasius  Byerly,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861. 
John  Breedy,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861. 
Joseph  J.  Clay,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861. 
William  C.  Eben,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861. 
Augustus  Gehart,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861. 
James  Y.  Hill,  must,  in  Sept.  20,  1861. 
Albert  Hock,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861. 
Thomas  Hock,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861. 
Casper  Krugg,  must,  in  Aug.  30, 1861. 
Christian  Miller,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861.  ' 

Julius  Moses,  must,  in  Aug.  30, 1861. 
Joseph  B.  Rinehurt,  must,  in  Sept.  20,  1861. 
Joseph  R.  Robertson,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861. 
John  R.  Snyder,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861. 
James  D.  Sanders,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861. 
Stephen  Sehl,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861. 
Samuel  W.Turner,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861. 
John  S.  Warner,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861, 
C.  B.  Windbigler,  must,  in  Aug.  30, 1861. 

Company  A. — This  company  was  recruited 
in  Berks  County,  and  was  mustered  out  June 
30,  1865,  except  where  otherwise  mentioned. 

George  W.  Knabb,  capt.,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861  ;  re- 
signed July  28,  1862. 

Benezet  F.  Foust,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  186-1 ;  pro. 
from  adjt.  Nov.  28,  1862 ;  to  maj.  Dec.  31,  1862. 

Henry  Whiteside,  capt.,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  pro. 
from  private  to  seTgt.;  to  1st  sergt.;  to  1st  lieut. 
Nov.  23,  1862  ;  to  capt.  July  1,  1863  ;  wounded 
at  Antietam  Sept.  17,1862;  mustered  out  Sept. 
1,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


Thos.  J.  Koch,  capt.,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  sergt.  to  1st  lieut.  Nov.   24,  18(i4;  to  capt. 

Jan.  6, 1865;  killed  at  Five  Forks,  V a.,  April  1, 

1865 ;  veteran. 

Frederick  R.  Fritz,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ; 

resigned  Nov.  23, 1862. 
Jacob  Ninesteel,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ; 

pro.  from  sergt.  Co.  Eto  2d  lieut.  Dec.  22,  18(12  ; 

to  1st  lieut.  March  16,  1863;  com.  capt.  Oct.  4, 

1864 ;  not.  must. ;  must,  out  Dec.  3, 1864,  expira- 
tion of  term. 
Daniel  W.  !Ney,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861  ; 

wounded   at   Chancellorsville  May  4,  1863;  at 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  4,  1863,  and  at  Five  Forks, 

Va.,  April  1,  1865  ;  pro.  from  private  to  1st  sergt.; 

to  1st  lieut.  March  17,  1865  ;  com.  capt.  June  14, 

1865  ;  not  must.;  vet. 
Albert  H.  Seyfert,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ; 

disch.  Oct.  9,  1862. 
Jacob  S.  Kram,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  23, 1861 ;  pro. 

from  com.-sergt.  Jan.  1,  1863 ,  com.  1st  lieut.  Oct. 

4,1864;  not  must.;  must,  out  Nov.  22, 1864,    ex- 
piration of  term. 
George  H.  Eeiff,   1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  18,  1861 ; 

pro.  from  private  to  corp.;  to  sergt.  June  1,  1865  ; 

to  1st  sergt. ;  com.  1st  lieut.  June  14,  1865;  not 

must.; absent,  with  leavx,  at  muster  out;  veteran. 
George  Shirey,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  23, 1861;  must. 

out  Aug.  23,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Jacob  P.  Becker,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  23, 1861  ; 

prisoner  from  May  24  to  Nov.   24,  1864  ;  pro.  to 

1st  sergt.  May   1,  1865;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  12, 

1865 ;  veteran. 
Joseph  H.  Kline,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  private  to   corp.;   to   sergt.  June  1,   1 865 ; 

com.  2d  lieut.  June  14,  1865  ;  not  must.;  absent, 

with  leave,  at  muster  out ;  veteran. 
A.  J.  Schreffler,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  private  to  corp.;  to  sergt.  June  4,  1865.;  vet. 
George   Beaumont,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  23,   1861 ; 

wounded   at  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  Dec.  13,  1862; 

pro.   from   private  to  corp. ;   to  sergt.   June    1, 

1865.;  vet. 
John  L.  Kennedy,  sergt,  must,  in  Aug.  23, 1861 ;  pro. 

from   private ;    disch.   on   surg.  certif.  May   10, 

1862. 
Thomas  Kinsley,  sergt ,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861  ;  pro. 

from  private  ;  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  July  16,  1862. 
Gabriel  Hill,  sergt.,  must,  in   Aug.  23,  1861;. must. 

out  Aug.  23,  1864,    expiration  of  term. 
Joseph  Hock,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1861 ;  prisoner 

from  Aug.  19  to  Dec.  3,  1864 ;  pro.  to  corp.  Jan. 

1,  1864 ;  to  sergt.  May  1,  1865 ;  disch.  by  G.  O. 

June  12,  1865;  veteran. 
Conrad  Strahle,   sergt.,    must,    in    Aug.    23,    1861; 

wounded  at  Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17,  1862 ;  trans. 

to  Vet.  Eeserve  Corps  Nov.  15,  1863. 
David  Whitaker,  sergt,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  died 


April  20,  1865,  of  wounds  received  at  Five  Forks, 

Va. ;  buried  in  Nat.  Cera.,  Arlington;  vet. 
John  Whitaker,  Corp.,  must,  in  August  23,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp. ;  vet. 
Franklin  Estes,  Corp.,  must,  in  March  25,  1865,  one 

year;  substitute;  pro.  to  corp.  June  15,  1865. 
Chauncey  Davis,  corp.,  must,  in  March  4,  1865,  one 

year;  drafted;  pro.  to  corp.  June  15,  1865. 
Henry  Drum,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  22,  1864;  pro.  to 

corp.  June  15,  1865. 
Samuel  Griffith,  corp.,  must,  in  March  11,  1865,  one 

year;  drafted;  pro,  to  corp.  June  15,  1865. 
William  Heller,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  June  15,  1865. 
Charles  Matthews,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  24,  1864;  pro. 

to  corp.  June  15,  1865. 
William  Clark,  corp.,  must,   in    April  4,  1865,  one 

year;  substitute;  pro.  to.  corp.  June  15, 1865;  ab- 
sent at  muster  out. 
Eussell  Miller,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  priv.;  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  June  21,  1864. 
Emerson  Kline,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861;  pro. 

from  priv. ;  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  June  9,  1863. 
David  Davis,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861;  pro.  from 
'  priv.  Dec.  1,  1864;  disch.  byG.  0.  June  10,1865; 

vet. 
W.  J.  Hutchinson,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1864,  one 

year;  drafted;  pro.  to  corp.  May  1,  1865;  disch. 

by  GO.  June  10,  1865. 
Lewis  Briggs,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  25,  1864,  one  year; 

substitute;  pro.  to  corp.  May  1,  1865;  disch.  by 

G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
John  Harris,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  25,  1863,  one  year; 

substitute;  pro.  to  .corp.  May  1,  1864;  disch.  by 

G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
William  P.  Fisher,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861; 

prisoner   from   Aug.    19   to  Dec.    17,  1864;  pro. 

from  priv.  June  1,  1865;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  12, 

1865 ;  vet. 
Isaac  Madison,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  28, 1864;  prisoner 

from  May  24  to  Nov.  20,  1864;  pro.  to  corp.  May 

20,  1865;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  12,  1865. 
Jeremiah  Boyer,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861;  died 

Sept.  14th,  of  wounds  received  at  Bull  Run,  Va., 

Aug.  28,  1862;  buried  in  Mil.  Asy.  Cem.,  D.  C. 
John  W.   Hoffman,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861; 

killed  accidentally  at  Weldon  Railroad,  Va.,  Aug. 

24,  1864;  vet. 
William  L.  Hawk,  musician,  must,  in  Aug.  23, 1861; 

wounded  June  27,  1864;  vet. 
John  F.  Nagle,  musician,    must,  in  Aug.  22,  1861; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.  July  1,  1862. 
Manoah  Metz,  musician,  must,  in  Oct.  4, 1861 ;  wound- 
ed at  Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17,  1862;   disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  May  28, 1865;  vet. 

Privates. 

John  H.  Albright,  must,  in  March  29,  1865,  one  year  ; 
sub. 


252 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Chauncy  Ackeman,  must,  in  March  29, 1865,  one  year  ; 

sub. 
Henry  Arnold,  must,  in  Aug.  23, 1861 ;  pris.  from  Aug. 

19, 1864,  to  March  1, 1865  ;  disch.  by  G.  0.  June 

21, 1865  ;  vet. 
Spearing  R.  Altimon,    must,  in    Sept.  25,  1864,  one 

year;  sub.;  disch.  by  G.  0.  June  10, 1865. 
Frank  Arrington,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861. 
George  Adams,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861. 
William  E.  Beatty,  must,  in  March  23, 1865,  one  year ; 

sub. 
Abraham  B.  Barnet,  must,  in  April  5, 1865,  one  year  ; 

drafted. 
Josiah  L.  Barkley,  must,  in  March  29, 1865,  one  year ; 

sub.;  disch.  by  G.  O.  Aug.  7,  1865. 
Alexander  Bell,  must,  in  Sept.  25,  1864,  one  year; 

drafted;  wounded  at  Hatcher's  Run,  Va.,  Feb. 

6, 1865 ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10, 1865. 
Franklin  Buckley,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

writ  of  habeas  corpus  Sept.  5,  1861. 
Henry  Bishop,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  disch.  April  1, 

1863,  for  wounds  received  at  Fredericksburg,  Va., 

Dec.  13,  1862. 
Aaron   Bechtel,   must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  must,   out 

Aug.  23,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Elida  Boston,  must,  in  Sept.  25,  1865,  one  year  ;  sub.; 

disch.  by  G.  O.  June  3,  1865. 
Joseph    Berkleypile,  must,  in   March  11,  1865,  one 

year ;  drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  July  1,  1865. 
William  Beaumont,  must,  in  Aug.  23, 1861 ;  killed  at 

Gettysburg  July  1,  1863  ;  buried  in  Nat.  Cem., 

sec.  B,  grave  73. 
John   Beaumont,  must,  in  Aug.  23,   1861 ;  killed  at 

Petersburg,  Va.,  June  18, 1864 ;  vet. 
Charles  Becker,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861. 
Peter  Coleman,  must,  in  March  27,  1865,  one  year; 

sub. 
Isaac  P.  Cresswell,  must,  in  Aug.  23, 1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Dec.  31,  1861. 
George  W.  Clingman,  must,  in  March  4, 1864  ;  disch., 

date  unknown,  for  wounds  received  in  action. 
Daniel  Clouser,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;   must,  out 

Aug.  23, 1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Daniel  F.  Callahan,  must,  in  Aug.  23, 1861 ;  trans,  to 

Co.  K  Nov.  1, 1861. 
Andrew  J.  Carter,  must,  in  Aug.  23,1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

G  April  2, 1862. 
Patrick  Clickett,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

K  Nov.  1, 1861. 
Samuel  Dempsey,  must,  in  March  11,  1865,  one  year; 

sub. 
George  Dyer,  must,  in  Sept.  25,  1864,  one  year ;  sub.; 

disch.  by  G.  0.  June  10, 1865. 
Alfred  Dautrich,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

H  Feb.  6, 1864;  vet. 
Mayb'y  Dautrich,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

Co.  H  Feb.  6, 1864 ;  vet. 
Reuben  Drexel,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

H  Feb.  6, 1864  ;  vet. 


Martin  Derr,  must,  in  i.ug.  23,  1861. 

George  Eshelman,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865,  one  year ; 

drafted  ;  disch.  by  S.  O.,  date  unknown. 
John  Eppinger,  must,  in  Aug.  23, 1861 ;  died  at  Alex- 
andria, Va.,  Nov.  17, 1862. 
Isaac  Eyrich,  must,  in  Aug.  23, 1861 ;  captured  ;  died 

at  Salisbury,  N.  C,  Feb.  8, 1865  ;  vet. 
John  Freeh,  must,  in  March  30,  1865,  one  year ;  sub. 
Abraham  Fredline,  must,  in  March  29, 1865,  one  year ; 

sub.;  disch.  by  G.  0.  June  23,  1865. 
James  Fagan,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  must,  out  Aug. 

23,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Amos  Fisher,  must,  in  Feb.  22,  1864;  killed  at  Laurel 

Hill,  Va.,  May  9,  1864. 
George  Fullmer,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 
Harrison  T.  Fox,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861. 
Hern  Frantz,  must,  in  March  9,  1864 ;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 
Hiram  Gardner,  must,  in  March  11,  1865,    one  year; 

drafted. 
John  A.  Grim,  must,  in  Aug.   23,    1861  ;  disch.   on 

surg.  certif.  Dec.  27,  1862. 
Joseph   Grant,  must,    in   Sept.  24,    1864,    one   year ; 

sub.;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  14,  1865. 
John  Green,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1864,  one  year ;  trans. 

to  107th  Regt.  P.  V.  Dec.  1,  1864. 
Ross  Hoffman,  must,  in   Feb.  24,  1864;  wounded  at 

Laurel  Hill,  Va.,  Mriy  8,  1864 ;  absent,  in  hos- 
pital, at  muster  out. 
David  Howard,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  absent,  sick, 

at  muster  out ;  vet. 
Barnet   Hagen,  must,   in   Aug.  23,    1861 ;  must,   out 

Aug.  23,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Wm.  Haberacker,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif,  date  unknown. 
Henry  Haywood,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Aug.  23,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
H.  Himmelright,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Aug.  23,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Daniel  Hagan,  must,  in  Sept.  3,  1861  ;  must,  out  Aug. 

23,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Geo.  W.  Hoffman,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Aug.  23,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Meltzer  Hughston,  must,  in  Aug.  27,  1861  ;  must,  out 

Nov.  21,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Obediah   Hillard,  must,  in  Sept.  5,   1864,   one  year ; 

drafted  ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
Isaiah  Hilliard,  must,  in  Sept.  5, 1864,  one  year;  sub.; 

disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
Jerome  Hatlon,must.  in  Sept.  5,  1864,  one  year;  sub.; 

disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
James  P.  Harp,   must,  in  Sept.  24,  1864,  one  year ; 

sub.;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  5,  1865. 
John  J.  Hughes,  must,  in  Feb.  24,  1864  ;  disch.  by  G. 

O.  June  14,  1865. 
John  O.  Hanlon,  must,  in  Aug.  23,   1861 ;  trans,  to 

Co.  K  Nov.  1,  1861. 
Wm.  H.  Hoffman,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1864,  one  year ; 

sub. ;  trans,  to  107th  Regt.  P.  V.  Dec.  1,  1864. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


253 


Johii  Hemminger,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861  ;  killed  at 

Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17,  1862. 
Wm.  G.  Hoffman,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  killed  at 

Fredericksburg,  Va.,  Dec.  13,  1862. 
Albert  Hawk,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  captured  ;  died 

at  Salisbury,  N.  C;  burial  record,  died  at  Rich- 
mond, Va.,  March  23,  1864. 
Ebenezer  Haller,  must,  in  Sept.  9,  1861 ;  captured ; 

died  at  Andersonville,  Ga.;  burial  record,  died  at 

Salisbury,  N.  C,  Dec.  20,  1864;  vet. 
Joseph  Hetrick,  must,  in  Sept.  3,  1801. 
Wm.  J.  Hoffman,  must,  in  Sept.  9,  1861. 
Peter  Johnson,  must,  in  March  28,  1865,  one  year  ; 

sub. 
Wm.  M.  Johnson,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Aug.  23,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Joseph  Jesse,   must,   in   Sept.    24,    1X04,    one  year; 

drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
William  Kline,  must,  in  March  30,  1865,  one  year; 

sub. 
Charles  Kaylor,  must,  in  March  30,  1865,  one  year; 

sub. 
Albert  Keen,  must,  in  Aug.  27,  1861 ;  disch.  by  G.  O. 

June  21,  1865;  vet. 
John  Kelley,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Feb.  27,  1863. 
Isaac  C.  Kelchner,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861  ;  must,  out 

Aug.  23,  1864  ;  expiration  of  term. 
Valentine  Kieffer,  must,  in  March  11,  1865  ;  drafted 

died  at  Alexander,   Va.,   June  2,  1865 ;  grave 

3,191. 
Zach.  T.  Lohr,  must,  in   March   30,  1865,    one  year 

sub. 
Jeremiah   Lohr,  must,  in  March  11,  1865,   one  year 

drafted ;  absent,  in  hospital,  at  muster  out. 
W.  L.  Livingston,  must,  in  March  11, 1865,  one  year 

drafted. 
Austin  Lantz,  must,  in  March    27,  1865,  one  year 

sub. 
Jonathan  Lake,  must,  in  March  27,  1865 ;  one  year 

sub. 
Jacob  Leaves,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1864,  one  year ;  sub. 

disch.  by  G  O.  June  10,  1865. 
Wm.  Morrow,  must,  in  Feb.  24,  1864. 
Daniel  B.  Miller,  must,  in  March  11,  1865,   one  year  ; 

drafted. 
Jacob  Mangus,  must,  in  March  11,  1865,    one  year ; 

drafted  ;  absent,  in  hospital,  at  muster  out. 
Levi  Miller,   must,   in   Aug.    23,    1861  ;    must,    out 

Aug.  23,  1864;  expiration  of  term. 
Edward  Miller,  must,  in   Aug.  23,  1861 ;  wounded  at 
Fredericksburg,   Va.,   Dec.  13,   1862,   must,  out 
Aug.  23,  1864 ;  expiration  of  term. 
Wm.  Miller,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  must,   out  Aug. 

23, 1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Wm.  Martin,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1864,  one  year ;  drafted ; 

disch.  by  G.  O.  June  20,  1865. 
Robert  Martin,  must,  in  Sept.  24,   1864,   one  year; 
drafted;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1863. 


Samuel  Miles,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861  ;  trans,  to  Co.  K. 

Nov.  1,  1861. 
Daniel  Mohr,  must,  in  Aug.  23;   1861  ;  wounded  at 

Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17,  1862 ;  trans,  to  2d  U.  S. 

Artillery,  date  unknown. 
Charles  Millhoff,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  killed  at 

Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.   17,1862;  buried  in  Nat. 

Cem.,  section  26,  lot  A,  grave  74. 
Valentine  Miller,  must,  in  Aug.  31,  1861. 
John  McAvoy,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861. 
Michael  Naugle,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861. 
Peter  Omstead,  must,  in  March  11,  1865,  one  year; 

drafted. 
Joseph  Oliphant,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

15th  Regt.  U.  S.  Infantry,  date  unknown. 
Franklin  Platz,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Laurel  Hill,  Va.,  May  8,  1864;  trans,  to  Vet. 

Res.  Corps;  disch.  by  G  O.  July  27,  1865;  vet. 
Thomas  Pryor,    must,  in  Sept.  24,  1864,  one  year- 

drafted;  disch.  byG.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
John   Pope,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co.  K 

Nov.  1,  1861. 
Levi  J.  Peiffer,  must,  in  Aug.  31, 1861 ;  died  at  Phila- 
delphia, Pa.,  Dec.  10,  1863 ;  burial  record,  Dec. 

10,  1865. 
William  Pugh,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  died  at  City 

Point,  Va.,  August  1,  1864;  burial  record,  July 

25,  1864 ;  vet. 
James  Phillips,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1864,  one  year; 

drafted;  killed  at  Hatcher's  Run,  Va.,  Feb    7, 

1865. 
Samuel  T.  Riffle,  must,  in  March  11,  1865,  one  year  ; 

drafted. 
Josiah  Riffle,   must,  in  March  11,  1865,  one  year; 

drafted. 
George  Raymon,  must,  in  March  11,  1865,  one  year; 

drafted. 
John  J.  Rhodes,  must,  in  March  31,  1865,  one  year  ; 

sub. 
Isaac  Rock,  must,  in  March  30,  1865,  one  year;  sub. 
Jacob  Roddy,  must,  in  March   11,  1865,  one  year; 

drafted;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  23,  1865. 
Giles  Ross,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1864,  one  year ;  sub. ; 

disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
Lucien  Roland,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Aug.  23,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Charles  A.  Roland,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  must,  out 
,  Aug.  23,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 

William   Reedy,  must,  in   Aug.  23,  1861;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  May  3,  1865;  vet. 
Henry  Reilley,  must,  in  Aug.  31,  1861  ;  trans,  to  Vet. 

Res.  Corps.,  date  unknown. 
Henry  Roland,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861. 
John  Reed,  must,  in  Aug.  27,  1861 . 
William  F.  Shaum,   must,  in  Mareh  28,  1865,  one 

year;  sub. 
William  H.   Swank,  must,  in   March    11,   1865,  one 

year;  sub. 


254 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Peter  Spicher,  must,  in   March  11,  1865,  one  year; 

drafted  ;  discharged  by  G.  O.  Aug.  2,  1865. 
Jeremiah  Stahl  must,  in  March  11,  1865  ;  one  year  ; 

drafted. 
Emanuel   Seece,  must,  in  March  11,  1865,  one  year; 

drafted. 
Sewell  Swoyer,  must,  in  March  27,  1865,  one  year; 

sub. 
Charles  Sanders,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861  ;  captured  at 

Rappahannock  Station,  Va.,  July  19,  1863. 
William  Snyder,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Oct.  9,  1862. 
Cyrus  Strohecker,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Aug.  23,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
John  Sullivan,   must,   in    Sept.  24,  1864,  one  year; 

sub. ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
Benjamin   Stevenson,  must,   in   Sept.   24,  1864,  one 

year ;  drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  13,  1865. 
Benjamin  Stuff,  must,  in  March  11,  1865,  one  year; 

drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  15,  1865. 
Lewis  Swoyer,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861;   trans,  to  2d 

U.  S.  Artillery,  date  unknown. 
George  Smith,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  died  at  Alex- 
andria, Va.,  Dec.  12,  1862  ;  burial  record,  grave 

141. 
Henry  Smith,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  died  at  City 

Point,  Va.,  June  18,  1864 ;  burial  record,  July  3, 

1864 ;  vet. 
Henry  M.  Schaeffer,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1864. 
Henry  Sheffer,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1864 ;  not  on  must.- 

out  roll ;  vet. 
Peter  K.  Thomas,  must,  in  March  11,  1865,  one  year ; 

drafted. 
Daniel  Trout,  must,  in  Feb.  22, 1864;  disch.  by  G.  0. 

May  13,  1865. 
Samuel  Varner,  must,  in  March  28,  1865,  one  year ; 

sub. 
Albert  G.  Wise,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861. 
Charles  Wynn,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  -wounded  at 

Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17,  1862. 
Peter  H.  Walters,  must,  in  March  16, 1865,  one  year; 

sub. 
William  Wringle,  must,  in  March  29,  1865,  one  year ; 

sub. 
Jacob   Witt,   must,   in   March   11,   1865 ;  one  year ; 

drafted. 
Jacob  Walters,  must,  in  March   11,  1865,  one  year; 

disch.  by  G.  O.  June  2,  1865. 
Henry   Wilson,  must,  in   Sept.  27,  1864,  one  year; 

sub. ;  absent,  in  hospital,  at  must.  out. 
James  Wharton,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  captured  at 

Gettysburg  July  1,  1863 ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  Feb.  4, 

1865. 
John   Wooten,  must,   in  Aug.   23,  1861;  must,   out 

Sept.  27,  1864,   exp.  of  term. 
Christian  Wagner,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865,  one  year ; 

drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  ;  date  unknown. 
John    Waid,   must,   in    Sept.   24,    1864,   one    year- 

drafted  ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  13,  1865. 


John    M.  Wallace,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

Co.  G,  Feb.  6,  1864;  vet. 
Henry  Whitaker,  must,  in  Aug.  31,  1861. 
Frederick  Young,  must,  in  March  11,  1865;  drafted. 
Evan  S.  Yarger,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

G  Feb.  6,  1864. 
Jefferson   Yoder,  must,  in   Aug.   23,    1861  ;   died  at 

Alexandria,  Va.,  Dec.  12,  1862. 
Edward  Young,  must,  in  Aug.  24,  1861  ;  died  at  Cul- 

peper,   Va.,    May    8,    1864;     burial    record,   at 

Alexandria ;  grave  1357. 
John  Zeiber,  must,  in  Sept.  3,  1861  ;  wounded  at  An- 
tietam, Md.,  Sept.  17,  1862;  must,  out  Nov.  30, 

1864,  exp.  of  term. 

Company  B. — This  company  was  recruited 
in  Berks  County,  and  was  mustered  out  June 
30,  1865,  except  where  otherwise  mentioned: 

Henry  A.  Myers,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  18,  1861 ;  res. 

Nov.  1,  1862. 
Edmund  A.  Mass,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861  ;  cap- 
tured at  Gettysburg  July   1,    1863 ;    pris.  nine 

months;  pro.  from   1st  lieut.   Jan.   7,   1863;  to 

lieut.-col.  June  16,  1865. 
George  B.  Rhoads,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  18,  1861 ; 

pro.  from  2d  lieut.  Nov.  1,  1862;  to  capt.  Co.  F 

April  10,  1863. 
George  W.  Grant,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  12, 1861 ; 

pro.  from  private  to  sergt ;  to  2d  lieutenant  Nov. 

1,  1862  ;  to  1st  lieut.  April  10,  1863;  captured  at 

Gettysburg  July,  1863  ;  disch.  April  25,  1865. 
Albert  Nagle,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861;  pro. 

to  1st  sergt;  to  1st   lieut.  June  17,  1865;  com. 

capt.  March  3,  1865  ;  not  must. ;  vet. 
Samuel  G.  Boone,  2d  lieut,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861  ; 

pro.  from  sergt. -maj.  April  10,  1863  ;  captured  at 

Gettysburg  July,  1863  ;  disch.  May  17,  1865. 
Aaron  H.  Moyer,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ; 

pro.  from  private;  com.  1st  lieut.  March  3, 1865  ; 

not  must. ;  vet. 
Lafayette  K.  Mohn,  sergt.,  must,  in   Sept.  12,  1861  ; 

wounded;  pro.  from  private  Jan.  27,  1864;  com. 

2d  lieut.  March  3,  1865 ;  not  must. 
Richard  Bell,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1861 ;  pro.  from 

private ;  vet. 
Joseph  Nagle,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  3,  1864;  sub.; 

pro.  to  corp.  April  1,  1865;  to  sergt.  June  11, 

1865. 
William  Gilmore,  sergt.,  must,  in  March  10,  1865  ; 

pro.  to  corp.  April  1,  1865 ;  to  sergt.  June  18th. 
Percival  T.  Rhodes,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  12, 1861 ; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.  Dec.  1,  1862. 
Zacharias  Shravely,  sergt.  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ; 

wounded  at  Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17,  1862  ;  must. 

out  Sept.  12,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Jacob  Shuster,  sergt,  must,  in  Oct.  1,  1861 ;  wounded 

at  Hatcher's  Run,  Va.,  March  31,  1865  ;  disch. 

by  G.  O.  June  13,  1865 ;  vet. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


Aaron  Bright,  Jr.,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  13, 1861 ;  pro. 

from  private ;  trans,  to  Co.  G  Feb.  16,  1864. 
Ebenezer  Lee,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861  ;  died  at 

Annapolis,  Md.,  April  6,  1865. 
Henry  Evans,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ;  killed  at 

Gettysburg,   Pa.,  July  1,  1863;   buried  in   Nat. 

Cem.,  section  F,  grave  61. 
William  D.  Clemens,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ; 

captured ;  died  at  Salisbury,  N.   C,  March  25, 

1864;  burial  record,  Jan.  31,  1865  ;  vet. 
Henry  Moore,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  9,  1861  ;  vet. 
William  Kenny,  Corp.,  must,  in   Oct.  5,   1864,   one 

year ;  sub. ;  pro.  to  corp.  April  1,  1865. 
James  Young,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  1,  1864,  one  year ; 

sub. ;  pro.  to  corp.  April  1,  1865. 
William  Chambers,  corp.,  must,  in  Jan.  19,  1865,  one 

year;  pro.  to  corp.  April  1,  1865. 
John  Friesleben,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  11,  1863  ;  pro. 

to  corp.  May  1,  1865. 
John  E.  Applebaugh,  corp.,  must,  in  March  20,  1865, 

one  year  ;  sub. ;  pro.  to  corp.  June  17,  1865. 
Barney  Halland,  corp.,  must,  in  March  25,  1865,  one 

year ;  sub. ;  pro.  to  corp.  May  1,  1865. 
John  H.  Harris,  corp.,  must  in  March  20,  1865,  one 

year ;  sub ;  pro-  to  corp.  June  14,  1865. 
Charles  S.  Butter,  corp.  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ;  must. 

out  Sept.  22,  1864,   exp.  of  term. 
Isaac  I.  Brown,  corp.,  must,   in   Sept.  2,  1861 ;  must. 

out  Sept.  6,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Aaron  Guenther,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1861 ;  must. 

out  Sept.  2,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
George  W.  Gaylord,  corp.,  must,  in   Aug.  30,  1861, 

one  year ;  sub. ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
John  R.  Locks,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  Feb.  14,  1863. 
Lewis  W.  Bonnin,  corp.,   must,  in   Sept.  11,  1861 ; 

trans,  to  Vet.  Res.  Corps,  date  unknown. 
John  Eagle,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  11,  1861 ;   died  at 

Alexandria,  Va.,  Sept.  16,  1862. 
Pierson  0.  Miller,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  3,  1861 ;  died 

at  Petersburg,  Va.,  June  28,  1864  ;  buried  at  City 

Point ;  vet. 
Reuben  Wider,  corp.,   must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861;  cap- 
tured ;  died  at  Salisbury,  N.  C,  Dec.  28,  1864. 
Charles  Geiger,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  23, 1861  ;  missing 

in  action  at  Weldon  Railroad,  Va.,  Aug.  1864; 

veteran. 
George  W.  Leader,  musician,  must,  in  Sept.  19, 1861 ; 

veteran. 
Edwin  Ball,  musician,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ;  must. 

out  Sept.  12,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 
William  Sands,  musician,  must,  in  Sept.   12,  1861; 

pro.  to  prin.  musician  Feb.  6,  1864 ;  veteran. 

Privates. 

John  Anderson,  must,  in  March  17,  1865,  one  year; 

drafted. 
Thomas   J.    Albright,   must,  in   March  29,  1865,  one 

year;  substitute. 


John   G.   Anderson,   must,   in   Sept.  6,  1861;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
Peter  Blezer,  must,  in  April  3,  1865,  one  year  ;  sub- 
stitute. 
Francis  Boquel,  must,  in  March  30,  1865,  one  year; 

substitute. 
Wm.  Brubaker,  must,  in  March  31,  1865,  one  year; 

substitute. 
Samuel  Burkhart,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1861 ;  wounded 

Sept.  17,  1862,  and  June  25,  1864 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Nov.  3,  1864. 
David  Brakeman,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  July  4,  1862. 
George  Browning,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861  ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  June  1,  1862. 
Daniel  Biedler,  must,  in  Sept.  12, 1861 ;  disch.  Sept. 

12,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Jacob  Behm,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ;  disch.  Sept.  12, 

1864,  expiration  of  term. 
George  W.   Boger,   must,   in  Sept.  18,  1861;  disch. 

Sept.  18,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Jesse  K.  Behm,  must,  in  March  30,  1864;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Jan.  17,  1865. 
Thomas  Bush,  must,  in  Sept.  28,  1864,  one  year;  sub- 
stitute ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
Burkley  P.  Blervitt,  must,  in  Sept.  9,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

Vet.  Res.  Corps  March  15,  1864. 
George  Bowman,  must,  in  Oct.  4,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Fredericksburg,  Va.,  Dec.  13, 1862 ;  trans,  to  Vet. 

Res.  Corps  Nov.  15,  1863. 
Augustus  Burger,  must,  in  March  29,  1865,  one  year  ; 

substitute. 
Wash.  B.  Coder,  must,  in  March  29,  1865,  one  year  ; 

substitute. 
Joseph  C.  Clement,  must,  in  Sept.  9,  1861  ;  must,  out 

Oct.  18,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
David   Cravner,   must,   in   Sept.   30,  1864,  one  year ; 

substitute ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
Charles  Colton,  must,  in  Sept.  11, 1861 ;  trans,  to  Vet. 

Res.  Corps  March  15,  1864. 
Michael  Colton,  must,  in  Sept.  11, 1861 ;  trans,  to  Vet. 

Res.  Corps  March  15,  1864. 
Joseph  Carpenter,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  died  at 

Falls  Church,  Va.,  Aug.  18,  1862. 
Francis   Conway,   must,  in   Sept.   18,    1801;  died  at 

Alexandria,  Va.,  July  12,  1862;  grave  83. 
Wm.  Carney,  must,  in  March  31, 1865,  one  year  ;  sub- 
stitute. 
Joseph  M.  Cavender,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
Andrew   Dever,    must,   in   April   3,   1865,  one  year ; 

drafted. 
Jacob  Drexel,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ;  prisoner  from 

Aug.  17,  1864,  to  March  13,  1865;  disch.  by  G. 

O.  May  2,  1865. 
Henry   Drexel,   must,   in   Sept.   20,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  June  4,  1862. 
Tobias  De'emer,  must,  in  Sept.  21,  1861  ;  must,  out 

Sept.  21,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 


256 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Adam  Dieffenbach,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ;  died  at 

Alexandria,  Va.,  Dec.  23d,  of  wounds  received  at 

Fredericksburg  Dec.  13,  1862. 
Jacob  Esterline,  must,  in  March  29,  1865,  one  year; 

substitute  ;  absent,  sick,  at  muster  out. 
Alfred  Ermentrout,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Aug.  20, 1862. 
Edward  G.  Ebling,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Feb.  26,  1863. 
Win.  S.  Eagle,  must,  in  Sept.  11,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

G  Feb.  6,  1864 ;  vet. 
Henry   H.   Fry,   must,   in   Sept.  12,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Feb.  9,  1862. 
Francis   F.   Fritz,  must,  in  Sept.  21,  1864,  one  year ; 

drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
Henry    Fagler,    trans,  to  102d  Eegt.  P.  V.  May  15, 

1864. 
William  Gates,  must,  in   March  16,  1865,  one  year ; 

drafted. 
Theodore  German,  must,  in  March  11, 1865,  one  year; 

substitute. 
Godfried  Gonflow,  must,  in  March  20, 1865,  one  year ; 

substitute. 
Samuel   B.   Gardner,   must,  in  Sept.  11,  1863 ;  must. 

out  Sept.  4,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Henry   Grimes,   must,   in   Sept.  20,  1861  ;  must,  out 

Sept.  20,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Michael  Gartland,  must,  in  Sept.  27,  1861,  one  year; 

substitute;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
Henry  Gross,    trans,  to  91st  Eegt.  P.  V.  May  15, 

1864. 
Thomas  Higgins,  must,  in  March  29,  1865,  one  year ; 

substitute. 
George  Hoffman,  must,  in  March  16,  1865,  one  year; 

drafted. 
Sylvester  Hickel,  must,  in  March  23,  1865,  one  year ; 

substitute. 
Joshua  B.  Hawkins,  must,  in  Sept.  11,  1861 ;  absent, 

in  hospital,  at  muster  out ;  vet. 
Joseph  Hickel,  must,  in  Sept.   12,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Fredericksburg,  Va.,  Dec.   13,   1862  ;  must,  out 

Sept.  12,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Henry  Hunterson,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

Vet.  Pes.  Corps  March  16,  1864. 
Jacob  Hell,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ;  trans,  to  16th 

Eegt.  U.  S.  Infantry,  date  unknown. 
Peter  Huttenstine,  must  in  Sept.  22,  1864,  one  year  ; 

substitute ;  died  at  Washington,  D.  C,  Dec.  17, 

1864 ;  buried  in  Nat.  Cem.,  Arlington,  Va. 
Samuel  Haggmire,  must,  in  Sept.  11,  1861 ;  died  at 

Bull  Bun,  Va.,  Aug.  31,  1862. 
Wm.  High,  must,  in  Sept.  12, 1861 ;  vet. 
Joseph  Hinman,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ;  not  on  mus- 
ter-out roll. 

George  W.  Jacoby,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  May  27,  1865 ;  vet. 
William  Jackson,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

Co.  E  Dec.  2,  1861. 


Joseph  Jones,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  not  on  mus- 
ter-out roll ;  vet. 
Conrad  Kentz,  must,  in  Sept.  26,   1864,   one  year; 

drafted. 
Ernest  Kerzer,  must,  in  March  23,  1865,  one  year ; 

substitute. 
William  Kamer,  must,  in  March  18,  1865,  one  year ; 

substitute. 
John  Kelly,  must,  in  Sept.  16, 1861  ;  absent,  wounded, 

at  muster  out. 
Adam   Keller,   must,   in   April    12,    1864;     absent, 

wounded,  at  muster  out. 
Henry   Kauhn,   must,   in   Sept.    26,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

■     surg.  certif.  Aug.  18,  1862. 
George  King,   must,   in   Sept.    21,    1864,   one  year; 

drafted;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
Lewis  Leibecke,  must,  in  March  29,  1865,  one  year; 

substitute. 
Samuel  Levis,  must,  in  Oct.  4,  1864,  one  year ;  sub- 
stitute. 
John  Lindermouth,  must,  in  April  12,  1862  ;  trans. 

to  Vet,  Ees.  Corps,  Nov.  15,  1863. 
Samuel  D.  Longmire,  must,  in  Sept.  11,  1861;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
John  Marr,  must,  in  March  18,  1865,  one  year;  sub- 
stitute. 
William  Mafflt,  must,  in   March  29,  1865,  one  year; 

substitute ;  absent,  sick,  at  muster  out. 
Christopher  Miller,   must,   in   March   16,  1865,  one 

year;  drafted. 
Nathan  Miller,  must,  in  March  27,   1865,  one  year  ; 

substitute. 
Andrew  J.  Miller,  must,  in  March  20, 1865,  one  year ; 

substitute. 
George  Mingel,  must,  in  March  16,  1865,  one  year; 

drafted. 
Nicholas  Morris,  must,  in  March  25,  1865,  one  year ; 

substitute. 
Samuel  Morris,  must,  in  Sept.   1],  1861;  absent,  in 

hospital,  at  muster  out ;  vet. 
Emerson  Maynard,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864,  two  years; 

substitute;  disch.  by  G.  O.  July  19,  1865. 
John  Monyer,  Jr.,  must,  in  Sept.  9, 1861  ;  trans,  to 

Co.  E  Dec.  2,  1861. 
Joseph  Malison,  must,  in  Sept.  19, 1861  ;  trans,  to  Co. 

E  Dec.  2,  1861. 
Albert  Magel,  must,  in  Oct.  4,  1864,  one  year;  mis- 
sing Dec.  13,  1864. 
Samuel  Morrison,  must,  in  Sept,   16,  1861 ;    not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
John  McCullough,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1861  ;  absent  at 

muster  out. 

William  McComb,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1861 ;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.  Aug.  11,  1862. 

John  McGean,  must,  in  Sept.  27, 1864, one  year;  sub- 
stitute ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 

Watson  McNelly,  must,  in  Aug.  27,  1864,  one  year ; 
substitute;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


L>57 


Hugh  McMullen,  must,  in  Sept.  11,  1861  ;  trans,  to 

Co.  K  Feb.  6,  1864  ;  vet. 
Cornelius  MeNulty,  must,  in  Sept.  18,  1861 ;  killed  at 

Dabney's  Mill,  Va.,  Feb.  7,  1865  ;  vet. 
Charles  McGregor,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861 ;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
Henry  Owen,  must,  in  March  25, 1865,  one  year ;  sub- 
stitute. 
William  Obrien,  must,  in  Sept   14,  1861 ;  not  on  mus- 
ter-out roll. 
George  Peterman,  must,  in  Sept.  20,  1X61;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Feb.  24,  1862. 
William  Powers,  must,   in   Sept.  28,  1864,  one  year ; 

substitute  ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
Henry  Pretlove,  must,  in   March  22,  1865,  one  year; 

substitute. 
Nathaniel  Porter,  must,  in  Sept.  16,  1861. 
Albert  H.  Reppert,  must,  in  Nov.  14, 1861 ;  vet. 
Robert  Rosebaugh,  must,  in    March   16,    1865,  one 

year;  drafted. 
Christian  Risestetler,  must,  in  March  16,  1865,  one 

year;  substitute. 
Laird    Eoss,  must,   in    March   16,    1865,    one  year; 

drafted. 
Baldazer  Roger,  must,    in    April  1,  1865,  one  year ; 

substitute. 
Patrick  Roach,  must,  in  March  29,  1865,  one  year ; 

substitute. 
Henry  Reed,  must,  in  Sept.  2,   1861 ;    wounded  at 

Gettysburg  July  3,  1863;  absent  at  muster  out. 
Joel  Reifsneider.  must,  in  Sept.  12, 1861 ;  wounded  at 

Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17,  1S62  ;  must,  out  Sept. 

12,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
William   Eeif,   must,   in   Sept.    12,   1861;  must,  out 

Sept.  12,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Henry  D.  Reif,   must,  in   Sept.  12,  1861;    must,  out 

Sept.  12,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
William  Eamich,  must,  in  Sept.  12,1861;  trans,  to 

Co.  G  Feb.  6,  1864;  vet. 
Daniel  Smith,  must,  in  Sept.  20,  1861 ;  vet. 
William   H.   Smith,   must,   in   March   23,  1865,  one 

year ;  substitute. 
Samuel   Sharosky,  must,  in  March  8,  1865,  one  year ; 

substitute. 
John  Storks,  must,   in   March   22,  1865,    one  year; 

substitute. 
Adam  Sohns,  must,  in  March  29, 1865,  one  year ;  sub- 
stitute. 
Christian  Stauffer,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ;  absent  at 

muster  out ;  vet. 
Jacob  Snyder,  must,  in  Feb.  23, 1864  ;  disch.  by  G.  O. 

June  5,  1865. 
Peter  D.  Shearer,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861  ;  must,  out 

Sept.  12,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Jesse  Shelly,  must  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Nov.  22,  1862. 
Richard  W.  Side],  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Feb.  22,  1863. 
30 


Joseph  Sterney,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861  ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  April  6,  1863. 
James  Seyferd,  must,  in  Sept.  1 2,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Dec.  9,  1864;  vet. 
Frederick  Sohns,   must,   in  Sept.  8,   1864,  one  year; 

substitute ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
Adam   Sowers,  must,   in  Sept.  12,   1864,   one  year ; 

drafted  ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  13,  1865. 
David  Sneal,  must,  in  Sept.  20,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  June  21,  1862. 
Anthony  Smith,  must,  in  March  29,  1865,  one  year; 

substitute  ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  13,  1865. 
John  Shonour,  must,  in  Sept.  12, 1861 ;  trans,  to  Vet. 

Res.  Corps  Nov.  30,  1864. 
Samuel   Shuster,  must,   in  Sept.   17,   1861;    died  at 

Fairfax   Seminary,   Va.,   Aug.   22,  1862 ;  burial 

record,  at  Alexandria,  March  19,  1864 ;    grave 

1550. 
John  Seery,  must,  in  Sept.  5,  1864,  one  year  ;  died  at 

Point  Lookout,  Md.,  March  18,  1865. 
George  W.  See,  must,  in  July  12,  1862. 
Michael  Steiger. 

E.  Fenton  Shin,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  not  on  mus- 
ter-out roll. 
Charles  H.  Turner,  must,  in  Sept.  12, 1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  12,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
George  Teed,  must,   in  Sept.  12,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Vet. 

Res.  Corps  Sept.  30,  1863. 
Samuel  Vankirk,  must,  in  Sept.  14,  1861;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  March  2,  1863. 
William  H.  Vankirk,  must,  in  Sept.  14,  1861 ;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 
Francis  Walter,  must,  in  March  29,  1865,  one  year  ; 

substitute. 
George  Wartz,  must,  in  March  30,  1865,  one  year ; 

substitute. 
John  Wagenhaght,  must,  in  April  3,  1865,  one  year  : 

drafted. 
Jonathan  Wentzel,  must,  in  Sept.  18, 1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  18, 1864,  expiration  of  term. 
William  Weidiner,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Feb.  5,  1863.  • 

Samuel  Wesley,  must,  in  Sept.  18,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  18,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Noble  Waterson*  must,  in  Sept.  21,  1864,  one  year  ; 

drafted  ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
Edward  Whitehead,   must,  in  Sept.  14,  1861 ;  trans. 

to  Vet.  Res.  Corps  March  15,  1863. 
George  Whiteman,  must,  in  Sept.  23,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

Co.  E. 
James  W.  Warren,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

Co.  D  Feb.  6,  1864 ;  vet. 
John  Waterman,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861;  captured; 

died  at  Andersonville,  Ga.,  Aug.  8,  1864 ;  burial 

record,  grave  128. 
Lewis  Waterman,   must,   in   July   30,  1863 ;  died  at 

Salisbury,  N.  C,  Feb.  7,  1865. 
William  H.  Whitehead,  must,  in  Sept.  14,  1861 ;  not 

•  on  muster-out  roll. 


258 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Daniel  Yount,  must,  in  Oct.  5,  1864,  one  year ;  disch. 

by  G.  0.  June  23,  J 865. 
George  W.  Yockey,  must,  in  Sept.  30,  1864,  one  year; 

disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
Frederick  Yockey,  must,  in  Sept.  30, 1864,  one  year ; 

disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
James  Yoder,   must,   in   March   30,   1864;  killed  at 

Dabney's  Mills,  Va.,  Feb.  7,  1865. 
Gadlip   Zeller,   must,   in   March   23,  1865,  one  year ; 

substitute. 
Emanuel  Zacarius,  must,  in  Aug.  24,  1864,  one  year; 

substitute;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  15,  1865. 
George  Zeigler,  must,  in  Feb.  26,  1864 ;  disch.  by  G. 

0.  June  13,  1865. 

Captain  George  B.  Khoads  was  the  son 
of  Henry  Rhoads,  Esq.,  an  attorney  and  for  a 
time  associate  judge  of  Berks  County.  He  was 
a  native  of  Beading,  born  in  1840,  and  received 
his  education  in  the  city  schools.  He  left  the 
High  School  to  join  the  army,  but  was  rejected, 
being  under  size.  Through  the  intercession  of 
Colonel  Charles  McKnight,  however,  he  was 
accepted  as  a  private,  and  made  a  corporal  at 
"Washington,  having  enlisted  in  April,  1861,  as 
a  private  in  the  Binggold  Light  Artillery  for 
three  months.  Afterward  he  entered  the  three 
years'  service  in  the  Eighty-eighth  Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  and  was  commis- 
sioned second  lieutenant  in  Company  B.  For 
uniform  good  conduct  and  intrepidity  in  the 
field,  he  was  appointed  captain  of  Company  F, 
in  the  same  regiment.  Whilst  skirmishing  at 
White  Oak,  in  command  of  his  regiment,  he 
was  shot  and  killed  on  June  13,  1864,  aged 
only  twenty-four  years. 

Company  H. — This  compauy  was  recruited 
in  Berks  County,  and  was  mustered  out  June 
30,  1865,  except  where  otherwise  mentioned: 

David  A.  Griffith,  capt.,  must,  in  S#pt.  14, 1861 ;  pro. 

to  maj.  Sept.  1, 1862. 
F.  B.  Shalters,  Jr.,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  14,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  2d  to  1st  lieut.  May  7,  186:' ;  to  capt.  Sept. 

1,  1862 ;  wounded  at  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  Dec. 
13, 1862 ;  resigned  April  10,  1863. 

Jacob  Houder,  capt.,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861 ;  pro. 
from  priv.  to  sergt.;  to  1st  sergt.;  to  2d  lieut. 
Dec.  31,  1862;  to  capt.  Feb.  17,  1864;  killed  at 
Weldon  Eailroad,  Va.,  Aug.  19,  1864. 

Jos.  H.  Lawrence,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  11,  1861 ;  pro. 
from  priv.  to  sergt.;  to  1st  lieut.  April  9,  1864;  to 
capt.   Oct.  17,  1864  ;  absent  at  must,  out ;  vet. 

George  W.  Rapp,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  14,  1861  ; 
resigned  May  7,  1862. 


Henry  E.  Quimby,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861 ; 
pro.  from  priv.  to  sergt.;  to  1st  lieut.  Sept.  1, 
1862;  wounded  at  Antietam,  Md.  Sept.  17,  1862; 
resigned  Oct.  20,  1863. 

James  McCallicher,  1st  lieut,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 
1861 ;  pro.  from  priv.  to  sergt.;  to  1st  lieut.  Jan. 
1,  1865;  wounded  at  Five  Forks,  Va.,  April  1, 
1865 ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  May  15,  1865. 

James  C.  Pettit,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861 ; 
pro.  from  priv.  to  sergt.;  to  2d  lieut.  May  7, 1862 ; 
resigned  Dec.  31,1862. 

Jefferson  Good,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1861 ;  pro. 
from  priv.  to  sergt.;  to  1st  sergt.;  to  2d  lieut.  June 
7,  1864 ;  com.  1st  lieut.  May  16,  1865  ;  not  must.; 
vet. 

John  Witmoyer,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861  ; 
pro.  from  priv.  to  sergt.;  to  1st  sergt.  June  15, 
1865;  com.  2d  lieut.  May  16,  1865;  not  must.; 
wounded  at  Bull  Run,  Va.,  Aug.  30th,  and  Antie- 
tam, Md.  Sept.  17,  1862;  vet. 

George  W.  Hsiin,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861 ;  pro. 
to  sergt.  May  1,  1865 ;  vet. 

John  K.  Wesner,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  30, 1861 ;  pro.  to 
sergt.  May  1, 1865  ;  vet. 

Reuben  Drexel,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  pro. 
to  Corp.;  to  sergt.  June  15,  1865 ;  vet. 

Henry  J.  Rutz,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861  ;  pro. 
from  priv.;  wounded  at  Laurel  Hill,  Va.,  May  8, 
1864  ;  absent,  in  hospital,  at  must,  out ;  vet. 

Benner  Hummel,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  pro. 
from  priv.;  wounded  at  Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17, 
1862  ;  disch.,  date  unknown. 

Samuel  Husk,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  20,  1861 ;  pro. 
from  priv.;  disch.,  date  unknown. 

William  M.  Krick,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  12, 1861 ;  pro. 
to  Corp.;  to  sergt.;  wounded  at  Antietam,  Md., 
Sept.  17,  1862;  disch.,  date  unknown. 

Jonathan  Flag,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  27,1861;  trans, 
to  Vet.  Res.  Corps  Nov.  15,  1863. 

Thos.  R.  Hartman,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861 ;  pro. 
from  priv.;  died  June  6,  1865,  of  wounds  received 
in  action  ;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Arling- 
ton, Va.;  vet. 

Jas.  M.  Thompson,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  11,  1861 ; 
pro.  from  priv.;  died  Nov.  16th,  of  wounds  receiv- 
ed at  Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17,  1862. 

Isaac  Fields,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  30,1861;  pro.  to 
corp.  May  1,  1865  ;  vet. 

John  P.  Clury,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  12,  1864;  sub.; 
pro.  to  corp.  May  1,  1865. 

James  F.  Sprang,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  5,  1864  ;  one 
year ;  sub.;  pro.  to  corp.  May  1,  1865. 

James  H.  Thompson,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865, 
one  year;  drafted  ;  pro.  to  corp.  May  1, 1865. 

Peter  Heck,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865,  one  year  ; 
drafted ;  pro.  to  corp.  June  15,  1865. 

Lewis  H.  Ingram,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865,  one 
year ;  drafted ;  pro.  to  corp.  May  1,  1865. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


259 


Joseph  R.  Smith,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  May  1,  1865 ;  vet. 
John  E.  Lord,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  25, 1865,  one  year ; 

drafted ;  pro.  to  corp.  May  1,  1865. 
George    Lape,  corp.,  must,   in  Sept.  24,  1864,   one 

year;  sub.;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
Elias  D.  Kerst,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861 ;  pro.  to 

q.m.-sergt.  Feb.  28, 1865  ;  vet.      . 
Joel  E.  Krick,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  30, 1861 ;  trans,  to 

Co.  F,  date  unknown  ;  vet. 
Mayberry   Dautrich,   musician,   must,    in   Aug.    23, 

1861;  vet. 
Daniel  Kissinger,  musician,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861 ; 

wounded  at  Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17, 1862  ;  vet. 
Llewellyn  J.  Spohn,  musician,  disch.,  date  unknown. 
John  Bell,  musician,  must,  in  Oct.  2,  1861 ;  disch., 

date  unknown. 

Privates. 
Jacob   Adams,  must,  in    Feb.  25,  1865,    one  year; 

drafted. 
Benne'le  Angstadt,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865,  one  year; 

drafted. 
George  Arnold,  must,  in   Feb.  25,  1865,  one  year ; 

drafted. 
Emanuel  Abel,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  17,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
John  Albright,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861;  must,  out 

Sept.  19,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Henry  Arnold,  must,  in  March   12,  1862 ;  trans,   to 

64th  Eegt.  P.  V.  March  19,  1862. 
Daniel  Bellman,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865,  one  year; 

drafted. 
Henry  S.  Berger,  must,  in  March  20,  1865,  one  year; 

sub. 
Henry  Bridgeham,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865;  one  year; 

drafted. 
Daniel  G.  Brouse,  must,  in  March  31, 1865,  one  year; 

sub. 
John  A.  Bechtel,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861 ;  wounded 

at  Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17,  1862;  absent  at  must. 

out. 
Joseph  Brightbill,  must,  out  Feb.  24, 1865,  one  year ; 

drafted;  disch.  by  G.  O.  July  8,  1865. 
Jacob  G.  Bord,  must,  in  Aug.  31,1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.,  date  unknown. 
Eobert  Bland,  must,  in  Sept.  11,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Jan.  20,  1862. 
Daniel  Bridgeman,  must,  in   Aug.  30,   1861;  disch. 

May   14,  1865,  for  wounds  received   in   action  ; 

vet. 
William  Bixstine,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  10,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
George  Bosler,  must,  in  Feb.  26,1864;  disch.  by  G.O. 

June  14,  1865. 
Aaron  S.  Boyer,  must,  in  Aug.   30,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  March  4,  1863. 
Henry  Bosler,  must,  in  Aug.  30, 1861 ;  must,  out  Aug 

30,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 


Cyrus  Burkhart,  must,  in  Aug.  30, 1861 ;  trans,  to 

Eegt.,  date  unknown. 
John  H.  Brittain,  must,  in  Oct.  3,  1861 ;  killed  at 

Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17,  1862. 
Joseph  Becker,  must,  in  March  1,  1864 ;  died  June 

15,  1864,  of  wounds  received  in  action  ;  buried  in 

burial-grounds,  Wilderness,  Va. 
Daniel  Boyl,  must,  in  Aug.  30, 1861. 
Wm.  S.  Ball,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861. 
Geo.  A.  Bordy,  must,  in  Aug.  27,  1861. 
Adam  Clowser,  must,  in  Feb.   25,   1865,  one  year  ; 

drafted ;  absent,  sick,  at  must.  out. 
John  Carl,  must,  in  Feb.  25, 1865,  one  year  ;  drafted. 
David  Christman,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865,  one  year ; 

drafted. 
Abraham   Cox,   must,  in   Feb.   24,   1865,   one  year; 

drafted. 
Allen  Corzel,  must,  in  March  30,  1865,  one   year; 

sub. 
Wm.  Carey,  must,  in  Sept.   10,  1861 ;  prisoner  from 

Aug.  19,  1864,  to  Feb.  24,  1865 ;  disch.  by  G.  O. 

May  15,  1865. 
Henry   W.  Call,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  !K.ug.  30,  1862. 
Dennis  Dorsey,  must,  in  April  23, 1864. 
Chas.    F.  Dehm,  must,  in  Aug.   30,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Feb.  27,  1863. 
Alfred  Dautrich,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1861 ;  disch.  May 

14,  1865,  for  wounds  received  in  action  ;  vet. 
James  Debord,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861. 
Daniel  Eckert,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861. 
Harrison  Eddinger,  must.  in/Sept.  4, 1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  14,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
David  E.  Ely,  must,  in  Sept.  13, 1861 ;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 
James  Foust,  must,   in   Feb.   24,   1865,   one     year ; 

drafted. 
Eli   Fisher,   must,    in    Feb.   25,    1865,    one    year; 

drafted. 
George  Fleming,  must,  in  March  29,  1865,  one  year ; 

sub. 
Jacob  Fabian,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861 ;  disch.,    date 

unknown. 
Henry  Frill,  must,  in   Sept.  4,  1861 ;  disch.  on   surg. 

certif.,  date  unknown. 
Albert  H.  Flanders,  must,  in  Oct.  5,  1864,  one   year ; 

drafted ;  captured  March  31,  1865 ;  disch.  by  G. 

O.  May  27,  1865. 
Frederick   Ferner,  must,  in  Sept.  11,  1861 ;  killed   at 

Bull  Eun,  Va.,  Aug.  30,  1862. 
Johnson  Flack,  must,  in  Aug.  25, 1861 ;    not  on  must. 

out  roll. 
Daniel   Good,   must,  in    Feb.  25,   1865,   one    year; 

drafted. 
Gottleib  Gloak,  must,  in   Aug.  15,  1864;  sub. 
Wm.  Green,  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  May  4,  1863. 
Joel  Goodheart,  must,  in  Sept.   26,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Sept.  29,  1862. 


260 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Eeuben  Goodheart,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Sept.  26, 1861. 
Israel  K.  Gorman,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Sept.  13,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Celestine  Good,  must,  in  Sept.  4, 1861;  must,  out  Sept. 

4,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Henry  Gobert,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861. 
Samuel  Houck,  must,   in   Feb.  25,  1865,  one  year; 

drafted. 
William   Hoyer,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865,  one   year ; 

drafted. 
David  D.  Hunter,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865 ;  one  year ; 

drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  Aug.  2,  1865. 
John  H.  Hoffman,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865,  one  year ; 

drafted. 
Samuel  Hoffman,  must  in  Feb.  25,  1865,  one  year ; 

drafted. 
J.  E.  Hottenstein,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865,  one  year ; 

drafted. 
Orlando   Hoffman,   must,   in   March   28,   1865,    one 

year;  sub. 
Thomas  B.  Heiser,   must,  in  March  30,  1865,   one 

year;  sub. 
William  Hutchinson,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1861 ;  prisoner 

from  Aug.   19,  1864,  to  Feb.  22,  1865  ;  disch.  by 

G.  O.  March  31,  1865. 
William  Hafer,  must,  in  Sept.   4,  1861 ;  disch.  Dec. 

13,  1862,  for  wounds  received  in  action. 
Edward  Holt,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  May  16,  1862. 
Franklin  Heller,  must,  in  Sept.  11,  1861;  must,  oul 

Sept.  10,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
William  Hartman,  must,  in  Sept.  26,  1864,  one  year ; 

sub.;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  7,  1865. 
Joseph  Hockrine,  must,  in  Sept.  27,  1864,  one  year; 

sub.;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10, 1865. 
Carl  Henrich,  must,  in  Sept.  27, 1864,  one  year;  sub.; 

disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
James   A.  High,   must,  in   Sept.  11,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

Eegular  Army,  date  unknown. 
Henry  A.  Harbold,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861 ;  wounded 

at  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  Dec.  13,  1862 ;  trans,  to 

Vet.  Ees.  Corps  Sept.,  1863. 
John   F.  Harmon,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

Vet.  Ees.  Corps,  date  unknown. 
Charles  Hawk,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861  ;  died  Feb.  27, 

1862. 

Jas.  Hennershitz,  must,  in   Sept.   5,  1861 ;  killed  at 

Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17,  1862. 
Lewis    Humma,    must,  in   Sept.   12,   1861;    died   at 

Alexandria,  Va.,  Jan.  20, 1863,  of  wounds  received 

in  action  ;  grave  696. 
John   Hefner,  must,  in  March   22,  1864;  died  June 

17,  1864. 
Henry  E.  Hepp,  must,  in  Nov.  23,  1861. 
Julius  Hoffman,  must,  in  Dec.  7,  1861. 
Wesley   Hoffman,   must,  in  Sept.  11,   1861;  not  on 

muster-out  roll. 


Davis  K.   Irey,  must,   in   Feb.  27,  1865,    one  year; 

drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  Aug;  7,  1865. 
Carl  Kuhn,  must,  in  Oct.  25,  1864,  one  year;  sub. 
William  Keller,  must,  in    Feb.    24,  1865,  one  year; 

drafted. 
Henry  Kerper,  must,    in    Feb.   24,  1865,  one   year ; 

drafted. 
John   L.  Kupp,  must,  in   Feb.  25,  1865;  one  year; 

drafted. 
Orlando  Kooch,  rnust.  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Vet. 

Ees.  Corps  Sept.  17,  1863. 
William  Lawrence,  must,  in  Sept.  11,  1861;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  May  19,  1862. 
Henry  Lingg,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865,  one  year: 
James  Malony,  must,  in  Oct.  6,  1864,  one  year  ;  sub. 
Jacob  Miller,  must,  in  March  24, 1865,  one  year ;  sub. 
Amos    Moore,   must,   in   Feb.    25,   1865,   one  year; 

drafted. 
Edward  Moore,  must,  in  Feb.  25, 1865,  one  year;  drafted. 
Frederick  Master,  must,  in  March  27, 1865,  one  year; 

sub. 
Joseph  Myers,   must,  in   Sept.  3,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Antietam,  Sept.  17,  1862;  killed  at  Spottsylvania 

C.  H.,Va.,  May  10,  1864;  vet. 
Jacob  G.  Moore,   must,  in  Aug.  30,    1861 ;  not    on 

muster-out  roll. 
David  Miller,  must  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 
Thomas  McCombs,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  May  16,  1862. 
Alexander  McClellan,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  disch. 

by  G.  O.  June  14,  1865  ;  vet. 
David  McCallicher,  must,  in  Dec.  9,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Nov.  19,  1862. 
James  McClellan,  must,  in   March  1,  1864;  trans,  to 

Vet.  Ees^  Corps,  date  unknown. 
Hugh  McMullin,  must,  in  Sept.  12, 1861. 
Peter  Nelson,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861. 
Benjamin   Nemond,  must,   in    Feb.   25,   1865,    one 

year. 
Charles  B.  Oney,  must,  in   Sept.  22,  1864 ;  one  year ; 

sub.;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
Eest  Parker,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861 ;  vet. 
F.  E.  Potter,  must,  in  March  25,  1865,  one  year ;  sub. 
Abraham   Peter,  must,  in   Feb.  25,  1865,  one   year; 

drafted. 
Thompson  Piper,  must,  in   July   11,1864;  drafted; 

absent  at  muster  out. 
James  Peoples,  must,   in  Aug.   30,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Sept.  21,  1864. 
John  Eankin,  must,  in  April  4,  1865,  one  year ;  sub. 

Nathan  Eeimert,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865,  one  year; 
drafted. 

Moses  Eose,  must,  in  March  29,  1865,  one  year;  sub. 

William  Eoberts,  must,  in  Oct.  6,  1864,  one  year; 

drafted;  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  May  12,  1865. 
James  Eudy,  must,  in  Oct.  3,  1864,  one  year;  sub.; 

disch.  by  G.  O.  May  26,  1865. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


261 


Lewis  Eeigle,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861 ;  disch.  May  20, 

1863,  for  wds.  rec.  in  action. 
John  Rule,  must,  in  Sept.  9,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Vet.  Res. 

Corps  March  16,  1864. 
Mark  Ringler,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ;  killed  at  Bull 

Run,  Va.,  Aug.  30,  1862. 
Jonathan  Reigle,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861 ;  died  June 

26,  1864,  of  wds.  rec.  in  action;  bur.  in  Nat.  Cem., 

Arlington,  Va. 
Henry  Roth,  must,  in  Aug.  24,  1861 ;  killed  at  Peters- 
burg, Va.,  June  18,  1864;  vet. 
William  Rightmoyer,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861. 
John  D.  Richter,  must,  in  Feh.  28,  1865,  one  year. 
Henry  Rhoads,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861  ;  not  on  mus- 
ter-out roll. 
Henry  Steinbach,  must,  in  Oct.  5, 1864,  one  year ;  sub. 
William  H.  Schlipp,  must,  in  Feb.  25, 1865,  one  year; 

drafted. 
Samuel  Stanley,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865,  one  year; 

drafted. 
George  W.  Schull,  must,  in  Feb.  28, 1865,  one  year;  sub. 
Aleah  Spencer,  must,  in  March  22, 1865,  one  year;  sub. 
Frederick  Soulliard,  must,  in  March  29,  1865,  one 

year;  sub. 
John  Stern,  must,  in  March  29,  1865,  one  year;  sub. 
Timothy   Sourfous,   must,   in   March    27,   1865,   one 

year ;  sub. 
Matthias  Swavely,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1864;  disch.  by 

G.  O.  July  3,  1865. 
John  Scharff,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1864,  one  year  ;  sub. ; 

disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
Andrew  Shule,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861 ;    disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  May  6,  1862. 
John  Staunton,   must,  in   Sept.  4,   1861 ;   disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  May  16,  1862. 
Joseph  Sailor,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Dec.  2,  1862. 
William  W.  Seider,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861  ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Jan.  20,  1863. 
John  Stine,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Jan.  20,  1863. 
William  Spicker,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861 ;  disch.  Sept. 

4, 1864,  exp.  of  term. 
Joseph  Springer,  must,  in  Oct.  1,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Vet. 

Res.  Corps  Sept.  29,  1863. 
Robert  Simons,  must,  in   Aug.  30,  1861 ;  killed  at 

Gettysburg  July  1,  1863. 
Frank  Swavely,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  captured ; 

killed  at  Salisbury,  N.  C,  Jan.  12,  1865;  vet. 
Enoch  Shaw,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  captured  ;  died 

at  Salisbury,  N,  C,  Feb.  8,  1865 ;  vet. 
William  Timothy,  must,  in  Oct.  1,  1861;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Oct.  14, 1862.    . 
James  Toole,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1861. 
John  TTlrich  (1st),  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865,  one  year ; 

drafted. 
John  Ulrich  (2d),  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865,  one  year ; 

drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  July  5, 1865. 


Benhart  Umbacher,  must,  in  Sept.  25, 1864,  one  year ; 

sub. ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
Michael  Volkir,  must,  in  Sept.  9,  1864,  one  year; 

sub. ;  died  Feb.  6,  1865,  of  wds.  rec.  in  action. 
George  W.  Wireman,  must,  in  Feb.  27,  1865,  one 

year;  drafted. 
Augustus  Weikel,  must,  in  March  30,  1865,  one  year ; 

sub. 
Christian  Wonderlick,  must,  in  Sept.  30,  1864,  one 

year ;  sub. ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
Gottleib  Wise,  must,  in  Sept.  30,  1864,  one  year ; 

sub. ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  10,  1865. 
Andrew  Wilson,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1861;  disch.  on 

writ  of  habeas  corpus  Oct.  5,  1861. 
William  A.  Wise,  must,  in  March  16,  1864;  trans,  to 

Vet.  Res.  Corps  Oct.  17,  1864. 
Adam  B.  Whitman,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  died  Dec. 

18  of  wds.  rec.  at  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  Dec.  13, 1862- 
Jonathan  Wiser,  must,  in  Aug.  27,  1861 ;  died  May 

12,   1864,  of  wds.  rec.  in  action  ;  bur.  in  burial 

grounds,  Wilderness,  Va. ;  vet. 
Peter  Wolf,  must,  in  Aug.  27,  1861 ;  died  June  20, 

1864,  of  wds.  rec.  in  action  ;  bur.  record,  June  30, 

1864,  at  City  Point,  Va. 
George  Wonder,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861. 
Benjamin  Youse,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865,  one  year  ; 

drafted. 
George  D.  Youse,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1861. 

NINETY-THIRD  REGIMENT. 

The  Ninety-third  Regiment  was  organized  in 
October,  1861,  at  the  Fair-Grounds  near 
Lebanon,  Pa.  It  included  two  companies,  B  and 
G,  and  part  of  Company  K  from  Berks  County. 
In  November  it  proceeded  to  Washington,  and 
afterward  into  Virginia.  On  the  5th  of  May, 
1862,  it  participated  in  the  battle  of  Williams- 
burg. Colonel  McCarter,  of  this  regiment,  said 
in  his  official  report  among  other  things, — 

"  For  three  hours  the  answering  fire  of  the 
regiment  was  incessant,  commanding  from  its 
position  the  openings  of  two  roads,  on  either 
side  of  which  were  felled  trees  and  bushes.  At 
the  end  of  this  time  the  right  and  centre  had 
expended  forty-five  rounds  and  were  out  of 
ammunition.  The  two  companies  on  the  left — 
Company  B,  Captain  Arthur,  and  Company  G, 
Captain  Maitland — had  been  posted  by  me  in 
the  rear  of  the  Fifty -fifth,  when  the  enemy  made 
three  attempts  to  flank  them,  but  was  as  often 
driven  back.  The  firing  of  the  enemy  on  this 
flank  having  ceased,  and  these  companies  hav- 
ing still  thirty  rounds  of  unexpended  ammuni- 
tion to  the  man,  I  conducted  them  to  a  position 


202 


HISTOKY  OF  BBKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


on  our  extreme  right,  upon  which  the  fire  of  the 
enemy  was  still  hotly  kept  up. .  Here  our  silence 
for  some  minutes  had  induced  the  belief  that  wo 
had  retreated,  and  these  two  companies  had 
scarcely  been  posted  when  the  enemy  was  seen 
charging  up  the  road  at  the  distance  of  aboul 
one  hundred  yards.  One  volley  from  Company 
G,  deliberately  delivered  and  aimed  low,  checked 
his  advance,  but  he  continued  to  fire  rapidly 
and  with  fearful  effect.  At  the  end  of  thirty- 
minutes  he  had  been  repulsed  here  and  along 
the  whole  front." 

The  regiment  was  engaged  in  the  battle  oi 
Fair  Oaks  on  the  30th  of  May  following,  and 
displayed  "sterling  soldierly  qualities  on  thit 
sanguinary  field."  Captain  Maitland,  of  Com-; 
pany  G,  was  mortally  wounded.  At  the  battle 
of  Malvern  Hill,  on  July  1st,  it  occupied  the 
extreme  right  of  the  line.  It  was  in  no  engage- 
ment till  the  following  spring,  when  it  partici- 
pated in  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  and  two 
months  afterward  in  the  memorable  battle  of 
Gettysburg.  Then  it  moved  southward  with 
the  army  and  went  into  winter-quarters  at  Har- 
per's Ferry.  In  February,  1864,  three-fourths 
of  the  regiment  re-enlisted,  and  it  was  given  a 
veteran  furlough.  Returning,  it  entered  upon 
the  Wilderness  campaign  on  May  4th.  The 
first  engagement  was  on  the  Gordonsville  and 
Fredericksburg  Plank-Road,  which  continued 
for  two  days,  and  shortly  afterward  (on  12th) 
at  the  right  of  the  famous  "  Angle,"  advancing 
within  fifty  yards  of  the  rebel  works,  and  en- 
during a  destructive  fire.  In  the  progress  of 
the  army  to  the  James  River,  the  regiment  par- 
ticipated in  fierce  fighting,  losing  men  almost 
daily.  From  May  4th  to  June  12th  it  marched 
three  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  twenty-six 
marches  being  in  the  night,  and  fought  in  eight 
distinct  battles.  It  reached  the  front  of  Peters- 
burg on  June  15th.  In  July  it  was  taken  to 
Washington  to  defend  the  capitol,  and  it 
arrived  just  in  time  to  drive  back  Early's  skir- 
mishers. On  July  17th  it  was  engaged  in  a  sharp 
battle;  then  it  pursued  the  enemy  into  Virginia, 
and  had  an  engagement  on  September  13th, 
Dear  Opequan  Creek,  and  on  September  19th, 
at  Winchester.  By  October,  Company  G  had 
become  so  much  reduced  that  a  new  company 


had  to  be  formed  with  recruits,  and  placed  un- 
der command  of  Captain  Kuhn.  On  October 
19th  it  was  engaged  in  battle  at  Cedar  Creek, 
when  the  Union  army  was  driven  back  four 
miles.  But  General  Sheridan  rallied  the  troops 
and  routed  the  enemy.  On  October  28th  most 
of  the  men  re-enlisted.  In  November,  for  a 
time,  it  performed  duty  at  Philadelphia,  and  in 
December  it  returned  to  the  front  of  Petersburg, 
where  it  went  into  winter-quarters.  On  March 
25,  1865,  the  brigade  advanced,  but  finding  the 
enemy  too  strong,  withdrew,  after  enduring  a 
severe  fire.  Early  on  April  2d  the  regiment 
charged  the  enemy's  works  and  carried  them  af- 
ter an  obstinate  struggle,  planting  its  colors  first 
on  the  ramparts.  On  April  6th  it  participated 
in  the  battle  of  Sailor's  Creek.  After  the  sur- 
render of  Lee,  on  the  9th,  it  marched  to  Dan- 
ville to  co-operate  with  Sherman  for  the  defeat 
of  Johnston.  It  remained  in  camp  at  this  place 
for  several  weeks,  and  then  proceeded  to  Wash- 
ington via  Richmond,  where  it  was  mustered  out 
of  service  on  June  27,  1865. 

Colonel  David  C.  Keller  is  the  grand- 
son of  Conrad  Keller,  who  was  an  early  resident 
of  Berks  County.  Among  the  children  of  Con- 
rad Keller  was  John  Keller,  born  in  the  coun- 
ty named  and  by  occupation  a  tailor,  serving 
also  at  times  as  school-teacher  and  musician. 
He  married  Esther  Clonser,  daughter  of  Wil- 
liam Clouser,  of  the  same  county,  and  left  the 
following  surviving  children :  William  O,  Sa- 
rah (Mrs.  William  Yous),  Daniel  C,  Caroline 
(Mrs.  Alfred  Brombach),  David  O,  Samuel  C, 
Jeremiah  C.  and  Jacob  C. 

David  C.  Keller  was  born  on  July  25,  1839, 
in  Rockland  township,  Berks  County,  and  re- 
mained during  his  boyhood  on  the  farm  of  his 
father,  meanwhile  pursuing  his  studies  at  the 
public  school.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  years 
he  removed  to  Danville,  Montour  County,  Pa., 
for  the  purpose  of  learning  the  miller's  trade. 
He  spent  two  years  at  this  business  and  then  re- 
turned to  Berks  County,  locating  at  Friedens- 
burg,  Oley  township,  as  a  clerk  and  remaining 
thus  employed  for  three  years.  The  firing  upon 
Fort  Sumter  by  the  rebels  aroused  his  patriotic 
zeal,  and  he  then  enlisted  in  Company  C,  Seventh 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers.     He  was 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


263 


mustered  into  service  April  22,  1861,  for  three 
months  and  served  for  the  entire  period.  He 
re-enlisted  on  October  21,  1861,  as  first  lieuten- 
ant of  Company  K,  Ninety-third  Regiment, 
and  on  November  8,  1862,  was  promoted  to 
captain.  November  23,  1864,  he  was  commis- 
sioned as  major.  He  was  brevetted  lieutenant- 
colonel  August  1,  1864,  for  distinguished  ser- 
vices in  the  campaign  before  Richmond,  Va., 
receiving  his  commission  from  the  Governor  of 


September  1,  1862;  Antietam,  September  17, 
1862,  where  his  regiment  was  transferred  to  the 
Third  Brigade,  Third  Division,  Sixth  Corps ; 
Fredericksburg,  Va.,  December  11  to  15, 
1862;  Marye's  Heights,  May  3,  1863;  Salem 
Heights,  May  4,  1863;  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July 
2,  1863,  where  he  was  wounded.  Here-enlisted 
February  7,  1864,  and  his  regiment  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Second  Division,  Sixth  Corps, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  the  Wil- 


Pennsylvania  on  December  18th  following. 
He  was  brevetted  colonel  on  April  2,  1865, 
for  gallant  and  meritorious  service  in  the  assault 
before  Petersburg.  He  was  assigned  to  the 
Second  Brigade,  Second  Division,  Fourth  Corps 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  Peninsular  campaign. 
He  participated  in  the  following  engagements  : 
Siege  of  Yorktown,  April  15  to  May  4,  1862; 
Williamsburg,  Va.,  May  5,  1862;  ChLckahom- 
iny  River,  Bottoms  Bridge,  May  20  to  23, 
1862;  battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  May  31,  1862, 
where  he  was  twice  wounded;  Chancellorsville, 


derness,  Va.,  May  5  to  7,  1864;  Spottsylvania 
Court-House,  May  8  to  12,  1864,  where  he 
was  twice  wounded;  Opequan,  September  19, 
1864;  Fisher's  Hill,  September  22,  1864; 
Cedar  Creek,  October  19,  1864,  where  he  was 
again  wounded ;  Hatcher's  Run,  February  5  to 
7,  1865;  Fort  Fisher,  March  25,  1865,  where 
he  received  another  wound  and  was  subsequently 
transferred  to  the  command  of  the  Ninety- 
eighth  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  at 
Danville,  Va.  He  participated  in  the  grand 
review  at  Washington,  D.  C,  June,  1865,  and 


264 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


was  mustered  out  June  27,  1865.  Colonel  Kel- 
ler then  returned  to  Reading,  where  he  has  since 
resided. 

He  is  in  politics  an  active  Republican.  He 
was  for  four  years  a  member  of  the  Common 
Council  of  Reading  and  is  now  serving  his 
second  term  as  county  commissioner.  He  was 
appointed  by  Governor  Hartranft  inspector- 
general,  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant  colonel,  on 
the  staff  of  Major-General  William  J.  Bolton, 
Second  Division  National  Guards  Pennsylvania. 
He  is  a  director  of  several  building  associations 
and  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public, having  formerly  been  commajader  of 
General  Keim  Post,  No.  76.  He  is  a  member 
of  Teutonia  Lodge,  F.  and  A.  M.,  No.  365,  of 
Excelsior  Chapter,  No.  237,  and  of  the  Reading 
Commandery.  Colonel  Keller  was  married  to 
Rosa,  daughter  of  Conrad  Krebs,  of  Reading, 
on  June  21,  1865.  They  had  six  children,,  only 
one  son  surviving, — Daniel  Franklin,  born  May 
5,  1872,  in  Reading. 

Company  B. — This  company  was  recruited 
in  Berks  County,  and  was  mustered  out  June 
27,  1865,  except  where  otherwise  mentioned^ 

John    E.   Arthur,  capt.,   must,    in    Oct.    12,    1861 ; 

pro.  to  lieut-col.  Sept.  1,  1862. 
John  Fritz,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  18,  1861 ;  pro.  from 

sergt.   to  capt.    July   8,   1862;   disch.   on    surg. 

certif.  March  3,  1863 ;  re-must,  as  capt.  Sept.  4, 

1863 ;  wounded  and  captured  at  Fair  Oaks,  Va., 

May  31,  1862 ;  wounded  at  Wilderness,  May   5 

and  9,  1864;  and  atSpottsylvania,  May  12,  1864; 

pro.  to  maj.  Jan.  23,  1865. 
Levi  Weise,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  18,  1861  ;   pro.  to 

corp.  Sept.  22, 1861  ;  to  sergt.  June  15, 1862 ;  to 

1st  sergt.  July  1,  1862;  to  sergt-maj.  July  1,1864; 

to   1st  lieut.   Oct.   22,   1864;   to   capt.  Jan.   23, 

1865. 
Gideon  S.  Kinsey,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ; 

resigned  July  1,  1862. 
Harrison  J.  Penrose,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Oct.  12, 1861; 

pro.  lo  1st  lieut.  July  1,  1862;  resigned  Sept.  23, 

1865. 
Daniel  H.  Pyle,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Oct.  12, 1861 ;  pro. 

from  corp.  to  sergt.  July   1,   1862 ;  to  1st  sergt. 

July  1,  1864;  lo  1st  lieut,  Feb.  3,  1865 ;  veteran. 
Darius  G.  Rhodes,  2d  lieut,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861  ; 

disch.  July  8,  1862. 
William  H.  Riland,  2d  lieut.  must,  in  Ocl.  12,  1861 ; 

pro.  to  sergt.  Sept.  13,  1861 ;  to  2d  lieut.  Jan.  10, 

1862;  wounded  and  prisoner  at  Charlestown,  Va., 

Aug.  21,  1864;  disch.  May  13,  1865. 


Nathaniel  Shirey,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861; 

pro.   to    corp.    Oct.  18,  1862;  to  sergt.  April  6, 
1864;  1st  sergt.  Feb-  3,  1865;  wounded  at  Chan- 

cellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863;  veteran. 
Peter  Cullen,  sergt.,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  pro.  to 

corp.    April   6,    1864;    to    sergt.  Oct.    27,  1864; 

veteran. 
Ezra  J.    Boughter,    sergt.,    must,  in    Oct.  12,  1861 ; 

wounded  at  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,1862;  pro. 

to  corp.  Aug.  31,  1864;  to  sergt.  Oct.  27,  1864. 
Harrison  Weand,  sergt.,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.   Sept.  1,  1864;  to  sergt.    Jan.  1,    1865; 

veteran. 
Augustus  Solomon,  sergt.,   must,    in    Jan.    1,    1864; 

pro.  to  corp.  Oct.  27,  1864;  to  sergt.  Feb.  3, 1865  ; 

veteran. 
George    W.   Bard,   sergt.,   must,   in    Oct.   12,   1861 ; 

must,  out  Oct.  27,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Allen  Gilbert,  sergt,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  wounded 

at  Opequan,  Va.,  Sept.  19,  1864;  must,  out  Oct 

27,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
John  W.  Rhodes,  sergt.,  must,  in  Oct.  13,  1861 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 
Charles  W.  Fotheroh,  sergt.,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ; 

died  May  9th  of  wounds  received  at  Chancellors- 

ville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
Charles  Hoppe,  sergt,  must,  in  Nov.  4,  1861 ;  died 

Dec.  1st  of  wounds  received  at  Charlestown,  Va., 

Aug.  21,  1864 ;  veteran. 
William  Homus,  corp.,  must,  in  March  3, 1864;  pro.  to 

corp.  Oct.  27,  1864;  veteran. 
Henry  Kline,  corp.,  must,  in  Jan.  1,  1864;  wounded 

at  Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5,  1864;  pro.  to  corp. 

Nov.  1,  1864 ;  veteran. 
John  B.  Reigner,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  Nov.  1,  1864  ;  veteran. 
John  W.  Smith,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861;  pro.  to 

corp.  Nov.  1, 1864;  veteran. 
William   H.   Weise,  corp.,   must,  in  Oct.    12,  1861; 

wounded  at  Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5,  1864;  pro.  to 

corp.  Nov.  15,  1864;  veteran. 
John   Stoner,   corp.,  must,  in  Jan.  1,  1864;  pro.  to 

corp.  Jan.  1,  1865 ;  veteran. 
Aaron  Weand,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  12, 1861  ;  wounded 

at  Chancellorsville,  May  3,  1863,  and  at  Wilder- 
ness, Va.,  May  5, 1864  ;  pro.  to  corp.  Jan.  23, 1865  ; 

veteran. 
Charles  Baker,  corp.,  must,  in  Jan.  1,  1864;  pro.  to 

cotp.  Feb.  3,  1865  ;  veteran. 
Matthew    Crillman,    corp.,    must  in  Oct,  12,  1861; 

wounded  at  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  Dec.  14,  1863. 
Henry  A.  Hauck,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  12, 1861 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  June  16,  1862. 
Henry  D.  Markley,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.  Sept.  25,  1862. 
John  W.  Seiders,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  Nov.  12,  1862. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


265 


Simon  H.  Foreman,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  12,   1861 ; 

must,  out  Oct.  27,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
John  H.  Kintser,  Corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  must. 

out  Oct.  27,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Mab'y  E.  Willman,  corp.,  must,  in   Oct.  12,  1861; 

must,  out  Oct.  27,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Mahlon  E.  Weidner,  corp.,  must,   in  Oct.  12,  1861 ; 

wounded  at  Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5,  1864 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  Jan.  27,  1865;  veteran. 
John  W.  Corkery,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  died 

June  22,  1862. 
Henry  A.  Lotz,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  died 

Aug.  16th  of  wounds  received  at  Fair  Oaks,  Va., 

May  31,  1862. 
James  Bell,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  killed  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
Charles   Hornberger,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861; 

killed    at  Spottsylvania    C.  H.    May  12,  1864; 

veteran. 
William  Vogt,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861  ;  killed  at 

Wilderness,  Va.,  May  6,  1864  ;  veteran. 
William  H.  Clouse,  musician,  must,  in  Oct.  12, 1861  ; 

must,  out  Oct.  27,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
William  H.  Raser,  musician,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.  Aug.  27,  1862. 

Privates. 

William  Axe,  must,  in  Feb.  18,  1864. 

Fra's  R.  Alexander,   must,   in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 
Isaac  Albright,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  died  Aug.  4, 

1862 ;  buried  at  Cypress  Hill  Cemetery,  L.  I. 
Cyrus  Burkhart,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5,  1864;  veteran. 
Nathan  Burkholder,  must,  in  March  4, 1864;  wounded 

at  Petersburg,  Va.,  Juue  19, 1864. 
David  Bennethum,  must,  in  Feb.  27,  1864;  wounded 

at  Wilderness,  Va.,  May  6,  1864. 
John  A.  Baldwin,  must,  in  Nov.  30,  1864,  one  year; 

substitute ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  July  10,  1865. 
George  S.  Baldwin,  must,  in  Nov.  12,  1861,  one  year  ; 

drafted ;  wounded  at  Petersburg,  Va.,  March  25, 

1865. 
Henry  A.  Babb,  must,  in  Nov.  4,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  June  20,  1862. 
Joseph  A.  Boggs,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Dec.  31,  1863. 
Jacob   Beck,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861;  killed  at  Fair 

Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862. 
Henry  Boyer,  must,  in  Feb.  18,  1864 ;  died  of  wound 

received  at  Charlestown,  Va.,  Aug.  21,  1864. 
John  Curren,  must,  in  Dec.  3,  1864,  one  year;  sub- 
stitute ;  absent,  sick  at  muster  out. 
George  W.  Daniels,  must,  in  March  10,  1864. 
Levi  Dehart,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861. 
Nathan  Deirolf,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Fair  Oaks,  May  31,  1862,  and  at  Wilderness,  Va., 

May  5,  1864 ;  veteran. 
31 


Thomas  J.  Deirolf,  must,  in  Dec.  12,  1861 ;  wounded 

at  Fair  Oaks,  May  31,  1862,  and  at  Petersburg, 

Va.,  April  2,  1865;  veteran. 
Reuben  Dyre,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  veteran. 
Joseph  F.  Dunn,  must,  in  Nov.  12,  1861 ;  disch.  Sept. 

6,  1862. 
Levi  Dehart,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  disch.,  date  un- 
known. 
Davilla  S.   Daniels,  must,  in  Nov.  12,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

Western  gun-boat  service  Feb.  17, 1862. 
S.  Dunkelberger,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  died  Nov.  7, 

1861. 
Cyrus  Ebbling,  must,  in  March  7,  1864;  wounded  at 

Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5,  1864. 
John  Ellwanger,  must,  in  Feb.  17,  1864;  wounded  at 

Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5,  1864. 
John  Ellwanger,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862;  disch.  by  G.  O. 

July  29,  1862. 
Christian  Ellwanger,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1864. 
Jacob  Fox,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  veteran. 
Henry  R.  Fisher,  must,  in  Oct.  18,  1861 ;  veteran. 
Samuel  R.  Fisher,  must,  in  Nov.  4,  1861 ;  wounded 

at  Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5,  1864 ;  vet. 
Charles  Foreman,  must,  in   Jan.  1,    1864;  wounded 

at   Spottsylvania    C.  H.,    Va.,    May   12,    1864; 

veteran. 
Benjamin    F.    Filbert,   must,    in   March    10,    1864; 

wounded  at  Wilderness  May  5th,  at  Cedar  Creek, 

Va.,  Oct.  19,  1864. 
Tobias  Fritz,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  July  20,  1862. 
Mahlon  A.  Francis,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Oct.  27,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Benjamin  F.  Filbert,  must,  in  Oct.  30,  1861 ;  disch., 

date  unknown. 
Jacob  Gilbert,  must,  in  March  7,  1864. 
Jacob  Green,  must,  in  Oct.  3, 1864,  one  year;  drafted. 
John  Gage,  must,  in  Dec.  3,  1864;  substitute;   disch. 

by  G.  O.  July  11,  1865. 
Winfield  S.  Grove,  must,  in  Feb.  19,  1864;  wounded 

at  Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5,  1864;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  June  15,  1865. 
William  Guss,  must,  in  Jan.  1,  1864 ;  killed  in  action 

Aug.  12,  1864;  vet. 
A.  Himmelberger,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;    wounded 

at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863 ;  vet. 
Albin   Hawk,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;    wounded  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863 ;  vet. 
Samuel  Hetrick,  must,  in  Feb.  26,  1864. 
Charles  Harman,  must,  in  Jan.  1,  1864 ;  vet. 
William  Harbach,  must,  in  March  8,  1864;  vet. 
Isaac  Hornberger,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1864 ;   wounded 

at  Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5,  1864. 
John  Hartman,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;    disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Aug.  6, 1862. 
Joseph  Helder,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  must,  out  Oct. 

27,  1864,   expiration  of  term. 


266 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Maximillian  Hartman,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  disch. 

by  G.  O.  Nov.  5,  1862. 
John  H.  Harner,  must,  in  Oct.  27,  1861 ;    died  June 

8th  of  wounds  received  at  Fair  Oaks.,  Va.,  May 

31,1862. 
Francis  R.  Heller,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  died  June 

8th  of  wounds  received  at  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May 

31,  1862. 
John  Irvin,  must,  in  Dec.  6,  1864,  one  year;   substi- 
tute. 
Charles  W.  Ives,  must,  in  Nov.  12,  1864,  one  year, 

drafted ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  16,  1865. 
Samuel  Johnston,  must,  in  Aug.  6,  1864 ;  substitute. 
Elias  Klinger,  must,  in  Feb.  6,  1865,  one  year. 
Effinger  Kern,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  disch.  Sept.  6, 

1862. 
Peter  Knecht,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  disch.  by  S.  O. 

Nov.  10,  1862. 
Harrison  Kline,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  disch.  Feb. 

20,  1863. 
Henry  Karsnitz,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Wilderness  May  5,  1864,  and  at  Petersburg,  Va., 

March  25,  1865;  disch.  June  24,  1865;  vet. 
Manden  L.  Kline,  must,  in  Feb.  22,  1864 ;  died  Sept. 

18,  1864. 
Jonathan  T.  Knoll,  must,  in  Feb.  26,  1864 ;    died  of 

wounds  received  at  Wilderness,  Va.,  May  6,  1864. 
Daniel  Leinieger,  must,  in  Feb.  22,  1864;  wounded  at 

Petersburg,  Va.,  June  18,  1864. 
James  Lessig,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  disch.  by  G.  O. 

Nov.  5,  1862. 
William  H.  H.  Lacey,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;   disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  June  13,  1862. 
John  L.  Leininger,  must,  in  Feb.  24,  1864 ;  wounded 

at  Charlestown,  Va.,  Aug.  21,  1864 ;   disch.  May 

1,  1865. 
Washington  Leffan,  must,  in  Feb.  19,  1864;   missing 

in  action  at  Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5,  1864. 
Joseph  H.  Miller,  must,  in  March  14,  1864 ;  vet. 
Elias  Minnich,  must,  in  Feb.  6,  1865,  one  year. 
Charles  H.  Markley,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;   disch. 

Nov.  19,  1861. 

Samuel  R.  Markley,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  disch. 
Sept.  15,  1862. 

Solomon  Mathew,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  trans,  to 
Co.  A  Jan.  1,  1864;  vet. 

James  Morris,  must,  in  Dec.  2,  1863  ;  disch.  by  G.  0. 
July  11, 1865. 

William  Murray,  must,  in  Oct.  9, 1864,  one  year ;  not 
accounted  for. 

John  Milton,  must,  in  Oct.  12, 1861 ;  killed  at  Charles- 
town,  Va.,  Aug.  21,  1864 ;  vet. 

Samuel  McMachin,  must,  in  Dec.  1,  1864;  substitute. 

James  McCall,  must,  in  Dec.  2,  1864,  one  year ;  sub- 
stitute. 

Jacob  Near,  must,  in  Feb.  26, 1864 ;  wounded  at  Wil- 
derness, Va.,  May  5, 1864 ;  vet. 


William  Obyle,  must,  in  Oct.  12,1861 ;  killed  at  Wil- 
derness, Va.,  May  5,  1864;  buried  in  Wilderness 

burial-grounds;  vet. 
John  Painter,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861. 
John  Pifer,  must,  in  Jan.  1,  1864;  in  hospital  at  mus- 
ter out ;  vet. 
Henry  Presser,  must,  in  Feb.  24, 1864 ;  disch.  by  G.  0. 

June  27,  1865. 
Samuel  Quimby,  must,  in  Jan.  1,  1864. 
Kitson   Robinson,  must,  in  Nov.  29,  1864,  one  year ; 

substitute. 
Abraham  Ritter,  must,  in  Oct.  18,  1861 ;    must,  out 

Oct.  27,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Anthony  Rhoads,  must,  in  Oct.  27,  1861 ;   disch.  by 

G.  O.  Nov.  5,  1862. 
Frank  Rissmiller,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  disch.  by 

G.  O.  Nov.  5,  1862. 
Benneville  P.  Ruth,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  killed  at 

Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862. 
John  S.  Redcay,  must,  in  Nov.  12,  1861;   killed  at 

Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862. 
John  G.  Rhoads,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1864  ;    died  Aug. 

5th,  of  wounds  received  at  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May 

31, 1862. 
James  Swayer,  must,  in  March  7,  1864. 
Adam  Snyder,  must,  in  Jan.  1, 1864 ;  wounded  at  Wil- 
derness, Va.,  May  5,  1864. 
James  Strickler,  must,  in  March  7, 1864 ;  wounded  at 

Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5,  1864. 
Richard  Stoudt,  must,  in  Feb.  26,  1864. 
William  Shirey,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1864. 
John  F.  Stump,  must,  in  March  3,  1864;  vet. 
Joseph  Sattlezame,  must,  in  Sept.  26,  1864 ;  wounded 

at  Cedar  Creek  Oct.  19,  1864,  and  at  Petersburg, 

Va.,  April  2,  1865. 
James  M.  Stomm,  must,  in  Feb.  9,  1865,  one  year. 
George  W.  Shirey,  must,  in  Feb.  22,  1864 ;    wounded 

at  Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5,  1864. 
John  W.  Smith,  must,  in   Oct.  12,  1861 ;    disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  March  10,  1862. 
George  Shartle,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Fair  Oaks  May  31,  1862;  disch.  on  surg.  certif. 

Aug.  6,  1862. 
E.  M.  Snodgrass,  must,  in  Oct.  12, 1861 ;  disch.  Aug. 

16,  1862. 
John  S.  Schroeder,  must,  in  Oct.  12, 1861 ;  disch.  Sept. 

29, 1862. 
Mahlon  Shaaber,  must,  in  Oct.  27,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862 ;    disch.  Sept.  30, 

1862. 
John  W.  Sallada,  must,  in  Oct.  12, 1861 ;    disch.  by 

S.  O.  Nov.  10, 1862. 
Isaac  M.  Schade,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  disch.  by 

S.  O.  Feb.  12,  1864. 
Henry  Swayer,  must,  in  Feb.  19,  1864  ;  wounded  at 

Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5, 1864 ;  disch.  by  S.  O.  Oct. 

25,  1864. 
Anthony  Seiders,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;    must,  out 

Oct.  27, 1864,  expiration  of  term. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


267 


Jacob  Swayer,  must,  in  March  7,  1864 ;   disch.  May 

31,  1865. 
E.  W.  S.  Stambach,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  wounded 

at  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862  ;  pro.  to  sergt.- 

maj.  Jan.  1,  1863. 
Henry  Seachrist,  must,  in  Oct.  27, 1861 ;  trans,  to  Co. 

A  Jan.  1,  1864. 
Peter  Strohm,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  died  June  10, 

1862;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Seven  Pines, 

Va.,  section  D,  lot  170. 
Gardiner  Sheldon,  must,  in  Dec  3,  1864,  one   year; 

substitute ;  died  April  21,  1865 ;   buried  at  City 

Point,  Va. 
Benjamin  Strouse,  must,  in   Jan.  1,  1864;    died   of 

wounds  received  at  Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5, 1864; 

vet. 
John  Sellers,  must,  in  March  7,  1864 ;  missing  in  ac- 
tion at  Wilderness  May  5,  1864. 
John  Sullivan,  must,  in  Oct.  19,  1864,  one  year;  not 

accounted  for. 
William  G.  Trexler,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  wounded 

at  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  July  5,  1862. 
James  E.  Teed,  must,  in  Oct.  12, 1861  ;  trans,  to  116th 

P.  V.  Regt.,  date  unknown. 
Augustus.  Uhlman,  must,  in  Oct.  27,  1862 ;  wounded 

at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863  ;    trans,  to 

Vet.  Res.  Corps  Nov.  1,  1863 ;    disch.  by  G.  0. 

Sept.  4,  1865. 
Thomas  H.  West,  must,  in  Feb.  26,  1864. 
Aaron  Webster,  must,  in  Nov.  12,  1864,  one  year ; 

drafted. 
Frank  B.  Wilson,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  must,  out 

Oct.  27, 1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Franklin  Weand,  must,  in   Oct.  12,  1861 ;   wounded 

at  Wilderness  May  5,  1864 ;  disch.  Feb.  27, 1865; 

vet. 
William  H.  Worley,  must,  in  Nov.  9,  1861 ;  disch.  by 

G.  O.  Nov.  5,  1862. 
Hiram   Yocum,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  wounded  al 

Fisher's  Hill,  Va.,  Sept.  22,  1864 ;  vet. 
Heisinger  Yocum,  must,  in  Feb.  13,  1864. 
Henry  Yontz,  must,  in  Feb.  9,  1865,  one  year. 
W.  D.  Yocum,  must,  in  March  7, 1864  ;  died  at  An- 

dersonville,  Ga.,  July  22,  1864 ;  grave  No.  3799. 
David  Zimmerly,  must,  in  March  12,  1864. 
John  Zimmerman,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861  ;  killed  at 

Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862. 
J.  P.  Zechman,  must,  in   Oct.  12,  1861 ;    missing  at 

Wilderness,  Va.,  May  6,  1864 ;  vet. 

Colonel  John  E.  Aethuk. — John  Arthur, 
the  father  of  Colonel  John  E.  Arthur,  was  of 
worthy  Scotch-Irish  ancestry.  He  emigrated 
from  county  of  Tyrone,  North  Ireland,  to 
America  in  1810,  and  engaged  in  the  profes- 
sion of  teaching  in  Chester  County,  Pa.  He 
was  married,  in  1813,  to  Rebecca  Parker,  who 


was  of  English  descent.  They  soon  after 
moved  to  Lycoming  County,  Pa.,  and  he  there 
continued  his  chosen  occupation  until  his  death, 
in  1830.  Mrs.  Arthur  survived  her  husband 
forty-eight  years,  and  died  in  1878,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  ninety-two  years.  The  subject 
of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Muncy  Creek  town- 
ship, Lycoming  County,  April  25,  1826  ;  at- 
tended the  public  schools,  and  then  was 
apprenticed  to  learn  the  blacksmith's  trade.  He 
came  to  Reading  when  nineteen  years  old  and 
secured  employment  as  an  apprentice  at  black- 
smithing  in  the  Reading  Railroad  shops.  When 
the  war  began  between  United  States  and  Mex- 
ico, he  enlisted  in  Captain  Thomas  Leoser's 
company,  at  Reading ;  went  with  it  to  Phila- 
delphia ;  was  transferred  by  railway  to  Cham- 
bersburg;  marched  from  thence  to  Pittsburgh, 
the  place  of  rendezvous,  where  they  were  as- 
signed to  the  Second  Regiment  of  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers,  and  were  taken  down  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  Rivers  on  steamboats.  This  regi- 
ment joined  General  Scott's  army  at  his  place 
of  rendezvous,  on  the  Island  of  Lobos,  in 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  With  his  regiment,  he 
participated  in  the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz,  and 
after  its  surrender  joined  the  triumphant  march 
of  General  Scott's  army  to  the  city  of  Mexico ; 
on  the  way  he  took  part  in  the  battle  at 
the  mountain  pass  of  Cerro  Gordo,  and  was 
garrisoned  for  a  time  at  the  city  of  Jalapa, 
to  keep  the  road  open  to  furnish  supplies  for 
the  army  above.  He  joined  the  army  again 
at  the  city  of  Pueblo;  assisted  in  storming 
the  fortress  of  Chapultepec,  two  miles  from 
the  city  of  Mexico,  and  at  the  Belen  Gate,  one 
of  the  entrance-ways  to  the  city,  he  was 
wounded  in  three  places  by  pieces  of  a  rifle, 
shattered  by  a  cannon-ball.  There  were  five 
men  near  him  killed  at  the  same  instant. 
After  the  capture  of  the  city  he  remained  there 
six  months  in  the  hospital,  during  which  time 
his  wounds  were  dressed  by  a  Mexican  surgeon. 
He  returned  to  Reading  with  his  company 
after  an  absence  of  one  and  a  half  years.  Of 
this  company,  twenty  of  its  members  are  living 
in  1886.  In  1854  he  became  assistant  foreman 
of  the  blacksmith  department  of  the  Philadel- 
phia and  Reading  Railroad  Company's  shops. 


268 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  in  1861, 
he  recruited  Company  B,  of  the  Ninety-third 
Regiment  of  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  which 
was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and 
he  participated  with  it  in  the  siege  of  York- 
town,  battles  of  Williamsburg  and  Fair  Oaks, 
and  in  the  terrible  fighting  for  seven  days  before 
Richmond.  All  of  these  were  memorable  en- 
gagements in  the  Peninsula  campaign  of  1862. 

At  the    battle  of  Fair  Oaks  he  was  corn- 


He  then  returned  home,  recuperated  his 
health,  and  in  1863  became  foreman  of  the 
blacksmith  department  of  the  railroad  shops  at 
Reading.  During  the  second  Confederate  in- 
vasion of  Pennsylvania  he  recruited  a  company 
for  the  emergency,  composed  of  prominent 
business  men  of  Reading.  This  company  -was 
assigned  to  the  Forty-second  Regiment  of  Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers,  of  which  he  was  chosen 
lieutenant-colonel.    After  a  term  of  about  three 


s^p^z  3, 


mended  for  his  coolness  and  bravery  by  his 
brigade  commander,  General  Peck,  after  which 
event  for  several  months  he  had  command  of 
the  regiment,  and  in  July,  1862,  was  promoted 
to  lieutenant-colonel.  Later  in  the  year  1862 
he  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Chantilly  and 
was  present  at  the  battle  of  Antietam.  After 
about  two  years'  service,  owing  to  physical  de- 
bility, caused  from  a  chronic  disease,  contracted 
in  Mexico,  he  was  discharged  from  the  service 
on  a  surgeon's  certificate. 


months'  service,  he  again  resumed  his  duties  at 
the  railroad  shops,  in  which  position  he  ren- 
dered  very  efficient  service  for  several  years. 

In  1870  Colonel  Arthur  was  chosen  city  treas- 
urer for  the  term  of  two  years.  At  the  next  elec- 
tion he  received  the  unanimous  nomination  of 
both  political  parties,  and  owing  to  fidelity  of 
purpose  and  integrity  of  management  of  the 
finances  of  the  city,  was  re-elected  six  success- 
ive times,  serving  in  all  fourteen  consecutive 
years.     He  retired  from  that  position  in  1885. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


269 


On  May  3,  1851,  Colonel  Arthur  was  mar- 
ried to  Rebecca  P.  Moyer,  daughter  of  Amos 
Moyer,  of  Reading.  Their  children  are  Mary, 
married  to  John  H.  Keppelman,  of  Reading  ; 
Frank  M.,  draughtsman  for  the  Lehigh  Valley 
Railroad  Company,  at  Easton ;  Amos  A.,  a 
Methodist  clergyman,  stationed  at  Port  Clin- 
ton, Schuylkill  County;  John  E.,  a  practical 
machinist ;  and  Emily. 

Company  G. — This  company  was  recruited 
at  Reading : 

Alex.  C.  Maitland,  capt.,  must  in  Oct.  26,  1861 ;  died 
of  wounds  received  at  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31, 
1862. 

Marshall  M.  Carter,  capt.,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Charles  Sipple,  capt.,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861 ;  wound- 
ed at  Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5,  1864. 

John  B.  Kuhn,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one 
year ;  wounded  at  Petersburg,  Va.,  April  2,  1865. 

A.  F.  Kuhn,  1st  lieut. 

Wm.  A.  Ruddack,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Oct.  26, 1861. 
P.  I.    Woomer,    1st  lieut.,  must,  in   Oct.   26,  1861; 

wounded  at  Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5,  1864. 
Wm.   Oldfield,  2d    lieut.,   must,    in   Oct.   26,   1861; 

wounded  at  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862. 
Wm.  Kale,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Oct.  12, 1861. 

B.  D.  Zimmerman,  2d  lieut.,  wounded  at  Petersburg, 

Va.,  March  25,  1865. 
Geo.  Leedom,   1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861 ; 

missing  in  action  at  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31, 

1862. 
Peter  Rusk,  sergt.,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861 ;  wounded 

at  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862. 
Michael  Hawk,  sergt.,  must,  in  Nov.  24,  1861. 
Geo.  Keehn,  sergt.,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 
John  M.  Norgan,  sergt.,  must.'  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 
Albert  Wolfinger,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 
John  Milton,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  wounded 

at  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862. 
Wm.  Vogt,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861. 
Isaac  Blasnet,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,1864,  one  year. 
Peter  Ankney,  corp.,  must,    in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one 

year;  died  May  26,  1865;  buried  in  Nat.  Cem., 

Loudon  Park,  Baltimore,  Md. 
William  Davis,  mus.,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Privates. 

James  Adams,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 
George  Ankney,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1864,  one  year. 
Samuel  Baldwin,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year.     < 
Noah  Barnett,  Jr.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year. 
Hiram  J.  Boytz,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year. 
Charles  Becker,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  186.3. 
August  Berthold,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 
Edward  Boyles,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 


William  Booth,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861 ;  wounded  at 
Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862. 

Thomas  Boone,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Henry  Beard,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Michael  Blaugh,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

James  H.  Baush,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

JoBiah  Barnedt,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

Jacob  J.  Bowman,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

Aaron  Barnes,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

Cornelius  Buckley,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

Hezekiah  Buckley,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

John  F.  Bender,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year; 
wounded  at  Petersburg,  Va.,  March  25, 1865. 

George  Boltzer,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year. 

Harrison  Bender,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1864,  one  year. 

Hiram  Baker,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year. 

John  Barnet,  must,  in  Sept.  19,  1864,  one  year. 

Perry  Barnt,  must,  in  Sept.  19,  1864,  one  year. 

Samuel  Barnet,  must,  in  Sept.  19,  1864,  one  year. 

David  Crichfield,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year. 

Jonas  Custer,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1864,  one  year. 

Joseph  Chalfant,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861. 

Daniel  Connor,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Levi  Coleman,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year ; 
killed  at  Cedar  Creek,  Va.,  Oct.  19, 1864. 

William  Casbeer,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

Martin  Crandall,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861 ;  wounded  at 
Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862. 

Wellington  Dunlap,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1 861. 

William  Delaney,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

William  Daly,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

Jonathan  Dormayer,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one 
year ;  wounded  at  Cedar  Creek,  Va.,  Oct.  19, 
1864. 

Jacob  Douges,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year ; 
wounded  at  Cedar  Creek,  Va.,  Oct.  19,  1864. 

Peter  Embich,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861  ;  wounded  at 
Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3, 1863. 

Benjamin  Enos,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

Charles  Foreman,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  mis.  in  ac- 
tion at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

Daniel  Fox,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Solomon  Fox,  must,  in  October  26,  1861 ;  died  July 
24,  1862 ;  buried  at  Fort  Monroe,  Va. 

James  Fryer,  must,  in  October  26,  1864;  mis.  in  ac- 
tion at  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31, 1862. 

John  Fleck,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year. 

Wm.  Ferner,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year. 

George  A.  Garrow,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861. 

William  Gass,  must,  in  Nov.  13,  1861. 

Thomas  Gash,  must,  in  Oct.  30, 1861. 

Lawrence  Goodman,  must,  in  Oct.  26, 1861. 

William  Goheen,  must,  in  October  12,  1861. 

Henry  W.  Good,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

Benjamin  Gardner,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

Thomas  Hoover,  must,  in  Aug.  5,  1864,  one  year. 

Charles  Harman,  must,  in  Nov.  24,  1861. 

Frederick  Holler,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861 ;  wounded  at 
Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862. 


270 


HISTOKY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


James  Hoffman,  must,  in  Nov.  19,  1861. 

Henry  Hilchert,  must,  in  Oct.  26, 1861. 

Joseph  Harper,  must,  in  Oct.  26, 1861. 

Isaac  Hornberger,  must,  in  Feb.  27,  1864. 

Augustus  Haffley,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864 ;  wounded 
at  Petersburg,  Va.,  March  25,  1865. 

William  C.  Horner,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year. 

Henry  Iserman,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Henry  Inglebach,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Thomas  Johnston,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

William  Jones,  must,  in' Oct.  26,  1861. 

George  Johnson,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year. 

Josiah  Johnson,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year. 

William  Johnson,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year. 

George  W.   Johnston,  must,  in   Sept.  10,  1864,  one 
year. 

William  Karsnitz,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Henry  Kline,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Christopher  Kreppanak,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861 ; 
wounded  at  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862. 

Oliver  Keiser,  must,  in  October  26,  1861. 

John  Kester,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Frederick  Katzmer,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Henry  Koutz,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year ; 
wounded  at  Cedar  Creek,  Va.,  Oct.  19,  1864. 

Henry  Lehman,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861 ;  mis.  inaction 
at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

Franklin  Lebo,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861. 

William  Long,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Philip  Lape,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

Joseph  Lohr,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

Joseph  Lape,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year. 

John  Lohr,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year ;  wound- 
ed at  Cedar  Creek,  Va.,  Oct.  19,  1864. 

Henry  W.  Maurer,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

John  Meredith,  must,  in  Nov.  24,  1861. 

Jonathan  Meyers,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Jacob  Morton,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Daniel  Meonan,  must,  in  Oct.  26, 1861. 

Jeremiah  Moll,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Samuel  S.  Miller,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

Adam  J.  Miller,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year ; 
wounded  at  Cedar  Creek,  Va.,  Oct.  19,  1864. 

Noah  J.  Miller,  must,  in  Sept.  26,  1864,  one  year. 

William  H.  Miller,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year. 

William  Mowry,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year; 
died  Oct.  19,1864;  buried  at  Nat.  Cem.,  Win- 
chester, Va.,  lot  9. 

George  O.  Mong,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1864,  one  year. 
Warren    I.    Mcllwaine,   must,   in     March  7,  1864; 

wounded    at  Spottsylvania    Court-House,    Va., 

May  12,  1864. 
John  McQuade,  must,  in  Sept.  1,  1862. 
John  McColly,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 
Franklin  McQuade,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 
Jacob  Nair,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861 ;  wounded  at  Fair 

Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862. 

William  Obyle,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861. 


Dennis  Oakes,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861. 

Eli  Oglevie,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

William  Ober,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year. 

John  Piper,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861. 

Jonathan  Piper,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861 ;  wounded  at 
Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

Charles  Parker,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Martin  Penrod,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

Nosmin  B.  Penrod,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year. 

George  Peterson,  must,  in  Sept.  19,  1864,  one  year. 

Ambrose  D.  Eyan,  must,  in  Sept.  1,  1862. 

William  E.  Eichburger,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one 
year. 

Daniel  Eingler,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Laufer  Rudolph,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Josiah  Risheberger,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

Jno.  H.  Risheberger,  must,  in  Sept.  17, 1864,  one  year. 

Jacob  J.  Eepplogle,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

Jonathan  Ehodes,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

Alexander  Eayman,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1864,  one  year. 

Augustus  Solomon,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861 ;  missed  in 
action  at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

Benjamin  Strause,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861. 

Adam  Snyder,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Lemuel  Stultz,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861 ;  wounded  at 
Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

John  Stoner,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

John  Smithenger,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861 ;  wounded  at 
Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862. 

Moses  Stevenson,  must,  in  Oct.  12,  1861. 

Solomon  Straway,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Daniel  Shay,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861 ;  died  Jan.  15, 
1862,  buried  in  Military  Asylum  Cemetery,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C. 

William  Savage,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

John  Souder,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

John  Shaeffer,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

William  Surch,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

John  Smith,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Daniel  Shanabrook,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Herman  Stahl,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

George  Spangler,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

Christian  Spangler,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

Aaron  Shaffer,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

William  Stahl,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year; 
died  Oct.  26,  1864;  buried  in  National  Ceme- 
tery, Loudon  Park,  Baltimore,  Md. 

Joseph  Stahl,  roust,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year. 

David  Smith,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year. 

Lewis  Stinebaugh,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year ; 
died  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  Jan.  15,  1865. 

W.  B.  Schmucker,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year. 

Levi  F.  Shaffer,  must,  in  Sept.  19,  1864,  one  year. 

Charles  Thomas,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Pemb'e  Thompson,  must,  in  Sept.  17, 1864,  one  year. 

John  Vause,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

Jacob  Weeber,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 

William  P.  Weeks,  must,  in  Nov.  15,  1861. 

Alfred  Witman,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


271 


Frederick  Weller,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 
George  Walker,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year; 

wounded  at  Cedar  Creek,  Oct.  19,  1864,  and  at 

Petersburg,  Va.,  March  25,  1865. 
Josiah  Waters,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year. 
Henry  Young,  must,  in  Oct.  26,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862. 
John  A.  Young,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year. 
Eneas  Zerby,  must,  in  Oct.  26, 1861. 
J.  H.  Zimmerman,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 
J.  J.  Zimmerman,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 
Samuel   Zimmerman,   must,  in  Sept.   10,  1864,  one 

year. 
Jonathan  Zimmerman,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one 

year. 
D.  F.  Zimmerman,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864,  one  year. 
J.  Zimmerman,  Jr.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864,  one  year. 

Captain  Alexander  C.  Maitland — Was 
born  in  Reading  about  the  year  1832.  He  re- 
moved to  Ohio  when  a  young  man.  Whilst 
there  he  enlisted  in  the  three  months'  service,  and 
participated  in  the  Virginia  campaign  under 
General  McClellan.  Upon  receiving  his  dis- 
charge, he  returned  to  Reading  and  recruited  a 
company  for  the  three  years'  service,  which  he 
called  the  "Coleman  Rifles,"  after  Dawson 
Coleman,  who  had  generously  assisted  him  in 
equipping  the  company.  It  was  accepted  by 
the  government,  and  assigned  to  the  Ninety- third 
Regiment  as  Company  G.  He  was  in  the  battles 
of  Williamsburg  and  Fair  Oaks,  having  been 
wounded  in  the  latter.  He  was  removed  to  St. 
Joseph's  Hospital,  Philadelphia,  where  he  died 
on  June  10,  1862,  aged  thirty  years.  His  re- 
mains were  brought  to  Reading  and  buried  in 
Charles  Evans'  Cemetery. 

Company  K. — The  following  enlistments 
were  from  Berks  County.  This  company  was 
mustered  out  June  27,  1865,  except  where 
otherwise  mentioned. 

David  C.  Keller,  capt.,  must,  in  Oct.  21, 1861 ;  wound- 
ed at  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31, 1862 ;  at  Gettys- 
burg, Pa.,  July  2,  1863;  and  at  Spottsylvania 
C.  H.,  May  12,  1864 ;  pro.  from  1st  lieut.  to  capt. 
Nov.  8,  1862;  to  maj.  Nov.  23,  1864. 

Solomon  Yeakel,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Oct.  21,1861; 
pro.  from  2d  lieut.  Nov.  8,  1862  ;  resigned  April 
23,  1864. 

William  Van  Buskirk,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Oct.  24, 
1861 ;  pro.  fromsergt.  to  2d  lieut.  Jan.  1, 1865;  vet. 

John  L.  Endy,  sergt.,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861 ;  pro. 
from  priv.  Nov.  8,  1862 ;  vet. 

Charles  Herbst,  sergt.,  Oct.  21,  1861 ;  pro.  to  sergt. 


Jan.    1,  1864;  wounded   at   Opequan,  Va.,  Sept. 

19,1864;  vet. 
Jonas  F.  Hassler,  sergt.,  must,  in  Oct.  21, 1861  ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.,  1862. 
Charles  Rothermel,  sergt.,  must,  in  Oct.  21, 1861 ;  pro. 

to  sergt.  Nov.  8, 1863;  killed  at  Wilderness,  Va., 

May  5,  1864 ;  vet. 
Aaron  K.  Cleaver,  sergt.,  must,  in  Oct.  24,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  sergt.  May  18,  18(54;    killed  at  Charlestown, 

Va.,  Aug.  21,  1864  ;  vet. 
James  Briel,  Corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861 ;  vet. 
Frederick  Miller,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861 ;  vet. 
Augustus  Snyder,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  21, 1861 ;  w'nded 

at  Opequan,  Va.,  Sept.  19,  1K64  ;  vet. 
Moses  Snyder,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861 ;  vet. 
Benjamin   B.  Laucks,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861 ; 

wounded  at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863  ; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.  Sept.  6,  1863. 
Amos  M.  Yergey,  corp.   must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861 ;  died 

at  Washington,  D.  O,  Oct  12,  1862. 
Roland  Lang,  musician,  .must,  in  Feb.  18,  1864 ;  vet. 
Gideon  Guinther,  musician,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864. 

Privates. 

David  Angstadt,  must  in  Feb.  29,  1864. 

John  Bartolet,  must,  in  March  7,  1864;  wounded  at 

Wilderness,  May  5,  and  at  Fisher's  Hill,  Va., 

Sept.  22,  1864. 
Levi  Breidegam,  must,  in  Feb.  17,  1864;  wounded  at 

Petersburg,  Va.,  April  2,  1865 ;  disch.  June  30, 

1865. 
Abraham  Briel,  must,  in  Oct.   21,  1861 ;  disch.   on 

surg.  certif.  Feb.  11,  1863. 
Jacob  Brown,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861 ;  wounded  at  Sa- 
•   lem  Heights,  Va.,  May  3,  1863 ;  must,  out  Oct. 

27, 1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Daniel  Bartolet,  must,  in  Oct.  21, 1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.,  1862. 
Daniel  Breidegam,  must,  in  Feb.  17,  1864 ;  wounded 

at  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.,  date  unknown. 
Isaac  Dreibelbies,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1864. 
Martin  Dumback,  must,  in  Oct.  21, 1861 ;  wounded  ut 

Opequan,  Va.,  Sept.  19,  1864;  vet. 
Rufus  K.  Dieter,  must,  in  Aug.  2,  1862 ;  wounded  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863 ;  disch.  by  G. 

O.  June  20,  1865. 
Jacob   Drexel,  must,   in   Feb.  10,  1864;  wounded  at 

Wilderness  May  5,  1864;    died  at  Philadelphia, 

Pa.,  July  9,  1864. 
Charles  Derolph,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861 ;    died  June 

14,  of  wounds  received  in  action  June  7, 1864. 
Joseph  Eberhart,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1864. 
Daniel   Edinger,  must,  in   Oct.   21,  1861 ;  disch.   on 

surg.  certif.  April  7,  1863. 
James  Edinger,  must,  in  Oct.  21, 1861 ;  must,  out  Oct. 

27, 1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Alfred  Fegley,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861 ;   wounded  at 


272 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Spottsylvania  Court-House,  Va.,  May  12,  1864 ; 

vet. 
Nathan  Folk,  must,  in   Feb.   24,  1864;  wounded  at 

Fisher's  Hill,  Va.,  Sept.  22,  1864. 
John  Filman,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861;    killed  at  Fair 

Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862. 
George  W.  Feierstein,  must,  in   Oct.   21,  1861 ;   died 

June  4,  of  wounds  received  at  Fair  Oaks,  Va., 

May  31,  1862. 
John  Geisler,  must,  in  Feb.  24,  1864;    wounded  at 

Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5,  1864. 
Levi   Gerhart,  must,   in   Oct.   21,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Wilderness,  Va.,  May   5,  1864;  killed   at   Cold 

Harbor  June  5,  1864 ;  buried  in  Nat.  Oem.,  Ar- 
lington, Va. ;  vet. 
Franklin  Hain,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1864. 
Samuel  Heffner,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864. 
Patrick  Hoosey,  must,  in  March  10,  1864 ;  wounded 

at  Spottsylvania  Court-House,  Va.,  May  12,1864. 
Elias  Harding,  must,  in  March   1,  1864;  wounded  at 

Winchester,  Va.,  Sept.  19,  1864. 
Abraham  Heck,  must,  in  Aug.  21,  1864;  wounded  at 

Petersburg,  Va.,  March  25,  1865 ;  disch.  by  G. 

O.  June  20,  1865. 
Jefferson  Hunter,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.,  date  unknown. 
Augustus  Herman,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 
John   Heck,  must,   in   Aug.   6,  1864;  died   April  3, 

1865 ;  buried  in  Nat.  Cem.,  Arlington,  Va. 
John  K.  Keller,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1864;  wounded  at 

Spottsylvania  Court-House,  Va.,  May  12,  1864 ; 

disch.  by  G.  O.  June  19,  1865. 
Charles  H.  Keller,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861. 
Isaac  Koch,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1864. 
John  Kreider,  must,  in  Feb.  15,  1864 ;  not  acc'ted  for. 
James  Loucks,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1864. 
Mahlon  Lees,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1864;  wouuded  at 

Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5,  1864;   and  at  Opequan, 

Va.,  Sept.  19,  1864 ;  vet. 
John  Lease,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861  ;  disch.   on   surg. 

certif.  June  11,  1862. 
Tyler  Leinbach,  must,   in   Oct.   21,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.,  date  unknown. 
Matthias  Minker,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  April  7,  1863. 
Nathaniel  Mathias,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  March  29,  1862. 
John  Neting,  must,  in  Oct.  21, 1861 ;  wounded  at  Fair 

Oaks,  Va.,  May  31, 1862 ;  disch.  on  surg.  certif., 

1862. 
Abraham  Reidenour,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864. 
Frederick  Rauch,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861 ;  wounded  at 

Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.,  date  unknown. 
Henry  Rothermel,  must,  in  March  9,  1864. 
Daniel  M.  Seyler,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864. 
Henry  Sholter,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864. 


Josiah  Shultz,  must,  in  Oct.  24,  1861. 

John  Stofflet,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1864;  wounded  at 
Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5,  1864. 

William  Snyder,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861 ;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.  Nov.  11,  1862. 

Augustus  Seyler,  must,  in  Oct.  21, 1861 ;  wounded  at 
Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862 ;  killed  at  Wilder- 
ness, Va.,  May  5, 1864. 

Henry  Seiger,  must,  in  Feb.  19,  1864;  killed  at  Win- 
chester, Va.,  Sept.  19,  1864. 

Henry  Shearer,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861;  died  July  10, 
of  wounds  received  at  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31, 
1862  ;  buried  in  Mil.  Asy.  Cem.,  D.  C. 

Isaac  Vansickle,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861 ;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.  March  14,  1865. 

Maberry  Weidner,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861 ;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.  Dec.  3,  1862. 

Harrison  K.  Wheat,  must,  in  Oct.  21, 1861 ;  wounded 
at  Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5,  1864;  disch.  Oct.  21, 
1864,  expiration  of  term. 

H.  Werkmeister,  must,  in  Oct.  21, 1861 ;  prisoner  from 
May  3  to  11,  1863  ;  wounded  at  Wilderness,  Va., 
May  5,  1864;  died  April  1,  1865;  buried  in  Nat. 
Cem.,  Arlington,  Va. ;  vet. 

Eugene  H.  Yoder,  must,  in  Feb.  22,  1864 ;  wounded 
at  Opequan,  Va.,  Sept.  19,  1864,  and  at  Peters- 
burg, April  2,  1865. 

James  Youse,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861 ;  wounded  at 
Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862;  vet. 

Jonathan  Zluhan,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861 ;  wounded 
at  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862;  disch.  on  surg. 
certif.,  date  unknown. 

NINETY-SIXTH   REGIMENT. 

The  Ninety-sixth  Regiment  was  recruited 
mostly  in  Schuylkill  County.  Some  men  from 
Hamburg  and  Berks  County  were  included  in 
Company  G.  It  was  mustered  into  service  on 
September  23,  1861,  at  Pottsville,  and  partici- 
pated in  various  engagements  in  the  Peninsula, 
at  Gettysburg  and  then  in  the  Wilderness  cam- 
paign. It  was  also  engaged  in  the  Shenandoah 
Valley.  It  was  mustered  out  of  service  in 
West  Philadelphia  on  October  21,  1864. 

Company  G. — This  company  was  recruited 
at  Pottsville,  in  Schuylkill  County.  The  fol- 
lowing men  were  from  Hamburg,  in  Berks 
County ; 

Arthur  S.  Fessig,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  23,1861; 
pro.  from  2d  lieut.  March  5,  1862;  disch.  Oct. 
15,  1864. 

John  Williams,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Oct.  3,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  sergt.  Nov.  18,  1863;  traus.  to  Co.  G,  95th 

Regt.  P.  V.,  Oct.  18,  1864;  veteran. 
Jonathan  C.  Bear,  sergt.,  must,  in  Oct.  16,  1861 ;  pro. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


273 


tr>  scrgt. ;  trans,  to  Co.  G,  95th  Eegt.  P.  V.,  Oct. 

18,  1864 ;  veteran. 
Lafayette  Billig,  sergt.,  must,  in  Oct.  7,  1862 ;  pro.  to 

sergt, ;  trans,  to  Co.  G,  95th  Eegt.  P.  V.,  Oct.  18, 

1864 ;  veteran. 
William  H.  Fesig,  sergt.,  must,  in  Oct.  3,  1861 ;  trans. 

to  Vet.  Pes.  Corps  Oct.  1,  1863. 
Benjamin  B.  Wagner,  sergt.,  must,  in  Oct.  3,  1861 ; 

killed  at  Spottsylvania  C.  H.,  Va.,  May  12, 1864; 

veteran. 
Lewis  C.  Romich,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  22,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.;    trans,    to  Co.  G,  95th    Eegt.    P.   V., 

Oct.  18,1864;  veteran. 
Evan  M.  Gery,  corp.,  must,  in  Oct.  22,  1861 ;  capt.  at 

Wilderness,    Va.,    May   7,  1864;    trans,  to   Co. 

G,  95th  Regt.  P.  V.,  Oct.  18,  1864. 
James  J.  Miller,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  4,  1-861 ;  pro.  to 

corp. ;  wounded  at  Spottsylvania  C.  H.,  Va.,  May 

12,  1864;  trans,  to  Vet.  Res.  Corps  Oct.  17, 1864; 

veteran. 

Privates. 

John  Beard,  must,  in  Oct.  3, 1861 ;  wounded  at  Spott- 

syhania  C.  H.,  Ya ,  May  10,  1864;    trans,  lo 

Co.  G,  95th  Eegt.  P.  V.,  Oct.  18,  1864 ;  veteran. 
Gideon  Beard,  must,  in  Oct.  3,  1861  ;  trans,  to  Co. 

G,  95th  Regt.  P.  V.,  Oct.  18,  1864 ;  veteran. 
Charles  Beard,  must,  in  April  4,  1864;  trans,  to  Co. 

G,  95th  Regt.  P.  V.,  Oct.  18,  1864. 
Daniel  Betz,  must,  in  Oct.  21,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Dec.  29.  1862  ;  re-enlisted  March  2, 1864 ; 

killed  at  Spottsylvania  C.  H.,  Va.,  May  10,  1864. 
James  Betz,  must,  in  Oct.  ,7,  1861 ;  killed  at  Spottsyl- 
vania C.  H.,  Va.,  May  10,  1864  ;  veteran. 
William  Betz,  must,  in  March  5,  1864;  trans,  to  Co. 

G,  95th  Eegt.  P.  V.,  Oct.  18,  1864. 
Isaac  Betz,  must,  in  March  5,  1864;  trans,  to  Co. 

G,  95th  Regt.  P.  V.,  Oct.  18,  1864. 
Charles  H.  Cook,  must,  in  Nov.  4,  1861 ;    died  at 

Pottsville,  Pa.,  Jan.  17,  1864. 
James  Hill,  must,  in  Oct.  15,  1861 ;  died  at  David's 

Island,  N.  Y.,  July  24,  1864;  buried  in  Cypress 

Hill  Cemetery,  L.  I. 
Mark  Killean,  must,  in  Oct.  3,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Jan.  29,  1862. 
Charles  Eothenberger,  must,  in  Oct.  23,  1861 ;  trans. 

to  Vet.  Res.  Corps  Sept.  23, 1863. 
Edgar  Stambach,  must,  in  Oct.  23,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

Co.  G,  95th  Regt.  P.  V.,  Oct.  18, 1864. 
Albert  Sunday,  must,  in  Oct.  23,  1861 ;  prisoner  from 

Nov.  19,  1863,  to  Oct.  1,  1864;  disch.,  exp.  of 

term. 
William  Strasser,  must,  in  Oct.  22,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Nov.  28,  1862. 
Simon  Strasser,  must,  in  Oct.  14, 1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Jan.  29,  1862. 
Joshua  Strasser,  must,  in  Oct.  14,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Dec.  15, 1862. 
Elias  Strasser,  must,  in  Oct.  14,  1861 ;  died  May  9, 

1862. 
.32 


Israel  Strasser,  must,  in  Oct.  22,  1861 ;  wounded  at 
Spottsylvania  C.  H.,  Va„  May  10,  1864  ;  trans,  to  • 
Co.  G,   95th  Regt.  P.  V.,  Oct.   18,  1864;    vet- 
eran. 

John  Schollenberger,  must,  in  Oct.  23,  1861;  wound- 
ed at  Spottsylvania  C.  H.,  Va.,  May  10,  1864; 
trans,  to  Co.  G,  95th  Regt.  P.  V.,  Oct.  18, 
1864;  veteran. 

Abr.  Schollenberger,  must,  in  Oct.  23,  1861 ; 
trans,  to  Co.  G,  95th  Regt.  P.  V.,  Oct.  18, 
1864 ;  veteran. 

David  Williams,  must,  in  Sept.  23,  1861 ;  trans,  to 
Co.  G,  95th  Eegt.  P.  V.,  Oct.  18,  1864;  vet- 
eran. 

Samuel  Williams,  mint,  in  Oct.  29,  1861;  died  at 
Harrisburg,  Pa.,  Dec.  17,  1862. 

ONE  HUNDRED   AND   FOURTH  REGIMENT. 

The  greater  part  of  Company  H  in  this  reg- 
iment was  composed  of  men  from  Berks  Coun- 
ty ;  and  among  the  field  officers  was  John  M. 
Gries,  from  Reading,  chosen  as  major.  Du- 
ring 1862  the  regiment  participated  in  the 
siege  of  Yorktown,  and  in  the  battles  of  Savage 
Station  and  Fair  Oaks,  in  the  Peninsula  cam- 
paign. In  the  beginning  of  1863  it  was  or- 
dered to  South  Carolina,  and  there  took  part  in 
the  siege  of  Charleston  and  the  capture  of  Fort 
Wagner.  During  August,  1864,  it  was  sta- 
tioned in  Florida,  guarding  a  line  of  railroad 
from  Jacksonville  to  Baldwin.  Thence  it  pro- 
ceeded north  to  Alexandria,  where  it  performed 
duty  in  the  fortifications  on  the  southern  side  of 
the  Potomac  River,  till  its  term  of  service  ex- 
pired. It  was  mustered  out  of  service  at  Phil- 
adelphia on  September  30,  1864.  Some  of  the 
men  from  Berks  County  re-enlisted  in  this  reg- 
iment. There  were  veterans  and  recruits  suf- 
ficient to  form  a  battalion  of  five  companies.. 
Its  principal  service  afterward  was  in  the  siege 
of  Petersburg,  participating  in  the  assault  on. 
the  city,  April  3  and  4,  1865.  It  was  must- 
ered out  of  service  at  Portsmouth  on  August 
25,  1865. 

Major  John  M.  Gries  was  the  son  of  Dr. 
William  Gries,  for  seventeen  years  a  successful 
physician  at  Reading.  He  was  born  at  Worn-  . 
elsdorf,  about  1827,  and  accompanied  his  father 
to  Reading  when  a  boy.  After  having  been 
educated  here  he  adopted  the  business  of  an 
architect,  and  then  traveled  in  Europe  for  the 
purpose  of  perfecting  his  knowledge  of  archi- 


274 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


tecture.  Upon  returning,  he  located  at  Phila- 
delphia, and  pursued  his  vocation  for  some  years 
with  distinguished  success.  He  designed  the 
chapel  of  Charles  Evans'  Cemetery.  In  the 
fall  of  1862  he  entered  the  United  States  ser- 
vice as  a  volunteer  for  three  years,  and  was 
chosen  major  of  the  Ringgold  Regiment,  after- 
ward the  One  Hundred  and  Fourth,  which 
was  recruited  in  Berks,  Bucks  and  Montgomery 
Counties.  He  served  gallantly  with  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac.  He  received  a  fatal  wound  at 
Fair  Oaks,  on  May  31,  1862,  while  rescuing 
the  colors  of  his  regiment,  which  had  been  inad- 
vertently left  upon  the  field  of  battle  unguarded. 
He  was  removed  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  died 
on  June  13th  following,  aged  thirty-five  years. 
His  remains  were  brought  to  Reading,  and 
buried  in  Charles  Evans'  Cemetery. 

Company  H. — The  following  enlistments 
were  from  Reading  and  Berks  County.  When 
not  otherwise  mentioned,  the  date  of  muster  out 
was  August  25,  1865. 

Jacob  W.  Glase,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  1st  lieut.  to  capt.  Dec.  17, 1864 ;  captured  at 

Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862. 
Wm.  F.  Walter,  capt.,  must,  in  Jan.  1, 1862 ;  wounded 

at  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31, 1862  ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Nov.  4, 1862. 
Diller  B.  Groff,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  wound- 
ed at  Seven  Pines,  Va.,  May  24, 1862;  disch.  Oct. 

28,  1864. 
Charles  A.  Bitting,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  22, 1861;  pro. 

to  capt.  Dec.  11,  1864. 
G.  W.  Ashenfelter,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Jan.  1,  1862 ; 

wounded  at  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862 ;  disch. 

May  21,  1863. 
Charles  A.  Heckler,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  22, 1861 ; 

pro.  to  2d  lieut.  March  6,  1864 ;  disch.  Sept.  30, 

1864;  exp.  of  term. 
Joel  Setley,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  pro.  to 

2d  lieut.  Dec.  16,  1864;  vet. 
Henry  G.  Houck,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ; 

vet. 
Charles  A.  Spangler,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ; 

disch.  Sept.  30,  1864 ;  exp.  of  term. 
George  M.  Groff,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  22, 1861 ;  disch. 

Sept.  30,  1864;  exp.  of  term. 
Will'am  Strawbridge,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ; 

captured ;  disch.  Sept.  30,  1864,  exp.  of  term  ; 

vet. 
Clinton  Seyfert,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  vet. 
George  Bost,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  22, 1861 ;  vet. 
Charles  Getz,  corp.,  must,  in  July  16,  1862  ;  disch.  by 

G.  0.. June  16,  1865. 


Theodore    A.  Ker,   corp.,   must,   in    Sept.  22,  1861 ; 

disch.  Sept.  30,  1864;  exp.  of  term. 
John  Sheetz,  corp.,  must,   in  Sept.  22,   1861;  disch. 

Sept.  30,  1864 ,  exp.  of  term. 
John    P.  Housum,   corp.,  must,    in  Sept.   22,   1861 ; 

wounded;  disch.  Sept.  30,  1864;  exp.  of  term. 
James  A.  Quimby,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  22, 1861 ;  died 

at  Washington,  D.  C,  Sept.  25,  1864,  of  wounds 

received  in  action. 
Augustus   Heckler,  corp.,  must,   in   Sept.   22,   1861 ; 

disch.  Sept.  30,  1864;  exp.  of  term. 
Joseph  Shirey,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  disch. 

Sept.  30,  1864;  exp.  of  term. 
George  Hertig,  musician,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  vet. 
William  A.  Nagle,  musician,  must,  in  Feb.  11,  1865 ; 

trans,  from  Co.  B. 
James  J.  Fisher,  musician,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ; 

disch.  Sept.  30,  1864;  exp.  of  term. 
Joseph  Housum,  musician,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ; 

disch.  Sept.  30, 1864 ;  exp.  of  term. 

Privates. 
John  W.  Allhouse,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1862 ;  wounded 

at  Fort  Wagner,  S.  C. ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  16, 

1865. 
David  Aker,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861  ;  not  accounted 

for. 
Daniel  Bower,  must,  in  March  7,  1865,  one  year. 
Thomas  Bower,  must,  in  March  7,  1864,    one  year. 
Daniel   F.    Brobst,  must,  in  Sept.  22,    1861 ;    disch. 

Sept.  30,  1864;  exp.  of  term. 
Daniel  M.   Bower,   must,   in   Sept.    22,  1861  ;  disch. 

Sept.  30,  1864;  exp.  of  term. 
Henry  Bower,  must,  in  Sept.  22,   1861 ;  disch.  Sept. 

30,  1864;  exp.  of  term. 
Reuben  Becker,  must,  iu  Sept.  22, 1861 ;  not  account- 
ed for. 
James  S.  Braley,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  J  861;  disch.   on 

surg.  certif.  Sept.  10,  1862. 
Samuel  Buderwack,  must,  in  Sept.  22, 1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Thomas   Bower,   must,  in   Sept.  22,  1861 ;  disch.   on 

surg.  certif.  Feb.  16,  1863. 
Elhanan  Bechtel,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

battal.  Sept.  24,  1864. 
Anthony  Bower,   must,   in   Sept.    22,  1861;  died  at 

Yorktown,   Va.,  Sept.   28,  1862;  buried  in  Nat. 

Cem.,  Sec.  D,  grave  293. 
Daniel  Brinzinger,  must,  in  Sept.   22,  1861  ;  died  at 

Fortress  Monroe,  Va.,  June  7,  of  wounds  received 

at  Fair  Oaks,  May  31,  1862. 
Lewis  Correll,  must,  in  Sept.  22, 1861 ;  disch.  Sept. 

30,1864;  exp.  of  term. 
Joseph  Correll,  must,    in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  disch.  £ept: 

30,  1864;  exp.  of  term. 
Jonas  Correll,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  disch.  Sept.  30, 

1864;  exp.  of  term. 
William  Dilcamp,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1862;  dis:h.  by 

G.  O.  June  16,  1865. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


275 


Nathaniel   Dipoe-y,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  disch. 

Sept.  30,  1861 ;  exp.  of  term. 
James  Dean,  must,  in  Jan.  8,  18!>2 ;  wounded  at  Fair 

Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862  ;  disch.  by  G.  0.  Dec.  13, 

1862. 
Charles  Enix,  must,  in  Sept.  22,   1861 ;  wounded  at 

Morris  Island,  S.  C,  Sept.  1.  1863. 
Henry  Fisher,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1863 ;  disch.  Sept. 

30,  1861;  exp.  of  term. 
Henry  J.  Fisher,  must,  in  Sept.   12,  1862 ;  disch.  by 

G.  0.  June  16,  1865. 
Levi  B.  Fox,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  disch.  Sept.  30, 

1864;  exp.  of  term. 
Charles  Forbian,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

writ  of  habeas  corpus  Sept.  27,  1862. 
Albert  Gicker,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861. 
James  Gallighan,  must,  in  Sept.   22,   1831  ;  died   in 

Baltimore,  Md.,  May  30,  1862. 
Nathaniel  Gay,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861  ;  trans,  to  gun- 
boat service  ;  killed  on  gun-boat  "  Mound  City" 

June  8,  1862. 
William  Hughes,  must,  in  Sept.  22, 1861 ;  disch.  Sept 

30,  1864 ;  exp.  of  term. 
John  Hinman,   must,   in  Sept.   22,  1861 ;    disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Oct.  29,  1862. 
Aaron  Helms,  must,  in  Sept.  22, 1861 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  June  2,  1863. 
Henry  Hartz,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  trans,  to  Vet. 

Res.  Corps.  Aug.  13,  1863. 
John  Harner,  must,  in  Sept.  22, 1861  ;  died  at  Balti- 
more, Md.,  Nov.  6,  1862. 
James  Kissinger,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861;  disch.  Sept. 

30, 1864 ;  exp.  of  term. 
Peter  Leiby,  must,  in  Sept.  22, 1861 ;  disch.  Sept.  30, 

1864;  exp.  of  term. 
George  A.  Leinbach,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1862 ;  pro.  to 

sergt.-major,  date  unknown. 
Henry  Lutz,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  killed  at  Fair 

Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,1S62. 
Edward  Maicks,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861  ;    disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  July  21,  1862. 
Charles  Mirom,  must,   in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;    disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  July  21,  1862. 
George  Moyer,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  disch.  Dec.  3 

for  wounds  received  at  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31, 

1862. 
Benjamin  Miller,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  wounded ; 

trans,  to  Vet.  Res.  Corps  Nov.  23,  1863. 
Charles  Nagle,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  killed  at  Fair 

Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862. 
Aaron  Potts,  must,  in  Dec.  30, 1861 ;   disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  July  31,  1862. 
Charles  Eieff,  must,  in  Sept.  12, 1862 ;  disch.  by  G.  0. 

June  16,  1865. 
David  E.  Rhoads,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1862;  disch.  by 

G.  O.  June  17,  1865. 
Levi  Rathman,  must,  in  Sept.  21,  1861  ;  wounded  at 

Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  Miy  31,  1832;  disch.  S.*pt.  30, 

1864;  exp.  of  term. 


Thomas  Ruth,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  disch.  Sept. 
30,  1864;  exp.  of  term. 

Joseph  Z.  Row,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  disch.  Sept. 
30,  1864;  exp.  of  term. 

H.  Renneberger,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.  March  28,  1862. 

William  Rolland,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  died  at 
Reading,  Pa.,  Sept.  21,  1862. 

William  Richards,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  killed  at 
Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862. 

William  D.  Rhode,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861  ;  died  at 
Annapolis,  Md.,  June  25,  of  wounds  received  at 
Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862;  buried  in  U.  S. 
Gen.  Hosp.  Cem. 

Lawrence  Schlegel,  must,  in  Sept.  27,  1862;  disch.  by 
G.  O.  June  22,  1865. 

Samuel  Shoppell,  must,  in  Sept.  22, 1861 ;  disch.  Sept. 
30,  1864;  exp.  of  term. 

Charles  Shaffer,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  disch.  Sept. 
30,  1864;  exp.  of  term. 

George  F.  Saylor,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.  Sept.  4,  1862. 

Charles  Schlegel,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1861 ;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.  Sept.  12, 1862. 

Solomon  Seiders,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  killed  at 
Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862. 

Christian  Steffy,  must,  in  Sept.  22, 1861 ;  not  account- 
ed for. 

Elisha  Strauser,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  not  account- 
ed for. 

James  Toole,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  vet. 

Henry  Witman,  must,  in  Feb.  11,  1865,  one  year ; 
trans,  from  Co.  B. 

Elias  Wolf,  must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  died  at  York- 
town,  Va.,  May  6, 1862  ;  buried  in  Nat.  Cem.,  Sec. 
B,  grave  251. 

Alfred  Young,  must,  in  Feb.  11,  1865,  one  year ; 
trans,  from  Co.  B. 

Dtjrell's  Independent  Artillery,  Bat- 
tery D. — This  battery  was  recruited  in  Berks 
and  Bucks  Counties.  It  was  organized  at 
Doylestown  on  September  24,  1861.  On  No- 
vember 6th  it  proceeded  to  Washington  and 
there  received  four  ten-pound  Parrott  guns  and 
horses  and  equipments  for  a  six-gun  battery. 
It  was  encamped  east  of  the  Capitol.  On  De- 
cember 18th  it  moved  to  Munson's  Hill,  where  it 
was  assigned  to  McDowell's  division  and  two 
additional  pieces  were  provided.  It  was  in  the 
march  upon  Manassas  on  March  10,  1862,  with 
the  leading  column ;  and  upon  its  return  en- 
camped between  Alexandria  and  Bailey  Cross- 
Koads.  Thence  it  moved  to  Falmouth,  opposite 
Fredericksburg,  on  April  18th.  When  Jack- 
son raided  Shenandoah  Valley  this  battery  made 


276 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


a  forced  march  with  the  corps  to  Thoroughfare 
Gap  to  intercept,  him  on  his  retreat,  but  arrived 
too  late  and  so  returned  to  Falmouth,  where  it 
continued  two  months.  On  August  12th  it  was 
assigned  to  the  Second  Division  of  the  Ninth 
Corps,  and  marched  to  the  assistance  of  Pope. 
It  was  brought  into  action  for  the  first  time  at 
Kelly's  Ford  on  August  21st.  The  left  section 
became  first  engaged  and  exchanged  rapid  shots 
with  the  rebel  guns  for  half  an  hour.  The 
whole  battery  went  into  action  (flanked  by  a 
regiment  of  Buford's  cavalry)  and  drove  the 
enemy  from  his  position  after  delivering  about 
forty  rounds.  It  crossed  the  river  at  night  and 
moved  towards  Warrenton  next  morning,  the 
centre  section  supporting  Buford's  cavalry  for 
a  day  and  night.  On  the  27th  it  was  assigned 
to  Hooker's  division.  At  Bristoe  Station,  aided 
by  a  Rhode  Island  battery,  it  drove  the  enemy 
from  three  successive  positions.  One  horse  was 
killed  here.  On  the  morning  of  the  28th  it 
moved  to  Manassas  Junction  and  at  night  to 
Centreville.  On  the  29th  it  advanced  across 
Bull  Bun,  and,  when  the  battle  began  to  rage 
with  great  violence,  it  went  into  position  a  half- 
mile  to  the  right  and  front  of  the  Stone  Hos- 
pital. It  remained  in  this  position  until  near 
night  of  the  30th,  when  the  left  of  the  line  was 
forced  back  and  the  enemy's  shots  began  to  tell 
upon  its  left  flank.  One  gun  was  dismounted, 
two  horses  killed  and  one  man  wounded.  It 
was  ordered  to  retire  upon  learning  that  the 
ground  was  untenable.  A  new  position  was 
taken  a  few  hundred  yards  to  the  rear  and  fire 
opened  at  long  range,  but  at  the  end  of  twenty 
minutes  it  was  again  ordered  back  and  it  retired 
to  Centreville.  During  the  31st  it  remained  in 
the  fortifications  and  on  the  evening  of  the  next 
day  it  participated  in  the  short  but  bloody 
battle  of  Chantilly,  in  which  it  was  one  of  only 
two  batteries  engaged. 

On  September  2d  it  proceeded  to  Washington 
Arsenal  and  was  refitted  and  fully  equipped ; 
and  shortly  afterward  it  moved  on  the  Mary- 
laud  campaign.  It  went  into  position  near  the 
top  of  South  Mountain  at  three  p.m.  on  the 
13th.  It  was  successful  in  this  engagement 
having  fired  from  the  six  guns  about  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  rounds.     The  next  day  it  moved 


after  the  enemy  toward  Antietam.  On  the  17th 
it  was  shelled  out  of  camp  at  daylight,  and  go- 
ing into  position  opened  fire  in  reply.  At  nine 
a.m.  it  was  ordered  to  the  rear  of  Stone  Bridge 
No.  3,  nearly  opposite  Sharpsburg,  and  just  be- 
fore General  Hartranft  took  the  bridge  its 
centre  section  moved  near  the  bridge  and 
crossed  it  closely  after  his  infantry.  This  sec- 
tion was  joined  by  the  remainder  of  the  battery 
soon  afterward  and  the  whole  battery  went  into 
position  about  nine  hundred  yards  from  the 
opposing  rebel  guns.  These  guns  were  engaged 
at  short  intervals  for  two  hours  whenever  they 
opened,  and  the  battery  only  retired  after  the 
projectiles  were  spent.  This  was  the  most  des- 
perate engagement  and  at  shortest,  range  in 
which  the  battery  participated.  Two  men  were 
dangerously  wounded  and  several  horses 
dropped  in  their  harness  from  exhaustion,  which 
had  to  be  left  on  the  field. 

When  the  army  returned  to  Virginia  the 
battery  was  engaged  at  Sulphur  Springs  on 
November  15th.  For  more  than  an  hour  it 
answered  a  hot  fire  of  the  enemy,  expending 
over  three  hundred  rounds.  Lieutenant  Mcll- 
vaine  was  mortally  wouuded  and  one  man  se- 
verely. In  December  the  battery  par- 
ticipated in  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg  at  long 
range  and  sustained  no  loss. 

Near  the  close  of  March,  1863,  the  battery 
accompanied  the  Ninth  Corps  West  and  was 
stationed  for  some  time  at  Paris,  Mount  Sterl- 
ing and  Crab  Orchard,  Ky.  On  June  6th  it 
embarked  at  Lexington  for  Vicksburg  to  sup- 
port Grant's  army,  and  then  took  a  position 
twelve  miles  in  the  rear  of  Vicksburg,  facing 
Jackson,  to  intercept  the  enemy  if  any  attempt 
should  be  made  at  raising  the  siege. 

Immediately  after  the  fall  of  Vicksburg  the 
battery  moved  towards  Jackson,  arriving  before 
the  town  on  July  10th.  The  battery  took  a 
position  there,  and  kept  up  a  steady  fire  upon 
the  place  for  several  days,  sending  a  shell  every 
ten  minutes.  Johnston  retired,  and  the  battery 
returned  to  camp  upon  the  Yazoo.  When  the 
battery  left  for  Vicksburg  it  was  in  a  fine  con- 
dition, numbering  one  hundred  and  twenty 
strong,  and  having  arms,  accoutrements  and 
horses  well  supplied,— all  in  the  highest  state 


THE  CIVIL  WAR 


277 


of  efficiency.  Upon  its  return,  after  an  absence 
of  a  little  more  than  two  months,  ten  men  had 
died,  forty  were  sick  in  the  hospital,  and  only 
twenty  or  thirty  of  those  in  camp  were  fit  for 
duty.  About  half  of  the  horses  had  died,  and 
only  a  small  number  of  those  that  remained 
were  serviceable. 

The  battery  remained  at  Covington  till  the 
spring  of  1864.  It  was  sent  to  Johnson's 
Island,  in  Lake  Erie,  to  prevent  a  threatened 
rescue  of  prisoners  there,  and  in  April  it  went 
to  Washington  to  be  refitted.  Recruits  were 
received  to  give  the  battery  its  original  strength, 
and  an  entire  new  battery  of  ten  Parrott  guns. 
It  marched  with  the  Fourth  Division  of  the 
Ninth  Corps,  and  covered  the  wagon-train 
during  the  Wilderness  campaign.  It  arrived 
before  Petersburg  about  the  middle  of  June, 
1864,  and  was  at  once  put  upon  the  front.  It 
was  posted  at  Fort  Morton,  and  kept  up  a 
ceaseless  fire  when  the  mine  was  exploded  on 
July  30th.  A  month  later  it  was  engaged  at 
Pegram's  Farm,  and  during  the  subsequent 
operations  occupied  various  works  before  the 
beleaguered  city.  In  September,  1864,  Captain 
Durell  was  honorably  discharged,  and  Lieuten- 
ant Rhodes  succeeded  him.  When  the  final 
attack  was  made  on  the  defenses  of  Petersburg, 
on  April  2,  1865,  by  Hartranft's  command, 
the  entire  battery  of  six  guns  was  brought  to 
bear  upon  the  rebel  works,  and  when  these 
were  carried,  detachments  from  the  battery 
turned  the  captured  guns  upon  the  flying 
enemy.  After  the  evacuation  of  the  city,  it 
moved  along  the  South  Side  Railroad  as  far  as 
Wilson's  Station,  and  upon  Lee's  surrender 
proceeded  to  Alexandria,  via  City  Point.  It 
was  mustered  out  of  service,  at  Philadelphia, 
on  June  13,  1865,  except  where  otherwise  men- 
tioned. 

George  W.  Durell,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861 ;  disch. 
Sept.  23,  1864,  exp.  of  term. 

Samuel  H.  Rhodes,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ; 
pro.  from  sergt.  to  2d  lieut,  Aug.  19, 1864 ;  to  capt. 
Oct.  3, 1864 ;  vet. 

Lemuel  Gries,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  re- 
signed June  19, 1863. 

Howard  Mcllvaine,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ; 
died  Nov.  15,  1863,  of  wounds  received  at  White 
Sulphur  Springs,  Va. 


Henry  Sailor,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  pro. 

from  sergt.  to  2d  lieut.  Aug.  12, 1864 ;  to  1st  lieut. 

Oct.  17,  1864 ;  vet. 
Adley  B.  Lawrence,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ; 

pro.  to  corp.  April  22, 1863 ;  to  sergt.  May  1, 1864; 

to  1st  sergt.  Oct.  8,  1864;  to  1st  lieut.  Nov.  24, 

1864;  vet. 
George  W.  Silvis,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ; 

com.  1st  lieut.  Nov.  16,  1862;  not  must.;  disch- 

Oct.  8,  1864,  expiration  of  term. 
Christopher  Leoser,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  May  12,  1862 ; 

resigned  Oct.  12, 1864. 
Charles  A.  Cuffel,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861  ; 

pro.  to  corp.  May  1, 1864 ;  to  sergt.  Sept.  24, 1864 ; 

to  2d  lieut.  Nov.  24, 1864 ;  vet. 
James  L  Mast,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  Oct.  1, 1863  ;  to  sergt.  May  1,  1864 ;  to  2d 

lieut.  Nov.  24, 1864;  vet. 
William  S.  McNair,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861 ; 

pro.  to  q.m.-sergt.  Oct.  8,  1864;  to  1st  sergt.  Nov. 

24, 1864 ;  vet. 
Samuel  K.   Whitner,  q.m.-sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 

1861 ;  pro.  from  sergt.  Nov.  24,  1864;  vet. 
Azariah  L.  Ratz,  q.m.-sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861 ; 

disch.,  expiration  of  term. 
John  L.  Lewis,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861 ;  pro.  to 

sergt.  Sept.  24,  1864;  vet. 
Henry  Dease,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  pro.  to 

corp.  Sept.  24, 1864;  to  sergt.  Nov.  24,  1864;  vet. 
Stewart  McAleese,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861 ;  pro. 

to  sergt.  Sept.  24, 1864;  vet. 
John  Hennershotz,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861 ;  pro. 

to  sergt.  Nov.  24, 1864 ;  vet. 
Jacob  Bauer,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;   pro.  to 

corp.  Sept.  24, 1864;  to  sergt.  Oct.  8,  1864;  vet. 
John  B.  Jones,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861 ;  pro.  to 

corp.  Sept.  24,1864;  to  sergt.  Nov.  24,1864;  vet. 
B.  Frank  Bender,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept  24,1861;  disch. 

expiration  of  term. 
John  A.  Burdan,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept  24, 1861 ;  disch., 

expiration  of  term. 
James  Q  Irwin,  sergt,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861  ;  died 

at  Evansville,  Ind.,  Aug.  16,  1863. 
George  A    Everhart,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861; 

died  at  Mound  City,  111.,  Sept.  17, 1863 
John  W.  Morris,  corp.,  must  in  Sept.  24,  1861  ;  pro. 

to  corp.  Sept.  24,  1864;  vet. 
John  S.  Schroeder,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  3,  1864;  pro. 

to  corp.  April  6,  1865;  vet. 
Aaron  Martin,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861;  pro.  to 

corp.  Sept.  24,1864;  vet. 
Lewis  Bollman,  corp  ,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864;  pro.  to 

corp.  Nov.  14,  1864 ;  vet. 
Charles  C.  Berg,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861 ;  pro  to 

corp.  Nov.  24, 1864  ;  vet. 
A.  J.  Schweimber,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  May  1,  1864;  vet. 
Jacob  L.  Beam,  corp  ,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861 ;  pro.  to 

corp.  May  1, 1864  ;  vet. 


278 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Abm.   D.  Blundin,    corp ,  must,  'in  Sept.  24,  1861 ; 

vet. 
Joseph  E.  Kaucher,  corp.,  must,  in  March  3, 1864 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  May  1, 1865  ;  vet. 
Elias  K.  Cooper,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861 ;  pro.  to 

corp.  Sept.  24, 1864 ;  vet. 
W.  H.  Quaintance,  Corp.,  must,  in  Jan.  30, 1864 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  Sept.  24, 1864. 
Amos  Bechtol,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch., 

expiration  of  term. 
Mahlon  B.  Buckman,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ; 

disch  ,  expiration  of  term. 
I.  Carey  Carver,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861 ;  disch., 

expiration  of  term. 
George  Carver,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861 ;  disch., 

expiration  of  term. 
Robert  Conrad,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861 ;  disch., 

expiration  of  term. 
Oliver  D.  Giffens,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861 ;  disch., 

expiration  of  term. 
Bertolett  Y.  Yoder,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ; 

disch.,  expiration  of  term. 
William  W.  JDrayer,  corp.,  must,  in  May    1,  1862; 

disch.,  expiration  of  term. 
"William  G.  Mack,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861 ;  died 

at  Covington,  Ky.,  Sept.  23,  1863. 
August  K.  Musser,  artificer,  must,  in  Feb.   1,  1864; 

pro.  to  artificer  Sept.  24,  1864. 
John  H.  Thompson,  artificer,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861  ; 

pro.  to  artificer  Sept.  24,  1864 ;  veteran. 
Charles  H.  McCorckle,  artificer,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 

1861 ;  disch.,  exp.  of  term. 
John   R.   Eice,   artificer,   must,   in  Sept.   24,   1861; 

disch.,  exp.  of  term. 
George  Graeff,  bugler,  must,  in  Jan.  29,  1864;  pro.  to 

bugler  Oct.  8,  1864 ;  veteran. 
J.  A.  Montgomery,  bugler,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864 ;  pro. 

to  bugler  Oct.  8,  1864. 

Privates. 
Anthony  Arley,  must,  in  Sept.  23,  1864 ;  substitute. 
William  Arnold,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1864. 
William  P.  Andrews,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch., 

exp.  of  term. 
Benjamin  Albright,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch., 

exp.  of  term. 
Daniel  D.  Althouse,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch., 

exp.  of  term. 
Milton  H.  Althouse,  must,  in  Dec.  18,  1861 ;  disch. 

exp.  of  term. 
William  J.  Althouse,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  March  9,  1864. 
Amos  Antrim,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp.  of 

term. 
Samuel  O.  Allen,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
Jacob  J.  Amidon,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
Daniel  D.  Armel,  must,  in  March  6,  1864;  died  at 


City  Point,  Va.,  June  29,  1864,  of  wounds  re- 
ceived at  Petersburg. 
Samuel  J.  Armstrong,  must,  in  Sept.  24. 1861. 
Charles   Andrews,  must,  in   Jan.   7,    1864;   not    on 

muster-out  roll. 
Edward  H.  Barker,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864. 
Jacob  Boas,  must,  in  Jan.  29,  1864. 
Daniel  F.  Bressler,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864. 
Leonard  Bollman,  must,  in  March  5,  1864;  veteran. 
Louis  P.  Bogid,  must,  in  March  8,  1864. 
William  W.  Bowers,  must,  in  Feb.  2,  1864. 
Wellington  Bertolet,  must,  in  March  3,  1864. 
Benneville  Bertolet,  must,  in  Feb.  2,  1864. 
Anthony  B.  Bitting,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864;  veteran. 
Horace  D.  Boone,  must,  in  Feb.  3,  1864. 
William  F.  Bracefield,  must,  in  Sept.  5,  1864. 
William  R.  Bayne,  must,  in  Sept.  5,  1864. 
Nathan  Barlot,  must,  in  Aug.  16,  1864. 
John  Byle,  must,  in  Aug.  16,  1864. 
Henry  Barst,  must,  in  Sept.  9,  1864. 
Alexander  Bauer,  must,  in  Sept.  21,  1864;  substitute. 
Edward  Boyle,  must,  in  March  21,  1864. 
Harrison  G.  Bouse,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 :  veteran. 
Frederick  W.  Berg,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  veteran. 
Stephen  D.  Bechert,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch., 

exp.  of  term. 
Valentine  G.  Bissey,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch., 

exp.  of  term. 
Valentine  Bloomer,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch., 

exp.  of  term. 
Thomas  L.  Breese,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch., 

exp  of  term. 
James  Bissey,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp.  of 

term. 
Henry  L.  Buck,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
Har.  Breidigham.  must,  in  Jan.  29,  1864 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  May  19,  1865. 
George  Barton,  must  in  Sept.  24,  1861;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  April  3,  1862. 
William  Beck,  must,  in  April  22, 1861 ;  disch.,  exp.  of 
term. 

Israel  0.  Beagle,  must,  in  April  22,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 
of  term. 

Onatus  D.  Bump,  must,  in  April  19, 1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
William  H.  Brown,  must,  in  April  22,  1861 ;  disch., 

exp.  of  term. 

James  Buchanan,  must,  in  Oct.  18,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 
of  term. 

George  Bluch,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  died  at  Fred- 
ericksburg, Va.,  July  9,  1862. 

Samuel  O.  Burdan,  must  in  Sept.  24,  1861;  died  at 
Memphis,  Tenn.,  Aug.  19, 1863. 

James  H.  Burnett. 

George  Barhide,  must,  in  Jan.  29,  1864;  not  on 
muster-out  roll. 

Wei.  F.  Clouser,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  wounded  at 
Petersburg,  Va.,  July  30,  1864;  veteran. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


279 


Joseph  M.  Cuffel,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861  ;  veteran. 

William  A.  Closson,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  veteran. 

John  Cuffel,  Jr.,  must,  in  Feb.  16,  1864. 

Stephen  A.  Craig,  must,  in  Aug.  24,  1864. 

William  H.  Cloak,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 

Asa  W.  Clark,  must,  in  Feb.  20,  1864. 

William  K.  Cleaver,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861;  disch., 

exp.  of  term. 
Henry  C.  Clymer,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
Robert  Crighton,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
Mark  M.  Caffery,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  June  3,  1862. 
Edward  Colby,   must,   in   Feb.    20,  1864;   trans,  to 

Naval  Academy,  date  unknown. 
Nicholas  Creamer,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Dec.  15,  1862. 
Thomas  Cummis,  must,  in  Sept.  9,  1864 ;  died  at  City 

Point,  Va.,  Dec.  17,  1864. 
William  Clouser,  must,  in   Sept.  24,  1861 ;   died  at 

Pleasant  Valley,  Md.,  Oct.  12,  1862. 
John  Cooney,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  died  at  Sny- 
der's Bluff,  Miss.,  Aug.  10,  1863. 
Joseph  Derflinger,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  veteran. 
William  Drexler,  must,  in  Jan.  30,  1864. 
Hugh  Duffy,  must,  in  Sept.  19,  1864. 
James  Dishong,  must,  in  Sept.  18,  1864;  drafted. 
Thomas  Donelly,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1864 ;  substitute. 
Solomon    Dunkelberger,    must,    in     Feb.    1,    1864; 

veteran. 
Aaron  Dease,  must,  in  Jan.  29,  1864. 
William  H.  Derr,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864. 
Cyrus  Davidheyser,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch., 

exp.  of  term. 
George  Douglass,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
William  Dunlap,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
Henry  Drostine,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

writ  of  habeas  corpus  Oct.  24,  1861. 
Robert  Doak,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861. 
Peter  Eyler,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864. 
Oliver  L.  Edes,  must,  in  March  22,  1864;  veteran. 
Adam  Eistlick,  must,  in  Sept.  5,  1865. 
Urias  Engle,  must,  in  Sept.  5,  1864;  disch.,  exp.  of 

term. 
Benjamin  F.  Edwards,  must,  in  May  16, 1861 ;  disch., 

exp.  of  term. 
John  L.  Everett,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  died  at 

Germantown,  Pa.,  May  8,  1865  ;  veteran. 
Christian   Eyler,  must,  in   Sept.  24,  1861;   died   at 

Washington,  D.  C,  Dec.  11,  1861. 
Levi  Eisenhoar,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861. 
Adam  Eichly,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864 ;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 
William  Fleming,  must,  in  Jan.  30,  1864. 
William  Fries,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1862. 


Adam  S.  Fisher,  must,  in  Feb.  2,  1864. 

Charles  E.  Frill,  must,  in  Jan.  29,  1864. 

William  Fink,  must,  in  Sept.  9, 1864. 

John  Foreman,  must,  in  July  15,  1864;  drafted. 

Gottlieb  Fageley,  must,  in  Sept.  21,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
Jacob  S.  Foster,  must,  in  Sept.  21,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
Jesse  D.  Foulke,  must,  in  Sept.  21,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
Jacob  Franks,  must,  in  Sept.  21,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp.  of 

term. 
Michael  Fry,  must,  in  Sept.  21,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp.  of 

term. 
Amos  Fies,  must,  in  Dec.  18,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp.  of 

term. 
Charles  A.  Faglely,  must,   in   Sept.  24,  1861;   died 

Aug.  19,  1863. 
John  Focht,  must,  in  Jan.  30,1864;  disch.  at  City 

Point,  Va.,  Sept.  17,  1864. 
William    H.    Frankem,    must,    in    Sept.   24,   1861  ; 

veteran. 
John  Ferguson,  must,  in  March  26, 1864;  not  on  mus- 
ter-out roll. 
John  Gunnels,  must,  in  Sept.  19,  1864 ;  drafted. 
Franklin  Gable,  must,  in  Feb.  24,  1864;  veteran. 
Johnson  Grandle,  must,  in  Jan.  29,  1864 ;  veteran. 
James  D.  Gabriel,  must,  in  Jan.  30,  1864. 
William  Graul,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1862. 
George  Graul,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864. 
Henry  Graul,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  veteran. 
Richard  L.  Garber,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch., 

exp.  of  term. 
Isaac  R.  Good,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp.  of 

term. 
Hiram  G.  Grove,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
William  G.  Ganster,  must,  in  Dec.  18,  18611;  disch. 

Jan.  6,  1865,  exp.  of  term. 
Mahlon  G.  Hill,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  veteran. 
Joseph  D.  Hughes,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861;  veteran. 
George    W.   Hagerman,    must,   in    Sept.    24,    1861 ; 

veteran. 
Edward  Hinkle,  must,  in  March  21,  1864. 
Henry  A.  Heichler,  must,  in  Feb.  3,  1864. 
James  Hafer,  must,  in  Jan.  30,  1864. 
Daniel  D.  Hart,  must,  in  March  17,  1864 ;  veteran. 
Reuben  G.  Herbine,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861. 
Henry  Hayrane,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
Henry  B.  Herring,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch., 

exp.  of  term. 
William  E.  Hill,  must,  in  Sept.  24.  1861 ;  disch.  on 

writ  of  habeas  corpus  Aug.  10,  1863. 
Alfred  B..  Hicks,  must,  in  May  16,  1861;  disch.,  exp. 

,.  of  term. 
John  Hanning,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861. 
Robert  Irwin,  must,  in  Jan.  29, 1864 ;  veteran. 


280 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Henry  B.  Ives,  must,  in  May  16, 1861 ;  diseh.  Feb.  19, 
1863,  for  wounds    received  at  White  Sulphur 
Springs,  Va.,  Nov.  18,  1862. 
Monroe  Jenkins,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
Samuel   Johnston,   must,  in   Sept.  24,  1861 ;   disch., 

exp.  of  term. 
John  B.  Jones,  must,  in  Sept.  26,  1861 ;  trans.,  date 

and  organization  unknown. 
Charles  Jones,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  died  at  Cov- 
ington, Ky.,  Sept.  12,  1863. 
Peter  Koch,  must,  in  Jan.  30,  1864. 
George  E.  Koch,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1864. 
Levi  H.  Knabb,  must,  in  Sept.  3,  1864. 
Charles  Kennedy,  must,  in  March  23, 1864. 
Milton  Knapp,  must,  in  Aug.  26,  1864. 
Jacob  Kolb,  must,  in  Aug.  26,  1864. 
William  Knight,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1864 ;  substitute. 
Robert  A.  Kerns,  must,  in  Sept.  19,  1864;  drafted. 
Anton  Kerfuss,  must,  in  Sept.  21,  1864;  substitute. 
Amos  Knabb,  must,  in  Sept.  21,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp.  of 

term. 
Isaac  S.  Knowles,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
George  L.  Knopp,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  May  20,  1863. 
Samuel  C.  Knox,  must,  in  May  16,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
George  F.  Ludwig,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  vet. 
Henry  Leidig,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  vet. 
John  H.  Lorah,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  vet. 
Oliver  C.  Leidy,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
Joseph  Lear,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp.  of 

term. 
Richard  L.  Lewis,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
♦'Henry  Lenhart,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
Lewis  N.  B.  Layton,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;    disch. 

Oct.  26,  1861. 
Henry  C.  Leigh,  must,  in  April  18,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
John  E.  Livengood,  must,  in  June  21,  1864;  not  on 

must.-out  roll. 
John  B.  Moser,  must,  in  Feb.  3,  1864 ;  vet. 
Peter  Mauger,  must,  in  Jan.  21,  1864. 
Jonas  Millard,  must,  in  Jan.  22,  1864. 
Jihn  Muller,  must,  in  March  28,  1864. 
Joseph  Moffat,  must,  in  Aug.  26,  1864. 
Robert  Murray,  must,  in  Aug.  26,  1864. 
Andrew  Maloney,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
Frederick  K.  Miller,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  vet. 
Henry  Miller,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
George  W.  Moyer,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch., 

exp.  of  term. 
Charles  N.  Mance,  must,  in  May   16,  1861 ;  disch. 

exp.  of  term. 


Michael  Messner,  must,  in  Jan.  29,  1864;  not  on 

must.-out  roll. 
George  D.  Morris,  must,  in   Jan.  29,  1864 ;  not  on 

must.-out  roll. 
Robert  McKiixley,  must,  in  Aug.  26,  1864. 
Richard  McConnell,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1864. 
Alexander  McKee,  must,  in  Aug.  26,  1864. 
Charles  H.  McCoy,  must,  in  Feb.  23,  1864. 
Ezra  McKinstry,    must,    in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;    disch., 

exp.  of  term. 
John  McChessney,  must,  in  April  23,  1861 ;  disch., 

exp.  of  term. 
Charles  W.  McCreary,  must,  in  Sept.  29,  1861 ;  disch., 

exp.  of  term. 
John  S.  McConnell,  must,  in  Jan.  30, 1864 ;  died  July 

21,  1864. 
John  P.  McQuiston,  must,  in  Feb.  29,  1864 ;  not  on 

must.-out  roll ;  vet. 
George  B.  W.  Neiman,  must,  in  Jan.  19,  1864. 
Daniel  D.  Noll,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
Joseph  H.  Ney,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
Ferdinand  Preeser,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864. 
Robert  J.  Pollard,  must,  in  March  8,  1864. 
Henry  Parton,  must,  in  Sept.  5,  1864. 
J.   Beatty   Price,   must,  in  Sept.    24,   1861 ;   died  at 

Mound  City,  111.,  Aug.  19,  1865. 
William  J.  Parke,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.  by 

G.  O.  July  25,  1865  ;  vet. 
John  Peck,  must,  in  Sept.  19,  1864;  drafted;  disch. 

by  G.  O.  July  13,  1865. 
Samuel  F.  Quinter,  must,  in  Sept.  12,  1862. 
W.  H.  Quaintance,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Oct.  26,  1862. 
John  W.  Ringler,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864. 
Henry  S.   Rogers,  must,  in  Jan.  29,  1864;  wounded 

at  Petersburg,  Va.,  June  25,  1864;  vet. 
Henry  Rambo,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864. 
Nicholas  Ribb,  must,  in  Feb.  20,  1864. 
John  F.  Ruth,  must,  in  Jan.  29,  1864. 
James  Reid,  must,  in  Aug.  26,  1864. 
John  Robinson,  must,  in  Sept.  27,  1864;  sub. 
Amandus  Rhoads,  must,  in  Sept.  19,  1864. 
Harrison  K.  Rhoads,  must,  in  Sept.  24.  1861 ;  vet. 
Henry  Y.   Rauh,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861;  vet. 
John  M.  Rich,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  March  7,  1863. 
James  S.  Rich,  must.  in.  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 

Charles  Reighling,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  died  at 
Memphis,  Tenn.,  Aug.  15,  1863. 

John  Reightmoyer,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  died  at 
Annapolis,  Md.,  April  10,  1864. 

Albert  Reider,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  died  at  Mem- 
phis, Tenn.,  Aug.  16,  1863. 

Ludwig  Rollhausen,  must,  in  March  26,  1864;  not  on 
muster-out  roll. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


281 


William  Ryan,  must,  in  March  7, 1864;  not  on  must.- 

out  roll. 
Isaac  C.  Stenner,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  vet. 
Henry  C.  Stahler,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861;  vet. 
Joseph  Shunk,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864. 
Henry  N.  Schwartz,  must,  in  Jan.  29,  1864. 
Thomas  Shipley,  must,  in  March  8,  1864. 
J.  Davis  Sisler,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1864. 
Joseph  D.  Shadt,  must,  in  Aug.  20,  1864. 
Henry  Slichter,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
Isaiah  Sellers,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
Martin  H.  Smith,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
Henry  Seagrist,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
Patrick  Scanlan,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
John  C.  Schmidt,  must  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.  May 

1,  1862. 
John  C.  Sherwood,  must,  in  Sept.  24, 1861 ;  died  Aug. 

20,  1863,  from  wounds  received  at  Antietam,  Md., 

Sept.  17,  1862. 
John  L.  Smith,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  died  Oct.  26, 

1862. 
Jacob  H.  Schaeffer,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  died  at 

Washington,  D.  C,  Dec.  8,  1861. 
George  H.  Schwenk,  must,  in  Jan.  25,  1864;  died  at 

Peeble's  Farm,  Va.,  Oct.  18,  1864. 
John  Smith,  must,  in  March  26,  1864 ;  not  on  must.- 

out  roll. 
Samuel  A.  Tobias,  must,  in  Sept.  1,  1864. 
Levi  Thomas,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  vet. 
James  Thompson,  must,  in  Sept.  27, 1864 ;  sub. 
Nathan  Thomas,  must,  in  May  16,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
Taylor,  William,   must,   in   March   7,   1864 ;  not  on 

must. -out  roll. 

Jacob  Ulmer,  must.. in  Aug.  23,  1864. 
•  Silas  C.  Van  Patten,  must,  in  March  23,  1864 ;  trans, 
to  134th  Regt.  N.  Y.  Vols.,  date  unknown. 

Charles  P.  Weisig,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  vet. 

Henry  Wensel,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864. 

James  Warr,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864. 

Dillman  Worley,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864. 

David  Walters,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864. 

John  Wolf,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864;  vet. 

Henry  Waltman,  must,  in  Sept.  19,  1864;  drafted. 

George  Williams,  must,  in  Aug.  25,  1864. 

George  Weaver,  must,  in  Sept.  5,  1864. 

Charles  Weaver,  must,  in  Sept.  5, 1864. 

Emanuel  Wolf,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
Edward  H.  White,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861 ;  disch., 

exp.  of  term. 
William  J.  Wealthy,  must,  in  Sept.  24,  1861;  disch., 

exp.  of  term. 


James  Wright,  must,  in  June  13,  1864 ;  not  on  muat.- 

out  roll. 
Eli  Yeager,  must,  in  Aug.  25,  1864. 
Francis  E.  Yocum,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864. 
Edmund  S.  Yoder,  must,  in  May  1, 1862  ;  disch.,  exp. 

of  term. 
John  S.  Zellers,  must,  in  Feb.  1,  1864. 
Franklin  A.  Zellers,  must,  in  Jan.  16,  1864 ;  died  at 

Wernersville,  Pa.,  March  12,  1865. 

Captain  Ceoege  W.  Dtjeell  was  born  at 
Wilmington,  Del.,  on  November  25,  1816. 
He  learned  his  trade  of  painter  at  Philadel- 
phia, and  then  removed  to  Reading,  finding 
employment  with  the  Philadelphia  and  Read- 
ing Railroad  Company.  After  serving  for 
several  years,  he  was  elevated  to  be  foreman 
painter,  and  continued  in  this  position  till  he 
enlisted  in  the  Civil  War. 

In  April,  1861,  he  was  mustered  into  ser- 
vice with  the  Ringgold  Light  Artillery  as  first 
sergeant,  for  three  months.  Afterward  he 
raised  an  independent  battery  of  artillery, 
which  was  mustered  into  service  September 
21,  1861,  as  Durell's  Independent  Battery  D. 
He  was  commissioned  captain,  and  continued 
in  active  service  till  September  23,  1864,  when 
he  was  obliged  to  resign  his  commission  on 
account  of  sickness.  Upon  his  return  home, 
he  was  appointed  provost-marshal  of  this  dis- 
trict, and  served  this  office  till  it  was  discon- 
tinued. He  then  resumed  painting  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad 
Company,  as  foreman.  He  died  November  9, 
1883.  He  was  an  ardent  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, and  in  religious  belief  a  devoted  Baptist. 
He  took  an  active  interest  in  the  Odd-Fellows 
and  Masons.  He  possessed  a  fine  musical  edu- 
cation, having  been  a  superior  tenor  singer. 
In  his  associations  he  was  very  highly  esteemed. 

NINE    MONTHS'    SEEVICE. 

The  following  volunteer  companies  from 
Berks  County  were  enlisted  in  the  nine 
months'  service : 

Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth 
Regiment,  Captain  L.  Heber  Smith. 

Company  B,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth 
Regiment,  Captain  William  McNall. 

Company  E,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth 
Regiment,  Captain  William  H.  Andrews. 


282 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth 
Regiment,  Captain  John  Kennedy. 

Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth 
Regiment,  Captain  Richard  H.  Jones. 

Company  K,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth 
Regiment,  Captain  George  Newkirk. 

Company  E,  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-first  Regi- 
ment, Captain  Jacob  S.  GraefF. 

Company  G,  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-first  Regi- 
ment, Captain  Levi  M.  Gerhart. 

Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-first  Regi- 
ment, Captain  William  K.  Boltz. 

Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-first  Regi- 
ment, Captain  William  L.  Gray. 

Company  K,  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-first  Regi- 
ment, Captain  James  W.  Weida. 

ONE  HUNDRED  AND  TWENTY -EIGHTH  REGIMENT. 

This  regiment  was  recruited  in  response  to 
the  proclamation  of  the  Governor  calling  for 
troops  to  serve  for  nine  months,  issued  July 
21,  1862.  Companies  A,  B,  E,  H,  I  and  K 
were  recruited  in  Berks  County.  The  regiment 
rendezvoused  at  Camp  Curtin,  and  was  there 
mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States 
from  the  13th  to  the  15th  of  August.  The 
majority  of  the  regimental  officers  were  selected 
from  the  companies  named.  On  the  16th  of 
August  it  was  ordered  to  Washington,  moving 
under  the  command  of  Captain  William  H. 
Andrews,  of  Company  E,  because  no  officers  had 
been  as  yet  commissioned.  Soon  after  its  arrival 
at  the  capital  it  crossed  the  Potomac,  arid  was 
encamped  on  Arlington  Heights  for  a  week.  On 
the  21st  it  moved  to  Fairfax  Seminary,  and  on 
the  29th  to  Fort  Woodbury,  where  for  a  week — 
during  the  fierce  fighting  at  Bull  Run  and 
Chantilly — it  was  incessantly  engaged  in  felling 
timber  and  erecting  fortifications.  In  this  time 
Captain  Samuel  Croasdale,  of  Bucks  County, 
had  been  appointed  colonel  and  the  staff  selected. 

On  September  6th  the  regiment,  in  light 
marching  order,  recrossed  the  Potomac  and 
entered  upon  the  Maryland  campaign.  At 
Frederick  City,  on  the  14th,  it  was  assigned  to 
Crawford's  brigade,  of  Williams'  division,  Mans- 
field's corps.  The  command,  moving  forward 
rapidly,  arrived  in  front  of  South  Mountain  by 
evening,  where  it  was  held  in  position  during 
the  night  in  expectation  of  a  renewal  of  the 
battle.  But  the  enemy  retired,  and  late  in  the 
evening  of  the  16th  it  arrived   at  Antietam 


Creek.  At  eleven  p.m.  of  same  evening  it  was 
led  across  the  stream  to  the  support  of  Hooker's 
troops,  and  at  two  a.m.  on  the  1 7th  it  bivouacked 
in  a  ploughed  field  close  to  the  hostile  lines. 
At  early  dawn  the  battle  opened,  and  the  brigade 
was  immediately  advanced  in  close  column.  At 
half-past  six  a.m.  the  regiment  was  ordered  into 
the  fight,  and  it  made  a  most  gallant  charge 
through  the  wood  and  into  the  memorable  corn- 
field  where  the  enemy  lay  concealed.  Unfor- 
tunately the  charge  was  made  by  the  flank,  anil 
before  the  regiment  could  be  formed  into  line 
the  fire  of  the  enemy  had  become  very  hot. 
Colonel  Croasdale  was  instantly  killed  while  in 
the  act  of  giving  orders  and  bringing  his  com- 
mand into  position  ;  and  soon  afterward  Lieut- 
enant-Colonel  Hamersley  was  severely  wounded 
and  borne  from  the  field.  This  caused  the  men 
to  fall  into  confusion  for  a  time,  but  being  soon 
restored  to  order,  the  command  then  held  the 
ground  where  the  struggle  had  been  most  des- 
perate, and  where  the  regiment  had  lost  some 
of  its  bravest  and  best  men,  and  was  afterward 
relieved,  when  it  rested  on  the  field  until  night- 
fall. The  loss  was  thirty-four  killed  and  eighty- 
five  wounded,  of  whom  six  died  subsequently  of 
their  wounds.  Captain  William  H.  Andrews 
was  among  the  killed,  he  having  in  the  fight 
exhibited  the  most  daring  courage.  After  the 
battle  the  regiment  was  encamped  at  Sandy 
Hook,  and  afterward  on  Maryland  Heights, 
being  employed  at  the  latter  place  in  construct- 
ing fortifications.  Much  needed  clothing  was 
obtained  here,  and  Major  Wanner  resigned  to 
resume  the  duties  of  his  office  as  mayor  of 
Reading,  he  having  left  to  assist  in  recruiting 
this  regiment.  Major  Matthews  was  com- 
missioned as  colonel  and  Captain  Dyer  as  major. 
The  regiment  was  then  thoroughly  drilled.  On 
December  16th  it  arrived  at  Neabsco  River, 
where  it  halted,  and  on  the  17th  it  turned  back 
to  Fairfax  Station.  With  the  exception  of  some 
toilsome  marching  after  Stuart's  cavalry  on  the 
28th,  it  remained  in  camp  until  January  19, 
1863,  when  it  proceeded  to  Stafford  Court- 
House,  and  went  into  winter-quarters,  doing 
guard  and  picket  duty  till  the  opening  of  the 
spring  campaign,  under  Hooker.  Captain  L. 
Heber  Smith  was  here  commissioned  to  succeed 


THE  CIVIL  WAR, 


283 


Hamersley  as  lieutenant-colonel,  on  account  of 
Haniersley's  permanent  disability  from  wounds 
received  at  Antietam.  On  May  1st  the  brigade 
was  ordered  to  intrench  on  the  plank-road 
leading  through  the  Wilderness,  and  later  in 
day  the  regiment  was  moved  out  to  the  United 
States  Ford  to  open  the  way  over  the  Rappahan- 
nock, but  returned  to  the  intrenchments  at  even- 
ing. During  the  night  it  was  ordered  out  to 
the  fort.  There  it  remained  until  morning,  and 
during  the  day  participated  in  the  fighting  upon 
the  left  centre.  At  evening  the  enemy  succeeded 
in  breaking  the  right  wing  of  the  army,  and, 
coming  in  upon  the  flank,  occupied  the  Union 
works.  The  night  was  very  dark,  and  in  re- 
tiring to  its  original  line  the  regiment  suddenly 
found  itself  surrounded  by  the  enemy.  Colonel 
Matthews,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Smith,  Captains 
McNall,  Newkirk,  Jones,  Yeager  and  Huber, 
Lieutenants  Obold  and  Anthony,  and  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty- five  non-commissioned  officers 
and  men  were  taken  prisoners  and  marched  to 
Richmond.  The  remainder  of  the  regiment, 
under  the  command  of  Captain  Kennedy,  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  its  position  in  the  line  which 
it  held  with  the  utmost  tenacity,  in  spite  of  the 
battle  raging  on  this  part  of  the  field  with  great 
violence.  It  lost  Captain  Richards  and  a  num- 
ber of  men  wounded.  On  the  afternoon  of  May 
3d  the  brigade  was  ordered  to  the  rear  as  a 
guard  to  prisoners,  on  account  of  having  suffered 
severely  during  the  preceding  two  days,  and 
crossed  the  Rappahannock  at  United  States  Ford, 
but  in  a  few  hours  afterwards  was  ordered  to 
return  and  again  summoned  to  the  front.  At 
the  close  of  the  battle  the  regiment,  reduced  to 
one  hundred  and  seventy-two  men,  returned  to 
Stafford  Court-House.  Its  term  of  service  having 
expired,  it  was  relieved  from  duty  on  May  12th, 
when  it  proceeded  to  Harrisburg,  and  there  it 
was  mustered  out  of  service  on  May  19th.  The 
officers  and  men  who  had  been  taken  prisoners 
were  held  in  captivity  only  a  short  time.  They 
returned  in  time  to  be  mustered  out  of  service 
with  the  regiment.  Upon  its  return  to  Reading 
it  was  honorably  received  by  the  authorities 
and  citizens,  and  then  it  disbanded. 

Field  and  Staff  Officers. 
Samuel  Craasdale,  col.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862;  pro. 


from  capt.  Co.  C  Aug.  25,  1862 ;  killed  at  Antie- 
tam, Mc1.,  Sept.  17,  1862. 
Joseph   A.  Mathews,  col.,   must,  in  Sept.  27,  1861; 

pro.  frommaj.  46th  Regt.  P.  V.  Nov.  1,  1862; 

captured  at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863; 

disch.  May  25,  to  date  May  19,  1863. 
W.  W.  Hamersley,  lieut.-col.,  must,  in  Aug.  14, 1862 ; 

pro.  from  capt.  Co.  G  Aug.  25,  1862 ;  wounded 

at  Antietam,  Md.  Sept.  17,  1S62  ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Jan.  31,  1863. 
L.  Heber  Smith,  lieut.-col.,  must,  in  Aug.  16,  1862; 

pro.  from   capt.  Co.  A  Sept.  I,   1863;  captured 

at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863;  disch.,  to 

date  May  19,  1863. 
Joel  B.  Wanner,  maj.,  mu4.  in  Aug.  25,  1862;  re- 
signed Nov.  29,  1862. 
Cephas  W.  Dyer,  maj.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  pro. 

from  capt.  Co.  C  Dec.   1,  1862 ;  must,  out  with 

regiment  May  19,  1863- 
James  H.  Gentzler,  adj.,  must,  in  Aug.  16,  1862 ;  pro. 

from  2d  lieut.  Co.  E  Aug.  25,  1862 ;  must,  out 

with  regiment  May  19,  1863. 
Abel  Mishler,  q.m.,must.  in  Aug.  15, 1862  ;  pro.  from 

2d  lieut.  Co.  H  Sept.  6,  1862;  must,  out  with 

regiment  May  19,  1863. 
A.  W.  Mathews,  surg.,  must,  in  Nov.  6,  1862  ;  must. 

out  with  regiment  May  19,  1863. 
Theo.  A.  Helnig,  asst.  surg.,  must,  in  Aug.  19,  1862 

must,  out  with  regiment  May  19, 1863. 
John  B.  Potteiger,  asst.  surg.,  must,  in  Aug.  30',  1862 

resigned  Jan.  6,  1863. 
J.  H.  Kauffman,  asst.  surg.,  must,  in  March  20,  1863 

must,  out  with  regiment  May  19,  1863. 
J.  Frederick  Whitman,  sergt.-maj.,  must,  in  Aug.  14, 

1862 ;  pro.  from  1st  sergt.  Co.  B  Jan.  1,  1863  ; 

must,  out  with  regiment  May  19,  1863. 
James  M.  Anthony,  sergt.-maj.,   must,  in  Aug.  15, 

1862  ;  pro.  from  sergt.  Co.  I  Aug.  25,  1862  ;  to  2J 

lieut.  Co.  K  Jan.  1,  1863. 
George  B.  Kerper,  q.m.-sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862  ; 

pro.  from  priv.  Co.  A  Aug.  25,  1862;  must,  out 

with  regiment  May  19,  1863. 
John  A.  Buch,   com. -sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ; 

pro.  from  priv.   Co.  E  Sept.  1,  1862 ;  must,  out 

with  regiment  May  19, 1863. 
M.    E.  Hornbeck,  hos.  St.,  must,  in  Sept.  4,  1862; 

must,  out  with  regiment  May  19,  1863. 

Company  A. — This  company  was  recruited 
in  Berks  County,  and  unless  otherwise  stated, 
the  men  were  mustered  out  May  19,  1863. 
L.  Heber  Smith,  capt.,  must,  in  Aug.  16,  1862  ;  pro. 

to  lieut.-col.  Feb.  1,  1863. 
F.  E.  Schmucker,  capt.,  must,  in  Aug.  16,  1862;  pro. 

from  1st  lieut.  Feb.  1,  1863. 
Jos.  H.  McKnight,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  16,  1862; 

pro.  from  2d  lieut.  Feb.  1,  1863. 
George  Vandersyde,   2d    lieut.,   must,   in  Aug.   10, 

1862  ;  pro.  from  1st  sergt.  Feb.  1, 1863. 


284 


HISTOEY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Frank  B.  Kern,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862 ; 

pro.  from  sergt.  Feb.  1,  1863. 
Oliver  P.  Hause,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 
Allen  Kutz,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 
M.  E.  Morris,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862 ;  pro. 

from  corp.  Feb.  1,  1863. 
Henry  C.  Beard,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  10.  1862. 
John  M.  Barclay,  Corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 
William  M.  Eogers,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 
Joseph  M.  Jackson,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 
Milton  J.  Schaeffer,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 
J.  Henry  Wells,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  Nov.  1, 1862. 
F.  Marion  Jones,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Augustus  Snyder,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862  ;  pro. 

to  corp.  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Jacob  L.  Repplier,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 
Joseph  Gabriel,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  10, 1862 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  Jan.  14,  1863. 
John  F.  Siegel,  musician,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 
George  W.  Potter,  musician,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862 ; 

killed  at  Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17,  1862. 

Privates. 

GeorgeAuman,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862.         • 

Amos  Boyer,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

George  H.  Brinley,  mu.4.  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Daniel  Brumbach,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Peter  Binsstar,  must,  in  Aug.  10,4862. 

Charles  L.  Buck,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

James  M.  Burger,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

William  Cadwalader,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Franklin  Cleaver,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

George  Clingman,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

E.  W.  Dehaven,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Charles  Dehart,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

George  M.  Detterlin,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862  ;  missing 

in  action  at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
William  Dicely,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862;  missing  in 

action  at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
James  M.  Ellis,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 
Samuel  Englehart,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 
William  Epler,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 
Henry  A.  Firing,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 
James  Fleming,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 
Frederick  G.  Fregh,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 
Jacob  B.  Fretz,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 
Edward  B.  Grass,  must,  in  Aug.  10, 1862;  missing  in 

action  at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
Jacob  L.  Griffith,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Feb.  4,  1863. 
Samuel  N.  Hartranf't,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 
George  E.  Haak,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 
John  Hall,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 
David  Herbien,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 
Daniel  Hertzog,  must,  in  Aug,  10,  1862. 
John  Hoffman,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 
Franklin  Hole,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 


Elam  D.  Hook,  must,  in  Aug.  10, 1862. 

Mahlon  Houck,  must,  in  Aug.  10, 1862. 

Henry  Hole,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862;  died  at  Phila- 
delphia, Pa.,  Feb.  8,  1863. 

David  K.  Irey,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

James  B.  A.  Irwin,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Lewis  H.  Ingram,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.  Nov.  18,  1862. 

James  Johnston,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Luther  B.  Kline,  must,  in  Aug.  10, 1862. 

Thomas  Kurtz,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

George  Kerper,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862;  pro.  to  q.m.- 
sergt.  Aug.  25,  1862. 

Edwin  Kennedy,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

William  Kline,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1802;  killed  at  An- 
tietam, Md.,  Sept.  17,  1862: 

Peter  L.  Leas,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

William  Levan,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

John  H.  Lorah,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Franklin  Ludwig,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Jerome  Ludwig,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862;  missing  in 
action  at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

Levi  Marks,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

William  Mattus,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Benjamin  Millard,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Isaac  N.  Millard,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Levi  Moyer,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Frederick  Mostler,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862  ;  died  at 
Douglassville,  Pa.,  May  1,  1863. 

Benjamin  F.  Neiman,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

William  R.  Nine,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Clemson  Phillips,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Levi  B.  Pott,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Jeremiah  H.  Pile,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862;  killed  at 
Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17,  1862. 

Charles  Rochtackle,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

William  C.  Beinstine,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Joseph  W.  Richards,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Samuel  H.  Ronig,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

George  W.  Rot,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Thomas  Sands,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Jacob  Schover,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

John  B.  Searles,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Irenaus  Shalter,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

George  Shingle,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Jacob  Spotts,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862 ;  wounded  at 
Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17,  1862 ;  absent,  in  hos- 
pital, at  muster  out. 

William  H.  Stonemetz,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862 ;  died 
at  Stafford  Court-House,  Va.,  March  3,  1863. 

James  Thomson,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

John  White,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Benjamin  F.  Whitman,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

David  H.  Wise,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

William.  H.  Wise,  must,  in  Aug.  10, 1862 ;  absent,  sick, 
at  muster  out. 

Evan  E.  Woodward,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

John  H.  Yorgy,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Samuel  Zaeharias,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR 


285 


Amos  K.  Zeller,  must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862. 

Company  B. — This  company  was  recruited 
at  Reading,  and  mustered  out  May  19,  1863, 
unless  otherwise  stated. 

William  McNall,  capt.,  must,  in  Aug.  17,  1862 ;  cap- 
tured at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

W.  M.  Eisenhauer,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  17,  1862. 

Michael  Hasson,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  17,  1862. 

Thomas  Reilley,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ; 
pro.  from  sergt.  Jan.  1,  1862. 

James  Eisenhauer,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 

Augustus  Graf,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862  ;  cap- 
tured at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

Samuel  K.  Clark,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862;  pro. 
from  corp.  Feb.  4,  1863. 

Jacob  Finkbone,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ;  pro. 
from  corp.  Feb.  1,  1863;  captured  at  Chancellors- 
ville, Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

Samuel  Parvin,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ;  disch. 
on  surg.  certif.  Feb.  4,  1863. 

J.  Frederick  Whiteman,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  14, 
1862;  pro.  to  sergt.-maj.  Jan.  16,  1862. 

Charles  E.  Fichthorn,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 

G.'orge  W.  McMichael,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 

Israel  B.  Sillaman,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.14,  1862. 

J'lhn  A.  Kissinger,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 

Henry  C.  Diehl,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862  ;  pro. 
to  corp.  Jan.  1,  1863. 

John  Haberacker,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ; 
pro.  to  corp.  Jan.  10,  1863. 

Harrison  Lewis,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  14, 1862  ;  pro. 
to  corp.  Feb.  4,  1863. 

Henry  R.  Reinhart,  Corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862; 
pro.  to  corp.  Feb.  4,  1863. 

Richard  Warner,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  14, 1862  ;  disch. 
Feb.  4,  1863,  for  wounds  received  in  action. 

George  McKinney,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  14, 1862 ;  disch. 
Nov.  29,  1862,  for  wounds  received  in  action. 

Peter  Benson,  mus.,  must,  in  Aug.  16,  1862. 

George  W.  Young,  mus.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 

Privates. 

Anthony  Bitting,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 

Daniel  Birch,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ;    captured   at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
Edward   Bearsler,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862  ;    captured 

at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
Chester  K.  Belding,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
John  Bowers,  must,  in  Aug.  14, 1862  ;  disch.  April  28, 

1863,  for  wounds  received  in  action. 
George  Coxell,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
James  Coxell,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
John  L.  Callaghan,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862  ;  captured 

at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
Jacob  Dunkle,  must,  in  Aug.  16,  1862. 
William  Eyler,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Oliver  L.  Edes,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 


Charles  Eisenhaur,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862  ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Feb.  12,  1863. 
Henry  J.  Fink,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Daniel  Finkbone,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ;    disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  April  24,  1863. 
Joseph  P.  Green,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862  ;  captured  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3, 1863. 
George  Gans,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Michael  A.  Hasson,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862  ;  captured 

at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
H.  Hennershitzs,  must  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Wesley  Horning,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Samuel  Hauck,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Robert  Harris,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862  ;    died  Oct.  12, 
of  wounds  received  at  Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17, 
1862;    buried   in  National  Cemetery,  section  26, 
lot  C,  grave  240. 
Franklin  Harbach,  must,  in  Aug.  14, 1862. 
William  F.Hain,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
David  Heifer,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862  ;    captured  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
Henry  Hossler,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Samuel  Hanley,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ;  captured  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3, 1863. 
George  Hassinger,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862  ;    captured 

at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
George  H  Homan,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
H.  C.  Haberacker,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ;  killed  at 

Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17, 1862. 
Jeremiah  Jacoby,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
John  N.  Kline,  must,  in  Aug.  14, 1862. 
William  Lacy,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862  ;    captured  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
Ezra  S.  Leinbach,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862  ;    captured 

at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
Milton  Mengle,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
John  Michael,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
George  Marks,  must,  in  Aug.  14, 1862. 
Lawrence  Miller,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
George  McFarlen,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Bar'y  McConlough,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862;  captured 

at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3, 1863. 
Balser  F.  Nagle,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Daniel  Owens,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
John   Parvin,  must,  in    Aug.  14,  1862;    captured  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
Thomas  H.  Polglase,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
John  M.  Roney,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Jacob  Riugler,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Benton  C.  Reamer,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Franklin  Rhoads,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Henry  Rowe,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Luther  Reedy,  must,  in  Aug,  14,  1862  ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Dec.  19,  1862. 
John  Seiders,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Henry  Seiders,  must,  in   Aug.  14,  1862 ;  captured  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
George  S.  Saylor,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ;  captured 
at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 


286 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Henry  Shilt,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 

John  M.  Seltzer,  must,  in  Aug.  14, 1862 ;  captured  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
John  S.  Sehaffer,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Jeremiah  Smith,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ;  captured  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
Henry  Schmeck,  must,  in  Aug-  14,  1862. 
George  Sassaman,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
John  Sclilosser,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
William  Tarbit,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Augustus  Trexler,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Lyman  H.  Wilson,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
George  Weber,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  18C2. 
John  Weidner,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Samuel  Weidner,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
John  Wesley,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Lemon  Young,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Daniel  Yohn,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Isaac  L.  Yohn,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Mark  Yager,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Edward  Yoe,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 

Company  E. — This  company  was  recruited 
at  Reading.  Unless  otherwise  stated,  the  men 
were  mustered  out  May  19,  1863. 

William  H.  Andrews,  capt.,  must,  in  Aug.  16,  1862; 

killed  at  Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17, 1862. 
Thomas  M.  Richards,  capt.,  must,  in   Aug.  14,  1862 ; 

pro.  from  1st  lieut.  Sept.  18,  1862 ;  wounded  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2, 1863. 
Charles  Rick,  Jr.,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ; 

pro.  from  1st  sergt.  to  2d  lieut.  Aug.  25,  1862  ;  to 

1st  lieut.  Sept.  18, 1862. 
James  H.  Gentzler,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  14, 1862 ; 

pro.  to  adjt.  Aug.  25, 1862. 
Thomas  T.  Eyrich,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862  ; 

pro.  from  sergt.  Sept.  18,  1862. 
John  L.  Snell,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  14, 1862 ;  pro. 

from  sergt.  Sept.  18,  1862. 
William  C.  Eben,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862  ; 

died  Sept.   20  of  wounds  received  at  Antietam, 

Md.,  Sept.  17,  1862. 
Wilson  Sterling,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ;  pro. 

from  corp.  Aug.  25,  1862. 
Reuben  Burkert,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862;  pro. 

to  corp.  Aug.  25, 1862 ;  to  sergt.  March  1, 1863. 
Henry  Siegfried,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ;  pro. 

from  corp.  Sept.  14,  1862. 
Aaron  Arnold,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  Feb.  13,  1863. 
William   H.  Koch,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,    1862 ; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.  April  13,  1863. 
Henry  Clemens,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Samuel   Paff,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ;  pro.  to 

corp.  Sept.  18,  1862  ;  missing  in  action  at  Chan- 
cellorsville, Va.,  May  2,  1863. 
E.  G.  Gattschall,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  Sept.  18, 1862. 


Joseph  Becker,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  14, 1862  ;  pro.  to 

corp.  Sept.  18,  1862. 
Alfred  Franks,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862;  pro.  to 

corp.  Sept.  18,  1862. 
Henry  Dease,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ;  pro.  to 

corp.  Jan.  1,  1863. 
D.  Brooke  Roberts,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  14, 1862  ;  pro. 

to  corp.  Jan.  1, 1863. 
Thomas  M.  O'Brien,  Jr.,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  14, 1862 ; 

pro.  to  corp.  March  1, 1863. 
William  Bonchat,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  14, 1862 ;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  Dec.  31,  1862. 
Isaac  Leeds,  corp.,   must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862;  died  at 

Harrisburg,  Pa.,  Oct.  30,  1862. 
Francis  C.  Rhode,  musician,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Edward  C.  Eben,  musician,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 

Privates. 
Joseph  L.  Ayres,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Samuel    Adams,   must,    in   Aug.    14,  1862;    died  at 

Reading,  Pa.,  Oct.  22,  1862. 
James  R.  Boyer,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Lemon  Buch,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Frederick  Brown,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Van  R.  Barnhart,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
James  A.  Benade,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ;  disch.  by 

Special  Order  Oct.  9,  1862. 
Nicholas  L.  Becker,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ;  disch, 

on  surg.  certif.  Dec.  3,  1862. 
Daniel  Beyler,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862  ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  March  25,  1863. 
John  A.  Buch,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862  ;  pro.  to  com. 

sergt.  Sept.  1,  1862. 
Thomas  E.  Boone,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862  ;  died  at 

Harper's  Ferry,  Va.,  Oct.  22,  1862. 
Frank  Cannon,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Henry  C.  Care,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
George  W.  Clark,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Amos  Dease,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
William  Diefenbach,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Lewis  Diefenbach,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862  ;  killed  at 

Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17,  1862. 
Matthias    Dunkle,  must,  in    Aug.  14,  1862 ;  died  at 

Stafford  C.  H.,  Va.,  April  1,  1863. 
George  B.  De  Hart,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
S.  C.  Ermentrout,  must,  in    Aug.  14,  1862. 
Jacob  Ely,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
David  Fleck,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1832. 
John  Faber,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Frank  Gable,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Clinton  M.  Graul,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Lewis  Gable,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Peter  Geiger,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
A.  H.  Goodenough,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
George  Graeff,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Joseph  Gable,  must,  in  Aug.  14, 1862  ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  March  25, 1863. 
James  L.  Hess,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Hiram  Hafer,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


287 


John  Hess,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 

Jacob  Hull,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 

Henry  C.  Homan,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862  ;  disch.  on* 

Burg,  certif.  April  25, 1863. 
George  Jacobs,  Jr.,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Joseph  E.  Kancher,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Jacob  Kline,  must,  in   Aug.  14,   1862 ;    wounded   at 
Chancellorsville,  Va.,   May  3,  1863 ;   absent,  in 
hospital,  at  muster  out. 
Reuben  Koch,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
AVilliam  H.  Longacre,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Reuben  Lingle,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
John  Lutz,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
"William  Liber,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Edmund  Leaf,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
James  E.  Moore,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
George  A.  Masseno,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
George  Merget,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
William  Mason,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Bently  H.  Miller,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Henry  Maderia,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Jacob  A.  Miller,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862! 
Daniel  F.  Moore,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
John  D.  Miller,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862;  missing  in 

action  at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 
Benjamin  S.  Oster,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Frederick  Peck,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Harrison  Peck,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
William  Printz,  must,  in  Aug.  14, 1862. 
William  M.  Reiff,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
M.  J.  B.  Ruth,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Wra.   K.  Reifsnyder,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ;   died 
Sept.  28,  of  wounds  received  at  Antietam,  Md., 
Sept.  17,  1862. 
Rufus  Spohn,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Thomas  Sassaman,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
William  Seigfried,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
John  D.  Stieff,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Nicholas  Seitzinger,  mu<t.  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Henry  C.  Smith,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Monroe  M.  Stephen,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Henry  Schmeck,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Jan.  6,  1863. 
Jacob  Tippett,  must,   in  Aug.  14,  1862;   missing  in 

action  at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 
Franklin  Thomas,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862;  discb.  on 

surg.  certif.  Dec.  31,  1862. 
William  Ulrich,  mus\  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Morgan  0.  Witman,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
James  D.  Whitman,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 
Frank  Yeager,  must,  in  Aug.  14,  1862. 

Captain  William  H.  Andrews  was  born 
at  Reading  on  March  27,  1835.  He  received 
his  education  at  home  and  then  entered  the 
freight  depot,  in  the  employ  of  the  Phila- 
delphia and  Reading  Railroad  Company, 
where  he  continued   for  a   number  of  years. 


When  the  call  for  troops  was  made  in  1862,  in 
anticipation  of  a  raid  by  the  rebels  into  Penn- 
sylvania, he  raised  a  company  of  volunteers 
and  was  appointed  captain.  It  was  attached  to 
the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth  Regi- 
ment, as  Company  E.  His  company,  with  the 
regiment,  participated  in  the  battle  of  Antie- 
tam. He  was  killed  in  this  engagement,  on 
September  17,  1862,  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven 
years.  He  was  a  very  genial  man,  highly  es- 
teemed for  his  superior  qualities. 

Company  H. — This  company  was  recruited 
at  Reading.  Unless  otherwise  stated,  the  men 
were  mustered  out  May  19,  1863. 

John  Kennedy,  capt,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Michael  P.  Boyer,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Abel  Mishler,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  pro. 

to  q.m.  Sept.  6,  1862. 
Richard  F.  Kerr,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862; 

pro.  from  sergt.  Sept.  6,  1862;  res.  Feb.  21,  1863. 
Peter  A.  Lantz,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  pro. 

from  1st  sergt.  Feb.  21,  1863. 
Henry  R.  Laucks,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ; 

pro.  from  sergt.  March  1,  1863. 
William  Morrison,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  pro. 

from  corp.  Sept.  6,  1862;  missing  in  action  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
Peter  Betz,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  pro.  from 

corp.  Jan.  17,  1863. 
Michael  Kelly,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  13,  1862 ;  pro. 

from  corp.  March  1,  1863. 
John  Logan,  sergt.,  mu*t.  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Albert  Myers,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  Jan.  8,  1863. 
David  H.  Long,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Wm.  F.  Burkhart,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
George  W.  Miller,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Daniel  K.  Heck,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Isaac  Lawrence,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  pro.  to 

corp.  Sept.  6,  1862. 
Madison  K.  Smith,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  15, 1862 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  Sept.  6,  1862. 
John  Hardy,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  pro.  to 

corp.  Jan.  17,  1863. 
Wm.  M.  Harbach,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  pro. 

to   corp.   March   1,  1863;   missing  in  action  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
Wm.  W.  Hearing,  musician,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
George  M.  Graul,  musician,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 

Privates. 

John  H.  Boyer,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 

James  L.  Baum,  must,  in  Aug.  15, 1862 ;  mis.  in  action 

at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
Alfred  Billman,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  wounded  at 


238 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Chancellorsville,   Va.,   May  3,   1863 ;  absent,  in 

hospital,  at  muster  out. 
Paul  Baker,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Samuel  H.  Boyer,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Jan.  15,  1863. 
Daniel  Brown,  must,   in   Aug.    15,  1862;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  March  19,  1863. 
Isaac  P.  Creswell,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Nov.  30,  1862. 
John  Connolly,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Feb.  19,  1863. 
D.  M.  Dickinson,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Joseph  De  Temple,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
John  Deal,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Samuel  P.  Deininger,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Joseph  Feather,  must,  in  Aug.  15, 1862 ;  mis.  in  action 

at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
John  Fair,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  mis.  in  action  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
George  Getz,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Christian  Geissler,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  absent, 

sick,  at  muster  out. 
Charles  Gries,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Joseph  Good,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Nov.  30,  1862. 
Jared  H.  Hoyer,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Alfred  Heffelfinger,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Feb.  17,  1863. 
Abram  Keyser,  must,  in  Aug.   15,  1862;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Jan.  15,  1863. 
Thomas  P.  Knauss,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
William  D.  Lutz,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
John  Lindsey,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
John  K.  Miller,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Elijah  B.  Miller,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  mis.  in  ac- 
tion at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
Michael  Mulvaney,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  mis.  in 

action  at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
Joseph  Moyer,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
David  Medlar,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  disch.  on  surg. 
certif.  Jan.  16,  1863. 

J.  Eoss  Miller,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.  Feb.  16,  1863. 

John  Miller,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 

Edward  McDent,  must,  in  Oct.  1,  1862. 

Peter  Noll,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 

Zacharias  Oswald,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 

Theodore  Parker,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 

Jas.  K.  Kichardson,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 

Ernst  Reiche,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  mis.  in  action 
at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

Chas.  H.  Richards,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 

John  F.  Stump,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 

Wm.  A.  Slenker,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  mis.  in  ac- 
tion at  Chancellorsville,  Va ,  May  3,  1863. 

George  A.  Strubing,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 

John  Struhm,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 

Wm.  H.  Savage,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862.  I 


William  A.  Smith,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 

Adam  Schwoalf,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 

Peter  Sch an er,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Jan.  10,  1863. 
Lewis  G.  Scharman,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  disch. 

on  surg.  certif.  March  13,  1863. 
W.  M.  Umbenhower,  must,  in  Aug.  15, 1862. 
S.  S.  Wohensmith,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Otto  Wohlwend,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  mis.  in  ac- 
tion at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
John  Wagner,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
John  Homan  Wolf,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  March  16,  1863. 
John  H.  Yeager,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Seneca  Yoder,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  mis.  in  action 

at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
Charles  Zeigler,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 

Company  I. — This  company  was  recruited 
at  Reading,  and,  unless  otherwise  stated,  the 
men  were  mustered  in  August,  1862,  and  mus- 
tered out  May  19,  1863: 

Richard  H.  Jones,  capt.,  must,  in  Aug.  17,  1862  ;  cap- 
tured at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
J.  Brooke  Harper,  1st  licut,  must,  in  Aug.  17,  1862. 
James  H.  Texler,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  17,  1862. 
Francis  Barrer,  1st  sergt.;    missing  in  action  at  Chan- 
cellorsville, Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
Daniel  B.  Fry,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Augustus  Long,  sergt.  ;  missing  in  action  at  Chan- 
cellorsville, Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
Jesse  Shire,  sergt. ;  pro.  from  private  to  Jan.  1,  1863 ; 
missing  in  action  at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May 
3,  1863. 
Joshua  D.  High,  sergt. ;  pro.  from  corp.   March   1, 

1863. 
Peter  McManns,  sergt ;  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  Jan.  24, 

1863. 
James  M.   Anthony,   sergt.;  pro.  sergt.-major,  Aug. 

25,  1862. 
Wm.  H.    Foder,  corp. ;  misssing  in  action  at  Chan- 
cellorsville, Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
Isaac  Pott,  corp. ;  missing  in  action  at  Chancellors- 
ville, Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
Alfred  Stewart,  corp. 
Amos  B.  Fichthorn,  corp. 
Aaron  S.  Wright,  corp. 

William  H.  Parker,  corp. ;  pro.  to  corp.  Jan.  1,  1863; 
missing  in  action  at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May 
3,1863. 
Samuel  W.  Zieber,  corp. ;  pro.  to  corp.  Feb.  1,  1863. 
W.  H.  H.  Anthony,  corp.;  pro.  to  corp.  Feb.  20, 1863  ; 
missing  in  action  at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  3, 
1863.  3 

Joseph  H.  Tobias,  corp. ;  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  Nov. 
30,  1862. 

Jackson   Guldin,    corp.;    killed  at  Antietam,  Md., 

Sept.  17,  1862. 
Samuel  Schaeffer,  musician. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


289 


Privates. 
George  Angstadt. 
Charles  Bechtol. 
Henry  Boyer. 
Benjamin  Boyer. 
Joseph  Bowman. 
Henry  Brouch,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellorsville, 

Va.,  May  3, 1863. 
Henry  G.  Baetzel,  killed  at  Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17, 
1862. 

John  H.  Coller,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellorsville, 
Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

John  Crawshaw. 

Joel  F.  Darrah. 

John  De  Turk,  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  March  24,  1863. 

Peter  Eyrich. 

Daniel  Faust,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellorsville, 
Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

Orlando  Fry. 

Michael  Frees. 

Harrison  Fegeley,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellors- 
ville, Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

John  C.  Frees,  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  March  21,  1863. 

Daniel  Fisher,  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  April  20,  1863. 

Samuel   Finkbone,  killed  at  Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17, 
1862. 

Urias  Gamber,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellorsville, 
Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

Benneville  Gruber. 

Augustus  Garber,  missing  in   action  at  Chancellors- 
ville, Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

Henry  Goodhart. 

George  H.  Garrett,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellors- 
ville, Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

Hugh  W.  Garman. 

Valentine  Geist,  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  April  20,  1863. 

William  Garman,  died  at   Maryland  Heights,  Md., 
Nov.  25, 1862. 

Charles  Geist,  died  at  Stafford  C.  H.,  Va.,  April  7, 
1863. 

John  Hetrich,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellorsville, 
Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

Joel  Hinkle. 

Uideon  D.  High,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellors- 
ville, Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

Peter  Heck. 

William  Hollenbach,  missing  in  action   at  Chancel- 
lorsville, Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

Simon  Hains,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellorsville, 
Va.,  May  3, 1863. 

A.  S.  Hollenback. 

Alfred  S.  Haas,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellorsville, 
Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

AVashington  H.  Hoch,  missing  in  action  at  Chancel- 
lorsville, Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

Daniel  Herbst. 

Samuel  Hoffmaster,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellors- 
ville, Va.,  May  3, 1863. 
33 


Robert  Irwine,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellorsville, 
Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

Franklin  Kline. 

Joseph  Klauss. 

Frederick  Kern. 

Frederick  Knabb,  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  Nov.  30, 
1862. 

Jonathan  G.  Leinbach,  missing  in  action  at  Chan- 
cellorsville, Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

John  S.  Leader,  died  at  Maryland  Heights,  Md.,  Oct. 
25,  1862. 

William  Morrow. 

Sebastian  Markel,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellors- 
ville, Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

William  Moyer,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellorsville, 
Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

John  Ott,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellorsville,  Va., 
May  3,  1863. 

Alfred  Oswald. 

Thomas  J.  Oswald,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellors- 
ville, Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

James  L.  Printz,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellors- 
ville, May  3,  1863. 

Levi  Price,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellorsville,  Va., 
May  3, 1863. 

Cyrus  Palm,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellorsville, 
Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

John  Reichard. 

Aaron  J.  Roland. 

Richard  S.  Ruth. 

Henry  Reider,  missing  inaction  at  Chancellorsville, 
Va.,  May  3.  1863. 

Wm.  Rice,  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  Feb.  20,  1863. 

Daniel  F.  Shearer,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellors- 
ville, Va.,  May  3, 1863. 

Benjamin  Shoemaker,  missing  in  action  at  Chancel- 
lorsville, Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

Wm.  Shoemaker. 

Adam  Trivits. 

Adam  W.  Tobias,  killed  at  Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17r 
1862. 

John  Wamsher,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellorsville,. 
Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

John  H.  Wise,  missing  in  action  at  Chancellorsville, 
Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

John  Zigler. 

Company  K. — This  company  was  recruited 
at  Beading,  and  unless  otherwise  stated  the  men. 
were  mustered  out  May  20,  1863  : 

Geo.  Newkirk,  capt.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862  ;  captur- 
ed at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 

Frederick  M.  Yeager,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  15, 
1862 ;  pro.  to  capt.  Co.  C  Jan.,  1863. 

John  Obold,  1st  lieut.  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  pro. 
from  2d  lieut.,  Jan.  1,  1863;  captured  at  Chan- 
cellorsville, Va.,  May  2,  1863. 

Jnmes  M.  Anthony,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  15, 1862 ; 


290 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


pro.  from  sergt.-major  Jan.  1,  1863;  captured  at 
Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 

John  B.  Fair,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ; 
captured  at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 

Peter  Phillippi,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 

Thomas  Roy,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862  ;  absent, 
with  leave,  at  muster  out. 

Geo.  J.  Obenhouser,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 

Henry  Gassier,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  cap- 
tured at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 

Henry  A.  Goodhart,  corp.,  must,  in   Aug.  15,  1862. 

John  Baker,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  captured 
at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 

Henry  Breslin,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862  ;  captur- 
ed at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 

Chas.  Lewars,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 

Leonard  Getz,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862  ;  captur- 
ed at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 

Wm.  B.  Yerger,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862  ;  cap- 
tured at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 

Jacob  Deppen,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  ]  862  ;  pro.  to 
corp.  Feb.  25, 1863 ;  captured  at  Chancellorsville, 
Va.,  May  2,  1863  ;  absent  at  muster  out. 

David  Lingel,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862  ;  pro.  to 
corp.  Nov.  25,  1862 ;  captured  at  Chancellors- 
ville, Va.,  May  2,  1863. 

Daniel  Leed,  Corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862  ;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.  Jan.  31,  1863. 

John  H.  Kendall,  musician,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 

John  W.  Roy,  musician,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 

Privates. 
James  Angstadt,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  captured 

at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 
Daniel  Briner,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Lewis  D.  Beiber,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862  ;  captured  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 
Thomas  Bower,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  captured  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 
Isaac  Bobst,   must,  in   Aug.   15,  1862 ;    captured  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 
Oliver  D.  Beiber,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Frederick  A.  Britton,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  captur- 
ed at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 
Wm.  Britton,  must,   in   Aug.  15,   1862;  captured  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 
Leonard  Bollman,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Martin   Barr,  must,  in   Aug.   15,   1862 ;  accidentally 

killed  at  Fort  Woodbury,  Va.,  Sept.  3,  1862. 
Lewis   R.  Briner,  must,  in   Aug.   15,  1862 ;  killed  at 

Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17,  1862. 
James  Dougherty,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1863. 
Adam  Delcamp,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862  ;  captured   at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 
Solomon  Degler,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Francis  J.    Dunlap,  must,  "in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  disch 

Nov.  30,  1862. 
Heimnn  Evans,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  captured  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 


John  Enz,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  disch.  Nov.  30, 

1862. 
James  H.  Fisher,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Enoch  Fry,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Adam  Fronf'elder,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
John  Fisher,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  absent,  sick,  at 

muster  out. 
Daniel  Fick,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  killed  at  Antie- 
tam, Md.,  Sept.  17,  1862. 
Lewis  Goodman,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Johnson  Grandall,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Frank  J.  Goldman,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  captured 

at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 
Augustus  Geiger,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862  ;  captured  at 

Chancellorsville, Va.,  May  2, 1863. 
Jacob  Goodhart,  Jr.,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Nathaniel  Goodhart,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Edward"  Gensler,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  disch.  Nov. 

30,  1863. 
Reuben  Homan,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Gideon  Hepler,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Rudolph  Henry,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Allen  J.  Hertzel,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Charles  Hill,  must,  in  Aug.  15, 1862. 
Emanuel  W.  Harker,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
H.  G.  Henninger,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Feb.  16,  1863. 
Horatio  Henninger,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  disch. 

Nov.  30, 1862. 
John  Kraft,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
William  W.  Kraft,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Jacob  R.  H.  Kalb,  must,  in  Aug.  15, 1862  ;  captured 

at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 
Amos  E.  Lamon,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  captured  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 
Joseph  Lybrook,  must,  in  Aug.  15, 1862. 
Dallas  Leimbach,  must,  in  Aug.   15,1862;  disch.  on 

surg.  certif.  Dec.  4,  1862. 
Henry  Mell,  must,  in  Aug.    15,   1862;    captured  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 
William  J.  Mercer,  must,  in  Aug.  15, 1862. 
John  E.  Mathew,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Daniel  Marks,  must. in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
James  Millard,  must,  in  Aug.  15, 1862 ;  died  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  April  2,  1863  ;  buried  in  Harmony 

Burial-Grounds. 
Joseph  Oldes,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  captured  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 
James  Onedill,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Daniel  Owens,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  captured  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,   1863;  absent,  at 

muster  out. 

Henry  S.  Roger,  must,  in  Aug.  15,.  1862. 
Henry  F.  Rohrer,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Milton  Roy,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Daniel  Reed,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
William  Rhode,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  captured  at 
Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1833. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR 


291 


Aaron  Rightmyer,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862  ;  captured 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 
Reuben  Rader,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862 ;  captured  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 
John  W.  Rambo,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Hildeburtus  Road,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  died  at 

Stafford  C.  H.,  Va.,  March  5,  1863. 
Samuel  Scull,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
John  Shellhorn.  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Irwin  G.  Seyfert,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862;  captured  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 
Benjamin  Stehman,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862  ;  captured 

at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 
John  C.  Smith,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
A.  Steawhecker,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 
Samuel  Wolf,   must,  in   Aug.  15,   1862  ;  captured  at 

Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 
George  L.  Yost,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1862. 

ONE  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY-FIRST  REGIMENT. 

Companies  E,  G,  H,  K  and  part  of  I 
were  recruited  in  Berks  County,  the  re- 
maining part  of  Company  I  in  Schuylkill 
County.  They  rendezvoused  at  Camp  Curtin 
during  September,  where  a  regimental  organi- 
zation was  effected. 

On  November  26th  the  regiment  moved  for 
Washington,  and,  upon  its  arrival,  proceeded 
to  Arlington  Heights.  Rations  in  haversack 
had  become  exhausted,  and  the  commissary 
train  had  failed  to  come  up.  In  this  extremity 
the  men  of  the  Twenty-fifth  Maine  (encamped 
near  by)  proffered  a  share  of  their  own  rations 
to  the  famishing  troops,  early  affording  a  lesson 
of  generosity  which  the  One  Hundred  and 
Fifty-first  was  not  slow  to  improve  on  subse- 
quent occasions.  On  the  following  day  the 
train  arrived,  bringing  abundant  rations  and 
one  hundred  rounds  of  ammunition  to  the  man, 
filling  cartridge-boxes  and  loading  down  knap- 
sacks. On  December  3d  the  regiment  marched, 
in  conjunction  with  the  brigade  of  Colonel  F. 
G.  D'Utassay,  to  Alexandria,  and  thence  pro- 
ceeded by  rail  to  Union  Mills,  twenty-two 
miles  out,  were  it  was  placed  on  duty,  relieving 
a  Vermont  brigade.  It  was  here  in  an  enemy's 
country,  infested  by  Mosby's  guerrillas,  where 
every  inhabitant  was  an  informer  and  every 
visitant  a  spy.  Unceasing  vigilance  and  un- 
questioning obedience  to  orders  were  exacted, 
and  the  lessons  there  learned  served  it  in  many 
a  trying  hour.      Colonel  D'Utassay,  who  had 


been  a  Hungarian  officer,  and  General  Alexan- 
der Hayes,  who  succeeded  him,  were  both  strict 
disciplinarians,  and  were  untiring  in  their  ef- 
forts to  have  the  command  well  instructed  and 
drilled. 

About  the  middle  of  February  the  regiment 
was  transferred  to  Belle  Plain,  where  it  formed 
part  of  the  First  Brigade  of  the  Third  Division 
of  the  First  Corps,  General  Doubleday  com- 
manding the  division  and  General  Reynolds 
the  corps.  Arriving  at  night,  without  tents  or 
rations,  the  men  were  obliged  to  lie  down  hun- 
gry upon  the  cold  ground,  without  protection 
from  the  cold  weather.  During  the  night  sev- 
eral inches  of  snow  fell,  and  soon  afterwards  a 
cold  rain  set  in,  during  which  a  part  of  the 
regiment  was  ordered  out  upon  the  picket  line. 
Privation  and  exposure  induced  sickness,  from 
which  some  died  and  many  were  sent  to  the 
hospital.  Caleb  C.  Parvin,  second  lieutenant 
of  Company  E,  was  among  the  victims  that  died 
of  diseases  contracted  while  in  the  line  of  duty. 
Just  previous  to  the  opening  of  the  Chancel- 
lorsville campaign  the  Third  Division  was  sent 
to  Port  Conway,  on  the  Lower  Rappahannock, 
for  a  diversion  in  favor  of  the  operations  soon 
to  commence.  The  movement  was  successful, 
inducing  Stonewall  Jackson  to  move,  with  his 
whole  corps  and  train,  to  a  point  on  the  oppo- 
site bank.  The  division  was  out  forty-six 
hours,  during  thirty-six  of  which  rain  fell 
incessantly.  This  made  marching  difficult. 
Upon  its  return  to  camp  General  Doubleday 
sent  a  communication  to  Colonel  Allen,  through 
his  adjutant-general,  in  these  words :  "  The 
general  commanding  the  division  desired  me  to 
express  his  appreciation  to  Colonel  Allen,  nf  the 
good  order  and  compactness  which  marked  the 
march  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-first, 
both  in  going  to  and  returning  from  Port  Con- 
way. He  desires  me  to  say  that  the  same  cir- 
cumstances attracted  the  attention  and  commen- 
dation of  Major-General  Reynolds  and  staff, 
who  wished  this  compliment  tendered." 

Before  marching  to  the  battle-field  at  Chancel- 
lorsville the  First  Corps  moved  down  to  Frank- 
lin's Crossing,  where  it  was  twice  subjected  to  a 
vigorous  shelling  from  the  enemy  posted  on  the 
opposite  shore.     On  May  2d  the  corps  made  a 


292 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


forced  march  to  United  States  Ford,  and,  hav- 
ing crossed,  was  about  to  encamp,  when  it  was 
summoned  to  the  front  to  occupy  the  line  on 
the  right  of  the  army,  from  which  the  Elev- 
enth Corps  had  been  driven.  During  Sunday, 
the  3d,  and  Monday,  the  4th,  the  regiment  oc- 
cupied a  position  on  the  picket  line,  between 
the  Ely's  and  Germania  Ford  roads,  where  it 
confronted  the  enemy,  who  sought  every  favor- 
able opportunity  to  dispute  the  ground.  On 
Wednesday  the  army  withdrew,  and  the  regi- 
ment went  into  camp  near  White  Oak  Church. 
Considerable  sickness  prevailed  here,  the  morn- 
ing report  at  one  time  showing  one  hundred 
and  sixty  on  the  sick  list. 

The  march  to  Gettysburg  commenced  on  the 
12th  of  June.  The  right  wing  of  the  army 
(composed  of  the  First  and  Eleventh  Corps, 
under  General  Reynolds)  made  a  forced  march 
of  one  hundred  and  five  miles  in  three  days, 
throwing  itself  suddenly  between  Lee's  army 
(which  was  moving  down  the  Shenandoah  Val- 
ley) and  Washington.  At  Broad  Run  they 
halted  for  the  enemy  to  develop  his  plans.  His 
cavalry  having  been  defeated  at  Aldie  and 
Upperville,  and  he  having  crossed  the  Potomac 
above,  Reynolds  hastened  forward  to  Middle- 
burg,  where  he  again  interposed  between  the 
enemy  and  the  cities  of  Baltimore  and  Wash- 
ington. As  the  enemy  pushed  on  into  Penn- 
sylvania, Reynolds  followed,  and  on  the  1st  of 
July  his  cavalry,  under  Buford,  met  the  head 
of  the  enemy's  columns,  and  immediately  com- 
menced the  battle.  The  brigades  of  Cutler  and 
Meredith  came  up  soon  afterward  and  continued 
the  fight.  The  First  Brigade  (now  commanded 
by  Colonel  Chapman  Biddle)  arrived  upon  the 
field  at  half-past  ten  a.m.,  and  took  a  position 
on  the  extreme  left  flank  of  the  corps,  the  One 
Hundred  and  Fifty-first,  uuder  command  of 
Lieutenant-Colonel  McFarland,  in  the  absence 
of  Colonel  Allen,  holding  the  left  of  the  brigade 
line.  As  it  moved  into  position  it  was  saluted 
by  the  booming  of  cannon  and  the  rattle  of 
musketry. 

Without  delay  it  was  pushed  forward,  by 
order  of  General  Rowley  (now  in  command  of 
the  division,  General  Reynolds  having  fallen  in 
battle),  the  men  ur.slinging  knapsacks  as  they 


went,  and  advancing  obliquely  to  the  west  ot 
the*  Theological  Seminary,  on  a  ridge,  where  it 
remained  some  time.     All  firing  ceased  then 
for  nearly  an   hour.     The  enemy  was  driven 
back,  and  General  Archer  was  captured  with 
some  eight  hundred  of  his  men.     About  noon 
the  enemy  opened  again  on  both  front  and  right. 
The  brigade  having  been  exposed  to  a  flank  fire, 
it  was  ordered  back  into  the  hollow,  where,  sup- 
porting Cooper's  battery   and  being  subjected 
to  a  constant  fire  of  shot  and  shell,  it  maintained 
its  position  for  two  hours  and  a  half,  only  vary- 
ing its  line  to  avoid  the  destructive  cross-fire  oi 
the  enemy.     At  half-past  two  the  One  Hun- 
dred  and    Fifty-first    was   detached    from   the 
brigade  by  General  Rowley,  to  be  held  as  a  re- 
serve, and  was  posted  behind  a  fence  along  the 
south  end  of  Seminary  Grove,  facing  north.     A 
few  moments  later  it  changed  front  forward  on 
the    left  company,   and   occupied  a  temporary 
breast-work  erected  by  the  Second  (Robinson's) 
Division  earlier  in  the  day,  just  in  rear  of  the 
Seminary,  facing  west.     By  this  time  the  enemy 
had  concentrated   in   large  force  and   began  to 
close  in.     With  only  this  single  regiment  in  re- 
serve,  and   with   but  a  single  line,  Doubleday 
was  opposing  thrice  his   numbers,  coming  on 
three  lines  deep,  and  reaching  out  far  beyond 
him  on  either  flank.     This  pressure  soon  began 
to  te|l  upon  the  Union  line.     A  gap,  occasioned 
by  severe  losses,  was  soon  manifest  between  the 
brigades  of  Biddle  and  Meredith,  and  this  was 
threatening  to  prove  fatal  to  the  entire  left  wing. 
Into  this  gap,  by  order  of  General  Rowley,  the 
One  Hundred  and  Fifty-first  was  thrown,'  to 
stay  the  tide  which  was  fast  sweeping  on, — the 
last  reserve   thrown   into   action.     In   perfect 
order    it  moved    forward,  and  closed   up  the 
broken   line,  Company  D  standing  directly  in 
front  of,  and  about  twenty-five  yards  distant 
from,  the  point  of  woods  where  General  Rey- 
nolds was  killed.     Men  began  to  fall  before  it 
had    gained  its  position,  and  fire  was  not  re- 
turned until  the  word  was  given,  and  then  only 
deliberately,  not  by  battalion,  but  as  each  could 
deliver  an  effective  shot.     The  fighting  was  now 
terrific,  and  the  losses  of  the  enemy  in  front  ot 
the  position    where  the   regiment  stood    were 
most  grievous.     "I  know  not,"  says  Colonel 


THE  CIVIL  WAE. 


293 


McFarland,  in  his  official  report,    "  how    men 
could  have  fought  more  desperately,  exhibited 
more  coolness  or  contested  the  field  with  more 
determined  courage."     But  the  contest  was  too 
unequal  to  continue  long.     The  one  attenuated 
line,  with  the  last  reserve  thrown  in,  became 
shattered.     The  Iron  Brigade,  having  borne  the 
brunt  of  the  battle  for  five  hours,  was  finally 
withdrawn,  thus  exposing  the  right  of  the  One 
Hundred  and  Fifty-first.     The  regiments  on  its 
left  were,  likewise,  overborne,  and  one  after  an- 
other was  forced  back,  until  this  regiment  was 
left  alone  to  resist  the  enemy's  front  and  flank 
fire.     Finally,  when  more  than  half  its  number 
had  fallen,  and  seeing  that  it  was  being  flanked 
by  powerfid  masses,  and  that  it  would  certainly 
be  engulfed  if  it  stood  longer,  the  order  was 
given  to  retire.     Deliberately    the    order  was 
obeyed,  and  the  enemy  followed  with  caution. 
At  the  barricade  of  rails  in  the  edge  of  the  grove 
back  of   the  Seminary  it  again  took  position, 
where  fragments  of  other  regynents   had  as- 
sembled, and  as  the  enemy's  lines  came  on  in 
front,  a  deadly  fire  was  delivered  upon  them, 
which  again  checked  their  mad  advance.     But 
here  a  new  danger  threatened.     Finding  that 
he  could  not  walk  over  even   the  remnants  of 
the  First  Corps    by  direct  advance,  the  wily 
rebel  leader  had  sent  a  heavy  force  to  the  Union 
left,  by  a  stealthy  movement  upon  that  flank. 
Before  a  warning  of  its  presence  had  been  given, 
the  regiment  received  a  heavy  enfilading  volley, 
by  which   Lieutenant-Colonel  McFarland  was 
shot  down,  receiving  severe   wounds  in    both 
legs,  and  large  numbers  of  the  men  were  dis- 
abled.    The  moment  had  come  when  it  could 
no  longer  stand,  and,  with  remnants  of  other 
commands,  it  retreated  rapidly  towards  the  town. 
General  Early  (who  had  closed  in  on  the  ex- 
treme Union  right)  was  already  in  the  streets, 
having  flanked  the  Eleventh  Corps,  and  here, 
the  way  being  impeded  by  trains  and  retreating 
troops,  a  number  of  the  regiment  fell  into  the 
enemy's  hands. 

Upon  its  arrival  on  Cemetery  Hill  it  mus- 
tered but  ninety-two  men.  This  number  was 
increased,  by  the  arrival  of  men  who  had  been 
cut  off  from  the  column  in  passing  through  the 
town,  to  one  hundred  and  thirteen.     Captain 


Owens  assumed  command,  and  took  position  in 
support  of  a  battery  in  rear  of  the  Cemetery, 
where  it  remained  until  five  o'clock  of  the  even- 
ing of  the  2d.     It  was   then  moved  at  double- 
quick  to  the  support  of  the  troops  of  Sickles, 
on  the  extreme  right  of  the  line.     In  marching 
down  the  Taneytown  Road,  and  when  it  ap- 
proached Bound  Toj),  the  line  of  the  brigade 
was  broken   by  troops   moving  in  a  diagonal 
direction  across  its  path,  and  the  One  Hundred 
and  Fifty-first,  with  the  Twentieth  New  York 
State  Militia,  became  separated  from  the  rest  of 
the  brigade,  and,  amidst  the  confusion  conse- 
quent, failed  to  regain  its  position.     Finding 
themselves  thus  separated,  Colonel  Gates  and 
Captain  Owens  decided  to  act  as  an  independent 
command,  and  moved  up  upon  the  front  line, 
taking  position  on  the  left  of  the  Second  Corps, 
where  it  remained  during  the  night.     When  the 
enemy  made  his  grand  charge  on  the  afternoon 
of  the  3d,  these  two  regiments  hastened  to  the 
right  to  support  the  troops  at  the  menaced  front, 
loading  and  firing  as  they  went.     Reaching  a 
knoll  where  a  battery  of  the  Second  Corps  was 
posted,  and   in  front  of  which  the  enemy  was 
advancing,  they  made  a  stand,  and  for  a  short 
time  maintained  a  sharp  fire,  driving  the  enemy 
from  a  slashing  in  which  he  had  taken  refuge 
from  a  flank  attack  of  Stannard's  (Vermont) 
brigade.     The  enemy  was  finally  driven  at  all 
points,   many   throwing  down  their  arms  and 
surrendering,  and  the  dear-bought  victory  was 
won.     At  this  point  Adjutant  Samuel  T.  Allen 
was  severely  wounded.     After  the  fighting  was 
over,  these  regiments  moved  back  near  General 
Meade's  headquarters,  and  on  the  morning  of 
the  4th  rejoined  the  brigade. 

The  heroism  displayed  by  the  One  Hundred 
and  Fifty-first  in  this  battle  is  unsurpassed. 
It  went  into  the  fight  with  twenty-one  officers 
and  four  hundred  and  sixty-six  men.  Of  these, 
two  officers  and  sixty-six  men  were  killed, 
twelve  officers  and  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
seven  men  were  wounded,  and  one  hundred 
were  missing,  an  aggregate  loss  of  three  hun- 
dred and  sixty-seven — upwards  of  seventy-five 
per  cent.  "At  Gettysburg,"  says  General 
Doubleday,  who  commanded  the  First  Corps, 
"  they  won,  under  the  brave  McFarland,  an  im- 


294 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


perishable  fame.  They  defended  the  left  front 
of  the  First  Corps  against  vastly  superior  num- 
bers ;  covered  its  retreat  against  the  overwhelm- 
ing masses  of  the  enemy  at  the  Seminary,  west 
of  the  town,  and  enabled  me,  by  their  deter- 
mined resistance,  to  withdraw  the  corps  in  com- 
parative safety.  This  was  on  the  first  day.  In 
the  crowning  charge  of  the  third  day  of  the 
battle  the  shattered  remnants  of  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Fifty-first  Pennsylvania,  with  the 
Twentieth  New  York  State  Militia,  flung  them- 
selves upon  the  front  of  the  rebel  column,  and 
drove  it  from  the  shelter  of  a  slashing  in  which 
it  had  taken  shelter  from  a  flank  attack  of  the 
Vermont  troops.  I  can  never  forget  the  ser- 
vices rendered  me  by  this  regiment,  directed  by 
the  gallantry  and  genius  of  McFarland.  I 
believe  they  saved  the  First  Corps,  and  were 
among  the  chief  instruments  to  save  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac  and  the  country  from  unimagin- 
able disaster."  The  encomium  here  awarded 
by  General  Doubleday  (a  general  who  never 
shunned  hard  fighting)  was  won  at  a  fearful 
cost,  and  it  was  by  the  stubborn  fighting  of  this 
regiment,  and  other  fighting  like  it,  that  the 
great  battle  was  finally  won.  Lieutenants 
Aaron  S.  Seaman  and  George  A.  Trexler  were 
of  the  killed,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  McFar- 
land, Adjutant  Samuel  T.  Allen,  Captains 
George  L.  Stone  and  James  W.  Weida,  and 
Lieutenants  Benjamin  F.  Oliver,  Thomas  L. 
Moyer,  Henry  H.  Merkle,  William  O.  Blod- 
get  and  Albert  Yost  were  of  the  wounded,  and 
Captains  William  K.  Boltz  and  William  L. 
Gray,  and  Lieutenants  James  L.  Reber  and 
Charles  P.  Potts  were  taken  prisoners.  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel McFarland  submitted  to  the 
amputation  of  one  leg  on  the  field,  and  for  want 
of  suitable  medical  attention,  the  operation  had 
to  be  repeated,  and  the  other  leg  was  left  ter- 
ribly mangled.  For  many  weeks  his  life  was 
despaired  of,  but  lie  finally  recovered.  The 
captured  officers  and  men  suffered  all  the  hor- 
rors of  long  imprisonment. 

Colonel  Allen,  who  had  been  granted  a  fur- 
lough, as  soon  as  he  learned  that  a  battle  was 
imminent,  hastened  to  the  front,  arriving  on  the 
3d,  and  resumed  command.  At  six  o'clock  on 
the  morning  of  the  6th  the  regiment  moved 


with  the  army  in  pursuit  of  Lee,  coming  up 
with  his  rear-guard  at  Funkstown  on  the  12th, 
and  his  main  body  near  Williamsport  on  the 
14th.  That  night  the  enemy  escaped.  Its 
term  of  service  had  now  nearly  expired.  It 
was,  accordingly,  relieved  from  duty  on  the 
19th,  and  returned  to  Harrisburg,  where,  on 
the  27th,  it  was  mustered  out. 

Company  E. — This  company  was  recruited 
in  Berks  County,  and  was  mustered  in  October 
28, 1 862,  and  mustered  out  July  30, 1863,  unless 
otherwise  mentioned. 

Jacob  S.  Graeff,  capt.,  must,  in  Oct.  29,  1862. 
Aaron  S.  Seaman,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Oct.  29,  1862; 

killed  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Caleb  C.  Parvin,  2d  lieut.,   must,  in   Oct.   29,  1862 ; 

resigned  March  23,  1863 ;  died  April  7,  1863. 
Thomas  L.  Moyer,  2d  lieut.,  pro.  from  lstsergt.  April  1, 

1863;  wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Azariah  P.  Brady,  1st  sergt. ;  pro.  from  sergt.  April 

30,  1863 ;  absent,  sick,  at  muster  out. 
Franklin  Parvin,  sergt. 
John  Schwambacb,  sergt.,  pro.  from  private  April  1, 

1863;  wountled  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863; 

absent,  in  hospital,  at  muster  out. 
James   Dulson,   sergt.,  pro.    from   private   April  30, 

1863;'  wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Elias  R.  Wagner,  sergt.,  pro.   to  com. -sergt.  Nov.  8, 

1862. 
William  F.  Seaman,  corp.,  killed  at  Gettysburg,  Pa., 

July  1,  1863. 
Benjamin  F.  Egolf,  corp.,  wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa., 

July  1,  1863. 
Edmund   Kauffman,  corp.,  wounded  at  Gettysburg, 

Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
William   Heckman,.  corp.,  wounded   at  Gettysburg, 

Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
William  F.  Harvey,  corp. 
John  Hinkle,  corp. 
Henry   M.    Miller,   corp.,  killed  at  Gettysburg,  Pa., 

July  1,  1863. 
Michael  Lienk,  musician,  wounded  at  Gettysburg, 

Pa.,  July  1,  1863;  absent,  in  hospital,  at  musttr 

out. 
Timothy  Leavy,  musician. 

Privates. 
Michael  Adam. 
Amasa  G.  Adams,  wounded  at   Gettysburg   July  1, 

1863. 
William  Bower. 
Cornelius  Beechert,  wounded  at  Gettvsburg,  Pa.,  July 

1,  1863. 
Reuben  Beechert,  killed  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1, 

1863. 
Daniel  Blatt. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


295 


Nelson  P.  Brady,  wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July 

1, 1863. 
Henry  Bucher,  died  at  Frederick,  Md.,  July  19,1863 ; 
buried  in  Nat.  Cem.,  Antietam,  sec.  26,  div.  E, 

grave  508. 
William  H.  Butler,  killed  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1, 

1863. 
William  C.  Dehart. 
0.  Dreibelbies. 
Jona.  Dreibelbies,  wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July 

1, 1863 ;  absent,  in  hospital,  at  muster  out. 
Joel  Dreibelbies. 
Edward  Donegan. 
Adam  M.  Epler. 
Chas.  Eisenhower,  wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July 

1, 1863  ;  absent,  in  hospital,  at  muster  out.  • 

Isaac  Edinger,  absent,  sick,  at  muster  out. 
Charles  Ellis. 
David  Foose. 
George  Fredolt. 
Adam  Grimes,  missing  in  action  at  Gettysburg,  Pa., 

July  1,  1863. 
Isaac  Grommis. 
Lewis  Gambler. 
John  Gohlman. 
Charles  Godroe. 
Acron  D.  Haines. 
Gideon  Hill. 
H.    Y.    Helfenstine,   wounded   at   Gettysburg,   Pa., 

July  1,  1863 ;  absent,  in  hospital,  at  muster  out. 
Daniel  Harner. 
Isaac  Hinckley. 

Moritz  Hoops,  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  March  16, 1863. 
Solomon  Huy,    killed  at   Gettysburg,    Pa.,  July   1, 

1863. 
Benneville  Harner,  killed  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1, 

1863. 
Joseph  Hitrick. 
William  H.  M.  Kutz,  killed  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July 

1, 1863. 
Reuben  Long, 
Thomas  P.  Lee. 
Joseph  Lamey. 
C.  Lichtenberger. 
Alfred  W.  Miller. 
Levi  Miller. 
Israel  Marks. 
George  Mankert. 

Allen  Miller,  killed  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1, 1863. 
H.  Nunemacher. 
Ephraim  Ney,  wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1, 

1863. 
Frank  Noaker,  must,  in  Nov.  8,  1862 ;  absent,  sick,  at 

muster  out. 
Benjamin  F.  Pearson,  wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa., 

July  1,1863. 
John  H.  Philip,  must,  in  Nov.  8,  1862 ;  wounded  at 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 


L.  W.  Rentschler,  wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July 

1,  1863. 
Jacob  M.  Reber. 
Lewis  Rommel. 
Lenhert   Ran,  wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1, 

1863 ;  absent,  in  hospital,  at  muster  out. 
Henry  Ringler,  died  at  Windmill  Point,  Va.,  June  8, 

1863. 
Andrew  Ruff. 
Samuel  Schlear,  wounded  at   Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July 

1,  1863  ;  absent,  in  hospital,  at  muster  out. 
Ferd.  K.  Strouse. 
Adam  Snyder. 
Samuel  S.  Strouse. 
M.  Seigenthaler. 

Percival  Snyder,  wounded,  with  loss  of  leg,  at  Gettys- 
burg, July  1,  1863  ;  absent,  in  hospital,  at  muster 

out. 
Augustus   Schmael,  trans,  to  11th  Mass.  Batt.  Dec. 

26,  1862. 
Aaron  Sands,  killed  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1, 1863. 
George  Snyder,  died  at  Windmill  Point,  Va.,  Jan.  18, 

1863. 
Gabriel  Shearer,  died  near  Union  Mills,  Va.,  Jan.  19, 

1863. 
Albert  Walton. 
Andrew   B.   Wagner,  wounded   at   Gettysburg,  Pa., 

July  1,  1863. 
John  A.  Wentzel,  wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July 

1,  1863. 
Joseph  Wertz,  absent,  sick,  at  muster  out. 
Albert  Williams. 
Samuel  Wann. 
John  B.  Williams,  captured  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July 

1,  1863. 
Isaac   Weaver,  must,  in  Nov.  8,  1862;  wounded    at 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
August  Weiner. 
Joseph  York. 

Company  G. — This  company  was  recruited 
in  Berks  County,  and,  unless  otherwise  stated, 
the  men  were  mustered  out  July  28,  1863: 

Levi  M.  Gerhart*  capt.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Jonathan  Witman,*  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

John  H.  Missemer,*  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Pearson  E.  Reed,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862; 
captured  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Mandon  Haag,*  sergt.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Jonathan  L.  B.  Reber,  sergt.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Washington  K.  Hiester  *  sergt.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

John  W.  Yeager,*  sergt.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862 ; 
wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Charles  F.  Speiger,  Corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Lewis  P.  Kershner,  Corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  cap- 
tured at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Adam  Williams  *  Corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Franklin  Davis,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  1, 1862. 


296 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Jonathan  M.  Spatz,*  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Henry  D.  Bentz,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  1, 1862;  wounded 

at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863 ;  abs.,  in  hosp., 

at  muster  out. 
H.  B.  Nunemacher,*  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862; 

captured  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Christian  R.  Koenig,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862; 

wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863 ;  abs., 

in  hosp.,  at  muster  out. 
Cyrus  Heffelfinger,  mus.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
William   E.  Witman,  mus.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862; 

died  near  Fairfax  Station,  Va.,  Dec.  20,  1862. 

Privates. 

Girard  Berger,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  captured  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Levi  S.  Bartram,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

John  R.  Berger,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Jonathan  Christ,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862 ;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863 ;  abs.,  in  hosp.,  at 
muster  out. 

Jar.  Dunkleberger,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded 
at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863 ;  abs.,  in  hosp., 
at  muster  out. 

Lewis  Diltzer,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  died  at  Broad 
Run,  Va.,  June  22,  1863. 

Jonathan  S.  Ebling,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

George  Fahrenbach,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Thomas  B.  Faber,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862 ;  missing  in 
action  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

John  Fryberger,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.  April  27,  1863. 

Erasmus  H.  Gruber,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded, 
with  loss  of  arm,  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1, 1863. 

Benneville  Greim,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Joseph  Grass,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Adam  Greim,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  died  at  Wind- 
mill Point,  Va.,  June  11,  1863. 

Jacob  Gehret,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862 ;  killed  at  Get- 
tysburg, Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

John  E.  Geiss,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862 ;  killed  at  Get- 
tysburg, Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Jared  Heck*  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded  at  Get- 
tysburg, Pa.,  July  1,  1863;  abs.,  in  hosp.,  at 
muster  out. 

Jonathan  C.  Heck,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Levi  Heck,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862 ;  wounded  at  Get- 
tysburg, Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Joseph  Hartlein,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

[srael  D.  Heffner,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

John  D.  Heffner,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Adam  W.  Hetrick,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

John  K.  Hollenbach,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Frederick  Holden,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded 
at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863 ;  abs.,  in  hosp., 
at  must.  out. 
Joel  D.  Heffner,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.  March  14,  1863. 


J.  Himmelberger,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  killed  at 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Jonathan  S.  Kreitz,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded 
at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863;  abs.,  in  hosp., 
at  muster  out. 
Benjamin  F.  Ketterer,*  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Jacob  F.  Ketterer,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Isaac  A.  Kalbach,  must,  in   Nov.  1,  1862 ;  wounded 

at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Harrison  H.  Kreitz,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
H.  W.  Kaufman,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
James  N.  Kaufman,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded 
at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863;  abs.,  in  hosp., 
at  muster  out. 
Henry  S.  Kintzle,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded  at 
•       Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863 ;  abs.,  in  hosp.,  at 

muster  out. 
Benjamin  F.  Kreamer,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Levi  Kline,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded  at  Get- 
tysburg,   Pa.,   July   1,   1863;  abs.,   in   hosp.,   at 
muster  out. 
A.  L.  Kleinginnea,*  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862 ;  killed  at 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Christian  Lees,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862 ;  captured  at 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Daniel  Livers,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863;  abs.,  in  hosp.,  at 
muster  out. 
Paul  Lengel,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Joseph  H.  Long,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  died  near 

White  Oak  Church,  Va.,  May  17,  1863. 
Edwin  F.  Mogle,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Lewis  S.  Porr,*  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Solomon  Peiffer,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  captured  at 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Valentine  Painter,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
John  Rentz,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded  at  Get- 
tysburg, Pa.,  July  1, 1863 ;  abs.,  in  hosp.,  at  muster 
out. 
Levi  S.  Speiger,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
William  B.  Stamm,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  captured 
at    Chancellorsville,   Va.,    May,    1863;    abs.,   at 
Camp  Parole,  at  muster  out. 
William  R.  Stamm,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
William  S.  Stamm,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded, 
with  loss  of  leg,  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863 ; 
abs.,  in  hosp.,  at  muster  out. 
Aaron  B.  Snyder,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Joel  S.  Stump,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863  ;  abs.,  in  hosp.,  at 
muster  out. 
Adam  G.  Strause,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862 ;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863 ;  abs.,  in  hosp.,  at 
muster  out. 
William  W.  Strause,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded 

at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Alfred  D.  Staudt,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863 ;  abs.,  in  hosp.,  at 
muster  out. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


297 


Willoughby  Shearer,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded 

at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
John  Speiger,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Abraham  Speiger,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Theodore  Weiderhold,*  must,  in  Nov.  1, 1862. 
Frederick  H.  Werner,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Henry  F.  Yeager*  must,  in  Nov.  ],  1862. 
William  Zechman,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862 ;  abs.,  sick, 

at  muster  out. 
William  Zerby,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862 ;  captured  at 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Daniel  Zechman,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Note. — The  fifteen  men  marked  *  were  from  the  borough 
of  Bernville.  On  October  1,  1802,  the  borough  Council 
appropriated  eight  hundred  dollars  to  encourage  enlist- 
ments, offering  a  bounty  of  fifty  dollars  to  each  volunteer, 
so  as  to  avoid  the  draft.  Sixteen  men  volunteered, — the 
fifteen  marked,  and  Harry  K.  Weand,  who  is  not  in  the 
roster. 

Company  H. — This  company  was  recruited 
in  Berks  County,  and,  unless  otherwise  stated, 
the  men  were  mustered  out  July  27,  1863. 

William  K.  Boltz,  capt.,  must,  in  Nov.  1, 1 862 ;  cap- 
tured at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863;    disch. 

March  12,  1865. 
James  L.  Reber,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Nov.  1, 1362 ;  cap- 
tured at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Albert  Yost,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Nov.  1, 1862 ;  wounded 

at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
George  W.  Heilig,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862; 

wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Percival  G.  Eeber,  sergt.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Peter  Sando,  sergt,,  must,  in  Nov.   1,  1862;  absent, 

sick,  at  must.  out. 
William   M.   Miller,  sergt.,  must,   in  Nov.   1,  1862  ; 

wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Franklin  R.   Boliz,   sergt.,  must,   in  Nov.  1,  1862 ; 

wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Adam  K.  Derr,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  1, 1862;  pro.  from 

corp.  May  20, 1863. 
Isaac  K.  Derr,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862  ;  missing 

since  June  25,  1863. 
Levi  Manbeck,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  absent, 

on  detached  service,  at  must.  out. 
Joel  S.  Strause,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Joseph  Y.   Moyer,   corp.,   must,   in    Nov.   1,   1862; 

wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Jonathan  G.   Haag,  corp.,  must,   in   Nov.   1,   1862; 

wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Perc'l  R.  Goodman,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Emanuel   S.  Strause,  corp.,   must,  in  Nov.  1, 1862 ; 

disch.  on  surg.  certif.  April  20,  1863. 
John  H.  Sheaffer,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862 ;  died 

July  3,  of  wounds   received  at  Gettysburg,  Pa., 

July  1,  1863. 
John  Daniels,  musician,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
William  H.  Miller,  musician,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 


Privates. 

Dan.  L.  Badgenstos,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

David  Bechtel,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Albert  L.  Bickle,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Joseph  S.  Boltz,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Elias  M.  Boltz,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

John  Bender,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862 ;  killed  at  Gettys- 
burg, Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Andrew  Degler,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Daniel  Emrich,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  absent,  in 
hospital,  at  must.  out. 

John  Feeler,  must,  in  Nov.  1, 1862;  wounded  at  Get- 
tysburg, Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

William  R.  Feather,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Jacob  F.  Flocken,  must,  in  Nov.  1, 1862. 

Joseph  M.  Goodman,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  absent, 
in  hospital,  at  must.  out. 

Adam  L.  Gottshall,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded 
at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1, 1863. 

Isaac  Hay,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862 ;  absent,  in  hospital, 
at  must.  out. 

John  L.  Henne,  must,  in  Nov.  1, 1862 ;  died  June  21, 
1863  ;  buried  in  Mil.  Asy.  Cem.,  D.  C. 

Wm.  Hollenbach,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863  ;  absent,  in  hospi- 
tal, at  must.  out. 

Joseph  Hix,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  absent,  in  hospi- 
tal, at  must.  out. 

Aug.  H.  Kantner,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Jacob  B.  Klahr,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Edward  S.  Kline,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Wm.  H.  H.  Knoll,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

David  K.  Knoll,  must,  in  Nov.  1, 1862  ;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Adam  K.  Knoll,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

George  K.  Knoll,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

William  K.  Knoll,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Levi  B.  Koble,  must,  in  Nov.  1, 1862. 

John  Lengel,  must,  in  Nov.  1, 1862;  wounded  at  Get- 
tysburg, Pa.,  July  1,  1863  ;  absent,  in  hospital,  at 
must.  out. 

Jacob  Loeb,  must,  in  Nov.  1, 1862;  missing  in  action 
at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Samuel  B.  Loeb,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Benjamin  Logan,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Isaac  Long,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Henry  Lutz,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

George  Livengood,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862  ;  died  July 
8,  of  wounds  received  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1 , 
1863. 

William  B.  Loeb,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  died  at  Fair-: 
fax  Sem.,  Va.,  June  27,  1863. 

Mandan  W.  Leis,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862 ;  died  at  Belle 
Plain,  Va.,  April  18,  1863. 

Mon.  K.  Manbeck,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

John  S.  Miller,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Andrew  Miller,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 


298 


HISTOKY  OP  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Benj.  B.  Mogle,  must,  in  Nov.  1, 1862. 

Alfred  Moll,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

John  Norton,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Joseph  Z.  Ney,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Moses  W.  Ney,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Jere'h  M.  Richard,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862." 

John  W.  Rothermel,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

George  W.  Reber,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

Joseph  Sattanzahn,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 

William  S.  Strause,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded 

at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
John  T.  Strause,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded  at 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Solomon  Strause,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862 ;  wounded  at 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Wm.  T.  Strause,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  wounded  at 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863 ;  died,  date  unk'n  ; 

buried  in  Nat.  Cem.,  sec.  C,  grave  87. 
Wash.  W.  Stouffer,  must,  in  Nov.  1, 1862. 
Ezra  Stupp,  must,  in  Nov.   1,  1862 ;  mis.  since  June 

25,  1863. 
Joseph  Saupser,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Jonathan  Sausser,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Wm.  H.  Sheaffer,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862 ;  wounded  at 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
George  K.  Spengler,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862 ,  wounded 

at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Adam  Seigfried,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862 ;  died  July  3, 

of  wounds  received  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1, 

1863. 
Jona'n  S.  Wenrich,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862  ;  wounded 

at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Henry  S.  Wenrich,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862. 
Harrison  Wagner,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862;  absent,  on 

detached  service,  at  must.  out. 
Henry  Wolf,  must,  in  Nov.  1, 1862. 
Henry  M.  Weaber,  must,  in  Nov.  1,  1862 ;  died  July 

6,  of  wounds  received  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1, 

1863. 
WilliamS.  Wentz,  must,   in  Nov.  1,1862;  killed  at 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1, 1863. 

Company  I. — This  company  was  recruited 
in  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Counties,  and,  unless 
otherwise  stated,  the  men  were  mustered  out 
July  27,  1863. 

William  L.  Gray,  capt,  must,  in   Nov.  7,  1862  ;  cap- 
tured  at   Gettysburg,   Pa.,  July   1,  1863 ;  disch. 

March  12,  1865. 
Henry  H.  Merkle,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Nov.  10,  1862; 

wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1, 1863. 
Charles   P.  Potts,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in   Nov.  7,  1862 ; 

captured  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863;  disch. 

March  12,  1865. 
J.  Peter  Koch,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Nov.  4, 1862 ;  w'nded 

at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1, 1863. 
John  Cohoon,  sergt.,  must,  in  Nov.  3, 1862 ;  captured 

at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 


Charles  Bartolett,  sergt.,  must,  in  Nov.  3, 1862 ;  w'nded 

at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Joseph  Kantner,  sergt.,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862  ;  w'nded 

at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863  ;  absent,  in  hos- 
pital, at  must.  out. 
Thomas  Morgan,  sergt.,  must,  in  Nov.  3, 1862 ;  died 

subsequently. 
Jacob  B.  Haertter,  Corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  mis. 

in  action  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Elias  Bartolett,  Corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  w'nded 

at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Samuel  B.  Snell,  corp.,must.  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  w'nded 

at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
John  Buchanan,  Corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  capt'd 

at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

E.  M.  Schollenberger,  Corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  4,  1862. 

F.  W.  Berkheiser,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 
John  Hendricks,  Corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 
John  F.  Harrison,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  died 

at  Frederick,  Md.,  June  28,  1863 ;  buried  in  Mt. 
Olivet  Cem. 

Lewis  Lebengood,  musician,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Peter  R.  Wanner,  musician,  must,  in  Nov.  4,  1862 ; 
disch.  on  surg.  certif.  July  1 1,  1863. 
Privates. 

Jona.  Auchenbach,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  wounded 
at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863 ;  absent,  in  hos- 
pital, at  must.  out. 

Simon  Arnold,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  captured  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Clark  B.  Allen,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  died  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  July  10,  1863 ;  buried  in  Mil.  Asy. 
Cem. 

Daniel  Bressler,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Patrick  Brennan,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  wounded 
and  mis.  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Albert  Bacon,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863 ;  absent,  in  hospi- 
tal, at  muster  out. 

Wm.  Borrell,  must,  out  Nov.  4,  1862;  wounded  and 
mis.  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

George  W.  Brown,  must,  in  Nov.  4,  1862. 

Isaac  Clark,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Joseph  Congleton,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  absent 
sick,  at  muster  out. 

Henry  B.  Clink,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

George  Coover,  must,  in  Nov.  3, 1862 ;  absent,  sick,  at 
muster  out. 

Daniel  Dillman,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  absent,  sick, 
at  muster  out. 

Benjamin  Dillman,  must,  in  Nov.  3, 1862. 

William  Delp,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1, 1863;  absent,  in  hospital, 
at  muster  out. 

John  C.  Duncan,  must,  in  Nov.  3, 1862. 

Elias  Delcamp,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863  ;  absent,  in  hospi- 
tal, at  muster  out. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


299 


John  Deitrich,  must,   in  Nov.  3,   1862;  captured  at 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Chester  F.  Drake,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 
Benjamin  S.  Drake,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 
Willoughby  Dum,  must,  in  Nov.  4,  1862. 
Jacob  Diamond,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1863  ;  died  at  Belle 

Plain,  Va.,  March  8,  1863. 
Franklin  Ehly,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 
Adam  Eichley,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 
Archibald  Finley,   must,   in   Nov.  3,  1862;   absent, 

sick,  at  muster  out. 
Daniel  Fessler,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  wounded  at 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Michael  Fessler,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862-  wounded  at 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Jacob  Fisher,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 
Henry  Felton,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  wounded  and 

missing  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Schuyler  Gregory,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 
William  Gray,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  absent,  sick,  at 

muster  out. 
Henry  W.  Hoffman,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  absent, 

sick,  at  muster  out. 
Henry  G.  Heffner,  must,  in  Nov.  4,  1862. 
Com.  Hendricks,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  captured  at 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1, 1863. 
Samuel  Hower,  must,  in  Nov.  25,  1862 ;  captured  at 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Jacob  Honecker,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 
Anthony  Hummell,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 
Daniel  Hilbert,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 
Benjamin  Hilbert,  must,  in  Nov.  4,  1862 ;  absent, 

sick,  at  muster  out. 
Truman  Hurlbert,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  wounded  at 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Chas.  F.  Henrich,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 
Henry  Hilbert,  must,  in  Nov.  4,  1862 ;  died  at  Union 

Mills,  Va.,  Jan.  12,  1863. 
Isaac  Jones,  must,  in  Nov.  3',  1862. 
William  W.  Jenks,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  wounded 

at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Moses  Keller,  must,   in  Nov.  4,  1862 ;  wounded  at 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863 ;  absent,  in  hospi- 
tal, at  muster  out. 
James  Keller,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 
Edwin  Kelchner,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 
William  Kendricks,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862  ;  wounded 

at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
Nathan  Kline,  must,  in  Nov.  4,  1862 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Feb.  11,  1863. 
Levi  Knabb,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  disch.  on  surg. 

certif.  Feb.  17, 1863. 
Jacob  Louby,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862  ;  absent,  sick,  at 

muster  out. 
John  W.  Lease,  must,  in  Nov.  4,  1862. 
William  Manning,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  wounded 

and  missing  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
John  Maclure,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  mis.  in  action 

at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1, 1863. 


William  Moyer,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863;  absent,  in  hospi- 
tal, at  muster  out. 

Anson  C.  Miller,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  died  of  wds. 
received  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Harvey  MoCarty,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  absent,  sick, 
at  muster  out. 

William  McCloughan,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  cap- 
tured at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Charles  Ottinger,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Stephen  Palesgrove,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

John  Preston,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  absent,  sick,  at 
muster  out. 

John  W.  Bunkles,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Jeremiah  Beed,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863;  absent,  in  hospi- 
tal, at  muster  out. 

Jacob  Rauch,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  absent,  sick,  at 
muster  out. 

Elias  Earner,  must,  in  Nov.  4,  1862. 

Levin  Steinberger,  must,  in  Nov.  4,  1862. 

Michael  Simon,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Samuel  Schwenk,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Jeremiah  Starr,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863;  absent,  in  hospi- 
tal, at  muster  out. 

Oliver  Schwartz,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862  ;  captured  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Peter  Schnerring,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Benjamin  Scheitz,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Moses  Taylor,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Abraham  Transue,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.  Jan.  6,  1863. 

Isaac  B.  Wanner,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

William  Wesner,  mu3t.  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Patrick  Walsh,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Daniel  Yeik,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

John  Zimmerman,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Benjamin  Zimmerman,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

George  Zechman,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862  ;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863  ;  absent,  in  hospi- 
tal, at  muster  out. 

Jacob  Zimmerman,  must,  in  Nov.  4,  1862 ;  died  July 
14,  of  wounds  received  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July 
1,  1863 ;  buried  in  Nat.  Cem.,  section  E,  grave  14. 

Company  K. — This  company  was  recruited 
in  Berks  County,  and  unless  otherwise  stated, 
the  men  were  mustered  out  July  30,  1863. 

James   W.   Weida,   capt.,   must,   in   Nov.  13,  1862 ; 

wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863;  disch., 

to  date  July  30,  1863. 
Jacob  J.  Hessler,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Nov.  13,  1862. 
Chas.  A.  Trexler,   2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Nov.  13,  1862 ; 

killed  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  3,  1863. 
James  B.  Brown,  1st.  sergt.,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862 ; 


300 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


pro.  from  sergt.  April  24,  1863 ;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863 ;  absent,  in  hospi- 
tal, at  muster  out. 

Martin  Eeifinger,  sergt.,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862  ;  ab- 
sent, sick,  at  muster  out. 

Adam  Heilman,  sergt.,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862 ; 
wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863  ;  ab- 
sent, in  hospital,  at  muster  out. 

John  Y.  Seiders,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862  ;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1, 1863  ;  pro.  from  corp.  July 
24,  1863 ;  absent,  in  hospital,  at  muster  out. 

Simon  J.  Arnold,  sergt.,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862 ;  pro. 
to  Bergt.-maj.  April  24, 1863. 

Alexr.  Seiders,  sergt.,  must,  in  Nov.  5, 1862 ;  killed  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Philip  Yearling,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Amos  Fisher,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862 ;  wounded 
at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1, 1863 ;  absent,  in  hospi- 
tal, at  muster  out. 

Wm.  Lindecukle,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862. 

Frank  Rowe,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862 ;  wounded 
at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863 ;  absent,  in  hos- 
pital, at  muster  out. 

David  Mabry,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862  ;  pro.  to 
corp.  Jan.  24,  1863. 

Elias  Titlow,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  pro.  to 
corp.  March  21,  1863. 

George  G.  Weidner,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862; 
wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863  ;  pro. 
to  corp.  April  24,  1863;  absent,  in  hospital,  at 
muster  out. 

Aaron  S.  Holl,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.  Dec.  4,  1862. 

Francis  S.  Mellerf,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862 ; 
disch.  on  surg.  certif.  March  21,  1863. 

Cyrus  Lutz,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862 ;  died  July 
8,  of  wounds  received  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1, 
1863. 

Daniel  Weiser,  corp.,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  died  at 
Union  Mills,  Va.,  Jan.  24,  1863. 

Wm.  B.  Weiser,  mus.,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Roland  Lang,  mus.,  must,  in  Nov.  5, 1862. 
Privates. 

Matthias  Armel,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Charles  Ammarrell,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Geo.  Ambriester,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862 ;  disch.  on 
surg.  certif.  March  21,  1863. 

Augustus  Berger,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862. 

Ephraim  Bingamin.  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  wounded 
at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863 ;  absent,  in  hos- 
pital, at  muster  out. 

Adam  Bear,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862. 

William  Bellis,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Lovelin  Brensigger,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Armandis  Buck,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Levi  B.  Belles,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Lewis  B.  Bluck,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863;  absent,  in  hospi- 
tal, at  muster  out. 


John  Borrell,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863  ;  absent,  in  hospital, 
at  muster  out. 

David  Campman,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Samuel  Doneberger,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862. 

Reuben  Deisher,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Peter  Drumheller,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  killed  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Jefferson  Eppler,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Jonathan  Eagua,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  killed  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Philip  Emrich,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Marcus  Fegeley,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  wd.,  with 
loss  of  arm,  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863; 
absent,  in  hospital,  at  muster  out. 

William  S.  Fisher,  must,  in  ISov.  3,  1862. 

William  Fisher,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Joseph  H.  Feiner,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862. 

William  Furman,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

John  Gross,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  wounded  at  Get- 
tysburg, Pa.,  July  1,  1863;  absent,  in  hospital,  at 
muster  out. 

Samuel  Griscom,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

William  Glnder,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Franklin  Giger,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863 ;  absent,  in  hospi- 
tal, at  muster  out. 

Henry  Geist,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Robert  Gift,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Cyrus  Gehr,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1 862. 

Nicholas  Ginder,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  killed  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

James  B.  Hayman,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862  ;  wounded 
at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863 ;  absent,  in  hos- 
pital, at  muster  out. 

William  Hoss,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862.  . 

Daniel  Hollenbush,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  absent, 
sick,  at  muster  out. 

Peter  K.  Herbach,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Charles  Humbert,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,1863;  absent,  in  hospital, 
at  muster  out. 

John  H.  Herb,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863;  absent,  in  hos- 
pital, at  muster  out. 

Benjamin  Heffner,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862. 

Peter  R.  Heck,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  disch.  on  surg. 
certif.  March  21,  1863. 

John  A.  Hinnershitz,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  died  at 
Belle  Plain,  Va.,  March  7,  1863. 

James  B.  Kercher,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862 ;  wounded 
at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863  ;  absent,  in  hos- 
pital, at  muster  out. 

Charles  H.  Kercher,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Augustus  Kline,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862  ;  absent,  sick, 
at  muster  out. 

Henry  Kline,  must,  in  Nov.  5, 1862  ;  wounded  at  Get- 
tysburg, Pa.,  July  1,  1863  ;  absent,  in  hospitai,  at 
muster  out. 


THE  CIVIL  WAK. 


301 


AVilliam  Klein,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862. 
Adam  D.  Kocher,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862. 

Adam  Keennor,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  killed  at  Get- 
tysburg, Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Abraham  Levan,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Mahlon  Lease,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1, 1863 ;  absent,  in  hospital, 
'at  muster  out. 

H.  S.  Lindecukle,  must,  in  Nov.  5, 1862. 

William  Maurer,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Lewis  Meckley,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 

Reuben  H.  Moyer,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  absent, 
sick,  at  muster  out. 

Penjamin  F.  Moyer,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Franklin  Minker,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862. 

John  Moyer,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Matthew  Poh,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862. 

Franklin  Phillips,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Hillorous  Roth,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863;  absent,  in  hos- 
pital, at  muster  out. 

George  W.  Rapp,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Jonas  Remich,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862, 

Jacob  Ruppert,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Samel  Rhoad,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862. 

Charles  Smeck,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863 ;  absent,  in  hospital, 
at  muster  out. 

Aaron  Smith,  must,  in  Nov.  3, 1862 ;  wounded  at  Get- 
tysburg, Pa.,  July  1,  1863 ;  absent,  in  hospital,  at 
muster  out. 

Christian  Schillbach,  must,  in  Not.  3,  1862. 

John  Sicher,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Henry  A.  Sterner,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862;  absent, 
sick,  at  muster  out. 

David  Scheimer,  must,  in  November  3, 1862 ;  wound- 
ed at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863 ;  died  at 
Philadelphia  July  26,  1863. 

Jonathan  Strauser,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862 ;  absent, 
sick,  at  muster  out. 

John  0.  Shell,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862 ;  died  at  Union 
Mills,  Va.,  June  10,  1863. 

Jonas  Trexler,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862 ;  absent,  sick,  at 
muster  out. 

Frank  P.  AVendling,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862 ;  wounded 
at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863  ;  died  at  Phila- 
delphia July  17,  1863. 

John  J.  Wisner,  must,  in  Nov.  3,  1862. 

John  Weyandt,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862 ;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863;  absent,  in  hos- 
pital, at  muster  out. 

Frank  B.  Weaber,  must,  in  Nov.  3,1862;  died  July 
27,  of  wounds  received  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July 
1,  1863. 

Henry  Yorgey,  must,  in  Nov.  2,  1862. 

Marcus  Youse,  must,  in  Nov.  5,  1862 ;  disch.  on  surg. 
certif.  Dec.  18,  1863. 


VOLUNTEER    MILITIA    OF    1862. 

When  the  rebel  army  achieved  its  triumphs 
in  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Eun,  it  hastened 
northward  and  commenced  crossing  the  Poto- 
mac. The  southern  border  of  Pennsylvania 
lay  unprotected  in  close  proximity,  and  its  rich 
harvests  invited  invasion.  The  Reserve  Corps, 
which  was  originally  organized  for  the  State  de- 
fense, had  been  called  away  to  the  succor  of  the 
hard-pressed  army  of  McClellan  upon  the 
Peninsula, and  was  now  upon  the  weary  march, 
with  ranks  sadly  thinned  in  the  hard-fought 
battles  of  Mechanicsville,  Gaines'  Mill,  Charles 
City  Cross-Roads  and  the  second  Bull  Run,  to 
again  meet  the  foe,  but  powerless  to  avert  the 
threatened  danger.  The  result  of  the  struggle 
on  the  plains  of  Manassas  was  no  sooner  known 
than  the  helpless  condition  of  the  State,  which 
had  been  apparent  from  the  first,,  became  a  sub- 
ject of  alarm.  On  September  4th,  Governor 
Curtin  issued  a  proclamation,  calling  on  the 
people  to  arm  and  prepare  for  defense.  He 
recommended  the  immediate  formation  of  com- 
panies and  regiments  throughout  the  common- 
wealth, and,  for  the  purpose  of  drill  and 
instruction,  that  after  three  p.  M.  of  each  day  all 
business  houses  be  closed.  On  the  10th,  the 
danger  having  become  imminent,  and  the 
enemy  being  already  in  Maryland,  he  issued  a 
general  order,  calling  on  all  able-bodied  men  to 
enroll  immediately  for  the  defense  of  the  State, 
and  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  to  march 
upon  an  hour's  notice,  to  select  officers,  and  to 
provide  themselves  with  such  arms  as  could  be 
obtained,  with  sixty  rounds  of  ammunition  to 
the  man.  He  tendered  arms  to  such  as  had 
none,  and  promised  that  they  should  be  held  for 
service  for  such  time  only  as  the  pressing 
exigency  for  State  defense  should  continue.  On 
the  following  day,  acting  under  authority  of  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  the  Governor 
called  for  fifty  thousand  men,  directing  them  to 
report  by  telegraph  for  orders  to  move,  and  add- 
ing that  further  calls  would,  be  made  as  the 
exigencies  should  require.  The  people  every- 
where flew  to  arms,  and  moved  promptly  to  the 
State  capital.  One  regiment  and  eight  companies 
were  sent  forward  during  the  night  of  the  12th, 


302 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


and  others  followed  as  fast  as  they  could  be  or- 
ganized. On  the  1 4th  the  head  of  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  met  the  enemy  at  South  Mountain, 
and  hurled  him  back  through  its  passes,  and  on 
the  evening  of  the  16th  and  on  the  17th  a  fierce 
battle  was  fought  at  Antietam.  In  the  mean 
time  the  militia  had  rapidly  concentrated  at 
Hagerstown  and  Chanibersburg,  and  General 
John  F.  Reynolds,  who  was  at  the  time  com- 
manding a  corps  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
had  assumed  command.  Fifteen  thousand  men 
were  pushed  forward  to  Hagerstown  and  Boons- 
boro',  and  a  portion  of  them  stood  in  line  of 
battle  in  close  proximity  to  the  field,  in  readiness 
to  advance,  while  the  fierce  fighting  was  in  pro- 
gress. Ten  thousand  more  were  posted  in  the 
vicinity  of  Greencastle  and  Chanibersburg,  and 
about  twenty-five  thousand  were  either  at 
Harrisburg,  on  their  way  tp  Harrisburg,  or  in 
readiness  and  waiting  for  transportation  to  pro- 
ceed thither.  The  Twenty-fifth  Regiment, 
under  command  of  Colonel  Dechert,  at  the  re- 
quest of  General  Halleck,  was  sent  to  the  State 
of  Delaware,  to  guard  the  Dupont  Powder-Mills, 
whence  the  national  armies  were  principally 
supplied.  But  the  enemy  was  defeated  at 
Antietam,  and  retreated  in  confusion  across  the 
Potomac.  The  emergency  having  passed,  the 
militia  regiments  were  ordered  to  return  to 
Harrisburg,  and  in  accordance  with  the  condi- 
tions on  which  they  had  been  called  into  service, 
they  were  on  the  24th  mustered  out  and  dis- 
banded. The  train  on  which  the  Twentieth 
Regiment  was  returning  over  the  Cumberland 
Valley  Railroad  collided,  upon  nearing  Harris- 
burg, with  a  train  passing  in  the  opposite 
direction,  by  which  four  men  were  killed  and 
thirty  injured. 

In  a  letter  addressed  to  Governor  Curtiu  by 
General  McClellan,  thanking  him  for  his 
energetic  action  in  calling  out  the  militia,  and 
placing  them  in  the  field,  the  general  adds, — 

"  Fortunately,  circumstances  rendered  it  impossible 
for  the  enemy  to  set  foot  upon  the  soil  of  Pennsylva- 
nia, but  the  moral  support  rendered  to  my  army  by 
your  action  was  none  the  less  mighty.  In  the  name  of 
my  army;  and  for  myself,  I  again  tender  to  you  our 
acknowledgments  for  your  patriotic  course.  The 
manner  in  which  the  people  of  Pennsylvania  re- 
sponded to  your  call,  and  hastened  to  the  defense  of 


their  frontier,  no  doubt  exercised  a  great  influence 
upon  the  enemy." 

In  an  order  issued  by  Governor  Bradford,  of 
Maryland,  soon  after  the  battle,  he  says, — 

"  To  Governor  Curtin,  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the 
militia  of  his  State,  who  rallied  with  such  alacrity  at 
the  first  symptoms  of  an  invasion,  our  warmest  thanks 
are  also  due.  The  readiness  with  which  they  crossed 
the  border,  and  took  their  stand  beside  the  Maryland 
brigade,  shows  that  the  border  is,  in  all  respects,  hut 
an  ideal  line,  and  that  in  such  a  cause  as  now  unites 
us,  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland  are  but  one." 

The  following  seven  companies  of  volunteers 
were  enlisted  from  Berks  County  in  this 
service  : 

Co.  G,  2d  Regt.,  Captain  Franklin  S.  Bickley. 

Co.  E,  11th  Regt.,  Captain  Charles  H.  Hunter. 

Co.  I,  11th  Regt.,  Captain  Nathan  M.  Eisenhower. 

Co.  G,  20th  Regt.,  Captain  William  Geiger. 

Co.  H,  20th  Regt.,  Captain  Samuel  Harner. 

Co.  I,  20th  Regt.,  Captain  Frederick  S.  Boas. 

Berks  County  Cavalry,  Independent,  Captain 
Samuel  L.  Young. 

COMPANY  G,  OF  2D   REGIMENT  IN  MILITIA  OF  1862. 

(Regiment    organized  Sept.    6-13,   1862;  discharged 
Sept.  23-25, 1862.) 

Frank  S.  Bickley,  captain. 

Lewis  H.  Wunder,  first  lieutenant. 

Charles  H.  Richards,  second  lieutenant. 

John  G.  Seltzer,  first  sergeant. 

Sergeants:  William  H.Strickland,  Lewis  Briner. 

Corporals :  Henry  R.  Hertzel,  Bodo  Otto,  John 

W.  Burkhart,  Levi  Malzburger,   John   Phil- 

lipson,  Albert  G.  Green,  Jacob  K.  Sterrett, 

Franklin  V.    Shoener,   William    Potteiger, 

Amos  B.  Yeager. 

Privates. — Rufus  H.  Addams,  Samuel  Bell,  Henry. 

Bennethum,    Jr.,     Daniel     H.    Beideman,    Harvey 

Birch,    Robert   Bland,    Lewis    Bohler,    George    W. 

Boyer,  Michael  Bright,  Edward  Burkholder,  Ephraim 

Dautrich,  William  P.  Dickinson,  George  W.  Eckert, 

Daniel  Ermentrout,  Philip  M.  Ermentrout,  Jacob  H. 

Forney,   Daniel  Gauker,  Thomas  W.  Hain,  Hervey 

Herman,  Amos  B.  Hon",  Alexander  Howell,  John  R. 

Kaucher,  Warren   B.   Kelley,    James    Koch,    John 

Lash,  William  S.  Madeira,  James  Madeira,  Abraham 

Mengel,  George  K.  Miller,  H.  H.  Muhlenberg,  James 

S.  Norris,  Gustavus  Opitz,  Henry  M.  Otto,  William 

Prison,   George    W.    Rauk,    Samuel    Rapp,    James 

Reber,    Emanuel   Reider,    William    E.    Reifsnyder, 

George  W.  Rabold,  Lewis  L.  Richards,    Ferdinand 

S.  Ritter,  Madison  Sallade,  Jacob  M.  Sallade,  Charles 

W.   G.   Schlemm,   John   D.    Schoener,   William  D. 

Souders,  John  Scheetz,  Owen  J.  Thomas,  Jacob  Van 

Reed,  Henry  Van  Reed,  Jacob  Wanner,  Daniel  S. 

Zacharias,  John  Zieber. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


303 


COMPANIES    E   AND    I    OF    THE    llTH    REGIMENT,    IN 
MILITIA  OF  1862. 

(Regiment  organized  Sept.  12,  1862 ;  discharged  Sept. 
24-25, 1862.  Charles  A.  Knoderer  was  colonel  of 
this  regiment.) 

COMPANY  E. 

Charles  H.  Hunter,  captain. 

Harrison  Mattzberger,  first  lieutenant. 

J.  S.  Allgaier,  second  lieutenant. 

Philip  Benson,  first  sergeant. 

Sergeants :  Charles  F.  Hass,  E.  F.  Smith,  Frank- 
lin Bitting,  John  N.  Fisher. 

Corporals:  Gustavus  A.  Nicolls,  Charles  Boyer, 
Henry  Kessler,  R.  B.  Fichthorn,  Bertolette 
Connard,  F.  S.  Allgaier,  William  D.  Reeser. 

Musicians:  Thomas  Humphreys,  William  Lerch, 
G.  E.  Reeser. 
Privates. — J.  Allison,  Francis  M.  Banks,  Highland 
H.  Banks,  John  A.  Banks,  W.  P.  Bard,  James  Bastler, 
Albert  Boyer,  William  A.  Bayne,  E.  BishofF,  H. 
Boyer,  H.  R.  Boyer,  J.  N.  Boyer,  Y.  Yardley  Brown, 
Frank  R.  Butz,  John  Christman,  Hiester  Clymer,  J. 
De  Puy  Davis,  W.  R.  Davis,  D.  Dehart,  Albert  R. 
Durham,  A.  S.  Esterly,  B.  S.  Fix,  Franklin  Fricker, 
Geo.  M.  Graeff,  Jacob  H.  Graeff,  Edward  Greath,  D. 
P.  Greath,  W.  Hartman,  Peier  Y.  Heckman,  Reuben 
V.  R.  High,  G.  W.  High,  Jacob  Hole,  Samuel  M. 
Hollenbach,  Daniel  S.  Hunter,  J.  Timothy  Jackson, 
J.  Jennings,  Richmond  L.  Jones,  H.  C.  Jones,  Elijah 
F.  Keever,  Samuel  Kerns,  Franklin  Keffer,  W.  F. 
Kerper,  J.  H.  Kershner,  J.  A.  Kutz,  George  B.  Kupp, 
Richard  Leaf,  A.  L.  Leopold,  Charles  A.  Leopold, 
Daniel  D.  Lerch,  Charles  C.  Malsberger,  Samuel  C. 
Mayer,  Daniel  Maurer,  Geo.  W.  Morgan,  William 
Myers,  Ezra  Miller,  Samuel  McNea),  H.  Neihart, 
James  Nicholson,  John  Printz,  John  Ralston,  J.  A. 
Rankin,  A.  F.  Reeser,  A.  W.  Rhoads,  John  Rhoads, 
John  Rick,  Albert  Ritter,  Charles  Ritter,  John  R. 
Ritter,  J.  P.  Ritter,  Edward  Samuel,  J.  R.  Schmucker, 
John  R.  Strecker,  D.  E.  Schroeder,  W.  M.  Swartz,  W. 
C.  Swartz,  C.  A.  Smith,  Charles  L.  Still,  B.  F.  Stim- 
mel,  Herman  Strecker,  J.  S.  Strohecker,  Henry  A. 
Upson,  H.  Witman,  Levi  Wuuder,  James  Yeager,  F. 
Yocum,  J.  Yohn. 

COMPANY  I. 

Nathan  M.  Eisenhower,  captain. 
William  J.  Clouse,  first  lieutenant. 
James  L.  Douglass,  second  lieutenant. 
Abraham  H.  Phillippi,  first  sergeant. 
Sergeants:   Lewis   G.   Swain,   Jacob   H.   Boyer, 

John  F.  Clouse,  John  Flink, 
Corporals:  Samuel  Blackman,  Ephraim  Moser, 

Jesse  Mercer,  John   S.   McConnel,  Samuel 

Fink,  John  Miltimore,  Samuel  Stackhouse, 

Peter  Eiler. 
Musicians:  John  Ringler,  Winfield  Anthony. 
Privates. — Charles    B.   Ansart,    Conrad    Anthony, 


Benjamin  R.  Bratt,  David  Benson,  Joseph  Bridegam, 
Lee  C.  Bricker,  John  L.  Borrell,  Henry  Connard, 
Jeremiah  O.  Coller,  Henry  H.  Crouse,  Benneville 
Dewalt,  Sampson  Dane,  William  H.  Dickenson,  James 
Earl,  John  Evans,  Fiedele  Einzig,  Elias  H.  Eyrich, 
Charles  Focht,  Andrew  J.  Fink,  Reuben  Fink,  Jere- 
miah Pehr,  Otto  Flatt,  John  F.  Fox,  Rudolph  F. 
Fleer,  Henry  Griscom,  Samuel  Griscom,  Abraham 
W.  Hain,  James  Hahs,  Henry  A.  Hofif,  Joseph 
Hauckenbach,  Daniel  Hausum,  Jr.,  John  Horn, 
Jeremiah  Hopp,  Jacob  Kauffman,  John  Kaul, 
Frederick  A.  M.  Keller,  Peter  Keffer,  Henry  M. 
Keim,  Charles  A.  Knoderer  (promoted  to  colonel, 
Sept.  15,  1862),  Thomas  P.  Kinsey,  Peter  R.  Lutz, 
Andrew  Lutz,  Otto  Mellert,  Edwin  L.  Mull,  Augustus 
Moser,  Charles  Miller,  David  McKnight,  Peter  McCord, 
John  McKnight,  Spencer  C.  Neal,  Samuel  Newkirk, 
Samuel  Rochstull,  Andrew  S.  Rhoads,  James  Ruth, 
Joseph  Ritner,  Charles  Ruth,  Joseph  Saxe,  Frederick 
L.  Smith,  Alfred  Spearce,  Henry  H.  Sharman,  Henry 
Spohn,  Israel  Sallada,  Jr.,  Michael  J.  Seiling,  Wil- 
liam A.  Schall,  Thomas  Schofield,  William  Treat, 
Charles  O.  Whiteman,  Adam  E.  Weise,  Wesley  H. 
Wells,  Charles  Wannamacher,  Franklin  Warren, 
Charles  F.  Witman,  Frederick  Wittich,  Charles  A. 
Wick,  Gustavus  A.  Worth  (promoted  to  adjutant 
Sept.  15,  1862),  William  R.  Yeich,  William  S.  Yocum. 

companies  a,  h  and   I  of  20th   keg-iment,  mili- 
tia of  1862. 
(Regiment  organized  Sept.  18, 1862 ;  discharged  Sept. 
26-30,1862.) 
company  g. 
William  Geiger,  captain. 
Lewis  Hagenman,  first  lieutenant. 
Amos  H.  Deysher,  second  lieutenant. 
William  A.  Coxel,  first  sergeant. 
Sergeants:  Lewis  Shaneman,  Jacob  Spatz,  Amos 

W.  Boyer,  Henry  W.  Corbit. 
Corporals:  John  Weitzel,  Wiliam  Quimby,  Au- 
gustus Strohecker,  Solomon  Holston,  Thomas 
Lincoln,  Michael  McCullough,  Hiram  Hol- 
ston, Joseph  V.  Diehl 
Musicians :  Mahlon  Houck,  Amos  W.  Graul. 
Privates.  —  Charles    H.   Barrett,   Thomas    Burker, 
Theodore  H.   Deysher,   Franklin   Doutrich,   Joseph 
Deysher,   Martin   Eisenhower,   William    H.   Engle, 
Theodore   Foreman,   Thomas    Fehr,   Reuben   Gruff, 
George  E.  Goodhart,  David  Gross,  Francis  Y.  Hyne- 
man,  Edward  A.  Howell,  Jeremiah  N.  Hagenman, 
James  Holston,  John  Hungerford,  Thomas  Hunger- 
ford,  Jacob  L.  Keller,  Daniel  Kepple,  Chaa.  Keeler, 
Samuel  K.  Kraemer,  David  N.  Keenan,  Hezekiah  J. 
Knauer,   Reuben   C.  L.  Kissinger,   Reuben  C.  Kis- 
singer, Daniel  Kilpatrick,  Henry  Krook,  Daniel  Lein- 
back,  Albert  Leinback,  Benneville  Ludwig,  Clayton 
Lawrence,  John  B.  Maxton,  Jediah  Miller,  Sebastian 
Mohring,  Nelson  Moore,  Morris  P.  Miller,  Levi  Rel- 
ler,  Joseph  Reese,  Lyman  Ruth,  John  Steffenberg, 


304 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Isaac  Sheetz,  Henry  J.  Smilh,  John  Stubblebine, 
George  Sheetz,  Joseph  Steffenberg,  William  Shoeffer, 
Uriah  T.  Trait,  William  H.  Thomas,  Cornelius  Van- 
hammersfeld,  Thomas  Yeager,  James  Yeager. 

COMPANY  H. 
Samuel  Harner,  captain. 
Franklin  Till,  first  lieutenant. 
Alonzo  B.  Turner,  second  lieutenant. 
Anthony  Bickel,  first  sergeant. 
Sergeants:  Henry  Eorke,  Harrison  Fix,  Mahlon 

Fox. 
Corporals:    William    Harbster,    David    Mullin, 
Charles   Davis,   Charles  A.  Ringle,  Henry 
Wunder,  Henry  Reeser. 
Musicians:  Howard  P.  McCord,  Robert  Binga- 
min. 
Privates. — William  K.  Arnold,  Lewis  Arsell,  I-aac 
Bird,  Peter  Brisse,  Henry  Cole,  William  W.  Collers, 
Patrick  Diamond,  Franklin  K.  Davis,  William  Fox, 
Israel  Goodman,  George  Girvan,  Aaron  Haupt,  Isaac 
Harvey,  Dominick  Kramp,  William  C.  Kutz.  Dickin- 
son Kutz,  Cyrus  J.  McCord,  John  H.  Nagle,  Timothy 
O'Bryan,  Andrew  Paulhamus,  William  Ruth,  John 
Ruth,  Thomas  K.  Richards,  David  Ringler,  Jeremiah 
Shirey,   Jacob  Shaffer,  John   Sweetwood,  Abraham 
Trate,  Daniel  Ubil,  James  M.  Witman. 

Captain  Samuel  Harner  gave  seven  years 
of  his  life  to  the  service  of  his  country.  He 
was  five  years  in  the  regular  army,  having  in 
this  time  passed  through  the  Mexican  War ; 
and  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion  he  enlisted 
as  a  volunteer  and  served  one  year  in  Ken- 
tucky. He  commanded  Company  H  in  the 
Twentieth  Regiment  of  the  State  Militia  from 
Reading,  during  the  rebel  invasion  of  1862, 
and  Company  B,  Forty-second  Regiment,  dur- 
ing the  invasion  of  1863.  He  died  at  Irs  resi- 
dence in  Reading  on  February  11,  1865,  aged 
thirty-seven  years.  He  was  a  native  of  Read- 
ing and  a  highly-respected,  exemplary  man. 

COMPANY   I. 

Frederick  S.  Boas,  captain. 

Samuel  Robinson,  first  lieutenant. 

Henry  Schroeder,  second  lieutenant. 

Samuel  Hamilton,  first  sergeant. 

Sergeants:  Henry  Fleck  (accidentally  killed,  Sept. 

26,  1862),  George  S.  Rowbotham,  Daniel  M. 

Weidner,  Frank  Dundore. 
Corporals:    John   R.   Christ,   Zeno   Hoffmaster, 

Gottlieb  Heller,  Isaac  Hale,  Henry  Seiders, 

Alexander  Werner,   William   R.  Williams, 

Nelson  Bell. 
Musicians:  Henry  Redmond,  Jacob  Hamilton. 
Privatts. — Philip  Arnold,  Daniel  Aldendorfer,  Geo. 
W.  Armbruster,  William  Brown,  David  Bridegam, 


Elias  Bitter,  David  Bechtol,  Albert  D.  Boas,  Henry 
Becker,  Adam  Busell,  Henry  Bowman,  John  Boyer, 
Linderman  Britton,  Isaac  Barton,  Jacob  Crow,  Geo. 
Davis,  Adam  Deem,  Lewis  Eisenhower,  Isaiah  Espen- 
shade,  William  Eisenbise,  William  Ehrgood,'  Peter 
Eagle,  Richard  Eagle,  Henry  Fix,  Charles  Frill, 
Henry  Goodman,  George  Hoffman,  Jacob  Herst, 
Charles  Huyett,  James  Hafer,  John  Herm,  Rufus 
Hunberger,  William  Harbold,  Charles  Johnson,  Evan 
James,  Augustus  Keller  (accidentally  killed,  Sept. 
26,  1862),  William  Keller,  John  Ki'llian,  Peter  Koch, 
William  H.  Lewis,  Daniel  Lausch,  William  E.  Lewis, 
George  Livingood,  Isaac  Moore,  Daniel  Moore,  Win. 
Moore,  John  L.  Morris,  John  E.  McGrew,  Redman 
McManus,  George  Northhammer,  William  S.  Neu- 
gent,  Lewis  Newdorfer.  Bermird  O'Macht,  James 
O'Neill,  Mark  O'Neill,  William  Printz,  George  W. 
Roland,  Henry  Rambo,  Daniel  Seiders  (accidentally 
killed,  Sept.  26,  1862),  Samuel  Snell,  Jacob  Snell, 
Peter  Snell,  Isaac  Snell,  Francis  Y.  Sallade,  Benjamin 
Sterling,  Peter  Smith,  William  Schuler,  Wm.  Statt, 
Joseph  Seyfert,  Michael  Smith,  Albert  B.  Werner  (ac- 
cidentally killed.  Sept.  26,  1862),  Henry  Wolfckill, 
Eli  Williams,  David  Zimmerly. 

Captain  Frederick  S.  Boas  is  of  German 
extraction.  He  is  the  great-grandson  of  Rev. 
William  Boas,  who  emigrated  from  Wurtem- 
berg,  Germany,  and  settled  at  Reading,  where 
he  became  one  of  the  first  pastors  of  the  German 
Reformed  Church.  He  continued  to  officiate 
as  a  pastor  until  old  age  compelled  his  retire- 
ment from  active  service.  He  was  married  to 
Barbara  Epler,  of  Bern  township,  Berks  Coun- 
ty, and  had  eight  children — John,  Jacob,  Fred- 
erick, William,  Daniel,  Barbara  (intermarried 
with  Jacob  Levan),  Catherine  (intermarried 
with  Abraham  Wanner)  and  Elizabeth  (inter- 
married with  Frederick  Rapp).  He  died  No- 
vember 28,  1814,  aged  seventy-five  years.  His 
son  John  was  born  March  17, 1774,  at  Reading, 
and  died  August  8,  1860,  having  followed  dur- 
ing his  early  life  the  trade  of  a  hatter.  He  was 
married  to  Susanna  Herbine,  of  Bern  township, 
whose  children  were  John,  Daniel  H.  and  Cath- 
erine (intermarried  with Sallada).     Daniel 

H,  the  father  of  Captain  Boas,  was  born  Septem- 
ber 28, 1800,  at  Reading,  in  the  dwelling  now  oc- 
cupied as  a  residence  by  his  son,  where  he  died 
October  6, 1852. "  He  was  married  to  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  Jacob  Shearer,  of  Reading,  born 
January  13,  1800,  and  died  December  30, 1858. 
Their  children  are  Mary  Ann,  born  in  1824 
(wife  of  George  W.  Goodrich) ;  Catherine,  in 


THE  CIVIL  WAR 


305 


1828  (now  deceased) ;  Eliza  E.,  in  1827,  who 
was  intermarried  with  Daniel  B.  Kerper,  de- 
ceased; Susan  A.,  in  1828,  deceased;  Frederick 
S.;  Albert  D.,  in  1838;  and  Clara  E.,  in  1840, 

intermarried  with Austin. 

Frederick  S.  Boas  was  born  November  10, 
1834,  at  the  homestead  in  Reading.  He  re- 
ceived a  thorough  rudimentary  education.  In 
1830  his  father  abandoned  his  trade  as  a  manu- 
facturer of  hats,  and  then  embarked  in  the  lum- 


ret  Cressman,  of  Reading ;  Mary  M.,  and  Cad- 
die S.  John  K.  Boas  is  actively  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business  in  Reading. 

Mr.  Boas  was  formerly  much  interested  in 
the  State  militia,  having  in  1855  become  captain 
of  the  "  Reading  Rifles."  This  company,  by  its 
perfect  equipment  and  excellent  discipline,  ac- 
quired a  high  reputation  as  a  military  organiza- 
tion. During  the  Civil  War,  he  organized  a  com- 
pany of  volunteer  militia,  numbering  one  hun- 


ber  business.  His  son,  upon  finishing  his  stu- 
dies, became  associated  with  him  in  this  busi- 
ness, and  in  1852  succeeded  him  as  the  sole 
proprietor.  Although  interested  at  various 
times  in  other  enterprises,  he  has  since  1848 
been  thoroughly  identified  with  the  lumber 
trade  in  Berks  County,  and  the  various  building 
operations  incident  to  that  business.  On  the 
30th  of  November,  1858,  he  was  married  to 
Rosa,  daughter  of  Joshua  Keeley,  of  Reading. 
Their  children  are  John  K.,  married  to  Marga- 
34 


dred  and  ten  men.  It  was  Company  I,  in  the 
Twentieth  Regiment,  mustered  into  service 
September,  1862.  Military  service  was  per- 
formed nearly  two  weeks.  The  regiment  was 
discharged  in  the  latter  part  of  September,  when 
the  company  returned  to  Reading. 

The  Boas  family  have  for  many  years  advo- 
cated the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party. 
Captain  Boas  represented  the  Southwest  "Ward 
in  the  select  branch  of  City  Council  from  1858 
to  1861,  having  been  president  during  the  last 


306 


HISTOKY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


year.  He  was  for  a  time  secretary,  and  one  of 
the  building  committee,  of  the  South  Reading 
Market-House  Company,  and  also  secretary  of 
the  West  Reading  Railroad  Company  until  it 
became  merged  into  the  Philadelphia  and  Read- 
ing Railroad  Company.  In  June,  1856,  he  be- 
came a  member  of  Lodge  No.  62,  of  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons,  and  afterward  filled  various 
official  positions.  He  aided  in  organizing  St. 
John's  Lodge,  No.  435,  in  which  he  filled  the 
office  of  first  Worshipful  Master.  He  is  a 
member  of  Reading  Chapter,  No.  152,  and  also 
of  Reading  Commandery,  No.  42,  being  now 
Past  High  Priest  in  the  former.  He  is  the  pres- 
ent representative  of  St.  John's  Lodge,  and  one 
of  the  managers  of  the  Home  for  Free  and  Ac- 
cepted Masons  of  Pennsylvania. 

The  father  of  Captain  Boas  was  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  Universalist  Church  of  Read- 
ing, and  the  captain  himself  has  been  a  member 
of  the  church  since  1851.  He  has  filled  the 
office  of  secretary  of  the  church  vestry  since 
1854.  He  has  taken  an  active  and  prominent 
part  in  the  Sunday-school  since  his  boyhood. 
As  a  delegate  and  representative  from  the  church, 
he  attended  many  of  the  conventions  held  by  the 
Universalist  denomination. 

INDEPENDENT  CAVALRY  COMPANY. 

(Commanded  by  Captain  Samuel  L.  Young ;   organ- 
ized September  17,   1862 ;    discharged  September 
27,  1862.) 
Captain,  Samuel  L.  Young. 
First  Lieutenant,  John  D.  Stitzel. 
Second  Lieutenant,  John  M.  Kauffman. 
First  Sergeant,  Edwin  M.  Shalter. 
Quartermaster,  Townsend  W.  Evans. 
Sergeants  :  Richard  N.  Shalter,  Robert  Pierson, 

Calvin  K.  Whitner,  George  Weiser. 
Corporals :  Sadosa  S.  Stevens,  Henry  W.  Hertzel, 
Jeremiah    S.  Parvin,   William    H.   Parvin, 
William  H.  Spang,  Lewis  Evans,  Frederick 
B.  Border,  Walton  K.  Hagy. 
Farriers  :  William  Yohn,  Samuel  Dewees. 
Privates. — Edwin  Brobst,  Samuel  K.  Boyer,  Marcus 
Behm,  John  B.  Bowman,  William  Brendel,  Franklin 
Clark,  Anson  Dehart,  Luther  T.  Eggers,  Daniel  B. 
Edelman,  Charles  Ernst,  Harrison  K.  Epler,  Henry 
A.  Flickinger,  Frank  D.  Paber,  Joseph  N.  Good,  An- 
drew Gehret,  John  A.  Groff,  Jonas  Y.  Greth,  Adam 
Gehret,  Jesse  G.  Hawley,  John  D.  Hiester,  William 
A.   Hoffa,    Cyrus    J.   Hunter,  Alvin    W.   Hornung, 
Daniel  Y.  Jones,  Jacob  Kemp,  Charles  E.  Koenig, 
Albert  K.  Knabb,  Henry  S.  Knipe,  William  T.  Lyon 


Richard  Lechner,  William  H.  Livingood,  Gernant  S. 
Maurer,  William  Moyer,  Charles  Murphy,  Jacob  J. 
Moore,  James  H.  Parker,  Levi  B.  Rogers,  Levi  B. 
Renninger,  Alexander  Royer,  Cyrus  W.  Rothenberger, 
John  Richards,  John  S.  Rothermel,  William  Seit- 
zinger,  William  D.  Seltzer,  Jeremiah  B.  Wentzel, 
Charley  Wright,  John  Wiley,  Moses  Wolf. 

DRAFTED   MILITIA    GF    1862. 

During  the  year  1862  the  military  operations 
were  conducted  with  such  energy,  and  so  many 
men  were  required,  that  volunteer  companies 
were  not  sufficiently  numerous  to  supply  the  in- 
creasing demands  for  troops.  The  government 
was  therefore  driven  to  the  extreme  measure  of 
impressing  men  into  service  by  drafting  them 
for  that  purpose.  This  was  repugnant  to  the 
people ;  but  the.  imperiled  situation  of  the  coun- 
try justified  the  proceeding,  and  it  was  there- 
fore borne  with  submission.  The  following  com- 
panies were  composed  of  drafted  men  from  Berks 
County,  who  were  mustered  into  service  for 
nine  months: 


Company  A, 
Company  B, 
Company  C, 
Company  D, 
Company  E, 
Company  F, 
Company  G, 
Company  H, 
Company  I, 
berger. 
Company  K, 
Company  I, 
Company  K, 


167th  Regt.,  Capt. 
167th  Regt.,  Capt. 
167th  Regt.,  Capt. 
167th  Regt.,  Capt. 
167th  Regt.,  Capt. 
167th  Regt.,  Capt. 
167th  Regt.,  Capt. 
167th  Regt.,  Capt. 
167th  Regt.,  Capt. 

167th  Regt.,  Capt. 
179th  Regt.,  Capt. 
179th  Regt.,  Capt. 


Jonathan  See. 
Charles  Melcher. 
Peter  Y.  Edelman. 
Samuel  A.  Haines. 
Hiram  H.  Miller. 
Josiah  Groh. 
William  A.  Schall. 
Abr'm  H.  Schaeffer. 
Jonas  M.  Shollen- 

Edward  F.  Reed. 
Amos  Drenkel. 
John  B.  Wagoner. 


ONE  HUNDRED   AND   SIXTY-SEVENTH  REGIMENT. 

This  regiment  was  exclusively  from  Berks 
county,  and  was  organized  with  the  following 
field  officers :  Charles  A.  Knoderer,  colonel ; 
De  Puy  Davis,  lieutenant-colonel;  Gustavus 
A.  Worth,  major.  Colonel  Knoderer  was  a 
graduate  of  the  Polytechnic  School  of  Carls- 
ruhe,  and  had  served  as  captain  in  a  regiment 
of  the  patriot  Landwehr  in  the  Baden  struggle 
of  1849.  He  also  served  on  the  staff  of  Gen- 
eral Sigel,  in  Fremont's  campaign  in  Missouri, 
and  was  a  learned  and  accomplished  officer. 
Soon  after  its  organization  the  regiment  was  or- 
dered to  Suffolk,  Virginia,  in  the  Department 
of  the  James,  under  command  of  General  Dix. 
The  forces  at   Suffolk  and  vicinity  were  com- 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


307 


manded  by  General  John  J.  Peck,  who  was 
charged  with  holding  the  line  south  of  the 
James,  to  cover  the  approaches  to  Portsmouth 
and  Norfolk.  In  this  service  the  regiment  was 
actively  engaged,  being  employed  in  fatigue  du- 
ty upon  the  fortifications  (in  the  planning  of 
which  Colonel  Knoderer  was  an  adept),  in  rec- 
onnoitring and  out-post  duty,  and  in  drill,  pre- 
paratory to  active  campaigning.  Late  on  the 
evening  of  January  29, 1863,  General  Corcoran, 
who  commanded  a  division  under  General  Peck, 
moved  with  his  column  towards  the  Blackwater, 
and  at  Deserted  Farm,  seven  miles  out,  encoun- 
tered a  strong  force  of  the  enemy,  under  Gen- 
eral Roger  A.  Pryor.  Corcoran  immediately 
made  an  attack,  and  a  fierce  night  engagement 
ensued.  The  fighting  was  principally  with  ar- 
tillery and  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-seventh 
was  fearfuly  exposed  to  the  enemy's  fire.  At  the 
opening  of  the  battle  Colonel  Knoderer  ordered 
his  men  to  lie  down,  and  fortunately  few  were 
injured ;  but  the  horses  of  the  officers,  with  the 
exception  of  that  of  the  adjutant,  were  all  killed, 
and  the  colonel  himself  received  a  mortal 
wound.  The  enemy  was  finally  driven,  and 
the  command  returned  again  to  camp.  Lieut.- 
Col.  Davis  succeeded  to  the  command  of  the 
regiment,  and  was  subsequently  commissioned 
colonel.  It  participated  in  the  desultory  op- 
erations, which  were  kept  up  until  the  begin- 
ning of  April,  when  the  right  wing  of  the  reb- 
el army,  under  General  Longstreet,  numbering 
some  forty  thousand  men,  advanced  upon  the 
place,  and  attacked,  but  failed  to  carry  it. 
He  then  laid  siege  to  it,  and  constructed 
elaborate  works  for  its  reduction.  For  nearly 
a  month  these  operations  were  vigorously 
pushed,  and  for  many  days  the  bombardment 
of  the  fortifications  was  almost  incessant.  But 
so  skillfully  had  they  been  planned,  and  so  well 
constructed,  that  General  Peck,  with  a  force  of 
only  about  a  third  of  the  number  of  the  invading 
army,  successfully  repelled  every  attack,  and  fi- 
nally compelled  Longstreet  to  raise  the  siege.  The 
One  Hundred  and  Sixty-seventh  was  actively 
employed  in  the  defense  throughout  the  entire 
siege,  and  rendered  efficient  service.  Towards 
the  close  of  June,  and  during  the  time  of  Lee's 
invasion  of  Pennsylvania,  the  regiment  formed 


part  of  the  command  which  was  sent  to  demon- 
strate in  the  direction  of  Richmond,  and  upon 
its  return  was  ordered  to  join  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  then  in  pursuit  of  Lee's  army  in 
Maryland.  It  formed  junction  on  the  15th 
of  July,  the  day  after  the  escape  of  the  en- 
emy across  the  Potomac,  and  was  assigned  to 
the  First  Brigade,  First  Division,  of  the  First 
Corps.  With  that  corps,  it  participated  in  the 
pursuit  of  Lee  to  beyond  the  Rappahannock, 
when,  its  term  of  service  being  about  to  expire, 
it  was  relieved  at  the  front,  and  ordered  to 
Reading,  where,  on  the  12th  of  August,  it  was 
mustered  out.  The  conduct  of  the  regiment  du- 
ring its  short  service  in  the  Potomac  army  is 
shown  by  the  following  note  addressed  to  Colo- 
nel Davis  by  General  Cutler,  division  com- 
mander :  "  As  you  are  about  leaving  the  ser- 
vice with  your  command,  I  desire  to  express  to 
you,  and  through  you  to  your  command,  my 
entire  approval  of  the  manner  in  which  they 
have  discharged  their  duty  as  soldiers  since  they 
joined  this  division.  The  regiment  has  been 
a  pattern  of  order  and  promptness  on  the  fa- 
tiguing marches  of  the  last  month." 

Colonel  Charles  A.  Knodekek  was  a 
native  of  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Baden,  and  ed- 
ucated in  the  Polytechnic  School  there  for  the 
profession  of  a  civil  engineer.  After  gradua- 
ting he  served  the  government  as  a  civil  engi- 
neer, and  then  as  a  lieutenant  in  the  army. 
When  the  Revolution  broke  out  in  Germany 
in  1848,  he  resigned  his  commission  and  united 
with  Sigel  and  other  patriots  in  a  struggle  for 
constitutional  liberty.  But  this  effort  proving 
a  failure,  he  and  many  others  fled  to  America. 
He  came  to  Reading  in  1849,  and  in  1850  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  Schuylkill  Navigation 
Company,  remaining  in  its  employ  till  1861, 
when  he.  was  appointed  chief  of  engineers  on 
the  staff  of  General  Franz  Sigel,  and  participa- 
ted in  the  Missouri  campaign  under  General 
Fremont.  He  then  returned  to  Reading,  and 
after  a  short  employment  with  the  Navigation 
Company  re-entered  the  military  service.  In 
September,  1861,  during  the  rebel  raid  into 
Pennsylvania,  he  served  as  colonel  of  the 
Eleventh  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Militia,  hav- 
ing gone  from  Reading  as  a  private  and  elected 


308 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


colonel  at  Harrisburg.  And  shortly  afterward 
he  was  elected  colonel  of  the  One  Hundred  and 
Sixty-seventh  Regiment  of  drafted  men  from 
Berks  County.  He  was  wounded  at  the  battle 
of  Blackwater,  on  January  30,  1862,  and  died 
on  February  15,  1863,  aged  thirty-six  years. 
His  remains  were  brought  to  Beading  and  bu- 
ried in  Charles  Evans'  Cemetery. 

FIELD  AND  STAFF   OFFICERS. 

Charles  A.  Knoderer,  col.,  must,  in  Dec.  6, 1862 ;  died, 

Feb.  15,  of  wounds  received  at  Deserted  House, 

Va.,  Jan.  30,  1863. 
Joseph  De  Puy  Davis,  col.,  must,  in  Dec.  6,  1862 ;  pro. 

from  lieut.-col.  March  19,  1863  ;  must,  out  with 

regt.  Aug.  12,  1863. 
Gustavus  A.  Worth,  lieut.-col.,  must,  in  Dec.  6,  1862 ; 

pro.  from  maj.  March  19,1863;  must,  out  with 

regt.  Aug.  12,  1863. 
Jonathan  See,  maj.,  must,  in  Nov.  10,  1862;  pro.  from 

capt.  Co.  A  March  19,  1863  ;  must,  out  with  regt. 

Aug.  12,  1863. 
Adolph  Kiefer,  adjt.,  must,  in  Dec.  8,  1862 ;  must,  out 

with  regt.  Aug.  12,  1863. 
Morgan   Kupp,  q.m.,  must,  in  Dec.  3,  1862 ;  captured 

at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1,  1863. 
David  M.  Marshal],  surgeon,  must,  in  Aug.  6,  1862 ; 

pro.  from  asst.  surg.  103d  Regt.  P.  V.  Jan.  28, 

1863  ;  must,  out  with  regt.  Aug.  12,  1863. 
John  B.  Stearley,  asst.  surg.,  must,  in  Oct.  29,  1862 ; 

resigned  Feb.  28,  1863. 
William  R.  Henderson,  asst.  surg.,  must,  in   Nov.  1, 

1862  ;  resigned  April  9,  1863. 
Daniel  T.  Batdorf,  asst.  surg.,  must,  in  May  14,  1863  ; 

must,  out  with  regt.  Aug.  12,  1863. 
Robert  G.  Tatem,  sergt.-maj.,  must,  in  Nov.  10,  1862; 

pro.  from  corp.  Co.  A  ;  must,  out  with  regt.  Aug. 

12,  1863. 
Henry  B.   Bechtel,   q.m.-sergt.,   must,    in  Nov.  12, 

1862 ;   pro.  from  private  Co.  B ;  must,  out  with 

regt.  Aug.  12, 1863. 
John  R.  Hottenstein,  com.-sergt.,  must,  in  Nov.  12, 

1862 ;  must,  out  with  regt.  Aug.  12,  1863. 
Augustus  W.  Smith,  hospital  steward,  must,  in  Nov. 

12,  1862  ;  must,  out  with  regt.  Aug.  12,  1863. 

COMPANY  A. 

(Mustered  in  November  10,  1862;  and  mustered  out 
August  12,  1863). 
Captains :  Jonathan  See,  William  H.  Kintzel. 
Adam  Stump,  first  lieutenant. 
Timothy  Crowley,  second  lieutenant. 
John  S.  Gery,  first  sergeant. 
Sergeants :  James  Moyer,  John  Brightbill,  Henry 

Werner,  Nathaniel  Moyer. 
Corporals:  William    L.    Strouse,    William     S. 
Bennethum,  Elias  Gerhard,  Frederick  Plo- 
thow,  Isaac  B.  Stoudt,  Nathan  Fromm,  Wil- 


liam E.  Dundore,  Augustus  Eshleman,  Rob- 
ert G.  Tatem. 
Musicians :    Peter  Grimes,  Elijah  Dewalt. 
Privates. — Richard  Adams,  Henry  Ahrens,  William 
Adams,  Benjamin  Brigle,  Harrison  H.  Beecher,  Ben- 
jamin Bickel,  Jeremiah  Bennethum,  Jacob  Betchel, 
Isaac  Bickel,  Wilhelm  Ballouse,  Jared  Bickel,  David 
Cronis,     D.    Dunkleberger,     Samuel     S.     Dundore, 
Cyrus  Ebling,  Joshua  Ernst,   Emanuel  Ernst,  Elias 
Eyrich,     Augustus    Felring,    Reuben    Field,    Sam- 
uel   Fisher,    Peter    B.    Fisher,     Henry    G.    Fisher, 
John    K.     Fidler,     John     Feiandt,      John     Folk, 
William  Fromm,  William  Gerhart,  Philip  Guitler- 
man,  William  Good,  John  Greath,  William  Gibson, 
Israel   Greuber,   Charles    Hearing,   Josiah    Heister, 
Benjamin  Hossler,  Levi  Hettinger,  John  Jennings, 
George  K.  Knall,  George  Kintzer,  William  Keller, 
George  Kunkleman,  Reuben  Klopp,  John  Kissling, 
Benjamin  F.  Kutz,  John  C.  Kellogg,  Peter  B.  Kersh- 
ner,  Joseph  Lengle,  John   Lengle,  Jonathan  Leise, 
William    B.    Levan,    Daniel    J.    Lane,    Benneville 
Moyer,  F.  K.  Maohemer,  John  D.  Mitchell,  Henry 
Murray,  John  Moyer,  Alfred  McAlister,  Darius  Rol- 
man,  Daniel  Bine,  Jacob  Bine,  Adam  Ruth,  Henry 
Speicher,  Samuel  Speicher,  Adam  Speicher,  William 
Shell,  Daniel   M.   Strunk,  Adam   K.   Stout,  Samuel 
Stout,  Elijah  Steily,  William  H.  Seitzinger,  Reuben 
Shell,  Jared  Strouse,  James  Stout,  Benjamin  Sheaffier, 
Gustave    Snyder,    Paul    Schwartz,    Thomas     Shell, 
Eeuben  Texter,  Joel  K.  Trivitz,  Jared  Unger,  John 
Undercoffer,  Jacob  Wengert,  Alfred  Werner,  Obedah 
Weikel,  Israel  Wenrich,  F.  J.  Wenrich,  Isaac  Whit- 
moyer,    Lewis    Weidner,    Lewis     Yeager,    William 
Zerby,    Franklin    A.    Zellers,    Jared    Zerby,    Elias 
Zeigler. 

COMPANY  B. 

(Mustered  in  November  1 2, 1862  ;  mustered  out  August 
12,  1863.) 

Charles  Melcher,  captain  (must,  in  Dec.  11, 
1862). 

Michael  J.  Seiling,  first  lieutenant  (must,  in  Dec. 
11,  1862). 

Obadiah  B.  Coller,  second  lieutenant  (must,  in 
Dec.  11,  1862). 

First  Sergeants:  William  Eisenbise,  Henry  W. 
Albright. 

Sergeants  :  William  Denhard,  Andrew  L.  Helms, 
William  Hell,  John  L.  Morris. 

Corporals :  Daniel  R.  Totheroth,  Henry  H.  Lewis, 
Reuben  C.  Kissinger,  John  McKinney,  Sam- 
uel Snell,  Henry  Van  Reed,  James  H.  Hor- 
ner, Lyman  Shirey,  Julius  Weaver,  John 
Ferguson. 

Musicians:    Henry    S.    Wolfskill,    Thomas    C. 

Wright. 

Privates.— Enos   Alderman,   John    Arnold,   Franz 

Apply,  Blasius  Behrle,  Lewis  Bohler,  George  W.  N. 

Bitting,  Annapolis  N.  Bitting,  George  Barger,  Henry 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


309 


B.  Bechtel,  Jacob  Crow,  Harry  C.  Clay,  Henry 
Christ,  Frederick  Chevreuc,  Aaron  Doebler,  John  L. 
Diehl,  Martin  Denger,  George  Doll,  Henry  East, 
Philip  Eisenberger,  Daniel  Ehrgood,  Benjamin  Endy, 
Martin  Eagen,  Ezekiel  Fritz,  John  Fox,  Levi  Fitter- 
ling,  John  Glenn,  Nathaniel  Gery,  Samuel  Gross, 
Albert  Geiger,  Franz  Grosh,  Isaac  M.  Gift,  John  S. 
Gempp,  Peter  H.  Hummel,  Charles  A.  Homan,  Reu- 
ben Hoyer,  Ephraim  Hartz,  Joshua  Hollenbach, 
Henry  Haws,  Jacob  Hineman,  Richard  Herbst, 
Henry  Krider,  Levi  Klaengine,  Charles  L.  Kline, 
Joseph  Kachel,  Tobias  Kalberer,  John  Killin, 
Tobias  Lasch,  John  Lanfersweiler,  Henry  A. 
Minner,  Elias  Moore,  Jacob  G.  Moyer,  Samuel 
Meek,  John  G.  Moyer,  Jr.,  Henry  Markwood, 
George  Mainzer,  James  McAllister,  Patrick  O'Neill, 
John  Rollman,  John  Row,  Daniel  Ruth,  Charles 
Eobinson,  Patrick  Ryan,  Israel  Spayd,  Levi  R.  Shadell, 
Daniel  Shultz,  Henry  A.  Shultz,  Cyr.  Shollenberger, 
George  Schellkopp,  Edward  Souders,  Andrew  Schna- 
bel,  Daniel  Steffe,  Christopher  Schutter,  Joseph 
Steffey,  Jacob  Schilb,  Jacob  Savary,  John  Stone, 
John  Schmidt,  Samuel  Shilling,  Jacob  Wacker,  Henry 
Windhorn,  Gustave  Winch,  William  Weise,  Thomas 
Yeager,  William  Yeager. 

company  c. 
(Mustered     in    November  4,     1862;    mustered    out 
August  11,  1863.) 
Peter  Y.  Edleman,  capt.,  must  in  Dec.  11. 1862. 
Levi  B.  Clauser,  1st  lieut,  must,  in  Dec.  11, 1862. 
William  Fulmer,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Dec.  11, 1862 
William  C.  Bahr,  first  sergeant. 
Sergeants :  George  Freyberger,  Jacob  Link,  Jere- 
miah Wentzel,  Joel  Spohn. 
Corporals :  Milton  Shitler,  James  Endy,  Henry 
Briel,  Peter  S.  Yoder,  John  S.  Leeds,  Albert 
Snyder,  Isaac  Bower,  Peter  Glass,  Frederick 
Swartz. 
Musicians :  Arthur  Wells,  George  Holder. 
Privates. — David    D.    Augstat,    Jeremiah     Boyer 
George  Bechtel,  Samuel  Becker,  Thomas  Broardan, 
John  G.  Cleaver,  Daniel  Clouser,  Silas  Culp,  Isaac 
Cleaver,  Samuel  Cobb,  Samuel  Dearoulph,  Abraham 
Dry,  Franklin  Diehl,  Daniel  Diehl,  Jacob  Diliplain, 
David  G.  Deysher,  John  G.  Deysher,  John  Eberhart 
Samuel  R.  Endy,  Reuben  H.  Endy,  George  Fether, 
Henry  Fry,   David    Folk,    Joseph    Flicker,    Caleb 
Gallager,  Henry  Gardy,  Ephraim  Glase,  Samuel  Got- 
shall,  Henry  Gauger,  Jeremiah  Glass,  William  Grubb, 
Daniel  V.  R.  Hunter,  Samuel  H.  High,  James  Hart- 
line,  Ezra  L.  Harfcline,  Daniel  H.  Hoffman,  Augustus 
Heffner,  Henry  Harner,  Elias  Hole,  Beneville  Her- 
bine,  Charles    Hartner,  Solomon    Hartline,  Charles 
Kerst,  Charles  Kisel,  Augustus  Kissle,  Jacob  Leim- 
bach,  John    Lichty,   Joseph    Lewis,    Edward    Luft, 
Daniel  Leimbach,  Ephraim  Miller,  Lewis  Minninger, 
Thomas  Mann,  Daniel  Noll,  Jacob  Oxenford,  Charles 
Reiff,  Jacob  Reidenhour,  Emanuel  Rambo,  Daniel  M. 


Rhodes,  Amos  W.  Schearer,  Mahlon  Snavely,  Finley 
Stitzer,  Henry  Spohn,  Elias  Schmeal,  Frederick 
Schaffer,  John  Smith,  Isaac  W.  Snavely,  John  Scyler, 
Daniel  Snavely,  John  Snavely,  Mahlon  Schaffer, 
William  Strode,  John  Schaner,  Aaron  Trout,  Abner 
Truyer,  Richard  Trummel,  Reuben  Uptegroff,  Jacob 
Weaver,  Augustus  Weidner,  Henry  Wickline,  Peter 
E.  Yoder,  William  E.  Yoder,  Josiah  Yerger. 

COMPANY  D. 

(Mustered    in    November    12,    1862;    mustered   out 
August  12, 18C2.) 

Captains,  Samuel  A.  Haines,  James  M.  Meredith. 

Samuel  Penrose,  first  lieutenant. 

Robert  Pearson,  second  lieutenant. 

Charles  Wright,  first  sergeant. 

Sergeants :  Jacob  Rubrecht,  Thomas  Ballock, 
Henry  Fleisher,  Joseph  R.  Koenig,  Daniel 
Coleman,  James  F.  Adams. 

Corporals  :  Samuel  Reifsnyder,  J.  Dunkelbarger, 
John  J.  R.  Smith,  Henry  Haas,  William  J. 
Leslie,  Adam  Ranentzahn,  Jacob  W.  Shu- 
man. 

John  Trainer,  musician. 
Privates. — David  Adam,  Emmanuel  Albright,  Wil- 
liam A.  Agnee,  William  Arnold,  Samuel  Barlot, 
Daniel  H.  Barnet,  Louis  Bailer,  William  Bean, 
Joseph  Becker,  John.Bingaman,  Henry  Bohn,  Isaac 
B.  Borkey,  John  Borkey,  Henry  Burket,  Jonathan  S. 
Berg,  Beneville  B.  Boyer,  Peter  Brouchter,  George 
Bower,  Wilson  Critz,  John  Cooper,  Jacob  Delp, 
Augustus  Eshelman,  Samuel  K.  Freeman,  Peter 
Faust,  David  Grett,  William  Hofer,  John  Hinkle, 
Jonas  Hieter,  Stephen  Harrison,  Jacob  Hill,  Har- 
rison Hauck,  John  High,  Edwin  Jones,  Charles 
Jones,  Samuel  Klein,  Samuel  Q.  Kochel,  Henry 
Koch,  Martin  Kohler,  Henry  Kohler,  John  Keim, 
Stephen  Keim,  Perry  Keiser,  Isaac  S.  Kemmerer, 
James  Marks,  Samuel  Michael,  Frederick  Miller,  Peter 
L.  Miller,  Henry  Moatz,  David  W.  Mokle,  William 
Mokle,  Gideon  Moyer,  John  Moyer,  Carlo  Monte, 
Robert  Miller,  Jacob  Morgan,  John  McKutch,  Reuben 
Naufzinger,  David  Osenwald,  Benjamin,  Ogle,  John 
Ortlip,  William  Oxley,  Jesse  Penrose,  Amos  Ranent- 
zahn, Alfred  Reber,  Solomon  Reinhart,  John  Rich- 
ards, Daniel  Rieser,  William  Riegle,  Riley  Ringler, 
Tobias  Ritz,  William  Ritz,  Moses  Rubrecht,  John 
Renninger,  Cezarre  Ricci,  Sigmund  Schmeuder,  John 
Schmale,  Daniel  Shearer,  Henry  Shuger,  James 
Snyder,  William  M.  Stamm,  Nathaniel  Strouse,  Joel 
Strasser,  Frederick  Strickler,  Jesse  Stanner,  Joseph 
Souder,  John  Sullivan,  William  Streeter,  Jonathan 
Tobias,  James  Tobias,  Amos  Wohl,  James  Wohl, 
Benneville  Weiand,  Henry  Weiand,  Nathan  Weitzel, 
George  Weivel. 

COMPANY  E. 

(Mustered  in  November  12,  1862;  mustered  out  Au- 
gust 12,  1863.) 
Hiram  H.  Miller,  captain. 


310 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Lewis  M.  Evans,  first  lieutenant. 
Thomas  G.  Miller,  second  lieutenant. 
Daniel  N.  Peiffer,  first  sergeant. 
Sergeants  :  Adam  Behm,  James  A.  Norris,  Rich- 
ard B.  Krick,  Cyrus  A.  Ruth. 
Corporals:  Jonathan  Kissinger,  Charles  S.  Hill, 
Rufus  Whiskeyman,  Daniel  Luft,  Emanuel 
Rigle,  Rufus  Lambert. 
Musicians :   John  M.  Miller,  Solomon  Dunkle- 
berger. 
Privates. — Frederick  Albright,   Daniel  H.  Adams, 
Matthias  Andy,  William  Arndt,  Jacob  Arnold,  Lewis 
Bollman,  Isaac  T.   Beidler,  Henry  Body,  E.  Brown- 
miller,  David  Brobst,  John  Clouser,  Emanuel  Eberly, 
Josiah  Ebling,  John  Eckenroth,  David  Fair,  John  B. 
Fisher,  Daniel  H.  Fisher,  William  Fleckenstine,  H. 

A.  Flickinger,  William  Gelsinger,  George  Gaul, 
John  Greiner,  Jacob  Grum,  Charles  H.  Gring,  Fred- 
erick Goodhart,  John  Geringer,  William  Hornberger, 
Barney  Hartz,  Moses  Hinkle,  Urias  Hornberger,  Josiah 
Hinnershitz,  Richard  Heberling,  John  Hultry,  John 
Hoffman,  Peter  S.  Hill,  Benjamin  Houck,  Alexander 
Johnson,    John    Kendt,    George    Kerchner,    Henry 

B.  Krick,  Peter  Krick,  George  S.  Krick,  Jacob 
Kissinger,  Philip  S.  Kistler,  William  S.  Kistler, 
James  Keller,  H.  Kemmerling,  Enoch  R.  Leinback, 
Willoughby  Long,  John  Leininger,  Benjamin  Luft, 
William  G.  Lash,  Jonathan  Miller,  Ephraim  Miller, 
Samuel  K.  Miller,  Jonathan  Moyer,  Isaac  Marshall, 
Charles  M.  Mee,  Simon  Moyer,  Henry  Muma,  Henry 
B.  Matz,  Elijah  B.  Matz,  Samuel  Matz,  George  Marks, 
Henry  Ortz,  George  Poff,  William  Potts,  Simpson 
Ruth,  Gideon  Ruppert,  Samuel  Ruth,  Samuel  Schon- 
ower,  Lazarus  Sterling,  Isaac  Schaffer,  John  Slegel, 
Franklin  Stetler,  Martin  Strunk,  Henry  Trout,  Isaac 
Weitzel,  John  Wagner,  Moses  White,  John  A.  Whit- 
knecht,  Daniel  W.  Wesley,  Matthias  Wesley,  Chris- 
topher Wolf,  Isaac  Young. 

COMPANY  F. 

(Mustered  in  Nov.  12,  1862 ;  mustered  out  Aug.  12, 
1863). 
Josiah  Groh,  captain. 
Prosper  Shubert,  first  lieutenant. 
Reuben  Potteiger,  second  lieutenant. 
Jacob  Wagner,  first  sergeant. 
Sergeants :  Reuben  Reed,  Thomas  Carver,  Eph- 

ram  G.  Gerheart,  Jacob  Straub. 
Corporals:   William    Berger,    Thomas   Hunker, 
Elias  Noll,   Josiah  Leitner,   John    Bckler, 
Adam  Fidler,    William    McAllister,    John 
Souder,  Daniel  Straus. 
Musicians :  Edward  Kantner,  Jesse  Daniel. 
Privates. — William  Anspach,  Francis  Aman,  Benne- 
ville  Althous,  Cyrus  Anspach,  John  Bower,  Orlando 
Burkhart,  Jonathan  Bower,  Franklin   Boyer,  Daniel 
Berger,    John    Batts,     Benjamin    Behney,     Samuel 
Becker,   John   Brendle,   Joseph  Clemence,  William 
Christ,  Abraham  Eisenhaur,  David  Eisenhaur,  Isaac 


Eirich,  John  Fidler,  Joseph  F.  Faust,  Israel  Fogle- 
man,  George  Gundrum,  George  .  Gasser,  Daniel 
Greachbaum,  John  Gruber,  Franklin  Haffer,  David 
Heffner,  Benjamin  Heffelfinger,  John  Hettinger, 
John  Hay,  Jonathan  Heverling,  James  Howard, 
Michael  Hendrix,  Joseph  S.  Heckman,  Daniel  S. 
Klahr,  Daniel  Keeny,  Jeremiah  Knoll,  Josiah  Klapp, 
Jacob  Klapp,  Michael  Long,  Michael  Lengel,  Wil- 
liam Leiby,  William  Leininger,  John  Livengood, 
Henry  Merkel,  Jacob  Manbeck,  Adam  Moyer,  Harri- 
son Miller,  John  Miller,  Benjamin  Moore,  John 
Nischwenter,  Peter  Oxenrighter,  Joseph  Phillips, 
William  Reichart,  Jonathan  Rauch,  Isaac  Rauch, 
Elijah  Resch,  William  Raber,  Peter  Reppert,  Isaac 
Reimer,  Charles  Reppert,  Charles  Reinhart,  Solomon 
Reinhart,  William  Stump,  Adam  Schwenk,  Justin 
Schnell,  Alvin  Standt,  Jared  Schaeffer,  John  Steely, 
Adam  Schaeffer,  Jacob  Schleasmar,  Isaac  Shits, 
Henry  Stine,  Jacob  Trautman,  Israel  Trautman, 
Henry  Wagner,  Philip  Whitman,  Jonathan  Wagner, 
Charles  Whitehorse,  Daniel  S.  Whitman  and  Philip 
Ziegler. 

COMPANY  G. 

(Mustered    in    November    12,    1862 ;    mustered    out 
August  12,  1863). 
William  A.  Schall,  captain. 
Jacob  H.  Boyer,  first  lieutenant. 
Franklin  N.  Gehry,  second  lieutenant. 
James  S.  Algaier,  second  lieutenant. 
James  W.  Shearer,  first  sergeant. 
Sergeants :    Daniel   S.   Clay,   George  B.  Snyder, 
Aaron  Eshbach,  Adam  W.  Young,  William 
Blank. 
Corporals  :  Charles  F.  Huber,  William  Melchoir, 
James    M.   Christman,    Joseph    Rohrbach, 
John  Richards,  Joseph  R.  Moyer,  George 
Walter,  Henry  Repert,  Peter  Strunk,  Ma- 
noah  Mester,  Michael  Gehry. 
Musicians :  Winfield  S.  Williams,  Jacob  Schanly. 
Privates.—  Matthias  Adam,  George  Adam,  Edward 
Anthony,    Manassas    Bixler,    Jacob    Boyer,    David 
Bower,  Maurice  Buser,  William  Bragley,  Jacob  M. 
Batz,   William  Blankenbiller,  Joshua  Bahr,  David 
Benfield,  David  Clemmer,  Hilary  Clay,  Joel  Deisher, 
Enos  Druckemiller,  Henry  Durr,  Jacob  Essig,  Levi 
Eschbach,  Frederick  Ettinger,  Magus  Eltz,  Jeremiah 
Foley,   Peter  Foreman,  Samuel  Fox,  George  Gear- 
hart,  William  Gregory,    Henry    Greiss,    Frederick 
Glase,  Reuben  Glase,  George  Greenawalt,  Benjamin 
Gring,  Matthias  Grill,  Samuel  Gable,  Jacob  George, 
Abraham  Harting,  Charles  Henry,  Daniel  Heydt, 
Ross  Hoffman,  David  Hoch,  Levi  Hoffman,  Daniel 
Hunsperger,  John  G.  Heydt,  Isaac  Jacobs,  Henry 
Kehl,  George  Kraff,  Jacob  Koenig,  John  S.  Kehl, 
William  Krick,  George  Kline,   Ferdinand    Klung, 
David  Lebo,  John  Lesbold,  Benjamin  D.  Long,  Ma- 
nassas Long,  John  Mengle,  Frederick  Moyer,  Abra- 
ham Mest,  Jacob  Mensh,  John  Miller,  George  Mut- 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


311 


ter,  David  Maurer,  Reuben  Reitenaur,  William  Reite- 
neur,  David  Reninger,  George  Reiter,  John  Ruth, 
William  Rush,  John  Rohrbach,  Benjamin  Reinhart, 
William  Richards,  Samuel  Schanly,  Peter  Schell, 
Thomas  Schell,  Daniel  B.  Schlenker,  Evan  Snyder, 
Henry  Steinbeyer,  Augustus  Sachse,  Jacob  Snable, 
Joseph  Snable,  Charles  Schmoyer,  Amos  Schott,  Wil- 
liam Schoch,  Henry  Thompson,  Henry  Walker,  Wil- 
liam Wigner,  Edward  Wingert,  Peter  Weller,  David 
Zigenfoos,  Benjamin  Zigler,  Benjamin  Zellner,  Elias 
Zeigler. 

COMPANY   H. 

(Mustered    in    November    5,    1862 ;     mustered    out 
August  12,  1863.) 

Abraham  H.  Sehaffer,  capt.,  must,  in  Nov.  15, 
1862. 

Samuel  Baus,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Nov.  15,  1862. 

Jeremiah  R.  Guldin,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Nov. 
15,  1862. 

Jacob  H.  Sehaffer,  first  sergeant. 

Sergeants  :  Joel  R.  Houseman,  Jacob  B.  Stouffer, 
Elias  Angstadt,  Frank  Reidnauer. 

Corporals :  Samuel  Herbst,  William  Sterner, 
David  H.  Boyer,  Peter  Eck,  Hiram  Royer, 
Augustus  Stringer,  Abraham  Reinard,  Sam- 
uel E.  Bower. 

Musician,  Lewis  Heydt,  Samuel  E.  Reperd. 

Privates.  — Enoch  Adam,  Benneville  Ahrens,  Charles 
Boyer,  Chas.  M.  Boyer,  Samuel  Bowman,  Willoughby 
Bilgerd,  Christian  Borneaman,  Daniel  Bingaman,' 
George  Bechtel,  Charles  Bahm,  Nathan  Coulard, 
Chas.  Connard,  Augustus  Carl,  Willoughby  Conner, 
Thomas  Connard,  William  Dellecker,  Adam  Deaner, 
Philip  Dotterer,  Jacob  Engel,  Henry  Eschbach,  Ezra 
Flicker,  John  Frederick,  Edward  Frederick,  David 
Frohnheiser,  Charles  Frahm,  Moses  Gruber,  Emanuel 
Hertzoch,  Philip  Hertzoch,  Daniel  Heydt,  Henry  B. 
Heydt,  William  R.  Hertzoch,  John  Heydt,  George 
Hess,  Abraham  Hillberd,  Jonathan  Houck,  John 
Hoffmaster,  Daniel  Herbst,  Adam  Herb,  Samuel  Hoff- 
master,  David  Johnson,  Thomas  Kemp,  Wm.  D.  Kehl, 
Christian  Lindauer,  Henry  H.  Lorah,  Joel  Moyer, 
Henry  Moyer,  John  M.  Moyer,  John  Mest,  Ammon 
Maurer,  Daniel  Moyer,  William  Moyer,  Philip  D. 
Marshall,  Samuel  Noll,  Jacob  Noll,  George  Netz, 
Albert  Pannebecker,  Jacob  Rhoads,  Hiram  W.  Rhoads, 
Aaron  Richard,  Samuel  Eeifsnyder,  John  Richard, 
Abraham  Reninger,  Joseph  Reidenaur,  Henry  R. 
Reinard,  Charles  Reidenaur,  Herodes  Reinard,  Wil- 
liam Reperd,  Levi  Reidenaur,  William  Reifsnyder, 
Elam  C.  Rhoads,  Samuel  Reperd,  Lewis  Stauffer, 
Philip  Seidle,  Frederick  Seidle,  James  Schoeffer,  A . 
R.  Schwavely,  Lewis  Schwavely,  Daniel  Salser,  Wil- 
liam Trump,  John  Trevil,  Valentine  Trehn,  Ishmael 
Weller,  John  F.  Weller,  Adam  Weller,  William  Was- 
ner,  Jacob  Weller,  James  Wentzel. 


COMPANY   I. 

(Mustered   in   November    12,    1862;   mustered    out 
August  12,  1863). 

J.  M.  Shollenberger,  captain. 

Henry  C.  Croll,  first  lieutenant. 

Charles  Hummel,  second  lieutenant. 

David  K.  Humbert,  first  sergeant. 

Sergeants,  Jacob  H.  Wink,  James  P.  Behler,  Hen- 
ry Frey,  Joseph  Jacoby,  Isaac  Heck. 

Corporals,  Lewis  Richard,  John  J.  Correll,  Benja- 
min F.  Humbert,  Henry  Berns,  Daniel 
Young,  William  Guldin,  Samuel  Burket, 
Joshua  Roath. 

Musicians,  Charles  A.  K.  Grim,  Reuben  Delb. 
Privates. — Jonas  K.  Acker,  Lewis  Adams,  Josiah 
Arndt,  John  Beck,  Reuben  B.  Brown,  John  R.  Bus- 
hey,  John  Beal,  Joel  Benecoff,  Henry  Bower,  John 
Berg,  Isaac  Betz,  Jeremiah  Bailey,  Sebastian  Casper, 
Charles  H.  Christman,  Mathus'h  Conrad,  James  Dutt, 
John  Dries,  Jonathan  Drey,  Manassas  Dietrich,  Elias 
Fisher,  David  L.  Fegley,  Benneville  Frey,  Jacob 
Geret,  John  Garber,  Conrad  Hill,  Jonathan  Herring, 
James  Hazzard,  William  Hebner,  Peter  D.  Heckman, 
John  Harbster,  Matthias  Heim,  Nathan  Heiser, 
James  Harman,  Samuel  Heffner,  Solomon  Kel- 
ler, Hiram  Kenner,  Simon  Kline,  John  Krick 
Benjamin  Keller,  John  Lease,  George  W.  Levan, 
Isaac  Lesher,  William  Lesher,  George  Lesher,  Harri- 
son S.  B.  Mohr,  William  Martin,  Edwin  L.  Merkel, 
George  Mell,  Christian  Miller,  Samuel  Nerswenter, 
Abraham  Ohlinger,  Henry  Oswald,  Daniel  Peifer, 
Rudolph  Price,  William  Rebbert,  David  Rise,  Wil- 
liam Ramer,  Jacob  Reimert,  Cornelius  Reidenower, 
John  Roadarmel,  Isaac  Roads,  Joshua  Reber,  Jacob 
Roadarmel,  William  Strohm,  Hezekiah  Stufflet, 
Tilghman  Shaffer,  Henry  Shick,  Samuel  Snyder,  Jacob 
Snyder,  John  Seager,  John  Shoppell,  Elias  Smith, 
William  Slonecker,  John  Star,  David  Saul,  Conrad 
Shontz,  Isaac  Trout,  J.  Weidenhammer,  John  Wolf, 
John  Wessner,  Jacob  Wessner,  Alfred  Warner,  Wil- 
liam Wagner,  Leopold  Wernhager,  William  Wess- 
ner, Jonathan  Yenser,  Levi  Yenser,  Jacob  S.  Yoder, 
Daniel  Yoe,  Joseph  Zuber,  Alfred  Zettlemoyer, 
Henry  Zuber. 

Captain  Jonas  M.  Shollenberger  is  de- 
cended  from  German  ancestors.  His  grand- 
father was  Lawrence  Shollenberger,  a  farmer, 
residing  in  Greenwich  township,  Berks  County, 
who  married  Mary  Correll,  of  the  same  town- 
ship, and  had  two  sons,  John  and  Jacob,  and 
four  daughters.  John  Shollenberger,  the  older 
son,  was  born  in  Greenwich  township  and  after 
his  marriage  removed  to  Albany  township,  in 
the  same  county.  He  learned  the  trade  of 
blacksmith,  but  in  this  township  he  became  and 
followed  the  pursuit  of  a  farmer.     He  married 


312 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Daniel  Merkle,  of  Rich- 
mond township,  who  was  descended  from  an 
old  and  established  family  in  this  section  of  the 
county,  and  had  twelve  children, — Sarah,  Dan- 
iel, Catherine,  John,  Lacy,  Nathan,  Jonas 
M.,  Elizabeth,  Edwin,  Malinda,  Lydia  and 
Fianna. 

Jonas  M.  Shollenberger,  the  subject  of  this 
biographical  sketch,  was  born  in  Albany  town- 
ship on  February  27,  1831.     In  the  year  1847 


D.,  Clara  (wife  of  Dr.  Eugene  H.  Moore),  El- 
mira  (married  to  George  M.  Markle)  and  Mary 
Alice.  After  his  marriage  he  removed  to  his 
father's  farm  and  continued  to  cultivate  it  until 
three  years  after  the  death  of  the  latter,  when 
a  portion  of  the  property  came  to  him  by  in- 
heritance and  the  remainder  was  purchased  by 
him.  In  the  fall  of  1862  he  enlisted  in  the 
One  Hundred  and  Sixty-seventh  Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  and   was   in  active 


he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Richmond  town- 
ship. His  earliest  advantages  of  education  were 
received  at  the  schools  in  Albany  township. 
Afterward  he  attended  the  Amityville  Board- 
ing School,  and  then  for  two  winters  engaged  in 
teaching. 

He  married  Mary,  daughter  of  David  Dry, 
of  Rockland  township,  Berks  County,  on  Oc- 
tober 23,  1853.  The  children  of  the  marriage 
are    Catherine  (deceased),    Calvin  D.,  Milton 


service  for  nine  months,  commanding  Company 
I  of  this  regiment,  and  participating  in  various 
engagements.  After  his  discharge,  on  August 
12,  1863,  he  resumed  farming.  He  still  resides 
on  and  conducts  the  same  farm.  He  is  in  poli- 
tics an  active  Democrat,  and  in  1881  he  was 
elected  to  the  office  of  county  register  and  clerk 
of  the  Orphans'  Court  for"  one  term  of  three 
years,  serving  from  1882  to  1884,  inclusive. 
He  is  a  member  of  Huguenot  Lodge,  No.  377, 


THE  CIVIL  WAE. 


313 


of  F.  and  A.  M.,  of  Kutztown,  also  of  Read- 
ing Commandery,  No.  42,  and  of  Excelsior 
Chapter,  No.  337.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Re- 
formed Church  of  Fleetwood,  in  which  he  has 
filled  the  offices  of  deacon  and  trustee. 

COMPANY   K. 

(Mustered  in  November  12,  1862  ;    mustered  out  Au- 
gust 12,  1863.) 

Captain,  Edward  F.  Reed. 

First  Lieutenant,  Amos  E.  Seyler. 

Second  Lieutenant,  Jonathan  T.  Landes. 

First  Sergeant,  August  Wampold. 

Sergeants :  W.  H.  Brintzighoff,  James  Delong, 
Jacob    Herbst,  Samuel   T.    Landes. 

Corporals:  David  Bortz,  Joel  Haas,  Charles 
Yous,  Franklin  Kern,  Charles  Rohrbach, 
Jonas  Becker,  Franklin  Schmehl,  LeviSchle- 
gel,  Elijah  Brown. 

Musician,  James  H.  Wray. 
Privates. — Amos  Angstadt,  Enoch  Angstadt,  Wil- 
liam Angstadt,  David  M.  Angstadt,  William  H.  Ang- 
stadt, David  Angstadt,  Amos  Berto,  Levi  Breidegham, 
John  Botz,  Abraham  Beidler,  William  Becker,  Abra- 
ham Babb,  Reuben  Beiber,  Jonathan  Bast,  Joseph 
Bachman,  Israel  Cronrath,  Joshua  Delong,  John  K. 
Dry,  John  Eckert,  Benjamin  Folk  (1st),  James  Fred- 
erick, Benjamin  Folk  (2d),  Peter  Fritz.  Valentine 
George  Fry,  Reuben  Frederick,  George  M.  Frederick, 
Jacob  Grim,  John  Grabenneck,  Daniel  Gass,  William 
Gantz,  Daniel  Grim,  Franklin  Gehret,  Amos  Good, 
Reuben  Herbein,  Aaron  Heist,  Rudolph  Hill,  Benja- 
min Hill,  John  Hilbert,  Jacob  Hinkel,  Jonathan 
Heffner,  Franklin  Hill,  Jacob  Hill,  David  Haas,  Au- 
gustus Hill,  Peter  Kemmerer,  Jeremiah  Keller,  John 
Kelchner,  John  K.  Klein,  Augustus  Klein,  Joel  Lan- 
des, James  Landes,  Christian  Lantensbager,  Edwin 
Miller,  Joel  Miller,  Nathan  Miller,  John  Moser, 
Jacob  Manmiller,  Jacob  Moyer,  John  B.  Manmiller, 
Daniel  Noll,  Jonas  Noll,  James  Oswald,  Benneville 
Ohlinger,  Daniel  Otto,.  Anthony  Price,  John  Parker, 
Daniel  Pauly,  Amos  Reiter,  Israel  Ranenzahn,  Jacob 
Reiter,  Daniel  Ritz,  Henry  Rissmiller,  Aaron  Rein- 
art,  William  Rissmiller,  Samuel  Reifsnyder,  Samuel 
Ramich,  Edward  Rohrbach,  Benjamin  Rubrecht, 
John  Scheadler,  Jacob  Smith,  Manassas  Sassaman, 
Alexander  Schlottman,  Jacob  Stufflid,  David  Schead- 
ler, Jeremiah  Schlegel,  Henry  Wanshap,  John  Weil. 

ONE  HUNDRED   AND  SEVENTY-NINTH   REGIMENT. 

This  regiment  included  two  companies — I 
and  K — from  the  county  of  Berks.  It  was 
organized  in  companies  at  periods  ranging  from 
the  23d  of  October  to  the  6th  of  December, 
1862,  and  on  the  8th  of  December  a  regimental 
organization  was  effected.  Soon  after  its  organ- 
ization it  proceeded  to  Fortress  Monroe  and 
35 


thence  to  Yorktown,  where  it  formed  part  of 
the  garrison  at  the  fort,  and  was  encamped 
within  its  walls.  Upon  assuming  command, 
Colonel  Blair  commenced  a  thorough  discipline 
of  his  men,  with  the  most  flattering  results. 
It  did  little  else  than  garrison  duty  until  the 
last  of  July,  when  it  was  called  out  to  join  in 
the  movement  made  by  General  Dix  up  the 
Peninsula.  "  When  the  movement  upon  Rich- 
mond was  made,"  says  Colonel  West,  in  the 
document  above  quoted,  "  by  General  Dix,  in 
the  summer  of  this  year,  I  was  in  command  of 
the  '  Advanced  Brigade '  of  the  forces  that 
moved  up  the  Peninsula.  It  became  necessary 
to  strengthen  my  brigade  with  an  additional 
regiment,  and  the  commanding  general  author- 
ized me  to  designate  any  one  I  chose.  I  im- 
mediately named  the  One  Hundred  and 
Seventy- ninth,  and,  accordingly,  Colonel  Blair 
reported  to  me  with  his  regiment  and  became  a 
part  of  my  command.  During  the  march  to 
White  House  and  thence  to  Baltimore  Cross- 
Roads,  where  my  brigade  was  engaged  upon  two 
occasions,  Colonel  Blair's  regiment  was  prompt 
and  ready,  and  always  well  in  hand.  A  pecu- 
liarity about  his  command  was  that  it  never  had 
a  straggler.  During  the  return  march — the 
most  severe,  on  account  of  a  drenching  storm, 
of  any  I  ever  performed — the  One  Hundred 
and  Seventy-ninth  crowned  its  reputation  as  a 
first-class  organization  by  being  always  closed 
and  promptly  in  its  place,  whilst  other  regi- 
ments were  scattered  for  miles  along  the  road." 
Upon  its  return  to  camp  it  was  ascertained 
that  Lee  had  invaded  Pennsylvania,  and 
though  its  term  of  service  was  about  to  expire, 
by  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  men,  by  compa- 
nies, thejr  further  services  were  tendered  to 
Governor  Curtin  as  long  as  he  should  need  them 
for  the  defense  of  the  State.  This  offer  was 
accepted ;  but  by  the  time  the  regiment  had 
reached  Washington,  en  route  to  the  front,  the 
rebel  army  had  retreated  to  Virginia.  It  was, 
accordingly,  ordered  to  Harrisburg,  where,  on 
the  27th  of  July,  it  was  mustered  out  of  ser- 
vice. 

COMPANY    I. 

(Mustered  in  Oct.  23,  1862;  mustered  out  July  27, 
1863.) 
Amos  Drenkel,  captain. 


314 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Horatio  Leader,  first  lieutenant. 

Zachariah  H.  Maurer,  second  lieutenant. 

Adam  Faust,  "first  sergeant. 

Sergeants:  David  F.  Bechtel,  D.  S.  Himmel- 
reich,  Hiram  Schitler,  Perry  K.  Reifsnyder. 

Corporals:  Reuben  Malsberger,  Adam  Bower, 
Wile  Bright,  Henry  Regenfuse,  Abraham 
G.  Hill,  John  H.  Snyder,  Daniel  Borkert, 
John  Malsberger. 

Musicians :  Winfield  Anthony,  James  R.  Tyson. 
Privates. — William  Y.  Antrim,  William  Adam, 
John  C.  Bowman,  David  Bingaman,  Victor  Bower, 
Harrison  Breidigham,  Egidius  Bauch,  Charles  Beyerle, 
Cyrus  G.  Butler,  Jacob  Z.  Brobst,  Andrew  S.  Boyer, 
Henry  Bicker,  Frederick  Baw,  Henry  Beidler,  Jacob 
Drexel,  Samuel  Davis,  Benjamin  Eirich,  John  Etten- 
house,  Theodore  Fox,  Henry  Gobert,  George  Grimes, 
William  Herbine,  Charles  K.  Hummel,  Conrad  Hu- 
ber,  Gotfried  Hentz,  Daniel  W.  Helfrich,  Peter  Hum- 
bele,  Herman  Huffman,  Reuben  V.  R.  High,  Moses 
Hertz,  Israel  Haeffer,  Daniel  Hartman,  David  Hutz- 
ler,  Peter  S.  Heckman,  Bernhart  Impick,  William  F. 
Kutz,  John  George  Keiser,  Washington  L.  Kaub, 
Daniel  B.  Keehn,  John  Keiser,  Orlando  Keehn, 
Joseph  L.  Kronig,  James  Katzenmoyer,  Samuel 
Leibig,  Daniel  Leitzel,  Perry  S.  Ludwig,  Sebastian 
Mohringer,  Charles  Miron,  Philip  Matsinger,  Eber- 
hart  Miller,  William  Miller,  Aaron  Merkel,  Albion 
Morrow,  Gottleib  Miller,  Charles  McDonough, 
Henry  Nicolia,  John  O'Brien,  Samuel  Reifsnyder, 
Lincoln  S.  Romig,  Edwin  Rahn,  F.  Rothenberger, 
Solomon  Reinhart,  Isaac  Richardson,  Edward 
Schaeffer,  William  L.  Swoyer,  Charles  L.  Sellers, 
Thomas  Smith,  Daniel  Saul,  Samuel  Steffy,  Thomas 
Troop,  Lawrence  Ulrich,  Joseph  Weise,  Frank.  H. 
Wagner,  George  Weber,  Jenet  Wagner,  John  F. 
Walter,  Adam  Wolf,  Lewis  Weidner,  Richard  M. 
Wenrick,  Adam  K.  Wagner,  James  Ziegler. 

COMPANY  K. 

(Mustered  in  October   23,   1862;  mustered  out  July 
27,  1863). 
Captain,  John  B.  Wagoner, 
First  Lieutenant,  Alexander  Young. 
Second  Lieutenant,  Amos  H.  Engle. 
First  Sergeant,  William  F.  Riegel. 
Sergeants :    James    Zettlemoyer,    Amos   Boone, 

Jacob  Firing,  Linderman  Brittin. 
Corporals:  Jacob  Holloway,  Harman  R.  Bunn, 
David  Hinterleter,  Charles  E.  Willman,  John 
R.    Wagoner,    Jacob    Swavely,    Joel    Fox, 
William  A.  Potteiger. 
Musicians  :  Daniel  Rohrbach,  Amerson  Smeck. 
Privatet. — John    Arnold,    Linnaeus    Arndt,     John 
Breneiser,  Jonathan  Bast,  James  Boyer,  Daniel  Biehl, 
John  H.  Boyer,  Henry  Bush,  Jeremiah  Baker,  Abra- 
ham Bechtel,  William  Bailey,  William  Betz,  Joshua 
Bailey,  Jacob  S.  Bausher,  Jacob  Danner,  Daniel  De- 
hart,  David  G.  Dehart,  Ephraim  Dietrich,  Bennev'e 


Dietrich,  Peter  Dietrich,  Alvin  Derr,  Anthony  Ernes, 
Daniel  Eschbach,  Benjamin  Endy,  Daniel  M.  Eagle, 
Peter  Eagle,  Amos  Emore,  Isaac  Faber,  D.  C.  Frank- 
hauser,  Jacob  Fox,  Elias  S.  Frey,  Henry  Greenawalt, 
D.  M.  Greenawalt,  Samuel  L.  Gehret,  William  Gross, 
Joshua  Greenawalt,  Rudolph  Hefflegar,  David  Hart- 
man,  Albert  S.  Hawk,  Bennev'e  Hoffman,  Harrison 
Houck,  Peter  Kroninger,  Jacob  H.  Kline,  Michael 
Kunkle,  John  Lenhart,  John  E.  Livingood,  Henry 
Lewars,  William  Miller,  David  R.  N.  Mauger,  Jacob 
S.  Mauger,  John  Meek,  Hiram  Miller,  Levi  Miller, 
Jacob  Morgan,  John  Moser,  John  Ortlip,  Augustus 
B.  Pott,  Charles  M.  Pott,  Richard  Roether,  Samuel 
Reiner,  Jacob  Rupp,  Daniel  Roth,  David  F.  Roth, 
Per'y  Reichelderfer,  Willoug'y  Rahmer,  J.  Franklin 
Strunk,  Samuel  Schealer,  Daniel  Schum,  John  H. 
Shirey,  Franklin  H.  Shirey,  John  B.  Seip,  Valentine 
Sarg,  Jacob  M.  Sassaman,  Samuel  Shuman,  William 
M.  Seyler,  Nathan  Trexler,  Philip  Wentzel. 

EMERGENCY  TROOPS  OF  1863. 

The  triumph  of  the  rebel  army  at  Fredericks- 
burg in  December,  1 862,  and  its  success  at  Chan- 
cellorsville  in  May,  1863,  emboldened  its  leader 
to  again  plan  au  invasion  of  the  North.  As  a 
precautionary  measure,  two  new  military  depart- 
ments were  established  by  order  of  the  War  De- 
partment on  June  9,  1863 — the  one  called  Mo- 
nongahela,  comprising  the  western  part  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  parts  of  Virginia  and  Ohio,  with 
headquarters  at  Pittsburgh ;  and  the  other  called 
Susquehanna,  comprising  the  remaining  portion 
of  Pennsylvania,  with  headquarters  at  Harris- 
burg.  And  to  aid  in  this  work,  Governor  Cur- 
tin  issued  a  proclamation  on  June  12,  1863,  in- 
viting the  attention  of  the  people  to  this  matter, 
and  urging  upon  them  the  importance  of  raising 
a  sufficient  force  to  defend  the  State.  It  becom- 
ing daily  more  evident  that  the  enemy  intended 
to  cross  the  Potomac  in  force,  the  President  on 
June  15th  called  for  one  hundred  thousand  men 
from  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Maryland  and  West 
Virginia,  to  serve  for  a  period  of  six  months, 
unless  sooner  discharged ;  and  of  this  number 
Pennsylvania  was  to  furnish  fifty  thousand. 
Governor  Curtin  then  issued  a  proclamation 
calling  upon  all  men  capable  of  bearing  arms  to 
enroll  themselves  in  military  organizations  and 
to  encourage  all,  others  to  afford  assistance  to- 
wards protecting  the  State.  In  pursuance  of 
this  call  many  troops  were  raised  throughout 
the  State.      The  citizens  of  Berks  County  re- 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


315 


sponded  promptly  and  raised  fifteen  companies 
of  men — ten  of  which  were  formed  into  one  regi- 
ment, called  the  Forty-second.1  They  were  mus- 
tered into  service  and  moved  to  the  front.  But  so 
rapid  were  the  movements  of  the  armies,  and 
the  decisive  battle  of  "Gettysburg  was  fought  so 
soon  after  the  call  for  the  militia,  that  the  men  had 
scarcely  arrived  in  camp  and  been  organized  be- 
fore the  danger  was  over.  The  rebel  army  made 
its  escape  on  the  13th  and  14th  of  July,  and 
then  the  campaign  was  ended.  But  the  militia 
was,  however,  held  for  some  time  after  this, 
having  been  employed  on  various  duty. 

With  the  close  of  this  raid  the  rebel  invasion 
of  1863  ended.  Further  service  was  no  longer 
required  of  the  militia,  and  during  the  months 
of  August  and  September  the  majority  of  the 
men  were  mustered  out.  With  few  exceptions, 
they  were  not  brought  to  mortal  conflict.  But 
they,  nevertheless,  rendered  most  important  ser- 
vice. They  came  forward  at  a  moment  when 
there  was  pressing  need.  Their  presence  gave 
great  moral  support  to  the  Union  army. 

The  following  volunteer  companies  from 
Berks  County  were  in  the  emergency  service  of 
the  State  during  the  summer  of  1863.  The 
entire  Forty-second  Regiment  was  composed  of 
companies  from  the  county  : 

Co.  H,  31st  Regt.,  Capt.  David  A.  Griffith. 
Co.  A,  42d  Regt.,  Capt.  William  F.  Walter. 
Co.  B,  42d  Regt.,  Capt.  Samuel  Harner. 
Co.  C,  42d  Regt.,  Capt.  John  E.  Arthur. 
Co.  D,  42dRegt.,  Capt.  William  D.  Smith. 
Co.  E,  42d  Regt.,  Capt.  John  McKnight. 
Co.  P,  42d  Regt.,  Capt.  Bently  H.  Smith. 
Co.  G,  42d  Regt.,  Capt.  Samuel  A.  Haines. 
Co.  H,  42d  Regt ,  Capt.  John  Obold- 
Co.  I,  42d  Regt.,  Capt.  Edward  Bailey. 
Co.  K,  42d  Regt.,  Capt.  Jacob  Deppen. 
Co.  G,  48th  Regt.,  Capt.  Joseph  G.  Holmes. 
Co.  A,  53d  Regt.,  Capt.  Richmond  L.  Jones. 
Co.  B,  53d  Regt.,  Capt.  Jacob  Lehman. 
Ringgold  Light  Artillery  (Ind.),  Capt.  William  C. 
Ermentrout. 

COMPANY  H   OF  THIRTY-FIRST   REGIMENT. 

(Regiment  organized  July   17-30,    1863;  discharged 
August  8,  1863.) 
Captains,  David  A.  Griffith,  Wm.  A.  C.  Oaks. 
First  Lieutenant,  Philip  K.  Blecker. 

1  Other  regiments  were  also  organized  at  Reading  at  this 
time,  viz. :  Thirty-eighth,  Thirty-ninth,  Forty-first,  Forty- 
third,  Forty-eighth  and  Fifty-third. 


Second  Lieutenant,  Richard  Lechner. 
-Privates. — George  H.  Boyer,  William  H.  Brindle, 
Wellington  Bestoletle,  William  Bollman,  Horace  D. 
Boone,  Volney  Bell,  Daniel  Brownwell,  Zachary  T. 
Bitting,  Charles  Kulp,  Israel  Cook,  Manhlin  Carver, 
Franklin  Diehl,  Daniel  Dechart,  Calvin  Eccles, 
Charles  Fisher,  Emanuel  J.  Froelich,  Charles  Flick- 
inger,  James  Fix,  Lewis  Foust,  William  Gruber,  Peter 
L.  Gerhart,  David  Gross,  Daniel  M.  Garret,  William 
H.  Hostetter,  Julius  A.  Hawk,  John  Hagan.  John 
H.  Howard,  Frank  A.  Heilman,  John  Ibach,  Jona- 
than T.  Knoll,  James  K.  Kurtz,  Joseph  W.  Kissin- 
ger, Isaac  N.  Leeds,  John  Lindermuth,  Isaac  J.  Labe, 
George  Larch,  James  Morgan,  Thomas  Meiser,  John 
P.  Moore,  John  Milisach,  John  Phillips,  John  P. 
Parsons,  Abraham  R.  Royer,  Franklin  Reed,  Morris 
Reed,  David  Ritter,  Henry  C.  Shirk,  Hiram  P.  Sai- 
bert,  Wayne  J.  Stump1,  John  Sahutz,  Romanus  Spang- 
ler,  Jacob  Schmidt,  Charles  Strong,  Livingston  Say- 
lor,  Daniel  Shaffer,  Daniel  Trout,  Horace  Weeks, 
Adam  Wise,  Henry  Zeller. 

FORTY-SECOND  REGIMENT. 

(Mustered  in  July  6,  1863;  discharged  August  11-12, 
1863.) 

FIELD  AND  STAFF. 

Colonel,  Charles  H.  Hunter. 
Lieutenant-Colonel,  John  E.  Arthur. 
Major,  Bentley  H.  Smith. 
Adjutant,  Francis  R.  Schmucker. 
Quartermaster,  Edward  Bailey. 
Surgeon,  William  Thompson. 
Assistant  Surgeons  :    William  Hargreaves,  Har- 
rison T.  Whitman. 
Sergeant-Major,  Alexander  Werner. 
Quartermaster-Sergeant,  Frederick  S.  Hunter. 
Commissary-Sergeant,  Richard  T.  Leaf. 
Hospital  Steward,  James  B.  Conroy. 

COMPANY  A. 

Captains,  Willam  F.  Walter. 
First  Lieutenant,  Amos  H.  Deysher. 
Second  Lieutenant,  Percival  Y.  Rhoads. 
First  Sergeant,  Michael  McCullogh. 
Sergeants :  John  R.  Laucks,  Jacob  Riegle,  Wil- 
4      liana  Totherroh,  Benneville  S.  Ludwig. 
Corporals :  Jacob  N.  Boyer,  John  Weitzel,  Joseph 
Steffenberge,    John    Hungerford,     William 
Gerling,    Isaac    Lawrence,   Richard   V.    B. 
Haws,  Anthony  Bitting. 
Musicians :    Isaac  Hinckley,  John  H.  Wolf. 
Privates. — James  C.  Auman,  Wellington  Addams, 
John   Baus,  Daniel  Baus,  Samuel  Breneizer,  Daniel 
Briner,  William  Bitting,  Albert  Bechtel,  Isaac  Bird, 
Augustus  Burket,  Samuel   Cross,   Mahlon   Dutrich, 
Solomon  Doepler,  Peter  L.  Eiler,  Jacob  Evans,  Wil- 
liam Ehrgood,  William  Eyrich,  John  K.  Eyrich,  John 
F.     Fox,     Samuel    Fix,    Benjamin'   Fehr,    Samuel 
Fleischer,  Jeremiah  Fair,  Valentine  W.  Fisher,  Amos 


316 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


K.  Gowl,  David  Good,  George  E.  Goodhart,  John 
Grippabacher,  David  Gerhard,  James  Garis,  Daniel 
Hughs,  Henry  W.  Horn,  William  Heifer,  Martin 
Heister,  Jacob  Hull,  Coplin  Hain,  Barnet  Hagan, 
Edward  A.  Howell,  Henry  A.  Hechler,  Levi  K. 
Kaufman,  Samuel  Keiter,  Charles  W.  Keyser,  John 
F.  Kepner,  Edward  Kerling,  Jackson  La  Flour, 
Reuben  D.  Lingle,  Albert  Laman,  Harrison  Lud- 
wig,  Thomas  Lincoln,  Morgan  Miller,  Wellington 
Markley,  Henry  Miller,  Augustus  Marquet;  George 
Mull,  Peter  Mim,  Joseph  G.  Moers,  William  Maeck, 
William  R.  Noll,  Philip  Presser,  Isaac  R.  Palm,  Ed- 
ward Rogers,  Cyrus  H.  Richards,  George  Ribble, 
William  Shunk,  George  Shitz,  Joseph  Shunk,  Isaac 
Strunk,  William  H.  Savage,  Jesse  Shelly,  Samuel 
Shultz,  Augustus  W.  Straub,  William  Treat,  William 
E.  Ubill,  Charles  Williams,  Joseph  Wilson,  Charles 
Wannamacher,  Henry  Wisler,  Isaac  Winters,  David 
B.  Wann,  Jonathan  Woomer. 

company  B. 
Captain,  Samuel  Harner. 
First  Lieutenant,  Franklin  Till. 
Second  Lieutenant,  George  S.  Rowbotham. 
First  Sergeant,  Henry  Corbit. 
Sergeants :  Peter  Shearer,  Eli  J.  Boughter,  George 

W.  Angstall,  Leonard  Getz. 
Corporals :     Adam   Truckenmiller,  John  Keiser, 
John  Lord,  William  Arnold,  Daniel  Graeff, 
(1st),  Henry  Lutz,  Lewis  J.  White,  Theodore 
Parker. 
Musicians  :     William  Till,  Jacob  Snyder. 
Privates. — John  C.  Angstatt,  Albert  Angstatt,  Philip 
Arnold,  Henry  Bechtel,  Lafayette  Bright,  Alexander 
Bridegam,  Samuel  Bore,  Henry  Brouch,  Jonathan  W. 
Butz,    Charles    J.   Bops,   Nathan   Bitting,   Rudolph 
Bentz,  Philip  L.  De  Haven,  Daniel  J.  Dellet,  William 
Drexler,  Benjamin  Dume,  David  L.  Evans,  John  Ege, 
Whitaker  Eachus,  Henry   C.   Eagleman,   James  A. 
Fager,  John  A.   Fahrbach,    Joseph   Freese,    Daniel 
Graeff,    (2d),  Israel    Goodman,  John  Gruse,   Albert 
Gross,  Isaac  Harvey,  Samuel  Houck,  John  Hunter, 
Thomas  Humphreys,  Julius  A.  Hawk,  John  C.  Hoff- 
man, Henry  Humma,  William  Hill,  Enos  Hoffman, 
Barnheart  Harpst,  Henry  Jones,  Charles  Kulp,  Wil- 
liam Kuser,  John  Keller,  Reuben  Keller,  John.  Kep- 
hart,  Frederick  N.  Krebs,  Harrison  Khole,  Edward 
J.   Leedom,   Walter    Levan,   Aaron   Leas,   William 
Miltimore,   John   H.  Metzger,  Joseph  Miller,  Peter 
Price,  Levi  H.  Printz,  Peter  Quaring,  John  Ray,  John 
Rhoads,  Nathan  D.  Rohrbach,  Levi  B.  Rodgers,  Si- 
mon H.  Stout,  Adam  J.  Shaaber  (1st),  George  Stout, 
Francis  Schadell,  Adam  Shaaber  (2d),  Jacob  Schlos- 
ser,  Jonathan  Shearer,  Peter  Stout,  Peter  Snell,  John 
Vanleer,  John  Wamsher,  Thomas  Woodward,  George 
Weidner,  Christian  Winter,  Charles  Younger. 
company  c. 
Captains:    John  E.   Arthur  (pro.   to  lieut.-col. 
July  6,  1863),  Darius  G.  Rhoads. 


First  Lieutenants:  Francis  R.  Schmucker  (pro.  to 
adjt.  July  6,  1863),  Allen  Kutz. 

Second  Lieutenant,  George  J.  Eckert. 

First  Sergeant,  Jacob  K.  Sterrett. 

Sergeants :  Edward  Scull,  John  Reck,  Henry  Van 
Reed,  John  R.  Kaucher. 

Corporals :  Joseph  W.  Richards,  George  E.  Hoak, 
Hiester  H.  Muhlenberg,  Joseph  T.  Valen- 
tine, Thomas  C.  Zimmerman,  Mahlon  Shaab- 
er, Jacob  Knabb,  Samuel  S.  Adler. 

Musicians  :  William  H.  Raser,  Elhannen 
Schmucker. 
Privates.  —  John  W.  Auchenbauch,  Wellington 
Adams,  Charles  B.  Ansert,  Francis  M.  Banks,  Adam 
Bard,  John  L.  Barnes,  William  H.  Bartlett,  Jerome 
L.  Boyer,  Edward  Brobst,  John  E.  Bubp,  T.  Yardly 
Brown,  Franklin  C.  Butz,  Thomas  Deem,  William  P. 
Dickinson,  Albert  R.  Durham,  C.  Wheeler  Durham, 
Henry  S.  Eckert,  Harrison  R.  Epler,  Samuel  C. 
Ermentrout,  Charles  H.  Fehr,  John  Foos,  Frederick 
A.  Fox,  William  J.  Frame,  William  H.  German, 
Henry  A.  Gertz,  William  E.  Good,  Enoch  E.  Greas- 
simer,  Samuel  A.  Groff,  James  P.  Hale,  John 
Hartsler,  Francis  A.  Harner,  Henry  Hartman,  Oliver 
P.  Hause,  John  S.  Hiester,  George  Holenbach,  Geo. 
W.  Hughes,  Frederick  S.  Hunter  (pro.  to  q.m.-sergt. 
July  6,  1863),  Henry  C.  Jones,  D.  Young  Jones,  J.  E. 
Jones,  Jona.  Jones,  Elijah  F.Keever,  Amos  K.  Kline, 
Michael  Kegrize,  Theodore  A.  Lambert,  Charles  A. 
Leopold,  William  S.  Maderra,  John  A.  Marquett,  Levi 
Maltzberger,  James  P.  Mathews,  Samuel  C.  Mayer, 
John  Miltimore,  John  McGee,  Franklin  D.  Nagle, 
James  Nicholson,  Benjamin  T.  Owen,  Charles  Palm, 
George  Rank,  John  H.  Rankin,  George  E.  Reeser, Wil- 
liam D.  Reeser,  Lewis  Richards,  Charles  A.  Ringle, 
Henry  Rorick,  Charles  H,  Scheaffer,  Isaac  Shreader, 
John  S.  Shreoder,  William  Shreoder,  Andrew 
Shaaber,  Edwin  Shalter,  Henry  W.  Shingle,  Llewel- 
lyn Spohn,  William  H.  Spang,  Abner  K.  Stauffer, 
Jones  O.  Thomas,  J.  Warren  Tryon,  Julius  A.  Von 
Bon  Horst,  George  F.  Wells,  William  M.  Wells,  Ed- 
ward Wilkinson,  Howard  Witman,  Charles  H.  Zeiber, 
George  P.  Zeiber. 

COMPANY   D. 

Captain,  William  D.  Smith. 

First  Lieutenant,  Harrison  Maltzberger. 

Second  Lieutenant,  Jesse  Orr. 

First  Sergeant,  Samuel  Parvin. 

Sergeants:     William   H.    Parker,   James  Reck, 

Jacob  H.  Apgar,  Jacob  L.  Fritz. 
Corporals  :   Washington  Root,  William  Templin, 
George    W.   Armstrong,.  Henry  E.   Lewis, 
Daniel   Bitler,  Simon   W.  Moyer,  William 
Rylands,  Simon  S.  Sands.  ' 

Musician,  Daniel  McLane. 
Privates.  —  John  Albright,   Elijah    Bull,   Howard 
Beard,  Jacob  Blankenbeiler,  Webster  B.  Brombach, 
William  H.  Bitler,  Aaron   Burns,  Michael  J.  Bitler 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


317 


Thomas  Browu,  Reuben  Brady,  Valentine  Burns, 
Franklin  C.  Brendlinger,  George  Cox,  Theodore 
Deysher,  Thomas  Espenshade,  John  Ellwanger, 
Christian  Ellwanger,  Thomas  W.  Frescolm,  Charles 
R.  Gilmore,  Nathan  Gross,  Matthias  Geist,  Benjamin 
Hargreaves,  Isaac  Hawn,  Elhannan  Hawn,  John 
Hass,  Abraham  Homan  James  R.  Homan,  John  G. 
Houck,  John  Hartz,  William  K.  Kepner,  Harman 
Keely,  Samuel  H.  Keieh,  Abraham  B.  Latshaw,-  Jacob 
Leh,  Abiah  S.  Mohr,  Isaac  S.  Moyer,  John  B. 
Maxson,  John  Miller,  George  S.  March,  Ir- 
win L.  Miller,  Jacob  H.  Major,  Nathan 
Michner,  Henry  C.  Meredith,  Jacob  Miesee, 
John  O.  Myce,  James  Oneil,  Mahlon  B.  Pott,  John 
Peace,  Abraham  Quigg,  Jacob  E.  Rehrer,  Henry 
Rehrer,  Franklin  Royer,  William  W.  Rhoads,  Jacob 
S.  Reifsnyder,  Lyman  Ruth,  Daniel  C.  Roth,  Samuel 
Rapp,  Lewis  W.  Reigner,  Oliver  N.  Shingle,  John  H. 
Spittler,  Samuel  Sponagle,  William  Switzer,  Charles 
Switzer,  Hugh  Swift,  Zenas  M.  Savage,  Eli  Scarlet, 
Henry  Slichter,  David  Slichter,  Edward  Samuel, 
James  E.  Templin,  Charles  Turner,  Aaron  R.  Viven, 
John  A.  S.  Worman,  William  H.  Weidner,  George 
Wanger,  Henry  W.  Westley,  John  Wallace,  Freder- 
ick Wittich. 

COMPANY   E. 

Captain,  John  McKnight. 

First  Lieutenant,  Henry  D.  Markley. 

Second  Lieutenant,  Edwin  L.  Mull. 

First  Sergeant,  William  T.  Hain. 

Sergeants :  Samuel  R.  Markley,  Abraham  U. 
Hain,  Francis  M.  Jones,  Thomas  G.  Hill. 

Corporals:  Albert  Ritter,  Augustus  Garber,  Ed- 
ward C.  Eben,  George  R.  Maltzberger,  Au- 
gustus Moser,  William  S.  Yocum,  Samuel  R. 
Depplen,  Samuel  Stackhouse. 

Musicians  :  George  W.  Young,  Daniel  A.  Boas. 
Privates. — Henry  W.  Adams,  Charles  C.  Briner, 
Cyrus  Bitner,  William  A.  Borrell,  Alfred  F.  Bertram, 
Daniel  F.  Bressler,  Henry  F.  Beckley,  John  B.  Bau- 
man,  George  H.  Bucher,  Joseph  Blankhorn,  Rogers 
Clark,  David  Dehart,  John  Dunn,  James  W.  Earl, 
James  A.  Fegely,  Adam  L.  Fisher,  Samuel  M.  Gring, 
Isaac  S.  Gerhart,  Hezekiah  K.  Gaul,  Peter  R.  Grimes, 
Alfred  Glaze,  Thomas  Geiger,  Francis  H.  Hinner- 
shotz,  John  H.  Hemmig,  Alexander  L.  Hiester,  Chas. 
A.  Hildebrand,  George  M.  Hain,  Charles  H.  Heila- 
man,  Peter  Y.  Heckman,  Leo  J.  Hess,  Anthony  W. 
Heller,  Cyrus  Hughes,  Morris  Helmes,  Horace  Longe- 
necker,  William  D.  Lambert,  Daniel  Lerch,  Gustavus 
Lundt,  John  Leese,  Benneville  H.  Miller,  Albert  J. 
Mason,  John  H.  Machmer,  Adam  S.  Miller,  Franklin 
Menkhous,  Charles  Newkirk,  Francis  Ott,  Moses  M. 
Price,  John  A.  Rush,  Cyrus  H.  Rothenberger,  Lewis 
Ruth,  Lawrence  Ressler,  James  A.  Renfrew,  William 
R.  Sallade,  Daniel  Shaeffer,  Henry  H.  Sharman,  Jef- 
ferson B.  Sherk,  Theodore  R.  Stackhous,  James  H. 
Summons,  David  G.  Steinruck,  William  Umbenhauer, 


Daniel  R.  Van  Reed,  Anthony  Wagner,  Alexander 
Werner  (pro  to  sergt.-maj.  July  6,  1863),  Lawrence 
Wetman,  Jared  G.  Yernall,  John  S.  Zeller. 

COMPANY   F. 

Captains:  Bently  H.  Smith  (pro.  to  maj.  July  6, 
1863),  John  M.  Barclay. 

First  Lieutenant,  J.  Henry  Wells. 

Second-  Lieutenant,  Mordecai  E.  Morris. 

First  Sergeant,  George  M.  Shingle. 

Sergeants :  Edward  W.  De  Haven,  Thomas  Kurtz, 
Joseph  M.  Jackson,  Jonathan  Gray. 

Corporals  :  Benjamin  Witman,  Joseph  F.  Moore, 
Joseph  J.  Rogers,  David  J.  Bruner,  George 
H.  Brinley,  Smith  A.  McCord,  Ephraim  E. 
James,  Henry  H.  Dengler. 

Musician,  Howard  McCord. 
Privates.— Henry  Ames,  David  R.  Byler,  Lewis 
Boyd,  Jacob  Bender,  Jacob  Benner,  George  S.  Broad- 
bent,  George  Clingaman,  Samuel  T.  Cochel,  William 
Derr,  George  Deichly,  David  Davis,  Sampson  Dain, 
William  Everhart,  John  Goodman,  James  Gillespie, 
William  Gillespie,  George  Geiger,  Benjamin  Griffith, 
Leonard  Garman,  Milton  Z.  Geiger,  Jacob  S.  Hughes, 
James  Henry,  Clark  Heatherly,  Lemon  Hamilton, 
George  Haas,  Edward  Hawk,  George  Hart,  Edward 
Hadley,  J.  Allen  James,  John  Long,  John  Morris, 
Robert  L.  Morgan,  William  H.  Marsh,  Conrad 
Marks,  William  Mattus,  Washington  Myers,  Daniel 
Piersol,  Joseph  Parker,  George  Plank,  Peter  E. 
Plank,  Samuel  Plank,  Jacob  B.  Retten,  William  W. 
Ridgway,  Elijah  B.  Retten,  William  Simmers,  John 
Spencer,  Robert  G.  Smith,  Frank  Shingle,  David 
Sands,  John  Sheeler,  Smith  Talbot,  Peter  Triretts, 
Bentley  West,  Amos  Witman,  George  A.  Wolf,  Sam- 
uel Walley,  Westley  Wilson,  Isaac  Westley,  Isaiah 
Westley,  Thomas  Witman,  Slater  Yocum. 

COMPANY  a. 

Captain,  Samuel  A.  Haines. 
First  Lieutenant,  William  S.  Hollenbach. 
Second  Lieutenant,  John  A.  Moyer. 
First  Sergeant,  George  H.  Gerrett. 
Sergeants:     Samuel   W.  Zeiber,  Adam  S.  Hol- 
lenbach, Cyrus  J.  Hunter,  Samuel  A.  Len- 
hart. 
Corporals:       Penrose    W.     Mengle,     Llewellyn 
Kaufman,  Alfred  F.  Haas,  Tillman  Keinard, 
Franklin  Ludwig,  Joseph  H.  Tobias,  Charles 
Murphy,  Mahlon  Baker. 
Musicians  :     Samuel  I.  Kaufman,  Franklin  Saul. 
Privates. — John  W.  Anderson,  Jonathan  Anderson, 
Daniel  B.  Altenderfer,  Samuel  Bell,  Aaron  S.  Boyer, 
Cyrus  Butler,  William  Boards,  James  Butler,  Volney 
Bell,  James  Baum,  George  N.  Bucks,  Franklin  Clark, 
Jacob   Clay,   Gabriel   Ege,   George   Gernaut,  James 
Gambler,   John   H.   Gehret,    Alexander  Glassmyer, 
Howard  Gift,    Randolf  Goodman,  Aaron   R.   Hahn, 
William    A.    Himelrich,    Jacob    R.    Hill,    William 


318 


HISTOKY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Herbst,  John  K.  Howden,  John  S.  Hollenbach,  Jacob 
Hill,  Simon  ■  Haines,  John  Johenning,  Leonard 
Koucher,  Josiah  Kerns,  Charles  M.  Ketner,  James 
Koch,  Charles  Kerns,  Amos  Kaufman,  Samuel  Kauf- 
man, Jacob  Kemp,  Thomas  R.  Keim,  William  Leib, 
Jacob  Minard,  Jeremiah  Mengle,  Joseph  Martz,  John 
Moll,  Charles  S.  Mohr,  Jacob  J.  Mohr,  Isaac  Markes, 
George  Medler,  Wilson  R.  Merkle,  Jeremiah  S.  Pas- 
sin,  Jacob  Phillips,  William  F.  Rode,  Augustus 
Rickenbach,  James  Rickenbach,  Reuben  Ricken- 
bach,  Jacob  Reel,  Jacob  M.  Eahn,  William  Rahn, 
Lewis  Eahn,  Frederick  Road,  Thomas  J.  Eapp, 
Monroe  Reber,  John  S.  Rothermel,  George  S.  Eeber, 
Chas.  S.  Eeber,  Levi  Snyder,  William  H.  Staudtler, 
James  Shell,  Josiah  Stock,  Lewis  Smith,  Daniel  B. 
Stoudt,  JohnH.  Wise,  Franklin  Williams,  George  E. 
Wiley,  David  Warer,  David  Whiskeymen,  Jacob  S. 
Yoder,  Henry  Zweyer,  Allen  Zeiber. 

COMPANY   H. 

Captain,  John  Obold. 

First  Lieutenant,  James  H.  Trexler. 

Second  Lieutenant,  D.  Horace  Schall. 

First  Sergeant,  John  B.  Fair. 

Sergeants :  George  J.  Obenhauser,  David  Lingle, 
Aaron  S.  Wright,  Daniel  D.  Lerch. 

Corporals:  Peter  Betz,  Hiram  Evans,  Jacob  S. 
Moyer,  Alfred  Stewart,  Milton  Boy,  Eichard 
W.  Watkinson,  James  O'Neill,  Irvin  G.  Sey- 
fert. 

Musicians:  John  W.  Eoy,  Thomas  Wall. 
Privates. — Conrad  Anthony,  Frederick  Aeichler, 
Lewis  Arsell,  James  H.  Bender,  Charles  Bronschat, 
Joseph  Briner,  John  D.  Baus,  Alfred  D.  Boas,  Wm. 
B.  Bechtol,  James  Dunkin,  Charles  Derr,  William 
Edinger,  Peter  Edinger,  Jacob  Everhardinger,  Frank- 
lin Eisenhart,  William  Evans,  Philip  Egle,  George 
Eisenbeis,  Jacob  Fry,  Henry  Fry,  Bentl'y  Fry,  Lewis 
Fry,  Jacob  Fehr,  Jared  Hoyer,  Lewis  Haberacker, 
Abram  Heifer,  Frederick  Heifer,  John  Huber,  Sam- 
uel B.  Jones,  Evan  James,  Edward  Kleh,  Darlington 
Kulp,  John  Keller,  Eeuben  Kissinger,  Augustus  Kis- 
singer, Lewis  H.  Kaufman,  Samuel  Kissig,  Jacob  H. 
Kunsman,  Joseph  Leilrook,  Joseph  Moyer,  John 
Medlar,  William  Mohr,  Michael  Mutter,  Peter  Null, 
Hiram  Nachbrieb,  Zacharias  Oswald,  Peter  F.  Phil 
lippi,  Henry  Eow,  Charles  Euth,  Daniel  Eeed,  Jacob 
S.  Eahn,  Aaron  Eandall,  Henry  W.  Ehodes,  John 
Staab,  John  Sweimler,  Alfred  Spears,  John  C.  Smith, 
Henry  T.  Stauffer,  William  Spohn,  Samuel  Shelwer- 
dine,  Cornelius  Trollinger,  Harrison  Thomas,  Nathan 
Whitney,  Edward  B.  Willeston,  Samuel  W.  Wise, 
Henry  W.  Wentzel,  Nehemiah  Willits,  Walter  Waid, 
John  Westly,  William  Weiler,  James  Yergey,  Geo. 
Yeager. 

COMPANY  I. 

Captains :  Edward  Bailey  (pro.  to  Q.  M.,  July  6 

1863),  Franklin  B.  Kern. 
First  Lieutenant :  Jared  Schwanger. 


Second  Lieutenant :  John  White. 

First  Sergeant:  George  Eotz. 

Sergeants:  James  Thompson,  Davis  K.  Irey, 
William  Seidel,  Charles  Miller. 

Corporals  :  George  B.  Kupp,  Thomas  E.  Conner, 
Thomas  Surles,  Frederick  E.  Lindecukle, 
John  Alderman,  Charles  Eattew,  John  Sea- 
boldt,  Jr.,  James  M.  Ellis. 

Musician :  William  Nagle. 
Privates.— Michael  Albright,  Ammon  Albright, 
Henry  A.  Beitencup,  Levi  Bush,  David  Boyer,  Chas. 
Bland,  Jas.  Bridegam,  Zachary  Bishop,  Geo.  Bower, 
Samuel  Bower,  Thomas  Carlin,  Thomas  Care,  Levi 
Cramp,  Henry  Care,  William  Cadwalader,  Albert 
Deeds,  Jos.  Dilcamp,  Samuel  Fair,  Harrison  Firing, 
Charles  Glass,  Allen  Grubb,  Lewis  Grant,  George  W. 
Gilbert,  Emanuel  Grubb,  Henry  Houck,  William 
Herner,  William  Hawkins,  Franklin  Hole,  Henry 
Heims,  Henry  Hook,  Samuel  Harrison,  Price  Hoff- 
man, Elam  D.  Hook,  Henry  Hahn,  Jas.  B.  A.  Irwin, 
George  Irey,  Lewis  H.  Ingram,  Francis  B.  Jones, 
Perry  Jones,  Henry  Kline,  Samuel  Kring,  David 
Kline,  Benjamin  F.  Kupp,  John  Keinard,  Wm.  Kern, 
Joseph  E.  Kerst,  Harrison  Lichtley,  John  Lacey, 
Samuel  Leighton,  Eichard  T.  Leaf  (pro.  to  com.-sergt. 
July  6,  1863),  Isaac  Moore,  George  Moore,  Samuel 
Moore,  Eaymon  Moore,  William  Morris,  James  Mc- 
Mullin,  Peter  McMullin,  Samuel  McCallicher,  James 
Paice,  John  Eodgers,  Henry  Poe,  Caleb  K.  Bhoads, 
Peter  Eoot,  George  Shirey,  George  Spotts,  William 
Shirey,  George  Stonemetz,  Jacob  Z.  Stametz,  Samuel 
Turner,  William  B.  Trace,  Charles  Vanderslice,  Jas. 
Wert,  James  Yoder,  John  Yeager. 

COMPANY  K. 

Captain:  John  Deppen. 

First  Lieutenant:    George  M.  Moyer. 

Sec6nd  Lieutenant :  John  A.  Fidler. 

First  Sergeant :  John  L.  Seibert. 

Sergeants:  James  E.  Moore,  William  Hunious, 
John  L.  Sharpp,  Franklin  Fidler. 

Corporals :  Franklin  Shartle,  Jno.  Sallada,  Adam 
Deppen,  John  Kendall,  John  Filbert,  Ste- 
phen Barge,  George  Yost,  George  Taylor. 

Musicians :  John  F.  Petree,  George  Valentine. 
Privates.— Peter  Althouse,  James  Anderson,  H. 
William  Anderson,  John  Arnold,  Nathan  Berkholder, 
John  Bennethun,  John  Clouse,  Jos.  Deppen,  Frank- 
lin Filbert,  Michael  Filbert,  Richard  Fisher,  John 
Grimes,  Levi  Heddinger,  Jacob  Hosier,  John  Jen- 
nings, Mathias  Kalbach,  David  Kiebach,  Charles 
Kintzer,  James  Krick,  Monroe  Kintzer,  Isaac  Kling- 
ler,  Henry  Kerns,  Josiah  Leininger,  John  N.  Levy, 
George  F.  Miller,  John  A.  Mathew,  Henry  Mathias, 
John  Mathias,  Joseph  H.  Miller,  Jacob  McCormick, 
Lucius  Potteiger,  Abraham  Paffenberger,  George 
Reinoehl,  Cyrus  Raber,  Charles  Smith,  Adam  K. 
Strunk,  Amos  Stoudt,  Daniel  B.  Sohl,  Albert  Seig- 
fried,  Gotleib  Schwartz,   Charles  Schaem,  William 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


319 


Scharff,  Richard  Sohl,  Henry  Taylor,  Simon  Voneida, 
Charles  Weigaman,  Elias  Yonson. 

COMPANY  G,  OF  FORTY-EIGHTH  REGIMENT. 

(Regiment  organized    July   2-8,   1863;    discharged 
August  26,  1863.) 
Joseph  G.  Holmes,  captain. 
Edward  F.  Smith,  first  lieutenant. 
Wm.  R.  Smith,  second  lieutenant. 
Joseph  L.  Hay  ward,  first  sergeant. 
Sergeants :  Nathan  Bear,  George  R.  Hamilton, 

Henry  F.  Isett,  Madison  K.  Smith. 
Corporals  :  Anthony  Bickle,  Franklin  Dorward, 
Reuben  S.  Heckman,  Jeremiah  Cronan,  Ja- 
cob R.  Epler,  John  Hardy,  Wallace  R.  Shol- 
lenberger,  Charles  Smith. 
Musicians :  Daniel  Saul,  Thomas   C,   B.    Diehl, 
Jeremiah  Meinder] 
Privates. — Wm.  H.  Bierman,  Wm.  Bright,  Chas.  W. 
Baum,  Amos  Billman,  Alfred  Billman,  William  Ber- 
ger,    Samuel    Butterweck,   Patrick    Baney,    Gideon 
Bower,  Daniel  B.  Bechtel,  William  Boards,  Jacob  L. 
Casper,  Isaac  P.  Cresswell,  Edward  E.  Derr,  William 
Derrick,  Samuel  K.  Epler,  Nathan   K.  Epler,  Henry 
N.  Epler,  Samuel   Esterline,  Peter  Eighe,  John   L. 
Espenshade,  James  W.  Francis,  Samuel  J.  Fry,  Ben- 
jamin Fink,  James  A.   Fasig,  George  Graul,  Warren 
C.  Guldin,  Joseph  D.  Good,  John  Q.  Geiger,  Benja- 
min   Garets,    Daniel    Greenawald,   George   Garvin, 
Henry  Gensemer,  Lewis  Gardner,  John   D.    Hiller, 
Samuel  Hill,  George  Hinkel,  William  Haas,  Joseph 
F.    Isett,   Leonard    Kochel,   Lewis    Kertz,   William 
Kline,  Martin  Killian,  John  Kline,  Jacob  Long,  Elias 
Lins,  Joel  Lins,  Peter  A.  Lautz,  James  J.  Leibensper- 
ger,  Henry  D.  Moyer,  John  D.  Moyer,  Geo.  Messer- 
smith,  Gustavus   A.  Miller,  Isaac  Mengel,  Levi  W. 
Neischwender,  Simon  Ritter,  Samuel  Rowland,  Wil. 
Ham  Reese,  John  Reed,  Wm.  H.   Shirey,  James  G. 
Smith,  Charles  Shollenberger,  John  M.  Shollenberger, 
Henry  W.  Shollenberger,  Perry  E.  Strasser,  Henry 
A.  Schmeck,  Henry   A.   Swoyer,  William   Scheiver, 
Henry  Schoch,  Franklin  Teed,  John  J.  Ulmer,  Wil- 
liam H.  Williams,  Franklin  E.  Willman,  John  Wil- 
liams, Har.  Wannamacher,  Jacob  Wertly. 

COMPANIES  A  AND   B    OF    FIFTY-THIKD     REGIMENT. 

(Regiment organized  July  2-13, 1863;  discharged 
August  18-20,  1863). 

.   COMPANY    A. 

Richmond  L.  Jones,  captain. 

Henry  M.  Keim,  first  lieutenant. 

Henry  R.  Adams,  second  lieutenant. 

Coleman  Wynn,  first  sergeant. 

Sergeants :  Van  Ransler  Barnhart,  Matthias  Mc- 
Elwee,  James  Hughes,  John  McGowan. 

Corporals  :  John  Maurer,  Isaac  Hosier,  Francis 
Ray,  Thomas  Fix,  James  Hampshire,  Wil- 
liam Zeller,  Marquis  D.  L.  Adams,  William 
Good. 

Musicians  :  Robert  Miller,  George  Neidly. 


Privates. — Isaac  Albright,  James  Ammons,  Eli 
Becker,  Hiram  F.  Bickel,  Theodore  Breedy,  John 
Breedy,  Samuel  Bechtel,  Rastmus  Behrle,  Henry 
Care,  Jacob  Dampmun,  James  Dampman,  John  W. 
Divers,  Cornelius  Egge,  John  H.  Eirich,  Samuel  En- 
glehart,  Nathan  Evans,  George  W.  Evans,  Herman 
Eberhart,  Peter  Fry,  John  Griffith,  Jacob  Hughes, 
Joseph  Hughes,  William  W.  Helfrich,  Thomas  Ja- 
cobs, Charles  H.  Jackson,  Amos  S.  Keff'er,  Isaac 
Krick,  George  Krick,  William  Knauer,  Henry  Long, 
Elijah  Miller,  William  Moyer,  Levi  Miller,  Charles 
Nagle,  Charles  Neff,  Samuel  O'Boyle,  James  Parla- 
man,  George  F.  Roether,  Isaac  F.  Ruth,  Oliver  Rich- 
ards, Henry  Redman,  Charles  Rothenberger,  Adam 
Sutzinger,  James  Sanders,  Henry  Smith,  Daniel 
Svvartz,  John  Solladi,  Samuel  Stoneback,  John 
Schnable,  Henry  Stoudt,  John  Sponagle,EliSchnable, 
John  S.  Ulrich,  Alfred  B.  Werner,  Levi  S.  Whitman, 
William  Wolf,  Levi  Werner,  William  Werner,  Reu- 
ben Werner,  Samuel  C.  Wagner,  Isaac  Wann,  Henry 
D.  Welsh,  George  Wittich,  Charles  Windbidler,  Ja- 
cob Zellor,  Henry  Zellor,  Samuel  Zimmerman,  Charles 
Zimmerman. 

COMPANY  B. 

Jacob  Lehman,  captain. 

Richard  Warner,  first  lieutenant. 

Walton  K.  Hagey,  second  lieutenant. 

James  E.  Teed,  first  sergeant. 

Sergeants:  Frank  Goble,  Jacob  Holl,  William 
H.  Worley,  Thomas  A.  Dunkle. 

Corporals :  Franklin  V.  Schoener,  Aaron  S. 
Yoder,  Isaac  B.  Yeakle,  Samuel  K.  Boyer, 
Charles  A.  Golden,  Vincent  Jenkins,  Calvin 
Whitner,  Daniel  Hertzog. 

Musicians  :  Edward  T.  Durell,  Samuel  Lotz. 
Privates. — Henry  A.  S.  Althouse,  Thomas  Algaier, 
Cyrus  H.  Ahrens,  Marcus  Boyer,  Robert  L.  Bland, 
William  Bowman,  G.  Benton  Beaver  (pro.  to  hos. 
steward  July  6,  1863),  Ezra  B.  Bertolette,  James  M. 
Bertolette,  Peter  Brenner,  Samuel  Bridegam,  William 
R.  Boyer,  Samuel  B.  Becker,  Obadiah  F.  Clouser, 
Hiram  K,  Cleaver,  Samuel  K.  Cleaver,  William  H. 
Derr,  Jacob  G.  Ehrst,  Henry  P.  Ebling,  Aaron  M. 
Francis,  Isaac  B.  Fretz,  Joseph  Gorgas,  William  B. 
Gorgas,  Daniel  D.  Guildin,  Daniel  Herbst,  Franklin 
Houck,  Hamilton  Houck,  Henry  G.  Hertzog,  Adolph 
Krauskopf,  George  H.  Kunsman,  Jerome  J.  Kline, 
David  R.  Kline,  William  Lutz,  Darius  F.  Ludwig, 
James  Laucks,  Henry  G.  Landis,  John  A.  Musser, 
Jefferson  H.  Muthard,  Philip  Miller,  Thomas  M. 
O'Brien,  Jr.  (pro.  to  com.-sergt.  July  6, 1863), Thomas 
Poffman,  George  Pollhamus,  James  Rodman,  Dallas 
J.  Shoener,  Thomas  A.  Spittler,  Henry  Schartz,  Ja- 
cob D.  Schollenberger,  Joel  R.  Sayers,  Madison 
Salladi,  Alexander  H.  Siegel,  Frederick  Sager,  James 
A.  Schofield,  Dilman  Worley,  Samuel  Weaver,  Henry 
Z.  Yerger,  Francis  Zeiber,  David  Zimmerly. 


320 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


INDEPENDENT  ARTILLERY. 

(Mustered  in   July  3,  1863 ;    discharged  August  26, 
1863). 
William  C.  Ermentrout,  captain. 
First    Lieutenants,  Daniel    Kreisher,   Jeremiah 

Seider. 
Second  Lieutenants,  Levi   J.  Homan,  0.  Oscar 

Wagner. 
First  Sergeant,  Edward  H.  Shearer. 
Quartermaster- Sergeant,  William  Rapp. 
Sergeants,   Francis   liambo,  Henry  A.   Hinner- 
shitz,    William   W.   Bowers,   Frederick   H. 
Phillippi,  Jacob  Womert,  Joseph  C.  Ermen- 
trout. 
Corporals,  Henry  Opperman,  William  Harman, 
William  Deas,  Nicholas  Lott,  Joseph  Rorke, 
Otto    Mellert,    Aaron    Deem,    William   H. 
Thomas,  William  Logwood,  Benneville  Ear- 
good,  Aaron  Roland,  Eli  W.  Jones. 
Buglers,  Stephen  Sehl,  Henry  High. 
Artificers,  John  G.  Brown,  JohhGehring,  Charles 

Nemis,  Detrich  Wittich,  John  Winters. 
Farrier,  Albert  G.  Miller. 
Privates. — Washington  Ambriester,  Philip  Burkert, 
William  J.  Bobst,  Henry  Bowman,  Joel  K.  Babb, 
Richard  Burkert,  Michael  Bright,  Jacob  Blind,  John 
Bechtel,  Henry  Call,  John  F.  Coller,  Lewis  Clouser, 
Cornelius  De  Hart,  Kilyeon  G.  Dunkle,  Jefferson 
Dengler,  Aaron  H.  Donkle,  Aaron  Dease,  William  H. 
Engle,  Charles  H.  Ebbert,  Peter  Eyler,  Nicholas  Ear- 
good,  Mahlon  R.  Fox,  Joseph  W.  Fair,  William  Flem- 
ing, Jacob  Freymoyer,  Joshua  Faust,  Aaron  Grautz, 
Charles  W.  Gebhard,  Augustus  Gechter,  Reuben  Gruff, 
John  Gilbert,  Amos  Graul,  Peter  K.  Good,  Albert  H. 
Goodenough,  Johnson  Grandle,  Jacob  Gnau,  John 
Hell,  George  D.  Hoffmaster,  Charles  Herbein,  Samuel 
Hoffmaster,  Nathan  Hawk,  James  Hafer,  Franklin 
Hartman,  John  Homan,  Jacob  F.  Hunter,  Peter  W. 
Helfrich,  Daniel  Hartman,  Francis  Habrich,  Jarius 
Herlig,  Rudolph  High,  Henry  Jennings,  William  H. 
Jennings,  Peter  Koch,  Lewis  Kellner,  James  Kutz, 
John  Kepley,JChas.  H.  Keeler,  Benj.  F.  Kalbach,  Fred. 
Kern,  Daniel  Levan  (1st),  Daniel  Levan  (2d),  Thomas 
P.  Lee,  George  A.  Levan,  Wm.  D.  Livengood,  Dallas 
Leinbach,  Godfrey  Lutz,  Jonas  Lessig,  Jediah  Miller, 
George  A.  Massano,  Christian  Miller,  John  Mjtchell, 
William  Mell,  William  Miller,  Lewis  Moore,  Jacob  A. 
Miller,  Geo.  Neihart,  Geo.  Neff,  Henry  W.  Newcomet, 
Isaac  W.  Newcomet,  Fred.  Printz,  James,Printz,  Nich. 
Frank.  Phillipson,  Rhoads,  Geo.  Roland,  H.  Roland, 
J.  Euth,  Isaac  Rohrbach,  J.  Reichart,  Hiram  Ritcr 
David  Rhein,  John  H.  Rusk,  David  Seider,  Benjamin 
Sterling,  William  Schaffer,  George  W.  Sharpless, 
Enoch  Sailor,  Peter  A.  Shitler,  Joseph  B.  Stauffer, 
Henry  Spohn,  Theodore  F.  H.  Seyfert,  H.  B.  Schmeck, 
Franklin  Schaffer,  Jacob  Sanders,  William  Toole, 
John  Taylor,  George  Weber,  Jacob  F.  Weinhard, 
Daniel  H.  Wentzel,  Jeremiah   H.    Wentzel,  Henry 


Wunder,  Daniel  W.  Weida,  Simon  Yergerj  Francis 
Yocum,  Henry  Yeager,  John  F.  Zeigle,  Samuel 
Zacharias. 

ONE     HUNDRED     DAYS'    SERVICE. 

The  following  four  companies  from  Berks 
County  were  in  the  one  hundred  days'  service, 
having  been  enlisted  in  July,  1864  : 

Company  I,  194th   Regt.,  Capt.  Henry  E.  Quimby. 

Company  A,  195th  Regt,  Capt.  Henry  D.  Markley. 

Company  B,  195th  Regt.,  Capt.  Harrison  Maltz- 
berger. 

Company  I,  196th  Regt.,  Capt.  George  0.  Row- 
botham. 

ONE  HUNDRED   AND    NINETY-FOURTH    REGIMENT. 

This  regiment  was  recruited  in  ten  counties 
of  the  State — Company  I  having  been  from 
Berks  County.  It  was  organized  at  Camp 
Curtin  on  July  22,  1864,  with  the  following 
field  officers :  James  Nagle,  colonel  ;  Richards 
M'Michael,  lieutenant  colonel  ;  Oscar  D.  Jen- 
kins, major.  On  the  day  of  its  organization  it 
moved  for  Baltimore,  and  upon  its  arrival  there 
it  went  into  camp  in  Mankin's  Woods.  About 
the  1  st  of  September  the  regiment  moved  to  Camp 
Carroll,  a  mile  southwest  of  the  city,  on  the  line 
of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad.  Company  I 
and  five  other  companies  of  the  regiment  were 
stationed  at  various  points  in  the  city  for  pro- 
vost duty.  Details  from  the  remaining  com- 
panies, to  serve  as  escorts  and  guards  to  rebel 
prisoners  on  their  way  through  the  city  to 
places  of  confinement,  and  for  recruits  destined 
for  the  front,  were  being  constantly  made  as 
long  as  the  regiment  remained  in  service.  At 
the  expiration  of  its  term  the  scattered  detach- 
ments were  called  in,  and  it  proceeded  to  Har- 
risburg,  where,  on  the  6th  of  November,  it  was 
mustered  out. 

Col.  Richards  McMichael  is  of  Scotch- 
Irish  ancestry.  His  grandfather  emigrated  from 
Ireland  and  settled  in  Berks  County  over  one 
hnudred  years  ago.  His  father,  John  Mc- 
Michael, was  born  in  this  county  August  27, 
1775,  and  in  1799  married  to  Ann  Mackinson, 
who  was  born  November  12,  1779.  They  had 
issue,— James,  born  1800;  Naomi,  1801 ;  Isaac, 
1803;  Alfred,  1805;  Andrew,  1810;  Richards, 
February  21,  1816  ;  and  Obed,  1818. 

Richards  McMichael  is  a  native  of  Robeson 
township,  Berks  County.     He  passed  his  youtli 


THE  CIVTL  WAR. 


at  home  till  his  fifteenth  year,  going  to  school 
and  assisting  occasionally  at  farming,  and  then 
entered  the  carpenter-shop  appurtenant  to  Jo- 
anna Furnace,  in  the  township  named,  as  an  ap- 
prentice. After  continuing  there  for  some  years 
he  removed  to  Lancaster  County,  and  at  the 
Connowingo  Furnace  carried  on  his  trade  for 
several  years.  In  1837,  and  for  a  short  time 
afterwards,  he  was  employed  at  the  Schuylkill 
Furnace,  near  Hamburg,  and  then  at  the  Jo- 


burgh,  as  Company  A,  Second  Regiment  Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers.  On  January  7th  he  was 
appointed  sergeant-major,  and  in  September  fol- 
lowing he  was  promoted  to  second  lieutenant. 
He  participated  with  his  company  in  every  en- 
gagement from  the  surrender  of  Vera  Cruz  to 
the  taking  of  the  Gate  of  Belen,  when  the  vic- 
torious army  entered  the  famous  capital  of 
Mexico,  having  distinguished  himself  upon 
several  occasions  by  remarkable  courage  in  fierce 


anna  Furnace.  In  1839  he  settled  at  Reading, 
and  here  he  has  resided  since.  His  first  em- 
ployment was  with  Dotterer  &  Darling,  found- 
ers, etc.,  as  a  pattern-maker,  and  afterwards  with 
Adam  Johnson,  in  the  same  vocation,  till  1846. 
The  Mexican  War  having  then  been  begun,  and  he 
having  been  a  member  of  the  Reading  Artiller- 
ists, commanded  by  Captain  Thomas  Leoser,  a 
company  which  had  offered  its  services  to  the 
national  government,  he  enlisted  and  went  with 
his  company  to  Mexico.  The  company  was 
mustered  into  service  January  5,  1847,  at  Pitts- 


and  destructive  hand-to-hand  conflicts  with  the 
enemy.1  After  the  severe  engagement  which 
occurred  just  before  the  capture  of  the  city  of 
Mexico  many  of  his  comrades  lay  sick  and 
wounded  in  a  hospital.  He  was  a  daily  visitor, 
carrying  fruit  to  them  and  ministering  in  various 
ways  to  relieve  their  wants  and  make  them 
comfortable.  In  this  he  showed  the  true  nobil- 
ity of  a  brave  heart.  And  his  kindness  was 
highly   appreciated,    for   the   members   of  the 


•See  chapter  on  Mexican  War. 


322 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


company  presented  him  with  a  sword  as  a  tes- 
timonial of  their  regard.  On  November  5th 
he  was  elected  major  of  his  regiment  by  a  very 
complimentary  vote,  but  owing  to  misrepresent- 
ations he  was  never  commissioned.  He  was 
mustered  out  of  service  with  his  company  at 
Pittsburgh,  on  July  5,  1 848,  and  returned  with 
it  to  Heading. 

Upon  his  return  home  he  was  employed  at 
Johnston's  foundry  till  1851,  and  then  in  the 
Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  Co.'s  pat- 
tern-shop till  1861.  Shortly  after  his  return  he 
was  elected  brigade  inspector  of  militia,  and 
filled  this  office  very  creditably  for  nine  years. 
When  the  Civil  War  began  he  at  first  assisted 
generally  in  organizing  volunteer  companies  at 
Reading,  and  then  proceeded  to  Harrisburg 
with  the  Ringgold  Light  Artillery,  his  duty 
as  brigade  inspector  requiring  him  to  see  that 
all  the  companies  in  his  brigade  were  at  the  place 
of  rendezvous,  where  he  was  placed  in  com- 
mand of  the  arsenal  as  chief  of  ordnance.  He 
held  this  position  until  the  latter  part  of  April, 
when  the  first  quota  of  Pennsylvania  (fifteen 
regimeDts)  was  filled,  and  in  the  organization  of 
the  Fourteenth  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volun- 
teers he  was  elected  lieutenant-colonel.  He 
served  with  the  regiment  three  months.  At  the 
close  of  this  service  he  was  appointed  lieutenant- 
colonel  by  Governor  Curtin  for  the  three  years' 
service  and  mustered  in  with  the  Fifty- third 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  and  he 
continued  with  this  regiment  for  nearly  three 
years,  when,  owing  to  sickness,  he  was  obliged  to 
resign  his  commission,  and  he  was  honorably 
discharged  upon  a  surgeon's  certificate  May  19, 
1864.  Whilst  with  this  regiment  its  officers 
presented  to  him  a  fine  sword  and  sash  as  a 
mark  of  their  esteem  for  his  kindly,  courteous 
disposition,  and  for  his  ability  and  bravery  in 
the  performance  of  his  duties.  Shortly  after- 
ward, July  24,  1864,  upon  regaining  his  health, 
he  joined  the  One  Hundred  and  Ninety-fourth 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  in  the  one 
hundred  days'  service  and  was  elected  lieutenant- 
colonel.  His  superior  officer  was  Colonel  James 
Nagle,  who  had  been  in  the  Mexican  War  as 
captain  of  Company  A,  First  Regiment  Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers.     After  the  expiration  of 


this  term  he  was  mustered  out,  and  upon  his  re- 
turn to  Reading  appointed  deputy  provost-mar- 
shal of  this  district.  He  served  this  position 
till  the  close  of  the  war  and  then  resumed  his 
trade  as  a  pattern-maker  in  the  employ  of  the 
Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  Company. 
He  has  continued  in  this  vocation  till  now, 
having  held  the  position  of  foreman  since. 

In  politics  Colonel  McMichael  was  formerly 
a  Whig.  He  became  a  Republican  upon  the 
inception  of  the  Republican  party,  and  he  has 
continued  his  identity  with  this  party  ever  since. 
In  1878  and  again  in  1880  he  received  the 
nomination  of  his  party  for  the  Assembly  from 
the  district  of  Reading.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
McLean  Post,  No.  16,  G.  A.  R.  By  nature  he 
is  modest  and  retiring.  He  has  been  a  resident 
of  Reading  for  nearly  fifty  years,  and  his  up- 
right deportment  throughout  this  period  has 
won  the  high  respect  of  his  fellow-citizens. 

He  was  married,  November  11,  1849,  to 
Martha  Reppard,  with  the  following  issue: 
Winfield  Scott,  Alfred  Henry  and  Naomi,  the 
latter  being  now  deceased. 

Company  I. — This  company  was  recruited 
at  Reading,  and  unless  otherwise  stated,  the 
men  were  mustered  out  November  5,  1864. 

Henry  E.  Quimby,  capt.,  must,  in  July  21,  1864;  ab- 
sent at  muster  out. 

John  H.  Williams,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 

David  B.  Armstrong,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  July  21, 1864. 

John  B.  Tobias,  1st  sergt,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 

Thomas  J.  Espenshade,  sergt.,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 

Henry  W.  Corbitt,  sergt.,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 

Jacob  T.  Kettering,  sergt.,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 

Edward  S.  Ashcom,  sergt.,  must,  in  July  21,  1864; 
pro.  from  corp.  Sept.   6,   1864. 

Charles  A.  Fagan,  sergt,  must,  iu  July  21,1864; 
trans,  to  97th  Begt.  P.  V.  Sept.  6,  1864. 

M.  D.  Barndollar,  Corp.,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 

J.  A.  Eichelberger,  corp.,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 

George  H.  Corbin,  corp.,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 

James  R.  Homan,  corp.,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 

Samuel  D.  Williams,  corp.,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 

Daniel  Kilpatrick,  corp.,  must,  in  July  21,  1864 ;  pro. 
to  corp.  Sept.  6,  1864. 

Samuel  D.  Trembath,  corp.,  must,  in  July  21,  1864 ; 
pro.  to.  corp.  Sept.  6,  1864. 

Cyrus  Riffle,  corp.,  must,  in  July  21,  1864 ;  pro.  to 
corp.  Sept.  6,  1864. 

Thomas  P.  Lee,  corp.,  must,  in  July  21,  1864;  trans, 
to  97th  Regt.  P.  V.  Sept.  6,  1864. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


323 


John  B.  Penrod,  Corp.,  must,  in  July  21,  1864 ;  trans. 

to  97th  Regt.  P.  V.  Sept.  6, 1804. 
William  Snyder,  musician,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Frank  McCoy,  musician,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 

Privates. 
Frank  M.  Amos,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Joseph  M.  Armstrong,  must,  in  July  21,  1804. 
Allison  Abbott,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Jacob  Auraan,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
John  S.  Bechtel,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Amos  H.  Beard,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
William  G.  Barndollar,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Joseph  Bayer,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Jacob  S.  Biddle,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Jacob  S.  Baker,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Harmond  Clouse,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Fer.  Chamberlain,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Irvin  B.  Cleaver,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Fr.  W.  Cleaveland,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Jacob  H.  Castner,  must,  in  July  21, 1864;  trans.  Sept. 

6,  1864,  organization  unknown. 
William  Cramer,  must,  in  July  21,  1864 ;  trans,  to 

97th  Regt.  P.  V.  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Alexander  Clark,  must,  in  July  21,  1864 ;  trans,  to 

97th  Regt.  P.  V.  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Benjamin  Donaldson,  must,  in  July  21,  1864;  trans. 

Sept.  6,  1864,  organization  unknown ;  disch.  by 

G.  O.  July  22,  1865. 
William  Fulton,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Benjamin  H.  Grove,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Levi  M.  Gockley,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Erastus  J.  Gump,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Andrew  B.  Garner,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Thomas  G.  Garner,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Levi  P.   Garrett,   must,   in   July  21,  1864;  trans,  to 

97th  Regt.  P.  V.  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Washington  Hall,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Samuel  G.  Hetrick,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
William  Henershitz,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
John  C.  Hamer,  must,  in  July  21,  1864;  trans.  Sept. 

6,  1864,  organization  unknown. 
James  M.  Isett,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
James  A.   Ibach,   must,   in  July  21,  1864 ;  trans,  to 

97th  Regt.  P.  V.  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Thomas  Jacobs,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Joseph  Jessner,   must,   in   July   21,   1864 ;  trans,  to 

97th  Regt.  P.  V.  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Elijah  Kettering,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Samuel  B.  Kauffman,  must,  in  July  21,  1864;  trans. 

to  97th  Regt.  P.  V.  Sept.  6,  1864. 
William  Leonard,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Joshua  T.  Lucas,  must,  in  July  21, 1864. 
Daniel  Linderman,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
William  P.  Long,  must,  in  July  21,  1864;  trans,  to 

97th  Regt.  P.  V.  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Frank  M.  Masters,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
William  J.  Masters,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
John  Morris,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 


Henry  Myers,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 

Nelson  Moore,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 

William  McMahan,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 

L.  II.  Peck,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 

Henry  C.  Penrod,  must,  in  July  21,  1864;  trans,  to 

97th  Regt.  P.  V.  Sept.  6,  1864. 
William  B.  Reed,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Simon  L.  Repogle,  must.  in.July  21,  1864 
Jacob  M.  Rahn,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
John  B.  Richards,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Adam  S.  Ritchey,  must,  in  July  21,  1864 ;  trans,  to 

97th  Regt.  P.  V.  Sept.  6,  1864. 
John  C.  Sparks,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
John  Sparks,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Henry  Swarts,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Calvin  L.  Snare,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
John  W.  Swarts,  must,  in  July  21,  1864 ;  trans,  to 

97th  Regt.  P.  V.  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Jacob  E.  Steeley,  must,  in  July  21,  1864 ;  trans,  to 

97th  Regt.  P.  V.  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Augustus  Skipper,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Thomas  Werts,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Benjamin  F.  Whitman,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Charles  R.  Whitehead,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 
Richard  Williams,  must,  in  July  21,  1864. 

ONE   HUNDRED   AND   NINETY-FIFTH    REGIMENT. 

This  regiment  was  principally  recruited  in 
Lancaster  County  in  July,  1864,  to  serve  for  a 
period  of  one  hundred  days.  It  included  two 
companies,  A  and  B,  from  Berks  County.  It  was 
organized  at  Camp  Curtin,  on  the  24th  of  July. 
Oliver  C.  James,  of  Company  B,  was  elected 
major.  On  the  day  of  its  organization  it  pro- 
ceeded to  Baltimore.  After  a  halt  of  three  days 
there  it  moved  on  to  Monocacy  Junction,  where, 
for  a  period  of  two  months,  it  was  engaged  in 
guarding  the  bridge  which  spanned  the  creek, 
and  the  lines  of  railway ;  and  it  was  thoroughly 
drilled  and  instructed — for  many  of  the  officers 
and  men  had  no  previous  military  training.  On 
the  1st  of  October  it  proceeded  to  Berkley 
County,  West  Virginia,  and  was  posted  along 
the  line  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad, 
with  headquarters  at  North  Mountain  Station, 
where  it  remained  till  the  expiration  of  its  term 
of  service.  Three  hundred  of  the  men  re- 
enlisted  to  serve  for  one  year,  who  were  consoli- 
dated in  three  companies  and  remained  on  duty 
under  the  command  of  Captain  Henry  D. 
Markley,  of  Company  A  ;  subsequently  seven 
other  companies  were  recruited,  and  they  together 
were  re- organized  as  the  One  Hundred  and 
Ninety-fifth  Regiment,  with  Captain  Markley 


324 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


as  major.  It  performed  guard  duty  at  Kable- 
town,  Berryville  and  Staunton.  At  the  latter 
place  the  three  veteran  companies  were  mustered 
out  in  the  middle  of  June,  1865. 

Company  A. — This  company  was  recruited 
at  Reading,  and,  unless  otherwise  stated,  the 
men  were  mustered  iir  July  16,  1864,  and  mus- 
tered out  November  4, 1864.  Those  marked  with 
a  star  (*)  were  transferred  to  Company  A,  One 
Hundred  and  Ninty-fifth  (one  year)  Regiment, 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  November,  1864. 

Captain,  Henry  D.  Markley.* 

First  Lieutenant,  William  H.  Krick. 

Second  Lieutenant,  Samuel  Parvin.* 

First  Sergeant,  John  Moore. 

Sergeants :  John  Phillips,  Martin  Wagner,* 
James  L.  Hess,*  Samuel  A.  Groff.* 

Corporals  :  William  Wanner,  Gideon  F.  Egner, 
George  Miller,  George  M.  Hain,  William 
H.  German,  Samuel  Addison,  Thomas  Hart,* 
Theodore  Dysher.* 

Musicians  :  Daniel  Boas,*  Zachary  T.  Bittings.* 
Privates. — Conrad  Anthony,  William  A.  Archer,* 
Henry  W.  Adams,*  William  Biehle,  Mahlon  Boyer, 
Alfred  Berkheimer,  John  L.  Bard  *  John  Bower, 
Amos  M.  Bonsell,  Daniel  Cole,  Daniel  L.  Carey,* 
Frank  Carlton,  Edward  T.  Durell,  Benjamin  Dunn,* 
James  B.  Davis,*  Edward  D.  Drury,  James  Darling, 
Lewis  Estline,  Charles  F.  Edinger,*  Charles  Fisher, 
Andrew  Fegley,  John  Fields,*  Benjamin  Graham, 
John  Gretzinger,  Joseph  Gray,  William  Good,  Wil- 
liam Gottsall,  Charles  Gallagher,*  Jackson  Gritner,* 
Henry  Hayden,  Martin  Hiester,  Henry  J.  Horn, 
(absent,  sick,  at  muster  out),  Amos  F.  D. 
Hook,*  George  Harner,*  Emanuel  Irwin,*  Lewis 
I).  Johnson,*  Bentley  Kutz,*  Morgan  Miller,* 
Albert  J.  Mason*  George  McCorkhill,  Dan- 
iel J.  McLean,  Levi  Newphey,  George  H.  Pent,  Hi- 
ram Parker,  H.  M.  M.  Richards,  Daniel  Ringler, 
David  L.  Rittew,  Thomas  Rogers,  John  Ruth,  Thomas 
Richards,*  John  Rodgers,*  Jasper  H.  Rockey  (died 
at  Relay  House,  Md.,  September  11,  1864),  Peter 
Smith,  Theodore  Stackhouse,  Joseph  H.  Seiverd,* 
John  Seidle,*  Edward  Sallada,*  Francis  Schwinger,* 
Chas.  W.  Talbot,  Franklin  Teed,  Aaron  R.  Viven, 
Thomas  T.  Viven,  Horace  M.  Weeks,  Frederick  Wag- 
ner,* Perry  J.  Waleslagle,*  Paul  Witmer,*  Emanuel 
Weirich. 

Company  B. — This  company  was  recruited 
at  Reading,  and,  unless  otherwise  stated,  the 
men  were  mustered  in  July  16,  1864,  and 
mustered  out  November  4,18^4.  Those  marked 
with  a  star  (*)  were  transferred  to  Company  A 
One  Hundred  and  Ninety-fifth  (one  year)  Regi- 
ment Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  November  1864. 


Captain,  Harr'n  Maltzberger. 

First  Lieutenant,  James  B.  Harpser. 

Second  Lieutenant,  Oliver  C.  James,  pro.  to  maj. 

July  24,  1864. 
First  Sergeant,  John  A.  Buch,  commissioned  2d 

lieut.  July  24,  1864 ;  not  must. 
Sergeants  :    Jesse  Shirey,  Peter  McManus,  Simon 
Buch  (pro.  to  q.m.-sergt,  July  24,  1864)  Wil- 
liam Ulrich* 
Corporals  :     John  Wamsher,  Chester  K.  Belding, 
William  H.  Thomas,  John  Ziegler,  Alex.  S. 
Hiester,  W.  R.  Shollenberger,  Isaac  D.  Sher- 
er,  Amos  R.  Davis.* 
Musician,  Thomas  Wright. 
Privates.  —Charles  Bobst,  William  Bickel,  Anthony 
Blecher,  Samuel  P.  Borkey,  Emanuel  Beicher,*  Geo. 
Call,   Charles   Coleman,   Frederick   Crook,  Wheeler 
C.  Durham,  Harrison  Dickinson,*  John  Eder,  Hemy 
J.  Fink,  Franklin  Frey,  John  Fernsler,*  D.  S.  Green- 
await,  John  R.  Gift,  William  Grant,  John  D.  Grim,* 
William  Gable  *  Joseph  Gable  *  Robert  Gift,  Albert 
S.  Haak,  Lausiscus    Hill,  Aaron  H.  Hetrich,    Solo- 
mon Houder,  Joseph  F.  Isett,  Wm.  H.  Jennings,  Fred- 
erick M.  Krebs,  Jeremiah  Kline,*  Isaac  M.  Leeds, 
Albert  A.  Leaman,  Daniel  Levan,  Milton   Ludwig, 
William   Lindeman,    Wm.   T.  Mercer,  Jeremiah  S. 
Mengle,  Henry  Miller,  David  Mock,  Jacob  Miller, 
William  Maguire,  Howard  McCord,  Wm.  McDermott, 
John  0.  Nyce,  Geo.  W.  Newkirk,  George  Rank,Wm. 
H.  Raser,   Davis  B.   Ream,   Henry   Ribble,   George 
Ribble,  Lewis  Rentschler,  Ernest  Reiche,*  William 

F.  Rhoades,*  Adam  Rice,*  Emanuel  Richards,  David 

G.  Steinruck,  James  E.  Stafford,  Andrew  Shaaber, 
Benjamin  F.  Seidle,  Dieter  Shalter,  William  Sallade, 
John  H.  Spittler,*  Jacob  Schlussor,*  George  F. 
Strouse,*  George  Spotts,*  John  H.  Thomas,  Franklin 
Williams,  Nehemiah  Willitts,  Henry  Whitman,  Is- 
rael Weatzel,  Aaron  Wright,  Samuel  Y.  Weaver, 
Jona.  Y.  Weaver,  Joseph  Walter,  Henry  Weatzel, 
Daniel  Weiland,*  James  Yergy. 

ONE  HUNDRED  AND  NINETY-SIXTH  REGIMENT. 

This  regiment  was  recruited  under  the  aus- 
pices of  the  Union  League,  at  Philadelphia,  to 
serve  for  one  hundred  days,  and  it  was  known 
as  the  Fifth  Union  League  Regiment.  It  in- 
cluded Company  I,  of  Berks  County.  It  was 
organized  at  Camp  Cadwalader  on  July  20, 
1864,  and  a  week  later  proceeded  to  Camp 
Bradford,  near  Baltimore.  About  the  middle 
of  August  it  moved  by  rail  to  Chicago,  111., 
where  it  performed  guard  duty  at  Camp  Doug- 
lass, a  large  number  of  prisoners  of  war  having 
been  confined  there.  Early  in  November  it 
returned  to  Philadelphia,  and  was  thence  ordered 
to  duty  at  Fort  Delaware.     It  was  mustered  out 


THE  CIVIL  WAE. 


325 


of  service   at   Philadelphia  on  November  17, 
1864. 

COMPANY  I. 

(Recruited  at  Reading;  mustered  in  July  13,  1864; 
mustered  out  November  17,  1864.) 

Captain,  G.  8.  Rowbotham. 

First  Lieutenant,  Mahlon  Shaaber. 

Second  Lieutenant,  John  Wesley. 

First  Sergeant,  Edward  S.  Earley. 

Sergeants :  Nicholas  Seitzinger,  Adam  Trivitts, 
Francis  Hyneman,  David  Bingeman. 

Corporals :  Charles  A.  Keever,  Adam  Shaaber, 
Lewis  Koch,  Hiram  Nachtriet,  Harrison 
Peck,  George  Ritner,  William  A.  Boyer, 
Hiram  Fritch. 

Musicians  :  John  Seyfert,  Arthur  Wells. 
Privates. — Samuel  Adams,  Nicholas  Burkhart,  George 
M.  Boyer,  Edward  Brady,  Robert  Bell,  James  G.  Bobst, 
Martin  Brouch,  Charles  Colp,  John  Cronan,  William 
Calvert,  Joseph  Condon  (pro.  to  q.m.-sergt.  July  22, 
1864),  Frederick  Couturer,  Charles  Deininger,  John  G. 
Durand,  Elwood  Dickinson,  Jas.  A.  Eisenbise,  George 
Eisenbise,  George  Engle,  Howard  Fisher,  Thomas 
Fair,  Charles  A.  Grant,  Reuben  Gruff,  Mahlon  Good, 
George  P.  Groves,  Edward  F.  Gentner,  Francis  Hoy er, 
Jacob  A.  Hamilton,  Daniel  Haine,  Albert  Herzog, 
Christian  Haddock,  Henry  C.  Jones,  James  Jones, 
Edward  Jacoby,  Theodore  Keen,  Samuel  Kutz,  James 
Kilpatrick,  John  Kissinger,  Patrick  Kelly  (trans,  to 
Co.  D,  Aug.  1,  1864),  William  Lewis,  James  Long- 
acre,  William  Longlott,  Z.  Taylor  Lacy,  Henry  C. 
Ludwick,  George  Mason,  James  Moore,  Winfield  S. 
Miller,  Marshall  Miller,  Peter  McNoon,  William 
McLaughlin,  Adam  McCove,  George  Nagle,  William 
H.  Nail,  Zacharias  Oswald,  James  O'Neil,  Edward 
Pettit,  Joseph  Purchase,  Alexander  Price,  Peter 
Price,  Thomas  Quinn,  Francis  Ray,  Lawrence  Resler, 
Henry  Row,  Charles  Rogers,  Franklin  Roberts,  James 
0.  Rooke,  William  Souders,  Albert  Stroud,  John 
Seitzinger,  Thomas  Stafford,  John  Steely,  Lawrence 
Whiteman,  John  Wells,  Thomas  R.  Werner,  Henry 
L.  Wolfskill,  Jacob  Wolfskill,  Samuel  White,  Fran- 
cis Young. 

ONE    YEAR'S    SERVICE. 

The  following  six  volunteer  companies  were 
from  Berks  County  in  the  one  year's  service, 
having  been  enlisted  in  August,  1864: 

Co.  B,  205th  Regt.,  Capt.  Joseph  G.  Holmes. 
Co.  E,  205th  Regt.,  Capt.  William  F.  Walter. 
Co.  H,  205th  Regt.,  Capt.  Franklin  Schmehl. 
Co.  D,  1 98th  "Regt.,  Capt.  Isaac  Schroeder. 
Co.  G,  198th  Regt.,  Capt.  William  L.  Guinther. 
Co.  F,  192d  Regt.,  Capt.  John  Teed. 

TWO  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTH   REGIMENT. 

Companies  B,  E  and  H  of  this  regiment  were 
recruited  in  Berks  County.    They  rendezvoused 


at  Camp  Curtin,  where,  on  September  2,  1864, 
field  officers  were  selected,  including  William 
F.  Walter,  captain  of  Company  E,  as  lieutenant- 
colonel.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Walter  had  served 
in  the  One  Hundred  and  Fourth  Regiment. 
On  the  5th  the  regiment  left  Harrisburg,  pro- 
ceeded to  Washington,  crossed  the  Potomac, 
and  went  into  camp  at  Fort  Corcoran.  At  the 
end  of  a  week  it  moved  to  Camp  Distribution, 
and  taking  in  charge  thirteen  hundred  recruits 
and  drafted  men  there,  proceeded  with  them  by 
transports  to  City  Point.  It  was  engaged  in 
picketing  from  the  left  of  the  army  line  to  the 
James,  and  in  building  forts  and  earth-works 
for  the  defense  of  City  Point,  nearly  the  entire 
regiment  being  called  to  duty  daily.  On  Octo- 
ber 9th  it  was  ordered  to  the  Army  of  the 
James,  and  at  the  end  of  twenty  days,  during 
which  it  was  employed  on  picket  duty,  it  re- 
turned and  proceeded  to  join  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  With  five  other  new  Pennsylvania 
regiments,  it  formed  a  provisional  brigade,  com- 
manded by  General  Hartranft,  and  was  attached 
to  the  Ninth  Corps.  Early  in  December  this 
brigade  moved  to  the  relief  of  the  Second  and 
Fifth  Corps,  which  were  threatened  with  an 
attack  by  the  enemy,  while  out  upon  a  demon- 
stration on  the  left.  On  December  15th  the 
six  regiments  composing  this  brigade  were 
organized  into  a  division,  which  became  the 
Third  of  the  Ninth  Corps,  composed  of  two 
brigades.  The  Two  Hundred  and  Fifth  was 
in  the  Second  Brigade.  General  Hartranft 
commanded,  the  division,  and  General  Parke 
the  corps.  With  the  exception  of  occasional 
marches  to  the  left,  in  support  of  aggressive 
movements,  the  regiment  remained  in  camp, 
near  Fort  Prescott,  on  the  Army  Line  Railroad 
during  the  winter,  where  it  was  engaged  in 
drill  and  fatigue  duty. 

Before  daylight,  on  the  morning  of  March 
25,  1865,  the  regiment  was  summoned  to  arms, 
and  ordered  to  stand  in  readiness  to  move  upon 
the  first  signal,  the  enemy  having  broken 
through  the  line  on  Wilcox's  front,  and  cap- 
tured Fort  Steadman.  General  Hartranft  was 
quickly  upon  the  ground  where  further  disaster 
threatened,  and  gathering  in  the  regiments  of 
his  division,  attacked  and  checked  the  victori- 


326 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


ous  onset  of  the  enemy.  The  Two  Hundred 
and  Fifth  was  ordered  to  move  down  a  ravine 
which  ran  in  the  rear  of  the  captured  line,  and 
opposite  Fort  Haskell,  halted  under  cover, 
holding  in  support  the  rest  of  the  line,  which 
was  hotly  engaged.  For  nearly  an  hour  it  was 
forced  to  stand  in  waiting.  Finally,  when  all 
his  plans  for  a  combined  assault  had  been  per- 
fected, General  Hartranft  gave  the  signal  to 
charge,  and  with  a  united  front,  and  with  the 
greatest  determination  and  daring,  the  lines 
moved  on,  sweeping  everything  before  them, 
and  regaining  all  that  was  lost.  The  Two 
Hundred  and  Fifth  moved  at  once  to  the  sup- 
port of  the  charging  column,  and  held  a  large 
number  of  prisoners,  small  arms  and  one  battle- 
flag.  The  loss,  fortunately,  was  but  slight, 
being  but  ten  wounded. 

Of  the  part  taken  by  the  Two  Hundred  and 
Fifth,  in  the  final  assault  upon  the  works  before 
Petersburg,  on  the  morning  of  the  2d  of  April, 
an  idea  will  be  best  gained  by  the  following  ex- 
tract from  Captain  Holmes'  official  report :  "  On 
the  night  of  the  1st  instant,  at  eleven  o'clock, 
the  regiment  was  ordered  to  form  on  the  color 
line  in  front  of  the  camp,  Major  Morrow  in 
command.  At  one  o'clock  a.m.,  of  the  2d  the 
regiment  was  moved  towards,  and  on  the  Plank 
Road  in  rear  of  Fort  Sedgwick,  halted  some 
time,  and  then  advanced  by  the  right  of  the  fort 
in  the  covered  way  and  formed  in  line  of  battle, 
with  the  Two  Hundred  and  Seventh  in  front, 
directly  in  rear  of  our  picket  line.  The  order 
was  given  to  charge  the  enemy's  works  at  day- 
light, which  was  gallantly  accomplished.  The 
regiment  captured  Battery  30,  with  a  number 
of  prisoners.  A  battle-flag  was  also  captured  by 
Private  John  Lilly,  of  Company  F,  who  acted 
very  gallantly  throughout  the  engagement.  This 
flag  was  forwarded  to  General  Hartranft's  head- 
quarters with  a  statement  of  its  capture.  Our  col- 
ors were  planted  on  the  works,  and  remained  there 
until  the  regiment  was  relieved.  At  this  time 
Major  Morrow  received  a  severe  wound  in  the 
foot,  and  was  taken  off  the  field.  I  then  as- 
sumed command,  and  remained  with  the  regi- 
ment in  the  works,  repulsing  several  charges 
made  by  the  enemy  during  the  day,  and  at  night 
assisted  in  placing  the  abatis  in  front  of  our 


works,  under  a  severe  enfilading  fire  from  the 
enemy,  remaining  upon  the  line  until  two  o'clock 
on  the  following  morning,  when  I  was  ordered 
to  move  with  the  regiment  to  the  rear  of  our 
picket  line."  In  the  advance  upon  the  hostile 
works,  and  in  driving  out  the  enemy  and  hold- 
ing the  line  when  captured,  the  regiment  was 
exposed  to  a  fearful  fire  of  infantry  and  artil- 
lery, from  the  effect  of  which  it  suffered  heavy 
losses.  Two  officers,  Lieutenants  Henry  A. 
Lower  and  David  B.  Roberts,  and  twenty-two 
enlisted  men  were  killed,  six  officers  and  ninety- 
one  enlisted  men  were  wounded,  one  officer, 
Lieutenant  Samuel  L.  Hughes,  of  Company  E, 
mortally,  and  five  men  were  missing, — an  aggre- 
gate loss  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-six. 

At  daylight  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  ad- 
vance towards  Petersburg,  but  everywhere  the 
evidences  of  a  general  evacuation  were  observ- 
able, and,  on  arriving  within  the  city,  it  was 
found  that  the  enemy  had  fired  it  in  several 
places.  By  the  aid  of  the  fire  companies  the 
flames  were  subdued  and  the  bridges  crossing 
the  Appomattox  were  saved.  At  noon  the 
regiment  returned  to  its  former  camp,  and, 
striking  tents,  started  with  thedivision  to  follow 
up  the  advantage.  The  progress  to  Burkesville 
Junction  was  slow,  the  command  being  charged 
with  the  repair  of  the  South  Side  Railroad  as 
it  went,  and  with  keeping  open  this  line  of 
communication  with  the  main  body  of  the  army. 
The  regiment  remained  at  Burkesville  until 
after  the  surrender  of  the  rebel  armies  in  the 
east  and  hostile  operations  were  at  an  end.  It 
then  proceeded  via  City  Point  to  Alexandria, 
and  encamped  at  Seminary  Hill,  where  it  was 
mustered  out  of  service  on  June  2d. 

Company  B. — This  company  was  mustered 
out  June  2, 1865,  except  where  otherwise  noted. 

Joseph  G.  Holmes,  capt.,  must,  in  Aug.  31 ,  1864. 

Samuel  L.  Hughes,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  31,  1864. 
died  at  Washington,  D.  C,  April  28th,  of  wounds 
received    at    Petersburg,   Va.,    April    2,    1865 
buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Arlington. 

Peter  A.  Lantz,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Aug.  31,  1864 
disch.  by  S.  O.'May  15,  1865. 

James  E.  Teed,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  15, 1864. 

John  B.  Fair,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  16, 1864. 

Alexander  R.  Lace,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  17,  1864. 

Henry  A.  Wix,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  17,  1864. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


327 


James  Long,  sergt.,  must,  in  Aug.  18,  1864. 
Henry  Wann,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  IS,  1864. 
Joel  Hinkle,  Corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  19,  1864. 
George  H.  Price,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  17, 1864. 
Thomas  Lincoln,  Corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  19,  1864. 
Charles  Richards,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  19,  1864. 
George  E.  Morris,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  17,  1864. 
Cyrus  Baker,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  22,  1864. 
T.  H.  Rothenberger,  corp.,  must,  in  Aug.  18,  1864 ; 

wounded  at  FortSteudman,  Va.,  March  25,  1865  ; 

absent,  in  hospital,  at  muster  out. 
Adam  K.  Hess,  musician,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864. 
Albert  Hoberocker,  musician,  must,  in  Aug.  17, 1864. 

Priralex. 

John  E.  Augstadt,  must,  in  Aug.  17,  1864. 

Albert  Augstadt,  must,  in  Aug.  20,  1864. 

William  Augstadt,  must,  in  Aug.  23, 1864. 

Henry  R.  Adams,  must,  in  Aug.  24, 1864. 

James  B.  Adams,  must,  in  Aug.  22,  1864 ;  absent, 
sick,  at  muster  out. 

William  Adams,  must,  in  Aug.  16,  1864. 

John  Agen,  must,  in  Aug.  16,  1864. 

Wellington  Boyer,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1864. 

David  Borrell,  must,  in  Aug.  20,  1864. 

Frederick  Bard,  must,  in  Aug.  22,  1864. 

Mark  Boyer,  must,  iu  Aug.  23,  1864. 

Adam  C.  Bentz.  must,  in  Aug.  24, 1864. 
■  Samuel  Bernhart,  must,  in  Aug.  22, 1864. 

James  R.  Boyer,  must,  in  Aug.  24,  1864;  pro.  to 
com.-sergt.  Sept.  2,  1864. 

John  Cullen,  must,  in  Aug.  17,  1864. 

William  Deckert,  must,  in  Aug.  16,  1864. 

Levi  A.  Davis,  must,  in  Aug.  20,  1864. 

James  B.  Eckert,  must,  in  Aug.  22,  1864. 

John  Endy,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1864. 

D.  F.  Espenshade,  must,  in  Aug.  16,  1864. 

Hiram  Evans,  must,  in  Aug.  18,  1864. 

James  Eidle,  must,  in  Aug.  22, 1864;  killed  at  Peters- 
burg, Va.,  April  2, 1865  ;  buried  in  Poplar  Grove 
Nat.  Cem.,  sec.  D,  div.  C,  grave  86. 

Harrison  Foreman,  must,  in  Aug.  22,  1864. 

Benjamin  Fehr,  must,  in  Aug.  22,  1864. 

Shaw  Frew,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1864. 

John  Fair,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1864. 

John  G.  Gohr,  must,  in  Aug.  19, 1864. 

Urias  Gambber,  must,  in  Aug.  22,  1864. 

Jonathan  Groff,  must,  in  Aug.  22,  1864. 

Nathan  Gross,  must,  in  Aug.  19,  1864. 

Mahlon  Houck,  must,  in  Aug.  19,  1864. 

George  Haines,  must,  in  Aug.  20,  1864. 

Charles  Hynerman,  must,  in  Aug.  16,  1864. 

Peter  Heckman,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1864. 

Winfield  Holmes,  must,  in  Aug.  2^3,  1864. 

Adam  Hepp,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1864. 

Henry  Howard,  must,  in  Aug.  22,  1864. 

Joseph  Hays,  must,  in  Aug.  22,  1864. 

John  Karcy,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1864;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 


William  C.  Kline,  must,  in  Aug.  17,  1864  ;  absent,  on 

furlough,  at  muster  out. 
Samuel  Kirby,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1864. 
Daniel  Kaufman,  must,  in  Aug.  15,  1864;  wounded 

at  Petersburg,  Va.,  April  2,  1864. 
John  Kane,  must,  in  Aug.  18,  1864. 
Daniel  Killeon,  must,  in  Aug.  2M,  1864. 
Aaron  Leas,  must,  in  Aug.  23, 1864. 
John  S.  Ludwig,  must,  in  Aug.  22,  1864. 
Joseph  Lacy,  must,  in  Aug.  19,  1864. 
George  Moore,  must,  in  Aug.  25,  1864. 
Simon  Miller,  must,  in  Aug.  16,  1864. 
David  Moyer,  must,  in  Aug.  22,  1864. 
Samuel  B.  Moore,  must,  in  Aug.  24,  1864. 
Jesse  R.  Miller,  must,  in  Aug.  22,  1864. 
Robert  L.  Morgan,  must,  in  Aug.  17,  1864 ;  wounded 

at  Petersburg,  Va.,  April  2,  1865.  . 

John  Moore,  must,  in  Aug.  24,  1864. 
.James  Miller,  must,  in  Aug.  18,  1864. 
Jacob  McDonough,  must,  in  Aug.  23, 1864. 
Thomas  McComb,  must,  in  Aug.  19,  1864;  diseh.  on 

surg.  certif.  March  18,  1865. 
James  McLain,  not  on  muster-out  roll. 
William  R.  Nein,  must,  in  Aug.  20,  1864. 
Daniel  R.  Nein,  must,  in  Aug.  20,  1864. 
John  Nestell,  must,  in  Aug.  15, 1864. 
Charles  W.  Phleger,  must,  in  Aug.  22,  1864. 
Isaac  H.  Richwine,  must,  in  Aug.  22,  1864. 
Joel  Reiter,  must,  in  Aug.  20,  1864. 
Daniel  Richard,  must,  in  Aug.  22,  1864. 
Frank  R.  Rhoades,  must,  in  Aug.  22,  1864. 
Effenger  N.  Rhoades,  must,  in  Aug.  22,  1864. 
George  S.  Reigle,  must,  in  Aug.  19, 1864. 
John  A.  Ruth,  must,  in  Aug.  18,  1864. 
John  Rainard,  must,  in  Aug.  18, 1864. 
F.  E.  Reifsynder,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1864. 
Joseph  C.  Rambo,  must,  in  June  21,  1861 ;  trans,  to 

Co.  F,  51st  Regt.  P.  V.,  date  unknown. 
Henry  Rutter,  must,  in  Aug.  20,  1864. 
Lemon  Sellers,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1864. 
William  Shetly,  must,  in  Aug.  23,  1864. 
Samuel  K.  Scull,  must,  in  Aug.  22,  1864. 
John  Smith,  must,  in  Aug.  18,  1864. 
William  Syfert,  must,  in  Aug.  24,  1864. 
Frank  Simon,   must,   in  Aug.    20,   1864;  died   near 

Hancock  Station,  Va.,  Dec.  17,  1864. 
George  Thomas,  must,  in  Aug.  18,  1864. 
Edward  B.  Willeston,  must,  in  Aug.  18,  1864 ;  absent, 

on  furlough,  at  muster  out. 
Andrew  S.  Werner,  must,  in  Aug.  18,  1864. 
Jonathan  K.  Woomer,  must,  in  Aug.  22,  1864. 
Lewis  Weidner,  must,  in  Aug.  24,  1864. 
Hiram  P.  Yeager,  must,  in  Aug.  24,  1864. 
Daniel  Yeager,  must,  in  Aug  23,  1864. 

COMPANY  E. 
(Mustered  in  April  26,  1864,  and  mustered  out  June 
2,  1865.) 
William  F.  Walter,    captain,  pro.  to  lieut.-col. 
Sept.  2,  1864. 


328 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Richard    Boone,   captain,    pro.    from   1st  lieut. 

Sept.  2,  1864;  brew  capt.  April  2,  1865. 
George  L.  Knopp,  1st  lieutenant,  pro.  from  2d 

lieut.  Sept.  2,  1864. 
William  J.  Smith,  2d  lieutenant;  pro.  from  1st 

sergt.  Sept.  2,  1864. 
Eichard  B.  Hause,  1st  sergeant ;  pro.  from  sergt. 

Sept.  2,  1864;  wounded  at  Petersburg,  Va., 

April  2,  1865 ;  absent,  sick,  at  muster  out. 
Sergeants:  John  K.  Miller,  John  A.  McConnell, 

Daniel  Briner,  Jacob  Henning. 
Corporals :  Wellington  Markley,  Thomas  Sassa- 

nian,  Samuel  Trayn,  Nicholas  Cramer,  Lewis 

Wingeit,  Benjamin  Lash,  Henry  Schmeek, 

J.  D.  Liebensperger. 
Musicians  :  Albert  Bechtel,  George  W.  Young. 
Privates. — John  Barr,  Frederick  Barbel ein,  Henry 
D.  Boger,  Louis  Bower,  Daniel  Bridegam,  Lafayette 
Bright,  Jacob  Blum,  Henry  Brouch,  Theodore  Burk- 
ert,  John  Busser,  Jonathan  W.Butz,  Simon  C.  Ben- 
ner,1  Terrence  Callaghan,  William  Callbach,  Peter 
Carl,  Henry  Christian,  William  Cook,  Henry  Eb- 
ling,  Levi  Endy,  Charles  Engle,  Philip  Engstetler, 
John  Ettingehause,  Jeremiah  Fair,  John  Fisher, 
Joseph  Foreman,  Isaac  Francis,  Michael  Fries,  John 
M.  Gift,  Robert  M.  Gift,  Henry  Groff,  John  Hart- 
man,  Charles  Heilman,  John  Hiller,  John  Homan, 
Charles  Huhn,*  John  Johnson,  Alexander  Johnson,2 
John  Kramer,  John  Kroppenbacher,  Henry  Kepner, 
Edmund  Leaf,3  John  Machmer,  Conrad  Mathias, 
Sebastian  Markart,  Valentine  Miller,  Robert  Mills, 
Hugh  Murray,  Charles  Miller,2  Michael  Murray,4 
John  Maier,5  Christian  Miller,6  William  Printz, 
Thomas  Reber,  Henry  Regenfuse,  Oliver  Richards, 
Conrad  Reinhart,  F.  Rodenberger,  Henry  Roland, 
Christian  Ruoss,  John  F.  Rheiner,  Thomas  Reese,' 
Thomas  Rheily,8  Jacob  Siebenheifer,  Joseph  Shaw, 
Peter  Shild,  Henry  Smith,  Henry  B.  Smith,  Daniel 
B.  Snyder,  George  Sterr,  Mayberry  Swoyer,  Jacob 
Sanders,  Enoch  Saylor,  Uriah  Slechter,  Samuel 
Treisch,  Thomas  Troop,  Adam  Usner,  Abraham 
Wahl,  Peter  R.  Walter,  Henry  Wesner,  Francis 
Wiest,9  Reuben  Wous,  Bernard  Wittich,  John  Wil- 
liams, Franklin  Yeager,  Franklin  Yates,  James 
Young,  John  Zimmerman. 

Company  H. — This  company  was  mustered 
out  June  2,  1865,  except  where  it  is  otiierwise 
stated. 


'  Mustered 

in 

Sept 

2, 

1804. 

1  Mustered 

in 

Aug;. 

15 

1804. 

3  Mustered 

in 

Sept 

5, 

1864. 

1  Mustered 

in 

Aug. 

12, 

1864. 

■>  Mustered 

in 

Aug;. 

19 

1864. 

•  Mustered 

in 

Aug. 

28, 

1864. 

7  Mustered 

in 

Aug. 

16, 

1864. 

8  Mustered 

in 

Aug. 

20, 

1864. 

,J  Mustered 

in 

Aug. 

29, 

1864. 

Franklin  Schmehl,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  3,  1864. 
David  B.  Roberts,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  3,  1864; 

killed  at  Petersburg,  Va.,  April  2,  1865. 
George  W.  White,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  3,  1864; 

wounded  at  Petersburg,  Va.,  April  2,  1865. 
Irwin  S.  Philips,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  2, 1864;  pro. 

from  1st  sergt.  May  11,  1865. 
Joseph  Olds,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
Peter  Hampele,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
Joseph  R.  Koenig,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
August  L.  Yeager,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
John  M.  Kleeman,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
Josiah  H.  K.  Miller,  Corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
Obadiah  Clouser,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
Daniel  R.  Totheroh,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
William  L.  Heafer,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
Peter  K.  Harbach,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
Daniel  Sanders,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
George  Harman,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  1,  1864. 
William  Herline,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
Ephraim  K.  Brosey,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  2,1864; 

killed  at  Petersburg,  Va.,  April  2,  1865. 
Samuel  Wentzel,  musician,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
John  Row,  musician,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

Privates. 

Thomas  S.  Allgaier,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
Isaac  Albright,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

Robert  Andrews,  must,  in  Sept.  1,  1864;  not  account- 
ed for. 

John  Ashton,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1864  ;  not  accounted 
for. 

Reuben  Brady,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

George  B.  Britton,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

Richard  H.  Bohn,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

George  W.  Bowers,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

George  Boyer,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

Henry  Bowers,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

John  B.  Becker,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

Henry  Bitner,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864 ;  disch.  by  G.  0. 
May  30,  1865. 

Henry  Briney,  must,  in  Aug.  31,  1864. 

Thos.  G.  Barnes,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

Charles  Bechtel,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

J.  C.  Bartholomew,  must,  in  Aug.  29,  1864;  not  ac- 
counted for. 

Thomas  Brady,  must,  in  Aug.  27,  1864;  not  accounted 
for. 

Franklin  Callman,  must,  in  Aug.  29,  1864;  not  ac- 
for. 

Jacob  Conrad,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 

James  F.  Coxell,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

Wellington  Diehl,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

James  Dreibelbeis,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

David  L.  Evans,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

Edward  B.  Fry,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864 ;  wounded  at 
Petersburg,  Va.,  April  2,  1865 ;  disch.  by  G.  O. 
May  26,  1865. 

Philip  Freese,  must,  in  Sept.  2, 1864. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


329 


Charles  Fry,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

Jacob  Fritz,  must,  in  Aug.  29,  1864;  not  accounted 

for. 
Charles  Faron,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864;  not  accounted 

for. 
Simon  P.  Fink,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864 ;  not  accounted 

for. 
Jesse  S.  Gross,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
Isaac  Graeff,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
Lewis  Godfrey,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864;  disch.  by  G. 

0.  May  22,  1865. 
Daniel  Garver,  must,  in  Sept.  1,  1864;  wounded  at 

Petersburg,  Va.,  April  2,  1865. 
Augustus  Grote,  must,  in  Sept.  2, 1864;  not  accounted 

for. 
Henry  Haas,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
John  Haas,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
William  H.  Hains,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
Reuben  Hole,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
Charles  Harper,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
Thomas  Hollin,  must,  in  Aug.  31,  1864;  wounded  at 

Petersburg,  Va.,  April  2,  1865. 
Elias  D.  Hoch,  must,  iu  Sept.  2,  1864;  killed  at  Pe- 
tersburg, Va.,  April  2,  1865. 
William  Harvey,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864;  not  account- 
ed for. 
Francis  Huber,  must,  in  Aug.  27, 1864;  not  accounted 

for. 
Reuben  Keller,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
Jacob  Klink,  must,  in  Sept.  2, 1864. 
Charles  R.  Koenig,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
Edward  Kelly,  must,  in  Aug.  29,  1864;  not  accounted 

for. 
John  Koehler,  must,  in  Aug.  29,  1864 ;  not  accounted 

for. 
John  Kelly,  must,  in  Aug.  29,  1864 ;  not  accounted 

for. 
Henry  Koeing,  must,  in  Aug.  24,  1864;  not  accounted 

for. 
John  J.  Levi,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864;  wounded  at  Pe- 
tersburg, Va.,  April  2,  1865;  died,  date  unknown. 
John  Lynch,  must,  in  Aug.  29,  1864;  not  accounted 

for. 
John  Lloyd,  must,  in  Aug.  27,  1864;  not  accounted 

for. 
John  D.  Metier,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864;  wounded  at 

Petersburg,  Va.,  April  2,  1865 ;  disch.  by  G.  0. 

June  24, 1865. 
Andrew  Marr,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864 ;  not  accounted 

for. 
George  Machamer,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
Jacob  Markley,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
Isaac  Moore,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
John  Murray,  must,  in  Sept.  2, 1864. 
Amos  Myers,  must,  in  Sept.  1,  1864. 
Amos  Machamer,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
Charles  McCormick,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
James  McGinley,  must,  in  Aug.  27,  1864. 
Cornelius  McMakin,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 
37 


John  H.  Neff,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

Cornelius  S.  Ox,  must  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

William  O'Boyle,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

William  Palm,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

William  Plunkett,  must,  in  Aug.  27, 1864. 

Abra'm  Pilkington,  must,  in  Aug.  24,  1864;  trans,  to 
Co.  F,  51st  Regt.  P.  V.,  May  28,  1865. 

John  B.  Quimby,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

John  Reedy,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

Henry  Reider,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

John  H.  Roth,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864;  wounded  at 
Petersburg,  Va.,  April  2,  1865;  absent,  in  hos- 
pital, at  muster  out. 

Levi  Rothenberger,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

William  Ray,  must,  in  Sept.  27,  1864. 

Cornelius  B.  Stamm,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

Benjamin  Sweezey,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

Lewis  Smith,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

John  Savage,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

Franklin  Seiders,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

John  Seidel,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

Herman  Summers,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1864. 

Valentine  Steltz,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

Charles  Smith,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

P.  8.  Trumbower,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864;  wounded  at 
Petersourg,  Va.,  April  2,  1865;  absent,  sick,  at 
muster  out. 

Wm.  O.  Whitman,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

Jacob  Wertz,  must,  in  Sept.  2.  1864. 

James  G.  Weidner,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

John  Wilson,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

Jared  G.  Yarnell,  must,  in  Sept.  2,  1864. 

ONE  HUNDRED  AND  NINETY-EIGHTH   REGIMENT. 

This  regiment  was  recruited  at  Philadelphia 
during  the  summer  of  1864  under  auspices  of 
the  Union  League  to  enter  service  for  one  year. 
It  included  Companies  D  and  G  from  Berks 
County.  It  was  organized  September  9,  1864, 
and  September  19th  following  it  proceeded  to 
join  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  in  front  of 
Petersburg.  Upon  its  arrival  it  was  assigned  to 
the  First  Brigade,  First  Division  of  the  Fifth 
Corps. 

The  battle  of  Peeble's  Farm  opened  on  the 
30th,  and  here  the  regiment  had  its  first  baptism 
of  fire.  It  had  scarcely  got  into  position,  when 
incessant  volleys  of  musketry  and  artillery 
opened  upon  it  from  a  wood  in  front,  where  the 
enemy  was  posted.  Advancing  at  once  to  the 
attack,  the  regiment  opened  fire,  and,  though 
little  accustomed  to  the  terrible  ordeal  to  which 
it  was  subjected,  succeeded,  by  hard  fighting,  in 
driving  the  enemy  from  the  first  line  of  works, 
inflicting  a  severe  loss  upou  him.    Breast-works 


330 


HISTORY  OP  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


were  immediately  thrown  up,  and  the  regiment 
continued  heavily  engaged  until  October  2d, 
when  it  moved  up  near  the  enemy's  works.  Here 
for  five  hours  it  held  its  ground  under  a  severe 
fire.  It  was  then  withdrawn  a  short  distance, 
and  again  threw  up  works,  and  on  the  follow- 
ing day  went  into  camp  half  a  mile  to  the  rear. 
On  the  27th  it  moved  with  the  corps  for  a 
demonstration  upon  the  South  Side  Railroad. 
With  four  days'  rations  and  forty  rounds  of 
ammunition  to  the  man,  it  moved  at  daylight, 
and  after  five  hours'  toilsome  marching,  through 
dense  timber,  arrived  in  front  of  the  enemy's 
formidable  works,  where  it  was  exposed  to  a 
severe  artillery  fire.  At  sunset  a  strong  picket 
line  was  thrown  out  and  engaged  nearly  the  en- 
tire night.  Until  noon  of  the  following  day 
the  pickets  were  kept  busy;  then  the  entire 
regiment  was  withdrawn  two  miles  to  the  rear. 
Here  comfortable  quarters  were  erected.  On 
December  6th  it  marched  with  the  corps  for  the 
destruction  of  the  Weldon  Railroad.  Until  the 
evening  of  the  9th  the  work  of  destruction  was 
vigorously  pushed,  the  ties  being  burned  and 
the  rails  twisted  for  a  considerable  distance 
beyond  Bellefield.  Upon  the  return  inarch 
there  was  much  suffering,  the  weather  having 
been  intensely  cold.  Winter-quarters  were 
again  erected. 

On  February  5,  1865,  the  Fifth  Corps,  in 
light  marching  order,  moved  for  an  assault 
upon  the  enemy's  works,  and  came  upon  them 
near  Hatcher's  Run.  At  three  in  the  afternoon 
the  advance  of  the  column  encountered,  and 
after  a  desperate  struggle,  carried  a  portion  of 
his  fortifications.  Soon  afterwards  the  First 
Division,  commanded  by  General  Griffin,  was 
sent  for  a  diversion  towards  Dinwiddie  Court- 
House.  This  feint  was  a  complete  success.  A 
large  force  of  the  enemy  followed  it,  thus 
weakening  the  lines  in  front  of  the  main  body 
of  the  corps,  which  assaulted  when  this  force 
was  well  away,  and  carried  his  works.  Upon 
the  return  of  the  division,  it  was  placed  in  the 
captured  works,  and  a  heavy  skirmish  line  was 
thrown  out.  At  three  on  the  afternoon  of  the 
6th  it  was  attacked  by  a  heavy  force  of  the 
enemy  and  driven  in,  a  general  engagement  en- 
suing.   General  Sickel,  seeing  that  the  Second 


Brigade  was  hard  pressed,  led  his  command  to 
its  support.    The  One  Hundred  and  Ninety- 
eighth  moved  at  double  quick,  through  mud 
and  water,  and  wheeling  sharply  to  the  right 
into  an  open  field,  charged  with  shouts  upon 
Mahone's  rebel  forces.    Sickel,  with  sword  in 
hand,  led  the  charge,  and  with  desperate  valor 
his  men  fell  upon  the  foe.    After  a  sanguinary 
struggle,  in  which  General  Sickel  received  from 
a  rifle-shot  a  painful  flesh  wound  in  the  left 
thigh,  the  brigade  succeeded   in  driving  him 
from   the   field  and    re-establishing   its   lines. 
Determined     to   regain    his   lost  ground,   the 
enemy  attacked  in  the  darkness  with  overpower- 
ing force.     For  a  time  he  gained  possession  of 
a  part  of  the  Union  works.    At  the  first  signal 
of  alarm  the  One  Hundred  and  Ninety-eighth 
rushed  to  arms,  and  delivering  a  volley,  sprang 
upon  the  foe  with  the  bayonet.     The  struggle 
for  a  time  was  hand-to-hand,   muskets  being 
clubbed,  and   bayonets   freely   used.     He  was 
finally  beaten  back,  and  amidst  the  fiery  flashes 
of  the   musketry  and  of  bursting   shells,  the 
works  were  regained  and  made  secure.     Strong 
lines  of  works  were  erected  in  the  rear,  on  the 
opposite  side  of  Hatcher's  Run,  for  the  more 
ample  protection   of  the  position,  and  on  the 
14th,  when  the  defenses  were  completed,  the 
regiment  moved  half  a  mile  to  the  rear,  and  for 
the   third    time  built   winter-quarters  and    a 
chapel. 

On  the  25th  of  March,  the  enemy  having 
pierced  the  Ninth  Corps'  lines  at  Fort  Steadman, 
the  regiment  was  early  put  in  motion,  and  dur- 
ing nearly  the  entire  day  was  kept  upon  the 
march  for  the  support  of  portions  of  the  line 
where  active  operations  were  in  progress.  Late 
on  the  evening  of  the  28th  it  was  ordered  to 
strike  tents  and  rest  upon  its  arms  in  readiness 
for  an  early  march,  the  whole  army  awaiting 
the  signal  to  deliver  a  decisive  blow.  At  three 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  29th  the  One 
Hundred  and  Ninety-eighth  marched  at  double 
quick,  leading  the  corps  in  a  southerly  direction, 
and  crossing  Rouanty  Creek  below  the  junction 
of  Gravelly  and  Hatcher's  Runs,  pursued  the 
road  to  Dinwiddie  Court-House  as  far  as  the 
Quaker  road,  into  which  it  turned,  and  again 
crossing  Gravelly  Run,  encountered  the  enemy 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


331 


near  the  Old  Saw-Mill,  where  he  was  strongly 
posted  behind  earth-works.  A  cleared  field 
stretched  out  in  front  of  his  fortifications,  which 
were  flanked  on  either  side  by  heavy  timber,  in 
which  his  sharpshooters  were  posted.  Across 
this  space  of  a  thousand  yards  the  regiment,  in 
conjunction  with  the  One  Hundred  and  Eighty- 
fifth  New  York,  and  led  by  Sickel,  dashed  with 
determined  bravery,  and  though  receiving  mur- 
derous volleys  from  front  and  flanks,  reserved 
its  fire  until  near  the  works,  when,  pouring  in  a 
well-directed  shot,  it  rushed  upon  the  foe  with 
the  bayonet.  The  struggle  for  a  few  moments 
was  at  close  quarters  and  desperate;  but  the 
firm  bearing  of  the  men  of  this  brigade  was 
triumphant.  On  reaching  the  Boydton  Plank- 
Road,  unable  to  withstand  the  steady  pressure 
brought  to  bear  upon  him,  he  broke  and  fled  in 
confusion.  In  this  action,  known  as  the  battle 
of  Lewis'  Farm,  the  regiment  sustained  grievous 
losses.  Jeremiah  C.  Keller  was  among  the 
wounded.  The  entire  loss  was  three  hundred 
and  eleven,  of  whom  twenty-eight  were  killed 
and  one  hundred  and  seventeen  wounded. 

The  regiment  bivouacked  upon  the  field, 
where  it  remained  for  thirty-six  hours,  exposed 
during  a  part  of  the  time  to  a  driving  storm. 
On  the  morning  of  the  31st  it  again  moved  off, 
leading  the  column,  aud  came  upon  the  enemy 
at  White  Oak  Swamp.  Quickly  forming,  it  was 
led  to  the  attack,  and  after  a  spirited  action 
drove  him  from  the  field.  The  loss  was  six 
killed  and  forty-six  wounded.  Captain  Isaac 
Schroeder  was  mortally  wounded.  Soon  after 
the  conclusion  of  the  battle  the  regiment  moved 
forward  towards  Five  Forks,  and  bivouacked 
for  the  night.  On  the  following  day  it  greeted 
with  hearty  cheers  Sheridan's  cavalry,  and 
when  he  had  passed,  joined  in  the  movement, 
plunging  into  a  dense  thicket  of  pine  which  lay 
before  it. 

Scarcely  an  hour  had  elapsed,  when  the  still- 
ness of  the  forest  was  broken  by  the  sharp  fire 
of  the  skirmishers,  followed  by  heavy  volleys. 
Hastening  forward,  the  regiment  soon  reached 
the  scene  of  conflict,  encountering  the  enemy's 
skirmishers,  and  driving  them  in  upon  his 
heavy  defensive  works.  As  the  Union  line 
emerged  from  the  timber,  an  assault  was  or- 


dered and  gallantly  made,  but  failed  to  dislodge 
the  enemy.  As  the  troops  were  falling  back, 
General  Chamberlain,  who  was  in  command  of 
the  division,  dashed  up  to  Major  Glenn,  quietly 
awaiting  orders,  and  exclaimed,  "  Major !  can 
you  take  those  works,  and  hold  them  ?  "  Turn- 
ing to  his  men,  the  major  asked,  "  Boys,  will 
you  follow  me  ? "  With  a  wild  cheer  they 
answered,  and  pressing  with  their  standard 
close  upon  the  footsteps  of  their  brave  leader, 
dashed  forward  in  the  face  of  a  terrific  fire  of 
musketry.  Thrioe  was  the  standard  beaten 
down,  but  it  was  caught  up  and  borne  bravely 
forward,  until  finally,  blood-stained  and  torn,  it 
floated  in  triumph  over  the  works.  The  enemy 
was  driven  and  his  ground  held.  Filled  with 
a  soldier's  pride,  General  Chamberlain,  who 
had  witnessed  this  gallant  and  triumphant 
charge,  rode  forward  to  congratulate  the  leader, 
and  order  his  promotion  on  the  field.  But, 
alas !  at  the  moment  when  the  triumph  was 
assured,  and  Major  Glenn  had  seized  one  of 
the  enemy's  colors  from  the  hands  of  a  rebel 
standard-bearer,  he  was  pierced  by  a  bullet, 
which  inflicted  a  mortal  wound.  The  evidences 
of  rout  and  confusion  were  visible  on  every 
hand,  and  prisoners,  guns  and  battle-flags  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  conquerors.  The  loss  in 
the  One  Hundred  and  Ninety-eighth  was  one 
killed  and  fifteen  wounded.  That  night  the 
regiment  slept  upon  the  field  aud  at  eleven  on 
the  following  morning  moved  on  one  of  the 
most  tiresome  marches  of  its  entire  service,  ex- 
tending far  into  the  night,  being  resumed 
at  the  light  of  the  following  day.  On  the  5th 
the  joyful  tidings  was  received  that  Richmond 
had  fallen,  and  that  Lee  was  retreating  with  his 
whole  army.  Late  on  the  evening  of  the  8th, 
overcome  with  exhaustion,  the  troops  threw 
themselves  upon  the  ground  and  slept  soundly. 
On  the  morrow  they  were  early  on  the  march, 
and  passing  through  a  narrow  curtain  of  wood, 
suddenly  came  upon  a  grand  spectacle.  There, 
on  the  wide  fields  stretching  far  away,  and  sur- 
rounded by  heavy  timber,  completely  hemmed 
in  by  the  Union  forces,  was  Lee's  entire  army. 
The  skirmishers  advanced,  and  the  enemy  with- 
drew to  his  main  line ;  but  soon  a  white  flag 
was  displayed,  and  the  news  of  the  surrender 


332 


HISTOEY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


quickly  spread  from  rank  to  rank  through  the 
Union  army.  On  the  11th  the  enemy  stacked 
arms  and  furled  flags,  and  on  the  15th  the 
regiment  commenced  the  homeward  march. 
At  Arlington  Heights  it  went  into  camp  and 
was  there  mustered  out  of  service,  on  June  3, 
1865. 

Company  D. — This  company  was  recruited 
at  Reading,  and,  unless  otherwise  stated,  the 
men  were  mustered  out  June  4, 1865. 

Isaac  Schroeder,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864 ;  died 
April  2  of  wounds  received  at  White  Oak  Eoad, 
Va.,  March  31,  1865. 
Adam  Faust,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864;  com. 

capt.  April  2,  1865  ;  not  must. 
Joseph   H.   Lutz,   2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864; 
wounded  at  Five  Forks,  Va.,  April  1,  1865  ;  com. 

1st  lieut.  April  2,  1865  ;  not  must. 
Charles  Weber,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  5,  1864 ;  pro. 

to  1st  sergt.  April  1,  1865 ;  com.  2d  lieut.  April 

2,  1865 ;  not  must. 
Lewis  Keshner,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864; 

killed  at  White  Oak  Eoad,  Va.,  March  31,  1865. 
Cyrus  J.  Butler,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Daniel  H.  Wentzel,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Israel  Hafer,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864;  pro.  to 

sergt.  April  1,  1865. 
Levi  J.  Homan,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
John  S.  Wanner,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
John  B.  Laucks,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
James  Spangler,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
F.B.  Himraelrich,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864;  pro. 

to  corp.  April  1,  1865. 
William  Griesemer,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
William  H.  Yoder,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
George  W.   Boyer,   corp.,   must,  in   Sept.   6,   1864; 

wounded  at  Lewis'  Farm,  Va.r  March  29,  1865; 

disch.  by  G.  O.  May  31,  1865. 
Andrew  Lotz,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864;  wounded 

at  White  Oak  Eoad,  Va.,  March  31,  1865 ;  disch. 

by  G.  0.  June  21,  1865. 
Jacob  Link,  corp.,  must,  in   Sept.  6,1864;  killed  at 

Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865. 
William  H.  Griesemer,  musician,  must,  in  Aug  24 

1864.  ' 

Henry  Cady,  musician,  must,  in  Sept.  8,  1864 ;  died 
near  Petersburg,  Va.,  March  3,  1865  ;  bur.  in 
Poplar  Grove  National  Cemetery,  div.  C,  sec.  H, 
grave  14. 

Privates. 

Enoch  Adam,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 

Jacob  G.  Angstadt,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1884. 

Charles  Butz,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 

Matthias  Bechtel,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 

Charles  Bachman,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  18;i4 ;  wounded 


at  Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865 ;  absent,  in 
hospital,  at  muster  out. 
William  H.  Brown,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1864 ;  missing 

Dec.  8,  1864. 
James  A.  Craig,  must,  in  Sept.  13, 1864 ;  wounded  at 
Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865;  absent,  in 
hospital,  at  muster  out. 
Daniel  Collins,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1864. 
Aaron  Deem,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Daniel  Dautrich,  mustered  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Ezra  Dautrich,  mustered  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
James  W.  Davis,  mustered  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
John  Dalton,  mustered  in  Sept.  13,  1864. 
George  W.  Evans,  mustered  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Samuel  Epler,  mustered  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
John  East,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864;  died  at  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  March  20,  1865. 
Abraham  B.  Fretz,  mustered  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
John  Fies,  must,  in  Sept,  6,  1864  ;  wounded  at  White 
Oak  Eoad,  Va.,  March  31,  1865  ;  discharged  by 
General  Order  June  22,  1865. 
Joshua  Faust,  must,  in  Sept.  15,  1864 ;  discharged  by 

General  Order  June  2,  1865. 
Henry  Grainger,  mustered  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Henry  K.  Greising,  mustered  Sept.  7,  1864. 
Simon  Gleim,  mustered  in  Sept.  7,  1864. 
Henry  W.  Graeff,  must,  in  Feb.  2,   1865 ;  absent,  on 

furlough,  at  muster  out. 
Jacob  Ginter,  mustered  in  Sept.  13,  1864. 
Henry  Haywood,  mustered  in  Sept.  15,  1864. 
John  Heine,  mustered  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Charles  E.  Hafer,  mustered  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Daniel  H.  Hartman,  mustered  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Joseph  Huffert,  mustered  in  Sept.  6,   1864. 
John  Hotem,  mustered  in  Sept.  15,  1864. 
James  Hanagan,  mustered  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 
Amos  F.  Hasler,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864 ;  absent,  sick, 

at  muster  out. 
Simon  Hill,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864  ;  wounded  at  White 
Oak  Eoad,  Va.,  March  31,  1865 ;  absent,  in  hos- 
pital, at  muster  out. 
John    H.   Hartman,  must,  in  Sept.   6,  1864;    died 
April  1st  of  wounds  received  at  White  Oak  Eoad, 
Va.,  March  31,  1865. 
Henry  S.  Keifer,  mustered  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
John  W.  Kauffman,  mustered  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Darius  Kline,  mustered  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Adam  D.  Kocher,  mustered  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
William  Kauffman,  mustered  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
H.  S.  Lindeeukle,  mustered  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Amos  Lorah,  mustered  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Daniel  Long,  mustered  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
John  D.  Leininger,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864;  absent, 

on  furlough,  at  muster  out. 
Franklin  O.  Maurer,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864;  absent, 

on  detached  service,  at  muster  out. 
Nathan  Mull,  mustered  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Fidel  Meyer,  mustered  in  Sept.  15,  1864 
William  H.  Miller,  must,  in  August  27    1864 


THE  CIVIL  WAR 


333 


William  E.  Miller,  must,  in  August  29,  1864. 
Hugh  Murphy,  mustered  in  Sept.  13,  1864. 
Lewis  Neiman,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Barney  O'Brian,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1864. 
John  O'Harra,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865  ;  not  on  mus- 
ter-out roll.  t 
Jared  Price,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
John  Pipher,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
James  Parleman,  must,  in  Feb.   10,  1865  ;  disch.  by 

G.  0.  May  30,  1865. 
John  Powers,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Peter  Quering,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Joseph  Rader,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
William  H.  Ringler,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Jacob  F.  Reich,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Jacob  Rahnenzahu,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864;  wounded 

at  Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29,1865;  disch.  by 

G.  0.  May  30,  1865. 
George  W.  Sharpless,  must,  in  Sept.  6, 1864. 
John  M.  Seyler,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Herman  Selig,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864;  wounded  at 

Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865;  absent,  in 

hospital,  at  muster  out. 
Jacob  B.  Shmehl,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864 ;  wounded  at 

Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865 ;  disch.  by  G. 

O.  June  2,  1865. 
Jacob  C.  Snyder,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864 ;  wounded  at 

Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865  ;  disch.  by  G. 

O.  June  2,  1865. 
William  Scragg,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1864 ;  wounded  at 

Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865 ;  disch.  by  G. 

O.  June  8,  1865. 
Mahlon  H.  Schmehl,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864;  died 

April     25th,    of    wounds    received     at     White 

Oak  Road,  Va.,  March  31,  1865  ;  bur.  in  Nat. 

Cem.,  Arlington. 
Adam  Schmauch,  must. in  Sept.  7, 1864  ;  trans,  to  Co. 

H  October  19,  1864. 
Hiram  Trumpf,  mustered  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
John  G.  Ulrich,  must,  in  Sept.  15,  1864. 
W.  W.  Umbenhauer,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Jeremiah  Wentzel,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Benjamin  Weiss,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864. 
Franklin  C.  Wentzel,  must,  in  Aug.  29, 1864;  wound- 
ed at  White  Oak  Road,  Va.,  March  31,  1865. 
Charles  Witherow,  must,  in  Sept.  13,  1864. 
George  Witman,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864;    killed  at 

Peeble's  Farm,  Va.,  Sept.  30,  1864. 
Augustus  Zieber,  must,  in  Sept.  6,  1864 ;  absent,  on 

furlough,  at  muster  out. 

Captain  Isaac  Schroeder. — When  the 
call  for  troops  was  made  in  1861,  Captain 
Isaac  Schroeder  responded  promptly.  He 
raised  a  company  of  men  at  Friedensburg, 
which  was  known  as  the  "  Washington  Grays," 
and  mustered  into  the  three  months'  service  as 
Company  C,  in  the  Seventh  Efigiment  Penn- 


sylvania Volunteers,  under  General  Patterson. 
He  also  served  as  a  private  during  the  rebel 
invasion  of  1863 ;  and  in  September,  1864, 
he  raised  a  company  for  one  year.  It  was 
mustered  into  service  as  Company  D,  of  the 
One  Hundred  and  Ninety-eighth  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers.  He  participated  in  engagements 
at  Hatcher's  Eun  and  before  Petersburg,  and 
whilst  in  battle  on  the  Weldon  Railroad,  on 
March  31,  1864,  he  was  wounded  in  the  abdo- 
men, from  the  effects  of  which  he  died  on  April 
2d  following,  in  City  Point  Hospital,  aged 
forty-five  years.  He  had  been,  previous  to  the 
war,  prominently  identified  with  the  militia 
affairs  of  the  county  for  many  years,  having 
commanded  for  a  time  a  battalion  composed  of 
companies  in  Oley  and  Exeter  townships.  His 
remains  were  buried  in  the  Freidensburg  Ceme- 
tery, in  this  county. 

Company  G. — Unless  otherwise  stated,  the 
men  of  this  company  were  mustered  out  June 
4,  1865. 

William  L.  Guinther,  capt.,  must,  in  Sept.  17,  1864 ; 

brev.  major  April  1,  1865. 
John  B.  Sauermilch,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  16, 1864. 
Jeremiah  C.  Keller,  2d  lieut.,  must,  in  Sept.  16, 1864; 

wounded  at  Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865 ; 

disch.  May  29,  1865. 
Jonas   Eckert,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in   Sept.   10,  1864; 

wounded  at  White  Oak  Road,  Va.,  March  31, 

1865;  disch.,  date  unknown. 
Isaac  Eckert,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
Jeremiah  O.  Keller,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
John  M.  Weil,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864;  pro.  to 

sergt.  March  30,  1865. 
Franklin  Kern,  sergt.,  musi,.  in  Sept.  10,  1864 ;  woun- 
ded at  Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865 ;  disch. 

by  G.  O.  June  6,  1865. 
Henry  Smith,  sergt.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864;  killed 

at  Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865. 
Isaac  W.  Brown,  Corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
Cornelius  Heist,  Corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
William  Angstadt,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864 ; 

wounded  at  Peeble's  Farm,  Va.,  Sept.  30,  1864. 
James  Deverau,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1864. 
Edward  Lorish,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864;  pro.  to 

corp.  Dec.  10,  1864. 
Frank  Reifsnyder,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864;  pro. 

to  corp.  March  30,  1865. 
Aaron  Detweiler,  corp.,  must,  in   Sept.   10,  1864 ; 

wounded  at  Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865  ; 

disch.,  date  unknown. 
Abraham  Babb,  corp.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864;  died 


334 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


of  wounds  received  at  Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March 
29,  1865. 
William  B.  Weiser,  mus.,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 

Privates. 

Peter  Angstadt,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
Solomon  Angstadt,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
David  Allbright,  must,  in  Aug.  29,  1864. 
William  Alexander,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1864 ;  wounded 
at  Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865;  diseh., 
date  unknown. 
Jacob  Ackerly,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
Levi  Boyer,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
William  Batz,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
John  Barrett,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
William  Butterweck,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1864. 
David  Bernhardt,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
Henry  Babb,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864;  wounded  at 

Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865 ;  disch.,  date 

unknown. 
F.  C.  Brenthinger,  must,  in  Sept.  10,1864;  disch., 

date  unknown. 
Thomas  Christman,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
Charles  Dil-linger,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
Lewis  Deroner,  must,  in  Aug.  29,  1864. 
Joseph  Dethamble,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
Nicholas  Dry,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
Abraham  Dull,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
Lewis    Dry,  must,  in   Sept.  10,  1864;  wounded  at 

Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865;  disch.  by  G. 

O.  July  16,  1865. 
Reuben  Eck,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
John  Ely,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1864;  wounded  at  Lewis' 

Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865 ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  Sept. 

11,  1865. 
James  Fegley,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
Jacob  Fenstermaker,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
Benjamin  Fahringer,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
Abraham  Frederick,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
Tilghn.  S.  Frederick,  must,  in  Sept.  5,  1864. 
John  Fossler,  must,  in  Sept.  6, 1864. 
Adolph  Fuchs,  must,  in  Nov.  12,  1864 ;  disch.  by  G. 

O.  June  9r  1865. 
David  Good,  must,  in  Aug.  29,  1864. 
John  Graw,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
Laphner  Guinther,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
Charles  Greaff,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
Frederick  Gintzley,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1864;  wounded 

at  Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865;  disch.  by 

G.  O.  June  20.  1865: 
Michael  Gerlach,  must,  in  Sept.  7,  1864;  died  at  New 

York  Nov.  13,   1864;   buried   in   Cypress    Hill 

Cemetery,  L.  I. 
David  D.  Guth,  must,  in  Aug.  29,  1864;  not  on  mus- 
ter-out roll. 
Levi  Gresle,  must,  in  Aug.  29,  1864;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 
John  Heist,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 
David  Heist,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1864. 


Samuel  Heist,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 

Elias  Hopper,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 

Philip  Hertzog,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 

James  G.  Heilman,  must,  in  Aug.  29,  1864;  disch.  by 

G.  O.  June  14,  1865. 
William  Hirst,  must,  in   Sept.  10,  1864;  killed  at 

Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865. 
James  Higgins,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1864;  not  account- 
ed for. 
John  Hart,  must,  in  Aug.  30,  1864;  not  accounted 
for. 

Franklin  Jacoby,  must,  in  Aug.  29,  1864. 

William  J.  Jefferson,  must,  in  Aug.  19,  1864;  not  ac- 
counted for. 

Levi  Kressler,  must,  in  Aug.  29,  1864. 

Levi  Klopp,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 

Morris  Kissinger,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864 ;  wounded 
at  Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865 ;  disch.  by 
G.  O.  June  15,  1865. 

William  Koch,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1864 ;  died  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  Dec.  5,  1864. 

John  Long,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 

Jonathan  Landes,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 

Abraham  Levan,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 

Charles  Laderer,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864 ;  died  at  City 
Point,  Va.,  Jan.  23,  1865. 

George  Miller,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864 ;  wounded  at 
White  Oak  Road,  Va.,  March  31,  1865. 

Edwin  L.  Miller,  must,  in  Aug.  29,  1864. 

Michael  Mills,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864, 

Reuben  Moyer,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 

Henry  Mertz,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1864. 

Francis  Muman,  must,  in  Sept.  7,  1864. 

Wellington  Miller,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864 ;  wounded 
at  Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865;  disch.  by 
G.  O.  June  5,  1865. 

Henry  P.  Michael,  must,  in  Aug.  29,  1864;  wounded 
at  Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865;  disch.  by 
G.  O.  May  31,  1865. 

Amos  McCarty,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 

Jacob  Noll,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 

William  H.  Potter,  must,  in  Sept.  12, 1864;  not  ac- 
counted for. 

Philip  Rapp,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 

Reuben  Reifsnyder,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864;- wounded 
at  Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29, 1865  ;  disch.,  date 
unknown. 

Samuel  Reifsnyder,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1864. 

Alfred  Seiple,  must,  in  Aug.  29, 1864. 

Jacob  Smith,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 

Augustus  Shupurt,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 

Levi  Schlegel,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 

Annes  Sicher,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 

Thomas  Strach,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 

Peter  Shunk,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864;  wounded  at 
Lewis'  Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865 ;  disch.  by  G. 
O.  May  16,  1865. 

David  Smith,  must,  in  Sept.  10, 1864;  killed  at  Lewis' 
Farm,  Va.,  March  29,  1865 ;  buried  in  Poplar 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


335 


Grove  National  Cemetery,  Petersburg,  div.  D, 
sec.  A,  grave  45. 

Gideon  D.  Staudtj  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864 ;  killed  at 
Five  Forks,  Va.,  April  1,  1865;  buried  in  Poplin- 
Grove  National  Cemetery,  Petersburg,  div.  A, 
sec.  B,  grave  15. 

Aaron  Troxel,  must,  in  Aug.  29,  1864. 

John  Weind,  must,  in  Sept.  10,  1864. 

George  Williams,  must.in  Oct.  6, 1864 ;  not  on  muster- 
out  roll. 

ONE  HUNDRED  AND  NINETY-SECOND  REGIMENT. 

In  July,  1864,  a  regiment  was  recruited  in 
Philadelphia,  for  a  service  of  one  hundred 
days,  and  mustered  in  as  the  One  Hundred  and 
Ninety-second.  It  was  mustered  out  of  service 
in  November  following.  One  of  the  com- 
panies re-enlisted  for  one  year,  and  in  February, 
1865,  nine  new  companies  united  with  it,  which, 
together,  were  mustered  in  as  a  second  regiment 
of  the  same  number  (One  Hundred  and  Ninety- 
second).  One  of  the  nine  companies  was  Com- 
pany F,  recruited  at  Reading.  The  regiment 
was  organized  at  Harper's  Ferry,  and  when  the 
spring  campaign  opened,  it  moved  up  the  val- 
ley to  Staunton  and  Lexington.  But  few  of 
the  enemy  were  met,  for  the  fighting  there  was 
substantially  at  an  end.  It  was  retained  in  the 
department  and  engaged  in  various  duties  till 
August  24th,  when  it  was  mustered  out  of  ser- 
vice. 

Company  F. — This  company  was  recruited 
at  Reading  and,  unless  otherwise  stated,  the 
men  were  mustered  out  of  service  August  24, 
1865. 

John  Teed,  capt.,  must,  in  March  3,  1865. 
Samuel  Snyder,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  March  3,  1865 ; 
'-     disch.  June  5,  1865. 
James  W.  Hill,  1st  lieut.,  must,  in  Feb.  17, 1865  ;  pro. 

to  2d  lieut.  March  3,  1865 ;  to  1st  lieut.  Aug.  6, 

1865. 
Philip  Carling,  1st  sergt.,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865  ; 

pro.  to  1st  sergt.  March  1,  1865 ;  com.  2d  lieut. 

June  6, 1865 ;  not  mustered. 
Charles  Shanberger,  sergt.,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865  ; 

pro.  to  sergt.  March  1,  1865. 
Franklin  Teed,  sergt.,  must,  in  Feb.  14,1865;  pro. 

from  corp.  March  1,  1865. 
William  Kutz,  sergt.,  must,   in  Feb.  10,  1865 ;  pro. 

from  corp.  March  1,  1865. 
A.  Weidenhamer,  sergt.,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865 ;  pro. 

from  corp.  March  1,  1865. 
Win.  Wanner,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865;  pro.  to 

corp.  March  5,  1865. 


William  Eyrich,  corp.,  must.in  Feb.  10,  1865;  pro. 

to  corp.  March  15,  1865. 
Henry  B.  Baker,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865 ;  pro. 

to  corp.  March  1,  1865. 
Sebastian  Muringer,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865 ; 

pro.  to  corp.  March  1,  1865. 
Henry  Horn,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.   10,  1865 ;  pro.  to 

corp.  Aug.  7,  1865. 
Benneville  Weidner,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865; 

pro.  to  corp.  Aug.  7,  1865. 
Solomon  Ruth,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  18,  1865;  pro.  to 

corp.  Aug.  7,  1865. 
George  Shoemaker,  corp.,  must,   in  Feb.  22,  1865  ; 

pro.  to  corp.  Aug.  18,  1865. 
John  Bouse,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.   10,  1865;  pro.  to 

corp.  May  5,  1865. 
George  Clay,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865;  pro.  to 

corp.  May  5,  1865. 
George.  Gatz,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865  ;  pro.  to 

corp.  May  5,  1865. 
Charles  E.  Williams,  corp.,  must,  in  Feb.  22,  1865. 
Fredk.  A.  Clouse,  mus.,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865. 
Oliver  R.  Hoover,  mus.,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865. 

Privates. 
Jacob  Andy,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 
Henry  Adams,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 
George  Alspach,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 
Victor  Bower,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865. 
Henry  Benade,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 
Jacob  Bord,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 
Conrad  Bower,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 
Daniel  Brown,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865. 
Abraham  Bridigham,  must,  in  Feb.  10,1865. 
Henry  Casper,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 
Henry  Cole,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 
Elwood   Dickinson,   must,  in   Feb.  10,  1865;  disch. 

by  G.  O.  Aug.  28, 1865. 
Thomas  O.  Doyle,  must,  in  Feb.  22,  1865  ;  died  at 

Harper's  Ferry,  Va.,  June  10,   1865 ;  buried  in 

Nat.  Cem.,  Winchester,  lot  25. 
Frederick  Dorey,  must,  in  March  1,  1865. 
Joel  Deisher;  must,  in  Feb.  10, 1865. 
Mahlon  Doutrick,  must,  in  Feb.  22,  1865. 
Samuel  Derr,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865. 
Henry  Esser,  must,  in  Feb.  22,  1865. 
Joseph  Foreman,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 
Andrew  J.  Fisher,  must,  in  Feb.  10, 1865. 
William  Foreman,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 
William  H.  Fassig,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 
Daniel  Finkbone,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 
Charles  Gear,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865. 
Reuben  Y.  Gruff,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 
James  Gambler,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865. 
Joseph  Gambler,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865. 
Isaac  Grett,  must,  in  Feb.  14, 1865. 
Isaac  Good,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865. 
Benjamin  Hilbert,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865. 
Daniel  S.  Herbine,  must,  in  Feb.  14, 1865. 


336 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Daniel  P.  Heister,  must,  in  Feb.  14, 1865. 

Daniel  Hain,  must,  in  March  4,  1865. 

Wm.  Hinnershitz,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 

Daniel  C.  Hughes,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865 ;  disch.  by 
G.  O.  June  13,  1865. 

Charles  Heller,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 

David  Hinkle,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865. 

Jonas  Hoch,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865. 

James  Howard,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 

Samuel  Haffer,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 

Bernard  Inspink,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 

Thomas  King,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 

William   Kline,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865;  disch.  by 
G.  O.  Aug.  1,  1865. 

Reuben  Kline,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 

John  Keptner,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865. 

Thomas  Kocher,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 

Francis  Kocher,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865. 

John  Lash,  must,  in  Feb.  25,  1865. 
Valen'e  Muringer,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 

Christian  Miller,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 

Henry  Moyer,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 

Jacob  Mink,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 

B.  Franklin  McCoy,  must,  in  March  4,  1865. 

Henry  Phillips,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 

Samuel  Phillips,  must,  in  March  1,  1865. 

Samuel  Rollman,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865. 

William  B.  Reeser,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 

James  Regiel,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 

Henry  S.  Reber,  must,  in  March  4,  1865. 

Jacob  Sweetzer,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 

Joseph  Sweezy,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 

William  Schuck,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865;  absent,  sick, 

at  muster  out. 
Adam  Speicker,  must,  in  March  14,  1865. 
Levi  Stutzman,  must,  in  March  14,  1865. 
George  D.  Smith,  must,  in  March  25,  1865. 
John  Trupp,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865. 
Redam  Trump,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 
Samuel  Weidner,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 
John  Wells,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 
William  H.  Wall,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 
William  Weiler,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 
David  Weiler,  must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865. 
Wm.  Whitmoyer,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865. 
William  Youse,  must,  in  Feb.  14,  1865. 
Henry  D.  Young,  must,  in  March  7,  1865. 

MISCELLANEOUS  ENLISTMENTS    FROM  BERKS 
COUNTY. 

Numerous  men  from  Berks  County  were  en- 
listed in  the  Civil  War,  for  which  the  county 
received  no  credit.  The  following  statement 
contains  the  names  of  those  that  I  could  ascer- 
tain.    It  is  not  complete. 

POET   CLINTON  AKTILLERY. 

The  following  volunteers  from  Berks  County 


were  enlisted  and  mustered  in  with  the  company 
of "  Port  Clinton  Artillery,"  commanded  by 
Captain  D.  B.  Kaufman,  in  "May,  1861,  ac- 
credited to  Schuylkill  County  :, 

Joseph  Maurer,*  Joseph  Bridegam,*  Henry  Hyne- 
man,*  Samuel  S.  Moyer,  Nathaniel  Confer,  Aaron 
Boyer,  Thomas  P.  Smith,  John  A.  Moyer,  Levi 
Strunk,*  George  Kemp,*  Thomas  W.  Combs,*  Frank- 
lin Fabian,*  Henry  Hyneman,  Jr.,*  Daniel  Fox, 
M.  P.  Thompson,  Justice  Garrett,  John  Seaman, 
William  Deem,  Henry  Snyder,  W.  S.  Hertline, 
T.  P.  S.  Roby,*  Moses  Nolan,  Richard  Lenhart, 
Frank  Nolan,  George  Lindsay. 

Note. — Those  marked  with  a  star  were  from  Reading. 
The  greater  part  of  the  others  were  from  Leetpo.-t. 

BERNVILLE    BAND. 

Henry  S.  Grime,  James  McGuigan,  John  A.  Weber; 
William  H.  Kerschner,  James  Snyder,  Adam  P. 
Wenrich,  Lewis  Frantz,  Robert  H.  Scott,  George 
Dewald,  Cyrus  Heffelfinger,  John  Gery,  Charles  A. 
Andrews,  Levi  Kaufman. 

This  band  was  mustered  into  service  at 
Bladensburg,  Md.,  on  the  16th  of  September, 
1861,  as  a  regimental  band,  with  Twenty-sixth 
Eegiment  of  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  (three 
years'  service),  and  attached  to  Hooker's  First 
Brigade.  It  remained  at  Bladensburg  about 
two  months  in  camp ;  then  it  moved  to  Budd's 
Ferry,  in  Lower  Potomac,  on  Maryland  Shore, 
and  continued  there  all  winter  in  camp.  During 
the  latter  part  of  April  it  joined  McClellan's 
army  at  Fortress  Monroe,  and  was  engaged  in 
Peninsula  campaign,  commencing  at  Yorktown 
and  ending  at  Harrison's  Landing.  It  was  mus- 
tered out  of  service  at  Harrison's  Landing,  on 
August  8,  1862,  by  reason  of  an  act  of  Congress 
passed  to  dispense  with  regimental  bands.  The 
men  returned  to  Philadelphia,  where  they  were 
paid  off  and  sent  home. 

TWENTIETH   CAVALBY. 

The  following  veterans  were  enlisted  for  three 
years  in  Company  H  of  the  Twentieth  Cavalry, 
One  Hundred  and  Eighty- first  Regiment  Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers.  They  had  been  enlisted 
in  the  nine  months'  service,  and  upon  the  ex- 
piration of  their  term  of  service  re-enlisted,  and 
were  assigned  to  the  company  named.  This 
was  in  January,  1864.  The  company  had  been 
enlisted  in  the  six  months'  service,  and  also  re- 
enlisted  upon  the  expiration  of  its  term. 


THE  CIVIL  WAK. 


337 


They  wece .  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  cam- 
paign, under  Generals  Sigel,  Hunter  and  Sheri- 
dan, and  participated  in  numerous  battles,  includ- 
ing New  Market,  Piedmont,  Quaker's  Church, 
Liberty,  Salem,  Snicker's  Gap  and  Gordonville, 
and  they  were  also  in  various  battles  during  the 
concluding  campaign  before  Petersburg — the 
regiment  occupying  the  extreme  left.  It  was 
mustered  out  of  service  in  July  13,  1865.  (See 
5  Bates'  "  Penna.  Vols.,"  65-66.) 

Francis  C.  Rhode,  sergeant. 

Edward  C.  Eben,  first  corporal. 

Thomas  G.  Hill,  commissary-sergeant. 
Privates. — Emanuel  Hoffman,  George  W.  Johns, 
Samuel  Karnes,  George  Paulhamus,  John  Hill, 
Henry  A.  Phillippi,  Livingston  Saylor,  Samuel 
Shaeffer,  Archibald  Snavely,  Joseph  F.  Watson, 
Alfred  Wentzel,  Daniel  Yohn. 

COMPANY  B,  FIFTY-THIRD  REGIMENT. 

The  following  men  from  Birdsboro'  were  en- 
listed in  Company  B,  Fifty-third  Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers : 

Lewis  R.  Bland,  second  lieutenant. 

William  W.  Millard,  sergeant. 

Corporals  :  Samuel  Lacy,  Henry  Hahn,  Albert 
Hoffman,  Samuel  W.  Kerst,  Augustus  Wert. 

Musician,  Caleb  H.  Bland. 
Privates. — Edward  Bland,  Levi  Britton,  Jacob 
Bower,  John  Davis,  George  Davis,  Enoch  Hoffman, 
Henry  Henry,  George  B.  Kupp,  Charles  Lacy,  Cyrus 
Rhoads,  Augustus  Shirey,  George  Siegfried,  Joseph  S. 
Wickline,  Jacob  Yerger,  George  Wanger. 

And  the  following  men  from  Boyertown  were 
in  Company  A  of  this  regiment : 

Corporals  :   Cornelius    Uxley,    Richard    Gobel, 
Isaac  Spotts,  Levi  Walleigh. 

Captain  J.  Bowman  Bell  was  the  son  of 
Hon.  Samuel  Bell,  and  born  at  Reading  Jan- 
uary 20,  1825,  where  he  was  educated.  After 
remaining  at  home  till  about  1860,  he  removed  to 
Philadelphia.  When  the  Rebellion  broke  out 
he  was  commissioned  a  captain  in  the  Fifteenth 
Regiment  of  Regular  Infantry,  and  spent  the  sum- 
merof  1861  atErie  and  Philadelphia  as  a  recruit- 
ing and  mustering  officer.  In  October  following 
he  was  transferred  to  the  Western  army,  under 
General  Buell,  and  participated  in  the  battle  of 
Pittsburgh  Landing.  Whilst  gallantly  leading 
liis  company  against  the  enemy's  works,  in  the 
battle  of  Murfreesboro',  on  Dec.  31,   1862,  he 


was  struck  in  the  head  by  a  musket-bullet  and 
instantly  killed.  His  remains  were  brought  to 
Reading  and  interred  in  Charles  Evans'  Ceme- 
tery, 

UNCLASSIFIED. 

Isaac  Addis,  sergt.,  Co.  F,  3d  Pa.  Art. 

Wm.  Aikens,  priv.,  Co.  C,  8th  Ind. 

Theodore  Aker,  corp.,  Co.  H,  104th   Regt.    P.  V., 

must,  in  Sept.  22,  1861.  must,  out  Sept.  30, 1864. 
Anthony  Aman,  priv.,  Co.  A,  25th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in  April  18,  1861. 
John  M.  Amweg,  capt.,  Co.  I,  122d  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in  Aug.  11,  1862  ;  resigned  Oct.  11,  1862. 
Joseph  F.  Angstadt,  priv.,  3d  Regt.  Art. 
Solomon  Ash,  priv.,  Co.  C,  25th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must,  in 

April  18,  1861. 
Joseph  Aulinbach,   priv.,  Co.  H,  182d  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  Feb.  16,   1864 ;    wounded  at  Boydton 

Plank-Road,  Va.,  Oct.  27,  1864. 
Dr.  Jonathan  Bertolette,  surg.  U.  S.  frig.  "Lancaster." 
John  D.  Bertolette,  adjt.,  6th  Regt.  P.  V.;  also  of  48th 

Regt.;  pro.  to  capt.  and  A.  A  G.  Sept.  25,  1862. 
Benneville  Bamhart,  com. -sergt.,  Co.  H.  5th  Pa.  Cav., 

must,  in  Aug.  10,  1861  ;  must,  out  Aug.  7, 1865. 
Joseph  A.  Barford,  corp.,  Co.  D,  2d  Pa.  Res.,  must. 

in  May  25,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  Nov.  1862. 
Charles  Bellman,  priv.,  Co.  L,  7th  Pa.  Cav.,  must,  in 

Feb.  5,  1864;  must,  out  Aug.  23,  1865. 
Israel  H.  C.  Becker,  sergt.,  Co.   E,  23d  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  July  17,  1861 ;  pro.  to  sergt.-maj.       t 
Henry   W.  Bland,  1st  sergt.,  Co.  H,  82d  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  Aug.  31,  1861 ;  must,  out  Dec.  27,  1862. 
H.  Beckhardt,  sergt.,  Co.  M,  5th  U.  S.  Art. 
George  Beyerle,  corp.,  Co.  E,  80th  Ohio  Inf. 
Henry  Bower,  priv.,  Co.  H,  104th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in  Sept.  22,  1861 ;  must,  out  Sept.  30,  1864. 
Geo.  S.  Bickley,  priv.,  Ringgold  Art. 
Franklin  S.  Bickley,  q.m.,  32d   Regt.,  P.  V.,  must,  in 

June  7,  1861 ;    disch  .  on   surg;  certif.  Nov.  13, 

1861. 
Jeremiah  Boone,  priv.,  Co.  D,  2d  Pa.  Res.,  must,  in 

June  7,  1861 ;  must,  out  June  17,  1864. 
Joseph  Bowers,  priv.,  Co.  L,  7th  Pa.  Cav.,  must,  in 

Oct.  1,  1861;  must,  out  Aug.  23,  1865  ;  vet. 
Conrad  Bower,  priv.  Co.  F,  192d  Regt.  P.  V.,  must,  in 

Feb.  10,  1865 ;  must,  out  Aug.  24,  1865. 
Jer.  Bowman,  priv.,  Co.  L,  7th  Pa.  Cav. 
A.  C.  Buckwalter,  marine,  enlisted  in  naval  service, 

1863,  for  two  years  on  flag  ship  "  Louisville,"  in 

Mississippi   Squadron,     and  afterward  on    ram 

"Sampson." 
Samuel  Breneiser,  priv.,  Co.  G,  174th  P.  V. 
Henry  A.  Brown,  priv.,  Co.  D,  192d  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in  July  14,  1864 ;  must,  out  Nov.  11,  1864. 
G.  W.  H.  Berbeck,  priv.,  Co.  B,  1st.  Mass.  Inf. 
Lewis  Brownbach,  priv.,  Co.    F.  197th  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  July  18,  1864;  must  out  Nov.  11,  1864. 


338 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


A.   W.   Burkert,   priv.,  Co.   B,  62d  Eegt.;  killed  at 

Memphis. 
Lemon  Buch,  1st  lieut.  Co.  D,  213th  Regt.  P.  V.  must. 

in  March  4,  1865;  resigned  May  26,  1865. 
Uriah  R.  Burkert,  Co.  A,  6th  Regt.  Res.  Vol.;  must. 

in  service  July  27, 1861;  pro.  1st  lieut.,  and  then 

to  capt.  of  Co.  H,  191st  Regt.  commanded  Regt. 

on   June   16,  17,   1864,  in   front  of  Petersburg ; 

taken  prisoner  Aug.  19,  1864;  paroled  Feb.  22, 

1865 ;  must,  out  June  28,  1865. 
Efflnger  Cake,  sergt.,  Co.  C,  122d  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in   Aug.  11,  1862;  must,  out  with  Co.   May  15, 

1863. 
John  Care,  priv.,  Co.  B,  11th  Pa.  Cav.,  must,  in  Aug. 

19,  1861 ;  disch.  Aug.  18,  1864. 
Frederick   A.  Clouse,   musician,  Co.  F,  93d  Regt.  P. 

V.,  must,  in   Oct.  28,  1861 ;  must,  out   Oct.  28, 

1864. 
John  H.  Cline,  sergt.,  Co.  I,  29th  Conn.  Vols. 
Daniel  F.  Coller,  sergt.,  Co.  F,  15th  U.  S.  Inf. 
Frank  M.  Cooley,  capt.,  11th  Regt.  Reg.  Inf. 
George  H.  Corbit,  priv.,  Co.  B,  33d  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in   May  25,   1861 ;  must,  out  with   Co.  June  17, 

1864. 
Lewis  Crater,  1st  lieut.,  Co.  F,  50th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in   Sept.   10,  1861 ;  pro.   from   com. -sergt.  to  1st 

lieut.  Dec.  5,  1864;  to  adjt.  April  16,  1865;  vet.; 

must.  out.  with  Regt.  July  30, 1865. 
Frank  Coleman,  priv.,  Co.  G,  114th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in  Aug.  29,  1862  ;  must,  out  May  29,  1865. 
Adam  Dehart,   priv.,  Co.  H.,  5th  Pa.  Cav.,  must,  in 

*  Jan.  26,  1864 ;  must,  out  Aug.  7,  1865. 
Wm.  Dehart,  priv.,  Co.  D,  15th  U.  S.  Inf. 
Hiram   Dickiuson,  priv.,   Co.  A,  195th  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  July  16,  1864 ;  must,  out  with  Co.  June 

21, 1865. 
Fred.  Dehart,  corp.,  Ind.  Batt.   B,  must,  in   Oct.  11, 

1861 ;  must,  out,  expiration  of  term. 
John  F.  Donahower,  priv.,  Co.  D,  47th  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in   Jan.  2,  1864;  must,  out  with   company 

Dec.  25,  1865  ;  vet. 
John  F.  Doremus,  priv.  Co.  I,  56ih  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Wm.  F.  Dougherty,  1st.  lieut.,  Co.  K,  59th  Regt.  2d  Pa. 

Cav.,  must,  in  Nov.  30,   1861;  disch.    Dec.  16, 

1864. 
Martin   P.  Doyle,  1st   lieut.,    Co.  I,   21st  Pa.  Cav. 

must,    in    July    11,    1863;     wounded    at    Cold 

Harbor ;  resigned  Jan.  11,  1865. 
Henry  W.  Drake,  priv.,  Co.  C,  12th  N.  H.  Vols. 
Rufus  K.  Dieter,  priv.,  Co.  K,  93d  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in    Aug.  2,  1862;  wounded  at  Chancellorsville, 

Va.,  May  3,  1863  ;  disch.  May  20,  1865. 
Thomas    Deem,   marine,  enlisted  in   naval    service 

1861;  served  during  war,  mostly  on  "Tallapoosa." 
Charles  H.  Ebbert,  priv.,  Co.  L,  7th  Pa.  Cav.,  must. 

in  Feb.  4,  1864 ;  must,  out  Aug.  23,  1865. 
Hiester  Ebbert,  corp.,  Co.  G,  1st  Battal.  19th  U.  S. 

Inf. 


Josiah  Ebbert,  priv.,  Co.  G,  1st  BattaJ.  19th  U.  S. 

Inf. 
Lewis  Eltz,  priv.,  Co.  B,  98th  Regt.  P.  V. 
Daniel  Epstein,  sergt.,  Co.  A,  34th  N.  J.  Vols. 
Jervis  W.  Edes,  priv.,  Co.  C,  91st  P.  V.,  must,  in  Aug. 

30,  1861 ;  wounded  May  14,  1864;  must,  out  July 

10, 1865. 
William  Edwards,  priv.,  Co.  A,  96th  P.  V.,  must,  in 

Sept.  23,  1861 ;  must,  out  Oct.  21,  1864. 
John  A.  Fehr,  priv.,  Co.  K,  77th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must,  in 

Jan.  16,  1865;  disch.  by  G.  O.  Aug.  19,  1865. 
Samuel  J.  Fields,  landsman,  U.  S.  Navy. 
Nicholas  Fogel,  priv.,  Co.  I,  115th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in  Feb.  17, 1862 ;  wounded   at  Chancellorsville, 

Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
John  Fries,  Jr.,  priv.,  Co.  A,  25th  P.  V. 
Abraham   Fry,  priv.,  Batt.  I,  3d  Pa.  Art.,  must,  in 

March  7,  1864;  must,  out  with  battery  Nov.  9, 

1865. 
Isaac  L.  Fritz,  sergt.,  Co.  B,  48th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in  Sept.  19,  1861 ;  pro.  to  corp. ;  to  sergt.,  Feb.  15, 

1865 ;  must,  out  with  company   July  17,  1865  ; 

vet. 
David  Farling,  priv.,  Batt.  M,  3d  Pa.  Art.,  must,  in 

Feb.  23,  1864;  must,  out  with  battery  Nov.  9, 

1865. 
John  R.  Faust,  capt.,  Co.  F,  173d  Regt.  P.  D.  M., 

must,    in  Nov.  1,  1862 ;  must,  oui  with  company 

Aug.  16,  1863. 
Frederick  M.  Geiger,  priv.,  Co.  D,  46th  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  Jan.  13,  1864;  must,  out  July  16, 1865; 

vet. 
John    M.   Geiger,  telegraph   operator^  Co.  G,  153d 

N.  Y.  V. 
Joseph  Geiger,  priv.,  Co.  D,  46th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must,  in 

Sept.  2,  1861 ;  died  July  31,  1864,  of  wounds  re- 
ceived at  Peach  Tree  Creek,  Ga.,  on  July  20, 

1864;  buried  at  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  grave  247. 
Charles  Gerlach,  priv.,  Co.  B,  98th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in  Sept.  25,  1861 ;  wounded  at  Petersburg,  Va., 

June  18,  1864. 
Charles  A.  Golding,  priv.,  Co.  B,  1st  P.  V. 
Isaac  Good,  priv..  Co.  D,  P.  V.  Art. 
Charles  Gillman,  bugler,  Co.  L,  7th  Pa.  Cav.,  must,  in 

Feb.  8,  1864;  must,  out  Aug.  23,  1865. 
George  E.  Goodhart,  priv.,  Co.  B,  152d  P.  V. 
David  Gilmore,  corp.,  Co.  I,  88th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in  Sept.  24, 1861 ;  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  March  7, 

1864. 
W.  F.  Gorrell,  priv.,  Co.  K,  11th  Md.  V. 
George  W.  Green,  1st  lieut.,  7th  Regt.  Reg.  Inf. 
Daniel  S.  Graeff,  priv.,  Co.  E,  14th  U.  S.  F. 
John   Grogg,  engineer,  enlisted  in    naval  service  in 

1861 ;  served  throughout  war,  and  continued  in 

this  service  of  government  till  his  decease,  in 

1885. 
Andrew  Grant,  priv.,  Co.  K,  16th  Regt.  P.  V.  Militia. 
William  B.  Graul,  1st  lieut.,  Co.  K,  2d  Pa.    Cav., 

must,  in  Nov.  30,  1861  ;  disch.  Nov.  25,  1864. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


339 


Charles  Glaze,, sergt.,  Co.  C,  62d  Regt.  P.  V.,  must,  in 

July  25,  1861 ;  wounded  in  action  July  2,  1863. 
Owen  Hamilton,  priv.,  Co.  B,  11th  Pa.  Cav.,  must,  in 

Aug.  19, 1861 ;  disch.  Aug.  18,  1864. 
Robert  Hamilton,  priv.,  Co.  K,  136th  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  Aug.  27,  1862 ;  must,  out  with  company 

May  29,  1863. 
Thomas  Haines,  fireman,  U.  S.  Navy. 
Frank    K.    Hain,  asst.  eng.    U.    S.   sloop  of    war 

"  Iroquois." 
Thomas  Hammer,  priv.,  Co.  B,  25th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in  April  18,  1861 ;  must,  out  July  26, 1861. 
Julius  A.  Hawk,  musician,  Co.  G,  88th  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,   in  Feb.  19,  1864;  must,    out   June  30, 

1865. 
Owen  Hamilton,  priv.,  Co.  B,  11th  Pa.  Cav. 
-Wellington  Harbach,  priv.,  Co.  B,  3d  Batt.,  15th  U. 

8.  Inf. 
C.  W.  Harrington,  sergt.,  Co.  F,  15th  IT.  S.  Inf. 
Israel  Hartman,  priv.,  Co.  M,  5th  U.  8.  Art. 
Joseph  B.  Haslett,  priv.,  Co.  D,  40th  Regt.  P.  V. 
Samuel  Heckman,  priv.,   Co.  B,  48th  Regt.   P.  V., 

must,  in  March  31,  1864  (3  years);  died  June  12, 

1864,  of  wounds  received    in  action ;  buried  in 

Nat.  Cem.  at  Arlington. 
Frederick  Heifer,  priv.,  Co.  B,  3d  Batt.  15th  U.  8.  Inf. 
C.  M.  Heilman,  corp.,  Co.  G,  50th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in  Feb.  24,  1864 ;  must,  out  with  company  July 

30, 1865. 
Daniel  M.  Heller,  priv.,  Co.,  B,  105th  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in   March   2,   1865;   must,   out    July  11, 

1865. 
David  Henry,  priv.,  Co.  F,  7th  Pa.  Cav.,  must,  in  Feb. 

22,  1864;  must,  out  Aug.  23,  1865. 
John  Hill,  priv.,  Co.  H,  20th  Pa.  Cav. 
Thomas  G.  Hill,  sergt.,  Co.  H,  20th  Pa.  Cav. 
Henry  G.  Hunter,  sergt.,  Co.  L,  162d  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  Sept.  17,  1862;  disch.  on  surg.   certif. 

Oct.  1, 1864. 
Benjamin  B.  Hollenbach,  priv.,  Co.  A,  7th  Pa.  Cav.. 

must,  in  Feb.  10, 1865 ;  must,  out  Aug.  23,  1865. 
Fritz  Hinterkirch,  priv.,  Co.  E,  75th  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  Aug.  28,  1861 ;  disch.  on  surg.  certif. 

Feb.  27, 1863. 
John  Hunter,  priv.,  Co.  H,  1st  Md.  Militia. 
William  H.  Houck,  priv.,  Co.  G,  124th  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  Aug.  12,  1862 ;  must,  out  with  company 

May  16,  1863. 
F.  Marion  Jones,  priv.,  Batt.  B,  4th  Mass.  Art. 
JohnH.  Johnson,  sergt.,  Co.  G,  2d  Pa.  Cav.,  must,  in 

Oct.  25, 1861;  captured;  died  at  Anderson ville, 

Ga.,  April  15,  1864;  grave  565. 
George  W.  Johns,  priv.,  Co.  H,  181st  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  June  25,  1863;  must,  out  with  company 

Jan  6,  1864.. 
Jeremiah  Kachel,  corp.,  Co.  G,  19th  U.  S.  Inf. 
James  Kerper,  sergt.,  Co.  G.  1st  Battal.  19th  U.  S.  Inf 
Jonah  Keim,  priv.,  Co.  A,  53d  Regt.  P.  V.,  must,  in 

Sept.  18, 1861 ;  must,  out  June  30, 1865. 


Levi  Keller,  priv.,  Co.  D,  3d  Prov.  Pa.  Cav. 

Michael  Kelly,  priv.,  Co.  E,  28th  111.  Inf. 

Wm.  Klineyoung,  musician,  Co.  D,  30th  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  June  8, 1861 ;  must,  out  with  company 

June  13,  1864. 
Henry  A.  Kinch,  priv.,  Co.  E,  135th  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  Aug.  18, 1862;  captured  at  Chancellors- 

ville,  Va.,  May  6, 1863. 
Adam  Knauer,  corp.,  Co.  H,  21st  Pa.  Cav. 
James  H.  Knerr,  priv.,  Co.  G,  47th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in  Sept.  18, 1861 ;  must,  out  Sept.  18, 1864,  ex- 
piration of  term. 
James  Koch,  priv.,  Co.  L,  1st  Pa.  Cav. 
James  Koch,  priv.,  Co.  B,  98th  Regt.  P.  V. 
Daniel  Koller,  priv.,  Co.  F,  2d  Battal.  15th  U.  S.  Inf. 
George  H.  Koons,  priv.,  Co.  A,  200th  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  Aug.  29,  1864 ;  wounded  -at  Fort  Stead^ 

man,  Va.,  March  25,  1865. 
Jacob  Kunsman,  priv.,  Co.  H,  1st  Battal.  18th  U.  S. 

Inf. 
Jacob  H.  Kunsman,  priv.,  Co.  H,  21st  Pa.  Cav. 
Louis  Lichsteru,  2d  lieut.,  Co.  F,  98th  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,    in    Aug.   22,   1861;     wounded  at  Salem 

Heights,  Va.,  May  3,  1863. 
William  Laning,  priv.,  Co.  I,  8th  Pa.  Cav. ;  must,  in 

Aug.  1, 1861. 
Henry  Lott,  priv.,  Co.  L,  7th  Pa.  Cav.,  must,  in  Sept. 

23, 1861;  must,  out  Aug.  23,  1865. 
Isaac  W.  Lewis,  priv.,  Co.  G,  82d  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in  Dec.  20,  1863;  must,  out  July  13,  1865  ;  vet. 
Joseph  H.  Lutz,  2d  lieut.,  Co.  D,  198th  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  Sept.  17, 1864. 
Gaben  Lees,  priv.,  Co.  G,  19th  U.  S.  Inf. 
James  Lees,  priv.,  Co.  G,  19th  U.  S.  Inf. 
Augustus  Lessig,  priv.,  Co.  A,  3d  Battal.  15th  U.  S. 

Inf. 
Valentine  H.  Lieb,  priv.,  Co.  E,  1st  Battal.  18th  U.  S. 

Inf. 
Elias  Lins,  priv.,  Co.  A,  48th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must,  in 

Jan.  12, 1864;  must,  out  July  17,  1865. 
Franklin  S.  Lins,  priv.,  Co.  A;  48th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in  Feb.  6,  1865 ;  must,  out  July  17,  1865. 
George  A.  Leinbach,  sergt.-maj.,  104th  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  Sept.  12,  1862  ;  disch.  by  G.  O.  June  16, 

1865. 
Joel  Lins,  priv.,  Co.  A,  48th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must,  in  Jan. 

16, 1864 ;  must,  out  July  17,  1865. 
Nathan  Lins,  priv.,  Co.  A,  48th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must,  in 

Feb.  6, 1865 ;  must,  out  July  17,  1865. 
Michael  E.  Lutz,  priv.,  Co.  H,  5th  P.  V.,  must,  in 

April  20,  1861 ;  must,  out  July  24,  1861. 
John  Lyons,  priv.,  Co.  B,  2d  Battal.  18th  U.  S.  Inf. 
Benjamin  Markley,  priv.,  Co.  E,  88th  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  March  6, 1862 ;  must,  out  March  5,  1865. 
Anthony  Matter,  sergt.,  Co.  C,  116th  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  Aug.  11,  1862;  wounded  at  Fredericks- 
burg Dec.  13, 1862 ;  must,  out  with  company  June 

3, 1865. 
Levi  McChalicher,  1st  lieut.,  Co.  H,  88th  P.  V.,  must. 


310 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


in  Sept.  10,  1861 ;  wounded  at  Five  Forks,  Va., 

April  1,  1865;  disch.  by  G.  O.  May  15, 1865. 
Richards  McMicliael,  lieut.-col.,  53d  Regt.  P.V.;  also 

lieut.-col.,  194th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must,  in  July  24, 

1864 ;  must,  out  with  regiment  Nov.  6,  1864. 
James  McGuigan,  band,  26th  Pa.  Eegt. 
Wm.  S.  McManus,  capt.,  15th  Regt.U.  S.  Reg.  Army. 
Peter  McKenney,  priv.,  Bat.  A,  1st  Pa.  Art.,  must,  in 

Feb.  2,  1864;  must,  out  with  battery  July   25, 

1865. 
Edwin  Miller,  priv.,  Co.  A,  7th  Pa.  Cav.,  must,  in  Feb. 

23,  1864;  must,  out  Aug.  23,  1865. 
James  McKinney,  priv.,  Co.  E,  31st  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in  May  27, 1861 ;  wounded  at  Charles  City  Cross- 
Roads  June  30,  1862 ;  must,  out  with   company 

June  16,  1864. 
Samuel  Millmore,  sergt.,  Co.  L,  7th  Pa.  Cav.,  must,  in 

Oct.  14,  1861 ;  must,  out  Aug.  23,  1865. 
D.  F.  McLean,  priv.,  Anderson  Troop. 
Robert  Martin,  priv.,  Co.  I,  51st  Regt.  P.  V.,  must,  in 

Feb.  26, 1865  (one  year) ;  must,  out  with  company 

July  27,  1865. 
Augustus  Millard,  priv.,  Co.  A,  6th  Regt.  Pa.  Res.  Vol. 
Henry  Miller,  corp.,  Co.  K,  55th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in  Jan.  29,  1864;  must,  out  Aug.  30,  1865. 
Franklin   Minkhouse,  priv.,  Co.'E,  1st  Battal.  18th  U. 

S.  Inf. ;  also  Co.  E,  42d  Regt.  P.  V. 
Andrew  Mitthower,  priv.,  Co.  G.,  49th  Ohio  Inf. 
James  McKnight,  capt.,  5th  Regt.  Reg.  Art. 
Wm.  Monyer,  1st  lieut.,  Anderson  Troop. 
Chas.  P.  Muhlenberg,  1st  lieut,  5th  Regt.  Reg.  Art. 
Daniel  Moore,  priv.,  Co.  G,  19th  U.  S.  Inf. 
John  M.  Moyer,  priv.,  Bat.  D,  3d  Pa.  Art.,  must,  in 

Feb.   28,1864;   must,  out  with  battery  Nov.  9, 
1865. 

Frank  P.  Muhlenberg,  1st  lieut.,  13th  Regt.  Reg.  Inf. 
Peter  Noll,  priv.,  Co.  A,  3d  Battal.  15th  U.  S.  Inf. 
Wm.  Parleman,  priv.,  Co.  H,  99th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must, 
in  Feb.  25,  1864 ;  must,  out  July  1,  1865. 

C.  C.  Pike,  priv.,  Co.  H,  1st  Conn.  Art. 

William  Plucker,  priv.,  Co.  G.  1st  Battal.  19th  U.  S. 

Inf. 
George  C.  D.  Powell,  sergt.,  Co.  I,  4th  N.  J.  Vols. 
B.  G.  Prutzman,  priv.,  Co.  F,  65th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in  Feb.  3,  1864;  must,  out  with  Co.  Aug.  7, 1865. 
George  H.  ReifT,  1st  sergt.,  Co.  A,  88th  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in   Sept.   18,  1861;   pro.  to  sergt.  June  1, 

1865 ;  must,  out  with  Co.  June  30,  1865. 

D.  B.  Reifsnyder,  priv.,  Co.  G,  2d  Pa.  Prov.  Cav. 
Allen  J.  Reigel,  priv.,  Co.  E,  46th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in   Feb.  28,  1864;  must,  out  with   Co.  July  16 
1865. 

Albert  Reinhard,  priv.,  Co.  I,  48th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must, 
in  Feb.  23,  1864,  three  years ;  must,  out  with  Co 
July  17,  1865. 

William  Rhine,  priv.,  Co.  B,  2d  Battal.,  18th  U.  S.  Inf. 
Henry  J.  Richards-,  mus.,  Co.  A,  3d  Pa.  Pes.,  must,  in 
June  7, 1861 ;  must,  out  June  17,  1864. 


Henry  M.  M.  Richards,  priv.,  Co.  A,  26th  Regt.  P.  V. 

Militia. 
Samuel  Richards,  priv.,  Co.  E,  1st  Battal.,  18th  IJ.  S. 

Inf. 
N.  P.  Rodney,  priv.,  Co.  E,  151st  Pa.  Vols.- 
George  W.  Roland,  priv.,  Bat.B,  1st  Pa.  Art.,  must, 
in  Feb.  3,  1864;  must,  out  with  battery  June  9, 
1865. 
Henry  Romig,  priv.,  Co.  G.  1st   Battal.,  19th  U.  8. 

Inf. 
Charles  Rothenberger,  mus.,  Regt.  Band  23d  Regt. 

P.  V. 
David  Rohrbach,  priv.,  Co.  C.  116th  Regt.  P.  V,  must, 
in  Aug.  16,  1862;  killed  at  Fredericksburg  Dec. 
13,  1862. 
George   Reber,  1st  lieut.,  Co.  F,  116th  Regt.  P.  V., 
must,  in  Feb.  19,  1864;  wounded  at  Wilderness, 
Va.,  May  8,  1864;  must,  out  July  14,  1865. 
Dr.  R.  B.  Rhoads,  surg.,  com.  Oct.,  1862,  at  Camp 
Howe,  at  Pittsburgh,  and  then  with  169th  Regt. 
Pa.  Drafted  Militia,  as  ass't  surg.,  having  com- 
plete charge  of  entire  regiment;  disch.  with  regt. 
July,  1863. 
John  D.  Sauerbier,  priv.,  1st.  Regt.  N.  Y.  Inf. 
Augustus  Shott,  priv.,  Co.  L,  7th  Pa.  Cav.,  must,  in 

Oct.  14,  1861 ;  must,  out  Aug.  23,  1865. 
John  W.  Schall,  col.,  87th.  Regt.  P.  V. 

William  A.  Schall,  priv.,  Co. . 

James  G.  Seagreaves,  priv.,  Co.  H,  11th  Pa.  Cav. 
Luther  Seiders,  priv.,  Bat.  D,  1st  Pa.  Res.  Art. 
Michael  Shade,  priv.,  Bat.  B,  5th  Beat.  U.  S.  Art. 
Jacob  Simpson,  priv.,  Co.  G,  19th  U.  S.  Inf. 
John  Sipple,  corp.,  Co.  B,  32d  U.  S.  Colored  Troops. 
Edmund  L.  Smith,  capt.,  19th  Regt.  Reg.  Inf. 
James  H.  Spohn,  priv.,  Co.  G,  19th  U.  S.  Inf. 
Jacob  Stahlnecker,  priv..  Co.  G,  19th  U.  S.  Inf. 
Jacob  Swoyer,  priv.,  Co.  G,  19th  U.  S.  Inf. 
William  Still,  ord.-sergt.,  11th  U.  S.  Heavy  Art. 
Henry  Stine,  priv.,  Co.  D,  Ind.  Pa.  Regt. 
Peter  Strasser,  priv., 'Co.  A,  6th  Reat.  Pa.  Res.  Vols. 
Henry  J.  Souders,  priv.,  Co.  E,  178ih   Regt.  P.  V., 
must,  in  Nov.  8,  1862;  must,  out  with  Co.  July 
27,  1863. 
Albert  Thalheimer,  priv.,  Co.  B,  23d   Regt.,  must,  in 
Aug.  2,   1861;    prisoner  from  June  1,  1864,  to 
March  27,  1865  ;  disch.  June  10,  1865. 
W.  A.  Thompson,  corp.,  Co.  I,  8th  Ohio  Vols. 
Ira  U.  Travis,  priv.,  Co.  C,  11th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
James  P.  Turner,  sailor,  U.  S.  Navy. 
John  Teed,  capt.,  Co.  C,  116th  Regt.  P.  V,  must,  in 
Aug.  26,  1862 ;  captured  at  Gettysburg  July  2, 
1863  ;  disch.  Nov.  28,  1864. 
Edward  F.  Tracy,  priv.,  Bat.  I,  2d  Pa.  Art.,  must,  in 

Feb.  28,  1862 ;  disch.  Feb.  28,  1865. 
James  Trumbore,  priv.,  Co.  C,  174th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must 

in  Oct  31.  1862;  must,  out  with  Co. 
William  Van  Reed,  2d  lieut.,  5th  Regt.  Reg.  Art. 
Thomas  Watt,  priv.,  Co.  D,  67th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must, 
iu  Dec.  6,  1861 ;  must,  out  Dec.  31,  1864. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


341 


John  Wadsworth,  priv.,  Co.  B,  48th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must, 
in  Sept.  19,  186]  ;  must,  out  Sept.  30,  1864,  ex- 
piration of  term. 
Henry  S.  Wagner,  priv.,  Co.  B,  98th  Regt.  P.  V. 
Adam  F.  Waid,  corp.,  Co.  D,  3d  Pa.  Res.,  must,  in 

July  13, 1861 ;  trans,  to  54th  Regt.  P.  V.  July  4, 

1864. 
Wm.  Walkner,  corp.,  Co.  E,  3d  Pa.  Res. 
Dilman  parley,  priv.,  Co.  D,  Pa.  Vol.  Art. 
Adam  Waltman,  priv.,  Co.  G,  1st  Battal.  19th  U.  S. 

Inf. 
Samuel  Weiler,  priv.,  Co.  D,  59th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in  March  1,  1864 ;  must,  in  Prov.  Cav.  June  17, 

1865. 
B.  B.  Weidner,  priv.,  Co.  F,  192d  Regt.  P.  V. 
BeDneville  Weidner,  corp  ,  Co.  F,  192d  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  Feb.  10,  1865 ;  must,  out  Aug.  24.  1865. 
John  Wells,  priv.,  Co.  F,.192d  Regt.  P.  V.,  must,  in 

Feb.  10,  1865 ;  must,  out  Aug.  24,  1865. 
H.  W.  Wentzel,  priv.,  Co.  B,  195th  Pa.  Tnf. 
Israel  H.  Wentzel,  priv.,  Co.  B,  195th  Pa.  Vols. 
Thomas  E.  Weber,  2d  lieut.,  Co.  A,  97th  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  Aug.  22,  1861 ;  wounded  at  James  Is- 
land, S.  C. 
W.  H.   Weidenhammer,  priv.,  Co.  L,  7th  Pa.  Cav., 

must,  in  March  3,  1864 ;  must,  out  Aug-  23, 1865. 
Thomas  H.  West,  priv.,  Co.  B,  93d  Pa.  Inf.,  must,  in 

Feb.  26,  1864 ;  must,  out  June  27,  1865. 
George  Wineland,  ptiv.,  Co.  B,  2d  Battal.,  18th  U.  S. 

Inf. 
Geo.  W.  Wirtz,  corp.,  Co.  A,  46th  Regt.  P.  V.,  must. 

in  Sept.  2,  1861 ;  must,  out  July  16,  1865. 
Win.  J.  Woodland,  priv.,  Co.  G,  30th  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  June  6, 1861 ;  disch.  on  surg.  certif.  Dec. 

22,  1862. 
Henry  Wahl,   priv.,  Co.  F,  6th  Pa.  Cav.,  must,  in 

Sept.   19,  1861 ;    disch.  on  surg.  certif.   March, 

1862. 
Henry  Yeager,  sergt.,  Co.  G,  1st  Battal.,  19th U.  S.  Inf. 
F.  R.  Yocum,  priv.,  Co.  D,  Pa.  Vol.  Art. 
David  Young,  priv.,  Co.G,  1st  Battal.,  19th  U.  S.  Inf. 
Alfred  G.  Yeager,  priv.,  Co.  B,  129th  Regt.  P.  V., 

must,  in  Aug.  10,  1862  ;  must,  out  with  Co.  May 

18,  1863. 

SOLDIERS  BURIED  IN  BERKS  COUNTY. 

The  following  lists  contain  the  names  of  the 
soldiers  who  have  been  buried  in  the  county 
of  Berks,  so  far  as  they  could  be  ascertained, 
and  the  locality  where  buried.  The  several 
cemeteries  are  arranged  in  two  classes — city  and 
county — for  facility  of  reference. 

CITY  CEMETEEIE8. 

Aulenbach. 

Cyrus  D.  Anthony, . 

Obadiah  Ack,  Co.  D,  3d  Pa.  Res. 

Charles  Auchenbach,  Co.  C.  48th  Pa.  Regt. 


Enoch  Adams,  Co.  C,  7th  Pa.  Inf. 
George  Armpriester,  Co.  K,  151st  Pa.  Inf. 
Sergt.  Amos  Arnold,  Co.  A,  14th  Pa.  Inf. 
William  Arnol,  Durell's  Bat. 
John  Arnold,  Co.  B,  35th  Pa.  Inf. 
Jacob  Bobst,  Co.  E,  213th  Pa.  Regt. 

Charles  Bobst, ,  195th  Pa.  Regt. 

John  W.  Burkhart,  Co.  K,  128th  Pa.  Regt. 

Philip  A.  Burkhardt,  : .  t 

John  H.  Brunner,  Co.  D,  213th  Pa.  Regt. 

Henry  Bright, . 

David  Bechtel,  Co.  I,  20th  Pa.  Militia. 
Lewis  B.  Bachman,  Co.  M,  5th  U.  S.  Art. 
George  W.  N.  Bitting,  Co.  B,  167th  Pa.  Inf. 
Egidius  Bach,  Co.  I,  179th  Pa.  Inf. 
William  Boas,  Sr.,  Co.  E,  88th  Pa.  Inf. 
Sergt.  John  Bechtel,  Co.  E,  46th  Pa.  Inf. 
Charles  Bechtel,  Co.  I,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 
Corp.  Joseph  Becker,  Co.  E,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 
Henry  Becker,  Co.  I,  179th  Pa.  Inf. 
William  Burns,  Co.  L,  1st  Pa.  Cav. 

Jacob  Christman, . 

John  Christ, . 

Abraham  Clemens, ,  1812. 

William  J.  Carmon,  Co.  F,  7th  U.  S.  Inf. 
Henry  Coleman,  Co.  A,  25th  Pa.  Inf. 
Sergt.  Henry  W.  Corbit,  Co.  I,  194th  Pa.  Inf. 
Francis  Hartman,  Co.  G,  6th  Pa.  Cav. 
Adim  Deem,  . 


Jefferson  Dengler, . 

George  Drenkle,  1812. 
Peter  De  Hart,  Co.  D,  32d  Pa.  Inf. 
William  Eck,  Co.  H,  5th  Pa.  Cav. 
Christian  Eyler,  Durell's  Bat. 
Daniel  Eckert,  Co.  H,  88th  Pa.  Inf. 
John  F.  Fox,  Co.  H,  21st  Pa.  Cav. 
Corp.  Frank  Fabian,  Co.  B,  50th  Pa.  Inf. 
Howard  Fisher,  Co.  I,  196th  Pa.  Inf. 

Colonel  Fox,  . 

James  K.  Fisher, . 


David  Frankenhauser, . 

John  Gruse,  Co.  F,  34th  N.  J.  Inf. 

Corp.  Jackson  Guilden,  Co.  I,  128th  Pa.  Regt. 

John  Groetzinger,  Co.  A,  195th  Pa.  Regt. 

Corp.  Emanuel  G.  Gottshall,  Co.  E,  128th  Pa. 

Inf. 
Corp.  Enos  B.  Heckman,  Co.  I,  91st  Pa.  Inf. 
Mark  B.  Heckman,  Co.  K,  115th  Pa.  Inf. 
Hiram  Hafer,  Co.  E,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 
Gideon  Hepler,  Co.  E,  46th  Pa.  Inf. 
William  Hill,  Co.  G,  28th  Pa.  Inf. 
Corp.  Daniel  E.  Hafer,  Co.  M,  6th  Pa.  Cav. 
Sergt.  Levi  Hoffmaster,  Co.  F,  32d  Pa.  Inf. 
Henry  A.  Harbold,  Co.  H,  88th  Pa.  Regt. 
Valentine  Himmelreich,  Co.  B,  6th  Pa.  Cav. 
Amos  Hafer,  Co.  L,  1st  Pa.  Cav. 
John  Harner,  Co.  H,  104th  Pa.  Inf. 
Lieut.  Levi  J.  Homan,  Ringgold  Art. 
Timothy  Heineman,  Co.  K,  3d  Pa.  Art. 


342 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Francis  Hartman,  Co.  G,  6th  Pa.  Cav. 
Amos  F.  D.  Hook,  Co.  A,  195th  Pa.  Inf. 

James  H.  Harner, . 

Joshua  Hiller, . 

William  B.  Hoffmaster,  Co.  E,  46th  Pa.  Eegt. 

Lewis  Hoffmaster, . 

Zeno  Hoffmaster,  Co.  I,  20th  Pa.  Eegt. 
Frederick  A.  Heller,  Mexican  War. 
Nathan  Hantsch,  Crf.  E,  46th  Pa..  Eegt. 

Nathan  Herring, . 

Henry  Herden, . 

Cyrus  Hare, . 

Jacob  Hawk,  . 

Benjamin  Kutz, . 

Sergt.  James  Monroe  Kissinger,  Co.  H,  50th  Pa. 

Inf. 
Lieut.  John  H.  Kendall,  Co.  B,  55th  Pa.  Inf. 
George  Kistler,  Co.  H,  184th  Pa.  Inf. 

John  Lotz, . 

John  Lautensweiler, . 

W.  A.  Lewis, •. 


Jackson  Levan, . 

A.  F.  Lewis,  Marine. 

Jacob  Leeds.  Einggold  Art. 

Corp.  Charles  Matthews,  Co.  A,  88th  Pa.  Inf. 

Franklin  Maurer,  Co.  K,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 

Franklin  Maurer,  Co.  E,  88th  Pa.  Inf. 

John  McKnabb,  Co.  H,  50th  Pa.  Inf. 

Sergt.  John  L.  Morris,  Co.  B,  167th  Pa.  Inf. 

Isaac  D.  Morris,  Co.  H,  5th  Pa.  Inf. 

John  Maurer,  Co.  G,  93d  Pa.  Inf. 

George  Mason. 

John  Madeira,  Sr. 

Isaiah  Miller. 

Corp.  George  Miller,  Co.  A,  195th  Pa.  Eegt. 

John  Madeira,  Jr.,  Co.  K,  2d  Pa.  Cav. 

John  Marquet, . 

Daniel  Meek, . 

Jeremiah  Miller. 

George  Mills,  Mexican  War. 

Samuel  McKnabb, . 

John  S.  Nagel,  Co.  H,  20th  Militia. 
Corp.  Harrison  Neider,  Co.  H,  50th  Pa.  Inf. 
William  Henry  Philips,  Co.  H,  5th  Pa.  Inf. 
Harrison  Eeed,  Co.  S,  213th  Pa.  Eegt. 

Daniel  Eamsey, . 

Joseph  B.  Eeeser,  Co.  L,  1st  Pa.  Cav.. 

Samuel  P.  Eeed, . 

John  Euth. 

Abraham  Einehart, . 

David  Eenno,  1812, . 

Uriah  Eamsey,  Co.  I,  1st  Pa.  Art. 
Samuel  Eoland,  Co.  G,  48th  Pa.  Inf. 
Corp.  Franklin  Eowe,  Co.  K,  157th  Pa.  Inf. 
Lieut.  George  W.  Eapp,  Co.  H,  88th  Pa.  Inf. 
John  Eoy,  Co.  K,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 
William  Eoland,  Co.  H,  104th  Pa.  Inf. 
William  J.  Scliohter,  Co.  M,  198th  Pa.  Inf. 
Franklin  Smeck,  Co.  8,  82d  Pa.  Inf. 


John  O.  Schoener, . 

Capt.  F.  E.  Straub,  Co.  D,  3d  Pa.  Ees. 

Isaac  M.  Sched, . 

Washington  Smith,  Co.  A,  28th  Pa.  Eegt. 
George  W.  Saylor,  Co.  H,  104th  Pa.  Eegt 
John  Troxel,  Co.  E,  46th  Pa.  Eegt. 

Seigreaves, ,  128th  Pa.  Eegt. 

William  B.  Schmale,  5th  U.  S.  Art. 

Corp.  George  F.  Strouse,  Co.  A,  195th  Pa.  Inf. 

John  B.  Snyder,  Co.  B,  41st  Pa.  Inf. 

John  Shelhorn,  Co.  F,  1st  Pa.  Art. 

Damon  Struting,  Co.  E,  46th  Pa.  Inf. 

Corp.  Adam  Shaaber,  Co.  H,  21st  Pa.  Cav. 

Moses  Snyder,  Co.  K,  93d  Pa.  Inf. 

David  E.  Shadell,  Co.  G,  1st  Ind.  Art. 

David  Smeck,  Co.  M,  5th  U.  S.  Art. 

John  Swavely,  Co.  H,  8th  U.  S.  Inf. 

Matthias  Stumpt,  Co.  C,  68th  N.  Y.  Inf. 

Zacharias  Snyder,  Co.  F,  50th  Pa.  Inf. 

Levi  Swavely,  Co.  C,  178d  Pa.  Inf. 

John  W.  Seitzinger,  Co.  I,  196th  Pa.  Inf. 

John  Vickers,  marine. 

John  H.  Weaver,  Co.  G,  6th  Pa.  Cav. 

Henry  Wunder,  Ermentrout's  Ind.  Bat. 

H.  Michael  Winter,  Co.  B,  5th  Pa.  Inf. 

James  Walter,  Einggold  Bat. 

James  W.  Weidner, . 

Daniel  C.  Weinland,  Co.  B,  195th  Pa.  Eegt. 

John  Wunder, ,  War  of  1812. 

Eichard  Yeager,  Co.  A,  3d  Pa.  Ees. 

Catholic. 
Aloysius  Amberton,  Co.  I,  7th  Pa.  Ees. 

John  W.  Anthony, . 

Benjamin  Boultou,  Co.  H,  50th  Pa.  Inf. 
Joseph  Bettinger,  Co.  C,  4th  N.  J.  Inf. 
Sergt.  Patrick  Bloomfield,  Co.  G,  1st  Pa.  Inf. 
James  Boyland,  Co.  D,  33d  U.  S.  Inf. 
Joseph  Bolster,  Co.  8,  2d  Pa.  Cav. 
John  S.  Brown,  Co.  E,  46th  Eegt.  Pa. 

Henry  Burkitt, . 

John  Callahan,  Co.  B,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 

John  Deal, . 

Matthias  Deysher,  Co.  H,  51st  Pa.  Inf. 
Jefferson  Erlacher,  Mexican  War. 
James  E.  Eckenroth,  Co.  A,  2d  Pa.  Inf. 
John  Eckenroth,  Co.  E,  176th  Pa.  Inf. 
Ignatius  Fleig,  Co.  B,  50th  Pa.  Inf. 
Lewis  Gross,  Co.  A,  73d,  Pa.  Inf 

Michael  Gavin, . 

Edward  Greth,  25th  Pa.  Eegt. 
Jacob  Gansler,  3d  Pa.  Eegt. 
John  A.  Hock,  25th  Pa.  Eegt. 

John  Heiser, . 

John  Hagan,  Co.  A,  184th  Pa.  Inf. 
Sergt.  George  Kemp,  Co.  D,  1st  Pa.  Cav. 

Martin  Leader, . 

Corp.  David  Lingle,  Co.  K,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 
Eedmond  McManus, . 


THE  CIVIL  WAR 


343 


Karl  F.  Miller,  Co.  G,  6th  Pa.  Cav. 
Michael  Mulramy,  128th  Pa.  Regt. 
George  P.  J.  McKinny,  128th  Pa.  Regt. 

Patrick  McGivin,   War  of  1812. 

John  McManus, . 

William  McManus,- 


Maximillian  Marquart,  Go.  0,  200th  Pa.  Inf. 

Albert  A.  Nagle, Nat.  Guards,  Pa. 

Sergt.  Thomas  Riley,  Co.  B,  128th  Pa.  Regt. 
Corp.  John  A.  Reichard,  Co.  H,  21st  Pa.  Cav. 

Daniel  Reichard, • — . 

John  Ritner, . 

Dick  Riley, . 

Thomas  Richards,  Co.  A,  195th  Pa.  Inf. 
Zach.  E.  Snyder,  Co.  B,  118th  Pa.  Inf. 

Richard  Sauter, . 

Sebastian  Vinegar,  Co.  C,  3d  N.  J.  Cav. 
John  Weaver,  Co.  G,  19th  U.  3.  Inf. 
Nicholas  Wingert,  Co.  F,  1st  Pa.  Art. 
John  Warren,  — . 

Charles  Evans. 

Capt.  W.  H.  Andrews,  Co.  E,  128th  Regt. 

Paul  Ammon, . 

J.  C.  Auman, . 

John  Armstrong,  Co.  G,  5th  Pa.  Cav. 

John  Althouse, . 

Daniel  Auchenbach,  Co.  H,  68th  Pa.  Inf. 
Conrad  Anthony,  Co.  A,  195th  Pa.  Regt. 

George  S.  Ammons, . 

James  Boyer,  Co.  E,  128th  Regt. 

Charles  Briner,  Co.  E,  1st  Pa.  Art. 

William  Baehr,  Co.  H,  50th  Pa.  Regt. 

Lieut.-Col.  Thomas  E.  Brenholtz,  50th  Pa.  Regt. 

Capt.  Sidney  Banks,  3d  U.  S.  Cav. 

John  Brittian,  Co.  H,  88th  Regt. 

Lieut.  Michael  P.  Boyer,  Co.  H,  128th  Regt. 

Charles  Briner,  46th  Regt. 

Lewis  K.  Briner, . 

John  Banks, . 


Franklin  S.  Bickley, . 

William  S.  Ball,  118th  Regt. 

Robert  Bell, . 

Harrison  G.  Baus,  Ringgold  Bat. 
J.  Bowman  Bell,  U.  S.  Art. 

James  Boyer, . 

Hiland  H.  Banks, 


Thomas.  E.  Boone,  Co.  E,  128th  Regt. 

Alexander  Bridegam,  Co.  F,  34th  N.  J.  Regt. 

B.  R.  Bratt,  militia. 

Henry  Beyerle,  Co.  C,  194th  Pa.  Inf. 

Volney  Bell,  Co.  C,  50th  Pa.  Inf. 

Corp.  Wm.  B.  Bright,  Co.  A,  33d  U.  S.  Inf. 

Corp.  George  Bost,  Co.  H,  104th  Pa.  Inf. 

Henry  Barr,  Co.  D,  32d  Pa.  Inf. 

Henry  C.  G.  Bertolette,  Co.  B,  50th  Pa.  Inf. 

Elhanan  S.  Bechtel,Co.  H,  104th  Pa.  Inf. 

Augustus  Berger,  Ringgold  Art. 

Philip  Bitting,  Co.  D,  32d  Pa.  Inf. 


George  R.  Coxel,  Co.  B,  128th  Pa.  Regt. 

Peter  Cline, . 

Capt.  H.  E.  Cleveland,  Co.  H,  50th  Regt. 
Lieut.  Philip  Curling,  Co.  F,  192d  Regt. 

Daniel  Clouser, . 

Jacob  Crow,  Co.  J,  42d  Pa.  Regt. 
Jeremiah  Clous,  Co.  A,  32d  Pa.  Inf. 
William  Coxell,  Co.  G,  1st  Pa.  Inf. 
George  R.  Coxell,  Co.  B,  138th  Pa.  Inf. 
Corp.  Isaac  Cox,  Co.  H,  79th  Pa.  Inf. 
J.  H.  Caswell,  1st  City  Troop. 
John  K.  Dunkleberger,  Co.  G,  6th  Pa.  Cav. 

William  W.  Drayer, 

Adam  Diefenbach, . 

Jacob  Donahower, . 

Charles  Diehm,  Co.  H,  88th  Regt. 

John  F.  Danfield, . 

Robert  M.  Divine,  Co.  L,  1st  Pa.  Cav. 
Lewis  Diefenbach,  Co.  E,  128th  Pa.  Regt. 
George  Dobbins,  U.  S.  Navy. 
W.  W.  Douglas,  Co.  K,  95th  Pa.  Regt. 
John  N.  Downs,  Co.  A,  145th  Regt. 

Reuben  Ditzler, . 

Jacob  Drexel,  Co.  K,  93d  Pa.  Inf. 
W.  L.  Dellet,  Co.  B,  30th  Pa.  Inf. 
Capt.  W.  W.  Diehl,  Co.  E,  5th  Pa.  Inf. 
William  Dunlap,  Co.  H,  50th  Pa.  Inf. 
Lieut.  W.  G.  De  Turk,  Co.  B,  129th  Pa.  Inf. 
William  Deem,  Co.  B,  3d  Pa.  Art. 

Nathan  Eisenhower, . 

Lieut.  Thomas  F.  Eyrich,  Co.  E,  128th  Regt. 
Benjamin  Ermentrout,  Ringgold  Bat. 
John  East,  Co.  D,  198th  Regt. 
Alfred  Ermentrout,  Co.  B,  88th  Regt. 

Emanuel  Eck, . 

J.  L.  Espenshade,  Co.  E,  46th  Pa.  Inf. 

Sergt.  Thomas  T.  Elliott,  Co.  H,  6th  U.  S.  Cav. 

David  Fox,  Co.  K,  2d  Regt. 

Reese  Frescoln, . 

Capt.  Adam  Faust,  Co.  D,  198th  Regt. 

William  Frill, . 

Rudolph  Fueller,  U.  S.  Navy. 
James  A.  Fox,  Ringgold  Bat. 

John  Faber, . 

Col.  John  Fritz,  93d  Pa.  Regt. 
Henry  Fleck,  Ringgold  Bat. 
Corp.  John  Henry  Fix,  142d  Regt. 

George  S.  Fox, . 

Jacob  Frill, . 

Musician  Oscar  T.  Flemming,  93d  Pa.  Inf. 
Franklin  Fenstermacher,  Co.  C,  50th  Pa.  Inf. 
Sergt.  Charles  F.  Fredericks,  Co.  A,  32d  Pa.  Inf. 
Reuben  Frees,  Co.  M,  5th  U.  S.  Art. 
Daniel  H.  Fasig,  Co.  G,  6th  Pa.  Cav. 
Corp.  Gabriel  Faust,  Co.  C,  1st  N.  Y.  Engineers. 
Edward  Gentzler,  Co.  K,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 
Henry  Grainer,  Co.  D,  198th  Pa.  Inf. 
Corp.  H.  A.  Goodhart,  Co.  K,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 
George  W.  Gentzler,  Co.  E,  52d  Pa.  Inf. 


344 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


William  H.  Green,  Co.  E,  128th  Ohio  Inf. 

Adam  Goodhart,  Co.  A,  48th  Pa.  Inf. 

Henry  Gossler,  Co.  F.  1st  Pa.  Art. 

Sergt.  Albert  H.  Goodenough,  Co.  F,  88th  Pa. 
Inf. 

Lewis  Gable,  Co.  E,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 

Samuel  Gross,  Co.  E,  46th  Pa.  Inf. 

A.  C.  Greth, . 

James  D.  Gabriel,  Durell's  Bat. 

George  Getz, 

Lieut.  Lemuel  Gries,  Durell's  Bat. 
George  Goodman,  Revolution. 
Allen  Gilbert,  93d  Pa.  Regt. 
Martin  S.  Goodhart,  Co.  G,  6th  Pa.  Cav. 

Major  John  M.  Gries, . 

Capt.  George  W.  Green,  17th  U.  S. 

Charles  Green, . 

Adjt.  James  Gentzler,  128th  Regt. 

William  Gass,  88th  Pa.  Regt. 

Aaron  Goodman,  Co.  E,  50th  Pa.  Regt. 

Thomas  Gabriel, . 

Chaplain  William  R.  Gries, . 

Nathaniel  Green,  U.  S.  Navy. 

George  Getz,  1812. 

Garrett  H.  High,  Co.  F,  197th  Regt.  * 

John  Henry  Harner,  Co.  B,  93d  Regt. 

Amos  B.  Hoff, . 

Lieut.  Levi  J.  Hildebrant,  Co.  E,  46th  Pa.  Regt. 
James  L.  Hobson,  Co.  D,  32d  Pa.  Regt. 
Samuel  L.  Hughes,  Co.  B,  205th  Regt. 
Francis  Kern  Hesler,  Co.  B,  93d  Pa.  Regt. 
Corp.  Charles  S.  Hornberger,  Co.  B,  93d  Regt. 

Capt.  Jacob  Houder. 88th  Pa.  Regt. 

Sergt.  Frank  Hiester,  U.  S.  A. 

Frederick  Hunter, . 

Capt.  Samuel  Harner, . 


Henry  Homan,  Co.  E,  128th  Regt. 
John  Haller,  1812. 

William  Himmelreich, . 

Col.  Charles  H.  Hunter, . 

Corp.  Henry  C.  Housum,  Co.  1, 36th  Regt. 
Sergt.  W.  W.  Hart,  Co.  B,  50th  Regt. 

Aaron  B.  Hetrich, . 

Henry Haberacker,  128th  Regt. 
George  S.  Hause,  Co.  D,  11th  U.  S.  Inf. 
Jacob  A.  Hamilton,  Co.  D,  213th  Regt. 

John  Harbster, . 

Paul  Hungerford, . 

Wellington  Hawkins^ . 

Winfield  Holmes, . 

Peter  Henley,  - 


John  H.  Henninger,  Co.  A,  88th  Regt. 
Joseph  Heister,  Rev.  War. 

Abraham  V.  R.  Hill, . 

Adam    J.  Heilman,  color-bearer,  Co.   K,  151st 

Regt. 
Francis  L.  Hobson,  Co.  L,  7th  Pa.  Cav. 
Henry  A.  Hinnershitz,  128th  Regt. 
James  M.  Hoffman, . 


Sergt.  Jonathan  Holt,  Co.  G,  79th  Pa.  Inf. 
Henry  B.  Hartz,  Co.H,  104th  Pa.  Inf. 
Corp.  John  Henry,  Co.  I,  83d  Pa.  Inf. 
Drum-Major  Augustus  W.  Homan,  93d  Pa.  Inf. 
Henry  G.  Henninger,  Co.  K,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 
John  S.  Hinman,  Co.  H,  104th  Pa.  Inf. 
Franklin  Harbach,  Co.  B,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 
S.  Hamilton,  Ringgold  Art. 
David  Heifer,  Co.  B,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 
Melzer  Hughston,  Co.  A,  88th  Pa.  Inf. 

William  James, . 

Adjt.  Albert  Jamison,  36th  Pa.  Regt. 
John  D.  De  B.  Koch,  6th  Pa.  Cav. 
Thomas  Kepple,  Revolutionary  War. 

John  H.  Kershner, . 

Maj.  William  H.  Keim,  Army  of  Potomac. 

Allen  Kutz, . 

Capt.  Daniel  DeB.  Keim, . 

F.  A.  M.  Keller, . 

Lieut.  William  Krick, . 


Levi  P.  Knerr,  Mexican  War. 

Capt.  Anthony  Kanalassy,  Hungarian  army. 

Col.  Charles  A.  Knoderect, 167th  Regt. 

Sergt.  Thomas  Keely, 142d  Regt. 

Sergt.  Daniel  Kreishner, Ringgold  Bat. 

William  Kreishner,  • — — . 

Charles  A.  Keiter, . 

John  Keifly,  Co.  B,  55th  Pa.  Inf. 

Wm.  W.  Kraft,  Co.  K,  128. h  Pa.  Inf. 

William  Kalbach,  Co.  E,  205th  Pa.  Inf. 

Lewis  Krausher,  Co.  L,  1st  Pa.  Cav. 

William  Lorentz,  Co.  I,  25th  N.  Y.  Cav. 

Lieut.  W.  A.  H.  Lewis,  93d  Pa.  Inf. 

Corp.  Isaac  S.  Leeds,  Co.  E,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 

Corp.  Cyrus  Lotz,  Co.  K,  151st  Pa.  Inf. 

Sergt.  John  Leininger,  Co.  B,  50th  N.  Y.  Engs. 

William  Lindecukle,  Co.  K,  151st  Pa.  Inf. 

Joseph  Laey,  Co.  B,  205  ih  Pa'.  Regt. 

Corp.  John  F.  Linderman,  Co.  G,  1st  Pa.  Vol. 

Benneville  Lindemuth, . 

Henry  A.  Lotz,  Co.  A,  93d  Pa.  Regt. 

W.  Lawrence,  Co.  H,  88th  Regt. 

Capt.  Henry  A.  Lantz,  Co.  E,  50th  Regt. 

Horace  Longenecker, . 

Thomas  S.  Loesser,  Mexican  War. 
George  F.  Linderman,  Mexican  War. 
Michael  Lotz,  Co.  E,  46th  Regt. 
Jeremiah  Lotz,  Co.  E,  46th  Regt. 

George  Lauman, . 

Nicholas  Lotz, . 

George  M.  Lauman, . 

Capt.  Jacob  Lenhart,  Co.  A,  3d  Pa.  Res. 
Charles  E.Mason,  Co.  H,  55th  Mass.  Inf. 

George  M.  Morgan, . 

Peter  Maurer,  Co.  C,  7th  Regt. 

Capt.  Alex.  C.  Maitland,  Co.  G,  93d  Regt. 

George  W.  McMichael,  Co.  L,  7th  Pa.  Cav. 

Joseph  Maurer,  5th  U.  S.  Art. 

Henry  Martz,  Co.  G,  198th  Pa.  Inf. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


345 


William  Mohr,  Co.  F,  1st  Pa.  Art. 
Maj.  Peter  Muhlenberg,  31st  U.  S.  Inf. 
Lieut,  Howard  Mcllvain,  Bat.  A,  104th  Regt. 

Jeremiah  Mengel, . 

Samuel  R.  Markley, 

James  Miller,  N.  Y.  Cav. 

William  Moore, . 

James  McElroy, . 

Jacob  S.  Miller,  Revolutionary  War. 

Charles  Melcher, . 

Charles  W  Newkirk, . 

William  S.  Noll,  Co.  F,  33d  U.  S.  Inf. 
Lieut.  Henry  Nagle,  Ringgold  Bat. 
George  Newkirk,  Co.  K,  128th  Regt. 

James  Niekolson, ' . 

Augustus  Noecker,  1st  Pa.  Cav. 
Henry  F.  Orner,  Co.  E,  46th  Pa.  Inf. 

William  Otto, . 

Jesse  Orner, . 

Peter  Phillippi, . 

Lieut.  Jacob  Parvin, . 

John  Paulus, . 

John  Patterson, . 

James  Peterson, . 

Henry  Pott, . 

Lieut.  William  Priestly,  Co.  D,  D.  Cr.  Regt. 

Henry  A.  Phillippi, . 

Ferdinand  Presser,  DurelFs  Bat. 

Sergt.  James  M.  Phillips,  Co.  F,  32d  Pa.  Inf. 

Corp.  Henry  A.  Plucker,  Co.  B,  50th  Pa.  Inf. 

Albert  Price,  5th  U.  S.  Art. 

Lieut.  Jas.  C.  Petit,  Co.  H,  88th  Pa.  Inf. 

Chas.  J.  Petit,  navy. 

Corp,  Jas.  A.  Quimby,  Co.  H,  104th  Pa.  Inf. 

Caplaiu  John  Quimby,  93d  Pa.  Inf. 

Reuben  Ringler, . 

Wm.  K.  Reifsnyder,  Co.  E,  128th  Regt. 
Josiah  Reber,  Co.  E,  1st  Art.  Regt. 
Daniel  Richards,  Co.  B,  205th  Regt. 

John  Ritter, . 

George  B.  Rhoads,  88th  Regt. 

Capt.  Washington  Bichards,  Co.  F,  32d  Regt. 

Henry  R.  Reinhart,  Co.  B,  108th  Regt. 

Lieut.  Charles  H.  Richards,  Co.  G,  2d  Pa.  Mil. 

Francis  C.  Rhode,  Co.  E,  128th  Regt. 

John  S.  Reeser,  11th  Pa.  Cav. 

Joseph  R.  Robinson,  88th  Pa.  Inf. 

Henry  Rorke,  Co.  C,  42d  Pa.  Inf. 

Aaron  Rightmyer,  Co.  E,  46th  Pa.  Inf. 

Corp.  Cyrus  M.  Ruth,  Co.  B,  Pa.  Militia. 

Chas.  F.  Rigle,  Co.  M,  5th  U.  S.  Art. 

Lieut.  Cyrus  R.  Soder,  Co.  G,  88th  Pa.  Inf. 

John  O.  Schoener,  paymaster. 

William  G.  Seyfert,  Co.  B,  205th  Pa.  Inf. 

Nicolas  Seyfert,  Co.  L,  1st  Pa.  Cav. 

Wm.  Seiders,  Co.  G,  6th  Pa.  Cav. 

Jas.  Seifert,  Co.  B,  88th  Pa.  Inf. 

Corp.  John  S.  Schroeder,  Co.  B,  DurelFs  Bat. 

W.  W.  Strouse,  Co.  G,  151st  Pa.  Inf. 


Sergt.  John  H.  Snyders  Co.  H,  21st  Pa.  Cav. 
Jacob  Snell,  Co.  K,  213th  Pa.  Inf. 
Irvine  J.  Seifert,  Co.  K,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 
John  S.  Seiders,  Co.  B,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 
Wm.  J.  Schroeder,  Co.  H,  2d  Pa.  Cav. 
Elias  Schaeffer,  Co.  E,  46th  Pa.  Inf. 

John  Stout, . 

John  H.  Spitter,  Co.  A,  195th  Pa.  Regt. 
George  W.  Setley,  Co.  D,  32d  Pa.  Regt. 
Jacob  Sweitzer,  Co.  F,  192d  Pa.  Regt. 

A.  Schemmelpfenning, . 

Edward  F.  Sallada, . 

Peter  Stitchter, . 

J.  H.  Shultz, . 

Peter  Shitler, . 


Henry  N.  Shingel, . 

Corp.  Ephraim  Strohecker,  Co.  D,  32d  Regt. 

Albert  Stoutler, . 

George  Schultz, . 

Daniel  Seiders, . 

Capt.  Andrew  J.  Stetson,  Co.  D,  32d  Begt. 

Nathan  Sassaman, — . 

Albert  S.  Sheradin,  Co.  G,  72d  Begt. 

Theodore  Seyfert, . 

Andrew  F.  Sigman, . 

William  D.  Shearer,  . 

George  M.  Taylor, 


Lieut.  Jas.  N.  Trexler,  Co.  I,  128th  Regt. 

Sergt.  Chas,  W.  Tothero,  Co.  B,  93d  Regt. 

Sergt.  Thomas  Roberts,  18th  U.  S.  Inf.  ' 

Wm.  G.  Trexler,  Co.  B,  93d  Pa.  Inf. 

Milton  Trace,  Co.  A,  20th  Pa.  Cav. 

Major  J.  Teed,  116th  Pa.  Inf. 

Urias  Trate,  Co.  G,  52d  Pa.  Inf. 

Geo.  Thompson,  Co.  E,  54th  Mass.  Inf.  (colored). 

William  B.  Ubil,  ■ . 

James  Van  Home, . 

William  A.  Williams, . 


Peter  Wanner,  Co.  C,  7th  Pa.  Inf. 

James  M.  Wanner,  . 

Corp.  Cyrus  W.  White,  Co.  E,  79th  Regt. 

Albert  B.  Werner, . 

Henry  A.  Whitman, . 


Capt.  Cornelius  Wise, . 

Sergt.  Albert  D.  Wolfinger,  Co.  9,  93d  Regt. 
Lieut.  Wm.  Wunder,  Co.  A,  Mexican,  2d  Cav. 

Lieut.  Martin  Wagner, — — . 

Lieut.  Charles  Oscar  Wagner, . 

Henry  Wobensmith, . 

Thomas  Wright, . 

Lieut.  Michael  Walter,  Co.  A,  32d  Regt. 

George  Wunder,  1812. 

William  Wanner,  Co.  A,  32d  Regt. 

Maj.  J.  B.  Wanner,  ,  128th  Cav. 

Jacob  Wolfskill,  Co.  I,  196th  Pa.  Inf. 
Wm.  H.  Williams,  Co.  H,  197th  Pa.  Regt. 
Fred.  Wagner,  Co.  A,  195th  Pa.  Inf. 
Henry  Washington,  landsman. 
George  Wunder,  marine. 


346 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


George  Winnour,  Co.  E,  1st  Pa.  Res. 
Sergt.  Chas.  F.  Ware,  Co.  I,  141st  N.  Y.  Inf. 
Corp.  Aaron  Weand,  Co.  B,  93d  Inf. 
Andrew  S.  Werner,  Co.  B,  205th  Pa.  Inf. 
Evan  S.  Yeager,  Co.  A,  88th  Pa.  Inf. 
Heisinger  Yocum,  Co.  B,  93d  Pa.  Inf. 

John  E.  Yohn, . 

Edward  Young,  88th  Pa.  Regt. 
Fred.  Yeager,  Revolution. 

George  A.  Yeager, . 

Peter  Yeager, . 

John  Wade,  Co.  E,  2d  Pa.  Cav. 
Joel  Reifsnyder,  Co.  B,  88th  Pa.  Cav. 
George  Young,  Mexican  War. 

Lutheran. 
Adam  Augustine,  Co.  B,  50th  Pa.  Inf. 
John  Bowers,  Co.  B,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 
Joseph  Bowman,  Co.  B,  46th  Pa.  Inf. 
Thomas  Boon,  Co.  G,  93d  Pa.  Inf. 
John  M.  Bissihumer,  Co.  B,  5th  Pa.  Cav. 
John  Y.  Baker,  Co.  E,  46th  Pa.  Regt. 

John  Clouser, ,  Pa.  Res. 

Charles  H.  Coleman,  Co.  B,  195th  Pa.  Regt. 
Samuel  S.  Carrigan,  Co.  E,  79th  Pa.,  vet. 
Jacob  Drexel,  Co.  B,  88th  Regt. 
John  Drill,  Co.  H,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 
Sergt.  Wm.  C.  Eben,  Co  E,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 
Charles  Eben,  Co.  L,  7th  Pa.  Cav. 

Julius  A.  Engelman, . 

Corp.  John  Eisenbeis,  Co.  K,  3d  Pa.  Art. 

James  Ettinger, . 

Nathaniel  Faust,  Co.  M,  5th  U.  S.  Art. 
John  F.  Goodhart,  Co.  F,  88th  Pa.  Inf. 

Andrew  Gorman, . 

Henry  Geiger,  16th  Regt.  U.  S.  Inf. 

Robert  Griffith, . 

Joseph  Gable,  Co.  A,  195th  Pa.  Regt. 

John  Good,  Co.  E,  50th  Pa.  Regt. 

John  Gehring,  Co.  F,  1st  Pa.  Art. 

John  D.  Herzog,  Co.  A,  3d  Pa.  Res. 

Fred.  Hendley,  Co.  D,  3d  Pa.  Res. 

Bernard  Herbst,  Co.  G,  19th  U.  S. 

Henry  A.  Heinamen,  Co.  B,  56th  Pa.  Regt. 

John  G.  Hall, . 

Aug.  Haverstitch,  32d  Pa.  Res. 
Corp.  Henry  A.Hauck,  Co.  B,  93d  Pa.  Inf. 
Bugler  Jacob  Kline,  Co.  F,  6th  Pa.  Cav. 
Charles  Meiran,  Co.  H,  104th  Pa.  Inf. 
Albion  Morrow,  Co.  1, 179th  Pa.  Regt. 
Wm.  Morrow,  Co.  1, 128th  Pa.  Regt. 

William  Meek, ,7  th  Cav. 

Joseph  Maurer, ,  U.  S.  Art. 

Peter  Maurer,  Co.  H,  7th  Pa. 
John  L.  Neff,  Co.  H,  50th  Pa. 

Joseph  Nagle, . 

George  W.  Poff,  Co.  B,4th  Del.  Inf. 

Fred  W.  Quigg, . 

Wm.  H.  Rank,  Co.  D,  3d  Pa.  Res. 


Philip  Rush,  fifer  in  Co.  of  Capt.  Geo.  Marx  in 
War  of  1812-15. 

Richard  Rodgers, . 

Adam  Ripple,  Co.  K,  2d  Pa.  Cav. 
Franklin  Ritner,  1st  Iowa  Art. 
Jacob  Snyder,  Co.  E,  88th  Pa.  Inf. 
Charles  Schaar,  Co.  G,  5th  Pa.  Cav. 
William  H.  Smith,  Co.  H,  23d  Pa.  Inf. 
James  Snyder,  Co.  I,  28th  Pa.  Regt. 

Philip  Schneider, . 

Franz  Seiman, . 

Philip  Sigle, . 

Daniel  Setley, . 

George  Setley,  Co.  E,  46th  Pa.  Regt. 
Augustus  Trexler,  Co.  B,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 
Geo.  Adam  Wolf,  Co.  I,  179th  Pa:  Inf. 
Wm.  H.  Worley,  Co.  B,  93d  Regt. 
George  Whitman,  Co.  D,  198th  Regt. 
George  Ziegler,  Co.  B*  88th  Pa.  Inf. 
Washington  Street  Church. 
George  Lewis,  Co.  C,  Conn.  Inf. 

COUNTY  CEMETERIES. 

Albany — Blue  Mountain  Church. 
George  Robinson,  Co.  H,  55th  Pa.  Inf. 
Andrew  Miller,  Co  H,  151st  Pa.  Inf. 

Alsace — Alsace  Church. 
Mark  Bechtel,  Co.  G,  7th  Pa.  Inf. 
Aaron  Bechtel,  Co.  A,  88th  Pa.  Inf. 
Joseph  Briner,  Co.  G,  93d  Pa.  Inf. 
Fred.  Dehart,  Co.  M,  5th  U.  S.  Art. 

Rudolph  Fisher, . 

Samuel  Gehret,  Co.  L,  7th  Pa.  Cav. 
George  Gantz,  Co.  B,   128th  Pa.  Inf. 
Henry  Gehris,  Co.  H,  68th  Pa.  Inf. 
Sergt.  George  W.  Hain,  Co.  H,  88th  Pa.  Inf. 

James  H.  Hinnershitz, . 

George  Jacobs,  Co.  E,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 
Reuben  Keller,  Co.  H,  205th  Pa.  Inf. 

Allen  Koch, . 

John  Keller, . 

William  Koch, . 

Augustus  Keller, . 

John  S.  Leider, . 


Franklin  W.  Long,  Co.  I,  188th  Pa.  Inf. 
Corp.  Conrad  Marks,  Co.  M,  198th  Pa.  Inf. 
Daniel  Madeira,  Co.  B,  50th  Pa.  Inf. 
Aaron  Martin,  Ringgold  Bat. 
William  Neider,  Co.  H,  50th  Pa.  Regt. 

Henry  Rothenberger, . 

Thomas  Rothenberger. 


Franklin  Rothenberger,  Co.  E,  205th  Pa.  Inf. 
Peter  Stoudt,  Co.  K,  48th  Pa.  Inf. 
Peter  Schildt,  Co.  E,  205th  Pa.  Inf. 
Sergt.  John  R.  Smith,  Co.  G,  6th  Pa.  Cav. 
Daniel  Smaltz,  Co.  I,  83d  Pa.  Inf. 
Lazarus  Storel. 
John  Jacob  Ulmer. 
Henry  R.  Van  Reed. 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


347 


Alsace — Spiece's  Church. 
Jacob  Feise,  Co.  G,  19th  U.  S.  Inf. 
Daniel  Rothenberger,  Co.  E,  46th  Pa.  Inf. 

Amity — AmityvUle. 
Hiram  Yocum,  Co.  B,  93d  Pa.  Inf. 
William  Gross,  Co.  K,  179th  Eegt. 

Amity — Douglassville. 
George  D.  Leaf,  Ringgold  Art. 
Sergt.  C.  B.  Miller,  Co.  M,  1st  Pa.  Cav. 

Bernville. 
J.  L,  Weber,  Co.  F,  5th  Pa.  Inf. 
Bern — Bern  Church. 
W.  A.  Hettrich,  Co.  G,  213th  Pa.  Inf. 

Bern — Spier's  Church. 
John  H.  Roth,  205th  Regt. 

Bern,  Upper — Shartlesville. 
Marcus  Siegenlhaler,  Co.  E,  151st  Pa.  Inf. 
S.  S.  Strause,  Co.  E,  151st  Pa.  Inf. 
Samuel  Wann,  Co.  E,  151st  Pa.  Inf. 
Henry  F.  Burkhardt,  Co.  K,  5th  U.  8.  Art. 

Bethel. 
Jere  Dorsey,  Co.  I,  24th  U.  S.  C.  Inf. 
Reuben  Thompson. 

Birdsboro'. 
Levi  Bauin,  Co.  C,  51st  Pa.  Inf. 
William  Stubblebine,  Co.  D,  213th  Pa.  Inf. 
George  W.  Shirey,  Co.  E,  Knapp's  Bat. 
Andrew  M.  Shule,  Co.  H,  88th  Pa.  Regt. 

Caernarvon — Roeh  Baptist  Church. 
Corp.  Cornelius  Uxley,  Co.  A,  53d  Pa.  Inf. 
William  Shenemon,  Co.  K,  13th  Pa.  Inf. 

Cumru — Allegheny  Church. 
William  Gelsinger,  Co.  E,  167th  Pa.  Cav. 

Cumru — Almshouse. 
Sergt.  David  Brown,  Co.  H,  54th  Mass.  Ool'd  Inf. 
James  H.  Gay,  32d  U.  S.  Col'd  Inf. 

Joseph  H.  Nevins,  — ■ . 

Gottlieb  Ganse, . 

Aaron  Deobler,  Co.  E,  88th  Regt. 

Exeter — Schwartzwnld  Church. 
Corporals:    Thomas   Lincoln,   Co.   B,  205th  Pa. 
Inf.     Augustus  Wert,  Co.  B,  53d  Pa.  Inf. 

Fleetwood. 
William  Delp,  Co.  I,  167th  Regt. 

Abram  Franklin  Klein, 

Isaac  Heck,  Co.  I,  167th  Regt. 
Daniel  Noll,  Co.  K,  167tb  Regt. 
Henry  Koller,  Co.  D,  167th  Reg. 
Harry  Weyant,  Co.  D,  167th  Regt. 
Franklin  Minker,  Co.  K,  151st  Regt. 
Benneville  Gauger,  Co.  H,  25th  Cav. 


Peter  R.  Wanner,  Co.  I,  151st  Regt. 
Leonard  Sweitzer,  Co.  D,  7th  Regt.  Pa. 
David  Reis,  Co.  I,  167th  Regt. 
William  Strohm,  Co.  I,  167th  Regt. 
Samuel  Schlegel,  War  of  1812. 
Augustus  Barlot,  Co.  E,  97th  Regt. 
Benjamin  Wolff,  Co.  H,  147th  Regt. 
John  Rothermel,  War  of  1812. 
Isaac  Wanner,  Co.  K,  151st  Regt. 
Jacob  Row,  War  of  1812. 
Abraham  Frederick,  Co.  G,  198th  Regt. 
William  M.  Myers,  • . 

Greenwich — Grimsville  Church. 
W.  H.  Derr,  Co.  G,  50th  Pa.  Inf. 

Hamburg. 
Lieut.  A.  S.  Fasig,  Co.  G,  96th  Pa.  Inf. 
R.  W.  Seidel,  Co.  B,  88th  Pa.  Inf. 
Peter  Bowman,  Co.  C,  48th  Pa.  Inf. 
Samuel  Bilman,  Co.  L,  1st  Pa.  Cav. 
Solomon  Stoudt,  Co.  E,  50th  Pa.  Inf. 
Jonathan  Bower,  Co.  D,  48th  Pa.  Inf. 
George  Zirn,  Co.  E,  10th  V.  R.  C. 
J.  A.  Moyer,  Co.  H,  55th  Pa.  Inf. 
Jeremiah  Gramlich,  Co.  L,  1st  Pa.  Cav. 
Jeremiah  Meinder,  Co.  D,  48th  Pa.  Inf. 
J.  A.  Silberman,  Co.  F,  3d  Pa.  Res. 
Daniel  Gares,  Co.  H,  21st  Pa.  Cav. 
J.  N.  Kemp,  band,  90th  Inf. 
Lieut.  Alfred  Billig,  Co.  H,  47th  Pa.  Inf. 
William  Berger,  Co.  G,  98th  Pa.  Inf. 
Elias  Strausser,  Co.  G,  96th  Pa.  Inf. 
D.  F.  Ketterer,  Co.  B,  198th  Pa.  Inf. 

Heidelberg — Corner  Church. 
Sergt.  Henry  H.  Wilkinson,  Co.  E,  51st  Pa.  Inf. 

Heidelberg — Haines  Church. 
Levi  Reather,  Co.  L,  1st  Pa.  Cav. 
John  Ulrich,  Co.  H,  88th  Pa.  Inf. 
Henry  Mattis,  Co.  H,  21st  Pa.  Cav. 
Joshua  Faust,  Co.  D,  1 98th  Regt. 

John  Moyer, . 

Peter  S.  Miller,  <Jo.  D,  167th  Regt. 

Hereford — Huffs  Church. 

Josiah  Jacobs, . 

Henry  Wagner, — ■. 

Kuiztown. 
George  W.  Heist,  Co.  K,  88th  Regt. 

Marion — Stouchsburg. 
Sergt.  J.  L.  Moore,  Co,  F,  4th  Pa.  Cav. 
C.  W.  Snyder,  Co.  B,  45th  Pa.  Inf. 
Morris  Reed,  Co.  H,  186th  Pa.  Inf. 

Oley — Frieden's  Church. 
William  A.  Fisher,  Co.  I,  7th  Pa.  Cav. 
Mahlon  Lease,  Co  K,  93d  Pa.  Inf. 
Amos  W.  Shearer,  Co.  C,  167th  Pa.  Cav. 


348 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Oley — Oley  Church. 
Mus.,  George  F.  Haldia,  Co.  C,  167th  Pa.  Inf. 

Ontelaunee — Gernanfs  Church. 
Peter  E.  Heck,  Co.  K,  151st  Pa.  Inf. 
J.  W.  Kemp,  Co.  G,  6th  Pa.  Cav. 
Jesse  Shelly,  Co.  B,  88th  Pa.  Inf. 

Ontelaunee — Leesport. 
George  Turner,  Co.  E.,  50th  Pa.  Inf. 
Morris  Weidenhammer,  Co.  E,  50th  Eegt. 

Perry — Shoemakersville. 
Corp.  William  Guldin,  Co.  1, 167th  Pa.  Inf. 
John  Zluhan,  Co.  K,  93d  Pa.  Inf. 

Richmond — -Blandon  Church. 
Lieut.  Caleb  Parvin,  Co.  E,  157th  Pa.  Inf. 
Sergt.  Charles  Wright,  Co.  D,  167th  Pa.  Inf. 

Robeson —  Geigertown. 
James  H.  Johnston,  Co.  A,  128th  Pa.  Inf. 
Henry  Geiger,  Co.  E,  50th  Pa.  Eegt. 

David  Care, . 

John  Wolf, . 

Robeson — St.  John's  Church. 
George  Boyer,  Co.  H,  205th  Pa.  Inf. 
Ezekiel  B.  Euth,  Co.  M,  5th  U.S.  Art. 
Isaac  Good,  Co.  E,  46th  Pa.  Inf. 
John  K.  Bechtel,  Co.  K,  50th  Pa.  Eegt. 
Sergt.  Slabrechter,  Co.  G,  19th  U.  S.  Inf. 
Allison  Hoffman,  Co.  D,  213th  Pa.  Eegt. 
John  Good,  Co.  D,  213th  Pa.  Eegt. 
Harmon  Hoffman,  Co.  I,  179th  Pa.  Eegt. 
Henry  Swoyer, . 

Spring — Sinking  Spring  Church. 
D.  B.  Bechtel,  Co.  H,  21st  Pa.  Cav. 
Corp.  Aaron  Hull,  Co.  K,  151st  Pa.  Eegt. 
Emanuel  W.  Harker,  Co.  K,  128th  Eegt. 

Topion. 
Lewis  Long,  Co.  K,  47th  Eegt. 

Tulpehocken,  Upper — Slrausstown. 
Sergt.  Percival  G.  Eeber,  Co.  H,  151st  Pa.  Inf. 

Washington — Catholic  Church. 
Sergt.  A.  P.  Matter,  Co.  C,  116th  Pa.  Inf. 

Womelsdorf. 
James  Eeifsnyder,  Co.  B,  55th  Pa.  Inf. 
Wm.  Williams,  Co.  B,  55th  Pa.  Inf. 
John  A.  Fidler,  musician,  90th  Pa.  Inf. 

John  Krumbine, . 

James  Jennings, . 

John  L.  Limmy,  Co.  B,  93d  Pa.  Eegt. 

Society  of  ex-Prisoners  of  War.— 
Certain  enlisted  men  from  Berks  County,  who 
were  prisoners  in  Confederate  military  prisons 
during  the  Civil  War,  formed  an  association 


for  mutual  protection  and  social  intercourse,  at 
Reading,  and  became  an  incorporated  body  on 
July  10,  1884.  They  have  had  an  active  or- 
ganization since.  The  following  roll  of  mem- 
bers includes  most  of  the  men  in  service  from 
Berks  County  who  were  prisoners  of  war.  The 
members,  including  the  officers  of  the  society, 
are — 

Eobert  Gerlach,  president ;  IT.  E.  Burkert,  secre- 
tary ;  C.  A.  Ziegler,  treasurer ;  H.  E.  Anthony  (past 
president),  J.  S.  Hendricks,  Samuel  G.  Boone,  J.  V. 
Kendall,  Thomas  Watt,  E.  B.  Jones,  J.  P.  Becker, 
William  H.  Sands,  H.  A.  Bingaman,  H.  E.  Anthony, 
George  Diefenderfer,  B.  F.  Markley,  Frank  Breneiser, 
Ira  U.  Travis,  Joseph  E.  Waid,  William  F.  Dough- 
erty, F.  L.  De  Gour,  Daniel  Moore,  Phaon  Kern,  H. 
A.  Mendenhall,  John  O'Neil,  John  Kraft,  Adam 
Grim,  William  E.  Ackey,  Oliver  C.  Hatch,  John 
Wilfort,  Andrew  Wilfort,  John«  Obold,  Henry  F. 
Yeager,  D.  A.  Geiger,  William  H.  Shick,  Albert  Thal- 
heimer,  George  H.  Garrett. 

grand  army  posts. 
The  McLean  Post,  No.  16,  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic,  was  organized  at  Reading, 
and  chartered  December  12,  1866,  having 
been  named  after  Lieutenant-Colonel  Joseph 
A.  McLean,  of  the  Eighty-eighth  Regiment  of 
Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Infantry.  It  has  been 
maintained  since,  with  a  gradually  increasing 
membership.  In  1885  the  roll  included  three 
hundred  and  fort  -two  members.  Forty  mem- 
bers have  died  since  its  organization. 

Past  Post  Commanders. — Lorenzo  D.  Wilson,  Mich- 
ael Walters,  George  W.  Grant,  Henry  Beckhardt  (two 
terms),  John  Teed,  Henry  D.  Markley,  George  W. 
Durell,  Henry  C.  Housum,  B.  Frank  McCoy,  J.  Fred- 
erick Goodhart,  Joel  H.  Schmehl,  Horace  D.  Boone, 
J.  Hiester  McKnight,  Daniel  J.  McLean,  William  M. 
Wells,  Eobert  Gerlach  (two  years),  Lewis  Crater, 
Mahlon  Shaaber,  Jonathan  S.  Ebling,  Edward  C. 
Eben,  Andrew  Mittower. 

Officers/or  1886.— Commander,  William  T.  Gorrell; 
Senior  Vice-Commander,  Henry  J.  Eichards  ;  Junior 
Vice-Commander,.  Owen  Hamilton  ;  Adjutant,  Wil- 
liam H.  German ;  Quartermaster,  H.  M.  M.  Eichards  ; 
Surgeon,  Dr.  Charles  T.  Eeber;  Chaplain,  Edward  C. 
Eben  ;  Officer  of  the  Day,  William  Still ;  Officer  of 
the  Guard,  Augustus  Lessig  ;  Quartermaster-Sergeant, 
Henry  Beckhardt;  Ordnance-Sergeant,  Calvin  B. 
Eeedy;  SergeanL-Major,  Mahlon  Shaaber;  Trustees, 
Jonathan  S.  Ebling,  John  Scheifley,  Oliver  L.  Edes; 
Auditing  Committee,  J.  Hiester  McKnight,  Henry 
Beckhardt,  Mahlon  Shaaber;  Delegates  to  Depart- 
ment Encampment,    William  H.   German,  Thomas 


MILITIA. 


349 


Hammer,  John  Schuyler,  Thomas  Watt,  Jervice  W. 
Edes,  William  H.  Riland ;  Alternates,  Frank  M. 
Coleman,  H.  M.  M.  Bichards,  Jonas  Montgomery, 
Isaac  W.  Lewis,  John  H.  Rice,  Hiram  Dickinson  ; 
Librarian,  F.  Marion  Jones. 

General  William  H.  Keim  Post,  No. 
76,  G.  A.  R.,  was  chartered  February  22, 
1878,  with  twenty-nine  members.  It  was 
named  after  General  Keim  of  Reading.  In 
January,  1886,  its  membership  was  one  hundred. 
Died  since  organization,  five. 

Officers  for  1886.— Commander,  Dr.  S.  C.  Ermen- 
trout ;  Senior  Vice-Commander,  Abram  Briel ;  Junior 
Vice-Commander,  Isaac  W.  Bowers  ;  Quartermaster, 
H.J.  Fink;  Surgeon,  Dr.  H.  M.  Nagle;  Chaplain, 
William  Strawbridge  ;  Officer  of  the  Day,  H.  D. 
Boone;  Officer  of  the  Guard,  R.  H.  Savage  ;  Adjutant, 
George  W.  Heilig;  Trustees,  E.  H.  Savage,  P.  M. 
Zeigler  and  Abram  Briel. 

General  George  G.  Meade  Camp,  No. 
16,  Sons  of  Veterans,  was  instituted  October 
30,  1881,  and  chartered  November  11,  1881, 
with  twenty-seven  charter  members.  It  is  a 
branch  of  the  Sons  of  Veterans,  an  organiza- 
tion which  has  its  headquarters  at  Philadelphia. 
It  is  under  the  command  of  Colonel  H.  H. 
Hammer.  The  object  of  this  association  is  to 
keep  active  the  memory  of  the  sacrifices  of  their 
fathers  in  the  battles  of  the  Civil  War. 

The  roll  of  the  camp  numbers  two  hundred 
and  seventy-seven  members.  This  is  a  large 
increase  since  its  organization.  The  present  of- 
ficers of  the  camp  are, — 

Captain,  C.  E.  Deifenderfer  ;  First  Lieutenant,  L. 
S.  Ramsey ;  Second  Lieutenant,  Samuel  Bechtel ; 
Chaplain,  G.  W.  Augee;  Orderly-Sergeant,  E.  G. 
Cake ;  Quartermaster,  Eobert  McLean ;  Sergeant  of 
Guard,  J.  McK.  Durell ;  Color-Sergeant,  N.  Rotben- 
berger ;  Corporal,  E.  L.  Biffert ;  Picket-Sentinel,  J. 
G.  Watt ;  and  Camp-Guard,  U.  Waid ;  Camp  Coun- 
cil, James  McK.  Durell,  W.  J.  Scheifly  and  J.  Bachs. 

Reading  Loyal  Ladies'  League,  No.  6. 
— This  organization  is  an  auxiliary  of  the 
"  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic."  It  is  founded 
on  and  governed  by  the  same  principles  of  "  fra- 
ternity, charity  and  loyalty,"  and  has  gained 
the  kindly  sympathy  and  affection  of  every 
soldier  through  the  country.  .Only  mothers, 
wives,  daughters  and  sisters  of  honorably  dis- 
charged soldiers  or  sailors  of  the  Civil  War  are 
admitted  into  membership. 


This  league  was  instituted  April  17, 1884,  by 
Mrs.  Laura  McNeir,  department  president  and 
Mrs.  Annie  E.  Grubb,  department  secretary  of 
William  B.  Hatch  League,  No.  2,  of  Camden, 
N.  J.  There  were  twenty-one  charter  mem- 
bers.    It  has  now  fifty  active  members. 

Officers. — President,  Anna  M.  Waid  ;  Senior  Vice- 
President,  Lizzie  Hammer;  Junior  Vice-President, 
Rebecca  Eeber ;  Secretary,  Mary  A.  Shaaber  ;  Treas- 
urer, Ellen  Golding;  Chaplain,  Lucretia  Eoot ;  Con- 
ductor, Clara  Hecker  ;  Guard,  Mary  Lott. 

McLean  Women's  Relief  Corps,  No.  10, 
was  chartered  October  1,  1884,  with  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty-one  members,  as  an  auxiliary 
to  McLean  Post,  No.  16,  G.  A.  R.  The  ob- 
ject of  the  organization  is  to  establish  a  perma- 
nent association  for  aiding  and  assisting  Post 
No.  16. 

Charter  Officers  : — President,  Emma  Moore  ;  Senior 
Vice-President,  Sarah  Millet ;  Junior  Vice-President, 
Susan  Dougherty ;  Secretary,  Emma  G.  Wineland  ; 
Treasurer,  Emma  Richards ;  Conductor,  Lizzie  Les- 
sig;  Chaplain,  Adaline  Fry ;  Guard,  Malinda  Sands. 

Since  being  chartered  this  relief  corps  has 
held  several  fairs,  bazars  and  camp-fires  for 
the  benefit  of  McLean  Post,  rendering  thereby 
valuable  pecuniary  assistance  to  the  post.  Since 
its  organization  it  has  turned  over  to  McLean 
Post  over  four  hundred  dollars  to  be  added  to 
the  Post  Memorial  Fund. 

Membership  in  January,  1886,  was  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

MILITIA. 

Legislative  Provision — County  Battalions  of  1783 — County 
Militia  proffer  Services  to  President  Adams  in  17i>8 — 
County  Military  Division — Encampment  at  Reading  in 
1842 — Battalion  Day  of  1843 — County  Militia  Companies 
in  1856— State  National  Guard — Reading  Artillerists — 
Military  Cadets. 

The  Revolution  closed  successfully,  but  the 
military  spirit  of  the  people  continued  to  pre- 
vail. It  was  encouraged  by  the  State  govern- 
ment. Legislation  required  it  to  be  exercised 
for  the  purpose  of  maintaining  familiarity  with 
its  affairs.     This  was  not  only  sensible,  but  also 


350 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


prudent.  Companies,  regiments  and  brigades 
were  organized  and  drilled  at  certain  fixed 
times  and  places  within  the  county.  The 
meeting  was  commonly  called  "  Battalion  Day.' 
It  preserved  a  strong  general  interest  in  public 
affairs,  especially  in  public  defense.  This  in- 
terest enabled  the  several  organizations  to 
respond  promptly  to  calls  for  their  services. 
Their  promptness  was  a  distinguishing  char- 
acteristic. And  it  has  ever  been  so.  Fortunately 
for  them  and  especially  for  the  country,  their 
services  were  not  needed  frequently.  Not  to 
mention  the  "  Whiskey  Insurrection "  and 
"  Northampton  Affair "  as  of  any  military 
consequence,  there  were  but  two  occasions 
for  a  period  covering  over  sixty  years  in  which 
their  services  were  required,  one  having  been 
the  English  War  of  1812-15,  and  the  other  the 
"  Mexican  War  "  of  1846-48,  each,  by  a  strange 
coincidence,  successively  apart  about  thirty 
years.  These  military  exercises  were  continued 
till  the  beginning  of  the  Rebellion,  when  they 
were  put  to  practical  account ;  but  this  outbreak 
of  the  southern  section  of  the  country  against 
the  northern  was  of  such  a  serious,  long-con- 
tinned  and  costly  nature,  in  respect  to  loss  of 
property  and  life,  that  the  spirit  for  a  return  to 
military  exercise  had  come  to  be  entirely  ex- 
hausted. But,  as  an  institution  during  the 
history  of  the  county  previous  to  1860,  it  is 
worthy  of  special  mention.  It  was  a  conspicu- 
ous feature  from  1783  till  that  time — a  period 
covering  nearly  eighty  years.  It  certainly 
relieved  the  monotony  of  political,  commercial 
and  social  life,  and  afforded  the  citizens  much 
merriment,  if  not  much  practical  benefit. 

Legislative  Provision. — The  Convention 
of  1776,  in  framing  the  first  Constitution  of  the 
State,  made  provision  for  the  establishment  of 
a  military  system.  The  Constitution  provided 
as  follows :  "  The  freemen  of  this  common- 
wealth and  their  sons  shall  be  trained  and 
armed  for  its  defense  under  such  regulations,  re- 
strictions and  exceptions  as  the  General  Assembly 
shall  by  law  direct,  preserving  always  to  the 
people  the  right  of  choosing  their  colonels  and 
all  commissioned  officers  under  that  rank."  The 
Revolution  was  then  raging  ;  and  a  State  sys- 
tem was  not  necessary,  owing  to  the  general  sys- 


tem provided  by  the  government  of  the  United 
States.  Without  any  training  in  the  "  military 
art,"  the  freemen  were  at  once  thrown  into  actual 
practice,  in  which  they  met  an  enemy  face  to 
face.  Their  encounters  were  not  "  sham  bat- 
tles," and  they  afforded  no  "  fun  and  frolic." 
In  this  practice  many  paid  the  price  of  life  for 
liberty.  After  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  the 
State  adopted  a  system  in  order  to  keep  the  free- 
men trained,  the  Constitution  of  1790  having 
made  the  following  provision  :  "  The  free- 
men of  this  commonwealth  shall  be  armed  and 
disciplined  for  its  defense.  Those  who  con- 
scientiously scruple  to  bear  arms  shall  not  be 
compelled  to  do  so,  but  shall  pay  an  equivalent 
for  personal  service." 

This  system  was  modified  by  repeated  legis- 
lation, and  its  provisions  were  carried  out  year 
after  year  till  the  Rebellion,  which,  owing  to 
its  serious  character,  suspended  their  operation 
during  its  continuance.  By  it,  the  State  was 
divided  into  sixteen  military  divisions.  Each 
division  comprised  two  brigades,  and  each  bri- 
gade as  many  regiments  as  could  be  arranged 
within  the  bounds  of  the  division. 

County  Battalions.  —  Immediately  after 
the  conclusion  of  the  Revolution,  the  system  of 
militia  throughout  the  State  was  thoroughly  or- 
ganized. It  was  active  and  successful  in  Berks 
County.  It  embraced  six  battalions,  the  officers 
and  location  of  which  were  as  set  forth  in  the 
following  statement.  The  regimental  officers 
were  appointed  on  April  19,  1783,  excepting 
Jacob  Bower,  major  of  First  Battalion,  who  was 
appointed  on  January  3, 1784,  and  also  the  offi- 
cers of  the  Fourth  Battalion,  who  were  uncom- 
missioned in  September,  1784  : 

FIRST  BATTALION. 

Nicholas  Lutz,  lieutenant-colonel. 
Jacob  Bower,  major. 

Heidelberg,  Company  1.— Adam  Hain,  captain  ;  Pe- 
ter Kole,  lieutenant;  John  Hain,  ensign.  Number  of 
men,  115. 

Reading,  Company  2.— Peter  Nagel,  captain  ;  Chris- 
tian Madery,  lieutenant ;  Ernst  Gross,  ensign.  Num- 
ber of  men, . 

Cumru,  Company  3.— John  Weidner,  captain ;  Chris- 
tian Bechtel,  lieutenant;  David  Punzius,  eusign. 
Number  of  men,  106. 

Heading,  Company 4.— Conrad Geist, captain;  Henry 


MILITIA. 


351 


Brown,  lieutenant;  Jacob  Leitheuser,  ensign.  Num- 
ber of  men,  101. 

Heidelberg,  Company  5. — Sebastian  Miller,  captain ; 
Adam  Ruth,  lieutenant;  John  Gernand,  ensign.  Num- 
ber of  men,  81. 

Alsace,  Company  (i. — Henry  Wax,  captain  ;  John 
Keen,  lieutenant ;  Ludwig  Bausler,  ensign.  Number 
of  men,  129. 

Cumru  and  Brecknock,  Company  7. — Peter  Gower, 
captain ;  Adam  Spoon,  lieutenant ;  Daniel  Panne- 
becker,  ensign.     Number  of  men,  102. 

Reading,  Company  8. — John  Strohecker,  captain  ; 
John  Kendall,  lieutenant;  Hartman  Leitheuser,  en- 
sign.    Number  of  men,  103. 

SECOND  BATTALION. 

Baltzer  Gehr,  lieutenant-colonel. 
Martin  Kaercher,  major. 

Brunswig,  Company  1. — Conrad  Minnich,  captain ; 
Nicholas  Haller,  lieutenant;  Martin  Dreibelbis,  en- 
sign.   Number  of  men, . 

Bern,  Company  2. — Jacob  Shartle,  captain  ;  George 
Albrecht,  lieutenant;  Christian  Albrecht,  ensign. 
Number  of  men, . 

Windsor,  Company  3. — Godfrey  Seidle,  captain  ;  Si- 
mon Kreusher,  lieutenant;  Anthony  Billich,  ensign. 
Number  of  men, . 

Bern,  Company  4. — Francis  Umbehacker,  captain  ; 
Jacob Bunkel,  lieutenant;  Jacob  Heck,  ensign.  Num- 
ber of  men, . 

Windsor,  Company  5. —  Jacob  Shappell,  captain; 
George  Reber,  lieutenant;  Andrew  Smith,  ensign. 
Number  of  men,  — —  . 

Brunswig,  Company  6. — Jacob  Wetstone,  captain  ; 
Michael  Moser,  lieutenant  ;  George  Orwig,  ensign. 
Number  of  men, . 

Albany,  Company  7.  —  Michael  Brobst,  captain  ; 
George  Poh,  lieutenant ;  Philip  Glick,  ensign.  Num- 
ber of  men, . 

Bern,  Company  8. — Jacob  Eppler,  Jr.,  captain;  Val- 
entine Moser,  lieutenant ;  Nicholas  Lieb,  ensign. 
Number  of  men, . 

THIRD  BATTALION. 

Samuel  Ely,  lieutenant-colonel. 
Stephen  Baldy,  major. 

Longxwamp,  Company  1. — Charles  Krause,  captain ; 
Jacob  Miller,  lieutenant;  John  Fenstermaeher,  en- 
sign.    Number  of  men, . 

Longswamp,  Company  2. — Valentine  Haupt,  cap- 
tain; Peter  Klein,  lieutenant;  Henry  Christ,  ensign. 
Number  of  men, . 

Maxatawny,  Company  3.  —  Michael  Hinterleiter, 
captain;  Jacob  Siegfried,  Jr.,  lieutenant; ,  en- 
sign.    Number  of  men, •. 

Richmond,  Company  4. — Christian  Merkle,  captain ; 
Philip  Klein,  lieutenant;  Conrad  Stenger,  ensign. 
Number  of  men, . 

Maxatawny,  Company  5. — Jacob  Sweyer,  captain  ; 


Henry  Sweyer,  lieutenant ;  Jacob  Christ,  ensign. 
Number  of  men, . 

Greenwich,  Company  (i. — Peter  Smith,  captain  ;  Jost 
Soder,  lieutenant;  Henry  Fisher,  ensign.  Number  of 
men, . 

Richmond,  Company!. — Jacob  Baldy,  captain;  John 
King,  lieutenant ;  Leonard  Snyder,  ensign.  Number 
of  men, . 

Maiden  Creek,  Company  8. — George  Weidenham- 
mer,  captain;  ,  lieutenant;  ,  ensign.  Num- 
ber of  men, . 

FOURTH  BATTALION. 

George  Ax,  lieutenant-colonel. 
Benjamin  Talbert,  major. 

Caernarvon,  Company  1. — John  Robeson,  captain  ; 
Aaron  Rettew,  Jr.,  lieutenant ;  John  Harper,  ensign. 
Number  of  men,  . 

Robeson,  Company  2. — Matthias  Kaler,  captain  ; 
Joshua  Stephenson,  lieutenant ;  Peter  Moyer,  ensign. 
Number  of  men, . 

Robeson,  Company  3. — Adam  Beard,  captain  ;  Elias 
Redge,  lieutenant ;  Christopher  Kinsman,  ensign. 
Number  of  men,  . 

Exeter,  Company  4. — John  Ludwig,  captain  ;  Abra- 
ham Griffith,  lieutenant;  Conrad  Teeder,  ensign. 
Number  of  men, . 

Douglass,  Company  5. — Samuel  Sands,  captain ;  Sam- 
uel Avenshine,  lieutenant;  Henry  Manger,  ensign. 
Number  of  men,  . 

Amity,  Company  6. — David  Weidner,  captain;  Adam 
Betz,  lieutenant;  Matthias  Key ler,  ensign.  Number 
of  men, . 

Exeter,  Company  7. — John  Snyder,  captain ;  John 
Hider,  lieutenant ;  Daniel  Schneider,  ensign.  Num- 
ber of  men, . 

Union,  Company  8  (late  Colonel  Ax's  company). — 
,  captain  ; ,  lieutenant ;  ,  ensign.  Num- 
ber of  men, . 

FIFTH  BATTALION. 

Henry  Spyker,  lieuteuant-colonel. 
Christian  Lower,  Jr.,  major. 

Bethel,  Company  1. — Michael  Wolf,  captain ;  Fred. 
Seybert,  lieutenant ;  Christian  Walborn,  Jr.,  ensign. 
Number  of  men, . 

Tulpehocken,  Company  2. — John  Anspach,  captain  ; 
Nicholas  Seybert,  lieutenant;  John  Lesher,  Jr.,  en- 
sign.    Number  of  men,  107. 

Heidelberg,  Company  3. — Philip  Filbert,  captain  ; 
George  Knopp,  lieutenant;  John  Klingler,  ensign. 
Number  of  men,  70. 

Heidelberg,  Company  4. — Daniel  Graeff,  captain  ; 
Joseph  Deppen,  lieutenant;  Jonas  Eckert,  ensign. 
Number  of  men, . 

Tulpehocken,  Company  5. — John    Riegel,   captain  ; 

Christopher  ,  lieutenant ;   John  Walter,  ensign. 

Number  of  men,  127. 

Pine  O-rove,  Company  6. — Philip  Hedrich,  captain  ; 


352 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Peter  Bressler,  lieutenant ;  Jacob  Stein,  ensign.  Num- 
ber of  men, . 

Tulpehochen,  Company  7. — Henry  Spang,  captain  ; 
Jacob  Smith,  lieutenant  ;  Jacob  Shaffer,  ensign. 
Number  of  men, . 

Bethel,  Company  8. — John  Folmer,  captain ;  Daniel 
Kramer,  lieutenant;  Andrew  Daniel,  ensign.  Num- 
ber of  men,  93. 

SIXTH  BATTALION. 

John  Cunnius,  lieutenant-colonel. 
Nicholas  Hunter,  major. 

Oley,  Company  1. — Daniel  Leinbach,  captain ;  John 
Kerlin,  lieutenant;  John  Hunter,  ensign.  Number 
of  men,  70. 

Buscomb-manor,  Company  2. — Jacob  Rodarmel,  cap- 
tain ;  Jacob  Price,  lieutenant ;  Frederick  Bingeman, 
ensign.     Number  of  men,  44. 

Rockland,  Company  3. — George  Bieber,  captain ; 
Adam  Zwoyer,  lieutenant;  Jacob  Seybert,  ensign. 
Number  of  men,  103. 

Colebroohdale,  Company  4. — Adam  Rhoads,  captain ; 
George  Gilbert,  lieutenant;  George  Fronheiser,  ensign. 
Number  of  men,  92. 

Earl,  Company  5. — David  Schall,  captain ;  Jacob 
Keen,  lieutenant ;  Balser  Behm,  ensign.  Number  of 
men,  51. 

Oley,  Company  6. — Jacob  Hill,  captain  ;  John 
Lesher,  lieutenant;  Abraham  Lesher,  ensign.  Num- 
ber of  men,  70. 

Hereford,  Company  7. — John  Miller,  captain ;  John 
Goodman,  lieutenant;  Henry  Gibson,  ensign.  Num- 
ber of  men,  109. 

East  District,  Company  8. — Peter  Kieffer,  captain  ; 
Christopher  Frey,  lieutenant ;  Matthias  Reichert,  en- 
sign.    Number  of  men,  104. 

Total  number  of  men  in  Sixth  Battalion,  643. 

County  Militia  Proffer  Services  to 
President  Adams. — The  militia  of  the  county 
were  always  ready  to  offer  its  services  to  the 
national  government  for  the  purposes  of  main- 
taining its  dignity  and  enforcing  its  authority. 
In  1798  a  misunderstanding  arose  between  our 
government  and  the  French  government.  The 
representatives  of  the  latter,  whilst  at  Philadel- 
phia, were  arrogant  and  insulting  in  their  de- 
portment, and  a  blow  was  given  to  our  com- 
merce on  the  sea  by  seizing  and  detaining  many 
of  our  vessels  (said  to  have  been  nearly  a  thou- 
sand) for  examination  to  ascertain  whether  or 
npt  we,  as  a  neutral  government,  were  carrying 
any  English  commodities.  Such  vessels  were 
regarded  as  good  prize,  and  all  French  ports 
were  ordered  to  be  closed  against  all  neutral 
vessels  which  had  touched  ports  under  the  Eng- 


lish flag.  President  Adams  appointed  three 
envoys  to  visit  France  and  adjust  the  difficulties; 
but,  instead  of  being  properly  received,  they 
were  unofficially  met  by  three  agents,  who  as- 
sured them  that  they  would  not  be  received 
until  they  had  offered  suitable  bribes  to  the  of- 
ficers of  the  government.  They  rejected  the 
humiliating  proposal,  and  were  ordered  to  leave 
the  country.  Upon  their  return  they  presented 
their  report,  which  was  published  in  this  coun- 
try and  republished  in  England  and  France. 
This  treatment  of  our  envoys  aroused  the  coun- 
try to  indignation,  and  Congress  ordered  an  en- 
largement of  the  standing  army  by  twelve  regi- 
ments. Some  conflicts  arose  on  the  sea,  but 
Napoleon,  upon  taking  control  of  the  French 
jjovernment,  soon  established  a  cordial  under- 
standing  between  the  two  countries,  American 
vessels  were  no  longer  molested,  and  two  years 
afterwards  Louisiana  was  ceded  to  the  United 
States.  During  this  excitement  the  officers  of 
the  Berks  County  Brigade  met  at  the  court- 
house in  Reading  on  June  30,  1798,  and  ad- 
dressed a  patriotic  letter  to  President  Adams, 
offering  their  services  to  assist  in  resenting  the 
insult  of  the  French  to  our  government.  The 
President  gave  them  the  following  reply : 

"  To  the  General  of  the  Division   composed  of  the 
Berks  and  Dauphin  County  Brigades  of  Pennsyl- 
vania Militia,  and  the  officers  of  the  Berks  County 
Brigade. 
"Gentlemen: 

"  This  vigorous  address  from  a  long  list  of  respecta- 
ble Officers  is  the  natural  Consequence  of  your  ab- 
horrence of  French  Principles  and  indignation  at  the 
infamous  Conduct  of  the  French  Republick  towards 
this  Country. 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  assurance  that  you  will  be 
incessant  in  your  endeavors  to  put  the  Berks  County 
Brigade  of  the  Militia  of  Pennsylvania  in  such  a  Sit- 
uation as  will  enable  it  to  turn  out  with  Promptitude 
and  Effect,  and  for  your  engagement  that  you  will 
march  with  alacrity  against  either  Foreign  or  Domes- 
tick  enemies  whenever  called  upon,  and  defend  your 
Constitution  and  Independence  or  perish  in  the  At- 
tempt ;  The  Solemnity  with  which  you  promise  this 
will  admit  no  doubt  of  your  Sincerity — your  Enemies 
will  do  well  to  consider  it. 

"I  return  with  Gratitude  your  Sincere  wishes  for 
my  temporal  and  eternal  Welfare. 

"John  Adams. 

"Philadelphia,  July  13th,  1798." 

County  Military  Division— In  1807  Berks 


MILITIA. 


353 


and  Dauphin  Counties  comprised  the  Sixth  Div- 
ision. In  1814  two  new  counties,  Schuylkill 
and  Lebanon,  were  added  to  this  division,  Dau- 
phin and  Lebanon  forming  the  First  Brigade, 
and  Berks  aud  Schuylkill  the  Second ;  and  in 
1849,  Dauphin,  Lebanon  and  Barks  comprised 
the  Fifth  Division.  The  last  act  before  the 
Rebellion  was  passed  in  1 858,  by  which  Berks 
was  still  a  part  of  the  same  division. 

Every  free,  able-bodied,  white  male  citizen 
who  was  a  resident  in  the  State  for  six  months 
previous  to  the  time  of  his  enrollment,  of  the  age 
of  eighteen  years  and  under  the  age  of  forty-five 
years,  was  required  to  be  enrolled  in  the  militia — 
certain  official  and  other  persons  excepted. 

The  militiamen  were  paraded  and  trained 
in  May  of  every  year,  first  in  companies, 
on  the  first  Monday,  and  then  in  battal- 
ions, on  the  second  Monday.  These  services 
and  parades  were  very  useful.  But  beyond 
their  utility,  they  provided  great  amusement  for 
the  people.  Many  persons  set  apart  this  day  as 
a  "holiday,"  if  they  did  not  set  apart  any  oth- 
er in  the  entire  year.  This  day  was  held  at  the 
several  boroughs,  even  at  certain  prominent 
towns  in  the  county,  but  especially  at  Reading. 

Encampment  at  Reading. — A  large  and 
successful  encampment  of  militia  was  held  at 
Reading  during  May,  1842.  It  was  arranged 
along  the  base  of  Penn's  Mount,  and  continued 
from  May  18th  for  one  week. 

The  following  officers  and  troops  attended : 

Officers. — Commander-in-Chief,  Major-Genera]  John 
Davis,  Bucks  County;  Aid,  Colonel  David  Marple; 
Commander  Berks  County  Brigade,  Brigadier-General 
Wm.  High,  Berks  County ;  Brigade- Major,  Colonel  J. 
K.  Murphy,  Philadelphia;  Brigade- Adjutant,  Colo- 
nel C.  F.  Jackson,  Beading  ;  Brigade-Quartermaster, 
Lieutenant  Joel  Ritter,  Reading;  Assistants,  Colonel 
W.  M.  Huddy,  Phila. ;  Lieutenant  W.  F.  Small 
Phila. ;  Brigade-Surgeon,  Dr.  John  G.  Marshall,  Read- 
ing; Assistant,  Dr.  Eichholtz  ;  Commander  ReadiDg 
Battalion,  Major  W.  H.  Keim ;  Commander  Ham- 
burg Battalion,  Major  J.  A.  Beitenman  ;  visitor,  Gen- 
eral Gratz,  of  Lancaster. 

Troops. — Reading  Troop,  Captain  J.  W.  Burkhart, 
SO  men  ;  National  Troop,  Oley,  Captain  Henry  Shaf- 
fer, 45  men ;  Schuylkill  County  Cavalry,  Pottsville, 
Captain  George  C.  Wyncoop,  28  men;  Hamburg 
Troop,  Captain  Wm.  Miller,  30  men ;  Reading  Artiller- 
ists, Captain  Thomas  Leoser,  52  men  ;  Hamburg  Ar- 
tillerists, Captain  Reeser,  52  men ;  Washington  Le- 


gion, Womelsdorf,  Capt.  Brownewell,  46  men  ;  Wash- 
ington Grays,  Reading,  Lieut.  David  McKnight,  40 
men  ;  National  Light  Infantry,  Pottsville,  Captain 
Dean,  44  men ;  National  Grays,  Orwigsburg,  Captain 
John  Bickel,  40  men ;  Harrison  Guards,  Allen  town, 
Captain  Jacob  D.  Boas,  34  men  ;  National  Grays, 
Reading,  Captain  A.  C.  Hoff,  35  men ;  Berks  County 
Rifle  Rangers,  Captain  Heinly,  54  men ;  Bernville 
Rifle  Grays,  Captain  Renno,  65  men. 
Instructor. — Captain  Alden  Partridge. 

On  Thursday  night,  May  19th,  a  heavy 
shower  of  rain  fell  upon  the  encampment,  ac- 
companied by  storm.  Several  tents  were  blown 
down. 

The  daily  duty  at  the  encampment  was  simi- 
lar to  army  regulation  during  actual  war.  It 
was  as  follows : 

Morning  gun  at  daybreak.  Grand  parade,  10  A.m. 
Reveille.  Dinner,  12  M. 

Roll-call.  Regular  parade,  4  p.m. 

Morning  parade.  Evening  gun,  6  p.  m. 

Breakfast.  Tattoo  and  countersign,  10 

Detail  of  guards.  p.m. 

Inspection.  Light  extinguished  11  p.m. 

And  from  11  P  M.  to  daylight ''  the  sentry  walked  his 
lonely  round." 

A  review  of  the  troops  was  held  on  Satur- 
day, May  21st.  The  day  was  fine,  and  thou- 
sands of  persons  were  in  attendance. 

General  Winfield  Scott,  accompanied  by  his 
aids,  arrived  at  Reading  on  the  day  of  the  re- 
view. He  was  met  at  the  "depot"  (Seventh 
and  Chestnut  Streets)  by  a  detachment  of  mili- 
tary and  escorted  to  Herr's  Hotel  (United 
States,  north  side  of  Penn,  between  Fourth  and 
Fifth),  followed  by  many  citizens.  He  spent 
Sunday  at  Reading.  On  Monday,  23d,  he  re- 
viewed the  troops  at  the  encampment.  During 
this  day  the  medals  were  shot  for.  The  "  In- 
fantry Medal  "  was  won  by  "William  Yerger,  of 
the  "Reading  "Washington  Grays;"  the  "Rifle 
Medal, "  by  a  member  of  the  "  Harrison  Guards," 
from  Allen  town  ;  and  the  "Cavalry  Medal," 
by  William  Glassmyer,  of  the  "Pottsville 
Troop. "  General  Scott  expressed  himself  as 
highly  pleased  with  the  discipline  and  appear- 
ance of  the  encampment.  He  paid  a  special 
compliment  to  the  "  Reading  Artillerists. "  He 
left  Reading  on  Tuesday  to  review  an  encamp- 
ment at  Danville,  Pa.  Whilst  here  he  very 
kindly   presented  each    of  the  Revolutionary 


354 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


survivors  with  a  twenty-dollar  gold-piece.  This 
generous  act  made  a  deep  impression  upon  the 
community. 

Battalion  Day  of  1843.— "The  Battalion 
Day"  of  May,  1843,  received  the  following  ex- 
pressive notice : 1 

"This  glorious  assemblage  of  heroes  made  their 
annual  appearance  yesterday  at  Reading.  There  was 
lots  of  fun,  beauty  and  broomsticks,  rum,  flying- 
horses,  fights  with  the  guards,  fancy  military  move- 
ments, fisticuffs,  dances,  dice  and  pitching  of  pennies, 
and  all  the  elegant  amusements  peculiar  to  the  bill 
and  day.  The  officers  appeared  to  particular  ad- 
vantage and  gave  the  words  of  command  with  remark- 
able emphasis  and  cadence.  The  movements  of  the 
troops,  were,  we  are  compelled  to  say,  not  quite  so 
elaborate  as  we  had  anticipated  from  the  known  abili- 
ties of  the  commanders." 

County  Militia  Companies  in  1856. — 
In  1856  there  were  twenty-four  companies  of 
militia  in  Berks  County.  These  were  arranged 
in  six  battalions,  and  comprised  the  First  Bri- 
gade of  the  Fifth  Division  of  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers.  The  officers,  companies  and  force 
were  as  follows  : 

FIFTH  DIVISION    PENNSYLVANIA    VOLUNTEERS. 

Major-General,  William  H.  Keim,  Beading;  Aid- 
de-Camp,  Major  S.  L.  Young,  Reading ;  Aid-de-Camp, 
Major  A.  Jordan  Schwartz,  Reading  ;  Division  Sur- 
geon, Major  John  H.  Seltzer,  Reading ;  Division 
Engineer,  Major  William  A.  Sands,  Reading. 

The  division  comprised  three  brigades — 1, 
Berks  County ;  2,  Lebanon  County ;  3,  Dau- 
phin County. 

Officers  of  First  Brigade. — -Brigadier-General,  Chas. 
H.  Hunter;  Brigade  Inspector,  Major  Richards 
McMichael;  Brigade  Major,  Charles  B.  McKnight; 
Aid-de-Camp,  Henry  R.  Hawman ;  Quartermaster, 
William  A.  Sands. 

Officers  of  First  Battalion,  Beading  Volunteers. — 
Major,  W.  H.  Keim ;  Adjutant,  S.  L.  Young ;  Quar- 
termaster, William  Graff;  Surgeon,  Dr.  J.  Livingood  ; 
Sergeant-Major,  William  B.  Piper ;  Quartermaster- 
Sergeant,  Reuben  Leightheiser. 

first  BEioiDE  {six  battalions). 


First  Battalion,  Beading,  W.  H.  Keim,  Major. 


Force. 


1.  Reading  Dragoons,  Lieut.  W.  A.  Sands 49 

2.  Keystone  Lancers,  Captain   Tobias  Barto 38 

3.  Ringgold  Artillery,  Captain  James  McKnight..  239 


'Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal,  May  20,  1843. 


4.  Reading  Artillery,  Captain  W.  I.  Clous 64 

5.  Reading  Rifles,  Captain  F.  S.  Boas 104 

6.  American  Rifles,  Captain  William  Rollman...     45 

539 
Second  Battalion,  Hamburg,  J.  A.  Beitenman,  Major. 

Force. 

7.  Windsor  Cavalry,  Captain  William  Shomo....     54 

8.  Hamburg  Artillery,  Captain  J.  A.  Beitenman..    55 

9.  Pleasant   Valley  Artillery,  Captain  Jonathan 

S.  Herbein 40 

10.  Berks  County  Rifle  Rangers,  Captain  George 

Heinly. 57 

206 
Third  Battalion,  Maiden-creel;,  D.  B.  Kaufman,  Major. 

Force. 

11.  Berks  County   National  Dragoons,  Captain 

David  Levan 34 

12.  Monroe  Troop,  Captain  Stanley  Kirby 38 

13.  Richmond  Artillery,  Captain  Christ.  Schnay- 

berger ._ 61 

133 

Fourth  Battalion,  Taylor,  Isaac  Schroeder,  Major. 

Force. 

14.  National  Troop,  Captain  Henry  Schaeffer 64 

15.  Washington  Artillery,  Capt.  Isaac  Schroeder.    57 

16.  Pennsylvania  Artillery,  Captain  Amos  Maul.     68 

17.  National  Artillery,  Captain  Jer.  Weaver 67 

18.  Washington  Rifle  Blues,  Capt.  John  Gechter.     55 

311 
Fifth  Battalion,  Union,  William  J.  Schoener,  Major. 

Force, 

19.  Washington  Troop,  Captain  William  N.  Bot- 

teiger 36 

20.  Jackson  Artillery,  Captain  Wm.  J.  Schoener..    61 

21.  Keystone  Rifles,  Captain  Levi  M.  Gerhart...    38 

135 
Sixth  Battalion,  Marion,  John  Bechtold,  Major. 

Force. 

22.  Washington  Guards,  Captain  Josiah  Groh...    34 

23.  Washington  Legion,  Captain  Jer.  Clous 38 

24.  Ringgold  Light  Infantry,  Captain  John  Bech- 

told     37 

139 
The  total  force  of  troops  then  in  the  county 
was  6644 ;  reported  in  companies,  1463.     The 
grade  of  the  companies  was  as  follows  : 

First  Grade.— Ringgold  Light  Artillery. 
^  Third   Grade    (cavalry).— Reading  Dragoons,  Na- 
tional Troop,  Washington  Guards,  Monroe  Troop, 
Washington    Troop,    Windsor    Cavalry,    Keystone 
Lancers,  Berks  County  National  Dragoons. 

Fourth    Grade    (heavy  artillery).— Reading  Artil- 


MILITIA. 


355 


lery,  Hamburg  Artillery,  National  Artillery,  Pleasant 
Valley  Artillery,  Pennsylvania  Artillery,  Washington 
Artillery,  Jackson  Artillery,  Richmond  Artillery. 

Fifth  Grade  (light  infantry). — Washington  Legion, 
Ringgold  Light  Infantry. 

Seventh  Grade  (riflemen). — Berks  Rifle  Rangers, 
Washington  Rifle  Blues,  Reading  Rifle  Company, 
Keystone  Rifles. 

These  companies  were  in  active  existence  at 
the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  in  1860-61. 

State  National,  Guard. — In  1864  a  new 
system  was  provided.  "  The  active  militia  shall 
be  composed  of  volunteers  ;  and,  in  case  of  war, 
invasion,  the  suppression  of  riots,  etc.  .  .  .shall 
first  be  ordered  into  service."  The  assessors 
are  required  to  enroll  "  every  able-bodied  male 
citizen  resident  within  the  State  of  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years  and  under  the  age  of  forty- 
five  years"  excepting  certain  persons  specified  ; 
and  this  roll  of  persons  is  placed  on  record  in 
the  office  of  the  county  commissioners  ;  and  the 
whole  number  of  persons  liable  to  military  duty 
is  reported  by  the  commissioners  to  the  adju- 
tant-general of  the  state.  The  enrolled  militia 
shall  be  subject  to  no  active  duty  except  in  case 
of  war,  invasion,  riot,  etc.  The  commander-in- 
chief  may  order  the  militia  to  be  drafted  from 
the  persons  liable  to  duty  or  accept  as  many 
volunteers  as  may  be  required.  The  organiza- 
tion is  similar  to  the  previous  systems,  but  the 
State  is  divided  into  twenty  divisions,  each 
county  to  form  a  separate  brigade.  Berks, 
Lebanon  and  Dauphin  Counties  comprise  the 
Fifth  Division.  Subsequent  modifications  have 
been  made.  The  active  militia  is  styled  the 
"National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania."  In  time 
of  peace  it  shall  comprise  an  aggregate  not  to 
exceed  ten  thousand  officers  and  men  and  "  con- 
sist of  two  hundred  companies,  fully  armed,  uni- 
formed and  equipped,  to  be  distributed  among 
the  several  military  divisions  of  the  State  accord- 
ing tothenumber  ofits  taxable  population."  And 
provision  is  made  for  drilling,  inspections  and  en- 
campments. This  system  is  carried  on  success- 
fully but  without  causing  any  public  excitement, 
excepting  during  the  time  and  in  the  vicinity 
of  any  encampment. 

Reading  Artillerists. — A  company  of 
volunteers  was  organized  at  Reading,  and 
named  the   "  Reading  Artillerists  " — reviving 


the  name  of  a  military  organization  which  had 
first  been  organized  at  Reading  in  1794,  and 
continued  in  active  existence  till  the  Civil  War, 
in  which  it  was  enlisted  in  the  three  months' 
service  in  1861,  as  Company  G,  First  Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers ;  most  of  the  men  re- 
enlisted  in  different  companies  and  served  till 
the  close  of  the  year. 

This  company  was  reorganized  and  mustered 
in  on  May  2,  1881,  as  Company  G,  Fourth 
Regiment  of  National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania, 
with  Robert  H.  Savage;  as  captain,  Wm.  H. 
Souders  as  first  lieutenant,  and  Abel  H.  Beyer 
as  second  lieutenant;  and  it  numbered  fifty- 
six  men.  Its  organization  is  still  maintained, 
numbering  fifty-five  men,  with  Henry  J.. 
Christoph  as  captain,  Elmer  A.  German, 
first  lieutenant,  and  William  O.  Scull, 
second  lieutenant. 

Captain  Daniel  de  B.  Keim,  the  oldest 
son  of  John  Keim,  a  prominent  merchant  at 
Reading,  was  born  on  September  8,  1772,  and 
educated  in  the  place  named.  He  became  in- 
terested in  military  affairs  at  an  early  age. 
When  twenty -two  years  old  he  raised  a  company 
of  infantry,  called  the  "  Reading  Union  Vol- 
unteers," and  as  captain  marched  with  them 
under  General  Henry  Lee  to  assist  in  quelling 
the  "  Whiskey  Insurrection  "  that  had  arisen 
in  the  western  part  of  Pennsylvania.  This 
company  was  detailed  at  Carlisle  as  the  body- 
guard of  President  Washington,  and  continued 
to  perform  that  duty  as  long  as  the  President 
remained  with  the  army.  In  1814  he  com- 
manded a  company  of  volunteers,  called  the 
"Reading  Washington  Guards,"  which  was 
stationed  for  a  time  near  Baltimore  during  the 
English  War  in  this  country.  Pie  organized 
the  "Reading  Artillerists"  in  1794,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  for  their  use  from  the 
national  government  a  battery  of  five  field- 
pieces  which  had  been  captured  at  Yorktown. 
The  name  of  this  company  has  been  trans- 
mitted by  various  military  organizations  till 
the  present  time.  It  participated,  under  the 
command  of  Captain  Keim,  in  the  grand  rer 
ception  given  to  General  Lafayette  at  Phila- 
delphia in  1824. 

Captain  Keim  manifested  an  earnest  interest 


356 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


in  our  local  history.  In  1833  he  contributed 
a  valuable  article  to  the  "  Ladies'  Garland," 
relating  to  the  early  settlement  of  Reading,  and 
including  other  matters  of  historical  interest. 
It  was  the  first  description  of  our  immediate 
locality  which  was  published  in  a  printed  form. 
He  died  in  1833. 

General  George  de  Benneville  Keim,1 
second  son  of  John  Keim,  a  successful  merchant 
at  Reading,  and  Susan  de  Benneville  (the  daugh- 
ter of  Dr.  George  de  Benneville),  his  wife,  was 
born  at  Reading,  December  16,  1778,  and  edu- 
cated in  the  old  "  Friends'  Meeting-house."  He 
was  then  sent  by  his  father  to  Philadelphia, 
where  he  remained  for  some  years  in  the  large 
and  well-known  hardware  store  of  the  Messrs 
Chancellors,  to  acquire  a    knowledge  of   that 
business.     In  his  twentieth  year,  upon  his  re- 
turn to  Reading,  he  was  taken  into  partnership 
by  his  father,   who  was  conducting   the   same 
business    which    had    been    established   in  the 
property  generally  known  as  the  "old  white  store." 
This  building  was  the  first  business  place  at  Read- 
ing, and  was  conducted   by  Conrad  Weiser  for 
some  years,  and  came  to  be  owned  by  Nicholas 
Keim  (the  grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch)  in  1 769.     Here  Mr.    Keim  carried  on 
business  for  many  years.     He  also  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  iron,  having  interests  in  the 
Reading  Furnace  and  various  forges.     When 
the  difficulties   occurred  in  1794  known  as  the 
"  Whiskey  Insurrection,"  he   volunteered    and 
served  in  the  forces  which  were  collected  to  sus- 
tain the  government.     From  1809  to   1814  he 
carried  on  business  in  Philadelphia,  in  connec- 
tion with  the  export  of  bread-stuffs.      He   was 
largely  engaged    in   the   development   of    our 
county  and  county-seat.      He  was  one  of  the 
first  to  give  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  the 
grape  and  the  manufacture  of  wine;   and  he 
contributed  his  means  and  efforts  to  improve  the 
character  of  the  live-stock  of  the  county.      At 
that  period  Mr.  Keim  was  largely  interested  in 
the   cultivation   of  the    soil,   and    was  owner 
of  a  number  of  farms  in  Exeter  township  and 
that  locality.     He  took  an  active  interest  in 
the  erection  of  bridges,  as  demanded  by  the  re- 


'See  portrait  in  Chapter  X.,  War  of  1812-15,  p.  179. 


quirements  of  the  county,  and  promoted  by  his 
efforts  the  Perkiomen  turnpike  and  that  of  the 
Reading  and  Sunbury,  which  were  the  earliest 
public  improvements  in  this  section,  in  both  of 
which  companies  Mr.  Keim  was  a  manager  for 
many  years.  Mr.  Keim  was  greatly  interested 
in  promoting  the  cause  of  education  and  took 
an  earnest  interest  in  the  establishment  of  the 
"Reading  Academy  "  and  the  "Reading  Fe- • 
male  Seminary,"  each  of  which  institutions  was 
of  great  service  in  educating  the  young  people 
of  the  community. 

Military  affairs  received  his  attention  from 
an  early  period,  and  in  1821  the  appointment 
of  aid  on  the  staff  of  Governor  Heister,  with 
the  rank  of  colonel,  was  conferred  upon  him. 
In  1830  he  was  elected  major-geDeral  of  the 
Sixth  Division  of  Pennsylvania  Militia,  suc- 
ceeding his  brother-in-law,  the  Hon.  Samuel 
J.  Franks,  and  upon  his  retirement,  after  hold- 
ing this  position  for  five  years,  he  was  succeeded 
by  his  son,  George  M.  Keim,  who,  in  turn,  was 
succeeded  by  General  William  H.  Keim,  cousin 
of  the  latter. 

Mr.  Keim  also,  among  other  positions,  filled 
that  of  president  of  the  Branch  Bank  of  Penn- 
sylvania for  upwards  of  thirty  years ;  was  the 
chief  burgess  of  Reading  and  president  of  the 
Town  Council  for  many  years ;  and  was  one  of  the 
promoters  of  the  Reading  Water  Company  and 
its  first  president,  occupying  the  latter  position 
for  a  long  period  of  time. 

In  all  benevolent  institutions  and  objects  Mr. 
Keim  took  a  prominent  part.  He  was  actively 
engaged  in  the  building  of  Christ  Church,  the 
lot  upon  which  the  same  was  erected  having 
been  donated  by  a  member  of  the  Price  family 
for  that  purpose,  who  was  a  relation  of  his  wife. 
On  February  4,  1799,  Mr.  Keim  was'  married 
to  Miss  Mary  May,  one  of  the  daughters  of 
James  May,  a  well-known  citizen  of  Reading, 
and  who,  in  the  act  of  1783,  incorporating 
Reading  into  a  borough,  was  named,  together 
with  Mr.  Keim's  father,  John  Keim,  as  one  of 
the  assistant  burgesses. 

James  May  was  born  March  2,  1749,  of 
Quaker  origin,  his  grandfather,  Robert  May, 
having  come  to  the  province  before  the  year 
1700,  and  intermarried  with  a  daughter  of  John 


RELIGIOUS  DENOMINATIONS. 


357 


Brooke,  who,  coming  from  England,  located  at 
a  very  early  day  in  the  neighborhood  of  Lim- 
erick, where  he  had  a  large  body  of  land.  Mr. 
May  married  Bridget  Douglass,  a  daughter  of 
George  Douglass,  who  was  the  son  of  Andrew 
Douglass  from  Scotland,  and  settled  at  the 
place  now  called  Doug] ass ville,  where  his 
mansion  still  remains  and  is  in  the  ownership 
of  one  of  his  descendants  in  the  female  line. 
George  Douglass  was  an  Episcopalian  and  ac- 
tively interested  in  the  Molatton  Church,  being 
one  of  the  vestry  for  a  period  long  prior  to  the 
Kevolutionary  struggle,  and  his  daughter,  who 
married  James  May,  having  been  reared  in 
the  faith  of  that  church,  led  Mr.  Keim  to  take 
a  warm  interest  in  the  erection  of  Christ 
Church.  Mr.  James  May,  who  had  a  birth- 
right in  the  Society  of  Friends,  lost  the  same 
by  his  marriage  outside  of  his  sect  to  Miss 
Douglass,  who,  as  heretofore  said,  was  an 
Episcopalian 

Three  brothers,  Archibald,  James  and  An- 
drew Douglass,  settled  in  1718  in  the  "  back 
parts  "  of  the  province,  the  portion  of  Chester 
County  which  subsequently  was  cut  off  to  form 
the  county  of  Lancaster,  near  the  fertile  valley 
of  Pequea.  They  left  Scotland,  having  been 
engaged  in  the  rebellion  of  1715  in  favor  of 
the  Pretender,  and  for  that  cause  were  obliged 
to  retire.  They  were  of  good  family,  and 
George  Douglass,  the  son  of  Andrew  and  the 
grandfather  of  Miss  Mary  May,  wife  of  Mr. 
Keim,  removed  from  Pequea  to  what  is  now 
Douglassville  when  a  very  young  man,  having 
lost  by  death  both  of  his  parents.  Shortly  after 
the  arrival  of  the  Douglasses  they  donated  the 
land  upon  which  the  Episcopal  Church  at 
Pequea,  "  St.  John's,"  one  of  the  early  churches, 
was  erected — their  plantations  adjoining  the 
same. 

General  Keim  had  seven  children :  three  sons 
— John  M.,  George  M.  and  Daniel  M. — and 
four  daughters, — Ann,  Susan,  Catharine  and 
Rebecca,  the  latter  of  whom  alone  is  living, 
being  the  widow  of  the  eminent,  civil  engineer 
Mr.  Wirt  Eobinson,  of  Richmond,  Va.  Mr. 
Keim  died  August  20,  1852. 

Military  Cadets. — The  following  persons 
were  admitted  to  the  United  States  Military 


Academy  at  West  Point,  N.  Y.,  from  Berks 
County,  Pa.,  the  list  having  been  supplied  for 
this  history  by  L.  C.  Drum,  adjutant  general, 
Washington,  D.  C. : 


Residences. 

Date  of 

Names. 

Admission 

Graduation 
&  Promotion 

John  F.  Hitter         

Chas.  Ailiun  Huke  McCaulay   . 

Walter  B.  Craig 

Hunter  Liggett ,. 

John  H.  Sliollenberger  .   .   .   . 

Reading  .   . 

Douglasville 
Heading  .  . 

Hamburg    . 
Reading  .   . 

Birds'ioro'   . 
Hamburg    . 
Leinbach's  . 
Barfco    . 

July  1,  1829 
July  1,  1839 
July  1,  1841 
Sept.  1,1842 
July  1,1814 
July  1,1848 
July  1,  1852 
July  1,  lKfi6 
July  1,1861 
July  1,  1865 
July  1,1866 
July  1,  1871 

July  1, 1848 
July  1,  1852 
July  1,  1856 
May  6,  186  L 
June  23,  1865 

June  15, 1870 

July  1,  1875 
July   1,  1879 

June  12,1879 
June  12, 1883 

Charles  F.  Bell 

Sept.  1,  1883 

CHAPTER   XIV. 

RBLISIOUS    DENOMINATIONS. 

Lutherans — Reformed  —Friends  —  Baptists  —  Dunkards  — 
Moravians — Roman  Catholics — Amish — Other  Denomi- 
nations—Religious Excitement,  Heidelberg  and  Exeter 
Meetings — Sunday  Mails — County  Bible  Society. 

The  territory  which  is  included  in  the  county 
of  Berks  was  a  conspicuous  portion  of  the  pro- 
vince of  Pennsylvania  to  emigrants  who  were 
encouraged  to  leave  their  homes  and  settle  in  a 
country  where  they  could  enjoy  and  develop 
religious  freedom.  This  sentiment  being  the 
prominent  consideration  which  moved  them  in 
their  travels  and  enterprise  towards  the  selec- 
tion of  a  new  country,  it  is  natural  to  find  it  in 
continued  prominence  after  they  had  fixed  their 
habitations.  The  several  nationalities  showed 
the  same  zeal  in  this  respect.  The  first  settlers, 
the  Swedes,  would  seem  to  have  been  slow  in 
establishing  a  church  for  themselves  convenient 
to  their  settlements,  for  they  came  here  perman- 
ently in  1701,  but  did  not  erect  a  church  till 
about  1720.  In  this  time,  however,  they  were 
connected  with  the  church  at  Wiccacoe  (now  in 
Philadelphia,  at  a  place  near  the  Navy  Yard), 
whither  they  went  occasionally  to  carry  on  re- 
ligious worship. 

The  Huguenots  were  not  any  more  energetic 
in  Oley,  for  the  first  of  them  arrived  from  1712 


358 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


to  1720,  but  they  did  not  cause  a  church  to  be 
erected  in  their  midst  till  1735,  and  these,  it  is 
said,  proceeded  to  the  Trappe  for  attending 
church  services  till  they  came  to  possess  a 
church  of  their  own.  The  Friends,  however, 
were  more  energetic — a  decade  not  having 
elapsed  before  they  established  a  meeting-house 
for  themselves.  This  was  the  situation  to  the 
east  of  the  Schuylkill.  To  the  west  of  the 
Schuylkill,  the  German  settlers — Huguenots  as 
they  are  generally  called — erected  a  church 
within  several  years  after  their  permanent  set- 
tlement on  and  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Tulpe- 
hocken  Creek. 

A  number  of  churches  were  erected  in  differ- 
ent sections  of  the  county  before  1752,  not 
only  in  the  southern  or  more  populous  parts, 
but  in  the  northern  near  the  Blue  Mountain. 
This  public  or  general  action  on  the  part  of  the 
settlers  displays  their  affection  for  their  religion. 
Their  religious  feelings  were  convictions  which 
they  obtained  through  experience  abroad  or 
through  inheritance  and  education  here,  and 
these  were  enduring. 

Lutherans.1 — The  Lutheran  religion  was 
predominant  in  the  county,  both  with  the 
Swedes  and  Germans  to  the  east  of  the  Schuyl- 
kill and  with  the  Germans  to  the  west.  Some 
of  the  Germans  were  adherents  of  the  Reformed 
religion.  The  churches  built  by  these  denom- 
inations were  mostly  "  union  "  churches.  In 
nearly  every  instance  the  members  of  the  two 
denominations  united  in  bearing  the  cost 
jointly — they  having  appointed  separate  com- 
mittees to  co-operate  in  conducting  the  building 

immediately  after  Perm  had  arrived  in  Pennsylvania  a 
number  of  Germans  emigrated  to  the  province.  Among 
these  there  were  Lutherans.  But  the  tide  of  their  im- 
migration began  in  earnest  in  1710.  Then  about  three 
thousand,  chiefly  Lutherans,  settled  in  New  York,  having 
been  encouraged  to  do  so  by  Qaeen  Anne,  after  leaving  the 
Palatinate  on  account  of  religious  intolerance  there,  and 
arriving  in  England.  In  1713  one  hundred  and  fifty 
families  settled  in  Schoharie,  in  New  York,  some  of  which 
ten  years  afterward  came  to  Tulpehocken,  Pennsylvania. 
In  1727  a  large  number  of  them  came  into  Pennsylvania 
from  various  parts  of  Germany,  chiefly  from  the  Palatinate, 
Wiirtemberg  and  Darmstadt ;  and  it  is  believed  that  many 
of  these  settled  in  this  seotion  of  territory,  along  the  Mana- 
tawny  and  Tulpehocken  Creeks.  They  caused  a  church  to 
be  erected  at  the  former  in  Oley,  about  1735  ;  and  at  the 
latter  about  1727. 


operations.     And  the  church  services  alternated 
every  two  Sundays. 

This  harmony  between  these  denominations 
in  such  a  peculiar  and  jealous  matter  as  religion 
displayed  the  singular  excellence  and  liberality 
of  the  Germans.  These  people  were  alike  in 
general  affairs,  in  dress,  in  speech,  in  labor,  in 
manners  and  customs;  and  a  difference  in  their 
religious  notions  did  not  develop  any  antagon- 
ism between  them.  Indeed,  the  one  denomin- 
ation frequently  visited  the  church  services  of 
the  other  denomination.  Each  was  the  equal 
of  the  other  in  every  respect. 

The  religion  of  these  settlers  would  seem  to 
have  been  exactly  adapted  to  them  in  their 
pioneer  life  as  farmers  and  mechanics.  It  was 
not  demonstrative  or  enthusiastic  in  the  sense  of 
winning  them  away  from  necessary  and  profit- 
able labor ;  it  was  not  disposed  to  lead  them 
into  extravagant  habits.  It  was  rather  quiet 
and  unpretentious,  and  inclined  them  to  practice 
self-denial  and  economy.  I  may  be  thought 
to  attribute  too  many  fruits  as  results  from  the 
religions  which  prevailed  to  such  a  large  ex- 
tent; but  when  the  subject  is  examined  closely  it 
will  be  found  to  lie  at  the  bottom  ofthe  real  gene- 
ral  stability  and  progress  ofthe  early  settlers. 

The  early  German  settlers  were  without  a 
regular  minister  till  the  arrival  of  Rev.  Henry 
Melchior  Muhlenberg,  in  1742.2 

Rev.  J.  C.  Stoever  and  Rev.  John  Peter 
Miller  had  preached  at  the  Tulpehocken  Church 
before  1735.      But  before  1750,   Muhlenberg 


2  Rev.  Henry  Melchior  Muhlenberg  is  regarded  as  the 
father  of  the  Lutheran  Church  in  America.  He  was  born 
at  Eimbeck,  in  Hanover,  Germany,  September  6, 1711.  He 
was  thoroughly  educated  in  the  school  of  Franke,  at  Halle, 
and  qualified  to  preach  in  different  languages— German, 
Dutch,  Swedish,  English,  French  and  Latin.  He  left  his 
native  country  early  in  the  year  1742,  and  arrived  at 
Philadelphia  in  November  following.  The  Lutheran  Churchi  a 
were  then  iu  a  deplorable  condition,  and  few  in  number  * 
He  was  stationed  at  the  Trappe,  whence  he  visited  differ- 
ent Lutherans  as  far  north  as  the  Blue  Mountain.  "  He 
preached  in  season  and  out  of  season,  in  churches,  barns 
and  the  open  air,  until  at  last  that  Divine  Master,  whom 
he  so  faithfully  served,  received  him  into  the  company  of 
apostles  and  prophets  at  His  right  hand.  He  died  at  the 
Trappe,  October  7, 1787,  where  his  remains  lie  buried.  Dur- 
ing his  ministerial  journeys  he  made  the  acquaintance  of 


Said  to  have  been  six ;  and  only  one  in  this  section,  now  Berks 
County.  (Rupp's  ••  History  Berks  County,"  p.  439.)  This  is  an  error.  There 
were  at  least  eight :  Molattou.  Oloy,  Rockland,  Longswawp, Richmond, 
Alsace,  Heidelherg  and  Tulpehocken. 


KELIGIOUS  DENOMINATIONS. 


359 


visited  the  Lutherans  regularly  who  were 
scattered  through  the  upper  sections  of  Phila- 
delphia and  Lancaster  Counties,  now  included 
in  Berks  County.  The  prominent  settlements 
which  enjoyed  the  benefits  of  his  preaching 
were  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Swedes'  Church,  Oley 
Church,  Hill  Church,  Alsace  Church,  Long- 
swamp  Church,  Richmond  Church  and  Albany 
Church  to  the  east  of  the  Schuylkill,  and  of 
the  Heidelberg  Church  (Hains')  Northkill 
Church  and  Tulpehoeken  Church  to  the  west 
of  the  Schuylkill. 

Amongst  the  German  immigrants  there  were 
some  ministers  and  also  school-teachers.  The 
latter  taught  the  children  and  read  sermons; 
and,  it  is  said,  that  some  of  them,  after  reading 
awhile,  presumed  themselves  qualified  and  as- 
sumed to  carry  on  the  sacred  office  of  ministers. 

A  history  of  the  Lutheran  Church  as  a  body 
in  Berks  County  will  not  be  attempted  in  this 
chapter,  for  it  is  not  the  design  of  this  work.  A 
historical  narrative  of  the  several  churches  of 
this  denomination  is  presented  in  the  districts  in 
which  they  are  respectively  situated,  including 
the  ministers  who  officiated, 
i  In  1884  the  pastors,  congregations  and  mem- 
bership of  the  Lutheran  denomination  in  the 
county  were  as  follows : 

No.  of  congre- 
gations. Membership. 

Rev.  Z.  H.  Gable 6  1,150 

Rev.  B.  S.  Smoll 4  850 

Rev.  J.  J.  Cressman 2  600 

Rev.  Aaron  Finfrock 5  1,362 

Rev.  L.  Groh 2  1,300 

Rev.  W.  A.  C.  Mueller 2  500 

Rev.  A.  J.  Long 5  1,000 

Rev.  F.  K.  Huntzinger....  3  850 

Rev.  J.  Fry 1  1,050 

Rev.  M.  C.  Horine 1  540 

Rev.  T.  T.  Iaeger 5  930 

Rev.  B.  E.   Kramlich 5  1,325 

Rev.  W.  H.  Myers 1  371 

Rev.  U.   P.   Heilman 2  680 

Rev.  J.  J.  Kuendig 1  1,100 

Rev.  D.  D.  Trexler 5  650 

Rev.B.  D.  Zweizig 8  2,100 

58  16,358 

Reformed. — Persons  attached  to  the  Re- 
Conrad  Weiser,  and  shortly  afterward,  1743,  married  his 
daughter,  Maria.''* 

*  Kupp's  "  History  of  Berks  County,"  p.  439. 


formed  faith  were  amongst  the  early  settlers. 
They  were  known  as  "Calvinists"  or  "German 
Calvinists."  Their  first  churches  were  in  Oley 
and  in  Heidelberg.  In  meeting-houses,  how- 
ever, they  were  mostly  connected  with  the  Lu- 
therans. The  early  Reformed  ministers  in 
Pennsylvania,  before  1740,  were  Goetschy, 
Weis,  Rieger,  Boehm  and  Dorstius.  They 
were  assisted  by  the  church  in  Holland.  In 
1741  a  number  of  German  Bibles  (one  hundred 
and  thirty)  were  sent  here  for  their  use.  In 
1746,  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter,  thegreat  Reformed 
missionary  from  Switzerland,  arrived.  In  Sep- 
tember of  that  year  he  visited  Oley  and  Tulpe- 
hocken.    At  the  latter  place,  on  the  25th,   lie 

"preached  with  much  divine  assistance  and  not  with- 
out a  blessing  to  a  congregation  of  more  than  600 
persons  who  were  assembled  in  a  wooden  building. 
The  congregation  listened  to  the  publication  of  the 
word  of  God  with  much  devout  attention.  The  ar- 
dent desire  for  edification,  and  for  a  regular  organiza- 
tion, and  the  hope  of  obtaining  a  stated  preach<  r 
might  have  been  read  in  their  countenances.  They 
could  not  conceal  the  joy  and  surprise  which  they 
felt  upon  seeing  three  preachers1  together,  a  circum- 
stance which  they  had  not  seen  there  before.  The 
old  and  the  young  people  shed  tears  of  joy.  I  can 
only  say  that  this  was  to  me  and  to  my  brethren  a 
day  of  much  refreshment.  I  thought  of  the  blessed 
Netherlands,  where  the  company  of  heralds  of  the 
Gospel  is  numerous,  whilst  this  extensive  country  is 
perishing  for  lack  of  teachers.  This  large  church  has 
never  had  a  regular  pastor.  Mr.  Boehm  has  adminis- 
tered the  communion  here  annually  twice — traveling 
eighty  miles  from  Philadelphia  for  this  purpose. 
After  preaching,  I,  with  his  assistance,  dispensed  the 
holy  communion  to  upward  of  a  hundred  members. 
I  then  informed  them  of  my  commission  from  the 
mother-country  and  made  the  same  proposition  to 
them  which  I  had  made  to  the  churches  in  Philadel- 
phia and  Germantown.  They  obligated  themselvis 
to  support  a  preacher  in  the  two  churches2  situated 
five  miles  apart  and  consisting  of  about  five  hundred 
members,  and  they  promised  to  raise  in  money  and 
produce  about  £50,  as  will  appear  by  the  Ga.ll  for- 
warded on  the  13th  of  October  to  the  Reverend  Com- 
mittees of  the  two  Synods  and  to  the  classis  of  Am- 
sterdam. I  also  chose  Elders  and  Deacons,  with  the 
approbation  of  the  church  and  ordained  them."  3 

1  Schlatter,  Boehm  and  Weis. 

2 1  think  these  two  churches  were  the  "Host"  and  the 
"  Hfcin  ;"  the  preaching  upon  this  occasion  having  been  in 
the  "  Host." 

Schlatter's  Journal;  and  see  Rupp's  "  History  of  Berks 
County,"  pp.  443  and  444. 


360 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


In  1748  Rev.  Bartholomew  took  charge  of 
the  congregation  at  Tulpehocken. 

Historical  sketches  of  the  several  Reformed 
Churches  throughout  the  county  appear  in  the 
districts  in  which  they  are  situated. 

In  1840  it  was  estimated  that  there  were  in 
the  county  about  thirty-five  Reformed  Churches ; 
and  the  ministers  then  were  L.  C.  Herman,  A. 
L.  Herman,  J. Sassaman  Herman,  Philip  Moyer, 
David  Hassinger,  David  Bossier,  Chas.  Schultz, 
Thomas  H.  Leinbach,  Charles  G.  Herman, 
William  Pauli,  Augustus  Pauli,  John  Conrad 
Bucher,  Isaac  Miesse,  William  Hendel. 

In  1874,  the  congregations  and  total  member- 
ship of  the  Reformed  denomination  in  the 
county  were  as  follows  : ' 

First  Reformed  at  Reading,  Rev.  Henry  Mosser. 
Second  Reformed  at  Reading,  Rev.  C.  F.  McCauley. 
St.  Paul's  at  Beiding,  Rev.  Benjamin  Bausman. 
St.  John's  at  Reading,  Rev.  John  W.  Steinmetz. 
Schwartzwald  charge,  eight  congregations. 
Bernville  charge,  five  congregations. 
Tulpehocken  charge,  five  congregations. 
Sinking  Spring  charge,  four  congregations. 
Allegheny  charge,  three  congregations. 
Shartlesville  charge,  three  congregations. 
Kutztown  charge,  four  congregations. 
Zion  charge,  six  congregations. 
Lenhartsviile  charge,  four  congregations. 
Friedensburg  charge,  four  congregations. 
Hamburg  and  Leesport  charge,  three  congregations. 
Bernville  charge,  one  congregation. 
Congregations,  54;  membership,  10,330 ;  communi- 
cants, 9034. 

Friends. — The  Friends  were  the  third  sect 
of  people  who  settled  in  the  county,  the  Swedes 
and  Germans  having  anteceded  them.  The 
Swedes  were  the  first  to  erect  a  meeting-house 
at  Molatton 2  about  1720  ;  but  the  Friends  were 
the  next,  having  erected  a  meeting-house  in 
1726  near  the  Monocacy,  along  the  western  line 
of  the  Swedes'  settlement,  then  called  Amity 
township.  Within  the  next  score  of  years  they 
erected  two  more  meeting-houses,  one  in  Maiden- 
creek  township  and  the  other  in  Robeson  town- 
ship. They  built  a  fourth  at  Reading,  supposed 
in  1751,  three  years  after  the  town  had  been 
laid  out  and  just  as  the  building  improvements 
began  to  be  active.  They  had  four  meeting- 
houses before  1752,  when  the  county  was  erected. 
But  they   did   not  get    beyond  this   number. 

1 B.  and  S.  Journal,  January  31,  1874. 
*  Now  at  Douglassville. 


This  may  seem  strange  when  we  consider  their 
intelligence,  earnestness  and  enterprise ;  but  it  is 
not  so  strange  when  we  consider  the  wonderful 
influx  of  Germans,  who  spoke,  lived,  thought 
and  acted  differently  from  them. 

The  encouragement  of  the  Germans  to  emi- 
grate and  settle  in  Pennsylvania  was  certainly  a 
wise  policy  on  the  part  of  Penn  and  his  sons, 
on  account  of  their  industrious  and  economic 
habits,  and  their  skill  and  energy  as  farmers  and 
mechanics.  It  has  shown  itself  to  have  been 
also  vastly  beneficial.  But  the  encouragement 
of  this  nationality  acted  against  the  interests  and 
developments  and  influence  of  their  own  class. 
It  would  seem  that  they  were  most  active  about 
the  time  when  the  county  was  erected  and  for  a 
score  of  years  afterward.  They  then  exerted 
the  most  political  influence  through  the  proprie- 
tary government,  which  was  in  the  hands  of 
Friends.  And  their  religious  influence  was 
large  and  wide  in  their  several  communities. 
But  they  remained  where  they  first  settled. 
They  did  not  extend  beyond  Oley  and  Exeter, 
along  the  Manatawny  and  Monocacy  Creeks, 
Maiden-creek  and  Richmond  along  the  Onte- 
launee,  and  Robeson  along  the  Hay  and 
Allegheny  Creeks.  And  yet  their  families  were 
numerous  and  their  population  was  considerable. 
In  this  time  it  was  estimated  that  they  num- 
bered about  two  thousand.3  Their  principles 
were  superior  and  their  habits  admirable. 
Simple,  unostentatious,  earnest  and  clever,  with 
good  education  and  large  means,  they  possessed 
a  foundation  adapted  for  development  and  per- 
manency. But  what  were  these  compared  witli 
a  class  which  then  numbered  at  least  twenty 
thousand,  which  had  a  fair  education  and  con- 
siderable means  and  which  was  possessed  of 
similar  habits  and  virtues.  The  conditions 
were  not  equal  in  respect  to  strength,  though 
they  were  in  respect  to  quality.  It  was  there- 
fore natural  for  the  former  not  to  maintain  their 
hold  upon  the  community  which  they  had  when 
the  county  was  erected  and  continued  to  have 
till  the  Revolution.  Hence  their  churches  did 
not  increase  in  number,  their  people  did  uot  ex- 
tend into  adjoining  townships. 


sRupp's  "History  of  ISerks  County,"  p.  422. 


RELIGIOUS  DENOMINATIONS. 


361 


Some  of  the  most  eminent  ministers  who 
preached  to  the  Friends  in  the  county  before 
18CI0  were  the  following  :  Samuel  Hugh,  Ellis 
Hugh,  Job  Hugh,  Etios  Ellis,  Abel  Thomas, 
Moses  Embree,  James  Iddings,  Amos  Lee,  Peter 
Thomas  and  Judah  Thomas. 

Baptists.1 — The  major  part  of  the  early  Bap- 
tists who  settled  in  Pennsylvania  were  Welsh- 
men. The  principles  which  William  Penn  pro- 
claimed as  the  basis  of  his  intended  colony  were 
such  as  to  attract  all  pious  people  who  were 
persecuted  on  account  of  their  religion.  This 
was  the  case  in  Wales,  where  dissenters  of  all 
shades  of  opinion  were  to  be  found,  but  they 
were  chiefly  Baptists  and  Friends.  Among  the 
first  settlers  in  the  counties  of  Philadelphia, 
Bucks  and  Chester  were  large  colonies  of  Welsh- 
men, who  purchased  immense  tracts  of  land, 
and  when  townships  were  formed  they  gave  to 
many  the  names  of  the  places  from  which  they 
had  emigrated.  Among  these  may  be  named 
Radnor,  Haverford,  Merion,  Gwynedd,  Uwch- 
lan,  Tredyffrin,  Caernarvon,  Cumru  and  Breck- 
nock, these  last  three  being  now  included  in 
Berks  County,  although  they  were  formerly  in 
Lancaster  County. 

The  first  Baptist  Church  in  the  colony  was 
formed  in  the  year  1688  at  Pennypack,  now 
called  Lower  Dublin,  and  it  still  has  a  vigorous 
existence.  This  was  followed  by  the  Great  "Val- 
ley, in  Tredyffrin  township,  Centre  County,  in 
1711,  Brandy  wine  in  1715  and  Montgomery  in 
1717.  The  services  were  frequently  and  for 
many  years  conducted  in  the  Welsh  language. 
This  was  also  the  case  among  the  Welsh 
Friends,  and  also  members  of  the  Church  of 
England  who  had  settled  in  Radnor  and  found- 
ed St.  David's  Church.  Bishop  William  S. 
Perry,  in  his  work  entitled  "  Papers  Relating  to 
the  History  of  the  Church  of  Pennsylvania," 2 
says  the  Rev.  Evan  Evans  wrote  to  the  Society 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  that  the 
Welsh  at  Radnor  and  Merioneth  had  addressed 
a  letter  to  the  Bishop  of  London  for  a  minister 


1  The  author  is  indebted  to  Horatio  Gates  Jones,  Esq.,  of 
Philadelphia,  for  this  article  on  the  Baptists,  prepared  for 
this  history. 

2  See  Stevens  Papers,  35-36. 


who  understands  the  British  language,  and  that 
a  hundred  persons  had  signed  the  letter. 

Until  the  year  1738  no  other  regular  Baptist 
Church  was  organized  west  of  the  Great  Valley 
Church  in  Pennsylvania,  but  in  that  year  the 
following  persons  removed  from  the  Valley  and 
the  Montgomery  Church  and  settled  near  the 
banks  of  the  Tulpehocken  Creek,  in  what  is  now 
Berks  County,  and  founded  the  Tulpehocken 
Baptist  Church,  viz.:  Thomas  and- Martha 
Jones,  David  Evans  and  wife,  James  James  and 
wife,  Evan  Lloyd  and  wife,  George  Rees  and 
wife,  John  Davis  and  wife,  Thomas  Nicholas 
and  wife,  James  Edwards  and  wife,  Rees 
Thomas  and  wife,  Henry  Harry,  David  Lewis 
and  Thomas  Lloyd.  This  organization  took 
place  August  19,  1738,  and  in  1740  Thomas 
Jones  was  ordained  the  pastor.  The  church  had 
two  meeting-houses.  The  first  was  built  in  1740 
on  a  lot  of  three  acres,  the  gift  of  Hugh  Morris, 
Evan  Lloyd  and  Evan  Price,  in  the  township 
of  Cumru.3  The  house  was  only  twenty-six  feet 
by  sixteen.  Another  house4  of  the  same  size, 
about  three  miles  west  from  the  first,  was  built 
the  same  year  on  a  lot  of  one  acre,  the  gift  of 
Thomas  Bartholomew  and  Hannaniah  Pugh. 
Both  were  near  Reading,  and  of  course  the 
preaching  was  in  Welsh,  and  so  it  was  not  likely 
that  the  Germans  who  began  to  settle  Berks 
would  attend  worship  at  the  Baptist  Churches. 
The  records  of  the  Philadelphia  Baptist  Associ- 
ation, called  The  Century  Minutes,  show  that 
the  church  with  Mr.  Jones  as  pastor  reported 
annually  until  1774,  when  its  name  disappears. 
About  that  time  Mr.  Jones  removed  to  Chester 
County,  either  to  Tredyffrin  or  Willistown 
township,  where  his  son  Griffith  lived,  and  the 
few  Welsh  Baptists  of  the  Tulpehocken'Church 
were  as  sheep  without  a  shepherd,  and,  if  they 
desired  Baptist  preaching,  were  compelled  to  go 
to  the  Great  Valley  Church,  where  Mr.  Jones 
was  called  to  officiate  when  the  regular  pastor 


3  This  was  on  Wyomissing,  about  three  miles  from  its 
outlet.     A  burying-ground  was  appurtenant  to  it. 

4This  was  at  a  point  on  the  "Old  Tulpehocken  Eoad." 
very  near  the  "Sinking  Spring."  The  building  is  still 
standing.  It  is  built  of  brick,  ootagonal  in  shape.  A 
grave-yard  lies  at  the  rear  of  the  building  with  a  number 
of  graves  marked  by  head:stones,  now  illegible. 


362 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


was  absent.  The  Lutheran  and  Church  of  Eng- 
land ministers  had  become  by  that  time  very 
active  in  Berks  County.  In  1763  Rev.  Alex- 
ander Murray,  the  Episcopal  minister  at  Read- 
ing, says  that  his  people  then  numbered  about 
forty-eight  souls,  of  whom  twelve  were  under 
seven  years  of  age,  and  there  were  twenty  un- 
baptized  "  Anabaptists  "  in  town,  who  now  and 
then  made  up  a  part  of  his  congregation,  and  he 
had  baptized  four  of  them  the  previous  Easter. 
In  1764  he  says  he  had  eighteen  families,  and 
of  the  new  members  some  were  Presbyterians, 
Baptists  and  Quakers,  and  of  the  latter  two  de- 
nominations he  had  christened  thirteen  on  the 
last  Christmas  Day.  In  June,  1765,  he  writes 
that  since  January  24,  1764,  he  had  baptized 
thirty-nine  children  and  three  adults,  besides  an 
attorney-at-law  here  with  his  children,  who 
were  bred  among  the  Baptists  and  Quakers. 
He  then  adds  that  the  Baptists  were  in 
1764  supplied  by  their  former  preacher,  who 
thought  it  advisable  to  return  to  them,  when 
he  saw  them  generally  disposed  to  conform 
to  the  church,  whose  service  he  punctually 
observed  at  the  times  they  invited  him.  As 
their  preacher  was  an  old  man,  it  was  probable, 
upon  his  death  or  removal,  that  all  the  younger 
people  would  readily  unite  with  his  church. 
No  doubt  Mr.  Murray  refers  to  Rev.  Thomas 
Jones,  but  he  was  not  then  over  sixty-four 
years  of  age. 

Of  Rev.  Thomas  Jones  I  have  been  able  to 
gather  some  facts  which  may  prove  of  interest 
to  those  who  are  fond  of  reading  about  the  early 
settlers.  He  was  born  at  Tre'  newydd  y 
Notais  (in  English,  Newton  Notage),  in  the 
vale  of  Glamorganshire,  Wales,  about  the  year 
1701,  and  married  Martha  Morris  and  began  to 
preach  when  quite  young.  In  1737  he  emi- 
grated with  his  family  to  Pennsylvania  and  in 
the  following  year  settled  on  or  near  the  Tulpe- 
hocken  Creek. 

A  letter  from  him,  in  Welsh,  is  dated 
Heidelberg,  October  6,  1742.  It  is  now  in  my 
collection  and  in  it  he  says  : 

"  Myself,  wife  and  children  are  all  well  and  com- 
fortable. By  the  mercy  of  Gad  we  make  a  good  living, 
if  we  could  exclude  home-sicknees.  We  have  five 
sons  and  two  daughters.  I  hope  my  dear  mother  is 
still  alive.    I  finally  consented  to  be  ordained  again 


in  order  to  show  my  willingness  to  comply  with  the 
opinion  of  others.  I  am  very  thankful  for  the  book 
you  sent  me,  althoueh  the  Welsh  is  not  of  much  use 
here.  Concerning  the  Cydgordiad  (the  Concordance 
of  the  Scriptures  by  Rev.  Abel  Morgan),  I  intend  to 
send  some  over  as  soon  as  I  can.  ...  I  am  under 
great  obligation  to  you  for  your  kindness,  but  I  have 
nothing  to  send  you  unless  I  send  wheat  or  black 
walnut  boards.  I  have  probably  two  hundred  bushels 
of  the  first,  and  about  two  thousand  feet  of  boards. 
The  wheat  is  selling  for  three  shillings  a  bushel,  and 
is  likely  to  be  lower  still." 

After  removing  to  Chester  County  he  did 
not  become  pastor  of  any  church,  but  during 
the  Revolution,  lived  in  the  parsonage  of  the 
Great  Valley  and  while  there,  the  British 
army,  after  the  battle  of  Brandywine,  stole  the 
communion  service.  Mr.  Jones  died  March 
22,  1788,  in  his  eighty-seventh  year,  and  was 
buried  in  the  grave-yard  of  the  Great  Valley 
Church.  His  widow  died  June  9,  1799,  at  the 
age  of  ninety -three  years.  Mr.  Jones  by  all 
accounts  was  a  very  pious  and  eminent  Christian 
and  bore  through  life  a  most  amiable  and  ex- 
emplary character,  dying,  as  he  had  lived,  with 
a  hope  full  of  immortality.  He  left  a  number 
of  children  ;  among  them,  a  son  Samuel,  who,  in 
1762  was  graduated  at  the  College  of  Phila- 
delphia, and  became  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
Church  of  Lower  Dublin.  He  was  a  sound 
divine,  a  good  preacher  and  a  learned  man. 
He  was,  with  Rev.  Morgan  Edwards,  one  of 
the  organizers  of  Rhode  Island  College,  now 
called  Brown  University.  In  1786  the  honor- 
ary degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  was  conferred 
upon  him  by  Brown  University,  and  in  1788 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania  conferred  the 
same  honor. 

Another  son  of  Rev.  Thomas  Jones,  bearing 
his  name,  remained  in  Berks  County  and  left  a 
number  of  descendants,  now  representing  some 
of  the  most  prominent  families  in  the  county. 

The  grave-yards  attached  to  the  meeting- 
houses of  this  Tulpehocken  Baptist  Church  are 
still  in  existence,  and  some  of  the  tomb-stones 
have  Welsh  inscriptions  on  them.  The  rest  of 
the  land  was  sold  by  authority  of  an  act  of  Assem- 
bly passed  March  28,  1799,  and  amended  on 
January  30,  1801.  The  preamble  states,  that 
by  deaths  and  removals,  the  membership  of  the 
church   had  been  reduced  to  a  single  person, 


RELIGIOUS  DENOMINATIONS. 


363 


viz.,  Thomas  Jones,  a  son  of  the  first  pastor. 
The  minutes  of  the  trustees  of  the  Philadelphia 
Association  for  October  8, 1801,  show  that  the 
lots  were  sold,  and  that  the  money  received, 
clear  of  all  expenses,  amounted  to  two  hundred 
dollars,  which  was  paid  to  the  treasurer  of  the 
Association. 

From  this  time  onward,  till  now,  no  church 
organization  of  this  denomination  has  been  in 
existence  in  the  county,  outside  of  Reading. 
A  congregation  was  formed  in  Reading  in  1828. 
Its  history  appears  in  the  chapter  relating  to 
the  churches  of  Reading. 

Dunkards.1  —  A  religious  denomination 
known  as  the  "  Dunkards"  existed  at  an  early 
day  in  the  county.  This  class  was  also  called  "The 
Brethren,"  and  sometimes  "  German  Baptists.  " 
Certain  persons  of  this  denomination  emigrated 
from  Germany  in  1719.  They  were  numerous 
in  Oley  from  1730  to  1745.  In  1724,  October 
24,  they  held  a  large  general  convention  in  this 
district ;  and  upon  that  occasion  they  took  sac- 
rament. Thence  they  proceeded  to  "  their  re- 
cently baptized  brethren  at  the  Schuylkill," 
took    sacrament    and  baptized  two    persons.2 

Another  convention  was  held  in  Oley  in  1742, 
which  was  attended  by  "  four  priests  of  the  con- 
gregation at  Ephrata."  A  meeting-house  of 
this  denomination  was  erected  in  Ruscomb-man- 
or  (at  Pricetown),  and  another  in  Bethel  (north 
of  Millersburg),  before  1752. 

The  first  persons  of  this  denomination  in  the 
county  were  settled  in  Oley  township.  Amongst 
them  were  Ritters,  Shilberts,  Blaushes  and 
Planks;  Elder  Martin  Gauby,  Elder  John 
Yoder,  Elder  Conrad  Price,  David  Price,  David 
Kinsey,  Jacob  Becker,  Christian  Kinsey,  Dan- 
iel Klein,  and  their  wives,  Peter  Klein,  Eliza 
Ellis,  Margaret  Harpine  and  Catharine  Plank. 
The  elders  named  were  the  first  local  preachers 
About  the  year  1730  they  effected  an  organ  i- 
ization  through  the  assistance  of  Elder  Peter 
Becker,  of  Germantown,  and  shortly  afterward 
erected  a  church.  For  about  ten  years  it  was 
in  a  flourishing   condition  ;  then  many  of  the 

'The  author  is  indebted  to  Rev.  Abrm.  H.  Cassell,  of 
Harleysville,  Pa.,  for  information  relating  to  this  denomi- 
nation. 

s  They  stopped  here  on  their  way  to  "  Conestoga."  I 
cannot  locate  the  place  On  the  Schuylkill,  in  Berks  County. 


members  left  for  other  settlements,    and   the 
congregation  was  almost  abandoned. 

Another  congregation  w^is  formed  in  the 
northwestern  section  of  the  county,  and  com- 
prised settlers  iu  Bethel  and  Tulpehocken 
townships.  They  erected  a  church  in  the  for- 
mer township,  along  a  branch  of  the  Little 
Swatara  Creek,  about  the  year  1745.  The 
families  of  George  Boeshore,  Michael  Frantz, 
John  Frantz  and  Peter  Heckman  were  some  of 
the  active  members  who  caused  the  meeting- 
house to  be  erected.  And  with  them  were  also 
the  following  named  persons  :  Jacob  Heckman, 
Nicholas  Gerst,  Jacob  Moyer,  David  Merkey, 
Simon  Menich,  Christian  Frantz,  Jacob  Smith, 
Philip  Ziegler,  Jacob  Breneiser,  David  Klein, 
Leonard  Seabalt,  Jacob  Deal,  Hans  Stoeler,  Ja- 
cob Boeshore,  and  their  wives;  Adam  Heinrich, 
John  Grove,  Rose  Schnable,  Eliza  Kenzel, 
Widow  Cyders,  Widow  Benedict,  Elizabeth 
Benedict,  and  Sophia  Kish.  These  persons  were 
baptized  by  Elder  George  Klein,  of  New  Jer- 
sey. They  associated  together  and  increased 
their  number  till  1857,  when  they  were  formally 
organized  into  a  congregation  by  the  elder  men- 
tioned, and  had  the  Lord's  Supper  administered 
to  them.  Then  Peter  Heckman  was  ordained 
as  an  elder,  having  prievously  been  an  exhorter. 

There  was  also  a  third  congregation  in  Bern 
and  Upper  Tulpehocken  townships,  along  the 
Northkill,  several  miles  above  the  confluence 
of  this  stream  with  the  Tulpehocken.  A  church 
was  erected  in  1748 ;  and  in  that  year  the  Lord's 
Supper  was  administered  by  Elder  Michael 
Pfautz,  of  Lancaster  County.  In  1750  Elder 
George  Klein  came  from  New  Jersey  and  set- 
tled amongst  the  members.  Through  his  energy 
the  congregation  flourished  for  twenty  years. 
Then  settlements  in  the  western  part  of  the  State 
influenced  most  of  the  members  to  withdraw 
from  the  church  and  move  away.  This  left  the 
congregation  without  sufficient  support,  and  it 
naturally  ceased  to  exist.  In  1770  it  had  only 
eleven  resident  members,  prominent  among 
them  being  Elder  Klein,3  John  Stohner,  Val- 
entine Long  and  their  wives. 


3  Elder  George  Klein  was  born  at  Zwey  Briieken, 
Germany,  on  October  9,  1715.  He  emigrated  to  America 
in  1738,  and  settkd  near  Amwel!,  in  Hunterdon   County, 


364 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Moravians. — The  Moravians  were  among 
the  early  settlers  of  the  county.  This  peculiar 
sect  was  represented  here  by  Count  Zinzendorf, 
who  came  to  Pennsylvania  in  1741.  In 
February,  1742,  he  conducted  a  synod  in  Oley, 
and  in  August  following  he  visited  the  inhabit- 
ants of  Tulpehocken.  Shortly  after  this  visit 
a  congregation  of  Moravians  was  organized  in 
Bethel  township.1  Between  1742  and  1750  two 
churches  of  this  denomination  were  erected  in 
Heidelberg  and  one  in  Oley. 

In  1741,  Count  Zinzendorf  came  to  Pennsyl- 
vania for  the  purpose  of  seeing  the  success  of 
the  Brethren  of  the  Moravians  in  effecting  es- 
tablishments here,  and  of  observing  the  fruits 
of  their  labor  among  1he  heathen.2 

In  February,  1742,  he  visited  Oley,  where 
he  held  a  synod.  The  following  account  is 
given  of  this  meeting  : 

"  The  11th  of  February  was  the  day  appointed  for 
this  solemn  act ; 3  and  it  was  a  day  never  to  be  forgotten 
in  the  annals  of  missions.  The  awful  presence  of  Him 
who  has  promised  to  meet  with  His  own,  was  power- 
fully felt;  the  greatest  solemnity  prevailed.  The  Spirit 
of  God  was  sensibly  felt  during  the  morning  exercises 
■ — these  consisting  of  prayer  and  praise.  Here,  as  in 
days  of  yore — when  the  sons  of  God  met— Satan  was 
also  present,  especially  in  his  devoted  servants,  for, 
whilst  the  humble  believers  were  engaged  in  prepar- 
atory exercises  to  baptize  the  contrite  Indians,  some 
ill-disposed  people  came  from  the  neighborhood  and 
raised  such  a  disturbance  that  the  whole  company  was 
uponthe  point  of  dispersing  and  postponing  this  trans- 
action for  the  present.  Peace  was  restored  and  there 
was  held  a  solemn  meeting  in  the  afternoon,  in  which 
Rauch  and  Buettuer  were  ordained  deacons  by  the 
two  Bishops,  David  Nitehman  and  CountZinzendorf. 
After  this  act,  preparations  were  made  in  a  barn  be- 
longing to  De  Tirck.      There  was  then  no  church  in 

New  Jersey,  where  he  became  acquainted  with  the  Breth- 
ren and  was  baptized  in  their  faith  in  1739.  He  was  soon 
afterward  chosen  an  assistant  in  the  ministry  ,  having  been 
ordained  by  Elders  Pfautz  and  Martin  Urner,  He  went 
to  Northkill,  Berks  County,  in  1750,  and  was  resident 
elder  there  for  twenty  years,  when  the  congregation  be- 
came too  weak  to  support  him  and  he  left.  He  continued 
to  preach  for  some  years  afterward,  and  died  at  an  ad- 
vanced age.  He  was  regarded  as  an  influential  minister 
in  this  denomination.  He  was  married  to  Dorothea  Keb- 
man.and  had  seven  children.  Several  of  his  grandsons 
are  now  worthy  elders  of  the  Brethren. 

'Their  church  Bethel  was  erected  about  1740. 

2  Indians. 

3  The  baptism  of  the  Indians  who  had  received  the  Gospel. 


Oley  ;  *  and  in  this  barn  the  Indians  (Shabash,  Seim 
and  Kiop)  were  baptized  by  Rauch,  a  missionary. 
The  whole  assembly  having  met,  these  three  cate- 
chumens were  placed  in  the  midst,  and  with  fervent 
prayer  and  supplication  devoted  to  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
as  His  eternal  property.  Rauch  then,  with  great  emo- 
tion,baptized  these  threefirstlings  of  the  North  Amer- 
ican Indians  into  the  death  of  Jesus,  and  called  them 
Abraham  for  Shabash,  Isaac  for  Seim  and  Jacob  for 
Kiop.  The  powerful  sensation  of  the  grace  of  God, 
which  prevailed  during  this  sacred  transaction,  filled 
all  present  with  awe  arid  joy,  and  the  effect  produced 
in  the  baptized  Indians  astonished  every  one.  Their 
hearts  were  filled  with  such  rapture  that  they  could 
not  keep  silence,  but  made  known  to  all  the  white 
people  who  came  into  their  hut,  what  great  favor  had 
been  bestowed  upon  them.  They  preached  a  whole 
night  to  a  party  of  Delaware  Indians,  who  were  in 
the  neighborhood,  and  by  the  providence  of  God  were 
just  at  that  time  led  to  return  back  to  Oley.  When 
one, ceased  the  other  began,  and  their  animated' testi- 
mony of  Jesus  filled  their  hearers  with  admiration. 
Soon  after  this  they  set  out  with  Bauch  and  arrived  at 
Bethlehem,  where  they  spent  some  days  with  their 
brethren  for  mutual  edification,  and  then  proceeded 
on  their  journey  in  the  company  of  their  beloved 
teacher,  full  of  spiritual  life.  When  they  arrived 
home,  they  testified  to  all  their  relations  and  friends 
of  the  grace  bestowed  upon  them;  and  their  words 
made  an  abiding  impression  upon  the  minds  of  the 
heathen."  5 

In  September,  1742,  Zinzendorf  visited 
Shamokin6  with  the  company  of  Conrad  Weiser, 
who,  it  is  said,  co-operated  with  the  Moravians 
for  several  years.  Whilst  there  an  interesting 
event  occurred,  which  nearly  resulted  in  Zin- 
zendorf's  death. 

"  Zinzendorf  and  his  little  company  pitched  their 
tent  a  short  distance  below  Shamokin,  on  the  banks 
of  the  Susquehanna.  This  caused  no  small  degree  of 
alarm  among  the  Indians.  They  assembled  a  council 
of  their  chiefs  and  considered  his  declared  purpose. 
To  these  unlettered  children  of  the  wilderness  it  ap- 
peared altogether  improbable  that  a  stranger  should 
brave  the  dangers  of  a  boisterous  sea  for  the  sole  pur- 
pose of  instructing  them  in  the  means  of  obtaining 
happiness  after  death,  and  that,  too,  without  requiring 
any  compensation  for  his  trouble  and  expense.  And 
as  they  had  observed  the  anxiety  of  the  white  people 
to  purchase  lands  of  the  Indians,  they  naturally  con- 
cluded that  his  real  object  was  either  to  procure  the 

4 1  think  the  Oley  Church  was  then  in  existence. 

5  2  Loskiel's  "  Hist.  Miss.,"  21;  also  Rupp's  "History  of 
Berks  and  Lebanon  Counties,"  pp.  236,  237,  238. 

6  Now  Sunbury,  having  proceeded  thither  from  Tulpe- 
hocken. 


RELIGIOUS  DENOMINATIONS. 


365 


lands  of  Wyoming  for  his  own  use  or  to  search  for 
hidden  treasures,  or  to  examine  the  country  with  a  view 
to  future  conquest.  They  therefore  resolved  to  assas- 
sinate him  privately,  lest  a  knowledge  of  the  affair 
should  produce  war  with  the  English,  who  were  set- 
tling the  country  below  the  mountain. 

"  Zinzendorf  was  alone  in  his  tent,  seated  upon  a 
bundle  of  dry  weeds,  when  the  assassins  approached 
to  execute  their  bloody  mission.  This  was  in  the 
night-time,  and  the  cool  air  of  September  had  made  a 
small  fire  necessary  for  his  comfort  and  convenience. 
A  blanket  hung  upon  pins  was  stretched  across  the 
entrance  to  his  tent.  The  heat  of  his  small  fire  had 
invited  a  rattlesnake  which  lay  in  the  weeds  not  far 
away.  In  crawling  slowly  into  the  tent,  it  passed 
over  one  of  his  legs  unobserved.  Outside  all  was 
quiet,  save  the  gentle  murmer  of  the  rapids  in  the 
rivera  mile  below.  Justthen  these  Indians  approached 
the  tent  and  drew  the  curtain  slightly  aside.  There 
they  observed  Zinzendorf  deeply  engaged  in  reflec- 
tion, so  much  indeed  as  not  to  notice  either  their  ap- 
proach or  the  snake,  which  lay  extended  before  him. 
The  sight  turned  their  hearts  and  they  shrank  from 
committing  the  deed  which  they  had  set  out  to  per- 
form. They  turned  away  from  the  tent,  hastened  to 
their  settlement  and  informed  their  tribe  that  the 
Great  Spirit  protected  the  white  man,  for  they  had 
found  him  in  a  tent  with  only  a  blanket  for  a  door 
and  they  had  seen  a  large  rattlesnake  crawl  over  his 
legs  without  even  attempting  to  injure  him.  This 
circumstance  changed  their  suspicion  and  revenge 
into  confidence  and  friendship.  He  remained  twenty 
days,  and  then  returned  to  Bethlehem."  ' 

Tobias  and  George  Frederick  Beckel,  broth- 
ers, from  Turkheim,  in  Rhenish  Bavaria,  emi- 
grated to  Pennsylvania  in  the  fall  of  1736, 
and  settled,  the  former  in  Heidelberg  town- 
ship, south  of  the  Tulpehocken  Creek,  and  the 
latter  on  the  Schuylkill,  within  the  limits  of 
Bern  township.  They  and  some  of  their 
neighbors, — such  as  Frederick  Gerhard  and 
John  Meyer, — were  subsequently  attendants  on 
Zinzendorf's  preaching  in  Tulpehocken ;  and, 
being  deeply  impressed  thereby,  they  requested 
him  to  supply  them  with  a  minister  of  the  gos- 
pel. In  December,2  1742,  Zinzendorf  bade 
them  farewell.  As  they  had  been  educated  in 
the  doctrines  of  the  Reformed  Church,  they 
were  commended  to  Jacob  Lischey's  spiritual 
care.  Lischey  preached  in  Heidelberg  at  stated 
times  till  September,  1743.      Anthony  Wagner 

1  Rupp's  "History  Berks  County,"  pp.  429-430. 

2  This  may  have  been  September. 


succeeded  him  in  January,  1744,  having  resided 
at  first  with  Tobias  Beckel.  Meanwhile,  George 
Frederick  Beckel  removed  from  the  Schuylkill 
into  the  limits  of  what  is  now  North  Heidel- 
berg township,  and  there,  on  land  which  was 
donated  by  his  brother  Tobias,  a  building,  com- 
prising a  church  and  parsonage,  was  erected  for 
the  Moravians  in  the  summer  of  1744.  On 
the  4th  of  November  following,  the  building 
was  dedicated  to  its  legitimate  uses  during  the 
opening  sessions  of  a  Synod  at  which  Henry 
Antes  presided. 

The  first  Moravian  congregation  in  the  rural 
districts  of  the  province  was  organized  on  April 
9,  1745,  in  Heidelberg  township,  by  Bishop 
Augustus  G.  Spangenberg.  Its  members  were 
Tobias  Beckel  and  Christiana  his  wife ;  G.  F. 
Beckel  and  Ann  Elizabeth  his  wife ;  Stephen 
Brecht  and  Elizabeth  his  wife ;  John  Fischer, 
Sr.,  and  Sybilla  his  wife;  John  Fischer,  Jr., 
and  Ann  M.  his  wife;  Frederick  Gerhard  and 
Barbara  his  wife ;  Nicholas  Glas  and  Ann 
Mary  his  wife;  Jacob  Graeter  and  Barbara 
his  wife;  John  Keller,  widower;  John  Mayer 
and  Margaret  his  wife;  George  Minier,  wid- 
ower; John  Zerbe  and  Elizabeth  his  wife. 

At  the  date  of  this  register,  Daniel  Neubert 
and  Elizabeth  his  wife  occupied  the  parsonage 
in  Heidelberg.3 

"  Heidelberg  was  one  of  the  rural  districts  in  which 
the  Brethren  [Moravians]  labored  in  the  Gospel  with 
marked  success.  Zinzendorf  preached  here  frequently. 
In  the  spring  of  1742  he  recommended  Gottlieb  Butt- 
ner,  of  Bethlehem,  and  the  settlers  accepted  him  as 
their  minister.  They  then  built  him  a  church. 
Philip  Meurer  succeeded  him  in  the  autumn  of  that 
year.  After  the  Lutheran  Church  was  organized 
there,  in  1743,  the  Brethren  lost  influence.  They 
were  then  regarded  with  distrust,  and  afterwards  dis- 
pleasure; and  finally,  in  January,  1747,  they  were 
deprived  of  their  building  in  which  they  worshipped. 
Meurer  was  then  recalled  to  Bethlehem."4 

Bishop  Augustus  G.  Spangenberg,  during  his 
sojourn  among  the  Schwenckfelders  of  Skippack, 

"From  "Transactions  of  the  Moravian  Historical  So- 
ciety" [1858-76],  p.  406,  and  see  pages  from  356  to  371 
for  a  number  of  the  members  of  the  church  at  Bethlehem, 
February,  1748,  who  had  gone  thither  from  Oley,  Heidel- 
berg and  Tulpehocken. 

'  Reichner,  in  "Transactions  of  Morayian  Historical  So- 
ciety," in  note  on  origin  of  Indian  name  Tulpehocken. 


366 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


in  the  year  1737,  visited  the  German  settlements 
of  Oley,  and  preached  at  Jonathan  Herrbein's  and 
at  Abraham  Bartolet's.  Andrew  Aschenbach 
was,  however,  the  Moravian  pioneer  in  this  in- 
land district  of  the  province. 

Immediately  upon  his  arrival  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  October,  1740,  he  made  Oley  the  cen- 
tral point  of  his  Gospel  ministry,  in  which  he 
labored  for  upwards  of  two  years  with  untiring 
industry,  with  persuasive  eloquence  and  remark- 
able success.  He  was  assisted  for  a  time  by 
Anna  Nitschmann  and  Johanna  Sophia  Molther. 
During  his  residence  in  Oley,  the  so-called 
Synod  of  Pennsylvania  convened  at  John  de 
Turck's  farm-house  in  the  month  of  February, 
1742;  then  three  Mohegans,  attached  to  the 
Moravian  Mission  at  Shecomeco,  were  admitted 
to  church  fellowship  by  the  rite  of  baptism.  At 
the  same  time  steps  were  taken  towards  organ- 
izing the  attendants  on  his  ministry  into  a 
religious  society ;  and  the  erection  of  a  place  of 
worship  was  recommended.  A  log  church  was 
accordingly  completed  before  the  expiration  of 
the  year.  Zinzeudorf  was  deeply  interested  in 
the  prosperity  of  this  domestic  mission,  and 
devoted  much  of  his  time  and  personal  attention 
to  its  concerns.  Nevertheless,  in  consequence  of 
disagreement  between  the  pastor  and  his  people, 
which  engendered  partisanship,  and  the  appear- 
ance of  new  claimants  at  this  time  for  spiritual 
sway  in  Oley,  the  Moravians  lost  influence,  and 
eventually,  in  1765,  withdrew  altogether  from 
the  field. 

The  succession  in  the  ministry  between 
Eschenbach's  recall,  towards  the  close  of  1742, 
and  the  date  of  the  following  register  was  thus : 
Henry  Antes  and  Jacob  Kohn,  in  1743;  Abra- 
ham M.  Meinung,  in  1744;  John  W.  Michler, 
from  1745  to  1748;  Richard  Utley,  in  1749 
and  1750;  John  C.  Francke,  in  1751;  John 
W.  Michler,  in  1752;  and  John  Schneider,  in 
1753. 

The  Moravians,  during  their  settlement  in 
Oley,  erected  two  dwellings  on  land  donated  to 
them  by  John  de  Turck.  The  first  was  com- 
pleted and  occupied  early  in  1745;  the  second 
was  completed  in  1748,  and  thereupon  occupied 
upwards  of  three  years  by  a  flourishing  board- 
ing-school, into   which    were  incorporated    the 


Moravian  schools  of  Germantown  and  Frederick 
townships.1 

MEMBERS  OF  MORAVIAN   CHTJKCH  IN   OLEY,    APRIL, 
1753, 

Brethren. 

John  G.  Boerstler  (born  1677  in  Turkheim  on  der 
Hartz.  Immigrated  in  1732.  United  with  Moravians 
in  1748;:.  Died  May,  1789). 

Jacob  Boerstler  (born  1700  in  Upper  Palatinate. 
United  with  Moravians  in  1747). 

Just.  Buetting  (born  1713  in  Frantzheim.  Immi- 
grated 1723.     United  with  Moravians  in  1743). 

Frederick  Leinbach  (born  1703  in  Hochstadt,  Ba- 
varia, circle  of  Upper  Franconia.  Immigrated  with 
his  parents,  John  and  Elizabeth  Leinbach,  in.  1723. 
United  with  Moravians  in  1742). 

Henry  Leinbach  (born  1705  in  Hochstadt,  brother 
of  above.     United  with  Moravians  in  1753). 

John  Leinbach  (born  1712  in  Hochstadt,  brother  of 
above.     Immigrated  in  1718). 

John  Henry  Neukirck  (born  1708  at  Hahn,  near 
Dusseldorf.     Immigrated  in  1738). 

John  Schneider. 

Sisters. 

Catharine  Boerstler,  maiden-name  Luck,  from 
Savoy. 

Catharine  Boerstler,  maiden-name  Peter,  from  Soel- 
iflgen. 

Elizabeth  Leinbach,  maiden -name  Frey,  from 
Skippack. 

Johanna  Leinbach,  maiden-name  Herrmann,  from 
Cones  toga. 

Catharine  Leinbach,  maiden-name  Riehm,  from 
Muddy  Creek. 

Gertrude  Neukirk,  maiden-name  Hartmann,  from 
Palatinate. 

Elizabeth  Schneider. 

On  July  31,  1750,  a  beginning  was  made 
to  dissolve  the  Moravian  School  in  Frederick 
township,  by  transferring  pupils  to  other  schools. 
In  the  last  week  of  August,  1750,  the  following 
were  transferred  to  Oley:  David  Beck  (Berlin) ; 
Alvin  and  John  Bibighausen  (Muddy  Creek, 
Lancaster  County);  Geo.  M.  Graaf  (Lancaster) ; 
Abram  Haller  (Lancaster  County);  Israel 
Horsfield  (Long  Island) ;  Isaac,  Jonathan  and 
Peter  Jones  (Montgomery  County,  New  Prov- 
idence township) ;  Frederick  Klemm  (Philadel- 
phia); Michael  Kraemer  (Lancaster);  Abram 
Leinbach  (Oley,  son  of  John  and  Cathariue); 
Isaac  Noble  (New  York);  John  Riehm  (Lan- 


1  From  Trans,  of  Moravian  Historical  Society.  1858-76, 
p.  399,  and  see  Oley  township  as  to  Moravian  School. 


RELIGIOUS  DENOMINATIONS. 


367 


caster  County);  Peter  Vetter  (Oley,  son  of 
Jac.  and  Magdalene) ;  John  Walton,  John 
Weber  (Lancaster  County). 

Soman  Catholics. — The  early  settlers  of 
the  county  were  entirely  Protestants.  They 
composed  the  different  denominations  till  about 
1740.  Then  the  Roman  Catholics  appear. 
Their  number  was  very  small  compared  with 
the  number  in  the  Protestant  denominations. 
The  Protestants  were  mostly  driven  here  by  re- 
ligious persecution,  which  was  caused  by  the 
Roman  religion  ;  and  feeling  the  terrors  and 
sufferings  of  this  persecution,  it  was  natural  for 
them  to  discourage  this  religion  from  obtaining 
a  foothold  in  their  midst.  This  accounts  for 
the  strength  of  the  one  class  and  the  weakness 
of  the  other. 

In  1741  the  Roman  Catholics  had  a  congre- 
gation and  meeting-house  in  "  Gnadenhutten  " 
(which  included  Washington  township)  and  in 
Maxatawny.  It  is  not  known  what  member- 
ship they  had.  Some  years  afterward  it  would 
seem  that  their  number  had  grown  so  as  to' 
awaken  public  concern.  The  matter  was  forced 
upon  the  attention  of  the  justices  of  the  county, 
who,  being  Protestants,  imbibed  the  feeling  of 
insecurity  entertained  by  the  surrounding  com- 
munity. The  excitement  incident  to  the 
"  French  and  Indian  War  "  was  sufficient  to 
arouse  their  jealousy  and  suspicion. 

It  was  believed  that  the  Roman  Catholics 
manifested  sympathy  for  the  French  l  in  their 
cruel  warfare  against  the  colonies.  The  justices 2 
therefore  addressed  a  letter  to  the  Governor  of 
the  province,  from  Heidelberg,  on  July  23, 
1885,  which  was  as  follows : 

"  As  all  our  Protestant  inhabitants  are  very  uneasy 
at  the  behavior  of  the  Roman  Catholics,  who  are  very 
numerous  in  this  County,  some  of  whom  show  great 
joy  at  the  bad  news  lately  come  from  the  army.  We 
have  thought  it  our  duty  to  inform  Your  Honour  of 
our  dangerous  situation,  and  to  beg  Your  Honour  to 
enable  us  by  some  legal  authority  to  disarm  or  other- 
wise to  disable  the  Papists  from  doing  any  injury  to 
other  people  who  are  not  of  their  vile  principles.  We 
know  that  the  people  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 


'The  French  government  was  under  the  influence  of  the 
Eomish  Church. 

2  Henry  Harry,  James  Read,  William'  Bird,  Jonas  Seely 
and  Conrad  Weiser. 


are  bound  by  their  principles  to  be  the  worst  subjects 
and  worst  of  neighbours,  and  we  have  reason  to  fear 
just  at  this  time  that  the  Roman  Catholics  in  Cussa- 
hoppen,  where  they  have  a  magnificent  Chapel,  and 
lately  have  had  large  processions,  have  bad  designs, 
for  in  the  neighborhood  of  that  Chapel  it  is  reported 
and  generally  believed  that  thirty  Indians  are  now 
lurking,  well  armed  with  guns  and  swords  or  cutlasses. 
The  Priest  at  Reading,  as  well  as  at  Cussahoppen, 
last  Sunday  gave  notiee  to  their  people  that  they 
could  not  come  to  them  again  in  less  than  nine  weeks, 
whereas  they  constantly  preach  once  in  four  weeks  to 
their  congregations;  whereupon  some  imagine  they've 
gone  to  consult  with  our  enemies  at  Du  Quesne.  It 
is  a  great  unhappiness  at  this  time  to  the  other  people 
of  this  Province  that  the  Papists  should  keep  arms  in 
their  houses,  against  which  the  Protestants  are  not 
prepared,  who,  therefore,  are  subject  to  a  massacre 
whenever  the  Papists  are  ready.  We  pray  that  Your 
Honour  would  direct  us  in  this  important  business  by 
the  return  of  the  bearer,  whom  we  have  sent  express 
to  Your  Honour."  8 

This  letter  was  read  before  the  Executive 
Council  on  the  15th  of  August,  1755,  and  the 
following  proceedings  will  indicate  the  action 
taken  upon  it : 

"The  Governor  acquainted  the  Council  that  Mr. 
Weiser,  in  conjunction  with  the  Justices  of  the  County 
of  Berks,  had  presented  to  him  a  representation  set- 
ting forth  an  increase  of  Roman  Catholics  in  their 
County,  and  particularly  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
Town  of  Reading,  and  the  apprehensions  the  peo- 
ple were  under  of  some  danger  that  might  arise  in 
this  time  of  war,  and  praying  that  the  same  might  be 
taken  into  consideration  in  order  to  prevent  any  ill 
consequences;  that  he  had  laid  the  same  before  the 
House,  who  had,  on  the  8th  instant,  sent  him  their 
answer  in  the  following  verbal  message,  namely, — 
'The  House  have  this  afternoon  examined  Conrad 
Weiser,  and  some  of  our  Members  have  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  speaking  with  another  of  the  Justices  of 
Berks  County,  who  signed  the  letter,  representing  the 
state  of  the  Roman  Catholics  in  that  neighborhood, 
from  which  and  what  further  inquiry  we  have  made, 
we  apprehend  there  is  very  little  foundation  for  that 
representation.  Nevertheless,  if  the  Governor  upon 
further  information  should  find  any  assistance  of 
ours  necessary,  we  shall  always  be  willing  to  contri- 
bute what  lies  in  our  Power  for  the  public  tranquil- 
lity, and  in  the  mean  time  we  request  to  do  therein 
what  he  shall  think  necessary  and  right,  consistent 
with  the  Charters  and  Laws  of  this  Province  and  the 
safety  of  the  People.' "  4 


3  6  Col.  Rec,  503. 
*  6  Col.  Kec,  533-584. 


368 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


In  1757  the  Roman  Catholics  of  the  province 
were  enumerated,  with  a  total  result  number- 
ing thirteen  hundred  and  sixty-five — six  hun- 
dred and  ninety-two  men  and  six  hundred  and 
seventy-three  women. 

The  report1  for  all  the  counties  in  the  prov- 
ince was  as  follows : 


Men.  Women. 

In  Berks  County 108            97 

Philadelphia 194  209 

Northampton 85            74 

Bucks 14            12 

Chester 66            54 

Lancaster 130  121 

Cumberland 6              6 

York 89  100 

692  673 

In  Berks  County  they  were  as  follows  :  Under 
Rev.  Theo.  Schneider,  sixty  two  men  and 
fifty-five  women  ;  under  Eev.  Ferdinand  Far- 
mer, forty-six  men  and  forty-two  women  (of 
which  there  were  eight  Irish  people — five  men 
and  three  wpmen). 

All  these  were  over  twelve  years  of  age  and 
had  received  the  Holy  Sacrament. 

The  number  in  the  county  (two  hundred  and 
five)  was  rather  small  to  have  occasioned  any 
excitement.  The  people  were  not  in  one  place  ; 
they  were  scattered  in  three  localities. 

At  Eeading  they  had  an  association,  if  not  a 
church,  soon  after  the  town  was  laid  out ;  and 
this  association  they  maintained,  notwithstand- 
ing the  smallness  of  their  number  and  the  op- 
position of  the  Lutheran  and  Reformed  people, 
who  comprised  the  great  majority  of  the  in- 
habitants. 

About  1790  (probably  some  years  earlier) 
they  succeeded  in  establishing  a  church  at  Read- 
ing. In  1846  they  dedicated  a  fine,  commo- 
dious structure  and  called  it  "  St.  Peter's." 

The  families  of  this  denomination  at  Read- 
ing, before  1820,  were — 

Allgaier,  Clay,  Eichhorn,Eckenrode,  Felix,  Fricker, 
Greth,  Gans,  Hartman,  Klingelberger,  Kemp,  Keffer' 
Lambert,  O'Conner,  O'Dier,  Eepplier,  Eitner,  Schna- 
bel,  Schwartz,  Seyfert,  Sheufelder,  Sigfried,  Smith 
Wetzell  and  Windbigler. 

Amish. — The    Amish    denomination 


is    a 


1  3  Pa.  Arch.,  144. 


branch  of  the  Mennonites.     It  was  never  in  a 
flourishing  condition  in  the  county.     The  mem- 
bers were  not  ambitious  to  have  a  church  until 
1881,  when  they  erected  a  building  in  Lancas- 
ter County,  near  the  Berks  County  line,  several 
miles  west  of  Morgantown.     Religious  services 
were  always  conducted  at  private  houses.     The 
first  bishop  of  the  denomination  in  this  vicinity 
(comprising  Berks,  Chester  and  Lancaster  Coun- 
ties) was  Jacob  Mast,  who  settled  here  in  1750, 
when  a  boy  about  twelve  years   old,  and  began 
to  exhort  and  preach  about  1765.     He  contin- 
ued in  active  and   faithful   service  for  many 
years.     The  second   bishop   was  Peter  Plank, 
who  moved  from  Oley  and  settled  in  Caernar- 
von.   He  was  regarded  as  an  able  minister,  and 
preached  the  gospel  with  great  earnestness  and 
success.     And  the  third  is  John  P.  Mast,  who 
has  now  officiated  as   a  faithful   and  devoted 
minister  in  this  denomination   for  over  thirty 
years.     His  father,  Daniel  Mast,  was  a  minister 
for  fifty  years— from  1830  till  1883. 

The  Conestoga  Church  has  a  membership 
numbering  ninety  persons.  Only  eleven  fami- 
lies of  this  denomination  are  now  living  in  this 
county. 

At  one  time  there  were  three  other  congrega- 
tions in  the  county — one  in  Cnmru,  another  in 
Maiden-creek  and  the  third  in  Bern  township 
(called  Northkill).  The  latter  was  the  oldest 
in  this  State.  The  latest  service  in  Maiden- 
creek  was  in  1874,  at  the  dwelling  of  Mrs. 
Plank. 

Other  Denominations.  —  The  Episco- 
palians, or  members  of  the  Established  Church 
of  England,  were  in  two  sections  of  the  county 
before  1740  ;  one  was  in  the  southeastern  part, 
in  Amity  township,  at  Molatton  (Douglassville) 
and  the  other  in  the  southern  part,  in  Caernar- 
von township  (near  Morgantown),  and  in  each 
locality  they  caused  a  church  to  be  erected. 
They  were  amongst  the  first  inhabitants  of 
Reading.  They  had  regular  preaching  there  for 
a  time,  during  ten  years  before  the  Revolution. 
The  officiating  minister  was  Rev.  Alexander 
Murray.  But  they  did  not  establish  a  church 
till  1826. 

The  Presbyterians  began  to  collect  a  society 
in   Reading  about  1810,  and  from  that  time 


RELIGIOUS  DENOMINATIONS. 


369 


onward  they  increased  in  religious  activity  till 
they  erected  a  church  in  1824.  In  this  time 
they  were  earnest  in  instituting  a  general  Sun- 
day-school. 

The  Baptists,  Methodists  and  Universalists 
followed.  These  denominations  were  instituted 
at  Reading,  and  being  confined  almost  entirely 
to  Reading,  the  historical  narrative  relating 
to  them  and  their  churches  will  be  included  in 
the  chapter  on  the  churches  of  Reading. 

The  history  of  the  numerous  churches  in  the 
several  sections  of  the  county  will  be  narrated 
in  the  townships  where  they  are  situated. 

I  endeavored  to  collect  statistics  on  the 
strength  and  growth  of  the  several  denomina- 
tions in  the  county,  but  I  was  not  able  to  ob- 
tain them,  on  account  of  the  peculiar  arrange- 
ment of  territory,  different  from  our  political 
division,  for  which  general  reports  were  made. 

Religious  Excitement  —  Heidelberg 
Meeting. — In  1829  a  religious  excitement 
was  caused  by  the  agitation  of  questions  relat- 
ing to  Sunday-schools,  Sunday  mails,  etc.  It 
awakened  considerable  feeling  throughout  the 
county  ;  and  the  people,  especially  in  and  about 
Heidelberg  and  Exeter,  expressed  a  decided  op- 
position. 

Pursuant  to  public  notice,  a  numerous  and 
respectable  meeting  of  citizens  was  held  at  the 
house  of  George  Gernand,  in  Heidelberg  town- 
ship, Berks  County,  on  Thursday,  May  21, 
1829,  to  deliberate  and  consult  upon  the 
causes  and  tendency  of  the  religious  excitement 
which  then  prevailed  in  the  county.  Joseph 
Hain  was  chosen  president ;  Henry  Bennetsch 
and  John  Gerhart,  vice-presidents  ;  John  Sohl, 
Jr.,  and  Daniel  Wenrich,  secretaries.  A  com- 
mittee of  five  (John  Shitz,  Jacob  Zeitzinger, 
Henry  Shoner,  Martin  Texter  and  John  Hain) 
was  appointed  to  report  resolutions  for  the  con- 
sideration of  the  meeting.  They  reported  an 
address  and  resolutions,  which  were  unani- 
mously adopted.  They  apprehended  that  the 
existing  religious  excitement  was  not  calculated 
to  promote  the  interests  of  genuine  rational 
piety,  but  tended  eventually,  if  not  arrested  in 
its  progress,  to  abridge  the  civil  and  religious 
liberties  of  the  people.  The  excitement  was 
caused  by  the  extraordinary  conduct  of  certain 
40 


ecclesiastical  professors,  who  appeared  to  have 
undertaken  a  crusade  for  spreading  religious 
opinions  and  advancing  church  establishments. 
They  alarmed  the  weak-minded  and  youthful 
part  of  the  community  with  unusual  and  vehe- 
ment denunciations  of  divine  wrath,  and  thus 
obtained  an  influence  over  minds,  not  by  rational 
conviction,  which  was  destined  to  elevate  the 
clergy  to  a  degree  of  authority  inconsistent  with 
the  people's  welfare  and  with  the  spirit  of  free 
institutions.  After  condemning  the  clergy  as 
ambitious,  and  the  different  societies  as  unneces- 
sary, and  the  attempted  prohibition  of  trans- 
porting mail  on  Sunday  as  fanaticism,  and  en- 
deavors to  procure  legislation  in  religious 
matters  as  infringements  on  the  rights  of  con- 
science, etc.,  resolutions  were  adopted  re- 
garding Sunday-school  Unions,  Bible  Societies, 
etc.,  as  unnecessary  ;  religious  zeal  as  false  pre- 
tense and  enthusiasm  ;  Holy  Scriptures  as  set- 
ting forth  plainly  the  religious  and  moral 
duties,  which  consisted  in  visiting  the  sick,  feed- 
ing the  hungry,  clothing  the  naked,  honoring 
parents  and  showing  charity  for  all,  and  that 
no  amount  of  mortification  or  prayer  could  jus- 
tify omission  of  any  of  them  ;  Sabbath,  as  a  day 
of  worship  and  temporal  repose,  was  not  calcu- 
lated to  prohibit  innocent  recreations  ;  the  dif- 
ferent societies,  etc.,  as  not  worthy  their  sup- 
port, being  disposed  to  elevate  clergy  over  the 
people;  disseminators  of  such  principles  as 
hypocrites  ;  beggars  in  broadcloth  as  impostors, 
too  lazy  to  earn  their  bread  by  the  sweat  of  their 
brow  ;  and  expressing  readiness  to  reward  up- 
right, unassuming  ministers  for  their  services  ; 
but,  if  no  such  could  be  found,  to  carry  on  simple 
service  themselves.  They  also  approved  of  the 
proceedings  at  Cocalico  Meeting,  in  Lancaster 
County,  March  19, 1829,  and  ordered  their  own 
proceedings  to  be  published  in  all  papers 
friendly  to  the  cause  of  the  people.1 

These  proceedings  were  severely  criticised  by 
a  "  Christian  Freeman,"  in  an  article  published 
in  the  magazine  of  the  German  Reformed 
Church.2 

Exeter    Meeting. — The    following    pro- 


1 B.  §  S.  Journal,  June,  1 829. 

*See  Rupp's  "  Hist'y  of  Berks  County,"  pp.  275  to  289. 


370 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


ceedings  are  presented  in  this  connection  to 
show  the  feeling  in  Exeter  township,  and  the 
sentiments  of  the  community  as  expressed  at  a 
public  meeting  held  shortly  after  the  Heidel- 
berg meeting.  They  are  given  in  full  as  they 
were  published  in  the  Berks  and  Schuylkill 
Journal,  11th  of  July,  1829,  having  been  pre- 
pared expressly  for  publication.  The  subscrib- 
ers include  the  prominent  and  influential  citi- 
zens of  Exeter  and  adjoining  townships. 

"  MEETING  OF  FKEEMEN  IN  EXETEK  TOWNSHIP. 

"  A  large  and  respectable  meeting  of  the  Freemen 
of  Exeter  township,  Berks  County,  was  held  on  the 
27th  of  June,  1829,  pursuant  to  public  notice,  at  the 
house  of  John  Mellon,  inn-keeper,  at  which  John 
Guldin  was  chosen  president;  William  Reiter  and 
Abraham  Brumbach,  vice-presidents;  and  Daniel 
Esterly  and  Jacob  Brumbach,  secretaries. 

"The  following-named  persons  were  chosen  ,a  com- 
mittee to  draft  a  suitable  address  and  resolutions : 
William  Reiter,  Jacob  Maurer,  Daniel  Ritter,  C.  F. 
Egelman  and  Daniel  Guldin;  The  committee  having 
retired  for  a  short  time,  returned  and  presented  the 
following  address  and  resolutions,  which  were  unani- 
mously adopted : 

"  '  Fellow  Citizens  :  In  the  course  of  human 
events  various  vicissitudes  will  take  place,  some  for 
the  better,  others  for  the  worse.  These  changes  are 
not  unfrequently  brought  about  by  a  part  of  our  own 
citizens.  Yes,  by  those  who  profess  to  promote  the 
interest  and  happiness  of  their  fellow-beings  among 
whom  they  dwell,  or  over  whom  they  preside  as  pro- 
tectors. But  how  often  are  these  resolutions  or 
changes  effected  with  any  other  view  than  that  of 
self-aggrandizement  ?  We  are  not  without  precedent 
on  precedent,  instance  on  instance.  When  was  it 
that  America  groaned  under  the  oppression  of  her 
mother-country?  It  was  when  Britain  professed  an 
anxious  solicitude  for  our  welfare.  But  our  fathers 
were  not  even  then  insensible  of  the  ponderous  bur- 
then, and  the  duration  of  that  oppression  ;  being  in- 
spired by  a  love  of  country  and  liberty,  they  looked 
forward  with  a  pitying  eye ;  their  bowels  moved  with 
compassion  towards  us,  and  most  wistfully  desired 
that  we  should  not  inhale  the  air  of  bondage ;  they 
made  every  laudable,  though  mighty  effort,  to  evade 
the  impending  thraldom ;  they  sacrificed  all,  save 
conscience  and  honor,  to  secure  and  promote  our 
native  rights.  And,  fellow-citizens,  why  should  we 
not  perpetuate  the  same  to  our  children  and  chil- 
dren's children?  Shall  we  remain  passive  on  the 
present  occasion?  Shall  the  inheritance  bequeathed 
us  by  our  fathers  be  neglected  ?  Shall  our  children 
"  be  denied  the  liberties  we  enjoy?  Let  us  watch  with 
a  jealous  care,  be  vigilant  "in  season  and  out  of 
season,"  to   shield  our  rights   from  encroachments. 


The  present  is  a  crisis  unparalleled  in  the  annals  of 
America;  such  vigorous  exertions  were  never  made 
in  the  United  'States  to  connect  church  and  State. 
What  are  some  of  those  doing  who  assume  to  them- 
selves the  name  "Spiritual,"  claiming  the  prerogative 
of  dictating  to  others  in  religious  matters,  framing 
tradictions,  and  to  inforce  which,  powerful  attempts 
are  made  to  gain  the  sanction  of  the  civil  and  national 
power.  As  soon  as  the  civil  power  interferes,  more 
or  less,  so  soon  will  church  and  state  be  united.  How 
many  are  the  attempts  made,  on  several  occasions,  to 
incorporate  Synods,  Theological  Seminaries,  Sunday- 
school  unions,  &c. 

"  '  At  the  close  of  the  second  century,  no  sooner 
had  the  number  of  the  faithful  increased,  than  the 
priests  discovered  that  an  advantage  would  result 
from  forming  a  closer  union  of  their  interests  and 
designs ;  they  adopted  provincial  Synods ;  their  delib- 
erations were  assisted  by  the  advice  of  a  few  dis- 
tinguished presbyters,  and  moderated  by  a  listening 
multitude.  Their  decrees  were  styled  sermons,  con- 
fession of  faith  and  church  discipline,  which  regulated 
every  important  controversy  of  faith.  These  institu- 
tions were  very  well  suited  to  the  private  ambition 
and  public  interest  of  the  clergy.  That  in  a  very  short 
time  they  were  received  in  the  whole  Roman  empire. 
A  correspondence  was  established  between  these 
synods  or  councils,  which  mutually  communicated 
and  approved  their  respective  proceedings,  and  the 
church  immediately  assumed  the  form,  and  acquired 
the  strength  of  a  great  federative  republic, — church 
and  state  were  united !  bloodshed  and  carnage  macu- 
lated the  hands  of  the  pious  priests  and  priest-ridden  ! 

"  '  We  are  fearful,  if  we  let  the  "monster,"  "  Union  of 
Sabbath-schools,''  &c,  stalk  our  country,  that  our 
government  will  be  placed  into  the  hands  of  those 
who  have  been  trained  in  these  "  disciplined  armies." 
"  In  ten  years,"  says  one  of  the  Board,  "  or  certainly 
in  twenty,  the  political  power  of  our  country  would 
be  in  the  hands  of  men  whose  characters  have  been 
formed  under  the  influence  of  Sabbath-schools"  (see 
second  Report  of  the  American  Sunday-school  Union, 
page  93).  This  is  a  candid  confession  of  one  who  is 
an  active  member  of  the  Board,  a  correspondent  of 
the  Sunday-school  Union.  These  are  not  surmises, 
they  are  facts  on  record. 

"  '  And  did  not  even  Dr.  Ezra  Styles  Ely,  the  grand 
representative,  as  he  calls  himself,  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  propose  a  new  union,  a  Christian  party  in 
politics  ?     Therefore, 

"  '  1.  Resolved,  That  in  the  opinion  of  this  meeting, 
it  is  highly  important  that  public  disapprobation 
should  be  freely  expressed  as  to  the  numerous  socie- 
ties now  existing  or  about  being  originated  under 
the  pleasing  pretext  of  Christian  benevolence;  but 
in  reality  [possessing  no  views  other  than  private 
gain,  personal  ambition  and  the  political  ascendancy 
of  the  priesthood. 

"  '  2.  Resolved,  That  we  view  education  as  the  first 


RELIGIOUS  DENOMINATIONS. 


371 


principle  of  our  liberty,  and  therefore  approve  of 
Sunday-schools  disconnected  with  the  union,  as  con- 
ducive to  the  best  interests  of  mankind ;  but  that  we 
view  in  the  Sunday-School  Union  an  alarming  evil 
about  to  desolate  our  land,  by  instilling  into  the 
youthful  mind  bigotry,  superstition  and  fanaticism, 
and  thus  controlling  the  infant,  they  secure  the  man, 
to  crouch  and  cower  beneath  the  mitre  and  crosier  of 
ecclesiastical  tyranny. 

"  '3.  Resolved,  That  we  consider  the  distribution  of 
the  Bible  as  laudable  and  beneficial,  but  that  we 
view  the  extensive  establishment  of  the  Bible  Society, 
controlled  as  it  is  by  priestcraft,  as  a  dangerous  and 
horrible  machine,  capable  of  being  perverted  to  the 
accomplishment  of  the  vilest  purpose,  the  destruction 
of  civil  and  religious  liberty. 

"  '  4.  Resolved,  That  we  admit  that  those  romances 
called  tracts  may  benefit  when  they  contain  gospel 
precepts  and  doctrines  compatible  with  reason  and 
common  sense.  But  that  the  millions  disseminated 
by  the  American  Tract  Society  are  so  much  fanati- 
cism and  bigotry  to  lead  the  thoughtless  into  the 
snares  of  priestcraft. 

'"5.  Resolved,  That  we  view  missionary  societies  as 
totally  useless,  connected  as  they  are  by  auxiliaries 
and  branches  throughout  the  country,  and  that,  what- 
ever may  be  their  avowed  object,  their  real  purpose  is 
to  collect  funds  to  make  sectarians  and  not  Christians. 
Our  Saviour  and  his  disciples,  when  on  earth,  taught 
us  to  seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  righteous- 
ness, and  that  all  other  things  will  be  added,  but 
these  missionaries  bow  first  to  mammon,  to  the 
obvious  neglect  of  all  other  more  important  objects. 

"  '  6.  Resolved,  That  we  disapprove  of  Theological 
Seminaries  as  not  within  the  spirit  of  Republican  In- 
stitutions, inasmuch  as  they  generate  a  progeny  of 
idle  metaphysicians,  trained  to  the  absurdities  of  their 
teachers,  and  ever  prepared,  by  unity  of  action,  to 
further  the  most  extravagant  designs. 

" '  7.  Resolved,  That  we  are  determined  not  to  coun- 
tenance the  above-named  institutions,  but  rather  aid 
in  their  decline;  and  that  we  will  support  no  minister 
in  connection  with  them.  That  we  respect  and  have 
due  deference  for  Christian  teachers,  and  that  we  feel 
rejoiced  to  acknowledge  that  many  of  this  class 
among  us  disapprove  of  the  measures  we  have  at- 
tempted to  expose. 

" '  8.  Resolved,  That  we  condemn  the  measures  of 
the  German  Reformed  Synod,  convened  last  year  at 
Mifflinburg,  Union  county,  as  recorded  in  the  publi- 
cation of  their  proceedings,  and  particularly  as  to 
their  supererogation  in  indicating  what  Almanac 
should  be  used,  and  their  views  as  to  enforcing  a 
more  strict  observance  of  the  Sabbath. 

'"9.  Resolved,  That  we  approve  of  the  proceedings 
of  the  meeting  held  May  21, 1829,  at  Gernaut's,  in 
Heidelberg;  that  we  join  with  them  in  supporting 
our  religious  rights  and  guarding  our  Civil  Liberty. 

"  '  10.  Resolved,  That  we  instruct  our  representatives 


in  the  National  as  well  as  in  the  State  Legislature,  to 
suppress,  with  their  most  earnest  exertion,  every 
measure  calculated  in  the  least  to  curtail  the  rights 
of  conscience. 

" '  11.  Resolved,  That  the  following-named  persons 
be  a  committee  of  correspondence,  with  power  to  call 
meetings  whenever,  in  their  opinion,  the  exigency  of 
the  case  may  require :  Oley  township,  Peter  Knabb, 
Jr.,  Jacob  H.  Reiff;  Exeter,  Isaac  Ritter,  John 
Esterly,  Col.  W.  Reiter,  Daniel  Guldin ;  Robeson, 
George  Focht,  John  Westly;  Brecknock,  Nicholas 
Lesher,  John  Ziemer,  Esq. 

" '  Resolved,  That  the  proceedings  of  this  meeting 

be  signed  by  the  officers  of  the  day,  and  published  in 

such  papers  as  have  at  heart  the  rights  of  conscience 

and,  of  course,  the  liberty  of  the  people. 

"  '  John  Guldin,  President. 

"  'Abraham  Brumbach,  ]  rr.     „     .,    . 
,,,,,,.  „  '  Y  Vice-1'residenta. 

" '  William  Reiter,        ) 

'-Daniel  Esterly,    ]  Seeretaries, 

'  Jacob  Brumbach,    > 

"  Among  the  members  present,  the  following  sub- 
scribed their  names  to  be  published  with  the  proceed- 
ings: 

"  Henry  Huet,  John  Meyer,  Jacob  K.  Hill,  John 
Fiess,  Jacob  Kaup,  John  Kuehn,  John  Kaup,  Henry 
Yorgy,  Abraham  Guldin,  Jacob  Maurer,  Thomas 
Lincoln,  Henry  Davidsheiser,  William  Hoefer, 
Daniel  Ritter,  Adam  Hutter,  John  Wien,  Samuel 
Geiger,  Joseph  Klein,  Jacob  Marschall,  Charles 
Kuehn,  Adam  Whitman,  C.  F.  Egelman,  Henry 
Liebig,  Nicholas  Lescher,  Daniel  Rhoads,  William 
Rieser,  Samuel  Hechler,  Henry  Romer,  Jacob  Spies, 
Leonard  Lebo,  Godlieb  Moyer,  Samuel  Heflicher, 
George  Huetter,  Abraham  Dieter,  George  Weiler, 
John  Trevis,  David  Guldin,  Isaac  Huett,  Samuel 
Bechtel,  Ludwig  Meyer,  George  Huett,  Daniel  Kaup, 
George  Boyer,  Christian  Hoffmaster,  George  Hoefer, 
John  Guldin,  Jr.,  Jacob  Levan,  Jr.,  Daniel  Guldin, 
John  Guthart,  Daniel  Knauer,  Samuel  Yorgy,  John 
Hiester,  Samuel  Levan,  John  Babb,  Thomas  Smith, 
Philip  Brown,  William  Morris,  Daniel  Focht,  James 
Ernes,  Henry  Emes,  John  W.  Tyson,  George  Till, 
Abel  Levering,  Daniel  SchaefFer,  Martin  Steiner,  G. 
A.  Sage,  Peter  Knabb,  Jr.,  Peter  Phillippi,  William 
Green." 

Sunday  Mails. — During  the  winter  of 
1829-30  similar  excitement  prevailed  through- 
out the  county  respecting  the  transportation  of 
mail  on  Sunday.  Attempts  had  been  made,  by 
petitions  of  certain  religious  societies  to  the 
Congress  of  the  previous  year,  to  induce  legisla- 
tion on  the  subject,  but  the  general  remon- 
strance was  so  earnest  that  the  committee  of  ref- 
erence reported  adversely  to  the  prayer  of  the 
petitioners,  intimating  in  their  report  that  Con- 


3!72 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


gress  ought  not,  and  could  not  legally,  exercise 
the  power  of  legislation  on  questions  which  in- 
volved religious  observance  and  the  rights  of 
conscience ;  and  these  attempts  were  being  re- 
newed before  the  Congress  then  sitting.  These 
caused  the  development  of  great  feeling  every- 
where on  the  subject.  A  large  meeting  of  the 
citizens  of  the  county  was  held  in  the  court- 
house, at  Reading,  on  the  23d  of  January,  1830, 
for  the  purpose  of  uttering  a  protest  against 
interference  on  the  one  hand  or  legislation  on 
the  other.  John  Klopp,  of  Heidelberg,  was 
president  of  the  meeting ;  General  William 
High,  of  Alsace,  vice-president,  and  Dr.  Wil- 
liam Palm,  of  Cumru,  and  Samuel  S.  Jackson, 
of  Reading,  were  secretaries.  In  pursuance  of 
the  object  of  the  meeting,  a  committee,  distin- 
guished for  men  of  great  ability  and  influence, 
was  appointed  to  draft  appropriate  resolutions. 
It  was  composed  of  David  -F.  Gordon,  George 
M.  Keim,  George  Fox,  Isaac  Ritter  and  Dr. 
William  J.  C.  Baum.  In  the  resolutions  re- 
ported, the  attempts  to  induce  legislation  pro- 
hibiting the  transportation  of  mail  on  Sunday 
were  disapproved,  because  it  was  believed  that 
such  attempts  were  incipient  steps  towards  the 
attainment  of  an  object  fatal  to  religious  free- 
dom— the  union  of  civil  and  ecclesiastical  au- 
thority in  the  same  individuals.  The  institu- 
tion of  Sunday  as  a  day  of  civil  repose  and 
religious  worship  was  recognized  for  its  im- 
portance and  utility  too  obvious  to  be  questioned : 
but  "  while  we  acknowledge  the  obligation  of 
the  Christian  world  to  employ  it  in  worship 
and  works  of  benevolence  and  charity,  we  regard 
all  endeavors  to  fetter  the  conscience  of  men 
and  to  force  them  to  worship  God  in  a  pre- 
scribed mode  as  impious,  tyrannous  and  illegal." 
The  laws  restricting  worldly  employment  on 
Sunday  are  the  limit  of  human  authority. 
And  it  was  considered  "  the  imperative  duty  of 
citizens,  as  often  as  attempts  shall  be  made  by 
ill-advised  individuals  to  procure  legislative 
enactments  in  restraint  of  the  rights  of  con- 
science, to  assemble  together  and  publicly  ex- 
press their  sentiments  in  reference  thereto,  so 
that  their  representatives  may  be  instructed  as 
to  the  views  of  their  constituents  and  not  mis- 
take the  outcry  of  zealots  for  the  voice  of  the 


people."  A  committee  of  three  was  appointed 
from  each  district  to  procure  "  remonstrances  to 
Congress  against  legislation  relating  to  the  car- 
rying of  mail  on  Sunday."  Appropriate  peti- 
tions were  circulated  and  subscribed  by  many 
persons.  These  were  forwarded  to  Congress. 
And  this  expression  of  public  sentiment  caused 
the  religious  movement  to  cease  its  agitation 
and  finally  pass  away.  The  transportation  of 
mail  on  Sunday  was  not  prohibited,  but  con- 
tinued as  a  work  of  necessity. 

County  Bible  Society.— A  "Bible Society" 
having  been  in  successful  operation  at  Phila- 
delphia, a  similar  society  was  deemed  useful  for 
the  county  of  Berks.  Accordingly,  after  having 
agitated  the  subject  here,  certain  prominent 
citizens  held  a  meeting  in  the  "  Public  Building" 
on  Wednesday,  November  24,  1819,  and  or- 
ganized a  society  for  the  county.  Every  person 
was  allowed  to  become  a  member  upon  the  pay- 
ment of  one  dollar ;  a  life  member,  ten  dollars. 
The  following  officers  were  elected  for  the  first 
year:  President,  Rev.  H.  A.  Muhlenberg; 
Vice-Presidents,  Rev.  John  F.  Grier  and  Rev. 
William  Pauli ;  Treasurer,  John  McKnight ; 
Secretary,  Samuel  Baird,  Jr. ;  Managers,  Fran- 
cis Swaine,  George  De  B.  Keim,  William  Bell, 
George  Getz,  John  Birkinbine,  Peter  Stichter 
and  Benjamin  Davies. 

It  would  seem  that  this  organization  was 
allowed  to  "slumber,"  for  nothing  was  heard' 
of  it  or  from  it  for  nearly  ten  years  after- 
ward. 

In  1827  the  Bible  Society  of  New  Jersey  re- 
solved to  supply  every  destitute  family  with  a 
copy  of  the  Bible  before  January  1, 1828.  This 
resolve  was  actually  accomplished. 

This  example  encouraged  the  Bible  Society  of 
Philadelphia  to  make  a  similar  effort,  and 
nearly  all  the  counties  in  the  State  resolved  to 
co-operate  with  the  Philadelphia  Society.  The 
"  Berks  County  Bible  Society  "  was  not  back- 
ward. Committees  were  appointed  in  the 
different  boroughs  and  townships,  and  through 
them  it  was  learned  that  upward  of  two  thou- 
sand families  in  the  countv  were  without  the 
Bible. 

Twenty-four  years  elapsed  before  the  society 
began  its  operations  again.     On  September  22, 


RELIGIOUS  DENOMINATIONS. 


373 


1851,  it  organized  with  Dr.  H.  H.  Muhlenberg 
as  president;  and  on  October  27,  1852,  the 
first  annual  report  was  submitted.  The  labor 
of  the  society  was  mostly  in  the  eastern  and 
southern  portions  of  the  county. 

Families  visited  in  the  county,  5474,  esti- 
mated one-third  of  all.  Of  these,  1166  families 
were  without  a  complete  copy  of  the  Bible, 
though  most  of  them  had  a  copy  of  the  New 
Testament. 

The  society  sold  1738  Bibles  and  2581  Testa- 
ments, and  donated  to  destitute  families  65 
Bibles  and  75  Testaments ;  sold  at  depository, 
40  Bibles  and  82  Testaments;  whole  number 
distributed  during  first  year  of  society's  opera- 
tion, 4582., 

A  "  Female  Bible  Society  of  Beading  "  was 
also  organized  in  the  same  year  (1851).  During 
the  first  year  of  its  existence  it  sold  and  donated 
one  hundred  and  seventy  Bibles  and  Testa- 
ments. The  population  of  Reading  was  then 
about  sixteen  thousand,  and  comprised  about 
three  thousand  families.  The  supply  was  there- 
fore very  small.  And  this  is  an  indication  that 
the  religious  work  in  the  city  had  been  done 
quite  effectively  by  the  several  religious  de- 
nominations. The  district  of  Beading  does  not 
appear  in  the  following  table,  owing  evidently 
to  this  society. 

In  December,  1853,  the  Berks  County  Society 
presented  its  second  report.  It  showed  the  en- 
tire result  of  its  labors  from  beginning  to  end,  in 
the  matter  of  exploring  the  whole  county  of 
Berks  and  supplying  the  people  with  Bibles.  In 
the  aggregate,  one  family  in  every  five  and  a 
quarter  families  was  found  not  to  possess  an  en- 
tire copy  of  the  Bible.  Eight  thousand  nine 
hundred  and  one  Bibles  were  added  to  the  num- 
ber previously  in  the  county. 

Families  visited 10,969 

Families  destitute  of  whole  Bibl  e 2,087 

English  Bibles  sold 1,036 

German  Bibles  sold 2,529 

English  Testaments  sold 2,543 

German  Testaments  sold 1,360 

English  and  German  Testaments  sold 948 

No.  of  Bibles  given  to  poor  people 102 

No.  of  Testaments  given  to  poor  children..       133 

Cash  for  Bibles  and  Testaments  sold $3,758 

Donations 319 

Bibles  and  Testaments  sold  at  depository...       154 


The  following  table  will  show  the 
the  society  in  the  several  districts 
county : 

Families 
visited. 

Caernarvon, 
Robeson, 

Union,  r 880 

Brecknock, 
Cumru  (east  part), 

Alsace 301 

Oley 331 

Exeter 312 

Amity 268 

Earl 201 

Douglass 223 

Colebrookdale 247 

Ruscomb-manor 229 

Perry 256 

Washington 278 

Muhlenberg 260 

Ontelaunee 181 

Maiden-creek   212 

Rockland -....: 272 

Pike 154 

District 176 

Richmond 388 

Greenwich 352 

Albany 240 

Hereford 245 

Longswamp 214 

Maxatawny 300 

Kutztown 115 

Windsor 184 

Hamburg 216 

Bernville 61 

Womelsdorf 181 

Cumru  (part) 115 

Bethel 442 

Heidelberg 171 

Lower  Heidelberg 407 

North  Heidelberg 167 

Marion 299 

Penn 173 

Tulpehocken  and  Jefferson 447 

Upper  Tulpehocken 264 

Spring 368 

Bern 330 

Centre 177 

Upper  Bern 334 


labor  of 
of   the 


Families 
destitute. 


89 


60 
40 
59 
43 
46 
40 
44 
71 
58 
108 
58 
37 
54 
76 
35 
72 
88 
84 
50 
66 
76 
49 
18 
54 
34 
5 

17 
17 
54 
23 
63 
11 
32 
27 
99 
39 
74 
64 
25 
63 


(Washington  and  District  appear  to  have  been 
specially  destitute.  This  was  supposed  by  the  society 
io  have  been  owing  to  the  Papist  population.) 


374 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

GENERAL   EDUCATION. 

Early  Encouragement— Charity  Schools— Common-School 
Education— County  Institute — Pay  Schools— Compara- 
tive Table  of  Schools  and  Scholars. 

Early  Encouragement. — Our  first  settlers 
appreciated  the  great  importance  of  education, 
and  encouraged  it  as  a  means  of  promoting  the 
general  welfare.  They  were  not  slow  in  erec- 
ting churches  wherever  they  had  effected  a  con- 
siderable settlement,  and  in  them  they  caused 
their  children  to  be  taught  the  common  branches 
of  knowledge,  such  as  spelling,  reading,  writing 
and  arithmetic,  so  as  to  enable  them  to  conduct 
their  daily  affairs  with  success.  This  teaching 
was  influenced  to  a  great  degree  by  the  religious 
spirit  that  prevailed  amongst  them  ;  indeed,  re- 
,  ligious  principles  were  considered  a  vital  part 
of  their  education.  By  this,  it  is  apparent  that 
the  school  was  regarded  as  of  equal  importance 
with  the  church.  The  two  were  therefore  con- 
ducted together,  the  one  for  the  younger  folks, 
the  other  for  the  older, — the  one  for  secular 
knowledge,  the  other  for  spiritual. 

In  the  first  settlements,  and,  indeed,  till  the 
passage  of  the  common-school  law  of  1834,  the 
education  that  prevailed  throughout  the  length 
and  breadth  of  the  county  was  almost  entirely 
German,  the  Friends  having  had  several  schools 
in  different  parts  of  the  county,  in  which  they 
encouraged  and  carried  on  English  education. 
The  prevalence  of  German  education  was  a 
natural  consequence  from  the  great  predomin- 
ance of  German  settlers  over  all  other  nation- 
alities. In  Exeter,  Maiden-creek  and  Robeson 
districts  the  Friends  were  rather  numerous, 
and  they  established  English  schools  at  an  early 
period,  and  continued  them  for  many  years. 
Both  the  Germans  and  Friends  had  the  spirit 
of  education ;  they  knew  its  advantage ;  they 
felt  its  necessity  ;  they,  therefore,  encouraged  it 
from  the  beginning.  And  they  had  the  energy 
and  good  sense  to  give  it  proper  direction. 

The  first  German  settlers  brought  along  their 
teachers  and  ministers.  These  were  so  recog- 
nized before  emigration.  If  there  were  no 
minister,  the  teacher  officiated  in  both  capacities. 
Some  teachers  even  practiced  their  trades,  such 


as  tailoring  or  shoemaking,  whilst  teaching. 
A  notion  has  obtained  that  education  was  not 
carried  on  to  any  considerable  extent  in  the 
county  at  an  early  day,  and  till  the  adoption  of 
the  common-school  system.  This  is  a  mistaken 
notion.  A  good  idea  can  be  obtained  from  the 
following  extract  of  a  letter,  dated  Reading, 
April  9,  1763,  addressed  by  Rev.  Alexander 
Murray  to  the  secretary  of  the  venerable  Society 
for  Propagating  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts, 
stationed  in  England  : 

"The  county  for  miles  around  this  town  is  thick 
peopled,  but  what  few  else  than  Germans  and  Quakers, 
the  former  being  computed  twelve  to  one  of  all  other 
nations  together,  and  seem  to  be  abundantly  well  pro- 
vided in  teachers  of  one  denomination  or  another,  and 
as  long  as  they  are  so  blindly  attached  td  their  native 
tongue,  as  they  are  at  present,  an  English  minister 
can  be  of  no  great  service  to  them.  For  this  they 
might  be  at  no  loss  for  English  school-masters,  yet 
they  choose  to  send  their  children  rather  to  German 
schools,  which  they  have  everywhere  in  great  plenty." 

This  was  the  condition  in  1763,  eleven  years 
after  the  county  had  been  erected.  But  it  will 
not  be  presumed  that  this  condition  did  not 
prevail — in  proportion  to  the  number  of  the 
inhabitants — for  many  years  before.  Schools 
and  school-teachers  were  not  only  in  the  lower 
and  central  sections  of  the  county  before  its 
erection  in  1752,  but  they  were  also  in  the 
upper,  miles  to  the  northwest,  near  the  Blue 
Mountain. 

Charity  Schools. — A  charitable  society  was 
established  early  for  the  relief  and  instruction 
of  poor  Germans  and  their  descendants  in  Penn- 
sylvania. Previous  to  1751  certain  Reformed 
ministers  who  had  settled  among  the  German 
emigrants  in  Pennsylvania  found  them  in  dis- 
tress. They  entreated  the  churches  of  Holland 
to  commiserate  their  unhappy  fellow-Christians, 
and  contributions  were,  therefore,  sent  to  these 
remote  parts.  In  1751  Holland  and  "West 
Friesland  granted  two  thousand  guildersper  an- 
num for  five  years  towards  instructing  the  Ger- 
mans and  their  children  in  Pennsylvania. 
Great  encouragement  was  given  to  this  scheme 
by  persons  of  the  first  rank  in  Great  Britain. 
King  George  III.  contributed  one  thousand 
pounds  towards  this  object,  and  the  Princess 
Dowager  of  Wales  one  hundred  pounds  ;  and 


OKNERAL  EDUCATION. 


375 


the  proprietaries  engaged  to  give  a  considerable 
sum  every  year  to  promote  the  undertaking. 
The  society  then  adopted  certain  resolutions  for 
the  management  of  the  scheme,  and  proposed  a 
plan  for  establishing  schools.  The  Governor  of 
the  province  recognized  the  utility  of  the 
scheme '  aud  appointed  a  board  of  trustees  for 
its  proper  direction.  Conrad  Weiser  was  one 
of  the  members  of  this  board,  and  Rev.  Mi- 
chael Schlatter  was  appointed  general  supervisor. 
Petitions  from  Reading  and  Tulpehocken  were 
addressed  to  the  board  in  the  early  part  of 
1755  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  the  benefit 
of  these  contributions  in  establishing  some  of 
these  schools  here,  and  Schlatter  accordingly 
organized  a  school  at  each  of  the  places  named. 

The  charity  schools  proved  an  utter  failure. 
Schlatter  was  personally  the  chief  sufferer.  His 
official  position  as  superintendent  of  these 
schools  rendered  him  the  main  object  of  popu- 
lar hatred.  For  a  time  the  Lutheran  and  Re- 
formed ministers  sustained  him.  But  the  peo- 
ple (especially  Germans)  lost  confidence  in  this 
enterprise  through  the  denunciation  of  Christo- 
pher Saur,  who,  in  his  German  newspaper, 
represented  that  these  schools  were  intended  to 
prepare  the  way  for  the  establishment  of  the 
Church  of  England.  And  in  this  way  Schlat- 
ter's influence  was  entirely  destroyed.2 

The  force  of  German  energy  and  devotion 
manifested  itself  thoroughly  wherever  it  found 
a  resting-place.  Samuel  Wharton,  in  1755, 
imputed  the  wrong  bias  of  the  German  settlers 
against  the  proprietary  government  to  their 
stubborn  genius  and  ignorance,  which,  he  pro- 
posed, should  be  softened  by  education,  so 
as  to  give  them  right  views  of  public  interests. 
He  suggested  that  faithful  Protestant  ministers 
and  schoolmasters  should  be  supported  amongst 
them  ;  that  their  children  should  be  taught  the 
English  tongue ;  and  in  order  to  incline  them  to 
become  English  in  education  and  feeling 
quicker, the  English  language  was  to  be  used  in 
all  bonds  and  legal  instruments  ;  and  no  news- 


'See  Rupp's  "History  of  Berks  County,"  pp.  99-109,  for 
a  long  statement  of  the  scheme  prepared  by  Wm.  Smith, 
secretary  of  the  society  at  Philadelphia  in  1755. 

2Dubbs'  "Historic  Manual  of  Reformed  Church,''  pp. 
203,  204. 


paper  or  almanac  was  to  be  circulated  amongst 
them  unless  accompanied  by  an  English  trans- 
lation. Even  such  rigid  measures  could  not 
hinder  the  exercise  of  this  peculiar  force.  It 
grew,  nevertheless.  It  caused  schools  to  be 
erected  and  German  education  to  be  carried  on 
successfully.  And  legislation  could  not  direct 
it  into  a  different  channel. 

Common-School  Education. — Various  and 
repeated  legislative  attempts  were  made,  in  pur- 
suance of  the  constitutional  provision,  towards 
general  education  throughout  the  State.  The 
reformers  apparently  labored  hard  to  develop 
a  satisfactory  system,  and,  fortunately  for  the 
people,  their  earnest  purpose  prevailed  against 
arguments,  obstacles  and  prejudices  of  all  kinds. 
We  must  admire  their  persistence,  for  they  con- 
tinued their  exertions  through  a  period  of  sixty 
years.  A  generous,  noble  spirit  accompanied 
them.  This  aided  them  in  their  progressive 
course.  It  gave  them  true,  moral  courage, 
when  courage  was  necessary  ;  it  developed  a 
public  sentiment  gradually  in  their  behalf;  and, 
finally,  it  established  the  compulsory  system 
provided  by  the  act  of  1849,  improved  by  the 
act  of  1854. 

A  great  weakness  in  the  early  history  of  this 
good  cause  was  the  incompetency  of  teachers. 
Educated,  experienced  men  and  women  could 
not  be  obtained  ;  duty  to  their  families  and 
themselves  obliged  them  to  labor  in  vocations 
which  afforded  a  fair  remuneration  for  their 
services.  Pronounced  opposition  discouraged 
those  who  may  have  felt  inclined  to  teach.  A 
general  tax  for  the  purpose  was  considered 
burdensome  and  unjust.  The  less  paid  then 
the  better.  The  levy  of  an  appreciable  amount 
would  certainly  have  caused  a  loud,  perhaps  a 
costly,  demonstration.  The  seed  had  to  be 
sown,  and  the  plant  therefrom  had  to  grow, 
however  slowly  the  growth.  A  little  was  bet- 
ter than  nothing.  We  cannot,  at  this  day,  un- 
derstand the  feeling  that  prevailed  previous  to 
1834.  The  change  in  fifty  years  has  been  truly 
wonderful. 

But  a  greater  weakness  than  incompetent 
teachers  existed.  This  was  the  distinctive  feat- 
ure of  the  schools  and  the  children  attend- 
ing them.     They  were  called  "  pauper  schools" 


376 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


and  "  pauper  scholars."  This  was  odious  to  the 
poor  ;  therefore  the  poor  shunned  them.  The 
system,  as  a  creature  of  legislation,  was  erro- 
neous. It  developed  a  separation  of  the  people, 
and  thereby  the  very  object  of  a  generous  Leg- 
islature was  naturally  frustrated.  Hence,  it  was 
a  failure.  In  1833,  when  the  State  contained 
about  eight  hundred  thousand  children,  less 
than  twenty-five  thousand  attended  the  common 
schools, — just  one  in  thirty-one,  or  about  three 
percent., — notwithstanding  the  offer  of  education 
at  the  public  expense.  In  1 883  the  State  con- 
tained about  two  million  children  ;  the  number 
attending  common  schools  was  957,680 — nearly 
one-half  or  forty-eight  per  cent.  This  shows 
an  increase  of  sixteen-fold  in  fifty  years. 

The  general  system  of  education  "  free  to 
all,"  provided  by  the  act  of  1834,  is  attribu- 
table to  a  society  which  was  organized  at  Phila- 
delphia in  1827.  The  express  object  of  this 
society  was  general  education  throughout  the 
State,  and  its  efforts,  after  laboring  in  this  behalf 
for  seven  years,  culminated  in  the  passage  of 
the  act  mentioned. 

In  1835  a  great  effort  was  made  to  repeal 
this  act,  but  it  failed.  The  credit  of  preserv- 
ing the  system  at  that  time  is  generally  given  to 
Governor  George  Wolf  and  Hon.  Thaddeus 
Stevens. 

The  subject  of  education  was  discussed  as  a 
public  question  of  importance  immediately  after 
the  "  Declaration  of  Independence,"  and  for 
nearly  eighty  years  afterward,  till  the  adoption 
of  a  compulsory  scheme  which  came  to  be  re- 
garded as  generally  satisfactory  and  worthy  of 
enforcement.  It  was,  in  fact,  discussed  from 
the  beginning  of  the  provincial  government. 
William  Penn  recognized  its  importance  and 
encouraged  it.  He  declared  that  "  that  which 
makes  a  good  constitution  must  keep  it,  viz. : 
men  of  wisdom  and  virtue,  qualities  that,  because 
they  descend  not  with  worldly  inheritance,  must 
be  carefully  propagated  by  a  virtuous  educa- 
tion of  youth."  In  his  "  Frame  of  Govern- 
ment "  he  provided  that  the  Governor  and  Pro- 
vincial Council  should  erect  and  order  all  public 
schools. 

In  1682  the  Assembly  made  the  following 
provision : 


"  And  to  the  end  that  Poor  as  well  as  Rich  may  be 
instructed  in  good  and  commendable  learning,  which 
is  to  be  preferred  before  wealth,  Be  it  enacted  that 
all  persons  in  this  Province  and  the  territories  there- 
of, haying  children,  and  all  the  Guardians  or  Trustees 
of  Orphans,  shall  cause  such  to  be  instructed  in  read- 
ing and  writing,  so  that  they  may  be  able  to  read  the 
Scriptures,  and  to  write  by  that  time  they  attain  to 
twelve  years  of  age;  and  that  then  they  be  taught 
some  useful  trade  or  skill,  that  the  poor  may  work  to 
live,  and  the  rich,if  they  become  poor,  may  not  want; 
of  which  every  County  Court  shall  take  care.'' 

The  Constitution  of  1776  provided  that  "a 
school  or  schools  shall  be  established  in  each 
county  by  the  Legislature  for  the  convenient  in- 
struction of  youth,  with  such  salaries  to  the 
masters  paid  by  the  public  as  may  enable  them 
to  instruct  youth  at  low  prices ;"  and  that  of 
1790  :  "  The  Legislature  shall,  as  soon  as  con- 
veniently may  be,  provide  by  law  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  schools  throughout  the  State  in  such 
manner  that  the  poor  may  be  taught  gratis." 
This  provision  continued  in  the  fundamental 
law  of  the  State  unchanged  till  the  new  Consti- 
tution of  1873,  when  it  was  modified  as  follows : 
"  The  General  Assembly  shall  provide  for  the 
maintenance  and  support  of  a  thorough  and 
efficient  system  of  public  schools  wherein  all  the 
children  of  this  Commonwealth  above  the  age 
of  six  years  may  be  educated,  and  shall  appro- 
priate at  least  one  million  dollars  each  year  for 
that  purpose." 

Professor  John  S.  Ermentrout,  in  his  histori- 
cal sketch  of  Kutztown  and  Maxatawny,  ex- 
pressed himself  in  reference  to  the  early  encour- 
agement of  education  in  the  county,  and  to  the 
opposition  of  the  people  to  the  common  school 
law  as  follows : 

"Early  Interest  in  Education. — How  earnestly 
both  Reformed  and  Lutheran  preachers,  during  the 
earliest  periods,  labored  to  elevate  the  standard  of 
education ;  how  by  letter  they  importuned  their  friends 
in  the  Fatherland  to  send  on  money  and  works;  and 
how  by  crossing  the  ocean,  they  in  person  pleaded  the 
cause  of  their  poor  brethren  in  the  colonies  ;  how  they 
interested  not  only  influential  Germans  on  the 
Continent,'but  Englishmen  also  of  the  highest  dis- 
tinction, to  establish  Societies  for  the  diffusion  of 
knowledge  in  the  New  "World  ;  how  Rev.  Mr.  Schlat- 
ter collected  funds  in  Europe  which  now  form  a  part 
of  the  endowment  of  Franklin  and  Marshall  College, 
at  Lancaster — all  this,  and  much  more,  we  must  pass 


GENERAL  EDUCATION. 


377 


by,  and  turn  our  attention  to  what  more  directly  con- 
cerns our  own  community. 

"  The  original  founders  of  the  Reformed  and  Luth- 
eran denominations  held  that  the  true  idea  of  educa- 
tion required  that  the  young  should  be  taught  not  only 
how  to  read  and  write  and  cipher,  but  also  how  to 
pray,  and  how  to  exercise  themselves  in  habits  of  per- 
sonal piety.  They  vehemently  protested  against  the 
separation  of  a  religious  from  a  secular  education,  and 
if  the  alternative  had  been  presented,  would  cheer- 
fully have  sacrificed  the  latter  on  the  altar  of  the  for- 
mer. From  Luther  has  come  down  to  us  the  maxim. 
*  Bene  orasse  est  bene  studuisse.'  This  adage,  in  all 
its  applications,  may  be  taken  as  an  epitome  of  the 
educational  view  which  controlled  the  actions  of  the 
first  German  settlers.  At  home,  in  the  Fatherland, 
every  congregation  was  regarded  as  an  ecclesiastical 
corporation,  whose  duty  it  was  to  provide  for  the 
training  of  the  young.  The  pastors,  accordingly,  es- 
tablished parochial  schools,  and  set  over  them  teach- 
ers, who,  in  addition  to  the  needed  secular  branches, 
taught  also  Christian  doctrine,  and  played  the  organ 
during  Divine  service.  Such  teachers  received  not 
onlyastated  salary,  but  also  house  accommodations  for 
their  families  and  schools.  The  rich  were  required  to 
pay  a  certain  sum  for  the  education  of  their  children, 
while  the  children  of  the  poor  were  taught  free  of 
charge. 

"  In  the  earliest  efforts  for  the  elevation  of  the  Ger- 
man colonists,  these  educational  views  were  treated 
with  high  regard.  In  1751,  through  the  exertions  of 
Mr.  Schlatter  for  the  diffusion  of  knowledge  among 
the  Germans,  was  formed  a  society  in  England.  To 
this,  His  Majesty  himself  subscribed  one  thousand 
pounds.  Among  its  rules  we  find,  that  '  the  children, 
English  and  German,  shall  be  instructed  in  catechism 
of  sound  doctrine  approved  of  by  their  own  parents 
and  ministers,  and  that  the  several  catechisms  now 
taught  among  the  Calvinists,  Lutherans  and  other 
Protestant  denominations  will  be  printed  in  English 
and  German.'  Of  those  schools  the  Rev.  Michael 
Schlatter,  a  Reformed  preacher,  was  appointed  visi- 
tor or  supervisor. 

"Opposition  to  Common-School LAw.-This ten- 
dency to  withdraw  education  from  the  supreme  con- 
trol of  the  clergy  was  not  confined  to  Kutztown  and 
Maxatawny,  but  cropped  out  in  every  section  of  our 
country.  It  bloomed  into  ripe  fruit  in  the  passage,  by 
the  Legislature  of  Penna.,  April  1, 1834,  of  the  Com- 
mon-School Law.  Now  began  a  fierce  conflict  between 
the  advocates  of  the  educational  theory  our  forefath- 
ers brought  over  from  the  Fatherland  and  the  advo- 
cates of  a  purely  secular  theory. 

"  That  the  child  '  belongs  first  of  all  to  God,  as  its 
Creator ;  secondly,  to  the  parents,  as  being  second 
causes  of  the  child  ;  and  thirdly,  to  the  State,  as  guar- 
dian and  protector  of  the  temporal  interests  of  the 
family  and  society,  but  to  the  State  only  in  the  way 
of  subordination  to  parental  and  divine  rights  ; '  that 


to  every  religious  society  belonged  the  right  of  pre- 
scribing what  education  should  be  given  to  its  bap- 
tized children  ;  and  that  parents  could  not  be  forced 
against  their  consciences  to  send  their  children  to  any 
school  that  did  not  meet  with  their  approval, — this  in 
general  was  the  educational  theory  that  prevailed 
among  our  original  German  settlers.  The  State  now 
stepped  forward  and  declared  that,  whilst  it  pretended 
not  to  interfere  with  the  religious  freedom  of  the  peo- 
ple, it  desired  that  in  every  county  there  should  be 
supported  by  taxation  a  system  of  schools,  in  which 
a  solid  elementary  instruction  in  the  secular  branches 
might  be  imparted  to  every  child  in  its  broad  do- 
main. 

"In  the  conflict  which  ensued,  the  State  gained  the 
victory.  Under  the  circumstances,  a  different  result 
was  not  to  be  expected.  The  descendants  of  our  fore- 
fathers were  not  true  to  their  own  principles.  They 
allowed  their  theory  of  education  to  become  a  dead 
letter,  whilst  their  religious  leaders  failed  to  discern 
the  intellectual  wants  of  the  times,  and  made  no  pro- 
vision for  the  overgrowing  desire  of  the  young  for  a 
more  liberal  education  than  that  which  mere  '  Writ- 
ing, Reading  and  Ciphering,'  implied.  If  both  peo- 
ple and  preachers  had  co-operated  in  the  establish- 
ment of  such  schools  as  would  have  fairly  represented 
the  progress  of  culture,  and  met  the  needs  of  the 
hour,  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  State 
would  have  encouraged  their  efforts,  and  allowed  them 
full  scope  for  the  working  out  of  their  educational 
plans.  The  time  for  such  broad  action  had#  passed  by. 
Already  defeated  within  their  own  fortress,  through 
their  own  supineness  and  want  of  discernment,  and  by 
reason  of  their  failure  to  carry  out  their  own  system 
when  things  were  wholly  in  their  own  hands,  preach- 
ers and  people  went  into  the  battle  only  to  be  utterly 
routed  and  driven  off  the  field. 

"  Now  came  to  pass  a  complete  divorce  of  secular 
from  religious  education,  and  the  religious  societies 
no  longer  held  the  reins  of  power  over  their  own  chil- 
dren. For  some  years  the  battle  against  the  Common- 
School  Law  raged  furiously  in  Berks  County.  Only  the 
most  inveterate  prejudice  will  continue  to  assert  that 
the  people  of  this  county  are  or  ever  were  opposed  to 
education  as  such.  The  passage  of  the  school  lawsud- 
denly  woke  them  out  of  their  lethargy  ;  and  they 
opened  their  eyes  to  see  at  one  full  view,  as  they  sup- 
posed, that  the  educational  views  and  practices  of  their 
fathers,  that  the  ecclesiastical  traditions  of  their  past 
history,  that  their  natural  and  parental  rights,  that 
their  view  of  the  Church  as  a  society  divinely  estab- 
lished for  the  education  of  their  children,  were  now 
seriously  threatened.  For  these  reasons  they  rose  up 
in  opposition  against  the  scheme  prepared  by  the 
State.  Justly  did  the  Hon.  H.  A.  Muhlenberg,  in  a 
letter  to  the  workingmen  of  Philadelphia,  dated  Jan- 
uary 26, 1836,  say:  '  The  Germans  of  our  State  are  not 
opposed  to  education  as  such,  but  only  to  any  system 
that  to  them  seems  to  trench  on  their  parental  and 


378 


HISTOKY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


natural  rights.'  Animated  with  these  feelings,  it  is 
not  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  people  of  Kutztown  and 
Maxatawny  waged  stout  war  against  the  School  law. 
At  a  meeting  held  in  the  Court-House,  in  Beading, 
to  consider  the  School  Act,  at  which  twenty-five 
townships  were  represented  by  delegates,  but  one,  Elias 
Moore,  of  Caernarvon,  voted  to  accept  it.  At  an 
election  for  School  Directors,  March  18, 1836,  in  Kutz- 
town, were  chosen  Daniel  Bieber,  Daniel  Graff,  Dan- 
iel B.  Kutz  and  John  S.  Grim.  These  all,  as  also  those 
selected  in  adjacent  townships,  were  known  to  be 
against  the  accepting  of  the  School  law.  At  a  con- 
vention of  School  Directors  in  Beading,  May  2, 
1836,  it  appeared  that  of  the  fifty  districts  in  the 
county,  Beading,  Womelsdorf,  Caernarvon,  Bobe- 
son,  Buscomb-manor  and  Union  had  accepted  the 
law." 

Teachers'  Institute. — An  institute,  com- 
posed of  many  of  the  school-teachers  of  the 
county,  was  held  March,  1851,  in  the  court- 
house at  Eeading,  for  the  purpose  of  encour- 
aging the  general  work  of  education  by  a  dis- 
cussion of  improved  methods  of  teaching,  an 
organization  having  been  effected  in  January 
preceding.  The  meeting  was  largely  attended, 
and  it  was  very  successful.  The  address  of 
welcome  was  delivered  by  Eev.  George  Printz. 
Institutes  were  held  for  several  years  in  succes- 
sion and  then  discontinued. 

In  1867  the  State  Legislature  passed  an  Act 
of  Assembly  requiring  the  county  superintend- 
ent of  common  schools  "  to  call  upon  and  in- 
vite the  teachers  of  the  common  schools  and 
other  institutions  of  learning  in  his  county  to 
assemble  together  and  organize  themselves  into 
a  teachers'  institute,  to  be  devoted  to  the  im- 
provement of  teachers  in  the  science  and  art  of 
education,  and  to  continue  in  session  for  at  least 
five  days."  In  conformity  with  the  provisions 
of  this  law,  the  county  superintendent,  Prof. 
John  S.  Ermentrout,  held  a  county  institute,  in 
1868,  at  Eeading.  It  was  largely  attended  by 
teachers  from  all  sections  of  the  county,  and 
great  interest  was  manifested  throughout  the 
whole  of  its  proceedings.  Since  that  time  an- 
nual institutes  have  been  held  with  increasing 
attendance  and  success.  New  and  improved 
systems  of  teaching  are  thoroughly  explained 
and  illustrated  and  interesting  lectures  are  de- 
livered. These  have  been  valuable  aids  in  sim- 
plifying the  art  of  teaching  and  in  developing 


its  standard  as  one  of  the  great  professions. 
The  wisdom  of  the  law  in  this  behalf  has  be- 
come apparent  in  various  ways,  especially  in  re- 
spect to  the  creation  of  a  stronger  interest  in 
teaching  as  a  respectable  and  responsible  occu- 
pation. The  last  county  institute  was  attended 
by  all  the  teachers  in  the  county  excepting 
four. 

In  1869,  when  Prof.  D.  B.  Brunner  became 
county  superintendent,  he  inaugurated  the  sys- 
tem of  local  institutes,  and  during  that  year  he 
held  eight  institutes  in  different  sections  of  the 
county  which  proved  very  successful.  This 
enabled  the  teachers  in  remote  districts  to  attend 
an  institute  and  become  familiar  with  its  pro- 
ceedings, and  also  to  take  a  part  in  its  discus- 
sions, an  opportunity  being  afforded  and  an  in- 
clination to  do  so  being  encouraged.  This  lat- 
ter feature  was  particularly  appreciable,  for  in 
a  local  institute  the  teachers  were  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  one  another,  and,  not  being  so 
numerous,  they  were  enabled  to  participate 
practically  in  its  exercises.  Each  succeeding 
year  till  now  has  shown  an  ever-increasing  in- 
terest in  them. 

Pay  Schpols. — Various  pay  schools  have 
been  conducted  in  the  county,  out  of  the  limits 
of  Eeading.  They  are  particularly  mentioned 
and  described  in  the  several  districts  in  which 
they  were  or  are  still  carried  on.  The  Keystone 
Normal  School  and  the  Oley  Academy  are 
worthy  of  special  mention. 

William  A.  Good  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Philadelphia  on  the  15th  of  July,  1810.  In 
early  infancy  he  was  brought  into  the  covenant 
by  baptism  and,  subsequently,  whilst  a  youth, 
was  confirmed  as  a  member  of  the  Eeformed 
Church.  Feeling  himself  called  to  the  minis- 
try, he  pursued  his  classical  studies  in  the  Eead- 
ing Academy,  under  the  direction  of  Eev.  J.  F. 
Grier,  D.D.,  and  studied  theology  under  the  su- 
pervision of  Lewis  Mayer,  D.D.,  in  the  Theo- 
logical Seminary  of  the  Eeformed  Church,  lo- 
cated at  York,  Pa.  On  completing  his  studies 
he  was  regularly  ordained  into  the  ministry  and 
licensed  by  the  Classis  at  Lebanon,  Pa.,  in 
1833.  Soon  afterward  he  accepted  a  call  from 
the  Eeformed  Church  at  Hagerstown,  Md., 
where  he  officiated  as  pastor  with  great  success 


GENERAL  EDUCATION. 


379 


for  several  years.  From  that  congregation  he 
was  called  to  Mercersburg,  Pa.,  to  serve  as  rec- 
tor of  the  Preparatory  Department  of  Marshall 
College.  He  continued  in  this  responsible  posi- 
tion for  six  years.  He  then  returned  to  Hag- 
erstown,  became  principal  of  the  Hagerstown 
Academy,  and  for  five  years  directed  and  super- 
vised the  education  of  pupils  in  that  institution. 
He  was  then  called  to  the  pastorate  of  the  Re- 
formed Church  at  York,  Pa.,  and,  accepting  it, 


feared  that  in  the  rural  districts  the  superinten- 
dent would  encounter  much  opposition.  Mr. 
Good  understood  the  peculiarities  of  the  people, 
having  been  reared  among  them.  Besides,  he 
was  a  thorough  and  practical  educator,  having 
made  the  subject  of  teaching  a  specialty,  both 
theoretically  and  practically,  for  many  years. 
He  organized  the  system  throughout  the  county, 
and,  instead  of  raising  a  storm  of  opposition,  won 
the  confidence  and  support  of  the  people.     He 


REV.   WILLIAM   A.    GOOD. 


he  removed  thither  and  labored  earnestly  in 
that  field  for  a  period  of  six  years. 

He  next  removed  to  Reading  and  assumed 
charge  of  a  select  school  for  young  ladies.  At 
the  expiration  of  the  fifth  year  he  became  prin- 
cipal of  the  Reading  Institute  and  Normal 
School,  and  remained  thus  occupied  for  three 
years.  He  was  in  the  mean  time  elected  super- 
intendent of  the  common  schools  in  Berks 
County,  being  the  first  to  fill  that  office.  The 
people  of  the  county  were  chiefly  members  of 
the  Reformed  and  Lutheran  Churches  and 
averse  to  the  new  order   of  things,     it  was 


was  re-elected  for  a  second  term,  thus  holding 
this  important  office  for  a  period  of  six  years. 
Whilst  successfully  and  earnestly  engaged  in  or- 
ganizing and  conducting  the  school  affairs  of  the 
county  he  also  officiated  as  pastor  of  the  Bern- 
ville,  North  Heidelberg  and  Pricetown  congre- 
gations, having  served  these  churches  altogether 
for  a  period  of  eight  years.  Subsequently,  for 
a  time,  he  supplied  the  Reformed  congregations 
at  Tremont  and  Donaldson,  in  Schuylkill 
County,  Pa. 

Reverend  Good  was  one  of  .the  most  zealous 
Sunday-school  workers  in  Berks  County.  While 


380 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


superintendent  of  the  common  schools  he  en- 
deavored, in  his  private  intercourse  with  the 
people,  to  interest  them  in  the  cause  of  Sunday- 
schools.  This  he  regarded  as  a  step  in  the  right 
direction,  and  a  measure  of  great  practical  wis- 
dom and  importance.  The  parochial  or  church 
schools  were  then  being  carried  on  in  the  several 
sections  of  the  county,  and  if  they  were  stopped, 
some  other  provision  had  to  be  made  for  the  re- 
ligious education  of  the  children.  He  thus  be- 
came instrumental  in  founding  many  of  the 
Sunday-schools  of  the  county,  and  these  still 
exist  and  are  accomplishing  a  vast  amount  of 
good  in  the  direction  of  moral  education. 

During  the  last  eight  years  of  his  life,  Rever-  ' 
end  Good  frequently  held  service  in  the  Re- 
formed Churches  in  the  city  of  Reading.  He 
was  one  of  the  founders  of  St.  John's  Reformed 
Mission  Sunday-school,  and  this  he  conducted, 
with  the  aid  of  his  wife  (a  woman  highly  es- 
teemed for  her  devotion  to  religious  and  chari- 
table work),  for  nearly  six  years.  This  school 
eventually  became  a  self-supporting  and  flour- 
ishing congregation,  with  a  fine,  large  brick 
church  at  the  corner  of  Ninth  and  Chestnut 
Streets,  under  the  care  of  a  pastor.  Without 
any  compensation,  he  performed  as  much  labor 
as  many  a  regular  pastor.  The  Teachers'  As- 
sociation of  the  Reformed  Churches  of  Reading 
indicated  their  appreciation  of  his  earnest  and 
disinterested  labors  in  behalf  of  the  cause  of 
Sunday-schools,  and  their  high  regard  for 
his  Christian  character,  by  attending  his  funeral 
in  a  body. 

Mr.  Good  was  recognized  as  a  fine  scholar. 
He  had  a  thoroughly  disciplined  mind.  He 
was  a  close  student  and  an  acute  observer. 
Reading  and  study  afforded  him  much  pleasure. 
For  a  number  of  years  he  took  Professor  Ull- 
mann's  Studien  und  Krvtikm  at  a  time  when 
there  were  not  twenty  subscribers  to  this  foreign 
scientific  and  theological  periodical  in  this  coun- 
try.#  Besides  devoting  much  time  to  the  science 
of  teaching,  he  was  greatly  interested  in  the 
study  of  philology.  He  frequently  imported 
rare  works  on  favorite  subjects,  when  not  pro- 
curable in  America.  Though  not  latterly  en- 
gaged in  teaching,  his  earnest  investigations 
were  not  discontinued,  but  rather  increased.  He 


was  a  genuine  German,  who  sought  and  loved 
the  truth  for  its  own  sake.  He  was  particu- 
larly fond  of  fruit  and  of  the  planting  of  trees 
for  the  production  of  choice  varieties — this  di- 
version giving  him  great  delight. 

One  of  Mr.  Good's  distinguishing  character- 
istics was  great  kindness  of  heart.  He  was 
known  to  address  a  friendly  word  to  every  one 
who  met  him,  and  having  had  a  natural  friend- 
liness with  children,  and  understanding  their 
natures,  he  was  well  fitted  for  the  educational 
and  Christian  work  in  which  he  was  for  years 
successfully  engaged. 

Reverend  Good  was  married  to  Susan  B., 
daughter  of  Peter  and  Susan  Eckert,  of  Wom- 
elsdorf,  Berks  County,  in  1840.  He  died  on 
February  9,  1873,  in  the  sixty-third  year  of  his 
age.  He  left  two  surviving  children — William 
Eckert  Good,  manager  of  the  Philadelphia  and 
Reading  Coal  and  Iron  Company's  shops  at 
Reading,  and  James  Isaac  Good,  pastor  of  Hei- 
delberg Reformed  Church,  Philadelphia. 

John  Silvis  Eementeout,  eldest  son  of 
William  and  Justina  Silvis  Ermentrout,  was  born 
at  Womelsdorf,  Berks  County,  Pa.,  September 
27, 1827.  At  the  age  of  two  years  his  parents  re- 
moved to  Reading,  and  there  he  was  reared, 
successively  attending  the  select  schools  taught 
by  Mr.  Middlemiss,  Rev.  Mr.  Goodman  and 
Mr.  John  Kelley.  Developing  a  great  aptitude 
for  study,  he  was  sent  to  Marshall  College, 
Mercersburg,  Pa.,  from  which  he  was  graduated 
in  1845,  the  first-honor  man  of  his  class,  though 
not  yet  eighteen  years  of  age.  He  remained  in 
the  college  as  a  tutor,  teaching  the  languages 
and  lecturing  on  history.  At  the  same  time  he 
was  a  student  of  the  Theological  Seminary  con- 
nected with  the  institution.  From  this  seminary 
he  was  graduated  in  1848  and  then  ordained  a 
minister  of  the  Reformed  Church. 

For  a  time  he  was  editor  of  the  Reformed 
Messenger,  the  organ  of  the  church,  at  Cham- 
bersburg ;  and  he  also  had  charge  of  a  congrega- 
tion in  the  neighborhood.  On  December  26, 
1852,  he  was  installed  pastor  of  the  Reformed 
Church  at  Norristown,  Pa.,  where,  after  serving 
most  acceptably  for  six  years,  his  resignation, 
after  repeated  tenders,  was  regretfully  accepted 
and  he  retired  from  the  ministry.    His  thought- 


GENEKAL  EDUCATION. 


381 


ful,  studious  mind  brought  him  to  the  convic- 
tion that  there  was  but  one  church  and  that  he 
•was  not  in  it;  and  feeling  that  he  could  no 
longer  conscientiously  serve  as  the  pastor  of  a 
Protestant  congregation,  he  tendered  his  resig- 
nation. The  final  step  into  the  Roman  Catho- 
lic Church  was  taken  twelve  years  later. 

In  the  mean  time  he  returned  to  Reading 
and  in  the  beginning  of  1859  opened  a  select 
school.  One  year  afterward,  he  was  elected  su- 
perintendent of  the  common  schools  of  his 
native  county,  and  he  was  twice  re-elected,  serv- 
ing from  1860  to  1869.  In  1865  he  founded 
the  Keystone  State  Normal  School  at  Kutztown, 
Berks  County,  became  its  first  principal  and  so 
continued  until  1871,  when  he  resigned,  prepar- 
atory to  making  a  public  profession  of  his  faith 
in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  thus  ending  a 
mental  conflict  which  had  endured  for  more 
than  twenty  years.  He  at  once  removed  to 
Baltimore  and  there  edited  a  Catholic  journal. 
Subsequently,  he  taught  in  the  St.  Charles  Bor- 
romeo  Seminary,  at  Overbrook,  near  Philadel- 
phia. 

In  1873,  by  the  unanimous  action  of  the 
board  of  trustees  of  the  Keystone  State  Normal 
School,  he  was  recalled  to  that  institution,  but 
he  was  unwilling  to  accept  its  presidency. 
Agreeing  to  take  the  chair  of  Mental  and  Moral 
Science  and  English  Literature,  he  was  cordially 
welcomed  back  to  the  scene  of  his  most  effective 
labors,  where  he  continued  until  his  death. 

He  died,  unmarried,  after  a  short  illness,  July 
21,  1881,*  at  the  residence  of  his  widowed 
mother  in  Reading,  and  was  buried  in  Charles 
Evans'  cemetery,  friends  and  representative 
bodies  from  all  parts  of  the  county  and  State 
attending  his  funeral. 

Mr.  Ermentrout  was  a  man  of  strong  mental 
powers,  a  profound  thinker,  an  able  theologian 
and  a  fine  logician  and  scholar.  As  a  speaker 
he  was  polished  and  forcible,  and  as  a  writer 
of  pure,  terse  English  a  model.  He  made 
innumerable  addresses  before  the  County  Insti- 
tutes, and  he  was  a  frequent  contributor  to 
newspapers  and  periodicals.  Among  other 
things,  he  was  the  author  of  an  able  pamphlet 
against  compulsory  education,  and  also  of  the 
Centennial  Memorial  of  Kutztown  and  Maxa- 


tawny  Township— the  latter  an  extremely 
interesting  history  of  that  region  from  its  earliest 
settlement.  As  an  educator  and  moulder  of 
intellect  he  stood  in  the  foremost  rank  in  Penn- 
sylvania. 

He  was  a  representative  Pennsylvania  Ger- 
man and  labored  assiduously  to  increase  in  that 
element  of  our  population  a  proper  sense  of  their 
own  worth,  dignity,  ability  and  responsibility. 
His  life  was  spent  among  them  and  his  efforts 
accomplished  most  marked  results,  particularly 
in  the  growing  youth  of  both  sexes  in  Berks 
County.  The  vast  influence  he  exerted  in  edu- 
cational matters  can  hardly  be  overestimated, 
and  the  flourishing  institute  he  founded  at 
Kutztown  will  always  constitute  an  enduring 
monument  to  this  exemplary  Christian  scholar. 

In  manner,  Mr.  Ermentrout  was  modest,  quiet 
and  unassuming  and  was  possessed  of  such  great 
tact  that,  notwithstanding  his  strong  convictions 
and  his  fearlessness  in  expressing  and  following 
them,  he  seldom,  if  ever,  made  an  enemy.  He 
was  perfectly  honest,  temperate  in  all  things, 
social  in  disposition  and  pleasing  in  conversa- 
tion. His  life  was  pure  and  spotless  and  his 
example  and  speech  of  a  standard  worthy  of 
imitation.  These  qualities,  combined  with  his 
ability  and  learning,  greatly  endeared  him  to  the 
people  of  his  native  county,  and  caused  his 
death,  at  the  age  of  fifty-four  years,  to  be  uni- 
versally regretted. 

David  B.  Beunnek  was  born  March  7, 
1835,  in  the  upper  section  of  Amity  township. 
His  father  was  John  Brunner,  a  carpenter  in 
that  township,  and  a  descendant  of  Peter  Brun- 
ner, a  Palatine,  who  emigrated  to  this  country 
previous  to  1736,  and  settled  in  Douglass  town- 
ship, Berks  County,  about  1765.  In  1805 
his  son  William  moved  into  the  vicinity  of 
Pottstown,  and  in  1819,  to  the  western 
part  of  Amity  township,  where  he  had  pur- 
chased a  farm.  In  1827,  William's  only  son, 
George,  bought  a  farm  in  the  same  neighbor- 
hood and  lived  there  until  he  died,  in  1855. 
George  had  four  children — Mary,  John,  Samuel 
and  David.  John  had  seven  children — Mary 
Ann,  David,  John,  Frederick  (who  died  in 
Pennsylvania  College  in  1862,  while  a  senior), 
William,  Amos  and  George. 


382 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


David  B.  Brunner,  one  of  the  sons  last  named, 
and  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  daring  his  boy- 
hood, attended  the  common  schools  in  the  town- 
ship till  the  age  of  twelve  years,  when  he 
learned  the  trade  of  carpenter  under  his  father. 
At  this  occupation  he  continued  until  the  age 
of  nineteen  years,  attending  school  during  the 
winter.  This  township  was  favored  with  teach- 
ers well  qualified,  who  taught  advanced  mathe- 
matics— such  as  algebra,  mensuration  and  sur- 
veying— besides  the  common  branches  of  educa- 


education  and  practical  teaching,  he  located  at 
Eeading  in  1862,  having  purchased  the  Bead- 
ing Classical  Academy,  an  institution  which 
had  been  founded  by  the  Rev.  William  A. 
Good  in  1854.  He  was  liberally  encouraged 
from  the  beginning,  and  conducted  this  institu- 
tion, with  increasing  success  year  after  year, 
till  1869,  when  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of 
county  superintendent  of  common  schools  of 
Berks  County.  The  number  of  schools  then 
was  five  hundred  and  one,  taught  by  four  hun- 


tion.  He  studied  these  higher  branches  for  a 
time,  and  then  taught  public  school  for  three 
years,  from  1852  to  1855.  During  that  time 
he  prepared  himself  specially  for  college  at 
the  Freeland  Seminary.  In  1856  he  entered 
Dickinson  College  and  took  a  complete  classical 
course,  graduating  in  1860. 

Upon  his  graduation  he  returned  home, 
opened  a  private  school  at  Amityville,  and  con- 
ducted it  successfully  for  two  years,  1860  and 
1861.      With   this    preparation   by  collegiate 


Mst-z^z^zM/' 


dred  and  ninety-eight  teachers,  and  the  scholars 
numbered  twenty-six  thousand.  His  faithful 
and  successful  performance  of  the  duties  of  this 
important  office  won  for  him  the  respect  and 
confidence  of  both  school  directors  and  teachers, 
and  at  the  end  of  his  first  term  of  three  years 
he  was  re-elected  without  opposition.  At  that 
time  his  salary  was  also  increased.  These  cir- 
cumstances indicate  the  deep  and  favorable 
impression  which  he  had  made  upon  the  people 
in   this  department  of  public  service.     Upon 


GENERAL  EDUCATION. 


383 


his  first  election  he  continued  the  classical 
academy  with  the  aid  of  assistants ;  but,  upon 
his  re-election,  finding  that  the  institution 
required  his  personal  supervision,  which  he 
could  not  give,  he  closed  it,  so  as  to  be 
able  to  devote  his  entire  attention  to  the 
schools  of  the  county,  in  whose  welfare  he 
became  thoroughly  interested  and  with  which 
he  was  prominently  identified.  At  the  end  of 
his  second  term  as  county  superintendent  he 
re-opened  the  institution  under  the  name  of 
Reading  Scientific  Academy.  This  change 
was  made  to  signify  that  the  study  of  the 
sciences  was  an  important  part  of  the  course  of 
education  under  him.  Besides  the  daily  study 
of  scientific  branches,  frequent  lectures  were 
delivered  by  him  to  the  scholars,  illustrating  his 
subjects  by  philosophical  experiments,  etc., 
with  the  aid  of  instruments  manufactured  by 
himself. 

In  1875  and  1876,  he  conducted  a  business 
college  at  Reading,  with  the  assistance  of  Ches- 
ter N.  Farr,  Esq.,  and  in  1880  and  1881  he 
acted  as  city  superintendent  of  the  common 
schools  in  Reading. 

For  a  number  of  years  Prof.  Brunner  mani- 
fested a  thorough  interest  in  the  history  of  the 
Indians  of  Berks  County,  having  visited  nu- 
merous localities  of  the  county  in  this  behalf. 
He  collected  many  relics  and  valuable  facts,  and 
then  narrated  the  results  of  his  investigations  for 
the  Reading  Society  of  Natural  Sciences.  His 
essays  were  first  published  in  the  Spirit  of 
Berks,  and  then,  in  1881,  reproduced  in  book- 
form.  In  the  course  of  his  labors  he  made 
many  wood-cuts  to  show  the  size,  form  and 
appearance  of  Indian  relics,  such  as  arrow  and 
spear-heads,  axes,  knives,  hammers,  plates,  pot- 
tery, beads,  shells,  pestles,  mortars,  ornaments, 
etc.  In  this  work  he  displayed  zeal  on  the 
one  hand  and  genius  on  the  other. 

Prof.  Brunner  is  a  thorough  mineralogist. 
He  has  investigated  our  entire  county  also  in 
respect  to  its  minerals  with  great  success.  He 
prepared  a  catalogue  of  the  names  of  the 
minerals  found  in  the  county  specially  for 
this  history,  which  is  included  in  the  chap- 
ter on  Physical  Geography.  And  the  birds  of 
our    county  have    also   received    his    earnest 


attention,  he  having  collected  and  stuffed  a 
number  of  fine  specimens.  His  collection 
now  includes  one  hundred  of  the  rarest  speci- 
mens. He  has  also  given  much  attention  to 
microscopy,  using  in  his  researches  a  fine,  large 
microscope,  with  lenses  magnifying  from  ten 
diameters  to  twelve  hundred  diameters.  His 
intervals  from  school-teaching  are  largely  de- 
voted to  the  production  of  scientific  apparatus 
and  the  addition  of  natural  curiosities.  With 
the  aid  of  a  lapidary's  mill,  he  has  polished 
a  large  variety  of  our  best  and  most  beautiful 
minerals,  which  he  has  mounted  upon  glass 
slides  for  microscopic  examinations.  His 
extensive  cabinet  includes  about  a  thousand 
mounted  specimens,  consisting  of  minerals, 
animal  and  vegetable  tissues,  insects,  etc.  These 
enable  him  to  carry  on  the  study  of  this  branch 
of  knowledge  with  the  most  satisfactory  results. 
They  exhibit  the  wonderful  operations  of  na- 
ture not  perceptible  to  the  naked  eye. 

Two  degrees — Bachelor  of  Arts  and  Master 
of  Arts — have  been  conferred  upon  him  by 
Dickinson  College,  the  former  at  the  time  of 
his  graduation,  and  the  latter  in  1863. 

In  1877,  he  published  a  small  but  superior 
elementary  work  on  English  grammar,  of 
which,  in  1882,  he  issued  a  second  and  revised 
edition.  Many  thousand  copies  of  it  have  been 
sold,  being  used  throughout  this  county  and 
also  in  adjoining  counties. 

In  religious  belief  Prof.  Brunner  is  a  Lu- 
theran, having  been  for  many  years  and  being 
still  a  consistent  and  devoted  member  of  Trin- 
ity Lutheran  Church,  at  Reading.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Democrat. 

Prof.  Brunner  was  married,  in  1861,  to 
Amanda  L.  Rhoads,  a  daughter  of  Abraham 
Rhoads,  of  Amity  township,  and  a  descendant 
of  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  the  county. 
They  have  five  children — Daniel  Edwin,  Eliza- 
beth, Edgar  Alfred,  Mary,  and  Henry  Phile- 
mon. 

Samuel  A.  Babe  was  born  November  28, 
1846,  in  Greenwich  township,  near  the  place 
known  as  Schafer's  Mill.  His  father  was 
John  Baer,  whose  father  moved  from  Weisen- 
berg,  Lehigh  County,  to  Maxatawny  in  1812. 
He  was  only  ten  years  old  when  his  father  died, 


384 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


and  he  was  thrown  upon  his  own  resources. 
For  four  years  he  worked  upon  a  farm  in 
Albany  township  for  board  and  clothes,  after 
which  he  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the  tailoring 
trade.  He  was  determined,  however,  to  obtain 
an  education,  and  through  the  aid  of  friends  he 
was  enabled  to  prepare  himself  for  the  profes- 
sion of  teaching.  He  received  his  first  certifi- 
cate from  Professor  John  S.  Ermentrout,  in 
1864,  and  taught  his  first  term  in  Maxatawny 
township,  in  what  is  known  as  Hinterleiter's 
school-house.  The  term  was  four  months,  and 
the  salary  twenty-six  dollars  per  month. 

He  continued  teaching  during  winter,  and  in 
the  spring  and  fall  attended  the  Maxatawny 
Seminary,  under  Professor  H.  R.  Hicks,  and 
later,  the  Keystone  State  Normal  School  (into 
which  the  former  school  had  merged)  until  he 
was  prepared  for  the  junior  class  of  Franklin 
and  Marshall  College.  He  was  graduated  from 
the  latter  institution  in  1869.  Immediately 
after  his  graduation  he  was  elected  professor  of 
Latin,  Greek  and  history  at  the  Keystone  State 
Normal  School.  This  position  he  held  until 
the  summer  of  1872,  when  he  married,  and 
removed  to  Lehighton,  Carbon  County,  where 
he  became  principal  of  the  Lehighton  Academy, 
and  borough  superintendent  of  public  schools. 
In  1874  he  took  charge  of  the  Oley  Academy, 
and  in  May,  1875,  was  elected  superintendent 
of  public  schools  of  Berks  County. 

As  county  superintendent  he  served  for  six 
years,  with  credit  to  himself  and  benefit  to  the 
schools.  He  was  known  as  a  faithful  worker. 
He  paid  particular  attention  to  the  subject  of 
the  English  language,  without  disparaging  the 
mother-tongue.  He  prepared  for  the  use  of 
the  teachers  "  A  Course  of  Study  for  Ungraded 
Schools,"  to  which  were  appended  "  Suggestions 
on  Teaching  German  Children  the  English  Lan- 
guage." These  were  distributed  throughout 
the  entire  county,  and  aided  the  teachers  in  in- 
structing the  German- speaking  children  in  a 
rational  and  intelligent  manner. 

Whilst  county  superintendent,  he  also  won 
considerable  reputation  as  an  educator  outside 
of  his  county.  In  August,  1877,  he  read  a 
paper  before  the  Pennsylvanian  State  Teachers' 
Association,    on    the    "  Educational    Problem 


among  the  German  Element,"  which  was  ex- 
tensively published,  especially  by  the  German 
press  of  Pennsylvania  and  other  States.  In 
recognition  of  its  merits  he  was  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Pennsylvania  Historical  Society.  He 
was  appointed  by  State  Superintendent,  Wicker- 
sham,  in  1876,  a  member  of  a  special  educational 
committee  to  prepare  the  State  exhibit  of  pub- 
lic schools  at  the  Centennial  Exhibition  of  1876. 
Among  the  special  features  of  his  work  in  this 
connection  may  be  mentioned  his  "  Centennial 
Map,"  which  shows  the  location  and  character 
of  every  school-house  outside  of  the  city  of 
Reading.  It  was  the  only  map  of  the  kind  on 
exhibition,  and  was  a  credit  to  Berks  County  as 
a  work  of  art,  as  well  as  showing  an  excellent 
educational  status  throughout  the  different  dis- 
tricts. In  1877  he  prepared  an  interesting 
"  Educational  History "  of  the  county,  which 
was  published  in  the  State  report  of  that  year ; 
it  was  also  published  in  pamphlet  form  and 
extensively  distributed  throughout  the  county. 

In  May,  1881,  he  was  elected  city  superin- 
tendent of  the  public  schools  of  Reading,  and 
held  this  position  for  three  years.  His  work 
in  this  position  is  mainly  characterized  by  his 
efforts  to  get  the  teachers  out  of  old  ruts.  With 
this  in  view,  he  held  weekly  meetings  of  teach- 
ers, instructing  them  in  mental  philosophy, 
methods  of  teaching  and  school  management. 
It  can  safely  be  said  that  the  schools  made  satis- 
factory progress  during  his  administration. 

In  February,  1884,  through  his  influence  a 
lecture  was  delivered  in  the  Grand  Opera- 
House,  and  the  sum  of  two  hundred  dollars 
was  cleared.  With  this  amount  the  nucleus  of 
a  "  Teachers'  Library  "  was  formed.  Over  a 
hundred  books  were  purchased,  most  of  them 
on  "pedagogics,"  and  placed  along  with  the  old 
High  School  library  for  the  use  of  the  teachers. 

In  the  fall  of  1884  he  was  appointed  by 
Governor  R.  E.  Pattison  assistant  State  li- 
brarian, which  position  he  resigned,  on  account 
of  failing  health,  in  October,  1885,  and  accepted 
the  position  of  superintendent  of  schools  of 
Florence,  S.  C.  Of  his  work  in  that  place,  the 
Florence  Times  of  January  21,  1886,  speaks  as 
follows  : 

"  It  gives  us  pleasure  to  announce  to  the  public 


GENERAL  EDUCATION. 


385 


that  the  Florence  graded  schools  are  a  success.  Ever 
since  the  opening  in  November,  they  have  been  grow- 
ing in  number  of  pupils  and  in  popularity.  Dr. 
Samuel  A.  Baer,  the  superintendent,  has  proven  him- 
self the  man  for  the  position.  We  predict  that  ere 
long  Florence  will  be  noted  for  her  good  schools  as 
she  now  is  for  her  healthful  climate  and  genial  so- 
ciety." 

He  has  been  at  all  times  loyal  to  the  Penn- 
sylvania German  element,  following  in  this 
respect  the  course  of  Professor  John  S.  Ermen- 
trout,  whose  friend  and  frequent  companion  he 
was.  At  the  meeting  of  the  Pennsylvania 
State  Teachers'  Association,  held  at  Washing- 
ington,  Pa.,  he  delivered  the  memorial  address 
in  honor  of  his  friend.  In  January,  1882,  he 
delivered  an  address  at  the  request  of  the  State 
superintendent  before  a  meeting  of  city  and 
county  superintendents,  held  at  Reading,  on — 
"  How  can  the  academic  teaching  of  our  High 
Schools  and  State  Normal  Schools  be  made  to 
harmonize  more  fully  with  the  advanced  ac- 
ademic work  of  our  colleges  and  Universities." 
This  was  published  and  distributed  by  the 
State  superintendent. 

He  served  several  times  as  member  of  the  ex- 
ecutive committee,  and  once  as  chairman  of  the 
Pennsylvania  State  Teachers'  Association.  At 
the  meeting  held  at  Williamsport,  1883,  he  was 
elected  its  president.  In  July,  1884,  Ursinus 
College  conferred  upon  him  the  honorary  de- 
gree of  Ph.D. 

David  S.  Keck  was  born  in  Lehigh  County 
October  6,  1852,  and  there  acquired  his  early 
education  in  the  public  schools.  When  ten 
years  old  he  left  home  to  make  his  way  by  his 
own  exertions,  Avorking  for  a  time  in  the  iron- 
ore  mines  of  Lehigh  County.  Ambitious  to 
extend  his  education,  he  attended  the  Keystone 
State  Normal  School  for  a  time,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  the  teachers'  course  in  1874. 
He  taught  public  schools,  in  Lehigh,  Berks  and 
Luzerne  Counties,  officiated  as  principal  of  the 
High  School  at  Hamburg  from  1874  to  1877, 
and  as -superintendent  of  the  Model  Depart- 
ment in  the  Keystone  Normal  School  from 
1877  to  1881.  By  that  time  he  had  obtained 
a  high  reputation  as  an  educator,  and  in  the 
year  last  mentioned  the  school  directors  of 
the  county  elected  him.  superintendent  of  the 
41 


common  schools.  Pie  was  re-elected  to  this 
position  in  1884  for  a  second  term  of  three 
years.  He  is  now  filling  this  important  office 
with  great  credit  to  himself.  In  June,  1883, 
the  Ursinus  College  conferred  upon  him  the 
honorary  degree  of  Master  of  Arts. 

Comparative  Table. — I  have  arranged, 
the  following  table  to  show  the  number  of 
schools  and  scholars  in  the  county  by  districts 
at  four  different  periods ;  also  when  the  com- 
mon-school system  was  accepted  by  the  several 
districts.  The  total  attendance  of  scholars  for 
1884  was  less  than  in  1876.  The  average 
attendance,  however,  was  for  1876,  18,706 
scholars,  and  in  1884}  19,522  scholars. 


1854. 

1864. 

1876. 

1884. 

s 

£ 

a 

S 

8  8 
•a  g 

"a 

ta 

o 

"n 

3 

s  * 

Xi 

.G 

ja 

& 

02 

83 

03 

CQ 

** 

21 

2,006 

5,622 

131 

6,345 

148 

9,918 

1834 

11 

618 

11 

522 

11 

463 

11 

473 

1855 

7 

385 

9 

357 

9 

344 

9 

353 

1849 

9 

443 

10 

453 

10 

418 

1(1 

390 

1850 

10 

620 

12 

610 

13 

588 

13 

553 

1850 

Bern,  Upper  .  . 

D 

670 

10 

581 

12 

583 

12 

562 

1851 

2 

123 

2 

142 

2 

107 

3 

121 

1851 

Bethel 

11 

558 

12 

638 

15 

612 

15 

550 

1854 

BirdBboro'  .  . 

6 

327 

8 

443 

1873 

3 
5 

209 
237 

4 
5 

198 
233 

5 

226 

5 

218 

1850 

Caernarvon  .   .  . 

4 

242 

4 

242 

5 

182 

5 

330 

1834 

Centre 

8 

429 

8 

411 

8 

476 

9 

400 

1851 

Colebrookdale.  .  .  . 

5 

209 

8 

363 

7 

258 

8 

285 

1838 

Cumru 

10 

543 

11 

544 

13 

646 

14 

578 

1850 

4 

160 

4 

201 

1867 

6 

374 

8 

285 

8 

250 

8 

266 

1850 

Earl 

6 

308 

6 

304 

6 

298 

6 

287 

1851 

11 

614 

12 

616 

12 

674 

12 

573 

1849 

Fleetwood 

■A 

177 

4 

218 

1874 

11 

595 

11 

525 

11 

562 

12 

522 

1851 

5 

236 

7 

406 

10 

519 

8 

400 

1838 

5 

237 

5 

288 

7 

275 

7 

261 

1849 

Heidelberg,  Lower  . 

12 

679 

12 

624 

16 

680 

16 

646 

1850 

Heidelberg,  North  . 

6 

259 

6 

258 

5 

283 

b 

186 

1850 

8 

420 

8 

385 

8 

312 

8 

351 

1846' 

5 

276 

7 

332 

7 

299 

7 

239 

1855- 

3 

143 

3 

181 

4 

237 

b 

2611 

1838- 

Longswamp  .... 

10 

585 

12 

720 

14 

828 

*18 

*886 

1851 

Maiden-creek.  .  .  . 

7 

371 

8 

422 

10 

483 

10 

365 

1849  • 

8 

433 

9 

432 

9 

297 

9 

277 

1839 

12 

479 

12 

593 

lb 

671 

16 

663 

1852 

Muhlenberg  .... 

7 

891 

7 

434 

7 

458 

8 

451 

1851 

12 

592 

12 

569 

12 

539 

fl2 

|474 

1850' 

6 

354 

7 

388 

8 

361 

9 

306 

1851 

7 

38,j 

9 

466 

9 

399 

9 

401 

1851 

8 

417 

9 

480 

10 

499 

11 

464 

1851 

0 
11 

283 
634 

6 
13 

252 
767 

6 
12 

280 
642 

6 
14 

210 

588 

1851 

1854 

10 

583 

16 

647 

17 

592 

17 

655 

1836 

7 

439 

7 

406 

8 

383 

8 

401 

1850 

7 

395 

8 

417 

8 

380 

8 

366 

183T 

14 

635 

14 

647 

14 

686 

15 

517 

1850 

Tulpehocken .... 

11 

669 

13 

680 

13 

430 

13 

546 

1850 

Tulpehocken,  Upper. 

7 

357 

8 

298 

8 

351 

185& 

7 

391 

12 

500 

9 

357 

11 

344 

1836. 

Washington  .... 

8 

374 

8 

400 

9 

441 

tU 

J48S 

1850 

H 

370 

7 

40C 

6 

238 

6 

194 

1850 

Womeladorf.  .... 

S 

333 

6 

280 

4 

204 

5 

218 

183& 

10,116 

471 

25,057 

568 

35,789599 

26,848 

*  Topton  three  additional  schools  and  one  hundred  and  thirty-three 
scholars.  Erected  into  a  district  when  it  was  created  a  borough  in 
1877. 

f  Pleasantville  included. 

\  Schultzville  included. 


386 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

LANGUAGE,  MANNERS   AND    CUSTOMS. 

The  great  majority  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Berks  County  were  Germans,  and  through 
them  their  language,  manners  and  customs  be- 
came predominant.  Most  of  them  remained 
here,  and,  to  a  great  degree,  where  the  several 
families  first  settled  aDd  prospered.  Their 
number  influenced  the  early  erection  of  the 
county  in  1752.  Their  industry,  perseverance 
and  economy  built  up  and  enriched  its  valleys 
and  hills  with  substantial  improvements.  Over 
one  hundred  and  thirty  years  have  elapsed 
since,  but  the  general  features  of  the  whole 
community  bear  their  impression.  Their  man- 
ners and  customs  have  been  handed  down  from 
generation  to  generation,  with  little,  if  any, 
change  ;  and  their  language  is  still  in  general  use 
in  every  section.  This  permanence  exhibits  inher- 
ent strength.  The  introduction  of  a  strange  peo- 
ple, with  a  different  language,  almost  entirely 
English,  have  not  weakened  their  hold  upon 
the  people. 

Language. — Their  language  is  composed  of 
words  principally  from  German  dialects,  such  as 
the  Allemannisch,  the  Pfalzisch  and  the  Schwab- 
isch,  and  some  from  the  German  proper.  Its  pre- 
servation to  such  a  marked  degree  is  due  mostly 
to  their  German  Bible.  Martin  Luther  per- 
formed a  great  service  to  one  of  the  strongest 
and  most  prolific  nations  of  the  earth  in  trans- 
lating the  Latin  Bible  into  the  German,  for 
through  it  he  made  the  use  of  the  German 
here  persistent  and  continuous.  Their  German 
hymn-books  and  prayer-books,  and  Arndt's 
Wahren  Christenthum  (True  Christianity)  assisted 
greatly  in  this  behalf.  The  use  of  the  English 
language  in  courts  of  justice,  and  in  legal 
documents  of  all  kinds,  did  not,  and  apparently 
could  not,  interfere  with  its  preservation.  And 
even  English  teaching,  through  a  general  sys- 
tem of  school  education,  has  not  disturbed  it 
very  much,  though  fifty  years  have  elapsed 
since  its  introduction.  This  system  has  caused 
the  introduction  of  numerous  English,  mixed 
and  contracted  words,  and  doubtless  induced 
the  language  to  be  called  "  Pennsylvania  Ger- 
man"— or  "  Pennsylvania  Dutch."     These  re- 


marks are  particularly  applicable  to  the  country 
districts.  The  teachers  are  mostly  young 
people,  who,  in  many  instances,  are  not  quali- 
fied to  use  the  English  language  accurately. 
Through  them  many  peculiar  and  incorrect 
expressions  have  been  engrafted  upon  the 
language  of  our  immediate  locality ;  and  the 
German  people  themselves  have  occasioned  the 
introduction  of  a  considerable  number,  through 
an  earnest  desire  to  succeed  in  their  business 
relations  with  the  citizens  of  Reading.  The 
sounds,  expressions  and  intonations  cannot  be 
communicated  in  a  published  narrative. 

The  Pennsylvania  German  language  is  pre- 
sented admirably  in  a  number  of  poems  which 
Mr.  Thomas  C.  Zimmerman,  editor  of  the 
Reading  Times,  translated  from  the  English, 
he  having  selected  a  variety  of  styles  of 
composition,  in  order  to  show  its  capabilities 
for  metrical  expression.  This  variety  com- 
prehends subjects  both  grave '  and  gay  ;  also 
humorous  and  pathetic.  His  first  translation 
was  the  Christmas  poem  by  Clement  C.  Moore, 
entitled,  "  'Twas  the  Night  before  Christmas." 
It  is  presented  herewith,  following  the  English 
version,  in  order  to  afford  an  opportunity  for 
comparison : 

A  VISIT   PBOM  ST.  NICHOLAS. 

Twas  the  night  before  Christmas  when  all  through 

the  house 
Not  a  creature  was  stirring,  not  even  a  mouse ; 
The  stockings  were  hung  by  the  chimney  with  care, 
In  hopes  that  St.  Nicholas  soon  would  be  there; 
The  children  were  nestled  all  snug  in  their  beds, 
While  visions  of  sugar-plums  danced  in  their  heads ; 
And  mamma  in  'kerchief  and  I  in  my  cap, 
Had  just  settled  our  brains  for  a  long  winter's  nap- 
When  out  on  the  lawn  there  arose  such  a  clatter, 
I  sprang  from  my  bed  to  see  what  was  the  matter. 
Away  to  the  window  I  flew  like  a  flash, 
Tore  open  the  shutters  and  threw  up  the  sash. 
The  moon,  on  the  breast  of  the  new  fallen  snow, 
Gave  a  lustre  of  midday  to  objects  below  ; 
When,  what  to  my  wond'ring  eyes  should  appear, 
But  a  miniature  sleigh  and  eight  tiny  reindeer. 
With  a  little  old  driver,  so  lively  and  quick; 
I  knew  in  a  moment  it  must  be  St.  Nick. 
More  rapid  than  eagles  his  coursers  they  came, 
And  he  whistled  and  shouted  and  called  them  by 

name, — 
"  Now,   Dasher !   now,   Dancer  !   now,   Prancer  and 

Vixen ! 


LANGUAGE,  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS. 


387 


On  Comet !  on  Cupid  I  on  Donder  and  Blitzen  ! 
To  the  top  of  the  porch,  to  the  top  of  the  wall, 
Now,  dash  away,  dash  away,  dash  away  all !  " 
As  dry  leaves  that  before  the  wild  hurricane  fly 
When  they  meet  with  an  obstacle,  mount  to  the  sky, 
So  up  to  the  housetop  the  coursers  they  flew, 
With  the  sleigh  full  of  toys — and  St.  Nicholas,  too. 
And  then  in  a  twinkling,  I  heard  on  the  roof 
The  prancing  and  pawing  of  each  little  hoof. 
As  I  drew  in  my  head,  and  was  turning  around, 
Down  the  chimney  St.  Nicholas  came  with  a  bound. 
He  was  dressed  all  in  fur  from  his  head  to  his  foot, 
And  his  clothes  were  all  tarnished  with  ashes  and 

soot ; 
A  bundle  of  toys  he  had  flung  on  his  back, 
And  he  looked  like  a  peddler  just  opening  his  pack. 
His  eyes,  how  they    twinkled !    his    dimples    how 


merry 


His  cheeks  were  like  roses,  his  nose  like  a  cherry ; 
His  droll  little  mouth  was  drawn  up  like  a  bow, 
And  the  beard  on  his  chin  was  as  white  as  the  snow. 
The  stump  of  a  pipe  he  held  tight  in  his  teeth, 
And  the  smoke,  it  encircled  his  head  like  a  wreath. 
He  had  a  broad  face  and  a  little  round  belly 
That  shook  when  he  laughed  like  a  bowl  full  of 

jelly- 
He  was  chubby  and  plump — a  right  jolly  old  elf; 
And  I  laughed  when  I  saw  him  in  spite  of  myself. 
A  wink  of  his  eye,  and  a  twist  of  his  head, 
Soon  gave  me  to  know  I  had  nothing  to  dread. 
He  spoke  not  a  word,  but  went  straight  to  his  work. 
And  filled  all  the  stockings ;  then  turned  with  a  jerk, 
And,  laying  his  finger  aside  of  his  nose, 
And  giving  a  nod,  up  the  chimney  he  rose. 
He  sprang  to  his  sleigh,  to  his  team  gave  a  whistle, 
And  away  they  all  flew  like  the  down  of  a  thistle. 
But  I  heard  him  exclaim,  ere  he  drove  out  of  sight, 
"  Happy  Christmas  to  all,  and  to  all  a  good-night." 

"die  nacht  for  de  chrischdaag. 
[Translated  for  the  Beading  Times.] 

'S  waar  die  Nacht  for  de  Chrischdaag  und  dorch  es 

gans  Haus 
Verreegt  sich  ke'  Thierli,  net  emol  en  Maus  ; 
Die  Schtrump   waare   schnock   im  Schornschte  ge- 

hanke, 
In  der  Hoffning  der  "Nick"  dheet  graad  runner 

dschumpe ; 
Die  Kinner  so  schnock  waare  all  scho  im  Bett, 
Von  Zuckerschleck  draame  un  was  mer,  doch,  wott ; 
Die  Mamme  im  Schnupduch  un  ich  in  der  Kapp, 
Hen  uus  juscht  hi  geleegt  for'n  lang  Winter's  Nap- 
Dan  draus  in  'm  Hoof  waar  so  'n  dunnerse  Jacht, 
Dass  ich  ufg'schprunge  bin  zu  sehne  war's  macht. 
An's  Fenschter  graad  schpring  ich  so  schnell  wie'n 

Flasch, 
Die  Lade  ufg'risse,  ufg'schmisse  die  Sasch ! 
Der  Moond  uf  der  Bruscht  dem  neug'fallne  Schnee 


Macht  Helling  wie  Mitdaag,  uwwer  alles,  so  scho, 
Im  e'  Aageblick  kummt,  jetz,  un  rund  wie  e'  Kersch 
E'  Fuhrmann  im  Schlidde  un  acht  kleene  Hersch — 
E'  Mlinnli  in  Pelze,  so  freundlich  un  frei — 
'Hab  graadeweck  g'wiisst's  muss  der  Pelznickel  sei  1 
Wie  Aadler,  so  schnell,  sin  die  Herschlin  zusamme, 
Un  er  peift  un'r  ruuft,  un'r  nennt  sie  mit  Naame : 
"  Jetz   Dascher  I   jetz   Danzer  !   jetz   Pranzer  !    jetz 

Vixen  I 
Un  Komet  I  un  Kupid !  un  Dunder  I  un  Blitzen !  " 
An  der  Porch  isch  er  nuff,  um  die  Mauer  gefalle — 
"  Jetz  schpringt  eweck !  schpringt  eweck !  schpringt 

aweck  alle ! " 
Wie  laab  for'm  e  Windschtorm — der  wildscht  das  mer 

seht, 
Wann  ebbes  imWeeg  isch  un's  himmelwerts  geht, 
Zum  Hausgiwwel  nuf  sin  die  Herschlin  wie  g'floge, 
Mit'm  Schlidli  foil  Sach  un  der  "  Nick  "  mit  gezoge; 
Im  e'  Aageblick  horscht  uf'm  Dach — owwedrowe — 
En  Gescheer  un  Gedanz  wie  mit  hol'zene  Glowwe. 
Mei  Kop  zieg  ichnei,  guk  um  mich  im  Haus — 
Un  im  Schornschte,  do  kummt'r   wahrhafting  schun 

raus ! 
Mit  Peltze  ferwickelt  fon  Kop  biz  zum  Fuus, 
Un  alles  ferschnuttelt  mit  Aesche  un  Ruus  ! 
Uf  m  Buckel  en  Bundel  foil  allerhand  G'schpiel — 
'S  hat  geguckt  wie  'm  Kremer  sei  Kramm — artlig  fiel. 
Sei  Maul,  wie  'n  Kersch,  un  sei  Dimple  die  lache — 
Sei  Aage,  die  blinzle,  und  wie  Rosa  sei  Backe. 
Gans  rund  war  sei  Mauli  un  roth  wie  der  Klee, 
Un  's  Schnurbardli  weiss  wie  woll,  oder  Schnee: 
En  schtumpiges  Peifli,  fescht  zwische  de  Zeh, 
Un  der  schmook  schteigt  in  Binglin  so  scho  in  die 

Hoh. 
Sei  G'sichtli  so  breed,  un  sei  Bauchli  e'  bissel 
Uverm    Lache  hot  g'shittelt  wie    Dschelly  in   der 

Schiissel. 
So  dick  un  so  rund  war  des  luschtige  Elfge, 
Muss  lache,  graad  aus  un  kan's  gaar  net  helfe. 
Sei  Kopli  waar  eifrig  un  schwatzig  mit  Niicken — 
Sei  Aage,  gaar  freundlich  mit  Blinzele  un  Blicken  ; 
Die    Schtrump    hot    'r    g'filPt,    un    mit  frolichem 

Braus, 
Da  schpringt  inschtandig,  den  Schornschte  hinaus  ; 
Er  schpringt  uf  sei  Schlidde,  zu  der  Fuhr  peift  en 

Piffel, 
Dann  fliege  sie  fort  wie  Duun  fon  der  Dischtel : 
Doch    eb'   er    gans    fort    waar,  sei    Gruss   hat  er 

g' macht — 
"  En  herrliche  Chrischdaag !  un  zu  alle,  Guut  Nacht  1 " 

Beading,  Pa.,  Dec.  22,  1880.  T.  C.  z. 

The  following  are  extracts  from  additional 
translations  by  Mr.  Zimmerman  : 

DIE  YUNG  WITFEAU. 

Blod  is  sie  un'  doch  net  bashful, 
Free  und  easy,  doch  net  bold ; 


388 


HISTOEY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Wie  en  Appel,  reif  und  miirb  ; 

Net  zu  jung  un'  net  zu  alt. 
Halb  einladich,  halb  repulsich, 

Now  z'riick  un'  now'n  Schritt  fohr — 
Es  hat  Sehade  in  ihr  Dimple, 

In  ihr  Auge  is  G'fohr. 

B'kannt  is  sie  mit  menschlich  Wege ; 

G'lernt  in  all  ihr  Kiinst  und  Scherz ; 
G'numme  hat  sie  ihr  Diploma 

Als  die  Mischtern  von  all  Herz. 
Sie  kann  sage,  wann  zu  seufzen — 

Wann  zu  lacha — fur  die  Leit; 
Angenehm's  deelmohls  en  Madel; 

AvVn  Witfrau  all  die  Zeit. 

Seid  ihr  traurich  ?  Guck,  wie  ernschtlich 

Scheint  ihr  G'sicht  'raus  wie  en  Blum 
Seid  ihr  zernlich  ?  Sie's  armselich, 

Ledich,  einsam,  thranfoll,  schtumm ! 
Seid  ihr  luschtich  ?  Horl  ihr  Lachter 

Sound  wie  Silver — ringt  wie  en  Bell ! 
Sie  kann  locke,  fong'  und  schpiele 

Wie  der  Fischer  thut  Forell'. 

Ihr  alt  Bach'lors  Johre  ferzig, 

Wu  so  bold  und  g'scheit  euch  trag', 
Jung  American'  von  zwanzig, 

Mit  'm  Lieblicht  in  euer'm  Aug', 
Ihr  mag'  practic'  all  die  Lessons 

Cupid  'raus  gebt  since  der  Foil ; 
Kenn  ich  doch  en  glene  Witfrau  : 

Sie  g'winnt  und  fooled  euch  all. 

ALT  KOBIN  GREY. 

Wann  die  Kiih  sin'  daheem,  un'  im  Fald  all  die 

Schof, 
Wann  all  die  miide  Weld  leit  dief  schon  im 

Schlof, 
Der  Schmerz  von  meim  Herz  fallt  in  Schauers 

von  meim  Aug', 
Weil  mei  guder  Mann  sound  bei  mir  laug. 
******** 

Er  war  net  'n  Woch'  aweck  'xcept juscht  'n  paar, 
Bis  mei  Vater  'brecht    sei   Arm,  un'   die    Kuh 

g'schtole  war ; 
Mei  Mutter,  sie  wert  grank,  un'  mei  Tschimmy's 

uf  'm  See, 
Und  mich  zu  karessire  kummt  der  alt  Eobin  Grey. 

SING,  MADEL,   SING. 
(From  "Barry  Cornwall's"  "Sing,  Maiden,  Sing.") 

Sing,  Madel,  sing ! 

Mauler  war  g'macht  fur  Singe ; 
Horch — G'song  horscht  du 

Dorch  die  weit  Welt  ringe ; 
G'song  von  all  die  Vogel, 

G'song  von  Schauers  und  Wind, 
G'song  von  See  und  Schtrom — 

Ach,  die  siisse  Blume  singt. 


Horscht  du  den  Rege, 

Wie  ersaftlich  fallt? 
Horscht  du  den  Vogel, 

Der  vom  Busch  'raus  ruft  ? 
Horscht  die  Imme,  du, 

Uver  die  Sunnblum'  ringe  ? 
Sagt  uns,  Madel,  now — 

Set'scht  du  net  'mohl  singe  ? 

Horscht  du  net  des  schtilles  Wind 

Seufze  um  die  Rose  dort  ? 
Und  die  gleene  siisse  Rose, 

Die  wu  Lieb'  zu  Lieb'  antwort  ? 
So  set'scht  du  als  Antwort  mache 

Dem  G'bed',  wu  mir  dir  bringe; 
Dass  der  Rose-Knopf,  dei  Maul, 

Ufschpringe  that  mit  Singe  I 

"  THE  BONNIE  GEOBGE  CAMPBELL." 

Hoch  uf  die  Hochlander, 

Und  dief  in  em  Dag, 
Der  gude  Georg'  Campbell 

Reit  frei  wie  er  mag. 
All  g'sattelt,  all  'zaumt, 

Schone  Glader  tragt  er : 
Heem  is  sei  guder  Gaul, 

Doch  er  nimmermehr. 

'Raus  kummt  sei  Mutter — 

Sie  weint  so  herzlich: 
'Raus  kummt  sei  schone  Frau — 

Sie  weint  avver  schmerzlich. 
All  g'sattelt,  all  'zaumt, 

'N  schtark  Schild  tragt  er, 
Heem  kummt  der  Sattel, 

Doch  er  nimmermehr. 

Mei  Wiss,  sie  leit  grii, 

'S  Welshkorn  's  net  g'ernt, 
Mei  Kornhaus  is  leer, 

Ung'bore  mei  Kind. 
All  g'sattelt,  all  'zaumt, 

Scharfe  WafFe  tragt  er, 
Heem  kummt  der  Sattel, 

Doch  er  nimmermehr. 

The  last  poem  appeared  originally,  as  its 
title  would  indicate,  in  the  Scotch  dialect.  It 
was  partly  compiled  and  partly  written  by 
William  Motherwell,  who  published  it  in  1827. 
Subsequently  it  was  translated  into  German  by 
O.  L.  B.  Wolff,  from  whose  version  Henry  W. 
Longfellow  translated  it  into  English  ;  and  it  is 
Longfellow's  interpretation  that  Mr.  Zimmer- 
man selected  for  conversion  into  Pennsylvania 
German. 

Harbaugh's  "Harfe,"  also  Fischer's  "Penn- 
sylvanisch  Deutsche  Gedichte"  and  "Kurzweil 


LANGUAGE,  MANNEES  AND  CUSTOMS. 


389 


und  Zeitvertreib,"  are  publications  in  the  Penn- 
sylvania German  which  are  worthy  of  especial 
mention.  They  contain  numerous  interesting 
poems  in  this  dialect,  and  introduce,  in  a  supe- 
rior style,  the  notions,  manners  and  customs  of 
our  German  people. 

The  English  language,  both  written  and 
spoken,  has  been  in  use  from  the  time  of  the 
earliest  settlements  by  the  English  in  the 
county,  and  it  is  natural  to  suppose  that,  in  all 
these  years,  through  judicial  proceedings,  busi- 
ness transactions  and  general  education,  it 
should  have  made  considerable  progress,  espe- 
cially during  the  last  twenty  years;  but  fre- 
quent visits  to  churches  and  schools,  stores  and 
families  in  this  time  enable  me  to  say  that  the 
German  language  is  still  predominant.  Another 
generation — indeed,  several  generations — will 
have  to  pass  away  before  the  English  language 
can  take  its  place.  The  circulation  of  English 
newspapers  is  increasing  gradually ;  but  their 
total  circulation  is  still  small  compared  with 
our  population.  They  are  a  strong  agency  in 
effecting  a  change  from  the  German  to  the 
English  ;  in  reality,  they  are  a  stronger  agency 
in  this  respect  than  the  common  schools.  This 
is  particularly  apparent  in  Reading.  Before 
the  daily  English  newspaper  was  established 
here,  the  German  language  was  commonly  used 
by  the  major  part  of  its  inhabitants  in  their 
daily  affairs ;  but  now  the  English  has  its 
place,  and  principally  through  the  more  and 
more  general  introduction  of  the  newspaper. 
The  convenience  of  distribution  facilitates  its 
growth.  But  the  situation  is  not  much  im- 
proved in  our  boroughs  and  towns  and  town- 
ships, especially  in  the  latter,  notwithstanding 
the  use  and  encouragement  of  common  schools. 
In  those,  the  newspapers  are  not  generally  read 
as  they  are  in  Reading.  They  are  not  so  con- 
veniently distributed.  But  in  them,  as  in 
Reading,  the  English  language  will  become 
more  generally  used  according  to  the  more 
general  introduction  of  English  newspapers. 
The  national  government  is  contributing  much 
aid  by  extending  and  increasing  the  postal 
facilities  and  the  delivery  of  mail  matter 
throughout  the  county.  If  the  distribution  of 
newspapers  from  the  several  post-offices  could 


be  effected  iu  those  districts  as  in  Reading, 
without  compelling  the  people  to  walk  after 
them,  a  great  step  would  be  accomplished 
towards  increasing  their  circulation,  and,  with 
it,  the  use  of  the  English  language. 

Manners  and  Customs. — The  buildings 
and  improvements  throughout  the  county  are 
mostly  the  result  of  German  thrift  and  energy. 
Profits  from  labor  have  been  almost  entirely 
appropriated  towards  increasing  the  value  of 
land  rather  than  towards  enlightenment.  Fine 
barns,  dwellings  and  fields  are  prominent  in 
every  locality.  They  are  superior  to  those 
which  existed  in  the  previous  century.  Practical 
affairs  show  a  decided  advancement  beyond 
their  condition  fifty  years  ago.  This  is  apparent 
in  live  stock,  in  the  cultivation  of  fruit,  in  the 
possession  of  improved  implements  and  ma- 
chinery, besides  a  better  class  of  dwellings  and 
barns.  A  higher  order  of  taste  in  the  adorn- 
ment of  persons  and  places  has  made  its  way 
through  increasing  liberality.  These  are  signs 
to  indicate  the  development  of  the  people  out 
of  their  previous  condition. 

Domestic  habits,  in  respect  to  home-made 
articles,  have  changed.  Spinning  and  weaving 
have  been  abandoned.  The  loom  and  the  factory 
supply  all  the  materials  required.  A  change 
began  to  be  made  about  1840.  Before  that 
time,  spinning  was  common  everywhere  in  the 
county.  It  was  one  of  the  necessary  accom- 
plishments of  mothers  and  daughters.  Till  then 
reels  and  spinning-wheels  were  sold  at  different 
stores  in  Reading.  Sales  then  declined  gradu- 
ally, and  within  twenty  years  afterward  there 
was  no  demand  at  all  for  these  articles. 

Gardening  is  still  carried  on  successfully. 
Besides  supplying  vegetables  for  family  use,  it  is 
a  source  of  profit  to  mothers,  who  dispose  of  a 
considerable  proportion  of  garden  products  at 
market. 

The  almanac  is  a  common  guide  to  indicate 
by  the  changes  of  the  moon  the  proper  time  for 
planting.  The  practice  of  consulting  the  moon's 
phases  is  regarded  by  many  persons  as  a  super- 
stitious notion ;  but  it  still  prevails.  So  fences 
are  erected  when  the  points  of  the  moon  are  up, , 
shingle  roofs  are  nailed  in  position  when  the 
points  are  down,  and  woods  are  cleared  when  the 


390 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


moon  is  full.  But  the  custom  is  not  so  general 
as  it  was,  especially  in  towns  and  cities,  where 
building  operations  are  conducted  through  all 
seasons ;  and  walls,  fences  and  roofs  are  placed 
in  position  regardless  of  the  point  of  the 
moon. 

A  funeral  in  the  country  districts  is  always 
largely  attended,  especially  the  funeral  of  a 
citizen  of  some  prominence.  The  services  are 
generally  conducted  in  the  German  language  in 
the  church  of  which  the  deceased  was  a  member. 
Afterward  the  guests  return  to  the  house  of 
mourning  and  participate  in  a  large  dinner. 
This  custom  has  continued  time  out  of  mind. 
Great  sociability  is  exhibited  upon  such  an 
occasion.  Friends  travel  miles  to  attend  a 
funeral  in  order  to  show  respect  for  the  deceased. 
And  the  entire  neighborhood  is  very  often  repre- 
sented. 

The  burials  are  generally  made  in  the  bury- 
ing-ground  adjoining  a  church.  The  first  set- 
tlers made  burials  in  private  grounds  set  apart 
on  farms  for  this  purpose.  It  was  instituted  as 
a  matter  of  convenience ;  and  then  the  funeral 
service  was  held  at  the  house.  The  change  of 
farm  ownership  caused  this  custom  to  be  gradu- 
ally abandoned.  Thirty  years  ago  private 
grounds  were  still  numerous.  Church  cemeteries 
began  to  be  more  encouraged  then  and  burials 
in  them  increased.  Occasionally  a  burial  in  one 
of  these  private  grounds  is  still  made. 

The  country  store  was  a  great  institution 
years  ago.  But  its  influence,  trade  and  popu- 
larity are  much  reduced.  This  change  was 
effected  through  the  introduction  of  the  rail- 
way and  competing  stage-lines.  Variety  of 
goods  and  cheapness  are  considerations  which 
induce  the  people  to  visit  the  towns  and  the 
county-seat  for  their  purchases.  It  is  noticeable 
that  the  railway  is  drawing  the  patronage  of 
Eeading  to  Philadelphia  more  and  more;  so 
that  as  our  townships  come  to  patronize  Read- 
ing, Eeading  goes  to  patronize  Philadelphia. 
This  is  apparent  elsewhere — the  cities  attracting 
the  trade  of  towns,  and  the  towns  that  of  the 
country  districts.  The  country  inn  was  also  a 
popular  place  for  many  years.  Frolics  and 
dances  were  common  everywhere  years  ago; 
and  they  were  carried  on  successfully  at  the 


inn.  The  "  fiddler  " 1  was  an  important  person 
upon  such  occasions.  And  "  Battalion  Day " 
brought  much  profit  to  the  inn  that  was  near  by 
the  place  where  the  military  exercise  was  con- 
ducted. 

Military  affairs  were  active  throughout  the 
county  from  the  close  of  the  Revolution  till 
the  beginning  of  the  Civil  War,  a  period  cover- 
ing nearly  eighty  years.  Companies  of  men 
were  formed  in  every  section,  and  battalions  of 
them  were  drilled  annually  at  the  prominent 
towns,  mostly  at  Reading,  Kutztown,  Ham- 
burg, Rehrersburg  and  Womelsdorf.  These 
exercises  occasioned  the  day  to  be  called  "  Bat- 
talion Day."  They  afforded  the  men  much 
pleasure  and  a  great  change  in  their  daily  em- 
ployment in  field,  barn  and  work-shop.  Many 
sons  of  early  families  became  quite  prominent 
as  military  men.  The  most  popular  military 
men,  by  reason  of  long-continued  service,  were 
Generals  George  De  B.  Keim,  George  M. 
Keim,  Henry  Schaeffer,  and  William  High,  and 
later  for  several  decades  till  the  Civil  War, 
General  William  H.  Keim. 

The  old  "  Con  est  oga  wagon"  is  no  longer 
seen  passing  over  our  highways.  Fifty  years 
ago  it  was  in  prominent  use  everywhere. 
Many  of  them  were  seen  moving  together  in 
conveying  great  loads  of  wheat  and  other 
products,  such  as  manufactured  articles, 
whiskey,  etc.,  to  distant  markets,  especially  to 
Philadelphia.  Each  one  was  drawn  by  four 
horses,  sometimes  by  five  and  six ;  it  attracted 
much  attention,  with  jingling  sweet-toned  bells 
on  the  lead -horse  of  the  team  1o  indicate  its 
movement  on  the  way.  Its  capacity  was  from 
two  thousand  to  three  thousand  pounds.  It  was 
covered  with  a  strong  canvas  top.  In  returning, 
store  goods  of  various  kinds  were  brought  along. 
Upon  the  opening  of  the  railroad  in  1838,  this 
business  of  hauling  in  Conestoga  wagons 
ceased.  Since  then,  the  only  considerable  haul- 
ing by  farmers  is  in  conveying  their  grain,  hay, 
etc.,  to  the  market  at  Reading;  and  this  is 
done  almost  entirely  in  one  wagon  at  a  time. 

Iu  a  "  moving  "  by  a  farmer  about  April  1st 


tOne  of  them  informed  me  that  he  once  earned  fifteen 
hundred  dollars  in  a  year. 


LANGUAGE,  MANNEKS  AND  CUSTOMS. 


391 


many  teams  are  used  to  convey  the  whole  stock, 
furniture,  etc.,  in  a  day.     The  long  train  affords 
'to  a  certain  degree  an  idea  how  the  Conestoga 
teams  appeared. 

The  life  of  the  farmer  is  comparatively  little 
beyond  hard,  earnest  labor  and  rigid  economy 
throughout  each  succeeding  year.  His  daily 
reflection  is  upon  his  stock  and  crops.  All  the 
improved  implements  and  labor-saving  ma- 
chinery are  devised  and  introduced  by  others 
for  his  benefit.  He  would  continue  in  the 
same  manner  of  conducting  his  farming  opera- 
tions which  had  been  practiced  last  century  and 
even  this  century  till  1850,  if  inventive  genius 
had  not  created  them  for  him.  The  farmer  of 
our  own  county  has  not  produced  anything  to 
improve  his  situation  in  respect  to  labor.  He 
adopts  what  is  brought  to  him.  This  singular 
inactivity  keeps  him  back  of  the  advancing 
times.  Through  it,  the  products  of  his  labor  are 
permitted  to  be  drained  to  populous  places. 
One  of  the  chief  consequences  is  little  remunera- 
tion. The  men  of  thought  and  energy  in  cities 
absorb  the  greater  proportion  of  the  profits.  If 
his  daily  habits  were  not  simple  and  his  ex- 
penses small,  he  could  not  keep  what  he  has, 
much  less  accumulate  more.  His  net  income 
from  actual  labor  is  limited.  Compared  with 
the  income  of  business  men,  agents',  officers, 
and  clerks  in  cities,  it  is  insignificant.  His 
manners  are  the  same  in  this  respect  as  in 
others.  If  we  examine  them  closely  and  com- 
pare them  with  the  condition  of  things  one  hun- 
dred years  ago,  we  find  little  progress.  His  house- 
hold furniture,  bedding,  clothing,  table-ware, 
social  habits  and  general  customs  are  generally 
the  same.  His  walls  are  not  decorated  with 
costly  paintings,  his  floors  are  not  covered  with 
fine,  soft  carpets,  his  beds  are  not  composed  of 
easy  springs  and  hair  or  wire  mattresses,  bis 
table  does  not  glisten  with  polished  silver  or 
sparkle  with  cut  glass,  his  dwelling  is  not  after 
the  modern  style,  with  arrangements  for  health 
and  convenience,  and  he  himself  is  not  a  patron 
of  art,  literature  or  amusements.  But  in  towns 
and  cities  we  find  all  these  things,  not  only  in 
the  dwellings  of  bankers,  lawyers  and  merchants, 
but  also  of  industrious  mechanics,  agents  and 
clerks ;  and  art,  literature  and  various  amuse- 


ments are  largely  patronized  and  encouraged. 
This  great  difference  is  caused  by  the  spirit  of 
progress,  which  obtains  more  in  populous 
places,  where  the  people  are  led  in  numerous 
ways  to  intermingle  daily  with  one  another. 
Association  creates  the  laudable  ambition  to  de- 
velop improvement  in  the  various  departments 
of  domestic  and  social  life ;  and  it  relieves  the 
monotony  of  daily  labor  by  amusements,  literary, 
musical  and  dramatic.  In  carrying  on  its 
amusements  successfully,  it  is  converting  night 
more  and  more  into  day  and  devising  new 
methods  for  social  pleasure  and  excitement.  Im- 
proved light  facilitates  and  encourages  it  in  the 
night-time.  And  traveling  is  a  great  agency  in 
stimulating  it.  Indeed,  in  certain  respects,  it 
is  like  steam  on  the  one  hand  and  electricity  on 
the  other, — active  and  energetic  in  moving  about 
from  place  to  place,  and  brilliant  and  powerful 
in  providing  the  necessary  light  to  accommodate 
its  conceptions.  Horse-power,  and  locomotion 
afforded  by  it  means  may  suffice  for  the  people 
in  the  country  districts  ;  but  steam  and  railroads 
afford  locomotion  which  is  not  too  rapid  for  the 
people  in  the  towns  and  cities.  Indeed,  the 
genius  that  thrives  in  the  very  midst  of  the 
most  populous  places  and  of  the  pleasures  and 
excitements  which  they  produce  is  struggling 
with  the  mysteries  of  the  world  for  a  motive- 
power  stronger  and  quicker  than  steam  and 
hopes  of  realizing  victory  are  highly  entertained. 
Restless  energy  is  introducing  wonderful 
changes  in  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
people.  In  the  mountainous  and  farming 
districts,  where  distance  separates  the  inhabitants 
and  where  means  for  rapid  intermingling  are 
impracticable,  if  not  impossible,  the  changes  are 
imperceptible.  Their  situation  does  not  war- 
rant changes,  especially  such  as  are  constantly 
going  on  in  the  cities,  for  it  could  not  support 
them.  The  profits  of  labor  and  the  investments 
in  them  are  too  slow  and  too  small.  Hence 
their  manners  and  customs,  their  dwellings  and 
churches,  their  roads  and  movements,  their 
speech  and  actions,  their  dress  and  associations, 
are  the  same  or  nearly  the  same  as  they  were  a 
hundred  years  ago.  Their  energy  is  inseparable 
from  the  plow  and  the  hoe  and  muscular  exer- 
tion.    But  the  cities  produce  and  support  these 


392 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


changes,  and  in  them  energy  partakes  more  of 
the  mind  than  of  the  body.  And  these  changes 
and  this  mental  energy  are  more  active  amongst 
their  inhabitants.  In  comparing  the  situation 
of  the  people  of  Albany  and  Caernarvon  town- 
ships—districts located  at  the  extreme  northern 
and  southern  ends  of  our  county,  thirty  miles 
apart  also  of  Hereford  and  Bethel  townships, 
— districts  located  at  the  extreme  eastern  and 
western  ends,  forty  miles  apart,  with  the  situa- 
tion of  the  people  of  Reading,  the  county-seat, 
the  difference  is  apparent  at  a  glance.  One 
hundred  years  ago  they  were  alike  or  nearly  so. 
But  just  as  Reading  is  in  advance  of  the 
districts  mentioned,  so  is  New  York,  the  great, 
metropolis  of  our  vast  country,  in  advance  of 
Reading.  By  contrasting  the  two  extremes, 
our  mountainous  districts  with  the  great  metrop- 
olis, the  difference  in  the  manners  and  customs 
of  the  respective  inhabitants  is  wonderful.  And 
yet  the  forefathers  of  each,  as  immigrants,  started 
alike.  In  the  one,  oil  and  tallow  are  still  used 
and  even  the  open  fire-place  for  the  production  of 
light  in  a  simple  and  inexpensive  way ;  in  the 
other,  these  have  long  passed  away,  especially 
for  public  purposes,  and  the  people  have  light 
from  electricity.  In  the  one,  thousands  of  in- 
habitants are  scattered  over  miles  of  territory  ; 
in  the  other,  thousands  are  concentrated  upon  a 
few  acres.  In  the  one,  a  few  hundred  dollars 
suffice  to  make  the  inhabitants  contented  and 
happy  ;  in  the  other,  millions  of  dollars  are  in- 
vested and  expended  to  carry  on  successfully 
the  manners  and  customs  of  the  inhabitants, 
and  such  changes  as  ambition  and  competition 
produce.  Contentment  would  seem  to  be  the 
co-partner  of  slowness,  if  not  of  stillness  ;  but 
discontentment  of  energy  and  activity.  .  In  the 
one,  the  expense  of  a  few  extra  dollars  in  travel 
or  in  entertainment  is  looked  upon  as  luxury,  if 
not  extravagance ;  in  the  other,  thousands  of 
dollars  are  expended  as  a  matter  of  necessity 
for  the  same  purpose. 

These  strong  contrasts  enable  us  to  see  our 
own  manners  and  customs  in  the  county  of 
Berks  as  they  are  or  were,  or  as  they  will  be, 
especially  in  our  more  populous  places,  the 
nearer  steam  and  electricity  come  to  be  con- 
nected with  us  in  our  material  progress. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

NEWSPAPERS. 

During  the  early  history  of  Reading,  there 
was  no  newspaper  published  in  the  town. 
News  was  communicated  by  persons  to  one 
another  mostly  at  inns,  of  which  the  number 
was  large  in  proportion  to  the  population.  It 
will  not  be  supposed  that  the  inhabitants  en- 
couraged these  resorts  only  for  the  liquid  spirits 
which  they  afforded.  It  is  true,  men  there 
drank  whiskey,  cream-beer,  mead,  etc. ;  and 
they  played  at  cards,  dominoes,  checkers,  etc., 
for  sport,  if  not  for  stakes.  And  the  young 
people  frequently  indulged  in  dancing  in  the 
bar-room  and  dining-room  of  these  places.  But 
there  was  a  prominent  feature  of  the  daily  life 
at  inns  which  surpassed  all  the  things  men- 
tioned. This  was  talk  and  gossip  and  story- 
telling. Each  man  was  an  unappointed,  im- 
plied committee  of  one — a  reporter,  as  it  were — 
to  collect  and  report  anything  new.  The  "  bul- 
letin board  "  was  not  in  existence.  The  latest 
accident,  death,  transaction  or  crookedness  of 
any  kind  was  communicated  from  one  to  the 
other,  or  to  small  groups  of  persons  by  the  liv- 
ing voice.  And  so  it  was  carried  from  build-, 
ing  to  building  and  from  place  to  place.  What 
interesting  persons  these  reporters  must  have 
been — not  reporters  with  pencil  and  paper 
gathering  news  for  the  press,  but  communi- 
cators reporting  what  they  knew  or  heard  for 
the  general  information  of  the  public !  What 
versatility — what  attention — what  memories — 
what  imagination  they  must  have  possessed ! 
And  what  story-tellers,  indeed,  enlivened  fre- 
quently, if  not  generally,  under  the  influence  of 
"  apple-jack  "  and  "  old  rye  !  "  Not  in  the 
English  language,  for  English  was  '  rarely 
spoken  then  by  those  who  assembled  at  inns ; 
but  in  the  German  language,  which  was  used 
almost  entirely  throughout  the  town  in  the 
daily  affairs  of  life,  both  secular  and  religious. 
The  inn  of  the  past  can  be,  in  this  sense, 
likened  to  the  newspaper  of  the  present.  Peo- 
ple assembled  there  for  information ;  and  the 
places  could  have  been  appropriately  named — 
"Messenger,"  "Observer,"  "Courier,"  "Re- 
porter," etc.,  instead  of  "  King  George,"  "  Gen'l. 


NEWSPAPEES. 


393 


Washington,"  "Bed  Lion,"  "Black  Horse,"  etc. 
Now  reporters  go  there  daily,  not  to  communi- 
cate, but  to  collect  news  for  newspapers,  by 
which  it  is  circulated  throughout  the  community. 

During  that  early  period  of  Reading,  the 
Pennsylvania  Gazette,  published  at  Philadel- 
phia,, had  a  limited  circulation  here.  It  was 
an  interesting  messenger  to  the  people  ;  and  its 
weekly  arrival  must  have  been  an  event  of 
more  than  ordinary  importance.  A  copy  was 
doubtless  busy  in  passing  amongst  persons  who 
could  read  English — not  for  the  personal  mat- 
ters which  it  contained,  but  for  foreign  affairs, 
market  reports,  letters  published  at  Philadel- 
phia, etc.  Christopher  Sauer's  Journal,  a  news- 
paper printed  in  German,  and  published  at 
Germantown,  had  a  more  extended  circulation 
in  this  vicinity,  and  it  exercised  a  large  influ- 
ence over  the  residents. 

Over  forty  years  in  the  history  of  Reading 
elapsed  before  the  newspaper  became  a  local 
institution.  The  entire  period  of  its  local  life 
as  a  town,  with  all  its  interesting  and  many  im- 
portant events,  passed  away  without  having  it  in- 
troduced. This  would  seem  to  be  a  long  while  for 
such  a  factor  to  obtain  a  foothold  in  a  commu- 
nity otherwise  energetic  and  progressive.  But 
this  delay  is  capable  of  explanation.  The  peo- 
ple were  interested  in  home  rather  than  in  foreign 
affairs,  and  strove  to  give  them  successful,  if  not 
profitable,  development.  Local  matters  required 
no  printed  publication,  for,  the  town  being  small 
and  the  population  limited,  they  were  easily 
communicated.  But  as  the  town  grew  into  a 
borough,  and  especially  as  the  borough  grew 
into  a  city,  with  its  territory  enlarged,  the  in- 
habitants more  widely  scattered  and  the  popu- 
lation largely  increased,  the  natural  way  became 
more  and  more  incapable  of  satisfying  the  in- 
quisitiveness  of  the  people  and  an  artificial  way 
had  to  be  introduced,  and  this  was  supplied  by 
the  newspaper.  After  the  lapse  of  nearly  a  hun- 
dred years  since  its  introduction,  general  progress 
has  come  to  be  so  wonderful,  the  people  so  nu- 
merous and  scattered  and  their  relations  so  inter- 
mingled, that,  just  as  the  natural  way  had  to 
yield  to  the  artificial,  so  did  the  old  and  slow 
process  of  printing  on  a  hand-press,  with  its 
limited  capacity,  have  to  make  way  for  the  new 


and  spirited  process  by  a  steam-press,  with  its 
unlimited  capacity.  In  the  beginning  the  news- 
paper was  weak  in  every  respect — small  in  size, 
limited  in  circulation,  uncertain  in  financial  sup- 
port and  wanting  in  mental  vigor  and  originality ; 
but  now  it  is  strong,  rich,  bold  and  energetic. 

The  newspapers  of  the  county  comprise  two 
classes — weekly  and  daily.  The  weekly  began 
in  1796,  and  continued  to  be  the  sole  public 
agency  for  the  transmission  of  news  and  the 
advertisement  of  merchandise,  notices,  etc.,  for 
sixty  years.  Its  publication  in  the  English 
language  and  in  the  German  began  at  nearly 
the  same  time — the  former  having  anteceded  the 
latter  by  six  months.  The  following  narrative 
comprises  the  newspapers  which  were  instituted 
in  the  county  : 

WEEKLY   NEWSPAPEES. 

Heading. — Weekly  Advertiser,  Reading  Herald, 
Readinger  Adler,  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal, 
Chronicle  of  the  Times,  Readinger  Post-Bote,  Jack- 
son Democrat,  Readinger  Democrat,  Berks  County 
Press,  Liberale  Beobachter,  Reading  Gazette  and 
Democrat,  Alt  Berks,  Sonne  Von  Alt  Berks,  People's 
Advocate,  Berks  County  Democrat,  School  Album, 
Weekly  Leader,  Reformirter  Hausfreund,  Banner  von 
Berks,  Die  Biene,  Die  Deutsche  Eiche,  Republikaner 
von  Berks,  Spirit  of  Berks,  Reading  Weekly  Eagle, 
Reading  Weekly  Herald,  Reading  Weekly  News. 

Kutztown.- — Neutralist,  Geist  der  Zeit,  Der  Hirt, 
Kutztown  Journal,  National  Educator,  American 
Patriot. 

Hamburg. — Hamburg  Schnellpost,  Hamburg  Ad- 
vertiser, Rural  Press,  Hamburg  Weekly  Item. 

Boyertovm. — Boyertown  Bauer,  Boyertown  Demo- 
crat. 

Birdsboro'  Pioneer. 

Womelsdorf. —  Womelsdorf  Gazette,  Womelsdorl 
Herald,  Womelsdorf  News. 

DAILY  NEWSPAPERS. 

Reading  Herald,  Reading  Gazette,  Reading  Times, 
Evening  Dispatch,  Beading  Daily  Reporter,  Reading 
Daily  Eagle,  Die  Reading  Post,  Daily  Spirit  of  Berks, 
Reading  Morning  Herald,  Reading  Daily  News. 

WEEKLY  NEWSPAPEES. 

The  Weekly  Advertiser  was  the  first 
newspaper  publication  at  Reading.  It  was  an 
English  weekly,  instituted  by  Gottlob  Jungman 
(Youngman.)  The  first  issue  appeared  on  Sat- 
urday, May  7,  1796  ;  and  the  subsequent  issues 
appeared  regularly  every  Saturday  for  twenty 


394 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


years,  excepting  probably  an  interim  for  some 
time  previous  to  1811.  The  subscription  price 
at  the  beginning  and  for  fifteen  years  thereafter 
was  one  dollar,  and  the  publication  was  during 
that  period  in  foli  oform  upon  a  sheet  ten  by  six- 
teen inches,  with  two  columns  on  each  page;  then, 
on  August  3,  1811,  it  was  enlarged  to  sixteen 
by  twenty  inches,  with  three  columns  on  each 
page,  and  the  price  increased  to  two  dollars.  By 
the  issue  No.  196,  February  1,  1800,  it  appears 
that  Youngman  had  taken  in  a  partner,  named 
Carl  A.  Bruckman ;  but.  it  is  not  known  how 
long  they  continued  together  in  the  publication. 
Upon  the  enlargement  of  the  paper,  on  August 
3,  1811,  the  new  issue  was  begun  with  No.  1. 
It  is  probable  that  the  publication  had  suspend- 
ed for  some  time  previously  ;  otherwise  the  con- 
secutive numbering  would  have  been  retained. 
The  new  issue  was  published  by  Gottlob  Jung- 
man  &  Co.  The  name  of  the  additional  person 
in  the  company  was  not  given.  On  December 
31,  1814,  the  firm  became  G.  &  J.  E.  Jungman 
— the  father  having  introduced  his  son  John, 
who  was  a  musician  and  then  conducted  a 
"  Musical  Academy  "  at  Reading.  The  size  of 
the  sheet  continued  the  same;  but  the  columns 
were  increase^  from  three  to  four  on  each  page. 
A  book  and  stationery  store  was  carried  on  by 
them  in  connection  with  the  publication.  They 
also  issued  a  German  newspaper  called  the 
Standhafte  Patriot.  The  beginning  of  this 
publication  could  not  be  ascertained.  In  Octo- 
ber, 1815,  they  advertised  a  notice  that  they 
had  determined  to  close  out  their  store  and  to 
continue  the  publication  of  the  English  and 
German  newspapers  till  May  1,  1816,  when 
they  would  leave  Reading  permanently  for  the 
West,  and  they  invited  in  the  mean  time  pro- 
posals of  purchase.  The  store  and  publications 
were  continued  till  the  time  named  ;  but  Gottlob 
Jungman,  not  finding  a  purchaser,  was  forced 
to  make  an  assignment  of  his  property  for  the 
payment  of  his  debts.  The  assignee  sold  the 
estate,  and  it  is  believed  that  George  Getz  pur- 
chased the  newspaper  and  printing  material,  for 
about  that  time  he  began  the  publication  of  the 
Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal. 

For  the  purpose  of  affording  an  idea  how  the 
first  newspaper  of  Reading  was  conducted,  the 


contents  of  No.  1,  issued  May  7,  1796,  are  pre- 
sented— 

Page  1 — Announcement  of  Publisher  to  the  Public 
in  reference  to  publication. 

Pages  2,  3  and  part  of  4,  part  of  charge  of  Hon. 
Jacob  Rush,  president  judge  of  Berks  County,  ad- 
dressed to  grand  jury  at  Reading  on  April  4,  1796 
(conclusion  appeared  in  No.  2). 

Remainder  of  page  4  was  taken  up  with — 

1.  Vote  of  Congress  on  the  question  whether  the 
Treaty  with  Great  Britain  should  be  executed. 

2.  Notice  of  the  sheriff  of  Berks  County  that  a 
Court  of  Nisi  Prius  would  be  held  at  Reading  on  May 
24,  1796. 

3.  Advertisement  of  Jesse  Pearson,  a  silver-smith 
and  whip-maker. 

4.  Advertisement  of  notice  by  George  Kemp  that 
he  had  found  a  saddle-bag,  with  contents,  on  the  road 
between  Kutztown  and  Klein's  Tavern. 

Gottlob  Jungman  was  the  first  postmaster 
of  Reading.  He  held  the  office  from  the  time 
of  its  establishment  on  March  20,  1793,  till 
October  1,  1801. 

The  Impartial  Readixg  Herald  was  an 
English  weekly  newspaper.  It  was  begun  on 
June  22,  1796.  The  first  publishers  were  J. 
Schneider  &  Co.  On  the  14th  of  October  fol- 
lowing the  firm  comprised  Jacob  Schneider  and 
George  Gerrish.  The  size  of  the  sheet  was 
sixteen  by  twenty  inches,  with  four  columns  to 
the  page,  and  the  price  was  two  dollars  per  an- 
num. It  is  not  known  how  long  the  firm  or 
the  publication  continued  ;  but  it  is  probable 
that  the  firm  discontinued  the  Herald  upon  hav- 
ing begun  Der  Readinger  Adler,  a  German 
weekly,  in  the  month  of  November  following. 

It  has  been  stated  that  the  first  publication  at 
Reading  was  a  German  weekly  newspaper 
bearing  this  name,  the  German  title  having 
been  Die  Neue  Unparteiische  Readinger  Zeitwng. 
The  first  number  is  supposed  to  have  appeared 
in  1789  j1  but  this  statement  is  founded  upon 
supposition  alone,  there  being  no  copy  of  the 
paper  in  existence  from  which  to  obtain  any 
facts  that  relate  to  it.  Another  statement  ap- 
peared in  the  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal,  in 
1855,  representing  that  this  German  newspaper 
was  instituted  by  John  Gruber,  of  Germantown, 

1  Rupp's  "  History  of  Berks  and  Lebanon  Counties,''  p. 
470.  Issued  by  Messrs.  Johnston,  Barton  &  Johnston, 
18th  February,  1789. 


NEWSPAPERS. 


395 


and  Gottlob  Jungrnan,  of  Reading,  in  1793,  and 
that  within  a  year  afterward  Gruber  returned 
to  Germantown,  leaving  Jungrnan  as  the  sole 
publisher.  Gruber  died  at  Hagerstown,  in 
Maryland,  on  January  5,  1855,  aged  ninety 
years.  It  is  possible  that  this  latter  statement 
is  correct,  which  would  lead  to  the  belief  that 
the  Herald  was  begun  three  years  afterward  as 
an  English  weekly  and  published  by  a  different 
party.  If  this  be  so,  the  Readinger  Zeitung 
was  the  first  newspaper  which  was  published  at 
Reading. 

Der  Readinger  Adler. — The  Readinger 
Adler  was  instituted  Nov.  29, 1796,  by  Jacob 
Schneider  and  George  Gerrish.  It  was  the  first 
newspaper  printed  in  the  German  language  at 
Reading.  The  title  at  first  was  Der  Unparthey- 
ische  Reading  Adler,  with  the  cut  of  an  eagle 
between  the  last  two  words  carrying  a  scroll  with 
the  motto,  "  Freedom."  It  was  a  folio  sheet,  six- 
teen by  twenty-four  inches,  with  three  columns 
to  each  page.  The  second  number  was  issued 
on  Tuesday,  January  10, 1797 ;  and  each  succes- 
sive number  of  the  paper  has  been  issued  regu- 
larly every  week,  on  the  same  day,  without  a 
single  omission,  till  now, — a  period  covering 
eighty-nine  years.  It  is  now  the  oldest  Ger- 
man newspaper  published  in  America.  In  the 
third  number,  issued  on  January  17,  1797,  the 
word  "  Reading  "  was  changed  to  "  Readinger;" 
and,  on  January  6,  1801,  the  word  "Unpar- 
theyische  "  (impartial)  was  omitted. 

The  parties  named  continued  to  issue  this 
paper  till  June  29,  1802.  John  Ritter,  a 
nephew  of  the  senior  member  and  a  practical 
printer,  was  substituted  in  the  place  of  Gerrish, 
with  the  next  number,  issued  July  6, 1802,  and 
the  firm-name  became  Schneider  &  Ritter.  The 
business  was  conducted  by  them  till  1804. 
Then  Schneider  withdrew,  and  Carl  A.  Kess. 
ler  (a  Saxon)  was  introduced,  he  having  mar- 
ried Ritter's  sister.  The  firm-name  thence, 
till  1857  (excepting  from  1824  to  1827),  was 
John  Ritter  &  Co.1  Kessler  died  in  October, 
1823.    The  surviving  partner  alone  conducted 

1  Ritter  &  Co.  published  an  English  weekly,  entitled 
Berks  and  Schuylkill  County  Messenger,  in  February,  1816. 
When  it  was  begun,  or  how  long  it  was  continued,  I  could 
not  ascertain. 


the  publication  for  several  years,  then  admitted 
Mrs.  Kessler,  the  widow,  as  a  partner.  Dur- 
ing that  period  it  was  conducted  with  great  suc- 
cess. In  December,  1840,  the  Berks  and 
Hohulkill  Journal  (a  cotemporary  newspaper  at 
Reading)  gave  the  Adler  the  following  friendly 
editorial  notice,  and,  coming  from  the  indepen- 
dent and  vigorous  young  editor,  John  S.  Rich- 
ards, Esq.,  it  was  certainly  complimentary  : 

"The  Adler,  at  its  commencement  and  for  some 
time  after,  advocated  the  principles  of  Democracy,  but 
within  the  last  twelve  or  fifteen  years  has  sadly  fallen 
off  from  Democracy,  as  we  understand,  having  given  a 
cordial  support  to  Jackson  and  Van  Bureu.  The 
paper  merits  commendation  for  the  gentlemanly 
tone  which  usually  characterizes  its  articles;  and  the 
editor,  Mr.  Hitter,  is  universally  esteemed  in  his  pri- 
vate relations.  Although  we  differ  considerably  in 
politics,  we  are  willing  to  award  him  the  credit  of 
being  honest  and  sincere  in  his  views,  which  is  a  good 
deal  more  than  we  can  say  of  some  of  his  political 
friends  and  rivals."' 

From  1843  to  1847  the  senior  member  of 
the  firm,  John  Ritter,  was  the  representative  of 


ADLER   BUILDING. 

this  county  in  Congress.  He  died  on  Novem- 
ber 24,  1851,  aged  nearly  seventy-three  years. 
His  straightforward,  truthful  and  honorable 
course  in  the  publication  of  the  Adler  had  won 
for  him  the  highest  regard  of  his  fellow-citi- 
zens, and  for  his  paper  the  title  of  "  Berks 
County  Bible."  The  confidence  of  his  patrons 
in  its  reliability  had  become  so  entire  that  they 
were  willing  to  "  swear  by  "  all  its  reports  and 
opinions.  They  knew  that  he  was  a  most  con- 
scientious man  in  respect  to  truthfulness  on  the 
one  hand  and  to  carefulness  on  the  other. 

In  December,  1852,  steam-power  was  intro- 
duced for  printing  the  issue  every  week.  This 
was  the  first  practical  application  of  steam  for 
this  purpose  in  the  county.  Formerly  the 
printing  was  done  by  means  of  a  hand- 
press.1     The   labor   of  running  off  an  edition 

1  The  power-press  was  introduced  about  that  time. 


396 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


of  five  thousand  four  hundred  copies  by  this 
slow  and  tedious  process  can  be  readily  im- 
agined. The  introduction  of  steam  for  the 
Adler  was  therefore  a  great  step  forward  in  this 
branch  of  industry.  It  saved  much  labor  and 
shortened  the  time  of  producing  the  issue  for 
readers  at  home  and  abroad.  This  same  power 
was  used  for  some  time  in  printing  the  Berks 
and  Schuylkill  Journal  and  the  Reading  Gazette 
and  Democrat. 

Charles  Kessler  became  the  exclusive  owner 
of  the  Adler  on  August  1,  1857,  he  having  pre- 
viously obtained  his  mother's  interest,  and  on 
that  day  the  Hitter  interest.  The  Ritter  family 
had  a  continuous  interest  in  the  publication  from 
1802  for  fifty-five  years.  Kessler  conducted  it 
successfully  till  April  1, 1864,  when  he  transfer- 
red it  to  William  S.  Eitter  and  Jesse  G.  Hawley. 
He  had  been  connected  with  it  for  forty-four 
years,  having  begun  as  an  apprentice  in  the 
office  in  1820,  and  advanced  through  a  journey- 
man printer  to  editor,  part  owner  and  eventu- 
ally sole  proprietor.  His  long  connection  with 
this  great  and  well-established  newspaper  em- 
braced a  very  important  period  in  the  history  of 
the  country.  He  was  a  stanch  Democrat.  At 
the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion  and  during  its 
progress  he  advocated  the  principles  of  the 
Democratic  party  with  zeal  and  courage. 

Shortly  after  retiring  from  the  Adler  he  was 
nominated  for  the  office  of  associate  judge  of 
the  county  and  elected,  filling  the  term  from 
1866  to  1871.  He  was  recognized  as  a  man  of 
undoubted  integrity  and  impartiality  in  the  per- 
formance of  his  official  duties. 

Ritter  and  Hawley  resumed  the  old  firm- 
name  of  "Ritter  &  Co."  which  had  been  iden- 
tified with  the  Adler  for  over  half  a  century. 
On  January  28,  1868,  they  instituted  a  daily 
English  newspaper,  called  the  Daily  Eagle,  and 
.shortly  afterward  purchased  the  well-known  and 
established  Reading  Gazette  and  Democrat,  an 
English  weekly.  They  carried  on  these  three 
publications  and  also  a  large  general  book  and 
stationery  store  with  great  success  till  November 
13,  1874,  when  they  dissolved  partnership.  In 
the  dissolution,  Ritter  took  the  German  Adler 
and  Hawley  the  two  English  newspapers  and 
the  store.      A   prominent  publication  by  the 


proprietors  of  the  Adler  since  1806  was  an  an- 
nual almanac  in  the  German  language,  entitled 
"  Der  Reading  Kalender."  In  the  dissolution 
Mr.  Hawley,  strange  to  say,  retained  this  Ger- 
man almanac,  for  the  newspapers  taken  by 
him  were  English.     He  has  published  it  since. 

Daring  the  year  1876  Mr.  Ritter  erected  the 
first  imposing,  substantial  four-story  brick 
printing  establishment  in  Reading,  at  the  south- 
east corner  of  Sixth  and  Court  Streets,  in  which 
to  accommodate  the  publication  of  the  old  and 
well-supported  Adler,  and  he  took  possession  on 
January  1,  1877.  He  conducted  this  German 
publication  alone  for  nearly  six  years ;  then,  on 
May  1,  1880,  he  instituted  a  daily  English 
newspaper,  called  the  Reading  Daily  News,  and 
on  August  27,  1881,  also  a  weekly  English 
newspaper,  called  the  Reading  Weekly  News. 
These  three  newspapers  have  been  published  by 
him  successfully  since,  with  increasing  patron- 
age and  area  of  circulation  from  year  to  year. 
In  1878  he  began  the  publication  of  a  German 
almanac,  entitled  "  Der  Neue  Readinger  Adler 
Kalendar."  A  large  book  and  stationery  store 
is  conducted  by  him  in  the  same  building.  His 
father  was  a  brother  of  John  Ritter.  The 
present  size  of  the  Adler  sheet  is  twenty-nine  by 
forty-two  inches,  with  eight  columns  to  each 
page. 

John  Ritter  was  the  son  of  Francis  and 
Barbara  Ritter.  He  was  born  in  Exeter  town- 
ship, near  Schwartzwald  Church,  February  6, 
1779.  He  had  very  restricted  advantages  of 
education,  even  in  the  German  ;  and  instruction 
in  the  English  language  for  three  months  was 
the  sum  of  his  privileges  in  that  line.  He  con- 
tinued to  labor  on  his  father's  farm  till  his 
eighteenth  year.  Then  his  father  bought  a 
half-interest  in  Der  Readinger  Adler  (a  German 
weekly  newspaper,  published  at  Reading),  and 
placed  him  in  the  office  to  learn  printing.  In 
1802  this  interest  was  transferred  to  him.  In 
1804  Charles  Kessler  purchased  the  other  half- 
interest,  and  the  firm-name  became  John  Ritter 
&  Co.  Under  this  firm-name  the  publication 
was  continued  till  his  death,  and  for  some  years 
afterward.  He  died  November  24,  1851. 
Mr.  Ritter's  private  life  was  exemplary  in  every 
respect.     He  enjoyed  the  uniform  respect  and 


NEWSPAPERS. 


397 


confidence  of  his  fellow-citizens  through  a  long 
life.  He  was  a  conscientious  editor,  and  con- 
ducted the  Adler  with  success.  His  integrity 
and  exactitude  in  the  publication  of  local  news 
and  of  election  returns  were  recognized  by  the 
whole  community.  He  represented  Berks 
County  as  one  of  the  five  delegates  to  the  State 
Constitutional  Convention  in  1837,  and  he  was 
a  member  of  Congress  for  this  district  for  two 
terms,  from  1843  to  1847. 


and  contributed  liberally  towards  the  support 
of  its  public  worship. 

William  S.  Ritter.— The  Eitter  family  is 
of  German  origin.  Its  progenitor  was  one  of 
the  early  settlers  of  Oley  (now  Exeter)  town- 
ship. His  descendants  have  been  in  the  same 
locality  till  now,  a  period  covering  over  one 
hundred  and  fifty  years.  Francis  Ritter,  the 
grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  pur- 
sued farming  successfully  till  his  decease,  and 


(/Zvw  xf-  /^Iter- 


In  connection  with  the  newspaper  he  began 
and  published  the  Neue  Beadinger  Calender,  a 
German  almanac,  from  1802  till  his  death. 
This  almanac  is  still  continued,  though  issued 
from  the  office  of  a  different  newspaper  publi- 
cation. 

In  1803  he  married  Catharine  Frailey,  a 
daughter  of  Peter  Frailey.  Three  sous  sur- 
vived him,  viz. :  Joel,  Louis  and  Aaron. 

He  was  an  earnest  and  active  member  of  the 
Universalist  denomination.  He  assisted  this 
society  in  the  erection  of  their  church  in  1830, 


left  to  survive  him  seven  children,— four  sons 
(Daniel,  John,  Jacob  and  Samuel)  and  three 
daughters  (Mrs.  Charles  Kessler,  Mrs.  Nicholas 
Seidel  and  Mrs.  Samuel  Christian). 

Daniel,  the  oldest  son,  was  born  in  Exeter 
township  in  the  year  1776.  He  was  married 
to  Susanna  Snyder,  a  daughter  of  Benjamin 
Snyder,  who  resided  and  was  brought  up  in  the 
vicinity,  and  lived  to  reach  the  ripe  old  age  of 
eighty-four  years,  she  having  died  in  the  year 
1876.  Pie  also  pursued  the  vocation  of  farm- 
ing on  the  old   homestead   successfully.     He 


398 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


died  in  1853,  aged  seventy-seven  years.  He  had 
nine  children, — two  died  in  infancy,  and  seven 
survived  him,  namely :  Benjamin,  Esther,  Dan- 
iel, Louisa,  Ferdinand,  William  S.  and  Franklin. 

William  Snyder  Hitter  was  born  in  Exeter 
township  on  September  13,  1828.  He  re- 
mained at  home  with  his  father  till  the  age  of 
seventeen  years,  assisting  in  the  farming  opera- 
tions and  attending  the  schools  of  the  township, 
when  he  was  apprenticed  to  his  uncle,  John 
Ritter,  in  the  Readinger  Adler  office,  to  learn 
the  art  of  printing.  He  finished  his  trade,  and 
continued  in  the  establishment  till  1856,  at  first 
as  a  journeyman  printer  and  then  for  several 
years  as  foreman  of  the  office.  Subsequently, 
for  eight  years,  he  was  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business  at  Reading,  the  greater  part  of  the 
time  in  partnership  with  David  Keiser. 

In  1864,  Mr.  Ritter  and- Jesse  G.  Hawley 
purchased  from  Charles  Kessler  the  old  and 
well-established  Readinger  Adler,  and  under 
the  former  name  of  Ritter  &  Co.,  conducted  it 
successfully  for  ten  years.  In  1868  this  firm 
started  the  publication  of  a  daily  evening  Eng- 
lish paper  at  Reading,  which  they  entitled 
Reading  Daily  Eagle,  and  in  the  same  year 
they  purchased  from  J.  Lawrence  Getz  the 
Reading  Gazette  and  Democrat.  In  1874  he 
dissolved  partnership  with  Mr.  Hawley,  and 
became  the  sole  proprietor  of  the  Adler.  In  1 876 
he  erected  the  first  substantial  and  extensive 
printing  establishment  in  Reading,  into  which  he 
then  moved.  Shortly  afterward  he  began  the 
publication  of  a  daily  evening  English  news- 
paper, entitled  Reading  Daily  News,  and  an 
English  weekly,  entitled  Reading  Weekly  News, 
and  a  German  almanac,  entitled,  Der  Neue 
Readinger  Adler  Calendar.  He  has  conducted 
all  of  these  publications  since  with  success.  In 
politics  his  newspaper  publications  are  expo- 
nents of  Democratic  principles,  he  himself 
being  a  thorough  Democrat.  In  1875  he  was 
a  delegate  to  the  Democratic  State  Convention, 
which  assembled  at  Erie,  and  nominated  Hon. 
Cyrus  L.  Pershing  for  Governor. 

Mr.  Ritter  represented  his  ward  in  Common 
Council  three  terms— 1861-62,  1864-65  and 
1874-76.  He  was  president  of  this  branch 
during  his  second  term,  and  took  an  active  part 


in  the  proceedings  of  Councils  which  resulted 
in  the  purchase  of  the  Reading  Water- Works. 
And  he  served  two  terms  as  a  prison  inspector, 
from  1877  to  1882,  filling  the  office  of  presi- 
dent during  the  entire  time.  In  these  positions 
he  won  the  high  esteem  of  his  colleagues  by  a 
quiet,  straightforward  and  impartial  course  in  the 
discharge  of  his  official  duties.  In  matters  of 
public  interest  and  general  improvement  he  ever 
displayed  a  spirit  of  progress ;  and  these  have 
his  constant  recognition  in  his  several  publica- 
tions, as  a  means  of  developing  and  enriching 
our  community. 

The  Agricultural  Society  of  the  county  has 
received  his  earnest  encouragement  for  many 
years.  He.  is  the  treasurer  of  the  society,  hav- 
ing filled  this  office  very  acceptably  for  the 
last  twelve  years.  He  has  now  been  in  active 
public  service,  of  one  kind  or  another,  for  up- 
ward of  twenty  years,  without  compensation. 
His  selection,  in  this  time,  for  official  positions 
attests  for  him  strongly  the  unusual  degree  of 
confidence  and  popularity  which  he  enjoys  in 
this  community. 

He  was  married,  in  1853,  to  Julianna 
Shearer,  daughter  of  Jonathan  Shearer.  He 
has  seven  children, — two  daughters  and  five 
sons,  all  of  the  latter  being  practically  engaged 
in  the  printing  business  with  him.  They  are 
named  Milford  Newton,  Jonathan  Shearer, 
William  Clinton,  Francis  Daniel,  Henry  Sny- 
der, Laura  (intermarried  with  William  F. 
Shaneman),  and  Annie. 

Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal. — This 
newspaper  was  founded  by  George  Getz.1  The 
first  number  was  issued  on  June  8,  1816,  in 
folio  form,  twenty  by  twenty-four  inches,  with 
four  columns  to  each  page.  It  was  then  the 
only  English  newspaper  in  the  county.  In  1818 
a  column  was  added  to  each  page.  Getz  con- 
tinued to  publish  it  for  over  seventeen  years. 
His  last  number  was  No.  29  of  Vol.  17,  issued 
on  December  1,  1832.  He  then  transferred  it 
in  a  flourishing  condition  to  David  F.  GordoD, 
a  lawyer  who  had  settled  in  Reading  at  1824. 

Gordon   was   a   Whig.    In   announcing  his 

^e  announced  his  determination  to  begin  the  publica- 
tion of  a  weekly  newspaper  by  a  notice  in  the  Weekly  Ad- 
aertiser  on  March  30,  1816. 


NEWSPAPERS. 


399 


principles,  upon  assuming  control  of  the  paper, 
he  said,  among  other  things, — 

"This  paper  is  steadfastly  devoted  to  the 
interests  of  our  Republican  Institutions  ;  and 
decidedly  opposed  to  any  measure  having  the 
remotest  tendency  to  violate  the  constitution,  to 
infringe  upon  the  rights  of  conscience  or  to 
lessen  the  sovereign  authority  of  the  people." 

And  he  paid  a  high  compliment  to  Mr.  Getz 
by  saying  publicly  that  "  his  predecessor  had 
conducted  the  paper  with  a  sedulous  attention 


TIMES   AND    JOURNAL,   BUILDING. 

to  the  admission  of  such  matters  only  as  might 
be  circulated  without  injury  to  the  public  morals 
or  offense  to  the  interests  of  religion  and  virtue, 
for  which  he  was  given  liberal  and  extensive 
encouragement."  It  continued  under  his  man- 
agement for  six  years,  with  increasing  patronage. 
During  that  time  he  advocated  the  political 
principles  of  the  Whig  party. 

On  January  6, 1838,  Henry  Ehoads  and  John 
S.  Richards,  young  attorneys  of  the  Berks 
County  bar,  obtained  control  and  increased  its 
size  to  twenty-four  by  thirty-four  inches,  with 
six  columns  to  each  page. 

They  were  introduced  to  the  public  as 
"  staunch  Whigs,  who  will  keep  unchanged  the 


political  principles  advocated  by  the  paper." 
They  together  published  it  for  one  year,  when 
Rhoads  withdrew  to  resume  his  law  practice. 
Richards  issued  the  publication  till  December 
28,  1844.  It  was  under  his  direction  a  strong 
advocate  of  the  principles  of  the  Whig  party, 
and  it  espoused  the  cause  of  the  common-school 
system  of  education  in  a  manner  as  remarkable 
for  its  boldness,  surrounded,  as  it  was,  by  ob- 
structionists and  a  large  majority  against  the 
system,  as  for  its  sound  perception  and  good 
sense.  The  policy  of  "  protection  to  home 
industry  "  found  a  devoted  friend  in  the  Jour- 
nal. In  this  respect  it  pursued  a  course  directly 
opposite  from  that  of  the  Adler. 

Jacob   Knabb   then  assumed    the    editorial 
management  of  the  newspaper  and  issued  the 
first  number  of  a  new  year  on  January  4, 1845. 
He  had  entered  the  printing  establishment  of 
George    Getz  in  1829  as  an  apprentice,  and, 
after  having  completed  his  term  of  service,  fol- 
lowed his  chosen  occupation  here  and  elsewhere 
during  the  succeeding  sixteen  years.     In  that 
time  he  founded  and  published,  with  J.  Law- 
rence Getz,  the  Reading  Gazette,  and  conducted 
the  Clay  Bugle,  a  campaign  newspaper,  in  1844 
at   Harrisburg.      He  entered  this   new  arena 
with  large  experience  as  a  practical  printer  and 
journalist,  and  this  experience  enabled  him  to 
take  hold  of  the  Journal  and  direct  its  publica- 
tion in  the  same  channel  which  had  been  so 
ably  and  thoroughly  prepared  for  it  by  his  pre- 
decessors.    Forty-one  years  have  since  elapsed; 
but  notwithstanding  the  numerous  changes  in 
the  community  in  this  long  period  of  time,  the 
Journal  continues  in  the  same  successful  chan- 
nel.  In  1866,  Mr.  Knabb  admitted  as  partners 
with  him  in.  its  ownership  and  editorship  Jacob 
K.  Sterrett  and  Thomas  C.  Zimmerman,  the 
former  having  learned  the  art  of 'printing  under 
him,  and  been  connected  with  his  establishment 
for  some  years  previously,  and  the  latter  having 
come  from  Lebanon  a  practical  printer.     In 
December,   1878,    William  Sterrett   took    the 
interest  of  his  father.     The  present  size  of  the 
sheet  is  thirty  by  forty-six  inches,  with  nine 
columns  to  each  page. 

The  Journal  was  founded  just  as  the  internal 
improvements   of   the  town  began  in  earnest. 


400 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


The  three  turnpikes  (with  their  termini  concen- 
trating at  Heading)  and  the  Harrisburg  Bridge 
had  been  completed  shortly   before.     Then  the 
canals  followed,  and  the  railways.     Common- 
school  education  was  instituted.     The  borough 
was  advanced  into  a  city,  with  its  streets  laid 
out,  extended  and  regulated,  its   buildings  and 
industries  increased  and  its    population  multi- 
plied from  four  thousand  to  fifty  thousand,  and 
that  of   the  county  from    forty-five  thousand 
to  one    hundred    and  thirty   thousand.       The 
Mexican  War  was  fought  and  the  annexation  of 
Texas  successfully  accomplished,  and  the  terrible 
convulsions    of  civil  strife  were  endured  and 
overcome.     The  dominant  political  party  in  the 
county    maintained   its  power  with  increasing 
strength,  aided  by  almost  continuous  success  in 
State  and  national  affairs,  till  1860.     Newspa- 
pers   began,    flourished    for   a   time   and   fell. 
Panics  came  and  went,  but  the  Journal  survived 
them  all — panics  and  wars,  even  the  weakness 
of  its  own   local  political  parties,  which  were 
without  prestige,  patronage  or  power.     And  yet 
in  the  midst  of  all   these  things  it  advocated 
common  schools  and  protection  to  home  industry 
with  remarkable  courage  and  persistence,  not- 
withstanding the  great  majority  of  the  people 
roundabout  were  opposed  to  these  two  great 
policies.     The  former  of  these  policies  is  now 
settled,  and  has  been  for  thirty  years ;  but  the 
latter  is  still  debated  as  the  one  great  issue  which 
divides  the  principal  parties  here  and  elsewhere 
in  the  country.     The  Adler  and  the   Journal 
have  now  circulated  together  for  seventy  years. 
Both  have  been  successfully  conducted  from  the 
beginning  till  now,  though  in  different  political 
channels  entirely  adverse  to  each  other. 

George  Getz  was  born  at  Lancaster,  Pa., 
on  July  18,  1789.  He  learned  the  printing 
business  in  the  Lancaster  Journal  office.  At 
an  early  age  he  entered  the  service  of  the  United 
States,  as  a  midshipman  in  the  navy.  He  took 
part  in  the  memorable  naval  engagement  between 
the  British  ship  "  Peacock  "  and  the  United  States 
ship-of-war  "Hornet,"  under  Captain  James 
Lawrence,  and  he  also  performed  active  service 
in  several  minor  naval  exploits.  Towards  the 
close  of  1813  he  resigned  his  post  in  the  navy 
and  accepted  the  appointment  of  lieutenant  in 


the  army  from  President  Madison.  He  served 
with  credit  till  the  close  of  the  war.  In  1816 
he  moved  to  Reading,  and  instituted  a  weekly 
English  newspaper,  entitled  Berks  and  Schuyl- 
kill Journal.  He  conducted  this  newspaper 
with  boldness  and  success  for  a  period  of  six- 
teen years,  when  he  sold  it  to  David  F.  Gordon, 
Esq.  At  the  time  of  founding  this  newspaper, 
it  was  the  only  English  publication  in  the  coun- 
ty— the  Weekly  Advertiser  having  suspended 
shortly  before.  It  has  been  continued  with 
increasing  success  till  now — for  the  last  forty 
years  by  Jacob  Knabb. 

Mr.  Getz  took  an  active  interest  in  elevating 
the  standard  of  the  volunteer  militia  at  Read- 
ing. In  1821  he  organized  a  company  under 
the  name  of  the  "Reading  Guards,"  and  held 
the  office  of  captain  for  a  number  of  years. 
Subsequently,  in  1827,  he  was  elected  major  of 
the  First  Battalion  of  Reading  Volunteers, 
which  was  composed  of  the  "  Reading  Artiller- 
ists "  (commanded  by  Captain  Daniel  de  B. 
Keim),  Lafayette  Guards  (commanded  by 
Captain  Solomon  Foster)  and  the  Reading 
Guards  (commanded  by  Mr.  Getz). 

In  addition  to  his  editorial  duties,  he  edited 
and  published  several  books  of  general  utility. 
One  of  these  was  a  volume  of  forms  in  con- 
veyancing, which  passed  through  several 
editions,  and  became  popular  and  widely  known 
in  Pennsylvania  as  "  Getz's  Forms."  The  last 
enlarged  edition  was  published  in  1845,  and 
reprinted  by  a  Philadelphia  firm  in  1850.  It 
is  still  in  use  by  many  of  the  older  conveyan- 
cers of  this  State. 

After  retiring  from  the  publication  of  the 
Journal,  Mr.  Getz  traveled  for  a  time  in  the 
Western  States,  and  then  opened  and  carried  on 
at  Reading  a  general  book  and  stationery  store, 
in  which  he  continued  for  some  years. 

In  1 849  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  mayor 
of  Reading — the  third  official  elected  since  the 
incorporation  of  the  city  in  1847,  and  he  was 
re-elected  three  successive  times.  This  re-elec- 
tion was  a  high  compliment  to  him  as  a  citizen, 
and  as  an  official  of  a  rapidly-growing  city. 
He  died  on  February  10,  1853,  in  bis  sixty- 
fourth  year,  whilst  holding  this  office ;  and  both 
branches  of  Councils  assembled  in  joint  conven- 


NEWSPAPERS. 


401 


tion  on  the  following  day,  and  passed  resolu- 
tions highly  complimentary  to  him.  His  body 
was  buried  in  the  Episcopal  burying-ground, 
and  subsequently  removed  to  Charles  Evans' 
Cemetery. 

Jacob  Knabb. — Michael  Knabb  was  born 
at  Pfeldersheim,  in  Pfalz,  a  Rhenish  province 
of  Bavaria  (which  formerly  belonged  to  France, 
and  was  restored  to  Bavaria  in  1813),  on 
the  17th  day  of  April,  1717.  He  emigrated 
to  this  country,  as  near  as  can  be  ascer- 
tained, about  the  year  1737,  in  company  with 
his  two  brothers,  John  and  Peter,  and  settled 
in  Oley  township,  on  the  farm  now  occupied 
by  Samuel  B.  Knabb,  near  the  line  of  Exeter 
township.  The  old  house  was  destroyed  by 
fire  in  the  winter  of  1816-17,  and  the  pres- 
ent house  erected  in  the  summer  of  the  same 
year.  A  family  grave-yard  near  the  dwelling 
contains  the  remains  of  the  three  brothers  and 
a  number  of  their  descendants.  These  are  the 
only  persons  of  this  name  who  are  known  to 
have  at  any  time  emigrated  from  Europe  to 
America.  John  died  single,  in  the  forty-eighth 
year  of  his  age.  Peter  died  in  the  seventy-  fourth 
year  of  his  age,  and  his  descendants  are  now 
very  numerous,  most  of  them  residing  in  Berks 
County. 

Michael  Knabb  was  married  to  Eve  Magda- 
lena  Seltzer,  only  child  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth 
Seltzer,  of  Heidelberg  township,  on  the  11th 
day  of  March,  1755.  He  died  June  17,  1778, 
in  the  sixty-second  year  of  his  age,  and  was 
buried  in  the  family  grave-yard  in  Oley  town- 
ship. Eight  children  survived  him, — Nicholas, 
Peter,  Jacob,  Daniel,  Susan,  Sarah,  Catharine 
and  Mary. 

Jacob  Knabb,  the  third  son  of  Michael 
Knabb,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  born  in  Oley  township  in  1771.  In  1800 
he  was  married  to  Hannah  Yoder,  a  daughter 
of  Daniel  Yoder,  who  was  a  son  of  John  Yoder, 
of  Oley  township.  The  Yoder  family  in  this 
county  descended  from  John  (Hansel)  Yoder,  a 
HugueDot,  who  emigrated  with  his  brother, 
Yost  Yoder,  from  Switzerland  in  the  early  part 
of  the  eighteenth  century  on  account  of  religious 
persecution,  proceeding  first  to  England  and 
thence  to  Pennsylvania,  where  they  were 
42 


amongst  the  early  settlers  of  Oley  township. 
John  settled  on  a  tract  adjoining  Pleasantville 
about  1720,  and  their  descendants  in  the  direct 
line  have  continued  till  now,  a  period  covering 
one  hundred  and  sixty  years.  He  had  married 
in  Switzerland  and  brought  his  wife  with  him. 
They  had  six  children,  amongst  them  John 
Yoder,  who  was  the  grandfather,  of  Hannah 
Yoder.  John  Yoder  was  married  to  a  daughter 
of  Martin  Schenkel,  and  had  two  sons,  Daniel 
and  Jacob.  Jacob  migrated  from  Oley  to  Ohio 
at  an  early  period  and  was  the  first  person  who 
went  down  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers  in  a 
flat-boat.  Daniel  remained  in  Oley  and  was 
married  to  Margaret  Oyster  and  had  eight  chil- 
dren,— Hannah,  Daniel,  Martin,  Catharine, 
Mary,  John,  Margaret  and  David.  Catharine, 
married  to  William  Willman,  lived  to  reach  the 
surprising  age  of  ninety-nine  years. 

Jacob  Knabb,  soon  after  his  marriage  with 
Hannah  Yoder,  moved  to  Union  township  and 
there  carried  on  farming  successfully.  He  died 
in  February,  1825,  leaving  to  survive  him  six 
children, — Daniel,  George,  Jacob,  Margaret, 
Catharine  and  Hannah.  His  wife  died  previ- 
ously, in  August,  1824. 

Jacob  Knabb,  the  youngest  of  the  sons  named 
and  the  subject  of  this  biographical  sketch,  was 
born  in  Union  township  on  August  21,  1817. 
His  parents  died  when  he  was  only  seven  years 
old,  and  until  his  eleventh  year  he  was  sent  to 
the  pay  schools  which  the  township  afforded, 
having  lived  during  this  time  with  an  elder 
sister.  He  then  apprenticed  himself  to  the  busi- 
ness of  printing  under  George  Getz,  in  the 
office  of  the  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal,  and 
continued  there  till  Mr.  Getz  transferred  the 
newspaper  and  printing  establishment  to  David! 
F.  Gordon,  Esq.,  which  terminated  his  appren- 
ticeship. Being  desirous  of  extending  his  edu- 
cation, he  then  took  a  course  of  study  for  a  year 
at  the  Lititz  School,  and  subsequently  another 
year  at  Lafayette  College,  and  afterwards  till 
1840  he  was  engaged  at  printing,  part  of  the 
time  at  Reading  and  the  remainder  at  Harris- 
burg.  Whilst  at  the  latter  place  he  was  in  the 
office  of  the  Harrisburg  Telegraph,  at  which 
the  printing  for  the  State  was  then  done.  The 
Colonial   Records  were  being  printed  at  this 


402 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


establishment  and  he  held  the  position  of  fore- 
man for  a  time. 

In  1840  Mr.  Knabb,  with  J.  Lawrence  Getz 
as  co-partner,  began  the  publication  of  an  Eng- 
lish weekly  newspaper  at  Reading  which  they 
entitled  Reading  Gazette.  He  was  interested  in 
the  publication  of  this  paper  till  1843,  when  lie 
sold  his  share  in  the  enterprise  and  removed  to 
Harrisburg,  where,  in  1844,  he  began  a  cam- 
paign paper  entitled  the  Clay  Bugle,  and  pub- 


with  himself  and  conducted  the  newspaper  under 
the  firm-name  of  J.  Knabb  &  Co.  In  1869  his 
firm  purchased  the  Beading  Daily  Times  and 
several  years  afterward  the  Evening  Dispatch, 
consolidating  the  two  under  the  title  Beading 
Times  and  Dispatch.  They  have  published 
these  two  papers — daily  and  weekly — till  now, 
with  increasing  success.  In  1881  he  erected 
the  fine,  commodious  and  substantial  four-story 
brick  building  which  the  firm  is  occupying  in 


f^c^d /^<*4Z 


lished  it  during  the  Clay  and  Polk  Presidential 
campaign,  giving  it  a  popularity  and  success 
equal  to  any  other  "Whig  paper  issued  in  the 
State. 

In  January,  1845,  Mr.  Knabb  became  the 
editor  of  the  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal,  a 
well-established  Whig  paper  at  Eeading,  and 
some  years  after  its  proprietor.  He  has  contin- 
ued its  regular  and  successful  publication  from 
that  time  till  now,  a  period  covering  forty-one 
years.     In  1866  he  associated  two  co-partners 


conducting  their  business  of  publication  and 
printing.  He  has  occupied  this  locality  without 
change  for  over  thirty  years. 

Mr.  Knabb,  upon  attaining  his  majority,  be- 
came a  Whig  in  politics.  From  that  time  till 
now  he  has  been  prominently  identified  with 
the  Whig  and  the  Republican  parties,  acting  for 
some  years  as  chairman  of  the  County  Republi- 
can Committee.  In  1860  he  was  a  delegate  to 
the  Chicago  Convention,  from  the  Berks  Dis- 
trict, which  nominated    Abraham  Lincoln  for 


NEWSPAPERS. 


403 


president.  In  the  matters  of  protection  to  home 
industry,  of  general  education  through  the  com- 
mon-school system  and  of  local  and  internal 
improvements  he  has  been  a  firm  believer,  giving 
them  through  the  Journal  and  the  Times  un- 
qualified recognition  and  encouragement.  The 
"Reading  Library"  has  received  his  active 
assistance  for  many  years,  being  now,  and  hav- 
ing been  for  some  time,  one  of  its  managers. 
Its  collection  of  books  was  in  his  old  printing 
establishment,  No.  11  N.  Sixth  Street,  from  the 
time  when  they  were  removed  from  the 
"  Reading  Academy "  building  till  they  were 
placed  in  its  present  building — Library  Hall. 
He  was  a  fearless  advocate  for  upholding  the 
government  in  its  great  efforts  to  sustain  the 
Union  during  the  terrible  convulsions  of  civil 
strife.  In  this  period,  under  the  administration 
of  President  Lincoln,  he  held  the  office  of  post- 
master of  Reading ;  and  in  1876  he  was  the 
Presidential  elector  from  this  Congressional  dis- 
trict to  the  college  which  cast  its  ballot  for 
Hayes,  President,  and  Wheeler,  Vice-President. 
His  prominence  in  local  politics  won  for  him 
the  recognition  of  the  national  and  State  admin- 
istrations in  the  distribution  of  political  patron- 
age during  the  twenty-five  years  that  the  Re- 
publican party  was  in  power.  The  leaders  of 
the  party  were  his  associates,  including  such 
prominent  men  as  John  S.  Richards,  Levi  B. 
Smith,  William  M.  Baird,  Jacob  Hoffman,  Dr. 
Diller  Luther,  Dr.  Edward  Wallace,  G.  A. 
Nicolls,  Isaac  Bckert,  Edward  Brooke,  A.  F. 
Boas,  Alexander  P.  Tutton  and  Henry  S.  Kupp. 
These  were  men  distinguished  for  large  intelli- 
gence, experience  and  influence.  Such  were, 
indeed,  necessary  in  an  agitated  condition  of  the 
community  during  the  Civil  War;  but  they 
were  equal  to  the  occasion  of  preserving  its 
equanimity  and  of  directing  its  thoughts  and 
feelings  towards  subserving  the  public  wel- 
fare. 

In  1878  Mr.  Knabb,  with  Mr.  William  H. 
Levan,  of  Schuylkill  Haven,  as  a  traveling 
companion,  made  an  extended  tour  through 
Great  Britain,  France,  Switzerland,  Italy  and 
Germany,  visiting  all  the  places  of  importance 
in  these  several  old  and  historic  countries.  In 
ihe  course  of  his  travels  he  forwarded  numerous 


interesting  letters,  which  were  published  in  the 
Times  and  Journal.  They  were  highly  appre- 
ciated by  the  community  for  their  clear  and 
sententious  style  and  their  valuable  information, 
and  the  general  interest  in  them  grew  to  such  an 
extent  that  he  was  invited  to  issue  them  in  book- 
form,  but  he  modestly  declined  to  gratify  this 
desire  of  many  friends. 

In  1856  he  published  the  first  "Directory  of 
Reading."  This  volume  is  rare  and  valuable, 
after  the  lapse  of  thirty  years.  It  affords  abun- 
dant evidence  of  his  enterprise  in  behalf  of 
serving  the  public.  It  contains  a  large  collec- 
tion of  valuable  information  relating  to  Reading 
of  that  period,  including  a  complete  list  of  the 
taxable  inhabitants  of  the  several  wards  of  the 
borough  for  the  year  1806. 

Mr.  Knabb  was  married  in  1846  to  Ellen  C, 
daughter  of  Machiavel  Andrews,  a  lady  highly 
esteemed  for  her  many  excellent  qualities,  a 
devoted  member  of  Christ  Episcopal  Church 
and  to  the  poor  people  of  Reading  a  great  friend, 
who  was  ever  solicitous  for  their  relief  and 
welfare.  During  the  Civil  War  she  was  par- 
ticularly active  in  kindly  assistance  to  the  sick 
soldiers  in  our  local  hospital,  and  in  matters 
pertaining  to  the  Sanitary  Fair  at  Philadelphia, 
having  had,  charge  of  one  of  the  departments. 
She  died  in  1875,  leaving  a  devoted  husband 
and  many  sincere  friends  to  mourn  her  depar- 
ture. In  1879  he  was  married  to  Ellen  M.,  a 
daughter  of  Mr.  James  Jameson,  a  very  success- 
ful merchant  and  now  the  oldest  surviving  bus- 
iness man  in  Reading. 

In  religious  belief,  Mr.  Knabb  is  an  Episco- 
palian. He  became  a  member  of  this  church  at 
Reading  in  1848,  being  now  one  of  the  oldest 
surviving  members.  He  is  at  present,  and  has 
been  for  some  years,  a  vestryman  of  the  church. 
In  character,  manner  and  deportment  he  is  un- 
assuming and  straightforward ;  and  in  his  busi- 
ness and  social  relations  he  enjoys  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  the  entire  community. 

Jacob  K.  Stbeeett  was  born  in  Union 
township,  Berks  County,  May  1,  1827.  His 
father,  David  Sterrett,  was  a  native  of  Cumber- 
land County,  Pennsylvania,  and  died  in  Berks 
County,  in  1833,  having  previously  to  his  lo- 
cation  here    traveled   extensively    throughout 


404 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


the  United  States,  and  compiled  a  dictionary  of 
the  Chippewa  language. 

When  thirteen  years  of  age  he  entered  the 
printing-office  of  Knabb  &  Getz,  (who  then 
published  the  Reading  Gazette)  as  an  appren- 
tice, to  learn  the  trade  of  a  printer,  and  con- 
tinued in  this  office  till  1845,  when  he  entered 
the  office  of  the  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal. 
After  being  in  this  office  twenty  years  he  be- 
came one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Journal. 
He  continued  his  business  connection  with  the 
firm  of  J.  Knabb  and  Co.,  publishers  of  the 
Journal  and  Times,  till  December,  1881,  when, 
on  account  of  ill  health,  he  transferred  his  in- 
terest to  his  son  William.  He  died  November 
2,  1884.  He  was  a  superior  printer  and  an 
enterprising  journalist.  During  his  connection 
.  with  the  Journal  and  Times  he  contributed 
occasionally  articles  of  rare  interest.  He  was 
particularly  fond  of  local  reminiscences,  and  by 
the  aid  of  a  strong  memory  and  a  facile  pen,  he 
published  a  series  of  historical  sketches,  which 
related  to  the  early  times  of  Reading.  He  was 
a  great  reader  and  became  familiar  with  the 
standard  literature  of  his  time.  He  was  par- 
tial to  the  works  of  Moore,  Poe,  Irving  and 
Cooper.  His  nature  was  of  a  most  genial  kind, 
which  won  him  many  friends.  Though  positive 
in  his  actions,  he  created  no  enmities. 

In  the  early  history  of  the  St.  Matthew's 
Lutheran  Church  he  was  one  of  its  vestry- 
men ;  and  when  the  Reading  Musical  Society 
was  in  its  active  existence,  previous  to  1860,  he 
was  a  prominent  member. 

He  always  resided  here  in  Berks  County. 
For  several  months  about  the  beginning  of  the 
year  1853  he  was  in  South  Carolina,  engaged 
as  a  journeyman  printer  on  the  legislative  pro- 
ceedings of  that  state. 

Mr.  Sterrett  was  an  active  Republican  and 
took  an  earnest  part  in  the  management  of  the 
Republican  party  in  Berks  County.  He  fre- 
quently represented  his  district  in  local  conven- 
tions, and  his  party  here  in  State  and  national 
conventions — having  been  a  delegate  to  the 
National  Republican  Convention  which  as- 
sembled at  Cincinnati  and  nominated  Hayes. 
He  acted  as  a  jury  commissioner  of  the  county 
for  the  years   1881    and   1882.      During  the 


Civil  War  he  enlisted  twice, — first  in  Captain 
Bickley's  company,  which  served  in  the  emer- 
gency of  1862,  and  then,  in  1863,  in  Captain 
Rhoads'  company,  Forty-second  Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Militia.  Before  the 
Civil  War  he  took  an  active  part  in  the  mili- 
tary affairs  of  the  county  for  some  years,  hav- 
ing been  a  member  of  the  Ringgold  Light  Ar- 
tillery, commanded  by  Captain  James  Mc- 
Knight. 

Mr.  Sterrett  was  married  to  Anna  M.  Arnold, 
(a  daughter  of  John  Arnold,  of  Reading)  in 
1855,  and  had  three  surviving  children, — 
William,  Henry  and  Ellen. 

Thomas  C.  Zimmerman,  publisher,  editor 
and  translator,  was  born  at  Lebanon,  Pa.,  on 
the  23d  of  January,  1838,  and  was  educated  in 
the  common  schools  of  that  place.  At  thirteen 
years  of  age  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  printing 
business  in  the  office  of  the  Lebanon  Courier. 
After  the  expiration  of  his  apprenticeship  he 
was  employed  for  a  short  time  in  the  office  of 
the  Philadelphia  Inquirer,  but  soon  thereafter, 
January  8,  1856,  removed  to  Reading,  where 
he  entered  the  office  of  the  Berks  and  Schuylkill 
Journal  as  a  journeyman  printer.  He  remained 
here  until  the  fall  of  1859,  when  he  went  to 
Columbia,  S.  C,  where  he  worked  on  the  State 
laws  in  the  printing  establishment  of  Dr.  Robert 
Gibbs,  who  subsequently  became  surgeon- 
general  of  the  Confederate  army.  On  his  way 
thither,  while  passing  through  Virginia,  Mr. 
Zimmerman  witnessed  the  great  excitement 
incident  to  the  John  Brown  insurrection.  While 
on  his  way  to  Richmond  he  was  grossly  insulted 
by  a  number  of  Southern  soldiers  who  were  on 
the  train,  their  indignation  having  been  excited 
by  seeing  a  copy  of  the  New  York  Tribune  in 
his  hands,  and  which  he  had  "been  quietly  read- 
ing. During  his  stay  in  Columbia,  for  having  , 
expressed  sympathy  for  a  poor  fellow  who  had 
been  tarred  and  feathered  for  mere  opinion 
sake  he,  too,  was  threatened  with  a  like  indignity. 
It  was  at  this  time,  it  should  be  remembered, 
that  the  preliminary  legislation  looking  towards 
disunion  was  being  formulated.  Secession  was 
discussed  at  all  hours  of  the  day  and  night. 
Rumors  of  slave  insurrections  were  rife,  pro- 
clamations summoning  the  citizens  to  arms  were 


NEWSPAPEKS. 


405 


issued  and  the  people  were  terrified  as  never 
before.  Northern  men  were  eyed  with  suspi- 
cion, and  their  movements  were  closely  watched. 
Postal  communication  with  the  North  was  tem- 
porarily suspended.  The  Confederate  gray 
cloth,  which  was  afterwards  worn  so  extensively 
during  the  war,  was  being  manufactured  for  the 
first  time  in  that  city.  Peace  commissioners 
were  appointed  to  represent  the  Southern  States 
at  Washington  in  the  interest  of  general  har- 
mony, and  for  the  uninterrupted  preservation 
of  slavery.  Soldiers  were  drilling  almost  nightly 
throughout  the  city.  John  Brown  was  burnt 
in  effigy  on  the  streets  of  Columbia  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  multitude.  The  excitement  was  in- 
tense, and  foreshadowed  the  approaching  storm. 
Even  the  condemnation  of  a  great  wrong  like  the 
tarring  and  feathering  of  a  poor  wretch,  whose 
only  offense  consisted  in  a  justification,  among 
his  fellow-workmen,  of  the  John  Brown  raid, 
was  construed  into  an  evidence  of  avowed  hos- 
tility to  the  interests  of  the  South,  and  indignities 
of  one  kind  or  another  were  swiftly  visited  upon 
such  offenders.  A  single  example  will  illustrate 
this  :  One  day,  while  Mr.  Zimmerman  and  Mr. 
Thomas  Scott  (the  latter  long  a  resident  of 
Columbia,  and  foreman  of  the  State  printing- 
office)  were  on  their  way  to  dinner  together,  Mr. 
Scott,  addressing  Mr.  Zimmerman,  was  over- 
heard, while  passing  the  guard-house,  in  a  mild 
denunciation  of  the  tarring  and  feathering  out- 
rage which  had  just  been  committed.  A  half- 
hour  had  scarce  elapsed  ere  a  notice  was  served 
by  the  mayor  on  Mr.  Scott  to  "leave  the  town 
within 'forty-eight  hours,  or  take  the  conse- 
quences." It  is  needless  to  add  that  he  left, 
Mr.  Zimmerman  remaining,  however,  for  a 
short  time,  but  under  the  added  suspicion  which 
such  association  and  presumed  sympathy  with 
so  grave  an  offender  carried  with  it  towards 
him  in  the  eyes  of  Southern  people. 

In  March,  1860,  Mr.  Zimmerman  returned 
to  Reading,  and  re-entered  the  office  of  the 
Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal.  In  May  of  that 
year  Mr.  Jacob  Knabb,  proprietor  of  the 
Journal,  was  appointed  postmaster  of  Reading. 
Upon  taking  possession  of  the  office  Mr.  Zim- 
merman became  his  chief  clerk,  continuing  in 
this  position    until   the   close    of    Postmaster 


Knabb's  term,  July,  1865.  He  again  returned 
to  the  Journal  office,  and  in  January  following 
he  was  admitted  as  a  partner  and  became  asso- 
ciate editor.  From  that  time  till  now  he  has 
been  identified  with  the  publishing  firm  of  J. 
Knabb  &  Co.  In  1869  the  firm  became  the 
proprietors  of  the  Beading  Daily  Times,  and  in 
1871  of  the  Evening  Dispatch,  when  these  two 
papers  were  consolidated  into  the  Times  and 
Dispatch.  He  has  been  the  editor  of  this  daily 
newspaper  ever  since. 

During  the  Civil  War  in  1863,  he  enlisted  in 
Captain  D.  G.  Rhoads's  company,  Forty-second 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Militia. 

In  the  course  of  his  journalistic  experience  he 
has  visited  numerous  points  of  public  interest 
throughout  the  country.  His  published  letters 
descriptive  of  these  visits  in  the  Times  and 
Journal  were  widely  copied.  One  of  these — 
his  description  of  the  Luray  Caverns  in  Vir- 
ginia— was  published  in  pamphlet  form,  illus- 
trated, by  the  proprietors  of  the  Hotel  and  Cave 
Company,  who  printed  upwards  of  sixty  thou- 
sand copies  for  general  circulation.  A  repre- 
sentative of  the  Smithonian  Institution  prepared 
about  the  same  time  a  scientific  report  of  his 
investigations  of  this  great  natural  and  geological 
curiosity — the  two  having  been  distributed 
simultaneously  by  the  proprietors  of  the  caverns. 
Mr.  Zimmerman's  letter  having  been  reproduced 
in  some  of  the  Richmond  papers  and  other 
Southern  journals,  he  shortly  afterwards  re- 
ceived an  invitation  to  write  up  the  undeveloped 
resources  of  Alabama. 

Mr.  Zimmerman's  Pennsylvania  German  ex- 
traction naturally  interested  him  in  the  capa- 
bilities of  the  vernacular,  and  so,  several  years 
ago,  he  began  the  translation  of  poems  from  the 
English  classics  into  that  dialect.  His  first 
attempt,  Moore's  "  'Twas  the  Night  before 
Christmas,"  was  received  with  marked  favor 
by  the  press  of  the  State.  Congratulatory 
letters  from  prominent  men  came  in  from  all 
sides,  among  them  from  the  late  Professor 
Haldeman  (the  eminent  philologist  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania),  Hon.  Simon 
Cameron,  Governor  Hartranft,  P.  F.  Rothermel 
(painter  of  the  "  Battle  of  Gettysburg  "),  Pro- 
fessor   Porter    (Lafayette    College),    Professor 


406 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Home  (of  Muhlenberg  College),  and  H.  L. 
Fisher,  Esq.,  of  York.  Other  translations  from 
"Barry Cornwall,"  Tom  Hood,  Oliver  Gold- 
smith, Heine,  the  Greek  Anthology,  etc.,  fol- 
lowed. Some  of  these  have  been  selected  and 
are  introduced  in  this  history  in  the  chapter  on 
"  Language,  Manners  and  Customs." 

During  the  past  year  Mr.  Zimmerman  has 
made  translations  from  the  German  classics 
into  the  English.  These  have  been  received 
with  even  greater  favor  than  the  translations 
into  the  Pennsylvania  German.  Among  the 
commendations  received  by  him  were  letters 
from  B.  P.  Shillaber  ("Mrs.  Partington"), 
S.  L.  Clemens  ("Mark  Twain")  and  Dr. 
Frank  Cowan.  In  all  these  translations, 
whether  from  the  English  into  the  Penn- 
sylvania German,  from  the  Scottish  into  the 
same  dialect,  or  from  the  German  into  the 
English,  Mr.  Zimmerman  has  shown  remark- 
able aptitude  and  skill.  He  not  only  invariably 
preserves  the  exact  measure,  of  the  original 
poems,  but  the  rhythmical  beat  of  each  syllable 
with  remarkable  fidelity.  Barely,  indeed,  does 
he  resort  to  the  transposition  of  the  author's 
lines  as  an  easier  method  of  translation,  as  may 
be  seen  in  his  published  efforts  in  the  files  of  the 
Times  and  Journal,  where  they  appear  every 
Saturday  in  parallel  columns.  The  range  of  his 
selections  is  extended,  and  comprehends  many 
of  the  best  lyric  productions  of  the  most  noted 
authors.  His  library  of  German  poetical  works, 
among  them  twenty-seven  volumes  from  an  ad- 
mirer, resident  in  Berlin,  Germany,  is  the  gift  of 
friends  in  attestation  of  the  appreciation  of  the 
excellence  of  his  efforts  at  translation. 

Mr.  Zimmerman  has  had  many  tempting 
offers  to  relinquish  his  journalistic  work,  but  in 
all  cases  these  were  declined.  A  brother  editor's 
opinion  of  him  will  serve  to  show  the  estimate 
in  which  his  extraordinary  journalistic  abilities 
are  held : 

'  "  Mr.  Zimmerman  is  a  writer  of  force  and 
ability.  His  writings  are  pure,  easy  and  grace- 
ful in  diction.  He  is  witty  and  humorous  when 
occasion  demands.  In  controversy  he  is  gentle- 
manly at  all  times,  and  in  argument  he  is  fair 
and  generous  to  his  opponents.  He  has  a 
genuine  taste  for  literature,  poetry  and  the  fine 


arts,  as  many  of  his  articles  attest.  He  is  one 
of  the  ablest  writers  in  the  old  commonwealth. 
Many  of  his  articles  show  alike  the  eye  of  the 
artist  and  the  hand  of  the  litterateur."  One  of 
Eeading's  foremost  pulpit  orators  once  said,  in  a 
published  article  concerning  Mr.  Zimmerman's 
management  of  the  Times:  "  In  his  'History  of 
American  Literature,'  Professor  Nichols  says  of 
Edgar  A.  Poe's  poems,  '  in  their  pureness,  sim- 
plicity and  sweetness  they  stand  forth  from  the 
confusion  of  their  author's  life  like  white  nuns 
in  a  corrupt  and  contentious  city.'  So  the 
editorial  conduct  of  the  Beading  Times  stands 
forth  in  this  city,"  etc. 

Mr.  Zimmerman  was  married  to  Tamsie  T. 
Kauffmau,  of  Beading,  on  June  11, 1867. 

Mr.  Zimmerman  is  an  ardent  lover  of  nature, 
and  evidently  believes,  with  a  distinguished 
writer  and  fellow-pedestrian,  that ''  the  shining 
angels  second  and  accompany  the  man  who  goes 
afoot,  while  all  the  dark  spirits  are  ever  looking 
out  for  a  chance  to  ride." 

Chronicle  of  the  Times. — This  news- 
paper was  instituted  by  Samuel  Myers  and 
Douglass  W.  Hyde  with  the  title — Chronicle 
of  the  Times  and  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Ad- 
vertiser. It  was  an  English  weekly  paper,  on  a 
sheet  twenty-one  by  twenty-eight  inches,  with 
six  columns  on  each  page.  The  first  number 
was  issued  on  May  9, 1822.  In  1823  the  latter 
half  of  the  title  was  dropped ;  with  the  be- 
ginning of  its  tenth  year  the  title  was  changed 
to  The  Reading  Chronicle.  Bobert  Johnston 
had  become  the  proprietor  several  years  pre- 
viously,— possibly  as  early  as  1826, — there  being 
no  file  for  reference,  and  therefore  I  cannot 
state  the  time  with  exactness.  On  September 
27, 1831,  Jesse  James  became  the  proprietor  and 
editor,  issuing  his  first  number  of  the  paper  on 
the  4th  of  October  following.  In  politics  it 
had  been  previously  devoted  to  the  principles  of 
the  Democratic  party ;  -but  with  the  ownership 
and  direction  in  Mr.  James  it  became-.  Demo- 
cratic-Bepublican.  It  was  conducted  in  a 
spirited  and  successful  manner  by  Mr.  James 
till  March  5,  1833,  when  it  was  purchased  by 
one  of  its  founders,  Douglass  W.  Hyde,  who 
restored  the  original  title.  In  November,  1835, 
Lloyd  Wharton,  Esq.,  an  attorney  at  Beading, 


NEWSPAPERS. 


407 


became  the  owner.  Mr.  Wharton  not  being 
able  to  conduct  its  publication  in  connection 
with  his  law  practice,  placed  it  under  the 
editorial  management  of  William  F.  Eiseley,  a 
practical  printer  of  Reading.  It  was  issued 
successfully  till  the  close  of  the  Presidential 
campaign  of  1836,  when  Mr.  Wharton  sus- 
pended its  publication  and  sold  the  printing 
establishment,  with  all  its  material,  to  Samuel 
Myers,  who  was  then  publishing  the  Berks 
County  Press  at  Reading. 

Der  Readinger  Post-Bote  (The  Beading 
Courier)  was  a  German  weekly.  It  was  begun 
by  Charles  A.  Bruckman  on  August  3,  1816,  in 
opposition  to  the  Readinger  Adler.  He  con- 
tinued its  publication  for  ten  years  with  ability 
and  success. 

Chaeles  A.  Bruckman  was  the  son  of 
Carl  A.  Bruckman,  a  Saxon,  and  was  born  in 
Amsterdam,  in  the  year  1792,  whilst  his  father 
was  on  the  way  emigrating  to  this  country.  He 
learned  the  trade  of  printer  under  his  father  at 
Reading.  In  1816  he  started  a  Federal  Ger- 
man newspaper,  and  conducted  its  publication 
for  ten  years.  He  was  an  earnest  advocate  for 
the  election  of  Hon.  Joseph  Hiester  for 
Governor.  Subsequently  he  was  a  supporter  of 
General  Jackson  for  President.  He  died  in  1828. 

Jackson  Democeat. — About  the  time  the 
Post-Bote  was  discontinued,  Charles  J.  Jack  in- 
stituted an  English  weekly,  called  the  Jackson 
Democrat.  This  was  during  the  fall  of  1826. 
But  it  had  a  short  existence — surviving  only 
several  months. 

Readinger  Democrat  (The  Reading 
Democrat)  was  a  German  weekly,  instituted  by 
Jeremiah  Schneider  (a  son  of  Jacob  Schneider, 
who  assisted  in  founding  the  Adler)  and  Samuel 
Myers,  on  October  4,  1826.  It  was  published 
by  them  for  several  years,  when  Daniel  Rhoads 
became  the  owner.  Rhoads  conducted  it  till 
July,  1833,  and  then  .transferred  it  to  Mr. 
Myers.  It  was  carried  on  by  Mr.  Myers,  under 
a  new  name,  Der  Democrat,  till  February,  1835, 
and  then  discontinued.  For  some  time  before 
its  discontinuance,  Charles  F.  Egelman  was  asso- 
ciated with  Mr.  Myers  in  its  publication.  The 
size  of  these  newspapers  was  eighteen  by  twenty- 
four  inches,  with  four  columns  on  each  page. 


Charles  Frederick  Egelman  was  born 
at  Osnabriick,  in  Hanover,  on  May  12,  1782, 
and  emigrated  to  this  country  in  1802,  landing 
at  Baltimore.  He  learned  the  trade  of  coach- 
making  and  remained  there  for  a  time,  when  he 
removed  to  Berks  County.  His  last  piece  of 
work  executed  there  was  the  body  of  a  coach  for 
Jerome  Bonaparte.  He  was  then  engaged  at 
teaching  for  a  number  of  years,  officiating  in 
this  time  also  as  organist  for  several  German 
Churches  in  country  districts.  About  1830 
he  settled  at  Reading  and  assisted  in  the  publi- 
cation of  a  German  newspaper,  entitled    Der 


CHARLES  FREDERICK  EGELMAN. 

Readinger  Democrat.  He  was  recognized  as  a 
man  of  great  scientific  attainments,  having  been 
particularly  accomplished  in  astronomy.  His 
ability  in  this  branch  of  learning  was  utilized 
for  the  period  of  forty-three  years  in  furnishing 
astronomical  calculations  for  the  principal  al- 
manacs published  in  the  United  States.  The 
study  of  perpetual  motion  received  his  earnest 
attention  for  a  number  of  years,  he  having  de- 
vised and  constructed  various  machines  in  his 
efforts  towards  accomplishing  this  object,  re- 
garded as  impossible.  In  the  matter  of  copper- 
plate .engraving  he  was  a  skillful  artist,  and 
executed  a  number  of  superior  designs.  He 
died  at  Reading,  November  30,  1860,  aged 
nearly  seventy-nine  years.  His  residence  was 
at  the  northwest  corner  of  Ninth  and  Penn 
Streets.  He  left  to  survive  him  seven  children, 
— Ferdinand ;   Edward ;  Charlotte,  married  to 


408 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Daniel  Hafer;  Julia,  married  to  Henry  Hafer; 
Wilhelmina,  married  to  Solomon  Seidel;  Catha- 
rine, married  to  John  Brissel;  and  Amelia,  mar- 
ried to  Dr.  H.  W.  Bergner, — and  two  children 
(Solomon  and  Lydia)  of  a  deceased  daughter, 
Henrietta,  who  had  been  married  to  Solomon 
Seidel. 

Berks  County  Press. — Upon  the  suspen- 
sion of  Der  Democrat,  Samuel  Myers  began  an 
English  weekly  paper,  in  size,  twenty  by  thirty- 
two  inches,  six  columns  on  each  page,  with  the 
title   Berks  County  Press.     The   first  number 
was  issued  March  10,  1835.     About  1840  he 
introduced  his  son,  John  C.  Myers,  a  practical 
printer,  as  a  joint  owner  and  editor.     About 
1854  he  retired,  transferring  his  interest  to  his 
son,  Henry  B.  Myers,  also  a  practical  printer. 
Franklin  L.  Myers  was  the  last  publisher,  who 
sold   it  to  Rauch,  Lacier  &   Co.,   proprietors 
of  the  Evening  Record.     It  was  published  till 
November,  1865,  when  it  was  suspended.     In 
1854  the  size  was  increased  to  twenty-four  by 
thirty-six  inches,  with   seven  columns  on  each 
page.     It  was  a  radical  advocate  of  Democratic 
principles,   and    conducted    for    nearly   thirty 
years.    Its  able  management  by  Mr.  Myers  and 
his  sons  won  for  it  a  strong  patronage.    During 
its  publication  John  C.  Myers  was  in  the  Assem- 
bly for  three  years,  1847  to  1849. 

Samuel  Myers  was  born  near  Morgantown, 
in  Chester  County,  in  1800.  When  twelve 
years  of  age  he  removed  to  Reading.  Some 
years  afterward  he  entered  the  printing-office 
of  George  Getz  and  learned  the  art  of  printing. 
In  1821  he  was  married  to  Mary,  daughter  of 
John  Christine,  of  Reading.  He  was  connected 
with  the  publications  of  newspapers  at  Reading 
from  1822  for  a  period  upward  of  thirty  years, 
principally  the  Chronicle  of  theTimes,  Readinger 
Democrat  and  Berks  County  Press.  His  name 
is  mostly  associated  with  the  latter.  He  died  in 
1870,  leaving  to  survive  him  a  widow  and  four 
sons,  John  C,  Henry  C,  Franklin  L.  and  Al- 
bert, all  of  whom  had  learned  and  followed 
printing  under  him. 

Liberale  Beobachter. — The  German 
newspapers  published  at  Reading  during  the 
course  of  its  history  as  a  borough  for  over  forty 
years  were  altogether  Democratic  in  political 


faith.1     A  German   Catholic   Whig   then    ap- 
peared upon  the  field  of  journalism  and  broke 
the  monotony  in  this  respect  by  instituting  a 
German  weekly  newspaper  whose  mission  was 
to  advocate  and   disseminate  Whig  principles. 
This  was   Arnold   Puwelle,  a  man  recognized 
for  his  unpretentious,  straightforward  demeanor. 
He  entitled  his  paper  Liberale  Beobachter  (Lib- 
eral Observer).     The   first  number  was  issued 
in  September,  1839.     In   1858  it  was  said  by 
a  contemporary  to  be,  in  the  cause  of  Whig  and 
afterward   Republican  principles,  "consistent, 
never  swerving  from  its  allegiance  to  the  good 
old  cause."     It  had  a  large  circulation.     Pu- 
welle continued  its  publication  successfully  till 
May  10,  1864.     Then  a  new  character,  humor- 
ous, if  not  erratic,   appeared   upon  the  stage. 
This  was  Edward  H.  Rauch.     He  purchased 
the  Beobachter.     Not  regarding  the  title  as  defi- 
nite in  respect  to   locality,  he  substituted  the 
name  of  the  county,  calling  the  paper  the  Berks 
County  Zeitung.     The  first  number  was  issued 
on  May  5, 1864.     It  was  devoted  to  the  meas- 
ures for  the  vigorous  and  successful  prosecution 
of  the  "  War  for  the  Union ;"  but  its  earnest  en- 
deavors in  this  behalf  were  soon  exhausted,  not 
for  the  want  of  energy  and  ability  and  courage, 
but  for  the  want  of  sufficient  patronage  from 
the  German  people  of  the  community  which  it 
was  named  to  represent,  they,  apparently,  hav- 
ing still  clung  too  devotedly  to  its  aged  and 
well-established  contemporary — the  Adler. 

Arnold  Puwelle  was  born  in  Westphalia, 
Prussia,  in  1809.  He  emigrated  to  Pennsylva- 
nia when  twenty-five  years  old  and  settled  at 
Skippackville,  Montgomery  County.  He  there 
carried  on  the  occupation  of  a  stone-mason  for 
a  time  and  then  the  publication  of  a  German 
weekly  newspaper,  entitled  Freiheits  Wachter. 
In  1839  he  removed  to  Reading  and  shortly 
afterwards  started  a  German  weekly  called  Der 
Liberale  Beobachter,  which  he  continued  to  pub- 
lish successfully  till  May,  1864,  when  he  sold 


1  It  would  seem  from  a  local  notice  in  the  Journal  that 
Charles  F.  Egelman  had  started  a  Whig  weekly  paper,  in 
the  German  language,  on  May  6,  1834,  bearing  the  title, 
The  Berks  County  Adler,  but  I  have  not  been  able  to  ascer- 
tain any  particulars  respecting  the  continuance  of  its  pub- 
lication. 


NEWSPAPEES. 


409 


the  printing-office  and  the  newspaper  to  E. 
H.  Rauch,  who  merged  it  with  the  Berks  County 
Zeitung.  A  complete  file  of  the  Beobachter  is 
amongst  the  valuable  collection  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Historical  Society  at  Philadelphia.  It 
was  Republican  in  politics.  He  took  an  active 
part  in  the  conventions  and  work  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  in  this  county.  Upon  withdrawing 
from  the  business  of  newspaper  publication, 
he  continued  to  carry  on  a  book  and  station- 
ery-store till  his  decease,  on  September  14, 1879. 
In  1860  he  acted  as  a  deputy-marshal  in 
enumerating  the  census  of  this  district.  During 
the  Civil  War,  when  small  denominations  of 
money  were  scarce,  he  was  the  first  business 
man  to  issue  personal  scrip.  It  circulated 
freely  upon  his  good  credit  and  was  entirely  re- 
deemed. He.  was  a  Roman  Catholic,  highly 
esteemed  for  his  quiet,  unpretentious   manners. 

Reading  Gazette  and  Democrat. — On 
the  9th  of  May,  1840,  Jacob  Knabb  and  J. 
Lawrence  Getz  began  the  publication  of  a  neu- 
tral family  newspaper,  called  the  Reading 
Gazette,  with  three  hundred  subscribers.  Mr. 
Getz  became  the  sole  owner  in  November,  1846. 
Mr.  Knabb  sold  his  interest  in  1844.  William 
H.  Boyer  owned  the  interest  of  Mr.  Getz  for 
several  years,  the  publication  having  been  carried 
on  by  the  firm  of  Knabb  &  Boyer.  The  size 
of  the  sheet  was  twenty-four  by  thirty-six  inches. 

The  Jefferson  Democrat  was  instituted  about 
the  beginning  of  the  year  1838,  by  Robert  W. 
Albright.  In  June,  1841,  it  was  sold  to  A.  S. 
Whitman,  who  conducted  it  for  a  short  time ;  and 
afterward,  till  1848,  it  was  owned  and  issued  by 
Joel  Ritter,  Henry  Longenecker  and  Reinhart 
(John  M.)  &  Snyder  (Geo.  B.)  It  was  then 
purchased  by  Mr.  Getz,  who  consolidated  the 
two  papers,  under  the  name  of  Reading  Gazette 
and  Democrat.  Under  this  title  the  paper  was 
conducted  very  successfully  by  Mr.  Getz  till  he 
was  elected  to  Congress  from  the  district  com- 
prising Berks  County.  During  the  Civil  War 
he  displayed  a  high  order  of  ability  in  its  pub- 
lication, first  as  a  Democrat  in  advocating  the 
principles  of  the  Democratic  party,  but  then  as 
a  patriot  in  standing  by  the  Constitution,  in  ad- 
vocating the  preservation  of  the  Union  and  in 
encouraging  voluntary  enlistment  for  carrying  on 


the  war  successfully  for  that  purpose.  His 
official  duties  obliged  him  to  sever  his  connec- 
tion with  this  strong  and  influential  publication, 
and  in  1868  he  transferred  it  to  William  S. 
Ritter  and  Jesse  G.  Hawley.  Its  size  had  in- 
creased to  twenty-eight  by  forty-two  inches.  It 
was  theii  conducted  by  the  firm  of  Ritter  &  Co., 
in  connection  with  the  Readinger  Adler,  a  Ger- 
man weekly,  and  the  Daily  Eagle,  an  English 
daily,  till  they  dissolved  partnership,  in  Novem- 
ber, 1874,  when  Mr.  Ritter  retired  with  the 
German  weekly,  and  Mr.  Hawley  continued  the 
publication  of  the  English  newspapers. 

On  September  28,  1878,  Mr.  Hawley  substi- 
tuted Reading  Weekly  Eagle  in  place  of  the 
familiar  title  Gazette  and  Democrat ;  and  thus 
ended  the  career  of  a  superior  newspaper  which 
occupied  a  high  position  in  the  journalism  ot 
Reading  for  nearly  forty  years.  Since  1848  it 
was  an  able,  earnest  and  successful  advocate  of 
the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party.  The 
Adler  was  begun  in  1796,  twenty  years 
afterward  the  Journal,  and  twenty-three  years 
more  the  Gazette.  These  three  publications 
traveled  side  by  side  as  companions  through  the 
most  progressive  periods  of  the  county  and 
county-seat, — a  progress  which  arose  to  a  great 
degree  from  their  own  introduction  and  growth, 
as  well  as  from  the  introduction  and  growth  ot 
internal  improvements  and  manufacturing  in- 
dustries ;  and  the  names  of  Ritter,  Knabb  and 
Getz  became  prominent  in  the  field  of  journal- 
ism, just  as  others  in  banking,  manufactures 
and  politics. 

J.  Lawrence  Getz  was  born  at  Reading, 
September  14,  1821.  His  father  was  George 
Getz,  an  officer  of  the  United  States  navy,  and 
founder  of  the  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal  and 
its  publisher  for  a  number  of  years.  His  grand- 
father, on  the  maternal  side,  was  a  soldier  in 
the  Revolution.  He  received  an  academic  ed- 
ucation, read  law  in  the  office  of  Hon.  William 
Strong  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  August  6, 
1846  ;  but  he  never  engaged  in  active  practice. 

In  1840  he  founded  and  began  the  publica- 
tion of  the  Reading  Gazette,  an  English  weekly 
newspaper  at  Reading,  with  Jacob  Knabb  as  a 
co-partner.  Some  years  afterward  he  purchased 
the  Jefferson  Democrat,  and   then,  as  sole   pro- 


410 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


prietor,  merged  the  two  into  one,  and  issued  the 
paper  under  the  name  of  the  Reading  Gazette 
and  Democrat.  He  conducted  its  publication 
very  successfully  till  1868.  In  politics  it  was 
a  strong  advocate  of  Democratic  principles. 
During  the  Civil  War  he  was  a  firm  Union  man, 
advocating  the  preservation  of  the  union  of  the 
States  and  the  enforcement  of  the  Constitution. 
With  the  national  administration  in  the  hands 


of  the  Republican  party,  whose  principles  were 
opposed  to  his  own,  the  course  which  he  pur- 
sued in  publishing  a  Democratic  newspaper  was 
commendable.  His  patriotic  sentiments  con- 
tributed much  towards  creating  a  proper  spirit 
of  submission  in  the  adherents  of  the  Democratic 
party.  As  an  editor  he  displayed  a  high  degree 
of  ability  and  energy. 

In  1856  he  was  elected  as  one  of  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  county  to  the  State  Legislature, 
and  re-elected  in  1857.  During  the  latter  term 
he  was  made  Speaker  of  the  House  by  the 
unanimous  nomination  of  his  Democratic  col- 
leagues, an  evidence  of  his  popularity  and 
ability.  In  1866  he  was  elected  to  represent 
this  district  in  the  Fortieth  Congress  of  the 
United  States,  and  re-elected  to  the  Forty-first 
and  Forty-second  Congresses,  serving  three  suc- 
cessive terms  from  March  4,  1867,  to  March  4 
1873.  After  his  retirement  from  public  life  he 
edited  for  a  time  the  Spirit  of  Berks,  and   he 


has  since  been  an  occasional  contributor  to  the 
press  of  EeadiDg  and  other  cities. 

Alt  Berks. — Alt  Berks — Der  Stern  im  Osteri. 
(Old  Berks— The  Star  in  the  East)  was  a  Ger- 
man weekly,  instituted  by  William  B.  Schoner, 
on  January  28,  1840.  It  was  a  Democratic 
organ,  and  started  out  with  Martin  Van  Buren 
as  a  Presidential  candidate  for  re-election.  It 
was  continued  five  years  by  the  same  publisher 
and  editor,  who  advocated  with  earnestness  and 
ability  the  principles  of  Democracy.  The  sheet 
was  twenty-eight  by  forty-four  inches,  with 
five  columns  to  each  page.  Mr.  Schoner  sold 
the  paper  and  printing  material  to  Charles  W. 
Guenther. 

Sonne  von  Alt  Berks. — When  Charles 
W.  Guenther  purchased  Alt  Berks,  he  continued 
its  publication  under  a  new  title, — Sonne  von 
Alt  Berks  (Son  of  Old  Berks).  Its  politics  re- 
mained the  same  under  his  management.  It 
was  conducted  by  him  successfully  at  Reading 
for  three  years,  when  it  was  sold  and  trans- 
ferred to  Pottsville,  where  its  title  was  changed 
to  Pottsville  Adler.  At  the  time  of  its  discon- 
tinuance here  the  list  of  subscribers  numbered 
twelve  hundred. 

Evening  Herald  was  an  English  semi- 
weekly  newspaper  instituted  by  Abraham  S. 
Whitman  in  June,  1846.  The  size  of  the  sheet 
was  eighteen  by  twenty-four  inches,  with  five 
columns  to  each  page.  The  price  was  one  cent 
a  copy,  or  one  dollar  a  year.  It  was  continued 
by  him  for  a  year,  with  increasing  patronage. 
Feeling  encouraged  in  this  departure  from  the 
weekly  issue,  he  took  another  step  forward,  and 
in  June,  1847,  he  began  the  publication  of  the— 

Morning  Herald,  as  a  tri-weekly.  In 
August  following  he  enlarged  its  size,  improved 
its  general  appearance  and  conducted  its  editor- 
ial department,  in  respect  to  politics,  in  a  neu- 
tral manner,  in  order  to  elicit  a  favorable  spirit 
in  the  community  towards  the  publication; 
and  he  fixed  the  subscription  price  at  one  dol- 
lar and  twenty-five  cents  per  annum.  It  was 
issued  on  Mondays,  Wednesdays  and  Saturdays. 
He  stated  that  the  circulation  was  larger  than 
that  of  any  English  newspaper  in  Reading,  and 
"rapidly  increasing."  But  it  was  not  large 
enough  for  the  expense,  and  a  short  experience 


NEWSPAPERS. 


411 


compelled  him  to  change  the  tri-weekly  to  a 
weekl}',  and  substitute  for  its  title  the — 

Beading  Herald. — This  weekly  English 
paper  was  issued  by  Mr.  Whitman  on  Thurs- 
days ;  size  of  sheet,  twenty-two  by  twenty-eight 
inches,  with  six  columns  on  each  page.  The 
price  was  three  cents  a  copy,  or  one  dollar  a 
year.  On  July  7,  1849,  he  began  a  new  vol- 
ume, price  two  cents  a  copy,  and  dimensions 
reduced  to  sixteen  by  twenty-four  inches,  and 
changed  the  day  of  issue  to  Saturday.  It  was 
continued  till  June,  1850,  when  it  was  merged 
in  the  People's  Advocate. 

The  People's  Advocate  and  Chronicle 
of  the  Times  was  an  English  weekly  neutral 
newspaper,  instituted  by  A.  S.  Whitman  and 
Joseph  E.  Berret  on  June  20,  1850 ;  size  of 
sheet,  twenty  by  thirty-two  inches,  six  columns 
on  each  page,  and  the  price  was  one  dollar  a 
year.  In  December  following,  its  appearance 
in  a  new  dress  called  forth  from  a  cotemporary 
paper  the  following  complimentary  notice  :  "  It 
has  a  neat,  tasty  look,  is  conducted  with  much 
spirit,  and  deserves  to  be  well  patronized." 
But  this  patronage,  however  well  deserved,  was 
not  realized.  Its  publication  was  suspended  in 
July,  1852,  the  editor  (Mr.  Whitman)  announ- 
cing, as  a  reason,  that  he  gave  "  too  much  labor 
for  too  little  compensation."  The  subscription 
list  (comprising  several  hundred  subscribers) 
was  transferred  to  the  Gazette  and  Democrat. 

Berks  County  Democrat  was  an  English 
weekly  newspaper,  instituted  on  September  16, 
1858,  by  Samuel  L.  Young  and  Andrew  M. 
Sallade,  two  young  attorneys  of  the  county  bar, 
for  the  special  purpose  of  advocating  the  election 
of  John  Swartz  as  the  representative  to  Con- 
gress from  this  district,  and  of  opposing,  in 
connection  with  many  prominent  men,  that 
branch  of  the  Democratic  party  which  was 
known  as  the  "  Jones  Faction. "  It  was  suc- 
cessful in  the  cause  which  it  espoused.  They 
continued  its  publication  till  December,  1858, 
when  they  sold  it  to  J.  Robley  Dunglison,  by 
whom  it  was  issued  for  some  time  and  then 
suspended. 

The  School  Album  was  a  school  journal 
instituted  September  25,  1858,  by  two  scholars 
of  the  "  Reading  High  School, "  James  Millhol- 


land  and  Albert  R.  Durham.  It  was  issued 
semi-monthly.  The  price  was  one  dollar  per 
annum. .  Its  publication  was  continued  with 
energy  and  success  till  February  5,  1859,  when 
it  was  suspended  on  account  of  the  sickness  of 
the  junior  editor.  At  first  these  enterprising 
young  men  had  circulated  amongst  the  scholars 
a  written  journal  entitled  Tlie  Album.  The 
principal  of  the  school,  appreciating  their  earnest 
labors  in  this  behalf,  encouraged  its  publication 
in  a  printed  form. 

The  Weekly  Leader  was  an  English 
weekly  newspaper,  begun  on  the  10th  of  May, 
1860,  by  J.  Robley  Dunglison,  Esq.  He  con- 
ducted it  as  a  weekly  till  the  23d  of  August 
following,  when  he  suspended  its  publication 
for  several  weeks,  whilst  preparing  to  change  it 
into  a  daily  morning  paper.  He  issued  the  first 
number  of  the  Daily  Leader  on  the  12th  of 
September,  and  continued  it  as  a  morning  paper 
till  March,  1861,  when  he  changed  it  into  an 
afternoon  paper.  But  as  an  afternoon  daily  it 
had  a  short  life,  having  suspended  with  issue 
No.  159,  on  the  18th  of  March. 

Reformirten  Hausfreund. — This  is  a 
German  weekly  religious  newspaper,  edited  by 
Rev.  Benjamin  Bausman  D.D.,  pastor  of  the 
St.  Paul's  Reformed  congregation  of  Reading, 
and  published  by  Daniel  Miller,  in  the  Repub- 
likaner  building.  It  was  begun  in  1867.  Its 
size  is  thirty-six  by  forty-eight  inches.  It  is 
conducted  with  spirit  and  success,  and  devoted 
mainly  to  religious  topics.  Its  circulation  num- 
bers nearly  three  thousand,  and  extends  through- 
outEastern  Pennsylvania,  principally,  if  not  alto- 
gether, amongst  the  Pennsylvania  Germans. 

Banner  von  Berks. — The  Adler  contin- 
ued to  be  the  representative  German  weekly 
newspaper-  of  our  people  for  nearly  seventy 
years.  It  passed  through  trying  periods,  but  it 
had  nothing  to  fear,  supported  as  it  was  by  the 
people  in  all  parts  of  the  county,  with  compar- 
atively little  opposition.  In  December,  1864, 
William  Rosenthal,  a  practical  printer  and  edi- 
tor, and  a  German  scholar,  who  had  resided  at 
Reading  for  four  years,  acting  as  editor-in-chief 
of  the  Adler,  conceived  that  this  territory  would 
afford  sufficient  patronage  to  support  another 
German  newspaper,  not  so  much  in  opposition 


412 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


to  or  competition  with  the  Adler,  as  to  occupy 
a  new  field,  and  represent  the  immigrant  por- 
tion of  the  German  population,  just  as  the  Adler 
represented  the  sentiments  of  the  German  families 
who  had  settled  here  many  years  before.  He 
therefore  began  the  publication  of  a  German 
newspaper,  and  entitled  it  Banner  von  Berks.  It 
was  an  eight-page  paper  in  the  beginning,  thirty- 
two  by  forty-four  inches,  the  printing  having 
been  done  at  Philadelphia,  on  account  of  not  hav- 
ing a  press  large  enough,  and  continued  to  be  done 
there  till  September,  1867,  when  the  size  was  re- 
duced and  a  Sunday  paper  was  established  by  him, 
entitled  Die  Biene,  to  supply  literary  matter  ex- 
cluded by  the  reduction.  The  size  then  became 
twenty-eight  by  forty-three,  four  page,  with  nine 
columns  on  each  page.  It  has  been  issued  reg- 
ularly till  now,  with  increasing  patronage.  In 
politics,  it  is  devoted  to  Democratic  principles ; 
but  it  is  not  so  much  inclined  to  serve  party 
politics  as  to  elevate  the  notions  of  the  German 
people,  especially  those  who  come  as  strangers 
into  our  community,  to  a  proper  conception  of 
their  duties,  responsibilities  and  privileges  under 
a  free  representative  government.  Its  circula- 
tion is  general  throughout  the  city  and  extends 
also  into  surrounding  districts. 

Die  Biene  is  the  only  German  Sunday  news- 
paper published  in  the  county.  It  was  established 
in  September,  1867,  by  William  Rosenthal,  as  a 
literary  supplement  to  the  Banner  von  Berks 
when  that  sheet  was  reduced  in  size  and  a  new 
press  was  introduced  to  accommodate  his  in- 
creasing business.  It  is  a  folio  printed  on  a 
sheet  twenty  by  twenty-six  inches.  Its  circula- 
tion is  mostly  in  Reading. 

Die  Deutsche  Eiche  is  a  German  weekly 
newspaper  issued  on  Wednesdays.  It  was  es- 
tablished by  William  Eosenthal  on  October 
19,  1869.  It  is  an  eight-page  paper,  printed 
neatly  on  a  sheet  twenty-six  by  thirty-six  inches. 
It  is  the  recognized  organ  of  publication  for 
the  Order  of  Harugari  in  the  United  States, 
and  has  a  wide  circulation,  being  addressed 
weekly  to  two  hundred  and  seventy-six  post- 
offices.  This  order  was  first  instituted  in  the 
country  on  March  9,  1847,  and  afterward  (Au- 
gust, 1848)  a  lodge  was  begun  at  Reading 
named  "Hermann,"   No.    16.      Three   others 


were  subsequently  instituted  here.  The  total 
membership  of  the  order  in  the  whole  country 
is  about  twenty-five  thousand. 

Wilhelm  Rosenthal  was  born  November 
20,  1823,  at  Nordhausen,  at  the  foot  of  the 
Harz  Mountains,  in  Prussia,  and  educated  in  the 
gymnasium  of  that  place,  in  which  he  pursued 
a  collegiate  course  and  graduated  in  1840.  He 
then  entered  the  large  publication-house  of  Dr. 
Philip  Phoebus  and  continued  there  employed 
for  nearly  five  years.  After  conducting  a  pub- 
lication-house himself  for  a  short  time  he,  in 
December,  1846,  emigrated  to  America,  on  a 
sailing-vessel  named  "Biene."  He  landed  at 
New  York  in  May,  1847,  and  was  engaged  for 
several  months  at  practical  printing  in  Ludwig's 
large  establishment.  In  September  following, 
he  removed  to  Philadelphia  and  established  and 
carried  on  a  general  book-store.  Whilst  in  this 
business,  the  Revolution  of  1848  in  Germany 
developed  a  considerable  excitement  among  the 
German  citizens  of  Philadelphia,  and  he,  with 
other  earnest  Germans,  organized  a  "  German 
Workingmen's  Association,"  the  object  of  which 
was  to  awaken  proper  sympathy  for  the  move- 
ment in  behalf  of  representative  government 
and  for  the  interests  of  the  working  people.  He 
was  elected  as  the  first  president  of  the  associa- 
tion, and  re-elected  annually  for  five  years. 
The  members  numbered  one  thousand.  During 
that  time  the  association  erected  a  large  three- 
story  structure,  sand-stone  front,  on  Third  Street 
below  Green,  and  he  superintended  the  build- 
ing operations.  This  building  is  still  standing 
and  known  as  "Mechanics'  Hall." 

Mr.  Rosenthal  began  his  career  as  an  editor 
in  this  country  in  1848.  In  May  of  that  year 
he  was  employed  by  F.  W.  Thomas  to  assume 
the  editorship  of  a  new  daily  paper  at  Philadel- 
phia, entitled  Free  Press,  and  its  issue  was 
successfully  edited  by  him  till  1855.  In  poli- 
tics it  was .  Democratic.  Then  he  established 
and  published  a  German  weekly,  entitled  Woch- 
enblatt,  continuing  its  publication  for  three 
years,  when  it  was  purchased  by  Hoffman  & 
Morwitz  and  merged  into  their  paper,  known  as 
the  New  World.  This  latter  paper  he  then 
edited  till  July,  1860,  and  also  acted  in  that 
time  as   assistant   editor  of  the   Philadelphia 


NEWSPAPERS. 


413 


Democrat,  which  was  published  by  the  same 
firm.  Whilst  thus  employed  he  received  a  call 
to  edit  the  Readinger  Adler,  and  accepting  it 
he  removed  to  Reading. 

When  Mr.  Rosenthal  assumed  the  editorship 
of  the  Adler  for  its  proprietor,  Mr.  Charles 
Kessler,  the  country  was  in  a  state  of  political 
agitation  owing  to  the  Presidential  campaign  of 
1860.  He  was  an  earnest  Democrat,  and  the 
Adler  was  a  pronounced  advocate  of  principles 


the  Republican  administration  in  carrying  on 
the  war.  He  was  prominent  in  the  Union 
meetings  held  at  Reading,  and  exerted  himself 
with  success  in  encouraging  voluntary  enlist- 
ment, especially  after  the  rebels  had  invaded 
our  State.  He  continued  in  this  position  till 
Mr.  Kessler  sold  the  Adler  to  Ritter  &  Haw- 
ley,  in  1864,  and  for  a  short  time  afterward.  In 
the  month  of  August  of  that  year  he  was  a 
delegate  from  Berks  County  to  the  Democratic 


similar  to  his  own,  so  he  was  in  his  natural  ele- 
ment in  directing  the  publication  of  this  influ- 
ential paper.  The  election  of  Breckenridge 
was  encouraged  with  all  the  power  that  he 
could  command,  and  he  and  Major  J.  Lawrence 
Getz,  of  the  Gazette  and  Democrat,  held  the 
party  together  admirably. 

The  Republican  party  took  the  government 
in  hand  and  the  Civil  War  followed.  Mr. 
Rosenthal,  in  editing  the  Adler,  advocated  the 
preservation  of  the  Union,  but  denounced  many 
of  the  extreme  measures  brought  into  effect  by 


National  Convention  at  Chicago,  when  General 
George  B.  McClellan  was  nominated  for  Presi- 
dent. This  selection  was  a  high  compliment  to 
him  as  a  comparative  stranger  in  the  county, 
and  indicated  that  his  course  as  a  Democratic 
editor  had  been  satisfactory  to  the  party  in  the 
county. 

In  that  time  Mr.  Rosenthal  had  formed  a 
large  and  favorable  acquaintance  with  the 
people  of  our  county,  and  upon  retiring  from 
the  Adler  he  established  a  German  weekly,  which 
he  named  Banner  von  Berks.     It  found  imme- 


414 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


diate  favor.  He  has  published  it  since  with 
an  increasing  success  and  enlarging  circulation. 
In  1867  he  began  the  publication  of  a  Sunday 
edition  of  this  paper,  under  the  title  of  Die 
Biene  (The  Bee),  naming  it  after  the  sailing-ves- 
sel 'which  carried  him  from  Hamburg  across 
the  Atlantic  Ocean  to  New  York,  twenty- 
years  before.  And  this  was  the  first  Sunday 
newspaper  published  in  this  county,  and  even  in 
this  section  of  the  State.  In  1868  he  instituted 
a  German  daily  paper,  called  the  Reading  Daily 
Post,  an  enterprise  in  this  community,  (rapidly 
growing  more  and  more  into  English  speaking 
and  reading,)  which  required  more  than  ordinary 
energy  and  ability  for  its  successful  establish- 
ment. He  has  also  published  this  daily  now 
for  seventeen  years ;  and  his  prominent  con- 
nection with  the  Order  of  Harugari  led  him  to 
issue  a  fourth  German  paper  in  1869,  entitled 
Die  Deutsche  Eiahe.  This  is  the  official  organ 
of  this  secret  society  throughout  the  United 
States,  and  it  has  a  large  and  wide  circulation. 
These  publications  by  him  alone  in  one  printing 
establishment  indicate  a  man  of  unusual  charac- 
ter, ability  and  business  sagacity. 

Mr.  Rosenthal  has  been  connected  with  the 
building  and  savings  associations  of  Reading 
since  1866,  either  as  a  director  or  officer.  And 
besides  assisting  through  them  in  building  up 
and  developing  the  city  of  Reading,  he,  in 
1884,  erected  a  row  of  fine  cottages  on  Mineral 
Spring  Avenue ;  and  he  has  taken  an  active 
part  in  the  musical  and  literary  societies  of 
Reading.  In  the  twenty-five  years  that  he  has 
lived  here,  Mr.  Rosenthal  has  become  thor- 
oughly identified  with  the  progress  and  wel- 
fare of  our  community. 

Republikaner  von  Berks. — During  the 
Presidential  campaign  of  1868  a  "German  Re- 
publican Club  "  was  organized  at  Reading,  and, 
as  a  means  of  assisting  them  in  carrying  on 
more  successfully  their  political  work  in  behalf 
of  the  Republican  party,  they,  instituted  a  Ger- 
man weekly  newspaper,  under  the  title  of  Re- 
publikaner von  Berks,  and  conducted  it  suc- 
cessfully, with  Arnold  Puwelle  and  Charles  W. 
Guenther  as  editors,  for  a  period  of  fourteen 
weeks,  till  the  close  of  the  campaign.  The 
great  work  of  electing  General  Grant  to  the 


Presidency  was  accomplished,  and  the  newspa- 
paper  was  then  suspended.  But  its  suspension 
was  permitted  for  only  a  little  while.  Daniel 
Miller,  a  practical  printer  of  Lebanon,  and 
foreman  for  a  time  of  the  Pennsylvanier  (a 
German  weekly  published  there),  came  to  Read- 
ing on  the  1st  of  January,  1869,  and,  taking  ad- 
vantage of  the  opportunity  afforded  for  a  Ger- 
man Republican  weekly  newspaper  in  the  field, 
which  had  been  developed,  but  not  retained,  in- 
stituted a  publication — Republikaner  von  Berks. 
He  issued  the  first  number  on  Jan.  6, 1869.  The 
size  was  twenty-four  by  thirty-six  inches  in  folio, 
with  seven  columns  to  each  page.  Two  years 
afterward  he  enlarged  the  size  to  twenty-six  by 
forty-one  inches,  with  eight  columns  to  each 
page.  This  enlargement  of  a  German  newspa- 
per with  Republican  principles  in  a  county 
largely  Democratic  indicates  admirable  man- 
agement, especially  when  we  consider  that  the 
older  German  residents  were  passing  away,  and 
the  gradual  development  of  English  education 
was  inclining  the  people  generally  towards  the 
English  language.  He  has  retained  his  hold 
upon  the  field  since  with  increasing  influence. 
The  circulation  extends  throughout  the  county 
and  into  the  borders  of  the  adjoining  counties. 

Daniel,  Miller  was  born  in  Lebanon 
County,  Pa.,  on  September  19,  1843.  He  was 
raised  on  a  farm,  and  attended  the  county 
common  schools  till  his  sixteenth  year,  when  he 
entered  the  printing-office  of  the  Pennsylvanier 
at  Lebanon,  and  learned  the  art  of  printing. 
Upon  finishing  his  apprenticeship  he  was  made 
foreman  of  the  office,  and  continued  in  that 
position  for  ten  years.  On  January  1, 1869,  he 
removed  to  Reading  and  began  the  publication 
of  the  Republikaner  von  Berks,  a  German 
weekly  newspaper.  He  has  continued  its  pub- 
lication regularly  till  now  with  increasing  suc- 
cess. Besides  conducting  this  newspaper,  he 
has  carried  on  a  job  printing  business,  having 
published  a  number  of  books  which  have  had 
an  extensive  sale.  Prominent  among  his  pub- 
lications are  "  Life  of  Conrad  Weiser,"  Trav- 
els of  Rev.  Dr.  B.  Bausman  in  Europe,  "  Sinai 
and  Zion,"  "Wayside  Gleanings,"  "Life  of 
Ulric  Zwingle." 

He  was  married  in  1865  to  Sarah  Keller,  of 


NEWSPAPERS. 


415 


Lebanon  County,  Pa.,  and  they  have  issue 
four  children — Henry  K.,  Franklin  C,  George 
(now  deceased)  and  Mary  E. 

Spirit  of  Berks  was  an  English  weekly 
newspaper  begun  on  May  6,  1876,  by  Daniel 
S.  Francis,  Isaac  Mengel  and  George  M.  Men- 
gel.  It  was  a  firm  .advocate  of  Democratic 
principles.  These  publishers  conducted  its 
publication  successfully  till  April  13,  1878, 
when  the  Mengel  brothers  withdrew  and  Mr. 
Francis  became  the  sole  proprietor.  The  editor 
of  the  paper  for  a  time  was  Garrett  B.  Stevens, 
Esq.,  who  was  succeeded  by  J.  Lawrence  Getz, 
Esq.  Mr.  Francis  continued  to  publish  the 
newspaper,  with  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Getz  as 
editor,  till  November  14,  1881,  when  he  sold  it 
(and  the  Daily  Spirit  of  Berks,  which  had  been 
established  by  him  several  months  before),  in- 
cluding the  printing  materials,  to  John  B. 
Dampman,  who  had  for  a  short  time  filled  the 
position  of  editor  of  the  two  papers.  The  name 
was  then  changed  to  Weekly  Herald. 

The  Readixg  Weekly  News  was  insti- 
tuted by  William  S.Ritter  on  August  27, 1881. 
At  this  time  there  were  being  published  at 
Reading  nine  weekly  newspapers — six  German 
and  three  English,  of  both  political  parties, 
Democratic  and  Republican.  But  Mr.  Ritter 
found  a  place  for  the  Weekly  News,  just  as  he 
had  found  a  place  for  the  Daily  News  in  1880,  and 
he  has  maintained  its  place  since  with  increasing 
popularity.  It  is  the  representative  organ  of 
the  Democratic  party,  and  has  a  general  circu- 
lation in  the  city  and  county.  Jacob  Weidel, 
Esq.,  is  editor  of  the  paper. 

Reading  Weekly  Eagle  is  the  title  of  a 
large  and  successful  newspaper  issued  by  Jesse 
G.  Hawley,  Esq.,  which  was  substituted  by  him 
on  September  28,  1878,  in  the  place  of  the 
Reading  Gazette  and  Democrat,  a  weekly  news- 
paper which  had  been  previously  published  for 
nearly  forty  years.  He  became  a  joint  owner 
of  this  well-established  newspaper  in  1868,  and 
sole  owner  in  1874.  It  has  a  wide  circulation, 
and  contains  in  each  issue  a  large  collection  of 
news  from  all  sections  and  of  interesting  articles 
on  various  subjects.  The  editorial  department 
is  conducted  by  Mr.  John  D.  Missimer. 

Reading  Weekly  Herald  is  the  name  of 


a  newspaper  which  was  substituted  in  the  place 
of  the  Spirit  of  Berks  upon  a  change  of  proprie- 
tors, in  November,  1881.  John  B.  Dampman, 
Esq.,  an  attorney  of  the  Berks  County  bar,  then 
purchased  the  Spirit  of  Berks,  and,  after  con- 
ducting it  several  weeks,  formed  a  co-partnership 
with  A.  C.  Buckwalter,  a  practical  and  success- 
ful newspaper  publisher  and  manager  at  Reading 
for  a  number  of  years.  They  changed  the 
name,  and  under  the  firm -name  of  Buckwalter 
&  Dampman  they  have  conducted  it  since  with 
marked  ability  and  success — the  former  being 
manager  and  the  latter  editor. 

A.  C.  Buckwalter  was  born  at  Phoenix- 
ville,  Pa.,  December  4,  1843.  He  came  to 
Reading  in  1850.  After  attending  the  com- 
mon schools  for  eight  years  he  entered  the 
printing  establishment  of  B.  F.  Owen,  and 
served  an  apprenticeship  with  him.  He  then 
worked  at  the  case  in  the  office  of  the  Gazette 
and  Democrat  for  some  time,  and  afterwards 
in  the  office  of  the  Miners'  Journal,  at  Pottsville, 
During  the  Civil  War,  while  on  his  way  west- 
ward, he  enlisted  at  Cincinnati,  entering  the 
navy  service  on  the  flag-ship  "  Louisville  "  in 
the  Mississippi  Squadron,  and  serving  till  near 
the  close  of  the  war.  Upon  his  return  to  Read- 
ing he  purchased  a  half-interest  in  the  Evening 
Dispatch,  and  assisted  in  the  publication  of  this 
daily  newspaper  for  two  years.  His  energy 
and  ability  made  this  enterprise  a  success.  After 
an  extended  trip  through  the  Southern  States 
he  bought  a  half-interest  in  the  Daily  Times, 
and  conducted  its  issue  successfully  till  1869, 
when  it  was  sold  to  J.  Knabb  &  Co.  He  then 
started  and  published  for  a  time  the  Evening 
Star,  a  penny  paper.  Afterward  he  became 
the  manager  of  the  Eagle  printing  establish- 
ment and  continued  actively  engaged  in  its  suc- 
cessful management  for  nearly  ten  years.  In 
1881  he  became  interested  in  the  Spirit  of  Berks 
publication  with  John  B.  Dampman,  Esq. 
They  formed  a  co-partnership,  under  the  name 
of  Buckwalter  &  Dampman,  and  changed  the 
name  of  the  newspapers  to  Reading  Daily 
Herald  and  Reading  Weekly  Herald.  He  has 
since  that  time  continued  his  connection  with 
these  papers.  His  energy  and  courage  are 
creating   for  these  publications  an    increasing 


416 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


circulation  and  influence  here  and  in  the  sur- 
rounding counties. 

John  P.  Dajipman  was  born  July  29, 1851, 
in  West  Nantrneal  township,  Chester  County, 
Pa.,  and  obtaining  an  education,  attended  the 
Chester  Valley  Seminary,  at  Coatesville,  Pa., 
Williston  Seminary,  East  Hampton,  Mass.,  and 
Pennington  Seminary,  Pennington,  N.  J.  After 
graduating  from  the  latter  he  spent  a  year  at 
Princeton  College.  He  then  returned  home 
and  taught  school  for  several  years  in  Chester 
and  Berks  Counties.  In  1873  he  removed  to 
Reading,  read  law  for  two  years  with  George  F. 
Baer,  Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  Nov. 
8,  1875.  He  practiced  the  legal  profession  for 
six  years,  and  then  directed  his  attention  to  the 
publication  of  a  newspaper,  having  purchased 
the  Spirit  of  Berks,  an  English  weekly  at  Read- 
ing. Shortly  afterward  he  became  associated 
with  A.  C.  Buckwalter,  and  they  together  began 
the  publication  of  the  Daily  Herald  and  Weekly 
Herald,  which  they  have  published  successfully 
since. 

Other  weekly  newspapers  were  started  and 
continued  for  a  short  time  at  Reading,  promi- 
nent among  them  being,  "  erks  County  Legion, 
Father  Abraham,  Sunday  Dispatch,  Saturday 
Review  and  Sunday  Review. 

NEWSPAPERS   AT   KUTZTOWN. 

Neutralist. — The  first  newspaper  published 
at  Kutztown  was  the  Neutralist.  It  was  a  Ger- 
man weekly,  instituted  by  William  Harmony. 
The  first  number  was  issued  on  the  12th  of 
June,  1833.  Its  editors  were  Henry  Hawrecht 
(a  native  of  Berlin,  Prussia,  and  formerly,  fcr 
a  time,  editor  of  the  Readinger  Adler)  and 
Charles  Wink  (a  practical  printer,  who  served 
an  apprenticeship  in  the  Adler  printing-office), 
and  its  motto  was  "  Jedem  das  Seine  "  (Give  to 
each  one  his  due).  These  editors  conducted  the 
paper  successfully  till  the  spring  of  1841,  wheu 
they  migrated  to  Ohio,  and  its  publication  was 
suspended. 

Geist  dee  Zeit.— This  paper  (Spirit  of  the 
Times)  was  begun  by  Hawrecht  &  Wink  on 
the  1st  of  June,  1841,  upon  their  return  to 
Kutztown  from  their  Western  trip.  Hawrecht 
dying  in  1859,  its  publication  was  continued 
till  1863  by  his  widow,  when  Mr.  William  Ro- 


senthal, of  Reading,  purchased  it  together  with 
the  printing-office  and  all  its  material.  It  was 
printed  in  German  and  issued  weekly. 

Dee  Hiet. — This  newspaper  (The  Shepherd) 
was  instituted  and  edited  by  Rev.  J.  S.  Herman. 
The  first  number  was  issued  on  the  30th  of 
June,  1854,  and  its  publication  was  continued 
two  years.  Its  list  of  subscribers  numbered 
twenty-two  hundred.  It  was  published  weekly 
in  the  German  language. 

Kutztown  Journal  was  begun  on  the  3d 
of  February,  1870,  by  Isaac  F.  Christ,  and 
edited,  successively,  by  Charles  Kolbe  (of  Doyles- 

town), Geiz  (of  Allentown),  F.  Konietzks 

(of  Reading),  Conrad  Gehring  (of  Reading) 
and  Emil  Meister.  After  publishing  the  news- 
paper successfully  till  March,  1875,  he  sold  it 
to  his  (then)  editor,  Mr.  Gehring,  and  A.  B. 
Urick,  of  Lebanon,  who  continued  its  publica- 
tion under  the  name  of  Urick  &  Gehring.  In 
September,  1875,  they  introduced  'steam-power 
for  running  their  printing-press.  The  size  at  first 
was  twenty-four  by  thirty- six  inches.  In  1876 
it  was  enlarged  to  twenty-eight  by  forty-two,  and 
then  it  had  sixteen  hundred  subscribers.  It  is 
printed  in  the  German  language  and  issued 
weekly.  In  1877  Urick  became  the  sole  pro- 
prietor, and  he  has  published  it  regularly  since. 

National  Educatoe. — This  newspaper  was 
also  begun  by  Mr.  Christ,  in  the  spring  of 
1872.  It  was  edited  for  a  time  by  Professor 
A.  R.  Home,  advocating  principally  the  inter- 
est and  advancement  of  the  common-school  sys- 
tem of  education .  It  was  issued,  at  first,  monthly, 
and  in  size  it  was  sixteen  by  twenty-four  inches. 
Subsequently  it  was  changed  to  a  weekly.  In 
1876  the  circulation  was  nine  hundred. 

Ameeican  Pateiot. — In  May,  1874,  Isaac 
F.  Christ  began  the  publication  of  another 
newspaper,  which  he  entitled  American  Patriot. 
It  was  partly  German  and  partly  English.  Its 
size  was  twenty-four  by  thirty-six  inches.  Its 
publication  was  placed  under  the  management 
of  Conrad  Gehring.  In  March,  1875,  Mr. 
Christ  sold  it  to  Urich  &  Gehring.  In  1876 
the  circulation  was  five  hundred. 

NEWSPAPERS  AT  HAMBURG. 

Hamburgee  Schnellpost  is  a  German 
weekly  newspaper,  published  at  Hamburg.     It 


NEWSPAPERS. 


417 


was  begun  by  a  firm  named  John  Scheifly  and 
William  Shubert,  in  May,  1841,  and  published 
by  them  till  April  12,"  1842.  Then  Shubert 
sold  out  his  interest  to  M.  A.  Sellers,  a  practi- 
cal printer  of  Montgomery  County,  and  the 
paper  was  issued  by  Scheifly  &  Sellers  till 
December  12,  1843,  when  Mr.  Sellers  obtained 
sole  control  of  it. 

It  was  published  successfully  by  Mr.  Sellers 
till  March  25,  1845.  He  then  transferred  the 
newspaper  and  the  printing  establishment  to 
Charles  Beusaman,  a  young  man  who  had 
learned  the  art  of  printing  under  him.  Beusa- 
man carried  it  on  till  1855,  when  he  died,  when 
it  was  sold  to  Moritz  P.  Doering,  who  has  issued 
it  successfully  till  now.  The  old  hand-press  is 
still  used  in  printing  itsweekly  editions.  In  poli- 
tics it  has  always  been  Democratic.  Its  circula- 
tion is  mostly  at  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Hamburg. 
The  Hamburg  Advertiser  was  the  first 
English  paper  of  general  circulation  printed  at 
Hamburg.  The  first  number  appeared  on  July 
5,  1865.  It  was  a  six-column  folio  sheet, 
Republican  in  politics,  started  by  M.  H.  Shol- 
lenberger,  who  was  editor  and  publisher.  In 
September,  1865,  he  sold  the  paper  to  O.  A. 
Richards,  who  published  it  about  a  year  and 
then  disposed  of  it  to  David  Q.  Guiger,  who 
changed  the  name  to  The  Hamburg  Herald,  and 
as  such  issued  it  for  two  years,  when  he  removed 
it  to  Pottstown.  Its  publication  was  there  con- 
tinued as  the  Pottstown  Advertiser. 

The  Rural  Press  was  the  next  venture  in 
English  journalism  at  Hamburg.  It  was  first 
issued  in  the  summer  of  1872  by  J.  K.  &  J. 
G.  Smith.  Its  publication  ceased  here  in  May, 
1875,  when  the  office  was  removed  to  Saline, 
Ohio,  where  the  paper  is  now  issued  by  them 
under  the  name  of  Advance.  A  portion  of  the 
paper  was  devoted  to  the  cause  of  education  and 
general  literature,  under  the  editorship  of  Pro- 
fessor H.  G.  Hunter,  who  was  then  the  principal 
of  the  Hamburg  High  School.  The  price  was 
two  dollars.  The  weekly  issue  numbered  five 
hundred,  which  circulated  at  Hamburg  and  in 
the  surrounding  country. 

Der  Hamburger  Berichter  was  estab- 
lished in  1872  by  William  F.  Tyson.      It  was 
a  folio  German  paper  with  seven  columns  to  a 
43 


page.  After  two  years  of  publication  it  was 
discontinued  and  the  material  removed  to 
Reading. 

Hamburg  Weekly  Item  was  instituted 
by  Samuel  A.  Focht  on  April  17,  1875,  in  the 
form  of  a  folio  sheet,  three  columns  to  a  page. 
The  place  of  publication  was  in  the  country, 
three  miles  from  Hamburg,  where  Mr.  Focht 
engaged  in  this  enterprise  as  a  novice.  He  had 
never  learned  the  art  of  printing,  and  had 
scarcely  seen  the  inside  of  an  office  before  he 
opened  his  own.  Yet  he  succeeded  in  laying  be- 
fore the  public  a  neat  and  readable  sheet.  The 
issue  was  weekly  at  fifty  cents  per  annum.  It 
was  printed  on  a  Cottage  press.  In  March, 
1876,  the  office  was  removed  to  Hamburg  and 
the  size  changed  to  a  five-column  folio,  the  sheet 
being  eighteen  by  twenty-six  inches.  On  April 
15, 1882,  the  size  was  again  increased  to  twenty- 
four  by  thirty-six  inches,  with  seven  columns 
to  a  page.  The  subscription  price  was  advanced 
to  one  dollar  per  annum.  In  this  form  the 
Item  is  now  issued  by  the  original  proprietor, 
from  a  well-equipped  office  on  Main  Street,  with 
a  growing  patronage. 

NEWSPAPERS  AT  BOYERTOWN.  . 

The  Boyertown  Bauer  (Farmer)  was  a 
German  newspaper,  instituted  at  Boyertown 
by  O.  P.  Zink  in  1858.  It  was  a  folio,  in  size 
twenty  by  twenty-eight  inches.  He  continued 
its  publication  for  two  years  and  then  sold  it  to 
Samuel  Leaver,  and  Mr.  Leaver  published  it 
till  1868,  when  he  sold  it  to  George  Sassaman. 
Its  title  was  then  changed  to  Boyei  town  Demo- 
crat. 

The  Boyertown  Democrat  was  published 
as  a  German  newspaper  for  a  period  of  ten 
years  from  1858  under  the  name  of  Boyertown 
Bauer.  It  then  passed  into  the  ownership  of 
George  Sassaman,  who  substituted  the  name  of 
Boyertown  Democrat  and  enlarged  the  size  to 
twenty-four  by  thirty-six  inches.  Its  start  and 
continuance  under  the  new  name  were  not  very 
successful,  for  in  one  year  afterward  it  was  sold 
by  the  sheriff  and  purchased  by  William  B. 
Albright,  ex-sheriff  of  Reading.  Mr.  Albright 
carried  on  its  publication  for  only  a  year  and 
then  sold  it  to  Charles  Spatz.  Mr.  Spatz  taking 
hold  of  it  with  energy  in  1871,  he  soon  awakened 


418 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


new  life  in  its  feeble  publication  and  won  favor 
and  patronage  from  the  public.  In  1876,  find- 
ing a  demand  for  English  reading  matter,  he 
introduced  the  English  language,  making 
the  newspaper  half  English  and  half  German. 
He  conducted  its  publication  successfully  till 
his  death,  in  1884,  and  left  it  to  his  estate  with 
a  circulation  numbering  thirteen  hundred  sub- 
scribers. It  has  been  carried  on  since  by  his 
estate,  with  his  son,  Charles  Spatz,  as  editor  and 
manager.  From  the  beginning  till  now  it  has 
been  a  stanch  advocate  of  Democratic  prin- 
ciples and  the  Democratic  party. 

NEWSPAPERS  AT    WOMELSDORF. 

Womelsdorf  Gazette. — In  April,  1847, 
Samuel  Mowry  began  the  publication  of  an 
English-German  weekly  entitled  Womelsdorf 
Gazette,  and  continued  it  for  nine  months,  when 
he  sold  it  to  Fasnocht  Brothers.  It  was  pub- 
lished by  them  for  a  year  and  then  removed  to 
Myerstown.  Its  news  department  was  entirely 
local. 

Womelsdorf  Herald  was  instituted  by 
Michael  K.  Boyer,  an  enterprising  young  prin- 
ter from  Eeading,  in  September,  1879.  It  was 
an  English  non-partisan  weekly  paper.  He 
continued  its  publication  till  May,  1880,  when 
Joel  Weidman  became  the  proprietor.  Several 
months  afterward  Mr.  Weidman  was  compelled 
to  suspend  its  publication  for  want  of  patronage. 

Womelsdorf  News.— In  March,  1882,  Joel 
Weidman  encouraged  himself  to  start  again  in 
the  newspaper  enterprise  at  this  place,  and  then 
issued  the  first  number  of  a  small  weekly  en- 
titled Womelsdorf  News,  with  its  subscription 
price  at  fifty  cents  per  annum.  In  1884  he 
took  a  partner,  enlarged  the  paper,  increased 
the  price  to  seventy-five  cents  per  annum,  and 
under  the  name  of  Weidman  &  Engle,  contin- 
ued its  weekly  publication  till  April,  1885 
when  it  was  suspended. 

NEWSPAPERS  AT    BIRDSBORO'. 

Birdsboro'  Pioneer  was  an  English  weekly 
begun  by  B.  F.  Fries  on  April  24,  1873,  at 
Birdsboro',  and  continued  till  January,  1876. 
It  was  a  folio,  size  of  sheet  twenty-four  by 
thirty-six  inches.  Its  subscription  list  included 
five  hundred  subscribers.     Upon  its  discontin- 


uance at  Birdsboro'  it  was  transferred  to  Read- 
ing by  Mr.  Fries,  where  its  title  was  changed 
to  The  Industrial  Pioneer,  and  became  the 
recognized  advocate  of  the  interests  of  the  work- 
ing people.  '  Several  months  afterward  a  com- 
pany was  organized  at  Reading,  called  the  "In- 
dustrial Publishing  Company,"  by  which  this 
newspaper  was  then  purchased  and  published 
as  a  daily  under  the  management  of  John  Tom- 
linson,  but  it  was  discontinued  after  a  struggling 
existence  for  four  months. 

DAILY  NEWSPAPERS. 

Weekly  newspaper  publications  were  carried 
on  in  Reading  for  fifty  years  before  a  daily  was 
thought  of — at  least  before  a  public  proposition 
to  this  end  was  made.  Many  weeklies  had  been 
instituted  in  that  time ;  but  they  all  suspended 
excepting  two,  and  these  two  are  worthy  of  es- 
pecial mention  for  their  energy,  success  and  lon- 
gevity.— the  Adler  and  the  Journal-^the  former 
a  German  publication  founded  in  1796,  and  the 
latter  an  English  publication  founded  in  1816. 
The  population  was  certainly  here  to  support  a 
daily  newspaper.  The  rapid  increase  of  the  peo- 
ple would  seem  to  have  warranted — if  it  did  not 
inspire — such  an  enterprise  in  that  period  of 
time.  Education  was  quite  general,  though 
stimulated  with  marked  public  energy  after 
1834;  and  the  English  language  was  growing 
gradually  into  favor.  The  railroad  was  con- 
structed, various  shops  and  factories — especially 
for  the  manufacture  of  iron  goods — were  erect- 
ed ;  even  English  churches  were  founded.  The 
borough  was  promoted  into  a  city.  All  these 
things  came  to  pass,  and  yet  the  daily  newspa- 
per had  not  yet  arrived.  The  second  period  of 
Reading  was  unusually  prolific  in  producing 
great  things  for  the  common  progress  of  its  cit- 
izens. In  1840  the  population  was  eight  thou- 
sand four  hundred  and  ten,  and  in  1847  it  was 
about  twelve  thousand ;  and  in  the  respective 
years  named  the  entire  county  had  about  sixty- 
five  thousand  and  seventy  thousand.  The  railroad 
extended  through  the  entire  Schuylkill  Valley 
to  the  north  and  to  the  south,  but  nowhere  else 
from  Reading.  The  stages,  however,  ran  daily 
in  every  direction.  These  means  facilitated  the 
distribution  of  newspapers,  and,  indeed,  encour- 


NEWSPAPEKS. 


419 


aged  the  spirit  of  publication.  And  yet  there 
was  no  daily  newspaper.  The  third  period — 
the  city — came.  Then  there  were  seven  weekly 
newspapers  carried  on  successfully, — Adler,  Jour- 
nal, Berks  County  Press,  Liberale  Beobaclder,  Alt 
Berks,  Jefferson  Democrat  and  Reading  Gazette. 
They  were  issued  upon  different  days  in  the 
week,  but  mostly  on  Saturday.  Naturally,  this 
number  was  sufficient  to  discourage  the  thought 
of  a  daily  publication.  But  the  spirit  ot  enter- 
prise was  working  its  way  wonderfully  through 
the  people  in  different,  channels.  Buildings  were 
multiplying,  trade  was  growing,  population  was 
increasing  and  many  strangers  were  coming  and 
locating  here  permanently.  The  daily  events 
necessarily  grew  with  the  general  growth,  and 
the  disposition  to  know  them  at  once  was  pre- 
paring the  way  for  a  step  beyond  the  weekly 
publication  ;  just  as  the  stage-coach  and  canal- 
boat,  through  the  energy  of  trading,  were  found 
•  to  be  slow  and  had  to  make  way  for  the  steam- 
car,  so  the  weekly  newspaper  was  coming  to  be 
late  in  communicating  news,  the  feeling  against 
the  delay  was  growing  stronger  and  stronger, 
and  public  eagerness  was  clamoring  for  an  im- 
provement, for  a  step  beyond  the  days  of  de- 
cades before.  Of  course,  this  had  to  be  satis- 
fied— this  feeling,  this  eagerness,  ay,  this  curi- 
osity.   And  in  time  it  was. 

Beading  Herald. — Reading  was  incorpor- 
ated as  a  city  in  March,  1847.  Three  months 
afterward  Abraham  S.  Whitman,  a  practical 
young  printer  of  Reading,  took  the  first  step 
beyond  a  weekly  publication  by  instituting  and 
carrying  on  a  tri- weekly  newspaper,  which  he 
entitled  The  Reading  Herald.  His  energy  was 
strong  and  his  spirit  young.  These  gave  him 
boldness  to  encourage  the  project.  Within  two 
months  he  enlarged  its  size  and  improved  its 
appearance.  What  a  conception  this  was  to 
awaken  enthusiasm  in  the  master — public  pat- 
ronage !  But  he  soon  found  that  he  had  stepped 
• — if  not  run — beyond  his  time,  beyond  the  pub- 
lic ;  and,  realizing  that  discretion  would  be  to 
him  the  better  part  of  valor,  he  stepped  back  to 
the  plane  of  his  cotemporaries  and  issued  The 
Beading  Herald  as  a  weekly  newspaper. 

Reading  Gazette. — About  the  same  time 
J.  Lawrence  Getz,  publisher  of  the  Beading 


Gazette  (weekly),  made  the  editorial  announce- 
ment that  he  was  encouraged  to  undertake  the 
publication  of  a  daily  newspaper,  and  on  the 
10th  of  July,  1847,  he  stated  that  he  would 
issue  the  first  number  on  the  following  Monday 
(the  12th  of  July),  his  proposals  having  met 
with  favor  during  the  previous  month  in  a  can- 
vass of  the  city  for  subscribers.  But  he  took  the 
precaution  to  say  (26th  June)  that  if  support 
could  be  obtained  for  the  publication  "well  and 
good,  we  shall  go  ahead  forthwith  ;  if  not,  well 
and  good  again,  we'll  wait  a  little  longer."  He 
issued  the  daily  ;  but  "  it  lived  exactly  nine 
days,  and  then  went  quietly  out  of  existence." 
The  price  was  two  cents  a  copy  or  ten  cents  a 
week. 

These  first  efforts  were  in  1847.  Ten  years 
elapsed.  In  that  time  two  new  railroads  were 
extended  from  this  natural  centre  for  en- 
terprise and  population  in  amongst  the  hills  of 
South  Mountain,  one  to  the  west  through 
Lebanon  Valley,  the  other  to  the  northeast 
through  East  Penn  Valley.  From  twelve 
thousand  the  population  in  the  city  increased 
to  twenty  thousand,  and  from  seventy  thousand 
the  population  of  the  county  increased  to  ninety 
thousand.  The  post-offices  round-about  in  the 
county  multiplied  from  forty-one  to  seventy — 
truly  a  wonderful  increase  in  this  valuable  de- 
partment of  the  public  service.  The  added 
wealth  to  the  community  from  all  sources  was 
estimated  not  by  the  thousands  of  dollars,  but 
by  the  millions,  and  the  hand  press — that  la- 
borious time-server  in  running  off  the  issues  of 
newspaper  publications— was  supplanted  by 
the  steam-press.  Surely,  under  these  inviting 
circumstances,  the  time  would  appear  to  have 
come  for  a  certain  step  in  advance  of  the  days 
of  1796,  of  1816,  of  1847. 

Mr.  Getz  doubtless  reasoned  in  this  manner 
in  1857  ;  and,  satisfying  himself  that  the  pros- 
pects were  favorable,  he  started  in  this  enter- 
prise a  second  time.  In  the  first  issue  (1 5th  of 
June,  1857)  he  expressed  himself  in  an  editorial 
thus, — 

"Again  we  venture  upon  the  experiment  of  a  daily 
issue  of  the  Reading  Gazette.  Ten  years  ago  we  tried 
it  and  it  failed,  or,  more  properly  speaking,  we  aband- 
oned it  Justin  time  to  prevent  its  failure.  It  lived  ex- 


420 


HISTQKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


actly  nine  days,  and  then  quietly  went  out  of  existence. 
Some  of  our  friends,  disposed  to  joke  about  the  affair, 
although  it  was  a  very  serious  thing  to  us,  called  it '  a 
nine  days'  wonder.'  It  was  so  only  in  this  particular 
— that  it  was  very  soon  entirely  forgotten.  But,  in 
other  respects,  nobody  made  the  paper  a  subject  of 
wonder.  The  only  wonder  expressed  was  at  our  folly 
in  undertaking  so  hazardous  an  enterprise.  Few  took 
any  interest  in  our  short-lived  daily,  and  none  thought 
it  was  needed.  But  ten  years  work  many  and  great 
changes  irJ  men  and  things.  Reading  is  larger  and 
more  busy  than  it  was  then,  and  we  are  older  and 
wiser,  if  experience  be  counted  wisdom.  The  want  of 
a  daily  paper  in  our  city  is  now  felt,  and  the  desire 
appears  to  be  general  that  the  want  should  be  sup- 
plied. To  show  our  willingness  to  meet  it,  here  the 
paper  is." 

And  he  presented  before  the  public  a  fine 
morning  newspaper.  It  was  a  folio  in  size, 
twenty-two  by  thirty-two  inches,  with  six 
columns  on  each  page.  Its  contents  com- 
prised nine  columns  of  reading  matter  and 
fifteen  columns  of  advertisements.  The  price 
was  two  cents  a  copy  and  ten  cents  a  week.  He 
continued  the  publicaiion  of  it  successfully, 
though  under  discouraging  patronage,  till  the 
3d  of  February,  1858,  when  he  changed  the 
time  of  its  issue  to  the  evening,  and  reduced 
the  price  to  six  cents  a  week.  This  change 
was  made  as  an  experiment.  The  morning 
issue  not  having  been  a  profitable  enterprise,  he 
desired  to  ascertain  whether  or  not  public  sen- 
timent would  favor  an  evening  issue  at  a  re- 
duced rate.  But  the  experiment  was  carried 
on  for  three  weeks  only,  and,  finding  patronage 
too  weak  for  the  expense,  he  suspended  its  pub- 
lication on  the  27th  of  the  same  month.  The 
last  issue  was  No.  177.  A  local  weekly '  com- 
plimented the  spirit  and  enterprise  with  which 
it  had  been  conducted,  but,  in  addition,  ex- 
pressed the  opinion  that  its  suspension  was  bv 
no  means  creditable  either  to  the  intelligence  or 
to  the  public  spirit  of  a  city  with  twenty-five 
thousand  inhabitants.  Its  list  of  patrons  em- 
braced four  hundred  and  fifty  regular  sub- 
scribers, but  only  sixteen  out  of  two  hundred 
and  forty  business  men  of  Reading  took  suffi- 
cient interest  in  its  success  to  give  it  advertising 
patronage.  And  thus  ended  the  second  at- 
tempt.    It  would  seem  that  the  daily  newspa- 


1  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal. 


per,  like  all  great  things  in  the  progress  of 
mankind,  could  not  be  created  in  the  first  effort, 
but  that  several  efforts  in  its  behalf  also  had  to 
be  made  before  it  became  an  established  insti- 
tution in  our  community. 

We  may  well  ask  why  this  daily  was  not 
supported.     It  was    certainly   conducted    with 
ability,  for  Mr.  Getz  was  a  practical  printer  and 
editor   of  acknowledged   experience  and  com- 
petency.    The  secret  of  its  failure  may  have 
been  hidden  beneath  its  political  bias.      It  was 
an  exponent  of  Democratic  principles.     About 
this  time  the  political  sentiment  of  the  city  was 
against  the  Democratic  party,  and  it  would  seem 
to  have  been  growing  in  favor  of  the  Republi- 
can party.     Just  before,  in  1856,  the  city  gave 
Buchanan  (Democratic  candidate  for  President) 
nearly  one  thousand  majority,  and,  in  1857,  it 
gave  A.  Jordan   Schwartz  (Democratic  candi- 
date for  mayor)  368   majority;   but,  in   1858, 
it  gave  Benneville  Keim  (candidate  for  mayor  • 
on  the  American  ticket)  444  majority,  and,  in 
1859,  for  same  office,  944  majority  over  the 
Democratic   candidate;  and,  in    1860,  it  gave 
Lincoln  (Republican  candidate  for  President),  a 
plurality  of  338,  though  the  sentiment  against 
the  Democratic  party  was  stronger,  the  majority 
having  been  580  in  a  total  vote  of  3700.    A 
file  of  the  issues  of  the  daily  is  not  in  existence. 
Hence  we  cannot  express  a  positive  opinion. 
The  political  sentiment  was  against  the  editor, 
and  the  price  may  have  been  too  high,  the  peo- 
ple not  having  been  taught  as  yet  to  appreciate 
such  a  factor  in  their  midst  by  paying  for  it  at 
the  rate  of  one  cent  a  day  or  six  cents  a  week. 

Reading  Times. — Immediately  after  the 
suspension  of  the  Herald  a  stronger  feeling  for 
a  daily  newspaper  manifested  itself  in  the  city. 
So  a  third  attempt  was  made.  A  sentiment  in 
its  behalf  had  apparently  been  created  at  Mr. 
Getz's  expense.  This  was  by  a  stranger  to  the 
city.  In  many  things,  it  is  said,  a  prophet  is 
not  without  honor,  save  in  his  own  land.  And 
it  would  seem  that  this  was  applicable  here, 
with  respect  to  the  daily  newspaper.  J.  Robley 
Dunglison,  an  accomplished  young  man  from 
Philadelphia,  settled  in  Reading  about  that 
time,  and,  finding  an  opening  in  the  field  of 
journalism,  decided  to  take  up  the  daily  news- 


NEWSPAPERS. 


421 


paper  for  his  vocation.  On  the  19th  ot  July, 
1858,  he  issued  the  first  number  of  his  paper, 
which  he  entitled  the  Reading  Daily  Times.  It 
was  a  folio,  printed  in  the  English  language,  in 
size  sixteen  by  twenty-four  inches,  with  five 
columns  on  each  page,  and  issued  in  the  morn- 
ing.    In  his  salutatory,  he  said, — 

"Upon  the  cessation  of  the  issue  of  the  Daily  67a- 
z-tte,  we  were  solicited  by  numerous  friends  to  com- 
mence a  new  daily  newspaper,  whose  columns  should 
not  only  be  perfectly  neutral  in  politics,  but  be  cor- 
rect and  complete  records  of  all  matters  of  social  in- 
terest in  which  the  people  of  Heading  and  vicinity 
might  beinterestei.  Encouraged  by  their  solicitation, 
a  thorough  canvass  of  the  city  was  made,  and  finding 
support  guaranteed  sufficient  to  warrant  the  com- 
mencement of  the  enterprise,  we  determined  to  risk 
the  experiment.'' 

Its  contents  consisted  of  nine  columns  of 
reading  matter,  and  eleven  columns  of  adver- 
tisements. Its  price  was  one  cent  a  copy,  and 
six  cents  a  week.  The  printing-office  in  which 
it  was  published,  was  situated  on  the  north- 
west corner  of  Fourth  and  Penn  Streets. 

Mr.  Dunglison  continued  its  publication  till 
December  9,  1859.  It  was  then  sold  to  Henry 
Lantz  and  conducted  by  him  successfully  till 
he  enlisted  in  the  Civil  War,  in  September,  1861, 
when  he  transferred  it  to  A.  S.  Whitman  and 
C.  F.  Haas.  He  is  given  the  credit  of  estab- 
lishing firmly  the  first  successful  daily  paper 
at  Reading.  The  firm  of  Whitman  &  Haas 
increased  the  price  to  eighteen  cents  a  week, 
and  issued  it  during  the  progress  of  the  war 
with  great  ability  and  success,  displaying  firm 
patriotism  in  advocating  its  vigorous  prosecu- 
tion and  in  encouraging  all  measures  for  the 
preservation  of  the  Union.  Its  columns  con- 
tained full  reports  of  the  movements  of  the 
army,  of  the  battles  fought,  etc.,  besides  local 
and  general  news  and  interesting  literary  mat- 
ter. The  publishers  displayed  much  enterprise 
in  its  publication.  It  was  the  only  daily  paper 
then  issued  at  Reading.  Daily  papers  from 
Philadelphia  and  New  York — especially  the 
Pi-ess  from  the  former  place,  and  the  Tribune 
from  the  latter — were  patronized  by  our  com- 
munity for  extended  correspondence  pertaining 
to  the  war  in  the  several  sections  of  the  South- 
ern States,  and  for  vigorous  editorials  in»  sus- 


taining the  national  government.  In  that 
thrilling  period  of  our  history  the  Times  occu- 
pied a  position  here  similar  to  the  position  of 
the  other  papers  named  in  their  respective 
cities. 

In  March,  1865,  F.  B.  Shalters,  Jr.,  became 
one  of  the  firm,  and  in  September  following 
Mr.  Haas  retired,  on  account  of  official  duties 
as  clerk  of  the  city.  Mr.  Haas  had  learned 
the  art  of  printing  under  Mr.  Whitman,  and 
continued  with  him  for  a  number  of  years,  ad- 
vancing from  a  compositor  to  foreman,  and 
thence  to  co-proprietor  of  a  newspaper.  He 
was  a  man  of  ability  and  energy.  In  October, 
1865,  the  price  was  reduced  to  twelve  cents  a 
week. 

In  October,  1868,  Mr.  Whitman  withdrew 
from  the  firm.  Mr.  Shalters  then  became  sole 
proprietor  and  editor,  and  conducted  it  till 
April  3,  1869,  when  he  sold  it  to  A.  C.  Buck- 
waiter  and  Charles  B.  Rhoads.  A  stronger 
feeling  for  newspapers  was  being  created  in  the 
community.  At  that  time  there  were  two  com- 
petitors contending  for  a  share  of  influence  and 
patronage.  These  were  the  Dispatch  and  the 
Eagle,  published  daily  in  the  evening.  The 
parties  named  published  the  Times  successfully 
till  June  19th  following.  Messrs.  J.  Knabb  & 
Co.,  the  proprietors  of  the  Berks  and  Schuyl- 
kill Journal,  then  purchased  it,  and  conducted 
it  in  connection  with  their  weekly  newspaper. 
In  the  previous  eleven  years,  it  had  passed 
under  the  management  of  five  different  parties. 
But  a  new  era  began  in  its  history  under  the 
direction  of  an  established  firm,  its  prospects 
soon  brightening  and  its  circulation  extending. 
Within  a  year  afterward  (April  4,  1870)  the 
firm  purchased  the  Evening  Dispatch,  and 
united  it  with  the  Times,  entitling  the  news- 
paper Reading  Times  and  Dispatch.  From 
that  time  onward  it  has  been  successfully  pub- 
lished by  the  same  firm.  The  latter  part  of 
the  title  was  dropped  in  December,  1881.  In 
politics  it  has  been  a  consistent  advocate  of 
Republican  principles.  In  general  and  local 
news  it  has  always  exhibited  energy  on  the 
one  hand  in  collecting  the  daily  occurrences 
both  here  and  in  distant  places,  and  care  on 
the  other  in  reporting  them  correctly ;  and  the 


422 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


department  of  general  literature  for  the  family 
has  been  conducted  with  discrimination.  In 
general  reading  matter,  all  the  newspapers  of 
Reading  display  a  praiseworthy  energy  towards 
creating  increasing  interest  in  daily  publica- 
tions. Compared  with  publications  ten  years 
ago,  they  show  considerable  progress.  In  the 
line  of  general  advancement  they  are  at  the 
head  of  the  column,  advocating  measures  for 
the  convenience  and  improvement  of  the  com- 
munity. 

Evening  Dispatch  was  a  daily  newspaper, 
begun  on  February  10,  1866,  by  J.  D.  Lacier, 
C.  D.  Eliot,  H.  Schultz  and  J.  L.  Mast,  who 
traded  under  the  name  of  Lacier  &  Co.  It  was 
published  every  week-day  afternoon,  at  fifteen 
cents  a  week,  and  seven  dollars  a  year.  Its 
size  was  twenty-two  by  thirty-six  inches,  with 
seven  columns  on  each  page.  It  was  a  thor- 
oughly Republican  paper,  and  conducted  with 
energy  and  ability  till  April  4,  1870,  when 
Messrs.  J.  Knabb  &  Co.  purchased  and  merged 
it  with  the  Daily  Times,  in  conjunction  with 
which  paper,  as  the  Reading  Times  and  Dis- 
patch, it  appeared  on  the  following  day. 

Reading  Daily  Reporter  was  started  by 
Alfred  S.  Jones  as  an  independent  newspaper 
on  April  26,  1864,  and  carried  on  successfully 
by  him  for  four  months.  It  was  a  folio,  price 
six  cents  a  week.  The  subscription  list,  at  the 
beginning,  included  twelve  hundred  patrons. 
John  Ralston,  Esq.,  then  became  a  partner, 
and  the  newspaper  was  published,  in  an  en- 
larged form,  at  ten  cents  a  week,  as  a  Demo- 
cratic organ  for  several  months  longer,  and 
suspended. 

Reading  Daily  Eagle.— This  daily  Eng- 
lish newspaper  was  begun  by  William  S.  Ritter 
and  Jesse  G.  Hawley,  proprietors  of  the  Adler, 
on  January  28, 1868.  Its  size  was  twenty-two  by 
thirty  inches,  and  its  price  three  cents  a  copy,  ten 
cents  a  week  and  $4.50  a  year.  The  motto 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  paper  was  : 
"  For  the  good  that  lacks  assistance, 
For  the  wrong  that  needs  resistance.'' 

The  firm  of  Ritter  &  Co.  was  dissolved  on 
November  13,  1874,  and  the  Daily  Eagle  be- 
came the  property  of  Mr.  Hawley.  During 
that  year  the  firm  bought  and  introduced  into 


their  establishment  a  Hoe  four-cylinder  rotary 
press,  costing  nineteen  thousand  dollars. 

The  daily  issue  was  published  six  days  of  the 
week,  in  the  afternoon,  till  February  25,  1877. 
Shortly  before,  an  increasing  demand  had  arisen 
for  a  Sunday  local  paper,  and  Mr.  Hawley  satis- 
fied this  demand  by  issuing  a  Sunday  edition  of 
the  Eagle  in  the  morning.  It  was  at  once 
appreciated.  The  price  was,  and  still  is,  three 
cents  a  copy.  It  is  the  only  Sunday  English 
paper  in  the  county. 

This  newspaper  has  been  issued  regularly 
since  on  every  day  of  the  year  with  increasing 
patronage  and  success,  and  an  extending  circu- 
lation throughout  this  city  and  county,  and  into 
adjoining  counties.  It  is  independent  in  politics. 
Its  columns  show  much,.energy  and  success  in 
collecting  news,  both  local  and  general.  The 
editor  of  these  papers,  including  the  Weekly 
Eagle,  is  John  D.  Missimer. 

Jesse  G.  Hawley,  son  of  Jesse  Hawley  and 
Esther  (ne'e  Meredith)  his  wife,  was  born  at 
Pughtown,  in  Chester  County,  Pa.,  on  August 
8,  1839,  and  educated  at  the  Marshalton  Acad- 
emy (a  private  institution  in  Chester  County), 
Millersville  Normal  School,  and  at  Pough- 
keepsie,  N.  Y.  Whilst  at  the  latter  place  he 
studied  law  at  the  National  Law  School.  He 
then  settled  at  Reading  in  September,  1859, 
finished  his  legal  studies  under  Maj.  Samuel  L. 
Young,  at  Reading,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
Berks  County  bar  on  September  20,  1860. 
He  continued  in  active  practice  till  1870.  Dur- 
ing that  time,  in  1864,  he  purchased  a  half- 
interest  in  the  Readinger  Adler,  and  became  in- 
terested with  William  S.  Ritter  in  the  business 
of  printing  and  publication.  He  and  his  part- 
ner instituted  the  Daily  Eagle  in  1868,  and 
purchased  the  Reading  Gazette  and  Democrat 
in  1869.  These  three  publications,  together 
with  a  large  book-store  and  printing  establish- 
ment, were  conducted  very  successfully  by  them 
till  1874,  when  Mr.  Hawley  became  the  sole 
proprietor  of  all,  excepting  the  Adler,  his  inter- 
est in  which  he  then  transferred  to  Mr.  Ritter, 
and  the  firm  of  Ritter  &  Co.  was  dissolved. 
In  1877  he  began  the  publication  of  a  Sunday 
edition  of  the  Eagle;  and  in  1878  he  substituted 
the  name  of  Weekly  Eagle  in  the  place  of  the 


NEWSPAPERS. 


423 


•Gazette  and  Democrat.  He  has  conducted  his 
newspapers,  printing  establishment  and  book- 
store with  great  and  increasing  success. 

Since  1880  he  has  annually  traveled  very 
extensively  throughout  the  United  States  and 
Europe,  journeying  across  the  continent  in  the 
former,  and  visiting  all  the  important  countries 
and  metropolitan  places  in  the  latter.  During 
a  second  visit  to  Europe,  in  1 885,  he  was  accom- 
panied by  his  wife  and  daughters. 

Mr.  Hawley  was  married  to  Kate  E.,  daugh- 
ter of  Louis  Ritter,  of  Reading.  He  has  two 
daughters,  Edith  and  Helen.  He  is  highly 
esteemed  throughout  the  community  for  his 
business  enterprise  and  progressive  spirit.  Gen- 
eral education  and  internal  improvements  have 
his  constant  and  earnest  encouragement. 

Die  Reading  Post. — The  first  daily  English 
newspaper  was  established  at  Reading  in  1858. 
Ten  years  afterward  a  daily  German  newspaper 
was  established  here  by  William  Rosenthal. 
This  was  on  June  1,  1868.  A  departure^  of 
this  character  from  the  ordinary  course  of  Ger- 
man newspaper  publications  required  more  than 
ordinary  enterprise  and  courage,  and  also  a  care- 
ful survey  of  the  community,  in  order  to  know 
that  such  a  publication  would  be  acceptable 
and  be  sufficiently  patronized.  But  Mr.  Rosen- 
thal was  equal  to  the  task;  and,  mastering 
the  situation,  he  started  out  boldly  and  at 
once  won  success  by  deserving  it.  And  he  has 
continued  it  till  now.  It  is  the  only  daily 
German  newspaper  in  the  State,  outside  of 
Philadelphia  and  Pittsburgh.  It  is  a  folio, 
printed  on  a  sheet  twenty-four  by  thirty-five 
inches ;  price  (including  Sunday  supplement) 
twelve  cents  a  week,  and  six  dollars  a  year.  Its 
circulation  is  mostly  in  Reading.  It  has  secured 
a  strong  hold  upon  the  community  through  his 
intelligent  and  careful  direction,  avoiding  offen- 
sive partisanship  and  the  discussion  of  religious 
subjects.  Mr.  Rosenthal  has  accomplished  a 
work  worthy  of  special  mention,  when  we  con- 
sider the  strong  and  persistent  influences  at  work 
against  the  preservation  of  the  German  language 
and  its  daily  use  here  by  the  increasing  encour- 
agement given  to  English  education. 

Daily  Spirit  of  Berks. — Mr.  Daniel  S. 
Francis,  after  having  issued   successfully  the 


Weekly  Spirit  of  Berks  for  over  five  years,  was 
encouraged  to  issue  a  daily  edition.  On  August 
6, 1881,  he  accordingly  began  the  publication  of 
the  Daily  Spirit  of  Berks,  and  it  met  with  im- 
mediate success.  In  November  following,  he 
sold  both  papers  to  John  B.  Dartipman,  Esq., 
who  shortly  afterward  formed  a  co-partnership 
with  A.  C.  Buckwalter.  This  firm  then  re- 
organized the  two  editions  and  changed  their 
names  to  the  Morning  Herald  and  Weekly 
Herald. 

They  have  conducted  both  since  with  increas- 
ing success.  The  daily  edition  contains  vigorous 
and  independent  editorials.  It  is  conducted 
with  ability.  In  politics  it  is  neutral.  Much 
attention  is  given  to  the  discussion  of  questions 
on  the  subject  of  labor,  and  much  enterprise 
is  displayed  in  the  news  department,  both  local 
and  general. 

The  Reading  Daily  News  was  begun  by 
William  S.  Ritter,  the  proprietor  of  the  Adler, 
on  May  1,  1880.  It  is  a  folio  sheet,  twenty- 
four  by  thirty-six  inches,  with  seven  columns 
on  each  page,  and  issued  daily,  excepting  Sun- 
days, in  the  afternoon.  In  politics  it  is 
thoroughly  Democratic.  Its  editorial  depart- 
ment is  conducted  by  Jacob  Weidel,  Esq.  It  is 
a  progressive  newspaper,  showing  energy  in  the 
collection  of  news  and  vigor  in  the  discussion 
of  general  topies.  It  is  now  in  its  sixth  year, 
in  which  time,  notwithstanding  the  existence  of 
three  other  daily  papers  at  Reading, — two  in  the 
morning  and  one  in  the  afternoon, — it  has  ac- 
quired a  considerable  popularity  and  an  extended 
circulation  throughout  the  city  and  county. 

Other  daily  papers  were  conducted  at  Read- 
ing, but  their  publication  was  not  continued 
for  any  considerable  time.  The  earliest 
was  the  Daily  Leader,  and  afterward  there 
appeared  the  Evening  Star,  Evening  Record, 
Daily  People  and  Daily  Graphic. 

Louis  A.  Wollenwebek  was  at  no  time 
connected  with  the  newspapers  of  Reading  or 
Berks  County.  But  he  has  been  a  printer, 
newspaper  publisher  and  correspondent  through 
a  period  of  fifty  years  in  this  country,  and 
identified  himself  so  thoroughly  with  our  com- 
munity that  he  is  worthy  of  a  place  in  this 
chapter. 


424 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


He  was  born  December  5,  1807,  at  Ixheim, 
a  suburb  of  the  town  of  Z  wiebriioken,  Germany, 
and  there  learned  the  trade  of  printing.  After 
the  French  Revolution  he  manifested  an  active 
public  interest  in  politics,  and  made  speeches 
against  the  crown.  This  conduct  obliged  him 
to  flee  from  his  country.  He  emigrated  to  the 
United  States,  landing  at  Philadelphia,  July 
18,  1832.  He  spent  the  following  year  at 
Reading  and  then  returned  to  Philadelphia, 
where  he  found  employment  at  printing.  In 
August,  1836,  he  instituted  there  the  first 
daily  German  newspaper  in  the  United  States. 
It  was  entitled  Frei-einige ;  and  in  1838  he 
began  the  publication  of  another  daily  German 
newspaper,  entitled  Philadelphia  Democrat, 
and  continued  its  issue  regularly  till  1852,  when 
he  sold  it  to  Hoifman  &  Morwitz,  and  retired 
from  the  active  duties  and  responsibilities  of 
'  newspaper  life.  After  residing  again  at  Read- 
ing during  the  years  1854  and  1855  he  acted  as 
agent  for  a  number  of  German  steamship  lines 
at  Philadelphia.  Whilst  filling  this  position 
his  only  son  Louis  was  killed  in  the  Civil  War, 
in  the  service  of  the  national  government.  This 
was  a  hard  blow  to  him,  but  he  bore  the  sacri- 
fice willingly,  because  it  was  for  a  great  and  free 
country  which  he,  as  a  stranger,  had  learned  to 
love.  Shortly  afterward  he  moved  permanently 
to  Berks  County.  He  lived  at  Womelsdorf  till 
1876,  and  then  settled  at  Reading.  He  is  the 
local  agent  here  for  the  German  Consul,  and  is 
also  correspondent  for  a  number  of  prominent 
German  newspapers  in  this  country  and  in 
Germany.  During  his  residence  at  Womelsdorf 
he  became  interested  in  our  early  local  history, 
and  after  gathering  considerable  facts,  particu- 
larly relating  to  the  German  immigrants,  he 
published,  in  1880,  a  small,  but  interesting  book 
in  th^  German  language,  entitled  Die  beiden 
ersten  Deutschen  Ansiedler  in  Pennsylvanien, 
and  about  the  same  time  another,  entitled  Die 
Berg  Maria  (narrating  the  affecting  story  of  a 
German  woman  who  lived  alone  on  the  moun- 
tain in  Pike  township,  this  county).  He  is  a 
stranger  in  a  strange  land,  but  he  is  thoroughly 
appreciated  for  his  genial  and  sociable  disposi- 
tion and  upright  deportment.  He  has  found  a 
desirable  home  here  in  the  midst  of  beautiful 


hills,  and,  as  he  expressed  himself,  he  wants  to 
be  buried  in  his  beloved  old  Berks  County. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 

The  internal  improvements  of  the  county 
relate  to  the  several  prominent  affairs  which 
have  been  instituted  and  carried  on  for  the 
general  development,  convenience  and  enrich- 
ment of  the  whole  community. 

They  comprise  the  following  subjects  :  Schuyl- 
kill River,  Bridges,  Roads  and  Turnpikes, 
Stages,  Canals,  Railways,  Public  County  Build- 
ings, Post-OflSces,  Telegraph  and  Telephone. 

Each  of  these  subjects  are  treated  in  the 
order  mentioned. 

SCHUYLKILL  RIVER. 

In  a  natural  aspect,  the  Schuylkill  River  has 
occupied  an  important  position  in  the  well-being 
of  the  county.  We  can  only  appreciate  this 
position  by  realizing  the  great  advantages  which 
it  has  afforded  us  in  leading  away  successfully 
the  enormous  quantities  of  water  throughout 
the  year,  from  the  mountains  and  valleys  to  the 
sea.  And  its  meandering  channel  is  worthy  ot 
consideration,  inasmuch  as  the  flowing  waters 
are  thereby  detained  in  their  onward  course  to 
moisten  the  air  and  vegetation,  and  to  proceed 
with  only  such  speed  as  not  to  injure  the  adjoin- 
ing country. 

Fishing  and  Navigation. — In  a  practical 
aspect,  it  has  been  valuable  in  various  ways — 
two  especially,  fishing  and  navigation.  In 
respect  to  fishing,  it  was  a  source  of  profit  and 
subsistence  to  the  early  settlers  who  occupied 
the  adjoining  properties.  They  discovered  this 
fact  immediately  after  settling  here;  and  to 
facilitate  the  catching  of  large  quantities  of  fish 
with  little  labor  and  expense,  they  erected  wears, 
racks  and  dams  in  the  river,  into  which  the 
fish  were  driven  by  the  fishermen,  who  either 
waded  afoot  or  rode  on  horseback  through  the 
water.  And  in  respect  to  navigation,  it  was 
likewise  a  source  of  advantage  to  them  in  en- 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


425 


abling  them  to  carry  conveniently,  by  boats, 
flats  and  canoes,  and  with  little  expense,  great 
quantities  of  grain  and  goods  of  all  kinds,  to 
the  market  at  Philadelphia. 

Penn  had  hardly  landed  here  before  he  found 
that  navigation  in  the  river  was  obstructed  by 
fishing  wears  and  dams ;  and  believing  them 
to  be  objectionable,  he  encouraged  legislation 
against  them.  Various  acts  were  passed,  but 
the  wears  and  dams  were  not  abandoned.  This 
process  of  fishing  continued.  But  eventually 
the  inconvenience  and  suffering  occasioned  by 
them  became  so  burdensome  that  loud  and 
earnest  complaints  arose,  when  they  were  dis- 
continued ;  but  not  till  the  assistance  of  the 
law  had  been  invoked.  The  farmers  of  our 
own  county  having  been  concerned  in  the 
difficulties  which  they  occasioned,  I  submit 
such  details  as  I  could  find  relating  to  them. 

Obstructions  to  ^Navigation. — Deposi- 
tions in  respect  to  these  dams,  and  the  obstruc- 
tions to  navigation,  were  taken  before  George 
Boone,  Esq.,  on  the  12th  of  March,  1728. 
The  following  witnesses,  who  resided  in  Amity 
township,  were  heard : 

"  Marcus  Hiding  said  that  as  he  was  going  down 
the  Schuylkill  with  a  canoe  loaded  with  wheat,  it 
struck  on  a  fish-dam  and  took  a  great  deal  of  water 
into  the  wheat,  by  means  whereof  his  wheat  was 
much  damnified  and  was  in  great  danger  of  being  all 
lost.  At  another  time  he  struck  fast  on  a  fish-dam 
and  would  have  lost  his  whole  load  of  wheat  if  he 
had  not  leaped  into  the  river  and  with  hard  labor 
prevented  the  canoe  from  swinging  around,  and 
thereby  he  suffered  very  much  in  his  body  by  reason 
of  the  water  and  cold.  And  at  still  another  time  he 
struck  fast  on  one  of  the  rack-dams,  and  with  great 
hazard  and  hard  labor  escaped  with  his  life  and  load. 

"  Jonas  Jones  said  that  in  the  month  of  February,, 
the  weather  being  extremely  cold,  he  struck  fast  on  a 
fish-dam,  and,  to  save  his  load  of  wheat,  was  obliged 
to  leap  into  the  river  to  the  middle  of  his  body,  and 
with  all  his  labor  and  skill  he  could  not  get  off  in  less 
than  half  an  hour.  Afterward  he  proceeded  on  his 
journey  with  the  clothes  frozen  stiff  on  his  back,  by 
means  whereof  he  underwent  a  great  deal  of  misery." 

"  Jacob  Waren  said  that  he  struck  fast  on  a  dam 
with  a  canoe  loaded  with  wheat  and  he  and  his  part- 
ner were  forced  into  the  river ;  and  then  one  of  them 
was  obliged  with  all  his  might  to  hold  the  canoe 
whilst  the  other  dug  away  the  stones  of  the  dam  and 
thus  with  much  difficulty  got  off. 
»  "  Lime  SmMy  said  that    whilst  going   down  the 


river  he  struck  fast  on  a  rack-dam  with  one  hundred 
and  forty  bushels  of  wheat  in  a  canoe,1  and  in  order 
to  save  the  load  from  being  all  lost,  he  (much  against 
his  mind)  was  obliged  to  leap  into  the  river.  The 
water,  being  up  to  his  chin  in  depth,  frequently 
dashed  into  his  mouth,  where  between  whiles  he 
breathed..  Pie  and  his  partner  were  only  able  to  hold 
the  canoe  with  great  labor,  whilst  a  young  man, 
there  present,  ran  above  a  mile  to  call  help  to  get 
them  off. 

"  Walter  Campbell  said  that  he  had  stuck  fast  many 
times  on  the  fish-dams  with  his  canoe  loaded  with 
wheat,  and  been  forced  to  leap  into  the  river  before 
he  could  get  off. 

"  Jonas  Yucum  and  Richard  Dun/din  said  that  they 
got  fust  on  a  fish-dam  with  their  canoe  loaded  with 
sixty  bushels  of  wheat ;  and  the  said  Dunklin's  wife 
and  a  young  child  whilst  in  the  canoe  were  for  more 
than  an  hour  in  great  danger  of  being  overset  into 
the  river,  and  if  this  had  happened  they  would  un- 
doubtedly have  been  lost. 

"  Barnabas  Boades  said  that  he  struck  fast  on  a 
fish-dam  in  the  Schuylkill  for  several  hours  in  the 
cold  winter  season,  destitute  of  any  help,  in  which 
time  he  underwent  many  hardships  and  at  last  got  off 
— during  all  which  time  he  was  in  great  danger  both 
of  his  life  and  load.  And  that  he  had  been  fast  on 
the  said  dams  at  divers  times  and  in  great  danger. 

"  And  John  Boone,  Joseph  Boone,  James  Boone,  Sam- 
uel Boone  and  George  Boone  also  said  that  they  were  fast 
sundry  times  on  the  said  fish-dams  and  rack-dams  ; 
and  to  preserve  their  loads  of  wheat,  they  were  forced 
several  times  to  leap  into  the  river,  escaping  very 
narrowly  with  their  lives  and  loads." 

Riot  between  Boatmen  and  Fisheemen. 
— These  obstructions  in  the  way  of  navigating 
the  river  had  existed  for  some  time  before  this 
investigation  and  continued  for  some  years 
afterward.  The  fishermen  claimed  the  right  to 
carry  on  fishing,  especially  since  they  had  ex- 
pended considerable  money  and  labor  in  con- 
structing their  wears  and  dams  in  the  river  at 
and  near  their  properties.  In  locating  them, 
they  selected  places  most  convenient  and  advan- 
tageous ;  but  these  were  generally  where  they 
obstructed  navigation  most.  The  canoes,  in 
passing  down  the  river,  naturally  demolished 

1  These  canoes  were  evidently  of  considerable  size  to 
carry  so  large  a  quantity  of  wheat.  They  were  hewn  out 
of  a  single  trunk  of  a  tree.  The  growth  of  the  trees  in 
the  wild,  extended  forest  of  that  early  day  was  very  large. 
William  Penn  stated,  in  a  letter  written  in  1683,  that  he 
had  seen  a  canoe  made  from  a  poplar  tree  which  carried 
four  tons  of  bricks.  The  Sraally  canoe  must  have  heen 
one  of  this  size,  if  not  larger. 


426 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


them  and  necessarily  injured  the  business  and 
success  of  the  fishermen.  Hence,  they  com- 
plained. But  the  farmers,  who  lived  up  the 
river,  also  claimed  the  right  of  navigating  in 
and  through  its  waters  for  the  purpose  of  con- 
veying merchandise  to  the  market  at  Philadel- 
phia, and  they  were  determined  to  exercise  this 
right.  Notwithstanding  these  difficulties  in 
the  way  of  each  class,  the  fisherman  continued 
his  fishing  and  the  farmer  continued  his  navi- 
gation, the  one  losing  fish  and  the  other 
risking  cargo'and  life.  Six  years  passed,  how- 
ever, before  they  culminated  in  proceedings  at 
law — for  the  farmers  had  in  this  time  suffered 
such  marked  inconveniences  and  losses  that 
patience  ceased  to  be  a  virtue,  and  they  accord- 
ingly lodged  complaints  before  George  Boone, 
Esq.  (a  justice  of  Philadelphia  County,  in  Oley 
township),  and  obtained  a  warrant  for  removing 
the  obstructions  in  the  river  and  the  arrest  of 
their  assailants.  This  warrant  was  placed  in 
the  hands  of  the  constable  of  Amity  township 
(William  Richards),  on  the  20th  day  of  April, 
1738 ;  and,  with  deputies  to  accompany  him, 
he  proceeded  down  the  river  to  execute  the 
same.  But  the  fishermen  had  no  fears  for  the 
law  and  the  constable  who  had  visited  them  to 
execute  its  mandate.  They  defended  their 
wears  and  dams,  and  their  opposition  resulted 
in  a  riotous  demonstration.  The  facts  relating 
to  it  are  detailed  in  the  following  interesting 
deposition  of  the  constable,  taken  on  the  27th 
of  April  following  : * 

"That,  on  the  twentieth  day  of  this  instant,  April, 
he  received  a  warrant  requiring  him  to  take  to  his  as- 
sistance such  persons  as  this  deponent  should  tliink 
proper,  and  go  down  the  Schuylkill  and  remove  all 
such  obstructions  as  should  be  found  in  the  said  river. 
In  obedience  to  which  warrant  he  took  several  per- 
sons, inhabitants  of  the  said  county,  as  his  assistants, 
and  together  with  one  Robert  Smith,  constable  of 
Oley,  who  had  received  a  warrant  to  the  same  pur- 
pose, went  down  the  said  river  in  three  canoes  to 
Mingo  Creek,  where  they  found  a  large  number  of 
racks  and  obstructions  in  the  said  river,  and  saw  four 
men  upon  an  island  near  the  said  racks  ;  that  this  de- 
ponent and  company  removed  the  said  racks  without 
receiving  any  opposition.  Thence  they  proceeded 
down  the  river  to  the  mouth  of  Pickering's  Creek 
near  which  they  found  several  racks,  which  extended 


1  1  Pennsylvania  Arch.,  553-554. 


across  the  said  river  to  an  island,  which  racks  this  de- 
ponent and  company  also  removed.  Then  immedi- 
ately about  the  number  of  two  hundred  men  came 
down  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  and  were  very  rude 
and  abusive,  and  threatened  this  deponent  and  his 
company,  and  expecting  from  the  ill  language  and 
threats  given  that  some  mischief  or  a  quarrel  would 
ensue,  he  took  his  staff  in  his  hand  and  his  warrant, 
and  commanded  the  said  men,  in  the  king's  name,  to 
keep  the  peace,  and  told  them  that  he  came  there  in 
a  peaceable  manner  and  according  to  law  to  move  the 
racks  and  obstructions  in  the  river,  upon  which  some 
of  the  said  men  damned  the  laws  and  the  law-makers, 
and  cursed  this  deponent  and  his  assistants ;  that  one 
James  Starr  knocked  this  deponent  down  in  the  river 
with  a  large  club  or  stake,  after  which  several  of  the 
said  men  attacked  this  deponent  and  company  with 
large  clubs,  and  knocked  down  said  Robert  Smith, 
the  constable,  as  also  several  of  his  assistants;  thiit 
one  John  Wainwright,  accompanying  him,  was  struck 
down  with  a  pole  or  staff,  and  lay  as  dead,  with  his 
body  on  the  shore  and  his  feet  in  the  river ;  that  this 
deponent  and  company,  finding  that  they  were  not 
able  to  make  resistance,  were  obliged  to  make  the  be^t 
of  their  way  in  order  to  save  their  lives ;  and  they  to- 
gether after  this  proceeded  down  the  river,  in  order 
to  go  to  Philadelphia  to  make  complaint  of  the  ill 
usage  they  had  received.  As  they  came  near  Perki- 
omen  Creek  they  found  another  set  of  racks,  which 
were  guarded  by  a  great  number  of  men.  That  this 
deponent  and  company  requested  the  said  men  to  let 
them  go  down  the  river,  and,  if  they  would  suffer 
them  to  pass,  they  would  not  meddle  with  their  racks. 
Upon  which  the  said  men  abused  and  cursed  this  de- 
ponent in  a  very  gross  manner,  and  said  that  they 
should  not  pass  by  them.  One  of  the  said  men  called 
out  aloud,  and  offered  five  pounds  for  Timothy  Mil- 
ler's head,  the  said  Timothy  being  one  of  deponent's 
assistants,  and  another  of  the  said  men  called  out 
to  the  said  Timothy  to  make  haste  away.  And  after- 
ward the  said  men  pursued  this  deponent  and  com- 
pany, who,  for  fear  of  being  murdered,  made  the  best 
of  their  way  with  their  canoes  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Perkiomen  Creek,  and  there  went  ashore,  and  left 
their  canoes  there,  with  some  clothes,  which  are  since 
reported  split  in  pieces  and  the  clothes  turned  adrift 
in  the  river." 

Benjamin  Milliard,  one  of  Richards'  assis- 
tants, a  resident  of  Chester  County,  deposed  on 
the  same  day  that  the  statements  made  by 
Richards,  in  his  deposition,  were  true. 

The  Executive  Council  having  been  informed 
of  this  obstruction  to  legal  process  and  this 
attack  upon  the  constable  and  his  assistants, 
they,  on  the  25th  of  April,  1738,  recommended 
to  the  justices  of  the  counties  of  Philadelphia 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


■427 


and  Chester  to  issue  their  warrants  for  appre- 
hending all  such  persons  who  were  concerned  in 
the  said  riot  and  outrage. 

The  fishermen  were  doubtless  arrested,  for 
the  sheriffs  of  the  said  counties  were  "  enjoined 
and  required,  with  sufficient  assistance,  if  need 
be,  to  cause  the  warrants  to  be  duly  executed," 
and  the  farmers  of  Amity  township  were 
enabled  to  carry  their  wheat,  etc.,  by  canoes  on 
the  river  to  Philadelphia  without  any  further 
trouble  from  their  opponents. 

There  was  no  trouble  along  the  Schuylkill 
above  the  mouth  of  the  Manatawny,  in  ref- 
erence to  wears  and  dams.  And  yet  fishing 
was  carried  on  to  a  great  extent,  especially  by 
the  citizens  of  Reading.  There  were  two  fish- 
pools  which  were  particularly  famous  for  their 
supplies  of  fish, — "  Levan's  "  and  "  Lntz's," 
the  former  at  the  foot  of  Neversink,  and  the 
latter  a  short  distance  above.  Fishing  was 
continued  successfully  for  seventy  years  in  these 
pools  till  the  construction  of  the  "  Little  Dam  " 
in  the  Schuylkill  Canal,  and  this  forced  their 
abandonment.  Fishing  with  nets  was  common. 
It  was  a  regular  pursuit  with  some  people. 
After  the  canal  began  to  be  constructed  fisher- 
men turned  to  the  river  for  sport  with  the  rod 
and  line  rather  than  for  profit  with  nets. 

Foeds  over  Schuykill  in  1778. — The 
following  fords  over  the  Schuylkill  River  from 
Reading  southwardly  to  the  county  line  were 
reported  in  1778 : 

Miles  from  Reading.  Depth  of  water. 

...  Kern's 9  in. 

...  Frederick  Micket's 12  in. 

...  Henry  Bingaman's 15  in. 

...  Stock  Falls 10  to  15  in.  rocky 

2  Callopey  Stream 18  in.  rocky 

...  Lewis'  Ferry [12  to  15  in.  very  rocky 

...  Cow  and  Calf. 12  in. 

6  Lewis'  Falls [5  to    7  in.  long  and  rocky 

7  Postion,  Murry  Island 10  to  12  in. 

...  Leonard  Lappoe's  Shoals 8  to  12  in. 

8  Green  Tree  Ford 5  to    6  in. 

9  Baichel  Shoals 8  to  12  in. 

11  Jacob  Hewit's  Ford 8  in. 

14  Campbell's  Ford 6  to  ,  7  in. 

15  David  Davis' Ford 7  to    8  in. 

17  White  Horse  Ford,  Gerlin's...  12  in. 

...  Abraham  Wanggerfs  Ford 15  in. 

Navigation    encouraged  by   Legisla- 


tion.— The  Schuylkill  River  forms  the  western 
boundary  of  Reading.  In  its  natural  state,  be- 
fore it  was  contracted  on  both  sides  by  the 
construction  of  the  Schuylkill  Canal  along  its 
eastern  bank,  and  of  the  Union  Canal  along 
its  western,  it  was  over  six  hundred  feet  wide. 
Its  bed  was  capable  of  carrying  a  large  body  of 
water.  Before  1800  the  quantity  of  water 
which  flowed  daily  through  its  meandering 
channel  was  considerable.  It  occupied  a  very 
important  relation  with  Reading  in  its  early 
history,  much  more  than  since  the  introduction 
of  the  canals  and  railways.  It  was  not  only  in- 
dispensable in  receiving  and  carrying  away 
the  drainage  of  the  town,  but  also  useful  for 
navigation,  in  the  transportation  of  merchan- 
dise by  boats  to  Philadelphia.  Spring  was 
generally  selected  as  the  time  when  shipment 
by  water  could  be  most  conveniently  and  satis- 
factorily made.  Then  the  water  was  higher 
than  during  the  other  seasons  of  the  year. 
Heavy  cargoes  on  flat-boats  would  float  down 
the  river  with  ease,,  requiring  only  proper  and 
careful  steering.  The  steersmen  were  expert  in 
keeping  the  boats  in  the  channel,  and  very 
seldom  failed  to  reach  their  destination  success- 
fully. Besides  the  long  paddle  at  the  stern  ot 
the  boat,  for  guiding  purposes,  there  were  pole- 
men,  with  long,  stout  poles,  who  were  stationed 
at  the  bow,  and  there  directed  the  boat  to  the 
right  or  left,  as  necessity  required.  Poling 
was  not  generally  required  to  propel  the  boat 
with  the  current;  this  labor  was  practiced  in 
returning  against  the  current.  And  what  a 
labor  it  must  have  been  !  we  cannot  imagine 
the  strength,  energy  and  persistence  which  it 
required.  Horse-power  could  not  be  intro- 
duced.    There  were  no  tow-paths. 

The  improvement  of  the  river,  to  facilitate 
navigation,  was  a  subject  of  consideration  by 
our  early  inhabitants,  both  of  the  county  and 
county-seat,  for  many  years.  Its  agitation  be- 
gan at  an  early  period.  An  enterprising  citi- 
zen pf  the  county  addressed  an  interesting 
letter  to  the  Pennsylvania  Gazette,  at  Philadel- 
phia, on  March  24,  1760,  in  reference  to  clear- 
ing the  river  from  obstructions,  expressing  the 
opinion  that  their  removal  would  encourage 
transportation  of  produce,  etc.,  by  water,  and 


428 


HISTOKY  OP  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


be  of  inconceivable  benefit,  as  -well  to  Phila- 
delphia as  to  the  county  of  Berks.1  The  matter 
was  of  such  importance  as  to  gain  the  attention 
of  the  Provincial  Assembly,  and  obtain  appro- 
priations for  the  improvement  of  the  channel. 

A  year  afterward  (March  14,  1761),  an  act 
of  Assembly  was  passed  which  provided  as 
follows : 

"  Whereas,  The  river  Schuylkill  is  navigable  for 
rafts,  boats,  and  other  small  craft  in  times  of  high 
freshes  only,  occasioned  by  the  obstruction  of  rocks 
and  bars  of  sand  and  gravel  in  divers  parts  of  the 
same; 

"And  whereas,  The  improving  the  navigation  of  the 
said  river,  so  as  to  make  it  passable  at  all  times,  will 
be  very  advantageous  to  the  poor,  greatly  conducive 
to  the  promotion  of  industry,  and  beneficial  to  the 
inhabitants  residing  on  or  near  said  river,  by  enabling 
them  to  bring  the  produce  of  the  country  to  the 
market  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  and  thereby 
increase  the  trade  and  commerce  of  the  province ; 

"  And  whereas,  Divers  of  the  inhabitants  of  this 
province,  desirous  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  pub- 
lic, have  subscribed  large  sums  of  money  for  the 
purposes  aforesaid,  and,  by  petition  to  the  Assembly, 
have  requested  that  commissioners  may  be  appointed 
by  law  to  take,  receive,  and  collect  the  said  subscrip- 
tions, and  such  others  as  shall  hereafter  be  given  or 
subscribed,  and  to  apply  and  appropriate  the  same 
for  and  towards  the  clearing,  scouring,  and  rendering 
the  said  river  navigable  as  aforesaid ; 

Therefore  be  it  enacted,  That  Joseph  Fox,  John 
Hughs  Samuel  Rhoads,  John  Potts,  William  Palmer, 
David  Davis,  Mordecai  Moore,  Henry  Pawling.  James 
Coultas,  Jonathan  Coates,  Joseph  Millard,  William 
Bird,  Francis  Parvin,  Benjamin  Lightfoot,  and  Isaac 
Levan  shall  be,  and  hereby  are,  constituted  and 
appointed  commissioners  for  clearing,  scouring  and 
making  the  said  Schuylkill  river  navigable:  *  *  * 
with  full  power  the  moneys  collected  and  received  to 
lay  out,  appropriate  and  employ  for  and  towards 
making  the  said  river  navigable  and  passable  for 
boats,  flats,  rafts,  canoes  and  other  small  vessels,  from 
the  ridge  of  mountains,  commonly  called  the  Blue 
Mountains,  to  the  river  Delaware." 

The  commissioners  were  authorized  to  en- 
large, straighten  and  deepen  the  channel  of 
the  river,  in  any  part  or  place  which  should 
appear  most  convenient.  And  persons  were 
forbidden  to  erect,  build,  or  set  up,  or  maintain 
any  wear,  rack,  basket,  fishing-dam,  pound  or 
other  device  within    said   river,   or  to  fix  or 


'  The  communication  was  signed  by  G.   J.    I  could  not. 
ascertain  his  name. 


fasten  any  net  across  the  same,  whereby  the  fish 
may  be  obstructed  from  going  up  the  said 
river,  or  to  take,  destroy  or  spoil  any  spawn, 
fry  or  brood  of  fish,  under  the  penalty  of 
twenty  pounds,  or  six  months'  imprisonment. 

The  last  four  commissioners  named  in  the 
act  were  residents  of  Berks  County,  and  men 
of  large  wealth  and  great  influence.  But  they 
did  not  succeed  in  their  projected  enterprise, 
though  they  doubtless  proceeded,  to  a  certain 
extent,  in  removing  obstructions,  etc.,  in  the 
river.  In  1773  a  supplement  was  passed  to 
the  act  mentioned,  whereby  new  commission- 
ers were  appointed 2  to  execute  the  provisions 
of  said  act,  and  the  surviving  previous  com- 
missioners were  required  to  pay  over  to  them 
the  moneys  collected  and  remaining  unappro- 
priated. 

In  the  "  Potts  Memorial,"  the  authoress 
(Mrs.  James)  states  (p.  140):  "In  1769  it 
(the  navigation  of  the  Schuylkill)  seems  to 
have  been  a  perfect  battle-cry;  and  the  news- 
papers of  that  date  are  full  of  notices  and 
descriptions  of  contending  interests.  Parties 
ran  high  upon  this  local  project,  and  more 
prominence  is  given  to  it  in  the  newspapers 
than  to  the  oppressive  acts  of  Parliament,  which 
were  soon  to  sever  the  colonies  from  the  mother- 
country." 

And  the  latter  commissioners  did  not  ac- 
complish anything  worthy  of  special  mention.3 

»  From  Berks  County— Mark  Bird,  James  Star,  Jacob 
Kern  and  John  Pawling,  Jr. 

3  A  new  and  third  act  was  passed  24th  March,  1781. 
Thirteen  commissioners  were  appointed  for  same  purpose. 
From  Berks  County— Mark  Bird,  Baltzer  Gehr,  George 
Douglass  and  John  Hiester. 

And  a  fourth  act  passed  15th  March,  1784,  owing  to 
previous  laws  being  inadequate.  Twenty-two  commission- 
ers were  appointed  altogether. 

Those  from  Berks  County,  and  for  districts  in  'Berks, 
along  Schuylkill  River,  were  as  follows:  From  Berks 
County  line  to  Beidler's  Mill,  Abraham  Lincoln  aDd 
Mordecai  Miller;  thence  to  mouth  of  Tulpehocken,  Joliu 
Bishop  and  George  Gardiner ;  thence  to  mouth  of  Maiden- 
creek,  John  Mears;  thence  to  mouth  ofTamaguay  Creek, 
Charles  Schoemaker  and  George  Miller  :  thence  to  coal- 
mines on  Schuylkill  at  Basler's  saw-mill,  Henry  Mailer, 
Samuel  Baird  and  Fr.djrick  Cleckntr. 

On  13th  April,  1791,  an  act  was  passed  appropriating 
twenty. five  hundred  pounds  to  improve  the  Schuylkill, 
from  the  lower  falls  to  Reading. 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


429 


The  river,  notwithstanding  these  efforts,  re- 
mained about  the  same  in  respect  to  navigation. 
The  only  practicable  and  expensive  improve- 
ments in  and  along  the  river  were  effected  fifty 
years  afterwards,  by  the  construction  of  the 
Schuylkill  Canal,  during  which  time  the  in- 
habitants of  the  county  transported  their  grain 
and  merchandise  on  boats  and  flats,  in  the  same 
manner  as  they  formerly  had  done,  twice  a 
year,  generally  in  the  freshets  of  spring  and 
fall. 

When  the  Revolution  began  in  earnest,  the 
subject  of  improving  the  river  for  navigation 
was  apparently  forgotten.  The  citizens  felt 
that  they  were  taxed  sufficiently  for  the  one 
great  purpose  of  carrying  on  the  war  for  inde- 
pendence. After  its  successful  conclusion,  they 
directed  their  attention  again  to  business  affairs 
and  to  the  development  of  such  local  improve- 
ments as  tended  to  facilitate  intercourse  be- 
tween the  people  of  the  several  sections  round- 
about them.  Over  ten  years  elapsed  before  the 
fruits  of  agitation  were  realized;  then,  however 
they  began  to  manifest  themselves  in  directing 
public  attention  to  the  necessity,  utility  and  ad- 
vantage of  bridges,  and  turnpikes  and  canals. 

Fiest  Board  of  Trade. — The  navigation 
of  the  river  induced  the  organization  of  the  first 
Board  of  Trade  at  Reading.  A  number  of 
prominent  business  men  of  the  borough  as- 
sembled on  March  13,  1807,  and  considered  the 
subject  of  the  navigation  of  the  Schuylkill  ;and 
then  they  formed  a  society  under  the  name  of 
"The  Society  for  Promoting  the  Clearing  of  the 
River  Schuylkill."  The  men  who  constituted 
this  society  were  James  May,  William  Moore, 
Gabriel  Hiester,  Jr.,  John  Birkinbine,  Lewis 
Reese,  Samuel  D.  Franks,  Joseph  Hiester, 
Benjamin  Davis,  John  Witman,  Isaac  Addams, 
Matthias  Ludwig,  Peter  Nagle,  George  De  B. 
Keim,  John  Spayd,  William  Stahle,  Daniel 
Oyster. 

It  is  not  known,  however,  what  practical  im- 
provements these  men  effected  in  carrying  out 
the  object  of  their  existence  as  a  society,  for 
nothing  has  been  preserved  to  show  what  steps 
they  took  in  the  matter  beyond  their  organiza- 
tion. It  is  probable  that  the  society  died  shortly 
afterward,  especially  after  the  agitation  of  the 


subject  of  a  canal  for  the  same  purpose,  and  its 
subsequent  construction.  Fifty  years  of  thought 
in  this  matter  had  not  brought  the  river  into 
such  a  state  as  to  encourage  transportation  by 
sailing-vessels.  The  channel  was  evidently  too 
difficult  to  master,  and  the  water  supply  was 
too  small  to  sustain  a  grand  succession  of  dams. 
Hence  it  must  have  been  regarded  as  impracti- 
cable. But  within  twenty  years  afterward,  the 
difficulty  was  solved  by  the  construction  of  an 
artificial  narrow  channel  for  slack-water,  with 
numerous  locks  whereby  to  overcome  grade 
and  detain  the  water  in  certain  levels  to  facili- 
tate navigation. 

Freshets. — Numerous  freshets  have  swept 
down  the  Schuylkill  and  its  tributaries,  entail- 
ing great  losses  upon  the  adjoining  property- , 
holders.  By  evidence  from  various  sources,  I 
am  able  to  refer  to  them  for  a  period  extending 
back  nearly  one  hundred  and  thirty  years.  The- 
inhabitants  of  Reading  were  the  principal  suf- 
ferers from  the  sweeping  waters  which  found 
an  angry  escape  to  the  sea. 

Freshet  of  1757. — The  first  reference  to  a 
freshet  which  I  could  find  is  in  the  journal  ot 
Jacob  Morgan,  which  he  kept  whilst  commander 
at  Fort  Lebanon,  during  the  French  and 
Indian  War.  On  the  15th  of  July,  1757,  he 
states  that  there  was  a  heavy  rain-fall  all  of  that  • 
day,  and  that  the  creeks  were  so  high  that  the 
Schuylkill  rose  perpendicularly  fifteen  feet  in 
nine  hours'  time,  being  considerably  higher 
than  was  ever  known  in  these  parts.  This  is 
all  that  was  reported.  No  damages  were 
mentioned.  Then  there  was  not  a  bridge  across 
any  of  the  streams  in  the  county,  and  Reading 
was  not  laid  out  in  that  portion  lying  between 
Third  Street  and  the  river. 

Freshet  of  1786.— A  freshet  visited  the 
county  in  1786,  which,  it  is  believed,  was  the 
highest,  if  not  the  greatest,  that  ever  occurred 
in  this  vicinity.  There  was  no  newspaper  pub- 
lished then  at  Reading,  in  which  a  description 
of  its  extent  and  character  might  have  been 
preserved,  and  no  letter  of  that  day  mentioning 
it  has  as  yet  been  discovered.  But  tradition 
has  brought  it  down  through  the  passing  gene- 
rations till  now  as  having  been  extensive  and  also 
destructive  of  much  property.     The  only  partic- 


430 


HISTOEY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


ular  fact  known  in  reference  to  it  is  that  its  wild 
waters  were  twenty  feet  seven  and  a  quarter 
i  nches  above  lo  w-water  mark.  It  was  commonly 
known  for  many  years  afterward  as  the  "Puna  pkin 
Freshet,"  owing  to  the  great  number  of  pump- 
kins which  were  then  swept  from  farms  adjoin- 
ing the  river  and  carried  down  the  stream. 
Reading  was  then  a  borough  ;  but  the  improve- 
ments of  the  place  had  not  as  yet  reached  the 
river.  "Water-lots"  had  been  laid  out  along 
both  banks  of  the  river  over  a  decade  before  for 
the  purpose  of  encouraging  the  erection  of 
-storage  buildings  upon  them;  and  doubtless, 
some  of  these  were  there  then,  because  shipping 
and  navigation  were  active,  and  buildings  con- 
venient to  the  boats  were  necessary.  This  fresh- 
et occurred  in  the  fall  of  the  year. 

Freshet  of  1822. — Nearly  thirty  years  elapsed 
between  the  freshets  of  1757  and  1786.  This 
was  a  long  while  to  be  without  serious  rain- 
storms or  sudden  thaws  which  occasion  freshets. 
But  the  timber-land  still  remained  in  almost  its 
original  state,  for  vast  tracts  extended  many 
miles  to  the  right  and  to  the  left  of  the  river, 
and  these  detained  the  waters  as  they  fell  in 
rain  from  the  sky  or  melted  from  the  fallen 
snow.  And  this  condition  of  the  country  above 
Reading  required  a  very  severe  rain-fall  or 
thaw  in  order  to  occasion  a  freshet  worthy  of 
special  mention. 

Thirty-six  years  elapsed  before  the  next 
freshet  occurred.  During  the  middle  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1822,  there  was  a  snow-fall  which  ex- 
ceeded twelve  inches.  A  mild  atmosphere  on 
the  20th  of  February  caused  it  to  melt  rapidly, 
and  the  waters  therefrom  filled  the  creeks  and 
river,  which,  in  their  onward  course,  washed 
down  great  quantities  of  ice.  It  was  reported 
that  an  ice-gorge  had  been  formed  at  the  Schuyl- 
kill Dam,  Philadelphia,  which  piled  up  the 
broken  ice  forty  feet  in  height.  The  water  in 
the  Schuylkill  at  Reading,  on  the  21st  of  Feb- 
ruary, reached  a  point  thirteen  feet  nine  and 
one-quarter  inches  above  low-water  mark.  The 
freshet  did  not  occasion  much  loss  along  the 
Schuylkill;  but  it  washed  away  numerous  dams 
in  the  several  tributary  streams,  Tulpehocken, 
Maiden-creek,  Antietam  and  Manatawny. 
Freshet  o/ 1839. — A  violent  rain-storm  set  in 


on  Friday  evening,  25th  of  January,  1839,  and 
continued  without  intermission  till  Saturday 
evening,  at  six  o'clock,  when  the  rain  ceased 
falling  and  the  weather  grew  suddenly  colder, 
the  thermometer  falling  below  the  freezing 
point.  The  water  in  the  river  at  Reading  rose 
to  a  point  seventeen  feet  one  and  three-quarters 
inches  above  low-water  mark,  which  was  within 
two  feet  of  the,  floor  of  the  Harrisburg  bridge. 
The  freshet  was  reported  as  the  most  extensive 
that  visited  the  community  in  fifty  years,  and 
certainly  the  most  costly  of  all  the  freshets,  the 
damages  possibly  surpassing  the  losses  of  alLthe 
previous  freshets  taken  together.  Among  the 
numerous  losses  occasioned,  the  following  were 
reported  : 

Smith  &  Reese's  mill,  large  quantity  of  flour  and 
grain  damaged,  loss  not  estimated  ;  Jones  &  Co.,  ma- 
chine-works flooded,  loss  $100;  William  Silvis,  lime- 
house  and  boat  burned  through  wet  lime,  loss  $2000; 
Samuel  Bell,  Sr.,  boats  washed  away,  loss  $3000 ;  John 
Getz,  three  boats  washed  away,  loss  over  $2000 ;  Dnt- 
terer,  Darling  &  Co.,  damage  to  castings,  etc.,  $500; 
Thomas  Jackson,  damage  to  rope-walk,  etc.,  $800 ; 
Keim,  Whitaker  &  Co.,  coal  and  lumber  washed 
away,  $1500 ;  fifty  canal-boats  washed  down,  loss  at 
least  $20,000;  Lancaster  bridge  badly  injured,  esti- 
mated repairs  $10,000 ;  Poplar  Neck  bridge  destroyed, 
loss  $10,000. 

Five  bridges  across  Maiden-creek  washed  away, 
viz:  Moser's,  Greenawald's,  Dreibelbis',  Dunkle's, 
and  at  Friends'  Meeting  House.  Total  loss  at  Read- 
ing was  over  $40,000. 

Freshet  of  1841 . — A  serious  freshet  occurred 
on  Wednesday  night,  January  6,  1841.  It  was 
reported  as  "the  greatest  flood  since  1786,  the 
water  at  Reading  having  reached  a  point  two 
feet  higher  than  during  the  freshet  of  1839." 
Several  squares  of  buildings  along  the  river 
were  inundated.  Many  boats  and  a  large  quan- 
tity of  coal  and  lumber  were  washed  away. 
The  damage  to  numerous  properties  was  great. 
The  total  loss  was  not  estimated. 

Great  Freshet  of  1850.1  —The  most  destructive 
flood  that,  ever  occurred  in  the  Schuylkill 
Valley  visited  Reading  on  Monday,  September  2, 
1850.  The  loss  of  life  was  heartrending  and 
the  destruction  of  property  immeuse.     The  ex- 

1  See  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal,  September  7,  1850 ; 
also  Reading  Gazette  and  Democrat  of  same  date,  in  which' 
the  particulars  are  detailed  minutely. 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


431 


tent  of  the  calamity   in   damages   to  persons 
and  property  could  not  be  estimated.     It  fell 
upon  rich  and  poor,  and  also  upon  the  public. 
It  came  near  destroying  the  Schuylkill  naviga- 
tion.    It    swept    away    bridges,   dams,   mills, 
factories  and  workshops.     .     .     .     The  flood 
came,  suddenly  and  altogether  unexpected.     In 
this  vicinity  it  commenced  to  rain  on  Sunday 
evening.     At   the  source    of    the    river   rain 
fell  for  twelve  hours  before.     During  the  night 
rain  poured  down  in  torrents.     Early  in  the 
next  morning  the   people   residing   along  the 
river  were  aroused  from  their  beds  by  the  rapid 
rising  of  the  waters,  which  was  unprecedented. 
At  four  A.  m.,  Monday  the  water  was  confined 
within  the  banks  of  the  river;  at  six  it  had  risen 
ten   feet   higher,    overflowing   the    canal    and 
rushing  through   all  the  lower  streets  of  the 
city ;  at  eight  it  was  as  high  as  the  freshet  of  1841 ; 
at  ten,  the  Penn  Street  bridge  was  forced  from 
its  piers,  when  it  floated  down  the  stream.     It 
carried  along  the  Lancaster  bridge,  which  had 
withstood  the  floods  of  half  a  century.     It  was 
soon  after  followed   by  the  following  bridges : 
Kissinger's,   Leize's    and   Althouse's.     Every 
bridge  on  the  river  from  Pottsville  to  Royers- 
ford  was  swept  away,  excepting  the   Railroad 
(or  High)  bridge  above  Reading  (at  Tuckerton). 
The  flood  reached  its  highest  point  at  three  p.  m. 
The  whole  lower  part  of  the  city  was  inundated. 
Many  houses  were  submerged  to  the  second  and 
third    stories.      In    some    there     were     men, 
women  and  children,  and  these  called  for  help. 
Substantial  brick  buildings,  whose  foundations 
had  been  weakened  by  the  water,  fell  in  every 
direction.     Frame  houses,  barns,  sheds,  bridges, 
canal-boats,  etc.,  floated  down  the   river  in  one 
general  wreck. 

There  were  many  narrow  escapes.  The  loss 
of  life  in  Reading  and  vicinity  was  confined  to 
a  single  family.  It  was  that  of  William  Sands, 
a  puddler  at  the  rolling-mill  of  Bertolet  &  Co., 
who  resided  on  Front,  below  Franklin  Street. 
The  flood  had  surrounded  the  houses  before  the 
inmates  could  make  their  escape.  The  family 
consisted  of  Mr.  Sands,  wife  and  three  children — 
the  youngest  being  an  infant  only  eight  weeks 
old ;  also  a  hired  girl  and  an  unknown  man. 
They  took  refuge  in  the  second  story.     Both 


ends  of  the  house  had  been  washed  out.  As  two 
men  (William  Seitzinger  and  William  Moyer) 
approached  to  render  aid,  Mrs.  Sands  held  out 
the  child  at  arm's  length  ;  and  just  before  they 
reached  the  building  it  fell,  engulfing  all. 
Two  of  the  children  were  drowned  immediately. 
Seitzinger  and  Moyer  narrowly  escaped  with 
their  lives.  The  man  and  hired  girl  caught 
hold  of  a  piece  of  floating  wood  and  were  there- 
by enabled  to  be  saved.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sands 
and  the  babe  were  carried  down  the  river  on 
the  second  floor  of  the  building.  The  babe  lay 
on  a  chaif-bag.  The  child  was  soon  drowned 
by  the  surf.  Near  the  rolling-mill  Sands  clung 
to  a  tree,  and  was  rescued.  He  begged  his  wife 
to  do  likewise,  but  her  strength  failed  her. 
Several  boats  with  men  were  started  after  her 
to  save  her,  but  they  could  not  r,each 
her;  whilst  she  floated  down  the  river, 
a  number  of  persons  followed  on  the  shore  to  the 
"  Big  Dam."  In  this  dam  there  was  a  large 
break  and  in  this  fearful  current  she  was 
drowned.  Through  the  whole  distance  her 
shrieks  were  most  agonizing.  Her  body  was 
found  during  the  next  day  in  a  corn-field,  about 
a  mile  below  the  dam,  and  brought  to  the  city. 
A  single  daughter — who  was  absent  from  the 
house  at  the  time — alone  remained  of  the 
family  to  share  her  father's  sorrows  and  most 
melancholy  bereavement. 

The  two  men  named  had  been  out  all  morn- 
ing before  this  occurrence,  and  had  rescued  ove'r 
thirty  people  from  situations  of  extreme  peril. 

The  wife  aud  three  children  of  Eli  Marks — 
a  ferryman  at  Reeser's  ferry,  below  Althouse's 
bridge — were  also  drowned.  Whilst  he  and 
they  were  endeavoring  to  save  their  property, 
the  house  was  surrounded  by  water,  and  they 
were  forced  to  the  garret  for  refuge.  But  the 
water  continued  to  rise.  He  then  broke  a 
hole  through  the  roof,  and  drew  up  his  wife 
and  children.  Immediately  afterward  the  house 
fell,  and  the  roof  broke  in  two  parts — leaving 
him  on  one  part  and  his  wife  and  children  on 
the  other.  The  latter  were  drowned  before 
floating  any  considerable  distance.  He  floated 
down  on  a  log  to  which  he  had  clung  and  was 
rescued  at  Kissinger's  bridge  (a  distance  of  nine 
miles). 


432 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Aaron  Kemp,  a  blacksmith  at  Althouse's 
locks,  in  attempting  to  save  his  tools,  was  also 
drowned  in  spite  of  efforts  to  rescue  him. 

Houses,  etc.,  at-  Reading  entirely  or  nearly 
destroyed,  were  estimated  at  100;  particularly 
noted,  69.  Above  Penn,  3;  Front  and  "Water 
Streets,  between  Penn  and  Franklin,  14  ;  Frank- 
lin, from  Water  to  Second,  10  ;  Front,  between 
Franklin  and  Chestnut,  5 ;  Chestnut,  from 
Water  to  Third,  8  ;  Canal  and  Water,  from 
Third  Street  to  rolling-mill,  29.  At  least  400 
dwellings,  with  furniture,  were  more  or  less 
injured. 

Nine  bridges  were  swept  away  : — County — 
Penn  Street,1  Lancaster,  Poplar  Neck ;  Company, 
— Hamburg,  Mohrsville,  Althouse's,  Kissin- 
ger's, Birdsboro',  Douglassville. 

Opposite  Reading  the  Schuylkill  rose  from 
twenty-three  to  twenty-five  feet  above  its 
ordinary  level.  It  is  said  to  have  been  five 
feet  ten  inches  higher  than  the  celebrated 
Pumpkin  Freshet  of  1786. 

Water  covered  the  river  road  at  Reese's  mill 
several  feet.  It  forced  its  way  up  Penn  to 
within  a  few  feet  of  Second  ;  up  Franklin  with- 
in a  half-square  of  Third ;  up  Chestnut  to 
Third,  surrounding  Lauer's  brewery ;  up  Third 
to  near  Chestnut;  up  Spruce,  within  a  half 
square  of  Fourth ;  up  Fourth  to  Bingaman  ; 
up  Fifth,  half  square  beyond  the  gas  works, 
and  a  hundred  yards  up  Sixth  Street. 

The  aggregate  loss  occasioned  by  the  freshet, 
to  our  community  was  estimated  at  five  hundred 
thousand  dollars. 

On  September  4,  1850,  the  City  Councils-ap- 
propriated five  thousand  dollars  to  relieve  the 
sufferers  from  the  freshet. 

Richard  Boone,  General  William  High  and 
Benjamin  Tyson  were  appointed  a  committee  to 
make  distribution. 

A  number  of  ladies  of  the  city  established 
a  clothing  depot  at  Fifth  and  Spruce  Streets  and 
there,  on  Fifth  Street,  they  relieved  the  wants  of 
one  hundred  and  thirty  persons  by  supplying 
them  with  clothing. 

Freshet  of  1862. — A  freshet  occurred  in  June, 


1  The  Penn  Street  bridge  was  started  by  a  boat  striking 
against  it. 


1862,  which  occasioned  great  damage  and  loss 
of  property,  especially  in  the  eastern  section  of 
the  state,  along  the  Lehigh  and  Delaware 
Rivers.  At  Reading  a  heavy  rain  began  to  fall 
on  Tuesday  night,  June  3d,  and  continued  the 
whole  of  Wednesday  till  Thursday  morning, 
when  the  water  reached  a  point  within  eight 
feet  as  high  as- the  great  freshet  of  1850.  All 
the  railroad  trains  were  detained.  The  loss 
here  was  not  great,  amounting  to  several  thous- 
and dollars. 

Freshet  of  1869. — A  heavy  rain  commenced 
to  fall  on  Saturday  night,  October  2,  1869,  and 
continued  through  the  whole  of  Sunday.  On 
Monday  the  river  rose  rapidly.  At  eleven 
o'clock  in  the  morning  the  water  reached  a 
point  twenty-three  feet  above  low-water  mark. 
The  lower  section  of  the  city  was  overflooded, 
and  all  the  mills,  factories  and  work-shops  along 
the  river  were  injured.  The  total  damage  was 
not  estimated,  but  it  exceeded  fifty  thousand 
dollars.  The  eastern  span  of  the  Lancaster  bridge 
was  washed  away,  also  one  span  of  the  Poplar 
Neck.  A  number  of  bridges  spanning  creeks  in 
different  parts  of  the  county  were  destroyed,  and 
many  grist-mills  suffered  considerable  damage. 
The  City  Councils  appropriated  one  thousand 
dollars  for  the  relief  of  suffering  families  along 
the  river. 

Discoloration  of  Water. — The  natural 
color  of  the  flowing  water  in  the  river  was 
changed  at  different  times  to  so  great  an  extent 
as  to  excite  public  attention.  The  change  was 
to  a  light  blue.  It  was  caused  by  the  inter- 
mingling of  the  water  from  the  mining  regions 
in  the  upper  Schuylkill— charged  with  sulphuric 
acid — with  the  lime  stone  water  from  its  tribu- 
tary the  Maiden-creek.  Immediately  above 
the  point  of  confluence  (which  is  distant  about 
eight  miles  north  of  Reading,  along  the  river)  ■ 
the  water,  and  specially  the  bed  of  the  river, 
had  a  red  or  rusty  appearance;  but  below  it,  a 
white  sediment  was  formed  upon  the  bed  of  the 
river,  and  the  water  became  light  blue.  This 
combination  was  injurious  to  the  fishes  in  the 
river,  numbers  of  them  having  at  times  been  seen 
floating  dead  upon  the  surface  of  the  water.  Dur- 
ing 1853  it  was  particularly  discolored.  This 
discoloration  was  not  continuous.  It  appeared  at 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


433 


irregular  intervals.  Several  years  ago  the  admix- 
ture was  so  strong  as  to  follow  the  current  and  be 
noticeable  along  the  entire  course  of  the  Schuyl- 
kill to  Philadelphia,  notwithstanding  the  great 
influx  of  waters  from  the  numerous  tributaries 
between  Reading  and  Philadelphia.  It  caused 
the  death  of  many  fishes,  and  it  awakened  the 
attention  of  the  water  commissioners  of  Phila- 
delphia to  its  cause  and  character. 

BRIDGES. 

Long  before  the  first  settlements  in  this 
vicinity  there  had  been  a  ford  across  the  river 
at  Reading.  And  this  was  the  only  conveni- 
ent ford  for  some  distance  above  and  below.  It 
was  used  for  seventy  years  after  the  town  had 
been  laid  out.  The  only  steps  iu  advance  of 
the  first  settlers  was  the  introduction  of  a  ferry- 
boat. This  is,  indeed,  a  surprising  fact.  A 
town  otherwise  so  progressive  in  respect  to 
trade,  etc.,  and  possessing  numerous  men  of 
energy  and  wealth,  not  to  induce  the  con- 
struction of  a  bridge,  so  as  to  facilitate  and  en- 
courage ingress  into  and  egress  out  of  the  town ! 
Such  tardiness,  such  indifference  we  can  hardly 
appreciate.  The  crossing  of  the  river  in  a  ferry- 
boat, or  by  fording  it,  was  always  accompanied 
with  risk.1 

HaRrisburg  Bridge. — In  1795  a  petition 
was  presented  to  the  Quarter  Sessions  of  the 
county,  praying  the  court  to  order  the  grand 
jury  to  consider  the  advisability  of  the  erection 
of  a  stone  bridge  over  the  river  at  the  foot  of 
Penn  Street.  The  grand  jury  made  a  view  and 
recommended  an  appropriation  of  thirty-two 
thousand  dollars  for  this  purpose,  which  recom- 
mendation was  approved  by  the  court.  But 
this  sum  was  deemed  insufficient.  The  peti- 
tioners then  devised  the  plan  of  raising  suffi- 
cient money  by  a  "  lottery,"  and  in  this  behalf 
obtained  an  Act  of  Assembly,  passed  the  29th 
of  March,  1796,  which  was  as  follows  : 

1  An  account  of  a  "  Melancholy  Accident ''  at  this  ferry 
on  Monday,  October  20,  1800,  was  published  in  the 
Weekly  Advertiser,  a  publication  at  Reading.  Seven  per- 
sons (three  men,  three  women  and  a  girl)  were  then  about 
to  cross  the  river  in  a  boat  to  attend  "Battalion  Day,"  but, 
through  carelessness,  the  boat  turned  and  was  upset.  All 
the  occupants  were  thrown  out.  The  meu  were  rescued, 
but  the  women  and  girl  were  drowned. 
44 


"  Whereas,  a  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
county  of  Berks,  by  petition,  have  stated  to  the  Leg- 
islature that  the  Grand  Jury  of  the  same  have  lately 
voted  thirty-two  thousand  dollars  out  of  the  public 
stock  of  said  county  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a 
stone  bridge  over  the  river  Schuylkill  at  or  near  the 
place  where  the  public  road  from  Philadelphia 
through  Reading  to  Harrisburg  crosses  the  same,  and 
that  the  said  sum  will  be  inadequate  to  the  comple- 
tion of  this  desirable  object.     Therefore, 

"Sec.  1. — Be  it  enacted,  &c,  that  the  three  county 
commissioners  for  the  time  being,  together  with  Jos. 
Hiester,  Jas.  Diemer,  Thos.  Dundas,  Jas.  May,  John 
Otto,  John  Keim,  Daniel  Graeff  and  Sebastian  Miller 
be  commissioners  to  raise  $60,000  by  way  of  lottery, 
to  be  applied  in  erecting  a  good  stone  bridge  over  the 
river  Schuylkill,  etc.;' 

Lottery  Scheme. — In  pursuance  of  this  act,  a 
notice  of  the  lottery  was  published  in  the  news- 
papers at  Reading.   This  notice  was  as  follows : 

"Scheme  of  a  lottery  for  raising  sixty  thousand 
dollars,  agreeably  to  an  Act  of  the  Legislature  of 
Pennsylvania,  passed  during  the  last  session,  for 
building  a  stone  bridge  over  the  river  Schuylkill,  at 
the  borough  of  Beading,  in  the  county  of  Berks. 

1  Prize  of  20,000  Dollars $20,000 

1     do    oflO.OOO      do      10,000 

3  do    of   5,000      do      '. 15,000 

4  do    of   2,000      do      8,000 

20    do     of   1,000      do      20,000 

39    do    of      500      do      19,500 

80     do    of      200      do      16,000 

200    do    of      100      do      20,000 

300     do    of        50      do      15,000 

I  do  of  500  do  to  be  paid  to  the  pos- 
sessor of  the  first 
drawn  number 500 

5  do    of   3,000      do      to  be  paid  to  the  pos- 

sessor of  the  five  last 

drawn  numbers 15,000 

9400  do    of        15     do      141,000 

10,054  Prizes                                                       $300,000 
19,946  Blanks  

30,000  Tickets  at  ten  Dollars  $300,000 

"All  prizes  shall  be  paid  fifteen  days  after  the 
drawing  is  finished,  upon  the  demand  of  the  possessor 
of  a  fortunate  ticket,  subject  to  a  deduction  of  twenty 
per  cent.  The  drawing  will  commence  as  soon  as  the 
tickets  are  disposed  of,  or  perhaps  sooner,  of  which 
public  notice  will  be  given. 
"  Beading,  May  the  29th,  1796. 
"Philip  Miller,  Joseph  Hiester, 

Peter  Kershner,  James  Diemer, 

William  Whitman,  Tho.  Dundas, 

James  May,  Dan.  Graeff, 

John  Otto,  Sebast.  Miller, 

John  Keim,  "Commissioners. 


434 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


"Tickets  may  be  had  of  either  of  the  aforesaid 
commissioners,  at  their  respective  places  of  abode,  in 
the  county  of  Berks.  In  Harrisburg,  at  Alex.  Gray- 
don  and  Wm.  Graydon,  Esq'rs.,  and  at  Messrs. 
Michael  Kapp,  Wm.  Mears  and  George  Ziegler's." 

The  commissioners  awakened  a  considerable 
interest  in  behalf  of  the  bridge,  but  they  were 
not  able  to  sell  five  thousand  of  the  thirty 
thousand  tickets,  and  they  did  not  have  the 
smallest  prospect  of  disposing  of  the  remainder 
within  a  reasonable  time,  so  as  to  enable  them 
to  draw  the  said  lottery.  They  therefore 
prayed  the  Legislature  to  authorize  them  to 
take  back  the  tickets  sold,  to  have  their  ac- 
counts settled,  etc.,  and  to  repeal  the  act,  which 
was  done  on  the  29th  of  March,  1798.  This 
first  effort  accordingly  proved  unsuccessful. 

In  1801  another  application  was  made  to  the 
Quarter  Sessions  for  a  view  and  an  appropria- 
tion. The  petition  of  divers  inhabitants  of  the 
county  represented : 

"  That  a  bridge  is  much  wanted  to  be  erected  over 
the  Eiver  Schuylkill  in  the  Borough  of  Reading,  at  the 
place  where  the  public  highway  crosses  the  said 
river  on  the  Great  Road  from  Philadelphia  to  Har- 
risburg, where  it  is  frequently  rendered  impassable 
by  means  of  ice  and  high  water— that  a  former  grand 
jury,  with  the  concurrence  of  the  Court,  appropriated 
£14,000  to  erect  a  stone  arch  bridge  at  the  place 
aforesaid,  which  sum  on  calculation  was  discovered 
to  be  totally  insufficient  for  the  purpose,  in  conse- 
quence whereof  a  Lottery  was  instituted  to  assist  the 
county  in  constructing  the  said  bridge;  that  after 
great  efforts  and  industry  by  the  Lottery  Commission- 
ers to  dispose  of  the  tickets,  they  were  not  able  to  sell 
so  many  as  to  render  it  safe  or  practicable  to  draw  the 
lottery — that  from  these  causes  the  attempt  to  erect  a 
stone  bridge  at  the  place  aforesaid  has  altogether 
failed." 

They  concluded  their  petition  with  a  praver 
for  a  "  wooden  bridge,"  and  estimated  the  prob- 
able expense  at  six  thousand  pounds.  The  °rand 
jury  acted  upon  the  petition  at  August  sessions, 
1801,  and  recommended  an  appropriation  of 
sixteen  thousand  dollars,  which  was  to  be  as- 
sessed at  three  yearly  equal  payments.  The 
courts  approved  of  their  action  on  August  6, 1 801 . 
The  county  commissioners  then  proceeded  to 
cause  the  erection  of  a  "  wooden  bridge."  The 
contract  was  awarded  to  Obediah  Osbnrn,  on 
August  1 9th  following,  and  the  contractor  began 
operations  in  earnest.     What  pride  the  people 


must  have  taken  in  watching  the   progress  of 
this  much-needed  improvement !   What  anxiety 
they  must  have   felt  for  the  accomplishment  of 
this  undertaking  !  They  doubtless  wanted  to  see 
it   completed.     But  they  could  not  hurry  the 
work.      "  Great   bodies   move   slowly."     This 
was  a  "  great  body,"  a  big  thing  for  the  times. 
But  the  people  were  too  anxious,  the  contractor 
failed  at  the  piers,  with  much  timber  lying  along 
the  banks  of  the  river.     This  was  natural,  and 
yet  it  was  more  interesting  than  natural.      Ad- 
ditional appropriations  were  wanted.     Possibly 
some  of  the  good  people  were  afraid  of  a  wooden 
bridge  in  respect  to  strength  and  performance, 
and  therefore  preferred  a  stone  bridge.    And  in 
this  supposition  there  is  more  truth  than  fiction. 
The  subsequent  proceedings  would  indicate  that 
this  idea   was  entertained   by  the#  people.     The 
county    commissioners     had    expended    thirty 
thousand  dollars  for  what  was  done,  and  it  was 
estimated    that  seventy  thousand  dollars   more 
would    be  required   to  complete  the  bridge  if 
built  of  stone.     The  county  was  then  in  arrears 
for  unpaid  State  taxes,  amounting  to  $4789.12; 
and  the  Legislature  offered   this  sum  as  an  in- 
ducement to  build  the  bridge  of  stone,  an  act  for 
this  purpose  having    been   passed  on  April  2, 
1804. 

At  January  sessions,  1805,  a  third  petition 
was  presented  to  court.     This  represented  : 

"Thit  the  Commissioners  agreed  with  a  certain 
person  to  build  a  wooden  bridge,  and  did  also  cau<e 
to  be  built  two  abutments  of  stone  on  each  bank  and 
two  piers  in  the  river ;  that  the  person  has  not  been 
able  to  perform  his  contract  and  the  building  of  said 
bridge  has  been  frustrated. 

"  That  if  the  notion  of  building  either  a  wooden  or 
stone  bridge  be  entirely  abandoned,  it  will  evince 
great  imbecility  or  at  least  a  great  want  of  public 
spirit  in  one  of  the  richest  and  most  populous  counties 
in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania.  The  want  of  a  bridge 
at  the  place  aforesaid  will  continue  to  be  felt  and  the 
inconvenience  arising  from  it  will  become  augmented 
in  proportion  to  the  population,  agriculture  and  com- 
merce ;  that  public  opinion  is  now  against  a  wooden 
bridge  and  for  a  stone  arch  bridge ;  that  a  wooden 
bridge  without  additional  piers  would  be  impracticable 
and  unsafe;  that  the  three  additional  piers  to  be 
required  for  a  wooden  bridge  would  be  much  towards 
expense  r  f  this  bridge,  which  would  not  be  twice  the 
expense  of  completing  a  wooden  bridge." 

It  was  accompanied  by  a  proposed  plan,  which    . 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


435 


suggested  eight  arches:  two  of  thirty-seven  feet, 
two  of  fifty-six  feet,  two  of  seventy  feet  and 
two  of  eighty-four  feet,  and  the  probable  ex- 
pense was  estimated  at  twenty-five  thousand 
pounds.  The  prayer  of  the  petitioners  was 
granted,  and  the  return  of  the  grand  jury  was 
approved  by  the  court. 

Notwithstanding  this  encouragement  from 
the  grand  jury  and  the  court,  the  county 
commissioners  would  appear  to  have  been  in- 
different to  the  matter,  and  in  1806  a  com- 
plaint was  made  to  court,  representing  that 
the  stone-work  was  suffering  from  neglect ; 
and  then  again  the  grand  jury  recommended 
a  stone  bridge.  For  six  years  afterward  this 
enterprise  lay  in  idleness.  What  was  the  dif- 
ficulty in  the  way  ?  Who  can  imagine  ?  On 
February  22,  1812,  an  act  was  passed  author- 
izing the  county  commissioners  to  build  a 
stone  bridge  and  charge  toll,  and  providing 
that,  when  the  principal  invested  in  its  con- 
struction was  realized  from  the  tolls,  it  should 
be  declared  free.  But  still  the  matter  halted. 
Another  act  was  passed  on  February  21, 1814, 
which  modified  the  previous  act,  by  giving 
the  commissioners  the  power  to  build  either  a 
stone  or  wooden  bridge.  This  was  a  fortunate 
modification,  not  so  much  for  the  bridge  as 
for  the  people.  The  delegation  of  discretion- 
ary power  to  the  commissioners  apparently 
won  them  over  to  the  improvement,  and  they 
at  once  ordered  the  bridge  to  be  erected — not  of 
stone,  for  thereby  they  would  have  favored  the 
wishes  of  the  people  and  carried  out  the 
recommendations  of  the  grand  jury,  but  of 
wood.  The  bridge  was  so  far  completed  as  to 
be  passable  in  December,  1815 ;  and  it  was 
finished  in  1818.  The  first  passage  over  it  was 
made  by  Coleman's  stage-coach  on  December 
20, 1815.  Many  persons  were  present  to  wit- 
ness the  occurrence,  and  they  demonstrated 
their  joy  by  loud  applause.  Well  may  we  ask, 
What  stood  in  the  way  of  this  important,  much 
demanded  improvement  for  nearly  twenty 
years  ?  Was  it  the  stone  which  is  typical  in  so 
many  respects  and  hangs  about  so  many  necks 
to  prevent  the  accomplishment  of  noble  pur- 
poses? or  was  it  the  ferry-boat  under  the  con- 
trol of  a  politician  ?      And  such  was  the  exer- 


tion, and  so  long  was  the  period  to  obtain  the 
"  Harrisburg  Bridge,"  the  first  public  improve- 
ment of  the  town  beyond  the  court  house  and 
prison  1  The  bridge  was  six  hundred  feet  long, 
three  spans  of  two  hundred  feet  each,  covered 
by  a  roof.  The  builders  were  Wernweg  & 
Johnston.  They  began  in  March,  1814.  The 
contract  price  was  thirty-nine  thousand  five 
hundred  dollars.  Their  workmanship  was 
highly  complimented.  John  Weldy  was  ap- 
pointed as  the  first  toll  collector.  The  rates  of 
toll  were  as  follows  : 

Foot-way lc 

Every  20  sheep 6c 

"       "  swine 10c 

"       "  cattle 20c 

"     horse  or  mule , 4c 

Horse  and  rider 6c 

Sulky,  &c,  with  2  wheels  and  1  horse. ...12Jc 

Carriage  and  2  horses 25c 

"    4      "     37Jc 

Stage-coach  and  2  horses •. 20c 

"  "   4      "      30c 

Sleigh  and  each  horse Gc 

Draft  sleigh  and  horse 5c 

Wagon  or  cart  horse 6c 

The  subject  of  a  "  Free  Bridge  "  was  agitated 
as  early  as  1821,  just  three  years  after  the 
bridge  was  completed.  This  related  more  par- 
ticularly to  persons.  To  accomplish  this  object, 
a  petition  was  presented  to  the  Legislature  in 
February,  1821. 

In  February,  1846,  petitions  were  presented 
to  the  Legislature  "  to  declare  the  Harrisburg 
bridge  free,"  setting  forth  that  the  bridge  cost 
$50,438.15,  and*  that  the  act  under  which  it 
was  built  required  it  to  become  free  whenever 
the  toll  collected  amounted  to  the  cost  of  its' 
construction. 

At  August  sessions,  1848,  a  petition  was  pre- 
sented to  court,  representing  that  the  tolls 
received  from  the  bridge,  excluding  the  pay  to 
toll  gatherers,  amounted  to  $52,439.89,  and  that 
the  expenditure  amounted  to  $50,438.1 5,  where- 
fore the  petitioners  asked  the  court  to  declare 
the  bridge  free.  The  county  commissioners 
objected  to  the  proceedings,  and  replied  to  the 
petition  that  the  income  had  not  amounted  to 
the  expense  by  $28,065.50,  submitting  the  fol- 
lowing statement  as  to  the  cost : 

Expense  of  abutments  and  piers,  $20,510.25  ; 


436 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


payment  to  Osborne,  first  contractor,  $8833.42 ; 
payment  to  Wamweck  &  Nathans,  builders, 
$49,297.94 ;  repairs  from  1836  to  1848,  $1863.- 
97  ;  total,  $80,505.58. 

And  they  also  alleged  that,  by  reason  of  the 
balance  still  due,  the  bridge  would  not  be  free 
for  fifteen  years  to  come. 

The  subject  was  agitated  for  over  thirty  years 
afterward.  The  county  bridges — Harrisburg, 
Lancaster  and  Poplar  Neck — were  not  declared 
free  till  1883.  This  great  step  forward  was 
obtained  through  the  instrumentality  of  the 
City  Councils :  of  Reading — an  earnest  and  suc- 
cessful application  in  this  behalf  having  been 
made  to  court,  upon  the  representation  that  the 
tolls  received  exceeded  the  cost  of  erecting  and 
maintaining  them,  and  the  judge  having  de- 
cided that  the  bridges  must  be  declared  free 
under  the  legislation  which  authorized  their 
erection.  The  adjudication  was  made  on  March 
28,  1883. 

In  1884  it  was  demolished  by  ihe  Schuylkill 
Valley  Railroad  Company,  and  this  company 
erected  in  its  stead  a  superior  iron  bridge  at  an  ex- 
pense exceeding  one  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
The  county  commissioners  appropriated  thirty- 
three  thousand  dollars  toward  the  cost.  The 
new  bridge  became  a  necessity,  owing  to  the 
railroad  improvements  along  the  river. 

Hamburg  Beidge. — Across  the  Schuylkill 
River,  at  a  point  several  miles  south  of  the 
Blue  Mountain,  there  was  a  prominent  ford 
— having  been  the  direct  course  from  Harris' 
ierry,  on  the  Susquehanna  River,  to  Easton,  on 
the  Delaware  River.  After  the  vicinity  became 
considerably  settled  the  ferry-boat  was  intro- 
duced, which  continued  in  use  till  the  substitu- 
tion of  a  bridge,  in  1828. 

During  the  progress  of  the  "  Penn  Street 
Bridge,"  at  Reading,  the  subject  of  a  bridge 
was  discussed  at  Hamburg,  and  the  spirit 
created  thereby  was  sufficient  to  result  in  the 
passage  of  an  act  of  Assembly  on  March  1 9 
1816,  for  its  erection.  The  act  authorized  the 
formation  of  a  corporation  for  this  purpose,  with 
power  to  issue  four  hundred  shares  of  stock  of 


1  Councils  gave  A.  K.  Stnuffer,  Esq.,  a  vote  of  thanka  for 
his  efl'orts  and  public  spirit  in  this  proceeding. 


the  par  value  of  twenty-five  dollars ;  but  no 
practical  results  flowed  from  this  first  effort. 
Eleven  years  afterward.  (April  14,  1827)  an 
act  was  passed  appropriating  six  thousand  dol- 
lars from  the  State  for  the  erection  of  a  bridge 
over  the  Schuylkill,  near  Hamburg,  on  the 
State  road  from  Jonestown  (Lebanon  County)  to 
Northampton  County.  The  bridge  was  erected 
during  the  following  year  by  the  commissioners 
of  the  county,  and  confirmed  by  the  court  on 
January  12,  1829.  It  has  been  maintained  by 
the  county  since.  Toll  was  charged  till  De- 
cember, 1883,  when  it  was  made  a  free  bridge. 

Lancaster  Bridge. — The  county  commis- 
sioners were  authorized,  by  an  act  of  Assembly 
passed  April  23,  1829,  to  erect  a  bridge  over 
the  river  at  Gerber's  ferry,  on  the  road  from 
Reading  to  Lancaster.  They  entered  into,  a 
contract,  on  the  20th  of  February,  1830,  with 
Schuyler  &  Fletcher  for  the  construction  of  this 
bridge  of  wood,  with  roof  and  sides,  on  stone 
abutments,  at  ten  thousand  dollars.  It  was 
finished  in  1831.  Its  length  was  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty-two  feet — two  spans,  each  one 
hundred  and  seventy-six  feet.  This  was  the 
second  bridge  erected  across  the  Schuylkill. 
The  ferry  at  this  point  was  owned  previously 
by  John  Strohecker,  after  whom  it  was  called 
"  Strohecker's  Ferry."  He  sold  it  to  John 
Gerber,  and  thence  it  took  the  name  of  "  Ger- 
ber's Ferry."  This  bridge  has  been  known 
since  as  the  "  Lancaster  Bridge." 

In  January,  1838,  a  part  of  the  bridge  was 
swept  away  by  a  high  freshet,  and  in  1850  two 
spans  were  swept  away  by  the  great  freshet. 
In  the  freshet  of  1869  the  eastern  half  was 
washed  away. 

In  1876  (July  9th)  the  bridge  was  destroyed 
by  fire — the  act  of  young  incendiaries.  Shortly 
before  there  were  loud  complaints  about  its  inse- 
curity and  darkness  and  its  unpleasant  condition 
on  account  of  dust.  The  county  commissioners 
caused  a  fine  iron  bridge  to  be  erected  in  its 
stead,  having  been  opened  to  travel  on  January 
2,  1877.  It  was  the  first  large  iron  bridge- 
structure  erected  in  the  county.  It  was  declared 
free  of  toll  in  1883. 

Poplar  Neck  Bridge. — Immediately  after 
the  completion  of  the  "  Lancaster  Bridge, '  the 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


437 


Legislature  authorized  the  erection  of  a  county 
toll-bridge  across  the  river  at  "  Poplar  Neck," 
about  four  miles  below  Reading.  The  act  was 
passed  on  the  31st  of  January,  1832,  and  the 
following  commissioners  were  named  in  it : 
Peter  Kline,  Jr.,  Greenwich;  John  Miller, 
Albany ;  John  Rutter,  Colebrookdale ;  Daniel 
Eyster,  Pike ;  Jacob  Bauman,  Earl  ;  and  Henry 
Keely,  Douglass. 

These  commissioners  acted  in  pursuance  of 
the  powers  conferred  upon  them,  reported  that 
the  bridge  was  necessary  and  the  county  com- 
missioners accordingly  built  the  same  during 
1832  and  1833.  It  has  been  maintained  till 
now  by  the  county.  Toll  was  exacted  till  the 
county  bridges  were  declared  free,  in  1883. 

At  this  place  a  ferry  had  been  conducted  for 
many  years  before  1832.  It  was  known  as 
"Lewis'  Ferry."  In  1816  a  company  was 
authorized  to  be  organized,  and  certain  com- 
missioners were  then  appointed  to  construct 
a  bridge  across  the  Schuylkill  at  this  point ; 
but  the  spirit  for  this  improvement  was  suffered 
to  pass  away,  and  the  people  of  that  vicinity 
did  not  secure  a  bridge  for  sixteen  years  after- 
ward, when  it  was  erected  for  them  by  the 
county. 

PRIVATE  BRIDGES. 

The  following  private  bridges  were  erected 
across  the  Schuylkill  by  private  individuals  or 
stock  companies  specially  incorporated  and  au- 
thorized for  that  purpose  : 

North  of  Reading.  South  of  Reading. 

Bell's.  Birdsboro'. 

Kissinger's.  Monocacy. 

Lsiss'.  Douglassville. 

Stoudt's  Ferry. 
Althouse's. 
Mohr's. 
Windsor  Haven. 

Bell's  Bridge.— In  1822,  Samuel  Bell  was 
authorized  to  erect  a  substantial  bridge  across 
the  Schuylkill  near  his  fording-place,  opposite 
the  road  known  by  the  name  of  Lardner's 
Lane,  provided  that  he  finish  the  same  within 
five  years.  He  commenced  its  erection,  but  was 
prevented  from  completing  it  on  account  of  the 
prevailing  sickness  in  the  neighborhood,  which 
had  been  occasioned  by  the  construction  of  the 
Schuylkill  Canal  near  the  bank  of  the  river. 


The  act  was  revived,  as  if  the  bridge  had  been 
built  and  completed  within  the  time  limited. 
Subsequently,  in  1833,  commissioners  were  ap- 
pointed to  form  a  stock  company  for  the  pur- 
pose of  erecting  this  bridge  "  near  to  Ball's 
Mill."  They  were,  Anthony  Bickel,  Wil- 
liam Eckert,  Samuel  Ball  and  William  Lash,  of 
Reading,  and  Abraham  Kissinger,  Daniel  Dap- 
pen,  Michael  K.  Boyer,  Hiram  Kalbach  and 
Jacob  Conrad,  of  Bern  township.  This  point 
was  at  the  mouth  of  the  Tulpehocken  Creek. 
The  bridge,  as  contemplated,  was  not  finished  ; 
but  Mr.  Bell  succeeded  in  extending  a  common 
bridge  across  the  river  with  movable  planks 
chained  to  the  cross-beams.  It  was  in  use  till 
the  great  freshet  of  1850,  when  it  was  swept 
away,  leaving  only  the  abutments  to  indicate 
its  existence. 

"  Kissinger's  " — the  First  Bridge. — The 
"Harrisburg  Bridge"  was  first  suggested  and 
steps  towards  its  erection  first  taken  in  1795; 
but  it  was  not  completed  till  the  lapse  of  twen- 
ty-two years.  Different  enterprises  were  in- 
stituted and  finished  in  this  time.  Among 
them  was  a  bridge  across  the  river  farther 
north,  erected  by  Ulrich  Kissinger  in  1810.  It 
would  seem  that  he  wasted  no  time  in  complet- 
ing this  improvement ;  and,  by  his  promptness 
and  energy,  he  became  the  builder  and  owner 
of  the  first  bridge  which  spanned  the  river  in 
the  county. 

Ulrich  Kissinger  was  authorized  by  act 
passed  February  12,  1810,  "to  erect  a  toll  - 
bridge  over  the  Schuylkill  River  at  his  mill 
where  the  road  from  Reading  to  Sunbury 
through  Bern  township  crosses  the  river." 
This  was  at  the  place  where  the  "  Kissinger 
Bridge  "  is  now  situated,  over  a  mile  above  the 
"  Harrisburg  Bridge."  The  bridge  was  then 
built  of  chains  in  two  spans.  Its  length  was 
about  three  hundred  feet.  It  took  its  name 
after  the  projector  and  owner,  and  it  has  been 
since  known  by  this  name.  About  1830  this 
"  chain  bridge "  was  removed  and  a  wooden 
bridge,  with  roof  and  sides,  substituted.  This 
was  swept  away  by  the  freshet  of  1850.  A 
new  bridge,  of  same  style,  with  one  span,  two 
hundred  feet  long,  was  built  in  1851.  This  is 
still  standing.     It  is  a  private  toll-bridge. 


438 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Leiss'  Bridge. — Id  1833  David  Bright, 
David  Gehr,  John  Stauch  and  Henry  Hahn, 
of  Beading ;  Adam  Leiss,  of  Alsace  township ; 
and  Jacob  Ebling,  Jacob  Kline,  William  Hain 
and  Philip  Fox,  of  Bern  township,  were  ap- 
pointed to  form  a  stock  company  for  the  pur- 
pose of  erecting  a  bridge  over  the  Schuylkill, 
near  Leiss'  mill.  The  necessary  stock  was 
raised,  and  a  covered  wooden  bridge  was 
erected,  within  a  year,  at  the  place  designated, 
and  it  has  been  successfully  maintained  as  a 
private  toll-bridge  from  that  time  till  now.  It 
is  situated  about  five  miles  above  Reading. 

Stoudt's  Ferry  Bridge. — The  following 
commissioners — Jacob  Stoudt,  Samuel  Moser, 
Jacob  Leinbacb,  Abraham  Koenig,  Daniel 
Aulenbach,  John  Koenig,  Abraham  Rieser, 
Abraham  B.  Tobias,  George  Maurer,  George 
Medler,  Reuben  Herbine,  Abraham  Herbine, 
John  Zacharias,  John  Zacharias,  Jr.,  Jonathan 
Koenig,  Jonas  Shalter,  Samuel  Mengle,  George 
Shalter,  George  Fox,  William  Dunkle,  Jacob 
Kalbach,  Adam  W.  Kaufman,  Dr.  D.  L. 
Beaver,  Peres  Hehn,  Jacob  S.  Ebling,  Jacob 
Ahrens,  Dr.  J.  H.  Spatz  and  Jonathan  Bittner 
— were  appointed,  by  an  act  passed  in  1850,  for 
the  purpose  of  erecting  a  toll-bridge  across  the 
Schuylkill,  at  the  place  where  there  was,  and 
had  been  for  many  years,  a  ferry,  known  as 
Stoudt's  Ferry.  The  bridge  was  to  be  begun 
in  two  years  and  finished  in  five  years  ;  but, 
it  not  having  been  erected  in  the  time  lim 
ited,  a  second  act  was  passed  in  1855. 
The  necessary  stock  was  subscribed,  and  the 
bridge  company  was  formed  in  the  latter  part 
of  1856,  when  operations  for  the  construc- 
tion of  a  covered  wooden  bridge  were  begun. 
The  bridge  was  finished  in  July,  1857.  It  has 
been  maintained  since  as  a  toll-bridge.  A  ferry 
had  been  in  use  here  for  thirty  years  to  convey 
boat-teams  from  the  one  side  of  the  river  to  the 
other. 

Althouse's  Bridge. — In  1834  John  Alt- 
house,  Adam  Reber,  Benjamin  Parvin,  Jacob  S. 
Ebling,  John  Ginger,  of  Maiden-creek  township, 
and  Abraham  Reeser,  Jacob  Orange,  Jacob 
Kauffman  and  John  Potteiger,  of  Bern  town- 
ship, were  appointed  commissioners  to  form  a 
bridge  company  and  erect  a  bridge  across  the 


Schuylkill,  at  or  near  Althouse's,  about  eleven 
miles  above  Reading  (now  Leesport).  The 
bridge  was  erected  in  1835.  From  that  time 
till  January,  1886,  it  was  continued  as  a  pri- 
vate toll-bridge,  and  then,  upon  proceedings  of 
appraisement,  it  was  taken  by  the  county  and 
declared  a  free  county  bridge. 

Mohr's  Bridge  (Mohrsville). — In  1836 
the  following  commissioners,  citizens  of  Berks 
County — John  Gernand,  George  Loose,  John 
H.  Mohr,  Peter  Addams,  Isaac  Addams,  Geo. 
Haag,  Jacob  Kline,  Jacob  D.  Klein,  John 
Kauffman,  Christopher  Klein,  Jacob  Yoder, 
John  Yoder,  Philip  Schneider,  John  Snyder, 
Jacob  Philips,  Philip  Kline,  Daniel  Guldin  and 
Valentine  Wagner — were  appointed  to  form  a 
stock  company  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a 
bridge  over  the  Schuylkill,  at  or  near  Mohr's 
tavern.  It  was  constructed  in  1837,  and  main- 
tained as  a  private  toll-bridge  till  1886,  when 
it  was  appropriated  by  the  county  and  set  apart 
as  a  free  county  bridge. 

Windsor  Haven  Bridge  (Shoemakers- 
ville). — In  1842  James  Reber  and  Joshua 
Reber  were  authorized  to  construct  a  toll- 
bridge  over  the  Schuylkill,  at  or  near  Windsor 
Haven.  Subsequently,  in  1849,  commissioners 
were  appointed  to  form  a  stock  company  for 
this  purpose.  They  were  Benjamin  Seidel, 
John  Kirshner,  Solomon  Seidel,  William  Ma- 
dare,  Samuel  Hoffman,  David  Moll,  Daniel 
Unger,  Charles  Egolf,  John  Shappel,  John 
Heckman,  Solomon  H.  Lesher,  Jacob  Boyer, 
Isaac  Deturk,  Elijah  Weidman,  George  K. 
Haag,  Samuel  Stepp,  William  Merwine,  Daniel 
Christ,  Joseph  Seidel,  David  Keim,  John 
Schlappig,  Samuel  Keim,  Benneville  Unger. 

The  bridge  was  erected  in  1862,  and  main- 
tained by  this  company  as  a  private  toll-bridge 
till  1886,  when  it  was  taken  by  the  county  and 
declared  a  free  bridge. 

Birdsboro'  Bridge. — A  covered  wooden 
bridge  was  erected  across  the  Schuylkill  at 
Birdsboro'  during  the  years  1844—45.  The  near- 
est bridge  to  this  point  across  the  Schuylkill  was 
at  Douglassville,  three  miles  down  the  river, 
and  at  Poplar  Neck,  six  miles  up  the  river.  A 
company  was  incorporated  for  this  purpose  by 
act  of  Assembly  passed  March  16,   1844,  and 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


439 


therein  the  following  commissioners  were  named 
for  its  organization  and  management :  Levi  B. 
Smith,  James  Everhart*  David  Smith,  Jeremiah 
B.  Kerns,  Isaac  Christman,  Jacob  Pyle,  Ed- 
ward Brooke.  This  bridge  has  been  since  main- 
tained as  a  private  toll-bridge. 

Monocacy  Bridge. — In  1866  the  Monoc- 
acy Bridge  Company  was  incorporated  to  erect 
a  bridge  across  the  Schuylkill,  near  Monocacy 
Furnace,  at  the  village  of  Mount  Airy,  and  the 
following  commissioners  were  appointed  to  raise 
the  necessary  subscriptions  of  stock  and  organ- 
ize sdid  company :  Benjamin  B.  Thomas,  Chas. 
M.  Clingan,  Charles  F.  Norton,  Thomas  T. 
Iaeger,  Michael  Lynch,  J.  F.  Gulden,  Hiram 
Ludwig,  Jeremiah  Weaver,  Morris  Hacker. 

The  company  succeeded  in  erecting  an  iron 
bridge  during  the  years  1870-71.  It  has  been 
maintained  as  a  private  toll-bridge  since. 

Dotjglassville  Bridge.— In  1832  a  bridge 
was  authorized  to  be  erected  over  the  Schuylkill 
River,  between  the  "Black  Horse"  and  "  White 
Horse"  taverns,  in  Amity  township,,  and  for 
this  purpose  a  company  was  incorporated  and 
six  commissioners — prominent  and  influential 
citizens  of  the  county — were  appointed, — George 
Douglass,  Frederick  Linderman,  Clement  Brook, 
John  P.  Rutter,  Jacob  S.  Spang  and  John  Ber- 
tolet.  Sufficient  stock  was  taken  and  a  covered 
wooden  bridge  was  erected  shortly  afterward  at 
the  point  designated.  And  this  bridge  was  suc- 
cessfully maintained  as  a  private  toll-bridge  till 
1885,  when  it  was  declared  a  free  county 
bridge,  upon  the  earnest  application  of  citizens  o" 
Amity,  Douglass  and  Union  townships  for  that 
purpose. 

Exeter  Bridge. — In  1866  a  company  was 
incorporated  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  bridge 
across  the  Schuylkill,  near  Exeter  Station,  and 
the  following  commissioners  were  appointed  for 
the  organization  of  the  company:  Henry 
Thompson,  Daniel  Reed,  Willitm  E.  Schlernm, 
AVashington  S.  Kissinger,  Reuben  B.  Seidle, 
Isaac  Moore,  Gottlieb  Moyer,  John  Kupf,  Si- 
mon Seyfert,  J.  P.  Althouse,  Amos  W.  Pottei- 
ger,  Martin  Dankle,  George  W.  Bruckman. 

A  bridge,  was  much  needed  at  this  point — the 
nearest  bridge  across  the  Schuylkill  being  at 
Birdsboro',   four  miles  below,  and   at   Poplar 


Neck,  several  miles  above,  and  the  inhabitants 
suffered  much  inconvenience  without  it.  Twen- 
ty years  have  elapsed,  but  this  bridge  remains 
to  be  constructed.  It  was  the  second  bridge 
company  incorporated  in  the  county,  and  in  the 
same  section  of  territory,  which  failed  to  accom- 
plish its  purpose,  notwithstanding  the  improve- 
ment was  a.  necessary  one  for  that  section  of  the 
county.  A  county  bridge  was  applied  for  at 
"  Medlar's  Ford,"  across  the  Schuylkill,  seven 
miles  above  Reading,  and  an  act  was  passed  in 
1832,  but  it  was  repealed  in  the  following  year. 
The  "Exeter  Ford"  is  still  used. 

Railroad  Bridges. — A  number  of  hand- 
some and  substantial  bridges  have  been  erected 
across  the  river  by  the  several  railroad  com- 
panies operated  in  the  county.     They  are — 

Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad,  near  Tucker- 
ton — high  arch,  built  of  stone. 

Lebanon  Valley  Railroad — within  limits  of  Read- 
ing, built  of  iron. 

Berks  County  Railroad  (now  Schuylkill  and  Le- 
high)— three;  one  at  and  two  below  Reading,  built  of 
wood. 

Pennsylvania  Schuylkill  Valley  Railroad— five ; 
one  above,  another  at,  and  three  below  Reading,  built 
of  iron. 

There  are  now  altogether  twenty-three 
bridges  which  span  the  river  within  the  limits 
of  the  county. 

roads  and  turnpikes. 

Indian  Paths.— There  were  paths  through 
this  section  of  country  long  before  Reading 
was  laid  out.  The  "Schuylkill  Ford"  was  a 
central  point  for  the  Indians.  Nature  would 
seem  to  have  selected  the  site  for  the  town 
rather  than  the  Penns.  Accessible  water  may 
have  induced  the  Penns  to  select  it ;  but  Na- 
ture— the  great  index  to  many  things,  which 
so  strangely  remain  hidden  from  our  perception 
till  revealed  to  us  by  time  and  experience — 
formed  the  ford  that  became  the  terminus  of 
different  roads.  And  naturally  the  confluence 
of  these  roads  directed  the  tendency  to  formu- 
late a  town.  Roads  make  a  town.  Its  success 
is  dependent  upon  them.  They  anteceded  the 
railroad  centre  as  a  sure  means  towards  the 
rapid  development  of  a  community. 

Tulpehocken   Road  —  The    earliest  men- 


440 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


tion  of  a  road  through  this  region  of  country  is 
the  road  which  was  marked  out  in  1687,  from 
the  Delaware  at  Philadelphia  to  the  Susque- 
hanna, by  way  of  this  ford.1  It  was 
known  for  many  years  as  the  "  Tulpehoeken 
road."  In  1768  a  road  was  regularly  laid 
out  from  Reading,  to  the  Susquehanna,  at 
"  Fort  Augusta,"  by  way  of  Middletown  (now 
Womelsdorf)  and  Rehrer's  Tavern  (now 
Rehrersburg),  over  the  Blue  and  Broad 
Mountains,  in  pursuance  of  a  petition  from  a 
considerable  number  of  inhabitants  of  Berks 
County,  presented  on  30th  of  January,  1768. 
The  report  was  presented  to  the  Executive  Coun- 
cil on  19th  January,  1769.  The  roads  be- 
gan "  at  the  east  end  of  Penn  Street,  in  the 
town  of  Reading,  and  extended  through  the 
same  to  the  banks  of  the  river  Schuylkill,  west 
three  hundred  and  forty  six  perches ;  thence 
south  eighty-seven  degrees  west  thirty-three 
perches  across  said  river ;  thence  four  courses 
westwardly  with  a  total  distance  of  fourteen 
hundred  and  fifty-seven  perches  to  Sinking 
Spring  Town  ;  thence  by  fifteen  courses,  gener- 
ally westwardly,  a  total  distance  of  twenty- 
eight  hundred  and  fourteen  perches  to  Second 
Street,  in  Middletown  [now  Womelsdorf] ; 
thence  across  the  Tulpehoeken  Creek  and  by 
way  of  John  Rice's  tavern  and  Nicholas 
Kinser's,  northwestwardly  to  Godfried  Rehrer's 
tavern  [now  RehrersburgJ,  and  thence  by  way 
of  Henry  Derr's  house  to  Fort  Henry,  and 
over  the  Kittanning  Mountain,  etc.,  in  ;i  north- 
westwardly course  to  Fort  Augusta."  The 
commissioners  appointed  to  lay  out  the  road 
were  Jonas  Seely,  John  Patton,  Frederick 
Weiser,  Benjamin  Spycker,  Christian  Laur, 
Thomas  Jones,  Jr.,  James  Scull,  Mark  Bird, 
Henry  Christ. 

Fifty  years  afterward  this  road  from  Read- 
.ing  to  Middletown,  and  thence  westwardly  to 
and  through  Dauphin  County,  became  a  turn- 
pike, a  company  for  this  purpose  having  been 
incorporated  in  1805,  under  the  name  of 
"  Berks   and   Dauphin    Turnpike    Company." 


1  Penn  refers  to  it  in  his  proposal  of  1690  for  a  second 
settlement,  which  wns  to  be  made  at  a  point  on  the  Susque- 
hanna, now  Harrisburg. 


The  commissioners  from  Berks  County  were 
Joseph  Hiester,  Peter  Frailey,  John  Keim,  Sr., 
of  Reading,  John  Huy,  George  Ege,  Conrad 
Stauch,  Christian  Lower. 

The  turnpike  was,  however,  not  then  begun. 
The  "  Harrisburg  Bridge "  was  under  a  cloud 
at  the  time,  and  possibly  threw  a  "  cold  wave  " 
over  the  commissioners.  Their  ardor  was 
chilled  by  some  means.  Ten  years  afterward 
the  two  seemed  to  move  together,  and  they 
were  completed  about  the  same  time.  The 
turnpike  wascommenced  in  1816,  just  after  the 
bridge  was  passable,  and  finished  in  1817; 
and  it  has  been  maintained  successfully  till 
now,  a  period  exceeding  seventy  years. 

The  Assembly  of  the  State  had  anticipated 
this  turnpike  by  certain  proceedings  thirty 
years  before,  for  in  the  Assembly  on  Septem- 
ber 15, 1783,  a  committee  in  their  report  rec- 
ommended the  following  resolutions  : 

"To  view  the  different  roads  leading  from  Susque- 
hanna to  Beading  and  Philadelphia,  and  point  out 
the  most  practicable  mode  of  improving  and  repair- 
ing the  same,  and  to  consider  the  most  probable  way 
of  opening  a  communication  between  the  rivers 
Susquehanna  and  Schuylkill,  and  to  form  estimates  of 
the  expenses  to  carry  the  above  designs  into  execution 
and  to  report  their  proceedings  with  all  possible 
expedition  to  the  next  House  of  Assembly." 

And  on  September  20th  the  House  appointed 
David  Rittenhouse,  Thomas  Hutch  ins  and 
Nathan  Sellers  to  carry  out  the  resolutions.  I 
could  not  find  any  subsequent  proceedings  in 
the  matter. 

Maiden-creek  Road. — A.  road  was  sur- 
veyed by  Samuel  Lightfoot  in  1745,  from 
Francis  Parvin's  mill,  near  the  mouth  of 
the  Maiden-creek,  southwardly  to  the  ford 
(where  Reading  now  is),  in  almost  a  straight 
line  about  six  miles  in  length,  and  confirmerl 
in  June,  1745.2  In  1753  it  was  regularly 
laid  out  from  "Reading  northwardly,  and  ex- 
tended to  Easton  by  commissioners  from  Berks 
and     Northampton    Counties,     appointed    by 


2  Misc.  MSS.  on  Berks  County  with  Historical  Society  of 
Pennsylvania.      "Cacoosing"  Creek,  a  branch  of  Tulpe- 
hoeken, is  mentioned  on  this  draft;   also  "Flying  Hill," 
I  three  miles  below  Reading. 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


441 


the  Executive  Council  at  Philadelphia.1  The 
commissioners  from  Berks  County  were 
Francis  Parvin,  James  Boone,  Jacob  Levan, 
Joseph  Penrose,  Benjamin  Lightfoot,  Sebastian 
Zimmerman. 

A  turnpike  was  constructed  on  this  road 
from  Callowhill  Street,  in  the  borough,  over 
the"longhill"2to  the  mouth  of  the  Maiden- 
creek,  and  thence  northwardly,  by  way  of 
Hamburg,  "Schuylkill  Gap"  and  "Sharp 
Mountain  Gap,"  and  northwestwardly  over 
Broad  Mountain,  by  way  of  a  point  now 
Ashland,  to  Sunbury.  A  company  for  this 
purpose  was  incorporated  in  1805  to  be 
called  "Centre  Turnpike  Company."  The 
turnpike  was  completed  before  1812.  The 
commissioners  from  Berks  County  were  Joseph 
Hiester  and  James  May,  of  Reading,  and 
Jacob  Toppell,  of  Hamburg.  The  turnpike 
was  conducted  and  tolls  were  exacted  till  1884, 
when  it  was  abandoned,  such  a  conclusion  of  a 
great  franchise  not  resulting  till  the  road  was 
declared  a  nuisance  for  want  of  repairs. 

Oley  Road. — In  September,  1727,  a  peti- 
tion was  presented  to  the  court  at  Philadelphia 
for  a  road  to  extend  from  the  "  Lutheran  Meet- 
ing House  "  at  the  Tnlpehocken  s  to  the  High 
road  at  the  "Quaker  Meeting  House,"'1  near 
George  Boone's  mill  in  Oley.     Eight  years  af- 


•The  petition  for  this  road  was  presented  in  Councilon 
21st  of  May,  1753.  It  was  signed  by  the  following  prom- 
inent men  of  the  county,  who  represented  that  "  the  roads 
now  commonly  used  were  not  laid  out  by  any  authority, 
either  from  this  Board  or  from  the  respective  Courts  of 
the  said  counties  [Northampton  and  Berks],  and  they  are 
often  diverting  and  obstructed  and  rendered  almost  im- 
>le:" 


Conrad  Weiser,  Thomas  Craig,  Henry  Harding,  Jonas  Seely , 
James  Read,  John  Jones,  Jasper  Scull,  Thomas  Armstrong, 
Benj.  Lightfoot,  Hosea  Heyman,  Jacob  Levan,  William  Par- 
sons, Wm.  Craig,  Hon.  Wilson,  Peter  Haws,  Conrad  Bower, 
John  Hutton,  James  Biddle,  Richard  Rigg,  Yost  Heinrich, 
Sesmans  Huse,  Lewis  Gordon,  Theobald  Baum,  Merrick 
Starr,  James  Starr,  Lyon  Nathan,  George  Beale,  Isaac 
Levan,  Peter  Weitner,  Abraham  Crosius,  Peter  Weiser.  — 
2  Penna.  Arch.,  98-99. 

2  The  northern  part  of  this  hill  is  now  occupied  by  the 
"  Charles  Evans  Cemetery." 

s  Situate  a  short  distance  east  of  a  point  now  Stouchs- 
burg. 

*  At  the  township  line  between  Oley  (now  Exeter)  and 
Amity. 


terwards5  the  court  appointed  Mordecai  Lin- 
coln, Marcus  Hulings,  James  Thompson,  Peter 
Robeson,  Benjamin  Boon,  Thomas  Potts  to  lay 
out  this  road  from  the  high  road  eastward  ly 
to  the  Schuylkill  ford.  They  reported  a  road 
at  June  sessions,  1736,  which  began  at  the  ford ; 
thence  south  80  degrees  east  80  perches)  south 
75  degrees  east  800  perches;  south  70  degrees 
east  420  perches,  etc. ;  onward  in  almost  a  direct 
line  eastwardly  to  a  road  called  the  "  King's 
Highway."  Its  eastern  terminus  was  at  a  point 
now  Amityville.  This  was  the  road  to  Phila- 
delphia for  many  years,  till  changed  by  a  road6 
from  a  point  near  the  "  Black  Bear  Inn,"  by 
way  of  Bishop's  Hill,  to  a  point  near  Molatton 
church,  now  at  Douglassville.  In  1810  a  turn- 
pike was  authorized  to  be  constructed  on  this 
road  from  Reading,  by  way  of  "  White  Horse 
tavern  "  and  Pottsgrove,  to  Perkiomen  Mills,  at 
Perkiomen  Creek.  In  1811,  commissioners  were 
named,  those  from  Berks  County  having  been 
George  Douglass,  Matthew  Brooke,  John  Brower, 
Conrad  Fegar,  Lewis  Reese. 

They  immediately  commenced  its  construc- 
tion and  completed  it  in  four  years  at  an  average 
cost  of  seven  thousand  dollars  per  mile.7 

The  road  from  the  "Old  Philadelphia  road," 
near  Sehwartzwald  Chureh,  to  the  King's  High- 
way (Pleasantville  to  Amityville)  was  laid  out 
and  confirmed  in  1755..  The  "Oley  Turnpike" 
is  constructed  on  this  road  from  Jackson wald 
eastward.  The  company  for  this  superior,  well- 
kept  turnpike  was  incorporated  in  1862.  The 
road  extends  from  "  Black  Bear  Inn  "  to  Pleas- 
antville, ten  miles.  The  total  cost  was  fifty 
thousand  dollars.  The  •commissioners  appoint- 
ed to  receive  subscriptions  of  stock  were  Wil- 
liam Herbst,  George  S.  Yoder,  Enoch  E.  Gries- 
emer,  Peter  D.  Griesemer,  Wellington  B.  Gries- 
emer,  John  Snyder,  Amos  Ritter. 

Schuylkill,  Road. — A  road  was  ordered  by 
the  court  of  Lancaster  County  in  1750  to  be 
laid  out  from  the  Chester  County  line,  in  Caer- 


5  May  sessions,  1 735. 

6Supposed  about  1790.  In  "Road-Book"  of  county 
records  it  is  called  "New  Philadelphia  road,"  in  1797. 

'  The  highest  point  in  the  entire  pike  from  Perkiomen 
Creek  to  Reading  is  near  the  seven-mile  stone,  in  Exeter 
township. 


442 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


narvon  township,  in  a  northwestwardly  direc- 
tion to  Reading.  It  was  surveyed  by  George 
Boone,  and  reported  in  1751.  This  is  supposed 
to  be  the  road  from  Warwick  Furnace,  by  way 
of  "Plow  tavern"  and  "Green  Tree  tavern," 
through  Caernarvon,  Robeson  and  Cumru  town- 
ships and  along  the  western  bank  of  the  Schuyl- 
kill, "  to  the  Tulpehocken  road  opposite  Read- 
ing."   It  was  twelve  and  a  half  miles  in  length. 

Other  Roads.— "Neversink  road,"  from 
Reading  southwardly  to  "Flying  Hill,"  in  1753. 

"Alsace  Church  road,"  from  Reading  north- 
wardly through  Alsace  township,  in  1753. 

"Lancaster  road,"  from  Reading  southwest- 
wardly  through  Cumru  township,  in  1762. 

"Bern  road,"  from  Reading  northwestwardly 
over  the  Schuylkill  at  point  now  occupied  by 
Kissinger's  bridge,  through  Bern  township,  in 
1772. 

"Alsace  road,"  from  Reading  northeastward- 
ly through  Alsace  township  into  Oley  township 
to  a  point  in  the  "King's  Highway"  (supposed 
to  be  near  Friedensburg,  and  now  called  the 
" Friedensburg  road")  in  1776. 

Numerous  other  public  roads  have  been  laid 
out  round-about  Reading.  The  prominent  high- 
ways distant,  from  Reading  are  mentioned  in  the 
several  sections  into  which  I  have  divided  the 
county. 


PLAN  OF  ROADS  TO  READING. 

The  accompanying  plan  will  indicate  in  a 
general  way  how  the  prominent  roads  extended 


from  Reading  during  its  earlier  history.  And 
these  have  continued  to  be  the  great  roads  for 
travel  till  now. 

In  1822  the  State  held  subscriptions  of  stock 
in  the  three  turnpike  companies,  as  follows : 

Berks  and  Dauphin  $29,000  (individual  subscrip- 
tion $63,905) ;  Centre;  $80,000  (individual  subscrip- 
tion $62,000);  Perkiomen,  $53,0(10  (individual- sub- 
scription $133,000).  Length  reported :  1,  34  miles  ; 
2,  75  miles ;  3,  28  J  miles. 

•  STAGES. 

First  Stages. — The  first  public  conveyance 
at  Reading  was  a  two-horse  coach.  It  was  in- 
stituted by  Martin  Hausman  in  1789 x  and 
traveled  weekly  between  Reading  and  Philadel- 
phia for  the  transportation  of  passengers  and 
letters.  The  distance  was  about  fifty-one  miles, 
and  the  passage  was  made  in  two  days.  The 
fare  was  two  dollars,  and  letter  carriage  three 
pence.  During  this  year  he  transferred  the  es- 
tablished business  to  Alexander  Eisenbeis.  After 
operating  it  two  years,  Eisenbeis  sold  it  to  Wil- 
liam Coleman,  and  from  this  time  onward,  for 
nearly  seventy  years,  without  intermission,  the 
Coleman  family  were  prominent  throughout 
Eastern  Pennsylvania  for  their  connection  with 
this  great  enterprise. 

Coleman  Lines. — Soon  after  Coleman  had 
obtained  the  possession  of  this  stage-line  he  ex- 
tended it  westwardly,  by  way  of  Womelsdort 
and  Lebanon,  to  Harrisburg,  and  northwardly, 
by  way  of  Hamburg,  Orwigsburg,  Sharp  Moun- 
tain Gap  and  over  the  Broad  Mountain,  to  Sun- 
bury.2  In  1818  the  stages  ran  twice  a  week 
from  Philadelphia  to  Sunbury.  They  left  Phila- 
delphia on  Tuesdays  and  Saturdays  at  three  a.m.; 
arrived  at  Reading  at  five  p.m.,  and  lodged  at 
Hamburg  on  the  same  days ;  and  on  the  follow- 
ing mornings  left  at  three  a.m.  and  arrived  at 
Sunbury  on  the  succeeding  days  at  ten  a.m.   And 


'The  first  coach  in  New  England  began  its  tripsin  1744. 
The  first  stage-line  between  New  York  and  Philadelphia 
— then  the  two  most  populous  eities  in  the  colonies — was 
established  in  1756.     The  trip  was  made  in  three  days. 

When  the  Revolution  came,  most  of  these  public  convey- 
ances ceased  to  run.  And  they'  did  not  take  the  road  till 
the  return  of  peace.  Many  years  elapsed  before  the  traffio 
over  the  highways  became  at  all  considerable. 

2  Daniel  Lebo  ran  a  line  from  Reading  to  Sunbury  and 
return,  bi-weekly  for  a  time. 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


443 


they  ran  thrice  a  week  from  Philadelphia1  to 
Harrisburg1 — Tuesdays,  Thursdays  and  Satur- 
days,— leaving  Philadelphia  at  four  a.m.,  lodging 
at  Reading  and  arriving  at  Harrisburg  the  next 
evening.  The  same  order  was  observed  in  re- 
turning. The  length  of  the  respective  lines  over 
the  turnpikes  to  the  south,  west  and  north  was 
as  follows :  Reading  to  Philadelphia,  fifty-one 
miles ;  Reading  to  Harrisburg,  fifty-three  miles ; 
Reading  to  Sunbury,  seventy-seven  miles. 

In  1820  "William  Coleman  died.  His  widow 
carried  on  the  stage-lines  till  May  21,  1821, 
when  the  sons,  John  and  Nicholas,  purchased 
and  conducted  them.  They  then  advertised 
the  following  schedule  : 

"  Leave  Philadelphia  on  Tuesdays,  Thursdays  and 
Saturdays  at  4  a.m.  ;  arrive  at  Reading  at  3  p.m.  (a 
gain  of  two  hours),  and  lodge  at  Womejsdorf,  proceed- 
ing next  morning  to  Harrisburg ;  and  in  returning 
leave  Harrisburg  on  same  days  at  11  A.M.,  lodge  at 
Womelsdorf,  start  next  day  at  4  a.m.,  breakfast 
at  Reading  and  arrive  at  Philadelphia  in  the  evening. 
Through  fare  was  $7  ;  to  Reading  from  either  place, 
13.50.  From  Philadelphia  to  Sunbury,  leave  Phila- 
delphia on  Tuesdays  and  Saturdays  at  4  a.m.  ;  and 
returning,  leave  Sunbury  Wednesdays  and  Fridays  at 
9  a.m.  Hamburg  was  the  lodging-place  on  the 
way.    Fare,  $8 ;  way  passengers,  seven  cents  a  mile. 

In  1823  they  ran  weekly  stages  to  the  south- 
west to  Lancaster,  over  a  natural  road,  in  length 
thirty-two  miles,  and  to  the  northeast  to  Easton, 
over  a  natural  road,  in  length  fifty  miles. 

In  1825  Colder  &  Wilson  ran  the  "  Mail- 
Stage"  between  Reading  and  Harrisburg  three 
times  a  week,  leaving  Sundays,  Wednesdays  and 
Fridays  at  five  a.m.,  and  arriving  at  Harrisburg 
at  five  p.m.;  and  on  return  leaving  Harrisburg  on 
Tuesdays,  Thursdays  and  Saturdays  at  five  a.m. 
and  arriving  at  five  p.m.  The  passenger  fare  was 
50  cents  to  Womelsdorf;  $1  to  Lebanon  and  $2 
to  Harrisburg. 

Stage  Combination. — In  1826  a  combina- 
tion was  made  between  the  Colemans,  Jacob 
Peters  and  Colder  &  Co.  to  run  a  daily  line  of 
stages  between  Philadelphia  and  Harrisburg  via 
Reading.  The  arrangement  began  June  27, 
1826.     The  stages  left  Philadelphia  daily,  ex- 

'Left  Philadelphia,  at  Swan  Tavern,  on  Race  Street,  be- 
tween Third  and  Fourth  ;  and  left  Harrisburg  at  Buehler's 
Tavern. 


cept  Monday,  at  four  a.m.,  dined  at  Reading, 
lodged  at  Lebanon,  and  proceeded  to  Harrisburg 
next  morning.  Returning,  they  left  Harrisburg 
daily,  except  Tuesday,  in  afternoon,  lodged  at 
Lebanon,  took  breakfast  at  Reading  next  morn- 
ing and  arrived  in  Philadelphia  at  eight  p.m. 
Through  fare,  $6 ;  to  Reading,  $3. 

From  the  beginning  till  1826  the  stage-coach 
in  use  was  called  a  "  steamboat,"  an  uncovered 
wagon  capable  of  holding  twenty  passengers.  It 
was  manufactured  at  Lancaster  by  Sleighmaker 
&  Co.  Then  a  sharp  competition  arose  in  this 
business  between  three  lines ;  first,  the  "  Old 
Line,"  or  Coleman's,  which  conveyed  the  mails  ; 
second,  Reeside  &  Piatt's  ;  and  third,  Miltimore 
&  Mintzer's.2  This  was  in  1827.3  A  new  and 
improved  stage-coach  was  introduced  as  a  con- 
sequence, called  the  "  Troy  Coach."  It  held 
eleven  passengers  with  room  for  five  and  more 
on  top. 

In  1830  the  competition  was  full  of  life. 
The  rates  were  reduced  one-half.  But  the  "  Old 
Line  "  forced  the  others  to  withdraw.  Its  mail 
contracts  were  a  great  support  and  enabled  it  to 
bear  the  pressure.  It  carried  a  hundred  horses 
always  on  hand  to  supply  the  lines  with  motive- 
power  under  any  emergency. 

Decline  of  Stages. — The  stage  business 
continued  active  and  profitable  in  the  several 
directions  from  Reading  till  the  introduction  of 
the  railways,  when  it  was  discontinued.  The 
stage-coach  could  not  compete  with  the  railroad 
train,  or  horse-power  with  steam-power.  And 
in  this  respect,  as  in  others,  the  fittest  and 
strongest  survived.  The  discontinuance  on  the 
several  lines  was  as  follows  :  From  Philadel- 
phia, 1838;  from  Pottsville,  1842;  from  Har- 
risburg, 1858  ;  from  Allentown,  1859. 

A  daily  line  of  stages  on  the  road  to  Lancas- 
ter was  begun  on  June  15,  1848,  and  this  con- 
tinued in  successful  operation  till  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Columbia  Railroad,  in  1864. 

Stages  still  run  in  different  directions  from 

2  This  firm  was  composed  of  John  N.  Miltimore  and 
George  M.  Keim,  of  Reading  ;  John  F.  Smith,  of  Philadel- 
phia; and  William  Mintzer,of  Foltstown. 

3  Soon  afterward  John  Coleman  died,  and  Nicholas,  his 
brother,  obtained  and  continued  sole  control  of  the  stage 
business  till  shortly  before  his  death,  in  1857. 


444 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Reading  and  carry  passengers,  merchandise  and 
mail.  The  lines  extend  to  (1)  Bernville  and 
Millersburg,  (2)  Adamstown,  .(3)  Friedensburg 
and  Pikeville,  (4)  Oley  Pike  to  Pleasantville 
and  Shanes vi  He. 

A  line  of  mail-stages  was  conducted  for  a 
time  by  Conrad  Stauch  from  Womelsdorf  via 
Rehrersburg  and  Millersburg  to  Pine  Grove, 
leaving  Womelsdorf  three  times  a  week,  Mon- 
days, Thursdays  and  Saturdays,  and  returning 
from  Pine  Grove  Wednesdays,  Fridays  and 
Sundays.     Through  fare  was  $1.25. 

CANALS. 

The  great  internal  improvements  in  this 
country  were  projected  in  Pennsylvania.  The 
enterprise  of  her  early  citizens  directed  the  first 
public  attention  to  the  establishment  of  canals 
and  turnpikes  for  convenient  transportation. 
In  1690  William  Penn  suggested  the  idea  of 
connecting  the  Susquehanna  and  Schuylkill  by 
means  of  a  canal,  but  it  was  not  acted  upon. 
Seventy  years  afterward  this  idea  was  again 
considered,  and  then  a  survey  was  made  by 
David  Rittenhouse  and  others.  A  course  was 
marked  out  for  a  canal  between  these  two 
rivers ;  but  nearly  seventy  years  more  elapsed 
before  the  great  scheme  was  realized  and  put 
into  practical  and  successful  operation. 

Union  Canal. — In  1791  the  Legislature  of 
Pennsylvania  passed  an  act  incorporating  the 
Schuylkill  and  Susquehanna  Navigation  Com- 
pany for  the  purpose  of  connecting  the  two 
rivers  by  a  canal,  and  facilitating  traffic  thereby 
from  the  one  to  the  other  ;  and  in  1792  another 
company  was  chartered,  under  the  name  of  the 
Delaware  and  Schuylkill  Canal  Company,  for 
the  purpose  of  extending  a  canal  from  the 
eastern  terminus  of  the  canal  mentioned  at 
Reading,  along  the  Schuylkill  to  the  Delaware 
at  Philadelphia.  These  canals  were  to  be  part 
of  a  great  scheme  conceived  by  an  association  of 
enterprising  individuals  in  order  to  promote 
internal  improvements,  whereby  Philadelphia 
and  Pittsburgh  were  to  be  connected  by  water 
communication.  But  these  creatures  of  the  law 
would  appear  to  have  received  little  life  from 
the  Legislature  and   their  projectors,  because 


they  accomplished  nothing  in  the  nature  of  a 
practical  improvement. 

On  April  2,  1811,  the  Legislature  passed  an 
act  to  incorporate  "  The  Union  Canal  Company 
of  Pennsylvania."  The  name  was  chosen  be- 
cause the  new  corporation  was  really  a  union  of 
the  old  Schuylkill  and  Susquehanna  and  the 
Delaware  and  Schuylkill  Canal  Companies. 
The  preamble  recited  that  those  corporations 
had  made  strenuous  efforts  to  carry  out  the  ob- 
jects of  their  charters,  but  had  failed.  They 
were,  therefore,  dissolved,  and  a  new  company 
was  formed  by  the  stockholders  of  the  old  cor- 
porations, whose  relative  rights  were  adjusted 
in  a  new  distribution  of  the  capital.  The  man- 
agers went  to  work  with  hope,  but  not  with 
vigor.  They  had  trouble  because  their  capital 
was  insufficient,  and  were  waiting  the  slow  pro- 
fits which  came  through  the  grants  of  lottery 
privileges.  Seventeen  years  had  gone  by  before 
the  canal  was  finished.  It  was  announced  on 
the  1st  of  January,  1828,  that  the  work  was  com- 
pleted, but  it  was  nearly  three  months  afterward 
before  it  was  used.  The  first  canal-boat  that 
went  west  was  the  "Fair  Trader,"  Captain 
Smith,  which  left  Philadelphia  on  the  20th  of 
March  of  that  year,  by  way  of  the  Schuylkill 
Navigation  to  Reading,  and  thence  by  the  Union 
Canal  to  Middletown,  arriving  at  the  latter 
place  on  the  23d.  The  event  was  duly  cele- 
brated at  Middletown.  There  were  seventeen 
Union  Canal  boats  in  service  in  July,  1828, 
and  over  two  hundred  were  in  operation  before 
the  end  of  that  year. 

The  length  of  the  canal  is  79£  miles,  with  91 
locks,  8  basins,  93  bridges,  16  dams  and  17 
aqueducts.  From  the  summit  (four  miles  east 
of  Lebanon)  to  the  mouth  of  Tulpehocken 
Creek  the  distance  is  37  miles.  This  section 
of  the  canal  is  26  feet  wide  at  bottom,  and  36 
feet  at  water  surface ;  depth  of  water,  4  feet,  and 
width  of  towing' path,  10  feet.  The  number  of 
locks  required  to  overcome  the  fall  of  310  feet 
is  52.  The  locks  are  faced  with  dressed  sand- 
stone ;  chambers  8  J  feet  wide  and  75  feet  long ; 
and  lifts  vary  from  5  to  8  feet.  About  1855 
the  locks  were  enlarged  to  correspond  with  the 
locks  of  the  Pennsylvania  Canal — first  from  Pine 
Grove  westwardly  to  Middletown,  and   after- 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


445 


ward  from  the  Swatara  eastwardly  to  Read- 
iug. 

The  success  of  this  canal  was  dependent  upon 
the  construction  of  a  similar  canal  along  the 
Schuylkill,  in  order  to  encourage  traffic  from 
Susquehanna  to  Philadelphia  by  way  of  Heading. 
A  company  had  been  chartered  in  1815  for  this 
purpose,  which  then  began  the  improvement 
desired,  and  finished  it  in  1825. 

In  1830  the  canal  was  extended  along  the 
western  bank  of  the  Schuylkill;  three  miles  be- 
low Reading,  to  the  "  Little  Dam,"  having  its 
outlet  in  the  "  Big  Dam,"  about  a  thousand  feet 
below.  But  this  portion  was  washed  so  badly 
by  the  freshet  of  1 850  that  it  was  rendered  use- 
less, and  connection  was  altogether  made  with 
the  Schuylkill  Canal  at  a  lock  near  the  Harris- 
burg  Bridge.1 

In  order  to  form  an  idea  of  the  extent  and 
growth  of  the  business  over  this  canal,  soon 
after  it  was  completed,  the  following  statistics 
are  presented : 

For  the  week  ending  May  27,  1831,  eighty  boats 
passed  Reading  going  down,  forty-five  being  loaded 
with  lumber  and  coal,  and  the  others  with  flour, 
whiskey,  eastings,  etc. ;  and  sixty  passed  going  up, 
seventeen  of  which  were  loaded  with  merchandise. 

For  the  week  ending  June  14,  1835,  one  hundred 
and  twenty  five  loaded  boats  passed  down,  and  one 
hundred  and  twelve  loaded  boats  passed  up. 

Some  years  afterward  the  tonnage  and  tolls  were  as 
follows, — 

Tons.        Tolls  rec'd. 

1847 139,256     $91,356 

1848 153,222       95,953 

1849 148,332        86,800 

Lottery  Privileges. —  The  amount  of  money 
raised  in  the  course  of  the  prosecution  of  the 
canal  work  between  the  Schuylkill  and  Susque- 
hanna Rivers  was  enormous,  not  so  much  from 
the  actual  cost  of  the  improvements  as  in  the 
wasteful  way  in  which  the  money  was  raised, 
and  the  amount  taken  from  the  community  which 
did  no  good  to  the  enterprise.     The  capital  of 

1  At  this  point  the  company  had  constructed,  about  1828, 
a  dam  called  "Union  Dam"  (commonly  known  as  the 
Lotz's  Dam),  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  connection  with 
the  Schuylkill  Canal ;  and  this  was  the  only  connection 
till  1855,  when  the  canal  was  extended  to  a  point  opposite 
"  Jackson's  Lock,"  at  the  foot  of  Sixth  Street,  where  con- 
nection was  afterward  made. 


the  two  companies,  which  were  afterward  united, 
was  believed  to  be  insufficient  for  the  execution 
of  the  work,  and  the  Legislature,  in  order,  as  it 
was  supposed,  to  assist  them,  granted  them  power 
to  raise  money  "  by  way  of  lottery."  The 
whole  amount  specified  in  the  grant  was  $400,- 
000,  of  which  the  Schuylkill  and  Susquehanna 
Company  was  to  have  two-thirds,  and  the  Dela- 
ware and  Schuylkill  Canal  Company  one-third. 
This  act  was  passed  April  17,  1795,  and  under 
it  the  companies  began,  shortly  afterward,  to 
exercise  the  privilege  of  issuing  lottery  tickets. 
This  power  was  exercised  for  fifteen  years,  with 
small  profit.  Till  1810  the  companies  had 
realized  about  $60,000  from  the  lottery,  a  sum 
wholly  insufficient  for  their  purposes.  They 
complained  that  their  affairs  had  "  fallen  into 
disorder  and  embarrassment ;  that  they  were 
covered  with  reproach  and  ridicule,"  and  that 
the  public  confidence  was  impaired  in  their  ef- 
forts. This  led  to  the  union  of  the  two  corpo- 
rations in  1811.  In  the  act,  the  lottery  grant 
privileges  were  renewed  ;  and,  as  the  company 
had  not  made  much  by  their  own  management, 
they  were  empowered  to  sell  or  assign  their 
lottery  rights  to  any  persons  whom  they  might 
select.  The  company  leased  out  the  lottery 
privileges  to  various  lessees  or  managers.  Under 
this  arrangement  and  in  the  course  of  years  the 
lotteries  became  very  successful.  The  managers 
took  in  large  amounts  of  money,  but  the  Canal 
Company  did  not  have  much  added  to  their 
funds:  A  report  made  to  the  Legislature  states 
that  the  lottery  managers  made  many  millions, 
while  the  Union  Canal  Company  got  but  $269,- 
210.40.  There  was  high  dispute  about  the  busi- 
ness, great  scandal  and  much  bad  blood. 

The  act  of  Assembly  for  the  suppression  of 
lotteries  in  Pennsylvania  on  and  after  the  1st  of 
March,  1833,  declared  that  the  lottery  rights  of 
the  company  were  exhausted,  and  prohibited 
the  sale  of  lottery  tickets  of  any  kind  after  Dec. 
31st  of  that  year.  But,  as  a  compensation  for 
the  privileges  which  were  taken  away  from  the 
company,  the  Governor  was  authorized  to  sub- 
scribe for  1000  shares  of  the  stock  on  behalf  of 
the  State  of  Pennsylvania.  The  lotteries  of  the 
Union  Canal  Company  were  drawn  at  stated 
periods  from  the  gallery  of  the  stairs  in  the 


446 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


tower  of  the  State-House,  which  led  to  the  up- 
per chambers.  After  the  Arcade  was  finished, 
in  1827,  they  were  drawn  from  the  gallery  in 
front  of  the  second-story  offices,  in  the  east 
avenue.  Hundreds  of  persons  attended  these 
drawings. 

The  canal  was  supposed  to  be  the  only  possi- 
ble means  of  conveyance,  except  by  the  com- 
mon road,  long  after  all  the  companies  con- 
nected with  the  navigation  of  the  Schuylkill 
were  chartered.  The  Columbia  Railroad,  under 
the  management  of  the  State,  began  to  be  a 
rival  of  the  Union  Canal  in  bringing  produce 
and  passengers  from  the  Susquehanna  as  soon 
as  it  was  finished.  The  movement  for  its  estab- 
lishment commenced  in  1826,  when  a  company 
was  incorporated  to  build  a  railroad  from  Lan- 
caster and  Columbia  to  Philadelphia.  The  plan 
not  proving  successful,  in  1828  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania  authorized  a  survey,  and  followed 
it  up  in  after-years  by  appropriations,  under 
which  the  work  was  carried  on.  The  road  was 
finished  to  Lancaster  in  April,  1834,  and  opened 
through  to  Columbia  in  the  summer  of  1835. 
Just  as  soon  as  this  means  of  transportation  was 
finished  the  Union  Canal  Company  lost  a  large 
share  of  its  business  and  prospects.  The  rail- 
road offered  a  shorter  route  and  quicker-  method 
of  communication  between  the  Susquehanna, 
Schuylkill  and  Delaware  Rivers.  The  opening 
of  the  Lebanon  Valley  Railroad,  from  Reading, 
to  Harrisburg,  in  1857,  through  the  same  sec- 
tion of  territory,  proved  the  final  and  crushing 
blow  to  the  Union  Canal  Company.  From 
that  time  onward  it  began  to  decline  more  and 
more.  It  has  not  been  in  full  operation  for 
some  years  ;  in  fact,  the  traffic  upon  it  declined 
soon  after  its  enlargement,  owing  to  the  com- 
petition referred  to  and  the  disuse  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania canals. 

Schuylkill  Canal — Incorporation  nf  Com- 
pany.— The  Schuylkill  Canal  Navigation  was 
incorporated  on  March  8,  1815,  for  the  purpose 
of  transporting  coal,  lumber,  merchandise,  pro- 
duce, etc.,  by  a  system  of  canals  and  slackwater 
navigation,  which  was  to  be  afforded  by  appro- 
priating the  water  of  the  Schuylkill  River  from 
Mill  Creek,  in  Schuylkill  County,  to  Philadel- 
phia.    The  transportation   of  articles  was  then 


carried  on  over  the  Centre  turnpike  to  Reading, 
and  the  Perkiomen  and  Germantown  turnpikes 
to  Philadelphia.  Certain  commissioners  were 
named  in  the  act,  among  them  being  the  fol- 
lowing prominent  and  enterprising  men  from 
Berks  County :  Lewis  Reese,  John  S.  Hiester, 
John  Wiley;  James  May,  Jacob  K.  Boyer,  John 
Brower,  Matthew  Brooke,  Robert  Scott,  Abra- 
ham Bailey,  Abraham  Wolf. 

These  commissioners  were  directed  to  open 
subscription  books  at  various  places  in  May, 
1815.  The  par  value  of  a  share  of  stock  was 
fixed  at  fifty  dollars,  and  twenty-five  hundred 
shares  were  to  be  subscribed  at  Reading — one- 
fourth  of  the  total  shares. 

The  first  board  of  directors  was  elected  at 
Norristown  on  October  5,  1815.  It  included 
two  members  from  Berks  County — -Lewis  Reese, 
of  Reading,  and  John  Wiley,  of  Maiden-creek. 
Samuel  Baird,  of  Pottsgrove  (now  Pottstown), 
was  also  a  member,  having  soon  after  removed 
to  Reading  and  practiced  law.  The  construc- 
tion of  the  canal  was  begun  in  1817. 

Construction  of  Road. — In  1822  the  presi- 
dent of  the  company,  Cadwallader  Evans,  re- 
ported that  "  the  canal  was  completed  from  John 
Potts',  at  the  mines,  to  within  one-half  a  mile 
of  Hamburg,  below  the  Blue  Mountain,  and 
sixteen  miles  from  Reading.  This  included  the 
tunnel  at  the  mountain.  The  remaining  por- 
tion of  the  upper  section,  north  of  Reading,  was 
not  finished.  The  lower  section,  from  the  Lan- 
caster Schuylkill  bridge  (at  Philadelphia)  to 
Reading,  was  finished."  He  also  reported  that 
boats1  had  carried  during  the  year  (1821)  over 
the  completed  portion  of  the  canal,  from  the 
coal-mines  to  the  vicinity  of  Hamburg,  large 
quantities  of  coal,  which  were  deposited  there 
and  sold  out  by  the  ton  to  the  country  people 
from  the  neighborhood  and  for  many  miles  dis- 
tant. No  tolls  were  required  from  the  boats 
during  the  fall  of  1821.  The  unfinished  por- 
tion of  the  canal  was  reported  to  have  been 
completed  during  the  year  1822  ;  and  this  was 

1  The  boats  were  diminutive,  being  only  eighteen  tons' 
capacity  at  the  opening  of  the  canal ;  afterwards,  in  18:28, 
increased  to  twenty-three  tons ;  and,  further,  the  size 
and  tonnage  of  boats  was  increased  until  1815,  when  the 
capacity  was  sixty  tons. 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


447 


the  first  completed  navigation  enterprise   in  the 
country. 

The  total  length  from  Mt.  Carbon  to  Phila- 
delphia was  one  hundred  and  five  miles  (sixty- 
two  miles  of  canal  and  forty-three  miles  of  pools 
in  river),  was  a  fall  of  five  hundred  and  eighty- 
eight  feet ;  including  one  hundred  and  twenty 
locks  (eighty-one  above  Reading  and  thirty-nine 
below),  twenty-eight  dams,  seventeen  arched 
stone  aqueducts  and  a  tunnel  four  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  long,  cut  through  solid  rock.1  The  total 
cost  was  one  million  eight  hundred  thousand 
dollars. 

In  1827-28  the  canal  was  extended  to  Mill 
Creek,  making  the  total  length  108.23  miles ;  and, 
by  an  enlargement  in  1846,  the  number  of  locks 
was  reduced  to  seventy-one,  with  a  total  fall  of 
about  six  hundred  and  twenty  feet.  The  size 
of  the  locks  was  eighteen  by  one  hundred  and 
ten  feet ;  width  of  canal,  sixty  feet ;  depth  of 
water  of  six  feet.  The  capacity  of  boats  was 
one  hundred  and  eighty  tons. 

Its  Completion  Celebrated. — From  a  "local" 
in  the  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal,  on  July 
10,  1824,  it  would  appear  that  the  water  was 
not  turned  into  the  canal  till  the  beginning  of 
July,  1824.  This  event  -was  anticipated;  and 
the  management  accordingly  selected  an  "  anni- 


1  This  was  situate  above  Port  Clinton.  Some  years  after- 
ward the  tunnel  was  removed  by  a  thorough  cutting  away 
the  material  to  the  surface  above.  This  tunnel  was  re- 
markable as  being  the  first  one  executed  in  the  United 
States.  It  was  completed  in  1818.  It  was  excavated  by 
George  Duncan,  a  Scotch  engineer.  He  also  constructed  a 
portion  of  the  canal  south  of  Leesport,  which  has  since 
been  known  as  the  "  Duncan  Canal."  In  1834  he  also  per- 
formed the  work  in  a  re-construction  of  the  canal  from 
Felix's  Dam  southwardly  to  Reading,  which  theretofore 
extended  along  but  a  short  distance  from  the  river,  in  one 
level,  to  Washington  Street,  and  thence  through  Reading 
to  near  present  outlet.  This  portion  had  been  constructed 
over  cavernous  limestone,  which  was  subject  to  sink-holes. 
The  loss  of  water  was  frequent,  causing  the  passing  boats 
to  become  grounded  unexpectedly;  and  a  great  portion  of 
this  sinking  water,  strange  to  say,  did  not  empty  into  the 
river  near  by,  but  passed  underneath  the  rivor,  and  found 
an  outlet  in  the  fields  on  the  opposite  side.  This  was  par- 
ticularly the  case  near  Leiss'  Bridge.  At  one  time,  to 
overcome  this  difficulty,  the  company  had  lined  the  canal 
thence  (o  Reading  with  planks.  This  re-construction  con- 
sisted of  dams  and  pools  for  slack-water  navigation  to  Kis- 
singer's Dam,  at  mouth  of  Tulpehocken  Creek. 


versary  day  "  for  the  purpose  of  celebrating  it 
as  such  an  event  deserved  to  be  celebrated.  This 
was  on  July  5,  1824i  For  several  days  pre- 
viously the  water  had  run  into  this  new  highway 
to  prepare  the  way  for  the  celebration.  On  the 
day  fixed,  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  amid 
the  booming  of  cannon  and  the  applause  of 
many  spectators,  three  boats  moved  down  the 
canal  from  Reading.  And  then  there  was  wit- 
nessed the  first  triumph  in  a  class  of  internal 
improvements  which  had  been  recommended  by 
the  good  and  noble  and  far-seeing  Penn  over 
one  hundred  and  thirty  years  before. 

The  three  boats  which  were  used  upon  this 
occasion  were  the  "  Thomas  Oaks,"  "  Stephen 
Girard  "  and  the  "  De  Witt  Clinton." 

The  first  boat  was  named  after  the  civil  en- 
gineer under  whose  supervision  the  canal  had 
beeu  principally  constructed.  It  was  occupied 
by  General  Joseph  Hiester  (ex-Governor  of 
Pennsylvania),  managers  and  engineers  of  the 
canal  company  and  specially  invited  guests  of 
the  management;  the  second  was  occupied 
by  young  gentlemen  and  ladies  of  Reading;  and 
the  third  by  business  men.  A  fourth  boat  fol- 
lowed— being  loaded  with  agricultural  imple- 
ments. Upon  entering  Lewis'  Dam,  beyond 
Poplar  Neck,  the  boats  were  anchored  and 
Charles  Evans,  Esq.,  delivered  an  appropriate 
address.  Immediately  afterward  a  public  an- 
nouncement was  made  that  the  section  of  canal 
for  twenty-two  miles  below  Lewis'  Dam  should 
be  called  the  "  Girard  Canal,"  as  a  deserved 
tribute  to  the  enterprise  and  liberality  of  Stephen 
Girard.  The  boats  then  proceeded  down  the 
canal  to  Laurel  Hill.  There  they  were  wel- 
comed by  a  great  number  of  ladies  and  gentle- 
men from  Pottstown  and  vicinity,  estimated  at 
five  hundred.  Their  arrival  was  announced  by 
a  discharge  of  cannon  and  a  military  salute 
from  the  Union  Guards  of  Pottstown.  Patriotic 
toasts  were  offered  at  an  impromptu  meeting. 
The  "  Thomas  Oaks"  then  returned  to  Reading 
— having  been  drawn  by  one  horse  at  the  rate  of 
nearly  six  miles  an  hour  without  much  effort 
The  "  Girard  "  and  "  Clinton  "  proceeded  ten 
miles  farther  down  the  canal  and  returned  to 
Reading  about  dusk.  Three  weeks  afterward 
(26th  of  July)  the  "  Girard  "  made  her  first  voy- 


448 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


age  to  Philadelphia.  This  packet  was  occasion- 
ally used  for  pleasure  trips. 

Cost  and  Traffic. — The  cost  of  transporta- 
tion (by  land)  from  Reading  to  Philadelphia 
was  forty  cents  a  hundred-weight ;  by  canal  it 
was  reduced  to  twelve  and  a  half  cents.  The 
toll  on  coal  from  Mt.  Carbon  to  Philadelphia 
was,  in  1825,  six  cents  a  bushel  or. one  dollar 
and  sixty-eight  cents  a  ton. 

Horses  or  mules  were  not  used  for  towing 
boats  previous  to  1826.  The  boats  were  first 
towed  through  the  canals  by  men  at  the  end  of 
long  tow-lines.  Two  men  drew  a  boat  after 
them  by  pressing  their  shoulders  or  breasts 
against  a  stick  fastened  crosswise  to  the  end  of 
the  tow-line.  With  such  locomotion,  a  trip 
from  Mount  Carbon  to  Philadelphia  and  back 
generally  required  six  weeks.  At  this  time 
there  were  no  tow-paths  along  the  pools  of  the 
navigation  ;  hence  the  necessity  for  man-power. 

The  following  statistics  are  presented  to  show 
the  great  traffic  over  the  canal  during  the  first 
five  years  after  its  completion— articles  selected 
from  reports : 


Passed  down  Canal. 

1826. 

1827. 

1828. 

1829. 

1830. 

Tuus  of  coal - 

21,246 
16,767 
2,641 

31,436 

31,630 

■■    1,472 

1.633 

483 

63,782 

11,719 

$58,149 

66,836 

47,284 

1,674 

1.853 

1,152 

84  133 

21,329 

887,171 

1    5,023 

79,973 

556 

958 

868 

112,704 

21,800 

$120,039 

1    7,799 

89,984 

6U2 

1,126 

Total  tons  descending.  .  .   . 
Total  tons  ascending.  .  .   . 

420 

25,561 

6,843 

843,108 

1,146 

.  136  531 

44,254 

$148,166 

Considerable  tolls  had  been  received  from 
1818  to  1825. 

The  traffic  continued  to  increase  from  year  to 
year.  In  1842  it  was  over  five  hundred  thou- 
sand tons,  and  the  tolls  over  four  hundred  thou- 
sanddollars.  "Ampledividendsweremade;  and 
shares,  which  cost  originally  fifty  dollars,  were 
sold  as  high  as  one  hundred  and  seventy-five 
dollars  and  even  one  hundred  and  eighty  dol- 
lars." In  1851  the  total  tonnage  was  842,097 
tons,  of  which  there  were  579,156  tons  of  coal; 
and  the  total  toll  was  $285,621.  After  1861 
the  canal  tonnage  reached  in  some  years  nearly 
one  million  four  hundred  thousand  tons  of  coal 
and  three  hundred  thousand  tons  of  merchan- 
dise and  miscellaneous  articles.     The  capacity 


of  the  canal  is  estimated  at  one  million  eight 
hundred  thousand  tons  descending  and  at  least 
five  hundred  thousand  tons  ascending. 

The  boats  are  from  seventeen  to  seventeen 
and  a  half  feet  wide,  and  one  hundred  to  one 
and  two  feet  long,  with  a  maximum  capacity  of 
one  hundred  and  ninety  tons. 

After  the  year  1858  the  company  offered 
premiums  for  dispatch  in  transportation.  Two 
boats  competed  energetically  and  proved  that  a 
trip  from  Port  Carbon  to  New  York  and  return 
could  be  made  in  seven  days.  This  was  re- 
garded as  an  extraordinary  performance.  The 
interest  taken  in  this  contest  was  so  great  that  a 
boat  came  to  be  loaded  at  the  canal  landings  in 
eighteen  minutes  from  the  time  the  boat  reached 
the  wharf  till  the  trip  was  resumed.  Finally 
trouble  was  anticipated  from  this  rivalry  and 
the  company  discouraged  it,  and  this  put.  an 
end  to  it. 

The  company  continued  to  operate  this  great 
enterprise  till  1870,  when  they  leased  it  to  the 
Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  Company 
for  a  term  cf  nine  hundred  and  uinety-nine  years. 

Packets. — In  1825,  John  and  Nicholas 
Coleman  introduced  the  system  of  running 
packet-boats  through,  the  canal  from  Reading 
to  Philadelphia.  Trips  were  made  three  times 
a  week.  The  fare  was  two  dollars  and  a  half 
a  trip.  A  trip  was  made  in  a  day.  Three 
packets  were  operated  by  them.  They  were 
named  "  Lady  of  the  Lake,"  "  Planet "  and 
"  Independence." 

The  packets  contained  no  berths  for  sleeping 
purposes,  but  each  a  large  dining-room.  Cook- 
ing was  done  aboard,  and  meals  were  fur- 
nished. 

These  packets  were  well  patronized.  They 
continued  in  successful  operation  till  about 
1832,  when  the  increasing  traffic  on  the  canal 
forced  them  to  be  withdrawn.  Theretofore 
boats,  loaded  and  empty,  would  turn  out  or  lay 
over  for  an  approaching  packet,  which  wa9 
given  the  right  of  way. 

The  first  steamboat  on  the  canal  came  from 
Philadelphia  to  Reading  on  December  5,  1826. 
Twenty  years  afterward  a  line  of  "  Steam- 
Packets"  was  begun  between  Reading  and 
Philadelphia.      The   first  packet    arrived    on 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


449 


September  28,  1846.  It  was  built  of  iron, 
with  two  Ericson  propellers,  eighty-five  feet 
long,  and  thirteen  and  a  half  feet  wide.  These 
packets  began  to  run  regularly  on  October  5, 
1846.  They  departed  from  Reading  every 
day,  except  Sunday,  at  two  p.m.,  and  arrived  at 
Philadelphia  on  the  next  morning.  And  they 
departed  from  Philadelphia  and  arrived  at 
Reading  at  the  same  time.  The  fare  was  one 
dollar  a  trip.  This  enterprise  did  not  continue 
long  in  operation. 

James  F.  Smith. — The  most  prominent  per- 
son in  the  county,  connected  with  the  canal 
navigation  system,  by  reason  of  his  long-con- 
tinued service  with  the  Schuylkill  Navigation 
Company  and  his  residence  in  this  community, 
is  James  F.  Smith.  He  was  born  December 
25,  1813,  at  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  and  began  his  en- 
gineering practice  in  1831,  on  the  Allegheny 
Portage  Railroad.  Afterward  he  was  employed 
on  railroads  in  Pennsylvania  and  New  York, 
and  on  the  Morris  Canal  in  New  Jersey.  He 
came  into  the  service  of  the  Schuylkill  Naviga- 
tion Company  in  1843,  and  was  connected  with 
that  work  as  resident  engineer  during  its  en- 
largement in  1846,  having  charge  of  the  lower 
division.  He  remained  in  that  position  until 
1850,  the  year  of  the  disastrous  freshets,  by 
which  the  canal  was  greatly  damaged.  At  that 
time  the  late  Ellwood  Morris  was  resident  en- 
gineer of  the  line  of  works  above  Reading,  but 
resigned  near  the  close  of  1850.  Mr.  Smith 
was  then  made  chief  engineer,  he  taking  entire 
charge  of  the  Navigation  Company's  works  and 
completing  their  repairs. 

In  1870  the  canal  was  leased  to  the  Phila- 
delphia and  Reading  Railroad  Company,  and 
Mr.  Smith  was  continued  as  chief  engineer.  In 
1872  he  took  charge  of  the  Susquehanna  and 
Tide- Water  Canal,  from  Columbia  to  Havre  de 
Grace,  Maryland.  The  Columbia  dam,  six 
thousand  eight  hundred  feet  in  length,  over  the 
Susquehanna  River  at  Columbia,  was  greatly 
damaged  by  ice-floods  in  1874  and  in  1875. 
The  work  of  repair  was  one  of  great  magnitude, 
but  it  was  successfully  executed  under  Mr. 
Smith's  direction  and  according  to  his  plans. 
The  dam  has  stood  the  test  of  the  river  floods, 

both  ice  and  water,  without  material  injury  since. 
45 


In  1876  Mr.  Smith  was  relieved  as  chief  en- 
gineer and  appointed  consulting  engineer  of 
canals,  which  place  he  retained  until  the  sum- 
mer of  1885.  In  January,  1886,  he  was  elected 
president  of  the  East  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
Company  and  of  the  Allentown  Railroad  Com- 
pany. 

KAILWAYS. 

First  in  Pennsylvania. — The  first  rail- 
way in  Pennsylvania  was  built  in  1827  from 
Mauch  Chunk  to  Summit  Hill,  in  length  nine 
miles.  It  was  constructed  to  complete  the 
transportation  of  coal  from  Mine  Hill  to  Phila- 
delphia. From  Mauch  Chunk  to  Philadelphia 
a  canal  had  been  constructed  shortly  before  by 
the  Lehigh  Coal  and  Navigation  Company.1 
But  the  canal  could  not  be  extended  to  Mine 
Hill ;  so  the  company  were  compelled  to  devise 
and  build  a  railway  to  take  the  place  of  ordinary 
roads. 

Soon  afterward  "  The  Little  Schuylkill  Rail- 
road Company  "  was  incorporated,  and  it  con- 
structed the  railroad  from  Tamaqua  to  Port 
Clinton. 

Philadelphia  and  Reading  Raileoad 
Company. — In  1833  a  railroad  was  projected 
from  Port  Clinton  via  Reading  to  Philadelphia. 
The  Little  Schuylkill  Railroad  Company  was 
authorized  to  extend  their  railroad  to  Reading, 
and  to  construct  a  railroad  from  Reading  to 
Philadelphia.  A  company  was  chartered  on  April 
4,  1833,  under  the  name  of  the  "Philadelphia 
and  Reading  Railroad  Company."  Twenty- 
seven  commissioners  were  appointed,  including 
George  de  B.  Keim,  Matthias  S.  Richards, 
Isaac  Hiester  and  James  Everhart,  from  Read- 
ing. Immediate  steps  were  taken  to  construct 
this  road.  A  considerable  portion  was  con- 
structed during  1835,  and  by  December,  1837, 
one  track  of  the  road  was  completed  from  Read- 
ing to  Pottstown.  An  excursion  party,  com- 
prising one  hundred  citizens  of  Reading,  made 
a  trip  on  the  6th  of  December  in  five  freight- 
cars,  temporarily  fitted  up  with  seats  and  drawn 
by  five  horses.  It  started  from  the  depot  at 
nine  a.m.,  and  arrived  at  Pottstown  in  two  and 

1  The  Lehigh'  Coal  Mining  Company  was  instituted  in 
1793,  and  the  Lehigh  Canal  Company  in  1818.  These  two 
companies  were  united  and  reorganized  in  1821. 


450 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


three-quarter  hours,  including  all  stoppages.  In 
, returning,  it  left  at  two  P.M.,  and  arrived  at 
Eeading  at  five  P.M.  The  first  regular  train 
from  Reading  to  Pottstown  ran  on  Tuesday, 
May  1,  1838.  The  schedule  comprised  two 
daily  trains : 

Left  Eeading  at  8  a.m.  and  12.30  p.m. 
Left  Pottstown  at  10.30  a.m.  and  3  p.m. 

And  the  road  was  opened  to  Norristown  on 
July  16,  1838,  and  to  Philadelphia  in  Decem- 
ber, 1839.  In  May,  1840,  the  time-table  to 
and  from  Philadelphia  was  as  follows : 

Leave  Eeading  at  7.15  a.m.,  and  2.45  p.m. 
Leave  Philadelphia  at  5  a.m.,  and  2.15  p.m. 

The  fare  was :  First-class,  $2.50 ;  second-class, 
$2. 

The  Little  Schuylkill  Railroad  Company 
being  unable  to  construct  the  road  from  Port 
Clinton  to  Reading,  the  charter  of  the  Philadel- 
phia and  Reading  Railroad  Company  was  there- 
fore extended  to  cover  the  construction  and 
operation  of  a  railroad  from  Reading  to  Potts- 
ville ;  and  notwithstanding  the  financial  diffi- 
culties which  prevailed  in  and  after  1838,  this 
great  project  was  completed  within  four  years 
afterward.  The  first  train  ran  over  the  whole 
line  from  Philadelphia  to  Pottsville,  ninety- 
three  miles,  on  the  1st  day  of  January,  1842, 
and  the  road  was  opened  for  general  travel  on 
the  10th  of  January  following. 

In  the  establishment  of  this  great  enterprise 
the  construction  of  two  long  tunnels  is  worthy 
of  mention — one  near  Phcenixville,  in  length 
nineteen  hundred  and  thirty-one  feet,  at  a  cost 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  three  hun- 
dred and  three  dollars ;  and  the  other  near  Port 
Clinton,  in  length  sixteen  hundred  and  six 
feet,  at  a  cost  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty-two  dollars. 
The  latter  extends  through  the  Blue  Mountain. 
The  depth  from  the  surface  at  the  top  of  the 
mountain  is  one  hundred  and  nineteen  feet.  A 
superior,  large  stone  bridge  across  the  Schuylkill, 
above  Tuckerton,  is  also  noteworthy.  A  third 
tunnel  was  constructed  at  Manayunk,  in  length 
nine  hundred  and  forty  feet,  and  costing  seventy- 
five  thousand  dollars.  The  Phcenixville  and 
Manayunk  iuflngls  were  enlarged  in  1859,  the 


former  at  a  cost  of  twenty-six  thousand  three 
hundred  and  ninety-three  dollars,  and  the  latter 
at  a  cost  of  twelve  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
forty-eight  dollars. 

The  second  track  from  Philadelphia  to  Potts- 
ville was  opened  for  travel  in  January,  1844. 
In  June,  1848,  the  trains  ran  as  follows  : 

To  Philadelphia:     9.10  A.M.  and  3.50  p.m. 
To  Pottsville :     10.45  A.M.,  and  5  P.M. 

The  distance  from  Reading  to  Philadelphia 
was  traveled  in  two  hours ;  and  to  Pottsville  in 
one  hour  and  twenty  minutes. 

In  May,  1855,  there  were  eight  daily  passen- 
ger-trains— four  departing  and  four  arriving. 
The  following  statistics  are  presented  to.  show 
the  increase  of  traffic  over  the  road,  its  receipts 
and  income,  at  different  periods,  till  now : 


1843  . 
1855  . 
1865  . 
1876  . 
1885  . 


Coal 
Tonnage. 


218,711 
2,213,292 
3,090,814 
4,622,916 
12,530,594 


17,534 

154,384 

846,105 

2,493,276 

7,200,930 


Pas- 
sengers. 


26,424 

111,822 

393,359 

1,331,949 

23,631,057 


Receipts. 


8394,318 
4,321,703 
11,142,519 
12,2^7,511 
44,643,966 


Net 
Income. 


8179,395 
2,593,915 
4,812,271 
3,717,161 
12,527,959 


Note. — The  figures  of  the  passenger  traffic  for  the  four  years  first 
named  are  based  on  number  through  passengers,  i.  e.,  Philadelphia  to 
Pottsville,  one  way,  and  the  figures  for  the  last  year  named  are  total 
number  of  passengers  carried  during  1885. 

The  statement  includes  the  total  business  of 
the  road  and  all  its  branches. 

The  introduction  of  this  railway  immediately 
stimulated  enterprise  at  Reading,  and  caused 
energy  and  capital  to  be  directed  towards 
manufacturing.  The  increasing  tide  of  affairs 
induced  people  and  capital  to  concentrate  here 
more  and  more  every  succeeding  year ;  and 
buildings  multiplied  rapidly  to  answer  the  de- 
mands of  the  rapidly  increasing  population. 
The  company  established  its  work-shops  here 
when  the  railway  was  completed.  And  these 
have  grown  here  in  capacity  with  the  ever- 
increasing  traffic  of  the  road.  The  first  large 
shop  occupied  the  half-block  on  the  west  side  of 
Seventh  Street,  between  Franklin  and  Chest- 
nut Streets,  where  it  has  continued  till  now,  a 
period  exceeding  forty  years.  Each  succeeding 
decade  found  the  company  with  more  extended 
shops  of  all  kinds  for  the  manufacture  of  en- 
gines and  cars,  affording  in  the  mean  time  con- 
stant employment  for  an  ever-increasing  num- 
ber of  workmen.  The  total  annual  income  to 
the  people  of  Reading  from  this  single  source 


INTERNAL  IMPEOVEMENTS. 


451 


during  the  past  forty  years  counts  into  millions 
of  dollars,  all  of  which  contributed  directly 
towards  the  substantial  growth  of  this  commu- 
nity, in  its  buildings,  stores;  factories,  churches 
and  schools.  The  largely  increased  wealth  of 
the  city  is,  therefore,  attributable  to  this  valu- 
able internal  improvement. 

The  passenger  station,  or  "  depot,"  as  it  was 
always  called,  was  located  at  the  northwest 
corner  of  Seventh  and  Chestnut  Streets,  and 
continued  there  till  1874,  when  it  was  removed 
to  the  commodious,  costly  and  creditable  build- 
ing1 erected  by  the  company  at  the  "junction  " 
of  the  Lebanon  Valley  and  East  Pennsylvania 
Railroad,  with  this  road,  about  three-fourths  of 
a  mile  to  the  north.  This  was  done  to  accom- 
modate and  facilitate  the  large  passenger  traffic 
conducted  daily  under  the  management  of  this 
company.  The  possessions  and  investments  of 
this  company  at  Reading  amount  to  an  enormous 
sum.  From  these  it  is  apparent  that  the  company 
appropriated  a  great  proportion  of  its  income 
here,  besides  affording  constant  employment  to 
several  thousand  men  in  its  numerous  shops 
and  on  its  several  branches  of  railway.  This 
fact  stands  out  prominently  in  the  management 
of  the  company  and  it  is  worthy  of  special 
recognition  in  this  history ;  and  though  this 
generous  feeling  resulted  directly  in  the  enrich- 
ment of  this  inland  city  and  county-seat,  the 
entire  county  of  Berks  was  indirectly  benefited 
by  it.  The  statistics  for  the  last  forty  years, 
in  respect  to  the  growth,  wealth  and  producing 
capacity  of  our  county,  show  that  the  major 
part  was  at  Reading.  This  enrichment  and 
development  of  Reading  were,  however,  very 
beneficial  to  the  county  in  various  ways, 
especially  in  respect  to  supplying  funds  for  our 
general  government  and  to  providing  stores, 
merchandise  of  all  kinds  and  an  enlarged  home 
market  for  the  people.  Many  property-holders 
were  enriched  thereby,  the  enhanced  value  of 
real  estate  having  been  produced  by  the  irre- 
sistible process  of  development  through  the 
energy  and  management  of  this  company. 

And  I  can  attribute  to  the  same  strong  cause 
the  increased  population,  wealth,  influence  and 
power  of  theentire  Schuylkill  Valley  from  Phila- 
delphia to  the  mountains,  the  Lebanon  Valley 


from  the  Schuylkill  to  the  Susquehanna  and 
the  East  Penn  Valley  from  the  Schuylkill  to 
the  Lehigh,  an  area  of  territory  covering  alto- 
gether several  thousand  square  miles. 

The  valuable  and  extensive  buildings  of  the 
company  at  Reading  comprise  the  following  : 
Machine-shops,  at  Seventh  and  Franklin  and 
Seventh  and  Chestnut  j1  foundry  at  Seventh  and 
Spruce;  forge,  etc.,  at  Bingamin  and  railroad ; 
passenger  stations  ;  car  shops,  etc.,  at  Sixth  and 
Oley;2  depots  at  Eighth  and  Button  wood;  East 
Penn  Shops,  at  Marion  and  railroad ;  round- 
houses on  North  Sixth  ;  rolling-mill  on  North 
Ninth. 

The  stations  in  the  county,  along  the  line, 
are  the  following :  Douglassville,  Monocacy, 
Birdsboro',  Exeter,  Neversink,  Franklin  Street, 
Reading,  Tuckerton,  Leesport,  Mohrsville,  Shoe- 
makerville,  Bern,  Hamburg.  The  entire  length 
of  the  railway  from  the  southern  extremity  of 
the  county  to  the  northern  is  about  forty  miles. 

Passenger  Station. — Next  to  the  general 
office  building  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading 
Railroad  Company  at  Philadelphia,  the  passen- 
ger station  of  the  company  at  Reading  is  the 
finest  and  most  commodious  building  in  its  ser- 
vice. It  is  a  superior,  two  story  brick  structure, 
situated  at  the  junction  of  the  main  road  with  the 
Lebanon  Valley  and  East  Pennsylvania  roads, 
about  a  half-mile  north  of  Penn  Street,  in  the 
central  portion  of  the  city.  The  main  build- 
ing is  surmounted  with  a  large  and  elevated 
clock-tower,  visible  from  all  sections,  which 
contains  a  superior  clock  and  four  dials,  facing 
north,  east,  south  and  west.  Altogether,  the 
building  comprises  twenty-four  rooms,  besides 
spacious  hallways, — fifteen  on  the  first  floor  and 
nine  on  the  second.  Extensive  covered  plat- 
forms are  constructed  over  the  three  roads, 
nearly  a  half-mile  in  length;  eastern,  ten  hun- 

i  The  machine-shop  was  destroyed  by  fire  on  January  8, 
1854;  loss  estimated  at  $50,000.  It  was  rebuilt  imme- 
diately afterward. 

2  These  superb  shops,  including  all  the  valuable  machin- 
ery, many  cars,  and  at  least  100,000  feet  of  lumber,  were 
destroyed  by  an  extensive  fire  on  June  26,  1870.  They 
had  been  built  during  the  years  1864  and  1865,  at  a  cost 
amounting  to  about  $120,000.  Their  dimensions  were 
seven  hundred  and  ten  by  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight 
feet,  spanned  by  three  contiguous  roofs. 


452 


HISTOKY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSLYVANIA. 


dred  and  thirty-eight  feet;  northwestern,  seven 
hundred  and  nine  feet,  and  southwestern,  six 
hundred  and  ninety-two  feet;  the  first  being 
forty-seven  feet  wide,  and  the  others  forty-two 
feet  wide.  The  passenger  trains  to  Philadelphia 
and  to  Pottsville  pass  through  the  first,  those 
to  Harrisburg  and  to  Allentcwn  through  the 
second,  and  those  to  Columbia,  Slatington  and 
Wilmington,  through  the  third.  The  building 
is  heated  by  steam,  and  the  clocks  are  operated 


bold  eminences  in  the  surrounding  country. 
And  as  we  have  men  in  the  departments 
named,  so  have  we  in  internal  improvements. 
The  most  prominent  in  the  railway  system  is 
G.  A.  Nicolls,  he  having  come  here  when  the 
Philadelphia  and  Heading  Eailroad  was  pro- 
jected through  the  Schuylkill  Valley,  in  18-36, 
and  remained  here  ever  since,  a  period  covering 
fifty  years.  His  entrance  here  was  with  the 
dawn  of  our  substantial  development  through 


BEADING    PASSENGER    STATION. 

by  electric  attachments.  The  entire  area  of 
ground  comprises  about  two  acres.  The  total 
number  of  passenger  trains  departing  from  and 
arriving  at  the  station  daily  (excepting  Sunday) 
is  seventy- four. 

The  building  of  this  station  was  begun  in 
August,  1871,  and  it  was  completed  in  1874, 
and  opened  for  the  accomodation  of  passengers 
o  i  August  3,  1874,  when  the  lower  station  was 
abandoned.  In  1884  the  company  re-established 
a  station  near  by  the  former  place,  at  Franklin 
Street. 

G.  A.  Nicolls. — In  the  several  departments 
of  the  business  life  of  Reading,  we  have  had 
and  still  have  men  who  were  or  still  are  identi- 
fied in  the  respective  vocations  in  which  they 
were  or  are  now  engaged  on  account  of  long 
continuous  service.  In  banking,  in  merchan- 
dise, in  manufactures  and  in  newspaper  publi- 
cations their  names  stand  out  prominently   like 


the  combination  of  iron,  coal  and  steam,  and  he 
has  been  continuously  connected  with  it  in  all 
its  greatness  from  decade  to  decade  till  now. 

Gustavus  Anthony  Nicolls  was  born  April 
3,  1817,  at  Abbey  View,  Thomastown,  county 
of  Kilkenny,  Ireland.  His  father  was  Colonel 
William  Dann  Nicolls,  of  the  English  Eoyal 
Artillery,  and  his  mother  was  Maria  Graves, 
daughter  of  Anthony  Graves,  a  landed  proprie- 
tor in  the  county  of  Kilkenny,  and  they  had 
issue  three  children, — the  subject  of  this  sketch  ; 
a  son,  William  Jasper,  born  at  Exeter,  Eng- 
land, in  1824;  and  a  daughter,  Maria  Anne, 
born  at  Woolwich  in  1825.  The  Nicolls  family 
is  descended  from  John  Nicolls,  of  Arran,  in 
Strathmore,  near  Inverness,  Scotland. 

Mr.  Nicolls  was  named  after  his  uncle, 
General  Gustavus  Nicolls,  of  the  Royal  En- 
gineers, and  also  intended  for  the  military  pro- 
fession. With  this  end  in  view,  he,  during 
the  early  years  of  his  boyhood,  was  educated 
under  the  personal  supervision  of  his  father, 
and  then  sent  for  some  years  to  the  Waterford 
Classical  and  Mathematical  Academy,  an  insti- 
tution distinguished  for  the  scholarship  of  its 
pupils ;  after  which  he  finished  his  education  at 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


453 


the  Wanstead  Military  College,  near  London. 
His  proficiency  in  mathematics  in  all  its  various 
branches  has  been  well  attested  by  his  success- 
ful career  in  later  life  as  a  civil  engineer.  Hav- 
ing been  educated  for  the.  English  .military 
service,  his  father,  immediately  after  the  com- 
pletion of  his  course  of  study,  desired  him  to 
be  sent  to  the  East  Indies,  and  in  this  behalf 
his  uncle,  Sir  Jasper  Nicolls,  then  commander- 
in-chief  in  India,  promised  to  appoint  him  an 
aid-de-camp  on  his  own  personal  staff.  But, 
bslieving  that  the  United  States  offered  a  bet- 
ter field  for  his  talents  and  energy,  he  chose  to 
emigrate  to  this  country,  and,  accordingly, 
sailed  from  England  in  September,  1834.  Upon 
arriving  in  Philadelphia,  he  studied  law  for  a 
while  in  the  office  of  Henry  M.  Phillips,  Esq. 

In  April,  1835,  Mr.  Nicolls,  then  in  his 
eighteenth  year,  received  the  appointment  of 
rodman  in  the  engineer  corps  of  the  Philadel- 
phia and  Reading  Railroad  Company,  and,  in 
1836,  he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  as- 
sistant engineer,  and  given  charge  of  finishing 
a  section  of  railroad  which  lay  between  Doug- 
lassville  and  Exeter.  In  1837  he  was  made 
principal  assistant  and  stationed  at  Reading, 
and,  in  the  year  following,  superintendent  of 
transportation,  which  he  held  for  eight  years, 
till  1846.  He  was  then  appointed  chief  engi- 
neer and  general  superintendent  of  the  company, 
and  continued  to  discharge  the  duties  of  these 
two  positions  for  thirteen  years.  The  business 
of  the  road  had  by  this  time  increased  to  such 
an  extent  that  the  two  offices  had  to  be  sep- 
arated, and  Mr.  Nicolls  selected  the  latter.  He 
served  as  general  superintendent  till  February, 
1871,  when  he  was  appointed  to  act  also  as 
president's  assistant.  This  order  obliged  him 
to  remove  his  residence  from  Reading  to  Phila- 
delphia, where  he  continued  to  reside  till  May, 
1877,  when  he  returned  to  Reading.  In  1873 
he  was  elected  second  vice-president  of  the 
company,  and,  in  1875  and  1876,  he  was 
unanimously  re-elected  to  that  position.  In 
1877  the  positions  of  first  and  second  vice- 
presidents  were  abolished,  and  then  Mr.  Nicolls 
was  elected  president  of  the  following  branch - 
roads  of  this  company  :  Reading  and  Columbia, 
East  Pennsylvania,  East  Mahanoy,  Allentown, 


and  Chester  and  Delaware  River.  In  1876  he 
was  chosen  president  of  the  Susquehanna  and 
Tide- Water  Canal  Company.  These  several 
positions  he  has  since  retained  by  annua!  re- 
election. His  retention  in  them  is  undoubted 
evidence  of  his  marked  ability,  energy  and  in- 
tegrity in  the  discharge  of  his  duties.  During 
his  long  and  unusual  term  of  service,  now  cov- 
ering a  period  of  more  than  fifty  years,  he  has 
seen  the  company  advance  from  its  very  begin- 
ning into  its  present  wonderful  proportions. 
And  he  has  ever  been  devoted  to  its  interests 
and  progress.  His  constancy  is  particularly 
prominent  as  a  characteristic  during  his  entire 
career  as  an  official.  And  his  system  in  the 
management  of  railroad  affairs  is  equally  rec- 
ognizable, resulting  in  many  great  advantages 
to  the  company  and  in  safety  to  the  people. 
During  the  destructive  riots  of  July,  1877,  at 
Reading,  when  the  whole  community  was 
alarmed  for  its  safety,  and  railroad  employees 
were  excited,  dissatisfied  and  rebellious,  he  was 
fearless  in  occupying  his  prominent  position  at 
the  passenger  station  and  in  giving  valuable 
suggestions  for  the  preservation  of  the  com- 
pany's property  and  for  the  movement  of  regu- 
lar trains. 

Besides  the  positions  named,  Mr.  Nicolls 
was  a  director  of  the  Reading  Eire  Insurance 
and  Trust  Company  from  the  time  of  its 
organization  in  1868  till  1875.  In  1862  he  was 
elected  a  trustee  of  the  Charles  Evans  Cemetery 
Company,  and  he  has  continued  to  fill  that 
office  till  the  present  time.  He  is  also  a  director 
of  the  Schuylkill  and  Lehigh  Railroad  Com- 
pany. During  the  year  1882  the  "Reading, 
Marietta  and  Hanover  Railroad" — a  branch 
line  of  the  Pennsylvania  and  Reading  Railroad 
Company  system — was  completed  mainly  under 
his  supervision.  Mr.  Nicolls  was  a  charter 
member  of  the  Philadelphia,  Reading  and 
Pottsvjlle  Telegraph  Company.  In  the  organ- 
ization of  the  company  in  1847  he  was  elected 
one  of  the  board  of  managers  and  he  has  been 
re-elected  annually  till  now.  As  a  citizen  of 
Reading  he  has  always  shown  a  strong  interest 
in  its  material  development  and  prosperity.  En- 
terprises of  various  kinds  have  received  his 
active  encouragement.     He  assisted  in  erecting 


454 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


here  the  cotton-factory  and  the  steam-forge 
shortly  after  1850.  These  two  large  and  costly 
manufacturing  establishments  have  been  largely 
instrumental  in  building  up  the  respective 
sections  of  Reading  in  which  they  are  situated 
and  have  afforded  almost  constant  employment 
to  many  working-people  for  the  past  thirty 
years. 

The  charitable  work  in  Reading  carried  on 
by  the  "Reading  Benevolent  Society,"  has 
always  received  the  aid  of  Mr.  Nicolls.  He 
served  as  president  of  the  society  for  eleven 
years,  from  1860  till  the  close  of  1871.  The 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  has  found 
in  him  a  generous  and  constant  contributor  in 
its  noble  purpose  of  laboring  for  the  improve- 
ment of  young  men.  He  filled  the  office  of 
president  of  the  association  for  over  two  years, 
from  1880  to  1882.  Mr.  Nicolls  also  acted  as 
a  manager  of  the  Reading  Dispensary  and  of 
the  Reading  Hospital  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  is  now  serving  the  "  Home  for  Widows  and 
Single  Women  of  Reading,"  as  chairman  of 
its  building  committee  in  the  erection  of  its 
handsome  and  commodious  stone  structure ;  and 
the  "  Reading  Society  of  Natural  Sciences,"  from 
the  time  of  its  organization  in  1869  till  its  dis- 
solution in  1884,  received  his  earnest  attention. 
During  this  time,  one  of  its  most  active  mem- 
bers— Mr.  Hiram  Hollenbush — a  few  years 
before  his  death,  made  for  Mr.  Nicolls  a  cabinet 
containing  a  beautiful  and  complete  collection 
of  all  the  various  kinds  of  wood  found  in  Berks 
County. 

During  the  Civil  War,  Mr.  Nicolls  was 
thoroughly  patriotic.  He  attended  a  number 
of  public  meetings,  which  were  composed  of 
prominent  citizens  without  regard  to  political 
affiliations,  and  held  in  this  critical  period  for 
the  purpose  of  expressing  sentiments  favorable 
to  the  preservation  of  the  Union;  and  he  was 
constantly  liberal  in  the  encouragement  of  vol- 
untary enlistment.  When  the  State  was  threat- 
ened with  an  invasion  in  1862,  he  enlisted  in 
Company  E,  Eleventh  Regiment  Pennsylvania 
Volunteer  Militia,  commanded  by  Captain 
Charles  H.  Hunter  and  served  as  a  corporal. 
This  company  was  named  after  him,  and  known 
as  "  Nicolls  Guards."   A  movement  to  signalize 


the  distinguished  part  which  our  county  took  in 
the  late  war  has  been  a  cherished  object  with 
him  since  its  termination.  In  1883  he  prepared 
a  suitable  and  superior  design  and  suggested  the 
centre  of  "Penn  Square"  as  a  proper  place 
upon  which  to  locate  the  monument,  believing 
that  patriotism  should  be  grandly  typified  in  the 
form  of  a  "Soldiers'  Monument"  and  be  placed 
permanently  in  the  most  prominent  place  of  our 
community  so  that  the  eyes  of  future  generations 
could  behold  what  this-  generation  had  done  to 
commemorate  the  services  and  sacrifices  of  our 
people  in  behalf  of  preserving  and  perpetuating 
the  Constitution  and  Union  of  our  country.  In 
political  belief  he  has  been  identified  with  the 
Whig  and  the  Republican  parties.  In  1864 
the  nomination  for  Congress  was  offered  to 
him  by  the  Republican  party  of  the  county, 
but  he  was  obliged  to  decline  it  on  account 
of  his  prominent  business  connections  with 
the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  Com- 
pany. 

During  the  last  forty  years  Mr.  Nicolls  has 
been  a  great  traveler.  In  1848  he  made  a 
journey  of  three  months  to  and  through  the 
British  Islands,  having  then  visited  all  the 
places  of  importance.  In  1856  he  traveled  with 
a  party  of  friends  through  the  southern  por- 
tions of  the  United  States,  and  also  the  Island 
of  Cuba.  Whilst  sojourning  in  Cuba  he  ad- 
dressed a  series  of  interesting  letters  to  the 
Reading  Times,  in  which  they  were  pub- 
lished, narrating  the  experiences  of  his  party  in 
that  country,  the  sights  observed,  the  impres- 
sions received,  etc.  In  1872  he  visited  all  the 
countries  in  Continental  Europe.  In  1878  he 
again  made  an  excursion  to  Europe,  visiting, 
particularly,  the  Paris  Exposition,  England, 
Sweden  and  Russia.  Some  of  his  letters  home 
were  then  published  on  account  of  their  gen- 
eral interest  and  information.  And  in  1884  he 
crossed  the  ocean  for  a  fourth  time  and  spent 
several  months  in  the  British  Islands. 

Mr.  Nicolls  resided  for  a  number  of  years  at 
the  southeast  corner  of  Penn  and  Fourth 
Streets,  Reading.  In  1870  he  began  the  erec- 
tion of  a  handsome  and  commodious  double 
two-story  sand-stone  residence,  at  the  northwest 
corner  of  Walnut  and  Fourth  Streets,  being  the 


a.  yx2^r^ 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


455 


first  costly  improvement  of  this  kind  in  that 
section  of  the  city.  The  plans  were  prepared 
by  him  and  the  building  was  erected  under  his 
personal  supervision.  It  was  finished  in  1871, 
and  is  even  now,  though  fifteen  years  have 
elapsed,  one  of  the  finest  and  most  tasteful 
homes  in  Reading. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Nicolls  was  a  vestry- 
man of  Christ  Episcopal  Church  of  Reading. 
He  served  as  a  member  of  the  building  com- 
mittee which  conducted  the  alterations  of  the 
edifice  of  this  denomination  from  a  brick  build- 
ing to  the  present  beautiful  and  costly  struc- 
ture, the  appearance  of  which,  with  its  towering 
and  graceful  spire,  is  the  most  imposing  of  any 
church  in  the  city  of  Reading.  He  ceased  to 
be  a  vestryman  in  1871.  Throughout  the 
course  of  his  life  he  has  been  a  consistent  and 
devoted  member  of  that  branch  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church  known  as  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Communion  of  America  and  England. 

In  May,  1846,  Mr.  Nicolls  was  married 
to  Rosa  Catharine  Muhlenberg,  daughter  of 
Hon.  Henry  A.  Muhlenberg,  who  was  for  a 
number  of  years  member  of  Congress  from 
this  district,  also  the  first  minister  to  Austria, 
and,  at  the  time  of  his  decease,  in  1844, 
the  candidate  of  the  Democratic  party  for 
Governor  of  Pennsylvania.  She  died  May 
15,  1867.  During  her  life  she  was  highly 
esteemed  for  her  intellectual  superiority.  She 
was  distinguished  for  charity  to  the  poor  people 
of  Reading.  The  Civil  War  awakened  her 
patriotism  ;  and  her  zeal  for  the  soldiers  who 
went  from  her  native  city  placed  her  foremost 
in  the  movement  which  resulted  in  the  creation 
of  the  first  Ladies'  Aid  Society  in  the  entire 
country.  She  was  the  president  of  this  society 
from  the  beginning  to  the  close  of  the  war,  and, 
as  such,  was  particularly  active  in  performing 
valuable  services  in  behalf  of  our  men  who 
were  away  from  their  homes,  by  collecting  use- 
ful materials  and  forwarding  the  same  to  them 
on  the  field  of  battle.  Her  kindness  and  de- 
votion were  highly  appreciated  by  them,  and 
many  of  the  survivors  of  that  great  struggle, 
who  returned  and  resided  in  this  community, 
still  speak  of  her  in  terms  expressive  of  their 
highest  regard. 


In  January,  1869,  Mr.  Nicolls  was  married 
to  Annie  Hall  Muhlenberg,  daughter  of  Dr. 
F.  A.  Muhlenberg,  of  Lancaster,  Pa.  They 
have  issue  one  son,  Frederick  William  Nicolls, 
who  was  born  on  February  7,  1870. 

The  motto  of  the  Nicolls  family  is  "  Fide  et 
Indnstria."  Mr.  Nicolls  has  ever  kept  it  as  the 
guiding  rule  of  his  life  ;  and  to  it  he  attributes 
the  success  which  he  has  realized  on  the  one 
hand,  and  the  confidence  and  esteem  which  he 
has  received  on  the  other. 

George  de  B.  Keim,  the  eldest  son  of  the 
Hon.  George  May  Keim  and  of  Julia  C. 
Mayer,  his  wife,  was  born  in  the  house  'of  his 
father,  in  South  Fifth  Street,  below  Chestnut,  in 
the  borough  of  Reading,  and  being  the  eldest 
male  grandchild,  was  named  for  his  grandfather, 
General  George  de  Benneville  Keim.  The  lat- 
ter had  been  named  for  his  grandfather,  George 
de  Benneville,  widely  known  as  Dr.  de  Benne- 
ville, who  was  born  in  London,  July  26,  1703, 
and  after  a  varied  life,  came  to  this  country  in 
the  thirty-eighth  year  of  his  age.  His  father, 
bearing  the  same  name,  was  "  a  French  refugee, 
who,  being  persecuted  for  his  religion,  retired 
with  his  family  and  connections  into  England 
upon  the  invitation  of  His  Majesty  King  Wil- 
liam, who  took  a  tender  care  of  them  and  em- 
ployed them  at  his  court." 

After  a  preliminary  education  in  local  schools 
(with  the  exception  of  a  term  at  Georgetown 
College,  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  during  a 
part  of  the  period  when  his  father  served  as  a 
Representative  in  Congress  for  Berks  County), 
Mr.  Keim  was,  in  the  fall  of  the  year  1846,  ad- 
mitted into  the  sophomore  class  of  Dickinson 
College,  at  Carlisle,  Pa.,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  the  year  1849.  Immediately  after 
graduating,  he  entered  into  the  laboratory  of 
his  kinsman,  Dr.  Charles  M.  Wetherill,  at 
Philadelphia,  to  pursue  the  study  of  chemistry, 
particularly  the  Liebig  system  of  quantitative 
and  qualitative  analysis  with  reference  to  min- 
eral products.  Upon  returning  home,  in  1850, 
he  entered  the  office  of  Charles  Davis,  Esq.,  a 
prominent  and  learned  member  of  the  bar,  (who, 
in  the  year  1842,  removed  from  Easton  and 
located  at  Reading,)  and  in  April,  1852,  he 
was  admitted  to  the  practice  of  the  law.  While 


456 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


residing  in  Reading,  Mr.  Keim  was  actively 
engaged  in  local  matters.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Reading  Rifles,  which,  under  the  command 
of  Captain  Ancona,  took  a  prominent  place 
among  the  volunteer  soldiery ;  and  for  some 
years  he  filled  the  position  of  president  of  the 
Junior  Fire  Company,  a  very  efficient  and  use- 
ful institution. 

In  1855,  Mr.  Keim  established  himself  at 
Pottsville,  the  county  town  of  Schuylkill 
County.  Indications  then  pointed  to  a  largely 
increased  demand  in  the  not  distant  future  for 
anthracite  coal — the  important  industry  of  that 
vicinity,  and  as  a  result,  the  enhancement  in 
value  of  coal  property,  and  an  increase  in  the 
number  of  collieries,  as  well  as  in  the  business 
and  population  of  the  county.  Much  of  the 
most  valuable  mineral  land  was  out  of  the 
market,  owing  to  the  uncertainty  of  title,  and  the 
arrival  of  the  activity  looked  for  would  promote 
measures,  either  by  amicable  adjustment  or  by 
the  tribunals  of  law,  to  clear  up  such  difficul- 
ties and  open  for  the  miner  a  way  to  those 
sealed  deposits. 

At  that  time  nearly  the  whole  of  the  valuable 
coal-field  of  Mahanoy  was  without  inhabitants 
and  without  railroad  facilities,  aud  where  now 
are  flourishing  towns  not  even  a  settlement  ex- 
isted. In  the  western  portion  of  the  southern 
coal-field  there  was  no  operation,  and  where  the 
extensive  Brookside  and  Kalmia  Collieries  are 
now  located  was  then  a  wilderness. 

Shortly  after  Mr.  Keim  located  in  Schuyl- 
kill County  a  period  of  great  activity  com- 
menced. He  "caught  on  "  to  the  great  industry 
of  the  region,  and  acquainting  himself  with  the 
land  titles  and  requirements  of  the  county,  was 
engaged  very  early  by  companies  and  individ- 
uals in  the  settlement  of  their  difficulties  and 
the  promotion  of  their  enterprises. 

He  was  employed  by  the  Philadelphia  and 
Reading  Coal  &  Iron  Company  to  attend  to  the 
examination  of  much  of  their  immense  estate 
of  leaseholds  and  lands,  and  assisted  at  the  birth 
of  that  company  ;  and,  in  1874,  he  was  called 
to  Philadelphia  in  its  service  and  that  of  its 
allied  institution,  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading 
Railroad  Company,  filling  various  positions 
thereafter  in  each  of  said  companies  until  Jan- 


uary, 1884,  when  he  was  placed  in  the  presi- 
dency of  the  same.  In  June  following  his 
election  the  companies,  for  the  second  time  in 
their  existence,  passed  into  the  hands  of  re- 
ceivers (the  first  time  being  in  May,  1880), 
when  Mr.  Keim  was  appointed  one  of  the  re- 
ceivers of  the  companies  by  the  Circuit  Court 
of  the  United  States  for  the  Eastern  District  of 
Pennsylvania,  since  which  time  he  has  been 
assiduously  engaged  in  the  duties  of  his  ap- 
pointment and  in  the  endeavor  to  promote  an 
adjustment  of  the  serious  and  embarrassing 
matters  connected  therewith. 

It  may  be  mentioned  that  Mr.  Keim's  grand- 
father, General  George  de  B.  Keim,  was  one  of 
the  corporators  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading 
Railroad  Company,  and  that  his  uncle,  Mr. 
Wirt  Robinson,  was,  for  a  number  of  years,  its 
chief  engineer  and  general  manager,  succeeding 
in  that  position  Mr.  Moncure  Robinson,  the 
eminent  engineer,  who,  after  locating  and  con- 
structing that  road  with  the  assistance  of  his 
relative,  Mr.  Wirt  Robinson,  resigned  the  posi- 
tion, owing  to  the  pressure  of  other  important 
enterprises  in  the  promotion  of  which  he  was 
engaged. 

Historical  matters,  especially  such  as  relate  to 
his  native  county  and  to  the  State,  have  re- 
ceived the  attention  of  Mr.  Keim.  His  inter- 
est in  such  pursuits  led  him,  many  years  ago, 
to  connect  himself  with  the  Historical  Society 
of  Pennsylvania,  which  honored  him  by  select- 
ing him  as  one  of  its  vice-presidents.  The  au- 
thor of  this  history  acknowledges  kindly  en- 
couragement from  him  at  various  times  whilst 
prosecuting  the  laborious  undertaking. 

By  appointment  of  the  Governor  of  this  com- 
monwealth, Mr.  Keim  served  on  the  commission 
which  presented  Generals  Muhlenberg  and 
Fulton  as  the  contribution  of  statuary  from 
Pennsylvania  to  the  capitol  at  Washington— 
these  two  distinguished  men  having  been  select- 
ed from  the  commonwealth  as  Representatives,  on 
the  one  hand,  of  the  German  or  "  Pennsylvania 
Dutch  "  element  of  the  people,  and  on  the  other, 
of  the  Scotch-Irish  element.  The  Hon.  Simon 
Cameron  and  the  Hon.  Daniel  Ermentrout  also 
served  as  members  of  the  commission,  and  the 
conclusions  reached  were  only  arrived  at  after 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


457 


the  fullest  discussion  and  the  most  careful  ac- 
tion. It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  General 
Muhlenberg  was  a  grandson  of  Conrad  "Weiser, 
one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  the  "Womelsdorf 
region  before  the  Indian  titles  were  extinguished) 
a  true  and  useful  character,  who  has  honorable 
mention  in  connection  with  the  earliest  history 
of  the  settlement  of  Berks  County. 

Mr.  Keim  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Cocke 
Trezevant,  the  only  daughter  of  Lewis  Cruger 
Trezevant,  M.D.,  of  South  Carolina  (the  only 
child  of  the  Hon.  Lewis  Trezevant,  a  judge  of 
the  Supreme  Court  of  that  State),  and  of  Eliza- 
beth Marion  Cocke,  the  daughter  of  Buller 
Cocke,  Esq.,  of  Bacon's  Castle,  Surry  County, 
Va.  Dr.  Trezevant,  when  his  daughter  was  an 
infant,  moved  to  his  plantation  near  Memphis, 
Tenn.,  where  both  he  and  his  wife  not  many 
years  after,  at  an  early  age,  fell  victims  to  the 
climate. 

Mr.  Keim's  family,  besides  his  wife,  consists 
of  two  daughters — Julia  Mayer  Keim  and  Su- 
san Douglass  Keim. 

J.  Loweie  Bell,  a  son  of  Hon.  Samuel 
Bell,  was  born  at  Reading,  Pa.,  in  November, 
1837.  He  was  educated  at  Russell's  Collegiate 
Institute,  New  Haven,  Conn. 

He  commenced  business  life  as  a  clerk  with 
Messrs.  Stichter  &  McKnight,  hardware  mer- 
chants at  Reading,  and  remained  with  them 
three  and  one-half  years,  until  1857,  when  he 
entered  the  service  of  the  Philadelphia  and 
Reading  Railroad  Company  as  a  clerk,  at  the 
freight  depot,  Broad  and  Cherry  Streets,  Phila- 
delphia. In  1860  he  was  appointed  chief 
clerk  and  cashier  to  the  general  agent ;  and  in 
1865  he  became  general  agent  at  Philadelphia 
in  charge  of  the  traffic  of  the  company. 
,  In  1868  he  was  appointed  general  freight 
agent  of  all  the  roads  under  the  management  of 
this  company,  and  in  1880  became  its  general 
traffic  manager,  in  which  capacity  he  has  charge 
of  all  rates  for  tolls  and  transportation,  and  of 
all  commercial  questions  pertaining  to  the  inter- 
change of  traffic  with  other  companies  and 
transporters. 

Lebanon  Valley. — An  act  of  Assembly 
was  passed  on  April  1,  1836,  incorporating  the 
,"  Lebanon  Valley  Railroad  Company,"  for  the 


purpose  of  building  a  railroad  from  Reading  to 
Harrisburg.  This  act  required  an  actual  sub- 
scription of  four  thousand  shares  of  stock 
before  the  charter  should  become  operative. 
This  number  could  not  be  obtained  by  private 
subscriptions,  and  the  project  for  this  railway 
through  a  rich  and  productive  country  was 
allowed  to  slumber  for  seventeen  years.  In 
1853  the  idea  was  conceived  that  Lebanon  and 
Reading,  as  municipal  organizations,  should  en- 
courage the  enterprise  by  a  large  subscription 
of  stock,  the  former  by  a  subscription  of  two 
thousand  shares,  and  the  latter  of  six  thousand 
shares.  A  supplementary  act  was  accordingly 
passed  on  5th  of  April,  1853,  with  a  provision 
that  the  subject  of  a  subscription  be  submitted 
to  an  election  of  the  taxables  of  the  respective 
places.  The  City  Councils  of  Reading  dis- 
cussed this  subject  on  May  11,  1853,  and  then 
ordered  an  election  to  be  held  on  the  15th  of 
June  following.  This  election  was  to  decide 
for  or  against  a  subscription  of  four  thousand 
shares,  amounting  to  two  hundred  thousand 
dollars.  In  the  public  discussion  of  this  mat- 
ter the  Adler  opposed  the  subscription ;  but  the 
Journal  and  the  Press  favored  it,  expressing 
the  belief  that  the  city  would  be  benefited  to 
the  exteut  of  ten  times  the  amount  of  the  sub- 
scription. The  result  of  the  election  was  as 
follows : 

For  subscription 1658 

Against  subscription 682 

Majority  for  subscription 976 

The  result  having  terminated  favorably,  certain 
taxables  applied  to  the  Supreme  Court  for  an 
injunction.  The  application  was  argued  at 
Philadelphia  before  all  the  judges  on  July  27, 
1853;  but  the  injunction  was  refused.  (The 
case  is  reported  in  Penna.  State  Reports,  9 
Harris,  p.  188.)  At  the  same  time  three  simi- 
lar cases  were  argued  to  restrain  subscriptions 
for  stock  of  projected  railways.  The  Supreme 
Court  assembled  at  Pittsburgh  on  September 
6,  1853,  and  delivered  an  opinion,  deciding 
that  the  subscriptions  could  be  made.  The 
subscription  by  the  City  Councils  was  accord- 
ingly made,  and  in  payment  thereof  issued 
city  bonds,  amounting  to  two  hundred  thousand 


458 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


dollars.  The  construction  and  completion  of 
this  road  were  facilitated  by  the  assistance  of 
the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  Com- 
pany. During  its  completion  an  act  was  passed, 
May  5,  1857,  to  authorize  the  consolidation 
of  the  Lebanon  Valley  Railroad  Company 
with  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad 
Company,  upon  first  obtaining  consent  of  the 
stockholders.  This  movement  awakened  con- 
siderable opposition,  but  it  prevailed.  The 
City  Councils  approved  of  the  consolidation, 
and  encouraged  it,  especially  upon  having  been 
assured  by  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Rail- 
road Company  that  the  city  bonds  would  be  re- 
turned and  that  their  company  would  assume  the 
subscription  of  four  thousand  shares.  The  road 
was  completed  and  the  consolidation  effected, 
and  the  city  bonds  were  returned ;  and  in 
December,  1858,  the  City  Councils  passed  unani- 
mously a  resolution  tendering  their  respectful 
acknowledgments  to  the  Philadelphia  and  Read- 
ing Railroad  Company  for  their  generosity  in  sur- 
rendering the  bonds  in  exchange  for  the  stock, 
and  expressing  an  appreciation  of  the  kind 
and  liberal  spirit  which  dictated  the  action  of 
the  company  in  the  premises. 

The  trains  began  to  run  over  the  road  to 
Harrisburg  on  Monday,  18th  of  January, 
1858.1  The  first  train  consisted  of  ten  passen- 
ger cars,  and  was  arranged  to  convey  a  number 
of  prominent  citizens,  including  General  W.  H. 
Keim  and  staff,  the  "  Reading  Rifles,"  and  the 
"  City  Band,"  from  Reading  to  Harrisburg. 

During  the  construction  of  the  section  of  the 
road  near  "Womelsdorf  an  "Irish  Riot"  oc- 
curred, which  caused  considerable  excitement 
at  Reading.  It  was  reported  that  one  hundred 
and  fifty  Irishmen  had  struck  for  higher  wages 
on  May  3,  1855,  and  had  refused  to  allow 
other  laborers  to  work  in  their  stead ;  that, 
among  other  unlawful  acts,  they  had  beaten 
the  foreman  and  set  fire  to  a  large  barn  in  the 
vicinity,  and  that  warrants  had  been  issued 
for  the  arrest  of  the  ringleaders,  but  that  the 
constable  had  failed  to  quell  the  disturbance. 
In  this   alarming   situation  the  sheriff  of  the 


1  The  road  was  opened  to  Lebanon,  twenty-eight  miles, 
for  travel  in  June,  1857. 


county  was  sent  for  on  the  following  day.  He 
responded  by  calling  out  the  posse  comitntvs, 
and  making  a  requisition  for  three  military 
companies.  At  two  p.m.  on  the  4th  of  May  the 
Ringgold  Artillery,  with  seventy-five  men,  the 
Reading  Artillery,  with  thirty  men,  and  the 
Reading  Rifles,  with  thirty  men,  under  the 
command  of  General  W.  H.  Keim,  accompanied 
by  certain  citizens,  altogether  numbering  about 
two  hundred  men,  started  from  Reading  and 
marched  to  Womelsdorf.  They  apprehended 
the  ringleaders  and  brought  them  to  Reading 
and  imprisoned  them.  In  marching  through 
town  the  ringleaders  were  inclosed  in  a  hollow 
square  of  bristling  bayonets.  This  episode 
became  the  subject  of  a  humorous  poem  after 
the  manner  of  Tennyson's  "Charge  of  the 
Light  Brigade." 

The  company,  in  the  construction  of  the  road, 
erected  a  superb,  large  and  costly  wooden  bridge 
across  the  Schuylkill.  This  was  destroyed  by 
fire  during  the  riot  of  July,  1877.  A  superior 
iron  bridge  was  then  built  in  its  stead. 

The  length  of  this  railroad  in  the  county  is 
sixteen  miles.  It  has  the  following  stations: 
Sinking  Spring,  Wernersville,  Robesonia,  Wom- 
elsdorf. 

East  Penn.— On  the  9th  of  March,  1856, 
an  act  of  Assembly  was  passed  incorporating 
the  "Reading  and  Lehigh  Railroad  Company," 
for  the  purpose  of  constructing  a  railroad  from 
the  junction  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading 
and  the  Lebanon  Valley  Railroads  at  Reading, 
to  the  Lehigh  Valley  Railroad  at  Allentown. 
The  following  persons  of  Reading  were  named 
amongst  the  commissioners :  Hiester  H.  Muh- 
lenberg, William  Strong,  George  M.  Lauman, 
William  M.  Baird,  Horatio  Trexler,  William 
M.  Hiester,  Edward  M.  Clymer,  George  T. 
Stitzel  and  Charles  H.  Hunter. 

The  title  of  the  company  was  changed  to 
"East  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,"  by 
act  passed  21st  April,  1857.  The  construction 
of  the  road-way  began  in  June  following— the 
first  ground  having  been  broken  at  a  spot,  now 
the  highest  point  of  the  cut,  a  short  distance 
north  of  Temple  Station,  on  June  11,  1857; 
and  it  was  prosecuted  with  energy  for  two  years, 
when  it  was  completed.     The  last  spike  was 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


459 


driven  on  the  20th  of  April,  1859.  The  begin- 
ning was  signalized  by  a  demonstration  at  the 
Temple,  speeches  were  made  and  cannons  fired 
off,  etc;  and  the  completion  was  likewise  an 
occasion  of  great  joy  to  the  projectors.  The  day 
was  celebrated  on  May  11,  1859.  Trains  began 
to  run  then  between  Eeading  and  Allentown 
Junction,  a  distance  of  thirty-six  miles.  A  dis- 
tinguished party  from  New  York  City— includ- 
ing a  prominent  metropolitan  brass  band — vis- 
ited Reading.  Among  the  prominent  features 
of  the  celebration  was  a  song  in  "  Berks  County 
Dutch,"  entitled  "  Der  Deutseh  Kompanie,"  the 
rendition  of  which  caused  much  merriment  and 
is  remembered  with  pleasure  till  now  by  many 
who  witnessed  the  performance  on  a  platform 
which  had  been  erected  on  Penn  Square,  at  the 
market  house,  below  Fifth  Street.  This  song 
was  "the  joint  production  of  native  talent." 
It  was  as  follows — the  chorus  having  been  re- 
peated at  the  end  of  each  stanza : 

DER  DETJTSCH  KOMPANIE. 

O  te  Deutseh  Kompanie 
Is  te  besht  Kompanie 
As  ever  jined  te  sea 
Mit  ter  Berks  County. 

Herr  Clymee  ish  te  President,  and  ven  te  times  vos 

blue, 
He  got  Moore  help  from  Gotham  and  put  te  railroad 

troo. 

Te  beoples  vot  took  shtock  didn't  have  many  funds, 
So  te  Bulls  gif  te  money,  and  te  Deutseh  gif  te  bonds. 

Te  Kutztowners  grumble  tat  te  road  ish  n't  tare, 
But  tey  didn't  gif  tare  money  and  tey  wouldn't  take  a 
share. 

Ein  gloss  Lager  und  zwei  gloss  Beer — 

If  you  haint  got  no  shtock  you  can't  shtay  here. 

Ven  you  hear  te  Drums  go  boom,  boom,  boom, 
Ten  you  may  be  sure  dat  te  Got-'am-ites  haf  come. 

Here's  to  te  Light  Guard — here  to  te  Band  : 
Ve'll  take  em  to  te  Market-House  and  put  em  on  te 
shtand. 

Ve'll  take  em  out  3d  street,  vere  tey  vere  before, 
To  see  vat  te  beoples  call  Lauer's  "  great  bore." 

Ve'll  put  em  in  te  Manshen  House  as  soon  as  tey  do 

came, 
Kept  by  te  "  Brince  of  Lantlorts'— Te  Beepon  ish 

his  name. 


Ve'll  march  em  troo  te  shtreets  and  ve'll  take  em  to 

te  "  Shprings," 
And  ve'll  feasht  em  and  ve'll  toasht  em  and  all  tem 

sorts  of  tings. 

Schweitzer  Kase  und  pretzels  und  lager  beer  too, 
Ve  haf  in  Berks  County,  and  dem  not  a  few. 

Te  New  York  chaps  mit  te  hair  at  te  nose, 
Tey  open  teir  mouths  and  town  te  lager  goes. 

Talk  about  your  Champaigne,  Sherry  and  such, 
But  lager  ish  te  besht  for  te  bellies  of  te  Dutch. 

Too  much  Champaigne  is  very  bad  shtuff, 

But  too  much  lager  beer  ish  youst  about  enough. 

Te  city  in  te  hills  and  te  city  on  te  sea, 

Are  now  jined  together  by  te  Deutseh  Kompanie. 

Ve'll  keep  trate  a  goin'  boys — tat  you  may  bet ; 
You'll  send  te  Dry  Goods,  and  ve'll  send  te  wet. 

Ten  success  to  te  party  tat  jined  land  and  sea ; 
Tree  cheers  and  a  tiger  for  te  Deutseh  Kompanie. 

Te  song  ish  gittin  out — if  you  vant  any  more, 
Begin  at  te  top  and  go  on  as  before. 

This  road  was  leased  to  the  Philadelphia  and 
Reading  Railroad  Company  in  May,  1869,  for 
nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine  years ;  by  which 
company  it  has  been  operated  since. 

The  length  of  the  railroad  in  the  county  is 
twenty-three  miles,  upon  which  there  are  the 
following  stations :  Temple,  Blandon,  Fleet- 
wood, Lyons,  Bowers,  Topton,  Mertztown, 
Shamrock. 

Edward  Myers  Clymer  was  the  son  of 
Edward  Tilghman  Clymer  and  Marie  C.  (nee 
Hiester),  his  wife,  born  in  Caernarvon  township 
on  July  16,  1822.  He  went  to  the  local  schools 
in  his  early  youth  and  afterwards  to  the  Abbe- 
ville Academy,  in  Lancaster  County,  and  to  the 
academy  of  Joshua  Hoopes,  at  West  Chester. 
He  then  selected  the  law  as  his  profession,  and 
after  pursuing  his  legal  studies  for  a  while  under 
William  Strong,  Esq.  (then  a  practicing  attor^ 
ney  at  Reading,  and  afterward  associate  justice 
on  the  Supreme  Bench  of  Pennsylvania  and  of 
the  United  States),  he  entered  the  Harvard 
Law  School,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in 
1845.  Upon  his  return  to  Reading  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar,  on  August  4,  1845.  He  then 
opened  a  law-office  and  soon  acquired  a  lucra- 
tive practice,  which  he  continued  till   1857,  at 


460 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


which  time  he  became  thoroughly  interested  in 
projecting  the  East  Pennsylvania  Railroad  from 
Reading  to  Allentown.  His  efforts  in  this  en- 
terprise were  entirely  successful.  He  became 
the  first  president  of  the  company  and  continued 
in  this  office  till  the  road  was  leased  to  the 
Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  Company. 
In  1874  he  was  chosen  president  of  the  coal 
companies  belonging  to  the  New  York,  Lake 
Erie  and  Western  Railroad  Company,  which  it 
owned  and  operated  in  Pennsylvania,  and  he 
held  this  position  till  his  death,  which  occurred 
at  New  York,  May  25,  1883.  His  manage- 
ment of  the  coal  companies  was  very  successful. 
Whilst  in  the  active  practice  of  his  profession  at 
Reading  he  took  great  interest  in  the  political 
affairs  of  the  county,  and  having  been  a  Demo- 
crat, he  was  associated  with  the  leaders  of  the 
Democratic  party  during  that  period.  He  was 
married,  in  1864,  to  Ella  M.  Dietz,  of  New 
York  City,  with  whom  they  had  issue,  one  son, 
Edward  M.  Clymer,  Jr. 

Reading  and  Columbia. — Whilst  the  Leb- 
anon Valley  and  the  East  Penn  Railroads  were 
being  constructed,  the  subject  of  extending  a 
railroad  from  Sinking  Spring — a  point  on  the 
former — to  Columbia  was  discussed  with  earn- 
estness. In  this  behalf  au  Act  of  Assembly 
was  passed  on  May  19,  1857,  incorporating  the 
"  Reading  and  Columbia  Railroad  Company," 
and  naming  fifteen  commissioners,  including 
three  from  Reading — John  McManus,  John  S. 
Richards  and  Frederick  Lauer.  The  first  pro- 
ject was  to  extend  the  road  from  a  point  in 
Reading;  but,  in  1861,  an  act  was  passed, 
authorizing  a  connection  to  be  made  with  the 
Lebanon  Valley  Railroad  at  any  point  between 
Reading  and  Sinking  Spring.  Numerous  meet- 
ings were  held  at  Ephrata,  Lancaster,  Columbia 
and  Reading,  and  reports  pertaining  to  the 
business  which  the  territory  would  afford  were 
made  to  encourage  the  construction  of  the 
road;  and  these  eventually  terminated  in  its  suc- 
cessful completion  in  March,  1864,  from  Sink- 
ing Spring  to  Columbia,  a  distance  of  forty 
miles.  This  introduced  another  valuable  con- 
nection in  the  great  system  of  railways  uniting 
the  Schuylkill  with  the  Susquehanna.  It  was 
an  improvement  that  immediately  inspired  new 


life  and  enterprise  in  the  region  of  territory 
through  which  it  extended.  The  first  passen- 
ger train  ran  through  from  Reading*  to  Colum- 
bia in  May,  1864.  Three  lateral  branches  have 
been  opened  from  it,  namely, — 

From  Lancaster  Junction  to  Lancaster  City,  eight 
miles,  in  August,  1866,  which  was  extended  to  Quarry- 
ville,  fifteen  miles,  in  May,  1875. 

From  Chicques  to  Marietta,  six  miles,  in  August, 
1883. 

From  Manheim  to  Mount  Hope,  six  miles,  in 
August,  1884. 

The  length  of  the  railroad  in  the  county  is 
about  five  miles,  upon  which  there  are  two  sta- 
tions— Fritztown  and  Vinemont. 

The  following  statement  exhibits  the  traffic 
over  the  road : 


Tonnage. 

Passengers. 

Receipts. 

1876 
1880 
1884 

281,851 
465,012 
495,709 

248,335 
233,044 
346,600 

$275,412 
369,319 
394,818 

Wilmington  and  Northern. — The  sub- 
ject of  a  railroad  was  encouraged  through  the 
southern  section  of  Berks  County,  by  a  number 
of  enterprising  inhabitants  of  Robeson,  Union 
and  Caernarvon  townships,  and  to  encourage 
and  authorize  its  construction,  as  a  necessary 
local  improvement,  they  obtained  an  act  of  As- 
sembly, passed  April  20,  1864,  in  which  the 
following  citizens  of  that  section  of  the  county 
were  named  as  commissioners  :  Edward  Brooke, 
George  Brooke,  Edward  Bailey,  Bentley  H. 
Smith,  Henry  S.  Kupp,  Levi  E.  Hook,  David 
J.  Lincoln,  Jdhn  C.  Evans,  Robert  A.  Gilmore, 
John  McGowan,  James  E.  Wells,  David  Plank, 
Josiah  Lewis  and  William  Everhart.  The 
road  was  authorized  to  extend  from  a  point  on 
the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad,  at  or 
near.  Birdsboro',  by  the  most  available  route, 
to  any  railroad  built  in  Chester  County,  and 
the  incorporated  body  was  named  Berks  and 
Chester  Railroad  Company ;  and  the  company 
was  authorized  to  construct  branch  railroads 
not  exceeding  nine  miles  in  length.  In  1866 
authority  was  given  to  connect  the  road  with 
the  Delaware  and  Pennsylvania  State  Line 
Railroad,  and  effect  a  consolidation  with  this 
company  under  the  name  of  the  Wilmington 
and  Reading  Railroad   Company.     The  name 


INTEENAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


461 


was  subsequently  changed  to  Wilmington  and 
Northern  Railroad  Company.  The  road  Mas 
constructed  and  opened  for  travel  as  follows: 
From  Wilmington  to  Coatesville,  thirty-three 
miles,  in  December,  1869;  to  Birdsboro',  sixty- 
three  miles,  in  June,  1870;  and  to  Reading, 
seventy-two  miles,  in  February,  1874. 

This  company  constructed  the  road  to  a 
point  at  the  "Cut,"  in  the  High  Farm,  at 
Poplar  Neck,  in  Cumru  township,  and  the 
length  of  road  from  that  point  to  and  through 
Reading  was  constructed  by  the  Berks  County 
Railroad  Company. 

The  passenger  station  of  the  company  at 
Reading  was  for  a  time  at  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  Second  and  Cherry  Streets.  In  1882 
the  company  effected  an  arrangement  to  run  its 
trains  to  and  from  the  Reading  Station  of  the 
Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  Company. 

The  following  stations  on  this  road  are  in 
the  county :  Naomi,  Seyfert,  Gibraltar,  Robe- 
son, Clingan,  Birdsboro',  White  Bear,  Gei- 
gertown,  Cold  Run,  Joanna  Heights,  Joanna. 
The  passenger  station  at  Birdsboro'  is  a  hand- 
some structure. 

The  following  general  statistics  are  presented 
to  show  the  extent  of  business  over  the  road  : 

Tonnage.        Paa'engers.        Receipts. 

1876 224,916  83,760       $157,791 

1880 356,407        124,697         231,627 

1884 554,016        267,650         346  055 

West  Reading.  —  The  manufacturers  of 
Reading  who  owned  and  carried  on  establish- 
ments situated  along  the  Schuylkill  Canal,  feel- 
ing the  want  of  a  railroad  to  facilitate  the 
receipt  of  materials  and  the  shipment  of  goods 
to  and  from  their  shops,  foundries  and  factor- 
ies, obtained  authority  to  construct  a  railroad 
from  the  Lebanon  Valley  Railroad  at  any 
point  between  Fourth  Street  and  the  River 
Schuylkill ;  thence  to  a  point  on  Canal  Street 
near  the  Reading  Gas- Works,  with  power  to 
extend  it  to  the  Henry  Clay  Furnace  and  to 
organize  a  company  under  the  name  of  West 
Reading  Railroad  Company.  The  following 
commissioners  were  named  in  the  act  of  As- 
sembly passed  March  20, 1860:  Jacob  Bushong, 
John  McManus,  Isaac  Bertolette,  Jacob  H. 
Daysher,  John  Kissinger,  Henry  Bushong,  Lot 


Benson,  John  Mellert,  Jacques  Craig,  Solomon 
Brubaker,  Solomon  Snyder,  and  Isaac  McHose. 

The  road  was  constructed  from  the  railroad 
mentioned,  at  Fourth  Street,  to  the  Reading 
Gas-Works,  in  length  nearly  two  miles,  and 
opened  for  traffic  in  1863.  This  com]  any 
operated  it  for  ten  years,  and  then  transferred 
it  to  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad 
Company,  by  which  company  it  has  been  used 
since  as  a  branch  road  in  delivering  and  receiv- 
ing freight. 

Colebrookdale. — In  March,  1865,  a  rail- 
road was  authorized  to  be  constructed  from  the 
Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  at  Potts- 
town  to  Boyertown  with  the  right  to  extend  it 
to  the  East  Pennsylvania  Railroad  in  Berks 
County,  and  thence  to  the  Catasauqua  and 
Fogelsville  Railroad ;  and  for  this  purpose  a 
company  was  incorporated  under  the  name  of 
"  Colebrookdale  Railroad  Company."  The 
road  was  constructed  to  Barto,  in  Washington 
township,  a  distance  of  12.8  miles  from  Potts- 
town,  and  opened  to  travel  in  November,  1869. 

The  stations  on  the  road  in  the  county  are 
Manatawny,  Ironstone,  Colebrookdale,  Boyer- 
town, New  Berlin,  Bechtelsville,  Eschbach, 
Barto. 

The  road  was  leased  to  the  Philadelphia  and 
Reading    Railroad    Company    on  January   1, 

1870,  for  twenty  years. 

Allentown. — In  1854  a  company  was  in- 
corporated under  the  name  of  the  "  Allentown 
Railroad  Company,"  and  authorized  to  con- 
struct a  railroad  from  Allentown  to  the  Phila- 
delphia and  Reading  Railroad  at  any  point  on 
said  road  between  Reading  and  Port  Clinton  ; 
and  if  this  railroad  should  not  be  extended  by 
way  of  Kutztown,  a  branch  should  be  con- 
structed to  that  place.  A  large  portion  of  this 
road  was  partly  constructed,  but  never  finished. 
Subsequently  a  section  of  the  road  was  con- 
structed from  Topton,  on  the  East  Pennsylvania 
Railroad,  to  Kutztown,  in  length  four  and  a  half 
miles,  and  opened  for  travel  in  January,  1870. 
It  has  been  operated  since  by  the  Philadelphia 
and  Reading  Railroad  Company  under  a  lease. 

Schuylkill  and   Lehigh. —  In  March, 

1871,  a  railroad  company  was  incorporated  by 
the  Pennsylvania  State  Legislature  for  the  pur- 


462 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


pose  of  constructing  "a  railroad  from  a  point  on 
the  W.  and  N.  R.  R.,  at  or  near  Birdsboro',  in 
Berks  County,  by  the  most  available  route,  to 
and  through  the  city  of  Reading,  and  thence  to 
connect  with  any  railroad  or  railroads  now  built 
in  the  county  of  Lehigh  ;"  and  certain  com- 
missioners were  appointed,  including  the  fol- 
lowing influential  citizens  of  Berks  County : 
John  McManus,  Isaac  Mc  Hose,  Isaac  Eckert, 
David  McKnight,  Samuel  C.  Mayer,  George 
Brooke,  Hiester  Clymer,  Frederick  Lauer,  and 
Edward  M.  Clymer. 

And  a  company  was  created  by  the  name 
of  "  Berks  County  Railroad  Company."  The 
railroad  was  constructed  by  this  company  from 
the  "Cut"  in  the  High  farm  on  "Poplar 
Neck, "  in  Cumru  townsh  ip,  to  and  through  Read- 
ing by  way  of  the  Maiden-creek,  to  Slatiugton, 
where  connection  was  made  with  the  Lehigh  Val- 
ley Railroad,  a  total  length  of  about  forty-five 
miles  (forty-three  miles  from  Reading).  The 
road  was  open  for  travel  in  July,  1874.  Shortly 
afterward  the  road  was  sold  by  proceedings  of 
foreclosure  on  a  mortgage,  and  a  reorganiza- 
tion eifected  under  the  name  of  "  Berks  and 
Lehigh  Railroad  Company ;"  and  subsequently 
this  name  was  changed  to  "  Schuylkill  and  Le- 
high Railroad  Company."  The  road  is  carried 
on  by  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad 
Company  under  a  lease.  The  length  of  the  road 
in  the  county  is  twenty-eight  miles,  and  the  sta- 
tions (not  including  flag-stations)  are  Berkeley, 
Maiden-creek,  Evansville,  Moselem,  Virgins- 
ville,  Lenhartsville,  Kempton.  The  report  of 
business  over  the  road  is  included  in  the  general 
report  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Rail- 
road Company. 

Pennsylvania  Schuylkill  Valley. — 
The  Phoenixville,  Pottstown  and  Reading  Rail- 
road Company  was  incorporated  on  September 
30,  1882,  for  the  purpose  of  constructing  and 
operating  a  railroad  from  Phoenixville  to  Read- 
ing, by  way  of  Pottstown ;  and  on  the  same 
day  the  Philadelphia,  Norristown  and  Phoenix- 
ville  Railroad  Company  was  incorporated  for 
the  purpose  of  constructing  and  operating  a  rail- 
road from  Philadelphia  to  Phoenixville.  Sub- 
sequently, on  May  1, 1883,  these  two  companies 
were  consolidated,  under  the  name  of  Pennsyl- 


vania Schuylkill  Valley  Railroad  Company, 
and  a  month  afterward  a  lease  was  effected  with 
the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company.  The  lat- 
ter company  then  constructed  the  railroad  from 
Philadelphia  to  Reading  by  way  of  Norristown 
and  Phoenixville,  during  the  years  1883  and 
1884,  opening  it  to  Reading  on  November  15, 
1884.  In  the  course  of  the  construction  of  this 
railroad,  the  company  erected  four  substantial 
and  costly  iron  bridges  across  the  Schuylkill  with- 
in the  county — Douglassville,  Poplar  Neck, 
Little  Dam  and  Reading, — and  three  handsome 
passenger  stations — Reading,  Birdsboro'  and 
Douglassville. 

The  Penn  Street  Bridge  stood  in  the  way  of 
the  contemplated  extensive  improvements  at  the 
foot  of  Penn  Street  by  this  company ;  and,  in 
pursuance  of  a  proposition  by  this  company,  to 
substitute  a  superior  iron  bridge  in  its  place,  at 
a  cost  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  pro- 
vided the  county  of  Berks  contributed  thirty- 
three  thousand  dollars  toward  the  cost,  the 
old  wooden  bridge  was  removed  and  the  present 
handsome  iron  bridge  erected  during  the  years 
1884  and  1885. 

The  length  of  this  railroad,  in  the  county, 
from  Reading  to  the  Montgomery  County  line, 
is  about  fourteen  miles. 

The  Reading  and  Pottsville  Railroad  Com- 
pany was  incorporated  afterward  for  the  pur- 
pose of  constructing  and  operating  a  rail- 
road from  Reading  to  Pottsville,  by  way  of 
Hamburg  and  Port  Clinton.  This  road  was 
constructed  by  this  company  during  the  years 
1884  and  1885,  as  a  continuation  of  the  railroad 
from  Philadelphia,  by  way  of  Reading,  to  Potts- 
ville and  the  coal  regions.  It  was  opened  to 
Hamburg  on  December  7,  1885.  On  Decem- 
ber 1,  1885,  the  road  was  also  leased  to  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company. 

PUBLIC  COUNTY  BUILDINGS. 

The  county  buildings  comprise  the  court- 
house, prison,  "  State-house  "  and  poor-house. 

Court-Houses.— The  first  court-house  of 
the  county  was  erected  in  1762,  at  the  intersec- 
tion of  Penn  Square  and  Callowhill  Street.  It 
was  built  of  stone,  plastered  and  marked  off  in 
imitation  of  cut  stone,  and  it  was  surrounded 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


463 


by  a  brick  pavement  about  thirteen  feet  wide. 
The  first  floor  was  arranged  in  one  large  room  for 
the  "  courts,"  and  the  second  floor  in  three  rooms 
— the  eastern  half  having  been  in  one   room, 
and  the  western  in  two  rooms.     An  entry  sepa- 
rated the  former  from  the  latter.     The  stair- 
way was  constructed  in  the  southeast  corner  of 
the  court-room.     The  "bench"  was   arranged 
along  the  northern  side  of  the  room,  and  the 
"  bar "  was  inclosed  by  a  semicir- 
cular railing,  the  ends  of  which  ex- 
tended to  the  wall  on  both  sides  of     K^i=er 
the   "bench."      The  "jury   box" 
was  situated  in  the  northwest  corner  ■"." 

of  the  room.     The  court-room  was  "-Sft 

entered  by  two  door-ways,  one  on      ^>^=ET 
the  south  side  and  the  other  on  the  jj 

west.  The  latter  was  little  used. 
A  large  stove  was  located  near  by 
and  wood  was  generally  piled  up 
against  the  door,  on  the  inside,  dur- 
ing cold  weather.  This  wood-pile 
was  at  times  occupied  by  a  boy  or 
two  during  the  progress  of  an  im- 
portant trial  in  court;  and  it  was 
known  to  collapse  and  cause  con- 
siderable merriment,  if  not  commo- 
tion, at  the  boy's  expense.  The 
sudden  cry  of  "  silence "  by  the 
"  court-crier  "  would  throw  terror 
into  the  boy's  heart,  and  especially 
if  the  crier's  long  hickory  stick 
reached  out  after  his  head. 

The  crier's  seat  was  situated  a  few 
feet  west  of  the  centre  of  the  room, 
adjoining  the  "  bar,"  and  the  "  pris- 
oner's dock  "  was  next  to  it  on  the 
east.  The  crier  was  a  prominent 
figure  in  the  room  by  reason  of  the 
elevation  of  his  seat. 

The  floor  was  laid  with  brick. 
Benches  were  arranged  on  inclined  platforms 
along  the  southern  and  eastern  walls.  The  seat- 
ing capacity  was  rather  limited  for  a  public 
place.  The  dimensions  of  the  building  were 
about  forty  by  fifty  feet.  A  marble  tablet  was 
built  in  the  eastern  wall  near  the  centre.  It 
contained  the  following  inscription  : 
J.  L.,  C.  W.,  S.  H.,  1762. 


These  initial  letters  represented  the  names  of 
the  officiating  county  commissioners,  viz.,  Ja- 
cob Lightfoot,  Christian  Witman  and  Samuel 
High.  The  steeple  on  the  building  contained 
a  bell  and  town-clock.  The  bell  was  cast  in 
England  in  1763  especially  for  the  county. 
The  town-clock  was  a  thirty-hour  clock,  im- 
ported from  London  about  1755.  It  was  re- 
markable for  being  out  of  order  continually. 


THE   OLD    COURT-HOUSE. 

Frequent  repairs  were  made  to  it,  but  it  could 
not  be  made  to  keep  time. 

Previously  for  ten  years,  the  justices  of  the 
county  sat  and  held  the  sessions  of  court  in  a 
room  at  a  town  inn.  There  were  no  rooms  in 
the  building  for  the  county  officials.  Five 
offices  of  the  county  were  vested  in  one  individ- 
ual for  upward  of  twenty  years.     These  were 


464 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


prothonotary,  recorder,  register,  clerk  of  the 
Orphans'  Court  and  clerk  of  the  Quarter  Ses- 
sions, and  the  person  was  James  Read,  a  law- 
yer. He  doubtless  had  the  records  at  his  home. 
By  a  letter  addressed  to  the  Pennsylvania  Ga- 
zette, dated  the  20th  of  February,  1766,  it 
would  appear  that  "  public  offices  were  opened 
on  Monday  previous  at  Reading."  It  is  not 
known  in  which  building  they  were  opened. 
The  "  State  House,"  which  contained  the  offices 
for  many  years,  was  not  erected  till  thirty 
years  afterward. 

Election  polls  were  held  at  the  several  win- 
dows on  the  first  floor.  The  windows  were 
properly  marked  for  the  voters.  The  poll  for 
the  electors  of  Reading  was  at  the  eastern  win- 
dow on  the  side  facing  south. 

This  building  was  used  for  the  purposes  of 
hearing  and  determining  criminal  and  civil 
matters  till  1840.  But  its  smallness  and  in- 
convenient arrangement  had  been  felt  seriously 
for.many  years.  It  was  not,  however,  till  1837 
that  the  citizens  became  earnestly  interested  in 
an  improvement.  At  the  August  sessions  of  the 
year  mentioned,  a  petition,  signed  by  many  tax- 
ables,  was  presented  to  court. 

Among  other  things,  they  represented — 

"  That,  in  consequence  of  the  rapid  increase  of  the 
population  and  public  business  of  the  county  of 
Berks,  the  present  court-house  has  become  too  small 
and  inconvenient  for  the  transaction  of  business,  and 
also  for  the  accommodation  of  those  persons  who  are 
obliged  to  attend  court,"  and  then  prayed  the  Court 
"  to  recommend  to  the  County  Commissioners  the 
erection  of  the  necessary  buildings  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  the  Court  and  the  Public.'7 

It  was  referred  to  the  grand  jury,  and 
they  recommended  a  new  building,  select- 
ing the  northeast  corner  of  Fifth  and  Penn 
Streets  as  the  place  for  its  erection.  This  re- 
turn was  approved  by  the  court  on  11th  Aug- 
ust, 1837.  The  site  was  changed  to  the  north- 
east corner  of  Sixth  and  Court  Streets,  in  order 
to  obtain  a  larger  lot  for  the  proposed  building.1 
The  county  commissioners  then  purchased   two 

1  This  corner  had  been  occupied  for  many  years  pre- 
viously by  a  blacksmith,  the  shop  having  been  regarded  as 
the  oldest,  if  not  the  first,  in  town. 


adjoining  lots,  one  hundred  and  twenty  by  two 
hundred  and  thirty  feet,  and  erected  thereon, 
during  the  years  1838,  1839  and  1840,  the 
present  attractive  and  commodious  court- house, 
the  total  expense  amounting  to  $58,846.42. 
The  following  interesting  description  was  pub- 
lished in  the  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal  on 
20th  June,  1840 : 

"  The  walls  of  the  edifice  are  constructed  of  hand- 
some pressed  brick,  for  which  this  borough  is  justly 
celebrated,  and  rest  on  a  cut  sandstone  base.  The 
building  is  62  by  118  feet,  and  in  height,  to  apex  (if 
the  roof,  is  60  feet.  In  front,  resting  on  the  basement 
story,  is  a  handsome  portico  ornamented  with  s  x 
columns,  27  feet  in  height,  of  the  '  Ionic '  order,  cut 
from  sandstone  quarried  in  this  county.  The  whole 
of  the  front  base,  columns,  cornices,  &c,  is  of  the  same 
material,  and  the  effect  is  excellent.  An  octagonal 
steeple,  142  feet  high,  rises  in  front,  surmounted  by  a 
figure  of  Liberty,  which  is  84  feet  high  above  the 
roof.  The  original  intention  was  to  give  this  elevated 
situation  to  a  statue  of  Justice,  but  (as  will  sometimes 
happen)  there,  was  some  difficulty  about  arranging 
her  scales.  Still,  though  the  statue  of  Justice  has 
been  superseded  by  Liberty  on  the  outside,  we  have 
no  idea  that  Liberty  will  take  precedence  of  the 
statutes  of  Justice  in  the  inside  of  the  building,  and 
many  will,  doubtless,  find  to  their  cost  that  the  figure 
of  Liberty  on  the  Court- House  is  the  figure  which 
rhetoricians  call  Incus  a  -non  /uctndo.  A  hall  extends 
through  the  building  on  the  first  floor,  with  the 
county  offices  arranged  on  each  side.  The  second 
floor  is  set  apart  for  the  court-room."  The  third 
floor  for  jury  rooms  and  an  additional  court-room. 
The  main  "  court-room  "  has  been  used  annually,  with 
the  permission  of  the  county  commissioners,  for  pol- 
itical meetings  of  all  parties.  It  was  also  used, 
occasionally,  twenty  years  ago,  for  lectures  and 
public  addresses  by  distinguished  speakers.  And  re- 
ligious services  have  been  held  in  it  by  several  de- 
nominations during  their  church  improvements. 

A  substantial  fire-proof  two-story  extension 
was  built  at  the  rear  of  the  building  in  1869. 
The  second  story  of  the  northern  portion  is  set 
apart  for  the  "  Law  Library." 

The  last  term  of  court  held  in  the  old  build- 
ing was  April  term,  1840.  During  the  follow- 
ing three  months  the  county  records  were  re- 
moved from  the  "  State-House,"  and  the  Au- 
gust term  of  court  was  held  in  the  new  build- 
ing. Gas  was  introduced  into  the  building  in 
May,  1849. 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


465 


A  new  clock  was  placed  in  the  steeple  in 
March,  1851.  The  bell  weighed  near  seven- 
teen hundred  pounds.  From  that  time  on,  this 
was  the  "  town-clock,"  and  town-bell  for  indi- 
cating "town-time." 

The  "  Old  Court-House  "  was  purchased  by- 
Joseph  Kendall  and  removed  in  May,  1841. 
He  appropriated  some  of  the  material  towards 
the  construction  of  the  row  of  small  houses  on 
the  west  side  of  Fifth,  between  Pine  and  Binga- 


depth  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet.  The 
first  floor  was  arranged  in  four  compartments) 
the  corner  room,  facing  the  streets,  having  been 
occupied  as  an  office  by  the  sheriff;  and  the 
second  floor  in  four  compartments  for  prisoners. 
The  sheriff  and  family  occupied  the  remaining 
rooms  of  the  building;  and  this  practice  was 
continued  till  the  prison  system  was  changed 
by  special  legislation  for  Berks  County,  in 
1848.     The  "Old  Jail"  property  was  sold  on 


THE   OLD   JAIL. 


man  Streets..  Another  portion  was  used  in  the 
erection  of  Goodhart's  Military  Inn.  The  old 
bell  was  sold  to  a  congregation  at  Pricetown, 
in  Ruscomb-manor  township.  It  is  still  in  use 
for  church  purposes. 

Prisons.1 — The  first  county  prison  was 
ereected  in  1770,  on  the  northeast  corner  of 
Callowhill  and  Thomas  Streets.  It  was  con- 
structed of  stone  and  plastered,  two  stories  in 
height,  and  in  dimensions  thirty  by  seventy 
feet.  The  lot  was  sixty  by  two  hundred  and 
thirty  feet.  A  substantial  stone  wall,  twenty 
feet  high,  was  erected  to  inclose  the  lot  to  the 

1  For  narrative  pertaining  to  the  management  of  prison, 
including  lists  of  inspectors,  appointed  and  elected,  see 
Chapter  XIX. 

-47 


the  5  th  of  February,  1849,  to  William  Rhoads, 
for  seven  thousand  four  hundred  and  sixty 
dollars,  and  by  him  converted  into  a  store.  It 
has  been  occupied  as  a  store  ever  since. 

A  new  county  prison  was  erected  on  the 
"  Commons,"  at  the  head  of  Penn  Street,  by 
the  county  commissioners,  in  1847-48,  at  a 
cost  of  seventeen  thousand  dollars.  It  is  con- 
structed of  stone  from  Penn's  Mount,  and  is 
situated  on  a  lot  of  ground  one  hundred  and 
seventy  by  three  hundred  feet,  which  is  in- 
closed on  the  north,  east  and  west  by  a  high 
stone  wall.  The  tower  is  elevated  ninety-six 
feet.  It  is  still  standing,  a  fine  specimen  of 
superior  workmanship. 

An  addition,  or  "  annex,"  was  erected  at  the 


w&m,  II  111      to 


1-5 

H 
S5 
W 
oq 

s 

o 


o 


O 


S?r::iVf 


f#'',;;i">i» 


iinB^t^^^^ 


INTEKNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


467 


rear  in   1869.     The  total 
ninety-four — forty-four  being 
building  and  fifty  in  the  annex 
arranged  in  two  stories. 

The  following  table  shows 
the  total  number  of  persons 
who  were  committed  to  the 
county  prison  since  its  com- 
pletion, in  1848 : 


number  of  cells   is 

in     the     main 

The  cells  are 


building  was  built  of  brick,  two  stories  in  height, 
and  in  dimensions  thirty  by  ninety  feet.  A 
small,  narrow  alley  extended  along  the  eastern 


130 

113 

131 

183 

140 

156 

160 

132 

184 

224 

339 

622 

240 

140 

1863  

120 

175 

1866   ^»„ 

163 

193 

1867 

„...  203 

:....  175 

1869 

192 

1870  

212 

1871 

165 

1872 

220 

1873 

204 

1874 

248 

1875 

328 

1876 

493 

1877 

789 

1878 

962 

1879 

496 

1880 

556 

1881 

453 

1882 

467 

1883 

584 

1884 

550 

Total 10,802 

State-House — The  State- 
House  was  erected  by  the 
county  commissioners  in  1793 
for  the  accommodation  of  the 
county  oflicers  and  also  the 
county  records.  It  was  situated  on  the  north- 
east corner  of  Fifth  and  Penn  Streets.     The 


GROUND  PLAN  OF  THE  BERKS  COUNTY  PRISON. 

[The  plan  indicates  the  cells  on  the  first  floor.     There  is  an  equal  number  on 

the  second  floor.    In  the  towers  before  the  Observatory, 

the  rooms  (four)  are  circular  in  form. 

wall  on  the  outside  from  the  front  to  the  rear 
of  the  building.     An  entry  extended  across  the 


468 


HISTOKY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


building  Dear  the  centre,  with  its  doorway  on 
Fifth  Street;  and  a  stairway  led  from  this  entry 
to  the  second  floor.  The  first  floor  was  divided 
into  three  compartments  ;  the  first,  adjoining 
Penn  Street,  having  been  used  for  the  prothon- 
otary's  office  and  clerk  of  Quarter  Sessions,  the 
central  for  the  recorder,  register  and  clerk  of  the 
Orphans'  Court,  and  the  rear  for  county  com- 
missioners and  county  treasurer.  The  second 
floor  was  divided  into  two  compartments,  the 
front  room  having  been  occupied  mostly  for 
Sunday-school  purposes  from  1819  for  about 
twenty  years,1  and  the  rear  room  for  lodge  pur- 
poses.2 The  -building  was  sold  by  the  county 
commissioners  upon  the  removal  of  the  county 
offices  and  records  to  the  new  court-house. 

The  rear  room  on  the  first  floor  was  used  for 
some  years,  1861  to  1865,  as  the  post-office. 

In  January,  1872,  a  large  fire  broke  out  in 
Stichter's  hardware-store,  near  by,  which  spread 
over  the  adjoining  buildings  to  the  west,  and 
consumed  the  entire  corner,  including  the  "  Old 
State-House."  The  inscription  stone  was  pre- 
served and  given  a  place  in  the  rear  wall  of  the 
building  which  was  soon  afterward  erected  in 
its  stead.     The  inscription  reads, — 


Berks  County 

PUBLIC  OFFICES. 

1793. 


Poor-Hotjse.— The  poor  people  of  the  county 
were  provided  for  by  "overseers"  till  the  pas- 
sage of  an  act  of  Assembly,  on  March  29, 1824, 
especially  for  this  county,  whereby  the  county 
commissioners  were  authorized  to  levy  a  tax  for 
the  purpose  of  purchasing  land  and  erecting 
thereon  and  furnishing  necessary  buildings  for 
their  employment  and  support,  and  seven  di- 
rectors were  appointed  to  proceed  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  this  public  institution.  They  served 
till  the  election  of  three  directors,  in  October 
following,  as  provided  in  said  act.  In  the  mean 
time  (May  30, 1824)  they  purchased  the  "  Brown 


farm,"  formerly  known  as  the  "  Angelica  farm," 
in  Cumru  township  (owned  and  occupied  during 
the  Revolution  by  General  Thomas  Mifflin), 
three  miles  from  Reading,  situated  on  the  Lan- 
caster road,  and  containing  41 1\  acres,  for  the 
consideration  of  $16,690,  and  proceeded  to  erect 
upon  it  a  commodious  building  to  accommodate 
the  poor  people  of  the  county.  This  building 
was  finished  in  1825.  It  has  since  been  known 
as  the  "  Main  Building."  Other  improvements 
were  subsequently  made  upon  the  premises, 
prominent  among  them  being  the  "Insane 
Building,"  erected  in  1837  and  1843,  and  the 
"  Hospital,"  in  1871  to  1874. 

The  first  poor  persons  were  admitted  on  Octo- 
ber 21,  1825,  from  Reading.  Their  names 
were  William  Hy decani,  aged  eighty-three  years, 
and  Dorothea,  his  wife,  aged  eighty-one  years. 
In  November,  1825,  Saul  Gordon  was  admitted 
-from  Hereford  township.  He  is  in  the  institu- 
tion still,  having  been  there  continuously  for  a 
period  covering  sixty  years. 

During  the  first  year,  1825,  one  hundred  and 
thirty  inmates  were  admitted.  The  average 
number  of  inmates  in  the  institution  annually 
since  1868,  was  as  follows  : 


'Public  meetings  also  assembled  in  this  room. 
*  The  Masonic  Lodge  occupied  it  for  many  years. 


Year. 

1868. 
1869. 
1870. 
1871. 
1872. 
1873. 
1874. 
1875. 
1876. 


No. 

Year. 

335 

1877 

294 

1878 

311 

1879 

353 

1880 

333 

1881 

329 

1882 

365 

1883 

451 

1884 

498 

1885 

No. 

547 

613 

'. 573 

464 

439 

445 

454 

395 

373 

Post-Office.— The  postal  department  of  the 
public  service  is  classed  with  the  internal  im- 
provements of  the  county.  We  have  as  yet  no 
"  public  building "  to  dignify  the  service  and 
give  it  that  substantial  prominence  which  it 
deserves,  by  reason  of  its  extensive  business ; 
still,  it  must  be  associated  with  transportation, 
and  therefore  given  a  place  in  this  chapter. 

The  first  attempt  to  systematize  and  regulate 
postal  communication  in  the  American  colonies 
was  made  by  the  British  government  in  1660. 
And  this  subject  received  the  attention  of  Wil- 
liam Penn  shortly  after  his  arrival  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, he  having,  in  July,  1683,  issued  an  order 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


469 


for  the  establishment  of  a  post-office  at  Phila- 
delphia. The  postal  facilities,  however,  in  this 
early  period,  were  only  such  as  were  afforded 
by  personal  accommodation  among  the  colonists. 


Benjamin  Franklin  was  appointed  postmaster  at 
Philadelphia,  and  in  1753  a  deputy  postmaster- 
general.  The  delivery  of  letters  by  the  penny 
post   began    in   the  latter  year,  and  also  the 


In  1692  the  rate  of  postage  to  and  from 
Philadelphia,  within  a  radius  of  eighty  miles, 
was  four  pence  halfpenny. 

The  office  of  Postmaster-General  for  America 
was  created  by  Parliament  in  1704,  and  shortly 
afterward  stage-coaches  were  introduced  to  run 
between  Boston  and   Philadelphia.      In  1737 


practice  of  advertising  letters  which  remained 
in  the  office  at  Philadelphia. 

In  1774  Franklin  became  obnoxious  to  the 
British  government,  and  he  was  therefore  dis- 
missed. This  caused  private  arrangements  to  be 
made  for  carrying  letters,  and,  as  a  consequence, 
the  postal  service  did  not  contribute  any  revenue 


470 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


to  the  British  treasury.  In  1775  the  colonies 
established  their  own  postal  department,  and  on 
July  26th,  in  that  year,  Benjamin  Franklin 
was  unanimously  chosen  Postmaster-General. 
This  was  an  important  action  in  connection  with 
the  movement  for  independence.  In  1792  rates 
of  postage  were  established,  which  remained 
unchanged  for  over  fifty  years.  They  were,  for 
every  single  letter,  as  follows : 

From    1  to    30  miles 6  cents. 

"     30  "    60      "    8  " 

"      60  "  100      "    10  " 

"    100  "  150      "    12J  " 

"    150  "  200      "    15  " 

"    200  "  250      '•    17  " 

"    250  "  350      "    20  " 

"    350  "  450      "    22  " 

Over  450  miles    25  " 

Reading  Office  Established. — Within  a  year 
afterward  the  first  post-office  in  the  county  was 
established  at  Reading.  This  was  on  March 
20,  1793.  The  department  had  been  in 
practical  existence  for  nearly  twenty  years.  Our 
population  was  large  and  business  transactions 
were  numerous.  But  correspondence  was  lim- 
ited. Letters  had  been  carried  for  several  years 
previously  by  a  private  stage-line  to  Philadel- 
phia and  Harrisburg,  at  the  rate  of  three  pence 
postage,  and  about  the  year  1800  they  began  to 
be  carried  to  Sunbury  once  a  week  on  horse- 
back, and  to  Lancaster  and  Easton  once  a  week 
in  a  private  two-horse  carriage.  After  the 
stage-coach  had  become  a  fixed  mode  of  trans- 
portation for  people  and  light  articles  of  merch- 
andise, at  regular  intervals,  postal  matter  then 
began  to  be  carried  by  them  from  place  to  place. 

Departure  and  Arrival  of  Mails. — In  Oc- 
tober, 1803,  the  departure  and  arrival  of  the 
several  mails  were  as  follows,  according  to  a 
published  notice  by  the  postmaster  of  Reading : 

"1.  To  Philadelphia — departs  every  Monday  and 
Thursday  at  4  A.M.,  and  arrives  every  Tuesday  and 
Friday  at  8  A.m.  ;  and  returning,  departs  from  Phila- 
delphia every  Tuesday  and  Friday  at  4  p.m.,  and  ar- 
rives at  Beading  every  Wednesday  and  Saturday  at  8 
P.M. 

"  2.  To  Northumberland — departs  every  Thursday 
at  6  A.M.,  and  arrives  every  Friday  at  4  p.m.  (in  sum- 
mer, and  at  6  in  winter) ;  and  returning,  departs 
every  Saturday  at  5  a.m.,  and  arrives  at  Beading 
every  Sunday  at  6  p.m. 


"  3.  To  Carlisle— departs  every  Thursday  at  6  a.m., 
and  arrives  every  Friday  at  3  p.m;  returning,  departs 
every  Saturday  at  5  a.m.,  and  arrives  at  Beading 
every  Sunday  at  six  P.M." 

Mail-Stages.— In  1811  William  Coleman  ad- 
vertised the  following  schedule  for  his  "  mail- 
stages  "  to  Philadelphia,  Northumberland  and 
Harrisburg : 

"  The  stage  for  Philadelphia  leaves  every  Monday 
and  Thursday  morning;  and  returning,  leaves  Phila- 
delphia every  Tuesday  and  Friday  afternoon. 

"  The  stage  for  Northumberland  leaves  every  Wed- 
nesday afternoon,  and  arrives  at  Sunbury1  every 
Thursday  evening;  and  returning,  leaves  Sunbury 
every  Saturday  morning,  and  arrives  every  Sunday 
evening,  reaching  Philadelphia  the  following  even- 
ing. 

"  And  the  stage  for  Harrisburg  leaves  every  Sun- 
day and  Thursday  morning,  and  arrives  at  Harris- 
burg in  the  evening  of  same  days ;  and  returning, 
leaves  Harrisburg  every  Wednesday  and  Saturday 
morning,  and  arrives  at  Beading  in  the  evening  of 
same  days." 

And  in  the  same  year,  Weyandts  &  Levan 
advertised  the  following  schedule  for  their 
"  Lancaster  and  Easton  mail-stage  : " 

"  Our  mail-stage  leaves  Mr.  Sebring's  tavern,  at 
Easton,  every  Monday  morning,  takes  fresh  horses  at 
Kutztown,  and  arrives  the  same  evening  at  Mr.  Wil- 
liam Coleman's  Beading  Hotel,  from  which  it  starts 
every  Tuesday  morning,  via.  Lititz,  and  arrives  in  the 
afternoon  of  same  day  at  Mr.  John  Michel's  tavern, 
at  Lancaster.  In  returning,  it  leaves  every  Wednes- 
day morning,  and  arrives  at  the  Beading  Hotel  on 
same  evening,  starting  from  there  next  morning  and 
arriving  every  Thursday  evening  at  Easton.  The  fare 
for  passengers  is  three  dollars,  or  a  five-penny  bit  per 
mile,  allowing  passengers  to  carry  fourteen  pounds 
weight  of  baggage." 

In  1828,  an  independent  line  of  tri-weekly 
stages  having  been  put  upon  the  route  between 
Philadelphia  and  Harrisburg,  via  Reading,  two 
mails  were  afforded  every  Tuesday,  Thursday 
and  Saturday  at  Reading,  at  noon  and  at  five 
p.m.  This  line  went  into  operation  on  Novem- 
ber 11, 1828.  The  combination  or  "Old  Line" 
began  carrying  daily  mails  in  1826. 

A  daily  mail  between  Reading  and  Mount 

1  Sunbury  was  the  terminus  in  Northumberland  County, 
two  miles  south  of  the  town  of  Northumberland.  It  was 
then,  as  it  is  now,  the  county-seat. 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


471 


Carbon,  to  and  from  the  respective  places,  was 
established  April  1,  1829. 

The  mails  were  carried  by  stages  till  the  in- 
troduction of  the  railways  from  the  several 
places  south,  north,  west  and  east;  then  the 
passenger  train  was  substituted.  The  changes 
were  made  as  follows:  From  Philadelphia, 
1838  ;  from  Pottsville,  1842;  from  Harrisburg, 
1858  ;  from  Allentown,  1859  ;  from  Lancaster, 
1864. 

There  are  a  number  of  stage-routes  which  ex- 
tend from  Reading  into  and  through  districts 
of  the  county  not  reached  by  railroads.  They 
are  as  follows : 

Daily,  except  Sunday. — To  Millersburg,  via  Lein- 
bach's  and  Bernville ;  to  Gouglersville,  etc. ;  to 
Mohn's  store,  etc. ;  to  Boyertown,  via  Stonersville  and 
Yellow  House ;  to  Shanesville,  via  Oley  Pike ;  to 
Pikeville,  via  Stony  Creek  Mills  and  Friedensburg. 

Tri-  Weekly. — To  Krick's  Mill,  via  Cacoosing  ;  to 
.  Hummel's  store,  via  Angelica ;  to  Garfield,  via  Lower 
Bern. 

Stamps. — No  postage  stamps  were  issued  by 
the  National  government  till  August,  1847, 
when  two  denominations  were  issued — five  cent 
and  ten  cent.  The  idea  of  using  postage 
stamps  had  been  first  suggested  in  1841.  Pre- 
viously postage  had  been  collected  entirely  in 
money;  and  in  all  cases  pre-payment  was 
optional.  The  two  denominations  mentioned 
continued  in  use  four  years ;  then  new  denomi- 
nations for  one  cent  and  three  cents  appeared, 
and  shortly  afterward  others  for  five,  ten,  twelve, 
tweuty-four,  thirty  and  ninety  cents.  In  1861 
this  series  was  called  in  by  Montgomery  Blair, 
Lincoln's  Postmaster-General,  and  a  new  series 
issued.  July  1,  1863,  the  first  two-cent  stamp 
appeared,  which  was  to  accommodate  local 
postage.  In  March,  1869,  J.  A.  J.  Creswell, 
Grant's  Postmaster-General,  brought  out  a  new 
series,  but  they  did  not  come  into  favor,  and 
after  two  months  were  superseded  by  a  series 
of  the  denominations  of  one,  two,  three,  five, 
six,  ten,  fifteen,  thirty  and  ninety  cents.  And  a 
year  .afterward  the  following  designs  were 
adoptM  for  these  stamps  :  One  cent,  Franklin ; 
two  cent,  Jackson;  three  cent,  "Washington; 
five  cent,  Jackson ;  six  cent,  Lincoln  ;  ten  cent, 
Jefferson;  fifteen  cent,  Webster;  thirty  cent, 
Hamilton;   ninety   cent,    Perry.      Designs   of 


persons  on  stamps  in  honor  of  distinguished 
representative  men  of  our  country,  had  been  in 
use  from  their  first  introduction,  particularly  of 
Franklin  and  "Washington. 

Post- Offices.  —  The  following  post-offices 
have  been  established  in  the  county  till  1886: 
They  number  one  hundred  and  thirty,  being  an 
average  of  one  post-office  to  every  thousand  in- 
habitants. They  are  arranged  in  the  order  of 
their  priority. 

No.        Name.  Date. 

1.  Reading March  20,  1793 

2.  Hamburg..., July  1,  1798 

3.  Kutztown July  1,1805 

4.  Morgantown January  1,  1806 

5.  Womelsdorf. July  1, 1807 

6.  Rehrersburg May  27, 1818 

7.  Longswamp April  18,  1822 

8.  Blandon November  2,  1825 

9.  Klinesville December  16,  1825 

10.  Bethel December  21,  1827 

11.  Brower January  7,  1828 

12.  Dale January  25,1828 

13.  Colebrookdale February  4,  1828 

14.  Boyertown February  14,  1828 

15.  Oley March  14,  1828 

16.  Brumfield March  27,  1828 

17.  Geiger's  Mill March  27,  1828 

18.  New  Jerusalem May  26,  1828 

19.  Douglassville March  3,  1829 

20.  Grimville January  14,  1830 

21.  Shartlesville February  9,1830 

22.  Hereford March  6,  1830 

23.  Joanna  Furnace December  29,.  1830 

24.  Sinking  Spring June  25, 1831 

25.  Stouchsburg March  22,  1832 

26.  Bernville August  16,  1832 

27.  Shoemakersville January  14,  1833 

28.  Pikeville March  12, 1834 

29.  Pricetown February  6,1835 

30.  Lobachsville \ April  10,  1835 

31.  Baumstown December  21,  1835 

32.  Mohrsville May  10,  1836 

33.  Gibraltar June  16,  1836 

34.  Tuckerton January  26,  1838 

35.  Earlville..., August  2,  1838 

36.  Molltown , August  30,  1839 

37.  Virginsville August  30, 1839 

38.  Lower  Bern June  12,1841 

39.  Albany December  23,1845 

40.  Moselem  Springs January  14,  1846 

41.  Stonersville January  18,  1847 

42.  Monterey May  19,1847 

43.  Strausstown November  18,  1847 

44.  Robesonia  Furnace....February  28,  1849 

45.  Crosskill  Mills October  16, 1849 


472 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


No.        Name.  Date. 

46.  Siesholtzville November  8,  1849 

47.  Tulpehocken March  19,  1850 

48.  Clayton June  21, 1850 

49.  Birdsboro' January  6,  1851 

50.  Leesport January  21,  1851 

51.  Manatawny March  19,  1851 

52.  Spangsville September  19,  1851 

53.  Fleetwood February  16,  1852 

54.  Leinbach's February  16,  1852 

55.  Beckersville February  18,  1§52 

56.  Host April  22,1852 

57.  Bechtelsville May  7,  1852 

58.  Greshville February  10,  1853 

59.  Dryville May  3,  1853 

60.  Wernersville May  3,  1853 

61.  Fredericksville August  20,  1853 

62.  Landis'  Store August  20, 1853 

63.  Maxatawny November  5,  1853 

64.  Mount  ^Etna October  2,  1854 

65.  Lenhartsville December  11,  1854 

66.  Gouglersville July  16,  1855 

67.  Monocacy January  29,  1856 

68.  Knauer's March  3,  1856 

69.  Moselem July  8,  1856 

70.  South  Evansville July  8,  1856 

71.  Windsor  Castle July  18,  1856 

72.  Wintersville July  10,  1857 

73.  Temple July  20,  1857 

74.  Mohn's  Store November  6,  1857 

75.  Mertztown December  8,  1857 

76.  Cumru March  6,  1858 

77.  Kirbyville October  31,  1859 

78.  Bower's  Station June  25, 1860 

79.  Lyons  Station October  25,  1860 

80.  Topton .....August  29,  1861 

81.  Exeter December  25, 1861 

82.  Maiden-creek April  18,  1862 

83.  Eagle  Point August  14,  1862 

84.  Fritztown November  12,  1862 

85.  Alsace February  12, 1863 

86.  Upper  Bern.. August  28,  1863 

87.  Hill  Church May  27,  1864 

88.  North  Heidelberg June  22,  1864 

89.  Lower  Heidelberg July  1,  1864 

90.  Krick'sMill September  11,1865 

91.  Hiester's  Mill December  2,  1865 

92.  Yellow  House May  9,  1866 

93.  Mountain September  19,  1866 

94.  Shanesville May  2,  1867 

95.  Centreport June  11,  1868 

96.  Stony  Run January  11,  1869 

97.  Scarlet  Mill August  4,  1869 

98.  Hummel's  Store September  29, 1869 

99.  Griesemerville June  29,  1870 

100.  Lime-Kiln June  29,  1870 


No.        Name.  Date. 

101.  Jackson  wald.... November  11, 1870 

102.  Pine  Iron-Works February  24, 1871 

103.  Little  Oley April  21,  1871 

104.  Monocacy  Station May  13, 1872 

105.  West  Leesport September  30, 1872 

106.  Huff's  Church March  2, 1874 

107.  Trexler November  9, 1874 

108.  EastBerkeley March  12, 1875 

109.  Bern May  23, 1878 

110.  Cacoosing June  6, 1878 

111.  Stony  Creek  Mills May  20,  1879 

112.  Meckville December  17,  1879 

113.  Berks December  23, 1879 

114.  Vinemont April  19,  1880 

'  115.  Garfield June  25,  1880 

116.  Kempton May  17,  1881 

117.  Barto's March  16, 1882 

118.  Angelica May  22, 1882 

119.  Eckville September  8, 1882 

120.  New  Berlinville February  23,  1883 

121.  Bally August  7,  1883 

122.  Schweyers April  14,  1884 

123.  Shamrock  Station May  14,  1884 

124.  Schubert June  6,  1884 

125.  Shillington July  14,  1884 

126.  Lorah December  5,  1884 

127.  Athol January  6,  1885 

128.  Walter's  Park March  3,  1885' 

129.  Krumville July  7,  1885 

130.  Calcium July  7,  1885 

Their  Distribution.-. — The  foregoing  post- of- 
fices are  distributed  throughout  the  county  in 
its  several  political  divisions  as  follows : 

EASTERN  DIVISION   (80). 


Manatawny  Section. 

Beading 1 

Boyertown 1 

Alsace 2 

Amity 4 

Colebrookdale .-.1 

District 2 

Douglass 3 

Earl 2 

Exeter 6 

Hereford 3 

Muhlenberg 2 

Oley 4 

Pike 3 

Rockland 2 

Ruscomb-manor 1 

Washington 6 

43 


Ontelaunee  Section. 

Fleetwood 1 

Hamburg 1 

Kutztown 1 

Topton 1 

Albany 6 

Greenwich 4 

Longswamp 4 

Maiden-creek 5 

Maxatawny 5 

Ontelaunee 2 

Perry: 2 

Richmond 4 

Windsor 1 

37 


1  Discontinued  shortly  afterward. 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 


473 


WESTERN  DIVISION   (50). 


Schuylkill  Section. 

Birdsboro' 1 

Brecknock 2 

Caernarvon 1 

Cumru 5 

Robeson 5 

Spring 3 

Union 2 

19 


Tulpehocken  Section. 

Bernville 1 

Womelsdorf. 1 

Bern 6 

Bern,  Upper :... 2 

Bethel 3 

Centre 2 

Heidelberg , 1 

Heidelberg,  Lower 5 

Heidelberg,  North 2 

Jefferson 1 

Marion 1 

Penn - 

Tulpehocken 3 

Tulpehocken,  Upper 3 

31 


TELEGRAPH. 

In  1844  the  telegraph  was  successfully  in- 
troduced for  the  transmission  of  messages  by 
electricity.  The  first  message  was  sent  through 
a  wire  elevated  on  poles,  between  Washington 
and  Baltimore,  May  27,  1844.  Congress  had 
in  March  previously  appropriated  thirty  thou- 
sand dollars  to  Prof.  Morse  for  the  purpose  of 
enabling  him  to  make  experiments  with  his 
instrument  to  demonstrate  the  practicability  of 
his  invention. 

Philadelphia,  Reading  and  Pottsville 
Telegraph  Company. — A  company  was  incor- 
porated under  the  name  of  Philadelphia,  Reading 
and  Pottsville  Telegraph  Company,  by  an  act 
passed  March  1 5, 1 847,  for  the  purpose  of  making, 
using  and  maintaining  telegraph  lines  between 
Philadelphia,  Reading  and  Pottsville,  and  the 
following  commissioners  were  appointed  to 
eifect  an  organization  of  the  company : 

From  Philadelphia. — John  Tucker,  Peter  Bosquet 
and  Morris  S.  Wickersham. 

From  Reading. — G.  A.  Nicolls,  Isaac  Hiester,  H. 
H.  Muhlenberg,  Samuel  Bell,  M.  S.  Richards,  John  S. 
Richards,  William  Strong,  Joseph  L.  Stichter  and  R. 
W.  Packer. 

The  company  was  duly  organized  in  April, 
1847,  and  the  telegraph  line  was  successfully  es- 
tablished shortly  afterward.  Communication  was 
completed  between  Philadelphia  and  Reading 
May  10,  1847,  and  the  first  message  then  for- 
warded to  Reading  related  to  the  Mexican  War. 
This   line  has  been    maintained   since.      The 


length  of  the  main  line  from  Philadelphia  to 
Pottsville  is  one  hundred  and  one  miles ;  the 
length  of  the  main  lines  in  Pennsylvania  is 
873£  miles,  and  the  total  length  of  wire  is 
3086 J  miles.  In  1884  it  had  392  stations, 
800  instruments  in  use,  and  689  persons  em- 
ployed in  operating  and  maintaining  the  line ; 
and  it  forwarded  during  that  year  381,454 
messages.  The  total  cost  of  the  line  and  its 
equipment  is  $254,059.48. 

Upon  the  construction  and  operation  of  the 
several  other  railroads  running  from  Reading, 
telegraph  lines  were  extended  to  the  several 
places— Harrisburg,  Allentown,  Columbia,  Lan- 
caster, etc. 

Western  Union.— The  American  Tele- 
graph Company  introduced  a  line  of  telegraph 
here  in  1863,  and,  in  1865,  the  Western  Union 
Telegraph  Company.  These  two  then  formed 
a  union ;  and  the  lines  have  been  operated  since 
under  the  latter  name.  In  1879  this  company 
and  the  Philadelphia,  Reading  and  Pottsville 
Telegraph  Company  effected  an  arrangement 
for  co-operation ;  since  which  time  they  have 
operated  their  lines  here  together. 

Lehigh. — The  Lehigh  Telegraph  Company 
was  organized  in  Allentown,  and  opened  an 
office  at  Reading  in  September,  1880.  It 
formed  a  connection  with  the  principal  cities 
in  the  United  States  through  the  American 
Union  Telegraph  Company.  This  connection 
was  continued  for  a  year  and  a  half,  and  then 
changed  to  the  "  Mutual  Union  "  for  an  equal 
period.  It  was  operated  under  this  name  till 
January,  1884,  when  its  lines,  etc.,  were  trans- 
ferred to  the  Bankers'  and  Merchants'  Telegraph 
Company.  This  company  is  now  operating  the 
wires  under  the  name  of -the  United  Lines  Tel- 
egraph Company,  by  which  it  is  known  through- 
out the  country. 

TELEPHONE. 

The  telephone  was  introduced  in  Reading  by 
Henry  W.  Spang,  in  October,  1879.  He  or- 
ganized a  system  of  communication  in  the  city 
and  carried  it  on  successfully  till  November,  1880, 
when  he  formed  a  stock  company  for  the  purpose 
of  erecting  and  maintaining  telephone  lines  and 
exchanges  in  Berks,  Montgomery,  Schuylkill 
and  Lebanon  Counties,  under  the  name  of  East 


474 


HISTOKY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Pennsylvania  Telephone  Company.  The  stock 
subscribers  were  Henry  W.  Spang,  Mrs.  Mary 
Spang,  Isaac  Y.  Spang,  Daniel  Spang,  C.  Hol- 
ton,  F.  S.  Jacobs  and  H.  D.  Van  Horn.  This 
company  extended  the  system — making  connec- 
tion with  Pottstown,  Pottsville  and  Lebanon — 
set  up  an  increased  number  of  instruments,  and 
operated  it  successfully  till  January  1,  1883, 
when  the  entire  business,  including  wires  and 
instruments,  was  transferred  to  the  Pennsylvania 
Telephone  Company,  a  similar  organization, 
which  had  extended  its  wire  to  Lebanon  from 
Harrisburg.  This  latter  company  has  conduct- 
ed the  business  since  1883.  It  has  now  in  use 
and  successful  operation  seven  hundred  and 
nine  miles  of  wire  and  six  hundred  instruments, 
of  which  five  hundred  are  in  Reading  and  one 
hundred  in  the  country  districts. 

The  first  telephone  company  in  the  State  was 
organized  at  Philadelphia,  November  14,  1878. 
The  introduction  of  this  improvement  has  been 
of  great  convenience  and  advantage  to  the  busi- 
ness men  of  this  community.  The  telegraph 
was  a  wonderful  step  in  advance  of  the  postal 
and  express  deliveries,  which  had  been  the  com- 
mon means  of  communication  carried  on 
through  the  agency  of  steam ;  but  the  telephone 
was  a  marvelous  step  in  advance  of  even  the 
telegraph — for  instead  of  writing,  forwarding 
and  reading  messages  and  letters,  which  required 
both  labor  and  time,  communication  was  facili- 
tated and  business  men  were  enabled  to  speak 
with  each  other  directly,  as  it  were,  face  to  face, 
without  any  loss  of  time.  It  is  like  the  great 
agent,  electricity,  upon  which  it  is  based — the 
embodiment  of  dispatch. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

Election  Districts — Political  Sentiment  of  Counly Promi- 
nent Eepresentative  Men — Offices  by  Special  Legislation 
— Political  Parties — Political  Festivals— State  Conven- 
tions and  Mass-Meetings  at  Reading — List  of  Officials 

Biographical  Sketches. 

Election  Districts.— Provision  was  made 


by  William  Penn,  in  the  laws  agreed  upon  in 
England  on  April  25,  1682,  in  reference  to  the 
government  of  the  province  of  Pennsylvania, 
for  free  and  voluntary  elections.  The  right  of 
election  was  given  to  every  freeman  of  the 
province.  A  freeman  was  defined  to  be  "  every 
inhabitant  that  is  or  shall  be  a  purchaser  of  one 
hundred  acres  of  land  or  upward;  and  every 
person  who  shall  have  paid  his  passage  and 
taken  up  one  hundred  acres  of  land  at  one 
penny  an  acre,  and  have  cultivated  ten  acres 
thereof ;  and  every  person  that  hath  been  a  ser- 
vant or  bondsman  and  is  free  by  his  service  that 
shall  have  taken  up  fifty  acres  of  land  and  cul- 
tivated twenty  thereof;  and  every  inhabitant, 
artificer,  or  other  resident  that  pays  scot  or  lot 
to  the  government." 

At  that  time  the  territory  comprising  Berks 
County  was  occupied  by  Indians  alone.  Not  a 
single  white  man  had  settled  upon  it.  This  is 
strange.  And  only  two  hundred  years  ago  ! 
There  was  no  need  for  election  laws,  nor  for  dis- 
tricts to  facilitate  elections  and  their  returns. 
Within  one  hundred  years  afterward,  many 
permanent  settlers  had  entered  the  territory. 
The  necessity  of  government  in  all  its  forms 
had  become  apparent.  Townships  had  been 
organized  and  the  county  had  become  erected 
with  all  its  offices.  Independence  had  been  de- 
clared ;  and  government  "  of  the  people,  for  the 
people,  and  by  the  people  "  had  been  established. 
And  elections  of  various  local  officers  had  been 
made.  But  no  special  records  have  been  trans- 
mitted to  enable  us  to  understand  how  and  with 
what  results  they  were  conducted.  The  elections 
for  county  officials  were  held  at  Reading  from 
the  beginning  of  the  county  in  1752  till  1789, 
when  the  county  was  divided  into  election 
districts. 

In  1785  the  county  comprised  one  election 
district;  and  all  elections  were  directed  to  be 
held  at  the  court-house,  in  the  county-town, 
Reading.  No  additional  returns  could  be 
found,  excepting  those  hereafter  mentioned  for 
1788. 

In  1789  the  county  was  divided  into  five 
election  districts,  and  the  electors  of  the  several 
townships  in  the  respective  districts  were  re- 
quired to  vote  at  the  places  named  : 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


475 


Reading  (1st  District,  at  the  court-house). 

Reading.  Exeter. 

Alsace.  Heidelberg. 

Bern.  Maiden-creek. 

Brecknock.  Oley. 

Caernarvon.  Robeson. 

Cumru.  Ruscomb-manor. 

Kutztown  (2d  District,  at  public-house  of  Philip  Gehr). 
Greenwich.  JIaxatawny. 

Hereford.  Richmond. 

Longswamp.  Rockland. 

Hamburg    (3d    District,    at    public-house    of  John 
Moyer). 
Albany.  Brunswick. 

Bern,  Upper.  Windsor. 

Tulpehocken  (4th  District,  at  public-house  of  Godfrey 
Roehrer). 
Bethel.  Tulpehocken. 

Pinegrove. 

Amity  (5th  District,  at  public-house  of  William  Wit- 
man — called  "White  Horse  "). 
Amity.  Earl. 

Colebrookdale.  Union. 

Douglass. 

There  were  then  twenty-nine  townships  and 
one  borough — Reading.  The  electors  of  twelve 
divisions  voted  at  Reading.  In  the  perform- 
ance of  this  political  duty  many  of  them  came 
a  distance  of  fifteen  miles.  But  this  was  an 
improvement  on  what  had  been  required  four 
years  before — those  living  in  the  townships 
farthest  removed  from  Reading  having  been 
required  to  travel  from  twenty-five  to  thirty 
miles. 

Subsequently,  for  a  period  of  three-score  years, 
till  1851,  additional  districts  were  erected  to 
facilitate  the  elections.  And  afterward  four 
boroughs  were  incorporated  and  the  wards  of 
Reading  multiplied.  As  a  matter  of  historical 
interest,  they  are  here  presented  in  the  order  of 
priority : 

Forest,  1791,  at  public-house  of  Isaac  Bonsall,  in 
Robeson,  comprisingCaernarvon,  Robeson  and  Union. 

Muthart's,  1794,  at  public-house  of  Joseph  Muthart, 
in  Colebrookdale,  comprising  Colebrookdale  District, 
Earl  and  Hereford. 

Womelsdorf,  1797,  at  public-house  of  Conrad  Stouch, 
Womelsdorf,  comprising  Bethel,  Tulpehocken  and 
that  part  of  Heidelberg  northwest  of  Hain's  Church. 

Pinegrove,  1797,  at  public-house  of  Jacob  Gunckel, 
in  Pinegrove. 

Marquart's,    1798,   at  the  public-house    of  Philip 


Marquart,  in  Robeson,  comprising  Brecknock,  Caer- 
narvon, Robeson  and  part  of  Union.  Not  used  in 
table;  vote  included  in  district  Forest. 

Orwigsburg,  1798,  at  public-house  of  John  Ham- 
mer, comprising  Brunswick  and  Manheim. 

Crntt's,  1799,  at  public-house  of  Michael  Croll,  in 
Greenwich,  comprising  Albany  and  Greenwich. 

Mahantango,  1802,  at  public-house  of  Michael 
Artz. 

Bethel,  1803,  at  public-house  of  Michael  Miller. 

Tulpehocken,  1809,  at  public-house  of  Henry  Horsh. 

Hereford,  1811,  at  public-house  of  George  Hooff, 
called  at  times  "  Hooff's." 

Keely's,  1812,  at  public-house  of  Henry  Keely,  in-, 
Douglass,  comprising  parts  of  Amity,  Colebrookdale, 
Douglass  and  Earl ;  discontinued  after  1820. 

Shartle's,  1812,  at  public-house  of  George  Shartle, 
in  Bern,  Upper,  comprising  parts  of  Tulpehocken, 
Upper,  and  Bern,  Upper  (now  Shartlesville). 

Oley,  1814,  at  public-house  of  Jacob  Kemp  (now 
about  a  mile  south  of  Friedensburg,  on  the  road  to 
Yellow  House). 

Ruscomb-manor,  1815,  at  public-house  of  Jonathan 
Price,  Pricetown. 

Rockland,  1816,  at  public-house  of  Andrew  Shiffert 
(now  at  New  Jerusalem). 

Pike,  1816,  at  public-house  of  Daniel  Oyster. 

Maiden-creek,  1817,  at  public-house  of  Catherine 
Gift. 

Longswamp,  1817,  at  public-house  of  Peter  Trexler. 

Earl,  1817,  at  public-house  of  Jacob  Pennepacker. 

Reading,  1817,  divided  into  two  wards,  North  and 
South,  Penn  Street  the  dividing  line. 

Caernarvon,  1818,  at  public-house  of  Thomas  L. 
Jones,  Morgantown. 

District,  1818,  at  public-house  of  John  Weller. 

Albany,  1819,  at  public-house  of  Jacob  Foossel- 
man. 

Perry,  1821,  at  public-house  of  John  Binkley. 

Bern,  Upper,  1822,  at  public-house  of  Benjamin 
Haas. 

Amity,  1822,  at  public-house  of  John  Potts,  Jr. 

Richmond,  1823,  at  public-house  of  Thomas  Dumm. 

Douglass,  1824,  at  public-house  of  Daniel  Pile. 

Colebrookdale,  1827,  at  public-house  of  Henry  Rit- 
ter. 

Greenwich,  1827,  substituted  for  Croll's  in  1829. 

Union,  1829,  at  public-house  of  David  Sterrett. 

Tulpehocken,  Upper,  1829,  at  public-house  of  Chris- 
tian Long. 

Bernville,  1829,  at  public-house  of  Philip  Filbert. 

Robeson,  1829,  at  public-house  of  Anna  Beard. 

Brecknock,  1829,  at  public-house  of  John  Ziemer. 

Hamburg,  1830,  incorporated  a  borough  and  taken 
from  Windsor. 

Windsor,  1830,  at  public-house  of  John  Bailey, 
Hamburg. 

Heidelberg,  Lower,  1834,  at  public-house  of  Henry 
Binkley. 


476 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Heidelberg,  1839,  at  public-house  of  Michael  Selt- 
zer, Womelsdorf. 

Exeter,  1839,  at  public-house  of  Daniel  Boyer  (now 
at  Stonersville). 

Alsace,  1840,  at  public-house  of  Jacob  Bernhart. 

Bern,  1840,  at  public-house  of  Jacob  Ebbling. 

Curnru,  1840,  at  public-house  of  Michael  Nunne- 
macher,  in  Reading. 

Washington,  1840,  at  public-house  of  Joseph  Baugh- 
man. 

Reading,  1840,  divided  into  four  wards,  Sixth  and 
Penn  Streets  the  dividing  lines :  Northeast  Ward,  at 
northeast  corner  Seventh  and  Penn  Streets,  at  pub- 
lic-house of  John  Miller;  Northwest  Ward,  on  Fifth 
Street,  between  Washington  and  Walnut  Streets,  east 
aide,  midway,  at  public-house  of  John  L.  Reifsnyder; 
Southeast  Ward,  at  southeast  corner  Eighth  and  Penn 
Streets,  at  public-house  of  William  Rapp  ;  South- 
west Ward,  at  southwest  corner  Fourth  and  Penn 
Streets,  at  public-house  of  George  Gernant.  (Pre- 
viously the  elections  were  held  at  the  court-house,  at 
the  intersection  of  Fifth  and  Penn  Streets.) 

Maxatawny,  1841.  Kutztown  voted  separately  from 
this  time  on.  It  was  incorporated  a  borough  in  1815. 
The  two  districts  voted  together  till  the  election  of 
1838. 

Penn,  1842,  at  public-house  of  Daniel  Potteiger. 

Centre,  1843,  at  public-house  of  Elizabeth  Kauff- 
man. 

Marion,  1843,  at  public-house  of  Edward  H.  Becker, 
Stouchsburg. 

Beading,  1844.  Spruce  Ward,  erected  out  of  that 
part  of  Reading  lying  between  Schuylkill  Biver, 
Philadelphia  and  Reading  Bailroad  and  Spruce 
Street,  at  public-house  of  George  Goodhart,  between 
Fourth  and  Fifth  Streets,  below  Laurel. 

Heidelberg,  North,  1845,  at  public-house  of  John 
Kalbach. 

Perry,  1849,  at  public-house  of  Jacob  Boyer. 

Muhlenberg,  1850,  at  public-house  of  Gabriel  Geh- 
ret. 

Ontelaunee,  1850,  at  public-house  of  George  W. 
Althouse  (now  in  Leesport). 

Spring,  1850,  at  public-house  of  Jacob  Hoffman, 
Sinking  Spring. 

Jefferson,  1851,  at  public-house  of  Samuel  Knoll. 

Boyertmon,  1866,  at  public-house  of  Jacob  Grant. 

Birdsboro',  1872,  at  public  school-house. 

Fleetwood,  1873,  at  public-house  of  Percival  Brum- 
bach. 

Topton,  1877,  at  public-house  of  Josiah  Fisher. 

Centreport,  [private  house.] 

Beading,  1864,  was  divided  into  nine  wards.  In 
1876  the  Tenth  Ward  was  erected  out  of  the  Second, 
and  the  Eleventh  Ward  out  of  the  Ninth;  and  in 
1885,  the  Eleventh  Ward  was  divided  into  three 
wards. 

The  election  districts  in  the  county  now  com- 


prise thirteen  wards,  nine  boroughs  and  forty- 
one  townships, — altogether  sixty-three  in  num- 
.ber. 

Political  Sentiment  op  County. — The 
earliest  published  vote  which  I  could  find  was  for 
Representative  to  Congress  in  1788,  of  the  fol- 
lowing seven  counties : 


Federal  Representatives 

Anti-Federal  Representatives.. 


i 

u 

» 

E2 

.a 

■a, 

1 

tf 

Is 

S 

3J 

s 

s 

o 

H 

W 

6 

« 

M 

a 

187 

682 

901 

121 

771 

3R7 

460 

259 

211 

486 

320 

300 

2686 
1316 


This  table  would  seem  to  be  comparatively 
insignificant.  Yet  it  is  worthy  of  serious  study. 
A  comparison  of  this  vote  with  the  vote  of  the 
counties  for  a  period  covering  nearly  one  hun- 
dred years  will  reveal  a  political  sentiment 
almost  unchanged  throughout  the  whole  period, 
especially  that  which  relates  to  Berks  on  the  one 
side,  and  Chester  and  Lancaster  on  the  other. 
The  Anti-Federal  party,  in  1788,  comprised 
what  is  now  the  Democratic  party — the  party 
generally  representing  confederation  and  State 
rights  as  contradistinguished  from  national 
rights ;  and  the  Federal  party  comprised  what 
is  now  the  Republican  party — the  party  repre- 
senting national  rights  and  indivisible  unity. 

.  Vote  foe  Governor. — Since  1788  the  peo- 
ple of  the  county  manifested  a  most  remarkable 
adherence  to  the  Democratic  party  and  the 
principles  which  it  advocated,  chief  among 
which  was  the  principle  of  local  self-govern- 
ment. In  the  return  of  1802  the  Democratic 
vote  was  eight  times  that  of  the  Federal.  After- 
ward this  proportion  was  at  no  time  surpassed, 
not  even  equaled.  And  the  vote  was  regularly 
for  the  Democratic  candidate,  excepting  upon 
two  occasions,  in  1817  and  1820,  when  the 
people  of  the  county  manifested  their  respect  for 
a  distinguished  son  of  one  of  the  first  families 
of  the  county,  though  on  the  opposing  ticket,  as 
they  theretofore  had,  and  thereafter  have,  done 
for  party.  These  occasions  were  when  the  Hon. 
Joseph  Hiester  was  a  candidate  on  the  Federal 
ticket  for  Governor.  He  had  distinguished  him- 
self in  political  affairs  of  and  for  the  county 
through  a  period   of  forty   years.     And  Berks 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


477 


County  did  not  stand  alone  in  honoring  him. 
Of  the  eleven  counties  in  the  southeastern  sec- 
tion of  the  State,  he  had  eight  in  1817.  This 
important  section  of  the  State  gave  him  a  ma- 
jority of  seven  thousand  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
one,  though  the  State  was  against  him  by  a 
majority  of  seven  thousand  and  five.  And  in 
1820  he  had  nine  of  the  eleven  counties,  with  a 
majority  of  eight  thousand  one  hundred  and 
ninety-four,  and  in  the  State  a  majority  of  one 
thousand  six  hundred  and  five.  In  this  con- 
nection, the  vote  of  Hiester  for  Congress,  as 
against  Daniel  Clymer,  in  1 798,  can  be  referred 
to  in  order  to  show  Hiester's  popularity.  The 
vote  was  more  than  four  to  one  in  his  favor. 
All  the  districts  in  the  county  except  one  gave 
him  large  majorities.  The  exception  was  the 
"  Forest "  District,  this  having  been  influenced 
by  the  Clymer  family,  resident  in  Caernarvon 
township,  in  this  district,  for  Daniel  Clymer, 
the  opposing  candidate. 

Even  through  the  excitement  incident  to  the 
Civil  War,  1861-65,  the  county  continued  De- 
mocratic by  large  majorities.  But  the  city  of 
Reading  was  otherwise.  It  had  been  theretofore 
generally  Democratic.  At  the  election  previous 
to  1860,  it  had  been  almost  three  to  one ;  but 
in  1860,  1863  and  1866  it  was  Republican. 
Then  in  1869  it  was,  and  since  has  been,  Dem- 
ocratic. This  is  remarkable  too.  It  has  been 
generally  said  that  a  manufacturing  community 
is  Republican  in  sentiment,  through  manufac- 
tures and  protective  tariff.  But  this  is  not  the 
case  with  Reading. 

Vote  foe  President. — In  1828  the  vote 
for  Jackson  in  Berks  was  five  to  one  against 
Adams.  Then  it  was  that  the  county  distin- 
guished itself  in  voting  for  Jackson.  It  would 
seem  that  the  people  here,  as  the  people  had 
elsewhere,  felt  keenly  the  outrage  perpetrated 
upon  them  by  the  House  of  Representatives, 
in  not  having  respected  the  will  of  the  majority 
by  the  selection  of  the  candidate  for  President 
whose  electors  had  received  the  greatest  num- 
ber of  votes.  The  idea  of  self-government  was 
again  uppermost  in  their  minds,  and  this  idea 
they  felt  it  their  duty  to  express  by  ballot  in  a 
most  unequivocal  manner.  The  vote  of  Read- 
ing was  in  about  the  same  proportion.     And  at 


Jackson's  re-election,  in  1832,  the  result  of  the 
vote,  both  in  the  county  and  city,  was  for  him 
in  the  proportion  of  about  four  to  one. 

The  vote  in  the  county  for  President  from 
1828  to  1880  was  always  Democratic  by  a  large 
majority.  And  the  city  of  Reading  was  also 
Democratic  by  a  considerable  majority  till  1860. 
Then  a  decided  change  took  place  through  the 
great  upheaval  in  political  affairs.  Lincoln  was 
given  a  majority  of  more  than  five  hundred 
over  Breckenridge,  and  of  more  than  three  hun- 
dred over  all,  Douglass  and  Bell  included.  And 
this  Republican  feeling  in  the  city  prevailed  till 
the  re-election  of  Grant,  when,  remarkable  to 
say,  a  majority  of  1207  was  given  for  him. 
Afterward  a  change  took  place  for  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  which  has  prevailed  since. 

In  1828  the  vote  of  the  county  was  about 
nine  per  cent,  of  the  vote  of  the  eleven  counties, 
and  only  three  and  seven-tenths  per  cent,  of  the 
State  ;  in  1860  it  was  nearly  the  same  ;  and  in 
1880  it  was  seven  and  three-tenths  per  cent,  of 
the  eleven  counties,  and  only  three  per  cent,  of 
the  State. 

In  1828  the  vote  of  the  eleven  counties  was 
forty-one  and  four-tenths  per  cent,  of  the  vote 
of  the  State;  in  1860  it  was  forty  per  cent,  and 
in  1880  it  was  forty-two  per  cent. 

The  county,  in  the  total  vote,  compared  with 
the  State,  lost  seven-tenths  of  one  per  cent,  in 
fifty  years,  and  the  eleven  counties  gained  six- 
tenths  of  one  per  cent.  This  is  certainly  main- 
taining to  a  remarkable  degree  public  political 
interests,  notwithstanding  the  increase  of  the 
vote  from  152,500  to  852,132,  or  over  five 
times  the  number.  In  1880  the  number  of 
taxables  in  the  whole  State  was  1,112,422. 
Hence  nearly  seventy-seven  per  cent.,  or  over 
three-fourths  of  the  electors  in  the  State,  ex- 
ercised their  right  of  political  suffrage. 

The  taxables  of  the  county,  of  the  eleven 
counties  and  of  the  State,  for  two  certain 
periods,  1836  and  1880,  are  compared  with  the 
number  of  votes  polled,  in  order  to  show  the 
relative  proportion  of  the  taxables   who  voted. 

1836.  Per 

T'xables  Vote.     Cent. 

Berks  County 11,740  6,550     56 

Eleven  Counties 119,588  73,607     61 

State 309,421  178,586     57 


478 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


1830. 

T'xables 

Vote. 

Per 

Cent. 

Berks  County 

30,438 

424,445 

1,112,422 

26,181 
358,117 
«52,132 

86 

Eleven  Counties 

84 

77 

By  this  statement  it  would  appear  that  a 
small  number  over  half  of  the  taxables  in  the 
county  voted  in  1836,  and  over  four-fifths  in 
1880  ;  showing  that  in  forty-four  years  the  pro- 
portion had  increased  thirty  per  cent.,  or  nearly 
one-third.  In  the  eleven  counties  the  increase 
was  twenty-three  per  cent.,  and  in  the  State 
twenty  per  cent.  The  county  is  therefore  in 
advance  of  the  average  interest  in  political  af- 
fairs. 

In  reference  to  the  party  vote  in  the  county, 
the  Democratic  vote  compared  with  the  oppo- 
sition was  as  follows  :  In  1828  it  was  five  times 
the  number;  in  1832,  four  times;  in  1836, 
three  times ;  from  1840  to  1884  the  average 
was  a  little  less  than  double.  In  1856  Buchanan 
had  a  majority  of  6903  ;  but  in  1860  Brecken- 
ridge  had  only  1581.  In  1880  Hancock  had  a 
majority  of  7731. 

The  majority  of  the  Democratic  party  in  the 
county  at  each  Presidential  election  from  1828 
to  1884  was  as  follows : 

Democratic  Majority  in  County. 

1852-Democratic 9503 

Whig 4913 

4590 

1856-Democratic.  .11,272 
American  and 
Republican.,4,319 

6,953 

1860-Democratic 8,846 

Rep.  and  Opp.  7,265 

1,581 

1864-Democratic. .  .12,929 
Republican 6,197 

6,732 

1868-Democratic.  .13,973 
Republican 7,917 

6,056 


1828-Democratic... 

Nat.  Repub 937 

3726 

1832-Democratic 4472 

Nat.  Repub 1150 

3322 

1836-Democratic 4967 

Whig 1583 

3384 

1 840-Democratic 7425 

Whig 3582 


1844-Democratic 8675 

Whig 4001 

4674 

1848-Democratic 9485 

Whig 5082 

4403 


1872-Democratic. .10,201 
Republican 7,741 

2,460 

1876-Democratic... 15,611 

Republican 8,020 


1 880-Democratic. ..  16,956 
Republican 9,225 

7,731 

1884-Democratic... 16,484 
Republican 9,587 


7,591  6,897 

Vote  foe  Constitutional  Amendments. 
— On  the  question  of  amending  the  State  Con- 
stitution the  tables  are  interesting.  In  1825 
all  of  the  eleven  counties  excepting  one,  Le- 
high, were  against  a  convention,  with  a  total 
vote  of  three  to  one.  In  1835  all  were  against 
it  nearly  two  to  one.  But  the  State  was  carried 
for  it.  In  1838,  on  the  question  of  ratifying  the 
work  of  the  convention,  Berks  and.  Bucks 
voted  for  the  amendments,  but  the  other  nine 
counties  against  them,  the  total  majority  in  this 
section  of  the  State-  against  them  having  been 
nearly  seventeen  thousand.  But  the  State 
adopted  them  by  a  majority  less  than  twelve 
hundred  in  a  total  vote  of  226,730. 

In  1850,  on  the  question  of  making  the 
judges  of  both  Supreme  and  County  Courts 
elective,  Berks  and  six  others  of  the  eleven 
counties  were  for  it  by  a  large  majority ;  and 
the  State  was  for  it  by  a  vote  of  two  to  one. 

'In  1871  the  question  of  a  convention  was 
again  submitted  to  the  people  of  the  State.  Of 
the  eleven  counties,  Berks  was  the. only  county 
against  it,  with  the  remarkable  vote  of  two  to 
one.  But  the  eleven  counties  were  altogether 
for  it,  three  to  one  ;  and  the  State  almost  five  to 
one.  On  the  ratification  of  the  work  of  the 
convention,  by  adopting  the  new  Constitution 
recommended,  Berks  County  at  the  special 
election  in  1873  was  decidedly  for  it— five  to 
one.  The  eleven  counties  combined  and  the 
State  were  also  for  it,  more  than  two  to  one. 
Dauphin  and  Lebanon  were  against  it. 

Vote  fob  Prohibition  and  License.— 
The  liquor  question  was  submitted  to  the  people 
twice— first  in  1854,  then  in  1873.  On  both 
occasions  Berks  County  was  decidedly  for  it- 
first  by  a  vote  of  four  to  one,  and  afterward  by 
a  vote  of  three  to  one.  And  Lehigh  was  at  first 
more  decidedly  for  it,  by  a  vote  of  six  to  one, 
and  afterward  nearly  three  to  one.  Chester  and 
Delaware   were  against  it   at  both    elections. 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


479 


Philadelphia,  in  1854,  was  against  it  about  five 
to  four ;  but  in  twenty  years  public  opinion 
had  changed  so  much  as  to  be  for  license 
two  to  one. 

Prominent  Representative  Men. — Be- 
fore 1820  it  would  seem  that  the  major  part  of 
the  voters  of  the  county  did  not  show  so  strong 
a  partisan  spirit  in  reference  to  the  election  of 
their  representatives  to  Congress  as  they  did 
afterward.  Joseph  Hiester  was  apparently  a 
very  popular  man  with  his  constituents.  He 
maintained  their  confidence  and  political  sup- 
port through  a  period  embracing  thirty  years, 
notwithstanding  his  identification  with  the  Fed- 
eral party  and  also  the  publication  of  certain 
letters  in  local  newspapers  reflecting  against 
him.  And  he  was  eminently  worthy  of  this 
confidence  and  support.  He  succeeded  in  ac- 
complishing what  no  other  man  in  the  history 
of  the  county  has  been  able  to  do ;  for,  besides 
securing  his  repeated  election  to  Congress  on 
the  ticket  of  the  minority  party,  he  even  influ- 
enced the  suffrage  of  the  Democrats  in  the 
county  in  his  own  behalf  against  their  own 
regular  nominee  for  Governor  to  such  an  extent 
as  to  be  elevated  to  the  highest  executive  office 
of  the  State.  The  people  not  only  honored 
him,  but  he  also  honored  the  people.  He  was 
an  exceptional  man.  In  the  three-score  of 
years  which  have  elapsed  since  his  retirement 
from  political  life  we  have  not  had  his  equal. 
And  yet  the  people  have  not  been  inspired  to 
signalize  his  nativity,  his  successful  business 
career  and  his  political  prominence  by  the 
erection  of  a  monument,  or  even  by  the  naming 
of  a  township  after  him,  though  many  town- 
ships were  erected  within  twenty  years  after 
his  decease  in  1832.  When  Bern  township  was 
sub-divided,  one  of  the  sub-divisions  could 
have  been  named  after  him  with  undoubted 
propriety.  The  indifference  of  the  people  of 
the  county  in  this  matter  is  to  a  great  degree 
expressive  of  their  simple  and  unostentatious 
life;  but  it  is  inexcusable — not  so  much  in  re- 
spect to  the  person  of  Governor  Heister  as  to 
his  enterprising,  representative  and  truly  patri- 
otic character. 

During  the  period  from  1829  to  1844  Eev. 
Henry  A.  Muhlenberg — the  son-in-law  of  Gov- 


ernor Joseph  Heister — was  the  most  prominent 
political  representative  in  the  county.  By  a  re- 
election to  Congress  for  five  consecutive  terms 
he  evinced  much  popularity.  In  1835  he  re- 
ceived the  nomination  of  the  Democratic  party 
for  Governor ;  but  he  was  not  elected,  owing  to 
the  action  of  an  independent  element  in  the 
party,  which  was  led  by  Governor  Wolf,  the 
incumbent  then  in  the  executive  office  and  con- 
cluding his  second  term.  At  that  time  the 
Anti-Masonic  party  was  strong  in  the  State, 
and,  through  the  division  of  the  Democratic 
party,  it  was  enabled  to  elect  its  candidate, 
Joseph  Ritner.  Muhlenberg  polled  the  largest 
vote  of  the  three  candidates  in  the  county  ;  but 
by  the  vote  polled  for  Wolf  there  would  seem 
to  have  been  a  considerable  opposition  to  him. 
In  the  entire  State,  Wolf  had  a  larger  vote  than 
Muhlenberg.  Several  years  afterward,  Presi- 
dent Van  Buren  appointed  Muhlenberg  to  be 
the  first  minister  to  Austria,  and,  in  accepting 
this  distinguished  appointment,  he  resigned  his 
seat  in  Congress.  This  was  the  first  honor 
conferred  by  a  President  of  the  United  States 
upon  the  county  of  Berks,  and  the  people 
appreciated  it  highly.  In  1844  Muhlenberg 
again  became  the  regular  nominee  for  Gov- 
ernor on  the  Democratic  ticket,  but  he  died 
before  the  election.  Francis  R.  Shunk  was 
nominated  in  his  stead  and  elected  by  a  small 
majority.  It  is  possible  that  Muhlenberg  would 
have  been  elected  if  he  had  lived.  The  op- 
position to  him  in  the  county  had,  however, 
not  yet  subsided.  There  was  a  great  difference 
between  Heister  and  Muhlenberg ;  the  former 
was  a  Federalist  in  a  Democratic  county,  suc- 
cessful in  winning  and  holding  a  strong  politi- 
cal support  for  himself,  and  he  was  a  stanch 
advocate  of  a  protective  tariff,  of  the  free  school 
system  and  of  the  United  States  Bank  (of  which 
it  is  probable  that  he  was  one  of  the  original 
subscribers  of  stock) ;  but  the  latter  was  a  Dem- 
ocrat, and  as  such  he  was  opposed  to  the  meas- 
ures mentioned. 

Twenty  years  after  Muhlenberg's  time  in 
Congress,  the  first  considerable  dissatisfaction 
arose  in  the  Democratic  party  in  the  county, 
and  this  resulted  in  the  defeat  of  Hon.  J. 
Glancy  Jones,   who  was  the  regular  nominee. 


480 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Jones  had  been  the  representative  to  Congress 
from  this  district  since  1851,  and,  whilst  serv- 
ing his  fourth  term,  he,  in  1858,  announced 
himself  as  a  candidate  for  re-election.  At  that 
time  there  was  a  great  political  change  working 
its  way  amfongst  the  people  throughout  the 
State — gradually,  if  not  rapidly — and,  to  a  cer- 
tain extent,  this  change  was  manifesting  itself 
in  Berks  County.  It  was  induced,  principally, 
by  the  action  of  the  Buchanan  administration 
on  the  Kansas  question.  Jones  was  intimately 
associated  with  the  administration,  having  been 
chairman  of  the  committee  on  ways  and  means, 
— the  most  prominent  committee  in  the  House  of 
Representatives, — and,  when  the  feeling  was  de- 
veloping itself  against  President  Buchanan,  the 
leader  of  this  opposition  naturally  endeavored 
to  extend  this  feeling  into  Berks  County,  so 
as  to  operate  against  Jones,  one  of  his  ablest 
supporters.  And  in  this  movement  they  were 
successful.  Jones  had  made  the  nomination  be- 
fore the  county  convention  almost  by  acclama- 
tion, this  having  been  effected,  principally,  by 
a  thorough  party  organization.  But  immedi- 
ately afterward,  certain  influential  Democrats  in 
the  county  developed  sufficient  feeling  against 
him  to  be  able  to  call  a  convention  together  and 
express  a  decided  opposition  to  his  re-election. 
The  principal  ground  upon  which  they  based 
their  opposition  was  his  unsatisfactory  course 
on  the  subject  of  the  tariff.  In  his  movements 
with  Buchanan's  administration  he  had,  more 
or  less,  committed  himself  against  this  import- 
ant measure,  which  was  thought  to  be  inti- 
mately connected  with  the  increasing  prosperity 
of  the  county,  through  manufactures.  The  in- 
dependent Democrats,  therefore,  nominated 
John  Schwartz,  a  prominent  iron-master, — a 
man  of  large  ability  and  experience,  and  a 
highly-respected  survivor  of  the  War  of 
1812-15, — and  the  Republicans  united  in  sup- 
porting him.  This  union  caused  the  defeat  of 
Mr.  Jones  by  a  very  small  majority ;  and  it 
was  the  first  real  defeat  which  the  Democrats 
had  met  with  in  the  history  of  the  party  in  the 
county,  especially  since  the  thorough  organiza- 
tion of  the  party  under  President  Jackson. 
The  county  was  thoroughly  Democratic,  for,  at 
the  previous  Presidential  election,  in  1856,  the 


Democrats  had  a  majority  of  nearly  seven  thou- 
sand, and  at  the  previous  gubernatorial  election, 
in  1857,.  they  had  a  majority  of  nearly  six 
thousand.  The  independent  candidate  and  his 
friends  had  won  a  great  victory,  which  had 
caused  general  rejoicing  amongst  them  and  also 
amongst  the  Republicans,  to  whose  united 
support  his  election  was  directly  attributable. 
The  defeat  of  Jones  was  to  President  Buchanan 
a  great  surprise,  if  not  a  great  disappointment, 
for  Berks  County  had  been  so  largely  Demo- 
cratic that  it  was  counted  upon  for  a  Democratic 
representative,  and  this  defeat  was  a  loss  to  the 
national  administration.  Jones  was  recognized 
as  an  able  and  experienced  leader  in  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  His  ability  and  experience  had 
won  a  considerable  prominence  in  national  poli- 
tics, and  also  the  confidence  and  friendship  of 
the  President.  And  his  services  were  appreci- 
ated by  the  President,  if  not  by  his  constitu- 
ents. Immediately  after  hearing  of  his  defeat, 
the  President  appointed  him  to  the  Austrian 
mission.  This  honorable  appointment  he  ac- 
cepted, and,  therefore,  he  resigned  his  seat  in 
Congress. 

Mr.  Jones  represented  the  national  govern- 
ment at  Vienna  for  over  two  years  with  dis- 
tinction, and  then  returned  home.  His  return 
was  equivalent  to  retirement  from  politics,  for 
in  the  mean  time  a  new  combination  had  taken 
possession  of  the  county  political  affairs,  which 
elevated,  and  continued  to  elevate,  new  men 
to  Congress  from  this  district ;  and  the  Repub- 
lican party  had  obtained  control  of  the  national 
administration,  which  it  continued  to  hold  for 
twenty-four  years.  In  this  long  period  our 
several  representatives  in  Congress,  on  account 
of  their  opposition  to  the  national  administra- 
tion naturally  did  not,  and  could  not,  com- 
mand any  political  influence,  much  less  political 
prominence. 

The, /political  activity  in  the  campaign  ot 
1858  was  not  permitted  to  subside  with  the  de- 
feat of  Jones,  for,  during  the  congratulations  of 
his  opponents,  he  resigned,  and  his  resignation 
caused  a  vacancy  which  the  voters  were  called 
upon  to  fill.  The  Democrats  nominated  Joel 
B.  Wanner,  Esq.,  who,  two  years  before,  had 
served  as  mayor  of  Reading  for  one  term  ;  and 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


481 


the  Republicans  nominated  General  William  H. 
Keim,  a  man  highly  respected  for  his  ability 
and  business  qualifications,  and  very  popular 
throughout  the  county  in  military  affairs.  The 
election  was  advertised  to  be  held  on  Novem- 
ber 30,  1858.  The  Democrats  were  despond- 
ent and  without  assurance,  not  having  recov- 
ered from  the  shock  of  their  defeat,  and  General 
Keim  was  elected.  The  vote  polled  was  small, 
especially  for  the  Democratic  candidate,  and 
showed  much  indifference  on  the  part  of  the 
people. 

Previously,  on  two  occasions,  in  respect  to 
county  offices,  a  similar  result  occurred.  In 
1846  David  Yoder,  a  prominent  and  influential 
farmer  in  Oley,  and  a  descendant  of  one  of  the 
first  families  in  that  township,  was  elected,  as  a 
Whig,  to  the  office  of  county  commissioner,  be- 
cause the  nominee  on  the  Democratic  ticket  was 
alleged  to  have  been  an  Irishman,  a  class  of 
individuals  not  particularly  appreciated  by  the 
German  element  in  the  county.  And  in 
1853  Charles  Van  Reed,  who  was  also  a  prom- 
inent and  influential  farmer  and  a  paper  manu- 
facturer in  Lower  Heidelberg  township,  and  a 
descendant  of  one  of  the  old  and  well-estab- 
lished families  in  the  county,  was  elected,  as  a 
Whig,  to  the  office  of  county  treasurer.  The 
nominee  on  the  Democratic  ticket  was  Adam 
Leize,  who  had  held  this  office  for  one  term, — 
1849  to  1851.  The  incumbent,  during  the 
election,  was  William  Ermentrout,  whose  son 
was  married  to  Leize's  daughter.  Many  Demo- 
crats thought  that  one  family  was  obtaining  too 
much  in  respect  to  one  office,  and,  therefore, 
they  opposed  the  election  of  Leize,  notwith- 
standing that  he  had  succeeded  in  making  the 
nomination.  Between  1789  and  1820  Daniel 
Messersmith  and  John  K.  Messersmith  con- 
tinued to  hold  this  office,  alternately,  for  a 
period  covering  thirty  years  ;  David  Bright  held 
it  for  twelve  years,  from  1823  to  1835;  and 
Peter  Nagle  for  eight  years,  from  1835  to  1843. 
This  office  was  then  filled  by  appointment,  but 
in  1841  an  act  was  passed  making  it  elective. 

In  1841   Hon.  John  Banks  (then  president 

judge  of  Berks  County)  was  the  nominee  of 

the    Whig  party  for  Governor,  but  he    was 

far  from  an  election.     The  Democratic  party 

48 


was  at  that  time  under  thorough  organization, 
and  Governor  Porter  was  elected  by  a  largely-in- 
creased majority  in  the  county. as  well  as  in  the 
State.  Subsequently,  in  1847,  whilst  the 
Whigs  were  in  the  majority  in  the  State  Legis- 
lature, Judge  Banks  was  elected,  by  the  united 
support  of  all  the  Whigs,  to  the  office  of  State 
treasurer  for  one  year. 

Between  1850  and  1860  there  were  two 
prominent  representatives  from  Berks  County 
in  the  State  Legislature.  William  M.  Hiester 
was  in  the  Senate  from  1853  to  1855,  and 
served  during  the  latter  year  as  Speaker  ;  and 
J.  Lawrence  Getz  was  in  the  House  for  two 
years  (1856  and  1857),  having  served  in  that 
body  during  the  latter  year  as  Speaker.  Mr. 
Getz  subsequently  (from  1867  to  1873)  served 
three  terms  in  Congress  from  this  district. 

Hon.  Hiester  Clymer  occupied  political 
prominence  in  the  county  for  twenty  years,  from 
1861  to  1881.  He  was  in  the  State  Senate 
from  the  senatorial  district  from  1861  to  1866. 
In  1866  he  received  the  nomination  for  Gov- 
ernor on  the  Democratic  ticket,  but  he  was  not 
elected.  The  city  of  Reading  was  then  Repub- 
lican in  political  sentiment  by  a  small  majority ; 
and  the  nominee  on  the  Republican  ticket, 
General  John  W.  Geary,  received  the  full  party 
vote,  notwithstanding  Reading  was  the  home 
of  Mr.  Clymer.  This  would  indicate  the 
through  organization  of  the  Republican  party. 
And  Mr.  Clymer  was  the  Representative  in  Con- 
gress from  1873  to  1881.  Hon.  Daniel  Ermen- 
trout succeeded  Mr.  Clymer  in  political  promi- 
nence— he  having  been  State  Senator  from  this 
district  for  three  terms,  from  1874  to  1880, 
and  since  1881  in  Congress. 

In  looking  over  the  "  Political  Hand-Book 
of  Berks  County,"  it  would  appear  that  a  num- 
ber of  representative  men  were  on  the  way  to 
prominence,  but  fell  short  of  it.  We  cannot 
fail  to  observe  in  the  last  thirty  years  there 
were  many  men  in  the  representative  offices 
from  this  county,  and  that  if  the  county  in  tin's 
time  has  not  produced  men  of  wide  political 
influence,  such  as  the  people  have  a  right  to 
expect  from  so  rich  and  populous  a  county,  the 
secret  of  its  failure  in  this  respect  lies  in  the 
frequent  change   of  its  representatives.      The 


482 


HISTOKY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


policy,  or  rather  the  custom,  of  allowing  men 
to  drop  into  office  and  be  forced  out  of  it,  espe- 
cially of  a  representative  character  by  accidental 
combinations,  should  not  be  tolerated.  The 
time  has  come  when  the  community  at  large 
should  select  representative  men  recognized  for 
fitness  and  then  retain  them  as  long  as  possible. 
This  would  not  only  destroy  the  common  ambi- 
tion in  so  many  men  who  are  continually  seek- 
ing after  offices  for  which  they  have  limited 
qualifications,  but  it  would  increase  the  useful- 
ness of  those  who  are  elevated  to  representative 
positions. 

Offices  by  Special  Legislation. — The 
general  political  history  of  our  county  is  similar 
to  that  of  the  surrounding  counties, — in  fact,  of 
the  whole  State,  in  respect  to  its  general  gov- 
ernment. Legislation  created  territorial  divi- 
sions, and  provided  offices  of  various  kinds  for 
them  in  order  to  facilitate  the  regulation  of 
local  affairs,  and  the  representation  of  the 
people  in  the  legislative  bodies  of  the  State  and 
nation.  And  these  offices  have  been  filled 
either  by  election  or  by  appointment  from  the 
beginning  of  our  political  existence  as  a  county 
till  now.  A  sameness  extends  throughout  the 
whole  period.  Comparatively  little  special 
legislation  has  been  done  for  our  county  in  the 
way  of  creating  particular  political  positions. 
Four  acts  of  the  General  Assembly  are  worth  v 
of  mention  :  One  passed  in  1824,  relative  to  the 
management  of  poor  affairs  ;  another  in  1848, 
relative  to  the  management  of  prison  affairs  ; 
a  third  in  1869,  relative  to  the  election  of  an 
additional  law  judge;  and  a  fourth  in  1883, 
for  the  election  of  an  Orphans'  Court  judge. 

A  marked  change  was  introduced  bv  the 
Constitution  of  1873,  enabling  the  minority 
party  to  elect  officials.  In  Berks  County  this 
applied  to  county  commissioners  and  county 
auditors.  Theretofore  these  officials  in  the 
county  were  almost  entirely  Democrats  since 
their  election  in  1841. 

The  first  Eepublican  commissioner  and  au- 
ditor under  this  provision  were  elected  in  1875. 
And  An  1873  the  act  of  1848  creating  the 
board  of  prison  inspectors  was  so  amended  as 
to  enable  .the  minority  party  to  elect  three  out 
of  sine,  inspectors  or  annually  one  out  of  three. 


The  act  of  1824,  relating  to  the  poor  directors, 
which  provides  for  the  annual  election  of  a 
director  for  three  years,  has  not  yet  been  amended 
to  meet  the  spirit  of  the  times  and  of  the  State 
Constitution.  In  1867,  when  jury  commis- 
sioners were  authorized  to  be  elected,  provi- 
sion was  made  that  each  elector  should  vote  for 
one  person  for  this  office,  and  the  two  persons 
having  the  highest  vote  should  be  the  commis- 
sioners. This  provision  enabled  the  minority 
party  in  the  county  to  elect  one  commissioner. 
Accordingly,  the  Republicans  have  elected  a 
jury  commissioner  since  1867. 

Political  Parties. — From  the  beginning 
of  the  county  there  have  been  two  parties 
in  political  affairs.  This  was  both  natural  and 
necessary.  Before  the  Revolution  agitation 
of  political  questions  was  not  general  or  contin- 
uous. The  elective  franchise  was  a  recognized 
privilege,  but  it  was  not  particularly  encouraged 
by  the  creation  of  convenient  or  numerous 
polls  to  enable  electors  to  express  political  pre- 
ferences. Local  offices  for  the  townships  and 
the  town  were  filled  by  election,  but  county 
officials  were  appointed,  and  this  feature  con- 
tinued in  respect  to  the  major  part  of  them  till 
1841,  when  an  act  of  Assembly  was  passed 
which  provided  for  a  general  change  to  election. 
Berks  County  comprised  only  one  general  elec- 
tion district,  with  the  court-house  at  Reading 
as  the  polls.  In  1789  the  districts  began  to  in- 
crease, and  they  have  increased  gradually,  to 
satisfy  the  demands  and  encourage  the  facilities 
for  election,  till  they  now  number  sixty-three. 

During  the  Revolution  the  people  formed 
themselves  into  two  parties,  especially  those 
who  manifested  any  concern  in  the  government 
which  was  to  prevail  over  them.  The  one 
class,  favoring  a  continuance  of  the  royal  gov- 
ernment, was  called  "Tories;"  and  the  other, 
favoring  a  free,  representative  government, 
«  Federals,"  or  "  Whigs."  The  distinction  was 
marked,  and  fortunately  for  the  people  of  the 
county,  as  of  the  State  and  the  great  confedera- 
tion of  States,  the  latter  party  won  a  decisive 
victory.  Upon  the  establishment  of  freedom 
new  parties  arose.  These  proceeded  from  the 
Whigs,  and  were  recognized  either  as  the  Gov- 
ernment Whigs,  or  Federals  who  desired  a  Re- 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


483 


publican  form  of  government,  with  checks  upon 
the  impulses  or  passions  of  the  people,  and 
with  liberty  duly  regulated,  but  strengthened 
and  confirmed  by  central  authority,  or  as  the 
Particularist  Whigs,  or  Anti-Federals,  who 
desired  the  same  form  of  government,  but 
Democratic  in  spirit,  with  the  rights  of  local 
self-government,  and  of  States  ever  uppermost. 

In  a  certain  sense  the  latter  took  the  place  of 
the  "  Tories,"  and  were  called  "  Republicans." 
They  were  the  dominant  party  in  Berks  County 
then  and  they  have  continued  to  be  till  now. 
A  singular  change — if  not  a  transformation — 
in  respect  to  party  names,  arose  afterward.  As 
early  as  1793  the  Anti-Federal  party  was  called 
the  Democratic-Republican  party  ;  but  the  word 
"  Republican  "  was  dropped  in  1805,  and  the 
name  Democratic  alone  used.  Thence  the  Fed- 
erals or  Whigs  (or  Republicans)  have  been  on 
the  one  side  and  the  Democrats  on  the  other, 
the  latter  party  keeping  its  identity  for  four- 
score years. 

For  a  time — about  twenty-five  years,  from 
1830  to  1855— the  Anti-Mason  party  for  ten 
years,  and  the  Whig  for  fifteen  years,  were  sub- 
stituted in  the  place  of  the  Republican  party. 

The  Declaration  of  Independence  was  pub- 
lished on  the  4th  day  of  July,  1776.  Since 
the  Revolution,  that  day  has  been  regarded  as 
the  nation's  birthday,  and  it  has  been  made  a 
holiday  by  the  several  State  governments.  An- 
nually for  about  eighty  years,  the  several  parties 
of  each  community  celebrated  this  great  holiday 
by  assembling  at  certain  popular  places  and 
drinking  toasts,  making  addresses  and  enjoying 
themselves  generally.  At  Reading  the  political 
parties  celebrated  the  day  regularly  in  this  man- 
ner. The  Federalists  and  the  Whigs  assembled 
on  the  island1  in  the  Schuylkill  River,  several 
hundred  feet  above  the  ferry,  at  the  foot  of  Binga- 
man  Street,  and  the  Democrats  at  the  Mineral 
Spring  in  Rose  Valley,  then  to  the  east  of,  now 
within,  the  limits  of  Reading.  When  the  Civil 
War  broke  out  this  custom  was  discontinued, 
and  it  has  not  been  revived  since. 

The  people  of  Reading  have  from  the  be- 

'  From  this  circumstance  the  island  took  the  name  of 
"Independence  Island." 


ginning  of  its  history  taken  an  active  interest 
in  political  matters.  By  political  organiza- 
tions they  have  invited  and  encouraged  co- 
operation for  the  development  of  party  strength. 
Since  the  Civil  War  more  energy  has  been 
shown  through  numerous  minor  associations, 
commonly  called  "  Ward  Clubs."  Two  associa- 
tions of  this  class  have  come  to  be  prominent  in 
the  political  affairs  of  Reading  :  the  "  Americas 
Club  "  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  the  "  Union 
League  "  of  the  Republican  party.  All  of  them 
were  especially  organized  for  the  purpose  of 
considering  the  ways  and  means  by  which  to 
direct  public  attention  to  the  one  or  the  other 
party  in  the  struggle  for  political  supremacy. 
This  is  the  great  object  which  is  ever  standing 
out  prominently  before  them.  Political  ques- 
tions are  rather  overshadowed,  if  not  over- 
looked— they  being  not  of  the  first  importance, 
but  the  last.  Clubs  are  not  so  much  for  dis- 
cussion as  for  organization  to  develop  party 
strength.  Discussion  is  carried  on  mostly  by 
the  leaders  of  the  respective  parties,  and  clubs 
gather  in  followers.  The  real,  earnest  political 
thinking  in  each  party  is  done  and  published 
by  comparatively  few  individuals.  The  great 
proportion  of  voters  adopt  opinions  and  senti- 
ments more  by  the  influence  of  associations  and 
circumstances  than  by  investigation  and  reflec- 
tion ;  and  many  of  them  are  induced  to  act  for 
or  against  a  party  from  selfish  purposes.  In- 
dependence in  political  thought  and  action  is 
still  comparatively  limited.  The  political  re- 
turns of  the  county  indicate  this  condition. 
The  majorities  are  generally  the  same,  especially 
at  prominent  elections  when  the  vote  is  more 
numerously  polled.  The  general  education  of 
the  people  has  not  yet  reached  that  standard 
which  conduces  to  political  liberality  and  to  the 
selection  of  the  fittest  men  for  representative 
positions  without  regard  for  party  affiliations. 

POLITICAL    FESTIVALS. 

Hiestee  Festival,  1820. — In  1817  the 
Hon.  Joseph  Hiester,  of  Reading,  was  nom- 
inated as  the  Federal  candidate  for  the  office  of 
Governor  of  Pennsylvania  against  Hon.  Wil- 
liam Findlay  as  the  Democratic  candidate;  but 
he  was  defeated    by  a  majority  of  7005.     In 


484 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


1820  the  same  candidates  were  on  the  respec- 
tive tickets  and  Hiester  was  elected  by  a  small 
majority — 1605.  The  success  of  this  election 
contest,  by  which  the  most  distinguished  citizen 
of  Berks  County  was  chosen  to  be  the  chief 
executive  officer  of  Pennsylvania,  was  an  event 
which  could  not  be  permitted  to  pass  away  in 
the  annals  of  our  local  affairs  without  signaliz- 
ing it  by  an  impressive  public  demonstration. 
Hiester,  whilst  a  young  man,  had  distinguished 
himself  by  his  pure  and  earnest  patriotism  dur- 
ing the  Revolution ;  and  he  had  afterward  filled 
with  honor  to  himself  and  his  constituency  of 
Berks  County,  various  political  offices,  especially 
the  office  of  national  Representative  for  nearly 
eighteen  years.  He  was  concluding  his  ninth 
term  when  he  was  elected  to  be  Governor  of 
the  State, — resigning  his  seat  in  Congress  soon 
after  his  election.  His  fellow-citizens  had  there- 
fore come  to  regard  hi  m  with  more  than  ordi 
nary  feelings  of  respect  and  honor,  and  they 
could,  indeed,  rejoice  over  his  elevation  to  be  the 
chief  ruler  of  the  commonwealth.  And  what 
means  could  they  have  selected  more  adapted  to 
display  their  satisfaction  and  joy  than  a  feast  at 
which  they  could  eat,  drink  and  be  merry? 
Accordingly,  in  honor  of  this  event,  pursuant 
to  public  invitation,  a  grand  festival  took  place 
on  "Wednesday,  November  1,  1820,  on  the 
"  Commons  "  near  by  the  "  arched  spring,"  east 
of  the  borough.  People  assembled  from  every 
part  of  the  county.  Many  distinguished  poli- 
ticians came  from  Philadelphia  and  counties 
adjoining  Berks  to  participate  in  the  feast. 
Over  four  thousand  persons  united  in  the 
demonstration.  A  procession  was  first  formed 
by  the  committee  of  arrangements  on  Penn 
Square,  about  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  in 
the  following  order : 

1st.  The  butchers  of  the  borough,  dressed  in  white 
frocks,  with  blue  sashes,  armed  with  the  different 
emblems  of  their  profession,  fancifully  decorated,  and 
mounted  upon  white  steeds. 

2d.  Captain  High's  squadron  of  Dragoons,  well- 
mounted,  in  complete  uniform. 

3d.  The  citizens  formed  in  double-file. 

4th.  Captain  Getz's  company  of  Guards  in  new 
and  elegant  uniform. 

The  centre  of  the  procession  was  occupied  by  a  full 
band  of  colored  musicians  engaged  from  Philadelphia 


expressly  for  the  occasion,  clothed  in  green  military 
suits,  richly  ornamented  with  silver  lace. 

After  an  ovation  to  the  "Governor-elect" 
and  an  address  of  thanks  by  him,  the  procession 
marched,  in  the  order  named,  up  Penn  Street 
to  the  "Commons,"  arriving  there  about  noon. 
An  area — comprising  several  acres — was  sur- 
rounded by  a  barrier,  with  a  large  platform 
arranged  on  the  eastern  side,  upon  which  were 
placed  the  articles  for  the  feast.  Two  fine,  fat 
bullocks  on  spits,  and  a  bear  and  a  hog  on  grid- 
irons, were  roasted  entire.  The  four  skins  were 
stuffed  and  mounted  on  cars.  The  area  was  oc- 
cupied by  the  committee  of  arrangements, 
High's  Dragoons,  Getz's  Guards  and  the  band, 
and  "thousands  of  spectators,  whose  orderly 
deportment  cannot  be  too  strongly  commend- 
ed." 

The  butchers  commenced  carving  the  roasted 
animals  about  two  o'clock.  The  first  slice  of 
each  animal  was  taken  to  the  residence  of  General 
Hiester  by  two  butchers,  who  were  escorted  by 
a  detachment  of  the  Guards.  And  the  carving 
was  continued  till  all  were  satisfied. 

After  the  feasting  was  concluded,  a  meeting 
was  formed  with  the  following  officers  : 

President,  Peter  Nagle;  Vice-Presidents, 
George  de  B.  Keim,  Jacob  K.  Boyer,  Samuel 
Baird,  Daniel  Graeff. 

Twenty  toasts,  expressive  of  patriotic  and 
complimentary  sentiments,  were  read  and  re- 
ceived with  great  applause.  A  unanimous  de- 
sire was  expressed  "  to  see  the  Revolutionary 
veteran ;"  and  accordingly  he  was  escorted  to 
the  meeting  from  his  residence  by  a  committee 
specially  delegated  for  the  purpose.  His  ar- 
rival caused  "  indescribable  effusions  of  joy." 
"  Merit  must  be  great  when  it  calls  forth  the 
voluntary  honors  of  a  free  and  enlightened 
people.  But  the  attention  shown  on  this  occa- 
sion was  not  merely  honorary;  it  was  the 
tribute  of  gratitude  to  a  man  who  aided,  at  the 
risk  of  his  life,  his  health  and  his  fortunes,  to 
render  his  country  happy  and  free." 

At  four  o'clock  the  procession  was  re-formed ; 
with  "the  Governor-elect,  supported  by  two 
citizens,  it  paraded  through  the  principal 
streets  of  the  borough  and  halted  opposite  his 
residence,"  where  the  whole  company    was  dis- 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


485 


missed  in  the  most  perfect  harmony  and  good 
order. 

In  the  evening,  the  celebration  was  con- 
tinued by  a  "torch-light procession."  A  trans- 
parent temple  was  carried  by  four  men  through 
the  principal  streets  of  the  borough,  preceded 
and  succeeded  by  a  train  of  citizens  who  held 
lio-hted  candles  in  their  hands.  The  sides  of 
this  temple  were  illustrated  :  the  front  presented 
a  likeness  of  Washington,  the  rear  the  arms  of 
the  United  States  and  the  right  and  left  sides 
well-executed  likenesses  of  General  Hiester. 

A  similar  festival,  to  celebrate  the  same 
event,  was  held  at  Orwigsburg,  in  Schuylkill 
County,  on  November  10,  1820.  The  morning 
of  that  day  was  ushered  in  by  the  firing  of  can- 
non and  the  ringing  of  bells.  A  meeting  was 
first  organized  in  the  court-house,  and  ad- 
dressed by  James  B.  Hubley,  Esq.,1  the  chair- 
man, with  appropriate  remarks.  Then  the 
people  formed  into  line  and  proceeded,  under 
the  leadership  of  three  marshals,  assisted  by  a 
band  of  music,  to  "  Mount  Monroe."  As  they 
marched,  bells  rang  and  cannon  boomed.  There 
a  fine  ox  and  deer  were  roasted,  and  a  large 
number  of  persons,  seated  at  tables  specially 
arranged,  participated  in  a  great  feast.  At  a 
meeting,  afterward  formed,  at  which  Mr.  Hub- 
ley  presided,  thirteen  toasts  were  offered  and 
drank.  On  the  same  day  a  festival  was  also 
held  at  Kutztown.  Twenty-five  toasts  were 
offered  and  drank  at  a  large  organized  meet- 
ing. 

Harrison  Festival.— 1840— The  Presi- 
dential campaign"  of  1840  was  conducted 
with  great  enthusiasm,  and  it  developed  much 
political  excitement  throughout  the  country. 
Grand  processions  were  witnessed  in  every  com- 
munity. The  voters  of  Reading  and  the  sur- 
rounding districts  in  the  county  of  Berks 
caught  the  feeling,  especially  on  the  side  of  the 
Whigs.  One  of  the  processions  wasdistinguish- 
ed  for  its  log  cabin  and  living  raccoons.  The 
election  resulted  in  a  victory  for  the  Whigs,  an 
event  which  elicited  from  them  particular  de- 
monstrations of  joy.     It  was  their  first  victory, 


and  they  felt  great  pride  in  it.  The  vote  con- 
trasted was  as  follows  : 

]  836.                             Beading.  Berks  Co.  State  of  Pa. 

Van  Buren  (Democrat) 1412  4967        91,475 

Harrison  (Whig) 394  1583        81,111 


1018 


3384 


10.364 


1  Mr.  Hubley  was  a   prominent  attorney,    formerly   of 
Reading. 


1840.  Beading.    Berks  Co.    State  of  Pa. 

Van  Buren  (Democrat)  836        7425        143,676 

Harrison  (Whig) 614        3582        144,019 

222         3843  343 

Their  majority  was  small,  but  enough  forthem. 
What  could  they  do  upon  such  an  occasion  but  de- 
monstrate their  feelings  as  their  party,  under  the 
name  of  "  Federals,"  had  done  twenty  years  be- 
fore. The  leaders  therefore  decided  to  signalize 
their  triumph  by  a  "  Grand  Ox-Eoast,"  on  the 
"  Commons,"  on  Wednesday,  December  9, 
1840,  and  issued  a  public  notice  that  "  an  ox 
will  be  roasted  whole  and  plenty  of  hard  cider 
will  be  provided."  The  day  was  accordingly 
celebrated  under  the  direction  of  an  organized 
meeting,  with  prominent  men  in  respect  to 
business,  politics  and  military  as  its  officers. 
General  William  Addams  was  president  of  the 
meeting.  Thirteen  toasts  were  announced,  and 
appropriate  responses  were  made.  Many  per- 
sons participated  in  the  feast. 

Tilden   Festival  of   1876.— The   Presi- 
dential campaign  of  1876   was  full  of  enthu- 
siasm from  the  beginning  to  the  end.     Samuel 
J.  Tilden.  of  New  York,  was  the  Democratic 
candidate,  and  Rutherford  B.  Hayes,  of  Ohio, 
the  Republican.     The  Democrats  throughout 
the  entire  country  were  very  hopeful  of  success 
with  so  distinguished  a  candidate  as  Mr.  Til- 
den, and  they  therefore  carried  on  the  political 
contest  with   all    the  energy   that  they   could 
command.     The  leaders  of  the  party  in  Berks 
County  were  particularly  active.     Towards  the 
close  of  the  campaign  they  made  arrangements 
for  a  "  buffalo  roast "  in  order  to  enable  their 
party  the  more  thoroughly  to  demonstrate  their 
feelings  in  a  public  manner,  and  selected  a  day 
for   that  purpose.      The  previous  festivals  in 
1820  and  1840  were  held  after  the  election,  but 
this  was  to  be  held  before  the  election.     The 
announcement  was  made,  giving  the  public  to 
know  that  "  the  Democratic  citizens  of  Berks 
and  adjoining  counties  will  have  a 


486 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


GRAND  ROAST  OF  TWO  BUFFALOES. 

lately  captured  on  the  western  plains,  and  a 

Jubilee  Parade 

in  honor  of  their  candidates  for  President  and  Vice- 
President,   and  the  gallant  freemen  of  the 
West,  at  the  Fair  Grounds.City  of  Read- 
ing, on  Thursday,  October  26, 1876, 
and  also  an 

Old-Fashioned  Democratic  Procession, 

in  which  soldiers  and  sailors,  farmers  and   me- 
chanics and  all  good  citizens,  with  their  wives 
and  daughters,  were  respectfully  invited 
to  participate." 

The  day  arrived  and  the  programme  was 
carried  out  very  successfully.  In  the  morning 
many  delegations  came  to  Eeading  from  all 
parts  of  the  county,  and  by  eleven  o'clock  the 
"Jubilee  Parade"  was  formed,  when  it  was 
marched  over  a  long  route.  Besides  the  usual 
demonstrations  in  a  procession  of  this  character, 
there  was  an  "elephant  in  boots,"  veritably 
walking  in  the  parade,  hired  from  Forepaugh, 
(the  showman)  for  the  occasion.  The  symbol 
of  the  Reading  Times,  in  signalizing  a  political 
victory  on  the  morning  after  an  election,  for 
many  years,  was  the  "  elephant  in  boots"  at  the 
head  of  its  columns;  but  the  Democrats  desired 
to  show  by  a  living  cartoon  that  they  had 
taken  its  elephant  captive,  and  were  going  to 
carry  it  along  in  their  triumphant  march.  This 
conception  created  much  amusement  throughout 
the  entire  route.  It  was  the  centre  of  attraction. 
On  the  way  the  e'ephant  kicked  off  one  of  his 
Democratic  boots  just  as  if  he  were  walking  in 
doubtful  company  and  on  a  doubtful  platform, 
and  were  desirous  of  freeing  himself.  The 
procession  was  nearly  an  hour  in  passing  a 
point,  and  ended  in  the  "  Fair-Ground,"  where 
the  feast  on  roasted  buffalo  was  enjoyed  by 
many  hundreds  of  persons.  Speeches  were 
made  by  prominent  men  from  different  parts  of 
the  country.  The  most  distinguished  guest 
upon  this  unusual  occasion  was  Gen.  George  B. 
McClellan,  whose  presence  elicited  great  ap- 
plause wherever  he  went. 

Election  of  1876.— The  Democrats  in 
Berks  County  were  certain  of  victory.  Calcu- 
lations for  it  had  been  made.  They  were 
taught  to  expect  it,  and  when  the  night  of  the 


election  arrived  they  looked  for  it.     But  the 
news  was  doubtful.     They  had  counted  upon  a 
"  Solid  South,"  and  also  certain  Northern  States. 
Their  leader  had  calculated  with  great  shrewd- 
ness, but  neither  he  nor  any  of  his  followers 
had  thought  the  loss  of  three  Southern  States 
within  the  range  of  possibility.      And  this  re- 
!  suit  actually  occurred.      Late  on  election  day, 
Chandler,    the  chairman    of   the    Republican 
National  Committee,  announced'  that  Hayes  had 
one  hundred   and  eighty-five    electoral   votes, 
and  would  be  the  next  President.      This  came 
to  be  exactly  so.     But  during  the  four  inter- 
vening months  great  excitement  prevailed,  and 
fears  of  a  political  revolution  were  entertained. 
At  Reading  excited  crowds  of  people  assembled 
for  many  nights  in  succession,   to  hear  the  re- 
turns which  were   reflected  upon  screens — the 
Times  screen  having  been  set  up  against  the 
Jameson    building,  on  the   Sixth  Street    side, 
above  the  portico,  so  as  to  show  the  figures 
|  down    Penn  Square,   and  the  Eagle  screen  in 
front  of  the  Eagle  building.     Some  of  the  car- 
toons thrown  on  the  Times  screen  were  striking 
and  afforded  much  merriment,  in  relieving  the 
monotony  of  election  returns.      The  elephant 
figured  conspicuonsly  in   them  ;  at  one  time  he 
came  out  with  a  rooster  in  his  trunk  lashing  it 
around  wildly  in  the  air,  then  with  a  rooster 
tied   to  his  tail  running   away  with    it;  now 
jumping  for  joy  at  a  favorable  report,  then 
lying  on  bis  back  as  if  dead  from  a  Democratic 
victory,  with  a  rooster  crowing  lustily  over  his 
fallen  body  ;  Jeff  Davis  was  represented  as  sit- 
ting up  in  a  sour  apple  tree,  and  different  prom- 
inent Democrats  were  drawn  in  various  laugh- 
able positions ;  and  numerous  short  witticisms 
appeared  frequently.      Altogether  the  exhibi- 
tion   awakened    a    thrilling    interest    in    the 
people. 

Democratic  State  Conventions  at 
Reading. — Three  Democratic  State  Conven- 
tions were  held  at  Reading  at  which  candidates 
for  Governor  were  nominated:  the  first  on  June 
4,  1851,  when  William  Bigler  was  nominated 
by  acclamation;  the  second  on  February  29, 
1860,  when  Henry  D.  Foster  was  nominated ; 
and  the  third  on  May  30,  1872,  when  Charles 
R.  Buckalew  was  nominated.     At  the  second 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


487 


convention,  Hon.  George  M.  Keim,  of  Reading, 
was  selected  as  an  elector-at-large. 

Mass-Meetings. — Numerous  "  Mass-Meet- 
ings" have  been  held  at  Reading  by  the  respec- 
tive political  parties  for  many  years  past.  The 
earliest  meeting,  of  which  any  extended  notice 
was  given,  was  held  by  the  Democratic  party  on 
September  4,  1852,  for  the  purpose  of  ratifying 
with  enthusiasm  the  nomination  of  Franklin 
Pierce  as  the  Democratic  candidate  for  Presi- 
dent. Philadelphia  sent  a  delegation  of  fifteen 
hundred  men,  accompanied  by  three  fine  bands 
of  music,  the  German  Ma?nnerchor  and  the 
Granite  Glee  Club,  and  large  delegations  were 
in  attendance  from  Dauphin,  Lebanon,  Lancaster, 
Chester,  Bucks,  Montgomery,  Lehigh,  Schuylkill 
and  other  counties,  whilst  from  the  hills  and 
valleys  of  Berks  County  came  hundreds  of  her 
indomitable  Democracy  to  swell  the  assembled 
multitude.  Conspicuous  among  the  latter  were 
the  North  Heidelberg  delegation  in  large  hay- 
wagons  and  vehicles  of  every  description,  the 
Boyertown  Pierce  Club  in  carriages  with  flags, 
banners  and  wreaths  of  flowers,  and  the  Kutz- 
town  Pierce  Club  in  carriages,  with  flags  and 
music.  It  was  the  largest  meeting  ever  held  at 
Reading  till  that  time  and  it  included  the  larg- 
est number  of  great  political  leaders  which  the 
citizens  had  ever  seen  together  here.  A  platform 
was  erected  at  the  upper  end  of  the  Western 
Market-House  and  around  it  the  crowd  assem- 
bled and  heard  the  speeches  of  such  distin- 
guished men  as  Hon.  James  Buchanan,  Hon. 
Stephen  Douglass,  Gov.  Enoch  Lowe  (Mary- 
land), Gov.  "William  Bigler  (Pennsylvania), 
Hon.  Barnabas  Bates  (New  York),  Hon.  Chas. 
J.  Faulkner  (Virginia),  Hon.  B.  F.  Ballett 
(Massachusetts),  Chief  Justice  Le  Grand  (Mary- 
land), Hon.  John  A.  Wilcox  (Mississippi),  Hon. 
John  H.  Savage  (Tennessee)  and  others.  Ad- 
dresses were  made  from  noon  till  midnight.  Mr. 
Buchanan  was  chairman  of  the  meeting  during 
the  afternoon,  and  he,  in  the  course  of  his  open- 
ing remarks,  complimented  Berks  County  for 
"  her  undeviating  patriotism  and  entire  devotion 
to  Democratic  principles."  .  .  .  The  meet- 
ing was  harmonious  and  enthusiastic  throughout, 
and  in  all  the  speeches  "  there  was  a  concord 
of  sentiment  upon  the  great  questions  of  the 


day,  which  exhibited  in  a  proud  light  the  power 
and  nationality  of  Democratic  principles,  and 
the  completeness  of  that  union  in  the  ranks  of 
the  American  Democracy,  which  is  the  never- 
failing  precursor  of  glorious  victory." l 

In  the  State  election  for  Governor,  in  1851, 
the  county  gave  Bigler  (Democrat)  a  majority 
of  4765  over  Johnston  (Whig),  and  the  State 
only  8465.  In  the  national  election  following 
this  "mass-meeting"  the  county  gave  Pierce 
(Democrat)  a  majority  of  4590  over  Scott 
(Whig)  and  the  State  19,386. 

Ritner  Young  Men's  Convention. — The 
young  men  of  Pennsylvania,  who  were  favor- 
able to  the  election  of  Joseph  Ritner  for  Gover- 
nor, held  a  convention  at  Reading  on  June  4-5, 
1838.  Seventeen  hundred  delegates  assembled 
from  all  parts  of  the  State.  Their  meeting  was 
held  in  the  Trinity  Lutheran  Church,  and  it 
was  distinguished  for  earnest  enthusiasm.  Ap- 
propriate addresses  were  made  and  resolutions 
passed.  George  G.  Barclay,  Esq.  (a  young  and 
able  attorney  of  Reading),  officiated  as  tempo- 
rary chairman.  The  meeting  was  the  largest  of 
a  representative  character  ever  held  at  Reading 
till  that  time.  It  was  conducted  with  ability 
and  occasioned  much  excitement.  But  it  did 
not  increase  the  strength  of  the  Anti-Masonic 
party  in  this  section  of  the  State.  It  was  the 
first  and  only  political  convention  ever  assem- 
bled in  a  church  building  in  Reading.  Permis- 
sion was  granted  by  the  church  vestry  because 
there  was  no  large  hall  in  the  borough  then, 
and  the  Trinity  Church  was  the  only  place  in 
which  so  large  a  body  of  men  could  assemble 
with  convenience. 

Whig  Mass-Meeting  of  1844. — The  Presi- 
dential campaign  of  1844  M'as  particularly  ex- 
citing. Henry  Clay  was  the  Whig  candidate 
for  President  and  James  K.  Polk  the  Demo- 
cratic candidate.  The  former  enjoyed  a  very 
high  degree  of  popularity  throughout  the 
county,  and  his  friends  conducted  a  very  active 
campaign  in  his  behalf.  The  State  of  Pennsyl- 
vania exhibited  much  enthusiasm  for  him  dur- 
ing the  canvass,  for  he  was  a  great  favorite  in 
every   section   of  the   State,   especially  where 

1  Reading  Gazette  and  Democrat,  11th  September,  1852.    ■ 


488 


HISTOEY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


manufactures  were  carried  on.  Reading  was  then 
a  growing  centre  for  industries  of  various  kinds, 
and  the  Whigs  here  idolized  him  for  his  earnest 
labors  in  the  cause  of  protection  to  home  indus- 
try. They  held  a  mass-meeting  at  Reading  on 
September  27,  1844.  Over  five  thousand  per- 
sons were  in  attendance,  delegations  having 
come  from  different  sections  of  the  surrounding 
country.  The  day  was  specially  noted  for  a 
large  procession,  in  which  the  various  trades 
and  employments  were  represented.  Miniature 
shops  and  factories  were  hauled  about  the  town 
and  successfully  operated.  And  the  living  rac- 
coon again  figured  conspicuously  in  the  proces- 
sion, as  it  had  in  the  previous  campaign.  The 
singing  of  campaign  songs  added  interest  to 
this  occasion,  just  as  it  had  been  practiced  four 
years  before,  when  there  was  one  universal  shout 
for  "  Old  Tippecanoe  and  Tyler  too."  The 
chief  marshal  of  this  notable  procession  was 
Hon.  Samuel  Bell.  After  the  parade  a  large 
meeting  was  organized  on  the  Bell  farm,  in 
Cumru  township,  not  far  from  the  bridge,  with 
David  F.  Gordon,  Esq.  (then  an  attorney  at 
Reading,  afterward  president  judge  of  Berks 
County),  as  chairman.  The  principal  speaker  was 
Hon.  John  Mc.  P.  Berrien,  United  States  Senator 
from  Georgia,  formerly  Attorney-General  of 
President  Jackson.  Notwithstanding  this  great 
effort  by  the  Whigs,  they  could  not  weaken  the 
devotion  of  the  Democrats  in  the  county  or 
lessen  their  majority. 

The  polk-berry  was  brought  into  great  prom- 
inence by  the  Democrats ;  and  during  this 
campaign  the  Democrats  also  held  a  large  mass- 
meeting,  said  to  have  been  one  of  the  largest 
ever  held  at  Reading  till  that  time.  The  pro- 
cession was  long  and  full  of  enthusiasm.  One 
of  its  prominent  features  was  a  large  boat, 
rigged  as  a  "  Ship  of  State"  manned  by  a  num- 
ber of  boys  dressed  as  sailors,  and  drawn  on 
wheels  in  the  procession  by  many  young  men. 

The  majority  for  Polk  in  the  borough  was 
three  hundred  and  sixty-nine,  and  in  the  county 
forty-six  hundred  and  seventy-four.  This 
result  indicated  the  thorough  organization  of 
the  Democrats.  Dallas,  their  candidate  for  Vice- 
President,  visited  Reading  during  the  campaign 
and   delivered  an   address    at    the    "  Mineral 


Spring,"  dwelling  particularly  upon  and  favor- 
ing the  tariff.  Gen.  Samuel  Houston  from 
Texas  was  also  present  upon  that  occasion. 

Clymer  Mass  Meetings  in  1866. — Hon. 
Hiester  Clymer,  a  citizen  of  Reading,  received 
the  nomination  for  Governor  on  the  Democratic 
ticket  in  1866.  He  had  been  State  Senator 
from  this  district  for  two  terms,  from  1861  to 
1866,  during  which  time  he  acquired  a  con- 
siderable popularity  throughout  the  State. 
General  John  W.  Geary  was  the  Republican 
candidate.  Both  parties  were  under  thorough 
organization,  and,  with  popular  candidates,  thev 
labored  earnestly  for  success.  The  friends  of 
Mr.  Clymer  united  in  his  behalf  and  they  ex- 
erted themselves  to  bring  about  his  election,  if 
possible.  Many  mass-meetings  were  held  in 
different  parts  of  the  State,  and  at  all  of  them 
much  enthusiasm  was  manifested.  In  Berks 
County  the  leaders  of  the  party  were  partic- 
ularly active.  Numerous  public  meetings  were 
held  and  many  speeches  were  delivered.  General 
political  excitement  prevailed  from  the  begin-  ' 
ning  till  the  close  of  the  campaign,  which  in- 
creased as  the  day  of  election  approached.  Two 
Democratic  mass-meetings  were  held  at  Read- 
ing, one  on  July  18tb  and  the  other  on  October 
3d,  and  upon  each  occasion  a  multitude  of  peo>- 
ple  assembled.  At  the  former  there  were  dele- 
gations from  four-fifths  of  the  counties  in  the 
State.  Hon.  Richard  Vaux  acted  as  chairman 
of  the  meeting,  and  addresses  were  made  by 
Mr.  Clymer,  Hon.  Montgomery  Blair,  Hon. 
George  H.  Pendleton  and  other  distinguished 
political  leaders;  high  party  feeling  was  pro- 
duced under  the  great  excitement  which  was 
awakened  by  demonstrations  of  all  kinds,  so 
high,  indeed,  that  it  almost  resulted  in  riots 
with  certain  Republicans  who  were  equally 
earnest  and  active  and  demonstrative  for  then- 
leader,  General  Geary.  And  at  the  latter  there 
was  a  grand  procession,  with  General  Tobias 
Barto  as  chief  marshal,  estimated  to  contain 
five  thousand  persons  in  a  line  two  miles  long. 
Many  wagons,  teams,  bands  and  banners  of  all 
kinds  accompanied  the  numerous  delegations, 
and  the  enthusiasm  upon  that  occasion  was  un- 
bounded. Notwithstanding  all  this  exertion, 
the  city  of  Reading  was  not  carried  for  Clymer. 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


489 


It  had  been  Republican  through  the  war,  and 
this  political  sentiment  still  prevailed  by  a 
small  majority,  which,  it  would  appear,  Clymer 
could  not  overcome,  even  with  the  aid  of  local 
prejudice  and  enthusiastic  demonstrations.  The 
vote  in  Reading  for  him  was  two  thousand  six 
hundred  and  eighty-nine,  and  for  Geary  two 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  four,  a  majority  of 
fifteen  against  him  ;  and  in  the  county  for  him 
thirteen  thousand  two  hundred  and  eighty- 
eight,  and  for  Geary  seven  thousand  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-one,  a  majority  of  six  thousand 
one  hundred  and  sixty-seven  for  him. 

OFFICIALS    OF    COUNTY. 

Immediately  after  the  erection  of  the  couuty 
it  became  entitled  to  representation  in  the  Pro- 
vincial Assembly,  and  to  various  county  officers ; 
and,  after  the  establishment  of  national  inde- 
pendence and  government,  also  to  representa- 
tion in  Congress. 

All  the  officers — national,  State  and  county — 
from  and  of  the  county,  from  the  beginning  of 
its  existence  to  the  present  time,  are  set  forth  in 
the  following  arrangement :  1.  National  Repre- 
sentatives. 2.  State  Representatives.  3.  County 
Officers. 

1.  National  Representatives.—  The 
office  of  Representative  to  Congress  of  the 
United  States  was  created  by  the  Constitution 
of  the  United  States,  which  was  adopted  Sep- 
tember 17,  1787,  and  ratified  by  the  Conven- 
tion of  Pennsylvania  December  12,  1787.  The 
term  of  office  was  then  made  two  years  ;  and  so 
it  has  continued  to  the  present  time.  Represen- 
tatives were  apportioned  among  the  several 
States  according  to  population,  which  was 
enumerated  within  three  years  after  the  first 
meeting  of  Congress,  and  every  ten  years  there- 
after. 

The  first  apportionment  by  Congress  gave 
Pennsylvania  eight  representatives.  These  were 
apportioned  by  the  State  Legislature,  March  16, 
1791,  to  eight  districts.-  Berts,  Northampton 
and  Luzerne  Counties  were  erected  into  one 
district,  with  one  member.  In  1793  the  State 
was  given  thirteen  members.  These  were  ap- 
portioned by  the  State  Legislature  on  April  22, 
1794,  when  Berks  and  Luzerne  Counties  were 


made  the  Fifth  Congressional  District  for  the 
next  ten  years,  with  one  member. 

In  1802  Berks,  Chester  and  Lancaster  formed 
the  Third  Congressional  District,  with  an  ap- 
portionment of  three  members. 

In  1812  Berks  and  Schuylkill  formed  the 
Seventh  District,  with  one  member. 

In  1822  Beiks,  Schuylkill  and  Lehigh 
formed  the  Seventh  District,  with  two  members. 

In  1832  Berks  became  a  separate  district, 
called  the  Ninth,  with  one  member. 

In  1843,  and  every  ten  years  successively, 
Berks  comprised  the  Eighth  Congressional  Dis- 
trict, with  one  member. 

The  following  persons  represented  Berks 
County  in  Congress : 

CONGRESSMEN. 
Name.  Term. 

Daniel  Hiester 1789-97 

Joseph  Hiester1 1797-1807;  1815-20 

Matthias  Eeichiirt 1807-11 

John  M.  Hyneman2 1811-13 

Daniel  Udree 1813-15;  1823-25 

Ludwig  Worman3 1821-22 

William  Addams 1825-29 

Henry  A.  Muhlenberg* 1829-38 

George  M.  Keim 1838-43 

John  Eitter 1843-47 

William  Strong 1847-53 

J.  Glancy  Jones5 1851-53;  1854-58 

Henry  A.  Muhlen  berg,  Jr.6 1 853-54      > 

William  H.  Keim 1858-59 

1  Joseph  Hiester  was  elected  Governor  of  Pennsylvania 
in  October,  1820,  and  resigned  his  seat  in  Congress. 
Daniel  Udree  was  elected  in  December,  1820,  to  succeed 
him  for  the  unexpired  term  ending  March  3.  1821. 

2  John  M.  Hyneman  was  re-elected;  but  he  resigned  his 
seal,  and  Daniel  Udree  was  elected  to  fill  the  vacancy  for 
the  unexpired  term  ending  March  3,  1815. 

s  Ludwig  Worman  died  October  1 7, 1822,  whilst  occupying 
this  position,  and  Udree  was  elected  in  December  following 
to  fill  unexpired  term  ending  March,  1823. 

4  Henry  A.  Muhlenberg  resigned  his  seat  in  February, 
1838,  and  accepted  the  mission  to  Austria  as  the  first  min- 
ister plenipotentiary.  George  M.  Keim  was  elected  in 
March,  1838,  to  fill  the  unexpired  term  ending  March  3, 
1839. 

5  J.  Glancy  Jones  resigned  in  October,  1858,  and  accepted 
mi-sion  to  Austria.  William  H.  Keim  was  elected  on 
November  30,  1858,  to  fill  unexpired  term  ending  March  3, 
1859. 

6  Henry  A.  Muhlenberg,  Jr.,  died  at  Washington  on 
January  9,  1854.  He  had  appeared  in  Congress  only  a 
single  day,  when  he  was  taken  sick  with  typhoid  fever, 
and  thereafter  was  unable  to  resume  his  seat. 


490 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


John  Schwartz1 1859-60 

Jacob  K.  McKenty 1860-61 

Sydenham  E.  Ancona 1861-67 

J.  Lawrence  Getz 1867-73 

Hiester  Clymer 1873-81 

Daniel  Ermentrout 1881-87 

FOREIGN  MINISTERS. 

Henry  A.  Muhlenberg,  to  Austria,  1838-40. 
J.  Glancy  Jones,  to  Austria,  1858-61. 

FOREIGN  CONSULS. 

John  Endlich,  at  Basle,  Switzerland. 
Henry  May  Keim,  at  Prince  Edward  Ishmd. 

UNITED  STATES  COMMISSIONERS. 

William  Strong.  Samuel  L.  Young. 

•         REGISTER  IN  BANKRUPTCY. 

Harrison  Maltzberger. 

Under  the  Provincial  Constitution  as  pro- 
vided by  William  Penn  and  his  successors,  and 
afterward  under  the  State  Constitutions  of  1 776, 
1790  and  1873,  the  officers  named  in  the  sub- 
sequent pages  were  elected  and  appointed. 

The  State  representatives  from  Berks  County- 
are  arranged  in  three  classes :  State  Officials ; 
Senators ;  Assemblymen. 

State  Officials. — The  following  persons 
from  Berks  County  held  State  offices  : 

Charles  Biddle,  Supreme  Executive  Councillor, 
elected  by  Legislature,  1784-87.2 

Joseph  Hiester,  Governor,  elected,  1820-23. 

Frederick  Smith,  Attorney-General,  appointed  by 
Governor  Andrew  Schulze,  1823-28. 

Gabriel  Hiester,  Surveyor-General,  appointed  by 
Governor  J.  Andrew  Schulze,  1824-30. 

Frederick  Smith,  Supreme  Associate  Justice,  ap- 
pointed, 1828-30. 

Jacob  Sallade,  Surveyor-General,  appointed  by 
Governor  David  R.  Porter,  1839-45. 

John  Banks,  State  Treasurer,  elected  by  Legisla- 
ture, 1847. 

William  Strong,  Supreme  Associate  Justice,  elected. 
1857-68. 

William  M.  Hiester,  Secretary  of  State,  appointed 
by  Governor  William  F.  Packer,  1858-60. 

William  H.  Keim,  Survevor-General,  elected,  1860 
-61. 

■Warren  J.  Woodward,  Supreme  Associate  Justice, 
elected,  1874-79. 


1  John  Schwartz  died  in  July,  1860,  and  Jacob  ,K. 
McKenty  was  elected  to  fill  unexpired  term  ending  March 
4,  1861. 

2  He  removed  from  Reading  to  Philadelphia  on  20th  Oc- 
tober, 1 784.  He  was  Vice-President  of  the  Council  from 
10th  October,  1785,  till  31st  October,  1787.  Before  his 
election  he  was  the  chief  burgess  of  Reading. 


Senators. — The  office  of  State  Senator  was 
created  by  the  Constitution  of  1790.  The  State 
was  thereby  apportioned  into  senatorial  districts, 
and  again  in  1793,  and  subsequently  every  sev- 
en years  till  the  adoption  of  the  new  Constitu- 
tion of  1873,  whereby  the  apportionment  was 
thereafter  to  be  made  on  the  decennial  census  of 
the  United  States.  In  the  beginning  Berks  and 
Dauphin  Counties  comprised  a  district  with  an 
allotment  of  two  members;  and  they  continued 
together  till  1808,  when  Berks  was  erected  into 
a  separate  district  with  two  members.  After 
the  erection  of  Schuylkill  County,  in  1811,  it 
was  added  to  Berks,  and  they  together  com- 
prised a  district  with  two  members  till  1836, 
when  Berks  was  again  erected  into  a  district  by 
itself  with  one  member,  and  continued  so  from 
that  time  till  now.  The  term  was  four  years 
from  1790  to  1838;  and  three  years  thence  to 
1874,  when  the  new  Constitution  fixed  it  at 
four  years  again. 

The  members  from  Berks  alone  are  men- 
tioned : 

Name.  Term. 

Joseph  Heister 1790-94 

Gabriel  Hiester 1795-96;  1805-12 

Christopher  Lower 1797-1804 

John  S.  Hiester 1809-12 

Charles  Shoemaker 1813-16 

Marks  John  Biddle 1817-20 

Conrad  Feger 1821-24 

George  Schall 1825-28 

Daniel  A.  Bertolet 1829-32 

PaulGeiger 1833-36 

John  Miller 1837^0 

Samuel  Fegely 1841-16 

John  Potteiger 1847-19 

Henry  A.  Muhlenberg 1850-52 

William  M.  Hiester" 1853-55 

John  C.  Evans 1856-58 

Benjamin  Nunemacher 1859-60 

Hiester  Clymer 1861-66 

J.  Depuy  Davis 1867-73 

Daniel  Ermentrout 1874-80 

Edward  H.  Shearer 1881-84 

Frank  B.  Brunner 1885-88 

Assemblymen. — The  office  of  Assemblyman 
was  first  created  by  William  Penn  in  establish- 
ing a  government  for  the  province ;  the  repre- 
sentatives thereto,  from  the  several  counties  as 

'William  M.  Hiester  was  elected  and  served  as  Speaker 
of  the  Senate  for  the  year  1855. 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


491 


they  were  erected,  were  elected  annually  till  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  and  the  adoption 
of  a  Constitution  by  the  State  in  1776.  It  was 
continued  by  this  Constitution,  and  afterward 
by  that  of  1790,  whereby  members  to  the 
Assembly  were  elected  annually  till  the  adop- 
tion of  the  new  Constitution  of  1873.  Then 
the  term  was  increased  to  two  years.  In  all 
these  years — from  1752  to  the  present  time — 
Berks  County  was  a  separate  district,  excepting 
after- the  erection  of  Schuylkill  County  out  of 
portions  of  Berks  and  Northampton,  when  it 
was  added  to  Berks,  and  continued  so  for  a 
period  of  eighteen  years — from  1811  to  1829. 

The  number  of  representatives  from   Berks 
was  as  follows : 


1752-71 1 

1772-76 2 

1777-81 4 

1782-86 6 


1787-1829 5 

1830-57 4 

1858-74 3 


In  1874  six  members  were  apportioned  to 
Berks,  to  so  continue  until  an  apportionment  be 
duly  made  on  the  next  census  of  the  United 
States  (1880) — namely,  to  the  city  of  Reading 
two  members,  and  to  the  county  of  Berks  four. 

The  representatives  from  the  county  were  as 
follows : . 

Name.  Term. 

Moses  Starr 1752-54 

Francis  Parvin 1755 

Thomas  Yorke 1756-57 

James  Boone 1758 

John  Potts 1759-61 

John  Ross 1762-64 

AdamWitman 1765-66 

Edward  Biddle1 1767-81 

Henry  Christ 1771-81 

Valentine  Eckert 1776-79 

Henry  Haller 1776-81 

John  Lesher 1776-81 

Jonathan  Jones 1779-80 

John  Hiester 1782 

Gabriel  Hiester 1782;  1787-89 

1791;  1802-04 

Baltzer  Gehr 1782;  1786;  1792-99 

Daniel  Hunter 1782 

Benjamin  Weiser 1782 

Joel  Bishop 1782-84 

Daniel  Clymer 1783-84;  1787;  1791 

Chris.  Lower 1783-85;  1793-94;  1796 

Abraham  Lincoln 1783-86 

1ln  1774  Edward  Biddle  was  Speaker  of  the  Assembly. 


John  Ludwig 1783;  1789;  1790-92 

John  Patton 1783 

George  Ege 1783 

Nicholas  Lutz 1784-86;  1790-94 

John  Rice 1784 

Henry  Spycker 1785-86 

David  Davis 1785-88 

Martin  Rhoads 1785 

Philip  Kraemer 1786-87 

Joseph  Hiester 1787-90 

Charles  Biddle 1788 

Joseph  Sands 1788-90 

Daniel  Broadhead 1789 

Daniel  Leinbach 1790 

James  Collins 1791 

C.  Shoemaker 1792-1801;  1810;<1812 

Paul  Groscup 1792-98 

John  Christ 1795-96 

John  Spayd 1795;  1810 

Peter  Frailey 1797-1801;  1810;  1812 

William  Lewis .' 1797-98 

D.Rose 1799-1804;  1806-08;  1811-12 

Daniel  Udree 1799-1803;  1805 

William  Witman 1800-05 

Frederick  Smith 1802-03 

Isaac  Adams 1804-05 

Jacob  Rhoads 1804-05;  1809 

Jacob  Epler 1805;  1816 

EliasRedcay 1806-07 

Valentine  Probst 1806-08 

JohnSchaeffer 1806-08 

John  Bishop 1806 

Daniel  Yoder 1807-08 

Bernard  Kepner 1808 

Jacob  Schneider.., 1809 

David  Kerby 1809-12;  1815;  1817 

John  M.  Hyneman 1809 

James  McFarland 1809 

Adam  Ruth 1810-11 

Conrad  Feger 1811-14 

John  Miller 1813;  1815 

Jacob  Krebs 1813-14 

John  Addams 1813-14 

Jacob  Sassaman 1813 

George  Marx 1814 

Jonathan  Hudson 1814 

Daniel  Kerper 1815 

Daniel  Rhoads,  Jr 1815-17;  1822 

Jacob  Dreibelbis 1815 

Christian  Haldeman 1816 

D.  Hottenstein 1816;  1822-24;  1827 

William  Schoener 1817 

Godfried  Roehrer 1817;  1820;  1823 

Michael  Graeff. 1817-19 

Jnseph  Good 1818-19 

Jacob  Levan 1818-19 

Elisha  Geiger 1818 

Jacob  Griesemer 1818-19 

John  Neikerch 1819;  1822 


492 


HISTOKY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


John  Kohler 1820 

Abraham  Mengel 1820 

John  W.  Roseberry 1820 

George  Gemant 1820-21 

Samuel  Jones 1821 

Joseph  Good 1821 

Jacob  Rahn 1821 

Jacob  Schneider 1821 

William  Addams 1822-24 

JohnGehr 1822-23 

William  Audenried 1823-24 

Henry  Boyer 1824-27;  1832 

James  Everhard 1824-26 

George  Rahn 1825;  1827-28 

Jacob  Gehr 1825-26 

George  M.  Odenheimer 1825 

Daniel  A.  Bertolette 1826-28 

Michael  Graeff. 1826 

Philip  A.  Good 1827-29 

Mordecai  Lewis 1828 

John  Stauffer 1829-31 

Thomas  J.  Roehrer , 1829-30 

George  Klein 1828 

PaulGeiger 1829-31 

John  Wanner 1830-32 

John  Potteiger 1831-34;  1842-44 

William  High 1832 

Peter  Klein,  Jr 1833-34 

Benjamin  Tyson 1833 

Jacob  M.  Snyder 1833-C4 

Adam  Schoener 1834;  1839-40 

William  Hottenstein 1835-36 

Lewis  W.  Richards 1835 

John  Ulrich 1835-36 

John  Jackson 1835-37 

John  Sheetz 1836-37 

Michael  K.  Boyer 1837 

S.  Fegely 1837-39;  1848;  1849;  1851 

Jacob  Walborn 1838-39 

Abraham  Hill 1838-39 

James  Geiger 1838 

Henry  Flannery 1840-41 

Peter  Filbert 1840 

Daniel  B.   Kutz 1840-41 

Robert  M.  Barr 1841 

Samuel  Moore 1841-43 

John  Shenk 1842-43 

Joseph  Bachman 1842-43 

Henry  W.  Smith 1844-45 

JohnC.  Evans 1844;  1850-52 

Alfred  J.  Herman 1844 

Jacob  Tice 1845-46 

Michael  Hoffman 1845^6;  1857 

Henry  G.  Stetler 1845-46;  1848 

Charles  Levan 1846-47 

John  Long 1847-48 

John  C.  Myers 1847-49 

Jacob  Graeff. 1847 

William  Shaffner 1849-50 


Daniel  Zerbey 1849-50;  1853 

Alexanders.  Feather 1850-51 

Jacob  Reifsnyder 1851-52 

Isaac  Yost 1852-53      ' 

George  Dengler 1852-53      ■ 

Jacob  Wicklein 1853-54 

John  B.  Smith 1854 

George  Shenk 1854-56 

Daniel  V.  R.  Hunter ..1854 

Jeremiah  Mengel 1855 

John  F.  Linderman 1855 

Samuel  Shearer 1855 

Andrew  M.  Sallade 1855 

J.  Lawrence  Getz1 1856-57 

William  Heins 1856-57 

Benjamin  Nunemacher 1856-58 

Michael  Hoffman 1857 

Edmund  L.  Smith 1858-59 

Amos  Weiler 1858 

Solomon  L.  Custer 1859-60 

Augustus  F.  Bertolet 1859 

Joshua  S.  Miller 1860 

Elijah  Penn  Smith 1860-fil 

Michael  P.  Boyer 1861 

Henry  B.  Rhoads 1861;  1865-67 

Charles  A.  Kline 1862-64 

Daniel  K.  Weidner 1862-63 

William  N.  Potteiger 1862-64 

John  Missimer 1864-66 

Frederick  Hamer 1865-67 

Richmond  L.  Jones 1867-68 

Henry  S.  Hottenstein 1868-39 

Henry  Brobst 1868-70 

Aaron  T.  C.  Keffer 1870-72 

Hiram  H.  Schwartz 1870-72 

John  A.  Conrad 1871-73 

Benjamin  E.  Dry 1873-76 

Michael  McCullough 1873-74 

Aaron  Smith 1874-76 

Daniel  L.  Batdorf. 1875 

Nicholas  Andre 1875-78 

Joseph  B.  Conrad 1876-78 

George  D.Schaeffer 1877-80 

Stephen  J.  Smith 1877-80 

James  Liggett 1879-82 

John  H.  Riegel 1879-82 

C.  A.  Seidel 1881-84 

George  K.  Lorah 1881-84 

Isaac  Z.  Deck 1883-86 

James  W.  Sponagle 1883-86 

Benjamin  C.  Bear 1884-86 

L.  P.  G.  Fegeley 1884-86 

3.  County  Officeks. — By  the  charter  of 
William  Penn  and  the  several  grants  thereunder, 
various  laws  and  ordinances  were  enacted  from 
time  to  time  "  for  the  good  government  of  the 


i  Speaker  of  House  in  1867. 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


493 


province.''  The  regulation  of  the  affairs  of  the 
province,  and,  subsequently  to  1776  of  the  com- 
monwealth, was  directed  by  officers,  either  ap- 
pointed or  elected,  for  the  entire  territory  or  for 
the  several  counties  into  which  it  was  sub- 
divided. 

The  officers  of  the  county  from  1752  till 
1886  were  as  follows  : 

JUDGES. 

(See  chapter  XX.,  Judiciary.) 

DISTRICT  ATTORNEYS. 

The  office  of  district  attorney  was  created  by 
act  of  May  3,  1850,  and  made  elective,  with  a 
term  of  three  years.  Previously  the  attorney- 
general  of  the  State  appointed  an  attorney  in 
the  several  counties  to  represent  the  common- 
wealth in  the  prosecution  of  criminal  cases. 

The  act  of  1850  required  a  residence  of  one 
year  in  the  county  and  a  practice  of  two  years 
at  the  bar,  but  the  latter  was  reduced  to  one 
year  by  the  act  of  1852. 

Name.  Term. 

Jacob  Hubley 1789-1817 

Frederick  Smith 1818-20;  1824-27 

Charles  Richards 1821 

Daniel  J.  Hiester 1822-23 

Joseph  H.  Spayd 1828-29 

Joseph  D.  Biles 1830-31 

Alexander  L.  King 1832-35 

George  G.  Barclay 1836-38 

J.  Pringle  Jones 1839-46 

Peter  Filbert 1847 

J.  Glancy  Jones 1847-48 

John  S.  Eichards 1849-50 

Jeremiah  Hagenman 1850-56 

Jacob  K.  McKenty 1856-59 

James  B.  Bechtel 1859-62 

Daniel  Ermentrout ..1862-65 

Wharton  Morris, 1865-68 

Edward  H.  Shearer 1868-71 

Peter  D.  Wanner 1871-74 

Henry  C.  G.  Reber 1875-77 

William  M.  Goodman 1878-80 

Hiram  Y.  Kauffman 1881-83 

Israel  H.  Rothermel 1884-86 

SPECIAL  DETECTIVES. 

An  act  was  passed  May  19,  1874,  which  pro- 
vided for  the  appointment  of  a  special  detective 
officer  in  the  several  counties  of  the  State,  by 
the  district  attorney,  with  the  approval  of  the 
Court  of  Quarter  Sessions.     The  first  appoint- 


ment  was   made    in   February,    1875.       The 
officers  were  : 

Name.  Term. 

William  L.  Graul 1875-77 

John  Denhard1 1878-83 

Lawrence  P.  Ressler 1883 

James  Kerschner 1884r-86 

Commissioners  and  Auditors. — The  board 
of  county  commissioners  comprises  three  mem- 
bers. Previous  to  1875  one  was  elected  annu- 
ally for  three  years.  The  new  Constitution  of 
1873  provided  for  the  election  of  the  three  com- 
missioners in  1875  and  every  third  year  there- 
after. 

The  board  of  county  auditors  also  com- 
prises three  members.  Previous  to  1809  they 
were  appointed  by  the  county  judges.  An  act 
was  passed  March  16,  1809,  providing  for  the 
annual  election  thereafter  of  three  auditors.  In 
1814  this  provision  was  modified  so  that  a  new 
auditor  was  introduced  into  the  board  annually 
thereafter.  This  practice  prevailed  till  the  new 
Constitution  of  1873,  which  provided  for  the 
election  of  three  auditors  in  1875  and  every 
third  year  thereafter. 

In  respect  to  both  commissioners  and  audit- 
ors, "  each  qualified  elector  shall  vote  for  no 
more  than  two  persons,  and  the  three  persons 
having  the  highest  number  of  votes  shall  be 
elected."  2  This  was  a  marked  departure  from 
the  old  system,  by  which  all  of  one  political 
party  were  elected.  It  enabled  the  opposite 
party  to  elect  one  member.  Since  1875  three 
officers  have  been  elected — two  by  the  Demo- 
crats and  one  by  the  Republicans. 

COMMISSIONERS. 
Name.  Term. 

Evan  Price 175^-53 

Edward  Drury 1752-56 

John  Godfrey 1752-61 

Jacob  Lightfoot 1753-56;  1759-62 

Thomas  Rutter 1756-59 

William  Reeser 1757-60 

Samuel  High 1760-63;  1773-76 

Christian  Witman 1761-64 

'John  Denhard  was  appointed  for  a  second  term,  1881- 
83  ;  but  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  alderman  of  the 
Eighth  Ward,  Reading,  in  May,  1883,  when  he  resigned, 
and  Lawrence  P.  Ressler  was  appointed  for  the  unexpired 
term. 

2  Constitution  of  1873,  Art.  XIV.,  Sec.  7. 


494 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


John  Hughes 1762-65 

Frederick  Weiser 1763-66 

Richard  Lewis 1764-67 

Isaac  Levari 1765-68 

Nicholas  Harmony 1766-69 

Christian  Merkel 1767-70 

Jacob  Snyder 1769-71 

John  Jones 1769-72 

Henry  Rightineyer 1770-73 

Davis  Brecht 177*1-74 

Abraham  Lincoln 1772-78 

Michael  Brecht 1774-77 

Christian  Lower 1776-79 

John  Kerlin 1777-80 

Adam  Witman 1778-81;  1784-87 

Thomas  Jones 1779-82;  1733-86 

Thomas  Parry , 1780-83 

Daniel  Messersmith 1781-84 

Michael  Forry 1782-85 

Conrad  Eekert 1785-91 

Daniel  Leinbach 1786-89 

John  Keim 1787-90 

Jacob  Boyer 1789-92 

Jacob  Bower 1790-93 

John  Riegel 1791-94 

George  Lorah 1792-95 

Philip  Miller 1793-96 

Peter  Kershner 1794-97 

William  Witman 1795-98 

Nicholas  Dick 1796-99 

Isaac  Adams 1797-1800 

Jacob  Rhoads 1798-1801 

Peter  Feather 1799-1802 

Jacob  Epler 1800-03 

Casper  Merkel 1801-04 

John  Cunnius 1802-05 

Daniel  Yoder..... 1803-06 

Adam  Buth 1804-07 

Henry  Hahn 1805-08 

Henry  Hottenstein 1806-09 

Nicholas  Leib 1807-10 

Jacob  Miller 1808-11 

Valentine  Boyer 1809-12 

Daniel  Buth 1810-13 

George  Boyer 1811-14 

Jacob  Gehr 1812-15 

William  Addams 1813-16 

George  Shreffler 1814-17 

Daniel  Levan 1815-18 

William  High 1816-19 

Peter  Stichter 1817-20 

George  N.  Lechner 1818-21 

Peter  Knabb 1819-22 

David  Bright 1820-23 

George  Kemp 1821-24 

Frederick  Stamm 1822-25 

Henry  Reeser 1823-26 

John  Wanner 1824-27 

John  Potteiger 1825-28 


John  Hahn 1826-29 

Stanley  Kirby 1827-30 

George  Gernant 1828-31 

Anthony  Bickel 1829-32 

Daniel  K.  Hottenstein 1830-33 

John  Filbert 1831-34 

Jacob  Goodman 1832-35 

Daniel  Snyder 1833-36 

John  Deysher 1834-37 

John  Y.  Cunnius 1835-38 

JohnSeibert 1836-39 

David  Kutz 1837-40 

Michael  Reifsnyder 1838-41 

George  Weiler 1839-42 

John  Long 1840-43 

William  Arnold 1841-14 

JohnSharman 1842-45 

Adam  Leize 1843-46 

Frederick  Printz   1844-47 

Michael  Gery 1845-48 

David  Yoder :.1846-49 

Charles  Fichthorn 1847-50 

Conrad  Clouse 1848-51 

Thomas  Shaner 1849-52 

Joseph  A.  Schneider 1850-53 

John  McGowan , 1851-54 

Benjamin  Kutz 1852-55 

Jacob  Young 1855-56 

Gabriel  Filbert 1854-57 

William  Knabb 1855-58 

Samuel  Summons 1856-59 

D.  L.  Wenrich 1857-60 

William  Miller 1858-61 

John  F.  Moers1 1859-61 

Paul  Wenrich,  Sr 1860-63 

J.  Donahower 1861-62 

George  K.  Lorah 1861-64 

H.  E.  Hawman 1862-65 

John  Kurtz 1863-66 

Adam  Stein 1864-67 

William  S.Young 1865-71;  1879-81 

Jacob  Schartle 1866-69 

Benjamin  Levan 1867-70 

John  L.  Moyer 1869-72 

William  Bahn 1870-73 

Joseph  Muthart'2 1871-74 

David  Lord 1872-75 

Henry  Seidel 1873-74 

William  Fry 1873-75 

William  Umbenhauer 1874-75 


1  Moers  died  on  March  7,  1861,  and  Henry  R  Hawman 
was  appointed  on  March  14,  1861,  by  the  court  and  the  re- 
maining two  county  commissioners,  to  fill  the  vacancy  till 
the  election  of  a  successor  at  the  next  succeeding  election. 
In  October  following,  J.  Donahower  was  elected  for  one 
year  to  fill  the  unexpired  term.     • 

"Mutbart  died  in  April,  1873,  and  Seidel  was  appointed 
to  fill  vacancy  for  unexpired  term. 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


495 


Henry  W.  Smith 1876-78 

William  Davidheiser 1876-78 

William  G.  Moore 1876-78 

John  Walborn 1879-81 

Jeremiah  R.  Guldin 1879-81 

Samuel  G.  Hatfield 1882-84 

Peter  Spang 1882-84 

David  C.Keller 1882-84;  1885-87 

Samuel  P.  K.  Fisher 1885-87 

John  L.  Wagner 1885-87 

AUDITORS. 
Name.  Term. 

Thomas  Lightfoot 1 797-98 ;  1803-05 

William  Moore 1797-1800;  1803-08 

John  Bishop 1797-98 

Paul  Groscup 1799-1800 

Jacob  Bower 1799-1800 

William  Green 1801-02 

William  Bell 1801-02;  1806-08 

George  De  B.  Keim 1801-02;  1809 

James  May 1803-05 

John  Witman 1806-08 

Lewis  Eeeser. 1809 

Frederick  Frick 1809 

John  Bieber 1810 

George  Boyer 1810-11 

Daniel  Yoder 1810 

Christopher  Shearer 1811;  1817-19 

John  S.  Hiester 1811 

George  Lorah 1812 

Philip  Moyer 1812 

JohnAddams 1812 

Henry  M.  Richards 1813-16 

William  Addams 1813-14 

Peter  Trexler 1813 

Abraham  Mengel 1814-17 

William  High 1815-18;  1835-38 

Peter  High 1817-20 

Peter  Sheetz 1818-21 

George  Getz 1819-22 

Jacob  Dick 1820-23 

George  U.  Odenheimer 1821-24 

Jacob  Schneider 1822-25 

Peter  Addams 1823-26 

Henry  S.  Klein 1824-27 

Elijah  Dechert 1825-28 

John  S.  Pearson 1826-29 

John  Beitenman 1827-30 

Simon  Seyfert 1828-31 

John  Jackson 1829-32 

John  Seltzer '. 1830-33 

John  M.  Keim 1831-34 

Daniel  V.  K.  Hunter 1832;  1839-42 

Thomas  Wanner 1833-35 

John  Klein 1833-36 

Jacob  Fricker 1834-37 

Daniel  Young 1836-39 

William  Wuuder 1837-39 


John  L.  Rightmyer 1838-41 

H.  H.  Muhlenberg 1839-40 

John  F.  Moers 1840-43;  1852-58 

Jacob  K.  Boyer 1841-44 

David  Schall 1842-45 

John  L.  Reifsnyder 1843-^6 

Charles  H.  Addams 1844-50 

Jacob  Dick 1845-48 

Michael  Kraemer 1846-49;  1864-67 

Paul  Geiger 1848-51 

John  Y.  Cunnius 1849-52 

Charles  J.  Cummens 1850-56 

Daniel  Laucks 1851-54 

Reuben  R.  Kline 1854-57 

Samuel  M.  Klee 1856-62 

Amos  K.  Strunck 1857-60 

Henry  F.  Felix 1858-61 

William  Steffe 1860-63 

Joseph  S.  Hoyer 1861-64 

Ezra  D.  Yorgey 1862-65 

Andrew  Kurr 1863-69 

John  G.  Glase 1865-68 

James  Bell 1867-70 

Peter  S.  Albright 1868-71 

William  Y.  Shearer 1869-72 

Daniel  G.  Knabb 1870-75 

Henry  H.  Dubson 1871-74 

Harrison  M.  Eeber 1872-75;  1876-78 

Wm.  H.  Sallade ..1875;  1876-78 

Henry  Z.  Van  Reed 1876-78 

Jacob  D.  Hoffman 1879-81 

Charles  S.  Tobias 1879-81 

William  H.  Clark 1879-81 

Isaac  S.  Bagenstose 1882-84 

JacobS.  Yoder 1882-84 

James  M.  High 1882-84 

Morris  H.  Boyer 1885-87 

Jared  B.  Kramer 1885-87 

Allen  B.  Aulenbach 1885-87 

TREASURERS . 

Previous  to  1841  the  county  treasurer  was 
appointed  annually  by  the  county  commission- 
ers. On  May  27,  1841,  an  act  was  passed  pro- 
viding for  the  election  of  this  officer  in  October 
following,  and  every  two  years  thereafter.  The 
Constitution  of  1873  increased  the  term  to  three 
years  after  1875. 

Name.  Term. 

Jonas  Seely 1752-68 

Christopher  Witman 1768-79 

Daniel  Levan 1779-89 

Daniel  Messersmith 1789-1807 ; 

1809-11;   1814-17 

John  K.  Messersmith 1807-09; 

1811-1814;   1817-20 
Daniel  Rhoads 1820-23 


496 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


David  Bright 1823-35 

Peter  Nagle 1835-43 

Henry  Nagle 1843-45 

William  Arnold 1845-47 

Henry  Hahs 1847-49 

Adam  Leize 1849-51 

William  Ermentrout 1851-53 

Charles  Van  Eeed1 1853-55 

George  Feather " 1855-59 

David  Plank 1859-61 

William  Herbst 1861-63 

David  L.  Wenrich 1863-65 

Isaac  E.  Fisher 1865-67 

Charles  H.  Fritz 1867-69 

Samuel  Merkel 1869-71 

Abraham  Y.  Yoder 1871-73 

Hiester  M.  Nagle 1873-75 

Abraham  H.  Sehaeffer 1876-78 

Adam  M.  Dundore 1879-81 

John  Kerschner 1882-84 

John  S.  Holtzman 1885-87 

SHERIFFS. 

The  Duke  of  York's  Laws,  introduced  into 
Pennsylvania  22d  of  September,  1676,  provided 
for  the  nomination  by  the  justices  of  the  county, 
of  three  persons  within  their  jurisdiction,  out  of 
which  the  Governor  should  make  choice  of  one 
to  be  sheriff  for  the  year  ensuing.  By  virtue 
of  his  office,  the  sheriff  was  then  a  justice  of 
the  peace. 

In  the  frame  of  Government  prepared  by 
"William  Penn  for  the  province  in  1682  it  was 
provided  that  the  freemen  of  the  counties 
should  annually  elect  and  present  to  the 
governor  a  double  number  of  persons  to 
serve  for  sheriff,  justices  and  coroner  for  the 
year  next  ensuing,  out  of  which  the  Governor 
should  nominate  and  commission  the  proper 
number  for  each  office.  After  the  erection  of 
the  county  the  first  appointments  of  sheriff  and 
coroner  were  made  October  4,  1752. 

The  Constitution  of  1 790  provided  for  a  sim- 
ilar election  and  appointment  of  sheriff  and 
coroner,  but  the  term  of  service  was  increased 


"Van  Reed  was  the  first  Whig  who  was  elected  treas- 
urer, because  of  the  general  opposition  to  the  regular 
nominee  of  the  Democratic  party,  Adam  Leize,  which 
arose  against  him  on  account  of  attempted  legislation  to 
increase  the  term  of  office. 

2  William  Runkel  was  elected  for  the  full  term,  but  he 
having  died  before  the  term  began,  the  county  commis- 
sioners appointed  the  incumbent,  George  Feather. 


to  three  years,  and  no  person  was  to  be  twice 
appointed  sheriff  for  any  term  of  six  years. 
The  Constitution  of  1838  provided  that  one 
person  for  said  offices  respectively  should  be 
elected  by  the  people  for  the  term  of  three 
years.  And  these  offices  have  thence  been 
so  filled. 

Name.  Term. 

Benjamin  Lightfoot. . .-. 1 752-54 ;  1757-58 

William  Boone 1755-56 

Jacob  Weaver '. 1759-60;  1763-64 

Henry  Christ i761-62 

Jasper  Scull 1765-67 

Jacob  Shoemaker 1768-70 

George  Nagle 1771-73 

Henry  Vanderslice 1774-76 

Daniel  Levan 1777-79 

Henry  Hoifa 1780-81 

Philip  Kraemer 1782-84;  1791-93 

Peter  Filbert 1785-87 

Jacob  Bower 1788-90 

Peter  Fraley 1794-96 

John  Christ 1797-99 

Nicholas  Dick 1800-02 

John  Spycker 1803-05, 

Conrad  Feger 1806-08 

George  Marx '. 1809-11 

Daniel  Kerper 1812-14;  1824-26 

Peter  Aurand 1815-17 

John  Miller 1818-20 

Henry  Betz„ '„'. 1821-23 

John  Bickel 1827-29 

James  Sillyman 1830-32 

Henry  Bowman....... 1833-35 

George  Fox..........; ;„ 1836-38 

Henry  Binkley '.".'.' 1838-41 

Daniel  Esterley , 1S11  11 

George  Gernant 1844-47 

John  S.  Shroeder 1847-50 

John  Potteiger 1850-53 

John  Manderbach 1853-56 

Henry  H.  Manderbach 1856-59 

Jeremiah  D.  Bitting 1859-62 

Abraham  R.  Koenig 1862-65 

Tobias  Barto 1865-68 

William  B.  Albright 1868-71 

Evan  Mishler 1871-74 

George  R.  Yorgey '. !.. ...... ...1875-77 

Alfred  C.  Kemp.. .' 1878-80 

Levi  M.  Gerhard 1881-83 

George  D.  Boyer 1884-86 

CORONERS. 
NMne-  Term. 

William  Boone 1752-54 

Benjamin  Parvin 1755 

John  Warren ...1759 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


497 


Jacob  Kern 1760-61. 

Adam  Witman 1762 

Samuel  Weiser 1763-65 

Christopher  Witman 1766 

Henry  Haller 1767 

James  Whitehead,  Jr 1768-69  ;  1779-80 

Samuel  Jackson 1770 

Isaac  Levan,  Jr 1771-72 

Peter  Brecht 1773-75 

Philip  Kreamer 1776-78 

Peter  Nagle 1781-87 

Peter  Feather 1788-93 

Thomas  Wildbahn 1794-99 

Peter  Aurand 1800-02 

Daniel  Kerper 1803-05 

Henry  Rieser 1806-11 

J.  Christian 1812-14 

Samuel  Feather 1815-17;  1821-29 

Samuel  Hitter 1818-20 

Adam  Reitmyer 1830-32 

JohnHahn 1833-34 

John  Fox 1835-37;  1859-64;  1868-76 

William  Stable 1838-49 

John  H.  Seltzer :1850-52' 

William  Keen 1853-58 

Henry  Palm 1865-67 

George  S.  Goodhart 1877-79 

William  H.  Kelley 1880-82 

Henry  D.  Schoedler 1883-85 

Frank  H.  Deuhard 1886-88 

Prothonotary,  Eecoeder,  Register, 
Clerk  op  Orphans'  Court  and  Clkrk  of 
Quarter  Sessions. — The  several  offices  named 
were  created  with  the  County  Courts.  Imme- 
diately after  the  erection  of  Berks  County  they 
were  established  at.  Reading,  the  county  town, 
and  filled  by  appointment  of  the  Governor. 
The  amended  Constitution  of  1838  changed 
the  manner  of  filling  the  offices  named  from 
appointment  by  Governor  to  election  by  the 
people;  and  the  act  of  July  2,  1839,  passed  in 
pursuance  thereof,  fixed  the  term  of  office  at 
three  years.  The  first  officers  were  elected  in 
October,  1839.  No  change  has  been  made 
since.  From  this  time  the  terms  of  the  officers 
began  on  the  1st  day  of  December  following 
their  election  till  the  adoption  of  the  new 
Constitution,  when  the  time  was  changed  to  the 
first  Monday  of  January  following  their  elec- 
tion. The  change  included  also  the  other 
county  officers. 

PROTHONOTARIES. 
Name.  Term. 

James  Read ; 1752-75;  1777 

49 


Thomas  Dundas 1776 

Jacob  Shoemaker 1778 

Daniel  Levan 1778-89;  1791 

John  Otto 1790 

George  Eckert ...1792-1800 

John  S.  Hiester 1801-08 

Gabriel  Hiester,' Jr 1809-17 

Samuel  D.  Franks 1818 

John  Addams.....  1819-20;  1824-26;  1830-35 

Marks  John  Biddle 1821-23 

Jacob  Sallade..... 1827-29 

Alexander  H.  Witman 1836-38 

Benjamin  Tyson 1839-42 

Daniel  Young 1842-45 

Peter  Strohecker 1845-48 

Michael  K.  Boyer 1848-51 

Charles  H.  Hunter 1851-54 

Josiah  Hearing 1855-57 

David  Fister 1857-60 

Adam  W.  Kauffman 1860-63 

Jonathan  L.  Reber 1863-66 

Wellington  B.  Griesemer 1866-69 

GeoTge  K.  Levan .1869-72 

Epbraim  Armstrong 1872-75 

Charles  F.  Rerltschler 1876-78 

Amos  Weiler 1879-81 

William  D.  Althouse 1882-84 

Levi  F.  Dietrich 1885-87 

RECORDERS. 
Name.  Term. 

James  Read 1752-76 

Henry  Christ 1777-89 

John  Christ 1790-91 

Jacob  Bower 1792-99 

Peter  Erailey 1800-08 

Jacob  Schneider 1809-17 

John  Addams 1818 

Daniel  Rhoads 1819-20 

John  Miller 1821-23  ;  1830-35 

John  Frederick  Smith 1824-29 

Joseph  Allgaier 1836-38 

John  Green 1839 

William  Wunder 1839-42 

Henry  H.  Maurer 1842-45 

John  W.  Tyson 1845-48 

Israel  R.  Laucks 1848-51 

John  Bush 1851-54 

Hiram  S.  Getz 1854^57 

Nicholas  Heckman 1857-60 

Charles  N.  Keller 1860-63 

Isaac  Laucks 1863-66 

Henry  Reider 1866-69 

Daniel  Hummel 1869-72 

Charles  Hill 1872-75 

Jefferson  M.  Keller 1876-78 

Daniel  Zimmerman 1879-81 

Isaac  M.  Bechtel 1882-84 

W.  Benton  Stollz 1885-87 


498 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


REGISTERS. 
Name.  Term. 

James  Bead 1752-74 

Coliinson  Read 1775-76 

Henry  Christ 1777-89 

John  Christ 1790-91 

Jacob  Bower 1792-99 

Peter  Frailey 1800-08 

Jacob  Schneider 1809-17 

Daniel  Rhoads 1818-20;  1824-29 

Peter  Aurand 1821-23 

George  Smith 1830-35 

William  Zieber 1836-38 

JoelRitter 1839-42 

John  Green 1842-45 

Isaac  Ely 1845-48 

Joseph  Ritter 1848-51 

Jacob  Snell 1851-54 

Daniel  Buskirk 1854-57 

Tobias  Barto 1857-60 

Benjamin  E.  Dry 1860-63 

Michael  S.  Thirwechter 1863-66 

J.  Daniel  Wanner 1866-69 

Hiram  S.  Getz 1869-72 

Henry  C.  Croll 1872-75 

Peter  Y.  Edelman 1876-78 

Solomon  S.  Kindt 1879-81 

Jonas  M.Shollenberger 1882-84 

Among.  jS'trunk 1885-87 

CLERKS,  OF  THE  ORPHANS'   COURT. 
Name.  Term. 

James  Read.. 1752-76 

Henry  Christ 1777-88 

James  Scull.... 1789-91 

Jacob  Bower 1792-99 

Peter  Frailey..... 1800-09 

John  M.  Hyneman 1810-15 

John  Addams.... 1816-17 

William  Schoener 1818-22 

Matthias  S.  Riehaj-ds 1823 

Jacob  Sallade 1824-26;  1830-31 

Nathaniel  P.  Hobart 1827-29 

Jacob  Marshall 1832-35 

Henry  Rhoads......,.., 1836-38 

William  H.  Miller , 1839-41 

James  Donagan 1842 

William  Shearer 1842-45 

Zacharias  H.  Maurer 1845-48 

William  W.  Diehl 1848-51 

Charles  J.  Wink 1851-54 

Daniel  Potteiger 1854-57 

Ephraim  Fritz 1857-60 

Daniel  Hahn .....1860-63 

Solomon  Close -.1863-66 

Levi  H.  Liess 1866-69 

Mahlon  F.  Wolff. 1869-72 

Isaac  K.  Knoll 1872-75 

Charles  M.  Clouse :187o-78 


•Ephraim  Dunkle 1879-81 

William  H.  Gilmer1 1882-83 

CLERKS  OF   QUARTER  SESSIONS. 
Name.  Term. 

James  Read 1752-76 

James  Whitehead 1777-78 

Henry  Christ 1779 

Daniel   Levan 1780-91 

George  Eckert 1792-99 

John  S.  Hiester 1800-08 

Gabriel  Hiester,  Jr 1809-12;  1814-17 

John  M.  Hyneman 1813 

Samuel  D.  Franks 1818 

John  Addams 1819-20 

Henry  M.  Richards 1821-22 

Jacob  Marshall 1823 

Jacob  Sallade 1824-26 

Nathaniel  P.  Hobart 1827-29 

Philip  A.  Good 1830-32 

William  Schoener 1833-35 

Charles  Troxell 1836-38 

AVilliam  H.  Miller 1839 

Samuel  Myers 1839-42 

John  L.  Rightmyer 1842-51 

Zacharias  H.  Maurer 1851-54 

Edwin  H.  Brockway 1854-57 

Joseph  S.  Hoyer 1857-60 

James  Bell 1860-63 

Francis  Roland.... 1863-66 

Levi  M.  Gerhart 1866-69 

Adam  H.  Sailor 1869-72 

Jacob  H.  Hain 1872-75 

Mahlon  A.  Sellers 1876-78 

EuochS.  Matthias 1879-81 

Isaac  Eckert 1882-84 

Morris  H.  Shaeffer 1885-87 

SURVEYORS. 

The  office  of  surveyor-general  of  the  State 
was  created  April  9, 1781,  and  the  officer  was 
then  empowered  to  appoint  a  deputy  or  deputies 
in  any  county  of  the  State.  The  first  appoint- 
ment of  a  deputy-surveyor  for  Berks  County 
was  made  in  1800.  One  deputy  was  appointed 
from  that  time  to  1834,  when  two  deputies  were 
appointed.  The  appointment  of  two  was  con- 
tinued till  the  passage  of  the  Act  of  April  9, 
1850,  which  provided  for  the  election  of  a 
county  surveyor  in  October  following  for  the 
term  of  three  years,  and  every  third  year  there- 
after. Since  1850  this  officer  has  been  elected 
by  the  people. 


'Upon  the  establishment  of  a  separata  Orphans'  Court, 
in  1883,  this  officer  was  discontinued,  and  the  register  be- 
came the  clerk,  as  provided  by  law. 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


499 


Name.  Terra. 

Joseph  Hoch 180U-13 

John  M.  Hyneman 1814-22 

Matthias  S.  Richards 1823-34 

Daniel  A.  Bertolette 1835-37 

Thomas  H.  Jones 1837-38 

Aaron  Albright 1838 

Michael  K.  Boyer 1839-44 

Benjamin  Delong 1839-40 

Daniel  J.  Wanner 1841-47 

Daniel  Potteiger 184-5-50 

Samuel  Hoffman 1848-50 

Augustus  F.  Bertolet 1850-56 

Andrew  Kurr 1856-62 

DanielS.  Zacharias 1862-77;  1881 

Henry  C.  Zacharias 1S77-80 

Solomon  K.  Dreibelbis 1882-86 

POOR  DIRECTORS. 

Previous  to  1809  "  overseers "  of  the  poor 
were  appointed  by  the  justices  of  the  county. 
On  March  11,  1809,  an  act  was  passed  author- 
izing the  election  of  the  overseers  annually. 
The  poor  of  the  county  were  provided  for  by 
overseers  till  the  passage  of  an  act  of  Assembly 
on  March  29.  1824,  especially  for  Berks  County, 
which  provided  for  the  election  of  poor  direc- 
tors. At  the  following  election,  in  October  of 
that  year,  three  directors  were  elected  in  pursu- 
ance of  the  act — one  for  one  year,  one  for  two 
years  and  one  for  three  years ;  and  annually 
after  said  election  one  director  was  elected  for 
three  years.  This  law  has  not  been  altered. 
The  directors  appoint  a  steward  and  other 
officers  annually,  to  superintend  and  carry  on 
the  management  of  the  institution  successfully. 
The  board  organizes  annually  on  the  third 
Monday  of  November. 

The  first  seven  directors  named  were  ap- 
pointed by  the  act  to  serve  till  the  election  of 
three  directors  as  required  : 

John  Ritter.  John  Beitenman. 

Jacob  Mast.  Samuel  Addain.i. 

David  Bright.  John  Wanner. 
Abraham  Knabb. 

Nome.  Term. 

John  Beitenman 1824-25 

Daniel  K.  Hottenstein 1824-26 

David  Bright 1824-27 

George  Gernant 1825-28 

JohnLevan 1826-29 

George  Boyer 1827-30 

David  Ludwig  1828-31 

David  Deysher 1823-32 

Henry  Reeser 1830-33;  1835-36 


Daniel  Oyster 1831-34 

Joseph  Schmucker 1832-35 

John  Bickel 1833-35 

Jacob  Gilbert '..1834-37 

John  Filbert 1835-38 

Henry  Schoener 1836-39 

Daniel  Kauffman 1837-38 

William  Fisher 1838-40 

Peter  Fister 1838-41 

Abraham  Kerper 1839-42 

John  Shollenberger 1840-43 

Jacob  W.  Seitzinger 1841-44 

Abraham  Kerper 1842-45 

Daniel  Baum 1843-45 

William  Bertolet 1844-47 

John  Dotterer 1845-46 

Michael  H.  Nunemacher 1845-48 

John  Gernant 1846-49 

Daniel  Sohl 1847^8 

Conrad  Reber 1848-49 

Jacob  S.  Ebling 1848-51 

Peter  Kershner 1849-53 

William  Knabb 1849-52 

William  Arnold 1850-57 

William  Lorah 1852-55 

John  Richards 1853-56 

John  R.  Edelrnan 1855-58 

George  K.  Haag 1856-59 

Jacob  Malsberger 1857-80 

Samuel  Shaner 1858-61 

Samuel  Filbert 1859-62 

Aaron  Getz 1860-66 

R.  F.  Drumheller 1861-64 

Peter  Marshall 1862-75 

Ezra  Z.  Griesemer 1863-67 

George  Lash' 1865-68 

Joseph  Muthart 1866-69 

Silas  W.  Fisher 1867-70 

Daniel  B.  Lorah 1868-71 

Jacob  B.  Mast 1869-72 

Daniel  Y.  Peter 1870-73 

Henry  Ammon 1871-74 

Michael  Goodman 1872-75 

Samuel  Strunk 1873-76 

Isaac  Y.  Beidler 1874-77 

George  Heokman 1875-78 

JohnHerbein 1876-79 

Mahlon  Vogelman 1877-80 

Francis  Roland 1878-81 

John  H.  Bauer 1879-82 

EliasObold 1880-83 

Elias  Bickel 1881-84 

Henry  Shearer 1882-85 

John  P.  F.Marshall 1883-86 

Michael  E.  Geiger 1884-87 

George  Herbein 1885-88 

'Lash  died  in  March,  1868,  and  Eliua  Obold  was  ap- 
pointed on  April  18,  1868,  to  fill  the  unexpired  term. 


500 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


STEWARDS. 
Namo.  Term. 

Abraham  Knabb 1825-32 

Henry  Boyer 1833-37 

Marshall  B.  Campbell 1838 

Daniel  Kauffman 1839-45 

Daniel  Baum 1846-48 

Daniel  Sohl 1849-52 

Jacob  Conrad 1853-68 

Philip  Eagle 1869-70 

Silas  W.  Fisher 1870-77 

Benjamin  Anderson 1878-82 

Reuben  Hetrich 1883-84 

Joseph  Hornberger 1885-86 

MERCANTILE  APPRAISERS. 

Previous  to  1846  only  dealers  in  foreign 
merchandise  were  required  to  take  out  a  county 
license  to  enable  them  to  make  sale  thereof. 
But  on  April  22,  1846,  an  act  was  passed  re- 
quiring all  dealers  in  goods,  wares  and  mer- 
chandise to  take  out  a  county  license,  and 
thereby  the  county  commissioners  of  each 
county  were  empowered  to  appoint  annually  a 
mercantile  appraiser,  who  was  directed  to  as- 
sess and  classify  all  dealers,  and  furnish  a  list  of 
them  to  the  county  treasurer.  From  1830  till 
this  act  was  passed,  the  constables  of  the  town- 
ships, etc.,  of  the  county  furnished  under  oath 
a  list  of  the  foreign  dealers  to  the  clerk  of  the 
Quarter  Sessions,  and  the  associate  judges  and 
county  commissioners  classified  them  and  de- 
livered a  list  to  the  county  treasurer.  Before 
1830  the  foreign  dealers  were  returned  by  the 
constables  to  the  clerk  of  the  Court  of  Quarter 
Sessions  ;  the  clerk  certified  the  returns  to  the 
State  treasurer,  who  forwarded  a  list  to  the 
county  treasurer  for  the  collection  of  the 
license  fees. 

In  Berks  County  the  constables  still  made 
their  returns  for  the  years  1846  and  1847.  The 
county  commissioners  made  the  first  appoint- 
ment for  1848. 

Name.  Term. 

Mahlon  Bertolet 1848 

William  Karns 1849-51 

Adam  Leize 1852 

Solomon  Clo«e 1853 

J.  H.  Kelly 1854 

Isaac  S.  Hottenstein 1855 

Ephraim  Fritz 1856 

Daniel  S.  Kutz 1857 

George  K.  Lorah 1858 


Albert  C.  Henry 1859 

Henry  Reider 1860 

Franklin  S.  Ludwig 1861 

Henry  R.  Hawman 1862 

Elias  Filbert 1863 

David  Lord 1864 

Caspar  H.  Reifsnyder 1865 

William  H.  Kelly 1866 

Andrew  S.  Strassburger 1867 

Joseph  Harvey 1868 

John  C.  Reed 1869 

Alfred  Driebelbis 1870 

Charles  Hill 1871 

Aaron  Snyder 1872 

Charles  Hottenstein 1873 

Abraham  Schaeffer 1874 

Henry  F.  Bush 1875 

Jonathan  L.  Rhoads 1876 

Michael  Seltzer 1877 

Benjamin  Klahr 1878 

Morris  Guldin 1879 

Edward  Schmeltzer 1880 

William  A.  Young 1881 

Levi  J.  Fisher 1882 

George  M.  Fryermuth 1883 

Peter  Spang,  Jr 1884 

JohnStangier 1885 

J.  M.  S.  Stertzler 1886 

SEALERS   OF  WEIGHTS   AND   MEASURES. 

In  1834  a  law  was  enacted  which  required 
the  Governor  to  furnish  the  county  commis- 
sioners of  each  county  with  standards  of  weights 
and  measures,  which  were  to  be  used  for  the 
purpose  of  adjusting  weights  and  measures;  and 
these  standards  were  to  be  examined,  and,  if 
necessary,  corrected  at  least  once  in  every  ten 
years.  The  standards  as  required  were  fur- 
nished to  the  county  commissioners,  and  de- 
posited in  the  court-house  for  the  purpose  in- 
tended. But  there  was  no  provision  for  an 
officer  whose  duty  it  was  to  test  all  weights  and 
measures.  In  1845  this  discrepancy  was  sup- 
plied by  an  act  passed  on  April  15.  It 
authorized  the  Governor  to  appoint  a  sealer  of 
weights  and  measures  for  such  respective 
counties  of  the  State  as  should  apply  for  and 
obtain  copies  of  the  standards,  as  provided  in 
this  act,  for  the  term  of  three  years.  And  it 
was  made  the  duty  of  the  sealer  "  at  least  once 
in  every  year  to  go  to  stores,  houses,  stalls  and 
offices  of  the  makers,  venders,  or  proprietors 
of  beams,  scales,  weights  and  measures  within 
the  county,  and  try  and  adjust  all  beams,  scales, 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


501 


weights  and  measures,  and  seal  the  same  with 
the  initials  of  his  last  or  surname,  and  the  cur- 
rent year."  Under  this  law  the  first  appoint- 
ment was  made  on  June  16, 1853.  This  office, 
however,  became  burdensome  and  offensive  to 
the  people  of  the  county,  and  accordingly  they, 
with  the  people  of  seven  other  counties  of  the 
State — Bucks,  Dauphin,  Lancaster,  Lehigh, 
Montgomery,  Franklin  and  Westmoreland — 
who  felt  similarly  burdened  and  offended,  ef- 
fected the  passage  of  a  special  act  on 
March  22, 1859,  whereby  the  office  within  the 
counties  named  was  abolished.  After  the  lapse 
of  eighteen  years  thereafter  it  would  seem  that 
the  weights  and  measures  of  this  county,  as  well 
as  other  counties  of  the  State,  needed  the  test  of 
the  standards.  So  they  were  brought  to  the 
notice  of  the  people  again  by  the  passage  of  a 
general  law  on  April  4,  1877.  By  it  the  Gov- 
ernor was  authorized  to  appoint  one  person  as 
sealer,  in  the  several  counties  where  no  such 
office  existed,  for  the  term  of  three  years.  The 
first  appointment  under  this  law  was  made 
April  30,  1877.  And  strangely  enough,  as  pre- 
viously, the  office  only  survived  six  years,  and 
was  again  abolished,  an  act  for  this  purpose 
having  been  passed  on  March  8,  1883.  The 
standards  are,  therefore,  not  carried  around 
throughout  the  whole  county  to  remind  the 
dealers  and  store-keepers  that  they  must  at 
least  give  trve  measure,  if  not  good,  pressed 
down  and  running  over.  The  market  com- 
missioner of  Reading,  who  visits  the  markets 
under  the  city  ordinance,  is  the  only  tester  now 
with  the  standards.     The  sealers  were  : 

Name.  Term. 

Michael  S.  Thirwechter 1853-54 

Solomon  Spohn 1855-57 

George  K.  Boyer 1858 

William  Geiger1 1877-78 

Matthew  Rhoda 1879-81 

James  D.  Long 1882 

PRISON  INSPECTORS. 

The  first  county  prison  was  erected  in 
1770.  It  stands  at  the  northwest  corner  of 
Fifth  and  Washington  Streets,  Reading,  still  in 
good  condition.2    Under  the  law  then  prevail- 


1  Resigned  January  6,  1879.      , 

2  Upon  the  completion  of  the  ''  New  Prison,"  at  the  head 


ing,  the  sheriff  had  control  of  the  prison  during 
his  official  term,  and  he  was  authorized  to  ap- 
point keepers.  This  practice  continued  till  the 
passage  of  the  act  of  April  8,  1848,  expressly 
for  Berks  County,  whereby  seven  prison  inspec- 
tors were  to  be  appointed,  four  by  the  judges  of 
the  Court  of  Quarter  Sessions,  and  three  by 
the  county  commissioners,  who  were  to  com- 
prise the  "  Board  of  Inspectors,"  the  terms  of 
office  to  be  as  follows  :  For  three,  three  years  ; 
two,  two  years ;  and  two  one  year  ;  and  after- 
ward, all  terms  three  years.  The  inspectors 
were  authorized  to  appoint,  with  sanction  of  the 
court,  a  keeper,  matron,  etc.  This  act  of  As- 
sembly continued  in  force  till  the  passage  of  the 
act  of  April  10,  1873,  wherby  nine  inspectors 
were  to  be  elected  at  the  next  regular  election, 
when  each  elector  was  to  vote  for  six  candi- 
dates, and  the  nine  highest  to  be  the  inspectors. 
The  elected  candidates  were  to  draw  lots  for 
one,  two  and  three  years.  And  annually  there- 
after, three  inspectors  were  to  be  elected  for 
three  years,  the  electors  to  vote  for  two,  and 
the  three  having  the  highest  vote  to  be  the 
inspectors. 

The  following  persons  were  the  first  inspec- 
tors under  the  act  of  1848  : 

(Appointed  by  the  Court  August  7,  1848.) 
Name.  Term. 

Jacob  Lightfoot 3  years. 

J.  Glancy  Jones 3  years. 

William  Heidenreich 2  years. 

Thomas  Shaner 1  year. 

(Appointed  by  County  Commissioners  August  10,  1848.) 
Name.  Term. 

John  Banks 3  years. 

Henry  Nagle 2  years. 

Charles  Kessler 1  year. 

Inspectors  appointed  from  1848  to  1873. 

Name.  Term. 

Jacob  Lightfoot 1848-57 

J.  Glancy  Jones 1848-51 

William  Heidenreich 1848-50 

Thomas  Shaner 1848-55 

John  Banks 1848-49 

Henry  Nagle 1848-59 

Charles  Kessler 1848-51 

William  Peacock 1849-51 

of  Penn  Street,  in  1847,  the  prisoners  were  removed 
thither,  and  the  "Old  Prison"  was  sold  and  converted 
into  a  store-building. 


502 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


David  Fister 1850-53 

J.  Bowman  Bell 1851-57 

Lewis  Briner 1851-64 

Samuel  Frees 1851-54 

David  Kutz 1853-68 

William  Henry 1854-60 

Jacob  Dick 1855-57 

Daniel  Young 1857-66 

Abr.  D.  Hill 1857-66 

Levi  B.  Smith 1858 

James  Lee 1858-64 

Jacob  Young 1859-71 

Samuel  Summons 1860-72 

Charles  H.  Fritz 1864-70 

Henry  Z.  Van  Reed 1864-70 

J.  Glancy  Jones .....1864-68 

David  McKnight 1864-70 

David  L.  Wenrich 1868-71 

Amos  Weiler 1868-69 

Calvin  Goodman 1869-72 

Peter  A.  Kline 1869-72 

George  Lerch 1870-73 

Joseph  Ganser 1871-73 

W.  B.  Griesemer 1872-73 

William  K.  Grim 1872-73 

Isaac  R.  Fisher 1872-73 

Benjamin  Levan 1873 

Jacob  Miller 1873 

Elected  Under  Act  1873. 
The  first  nine  named  comprised  the  1st 
board  elected  in  1873.  After  organization,  on 
the  1st  day  of  December,  lots  were  cast  for  the 
terms  of  these  inspectors.  The  board  organizes 
annually  on  the  1st  day  of  December. 

Name.  Term. 

John  Gernant (1  yr.)  1873-74;  1874-77 

William  Stump (1  yr.)  1873-74;  1874-77 

S.  Schmehl (1  yr.)  1873-74;  1878-81 

Samuel  Buch (2  yrs.)  1873-75 

Amendon  Bright (2  yrs.)  1873-75 

William  Herbst (2  yrs.)  1873-75 

W.  J.Lyon (3  yrs.)  1873-76;  1876-79 

Tobias  Barto (3  yrs.)  1873-76 

Jacob  Miller (3  yrs.)  1873-74 

Calvin  Goodman 1875-77 

Peter  Rapp 1874-77 

Jacob  Shaffner 1875-78 

Peter  A.  Kline 1875-78 

Peter  L.  Hain 1875-78 

James  T.  Reber 1876-79 

William  S.  Ritter 1877-82 

AdamMinnich 1877-80 

Daniel  L.  Rhoads 1877-80 

David  Brown 1877-80 

Josiah  Boltz 1878-81 

Isaac  H.  Rahn 1878-81 

Lewis  L.  Moyer 1879-82 


John  Stieff. 1879-82 

Adam  H.  Potteiger 1880-83 

Charles  S.  Wentzel 1880-83 

Milton  T.  Donmoyer 1880-83 

William  D.  Klopp 1881-84 

William  A.  Schall 1881-84 

William  W.  Lewis 1881-82 

William  Schweitzer 1882-84 

John  Obold 1882-85;  1885-88 

Henry  Rieger 1882-85;  1885-88 

Jacob  S.  Wisler 1882-85 

John  S.  Wenrich 1883-86 

Samuel  H.  Mensch 1883-86 

Dallas  Leinbach 1883-86 

John  B.  Clemmer 1884-87 

William  H.  Seitzinger 1884-87 

D.  D.  Hinterleiter 1884-87 

PRISON  WARDENS. 
Name.  Term. 

Mahlon  Bertolet 1849-53 

Dr.  Henry  Tyson 1853-65 

Joseph  Ganser 1865-70 

DanielS.  Francis 1870-73 

Thomas  Will 1873-76 

Isaac  K.  Knoll 1876-79 

Adam  B.  Brossman 1879-82 

Dr.  R.B.  Rhoads 1882-85 

Aaron  M.  Wenrich 1885 

SUPERINTENDENTS   OF   COMMON  SCHOOLS. 

Numerous  legislative  attempts  were  made  to 
popularize  and  thoroughly  introduce  public 
education.  Fifty  years  were  spent  in  endeavors 
to  educate  the  poorer  classes  of  children  by 
proposed  taxation,  with  comparatively  little 
progress.  Finally,  an  act  was  passed  May  8, 
1854,  which  made  proceedings  in  this  behalf 
compulsory,  and  authorized  a  school  tax  to  be 
levied,  directors  to  be  elected,  etc.  And  to  see 
that  the  branches  of  a  common  education  were 
properly  taught,  teaching  directed,  established 
graded  schools  maintained,  and  uniformity  in 
course  of  studies  preserved,  a  county  superin- 
tendent was  to  be  elected  for  a  term  of  three 
years  by  all  the  directors  of  the  county.  Since 
1854  the  system  of  education  provided  by  the 
State  has  been  carried  on  successfully  in  the 
county  by  school  directors  and  a  county  super- 
intendent. 

The  school  affairs  of  the  city  of  Reading  are 
under  the  supervision  of  a  board  of  school 
controllers  and  a  city  superintendent. 

The  county  superintendents  were : 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


503 


Nairn.'.  Term, 

William  A.  Good 1854-60 

JohnS.  Ermentrout 1860-69 

David  B.  Brunner 1869-75 

Samuel  A.  Baer 1875-81 

DavidS.  Keck 1881-84;  1884--87 

JURY  COMMISSIONERS. 

Before  1867  the  jurors  for  the  trial  of  cases 
in  the  several  courts  of  the  county  were  se- 
lected from  the  qualified  electors  by  the  county 
commissioners  and  the  sheriff.  On  April  10, 
1867,  a  gsneral  act  was  passed  for  the  State  re- 
quiring the  election  of  two  jury  commissioners 
in  October  following,  for  the  term  of  three  years, 
and  every  third  year  thereafter,  for  the  purpose 
of  selecting  jurors  from  the  qualified  electors. 
The  act  provides  that  each  elector  shall  vote 
for  one  person  for  this  office,  and  the  two  per- 
sons having  the  highest  vote  shall  be  the  com- 
missioners. They  are  to  select  a  number  des- 
ignated by  the  court,  and  place  the  names  in  a 
jury  wheel  in  the  presence  of  a  judge  of  the 
court;  and  they  and  the  sheriff  are  to  draw 
panels  of  jurors  as  grand,  petit,  and  traverse 
jurors  for  the  county  as  theretofore.  The  num- 
ber generally  designated  for  the  jury  wheel  pre- 
vious to  1875  was  a  thousand  names;  then, 
upon  the  introduction  of  an  additional  law 
judge,  the  number  was  increased  to  twelve 
hundred.  Since  1867  the  jurors  for  the  quar- 
terly term3  of  the  ssveral  courts  of  the  county 
were  selected  and  drawn  as  mentioned,  by  the 
following  commissioners,  who  were  elected  for 
that  purpose : 

George  W.  Bruckman  1  1867-70 

Charles  J.  Faber  > 

Zaeharias  H.  Maurer  1  1870-73 

Joseph  Brelsford         J 

Israel  R.  Laucks  \  _   1873-76 

Samuel  U.  Hollenbach  > 

Michael  K.  Boyer  I  1877-79 

Beuben  Bhoads     > 

Henry  Graul 

Edwin  H.  Harner1    f  1880-82 

Jacob  K.  Sterrett     ) 

Cosmos  Swoyer  j 1883-85 

John  B.  Snyder  j 

William  G.  Welder  )  _   1886-88 

Daniel  Sheirer  > 

1  Edwin  H.  Harner  removed  from  the  county,  and  J.  K. 
Sterrett  was  appointed  February  26,  1881,  for  unexpired 
term. 


LICENSE  COMMISSIONERS. 

In  1676  the  Duke  of  York's  Laws  required 
a  license  to  enable  a  person  to  sell  liquors  in  the 
province  of  Pennsylvania.  This  was  granted 
by  two  justices  of  the  peace  in  the  Quarter  Ses- 
sions, for  the  term  of  one  year,  upon  the  appli- 
cant furnishing  "  a  certificate  of  his  good  be- 
havior from  the  constable  and  two  overseers  of 
the  parish "  wherein  he  dwelt.  In  1710  the 
law  required  the  application  to  be  recommended 
by  the  justices  of  the  county  courts  to  the 
Governor,  who  issued  the  license.  The  number 
was  unlimited.  But  in  1794  the  law  required 
the  judges  of  the  Quarter  Sessions,  at  the  first 
session  of  every  year  thereafter,  to  limit  and 
declare  the  number  of  taverns  and  public-houses 
to  be  licensed  for  the  year  following  ;  and  the 
judges  were  to  have  "regard  to  the  particular 
neighborhoods  and  situations  the  most  suitable 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  inhabitants  and 
travelers."  The  Governor  still  granted  the 
licenses  upon  the  proper  recommendation  ;  and 
he  continued  to  grant  them  till  the  passage  of 
the  act  of  March  8,  1815,  when  the  judges  of 
the  Quarter  Sessions  issued  them,  upon  the 
recommendation  of  the  applicant  by  twelve 
reputable  citizens  of  the  district  in  which  the 
tavern  was  to  be  kept.  On  April  23,  1869,  an 
act  of  Assembly  was  specially  passed  for  Berks 
County,  whereby  a  Board  of  License  Commis- 
sioners was  created  to  issue  licenses.  The  first 
board  was  composed  of  three  members  :  the 
district  attorney,  in  office  ex  officio ;  one  mem- 
ber appointed  by  the  judges  of  the  Quarter  Ses- 
sions for  a  term  ending  February,  1871;  and 
the  third  by  the  county  commissioners  for  a  term 
ending  February,  1873.  And  every  two  years 
after  1869  the  court  or  commissioners  were 
authorized  to  appoint  a  person  for  a  term  of 
four  years.  Licenses  in  the  county  were  accord- 
ingly issued  annually  by  this  board  till  the  law 
was  repealed,  May  5,  1876.  In  the  year  pre- 
vious, on  April  12, 1875,  a  general  law  to  re- 
strain and  regulate  the  sale  of  liquors  was 
passed  by  the  Legislature  for  the  State,  except- 
ing in  those  counties  for  which  special  provis- 
ion was  made.  After  the  repeal  of  the  act  of 
1869,  the  Court  of  Quarter  Sessions  issued 
licenses  pursuant  to  the  act  of  1875.     And  this 


504 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


is  the  law  under  which  the   licenses  are  still 
issued. 

In  respect  to  licenses,  a  general  act  was  passed 
March  27,  1872,  "to  permit  the  voters  of  this 
State  to  vote  every  three  years  on  the  question 
of  granting  licenses  to  sell  intoxicating  liquors." 
The  time  for  the  first  general  election  on  theques- 
tion,  in  every  city  and  county,  was  fixed  for  the 
third  Friday  in  March,  1873,  and  every  third  year 
thereafter  on  the  day  for  the  annual  municipal 
elections.  It  will  be  observed  that  the  time  was  set 
in  the  spring  of  the  year  in  order  to  obtain  the 
expression  of  political  sentiment  uninfluenced  by 
the  general  tide  of  opinion  of  the  fall  elections. 
One  election  was  held,  but  before  the  first  three 
years  had  expired  the  act  was  repealed,  on  April 
12,  1875. 

The  board,  during  the  seven  years  in  which 
the  act  prevailed,  comprised  the  following  mem- 
bers : 

(Ex-officio,  being  the  District  Attorneys.) 
Name.  Term. 

Edward  H.  Shearer 1869-71 

Peter  D.  Wanner 1871-74 

Henry  C.  G.  Reber 1874-76 

Appointees. 
Name.  Term. 

Richard  Ludwig 1869-75 

John  H.Snyder 1869-73 

William  Heins 1873-76 

EliasObold 1875-76 

OIL  INSPECTOR. 

The  office  of  oil  inspector  was  created  by  the 
act  of  May  15,  1874,  "  to  provide  for  the  better 
security  of  life  and  property  from  the  dangers 
of  coal  and  petroleum  oils."  By  this  act  the 
standard  or  fire  test  of  all  burning-fluids  was 
fixed  at  one  hundred  and  ten  degrees  Fahren- 
heit. The  inspector  is  appointed  by  the  Court 
of  Common  Pleas  of  the  county  for  the  term 
of  three  years ;  and  he  is  required  to  furnish 
security  in  ten  thousand  dollars  for  the  faithful 
discharge  of  his  duties.  The  first  appointment 
was  made  in  August,  1877. 

Charles  A.  Z.  Griesemer  was  the  first  inspec- 
tor. He  was  reappointed  in  1880,  and  again 
in  1883. 


Biographical  Sketches  of  Congressmen, 

Foreign  Ministers,  Delegates  to 

State  Conventions  and 

State  Officials. 

CONGRESSMEN. 

Daniel  Hiester  was  born  in  Bern  town- 
ship, Berks  County,  in  1747.  He  obtained  a 
good  English  education  and  became  a  prosper- 
ous business  man.  He  moved  to  Montgomery 
County,  where  during  the  Revolution  he  took 
an  active  and  patriotic  part.  He  was  chosen  a 
colonel  and  afterwards  a  brigadier-general  of 
militia,  and  was  in  the  service  for  a  considerable 
time.  In  1784  he  was  elected  to  the  Supreme 
Executive  Council  of  Pennsylvania,  and  in  1787 
was  appointed  a  commissioner  of  the  Connecti- 
cut land  claims.  After  the  Revolutionary 
War  he  returned  to  Berks  County  and  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  First,  Second,  Third 
and  Fourth  Congresses  of  the  United  States. 
After  this  he  removed  to  Hagerstown,  Md., 
and  was  elected  from  that  State  a  member  of  the 
Seventh  and  Eighth  Congresses.  During  his 
attendance  upon  the  Eighth  Congress  he  died  at 
"Washington,  March  8,  1804.  He  was  one  of 
those  who  voted  for  locating  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment on  the  Potomac. 

Joseph  Hiester,  a  Congressman  for  many 
years.  (See  sketch  as  a  Governor  of  State,  with 
State  Officials). 

Mathias  Reichert  was  of  German  parent- 
age. His  grandfather,  John  Frederick  Reichert, 
was  born  in  Augsburg,  Kingdom  of  "Wiirtem- 
berg ;  emigrated  to  Pennsylvania,  landing  May 
24,  1720;  settled  at  New  Hanover,  in  Mont- 
gomery County  ;  took  up  one  hundred  and  fifty 
acres  of  land,  and  died  there  in  1748,  leaving  a 
wife  Anna  Maria,  and  three  children,— Casper, 
Mathias  and  Hannah.  Mathias  was  born  in 
1719  and  died  March  25,  1775,  aged  fifty-six 
years,  and  left  three  sons  and  three  daughters. 
The  youngest  son  was  Judge  Reichert,  born 
February  26,  1758.  He  married  Maria  Sa- 
lome, daughter  of  Henry  M.  Muhlenberg,  May 
2,  1782.  They  had  five  sons  and  four  daughters. 
He  spent  much  of  his  life  at  Colebrookdale as  a 
farmer,  scrivener  and  justice  of  the  peace.  He 
first  served  as  one  of  the  court  justices  under 
the    Constitution    of    1776 ;    was    appointed 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


505 


associate  judge  of  Berks  County  under  the  Con- 
stitution of  1790  and  served  until  1797.  In 
1802  he  moved  to  Reading  to  fill  an  appoint- 
ment as  collector  of  excise,  and  in  1807  was 
elected  to  the  United  States  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives to  succeed  Governor  Joseph  Hioster ; 
was  re-elected  in  1809  and  served  until  1811. 
He  held  the  commission  as  a  justice  of  the 
peace  for  forty-two  years  and  died  in  1830, 
highly  respected  by  the  entire  community. 

John  M.  Hynemast  was  a  resident  of  Read- 
ing. He  was  a  representative  in  the  State 
Legislature  from  Berks  County  in  1809,  filled 
the  position  of  clerk  of  the  Orphans'  Court 
from  1810  to  1815,  and  was  county  surveyor 
from  1813  to  1816.  He  was  elected  a  repre- 
sentative in  Congress  by  the  Berks  District  in 
1810,  and  re-elected  in  October,  1812,  serving 
from  1811  to  1813,  when  he  resigned,  and 
General  Daniel  Udree  was  elected  to  fill  the 
vacancy.  He  died  in  April,  1816,  aged  forty- 
five  years. 

Daniel  Udree  was  born  in  Philadelphia 
August  5, 1751.  He  removed  to  Berks  County, 
and  settled  in  Oley  township,  where  he  became 
extensively  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  iron. 
He  operated  the  Oley  Furnace  and  Rockland 
Forges  very  successfully  for  over  thirty  years, 
owning,  in  connection  with  those  industries, 
several  thousand  acres  of  land.  He  was  estab- 
lished in  business  by  his  uncle,  Jacob  Winey,  a 
prominent  capitalist  and  merchant  of  Philadel- 
phia. 

He  was  enlisted  in  the  Revolutionary  War 
for  several  years,  commanding  a  regiment  at 
the  battle  of  Brandywine,  where  his  horse  was 
shot  under  him.  He  took  an  active  part  in 
the  local  militia  for  many  years,  and  served  the 
office  of  major-general  for  one  term  of  seven 
years  about  1815. 

He  represented  Berks  County  in  the  General 
Assembly  from  1799  to  1803,  and  also  for  the 
year  1805,  and  while  there  showed  an  earnest 
interest  in  legislation  relative  to  public  internal 
improvements  in  the  State.  He  was  the  repre- 
sentative in  Congress  for  the  Berks  District  for 
two  terms,  from  1813  to  1815,  and  from  1823 
to  1825.  Whilst  at  Washington  during  his 
last  term   in   Congress,  John   Quincy  Adams 


was  elected  President.  Shortly  before  the  elec- 
tion he  attended  a  party  which  was  given  by 
Mrs.  Adams,  and  she,  in  a  quiet,  pleasant  way, 
alluded  to  the  probable  support  which  her  hus- 
band would  receive  from  the  representatives 
from  Pennsylvania.  "Yes,"  said  he  to  her, 
"  we  are  like  the  handle  of  a  jug,  all  on  one 
side,"  intimating  politely  that  the  great  majority 
of  them  were  for  General  Jackson.  He  died 
July  15,  1828,  leaving  a  large  estate.  He  was 
the  last  really  prominent  and  representative 
man  who  lived  in  Oley,  and  one  of  the  few 
Congressmen  selected  from  the  country  districts 
of  the  county.  In  personal  appearance,  he  was 
a  well-developed  man,  rather  below  the  medium 
height,  and  his  conversational  manner  was 
quick  and  nervous. 

Ludwig  Worman  was  a  native  of  Bucks 
County,  Pa.  He  removed  to  Berks  County 
early  in  life,  and  carried  on  the  tanning  busi- 
ness in  Earl  township.  He  was  elected  to 
Congress  for  the  term  1821  to  1823,  and  died 
October  17,  1822,  while  a  member  of  that 
body. 

William  Addams  was  born  on  the  9th  of 
March,  1777,  in  Lancaster  County,  Pa. ;  re- 
moved to  Berks  County  early  in  life,  and  served 
as  county  auditor  during  the  years  1813  and 
1814;  was  county  commissioner  from  1814  to 
1817;  member  of  the  State  Legislature  from 
1822  to  1824,  and  associate  judge  of  Berks 
Cduuty  from  1839  to  1842,  having  succeeded 
the  Hon.  William  Darling  by  appointment 
from  Governor  David  R.  Porter. 

He  was  a  Representative  in  Congress  from 
Berks  County  from  1825  to  1829,  and  ren- 
dered efficient  service  on  a  committee  for  the 
Deaf  and  Dumb  Institutions  of  the  States  of 
New  York  and  Ohio.  He  was  a  man  of  exem- 
plary habits,  highly  respected  and  honored  by 
those  who  knew  him,  and  held  many  local  posi- 
tions of  trust  and  responsibility.  He  was 
esteemed  for  his  "  sterling  integrity,  good  sense 
and  unostentatious  sincerity  of  purpose."  For 
many  years  he  was  captain  of  the  "  Reading 
Troop,"  which,  under  his  discipline,  was  the 
pride  of  the  county.  He  died  at  his  residence 
in  Spring  township,  this  county,  March  31, 
1858,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-one  years. 


506 


HISTOEY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Henry  A.  Muhlenberg,  a  Congressman 
from  1829  to  1838.  (For  sketch,  see  biographies 
of  Foreign  Ministers.) 

John  Ritter,  a  Congressman  from  1843  to 
1847.      (See  sketch  in  chapter  on  Newspapers.) 

William  Strong,  a  Congressman  from  1847 
to  1853.  (See  sketch  with  biographies  of  State 
Officials.) 

J.  Glancy  Jones,  a  Congressman  from 
1851  to  1858.  (See  sketch  with  biographies  of 
Foreign  Ministers.) 

Henry  A.  Muhlenberg1  was  born  at 
Reading,  Pa.,  July  21,1823.  He  was  the  son  of 
Henry  Augustus  Muhlenberg  and  Rebecca, 
daughter  of  Governor  Joseph  Hiester.  His 
preliminary  education  was  acquired  under  the 
direction  of  his  father.  At  the  age  of  fourteen 
he  entered  Jefferson  College, at  Canonsburg,  Pa., 
where  he  remained  one  year,  passing  thence  to 
Dickinson  College,  where  he  entered  the  sopho- 
more class,  and  was  graduated  in  1841.  He  was 
a  close  student,  especially  of  the  classics  and  of 
history.  He  passed  three  years,  from  1841  to 
1844,  in  the  office  of  his  preceptor,  Hon.  J. 
Pringle  Jones,  engaged  in  the  study  of  the  law. 

During  his  father's  candidacy  for  Governor,  in 
1844,  he  displayed  marked  ability  as  his  private 
secretary,  and  conducted  all  his  father's  corre- 
spondence during  the  canvass.  In  1846,  when 
the  Mexican  War  broke  out,  he  raised  a  com- 
pany of  volunteers  in  Reading,  and  personally 
tendered  their  services  to  the  Governor,  but  the 
complement  of  Pennsylvania  having  already 
been  filled,  the  offer  was  declined.  In  the 
County  Convention  of  1846,  he,  with  his  brother 
Hiester,  the  president  of  that  body,  was  mainly 
instrumental  in  causing  the  adoption  of  a  res- 
olution approving  of  the  principles  of  the  tariff 
of  1842,  and  demanding  that,  as  it  was  passed 
by  Democratic  votes,  it  should  receive  a  fair 
consideration  from  a  Democratic  Congress.  He 
also  delivered  a  speech  in  the  same  body  on  the 
Oregon  question,  in  which  he  strongly  favored 
the  claims  of  the  United  States  to  all  that  dis- 
trict of  country  lying  south  of  the  parallel  of 
54°  40'.  In  1847  and  1848  he  was  occupied  in 
writing  a  "  Life  of  General  Peter  Muhlenberg,"of 


1  "  Biog.  Ency.  of  Penna.' 


Revolutionary  fame,  which  was  published  early 
in  1849,  by  Cary  &  Hart,  Philadelphia,  and 
was  well  received.  It  was  dedicated  to  Jared 
Sparks,  as  a  slight  recognition  of  his  services 
in  elucidating  our  Revolutionary  history. 

In  the  fall  of  1 849  he  was  elected  to  the  Leg- 
islature from  Berks  County,  and  served  three 
years.  He  there  acquired  a  reputation  for  in- 
tegrity, eloquence  and  business  ability.  Shortly 
after  taking  his  seat  he  delivered  a  speech 
on  the  supplement  to  the  act  incorporating 
the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  Com- 
pany, which  greatly  influenced  the  Senate  in 
its  decision  to  pass  the  measure.  During  the 
second  part  of  his  Senatorial  career  he  was  the 
Democratic  candidate  for  Speaker,  though  the 
youngest  member  of  that  House,  his  competitor 
on  the  Whig  side  being  Hon.  John  H.  Walker,  of 
Erie  (the  president  of  the  Constitutional  Conven- 
tion of  1872-73).  The  Senate  then  contained 
sixteen  Whigs,  sixteen  Democrats  and  one  Native 
American,  and  a  majority  of  all  who  voted  was 
required  to  elect.  On  the  eighth  ballot,  and  on 
the  third  day,  when  it  was  evident  that  no 
choice  could  be  made,  unless  the  Whig  candi- 
date should  vote  for  himself,  the  Democratic 
candidate,  together  with  Messrs.  Packer  and 
Guernsey,  also  Democrats,  out  of  political 
courtesy,  abstained  from  voting.  Throughout 
the  whole  contest  the  two  candidates  respectively 
voted  for  Thomas  Carson  and  William  F. 
Packer.  As  chairman  of  a  select  committee,  to 
which  was  referred  that  portion  of  Governor 
Johnston's  message  for  1851  treating  of  the 
care  and  preservation  of  the  State  archives,  Mr. 
Muhlenberg  reported  a  bill,  which  became  a 
law,  for  the  publication,  at  the  expense  of  the 
State,  of  the  records  of  the  proprietary  govern- 
ment and  of  all  papers  relating  to  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  down  to  1783.  He  was  greatly 
instrumental  in  seouring  the  passage  of  an  act 
making  an  appropriation  to  continue  the  geolog- 
ical survey  of  the  State,  conducted  by  Professor 
Rogers.  He  favored  also  the  building  of  new 
railroads  to  develop  the  resources  of  the  com- 
monwealth, though  he  was  apposed  to  the  State 
granting  any  direct  aid  to  these  objects.  During 
the  whole  of  his  Senatorial  term,  he  was,  in  the 
words  of  Hon.  C.  R.  Buckalew,  "  The  bulwark 


tfyfifacjy^ 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


507 


of  the  treasury  against  the  assaults  of  outside 
interested  parties."  He  was  outspoken  in  de- 
fense of  a  tariff  of  such  amount  and  so  levied  as 
to  protect  the  great  manufacturing  interests  of 
country.  He  also  thought  that  as  iron  was  an 
indispensable  requisite  for  any  nation,  to  pro- 
vide against  the  contingency  of  a  war,  and  to 
render  the  United  States  independent  of  any 
other  country,  that  a  high,  though  not  a  pro- 
hibitory duty  should  be  imposed  on  that  article. 

In  the  Senate  and  in  the  County  Conven- 
tions he,  in  connection  with  Judge  Strong  and 
other  distinguished  Democrats,  demanded  a 
modification  of  the  tariff  of  1846,  in  favor  of 
the  iron  interest,  in  accordance  with  the  views  of 
Hon.  Robert  J.  Walker,  the  author  of  that 
tariff — views  expressed  at  the  time  of  its  passage. 
He  was  an  earnest  opponent  of  slavery,  and 
considered  it  "a  curse  to  that  community  on 
which  it  was  inflicted ;  no  one  could  dislike  it 
more  than  he  did,  nor  did  he  ever  wish  to  be 
thought  the  friend  and  advocate  of  the  institu- 
tion." In  his  devotion,  however,  to  the  Union, 
and  in  his  desire  to  do  away  with  all  causes 
which  might  inflame  one  section  of  the  country 
against  the  other,  looking  upon  the  compromise 
measures  of  1850  as  a  solemn  compact  between 
the  North  and  South,  he  thought  those  measures 
and  the  laws  resulting  from  them  should  be 
executed  fully,  honestly  and  completely.  His 
devotion  to  the  Union  was  one  of  the  cardinal 
principles  of  his  political  faith.  The  words 
used  by  his  father  in  Congress,  at  the  time  of 
Clay's  compromise  act  of  1833,  might  be  placed 
in  his  mouth  also, — "  The  Union  is  the  first  and 
greatest  of  our  national  blessings,  and  to  pre- 
serve it,  nothing  can  or  ought  to  be  too  precious. 
I  go  for  the  Union,  the  whole  Union  and  no- 
thing but  the  Union.  It  must  be  preserved, 
peaceably,  if  we  can,  forcibly,  if  we  must." 

No  one  who  knew  him  intimately  can  doubt 
for  a  moment  that  he  would  have  been  foremost 
in  the  van  of  those  Democrats  who,  in  the  hour 
of  greatest  danger,  rushed  to  the  rescue  of  their 
government  and  of  their  Union  if  he  had  then 
lived. 

At  such  a  time  he  would  not  have  been  be- 
hind his  brother  Hiester,  or  his  uncle,  Dr.  F. 
A.  Muhlenberg,  of  Lancaster,  in  forming  that 


party  which,  in  their  opinion,  held  the  true 
Democratic  doctrine,  in  that  it  advocated  the 
greatest  good  to  the  greatest  masses.  In  July, 
1852,  he  was  nominated  by  acclamation  the 
Democratic  candidate  for  Congress  in  Berks 
County,  and  was  elected  the  following  October 
by  a  large  majority.  He  left  Reading  late  in 
November,  1853,  for  Washington,  and  was 
present  at  the  opening  of  the  thirty-fourth  Con- 
gress, but  had  scarcely  taken  his  seat  when  he  was 
stricken  down  by  illness.  Everything  was  done 
for  him  that  was  possible  and  it  was  believed  at 
one  time  that  he  was  materially  improved,  but 
a  relapse  occurred  and  he  died  January  9, 
1854,  of  hemorrhage  and  congestion  of  the 
lungs.  His  remains  were  laid  to  rest  in  the 
"  Charles  Evans  Cemetery,"  near  Reading. 

He  was  a  warm  and  true  friend ;  no  act  of 
kindness  was  ever  forgotten  by  him,  and  noth- 
ing within  the  limits  of  possibility  was  deemed 
too  difficult  when  done  in'  the  cause  of  a  friend. 
His  fearlessness  in  all  departments  of  life  was 
one  of  the  most  marked  traits  of  his  character  ; 
he  never  shunned  bearing  the  responsibility  of 
any  of  his  actions  ;  he  did  what  he  considered  his 
duty,  no  matter  what  the  consequences  might  be. 
Above  all,  throughout  all  of  his  public  life  he 
was  a  man  of  unswerving  integrity  and  un- 
blemished honor ;  he  would  do  nothing,  however 
great  the  inducements  to  the  contrary,  which 
could  lower  himself  in  his  own  esteem  or  in 
that  of  others. 

His  standard  was  a  very  high  one,  and  when 
he  believed  himself  to  be  right,  no  power  on 
earth  could  divert  him  from  the  path  which 
honor,  good  faith,  good  feeling  and  his  own 
judgment  pointed  out.  He  possessed  an  ample 
fortune,  from  which  he  was  ever  ready  to  con- 
tribute to  all  objects,  whether  charitable,  relig- 
ious, political  or  literary,  which  deserved  his 
support. 

As  a  citizen  of  Reading,  he  was  foremost  in 
advancing,  by  pen,  tongue  and  purse,  all  projects 
which  could  benefit  or  increase  the  prosperity  of 
his  native  place. 

Had  he  lived,  he  would  have  written  his 
name  on  the  historical  records  of  his  country, 
and  would  have  impressed  his  character  on  her 
legislation  j    cut  off  untimely  in  the  flower  of 


508 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


his  youth,  and  in  the  very  maturity  of  his 
powers,  his  loss  was  a  great  calamity  to  the 
commonwealth.  He  married,  in  November, 
1847,  his  cousin,  Annie  H.,  daughter  of  the  late 
Dr.  F.  A.  Muhlenberg,  of  Lancaster,  Pa., 
and  a  son  and  only  child  survives  him, — Henry 
A.  Muhlenberg,  a  member  of  the  Reading  bar. 


GEORGE  MAY  KEIM 

George  May  Keim  was  the  sou  ot  Gen- 
eral George  de  Benneville  Keim.  He  was  born 
at  Eeading  on  March  23,  1805,  and  educated  at 
home  and  at  "  Bentley  Hall,"  the  school  of 
Joshua  Hoopes,  at  Downingtown,  Chester 
County,  Pa.  He  then  studied  law  under 
Charles  Chauncey,  Esq.,  at  Philadelphia,  where 
he  was  admitted  to  practice  on  June  5,  1826, 
and  on  August  11th  following  he  was  admitted 
to  practice  in  the  several  courts  of  Berks 
County. 

In  1827  he  was  elected  cashier  of  the  Farm- 
•ers'  Bank  of  Eeading,  his  uncle,  Benneville 
Keim,  having  then  been  the  president,  which  po- 
sition he  held  till  1836.  In  1829  he  was  com- 
missioner, and  afterwards  for  some  years  a 
manager,  of  the  Mill  Creek  and  Mine  Hill 
Navigation  and  Railroad  Company. 

Mr.  Keim  took  an  active  interest  in  the  de- 
velopment of  Reading.     In  this  behalf  he  en- 


couraged enterprises  of  various  kinds.  He 
aided  in  the  erection  of  the  pioneer  rolling-mill 
and  nail-works  by  Keims,  Whitaker  &  Co. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Jones,  Keim  & 
Co.,  who  carried  on  the  Windsor  Furnace,  in 
Windsor  township.  This  firm  became  celebra- 
brated  for  its  fine  castings  made  directly  from 
the  iron-ore.  Among  other  distinguished  rep- 
resentations, it  cast  "  The  Last  Supper,"  after 
Leonardo  da  Vinci,  which  was  highly  compli- 
mented. 

Military  matters  in  the  county  won  his  atten- 
tion, and  he  was  identified  with  them  actively 
for  many  years.  In  1830  he  was  elected  cap- 
tain of  the  Reading  Artillerists,  succeeding  his 
uncle,  Captain  Daniel  de  B.  Keim.  Shortly 
afterward  he  was  chosen  colonel  of  the  Fifty- 
third  Regiment  of  Pennsylvania  Militia;  and, 
in  1835,  he  was  elevated  to  the  office  of  major- 
general  of  the  Sixth  Division  of  Pennsylvania 
Militia,  which  included  the  companies  of  Berks, 
Schuylkill,  Dauphin  and  Lebanon  Counties, 
succeeding  his  father  in  that  position. 

He  represented  the  county  at  the  convention 
called  to  amend  the  State  Constitution,  held 
during  1837-38.  His  speech  on  banking 
elicited  general  approval.  He  was  one  of  the 
committee  of  nine  (including  such  distinguished 
statesmen  as  John  Sergeant,  Charles  Chauncey, 
Thaddeus  Stevens  and  George  W.  Woodward) 
who  issued  a  forcible  address  relative  to  the 
ways  and  means  to  provide  for  the  cause  of  com- 
mon-school education  and  the  general  diffusion 
of  useful  knowledge,  together  with  the  industry 
and  pecuniary  prosperity  of  Pennsylvania. 

Upon  the  vacancy  in  the  office  of  Represen- 
tative in  Congress  from  this  district  by  the  res- 
ignation of  Hon.  H.  A.  Muhlenberg  in  accepting 
the  mission  to  Austria,  General  Keim  was 
elected  to  fill  the  unexpired  term.  This  was  in 
1838,  and  he  was  then  re-elected  for  two  terms, 
occupying  this  position  till  March,  1843,  and 
filling  it  with  honor.  At  the  election  for 
Speaker  of  the  House  in  the  Twenty-sixth 
Congress  he  received  a  complimentary  vote,  not- 
withstanding the  caucus  nomination  by  the 
Democrats.  During  the  Twenty-seventh  Con- 
gress he  distinguished  himself  by  a  patriotic 
speech  against  a  petition  which  prayed  for  a 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


509 


dissolution  of  the  Union.  In  1842  he  declined 
a  renomination  for  a  fourth  term. 

Charles  Dickens,  who  visited  this  country  in 
1842,  whilst  at  "Washington  in  March,  was 
given  a  Congressional  dinner,  and  upon  this 
occasion  General  Keim  presided,  with  many- 
prominent  men  in  politics  and  letters  present  to 
give  a  welcome  to  the  great  author. 

After  his  retirement  from  Congress,  General 
Keim  was  offered  by  President  Tyler  his  choice 
of  three  positions — minister  to  Brazil,  Governor 
of  Wisconsin  Territory,  or  United  States 
marshal  for  the  Eastern  District  of  Pennsylva- 
nia. He  selected  the  latter,  so  that  he  could 
remain  at  home;  and  in  1844  he  was  reap- 
pointed to  this  position  by  President  Polk. 

He  had  popularized  himself  throughout 
Pennsylvania  to  such  a  marked  degree  by  his 
political  course  till  1848,  that  earnest  and 
strong  movements  were  instituted  in  different 
sections  of  the  State  to  nominate  him  as  the 
Democratic  candidate  for  Governor,  but  he  de- 
clined to  entertain  the  matter. 

In  1852  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of 
mayor  of  Reading,  by  City  Councils,  to  fill 
the  unexpired  term  of  Major  George  Getz, 
who  died  whilst  occupying  that  position.  He 
accepted  this  high  compliment  by  Councils  to 
him  as  a  citizen,  it  having  been  given  en- 
tirely unsolicited.  In  1860  the  Democratic 
State  Convention  was  held  at  Reading,  and 
then  General  Keim  was  elected  as  a  Presidential 
elector-at-large. 

General  Keim  always  took  a  great  interest  in 
everything  connected  with  agriculture.  He 
introduced  imported  thoroughbred  cattle  in  the 
county.  He  aided  in  establishing  the  Berks 
County  Agricultural  Society,  and  delivered  the 
address  at  their  first  annual  meeting,  held 
on  October  28,  1852.  He  was  the  second 
president  of  the  society,  holding  that  position 
for  several  years,  and  giving  largely  of  his 
efforts  towards  the  success  of  the  society. 
During  his  administration  of  its  affairs  (May 
13,  1854)  the  county  commissioners  leased 
to  the  society  for  ninety-nine  years  the 
"  Commons,"  for  the  purpose  of  holding 
its  annual  exhibitions.  At  different  times  he, 
by  request,  made  agricultural  addresses  in  dif- 


ferent sections  of  the  State,  which  were  received 
with  marked  favor.  He  was  also  interested  in 
the  geology  and  mineralogy  of  Pennyslvania, 
having  begun  in  early  life  investigating  these 
subjects  with  earnestness.  A  large  and  choice 
collection  of  minerals,  which  included  valuable 
specimens  from  different  parts  of  the  earth, 
was  the  result  of  his  devotion  to  these 
branches  of  knowledge ;  and  he  also  suc- 
ceeded in  gathering  a  fine  collection  of 
Indian  relics,  principally  from  Central  Penn- 
sylvania. After  his  decease  the  former  was 
presented  by  his  children  to  the  Lehigh  Uni- 
versity, and  the  latter  to  the  Smithsonian  In- 
stitution. 

When  the  Civil  War  broke  out,  his  patri- 
otic impulses  led  him  to  express  himself  boldly 
in  behalf  of  the  Union.  When  the  divisions  in 
the  Democratic  party  were  having  their  worst 
effects,  during  the  Presidential  campaign  of 
1860,  in  distracting  its  organization  and  hasten- 
ing its  defeat,  he  stood  steadfast,  coming  out 
from  his  retirement  in  order  to  encourage  his 
Democratic  friends.  Plis  public  influence  at 
this  critical  period  aided  greatly  in  holding 
together  the  Democratic  party  of  the  county. 

In  the  spring  of  1861,  when  this  community 
was  intensely  excited  over  military  prepara- 
tions for  war,  General  Keim  raised  a  company 
of  volunteers  for  home  defense,  and  he  was 
active  and  enthusiastic  in  drilling  and  prepar- 
ing them  for  actual  duty ;  and  one  of  the  last 
acts  of  his  life  was  to  head  a  paper  with  his 
name,  offering  the  services  of  his  company  to 
the  government.  Owing  to  this  excitement 
and  unusual  exertion,  whilst  preparing  to  drill 
his  company  in  the  armory  at  Odd-Fellows' 
Hall,  he  was  stricken  with  paralysis,  from 
which  death  ensued  shortly  afterward.  He 
died  on  June  10, 1861,  in  the  fifty-sixth  year  of 
his  age.  He  was  buried  at  sunset,  on  June 
12th,  with  military  and  Masonic  honors,  in . 
Charles  Evans'  Cemetery,  minute  guns  having 
been  fired  from  an  elevated  position  south  of  the 
cemetery  as  the  procession  approached.  The 
whole  community  mourned  his  loss.  His  funeral 
was  one  of  the  largest  ever  witnessed  at  Reading. 

The  personal  character  of  this  distinguished 
citizen    of    the    county  is    so   accurately    por- 


510 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


trayed  by  an  editorial  obituary  notice,  pub- 
lished in  the  Reading  Gazette  and  Democrat, 
upou  the  occasion  of  his  decease,  that  I  intro- 
duce an  extract  from  it  as  an  appropriate  con- 
clusion to  this  biographical  sketch  : 

"Although  General  Keim  was,  during  the  greater 
part  of  his  life,  eminently  a  public  man,  it  was  in  his 
private  and  social  relations  that  his  best  traits  of 
character  were  displayed.  Genial  in  his  manners, 
kindly  in  his  sympathies,  generous  in  his  disposition 
and  warm  in  his  attachments,  he  attracted  around 
him  many  friends  who  learned  to  know  and  appre- 
ciate him,  as  those  who  had  but  a  superficial  acquaint- 
ance with  him  could  not  do.  His  house  was  the  abode 
of  hospitality;  his  door  always  open  to  the  rich  and 
poor,  friend  and  stranger  alike,  and  no  one  ever 
crossed  his  threshold  who  did  not  meet  a  hearty  wel- 
come. His  charities  were  liberal  and  even  munificent, 
and  never  withheld  from  any  worthy  object,  whether 
individual  or  associative.  The  poor  of  our  city  always 
found  in  him  a  friend  and  benefactor.  Our  churches, 
our  schools,  our  fire  companies,  our  military  organi- 
zations and  all  our  institutions  of  benevolence  and 
philanthropy  were  the  recipients  of  his  bounty,  which 
was  freely  and  largely  bestowed.  He  was  a  liberal 
patron  of  the  fine  arts,  and  not  a  few  young  artists, 
struggling  in  poverty  and  obscurity,  experienced  the 
benefit  of  his  counsel  and  encouragement.  The  col- 
lection of  paintings  and  statuary  which  embellished 
his  homestead  was  large  and  valuable,  and  embraced 
many  pieces  of  rare  merit  that  attested  his  fine  taste 
and  the  discriminating  liberality  with  which  he  culti- 
vated it.  His  knowledge  of  men  and  books  was 
extensive,  and  made  him  as  a  conversationalist  an 
entertaining  and  instructive  companion. 

"The  people  of  his  native  county  always  had  in 
him  a  faithful  advocate  and  true  representative.  He 
was  devoted  to  their  interests  and  found  pleasure  in 
all  efforts  that  were  calculated  to  advance  them  in 
prosperity  and  usefulness.  He  was  among  the  first 
to  arouse  the  spirit  of  home  industry  in  his  fellow- 
citizens  ;  and  many  of  the  earlier  business  enterprises 
undertaken  here  after  1835  received  his  hearty  co- 
operation." 

In  1827  General  Keim  was  married  to  Julia 
C.  Mayer,  youngest  daughter  of  Hon.  Christo- 
pher Mayer,  of  Lancaster,  who  for  a  number  of 
.years  represented  that  county  in  the  State  Sen- 
ate. She  died  on  May  12,  1857.  He  left  six 
surviving  children,— George  de  Benneville, 
Charles  Wetherill,  Henry  May,  Julia  Mayer 
Susan  Douglass  and  Mary  May. 

William  H.  Keim,  a  Congressman  from 
1858  to  1859.  (For  sketch,  see  chapter  on 
Civil  War.) 


John  Schwartz  was  born  at  Sunbnry,  in 
Northumberland  County,  Pa.,  on  October  27, 
1793.  His  father  was  a  native  Saxon,  emi- 
grating to  this  country  when  quite  young,  and 
subsequently  serving  in  the  Continental  army 
during  the  whole  of  the  Revolution  ;  and  re- 
moved to  Reading  when  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  ten  years  old.  The  son  was  placed 
in  a  town  store  and  brought  up  to  the  business 
of  a  merchant,  which  he  carried  on  successfully 
at  Reading  for  many  years.  Subsequently  he 
became  interested  in  the  iron  business,  and  with 
a  co-partner  (Simon  Seyfert)  erected  the  Mount 
Penn  Furnace,  in  Cumru  township.  He  was 
successfully  engaged  in  that  business  till  1858, 
when  he  retired. 

For  many  years  previous  to  his   retirement 


MAJOR   JOHN   SCHWARTZ. 

from  business  he  took  an  active  interest  in  the 
political  affairs  of  the  county  as  a  Democrat; 
and  in  all  that  time  he  never  held  nor  sought  an 
office.  But  in  1858  an  influential  part  of  the 
Democratic  party  of  the  county  became  dissatis- 
fied with  the  political  course  pursued  by  the 
then  representative  in  Congress,  Hon.  J.  Glancy 
Jones,  and  they,  objecting  to  his  renomination, 
started  an  independent  movement  which  resulted 
in  the  nomination  of  Mr.  Schwartz.  The  cam- 
paign during  the  fall  was  bitter  and  earnest, 
and  ended  in  his  election  by  a  majority  of  nine- 
teen votes.  This  was  a  great  victory  for  him 
and  caused  much  rejoicing  by  a  large  body  of 
citizens.     The    disappointment  to  the  regular 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


511 


Democrats  was  inexpressible;  and  the  most 
disappointed  of  all  was. the  defeated  candidate? 
who  found  that  all  his  laborious  efforts  through- 
out the  county,  by  public  addresses  to  the  people, 
had  been  spent  in  vain.  Rut  this  defeat  was, 
as  it  were,  a  blessing  in  disguise,  for  it  led 
President  Buchanan  to  tender  to  Mr.  Jones,  on 
the  day  of  his  defeat,  the  mission  to  Austria ;  so 
that  this  departure  from  the  rule  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party  gave  the  people .  of  the  county  not 
only  a  new  representative  in  Congress,  but  an 
honorable  position  at  a  foreign  court.  Mr. 
Schwartz  took  his  seat  in  March,  1859.  He  was 
a  man  of  large  ability,  fine  appearance  and 
pleasing  address.  These  qualities  enabled  him 
to  make  a  very  favorable  impression  at  Wash- 
ington. On  May  7, 1860,  he  delivered  a  speech 
on  the  tariff,  favoring  high  duties  on  imports  as 
a  means  of  protecting  home  industries  and  of 
developing  a  balance  of  trade  in  our*  behalf. 
This  speech  was  distinguished  for  its  plain  and 
concise  style  and  for  its  facts  and  arguments  on 
the  subject  under  discussion.  Whilst  attending 
to  the  duties  of  his  position  he  was  attacked 
with  jaundice,  from  which  he  died  at  Wash- 
ington in  June,  1860.  It  was  said  that  his 
persistent  determination  to  attend  the  daily  ses- 
sions of  the  House,  in  the  faithful  performance 
of  his  duties,  agaiust  the  remonstrances  of  his 
physician  and  the  entreaties  of  certain  relatives 
who  were  with  him,  hastened  his  death.  His 
decease  was  announced  in  the  House  and  Senate, 
both  of  which  bodies  adjourned  as  a  mark  of 
respect  to  his  memory  ;  Messrs.  Campbell,  Mc- 
Pherson,  Maynard,  Grow,  Stevens  and  Florence 
in  the  former,  and  Messrs.  Cameron,  Sumner 
and  Seward  in  the  latter  having  paid  highly 
complimentary  tributes  to  his  many  exemplary 
qualities  as  a  man  and  his  uprightness  and  zeal 
as  a  legislator,  in  discussing  the  usual  resolu- 
tions of  condolence  and  respect.  His  remains 
were  brought  to  Reading  by  the  sergeant-at- 
arms  of  the  House  and  the  Congressional  com- 
mittee, which  consisted  of  Messrs.  Covode, 
Train,  Winslow,  Hickman,  Nixon  and  Graham. 
The  funeral  took  place  at  his  residence,  on 
South  Fifth  Street,  near  Chestnut,  on  June  23, 
1860,  and  the  interment  was  made  in  the 
Charles  Evans  Cemetery,  after  appropriate  and 


largely  attended  religious  services  in  Trinity 
Lutheran  Church.  He  was  a  prominent  Mason, 
which  body  attended  the  funeral  and  performed 
the  customary  honors  at  the  grave.  The  whole 
community  mourned  his  loss.  His  social  qual- 
ities were  of  the  most  genial  kind.  In  his  daily 
intercourse  he  was  generous  and  honorable. 
During  his  long  career  as  a  man  of  extensive 
business  transactions  at  Reading  he  ever  main- 
tained an  honest  name  and  an  upright  character, 
and  in  all  the  private  relations  of  his  life  he 
bore  an  unblemished  reputation. 

During  the  War  of  1812-15  Governor  Simon 
Snyder  gave  him  the  appointment  of  quarter- 
master of  the  brigade  which  was  raised  in  this 
and  the  adjoining  counties,  with  the  rank  of 
major.  He  marched  with  the  brigade  to  Balti- 
more and  remained  on  duty  at  Camp  Dupont 
till  the  danger  that  threatened  Maryland  from 
the  invasion  of  the  British  army  was  over. 
From  that  time  till  his  decease  he  was  famil- 
iarly known  to  the  people  of  Berks  County  as 
Major  Schwartz. 

Jacob  Kerlin  McKenty,  the  only  son  of 
Henry  McKenty,  was  born  at  Douglassville, 
Berks  County,  in  1827.  He  was  graduated 
from  Yale  College  with  the  class  of  1848, 
afterwards  spent  one  term  in  the  Law  Depart- 
ment of  that  institution,  then  completed  his 
legal  studies  under  the  direction  of  Hon.  William 
Strong,  of  Reading,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  April  7,  1851.  He  soon  became  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  Democratic  party,  and 
in  the  fall  of  1856  was  elected  district  attorney 
and  served  one  term.  In  1860  he  was  elected 
to  Congress  to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of  Hon. 
John  Schwartz,  who  died  while  in  office.  He 
died  unmarried  at  the  residence  of  his  parents 
January  3,  1866.  He  was  a  well-read  and 
highly-esteemed  lawyer. 

Sydenham  E.  Ancona  was  born  in  War- 
wick, Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  November  20, 
1824,  and  removing  to  Berks  County,  was  for 
several  years  connected  with  the  Reading  Rail- 
road Company.  He  was  elected  in  1860  to 
represent  Berks  County  in  Congress,  and  was 
twice  re-elected,  serving  until  1867.  In 
1866  he  was  one  of  the  representatives  desig- 
nated by  the  House  to  attend  the  funeral  of 


512 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


General  Scott.  He  has  filled  the  offices  of 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Reading  Fire  In- 
surance and  Trust  Company  since  its  organiza- 
tion. 

J.  Lawrence  Getz,  a  Congressman  from 
1867  to  1873.  (For  sketch,  see  chapter  on 
Newspapers). 

Hiester  Clymer  was  a  descendant  of 
Richard  Clymer,  who  emigrated  to  America 
from  Bristol,  England,  in  1705,  and  became  a 
shipping  merchant  and  ship-builder  in  Phila- 
delphia. Richard  Clymer  had  two  sons,  Wil- 
liam and  Christopher.  The  latter  was  the  father 
of  George  Clymer,  a  signer  of  the  Declaration 
of  Independence.  William  became  a  captain  in 
the  English  navy  ;  was  married  to  Anna  Rober- 
deau,  a  sister  of  Gen.  Roberdeau,  by  whom  he 
had  one  child,  Daniel  C.  Clymer,  born  in  1747 
at  Philadelphia,  and  entered  the  legal  pro- 
fession first  in  his  native  city  and  later  came  to 
Reading.1  He  had  one  daughter  and  two  sons, 
William  and  Edward  T.  The  latter  was  mar- 
ried to  Maria  Catharine,  daughter  of  William 
Hiester,  of  Bern  township,  and  resided  near 
Morgantown,in  Caernarvon  township,  at  the  time 
of  his  death,  in  1831. 

Hon.  Hiester  Clymer,  one  of  the  sons  of  Ed- 
ward T.  Clymer,  was  born  in  Caernarvon  town- 
ship, Berks  County,  November  3,  1827.  After 
receiving  a  preparatory  education  at  Reading  he 
entered  the  College  of  New  Jersey,  at  Princeton, 
and  was  graduated  therefrom  in  1847.  His 
father  and  grandfather  were  educated  at  the 
same  institution.  He  entered  upon  the  study 
of  the  law,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  at  the 
bar  of  Berks  County,  April  6,  1849.  He  went 
to  Pottsville  in  1851,  where  he  remained  five 
years  successfully  engaged  in  his  profession,  and 
in  1856  returned  to  Reading.  In  1860  he  served 
as  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Revenue  Com- 
missioners and  during  the  same  year  was  a  dele- 
gate to  the  National  Democratic  Convention 
held  at  Charleston.  In  October.  1860,  he  was 
elected  to  the  State  Senate  to  fill  a  vacancy 
caused  by  the  death  of  Benjamin  Nunemacher, 
and  was  re-elected  in  October,  1861  and  1864, 
and  served  until  1866.  Hisca  eer'in  the  Senate 

1  See  chapter  on  Bench  and  Bar. 


of  Pennsylvania  was  distinguished  for  dignity 
and  courtesy  of  demeanor,  readiness,  force  and 
eloquence  in  debate  and  steadfast  devotion  to  the 
best  interests  of  the  commonwealth.  He  was 
nominated  as  the  Democratic  candidate  for  Gov- 
ernor of  Pennsylvania  in  March,  1866,  and  im- 
mediately thereafter  resigned  his  seat  in  the 
Senate.  He  made  an  energetic  canvass  of  the 
State  and  spoke  to  large  assemblages  of  people  in 
nearly  every  county.  Although  he  received  a 
larger  vote  than  had  ever  been  previously  given 
to  any  Democratic  candidate  for  the  same  office, 
his  competitor,  General  Geary,  was  elected.  In 
1868  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  National  Demo- 
cratic Convention  that  nominated  Horatio  Sey- 
mour for  President.  In  1870  he  was  appointed 
by  Governor  Geary  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Public  Charities  of  Pennsylvania,  and  held  the 
position  for  several  years.  In  the  year 
1871  he"  made  a  tour  of  Europe.  In  October, 
1872,  he  was  elected  a  Representative  in  Con- 
gress from  Berks  County  and  served  with  dis- 
tinguished ability  until  1883. 

Mr.  Clymer  was  married,  in  1856,  to  Elizabeth 
Mary,  daughter  of  Matthew  Brooke,  of  Birds- 
boro',  Berks  County.  They  had  two  children, 
both  of  whom  are  dead.  Mrs.  Clymer  died  in 
October,  1870.  Mr.  Clymer  was  married  a 
second  time  to  Mrs.  Clemens,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
who  survives  him. 

Daniel  Ermentrout,  son  of  William  and 
Justina  Silvis  Ermentrout,  was  born  at  Reading, 
in  Berks  County,  January  24,  1837.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  and  classical  schools  of 
his  native  place,  and  also  at  Franklin  and  Mar- 
shall College,  Lancaster,  Pa.,  and  Elwood  In- 
stitute, Norristown,  Pa.  Upon  returning  to 
Reading  he  began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office 
of  Hon.  David  F.  Gordon,  (then  a  practicing  at- 
torney at  Reading,  and  at  one  time  president 
judge  of  the  Berks  District,)  and  after  pursuing  a 
regular  course  of  study  under  his  direction,  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  on  August  3,  1859.  Whilst 
pursuing  his  studies  and  also  previously  for  a 
time  he  taught  school  at  Norristown,  Consho- 
hocken  and  Reading,  and  in  Muhlenberg  town- 
ship. He  has  been  in  active  practice  at  Read- 
ing since  his  admission  to  the  bar,  and  has  en- 
joyed   a    large  and  lucrative  business,  having 


*L 

in 

m 

-it 

lip 

1  * 

imp 

j^H 

'SSIfejV^T: 

A 1 

POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


513 


been  connected  with  many  important  trials  in 
the  local  courts  and  with  arguments  before  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Pennsylvania.  Soon  after  his 
admission  to  the  bar  he  became  an  active  par- 
tisan in  the  Democratic  party,  and  his  ability 
and  energy  were  soon  recognized  by  the  promi- 
nent political  leaders.  In  1862  he  was  elected 
to  the  office  of  district  attorney  of  Berks  County, 
and  officiated  for  a  term  of  three  years.  This 
was  during  the  trying  times  of  the  Civil  War, 
and  besides  numerous  general  criminal  affairs,  he 
conducted  several  prominent  trials  which  at- 
tracted considerable  public  attention.  He  filled 
the  office  of  city  solicitor  for  three  terms,  from 
1867  to  1870.  After  serving  these  two  local 
offices  successfully,  he  was  chosen,  in  1873,  to 
represent  this  district  in  the  State  Senate  for  a 
term  of  three  years,  and  in  1876  he  was  re 
elected  for  a  term  of  four  years.  During  the 
Centennial  Exhibition  of  1876  he  was  a  promi- 
nent representative  from  Pennsylvania  in  the 
official  proceedings.  Whilst  filling  the  office  of 
State  Senator  the  Governor  of  the  State  ap- 
pointed him,  in  October,  1877,  to  serve  as  a 
member  of  the  Pennsylvania  Statuary  Com- 
mission, which  was  authorized  by  the  Legislature 
to  select  two  representative  Pennsylvanians  as 
appropriate  subjects  for  statues  to  be  contribu- 
ted by  Pennsylvania  to  Statuary  Hall  of  the 
Capitol  at  Washington,  D.  C. 

As  a  member  of  this  commission,  he  was  par- 
ticularly interested  in  the  selection  of  General 
Peter  Muhlenberg  as  one  of  the  subjects  for  a 
statue,  because  in  him  the  county  of  Berks 
would  be  prominently  represented  (he  having 
been  a  grandson  of  the  distinguished  Conrad 
Weiser),  as  well  as  the  Germans,  who  have  done 
so  much  toward  the  welfare  and  progress  of 
Pennsylvania.  Upon  the  conclusion  of  his 
second  term  in  the  State  Senate  he  was  elected 
to  represent  this  district  in  Congress  for  the 
term  of  two  years  from  1881  to  1883,  and  has 
since  been  twice  re-elected,  serving  his  third 
term  at  this  time. 

Mr.  Ermentrout  represented  the  Seventh 
Ward  of  Reading  in  the  Board  of  School  Con- 
trollers for  a  number  of  years,  and  took  an  ac- 
tive part  in  the  educational  matters  of  the  city. 
He  also  served  several  years  as  chairman  of  the 
50 


Democratic  Committee  of  Berks  County.  He 
was  a  delegate  to  various  Democratic  State  Con- 
ventions; and  in  1880  he  was  a  delegate  from 
this  district  to  the  Democratic  National  Con- 
vention which  was  held  at  Cincinnati,  and 
nominated  Gen.  Winfield  S.  Hancock  for  Presi- 
dent— Mr.  Ermentrout  voting  for  Tilden  as 
long  as  his  name  was  mentioned  as  a  candi- 
date. 

The  history  of  Berks  County  has  interested 
Mr.  Ermentrout  for  many  years,  and  his  earnest 
researches  have  thoroughly  familiarized  him 
with  the  early  settlements,  social  progress  and 
political  government  of  the  county.  He  has 
delivered  a  number  of  addresses  upon  various 
public  occasions  which  were  particularly  noted 
for  their  historical  information.  As  a  speaker 
he  is  forcible,  commanding  a  high  degree  of 
power  over  his  audience,  and  as  a  writer  his 
language  is  perspicuous  and  fluent.  Though 
prominently  identified  with  the  legal  profession 
and  the  political  government  of  the  county  for 
twenty  years,  he  has  nevertheless  been  a  close 
and  very  successful  student  in  general  and 
classical  literature.  He  has  also  traveled  ex- 
tensively through  the  United  States  and 
Europe. 

Mr.  Ermentrout  was  married  to  Adelaide 
Louise  Metzger,  a  daughter  of  John  Metzger,  of 
Lancaster,  and  a  lady  of  high  culture  and  fine 
personal  appearance,  eminently  qualified  to  fill 
the  prominent  social  positions  to  which  the 
representative  character  of  her  husband  neces- 
sarily introduces  her.  In  1878,  Mrs.  Ermen- 
trout acted  as  vice-regent  of  the  Centennial 
Association  of  Valley  Forge,  in  the  district 
of  Berks  County  in  aid  of  the  Valley  Forge 
Fund  and  as  such  conducted  with  great  success 
a  "Grand  Ball"  at  Reading  on  the  evening  of 
April  22, 1879.  Itwas  the  most  distinguished  en- 
tertainment of  the  kind  ever  afforded  to  the 
citizens  of  the  county,  and  netted  a  considerable 
sum  to  the  association.  Many  prominent 
officials  and  representative  men  of  the  State  were 
in  attendance,  including  the  Governor,  his 
family  and  his  staff.  Mrs.  Ermentrout  during 
her  husband's  presence  at  Washington  in  the 
performance  of  his  representative  duties,  has 
taken  an  active  and  prominent  part  in  the  re- 


514 


HISTOKY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


ceptions  given  by  the  President  and  high 
officials.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ermentrout  have  two 
children, — a  son,  Fitz  Daniel,  and  a  daughter, 
Adelaide  Louise. 

Genealogy.  —  John  Ermentrout,  who  emi- 
grated from  the  Palatinate,  Germany,  to  Penn- 
sylvania in  1739,  was  the  great-great-grand- 
father of  the  subject  of  the  foregoing  sketch. 
The  son  of  John  was  Christopher,  born  Feb.  8, 
1 754  ;  the  son  of  Christopher  was  John,  born 
April  27,  1777.  Amongst  the  children  of  the 
second  John  was  William,  the  father  of  John 
S.,  Daniel  and  James  N.,  whose  sketches  ap- 
pear in  this  history.  William  Ermentrout, 
their  father,  was  born  December  12,  1799,  and 
died  Jan.  21,  1880.  For  many  years  he  was 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at  Reading 
and  served  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  control 
of  its  public  schools,  as  school  treasurer,  and  as 
treasurer  of  the  county  of  Berks. 

The  sons  of  William  Ermentrout,  in  addition 
to  the  three  named,  are  William  C,  Benjamin 
F.  (deceased),  Philip  M.,  Joseph  C.  and  Dr; 
Samuel  C. 

FOBEIGN  MINISTERS. 

Hon.  Henry  Augustus  Muhlenberg, 
clergyman  and  Congressman,  was  born  at  Lan- 
caster, Pa.,  May  13,  1782.  He  was  the  eldest 
son  of  Rev.  Henry  E.  and  grandson  of  Rev. 
Henry  Melchior  Muhlenberg,  the  American 
ancestor  of  the  family,  who  emigrated  from 
Saxony  in  1741  as  a  missionary  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  to  the  German  population  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. Rev.  Henry  E.  was  an  erudite  and  pro- 
found scholar  and  theologian,  a  celebrated  min- 
eralogist and  botanist,  and  an  author  of  so  great 
repute  in  the  latter  science  as  to  be  characterized 
as  the  "  Linneeus  of  our  country."  So  learned  a 
man  was  he,  and  so  happy  in  his  instructions  to 
his  son,  that  the  latter  was  most  thoroughly 
and  liberally  educated,  and  it  was  deemed  un- 
necessary to  send  him  to  college,  as  before  the 
period  of  life  at  which  young  men  most  com- 
monly are  matriculated  at  such  an  institution 
he  had  completed  the  usual  collegiate  course. 
In  those  days  party  spirit  in  the  land  was  run- 
ning high,  and  his  father's  family  and  con- 
nections were  all  imbued  with  "Republican  " 
or,  as  they  were   afterward  termed,  "Demo- 


cratic" principles.  The  odious  "Alien  and 
Sedition  Laws  "  had  been  passed,  and  the  Ger- 
mans of  Pennsylvania  were  sorely  harassed  by 
their  provisions,  and  many  able  men  were  en- 
gaged in  opposing  their  spirit  and  endeavoring 
to  secure  their  repeal. 

Though  but  sixteen  years  of  age,  he  was 
writing  in  defense  of  Jefferson  and  McKean, 
and  his  pen  gave  promise  of  the  potent  influ- 
ence which,  in  after-years,  it  was  destined  to 
wield  over  the  German  mind  of  his  native 
State.  According  to  the  wishes  of  his  father, 
he  proceeded  to  New  York  to  study  theology 
under  Rev.  Dr.  Kunze,  and,  in  1802,  having 
been  duly  licensed  to  preach,  took  charge  of 
the  congregation  of  German  Lutherans  in  Read- 
ing, Pa.,  which  he  retained  for  twenty-seven 
years.  During  a  greater  part  of  this  time  he 
was  a  member  of  the  Synod,  and  filled  the 
offices  of  secretary,  treasurer  and  finally,  by 
unanimous  election,  that  of  president,  to  which 
he  was  subsequently  re-elected  as  often  and  as 
long  as  the  constitution  would  permit. 

As  a  pulpit  orator  he  was  celebrated.  His 
great  learning,  his  complete  knowledge  of  this 
subject,  his  splendid  rhetoric  and  profound 
logic  combined  to  make  in  him  one  of  the 
finest  preachers  of  his  church.  His  health  be- 
coming impaired,  he  resolved  to  withdraw  from 
ministerial  duties  and  retire  to  a  farm ;  and  no 
sooner  did  he  signify  his  intention  of  so  doing, 
than  his  fellow-citizens,  who  had  long  ad- 
mired his  quiet  and  consistent  support  of  Dem- 
ocratic principles,  solicited  him  to  represent  the 
district  in  Congress.  In  June,  1829,  he  re- 
signed his  ministerial  office,  having  during  the 
preceding  October  been  elected  a  Representa- 
tive in  Congress. 

In  December,  1829,  he  took  his  seat  at 
Washington,  and  gave  his  support  to  the  ad- 
ministration of  President  Jackson.  The  latter, 
as  the  leader  of  the  Democratic  party,  was 
attracted  by  the  position  assumed  by  Henry  A. 
Muhlenberg,  who,  though  he  might  have  been 
deemed  inexperienced  in  the  forms  of  legisla- 
tion, was  yet  so  thorough  in  his  understanding 
of  the  measures  proposed,  and  so  energetic  in 
the  manner  in  which  he  advocated  their  adop- 
tion, that  in  the  very  outset  of  his  Congres- 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


515 


sional  career  he  established  an  influence  in  the 
party  which  few  men  obtain  after  many  years 
of  service. 

His  views  on  the  tariff  question  were  very 
moderate.  He  believed  more  in  the  perma- 
nency of  the  system  than  in  the  amount  of  pro- 
tection ;  the  latter  to  be  purely  incidental,  and 
the  adjustment  of  duties  to  be  such  as  should 
furnish  a  revenue  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the 
government. 

He  was  opposed 
to  the  United 
States  Bank,  and 
coincided  in  all 
the  views  hostile 
to  that  institution 
expressed  by  the 
President.  It  was 
he  who,  on  the 
18th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1834,  after 
more  than  two 
months  of  daily 
appeals  on  behalf 
of  the  friends  of 
the  banks,  moved 
the  previous  ques- 
tion, and,  by  the 
vote  which  was 
then  taken  settled 
forever  its  des- 
tiny. 

He  continued 
for  nine  years  his 
position  as  mem- 
ber of  the  House, 
and  was  indefati- 
gable in  his  duty 
to  his  constitu- 
ents and  to  his 

country.  In  1835  he  was  a  candidate  of  a  portion 
of  the  Democratic  party  for  the  Governorship 
of  Pennsylvania,  but  was  defeated.  In  1836, 
when  it  seemed  more  than  probable  that  each 
section  of  the  party  would  nominate  an  electoral 
ticket,  he  induced  his  friends  to  give  way  and 
support  the  ticket  already  chosen.  They  did  so, 
and  Martin  Van  Buren  was  elected.  In  1837 
the  latter  tendered  him  a  seat  in  the  Cabinet  as 


Secretary  of  the  Navy,  and  afterwards  the 
Russian  mission,  both  of  which,  for  private 
reasons,  he  was  obliged  to  decline.  In  1838  he 
was  named  ambassador  to  Austria,  was  unani- 
mously confirmed,  and  remained  at  Vienna  un- 
til the  close  of  1840. 

In  1844  he  was  nominated  by  the  State  Con- 
vention for  the  post  of  Governor,  which  he  ac- 
cepted, but  died  suddenly  on  August  11,  1844, 

two  months  prior 
to  the  election. 

Mr.    Muhlen- 
berg was  married 
twice :     first     to 
Elizabeth   Hies- 
ter,  a  daughter  of 
Gov.  Jos.  Hiester 
with    whom    he 
had  one  daughter 
Mary  Elizabeth, 
intermarried  with 
E.  Jonathan  Dei- 
ninger;  and  then 
to  Rebecca  Hies- 
ter, also  a  daugh- 
ter of  Gov.  Hies- 
ter, with  whom  he 
had  six  children, 
— Emma  Eliza- 
beth, Hiester  H., 
Henry  A.,  Em- 
ma Elizabeth, 
Rose    Catharine 
and    Henry    A. 
His  firs't  wife  died 
in  1806,  and  the 
second  in  1841. 

J.  Glastcy 
Jones  was  born 
October  7,  1811, 
in  Caernarvon  township,  Berks  County.  His 
ancestry  were  of  Welsh  origin.  His  great- 
grand-father,  David  Jones,  settled  in  1730  upon 
the  Conestoga  Creek,  near  Morgantown,  and 
there  he  erected  and  carried  on  one  of  the  first 
forges  in  that  section  of  the  State.  His  grand- 
father, Jonathan  Jones,  was  captain  of  a  com- 
pany of  troops  belonging  to  the  Continental 
Line,  enlisted  by  authority  of  Congress, 


and 


516 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


rendered  distinguished  services  in  the  expedition 
against  Canada  in  1776.  Afterward  he  was 
lieutenant-colonel  for  a  time.  His  death  was 
occasioned  by  the  hardships  of  that  campaign. 
Jehu  Jones,  son  of  Jonathan  and  father  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  was  for  many  years  en- 
gaged in  the  profession  of  a  teacher,  for  which 
he  was  qualified  by  a  classical  education.  He 
died  in  1864,  at  an  advanced  age. 

J.  Glancy  Jones  was  educated  at  Kenyon 
College,  Ohio,  and  in  1833  was  ordained  to  the 
ministry  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church, 
to  which  his  family  had  for  generations  be- 
longed. His  inclinations,  however,  led  him  to 
prefer  the  profession  of  the  law;  and  having 
undergone  the  necessary  course  of  preparation, 
he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1839.  He  com- 
menced practice  in  1842,  at  Easton,  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  judicial  district  was  composed  at 
that  time  of  the  counties  of  Berks,  Lehigh  and 
Northampton,  and  was  presided  over  by  the 
Hon.  John  Banks.  After  a  residence  of  three 
years  at  Easton  he  removed  to  Reading,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Berks  County  Jan- 
uary 7,  1 845.  He  was  appointed  district  attor- 
ney for  Berks  County,  under  the  administration 
of  Governor  Shunk,  in  March,  1847,  and  served 
in  that  capacity  until  January,  1849.  During 
that  period  he  was  tendered  by  the  Executive 
the  president  judgeship  of  the  Chester  and  Del- 
aware District. 

Though  successful  in  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession, he  very  early  inclined  to  politics.  Being 
a  decided  Democrat,  he  became  active  in  the 
affairs  of  the  dominant  party  in  his  native 
county,  as  well  as  in  the  State  at  large.  He 
was  the  warm  personal  friend  and  political  sup- 
porter of  Morris  Longstreth,  the  unsuccessful 
competitor  of  Governor  Johnston  in  1848,  and 
the  following  year  was  chairman  of  the  Demo- 
cratic State  Committee.  In  1850  he  was  elected 
to  Congress  from  the  Berks  District.  Having 
declined  a  renomination,  the  Hon.  Henry  A. 
Muhlenberg,  the  younger,  was  chosen  as  his 
successor  for  the  term  beginning  in  December, 
1853.  Mr.  Muhlenberg  having  died  shortly 
after  taking  his  seat,  a  special  election  was  held 
in  February,  1854,  to  fill  the  vacancy,  when 
Mr.  Jones  was  chosen  for  the  unexpired  term. 


He  was  re-elected  for  two  succeeding  regular 
terms,  in  1854  and  1856,  thus  holding  the  posi- 
tion of  Eepresentative,  with  but  a  brief  inter- 
mission, for  the  period  of  eight  years.  As  a 
member  of  the  Committee  on  Claims,  he  was 
the  author  of  the  bill  establishing  the  United 
States  Court  of  Claims.  In  1857,  he  was  chair- 
man of  the  Committee  of  Ways  and  Means,  a 
position  of  leadership  which  necessarily  secured 
for  its  incumbent  a  national  reputation. 

After  the  election  of  Mr.-  Buchanan  to  the 
Presidency,  in  1856,  Mr.  Jones  was  selected  as  a 
member  of  his  Cabinet.  This  selection  was  rati- 
fied by  the  Democratic  press  and  party  through- 
out the  country  with  great  unanimity,  but  it  awak- 
ened the  bitter  hostility  of  certain  political  ene- 
mies of  Mr.  Jones  in  Pennsylvania.  This  local 
hostility,  Mr.  Buchanan  thought,  might  endanger 
the  harmony  of  the  party  in  the  State,  and  the 
success  of  his  administration  ;  he  therefore  wrote 
to  Mr.  Jones,  under  date  of  February  17,  1857: 
"I  have  reserved  the  question  of  your  appoint- 
ment to  a  seat  in  the  Cabinet  until  the  latest 
hour,  hoping,  as  I  anxiously  wished  and  desired, 
that  public  opinion  in  Pennsylvania  might  jus- 
tify my  choice ;"  but  this  opposition,  he  further 
wrote,  '"'  will  deprive  me  of  your  valuable  ser- 
vices in  the  cabinet.  I  have  most  reluctantly 
arrived  at  this  conclusion."  Two  years  later 
Mr.  Buchanan  wrote  that  he  bitterly  regretted 
this  action.  In  February,  1857,  he  tendered  to 
Mr.  Jones  the  mission  to  Berlin.  "It  is  my 
purpose,"  he  wrote,  "  to  present  your  name  to 
the  Senate  for  that  highly  respectable  and  im- 
portant mission  immediately  after  my  Cabinet 
shall  have  been  confirmed.  And  permit  me 
here  to  add  that  I  think  your  mind  and  quali- 
ties are  adrhirably  adapted  to  that  branch  of  the 
public  service."  This  position  Mr.  Jones  de- 
clined. He  continued  his  service  in  Congress 
as  Chairman  of  the  Committee  of  "Ways  and 
Means,  and  was  the  zealous  advocate  and  sup- 
porter of  President  Buchanan's  administration 
on  the  floor  of  the  House. 

In  the  year  1858  he  was  unanimously  re- 
nominated for  Congress,  his  opponent  being 
Major  John  Schwartz,  the  candidate  of  the  Anti- 
Lecompton  Democracy,  which  united  with  it 
the  strength  of  the  Republican  party. 


*f "-  •/ 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


517 


Mr.  Jones,  being  the  special  representative 
of  the  policy  of  the  federal  administration,  the 
contest  in  Berks,  as  elsewhere,  was  conducted 
largely  upon  national  issues.  One  of  the  most 
exciting  campaigns  in  the  history  of  the  county 
ensued,  which  resulted  in  the  election  of  Major 
John  Schwartz  by  a  majority  of  nineteen  votes. 
The  total  vote  in  the  district  was  upwards  of 
fourteen  thousand.  Immediately  after  the  result 
of  the  contest  was  known,  President  Buchanan 
tendered  to  Mr.  Jones  the  Austrian  mission, 
which  he  accepted.  Upon  his  confirmation  by 
the  Senate,  he  resigned  his  seat  in  Congress, 
and  left,  with  his  family,  for  his  post  in  Janu- 
ary, 1859.  Upon  the  accession  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  to  power,  in  1861,  Mr.  Burlingame 
was  appointed  by  President  Lincoln  to  succeed 
Mr.  Jones  at  the  court  of  Vienna;  but,  having 
been  almost  immediately  recalled,  Mr.  Jones, 
at  the  request  of  the  administration,  remained 
in  the  embassy  until  the  arrival  of  his  successor, 
Hod.  John  Lothrop  Motley,  in  the  month  of 
December.  At  the  period  of  the  outbreak  of 
the  Civil  War  in  the  United  States  the  subject 
of  the  belligerent  relations  of  the  two  contend- 
ing sections  devolved  duties  of  a  peculiarly 
delicate  and  responsible  nature  upon  our  diplo- 
matic representatives  abroad,  and,  so  far  as  Mr. 
Jones'  sphere  of  service  was  concerned,  he  sus- 
tained his  official  trust  in  a  manner  highly 
satisfactory  to  the  administration  and  the  gov- 
ernment of  his  country. 

Upon  his  return  home,  where  he  arrived  in 
January,  1862,  the  period  of  Mr.  Jones'  pub- 
lic life  practically  terminated,  though  he  did 
not  cease  to  participate  in  the  counsels  of  his 
party  for  many  years  afterward.  He  resumed 
the  practice  of  the  law,  and  carried  it  on  for 
about  ten  years,  when  declining  health  com- 
pelled him  to  retire  from  all  employments  of  a 
public  nature. 

Mr.  Jones  was,  for  a  long  period,  a  promi- 
nent person  in  the  councils  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church,  having  been  frequently  a 
delegate  to  diocesan  conventions,  and  having 
taken  a  leading  part  in  the  measures  which  led 
to  the  establishment  of  the  new  diocese  of  Cen- 
tral Pennsylvania  in  1871.  During  his  entire 
political  and  professional  career  he  preserved  a 


character  of  unblemished  integrity,  and  in  his 
private  relations  to  his  fellow-men  was  equally 
above  reproach.  He  had  many  warm  and 
zealous  friends,  and  succeeded,  as  few  public 
men  succeed,  in  preserving  the  personal  esteem 
of  his  political  opponents,  against  whom  he 
never  cherished  animosity  or  resentment.  He 
was  well  fitted  to  be  a  leader  of  men,  and  those 
who  differed  most  radically  with  him  in  politi- 
cal opinion  did  not  hesitate  to  acknowledge  the 
winning  power  of  his  personal  influence.  He 
was  a  very  social  man.  His  domestic  life  was 
especially  happy  and  attractive.  His  wife, 
Anna  Rodman,  a  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Wil- 
liam Rodman,  of  Bucks  County,  formerly  a 
representative  of  that  district  in  Congress,  was 
a  lady  of  superior  refinement  and  most  estima- 
ble Christian  character,  and  her  decease,  in 
1871,  severed  the  ties  of  a  peculiarly  united 
and  affectionate  household. 

Mr.  Jones  died  at  Reading  March  24,  1878, 
in  his  sixty-seventh  year,  and  upon  that  occa- 
sion the  bar  of  the  county  united  in  a  testimo- 
nial of  marked  respect  to  his  memory  and 
appreciation  of  his  public  services. 

Two  of  his  sons,  Charles  Henry  and  Rich- 
mond L.  Jones,  were  admitted  to  the  Berks 
County  bar  in  1863,  having  studied  law  in  their 
father's  office.  The  latter  was  a  representative 
from  the  county  in  the  Legislature  from  1867  to 
1869,  and  the  former  became  a  resident  and 
practitioner  at  the  bar  of  Philadelphia.  Mr. 
Jones'  eldest  daughter,  Anna  Rodman,  married 
Farrelly  Alden,  of  Pittsburgh,  and  died  there 
in  December,  1885.  His  youngest  daughter 
Catharine,  married  William  Thomas  Wallace, 
of  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

John  Endlich  was  born  March  30,  1819, 
near  Darmstadt,  in  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Hesse- 
Darmstadt,  Germany.  He  received  the  usual 
German  common-school  education,  together 
with  thorough  musical  instruction,  from  his 
fifth  year,  under  some  of  the  most  famous  mas- 
ters. In  his  sixteenth  year  he  applied  himself 
to  the  study  of  forestry,  and  when  twenty 
years  of  age  entered  the  government  service  of 
his  native  state  in  the  department  of  forestry. 
Political  affiliations  rendering  his  continuance 
in  that  position  irksome,  he  handed  in  his  resig- 


518 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


nation  in  1840,  and  immediately  came  to  this 
country.  He  settled  in  Reading  as  a  teacher  of 
music,  spent  several  years  in  Richmond,  Va., 
in  the  same  capacity,  and  returning  to  Reading, 
continued  his  profession  with  great  success.  In 
1845  he  married  Miss  Emma  N.  Miller, 
daughter  of  Rev.  Jacob  Miller,  CD.,  of  Read- 
ing. In  1852  he  relinquished  his  musical  pro- 
fession, and  removed  to  a  farm  he  had  pur- 
chased in  Alsace  township,  where  he  now  re- 
sides. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Endlich  has  always  been  a 
consistent  Democrat,  serving  repeatedly  as 
delegate  to  local  and  State  Conventions  of  that 
party.  In  1857  President  Buchanan  appointed 
him  United  States  consul  to  Bale,  Switzerland, 
whence  he  returned  in  1861.  In  1866  he  tookhis 
family  to  Germany  for  the  purpose  of  giving 
his  sons  the  benefits  of  an  education  at  German 
institutions.  He  returned  in  1872  and  was  in- 
duced to  employ  his  musical  attainments,  es- 
pecially in  the  line  of  sacred  music,  in  the  in- 
terest of  the  Lutheran  Church,  of  which  he  is  a 
member.  During  the  course  of  the  following 
year  he  published  a  choral  book  for  services 
in  the  Lutheran  Church,  a  collection  for  use  in 
Sunday-schools,  and  a  Liturgy,  the  musical 
work  in  all  of  which,  including  many  original 
compositions,  has  received  most  flattering  rec- 
ognition in  this  country  and  in  Germany.  Of 
his  children,  three  are  living, — Emma  A.  End- 
lich, authoress  of  several  religious  publica- 
tions ;  Dr.  F.  M.  Endlich,  geologist  and  min- 
ing engineer  ;  and  G.  A.  Endlich,  attorney-at- 
law. 

Henry  M.  Keim,  son  of  Hon.  George  M. 
Keim  and  Julia  Mayer,  his  wife,  was  born  at 
Reading,  August  16,  1842.  He  attended  the 
Pennsylvania  Military  Institute  at  Reading 
during  its  flourishing  days,  and  then  spent  four 
years  in  the  Reading  High  School,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  1858,  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
years,  at  the  head  of  his  class ;  subsequently  he 
took  a  regular  course  of  study  at  the  Union 
College,  Schenectady,  and  was  graduated  in 
1862.  He  then  studied  law  in  the  office  of 
Jacob  S.  Livingood,  Esq.,  at  Reading,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  August  7,  1865. 

In  the  fall  of  1862  he  enlisted  as  a  private 


in  Company  I,  Eleventh  Regiment  Pennsyl- 
vania   Militia,    and   was    with    the  Pennsyl- 
vania  division     under     Major-General    Rey- 
nolds,    who     held     the     road     to     Hagers- 
town  during  the  battle  of  Antietam.  ,  During 
the  invasion    of  Pennsylvania  by   the   rebels 
in     July,    1863,     he    enlisted     in     Company 
A,  Fifty-third  Regiment  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Volunteer  Militia,  and  was  commissioned  first 
lieutenant.      Shortly  after,  having  been  mus- 
tered into  service,  he  was  detailed  with  certain 
other  first  lieutenants  to  pass  an  examination 
for  the  purpose  of  relieving  Lieutenant  Petriken, 
of  the  regular  army,  as  ordnance  officer  of  the 
Lehigh  District,  and  being  successful,  he  was 
appointed  to  this   responsible  office  by  Major- 
General  Franz  Sigel.     His  company  was  mus- 
tered  out   of    service    in    the    latter  part  of 
August,  1863,  buthe  was  retained  in  this  posi- 
tion.    At  the  end  of  three  months  an  applica- 
tion was  made  by  him  for  his  discharge,  but 
General  Sigel  issued  an  order  prohibiting  him 
to  be  mustered  out   at   that  time;  and  in  a 
letter  explanatory  of  his  action  in  the  matter, 
he  said, — 

"  It  was  absolutely  necessary  and  in  the  interest  of 
the  service  to  retain  Lieutenant  Keim.  No  officer 
could  be  found  at  that  time  to  act  in  the  aforesaid 
capacity,  and  it  would  have  been  injurious  to  the 
service  to  discharge  him  after  he  had  made  himself 
acquainted  .with  the  duties   invoked  in   his  office." 

His  duties  required  much  labor,  and  a  great 
responsibility  was  connected  with  the  office. 
Ordnance  stores  valued  at  over  a  million  and  a 
quarter  of  dollars  were  in  his  possession  at  one 
time,  and  he  aided  in  arming  and  equipping 
twenty-seven  thousand  men  for  the  military 
service. 

Mr.  Keim  was  one  of  the  last  three  city 
auditors  of  Reading,  having  served  for  the 
year  1874-75,  when  that  office  was  abolished  by 
the  new  city  charter  of  1874,  and  the  office 
of  controller  substituted.  In  1875  he  received 
the  nomination  of  the  Democratic  party  for 
mayor  of  the  city,  but  he  was  defeated.  The 
city  was  then  still  Republican,  the  Republican 
party  having  elected  this  officer  from  1873  to 
1879.  And  in  1876  he  served  as  chairman  of 
the  Democratic  County  Committee  during  the 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


519 


Tilden  campaign,  and  was  chairman  of  the 
committee  of  arrangements  during  the  great 
Jubilee  Festival  of  the  party,  at  Reading,  when 
a  great  parade  was  held,  followed  by  the  roast- 
ing of  two  buffaloes. 

Mr.  Keim  is  at  present  holding  a  number  of 
prominent  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility. 
He  was  one  of  the  managers  of  the  Reading  Iron- 
Works;  is  a  trustee  of  the  Charles  Evans 
Cemetery,  a  manager  of  the  Reading  Library 
and  of  the  St.  Luke's  Hospital  at  Bethlehem, 
Pa.  He  has  been  a  vestryman  of  Christ  Epis- 
copal Church,  Reading,  for  a  number  of  years, 
his  grandfather,  George  DeB.  Keim,  having 
been  its  first  senior  warden,  when  the  parish 
was  organized,  in  1822,  from  old  St.  Mary's. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  committee  who  raised 
the  endowment  of  the  new  diocese  of  Central 
Pennsylvania,  was  a  delegate  to  the  primary 
convention  of  the  diocese,  held  at  Harrisburg, 
in  1871,  and  served  for  five  years  on  its  stand- 
ing committee. 

In  June,  1885,  Mr.  Keim  was  honored  by 
the  administration  of  President  Cleveland  with 
the  appointment  of  consul  to  Prince  Edward 
Island.  He  is  now  filling  this  appointment. 
He  is  the  fourth  person  in  the  history  of  our 
county  who  has  received  a  foreign  appoint- 
ment from  the  national  government. 

Mr.  Keim  was  married,  in  1867,  to  Emma  E. 
Trexler,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Horatio  Trexler,  for 
many  years  prominently  identified  with  the  iron 
industry  of  Berks  County. 

DELEGATES  AT  CONVENTION   OF   1776. 

Jacob  Morgan  was  born  in  the  northern 
part  of  Wales  in  1716,  emigrating  thence  with 
his  father,  Thomas  Morgan,  to  Caernarvon  town- 
ship about  1730.  Near  the  head- waters  of  the 
Conestoga,  in  the  vicinity  where  Morgantown  is 
situated,  his  father  took  up  a  large  tract  of  land. 
He  and  David  Jones  were  the  most  prominent 
settlers  of  that  section  of  the  county,  they  lo- 
cating there  about  the  time  that  the  Indians 
moved  northwardly  towards  and  beyond  the 
Blue  Mountain.  During  the  French  and  In- 
dian War,  Jacob  Morgan  served  as  a  captain  in 
the  provincial  service,  having  been  commission- 
ed December  5,  1755  ;  and  four  years  afterward 
he  held  the  same  commission  in  the  regiment 


of  Pennsylvania  troops.  He  was  one  of  the 
justices  of  the  county  for  many  years,  1768  to 
1769,  and  1772  to  and  beyond  1784,  possibly 
till  1791.  He  represented  the  county  at  the 
Provincial  Conference  of  1 776,  and  the  Constitu- 
tional Convention  of  the  same  year.  For  a 
time  he  was  colonel  of  a  battalion  of  Associators, 
and  afterward  held  the  command  of  all  the 
troops  raised  in  the  county. 

During  the  years  1777  and  1778  he  was  a 
member  of  the  Executive  Council  of  the  State, 
and  of  the  Council  of  Safety  from  October  17, 
1777,  to  December  4th  following.  In  April,  1780, 
he  received  the  appointment  of  assistant  forage- 
master,  which  he  held  for  some  time.  He  died 
at  Morgantown  on  Nov.  11, 1792,  aged  seventy- 
six  years,  and  his  body  was  buried  in  the  grave- 
yard of  St.  Thomas'  Episcopal  Church,  adjoining 
the  village.  He  laid  out  the  town-plan  of 
Morgantown  about  the  year  1 770  and  named 
the  place  after  his  family. 

Gabriel  Hiestbr,  a  son  of  Daniel  Hiester 
and  Catharine  Shueler  (natives  of  Witzenstein, 
Westphalia),  was  born  in  Bern  township  June 
17,  1749.  He  was  brought  up  as  a  farmer,  re- 
ceiving such  an  education  as  the  neighborhood 
afforded  at  the  Bern  church  school.  During  the 
Revolutionary  excitement  he  was  selected  as  one 
of  the  representatives  from  Berks  County  to  the 
Provincial  Convention  for  the  formation  of  a 
State  Constitution.  This  was  in  July,  1776. 
In  1778  he  received  the  appointment  of  justice 
of  the  Common  Pleas  Court  of  the  county,  which 
he  held  for  four  years.  Then  he  was  elected  to 
the  Assembly,  and  represented  the  county  in 
this  legislative  body  for  eight  years,  at  dif- 
ferent times— 1782,  1787-89,  1791  and  1802 
-04.  During  this  time  (in  1789)  he  was  in  the 
Assembly  when  the  question  of  framing  a  new 
Constitution  was  discussed,  but  he  voted  against 
the  propriety  of  calling  a  convention  for  this 
purpose.  He  was  Senator  from  the  district 
which  comprised  Berks  and  Dauphin  Counties 
for  ten  years— 1795-96  and  1805-12. 

This  continued  selection  by  his  fellow-citizens 
indicated  their  confidence  in  him  as  a  man  of 
ability  and  integrity.  He  died  on  his  farm,  in 
Bern  township,  on  September  1, 1824,  aged  over 
seventy-five  years.   He  was  &  brother  of  Colonel 


520 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Daniel  Hiester  (of  Montgomery  County),  Col- 
onel John  Hiester  (of  Chester  County)  and  a 
cousin  of  Governor  Joseph  Hiester  (of  this 
county).  His  wife  was  Elizabeth  Bausman, 
who  survived  him  eight  years,  dying  in  the 
eighty-first  year  of  her  age. 

John  Leshee  was  a  native  of  Germany.  He 
was  born  January  5,  1711.  He  emigrated  to 
Pennsylvania  in  1734,  and  was  naturalized  in 
1 743.  He  first  settled  in  the  upper  section  of 
Pucks  County,  but  subsequently  removed 
to  Oley  township.  Along  the  Manatawny 
Creek,  near  the  Oley  churches,  he,  with 
two  other  men  (John  Yoder  and  John  Ross), 
erected  a  forge  in  1744.  This  was  known 
as  the  "  Oley  Forge."  From  that  time,  for  a 
period  of  fifty  years,  he  was  prominently  iden- 
tified with  the  iron  industry  of  Berks  County. 
He  represented  the  county  in  the  Constitutional ' 
Convention  of  1776,  and  served  in  the  General 
Assembly  from  1776  till  1782,  a  period  of  six 
years.  Whilst  in  the  convention  he  was  one  of 
the  important  committee  who  prepared  and  re- 
ported the  "  Declaration  of  Rights."  During 
the  Revolution  he  acted  as  one  of  the  commis- 
sioners for  purchasing  army  supplies,  having  re- 
ceived his  appointment  on  January  20,  1778. 
He  died  in  Oley  township  April  5,  1794,  aged 
eighty-three  years. 

Benjamin  Spyker  was  born  in  the  Palati- 
nate about  the  year  1723.  His  father,  John 
Peter  Spyker,  emigrated  to  Pennsylvania  in 
1738,  landing  at  the  port  of  Philadelphia  and 
proceeding  thence  shortly  afterward  to  Tulpe- 
hocken  township,  where  a  large  tract  of  land 
was  taken  up  and  a  permanent  residence  ef- 
fected. In  1744  he  was  licensed  to  carry  on 
the  business  of  an  Indian  trader  ;  and  subse- 
quently he  enlisted  in  the  "  French  and  Indian 
War  " — his  business  having  been  destroyed  by 
the  rupture  between  the  settlers  and  the  Indians. 
During  this  trying  period  he  wrote  a  number 
of  important  letters  in  reference  to  the  cruelties 
of  the  Indians  and  the  suffering  of  the  people. 
He  was  a  neighbor  and  intimate  associate  of 
Conrad  Weiser.  At  the  beginning  of  the 
Revolution  he  assisted  in  organizing  the  Asso- 
ciate's of  the  county  and  preparing  them  for 
active  military  service.     In  1776  he  represent- 


ed the  county  in  the  Provincial  Conference  and 
in  the  Constitutional  Convention.  He  also 
served  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  for 
many  years  in  Tulpehocken  township,  his  dis- 
trict comprising  the  western  section  of  the 
county,  and  there  he  commanded  a  strong  social 
and  political  influence.  He  died  in  September, 
1802,  aged  nearly  eighty  years. 

Daniel  Hunter. — The  parents  of  Daniel 
Hunter  were  emigrants  from  Germany  who 
were  amongst  the  early  settlers  of  Oley  town- 
ship. Their  name  was  Yaeger;  but  it  was 
changed  to  English  by  requirement  of  a  provin- 
cial law.  He  was  born  in  this  township  about  the 
year  1729.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revo- 
lution he  manifested  an  earnest  interest  in  pub- 
lic affairs.  His  prominence  and  boldness  led 
to  his  selection  as  a  representative  man  from 
the  county  to  the  Provincial  Conference  in 
June,  1776,  and  to  the  convention  in  July  fol- 
lowing. In  the  next  year  the  War  Office  of 
Pennsylvania  appointed  him  to  act  as  one  of  the 
commissioners  to  procure  blankets  for  the  Con- 
tinental army,  and  also  as  a  paymaster  of  the 
militia.  He  represented  the  county  in  the 
General  Assembly  for  the  year  1782.  Whilst 
serving  this  office  he  was  taken  ill,  and  from 
this  illness  he  died  at  home  in  February,  1783, 
aged  fifty- four  years. 

Valentine  Eckert  was  born  in  Longaselva, 
in  the  Kingdom  of  Hanover,  in  1733.  He  came 
to  America  with  his  parents  in  1740,  who  set- 
tled in  the  Tulpehocken  Valley  at  a  point  to 
the  east  of  where  Womelsdorf  is  now  situate. 
He  was  naturalized  in  September,  1761.  In 
June,  1776,  he  was  one  of  the  ten  members  of 
the  Provincial  Conference  who  represented 
Berks  County  in  that  important  body  ;  and  in 
July  following  he  was  also  selected  as  one  of 
the  eight  members  to  represent  the  county  in 
the  Provincial  Convention  which  was  assembled 
for  the  purpose  of  framing  a  new  government 
founded  on  the  authority  of  the  people.  In 
1776  and  1779  he  represented  the  county  in  the 
Provincial  Assembly.  He  offered  his  services 
to  the  government  in  the  Revolutionary  War, 
which  were  accepted,  and  he  commanded  a  com- 
pany of  cavalry  Associators  for  a  time.  He  and 
his  company  participated  in  the  battle  of  Ger- 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


521 


mantown  in  October,  1777,  where  he  was 
wounded.  He  was  appointed  sub-lieutenant  of 
the  county  on  March  21,1777,  and  served  in 
this  office  till  his  promotion  to  lieutenant  of 
the  county  in  January,  1781. 

Whilst  serving  as  sub-lieutenant  he  also 
acted  as  a  commissioner  for  the  purchase  of  army 
provisions.  In  1784  he  was  appointed  judge  of 
the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  of  the  county  and 
occupied  this  office  for  a  term  of  seven  years, 
when,  by  the  Constitution  of  1790,  a  president 
judge  of  all  the  courts  was  appointed  to  take 
the  place  of  the  several  judges.  In  the  Penn- 
sylvania militia  he  was  brigade  inspector  for  the 
county  from  April  11,  1793,  for  a  period  of 
twenty  years.  About  the  year  1816  he  moved 
to  the  State  of  Virginia  and  died  at  Winchester 
in  December,  1821,  in  the  eighty-eighth  year 
of  his  age. 

Charles  Shoemaker  was  born  at  German- 
town  about  the  year  1735.  His  grandfather 
emigrated  to  this  country  with  Pastorious  and 
settled  in  the  vicinity  of  Germantown.  At  an 
early  age,  about  the  year  1765,  he  moved  to 
Windsor  township  '  and  took  up  a  considerable 
quantity  of  land.  He  exerted  a  large  influence 
in  politics  and  business  in  the  upper  section  of 
the  county.  He  represented  the  county  as  a 
member  in  the  Provincial  Conference  and  also 
in  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1776.  In 
1777  he  was  appointed  as  one  of  the  justices  of 
the  county  for  seven  years,  and  at  the  expiration 
of  his  term  he  was  re-appointed,  serving  doubt- 
less till  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  of  1790. 
The  State  Assembly,  in  December,  1777,  ap- 
pointed and  empowered  him  to  solicit  and  take 
subscriptions  for  the  Continental  Loan,  this 
service  having  required  a  large  measure  of 
ability  to  conduct  the  duties  of  the  office  with 
success.  He  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  consider- 
able amount  of  subscriptions  from  various  citi- 
zens of  the  county.  At  the  close  of  the  war 
much  loss  was  suffered  by  farmers  and  merchants 
from  non-redemption  of  these  loans.  The 
people  exhibited  their  patriotism  to  the  country 
by  lending  their  aid  in  its  extremity. 


'In  lower  section  on  Schuylkill, 
named  after  him. 


Slioemakersvil  e  was 


In  November,  1777,  he  acted  as  one  of  the 
commissioners  who  assembled  at  New  Haven, 
in  Connecticut,  to  regulate  the  price  of  commod- 
ities in  the  colonies. 

He  represented  the  county  in  the  General 
Assembly  for  twelve  years — 1792  to  1801,  in 
1810  and  in  1812;  and  in  the  Senate  for  one 
term  of  four  years — 1813  to  1816.  He  lived  a 
retired  life  for  several  years,  and  then  died  in 
April,  1820. 

Thomas  Jones,  Jr.,  was  the  son  of  Thomas 
Jones,  one  of  the  earliest  Welsh  settlers  in 
Cumru  township,  having  taken  up  land  there  in 
1735.  He  was  born  in  1742  in  this  town- 
ship. At  the  beginning  of  the  Revolution  he 
assisted  in  organizing  the  Associators  of  Berks 
County,  and  he  was  in  active  service  for  a  time 
as  a  major  in  one  of  the  battalions  of  the  county. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  First  Constitutional 
Convention  from  Berks  County.  He  died  in 
March,  1800,  aged  fifty-eight  years.  His  resi- 
dence was  in  Heidelberg  township. 

DELEGATES    AT    CONVENTION   OF    1789. 

Joseph  Hiester. — (For  sketch,  see  State 
Officials.) 

Gabriel  Hiester. — (Sketch  ante.) 
Daniel  Brodhead. — (For  sketch,  see  Chap- 
ter IX.,  "  Revolution.") 

DELEGATES  TO   CONVENTION  OF   1837. 

John  Ritter. — (For  sketch,  see  Chapter 
XVII.,  on  Newspapers.) 

George  M.  Keim. — (For  sketch,  see  Chap- 
ter XIX.,  on  Politics.) 

William  High. — (For  sketch,  see  Chapter 
XX.,  Judges. 

Mark  Darrah. — (For  sketch,  see  Chapter 
XXI.,  on  Medical  Profession.) 

James  Donagan. — (For  sketch,  see  Chapter 
XX.,  on  Attorneys.) 

DELEGATES  TO   CONVENTION   OF   1872. 

•  George  G.  Barclay. — (For  sketch,  see 
Chapter  XX.,  on  Attorneys.) 

Henry  W.  Smith. — (For  sketch,  see  Chap- 
ter XX.,  on  Attorneys.) 

Henry  Van  Reed. — (For  sketch,  see  Chap- 
ter XX.,  on  Judges). 


522 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


STATE   OFFICIALS. 

Joseph  Hiestek  was  born  in  Bern  town- 
ship, Berks  County,  on  November  18,  1752. 
His  father,  John  Heister,  emigrated  to  this 
country  in  1732  in  the  twenty-fifth  year  of  his 
age,  from  the  village  of  Elsoff,  in  the  province 
of  Westphalia,  Germany.  Some  years  after- 
ward, he  settled  in  Bern  township,  where  he 
was  then  married  to  Mary  Barbara  Epler,  a 
daughter  of  one 
of  the  first  settlers 
in  that  section  of 
the  county.  He 
and  his  two  bro- 
thers, Joseph  and 
Daniel  (who  emi- 
grated in  1738), 
took  up  large 
tracts  •  of  land 
comprising  sev- 
eral thousand 
acres  and  extend- 
ing from  the  Bern 
church  to  the  Tul- 
pehocken  Creek, 
and  there  they 
carried  on  farm- 
ing. He  died  in 
1757,  aged  fifty 
years.  His  wife 
was  born  in  1732; 
and  she  died  in 
1809.  The  re- 
mains of  both 
were  buried  in  the 
graveyard  appur- 
tenant to  the 
Bern  church. 

Joseph  Hiester 
was  brought  up 
on  the  farm  till 

he  was  a  young  man.  It  is  said  that  he  at 
times  related  his  early  experience  at  plowing — 
how  he  was  put  to  the  plow  so  young  that  when 
it  struck  a  stump  or  stone,  and  was  thereby 
thrown  from  the  furrow,  he  was  not  able  to  re- 
place it  till  it  had  run  a  considerable  distance ; 
and  when  caught  in  a  root  its  rebound  would 
occasionally  throw  him  prostrate.    In  the  inter- 


vals of  farm  labor  he  attended  the  school  which 
was  conducted  at  the  Bern  church,  and  there 
acquired  the  rudiments  of  an  English  and  also 
a  German  education.  The  homestead  was  situ- 
ated about  a  mile  northwardly  from  the  church. 
He  removed  to  Eeading  before  he  was  of  age, 
and  entered  the  general  store  of  Adam  Witman. 
Whilst  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  Witman  he  be- 
came acquainted  with  his  daughter  Elizabeth 

and  he  was  mar- 
ried to  her  in 
1771.  He  con- 
tinued with  his 
father-in-law  till 
the  breaking  out 
of  the  'Bevolu- 
tion.  Then  appre- 
ciating the  spirit 
of  the  people  for 
independence,  he 
took  an  active 
part  in  discussing 
the  principles  of 
the  Federalist 
party,  and  in  en- 
couraging the  en- 
listment of  men 
for  military  ser- 
'  vice.  He  raised 
a  company  of 
eighty  men  in 
July,  1776  which 
became  a  part  of 
the  "Flying 
Camp  "  and  par- 
ticipated in  the 
battle  of  Long 
Island.1  He  was 
taken  prisoner  in 
this  engagement 
and  confined  on 
the  notorious  prison-ship  "  Jersey  "  for  a  time, 
and  was  afterward  imprisoned  in  New  York. 
Whilst  a  prisoner  in  the  latter  place  he  was 
taken  sick  with  a  low  fever,  and  became  so 
feeble  that  in  passing  up  and  down-stairs  he 
was  obliged  to  creep  on  his  hands  and  knees. 

1See  Chap.  ix.  Revolution. 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


52a 


He  and  the  other  men  imprisoned  endured 
many  hardships  and  much  suffering.  After 
having  been  held  in  prison  several  months  he 
was  exchanged.  He  proceeded  immediately  to 
Reading,  and  remained  at  home  only  a  short 
time,  sufficient  to  regain  his  health  and  strength, 
when  he  again  joined  the  army,  which  lay 
towards  Philadelphia.  He  returned  in  time  to 
participate  in  the  battle  of  Germantown.  In 
this  engagement  he  received  a  wound  on  his 
head.  He  continued  in  active  service  till  the 
close  of  the  war.  A  record  of  his  services,  or 
of  his  company,  unfortunately,  has  not  been  pre- 
served. 

His  earnest  participation  in  the  public  meet- 
ings at  Reading,  which  encouraged  revolu- 
tion, led  to  his  selection  as  one  of  the  ten  dele- 
gates  from  Berks  County  to  the  conference  held 
at  Philadelphia  on  June  1 8, 1776,  which  decided 
that  a  Provincial  Convention  should  be  called  on 
July  15, 1776,  for  the  express  purpose  of  "  form- 
ing a  new  government  in  this  province  on  the 
authority  of  the  people  only."  His  first  cousin, 
Gabriel  Hiester,  was  elected  as  one  of  the  eight 
delegates  to  this  convention,  but  he  himself  be- 
came engaged  in  the  military  service  of  his 
country. 

Upon  his  return  from  the  Revolution  he 
entered  into  partnership  with  his  father-in-law, 
Adam  Witman,  in  the  mercantile  business,  and 
some  years  afterward  became  the  sole  proprietor 
of  the  store.  He  conducted  his  business  opera- 
tions very  successfully  for  a  number  of  years. 
Public  affairs  also  received  much  of  his  atten- 
tion, not  only  relating  to  political  government, 
but  also  to  the  development  of  Reading  and  the 
county  by  internal  improvement.  Four  years 
after  his  return  he  was  elected  one  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  General  Assembly  from  Berks 
County,  and  re-elected  twice,  continuing  in  this 
office  for  three  years,— from  1787  to  1790.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  General  Assembly  when 
that  body  ratified  the  Constitution  of  the 
Uuited  States,  which  went  into  operation  in 
March,  1789;  and  also  when  it  decided  that 
alterations  and  amendments  to  the  Constitution 
of  1776  were  necessary,  and  that  a  convention 
for  that  purpose  should  be  called.  He  was 
chosen  one  of  the  delegates  to  the  Constitution- 


al Convention  of  1789,  having  been  the  first  on 
list  of  delegates  from  Berks  County,  and  he 
assisted  in  framing  the  Constitution  of  1790. 
After  serving  in  this  representative  capacity,  he 
was  chosen  the  first  State  Senator  from  this  dis- 
trict for  one  term  of  four  years, — from  1790  to- 
1794.  In  1797  he  was  elected  to  represent 
Berks  County  in  Congress,  succeeding  his  first 
cousin,  Daniel  Hiester,  who  had  held  this  office 
for  the  first  four  terms,  from  1789  to  1797,. 
under  the  national  Constitution,  and  he  was 
continued  as  the  representative  for  five  terms, 
from  1797  to  1807.  After  an  intermission  of 
eight  years — which  he  devoted  entirely  to  busi- 
ness at  Reading — he  was  again  sent  to  Cougress 
in  1815  and  re-elected  twice.  Whilst  holding 
this  office  he  was  prominently  identified  with 
the  political  affairs  of  Pennsylvania,  so  much  so 
that  in  1817  he  became  the  nominee  of  the 
Federalist  party  for  Governor.  Though  not 
elected  then,  his  great  popularity  was  shown  in 
the  flattering  vote  which  he  received. 

He  was  the  first  candidate  on  the  Federal 
ticket  who  received  a  majority  of  the  votes  in 
the  county  of  Berks  against  the  Democratic 
candidate,  and  also  in  the  southeastern  section 
of  the  State,  which  comprised  eleven  very  pop- 
ulous and  influential  counties.  The  party 
naturally  selected  him  in  1820  a  second  time 
as  the  most  available  candidate,  and  he  was 
elected.  This  was  a  great  victory  for  him,  but 
especially  for  his  party,  inasmuch  as  he  was 
the  first  successful  candidate  which  the  Feder- 
alists had  placed  in  the  field  against  the  Demo- 
crats. The  political  returns  show  his  increased 
popularity.  The  majority  against  him  at  the 
election  of  1817  was  7005,  but  the  majority  for 
him  at  the  election  of  1820,  notwithstanding 
that  his  opponent  on  the  Democratic  ticket  had 
been  Governor  for  the  previous  three  years, 
was  1605.  A  careful  study  of  the  election 
returns  reveals  the  fact,  however,  that  the  de- 
votion of  the  people  of  Berks  County  to  him 
caused  his  election.  Theretofore  the  county  had 
always  been  Democratic  by  a  sure,  if  not  a 
large,  majority,  and  if  it  had  continued  stead- 
fast to  the  Democratic  party  in  1820  he  would 
certainly  have  been  defeated.  The  county  is 
therefore   entitled   to   the  greater  part  of  the 


524 


HISTOEY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


credit  for  his  election.1  Having  been  elected  to 
this  position,  he  resigned  his  seat  in  Congress. 
He  had  been  induced  by  his  personal  and  po- 
litical friends  to  become  a  candidate  for  this 
office  upon  the  express  condition  that  he  would 
serve  only  one  term,  and  notwithstanding  his 
successful  administration  and  a  great  pressure 
from  partisans  and  many  friends  to  be  a  candi- 
date for  re-election,  he  resolutely  refused  to 
permit  the  use  of  his  name. 

The  administration  of  Governor  Hiester  was 
characterized  by   great   activity  in    promoting 
the  growth   of  the   commonwealth,  especially 
through  internal  improvements.     Political  con- 
tests were  conducted  in  that  period  with  great 
bitterness.     Harsh  criticisms  were  made  against 
those   who    occupied    prominent   positions  and 
directed  public  affairs.     The  administration  of 
his  immediate  predecessor,  Governor  Findlay, 
was   condemned    without   measure.     The  con- 
demnation was  so  furious  that  it  made  a  deep 
impression   upon   Governor   Hiester,  so   deep, 
indeed,  that  he  was  led  to  refer  to  it  in  his  in- 
augural   address.     Among    other    things,    he 
said, — "But   I    trust,  if    any   errors  shall  be 
committed,    they    will  not     be    chargeable  to 
intention.     They  will  owe  their  origin   to  the 
imperfection    of    our    nature   and   the  narrow 
limits  of  human  foresight.     They  will  not  pro- 
ceed from  a  willful  neglect  of  duty  on  my  part, 
nor  from  any  want  of  devotion  to  the  best  in- 
terests of  our  beloved  country.     Such  errors,  I 
may  justly  hope,    will   meet   with    indulgence 
from  an  enlightened  and  liberal  people.   Where 
censure  shall,  upon   a  full  and  impartial  view 
•of  matters,  be  merited,  let  it  not  be  withheld. 
It  is  the  duty  of  freemen  to  examine  closely 
into  the  conduct  of  those  to  whom  they  have 
delegated  their  power,  or  the  guardianship  of 
their  rights  and  interests,  to  censure  the  abuse 
of  the  one,  or  the  neglect  or  mismanagement  of 
the  other.     Considering  myself  as  elected  by 
the  people  of  this   commonwealth,  and  not  by 
any  particular  denomination  of  persons,  I  shall 
endeavor  to  deserve  the  name  of  chief  magis- 
trate of  Pennsylvania,  and  to  avoid   the  dis- 


'  His  election  was  celebrated  by  a  grand  festiral  at  Read- 
ing.    (See  Chap.  xix. — Politics). 


graceful    appellation    of    the  Governor    of  a 
party." 

The  great  patronage  at  the  disposal  of  the 
executive  had  become  very  troublesome.  This 
was  particularly  experienced  by  Governor  Find- 
lay,  and  Governor  Hiester,  knowing  this,  asked 
the  Legislature  to  devise  some  method  by  which 
the  Governor  could  be  relieved.  He  also  sug- 
gested that  the  annual  sessions  of  the  Legisla- 
ture might  be  shortened  without  detriment  to 
the  public  good,  that  public  improvements 
could  then  be  made  advantageously  and  domestic 
manufactures  encouraged  with  success,  and  that 
there  existed  an  imperative  duty  to  introduce 
and  support  a  liberal  system  of  education,  con- 
nected with  some  general  religious  instruction. 

During  the  session  of  1822  the  city  and 
county  of  Lancaster  were  erected  into  a  school 
district,  called  the  Second,  the  First  having  been 
the  city  and  county  of  Philadelphia,  erected  in 
1819.  According  to  his  sentiments,  expressed 
to  the  Legislature,  Governor  Hiester  in  every 
possible  way  encouraged  the  system  of  free 
education  ;  but  a  decade  elapsed  after  his  term 
before  the  system  was  perfected  sufficiently  by 
legislation  to  make  it  effective.  And  whilst 
Governor  Hiester  occupied  the  gubernatorial 
chair  the  State  capital  was  removed  from  Lan- 
caster to  Harrisburg.  The  building  was  begun 
in  1819  and  finished  in  1821,  and  the  General 
Assembly  convened  in  it  for  the  first  time  on 
January  3,  1822.  The  capital  had  been  at 
Lancaster  since  1799,  and  previously  at  Phila- 
delphia. 

In  his  last  annual  message  to  the  Legislature 
Governor  Hiester  expressed  many  sentiments 
which  indicated  his  strong  love  for  the  State 
and  his  zeal  for  her  welfare  and  progress,  con- 
cluding it  as  follows : 

"  Having  been  for  nearly  fifty  years  occasion- 
ally engaged  in  various  highly  responsible  situ- 
ations in  the  service  of  my  country,  and  having 
witnessed  its  progress  from  colonial  vassalage  to 
independence  and  sovereignty,  it  is  with  most 
sincere  pleasure  that,  on  quitting  the  theatre  of 
action,  I  can  congratulate  you  and  our  fellow- ' 
citizens  at  large  on  the  propitious  situation  in 
which  it  is  now  placed ;  and  I  avail  myself  of 
the  occasion  it  affords  me  of  repeating  my  fer- 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


525 


vent  prayers  to  the  Almighty  Ruler  of  the 
Universe,  under  whose  superintending  influence 
it  has  attained  its  present  eminence,  that  he 
may  continue  to  cherish  it  with  his  foster- 
ing care,  preserving  its  citizens  in  the  free  en- 
joyment of  their  just  rights  and  republican  in- 
stitutions, until  all  earthly  governments  shall 
be  terminated  by  the  consummation  of  time." 

Upon  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  office  he 
lived  in  retirement  at  Reading.  His  residence 
was  situated  on  the  northern  side  of  Penn 
Street,  midway  between  Fourth  and  Fifth 
Streets.1  The  dwelling  consisted  of  a  two-story 
brick  building,  with  a  large  frame  stable  on  the 
rear  of  the  lot.  He  owned  a  number  of  farms 
in  Alsace  (now  Muhlenberg),  Cumru  and  Bern 
townships,  and  also  tracts  of  woodland  on 
Mount  Penn,  altogether  numbering  nearly  two 
thousand  acres,  seven  prominent  business  stands 
and  dwellings  in  Reading,  valued  at  over  fifty 
thousand  dollars,  and  also  out-lots.  He  occu- 
pied and  farmed  the  out-lots  for  his  own  use, 
and  kept  horses  and  cows — a  custom  carried  on 
by  the  more  prominent  inhabitants  of  Reading 
in  order  to  supply  their  families  with  vegeta- 
bles. 

He  frequently  visited  his  farms.  Upon  one 
occasion,  about  1825,  he  called  to  see  John 
Sailor,  who  was  farming  the  three  hundred  and 
twelve  acre  farm  on  the  Kutztown  road,  at 
"  Hiester's  Lane  "  (now  in  North  Reading,  and 
owned  by  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Rail- 
road Company).  Finding  Mr.  Sailor  on  the 
barn-floor,  threshing  grain  with  a  flail,  he 
pulled  off  his  coat  and  handled  the  flail,  not 
only  vigorously  but  successfully.  During  his 
youth  he  was  recognized  as  an  accomplished 
workman  at  all  kinds  of  farm  labor.  When 
Mr.  Sailor  reached  an  advanced  age  and  lived 
in  retirement,  he  narrated  this  circumstance 
with  much  pleasure. 

Governor  Hiester  was  a  man  of  commanding 
presence  and  pleasing  address.  He  was  about 
six  feet  tall  and  weighed  about  two  hundred 
pounds.  His  manners  were  simple  and  unas- 
suming, so  much  so,  indeed,  for  a  man  of  his 

1  On  the  western  half  of  lot  No.  30  in  town  plan,  now 
occupied  by  Tobias  Barto,  No.  437. 


high  station  and  large  means,  that  the  people 
of  this  community  were  thereby  most  favorably 
impressed.  The  men  of  to-day,  now  old  and 
gray,  who  then  were  boys  at  Reading,  recall 
him  with  pleasure  and  speak  of  him  in  the 
highest  terms  of  respect.  And  just  as  they 
speak  of  him  so  do  they  also  speak  of  his  wife. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Reformed  Church. 
His  wife  died  June  11,  1825,  aged  seventy-five 
years,  two  months  and  nine  days.  He  died 
seven  years  afterward,  June  10,  1832,  in  the 
home  which  he  had  occupied  for  two-score 
of  years,  aged  seventy-nine  years,  six  months 
and  twenty-two  days.  His  remains  were  buried 
in  the  burying-ground  of  the  Reformed  Church. 
The  funeral  was  conducted  without  display  of 
any  kind,  according  to  the  known  wishes  of  the 
Governor ;  but  though  the  occasion  was  not  sig- 
nalized by  a  great  military  parade  and  other 
demonstrations  of  respect,  because  they  were 
declined  by  the  family,  a  great  many  people 
nevertheless  assembled  to  witness  the  simple 
ceremonies  which  were  performed  in  carrying 
to  the  grave  him  who  had  occupied  for  over 
fifty  years  the  most  prominent  positions  before 
them.  Some  years  afterward  the  remains  of 
the  Governor  and  his  wife  were  removed  to  the 
Charles  Evans  Cemetery. 

He  left  an  estate  which  amounted  to  four 
hundred  and  sixty-eight  thousand  dollars. 
The  greater  part  consisted  of  bonds  and  stocks 
— the  latter  having  included,  it  is  believed, 
fifty  thousand  dollars  in  the  United  States 
Bank.  His  surviving  children  and  grand- 
children were  a  son,  John  S.  Hiester;  two 
daughters,  Catharine  Spayd  (widow  of  Hon. 
John  Spayd)  and  Rebecca  Muhlenberg  (inter- 
married with  Rev.  Henry  A.  Muhlenberg) ;  a 
granddaughter,  Mary  E.  Muhlenberg  (the 
daughter  of  Mary  Heister,  who  was  intermar- 
ried with  Rev.  Henry  A.  Muhlenberg);  and 
seven  grandchildren,  the  children  of  Elizabeth 
Hiester,  who  was  intermarried  with  Levi  Paul- 
ing, namely — Joseph  Pauling,  Henry  Pauling, 
Elizabeth  Pauling  (intermarried  with  Thomas 
Ross),  James  Pauling,  Rebecca  Pauling,  Ellen 
Pauling  and  Mary  Pauling. 

Governor  John  Andrew  Shulze,  though 
not  elected  Governor  from  Berks  County,  his 


526 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


birth  and  earlier  life  in  the  county  entitle  him 
to  a  place  in  this  history. 

John  Andrew  Shulze  was  born  in  Tulpe- 
hocken  township,  Berks  County,  on  July  19, 
1775.  He  was  the  son  of  Eev.  Christian 
Shulze,  a  Lutheran  clergyman.  His  mother  was 
Eve  Elizabeth  Muhlenberg,  the  oldest  daughter 
■of  Rev.  Henry  Melchior  Muhlenberg.  He  was 
liberally  educated  for  the  ministry,  and  regu- 
larly ordained  as  a  minister  in  1796,  and  he 
assisted  his  father  for  eight  years  in  the  dis- 
charge of  pastoral  duties  to  several  congregations 
in  Berks,  Lebanon  and  Lancaster  Counties. 
Owing  to  a  rheumatic  affection,  he,  in  1804,  was 
obliged  to  relinquish  preaching.  He  then 
moved  to  Myerstown,  then  in  Dauphin  County, 
and  pursued  the  business  of  merchant.  In 
1806  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  State 
Legislature,  and  afterward  twice  re-elected, 
serving  his  constituents  with  distinction  for 
three  terms.  In  1813,  upon  the  erection  of 
Lebanon  County,  he  was  appointed  to  fill  the 
office  of  prothonotary,  in  which  he  continued 
for  eight  years.  In  1821  he  was  again  elected 
to  the  Legislature,  and,  in  1822,  he  was  chosen 
Senator,  to  represent  the  Senatorial  district 
composed  of  Dauphin  and  Lebanon  Counties. 
Whilst  serving  as  a  Senator  he  received  the 
Democratic  nomination  for  Governor,  and  was 
■elected  by  a  majority  of  twenty-five  thousand 
seven  hundred  and  six  over  Andrew  Gregg,  the 
Federal  candidate ;  and,  in  1826,  he  was  re- 
elected Governor  with  little  opposition,  the 
Federal  party  having  run  John  Sergeant  against 
him.  In  1829  he  was  again  brought  out  as  a 
candidate,  but,  for  the  sake  of  harmony  in  the 
party,  he  withdrew,  and  George  Wolf  was  nom- 
inated and  elected.  Whilst  acting  as  Governor 
he  had  the  honor  of  tendering  the  courtesies 
of  the  State  to  General  Lafayette,  who  was 
then  upon  his  celebrated  tour  through  the 
country.  His  administration  of  the  affairs  of 
the  State  government  during  his  official  career 
was  distinguished  for  integrity,  wisdom  and 
statesmanship. 

During  President  Jackson's  opposition  against 
the  Bank  of  the  United  States,  Governor  Shulze 
left  the  Democratic  party.  But  he  was  not  ac- 
tive in  political  life  after  his  retirement  from 


the  office  of  Governor,  excepting  upon  one 
occasion,  in  1840,  when  he  was  a  member  of 
the  Harrisburg  Whig  Convention,  which  nom- 
inated General  Harrison  for  President.  In 
this  connection  he  ran  as  a  Senatorial  elector  upon 
the  Harrison  ticket,  and  was  elected,  and  after- 
ward officiated  as  president  of  the  State  Elec- 
toral College. 

Upon  retiring  from  office  he  removed  to 
Lycoming  County,  where  he  continued  to  re- 
side till  1846.  During  that  period  he  was  en- 
gaged in  certain  extensive  speculations  in  this 
great  and  enterprising  county,  but  he  was  not 
successful  in  them.  Then  he  moved  to  Lancas- 
ter, where  he  continued  to  reside  till  his  death, 
November  18,  1852.  He  was  a  superior  man, 
and  he  enjoyed  the  high  esteem  of  his  fellow- 
citizens  for  his  many  excellent  personal  and  social 
characteristics.  He  was  one  of  the  few  really 
prominent  men  whom  this  county  produced. 
His  predecessor  in  the  gubernatorial  chair  ot 
this  State  was  Joseph  Hiester,  who  was  elected 
to  this  high  office  from  Berks  County. 

Frederick  Smith,  one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished men  that  Berks  County  has  produced, 
was  born  in  the  year  1773,  and  was  a  son  of 
Rev.  John  Frederick  Smith,  an  eminent  divine 
of  the  Lutheran  Church  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  that  denomination  in 
America.  Frederick  Smith  obtained  a  su- 
perior classical  education,  and,  selecting  the  law 
as  his  profession,  after  a  careful  preparation,  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  at  Reading  August  7,  1795. 
He  soon  thereafter  won  prominence  and  dis- 
tinction, both  as  a  counselor  and  as  an  attorney 
in  important  litigation.  In  the  mean  time  he 
became  actively  interested  in  the  politics  of  his 
native  State,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Legisla- 
ture for  two  years — 1802-3.  He  was  appointed 
deputy  attorney-general  for  Berks  County  in 
1818,  and  occupied  that  position  for  three 
years. 

He  served  from  1823  to  1828  as  attorney- 
general  of  Pennsylvania,  under  Governor  An- 
drew Shulze,  by  whom  he  was  appointed  as- 
sociate justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the' 
State  in  1828,  which  position  he  filled  until  the 
time  of  his  death.  His  judicial  career,  though 
brief,  was   distinguished.      His   decisions    are 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


527 


cited  as  emphatic  expositions  of  the  law,  and  are 
characterized  by  clearness  and  logical  force  of 
reasoning.  Besides  possessing  superior  liter- 
ary and  professional  ability,  he  was  a  man  of 
genial  spirits  and  affable  manners,  thus  winning 
to  him  in  social  circles  a  large  number  of  inti- 
mate friends. 

Judge  Smith  died  in  Reading  on  Tuesday, 
October  4,  1830.  He  had  returned  to  his  home 
and  family  apparently  in  good  health,  and  his 
heart  buoyant  with  joy,  only  the  evening  be- 
fore his  sudden  and  unexpected  death.  Having 
just  finished  his  evening  repast,  he  was  stricken 
down  with  a  fatal  malady,  from  which  he  suf- 
fered but  a  few  hours.  His  remains  were  in- 
terred in  the  cemetery  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  but  have  since  been  removed  to  the 
Charles  Evans  Cemetery.  The  members  of  the 
Reading  bar  called  a  meeting,  of  which  Marks 
John  Biddle  was  chairman  and  David  F.  Gor- 
don secretary,  and  passed  resolutions  com- 
mendatory of  his  life  and  character. 

A  meeting  of  the  Philadelphia  bar,  held  in 
the  Law  Library  of  that  city,  adopted  appro- 
priate resolutions  in  testimony  of  his  high 
character  and  his  distinguished  ability.  Of  this 
meeting  William  Rawle  was  chairman  and  T. 
L.  Wharton  secretary. 

Gabriel  Hiester,  a  son  of  Hon.  Gabriel 
Hiester,  a  prominent  representative  man  of 
Berks  County,  was  born  in  Bern  township  Jan- 
uary 5, 1779.  He  was  given  a  good  English 
and  German  education,  and  his  youth  was  spent 
on  his  father's  farm.  His  father  having  taken 
an  active  and  very  successful  part  in  our  local 
politics,  he  naturally  exhibited  the  same  spirit 
at  an  early  age.  By  appointment  from  the  Gov- 
ernor, he  was  prothonotary  of  the  county  from 
1809  to  1817,  and  clerk  of  the  Quarter  Sessions 
from  1809  to  1812  and  1814  to  1817,  and  asso- 
ciate judge  from  1819  to  1823.  During  the  War 
of  1812-15  he  served  as  brigade-major  under 
General  William  Addams,  of  Berks  County, 
in  the  campaign  at  Washington  and  Baltimore. 
He  served  as  a  Presidential  elector  in  1817  and 
•in  1821,  casting  his  ballot  upon  both  occasions 
for  James  Monroe.  Governor  Andrew  Shulze 
appointed  him  surveyor-general  of  the  State  on 
May  11,  1824,  when  he  removed  to  Harris- 


burg,  and  he  officiated  in  that  position  for  six 
years. 

Whilst  at  Harrisburg  he  became  interested  in 
the  iron  business,  and  erected  the  first  rolling- 
mill  in  that  vicinity,  at  Fairview,  on  the  Cone- 
doguinet,  and  he  continued  actively  engaged  in 
it  till  his  decease.  He  died  there  on  September 
14,  1834.  He  was  married,  in  1803,  to  Mary 
Otto,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  John  Otto,  of  Reading. 
She  died  in  1853.  They  had  the  following  child- 
ren :  Louisa,  Harriet  (intermarried  with  C.  B. 
Bioren),  Augustus  O.,  Gabriel  and  Catharine. 

Jacob  Sallade,  a  son  of  Andreas  Sallade 
and  Eva  (nie  Schmidt),  his  wife,  was  born  at 
Womelsdorf  (Middletown)  July  13,  1789,  and 
there  educated.  He  was  employed  for  a  time  as 
clerk  in  the  general  store  of  a  brother  of  Gov- 
ernor J.  A.  Shulze,  at  that  place,  and  also  offici- 
ated as  a  justice  of  the  peace.  In  1824  he  re- 
ceived from  Governor  Shulze  (with  whom  he 
was  upon  intimate  terms,  having  been  brought 
up  together  in  the  same  town)  the  appointment 
of  clerk  of  the  Orphans'  Court  and  clerk  of  the 
court  of  Quarter  Sessions,  and  then  he  removed 
to  Reading.  He  held  these  offices  for  three 
years,  after  which  he  filled  the  office  of  prothon- 
otary for  three  years — from  1826  to  1829 — by 
appointment  also  from  Governor  Shulze.  Dur- 
ing the  next  ten  years  he  was  engaged  in  the 
business  of  general  merchandise  at  Reading, 
and  he  also  served  as  a  justice  of  the  peace  for 
a  time. 

In  1839  Governor  Joseph  Ritner  appointed 
him  surveyor-general,  and  he  continued  to  serve 
in  this  position  for  six  years.  During  that  time 
he  resided  at  Harrisburg,  and  he  died  there 
shortly  after  his  term  expired.  His  remains 
were  brought  to  Reading  and  buried  in  Charles 
Evans'  Cemetery.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  per- 
sonal appearance,  and  enjoyed  much  popularity 
during  his  official  career. 

He  was  married  to  Susanna  Mayer,  with 
whom  he  had  issue  seven  children — Maria 
Catharine,  Andrew  M.  (an  attorney  at  Reading), 
Charles  M.,  Sarah,  Susanna,  Rebecca  and  Jacob 
M.  (an  attorney  at  Reading). 

John  Banks,  a  State  treasurer  during  the 
year  1 847.  (For  sketch  see  biographies  of  Presi- 
dent Judges.) 


528 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


William  Strong,  LL.D.,  associate  judge 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States 
until  the  time  of  his  voluntary  retirement,  at  the 
age  of  seventy  years,  was  born  at  Sorners, 
Conn.,  May  6,  1808,  and  is  the  son  of  the 
Rev.  William  L.  Strong,  an  eminent  Presby- 
terian clergyman  and  graduate  of  Yale  College. 
His  preparatory  education  was  acquired  at  the 
Munson  Academy,  Massachusetts,  and  when 
sixteen  years  of  age  he  entered  the  freshman 
class  at  Yale  College,  from  which  institution  he 
was  graduated  in  1828,  with  honor  to  himself 
and  the  institution.  He  subsequently  taught  a 
classical  and  mathematical  school,  occupying  his 
leisure  hours  in  the  study  of  the  law  and  so 
continued  until  February,  1832,  when  he  en- 
tered the  Law  Department  of  Yale  College. 
In  the  following  month  of  October  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  of  the  Superior  Court  of  Con- 
necticut, and  shortly  afterward  he  was  admitted 
to  practice  in  the  District  Court  and  Court  of 
Common  Pleas  of  the  city  and  county  of  Phila- 
delphia. On  November  17th  of  the  same  year 
he  opened  a  law-office  in  Reading  and  made 
that  place  his  residence.  In  political  faith  he 
was  a  Democrat  of  the  old  school  and  as  such 
was  several  times  elected  a  member  of  the  City 
Councils  of  Reading  and  also  one  of  the  control- 
lers of  the  public  schools.  In  1846  he  was 
elected  as  representative  of  the  Eighth  District 
in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  and  was 
re-elected  in  1848.  He  served  on  several  im- 
portant committees  and  was  chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Elections.  In  1850  he  declined 
a  re-election  and  returned  to  the  practice  of  his 
profession.  In  1857  he  was  elected  by  tiie 
people  of  the  commonwealth  a  judge  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Pennsylvania  for  the  term  of 
fifteen  years,  but  resigned  his  position  on  the 
bench  October  1,  1868,  and  returned  to  prac- 
tice his  profession  at  Philadelphia.  On  Febru- 
ary 18,  1870,  he  was  appointed  by  President 
Grant  an  associate  justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  United  States,  which  high  position 
he  held  till  1878,  when  he  was  retired  under  the 
act  of  Congress. 

While  a  resident  of  Reading  he  was  for  many 
years  a  director  of  the  Farmers'  Bank,  as  well 
as  a  director  of  the  Lebanon  Valley  Railroad. 


He  was  counsel  for  the  Philadelphia  and  Read- 
ing Railroad  Company  until  he  was  elevated  to 
the  Supreme  bench.  In  religious  faith  he  is  a 
Presbyterian,  having  been  for  many  years  a 
member  of  that  denomination  and  ruling  elder. 
For  several  years  he  was  one  of  the  vice-presi- 
dents of  the  American  Bible  Society,  as  also  of 
the  American  Sunday-School  Union ;  and  in 
1873  was  elected  president  of  the  American 
Tract  Society.  He  received  in  1867  the  hono- 
rary degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  from  Lafayette 
College,  at  Easton,  and  in  1870  the  same  hono- 
rary diploma  was  granted  him  by  Nassau  Hall, 
Princeton,  N.  J.,  and  also  by  his  Alma  Mater, 
Yale  College. 

William  Muhlenberg  Hiester,  son  of 
the  celebrated  physician,  Dr.  Isaac  Hiester,  was 
born  in  Reading,  May  15,  1818.  His  grand- 
father, on  the  maternal  side,  was  General  Peter 
Muhlenberg,  of  Revolutionary  fame.  His 
mother,  Hetty  Muhlenberg,  died  in  1872,  at 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty-eight  years.  He 
received  a  preparatory  training  at  the  West 
Nottingham  Academy  in  Maryland,  and  subse- 
quently entered  Bristol  College  in  Pennsylva- 
nia, and  graduated  in  1837,  in  the  second  and 
last  class  of  graduates  from  that  institution. 
He  read  law  in  the  office  of  Judge  Banks,  at- 
tended a  course  of  lectures  in  the  Law  Depart- 
ment of  Harvard  College,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  at  Reading,  January  7,  1840.  The 
honorary  degree  of  A.  M.  was  conferred  upon 
him  in  1843,  by  Harvard  College.  He  prac- 
ticed his  profession  four  years  in  Erie,  Pa., 
and  in  1845  returned  to  Reading,  and  asso- 
ciated himself  with  the  Hon.  Henry  A.  Muhl- 
enberg, and  soon  acquired  a  large  practice.  In 
1852  he  was  elected  by  the  Democratic  party 
as  a  member  of  the  State  Senate,  and  served 
until  1855,  taking  foremost  rank  among  the 
Democratic  members.  At  the  opening  of  the 
session  of  1855,  after  an  exciting  contest,  he  was 
elected  Speaker  of  the  Senate  on  the  twenty- 
seventh  ballot.  His  career  as  Speaker  was  dig- 
nified, firm  and  impartial.  In  January,  1858, 
he  was  appointed  secretary  of  the  common- 
wealth by  Governor  William  F.  Packer,  and 
continued  in  that  office  during  the  administra- 
tion of  three  years.     He  supported  Stephen  A. 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


529 


Douglas  for  President  of  the  United  States  in 
the  campaign  of  1860,  but  subsequently  ear- 
nestly advocated  the  administration  of  Abraham 
Lincoln,  and  was  a  warm  friend  of  the  Union. 
In  the  summer  of  1863,  when  Pennsylvania 
was  being  invaded  by  General  Lee,  Mr  Hies- 
ter  was  appointed  by  Governor  Curtin  one  of 
the  mustering  officers,  with  the  rank  of  major, 
to  muster  in  troops  that  volunteered  for  ninety 
days'  service,  in  response  to  the  Governor's 
proclamation  of  June  26,  1863,  calling  for 
sixty  thousand  men.  He  was  assigned  to  duty 
at  the  temporary  rendezvous  on  the  Agricultu- 
ral Fair  Grounds  at  Reading,  which,  in  com- 
pliment to  him,  was  designated  Camp  Hiester. 
In  the  execution  of  his  military  commission,  he 
mustered  into  the  State  service  eight  full  regi- 
ments of  volunteers,  comprising  an  aggregate 
force  of  eight  thousand  men.  After  the  war 
he  supported  the  Republican  party,  and  in  1864 
was  the  Republican  candidate  for  Congress  in 
the  Berks  County  District.  After  this  event, 
he  retired  from  participation  in  public  affairs, 
and  devoted  his  attention  to  the  benevolent  and 
business  interests  of  his  native  city.  He  was  a 
director  in  the  Reading  Library  Company,  in 
the  Charles  Evans  Cemetery  Company  and  the 
Reading  Gas  Company,  and  a  liberal  supporter 
of  the  public  and  private  charities  of  the  city. 
He  died  in  Reading  August  16,  1878,  and  left 
a  widow,  and  a  son  Isaac,  who  is  a  practicing 
attorney  at  Reading. 

William  H.  Keim,  a  surveyor-general  of 
Pennsylvania  from  1860  to  1861.  (See  sketch 
in  chapter  on  Civil  War.) 

Warren  J.  Woodward  was  the  second 
president  judge  elected  in  Berks  County  under 
the  amended  Constitution  of  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania.  He  was  called  here  by  a  very 
strong  public  sentiment  which  had  been  devel- 
oped in  his  favor  by  his  high  and  spotless 
character  as  a  man,  and  by  his  ability  and  repu- 
tation as  a  young  and  promising  jurist. 

He  was  born  September  24,  1819,  at  Beth- 
any, in  Wayne  County,  Pa.  His  father, 
John  K.  Woodward,  was  a  civil  engineer  and 
journalist,  and  at  the  time  of  his  decease,  in 
1825,  was  prothonotary  of  Wayne  County ;  his 
grandfather  was  an  associate  judge  of  that 
51 


county  for  fifteen  years,  and  sheriff  in  1807. 
After  acquiring  an  academic  education  at 
Wilkesbarre,  he  taught  school  for  several  terms 
in  his  native  county.  At  the  age  of  seventeen 
years  he  directed  his  attention  to  the  publication 
of  the  Bethany  Herald,  having  had  at  that 
early  age  editorial  control  of  that  newspaper. 
Subsequently,  he  was  employed  in  the  editorial 
staff  of  the  Pennsylvanian,  a  prominent  Demo- 
cratic newspaper  published  at  Philadelphia, 
and  continued  his  connection  with  it  till  1840. 
He  then  returned  to  Wilkesbarre,  and,  select- 
ing the  law  as  his  profession,  entered  the  office 
of  his  uncle,  George  W.  Woodward,  a  practi- 
cing attorney  at  the  Luzerne  County  bar,  for 
the  purpose  of  pursuing  the  necessary  course  of 
study.  Whilst  in  this  office  his  uncle  was  ele- 
vated to  the  bench  as  president  judge  of  the 
Fourth  Judicial  District  of  Pennsylvania.  His 
preparation  was  completed  under  the  preceptor- 
ship  of  Hon.  Edmund  L.  Dana,  and  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  at  Wilkesbarre  on  August 
1,  1842. 

As  a  young  attorney  he  was  close  and  dili- 
gent in  the  preparation  of  the  cases  that  came  to 
him.  His  great  care  and  thoroughness  soon 
won  the  attention  of  older  attorneys,  and  they 
selected  him  as  junior  counsel  in  important 
litigation.  He  continued  in  active  and  very 
successful  practice  for  fourteen  years.  In 
April,  1856,  the  Legislature  erected  a  new 
judicial  district  out  of  Columbia,  Sullivan  and 
Wyoming  Counties — the  Twenty-sixth  in  the 
State.  These  counties  adjoined  Luzerne  on  the 
west  and  north.  In  that  section  of  the  State 
Mr.  Woodward  had  come  to  be  thoroughly 
known  as  an  upright  man  and  a  distinguished 
lawyer,  and  public  sentiment  drifted  naturally 
towards  him  as  the  person  qualified  to  fill  the 
responsible  position  of  president  judge  of  that 
district.  The  Governor,  James  Pollock,  re- 
sponded to  this  sentiment  by  appointing  him  to 
the  position,  and  in  October  following  he  was 
elected  for  the  term  of  ten  years.  The  quali- 
ties of  his  mind,  developed  through  earnest  ap- 
plication and  a  long  and  wide  experience  in  the 
practice  of  the  legal  profession,  fitted  him  em- 
inently for  this  high  office,  and  the  community, 
whose  several  rights  had  been  placed  under  his 


530 


HISTOEY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


judicial  care,  soon  found  the  able  lawyer  ad- 
vance into  the  noble  judge.  His  reputation 
spread  rapidly  into  adjoining  districts.  Half 
of  his  term  had  not  expired,  yet  the  old  and 
influential  district  comprising  Bucks  and 
Montgomery  Counties  gave  him  the  nomination 
for  the  president  judgeship  on  the  Democratic 
ticket,  and  asked  him  to  accept  it.  This  was  a 
flattering  recognition  of  his  judicial  character 
and  ability  ;  but  he  declined  the  honor.     In  the 


gles  and  excitements,  he  gave  our  community 
to  know  that  he,  in  the  matter  of  the  Civil  War 
then  raging,  was  most  positively  for  the  preser- 
vation of  the  Union  of  all  the  States,  and  for  the 
enforcement  of  the  Constitution.  "  To  secure 
these  ends,"  he  said,  in  concluding  his  letter, 
"  some  personal  sacrifices  must  be  made,  and 
some  peculiar  political  theories  must  be  post- 
poned. Present  exigencies  demand  the  united 
and  cordial  support  by  our  whole  people  of 


^.fi  JfatthMfJ!* 


same  year,  1861,  the  term  of  our  president 
judge  in  Berks  County  was  about  to  expire,  and 
the  major  part  of  the  attorneys  of  our  bar  o-ave 
him  a  pressing  invitation  to  become  his  suc- 
sessor.  The  Democratic  convention  held  at 
Eeading,  August  31,  1861,  gave  him  the  nom- 
ination by  acclamation,  and  this  he  accepted.  In 
a  letter  dated  at  Bloomsburg,  September  11 
1861,  besides  expressing  his  gratitude  for  the 
high  honor  conferred  upon  him,  and  his  opinion 
about  the  impropriety  of  law  judges  of  the 
commonwealth  participating  in  political  strug- 


every  legitimate  and  constitutional  effort  of  the 
national  government  to  bring  the  existing  war 
to  a  successful  issue."  His  sentiments  were 
highly  approved  by  our  community,  and  in  Oc- 
tober following  he  was  elected  by  a  majority  of 
four  thousand  and  ninety-two  votes  over  a  local 
candidate  for  the  same  position.  The  Repub- 
lican party  had  nominated  Henry  W.  Smith, 
Esq.,  a  prominent  attorney  of  Eeading,  who 
was  affiliated  with  the  Democratic  party,  and  a 
strong  effort  had  been  made  for  his  election.  The 
majority  was  therefore  highly  complimentary. 


POLITICS  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


531 


Judge  Woodward  moved  to  Reading  and 
took  his  seat  upon  the  bench  in  December, 
1861.  His  judicial  and  social  deportment  at 
once  inspired  the  citizens  of  the  county  with 
unqualified  confidence.  The  Civil  War  caused 
much  commotion  in  the  county.  The  Demo- 
crats were  displeased  with  the  extreme  course 
of  the  Republican  administration  in  national 
affairs,  but  he,  notwithstanding  his  election  by 
them,  advised  co-operation  and  the  enforcement 
of  law  to  restore  peace.  His  earnest  public 
actions  as  a  citizen  of  this  community,  in  behalf 
of  the  war,  in  conjunction  with  prominent  and 
influential  professional  and  business  men,  con- 
tributed a  powerful  influence  towards  the  crea- 
tion of  a  proper  spirit  in  that  alarming  period. 
The  majority  of  the  people  in  the  county  were 
opposed  to  the  war,  especially  to  the  new 
administration,  and  a  bad  influence  at  that  time 
might  have  resulted  in  a  great  social  disturbance, 
if  not  in  loss  of  life  and  property.  If  it  lay  here 
concealed,  it  would  not  have  dared  to  develop 
itself  with  such  men  as  he  to  condemn  it.  His 
patriotic  conduct  as  a  man  of  Democratic  priu- 
ples  and  associations  is  therefore  worthy  of 
special  mention. 

During  his  term  he  was  unusually  devoted 
to  his  office,  and  his  administration  of  its  re- 
sponsible duties  gave  entire  satisfaction ;  and  he 
became  thoroughly  identified  with  the  interests 
and  welfare  of  our  county.  His  re-election  was 
therefore  assured.  Shortly  before  the  expira- 
tion of  his  term  the  Legislature  established  a 
District  Court  for  Luzerne  County,  and  the 
bar  of  that  county  unanimously  invited  him  to 
accept  the  office  of  president  judge  of  the  new 
court.  When  the  movement  became  known  to 
the  members  of  the  bar  of  Berks  County  they 
held  a  special  meeting  and  passed  resolutions 
expressing  the  highest  regard  and  affection  for 
him,  and  inviting  him  to  remain  with  them. 
The  thorough  appreciation  of  his  course  upon 
the  bench  by  the  entire  community,  and  the 
earnest  expressions  of  good -will  by  all  the 
attorneys  who  practiced  under  him,  induced  him 
to  decline  the  honor  proposed  by  the  Bar  of 
Luzerne  County,  and  to  remain  in  the  county 
of  Berks.  He  was  nominated  by  acclamation 
at  the  Democratic  Convention  in  June,  1871, 


and  re-elected  for  a  second  term  of  ten  years 
by  a  majority  of  5968  votes. 

The  new  Constitution  of  the  State  increased 
the  number  of  the  justices  of  the  Supreme  Court 
from  five  to  seven  members,  and  the  two  new 
members  were  to  be  elected  in  1874,  one  by  the 
Democratic  party  and  the  other  by  the  Repub- 
lican party.  The  superiority  of  Judge  Wood- 
ward's judicial  qualifications  and  experience 
brought  him  prominently  before  the  Democrats 
of  the  State  as  a  worthy  candidate  for  this  im- 
portant position,  and  he  received  the  nomination 
of  their  State  Convention.  This  honor  was 
given  to  him  without  solicitation  of  any  kind 
on  his  part.  The  office  sought  the  man.  Upon 
his  nomination  he  received  numerous  congratu- 
latory letters,  and  the  people  of  Berks  County 
rejoiced  at  this  honor,  though  they  should  suffer 
the  loss  of  his  valuable  services.  One  of  these 
letters  was  from  Mr.  Thomas  C.  Zimmerman, 
one  of  the  editors  of  the  Times  and  Journal, 
which  elicited  the  following,  among  other  ex- 
pressions of  gratitude : 

"  To  what  extent  my  professional  reputation  has 
been  enhanced  by  the  liberal  and  ungrudging  eulo- 
gies of  the  Journal  and  of  the  Times  it  is  of  course 
impossible  to  conjecture.  That  I  have  been  very 
greatly  indebted  to  those  articles  for  my  general  posi- 
tion in  the  State,  I  have  never  for  a  moment  enter- 
tained a  doubt. .  .  I  believe  I  am  indebted  to  the  course 
of  the  Journal  in  former  years,  and  of  the  Times  since 
you  purchased  it,  for  the  existence  of  that  sentiment 
[pervading  the  State,  as  to  his  fitness  and  capacity  for 
the  position  for  which  he  was  a  candidate],  more 
than  to  any  other  cause.  The  effect  of  that  course, 
moral  and  direct,  has  been  a  most  significant  and 
essential  element  of  the  force  that  has  secured  my 
nomination." 

The  one  was  a  thorough  Democrat,  the  other 
a  thorough  Republican.  The  deliberate  ex- 
pressions of  the  former  are  significant,  in  show- 
ing how  he,  on  the  one  hand,  had  won  the  favor 
of  a  person  of  opposite  political  sentiments,  and, 
on  the  other,  how  he  regarded  the  extent  and 
power  of  its  influence. 

Shortly  after  the  election  of  the  two  Asso- 
ciate Justices  the  Hon.  Edward  M.  Paxson, 
the  Republican  candidate  elevated  at  the  same 
time  to  the  Supreme  bench,  visited  Judge 
Woodward  at  Reading.  Whilst  here  they 
cast  lots  for  precedence  in  the  order  of  such 


532 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


cession  to  the  position  of  chief  justice,  and 
Judge  Paxson  won  it.  The  term  was  for 
twenty-one  years,  without  re-election,  and  Judge 
Woodward  could  therefore  not  hope  to  fill  the 
highest  position  in  the  court  except  by  the  death 
or  resignation  of  Judge  Paxson.  He  took  his 
seat  on  the  Supreme  bench  on  January  1, 1875, 
and  filled  the  office  with  honor  and  distinction 
till  his  decease,  September  23,  1879.  He  was 
particularly  regarded  for  devotion  to  his  office 
and  for  ability  and  conscientiousness  in  the  dis- 
charge of  its  duties.  His  remains  were  buried 
at  Wilkesbarre. 

Judge  Woodward  was  elected  president  of  the 
Reading  Benevolent  Society,  at  Reading,  in 
1871,  and  he  occupied  this  office  till  his  decease. 
He  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  benevolent  affairs 
of  our  community  and  gave  generously  towards 
the  relief  of  poor  people.  In  1875  he  received 
the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  from 
Franklin  and  Marshall  College. 

Whilst  upon  the  bench  in  Berks  County  for 
a  period  of  fourteen  years,  he  adjudicated  many 
cases,  the  opinions  in  which  were  not  questioned 
by  writ  of  error  or  appeal.  This  exhibits  the 
high  degree  of  confidence  which  lawyers  and 
laymen  had  in  his  judgment  and  discrimination. 
These  cases  have  been  compiled  by  G.  A.  End- 
lich,  Esq.,  an  attorney  of  the  Berks  County 
bar,  and  published  in  two  volumes.  They  are 
known  as  "Woodward's  Decisions."  The  lan- 
guage in  which  his  opinions  are  expressed  is 
terse,  indicating  a  clear  and  logical  condition  of 
intellect.  '  His  handwriting  was  ever  recognized 
for  its  neatness,  regularity  and  legibility,  char- 
acteristics which  manifested  the  extreme  care 
and  deliberation  of  his  actions.  And  his  con- 
duct in  the  associations  of  life  was,  like  his  lan- 
guage and  handwriting,  thoroughly  exemplary. 

He  was  married  to  Katharine  Scott,  daughter 
of  Hon.  David  Scott,  of  Wilkesbarre,  with 
whom  he  had  three  children  —  two  sons  (Henry 
and  Warren,  both  educated  for  and  admitted  to 
the  bar,  but  now  deceased)  and  a  daughter,  Kath- 
arine Scott  (intermarried  with  Frank  Perley 
Howe,  son  of  Rev.  M.  A.  De  Wolfe  Howe, 
D.D.,  residing  at  Danville,  Pa.). 


CHAPTER  XX. 

JUDICIARY— BENCH  AND  BAR. 
Judges — Attorneys-at-Law — Biographical  Sketches. 

Judges.— Various  Acts  of  Assembly  were  passed 
before  1722,  for  a  period  of  forty  years,  to 
establish  the  powers  of  courts  for  the  purposes  of 
protecting  men  in  the  enjoyment  of  their  personal 
rights,  of  redressing  wrongs,  of  adjudicating  the 
rights  of  property  and  of  administering  estates. 
Finally,  in  that  year,  the  law  for  the  several 
courts  of  the  province  became  settled,  and  con- 
tinued so  till  the  Revolution,  with  the  exception  of 
certain  amendments  by  two  supplementary  acts 
passed  in  1759  and  1767. 

From  the  time  of  the  erection  of  the  county  in 
1752  down  to  1776  the  following  persons  acted  in 
the  capacity  of  justices,  the  length  of  service  of 
most  of  them  being  unknown  : 


Conrad  Weiser. 
Francis  Parvin. 
Anthony  Lee. 
Jonas  Seely. 
Henry  Harvey. 
William  Bird. 
William  Maugridge. 
Moses  Starr. 
James  Boone. 
Jacob  Levan. 
James  Bead. 
Peter  Spyker. 
Joseph  Millard. 
Benjamin  Lightfoot. 


Thomas  Butter. 
Jacob  Morgan. 
James  Diemer. 
John  Patton. 
George  Douglass. 
Henry  Christ. 
Seb.  Zimmerman. 
Nicholas  Harmony. 
Mark  Bird. 
Daniel  Brodhead. 
William  Beeser. 
Jonathan  Potts. 
BaltzerGehr. 
Thomas  Dunlap. 


George  Webb. 

In  1776  the  Constitutional  Convention  provided 
in  the  first  Constitution  of  the  State  that  the 
Supreme  Executive  Council  should  consist  of 
twelve  persons,  who  were  to  be  chosen  by  ballot  by 
the  respective  counties  for  the  term  of  three  years. 
The  apportionment  gave  one  to  Berks  County. 
The  following  Councilors  were  elected  from  Berks 
till  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  of  1790.  The 
term  of  the  first  was  fixed  at  two  years,  and  after- 
ward three  years. 

Name.  Term. 

Richard  Tea,  elected  in  1776,  declined  to  serve 

Jacob  Morgan 1777-78 

James  Read 1779-81;  1788-90 

Sebastian  Levan 1782-84 

Charles  Biddle 1785-87 


BENCH  AND  BAR. 


533 


This  Constitution  also  provided  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  courts  of  justice  in  every  county  of 
the  State.  The  following  persons  officiated  as 
judges  of  the  county  from  1776  till  1790.  The 
first  three  were  president  judges  of  the  courts  for  a 
time: 

James  Diemer.  Paul  Groscup. 

Henry  Christ.  John  Eckert. 

Peter  Spyker.  Jacob  Weaver. 

James  Read.  John  Otto. 

Daniel  Levan.  Matthias  Reichert. 

Valentine  Eckert.  Nicholas  HuDter. 

John  Ludwig.  Egedius  Meyer. 

Jacob  Morgan.  John  Christ. 
Charles  Shoemaker. 

And  it  provided  also  that  each  election  district 
should  elect  two  or  more  persons  for  the  office  of 
justice  of  the  peace,  and  that  the  president  of  the 
Executive  Council  should  commission  one  or  more 
for  each  district  for  seven  years.  The  following 
justices  were  elected  in  Berks  County,  and  com- 
missioned from  1777  till  1790,  the  dash  after  the 
year  indicating  uncertainty  whether  or  not  the 
full  term  was  served,  and  the  repetition  of  the 
year  indicating  re-election  : 

Name.  Term. 

Henry  Christ 1777-84;  1784— 

Jacob  Shoemaker 1777 — 

James  Read 1777 — 

Daniel  Hiester 1777 — 

Peter  Spyker 1777— 

Jacob  Weaver 1777-84;  1784— 

John  Ludwig 1777-84;  1784— 

Benjamin  Shott 1777 — 

Christopher  Schultz 1777 — 

Samuel  Ely 1777-84;  1784— 

Jacob  Waggoner 1777 — 

Daniel  Rothermel 1777 — 

John  Old 1777— 

Chas.  Shoemaker 1777-84;  1784— 

Egedius  Meyer 1777-84;  1784— 

Jacob  Morgan 1777-84;  1784— 

Thomas  Parry 1777 — 

Michael  Lindenmuth 1778 — 

Gabriel  Hiester 1778— 

John  Guldin 1780— 

Valentine  Eckert 1784— 

Paul  Groscup 1784— 

John  Eckert 1784— 

John  Otto 1785— 

Matthias  Reichert 1738-91— 


Nicholas  Hunter 1788 

James  Diemer 1788-91  — 

PRESIDENT,    ADDITIONAL    LAW,    ORPHANS'    COURT 
AND  ASSOCIATE  JUDGES. 

The  Constitution  of  1790  provided  for  the  es- 
tablishment of  Circuit  Courts  in  the  State,  to  be 
composed  of  certain  counties— not  less  than  three 
nor  more  than  six ;  and  for  the  appointment  by  the 
Governor  of  a  president  judge  of  the  courts  in 
each  circuit,  and  also  of  other  judges,  not  less  than 
three  nor  more  than  four  in  number,  whose  resi- 
dence should  be  in  the  county.  All  the  judges 
appointed  were  to  hold  their  offices  during  good 
behavior. 

In  1791,  in  pursuance  of  the  Constitution  of 
1790,  the  State  was  divided  into  five  judicial  cir- 
cuits or  districts,  and  each  district  became  entitled 
to  a  president  judge.  The  Third  District  com- 
prised Berks,  Luzerne,  Northampton  and  North- 
umberland Counties.  In  1806  the  State  was  di- 
vided into  ten  districts,  and  Berks,  Northamp- 
ton and  Wayne  comprised  the  Third  District. 
In  1811  Schuylkill  County  was  erected  and  in- 
cluded in  the  district,  but  it  was  cut  off  in  1815. 
In  1812  Lehigh  County  was  erected  and  included 
in  the  district.  In  1834  the  State  was  divided 
into  seventeen  districts,  and  Berks,  Lehigh  and 
Northampton  comprised  the  Third  District. 

The  county  of  Berks  was  erected  into  a  separate 
judicial  district  by  the  act  of  April  5,  1849,  and 
called  the  Twenty-third  District.  It  has  since 
been  a  separate  district,  with  this  number  in  the 
judicial  system. 

In  1810  the  associate  judges  were  limited  to 
two  in  number.  The  provision  in  reference  to  the 
tenure  of  office  was  modified  by  the  amended  Con- 
stitution of  1838,  whereby  the  term  of  president 
judges  was  fixed  at  ten  years,  and  of  associate 
judges  at  five  years. 

In  1850  an  amendment  to  the  Constitution 
was  adopted  which  provided  for  the  election  of 
the  judges  for  the  terms  mentioned.  The  first 
election  was  held  in  October,  1851. 

The  office  of  additional  law  judge  was  created 
by  the  act  of  April  15,  1869,  for  Berks  County, 
with  similar  powers  and  term  as  those  of  president 
judge 

The  office  of  Orphans'  Court  judge  was  created 


534 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


for  the  county  by  the  act  of  June  13,  1883,  pursu- 
ant to  the  new  Constitution  ;  and  on  June  29th  fol- 
lowing the  Governor  made  the  first  appointment. 
His  judicial  powers  are  confined  to  matters  which 
arise  in  the  Orphans'  Court,  and  the  term  of  ser- 
vice is  ten  years. 

The  office  of  associate  judge  was  abolished  by 
the  New  Constitution,  the  incumbents  to  continue 
in  office  until  their  terms  of  service  expired. 

Before  1874  county  officials  took  their  offices  on 
the  second  Monday  of  December  succeeding  their 
election.  The  new  Constitution  provided  that 
thereafter  they  should  take  their  offices  on  the  first 
Monday  of  January  succeeding. 

PRESIDENT   JUDGES. 
Name.  Term. 

Jacob  Rush 1791-1805 

John  Spayd 1806-09 

Kobert  Porter 1810-32 

Garrick  Mallery 1833-35 

John  Banks 1836-46 

J.  Pringle  Jones 1847-48;  1851-61 

David  F.  Gordon 1849-51 

W.  J.Woodward1 1861-71;  1871-74 

Jeremiah  Hagenman2 1875-79;  1880-90 

ADDITIONAL  LAW  JUDGES. 
Name.  Term. 

Henry  Van  Eeed3 1869;  1875 

Jeremiah  Hagenman  * 1869-74 

1  Warren  J.  Woodward  was  elected  one  of  the  associate 
justices  of  the  Supreme  Co'jrt  of  Pennsylvania  on  the  3d 
of  November,  1874,  for  the  term  of  twenty-one  years.  He 
took  and  held  his  seat  from  January  4,  1 875,  till  his  death, 
on  the  23d  of  September,  1879. 

•'Jeremiah  Hagenman  succeeded  Warren  J.Woodward,  by 
promotion,  on  13th  of  January,  1875,  when  he  was  sworn 
as  president  judge  for  the  remainder  of  the  term,  ending  on 
5th  of  January,  1 880.  He  was  elected  in  November,  1879, 
for  a  term  of  ten  years. 

3  Henry  Van  Reed,  a  member  of  the  county  bar,  was 
appointed  on  the  13th  of  July,  1869,  by  the  Governor,  John 
W.  Geary,  to  fill  the  office,  and  he  held  his  seat  till  his  suc- 
cessor, duly  elected,  was  qualified  on  the  6th  of  December, 
1869.  He  was  appointed  a  second  time  by  the  Governor, 
John  P.  Hartranft,  on  the  12th  of  January,  1875,  to  fill  the 
vacancy  in  this  office,  caused  by  the  promotion  of  Jere- 
miah Hagenman  to  the  office  of  president  judge,  until  his 
successor,  Augustus  S.  Sassaman,  a  member  of  the  county 
bar,  duly  elected,  was  qualified  on  the  2d  of  January,  1876, 
for  ten  years. 

4  Jeremiah  Hagenman  was  elected  on  the  12th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1869,  to  this  office  for  ten  years  from  the  6th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1869.  He  was  promoted  to  the  office  of  president 
judge,  for  the  remainder  of  his  term,  on  the  13th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1875,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  resignation  of 


Augustus  S.  Sassaman 1876-85 

James  N.  Ermentrout 1886-95 

orphans'  court  judge. 
Hiram  H.  Schwartz5 1883 

ASSOCIATE     JUDGES. 
Name.  Term. 

James  Diemer 1791-1819 

George  Ege. 1791-1818 

Matthias  Reichert 1791-97 

Joseph  Hiester 1791-94 

Nicholas  Lutz 1795-1806 

Benjamin  Morris 1798-1809 

Gabriel  Hiester 1819-23 

Charles  Shoemaker 1820-22 

William  Witman 1823-28 

Jacob  Schneider 1824-29 

Matthias  S.  Richards 1829-45 

William  Darling 1830-38 

William  Addams 1839-42 

JohnStauffer 1843-51 

William  High 1846-50 

Samuel  Bell 1851 

Daniel  Young.?. 1851-56 

William  Heidenreich 1851-56 

David  Schall 1856-66 

George  D.  Stitzel 1856-66 

Charles  Kessler 1866-71 

David  Kutz" 1866-70 

Henry  Rhoads 1870-71 

George  W.  Bruckman 1871-76 

Daniel  Buskirk 1871-76 

COURT  CRIERS. 

Jacob  Goodman 

Joseph  Bitter 1840-80 

Albert  H.  Fegely 1882-86 

Attorneys-at-Law. — The  office  of  attorney- 
at-law  is  not  an  elective  one.  It  never  was.  But 
it  has  existed  time  out  of  mind.  It  began  with 
the  administration  of  justice.  It  is  inseparable 
from  it.  The  history  of  attorneys  would  be  the 
history  of  the  courts  of  judicature.  They  have 
always  occupied  a  prominent  place.  Their  promi- 
nence has  resulted  from  energy  well  directed  in 
behalf  of  the  rights  and  property  of  mankind, 

Warren  J.  Woodward,  who  had  been  elected  to  the  Su- 
preme Bench. 

5  Hiram  H.  Schwartz  was  appointed  on  the  29th  of  June, 
1883,  to  serve  in  this  office  till  the  7th  of  January,  1884. 
He  was  nominated  for  the  office,  for  the  full  term,  by  the 
Democratic  convention  in  August,  1883,  and  elected  in 
November  following. 

6  David  Kutz  having  died  in  office  on  the-  20th  of  July, 
1870,  Henry  Rhoads  was  appointed  by  Governor  John  W. 
Geary,  on  the  3d  of  August,  1870,  for  unexpired  term  end- 
ing on  the  4th  of  December,  1871. 


BENCH  AND  BAE. 


535 


and  also  in  behalf  as  well  of  the  establishment 
as  of  the  development  of  principles  regulative  of 
associations  in  every  department  of  life. 

A  law  was  enacted  in  this  State  as  early  as  1710 
in  relation  to  this  office.  Then  the  justices  were 
authorized  to  admit  any  attorney  or  attorneys  to 
plead  in  any  of  the  established  courts  during  good 
behavior.  No  provision  .was  made  as  to  number 
or  ability.  In  1715,  however,  the  authority  of  the 
justices  was  modified.  They  might  admit  "  a 
competent  number  of  persons,  of  honest  disposi- 
tion and  learned  in  the  Law,  to  practice  as  attor- 
neys, who  shall  behave  themselves  justly  and  faith- 
fully in  their  practice."  And,  in  1727,  a  provision 
was  made  requiring  such  persons  before  they  were 
admitted  to  take  the  following  oath  :  ''  Thou  shalt 
behave  thyself  in  the  office  of  attorney  within  the 
court,  according  to  the  best  of  thy  learning  and 
ability,  and  with  all  good  fidelity  as  well  to  the 
court  as  to  the  client ;  thou  shalt  use  no  falsehood, 
nor  delay  any  person's  cause  for  lucre  or  malice." 
And  these  qualifications  have  continued  to  this 
day.  Since  the  adoption  of  the  State  and  national 
Constitutions  they  have  qualified  to  support  them 
This  last  qualification  is  common  to  all  statutory 
officers. 

The  following  attorneys  resided  in  the  county  of 
Berks  and  practiced  in  its  several  courts.  The 
date  after  each  name  is  the  time  of  admission  to 
practice : 

Name.  Admitted. 

James  Eead 

James  Biddle 

David  Henderson 

James  Whitehead,  Jr 

Edward  Biddle 

Daniel  Levan,  Jr November  11,  1769 

Collinson  Eead August  13,  1772 

James  Potts August  1,  1773 

Daniel  Clymer May  4, 1776 

Alexander  Graydon May  14,  1779 

Edward  Scull August  17,  1779 

Nathaniel  Potts August  14,  1781 

Jacob  Hubley November  14,  1786 

George  Eckert February  19,  1787 

James  Scull February  19,  1787 

Joseph  Hubley August  14,  1787 

John  Spayd February  14,  1788 

Peter  Hoofnagle February  14,  1788 

Marks  John  Biddle December  9, 1788 

Jacob  E.  Howell February  11,  1789 

Charles  Evans August  9,  1791 


William  Witman August  20,  1793 

Frederick  Smith August  4,  1795 

Levi  Pauling August  18,  1796 

Bird  Wilson May  14,1798 

Andrew  Graff,  Jr April  9,  1798 

John  S.  Hiester,... August  6,  1798 

William  S.  Biddle June  2,  1801 

Fred.  John  Haller November  4,  1801 

William  Morris August  9, 1804 

Anthony  Morris November  6,  1804 

Samuel  D.  Franks August  10, 1805 

James  B.  Hubley April  4,  1809 

William  Clymer ,  1809 

John  Spayd April  2, 1810 

Samuel  Baird,  Jr April  10,  1810 

William  Morris,  Jr November  8,  1810 

Thomas  B.  Smith July  4, 1814 

James  Biddle August  9,  1815 

Francis  S.  Muhlenberg May  8,  1816 

Nathaniel  P.  Hobart January  13,  1818 

Charles  Davis August  4,  1818 

Charles  Whitman August  9,1818 

William  Darling November  13,  1818 

Alexander  L.  King April  3,  1820 

Edward  B.  Hubley April  5,  1820 

James  L.  Dunn November  10,  1821 

W.  C.  Leavenworth August  18,  1822 

Daniel  J.  Hiester August  4,  1823 

Lloyd  Wharton March  26,  1824 

LawrenceS.  Lardner April  8,  1824 

David  F.  Gordon August  6,  1824 

Thomas  Morris November  1, 1824 

Wm.  Fullerton  Duncan January  3,  1825 

David  Evans January  5,  1825 

Henry  W.  Smith January  5,  1825 

John  S.  Wharton March  4, 1825 

Edward  P.  Pearson May  23,  1825 

Charles  J.  Jack August  1,  1825 

Eobert  M.  Brooke August  2,  1825 

John  H.  Sheetz August  3,  1825 

Joseph  W.  Roland August  20,  1825 

George  M.  Keim August  11,  1826 

Joseph  H.  Spayd November  8,  1826 

Philip  Kendall January  1,  1827 

Elijah  Dechert January  4,  1827 

Levi  B.  Smith January  10,  1827 

William  M.  Biddle April  4,  1827 

Andrew  L.  King November  5,  1827 

John  S.  Gibbons August  4, 1828 

Jacob  Hoffman ...November  10,  1829 

Eobert  M.  Barr January  3, 1831 

Peter  Filbert January  6,  1831 

John  Mayer January  8,  1831 

Henry  Ehoads April  3,  1832 

William  Strong November  8,  1832 

George  S.  Wharton August  15,  1832 

James  Pauling November  7,  1833 

Francis  Aurand November  13,  1833 

William  Betz January  10,  1834 


536 


HISTOKY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


George  G.  Barclay April  10,  1835 

Newton  D.  Strong August  3,  1835 

Augustus  F.  Boas August  4, 1835 

J.  Pringle  Jones November  2,  1835 

Anthony  F.  Miller August  15,  1836 

Franklin  B.  Schoener January  3,  1837 

John  S.  Richards April  4, 1837 

Garrick  Mallery August  14,  1837 

Dennis  W.  O'Brien August  7,  1838 

Jeremiah  D.  Bitting August  8,  1838 

Andrew  M.  Sallade August  11,  1838 

Jason   H.  Sherman August  7,  1839 

William  M.  Hiester January  7,  1840 

Peter  Shearer April  7.  1840 

Matthias  Mengel April  8,  1840 

George  E.  Ludwig November  3, 1840 

James  Donagan December  22,  1841 

Samuel  Sohl April  5,  1842 

Jeremiah  Hagenman April  7,  1842 

J.  Dundas  Biddle May  17,  1842 

Charles  Wierman May  17,  1842 

George  W.  Arms March  8,  1843 

John  K.  Longnecker November  6,  1843 

Henry  Van  Reed April  5,  1844 

William  M.  Baird April  12,  1844 

Henry  A.  Muhlenberg July  5,  1844 

Isaac  High  Keim July  5,  1844 

Robert  Frazer July  5,  1844 

Franklin  B.  Miller December  14,  1844 

Jacob  S.  Livingood January  7,1845 

J.   Glancy  Jones January  7,  1845 

Silas  E.  Buzard April  8,  1845 

Edward  W.  Scudder August  4,  1845 

Edward  M.  Clymer August  4,  1845 

J.  Bowman  Bell January  5,  1846 

J.Lawrence  Getz August  6, 1846 

John  K.  Hamlin August6,  1846 

William  B.  Schoener August  15, 1846 

J.  De  Puy  Davis January  5, 1847 

James  May  Jones January  5,  1847 

John  Banks April  7,  1847 

Samuel  L.  Young August  10,  1847 

A.  Lucius  Hennershotz... November  11,  1847 

J.  Biddle  Gordon January  6,  1848 

James  A.  Banks February  21, 1848 

J.  Bright  Smith April  5,  1848 

William  F.  Filbert August  9,  1848 

A.  Jordan  Swartz September  28,  1848 

Joel  B.  Wanner January  13,  1849 

Jacob  M.  Sallade April  6,  1849 

John  A.  Banks April  6,  1849 

Hiester  Clymer April  6,  1849 

Charles  B.  Weaver November  8,  1850 

Jacob  K.  McKenty April  7,  1851 

Henry  C.  Kutz April  24,  1851 

Wm.  Edmund  Banks April  25, 1851 

Wm.  S.  Marx August  4,  1851 

Albert  G.  Green November  11,  1851 

Edmund  L.  Smith November  11,  1851 


George  DeB.  Keim April  8,  1852 

Charles  K.  Robeson April  8,  1852 

E.  R.  Zimmerman April  8,  1852 

Carl  O.  Wagner November  5, 1852 

Michael  P.  Boyer August  8, 1853 

Wharton  Morris November  15, 1854 

Frederick  L.  Smith November  10, 1855 

Amos  B.  Wanner January  12,  1857 

B.  Frank  Boyer March  15, 1857 

Daniel  R.  Clymer '. August  20,  1857 

James  B.  Bechtel April  14, 1857 

Wm.  K.  Loose April  14,  1858 

Chas.  Ph.  Muhlenberg November  8,  1859 

Daniel  Ermentrout August  3,  1859 

Wm.  H.  Livingood January  19,  1860 

Hiram  H.  Schwartz July  14,  1860 

Jesse  G.  Hawley September  20, 1860 

Thomas  S.  Brenholtz September  20,  1860 

J.  George  Seltzer February  5, 1861 

Abner  K.  Stauffer April  15,  1861 

Edward  H.  Shearer April  15,1861 

John  Ralston August  14,  1862 

Frank  R.  Schmucker August  25,  1862 

Wm.  P.  Bard February  9, 1863 

Chas.  Henry  Jones April  14,  1863 

Richmond  L.  Jones '. April  14,  1863 

Daniel  E.  Schroeder April  23,  1863 

Chas.  A.  Leopold April  23, 1863 

J.  Warren  Tryon November  14,  1863 

J.  Howard  Jacobs November  14,  1863 

Augustus  S.  Sassaman January  9,  1864 

Israel  C.  Becker January  28, 1864 

Francis  M.  Banks May  21,  1864 

Horace  A.  Yundt August  9,  1864 

Chas.  H.  Schaeffer August  9,  1864 

Franklin  B.  Laucks August  13,  1864 

Wm.  M.  Goodman August  13,  1864 

Edwin  Shalter August  13, 1864 

Louis  Richards January  16,  1865 

Irenseus  Shalter January  16,  1865 

J.  Ross  Miller August  7, 1865 

J.  Dallas  Schoener August  7,  1865 

Henry  May  Keim August  7,  1865 

Harrison  Maltzberger August  7,  1865 

Peter  D.  Wanner November  4,  1865 

Llewellyn  Wanner August,  1866 

Wm.  M.  Rightmyer January  21,  1867 

Geo.  M.  Ermentrout November  27,1867 

James  M.  Ermentrout November  27,1867 

Geo.  F.  Baer January  22,  1868 

Chas.  F.  Evans April  28,1868 

T.  H.  Garrigues August  10, 1868 

Ben.  B.  Laucks January  11, 1869 

H.  Willis  Bland April  12,  1869 

Henry  C.  G.  Reber April  12,  1869 

Cyrus  G.  Derr August  12,  1870 

Wm.  L.  Guinther November  14,  1870 

Morton  L.Montgomery August 28,  1871 

Garrett  B.  Stevens August  12, 1872 


BENCH  AND  BAR. 


537 


Horace  Roland August  12,  1872 

Edgar  M.  Levan August  17,  1872 

Frank  R.Schell September  16,  1872 

Edwin  White  Moore September  30,  1872 

James  A.  O'Reilly January  13, 1873 

Stephen  M.  Meredith August  11,  1873 

Daniel  H.  Wingerd September  29,  1873 

Hiram  Y.  Kaufman November  9,  1874 

John  C.  K.  Heine April  12,1875 

B.  Frank  Dettra April  12,  1875 

B.  F.  Y.  Shearer April  12,  1875 

C.  H.  Ruhl April  15,1875 

B.  F.  McAtee April  15,  1875 

Jno.  F.  Smith August  9,  1875 

Jefferson  Snyder August  9, 1875 

John  B.  Dampman November  8,  1875 

Henry  A.  Muhlenberg November  8,  1875 

Daniel  B.  Young January  10,  1876 

Adam  H.  Schmehl January  10,  1876 

Edwin  B.  Wiegaud January  18,  1876 

Wesley  D.  Horning April  17, 1876 

Gustav  A.  Endlich November  12,  1877 

Simon  P.  O'Reilly January  14,  1877 

Wayne  Hayman January  14,  1877 

Henry  A.  Zieber April  10,  1878 

Isaac  Hiester August  13,  1878 

J.  H.  Marx August  13,  1878 

Jeremiah  K.  Grant November  11,  1878 

Walter  B.  Craig November  12,  1878 

D.  Nicholas  Schaeffer November  12,  1878 

M.  Bray  ton  McKnight.... November  12,  1878 

Israel  C.  Becker December  12,  1878 

Daniel  G.  Guldin January  20,  1879 

Warren  Woodward January  20, 1879 

Chas.  P.  Sherman August  11,  1879 

Frank  S.  Livingood August  11,  1879 

John  W.  Apple August  11,  1879 

Henry  D.  Green November  10,  1879 

William  C.  Heacock April  12,  1880 

William  O-  Miller April  12,  1880 

Chas.  M.  Plank November  22,  1880 

William  J.  Rourke November  22,  1880 

Albert  R.  Heilig November  22,  1880 

Alonzo  E.  Ream November  22,  1880 

George  F.  Hagenman January  24,  1881 

Israel  H.  Rothermel August  20, 1881 

John  H.  Rothermel Angust  20,  1881 

Daniel  F.  Westley November  14,  1881 

Charles  C.  Kehr November  14,  1881 

Henry  Maltzberger November  14,  1881 

George  J.  Gross,  Jr November  14,  1881 

Henry  O.  Schrader November  14,  1882 

I.  Comley  Fetter November  13,  1882 

James  B.  Baker November  13,  1882 

Adam  B.  Rieser November  13,  1882 

Ellwood  H.  Deysher November  13,  1882 

Richard  H.  Koch November  12,  1883 

Henry  P.  Keyser November  12,  1883 

J.  Ed.  Miller November  12,  1883 


Felix  P.  Kremp November  12, 1883 

Charles  H.  Tyson November  10,  1884 

William  B.  Bechtel November  10,  1884 

Frank  K.  Flood November  10,  1884 

Philip  S.  Zieber November  10,  1884 

Wm.  Kerper  Stevens November  10,  1884 

Howard  P.  Wanner November  9,  1885 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES  OF  JUDGES  AND  ATTOR- 
NEYS-AT  LAW. 

JUDGES. 

Conrad  Weiser  was  the  most  prominent  his- 
torical character  in  the  county  of  Berks  previous 
to  1760.  His  great  prominence  arose  from  his 
intimate  connection  with  the  provincial  govern- 
ment of  Pennsylvania  for  thirty  years.  He  was 
the  principal  judge  of  Berks  County  from  1752  to 
1760,  for  which  reason  this  sketch  is  presented  at 
the  head  of  the  biographies  of  the  judges. 

He  was  born  November  2,  1696,  at  Afstaedt,  a 
small  village  in  the  County  of  Herrenberg,  in 
Wurtemberg,  Germany,  and  there  he  acquired  a 
general  education,  which  included  the  principles  of 
the  Christian  religion  according  to  the  catechism 
of  Martin  Luther.  Whilst  in  his  fourteenth  year 
he  emigrated  with  his  father  and  family  (which 
included  himself  and  seven  other  children)  to  New 
York,  landing  June  17,  1710.  At  that  time 
several  thousand  Germans  were  sent  to  America 
by  Queen  Anne,  who  had  furnished  them  with  food 
for  a  time  at  London.  Shortly  after  their  arrival 
they  were  removed  to  Livingston  Manor  by  the 
Governor  of  New  York,  to  burn  tar  and  cultivate 
hemp  to  defray  the  expenses  incurred  by  Queen 
Anne  in  conveying  them  from  Holland  to  England 
and  from  England  to  America.  They  labored 
till  1713  in  this  employment,  under  the  direction 
of  commissioners  who  were  placed  in  authority 
over  them  ;  then,  finding  that  they  were  existing 
under  a  form  of  bondage,  they  protested  against 
the  treatment,  and  this  effected  their  release. 
Shortly  afterward  they  became  dispersed.  About 
one  hundred  and  fifty  families  of  them,  including 
the  Weiser  family,  removed  to  Schoharie,  forty 
miles  west  of  Albany.  Whilst  spending  the 
winter  of  1713-14  at  Schenectady,  his  father  was 
frequently  visited  by  an  Indian  chief  of  the  Mo- 
hawk tribe,  and  during  one  of  these  visits  the 
chief  proposed  to  him  to  visit  the  Mohawk  country 
and  teach  him  the  language  of  that  tribe.     His 


538 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


father  agreed  to  the  proposition,  and  he  accordingly 
accompanied  the  Indian  chief. 

Conrad  Weiser  was  in  his  eighteenth  year  when 
he  went  to  live  with  the  Indians.  He  was  a  strong 
young  man,  but  all  of  his  strength  was  necessary 
to  endure  the  sufferings  which  he  was  compelled  to 
undergo  whilst  living  with  them.  He  had  scarcely 
clothing  sufficient  to  cover  his  body  during  the 
■winter  of  that  trying  year.  Besides  much  suffer- 
ing, he  was  frequently  threatened  with  death  by 
the  Indians  during  a  state  of  intoxication.  In 
July,  1714,  he  returned  to  his  father's  home  at 
Schoharie.  In  this  time  he  acquired  a  consider- 
able knowledge  of  the  Mohawk  language,  and 
■whilst  at  home  he  increased  this  knowledge  by 
being  called  upon  to  act  as  interpreter  between 
the  German  settlers  of  that  vicinity  and  the  Mo- 
hawk Indians.  Several  families  of  this  tribe 
lived  within  a  mile  of  his  residence.  His  services 
were  performed  gratuitously.  The  settlers  having 
been  disturbed  in  their  possessions,  they  left  that 
section  of  the  country ;  Conrad  Weiser's  father 
and  a  number  of  others  migrated  to  Pennsylvania. 
They  located  in  Tulpehocken  in  the  spring  of 
1723,  in  the  midst  of  the  Indians  ;  and  there  they 
also  commenced  the  improvement  of  the  land 
which  they  occupied  without  permission  from  the 
land  commissioners.  The  Indians  complained, 
but  the  settlers  were  not  disturbed.  Subsequently 
the  Indians  released  their  rights  for  a  considera- 
tion from  the  provincial  government,  and  about 
1733  removed  beyond  the  Blue  Mountain. 

Conrad  Weiser  was  married  to  a  young  woman 
of  Schoharie  in  1720.  He  continued  at  that 
place  till  1729,  when,  with  his  wife  and  five  chil- 
dren (two  sons — Philip  and  Frederick — and  three 
daughters — Anna,  Madlina  and  Maria) ,  he  removed 
to  the  Tulpehocken  settlement,  locating  on  a  tract 
of  land  half  a  mile  -east  of  the  present  borough  of 
Womelsdorf.  Shortly  after  his  arrival  his  ability 
and  success  as  an  Indian  interpreter  became  known 
to  the  provincial  government,  and  the  Governor 
employed  him  in  negotiations  with  the  Indians. 
His  first  services  in  this  capacity  were  performed 
in  1731  ;  and  from  that  time  for  nearly  thirty 
years  he  was  almost  constantly  engaged  in  this 
important  work.  He  attended  and  assisted  at 
numerous  treaties,  some  of  which  were  very  im- 
portant.    In  the  published  proceedings  of  these 


treaties  in  the  colonial  records  and  Pennsylvania 
Archives,  his  name  appears  prominently.  He 
always  distinguished  himself — giving  entire  satis- 
faction to  both  parties.  His  integrity  wa<  partic- 
ularly recognized  and  publicly  complimented. 

He  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  in  the 
"French  and  Indian  War."  His  numerous 
letters,  which  appear  in  the  chapter  on  that  sub- 
ject in  this  history,  indicate  his  zeal,  courage  and 
patriotism.  He  served  in  that  war  as  a  colonel, 
having  received  his  commission  as  colonel  on  Oc- 
tober 31,  1755,  and  as  such  officer  commanded  the 
Second  Battalion  of  the  Pennsylvania  Regiment. 
His  services  were  of  great  value  to  the  govern- 
ment and  to  the  people  of  this  county. 

The  first  proceedings  for  the  erection  of  Berks 
County  were  instituted  in  1738.  In  this  behalf 
Mr.  Weiser  was  very  active.  And  he  continued 
active  till  the  determined  requests  of  the  citizens 
were  granted  eventually  by  the  General  Assembly 
in  1752.  The  town  of  Reading  was  laid  out  by 
the  Penns  in  1748.  In  the  disposition  of  the 
town- lots,  Mr.  Weiser  acted  as  one  of  the  commis- 
sioners He  was  prominently  identified  with  the 
first  movements  in  building  up  the  town,  and  he 
manifested  a  strong  interest  in  the  development  of 
the  business  interests  of  the  place. 

The  Governor  of  the  province,  in-  1741,  ap- 
pointed him  as  a  justice  of  the  peace.  He  con- 
tinued to  serve  in  this  office  for  a  number  of  years. 
When  the  county  was  erected,  in  1752,  he  was 
appointed  one  of  the  first  judges.  He  acted  as 
president  judge  of  the  courts  till  his  decease,  in 
1760.  His  appointment  to  this  important  position 
was  natural,  by  reason  of  his  prominence,  influ- 
ence, experience  and  ability.  He  lived  at  Reading 
mostly  during  the  latter  part  of  his  life. 

He  died  on  his  Heidelberg  farm  July  13, 1760, 
and  his  remains  were  buried  in  a  private  burying- 
ground  on  the  place,  where  they  have  remained 
since.  He  left  a  widow  and  seven  children  :  five 
sons, — Philip,  Frederick,  Peter,  Samuel  and  Ben- 
jamin, and  two  daughters, — Maria,  who  was  inter- 
married with  Rev.  Henry  Melchior  Muhlenberg, 

and  Margaret,  who  was  intermarried  with 

Finker.  He-  was  possessed  of  a  large  estate,  con- 
sisting of  properties  at  Reading,  and  lands  in 
Heidelberg  township,  and  in  the  region  of 
country  beyond  the  Blue  Mountain.     In  Heidel- 


BENCH  AND  BAR. 


539 


berg  he  owned  about  eight  hundred  and  ninety 
acres,  which  included  a  tract  of  three  hundred 
and  forty-seven  acres  and  the  privileges  of  a 
"  Court-Baron,"  granted  to  him  in  1743 — the  tract 
having  originally  contained  fifty-one  hundred  and 
sixty-five  acres  as  granted  to  John  Page,  in  1735, 
by  patent,  and  then  been  erected  into  a  manor, 
called  the  "  Manor  of  Plumton."  At  Reading, 
one  of  his  properties  was  a  business  stand,  and  it 
has  continued  to  be  a  prominent  business  place 
from  that  time  till  now,  a  period  embracing  over 
one  hundred  and  thirty  years.  This  has  been 
known  latterly  as  the  "  Old  White  Store." 

An  extended  and  interesting  biographical  sketch 
of  Conrad  Weiser,  including  his  numerous  letters 
during  the  "French  and  Indian  War,"  his  reports 
of  journeys,  etc.,  was  prepared  by  one  of  his 
descendants,  Rev.  C.  Z.  Weiser,  D.D.,  and  pub- 
lished at  Reading,  by  Daniel  Miller,  in  1876. 

Jacob  Rush,  the  first  president  judge  of  the 
Third  Judicial  District  of  which  Berks  County 
formed  a  part,  was  born  in  Byberry  township, 
near  Philadelphia,  in  the  year  1746,  and  was  the 
brother  of  the  celebrated  artist  and  physician, 
Benjamin  Rush.  He  received  an  excellent  pre- 
paratory education  and  then  entered  the  College 
of  New  Jersey,  at  Princeton,  from  which  institution 
he  was  graduated  in  1765.  Immediately  after  the 
State  Constitution  of  1790  was  adopted,  he  was 
appointed  to  preside  over  the  courts  of  the  Third 
District,  which  included  the  county  of  Berks.  He 
afterward  became  president  judge  of  the  First 
District,  of  which  Philadelphia  farmed  a  part, 
and  held  that  responsible  position  for  many 
years,  until  the  time  of  his  death.  In  the  contro- 
versy between  Reed  and  Dickinson  he  was  an  able 
writer  on  the  side  of  the  latter.  He  published  his 
"  Charges  on  Moral  and  Religious  Subjects '  at 
Philadelphia  in  1803.  He  was  a  patriot  of  the 
Revolution  and  in  its  darkest  days  stood  firm  to  its 
principles  and  to  his  country.  Judge  Rush  also 
published  in  1774  '  Resolves  in  Committee  Cham- 
bers "  and  in  1819  a  work  on  "Christian 
Baptism."  While  president  judge  of  the  Third 
District  he  resided  in  Reading,  on  the  west  side  of 
South  Fifth  Street,  between  Cherry  and  Franklin 
Streets.  He  died  at  Philadelphia,  January  5, 
1820. 

John   Spayd  was   born  in   Dauphin    County 


in  January,  1764.  He  acquired  a  classical  edu- 
cation, read  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
February  14,  1788,  and  began  practicing  at  Read- 
ing, where  he  attained  great  prominence.  He 
was  appointed  judge  of  the  courts  of  Berks 
County  in  1806  and  served  with  distinguished 
ability  until  1809.  During  the  years  1795  and 
1810  he  was  a  member  of  the  General  Assembly 
of  Pennsylvania  and  devoted  the  remainder  of  his 
life  to  the  practice  of  law  at  Reading.  He  went 
to  the  city  of  Philadelphia  for  surgical  relief  from 
a  disease  with  which  he  had  long  suffered,  under- 
went an  operation,  but  the  result  was  beyond  the 
control  of  human  skill  and  he  died  there  at  two 
a.m.,  October  13,  1822,  in  the  fifty-eighth  year  of 
his  age.  His  remains  were  brought  to  Reading  on 
the  15th  and  interred  the  following  day  in  the 
Lutheran  grave-yard.  The  judges  of  the  court, 
members  of  the  bar  and  the  Borough  Council  each 
passed  appropriate  resolutions  commendatory  of  his 
life  and  character  as  a  lawyer,  as  a  judge  and  as  a 
public-spirited  citizen,  resolved  to  attend  his  fun- 
eral in  a  body  and  wear  crape  on  the  left  arm  for 
thirty  days.  His  remains  have  since  been  trans- 
ferred to  Charles  Evans'  Cemetery. 

As  an  advocate  his  knowledge  was  various  and 
extensive,  his  judgment  sound  and  his  counsel 
recognized  as  of  a  high  order.  By  his  brethren  of 
the  bar  his  merits  as  a  sincere  friend  and  as  an 
honorable  practitioner  were  highly  appreciated, 
and  he  performed  all  his  various  duties  as  a 
lawyer,  a  judge  and  a  citizen  with  recognized 
promptness  and  acknowledged  ability.  As  a 
lawyer  he  disdained  everything  like  artifice  or 
technical  advantage  and  looked  to  the  merits  of 
his  case  alone.  He  seemed  ever  to  contend  for 
justice  rather  than  victory  ;  hence  his  influence  with 
the  court  and  jury  was  deservedly  great.  In  the 
prosecution  of  doubtful  claims,  where  individuals 
had  important  'trusts  to  fulfill,  which  they  were 
anxious  should  be  judiciously  and  faithfully 
managed,  recourse  was  had'  with  the  utmost  confi- 
dence to  John  Spayd,  and  his  opinions  were 
considered  oracles  upon  which  the  most  perfect 
reliance  could  be  placed. 

The  Borough  Council  at  the  time  of  his  death 
passed  resolutions  in  commendation  of  his  valuable 
services  for  many  years  as  chief  burgess.  At  a 
bar  meeting  presided  over  by  Judge  Robert  Porter 


540 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


resolutions  commendatory  of  his  life  and  character 
were  adopted.  Members  of  the  Philadelphia  bar 
held  a  meeting  in  the  District  Court-room,  presided 
over  by  Hon.  Joseph  B.  McKean,  and  adopted 
resolutions  relating  to  "  John  Spayd,  Esq.,  a  dis- 
tinguished member  of  the  profession  from  Reading, 
who  died  while  on  a  visit  to  Philadelphia,  and  in 
testimony  of  our  respect  for  his  private  virtues  and 
professional  attainments,  we  will  attend  as  far  as 
the  limits  of  this  city  the  removal  of  his  remains 
for  interment  at  Reading." 

Judge  Spayd  was  married  to  Catharine  Hiester, 
eldest  daughter  of  Governor  Joseph  Hiester. 
Their  children  were  Elizabeth,  married  to  Edward 
B.  Hubley,  once  a  member  of  Congress  from 
Schuylkill  County;  John,  a  graduate  of  the  Medical 
Department  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania ; 
Catharine  B.,  married  to  John  B.  Brooke,  a  promi- 
nent merchant  of  Reading  and  father  of  Dr.  John 
B.  Brooke ;  Joseph  H.,  a  member  of  the  Berks 
County  bar ;  George  W.,  once  chief  burgess  of 
Reading ;  Henry,  who  completed  the  medical 
course  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  and  died 
one  year  after  his  graduation  ;  Amelia,  married  to 
Dr.  Diller  Luther,  of  Reading. 

At  the  time  of  his  death  Judge  Spayd  resided  in 
Penn  Square,  Reading,  next  house  west  of  the 
Farmer's  Bank. 

Robert  Porter  was  the  third  president  judge 
of  the  several  courts  of  Berks  C  junty.  He  was  the 
eldest  son  of  General  Andrew  Porter  and  was  born 
at  Philadelphia  on  January  10,  1768.  His 
father  then  was  conducting  a  mathematical  and  an 
English  school.  When  he  was  only  eight  years 
old  the  Revolution  had  begun  in  earnest  and  his 
father  had  enlisted  to  serve  the  United  Colonies 
in  their  great  struggle  for  independence.  Toward 
the  close  of  the  war  his  father  was  colonel  of  the 
Fourth  Pennsylvania  Regiment  of  Artillery,  and 
it  is  said  that  Judge  Porter,  when  only  thirteen 
years  of  age,  was  enlisted  in  one  of  the  companies 
under  the  command  of  his  father.  At  the  con- 
clusion of  the  war  he  resumed  his  studies  at 
Philadelphia,  and,  selecting  the  law  as  his  profes- 
sion, he  was  admitted  to  practice  on  May  15, 
1789.  After  being  engaged  in  a  successful  prac- 
tice for  twenty  years,  at  Philadelphia,  he,  in  1810, 
was  appointed  by  Governor  Simon  Snyder  to  the 
office  of    president  judge   of  the  Third   Judical 


District  which  comprised  the  counties  of  Berks, 
Northampton  and  Wayne.  He  occupied  this 
honorable  position  for  the  period  of  twenty-two 
years,  and  then,  upon  resigning  his  commission, 
retired  to  private  life.  He  resided  at  Reading,  on 
the  northwest  corner  of  Fifth  and  Penn  Streets, 
during  his  term  of  office.  He  died  on  June  23, 
1842,  at  Brookville,  Pa. ,  aged  seventy -four  years. 
Judge  Porter  was  a  man  of  profound  learning  and 
superior  legal  attainments. 

Garrkik  Mallery  was  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts. After  obtaining  a  good  preliminary  educa- 
tion, he  entered  Yale  College  and  was  graduated 
from  that  institution  in  the  year  1809.  He  soon 
afterwards  became  principal  of  an  academy  at 
Wilksbarre,  and  while  occupying  that  position 
engaged  in  the  study  of  law,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  at  Wilksbarre  about  1812.  Being  well 
adapted  by  nature  to  the  legal  profession,  he  added 
to  his  efficiency  by  diligent  and  well-directed  study, 
and  therefore  soon  acqu:red  a  practice  which 
extended  over  a  large  portion  of  Northern  Penn- 
sylvania. In  1825  he  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  House  of  Representatives  of  Pennsylvania  and 
during  his  legislative  career  was  instrumental 
in  securing  the  enactment  of  certain  bills  which 
led  to  the  great  improvement  of  the  North  Branch 
region. 

In  1832  Governor  Wolf  appointed  him  president 
judge  of  the  Third  Judicial '  District,  then  com- 
posed of  the  counties  of  Berks,  Northampton  and 
Lehigh,  in  which  position  he  soon  won  fame  an! 
distinction,  and  presided  with  ability  and  dignity. 
He  resigned  in  1836  and  removed  to  Philadel- 
phia, where  he  resumed  the  practice  of  the  law. 
About  the  time  of  his  resignation  the  members  of 
the  bar  of  Berks  County  met  March  16, 1836,  and 
passed  resolutions  of  regret,  and  tendered  him  a  bar 
dinner  in  Reading  as  a  token  of  their  high  appre- 
ciation of  his  ability  as  a  judge  and  character  as  a 
gentleman.  He  replied  in  the  kindliest  terms 
from  Easton,  Pa. ,  but  owing  to  a  press  of  profes- 
sional duties  was  obliged  to  decline  the  proffered 
honor.  His  experience  in  reference  to  titles  to 
coal  and  unseated  lands  throughout  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania  rendered  his  services  especially 
valuable  to  purchasers  of  that  kind  of  property, 
and  his  practice  thus  became  very  extensive. 
During  his   residence   in   Philadelphia    he    was 


BENCH  AND  BAR. 


541 


standing  master  in  Chancery  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Pennnsylvania,  and  was  for  many  years 
solicitor  and  advisor  of  the  Camden  and  Amboy, 
the  Philadelphia  and  Trenton  and  other  railroad 
companies. 

Judge  Mallery  was  thrice  married ;  his  last 
wife  was  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Otto,  a  prominent 
physician  of  Philadelphia.  Hon.  William  Strong, 
lately  retired  from  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States,  was  married  to  his  daughter. 

John  Banks,  the  fifth  president  judge  of  courts 
of  Berks  County,  was  born  near  Lewisburgh,  Ju- 
niata County,  Pa.,  in  the  year  1793.  His  paternal 
grandfather  emigrated  from  Scotland  and  lived  to 
the  age  of  nearly  one  hundred  years.  His  father 
being  a  farmer,  his  youth  was  spent  mostly  in  as 
sisting  him  in  the  arduous  duties  of  that  occupa- 
tion. The  advantages  of  a  liberal  education, 
however,  were  not  denied  him.  He  entered  upon 
the  study  of  law  with  a  well-disciplined  mind,  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  of  his  native  county  in  1819, 
and  soon  after  removed  to  the  western  part  of  the 
State.  He  located  in  Mercer  County  and  there 
rapidly  attained  eminence  at  the  bar.  Without 
any  solicitation  On  his  part,  he  was  nominated  and 
elected  a  representative  in  Congress,  and  twice  re- 
elected, serving  from  1831  to  1836.  He  won  dis- 
tinction in  Congress  by  his  treatment  of  contested 
election  cases.  His  patience  and  fairness  in  the 
investigations  and  hi-!  clearness  in  applying  the  law 
to  the  facts,  made  his  conclusions  invariably  accep- 
table. In  the  spring  of  1836  he  vacated  his  seat  in 
Congress  to  accept  the  appointment  of  president 
judge  of  the  Third  Judicial  District  of  the  State, 
composed  of  the  counties  of  Berks,  Lehigh  and 
Northampton,  the  office  having  been  tendered 
him  by  Governor  Ritner.  Succeeding  so  accom- 
plished a  jurist  as  Garrick  Mallery,  he  sustained 
himself  in  his  new  position  under  difficult  circum- 
stances, and  proved  by  his  administration  of  jus- 
tice that  he  had  an  acquaintance  with  the  law  fully 
as  much  under  control  as  his  predecessor.  He 
possessed  a  kind  heart,  was  easy  and  graceful  in 
his  manners  and  clear  in  his  opinions.  His  supe- 
rior qualities  soon  won  for  him  the  full  confidence 
of  the  people.  No  man  was  ever  more  obliging 
and  condescending  to  his  juniors  than  he,  and  no 
man  ever  lived  in  Reading  whose  companionship 
was  more  highly  prized  by  so  varied  a  circle  of 


friends  Having  spent  eleven  years  as  president 
judge  of  the  court,  he  resigned  the  position  in 
1847,  and  accepted  the  office  of  State  treasurer  of 
Pennsylvania  and  served  one  term.  In  1841, 
while  judge  of  the  courts,  he  ,was  nominated  by 
the  Whig  party  for  the  office  of  Governor  of 
Pennsylvania,  but  was  defeated  by  David  R  Por- 
ter, the  Democratic  nominee.  He  was  subse- 
quently nominated   and  supported   by  the  Whig 


JOHN    BANKS. 

members  of  the  State  Legislature,  when  in  the 
minority,  as  their  candidate  for  United  States 
senator.  • 

Upon  his  retirement  from  the  bench,  Judge 
Banks  resumed  the  practice  of  the  law,  and  soon 
became  the  acknowledged  leader  of  the  Berks 
County  bar.  He  continued  in  his  profession  until 
his  death,  April  3,  1864,  enjoying  a  very  exten- 
sive and  lucrative  practice. 

John  Peingle  Jones  was  born  near  Newtown, 
in  Durham  township,  Bucks  County,  in  1812,  and 
was  an  only  child.  His  father  died  when  he  was 
young.  His  mother  was  a  Pringle  and  a  member 
of  an  English  family  of  great  respectability  in 
Philadelphia.  She  moved  to  her  native  city  after 
the  death  of  her  husband.  The  education  of  the 
son,  J.  Pringle  Jones,  was  acquired  at  Captain 
Partridge's  Military  Academy,   in    Middletown, 


542 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Conn.,   and   at  the   University   of  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  studied  two  years  and  was  then  admitted 
to  the  senior  class  of  the  College  of  New  Jersey,  at 
Princeton,   from   which   he   was  graduated   with 
honor  in  1831.     After  leaving  college  he  studied 
law  in  the  office  of  Charles  Ohauncey,  Esq.,  and 
was  admitted  a  member  of  the  Philadelphia  bar 
in  1834.     Being  a  great  lover  of  nature,  he  trav- 
eled to  and  wandered  over  the  green  hills  of  Berks 
County,  and  whilst  in  the  county,  in  1835,  he  de- 
termined to  locate  in  Reading.     He  was  at  once 
received    into    the    best    society  on   account   of 
his  education,   culture   and  social   qualities.     In 
1839   he  was   appointed  deputy  attorney-general 
for  Berks  County  and  served  in  that  office  until 
1847.    During  this  time  he  was  associated  in  the 
practice  of  law  with  Robert  M.  Barr,  Esq.,  who 
was  appointed,  in  1845,  reporter  of  the  decisions 
of  the  Supreme  Court.    At  the  expiration  of  the 
official  term  of  Hon.  John  Banks  as  judge  of  the 
Third  District,  then  composed  of  Berks,  Lehigh 
and  Northampton  Counties,  he  was  appointed  by 
Governor  Shunk  to  fill  this  honorable  position. 
He  took  the  oath  of  office  March  15,  1847.     By 
an  act  of  the  Legislature,  passed  in  1849,  Berks 
County  was  erected  into  a  separate  judicial  dis- 
trict, of  which  David  F.  Gordon  was  appointed 
president-judge,  and  Judge  Jones  continued  to  pre- 
side in  Lehigh  and  Northampton  Counties  until 
1851. 

In  1849,  Mr.  Barr,  the  State  reporter,  died,  and 
Judge  Jones  completed  two  of  the  "  State  Reports  " 
which  his  former  partner  had  left  unfinished. 
These  reports  are  known  as  "  Jones'  Reports."  In 
1851  he  was  elected  president  judge  of  the  courts  of 
Berks  County  for  ten  years.  After  the  expiration 
of  this  term  he  devoted  himself  to  literary  pur- 
suits and  to  the  management  of  the  Charles  Evans 
Cemetery  Company,  of  which  he  was  elected 
president. 

In  1867  Judge  Maynard,  of  the  Third  Judicial 
District,  then  composed  of  Lehigh  and  Northamp- 
ton Counties,  died,  and  Judge  Jones  was  appointed 
his  successor  for  the  unexpired  term.  This  was 
the  last  official  position  he  occupied.  In  1871  he 
had  an  attack  of  paralysis.  In  October,  1872,  he 
sailed  for  Europe,  accompanied  by  his  wife,  and 
traveled  through  France,  Italy,  Germany  and  a 
part  of  Russia.    He  was  taken  sick  and  died  in 


London,  on  Monday,  March  16,  1874.  His  re- 
mains were  brought  to  Reading  and  buried  in 
Charles  Evans  Cemetery. 

He  was  married  first  to  Annie  Hiester,  daughter 
of  Dr.  Isaac  Hiester,  of  Reading,  in  1840.  After 
her  death  he  was  married,  in  1851,  to  Catharine 
E.  Hiester,  daughter  of  John  S.  Hiester.  Nature 
favored  Judge  Jones  with  a  fine  physical  appear- 
ance and  excellent  mental  endowments.  He  had  a 
decided  taste  for  literature,  and  after  he  retired 
from  the  bench  devoted  much  of  his  time  to  the 
gratification  of  this  taste.  He  was  a  man  of  ster- 
ling integrity  and  great  moral  worth.  A  marked 
trait  was  his  strong  attachment  to  his  friends,  of 
whom  he  had  a  great  many  in  the  county  of 
Berks  and  also  throughout  Eastern  Pennsylvania. 

David  F.  Gordon  was  born  at  Philadelphia  on 
November  20,  1795.  He  received  an  excellent 
classical  education  at  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  then  studied  law  and  was  admitted  to 
practice  in  1816,  and  soon  afterward  gained  an 


DAVID   F.    GORDON. 


enviable  reputation  as  a  member  of  the  bar.  He 
remained  in  that  city  until  1824,  when  he  removed 
to  Reading  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the 
several  courts  of  Berks  County.  He  continued  in 
active  practice  here  for  eight  years,  and  then  pur- 
chased from  George  Getz  the  Berks  and  Schuylkill 


BENCH  AND  BAR 


543 


Journal,  a  weekly  English  newspaper  published  at 
Beading,  which  he  was  well  qualified  to  publish 
by  reason  of  his  learning  and  literary  taste.  He 
published  this  paper  very  successfully,  con- 
ducting its  editorial  department  with  ability, 
until  1838.  then  sold  it  and  resumed  his  law  prac- 
tice. After  practicing  for  eleven  years  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  office  of  president  judge  of  this 
judicial  district  by  Governor  W.  E.  Johnston. 
Berks  County  had  just  been  erected  into  a  sepa- 
rate judicial  district,  called,  in  the  system,  the 
Twenty-third. 

He  remained  on  the  bench  until  December, 
1851,  retiring  then  by  virtue  of  the  amendment 
to  the  Constitution,  under  which  the  office  of. 
judge  became  elective,  and  Hon.  J.  Pringle  Jones 
was  chosen  to  fill  this  position  for  ten  years. 
Whilst  holding  this  office  he  was  nominated  by  the 
Whig  party  of  the  State  for  the  office  of  associate 
justice  of  the  Supreme  Court,  but  his  party  being 
then  in  the  minority,  he  was  defeated.  He  was 
recognized  as  an  able  judge  and  thoroughly  con- 
scientious in  the  performance  of  all  his  judicial 
duties.  His  course  won  for  him  the  highest  respect 
and  confidence  of  his  fellow-citizens.  Upon  retir- 
ing from  the  bench  he  resumed  his  legal  practice 
at  Beading.  He  died  on  December  27,  1859, 
aged  sixty-four  years. 

As  a  man,  he  was  highly  esteemed  for  his  many 
superior  traits  of  character.  He  was  buried  in 
the  Charles  Evans  Cemetery. 

Warren  J.  Woodward,  a  president 
judge  from  1861  to  1874.  (For  sketch,  see 
biographies  of  State  Officials). 

Jeremiah  Hagenman  was  born  at  Phoenix- 
ville,  Chester  County,  Pa.,  on  February  6,  1820. 
His  parents  were  Jeremiah  and  Mary  H.  Hagen- 
man. He  obtained  a  preparatory  education  in 
the  schools  of  his  native  town,  and  at  the  early 
age  of  sixteen  years  engaged  in  the  profession  of 
teaching.  He  continued  to  teach  some  time 
and  then  removed  to  Beading,  where  he  entered 
the  public  schools  and  prosecuted  higher  branches 
of  study  till  he  was  nineteen  years  old.  He  then 
began  the  study  of  law,  under  the  direction  of 
Peter  Filbert,  Esq.,  at  Beading,  teaching  occa- 
sionally whilst  pursuing  his  legal  studies,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  on  April  7,  1842.  In  the 
following  autumn  he  opened  an  office  at  Beading 


and  soon  entered  upon  an  active  practice,  which 
he  conducted  very  successfully  for  seventeen  years, 
when  he  was  elected  additional  law  judge  of  Berks 
County  for  a  period  of  ten  years.  In  1875,  upon 
the  elevation  of  Hon.  Warren  J.  Woodward  to  the 
Supreme  bench  of  the  State,  he  was  promoted  to 
the  office  of  president  judge,  and  in  1879  he  was 
re-elected  for  another  term  of  ten  years  He  is 
now  filling  this  honorable  position.  The  attorneys 
have  always  appreciated  him  for  his  courtesy  on  the 
bench,  and  the  younger  attorneys  have  found  him 


possessed  of  a  kindly  spirit  and  great  indulgence, — 
two  characteristics  disposed  to  encourage  them  in 
the  trial  of  their  cases.  During  the  past  seventeen 
years  numerous  cases  tried  before  him  have  been 
taken  to  the  Supreme  Court,  but  his  adjudications 
have  been  generally  sustained,  comparatively  few 
judgments  having  been  reversed. 

Judge  Hagenman  became  interested  in  politics 
soon  after  his  admission  to  the  bar,  and  was  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  movements  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party  from  1850  till  1869.  He  attended 
many  State  Conventions  as  a  delegate  from  this  dis- 
trict ;  and  in  1868  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  Demo- 
cratic National  Convention  which  assembled  at 
New  York  and  nominated  Hon.  Horatio  Seymour 


544 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSLYVANIA. 


for  President.  In  1850  he  was  elected  district 
attorney,  under  the  act  then  passed  creating 
the  office,  and,  after  serving  three  years,  was  re- 
elected for  a  second  term.  He  was  the  first  per- 
son chosen  to  this  position  and  the  only  district 
attorney  who  filled  it  for  six  years.  His  adminis- 
tration of  the  duties  of  the  office  was  highly  satis- 
factory, and  he  was  tendered  a  third  term  by  the 
party  leaders,  but  he  declined  the  honor. 

The  public  school  affairs  of  Reading  received 
the  earnest  attention  of  Judge  Hagenman  for 
nearly  forty  years.  He  first  became  a  director 
about  1846,  iu  the  Southwest  Ward,  and  served 
several  years.  In  1858  he  was  elected  to  represent 
the  Southeast  "Ward  (subsequently  the  Third,  and 
then  the  Fourth)  in  the  School  Board,  and  after- 
ward re-elected,  term  after  term,  till  1883,  when 
he  declined  to  serve  any  longer. 

For  twenty  years  he  served  as  ■chairman  of  the 
High  School  committee.  He  advocated,  with 
much  success,  the  erection  of  more  commodious 
and  attractive  school  buildings  ;  and  he  first  sug- 
gested the  practicability  of  heating  the  buildings 
by  heaters  in  the  cellars.  The  first  successful  ex- 
periment was  made  in  the  Elm  Street  building,  un- 
der his  supervision  as  chairman  of  a  special  commit- 
tee. This  was  about  1865.  Then  the  High  School 
(academy)  building,  and  next  the  Lerch  building 
came  to-be  heated  in  the  same  way.  This  process 
of  heating  the  school-rooms  is  now  common  in  all 
the  public  schools.  In  recognition  of  his  valuable 
services  the  board  named  the  "  J.  Hagenman 
School  Building  "  after  him,  which  is  a  superior 
brick  structure,  situated  on  Franklin,  between 
Eighth  and  Ninth  Streets,  and  was  erected  in 
1875. 

He  served  the  county  commissioners  as  solicitor 
for  a  number  of  years.  About  1860  he  was  in- 
strumental in  having  them  to  allow  half  of  the 
court  fines  to  be  appropriated  towards  establishing 
a  Law  Library  for  the  bench  and  bar,  in  the  court- 
house. David  L.  Wenrich,  Sr.,  one  of  the  commis- 
sioners, was  particularly  favorable  to  the  plan, 
on  account  of  the  great  convenience  to  the  judges 
and  the  attorneys  in  the  trial  of  cases,  and  he  had 
the  board  of  commissioners  to  make  an  order  to  pay 
half  of  the  fines  for  five  years  for  that  purpose.  John 
S.  Richards,  Esq.,  an  attorney  at  the  bar,  suggested 
the  idea.     Subsequently  legislation  was  obtained 


allowing  this  to  be  done,  and  a  Law  Library  associ- 
ation was  incorporated.  Law-books  multiplied  in 
number  year  after  year,  till  now  the  association 
possesses  a  valuable  and  extensive  library. 

In  1850  Judge  Hagenman  was  married  to 
Louisa  A.  Boyer,  a  daughter  of  George  Boyer, 
who  was  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  first  families  in 
the  county,  and  who  was  a  prominent  member  of 
Trinity  Lutheran  congregation,  having  taken  an 
active  part  in  the  erection  of  its  church  building 
in  1791,  which  is  still  in  a  good  state  of  preser- 
vation. Judge  Hagenman  is  now  serving  as  trus- 
tee of  Trinity  Church,  of  which  he  is  a  consistent 
member.  They  have  one  son — George  F.  Hag- 
enman, Esq.,  a  practicing  attorney  at  the  Reading 
bar. 

Heney  Van  Reed  was  born  August  31,  1821, 
in  the  northern  corner  of  Cumru  (now  Spring) 
township,  this  county,  on  the  Cacoosing  Creek, 
near  its  outlet  into  the  Tulpehocken.  His  grand- 
father, John  Van  Reed,  settled  there  about  the 
time  of  the  Revolution,  and  his  father  was  born 
there  in  1786.  He  was  educated  at  Reading,  Lit- 
itz,  Lafayette  College  and  Dickinson  College,  grad- 
uating from  the  latter  institution  in  1843.  Upon 
returning  home  he  selected  the  law  as  his  profes- 
sion and  pursued  a  regular  course  of  legal  study  in 
the  office  of  David  F.  Gordon,  Esq.,  a  distin- 
guished lawyer  at  Reading,  and  afterwards  presi- 
dent judge  of  this  judicial  district.  On  April  5, 
1844,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  at  once 
opened  an  office  at  Reading,  and  soon  established 
a  large  and  lucrative  practice,  which  he  continued 
for  twenty  years. 

In  1851  he  made  a  trip  to  California,  visiting 
his  brothers,  James  and  Lewis,  who  had  gone 
thither  some  years  previously.  He  was  engaged 
in  the  banking  business  at  San  Francisco,  with  his 
brother  James,  for  some  months,  but  preferring  a 
residence  in  the  eastern  section  of  the  country,  he 
returned  home  in  the  same  year. 

In  April,  1869,  the  State  Legislature  authorized 
the  qualified  electors  of  Berks  County  to  elect  at 
the  next  succeeding  general  election  an  additional 
law  judge,  whose  powers  and  term  of  office  were 
to  be  similar  to  those  of  the  president  judge.  At 
that  time  the  Governor,  John  W.  Geary,  was  a  Re- 
publican in  politics,  and,  having  been  authorized 
to  appoint  a  suitable  person  to  act  as  such  judge 


BENCH  AND  BAR. 


545 


till  one  should  be  elected  and  commissioned,  he, 
upon  the  flattering  recommendation  of  a  number 
of  prominent  Republicans  of  the  county,  appointed 
Mr.  Van  Reed  to  this  position  on  July  13, 1869. 
This  was  a  high  compliment  to  Mr.  Van  Reed 
The  appointment  was  given  to  him  without  any  so- 
licitation on  his  part,  he  believing,  as  Judge  Wood- 
ward had  previously  expressed  himself,  that  a 
judge,  or  a  man  about  to  become  a  judge,  should 
not  participate  in  the  matter  of  political  appoint- 


1875,  till  January  2,  1876,  he  filled  the  same  office 
by  appointment  from  Governor  John  F.  Hart- 
ranft,  to  supply  a  vacancy  caused  by  the  promo- 
tion of  the  then  incumbent  to  the  office  of  presi- 
dent judge.  He  distinguished  himself  upon  both 
occasions  by  his  ability  and  by  the  promptness  and 
impartiality  with  which  he  discharged  the  duties 
of  this  honorable  position.  His  course  was  highly 
satisfactory,  and  his  continuation  on  the  bench 
was  only  interrupted  by  the  great  predominance  of 


J&kw/2&^  (&**£ 


ments  and  elections.  He  was  then  a  prominent 
attorney  in  active  practice ;  and,  having  been  an 
earnest  Republican — though  not  a  politician — 
whose  views  on  political  subjects  were  known  and 
appreciated,  public  attention  was  naturally  directed 
towards  him  as  the  person  qualified  to  fill  the  po- 
sition. He  occupied  his  seat  on  the  Bench  till  De- 
cember 6,  1869,  when  his  successor  duly  elected 
was  qualified.  Subsequently,  from  January  12, 
52 


Democratic  sentiment  in  the  county.  Upon  being 
retired  from  the  bench  he  gradually  discontinued 
the  practice- of  the  legal  profession. 

Judge  Van  Reed  represented  this  district  as  one 
of  the  delegates  to  the  Constitutional  Convention 
of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  which  was  held  in 
1872  and  1873— he  having  been  selected  as  the 
Republican  delegate. 

During  the  progress  of  the  Civil  War  he  was  r.n 


5,46 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


ardent  supporter  of  the  national  administration 
in  every  way.  His  strong,  patriotic  feelings  im- 
pelled him  to  express  himself  in  the  most  positive 
manner  in  favor  of  prosecuting  the  war.  When 
the  State  of  Pennsylvania  was  threatened  with  an 
invasion  by  the  rebels,  in  September,  1862,  he  en- 
listed, with  a  large  number  of  the  most  prominent 
men  of  Reading,  as  a  private  in  Company  G,  of 
the  Second  Regiment  of  the  State  Volunteer  Mi- 
litia, commanded  by  Captain  F.  S.  Bickley.  This 
company  was  marched  to  and  beyond  the  State 
line  and  engaged  in  performing  military  service 
for  eleven  days,  when  it  was  discharged.  And 
during  the  terrible  excitement  throughout  the 
State,  owing  to  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  in  the 
beginning  of  July,  1863,  he  enlisted  again  in  Com- 
pany C,  Forty-second  Regiment  Pennsylvania 
Volunteer  Militia,  and  acted  as  a  sergeant.  This 
regiment  was  composed  entirely  of  Berks  County 
companies,  and  it  was  under  the  command  of  Col. 
Charles  H.  Hunter,  continuing  in  service  from 
July  6  till  August  12,  1863. 

Judge  Van  Reed  died  June  30,  1885,  after  an 
illness  of  several  years.  The  members  of  the  Berks 
County  bar  held  a  meeting  and  took  appropriate 
action  upon  his  death.  Besides  highly  eulogistic 
addresses  by  them  upon  that  occasion,  relating  to 
his  life  and  character,  they  passed  a  resolution 
wherein  they  regarded  him  "  as  one  of  the  best 
types  of  manhood  this  county  has  developed." 
"  His  sentiments  were  just  and  his  impulses  noble. 
As  a  lawyer  and  judge  he  was  able,  conscientious 
and  painstaking.  As  a  man  he  despised  sham  and 
hypocrisy ;  and  he  took  for  his  own  example  the 
Christian  virtues.  He  had  the  rare  gift  of  courage 
equal  to  his  convictions ;  and,  therefore,  in  public 
as  well  as  in  private  life  he  acted  as  he  believed 
that  an  honest,  upright  man  should  act,  without 
regard  to  affiliations  or  personal  consequences.  He 
was  a  fortunate  man  in  that  he  acquired  such  a 
position  in  the  public  attention  that  high  places 
sought  him  though  he  was  in  a  minority  party." 

He  was  married  to  Catharine  Gernant,  a  daugh 
ter  of  George  Gernant.     She  died  January  13, 
1883.     He   left  two  surviving  children — George 
Van  Reed  and  Anna  Van  Reed. 

Augustus  S.  Sassaman  was  born  in  Douglass 
township,  Berks  County,  Febuary  7,  1834.  His 
paternal  ancestor,  Augustus  Sassaman,  a  native  of 


Witgenstein,  Germany,  married  a  Miss  Gernant, 
emigrated  to  America  and  settled  in   the  Maiden- 
creek  district  of  this  county  immediately  after  the 
Revolution.     Judge  Sassaman      received    a   pre- 
paratory educational  training  in  the  district  schools, 
and  at  a  classical  seminary  in  Boyertown.     In  1853 
he  was  admitted  to  the  junior  class  in   Dickinson 
College,  at  Carlisle,  Pa.,  was  graduated  from  that 
institution  with  the  class  of  1855  and  immediately 
thereafter  entered   the   profession  of  teaching  at 
New  Berlin,  Union  County,  in  an  institution  which, 
in  1856,  was  merged  into  the  Union   Seminary. 
He  filled  its  chair  of  ancient  languages  for  three 
years,  the  chair  of  natural  sciences  for  four  years, 
and  for  a  time  he  gave  instruction  in  the  German 
language.     While  teaching  he  began  the  study  of 
the  law  under  the  direction  of  Hons.  A.  H.  Dill 
and  Isaac  Slenker.     Resigning  his  position  in  the 
Union  Seminary  in    1862,   he  spent  a  year  in  the 
office  of  Isaac  Slenker,  Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  at  Lewisburgh,  Pa. ,  in  December,  1863.  At 
the  instance  of  some  of  the  friends  of  his  wife,  who 
was  a  Miss  De  Turk,  from  Berks  County,  and  a 
descendant  of  Huguenot  ancestry,  he  returned  to 
his  native  county    and  soon  acquired  a  large  and 
lucrative  practice.     He  continued  in   the    active 
duties  of  his  profession  until  1875,  when  he  was 
elected    additional    law  judge   of  the     courts  of 
Berks  County  and  served  one  full  term    of   ten 
years,  from  January  2,  1876,  to  January  4,  1886. 
Upon  his  retirement  from  the  bench,  Judge  Sassa- 
man returned  to  the  practice  of  the   law,  in  which 
he  is  now  actively  engaged. 

James  Nevin  Ermesttrout,  the  youngest  son 
of  William  and  Justina  (Silvis)  Ermentrout,  was 
born  at  Reading,  October  25,  1846.  After  a  pre- 
paratory education  in  the  common  schools  he  was 
admitted  into  the  High  School  when  eleven  years 
old,  at  the  head  of  his  class.  He  spent  four  years 
in  this  local  institution  and  graduated  June,  1862. 
Having  been  first  in  his  class  at  the  time  of  his 
graduation,  he  delivered  the  valedictory, — the 
highest  honor  at  the  commencement  exercises. 
After  teaching  a  country  school  in  Ruscomb- 
manor  township  during  the  following  winter 
(1862-63),  he  entered  the  Tuscarora  Academy,  in 
Juniata  County,  and  there  continued  his  studies  in 
the  higher  branches  of  education  for  a  year, 
excepting  the  winter  of  1863-64,  when  he  again 


BENCH  AND  BAR. 


547 


taught  a  school  in  Alsace  township.  Then  he  was 
appointed  professor  of  languages  in  that  institu- 
tion, and  filled  this  important  position  very 
acceptably  for  a  year.  In  1865  he  resigned  this 
position  and  returned  to  Reading.  During  that 
year  he  assisted  in  organizing  the  parochial  school 
in  the  St.  John's  German  Lutheran  Church,  and 
conducted  it  as  principal  with  great  satisfaction  to 
the  officers  and  members  of  that  congregation.  His 
brother,  Professor  John  S.  Ermentrout,was  then  fill- 
ing the  office  of  superintendent  of  common  schools  of 
the  county,  and  owing  to  the  many  schools  over  an 
extended  territory  and  the  great  labor  in  perform- 
ing the  duties  of  this  position,  he  was  appointed 
•deputy  superintendent.  His  qualifications  for  the 
work  of  assisting  in  perfecting  the  school  system  in 
the  county  were  of  a  high  order.  He  continued  in 
this  educational  work  for  two  years,  from  1866  to 
1868,  and  distinguished  himself  by  his  devotion  to 
it.  The  increasing  number  of  schools,  scholars  and 
teachers  indicated  the  zeal  with  which  he  pursued 
this  undertaking,  and  the  success  of  his  efforts. 

Whilst  deputy  superintendent,  he  selected  the 
law  as  his  profession,  and  conducted  a  course  of 
reading  and  study,  under  the  preceptorship  of  his 
brother,  Daniel  Ermentrout,  Esq.,  a  practicing  at- 
torney at  Reading  and  now  representative  in 
Congress  from  this  district,  till  November  27, 1867, 
when  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  In  1868,  upon 
discontinuing  his  labors  as  deputy  superintendent 
in  the  educational  work  of  the  county,  he  directed 
his  attention  entirely  to  the  legal  profession,  and, 
by  reason  of  his  extensive  acquaintance  through- 
out the  county  which  he  had  made  during  his  visits 
in  the  several  school  districts,  he  soon  became 
actively  engaged  in  practice.  In  1869  he  formed 
a  law  partnership  with  his  brother,  under  the  firm- 
name  of  Daniel  &  James  N.  Ermentrout.  Their 
law  business  increased  rapidly  and  embraced  a 
general  practice,  including  important  litigation 
and  the  settlement  of  numerous  valuable  estates. 
In  1874,  Daniel  Ermentrout,  Esq.,  was  elected 
State  Senator  from  this  district,  and  re-elected  for 
three  successive  terms  till  1880;  and  then  he  was 
chosen  a  member  of  Congress,  which  office  he  has 
held  from  1881  till  now — he  being  the  present 
incumbent.  During  this  period  the  extensive 
practice  of  the  firm  was  conducted  very  success- 
fully and  almost  entirely  by  the  junior  member, 


and  this  constant  engagement  in  legal  business 
gave  him  a  large  and  valuable  experience.  His 
strict  integrity  won  for  him  the  confidence  of  all 
who  came  to  know  him  or  transact  business  with 
him ;  and  his  uniform  courtesy  to  all  the  members 
of  the  bar  was  a  prominent  characteristic  of  his 
daily  life  for  which  he  was  highly  regarded  by 
them. 

When  the  term  of  the  additional  law  judge  of 
the  county  was  about  to  expire,  the  members  of  the 
bar  naturally  directed  their  attention  towards  Mr. 
Ermentrout  as  an  attorney  worthy  of  their  con- 
sideration in  connection  with  this  office.  In  April, 
1885,  a  letter  was  addressed  to  him,  subscribed  by 
eighty  attorneys,  without  regard  to  political  party, 
comprising  almost  the  entire  number  at  the  bar, 
requesting  him  to  permit  the  presentation  of  his 
name  to  the  people  and  the  suggestion  of  himself 
as  a  proper  person  to  fill  this  office.  He  consented, 
because  he  felt  it  a  duty  incumbent  upon  him  to  do 
so,  inasmuch  as  the  request  came  with  such  unusual 
unanimity  and  in  such  a  non-partisan  form.  This 
proceeding  on  the  part  of  the  attorneys  created  a 
strong  public  sentiment  in  his  behalf,  and  when 
the  Democratic  Convention  assembled  at  Reading, 
on  August  31st  following,  he  was  nominated  by 
acclamation,  and  afterward  elected  at  the  ensuing 
county  election.  He  was  sworn  into  office  for  ten 
years  on  January  4,  1886.  His  call  to  the  bench 
by  the  almost  unanimous  voice  of  the  Berks 
County  bar  is  the  highest  possible  tribute  to  his 
legal  learning  and  personal  integrity. 

Hiram  H.  Schwartz  is  of  German  extraction. 
His  grandfather,  Isaac  Schwartz,  was  married  to 
Miss  Margaret  Rathmacher;  and  he  resided  in 
Upper  Macungie  township,  Lehigh  County,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  Their 
children  were  Jacob,  John,  Isaac,  Elizabeth,  Har- 
riet, Kate,  Mary  and  Esther.  John  was  born  on 
the  13th  of  March,  1804,  at  Schwartz's  Spring, 
in  Upper  Macungie,  and  he  was  married  to  Han- 
nah Keck,  daughter  of  Conrad  and  Catherine 
Moyer  Keck,  of  the  same  township.  Their  issue 
was  six  children, — Hiram  H.,  John  W.,  Alfred 
P.  (deceased),  Eli  G.,  Catherine  (married  to  E.  L. 
Breinig)  and  Katurah  (married  to Fulmer). 

Hiram  H.  Schwartz  was  born  on  a  farm  in 
Maxatawny  township,  now  owned  by  Jacob  Kutz, 
and  in  April,  1834,  removed  to  a  farm  in  North 


548 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Whitehall  township,  Lehigh  County,  where  his 
youthful  days  were  spent.  He  first  became  a 
pupil  of  the  subscription  schools  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, subsequently  of  the  free  school  and  finally, 
at  the  age  of  sixteen,  continued  his  studies  under 
the  direction  of  Rev.  Dr.  Van  Derveer,  remaining 
for  several  years  at  the  boarding-school  of  the 
latter.  He  then  entered  Franklin  and  Marshall 
College,  from  which  institution  he  was  graduated 
in  June,  1855.  Subsequently  he  engaged  in  teach- 
ing, pursuing  at  the  same  time  a  course  of  study 
in  the  law.  He  was  elected  school  superintendent 
of  Lehigh  County  in  1857,  which  ofiice  he  filled 
very  acceptably  for  three  years.  On  the  1 2th  of 
May,  1858,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  having 
pursued  his  studies  under  Hon.  Samuel  A. 
Bridges,  of  Allentown.  In  1860  Judge  Schwartz 
began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Kutztown, 
Berks  County.  In  the  fall  of  1869  he  was  elected 
as  a  Democrat  to  the  State  Legislature,  and  re- 
elected in  1870-71,  meanwhile  continuing  in 
active  practice.  On  the  29th  of  June,  1883,  he 
was  appointed  judge  of  the  Orphans'  Court  of 
Berks  County,  an  office  created  under  the  act 
of  1883  expressly  for  this  county,  and  at  the  suc- 
ceeding election  he  was  elected  for  this  position  for 
the  term  of  ten  years.  He  is  connected  with  the 
Masonic  fraternity  as  a  member  of  Huguenot 
Lodge,  No.  377,  of  Kutztown.  He  has  been  for 
many  years  an  earnest  friend  of  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation, being  now  a  trustee  of  the  Kutztown  State 
Normal  School.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Reformed 
Church  at  Kutztown. 

ASSOCIATE    JUDGES. 

James  Diemee  was  an  educated  physician  and 
one  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  Reading  at  the 
time  of  the  erection  of  Berks  County.  He  was 
an  Englishman  and  the  first  physician  of  the  town 
who  conversed  in  the  English  language.  As  early 
as  1765  he  served  as  one  of  the  wardens  of  Christ's 
Episcopal  Church,  and,  in  1815,  he  deeded  the  lot 
upon  which  Christ  Cathedral  stands  to  Marks 
John  Biddle,  James  May  and  George  Douglass. 
He  filled  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  under 
the  provincial  government ;  and  under  the  provis- 
ions of  the  State  Constitution  of  1776  he  served 
for  several  years  as  one  of  the  judges  of  the  County 
Courts,  acting  as  president  judge  for  a  time.  When 


the  Constitution  of  1790  was  adopted,  he  received 
the  appointment  as  one  of  the  four  associate  judges  of 
Berks  County,  and  served  continuously  from  1791 
to  1819.  From  the  length  of  time  that  he  filled 
these  responsible  official  positions,  it  is  evident  that 
he  was  a  man  of  ability  and  integrity,  and  tradi- 
tion gives  him  the  credit  of  having  been  able  to 
administer  the  duties  of  his  office  with  the  precis- 
ion and  accuracy  of  a  judge  learned  in  the  law. 
Altogether  he  served  in  this  capacity  for  about 
thirty  years,  much  longer  than  any  other  official 
on  the  bench  in  the  history  of  the  county.  After 
a  long  and  useful  life  as  a  judge,  physician  and 
public-spirited  citizen  of  the  town,  he  died  June 
21,  1821,  in  the  eighty-seventh  year  of  his  age. 
His  remains  were  interred  beside  those  of  his  wife 
and  still  lie  within  the  inclosure  of  Christ  Church, 
Reading,  of  which,  for  more  than  sixty-five  years, 
he  was  a  leading  member. 

GeoegeEge  was  born  March  9,  1748,  and  died 
December  14,  1829,  aged  eighty  one  years  and 
nine  months.  During  his  long  and  active  business 
career  he  was  extensively  known  as  the  largest 
land-owner  of  his  time  in  Berks  County,  and  prom- 
inently identified  with  the  iron  interests  of  the 
county  for  a  period  of  half  a  century.  In  1774  he 
purchased  an  interest  in  Charming  Forge  for  eight 
hundred  and  thirty-eight  pounds;  nine  months 
later  bought  the  remaining  interest  for  one  thou- 
sand six  hundred  and  sixty-three  pounds,  and  be- 
came its  sole  owner  and  manager.  In  1804  he 
built  and  operated  Schuylkill  County  Forge,  near 
Port  Clinton,  then  in  Berks,  now  in  Schuylkill 
County.  At  that  time  he  was  possessed  of  the 
following  landed  estates  :  Charming  Forge,  with 
four  thousand  acres  ;  Reading  Furnace,  with  six 
thousand  acres ;  Schuylkill  Forge,  with  six  thou- 
sand acres  ;  and  four  large  farms  in  Tulpehocken 
and  Heidelberg  townships,  embracing  one  thou- 
sand acres.  The  names  of  these  farms  were 
"  Spring,"  "Sheaff,"  "  Leiss  "  and  "  Richards."  In 
1824  the  assessed  value  of  his  personal  and  real 
estate  was  three  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  dol- 
lars. During  the  Revolutionary  War  he  was  an 
ardent  patriot,  and  in  1783  was  a  member  of  the 
General  Assembly  of  Pennsylvania.  In  1791  he 
was  appointed  one  of  the  first  "associate  judges  of 
Berks  County  under  the  Constitution  of  1790,  and 
served    continuously   with   marked   ability    until 


BENCH  AND  BAR. 


549 


1818,  a  period  of  twenty-eight  years,  when  he  re- 
signed the  position  to  devote  himself  exclusively 
to  his  extensive  business  interests.  He  died  at  his 
home  at  Charming  Forge,  in  Marion  township, 
this  county,  and  his  remains  were  interred  in  the 
cemetery  at  Womelsdorf. 

Judge  Ege  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Oberfeldt, 
of  Amboy,  N.  J.,  by  whom  he  had  three  children, 
— George,  Rebecca  and  Michael.  There  are  no 
descendants  of  George  now  living  ;  Rebecca  was 
married  to  Joseph  Old  and  died  without  issue; 
Michael  was  married  to  Maria  Margaretta  Shulze, 
daughter  of  Rev.  Shulze,  pastor  of  Tulpehocken 
Church.  One  of  the  grandchildren  of  Michael 
and  Margaretta  Ege,  Harriet  Ege,  widow  of  the 
late  John  Ermentrout,  resides  at  Reading,  in  the 
eighty-fifth  year  of  her  age.  The  great-grand- 
children of  Judge  Ege  and  descendants  of  Michael 
Ege  now  living  are  Charles  M.  Ege  and  William 
Ege,  of  Dakota,  Richard  Brown  Ege,  of  Sioux 
City,  Iowa,  and  Mrs.  David  McCulloch,  of  Wis- 
consin. 

Matthias  Reichebt,  an  associate  judge  from 
1791  to  1797.  (For  sketch  see  biographies  of 
Congressmen.) 

Joseph  Hiesteb.  an  associate  judge  from  1791 
to  1794.     (See  sketch  as  a  State  Official.) 

Nicholas  Lotz  was  born  February  20,  1740, 
and  emigrated  to  Pennsylvania  when  a  young  man. 
He  first  settled  in  the  western  section  of  the 
county,  and  there  married  a  young  woman  by  the 
name  of  Meyer.  Some  time  previous  to  the  Revo- 
lution he  located  at  Reading  and  became  the 
owner  of  the  two  mills  at  the  mouth  of  the  Wyo- 
missing  Creek,  which  he  conducted  very  success- 
fully. When  the  struggle  for  independence  be- 
gan, he  was  prominently  identified  with  the  pa- 
triotic movement  at  Reading.  He  served  as  one 
of  the  ten  delegates  from  Berks  County  to  the 
Provincial  Conference,  which  assembled  at  Phila- 
delphia in  June,  1776,  and  upon  his  return  home 
he  took  an  active  part  in  the  enlistment  of  men. 
He  was  commissioned  a  lieutenant-colonel '  and 
participated  in  the  movement  of  the  ''Flying 
Camp "  from  Philadelphia  to  New  York,  where 


'Col.  Lotz  was  a  tall,  finely- proportioned  man  ;  meas- 
ured about  six  feet  three  inches,  and  weighed  about  three 
hundred  pounds. 


he  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  L6ng  Island  and 
taken  prisoner.2  He  was  admitted  to  parole  with- 
in certain  bounds  on  April  16,  1777,  and  ex- 
changed on  September  10, 1779.  In  1780  he  was 
appointed  commissioner  of  forage,  and  whilst 
serving  this  appointment  he  purchased  a  large 
amount  of  supplies  for  the  army,  consisting  of 
flour,  oats,  cattle,  sheep,  etc. 

Colonel  Lotz  represented  Berks  County  in  the 
General  Assembly  from  1784  to  1786,  and  again 
from  1790  to  1794  ;  and  he  filled  the  appointment 
of  associate-judge  of  the  county  from  1795  to 
1806,  having  succeeded  Colonel  Joseph  Hiester  in 
that  office.  He  died  November  28,  1807,  and  left 
to  survive  him  eight  children  :  seven  sons — Philip, 
Nicholas,  Jacob,  John,  Henry,  Michael  and  Wil- 
liam— and  a  daughter,  Rosa,  married  to  John 
Yeager.  His  remains  were  buried  in  the  grave- 
yard of  the  First  Reformed  Church  at  Reading 
and  from  thence  removed  to  the  Charles  Evans' 
Cemetery. 

Benjamin  Mobeis,  a  brother  of  Cadwalader 
Morris,  became  interested  in  the  iron  business  at 
Birdsboro'  in  1790,  and  then  moved  to  that  town. 
In  1797  he  was  a  resident  of  Reading.  In  the 
next  year,  1798,  he  received  the  appointment  of 
associate  judge  of  Berks  County  and  occupied  that 
position  till  1809. 

Chaeles  Shoemakee  was  born  at  German- 
town  in  1757,  and  was  about  eight  years  of  age  when 
his  father  settled  in  Windsor  township,  Berks 
County.  He  was  an  associate  judge  of  the  county 
from  1820  to  1822,  dying  whilst  filling  this  posi- 
tion, November,  1822.  He  was  a  highly-esteemed 
citizen.  His  opinion  in  various  matters  was  fre- 
quently consulted  by  the  people  residing  in  his 
section  of  the  county. 

William  Witman  was  born  February,  1772, 
at  Reading,  on  the  east  side  of  North  Fifth  Street, 
near  Walnut,  where  he  resided  all  his  life.  His 
vocation  was  surveyor  and  conveyancer,  which  he 
pursued  at  Reading  for  many  years.  He  served 
as  an  associate  judge  of  Berks  County  from  1823 
to  1828,  dying  whilst  occupying  this  position, 
June  16,  1828.  He  was  married  to  Mary  Green, 
a  Quakeress  (born  in  1770,  died  in  1835),  with 
whom  he  had  eight  children,— Charles,  Alexander 


2  See  Chapter  IX.,  Kevolution,  pp.  155-156. 


550 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Hamilton,  Esther  (who  was  married  to  Dr.  John 
B.  Otto),  Sarah,  Maria,  Collins,  Catharine  and 
Matilda. 

Jacob  Schneider  was  born  in  Exeter  town- 
ship, and  when  a  young  man  came  to  Reading, 
learned  the  trade  of  printer  and  was  one  of  the 
publishers  who  founded  the  Reading  Adler  in 
1796,  of  which  he  remained  part  owner  until 
1802.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature  in 
1809  and  was  register  and  recorder  of  Berks 
County  from  1809  to  1817.  He  was  appointed 
associate  judge  in  1804  and  served  until  1829, 
shortly  after  which  he  died. 

Matthias  S.  Richards  was  born  February  7, 
1787,  in  Colebrookdale  township.  He  first  entered 
upon  a  business  career  as  a  merchant.  From  1812 
to  1845  he  was  a  successful  surveyor  and  scrivener ; 
was  deputy  surveyor  of  Berks  County  from  1823 
to  1834;  appointed  justice  of  the  peace  in  1827  ; 
and  associate  judge  of  the  courts  of  Berks  County 
in  1829,  serving  until  1846.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Reading  Water  Company  for  several  years 
after  his  election  in  1820.  In  1823  he  served  as 
clerk  of  the  Orphan's  Court.  He  was  one  of  the 
commissioners  to  organize  the  Philadelphia  and 
Reading  Railroad  Co.,  and  one  of  its  board  of  mana- 
gers for  many  years.  For  upwards  of  twenty-five 
years  he  was  librarian,  secretary  or  treasurer  of 
the  Reading  Library.  He  acted  frequently  as  a 
commissioner  in  proceedings  to  erect  new  town- 
ships in  the  county.  Judge  Richards  filled  a  very 
prominent  and  useful  position  in  the  history  of  the 
county  during  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  He  died 
at  Reading  in  1862,  aged  seventy-five  years. 

William  Darling  was  a  native  of  the  State 
of  Maine,  born  in  Bucksport,  November  10, 1797. 
When  a  young  man,  he  came  to  Berks  County 
and  became  prominently  identified  with  the 
manufacture  of  iron  at  Joanna  Furnace,  which  at 
one  time  he  owned  and  managed  exclusively.  In 
1830  he  was  appointed  associate  judge  of  Berks 
County  and  served  with  ability  in  that  office  till 
1838.  He  was  connected  with  various  local  enter- 
prises and  for  a  time  had  a  large  interest  in  the 
Reading  Foundry.  In  all  his  business  relations  he 
was  recognized  as  a  man  of  tact  and  ability.  He 
was  commissioner  of  the  United  States  to  the 
First  World's  Fair,  which  was  held  at  London,  in 
1851,   and  was  vice-president  of   the  American 


Sunday-School  Union  from  the  time  of  organiza- 
tion to  his  death,  September  20,  1871.  Id 
January,  1820,  Judge  Darling  was  married  to 
Margaretta  Vaughan,  daughter  of  John  Smith, 
proprietor  of  Joanna  Furnace.  The  names  of  the 
children  still  living  are  Mrs.  Mary  S.  Wilcox, 
Philadelphia;  Henry  Darling,  D.D.,  now  presi- 
dent of  Hamilton  College,  New  York ;  Mrs.  Wil- 
liam A.  Drown,  of  Fern  Hill,  Abington,  Pa.  ; 
Miss  Margaretta  Vaughan  Darling,  of  the  same 
place ;  Edward  P.  Darling,  Esq.,  of  Wilkesbarre ; 
and  J.  Vaughan  Darling,  Esq.,  also  of  Wilkes- 
barre. 

William  Addams,  an  associate  judge  from  1839 
to  1842  (see  sketch  as  Congressman). 

John  Stauffer,  eldest  son  of  Jacob  Stauffer 
and  Susanna,  his  wife,  late  of  Colebrookdale  town- 
ship, Berks  County,  was  born  on  the  4th  day  ot 
July,  a.d.  1792.  On  the  1st  day  of  December, 
1816,  he  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Keely,  eldest 
daughter  of  Henry  and  Catharine  Keely,  of  Doug- 
lass township,  Berks  County,  and  shortly  thereafter 
moved  to  Boyertown,  in  said  county,  where  he  fol- 
lowed farming  and  conveyancing.  They  had  ten 
children,  to  wit :  Mary  Ann,  William,  Frederick, 
Esther,  John,  Franklin,  Elizabeth,  Amanda,  Ab- 
ner  K.  and  Minerva.  The  oldest  and  youngest 
died  in  infancy.  Franklin  died  in  1880,  his  wife 
surviving  him  only  four  days,  and  leaving  four 
children.  All  the  rest  of  the  children  are  still 
living.  In  1829  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
elected  to  the  State  Legislature  from  the  Berks 
district  and  held  said  position  for  three  successive 
terms.  In  1843  he  was  chosen  one  of  the  associate 
judges  of  Berks  County  and  filled  that  office  for 
eight  years,  when  his  declining  health  compelled 
him  to  withdraw  from  further  participation  in 
public  or  political  affairs.  In  1850  he  founded 
Mount  Pleasant  Seminary  at  Boyertown,  an 
institution  which  he  intended  should  have  for  its 
object  a  higher  education  for  the  children  of  the 
neighborhood  of  both  sexes  than  could  be  obtained 
through  the  public  schools.  He  took  a  great  in- 
terest in  the  education  of  the  young  and  had  the 
proud  satisfaction  of  seeing  his  institution  in  a 
flourishing  condition  before  his  death.  He  died 
on  the  28th  day  of  November,  1854.  His  wife 
died  about  three  years  later.  Both  are  buried  in 
Fairview  Cemetery,  at  Boyertown. 


BENCH  AND  BAE. 


551 


William  High  was  born  January  14,  1786, 
and  died  March  29,  1851.  At  the  time  of  his 
death  his  commission  as  an  associate  judge  had 
just  expired,  having  served  five  years.  He  was 
elected  county  commissioner  and  served  from  1816 
to  1819.  He  was  a  member  of  the  State  Legisla- 
ture from  Berks  County  for  the  year  1832;  and 
he  was  one  of  the  five  delegates  from  Berks 
County  to  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  Penn- 
sylvania in  1838.  He  was  prominently  connected 
with  the  old  militia  system  and  held  the  office  of 
brigadier-general  by  election  for  fifteen  years.  He 
was  elected  captain  of  the  Reading  Cavalry  Com- 
pany in  1816,  having  become  a  member  of  the 
company  in  1809. 

"  He  was  a  man  remarkable  for  the  possession 
of  honesty  and  courage  in  the  highest  degree. 
What  he  knew  to  be  right  he  dared  to  do.  These 
qualities  he  showed  forth  from  the  bench  with  the 
brightest  lustre." 

Samuel  Bell  was  a  native  of  Reading,  born  in 
the  year  1797.  During  the  early  part  of  his  life 
he  was  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at  the 
corner  of  Third  and  Penn  Streets,  and  subse- 
quently was  extensively  engaged  in  the  coal  trade 
of  Schuylkill  County.  He  took  an  active  interest 
in  the  welfare  of  Reading  and  contributed  liber- 
ally toward  the  establishment  of  various  industrial 
enterprises.  He  served  as  associate  judge  of  the 
courts  of  Berks  County  by  appointment  during 
the  years  1850-51  and  held  other  positions  of 
trust  at  different  times.  He  moved  to  Philadel- 
phia in  the  spring  of  1861  and  died  in  that  city 
September  15,  1863,  aged  sixty-six  years.  He  was 
esteemed  as  a  kind-hearted  and  generous  man,  and 
was  possessed  of  an  exemplary  character. 

Daniel  Young  was  a  native  of  Montgomery 
County,  born  in  1793  in  Upper  Salford  township. 
From  there  his  parents  moved  to  Lehigh  County, 
and  thence  to  Berks.  After  his  education  at 
Pottstown  he  engaged  in  the  iron  business,  first 
with  his  father  and  then  with  General  Daniel 
Udree  as  manager  of  the  Rockland  Forges,  in  this 
county,  holding  this  position  for  twenty  years. 
He  next  managed  the  iron  interest  at  the  Windsor 
Furnace  for  Jones,  Keim  &  Co.  until  1843.  In 
1812  he  was  elected  prothonotary  of  Berks  County 
and  served  one  term.  In  1851  he  was  elected  an 
associate  judge  and  served  very  creditably  one  full 


term  of  five  years.  In  1857  he  was  appointed 
one  of  the  prison  inspectors  and  continued  in  that 
board  until  1866,  and  was  its  president  from  1860. 
He  published  a  little  mathematical  work  called  the 
"  Ready  Calculator,"  which  was  much  used  in  cal- 
culating lumber  by  owners  of  saw-mills,  for  which 
purpose  it  was  intended.  During  the  Civil  War 
he  was  an  ardent  friend  of  the  Union.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Reformed  Church  and  officiated 
for  many  years  as  organist.  He  was  married,  in 
1815,  to  Miss  Lessig,  who  died  in  1852.  His 
mother  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-six 
years,  and  he  died  July  27,  1873,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-one  years.  He  was  a  man  of  excel- 
lent moral  character  and  highly  esteemed  by  all 
who  knew  him. 

William  Heideneeich  was  born  in  Catawissa, 
Columbia  County,  September  4,  1800 ;  he  was 
apprenticed  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  cabinet-maker ; 
lived  for  a  time  in  Northumberland  County  and 
thence  moved  to  Kutztown,  Berks  County,  where 
he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  with  David 
B.  Kutz  for  many  years,  until  1857.  In  October, 
1851,  he  and  Hon.  Daniel  Young  were  elected  the 
first  associate  judges  of  the  courts  of  Berks  County 
under  the  amendment  to  the  State  Constitution 
ratified  in  1850,  making  that  office  elective.  He 
served  one  full  term  of  five  years.  He  officiated 
as  treasurer  of  Reading  from  1863  to  1871. 
Judge  Heidenreich  was  married,  July  2,  1820,  to 
Louisa  daughter  of  Dewalt  and  Elizabeth  Bieber, 
of  Kutztown.  He  died  February  9, 1877,  leaving 
no  children.  His  widow  resides  at  Reading.  He 
was  a  tall  and  handsome  man  of  commanding 
appearance  and  recognized  for  his  high  moral 
principles. 

David  Schall  was  born  in  Oley  (now  Pike) 
township  May  25,  1801,  and  was  the  son  of  Hon. 
George  Schall,  who  represented  Berks  County  in 
the  Senate  of  Pennsylvania  1825  to  1828.  He 
attended  the  district  schools  and  an  educational 
institution  in  Philadelphia.  He  was  largely 
engaged  in  the  iron  interests  and  managed  the 
Dale  Iron-Works  from  1825  to  1868.  In  1825  he 
was  instrumental  in  establishing  Dale  post-office 
and  served  as  postmaster  from  that  date  until 
1857.  In  May,  1830,  he  was  appointed  by  Gover- 
nor Wolf  major  of  the  Second  Independent 
Battalion    of  Berks    County    militia.     He    was 


552 


HISTOKY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


elected  associate  judge  of  the  courts  of  Berks 
County  in  1856,  re-elected  in  1861  and  served  two 
full  terms  with  great  acceptance  to  the  people. 
Judge  Schall  was  married  to  Catharine  Endy. 
Their  children  are  George  Schall,  now  warden  of 
Montgomery  County  Prison;  Amelia,  married  to 
Colonel  William  Trexler ;  John  W.  Schall,  recorder 
of  deeds  of  Montgomery  County  for  eight  years 
and  Colonel  of  the  Eighty-seventh  Regiment  of 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers  during  the  war,  and 
married  to  Mary  Hoover;  William  A.  Schall, 
captain  of  Company  H,  Sixty-seventh  Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  and  married  to  Mary  B. 
High  ;  I).  Horace  Schall,  a  justice  of  the  peace 
in  Washington  township  and  lieutenant  Company 
H,  Forty-second  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volun- 
teers, married  to  Mary  Fogel ;  Alfred  A.  Schall, 
married  to  Emma  Mohr ;  Hannah  V.,  Emeline 
K,  and  Mary  L.  Schall.  He  died  January  22, 
1877,  aged  nearly  seventy-six  years.  He  was  a 
man  of  enterprise  and  public  spirit  and  exerted  a 
high  and  wide  social  and  political  influence  in  the 
county. 

George  D.  Stitzel. — The  ancestor  of  the 
Stitzel  family  in  Berks  County  was  John  Stitzel, 
who  was  born  at  Stuttgart,  in  Wurtemburg,  Ger- 
many, and  as  a  young  man,  emigrated  to  this  country, 
landing  September  14,  1753,  ,at  Philadelphia. 
His  passage  was  made  on  a  sailing-vessel,  "  Eden- 
berg,"'  from  Rotterdam,  James  Russel,  captain. 
From  Philadelphia  he  proceeded  immediately  to 
Oley  township,  in  Berks  County,  where  he  was 
hired  out  to  service  for  several  years  to  pay  the 
cost  of  his  passage  over  the  sea.  Upon  obtain- 
ing his  freedom  from  this  service  he  was  mar- 
ried to  a  young  woman,  whose  family  name  was 
Ludwig  and  who  was  a  farmer's  daughter, 
residing  near  by  in  the  same  township.  By  in- 
dustry and  economy  in  the  pursuit  of  farming  he 
subsequently  became  the  owner  of  a  small  farm 
situated  in  the  upper  section  of  the  township,  near 
the  "  Oley  Furnace."  He  died  on  this  farm,  and 
left  to  survive  him  five  sons  and  a  daughter, 
namely  :  Jacob,  Adam,  Ludwig,  George  and  John, 
and  Cevilla,  who  some  years  afterwards  died 
unmarried. 

George  Stitzel,  the  fourth  of  the  sons  named,  was 
born  on  the  homestead  in  Oley  township.  When 
a  young  man  he  was  regularly  apprenticed  to  the 


trade  of  a  blacksmith,  his  brothers  having  likewise 
been  apprenticed  to  trades.  This  was  done  in  pur- 
suance of  a  custom  that  then  prevailed,  notwith- 
standing the  common  vocation  of  farming — for  all 
young  men  were  expected  to  learn  a  mechanical 
trade  of  some  kind.  He  was  married  to  Sarah 
Hoch  (High),  of  Oley,  and  in  1783  they  together 
settled  in  Richmond  township,  where  he  purchased 
and  carried  on  successfully  for  a  number  of  years 
a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  ninety  acres.  In  that 
early  period,  about  the  year  1800,  grain  was  sold 
at  low  prices  and  had  to  be  transported  to  Phila- 
delphia in  wagons  to  find  a  market.  His  wife 
having  died  shortly  after  settling  in  Richmond 
township,  he  married  a  second  wife,  named 
Elizabeth  Hoch  (High),  a  distant  relative  of  his 
first  wife,  the  daughter  of  Rudolph  Hoch,  a  farmer 
of  the  same  township.  He  left  four  children, — 
John,  Henry,  Magdalena  (married  to  Gideon 
High)  and  George. 

Henry  Stitzel,  the  second  of  the  sons  last  named, 
was  born  in  Richmond  township,  on  the  homestead, 
in  1787.  He  was  married  to  Catharine  Deisher, 
daughter  of  Abraham  Deisher,  who  was  a  farmer 
in  Maiden-creek  township,  and  whose  father  was 
one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  that  section  of  the 
county.  Shortly  after  his  marriage  he  moved  to 
Washington  County,  Md.,  near  Hagerstown,  where 
he  remained  a  number  of  years  engaged  extensively 
in  farming  operations.  Whilst  there  he  owned  a 
number  of  slaves,  according  to  a  custom  of  all 
farmers  in  that  State;  but  being  conscientiously 
opposed  to  slavery,  he  eventually  exchanged  his 
farm  and  slaves  for  a  large  farm  in  Franklin 
County,  Pa.,  whither  he  then  removed.  He 
carried  on  the  latter  plantation  successfully  for 
some  time,  but  being  persuaded  to  return  to  Berks 
County,  he  sold  the  premises  and  took  possession  of 
the  homestead.  Here  he  carried  on  farming  till 
his  death,  in  1833.  Upon  his  return  he  interested 
himself  in  the  cause  of  education.  He  established 
a  school  upon  his  farm,  and  induced  a  teacher 
named  John  P.  Daniels,  a  resident  of  the  Trappe, 
to  come  to  Berks  County  and  carry  on  teaching. 
This  was  the  first  English  teacher  in  Richmond 
township.  English  teaching  was  continued  till 
1833.  The  term  was  through  the  winter.  His 
wife  died  in  Maryland  in  1820.  He  afterward 
married  Esther  Hill,  a  widow  and  a  sister  of  his 


BENCH  AND  BAR. 


553 


first  wife.  At  his  death,  in  1833,  he  left  six 
children, — Abaline,  married  to  George  W.  Wily ; 
Tysher ;  Hannah M., married  to  David  Neff;  Mary 
A.,  married  to  Dr.  James  M.  Mathews ;  George  D. 
and  John  D. 

George  Deisher  Stitzel,  the  second  son  of  Henry 
Stitzel,  and  the  subject  of  this  biographical  sketch, 
was  born  in  Washington  County,  Md.,  on  March 
5,  1822.  When  his  father  returned  to  Berks 
County  he  was  yet  a  boy.     He  attended  the  English 


as  captain  of  the  "  Monroe  Troop."  He  served 
this  position  for  a  full  term  of  seven  years,  not 
missing  a  single  day  in  the  performance  of  his 
duties  at  the  frequent  military  exercises  of  the 
company.  These  were  conducted  at  different 
places  in  the  upper  eastern  section  of  the  county 
and  also  in  Lehigh  County,  selected  by  a  vote  of 
the  company. 

In  1845,  in  his  twenty-third  year,  he  was  elected 
justice  of  the  peace  of  Richmond  township,  and 


school  taught  by  teacher  Daniels,  till  it  was  dis- 
continued, in  1833;  and  afterward,  for  several 
years,  during  the  winter  season,  was  a  pupil  in  the 
Friends'  school,  in  Maiden-creek  township,  an  in- 
stitution which  was  recognized  for  its  excellence 
under  the  direction  of  the  Friends.  Upon  leaving 
school  he  directed  his  attention  to  farming.  Before 
attaining  his  majority  he  became  interested  in  the 
militia  system,  which  was  then  in  its  most  active 
state,  and  in  1842  he  was  elected  and  commissioned 


after  serving  the  term  of  five  years  he  was  re- 
elected for  a  second  term  ;  then  residing  in  Maiden- 
creek  township,  to  which  he  had  then  removed. 
In  connection  with  this  local  office  he  carried  on 
surveying  and  conveyancing.  In  1856,  a  year 
after  his  second  term  as  a  justice  of  peace  had  ex- 
pired, he  was  nominated  associate  judge  of  the 
county  upon  the  Democratic  ticket  and  elected  for 
the  term  of  five  years  and  re-elected  in  1861  for  a 
second  term.      During  the  latter  term  the  Civil 


554 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


War  broke  out.  In  the  excitement  and  commotion 
that  ensued  he  was  instrumental,  with  other 
prominent  officials  and  influential  citizens,  in 
creating  a  proper  spirit  in  the  Damocratic  County 
(which  was  opposed  to  the  Republican  administra- 
tion), towards  encouraging  the  prosecution  of  the 
war  for  the  Union.  The  influence  of  such  men  in 
the  time  of  a  crisis  in  our  affairs  such  as  the  war 
from  1861  to  1865  is  most  powerful. 

Judge  Stitzel  moved  to  Reading  in  1858  to  ac 
commodate  the  wishes  of  the  bar  and  the  require- 
ments of  his  office,  his  associate  on  the  bench, 
Hon.  David  Schall,  being  a  resident  of  Washington 
township,  at  Dale  Forge,  in  the  iron  business. 
Whilst  residing  in  Maiden-creek  township  he  in- 
terested himself  in  the  construction  of  the  East 
Pennsylvania  Railroad.  He  was  one  of  the  pro- 
jectors of  this  road,  and  a  charter  member  who 
proceeded  to  Harrisburg  and  obtained  its  charter ; 
and  upon  the  organization  of  the  company  he  was 
selected  as  one  of  the  first  board  of  directors,  a 
position  which  he  has  held  ever  since,  a  period 
covering  nearly  thirty  years.  In  1869  this  rail- 
road was  leased  to  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading 
Railroad  Company.  He  then  formed  a  business 
connection  with  the  latter  company,  which  has  been 
continued  till  date,  acting  as  its  real  estate  agent 
and  supervising  particularly  all  its  farm  properties. 
In  this  position  he  has  been  very  successful  in  the 
adjustment  of  land  damages,  a  position  requiring 
the  exercise  of  rare  judgment  and  thorough  ob- 
servation of  men  and  things. 

In  1870  he  united  with  several  prominent  busi- 
ness men  of  Reading  in  forming  a  local  mutual  fire 
insurance  company,  which  was  then  successfully 
organized  and  chartered  under  the  name  of  the 
Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company  of  Reading,  Pa. 
He  was  elected  the  first  president,  and  he  has 
been  re-elected  annually  to  this  position.  No 
assessment  has  been  made  as  yet  during  the  six- 
teen years  of  its  existence,  notwithstanding  many 
buildings  were  burned  on  which  insurance  was 
carried  in  this  company,  and  the  losses  were  satis- 
fied. This  is  evidence  of  most  admirable  manage- 
ment. He  is  now  (1886),  a  director  of  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Reading. 

In  1866,  Judge  Stitzel  became  a  member  of  the 
Reading  Relief  Society,  and  from  that  time  till 
now,  a  period  covering  twenty  years,  he  has  been 


actively  interested  in  its  management,  whereby  the 
poor  people  of  this  community  have  been  afforded 
much  relief  annually  during  the  winter  season.  He 
acted  for  a  time  as  secretary  of  the  society,  and 
in  1870  he  succeeded  Lewis  Briner  in  the  presi- 
dency, which  office  he  has  held  annually.  During 
this  time,  in  1874,  the  society  erected  a'fine  two- 
story  brick  building  in  which  to  hold  its  meetings 
and  carry  on  its  noble  work  of  charity.  Its  erec- 
tion is  attributable  principally  to  his  encourage- 
ment and  energy.  He  is  one  of  the  three  members 
of  the  local  Board  of  Public  Charities,  appointed 
to  investigate  and  report  upon  the  condition  of  our 
prison  and  poor-house.  In  1874  he  was  elected  as 
a  trustee  of  the  Charles  Evans  Cemetery  Company, 
to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  the 
Hon.  J.  Pringle  Jones,  since  which  time  he  has 
taken  an  active  part  in  its  management. 

Having  been  born  and  reared  on  a  farm,  and 
being  practically  interested  in  farming  operations, 
first  as  the  owner  of  three  large  and  flourishing 
farms  in  this  county  (including  the  Stitzel  home- 
stead, in  Richmond  township),  and  as  the  superin- 
tendent of  all  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading 
Railroad  Company  farms,  it  was  natural  for  him  to 
become  thoroughly  interested  in  a  society  for  the 
successful  consideration  and  direction  of  farming 
operations.  The  Berks  County  Agricultural 
Society  has  received  his  encouragement  for  many 
years.  At  the  last  annual  meeting  he  was  elected 
president  of  the  society  for  the  year  1886  ;  and  he 
has  been  prominently  connected  with  the  Fruit- 
growers' Association  of  Pennsylvania  since  1873, 
having  served  as  president  during  the  last  five 
years,  till  1886,  when  he  declined  re-election. 

The  various  positions  filled  by  Judge  Stitzel 
indicate  a  man  of  superior  ability  and  of  thorough 
integrity,  and  the  people  have  not  been  slow  in 
recognizing  and  appreciating  these  qualities.  He 
has  not  only  filled  public  positions,  but  also 
numerous  private  positions  of  trust  and  responsi- 
bility, having  acted  as  executor,  administrator  and 
trustee  in  the  settlement  of  nearly  a  hundred 
estates,  which  involved  the  distribution  of  not  less 
than  two  millions  of  dollars.  His  recognized 
ability  and  integrity  in  this  respect  was  so  highly 
appreciated  by  the  Hon.  Warren  J.  Woodward 
that  he  was  appointed  executor  of  his  large  estate, 
comprising  property  of  various  kinds,  with  un- 


BENCH  AND  BAR. 


555 


limited  discretionary  power  for  its  adjustment  in 
effecting  distribution,  as  in  the  last  will  directed. 
He  was  married  to  Amanda,  daughter  of  George 
Weidenhamer,  Maiden  Creek  township,  by  whom 
he  had  two  daughters,  both  of  whom  are  deceased. 
Charles  Kessler  was  born  at  Reading  in  the 
year  1805,  and  died  of  apoplexy  December  26, 
1871.  Few  men  were  better  known  to  the  citi- 
zens of  Berks  County  than  he.  When  a  youth 
he  entered  the  office  of  the  Reading  Adler,  when 
that  paper  was  published  by  his  father,  Charles 


which,  by  patient  labor  and  research,  he  accumu- 
lated a  valuable  collection  of  insects.  He  also 
took  a  great  interest  in  agriculture,  was  one  of 
the  originators  of  the  Berks  County  Agricul- 
tural and  Horticultural  Society  and  for  many 
years  the  president  of  it.  He  was  a  successful 
fruit-grower,  and  many  choice  varieties  of  apples, 
peaches,  pears  and  grapes  were  introduced  into 
this  county  through  his  personal  efforts.  He  was 
a  leader  in  the  Democratic  party  for  many  years, 
and  a  man    of  undoubted   ability   and   integrity. 


DAVID    KUTZ. 


Kessler,  and  his  uncle,  Hon.  John  Ritter.  Soon 
after  attaining  his  majority  he  was  promoted  to 
the  position  of  translator  and  associate  editor  of 
the  paper.  Much  of  the  influence  and  popularity 
afterwards  obtained  by  that  journal  was  due  to  his 
untiring  energy.  He  became  part  owner  of  the 
Adler  in  1852,  sole  proprietor  a  few  years  later 
and  continued  so  until  1864.  In  1866  he  was 
elected  associate  judge  of  the  courts  of  Berks 
County,  served  in  that  office  until  1871,  his  term 
of  service  expiring  only  a  few  weeks  before  his 
death.  Judge  Kessler  spent  much  of  his  leisure 
time  in  the  study  of  the  sciences,  and  was  es- 
pecially devoted  to  the  study  of  entomology,  in 


David  Kutz  was  born  in  1798,  in  Maxatawny 
township,  Berks  County.  He  was  brought  up  in 
agricultural  pursuits  and  resided  all  his  life  at 
the  family  horn  estead,  adjoining  Kutztown  (which 
place  was  named  after  his  ancestors),  one  of  the 
best  cultivated  and  most  productive  farms  in  the 
county.  He  was  a  true  type  of  the  Pennsylvania 
German  character.  In  him  was  combined  in  an 
eminent  degree  all  the  qualities  of  industry,  fru- 
gality, sturdy  independence  and  inflexible  honesty, 
which  distinguish  that  valuable  class  of  citizens. 
He  had  a  general  acquaintance  throughout  the 
county.  His  sterling  integrity  and  sound  judg- 
ment commanded  the  confidence  of  the  citizens  of 


556 


HISTOKY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Berks  County  in  the  highest  degree.  He  mani- 
fested a  deep  interest  in  public  affairs,  and  he 
was  always  active  in  political  matters.  He  labored 
earnestly  to  strengthen  the  organization  and  pro- 
mote the  welfare  of  the  Democratic  party,  the 
principles  of  which  he  was  a  firm  advocate.  Am- 
bition never  tempted  him  to  take  office  merely  for 
the  sake  of  office.  He  accepted  only  such  local 
positions  as  afforded  him  the  opportunity  to  serve 
his  fellow-citizens,  and  such  services  he  performed 
with  recognized  fidelity.  He  figured  prominently 
at  numerous  County  Conventions.  He  officiated  as 
county  commissioner  in  1838-39-40  and  subse- 
quently as  one  of  the  Board  of  Prison  Inspectors 
by  appointment  from  the  Court  of  Quarter  Sessions 
for  fifteen  years,  from  1853  to  1868,  having  served 
as  president  of  that  body  for  a  time.  In  the  fall 
of  1866  he  was  elected  associate  judge  of  Berks 
County  for  the  term  of  five  years,  and  whilst 
serving  in  that  capacity  he  died,  on  the  20th  of 
July,  1870,  in  his  seventy-third  year.  In  private 
as  in  public  life  Judge  Kutz  was  distinguished  for 
his  high  moral  character. 

Henry  Rhoads  was  born  in  Amity  township, 
Berks  County,  June  2,  1802.  He  came  to  Read- 
ing when  a  young  man,  and  after  serving  a  number 
of  years  as  clerk  in  the  prothonotary's  office  he 
began  the  study  of  the  law  in  the  office  of  Samuel 
Baird,  Esq.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  April  3, 
1832.  In  1836  he  was  appointed  clerk  of  the  Or- 
phans' Court  by  Governor  Ritner  and  served  from 
1836  to  1838.  He  officiated  as  postmaster  at  Read- 
ing during  President  Taylor's  administration,  and 
served  as  associate  judge  of  the  county  of  Berks 
from  August  3,  1870,  to  December  4,  1871,  hav- 
ing been  appointed  by  Governor  Geary  to  fill  the 
unexpired  term  of  Hon.  David  Kutz,  deceased. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  school  directors  of  Reading 
under  the  common-school  system.  He  acted  as 
superintendent  of  Christ's  Episcopal  Sunday- 
school  from  1833  to  1838  and  served  as  member 
of  the  vestry  for  many  years.  He  was  an  Old- 
Line  Whig,  and  upon  the  organization  of  the 
Republican  party  was  one  of  its  staunchest  ad- 
herents. He  was  a  partner,  in  1838,  with  John  S. 
Richards,  Esq.,  in  the  publication  of  the  Berks 
and  Schuylkill  Journal.  "While  at  the  bar  he  for 
a  time  enjoyed  the  largest  Orphans'  Court  practice 
in   Berks  County.     He  died   February  15,  1881 


aged  nearly  eighty  years.  His  father,  Daniel 
Rhoads,  was  register  of  wills  of  Berks  County 
from  1818  to  1820  and  1824  to  1829.  He  mar- 
ried Sarah,  daughter  of  Charles  Bushar,  of  Read- 
ing, by  whom  he  had  six  children, — Charles  B. 
(deceased),  John  H.,  George  B.,  Louisa  B., 
Charles  B.  and  Daniel  P.  George  B.  Rhoads,  the 
third  son,  was  captain  in  the  Union  army,  and 
was  killed  at  Petersburg,  Va. 

George  W.  Bruckman  was  born  in  Reading, 
and  has  resided  in  this  place  all  of  his  life. 
His  father,  Carl  A.  Bruckman,  emigrated  from 
Amsterdam,  Holland,  located  in  Reading  early  in 
life,  learned  the  printer's  trade,  and  for  a  time 
published  a  German  newspaper  known  as  Read- 
inger  Postbote.  He  received  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  Reading,  then  served  an  apprenticeship  to 
the  plasterer's  trade  and  followed  that  business  for 
ten  years  Then  he  became  clerk  to  the  county  com- 
missioners and  served  in  that  position  for  ten  years. 
He  acted  as  deputy  prothonotary  for  three  years, 
from  1851  to  1854,  under  Dr.  Charles  H.  Hunter; 
served  as  city  treasurer  during  the  years  1857-58, 
and  officiated  as  teller  in  Bushong's  Bank  for  a 
time.  In  1871  he  was  elected  associate  judge  of 
the  county  of  Berks  and  served  one  full  term  of 
five  years.  He  was  one  of  the  last  two  associate 
judges  in  the  county,  the  office  having  been  abol- 
ished* by  the  Constitution  of  1873,  during  his 
term  of  service.  He  is  living  in  retirement  at 
Reading. 

Daniel  Buskirk  is  a  descendant  from  ancestors 
who  emigrated  from  Holland,  his  grandfather  hav- 
ing been  Marmaduke  Van  Buskirk,  a  soldier  of 
the  Revolution,  who  resided  in  New  York.  He 
had  three  sons,— John,  Jacob  and  Joseph.  Jacob 
Van  Buskirk  was  born  on  the  4th  of  July,  1783, 
in  New  York  City,  and  removed  to  Colebrookdale 
township,  Berks  County,  where  he  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits.  He  married  Catherine, 
daughter  of  Sebastian  Koch,  a  soldier  of  the  Rev- 
olution and  a  resident  of  the  same  township. 
Their  children  are  John,  Daniel,  Mary  (mar- 
ried to  Peter  Heffner),  Catherine  (married  to 
Joseph  Scheidt)  and  Jacob,  all  of  whom  are  still 
living. 

Daniel  Buskirk  was  born  on  the  13th  of  Janu- 
ary, 1816,  in  Colebrookdale  township.  He  re- 
moved to  Pricetown  at  an  early  age,  where  he  spent 


BENCH  AND  BAR. 


557 


the  greater  part  of  his  youth.  His  advantages 
of  education  were  limited,  but  he  took  advantage 
of  those  at  command.  He  then  learned  the  trade 
of  a  moulder  at.  the  Oley  Furnace  and  was  engaged 
in  that  occupation  for  seven  years  in  Berks  and 
Northampton  Counties  and  in  Warren  County, 
N.  J.  Upon  returning  to  Pricetown  he  was  elected, 
in  1841,  to  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  in 
Ruscomb-manor  township,  when  he  abandoned  his 
trade  and  directed  his   entire  attention   to   the 


and  he  still  holds  that  office  by  re-election.  This 
repeated  re-election  evinces  the  high  respect  and 
confidence  of  his  fellow-citizens.  He  has  ever  been 
a  firm  adherent  to' the  principles  of  the  Democratic 
party.  During  the  past  forty  years  he  has  exerted 
a  high  and  beneficial  influence  in  his  section  of 
the  county.  He  has  frequently  acted  as  a  fiduci- 
ary in  the  settlement  of  estates,  performing  the 
duties  of  executor,  trustee  and  administrator  with 
marked  satisfaction  and  success.     He  is  a  member 


C*U  &44**s£  /dtCd^t^fC 


duties  of  his  office  until  1855,  having  been  twice 
re-elected.  He  then  received  the  nomination  for 
and  was  elected  to  the  office  of  register  of  wills  of 
Berks  County.  On  the  expiration  of  his  term  of 
three  years  he  was  again  elected  a  justice  of  the 
peace,  and  he  continued  to  hold  this  office  by  re- 
election till  1871,  when  he  was  elevated  to  associ- 
ate judge  of  the  county.  He  filled  this  honorable 
position  very  creditably  for  a  term  of  five  years. 
During  his  term  of  service  the  office  was  abolished 
hy  the  Constitution  of  1873.  In  1877  he  was 
again  chosen  justice  of  the  peace  of  the  township 


and  was  for  a  time  an  elder   and  a  trustee  of  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  at  Pricetown. 

Judge  Buskirk  was  also  actively  and  success- 
fully engaged  in  farming  operations  for  many 
years.  Having  retired  from  this  pursuit  his  sev- 
eral farms  in  the  township  are  carried  on  by  his 
sons.  Judge  Buskirk  was  married  in  1838  to  Re- 
becca S.,  daughter  of  Jacob  S.  Keller,  of  Ruscomb- 
manor  township.  His  children  are  William, 
Daniel  (now  deceased),  Hiram,  Ephraim,  Jacob 
(now  deceased),  James  and  Rebecca  (now  de- 
ceased).    His  wife  died  August  28th,  1882. 


558 


HISTOEY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


ATTORNEYS- AT-LAW. 

James  Read  was  born  in  Philadelphia  and 
came  to  Beading  at  an  early  period  in  his  history 
and,  by  appointment  from  the  Provincial  Gov- 
ernor, filled  the  county  offices  of  prothonotary, 
recorder,  register,  clerk  of  Orphans'  Court  and 
clerk  of  the  Court  of  Quarter  Sessions  continuously 
from  the  time  of  the  organization  of  Berks  County, 
in  1752,  till  1776.  He  was  one  of  the  first  attor- 
neys admitted  to  the  bar  at  Reading,  and  also 
practiced  his  profession  whilst  filling  the  offices 
named.  The  official  records  are  in  his  own  hand- 
writing and  indicate  that  he  was  a  man  of  careful 
habits.  He  officiated  as  one  of  the  justices  of  the 
county  courts  under  the  Provincial  Government, 
and  served  as  a  member  of  the  Supreme  Executive 
Council  for  two  terms,  from  1779  to  1782  and 
from  1788  to  1791.  Under  the  constitution  of 
1776  he  was  elected  in  1783  as  a  Censor  to  repre- 
sent Berks  County  in  the  Council  of  Censors  who 
were  "  to  inquire  whether  the  Constitution  was 
preserved  inviolate  in  every  part."  The  numer- 
ous positions  filled  by  him  indicate  that  he  was  a 
man  of  recognized  ability. 

James  Biddle  was  one  of  the  first  attorneys  of 
the  Berks  County  bar  and  began  practicing  imme- 
diately after  the  erection  of  the  county  and  the  or- 
ganization of  the  courts  in  1752.  He  was  a  de- 
scendant of  William  Biddle,  who  accompanied 
William  Peon  to  America.  For  a  time  he  held 
the  office  of  Deputy  Prothonotary  and  Deputy 
Judge  of  the  Court  of  Admiralty  for  the  district 
of  Pennsylvania.  After  the  adoption  of  the  State 
Constitution  of  1790,  he  was  appointed  to  the  office 
of  President  Judge  of  the  First  Judicial  District 
of  Pennsylvania,  the  duties  of  which  he  discharged 
with  signal  ability  and  integrity,  until  his  death  in 
1797.     He  was  the  father  of  Marks  John  Biddle. 

Edward  Biddle.— One  of  the  earliest  attorneys 
at  Reading.  (See  sketch  in  chapter  on  "  Revolu- 
tion"). 

James  Whitehead,  Jr.,  was  one  of  the  earliest 
lawyers  at  Reading.  In  1766  he  drew  the  peti- 
tion which  was  addressed  to  the  Governor  of  the 
Province  of  Pennsylvania,  praying  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  Reading  into  a  market  town.  This  was 
signed  by  many  prominent  citizens  and  the  charter 
was  granted  at  the  time  requested. 

Collinson  Read,  one  of  the  first  lawyers  of  the 


Berks  County  bar,  who  attained  prominence  for 
legal  learning,  died  in  Reading  March  1,  1815, 
aged  sixty-three  years.  He  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  August  13,  1772,  and  soon  thereafter  became 
one  of  the  leaders  of  his  profession  in  this  section 
of  the  State.  He  had  an  extensive  knowledge  of 
the  Latin,  Greek,  French  and  German  languages, 
and  was  well  versed  in  general  literature.  He  was 
possessed  of  great  tenderness  of  heart,  gentleness 
of  manners  and  cheerfulness  of  disposition,  and  was 
one  of  the  pioneer  lawyers,  well  known  for  his 
integrity  and  ability.  These  excellent  qualities 
won  for  him  many  friends  and  patrons  among 
the  early  settlers  of  Berks  County. 

Daniel  C  Clymer  was  born  in  Philadelphia, 
April  6,  1748,  and  having  lost  his  father  at  an 
early  age,  he  was  brought  up  and  educated  by  his 
uncle,  Gen.  Daniel  Roberdeau,  who  became  a  dis- 
tinguished officer  in  the  Revolutionary  army.  He 
was  sent  to  Princeton  College  and  graduated  in 
1766;  and  upon  returning  to  Philadelphia  he 
there  studied  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1768. 

When  the  Revolution  broke  out  he  enlisted  as 
an  Associator ;  joined  the  company  of  Captain 
John  Little  in  the  Second  Battalion  of  Phila- 
delphia Militia,  and  was  elected  First  Lieutenant. 
In  June,  1775,  he  was  appointed  by  Congress  one 
of  the  signers  of  Bills  of  Credit  for  $2,000,000; 
and  again  in  March,  1776,  for  $4,000,000.  In 
April,  1776,  he  was  appointed  to  the  command  of 
the  Rifle  Battalion  of  Philadelphia,  having  been 
commissioned  on  April  8,  1776,  with  the  rank  of 
Lieutenant-Colonel.  In  July,  1776,  he  was  one  of 
the  delegates  from  Philadelphia  to  the  Convention 
of  Association,  which  assembled  at  Lancaster,  for 
the  purpose  of  electing  a  Brigadier-General.  He 
acted  as  secretary,  and  his  uncle,  Daniel  Rober- 
deau, was  elected.  In  1777  he  served  as  a  Com- 
missioner of  Claims  in  the  Treasury  Department 
of  the  United  Colonies.  During  the  closing  years 
of  the  Revolution  he  removed  to  Reading  and 
practiced  his  profession  in  Berks  and  the  adjoin- 
ing counties.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at 
Reading,  May  4,  1776,  doubtless  at  that  time  for 
special  business.  About  the  time  of  his  removal 
to  Reading,  in  1782,  he  was  married  to  Mary 
Weidner,  a  daughter  of  Peter  and  Susan  Weid- 
ner,  of  Berks  County.     His  wife  died  in  1802,  aged 


BENCH  AND  BAR. 


559 


forty-six  years.  He  died  at  Reading,  January  25, 
1810,  and  left  three  children — Ann,  born  at 
Reading  1782,  and  died  unmarried  at  Morgan- 
town  1852  ;  William,  an  attorney  (see  sketch)  and 
Edward  Tilghman,  born  at  Reading  1790,  edu- 
cated at  Princeton  College  and  pursued  farming 
in  Caernarvon  township,  having  married  Maria 
Catharine  Hiester,  daughter  of  William  Hiester, 
and  died  on  his  farm  in  1831,  leaving  to  survive 
him  five  sons,  Daniel  R.,  William  H.,  Edward  M. 
Hiester  and  George  E.,  and  a  daughter,  Mary 
Hiester. 

Marks  John  Biddle,  a  son  of  James  Biddle, 
■was  born  at  Philadelphia,  May  24,  1765,  and  there 
he  obtained  a  good  education.  He  came  to  Read- 
ing and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  December, 
1788,  when  he  began  the  practice  of  the  law  in 
Berks  County.  He  devoted  his  whole  time  to  his 
profession  and  soon  established  a  large  and  lucra- 
tive business,  which  he  maintained  until  1840, 
when  he  retired  from  practice.  Shortly  afterward 
he  became  afflicted  with  blindness  and  continued 
blind  for  seven  years  till  his  death.  During  this 
trying  period  he  was  cheerful.  He  enjoyed  the 
literary  productions  of  his  day  by  having  the  same 
read  to  him.  He  was  distinguished  for  strong  in- 
tellect and  clear  judgment.  His  legal  learning 
was  accurate  and  profound,  and  his  efforts  at  the 
Bar  were  remarkable  for  a  thorough  knowledge 
and  comprehensive  grasp  of  his  subject.  He  re- 
presented the  county  in  the  State  Senate  from  1817 
to  1820.  About  this  time  he  was  the  local  repre- 
sentative of  the  Penns  in  the  collection  of  ground 
rents.  Upon  the  election  of  Governor  Joseph 
Hiester  he  received  the  appointment  of  prothono- 
tary  of  the  county  and  held  the  office  from  1821 
to  1824.  He  died  August  11,  1849,  over  eighty- 
four  years  of  age.  James  D.  Biddle  was  his  only 
son. 

Levi  Pawling  was  the  third  son  of  Henry 
Pawling,  one  of  the  first  associate  judges  of  Mont- 
gomery County.  He  was  born  in  Providence 
township,  that  county ;  read  law  and  was  admitted 
to  practice  at  Norristown  in  November,  1795 ;  be- 
came a  member  of  the  Berks  County  bar  August 
18,  1796;  lived  for  a  short  time  at  Reading,  and 
on  October  14,  1804,  was  married  to  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  Governor  Joseph  Hiester.  He  soon 
afterwards  attained  great  prominence  at  the  Mont- 


gomery Bar,  lived  in  magnificent  style  for  those 
early  days,  and  filled  a  great  many  positions  of 
trust  and  responsibility.  Being  a  Federalist  in 
politics  and  a  resident  of  a  Democratic  county,  he 
was  not  elected  to  any  legislative  office  except  to  a 
seat  in  Congress,  serving  as  a  representative  one 
term,  from  1817  to  1819.  For  a  number  of  years 
he  was  President  of  the  Bank  of  Montgomery 
County.  About  the  time  of  his  retirement  from 
business  he  was  financially  embarrassed  and  he 
lost  the  extensive  property  he  had  owned.  His 
wife  died  in  1826.  He  survived  her  until  1845,. 
and  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years.  His 
wealthy  father-in-law  left  each  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Pawling's  children  a  patrimony  of  ten  thousand 
dollars.  James  M.  Pawling,  their  second  son,  was 
a  prominent  member  of  the  Montgomery  County 
Bar  and  was  admitted  a  member  of  the  Berks 
County  Bar  November  7,  1833,  but  lived  at  Nor- 
ristown. 

John  S.  Hiester  was  born  at  Reading  July  28, 
1774,  and  was  the  only  son  of  Governor  Joseph 
Hiester.  He  was  educated  at  Princeton  College, 
from  which  he  graduated  with  honor  to  himself,  in 
1794  at  the  age  of  twenty  ;  studied  law  in  Phila- 
delphia under  the  direction  of  Jared  Ingersoll,  Esq., 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1798.  He  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Fries,  of  Philadelphia.  After  a  wedded 
life  of  six  months  she  died.  Afterwards  he  was 
married  to  Maria  C.  Muhlenberg,  a  first  cousin  ot 
Henry  A.  Muhlenberg,  by  whom  he  had  four 
children.  For  nine  years  he  had  all  the  offices  in 
connection  with  the  county  courts  of  Berks  County. 
He  was  well  qualified  to  fill  these  positions.  He 
was  cashier  of  Farmers'  Bank,  also  president  of 
Borough  Council  for  several  years.  He  died  March 
7,  1849,  in  the  seventy-fifth  year  of  his  age. 

General  Gregg,  of  Reading,  is  married  to  a 
granddaughter  of  John  S.  Hiester. 

Frederick  John  Haller  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  November  4,  1801  ;  practiced  for  a  short 
time  at  Kutztown,  then  moved  to  Huntingdon ; 
from  thence  to  Hollidaysburg,  and,  later  in  life, 
located  at  Allentown,  where  he  died. 

Samuel  D.  Franks  was  the  son  of  Colonel 
Isaac  Franks,  of  Philadelphia,  who  was  one  of  the 
staff-officers  of  General  Washington  in  the  Revo- 
lution during  the  Pennsylvania  campaign,  and  a 
cousin  of  the  great  wit  and  beauty,  Miss  Rebecca 


560 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Franks,  who  became  the  wife  of  Sir  Henry  John- 
son, Bart.  He  was  born  at  Philadelphia  in  the 
year  1784,  and  there  educated  for  the  bar.  He 
came  to  Reading  early  in  life  and  was  admitted 
to  the  Berks  County  bar  on  August  10,  1805. 
Soon  afterward  he  was  married  to  Sarah  May, 
the  daughter  of  James  May  and  a  sister  of 
Mrs.  George  De  B.  Keim.  During  the  War 
of  1812-15  he  was  major  in  a  Berks  County 
regiment  of  volunteers,  and  was  at  Baltimore  in 
1814  when  that  city  was  threatened  by  the  British 
forces. 

"  Upon  his  return  from  military  service  he 
became  clerk  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 
He  was  an  efficient  officer  and  an  excellent 
reader,  useful  to  the  members  and  quite  popular. 
Upon  the  election  of  Governor  Findlay  he  re- 
ceived the  appointment  of  president  judge  of  Dau- 
phin County  July  29,  1818,  and  he  occupied  this 
position  till  January  12,  1830,  when  he  resigned 
his  commission.  He  was  a  man  of  much  talent 
and  a  most  amusing  companion,  having  considerable 
talent  for  mimicry.  He  abounded  in  anecdotes. 
He  was  a  large  man,  with  a  large  head  and  fine 
face ;  he  had  a  large  Grecian  nose,  florid  counten- 
ance and  red  hair.  He  said  he  was  the  best  red 
(read)  judge  in  Pennsylvania  ;  but  the  law,  as  a 
science,  had  few  charms  for  him."  ' 

In  the  year  1818,  previous  to  his  appointment 
as  a  president  judge  he  officiated  in  Berks  County 
as  prothonotary  and  clerk  of  the  Quarter  Sessions. 
He  took  an  earnest  interest  in  the  militia  affairs  of 
the  State,  in  which  he  became  very  popular.  He 
was  elected  major-general  of  the  Sixth  Division 
Pennsylvania  Militia,  which  was  composed  of  the 
troops  in  Berks,  Dauphin,  Lebanon  and  Schuyl- 
kill Counties,  and  occupied  that  prominent  position 
till  the  time  of  his  death,  when  his  brother-in-law, 
General  George  De  B.  Keim,  of  Reading,  was  elect- 
ed to  succeed  him.  He  died  at  Orwigsburg,  Schuyl- 
kill County,  aged  only  forty-six  years.  His  remains 
were  brought  to  Reading  and  buried  in  the  grave- 
yard adjoining  Christ's  Episcopal  Church. 

James  B.  Hubley  was  born  in  the  year  1789 
in  Montgomery  Co.,  Pa.,  and  was  a  son  of  Joseph 
Hubley  and  brother  of  Edwin  B.  Hubley.  He 
was   admitted   a   member  of  the   bar    of  Berks 


iFrom  Egle's  "History  of  Dauphin  County.'' 


County  April  3,  1809.  He  practiced  for  a  time 
in  Reading,  moved  to  Orwigsburg,  then  the 
county  seat  of  Schuylkill  County,  and  died  Aug- 
ust 26,  1828,  at  the  age  of  thirty-eight  years.  He 
was  an  heir  to  the  Burd  estate.  He  was  a  man  of 
brilliant  promise,  possessed  a  benevolent  and 
kindly  disposition,  had  amiable  manners  and  was 
favorably  known  for  his  honesty  and  integrity. 

William  Clymer,  a  son  of  Daniel  C.  Clymer, 
Esq.,  was  born  at  Reading  on  March  28,  1788. 
He  was  educated  at  Yale  College,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  1807.  Upon  returning  home  he 
studied  law  in  the  office  of  his  father,  a  practicing 
attorney  at  Reading,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1809.  He  practiced  his  profession  in  Berks 
County  and  died  in  1845.  He  was  married  to 
Susan  Rightmyer,  of  Reading,  and  with  her  had 
eight  children,  three  of  whom  survived  him, — 
Henry,  Mary  Ann  and  William. 

Fkanklin  S.  Muhlenberg,  son  of  General 
Peter  Muhlenberg,  was  born  in  Philadelphia 
April  22,  1795;  obtained  a  liberal  education, 
studied  law  and  was  admitted  a  member  of 
the  Berks  County  bar  May  8,  1816,  and  became 
private  secretary  of  Governor  Joseph  Hiester  from 
1820  to  1823.  Soon  after  the  latter  date  he  removed 
to  Ohio,  becane  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of 
that  State,  and  later,  was  a  representative  from 
Ohio  in  the  Twentieth  Congress.  He  died  in  Pick- 
away County,  Ohio,  in  1832. 

Nathaniel  Potts  Hobaet  was  a  native  of 
Philadelphia,  born  October  3,  1790,  read  law  in 
the  office  of  John  C.  Smith,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  of  his  native  city  ;  removed  to  Pottstown, 
where  he  was  appointed  justice  of  the  peace  by 
Governor  Simon  Snyder;  joined  Captain  Daniel 
De  B.  Keim's  company  of  Washington  Blues  in 
August,  1814  ;  marched  with  it  to  Camp  Dupont, 
and  there  joined  the  First  Regiment  of  Pennsyl- 
vania Volunteers  October  7,  1814,  and  served  as 
fourth  sergeant  of  the  company  until  December 
5th  of  the  same  year,  when  they  returned  to  Read- 
ing ;  admitted  an  attorney  of  the  Berks  County 
bar  January  3,  1818  ;  was  clerk  in  the  prothono- 
tary's  office,  under  John  Adams,  for  several  years ; 
was  assistant  clerk  in  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives at  Harrisburg,  under  chief  clerk  Francis  R. 
Shunk.  In  1827  Governor  Shulze  appointed  him 
clerk  of  the  Orphans'  Court  and  Court  of  Quarter 


BENCH  AND  BAR. 


561 


Sessions  of  Berks  County,  which  position  he  held 
until  1830,  when  he  removed  to  Pottstown.  In 
1836  he  was  appointed  auditor-general  of  Pennsyl- 
vania by  Governor  Ritner,  and  held  the  office  for 
three  years;  resided  at  Pottstown  from  1830  until 
his  death,  July  3,  1860.  He  was  married  April 
18,  1813,  to  Joanna  Holland.  Their  children 
were  John  Potts  (now  an  attorney  in  Pottsville), 
Sarah  P.,  Eliza  R.,  Anna  Sophia,  Robert  H., 
Nathaniel  B., William  R.  and  Ellen  G.  Hobart. 

James  D.  Biddle  was  the  only  son  of  Marks 
John  Biddle,  Esq.  After  obtaining  a  good  Eng- 
lish education  he  studied  Jaw  under  the  direction 
of  his  father  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Read- 
ing April  9,  1815.  For  many  years  he  was  a 
notary  public,  and  became  a  very  popular  lawyer, 
but  died  when  yet  young. 

Chakles  Davis,  son  of  Moses  Davis,  was  born 
in  Easton  December  25,  1795,  and  upon  attaining 
manhood,  read  law  in  the  office  of  Hon.  Samuel 
Sitgreaves  of  the  Northampton  bar,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  practice  January  16,  1817,  when  he 
removed  to  Allentown.  This  was  shortly  after  the 
erection  of  Lehigh  County.  He  soon  became  one 
of  the  leaders  of  the  bar  of  that  county  and  con- 
tinued uninterruptedly  to  practice  his  profession 
at  Allentown  until  1839  when  he  came  to  Reading 
where  he  followed  his  profession  until  1867.  By 
this  time  increasing  years  and  declining  health 
impelled  him  to  relinquish  his  practice  as  his 
physical  constitution  would  no  longer  withstand 
its  demands.  He  accordingly  determined  to 
remove  to  the  home  of  his  childhood  and  youth, 
and  died  in  Easton  on  January  19, 1873.  During 
his  lpst  residence  in  his  native  town,  he  lived  a 
semi-retired  life,  but  was  in  the  full  enjoyment  of 
his  faculties  and  was  frequently  consulted  by  other 
members  of  the  Northampton  bar.  In  speaking 
of  Mr.  Davis,  Judge  Maxwell  said,  "  It  is  worthy 
of  remark  that  no  attorney  had  been  more  diligent 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  nor  more  faithful 
and  devoted  to  the  interests  of  his  clients  to  whose 
causes  or  business  he  devoted  all  the  powers  of 
his  vigorous  mind.  He  was  not  only  an  able  and 
successful  lawyer  but  a  valuable  and  useful  citizen. 
He  had  always  been  a  consistent  Christian,  and  by 
his  walk  and  conversation,  honored  his  profes- 
sion." 

Charles    Witman,    son  of   Hon.     William 
52 


Witman,  associate  judge  of  Berks  County  from 
1823  to  1828,  was  born  at  Reading  in  the  year 
1790,  and  was .  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Berks 
County  August  9, 1818.  He  lived  and  practiced 
law  at  Reading  for  a  number  of  years  and  then 
removed  to  Orwigsburg,  Schuylkill  County,  where 
he  practiced  his  profession  till  his  death  February 
13,1856. 

Edward  B.  Hubley  was  born  at  Reading  in 
1792.  He  was  the  son  of  Joseph  Hubley,  a  practi- 
cing attorney  of  the  Berks  County  bar.  He 
studied  law  with  his  father  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  April  5,  1820.  After  practicing  at  Read- 
ing for  a  while  he  moved  to  Orwigsburg,  then  the 
county-seat  of  Schuylkill  County,  and  there  con- 
tinued his  profession  for  a  number  of  years.  He  rep- 
resented that  district  in  Congress  for  two  terms  from 
1835  to  1839.  He  held  the  appointment  of  canal 
commissioner  of  this  State  for  several  years  under 
Governor  David  R.  Porter,  and  acted  as  a  com- 
missioner of  Indian  affairs  under  President  Polk. 
In  all  these  positions  he  discharged  his  duties  with 
ability  and  fidelity.  About  1848  he  returned  to 
Reading  and  continued  to  reside  here  for  eight 
years ;  then  he  removed  to  Philadelphia,  and  died 
there  shortly  afterward,  on  February  23,  1856, 
aged  sixty-four  years.  He  was  married  to  Catha- 
rine, eldest  daughter  of  Judge  Spayd. 

James  L.  Dunn,  the  only  son  of  James  Dunn, 
was  born  in  Kent  County,  Md.,  July  25,  1785. 
He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Baltimore, 
then  went  to  Philadelphia  to  live  in  the  family  of 
his  uncle,  John  Lorrain.  He  there  studied  the 
art  of  book-keeping,  and,  for  a  time,  was  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  business.  In  1815  he  came  to 
Reading  and  read  law  under  the  direction  of  Sam- 
uel Baird,  Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of 
Berks  County,  November  10,  1821.  Mr.  Dunn 
was  an  excellent  lawyer,  a  fine  scholar,  a  genial 
companion,  courteous  and  affable  in  his  manners 
and  prepossessing  in  appearance.  During  the  last 
twelve  years  of  his  life  he  was  a  confirmed  invalid 
and  was  compelled  to  retire  from  an  extensive 
practice  at  the  bar.  He  was  a  prominent  and 
influential  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church, 
and  one  of  the  original  board  of  directors  of 
the  Charles  Evans  Cemetery.  He  was  mar- 
ried to  Sara  Rees,  of  Philadelphia,  who  died 
before  him.     Their  children  were  Charles  C.  Dunn, 


562 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


George  R.  Dunn,  of  Philadelphia,  Mrs.  De  B. 
Keim,  of  Reading  ;  Mrs.  Nelson  B.  Bowman,  of 
Brownsville,  Pa.,  all  of  whom  are  living,  and  Mrs. 
Edward  McLonegan,  deceased,  of  Reading. 

William  C.  Leavenworth,  who  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  at  Reading,  August  18,  1822, 
was  a  native  of  New  England.  During  a  resi- 
dence of  about  twenty  years  in  Reading  he  won 
considerable  distinction  in  the  legal  profession  and 
was  a  man  of  fine  intellectual  attainments.  He 
accompanied  the  tide  of  emigration  to  California 
during  the  "  gold-fever  "  and  died  in  that  State. 
Henry  Dreer,  the  prominent  nurseryman  of 
Philadelphia,  is  married  to  his  daughter. 

Lloyd  Wharton,  who  obtained  a  good  educa- 
tion, then  pursued  the  study  of  law,  was  admitted 
elsewhere,  and,  on  March  24,  1824,  became  a 
member  of  the  Berks  County  bar.  He  continued 
in  practice  at  Reading  until  about  the  year  1840, 
when  he  moved  to  Philadelphia  county  and  lived 
on  the  Delaware,  near  Bristol.  While  in  Reading 
in  the  year  1835,  he  was  instrumental  in  se- 
curing the  charter  of  the  Berks  County  Bank,  and 
for  a  time,  he  was  the  principal  stockholder  in  it. 
He  disposed  of  his  interest  to  Elijah  Deckert  and 
William  Darling  in  1839.  Soon  after  his  removal 
from  Reading  his  name  was  changed  to  Lloyd 
Wharton  Beckley,  and  he  thus  became  heir  to  a 
large  part  of  the  Beckley  estate.  He  was  a  man 
of  rare  intelligence  and  well  versed  in  general 
literature. 

Thomas  Morris  was  born  near  Doylestown, 
Pa.,  and  was  a  son  of  Thomas  Morris.  After 
tending  an  excellent  academy  in  his  native  town, 
he  entered  the  office  of  the  Hon.  John  Chap- 
man, a  distinguished  lawyer  of  the  Bucks  County 
bar,  and  having  completed  the  required  course  of 
legal  studies,  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  For  a  time 
thereafter  he  lived  at  Pottsville  and  became  a 
member  of  the  Berks  County  bar  by  admission 
November  1,  1824.  He  was  an  active  Democrat 
and  ardent  supporter  of  Henry  A.  Muhlenberg  for 
governor  of  Pennsylvania.  That  department  of 
practice  relating  to  land  titles  was  a  specialty  with 
him.     He  died  June  17,  1872. 

David  Evans,  who  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at 
Reading,  January  5,  1825,  was  born  at  Morgan- 
town,  this  county,  and  was  of  Welsh  descent. 
After  engaging  in  the  duties  of  his  profession  at 


Reading  for  a  number  of  years,  he  removed  to  the 
State  of  Ohio,  where  he  died.  William  Fullerton 
Duncan,  who  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  the  same 
time,  also  moved  to  the  west  after  a  few  years' 
practice  here. 

Henry  W.  Smith,  for  many  years  a   distin- 
guished member  of  the  Berks  County  bar,  was  a 
son  of  Judge  Frederick  Smith,  of  the  supreme 
court  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  born  January  4, 
1804.     He  studied  law  under  the  instruction  of 
his  father,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  January 
5,  1825.     He  was  active  in  politics ;  was  a  dele- 
gate to  the  State  Democratic  convention  of  1832, 
1835,  1841,  1844  and  1846,  and  was  a  delegate  to 
the  National  Democratic  Convention  in  1835.    He 
was  a  candidate  for  Congress  on  a  combined  ticket 
of  Whigs  and  Democrats,  in  1836,  against  Henry 
A.  Muhlenberg,  Democrat,  who  was  elected.    He 
served  as  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature,  in 
1843  and  1844.     In  1846  he  was  a  candidate  for 
Congress  against  Judge  William  Strong.     He  was 
the  candidate  for  president-judge  of  the  county, 
in  1851,  against  J.  Pringle  Jones,  and  in  1861, 
was  the   candidate   for  the  same  office    on    the 
"  Union  "  ticket  against  W.  J.  Woodward.    Mr. 
Smith  had  an   extensive  practice  and  was  one  of 
the  ablest  lawyers  Berks  County  has  produced.  The 
last  important  official  position  he  filled  was  that  of 
a  member  of  the  convention  that  framed  the  State 
Constitution  of  1873.     At  one  time,  he  and  his 
brother  George  owned  one-half  of  the  stock  of 
the   Reading  Water  Company.     He  died  August 
27,   1878,  leaving  a  widow  and  an  only  son,  F. 
Leaf  Smith,  now  a  member  of  the  Reading  bar. 

Edward  P.  Pearson,  for  many  years  one  of 
the  leading  attorneys  of  the  Reading  bar,  was  a 
native  of  New  Jersey,  and  after  completing  his 
legal  studies  moved  to  Lebanon,  Pa.,  and  from 
thence  to  Reading,  where  he  became  associated  in 
practice  with  Henry  W.  Smith,  Esq.,  and  succeed- 
ed to  a  large  and  lucrative  business.  He  was 
married  to  Fredericka,  a  daughter  of  Judge  Fred- 
erick Smith.  Edward  P.  Pearson,  one  of  his  sons, 
is  now  a  lieutenant-colonel  in  the  Regular  Army. 
Frederick  Pearson,  another  son,  was  a  commodore 
in  the  American  Navy  and  won  distinction  in  as- 
sisting the  English  Navy  to  quell  an  insurrection 
in  Japan.  For  gallant  services  on  this  occasion 
the  Queen  of  England  offered  him  a  knighthood, 


BENCH  AND  BAE. 


563  r 


but  being  in  the  American  service  he  was  obliged 
to  decline  the  proffered  honor.  He  retired  from 
the  Navy  soon  after  his  marriage  with  Miss  Ayers, 
of  Boston,  daughter  of  the  originator  of  "  Ayers' 
Pectoral." 

Charles  J.  Jack,  a  native  of  Philadelphia, 
came  to  Beading  in  18-25,  and  in  August  of  that 
year  was  admitted  a  member  of  the  Berks  County 
bar.  Being  a  devoted  Democrat  he  established 
and  published  a  newspaper  in  Beading  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  known  as  the  Jackson  Democrat.  He 
was  a  man  of  brilliancy  and  power  and  attained 
considerable  influence  in  the  politics  of  the  State. 
He  ceased  the  publication  of  his  paper  about  1834 
and  soon  afterward  removed  to  Philadelphia,  where 
he  died. 

Joseph  H.  Spayd,  son  of  John  Spayd,  presi- 
dent judge  of  the  courts  of  Berks  County,  and 
grandson  of  Governor  Hiester,  was  born  in  1803 
and  died  in  Beading,  June  5,  1865,  aged  sixty-two 
years.  He  obtained  a  liberal  education ;  was  a 
graduate  of  Yale  College  ;  studied  law  and  was  ad- 
mitted a  member  of  the  Beading  bar  in  1826.  Two 
years  after  his  admission  he  was  appointed  by 
attorney-general  Ellmaker,  prosecuting  attorney 
of  the  courts  of  Berks  County.  Being  possessed  of 
considerable  means  he  relinquished  the  practice  of 
his  profession  early  in  life  and  devoted  his  time  to 
liberal  reading,  having  a  strong  partiality  for  gen- 
eral literature.  He  accumulated  an  excellent 
library  and  was  especially  interested  in  the  study 
of  natural  science,  his  favorite  branches  being 
geology  and  natural  history 

Elijah  Decheet  was  born  in  Cutnru 
township,  Berks  County,  October  15,  1799, 
and  was  the  son  of  John  and  Deborah  Dechert. 
His  father,  a  farmer,  was  a  lieutenant  in  the 
army  of  the  Revolution,  and  was  the  descend- 
ant of  ancestors  who  came  with  the  German 
pilgrimage,  to  escape  religious  persecution  in 
Europe.  The  earnestness  of  the  religious  faith 
of  the  family  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  all  of 
his  own  and  of  the  preceding  generations  re- 
ceived Biblical  names  at  their  baptism. 

His  elder  brother,  Daniel,  died  at  his  home 
at  Sinking  Springs,  in  this  county,  September 
17th,  1884,  aged  ninety-one  years.  He  had 
lived  upon  his  farm  in  that  vicinity  for  many 
years,  and  was  highly  respected.     Many  of  his 


numerous  descendants  are  active  members  of 
the  community.  Another  brother,  Samuel,  re- 
moved to  Springfield,  Ohio,  where  he  was  a 
leading  manufacturer.  He  died  there  in  1884, 
leaving  to  survive  him  a  widow  and  numerous 
children  and  grandchildren. 

Elijah  Dechert  was  chief  clerk  in  the  pro- 
thonotary's  office  at  Reading,  under  General 
John  Adams  and  Marks  John  Biddle,  Esq., 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  on  January  4, 
1827.  For  many  years  he  had  a  large  prac- 
tice, and  by  his  integrity,  industry  and  ability, 
held  a  high  position  at  a  bar  which  ranked 
among  the  strongest  in  the  State. 

Early  in  life  he  became  a  member  and  also 
elder  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Reading,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  founders, 
and  he  was,  for  many  years,  the  superintendent 
of  its  Sunday-school.  He  was  earnestly  inter- 
ested in  the  temperance  and  other  moral  re- 
forms of  the  day,  ever  acting  in  accordance 
with  his  convictions  of  right  and  shrinking 
from  the  performance  of  no  duty.  Accord- 
ingly, he  was  known  and  respected  in  the 
community  as  an  independent  and  honorable 
citizen,  who,  avoiding  politics  and  political 
ambition,  was  satisfied  to  perform  the  duties 
of  private  life. 

He  was  an  early  friend  of  the  public-school 
system,  and  it  was  said,  in  a  leading  newspaper, 
at  the  time  of  his  death :  "  Berks  County  and 
Reading  owe  him  a  debt  of  gratitude  for  his 
valuable  and  persevering  labors  in  behalf  of 
the  youth  of  the  city  and  county." 

He  died  in  the  City  of  Philadelphia,  whither 
he  had  removed,  June  14,  1854.  On  Septem- 
ber 15,  1824,  he  was  married  to  Mary  W., 
daughter  of  Hon.  Robert  Porter,  then  the 
president  judge  of  this  district,  having  filled 
the  office,  for  more  than  twenty  years,  with  the 
deserved  reputation  of  an  honest  man,  a  fine 
scholar  and  a  sound  lawyer.  Judge  Porter 
had  been  a  lieutenant  in  the  Revolutionary 
Army,  and  was  the  son  of  General  Andrew 
Porter,  of  the  Pennsylvania  Line  of  that  army, 
and'  who  was  afterwards  surveyor-general  of 
Pennsylvania. 

Mrs.  Dechert  survived   her  husband,   and 
died   January   15,  1872,  leaving  a  family  of 


564 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


seven  children.  Of  these,  one  son,  William 
W.  (now  deceased),  became  the  vice-president 
of  the  Camden  and  Amboy  Eailroad  Company; 
another,  Howard  P.,  is  a  Presbyterian  minis- 
ter, and  the  other  two,  Henry  M.  and  Robert 
P.,  are  now  prominent  members  of  the  Phila- 
delphia bar.  Robert  P.  Dechert  was  lieuten- 
ant-colonel of  the  Twenty-ninth  Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers  during  the  War  of 
the  Rebellion,  and  is  now  the  controller  of  the 
city  of  Philadelphia. 

One  daughter,  Sarah  B.,  married  Edmond 
S.  Young,  a  leading  lawyer  of  Dayton,  Ohio; 
another,  Agnes  G.,  married  Rev.  Alfred  Tay- 
lor, of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and  the  youngest  (now 
deceased)  married  Rev.  Charles  E.  Griffith, 
late  of  Allentown,  Pa.  William  W.  married 
Esther,  daughter  of  Colonel  Y.  D.  Dashiel, 
U.S.A.,  and  left  three  children,  who  are  now 
living, — Yellott  D.,  of  the  New  York  bar, 
Mary  P.  and  William  W.  Henry  M.  Dechert 
married  Esther  S.,  daughter  of  Thomas  S. 
Taylor,  of  Philadelphia.  They  have  four 
children, — Henry  T.,  of  the  Philadelphia  bar, 
Bertha  M.,  Ellen  G.  and  Edward  Porter. 
Mrs.  Young  has  two  sons, — George  R.  and 
William  H.,  of  the  Ohio  bar,  and  a  daughter, 
Mary.  Howard  P.  married  Caroline  Sand- 
ford,  of  New  York ;  they  have  one  daughter, 
Caroline.  Mrs.  Taylor  has  a  son, — Thomas  P., 
of  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  and  two  daughters, — 
Mrs.  Fanny  Rowell  and  Isabella.  Mrs.  Grif- 
fith left  two  children, — Mary  D.  and  Charles  E. 

In  taking  up  the  histories  of  families  in  this 
county,  we  notice  the  remarkable,  widespread 
emigration  going  out  from  Berks  County.  As 
is  the  case  with  this  and  many  other  families, 
her  sons  and  daughters  have  gone  out  to  the 
East  and  the  West.  In  Philadelphia,  the  cen- 
tral parts  of  Pennsylvania,  and  in  Ohio,  In- 
diana, Iowa  and  other  of  the  Western  States, 
Berks  County  names  are  almost  as  familiar  as 
here  at  home.  Many  persons  ignorantly  sup- 
pose that  New  England  emigration  has  deter- 
mined the  fortunes  of  our  land ;  but  the  traveler 
and  the  scholar  know  that  the  German  and 
Scotch-Irish  ancestry  of  Pennsylvania  brought 
to  us  those  elements  of  industry  and  intelli- 
gence, and  that  sturdiness  of  purpose,  which, 


combined  with  New  England  enterprise  and 
intelligence,  make  up  the  strength  of  American 
character. 

Jacob  Hoffman,  brother  of  the  late  Dr.  Charles 
Edward  Hoffman,  of  Reading,  and  Dr.  William 
Hoffman,  residing  at  244  South  Fifth  Street,  was 
born  in  1805,  on  a  farm  in  Northampton  County, 
Pa.  He  acquired  a  preliminary  education  in 
Easton,  where  he  read  law  under  the  direction  of 
the  late  Hon.  James  Porter,  of  the  Northampton 
bar,  and  was  admitted  two  years  later.  He  began 
practicing  at  Easton.  In  1829  he  married  Mary 
Gehr,  daughter  of  Jacob  Gehr,  of  Oley  township, 
Berks  County,  and  in  1831  removed  to  Reading, 
having  been  admitted  as  an  attorney  to  practice 
before  the  courts  of  this  county  November  10, 
1829.  Mr.  Hoffman  early  gained  an  enviable 
reputation  as  an  influential  lawyer  in  important 
land  cases,  especially  where  disputes  arose  in  refer- 
ence to  titles.  In  his  litigations  relating  to  certain 
coal  lands  lying  in  the  county  of  Schuylkill,  his 
services  were  of  great  value,  in  consequence  of 
which  much  of  his  practice  was  before  the  courts 
of  that  county.  He  died  in  Reading  November 
21,  1870.  During  the  Civil  War  he  was  an  ear- 
nest supporter  of  the  administration  of  Abraham 
Lincoln. 

Robert  M.  Babr  was  born  at  Lancaster,  Pa. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Berks  County  on 
January  3,  1831,  about  which  time  he  moved  to 
Reading.  He  acquired  an  extensive  practice  and 
was  recognized  as  a  superior  lawyer.  He  was  a 
man  of  fine  personal  appearance  and  possessed  a 
high  order  of  eloquence.  He  represented  Berks 
County  in  the  Assembly  for  the  year  1841 ,  and  in 
1845  he  received  the  appointment  of  State  reporter 
from  Governor  Shunk — the  office  having  been 
created  in  the  year  named.  The  prescribed  term  of 
office  was  five  years.  He  died  whilst  filling  this 
appointment,  having  compiled  and  published  the 
first  ten  State  reports  commonly  known  as  "  Barr's 
Reports."  His  friend,  J.  Pringle  Jones,  Esq.— 
(who  subsequently  filled  the  office  of  president 
judge  of  Berks  County)  completed  the  compilation 
of  the  cases  adjudicated  during  his  term  and  pub- 
lished them  in  two  volumes,  commonly  known  as 
"  Jones'  Reports."  He  died  at  Reading,  December 
25, 1849,  aged  forty-seven  years.    He  was  married 


BENCH  AND  BAR. 


565 


to  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Holmes  of  Lancaster,  Pa., 
and  left  a  surviving  daughter. 

Peter  Filbert  was  born  in  Reading  in  1793, 
and  was  a  son  of  Peter  Filbert,  sheriff  of  Berks 
County,  for  the  years  1785-86-87.  He  chose  the 
profession  of  law  and  was  admitted  to  practice  at 
Reading  January  6,  1831.  During  the  year  1840, 
he  represented  Berks  County  in  the  State  Legisla- 
ture. He  filled  the  position  of  chief  burgess  of  Read- 
ingfor  several  years  until  a  city  charter  was  obtain- 
ed in  1847,  then  was  elected  the  first  mayor,  and 
held  the  latter  office  one  year.  While  serving  as 
mayor  he  was  appointed  district  deputy  attorney 
general  for  Berks  County.  He  was  a  notary 
public  for  a  number  of  years.  He  died  on  the 
28th  of  May,  1864,  aged  seventy-one  years. 

John  B.  Mayer  was  born  at  Lancaster ; 
acquired  a  good  education ;  read  law  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  January  8,  1831.  While 
engaged  in  his  profession  with  fine  prospects  of 
future  success,  he  was  stricken  down  with  consump- 
tion at  the  early  age  of  twenty-eight  years. 

Francis  Aurand,  who  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
at  Reading  November  13, 1833,  died  of  pulmonary 
disease  May  29,  1837,  aged  twenty-five  years. 

William  Betz  was  born  at  Reading  in  1812. 
He  was  the  son  of  Henry  Betz,  Esq.,  sheriff  of 
Berks  County  for  one  term  (1821-23)  and  for 
many  years  a  justice  of  the  peace  of  Reading. 
After  receiving  a  general  education  at  home  he 
studied  law  and  was  admitted  to  practice  on  Janu- 
ary 10,  1834.  He  carried  on  his  profession  at 
Reading  for  upwards  of  twenty  years,  and  then 
removed  to  Philadelphia  about  1857,  where  he 
died  on  August  25,  1860,  aged  forty-eight  years. 
Whilst  practicing  law  at  Reading  he  also  held  the 
office  of  justice  of  the  peace  for  some  years  and 
also  chief  burgess ;  and  upon  the  erection  of  Read- 
ing into  a  city,  he  was  elected  alderman  of  the 
north  ward,  for  one  term,  which  office  he  filled 
acceptably  from  1847  to  1851.  He  was  generally 
recognized  as  a  magistrate  of  decided  ability,  and 
as  a  man  of  generous  disposition.  At  Philadel- 
phia he  was  one  of  the  principal  clerks  in  the 
post-office,  dying  whilst  filling  this  position. 

George  G.  Barclay,  son  of  Andrew  C.  Bar- 
clay, a  prominent  merchant  of  Philadelphia,  was 
born  in  that  city.  After  obtaining  a  preliminary 
education,  he  entered  Yale  College  from    which 


institution  he  was  graduated  in  1832.  He  soon 
thereafter  engaged  in  the  study-  of  the  law,  and 
after  the  necessary  preparation  was  admitted  to 
the  bar.  In  1835  he  came  to  Reading  and 
here  continued  his  profession  with  excellent 
success,  for  a  period  of  forty  years  during  which 
time  he  took  great  interest  in  the  growth  and 
prosperity  of  the  city  of  Reading,  and  in  the 
development  of  the  county.  In  politics  he  was  an 
ardent  and  consistent  Whig  for  many  years,  but 
eventually  became  more  conservative  in  political 
matters.  In  1873  he  was  chosen  one  of  the 
Representatives  from  Berks  County  to  the  Conven- 
tion at  Philadelphia  which  framed  the  present 
State  Constitution.  About  1875  he  removed  to 
Philadelphia  and  there  became  associated  in  the 
practice  of  law  with  Judge  Wilson.  He  now  lives 
in  retirement  in  that  city.  He  is  the  oldest 
member  of  the  Berks  County  bar  now  living. 

Newton  D.  Strong  was  born  in  Somers, 
Conn.,  in  the  year  1810.  He  acquired  a  good 
academic  education  and  was  graduated  from 
Yale  College  in  1831,  with  one  of  the  first  honors 
of  his  class.  He  was  then  appointed  a  tutor  at 
Yale,  which  position  he  held  two  years.  At  the 
expiration  of  this  time,  he  removed  to  Reading 
and  became  a  law  student  in  the  office  of  his 
brother,  Hon .  William  Strong.  After  his  admission 
to  the  bar  he  practiced  his  profession  for  a  few  years 
at  EastonjPa.,and  then  removed  to  Alton,  111., 
where  he  soon  took  a  leading  position  among  the 
lawyers  of  that  State.  Upon  the  election  of  his 
brother  to  Congress  from  Berks  County  he  return- 
ed to  Reading  and  assumed  his  brother's  practice 
in  this  county.  A  few  years  later  he  removed  to 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  duties 
of  his  profession  at  the  time  of  his  death,  August 
9,  1866,  in  the  fifty-sixth  year  of  his  age.  His 
remains  were  brought  to  Reading  and  interred 
in  Charles  Evans'  Cemetery.  He  possessed  an 
accomplished  education,  was  a  fine  lawyer,  and 
brought  to  the  exercise  of  his  profession  all  the 
resources  of  a  well  cultivated  mind. 

Anthony  F.  Miller  was  born  February  25, 
1805,  in  Reading  ;  was  educated  in  the  schools  of 
his  native  town  ;  read  law  in  the  office  of  Hon. 
John  Banks,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  August 
15, 1836  ;  practiced  in  Reading  for  several  years, 
and  died  August  16,  1863. 


566 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Franklin  B.  Shoenee  was  born  at  Reading 
and  educated  in  the  Lancasterian  school  of  his 
native  town  then  under  the  management  of  Major 
Medara.  He  read  law  under  the  instruction  of 
Elijah  Deckert,  Esq.,  and  was  admitted  a  member 
of  the  Reading  bar  January  3,  1837.  He  prac- 
ticed law  for  several  years,  but  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty-seven.  He  was  an  officer  in  the  Washing- 
ton Greys,  a  volunteer  military  company  com- 
manded by  Daniel  M.  Keim. 

John  S.  Richards  was  born  February  5, 1815, 
in  Robeson  township,  Berks  County,  near  Joanna 
Furnace,  and  was  the  eldest  son  of  James  Richards, 
'  a  merchant.  He  early  developed  a  taste  for  liter- 
ature, and  read  the  books  of  his  father's  library 
with  the  assiduity  of  a  mature  student.  Upon  the 
death  of  his  father  in  1 827,  he  moved  to  Reading 
to  live  with  his  uncle,  Judge  William  Darling,  and 
attended  the  Reading  Academy,  where  he  acquired 


JOHN   S.    RICHARDS. 

a  good  preparatory  education.  In  1830  Judge 
Darling  removed  to  Joanna  Furnace  and  young 
Richards  became  a  clerk  in  his  store  at  that  place. 
In  1832  Mr.  Richards  organized  the  Young 
Men's  Temperance  Society  at  Morgantown  and 
also  established  a  public  library  for  the  citizens  of 
Robeson  township.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he 
began  to  write  for  the  newspapers  and  con- 
tinued the  same  until  his  death, — on  political, edu- 
cational, social,  scientific,  moral  and  religious 
topics.  He  acquired  a  considerable  knowledge  of 
the  Latin,  German  and  French  languages.  In 
1834  he  began  the  study  of  the  law  in  the  office 


of  Elijah  Deckert,  Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  April  4, 1837,  and  the  next  year  he  became 
associated  with  Henry  Rhoads  in  the  publication 
of  the  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal.  He  continued 
to  edit  it  until  1845  and  finally  sold  it  in  1860. 
He  took  an  active  part  in  politics  and  wrote  many 
vigorous  editorials  on  that  subject.  He  was  a 
devoted  Whig  and  a  great  admirer  of  Henry  Clay, 
and  made  many  speeches  in  support  of  the  Ken- 
tucky statesman  for  President  of  the  United 
States. 

While  engaged  in  tbe  active  duties  of  his  pro- 
fession he  took  a  devoted  interest  in  the  cause  of 
education,  served  nearly  thirty  years  as  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  School  Controllers  of  Reading  and 
assisted  in  establishing  the  City  High  School.  Mr. 
Richards  possessed  great  versatility  of  powers. 
His  intellectual  and  professional  acquirements 
were  very  extensive,  and  as  a  member  of  the 
Reading  bar  he  maintained  a  very  high  standing. 
For  the  years  1849  and  1850  he  served  as  district 
attorney  for  Berks  County  and  was  for  a  time 
attorney  for  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Rail- 
road Company.  After  an  industrious  and  useful 
career  he  died  in  the  year  1872  universally 
honored  and  respected.  He  was  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church. 

Dennis  W.  O'Brien  was  born  in  Reading  and 
obtained  a  preliminary  education  in  the  schools  of 
his  native  town.  When  yet  a  young  man  he  made  a 
tour  of  Europe  in  company  with  his  uncle,  Joseph 
O'Brien  After  returning  home  he  acquired  a 
classical  education  at  college  and  then  entered 
upon  the  study  of  law  under  the  direction  of 
Charles  Evans,  Esq.,  of  the  Reading  bar,  and  was 
admitted  to  practice  August  7,  1838,  and  was  en- 
gaged in  his  profession  at  Reading  until  1844, 
about  which  time  he  removed  to  the  city  of  Phila- 
delphia, where  he  was  elected  judge  of  one  of  the 
courts.     He  died  a  few  years  ago. 

Jeremiah  D.  Bitting  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
August  8,  1838.  For  a  time  he  took  an  active 
interest  in  politics  and  from  1859  to  1862  he 
was  sheriff  of  Be.rks  County.  He  removed  to 
Philadelphia,  engaged  in  mercantile  business  and 
now  resides  in  that  city. 

Andrew  Sallade  was  a  native  of  Womels- 
dorf.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  August  11, 
1838,  practiced  law  at  Reading  successfully  and 


BENCH  AND  BAE. 


567 


then  moved  to  Philadelphia  and  practiced  before 
the  Court  of  Claims.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Legislature  from  Berks  County  in  the  year  1855. 
During  the  Civil  War,  through  the  influence  of 
Hon.  Simon  Cameron,  he  was  appointed  a  pay- 
master in  the  Union  army.  He  died  in  the  far 
West,  while  on  a  visit  to  his  son  Madison,  who  is 
now  an  officer  in  the  Regular  Army. 

Jackson  H.  Sherman,  a  native  of  New  Eng- 
land, studied  law  in  the  office  of  Judge  William 
Darling,  and  soon  after  removed  to  the  West. 

Peter  Shearer  was  born  February  3,  1819, 
in  Reading.  He  acquired  a  preparatory  educa- 
tion in  his  native  town  and  became  one  of  the  first 
teachers  after  the  adoption  of  the  public  school 
system  ;  was  admitted  to  the  bar  April  7,  1840, 
after  reading  in  the  office  of  Henry  W.  Smith, 
Esq. ;  left  Reading  in  1843  for  New  Orleans ;  was  a 
volunteer  in  Captain  Blanchard's  company,  of  that 
city,  in  the  Mexican  War ;  was  in  the  battle  of 
Monterey  and  took  part  in  the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz. 
After  the  war  he  located  in  Mansfield,  La.,  and 
published  a  newspaper  for  a  number  of  years; 
returned  to  Reading  in  1857  ;  in  1862  enlisted  in  a 
New  York  regiment  and  served  under  General 
Hunter  ;  was  wounded  in  the  battle  of  Piedmont, 
taken  prisoner  and  sent  to  Andersonville  for  six 
months,  and  was  released  just  before  Sherman's 
March  to  the  Sea.  Since  the  war  he  has  lived  in 
Berks  County. 

Matthias  Mengel  was  born  near  Morgantown, 
in  Caernarvon  township,  January  13,  1814.  He 
spent  his  boyhood  days  on  the  farm  of  his  father, 
until  1838,  when  he  came  to  Reading,  became  a 
student-at-law  in  the  office  of  Elijah  Dechert, 
Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  April  9,  1840. 
In  1845  he  was  elected  a  magistrate,  became  an 
alderman  in  1847,  when  Reading  was  incorpor- 
ated into  a  city,  and  served  in  that  office  continu- 
ously until  1860  ;  was  treasurer  of  the  city  School 
Board  from  1866  to  1868,  when  he  was  again 
elected  alderman,  serving  until  1873 ;  was  re- 
elected in  1875  and  filled  two  consecutive  terms, 
ending  in  1885.  He  has  recently  been  appointed 
a  notary  public.  Mr.  Mengel  has  been  a  suc- 
cessful business  man.  He  maintains  his  jovial 
spirit,  which  has  been  one  of  the  prominent  traits 
of  his  character  all  through  his  life.  He  is  widely 
known  through  the  county  as  a  man  of  the  highest 


integrity,  for  which  he  will  long  be  remembered, 
as  well  as  for  his  original  witticisms. 

George  E.  Ludwig  was  born  in  Berks  County ; 
he  obtained  a  classical  education  ;  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  at  Reading  November  3,  1840,  where 
he  practiced  for  about  fifteen  years  and  then  re. 
moved  to  Philadelphia.  He  was  married  to  Maria 
Keim,  a  sister  of  General  William  H.  Keim,  who 
died  shortly  after  their  marriage,  leaving  one 
child,  De  Benneville  Keim  Ludwig,  now  of  Phila- 
delphia. 

James  Donagan  was  born  in  Philadelphia  in 
1793.  He  came  to  Berks  County  at  an  early 
age ;  studied  medicine  under  Dr.  John  C.  Baum,  of 
Exeter  township.  After  his  graduation  from  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania  he  located  at  Kutz- 
town,  where  he  practiced  medicine  for  a  number 
of  years.  He  then  abandoned  the  medical  profes- 
sion, entered  upon  the  study  of  the  law,  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  of  Berks  County  December  22, 
1841,  and  continued  in  active  practice  until  about 
1860.  He  held  several  important  political  posi- 
tions ;  was  one  of  the  five  delegates  from  Berks 
County  to  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1838, 
and  was  the  last  survivor  of  the  delegation  from  this 
county.  During  the  years  1840-41-42  he  held  the 
office  of  clerk  of  the  Orphans'  Court  of  this  county. 
In  the  spring  of  1863  he  was  chosen  to  represent 
the  Fourth  Ward  of  Reading  in  the  City  Councils, 
and  upon  the  organization  of  that  body, was  chosen 
its  president.  While  occupying  that  position  he 
died  suddenly  of  heart  disease  January  20,  1864, 
aged  seventy-one  years.  His  various  public 
duties  were  performed  with  ability  and  fidelity. 

Samuel  Sohl  was  born  in  Heidelberg;  read 
law  with  Hon.  William  Strong ;  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  April  5,  1842  ;  practiced  law  at  Reading 
several  years ;  retired  from  practice  and  died  near 
the  place  of  his  birth. 

Silas  E.  Buzard  was  born  at  Buzzardsville, 
Monroe  County,  Pa.;  was  a  graduate  of  the  College 
of  New  Jersey,  at  Princeton ;  became  a  member  of 
the  Berks  County  bar  April  8,  1845  ;  located  at 
Kutztown,  where  he  practiced  a  few  years  and 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven  years. 

Charles  Weirman  was  born  in  Lebanon 
County  ;  read  law  ;  was  admitted  May  17,  1842  ; 
practiced  about  five  years  and  then  became  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  bricks  and  extensively 


568 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


interested  in  patented  brick  machines.     He  died 
while  actively  engaged  in  that  business. 

George  W.  Arms  was  born  in  Douglass  town- 
ship ;  came  to  Reading  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  March  8,  1843.  He  practiced  at  Reading  for 
some  years,  and  being  taken  sick,  went  to  his 
home  in  the  country,  where  he  died. 

John  K.  Longnecker  was  a  native  of  Lehigh 
County  ;  was  admitted  a  member  of  the  Reading 
bar  November  6,  1843  ;  practiced  law  in  Reading 
for  a  few  months  and  then  returned  to  Allentown, 
where   he  continued  in  his  profession  successfully. 

William  M.  Baird. — The  Bairds  and  the  Bid- 
dies have  always  been  among  the  most  noted  people 
of  Pennsylvania.  They  are  of  Scotch,  English 
and  Irish  origin.  Samuel  Baird,  the  grandfather 
of  William  M.  Baird,  was  an  assistant  quarter- 
master in  Washington's  army  when  they  were 
quartered  at  Valley  Forge.  William  Biddle,  his 
ancestor  on  the  maternal  side,  came  to  America 
in  1681,  and  was  the  pioneer  of  the  Biddle  family 
noted  in  Pennsylvania  annals.  Thomas  Potts,  of 
Colebrookdale  Furnace,  a  pioneer  in  the  iron  bus- 
iness in  Berks  County,  and  Rev.  Elisha  Spencer, 
D.D.,  (whose  loyalty  was  such  during  the  times 
that  tried  men's  souls  that  he  was  sent  by  Wash- 
ington into  Georgia  to  arouse  the  patriotism  of  the 
people  of  that  State,  and  upon  whose  head  a  price 
was  set  by  the  English  Tories,)  were  also  collateral 
relatives  of  the  maternal  line. 

Samuel  Baird,  the  father  of  William  M. 
Baird,  was  a  leading  attorney  at  the  Berks  County 
bar  half  a  century  ago.  He  was  the  contempo- 
rary of  Governor  Hiester  and  Judges  Spayd,  Smith, 
Franks,  Porter  and  Mallery,  and  of  the  elder  Keims, 
Hiesters,  Muhlenbergs,  Biddies,  Darlings,  Bells  and 
other  leading  citizens  of  the  old  borough  half  a 
century  ago.  He  had  a  strong  taste  for  the  natu- 
ral sciences,  which,  by  force  of  example  and  early 
training,  was  imparted  to  his  children.  William 
turned  his  attention  especially  to  ornithology 
and  mineralogy,  and  collected  many  valuable  spec- 
imens now  in  the  Smithsonian  Institution  at  Wash- 
ington. Spencer  F.  Baird,  the  second  son,  is  now 
and  has  for  many  years  been  the  secretary  of  the 
Smithsonian  Institution,  and  as  a  scientist,  espe- 
cially in  the  department  of  fishes,  is  world-re- 
nowned. Samuel,  another  son,  died  about  a  year 
ago  at  Carlisle,  Pa. 


William  M.  Baird,  son  of  Samuel  and  Lydia 
(Biddle)  Baird,  was  born  in  Reading  August  4, 
1817.  His  early  education  was  obtained  at  the 
Reading  schools,  such  as  they  then  were.  His 
father  died  in  1833,  after  which  he  spent  a  year  at 
Nottingham  Academy,  Maryland.  He  entered 
Lafayette  College  in  1834,  and  after  remaining 
there  for  some  time,  was  transferred  to  Dickinson 
College,  where  his  mother  resided  at  the  time,  and 
where  he  graduated  in  1837,  in  the  twentieth  year 
of  his  age.  He  subsequently  attended  a  law  school 
at  Carlisle  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  there  in 
1840,  but  soon  after  removed  to  Gettysburg  to 
practice  his  profession.  In  1841  he  was  appointed 
to  a  clerkship  at  Washington  under  his  uncle, 
Hon.  Charles  B.  Penrose,  who  was  solicitor  of  the 
treasury  during  the  Harrison  and  Tyler  adminis- 
tration. He  held  this  place  until  1844,  when  he 
came  to  Reading  and  was  admitted  to  the  Berks 
County  bar,  April  12th  of  that  year,  and  at  once 
took  a  prominent  position  in  his  profession.  On 
the  2d  of  December,  1847,  he  was  married  to  Har- 
riet, daughter  of  Robert  W.  Holmes,  of  Cape  May 
County,  N.  J.  On  his  entrance  into  political  life 
he  identified  himself  with  the  Whig  party,  and 
was  one  of  the  leading  spirits  of  that  organization, 
and  of  the  Republican  party,  which  succeeded  it. 
In  1855  he  was  elected  mayor  of  Reading  by  a 
majority  of  seven  hundred  and  four,  one  of  the 
largest  majorities  ever  given  to  any  candidate  be- 
fore or  since  for  that  office.  His  administration  of 
the  city  government  was  noted  for  its  efficiency  ; 
but  after  a  year's  experience  of  its  annoyances  he 
refused  to  stand  as  a  candidate  for  re-election.  In 
1862  he  was  chosen  treasurer  of  the  old  Reading 
Water  Company  and  held  that  responsible  office 
until  the  city  purchased  and  took  charge  of  the 
works.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  in  1861, 
and  during  its  continuance,  he  was  earnest  in  sup- 
port of  the  Union  and  the  administration  of  Pres- 
ident Lincoln,  forming  one  of  the  coterie  of  stanch 
Republicans  and  Union  Democrats  in  his  native 
county  of  Berks  who  stood  by  the  government  in 
its  desperate  struggle  for  supremacy.  Though  his 
health  prevented  him  from  entering  the  army,  he 
did  all  he  could  by  voice  and  pen  to  strengthen 
and  uphold  the  government  and  flag  of  his  country 
and  was  a  wise  and  influential  counselor  during 
the  war.     So  prominent  and  valuable  were  his 


BENCH  AND  BAB, 


569 


services  in  this  direction  that  after  the  war  was 
over,  and  by  General  Grant  as  President,  he  was 
complimented  by  the  important  and  responsible 
appointment  to  the  collectorship  of  internal  reve- 
nue in  the  Eighth  or  Berks  District  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  which  office  he  served  with  marked 
ability  and  the  fidelity  and  integrity  consistent  with 
his  high  personal  character  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  October  19,  1872. 
Collector  Baird  inherited  from  his  ancestors  the 


ity  in  which  he  lived,  while  to  his  immediate  fam- 
ily he  was  all  that  a  husband  and  father  could  be. 
His  wife  still  survives,  as  do  a  son  and  daughter 
— Robert  and  Mary — who  reverence  his  memory 
and  honor  his  name. 

Isaac  High  Keim,  son  of  De  Benneville  Keim, 
was  born  in  Reading ;  was  graduated  from  Prince- 
ton College ;  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Reading, 
and  soon  after  his  admission  removed  to  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  where  he  successfully  practiced  his  profession 


Presbyterian  faith,  and  was  through  life  a  faithful 
and  consistent  member  of  the  Calvinistic  Church, 
having  filled  the  positions  of  the  eldership  and 
superintendent  of  the  Sabbath  school  of  the  First 
Church  of  that  denomination  in  Reading  for  many 
years.  He  was  of  a  tall  and  commanding  presence, 
possessed  of  a  fine  and  well-cultured  mind,  a  Chris- 
tian without  bigotry,  charitable  without  ostenta- 
tion, a  wise  counselor,  a  genial  companion,  a  good 
citizen  and  patriot  and  a  true  friend.  His  personal 
character  was  of  the  highest  order  and  won  for 
him  the  respect  and  esteem  of  the  entire  commun- 


and  attained  great  prominence,  and  in  which  city 
he  died  a  few  years  ago. 

Franklin  B.  Miller,  son  of  Hon.  John 
Miller,  a  State  Senator  from  this  district,  was  born 
in  Reading  November  12,  1831.  After  he  ac- 
quired a  preparatory  education  he  took  up  the 
study  of  law  and  was  admitted  to  practice 
December  14,  1844.  In  1851  he  was  elected 
alderman  of  the  North  Ward  of  Reading  and  twice 
re-elected,  and  held  that  office  until  his  death, 
December  13,  1865.  He  was  an  intelligent  and 
capable  magistrate. 


570 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Jacob  S.  Livingood  was  born  at  Womelsdorf, 
and  is  a  son  of  the  late  Dr.  John  B.  Livingood, 
for  many  years  a  prominent  physician  of  that 
town.  He  is  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  first  emi- 
grants who  located  in  the  Tulpehocken  settlement. 
His  preliminary  education  was  acquired  at  Womels- 
dorf Union  Academy  and  at  Franklin  Col- 
lege, Lancaster,  Pa.  He  then  entered  the  office  of 
Charles  Davis,  Esq.,  for  a  time  and  was  graduated 
from  the  Yale  Law  School  in  1845.  Returning  to 
Berks  County,  he  was  admitted  a  member  of  the 
bar  January  7,  1845,  and  soon  thereafter  began 
the  practice  of  the  law  in  co-partnership  with 
Robert  M.  Barr,  Esq.,  who  afterwards  became 
State  reporter.  Mr.  Livingood  has  continued 
uninterruptedly  in  the  pursuit  of  his  profession  at 
Reading  since  his  admission,  and  is  now  one  of  the 
oldest  active  practitioners  of  the  Berks  County 
bar. 

William  B.  Schoener  was  born  February  29> 
1813,  in  Reading;  attended  the  schools  of  his 
native  town,  under  the  instruction  of  Major 
Madara.  He  read  law  in  the  office  of  Jeremiah 
Hagenman,  now  president  judge  of  the  courts  of 
Berks  County,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  August 
15,1846.  He  continued  to  practice  his  profession 
until  his  death,  July  4,  1882. 

J.  De  Puy  Davis,  son  of  Charles  Davis,  Esq., 
was  born  in  Allentown  in  1826.  After  a  careful 
preparatory  education,  he  read  law  in  the  office  of 
his  father ;  then  attended  lectures  at  the  Hoffman 
Law  Institute,  in  Philadelphia,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  January  4,  1847.  Shortly  after  his 
admission  he  went  to  Mexico  as  a  private  in  the 
Third  Regiment  of  Kentucky  Volunteers,  and  re- 
turned at  the  conclusion  of  the  Mexican  War  as 
second  lieutenant  of  the  Eleventh  Infantry  of  the 
regular  army.  During  the  Civil  War  he  entered 
the  Union  army  as  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  One 
Hundred  and  Sixty-seventh  Regiment  of  Pennsyl- 
vania Volunteers.  When  the  commander  of  this 
regiment,  Colonel  Charles  Knoderer,  was  killed,  he 
was  promoted  to  the  position  of  colonel.  After  the 
close  of  the  war  Colonel  Davis  returned  to  Read- 
ing, and  in  1867  was  chosen  to  represent  Berks 
County  in  the  State  Senate,  and  occupied  that 
office  until  1873.  In  1874  he  went  to  Marshall, 
Texas,  and  was  for  six  years  solicitor  of  the  Texas 
and  Pacific  Railroad.   He  now  resides  in  Reading. 


James  May  Jones  was  born  in  Berks  County ; 
early  in  life  he  came  to  Reading  and  was  engaged 
with  Levi  Hiester  in  the  manufacture  of  hoes! 
read  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  January  5, 
1847.  He  practiced  for  a  short  time  and  then 
went  to  California  during  the  "  gold  fever."  He 
died  in  that  State  after  being  there  about  six 
months. 

Samuel  L.  Young  was  born  in  Rockland 
township,  Berks  County,  September  24,  1822,  and 
is  a  son  of  the  late  associate  judge,  Daniel  Young. 
He  attended  the  Bolmar  Academy,  in  West 
Chester,  where  he  received  a  preparatory  education, 
and  then  began  the  study  of  law  under  the  direc- 
tion of  William  Strong,  Esq.,  subsequently  judge 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  ;  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1847,  and  soon  became  a 
prominent  attorney.  In  1855  he  was  appointed  com- 
missioner of  the  Circuit  Court  of  the  United  States, 
and  still  continues  to  fill  that  office.  During  the 
Civil  War  he  was  appointed  chief  of  staff  to  Major- 
General  William  H.  Keim,  and  remained  with 
him  in  active  service  until  the  command  was  re- 
lieved. When  General  Lee  invaded  Pennsylvania 
the  first  time,  Major  Young  raised  an  independent 
cavalry  company  for  the  State  service,  and  retained 
the  command  of  it  until  after  the  battle  of  Antietam, 
when  the  company  returned  home.  In  1863  he 
entered  the  niilitary  service  as  chief  of  a  recon- 
noitering  party  of  cavalry,  and  continued  in  it  for 
several  months.  Upon  his  return  to  Reading  he 
resumed  his  legal  practice.  Mr.  Young  possesses 
a  fine  library ;  is  an  excellent  French  and  German 
scholar  and  a  gentlemen  of  fine  legal  attainments. 

A.  Lucius  Hennershotz  was  born  in  Alsace 
township,  now  Muhlenberg ;  came  to  Reading  when 
young ;  entered  upon  the  study  of  the  law  and  was 
admitted  November  11, 1847.  He  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession  for  about  ten  years,  and 
in  the  meantime  was  several  years  clerk  of  the  Se- 
lect Council.  He  then  moved  to  Philadelphia  and 
became  a  broker  and  conveyancer,  and  now  resides 
in  that  city. 

J.  Bright  Smith  was  born  at  Reading  in  1827 ; 
educated  in  the  schools  of  his  native  town  and  at 
the  University  of  Georgetown,  D.  C. ;  studied  law 
in  the  office  of  his  uncle,  Henry  W.  Smith,  Esq., 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  April  5,  1848  ;  prac- 
ticed at  Reading  for  a  few  years  and  then  moved 


BENCH  AND  BAR 


571 


to  Freeport,  111.,  where  he  continued  in  his  profes- 
sion until  his  removal  to  Denver.  He  there  was 
elected  one  of  the  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court, 
under  the  territorial  government  of  Colorado,  and 
afterward  practiced  his  profession  in  Denver  for  a 
number  of  years.  He  is  now  a  resident  of  Reading. 

William  F.  Filbert,  was  a  son  of  Peter  Filbert, 
Esq.,  with  whom  he  read  law,  and  was  admitted 
August  9,  1848.  After  practicing  his  profession 
for  about  ten  years  he  died,  unmarried. 

A.  Jordan  Swartz  was  born  in  1825.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  of  Berks  County  September 
12,  1848.  After  practicing  law  nine  years,  he 
was  elected  mayor  of  Beading  by  the  Democratic 
party  and  held  the  office  for  one  term.  In  1859 
he  received  the  appointment  of  a  clerkship  in  the 
Treasury  Department  at  Washington  and  shortly 
thereafter  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  Second 
Auditor  of  the  Treasury,  which  position  he  held 
until  his  death,  in  July,  1865. 

Joel  B.  Wanner  was  born  in  Maxatawny 
township,  Berks  County,  March  5,  1821.  He 
worked  on  his  father's  farm  and  taught  school 
until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  after  which  he  en- 
tered Marshall  College  and  was  graduated  from  that 
institution  in  1846;  read  law  under  the  direction 
of  Hon.  William  Strong  and  was  admitted  to  prac- 
tice in  Berks  County  in  1849.  He  was  elected 
mayor  of  Reading  in  1856,  and  in  1858  was  the 
Democratic  candidate  for  Congress,  to  fill  the  un- 
expired term  of  Hon.  J.  Glancy  Jones.  In  1861 
he  was  again  elected  mayor,  and  in  1862,  while 
holding  that  position,  he  entered  the  army  as 
major  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  and  partici- 
pated in  the  battles  of  South  Mountain  and  Antie- 
tani.  During  the  same  year  he  was  again  a  can- 
didate for  Congress.  He  had  an  extensive  legal 
practice ;  was  at  one  time  largely  interested  in  real 
estate  matters.  He  was  an  estimable  gentleman, 
congenial  companion  and  a  warm  friend  to  ail  who 
knew  him.  In  1851  he  married  Miss  Anna  L. 
Zieber,  daughter  of  Philip  Zieber,  Esq.,  of  this 
city.    His  wife  and  four  children  survive  him. 

Jacob  M.  Sallade,  a  native  of  Reading,  read 
law  with  his  brother,  Andrew  M.  Sallade,  Esq., 
and  was  admitted  April  6,  1849.  He  practiced 
his  profession  and  was  for  many  years  a  notary 
public.    He  died  while  yet  a  young  man. 


Charles  B.  Weaver  was  born  in  Berks  Coun- 
ty, near  Weavertown.  He  became  a  member  of 
the  bar  November  9, 1850,  practiced  law  for  a  few 
years  and  then  engaged  with  his  father,  near  his 
home,  in  the  iron  business,  and  died  while  thus 
employed. 

William  Edmund  Banks,  son  of  Judge  Banks, 
read  law  with  his  father,  practiced  here  for  a  time 
and  then  moved  to  Mercer  County,  Pa.,  where 
he  continued  in  his  profession  until  his  death. 

Albert  G.  Green,  son  of  John  Green,  a  mer- 
chant of  Reading,  was  born  in  1828.  He  ob- 
tained a  preparatory  education  in  the  schools 
of  his  native  city  and  then  entered  Yale  College, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1849.  He 
studied  law  in  the  office  of  Hon.  David  F.  Gor- 
don, and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  November  11, 
1851,  since  which  time  he  has  been  actively  and 
successfully  engaged  in  practice  at  Reading. 
He  served  as  city  auditor  during  the  years  1856-57, 
and  as  city  solicitor  for  one  term,  from  1857  to 
1859.  For  a  period  of  eight  years  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  of  School  Controllers,  officiating 
as  president  of  that  body  for  two  years. 

Edmond  L.  Smith  was  born  October  23, 1829, 
and  is  a  son  of  the  late  George  Smith  and  grand- 
son of  Hon.  Frederick  Smith,  judge  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Pennsylvania.  He  obtained  his  elemen- 
tary education  at  the  Reading  Academy  and 
afterward  entered  the  University  of  Georgetown, 
D.  C ,  where  he  was  graduated  at  the  age  of 
nineteen,  taking  the  second  honor  of  his  class. 
He  studied  law  in  the  office  of  his  uncle,  Henry 
W.  Smith,  and  Edward  P.  Pearson,  Esqs.,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  November  11,  1851.  In 
1858  he  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature  from 
Berks  County.  When  the  Civil  War  opened  he 
joined  the  army  with  Ringgold's  Battery  as  a 
private.  Owing  to  the  large  number  of  men 
desiring  to  enlist  in  this  company,  another  company 
was  formed  and  Mr.  Smith  was  chosen  its  captain, 
but  was  transferred  to  the  regular  army  by  a 
captain's  commission  dated  May  14,  1861,  and, 
excepting  a  year  of  captivity,  was  in  the  military 
service  to  the  end  of  the  war.  In  the  East  he 
served  under  General  McClellan  in  the  battles  of 
the  Peninsula,  South  Mountain  and  Antietam,  and 
under  General  Burnside  at  Fredericksburg.  In 
these  engagements  he  commanded  a  battalion  of 


572 


HISTOEY  OP  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


his  regiment.  In  the  following  spring  he  was 
ordered  with  his  regiment  to  join  General  Rose- 
crans  in  the  West,  and  was  captured  at  the  battle 
of  Chickamauga,  September  20, 1863.  During  the 
second  day  of  this  battle,  the  command  of  the 
regiment  devolved  upon  him,  and  whilst  leading  it 
to  repel  the  enemy's  assault,  his  horse  was  shot 
from  under  him.  He  received  a  major's  brevet 
for  bravery  and  meritorious  conduct  on  this  occa- 
sion. For  nearly  thirteen  months  he  was  in  Libby 
and  other  Southern  prisons.  Whilst  in  Libby  he 
was  engaged  with  others  for  sixty  days  in  the 
construction  of  a  tunnel,  through  which,  on  a  dark 
night  in  February,  one  hundred  and  ten  prisoners 
passed  into  freedom,  but  only  for  a  time ;  for  within 
three  weeks  one-half  of  the  fugitives,  of  which  he 
was  one,  were  recaptured  and  for  two  weeks  placed 
in  a  dungeon,  on  an  allowance  of  bread  and  water. 
Subsequently,  in  May,  whilst  en  route  to  Anderson- 
ville,  he  jumped  from  the  car  with  three  of  his 
companions,  at  night,  and  remained  out  upwards 
of  six  weeks,  lurking  in  the  swamps  of  Georgia 
and  subsisting  upon  berries  and  raw  rice.  He  was 
recaptured  with  his  comrades  on  an  island  in  the 
Savannah  River,  where  they  had  taken  refuge  from 
a  close  pursuit  made  with  dogs.  This  was  follow- 
ed by  another  dungeon  sojourn  on  meagre  diet  in  the 
Charleston  jail.  It  was  whilst  confined  here  that 
he  was  visited  by  Major  Edmund  Deslonde,  of 
the  Confederate  army  an  old  school-mate  and 
fellow-graduate,  through  whose  good  offices  he  was 
finally  paroled  and  subsequently  exchanged  in 
October,  1864. 

In  1867  he  resigned  his  commission  in  the 
army,  and  associated  -himself  with  his  brother, 
Hon.  J.  Bright  Smith,  in  the  practice  of  the  law 
at  Denver,  Col.,  where  he  now  resides.  During 
his  residence  in  Denver  he  has  several  times  repre- 
sented the  strong  Republican  county  of  Arapahoe 
in  the  Legislature,  though  himself  a  Democrat. 

On  his  brother's  retirement  from  the  practice  he 
united  with  Judge  Wells,  formerly  of  the  Colorado 
Supreme  Court,  and  Hon.  Thomas  Mason,  in  the 
well-known  legal  firm  of  Wells,  Smith  &  Mason, 
with  which  he  is  now  connected. 

Charles  K.  Robeson  was  born  in  Berks 
County;  admitted  to  the  Reading  bar  April  8, 
1852,  and  soon  became  prominent  as  a  lawyer  be- 
fore a  jury,  in  which  practice  he  had  few  equals. 


Charles  Oscar  Wagner  was  born  in  Leip- 
sic,  Germany,  in  1824.  He  came  to  Reading 
when  a  young  man  and  was  dependent  upon  his 
own  energies  for  support.  He  first  engaged  in 
teaching  the  German  language  for  several  years, 
and,  after  the  necessary  preparations,  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  on  November  5,  1852.  During  the 
Confederate  invasion,  in  1863,  he  enlisted  as  an 
officer  in  the  Ringgold  Artillery,  and,  while  in 
the  service,  contracted  typhoid  fever,  from  the  ef- 
fect of  which  he  died  September  6,  1863,  aged 
thirty-nine  years. 

Michael  P.  Boyer  was  born  September  13, 
1831,  at  Gibraltar  Forge  ;  acquired  a  preparatory 
education  in  Bernville  ;  came  to  Reading  in  1849 
and  served  as  an  assistant  in  the  prothonotary's 
office  for  three  years.  He  pursued  the  study  of 
the  law  under  the  direction  of  H.  W.  Smith  and 
J.  Pringle,  Esqs.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
August  8,  1853 ;  was  a  member  of  the  Legisla- 
ture in  1860.  He  died  August  29,  1867,  at  the 
early  age  of  thirty-five  years. 

Wharton  Morris,  son  of  Thomas  Morris, 
Esq.,  is  a  native  of  Reading.  After  acquiring  a 
preliminary  education,  he  pursued  the  study  of 
the  law  under  the  instruction  of  William  B. 
Heiskill,  Esq.,  of  Philadelphia,  and  in  the  office 
of  his  father.  Having  completed  the  required 
course,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  November  15, 
1854,  and  has  since  practiced  in  Reading.  During 
the  years  1860-61-62  he  was  solicitor  for  the  di- 
rectors of  the  poor  of  Berks  County,  and  after- 
wards served  as  District  Attorney  from  1865  to 
1868 

F.  Leap  Smith,  son  of  the  late  Henry  W. 
Smith  and  grandson  of  Judge  Frederick  Smith,  was 
born  in  Reading,  attended  the  schools  of  his  native 
place,  and  was  graduated  from  Georgetown  College, 
D.  C,  in  1854,  taking  all  the  leading  honors  of 
his  class.  He  read  law  in  the  office  of  his  father 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  November  10, 1855. 
He  has  lately  retired  from  practice,  devoting  his 
time  to  his  private  affairs. 

Amos  B.  Wanner  was  born  in  1831  in  Maxa- 
tawny  township,  Berks  County.  His  preliminary 
education  was  acquired  in  a  private  academy  near 
his  native  place,  and  at  Port  Royal  Seminary,  in 
Philadelphia.  He  then  pursued  the  study  of  the 
law,  under  the  instruction  of  his  brother,  J.  B. 


BENCH  AND  BAR. 


573 


Wanner,  Esq.,  and  Hon.  J.  Glancy  Jones,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  January  12,  1857.  He 
has  since  practiced  at  Heading.  Mr.  Wanner 
represented  Berks  County  in  the  Pennsylvania 
House  of  Representatives  in  1875  and  1876,  and 
was  a  delegate  to  the  National  Democratic  Con- 
vention which  met  at  St.  Louis  in  1876. 

David  P.  Green,  son  of  John  and  Catharine 
Green,  and  brother  of  Albert  G.  Green,  Esq.,  was 
born  in  Reading  December  22,  1831.  He  ac- 
quired a  preliminary  education  in  the  schools  of 
his  native  place  and  was  graduated  from  Yale  Col- 
lege in  1852.  He  read  law  under  the  direction  of 
John  S.  Richards,  Esq. ;  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1855,  and  soon  afterward  began  the  practice  of 
his  profession  at  Pottsville.  From  1862  to  1865 
he  served  in  the  Union  army.  In  1867  a  sepa- 
rate Criminal  Court  was  established  in  Schuylkill 
County,  of  which  Governor  Geary  appointed  him 
judge.  The  same  year  he  was  elected  for  a  term 
of  ten  years,  during  which  time  the  court,  origi- 
nated for  a  special  purpose,  was  abolished,  and 
he  became  additional  law  judge  for  the  balance 
of  the  term. 

B.  Fkank  Boyee  was  born  September  13, 
1835,  at  Bernville,  Berks  County.  In  184S  he 
came,  with  his  parents,  to  Reading,  and  attended 
the  public  schools  until  1853,  when  the  family  re- 
moved to  Jefferson  County,  Pa.  In  1856  he 
returned  to  Reading  and  became  a  clerk  in  the 
prothonotary's  office,  and,  in  the  mean  time,  read 
law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  March  15, 1857, 
and  practiced  his  profession  until  his  death,  No- 
vember 28,  1873. 

James  B.  Bechtel  is  a  native  of  Northum- 
berland bounty ,  Pa.,  and  was  born  May  10,  1832. 
At  the  age  of  fifteen  years  he  removed  to  Kutz- 
town,  and  was  apprenticed  there  to  learn  the 
trade  of  a  saddler.  In  the  meantime  he  attended 
night-school,  afterwards  taught  school  for  a  few 
terms,  and  then,  attended  Franklin  and  Marshall 
College.  In  1855  he  was  chosen  principal  of  Lee 
Seminary,  on  South  Fifth  Street,  Reading,  and, 
while  occupying  that  position,  read  law  under  the 
instruction  of  Samuel  L.  Young,  Esq.,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  April  14,  1857.  He  served  as 
district  attorney  of  Berks  County  from  1859  to 
1862. 

Charles  Philip  Muhlenberg  was  born  at 


Lancaster,  Pa.,  November  24,  1838,  and  was  the 
fifth  son  of  Dr.  F.  A.  Muhlenberg.  He  was  in- 
structed for  some  years  at  home  and  then  obtained 
a  common-school  education  in  his  native  city.  In 
1853  entered  the  sophomore  class  in  Pennsylvania 
College  at  Gettysburg,  and  was  graduated  from  that 
institution  in  1856  ;  began  the  study  of  law  with  Na- 
thaniel Ellmaker,  Esq.,  of  Lancaster,  but  concluded 
his  legal  studies  in  the  office  of  Hon.  J.  Pringle 
Jones,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Berks  County  bar  in 
1859.  He  practiced  his  profession  in  Reading 
April,  until  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War,  when,  in 
1861,  he  became  a  member  of  the  Ringgold  Light 
Artillery.  The  following  month  he  was  commis- 
sioned as  first  lieutenant  in  the  Fifth  United  States 
Artillery  Regiment.  He  served  as  an  officer  of 
artillery  during  the  whole  of  the  war.  He  received 
the  brevet  of  captain  for  services  in  the  Peninsula 
campaign  ;  he  received  the  brevet  of  major  for 
gallant  conduct  at  the  battle  of  Antietam  ;  he  was 
in  the  campaign  of  the  Wilderness  and  of  Peters- 
burg under  General  Grant,  and  resigned  from  the 
army  at  the  close  of  1867  to  resume  the  practice  of 
his  profession  in  Reading.  He  died  January, 
1872,  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-four  years. 

William  H.  Livingood,  a  son  of  Dr.  John 
Livingood,  was  born  at  Womelsdorf  April  5, 1837. 
He  was  educated  at  the  Union  Academy,  in  Wo- 
melsdorf, and  at  the  Phillips  Academy,  in  Andover, 
Mass.,  was  graduated  from  the  former  in  1851 
and  from  the  latter  in  1855.  Before  entering  the 
Phillips  Academy  he  taught  school  for  several 
years  in  Heidelberg  township.  Afterward  he  at- 
tended law  lectures  at  Harvard  College  and  was 
admitted  to  practice  law  at  Lowell,  Middlesex 
County,  Mass.,  on  motion  of  General  B.  F.  Butler. 
Upon  r  turning  home  he  was  admitted  to  the 
Berks  County  bar  January  19,  1860.  He  has 
practiced  his  profession  since  at  Reading,  excepting 
an  interval  of  six  years,  from  1873  to  1879,  when 
he  resided  at  Philadelphia,  and  where  he  was  ad- 
mitted for  that  purpose.  In  1874  he  was  admitted 
to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  at 
Washington,  D.  C,  on  motion  of  Hon.  Jeremiah 
S.  Black.  In  September,  1862,  Mr.  Livingood 
was  a  private  in  the  Independent  Cavalry  Com- 
pany from  Berks  County,  commanded  by  Major 
S.  L.  Young. 

J.  George  Seltzer  was  born  at  Womelsdorf; 


574 


HISTOKY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


attended  the  Harvard  Law  School,  was  admit- 
ted to  the  bar  at  Boston,  and  returning  to  Berks 
County,  he  became  a  member  of  the  Reading  bar 
February  5,  1861.  After  practicing  here  about 
twenty  years  he  removed  to  Boston,  where  he  con- 
tinues in  his  profession. 

Abner  K.  Stauffer  was  born  October  11, 
1836,  at  Boyertown,  Berks  County ;  acquired  a 
preliminary  education  at  Mount  Pleasant  Semi- 
nary, in  his  native  town,  which  institution  his 
father,  Judge  Stauffer,  instituted  in  1850.  He 
was  graduated  from  Franklin  and  Marshall  Col- 
lege, at  Lancaster,  in  the  class  of  1858  ;  removed 
to  Reading  in  1860  ;  read  law  in  the  office  of  John 
S.  Richards,  Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
April  15,  1861;  was  a  member  of  City  Council- 
from  1869  to  1871,  from  1873  to  1877,  and  from 
1881  to  1884;  and  was  president  of  Common 
Council  for  the  year  1873. 

Edward  H.  Shearer  was  born  in  Berks 
County  January  10,  1836.  He  obtained  a  good 
common-school  and  academical  education  ;  read 
law  in  the  office  of  Charles  Davis,  Esq.,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  Berks  County  bar  August  15  1861 ; 
was  district  attorney  of  the  courts  of  Berks  County 
from  1868  to  1871,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Sen- 
ate of  Pennsylvania  from  1880  to  1884. 

John  Ralston  was  born  in  1834,  in  Lancas- 
ter County,  Pa. ;  acquired  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  place,  in  Hunsicker  Academy, 
at  Trappe,  Pa.,  and  at  Strasburg  Academy,  at 
Strasburg,  Pa. ;  read  law  in  the  office  of  Amos 
B.  Wanner,  Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
August  14, 1862. 

William  P.  Bard,  son  of  Adam  Bard,  a  retired 
hardware  merchant,  was  born  at  Ephrata,  Lan- 
caster County,  March  20,  1839,  and  removed, 
with  his  father,  to  Reading  in  1854.  He  entered  the 
Reading  High  School  and  was  graduated  in  1858. 
After  spending  two  years  at  Union  College, 
Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  he  entered  the  office  of  Hon. 
John  Banks,  studied  law  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  February  9,  1863,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  engaged  in  active  practice  at  Reading. 

Charles  Henry  Jones,  son  of  Hon.  J. 
Glancy  Jones,  of  Reading,  Pa.,  was  born  Septem- 
ber 13,  1837.  He  was  educated  as  a  civil  engi- 
neer in  the  Rensellaer  Polytechnic  Institute,  at 
Troy,  N.  Y.,  and  served  in  the  engineer  corps  in 


the  location  and  construction  of  the  East  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad.  In  1869  he  accompanied  his 
father,  who  had  been  appointed  United  States 
minister  to  Austria,  and  served  as  attache  to  the 
legation  in  1861.  Having  returned  to  America, 
he  studied  law  under  his  father's  instruction  and 
was  admitted  to  the  Reading  bar  in  April,  1863. 
In  the  same  year  he  removed  to  Philadelphia, 
where  he  has  since  actively  practiced  his  profes- 
sion. He  was  solicitor  to  the  Park  commission- 
ers during  the  laying  out  of  Fairmount  Park,  from 
1869  to  1874 ;  was  the  candidate  of  the  Democratic 
party  for  city  solicitor  of  Philadelphia  in  1874 ; 
counsel  for  the  Department  of  Protection,  Centen- 
nial Exposition  of  1876  ;  and  is  at  present  (1886) 
special  deputy-collector  of  the  port  of  Philadel- 
phia. He  was  prominent  as  counsel  in  many  of 
the  notable  contested  election  cases  in  the  Phila- 
delphia courts  during  the  past  ten  years.  He  is 
the  author  of  a  number  of  works  of  history  and 
fiction,  among  them  the  "  History  of  the  Campaign 
for  the  Conquest  of  Canada  in  1776,"  in  which 
several  companies  from  Berks  County  figured  con- 
spicuously, under  the  command  of  his  great-grand- 
father, Colonel  Jonathan  Jones. 

Richmond  Legh  Jones  was  born  February  17, 
1840,  in  the  fifth  generation  of  his  family,  in 
Berks  County.  He  was  prepared  to  enter  Yale 
College  in  1 858,  but  the  disturbance  between  the 
United  States  and  Paraguay  having  culminated  in 
that  year,  he  accepted  the  invitation  of  Captain 
Ridgely  to  accompany  the  United  States  naval 
expedition  against  Lopez,  as  captain's  clerk  of  the 
gunboat  "  Atalanta,"  visiting  the  West  Indies,  Cen- 
tral America  and  Brazil,  and  ascending  the  Par- 
ana River  one  thousand  miles  into  the  interior  of 
South  America.  Upon  the  organization  of  the 
sailors  of  the  fleet  into  a  military  force  for  opera- 
tions on  land,  he  was  appointed  second  lieutenant 
of  one  of  the  companies  formed  of  the  crew  of  the 
"  Atalanta." 

Peace  having  been  concluded  with  Paraguay,  the 
expedition  returned  the  following  year,  and  he 
then  joined  his  father,  the  Hon.  J.  Glancy  Jones, 
United  States  minister  to  Austria,  at  Vienna,  and 
soon  thereafter  entered  the  University  of  Hiedel- 
berg,  Germany,  where  he  was  graduated  in  1861. 
Returning  to  America,  he  studied  law  under  the 
instruction  of  his  father,  and  was  admitted  to  the 


BENCH  AND  BAH. 


575 


Reading  bar  April  23,  1863.  In  1862  he  joined 
Captain  Hunter's  company  of  Pennsylvania  Vol- 
unteers, which  was  of  the  force  that  held  Hagers- 
town  during  the  battle  of  Antietara.  In  1863  he 
was  captain  of  Company  A,  Fifty-third  Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers.  In  1866  he  was  elected 
to  the  Legislature  from  Berks  County,  and  was  re- 
elected in  1867  and  1868.  In  1868  he  received 
the  unanimous  nomination  of  the  Democratic 
party  for  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives, 
and,  although  his  party  was  in  the  minority,  he 
was  given,  in  a  triangular  contest,  the  highest 
number  of  votes  for  forty-five  ballots.  Mr.  Jones, 
retiring  from  politics,  resumed  and  continues  the 
practice  of  his  profession  at  the  Reading  bar. 

Daniel  E.  Shroedee,  son  of  John  S.  Shroe- 
der,  Esq.,  sheriff  of  Berks  County  from  1847  to 
1850,  was  bom  at  Reading,  attended  the  public 
schools  and  was  graduated  from  the  Reading 
High  School  in  1859 ;  read  law  in  the  office 
of  J.  Hagenman  (now  president  judge)  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  April  23,  1863,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  in  active  practice  at 
Reading. 

Charles  Leopold,  son  of  Augustus  Leopold, 
a  prominent  farmer,  was  born  in  Union  township  ; 
studied  law  in  the  office  of  Hon.  John  Banks,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  April  23,  1863.  He  en- 
listed in  the  Civil  War,  and,  while  in  the  army 
contracted  a  disease  from  which  he  died  at 
Reading. 

J.  Warren  Tryon,  son  of  Dr.  John  Tryon,  was 
born  at  Rehrersburg,  Berks  County ;  entered  upon 
the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  John  S.  Rich- 
ards, Esq..;  attended  the  Harvard  Law  School, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  June  14,  1863.  He 
took  an  active  interest  in  county  politics  and 
served,  for  a  time,  as  chairman  of  the  Republican 
County  Committee ;  he  filled  the  office  of  solicitor 
for  the  county  commissioner  for  the  year  1875, 
having  been  the  first  and  only  Republican  who 
occupied  that  position. 

J.  Howard  Jacobs,  son  of  Samuel  Jacobs,  a 
prominent  farmer  and  a  descendant  of  one  of  the 
earliest  families  of  the  Conestoga  Valley,  was  born 
in  Caernarvon  township,  Berks  County ;  was  edu- 
cated in  the  schools  of  his  native  township  and 
at  the  Millersville  State  Normal  School,  of  which 
he  was  one  of  the  first  pupils.      He   then   re- 


moved to  Reading,  studied  law  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Hon.  John  Banks,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  November  14,  1863.  He  served  as  city 
solicitor  for  the  years  1873-74,  and  took  a  prom- 
inent part  in  the  educational  affairs  of  the  city, 
having  represented  the  Seventh  Ward  in  the 
Board  of  School  Controllers  for  many  years.  He  is 
now  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Key- 
stone State  Normal  School.  He  has  been  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  Republican  party  for 
upwards  of  twenty  years,  in  1880  was  its  nominee 
for  Congress,  and  in  1882  was  favorably  mentioned 
as  a  candidate  for  Lieutenant-Governor  of  Penn- 
sylvania. 

Mr.  Jacobs  purchased  a  tract  of  land  at  Mor- 
gantown,  laid  it  out  as  a  cemetery  and  erected  in 
the  centre  of  it  a  fine  large  monument. 

Israel  C.  Becker  was  born  in  Alsace  township, 
February  22,  1842;  attended  the  West  Chester 
Military  Academy,  and  was  graduated  from  Dick- 
inson College  in  1859,  and  from  the  Albany  Law 
University  in  1861;  joined  the  Fourth  Pennsyl- 
vania Volunteers  on  May  7,  1861 ;  was  promoted 
to  first  lieutenant  of  Company  F,  in  the  Third 
Pennsylvania  Reserves ;  was  mustered  out  of 
service  with  the  rank  of  major  and  assistant 
adjutant-general  in  1864  ;  commenced  to  practice 
law  in  Reading  after  his  return  from  the  war. 

Horace  A.  Yundt,  a  son  of  Henry  Yundt, 
was  born  in  East  Earl  township,  Lancaster  County, 
June  5,  1839  ;  obtained  a  preparatory  education  in 
the  public  schools  and  then  entered  Franklin  and 
Marshall  College  from  which  institution  he  was 
graduated  in  1859.  He  engaged  in  teaching  at 
the  Mount  Joy  Academy  and  Paradise  Academy, 
in  Lancaster  County,  for  two  years,  when  he 
enlisted  in  the  army  and  commanded  Company  B, 
of  the  One  Hundred  and  Seventy-eighth  Regiment 
of  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  of  nine  months'  men ; 
at  the  termination  of  this  time  he  read  law  in  the 
office  of  Hon.  John  Banks  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  at  Reading  August  9,  1864,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  actively  engaged  in  the  duties  of 
his  profession.  In  1879  he  was  the  nominee  for 
judge  on  the  Republican  ticket. 

Charles  H.  Schaeffer  was  born  at  Columbus, 
Ohio,  on  August  4,  1840.  He  was  the  son  of  the 
late  Rev.  C.  F.  Schaeffer,  D.D.,  president  of  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Seminary  of  Philadelphia, 


576 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


and  was  educated  at  Pennsylvania  College,  Gettys- 
burg, where  he  was  graduated  in  1860,  when  he 
came  to  Reading  and  for  two  years  conducted  a 
classical  academy,  and  during  the  two  following 
years  was  principal  of  one  of  the  city  grammar 
schools. 

He  served  in  the  Forty-second  Regiment  Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers ;  he  read  law  with  Hon. 
Daniel  Ermentrout,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Berks 
County  bar  on  August  9,  1864.  Since  his  admis- 
sion he  has  resided  in  Reading  in  continuous 
practice.  He  has  always  been  identified  with  the 
Democratic  party ;  has  been  a  representative  in 
National,  State  and  County  Conventions,  but  has 
never  been  a  candidate  for  public  office,  with  the 
exception  of  having  served  as  a  member  of  City 
Councils  and  the  Board  of  Health. 

Fbanklin  B.  Laucks,  son  of  Benjamin  Laucks, 
was  born  in  Oley  township,  and  there  attended  the 
public  schools ;  read  law  in  the  office  of  B.  Frank 
Boyer,  Esq.,  of  Reading,  and  was  admitted  August 
13,  1864;  practiced  at  Reading  with  success  until 
the  time  of  his  death. 

William  M.  Goodman  was  born  December 
10,  1836,  in  Cumru  township,  Berks  County ;  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  and  the  Philoma- 
thean  Institute  at  Birdsboro' ;  taught  school  for 
five  years  in  the  county  and  came  to  Reading  in 
1862.  He  read  law  in  the  offices  of  Jacob  S.  and 
William  H.  Livingood,  Esqs.,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  August  13,  1864.  In  1866  he  was 
elected  city  auditor  for  the  term  of  three  years,  and 
in  187?  was  elected  district  attorney. 

Edwin  Shaltee,  a  son  of  Jonas  Shalter,  was 
born  near  Tuckerton,  Berks  County;  graduated 
from  Franklin  and  Marshall  College;  read  law 
under  the  direction  of  Jacob  S.  Livingood,  Esq., 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  August  13,  1864; 
practiced  his  profession  at  Reading  with  success 
until  his  death,  a  few  years  since. 

Louis  Richaeds,  son  of  John  Richards  (a 
native  of  Amity  township,  Berks  County,  of 
Welsh  descent,  who  became  a  prominent  iron 
manufacturer),  was  born  at  Gloucester  Furnace,  in 
Atlantic  County,  N.  J.,  on  May  6,  1842.  He  re- 
ceived an  academical  education,  and  then  removing 
to  Reading,  began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of 
John  S.  Richards,  Esq.  (a  cousin).  He  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  January  16,  1865.     In  1869  he 


engaged  in  the  newspaper  business  as  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  J.  Knabb  &  Co.,  publishers  of  the 
Daily  Times  and  weekly  Journal  He  continued 
practically  engaged  in  journalism  for  three  years 
and  then  resumed  the  practice  of  law. 

Mr.  Richards  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  the 
municipal  affairs  of  Reading  for  a  number  of 
years.  He  represented  the  First  Ward  of  Reading 
in  Common  Council  from  1875  to  1878,  and  whilst 
serving  in  this  position  compiled  the  laws  and 
ordinances  relating  to  Reading,  which  were  pub- 
lished in  the  form  of  a  "  City  Digest"  in  1876  by 
Councils,  and  ten  years  afterward  he  supervised 
the  publication  of  a  revised  edition.  In  1876-77 
he  served  as  secretary  of  the  Municipal  Commis- 
sion of  Pennsylvania,  which  was  specially  appointed 
by  Governor  Hartranft  for  the  purpose  of  prepar- 
ing a  plan  for  the  better  government  of  cities  in 
the  State.  In  1884  he  received  the  nomination 
for  Congress  on  the  Republican  ticket. 

Ikenaeus  Shaltee,  son  of  Benjamin  Shalter, 
was  born  in  Alsace  township ;  educated  in  the 
township  schools,  and  then  entered  Franklin  and 
Marshall  College,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in 
1863 ;  studied  law  in  the  office  of  Jacob  S.  Liv- 
ingood, Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  Jan- 
uary 16,  1865. 

J.  Ross  Millee  was  born  at  Reading,  Decem- 
ber 5, 1841;  educated  in  the  local  schools;  enlisted 
in  Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty -eighth 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers ;  was  wounded 
at  the  battle  of  Antietam  and  discharged  from  the 
service  while  in  the  Reading  Hospital.  He  then 
studied  law  in  the  office  of  William  M.  Baird, 
Esq.,  and  was  admitted  August  7,  1865. 

J.  Dallas  Schoener  was  born  and  educated 
at  Reading  ;  read  law  with  his  uncle,  William  B. 
Schoener,  Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Reading 
bar  August  7,  1865. 

Haerison  Maltzbeeger,  son  of  John  Maltz- 
berger,  was  born  at  Reading ;  graduated  from  the 
Reading  High  School  in  the  year  1856 ;  studied 
law  under  Hon.  J.  Glancy  Jones  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  August  7,  1865.  Mr.  Maltz- 
berger  took  an  active  interest  in  educational 
affairs,  having  represented  the  Fourth  Ward  in  the 
Board  of  School  Controllers  for  a  number  of  years 
and  acted  as  chairman  on  the  finance  committee. 
He  has  been  the  register   in  bankruptcy  for  the 


BENCH  AND  BAE. 


577 


Berks  District  for  about  twenty  years.  He  was 
1  he  Republican  nominee  for  Congress  some  years 
ago. 

Peter  D.  Wanner,  son  of  William  Wanner,  a 
farmer,  was  born  in  Maxatawny  township,  and 
educated  in  local  schools,  Union  Seminary  (Union 
County,  Pa.),  and  Franklin  and  Marshall  College 
at  Lancaster,  Pa.,  graduating  from  the  latter  in- 
stitution in  1865.  Before  graduating  he  took  up 
the  study  of  law  under  Isaac  E.  Hiester,  Esq.,  at 
Lancaster,  where  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Sep- 
tember 1865.  Upon  returning  home  he  located  at 
Reading  and  was  admitted  to  practice  November  4, 
1865.  In  1871  Mr.  Wanner  was  elected  district 
attorney ;  he  served  one  term  of  three  years, 
till  1874,  and  officiated  as  solicitor  to  the  county 
commissioners  for  the  years  1877  and  1878.  He 
acted  as  chairman  of  the  City  Executive  Com- 
mittee of  Democratic  party  in  Reading  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  In  1878  he  ran  for  Congress  against 
Hon.  Hiester  Clymer,  having  made  numerous  ad- 
dresses in  every  section  of  the  county  by  appoint- 
ment previous  to  the  delegate  election,  and  the 
choice  of  delegates  was  closely  contested.  Though 
not  elected,  he  awakened  great  interest  in  the  cam- 
paign. In  1879  he  became  interested  in  the  manu- 
facturing business,  and  connected  himself  with  the 
Mellett  Brothers,  founders.  He  is  now  serving  as 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Mellett  Foundry 
and  Machine  Company  (Limited)  and  also  of  the 
Reading  Foundry  Company  (Limited),  large  enter- 
prises mentioned  in  the  chapter  on  Industries.  Mr. 
Wanner  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  the  Read- 
ing Board  of  Trade  since  its  organization. 

Llewellyn  Wanner,  son  of  J.  Daniel  Wan- 
ner, ex-register  of  Berks  County,  was  born  in  Kutz- 
town  and  graduated  from  Franklin  and  Marshall 
College ;  read  law  with  his  uncle,  Amos  B. Wanner, 
Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  August,  1866 ; 
after  practicing  law  for  a  number  of  years,  he  re- 
moved to  the  State  of  Illinois,  where  he  continued 
the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  was  president  of 
the  Common  Council  of  Reading  from  1871  to 
1873. 

William  M.  Rightmyer  was  born  October  10, 

1842,  at  Springs  Forge,  Berks  County,  attended 

common  schools  and  was  prepared  for  college  under 

the  instruction  of  Rev.  J.  S.  Ermentrout.    He  was 

graduated  from  Pennsylvania  College,  at  Gettys- 
54 


burg,  with  the  class  of  1865;  read  law  in  the  office 
of  William  M.  Baird,  Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  Bar  in  1867.  He  was  a  school  director  of 
Reading  from  1868  to  1877  and  secretary  of  the 
board  for  four  years.  He  was  city  solicitor  from 
1874  to  1875,  and  attorney  for  directors  of  the 
poor  of  Berks  County  for  five  years. 

George  M.  Ermentrout,  son  of  Henry  Er- 
mentrout, was  born  at  Reading  October  13,  1840  ; 
attended  the  public  and  private  schools  of  his  na- 
tive place  and  a  seminary  for  boys  at  Norristown, 
Pa. ;  read  law  in  the  office  of  Hon.  Daniel  Ermen- 
trout ;  was  admitted  to  the  bar  November  27, 
1867,  and  has  since  practiced  at  Reading;  served 
as  school  controller,  and  was  elected  alderman  of 
the  Sixth  Ward  of  Reading  in  1877,  and  re-elected 
in  1882. 

George  F.  Baer  was  born  in  Somerset  County, 
Pa.,  September  26,  1842.  His  father,  Solo- 
mon Baer,  was  born  in  Northampton  County 
(near  what  is  now  known  as  Unionville,  in  Lehigh 
County)  in  1794,  and  moved,  with  his  parents,  to 
Maryland,  near  Cumberland,  when  six  years  old  ; 
and  he  settled  in  Somerset  County  in  1816,  where 
he  continued  to  reside  till  his  death,  in  1882.  He 
was  aged  eighty-eight  years  and  left  to  survive 
him  four  daughters  and  three  sons,  the  latter  being 
William  J.  (president  judge  of  the  Somerset  and 
Bedford  District),  Herman  L.  (a  practicing  at- 
torney at  Somerset)  and  George  F.,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch ;  a  fourth  son,  Harry  G.  (who  was 
enlisted  in  the  Civil  War  as  an  officer  in  Company 
B,  Fifty-fourth  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volun- 
teers, commanded  by  Col.  Jacob  M.  Campbell), 
having  died  in  1874. 

John  Jacob  Baer,  the  father  of  Folomon  Baer, 
was  born  in  Northampton  County  in  1761,  on  the 
homestead,  and  removed  to  Maryland  in  1800, 
where  he  carried  on  farming  and  died  in  1823, 
aged  sixty-two  years ;  and  Christophel  Baer,  the 
grandfather,  emigrated  from  the  Palatinate  in 
1747,  and,  upon  arriving  in  Philadelphia  on  Aug- 
ust 1st  of  that  year,  proceeded  to  Northampton 
County,  purchased  farming  land  and  carried  on 
farming. 

When  George  F.  Baer  was  six  years  old  his 
parents  removed  to  the  town  of  Somerset,  and  he 
there  attended  the  schools  of  the  town  and  the 
Somerset  Institute  (of  which  Professor  Charles  L. 


578 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Loose  was  the  principal)  till  1855,  when  he  en- 
tered the  printing-office  of  the  Somerset  Democrat 
(then  published  by  Chauncey  F.  Mitchell),  and 
worked  at  the  printing  trade  until  April,  1858. 
He  then  attended  the  Somerset  Academy  for  one 
year.  In  the  spring  of  1859  he  became  the  chief 
clerk  and  book-keeper  of  the  Ashtola  Mill*,  a 
large  manufacturing  establishment  ten  miles  from 
Johnstown.  He  occupied  this  position  till  the 
summer  of  1860,  when  he  entered  the  sophomore 
class  of  Franklin  and  Marshall  College.  Whilst 
pursuing  his  course  of  study  in  that  institution  the 
Civil  War  broke  out,  and  in  the  spring  of  1861  he 
and  his  brother  Harry  purchased  the  Somerset 
Democrat  and  began  its  publication.  After  con- 
ducting it  successfully  till  the  following  September 
his  brother  Harry  enlisted  in  the  volunteer  service, 
leaving  him  in  sole  charge  of  the  newspaper.  He 
was  employed  at  the  case  during  the  day,  and  at 
night  edited  the  paper.  At  times  he  was  so  busily 
engaged  at  printing  that  he  was  obliged  to  com- 
pose and  set  up  his  editorials  while  standing  before 
the  case.  During  this  time  he  kept  up  a  private 
course  of  studies,  with  the  view  of  eventually  re- 
turning to  college.  He  continued  to  edit  the 
Democrat  until  August,  1862,  when  he  raised  a 
company  of  volunteers,  which  was  mustered  into 
the  service  as  Company  E,  One  Hundred  and 
Thirty-third  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 
of  which  he  was  duly  commissioned  captain.  At 
that  time  he  was  not  twenty  years  old.  He  served 
as  captain  for  nine  months,  the  period  of  enlist- 
ment, acting  part  of  the  time  by  detail  as  adju- 
tant-general of  the  Second  Brigade,  in  General 
Humphrey's  division.  His  regiment  joined  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  at  the  second  battle  of  Bull 
Run,  and  was  with  that  army  at  the  battles  of  An- 
tietam,  Fredericksburg  and  Chancellorsville.  Its 
most  distinguished  service  was  in  forming  the  ad- 
vance line  of  the  army  in  the  famous  charge  on 
the  Fredericksburg  Heights,  December  13,  1862. 
He  was  mustered  out  of  service  with  his  company 
on  May  26,  1863. 

Upon  returning  home  Mr.  Baer  selected  the  law 
as  his  profession,  and  after  pursuing  a  regular 
course  of  legal  studies  in  the  office  of  his  brothers 
— who  were  practicing  attorneys  at  the  Somerset 
bar — he  was  admitted  to  practice  at  April  term, 
1864.     He  practiced  his  profession  at  Somerset  till 


April,  1868,  when  he  removed  to  Reading,  having 
been  admitted  to  the  Berks  County  bar  a  short 
time  before  (January  22,  1868),  whilst  on  a  visit 
to  Reading. 

During  his  practice  of  four  years  under  his 
brothers  at  Somerset,  he  became  thoroughly  ac- 
quainted with  the  practice  of  the  law  in  ail  its 
branches,  especially  in  that  department  which  re- 
lated to  pleading  and  the  trial  of.  cases. 

A  few  years  after  his  arrival  at  Reading  his 
general  practice  began  to  increase  rapidly  and  he 
soon  won  a  place  in  the  foremost  rank  of  the  at- 
torneys at  the  bar,  becoming  more  and  more  suc- 
cessful with  each  passing  year.  During  the  past 
fifteen  years  he  has  been  prominently  identified 
with  all  the  important  litigation  before  the  several 
courts  of  Berks  County,  and  also  before  the  Su- 
preme Court  of  Pennsylvania,  upon  cases  removed,^ 
from  this  and  other  districts.  Shortly  before  the 
death  of  John  S.  Richards,  Esq.,  in  1872,  he  be-  ; 
came  the  resident  solicitor  of  the  Philadelphia  and. 
Reading  Railroad  Company,  and  he  has  since  oc- 
cupied that  position.  His  arrival  in  this  county 
marks  the  beginning  of  a  new  generation  of  young 
attorneys  at  this  bar,  who  have  distinguished.' 
themselves  by  devotion  to  their  profession  and 
have  won  that  success  in  it  which  well  directed 
energy  merits.  In  1876  he  was  admitted  to 
tice  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  Statj 
Washington,  D.  C. 

Since  his  residence  here  Mr.  Baer  ha 
terested  in  the  general   developing 
munity,  through  improvements 
He  is  connected  with 
industrial  nature.  At  the 
dent  of  the  Temple  Iron^ 
the  Bushong  Paper 
rect  r   in  the   followU 
Fire  Insurance  Comi 
Clymer  Iron  Conipan 
Boyertown  Mining  < 
and   the  Reading 
trustee  of  the  Fran! 
of  Palatinate  Colleg 
ferred  upon  him 

Theodore  H. 
ing  December  28J 
his  native  city,  an| 
to  Philadelphia, 


578 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Loose  was  the  principal)  till  1855,  when  he  en- 
tered the  printing-office  of  the  Somerset  Democrat 
(then  published  by  Chauncey  F.  Mitchell),  and 
worked  at  the  printing  trade  until  April,  1858. 
He  then  attended  the  Somerset  Academy  for  one 
year.  In  the  spring  of  1859  he  became  the  chief 
clerk  and  book-keeper  of  the  Ashtola  Mill*,  a 
large  manufacturing  establishment  ten  miles  from 
Johnstown.  He  occupied  this  position  till  the 
summer  of  1860,  when  he  entered  the  sophomore 
class  of  Franklin  and  Marshall  College.  Whilst 
pursuing  his  course  of  study  in  that  institution  the 
Civil  War  broke  out,  and  in  the  spring  of  1861  he 
and  his  brother  Harry  purchased  the  Somerset 
Democrat  and  began  its  publication.  After  con- 
ducting it  successfully  till  the  following  September 
his  brother  Harry  enlisted  in  the  volunteer  service, 
leaving  him  in  sole  charge  of  the  newspaper.  He 
was  employed  at  the  case  during  the  day,  and  at 
night  edited  the  paper.  At  times  he  was  so  busily 
engaged  at  printing  that  he  was  obliged  to  com- 
pose and  set  up  his  editorials  while  standing  before 
the  case.  During  this  time  he  kept  up  a  private 
course  of  studies,  with  the  view  of  eventually  re- 
turning to  college.  He  continued  to  edit  the 
Democrat  until  August,  1862,  when  he  raised  a 
company  of  volunteers,  which  was  mustered  into 
the  service  as  Company  E,  One  Hundred  and 
Thirty-third  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 
of  which  he  was  duly  commissioned  captain.  At 
that  time  he  was  not  twenty  years  old.  He  served 
as  captain  for  nine  months,  the  period  of  enlist- 
ment, acting  part  of  the  time  by  detail  as  adju- 
tant-general of  the  Second  Brigade,  in  General 
Humphrey's  division.  His  regiment  joined  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  at  the  second  battle  of  Bull 
Run,  and  was  with  that  army  at  the  battles  of  An- 
tietam,  Fredericksburg  and  Chancellorsville.  Its 
most  distinguished  service  was  in  forming  the  ad- 
vance line  of  the  army  in  the  famous  charge  on 
the  Fredericksburg  Heights,  December  13,1862. 
He  was  mustered  out  of  service  with  his  company 
on  May  26,  1863. 

Upon  returning  home  Mr.  Baer  selected  the  law 
as  his  profession,  and  alter  pursuing  a  regular 
course  of  legal  studies  in  the  office  of  his  brothers 
— who  v  ere  practicing  attorneys  at  the  Somerset 
bar — he  was  admitted  to  practice  at  April  term 
1864.     He  practiced  his  profession  at  Somerset  till 


April,  1868,  when  he  removed  to  Reading,  having 
been  admitted  to  the  Berks  County  bar  a  short 
time  before  (January  22,  1868),  whilst  on  a  visit 
to  Reading. 

During  his  practice  of  four  years  under  his 
brothers  at  Somerset,  he  became  thoroughly  ac- 
quainted with  the  practice  of  the  law  in  all  its 
branches,  especially  in  that  department  which  re- 
lated to  pleading  and  the  trial  of  cases. 

A  few  years  after  his  arrival  at  Reading  his 
general  practice  began  to  increase  rapidly  and  he 
soon  won  a  place  in  the  foremost  rank  of  the  at- 
torneys at  the  bar,  becoming  more  and  more  suc- 
cessful with  each  passing  year.  During  the  past 
fifteen  years  he  has  been  prominently  identified 
with  all  the  important  litigation  before  the  several 
courts  of  Berks  Couuty,  and  also  before  the  Su- 
preme Court  of  Pennsylvania,  upon  cases  removed 
from  this  and  other  districts.  Shortly  before  the 
death  of  John  S.  Richards,  Esq.,  in  1872,  he  be- 
came the  resident  solicitor  of  the  Philadelphia  and 
Reading  Railroad  Company,  and  he  has  since  oc- 
cupied that  position.  His  arrival  in  this  county 
marks  the  beginning  of  a  new  generation  of  young 
attorneys  at  this  bar,  who  have  distinguished 
themselves  by  devotion  to  their  profession  and 
have  won  that  success  in  it  which  well  directed 
energy  merits.  In  1876  he  was  admitted  to  prac- 
tice in  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  at 
Washington,  D.  C. 

Since  his  residence  here  Mr.  Baer  has  been  in- 
terested in  the  general  development  of  the  com- 
munity, through  improvements  of  various  kinds. 
He  is  connected  with  different  enterprises  of  au 
industrial  nature.  At  the  present  time  he  i3  presi- 
dent of  the  Temple  Iron  Company,  chairman  of 
the  Bushong  Paper  Company  (Limited)  and  a  di- 
rect r  in  the  following  organizations:  Reading 
Fire  Insurance  Company,  Reading  Iron- Works, 
Clymer  Iron  Company,  Keystone  Coal  Company, 
Boyertown  Mining  Company,  Penn  National  Bank 
and  the  Reading  Hospital.  Mr.  Baer  is  also  a 
trustee  of  the  Franklin  and  Marshall  College  and 
of  Palatinate  College.  The  former  institution  con- 
ferred upon  him  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts. 

Tiieodoke  H.  Gaemguks  was  born  at  Read- 
ing December  28,  1845  ;  acquired  his  education  in 
his  native  city,  and,  at  the  age  of  seventeen*  went 
to  Philadelphia,  where  he  remained  three  years  in 


BENCH  AND  BAB. 


579 


a  hardware-store.  In  1865  he  became  a  student- 
at-law  in  the  office  of  John  S.  Richards,  Esq.,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  August  10,  1868.  Owing 
to  the  defective  eyesight  of  his  preceptor,  soon 
after  admission  to  practice,  he  assumed  almost  the 
entire  management  of  Mr.  Richards'  extensive 
business,  and  executed  it  with  ability  and  dispatch. 
In  the  mean  time  he  was  an  ardent  student  of  his 
profession  and  overtasked  his  mental  powers, 
causing  sickness  and  premature  death  at  the  age 
of  about  thirty  years. 

Benjamin  B.  Laucks  was  born  in  Oley  town- 
ship ;  educated  in  the  schools  of  the  vicinity  of  his 
birth  ;  read  law  in  the  office  of  his  father,  Franklin 
B.  Laucks,  Esq.,  of  Reading,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  January  '11,  1869.  After  practicing 
for  a  while  at  Reading,  removed  to  Pottsville,  and 
died  there. 

H.  Willis  Bland  was  born  August  20,  1846, 
at  Blandon,  Berks  County ;  acquired  a  preliminary 
education  in  school  at  Birdsboro'.  On  September 
4,  1861,  he  joined  Company  H,  Eighty-second 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  and  served  in 
all  the  engagements  in  which  the  regiment  partici- 
pated until  expiration  of  term  of  service,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1884.  In  Febuary,  1867,  he  removed  to  Read- 
ing and  read  law  in  the  office  of  J.  Howard 
Jacobs,  Esq  ,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  April 
12,1869. 

Heney  C.  G.  Reber  was  born  in  Penn  town- 
ship, Berks  County,  December  18,  1846 ;  was 
educated  at  Franklin  and  Marshall  College,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  1866.  Immediately 
thereafter  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Jeremiah 
Hagenman,  Esq.,  at  Reading,  now  president  judge 
of  Berks  County,  and  after  pursuing  his  legal 
studies  for  three  years,  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
April  12, 1869.  He  has  practiced  his  profession 
at  Reading  since  He  filled  the  office  of  district 
attorney  for  one  term  of  three  years,  from  1875  to 
1877. 

Cyrus  G.  Derr  was  born  July  18,  1848,  at 
Lebanon,  Pa.  He  obtained  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  town ;  read  law  in  the  office  of 
his  father,  William  M.  Derr,  Esq.;  attended  the 
Law  Department  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvan  ia; 
was  admitted  a  member  of  theLebanon  County  bar 
in  1869,  and  in  1872  located  in  Reading,  where  he 
has  since  practiced  his  profession. 


Morton  L  Montgomery,  the  author  of  this 
history,  was  born  at  Reading  November  10,  1846. 
His  father,  John  Leonard  Montgomery,  came  from 
Northumberland  County,  Pa.,  to  Reading  in  1835, 
and  in  1842  was  married  to  Catharine  Rush,  who 
was  born  at  Reading  in  1810.  Her  father,  Philip 
Rush,  a  fife-major  in  the  War  of  1812-15,  and  a 
weaver  by  occupation,  was  also  born  at  Reading,  in 
1783  ;  and  her  grandfather,  Stephen  Rush,  moved 
from  Hereford  township,  in  this  county,  to  Reading 
shortly  after  the  town  was  laid  out. 

Mr.  Montgomery  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  place  till  1863,  having  spent 
the  last  three  years  in  the  Reading  High  School ; 
and,  being  inclined  lo  mathematics  and  draught- 
ing, he  then  entered  the  office  of  Mr.  Daniel 
Zacharias,  county  surveyor  of  Berks  County, 
and  city  engineer  of  Reading,  for  the  purpose  of 
learning  practical  surveying  and  civil  engineering. 
He  continued  in  this  office  at  Reading  eight 
months,  when  he  went  to  Pottsville,  Schuylkill 
County,  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Zacharias,  to  enter  a 
larger  field  for  the  prosecution  of  his  studies,  and 
he  was  there  employed  by  Mr.  Daniel  Hoffman,  a 
mining,  civil  and  topographical  engineer.  After 
remaining  with  Mr.  Hoffman  the  greater  part  of 
two  years  he  returned  to  Reading,  and  entered  the 
office  of  Jacob  S.  Livingood,  Esq.,  as  astudent-at- 
law.  He  spent  the  required  term  of  three  years 
with  Mr.  Livingood,  and,  besides  prosecuting  his 
legal  studies,  he  attended  to  an  extensive  practice, 
the  labors  of  which  consisted  in  the  preparation  of 
cases,  arguments,  proceedings  in  partition,  convey- 
ancing, etc.  After  traveling  for  a  time  in  the  fall 
of  1869  through  the  Middle  and  Eastern  States, 
he  entered  the  Law  Department  of  Harvard 
University  and  remained  there  two  terms.  Upon 
returning  to  Reading  he  spent  a  year  in  the  office 
of  Samuel  L.  Young,  Esq.,  in  order  to  comply  with 
the  new  rules  of  court  which  had  been  adopted 
during  his  absence  and  which  required  the  last 
year  of  study  to  be  passed  in  a  lawyer's  office. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  on  August  28,  1871, 
since  which  time  he  has  been  in  active  practice  at 
Reading. 

Shortly  after  his  admission  to  the  bar  he  became 
earnestly  interested  in  the  history  of  his  native 
county,  and,  after  he  had  collected  much  valuable 
material  relating  to  the  early  settlements  and  for- 


580 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


mation  of  the  townships  and  the  development  of 
all  the  districts  m  the  county,  he  determined  to 
write  and  publish  the  "  History  of  Berks  County." 
In  the  course  of  his  investigations  he  contributed 
a  number  of  historical  articles  to  the  press,  and  in 
1883  he  published  the  "  Political  Hand- Book  of 
Berks  County,  Pa."  In  1884 he  issued  a  prospec- 
tus, announcing  his  proposed  publication  of  the 
"  History  of  Reading;"  but  finding,  in  the  course 
of  his  undertaking,  that  the  practice  of  the  law 
and  the  labors  of  an  author  and  publisher  could 
not  be  conducted  together  successfully,  he  entered 
into  a  contract  -with  Messrs.  Everts,  Peck  & 
Richards,  publishers  of  histories  etc.,  at  Philadel- 
phia, for  the  publication  of  the  "  History  of  Berks 
County"  in  one  large  octavo  volume,  to  comprise  all 
the  history  of  the  entire  county,  and  thereby  con- 
clude his  undertaking  more  speedily  and  satisfac- 
torily. The  labor  of  Mr.  Montgomery  in  this 
behalf  has  been  necessarily  severe  during  the  last 
ten  years  and  has  required  the  utmost  persistence 
to  accomplish  his  purpose.  During  this  time  he  has 
carried  on  his  investigations  without  any  assistance, 
having  visited  different  places,  traveled  throughout 
the  county  repeatedly  and  examined  newspaper 
files,  county  records  and  libraries  here  and  elsewhere. 

In  1874,  Mr.  Montgomery  was  married  to 
Florence  Baugh  Bush,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Andrew 
and  Mary  Baugh  Bush,  of  East  Coventry  township, 
Chester  County,  Pa.  They  have  a  daughter, 
Florence  Baugh  Montgomery,  who  was  born  at 
Reading,  1876. 

Garrett  B.  Stevens  was  born  in  Bucks 
County  September,  184S.  His  preliminary  educa- 
tion was  acquired  in  the  public  schools ;  taught 
school  until  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  and  then 
began  the  study  of  the  law  under  the  direction  of 
John  S.  Richards,  Esq.,  and  having  completed 
the  requisite  course,  was  admitted  to  the  Berks 
County  bar  August  12,  1872. 

Horace  Roland  was  born  September  26, 1848, 
in  New  Holland,  Lancaster  County,  Pa.;  attended 
the  academy  at  Lititz,  Lancaster  County ;  also  the 
Military  School  at  Westchester,  and  Tuscarora 
Academy,  in  Juniata  County.  He  graduated  from 
the  Lafayette  College,  in  Easton,  in  1879  ;  read  law 
in  the  office  of  George  F.  Baer,  Esq.,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  August,  1872,  and  remained 
in  his  office  for  five  years  as  his  assistant. 


Edgar  M.  Levan  was  born  December  25, 
1850,  in  Clarkson,  Columbia  County,  Ohio  ;  came 
to  Reading  with  his  father  in  1859  ;  graduated 
from  Reading  High  School  in  1865 ;  he  read 
law  in  the  office  of  George  F.  Baer,  Esq.,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1870.  He  practiced 
in  Reading  until  January  1st  of  the  present  year 
(1886),  when  he  removed  to  Lancaster. 

Frank  R.  Schell  was  born  January  1,  1851, 
in  Bedford  County,  Pa.;  was  educated  at  the 
Edgehill  Academy,  College  of  New  Jersey,  at 
Princeton,  and  Yale  College,  graduating  from  the 
last-named  institution  with  the  class  of  1870  ;  at- 
tended lectures  at  the  Columbia  Law  School,  read 
law  in  the  office  of  John  C.  Bullitt,  Esq.,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  September  16,  1872.  Mr. 
Schell  died  on  February  26,  1886. 

James  A.  O'Reilly,  son  of  Patrick  O'Reilly,  a 
prominent  and  successful  railroad  contractor,  was 
born  at  Reading  ;  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  city  and  Notre  Dame  University, 
Indiana;  studied  law  in  the  office  of  John  S. 
Richards  Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  Jan- 
uary 13,  1873.  He  represented  the  Fourth  Ward 
in  Common  Council  for  the  years  1885-86,  and 
was  elected  president  of  that  body. 

Stephen  M.  Meredith  is  a  native  of  Ches- 
ter County,  Pa.,  born  February  11,  1851,  at 
Pughtown.  He  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  town,  the  Ivy  Institute  and 
Oakdale  Seminary.  He  began  the  study  of 
law  at  Reading  under  the  direction  of  Jesse  G. 
Hawley  and  H.  Willis  Bland,  Esqs.,  and  was 
admitted  a  member  of  the  Berks  County  bar  in 
August,  1873. 

Daniel  H.  Wingerd,  a  native  of  Balti- 
more, Md.,  was  born  in  that  city  August  18, 
1847.  He  finished  the  collegiate  course  at 
Franklin  and  Marshall  College  with  the  class 
of  1869,  and  studied  the  three  succeeding  years 
at  the  Universities  of  Berlin,  Germany,  and 
Vienna,  Austria,  in  the  Law  Departments  of 
these  institutions.  Returning  to  America,  he 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  from  the  law-office  of 
Kennedy  &  Stewart,  of  Chambersburg,  Pa.,  and 
on  September  29, 1873,  was  admitted  a  member 
of  the  Reading  bar.  Iu  1875  he  was  elected  city 
solicitor,  and  re-elected  in  1877.  In  1886  he 
is  the  attorney  for  Reading  School  District. 


BENCH  AND  BAR 


581 


Hieam  Y.  Kauffman  is  a  native  of  Berks 
County,  born  in  Oley  township  June  4,  1850. 
His  preliminary  education  was  obtained  in  the 
Oley  Academy,  Keystone  State  Normal  School, 
Hudson  River  Institute,  Claverack  Academy, 
N.  Y.,  and  Amenia  Seminary,  N.  Y.  He 
entered  Yale  College  and  was  graduated  from 
that  institution  in  1872;  taught  school  at 
Amenia  one  year  and  then  entered  the  law  office 
of  Horace  A.  Yundt,  Esq.,  at  Reading,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  November  9,  1874. 
He  served  as  district  attorney  of  Berks  County 
during  the  years  1881,  '82,  '83. 

John  C.  K.  Heine,  son  of  Gregory  Heine, 
was  born  at  Reading;  attended  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  place;  was  graduated  from 
the  Reading  High  School  with  the  class  of 
1870 ;  read  law  with  Hon.  Daniel  Ermentrout, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  April  12,  1875. 

Benjamin  F.  Dettra  is  a  native  of  Mont- 
gomery County,  born  in  Upper  Providence 
township  July  4,  1845;  attended  Washington 
Collegiate  Seminary,  in  his  native  county  ;  pre- 
pared for  the  profession  of  the  law  under  the 
direction  of  A.  Gr.  Green,  Esq.,  and  was  admit- 
ted to  practice  at  Reading,  April  5,  1875.  In 
1881  he  was  elected  city  solicitor  for  Reading, 
and  served  one  full  term  of  two  years. 

Benjamin  Y.  Shearer  was  born  Decem- 
ber 15,  1842,  in  Bern  township,  Berks  County, 
Pa. ;  attended  common  schools  of  his  township 
and  the  Reading  Classical  Academy  for  ten  ses- 
sions in  summer,  and  taught  school  in  the  win- 
ter ;  read  law  in  the  office  of  his  uncle,  Edward 
H.  Shearer,  Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
April  12,  1875. 

Christian  H.  Ruhl  was  born  in  Cumber- 
land County,  Pa.,  August  7,  1853;  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  Carlisle,  Pa.,  and 
at  Dickinson  College ;  read  law  in  the  office  of 
C.  E.  Maclaughlin,  Esq.,  at  Carlisle,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  Cumberland  County  bar  August 
24,  1874;  removed  to  Reading  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  Berks  County  bar  April  15,  1875 ; 
was  city  solicitor  from  March,  1879,  to  March, 
1881. 

John  F.  Smith  was  born  December  12, 
1849,  in  Richmond  township,  Berks  County  ; 
came  to  Reading  with  his  father  in  1853;  was 


educated  in  the  public  schools  and  Reading 
Classical  Academy,  and  attended  the  Muhlen- 
berg College,  at  Allentown,  Pa. ;  read  law  in  the 
office  of  John  S.  Richards,  after  which  he  at- 
tended the  Law  Department  of  Columbia  College, 
New  York.  He  returned  to  Reading  in  1873; 
entered  the  law-office  of  Cyrus  G.  Derr,  Esq., 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  August  9,  1875. 

Jefferson  Snyder  was  born  November  6, 
1848,  in  Exeter  township,  Berks  County;  at- 
tended the  schools  of  his  native  county,  entered 
Lafayette  College  at  Easton,  Pa.,  and  was  gra- 
duated therefrom  in  1872;  pursued  the  study 
of  law  under  the  direction  of  George  F.  Baer, 
Esq.,  of  Reading,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
August  9,  1875. 

Daniel  B.  Young,  son  of  Major  Samuel  L. 
Young,  was  born  December  25,  1852.  He  re- 
ceived a  preparatory  education  at  Weyer's  West 
Chester  Academy,  at  Pennsylvania  College  and 
spent  two  years  in  Harvard  College.  He  stud- 
ied law  in  his  father's  office  and  was  admitted 
June  10,  1876.  The  next  year  he  removed  to 
Chicago,  where  he  is  now  practicing. 

Adam  H.  Schmehl  was  born  May  15, 
1852,  in  Reading;  prepared  for  college  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  city  and  was  graduated 
from  Muhlenberg  College,  at  Allentown,  with 
the  class  of  1874;  pursued  his  legal  studies 
under  the  direction  of  Amos  B.  W'anner,  Esq., 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  January  6,  1876. 

Edwin  B.  Wiegand  is  a  native  of  Lycom- 
ing County,  Pa.,  born  at  Somerset,  November 
5,  If  52 ;  was  graduated  from  Franklin  and 
Marshall  College,  at  Lancaster,  in  the  class  of 
1874;  read  law  in  the  office  of  ex-Attorney- 
General  Thomas  E.  Franklin,  of  Lancaster,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  Lancaster  bar  in  Novem- 
ber, 1875;  moved  to  Reading  in  January,  1876, 
and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  courts  of 
Berks  County  the  same  year.  He  was  exam- 
iner in  the  Department  of  Justice  at  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  from  August,  1881,  to  August,  1884, 
with  the  Hon.  Benjamin  Harris  Brewster,  At- 
torney-General of  the  United  States.  Since 
1884  he  has  been  practicing  at  Reading. 

Wesley  D.  Horning  was  born  July  3, 
1848,  in  Chilcoat's  Hollow,  in  Huntingdon 
County,  Pa.,  received  his  preparatory  education 


582 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


in  the  school  of  his  native  place,  and  attended  a 
special  course  of  study  at  Kishacoquillas  Sem- 
inary, in  Mifflin  County;  read  law  with  Hon. 
R.  Milton  Speer,  of  Huntingdon,  and  was  ad- 
mitted April,  1875,  to  the  bar  in  Huntingdon; 
removed  to  Eeading  in  April,  1876,  and  was 
admitted  a  member  of  the  Berks  County  bar 
the  same  month. 

Gustav  A.  Endlich  was  born  January  29, 
1856,  in  Alsace  township,  Berks  County;  from 
1867  to  1872  he  was  in  the  schools  of  Germany, 
returned  to  his  native  country  and  entered  the 
College  of  New  Jersey,  at  Princeton,  from  which 
institution  he  was  graduated  in  the  year  1875  ; 
read  law  in  the  office  of  George  F.  Baer,  Esq., 
of  Reading,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  No- 
vember, 1877  ;  in  1882  he  wrote  and  published  a 
work  on  the  law  of  "  Building  Associations  in  the 
United  States,"  in  1884  a  work  on  the  "Affi- 
davits of  Defense  in  Pennsylvania,"  and  in  1885 
edited  two  volumes  of  the  decisions  of  Warren 
J.  Woodward,  late  president  judge  of  the  Twen- 
ty-third Judicial  District  of  Pennsylvania. 

Simos  P.  O'Reilly  was  born  in  June,  1853, 
in  the  city  of  Reading.  After  his  graduation 
from  Mount  St.  Mary's  College,  at  Emmitsburg, 
Md.,  in  the  year  1875,  he  entered  the  office  of 
A.  G.  Green,  Esq.,  as  a  student-at-law,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  January  14,  1877. 

Henry  A.  Ziebeh  was  born  March  27, 
1848,  at  Reading;  was  educated  in  the  Read- 
ing High  School;  read  law  in  the  office  of 
Amos  B  Wanner,  Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  April,  1878.  He  was  appointed  a 
notary  for  the  city  of  Reading  in  1876  and 
served  until  1885. 

Isaac  Hiester,  son  of  William  M.  Hiester 
and  grandson  of  Dr.  Isaac  Hiester,  was  born  in 
Reading,  January  8,  1856.  He  acquired  his 
preparatory  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
Reading,  completing  the  course  of  the  High 
School  in  1871  and  soon  afterward  entered 
Trinity  College,  at  Hartford,  Conn.,  from  which 
institution  he  was  graduated  in  the  year  1876. 
He  was  admitted  a  member  of  the  Reading  bar 
in  1878,  after  having  finished  the  required 
course  of  study  in  the  office  of  George  F.  Baer 
Esq. 

J.  H.  Marx  was  born  at  Kutztown,  Berks 


County,  in  1846,  and  educated  in  his  native 
town.  He  studied  law  in  the  office  of  H.  H. 
Schwartz,  Esq.  (now  judge  of  the  Orphans' 
Court  of  Berks  County),  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  August  13,  1878.  He  then  opened  a 
law-office  at  Kutztown,  where  he  has  since 
practiced  his  profession. 

Jeremiah  K.  Grant  was  born  October  24, 
1847,  in  Pike  township,  Berks  County ;  was  edu- 
cated in  the  common  schools  and  the  Keystone 
State  Normal  School ;  attended  lectures  at  the 
Law  Department  of  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania ;  read  law  in  the  office  of  William  H: 
Livingood,  Esq.,  of  Philadelphia,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  practice  in  the  several  courts  of  that 
city  in  1877;  in  1878  came  to  Reading  and 
commenced  to  practice;  is  at  present  (1886) 
solicitor  for  the  Board  of  Prison  Inspectors  for 
Berks  County. 

Walter  B.  Craig  was  born  June  5,  1855, 
in  the  city  of  Reading,  completed  the  course  of 
study  in ,  the  Reading  High  School  with  the 
class  of  1872  and  afterward  spent  two  years  in 
the  United  States  Military  Academy  at  West 
Point.  He  began  his  legal  studies  under  the 
direction  of  George  F.  Baer,  Esq.,  and  after 
completing  the  required  course  of  reading,  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  November,  1878. 

D.  Nicholas  Schaeffer  was  born  Sep- 
tember 10,  1853,  in  Maxatawny  township, 
Berks  County.  He  is  a  brother  of  N.  C. 
Schaeffer,  Ph.D.,  principal  of  the  Keystone 
State.  Normal  School  at  Kutztown,  and  of 
Rev.  William  C.  Schaeffer,  President  of  the 
Palatinate  College,  Myerstown,  Pa.  He  ob- 
tained a  preparatory  education  at  the  Keystone 
State  Normal  School,  and  was  graduated  from 
Franklin  and  Marshall  College,  at  Lancaster,  in 
the  class  of  1876 ;  studied  law  in  the  office  of 
George  F.  Baer,  Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  November  12,  1878. 

M.  Bray-ton  McKnight  was  born  at  Read- 
ing in  1855;  obtained  a  preliminary  education 
in  the  public  schools ;  completed  the  course  in 
the  Reading  High  School  with  the  class  of  1872 ; 
subsequently  entered  Amherst  College,  Massa- 
chusetts, and  was  graduated  in  1876 ;  read  law 
in  the  office  of  Charles  H.  Shaeffer,  Esq.,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1878. 


BENCH  AND  BAB. 


583 


Daniel  G.  Gulden  was  born  in  Oley  town- 
ship; was  a  student-at-law  under  the  instruc- 
tion of  Henry  C.  G.  Reber,  Esq.,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  practice  January  20,  1879  ;  practiced 
in  Reading  for  several  years.  In  1886  he  wa"s 
engaged  at  teaching  in  the  eastern  section  of 
Berks  County. 

Frank  S.  Livingood  was  born  February 
24,  185-5  ;  attended  the  schools  of  Reading  until 
1869,  when  he  entered  Phillips  Andover  Acad- 
emy, at  Andover,  Mass.,  and  afterwards  com- 
pleted the  course  at  Harvard  College,  graduat- 
ing with  the  class  of  1876  ;  read  law  under  the 
direction  of  his  father,  Jacob  S.  Livingood, 
Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  August, 
1879. 

John  W.  Apple  read  law  in  the  office  of 
Frank  R.  Schell,  Esq. ;  was  admitted  to  practice 
at  Reading  August  11,  1879,  and  immediately 
thereafter  went  to  the  State  of  Missouri. 

Henry  D.  Green  was  born  at  Reading  May 
3,1857;  in  1872  he  completed  the  course  of 
studies  in  the  City  High  School  and  then  entered 
Yale  College,  from  which  institution  he  was 
graduated  in  the  class  of  1877  ;  read  law  under 
the  instruction  of  his  father,  Albert  G.  Green, 
Esq.,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1879 ;  was  ap- 
pointed notary  public  the  same  year  and  re- 
appointed in  1882;  was  elected  a  member  of 
House  of  Representatives  at  Harrisburg  for  the 
years  1883-84  and  re-elected  for  the  years 
1885-86. 

"William  C.  Heacock  was  a  native  of  New 
York  State,  and  for  a  number  of  years  was  a 
lieutenant  in  the  United  States  navy.  He  came 
to  Reading  in  1878,  and,  after  reading  law,  was 
admitted  to  practice  August  12, 1880. 

W.  Oscar  Miller  was  born  August  28, 
1857,  in  Maxatawny  township,  Berks  County  ; 
was  graduated  from  the  Keystone  State  Normal 
School  in  1875,  and  also  from  the  Wyoming 
Seminary,  at  Kingston,  Luzerne  County,  in 
1878.  He  pursued  his  legal  studies  in  the  Law 
Department  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  at 
Ann  Arbor,  and  was  graduated  from  that  in- 
stitution in  1879 ;  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
of  that  State,,  and  immediately  thereafter  re- 
moved to  Reading,  entered  the  law-office  of 
Harrison  Maltzberger,  Esq.,  and  was  admitted 


to  practice  in  the  courts  of  Berks  County  in 
April,  1880. 

William  J.  Rourke  was  born  in  Reading 
September  11, 185'J  ;  attended  the  public  schools 
and  finished  the  course  in  the  City  High  School 
in  the  year  1876,  and  afterwards  entered  Lafay- 
ette College.  In  1877  he  became  a  law-student 
of  Peter  D.  "Wanner,  Esq.,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  November  22,  1880.  On  February 
28,  1885,  he  was  elected  solicitor  for  the  city  of 
Reading. 

Albert  R.  Heilig  was  born  September 
16,  1859,  at  Strausstown,  Pa.,  attended  the 
Reading  High  School,  read  law  in  the  office  of 
Cyrus  Derr,  Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
November  22;  1880. 

Alonzo  E.  Ream  was  born  in  New  Hol- 
land, Lancaster  County,  Pa.;  attended  the  pub- 
lic schools ;  read  law  in  the  office  of  H.  Willis 
Bland  and  H.  Y.  Kauffman,  Esqs.,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  November,  1880. 

George  F.  Hagenman  was  born  March 
7,  1857,  in  Reading;  was  graduated  from  the 
Reading  High  School  in  the  class  of  1876,  and 
then,  to  continue  the  study  of  classics,  was  a 
pupil  of  Prof.  John  P.  Slocum,  of  this  city  ; 
entered  the  office  of  Henry  C.  G.  Reber,  Esq., 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  January  22,  1881. 

Israel  H.  Rothermel  was  born  in  Rich- 
mond township,  Berks  County,  Pa.,  April  26, 
1853;  was  educated  in  Reading  Scientific 
Academy  and  Millersville  State  Normal  School, 
at  Millersville, Pa.;  read  lawin  theoffice  of  A.G. 
Green,  Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
August  20,  1881 ;  was  solicitor  for  directors  of 
the  poor  for  1883,  and  is  now  (1886)  district 
attorney  for  Berks  County. 

John  H.  Rothermel  was  born  March  7, 
1856,  in  Richmond  township,  Berks  County; 
acquired  his  preparatory  education  in  schools  of 
his  native  place ;  attended  Reading  Scientific 
Academy  and  Keystone  State  Normal  School ; 
read  law  in  the  office  of  A.  G.  Green,  Esq.,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  August  20,  1881. 

Daniel  F.  Westley  was  born  in  Robeson 
township,  Berks  County ;  was  educated  in 
public  schools,  the  State  Normal  School,  atKutz- 
tow'n,  and  the  Reading  Scientific  Academy ; 
read  law  in  the  office  of  Frank  R.  Schell,  Esq., 


584 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  November  14, 
1881.  He  taught  school  for  twelve  years  in 
Berks  County,  and  was  for  a  time  an  assistant 
teacher  in  the  Reading  Scientific  Academy.  He 
died  in  1883,  in  Reading,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
nine  years. 

Chaeles  C.  Kehr  was  born  in  Ontelaunee 
township,  Berks  County;  attended  schools  of 
his  native  place ;  was  graduated  from  the  State 
Normal  School,  of  Kutztown,  with  the  class  of 
1877  ;  taught  in  the  public  schools  of  Berks 
County  for  three  years ;  read  law  in  offices  of 
Horace  A.  Yundt  and  William  P.  Bard,  Esqs., 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1881. 

Henry  Maltzberger  was  born  October  10, 
1858,  and  is  a  native  of  Reading.  He  pursued 
the  public-school  course;  was  graduated  from 
the  Reading  High  School  in  1874.  He  then 
entered  Yale  College,  at  New  Haven,  Conn., 
and  was  graduated  from  that  institution  with 
the  class  of  1879.  He  then  took  up  the  study 
of  law  under  the  direction  of  his  father,  Harrison 
Maltzberger,  Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  November,  1881. 

George  F.  Gross,  Jr.  was  born  in  Phila- 
delphia, June  25,  1860  ;  educated  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Notre  Dame,  Indiana ;  studied  law 
under  the  direction  of  Daniel  H.  Wingerd,  Esq., 
and  was  admitted  to  practice  November  14, 
1881. 

Henry  O.  Shrader  is  a  native  of  Reading, 
born  January  4,  1859  ;  attended  the  schools  of 
his  native  city  and  completed  the  High  School 
course  in  the  year  1875 ;  was  proof-reader  on 
the  Reading  Eagle  for  one  year  and  then  en- 
tered upon  the  study  of  the  law  in  the  office  of 
Morton  L.  Montgomery,  Esq.,  remaining  two 
years,  and  one  year  with  Israel  C.  Becker,  Esq. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  November  6, 1882. 

I.  Comley  Fetter  was  born  January  5, 
1857,  at  Warminster,  Bucks  County  ;  acquired  a 
preliminary  education  in  the  academy  at  Hat- 
boro' ;  graduated  from  the  Millersville  State 
Normal  School,  at  Millersville,  Pa.;  read  law 
under  the  direction  of  J.  Howard  Jacobs,  Esq., 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  November,  1882. 

James  B.  Baker  was  born  in  Berks  County 
April  20,  1851.  He  attended  the  Keystone 
Normal  School  for  a  nnmber  of  sessions,  and 


was  engaged  in  the  profession  of  teaching  for 
thirteen  years  in  this  county.  In  1871  he  be- 
gan the  study  of  law,  and  had  as  his  preceptors 
Judge  Sassaman,  William  M.  Goodman  and  B. 
Y.  Shearer,  Esqs.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  November,  1882. 

Adam  B.  Rieser  was  born  October  22, 1854, 
in  Bern  township  ;  entered  Franklin  and  Mar- 
shall College,  at  Lancaster,  and  was  graduated 
from  that  institution  in  1880;  studied  law  under 
the  direction  of  Henry  C.  G.  Reber,  Esq.,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  November  14,  1882. 

Elwood  H.  Deysher  was  born  January  9, 
1857,  in  Reading;  graduated  from  the  High 
School  of  his  native  city  ;  continued  his  studies 
in  the  State  Normal  School  at  Millersville ;  read 
law  with  J.  Howard  Jacobs,  Esq.,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  practice  November  13,  1882. 

Philip  S.  Zieber  was  born  June  30,  1 861 , 
in  Reading.  He  was  graduated  from  the  Read- 
ing High  School  in  1876,  and  from  Lafayette 
College,  at  Easton,  in  1881,  and  then  became  a 
student-at-law  in  the  office  of  George  F.  Baer, 
Esq. ;  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  November, 
1884. 

J.  Edward  Miller  was  born  June  6,1860, 
at  Hamburg,  educated  in  the  schools  of  his 
native  town  and  at  Keystone  State  Normal 
School,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1879  ; 
read  law  in  the  office  of  J.  Howard  Jacobs,  Esq., 
of  Reading,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  No- 
vember 1883,  and  then  located  at  Hamburg, 
where  he  is  practicing  his  profession. 

Charles  H.  Tyson  was  born  May  30, 
1863,  in  Reading.  He  completed  the  course  in 
the  Reading  High  School  with  the  class  of  1880, 
and  then  studied  law  in  the  office  of  Frank  E. 
Schell,  Esq.  He  passed  the  required  examina- 
tion in  the  year  1883,  but  was  not  admitted  to 
the  bar  until  the  following  year,  when  he  attained 
his  majority. 

Henry  P.  Keiser  was  born  in  Womelsdorf 
in  January,  1860.  He  acquired  his  education 
at  the  Union  Academy,  in  his  native  town,  and 
left  that  institution  to  pursue  the  study  of  law 
under  the  direction  of  J.  Howard  Jacobs,  Esq., 
of  Reading,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
November,  1883. 

Felix  P.  Kremp  was  born  in  Reading  Feb. 


BENCH  AND  BAR. 


585 


3, 1859.  He  was  graduated  from  St.  John's  Col- 
lege, at  Fordhani,  N.  Y.,  with  the  class  of  1879. 
After  graduation  he  entered  upon  the  study  of 
law  in  the  office  of  George  F.  Baer,  Esq.,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  November,  1883. 

Frank  K.  Flood  was  born  in  Hollidays- 
bury,  Blair  County,  Pa. ;  was  graduated  from 
the  Keystone  State  Normal  School  at  Kutztown 
in  the  elementary  course  in  1875,  and  in  the  scien- 
tific course  in  1877.  He  entered  upon  the  study 
of  law  in  the  office  of  Hon.  Hiram  H.  Swartz, 
the  present  judge  of  the  Orphans'  Court  of  Berks 
County,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  Nov.,  1884. 

Howard  P.  Wanner  was  born  in  Reading 
August  13,  1862,  was  educated  at  Franklin  and 
Marshall  College,  Lancaster,  became  a  student- 
at-law  in  the  office  of  his  father,  A.  B.  Wanner, 
Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  Nov.  9, 1885. 

William  Kerper  Stevens  is  a  native  of 
Reading,  born  July  15,  1861  ;  after  acquiring  a 
preparatory  education  he  entered  Yale  College, 
and  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1883.  After 
completing  the  required  course  of  legal  studies 
in  the  office  of  Isaac  Hiester,  Esq.,  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  November,  1884. 

WiLLrAM  B.  Bechtel,  a  native  of  Reading, 
was  born  March  18,  1862 ;  received  his  educa- 
tional training  in  public  schools,  completed  the 
High  School  course  in  1879,  and  entered  Frank- 
lin and  Marshall  College,  at  Lancaster;  read 
law  under  the  instruction  of  Jeremiah  K.  Grant, 
Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Nov.,  1884. 

Berks  County  Law  Library. — When  the 
county  was  erected  in  1752,  the  several  courts 
of  the  county  were  organized  and  judges  were 
qualified  to  carry  them  on  successfully ;  and 
attorneys  were  admitted  to  practice  the  legal  pro- 
fession before  them.  After  the  establishment 
of  independence  a  Constitution  was  adopted, 
and  the  courts  were  continued  under  the  system 
then  existing,  except  where  expressly  modified 
by  legislation.  In  the  course  of  litigation,  vari- 
ous principles  of  law  were  established  by  the 
adjudications  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  both 
judges  and  attorneys  soon  felt  the  necessity  of 
having  the  adjudicated  cases  compiled  and  pub- 
lished. Alexander  James  Dallas,  Esq.,  an 
attorney  at  Philadelphia,  collected  the  decisions 
with  the  view  of  publishing  them  in  book-form, 


and  the  judges  at  that  place  in  1790,  "for  the 
common  good,"  approved  and  recommended  the 
printing  and  publishing  of  his  book,  entitled 
"Reports  of  Cases  ruled  and  adjudged  in  the 
Courts  of  Pennsylvania  before  and  since  the 
Revolution."  Mr.  Dallas  accordingly  published 
the  cases.  The  first  volume  was  inscribed  to 
the  Hon.  Thomas  McKean,  chief  justice  of 
Pennsylvania.  He  published  four  books,  cover- 
ing the  adjudications  for  fifty  years,  from  1754 
to  1805,  and  they  were  known  as  "Dallas'  Re- 
ports.''' Subsequently  other  attorneys  also  com- 
piled and  published  reports,  namely, — Yeates, 
4  volumes;  Binncy,  6  ;  Sergeant  &  Ravvle,  17  ; 
Ruwle,  5;  Penrose  &  Watts,  3;  Watts,  10; 
Wharton,  6  ;  Watts  &  Sergeant,  9. 

During  the  publication  of  the  last-named  re- 
ports, in  the  year  1843,  a  number  of  prominent 
attorneys,  including  David  F.  Gordon,  Jacob 
Hoffman,  Henry  W.  Smith,  William  Strong, 
J.  Pringle  Jones,  George  G.  Barclay  and  Robert 
M.  Barr,  met  and  formed  a  society  for  the  pur- 
pose of  organizing  a  "  Berks  County  Law 
Library."  A  fund  was  raised  by  them  among 
the  members  of  the  bar,  who  each  subscribed  five 
dollars,  and  with  it  they  purchased  the  first  State 
Reports  and  certain  law-hooks.  This  collection 
of  reports  and  books  was  placed  in  the  small 
retiring-room  of  the  judges,  situated  at  the 
southern  end  of  the  bench  in  the  court-house, 
and  formed  the  nucleus,  from  which  has  been 
developed  the  present  extensive  law  library. 

The  reports  continued  to  be  published  in  the 
same  manner,  without  authority  of  law,  from 
1790  till  1845.  Then  an  Act  of  Assembly  was 
passed,  authorizing  the  Governor  of  the  State 
to  appoint  a  State  reporter,  and  commission  him 
for  the  period  of  five  years.  The  reporter  com- 
missioned was  required  to  be  "  a  person  of  known 
integrity,  experience  and  learning  in  the  law." 
This  appointment  to  be  made  every  five  years. 

The  first  person  appointed  was  Robert  M. 
Barr,  Esq.,  a  practicing  attorney  at  Reading. 
He  was  appointed  before  July,  1845.  He  died 
previous  to  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service, 
and  his  friend,  Hon.  J.  Pringle  Jones,  finished 
the  work  which  he  had  left  incomplete,  and, 
with  the  consent  of  Governor  Johnson,  published 
the  materials  collected  for  the  use  of  his  family. 


586 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Mr.  Barr,  as  State  reporter,  published  ten 
volumes,  two  a  year,  as  required  by  the  law, 
and  Mr.  Jones  published  two  volumes,  being 
the  eleventh  and  twelfth  volumes  of  State  Re- 
ports. George  W.  Harris,  of  Harrisburg,  was 
appointed,  in  1849,  as  the  second  State  reporter. 
He  served  his  term  until  1855,  and  published 
two  volumes  a  year,  and  two  additional  volumes 
(uuder  act  of  May  8,  1855),  altogether  twelve 
volumes,  from  the  twelfth  to  twenty-fourth  State 
Reports.  Subsequent  State  reporters  have  been 
Casey,  Wright,  Smith,  Norris  and  Outerbridge. 
The  law  library  of  the  Reading  bar  continued 
a  feeble  existence  till  1859  ;  then  a  determined 
effort  was  made  by  the  attorneys  to  more 
thoroughly  organize  a  society  for  this  purpose 
and  to  increase  the  collection  of  books,  and  they 
decided  to  obtain  a  charter.  Accordingly,  a  peti- 
tion for  the  incorporation  of  the  Berks  County 
Law  Library  was  presented  to  court  on  February 
28,  1859,  and  the  decree  of  incorporation  was 
made  on  April  11th  following,  by  Hon.  J.  Pringle 
Jones,  then  president  judge,  on  motion  of  John 
S.  Richards,  Esq.  The  petition  was  signed  by 
the  followiug  active  members  of  the  bar  : 


Henry  W.  Smith. 
Charles  K.  Robeson. 
Hiester  Clymer. 
William  M.  Baird. 
Albert  G.  Green. 
J.  Hagenman. 
George  G.  Barclay. 
Joel  B.  Wanner. 
John  A.  Banks. 
Amos  B.  Wanner. 
Henry  Van  Eeed. 
Jacob  M.  Sallade. 
Andrew  M.  Sallade. 
David  F.  Gordon. 


John  Banks. 
Charles  Davis. 
John  S.  Richards. 
A.  L.  Hennershotz. 
Samuel  L.  Young. 
A.  Jordan  Swartz. 
Jacob  S.  Livingood. 
F.  Leaf  Smith. 
Jacob  K.  McKenty. 
C.  Oscar  Wagner. 
Michael  P.  Boyer. 
George  J.  E^kert. 
James  B.  Bechtel. 


The  object  of  the  association  was  "  to  estab- 
lish and  perpetuate  a  Law  and  Miscellaneous 
Library  for  the  use  of  the  Judges  of  the  Courts, 
the  members  of  the  Bar  and  the  Commissioners 
of  the  County." 

Various  plans  were  suggested  for  the  purpose 
of  raising  funds  with  which  to  keep  up  the 
necessary  supply  of  books  ;  and,  after  consider- 
ing them  for  some  months,  finally  John  S. 
Richards,  Esq.,  conceived  and  expressed 
earnestly  the  idea  of  obtaining  a  portion  of  the 
tines  which  were  imposed  in  the  Quarter 
Sessions.  At  that  time  Mr.  David  L.  "Wenrich 


an  enterprising,  progressive  and  liberal-minded 
farmer,  residing  in  Lower  Heidelberg  township, 
was  one   of  the  county  commissioners,   and    J. 
Hagenman,  Esq.   (now    president  judge),   was 
the  commissioners'  solicitor.      The  latter  intro- 
duced the  matter  to    Mr.  Wenrich's   attention 
and  explained  the  advantages  which  would  re- 
sult to  the  county  in  various  ways,  and  Mr. 
Wenrich,  appreciating  the  movement,  then  in- 
duced   the   county  commissioners   to  agree   to 
allow  one-half  of  the  fines  to  be  appropriated 
to  the  law  library  for  the  period  of  five  years. 
Subsequently,  to  legalize  this  appropriation,  an 
act  of  Assembly  was  passed  on  March  24,  1860, 
authorizing  one-half  of  the  fines  to  be  paid  to 
the  treasurer  of  the  library  for  the  period  of 
five  years,  and  providing  that  the   books  pur- 
chased   "  shall  be   for   the    use  of  the  several 
courts,  the  commissioners  of  the  county  and  the 
members  of  the  association."      This  act  was  ex- 
tended in  1866  for  another  period  of  five  years, 
and  in  1870  the  provision  in  the  act  relating  to  a 
limit  of  time  was  repealed.     From  1860  till  the 
present  time  such    fines  have  been  received  by 
the  library  and  appropriated  towards  the  pur- 
chase of  law-books,   and  necessary  miscellane- 
ous books  for  reference ;  and  under  this  system 
the  library  has  become  very  valuable. 

The  collection  of  books  comprises  all  the 
Pennsylvania  State  Reports,  digests  and  prom- 
inent treatises  on  law  topics,  complete  sets  of 
reports  of  the  following  States :  Maine,  New 
Hampshire,  Vermont,  Massachusetts,  Connecti- 
cut, New  York,  New  Jersey,  Maryland  and  Ohio, 
and  also  a  full  set  of  English  reports.  There  are 
also  promiscuous  reports  from  other  States,  ency- 
clopaedias, etc.  The  number  of  books  in  April, 
1886,  was  thirty-eight  hundred  and  fifty. 

In  1869  a  fire-proof  extension  of  two  wings 
was  constructed  at  the  rear  of  the  court-house, 
and  then  the  library  was  removed  from  the 
small  and  inconvenient  room  where  it  had  been 
located  for  twenty-five  years  into  a  fine,  large 
and  very  pleasant  room  on  the  second  floor  in 
the  upper  wing.  Opportunities  for  increase 
were  afforded  thereby,  and  from  that  time  the 
books  multiplied  rapidly. 

Legal  Association. — In  1867  a  "Legal 
Association  of  Berks  County,  Pa.,"  was  formed 


THE  MEDICAL  PKOFESSION. 


587 


by  the  attorneys  at  Reading  for  the  purpose  of 
promoting  and  perpetuating  "good  feeling  and 
respect  among  the  members  of  the  bar,  to  main- 
tain an  elevated  sense  of  professional  propriety 
and  decorum,  and  in  every  proper  way  to  pro- 
tect the  rights  and  interests  of  the  profession." 
It  has  continued  till  date,  though  latterly  not 
active,  nothing  of  importance  having  transpired 
to  require  its  action  as  a  body.  It  has  been  in- 
strumental in  introducing  many  matters  of 
general  utility  to  the  bench  and  bar. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE  MEDICAL  PROFESS  [ON  OF  BERKS  COUNTY. 

Early  Medical  History. — The  represen- 
tatives of  no  other  of  the  learned  professions  are 
brought  into  more  intimate  relations  with  all 
mankind  than  those  who  practice  the  healing  art. 
There  is  a  sacredness  in  the  trust  confided  in 
them,  and  such  has  been  the  case  since  the  dawn 
of  medical  science.  The  Jews  are  the  first  peo- 
ple on.  record  who  practiced  this  art,  which  they 
probably  learned  from  the  Egyptians.  The 
Greeks  worshipped  .ZEsculapius  as  the  god  of 
medicine,  and  they  first  reduced  the  art  of  heal- 
ing to  a  regular  system.  The  most  ancient 
writer  on  medical  subjects,  whose  works  are 
preserved,  was  Hippocrates,  and  he  is  therefore 
considered  the  father  of  physic.  The  most 
celebrated  physicians  who  succeeded  him  were 
Asclepiades,  Celsus  and  Galen.  These  men 
were  almost  worshipped  by  the  ancients.  The 
arts  and  sciences  were  nearly  eclipsed  after  the 
downfall  of  the  Roman  Empire,  in  476  a.d., 
by  the  barbarous  manners  of  the  Europeans,  and 
all  that  was  left  of  medicine  was  translocated  to 
the  peaceful  regions  of  Arabia.  Before  the 
Crusades,  several  Hebrew,  Latin  and  Arabian 
professors  of  physic  settled  at  Salerno,  in  Italy, 
where  Charles  the  Great,  in  802,  founded  a  col- 
lege for  their  reception  and  for  the  education  of 
students  of  medicine.  Institutions  of  a  similar 
character  were  soon  afterward  originated  in  Cen- 
tral Europe,  and  upon  the  developments  of  the 
great  nations  of  Germany,  France  and  England, 
those  countries  became  the  centres  for  the  ad- 


vancement of  medical  science.  It  is  true  that 
in  all  ages,  and  even  to-day  in  Berks  County, 
empirics  and  charlatans,  the  excrescences  of  the 
medical  profession,  existed  and  do  exist.  Un- 
fortunately, witchcraft,  charms,  amulets,  astrol- 
ogy, necromancy,  alchemy  and  magic  have  been 
allied  with  medical  practice  and  medical  his- 
tory, and  even  yet  have  devotees.  Though  the 
progress  of  Materia  Medica  is  now  less  im- 
peded by  superstition  than  at  any  former  time 
in  the  world's  history,  yet  still  much  remains 
to  be  achieved  before  our  pharmacopoeias  will  be 
found  to  exhibit  the  certain  processes  or  specifics 
of  ascertained  value,  by  the  adoption  of  ihose 
substances  only  whose  effects  upon  the  tissues  of 
the  human  body  are  thoroughly  understood. 

Medical  science  has  wonderfully  progressed, 
but  not  until  within  the  past  hundred  years. 
The  introduction  of  chemistry  into  medicine 
during  the  early  part  of  the  sixteenth  century, 
was  a  memorable  event.  Medical  lore  might 
have  made  far  greater  strides  had  its  early  ad- 
vocates but  husbanded  in  collective  form  the 
experience  of  the  past,  as  was  the  case  in  the  art 
of  navigation.  The  great  Greek  physician 
Galen  reprobated  such  prescriptions  as  were 
composed  of  any  portions  of  the  human  body, 
and  he  severely  condemned  Xenocrates  for 
having  introduced  them  ;  yet  these  abominable 
•ingredients  continued  in  use  until  what  may  be 
styled  the  reformation  of  medicine,  in  the  seven- 
teenth century.  Less  than  three  centuries  ago 
human  bones  were  administered  internally  for 
the  cure  of  ulcers,  and  it  is  within  that  period 
that  a  preparation  called  aqua  divina  was  made 
by  cutting  in  pieces  and  distilling  the  body  of  a 
healthy  man  who  had  died  a  violent  death. 
Thus  the  mummery  of  early  medicine,  with  all 
its  unintelligible  mysticisms  and  inhuman  treat- 
ment, formed  but  part  of  an  age  in  the  world's 
history  that  sanctioned  such  buffoonery. 

Magic  was  the  offspring  of  medicine ;  it  then 
fortified  itself  with  astrology  and  borrowed  its 
splendor  and  authority  from  religion.  In  the 
reign  of  Henry  VIII.  of  England  many  of  the 
medical  practitioners  were  horse-farriers.  From 
the  time  of  the  infancy  of  the  art  of  healing  in 
Egypt  to  one-half  century  after  the  thrifty 
Quakers  and  Germans  settled  in  Berks  County, 


588 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


medical  treatment  was  largely  administered  by 
the  clergy  who  attended  to  the  wants  of  the 
sick  as  well  as  the  duties  of  a  clerical  profes- 
sion. This  plan  fettered  the  progress  of  the 
profession,  but  was  infinitely  better  than  the 
curse  of  quackery,  as  the  ecclesiastics  in  general 
were  intelligent  men. 

Many  interesting  allusions  are  made  to  the 
art  of  healing  by  famous  personages.  We  have 
a  Scriptural  reference  of  David  in  his  youth, 
with  his  harp,  striving  by  the  aid  of  music  to 
cure  the  mental  derangement  of  Saul.  The 
medicinal  virtues  of  music  were  manifold  and 
marvelous,  according  to  mauy  classic  writers. 
Says  the  book  of  Ecclesiasticus :  "  The  Lord  hath 
created  medicines  out  of  the  earth  and  he  that 
is  wise  will  not  abhor  them."  Pliny  speaks  of 
one  Ghrysappas,  who  became  famous  by  advo- 
cating cabbages  as  the  panacea  for  all  corn- 
plaints.  A  quack  with  the  distinguished  name  of 
Graham,  in  1782,  created  a  sensation  in  London 
by  building  a  mansion  called  the  "  Temple  of 
Health."  Among  other  whimsicalities,  he 
claimed  to  have  discovered  the  "  elixir  of  life," 
by  taking  a  portion  of  which,  at  the  small  cost 
of  one  thousand  pounds  sterling,  the  patient 
might  live  as  long  as  he  wished.  Dryden  con- 
fessed his  indebtedness  to  cathartics  for  propi- 
tiating his  muse;  his  imaginative  faculty  being 
thus  dependent,  as  he  thought,  upon  the  elasr 
ticity  of  his  viscera.  Pope,  a  few  days  before 
his  death,  said,  "  My  medical  associates  are  the 
most  amiable  companions,  the  best  friends  and 
the  most  learned  men  I  know."  Solomon  tells 
us,  "  A  merry  heart  doeth  good  like  medicine," 
and  a  great  writer  once  said  "  Hope  and  success 
are  finer  tonics  than  any  to  be  found  in  an 
apothecary's  shop,  and  even  fear  may  boast  its 
cures."  Sir  Philip  Sydney  defines  health  thus, — 

"  Great  temperance,  open  air, 
Easy  labor,  little  care." 

A  great  Frenchman  once  said:  "  When  I 
die  I  will  leave  behind  me  three  great  physi- 
cians— Water,  Exercise,  Diet." 

Hippocrates  may  be  regarded  as  the  father  of 
medicine ;  but  it  was  to  the  collected  wisdom  and 
experience  of  his  successors,  many  ages  after 
his  death,  that  the  science  of  medicine  owes  its 
present  glory  and  renown. 


The  following  medical  men  of  half  a  century 
or  more  ago  lived  to  bless  mankind :  Harvey, 
Garth,  Radcliffe,  Meade,  Askew,  Pitcairn, 
Baillie,  Cullen,  Friend,  Linacre,  Cains,  Hun- 
ter, Denman,  Velpeau,  Listea  and  Brocklesby. 

Among  the  representative  physicians  of 
America  who  won  renown  during  the  past 
hundred  years  are  Morgan,  Rush,  Kuhn,  Bond, 
Chapman,  G.  B.  Wood,  Null  and  Flint,  in 
Medicine;  Barton,  Physick,  Mott,  Gibson, 
Gross,  Pancoast  and  Hamilton,  in  Surgery ; 
Shippen,  Wistar  and  Horner,  in  Anatomy  and- 
Surgery  ;  Hodge,  Drurro  and  Meigs,  in  Obste- 
trics. All  of  those  named  are  dead.  Among 
the  living  American  physicians  who  have  a 
distinguished  reputation  are  Agnew  and  Bige- 
low,  in  Surgery  ;  Stille,  Da  Costa  and  Alonzo 
Clarke,  in  Medicine  ;  Leidy,  in  Anatomy ; 
Barker,  in  Obstetrics  ;  Dalton,  in  Physiology  ; 
Thomas  and  Goodall,  in  Diseases  of  Women. 

Berks  County  produced  representative  medi- 
cal men  of  ability  and  skill,  some  of  whom  at- 
tained more  than  a  local  reputation.  Of  such 
were  the  Ottos  and  the  Hiesters,  Cries,  Gerasch, 
Marshall,  Wood,  Plank,  Tryon,  Pounder,  Wily, 
Herbst,  Schoener,  Moore,  Bratt,  Ulrich,  Eckert, 
Tyson,  Hunter,  Baum,  Wallace,  etc.,  and  a 
number  of  living  practitioners  now  in  the  ranks 
of  the  profession. 

Introduction  of  Medical  Practice  into 
Berks  County. — At  the  time  of  the  first  set- 
tlement of  Berks  County,  scarcely  a  century 
had  passed  since  Harvey  had  expounded  his 
complete  discovery  of  the  circulation  of  the 
blood.  Books  were  then  rare,  newspapers 
almost  unknown,  the  medical  almanac  was  not 
dreamed  of,  institutions  in  which  the  science  of 
medicine  was  taught  were  few,  and  there  were 
few  persons  in  Pennsylvania  at  that  period 
whose  knowledge  of  medicine  exceeded  that  of 
the  intelligent  housewife  of  the  present  day. 
Our  Materia  Medico,  did  not  yet  contain  the 
names  quinine,  morphine,  strychnine,  iodine 
and  the  iodides,  the  bromides,  hydrocyanic  acid, 
cod-liver  oil  and  chloroform.  The  practical 
application  of  the  stethoscope,  the  pleximeter, 
the  speculum,  the  ophthalmoscope  and  the 
laryngoscope  in  the  physical  diagnosis  of  disease 
had  never  yet  been  made.     Nor  had  chemistry, 


THE  MEDICAL  PKOFESSION. 


589 


the  microscope  and  electricity  been  successfully 
applied  to  such  a  purpose.  Lady  Montague 
had  not  yet  brought  from  Constantinople  the 
practice  of  inoculation,  nor  Jenner  developed 
his  system  of  vaccination. 

As  in  Egypt,  where  the  healing  art  was  first 
cultivated,  and  as  among  the  Jews  under  Moses, 
so  among  the  early  settlers  of  Berks  County, 
the  offices  of  clergyman  and  physician  were 
often  combined  in  the  same  person.  The  knowl- 
edge of  medicine  of  those  individuals  was  not 
extensive.  The  various  ailments  incident  to 
human  kind  in  those  days  were  supposed  to  be 
cured  by  the  virtues  of  herbs  found  within  the 
borders  of  nearly  every  settlement.  The  custom 
of  repairing  periodically  to  the  physician  to  be 
"cupped"  or  "blooded"  was  almost  universally 
prevalent.  The  doctor  did  not  enjoy  the  ex- 
clusive privilege  of  this  practice,  as  the  barber 
was  a  competitor  and  did  a  large  amount  of  it. 
The  red  and  white  striped  pole,  now  used  to 
designate  a  barber-shop,  is  but  a  relic  of  the 
olden-time  advertisement,  painted  to  represent 
the  blood  trickling  down  the  arm  of  a  patient. 
The  minister,  the  barber,  the  midwife  and  the 
housewife  seemed  to  possess  all  the  qualifications 
necessary  to  act  as  adjunct  doctors.  It  was  only 
when  life'was  supposed  to  be  in  imminent  dan- 
ger that  the  educated  physician  was  summoned 
to  the  bedside.  Midwives  attended  to  a  large 
amount  of  the  practice  without  entertaining  the 
remotest  idea  that  they  were  performing  duties 
which  should  require  the  attention  of  a  skilled 
practitioner.  The  practice  of  these  people  is 
not  yet  discontinued  in  Berks  County.  A  large 
part  of  the  treatment  of  the  sick,  especially  in 
the  rural  districts,  a  century  ago,  was  performed 
by  self-made  physicians  or  irregular  practition- 
ers. Nearly  every  township  had  one  or  two  of 
these.  Domestic  remedies  were  much  used  and 
are  still  in  vogue,  as  well  as  the  magic  art  of 
"powwowing,"  a  relic  of  barbarism.  Some- 
times a  patient  was  bled  or  purged,  and  if  no 
improvement  followed,  a  physician  was  sent  for, 
who  examined  the  patient  and  diagnosed  the 
case.  He  then  required  some  one  of  the  family 
to  call  at  his  office  every  few  days  to  report  the 
condition  of  the  patient.  In  that  way  a  good 
practitioner  attended  to  the  sick  of  a  great  many 


families  over  a  large  scope  of  country.  He 
almost  invariably  traveled  on  horseback,  with 
his  "schwerick  sock"  (saddlebags)  to  store 
his  medicines.  Many  of  the  practitioners  of 
a  later  date  attended  one  term  of  lectures  and 
then  began  practicing  without  receiving  a  di- 
ploma. 

During  the  early  history'  of  medical  practice 
in  this  county  the  principal  diseases  were 
malarial,  intermittent  and  remittent  fevers,  or 
ague  and  fever,  popularly  termed  "  the  shakes." 
The  universal  remedy  was  Peruvian  bark  in  the 
form  of  powder,  and  was  known  to  the  com- 
mon people  as  "  barricks." 

There  were  a  few  cases  of  yellow  fever  in 
Berks  County  during  its  prevalence  at  Phil- 
adelphia in  1803.  The  Asiatic  cholera  pre- 
vailed in  Reading  to  a  limited  degree  in  1832, 
and  a  few  persons  died  from  its  effects. 

Scarlatina  and  dysentery  were  frequently  epi- 
demic a  half  century  ago,  and  carried  off  many 
children  at  times.  Diphtheria  made  its  appear- 
ance in  this  county  about  1850,  and  since  that 
date  has  often  been  epidemic.  It  is  a  disease 
that  was  much  dreaded  at  first;  medical  skill 
seems  to  have  it  now  under  better  control. 

In  the  foregoing  paragraphs  it  was  attempted 
to  give  a  few  facts  of  the  history  of  medicine, 
the  profession  of  which,  though  arduous  in  the 
extreme,  is  noble  and  honorable, — equal  in  com- 
parison to  any  other  of  the  learned  professions. 
Few,  we  believe,  who  have  entered  it  would 
exchange  for  any  other  profession.  The  variety 
of  learning  required,  the  constant  accession  of 
new  truths,  the  earnest,  anxious,  though  inter- 
esting, occupation  it  affords  to  the  mind,  renders 
it  absolutely  absorbing  and  exciting ;  but  it  de- 
velops, cultivates  and  refines  the  intellect  and 
ennobles  the  soul.  Some  of  the  finest  speci- 
mens of  true  manhood  to-day  are  found  within 
the  medical  fraternity.  The  intelligent  and 
conscientious  physician  acquires  an  extensive 
knowledge  of  human  nature,  observes  the  beau- 
tiful traits  of  domestic  affection,  receives  the 
gratitude  of  many  people,  the  cordial  friendship 
of  others,  and  the  universal  respect  of  all.  There 
is  but  one  drawback  to  the  profession,  and  that 
is  the  innate  desire  of  so  many  people  to 
be    humbugged    by    quacks    and    charlatans, 


590 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


whom    every    enlightened    individual    should 
shun. 

DECEASED  PHYSICIANS  OF  BERKS  COUNTY. 

All  the  facts  that  could  be  obtained  of  the 
medical  practitioners  now  deceased,  who  re- 
sided in  Berks  County,  are  here  given  in  the 
form  of  biographical  sketches,  carefully  pre- 
pared with  data  obtained  from  the  best  sources 
of  information. 

Jacob  PjiANK  so  far  as  is  known,  was  the 
pioneer  physician  of  Berks  County.  He  was  a 
Huguenot,  and  located  in  Oley  township  soon 
after  the  first  settlement  of  that  region.  His 
medical  education  was  acquired  between  the 
years  1696  and  1700,  when  he  was  a  student 
at  the  University  of  Basel,  Switzerland,  under 
the  instruction  of  Theodorus  ZuiDgerus,  pro- 
fessor of  the  practice  of  medicine  in  that  insti- 
tution, and  author  of  works  on  "Materia  Medica," 
"  Botany  "  and  "  Pharmacy."  Soon  after  his 
medical  studies  were  completed  he  emigrated  to 
America,  and  while  on  his  way  to  a  settlement 
in  Berks  County,  he  was  detained  .  at  Oley 
through  the  importunities  of  a  settler  whose 
wife  lay  sick  at  the  time.  His  skill  in  the  suc- 
cessful treatment  of  this  case  won  the  confi- 
dence of  the  settlers,  and  they  therefore  in- 
duced him  to  remain  in  their  midst.  It  is  not 
known  when  or  whom  he  married  or  when  he 
died.  He  located  in  this  county  at  a  very 
early  date,  and  in  1720  signed  a  petition,  to- 
gether with  other  early  settlers,  asking  for  the 
erection  of  a  new  township  to  be  called  "  Oley." 
Dr.  D.  Heber  Plank,  of  Morgantown,  this 
county,  is  a  great-great  grandson  of  Dr.  Jacob 
Plank,  and  has  in  his  possession  some  of  his 
ancestor's  medical  books. 

George  De  BeSnevii.le,  one  of  the  pioneer 
physicians  of  the  county,  was  born  in  London 
July  26,  1703.  He  was  a  descendant  of  George 
De  Benneville,  a  Frenchman  of  Normandy, 
born  in  the  city  of  llouen.  Dr.  De  Benneville 
came  to  America  in  1745,  and  settled  in  Oley 
township,  Berks  County,  with  a  colony  of 
Huguenots.  Among  them  were  the  De  Bertolets 
who  located  there  as  early  as  1726.  On  the 
year  of  his  arrival  at  the  Oley  settlement,  Dr. 
De  Benneville  was  married  to  Esther  De  Ber- 


tolet,  daughter  of  Jean  De  Bertolet,  and  built  a 
house  on  the  farm  at  one  time  owned  by  Daniel 
Knabb.     While   in   Oley,   he  taught    school, 
practiced   medicine   and   preached    the  gospel. 
In  1755  he  moved  to  Philadelphia,  where  he 
acquired   an    extensive    practice    in   medicine. 
He  died   in   that  city,  in  1793,  aged   ninety 
years.     His  wife  died  in  1795,  aged  seventy- 
five  years.     Their  eldest  son,  Daniel  De  Ben- 
neville, was  born  in  Oley  township,  November 
12, 1753,  and  grew  to  manhood  at  Branchtown, 
York  road,    now  a  part   of   the   consolidated 
city  of  Philadelphia.     Here    his  father  lived 
most  of  his  life,  and  here  also  died,  leaving  his 
property  to  his  son  Daniel.     He  studied  medi- 
cine, joined    the   American   army   during   the 
Revolution  as  a  junior  surgeon  of  the  flying 
hospitals,  and  on  July  3,  1781,  was  chosen  sur- 
geon of  the  Thirteenth  Virginia  Infantry.     As 
a  surgeon,  he  was  distinguished  for  his  sympa- 
thy for  the'wounded.     In  appearance  and  dis- 
position, he  was  a  perfect  counterpart  of  Andrew 
Jackson.     After  the  war,  he  followed  his  pro- 
fession in  Burlington,  N.  J.,  and  later  moved 
to  Branchtown,  Pa.,  where   he  died  in  1828, 
aged  seventy-five  years. 

Jonathan  Potts  was  born  in  Berks 
County,  April  11,  1745.  After  obtaining  a 
good  education  at  Ephrata  and  Philadelphia, 
he  went  to  Edinburgh,  1766.  He  was  ac- 
companied by  Benjamin  Rush.  They  car- 
ried letters  of  introduction  from  Benjamin 
Franklin.  Potts  returned  in  1767,  and  grad- 
uated at  the  Medical  Institute  of  Philadelphia, 
at  its  first  commencement  in  1768.  He  deliv- 
ered the  valedictory  oration,  and  was  highly  com- 
plimented. He  began  the  practice  of  medicine 
at  Reading,  and  became  a  noted  practitioner. 
He  wrote  an  article  on  "Utility  of  Vaccination," 
in  1771,  which  was  published  in  Pennsylvardi-n 
Staatsbote.  He  mentioned  the  time  small-pox 
visited  Reading,  and  that  one  hundred  and  six 
children  died,— one  in  three  who  had  the  disease. 
He  exhibited  great  patriotism  during  the  Revo- 
lution, and  represented  Berks  County  at  Phila- 
delphia on  several  important  occasion"  during 
1775  and  1776.  In  June,  1776,  he  was 
appointed  surgeon  in  the  army  for  Canada 
and   Lake   George.     In   December,    1776,   he 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


591 


was  stationed  at  Philadelphia,  and  in  April, 
1777,  he  was  at  Albany.  While  there,  he  was 
director-general  of  the  hospitals  of  the  North 
Department.  Through  his  zeal  in  public  ser- 
vice, he  was  prostrated  by  illness,  and  he  died 
at  Reading,  October,  1781. 

Bodo  Otto,  one  of  the  first  skilled  physi- 
cians and   surgeons    of  Reading,   was    a    de- 
scendant of  distinguished  ancestry.     His  father, 
Christopher  Otto,  was  born  in  the  Kingdom  of 
Hanover,  Germany,  about  1685.     While  in  the 
sarvice  of  Baron 
Bodo  von  Obergs, 
one  of  the  King's 
noblemen,   he 
was  married,   in 

1708,  to  Maria 
Magdalena  Nei- 
nekenintheNeu- 
stadten  Church, 
Hanover,  by  the 
court  chaplain, 
Rev.  Wahren- 
dortf.  Christo- 
pher Otto  was 
appointed  con- 
troller, by  the 
Elector  of  Bruns- 
wick-Lueneberg, 
for  the  county  of 
Schwartzfels,  and 
died  at  Laude- 
berg,  October  21, 
1752.  Dr.  Bodo 
Otto  was  born  of 
this  marriage  in 

1709,  and  obtain- 
ed his  Christian  dr.  bodo  otto. 
name    in    honor 

of  Baron  Bodo,  who  was  his  sponsor  in  bap- 
tism, shortly  after  his  birth.  He  acquired 
an  excellent  scholastic  education,  and  having 
attained  manhood,  desired  to  study  medicine 
and  surgery.  Application  was  accordingly 
made  to  Augustus  Daniel  Meier,  in  the  towu 
of  Hartzberg,  near  the  Hartz,  and,  according 


to  the  custom  of  his  native  land,  in  order 
to  give  special  privileges,  two  witnesses  who 
were  present  at  the  marriage  of  his  parents, 


testified  as  to  the  legitimacy  of  his  birth.  He 
was  then  accorded  the  best  advantages  the 
country  afforded,  and  was  regularly  educated 
as  a  surgeon  under  the  authority  of  the  govern- 
ment in  the  university  of  Gottingen,  where  he 
also  received  special  instruction  in  anatomy, 
physiology,  botany  and  physics.  He  then  was 
received  as  a  member  of  the  College  of  Surgeons 
at  Lueneberg  and  had  charge  of  the  prisoners 
in  the  Fortress  Kaleberg,  and  the  Invalides 
quartered  in  the  town.     He  thus  became  very 

proficient  in  the 
practice  of  his 
professionandhis 
talent  and  ability 
were  appreciated, 
acknowledged 
and  approved  in 
letters  of  com- 
mendation from 
the  royal  sur- 
geons, by  officers 
in  command,  and 
by  people  of  dis- 
tinction in  his  na- 
tive land.  In 
1736  he  married 
Elisabeth  Sau- 
chen,  who  died  in 
Germany  in  1738 
leavingonechild,, 
Mary  Elizabeth. 
On  May  21, 1742 
he  was  again  mar- 
ried, to  Doratha 
Doehmchen,  by 
whomhehad  four 
eh  i  1  d  ren ,  Fr  ed  er- 
ick  Christopher, 
who  was  born  August  22,  1743,  and  died 
November  18,  1795;  Doratha  Sophia,  born 
February  28,  1745,  and  died  November  16, 
1774;  Bodo,  born  September  14,  1748,  and 
died  January  20,  1782;  John  Augustus,  born 
July  20,  1751,  died  December  16, 1834. 

Three  years  after  the  death  of  his  father,  Dr.. 
Bodo  Otto  and  his  family,  together  with  a, 
number  of  other  families  of  the  better  class  of 
Germans,  owing  to  the  political  dissensions  and 


592 


HISTOKY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


revolution  in  their  native  land,  determined  to 
seek  new  homes  in  America,  in  which  thousands 
of  thrifty  German  emigrants  were  already  pros- 
pering. The  vessel  in  which  they  sailed  left 
Amsterdam  May  1,  1755,  and  landed  Novem- 
ber 10th  of  the  same  year.  He  located  in 
Philadelphia,  where  he  was  soon  highly  esteem- 
ed for  his  literary,  medical  and  surgical  ability, 
and  rapidly  acquired  a  practice.  As  the  tide 
of  German  emigration  was  moving  up  the 
Schuylkill  Valley,  whose  fertile  lands  were  fast 
becoming  occupied  by  a  thrifty  class  of  settlers, 
Dr.  Otto  followed  the  footsteps  of  many  of  his 
worthy  countrymen,  and  moved  to  Heading, 
locating  here  in  1773. 

About  this  time  the  Revolutionary  sentiment 
in  the  colonies  was  gathering  force.  The  Ger- 
mans were  not  behind  in  condemning  the 
British  oppression,  and  the  German  settlers  in 
this  grand  old  county  of  Berks,  in  common  with 
other  counties  in  the  province  of  Pennsylvania, 
settled  by  the  same  people,  soon  became  devoted 
advocates  of  a  new  and  independent  form  of 
government.  As  an  evidence  of  the  influence 
of  Bodo  Otto  among  his  fellow-countrymen, 
with  whom  he  had  resided  but  three  years,  he 
was  in  1776  chosen  one  of  the  delegates  to 
represent  Berks  County  in  the  Provincial 
Conference  which  met  in  Carpenter's  Hall, 
Philadelphia,  June  18,  1776.  As  a  further 
evidence  of  the  patriotic  devotion  of  Bodo  Otto 
to  the  interests  of  his  adopted  country,  early  in 
the  progress  of  the  Revolution  he  offered  his 
services  as  a  surgeon  in  the  American  army, 
and  they  were  gratefully  accepted. 

During  the  gloomiest  period  of  that  prolonged 
Avar  for  liberty  and  independence,  while  the 
army  of  General  Washington  was  encamped  at 
Valley  Forge,  Dr.  Bodo  Otto,  assisted  by  his 
two  sons,  Drs.  John  A.  and  Bodo  Otto,  Jr., 
were  surgeons  in  charge  of  the  camp  hospital. 
He  endured  the  same  privations  during  the 
memorable  winter  of  1777-78,  while  devoting 
himself  to  the  welfare  of  the  sick  and  wounded. 

At  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War  Dr. 
Otto  returned  to  Reading,  resumed  the  practice 
of  his  profession  and  in  the  meantime  took  a 
prominent  part  in  the  administration  of  local 
affairs. 


He  died  June  13,  1787,  aged  seventy- eight 
years.  His  remains  were  interred  and  now 
rest  in  the  old  Trinity  church  yard  of  Read- 
ing, he  being  a  member  of  the  Trinity  congre- 
gation. 

His  second  wife  died  at  Philadelphia  in 
1765,  and  he  was  married  a  third  time,  on 
December  18,  1768,  to  Margaret  Parish,  an 
English  lady  of  Philadelphia.  She  died  in 
1801.  They  had  no  children.  (All  of  the 
above  statements  relative  to  Dr.  Otto  are  sub- 
stantiated by  documentary  evidence  perused 
by  the  writer  and  now  in  the  possession  of  John 
A.  Otto,  of  Williamsport,  Pa.) 

The  following  certificate  is  of  special  interest : 

"This  is  to  certify  that  Dr.  Bodo  Otto  served  in 
the  capacity  of  a  senior  surgeon  in  the  Hospitals  of 
the  United  States  in  the  year  1776,  and  when  the 
new  arrangement,  in  April,  1777,  took  place,  he  was 
continued  in  thatstation  until  the  subsequent  arrange- 
ment of  September,  1780,  when  he  was  appointed  hos- 
pital physician  and  surgeon,  in  which  capacity  he 
officiated  until  a  reduction  of  a  number  of  the  officers 
of  said  department,  in  January,  1782,  was  made. 
During  the  whole  of  the  time  he  acted  in  the  above 
stations  he  discharged  his  duty  with  great  faithful- 
ness, care  and  attention.  The  humanity,  for  which 
he  was  distinguished,  towards  the  brave  American 
soldiery,  claims  the  thanks  of  every  lover  of  his 
country,  and  the  success  attending  his  practice  will 
be  a  sufficient  recommendation  of  his  abilities  in  his 
profession. 

"Given  under  my  hand,  the  26th  day  of  January, 
1782. 

"  John  Cochran, 
"  Director  of  the  Military  Hospitals." 

Bodo  Otto,  Je.,  son  of  Dr.  Bodo  Otto 
by  his  second  marriage,  was  born  in  Hanover, 
Germany,  September  14,  1748,  and  died  June 
20,  1782.  As  above  mentioned,  he  was  a  sur- 
geon of  the  Revolution.  He  lived  at  Wood- 
bury, N.  J.,  and  during  his  absence  from  home, 
attending  to  hospital  duty,  his  political  anta- 
gonists, the  Tories,  burned  his  house,  and  his 
wife  and  children,  during  inclement  weather, 
were  driven  from  home,  and  all  the  products 
of  his  farm  were  consumed.  The  incendiaries 
were  apprehended  and  convicted.  Notwith- 
standing the  calamity  in  which  their  acts  had 
plunged  him,  Dr.  Otto  actually  took  a  long 
ride  on  horseback  to  obtain  their  pardon.  Be- 
ing overtaken  by  a  violent  storm  on  his  return, 


y^r^tL  7%.  ^p6~^ 


THE  MEDICAL  PKOFESRION. 


593 


he  contracted  a  severe  catarrh,  which  was  soon 
followed  by  pulmonary  consumption,  and  he 
died  at  the  early  age  of  thirty  years,  leaving 
three  children,  one  of  whom,  Dr.  John  C.  Otto,  a 
graduate  of  Princeton  College  in  1792,  a  medi- 
cal student  under  the  renowned  Dr.  Benjamin 
Rush,  who  recognized  his  amiable  deportment 
and  promising  talents,  and  awarded  him  many 
tokens  of  esteem  and  affection.  He  was  gradu- 
ated in  medicine  from  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania  in  1796,  and  soon  took  rank  in 
Philadelphia  among  such  eminent  physicians  of 
that  day  as  Rush,  James,  Parke,  Dewees, 
Physick,  Hewson,  Chapman  and  others.  In 
1798  he  was  chosen  one  of  the  physicians  of 
the  Philadelphia  Dispensary,  and  upon  the 
death  of  Dr.  Rush,  he  succeeded  his  eminent 
preceptor  as  one  of  the  physicians  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Hospital,  and  held  the  position  for 
twenty-two  years,  when  he  resigned.  He  died 
June  26,  1844,  recognized  by  the  profession  as 
an  eminent  practitioner,  a  fine  scholar  and  a 
cultured  gentleman. 

John  A.  Otto,  son  of  Dr.  Bodo  Otto,  Sr., 
was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  on  July  30, 
1751  ;  arrived  with  his  father  at  Philadelphia 
in  1755.  In  addition  to  attending  the  best 
schools  of  that  day,  he  received  instructions 
from  his  father,  under  whom  he  served  as  as- 
sistant surgeon  through  the  Revolutionary  War. 
It  was  upon  his  recommendation,  after  the  cap- 
ture of  the  Hessians  at  Trenton,  that  some  of  them 
were  brought  to  Reading  and  there  encamped 
on  Penn  Mount.     He  was  one  of  the  escort. 

Dr.  Otto  settled  in  Reading  with  his  father, 
in  1773,  and  three  years  later  was  married  to 
Catharine  Hitner,  of  Marble  Hall,  Montgomery 
County,  Pa.  Like  his  father,  he  showed  a 
patriotic  devotion  to  his  country  by  refusing  to 
accept  a  pension  for  his  services,  as  a  surgeon  at 
Valley  Forge.  He  soon  acquired  a  lucrative 
practice  in  Reading,  and  became  one  of  the 
leading  physicians  of  his  time  in  the  State,  and 
maintained  that  honorable  position  until  his 
death,  December  14,  1834,  aged  eighty-three 
years.  His  wife  died  of  grief  a  few  days  later. 
He  was  one  of  the  court  justices  under  the 
State  Constitution  of  1776,  and  was  appointed 
prothonotary  of  Berks  County  in  1790. 
55 


The  children  of  Dr.  John  A.  and  Catharine 
Otto,  who  arrived  at  maturity,  were  Margaret, 
married  to  Benjamin  Whitman  ;  Mary,  married 
to  Gabriel  Hiester,  who  served  as  one  of  the 
court  justices,  and  afterwards,  under  the  Consti- 
tution of  1790,  was  an  associate  judge  of  Berks 
County  from  1819  to  1823;  Sarah,  married  to 
Jonathan  Hiester,  a  member  of  the  Berks 
County  bar ;  Elizabeth,  married  to  Henry 
Richards  ;  Maria,  married  to  Joseph  Wood  ; 
and  Daniel  H.  married  to  Sarah  Whitman ;  and 
Dr.  John  B.  Otto. 

John  B.  Otto,  who  is  well  remembered 
by  many  citizens  of  Reading,  was  a  son  of  Dr. 
John  A.  Otto,  and,  at  the  time  of  his  death,  was 
the  oldest  physician  in  the  city,  in  which  place 
he  was  born  December  20,  1785.  He  was 
graduated  from  Princeton  College,  read  medi- 
cine under  Dr.  Wistar,  of  Philadelphia,  and 
was  graduated  from  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania in  1808,  when  such  men  •  as  Rush, 
Physick,  Wistar,  Shippen,  Barton  and  Wood- 
house  were  professors.  He  began  the  practice 
of  medicine  in  his  native  town,  where  for  half 
a  century  he  enjoyed  a  large  and  varied  profes- 
sional experience.  He  was  a  man  of  more  than 
ordinary  energy  and  activity,  and  possessed  re- 
markable powers  of  endurance,  both  physical 
and  mental. 

For  a  short  time  during  the  last  war  with 
Great  Britain  he  acted  as  surgeon  in  the 
army,  and  was  with  the  troops  at  York  when 
General  Ross  was  marching  on  Baltimore.  He 
devoted  himself  to  his  profession  so  assiduously 
and  absorbingly  that  he  scarcely  had  a  leisure 
hour,  even  for  the  repose  so  necessary  to 
the  human  system ;  and  yet  he  was  never  weary 
of  his  work,  but  always  ready  to  answer  the  calls 
of  his  patients  with  cheerfulness  and  alacrity. 
He  was  a  gentleman  of  the  old  school.  He 
would  rather  have  suffered  any  wrong  than  in- 
flict an  injury.  Singularly  inoffensive  and 
peaceful  in  disposition  and  life,  unostentatious 
in  manners  and  unambitious  in  aim,  year  after 
year  he  pursued  the  rounds  of  visitation  to  the 
sick  and  dying,  doing  whatever  skill  and  assid- 
uous attention  could  accomplish  to  relieve  suf- 
fering and  heal  disease. 

"Perhaps  no  man  ever   lived  and   died   in 


594 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Beading,"  remarks  the  Journal,  "  who  conferred 
more  substantial  good  on  so  great  a  number,  or 
who  received  less  in  return  for  the  good  be- 
stowed. It  is  speaking  in  moderation  to  say 
that  the  services  rendered  gratuitously  to  the 
poor,  if  they  had  been  repaid  in  money,  would 
of  themselves  have  constituted  an  estate;  but 
he  had  a  richer  reward, — the  blessings  of  them 
that  were  ready  to  perish  fell  upon  him." 

He  died  August  2,  1858,  aged  seventy-three 
years.  The  remains  were  conveyed  to  the  Charles 
Evans  Cemetery.  The  houses  in  the  square 
where  the  deceased  resided  and  on  North  Fifth 
Street  were  closed  during  the  passage  of  the 
funeral  cortege  as  a  mark  of  respect  to  the  mem- 
ory of  one  who  had  been  so  long  identified  with 
Reading  that  his  death  was  regarded  as  a  public 
loss. 

Dr.  Otto  was  married,  in  1810,  to  Esther  G. 
Witman,  daughter  of  Judge  William  Wit- 
man.  She  was  a  graduate  of  the  Moravian 
Seminary  at  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  and  a  lady  of 
many  accomplishments  and  excellent  Christian 
virtues.  She  was  enthusiastially  devoted  to  the 
interests  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  which  was 
annually  the  recipient  of  her  bounty,  and  the 
poor  always  found  in  her  a  friend.  She  died 
July  10,  1880,  aged  eighty-four  years. 

The  children  of  Dr.  John  B.  and  Esther 
Otto  are  John  Augustus,  Bodo,  Emma  (married 
to  S.  Filbert)  and  Henry  M.,  all  of  whom 
reside  in  Williamsport,  Pa. ;  Maria  (married  to 
Jacob  Geise,  of  Reading)  and  Matilda  (married 
to  Geo.  W.  Miller,  of  Reading). 

William  Woods,  for  many  years  the  lead- 
ing medical  practitioner  in  Womelsdorf,  located 
in  that  town  before  the  period  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary War.  He  is  still  remembered  by  some 
of  the  oldest  citizens  of  the  town  and  vicinity 
as  a  gentleman  of  high  moral  worth  and  super- 
ior professional  qualifications. 

IsiAC  Hiester,  for  many  years  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  physicians  in  the  State  and 
one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Reading,  was  a 
son  of  William  and  Anne  Maria  Hiester  and 
was  born  in  Bern  township,  Berks  County,  June 
22,  1785.  He  obtained  his  medical  education 
at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and  subse- 
quently  spent  five  years  as  physician  to   the 


Pennsylvania  Hospital.  After  entering  upon 
the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Reading  he 
soon  attained  prominence  and  acquired  great 
proficiency  in  the  art  of  medicine.  He  was  the 
first  president  of  the  Berks  County  Medical 
Society,  organized  in  1824.  His  speech  on  that 
occasion  was  a  learned  production,  and  appears 
in  Rupp's  "History  of  Berks  County." 

Dr.  Hiester  was  endowed  with  more  than 
ordinary  mental  ability  ;  he  did  not  rest 
with  the  knowledge  acquired  in  the  uni- 
versity, but,  by  attention  and  industry,  kept 
pace  with  the  advances  and  improvements 
of  the  day.  Communications  from  his  pen 
upon  subjects  which  came  under  his  observation 
as  a  practitioner  were  frequently  published  in  the 
medical  journals,  which  gave  him  both  promi- 
nence and  distinction  among  those  who  occupied 
the  highest  rank  as  physicians  and  surgeons. 

A  dignified  presence,  the  address  and  manner 
of  a  gentleman,  united  with  qualities  which 
adorn  human  character,  could  not  fail  to  make 
him  a  man  of  note  in  the  community  in  which 
he  spent  his  whole  life. 

To  the  distinguishing  traits  referred  to  was 
added  a  progressive  spirit  which  placed  him  in 
the  front  of  every  movement  having  in  view  the 
growth  and  improvement  of  the  city  of  which 
he  was  a  resident.  From  a  very  early  period 
he  was  an  earnest  advocate  of  higher  methods 
of  education  than  were  then  in  use.  The  es- 
tablishment of  a  new  academy  on  a  plan  of 
class-rooms,  lecture-room,  library,  with  the  in- 
troduction of  a  higher  grade  of  educational 
training,  is  mainly  due  to  his  courageous  and 
persistent  efforts.  He  was  also  largely  instru- 
mental in  procuring  the  necessary  improve- 
ments for  an  adequate  supply  of  water  and  gas 
for  the  city  ;  and  encouraged  with  his  aid  and 
support  the  numerous  individual  industrial  en- 
terprises which  have  insured  such  prosperity 
and  growth  as  were  scarcely  believed  possible. 
Nor  was  the  spirit  of  enterprise  characteristic 
of  him  by  any  means  local.  He  was  among 
the  first  to  engage  in  the  project  to  establish  a 
line  of  rail  way  communication  from  the  anthra- 
cite coal-field  to  tide-water  at  Philadelphia. 
These  efforts  on  the  part  of  himself  and  those 
with  whom  he  was  associated  resulted  in  effect- 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


595 


ing  the  construction  of  the  railroad  from  Tam- 
aqua  to  Port  Clinton,  the  point  where  the 
Schuylkill  Canal  was  reached,  and  to  which  for 
a  time  the  coal  from  the  mines  was  transferred. 
This  arrangement  was  not  of  long  continuance, 
but  led  to  a  desire  to  have  the  benefits  of  more 
rapid  transporation  by  means  of  a  continuous 
railroad  line.  Extensions  with  that  view  were 
commenced  in  1837  and  1838.  The  road  from 
Reading  to  Philadelphia  was  first  completed. 
The  one  from  Reading  to  Pottsville  was  built 
several  years  thereafter.  These  railroads,  built 
as  branches  by  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading 
Company  and  others  which  have  been  con- 
structed since,  were  chartered  as  separate  com- 
panies and  eventually  merged  in  the  Philadel- 
phia and  Reading  Railroad. 

Dr.  Hiester  was  selected  as  the  president  of 
the  first-named  and  discharged  the  duties  of 
the  position  until  it  was  completed.  He  was 
also  elected  president  of  the  road  from  Reading 
to  Philadelphia,  and  served  in  that  capacity  in 
the  early  period  of  its  organization. 

Dr.  Hiester  was  the  first  president  of  the 
Reading  Gas  Company,  a  member  of  the  ves- 
try of  Christ  Episcopal  Church  and  one  of 
the  original  members  of  the  Charles  Evans 
Cemetery  Company,  of  which  he  was  president 
at  the  time  of  his  death. 

On  April  10, 1810,  he  was  married  to  Esther 
Muhlenberg,  a  daughter  of  General  Peter 
Muhlenberg.     He  died  September  12,  1855. 

Frank  M.  Hiester,  son  of  Dr.  Isaac 
Hiester,  was  born  in  1828.  He  received  a 
preparatory  educational  training  in  the  schools 
of  his  native  town  and  then  entered  the  College 
of  New  Jersey,  at  Princeton,  from  which  insti- 
tution he  was  graduated  in  1849.  After  spend- 
ing the  succeeding  two  years  in  the  Medical 
Department  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
he  was  graduated  in  1852  with  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Medicine.  He  next  visited  Europe 
and  spent  eighteen  months  in  the  medical 
hospitals  of  Paris,  France.  Upon  returning 
home  he  followed  his  profession  with  his 
father  in  Reading.  Soon  after  the  latter's 
death,  in  1855,  he  relinquished  the  practice  of 
medicine,  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  bus- 
iness until  1861,  when   he  was  appointed  as- 


sistant surgeon  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Regiment  of 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers  and  in  the  autumn  of 
1861,  was  appointed  brigade  surgeon  in  the 
volunteer  service  of  the  United  States,  with  the 
rank  of  major.  His  last  government  position 
was  that  of  medical  director  of  the  Department 
of  Ohio,  with  headquarters  at  Cincinnati.  He 
died  April  9,  1864,  at  his  home  in  Reading,  at 
the  early  age  of  thirty-six  years.  His  death 
was  much  regretted,  as  he  was  a  young  man  of 
brillant  promise. 

John  P.  Hiester,  brother  of  Dr.  Isaac 
Hiester,  was  one  of  the  most  scholarly  men 
that  Berks  County  has  produced.  He  was 
born  July  3,  1803,  and  died  September  15, 
1854,  not  having  quite  passed  his  fiftieth  year. 
When  but  a  youth  he  evinced  a  great  interest  in 
study,  and  eagerly  perused  the  books  that  came 
within  his  reach.  This  thirst  for  knowledge 
was  encouraged  and  he  afterward  acquired  a 
liberal  education  in  school  and  college.  This 
he  greatly  enlarged  by  study  and  travel.  After 
receiving  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine  he 
became  a  very  prominent  and  influential 
practitioner  in  his  chosen  profession  in  the  town 
of  Reading.  In  order  to  recuperate  his  failing 
health,  he  decided  to  take  a  trip  through  Europe, 
and  on  April  1 6, 1 841 ,  he  set  sail  from  New  York 
City  and  traveled  through  England,  France, 
Italy,  Belgium,  Germany,  Switzerland  and 
France.  While  on  his  journey  he  regularly 
contributed  to  the  Reading  Gazette  very  ably- 
written  descriptive  articles  of  the  scenes  and  in- 
cidents on  the  way,  and  of  the  interesting  local- 
ities which  he  visited.  These  letters  were 
received  with  so  much  interest  that  he  was  in- 
duced to  publish  them  in  book-form  in  1844, 
under  the  name  of  "  Notes  of  Travel. "  He 
returned  to  Reading  in  1842  and  resumed 
the  practice  of  his  profession.  Dr.  Hiester 
enjoyed  for  many  years  an  extensive  practice 
in  Reading  and  vicinity.  In  the  sick-chamber 
his  sterling  qualities  of  mind  and » heart  were 
well  known  and  appreciated.  Tenderly  solicit- 
ous for  the  welfare  of  his  patients,  unremit- 
ting in  his  attendance  upon  them,  and  ever 
wakeful  to  do  for  them  all  that  the  healing  art 
afforded  to  alleviate  their  pains  and  sufferings, 
he  endeared  himself  to  them  with  the  strongest 


596 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


ties  of  friendship.  Although  devoted  almost 
to  enthusiasm  to  the  practice  of  medicine,  he 
also  found  time  to  cultivate  the  kindred  sciences, 
and  nothing  afforded  him  more  pleasure  than 
to  use  the  treasures  of  his  well-stored  mind,  im- 
proved by  foreign  travel  and  years  of  close 
study,  in  stimulating  the  intellectual  advancement 
of  the  youth  of  his  native  town.  He  delivered 
many  lectures  of  a  literary  and  scientific  nature,  to 
lyceums  and  institutions  of  learning,  and  was  very 
highly  appreciated.  He  possessed  an  enlightened 
spirit,  a  correct  judgment  and  a  benevolent  heart, 
and  was  always  ready  to  assist  and  encourage 
by  his  counsel  all  enterprises  having  for  their 
object  the  moral,  intellectual  or  social  advance- 
ment of  the  inhabitants  of  Reading.  He  was 
affable  and  engaging  in  his  manners,  and 
sincere  in  his  friendships.  His  industry  and 
love  of  intellectual  labor  were  illustrated  in 
the  large  number  of  addresses  written  and 
delivered  by  him  before  various  literary  and 
scientific  associations. 

Christian  Ludwig  Schlemm,  M'ho  for 
many  years  was  one  of  the  most  prominent 
physicians  of  Berks  County,  was  a  native  of 
Heckelheim,  in  the  Kingdom  of  Hanover ; 
born  February  4,  1776.  He  was  the  son  of 
John  Frederick  and  Dorothea  Catharine 
Schlemm.  After  obtaining  a  good  preparatory 
education  he  entered  the  Literary  Department  of 
the  University  of  Gottingen,  and  was  gradu- 
ated from  that  institution  in  the  year  1798. 
Soon  thereafter  he  came  to  America  and  was 
engaged  as  a  teacher  for  about  two  years  in 
Germantown,  Pa.  With  the  design  of  studying 
medicine,  he  returned  to  his  native  country  and 
became  a  student  in  the  Medical  Department  of 
Gottingen  University,  and  there  received  the 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine  in  1803,  after 
pursuing  his  studies  under  the  celebrated 
scientists,  Richter  and  Blumenbach.  He  began 
the  practice  of  his  profession  in  his  native 
country,  continuing  until  1807,  when  he  again 
came  to  America  and  located  as  a  physician  in 
Union  County,  where  he  was  naturalized  in  the 
year  1815.  He  moved  to  Kutztown,  Berks 
County,  in  the  year  1818,  and  there  rapidly 
acquired  a  large  and  lucrative  practice,  which  he 
held  until  he  retired  from  the  active  duties  of 


his  profession,  and  moved  to  Richmond  town- 
ship, where  he  died  February  6,  1850. 

Dr.  Schlemm  was  a  man  of  fine  intellectual 
attainments,  and  possessed  superior  professional 
ability.  Inl824hewasoneof  the  organizers,  and 
was  chosen  vice-president  of  the  Berks  County 
Medical  Society,  and  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
Reading  Academy.  He  was  a  member  of 
Lodge  No.  62,  Ancient  York  Mason's.  In 
1816  he  was  married  to  Jessie  Freeman,  of 
Union  County,  by  whom  he  had  five  chil- 
dren,— Frederick  E.,  Edmund  C,  Charles  W. 
G.,  William  E.  and  a  daughter.  Charles 
W.  G.  Schlemm,  the  second  son,  was  grad- 
uated from  the  Medical  Department  of  Penn- 
sylvania College  in  1848,  and  is  now  practicing 
medicine  in  Reading  and  conducting  a  drug- 
store together  with  his  son,  Horace  E. 
Schlemm,  who  was  graduated  from  Jefferson 
Medical  College  in  March,  1886.  William  C. 
Schlemm,  the  third  son  of  Dr.  Schlemm,  is  a 
graduate  of  the  Medical  Department  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania,  and  is  npw  practic- 
ing in  Reading. 

Michael  Tryon,  father  of  Dr.  Jacob  Tryon, 
of  Rehrersburg,  was  born  at  Millbach,  Lancaster 
(now  Lebanon)  County,  on  August  19,  1761, 
and  died  May  25,  1828,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six 
years,  nine  months  and  nine  days.  His  remains 
lie  in  the  cemetery  adjoining  the  Lutheran 
Church  in  Rehrersburg,  where  he  resided  a 
number  of  years  before  his  death.  His  field  of 
medical  practice  extended  over  a  large  territory 
of  Berks  and  Lancaster  Counties.  He  was  re- 
garded as  an  excellent  physician  and  surgeon. 
He  was  somewhat  eccentric  in  his  manner  of 
dealing  with  the  people,  and  many  interesting 
stories  are  related  of  him  by  the  oldest  citizens 
of  the  northern  and  western  parts  of  Berks 
County. 

Jonathan  Pounder,  an  intelligent  Eng- 
lishman, born  in  1784,  and  a  graduate  of  one  of 
the  medical  colleges  of  his  native  country,  lo- 
cated near  the  village  of  Morgantown,  this 
county,  in  1830.  Before  coming  to  America 
he  was  a  surgeon  on  an  English  man-of-war, 
which,  when  once  cruising  along  the  Atlantic 
coast,  was  shipwrecked.  Dr.  Pounder  and  seven 
members   of  the  crew  were  the  only  persons 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


597 


whose  lives  were  saved.  After  floating  on  the 
bosom  of  the  ocean  several  days  in  a  small  open 
boat,  they  were  rescued  by  an  approaching  ves- 
sel. His  hair  became  gray  at  a  very  early  age, 
which  the  doctor  claimed  was  caused  by  exces- 
sive fright  incident  to  the  shipwreck.  After 
coming  to  America  he  practiced  medicine  first 
in  Philadelphia,  then  in  Chester  County  and 
finally  settled  in  this  county,  where  he  died 
January  10,  1871,  aged  eighty-eight  years.  He 
was  a  large  man,  six  feet  in  height,  had  a  deep 
bass  voice,  wore  his  hair  like  Andrew  Jackson, 
whom  he  somewhat  resembled,  but  with  whom 
he  differed  in  political  sentiment.  Dr.  Pounder 
was  an  ardent  Methodist  and  a  writer  of  consid- 
erable ability.  He  wrote  and  had  published 
the  books  with  the  following  titles  :  "  A  Token 
to  Children,"  "  A  Choice  Drop  of  Honey  from 
theRock  Christ," "Divine  Breathings," '' Camp- 
Meeting  Hymn-Book,"  "  The  History  of  Little 
Jack,"  "  Prayers  for  Children,"  "  Hymns  for 
Children."  He  was  regarded  as  a  physician  of 
merit  and  was  held  in  high  esteem  by  his 
fellow-citizens. 

Jacob  Marshall  was  born  near  Lebanon 
in  1787.  He  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Medicine  from  the  University  of  Pennsylvania 
and  soon  after  located  in  Reading,  opened  one 
of  the  first  drug-stores  in  the  town  and  also  be- 
gan the  practice  of  medicine.  During  the  sec- 
ond war  with  Great  Britain,  and  at  the  time 
when  Baltimore  was  threatened  by  the  invading 
army,  he  raised  a  company  of  eighty-four  men, 
mostly  belonging  to  Reading.  This  company 
joined  the  First  Regiment  of  the  Second  Bri- 
gade of  Pennsylvania  Militia.  They  marched 
from  Reading  to  York  and  rendezvoused  there. 
The  invasion  of  the  British  was  repelled  by 
their  defeat  at  Baltimore,  soon  after  which  event 
Captain  Marshall's  company,  as  well  as  all  the 
other  militia,  was  discharged  from  the  service 
and  they  returned  home.  He  then  began  anew 
his  practice  and  soon  became  one  of  the  leading 
physicians  of  Reading.  In  1823  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  Governor  Shulze  clerk  of  the  Court 
of  Quarter  Sessions  of  Berks  County.  About 
the  same  time  he  became  a  member  of  Lodge 
No.  62,  Ancient  Order  of  York  Masons.  Dr. 
Marshall  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 


three  years,  four  months  and  fourteen  days, 
being  the  oldest  physician  in  the  county  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  July  11,  1871.  His  remains 
were  interred  in  Charles  Evans'  Cemetery. 
Michael  Reifsnyder,  James  Norton,  Paul  Am- 
nion and  Joseph  Brelsford,  surviving  veterans 
of  the  War  of  1812,  acted  as  pall-bearers.  He 
was  married  to  Mary  Bright,  of  Reading.  One 
of  his  sons,  Dr.  John  Marshall,  a  graduate  of 
the  Pennsylvania  College  of  Medicine,  was  a 
skillful  physician  of  Reading,  but  died  early  in 
life,  on  February  19,  1861.  Another  son,  Dr. 
Philip  D.  Marshall,  now  practicing  in  the  city, 
was  graduated  from  Jefferson  Medical  College. 
In  1861  he  entered  the  Union  army  as  a  sur- 
geon and  was  stationed  one  year  in  Camp  Cur- 
tin,  at  Harrisburg.  He  was  next  transferred  to 
Washington,  and  from  thence  to  Benton  Bar- 
racks General  Hospital,  in  St.  Louis,  where  he 
remained  about  two  years,  becoming  quite  skill- 
ful as  a  surgeon.     He  now  resides  in  Reading. 

Michael  Ludwig  was  a  native  of  Amity 
township,  Berks  County,  born  in  1793,  and 
died  at  Douglassville  on  June  1,  1857,  aged 
sixty-four  years.  He  was  a  graduate  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania,  and  practiced  his 
chosen  profession  in  Amity  and  adjoining  town- 
ships for  many  years  with  great  success.  During 
the  last  thirteen  years  of  his  life  he  was  post- 
master at  Douglassville. 

William  Geies  was  born  December  1, 
1796,  in  Womelsdorf.  He  received  a  liberal 
education,  and  on  reaching  manhood  went  to 
Philadelphia, and  entered  into  a  mercantile  life; 
continued  for  some  years,  during  which  time  he 
studied  medicine.  He  was  graduated  from  the 
Medical  Department  of  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania in  1822,  after  which  he  returned  to 
his  native  town  of  Womelsdorf,  where  he  en- 
tered into  a  large  practice.  In  1824  he  mar- 
ried Maria  Priscilla,  daughter  of  Hon.  John 
Myers,  of  Myerstown,  Lebanon  County.  In 
1840,  having  met  with  an  accident  while  at- 
tending to  his  professional  duties,  and  broken 
his  thigh,  thus  laming  him  for  life,  a  large 
country  practice  became  too  laborious,  and  he 
removed  to  Reading,  where  he  soon  took  a 
prominent  place  in  his  profession.  But  his 
health,  which  was  never  strong   from   the  time 


598 


HISTOKY  OP  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


of  the  accident,  finally  gave  way,  and  he  died 
April  12,  1857,  in  the  sixty-first  year  of  his 
age. 

Dr.  Gries  belonged  to  the  old  school  of  phy- 
sicians, for  which  Eeading  was  noted  in  his 
day  and  generation.  His  medical  contempo- 
raries were  the  Ottos,  father  and  son,  and  the 
brothers,  Doctors  Isaac  and  John  P.  Hiester, 
with  whom  he  at  once  took  rank  as  a  pro- 
fessional equal.  He  assisted  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Berks  County  Medical  Society,  and 
while  he  lived  was  one  of  its  prominent  mem- 
bers. He  was  for  many  years  a  member  of  the 
vestry  of  Christ  Episcopal  Church,  of  which  he 
was  a  devoted  member.  He  also  took  an  ac- 
tive part  in  all  the  religious,  moral  and  pro- 
gressive movements  of  the  day,  and  never 
wearied  in  well-doing. 

His  character  was  beyond  reproach,  and  in 
his  private,  professional,  social  and  religious 
life  he  was  a  shining  example  to  all  his  con- 
temporaries. It  may  be  said  of  him  with 
truth,  that  he  was  a  model  man  in  all  the  re- 
lations of  life. 

Dr.  Gries,  though  his  death  occurred  before 
the  Civil  War,  left  three  sons,  all  of  whom 
gave  themselves  to  the  service  of  their  county 
during  that  memorable  period.  The  eldest, 
Rev.  William  R.  Gries,  as  chaplain  of  the  One 
Hundred  and  Fourth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 
served  nobly  to  the  end  of  the  war,  and  died  at 
Alleutown,  Pa.,  Oct.  18, 1872,  while  rector  of 
Grace  Episcopal  Church  of  that  city.  The  second 
son,  John  Myers  Gries,  who  was  a  prominent 
architect  at  the  opening  ofthe  Rebellion,  and  was 
chiefly  instrumental  in  raising  the  One  Hundred 
and  Fourth  Regiment,  served  as  its  major,  and 
was  mortally  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks, 
Va.,  while  saving  the  colors  ofthe  regiment,  and 
died  in  Philadelphia,  June  13,  1862.  The 
youngest  son,  Lemuel,  was  a  member  of  the 
Ringgold  Battery,  of  Reading,  the  first  volun- 
teer company  in  the  United  States  to  respond  to 
President  Lincoln's  call  for  troops  to  save  the 
capital  of  the  nation,  and  who  marched  on  the 
day  of  the  call,  reaching  Washington  on  the 
18th  of  April,  1861.  He  was  afterwards 
elected  first  lieutenant  of  the  same  battery. 
He  died  in  Reading,  April  6,  1876. 


Mrs.  Priscilla  Gries,  the  mother  of  this 
family,  survived  the  doctor  and  sons.  Though 
an  invalid  for  a  long  time,  her  declining  years 
were  solaced  by  the  devoted  attentions  of  her 
daughter,  Clara  C.  Gries,  the  sole  survivor  of 
the  family  to  the  end,  and  she  closed  her  beau- 
tiful life  with  Christian  resignation  on  the  31st 
day  of  August,  1882,  in  the  seventy-eighth  year 
of  her  age. 

Henry  Tyson  was  born  in  Montgomery 
County,  Pa.,  May  21,  1815,  and  was  the  son  of 
Cornelius  and  Hannah  Smith  Tyson.  His 
father,  Cornelius  Tyson,  a  much-respected 
farmer,  whose  advice  was  often  sought  and 
who  was  frequently  employed  in  matters  of 
public  trust,  was  also  born  in  Montgomery 
County,  as  were  also  his  grandfather,  Joseph 
Tyson,  born  February  16,  1751,  and  his  great- 
grandfather, Cornelius  Tyson,  whose  marriage 
is  recorded  as  having  taken  place  March  30, 
1738. 

His  early  life  was  spent  on  a  farm,  and 
he  learned  the  trade  of  a  stone-mason,  but 
he  was  always  fond  of  books  and  soon  became 
a  teacher.  He  taught. successfully,  having  had 
flourishing  schools  in  Philadelphia  and  Read- 
ing, Pa.  While  conducting  a  school  in  Phila- 
delphia he  studied  medicine,  and  was  graduated 
from  the  Pennsylvania  Medical  College  in 
1843,  the  professors  being  Samuel  George  Mor- 
ton, George  McClellan,  William  Rush,  Robert 
M.  Bird,  Samuel  McClellan,  Walter  R.  John- 
son. His  younger  brother,  Cornelius  Tyson, 
was  a  member  of  the  same  class.  In  1840  he 
married  Gertrude  Haviland  Caswell,  a  widow. 

Dr.  Tyson  began  to  practice  medicine  inFried- 
ensburg,  Berks  County,  in  1843,but  soon  removed 
to  Reading,  whence  he  returned  to  his  native 
place,  Worcester  township,  Montgomery  County, 
on  the  death  of  his  brother  Cornelius,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  twenty-five,  and  to  whose  practice  he 
succeeded.  He  returned  to  Reading  about  the 
year  1850.  In  1854,  Dr.  Taylor  was  elected 
warden  of  the  Berks  County  Prison,  a  position 
which  he  filled  very  acceptably  for  twelve 
years.  For  this  position  he  was  peculiarly 
adapted.  Retiring  in  his  habits,  studious  and 
thoughtful,  he  devoted  himself  to  matters  con- 
nected with  prison  discipline  and  the  improve- 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


599 


ment  of  the  condition  of  prisoners.  He  spent 
many  hours  with  prisoners,  in  conversation  and 
in  interesting  them  in  self-improvement,  sup- 
plying them  with  books  and  other  means  to 
this  end. 

While  at  the  prison,  so  far  as  his  engage- 
ments permitted,  and  for  two  years  after  his 
retirement,  Dr.  Tyson  continued  to  practice 
medicine  in  Reading  ;  but,  at  the  end  of  this 
time,  a  very  serious  illness  shattered  his  health 
and  he  removed  to  a  farm  in  Exeter  township, 
a  few  miles  below  Eeading.  He  enjoyed  coun- 
try life,  having  been  always  much  interested  in 
agriculture.  The  last  seven  years  of  his  life 
were  spent  pleasantly  in  the  improvement  of 
his  farm  and  in  a  restricted  practice  of  his 
profession.  He  died  at  his  home  April  29, 
1872,  of  a  tubercular  consumption,  of  which  the 
seeds  were  sown  in  the  illness  above  referred  to. 
He  was  not  quite  fifty-seven  years  old.  He 
survived  his  wife  less  than  two  years. 

Dr.  Tyson  was  literary  in  his  tastes,  and 
furnished  numerous  contributions  to  agricul- 
tural, secular,  and  occasionally  to  religious 
journals  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  of  which  he 
was  for  many  years  a  member.  He  was  a 
quiet  but  earnest  supporter  of  the  principles  of 
Friends,  and  established  the  first  First-day  or 
Suuday-school  in  the  so-called  Hicksite  branch 
of  Friends,  in  the  old  meeting-house,  in  Wash- 
ington Street,  Reading. 

Dr.  Tyson  left  two  sons,  of  whom  the  elder, 
James  Tyson,  is  also  a  physician,  having  been 
graduated,  in  1863,  from  the  Medical  Depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  in 
which  school  he  is  now  professor  of  general 
pathology  and  morbid  anatomy  and  secretary  of 
the  faculty  of  medicine. 

The  second  son,  Henry,  who  became  a  farm- 
er, died  in  October,  1882. 

Charles  A.  Gerasch,  one  of  the  earliest 
and  best-known  physicians  of  Kutztown,  Pa., 
was  born  at  Frankfort-on-the-Oder,  in  Prussia. 
After  receiving  a  good  classical  and  medical 
education  in  the  schools  of  Leipsic  and  Berlin, 
he  entered  the  Prussian  army  as  a  surgeon. 
About  the  year  1828  he  emigrated  to  the 
United  States,  bearing  with  him  the  most 
favorable  recommendations   from  his  superior 


officers,  both  professional  and  military.  He 
first  settled  in  Bucks  County,  Pa.,  and  from 
thence  removed  to  Longswamp,  Berks  County, 
and  engaged  in  practice.  He  subsequently 
settled  in  Millerstown,  Lehigh  County,  and 
finally,  choosing  Kutztown  as  a  promising  field 
for  his  professional  labor,  remained  there  until 
his  death,  on  the  22d  of  July,  1876.  He  soon 
secured  a  good  practice,  which  grew  rapidly 
until  it  probably  exceeded  that  of  any  country 
physician  in  Berks  County.  While  successful 
in  the  treatment  of  disease,  he  was  especially 
skillful  in  surgery,  in  which  branch  of  his  pro- 
fession he  had  an  enviable  reputation.  His 
services  were  much  in  demand  throughout  the 
county  and  his  presence  was  often  desired  in  con- 
sultation. His  time  and  energies  were  entirely 
absorbed  in  his  profession,  having  little  leisure 
for  participation  in  public  affairs,  for  which  he 
had  little  taste.  A  strong  Republican  in  his 
political  opinions,  he  never  aspired  to  office. 
Dr.  Gerasch  was  an  earnest  friend  to  the  cause 
of  education.  He  was  one  of  the  school  direct- 
ors of  the  borough  ano\the  chief  projector  of  the 
public-school  buildings,  and  he  was  also  treasurer 
of  the  Keystone  Normal  School,  which  he  aided 
materially  in  building.  He  was,  by  early  edu- 
cation, a  Lutheran  in  his  religious  faith,  though 
a  supporter  of  all  religious  denominations. 

Dr.  Gerasch  possessed  a  sympathetic  and 
kindly  nature,  and  was  ever  ready,  by  word 
and  deed,  to  encourage  youthful  ambition  and 
industry.  He  loved  children,  and  made  many 
a  heart  beat  with  pleasure  when  the  recipient  of 
his  annual  holiday  offerings  to  them. 

Charles  Baum  and  William  J.  C.  Batjm 
were  each  prominent  physicians  in  this  county 
as  early  as  1820.  They  assisted  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  first  medical  society  in  Berks 
County  in  the  year  1824,  and  were  active  mem- 
bers of  that  society  for  many  years.  They  both 
were  regular  graduates  of  medical  institutions, 
and  were  engaged  in  an  extensive  practice.  Dr. 
John  Baum,  a  son  of  one  of  the  above-named 
physicians,  was  born  at  Baumstown.  He  had 
a  large  practice  in  Amity  township  a  half- 
century  ago.  He  resided  at  the  homestead,  one- 
half  mile  below  the  "Yellow  House,"  and  was 
a  highly-esteemed  citizen  of  that  vicinity. 


600 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Alexander     Hamilton     Witman,     for 
many  years  an   active  practitioner  of  Beading, 
was  a  student  under  Dr.  John  B.  Otto,  and  a 
graduate  of  the    University  of    Pennsylvania. 
He  was  born  in  1800  and  followed  his  profes- 
sion in    Reading   until   the   time  of  the    Civil 
War,    when    he   became   surgeon    of  the   One 
Hundred  and  Sixty-sixth  Pennsylvania  Regi- 
ment of  one  year's  men,  and  was  assigned  to 
field  hospital  work  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 
After  returning  home  he  resumed  his  practice, 
continuing  until  his  death,  in  1869.     He  was 
married  in   1817  to  Elizabeth  Old.     Dr.  Wit- 
man  was  a  man  who  had  many   friends,  and 
was  admired  for  his  jovial  disposition,  and  is 
well  remembered  as  a  humorist.     He  served  as 
prothonotary  of  Berks   County  from   1836  to 
1838.     His   son,    Dr.   Harrison    T.   Witman. 
was  born  December,  1837,   and  was  graduated 
from  Jefferson  Medical  College  in   1861.     He 
entered  the    service  at  the  beginning  of  war 
as  a  surgeon  of  the  Thirty-fourth  Pennsylvania 
Volunteer  Regiment  of  three  months'  men  and 
afterward  became  surgeon  of  the  Fifth   Penn- 
sylvania Reserves.     He  had  an  extensive  prac- 
tice in  hospital  work,  and  while  attending  to 
the  wounded    on   the  field  was  himself  twice 
wounded  in  the  battle  at  Bethesda  Church,  May 
30,  1864,  on  the  last  day  of  his  term  of  service. 
He  was  afterwards  surgeon  of  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Ninety-fifth  Pennsylvania  Regiment. 
For  eleven  months  during  the  war  he  was  as- 
sistant   surgeon  of  the    government    hospital 
at  Reading.     Soon  after  the  war  he   moved  to 
Indianapolis,  spent  fourteen   years  there,  and 
returned  to  Reading  in   1880,  where  he  now 
lives. 

Adam  Schoener,  who  lived  to  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-four  years,  was  born  November 
23,  1798,  in  Womelsdorf,  and  died  January  11, 
1882.  Early  in  life  he  removed  with  his  par- 
ents to  Myerstown,  Lebanon  County,  where  he 
acquired  a  preliminary  education.  He  then 
entered  the  office  of  Dr.  Bower,  and  during  the 
years  1819  and  1820  attended  lectures  under 
Drs.  Morton,  McLellan,  Rush,  Calhoun  and 
Jenness  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
from  which  institution  he  was  graduated.  He 
began  practicing  in  Rehrersburg  and  continued 


to  minister  to  the  necessities  of  the  sick  of  that 
village  and  vicinity  until  a  few  years  before  his 
death,  when  he  removed  to  Reading.     He  died 
in  Rehrersburg,  at  the  home  of  his  son-in-law, 
William  Long.     Dr.  Schoener  had  a  large  gen- 
eral practice,  and  also  spent  much  time  in  Berks 
and  Lebanon  Counties  in  the  treatment  of  bron- 
chitis  and  pulmonary  affections.     During  his 
residence  in  Rehrersburg  for  a  time  he  had  an 
office  in  Reading,  where  he,  on  certain  days,  at- 
tended  to  the  treatment  of  these    specialties. 
Among  the  physicians  who  prepared  under  his 
instructions  were  Drs.  John  A.  Fisher,  Edward 
Brobst,  J.  J.   Katerman  and  four  of  his  sons, 
two  of  whom,  Davilla  B.  and  William  J.,  died 
before  their  father.     Dr.  Adam  Schoener  was  a 
justice  of  the  peace  for  nearly  twenty  years,  and 
served  his  community  as  a  legal  adviser  and 
dispenser  of  justice,  as  well  as  a  medical  practi- 
tioner.    In  1838,  during  the  Anti-Masonic  ex- 
citement, he  was  elected  to  the  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives as  a  Democrat,  and  was  at  Harris- 
burg  during  the  time  of  the  so-called  "  Buck- 
shot War."     He  served  his  constituents  in  the 
capacity  of  representative  in  the  Legislature  dur- 
ing the  years  1834,   1839  and  1840,  and  was  a 
member  when  the  bill  establishing  the  common 
schools  of  Pennsylvania  was  passed,  and  was  the 
only  member  from  the   county  of  Berks  who 
lent  this  bill  encouraging  support  and  voted  for 
its    passage.      After    the    election   of   James 
Buchanan  as  President,  Dr.  Schoener  became  an 
ardent  Republican,   and  supported  that  party 
until  his  death.     He  took  an  active  interest  in 
military  affairs  during  the  days  when  the  mil- 
itia law  was  in  force,  drilled  a  number  of  local 
companies  and  eventually  served  his  county  as 
brigade    inspector   of    militia    and    volunteer 
soldiers  for  a  period  of  fourteen  years.  In  1827 
he  joined  the  order  of  Masons,  and  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Mount  Lebanon  Lodge,  No.  172,  A.  Y. 
M.     He  was  married  to  a  Miss  Good,  of  Col- 
umbia County,  by  whom  he  had  seven  children. 
The  deceased  paid  his  last  visit  to  Reading  in 
November.  Owing  to  his  feeble  condition,  it  was 
with  difficulty  that  his  relatives  succeeded  in 
getting  him  to  his  old  home  in  Rehrersburg, 
where  he  wished  to  end  his  days  among  his 
neighbors  and  friends.     His  remains  were  in- 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


601 


terred  in  the  cemetery  adjoining  Union  Church, 
at  Rehrersburg. 

George  N.  Eckert,  the  son  of  Peter 
Eckert,  of  Womelsdorf,  was  born  at  that  borough 
in  1802,  and  educated  for  the  profession  of 
medicine.  After  practicing  for  some  years  in 
Reading  he  moved  to  Schuylkill  County,  aud 
there  became  largely  interested  in  the  coal  and 
iron  trade.  He  represented  that  district  in  Con- 
gress from  1847  to  1849.  In  the  days  of  the 
"Whig  party  he  took  a  great  interest  in  general 
politics,  and  during  the  administration  of  Presi- 
dent Fillmore  he  held  the  office  of  director  of  the 
United  States  Mint  at  Philadelphia  from  1851 
to  1853,  and  died  in  that  city  June  28,  1865. 
He  was  a  man  of  fine  business  qualifications. 
He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Berks 
County  Medical  Society  in  1824. 

John  Vaughan  Smith,  son  of  John  and 
Elizabeth  B.  Smith,  was  born  at  Joanna  Fur- 
nace, April  28,  1808.  Graduated  at  Princeton 
College  in  1825  ;  received  his  medical  education 
at  the  Pennsylvania  University ;  was  commis- 
sioned in  the  navy  June  27,  1829.  He  was 
for  several  years  in  control  of  the  United  States 
Naval  Hospital,  at  Port  Mahon.  During  the 
nineteen  years  of  his  service  (chiefly  in  foreign 
ports,)  he  rose  rapidly,  and  at  the  time  of  his 
death  had  but  few  equals  as  a  medical  officer. 
He  was  a  man  of  varied  accomplishments,  and 
died  while  in  charge  of  the  navy  yard  at 
Charlestown,  Mass.  He  was  married  August 
25,  1834,  to  Mary  Marshall,  a  niece  of  Judge 
White,  of  Kentucky.  His  second  wife  was 
Virginia  Parker,  daughter  of  Commodore  Fox- 
hall  Parker  (United  States  Navy)  and  Sarah 
Jay  Bogardus.  His  death  occurred  August  25, 
1848. 

J.  Howard  Smith,  son  of  Thomas  B.  Smith, 
was  born  at  Joanna  Furnace,  Berks  County, 
July  28,  1817  ;  graduated  at  Kenyon  College, 
Gambier,  Ohio ;  received  his  medical  education 
at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  Philadel- 
phia, and  at  once  entered  the  United  States 
Navy.  He  was  rapidly  promoted,  and  had 
made  several  cruises  as  surgeon  ;  had  written  a 
monograph  on  Yellow  Fever,  and  having 
obtained  leave  of  absence  from  duty,  was  on 
his  way  to  Philadelphia,  intending  to  have  it 
56 


published,  when  the  vessel  in  which  he  was 
returning,  stopped  for  supplies  at  Vera  Cruz, 
Mexico,  intelligence  was  received  of  great  sick- 
ness and  distress  at  the  hospital  near  Salmadina, 
and  of  the  death,  from  yellow  fever,  of  several 
of  the  attending  physicians.  Dr.  Smith  volun- 
teered his  services,  which  were  accepted,  and  he 
at  once  entered  upon  his  duties  there,  only  to 
fall  a  victim  to  the  disease,  from  which  he  died 
September  25,  1847. 

Solomon  G.  Birch  was  born  in  Reading  in 

1803,  and  died  in  his  native  city  April  11, 1845, 
at  the  early  age  of  forty-one  years.  When  but 
a  lad  he  entered  the  employ  of  Dr.  Isaac  Hies- 
ter,  who,  taking  an  interest  in  the  boy,  and 
observing  his  mental  qualifications,  induced  him 
to  read  medicine.  After  leaving  the  office  of 
his  preceptor  he  entered  the  Jefferson  Medical 
College,  where  he  remained  one  year,  after  which 
he  began  the  practice  of  medicine,  first  in  Oley 
township,  then  in  Pricetown  and  finally,  for  sev- 
eral years  before  his  death,  in  Reading,  where 
he  formed  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  Dr. 
Hunter.  He  completed  the  medical  course  and 
received  a  diploma,  some  years  after  he  began 
practicing.  He  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Har- 
vey,  of  Reading.  His  son,  now  deceased,  was  a 
druggist  of  Reading. 

William  Herbst  was  born  on  February  3, 

1804,  at  A.ltenberg,  Mueselwitz,  in  Saxony,  and 
emigrated  to  Pennsylvania  when  sixteen  years 
old,  landing  at  the  port  of  Philadelphia.  He 
had  selected  medicine  as  his  profession  and  pur- 
sued his  studies  under  a  physician  in  that  city 
till  he  was  graduated  from  Jefferson  Medical 
College.  After  practicing  there  several  years, 
he  removed  to  the  uper  section  of  Oley  (now 
Pike)  township.  Here  he  continued  in  active 
and  successful  practice  for  a  period  of  forty 
years.  During  this  time  he  became  interested 
in  politics  as  a  Democrat,  and  in  1861  he  was 
elected  to  the  office  of  county  treasurer  for  one 
term  of  two  years.  He  lived  in  retirement  till 
his  death,  and  left  to  survive  him  three  children 
—Dr.  William  Herbst,  Mrs.  G.  A.  Hinterleit- 
ner  and  Mrs.  Edmund  W.  Gilbert, — and  a 
grandson,  Dr.  Edwin  Herbst  (the  son  of  Cap- 
tain George  Herbst). 

Charles  Edward  Hoffman  was  born  in 


602 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Northampton  County,  October,  1807,  and  died 
in  Reading  July  6,  1862.  He  obtained  a  pre- 
paratory training  in  the  schools  of  his  native 
county,  began  the  study  of  medicine  under  the 
instruction  of  Dr.  Philip  Walter,  of  Nazareth, 
Pa.,  and  was  graduated  from  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania  in  1831.  He  began  practicing  in 
Nazareth ;  moved  to  Millerstown,  Lehigh  Coun- 
ty, where  he  remained  until  1854,  when  he 
came  to  Reading  and  continued  to  practice  his 


hospitals  during  the  time  of  the  Franco-Prus- 
sian War.  This  gave  him  an  extensive  practice 
in  surgery.  After  the  war  closed  he  returned 
home  and  soon  afterwards  died  of  a  fever. 

Penrose  Wily  is  a  grandson  of  Penrose 
Wily,  a  farmer  of  Maiden  Creek  township,  who, 
on  May  10,  1780,  married  Sarah  Wily,  by 
whom  he  had  two  children, — John  and  Sarah. 
John  was  born  November  19,  1782,  and  was 
married,  on  the  15th  day  of  November,  1804,  to 


profession  in  this  city  until  his  death.  Dr. 
Hoffman  was  skillful  as  a  surgeon.  His  great- 
grandfather was  a  chemist  in  one  of  the  German 
universities,  and  gained  considerable  fame  as 
the  originator  of  the  "  Hoffman  Anodyne,"  yet 
known  to  the  profession. 

A  second  cousin  of  the  late  Dr.  Hoffman  is 
professor  of  chemistry  in  the  University  of 
Berlin,  Prussia.  James  M.  Hoffman,  a  son  of 
Dr.  C.  E.  Hoffman,  also  became  a  physician. 
Soon  after  his  graduation  he  went  to  Europe,  in 
1870,  and  became  a  surgeon  in   the  German 


Mary,  daughter  of  Abraham  Deisher,  who  was 
born  June  7,  1785.  Their  son,  Penrose  Wily, 
was  born  in  Maiden  Creek  township,  Septem- 
ber 21, 1805,  and  in  youth  had  such  educational 
advantages  as  were  afforded  in  the  schools  of 
the  vicinity.  He  studied  medicine,  and  after  his 
graduation  from  Jefferson  Medical  College,  Phil- 
adelphia, began  to  practice  in  Lehigh  County. 
He  later  removed  to  Albany  township,  in 
Berks  County,  then  to  Chester  County,  and  in 
1850  settled  in  Leesport,  this  county,  where  he 
soon  won  an  excellent  reputation  as  a  skillful 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


603 


and  successful  physician.  While  attending  to 
the  increasing  demands  of  a  general  practice, 
he  made  a  special  study  of  fevers,  in  the  treat- 
ment of  which  he  had  few  equals.  Obstetrical 
practice  also  absorbed  much  of  his  attention.  Dr. 
Wily  was  twice  married, — first,  on  the  22d  of 
February,  1829,  to  Sarah  Reagan.  Their 
children  were  Melvina,  married  to  Daniel 
Price;  Mary,  married  to  Henry  Moore;  and 
Sarah,  married  to  M.  Addis.     His  second  mar- 


of  Reading.  Dr.  Wily  was  trained  in  the  faith 
of  the  Society  of  Friends,  of  which  his  parents 
were  members,  but  he  did  not  belong  to  any 
church,  giving  a  cordial  support  to  all  denomi- 
nations.    His  death  occurred  April  19,  1875. 

Owen  H.  Wily  is  the  second  son  of  John 
and  Mary  Deisher  Wily,  whose  children  were 
Dr.  Penrose,  Owen  H.,  G.  Washington,  Sarah 
M.,  Abraham  D.  and  Mary,  of  whom  three 
were  successful  physicians.  Owen  H.  Wily  was 


C&trc*~  #^ 


riage  was  with  Martha  Reagan,  sister  to  his  first 
wife,  on  the  15th  of  February,  1842.  Their 
children  are  Martha  B.,  George  R.,  John  C. 
and  Emma  D.  The  last  four  children  were 
born  in  Chester  County.  Dr.  Wily  resided  in 
Leesport  until  his  death,  and  continued  the 
practice  of  his  profession  until  a  few  years 
before  that  event.  He  was  connected  with  the 
Berks  County  Medical  Society,  and  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Lodge  No.  62,  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  and  of  De  Molay  Commandery,  No.  9, 


born  January  11,  1809,  at  the  homestead  now 
occupied  by  his  widow.  His  father  having 
died,  he  removed  at  the  age  of  nine  years  to  the 
home  of  his  grandfather,  in  Maiden-creek  town- 
ship, and  until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age 
assisted  in  the  labor  of  the  farm.  He  then 
went  to  Reading  for  the  purpose  of  learning 
the  printer's  trade,  at  which  he  continued  for 
two  years,  when  he  began  the  study  of  medi- 
cine, and  was  graduated  from  the  Jefferson 
Medical  College,  Philadelphia,  March  17, 1831. 


604 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


He  began  his  professional  career  at  the  Half- 
Way  House,  in  his  native  township,  soon 
secured  a  large  and  profitable  practice,  and 
was  known  throughout  the  county  as  a  skill- 
ful and  ready  surgeon.  In  1852  he  aban- 
doned his  profession,  removed  to  the  old 
homestead  and  embarked  in  the  milling  busi- 
ness in  the  mill  built  by  his  father  adjacent 
to  the  family  mansion,  where  he  remained  until 
his  death,  January  22,  1884.  Dr.  Wily  was  in 
politics  an  ardent  Republican,  but  cared  little 
for  public  office.  He  was  deeply  interested  in 
the  cause  of  education,  and  for  many  years 
was  a  school  director  of  his  township.  He 
was  educated  in  the  faith  of  his  parents,  that  of 
the  Society  of  Friends.  His  widow  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Reformed  Church.  Dr.  Wily  was 
married,  on  the  24th  of  November,  1832,  to 
Sarah  Ann,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Mary 
Wright.  Their  children  are  John,  born  No- 
vember 9,  1833 ;  Ellen,  September  20,  1844; 
Edwin,  September  13,  1846.  John  was  first 
married  to  Mary,  daughter  of  John  and  Phebe 
Wright,  by  whom  he  had  one  child,  a  daugh- 
ter, Sarah.  His  second  marriage  was  with 
Mary,  daughter  of  Philip  Brown,  by  whom  he 
had  one  daughter,  Mary.  Dr.  Wily  was  again 
married,  August  10,  1850,  to  Kate,  daughter  of 
John  and  Sarah  Huy.  Their  children  are 
Owen,  born  August  11,  1851 ;  Frank,  June  8, 
1863;  Sally,  December  11,  1865;  Rose,  Feb- 
ruary 27,  1868;  Kate,  March  10,  1871,  and 
five  who  are  deceased.  Owen  married  Mary, 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth  Freeman,  of 
Leesport.  They  have  children, — J.  Freeman 
and  C.  May.  Frank  married  Anne,  daughter 
of  Jacob  and  Amelia  Huy. 

William  Moore  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Reading  July  28,  1810,  and  died  of  apoplexy 
at  his  home  in  Womelsdorf  May  23,  1872. 
After  obtaining  a  good  preparatory  education 
he  read  medicine  with  Dr.  J.  W.  Gloninger  of 
Lebanon,  and  was  graduated  from  the  Medical 
Department  of  the  University  of  New  York 
March  29,  1836.  He  practiced  medicine  two 
years  in  Jackson,  Miss.,  and  in  1840  located  in 
Womelsdorf,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life  engaged  in  the  arduous  duties  of  his  chosen 
profession.     Dr.  Moore  was  a  man  of  thought, 


learning,  integrity  and  ability.  He  won  the 
popular  heart  by  his  amiable  manners  and  strict 
adherence  to  duty  and  right.  He  was  a  con- 
scientious Christian  gentleman  and  filled  re- 
sponsible positions  in  church  and  Sunday- 
schools.  .  His  remains  were  interred  in  the 
Womelsdorf  Cemetery  and  the  funeral  was 
attended  by  representatives  from  the  Medical 
Societies  of  Berks  and  Lebanon  Counties,  to 
which  he  belonged,  and  by  about  two  thousand 
persons  of  the  town  and  vicinity.  A  special 
meeting  of  the  Berks  County  Medical  Society 
was  held  and  a  series  of  resolutions,  commenda- 
tory of  his  life  and  character,  were  passed. 

In  politics  Dr.  Moore  was  first  a  Whig  and 
afterwards  an  ardent  and  consistent  Republican. 
He  occupied  various  positions  of  honor  and 
trust  as  a  director  in  the  Farmers  National 
Bank  of  Reading,  member  of  the  board  of 
managers  of  the  Berks  and  Dauphin  Turnpike 
Company,  and  treasurer  of  the  borough  of 
Womelsdorf.  He  took  a  great  interest  in  agri- 
cultural affairs,  in  the  rearing  of  fine  live-stock 
and  the  cultivation  of  choice  fruits.  One  of 
the  crowning  acts  of  his  life  was  his  efforts  to 
establish  a  public  library  in  the  town  of 
Womelsdorf,  which  was  done  shortly  before  his 
death. 

Adrian  Loewen  was  born  in  Neiheim, 
Prussia,  in  1810,  and  emigrated  to  America  in 
1835,  after  graduating  as  a  physician  in  one  of 
the  universities  of  his  native  country.  He 
soon  after  located  in  Reading  to  practice  his 
profession.  In  1836  he  removed  to  Friedens- 
burg,  where  he  continued  to  practice  until  his 
death.  Dr.  Loewen  was  a  man  of  fine  scholas- 
tic attainments  and  excellent  professional  ability. 
In  1837  he  was  married  to  Cordelia,  daughter 
of  Andrew  Snyder,  at  Oley  Furnace..  He  died 
in  1848,  leaving  four  children— Orlando,  Albert, 
Adrian  and  Ellen. 

Charles  H.  Hunter  was  born  in  Rockland 
township,  Berks  County,  September  29,  1817, 
and  died  in  Reading  June  3,  1870.  He  was 
graduated  from  Princeton  College,  New  Jersey, 
in  1837,  after  which  he  pursued  the  study  of 
medicine  under  the  instruction  of  Dr.  Isaac 
Hiester  and  was  graduated  in  1841  from  the 
University   of  Pennsylvania.     He   located  in 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


G05 


Reading.  He  was  a  close  student  and  an  ardent 
lover  of  his  chosen  profession,  in  which  he  early 
iD  life  gained  prominence  and  distinction.  In 
1851  he  was  elected  prothonotary  of  Berks 
County  and  served  one  full  term,  but  declined 
re-election.  During  President  Buchanan's  ad- 
ministration Dr.  Hunter  was  appointed  coal 
agent  for  the  government,  which  position  he 
filled  with  marked  ability.  In  1862,  during 
the  first  Confederate  invasion  of  Pennsylvania, 
he  proved  his  devotion  to  his  country  by  raising 
a  company  of  militia  which  was  joined  to  the 
Eleventh  Pennsylvania  Regiment,  under  com- 
mand of  Colonel  Knoderer.  At  the  time  of 
the  second  invasion,  in  1863,  he  raised  a  com- 
pany in  the  Forty-second  Regiment  of  Pennsyl- 
vania Volunteers.  He  was  chosen  colonel  of 
this  regiment,  marched  with  it  into  Maryland 
and  remained  in  the  service  several  months.  He 
was  a  dignified  officer  and  very  popular  with 
his  subordinates. 

Resuming  his  practice  upon  his  return  home, 
he  pursued  it  with  untiring  zeal  and  devotion. 
As  a  citizen  of  Reading,  Dr.  Hunter  was  enter- 
prising and  progressive.  He  devoted  a  portion 
of  his  time  to  the  development  of  the  iron  in- 
dustries of  Berks  County. 

Daniel  A.  Ulrich  was  born  at  Stouchs- 
burg,  Lebanon  County,  Pa.,  April  10,  1819; 
acquired  a  preliminary  education  in  the  schools 
of  that  county  ;  attended  Pennsylvania  College, 
at  Gettysburg,  for  three  years  and  College  of 
New  Jersey, at  Princeton  four  years,  graduating 
from  that  institution  with  the  class  of  1841. 
He  then  entered  the  Jefferson  Medical  College, 
at  Philadelphia,  and  was  graduated  therefrom 
in  1844 ;  practiced  medicine  in  Reading  for 
more  than  twenty  years  ;  his  health  failing  him, 
he  was,  in  1876,  appointed  government  store- 
keeper under  Collector  Tutton,  of  Philadelphia, 
a  position  which  he  held  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  January  6,  1879.  Dr.  Ulrich  was 
possessed  of  fine  intellectual  endowments,  was 
exceptionally  popular  with  the  people  of  Read- 
ing and  was  a  successful  practitioner. 

Henry  W.  Johnson  was  a  native  of  Mont- 
gomery County,  Pa. ;  was  graduated  in  medicine 
from  Jefferson  Medical  College  in  1841,  and 
soon  afterward  located  in  Boyertown.    He  built 


up  an  extensive  practice  in  his  profession,  which 
he  continued  uninterruptedly  at  Boyertown 
until  his  death,  June  17,  1863,  aged  forty-three 
years. 

For  a  number  of  years,  in  association  with  a 
partner,  he  owned  and  controlled  a  coach-line  on 
Fifth  Street,  Philadelphia,  which  brought  him 
a  handsome  revenue. 

Edward  Wallace,  a  native  of  Lancaster 
County,  and  a  graduate  of  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania,  practiced  medicine  in  Reading  for 
nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  with  great  success. 
He  was  frequently  called  in  consultation  with 
critical  cases  by  his  fellow-physicians  and  was 
known  as  a  skillful  surgeon.  He  was  president 
of  the  Berks  County  Medical  Society  for  several 
years.  About  1872  he  was  appointed  naval 
surgeon,  and  was  located  at  Philadelphia.  He 
died  suddenly  of  heart-disease  while  residing  in 
that  city.  For  a  time  he  was  physician  to 
the  Presbyterian  Hospital  of  Philadelphia. 

Peter  G.  Bertolet  was  born  in  Oley 
township  in  1822.  He  studied  medicine  under 
Dr.  Joseph  Pancoast,  and  after  graduating  from 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  located  in  Oley 
township,  near  the  Oley  Churches,  and  began 
there  the  practice  of  his  profession,  in  which  he 
was  very  successful  up  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
March  8,  1865.  He  was  a  surgeon  in  the  pro- 
vost marshal's  office  at  Reading  during  the 
time  of  the  drafts,  to  examine  applicants  for  ex- 
emption. 

Dr.  Bertolet,  during  his  practice,  in  visiting 
his  numerous  patients,  interested  himself  in  the 
local  history  of  Oley  township,  and  had 
gathered  considerable  material,  which  he  de- 
signed to  publish  in  book-form,  with  the  title 
of  "  Oley  and  Vicinity."  His  premature  death 
prevented  its  accomplishment,  and  the  manu- 
script is  now  in  the  Pennsylvania  Historical 
Society,  at  Philadelphia. 

Charles  A.  Deininger  was  the  son  of 
Constantine  J.  Deininger,  and  was  born  at 
Reading  in  the  year  1834.  After  obtaining 
a  preliminary  education  he  studied  medicine 
and  surgery  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  John  P. 
Hiester,  and  attended  lectures  at  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania.  He  was  graduated  from  that 
institution  in  April,  1855,  and  immediately  be- 


606 


HISTORY  OP  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


gan  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Reading 
with  bright  prospects.  The  Crimean  "War  was 
then  waging,  and  he,  showing  a  preference  for 
surgery,  decided  to  enter  the  service  of  the 
Russian  government  as  a  surgeon.  His  appli- 
cation was  accepted  and  he  left  Reading  in 
June  to  remain  for  a  term  of  two  years.  He 
sailed  from  Boston  July  4th,  1855,  and  arrived 
at  Simpheropol,  in  Russia,  about  the  1st  of  Sep- 
tember, where  he  entered  the  hospital  and  began 
the  duties  of  a  practical  surgeon."  Within  two 
months  his  companion,  Dr.  Jones,  of  Baltimore, 
was  prostrated  with  a  sudden  and  violent  attack 
of  cholera,  which  caused  his  death.  Through 
devotion,  Dr.  Deininger  contracted  the  same 
disease,  and  in  spite  of  all  the  efforts  of  his 
brother-surgeons  he  died  also,  after  an  illness  of 
only  eleven  hours.  This  sad  event  transpired 
on  October  25,  1855,  in  the  twenty-first  year  of 
his  age.  His  body  was  buried  with  that  of  his 
companion  in  that  foreign  land,  but  it  was  after- 
Wards  brought  to  Reading  and  buried  in  the 
Evans  Cemetery.  Dr.  Deininger  was  a  young 
man  of  fine  intellect  and  possessed  many  ster- 
ling virtues,  which  endeared  him  to  a  large  circle 
of  relatives  and  acquaintances  by  whom  his  un- 
timely death  was  sadly  lamented.  Nature  asks 
no  nobler  sacrifice  than  those  who  yield  up  their 
own  lives  for  the  comfort  of  their  fellowmen. 

William  N.  Davis  was  born  January  24, 
1838,  at  Port  Carbon,  Schuylkill  County;  was 
graduated  from  the  College  of  New  Jersey,  at 
Princeton,  in  1856  and  from  the  Jefferson  Med- 
ical College  in  1860,  and  began  practicing  med- 
icine at  Reading  in  1861.  In  1871  he  mar- 
ried Amelia,  daughter  of  John  Yerger;  he  had 
a  large  and  lucrative  practice  and  was  esteemed 
as  one  of  the  most  promising  physicians  of  the 
city.     He  died  October  4,  1885. 

Thomas  J.  Keely,  son  of  Frederick  Keely, 
died  January  29,  1876,  at  New  Berlin,  Bucks 
County,  Pa.  He  practiced  medicine  in  Berks 
County  for  several  years  and  during  the  Civil 
War  was  surgeon  of  the  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-second  Pennsylvania  Regiment. 

LIVING  MEMBERS  OF  THE  PROFESSION. 

Jacob  Tryon,  son  of  Dr.  Michael  Tryon, 
one  of  the  pioneer  physicians  of  Berks  County, 


was  born  in  the  town  of  Rehrersburg,  where  he 
now  resides,  January  22, 1800.  His  opportunities 
of  obtaining  a  rudimentary  education  were  very 
limited;  acquired  his  knowledge  of  medicine 
and  surgery  in  the  office  of  his  father,  who  was 
then  attending  to  a  large  practice ;  commenced 
the  practice  of  medicine  at  the  age  of  twenty, 
and  has  continued  it  without  intermission  to  the 
present  time  (1886).  Like  his  father,  he  excelled 
in  surgery,  which  he  made  his  special  study. 
His  practice  extends  over  a  large  area  of  terri- 
tory, and  for  thirty  years  he  visited  his  patients 
on  horseback.  He  kept  three  or  four  horses  and 
made  it  a  point  to  meet  all  his  engagements 
promptly.  He  performed  a  successful  surgical 
operation  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years,  un- 
assisted by  any  other  surgeon.  His  has  become, 
a  household  name  in  many  families  in  this 
and  adjoining  counties.  He  has  always  taken 
a  deep  interest  in  educational  matters  and  schools 
in  the  district  in  which  he  resides.  His  oldest 
son,  Dr.  Percival  J.  Tryon,  deceased,  was  born 
May  31,  1828.  He  received  a  liberal  education 
and  was  graduated  from  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania  in  1850.  Soon  after  his  gradua- 
tion he  settled  at  Hamburg,  Berks  County, 
where  he  acquired  a  large  practice,  which  he  held 
up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  on 
the  30th  day  of  July,  a.d.  1881. 

Wm.  Frederick  Hoffman,  brother  of  the 
late  Dr.  C.  E.  Hoffman,  before  mentioned,  was 
born  in  Northampton  County  February  18, 
1810;  studied  medicine  with  his  brother;  was 
graduated  from  Jefferson  Medical  College; 
practiced  in  Lehigh  County  from  1838  to  1853, 
and  in  1854  located  in  Reading,  where  he  has 
practiced  his  profession  to  this  date.  His  son, 
Walter  James  Hoffman,  now  in  the  employ  of 
the  United  States  government,  is  a  graduate  of 
Jefferson  Medical  College  in  the  class  of  1866. 
In  1870  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Prussian 
government  as  a  surgeon  for  a  short  time.  In 
May,  1871,  he  accompanied  Lieutenant  Wheeler 
in  his  expedition  through  Arizona  and  New 
Mexico,  both  as  a  surgeon  and  naturalist.  He 
afterwards  became  a  surgeon  of  General  Custer's 
regiment  of  the  regular  army,  and  accompanied 
him  in  an  expedition  up  the  Yellowstone  River. 
He  has  since  been  under  Lieutenant  Powell,  of 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


607 


the  United  States  Geological  Survey  and  Bureau 
of  Ethnology.  Dr.  Hoffman  has  familiarized 
himself  with  the  language  of  several  Indian  tribes 
and  has  prepared  different  government  papers  on 
the  Indian  race  and  on  natural  history.  He  re- 
cently prepared  a  list  of  the  birds  of  the  State  of 
Nevada.  He  is  also  an  artist.  Many  of  the 
sketches  of  views  in  Powell's  recent  surveys 
published  by  the  United  States  government, 
were  sketched  by  him  and  are  well  done. 

D.  Llewellyn  Beaver,  now  one  of  the 
oldest  physicians  in  Berks  County,  is  a  native 
of  Chester  County,  born  in  Great  Valley  in 
1814.  He  attended  the  Bolmar  Academy  at 
West  Chester ;  studied  medicine  and  took  his 
degree  at  Pennsylvania  Medical  College,  in 
Philadelphia,  in  1841.  He  began  the  practice 
of  his  profession  at  Temple,  in  Berks  County, 
remaining  two  years,  and  then  moved  to  Bern 
township.  In  1849  he  came  to  Reading  and 
has  since  been  actively  engaged  in  the  duties  of 
his  profession  in  the  city. 

James  M.  Mathews  was  born  in  Bucks 
County,  Pa.,  on  the  22d  of  February,  1817,  his 
parents  being  Benjamin  and  Letitia  Mathews, 
and  his  grandparents  Benjamin  Mathews  and 
James  Meredith  respectively.  The  doctor  re- 
ceived an  academic  education  and  began  the 
study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  Charles  H.  Mathews, 
of  Doylestown,  Pa.  He  was  graduated  from 
the  Jefferson  Medical  College,  Philadelphia,  in 
1840,  and  began  the  practice  of  his  profession 
at  Fleetwood,  where  he  remained  until  1860. 
In  April,  1860,  he  located  at  Temple,  this 
county,  and  continued  there  in  active  practice 
until  June,  1873,  when  he  was  superseded  by 
his  son,  Dr.  Franklin  Mathews.  The  doctor 
was  married  in  1843  to  Mary  Ann  Stitzel. 
The  children  of  this  marriage  are  eight  sons, 
six  of  whom  are  living,  two  being  physicians 
and  a  third  pursuing  his  medical  studies  prepar- 
atory to  graduation.  Dr.  Mathews,  since  his 
retirement  from  practice,  has  spent  his  leisure  in 
agricultural  pursuits;  occasionally  he  is  em- 
ployed as  a  surveyor  and  scrivener.  Prior  to 
the  Rebellion  he  was  in  politics  a  Democrat,  but 
has  since  voted  the  Republican  ticket.  He  has 
not  been  an  aspirant  to  any  office  other  than 
that  of  school  director. 


Joseph  Coblentz  is  a  native  of  Maryland, 
born  January  24, 1820 ;  worked  on  a  farm  and 
attended  common  schools  until  twenty-one  years 
old  ;  graduated  from  Marshall  College,  at  Lan- 
caster, in  1848,  and  the  next  year  took  his 
medical  degree  at  the  University  of  Virginia, 
and  also  completed  the  medical  course  at  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania,  in  1850  ;  remained 
two  years  in  Philadelphia,  during  which  time 
he  was  connected  with  the  Pennsylvania  Hospi- 
tal; took  a  special  course  at  Dr.  "Warrington's 
Obstetric  Institute ;  attended  special  course 
of  clinics  at  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
in  practical  pharmacy  under  Professor  Parrish ; 
practiced  in  Baltimore  four  years,  in  York 
County  Pa.,  eight  years ;  came  to  Reading  in 
1863  and  was  engaged  in  his  profession  in  the 
city  twenty-one  years ;  located  in  Baltimore  a 
second  time  in  1884,  and  the  next  year  he  relin- 
quished his  practice  and  moved  to  the  State  of 
Kansas,  where  he  now  resides. 

Diller  Luther  is  a  descendant  from  a 
family  of  physicians,  and  is  the  great-grandson 
of  Christian  Luther,  who  emigrated  to  America 
in  the  ship  "  Edinburgh,"  landing  in  New 
York,  September  16,  1751,  and  located  in  the 
Pequea  Valley,  Lancaster  County,  but  soon 
after  migrated  to  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  Vir- 
ginia, where  he  married  Christiana  Kelp.  On 
account  of  Indian  troubles  he  returned  to  Penn- 
sylvania, and  settled  at  Ephrata,  where  he  died. 
His  son  John,  born  in  1755,  became  a  promi- 
nent physician  and  died  at  Harrisburg  in  1811, 
leaving  several  children,  among  them  John,  who 
was  a  physician  of  note  and  practiced  medicine 
in  New  Holland,  Lancaster  County,  where  he 
died  in  1828.  Three  of  his  sons — Diller, 
John  W.  and  Martin — have  studied  and  prac- 
ticed the  profession  of  their  worthy  ancestors. 
John  W.  practiced  for  more  than  a  third  of  a 
century  in  New  Holland,  where  he  died  in 
1870.  Dr.  Diller  Luther  was  born  in  New 
Holland,  November  18, 1808  ;  attended  Todd's 
Academy,  in  Harrisburg;  was  graduated  in 
medicine  from  the  University  of  Pennsylvania 
in  1829,  and  soon  after  located  in  Orwigsburg, 
Schuylkill  County,  remaining  there  one  year ; 
he  came  to  Reading  and  practiced  in  that  city 
from  1832  to  1838.     During  the  latter  year  he 


608 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


relinquished  his  profession  and  began  the  min- 
ing and  shipping  of  coal  in  Schuylkill  County, 
which  business  he  followed  for  about  twenty- 
five  years.  In  1863  he  was  appointed  internal 
revenue  collector  of  tht  Eighth  District  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  served  in  that  position  until 
1867.  In  1873  he  was  appointed  general  agent 
and  secretary  of  the  State  Board  of  Public  Char- 
ities and  filled  that  position  until  September,  1883, 
when  he  resigned.  Dr.  Diller  Luther  has  been 
prominently  identified  with  the  banking  interests 
of  Reading,  was  several  years  president  of 
the  Anthracite  Insurance  Company  of  Phila- 
delphia, and  since  1873  has  been  president  of 
the  Charles  Evans  Cemetery  Company.  He  was 
married,  in  1834,  to  Amelia  H.,  daughter  of 
Judge  John  Spayd,  of  Reading.  She  died  in 
1872. 

Martin  Luther  was  born  March  16, 1826, 
at  New  Holland,  Lancaster  County,  Pa.  He 
is  a  brother  of  Dr.  Diller  Luther,  of  Reading, 
and  a  son  of  Dr.  John  Luther,  of  New  Hol- 
land, for  many  years  a  very  prominent  phys- 
ician, an  active  politician  and  an  influential 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  His  grand- 
father and  his  father,  both  physicians,  had  three 
sons  each,  who  were  engaged  in  the  same  pro- 
fession. Dr.  Martin  Luther  was  educated  in 
the  best  academies  of  West  Chester  and  of 
Berks  County,  and  subsequently  studied  under 
a  private  instructor.  He  began  the  study  of 
medicine  in  the  office  of  his  brother,  in  New 
Holland,  entered  the  Jefferson  Medical  College, 
in  Philadelphia,  and  was  graduated  from  that 
institution  in  the  spring  of  1848,  with  the  de- 
gree of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  For  two  years 
succeeding  his  graduation  he  practiced  with  his 
brother.  In  1850  he  came  to  Reading,  and 
soon  after  his  location  here  became  one  of  the 
leading  physicians  of  the  city.  He  served  as 
physician  to  the  Berks  County  Almshouse  from 
1853  to  1855,  and  the  two  succeeding  years 
was  physician  to  the  county  prison.  In  1862 
he  was  appointed  surgeon  in  charge  of  the 
United  States  Army  Hospital  at  Reading,  and 
remained  in  that  position  until  the  hospital  was 
discontinued.  In  the  same  year  he  was  ap- 
pointed surgeon  to  the  State,  in  making  the 
necessary  examination  of  those  who  had  been 


drafted  into  the  military  service.  In  1864  he 
served  as  a  surgeon  to  the  board  of  enrollment 
of  the  Eighth  Congressional  District,  and  re- 
mained in  that  position  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  took  a  prominent  part  in  establishing 
the  Reading  Dispensary  in  1868.  He  was  an 
influential  member  of  the  Berks  County  Medi- 
cal Society,  was  several  years  its  efficient  presi- 
dent, and  a  number  of  times  its  representative 
delegate  to  the  meetings  of  the  State  and  Na- 
tional Medical  Associations.  Dr.  Luther  is  a 
member  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of 
Philadelphia.  He  has  a  very  extensive  prac- 
tice in  the  city  of  Reading,  and  is  a  surgeon  of 
excellent  ability. 

L.  De  Babth  Kuhn,  a  successful  practitioner 
in  the  city  of  Reading  for  a  number  of  years, 
moved  to  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  While  residing  in 
Reading,  he  was  physician  to  the  county  alms- 
house, and  during  the  Civil  War  was  appointed 
to  the  position  of  surgeon  in  the  Union  army. 

L.  H.  Thompson  was  born  August  20, 1823, 
in  Hereford  township,  Berks  County;  was  a 
pupil  in  the  district  schools,  and  afterwards 
entered  the  Strasburg  Academy,  in  Lancaster 
County;  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Samuel 
C.  Thompson,  at  Zieglersville,  Montgomery 
County,  and  graduated  in  medicine  from  the 
Jefferson  Medical  College  of  Philadelphia  with 
the  class  of  1853;  practiced  at  New  Jerusalem, 
Fleetwood  and  Lyons,  in  Berks  County,  for 
twenty-six  years,  and  in  1875  came  to  Reading, 
where  he  is  now  engaged  in  his  profession. 

John  B.  Brooke,  who  for  many  years  has 
been  one  of  the  leading  physicians  of  Reading, 
is  a  native  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  but  he  re- 
moved with  his  parents  to  Reading  when  quite 
young,  and  here  acquired  his  education.  He 
was  graduated  from  Jefferson  Medical  College 
in  1858,  and  has  since  practiced  medicine  in 
Reading  with  great  success.  He  takes  an 
active  interest  in  the  city  and  county  medical 
societies.  Dr.  Brooke  is  a  great-grandson  of 
Governor  Hiester,  and  a  grandson  of  Judge 
Spayd. 

Jeremiah  S.  Trexler  is  the  son  of  James 
Trexler,  who  was  born  in  Trexlertown,  Lehigh 
County,  Pa.,  and  died  in  Hamburg,  Berks 
County.     He  was  for  some  years  a  merchant, 


THE  MEDICAL  PKOFESSION. 


G09 


and  on  his  removal  to  Alleutown,  became  one 
of  the  popular  landlords  of  the  city.  He  mar- 
ried Jenette  Dankel,  of  Lehigh  County,  and 
had  children, — Lavina,  Nelson  H.  and  Jeremiah 
S.  The  last-named  of  this  number  was  born 
at  Trexlertown,  in  Lehigh  County,  and  lived 
during  his  youth  both  in  his  native  county  and 
in  Berks  County.  He  obtained  his  education 
at  the  Moravian  schools  in  Emaus  and  Bethle- 
hem, Pa. ;  began  the  study  of  medicine  with 
Dr.  Charles  Gerasch,  of  Kutztown,  and  was 
graduated  from  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania in  1854.  Locating  at  Kutztown,  he 
became  associated  with  his  preceptor,  Dr.  Ger- 
asch, and  speedily  secured  an  extensive  practice. 
He  remained  associated  with  Dr.  Gerasch  until 
the  death  of  the  latter.  As  advancing  years  in- 
fluenced Dr.  Gerasch  to  relinquish  his  profession, 
Dr.  Trexler  succeeded  to  the  practice,  which  was 
continued  for  several  years.  Ill  health  com- 
pelled him,  however,  to  abandon  his  large  field 
and  limit  his  attentions  to  such  patients  and 
families  as,  from  long  association,  found  it 
difficult  to  call  in  the  professional  services  of 
another.  The  doctor  is  actively  associated  with 
the  business  interests  of  both  county  and  bor- 
ough. He  was  formerly  a  director  of  the  Key- 
stone National  Bank  of  Blading,  and  is  also 
interested  in  the  shoe  factory  and  jobbing 
house  of  Levan,  Stein  &  Co.,  of  Kutztown. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  direction  of 
the  Keystone  State  Normal  School.  Id  politics 
he  was  an  early  Republican,  and  now  affiliates 
with  the  Independent  party.  He  has  been 
chief  burgess  of  the  borough  of  Kutztown. 
He  has  taken  high  rank  in  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity,— is  a  member  of  Huguenot  Lodge,  No. 
377,  of  F.  and  A.  M. ;  of  Allen  Chapter,  No.  20, 
and  of  Allen  Commandery,  both  of  Allentown, 
Pa.,  and  of  the  Consistory  of  Bloomsburg,  Pa. 
Dr.  Trexler  during  the  late  war  in  1863,  en- 
tered the  army  as  surgeon  of  the  Seventy-third 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers.  He  par- 
ticipated in  the  engagement  at  Chancellorsville, 
was  made  prisoner  and  escaped,  after  which  he 
joined  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  and  ac- 
companied General  Sherman  in  his  march  to 
the  sea. 
Reuben  B.  Rhoads  was  born  at  Boyertown, 
57 


October  29,  1831,  and  educated  at  Mount 
Pleasant  Seminary,  in  his  native  town  ;  studied 
medicine  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Henry  W. 
Johnson ;  was  graduated  from  Jefferson  Medical 
College  in  April,  1857;  located  at  Zieglerville, 
in  Montgomery  County,  and  practiced  till  Au- 
gust, 1862,  when  he  raised  a  company  of  vol- 
unteers, and,  as  captain,  took  it  to  Harrisburg, 
applied  for  and  received  a  surgeon's  commis- 
sion. He  was  employed  for  a  time  at  Pitts- 
burgh as  examining  surgeon,  and  then  accom- 
panied the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-ninth  Regi- 
ment Pennsylvania  Militia.  He  had  charge  of 
a  brigade  hospital,  under  command  of  Briga- 
dier-General Tyndale,  at  Yorktown.  He  was 
mustered  out  with  regiment  at  Harrisburg  in 
July,  1863,  and  returned  to  Zieglerville,  where 
he  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession.  He 
continued  at  this  place  for  a  year  and  removed 
to  Amityville,  Berks  County,  continuing  in  ac- 
tive practice  till  his  election  to  the  office  of 
prison  warden  of  Berks  County  in  1882,  when 
he  removed  to  Reading.  He  was  twice  re- 
elected and  held  this  position  till  April,  1885. 

During  his  residence  at  Amityville  he  became 
interested  in  the  cultivation  of  fruit-trees,  and 
for  sixteen  years  carried  on  an  extensive  nursery. 
He  still  owns  this  nursery. 

He  was  married,  May  10,  1859,  to  Kate  W. 
Gilbert,  daughter  of  Adam  R.  Gilbert. 

Decatur  G.  Schoenee  was  born  August 
28,  1832,  at  Rehrersburg,  and  is  a  son  of  the 
late  Dr.  Adam  Schoener  ;  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  town  and  at  Myerstown 
Academy  :  was  graduated  from  the  Pennsylva- 
nia Medical  College,  in  Philadelphia,  with  the 
class  of  1853  ;  practiced  with  his  father  until 
1856,  when  he  removed  to  Reading,  and  has 
since  practiced  in  the  city. 

James  A.  Fisher  was  born  July  25, 1832, 
in  Stouchsburg  ;  acquired  his  education  in  pub- 
lic schools  of  his  native  town  and  the  Stouchs- 
burg Academy ;  studied  medicine  With  Dr. 
Adam  Shoener  for  three  years,  and  was  gradu- 
ated in  medicine  from  the  Pennsylvania  Medi- 
cal College  in  1853;  practiced  in  Stouchsburg 
until  1880,  when  he  removed  to  Reading  and 
has  since  been  practicing  in  the  city. 

Samuel  L.  Kurtz  was  born  September  27> 


610 


HISTOEY  OF  BBEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA 


1832,  in  Chester  County  ;  attended  the  Freeland 
Seminary;  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Geiger, 
of  Harleysville,  Montgomery  County,  Pa. ;  was 
graduated  from  the  Jefferson  Medical  College  in 
1854  ;  practiced  first  at  Phcenixville.  In  1856 
he  removed  to  Juniata  County,  where  he  prac- 
ticed until  the  opening  of  the  war.  In  No- 
vember, 1861,  was  appointed  assistant 
surgeon  at  Camp  Curtin ;  in  March,  1862, 
he     was    chosen     assistant     surgeon    of    the 


Hiester  M.  Nagle  is  the  great-grandson 
of  Peter  Nagle,  who,  on  his  emigration  from 
Germany,  settled  in  Berks  County.  His  son 
Peter,  who  also  resided  in  the  same  county,  was 
in  Berks  County  July  11,  1782,  and  died  May 
2,  1846.  He  married  Susan  Filbert,  born 
April  23,  1785,  who  died  May  26,  1854.  They 
had  children, — John  F.,  Augustus  W.,  Peter 
F.,  Henry  and  one  daughter. 

Peter  F.  Nagle  was  born  in  Berks  County, 


Eleventh  Pennsylvania  Keserves.  In  June, 
of  same  year,  was  promoted  to  surgeon  and 
transferred  to  the  Eighty-fifth  Regiment  of 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  which  was  assigned 
to  the  Eighteenth  Army  Corps,  under  General 
Butler,  and  participated  in  the  several  engage- 
ments before  Petersburg  and  Richmond,  Va. 
On  the  22d  of  November,  1864,  the  regiment 
was  mustered  out  of  the  service.  He  then 
joined  his  family  in  Reading,  to  which  place 
they  removed  while  he  was  in  the  army,  and 
has  since  practiced  in  the  city. 


and  died  March  25,  1869,  in  his  sixty-first 
year.  He  selected  medicine  as  a  profession ; 
first  practiced  in  Williamsport,  Pa.,  and  from 
there  removed  to  Milton,  Pa.  He  subsequently 
removed  to  Reading,  and  from  thence  to  St. 
Louis.  He  married  Catherine  E.  Dauphin,  of 
Philadelphia,  and  had  children,— Peter  (de- 
ceased), Hiester  M.,  Catherine  (deceased), 
Joseph  (deceased)  and  two  who  died  in  childhood. 
Dr.  Nagle  ultimately  made  Reading  his  home, 
where  his  death  occurred.  His  son,  Hiester  M. 
Nagle,  was  born  December  23,  1834,  at  Wil- 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


611 


liamsport ;  obtained  a  rudimentary  education  in 
the  schools  of  Reading,  and  continued  his 
studies  at  Marshall  College,  Mercersburg,  and 
at  Kessler's  Academy,  Allentown.  In  1855  he 
entered  his  father's  office  as  a  medical  student, 
and  continued  with  Dr.  Frank  Rieser,  of  Read- 
ing. He  spent  one  year  in  the  Medical  De- 
partment of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania 
and  two  years  at  the  Jefferson  Medical  College, 
from  which  institution  he  was  graduated  in 
1857.  The  same  year  he  began  practice  in  Exeter 
township,  Berks  County,  and  remained  there 
until  1859,  the  date  of  his  removal  to  Fleet- 
wood, in  the  same  county.  There  he  practiced 
until  his  connection  with  the  army,  August  4, 
1862,  as  assistant  surgeon  of  the  Eleventh 
Pennsylvania  Cavalry.  He  was,  on  the  17th 
of  December.  1864,  promoted  to  the  office  of 
surgeon  of  the  regiment,  and  served  in  that 
capacity  until  his  discharge,  August  13,  1865, 
participating  meanwhile  in  the  following  en- 
gagements :  Siege  of  Suffolk,  Va.,  April  14 
and  March  4,  1863;  Petersburg,  June  9-16, 
1864;  Ream's  Station,  June  29,  1864;  Deep 
Bottom,  July  9,  1864  ;  Richmond,  September 
29  and  October  1,  1864;  Darby  town  Road, 
October  7,  1864;  Seven  Pines,  October  27, 
1864  ;  New  Market  Heights,  October  10,  1864 ; 
Five  Forks,  April  1, 1865  ;  Deep  Creek,  April 
4,  1865;  Amelia  Court-House,  April  5,  1865, 
and  Appomatox  Court-House,  April  9,  1865. 
On  his  return  he  settled  in  Reading  and  secured 
a  lucrative  practice.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Medical  Society  of  the  County  of  Berks  and  of  the 
Pathological  Medical  Society.  As  a  Free  and 
Accepted  Mason,  he  is  a  member  of  Lodge 
No.  62,  of  Reading,  of  Chapter  152  and  of 
Reading  Commandery,  No.  42. 

As  a  Democrat,  he  was  elected  to  and  filled 
the  office  of  county  treasurer  from  1874  to  1876, 
and  was  for  two  years  a  member  of  the  City 
Council,  the  first  of  which  (1878)  he  filled  the 
chair  of  its  president.  He  was,  in  July,  1885, 
appointed  examining  surgeon  for  pensions.  Dr. 
Nagle  was,  on  the  18th  of  June,  1872,  married 
to  Lucretia,  daughter  of  Henry  B.  and  Susan 
Boyer,  of  Reading.  Their  children  are  Henry 
B.,  Howard  B.,  Paul,  Charles  E.  and  two  who 
are  deceased.  The  doctor  is  an  esteemed  member 


of  Trinity  Evangelical   Lutheran   Church   of 
Reading. 

John  S.  Teyon  was  born  in  Rehrersburg 
May  12,  1835,  and  is  the  second  son  of  Dr. 
Jacob  Tryon.  He  obtained  his  education  in 
the  common  schools  and  at  Pennsylvania  Col- 
lege, Gettysburg.  He  studied  medicine  under 
the  tuition  of  his  father,  and  was  graduated 
from  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  in  1857. 
He  immediately  entered  upon  the  practice  of 
his  profession  in  his  native  town,  where  he  has 
since  resided,  and  where  he  has  met  with  suc- 
cess, especially  in  surgery.  Drs.  George  F. 
Brendle  (Mahanoy  City),  Daniel  Dechert  (Cres- 
sona),  Simon  Seyfert  (Pinegrove,  Schuylkill 
County)  and  John  Wagner  (Hamburg,  Berks 
County)  were  students  under  his  instruction. 

John  B.  Steeley  was  born  in  1835  in 
Montgomery  County,  Pa.,  and  is  a  descendant , 
of  French  ancestry.  He  attended  Freeland 
Seminary  (now  Ursinus  College)  ;  read  medi- 
cine in  the  office  of  Drs.  Keeler  and  Groff,  of 
Harleysville  ;  attended  lectures  at  the  Univer- 
sity of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  graduated  M.D. 
from  that  institution  March  6,  1857;  began 
practicing  at  Earlville,  Lancaster  County,  Pa., 
and  continued  until  1862,  when  he  entered  the 
army  as  surgeon — first  in  Camp  Curtin,  at  Har- 
risburg,  for  three  months,  and  then  became 
surgeon  of  the  Eleventh  Pennsylvania  Militia. 
He  was  afterward  transferred  to  Reading,  as 
surgeon,  to  examine  drafted  men  and  substi- 
tutes, and,  upon  the  organization  of  the  One 
Hundred  and  Sixty -seventh  Regiment  of  Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers,  was  chosen  its  surgeon. 
He  was  next  appointed  examining  surgeon  in  the 
provost-marshal's  office  at  Pottsville.  In  1864 
returned  to  Montgomery  County,  and  in  1865 
came  to  Reading,  where  he  has  since  practiced 
his  profession,  excepting  a  few  years  when  he 
was  in  Western  Pennsylvania.  Dr.  Sterley  was 
for  three  years  a  member  of  the  United  States 
board  of  examining  surgeons  for  pensions. 

John  A.  Beobst,  of  Bernville,  was  born 
October  26,  1835,  at  Rehrersburg;  attended 
the  public  and  private  schools,  and,  at  the  age 
of  fourteen,  was  sent  to  Pennsylvania  College, 
at  Gettysburg,  where  he  remained  until  he  fin- 
ished the  studies  of  the  sophomore  year ;  read 


612 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


medicine  under  the  directions  of  Dr.  Adam 
Shoener,  and  was  graduated  from  Pennsylvania 
Medical  College,  at  Philadelphia,  in  1857.  Im- 
mediately after  graduating  he  located  in  Bern- 
ville,  where  he  has  since  been  actively-  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession. 

Charles  T.  Reber  was  born  January  18, 
1836,  in  Berks  County.  He  acquired  a  pre- 
liminary education  in  the  schools  of  his  native 
place,  also  took  an  academic  course,  and  taught 
school  for  two  terms  at  Brownsville,  Berks 
County.  In  1853  he  commenced  the  study  of 
medicine  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Livingood,  and 
afterwards  in  the  office  of  Dr.  D.  L.  Beaver,  of 
Reading.  In  1854  he  entered  the  Jefferson 
Medical  College,  and  was  graduated  M.D.  from 
that  institution  in  1856  ;  practiced  medicine  in 
Reading  for  two  years,  and  in  Berks  County 
until  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  when  he  was 
appointed  assistant  surgeon  of  the  Forty-eighth 
Regiment  of  Pennsylvania  Voluuteers  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1862.  He  was  promoted  to  surgeon  of 
the  regiment  in  1863,  and  was  assigned  as  brig- 
ade surgeon  to  hospital  duty  at  Beaufort,  S.  C. 
Soon  after  he  was  appointed  executive  officer  at 
Hilton  Head.  Subsequently  he  filled  the  fol- 
lowing positions,  in  order  :  Medical  purveyor, 
chief  medical  officer  and  health  officer  of  the  Port 
Royal  District.  His  last  appointment  was  on 
the  staff  of  General  Deveus  as  chief  medical 
officer.  He  was  in  active  service  under  the  United 
States  government  for  a  term  of  four  years  and 
five  months,  and  for  efficiency  received  a  brevet- 
lieutenant's  commission.  Dr.  Reber  is  the  author 
of  a  medical  work  entitled  "The  Paresis  of  the 
Sympathetic  Centres ;  or,  the  So-called  Malaria," 
and  is  now  practicing  in  Reading. 

Jacob  S.  Ammon  was  born  in  1836  in  Berks 
County ;  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  his  na- 
tive place,  the  Womelsdorf  Academy  and 
Philomathean  Institute,  at  Birdsboro',  Pa. ; 
studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Newcomet,  of  Stouch's- 
burg,  Berks  County,  and  Dr.  P.  M.  Schweinhard, 
of  Palmyra,  Lebauon  County,  and  Dr.  D.  D. 
Richardson,  of  Philadelphia;  graduated  in 
medicine  from  the  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
at  Philadelphia,  in  1868  ;  removed  to  Reading 
soon  after,  where  he  is  now  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession. 


Charles  E.  Shoemaker1  is  a  native  of 
Montgomery  County,  Pa.,  and  was  born  March 
1,  1836,  at  Skippackville,  a  pleasant  village  on 
the  Skippack,  Flourtown  and  Philadelphia 
turnpike,  about  seventeen  miles  northwest  of 
Philadelphia.  His  birth  occurred  on  the 
old  Shoemaker  homestead,  where  his  father, 
Jacob, and  his  grandfather,  Isaac,  were  born,  and 
which  his  great  grandfather,  George  Shoemaker, 
purchased,  the  title  being  held  continuously  by 
this  family  for  nearly  one  hundred  years.  The 
Shoemaker  family  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  the 
State,  three  brothers  having  emigrated  to  this 
country  with  William  Penn,  in  1683,  and 
settled  at  Germantown  (now  Philadelphia), 
where  still  a  number  of  their  descendants  may 
be  found.  Isaac  Shoemaker,  the  grandfather  of 
the  doctor,  had  two  sons,  the  elder  George  and 
the  younger  Jacob.  The  grandfather,  who  was 
au  enterprising  man,  engaged  in  merchant  mill- 
ing, sawing  and  lumber,  brick-making,  farm- 
ing and  other  businesses  all  at  the  same  time. 
Although  widely  and  favorably  known  as  one 
of  the  most  successful  business  men  of  his 
time  in  the  county,  he  was  by  no  means  a 
worldly  man,  as  the  term  implies.  He  was 
scrupulously  just  and  honorable  in  all  his  deal- 
ings and  of  positive  religious  convictions,  a 
consistent  and  active  church  member  until  his 
death,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six.  He  gave  the 
principal  part  of  his  real  estate  and  business  to 
his  two  sons.  The  agricultural  part  and  old 
homestead  went  to  his  son  Jacob,  the  father  of 
the  doctor,  who  here  grew  up  midst  pleasant 
surroundings,  carefully  trained  and  disciplined 
by  his  parents.  They  had  six  children,  two  of 
whom  died  in  infancy  and  four  of  whom  are 
still  livings  The  subject  of  this  biography  is 
the  second  son.  His  mother  [nee  Everhart) 
was  born,  raised  and  educated  in  Philadelphia. 
She  died  at  the  age  of  seventy,  at  Bethlehem, 
where  she  is  buried  and  now  rests  in  her  son's 
lot  on  Niskey  Hill,  in  that  beautiful  cemetery 
on  the  Lehigh  River. 

As  above  stated,  Dr.  Charles  E.  Shoemaker 
was  the  second  son.  The  elder,  now  Dr.  I.  N. 
E.  Shoemaker,  of  Reading,  while  quite  young, 

1  Contributed. 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


613 


chose  medicine  as  a  profession,  and  after  re- 
ceiving his  preliminary  education  entered  the 
office  of  Dr.  Charles  Shoemaker,  of  Montgom- 
ery County.  His  brother  remained  at  his 
home  and  attended  the  village  school  until  he 
entered  Freeland  Seminary  (now  Ursimis  Col- 
lege), at  Collegeville,  Montgomery  County,  Pa., 
where  he  continued  his  studies  during  1855-57, 
and  then  engaged  as  teacher  of  the  borough 
school  at  Millerstown,  Lehigh  County,  Pa.,  at 


Marietta  Wertz,  second  daughter  of  Richard 
and  Sophia  Wertz,  of  Longswamp,  Berks 
County,  Pa.,  sister  of  Drs.  Jas.  F.  and  P. 
Wertz,  well-known  physicians  of  the  same 
place,  the  former  a  fellow-student  in  the  office 
of  Dr.  I.  N.  E.  Shoemaker.  Dr.  Charles  E. 
(Shoemaker  first  located  at  Orefield,  Lehigh 
County,  Pa.,  a  pleasant  country  town  on  the 
Jaurdan  Creek,  six  miles  west  of  Allentown, 
and  surrounded  by  rich  agricultural  and  iron- 


the  same  time  entering  upon  the  study  of  medi- 
cine under  Dr.  Jenkin  Evans,  of  that  borough. 
After  completing  his  term  of  teaching  he  dis- 
continued his  studies  under  Dr.  Evans  and 
entered  the  office  of  his  brother,  Dr.  I.  N.  E. 
Shoemaker,  in  compliance  with  the  latter's  wish, 
until  the  fall  of  1858,  when  he  became  a  student 
of  the  Medical  Department  of  Pennsylvania 
College,  Philadelphia,  from  which  college  he 
was  graduated  March  3,  1860.  On  the  22d 
day   of   the  same  month   he   was   married  to 


ore  lands,  where  mining  was  extensively 
carried  on.  The  country  was  thickly  populated, 
and  the  extensive  mining  machinery  was  the 
cause  of  many  accidents  and  much  surgical 
practice.  Here  Dr.  Shoemaker  cast  his  lot  and 
entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  on 
the  26th  day  of  March,  1860,  at  which  time 
and  place  there  was  a  most  fatal  epidemic  of 
malignant  scarlet  fever.  He  treated  the  disease 
with  great  success  and  was  soon  a  very  busy 
man,   making  three   hundred   and    thirty-five 


614 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


visits  the  first  month  he  practiced  and  losing 
but    one  case.     Dr.   Shoemaker   was   speedily 
known  and  recognized  as  a  successful  doctor. 
He  attended  an  extraordinary  case  of  attempted 
suicide  by  arsenic  of  a  prominent  young  man, 
to  whose  assistance  Dr.  Shoemaker  was  hastily 
summoned,  and  fortunately  saved  from  all  harm 
after  a  great  effort,  as  the  case  was  a  desperate 
one.     This  was  reported  and  published  in  the 
Philadelphia    Medical  and  Surgical  Reporter, 
vol.  v.  p.  462.      He  was  soon  under  the  neces- 
sity of  securing  an  assistant,  whom  he  associated 
as  partner  in  the  business,  which    continued  to 
increase   so  rapidly  that  with  all  his  help  he 
found  country  practice  making  inroads  upon  his 
health,  and  fearing  a  physical  breakdown,  con- 
cluded to  relinquish  his  practice  and  remove  to 
Bethlehem,  Pa.,  in  the  spring  of  1864,  selling 
meanwhile  to  his  partner,  Dr.  Henry  K.  Hart- 
zell,  and  his  brother,  Dr.  I.  N.  E.  Shoemaker. 
Success  attended  him  in  his  new  field  of  labor, 
where  he  soon  established  a  lucrative  practice 
aud  took  in  Dr.  John   H.   Wilson   as  partner, 
who  became  his  successor.     In  the  spring  of 
1874  he  moved  to  the  city  of  Reading,  Pa. 
Haviug  written  his  "  Thesis  on  the  Ear  "  when 
he  graduated  at  Pennsylvania  Medical  College, 
Philadelphia,  and  devoted  some  study  to  aural 
surgery,    he    improved   every   opportunity    to 
qualify  himself  for  the  treatment  of  such  cases. 
Being  encouraged  by  his  success,  he  finally  con- 
cluded to  master  this  subject,  and  thereupon 
abandoned  general  practice,   repaired  to   New 
York  City  and  entered  Bellevue  Hospital  Medi- 
cal College,  where  in  connection  with   the  hos- 
pitals, clinics  and  ear  dispensaries  and  institutes 
of  that  city,  he  had   superior  opportunities  for 
becoming,    under   Prof.    Noyes   as    instructor, 
master  of   this  special  department  of  medical 
and  surgical  science. 

After  completing  his  post-graduate  course  in 
New  York  City  he  opened  an  office  at  Reading, 
and  began  practice  as  aural  surgeon.  He  con- 
fines his  attention  strictly  to  his  specialty, 
namely,  "  The  Ear,  its  Diseases  and  their 
Treatment."  This  seemingly  limits  his  prac- 
tice to  but  few  ailments,  though  it  in  reality  em- 
braces all  acute  and  chronic  diseases  of  the 
head,  ears,  nose,  throat,  etc.,  including  nervous  I 


and  other  ailments  that  may,  through  sympathy 
or  otherwise,  directly  or  indirectly  affect  the 
hearing,  and  especially  such  as  affect  the  mu- 
cous membrane,  as  catarrh.     In  this  new  field 
of  labor  Dr.  Shoemaker    found  an  abundant 
harvest.   The  afflicted  with  these  ailments,  hear- 
ing of  his  success,  soon  noised  it  abroad,  and  his 
office   was  daily  crowded  and  the  doctor  was 
obliged  to  again  secure  an  assistant.  Dr.  Charles 
E.   Shoemaker  as  aural  surgeon  stands  at  the 
head  of  the  profession  in  the  State  of  Pennsyl- 
vania.    His  reputation  is  not  local,  but  extends 
beyond  the  limits  of  his  own  State  and  country. 
He  is  not  only  known  as  a  skillful  and  success- 
ful aural  surgeon,  but  as  an  able  writer  on  aural 
diseases,  having  published  a  volume  of  three 
hundred    and   seventy-five    pages    octavo,     on 
"  The  Ear,  its  Diseases  and  Injuries  and  their 
Treatment,"  which  has  been  favorably  received 
and  commented  upon  by  the  press. 

J.  B.  PoTTEKiER  was  born  at  Strausstown  ; 
attended  the  schools  of  Reading  and  Freeland 
Seminary  ;  completed  the  medical  course  and 
took  his  degree  at  the  Jefferson  Medical  College 
with  the  class  of  1859  ;  practiced  at  Lenharts- 
ville,  Berks  County  until  1862,  where  he  en- 
tered the  army  as  assistant  surgeon  of  the  128th 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  in  the 
nine  months'  service.  In  1864  he  re-entered 
the  army  as  surgeon  by  contract  at  the  Lincoln 
Hospital  for  three  months  and  was  then  sent  to 
Point  Lookout  Hospital,  until  the  spring  of 
1865.  He  then  resumed  practice  first  in  Berks 
County  and  in  1867  located  at  Hamburg, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  He  was  assistant 
surgeon  of  the  Fourth  Regiment,  N.  G.  P.,  for 
several  years,  and  in  1884  was  chosen  surgeon 
of  the  regiment  with  the  rank  of  major.  He 
has  been  a  notary  public  for  thirteen  years. 

F.  K.  Spang  was  born  in  Oley  township, 
Berks  County,  in  1839.  He  was  educated  at 
Norristown,  Penna.,  and  at  East  Hampton, 
Mass.,  and  graduated  in  medicine  from 
the  Jefferson  Medical  College  in  Philadelphia, 
in  the  class  of  1860.  He  engaged  in  a  large 
practice  for  a  number  of  years  in  Oley  town- 
ship and  at  Lyons  Station,  in  Berks  County ; 
removed  to  Reading  in  1884,  where  he  has 
since  met  with  great  success  in  his  profession. 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


615 


Charles  G.  Loose  was  born  November  15, 
1840,  in  Centre  township,  Berks  County;  he 
attended  the  State  Normal  School  at  Millersville 
and  Kutztown,  and  the  Reading  Classical 
Academy.  He  was  graduated  in  medicine  from 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania  in  1868.  Prac- 
ticed medicine  in  Mechanicsburg,  Cumberland 
County,  Pa.,  for  seven  years,  also  at  Centreport, 
in  Berks  County,  for  the   same  time  ;  came  to 


is  a  charter  member  of  Lodge  No.  398,  A.  Y. 
M.,  located  at  Marietta. 

D.  Heber Plank,  of  Morgantown,  is  a  great- 
great  grandson  of  Dr.  Jacob  Plank,  a  sketch  of 
whom  is  given  at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter. 
Dr.  Jacob  Plank  had  four  sons,  viz.:  Michael, 
John,  Peter  and  Jacob.  Michael  migrated  to 
Ohio,  where  he  was  one  of  the  pioneers.  John 
and   Jacob   moved   to  Lancaster  County,  the 


Reading  in  1882,  and  is  now  engaged  in  his 
profession  in  the  city. 

Henry  Landis  was  born  in  East  Lampeter 
township,  Lancaster  County ;  was  educated  in 
the  common  schools  and  at  the  Millersville 
State  Normal  School ;  studied  medicine  under 
the  instruction  of  Dr.  J.  Aug.  Ehler,  of  Lan- 
caster, and  took  his  degree  at  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania  in  1861.  He  then  practiced 
medicine  at  Wrightsville,  in  York  County,  and 
Marietta,  Lancaster  County.  In  1870  he  re- 
moved to  Reading,  and  in  1873  was  placed  on 
the  medical  staff  of  St.  Joseph's  Hospital.     He 


former  having   settled  in  Pequea  Valley,  and 
the  latter  near  Ephrata. 

Peter  Plank,  the  third  son,  was  born  in  Oley, 
in  the  year  1748.  He  moved  to  the  head- 
waters of  the  Conestoga,  in  Caernarvon  township, 
some  years  before  the  Revolution,  and  there 
purchased  a  large  tract  of  farming  land  and  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  a  farmer.  He  was  mar- 
ried to  Frances  (Franey)  a  daughter  of  Jacob 
Kauffman,  who  was  a  prominent  farmer  in  the 
upper  section  of  Chester  County.  He  died  in 
1831,  aged  eighty-three  years ;  and  she  died  in 
1837,  aged  seventy-six  years.     They  had  nine 


616 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


children, — Maria,  born  1783;  Jacob,  born  1785; 
John,  born  1787;  Christopher,  born  1789; 
Christian,  born  1791 ;  Elizabeth,  born  1793 ; 
Anna,  born  1798;  Samuel,  born  1801  and 
David,  born  1804.  He  was,  by  religious  faith, 
an  Amish  Mennonite,  and  during  the  last  fifty 
years  of  his  life  filled  very  successfully  the 
office  of  bishop,  having  had  charge  of  all  the 
congregations  in  Berks,  Chester  arid  Lancaster 
Counties.  He  was  the  second  bishop  of  this 
denomination  in  this  section  of  the  State.  The 
Amish  to  this  day  speak  of  him  with  the  highest 
feelings  of  respect  and  affection,  for  his  earnest 
efforts  in  their  behalf. 

David  Plank,  the  youngest  son,  was  born  in 
Caernarvon  township,  on  May  21,  1804,  and, 
after  receiving  a  good  general  education,  turned 
his  attention  to  farming.  He  married  Rebecca, 
a  daughter  of  Daniel  Buckwalter,  of  same  town- 
ship, and  a  granddaughter  of  Francis  Buck- 
waiter,  of  Chester  County  ;  and  afterward  pur- 
chased the  Plank  homestead  and  the  adjoining 
farm,  upon  which  he  carried  on  farming  oper- 
ations very  successfully.  In  connection  with 
this  pursuit  he  burned  and  disposed  of  great 
quantities  of  lime  upon  his  property.  He  re- 
tired some  years  ago  from  active  business,  and 
lived  a  quiet  life  in  the  old  home  in  good  health 
till  recently.  After  a  short  illness,  he  died 
April  11,  1886,  nearly  eighty-two  years  old. 
For  a  number  of  years  he  took  an  active  part  in 
the  political  affairs  of  the  county.  He  held  the 
office  of  county  treasurer  for  one  term,  1859 
and  1860;  and  the  County  Agricultural  So- 
ciety also  received  his  earnest  assistance,  he  hav- 
ing shown  great  interest  in  its  success.  He  ex- 
ercised a  large  influence  in  his  community  for 
upwards  of  forty  years.  The  system  of  common- 
school  education  found  in  him  a  friend  and 
advocate.  He  connected  himself  at  an  early  date 
with  the  St.  Thomas'  Episcopal  Church,  at  Mor- 
gantown,  and  acted  as  a  vestryman  for  many 
years.  He  had  eleven  children,  of  whom  the 
following  six  are  still  living :  John,  Daniel  K., 
Margaret  Elizabeth,  Martin  B.,  D.  Heber  and 
Rebecca  Frances.  His  wife  died  in  1870,  in 
the  sixty -eighth  year  of  her  age. 

D.  Heber  Plank,  the  subject  of  this  biograph- 
ical sketch,  was  born  in  Caernarvon  township 


!on  November  12,  1842.  After  receiving  a 
thorough  common-school  education,  he  attended 
the  Pennsylvania  State  College  and  the  Millers- 
ville  Normal  School ;  and  then  selecting  medi- 
cine as  his  profession,  he  finished  his  medical 
education  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
under  the  supervision  of  B.  F.  Bunn,  M.D.,  at 
|Birdsboro',  and  H.  Lenox  Hodge,  M.D.,  at 
Philadelphia ;  from  which  he  was  graduated  on 
March  14,  1867.  For  a  year  afterward  he 
traveled  extensively  through  the  Western  States 
and  the  Dominion  of  Canada,  and  then  settled 
at  Morgantown,  in  this  county,  where  he  has 
since  been  successfully  engaged  in  a  general 
practice  of  his  profession.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Pathological  Society  of  Berks  County.  He 
owns  and  occupies  a  fine  home  in  the  centre  of 
Morgantown  ;  and,  on  the  lot  connected  with 
the  property,  he  has  been  quite  successful  in 
the  cultivation  of  different  varieties  of  pears. 
Several  years  ago  he  purchased  a  tract  of  forty 
acres  of  hill-land  and  planted  it  with  black 
walnuts  for  the  purpose  of  cultivating  a  walnut 
grove.  These  are  practical  evidences  of  his 
enterprise  outside  of  his  profession.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Democrat.  By  his  upright  demeanor, 
andjcareful  attention  to  business,  he  has  won 
the  confidence  of  the  entire  community.  He  is 
a  member  and  now  also  a  vestryman  of  St. 
Thomas'  Episcopal  Church,  at  Morgantown.  He 
was  married,  in  1877,  to  Ida,  eldest  daughter  of 
Horace  Bertolet,  deceased,  and  they  have  three 
sons, — David  Horace,  Walter  Frederick  and 
Heber  Eugene. 

Adam  B.  Dundor  was  born  May  16,  1838, 
in  North  Heidelberg  township,  Berks  County  ; 
his  preliminary  education  was  obtained  at  the 
Fremont  Academy,  Chester  County,  and  Free- 
land  Seminary,  at  Collegeville,  Pa.  In  1857 
he  entered  Franklin  and  Marshall  College,  and 
was  graduated  from  that  institution  in  1862; 
studied  medicine  with  Dr.  William  Moore,  of 
Womelsdorf,  Pa.,  and  was  graduated  in  medi- 
cine from  the  Long  Island  College  Hospital  in 
(1863,  and  from  the  Jefferson  Medical  College, 
bf  Philadelphia,  with  the  class  of  1864;  prac- 
ticed medicine  in  Robesonia,  Berks  County,  for 
three  years,  and  removed  to  Reading  in  1867; 
served  as  physician  to  the  Berks  County  Alms- 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


617 


house  and  Hospital  from  1870  to  1873,  and 
prison  physician  from  1873  to  1877.  He  is  at 
present  (1886)  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Health, 
of  Reading. 

Abraham  S.  Raudenbush  was  born  July 
24,  1841,  at  Salfordville,  Montgomery  County, 
Pa. ;  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
that  county  until  1859,  when  he  entered  the 
Freeland  Seminary.  In  1862  he  studied 
medicine  in  the  office  of  Drs.  Keelor  and  GrofF, 
at  Harleyville,  Montgomery  County,  and  at 
the  close  of  the  same  year  commenced  a  course 
in  the  Jefferson  Medical  College  of  Philadel- 
phia, graduating  with  the  class  of  1864.  He 
then  commenced  practice  at  Adamstown,  Lan- 
caster County,  continuing  there  for  eighteen 
years.     In  1882  he  removed  to  Reading. 

Stanley  Smith,  son  of  Levi  B.  Smith, 
was  born  at  Joanna  Furnace,  Berks  County. 
He  graduated  with  honor  at  Amherst  College, 
Massachusetts,  in  the  class  of  1865.  He  studied 
medicine  with  Professor  B.  Howard  Rand,  in 
Philadelphia,  and  graduated  at  the  Jefferson 
Medical  College,  Philadelphia,  in  1868.  He 
then  spent  one  year  at  the  Leipsic  University, 
Germany.  On  his  return  to  this  country,  he 
was  elected  lecturer  on  Physical  Diagnosis,  in 
the  summer  course  of  the  Jefferson  Medical  Col- 
lege, in  1875.  In  the  spring  of  1877.  he  resigned 
this  position  and  removed  to  Reading,  where  he 
has  since  devoted  special  attention  to  the  eye. 

Israel  Cleaver  is  of  English  and  Ger- 
man ancestry,  and  was  born  November  26, 
1842.  His  paternal  ancestor  was  a  large  land- 
owner, and  one  of  the  first  members  of  the 
Maiden-creek  Friends'  Meeting.  Dr.  Cleaver 
acquired  a  preliminary  education  in  the  schools 
of  Reading,  and  was  graduated  from  the  High 
School  in  the  class  of  1859.  He  taught  school 
for  three  years  and  then  entered  the  Medical 
Department  of  the  University  of  Pennsylva- 
nia, and  was  graduated  from  that  institution  in 
1863.  Immediately  thereafter  he  entered  the 
Union  army  as  an  assistant  surgeon  of  a  ma- 
rine brigade  along  the  Mississippi  River,  re- 
maining two  years.  After  returning  to  Penn- 
sylvania, spent  one  year  practicing  in  Clearfield 
County,  then  moved  to  Philipsburg,  Centre 
County,  and  followed  his  profession  there  five 
successive  years.  In  the  fall  of  1871  he  located 
in  Reading,  and  soon  became  an  active  practi- 
tioner in  the  city.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
57* 


Reading  Medical  Association,  the  Medical  So- 
ciety of  the  County  of  Berks,  the  State  Medical 
Society,  the  Board  of  Health  of  the  city,  and 
for  two  years  a  member  of  the  board  of  the 
United  States  examining  surgeons  for  pensions. 
He  is  connected  with  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,  and  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Dr.  Cleaver  is  a 
gentleman  of  culture  and  an  excellent  physician. 

Samuel  C.  Ermentrout,  son  of  William 
E.  and  Justina  (Silvis)  Ermentrout,  was  born 
March  28,  1844.  His  preparatory  education 
was  acquired  at  the  Reading  High  School  and 
Reading  Classical  Academy.  He  then  began 
the  study  of  medicine  under  the  instruction  of 
Dr.  Joseph  Coblentz,  and  continued  with  Dr. 
Lennox  Hodge,  of  Philadelphia.  He  was 
graduated  in  medicine  from  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania  in  1866.  During  the  Civil  War 
he  served  as  a  private  in  Company  E,  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth  Regiment  of 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  and  was  wounded  at 
the  battle  of  Chancellorsville.  Soon  after  the 
opening  of  the  Franco-Prussian  War,  in  1870, 
he  went  to  Europe  and  was  appointed  a  surgeon 
in  the  Prussian  army,  with  the  rank  of  first 
lieutenant,  and  was  soon  promoted  to  staff-sur- 
geon, with  the  rank  of  captain.  For  his  skill- 
ful surgery  he  was  decorated  with  the  golden  - 
cross,  and  made  a  member  of  the  Order  of  the 
Crown.  He  served  in  the  Prussian  army  just  one 
year  and  was  located  in  the  hospital  at  Coblentz. 
At  the  close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  Reading 
and  has  since  practiced  in  his  native  city.  He 
was  physician  to  the  county  almshouse ;  was  four 
years  Commander  of  Keim  Post,  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic,  of  Reading,  and  is  a  member 
of  the  medical  staff  of  St.  Joseph's  Hospital. 

W.  Murray  Weidman,  born  in  Lebanon, 
Pa.,  is  a  son  of  Jacob  Barge  Weidman  and 
Elizabeth  Chambers  Murray  his  wife.  His 
paternal  ancestors  came  to  this  country  about 
1700.  His  grandfather,  Major  John  Weidman, 
born  in  Lancaster  County  in  1756,  was  a  sur- 
veyor, served  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and 
was  retired  January  1,  1787.  His  name  is 
enrolled  in  the  Society  of  the  Cincinnati.  His 
father,  born  in  Philadelphia,  was  a  lawyer  of 
Lebanon  County,  Pa.,  and  a  member  of  the 
Constitutional  Convention  of  1837-38.  His 
maternal  ancestors,  the  Murrays,  came  to  this 
country  in  1730,  settling  in  New  Jersey. 


618 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Doctor  Weidman  was  educated  at  Lebanon 
Academy;  entered  Pennsylvania  College  at 
Gettysburg,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1856. 
Selecting  medicine  as  a  profession,  he  entered  the 
office  of  Drs.  John  W.  and  Cyrus  D.  Gloninger, 
of  Lebanon  ;  continued  his  studies  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania,  and  received  his  diplo- 
ma, 1860.  For  nineteen  months  he  was  one  of 
the  resident  physicians  in  Philadelphia  Hospital 
(Blockley),  then  he  became  assistant  surgeon  in 


tioners  and  brought  an  extended  practice.  He 
devotes  much  attention  to  surgery,  in  which 
branch  of  the  profession  he  has  won  a  deservedly 
high  reputation  for  skill  and  success. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Medical  Society  of 
Berks  Co.,  Reading  Medical  Association,  Med- 
ical Society  of  Pa.,  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion, and  Academy  of  Medicine.  Since  1 867  he 
was  one  of  the  active  managers  and  surgeons 
of  the  Reading  Dispensary  (now  Reading  Hos- 


I,  ,1  '       , 


YurawLrf 


■■%■ 


mm/mm 


the  11th  Penna.  Cavalry  in  the  Civil  War.  Sub- 
sequently he  was  ordered  to  the  2d  Penna.  Cav- 
alry. Oct.  1,  1862,  he  was  promoted  to  rank 
of  surgeon  of  same  regiment..  He  was  taken 
prisoner  near  Occoquan,  Va.,  Dec.  28,  1863, 
but  was  on  following  day  paroled  with  the 
wounded,  in  charge  of  whom  he  was  left.  When 
his  term  expired,  Oct.  31,  1864,  he  was  mus- 
tered out.  The  same  year  he  located  in  Reading 
and  soon  afterward  was  appointed  surgeon  to 
the  P.  and  R.  R.  Co.,  in  which  capacity  he  has 
since  served.  His  professional  knowledge  and 
ability  soon  placed  him  with  the  leading  practi- 


pital).  He  was  one  of  the  original  members  of  the 
Board  of  Health  (1872),  and  for  nine  years,  its 
presiding  officer.  He  also  served  as  city  auditor 
from  1869  to  1872.  Feb.  1886,  he  was  appointed 
on  the  Pension  Board  of  Examining  Surgeons  of 
Berks  County.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 
Pie  is  a  member  of  Christ  Cathedral,  of  which 
he  is  now  a  vestryman,  having  served  since  1867. 
Dr.  Weidman  was  married  to  Mary  May, 
daughter  of  Hon.  George  M.  Keim,  by  whom 
he  has  three  children, — Julia  Keim,  Bessie 
Murray  and  Marion  Douglass ;  two,  Laura  Far- 
quhar  and  Helen  Murray,  having  died. 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


Gl!» 


Thomas  A.  Dunkle  was  bom  October,  1844, 
in  Berks  County;  was  a  pupil  in  the  schools  of 
Reading,  also  in  Union  Seminary,  at  New  Ber- 
lin, Union  County,  Pa. ;  studied  medicine  with 
Dr.  D.  L.  Beaver  as  preceptor,  and  was  graduat- 
ed from  the  Jefferson  Medical  College,  at  Phila- 
delphia, with  the  class  of  1865.  During  1802 
and  1863  he  was  contract  assistant  surgeon  in 
the  United  States  hospital  at  Fourth  and  George 
Streets,  Philadelphia.  From  1865  to  1870  he 
practiced  medicine  in  Friedensburg,  Berks 
County,  and  removed  to  Reading  in  1870,  where 
he  has  since  practiced. 

S.  B.  Heckman  is  a  native  of  Berks,  born  in 
Pricetown,  February  24,  1846;  acquired  a 
preliminary  education  in  the  district  schools  and 
the  Reading  High  School ;  studied  medicine  un- 
der the  instruction  of  Dr.  Decatur  B.  Shoener, 
of  Reading;  attended  lectures  at  Jefferson  Med- 
ical College  and  was  graduated  in  1868.  Soon 
after  he  located  in  the  city  of  Reading  and  has 
since  continued  in  the  practice  of  his  profession. 

Howard  S.  Riesee  is  a  native  of  Reading, 
born  Mav  27,  1846;  attended  the  schools  of  the 
city  and  completed  the  course  of  the  Reading 
High  School  in  1864;  spent  three  years  in  the 
study  of  medicine  and  was  graduated  from  Jef- 
ferson Medical  College  in  1867;  practiced  in 
Maxatawny  township  one  year  and  then  moved 
to  Reading,  where  he  has  since  continued  his 
profession. 

Michael  W.  A.  Wuelfinch  is  a  native  of 
Holland,  born  October  17,  1846;  obtained  a 
preparatory  eduction  in  the  schools  of  his  native 
place;  attended  the  Clinic  Institute,  at  Rotter- 
dam, Holland ;  spent  three  years  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Amsterdam,  and  was  graduated  there- 
from in  1876.  Since  1880  he  has  pursued  his 
profession  of  medicine  in  Reading. 

Henry  C.  Mohr  was  born  January  25, 1847, 
at  Mohrsville,  this  county;  entered  the  Jefferson 
Medical  College  at  Philadelphia,  and  was  grad- 
uated in  1871 ;  practiced  at  Mount  Pleasant, 
Pa.,  until  1872,  when  he  removed  to  Reading, 
where  he  continues  in  his  profession. 

Elias  H.  Frantz  was  born  March  13, 1847, 
at  Frystown,  Berks  County ;  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  that  town,  at  Prof.  Brunner's  Acad- 
emy, Reading,  and  at  the  State  Normal  School, 


at  Mansfield,  Pa. ;  studied  medicine  with  Dr. 
J.  Y.  Shearer,  of  Sinking  Springs,  and  was 
graduated  from  the  Jefferson  Medical  College, 
at  Philadelphia,  in  1873;  practiced  in  Jones- 
town, Lebanon  County,  for  two  years,  and ' 
Grantville,  Dauphin  County,  for  nine  years ; 
came  to  Reading  in  1884. 

M.  A.  Rhoads  was  born  in  Colebrookdale 
township,  Berks  County,  April  18,  1847  ;  at- 
tended public  schools  and  Mount  Pleasant 
Academy,  at  Boyertown,  until  1861,  when  he 
went  to  Philadelphia  and  entered  the  public 
schools  of  that  city;  pursued  the  studies  of 
medicine  in  the  office  of  Dr.  William  H.  Pan- 
coast  ;  was  graduated  from  Jefferson  College  in 
1868,  and  soon  thereafter  was  appointed  assist- 
ant demonstrator  of  anatomy  in  that  institution. 
In  June,  1869,  he  came  to  Reading,  where  he 
has  since  been  continuously  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession.  He  was  president  of 
the  Pathological  Society  of  Berks  County ; 
physician  to  the  County  Almshouse ;  has  been 
president  of  the  Board  of  Health  of  Reading 
since  1882,  and  in  1886  was  appointed  a  mem- 
ber of  the  United  States  examining  board  for 
pensions. 

John  Stephen  was  born  in  Waynesburg, 
Chester  County,  Pa.,  in  1823 ;  studied  medicine 
with  Dr.  William  Moore  at  Womelsdorf,  and 
was  graduated  in  medicine  from  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania  in  1849.  He  practiced  his 
profession  since  his  graduation  in  Womelsdorf 
and  Reading. 

Walker  R.  Stephen,  son  of  Dr.  John 
Stephen,  of  Reading,  was  born  in  Womelsdorf 
March  9,  1851 ;  attended  the  schools  of  his 
native  town  and  the  Lewisburgh  University; 
read  medicine  under  the  instruction  of  his 
father,  and  was  graduated  in  medicine  from  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania  with  the  class  of 
1872.     He  is  now  practicing  in  Reading. 

D.  Z.  Bowman  was  born  December  10, 
1854,  in  Earl  township,  Berks  County ;  ob- 
tained his  education  at  the  Mount  Pleasant 
Seminary,  Boyertown.  He  is  a  graduate  of  the 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  at  Balti- 
more, Md.,  in  the  class  of  1880 ;  came  to  Read- 
ing same  year  and  began  the  practice  of  his 
profession. 


620 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Frank  H.  Good  was  born  September  26, 
1855,  at  Union  Forge,  Lebanon  County ;  ac- 
quired a  preparatory  education  in  the  schools  of 
his  native  place  and  in  the  Palatinate  College 
at  Myerstown,  Pa. ;  read  medicine  with  Dr.  J. 
C.  Cooper,  of  Lebanon  County ;  was  graduated 
from  the  Medical  Department  of  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania  in  1878,  and  has  since  prac- 
ticed in  Reading. 

W.  F.  Muhlenberg  is  a  native  of  Gettys- 
burg, Pa.,  and  is  a  son  of  F.  A.  Muhlenberg, 


Albert  J.  Cressman  is  a  native  of  Bead- 
ing, born  in  1856 ;  completed  the  High  School 
course  in  1874;  graduated  from  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania  in  1877  ;  has  since  practiced  in 
his  native  place. 

George  H.  Bickel  is  of  German  descent, 
his  grandfather,  Joseph  Bickel,  having  settled 
as  a  farmer  in  Heidelberg  township,  Berks 
County.  Among  his  children  is  Josiah,  the 
father  of  Dr.  George  H.  Bickel.  His  mother  is 
Louisa,  daughter  of  George  Hartman,  of  Bern 


j%z  j£i/trr^  x./&cy<u!_ 


formerly  connected  with  Pennsylvania  College 
and  now  professor  of  Greek  in  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania,  at  Philadelphia.  Dr.  Muhlen- 
berg attended  Pennsylvania  College  for  a  time, 
and  afterward  entered  Muhlenberg  College,  at 
Allentown,  and  was  graduated  from  that  insti- 
tution in  1868.  He  attended  medical  lectures 
at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was 
graduated  therefrom  in  1872.  Since  1873  he 
has  practiced  his  profession  in  Reading.  He  is 
surgeon  for  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company. 


township.  Dr.  Bickel  was  born  in  the  latter 
township  February  21, 1855,  and  passed  much 
of  his  youth  in  that  and  Spring  township,  at- 
tending the  public  schools  until  his  fifteenth 
year,  when  he  removed  to  Schuylkill  County 
and  found  employment  in  the  mines  during  the 
summer  months,  pursuing  his  studies  meanwhile 
in  winter.  He  remained  at  that  point  for  three 
years,  subsequently  spending  one  year  at  Hazle- 
ton,  Luzerne  County.  He  next  spent  two  years 
at  the  Bloomsburg  Normal  School  and  then  en- 


THE  MEDICAL  PEOEESSION. 


621 


tered  the  office  of  Dr.  James  Y,  Shearer,  of 
Sinking  Springs,  as  a  student  of  medicine,  re- 
maining two  years,  and  was  graduated  from  the 
Jefferson  Medical  College,  Philadelphia,  in 
1878.  The  same  year  he  located  in  Rehrers- 
burg,  Berks  County,  where  he  has  since  been 
actively  engaged  in  professional  labor.  He  soon 
won  the  confidence  of  the  community  and  estab- 
lished a  large  and  growing  practice.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Berks  County  Medical  Society, 
participates  in  the  discussions  before  that  body 
and  occasionally  contributes  to  the  medical  jour- 
nals of  the  day.  Dr.  Bickel  numbers  among 
his  most  successful  cases  an  operation  resulting 
in  the  removal  of  an  ovarian  tumor  in  1 883, 
with  distinguished  physicians  as  his  assistants. 
He  has  also  met  with  much  success  in  the  treat- 
ment of  diphtheria.  Politically  he  is  a  Demo- 
crat. He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Re- 
formed Church  of  Rehrersburg.  Dr.  Bickel 
was  married,  on  the  10th  of  April,  1880,  to 
Lizzie,  daughter  of  William  Shaffner,  of  Tulpe- 
hocken  township.  Their  children  are  Minnie 
May,  born  May  17,  1881,  and  George  Allen, 
June  12,  1885. 

Beexabd  R.  Lee  was  born  December  25, 
1857,  at  Reading ;  acquired  a  preparatory  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city  ; 
attended  the  Keystone  State  Normal  School 
and  St.  John's  College,  at  Fordham,  N.  Y.; 
completed  the  course  at  Jefferson  Medical  Col- 
lege, in  Philadelphia,  and  was  graduated  there- 
from with  the  class  of  1879.  He  has  since  prac- 
ticed in  Reading. 

Chaeles  W.  Bachman  was  born  in  1856 
in  the  city  of  Reading;  attended  the  public 
schools ;  completed  the  High  School  course  with 
the  class  of  1 873  and  was  graduated  from  the 
Northwestern  College,  111.,  in  1876.  He  stud- 
ied medicine  under  the  preceptorship  of  Dr.  W. 
Murray  Weidman;  was  graduated  from  the 
Jefferson  Medical  College  in  1880.  He  has 
since  practiced  in  Reading.  He  served  several 
years  as  secretary  of  the  Reading  Medical  Asso- 
ciation and  of  the  Medical  Society  of  the  County 
of  Berks.  He  has  been  lately  engaged  in  labo- 
ratory work,  and  is  making  careful  preparations 
for  the  special  treatment  of  nervous  diseases. 

John  W.  Hoffman,  now  practicing  at  Jack- 


sonwald,  was  born  September  27, 1858  ;  attend- 
ed Boyertown  Academy,  Washington  Hall 
Institute,  at  Trappe,  Montgomery  County,  and 
then  entered  upon  the  study  of  medicine ;  after 
graduating  from  the  Jefferson  Medical  College, 
in  1880,  began  practicing  at  Huff's  Church, 
where  he  remained  two  years  ;  removed  to  Gil- 
bertsville,  remained  one  year  and  then  took 
charge  of  the  practice  of  Dr.  M.  L.  Bertolett, 
deceased,  at  Jackson  wald.  He  was  appointed 
physician  to  the  Berks  County  Prison  Decem- 
ber 10, 1884. 

John  Milton  Myees  was  born  March  11, 
1859,  in  Shenandoah  Alum  Springs,  Virginia, 
and  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  his  native 
State.  In  1875  he  began  to  teach  school  in 
Lancaster  County,  continuing  in  that  profession 
four  years,  when  he  began  the  study  of  medicine 
under  the  instruction  of  Dr.  J.  P.  Roebuck,  of 
Lititz,  and  in  1882  was  graduated  from  Jeffer- 
son Medical  College.  He  has  since  that  date 
practiced  his  profession  in  the  town  of  Werners- 
ville.  Dr.  Myers,  at  the  last  election,  was 
chosen  president  of  the  Medical  Society  of  the 
County  of  Berks. 

John  N.  Beckee  was  born  October  16, 1858, 
in  Maiden-creek  township,  Berks  County  ;  came 
to  Reading  with  his  father  in  1864 ;  was 
educated  in  the  common  schools  and  Brunner's 
Scientific  Academy  of  Reading ;  studied  medi- 
cine with  Dr.  Adam  B.  Dundor  and  was  grad- 
uated in  medicine  from  the  Jefferson  Medical 
College  of  Philadelphia  with  the  class  of  1882; 
returned  to  Reading  the  same  year  and  com- 
menced to  practice. 

J.  Ellis  Kubtz,  son  of  Dr.  Samuel  L. 
Kurtz,  of  Reading,  was  born  in  1858,  in  Ju- 
niata County,  Pa.  ;  received  a  preliminary 
education  in  the  schools  of  Reading;  entered 
Trinity  College,  Connecticut,  and  there  com- 
pleted the  full  academical  course,  receiving  the 
degrees  of  A.B.  and  A.M.  from  that  institu- 
tion. He  was  graduated  from  Jefferson  Medi- 
cal College  with  the  class  of  1880  and  has  since 
practiced  in  Reading. 

Calvin  K.  Young  was  born  in  Oley  town- 
ship; attended  the  public  schools,  the  Oley 
Academy  and  Millersville  State  Normal  School ; 
studied  medicine  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  J. 


622 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


S.  Ammon,  of  Reading,  and  was  graduated 
from  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons 
of  Baltimore  in  1880.  He  then  entered  the 
pharmacy  of  his  former  preceptor,  Dr.  J.  S. 
Ammon,  in  Eeading,  where  he  remained  until 
1885,  when  he  removed  to  the  mining  region  in 
Pennsylvania  to  establish  a  drug-store. 

James  W.  Keisbe  was  born  at  Reading 
September  24,  1860;  attended  the  public 
schools,  and,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  began 


same  county,  were  born  the  following-named 
children :  Thomas,  Benjamin,  Peter,  John, 
Daniel  L.,  Elizabeth  (married  to  George  Wal- 
born),  Catherine  (married  to  G.  Walborn)  and 
Mrs.  Peter  Etris. 

Benjamin  Batdorff  was  a  native  of  Lebanon 
County,  where  his  life  was  spent  in  the  occupa- 
tion of  a  farmer.  He  married  Esther,  daugh- 
ter of  Leonard  Walborn.  Their  children  were 
William,  Peter,  John,  Aaron,  Percival,  Daniel, 


7yt-&h^  /3ct^7*ff^ 


the  study  of  medicine  under  the  instruction  of 
Dr.  William  N.  Davis.  In  1882  he  was  grad- 
uated from  the  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  immediately  began  to  practice  in  Reading. 
He  is  secretary  of  the  Pathological  Society  of 
Berks  County. 

Milton  D.  M.  Batdorff  is  the  grandson 
of  John  Batdorff,  who  resided  in  Myerstown, 
Lebanon  County,  Pa.,  where  he  was  a  citizen 
of  much  influence,  and,  at  one  time,  filled  the 
office  of  associate  judge  of  the  Lebanon  County 
Court.     By  his  marriage  to  Miss  Lauer,  of  the 


Milton  D.  M.,  George,  Lepentina  (married 
to  Daniel  Dierwechter)  and  Elizabeth  (married 
to  John  Jones). 

Milton  D.  M.,  of  this  number,  and  the  subject 
of  this  biographical  sketch,  was  born  January 
10,  1844,  in  Marion  township,  Berks  County, 
and  removed  when  a  child  to  Myerstown,  where 
he  remained  until  twelve  years  of  age,  when 
Millersburg  became  his  home.  His  father  having 
died  when  his  son  was  but  a  lad,  he  entered  the 
family  of  his  uncle,  Dr.  D.  L.  Batdorff,  and 
after  attending  the  public  schools,  learned  the 


THE  MEDICAL  PKOFESSION. 


623 


printer's  trade,  which  he  followed  for  seven 
years  and  then  began  the  study  of  medicine,  and 
spent  five  years  in  preparing  himself  for  his 
profession.  He  attended  the  sessions  of  1866- 
67  at  the  Medical  Department  of  the  Universi- 
ty of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  graduated  from 
that  institution  in  1867.  He  remained  one 
year  in  practice  with  his  uncle.and  then  located 
in  Friedensburg,  Schuylkill  County,  remaining 
there  four  years.  Returning  to  Millersburg,  he 
was  associated  as  a  partner  with  Dr.  D.  L.  Bat- 
dorff,  and  continued  this  relation  until  the  death 
of  the  latter,  in  1872.  His  son,  Henry  Bat- 
dorff,  pursued  his  medical  studies  with  the  sub- 
ject of  this  biography,  and  shared  his  practice 
for  two  years,  since  which  period  he  has  con- 
tinued alone.  Dr.  BatdorfF's  field  of  practice 
is  extensive,  requiring  long  and  tedious  rides 
through  his  own  and  other  townships.  His 
practice,  which  is  general,  has  been  a  growing 
and  successful  one.  The  doctor  is  a  member  of 
Bethel  Lodge,  No.  820,  Independent  Order  of 
Odd-Fellows,  of  Millersburg.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  of  Rehrers- 
burg.  Dr.  Batdorff  was,  December  25,  1868, 
married  to  Miss  Emma,  daughter  of  David  B. 
Lerch,  of  Millersburg.  Their  children  are 
William  D.,  Minnie,  Henry,  Lizzie,  Charlotte, 
Eva,  Lillie  and  George.  Mrs.  Batdorff  is  a 
member  of  the  Reformed  Church  of  Millers- 
burg. 

Edward  Hottenstein.1— David  Hottenstein, 
the  grandfather  of  Dr.  Hottenstein,  studied  medi- 

1  The  Hottenstein  family  is  recorded  in  the  Vienna 
collection  of  names  as  belonging  to  the  Frankish  Knight- 
hood. Their  origin  is  traced  back  to  the  Forest  of  the 
Spessard,  in  Germany,  where,  a.d.  380,  Count  Riedbold 
Von  Hottenstein  lived.  The  name  signifies  "a  holy 
stone.''  This  origin  of  the  name  is  attributed  to  the 
fact  that  Riedbold  annually  held  the  great,  solemn  court 
upon  a  rock,  under  a,  large  oak-tree.  His  wife  was 
Ilsseboda,  a  daughter  of  a  Westphalian  count.  Riedbold 
died  a.d.  415.  About  a  hundred  years  thereafter  Alfrid 
Von  Hottenstein  is  stated  to  have  been  then  the  only 
representative  of  that  family.  His  wife  was  Anna  Von 
Herboldsecke,  from  Alsace.  Alfrid  was  killed  in  a  battle 
with  Frisian  warriors,  a.d.  538.  He  had  two  sons, 
Sueno  and  Percival.  Percival  died  in  the  monastery  at 
Fulda.  Sueno  was  a  warrior.  Upon  the  hill  where  his 
ancestors  resided  he  erected  a  strong  castle,  which  he 
called  Hottenstein.  He  was  married  to  Hirlanda  Von  Brem- 
horst.    Two  brothers,  Theobald  and  Ansgar  Von  Hotten- 


cine  with  Dr.  Joseph  Hirsch,  and  attended  lect- 
ures at  the  Medical  Institute,  Philadelphia.  After 
obtaining  his  diploma,  he  practiced  in  Berks 
County,  and  resided  on  the  homestead  in  Max- 
atawny.  He  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Kline,  a 
daughter  of  Richard  Kline,  of  Montgomery 
County.  He  died  in  1848,  aged  eighty-two 
years,  four  months  and  twenty-five  days,  leaving 
six  sons  and  two  daughters,  viz. :  David,  Jacob, 
Daniel,  William,  Isaac,  Henry,  Catharine  and 
Sarah. 

William  had  eight  children,  viz. :  David  H., 
Charles  A.,  Robert,  Henry,  Edward,  Caroline, 
Sallie  A.  and  Matilda. 

Edward  was  born  October  1,  1831,  at  the  old 
homestead.  He  first  attended  the  district 
schools,  then  went  to  the  seminary  under  Prof. 
J.  Warren  Sunderland,  at  Collegeville,  after 
which  he  studied  medicine  under  Dr.  Henry 
Geiger,  of  Harleysville,  Montgomery   County. 

stein,  resided  in  the  castle.  Ansgar  was  married  to  Wal- 
dine  Von  Elmfurt,  and  died  a.d.  887,  leaving  a  son, 
Filbert  Von  Hottenstein,  who  at  his  death  left  only  one 
representative  of  this  family,  Giselbert,  who  lived  in  the 
castle  of  his  ancestors,  and  was  married  to  Kunnigunde 
Von  Velleres,  of  the  French  province  of  Poitou.  He 
died  a.d.  1317,  leaving  three  sons.  At  the  death  of  his 
two  brothers  he  became  sole  heir  to  the  family  possessions, 
and  married  Lea  Von  Dannenburg.  In  1524  the  ancestral 
castle  was  destroyed  by  the  peasants.  Only  Kuno  Von 
Hottenstein,  who  was  in  the  German  army,  survived.  He 
married  Louisa  Von  Berg  and  died  in  1563.  His  two  sons 
were  Nicholas  and  Ernst.  Ernst,  who  was  mayor  of 
Esslingin,  married  and  left  three  sons,  who  emigrated  to 
America.  One  died  at  Philadelphia  ;  another  moved  to 
Lancaster,  where  his  descendants  now  live.;  the  third, 
Jacob  Hottenstein,  settled  in  Oley  township,  Berks  County, 
and  is  the  ancestor  of  the  large  family  of  Hottensteins  in 
this  part  of  the  State.  He  removed  to  Maxatawny  in 
1729,  leased  one  hundred  and  sixteen  acres  of  Caspar 
Wistar  for  one  year,  and  on  November  18,  1729,  pur- 
chased the  tract  for  forty  pounds.  He  was  married  to 
Dorothea  Reber  ;  had  four  sons— Jacob,  William,  David  and 
Henry — and  two  daughters — Dorothea  and  Maria.  The 
original  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixteen  acres,  together 
with  three  hundred  and  twenty-seven  additional  acres 
which  Jacob  acquired  afterwards,  are  still  in  the  posses- 
sion of  his  descendants.  David  Hottenstein,  the  son  of 
Jacob  and  the  great-grandfather  of  Dr.  Edward  Hotten- 
stein, resided  on  the  farm  of  his  father,  which  was  trans- 
ferred by  Jacob  Hottenstein  to  his  sons  David  and  Henry. 
Afterwards  David  bought  hie  brother's  share.  He  had 
three  sons  and  two  daughters, — Jacob,  David,  Daniel, 
Catharine  and  Dorothea.  Catharine  was  married  to  Jacob 
Grim ;  Dorothea  died  young. 


624 


HISTOEY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


He  was  graduated  from  Jefferson  Medical  Col- 
lege, 1853,  and  began  practice  in  Maxatawny, 
where  he  remained  until  1870,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Kutztown.  He  has  since  been  en- 
gaged in  his  profession  in  that  village.  From  the 
time  he  began  to  practice  his  profession  he  has 
met  with  success,  and  his  business  gradually  in- 
creased until  it  was  shared  by  his  eldest  son. 
He  has  made  gynecology  a  specialty,  and  has 
devoted  much  study  to  cases  of  a  chronic  na- 


but  Sarah  Ann  are  now  living.  Dr.  Hottenstein 
is  a  Democrat  in  politics.  He  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Borough  Council  of  Kutztown,  and 
for  a  number  of  years,  president  of  the  Board 
of  School  Directors.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Medical  Society  of  the  county  and  a  member  of 
the  Reformed  Church  of  Kutztown. 

His  son,  Elmer  K,  studied  with  his  father, 
was  graduated  from  the  Jefferson  Medical 
College  in  1883,  and  is  now  associated  with  his 


C^^.X^^^7^^  <^n^- 


ture.  In  this  field,  as  well  as  in  his  obstetrical 
practice,  he  has  been  exceptionally  successful. 
Dr.  Hottenstein  was  married,  September  18, 
1855,  to  Sarah  Ann,  daughter  of  Jacob  Knabb, 
of  Oley,  born  September  10,  1835.  Their 
children  are  Ida  C,  born  September  4,  1856  ;  H. 
Alice  E.,  February  13,  1859 ;  Elmer  K.,  Dec.  3, 
1861 ;  Edward  L.,  August  12, 1864;  Sarah  Ann^ 
Aug.  5, 1866 ;  William  J.,  Aug.  28, 1868 ;  Charles 
A.,  October  1,  1871 ;  Peter  D.,  July  20,  1874  ; 
Deborah  C,  January  14,  1877,  of  whom  all 


father  in  practice.  Edward  L.  also  read  medi- 
cine in  his  father's  office. 

Sketches  of  many  of  the  physicians  of  this 
County  will  be  found  in  the  township  and 
borough  histories. 

The  Medical  Faculty  of  Berks  County. 
—The  first  medical  society  of  the  county  was 
incorporated,  then  subsequently  organized  at 
Reading,  in  the  State-Hoiise,  on  Saturday,  Au- 
gust 7,  1824,  under  the  name  of  the  "Medical 
Faculty  of  Berks  County." 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


625 


The  following-named  officers  were  elected  for 
the  ensuing  year :  President,  Isaac  Hiester ; 
Vice-Presidents,  C.  L.  Schlemm  and  John  B. 
Otto;  Treasurer,  George  Eckert;  Recording 
Secretary,  Charles  Baum ;  Corresponding  Sec- 
retaries, William  J.  C.  Baum  and  Edward  Hay- 
dock  ;  Curators,  Bernard  McNeil  and  Gerhard 
Bishop. 

According  to  one  of  the  resolutions  then 
passed,  it  would  appear  that  small-pox  was  then 
in  the  borough  ;  and  the  society  having  un- 
doubted confidence  in  vaccination,  recommended 
strongly  "  this  mild  and  safe  preventative  in  all 
cases  deemed  liable  to  the  infection  of  that 
loathsome  and  too  often  fatal  disease."  Dr. 
Hiester,  upon  assuming  the  duties  of  the  office 
to  which  he  was  unanimously  chosen,  delivered 
an  admirable  address  to  the  faculty.  Among 
other  things,  he  said  that  this  organization  was 
the  first  of  the  kind  in  Pennsylvania,  excepting 
the  College  of  Physicians  and  Medical  Society  of 
Philadelphia. 

This  society  continued  to  exist,  hold  regular 
meetings  and  annually  send  representatives  to 
the  State  Medical  Society  for  a  period  of 
twenty  years.  On  February  23,  1850,  the 
society  was  reorganized  and  the  name  changed 
to  the  "  Medical  Society  of  the  City  of  Reading 
and  the  County  of  Berks,"  with  the  object  of 
cultivating  the  science  of  medicine  in  all  its 
collateral  branches,  to  elevate  and  sustain  medi- 
cal character,  to  encourage  a  system  of  profes- 
sional etiquette  and  to  promote  mutual  improve- 
ment, social  intercourse  and  good  feeling  among 
the  members  of  the  medical  profession.  No 
person  could  become  a  member  of  this  society 
unless  he  were  a  graduate  of  some  recognized 
medical  college.  In  1856  William  Herbst 
was  president ;  Martin  Luther,  secretary  ;  and 
Edward  Wallace,  treasurer.  This  society  con- 
tinued to  exist  until  its  disbandment,  in  1870. 

The  Medical  Society  of  the  County  of 
Berks. — The  society  with  the  above  name  was 
formed  by  members  of  the  allopathic  school  of 
practice  on  November  22,  1870,  on  the  same 
day  that  the  old  Berks  County  Medical  Society 
was  disbanded.  The  organization  was  effected  in 
the  office  of  Dr.  J.  B.  Brooke,  44  North  Fourth 
Street,   Reading.     The    physicians  present  at 


the  first  meeting  were  J.  S.  Ammon,  J.  Brobst, 
Edward  Brobst,  J.  B.  Brooke,  George  W. 
Byerle,  Joseph  Coblentz,  A.  B.  Dundor,  J.  S. 
Hunsberger,  S.  L.  Kurtz,  De  B.  Kuhn,  C. 
Kreye,  J.  M.  Matthews,  William  Moore,  J.  M. 
Newpher,  J.  Y.  Shearer,  J.  K.  Seaman,  J.  B. 
Sterley,  C.  Turner,  D.  A.  Ulrich,  Edward 
Wallace,  Charles  Weber  and  W.  Murray  Weid- 
man.  After  a  temporary  organization  a  resolu- 
tion was  passed  to  the  effect  that  the  new  society 
be  formed  for  mutual  improvement  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Pennsylvania  State  Medical  Soci- 
ety and  the  American  Medical  Association. 

The  following  resolution  was  then  passed  and 
signed  by  all  members  present : 

"Resolved,  That  members  of  the  Berks  County 
Medical  Society,  and  others  members  of  the  medical 
profession  in  good  standing  in  this  county  and  gradu- 
ates of  medicine,  do  hereby  associate  themselves  f>  >r 
the  purposes  set  forth  in  a  preamble  and  constitution 
of  the  organization,  under  the  name  and  title  of  the 
Berks  County  Medical  Association." 

The  constitution  and  by-laws  were  adopted  at 
a  meeting  held  January  3,  1871.  At  the  same 
time  a  permanent  organization  was  effected  by 
electing  William  Moore,  president ;  J.  S.  Am- 
mon and  James  M.  Matthews,  vice-presidents  ; 
W.  Murray  Weidman,  recording  secretary  ;  J. 
B.  Brooke,  corresponding  secretary ;  D.  A. 
Ulrich,  treasurer ;  Edward  Wallace,  J.  A. 
Brobst,  De  B.  Kuhn,  censors ;  and  Joseph  Cob- 
lentz, curator.  At  this  meeting  the  name  was 
changed  from  the  Berks  County  Medical  Asso- 
ciation to  the  Medical  Society  of  the  County  of 
Berks.  It  was  also  decided  by  resolution  at 
the  same  time  that  the  meetings  be  held  bi- 
monthly and  that  a  business  meeting  shall  reg- 
ularly alternate  with  a  meeting  for  the  discus- 
sion of  topics  relating  to  the  profession.  The 
same  regulation  and  order  of  exercises  remain 
in  force. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  society  held  in  Stauf- 
fer's  Hall,  March  7,  1871,  Drs.  S.  L.  Kurtz, 
D.  A.  Ulrich  and  Edward  Wallace,  a  committee 
appointed  to  represent  this  society  at  the  annual 
meeting  of  the  State  Medical  Society,  in  Phila- 
delphia, reported  that  they  had  gained  recogni- 
tion from  that  body,  were  admitted  as  mem- 
bers to  its  sessions,  and  that  the  board  of  censors 


626 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


of  the  State  Medical  Society  had  given  their 
approval  to  the  constitution  and  the  by-laws  of 
the  Medical  Society  of  the  County  of  Berks. 

The  county  society  was  then  in  excellent 
working  condition  and  gradually  increased  in 
membership  and  influence.  It  is  now  an  active 
agent  in  promoting  the  welfare  of  the  profession 
in  the  city  and  county.  The  meetings  are 
largely  attended,  and  interesting  and  valuable 
discussions  of  important  topics  take  place. 

The  first  delegate  election  of  this  society  to 
send  representatives  to  the  American  Medical 
Association  took  place  March  7,  1871.  The 
delegates  were  Drs.  Kuhn,  Wily  and  Moore. 

On  May  2d  of  the  same  year  the  following- 
named  members  were  elected  delegates  to  the  State 
Medical  Society,  viz.  :  Drs.  Wallace,  Weidman, 
Kuhn,  Brooke,  Conrad  and  J.  A.  Brobst.  The 
society  made  its  first  annual  visit  to  the 
County  Almshouse  in  March,  1871. 

On  September  5,  1871,  Dr.  Brooke  offered 
the  following,  which  was  passed  unanimously  : 

"  Resolved,  That  this  day  and  annually  hereafter, 
at  the  meeting  in  June,  five  members  shall  be  elected 
as  a  Sanitary  Committee,  to  whom  shall  be  referred 
all  papers  read  before  this  Society,  for  the  purpose  of 
making  selections  therefrom  to  accompany  the  sani- 
tary report  to  be  made  to  the  State  Medical  Society." 

•  The  subject  of  vaccination  received  the  of- 
ficial indorsement  of  the  society  during  the  year 
1872,  and  the  officers  elected  to  serve  for  the 
ensuing  year  were  Dr.  Jos.  Coblentz,  president, 
and  Dr.  W.  M.  Weidman,  recording  secretary. 

A  committee  was  appointed  to  solicit  contri- 
butions among  the  members  of  the  society 
toward  the  Chicago  Belief  Fund  for  medical 
men,  resulting  in  the  collection  of  seventy- 
three  dollars,  which  was  duly  forwarded. 

During  the  year  1875  the  place  of  meeting 
was  changed  to  Dr.  Brooke's  office,  and  the 
officers  elected  for  the  year  1876  were  :  Presi- 
dent, Dr.  De  B.  Kuhn,  and  Recording  Secretary, 
Dr.  Israel  Cleaver,  the  latter  serving  in  the 
capacity  of  secretary  for  a  subsequent  period 
of  eight  years. 

At  a  meeting  held  March  12,  1878,  a  resolu- 
tion was  passed  favoring  the  signing  of  petitions 
to  the  State  Legislature,  praying  the  enactment 
of  a  law  concerning  "privileged  communica- 


tions" to  physicians,  whereby  the  profession 
will  be  placed  on  an  equality  with  other  pro- 
fessions as  witnesses  in  courts  of  justice.  The 
society  unanimously  decided  to  co-operate  with 
other  societies  to  secure  the  necessary  legisla- 
tion. 

Dr.  Muhlenberg  presented  the  following 
resolution  at  a  meeting  held  May  14,  1878, 
which  the  delegates  were  instructed  to  intro- 
duce at  the  next  meeting  of  the  State  Society : 

"  Resolved,  That  no  member  of  any  county  society 
in  connection  with  the  State  Medical '  Society  shall 
admit  into  his  office  a  student  of  medicine  until  he 
present  a  certificate  from  an  examining  committee  of 
said  society,  testifying  that  he  has  been  duly  examined, 
has  a  good  English  education,  and  a  sufficient  knowl- 
edge of  Latin  and  scientific  acquirements  to  enable 
him  to  pursue  his  studies  with  advantage." 

This  rule  is  now  in  force  throughout  the  entire 
State.  At  the  next  meeting,  held  July  9th  of 
the  same  year,  the  following  was  presented 
referring  to  the  registration  act : 

"Resolved,  That  the  corresponding  secretary  be 
authorized  to  seek  full  information  relative  to  the 
steps  to  be  taken  to  secure  the  registration  of  prac- 
titioners of  medicine  in  the  county  of  Berks,  and 
inform  the  members  of  this  Society  of  their  duty  in 
this  respect,  and  otherwise  do  whatever  may  be  neces- 
sary to  the  execution  of  the  Act  of  Assembly  requir- 
ing the  registration  of  all  practitioners  of  medicine 
in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania." 

At  a  meeting  held  March  9, 1880,  Dr.  Cleaver 
introduced  the  subject  of  "  Physical  Culture"  be- 
fore the  society,  whereupon  the  following  pre- 
amble and  resolution  were  adopted  : 

"  Whereas,  Dr.  Israel  Cleaver,  a  member  of  this 
Association,  has  recently  introduced  the  instruction  of 
children  in  calisthenics  and  is  now  engaged  in  organ- 
ing  a  class  of  adults  for  the  same  purpose,  therefore ; 

"  Resolved,  That  this  Society  hereby  endorse  this 
effort  to  improve  the  health  of  the  youth  of  our  city 
by  offering  them  a  mode  of  exercise  which  is  at  once 
light,  healthful  and  absolutely  free  from  danger,  and 
that  the  course  thus  inaugurated  is  worthy  the  fullest 
confidence  and  encouragement  of  parents  and  all 
others  having  an  interest  in  the  fullest  physical 
development  of  their  wards  and  children  of  both 
sexes." 

_  The  society  began  to  write  to  medical  prac- 
titioners at  a  distance  to  lecture  upon  special 
topics  by  resolution  passed  September  7,  1880, 
and  Dr.  E.  H.  Coover,  of  Harrisburg,  delivered 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


627 


the  first  lecture  upon  the  subject  of  "  Spinal 
Curvature." 

The  society  changed  its  place  of  meeting,  by 
resolution  passed  March  8,  1881,  from  Dr. 
Brooke's  office,  where  the  members  met  for  a 
period  of  ten  years,  to  the  Reading  Library 
Building,  at  Fifth  and  Franklin  Streets.  At 
this  meeting  Dr.  Atkinson,  of  Philadelphia, 
lectured  before  a  number  of  physicians  and 
invited  guests  upon  the  subject  of  "  Scarlatina." 

Amendments  to  the  by-laws  were  added 
during  the  year  1882,  pertaining  chiefly  to  the 
requirements  affecting  office  students,  and  the 
society  also  condemned  the  practice  of  copy- 
righting common  pharmaceutical  preparations 
by  registering  them  as  trade-marks. 

The  following  important  resolution  was  sub- 
mitted by  Dr.  Coblentz  at  the  meeting  held 
November  12,  1883,  and  unanimously  passed  : 

"  Resolved,  That  we  earnestly  request  our  Repre- 
sentative in  Congress  to  use  his  best  endeavors  to  aid 
in  procuring  an  adequate  appropriation  for  the  erec- 
tion of  a  suitable  building  in  Washington,  D.  C,  in 
which  the  National  Medical  Library  and  the  National 
Medical  and  Surgical  Museum  can  be  advantageously 
arranged  and  displayed  for  reference  and  examination ; 
and  that  a  copy  of  this  resolution,  with  the  compli- 
ments of  this  Society,  be  transmitted  to  Mr.  Ermen- 
trout." 

The  officers  elected  to  serve  for  the  year  1884 
were  Dr.  W.  G.  Beyerle,  president,  and  Dr. 
C  W.  Bachman,  secretary  ;  and  in  the  month 
of  May,  Professor  Roberts  Bartholow,  of  Phila- 
delphia, lectured  before  an  audience  of  over  one 
hundred  and  ten  physicians  from  different  parts 
of  the  county,  in  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  Hall,  under  the  auspices  of  the 
County  Medical  Society.  The  delegates  to  the 
State  Medical  Society,  which  convened  in 
Philadelphia  in  1884,  consisting  of  Drs.  Bach- 
man, Cleaver,  Hertzog,  Hunsberger,  Lee, 
Schulze,  Sterley  and  Weidman,  were  instructed 
to  vote  affirmatively  upon  the  resolution  of  the 
Philadelphia  County  Society  favoring  the  crea- 
tion of  a  State  Board  of  Health. 

The  society,  at  one  of  its  meetings  this  year, 
also  discussed  the  subject  of  poisons,  the  sale 
of  which  was  engaging  the  popular  mind  at  this 
time,  resulting  in  the  following  motion  : 

"  Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  three  be  appointed 


to  examine  into  the  law  governing  the  sale  of  pois- 
ons, and  that  the  committee  meet  with  the  Druggists' 
Association,  of  this  city,  for  the  purpose  of  consider- 
ing such  action  as  may  prevent  or  restrict  an  indis- 
criminate sale  of  the  same." 

The  officers  elected  for  the  year  1886  are  as 
follows  :  J.  M.  Myers,  of  Wernersville,  presi- 
dent; Israel  Cleaver,  of  Reading,  first  vice- 
president;  W.  E.  Hunsberger,  of  Maiden- 
creek,  second  vice-president ;  C.  W.  Bachman, 
of  Reading,  recording  secretary;  Howard  S. 
Rieser,  corresponding  secretary ;  J.  B.  Brooke, 
J.  Y.  Shearer  and  R.  B.°  Shulze,  censors ;  W. 
F.  Muhlenberg,  J.  E.  Kurtz  and  I.  Cleaver, 
medical  examiners,  and  W.  Murray  Weidman, 
curator. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  members  of  the 
society  for  the  year  1886  : 

John  A..  Brobst,  Bernville ;  W.  George  Beyerle, 
Bernville ;  L.  H.  Francis,  Boyertown ;  James  A. 
Hoffman,  Centreport ;  J.  S.  Trexler,  Kutztown ;  Ed. 
Brobst,  Leesport ;  J.  K.  Seaman,  Lenhartsville ;  D.  H. 
Hain,  Lower  Bern  ;  Wm.  E.  Hunsburger,  Maiden- 
creek  ;  W.  B.  Shaner,  Mohrsville ;  J.  B.  Rupp,  Mull- 
town  ;  W.  D.  De  Long,  Pikeville ;  Charles  Weber, 
Pricetown ;  George  H.  Bickle,  Rehrersburg ;  James 
Y.  Shearer,  Sinking  Spring ;  James  M.  Matthews, 
Temple ;  M.  L.  Fritch,  Virginsville ;  James  M. 
Myers,  Wernersville. 

The  other  members  reside  in  the  city  of 
Reading;  their  names  are  as  follows  : 

C.  W.  Bachman,  John  M.  Becker,  J.  B.  Brooke, 
Israel  Cleaver,  A.  B.  Dundor,  Frank  H.  Good,  J.  S. 
Hinnershotz,  J.  W.  Keiser,  Samuel  L.  Kurtz,  J.  Ellis 
Kurtz,  B.  R.  Lee,  C.  G.  Loose,  Martin  Luther,  W.  F. 
Muhlenberg,  H.  M.  Nagle,  A.  S.  Raudenbush,  H.  S. 
Rieser,  M.  A.  Rhoads,  R.  B.  Schulze,  J.  B.  Sterley, 
W.  Murray  Weidman, 

The  Pathological  Society. — This  so- 
ciety, from  whose  membership  is  furnished  the 
medical  staff  of  St.  Joseph's  Hospital,  was  or- 
ganized May  10,  1871.  Dr.  D.  L.  Beaver  was 
chosen  first  president ;  B.  F.  Bunn  and  Martin 
Luther,  vice-presidents;  M.  Albert  Rhoads, 
secretary  and  treasurer.  The  society,  since  its 
organization,  has  held  its  monthly  meetings  in 
the  offices  of  different  members.  The  officers 
for  the  year  1886  are  as  follows  :  M.  A.  Rhoads, 
president ;  S.  C.  Ermentrout  and  H.  Landis, 
vice-presidents;  James  W.  Keiser,  secretary  and 
treasurer.     The  membership  of  the  society  is 


628 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


limited  to  a  certain  number.  Some  of  the  orig- 
inal members  and  those  of  a  later  date  are  Mar- 
tin Luther,  D.  L.  Beaver,  E.  R.  Scholl,  S.  P. 
Heckman,  M.  A.  Rhoads,  H.  Landis,  John  G. 
Kalbach,  J.  N.  Stephens,  H.  M.  Nagle,  D.  He- 
ber  Plank,  B.  D.  Bunn,  D.  Breidenbaugh,  T. 
A.  Dunkel,  J.  M.  Hoffman,  Frank  Rieser,  A. 
J.  Cressman,  James  W.  Keiser,  M.  Wuelfingh, 
Frank  H.  Good,  M,  L.  Weiger  and  C.  G. 
Loose.  The  medical  staff  of  St.  Joseph's  Hos- 
pital for  the  year  1886  is  composed  of  the  fol- 
iowing-named  physicians  of  this  society :  Mar- 
tin Luther,  D.  L.  Beaver,  Henry  Landis,  H. 
M.  Nagle,  S.  C.  Ermentrout,  M.  Wuelfingh, 
A.  J.  Cressman,  James  W.  Keiser  and  Frank 
H.  Good. 

The  Reading  Medical  Association. — On 
the  evening  of  May  27,  1850,  Drs.  William 
Gries,  John  P.  Heister,  D.  L.  Beaver,  C. 
H.  Hunter,  L.  L.  Stewart  and  Edward  Wallace 
met  at  the  office  of  Dr.  Hunter  and  organized 
"The  Reading  Medical  Association,"  adopt- 
ing a  constitution  and  by-laws,  electing  to  mem- 
bership Dr.  Peter  F.  Nagle  and  choosing  officers 
as  follows :  President,  Dr.  William  M.  Gries ; 
Vice-President,  Dr.  John,  P.  Hiester  ;  Record- 
ing Secretary,  Dr.  Edward  Wallace ;  Correspond- 
ing Secretary,  Dr.  L.  L.  Stewart ;  Treasurer,  Dr. 
Charles  H.  Hunter. 

Of  the  gentlemen  who  thus  projected  this  or- 
ganization, Dr.  Beaver  alone  survives. 

The  usual  purpose  of  such  organizations,  viz., 
the  fostering  of  professional  intercourse  and 
consequent  increase  of  knowledge,  the  preserv- 
ing of  a  code  of  medical  ethics  and  the  conserv- 
ing of  everything  of  interest  and  benefit  to  the 
profession  in  the  city  of  Reading,  is  expressed 
in  the  preamble  to  their  constitution.  For 
reasons  not  on  record,  there  appears  to  have 
been  no  meetings  from  1854  to  September  12, 
1859,  when  a  move  for  reorganization  was  made 
and  effected  at  the  next  meeting,  held  October  12, 
1859.  Again,  for  unrecorded  reasons,  a  hiatus 
in  events  occurs.  The  last  minute  of  this 
second  organization  bears  date  of  January  24, 
1860. 

On  July  30,  1867,  a  preliminary  meeting  was 
held,  a  third  organization  effected,  a  new  con- 
stitution and  by-laws  adopted  and  on  August 


14th,  the  officers  eleoted  were :  President,  Dr. 
Peter  F.  Nagle;  Vice-President,  Dr.  Charles 
Hunter ;  Secretary,  Dr.  W.  Murray  Weidman ; 
Treasurer,  Dr.  Martin  Luther;  Censors,  Drs. 
Wallace,  Brooke  and  Beaver.  From  that  time 
to  the  date  of  this  writing  (January,  1886,)  the 
association  has  had  no  more  attacks  of  no  quorum 
catalepsy. 

The  present  members  are  as  follows  :  Presi- 
dent, Dr.  Israel  Cleaver ;  Vice-President,  J.  B. 
Sterley ;  Secretary,  R.  B.  Schulze ;  Treasurer, 
S.  L.  Kurtz ;  Curator,  W.  Murray  Weidman ; 
Censors,  Drs.  Schulze,  Brooke  and  Raudenbush, 
also  Drs.  Bachman,  Dundor,  J.  E.  Kurtz, 
Loose,  Muhlenberg  and  Reeser. 

At  all  the  meetings,  business  usual  to  medical 
societies  was  transacted,  and  made  the  occasion 
of  much  pleasure  and  profit.  But  in  addition 
there  was  an  interest,  having  this  association  as 
its  mainspring  of  action,  that  caused  its  mem- 
bers many  misgivings,  demanded  personal 
sacrifice  and  here  and  there  provoked  antago- 
nisms, aud  which  interest,  while  wrapped  up  in 
the  transactions  of  the  association,  requires  sepa- 
rate treatment  for  its  consecutive  presentation. 
Besides,  it  is  the  great  work  of  the  association  in 
its  past,  and  not  likely  to  be  overshadowed  by 
anything  it  may  accomplish  in  the  future. 

At  the  meeting  of  November  11,  1867,  it 
appears  there  was  read  a  communication  from 
the  Berks  County  Medical  Society,  embracing  a 
proposition  of  establishing  a  hospital  in  the  city 
of  Reading.  A  committee,  consisting  of  Drs. 
Brooke,  Beaver  and  Luther,  was  appointed  to 
consider  the  subject  and  report  at  next  meeting. 
This  led  to  the  choosing  of  sixteen  gentlemen 
representing  the  various  business  interests  of 
the  city,  who  should  be  asked  to  serve  as  a 
board  of  managers  for  the  proposed  hospital. 
These  gentlemen,  acting  in  conjunction  with  the 
Medical  Association,  agreed  to  institute  a  dispen- 
sary service  in  a  small  rented  building,  in 
which  should  also  be  placed  a  few  beds  for  the 
reception  of  in-door  patients,  the  medical  staff  to 
be  chosen  from  the  Reading  Medical  Associa- 
tion. The  Association  submitted  a  draft  of 
rules  and  regulations  for  the  government  of  the 
dispensary,  to  which  the  managers  agreed,  and 
which  formed  substantially  the  articles  of  the 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


629 


charter  of  incorporation,  a  prerequisite  to  which 
was  also  the  incorporating  of  the  Medical  Asso- 
ciation. January  the  28th,  1868,  was  fixed  as 
the  day  for  opening  the  building  for  hospital 
and  dispensary  service.  From  this  time  for- 
ward the  records  of  the  Medical  Association, 
saving  what  relates  solely  to  medical  topics, 
read  like  those  of  a  board  of  managers  of  a  hos- 
pital. And  such  they  really  were  of  necessity, 
because  of  the  difficulty  of  regularly  convening 
the  board  of  managers,  many  of  whom  business 
withheld  from  due  attention  to  this  work. 

Illustrative  of  how  much  this  enterprise  was 
dependent  upon  the  Medical  Association,  a  few 
facts  are  cited.  At  first  the  board  of  managers 
was  composed  entirely  of  gentlemen  from  the 
laity.  Gradually  so  difficult  did  it  become  to 
convene  a  quorum  of  that  body  that  in  April, 
1872,  seven  resigned  and  their  places  were  sup- 
plied by  seven  others  chosen  from  the  association. 
Just  previous  to  this  time  the  financial  distress 
of  the  hospital  service  was  so  great  that  the 
necessity  for  its  closure  became  imminent.  At 
this  juncture  the  following  resolution  was 
unanimously  adopted  at  the  meeting  of  March, 
1872,  viz. :  "  That  the  members  of  this  associ- 
ation will  hold  themselves  individually  and  col- 
lectively responsible  for  the  debts  of  the  Read- 
ing Dispensary  for  three  months  from  April  1, 
next." 

Notwithstanding  this  burden,  when  the  Sisters 
having  charge  of  a  charity,  corner  of  Ninth  and 
Walnut  Streets,  asked  by  note,  May,  1872,  the 
professional  aid  of  the  association,  it  was 
promptly  tendered.  In  1873  the  association 
was  approached,  relative  to  taking  charge  of  St. 
Joseph's  Hospital,  just  organized.  The  answer 
given  was  substantially  that,  as  a  body,  they 
could  not  formally  accept  such  duty,  but  as  in- 
dividuals they  would  cheerfully  serve.  This 
answer  appears  to  have  failed  reaching  Rev. 
Father  Borneman  in  due  time,  by  reason  of 
which  other  physicians  were  selected. 

In  1876  the  financial  support  from  the  com- 
munity became  so  low  that  the  hospital  work 
was  suspended  and  dispensary  and  out-door  ser- 
vice only  prosecuted. 

The  minutes  of  the  association  show  that 
this  step  was  previously  determined   upon   in 


that  body,  as  a  temporary  expedient,  until  with 
improved  financial  status,  a  hospital  building 
could  be  erected  on  the  grounds  already  secured, 
a  purpose  which  was  never  abandoned. 

Comment  upon  all  this  is  unnecessary,  except 
that  its  prompting  lay  in  that  spirit  of  all  hon- 
orable physicians  by  which  they  habitually  ad- 
minister to  the  indigent  sick. 

Is  it  not  safe  to  say  that  but  for  the  Reading 
Medical  Association,  the  Reading  Hospital, 
at  this  writing  almost  completed,  would  have 
no  existence  ?  Nay,  more,  is  it  not  probable 
that  this  faithfulness  to  a  cause  was  provocative 
to  the  other  benevolent  enterprises  that  subse- 
quently sprung  into  existence  in  this  city  ? 

(The  history  of  this  association  was  very 
kindly  furnished  by  Dr.  Israel  C.  Cleaver.) 

HOMOEOPATHY. 

The  founder  of  homoeopathy,  Samuel  Hah- 
nemann, was  born  April  10,  1755,  at  Meissen, 
in  Cur-Saxony,  one  of  the  regions  in  Germany. 
He  passed  several  years  at  the  Stadtschule,  and 
at  the  age  of  sixteen  began  to  attend  the  Fiir- 
stenschule  of  Meissen,  where  he  remained  eight 
years.  His  parents  were  poor,  but  his  inherent 
thirst  for  knowledge  induced  his  instructors  to 
give  him  the  advantages  of  an  education  with- 
out paying  the  usual  tuition  fees.  In  1775  he 
entered  the  University  of  Leipsig,  where  he 
raised  enough  money  to  spend  two  years  in 
study,  by  giving  lessons  as  a  tutor  and  making 
translations  into  German.  He  took  his  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Medicine  at  Erlangen  August  10, 
1779.  He  spent  ten  years  in  the  practice  of 
his  profession  at  different  places,  and  in  1789 
returned  to  Leipsig,  where  he  soon  became  fav- 
orably known  for  his  knowledge  of  medicine, 
chemistry,  mineralogy  and  the  kindred  sciences, 
and  for  many  important  discoveries  which  gave 
him  widely-spread  reputation.  In  pursuing 
his  investigations  he  became  dissatisfied  with 
the  state  of  medical  science  around  him.  He 
claimed  that  it  was  imperfect,  and  then  began 
to  elaborate  a  new  system  of  medicine  which  he 
termed  homceopathia,  which  is  derived  from  the 
two  Greek  words,  homoios  (similar)  and  pathos 
(feeling  or  suffering).  He  tested  the  use  of  a 
number  of  drugs,  convinced  himself  and  ad- 


630 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


vanced  it  as  a  theory,  that  a  remedy  which 
would  cure  a  certain  disease  would  also  pro- 
duce a  disorder  very  similar  to  that  disease  in 
a  healthy  person,  and  that  the  converse  was 
equally  true, — i.  e.,  that  a  drug  which  produced 
a  certain  disease  in  a  healthy  body  would  cure 
it  in  a  sick  one.  He  tested  drug  after  drug  on  his 
own  person,  carefully  noting  the  minutest  ef- 
fects produced  and  comparing  them  with  the 
symptoms  of  well-known  diseases.  He  in- 
duced some  of  his  friends  to  join  him  in  these 
tests  or  provings,  and,  by  mutually  comparing 
notes,  certain  positive  facts  and  a  code  were 
established.  This  was  the  origin  of  the  famous 
axiom,  similia  similibus  eurantur.  Many  Ger- 
man physicians  tested  the  principles  of  Hahne- 
mann, and  afterwards  advocated  them.  The 
founder  of  this  new  system  of  medicine, 
after  he  had  attained  the  age  of  forty-five 
years,  lived  in  complete  self-abnegation  and  en- 
dangered his  own  physical  constitution  in  test- 
ing the  system  he  was  promulgating.  In  the 
mean  time  he  wrote  ten  volumes  of  the  "  Ma- 
teria Medica  Pura,"  and  effected  some  remark- 
able cures  on  persons  of  eminence  in  promul- 
gating the  theory  of  minimum  doses.  His 
greatest  work  is  entitled  the  "  Organon  of  Ra- 
tional Medicine,"  which  has  always  been,  and 
doubtless  will  continue  to  be,  a  text-book  of  the 
homoeopathic  profession.  In  1805  he  published 
a  little  work  on  the  "  Positive  Effects  of  Medi- 
cine." In  1831  he  rendered  efficient  service 
during  the  time  the  cholera  raged  so  violently 
in  Eastern  Europe.  In  1836  he  left  Leipsig 
and  resided  for  fifteen  years  with  the  Duke  at 
Coethen,  perfecting  his  system  by  experiments 
and  in  the  treatment  of  the  sick  of  many  fami- 
lies of  the  nobility. 

During  his  residence  at  Coethen,  when,  in 
his  eightieth  year,  he  married  Mademoiselle 
D'Hervilly  Gohier,  a  member  of  one  of  the 
prominent  families  of  France.  She  had  been 
cured  by  him  of  a  dangerous  malady.  The 
marriage  was  somewhat  romantic,  inasmuch  as 
she  was  forty-five  years  his  junior.  Soon  after 
this  event  he  and  his  wife  removed  to  Paris 
where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  years,  and 
died  July  2,  1844,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-nine  years.     He   was   of  slender  form 


and  diminutive  stature.  His  head  was  large 
and  his  forehead  well-proportioned.  He  was 
known  by  his  cotemporaries  as  a  man  of  fine 
intellect. 

Early  History  of  Homoeopathy  in 
Berks  County. — In  the  year  1838  homoeop- 
athy was  first  made  known  to  the  people  of 
Reading  and  Berks  County  by  Dr.  Adolph 
Lippe,  who  spent  a  year  or  two  in  practice  here, 
being  followed  by  Dr.  Moore,  who  remained  two 
years  or  longer  and  then  removed  to  Philadel- 
phia. Dr.  John  H.  Behne  located  at  Reading 
in  1840,  and  remained  until  his  death.  Dr. 
Caspari  practiced  in  the  city  also  for  a  few 
months  in  1843.  In  1854  Dr.  George  R. 
Starkey  began  practicing  in  Reading,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  establishing  homoeopathy  among  the 
English-speaking  residents  of  the  place.  He 
left  the  city  in  the  spring  of  1 857,  and  went  to 
Philadelphia,  where  he  became  professor  of 
surgery  in  the  Hahnemann  Homoeopathic  Col- 
lege of  that  city.  He  was  followed  in  Reading 
by  Dr.  R.  Sargent,  who  remained  two  years. 
Dr.  B.  R.  Bratt,  who  was  graduated  from  the 
Hahnemann  College,  at  Philadelphia,  in  1858, 
succeeded  Dr.  Sargent.  He  died  January  31, 
1872.  Dr.  E.  H.  Spooner,  a  graduate  of 
Amherst  College,  Mass.,  two  years  a  student  of 
theology  at  Princeton,  a  soldier  in  the  Union 
army  from  1862  to  1865,  and  a  graduate  of  the 
Homoeopathic  College  of  New  York,  in  the  class 
of  1869,  located  in  Reading  the  year  of  his  grad- 
uation. He  afterward  moved  to  New  York  City. 
He  has  written  several  articles  for  the  New 
Engbmd  Medical  Gazette.  Dr.  David  L. 
Dreibelbis,  born  in  1842,  was  educated  at  the 
Union  Seminary,  of  New  Berlin,  Pa. ;  taught 
school  for  four  years  ;  studied  medicine  with  Dr. 
G.  A.  Detweiler  and  attended  lectures  in  Philadel- 
phia and  was  graduated  in  1865.  He  practiced 
in  Reading  until  his  death  in  1872..  Dr.  S.  L. 
Dreibelbis,  a  younger  brother,  and  a  graduate  of 
the  Hahnemann  Medical  College  of  Philadel- 
phia, class  of  1871,  took  the  practice  of  his 
brother. 

Dr.  John  H.  Helfrich,  son  of  Rev.  John 
Helfrich,  who  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
homoeopathy  in  this  county,  practiced  for  a 
number  of  years  in  Kutztown  and  then  removed 


THE  MEDICAL  PKOFESSION. 


631 


to  Allentown.  Dr.  R.  F.  Krebs  practiced  from 
1857  to  1874  in  the  borough  of  Hamburg,  and 
then  moved  to  Reading,  where  he  continues  in 
his  profession.  Dr.  Frederick  Isett  and  Joseph 
Hatzfield,  former  students  of  Dr.  Krebs  and 
both  graduates  of  the  Hahnemann  College  of 
Philadelphia,  succeeded  their  preceptor  at  Ham- 
burg. Dr.  L.  R.  Lentz  is  now  practicing  at 
FI*eetwood.  Dr.  Robert  May,  a  graduate  in 
medicine  from  the  Pennsylvania  College,  for  a 
while  practiced  the  allopathic  system  in  this 
county.  About  1840  he  took  up  the  study  of 
homoeopathy,  and  lectured  upon  it  through 
Chester  aud  Berks  Counties.  He  lived  near  the 
dividing  line  of  these  counties,  and  attended  the 
sick  over  a  large  territory  in  both.  His  widow, 
Elizabeth  May,  who  studied  medicine  aud 
practiced  to  some  extent  before  her  marriage, 
continued  the  practice  of  her  husband,  who  died 
in  1865,  and,  notwithstanding  violent  opposition, 
she  succeeded  admirably  in  the  profession. 

The  Berks  and  Schuylkill  County  Homoeo- 
pathic Medical  Society  was  founded  by  Drs. 
Charles  Haesler,  of  Pottsville,  B.  R.  Bratt,  of 
Reading,  and  R.  F.  Krebs,  of  Hamburg,  in 
1870,  at  the  office  of  the  last-mentioned  physi- 
cian. The  membership  increased,  and  regular 
meetings  were  held  for  a  number  of  years,  but 
it  finally  ceased  to  exist. 

The  names  of  the  other  physicians  of  the 
homoeopathic  school  of  a  later  date,  to  practice 
in  this  county,  with  the  college  from  which  they 
were  graduated,  will  be  found  in  list  of  regis- 
tered physicians  in  this  chapter  and  in  the 
biographies  which  follow  this  history. 

The  Hahnemann  Medical  Society. — 
The  Hahnemann  Medical  Society  of  Reading 
was  organized  November  23,  1882,  in  the  office 
of  Dr.  S.  R.  Rittenhouse,  No.  38  South  Fourth 
Street.  The  physicians  who  originally  formed 
the  society  were  F.  R  Schmucker,  W.  F. 
Marks,  S.  L.  Dreibelbis,  S.  R.  Rittenhouse,  E. 
Z.  Schmucker,  J.  G.  Grosscup,  Theodore  Pach- 
ali  and  C.  B.  Jennings.  The  first  officers  were 
as  follows :  S.  R.  Rittenhouse,  president ;  F. 
R.  Schmucker,  vice-president ;  C.  B.  Jennings, 
secretary;  S.  L.  Dreibelbis,  treasurer;  E.  Z. 
Schmucker,  W.  F.  Marks  and  J.  G.  Grosscup, 
censors.     Since  the  organization  of  this  society 


L.  J.  Knerr,  W.  A.  Haman,  D.  C.  Kline,  J.  S. 
Rittenhouse,  R.  F.  Krebs  and  R.  A.  Shollenberger 
have  been  admitted  to  membership.  The  so- 
ciety holds  its  meetings  monthly  at  the  office  of 
Dr.  J.  S..  Rittenhouse,  for  the  purpose  of  dis- 
cussing topics  pertaining  to  the  profession  and 
for  general  business.  During  the  year  1886 
Dr.  Pachali  was  president  and  Dr.  Jennings 
secretary. 

biographies  of  homceopathists. 

Adolph  Lippe,  one  of  the  most  celebrated 
homceopathists  in  this  country,  and  who  intro- 
duced the  system  in  Berks  County,  was  born  in 
Germany  May  11,  1812,  and  is  the  oldest  son 
of  the  late  Count  Ludwig  and  Countess  Au- 
gusta zur  Lippe.  He  was  graduated  from  one 
of  the  higher  institutions  of  Berlin  ;  emigrated 
to  the  United  States  in  1839,  and  received  the 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine  in  1841  from 
the  Homoeopathic  Medical  Academy  at  Allen- 
town.  He  began  the  practice  of  medicine  in 
Reading,  where  he  remained  two  years  and  then 
moved  to  Carlisle,  Pa.,  where  he  won  distinc- 
tion as  a  practitioner,  by  means  of  which  he 
was  induced  to  locate  in  Philadelphia,  and  there 
gained  great  popularity.  He  filled  the  chair  of 
Materia  Medica  in  the  Homoeopathic  College  of 
Pennsylvania  from  1863  to  1868,  and  during 
that  time  translated  valuable  German,  Italian 
and  French  homoeopathic  essays  and  treatises 
that  are  now  standard  in  English.  He  adopted 
homoeopathy  after  a  careful  examination  into 
its  merits,  believing  it  to  be  progressive,  and, 
having  devoted  the  best  years  of  his  life  to  its 
practice,  he  defended  that  school  of  medicine  in 
its  infancy,  and  nursed  it  through  a  crescent 
youth.  He  seems  to  have  had  the  rare  pleasure 
of  witnessing  the  realization  of  his  best  hopes  in 
observing  his  system  of  practice  have  a  popular- 
ity, to  which  his  own  labors  have  contributed  a 
full  share.     He  is  a  resident  of  Philadelphia. 

John  Henry  Behne  was  born  in  Nord- 
hausen,  Prussia,  in  the  year  1800,  attended 
different  universities  of  Germany,  anol  was 
graduated  in  medicine  at  "Wuertzberg,  Bavaria. 
He  came  to  America  in  1840,  and  located  in 
Reading  the  same  year  as  an  allopathic  phy- 
sician.   Soon  after  arriving  here  he  formed  an 


632 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


intimate  acquaintance  with  Dr.  Lippe,  then 
residing  in  this  city,  who  persuaded  him  to 
study  and  practice  homoeopathy.  Dr.  Behne 
was  a  gentleman  of  literary  culture,  of  fine  per- 
sonal appearance,  easy  and  graceful  in,  his  man- 
ners, and  possessed  many  personal  traits  which 
soon  won  him  numerous  friends.  He  was  be- 
loved by  the  Germans.  He  enjoyed  a  large 
and  lucrative  practice,  and  was  the  family 
physician  of  many  of  the  wealthiest  families  of 
Reading.  Many  patients  came  to  him  from 
different  parts  of  the  State  for  medical  treat- 
ment. He  was,  for  many  years,  an  active 
member  and  secretary  of  Germania  Lodge,  No. 
53,  I.  O.  O.  F. 

Dr.  Behne  was  twice  married.  His  first 
wife,  whom  he  married  in  Europe,  died  in 
Reading  soon  after  he  located  in  the  city. 
They  had  one  child,  Gustavus,  an  artist  of  fine 
ability,  who  is  now  in  Munich,  Germany. 
Many  of  his  paintings  adorn  the  homes  of 
citizens  of  Reading. 

Several  years  after  the  death  of  his  first  wife, 
Dr.  Behne  married  Miss  Zabel,  of  New  York. 
After  spending  many  years  of  usefulness  in 
Reading,  attending  to  the  wants  of  the  sick  and 
taking  an  active  interest  in  the  prosperity  of  the 
city,  he  died  August  I,  1876. 

Few  Germans  who  came  to  America  were  as 
deeply  interested  in  the  prosperity  of  their  adopted 
country  as  Dr.  Behne.  Many  people  of  Read- 
ing now  living  have  a  very  tender  recollection 
of  his  many  virtues. 

George  R.  Starkey,  one  of  the  early 
homceopathists  of  Reading,  was  born  in  Vassal- 
boro',  Maine,  June  23,  1823,  and  spent  the 
early  years  of  his  life  on  a  farm.  When  he 
reached  the  age  of  fourteen  a  benevolent 
Quakeress  interested  herself  in  his  behalf  and 
had  him  admitted  into  the  Friends'  Boarding- 
School  at  Providence,  Rhode  Island.  He  there 
obtained  a  preparatory  education  and  afterward 
engaged  in  teaching.  He  was  graduated  from 
Waterville  College,  Maine,  in  1848,  and  from 
the  Homoeopathic  Medical  College  at  Phila- 
delphia in  1 855.  Immediately  after  his  gradua- 
tion in  medicine  he  came  to  Reading,  where  he 
remained  two  years,  having  at  the  time  of  his 
removal    to    Philadelphia,   in   1857,   a    large 


number  of  prominent  families  on  his  visiting 
list.  In  June,  1860,  Dr.  Starkey  was  elected  to 
the  chair  of  anatomy  in  the  Homoeopathic 
Medical  College,  and  the  year  following  was 
called  to  the  chair  of  surgery  in  the  same  insti- 
tution. This  position  he  filled  four  years.  In 
1869  he  retired  from  the  medical  institution 
and  became  deeply  interested  in  the  compound 
oxygen  gas  treatment,  as  a  specialty  for  fhe 
cure  of  chronic  disease,  and  thereafter  re- 
linquished his  general  practice,  meeting  with 
success  in  administering  this  new  agent.  He  is 
now  in  Philadelphia. 

John  Helfrich  was  a  clergyman  and  also 
one  of  the  first  homoeopathic  physicians  of 
Lehigh  County.  Late  in  life  he  was  graduated 
from  the  Homoeopathic  Academy  atAUentown, 
which  was  founded  in  1835  and  had  a  brief 
existence.  For  a  number  of  years  he  practiced 
medicine  at  Kutztown.  His  son,  J.  Henry 
Helfrich,  agraduate  of  the  Pennsylvania  Medical 
College  in  the  class  of  1846,  practiced  in  Lehigh 
County  until  1866,  when  he  also  moved  to 
Kutztown,  where  he  practiced  homoeopathy  for 
eleven  years,  and  returned  then  to  Allentown. 
Rev.  John  Helfrich,  in  1849,  published  a  work 
in  German  on  homoeopathic  veterinary  practice. 
It  was  the  first  book  of  its  kind  published  in 
Amrrica. 

Samuel  R.  Rittenhouse  was  born  near 
Trappe,  Montgomery  County,  Pa.,  January  16, 
1832.  His  parents  were  Jacob  D.  and  Mary 
Reiner  Rittenhouse,  who  resided  on  a  farm  in 
the  above  county.  The  father  died  of  apoplexy 
April  17,  1843,  in  his  sixty-first  year.  His 
paternal  ancestors  emigrated  from  Holland  in 
1690  and  established  at  Germantown,  Pa., 
the  first  paper-mill  in  America.  Dr.  Ritten- 
house, after  the  completion  of  his  preparatory 
education,  entered  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  he  was  graduated  in  1853.  He  at 
once  began  practice  as  an  allopathic  physician 
near  Trappe,  Pa.,  and  in  the  autumn  of  the 
same  year  returned  to  Philadelphia,  where  he 
attended  another  course  of  lectures  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania  and  enjoyed  the  advan- 
tage of  the  clinics  at  the  Pennsylvania  Hos- 
pital. In  1854  he  entered  into  partnership 
with     Dr.   Lesher    Trexler,    at    Longswamp, 


THE  MEDICAL  PE0FE8SI0N. 


633 


Berks  County,  with  whom  he  shared  a  large 
and  remunerative  practice.  During  the  year 
1855  he  was  witness  to  such  marvelous  results 
from  the  treatment  under  the  homoeopathic  sys- 
tem in  several  cases  of  disease,  that,  despite  his 
prejudice  against  it,  he  was  induced  to  give  it  a 
patient  and  careful  investigation.  After  thought- 
fully reading  the  "  Organon  "  and  studying  the 
Homoeopathic  Materia  Medica,  he  tested  the 
medicines  used  in  the  practice  of  homoeopathy 
and  became  thoroughly  satisfied  with  the  truth 
of  the  foundation  principle  of  Hahnemann — 
similia  similibus  eurantur.  He  has  since  that 
time  devoted  himself  with  zeal  to  the  new  sys- 
tem. In  1857  he  removed  to  Millerstown,  Le- 
high County,  Pa.,  where  for  twelve  years  he 
was  engaged  in  an  extensive  practice.  During 
his  residence  there  he  was  married  to  Miss  Anna 
Maria  Shaffer,  daughter  of  John  and  Hannah 
Shaffer,  of  Macungie,  Lehigh  County,  Pa. 
Their  children  are  Jacob  S.,  Annie  S.  and  Han- 
nah S.  Jacob  S.  Rittenhouse  began  the  study 
of  medicine  with  his  father,  entered  the  Hahne- 
mann Medical  College,  Philadelphia,  in  the  fall 
of  1882,  was  graduated  in  the  spring  of  1885, 
and  then  associated  with  his  father  in  practice. 
Owing  to  ill  health  caused  by  overwork  in  at- 
tending to  a  large  practice  Dr.  Rittenhouse  left 
Millerstown  for  Reading  October,  1868,  where 
he  has  since  resided.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Homoeopathic  Society  of  Berks  and  Schuylkill 
Counties  during  its  existence,  is  a  member  of 
the  Homoeopathic  Society  of  Pennsylvania,  the 
Hahnemann  Medical  Society  of  Reading  and 
the  Reading  Society  of  Natural  Sciences.  He 
has  been  a  contributor  to  various  medical  jour- 
nals. During  the  late  war  he  was  an  enthusi- 
astic advocate  of  the  cause  of  the  Union  and 
contributed  numerous  articles  to  the  local  papers 
designed  to  inspire  patriotism  among  the  people. 
In  the  year  1863  he  was  the  Republican  candi- 
date of  his  district  in  Lehigh  County  for  the 
Legislature.  Since  the  close  of  the  war  he  has 
given  no  attention  to  politics  but  has  devoted 
his  entire  time  to  the  duties  of  his  profession. 
In  1873  he  was  appointed  examining  surgeon 
for  the  U.  B.  Mutual  Aid  Society  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 
Rudolph  F.  Krebs  was  born  May  28, 1832, 


at  Glatz,  in  the  province  of  Silesia,  Prussia. 
He  attended  the  government  schools,  then  en- 
tered the  gymnasium  and  continued  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Breslau.  He  was  graduated  in  medicine 
from  the  University  of  Prague,  Austria,  in 
1855.  Soon  thereafter  he  came  to  America  and 
located  at  Boston,  Mass.,  and  practiced  medicine 
in  that  city  one  and  a  half  years.  The  climate 
there  did  not  agree  with  him  ;  he  concluded  to 
go  South.  Stopping,  on  his  way  southward,  at 
Reading,  he  was  induced  by  Drs.  Behne  and 
Starkey,  then  here,  to  remain  in  this  county  ; 
whereupon,  he  located  at  Hamburg,  in  1857, 
and  established  himself  in  a  practice,  which  he 
continued  there  until  1884,  when  he  removed 
to  the  city  of  Reading. 

Dr.  Krebs  is  a  man  of  fine  scholastic  and 
professional  attainments.  He  has  practiced 
homoeopathy  in  Berks  County  longer  than  any 
other  physician  now  living  in  this  county. 

Benjamin  R.  Beatt  was  born  in  1836,  of 
English  ancestry,  at  Boonetown,  N.  J.  His 
preparatory  education  was  obtained  in  the  public 
schools  ;  he  completed  the  literary  course  at  Al- 
legheny College,  Meadville,  Pa.,  and  was  grad- 
uated in  1855.  He  then  entered  the  office  of  an 
homoeopathic  physician  in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh, 
and,  in  1858,  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Medicine  at  the  Hahnemann  Medical  College, 
of  Philadelphia,  after  attending  two  full  courses 
of  lectures. 

The  same  year  of  his  graduation  he  located 
in  Reading,  where  he  soon  met  with  success, 
and  assiduously  and  conscientiously  attended  to 
a  large  practice.  He  was  a  physician  of  ac- 
knowledged skill  and  ability,  of  superior  intel- 
ligence, generous  impulses,  magnetic  presence 
and  great  tenderness  of  heart.  A  dangerous 
malady  caused  his  premature  death  before  he 
had  arrived  at  middle  age,  on  January  30, 1872. 
A  widow  and  one  child  survived  him.  Mrs. 
Bratt  was  afterward  married  to  M.  Henry  Con- 
nard,  Jr.,  of  the  firm  of  Douglass  &  Connard, 
proprietors  of  the  Reading  Brass  Works. 

William  F.  Marks  is  of  German  parent- 
age. His  father,  Elias  Marks,  lived  at  West 
Leesport,  Berks  County,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed by  the  Schuylkill  Canal  Company,  and, 
subsequently,  entered  the  army,  served  during 


634 


HISTOEY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


the  first  year  of  the  Civil  War  and  died  of  a 
disease  contracted  while  in  the  service  at  the 
Memphis  hospital  in  Memphis,  Tenn.  His 
wife,  Catharine  Fink,  was  among  the  victims  of 
a  freshet  in  the  Schuylkill  River  in  1850.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Marks  had  six  children.  Caroline, 
Nellie  and  Jonathan  met  the  fate  of  their 
mother  in  1850.  The  survivors  are  Kate, 
(married  John  Bossier),  Sarah  (married  to  Mr. 
Speicker),  and  Dr.  William  F.  Marks,  who  was 


years  engaged  in  teaching,  which  was  varied  by 
work  upon  the  farm  in  summer.  He  also  at- 
tended the  Normal  School  at  Kutztown.  He 
began  the  study  of  medicine  in  the  office  of 
Dr.  A.  J.  Dundore,  of  West  Leesport.  After 
attending  the  first  course  of  lectures  at  the 
Hahnemann  Medical  College,  Philadelphia,  he 
entered  the  office  of  Professor  Koch  of  that 
city,  meanwhile  giving  his  services  to  the  dis- 
pensary and  attending  a  special  course  at  the 


born  April  6,  1846,  at  Leesport.  Having  been 
deprived  of  a  mother's  watchful  and  tender 
care  at  the  age  of  four  years,  he  was  adopted  by 
Jacob  Rieser,  a  farmer,  who  resided  near  Lees- 
port, and  whose  affectionate  interest  greatly 
supplied  the  loss  he  had  sustained.  Here  he 
remained  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  meanwhile 
attending  the  district  school  when  not  required 
to  assist  in  the  labor  of  the  farm.  He  later 
became  a  pupil  of  the  Freeland  Seminary,  at 
Collegeville,  Pa.,  and  for  the  three  succeeding 


Philadelphia  School  of  Practical  Obstetrics  and 
Diseases  of  Women.  He  was  graduated  on  the 
3d  of  March,  1869,  from  the  Hahnemann 
Medical  College,  Philadelphia.  The  same  year 
he  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Lees- 
port, and,  in  January,  1871,  desiring  a  larger 
field  of  labor,  removed  to  Reading,  where  he 
has  since  resided.  With  a  view  to  greater  pro- 
ficiency in  his  practice,  he,  in  1879,  took  a 
special  course  on  diseases  of  women  under  Pro- 
fessor Ludlam  at  the  Hahnemann  Medical  Col- 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


635 


lege,  Chicago.  He  has  made  diseases  of 
women  a  specialty,  his  extensive  training  having 
fitted  him  for  this  branch  of  medical  treatment. 
Dr.  Marks  is  a  member  of  the  Hahnemann 
Medical  Society,  of  Reading,  and  a  member  of 
the  city  Board  of  Health.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Democrat,  and  in  religion  a  member  of  the 
Reformed  Church.  He  was  married  to  Rebecca 
S.,  daughter  of  Henry  Althouse,  on  March  11, 
1869.  She  died  November  10,  1879,  leaving 
one  child,  Minnie.  His  second  marriage  was 
with  Clara  R.,  daughter  of  Solomon  Regan,  of 
Reading.     They  have  one  child,  Edith  C. 

Lewis  A.  Schollenberger  was  born  in 
Hamburg,  Berks  County,  October  11,  1843  ; 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Hamburg 
and  at  the  Franklin  and  Marshall  College, 
Lancaster  County.  He  studied  medicine  under 
the  instruction  of  Dr.  R.  F.  Krebs,  and  attend- 
ed the  Hahnemann  Medical  College  in  Phila- 
delphia, from  which  institution  he  was  graduat- 
ed. He  practiced  for  several  years  in  Hamburg, 
and  in  1871  removed  to  Reading. 

Theodor  Pachali  was  born  April  10, 
1846,  in  Lissa,  Province  of  Posen,  Prussia  ; 
was  educated  in  schools  of  his  native  town  ; 
graduated  in  medicine  from  the  University  of 
Kiel  in  Prussia  in  1865.  A.fter  graduation  he 
was  assigned  to  the  Prussian  North  German 
navy  for  three  years,  and  to  the  North  German 
steamship  Lloyd  Line  for  one  year ;  came  to 
Reading  in  1869  and  has  since  practiced  medi- 
cine in  the  city.  Dr.  Pachali  is  president  of 
the  Homoeopathic  Medical  Society  of  Reading. 

Joseph  G.  Grosscup  was  born  in  Lehigh 
County,  Pa. ;  acquired  his  education  in  the 
Wyoming  Seminary  at  Kingston  and  Muhlen- 
berg College  at  Allentown,  Penna ;  studied 
medicine  with  Dr.  F.  J.  Slough  of  Fogelsville, 
and  was  graduated  M.  D.  from  the  Hahnemann 
Medical  College  at  Philadelphia  in  1873  ;  prac- 
ticed for  three  years  at  Slatington,  Penna.,  came 
to  Reading  in  1876  ;  started  the  Homoeopathic 
Pharmacy  at  712  Penn  street,  also  practiced 
his  profession  until  1883,  when  he  spent  two 
years  at  the  New  York  Post  Graduate  Medical 
School,  returning  to  Reading  in  1884. 

Francis  Ritter  Schmucker  was  born  in 
Reading,  March  24,  1838 ;  received  a  prepara- 


tory training  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
city,  entered  Yale  College  in  1856,  was  grad- 
uated from  that  institution  in  the  class  of  1861 
and  at  once  began  to  read  law  in  the  office  of 
Charles  Davis,  Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  prac- 
tice in  the  fall  of  1862.  He  next  served  as 
captain  of  Company  A,  onehundred  and  twenty- 
eighth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  a  nine  months 
regiment,  and  took  part  in  the  battles  of 
Antietam  and  Chancellorsville.  ■  At  the  ex- 
piration of  his  term  of  service  he  entered  the 
army  a  second  time  as  Adjutant  of  the  forty- 
second  Regiment  of  Pennsylvania  Militia.  Re- 
turning he  was  married  August  31,  1865,  to 
Miss  Emma  C.  Young  of  Allentown,  Pa.,  and 
entered  upon  the  practice  of  law.  He  was  ap- 
pointed Notary  in  1867.  After  prac- 
ticing law  seven  years,  he  took  up  the  study  of 
medicine,  and  was  graduated  from  the  Homoeo- 
pathic Medical  College  of  New  York  in  the 
spring  of  1873.  Shortly  afterward,  he  removed 
to  Pittsburg,  but  returned  to  Reading  Novem- 
ber, 1874,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine. 

Elhanan  Zook  Schmucker  is  descended 
on  the  paternal  side  from  Swiss  ancestors  ;  his 
maternal  ancestry  was  Prussian.  His  grand- 
father, Peter  Schmucker,  resided  in  Cumru 
township,  Berks  County,  where  he  was  the 
owner  of  an  extensive  tract  of  land,  and  devo- 
ted his  life  to  the  occupation  of  a  farmer.  He 
married  Fannie  Zook  and  had  two  sons,  Jacob 
and  Isaac.  Jacob  Schmucker  was  born  April 
2,  1810,  in  Cumru  township,  where  his  early 
life  was  spent.  He  was  married  to  Mary  Ann, 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth  Ritter,  and 
had  children, — Joseph  R.,  Elizabeth  R.,  Fran- 
cis R.,  Mary  Ann,  Peter  R.,  Elhanau  Z., 
Emma,  Ellen  (Mrs.  George  Bellemere)  and 
Clara.  Mr.  Schmucker  after  his  marriage  re- 
moved to  Oley  township,  and  was  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  until  1845,  when  he  came 
to  Reading  and  engaged  in  the  business  of  ho- 
tel-keeping until  1861,  when  he  established  a 
real  estate  agency  and  continued  thus  actively 
engaged  until  his  death,  November  1,  1874. 
His  son,  the  subject  of  this  biographical  sketch, 
was  born  December  17, 1846,  in  Oley  township, 
and  removed,  when  two  years  of  age,  with  his 


636 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


parents  to  Reading.  After  receiving  an  element- 
ary training  in  the  public  schools  he  entered  the 
mercantile  business,  and  was  thus  engaged  for 
four  years  in  Reading  and  Philadelphia.  He 
then  entered  the  office  of  Dr.  B.  R.  Bratt,  of 
Reading,  as  a  student  of  medicine,  and  was 
graduated  from  the  Hahnemann  Medical  Col- 
lege, Philadelphia,  in  1860.  He  was  the  fol- 
lowing summer  associated  with  his  preceptor, 
Dr.  Bratt,  in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  Dur- 


made  a  tour  through  Europe,  spending  much 
time  in  the  hospitals  of  Dublin,  London,  Paris 
and  Edinburgh.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Hah- 
nemann Homoeopathic  Medical  Society  of 
Reading,  and  of  the  American  Institute  of  Ho- 
moeopathy. He  has  an  extended  practice,  is 
skillful  in  diagnosis,  and  has  been  especially 
successful  in  the  treatment  of  critical  cases.  He 
is  a  member  of  Trinity  Lutheran  Church  of 
Reading.     He  was  married,  April  20,  1881,  to 


fcEP 


ing  the  winter  of  1871  he  attended  lectures  at 
the  New  York  Homoeopathic  Medical  College, 
from  which  he  received  his  diploma  the  same 
year.  During  this  time  he  was  resident  physi- 
cian of  the  college  Dispensary  and  of  the  Five 
Points  Hospital,  and  one  of  the  staff  of  physi- 
cians in  the  New  York  Homoeopathic  Dispen- 
sary. In  1871,  on  returning  to  Reading,  he 
entered  into  practice  with  his  preceptor,  Dr. 
Bratt,  and  continued  this  relation  until  the 
death  of  the  latter.     In  1879  Dr.  Schmucker 


Rebecca,  daughter  of  Dr.  H.  H.  Muhlenberg, 
for  many  years  cashier  of  the  Farmers'  National 
Bank  of  Reading.  Their  children  are  Heister 
Muhlenberg  (deceased)  and  Katherine  Muhlen- 
berg. 

Samuel  L.  Dreibblbis  was  born  March 
25,  1848,  in  Berks  County  ;  attended  Lebanon 
Valley  College,  at  Annville,  Lebanon  County, 
also  the  Union  Seminary,  at  New  Berlin,  Pa. ; 
read  medicine  in  1868  and  in  1869  with  his 
brother,  Dr.  D.  L.  Dreibelbis,  in  Reading,  and 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


637 


was  graduated  from  the  Hahnemann  Medical 
College  at  Philadelphia  in  1871  ;  returned  to 
Eeading  the  same  year  and  entered  upon  the 
duties  of  his  profession  in  the  city. 

Isaac  C.  Detweiler  was  born  in  Maxa- 
tawny  township  January  1,  1830;  was  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  dentistry  for  eight  years  ;  be- 
came a  student  of  medicine,  aud  was  graduated 
from  the  Pennsylvania  Homoeopathic  Medical 
College  in  1861 ;  practiced  two  years  at  Kutz- 
town,  and  in  1863  came  to  Reading. 

Aaron  C.  Detweilee,  brother  of  Drs. 
Isaac  C.  and  Washington  C.  Detweiler,  was  born 
in  Rockland  township  April  7,  1847  ;  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools,  Fairview  Semi- 
nary and  Kutztown  State  Normal  School  ; 
graduated  in  medicine  from  the  Jefferson  Medi- 
cal College  ;  began  practicing  in  co-partnership 
with  his  brother,  Isaac  C,  at  Reading.  In 
1872,  Isaac  C.  retired,  and  he  continued  the 
practice,  meeting  with  great  success.  On 
July  6,  1883,  he  and  his  brother,  Washington, 
met  an  untimely  death  by  drowning  in  the 
Schuylkill  River.  They  practiced  the  Homoe- 
opathic system  of  medicine. 

Washington  C.  Detweiler  was  born  in 
Rockland  township,  Berks  County,  November 
22, 1844  ;  studied  medicine  in  the  office  of  his 
brother,  Dr.  Aaron  C.  Detweiler ;  was  graduated 
M.D.  from  Jefferson  Medical  College,  at  Phila- 
delphia ;  began  practicing  in  Reading,  where  he 
met  with  success,  until  his  untimely  death  by 
drowning  July  6,  1883. 

Thomas  C.  Strasser  was  born  at  Kutz- 
town December  24,  1845 ;  attended  public 
schools  of  his  native  town,  Fairview  Seminary, 
Keystone  State  Normal  School  and  Allentown 
Seminary ;  was  graduated  M.D.  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania  in  1867;  began  practi- 
cing medicine  at  Pleasant  Corner,  Lehigh 
County ;  moved  to  Macungie  in  1868 ;  was 
attending  physician  to  the  Lehigh  County  Hos- 
pital from  1871  to  1878  ;  removed  to  Reading 
in  1885  and  formed  a  co-partnership  with  Dr. 
Isaac  C.  Detweiler  in  the  practice  of  homoeopathy. 

Chester  B.  Jennings  was  born  March, 
1856,  in  Reading;  attended  the  public  schools, 
and  completed  the  course  of  the  Reading  High 
School  in  1875 ;  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  W. 


F.  Marks,  of  Reading,  for  two  years,  and  was 
graduated  from  the  Hahnemann  Medical  Col- 
lege, at  Philadelphia,  in  1881 ;  he  is  secretary  of 
the  Homoeopathic  Medical  Society  of  Reading, 
and  has  practiced  in  his  native  town  since 
graduation. 

David  C.  Kline  was  born  September  22, 
1856,  in  Northumberland  County,  Pa. ;  was 
graduated  from  the  Bloomsburg  State  Normal 
School,  and  Dickinson  Seminary  at  Williams- 
port,  Pa. ;  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  F.  B. 
Richtstine;  graduated  from  the  Hahnemann 
Medical  College  in  1883  ;  commenced  to  prac- 
tice at  Columbia,  Lancaster  County  ;  removed 
to  Reading  in  1883,  where  he  has  since  practiced 
his  profession. 

L.  J.  Knerr  was  born  January  4,  1858, 
in  Lehigh  County ;  educated  in  the  public 
schools,  the  Keystone  State  Normal  and  the 
Muhlenberg  College,  at  Allentown;  read  medi- 
cine with  Dr.  Constantine  Herring,  of  Phila- 
delphia, and  was  graduated  in  medicine  from 
the  Hahnemann  Medical  College  of  Philadelphia 
in  1880  ;  removed  to  Reading  in  1883  ;  bought 
the  Homoeopathic  Pharmacy  at  712  Penn  Street, 
from  Dr.  Joseph  G.  Grosscup. 

William  A.  Haman  was  born  October  16, 
1861,  at  Pottsville,  Pa. ;  came  to  Reading  in 
1869 ;  was  educated  in  the  public  schools ; 
studied  medicine  with  Dr.  W.  C.  Detweiler,  of 
Reading;  graduated  from  the  Hahnemann 
Medical  College  of  Philadelphia  in  1883 ;  has 
since  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession at  Reading. 

John  Ege  was  born  in  Dettingen,  Kingdom 
of  Wiirtemberg,  February  13,  1854;  studied  in 
the  schools  of  his  native  country ;  came  to 
America  in  1881  ;  attended  the  Hahnemann 
College  of  Medicine,  Philadelphia,  and  was 
graduated  therefrom  with  the  class  of  1883. 

Levi  R.  Lentz  is  of  German  parentage. 
His  father,  Stephen  Lentz,  was  born  in  1799, 
in  North  Whitehall,  Lehigh  County,  from 
whence  he  removed,during  the  latter  portion  of 
his  life,  to  Allentown.  After  followiug  success- 
fully, for  many  years,  his  business  of  builder 
and  contractor,  he  died,  in  1867,  in  his  sixty- 
eighth  year.  Mr.  Lentz  married  Catherine 
Ringer,  of  North  Whitehall  township,  and  had 


638 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


children, — Josiah  (married  to  Amanda  Scherr- 
er),  Hettie  (married  to  Tilghman  Freyman), 
Sally  Ann  (married  to  Samuel  Brown),  Stephen 
(married  to  Ella  Hartman),  David,  a  clergy- 
man (married  to  Eliza  Swope),  Caroline  (mar- 
ried to  Paul  Ehret),  Lewis  H.  (married  to 
Susan  Handwerk)  and  Levi  R.  The  last-named 
and  subject  of  this  biography  was  bom  in  North 
Whitehall  on  December  23, 1836.  He  obtained 
such  educational  training  as  was  afforded  in  the 
country  school,  which  was  supplemented  by  a 
course  of  study  at  Allentown  and  private  in- 
struction under  Rev.  E.  J.  Fogies  in  the  higher 
branches.  On  being  thrown,  at  the  age  of 
seventeeu,  upon  his  own  resources,  he,  a  year 
later,  apprenticed  himself  to  learn  the  trade  of 
carriage-building.  In  1857  he  established  a 
carriage-factory  in  the  village  of  Foglesville, 
Pa.,  and,  in  consequence  of  his  careful  habits 
and  patient  industry,  soon  succeeded  in  building 
up  a  profitable  business.  Being  studiously  in- 
clined, all  his  leisure  moments  were  spent  in  the 
perusal  of  useful  books.  His  thirst  for  all 
useful  knowledge  led  to  his  reading  several 
medical  works  obtained  from  the  library  of  his 
friend,  Dr.  Helfrich,  which  resulted  in  the  de- 
velopment of  a  fondness  for  the  study  of  medi- 
cine and  his  final  determination  to  adopt  it  as 
his  profession.  Accordingly,  in  1862,  he  en- 
tered as  a  student  the  office  of  Dr.  John  H. 
Helfrich.  During  the  winter  of  1862-63  he 
attended  lectures  at  the  New  York  Medical 
College  and  the  next  season  at  the  Homoeopathic 
Medical  College  in  the  same  city.  He  enjoyed 
superior  advantages  while  in  attendance  at  the 
De  Witt  Dispensary,  the  Bellevue  Hospital  and 
the  BlackwelPs  Island  Hospital.  In  the  winter 
of  1864  and  1865,  however,  he  was  graduated 
from  the  Homoeopathic  Medical  College  of 
Philadelphia,  and  at  once  began  practice  at 
Fleetwood.  Being  the  first  homoeopathic  physi- 
cian to  locate  in  that  village,  he  had  strong  prej- 
udices to  overcome,  but  strict  and  careful  at- 
tention to  business,  the  exercise  of  an  excellent 
judgment  and  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
specific  action  of  the  homoeopathic  remedies 
have  enabled  him  to  obtain  a  profitable  aud 
constantly  increasing  practice. 

Dr.  Lentz,  during  its  existence,  was  a  mem- 


ber of  the  Berks  and  Schuylkill  County  Hom- 
oeopathic Society,  is  a  member  of  the  Alumni 
Association  of  the  Hahnemann  Medical  College 
of  Philadelphia,  was  for  ten  years  president  of 
the  school  board  of  the  borough  of  Fleetwood 
and  is  an  active  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, in  which  he  has  taken  high  rank,  being 
connected  with  Huguenot  Lodge,  No.  331,  with 
De  Molay  Commandery,  No.  9,  of  Reading  and 
with  Reading  Chapter,  No.  152. 

In  1869  he  married  Miss  Sarah,  daughter  of 
Hon.  Daniel  Koch,  of  Fleetwood.  They  have 
one  son, — O.  G.  C.  Lentz,  born  August  26, 1872, 
now  pursuing  his  studies  at  the  Moravian 
School  at  Nazareth,  Pa. 

Medical  Registry. — The  following  is  a 
complete  list  of  the  physicians  of  Berks  County, 
together  with  the  name  of  the  institution 
from  which  each  one  was  graduated,  time  of 
graduation  and  present  place  of  residence,  as 
transcribed  from  the  medical  register  in  the 
office  of  the  prothonotary  : 

Jacob  S.  Ammon,  Reading;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1868. 

Sherman  E.  Avars,  New  Jersey ;  grad.  from  Eclec. 
Med.  Coll.,  N.  Y. ;  began  prac.  March,  1884. 

John  B.  Brooke,  Reading ;  grad  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1858. 

John  A.  Brobst,  Bernville ;  grad.  from  Pa.  Coll. ; 
began  prac.  March,  1857. 

Geo.  W.  Byerle,  Bernville;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Coll.; 
began  prac.  March,  1853. 

Daniel  B.  D.  Beaver,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1871. 

C.  W.  Bachman,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1881. 

Edward  Brobst,  W.  Leesport;  grad.  from  Pa.  Coll.; 
began  prac.  March,  1853. 

Llewellyn  D.  Beaver,  Reading;  grad.  from  Pa. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1841. 

Daniel  J.  Bowman,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Coll.  of 
Phys.  and  Surg.,  Baltimore;  began  prac.  March, 
1880. 

Martin  L.  Bertolette,  Jacksonwald;  grad.  from 
Univ.  of  Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1878. 

H.  W.  Bergner,  Reading. 

Francis  R.  Brunner,  Bechtolsville  ;  grad.  from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1873. 

John  M.  Brause,  Shartlesville ;  grad.  from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1873. 

Geo.  H.  Bickle,  Rehrersburg ;  grad,  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1878. 

L.  C.  Berkemeyer,  Kutztown. 


'-^ 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


639 


John  S.  Bowman,  Boyertown ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1878. 

Benj.  F.  Bunn,  Birdsboro' ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1846. 

H.  B.  Brusstar,  Birdsboro ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1873. 

Levi  G.  Batdorff,  Mt.  ^tna ;  grad.  from  Pa.  Coll. ; 
began  prac.  March,  1856. 

Henry  Batdorff,  Millersburg ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1866. 

M.  D.  M.  Batdorff,  commenced  practicing  medicine 
March,  1865. 

Charles  F.  G.  Bergner,  practicing  in  Reading  since 
March,  1871. 

Jacob  Bissikummer,  commenced  practicing  in 
Reading  in  1849. 

John  P.  T.  Branner,  Grimsville ;  grad.  from  Belle- 
vue  Med.  Coll.,  N.  Y.  City  ;  began  prac.  in  1874. 

Jeremiah  K.  Bowers,  Reading;  grad.  from  Phila. 
American  Univ. ;  began  prac.  December,  1873. 

John  N.  Becker,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1852. 

Daniel  B.  Brobst,  Stouchsburg ;  grad.  from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1882. 

Henry  L.  Bollman,  Robesonia ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll.;  began  prac.  .March,  1884. 

Daniel  W.  Bortz,  New  Jerusalem ;  grad.  from  Coll. 
of  Phys.  and  Surg.,  Baltimore;  began  prac.  March, 
1885. 

Israel  Cleaver,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa. ; 
began  prac.  March,  1863. 

Joseph  Coblentz,  Reading;  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa. ; 
began  prac.  March,  1849. 

Alfred  Jamison  Cressman,  Reading ;  grad.  from 
Univ.  of  Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1879. 

Kilburn  H.  Cleaver,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Ontario 
Vet.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  May,  1879. 

Owen  C.  Collins,  Mt.  Pleasant ;  began  practicing 
medicine  iii  1867. 

John  A.  Conrad,  Robesonia;  grad.  from  Long  Island 
College  Hospital ;  began  prac.  January,  1867. 

Calvin  K.  Christman,  Churchville;  grad.  from 
Univ.  of  Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1869. 

William  F.  Christ,  Rehrersberg  ;  began  practicing 
in  1871. 

Adam  B.  Dundor,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1864. 

Darius  D.  Deppen,  Bernville;  grad.  from  Pa.  Coll.; 
began  prac.  March,  1853. 

Washington  C.  Detweiler,  Reading;  grad.  from 
Jeff.  Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1877. 

Samuel  L.  Dreibelbis,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Hahne- 
mann Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1871. 

Isaac  C.  Detweiler,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Homoeo- 
pathic Med.  Coll.  of  Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1861. 

F.  P.  Dundor,  West  Leesport;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1870. 

Aaron  C.  Detweiler,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
-Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1864. 


Albert  R.  Durham,  began  practicing  in  Reading 
March,  1869. 

J.  F.  Deppen,  Reading;  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa.; 
began  prac.  March,  1873. 

William  P.  Deppen,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1876. 

James  W.  Deppen,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
New  York ;  began  prac.  March,  1850. 

W.  N.  Davis,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med.  Coll. ; 
began  prac.  March,  1860. 

Thos.  A.  Dunkel,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1865. 

William  B.  Davies,  Reading  ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1877. 

E.  S.  Dundore,  began  practicing  in  Berks  County 
April,  1871. 

Wilson  D.  Delong,  Blandon  ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Vermont ;  began  prac.  March,  1883. 

Darius  W.  Dundor,  Womelsdorf ;  grad.  from  Univ. 
of  Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1879. 

Samuel  C.  Ermentrout,  Reading  ;  grad.  from  Univ. 
of  Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1866. 

John  V.  Epler,  Leesport ;  grad.  from  Med.  Dept.  of 
Pa.  Coll. 

George  S.  Engler,  Temple ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa.  ; 
began  prac.  March,  1863. 

John  Ege,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Hahnemann  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1883. 

Ephraim  Egolf,  Athol  P.  O.,  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1884. 

F.  W.  Frankhauser,  Mohnsville,  grad.  from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1880. 

James  A.  Fisher,  Reading,  grad.  from  Pa.  Coll. ; 
began  prac.  March,  1853. 

Amandus  N.  Fegley,  Spangsville  P.  O. ;  grad.  from 
Jeff.  Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1870. 

Milton  H.  Fritch,  Virginsville ;  grad.  from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1871. 

L.  K.  Francis,  Boyertown  ;'grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa. 
began  prac.  March,  1871. 

John  F.  Feick,  Strausstown ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1872. 

A.  M.  Fretz,  Fleetwood ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa. ; 
began  prac.  March,  1863. 

A.  P.  Fegleman,  Womelsdorf;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1884. 

Elias  H.  Frantz,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1873. 

Nicholas  K.  Fisher,  Shoemakersville ;  grad.  from 
Jeff.  Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1883. 

Oliver  H.  Fisher,  Wernersville ;  grad.  from  Coll. 
of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  Baltimore ;  began  prac. 
March,  1881. 

Frank  H.  Good,  Reading,  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa.  ; 
began  prac.  March,  1878. 

Tobias  S.  Gerhart,  Beckersville  P.  O. ;  grad.  from 
Univ.  of  Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1864. 

John  B.  Griesemer,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1856. 


640 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


S.  Grim  Bladen,  Pikeville ;   grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll.;  began  prac.  March,  1880. 

W.  H.  Goodenough,  began  to  practice  in  Reading 
in  1866. 

J.  G.  Grosscup,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Hahnemann 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1873. 

F.  R.  Gerhard,  Douglassville ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1869. 

C.  R.  Gaul,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa. ; 
began  prac.  May,  1884. 

M.  O.  Greenawald,  Shanesville;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Pa. ;  began  March,  1872. 

Frederick  Grander,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1885. 

Henry  S.  George,  Reading. 

Edward  Hottenstein,  Kutztown,  grad.  from   Jeff. 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1853. 

Geo.  E.  M.  Herbst,  Oley  P.  O. ;  grad.  from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll; ;  began  prac.  March,  1878. 

W.  F.  Hertzog,  New  Jerusalem  ;  grad.  from  Long 
Island  College  Hospital ;  began  prac.  March,  1880. 

W.   E.    Hunsberger,    Maiden-creek ;     grad.   from 
Jeff.  Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1867. 

Isaac  S.  Herbein,  Strausstown ;    grad.   from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1865. 

A.  C.  L.  Hottenstein,  Kutztown  P.  0. ;  grad.  from 
Jeff.  Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1871. 

Christian  N.  Hoffman,  Sinking  Springs ;  grad.  from 
Jeff.  Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1862. 

William   F.  Hoffman,  Reading;   grad.  from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1854. 

J.  S.  Herbein,  Sinking  Springs;  grad.  from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1865. 

J.  A.  Hatzfleld,  Oley;  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa.; 
began  prac.  March,  1862. 

Roswell   F.   Herman,   Douglassville;    grad.    from 
Univ.  of  Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1870. 

A.  C.  S.  Herman,  Topton  ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa. ; 
began  prac.  March,  1881. 

M.  A.  Hengst,  Birdsboro' ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1878. 

S.  B.  Heckman,  Reading;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1868. 

J.  S.  Hennershotz,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Univ.   of 
Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1881. 

Robert  P.  Huyett,  Temple ;  grad.  from  Jeff.   Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1878. 

James  M.  Hoffman,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1858. 

David  H.  Hain,  Wernersville ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1881. 

W.    H.   J.  Hankey,  Boyertown;  grad.  from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1879. 

John  C.  Hersh,  Herefordsville ;  grad.  from  Univ. 
of  Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1876. 

Isaac    Halterman,  began    practicing  medicine  in 
1848  at  Beckersville. 

H.  H.  Herbst,  Reading;  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa.  • 
began  prac.  March,  1881. 


J.  H.  Hagerman,  began  practicing  in  Alsace  town- 
ship in  1871. 

Henry  Hageman,  began  practicing  in  Reading  in 
1853. 

Howard  F.   Hansel],  Reading;  grad.  from    Jeff. 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1879. 

F.  B.  Hosser,  began  practicing  in  Upper  Bern  in 
1865. 

Harriet  Hinkle,  Philadelphia. 

James  A.  Hoffman,  Centreport;  grad.  from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1881. 

William  A.  Haman,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Hahne- 
mann Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  in  March,  1883. 

A.  C.  Howard,  began  practicing  near  Gettysburg  in 
1868. 

John  Y.  Hoffman,  Jacksonwald ;  grad.  from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1880. 

E.  K.  Hottenstein,  Kutztown ;  grad.  from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll.  ;  began  prac.  April,  1883. 

George  Hetrick,  Monocacy  ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  April,  1885. 

Adam  J.  Heberly,  Kempton  ;  began  prac.  in  Mon- 
roe County  in  1870. 

Irwin  F.  Huff,  Kempton  ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Ver- 
mont ;  began  prac.  June,  1885. 

Joseph  F.  Isett,  Hamburg ;  grad.  from  Hahnemann 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  June,  1876. 

Chester  B.  Jennings,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Hahne- 
mann Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1881. 

John  A.  Jack,  Oley  ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa. ;  be- 
gan prac  March,  1862. 

Samuel  L.  Kurtz,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1854. 

Ellis  J.  Kurtz,  Reading;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1880. 

L.  De  B.  Kuhn,  Reading;  grad.  from  Uniy.  of  Pa.; 
began  prac.  April,  1854. 

Charles  W.  F.  Kreye,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Univ. 
of  Berlin,  Germany  ;  begau  prac.  Jan.,  1845. 

Rudolph  F.  Krebs,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Prague,  Austria,  in  1855,  and  Homoeopathic  Med. 
Coll.  of  New  York,  March,  1874. 

Paul  Kreye,  Reading ;  began  practicing  in  Friedens- 
burg,  1871. 

Elias  Kitchin,  Broomfieldville ;  grad.  from  Med. 
Coll.  of  Vermont;  began  prac.  June,  1850. 

James  W.  Keiser,  Reading;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1882. 

D.  W.  B.  Kupp,  Gibraltar;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1882. 

M.  H.  Keck,  Lyons ;  grad.  from  Bellevue  Hosp. 
Med.  Coll.,  New  York ;  began  prac.  March,  1880. 

L.  J.  Knerr,  Reading;  grad..  from  Hahnemann 
Med.  Col ;  began  prac.  March,  1880. 

D.  C.  Kline,  Reading;  grad.  from  Hahnemann 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1883. 

T.  E.  Kruin,  Reading;  began  prac.  in  Denver, 
Lancaster  County. 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


641 


Bernard  R.  Lee,  Reading;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1879. 

James   B.  Lewis,  Reading;  grad.   from  Univ.  of 
Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1878. 

George  H.  Landis,  Birdsboro' ;  began  practicing  in 
Reading  in  1859. 

Charles  G.  Loose,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1868. 

James  C.  Livingood,  began  practicing  in  Womels- 
dorfinl841. 

Martin  Luther,  Reading;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1848. 

Henry  Landis,  Reading :  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa. ; 
began  prac.  March,  1861. 

Levi  R.  Lentz,  Fleetwood ;  grad.  from  Homoeopathic 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1865. 

L.  A.  Livingood,  Womelsdorf;    grad.  from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1854. 

James  Lincoln,  Birdsboro' ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1878. 

Daniel  G.  Long,  Fleetwood ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1875. 

M.  S.  Long,  Mertztown ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa. ; 
began  prac.  March,  1862. 

T.  H.  Leidy,  Boyertown;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1869. 

H.  F.   Livingood,  Womelsdorf;  grad.  from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1882. 
E.  J.  Longhorn,  Reading ;  began  practicing  in  1871. 
William    F.   Muhlenberg,   Reading;    grad.    from 
Univ.  of  Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1872. 

James  M.  Mathews,  Temple ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  in  March,  1840. 

Henry  C.  Mohr,  60  North  Ninth  Street ;  grad.  from 
Jeff.  Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1871. 

William  F.  Marks,  Reading;  grad.  from  Hahne- 
mann Med.  Coll.,  Philadelphia ;  began  prac.  March, 
1869. 

Charles  McDonough,  attended  lectures  at  Med. 
Dept.  of  Pa.  Coll.,  1847-48. 

Daniel  McLean,  Amity  township ;  grad.  from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1873. 

William  J.  Martin,  Hamburg;  grad.  from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll.  ;  began  prac.  March,  1881. 

P.  D.  Marshall,  Reading;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1852. 

Elijah  Martin,  Reading;  began  practicing  in  Lan- 
caster County  in  1861. 

Ira  K.  Moser,  Birdsboro';  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1880. 
B.  H.  Markley,  Reading. 
Amos  B.  Miller,  Lancaster. 

John  B.  Mayer,  Philadelphia;  began  practicing  at 
Wald,  Bavaria,  in  1869. 

John  Cresap  McCoy,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
New  York  City;  began  prac.  March,  1879. 

Elam  B.  Mauger,  Manatawny;   grad.   from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1875. 
59 


Mathias  Mengel,  Jr.,  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa. ;  began 
prac.  May,  1885. 

Benjamin  Nice,  Hamburg;  grad  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1877. 

Franklin  B.  Nice,  Hamburg ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll.;  began  prac.  March,  1851. 

Hiester  M.  Nagle,  Reading  ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1857. 

Isaac  W.  Newcomet,  Stouchsburg ;  grad.  from  Univ. 
of  Pa.  ;  began  prac.  March,  1867. 

Howard  Y.  Neiman,  Boyertown ;  grad.  from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll. ;  began,  prac.  March,  1879. 

Jonathan  B.  Potteiger,  Hamburg;  grad.  from 
Jeff.  Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1859. 

James  B.  Preston,  Vinemont  P.  O. ;  grad.  from  Hy- 
geo-Therapeutic  Coll.,  New  Jersey;  began  prac. 
April,  1873. 

D.  Heber  Plank,  Morgantown ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Pa.;  began  prac.  March,  1867. 
William  Palm,  Reading. 

Theodor  Pachali,  Reading;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Kiel,  Europe ;  began  prac.  April,  1865. 

Henry  Palm,  Geigertown ;  grad.  from  Pa.  Med, 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1850. 

Walkers  S.  Philips,  Womelsdorf;  began  practicing 
in  1869. 

Robert  P.  Preston,  Wernersville ;  grad.  from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  April,  1883. 

Mary  Preston,  Wernersville ;  grad.  from  Women's 
Med.  Coll.  of  Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1884. 

Samuel  R.  Rittenhouse,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Univ. 
of  Pa. ;  began  prac.  April,  1853. 

M.  A.  Rhoads,  Reading;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1868. 

W.  E.  Reifsnyder,  practicing  in  Reading  since 
1869. 

Milton  S.  Richard,  Maxatawny  P.  O. ;  grad.  from 
Jeff.  Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1867. 

M.  S.  Reber,  Shoemakersville ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1863. 

H.  S.  Reeser,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med.  Coll. ; 
began  prac.  March,  1867. 

Abraham  Ruth,  Fritztown ;  grad.  from  Pa.  Coll. ; 
began  prac.  March,  1841. 

John  D.  Rupp,  Molltown;  grad.  from  Bellevue 
Hosp.  Med.  Coll.,  New  York;  began  prac.  March, 
1877. 

Frank  Rieser,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Pa.  Med.  Coll. ; 
began  prac.  March,  1852. 

John  A.  Roth,  Siesholtzville ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Pa. ;  began  prac.  March,  1876. 

Thomas  B.  Rhoads,  Boyertown ;  grad.  at  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1861. 

W.  F.  Ross,  Wernersville;  grad.  from    Coll.  of 
Phys.  and  Surg.,  Baltimore  ;  began  prac.  March,  1881. 
J.  S.  Rittenhouse,  Reading;  grad.  from  Hahne- 
mann Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  April,  1885. 

William  Rollman,  Geiger's  Mills  ;  grad.  from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1857. 


642 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Clarence  C.  Rether,  Centreport ;  grad.  from  Jeff. 
Med.  Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1884. 

Charles  T.  Reber,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1856. 

R.  B.  Rhoads,  Amityville ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1857. 

James  Y.  Shearer,  Sinking  Springs  ;  grad.  from 
Jeff.  Med.  Coll.;  began  prac.  March,  1862. 

John  K.  Seaman,  Lenhartsville ;  grad.  from  Belle- 
vue  Coll.  Hosp.,  New  York ;  began  prac.  March,  1869. 

Stanley  Smith,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll. ;  began  prac.  March,  1868. 

John  Shoenfeld,  began  practicing  in  Reading  in 
1861. 

Francis  R.  Schmucker,  Beading ;  grad.  from  Ho- 
moeopathic Med.  Coll.  of  New  York;  began  prac. 
March,  1873. 

John  B.  Sterley,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Pa.  Coll. ; 
began  prac.  March,  1857. 

C.  E.  Shoemaker,  Reading;  grad.  from  Pa.  Coll. 
1860,  Bellevue  Hosp.  Coll.,  New  York,  1875. 

W.  E.  Schlemm,  Beading ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa. ; 
began  prac.  March,  1854. 

George  W.  Seip,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Coll ;  began  prac.  March,  1862. 

Albert  Simon,  Beading ;  practicing  since  1870. 

E.  Z.  Schmucker,  Beading ;  grad.  from  Hahne- 
mann Med.  Coll.,  Philadelphia ;  began  prac.  March, 
1870. 

John  Stephen,  Beading ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa.; 
began  prac.  March,  1846. 

H.  W.  Swenk,  Smith ville ;  grad.  from  Bellevue 
Hosp.  Med.  Col.;  began  prac.  March,  1881. 

Adam  J.  Schoener,  Eehrersburg ;  grad.  from  Pa. 
Col.;  began  prac.  March,  1860. 

D.  G.  Schoener,  Beading ;  grad.  from  Pa.  Col. 
began  prac.  March,  1853. 

Adam  Schoener,  Eehrersburg ;  grad.  from  Pa.  Col. 
began  prac.  March,  1840. 

F.  L.  Sallade,  Womelsdorf ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med 
Col.;  began  prac.  March,  1876. 

Frederick  Spang,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med 
Col.;  began  prac.  March,  1860. 

W.  B.  Stephen,  Reading;  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa.; 
began  prac.  March,  1872. 

Charles  Shultze,  Reading. 

Erastus  R.  Scholl,  Beading;  grad.  from  Med.  Dept. 
of  Pa.  Col.;  began  prac.  March,  1856. 

J.  M.  Strohm,  Shartlesville ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
N.  Y.  City;  began  prac.  March,  1881. 

Aaron  Smith,  Beading;  grad.  from  N.  Y.  Med. 
Col.;  began  prac.  March,  1854. 

C.  W.  G.  Schlemm,  Beading;  grad.  from  Pa.  Col.; 
began  prac.  March,  1848. 

I.  N.  E.  Shoemaker,  Kutztown  ;    practicing  since 
1870. 
C.  B.  Strohm,  Shartlesville  ;  practicing  since  1834. 
R.  S.  Schweitzer,  Shillington ;    grad.  from  Col.  of 


Phys.  and  Surg.,  of  Baltimore,  Md.;  began  prac.  March, 
1881. 
John  Schnader,  Brecknock;  practicing  since  1864. 
John  Swoyer,  Fritztown. 

John  H.  Spatz,  Centreport ;   grad.  from  Pa.  Col.; 
began  prac.  March,  1848. 
Ann  Jane  Schultze,  Reading ;  practicing  since  1862. 
Sarah  A.  Spare,  Philadelphia  and  Reading. 
W.  B.  Shaner,  Mohnsville  ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa.; 
began  prac.  March,  1882. 

S.  W.  Sine,  Reading;  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa.; 
began  prac.  March,  1871. 

R.  B.  Shulze,  Reading;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med.  Col.; 
began  prac.  April,  1883. 

A.  A.  Stamm,  Lower  Bern  P.  O- ;  grad.  from  Univ. 
of  Vt.;  began  prac.  June,  1883. 

Charles  Schleifenheimer,  Beading. 

E.  K.  Steckel,  Kutztown ;  grad.  from  Hahnemann 
Med.  Col.;  began  prac.  April  1884. 

T.  A.  Strasser,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa.; 
began  prac.  March,  1867. 

Wilson  M.  Snyder,  Mohrsville ;  grad.  from  Col.  of 
Phys.  and  Surg.,  Baltimore,  Md. ;  began  prac.  March, 
1883. 

L.  A.  Shollenberger,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Hahne- 
mann Med.  Col.,  Philadelphia ;  began  prac.  April, 
1883. 

John  S.  Tryon,  Rehrersburg  ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Pa.;  began  prac.  March,  1857. 

L.  H.  Thompson,  Reading  ;  grad.  from  Jeff.  Med. 
Col.;  began  prac.  March,  1853. 

Jeremiah  Trexler,  Kutztown ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Pa.;  began  prac.  March,  1853. 

W.  D.  Trexler,  Tipton  ;  grad.  from  Bellevue  Hosp. 
Med.  Col.  N.  Y.  City ;  began  prac.  March  1866. 

Jacob  Tryon,  Rehrersburg;  began  practicing  in 
1821. 

Samuel  M.  Todd,  Boyertown ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Pa.;  began  prac.  March,  1865. 

John  A.  Tenny,  Wernersville;  grad.  from  Hygeo- 
Therape.utic  Col.;  began  prac.  March,  1868. 

W.M.Weidman,  Reading;  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa.; 
began  prac.  March,  1860. 

Cyrus  Wanner,  Kutztown  ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of  Pa. 
began  prac.  March,  1875. 

Gershom  Wenger,  Leinbach  P.  O. ;  grad.  from  Pa. 
Col.;  began  prac.  March,  1850. 

M.  W.  A.  Wulfingh,  Reading;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Amsterdam ;  began  prac.  July,  1876. 

Charles  Weber,  Pricetown;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Tubingen,  Wurtemberg  ;  began  prac.  May,  1848. 

M.  L.  Wenger,  Leinbach ;  grad.  from  Bellevue  Med. 
Col.  Hosp.,  N.  Y.  City  ;  began  prac.  March,  1874. 

Robert  Walter,  Wernersville ;  grad.  from  Hygeo 
Therapeutic  Col.,  N.  J.;  began  prac.  April,  1873. 

OwenH.  Wily,  Leesport  P.  O. ;  grad.  from.  Jeff. 
Med.  Col.;  began  prac.  March,  1831. 

James  F.  Wertz,  Longswamp ;  grad.  from  Med. 
Dept.  of  Pa.  Col.;  began  prac.  March,  1861. 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


643 


Weurich,  Lower  Heidelberg ;  grad.  from  Univ. 

of  Pa.;  began  prac.  March,  1864. 

Peter  W.  Wertz,  Longswamp ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Pa.;  began  prac.  March,  1864. 

E.  C.  L.  Walter,  Wernersville ;  grad.  from  Hygeo- 
Therapeutic  Col.;  began  prac.  March,  1876. 

John  R.  Wagner}  Hamburg ;  grad.  from  Bellevue 
Hosp.  Med.  Col.;  began  prac.  March,  1886. 

Paul  B.  Waldman ;  grad.  from  Hahnemann  Med. 
Col.;  began  prac.  April,  1884. 

C.  K.  Young,  Beading ;  grad.  from  Col.  Phys.  and 
Surg.,  Baltimore,  Md.;  began  prac.  March,  1879. 

Bartholomew  Yeager,  Lyons  ;  grad.  from  Univ.  of 
Tubingen,  Wiirtemberg ;  began  prac.  Feb.  1848. 

Isaac  B.  Yeakle,  Colebrookdale ;  grad.  from  Univ. 
of  Pa.;  began  prac.  March,  1866. 

Philip  M.  Ziegler,  Reading ;  grad.  from  Med.  Dept. 
of  Pa.  Col.;  began  prac.  March,  1859. 

Levi  Zimmerman,  Millersburg;  grad.  from  Jeff. 
Med.  Col.;   began  prac.  April  2, 1883. 

DENTISTRY. 

Dentistry  as  a  profession  is  of  recent  origin. 
Its  history  dates  back  to  half  a  century  ago. 
Prior  to  that  time  the  study  and  the  care  of 
teeth  were  limited  to  members  of  the  medical 
profession  and  to  the  barber.  There  are  many 
persons  still  living  who  remember  when  the 
scalpel  and  the  forceps  were  as  necessary  instru  - 
ments  of  the  barber-s"hop  as  the  shears  and  the 
razor.  The  first  dental  college  in  the  world  was 
established  in  Baltimore  in  1830,  since  which 
date  the  principles  of  dentistry  have  been  sys- 
tematized into  a  science  and  practiced  as  an 
art.  Within  the  ranks  of  this  profession  now 
are  many  representative  men  of  education  and 
culture.  The  early  practice  advocated  the  use 
of  smooth-pointed  instruments  and  non  cohe- 
sive gold  in  filling  teeth,  whereas  serrated  in- 
struments and  cohesive  gold  are  now  largely 
used.  Artificial  teeth,  carved  out  of  ivory, 
involving  great  expense  and  labor,  were  made 
in  America  as  early  as  1780.  Formerly  the 
plates  were  made  of  gold  and  silver,  in  which 
the  artificial  teeth  were  set,  necessarily  making 
them  heavy  and  costly.  Plates  are  now  made 
artistically  by  skilled  dentists,  not  only  of  gold 
and  silver,  but  of  platinum,  rubber  and  celluloid. 
Rubber  plates  were  not  introduced  until  about 
1854,  and  celluloid  still  more  recently.  The 
preservation  of  teeth  by  the  filling  of  them  is 
a  leading  part  now  of  the  work  of  the  skilled 


dentist  of  to-day.  This  profession  is  well  rep- 
resented in  the  city  of  Eeading  and  the  county 
of  Berks  by  men  who  are  enterprising  and  pro- 
gressive and  who  have  all  modern  instruments 
and  necessary  appliances  for  artistic  workman- 
ship. 

E.  Slegel,  dentist,  is  the  grandson  of  Henry 
Slegel,  who  resided  in  Fleetwood,  where  his 
grandfather  settled  after  emigrating  to  America 
from  Germany.  He  married  and  became  the 
father  of  the  following-named  children : 
Samuel,  Madalina,  Daniel,  Sally,  Jacob,  John, 
Bevey,  Kate,  Abraham  and  Solomon.  Of  this 
number,  John  was  born  in  Fleetwood  in  1802. 
His  trade  was  that  of  a  tailor,  although  much 
of  his  life  was  devoted  to  farming,  his  later 
years  having  been  spent  in  Reading.  He  mar- 
ried Esther,  daughter  of  Solomon  Ely,  of 
Maxatawny,  whose  children  are  Joel  E.;  Lu- 
cetta,  married  to  James  Dobson ;  Eli,  Mary, 
married  to  Jacob  Rehrer  ;  and  Sarah,  married 
to  J.  GrehT.  Eli  Slegel  was  born  November 
23,  1836,  in  Fleetwood,  and  spent  his  boyhood 
on  his  father's  farm.  He  availed  himself  of 
such  educational  advantages  as  the  public  schools 
affprded,  but  afterwards  improved  himself  by 
judicious  reading  and  habits  of  study.  At  the 
age  of  eighteen  he  removed  to  Coatesville, 
Chester  County,  and  began  the  study  of  dental 
surgery  with  Dr.  William  Thompson.  His 
course  was  completed  under  Dr.  Lukens,  of 
Philadelphia,  after  which  he  pursued  his  pro- 
fession for  one  year  in  that  city,  and  in  1857 
came  to  Reading,  where  he  has  since  resided. 
Here  he  started  in  practice  with  his  brother, 
Joel  E.  Slegel,  and  soon  controlled  a  large  and 
lucrative  business.  He  has  added  very  con- 
siderably to  the  improvements  in  dentistry, 
noticeably  by  the  invention  of  a  porcelain  and 
gold  backing  for  ground  for  roots,  which  has 
made  his  name  familiar  to  the  profession.  He 
has  written  upon  the  subject  for  the  leading 
dental  journals,  and  was  invited  by  the  New 
Jersey  Dental  Association  to  perform  a  clinic 
before  that  body,  elucidating  his  invention. 
Various  other  bodies  have  also  extended  invita- 
tions to  address  them  on  this  and  other  subjects 
pertaining  to  the  science  of  dental  surgery.  Dr. 
Slegel  avails  himself  of  the  most  enlightened 


644 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


thought  in  connection  with  his  profession  as 
presented  in  the  leading  periodicals,  and  is  ever 
ready  to  encourage  and  test  the  latest  improve- 
ments in  the  science.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Lebanon  Valley  Dental  Society,  of  which  he 
was  both  treasurer  and  president,  and  a'so  a 
member  of  the  Pennsylvania  State  Dental 
Society.  The  doctor  was  married,  November 
18,  1862,  to  Clara  H.,  daughter  of  Samuel 
Hechler,   of    Reading.       Their    children    are 


CHAPTEE   XXII. 

CENSUS  OP  BERKS  COUNTY. 

Early  Population    of    State — Rate   of    Increase  of   Pop- 
ulation— Census  Table  of  County,  1790  to  1880 Census  of 

Villages,  1880— Table  of  Houses,  Farms,  etc.,  in  County, 

1850 — Taxables  and  Voters  of  County,  1876  and  1885 

Property  and  Money  Assessed,  1885. 

No  regular  enumeration  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Pennsylvania  was  made  previous' to  1790.  The 


Samuel  E.,  John  E.  and  Nellie  Mabel,  of 
whom  Samuel  E.,  the  only  survivor,  is  associ- 
ated with  his  father  in  the  profession.  Dr. 
Slegel  is  a  member  of  Chandler  Lodge,  No. 
227,  of  Free  and  Accepted  Masons ;  of  Excelsior 
Chapter,  No.  7;  of  Grey  Council;  and  of  Read- 
ing Commandery,  No.  42.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  Continental  Lodge  of  Independent 
Order  of  Odd-Fellows.  His  religious  associa- 
tions are  with  the  Evangelical  Church,  of  which 
he  is  a  member. 


first  provision  for  enumeration  was  made  by 
the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  adopted 
September  17,  1787.  Therein  provision  was 
made  for  the  apportionment  of  representatives 
from  the  several  States  to  Congress,  and  of 
direct  taxes ;  and  to  effect  a  just  apportionment, 
"  the  actual  enumeration  "  was  required  to  be 
made  "  within  three  years  after  the  first  meeting 
of  Congress,  and  within  every  subsequent  term 
of  ten  years,  in  such  manner  as  they  shall  by 
law  direct." 


THE  CENSUS. 


645 


The  population  was  theretofore  simply  esti- 
mated. The  number  of  inhabitants  of  Penn- 
sylvania was  estimated  as  follows  : 

For  the  year  1701 20,000 

"        "  1749  (including  Delaware).... 250,000 

"        "  1775  341,000 

The  following  table  shows  the  taxable  in- 
habitants of  eight  counties  in  the  State  for  a 
time  twenty  and  thirty  years  before  the  first 
census  was  taken  : 

[Taken  from  "  Coxe's  View,"  p.  481.] 
Counties.  1760.  1770.  1793. 

Berks 3,016  3,302  5,511 

Bucks 3,148  3,177  4,644 

Chester 4,761  5,483  5,270 

Cumberland 1,501  3,521  3,869 

Lancaster 5,631  6,608  6,409 

Northampton 1,987  2,793  4,697 

Philadelphia 8,321  10,455  13,973 

York 3,302  4,426  6,974 


Total  of  State 31,667    39,765 l 

The  first  census  of  Pennsylvania  was  taken 
on  September  7,  1791.  And  within  every  ten 
years  thereafter  the  census  was  regularly  taken 
to  the  present  time.  The  result  of  each 
enumeration  is  set  forth  in  the  following  "  cen- 
sus" table  for  the  districts  and  counties  named. 
The  returns  of  the  first  enumeration  were  so 
made  that  the  number  of  inhabitants  for  the 
districts  in  Berks  County  was  not  ascertainable. 
Hence  no  figures  are  presented  in  the  table. 

The  figures  for  1800,  and  every  decade  there- 
after, were  taken  from  the  census  reports  of  the 
United  States,  published  by  order  of  Congress. 

The  blank  spaces  opposite  certain  districts  in 
the  table  indicate  non-existence  of  those  dis- 
tricts at  the  time  of  enumeration. 

Large  decrease  of  population  in  certain  dis- 
tricts for  the  next  succeeding  census  is  observ- 
able. This  indicates  reduction  of  the  districts 
by  the  erection  of  others.  For  instance,  Alsace 
in  1850  had  a  population  of  twenty-six  hun- 
dred and  ninety-seven ;  but  in  1860  it  had  only 
twelve  hundred  and  ninety-nine.       The  town- 


1  After  1770  additional  counties  were  erected.  Those 
named  comprised  all  erected  in  the  State  before  1770.  The 
population  of  the  State  for  1760  and  1770  can  be  approxi- 
mated by  increasing  the  totals  five-fold.  By  other  estimates 
the  results,  however,  would  appear  far  short  of  the  number 
supposed. 


ship  of  Muhlenberg  was  cut  off  in  1850  and 
erected  into  a  separate  district.  Also  Windsor 
in  1870  had  twelve  hundred  and  eleven,  but  in 
1880only  eight  hundred  and  thirty.  The  town- 
ship was  reduced  in  area  by  the  extension  of  the 
limits  of  the  borough  of  Hamburg.  This  ex- 
tension was  made  in  1871. 

The  following  statement  is  presented  in  order 
to  show  when  the  districts  with  the  blank 
spaces  were  erected,  and  from  which  districts 
they  were  taken  : 

Bernville2  taken  from  Penn  in  1851. 

Birdsboro'  taken  from  Union  and  Robeson  in  1872. 

Boyertown  taken  from  Colebrookdale  in  1866. 

Centre  taken  from  Bern  and  Bern,  Upper,  in  1842. 

Fleetwood  taken  from  Richmond  in  1873. 

Hamburg3  taken  from  Windsor  in  1830. 

Heidelberg,  Lower,  taken  from  Heidelberg  in  1842. 

Heidelberg,  North,  taken  from  Heidelberg  in  1844. 

Jefferson  taken  from  Tulpehocken  and  Tulpe- 
hocken,  Upper,  in  1851. 

Kutztown*  taken  from  Maxatawny  in  1815. 

Marion  taken  from  Tulpehocken  in  1843. 

Muhlenberg  taken  from  Alsace  in  1850. 

Ontelaunee  taken  from  Maiden-creek  in  1850. 

Penn  taken  from  Bern  and  Bern,  Upper,  in  1840. 

Perry  taken  from  Windsor  in  1849. 

Pike  taken  from  District  in  1813. 

Spring  taken  from  Cumru  in  1850. 

Topton  taken  from  Longswamp  in  1877. 

Tulpehocken,  Upper,  taken  from  Tulpehocken  in 
1820. 

Washington  taken  from  Colebrookdale  and  Here- 
ford in  1839. 

Womelsdorf  taken  from  Heidelberg  in  1833. 

In  reference  to  the  counties, — 

Lebanon  was  taken  from  Dauphin  and  Lancaster 
February  16,  1813. 

Lehigh  was  taken  from  Northampton  March  6, 1812. 

Schuylkill  was  taken  from  Berks  and  Northampton 
March  1,  1811. 

In  1800  Berks  County  included  three  or- 
ganized townships  which  lay  north  of  the  Blue 
Mountains,  whose  enumeration  was  as  follows  : 

Brunswick 1214 

Manheim 1072 

Pinegrove 959 

Unorganized 993 

Total  population 4238 


2  Bernville  was  not  separately  enumerated  till  1870. 

3  Hamburg  not  enumerated  till  1850. 

4  Kutztown  not  enumerated  till  1840. 


646 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


The  population  of  the  county  is  given  in  the 
table  at  thirty-two  thousand  four  hundred  and 
seven.  The  number  of  inhabitants  in  that  part 
which  lay  south  of  the  mountain  was  twenty- 
eight  thousand  one  hundred  and  sixty-nine. 

And  in  1810  the  county  included  seven 
townships  north  of  the  mountains,  whose 
enumeration  was  as  follows  : 

Brunswick 1770 

Mahantango,  Lower 637 

Mahantango,  Upper 489 

Manheim „ 1354 

Norwegian 415 

Pinegrove 1290 

Schuylkill 353 

Total  population 6308 

The  population  of  the  county  for  1810  is 
given  at  forty-three  thousand  one  hundred  and 
forty-six.  The  number  in  that  part  of  the 
county  south  of  the  mountain  was  thirty-six 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty-eight.  The 
townships  named  were  cut  to  Schuylkill  County 
in  its  erection  in  1811. 

Rate  of  Increase  of  Population. — The 
per  centum  of  increase  of  Reading  and  the 
county  of  Berks,  etc.,  for  the  several  decades  is 
as  follows : 

INCREASE  OF  BEADING. 


1700 

to 

1800 

1800 
to 
1810 

1810 
to 
1820 

1820 
to 
1830 

1830 
to 
1840 

1840 
to 
1850 

1850 

to 
1860 

1860 
to 
1870 

1870 
to 
1880 

1810 

to 
1880 

6.8 

46 

25 

35 

43.6 

87.2 

47 

46.5 

27.5 

1150 

INCREASE  OF  BERKS  COUNTY. 

7.4 

33- 

22.3    |  14.9      21.5    1  19.5    |     22     1  13.7 

14.9 

224 

INCREASE  OF  ELEVEN  COUNTIES. 

22.7 

29.4 

26.6    1  24.2    1  22.2    j     38     j  29.8    j  16.9 

20.3 

383 

.INCREASE   OF  STATE. 

38.7 

34.5 

29.3    |  28.7    j  27.9    1  34.9    1  25.7    1  21.2 

21.0 

429 

ELEVEN  COUNTIES  COMPARED  WITH  STATE. 


1790 

1800 

1810 

1820 

1830 

1840 

1850 

1860 

1870 

1880 

61.7 

45.7 

44 

43 

41.6 

39.8 

40.9 

42.2 

40.7 

40.3 

The  increase  in  Berks  County  for  seventy 
years  was  two  hundred  and  twenty-four  per  cent. ; 
that  of  the  eleven  counties,  three  hundred  and 
eighty-three  per  cent. ;  and  that  of  the  State, 
four  hundred  and  twenty-eight  per  cent.  Thi3 
is  wonderful !  But  what  is  more  wonderful 
still,  is  the  fact  that  in  these  seventy  years  the 
proportion  of  the  eleven  counties  to  the  State  in 
1810,  compared  with  the  proportion  in  1880, 
decreased  only  four  per  cent.  !  And  this,  too, 
notwithstanding  the  great  extension  of  rail- 
ways to  the  north  and  west,  and  the  develop- 
ment of  the  State  and  people  through  trade, 
manufactures,  agriculture  and  education.  In 
other  words,  in  1810  these  counties  had  forty- 
four  per  cent,  of  the  whole  population,  and  in 
1880  forty  per  cent. ;  and  yet  only  one-tenth  of 
the  area  in  territory  !  And  in  respect  to  trade, 
manufactures,  agriculture  and  wealth,  these 
forty-six  hundred  square  miles  would  exhibit  a 
similar  proportion  if  the  tables  were  published 
herewith. 

But  Reading  had  the  surprising  increase  of 
eleven  hundred  and  fifty  per  cent,  in  seventy 
years,  or  about  two  generations,  from  1810  to 
1880.  The  figures  in  the  table  are  very  inter- 
esting. In  this  period  the  increase  at  no  time 
in  any  decade  fell  below  twenty-five  per  cent. 
After  1830  a  marked  increase  is.  perceptible. 
This  arose  principally  from  the  introduction  of 
the  railway,  and  manufactories  of  iron  goods, 
after  1836.  From  1840  to  1850  the  increase 
was  eighty-seven  per  cent. ;  and  for  twenty  years 
following  it  kept  near  fifty  per  cent. 

In  Berks  County,  in  the  decade  before  1860, 
the  increase  was  twenty-two  per  cent. ;  but  in 
the  decade  after,  only  thirteen  per  cent.  The 
effects  of  the  Civil  War,  1861-65,  are  apparent. 


THE  CENSUS. 


647 


CENSUS  TABLE  OF  COUNTY,   1790  TO  1880. 


Beading  (city) 

Albany 

Alsace 

Amity 

Bern 

Bern,  Upper 

Bernville  (borough)..., 

Bethel 

Birdsboro'  (borough).. 
Boyertown  (borough). 

Brecknock 

Caernarvon 

Centre 

Colebrookdale 

Cumru 

District 

Douglass , 

Earl 

Exeter 

Fleetwood  (borough).. 

Greenwich 

Hamburg  (borough)..., 

Heidelberg 

Heidelberg,  Lower 

Heidelberg,  North..  .., 

Hereford 

Jefferson 

Kutztown  (borough) .... 


Maiden-creek 

Jlarion 

Maxatawny 

Muhlenberg 

Oley 

Ontelaunee 

Penn 

Perry 

Pike 

Richmond 

Bobeson 

Rockland 

Ruscomb-manor 

Spring 

Topton  (borough) 

Tulpehocken 

Tulpehocken,  Upper 

Union 

Washington 

Windsor 

Womelsdorf  (borough)., 
Counties  : 

Berks 

Bucks 

Chester 

Dauphin  .  

Delaware 

Lancaster 

Lebanon 

Lehigh 

Montgomery 

Philadelphia 

Schuylkill 


Total  of  Eleven  Counties- 


Total  of  State.. 


1790. 


2235 


30,179 
26,401 
27,937 
18.177 
9,483 
36,147 


22,929 
54,391 


224,644 


434,373 


1800. 


2,386 
858 
890 
817 

2,049 


817 


33S 
453 


671 

1,413 

753 

450 
489 
802 


1,004 

329 

1,669 


923 


203 
863 
770 


929 
'968 


731 
1,232 

848 
375 


2,119 


993 
370 

32,407 
27,496 
32,093 
22.270 
12,809 
43,403 


24,150 
81,009 


275,637 


602,365 


1810. 


3,462 
995 
1,275 
1,090 
2,266 
1,342 


924 


495 
723 


792 
2,017 
805 
660 
794 
1,194 


1,104 
"2J802 


1,140 


998 
918 


1,630 
"i',2U 


971 
1,807 
1,026 

932 


2,294 


766 


1,358 
T 

43,146 
32,371 
39,596 
31,883 
14,734 
53,927 


29,703 
111,210 


356,570 


810,095 


1820. 


4,332 
1,182 
1,640 
1,279 
1,791 
2,017 


1,294 


536 
829 


1,046 

2,462 

509 

709 

934 

1,381 


1,337 
3,605 


1,431 


1,371 
1,192 


1,847 
"1,416 


645 
1,135 
2,065 
1,130 
1,057 


3,238 

""92'i 

1,950 


46,275 
37,842 
44,451 
21,653 
14,810 
67,976 

•  16,975 
18,895 
35,793 

135,637 
11,311 


451,617 


1,047,507 


1830. 


5,856 
1,129 
1,942 
1,384 
2,154 
2,117 


1,482 


866 
862 


1,229 

2,688 

562 

839 

990 

1,455 


1,407 
4,124 


1,709 


1,695 
1,350 


2,108 
"i  ,469 


752 
1,379 
1,966 
1,342 
1,256 


3,200 
1,456 
1,046 


2,298 
X 

63,152 
45,745 
50,910 
25,243 
17,323 
76,631 
20,557 
22,256 
39,406 
188,797 
20,744 


560,764 


1,348,233 


1840. 


8,410 
1,057 
2,498 
1,664 
3,149 
2,906 


1,458 


935 
813 
1,21 
1,124 
2,939 
583 
1,133 
1,158 
1,911 


1,629 
3,539 


1,235 


693 
1,836 
1,749 


1,897 

"i',877 


790 
1,997 
2,01" 
1,649 
1,189 


2,941 
1,581 
1,272 
1,210 
2,882 
849 

64,569 
48,107 
57,515 
30,118 
19,791 
84,203 
21,872 
25,787 
47,241 
258,037 
29,053 


686,293 


1,724,033 


1860. 


15,743 
1,406 
2,697 
1,666 
1,734 
1,747 


1,871 


876 
977 
1,346 
1,102 
3,853 
842 
1,018 
1,047 
2,074 


1,842 
1,035 

805 
2,144 

844 
1,244 


640 
1,868 
1,284 
1,530 
1,740 


1,799 
1,045 
1,476 
1,320 
883 
2,056 
2.404 
1,369 
1,235 


1,803 
1,983 
1,665 
1,154 
1,115 
947 

77,129 
56,091 
66,438 
35,754 
24,679 
98,944 
26,071 
32,479 
58,291 
408,762 
60,713 


945,351 


2,311,786 


1860, 


23,162 
1,586 
1,299 
1,596 
2,616 
2,027 


2,159 


844 
953 
1,392 
1,359 
2,182 
786 
1,120 
1,143 
2,308 


2,041 
1,334 
1,013 
2,398 

956 
1,372 
1,122 

915 
2,217 
1,531 
1,628 
2,093 
1,676 
2,056 
1,398 
1,444 
1,526 
1,178 
2,575 
2,461 
1,707 
1,566 
2,004 


1,956 
1,125 
1,968 
1,600 
1,450 
1,076 

93,818 
63,578 
74,578 
46,756 
30,597 

116,314 
31,831 
43,753 
70,500 

565,529 
89,510 


1,226,764 


2,906,215 


1870, 


33,930 
1,510 
1,294 
1,646 
2,124 
2,008 
457 
2,285 


690 

813 

927 

1,529 

1,660 

2,573 

724 

1,072 

1,022 

2,239 


2,151 
1,590 
1,193 
2,480 

979 
1,260 
1,133 

945 
2,910 
1,616 
1,837 
2,531 
1,547 
1,986 
1,339 
1,516 
1,680 

925 
2,874 
2,458 
1,451 
1,408 
2,253 


2,013 
1,196 
2,165 
1,609 
1,211 
1,031 

106,701 
64,336 
77,805 
60,740 
39,403 

121,340 
34,096 
56,796 
81,612 

674,022 

116,428 


1,433,279 


3,521,951 


Notb.— The  first  publication  of  a  complete  census  of  Berks  County  by  districts  from  1800  to  1880,  according  to  the 
enumerations  of  the  United  States  government,  was  made  in  Montgomery's  Political  Hand-Book  of  Berks  County.  The 
figures  for  the  decades  1800, 1810,  1820  and  1830  were  specially  furnished  by  the  Superintendent  of  the  Census,  at  Wash- 
ington, for  this  Hand-Book.    The  figures  for  the  subsequent  decades  were  taken  from  the  published  reports. 

*  Hamburg  in  1840—648.  f  103  Taxables.  J  Population,  727. 


648 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


TABLE  OF   HOUSES,  FARMS,  ETC.,  IN  COUNTY,  1850.1 


Reading : 
N.  E.  Ward.... 
N.  W.  Ward.. 

S.  E.  Ward 

S.  W.  Ward.... 
Spruce  Ward.. 


Albany 

Alsace  

Amity 

Bern 

Bern,  Upper 

Bethel 

Brecknock 

Caernarvon 

Centre 

Colebrookdale 

Cumru  

District 

Douglass 

Earl 

Exeter 

Greenwich  

Hamburg 

Hereford! 

Heidelberg 

Heidelberg,  Lower 

Heidelberg,  North.... 

Kutztown 

Longswamp 

Maiden-creek 

Marion 

Maxatawny 

Oley   

Ontelaunee 

Penn 

Perry 

Pike 

Richmond 

Robeson 

Rockland 

Ruscomb-manor 

Tulpehocken 

Tulpehocken,  Upper. 

Union 

Washington  

Windsor 

Womelsdorf 


I 


601 
456 
593 
646 
581 

2877 
228 
452 
254 
266 
272 
338 
141 
182 
206 
197 
595 
136 
172 
192 
328 
300 
168 
205 
125 
338 
132 
115 
327 
216 
247 
287 
272 
183 
234 
211 
154 
343 
405 
225 
198 
297 
328 
279 
186 
174 
146 


12,931 


641 
495 
665 
697 
591 


3089 
243 
485 
283 
278 
308 
379 
156 
182 
228 
209 
641 
137 
187 
194 
362 
309 
189 
205 
140 
362 
151 
131 
344 
221 
278 
295 
306 
183 
258 
227 
160 
361 
410 
235 
216 
346 
371 
300 
191 
183 
192 


19 

19 
6 
4 


13,925 


48 

151 

157 

132 

164 

178 

173 

83 

53 

117 

88 

241 

99 

72 

62 

127 

211 

22 

145 

56 

202 

82 

32 

209 

114 

105 

177 

135 

70 

120 

99 

72 

221 

157 

106 

100 

131 

187 

94 

120 

68 

17 


4,997 


is 

=  •3 

is  .52 

S3 
Ph  s 

m 


19 
37 
30 
54 


148 
53 
18 
37 
12 
21 
41 
17 
23 
15 
33 
49 
10 
15 

7 
18 
71 
23 
45 
10 
17 
11 
37 
96 

7 
39 
59 

6 
23 
40 


14 

59 

26 

6 

2 

32 

46 

18 

30 

7 

42 

1,283 


»  V.  S.  Census  Report,  1850.  The  author  of  this  history 
endeavored  to  arrange  a  similar  table  for  the  year  1880 
but  the  Census  Department  at  Washington,  D.  C.  could  not 
supply  the  figures.  In  1880  there  were  in  the  county 
6847  farms  and  1044  manufacturing  establishments. 


CENSUS  OF  VILLAGES,   1880. 


Amityville 188 

Baumstown 139 

Bechtelsville 

Benderville..... 66 

Barto 79 

Bern 58 

Blandon 376 

Blue  Marsh 134 

Bowers 192 

Brownsville 65 

Churchville 

Coffeetown 155 

Douglassville 95 

Eschbach's  Crossing 

East  Berkeley.... » 

Farmington 74 

Fetherolfsville 

Freidensburg 379 

Frystown 92 

Fritztown 83 

Geigertown 

Gouglersville 75 

Jackson  wald 75 

Lenhartsville 161 

Lobachsville 25 

Lyons 458 

Marysville  122 

Maxatawny 1196 

Mertztown 99 

Millersburg 349 

Mt.  ^Etna '. 304 

Mt.  Pleasant 188 

Molltown 69 

Mohnsville 267 

Mohrsville 216 

Monocacy 200 

Morgantown 166 


Moselem 195 

New  Berlin 209 

New  Jerusalem 89 

Pleasantville 128 

Pricetown 200 

Rehrersburg 366 

Robesonia 284 

Robesonia  Furnace    156 

Rothrocksville 104 

Schaefferstown 83 

Siesholtzville 82 

Shamrock 135 

Shartlesville 212 

Shillington 136 

Shoemakersville 429 

Schultzville 44 

Shanesville 150 

Sinking  Springs 517 

Smithville 50 

South  Evansville...      18 

Spangsville 87 

Stony  Point.... SO 

Stonersville 87 

Stouchsburg 356 

St.  Lawrence 200 

Strausstown 310 

Temple 

Tuckerton 

Unionville 100 

Virginsville 46 

Walnut  Town 141 

Wernersville 198 

Wessnersville 

West  Reading 170 

West  Hamburg 148 

WestLeesport 355 


TAXABLES  IN  COUNTY,   1876   AND  1885. 

1876.         1885. 
TaxableB.  Taxables. 

Albany 422      378 

Alsace 502      397 

Ami*y 453      464 


Bern 

Bern,  Upper 534 

Bernville m 

Bethel 726 

Brecknock 285 

Birdsboro' v...  374 

Boyertown 261 

Caernarvon 267 

Centre 386 

Centreport 

Colebrookdale 338 

Cumru 75Q 

District 214 

Douglass 305 


549  513 
548 
123 
617 
235 
499 
345 
275 
359 
43 
337 
770 
187 
312 


THE  CENSUS. 


649 


Earl 232  294 

Exeter 671  637 

Fleetwood 249  242 

Greenwich 527  475 

Hamburg 543  569 

Heidelberg 352  309 

Heidelberg  Lower 733  737 

Heidelberg  North 250  220 

Hereford 399  348 

Jefferson 320  268 

Kutztown 377  382 

Longswamp 1065  839 

Maiden-creek ..    471  499 

Maxatawny 787  673 

Muhlenberg 486  504 

Marion 435  446 

Ontelaunee 316  335 

Oley 520  605 

Penn 457  389 

Perry 308  441 

Pike 346  260 

Richmond 572  509 

Robeson 507  630 

Rockland 476  399 

Ruscomb-manor 451  348 

Spring 665  688 

Tulpehocken 503  530 

Tulpehocken,  Upper 323  348 

Topton '. 123 

Union 387  383 

Washington 532  545 

Windsor 258  180 

Womelsdorf. 327  322 

21378  20879 
Reading  : 

lstward 831  892 

2d  ward 2245  1458 

3d  ward 1160  1525 

4th  ward 852  839 

5th  ward 1042  993 

6th  ward 1075  1240 

7th  ward 1287  1212 

8th  ward 1039  1102 

9th  ward 2271  1201 

10th  ward 951 

11th  ward 1865 

11802  13279 

Total  in  county 33180  34158 

REGISTERED  VOTERS   OF   COUNTY,    1876   AND    1885. 

1876.  1885. 

Albany 384  357 

Alsace 324  348 

Amity 390  419 

Bern 484  485 

Bern,  Upper 490  493 


Bernville 101  101 

Bethel 545  547 

Birdsboro' 337  393 

Boyertown 213  333 

Brecknock 206  195 

Caernarvon 212  237 

Centre 365  322 

Centreport 41 

Colebrookdale 270  309 

Cumru 625  700 

District 175  176 

Douglass 248  279 

Earl , 259  269 

Exeter 543  578 

Fleetwood 184  212 

Greenwich 451  462 

Hamburg 423  485 

Heidelberg 270  296 

Heidelberg,  Lower 635  673 

Heidelberg,  North 191  209 

Hereford 341  324 

Jefferson 276  242 

Kutztown 281  316 

Long-swamp 853  740 

Maiden-creek 427  443 

Marion 349  364 

Maxatawny 613  594 

Muhlenberg 360  450 

Oley 491  536 

Ontelaunee 292  278 

Penn 373  360 

Perry 328  387 

Pike 240  239 

Richmond 488  481 

Robeson 532  575 

Rockland 360  357 

Ruscomb-manor 306  310 

Spring 537  630 

Topton 121 

Tulpehocken 405  501 

Tulpehocken,  Upper 291  327 

Union 325  373 

Washington 374  513 

Windsor 180  179 

Womelsdorf. 268  284 

17,612  18,843 

Reading:  

1st  Ward 561  824 

f  1st  Precinct...  604  639 

2d  Ward  { M  Precinct...  597  671 

f  1st  Precinct...  389  446 

3d   Ward  1 2d   Precinct...  57o  725 

4th  Ward 673  713 

f  1st  Precinct...  390  477 

5th  Ward  { M   Precinct...  403  387 

f  1st  Precinct...  306  469 

6th  Ward  { 2d  Precinct...  487  630 


650 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


7th  Ward 

8th  Ward 

9th  Ward 
10th  Ward. 
11th  Ward 

12th  Ward 

13th  Ward 


f  1st  Precinct.., 
1  2d  Precinct.. 
f  1st  Precinct.. 
1  2d  Precinct.., 
f  1st  Precinct... 
I  2d  Precinct.., 

f  1st  Precinct... 
1  2d  Precinct... 
f  1st  Precinct... 
1  2d  Precinct... 
f  1st  Precinct... 
1  2d  Precinct... 


451 
526 
400 
446 
460 
362 
494 
404 
499 


472 
667 
424 
531 
577 
595 
749 
365 
241 
350 
228 
275 
220 


9,022     11,676 


Total 26,634     30,519 

PP.0PEKTY  AND  MONEY  ASSESSED  IN  COUNTY,  1885.  ' 

Total  Valuation 
of  Real  and  Personal         Money 

Property.  at  Interest. 

Albany $734,446  $195,126 

Alsace 505,199  135,954 

Amity 966,646  215,582 

Bern 1,264,862  208,261 

Bern,  Upper 1,228,166  166,722 

Bernville 146,380  116,127 

Bethel 1,203,383  249,926 

Birdsboro' 764,033  403,874 

Boyertown 648,780  242,678 

Brecknock 421,363  68,011 

Caernarvon 522,558  60,842 

Centre 875,349  104,682 

Centreport 45,600  21,610 

Colebrookdale 709,090  109,821 

Cumru 1,415,878  234,944 

District 283,442  41,323 

Douglass 453,411  131,012 

Earl 293,252  65,920 

Exeter 1,432,830  189,329 

Fleetwood 295,233  203,492 

Greenwich 954,967  132,729 

Hamburg 628,848  188,917 

Heidelberg 1,181,743  123,774 

Heidelberg,  Lower 1,484,363  289,014 

Heidelberg,  North 564,021  52,521 

Hereford 749,171  189,923 

Jefferson 592,774  76,572 

Kutztown 430,833  240,775 

Longswamp 1,111,986  239,340 

Maiden-creek 1,057,563  159,683 

Marion 1,124,984  241,445 

Maxatawny 1,776,988  502,410 

Muhlenberg 1,237,837  216,996 

Oley 1,676,734  657,'240 

Ontelaunee 866,987  140,139 

Penn 844,340  159,666 


1  Figures  supplied  by  clerk  of  county  commissioners. 


Perry 901,259 

Pike 329,935 

Eichmond 1,223,167 

Eobeson 951,427 

Eockland 518,315 

Buscomb-manor 419,727 

Spring 1,698,004 

Topton 139,357 

Tulpehocken 1,104,424 

Tulpehocken,  Upper...  602,707 

Union 607,398 

Washington 941,451 

Windsor 472,828 

Womelsdorf 402,532 

$40,806,570 
Beading : 

1st  Ward 1,448,814 

2d  Ward 2,066,294 

3d  Ward 2,291,378 

4th  Ward 2,807,592 

5th  Ward 1,435,405 

6th  Ward 2,228,830 

7th  Ward 3,894,550 

8th  Ward 2,285,955 

9th  ward 1,530,541 

10th  Ward 998,799 

11th  Ward 952,710 

12th  Ward 902,355 

13th  Ward 936,999 


111,039 

54,243 
175,014 
117,688 

80,062 
111,257 
274,738 

77,008 
190,019 
123,508 
136,493 
255,949 

76,003 
182,420 

$,741,821 

290,542 

104,870 

551,397 

707,692 

334,943 

952,248 

1,066,136 

595,606 

192,395 

72,269 

119,118 

46,218 

16,048 


$23,780,222  $5,049,482 
Total  in  entire  county...  $64,586,792  $13,791,303 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 
BEADING. 

PART  I.— TOWN  FROM  1748  TO  1783. 

Selection  of  Town-Site— Town  Laid  Out— Lots  Sold  at 
Public  Sale— First  Patentees— Ground-Bent— List  of 
Taxables,  1759— District  of  Reading  Erected— Churches 
—Schools — Public  Buildings— Markets  and  Fairs- 
Charter  to  Reading  for  Them— Citizens  against  Change  of 
Government— Early  Inn-keepers -Early  Occupations- 
Rainbow  Fire  Company— No  Newspapers  nor  Internal  Im- 
provements—Fuel, Light  and  Entertainments— Hunting 
and  Fishing— Indian  Invasion— Revolution— Prominent 
Men— Pound  Sterling— Old  Style  to  New  Style. 

Selection  of  Town-Site.— William  Penn 
owned  the  territory  upon  which  Reading  is  sit- 
uated by  right  of  grant  from  King  Charles  II.; 
and  he  also  purchased  the  interest  of  the  In- 
dians therein.     He  died    in    1717,  possessed  of 


READING. 


651 


it.  By  his  last  will  he  devised  it  to  his  chil- 
dren. In  the  general  desire  to  dispose  of  the 
lands  to  settlers,  the  commissioners  of  the  Penns, 
upon  application  to  them,  sold  the  land  which 
lay  to  the  east  of  the  Schuylkill,  at  the  "  Ford," 
where  the  great  highway  from  Tulpehocken  to 
Philadelphia  crossed  the  river.  The  patentee 
was  Thomas  Lawrence.  He  first  obtained  a 
patent  for  three  hundred  acres  in  1733;  and 
afterward,  in  1739,  another  patent  for  one 
hundred  and  thirty-seven  and  one-half  acres 
which  adjoined  the  first  tract  on  the  east.  A 
month  before  the  first  tract  to  Lawrence  was 
surveyed,  a  large  tract  for  eleven  hundred  and 
fifty  acres,  which  extended  thence  northwardly 
along  the  river,  had  been  set  apart  and  surveyed 
for  Richard  Hockley,  for  the  use  of  the  Penns. 
Some  years  after  these  grants  had  been  made, 
it  would  seem  that  the  Penns  conceived  the  idea 
of  laying  out  a  town  at  this  point.  Doubtless 
the  efibrts  of  the  settlers  to  obtain  a  county 
stimulated  them  in  this  behalf.  Finding  that 
the  land  had  been  sold,  they  endeavored  to  re- 
purchase it.  In  this,  however,  they  were  not 
immediately  successful.  Lawrence  declined  to 
sell.  Their  agent  at  Philadelphia,  William 
Parsons,  was  directed  to  investigate  the  matter. 
On  September  28,  1743,  he  addressed  a  letter  to 
them  in  reference  to  the  proposed  "  Town  of 
Reading."  In  this  letter  he  stated  that  it  was 
not  to  their  interest  to  lay  out  the  town  on  the 
land  of  Mr.  Lawrence,  because  a  hollow * — which 
lay  between  his  land  and  Hockley's — rendered 
the  locality  inconvenient  for  that  purpose.  He 
regarded  Hockley's  land  as  better  adapted  for  a 
town,  though  its  distance  from  the  ford  at  Law- 
rence's land  was  an  objection,  and  he  therefore 
recommended  it  to  their  interest  for  town  pur- 
poses. 

1.  Richard  Hockley,  tract  for  1150  acres  ;  surveyed 
February  19,  1733. 

2.  Thomas  Lawrence,  tract  for  300  acres  ;  surveyed 
March  19, 1733 ;  patent  October  27,  1733. 

3.  Thomas  Lawrence,  tract  for  137J  acres ;  sur- 
veyed April  22,  1738  ;  patent  February  16,  1739. 

4.  Samuel  Finney,  tract  for  150  acres ;  surveyed 
February  19,  1733. 


1  This  hollow   was  a  ravine  which  extended  northeast- 
wardly from  the  "  Ford." 


5.  Proprietary  land,  tract  for  126  acres ;  surveyed 
July  3, 1741. 

6.  Part  of  tract  1,  on  which  lots  were  laid  out,  after- 
ward called  Hockley  out-lots. 


120 

1              2SD 

\            172 

■* 

17*. 

5    20     E 

8 

CO 

s  ao    e 

120 

01 
Q. 

01 

1 

a                 c 

ID 

1-0 

bO 

96 

^^^3 

a 

a 

a 

0  4  « 

3G4 

6 

a 

T**M    It         D 

\7 

/"T 

EARLY    SURVEYS   OF    READING. 

Some  time  afterward  the  Hockley  land  was 
laid  out  into  town-lots  by  Nicholas  Scull.  The  • 
exact  day  is  not  known.  Thomas  Penn  was  pres- 
ent. William  Parsons  addressed  a  letter  to  Penn 
on  the  24th  of  November,  1746,  in  which,  in 
connection  with  the  recommendation  of  certain 
alterations  from  the  town-plan  of  Lancaster  for 
the  town-lots  of  Reading,  he  said, — 

"  The  situation  of  that  part  of  the  town  to  the  South 
of  the  Great  Hollow 2  is  very  elegant,  upon  rising 
ground,  which  descends  very  easily  towards  South 
and  West,  and  is  included  chiefly  within  Mr.  Scull's 
survey,  made  when  you  were  on  the  spot." 

The  survey  was  accordingly  made  before  the 
date  of  this  letter.  But  water  for  convenient 
household  use  was  found  to  be  scarce  and  to  lay 
deep  on  the  Hockley  land.  It  was  abundant 
on  the  Lawrence  land,  where  it  was  near  the  sur- 
face, and  at  many  places  bubbled  up  in  strong 
springs.  The  Penns  therefore  endeavored  to 
obtain  the  latter,  for  the  purpose  of  removing 
the  town  thither.  Though  their  efforts  at  first 
proved  unsuccessful,  their  action  in  laying  out 
lots  for  a  proposed  town  on  the  Hockley  land 
induced  Lawrence  to  part  with  his  property. 
He  conveyed  his  two  tracts  to  Thomas  Jenkins 
on  the  30th  of  December,  1745,  and  four  days 
afterward  Jenkins  conveyed  the  same  to  Rich- 
ard Peters  and  Richard  Hockley — parties  inter- 
ested in  the  reconveyance  to  the  proprietaries. 
On  the  6th  of  March,  1748,  they  executed  the 


2  Jlr.  Parsons  alluded  to  the  depression  of  the  land  which 
lies  to  the  north  of  the  Reading  Hospital. 


652 


HISTOKY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


title  to  the  land  to  Thomas  Penn  and  Richard 
Penn.  The  proposition  of  founding  a  town  on 
the  Hocklev  laud  was  therefore  abandoned. 


It 

iCS 

" 

itx 

.-■: 

ILL 

IDT 

s 

a 

ISC 

IV 

' 

TT 

8 

182 

179 

i-: 

,:" 

T 

3 

Fbb       " 

it: 

IP 

El 

16  5 

j„ 

a 

Eii 


- 

% 

s 

s 

i: 

III 

- 

£ 

- 

;: 

165 

167           1 

5  ~  -'  ':?  i';  -  '■ 


1       "1 


13^ 

5 

2 

s 

^ 

i;: 

133 

132 

s 

2 

? 

1 

liO 
129 

113 

H, 

:■- 

E 

v 

IIS 

115 

r 

■; 

118 
119 

I2J 

- 

- 

EfflJT 


nSmtcSn010 


CflLLOWHILi 


E 

J  ?.| 

11 

29 

211 
7.7 

7C 

25 

CfiLLOWHILL    STREET, 


5 

E 

a 

s 

Ul 

V, 

J] 

" 

. 

„ 

'- 

= 

£ 

- 

" 

33 

35 

37 

m 

Ol 

Q 

U3 

■15 

17 

3a 

w 

M 

" 

36 

40 

19 

44 

„ 

0 

. 

as 

US 

' 

% 

■l 

° 

s 

5 

S 

s 

5 

5 

8 

5 

s 

R 

n 

i 

521 

T 

527 

:a 

- 

K 

533 

526 

527 

536 

529 

5 

530 

" 

in  in 

s:ti 

532 

i33 

c 

g 

5JS 

526 

TOWN  PLAN — 1748. 

Note— The  lots  between  the  river  and  King  (Third) 
Street  were  laid  out  subsequently  (1776).  The  dark  dou- 
ble line  through  these  lots  indicates  the  canal,  which  ex- 
tended through  there  for  *  time.  This  plan  was  taken 
from  the  town-plan  of  M.  S.  Richards,  1825. 

Town  Laid  Out.— During  the  fall  of  1748 
a  town  was  laid  out  on  the  Lawrence  land  and 
named  "Reading,"  after  the  county-town  of 
Berkshire,  in  England.     Its  geographical    lo- 


cality was  fixed  at  a  point  40°  19'  26"  north 
latitude,  and    1°    5'   east   longitude,    with  an 
elevation  above  the  sea  of  about  two  hundred 
and   fifty  feet.     At  that  time  there  was  not 
a  town,   not  even   a  village,  in   all  the   terri- 
tory now  included   in  the  county,  though  the 
population  was  about  ten  thousand.     The  near- 
est town  was  Lebanon,  twenty-eight  miles  to  the 
west,  which  was  laid  out  in  1740,  and  the  next 
was  Lancaster,  thirty  miles  to  the  southwest, 
which  was  laid  out  in  1730.     The  latter  place 
was  the  county-seat  for  the  inhabitants  of  the 
county  to  the  west  of  the  Schuylkill  for  nearly 
twenty  years.     The  inhabitants  of  the  county  to 
the  east  of  the  Schuylkill  had  Philadelphia  as 
their  county-seat.    The  people  in  this  vicinity 
were  still  separated  as  a  political  body.  A  county 
had  not  yet  been  erected  for  them,  and  then  there 
was  only  one  house  in   this  immediate  locality. 
A  church  (Lutheran  and  Calvinist)  was  distant 
about  two  miles  to  the  north,  in  Alsace  town- 
ship, and  another  (Baptist)  in  Cumru  township, 
about  the  same  distance  off.     The  plan  com- 
prised five  hundred  and  twenty  town-lots  and 
two    hundred    and    four    out-lots,   numbered 
consecutively. 

Lots  Sold  at  Public  Sale.— The  Penns 
appointed  three  prominent  representative  men 
of  the  surrounding  settlements  as  commissioners 
for  the  purpose  of  making  a  prompt  sale  of 
these  lots.  The  commissioners  were  Conrad 
Weiser,  Francis  Parvin  and  William  Hartley. 
Publication  of  the  proposed  sale  was  made,  and 
on  the  15th  of  June,  1749  (doubtless  in  Penn 
Square),  the  conditions  of  the  sale1  were  read  to 
a  great  number  of  people.  These  conditions 
published  the  appointment  of  "Weiser,  Parvin 
and  Hartley  as  commissioners  for  the  purpose 
of  treating  with  persons  who  should  apply  for 
lots  in  the  town,  and  were  signed  by  William 
Parsons.     They  were  briefly  as  follows : 

1.  Every  whole  lot  of  sixty  feet  was  to  be  subject 
to  a  ground-rent  of  seven  shillings,  payable  to  the 
proprietaries ;  to  begin  on  March  1,  1750. 

2.  Lots  on  the  great  square  were  to  be  built  upon 


1 A  copy  of  the  conditions  is  with  the  valuable  collection 
of  manuscript  papers  m  the  possession  of  the  Historical  So- 
ciety of  Pennsylvania,  at  Philadelphia. 


READING. 


653 


with   brick  or   stone  in    one    year  from  March  1, 
1750. 

3.  Lots  on  Main  Street,  not  on  the  square,  were  to 
be  built  upon  in  two  years. 

4.  Ottfer  lots  within  blocks  adjoining  Main  (Penn) 
Street  were  to  be  built  upon  in  three  years. 

5.  Lots  in  blocks  remote  from  Main  Street  were  to 
be  built  upon  in  five  years. 

6.  A  sixty-feet  lot,  if  too  large,  should  be  divided 
and  ground-rent  apportioned. 

7.  All  who  should  take  lots  before  March  1,  1750, 
were  licensed  to  take  stones  for  building  purposes 
from  any  land  of  the  proprietaries,  assigned  by 
Hartley. 

8.  Title  would  be  made  upon  erection  of  building; 
and  no  assignment  could  be  made  before  erection  of 
building. 

9.  Privilege  of  ground-rent  at  seven  shillings  to 
continue  only  to  March  1,  1750. 

10.  Houses  should  be  built  according  to  the  regu- 
lation of  the  streets. 

11.  Persons  might  thereafter  apply  to  the  three 
commissioners  named  in  reference  to  lots. 

12.  Two  whole  lots  would  be  allotted  in  some  con- 
venient place  for  building  houses  of  religious  worship. 

13.  Persons  who  should  intend  to  take  lots  were  to 
send  rin  their  names  and  the  time  in  which  they 
could  build,  but  they  were  not  to  undertake  to  build 
sooner  than  they  really  could,  otherwise  they  might 
obstruct  the  progress  and  success  of  the  town. 

First  Patentees. — In  pursuance  of  the 
conditions  named,  town  lots  were  sold,  and  pat- 
ents were  issued  to  purchasers.  The  following 
statement  shows  the  years  in  which  the  build- 
ings were  probably  erected,  and  to  whom,  and 
for  which  lots  patents  were  issued.  It  is  possi- 
ble that  buildings  were  erected  in,  and  even 
before,  1751  and  the  patents  taken  up  after- 
ward. 

For  the  year  1751,  seven  lots. 


Lot.  Patentee. 

2.  Conrad  Weiser  (justice). 

11.  Daniel  Steinmetz  (merchant 
of  Philadelphia). 

29.  Isaac  Levari  (Exeter,  yeo- 
man). 

1752,  one  hundred 

3.  Conrad  Weiser. 

4.  Conrad  Bower  (shop  and  inn- 

keeper). 

5.  Martin  Gring. 

6.  Michael   Beis  (Tulpehocken, 

yeoman). 

7.  Moses     Starr  (Maiden-creek, 

yeoman). 

8.  John  Epler  (Bern,  yeoman). 
( Daniel  Steinmetz, 
I  Jacob  Morgan  (inn-keeper) . 

13.  Jacob  Morgan. 

14.  Peter  Haws  (inn-keeper). 

15.  Daniel  Hiester  (Montgomery 

Co.,  tanner). 


12. 


Lot.  Patentee. 

34.  Conrad  Weiser. 
106.    Adam    Witman    (shop  and 

inn-keeper). 
114.  Isaac  Levan. 
J  120.  Conrad  Weiser. 

and  thirty-three  lots. 

18.  Francis   Parvin  (Maiden-cr., 
tanner). 

19.  Conrad  Weiser, 

20.  John  Lepoe  (Tulp.,  yeoman) 

21.  Peter  Weidner  (Cumru,  yeo 
man). 

24.  David    Evans   (Cumru,   yeo 
man). 

25.  Michael     Schmell  (Heidbg. 
yeoman).  , 

26.  Benjamin    Parvin    (Maiden 
creek,  yeoman). 

27.  William  Beeser  (cordwainer). 

28.  Christopher  Stump  (Lancaster 
County,  yeoman). 


30.  William  Parsons  (EaBton). 
33.  TobiaB  Waggoner  (clerk). 

35.  George  Albert  (yeoman). 

36.  George  Yoh  (yeoman). 

39.  Isaac  Weidner    (Alsace,  yeo- 

man). 

40.  Peter  Weidner  (Alsace,  yeo- 

man). 

41.  Peter  Ruth  (Cumru,  yeoman). 

42.  Simon  Scherker. 

44.  Conrad  Kissinger  (yeoman). 

45.  Christopher  Gottschalk. 

46.  Jacob  Kissinger  (yeoman). 

48.  Jacob  Kern  (Cumru,  gent.) 

49.  Henry  Wolf   (Cumru,  cord- 

wainer). 
51.  George  Daum  (cordwainer). 

54,  John  Schneider  (yeoman). 

55.  Peter  Schneider  (Exeter,  blk._ 

smith). 

61.  Conrad  Bower. 

62.  Beinhard  Waldtz. 
64.  Philip  Weiser. 

66.  William  Erman  (yeoman). 

69.  Benjamin    Lightfoot    (shop- 

keeper). 

70.  William  Parsons. 

71.  William  Parsons. 

72.  Conrad  Weiser. 

74.  Abraham  Brosius  (tailor). 

75.  Jacob  Bollinger. 

76.  Michael  Graul    (Alsace,  yeo- 

man). 

77.  Wm.  Hottenstein  (potter). 
79.  John  Weber. 

81.  Philip  J.  Moyer  (baker). 

82.  Andrew  Wolf   (Cumru,  yeo- 

man). 
85.  Nich.  Kennell  (beer-brewer), 
87.  George  Sheirer. 

89.  Christopher   Witman    (cord- 

wainer). 

90.  Christopher  Witman. 

91.  Michael  ZuBter  (saddler). 

92.  George  Douglass  (saddler). 

95.  Fred'k  Marsteller. 

96.  Henry  Melchior  Muhlenberg 

(minister). 

97.  Henry  Souter. 

98.  Samuel  Brack  man. 

99.  Peter  Knorr. 

100.  Benjamin  Pearson  (joiner). 
105.  Adam  S.   Kuhn    (Lancaster, 
eBquire). 

107.  Eleanor  Waggoner. 

108.  George  Hitner  (Philadelphia) 

merchant). 

111.  Adam  Gerhart  (Alsace,  yeo- 
man). 

113.  Henry  Beuthmyer  (wheel- 
wright). 

115.  Ernest  Kurtz  (Phila.,  tobac- 

conist). 

116.  Peter  Bingaman  (Alsace,  yeo- 

man). 

117.  Mary  Bishop. 

118.  Henry  Boyle. 

119.  Kratt  Hiiner  (baker). 

122.  Peter  Trumbour  (yeoman). 


124.  Jacob  Bucher. 

130.  Charlef*  Fricker. 

131.  Paul  Derst  (Exeter,  inn-keep- 

er). 

132.  Andreas  Shack. 

133.  Peter  Feder  (inn-keeper). 

135.  John  Early  (Lane,  joiner). 

136.  Henry  Boyle. 

137.  Baltzer  Schwenk  (Alsace,  yeo- 

man). 
139.  John  Wilson  (Lane,  miller). 

146.  Peter  Muma. 

147.  Henry  Hahn  (blacksmith). 

148.  Henry  Lick. 

149.  Evan  Popkins  (cooper). 

151.  George  Mich.  Kreter  (slaugh- 

terer). 

152.  Ulrich  Bichard  (Heidelberg, 

yeoman). 

153.  Paul  Parlet  (carpenter). 

154.  William  Miller  (carpenter). 

155.  Sebastian  Grauser  (carpenter). 

159.  Henry  Graul  (Green  tavn.). 

160.  Philip  Ziegler  (Tulpehocken, 

yeoman). 

161.  Henry  Goodhart. 

163.  John  Kissinger. 

164.  Peter  Bapp  (butcher). 

165.  George  Crumlauf. 

166.  Jacob  Conrad  ("Virg.,  smith). 

167.  Peter  Baum  (turner). 

168.  Fred'k  Goodhart  (Alsace,  yeo- 

man). 

175.  Peter  Baum. 

180.  John  Kissinger. 

190.  Henry  Gerritt  (Alsace,  yeo- 
man). 

196.  John  Nicholas  Yost  (Cumru,- 
inn-keeper). 

199.  George  Chris.  Spengler. 

253.  FranciB  Fisher. 

266.  Abraham  BroBius. 

268.  Simon  Scherker. 

271.  Henry  Graul. 

275.  Joseph  Wilkinson. 

278.  Isaac  Levan. 

281.  Philip  Jacob  Moyer. 

282.  Henry  Feeder. 
288.  Conrad  Bower. 

296.  Christian  Bentzer  (Lane.  Co.) 

298.  Fred'k    Weiser  (Heidelberg, 

yeoman). 

299.  Philip  Jacob  Moyer. 
3£8.  Jacob  Morgan. 

339.  Jacob  Leibrock  (baker). 
356.  Michael     Ludwig     (Amity) 
379.  Conrad  Bower. 

382.  Conrad  Bower. 

383.  Nicholas  Betschew. 
386.  George  Yoh  (potter). 

389.  Abraham  Smith. 

390.  Conrad  Bower. 

391.  Philip  Erpf  (Lane.  County). 

400.  Adam  Beifell  (Alsace,  cortas.) 

401.  Geo.  Francis  Winter. 

404.  FranciB  Morgan  (yeoman). 

405.  Jacob  Erpf. 
443.  Philip  Keaser. 


1753,  eighty-four  lata. 


9.  George  Douglass. 
10.  Christopher  Witman. 
23.  Isaac  Weidner  (yeoman,  Al- 
sace). 
31.  Jonas  Seely  (justice). 
47.  Jonas  Seely. 


50.  William  Thomas  (Chester  Co.) 
53.  Nicholas  Werner. 

59.  Christopher  Camerer. 

60.  Philip  Erpf. 

67.  Mark  Starr. 

68.  James  Starr  (brewer). 


654 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


73 

John  Smith  (shop-keeper). 

272 

Casper  Zin. 

78 

George  Douglass. 

273 

Jacob  Zin. 

83 

Peter  Weiser  (saddler). 

274 

Fredericka  Waggoner. 

84 

Peter  Weiser  ^Heidelberg). 

280 

Philip  Jacob  Erpf  (mason). 

86. 

Henry  Sheirer. 

284 

Andrew  Fuchs. 

93 

Fred1  k  Weiser. 

291 

Francis  Morgan. 

104 

Jost  H.  Sassamanhousen  (Ma- 

294. 

Conrad  Bower. 

natawny,  blacksmith). 

295. 

Conrad  Bower. 

109. 

James  Biddle  (lawyer). 

297. 

William  Marck. 

110. 

James  Biddle. 

300. 

William  Bird. 

in. 

Henry  Sheirer. 

310. 

George  Mich.  Kreter. 

126. 

Simon  Sherker. 

312. 

Jacob  Morgan. 

134. 

Isaac  Levan. 

314. 

Michael  Schrack. 

138. 

Abraham  Levan. 

318. 

Conrad  Stichter  (weaver). 

143. 

John  Steel. 

319. 

Talentine  Stichter. 

156. 

Peter  Weiser. 

329. 

Isaac  Weidner. 

171. 

Wendell  Hains. 

331. 

William  Marck. 

172. 

George  Saurbrey  (baker). 

333. 

Jacob  Hetler. 

174. 

Adam  Schlegell  (tailor). 

341. 

Joseph  Brendlinger. 

170. 

Hans  Martin  Garich. 

349. 

Peter  Klinger. 

183. 

George  Hutner. 

350. 

Jacob  Morgan. 

189. 

Michael  Rosh. 

356. 

Fred'k  Volant. 

195. 

Lawrence  Spats. 

357. 

Fred'k  Volant. 

197. 

Michael  Fichthorn. 

381. 

Martin  E.  Kraft. 

198. 

William  Oluse. 

384. 

Adam  Reifell. 

201. 

Paul  Durst. 

387. 

Nicholas  Souter. 

203. 

John  Philip  Klinger. 

392. 

Adam  Reifell. 

204. 

Alexander  Klinger. 

397. 

Adam  Reifell. 

208. 

Martin  Moll. 

402. 

Court-House  and  Prison. 

209. 

Andrew  Engel. 

409. 

Christopher  Spengler. 

217. 

Hans  Geo.  Back  (baker). 

413. 

Henry  Schneider. 

221. 

Paul  Burst. 

433. 

George  Kappus  (mason). 

231. 

Andrew  Steger. 

438. 

George  Kappus. 

234. 

Everhard  Martin  (soap-mak- 

4,90. 

Francis  Creek. 

er). 

491. 

Francis  Creek. 

•235. 

Martin  Moll. 

493. 

Francis  Wenrich. 

200. 

Geo.  Mich.  Kretor. 

498. 

Elizabeth  Godschalk. 

267. 

Christopher  Witman. 

1754,  Beve 

Heen  lote. 

Lot.  Patentee. 

88.  Christian  BuBsey. 
123.  Philip  Breitenbach. 
173.  Nicholas  Keim. 
265.  Christopher  Godshall. 
270.  Fredk.  Fernsler. 
285.  Maria  Barbara  Bishoff. 
290.  John  Hartinan  (tailor). 
293.  Jacob  Bappolt  (tiler). 
305.  Jacob  Morgan. 


Lot.  Patentee. 

308.  Francis  Morgan. 
388.  Nicholas  Seitsinger  (inn-kp'r). 
>  Lutheran  Church. 


4nG. 

407. 

421 

424. 

509.  Peter  Haws, 

512.  Peter  Haws. 


:l.  | 
4.   / 


Calvinist  Church,  Reformed. 


In  the  four  years  named  patents  were  issued 
for  two  hundred  and  forty-one  lots.  If  the 
conditions  of  sale  were  fulfilled,  there  would  ap- 
pear to  have  been  at  least  two  hundred  dwell- 
ings in  the  town  in  1755,  and  one  thousand  in- 
habitants. It  is  possible  that  all  the  lots  and 
patentees  are  not  included  in  the  foregoing 
statement.  The  estimated  buildings  and  inhab- 
itants are,  therefore,  rather  below  than  above 
the  correct  numbers.  Nearly  all  of  the  paten- 
tees named  were  resident  at  Reading.  The 
growth  of  the  town  was  certainly  wonderful. 

In  order  to  show  when  certain  additional 
lots  were  patented,  not  included  in  the  state- 
ment arranged,  and  when  certain  other  persons 


most  probably  settled  in  Reading,  the  follow- 
ing numbers  and  patentees  are  added  : 

1757.— 200,  Valentine  Kerper. 

1758.— 187  and  188,  Dort  Pflster  (cordwainer). 

1761.— 228,  Fred'k  Helwig  ;  292,  Jacob  Rappolt ;  378,  Jacob  Kern. 

1762. — 170,  Jacob  Dicks  (carpenter)  ;  181,  Moses  Heyman  ;  269,  Fran- 
cis Wainwright. 

1763.— 145,  Conrad  Bower  ;  162,  Philip  Klinger ;  176,  Alex.  Klinger  ; 
207,  Peter  Klinger ;  222,  Martin  Young  ;  236,  Francis  H.  Zimmerman ; 
237,  F.  H.  Zimmerman  ;  346,  Philip  Scholl ;  347,  George  Schneider. 

1765. — 16,  Edward  Biddle  (lawyer)  ;  37,  Abraham  Brosiue  ;  38,  Jacob 
Kearn  ;  43,  Michael  Ruth  ;  56,  Henry  Kealer  ;  80,  Jacob  Fry  ;  84,  Chris- 
tian Maur;  94,  Henry  M.  Muhlenberg;  129,  Anthony  Fricker;  140, 
Christian  Schneider  ;  150,  George  Bernard  ;  177,  Fred'k  Schreyer ;  233, 
Wm.  Ermill ;  286,  Win.  Ermitl ;  309,  Isaac  Levan,  Jr. 

1766.— 223,  Paul  Dorst. 

1767. — 141,  Josiah  Reese  ;  144,  John  George  Geissler;  192,  Mich'lRush; 
193,  Valentine  Kerper  ;  327,  Peter  Zimmerman  ;  345,  George  Isinbis  ; 
412,  Ludwig  Dieple. 

1768.— 22,  John  Schreytee  ;  303,  Joachim  Kepner  ;  416,  Henry  Gosler. 

1769.— 185,  Nicholas  Dick ;  202,  Christ'r  Beyer ;  218,  Adam  Drink- 
house  ;  359,  Thos.  Toungman. 

1770.— 393,  Balthaser  Fornewalt ;  440,  Jacob  Teager. 

1771.— 1,  Thomas  Rutter  ;  32,  Christopher  Whitman. 

1772.— 158,  George  Shoemaker. 

1773. — 184,  Conrad  and  Daniel  Koch  ;  276,  George  Ream. 

1776.— 101,  Reformed  Church;  102,  Dort  Pflster;  112,  Dort  Pflster; 
224,  Matthias  Mover  ;  396,  Henry  Gossler. 

In  December,  1767,  twenty-four  water  lots 
were  laid  out  by  John  Lukens,  surveyor-general, 
fronting  on  both  sides  of  the  Schuylkill  River, 
at  and  near  the  "  Ford," — eighteen  on  the  eastern 
side  and  six  on  the  western.  These  were  laid 
out  to  accommodate  warehouses  and  encour- 
age transportation  by  water.  From  the  "  Ford," 
westwardly,  the  Tulpehocken  road  was  indi- 
cated, called  "  road  to  Sinking  Spring." 

In  June,  1776,  four  additional  squares  or 
blocks  were  laid  out,  between  King  (Third) 
Street  and  the  river  (Front  Street),  two  on  each 
side  of  Penn,  and  "  divided  into  lots  of  the 
same  dimensions  as  the  other  lots  in  the  Town, 
and  numbered  on  from  the  last  number  in  the 
present  plan,"  being  from  No.  521  to  No.  584. 
The  two  streets  crossing  Penn  were  called 
Treat  (Second)  and  Bridge  (Front). 

Ground-Rent.1— When  the  lots  were  laid 
out  in  the  town-plan  of  Reading,  each  lot  was 
made  subject  to  a  ground-rent  of  seven  shil- 
lings, payable  annually  on  the  1st  day  of 
March.  Notwithstanding  this  condition,  nu- 
merous  lots  were  sold  without  the  charge  of 


i  By  act  of  27th  of  November,  1779,  the  estates  of  the 
proprietaries  of  Pennsylvania  were  vested  in  the  State 
and  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  Legislature ;  quit-rents 
were  abolished,  etc.,  and  a  donation  made  to  the  devisees 
and  legatees  of  proprietaries  of  one  hundred  and  thirty 
thousand  pounds  sterling. 


EEADING. 


655 


ground-rent.  Over  sixty  years  after  the  town 
had  been  laid  out,  this  charge,  having  become 
generally  overlooked,  was  a  great  subject  which 
agitated  the  citizens  to  a  considerable  degree 
and  for  a  considerable  time.  In  1815,  and 
again  in  1818,  a  public  notice  was  given  to  all 
delinquents  that  the  ground-rents  due  should  be 
paid;  otherwise  the  lots  remaining  charged  with 
them  would  be  sold.  The  attorney  for  the  Penns 
was  apparently  very  lenient  in  his  demands. 
He  endeavored  to  satisfy  the  public  that  the 
ground-rents  due  could  be  legally  collected. 
This  professional  service  must  have  been  found 
very  objectionable,  for  in  1822  he  notified  the 
public  that  he  would  not  settle  any  further 
ground-rents  after  October  15th,  and  that  he 
would  discontinue  his  agency  for  the  Penns  after 
that  time.  Nothing  was  subsequently  done 
in  this  demand.  In  1820  numerous  releases  of 
ground-rents  were  issued  and  recorded  in  the 
recorder's  office  at  Reading.  Many  of  the 
early  patents  are  also  recorded  at  Reading. 

List  of  Taxables,  1759. — The  following 
list  of  persons  comprises  the  assessment  of  the 
town  for  the  year  1759.  It  is  the  earliest  that 
could  be  found  among  the  county  records  in  the 
court-house.  It  includes  two  hundred  and 
sixty-nine  taxables.  The  total  assessed  value  of 
taxable  property  amounted  to  nine  hundred  and 
ninety-four  pounds ;  and  the  tax  levied,  ninety 
pounds  and  three  shillings.  Single  men  were 
each  assessed  at  twenty  shillings.  Henry  Hahn 
was  the  collector. 


Benezet,  Daniel 4 

Bright,  Michael 8 

Bird,  William 9 

Biddle,  James 12 

BiBhoff,  John 3 

Bucher,  Jacob 5 

BemhiseljJohn 5 

Barret,  Joseph 3 

Burkhardt,  Jacob 2 

Buckman,  Matthias 2 

Boyer,  Christopher 4 

Backtold,  John 2 

Baum,  Peter 7 

Bernhard,  George 4 

Balde,  Jacob 2 

Brendlinger,  Joseph 2 

Bower,  Conrad 18 

Brosius,  Abraham 7 

Brown,  Conrad 2 

Breidenbach,  Philip 2 

Creek,  Francis 1 

Cluse,  William 3 

JJalman,  William 3 


Damn,  George 2 

Diehm,  Jacob 2 

Diehm,  Adam 5 

Dick,  Jacob 6 

Degenbardt,  Henry 4 

Drury,  Edward 7 

Diehm,  Peter 5 

Diehm,  Thomas 2 

Dehaven,  Edward 1 

Debler,  Melchior 1 

Dorff,  Samuel 1 

Depoy,  Widow 1 

Deible,  George 2 

Dengler,  John 2 

Dorst,  Paul 3 

Dick,  Nicholas 4 

Diel,  George 6 

Evans,  Amos 6 

Engel,  Andrew 9 

Ege,  Adam 1 

Ermel,  William ,  6 

Early,  John 1 

Eissenbice,  John 3 


Egy,  Martin 1 

Eplar,  Adam 12 

Earman,  William S 

Feather,  Peter 12 

Fisher,  Jacob 5 

Focks,  Adam 2 

Frick,  William 3 

Fix,  Lawrence 3 

Fass,  Adam 3 

Feagle,  Matthias 3 

Frickor,  Anthony 9 

Fichthorn,  Michael 4 

Fetter,  Michael 2 

Fisher,  Dorst 6 

Fichthorn,  Andrew 1 

Fessing,  Ph.  Jacob 2 

Geissler,  George 4 

Gibson,  Francis 2 

Garrett,  Henry 1 

Geiger,  John 1 

Geiger,  Adam 2 

Gross,  John 1 

Graff,  William 4 

Gerst,  Henry 3 

Gosler,  Henry 2 

Gotschall,  Nicholas 3 

Haga,  Wolfgang 6 

Hause,  Peter  (mason) 2 

Huttenstein,  William 15 

Henry,  John 1 

Haus,  Peter  (junk'r) 8 

Henderson,  David 12 

Henig,  Balthaser 1 

Heiner,  Krafft 9 

Huth,  Samuel 8 

Holdzader,  Peter 6 

Hartman,  John 3 

Hollig,   Barbara 3 

Hugh,  Owen 3 

Hughes,  John i 

Hiddings,  William 1 

Hauck,  Joseph 2 

Heinlein,  Matthias 2 

Haag,  Michael 2 

Heist,  George 3 

Hillegas,  Michael 3 

Heyman,  Moses 4 

Haun,  Henry 8 

Hitner,  George 5 

Hausihl,  Michael 1 

Hetler,  Jacob 3 

Hart,  Philip 1 

Handshoe,  George 2 

Imler,  Ludwig 6 

Jack,  George 3 

Jacob,  John 2 

Jager,  Jacob 8 

Jung,  Martin 2 

Jung,  Isaac 6 

Jacobs,  Israel 9 

Joh,  George 7 

Kuhn,  Adam 4 

Kooch,  William 1 

Kerper,  Abraham 5 

Kern,  Jacob., 6 

Kline,  Peter 1 

Kiney,  Christian 1 

Kerper,  Julius 6 

Kendle,  Catharine 1 

Klinger,  Philip 9 

Kock,  Adam 1 

Klinger,  Peter 3 

Koch,  Johannes 2 

Kerber,  Valentine 10 

Krimler,  Henry 5 

Kemrer,  Agath 2 


Klinder,  Conrad 1 

Klinger,  Alexander 10 

Keiser,  Jacob 2 

KiiMu,  Nicholas.. 10 

Kortz,  John 2 

Krauser,  Sebastian 2 

Krafft,  Martin 2 

Kost,  Martin 14 

Kurrer,  Adam  Daniel 4 

Kepner,  Joachim 1 

Lincoln,  Thomas 7 

Lesher,  John 2 

Lapler,  Lorentz 1 

Lebo,  Paul 7 

Levan,  Isaac. ,.n 7 

Leibrook,  Jacob t 4 

Lutz,  Jacob 1 

Lehman,  Christopher 2 

Loch,  Peter 1 

Meierly,  David 3 

Martin,  Eberhard 4 

Moyer,  Jacob .'. 2 

Morgan,  Francis 4 

Meng,  Melchior 2 

Morgan,  Jacob 3 

Marx,  William 1 

Messersmith,  Valentine 1 

Miller,  Andreas 1 

Moritz,  Nicholas 2 

Meyer,  Matthias 1 

Miller,  Frederick 1 

Maurer,  Ernst 1 

Megly,  Jacob 2 

Meyerly,  Balthaser 4 

Mergen,  John 3 

Miller,  William 7 

Milleisen,  Christopher si 

Marsteller,  Henry 1 

Marckle,  Christian 8 

Neidly,  Nicholas 1 

Neidly,  Christopher 8 

Newhardt,  Conrad 1 

Nagle,  Simon 1 

Nagle,  Philip 2 

Parvin,  Francis 2 

Pearson,  Benjamin 4 

Philipi,  John 5 

Perlet,  Paul 2 

Perlet,  Frederick 1 

Price,  Evan 3 

Bead,  James,  Esq 14 

Bush,  Michael 2 

Biehm,  Edward 2 

Keitmoyer,  Henry 4 

Bice,  Michael 3 

Reiffle,  Adam 4 

Beasor,  William 15 

Rieff,  Peter , 2 

Rule,  Henry l 

Rhine,  David 3 

Ruth,  Peter 5 

Riehm,  George 1 

Biehm,  John,  Sr 1 

Reiff,  Conrad 3 

Roreboust,  Bernhard 4 

Rabbold,  Jacob 8 

Rose,  Everhardt 5 

Reitmoyer,  Michael 1 

Reitner,  Joseph I 

Reese,  Josiah 1 

Bop,  Peter 6 

Rush,  Michael,  Jr 2 

Reser,  Jacob,  Jr 1 

Sammet,  Christian.., 1 

Sweitzer,  John 4 

Smith,  Christopher 2 


656 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Shomon,  Joseph 7 

Springer,  George 1 

Shrite,  John 7 

Spang,  Lenhart 1 

Shower,  Michael 1 

Shultz,  Samuel 2 

Smith,  Peter 2 

Seiiter,  Michael 7 

Snyder,  Jacob 3 

Stichter,  Conrad 5 

Stedman,  Alexander 1 

Shapport,  Nicholas 2 

Schultz,  George 7 

Sowerbry,  Widow 2 

Strobacker,  Godlieb 2 

Smith,  Philip 2 

Sharpar,  Andrew 1 

Snider,  Henry 1 

Seiler,  Philip 5 

Shorp,  John 6 

Shop,  Gabriel 6 

Shreck,  David 1 

Spatz,  Lawrence 1 

Spatz,  Michael 1 

Sleagle,  Adam 7 

Sprincker,  Philip 1 

Senger,  Henry 4 

Sassamanhousen,  Henry 2 

Seitzinger,  Nicholas 12 

Salsgaber,  Andreas 2 

Sump,  George 3 

Smith,  Abraham 1 

Suder,  Barbara  (widow) 3 

Smith,  Andrew 1 

Urledig,  Valentine 4 

Wolf,  Henry 3 


Weiser,  Peter 10 

Wenrick,  Francis 7 

Weis,  Philip 3 

Wagner,  Adam 1 

Whitehead,  James 12 

Wicks,  Christian 1 

Weiser,  Conrad 26 

Wirtenberger,  George 1 

Wunder,  George 1 

Witman,  Adam 23 

Witman,  Ludwig 2 

Witman,  Christopher 6 

Wickersham,  Isaac 4 

Williamson,  James 1 

Witman,  John 2 

Zinn,  Frederick 2 

SINGLE  MEN. 

Barger,  Thomas. 
Hartley,  Richard. 
Jackson,  Samuel. 
Josephson,  Myer. 
Kimrer,  Matthias. 
Koch,  Michael. 
Lebo,  Isaac. 
Lightfoot,  Benjamin. 
May,  Thomas. 
Nathan,  Lyon. 
Pearson,  Elijah. 
Popkin,  Robert. 
Shegtley,  Michael. 
Sheirer,  Adam. 
Spindler,  Lorentz. 
Sowermilk,  John. 
Starr,  James. 
WeiBer,  Samuel. 
Witman,  Henry. 


In  1780  the  town  had  four  hundred  and  sev- 
enteen resident  taxables,  or  fully  two  thousand 
inhabitants. 

District  of  Reading  Erected. — The  town 
of  Reading  and  part  of  Alsace  township  ad- 
joining it  were  erected  into  a  district  called  the 
"  Township  and  District  of  Reading,"  at  May 
sessions,  1760.  The  boundary  lines  to  the  east- 
ward were  not  then  fixed.  A  petition  for  this 
purpose  was  presented  on  February  11,  1761 ; 
a  survey  was  made  on  May  11,  1761,  and  the 
proceedings  were  confirmed  at  May  sessions, 
1761.  The  commissioners  appointed  by  the 
court  were  Benjamin  Pearson,  Edward  Drury, 
William  Iddings,  Martin  Kast,  Christopher 
Witman,  Michael  Brecht. 

The  district  contained  about  nine  hundred  and 
fifty  acres. 

Churches.— During  the  first  decade  of  the 
town  the  several  religious  denominations  were 
active.  But  it  is  not  known  which  of  them  was 
first  in  the  erection  of  a  meeting-house.  The 
Friends  were  in  the  ascendency  in  respect  to  gov- 
ernment ;  but  their  number  could  not  be  compared 
with  the  number  of  the  Lutherans  and  Calvin- 


ists  (or  Reformed).  The  Lutherans  had,  beyond 
a  doubt,  a  meeting-house  in  1 752.    It  is  believ- 
ed that  the  Calvinists  also  had  one  at  that  time 
though  there  is  no  record  to  establish  the  fact. 
They  had  a  fine  stone  church  in  1761.     The 
Friends    had    a    meeting-house  before    1760. 
Their  minutes  refer  to  it  as  having  been  too 
small  and  inconvenient  to  accommodate  their 
services.      In   1765    the   several   meetings  of 
Friends  at  Philadelphia  and  Exeter  concurred 
in  the  necessity  of  erecting  another.     The  Bap- 
tists had  an  organization  at  that  time ;  and  if 
they  did  not  have  a  place  of  worship  in  the 
town,  it  was  not  far  distant.1     There  were  also 
Episcopalians  and  Roman  Catholics ;  but  these 
denominations  did  not  come  to  possess  churches 
during  that  period  ending  1783,  though  they 
held  services  occasionally.     They  assembled  in 
the  dwellings  of  certain  members.     The  nearest 
church   of  the  former   denomination    was    at 
"  Molatton,"  in  Amity  township,  twelve  miles 
distant  to  the  southeast;  and  of  the  latter2  at 
"  Goschenhoppen,"  in  Hereford  township,  near 
the  county  line,  twenty-five  miles  distant  to  the 
east.     Possibly  there  was  a  Catholic  Church  in 
Maxatawuy  township   also,   to  the    northeast 
about  twenty  miles.     There  were  Roman  Cath- 
olics in  the  town  from  the  beginning.    Written 
complaints  against  them  were  made  by  certain 
prominent  men  to  the  provincial  government  in 
1755;  but  these  were  disregarded.3    The  largest 
religious  denomination   in   the  town   was  the 
Lutheran,  though  the  Reformed  was  not  much 
smaller.     The  members  of  both  were  zealous. 
They   exhibited   their   devotion   by   promptly 
erecting,   or   moving   toward   the   erection  of, 
churches  in  which  to  carry  on  their  services. 
And  this  they  did,  though  they  had  a  church 
only  several  miles  to  the  north,  in  Alsace  town- 
ship. The  number  of  either  denomination  could 
not  be  ascertained.     Judging   from   a   list  of 


1  In  Cumru  township,  along  the  Wyomissing  Creek  ;  an- 
other at  Sinking  Spring. 

1  But  by  the  preamble  of  the  act  incorporating  Reading 
into  a  borough  it  would  appear  that  there  was  a  Roman 
Catholic  meeting-house  in  Reading  in  1788.  Four  are 
there  mentioned,  three  of  which  certainly  were  the  Luth- 
eran, Calvinist  and  Friends. 

3  6  Col.  Rec,  503,  533-534. 


READING. 


657 


communicants  in  the  Lutheran  congregation  in 
1775,  their  membership  was  about  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five. 

Schools. — In  the  matter  of  schools,  the  in- 
habitants displayed  much  earnestness.  Each 
religious  denomination  carried  on  a  separate 
school — especially  the  Lutherans,  Reformed  and 
Friends.  Though  the  education  was  secular  in 
kind,  it  was  tinctured  to  a  great  degree  with 
religion.  Statements  have  frequently  been  made 
that  schools  were  scarce  and  their  encouragement 
was  backward  in  this  district  of  territory  in  that 
early  period, — those  which  existed  at  all  having 
been  in  villages  and  towns.  This  is  a  mistake. 
Before  Eeading  was  laid  out  there  were  at  least 
eight  schools  in  the  territory  now  comprising 
Berks  County, — four  to  the  east  of  the  river,  in 
Hereford,  Oley,  Exeter  and  Maiden-creek,  and 
four  to  the  west,  in  Caernarvon,  Robeson,  Tul- 
pehocken  and  Bethel.  The  education  was  lim- 
ited, having  been  confined  mostly  to  spelling, 
reading,  writing  and  simple  arithmetic.  Each 
scholar  was  obliged  to  pay  for  tuition,  generally 
several  dollars  for  a  quarter.  In  some  instances 
scholars  paid  a  cent  a  day,  and  this  payment 
was  made  each  day  at  the  close  of  the  session. 
Teaching  was  conducted  during  the  spring, 
fall  and  winter.  The  greater  number,  if  not 
all,  of  the  scholars  assisted  daily  in  labor  of 
some  kind  or  other  at  their  homes.  The  teach- 
ers were  men,  and  men  only;  no  women,  and 
especially  no  young  people.  The  schools  were 
generally  small  one-story  buildings.  In  some 
cases  they  consisted  of  rooms  rented  for  that 
purpose. 

Public  Buildings. — Upon  the  erection  of 
the  county  and  the  establishment  of  Reading  as 
the  county-town,  quite  naturally  the  county 
officials,  especially  the  justices  and  county 
commissioners,  took  immediate  steps  for  the 
erection  of  public  buildings  to  subserve  the 
convenience  of  transacting  the  public  business 
of  the  county.  But  some  time  elapsed  before 
their  efforts  in  this  direction  were  successful. 
In  the  mean  time  private  buildings  were  used 
instead.  The  courts  were  held  in  taverns. 
The  court-house  was  the  first  to  be  erected. 
The  enterprise  of  the  officials  in  this  behalf  was 
accomplished  in  1762,  The  public  offices  were 
60 


opened  in  February,  1766.1  The  court-house 
was  not  built  upon  an  extensive  scale.  A  large 
building  was  not  necessary.  The  public  busi- 
ness of  a  judicial  character  was  still  limited. 
One  clerk  held  all  of  the  five  offices  at  one  time 
from  the  erection  of  the  county  till  the  Revolu- 
tion.    A  county  jail  was  erected  in  1770.2 

Markets  and  Fairs. — In  one  of  the  peti- 
tions to  the  Assembly  for  the  erection  of  Berks 
County,  the  petitioners  represented  that  Read- 
ing, in  1751,  contained  one  hundred  and  thirty 
dwellings,  one  hundred  and  six  families  and 
three  hundred  and  seventy-eight  inhabitants. 
By  the  foregoing  assessment,  it  would  appear 
that  Reading,  in  1759,  contained  one  thousand 
two  hundred  inhabitants, — a  growth  of  three 
hundred  per  cent,  within  ten  years.  In  1761 
the  town  was  erected  into  a  separate  district 
out  of  Alsace  township.  With  so  large  a  pop- 
ulation and  feeling  their  importance,  the  citizens 
quite  naturally  desired  the  town  to  possess  the 
privilege  of  holding  markets  and  fairs.  They 
accordingly  presented  the  following  petition  to 
John  Penn,  Governor  of  the  province  : 

"  The  petition  of  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Town  of 
Reading,  in  the  county  of  Berks, 

"Most  Humbly  Sheweth, — 

"  That  about  twelve  years  since  this  Tract  of  Coun- 
try, now  known  by  the  Name  of  Berks  County,  part 
of  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania,  by  Act  of  General 
Assembly  was  made  a  Separate  County,  and  in  con- 
sequence Whereof,  by  order  of  the  Honorable  Pro- 
prietary s,  this  part  of  the  said  County  was  Located, 
fixed  and  Surveyed  for  the  County  Town,  and  called 
by  the  Name  of  the  Town  of  Reading,  and  very  many 
Lots  granted  to  your  Petitioners  and  others,  under 
certain  Rents  payable  to  the  Proprietarys  and  their 
Heirs  forever. 

"  That  your  Petitioners  are  Tenants  under  such 
Grants,  and  have  been  at  very  considerable  Expences 
in  Erecting  Houses  and  making  other  Valuable  Im- 
provements in  the  said  Town,  But  humbly  conceive 
that  could  we  be  favour'd  with  a  Charter  of  Incorpo- 
ration, granting  Liberty  to  hold  and  keep  Publich 
Markets  weekly,  and  Fairs  twice  in  the  Year  on  cer- 
tain Days,  it  would  greatly  tend  to  advance  the  Value 
of  Lotts  Lett  and  to  be  Lett,  encourage  many  others 
to  come  and  Settle  among  Us,  Increase  our  Number 
of  Inhabitants,  bring  More  Wealth  and  render  the 
Town  of  Reading  more  happy  and  abundantly  more 
flourishing. 

1  Letter  to  Pennsylvania  Gazette. 

2  See  p.  463,  chapter  on  Internal  Improvements. 


658 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


"  Wherefore  your  Petitioners  pray  your  Honour  to 
take  the  Premises  in  your  Consideration,  and  promote 
and  forward  the  Prosperity,  Happiness  and  Increase 
of  one  of  the  Proprietaries'  Towns  by  Incorporating 
and  Granting  them  the  Privilege  of  Fairs  and  Mar- 
kets, as  aforesaid." 

This  petition  was  written,  in  a  superior 
handwriting,  by  James  Whitehead,  Jr.,  an  attor- 
ney, dated  at  Reading,  February  10,  1764,  and 
subscribed  by  two  hundred  and  fifteen  inhabit- 
ants of  the  town.  The  names  were  mostly 
written  in  German.  Their  application  was 
favorably  entertained,  though  somewhat  de- 
layed, and  on  the  30th  of  July,  1 766,  a  charter 
was  granted,  by  which  the  town  was  authorized 
to  hold  weekly  markets  and  semi-annual  fairs. 
This  charter  was  as  follows  : 

CHARTER  TO  READING  FOR  MARKETS  AND   FAIRS. 

■ '  Thomas  Penn  and  Richard  Perm,  Esquires,  true 
and  absolute  proprietaries  and  Governors-in-Chief  of 
the  Province  of  Pennsylvania  and  Counties  of  New- 
castle, Kent  and  Sussex  on  Delaware,  To  All  to  whom 
these  Presents  shall  come,  send  Greeting  : 

"  Whereas  it  hath  been  represented  to  Us  that  the 
Inhabitants  of  the  Town  of  Beading,  in  the  County 
of  Berks,  in  the  said  Province,  are  in  great  want  of  a 
Market,  for  buying  and  selling  Provisions,  and  of 
Fairs  for  buying  and  selling  Goods,  Wares,  Merchan- 
dize and  Cattle, — 

"Now  know  ye  that  We,  favouring  the  reasonable 
request  of  the  said  Inhabitants,  and  considering  the 
flourishing  State  to  which  the  said  Town  hath  ar- 
rived through  their  Industry,  have,  of  our  free  will, 
granted,  and  do,  by  these  Presents,  for  Us,  our  Heirs 
and  Successors,  grant  to  the  present  and  succeeding 
Inhabitants  of  the  said  Town  that  they  shall  and  may 
forever  hereafter  have  and  keep  within  the  said  Town 
of  Reading  two  fairs  yearly,  and  every  year,  that  is 
to  say,  the  first  to  begin  on  the  Twenty-seventh  Day 
of  October  next,  to  be  held  in  Penn  Street  and  to 
continue  that  Day  and  the  Day  next  following,  and 
the  other  of  the  said  Fairs  to  begin  on  the  Fourth 
Day  of  June,  to  be  held  in  Penn  Street  aforesaid  and 
to  continue  that  Day  and  the  Day  after.  But  in  case 
either  of  those  Days  shall  happen  to  fall  on  Sunday, 
then  the  said  Fairs  to  be  held  the  succeeding  Day  or 
two  Days  following  together,  and  no  longer,  With 
all  the  Liberties  and  Customs  to  such  Fairs  belonging 
or  incident.  And  We  do  also  hereby  grant  to  the 
Present  and  succeeding  Inhabitants  of  the  said  Town 
of  Reading,  that  they  shall  and  may  hold  and  keep 
within  the  said  Town,  in  Penn  Street  Square,  between 
Queen  Street  and  Prince  Street,  two  Markets  in  each 
Week,  that  is  to  say,  one  Market  on  Wednesday  and 
one  Market  on  Saturday  in  every  week  of  the  Year 


forever.  And  We  do  also  hereby  grant  and  ordain 
that  there  shall  be  a  Clerk  of  the  Market  for  the  said 
Town,  who  shall  have  the  Assize  of -Bread,  Wine, 
Beer  and  all  other  Provisions  brought  for  the  use  of 
the  said  Inhabitants,  who  shall  and  may  perform  all 
things  belonging  to  the  Office  of  a  Clerk  of  the  Mar- 
ket, within  the  said  Town;  And  that  Henry  Haller 
shall  be  the  present  Clerk  of  the  Market,  who  shall 
be  removable  at  the  pleasure  of  the  Justices  of  the 
Peace  of  the  said  County  of  Berks,  for  the  time  being, 
or  a  Majority  of  them,  in  their  Court  of  General 
Quarter  Sessions  of  the  Peace  for  the  said  County  of 
Berks ;  and  another  Clerk  of  the  Market  shall  from 
time  to  time  be  by  them  appointed  and  removed  in 
their  said  Sessions  as  often  as  they  shall  find  neces- 
sary. And  We  do  hereby  further  grant  and  ordain 
that  the  Clerk  of  the  Markets,  for  the  time  being, 
shall  and  may  erect  so  many  Stalls  and  Let  the  same 
at  such  reasonable  rates  as  the  said  Justices  may 
from  time  to  time  direct  and  see  necessary,  and  that 
such  Clerk  shall  exhibit  his  Accounts  to  the  said 
Justices,  to  be  by  them  examined  and  passed  in  their 
Sessions,  which  shall  be  in' the  Month  of  May  every 
Year  forever,  and  the  Moneys  arising  therefrom  shall 
be  appropriated  by  the  said  Justices  to  the  erecting 
and  maintenance  of  the  said  Stalls,  the  paying  the 
said  Clerk  of  the  Market  for  his  services,  and  to  such 
other  Publick  Uses  within  the  said  Town  as  they  the 
said  Justices  shall  think  proper  and  direct. 

"In  Testimony  whereof,  We  have  caused 
the  Great  Seal  of  the  said  Province  to  be 
hereunto  affixed.  Witness  John  Penn,  Esquire, 
Lieutenant-  Governor  and  Commander-in-  Chief 
of  our  said  Province,  at  Philadelphia,  the 
[Seal.]  Thirtieth  Day  of  July,  in  the  Sixth  Year 
of  the  Reign  of  George  the  Third,  by  the 
Grace  of  God,  of  Great  Britain,  France  and 
Ireland,  King,  Defender  of  the  Faith  and 
so  forth,  and  in  the  Year  of  our  Lord  one 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  sixty-six. 
"  John  Penn." 

The  semi-weekly  markets  were  instituted  in 
the  fall  of  1766;  a  large  market-house  was 
then  erected  in  Penn  Square  to  the  east  of 
Callowhill  (Fifth)  Street;  and  then  farmers 
and  butchers  began  the  sale  of  vegetables,  but- 
ter, eggs,  meat,  etc.,  twice  a  week,  in  the  morn- 
ing of  Wednesdays  and  Saturdays,  the  articles 
named  having  been  exposed  for  sale  in  the 
market-house. 

The  semi-annual  fairs  began  in  October,  1766. 
They  were  held  regularly  on  the  27th  day  of 
October  and  4th  day  of  June  during  that 
period  and  they  were  generally  well  attended. 
All    kinds    of   goods   and   merchandise  were 


BEADING. 


659 


brought  to  the  market-house  and  exposed  for 
sale.  The  people  of  the  country  aud  of  the 
town  doubtless  looked  upon  these  fair-days  with 
much  pleasure.  In  the  beginning  their  deal- 
ings were  mostly  of  a  practical  nature.  But 
gradually  they  introduced  festivities  of  various 
kinds.  The  exhibition  continued  two  days, 
the  first  by  common  consent  having  been  taken 
by  the  farmers  and  country  people  generally, 
and  the  second  by  the  town-people.  Dancing, 
with  music,  produced  on  the  violin,  was  a 
prominent  part  of  the  programme ;  and  (if  we 
may  judge  of  the  exhibition  then  by  the 
practices  of  the  people  four-score  of  years  after- 
wards) the  conclusion  was  enlivened  with 
fighting  and  revelry. 

Citizens  against  Change  of  Govern- 
ment.1— Several  years  previous  to  the  granting 
of  the  charter  to  the  town,  a  considerable  agita- 
tion prevailed  amongst  the  people  of  the 
country  concerning  the  question  of  a  change  of 
government  which  had  been  recommended  by 
the  Assembly  of  the  province  for  the  reason,  as 
it  was  alleged, — 

"  That  mischievous  disagreements  subsist  in  this 
government,  which  proceed,  as  they  conceive  from  the 
very  Nature  of  it,  and  that  a  Spirit  of  Violence, 
Riot  and  Confusion  prevails  among  us  which  cannot 
be  controlled  by  the  present  Power  of  Government 
and  renders  a  change  of  the  same  necessary." 

But  they  were  generally  against  a  change 
which  indicates  a  "  Tory  "  feeling.  Their  dis- 
approbation of  this  movement  was  expressed  in 
memorials  to  the  King.  These  memorials  were 
printed.   In  them  the  subscribers  represented, — 

"  That  they  had  received  information  that  a  certain 
petition  praying  for  change  of  government  had  been 
drawn  to  the  King;  and  alarmed  at  its  nature,  they 
asked  for  a  copy  to  know  its  contents ;  that  they  were 
informed  that  it  had  already  been  forwarded,  and 
no  copy  could  be  granted  without  leave  of  Assembly 
at  next  meeting  in  September;  and,  apprehending 
that  delay  would  prejudice  them  so  that  they  could 
not  submit  their  sense  of  the  matter,  they  represented 
that  they  held  their  Frame  of  Government  in  the 
highest  estimation;  that  though  disagreements  had 
arisen ,  others  around  them  were  not  exempted  from  like 
misfortune,  and  that  they  were  not  incident  to  the 
Nature  of  their  Government ;  that  the  Province  en- 

1  Penn  Manuscript  Papers,  pages  90  and  114,  in  posses- 
sion of  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania,  at  Philadelphia. 


joyed''  the  most  perfect  internal  Tranquility;  that  the 
Spirit  of  Riot  andViolence  was  foreign  to  GeneralTemp- 
er  of  the  Inhabitants,  that  disturbances  were  quieted, 
the  Civil  Powers  were  supported  and  no  offenders  were 
screened  from  public  justice ;  and  that  if  executive 
power  were  coo  weak,  the  Assembly  could  strengthen 
it — therefore  they  prayed  the  King  to  disregard  the 
petition  of  the  Assembly  as  grievous  and  not  properly 
representing  the  state  of  the  Province." 

One  of  them  was  signed  by  citizens  of  Read- 
ing, eighty-six  in  number ;  among  these,  prom- 
nent  men,  such  as  James  Whitehead,  Jr., 
James  Scull,  Isaac  Levan,  Abraham  Levan, 
John  Scull,  Nicholas  Scull,  Conrad  Bauer, 
Christopher  Witman,  Anthony  Fricker,  Jasper 
Scull,  Henry  Vanderslice.  The  great  majority 
of  the  signatures  were  in  German  handwriting. 

Another  from  citizens  of  Beading  was  signed 
by  Jonas  Seely,  James  Bead,  John  Patton, 
Henry  Christ,  Jacob  Weaver,  (sheriff),  John 
Bishop,  Samuel  Weiser,  (coroner),  Jacob  Mech- 
lin, Richard  Lewis,  (commissioner). 

Early  Inn-keepers. — The  tavern  was  a 
prominent  public  place  in  the  town.  Licenses 
were  granted  by  the  Governor  of  the  State  upon 
the  recommendation  of  the  justices  of  the 
county.  In  1762  over  thirty  licenses  were 
issued  for  taverns  in  Reading.  The  following 
persons  were  recommended : 

Christopher  Witman.  Michael  Kraus. 

Alexander  Klinger.  Leonard  Rupert. 

Peter  Fetter.  Frederick  Braun. 

Peter  Withington.  Elias  Yungman. 

Henry  Kehler.  John  Hartman. 

Henry  Haller.  Jacob  Shoemaker. 

Jacob  Jager.  Nicholas  Seitzinger. 

Anthony  Fricker.  Abraham  Weidman. 

Jacob  Graul.  Conrad  Longsdorff. 

Jacob  Keyser.  Casper  Pfatteicher. 

Erhard  Roos.  Christian  Maurer. 

George  Albert.  Peter  Weiser. 

Michael  Brecht.  Jacob  Rabolt. 

Peter  Brecht.  Ludwig  Byerle. 

Andreas  Engel.  Jacob  Moyer. 
William  Frymyer. 

A  number  of  the  tavern-keepers  named 
were  prominent,  not  only  in  the  town  affairs, 
but  in  the  county  political  affairs.  The  pro- 
portion of  taverns  to  the  population  was  rather 
surprising,  having  been  about  one  to  every 
forty  inhabitants.  A  prominent  tavern  was 
"  Witman's,"  now  the  building  occupied  by  the 


660 


HISTOKY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


"Farmers'  National  Bank."  This  building 
was  erected  in  1763  by  Adam  Witman,  an  inn- 
keeper, who,  doubtless,  erected  it  for  an  inn. 
He  held  it  till  1778.  In  1799,  Michael  Wood, 
also  an  inn-keeper,  came  to  own  it.  He  had 
leased  it  for  some  years  previously.  From  his 
possession  it  took  the  name  of  "Wood's  Inn," 
and  it  was  so  known  till  1814,  when  the 
Farmers'  Bank  purchased  it  and  took  posses- 
sion. The  bank  has  held  it  for  banking  pur- 
poses continuously  till  now,  a  period  covering 
seventy  years.  This  is  the  second  oldest 
building  in  Beading.1  Washington  sojourned 
in  it  whilst  visiting  Beading  in  1793.  He  was 
very  kindly  received  and  hospitably  enter- 
tained. He  held  a  levee,  and  many  persons 
called  to  show  him  honor  and  affection. 

Early  Occupations. — The  early  industry 
of  the  town  was  very  diversified.  It  comprised 
numerous  trades.  The  mechanics  were  the  life 
and  development  of  the  town.  They  were 
happy  because  they  were  employed ;  and  they 
were  contented  because  they  supplied  their 
wants,  not  only  by  laboring  for  others,  but  also 
by  cultivating  lots  and  out-lots  for  themselves. 
And  many  of  them  were  in  good  circumstances. 
Hat-making  was  then  a  prominent  employ- 
ment. 

The  following  list  (in  connection  with  the 
previous  list,  which  embraces  the  patentees  ot 
town-lots)  indicates  the  occupations  which  the 
town  afforded  and  also  the  pursuits  which  cer- 
tain men  followed.  They  were  obtained  from 
the  records  in  the  recorder's  office  of  the  county. 
The  year  indicates  the  date  of  the  deed  in 
which  they  appear.  The  persons  mentioned 
may  have  lived  in  the  town  some  time  before 
the  year  given : 

1754.— Martin  Kast,  inn-holder ;  Leonard  Rupert, 
baker;  Adam  Wagner,  baker;  Moses  Highman' 
merchant;  Conrad  Deboy,  reed-maker;  Andrew 
Steele,  blacksmith  ;  Joseph  Chammond,  shop-keeper ; 
Michael  Gretter,  slaughterer ;  Jacob  Kern,  inn- 
holder;  Evan  Jones,  shop-keeper;  George  M.  Gret- 
ter, slaughterer ;  John  Jackson,  felt-maker ;  Samuel 
Jackson,  felt-maker ;  Adam  Werterberger,  weaver. 


1  The  oldest  building  now  standing  in  Reading  is  situated 
on  the  northwest  corner  of  Fifth  and  Washington  Streets.  It 
was  erected  in  1760  by  Michael  Brecht.  Then  it  was  a 
two-story  building;  the  third-story  was  added  in  1817. 


1757. — Jacob  Yeager,  carpenter;  Henry  F.  Degen- 
hardt,  tinner  ;  Gabriel  Shopp,  saddler ;  George  Diehl, 
cordwainer;  Nicholas  Shopper,  joiner. 

1758. — John  Shreidt,  gunsmith ;  Sebastian  Grauser, 
carpenter ;  Martin  Krafft,  inn-holder. 

1759. — Paul  Lebo,  blacksmith;  Isaac  Lebo,  hatter ; 
Christopher  Laman,  joiner;  David  Henderson,  law- 
yer; Adam  Brosius,  tailor;  Bernhard  Eorebauch, 
cooper;  Henry  Senger,  leather-dresser;  John  Gross, 
book-binder. 

1760. — Robert  Popkins,  carpenter;  Peter  Haas, 
wheelwright ;  Jacob  Yeager,  inn-keeper ;  Edward 
Drury,  inn-keeper ;  Nicholas  Keim,  wheelwright  ; 
Casper  Jost,  nailer;  Peter  Holtzader,  cooper;  Isaac 
Young,  shop-keeper;  Matthias  Hineline,  hatter; 
Lawrence  Fix,  cooper ;  Isaac  Wickersham,  carpenter. 
1761. — Meyer  Josephson,  shop-keeper;  William 
Frick,  barber;  Jacob  Hoffman,  inn-holder;  John 
Marchin,  carpenter  ;  William  Graeff,  lock  and  gun- 
smith; EdmundRose,  weaver;  Adam  Scheir,  carpenter. 
1762. — Francis  Ficks,  cooper;  John  Collier,  tailor ; 
Samuel  Weiser,  scrivener;.  Frederick  Goodhart,  wag- 
oner; Elias  Yungman,  hatter;  David  Meyerly, 
mason;  Balthaser  Bach,  tailor;  James  Whitehead, 
Jr.,  lawyer;  Paul  Kerber,  cordwainer;  Ludwig 
Fillinger,  weaver ;  Edward  Biddle,  lawyer ;  Jonathan 
Worrall,  shoemaker ;  Andrew  Schenck,  wheelwright. 
1764.— Jacob Robold, brick-maker;  Adam Schlegel, 
tailor  ;  John  Bingeman,  carter ;  Peter  Rapp,  butcher ; 
George  Shultz,  hatter;  Thomas  Lincoln,  mason; 
Peter  Rein,  glazier;  John  A.  GottschalLJecksmith. 

1765. — Christopher  Neidle,  wheelwright;  Henry 
Haller,  tailor ;  Peter  Brecht,  saddler ;  Nicholas  Keim, 
shop-keeper;  John  F.  Moyer,  cordwainer;  Henry 
Gossler,  baker  ;  Andreas  Fuchs,  cooper ;  John  Wit- 
man,  cordwainer;  Valentine  Urledig,  ciock-maker; 
Matthias  Moyer,  joiner;  Jost  Tietz,  miner;  Conrad 
Babb,  tinman. 

1766.— Henry  Eckert,  brewer ;  John  Spohn, brewer; 
Conrad  Geist,  weaver. 

1767.— Peter  Zimmerman,  mason;  John  Morris, 
joiner;  Michael  Klein,  cordwainer;  Jonathan  Jones, 
saddletree-maker  ;  Jacob  Neithack,  cordwainer. 

1768.— Alexander  Murray,   clerk  ;  Abraham  Wit- 
man,  cordwainer;  Jacob  Hoff,  chirurgeon  and  barber. 
1769.— Frederick  Stieff,  cordwainer;  Jacob  Graff, 
hatter ;  William  Miller,  pump-maker. 

1770.— Casper  Pfatteicher,  cordwainer;  Henry 
Printz,  stocking-weaver;  George  Bernhard,  skinner ; 
Jasper  Scull,  surveyor. 

1772.— Jeremiah  Paul,  school-master;  Anthony 
Fricker,  inn-keeper. 

1774.— Abel  Morris,  clock-maker;  John  Mears, 
cabinet-maker;  Daniel  Levan,  lawyer ;  Daniel  Rose, 
clock-maker;  Peter  Gross,  hatter;  Jacob  Gross, 
hatter;  John  George, butcher ;  John  Dissler, saddler; 
Jacob  Boyer,  carpenter ;  Jacob  Oswald,  tailor;  Jacob 
Bright,  brewer. 
1779. — Baltzer  Henri tze,  hatter. 


READING. 


661 


A  prominent  business  stand  is  worthy  of 
special  mention  in  this  connection.  Conrad 
Weiser  began  a  store  on  the  north  side  of  Penn 
Street,  above  Callowhill  (now  Fifth),  on  lot  No. 
3.  He  obtained  the  patent  in  1751,  having 
probably  erected  the  building  (two-story  stone) 
shortly  before.  Here  Weiser  carried  on  busi- 
ness intercourse  with  the  Indians,  in  which 
respect  the  building  obtained  particular  historic 
prominence.  This  stand  has  continued  promi- 
nent thence  till  now,  a  period  extending  over 
one  hundred  and  thirty  years.  For  many  years 
it  was  commonly  known  as  the  "Old  White 
Store."  It  came  to  be  owned  by  Nicholas 
Keim,  in  1769  ;  and  the  Keim  family  carried 
on  business  in  it  through  this  period  and  for 
seventy  years  afterward. 

Three  old  buildings,  which  were  erected  in 
•  this  period,  are  still  standing, — two-story  stone 
tavern-stand,  northwest  corner  of  Fifth  and 
Washington"  Streets,  erected  in  1760  (many 
years  afterward  improved  and  enlarged) ;  two- 
story  stone  tavern-stand,  on  north  side  of  Penn 
Street,  below  Fifth,  1763  (bank  building  since 
1814);  and  two-story  stone  building,  county 
prison,  1770,  on  northeast  corner  of  Fifth  and 
Washington  Streets  (store  building  since  1848). 

Rainbow  Fire  Company. — The  town-peo- 
ple naturally,  after  having  erected  numerous 
dwellings  and  buildings  in  the  town,  considered 
the  necessity  of  an  organization  for  protecting 
them  from  fire.  It  is  believed  that  they  organ- 
ized a  fire  company  soon  after  the  town  had  be- 
gun to  be  rather  compactly  built  up,  though 
there  is  no  record  to  establish  the  fact.  A  reg- 
ular company  was,  however,  organized  on 
March  17,  1773,  and  named  the  "  Rainbow 
Fire  Company."  And  this  would  seem  to  have 
been  the  only  company  of  this  kind  here  for 
thirty  years  afterward.  Their  apparatus  for 
extinguishing  fires  was,  indeed,  simple  but  labor- 
ious, especially  when  compared  with  the  appa- 
ratus of  fire  companies  one  hundred  years  after- 
ward. The  fire  was  extinguished  at  first  by 
buckets  of  water,  hooks  and  axes.  Water  was 
carried  in  buckets  and  passed  from  hand  to  hand 
from  the  nearest  pump  (then  numerous  in  town) 
to  the  burning  building  and  poured  upon  the 
fire,  and,  if  not  sufficient,  the  hook  and  ax  were 


applied  to  prevent  the  conflagration  from  spread- 
ing to  other  buildings. 

Then  the  force-pump,  manipulated  by  hand, 
was  introduced.  What  an  improvement  this 
must  have  been  regarded  over  the  slow,  tedious 
and  too  frequently  ineffectual  and  dangerous 
method  with  the  bucket  ?  Instead  of  approach- 
ing the  fire  and  pouring  on  the  water,  the  fire- 
men could  stand  off  one  hundred  feet  and  more 
and  force  the  water  through  a  hose  and  pipe  in 
a  continuous  stream  upon  the  burning  building. 

No  Newspapers  nor  Internal  Improve- 
ments.— There  were  no  newspapers  in  Reading 
during  its  history  as  a  town.  The  Pennsylvania 
Gazette  had  a  limited  circulation  among  the  peo- 
ple. This  supplied  the  news,  and  this  news  was 
almost  entirely  "foreign."  The  local  corre- 
spondence was  only  occasional.  This  important 
agent  for  preserving  as  well  as  communicating 
facts  and  particulars  about  a  growing  people, 
not  being  in  existence  then  at  Reading,  affords 
no  assistance  whatever  in  ascertaining  the  con- 
dition of  Reading  before  the  Revolution.  A 
"  special "  to  the  Gazette  reported  some  of  the 
Indian  cruelties  and  wandering  bears  in  the 
vicinity  of  Reading ;  and  a  correspondent  from 
Reading,  in  1760,  intimated  the  possible  im- 
provement of  the  Schuylkill  for  navigation. 
The  difficulty  of  gathering  facts  concerning  this 
early  period  of  Reading,  upon  which  to  found 
historical  narrative,  will  therefore  be  appre- 
ciated. 

And  there  was  no  bank  nor  post-office, 
no  public  water-works,  no  bridge  nor  turn- 
pike, no  canal  nor  railway,  no  telegraph 
nor  telephone,  no  gas  nor  electric  light! 
How  destitute  of  public  conveniences  and 
improvements  were  the  inhabitants  of  the 
town  compared  with  what  the  people  have  now 
— in  the  year  1886  !  We  cannot  imagine  their 
situation.  And  yet  they  were  satisfied,  for  they 
knew  not  of  these  things. 

Pump. — The  pump  was  an  important  feature 
in  the  town  ;  in  fact,  it  was  an  indispensable 
feature — and  it  continued  to  be  for  a  hundred 
years,  till  the  municipal  government  discouraged 
its  use,  for  sanitary  reasons,  especially  after  the 
valuable  water-works  had  been  obtained  from 
the  "  Reading  Water  Company."     It  is  one  of 


662 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


the  first  things  mentioned  in  connection  with 
the  town,  and  it  occupies  a  prominent  position 
in  the  growth  and  well-being  of  the  people.  It 
stood  in  every  locality,  and  was  used  by  every- 
body; its  utility  cannot  be  over-estimated. 
There  were  some  springs  in  the  town,  and  one 
place  was  supplied  with  running  water.  This 
was  the  "  Fountain  Inn,"  which  was  located  on 
the  south  side  of  Penn  Street,  about  fifty  yards 
above  Tenth.  It  was  conveyed  in  a  wooden 
pipe  from  the  spring  at  the  "  Gravel  Hole,"  on 
the  "commons,"  a  distance  of  nearly  half  a 
mile.  Many  wells  were  in  use — the  water  hav- 
ing been  drawn  up  in  a  bucket  by  a  chain  or 
rope  attached  to  a  windlass. 

Fuel,  Light,  Entertainments.  —  The 
only  substance  which  the  inhabitants  used  for 
fuel  for  heating  and  cooking  purposes  was 
wood.  The  wood-stove  was  common  every- 
where ;  and  so  was  the  open  fire-place.  Great 
chimneys  were  a  necessary  part  of  every  dwell- 
ing. Coal  had  been  discovered  in  the  upper 
section  of  the  county,  along  the  head-waters  of 
the  Schuylkill,  some  years  before  the  close  of 
this  period,  but  its  usefulness  as  a  substance  for 
fuel  had  not  as  yet  been  recognized  or  appre- 
ciated. 

The  light  of  that  period  was  still  in  a  primi- 
tive state.  There  was  no  step  as  yet  beyond  the 
lamp ;  wax  and  fat  and  oils  were  still  the  sub- 
stances commonly  used  for  this  purpose.  Gas 
was  known  abroad  ;  but  it  had  not  yet  been 
introduced  for  lighting  public  or  private  places. 
Thirty  years  more  elapsed  before  it  was  adopted 
for  lighting  the  streets  of  Westminster  and  Lon- 
don, in  England.  There  was  no  demand  for  an 
improvement  in  this  direction  beyond  the  wants 
of  social  entertainment.  The  inhabitants  worked 
while  it  was  day,  for  when  the  night  came  thev 
found  that  they  could  not  work,  realizing,  in- 
deed, the  literal  significance  of  the  divine  in- 
junction. Work-shops  closed  at  six  o'clock  or 
sun-down.  The  stores,  however,  were  kept 
open  till  nine  and  ten  o'clock;  and  the  taverns, 
especially.  A  dim  light  enabled  the  people  to 
move  around  ;  but  talk,  gossip  and  story-telling 
were  carried  on  more  than  business.  A  country 
store  or  tavern  of  to-day  is  a  fair  sample  of 
what  the  stores  and  taverns  of  Reading  were 


during  the  period  when  it  was  a  town ;  indeed, 
its  light,  produced  from  improved  coal-oil  lamps, 
is  superior  to  the  light  that  they  had  then  from 
oil,  fat  and  tallow. 

There  were  no  evening  dramatic  performances 
— no  entertainments  of  any  kind.  Balls  and 
dancing  parties  were  numerous  then  as  they  are 
now.  But  these  were  conducted  at  taverns  and 
not  at  halls  specially  designed  for  such  a  pur- 
pose. The  violin  was  the  only  musical  instru- 
ment used,  and  the  player  was  an  orchestra  all 
in  himself,  his  energetic  stamping  and  motions 
keeping  the  dancers  in  time  and  awaking  con- 
siderable activity  upon  the  occasion. 

The  people  had  various  pastimes,  just  as  they 
have  had  everywhere,  time  out  of  mind.  Card- 
playing,  racing,  quoiting,  rolling  and  throwing 
ball,1  running  and  jumping,  ball-playing  and 
hoop-rolling  were  most  common.  These  were,- 
however,  for  men  and  boys.  The  women  and 
girls  devoted  their  spare  time  mostly  to  knit- 
ting, quilting,  fancy- sewing  and  spinning.  They 
did  not  have  any  sports  which  required  physical 
exertion.  Indeed,  with  them,  such  has  ever 
been  the  case.  It  is  even  so  now — excepting 
one  instance,  roller-skating. 

Hunting  and  Fishing. — Hunting  and  fish- 
ing were  especially  interesting  and  successful 
sports  in  the  days  when  the  woods  were  great 
and  wild  and  the  waters  rolled  onward  unpol- 
luted. This  was  incised  a  great  section,  for 
woods  and  springs  were  in  abundance.  Before 
the  town  was  laid,  bears  were  numerous  in  this 
vicinity;  and  they  continued  here  for  some 
years  afterward.  Several  were  shot  near  by  in 
1754,  of  which  special  mention  was  made  in  a 
letter  to  the  Pennsylvania  Gazette  at  Philadel- 
phia. All  kinds  of  wild  game  were  plentiful— 
deer,  rabbits,  pheasants,  partridges,  ducks,  geese 
and  pigeons.  The  latter  were  here  in  flocks, 
estimated  by  the  thousand.  Gunning  for  food 
— if  not  for  a  livelihood — was  common  with 
every  man.  Traps  and  snares  were  used  very 
successfully  by  many  for  catching  game. 

The  Schuylkill  and  its  many  tributaries  aboun- 
ded with  fish.    Fishers  were  just  as  successful  as 


1 A  ball  of  iron,  varying  in  weight  from  seven  to  twenty- 
five,  and  even  fifty  pounds. 


READING. 


663 


gunners.  They  were  not  required  to  walk  more 
than  a  mile  or  two  at  most  from  their  homes. 
The  abundance  of  shad  made  this  locality  fa- 
mous as  a  fishing-ground.  Along  the  "  Never- 
sink"  and  around  the  "Poplar  Neck"  they 
were  plentiful.  The  name  of  the  locality — 
Navesink1  fishing-ground,  arose  from  this  cir- 
cumstance. With  the  Indians  it  was  a  chosen 
district  above  all  other  districts.  The  name  im- 
ports the  preference.  Other  fishes  of  various 
kinds  were  here  likewise.  Different  modes  of 
catching  them  were  used — the  net  and  the  rod 
and  line  being  preferred.  The  gig  at  night  was 
frequently  adopted.  But  the  first-named  was 
used  mostly  for  this  purpose.  A  large  propor- 
tion of  the  food  of  the  early  inhabitants  consist- 
ed of  wild  game  and  fish. 

Indian  Invasion. — In  the  early  part  of 
this  period  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  were 
thoroughly  aroused,  if  not  terrified,  by  the 
horrible  cruelties  of  the  Indians  along  the  Blue 
Mountain,  just  twenty  miles  away.  The  safety 
of  the  community  was  more  or  less  uncertain 
during  the  continuance  of  their  invasion  from 
1755  till  1763.  A  military  depot  was  stationed 
in  the  town.  Soldiers  were  quartered  here  to 
inspire  confidence  and  the  assurance  of  protec- 
tion, and  their  movements  must  have  kept  the 
people  in  constant  excitement.  Conrad  Weiser 
was  the  most  prominent  citizen  by  reason  of  his 
active  participation  in  the  warfare,  not  only  as 
a  commander  of  colonial  troops,  but  also  as  an 
interpreter  for  the  Indians  and  as  a  mediator 
between  them  and  the  government.  Many  of 
the  settlers  were  murdered  in  the  townships 
along  the  mountain.  But  the  citizens  of  the 
town  did  not  suffer  any  loss  at  all,  for  no  lives 
were  sacrificed,  no  persons  were  seized  and 
carried  away  and  no  property  was  burned  or 
stolen.  They  were  fortunate.  The  Indians 
feared  the  town.  It  was  too  populous  for  them 
and  too  well-guarded.  The  nearest  point  to  the 
town  which  they  reached  was  six  miles  away. 
But  then  they  were  not  in  a  squad,  not  in  force 
sufficient  to  commit  outrages  if  they  had  been 
so  inclined  ;  only  a  single  Indian  was  seen,  and 
he  was  apparently  fleeing  from  impending  harm 
or  imprisonment.     It  is  rather  surprising  that  a 

This  name  should  be  substituted  for  "  Neversink." 


single  Indian  dared  to  venture  twenty  miles 
away  from  his  associates  in  and  beyond  the 
mountain,  but,  more  surprising  that  he  escaped 
with  his  life  after  having  come  so  far  into  the 
county.  The  citizens  must  indeed  have  rejoiced 
when  the  declaration  of  peace  was  published  in 
1763. 

Revolution. — The  rest  and  quiet  which  this 
declaration  of  peace  produced  were  certainly 
very  encouraging  to  them  during  their  efforts 
in  developing  the  town  into  that  degree  of 
importance  which  its  position  as  a  county-seat 
naturally  demanded.  But  these  had  scarcely 
made  an  impression  before  a  new  subject  began 
to  agitate  their  minds.  This  was  in  reference  to 
their  personal  and  political  rights  as  subjects  of 
the  King.  The  importance  of  these  rights  was 
not  wholly  understood  or  appreciated.  Infringe- 
ment upon  them  did  not  then  awaken  a  public 
spirit  of  opposition.  The  people  as  a  community 
were  satisfied  with  the  government  over  them. 
They  were  not  even  inclined  to  unite  in  a  move- 
ment for  a  change.  But  in  the  course  of  ten 
years  their  sentiments  changed  ;  and  just  as  they 
were  indisposed  at  the  close  of  the  "  French  and 
Indian  War"  to  consider  any  subject  which 
tended  to  disturb  the  quiet  that  was  settling 
round-about  them,  so  were  they  prompt  and 
active  in  preparing  the  way  for  the  Revolution. 
They  enunciated  their  feelings  and  principles  at 
public  meetings.  They  expressed  earnest  and 
bold  sympathy  for  their  fellows  in  the  distant 
colony  of  Massachusetts,  and  encouraged  them 
in  the  stand  which  they  had  manfully  taken 
against  the  encroachments  of  the  British  govern- 
ment upon  their  political  rights.  "  No  taxation 
without  representation "  was  a  great  public 
sentiment  to  which  our  community  could  then 
readily  subscribe  and  about  which  they  could 
formulate  a  strong  and  unconquering  spirit  for 
war.  In  that  time  a  new  leader  grew  into 
popular  favor,  and  they  unhesitatingly  and 
unanimously  looked  to  him  for  political  repre- 
sentation, just  as  they  had  looked  to  Conrad 
Weiser  twenty  years  before  in  their  alarming 
days  with  the  savage  Indians.  This  was 
Edward   Biddle.2     Companies   of  troops  were 

2  He  came  into  Berks  County  from  Philadelphia  in  1757. 
Then  was  ensign  in  Captain  Conrad  Weiser's  company,  in 


664 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


formed  and  forwarded.  Military  supplies  of  all 
kinds  were  furnished  in  answer  to  all  demands. 
Moneys  were  collected  and  paid  over ;  and 
general  activity  prevailed  in  the  community 
through  the  entire  period  of  the  Eevolution  for 
eight  years.  And  naturally,  this  activity,  this 
noble  exhibition  of  patriotism,  won  the  favor  of 
the  government,  for  the  leaders  in  the  great 
movement,  recognizing  the  loyalty  of  the  citizens, 
established  in  the  town  a  large  depot  for  military 
stores,  and  also  a  large  barrack  for  prisoners  of 
war.  Altogether  this  was  quite  a  centre  in  the 
movement  for  independence,  though  the  rolling 
valleys  and  elevated  hills  round-about  were  not 
drenched  with  the  blood  of  men  in  actual  war- 
fare, though  the  county  was  not  even  invaded 
by  the  enemy.  The  nearest  point  reached  was 
Valley  Forge.  Some  of  the  prominent  generals 
of  the  Revolutionary  army  were  at  Reading 
during  the  war.  One  of  them,  General  Thomas 
Mifflin,  was  so  pleased  with  the  land  in  this  locality 
that  he  purchased  a  large  farm  in  Cumru  town- 
ship, and  remained  upon  it  with  his  family  for 
some  time.  But  it  is  not  known  that  the 
commander-in-chief,  General  Washington,  visi- 
ted Reading.  He  was  at  the  "Reading 
Furnace"  in  1777,  which  was  near  the  county 
line  in  Chester  County,  about  fifteen  miles 
southeast  from  Reading. 

Prominent  Men. — During  the  first  period 
of  Reading,  from  1748  till  1783,  a  number  of 
its  citizens  distinguished  themselves,  some  as 
political  representatives,  some  in  the  pursuits  of 
business  life  and  some  in  military  service.  I 
can  mention  the  following  men  : 

Political. — Conrad  Weiser,  Edward  Biddle,  Charles 
Biddle,  James  Bead,  Henry  Haller. 

Business. — Nicholas  Keitn,  Nicholas  Scull,  John 
Jackson,  Mark  Bird,  Gabriel  Hiester,  John  Patton, 
Jacob  Graeff,  Henry  Hahn,  Samuel  Jackson,  Peter 
Gross,  Henry  Eckert,  Jacob  Bright,  Baltzer  Henritze, 
Nicholas  Lotz,  Dr.  Jonathan  Potts,  Bodo  Otto,  Adam 
Witman,  Michael  Bright,  Christopher  Schultz,  George 
Douglass,  Anthony  Fricker. 

Military. — Daniel  Brodhead,  Joseph  Hiester,  George 
Nagel,  John  Spohn,  Jacob  Morgan,  Jacob  Graul, 
Jacob  Maurer. 


active  service  in  the  French  and  Indian  War.  2  Penna. 
Arch.  (2d  series),  543.  And  see  sketch  in  chapter  on 
■Revolution. 


Many  other  men  stood  out  prominently,  but 
they  were  from  the  several  districts  of  the 
county  round-about  Reading. 

Sketches  of  some  of  the  men  named  appear 
elsewhere  in  this  history. 

Nicholas  Keim. — John  Keim,  the  progeni- 
tor of  the  Keim  family,  emigrated  to  America 
in  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  century, 
and  became  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  Oley 
township,  Berks  County,  having  taken  up  land 
before  1718,  and  located  in  the  upper  section  of 
the    township,    near    the    present    village    of 


KEIM 


Lobachsville.  He  carried  on  farming  there  till 
his  decease,  in  1732.  He  was  a  "Friend,"  a 
follower  of  Pastorius. 

Nicholas  Keim,  a  son  of  John  Keim,  was 
born  in  Oley  township  April  2,  1719.  He 
pursued  the  life  of  a  farmer  till  1755,  and  then 
with  his  wife,  Barbara  (Snyder),  and  an  only 
son,  moved  to  Reading,  where  he  then  began 
the  business  of  a  general  hardware-store,  and  a 
dealer  in  grain,  etc.  In  1769  he  purchased 
from  Mark  Bird  the  "  Weiser  Store  Stand," 
on  Penn  Street,  near  Fifth,  commonly  known 
as  the  "  Old  White  Store,"  and  there  carried 
on  business  very  successfully  for  a  number  of 
years.  At  that  period  he  was  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal  merchants   at   Reading,  Adam  Witman 


READING. 


665 


having  then  also  been  largely  engaged  in  trade. 
He  resided  in  a  large  two-story  stone  dwelling 
on  the  northwest  corner  of  Penn  and  Ninth 
Streets.  He  carried  on  extensive  business  trans- 
actions with  the  leading  merchants  of  Philadel- 
phia and  Germantown.  His  receipt-book  for 
the  years  1763,  1764,  1765  and  1766  includes 
the  autographs  of  the  Wisters  and  Benezets, 
Samuel  Miles  (afterwards  a  colonel  in  the  Revo- 
lution), Christopher  Saur  (the  prominent  pub- 
lisher), Amos  Wickersham,  George  Dillwyn, 
Owen  Jones,  John  Coxe,  Caleb  Poulke  and 
others.  About  the  year  1785  he  transferred 
his  store  to  his  only  son,  John,  and  retired  from 
active  business.  He  was  a  man  of  progressive 
spirit,  who  encouraged  everything  relating  to 
the  development  of  the  community  in  which  he 
lived.  He  died  on  August  3,  1802,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-three  years,  "  after  a  long, 
lingering  consumption,  which  he  bore  with 
Christian  fortitude  and  entire  devotion  to  the 
will  of  the  Almighty."  [Weekly  Advertiser, 
August  28,  1802.] 

Pound  Sterling. — The  term  "  pound  sterl- 
ing" arose  in  England  under  King  Richard  I., 
about  the  year  1190.  It  is  supposed  to  be  an 
abbreviation  of  the  word  "  Easterling,"  the  name 
of  an  oriental  coin  which  was  introduced  into 
England  by  distinguished  coiners  from  the  East. 
It  is  also  supposed  to  have  been  a  small  coin 
worth  about  one  penny  which  was  stamped  by 
merchants  from  Germany  called  Esterlings  dur- 
ing the  reign  of  King  John,  1199-1216. 

In  the  provincial  days  of  Pennsylvania  a 
pound  was  equal  to  $2.42.  The  pound  sterl- 
ing of  England  is  now  represented  by  a  "  sove- 
reign," a  gold  coin  valued  at  $4.84. 

The  terms  "  pounds,"  "  shillings,"  "  pence," 
were  used  in  reckoning  for  some  years  after  the 
establishment  of  independence.  The  county 
records  show  a  change  from  the  use  of  these 
terms  to  dollars  and  cents  in  the  year  1796. 
The  early  inhabitants  of  Reading  were  obliged 
to  understand  the  value  of  the  foreign  coins  in 
order  to  carry  on  satisfactory  business  inter- 
course with  one  another.  Before  the  change 
was  introduced  there  were  two  units  of  value : 
the  English  pound  and  the  Spanish  milled  dol- 
lar, and  the  values  of  these  standards  were  not 


common.  The  matter  of  reckoning  value,  mak- 
ing change  and  exchange,  etc.,  was  a  complicated 
matter  for  them,  much  more  so  than  we,  who 
are  accustomed  to  simple  units  of  value,  would 
imagine. 

Calendar — Old  Style  to  New  Style. — The 
old  style  of  reckoning  time  (Styli  Veteris)  was 
the  Julian  Style,  derived  from  Julius  Csesar — 
46  B.C.  The  length  of  the  year  by  this 
reckoning  was  afterward  found  to  be  incorrect. 
But  centuries  elapsed  before  it  was  changed. 
In  1582  Pope  Gregory  XIII.,  issued  a  brief 
in  which  he  abolished  the  use  of  the  Julian 
Calendar  and  substituted  a  corrected  calendar 
according  to  the  calculations  of  a  learned  astron- 
omer of  Naples,  named  Aloysius  Lillins.  The 
correction  added  ten  days  to  the  old  style.  The 
name  of  this  calendar  was  called,  after  the  Pope, 
"  Gregorian,"  and  came  to  be  recognized  as  the 
new  style.  The  difference  between  the  two 
styles  continued  to  be  ten  days  till  1700.  In 
the  eighteenth  century  it  was  eleven  days. 
The  order  of  the  Pope  was  first  recognized  only 
by  governments  under  the  influence  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  religion.  But  the  change  was 
gradually  introduced  into  the  reckoning  of  all 
the  governments.  In  1751  an  act  of  Parlia- 
ment was  passed  by  the  British  government 
adopting  the  new  style  in  all  public  and  legal 
transactions,  and  directing  that  the  next  year 
1 752  should  begin  on  the  1st  day  of  January, 
instead  of  the  25th  day  of  March ;  that  the 
names  of  the  months  (as  January,  February, 
March,  etc.)  should  be  substituted  for  the  num- 
bers (as  1st,  2d,  3d,  etc.),  and  that  the  day  fol- 
lowing the  2d  day  of  September,  1752,  old  style, 
should  be  reckoned  as  the  14th  day  of  Septem- 
ber, new  style.  Previous  to  the  time  that  this 
act  went  into  effect  in  the  American  colonies, 
the  Assembly  of  Pennsylvania  passed  an  act  on 
March  11,  1752,  recognizing  the  act  of  Parlia- 
ment, more  especially  for  the  purpose  of  pre- 
venting disputes  in  reference  to  the  dates  of  legal 
conveyances. 


666 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


PART  II. 

BOROUGH  FROM  1783  TO  1847. 

Charter  of  Incorporation — Election  Districts — Newspapers 
— Post-Office — Internal  Improvements — Ferries  and 
Bridges — Fire  Companies,  Banks  and  Water  Supply — 
Light — Public  Buildings — Stages,  Canals  and  Railway — 
Manufacturers — Traffic — Merchants  of  Reading  in  1830 
— Occupations  in  1839— Distinguished  Visitors — Memor- 
ial Services — Streets,  Change  of  Names — Executions — 
Early  Exhibitions. 

Charter  of  Incorporation. — After  the 
close  of  the  Revolution,  with  independence  not 
only  boldly  declared  but  admirably  won  and 
firmly  established  throughout  the  United  States, 
the  town  was  ready  for  a  step  forward  into  a 
distinct  political  body,  with  the  powers  and 
privileges  of  municipal  government.  It  then 
contained  about  four  hundred  taxables,1  or  fully 
two  thousand  inhabitants.  Nine-tenths  of  the 
population  were  Germans ;  and  it  was  generally 
recognized  as  the  largest,  most  important  and 
progressive  inland  town  in  the  entire  country. 
Accordingly,  a  petition  in  this  behalf  was  pre- 
sented to  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State, 
and  on  the  12th  day  of  September,  1783— 
thirty-five  years  after  the  town-plan  had  been 
laid  out— it  was  erected  into  a  borough.  This 
length  of  time  would  seem  to  indicate  a  slowness 
of  political  action  in  respect  to  advancement  be- 
yond the  ordinary  and  limited  powers  of  a  town- 
ship ;  but  it  would  also  seem  to  indicate  a  good, 
orderly  and  contented  people,  who  were  able  to 
get  along  satisfactorily  without  the  aid  of  police 
regulations.  By  that  time  the  county  had 
come  to  contain  a  population  numbering  twenty- 
five  thousand  ;  and  towns  had  come  to  be  laid 
out  and  established  in  the  county  round-about 
Eeading— Womelsdorf  to  the  west,  fourteen 
miles,  in  1760;  Hamburg  to  the  north,  sixteen 
miles,  and  Kutztown  to  the  northeast,  eighteen 
miles,  about  1770;  Birdsboro' to  the  southeast, 
nine  miles,  about  1770  ;2  and  Morgantown  to 
the  south,  fifteen  miles,  about  1770. 

1  Some  one  has  fixed  the  number  at  three  hundred  and 
sixty-two.  By  the  assessor's  list  of  the  town  for  1780  the 
resident  taxables  numbered  four  hundred  and  seventeen. 

2  The  year  is  not  known.  Bird,  the  founder,  did  not 
sell  any  lots  by  deed ;  hence  definite  information  could  not 
be  obtained.     It  is  the  same  as  to  Morgantown. 


The  following  letter  is  worthy  of  preservation 
in  connection  with  the  incorporation  of  the  bor- 
ough : 

"Sir. — I  have  proposed  a  few  amendments  to  the  Bill 
for  erecting  Reading  into  a  Borough,  which  you  left 
with  me ;  they  are  written  on  the  sheet  accompanying 
the  Bill.  If  I  heard  the  objections  to  the  Borough 
being  bounded  by  the  Western  bank  of  the  river 
Schuylkill,  I  could  be  enabled  to  give  you  my 
opinion  better  with  respect  to  that  matter  than  at 
present,  but  as  I  am  now  circumstanced  I  cannot 
divine  what  they  can  be ;  nor  do  I  perceive  the 
particular  advantages  that  may  attend  it,  being  thus 
bounded  so  as  to  render  it  a  point  of  moment ;  per- 
haps it  is  intended  that  the  Burgesses  shall  be  True 
Trouts. 

"  The  question,  whether  the  Burgesses  can  be  con- 
stituted Justices  of  the  peace  for  the  county  of  Berks, 
has  been  duly  attended  to ;  and  if  the  majority  of  the 
freeholders  within  the  town  and  district  incorporated 
request  it,  I  can  see  no  reason  to  suppose  that  the 
Legislature  cannot  gratify  them,  not  only  agreeable 
to  the  spirit  but  the  letter  of  the  30th  section  of  the 
Constitution. 

"  I  am,  Sir,  in  haste, 

"  Your  most  obedient,  humble  servant, 
"Tho.  M'Keast." 

"Phita., 
"  Aug't  28,  1883, 

"Daniel  Clymer, Esquire." 

[Original  letter  written  in  neat,  legible  handwrit- 
ing.] 

ACT   OF  ASSEMBLY. 

"An  Act  for  erecting  the  town  of  Reading,  in  the 
county  of  Berks,  into  a  borough ;  for  regulating  the 
buildings,  preventing  nuisances  and  encroachments 
on  the  squares,  streets,  lanes  and  alleys  of  the  same, 
and  for  other  purposes  therein  mentioned,  passed  by 
the  General  Assembly  September  12,  1783 : 

"Sec.  1.  Whereon  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  of 
Reading  have  represented,  by  their  petition  to  the  As- 
sembly, that  the  said  town  has  greatly  improved.and  is 
yearly  increasing  in  buildings  and  number  of  inhabi- 
tants ;  that  a  good  court-house,  jail  and  four  churches3 
or  houses  for  public  worship  are  erected,  and  that  the 
courts  of  justice  for  the  county  are  held  there  ;  that 
encroachments  and  nuisances  have  been  committed  in 
the  public  squares,  streets,  lanes  and  alleys  of  said 
town,  and  its  out-lots  ;  that  contentions  happen  rela- 
tive to  partition  walls  and  fences,  and  a  variety  of 
other  matter,  to  the  great  annoyance  and  inconven- 
ience of  the  inhabitants. 

See.  2.  And  whereas  it  is  necessary,  as  well  for 
the  benefit  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  said  town  as 
those  who  trade  and  resort  there,  and  for  the  advant- 


3  Trinity  Lutheran,  First  Reformed,  Friends'  and   the 
fourth  probably  Catholic. 


READING. 


667 


age  of  the  public  in  general,  that  the  encroachments, 
nuisances,  contentions,  annoyances  and  inconven- 
iences in  the  said  town  and  out-lots  thereto  belong- 
ing, should  for  the  future  be  prevented.  Aud  for  the 
promoting  industry,  rule,  order  and  the  better  govern- 
ment of  the  said  town. 

"  Sec.  3.  Be  it  enacted,  and  it  is  hereby  enacted  by 
the  Representatives  of  the  Freemen  of  the  commonwealth 
of  Pennsylvania,  in  General  Assembly  met,  and  by  the 
authority  of  the  same,  That  the  said  town  of  Reading 
and  the  country  herein  after  described  shall  be,  and 
the  same  is  hereby  erected  into  a  borough,  which  shall 
be  called  '  The  Borough  of  Reading '  for  ever,  the  ex- 
tent of  which  borough  is  and  shall  be  comprised 
with  the  following  boundaries,  to  wit. :  Beginning  on 
the  westerly  bank  of  the  river  Schuylkill,  opposite 
Lardner's  lane  of  Hockley's  out-lots;  thence  across 
said  river  and  Lardner's  lane,  north  sixty-six  degrees 
east,  six  hundred  and  fifty-nine  perches  to  a  post  in  a 
line  of  land  late  of  Adam  Witman,  Esq.,  deceased ; 
thence  with  said  line,  and  Philip  Sayler's,  south 
twenty-four  degrees  east,  one  hundred  and  seven 
perches  to  a  stone,  being  a  corner  of  land  late  of 
Jonathan  Potts,  Esq.,  deceased ;  then  with  the  lines 
of  said  Witman  and  Potts,  north  sixty-six  degrees 
east,  fifty-three  perches  to  a  stone,  being  a  corner  of 
said  Potts'  land ;  thence  with  the  lines  of  Potts  and 
Bright,  south  twenty-four  degrees  east,  seventy 
perches  to  a  stone,  being  a  corner  of  said  Bright's 
land  ;  thence  across  the  mountain,  south  six  degrees 
west,  four  hundred  and  seventy-eight  perches,  to  a 
post,  being  a  corner  of  Michael  Bright's  land  ;  thence 
south  sixty-six  degrees  west,  ninety-three  perches,  to 
a  stone,  being  a  corner  of  Isaac  Levan's  lands ;  thence 
by  the  same  and  Michael  Crowser's  land,  south  twenty- 
four  degrees  east,  ninety-eight  perches  to  a  stone ; 
thence  by  the  same,  south  sixty -six  degrees  west,  one 
hundred  and  fifty-six  perches  to  a  black  oak,  being  a 
corner  of  said  Levan's  land,  on  the  eastern  bank  of 
the  said  river  Schuylkill ;  thence  across  said  river  to 
the  western  bank  thereof ;  thence  up  the  said  river, 
along  the  several  courses  and  distances  on  the  west- 
erly bank,  seven  hundred  and  forty  perches  to  the 
place  of  beginning. 

"  Sec.  4.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  by  the  authority 
aforesaid,  That  Daniel  Levan  and  William  Scull,  Es- 
quires, be  and  they  are  hereby  appointed  the  present 
Burgesses ;  and  the  said  Daniel  Levan  shall  be  called 
the  chief  Burgess  within  the  said  borough  ;  and  Peter 
Nagle,  John  Spoon,  Benjamin  Spyker,  Jr.,  and 
James  May,  assistants,  for  advising,  aiding  and  as- 
sisting the  said  Burgesses  in  the  execution  of  the 
powers  and  authorities  herein  given  them  ;  and  John 
Fry  to  be  High  Constable ;  and  Collinson  Reed,  Es- 
quire, to  be  the  Town  clerk ;  to  continue  Burgesses, 
Assistants,  High  Constable  and  Town  Clerk,  until 
the  first  day  of  May,  one  thousand  seven  hundred 
and  eighty-four,  and  from  thence  until  others  shall 


be  duly  elected  and  appointed  in  their  place,  as  here- 
in after  is  directed. 

"  Sec.  5.  Style  of  the  corporation.  '  The  Burgesses 
and  Inhabitants  of  the  Borough  of  Reading  with  its 
corporate  powers  and  privileges  enumerated.' 

"Sec.  6.  Election  of  Burgesses  and  other  officers 
regulated.  Time  of  Election  fixed  on  first  of  May  of 
each  year. 

"  Sec.  7.  Powers  of  the  Burgesses  specified. 

"  Sec.  8.  Qualifications  of  Borough  officers  enumer- 
ated. 

"iSisc.  9.  Provisions  for  markets  and  fairs.  The 
markets  to  be  held  twice  every  week — on  Wednesday 
and  Saturday  ;  and  the  fairs  twice  every  year,— on 
the  fourth  of  June  and  on  the  twenty-seventh  of  Octo- 
ber,— each  fair  to  continue  two  days.  John  Hart- 
man  is  named  as  clerk  of  the  marker,  'who  shall  have 
the  assize  of  bread,  wine,  beer,  wood  and  all  other 
provisions  brought  for  the  use  of  inhabitants.' 

"Sec.  10. — Penalty  on  officers  elected  who  refuse  or 
neglect  to  act. 

"Sec.  11. — Power  to  make  rules  and  ordinances  for 
the  good  government  of  the  borough. 
t"  Sec.  12. — Buildings  heretofore  erected  that  en- 
croach on  any  street  shall  not  be  deemed  nuisances ; 
but  they  are  not  to  be  rebuilt  nor  shall  future  en- 
croachments be  made. 

"  Sec.  13. — No  foundation  of  any  party  wall  shall 
be  laid  by  any  person  before  applying  to  the  regula- 
tors, who  are  to  be  appointed  by  the  Burgess. 

"Sec.  14. — Owners  not  to  build  on  streets  en- 
croached upon. 

"  Sec.  15. — Parties  finding  themselves  aggrieved  in 
respect  to  foundation  wall  may  appeal  to  Quarter  Ses- 
sions. 

"  Sec.  16. — Parties  to  pay  regulator  for  service. 

"  Sec.  17. — Regulator  to  regulate  partition  fences, 
etc. 

"  Sec.  18. — Freeholders  to  choose  supervisors  and 
assessors  annually  on  third  Monday  in  May. 

"  Sec.  19. — Notice  of  their  election  to  be  given 

"Sec.  20. — Supervisors  and  assessors  to  levy  a  tax 
annually,  not  exceeding  one  shilling  in  the  pound,  on 
the  clear  yearly  value  of  the  real  and' personal  estates, 
etc.,  after  first  being  qualified. 

"Sec.  21. — Supervisors,  etc.,  refusing  to  serve,  Bur- 
gess to  appoint  others  ;  compensation  fixed. 

"  Sec.  22. — Burgess  to  approve  tax  levied  before  col- 
lected. 

"  Sec.  23. — Tenants'  goods  liable  to  be  distrained  for 
tax. 

"Sec.  24. — Tenants  may  deduct  tax  paid  out  of 
rent. 

"  Sec.  25. — Supervisors  to  repair  streets. 

"  Sec.  26. — Supervisors  may  enter  lands  adjoining 
to  cut  drains  or  ditches  for  carrying  off  the  water. 

"Sec.  27.— Supervisors  to  be  fined  for  neglect  of 
duty. 


668 


HISTOEY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


"  Sec.  28. — Supervisors  to  present  just  accounts  to 
Burgesses  or  to  settle  the  same. 

"Sec.  29. — Borough  declared  to  be  one  distinct  dis- 
trict. 

"  Seo.  30. — Magistrates  empowered  to  act  in  all  mat- 
ters appertaining  to  their  office. 

"Sec.  31. — Justices  of  Borough  not  to  determine 
any  appeal. 

"Sec.  32. — Persons  who  shall  make  improvements 
required  to  remove  earth  from  the  streets,  etc. 

"Sec.   33. — Penalty   on   persons   laying    shavings, 
ashes,  etc.,  on  any  pavement. 

"Sec.  34. — Penalty  for  casting  rubbish  in  any  pub- 
lic street. 

"See.  35. — Distillers,  etc.,  shall  not  discharge  nau- 
seous liquor  so  as  to  run  through  the  streets. 

"Sec.  36. — Penalty  for  leaving  carrion  in  any  unin- 
closed  grounds. 

"  Sec.  37. — Penalty  for  obstructing  the  common 
sewers. 

"  Sec.  38. — Penalty  for  making  pavement  contrary 
to  regulation. 

"  Sec.  39. — Encroachments  by  cellar  doors  on  streets 
regulated.  • 

"Sec.  40. — Owners  of  porches  exceeding  the  limits 
to  be  assessed  till  removed. 

"  Sec.  41. — Penalty  for  removing  or  damaging  pipes 
or  trunks  used  in  conveying  water. 

"  Sec.  42. — Persons  not  to  keep  more  than  twenty- 
five  pounds  of  gun-powder  in  their  houses. 

"Sec.  43. — Manner  of  recovering  and  applying 
fines. 

"  Sec.  44. — Act  relating  to  public  roads  shall  not  ex- 
tend to  the  Borough. 

"  Sec.  45. — Suits  under  this  act  regulated."1 

A  new  charter  was  provided  by  an  act  passed 
March  29,  1813.  This  gave  the  borough  en- 
larged powers,  and  it  continued  iD  force  till 
1847,  excepting  several  modifications  with  re- 
spect to  elections  and  the  election  of  certain 
officials. 

Election  Districts.— In  1789  Reading 
and  eleven  townships  of  the  county  (Alsace, 
Bern,  Brecknock,  Caernarvon,  Cumru,  Exeter, 
Heidelberg,  Maiden-creek,  Oley,  Robeson  and 
Ruscomb-manor)  were  erected  into  an  election 
district.  The  poll  was  at  the  court-house. 
The  several  townships  named  were  taken  away 
during  the  following  fifty  years  and  erected 
into  separate  election  districts. 


1  Dallas'  Laws  of  Pennsylvania,  Second  Volume,  pages 
124-240.  Set  of  Reports  (4)  are  in  Law  Library  of  Berks 
County. 


In  1817  Reading  was  divided  into  two 
election  wards, — North  and  South, — Penn  Street 
having  been  made  the  dividing  line.  In  1840 
it  was  divided  into  four  election  wards, — North- 
east, Southeast,  Northwest  and  Southwest, — 
Penn  and  Sixth  Streets  having  been  made  the 
dividing  lines.  And,  in  1844,  a  fifth  election 
ward,  called  Spruce,  was  erected  out  of  that 
part  of  Reading  which  lay  between  the  Schuyl- 
kill River,  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad 
and  Spruce  Street. 

Newspapers. — There  was  no  publication  of 
any  kind  at  Reading  before  1783.     In  fact,  the 
people  of  the  town  were  without  every  great 
agent  whose  mission  is  the  rapid  development 
of  a  community.     We  must  indeed  wonder  how 
they  could  exist  without  a  newspaper,  a  post- 
office,  a  turnpike,  a  canal,  a  railway,  and,  espe- 
cially, without  some  affair  upon  which  to  bestow 
much  public  attention  and  treasure.     The  in- 
troduction of   municipal  government  amongst 
them  marked   the  beginning  of  real  progress, 
and  Time  thence  would  seem  to  have  been  gen- 
erous in  bestowing  his  blessings  upon  the  com- 
munity.    By  reviewing   the  whole   period  of 
the  borough  from  1783  to  1847,  the  newspaper 
occupies  a  very  prominent  position.     It  was  the 
first  evidence  of  real  advancement  by  the  town- 
people  beyond  their  previous  condition.     And 
that  this  instrumentality  in  a  new  era  of  Read- 
ing should  be  the  first  was  as  natural  as  it  was 
reasonable  and  necessary.     The  contents  of  the 
earliest  publications  were,  doubtless,  interesting 
to  its  readers,  notwithstanding  that  they  con- 
sisted of    advertisements    and    foreign    news 
almost  entirely  ;  but  to  us  of  to-day  they  would 
be  decidedly  uninteresting,  inasmuch  as  we  have 
been  taught  to  expect  and  to  read  and  to  know 
many  matters  pertaining  to   persons  not  only 
round-about  us,  but  distant  many  miles  as  well 
abroad  as  at  home.     Then  these  local  matters 
must  have  been  considered  of  no  consequence, 
inasmuch  as  they  were  carried  from  house  to 
house,  and  from  place  to  place  by  speech.  Now, 
however,  they  are,  and  even  before  the  borough 
had  run   its  course  they  were,  carried  by  the 
press. 

Nine-tenths  of  the  inhabitants,  it  is  believed, 
were  Germans.     Naturally  the  first  local  publi- 


HEADING. 


669 


cation  was  in  the  same  language.1  But  an 
English  publication  followed  some  years  after- 
ward; and  newspapers  in  both  languages 
have  continued  in  circulation  thence  till  now. 
Two  are  worthy  of  special  mention  for  their 
long  duration  ;  one  being  the  Reading  Adler 
(German),  established  in  1796,  and  the  other, 
the  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal  (English),  es- 
tablished in  1816,  the  former  having  been  the 
fourth  and  the  latter  the  sixth  publication  begun 
at  Reading.  Many  were  begun,  but  they  did 
not  flourish.  From  1820  till  1847  it  would 
seem  to  have  been  quite  fashionable  to  start 
and  run  a  newspaper,  judging  from  the  number 
instituted,  but  not  strongly  constituted.  Two 
English  newspapers  in  this  period  are  worthy 
of  mention,  the  Berks  County  Press  and  the 
Gazette  and  Democrat,  the  former  established  in 
1835  and  the  latter  in  1839.  Both  figured 
conspicuously  for  thirty  years,  and  chiefly  as  the 
advocates  of  the  Democratic  party. 

The  general  development  of  the  borough 
through  these  newspapers  cannot  be  fully  esti- 
mated. Their  influence  was  certainly  wonder- 
ful. At  first  their  power  over  the  public  was 
trifling  ;  but  it  grew  with  passing  years.  Long 
before  the  inhabitants  thought  of  growing  out 
of  their  boyhood  into  manhood,  in  respect  to 
local  self-government,  it  was  felt  as  a  strong 
agency  amongst  them.  And  it  was  as  good  as 
it  was  strong.2 

Post-office. — Several  years  after  the  in- 
troduction of  the  newspaper,  the  post-office  at 
Reading  was  established.  This  was  in  1793. 
We  of  to-day  cannot  imagine  what  a  step  this 
was  by  the  pe  ople  out  of  the  wilderness  of  in- 
convenience and  labor,  if  not  anxiety.  The 
nearest  post-office,  since  the  establishment  of 
this  department  of  public  service  in  the  country, 
was  at  Philadelphia.  Letters  therefore  were 
comparatively  few  in  number.  If  a  letter  were 
addressed  to  a  person  residing  at  Reading,  it 
was  delivered  at  Philadelphia,  and  there  pub- 
lished in  a  newspaper.  Through  this  publica- 
tion, notice  would  reach  Reading,  and  event- 

- x  It  was  entitled  Neue  Wnpartheyische  Zeitung,  and  first 
issued  February  18,  1789.     See  Rupp's  "  History  of  Berks 
and  Lebanon  Counties,"  p.  470. 
2 See  chapter  entitled  "  The  Press,"  ante,  p.  892. 


ually  the  persons.  Correspondence  was  almost 
entirely  indulged  in  by  those  who  could  for- 
ward it  by  an  express  messenger.  The  stage 
was  then  a  prominent  institution.  It  was  used 
for  transporting  letters,  as  well  as  persons  and 
goods  from  place  to  place.  After  the  establish- 
ment of  postal  routes  the  mail-bag  was  substi- 
tuted for  the  driver's  pocket.  There  was  a 
daily  mail  between  Philadelphia  and  Reading 
from  1793  till  the  establishment  of  the  rail- 
road in  1838.  In  this  period  of  about  forty- 
five  years  the  intercourse  of  the  people  for  social' 
and  business  purposes  was  stimulated  to  a  high 
degree.  During  nearly  the  whole  time,  letters 
were  folded  and  closed  with  red  sealing-wax. 
There  was  quite  an  art  displayed  in  the  folding 
so  as  to  admit  of  opening  the  letter  without 
mutilating  certain  parts  of  the  manuscript.  The 
envelope  was  introduced  here  shortly  before  the 
railways.  From  1835  for  a  number  of  years, 
mail  matter  was  received  twice  a  day  regu- 
larly. 
iNTEENAii  Improvements. — Great  thorough- 
fares had  been  established  which  led  through 
this  section  of  country  before  Reading  was  laid 
out  in  1748.  From  the  Schuylkill  at  the  foot 
of  Penn  street,  roads  extended  to  the  west,  to 
the  north,  to  the  southeast  and  to  the  south- 
west. The  Indians  had  doubtless  marked  out 
these  courses  in  passing  to  and  from  their  re- 
spective encampments  along  the  Tulpehocken, 
Ontelaunee,  Schuylkill  and  "Wyomissing,  and 
they  were  adopted  by  surveyors  in  viewing  and 
laying  out  public  roads  between  the  settlements. 
But,  notwithstanding  the  rapid  growth  of  the 
population  round-about  and  in  Reading  down 
to  1783,  there  was  no  movement  towards  the 
creation  of  great  highways  by  either  land  or 
water  to  encourage  as  well  as  to  facilitate  the 
business  enterprises  of  the  town.  This  was  a 
very  important  matter  to  them,  but  apparently 
they  did  not  feel  the  need  of  easy  and  rapid 
inter-communication.  However,  soon  after  the 
town  had  developed  into  a  borough,  a  pro- 
gressive spirit  appeared,  and  this  continued  to 
show  itself  persistently  from  one  decade  to 
another  till  the  people  came  to  enjoy  turnpikes, 
canals  and  a  railway.  These  were  accomplished 
before  1840.     By   studying  them  respectively 


670 


HISTOEY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


it  would  seem  that  they  were  plants  of  slow 
growth.  It  is  possible,  if  not  probable, 
that  the  demands  of  trade  were  not  ur- 
gent. Both  dealers  and  people  took  ample 
time  in  business  transactions,  the  former  in 
supplying  and  the  latter  in  demanding  articles 
for  use  and  consumption  in  daily  life.  And 
this  may  account  for  the  apparent  slowness  of 
actually  realizing  their  practical  utility.  Every- 
thing was  slow,  and  competition  was  com- 
paratively an  unknown  factor  in  the  market, 
especially  that  competition  which  is  now  recog- 
nized for  its  energy  and  keenness,  and  without 
which  a  merchant  would  certainly  be  left  far  in 
the  rear.  These  agents  were  useful  to  the 
borough  in  the  development  of  manufactures 
and  commerce,  and  they  continued  active  till 
it  was  advanced  into  a  city.  Before  1810  they 
were  of  no  consequence  to  the  borough.  But 
subsequently  in  every  decade  they  manifested 
their  power  by  an  ever-increasing  influence. 
In  respect  to  population  this  is  perceptible  ;  for 
from  1810  to  1820,  the  increase  was  twenty  five 
per  cent ;  from  1820  to  1830,  it  was  thirty-five 
per  cent ;  from  1830  to  1840  it  was  43.6  per 
cent.;  and  from  1840  to  1850  it  was  87.2  per 
cent.  Allowing  the  town  to  have  had  2000  in- 
habitants when  it  was  incorporated  into  a 
borough,  and  the  borough  to  have  had  12,000 
when  it  was  incorporated  into  a  city,  it  would 
appear  that  Reading  increased  in  population  10,- 
000  during  sixty-four  years,  quintupling  itself 
in  two  generations.  A  great,  if  not  the  greater, 
proportion  of  this  surprising  increase  is  attri- 
butable to  internal  improvements. 

Ferries— Bridges.— At  the  foot  of  Penn 
Street  there  was  a  ferry  across  the  Schuylkill 
from  the  beginning  of  the  town  till  1816,  when 
a  bridge  was  constructed.  The  first  efforts  of 
the  inhabitants  in  this  direction  were  made  in 
1796.  The  subject  of  this  important  improve- 
ment for  the  convenience  and  safety  of  the 
public  was  constantly  before  the  people  during 
a  score  of  years.  A  stone  bridge  was  first  sug- 
gested, and  the  project  was  encouraged  by  lib- 
eral legislation.  Even  the  "  Lottery  Scheme " 
was  brought  to  the  rescue,  with  the  aid  of  prom- 
inent, influential  commissioners.  A  beginning 
was  made  by  the  erection  of  stone  piers  and  the 


county  commissioners  paid  large  sums  of  money 
on  account  of  their  construction.  But  the  "  old 
ferry"  could  not  be  supplanted.  The  people 
knew  it  was  unsafe  and  uncertain.  They  ex- 
perienced it,  especially  every  spring.  What 
was  the  cause  of  this  inaction  ?  Was  the  en- 
terprise of  the  commissioners  too  weak,  or  was 
the  stone  bridge,  as  an  enterprise,  too  strong  for 
the  times  ?  What  a  contest  this  was  !  It  amuses 
us  of  to-day.  And  yet  have  we  not  weakness, 
insecurity  and  uncertainty  about  us  in  the  sev- 
eral departments  of  our  daily  life  which  we  fail 
to  remedy,  notwithstanding  the  spirit  of  agita- 
tion on  the  one  hand  and  our  wealth  and  edu- 
cation on  the  other  ?  It  would  seem  that  all 
efforts  were  fruitless  till  the  turnpike  was  intro- 
duced. And  yet  stages  ran  to  and  fro  across 
the  ferry  daily,  for  at  least  thirty  years.  Im- 
mediately after  the  turnpike  had  become  estab- 
lished, a  strong  determination  manifested  itself 
towards  the  completion  of  the  bridge.  In 
1816  it  reached  a  passable  condition,  and  in 
1818  it  was  completed.  It  took  the  name  of 
"Harrisburg  Bridge"  from  the  turnpike,  the 
eastern  terminus  of  which  was  at  this  point  and 
the  western  at  Harrisburg.  Twelve  years  after- 
ward a  second  bridge  was  erected  across  the 
river  about  two-thirds  of  a  mile  below.  It 
took  the  name  of  "  Lancaster  Bridge"  from  the 
road  which  led  to  Lancaster.  It  was  construct- 
ed also  of  wood.  There  was  no  delay  in  its 
construction.  The  county  commissioners  were 
authorized  by  an  act  passed  in  1829  to  erect  it. 
They  proceeded  at  once  in  the  matter,  and  com- 
pleted it  in  the  following  year.  At  this  point 
there  had  also  been  a  ferry  for  many  years.  It 
was  commonly  called  "  Strohecker's  Ferry," 
afterward  "  Garber's"  The  first  privilege  for 
a  ferry  at  this  point  had  been  granted  by  the 
Penns  to  one  Levan,  and  during  his  time  it 
was  called  "  Levan's  Ferry." 

Fire  Companies,  Banks,  Water  Sup- 
pIjT. — In  the  development  of  the  borough, 
special  mention  must  be  made  of  three  useful 
bodies  which  contributed  much  towards  the 
general  welfare  of  the  community — the  first  in 
respect  to  fire,  the  second  to  money,  and  the 
third  to  water. 

When  the  borough  began  its  eventful  history 


BEADING. 


671 


the  "  Eainbow  Fire  Company"  was  the  only 
association  in  the  place  for  the  protection  of 
property  from  fire,  and  it  continued  alone  for  a 
number  of  years.  Two  other  organizations  of 
this  nature  were  in  existence  for  some  time,  but 
no  information  was  obtainable  to  show  when 
they  began  or  ended.  One  was  called  the 
"Union  Fire  Company"  and  the  other  the 
"Sun  Fire  Company."  They  were  in  active 
operation  in  1808.  At  April  term  of  that  year 
they  united  with  the  "Rainbow"  in  a  petition 
to  the  judges  of  the  Quarter  Sessions  asking 
for  pecuniary  assistance.  This  petition  was  as 
follows : 

"  Petition  of  the  Inhabitants  of  Reading,  setting 
forth  that  a  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Borough 
of  Beading  have  at  a  considerable  expense  established 
three  fire  companies,  and  provided  engines,  buckets, 
baskets  and  other  necessary  articles  for  saving  property 
from  destruction  by  fire,  but  that  they  have  not  funds  to 
provide  buckets  sufficient  to  supply  those  who  are  un- 
able to  furnish  themselves  with  them  ;  that  the  pres- 
ervation of  the  Court-House  and  other  public  build- 
ings is  for  the  advantage  of  the  whole  county,  and, 
therefore,  part  of  the  expense  of  guarding  against 
their  being  consumed  by  fire  ought  to  be  paid  by  the 
county  instead  of  throwing  the  whole  burden  on  the 
borough  of  Reading.  Your  petitioners  therefore  pray 
your  Honor  to  recommend  it  to  Grand  Jury  to  grant 
a  sum  of  money  to  enable  the  commissioners  to  pur- 
chase a  competent  number  of  fire  buckets  to  be  placed 
in  some  public  place  in  the  town  of  Reading  under 
their  care  for  the  use  of  the  inhabitants  in  case  of 
fire. 

"  William  Moore, 

"  Prest.  of  Union  Fire  Co. 
"  Peter  Frailey, 

"  Prest.  of  Sun  Fire  Co. 
"  John  Lotz, 

"  Prest.  of  Rainbow  Fire  Co." 

It  was  laid  before  the  grand  jury,  and  on  the 
5th  of  April,  1808,  an  appropriation  of  two 
hundred  dollars  was  recommended. 

Subsequently,  during  the  history  of  the 
borough,  three  fire  companies  were  instituted, 
viz.:  Junior,  December  2,  1813;  Reading,1 
July  4, 1819 ;  Neversink,  April  14,  1829. 

Several  early  conspicuous  fires  which  occurred 

'A  "Reading  Hose  Company"  was  in  existence  in 
1815.  In  August  of  that  year  a  notice  was  published 
requiring  the  payment  of  moneys  due.  The  officers  were 
Samuel  Baird,  Jr.,  pres.  ;  William  Tilton,  sec.  ;  M.  Rich- 
ards, treas. 


in  Reading  are  worthy  of  mention.  On  No- 
vember 5,  1799,  between  one  and  two  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  a  "  shocking  "  fire  broke  out  in 
a  stable  on  "  Moravian  Alley."  The  property 
burned  consisted  of  a  large  stable,  including 
seventeen  horses,  ten  dwelling-houses  and  a 
large  warehouse,  including  a  large  quantity  of 
tea,  and  a  lot  of  coffee  and  other  articles.  The 
cause  was  not  ascertained.  It  was  reported  that 
two  men,  who  were  sleeping  in  the  stable,  were 
also  burned.2  Some  months  afterward  (March 
31,  1800)  another  fire  occurred,  which  con- 
sumed a  large  house  (the  property  of  Daniel 
Strohecker),  a  large  barn,  including  a  horse  and 
seven  pigs  (the  property  of  Michael  Madeira), 
and  a  stable,  including  a  cow  (the  property  of 
Jacob  Good).  The  fire  began  in  Strohecker's 
house. 

A  costly  conflagration  occurred  on  May  5, 
1820,  at  midnight,  on  Penn  Street,  between 
Fifth  and  Sixth.  Six  valuable  buildings  were 
burned,  five  of  which  were  stores,  viz.  : 

Two-story  stone  building,  occupied  as  a  store  by 
Lane  &  Orrick. 

Two  two-story  brick  buildings,  one  a  store  and  the 
other  a  dwelling,  the  property  of  William  Bell. 

Two  two-story  buildings,  one  frame  and  the  other 
brick,  both  occupied  as  stores,  the  property  of  Wil- 
liam Moore. 

Two-story  brick  building,  occupied  as  a  shoe-store 
by  O'Brien  &  Foster,  the  property  of  James  Bell. 

The  fire  was  caused  by  an  incendiary.  It 
originated  in  the  back  building  of  William 
Bell's  store.  The  loss  was  great  and  could  not 
be  estimated. 

Panic  of  1837  —  Shin-Plasters.  —  In 
1837  the  "  panic  "  struck  Reading.  Owing  to 
a  suspension  by  the  United  States  Bank,  the 
banks  at  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Baltimore, 
and  other  places  suspended  specie  payments, 
and  the  banks  at  Reading  were  forced  to  do 
likewise.  The  suspension  here  took  place  on 
May  12, 1837.  Notwithstanding  this  suspension, 
the  business  men  of  the  borough  published  a 
notice  of  their  entire  confidence  in  the  banks  at 
home,  and  of  their  willingness  to  accept  the 
notes  of  the  banks  in  payment  of  debts,  goods, 
etc. 

2  This  item  was  taken  from  the  Readinger  Adler.  The  fire 
is  not  mentioned  in  the  Weekly  Advertiser. 


672 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


The  scarcity  of  money  compelled  the  people 
to  resort  to  an  expedient  for  a  circulating 
medium.  This  was  found  in  the  "Shin- 
plaster,"  commonly  so  called,  and  also  "  Rag- 
Barons,"  "  Hickory  Leaves,"  etc.  The  Borough 
Council  came  to  the  relief  of  the  people  by 
authorizing  an  issue  of  loan  certificates  to  the 
amount  of  twenty  thousand  dollars,  in  denom- 
inations of  five,  ten,  twenty-five  and  fifty  cents, 
and  one,  two  and  ,  three  dollars,  which  were  to 
be  redeemable  on  August  1,  1838.  These  cer- 
tificates were  loaned  to  business  men  on  good 
security  to  indemnify  their  redemption  and 
afterward  redeemed.  A  public  meeting  was 
held  on  June  10,  1837,  to  denounce  this  pro- 
ceeding. It  was  only  a  noisy  demonstration, 
and  resulted  in  a  failure. 

Water. — Water  was  entirely  supplied  from 
wells  and  cisterns  to  the  citizens  till  1821.  Then 
a  company  was  organized  for  the  purpose  of 
supplying  good  water.  It  was  called  the 
"  Reading  Water  Company."  This  was  a  great 
improvement,  especially  for  those  people  who 
did  not  have  a  pump  upon  their  premises  and 
were  compelled  to  carry  water  for  some  dis- 
tance to  their  homes.  This  company,  by  means 
of  pipes,  conducted  water  throughout  the 
borough  into  the  yards  of  their  patrons.  But 
the  pumps  were  not  abandoned,  notwithstand- 
ing that  the  water  was  of  a  limestone  quality 
and  not  adapted  for  general  household  use, 
especially  for  washing  purposes.  Throughout 
this  period  many  people  from  all  parts  of  the 
borough  resorted  to  the  Commons,  along  the 
stream  which  flowed  from  the  "  arched  spring" 
near  the  "  gravel-hole,"  to  carry  on  washing. 
The  "  Commons  "  was  a  great  place  on  "  wash- 
day." The  most  popular  portion  was  at  the 
head  of  Washington  Street,  within  several 
hundred  feet  from  the  present  entrance  into  the 
"  Fair-Ground."  Many  women  and  girls  were 
there  at  a  time.  The  days  most  commonly  de- 
voted to  this  purpose  were  Mondays  and  Tues- 
days. The  numerous  heads  bobbing  up  and 
down  over  tubs,  and  long  lines,  with  "  wash " 
flapping  in  the  breeze,  presented  an  interesting 
sight  indeed.  The  water  was  heated  in  large 
iron  kettles,  suspended  from  cross-bars  which 
rested  on  notched  upright  posts,  or  placed  on  a 


temporary  hearth  built  of  stones  gathered  from 
the  vicinity. 

Light. — The  light  of  the  town  was  still  the 
light  of  the  borough.  Tallow,  moulded  in  the 
form  of  candles,  and  oil  and  camphene  in 
lamps  were  used.  The  streets  were  not  lighted. 
Public  buildings  were  very  seldom  used  in  the 
night  for  meetings  or  entertainments ;  and 
store  keepers  could  get  along  with  the  light 
afforded  from  lamps.  The  times  did  not  re- 
quire a  superior  light,  for  the  people  had  not 
yet  come  to  convert  part  of  the  night  into  day. 

Public  Buildings. — The  public  buildings 
of  the  borough  constituted  the  court-house, 
prison,  State-House  and  market-houses.  The 
old  court-house  was  found  too  small  and  incon- 
venient, and  a  fine,  large,  brick  structure  was 
supplied  in  1840.  The  prison  of  1770  re- 
mained, and  accommodated  all  the  prisoners 
from  the  county  and  the  county-seat.  The 
rooms  were  not  numerous,  but  the  county  com- 
missioners and  sheriff,  nevertheless,  found  place 
for  all  the  prisoners. 

In  1791  the  "State-House"  was  erected  on 
the  northeast  corner  of  Penn  and  Callowhill 
(Fifth)  Streets.  This  important  building  was 
supplied  in  order  to  provide  offices  for  the 
county  clerks,  treasurer  and  commissioners. 
Upon  the  erection  of  the  new  court-house  the 
offices  were  removed  thither,  and  the  building 
was  sold. 

When  the  town  was  incorporated  into  a 
borough  there  was  only  one  market-house.  It 
stood  in  Penn  Square,  above  Callowhill  Street. 
About  1799  a  second  was  built  after  the  same 
plan,  below  Callowhill  Street.  They  were  both 
rebuilt  at  the  close  of  this  period. 

There  were  no  halls  for  the  accommodation 
of  public  entertainments.  Balls,  amusements, 
etc.,  were  carried  on  in  large  rooms  of  cer- 
tain inns.  Two  places  were  conspicuous : 
Weldy's,  adjoining  the  "  Harrisburg  Bridge," 
or  the  south  side,  and  Fricker's,  on  the  south- 
west corner  of  Penn  and  Sixth  Streets. 

Stages — Canals— Railways.  — Reading 
had  been  an  active  inland  town,  and  public 
roads  had  been  laid  out  extending  to  the  north, 
east,  south  and  west,  for  nearly  forty  years  be- 
fore the  inhabitants  were  afforded  a  means  of 


iMMtlr^ 


7/w//  //r 


MMWW% 


READING. 


673 


transportation  by  public  conveyance  at  regular 
intervals  to  the  surrounding  settlements  and 
towns,  both  near  and  distant.  We  are  naturally 
inclined  to  wonder  what  subjects  occupied  the 
attention  of  prominent  enterprising  men  to  such 
an  extent  as  to  hinder  them  from  devising  so 
important  and  yet  apparently  so  simple  and 
trifling  a  thing  as  a  stage  for  the  accommodation 
of  the  public  in  respect  to  travel,  soon  after  a 
considerable  population  had  settled  in  the  town, 
say  in  1760  or  1770.  People  generally,  and 
business  men  especially,  moved  about  from 
place  to  place  to  a  greater  or  less  extent.  Some 
had  their  own  conveyances ;  but  the  majority 
had  not.  We  can  therefore  readily  understand 
that  progress  was  necessarily  slow  without  an 
accommodation  of  this  kind,  and  that  consider- 
able time  would  have  to  pass  away  before  any  per- 
ceptible improvement  was  realized.  Elsewhere 
the  stage-coach  was  then  a  useful  institution  and 
in  successful  operation.  At  Philadelphia,  just 
fifty  miles  off  to  the  southeast,  it  had  been  in. 
use  for  over  forty  years  before  Reading  was 
laid  out. 

The  stage  was  first  introduced  on  the  great 
highway  between  Reading  and  Philadelphia  in 
1789.  Several  years  afterward  stage-lines  were 
extended  to  the  west,  through  Lebanon  Valley 
to  Harrisburg,  to  the  north  over  the  Blue  and 
Broad  Mountains  to  Sunbury,  and  to  the  north- 
east through  Ea?t  Penn  Valley  to  Easton.  At 
first,  weekly  trips  were  made ;  afterward,  as 
public  demands  required,  they  gradually  became 
semi- weekly,  tri- weekly,  and  eventually  daily, 
the  last  having  been  reached  in  1826 — a  period 
in  the  development  of  our  local  affairs  about  as 
long  after  the  introduction  of  the  stage  as  it  was 
to  obtain  it  after  the  settlement  of  the  town  in 
1751.  When  the  daily  stages  ran  to  and  fro, 
trade  and  travel  were  lively.  Their  constant 
and  increasing  activity  provoked  competition. 
In  order  to  "  make  time,"  "relays  "  for  fresh 
horses  were  established  at  points  along  the  lines 
every  six  miles,  and  the  horses  were  urged 
onward  over  hills  and  dales  under  the  twirling, 
cracking  lash.  How  the  coaches  must  have 
rocked  on  their  leathern  support !  how  the  horns, 
blasted  by  long-winded  drivers,  must  have 
sounded  on  the  way  in  announcing  their  ap- 
61 


proach   and   arrival !      The   highest    point   of 
competition  was  reached  in  1830.     The   fares 
had  been  cut  to  half  their  regular  rate3,  and  the 
stage-coaches  had  come  to  fly  over  the  turnpikes 
at  a  gallop— especially  to  the  south  and  west — 
even   racing  side   by  side  at  times   to   reach 
prominent  places  first.    Then  the  court-house  on 
Penn  Square  was  the  prominent  point  of  obser- 
vation in  town  to  witness  arrivals.     Betting  on 
first  arrivals  of  competing  stages  was  frequently 
practiced.    It  was  common  to  see  fifty  and  even 
a  hundred  persons  assembled  there,  to  receive 
the  stages  with  a  welcome  of  shouts  and  ap- 
plause.    What  times,  indeed  !     Men  now,  who 
are   beyond  the  middle  age  of  life,  inform  us 
that   the   times   were    better    then   than   now, 
because  more  real  business  life  and  energy  pre- 
vailed through   individual   enterprise,  and  be- 
cause men  had  equal  chances  in  their  efforts  for 
traffic  and  success.     But   legislation  was  then 
devising,  if  it  had  not  already  devised,  a  new 
and  powerful  competitor,  and  it  was  then  un- 
wittingly creating  a  great  inequality  amongst  the 
several  agencies  in  this  department  of  commer- 
cial life.     The  Democratic  party  had  had  the 
reins    of  government  over  the   affairs  of   the 
State  and  the  direction  of  legislative  policy  for 
over  thirty  years.     By  looking  back  over  this 
period  it  would  seem  that  this  great  party  had 
been  developing  a  creature  which  was  in  princi- 
ple undemocratic  and  which  would  soon  manifest 
a  tendency  to  hinder  the  development  of  personal 
enterprise  for  a  time  and  then  eventually  drive 
it  out  of  the  market  altogether.     And  this  com- 
petitor, this  creature,  was  the  corporation.     It 
did  not   take    hold    of  the   stage-coach    as  an 
institution  worthy. of  its  genius.     But   it   had 
taken  hold  of  the  turnpike  and  afterward  of  the 
canal,    and    had    struggled    hard    with    them 
through  many   years    till   they  were    put   into 
practical  and  successful  operation.     And  these 
were  hardly  given  an  opportunity  to  display 
their   utility  before  it   developed   the   railroad 
with  steam  as  a  propelling  power.     What  a  step 
forward  this  was — a  step  to  speed,  to  ease,  to 
power  !   What  was  the  horse  in  a  coach  or  boat 
by  the  side  of  steam  on  a  firm  railroad  track, 
which  the  seasons  could  not  render  precarious  or 
impassable — even  four-in-hand,  fresh  every  six 


674 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


miles,  flying  under  a  lash  and  speedy  before  a 
horn !  Naturally,  the  stage  business  passed 
away  with  the  introduction  of  this  new  agent, 
a  factor  in  our  daily  life  which  wind  or  weather, 
heat  or  cold,  could  not  affect,  and .  which  was 
tireless  and  irresistible. 

Hauling  over  steep  hills  and  bad  roads  was 
slow  and  tedious,  but  it  was  not  discouraging. 
The  early  settlers  kept  themselves  and  their 
strong  teams  at  it  in  spite  of  hills  and  roads  and 
weather.  Navigation  was  recommended,  but  it 
was  generally  deemed  impracticable.  Efforts 
were  being  made  to  introduce  it,  but  their  pro- 
gress was  very  slow,  if  not  imperceptible.  A 
discovery,  however,  beyond  the  mountains  led 
to  a  change,  and  by  it,  physical  energy  was  to 
be  somewhat  relieved.  One  of  the  great  ele- 
ments of  nature  was  to  be  substituted  in  the 
place  of  the  common  road  and  turnpike  in  order 
to  satisfy  the  demands  of  trade  as  developed 
by  this  discovery — water  was  to  become  a  high- 
way and  the  boat  a  conveyance. 

In  the  upper  regions  of  the  Schuylkill  coal 
had  been  discovered  as  early  as  1770.  But  it 
was  not  mined  successfully  till  the  lapse  of 
forty  years  later.  After  it  began  to  be  mined 
in  large  quantities,  the  ordinary  wagon,  capable 
of  carrying  but  a  few  tons,  became  impracticable 
for  the  purpose  ^  carrying  it  many  miles  over 
mouutains  and  through  gorges.  This  process 
was  laborious,  slow  and  costly.  A  way  had  to 
be  found  to  make  its  transportation  much  less 
laborious  and  costly,  and  to  hasten  its  delivery. 
This  way  was  afforded  soon  afterward  by  the 
Schuylkill  Navigation  Company.  It  came  with 
the  demand.  It  began  to  carry  coal,  lumber, 
merchandise  and  produce  in  1818,  and  every 
year,  for  several  decades  afterward,  demonstrated 
its  great  utility.  Its  traffic  increased  from 
hundreds  of  tons  to  hundreds  of  thousands. 
The  canal  extended  along  the  Schuylkill  for  a 
length  of  one  hundred  and  eight  miles, — from 
Mount  Carbon  to  Philadelphia, — and  was  fin- 
ished for  traffic,  through  from  one  end  to  the 
other,  in  1825.  Its  success  stimulated  a  similar 
enterprise  through  the  Lebanon  Valley  from 
the  Schuylkill  to  the  Susquehanna.  This  latter 
scheme  for  a  highway  by  navigation  had  been 
projected  more  than  fifty  years  before,  but  it 


was  not  completed  till  shortly  afterward.  It 
needed  a  great  staple  to  hasten  its  development 
and  construction.  It  found  this  in  lumber,  and 
it  came  to  be  equally  successful  for  a  period. 

But  the  development  of  the  country  grew  be- 
yond navigation.      The  demands  of  the  former 
exceeded  the  capacities  of  the  latter.     So  a  new 
agent  had  to  be  supplied  to  satisfy  the  one  by 
taking  the  place  of  the  other.  This  was  found  in 
steam.     It  would  appear  that  this  great  motive 
came  to  us  just  when  it  was  a  necessity.    How 
frequently  discoveries  succeed  each  other  in  a 
natural    order  to  favor  the  development,  the 
convenience,  the  enrichment  aud  the  improve- 
ment of  a  country  !    This  is  wonderful.    Steam 
required  a  railroad  ;  and  the  railroad  was  sup- 
plied.    Its  construction  began  in  the  county  in 
1835,  and  it  was  finished  from  Philadelphia 
to  Reading  in  1838,  and  to  Pottsville  in  1842. 
Manufactures. — The  various  trades  com- 
mon to  every  industrious  community  were  car- 
ried on  successfully  in  Reading  from  the  begin- 
ing  of  this  period.     The  previous  history  of  the 
town  for  thirty  years  had  developed  industrial 
life  to  such  a  degree  as  to  give  the  people  a  good 
start  under  a  new  political  management.      Its 
extent,  beyond  enumeration  of  the  several   oc- 
cupations, could  not  be  ascertained.     There  was 
no  place  to  look  for  it.      The  newspaper — that 
great  chronicler  of  all  things,  that  grand  historian 
of  events — had  not  yet  arrived.     But  the  people 
had  to  prepare  the  way  for  its  introduction,  for 
its  utility.     Their  only  thought  was   to  'do   in 
order  to  live  and  grow  and  thrive.     They  were 
making  history  for  themselves,  but  not  preserv- 
ing it,  being  doubtless  without  a  thought  con- 
cerning it. 

The  employments  of  the  people  gave  them  an 
industrial  condition  with  which  to  begin  a  new 
period  of  Reading  under  favorable  auspices. 
They  made  the  borough  self-dependent  and  self- 
sustaining.  They  produced  numerous  articles, 
such  as  hats,  ropes,  chains,  carpets,,  coverlets, 
clocks,  home-spun  material,  barrels,  castings, 
earthen-ware,  boots  and  shoes,  wagons  and  car- 
riages, etc.,  and,  I  must  not  forget  to  add, 
whiskey  in  great  quantities.  These  con- 
stituted a  good  foundation  upon  which  to 
build    a    rich    and    attractive    super-structure 


READING. 


675 


during  the  two  generations  that  were  to  follow. 
The  manufactured  articles  were  produced  by 
hand  during  the  entire  period.  Steam-power 
was  introduced  about  1836  ;  but  it  was  applied 
almost  entirely  to  the  manufacture  of  iron 
articles.  And  about  that  time  the  industry  in 
iron  began  with  commendable  enterprise.  It 
naturally  followed  the  introduction  of  steam. 
And  gradually  thereafter  this  important  labor- 
saving  agent  was  utilized  in  the  manufacture  of 
building  materials,  hats,  ropes,  etc.  The  rail- 
way was  the  stimulating  influence  which  caused 
the  development  of  this  great  industrial  life. 
Before  1836  the  borough  contained  no  strong 
and  rich  manufacturing  enterprises,  notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  turnpikes  had  encouraged 
trade  overland  for  at  least  twenty  years,  and 
canals  by  water  for  ten  years. 

Traffic. — The  traffic  of  the  borough  from 
the  beginning  of  its  history  was  large.  To  af- 
ford an  idea  of  the  nature  and  extent  of  the 
shipments  made  within  the  first  twenty-five 
years  of  this  period  at  certain  times,  the  fol- 
lowing statistics  are  presented.  The  articles 
named  were  shipped  to  Philadelphia  from  the 
store-house  of  Garber  &  Strohecker,  during  the 
years  and  times  stated  by  flat-boats  on  the 
river  Schuylkill. 

There  were  other  store-houses  in  Reading  from 
which  large  quantities  of  goods  were  also 
shipped  to  Philadelphia  in  the  same  manner. 
And  then,  too,  teams  were  busy  in  transporting 
various  articles. 

1795. 

Flour 3320  barrels 

Iron 105  tons 

Linseed  oil 11     " 

Beeswax 4J  " 

Butter 9    " 

Brandy 23  gallons. 

Paper 3  tons. 

Hams U  " 

Hats 79  dozens 

Wheat 18,135  bushels 

1796. 

Flour 3150  barrels 

Brandy 1761  gallons 

Linseed  oil 886        " 

Iron 22  tons 

Paper 6    " 

Butter 6    " 


D;ehr  Holz 2J  tons. 

Beeswax 1J  '' 

Hams 1    " 

Hats 178  dozens 

Wheat 10,465  bushels 

1797. 

Flour 2209  barrels 

Brandy.... 6209  gallons 

Linseed  oil 875        " 

Iron 66  tons 

Paper 5     " 

Butter 2J  " 

Hats 329  dozens 

Wheat 7957  bushels 

— Reading  Adler,  February  13,  1798. 

February  15,  1807,  to  June  1,  1807. 

Wheat 13,198  bushels 

Flour 4695  barrels 

Iron 50J  tons 

Butter  and  lard 274  casks 

Pork 153  barrels 

Brandy 1256  gallons 

Bread 380  barrels 

Paper 2J  tons 

Corn 200  bushels 

March  6,  1802. 

Flour 1201  barrels 

Wheat 1425  bushels 

Bar  iron 17  tons 

Whiskey 1492  gallons 

Butter 365  pounds 

Snuff 500        " 

Hats 500 

March  9,  1809. 

Flour 1655  barrels 

Wheat 1000  bushels 

Butter 700  pounds 

Brandy 5  hhds 

Merchants  of  Beading,  1830. — A  large 
amount  of  business  was  transacted  in  Eeading 
about  1830.  At  that  time  the  greater  part  was 
done  on  North  Fifth  Street.  The  more  promi- 
nent merchants  are  mentioned  in  the  following 

statement : 

Hardware,  etc. 
Benneville  Keim,  Fifth  and  Washington. 
John  M.  Keim  &  Co.,  Fifth  and  Penn. 
John  &  Daniel  Keim,  Third  and  Penn. 
Keim  &  Drenkel,  Penn,  above  Fifth. 

Dry- Goods,  &c. 
Allgaier  &  Feather,  Sixth  and  Penn. 
Wm.  Raiguel  &  Co.,  Penn,  between  Fourth  and 
Fifth. 

W.  &  J.  Ermentrout,  Fifth,  near  Washington. 


676 


HISTOEY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


John  Hanold,  Fifth,  near  Walnut. 

G.  &  D.  Boyer,  Fifth,  near  Washington. 

D.  &  W.  Fichthorn,  Fifth,  near  Washington. 

David  Bright,  Fifth,  near  Washington. 

Philip  Ziegler,  Ninth  and  Penn. 

Samuel  Sholl,  Penn,  below  Ninth. 

Daniel  Seifert,  Seventh  and  Penn. 

John  Young,  Fifth,  above  Washington. 

Seifert  &  Mannerback,  Fifth,  above  Penn. 

George  Repplier,  Penn,  above  Fourth. 

Hain  &  Green,  Penn,  below  Fourth. 

W.  &  I.  Eckert,  Fourth  and  Penn. 

David  Morris,  Fifth,  below  Franklin. 

John  Schwartz,  Penn,  above  Fifth. 

William  Moore,  Penn,  above  Fifth. 

Elisha  Wells,  Penn,  above  Fifth. 

Lewis  J.  Pauli,  Penn,  below  Fifth. 

William  P.  Orrick,  Fifth  and  Penn. 

Wm.  Jones,  Penn,  below  Fourth. 

Miscellaneous. 

John  H.  Weitzel,  boots  and  shoes,  Penn,  above 
Third. 

O'Brien  &  Foster,  boots  and  shoes,  Fifth  and  Penn. 

Joseph  Green,  groceries,  etc.,  Penn,  near  Front. 

Peter  Nagle,  groceries,  etc.,  Penn,  below  Ninth. 

William  Green,  groceries,  etc.,  Sixth  and  Penn. 

William  Zieber,  hats,  etc.,  Penn,  above  Fourth. 

Samuel  Bell,  flour  and  feed,  Cherry,  above  Fifth. 

William  Bell  &  Son,  bolting  cloths,  etc.,  Penn, 
above  Fifth. 

David  Bhein,  cabinet  wareroom,  Penn,  above 
Second. 

Dr.  G.  G.  Bischoff,  apothecary,  Penn,  below  Seventh. 

Mrs.  Morris,  apothecary,  Penn,  above  Fourth. 

William  Mannerback,  jeweler,  Penn,  above  Fifth. 

Frederick  Kellogg,  clocks,  Fourth  and  Penn. 

Benjamin  Witman,  brushes,  Penn,  above  Fifth. 

Lukins  &  Good,  confectionery,  Penn,  below  Sixth. 

Occupations  in  1839. — In  1839  the  bor- 
ough contained  the  following  stores,  trades- 
people, mechanics,  etc.: 


The  dry-goods  stores  carried  on  business 
amounting  annually  to  $280,000. 

And  in  1839  there  were  thirty-two  licensed 
inn-keepers,  distributed  as  follows : 


Stores 64 

Dry-goods 3 

Hardware  3 

Groceries 5 

General 32 

Drugs 4 

Hats 7 

Shoes 7 

Confections 4 

Carpenters 16 

Blacksmiths 12 

Masons 13 

Tailors 16 

Clock-makers 7 

Coach-makers 6 


Saddlers 4 

Tin- workers 5 

Butchers 9 

Brick-makers 8 

Plasterers 4 

Cabinet-makers 5 

Boat-builders 4 

Chair-makers 4 

Coppersmiths 2 

Silversmiths 2 

Bakers 2 

Locksmiths 2 

Coopers 2 

Barbers 6 


Penn  Street 17 

Turnpike 1 

Eolling-mill 2 

Franklin  Street 2 


Washington  Street 1 

Seventh  Street...., 1 

N.  Fifth  Street 4 

S.  Fifth  Street 4 


Ovster-saloons  were  in  abundance.  In  the 
country  districts  the  licensed  places  numbered 
195  ;  total  in  county,  227.  In  1844,  Reading, 
33,  and  country  districts,  190  ;  total,  223. 

DISTINGUISHED    VISITORS. 

John  Penn. — John  Penn  visited  Eeading  in 
April,  1788,  whilst  on  his  way  from  Philadel- 
phia to  Harrisburg.  After  leaving  the  "  Black 
Horse "  (Inn),  now  Douglassville,  where  he 
"  baited  "  his  horses,  he  "  passed  on  thro'  a  series 
of  higher  hills,  breaking  the  horizon  with  less 
harmony,  and  resembling  somewhat  more  Pelion 
upon  Ossa.  Near  Reading,  into  which  I  walked 
for  two  miles,  sending  on  my  horses,  I  met  a 
person  on  horseback  and  questioned  hiin  con- 
cerning the  Manor  here,  as  I  had  alighted 
chiefly  to  examine  at  leisure  my  own  ground. 
He  showed  the  fertile  valleys  and  low  places, 
which  were  all  settled  by  encroachers,  and  the 
rocky  and  barren  mountains  they  left  unsettled. 
The  town  is  finely  situated  on  the  Schuylkill, 
surrounded  at  a  distance  and  sheltered  by  these 
mountains.  Dinner  was  ordered  at  one  Wit- 
man's,  who  proved  the  only  tavern-keeper  who 
had  not  lately  petitioned  against  the  confirma- 
tion of  the  proprietary  estate.  His  accommoda- 
tions were  worthy  of  a  respectable  country  town, 
and  I  dined  heartily  upon  catfish,  which  the 
river  plentifully  affords."  This  was  on  the  7th 
of  April.  During  the  day  a  number  of  the 
residents  called  to  pay  their  respects  to  him. 
On  the  8th  he,  with  the  company  of  Judge 
James  Biddle  and  Daniel  Clymer,  Esq.,  both  of 
Reading,  visited  the  ferry  which  the  Penns  had 
rented  to  one  Levan.  "  .  .  .  A  dinner  was 
provided  for  us  at  Mr.  Biddle's,  the  honors  of 
the  table  done  in  part  by  Mrs.  Collins,  his 
daughter,  and  his  unmarried  one  present.  They 
are  of  low  stature,  but  rather  pretty.  Mr.  Bid- 
die  appears  an  amiable  character.    It  was  men- 


READING. 


677 


tioned  that  a  subscription  of  about  £3,000 
currency  would  remove  the  obstructions  of  the 
Schuylkill  so  much  that  the  trade  and  prop- 
erty of  the  town  would  most  rapidly  increase. 
Another  plan  much  sooner  to  be  executed  is  the 
establishment  of  a  school.  The  trustees  are  to 
allow  the  teacher  £100  currency  per  annum."  ' 

Lafayette. — In  1824  Lafayette  visited  the 
United  States.  His  visit  occasioned  great  pub- 
lic demonstrations  of  affection  and  esteem  for 
him  throughout  the  country.  He  arrived  at 
New  York  on  the  16th  of  August.  The  news 
of  his  arrival  reached  Reading  on  the  following 
day  and  it  awakened  great  joy  throughout  the 
town.  Ringing  bells,  martial  music  and  thun- 
dering cannon  were  heard  all  day.  The  borough 
authorities  assembled  on  the  18th  and  passed 
appropriate  resolutions  respecting  the  distin- 
guished visitor,  and  in  the  evening  the  town 
presented  a  magnificent  appearance.  Nearly 
every  house  on  the  prominent  streets  was  bril- 
liantly illuminated ;  it  was  estimated  that  ten 
thousand  lights  were  displayed.  Triumphal 
arches  were  erected  across  the  streets  at  several 
places,  and  a  large  torchlight  procession  paraded 
about  the  town,  accompanied  by  the  "  Reading 
Band"  and  marshaled  by  Daniel  Rose,  Esq. 

A  copy  of  the  resolutions  which  were  adopted 
by  the  borough  authorities  was  transmitted  to 
General  Lafayette.  He  acknowledged  its  re- 
ceipt by  the  following  letter,  addressed  to  the 
president  of  the  Borough  Council : 

"  Washington,  February  5,  1825. 

"Sir. — Altho'  the  expressions  of  my  gratitude  to  the 
respected  citizens  and  council  of  Reading  have  been 
much  retarded,  I  hope  they  will  be  received  with 
that  indulgence  and  friendly  feeling  to  which  your 
kindness  has  authorized  me  to  apply.  The  testi- 
monies of  esteem  and  friendship  which  have  been  be- 
stowed on  me  in  the  borough  of  Reading  have  made 
upon  my  heart  a  deep  impression.  Be  pleased,  sir, 
and  gentlemen,  to  accept  a  tribute  of  these  sentiments 
and  of  my  high  respect.  Lafayette. 

"  To  Peter  Nagle,  Jr.,  Esq.,  Reading." 

Whilst  Lafayette  was  at  Philadelphia,  the  re- 
cipient of  public  welcome  and  honors  as  the 
city's  noble  guest,  the  Reading  Battalion  of 
troops  participated  in  the  great  demonstrations. 

'John  Penn's  Journal,  in  Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  His- 
tory, vol.  iii.  p.  285-288. 


Van  Buren's  Visit. — The  President  of  the 
United  States,  Martin  Van  Buren,  visited  Read- 
ing on  Tuesday,  June  25,  1839,  whilst  on  his 
way  from  Harrisburg  to  Easton.  A  special 
committee  from  the  borough  met  him  at 
Womelsdorf.  Many  citizens  from  different 
parts  of  the  county — some  in  vehicles,  others 
on  horse-back  and  afoot — formed  a  procession 
on  the  turnpike,  some  distance  west  of  the 
"  Harrisburg  Bridge,"  and  united  with  the 
committee  in  escorting  the  distinguished  visitor 
into  Reading.  He  was  certainly  pleased  to  re- 
ceive a  generous  welcome  from  the  thriving 
town  on  the  Schuylkill,  which  three  years  be- 
fore had  given  him  such  a  handsome  political 
support2  as  nearly  four  to  one  against  Gen.  W. 
H.  Harrison.  The  procession  paraded  through 
the  prominent  streets.  The  President  rode  on 
a  handsome  cream-colored  horse,  the  property 
of  a  Mr.  Dewees,  from  Oley,  and  his  graceful 
horsemanship  attracted  general  attention.  He 
sojourned  at  "  Herr's  Hotel."  3  During  the 
evening  a  reception  was  held  for  him  at  the 
residence  of  Samuel  Bell,  Esq.,  and  "  a  highly 
creditable  representation "  assembled  to  show 
him  honor.  Pie  was  single  then  ;  for  which 
reason  "  the  beauty  of  Reading  "  comprised  the 
conspicuous,  if  not  the  major  part  of  the  repre- 
sentation, and  doubtless  made  it — as  reported — 
highly  creditable.  He  left  for  Easton  via  Kutz- 
town  on  the  following  morning,  a  number  of 
prominent  citizens  having  accompanied  him 
thither.  Reading  naturally  took  a  high  pride 
in  this  visit ;  for  Van  Buren  had,  in  the  pre- 
vious year,  paid  a  great  compliment  to  the 
borough  in  the  selection  of  a  popular,  generous 
and  much-loved  citizen,  the  Hon.  Henry  A. 
Muhlenberg,  to  be  the  first  minister  plenipo- 
tentiary to  Austria. 

Scott's  Visit. — Gen.  Winfield  Scott  visited 
Reading  on  Saturday,  May  21,  1842,  during  a 
great  "Military  Encampment"  of  the  Berks 
County  militia,  on  the  "  Commons."      He  was 

2  The  vote  was  in  Reading,  — Van  Buren ,  fourteen  hundred 
and  twelve  ;  Harrison,  three  hundred  and  ninety-four.  In 
Berks  County  ,Van  Buren,  —forty-nine  hundred  and  sixty- 
seven  ;  Harrison,  fifteen  hundred  and  eighty-three. 

3 Now  and  for  years  past  called  the  "United  States 
Hotel." 


678 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


accompanied  by  his  aids,  Lieutenants  Alden 
and  Carney.  They  were  met  at  the  railroad 
station  (Seventh  and  Chestnut  Streets)  by  a 
detachment  of  military  and  escorted  to  Herr's 
Hotel,  where  they  were  cordially  welcomed  and 
properly  entertained.  Many  citizens  followed 
the  parade.  On  Monday,  the  23d,  he 
reviewed  the  troops  at  the  encampment,  and  left 
on  the  next  day  for  Danville,  to  review  a  sim- 
ilar encampment.  During  the  day  medals 
were  awarded  for  skillful  shooting.  General 
Scott  was  much  pleased  with  the  discipline  and 
appearance  of  the  encampment;  and  he  paid 
a  special  compliment  to  the  "  Reading  Artiller- 
ists." He  was  particularly  and  favorably  im- 
pressed with  their  captain,  Thomas  Leoser,  a 
tall,  finely-proportioned  and  charming,  social 
man. 

Numerous  other  prominent  officials  and  poli- 
ticians, both  national  and  State,  visited  Reading 
before  1847,  but  there  was  no  public  demonstra- 
tion. Some  spoke  at  political  meetings  during 
Presidential  campaigns, — including  such  as 
Harrison,  Buchanan,  Webster  and  Dallas. 

MEMORIAL  SERVICES. 

Washington's  Death. — Washington,  it  is 
said,  visited  Reading  some  time  before  his 
death,  in  1799.  He  sojourned  at  the  Federal 
Inn  (now  the  Farmers'  Bank  building),  and 
was  given,  whilst  here,  a  "  grand  reception." 
The  event  was  celebrated  by  a  ball,  at  which 
numerous  citizens  presented  themselves  to  show 
their  high  respect  for  him.  His  death  was  sin- 
cerely mourned  by  all  the  people  of  Reading  ; 
the  newspapers  were  clothed  in  heavy  black 
borders ;  and,  to  demonstrate  in  a  public  manner 
their  great  sorrow  for  his  death  and  great  rever- 
ence for  his  name,  they  held  funeral  services 
on  Sunday,  January  5,  1800.  The  following 
report  appeared  in  the  Weekly  Advertiser  of  11th 
January  : 

"Funeral  Procession 

"  In  honor  of  Lieutenant-General  George  Wash- 
ington, the  late  illustrious  Commander-in-chief  of  all 
the  Armies  of  the  United  States  of  America. 

"  On  Sunday  last,  arrangements  having  been  pre- 
viously made  by  a  Committee  of  the  Free  Masons, 
tlie  inhabitants  of  this  borough  met  at  the  House  of 
Mr.  Henry  Boyer  to  make  a  suitable  Mark  of  Respect 
to  the  Memory  of  our  Great,  Good  and  admirable 


Washington.  The  Military  formed  in  line,  leaning  on 
their  Arms  reversed,  to  receive  the  Bier,  and  about  ele- 
ven o'clock  the  Procession  began,  moving  along  Penn 
street,  west  as  far  as  the  corner  of  the  Centre  Square, 
where  it  crossed  Penn  street  and  proceeded  eastward 
to  Prince  street;  thence  to  the  German  Lutheran 
Church,  in  the  following  order : 

Masons  in  form. 
Clergy. 
Bier,  with  a  hat  and  sword, 
carried  by  four  Masons. 
Judges  of  the  Common  Pleas. 
Justices  of  Peace. 
Attorneys. 
Physicians. 
Citizens. 
Military. 
Music  playing  dead  march 
and  Bells  tolling. 
"  Having  arrived  at  the  Church  the  Bier  was  placed 
in    the   Centre.     The  ceremonies   commenced  with 
solemn  music.     The  Rev.  M.  Lehman  made  suitable 
prayers  and  afterwards  delivered  an  animated  dis- 
course adapted  to  the    Occasion,   from    Revelation 
2nd  chapter,  7th  verse.     At  the  conclusion  of  which 
the  Bier  was  taken  through  the  Church  and  the  cere- 
monies ended  with  the  firing  of  three  vollies  over  it. 
"  The  Procession  then  returned  in  the  same  order, 
drums  unmuffled  and  playing   Washington's  March, 
to  the  place   from   whence  they    started,   and  dis- 
persed." 

Harrison's  Death.  —  The  death  of 
General  William  H.  Harrison,1  whilst  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  caused  a  public 
expression  of  sorrow.  It  was  the  subject 
of  a  "  day  of  prayer "  in  Reading  on  14th 
May,  1841.  The  military,  literary  and  benefi- 
cial societies  assembled  in  Trinity  Lutheran 
Church  to  show  their  public  regard  for  the 
memory  of  the  distinguished  general  and  states- 
man. The  church  was  crowded  and  many  per- 
sons were  unable  to  enter.  Rev.  R.  U.  Mor- 
gan, rector  of  Christ's  Episcopal "  Church, 
preached  an  appropriate  sermon.  In  the  ser- 
vices he  was  assisted  by  Rev.  Jacob  Miller,  of 
Trinity  Lutheran  Church,  and  Rev.  William 
Pauli,  of  German  Reformed  Church. 

Streets, — Change  of  Names. — Upon  the 
laying  out  of  the  town  the  streets  were  named 
as  follows : 

East  and  West. 

Penn,  extending  through  the  centre  of  town. 

i  He  died  April  4,  1841,  having  just  been  inaugurated  on 
the  4th  of  March  previous. 


READING. 


679 


,To  the  north,  Thomas  and  Margaret. 
To  the  south,  Richard  and  Hamilton. 
North  and  South  (crossing  the  streets  named  at  right 
angles). 

King.  Earl. 

Queen.  Clement. 

Callowhill.  Lord. 

Prince.  Vigour. 

Duke. 
These  uames  were  continued  till  changed  by  the 
Borough  Council  on  6th  of  August,  1833.     The 
names  then  substituted  were  as  follows,  Penn 
having  been  retained : 

North  of  Penn, — Liberty,  Washington  and 
Walnut.  South, — Cherry,  Franklin  and  Chest- 
nut. Across  Penn, — Third,  Fourth,  Fifth,  Sixth, 
Seventh,  Eighth,  Ninth,  Tenth  and  Eleventh  ; 
'  and  what  had  been  for  a  time  called  Bridge 
and  Treat  were  then  changed  to  Front  and 
Second. 

A  year  previous  (in  1 832)  the  streets  of  the 
borough  were  graded,  according  to  regulation, 
by  Enoch  Lewis. 

On  October  18,  1845,  the  Councils  named 
the  following  alleys,  extending, — 


North  from  Liberty. 

South  from  Cherry. 

Pear. 

Oak. 

Thorn. 

Apple. 

Rose. 

Carpenter. 

Ash. 

.Wood. 

Church. 

Pear. 

Reed. 

Plum. 

Poplar. 

Lemon. 

Cedar. 

Peach. 

Moss. 

Orange. 

Black. 

Maple. 

Laurel  and 

Willow 

(south   of  Bingaman) 

were  also  named  then. 

EXECUTIONS. 

In  1764  Thomas  Fowler  was  convicted  of 
burglary  for  breaking  into  the  house  of  Sarah 
Drury,  of  Reading,  by  a  special  commission 
appointed,  and  he  was  hanged  at  Reading,  Fri- 
day, September  7,  1764. 

In  1767  Catharine  Kreps  was  convicted  of 
killing  her  illegitimate  child  at  Reading,  and 
she  was  executed  Saturday,  December  19, 1767. 

In  1770  Thomas  Procter  was  convicted  of 
burglary  for  breaking  into  the  dwelling  of  Wil- 
liam Neal  in  July,  1769,  and  he  suffered  the 
penalty  of  death  on  Saturday,  July  7,  1770. 


During  the  Revolution  a  British  soldier  was 
hanged  at  Reading  for  murdering  Jacob 
Hechler,  of  Exeter  township,  and  afterward 
Samuel  Reeves,  a  negro,  suffered  death,  for  a 
rape  committed  upon  a  woman  named  Mary 
Sepley,  in  Alsace  township,  about  a  mile  and  a 
half  east  from  Reading. 

In  1797  Benjamin  Bailey  was  convicted  of 
killing  Jost  Vollhaffer,  and  he  died  upon  the 
scaffold  at  Reading  on  January  6,  1798,  in  the 
presence  of  over  six  thousand  people. 

Execution  foe  Theft. — During  the  year 
1784,  a  young  man,  by  the  name  of  Welsh, 
whilst  on  his  way  home  to  Reading,  overtook  a 
lame  countrywoman,  who  carried  a  large  bun- 
dle. In  order  to  assist  her,  he  carried  the 
bundle  to  town.  When  she  reached  home,  she 
missed  nine  dollars  which  she  had  deposited  in 
the  bundle,  tied  up  in  a  handkerchief.  Welsh 
was  accused  and  before  the  magistrate  he 
acknowledged  the  theft.  Notwithstanding 
evidence  of  good  character,  he  was  convicted 
under  the  charge  of  Chief  Justice  McKean  and 
executed.  He  behaved  with  firmness  and 
resignation  till  the  last  moment.  On  his  way 
to  the  gallows,  looking  at  Penn's  Mount,  he 
said,  "  That  is  a  grand  sight ;  but  I  shall  soon 
see  a  much  more  glorious  one."  A  wretched- 
looking  man  was  executed  at  the  same  time. 
Welsh  had  entered  the  colonial  army  in  the  be- 
ginning of  the  Revolution  and  served  honorably 
during  the  whole  of  the  war.  After  the 
declaration  of  peace  he  returned,  married  and 
settled  at  Reading.  He  was  born  at  a  place 
near  by.  When  he  committed  the  act,  his  wife 
lay  sick  and  he  was  unable  to  maintain  her, 
though  he  was  willing  to  work.  He  would  not 
beg  assistance,  regarding  death  less  terrible.  The 
war  having  just  closed,  it  was  thought  that  many 
soldiers  would  infest  the  roads  and  commit 
offenses,  for  which  reason  the  criminal  act  of 
Welsh  received  the  utmost  penalty  of  the  law 
so  as  to  deter  others.  This  is  the  earliest 
record  of  an  excution  at  Beading.  The  hill 
near  the  gallows  was  covered  with  men,  women 
and  children,  who  had  assembled  to  witness  the 
execution.  Many  of  them  came  a  distance,  from 
fifteen  to  twenty  miles.  Among  these  there 
was  an  old  woman  who,  it  was  then  said,  had 


680 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


walked  nearly  seventy  miles  to  see  the  execu- 
tion ;  but,  having  fallen  asleep  shortly  before  the 
execution  transpired,  she  did  not  wake  up  till 
it  was  over,  when  she  cried  most  bitterly.1 

COX  AND  SCHILDT    EXECUTIONS. — In    1809 

Susanna  Cox,  a  young  woman  under  twenty 
years  old,  was  found  guilty  of  causing  the  death 
of  her  illegitimate  child  on  the  Gehr  farm, 
near  the  "  Oley  Line  Tavern,"  and  hanged  for 
the  offense.  The  execution  created  a  profound 
sensation  throughout  the  county.  A  lengthy 
and  graphic  account  of  the  proceedings  con- 
nected with  her  trial  and  execution  was  lately 
published  in  the  Reading  Daily  Eagle  (January 
24,  1886).  The  newspapers  at  Heading,  iu 
1809),  contained  little  relating  to  the  affair. 

In  1813  John  Schildt  was  executed  for  kill- 
ing, in  a  brutal  manner,  his  father  and  mother, 
in  Alsace  township.  This  was  the  most  shock- 
ing murder  that  ever  occurred  in  this  county. 

In  1842  Nicolaus  Reinhardt  was  hanged  for 
murdering  Conrad  Christ  in  Bern  township. 

Early  Exhibitions. — Exhibitions  were 
held  at  Reading  at  an  early  day.  Reference  to 
some  will  be  made  to  show  their  character. 

In  January,  1799,  a  man  named  Salanca 
gave  a  "curious  exhibition"  in  Barr's  ball- 
room, consisting  of  legerdemain  performances 
by  himself,  tricks  by  a  learned  dog  and  a  dis- 
play of  fire-works.  Tickets  for  adults,  fifty 
cents ;  for  children,  twenty-five  cents. 

In  June,  1808,  an  elephant  eight  years  old 
and  seven  feet  high,  was  exhibited  at  the  public- 
house  of  Daniel  Feger ;  advertised  as  the  only 
elephant  then  in  the  country.  Admission,  twenty- 
five  cents. 

On  August  1,  1815,  a  whale  was  exhibited 
at  the  public-house  of  William  Jones,  weight, 
five  thousand  pounds.  Admission,  twelve  and 
one-hal  f  cents ;  children,  half  price.  Th  is  whale 
was  caught  in  the  Delaware,  at  Trenton,  on 
November  11,  1814. 

In    November,     1831,     Purdy,   Carley    & 


.'Autobiography  of  Charles  Biddle,  pp.  192-194.  On  p.  202 
a  cnse  is  mentioned  of  a  young  single  woman  who  murdered 
her  child.  The  evidence  at  the  trial  at  Reading  showed 
that  she  had  thrown  the  child  into  the  Schuylkill,  but  she 
■was  acquitted  because  the  constable,  in  breaking  open  her 
trunk,  had  found  a  quantity  of  clothing  for  an  infant. 


Bailey  exhibited  a  menagerie  of  thirty  living 
wild  animals,  including  a  lion  and  lioness,  Ara- 
bian camels  (male  and  female),  llamas  (male 
and  female),  hyena,  kangaroo,  tiger,  leopard  and 
panther. 

In  December;  1838,  William  Paulin,  accom- 
panied by  a  lady,  ascended  from  Reading  in  a 
balloon  named  "  Comet,"  and  in  the  following 
year  he  made  two  successful  ascensions.  Joshua 
Pusey  (a  pupil  of  Paulin's)  made  an  ascension 
September  14,  1850,  landing  at  Philadelphia  in 
three  hours,  and  on  October  5th  following  he 
made  another,  landing  near  Allentown  in  one 
hour  and  ten  minutes. 

Circuses  gave  numerous  exhibitions  and  they 
were  well  patronized,  and  traveling  dramatic 
troupes  visited  Reading,  remaining  a  week  at  a 
time. 

PROMINENT    MEN. 

There  were  a  number  of  prominent  men 
at  Reading  during  its  history  as  a  borough 
in  the  various  avenues  of  business  and  pro- 
fessional life.  A  number  of  sketches  appear 
in  the  chapters  entitled  militia,  newspapers, 
politics,  judiciary  and  medical,  in  which  many  of 
them  came  to  serve  with  distinction. 

John  Keim. — Among  the  men  who  occu- 
pied a  very  prominent  position  in  the  business 
and  social  affairs  of  Reading,  during  this 
period  for  thirty  years,  by  reason  of  his  success 
as  a  merchant  and  of  his  large  accumulation  of 
property,  was  John  Keim.  He  was  the  only 
son  of  Nicholas  Keim,  a  merchant  of  Reading. 
He  was  born  in  Oley  township  July  6,  1749, 
and  when  six  years  old  accompanied  his  father 
to  Reading.  He  was  married  to  Susanna,  a 
daughter  of  Dr.  George  de  Benneville,  on  Oc- 
tober 15,  1771.  In  the  fall  of  1777  he 
marched  with  Lieutenant-Colonel  Nicholas 
Lotz's  battalion  to  reinforce  the  army  under 
General  Washington,  and,  after  serving  five 
years,  was  honorably  discharged  in  1782. 

Upon  his  return  from  the  Revolutionary  War 
he  entered  into  business  relations  with  his 
father  in  conducting  a  general  hardware-store, 
and,  several  years  afterward,  became  sole  pro- 
prietor. About  the  year  1800  he  formed  a  co- 
partnership  with   his   two   sons,    Daniel    and 


BEADING. 


681 


George,  and  they  together  conducted  the  busi- 
ness under  the  firm-name  of  John  Keim  & 
Sons  for  a  number  of  years. 

He  served  one  term  as  a  county  commissioner, 
from  1787  to  1790,  and  filled  the  office  of  bur- 
gess of  Reading  for  a  time.  He  took  an  active 
part  in  the  development  of  Reading  through 
internal  improvements  and  the  erection  of 
dwelling-houses.     He  was  prominently  identi- 


JOHN    KEIM, 

THE  YOUNGER,  AD.  1770 

fied  with  the  first  steps  towards  erecting  the 
Penn  Street  Bridge.  He  built  the  first  three- 
story  brick  building  in  Reading.  In  1806  he 
leased  the  three-story  brick  building  on  South 
Fifth  Street  to  Charles  Evans,  Esq.,  which 
afterwards  became  the  property  of  Mr.  Evans 
and  was  his  residence  for  many  years. 

By  his  great  success  in  business  affairs  and 
building  operations,  he  came  to  be  one  of  the 
most  wealthy  men  of  the  county  in  his  time. 
He  died  February  10,  1819,  and  left  issue  four 
children, — Daniel  de  B.,  George  de  B.,  Benneville 
and  Esther  de  B.  The  following  highly  com- 
plimentary obituary  notice  was  published  in  the 
Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal: 

"  Will  be  interred  in  the  Episcopal  burial-ground, 
this  afternoon  at  two  o'clock,  the  remains  of  Mr.  John 
Keim,  merchant,  who  departed  this  life  on  Wednes- 
day morning  last,  in  the  seventieth  year  of  his  age. 
He  had  resided  in  this  borough  for  sixty-four  years, 


during  which  time  he  amassed  a  large  fortune,  which 
never  caused  a  widow's  tear  or  orphan's  execra- 
tion.   .    .    . 

"What  he  has  left  behind  him  was  justly  his  own. 
As  a  creditor  he  was  ever  lenient,  and  his  numerous 
tenantry  can  testify  to  his  goodness  as  a  landlord." 

John  McKnight  was  the  most  prominent 
banker  at  Reading  during  this  period,  having 
been  the  first  cashier  of  a  bank  established  at 
Reading,  and  continued  active  in  this  business 
till  the  borough  was  incorporated  into  a  city, 
and  for  several  years  afterward.  He  was  a 
native  of  East  Nantmeal  township,  in  Chester 
County,  where  be  was  born  May  31,  1774. 
His  father,  Paul  McKnight,  came  to  this  coun- 
try in  1752,  from  the  northern  part  of  Ireland, 
and  settled  in  Chester  County.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-three  years  he  entered  the 
service  of  the  Pennsylvania  Bank,  at  Philadel- 
phia, and  continued  there  for  ten  years,  till 
1808.  During  the  latter  part  of  his  service  he 
acted  as  assistant  cashier.  Then  a  branch  bank 
was  established  at  Reading  and  he  was  sent 
here  to  officiate  as  cashier.  He  held  this  re- 
sponsible position  till  his  death,  on  March  9, 
1856,  a  period  covering  forty-seven  years. 
During  this  time  he  enjoyed  in  the  highest  de- 
gree the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  commu- 
nity. As  a  business  man  and  financier  he  was 
scrupulously  exact,  impartial  and  honorable. 
He  occupied  the  bank  building  (Union  Bank) 
as  his  residence.  He  was  one  of  the  leaders  in 
establishing  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Read- 
ing, and  in  the  progress  of  this  congregation  he 
manifested  an  earnest  interest.  The  span  of 
his  life  at  Reading  comprehended  the  first  ex- 
tensive improvements  here,  and  to  these  he 
gave  active  encouragement. 

Benneville  Keim  was  also  very  prominent 
in  banking  and  manufactures,  and  in  the  im- 
provements and  municipal  government  of  Read- 
ing; and  though  he  died  many  years  after 
1847  (having  reached  the  age  of  eighty-two 
years),  he  is  intimately  connected  with  its  his- 
tory as  a  borough.  He  was  a  son  of  John 
Keim,  merchant,  and  was  born  at  Reading  No- 
vember 30,  1790,  where  he  died  October  30, 
1872.  He  filled  in  his  native  place  during  a 
long  business  life  many  respousible  positions, 


682 


HISTOKY  OF  BBEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


He  was  president  of  the  Farmers'  Bank  and  of 
the  Reading  Water  Company  for  a  number  of 
years ;  and  he  was  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Keims,  Whitaker  &  Co.,  which,  in  1836,  began 
the  first  extensive  iron-works  at  Reading.  In 
1858  he  was  elected  mayor  of  Reading,  and  he 
continued  in  office  for  three  consecutive  terms. 
Upon  the  establishment  of  the  Charles  Evans 
Cemetery  he  was  elected '  by  its  generous  founder 
as  one  of  the  board  of  trustees,  and  continued 
in  the  board  till  his  decease. 

James  May. — On  account  of  his  connection 
with  the  early  internal  improvements  of  this 
section  of  country,  James  May  occupied 
also  a  prominent  position  in  the  community. 
He  was  the  son  of  Robert  and  Elizabeth  May. 
He  was  born  March  20,  1749,  in  Coventry 
township,  Chester  County,  and  died  at  Reading 
in  1819.  He  was  married  to  Bridget  Douglass, 
daughter  of  George  Douglass,  of  Amity  town- 
ship, and  had  issue, — Mary,  intermarried  with 
Geo.  de  B.  Keim ;  George ;  Sarah,  intermar- 
ried with  Hon.  Samuel  D.  Franks;  Thomas; 
and  Elizabeth. 

He  removed  to  Reading  before  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  and  remained  here  till  his  decease. 
He  identified  himself  prominently  with  the  sev- 
eral early  internal  improvements  of  our  county,the 
Union  Canal,  Centre  turnpike,  etc.  He  was  a 
director  of  the  Branch  Bank  and  a  member  of 
the  first  Board  of  Trade  at  Reading.  He  was 
one  of  the  two  wardens  of  the  Episcopal 
Church,  the  other  having  been  Marks  John 
Biddle,  Esq.  His  business  was  general  mer- 
chandise, having  dealt  extensively  in  grain, 
lumber,  etc. 

William  Henry,  a  prominent  and  success- 
ful master-builder  during  this  period,  was  born 
at  Reading  in  1801.  Many  of  the  finest  public 
buildings  and  private  dwellings  which  were 
erected  between  1830  and  1860  were  planned 
by  him  and  bear  testimony  to  his  skill  as  a 
carpenter  and  to  his  taste  as  an  architect.  The 
graceful  spire  of  the  Trinity  Lutheran  Church, 
generally  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  perfect 
specimens  of  architecture  of  its  kind  in  the 
State,  is  one  of  the  ornaments  of  Reading,  which 
has  transmitted  his  name  to  the  present  genera- 
tion.   Strictly  speaking,  this  spire  was  designed 


and  constructed  under  the  supervision  of  his 
father,  Conrad  Henry,  but  he  gave  valuable 
assistance  in  the  work  in  respect  to  its  durability 
and  symmetry.  He  died  on  January  8,  1865, 
aged  sixty-three  years,  and  left  six  surviving 
children, — Mrs.  H.  R.  Hawman,  Mrs.  Joseph 
Wilson,  Albert  C,  John  B.,  William  A.  and 
Joseph  E. 

Besides  Mr.  Henry,  there  were  also  as  promiT 
ment  builders,  Joseph  Henry  (brother  of  Wil- 
liam, who  together  built  the  present  court- 
house), Jacques  V.  Craig,  George  Foos,  Fred- 
erick Printz,  John  Printz,  Nathan  Eisenhower, 
George  Call,  Jacob  Fritz,  Nicholas  Lott,  James 
Quinter,  Samuel  Yarger  and  Solomon  Spohn. 
And  the  following  men  can  also  be  men- 
tioned in  this  connection,  on  account  of 
having  erected  many  dwelling-houses  in  Read- 
ing: Philip  Zieber,  Daniel  H.  Boas,  Chris- 
topher Shearer  and  Benjamin  Fink. 


PART  III. 

city  from  1847  to  1886. 

Review  of  Reading  in  1847.1 — Reading 
was  incorporated  by  the  Legislature  of  Penn- 
sylvania into  a  city  on  the  16th  day  of  March, 
1847.  It  was  then  in  a  flourishing  state  in 
every  department  of  life,  and  well  prepared  to 
enter  a  new,  larger  and  more  responsible  period 
of  existence.  This  state  was  superinduced 
by  diversified  industry  and  manufactures. 
Naturally,  this  feature  of  the  place  stood  out 
above  every  other  with  great  prominence.  Shops 
and  factories  and  stores  were  numerous.  These 
gave  it  activity  and  thrift,  and  attracted  in- 
creasing trade  and  wealth.  The  population 
numbered  about  twelve  thousand.  The  ten- 
dency of  local  development  in  these  particulars 
was  to  the  south  of  Penn  Street  and  to  the  west 
of  Ninth.  Necessarily  the  erection  of  churches 
followed  this  development.  At  that  time  there 
were  thirteen  churches :  seven  north  of  Penn,— 
Friends;  Lutheran,  Reformed,  Episcopal,  Pres- 
byterian (colored),  African  Methodist  Episcopal 
(colored)   and  Evangelical  (Salem's) ;  and  six 

1  Prepared  by  the  author  of  this  history  and  published 
in  Reading  Times,  January  10,  1885. 


BEADING. 


683 


south  of  Penn, — Catholic!,  Presbyterian,  Metho- 
dist, Baptist,  Universalist  and  Lutheran. 

The  railroad  deserves  especial  mention  for  its 
great  and  valuable  influeuces  in  all  the  local 
affairs  of  the  community.  A  decade  had  not 
fully  elapsed  since  its  introduction,  yet  it  had 
demonstrated  to  a  remarkable  degree  its  power 
in  accelerating  the  growth  of  everything.  As  a 
stimulating  agent  it  was  inestimable,  not  simply 
for  its  direct  action  upon  manufactures  and 
traffic,  but  also  for  its  indirect  action  upon  the 
people  and  their  various  business  enterprises. 
Lands  and  buildings  increased  in  value.  Inter- 
communication was  as  much  facilitated  thereby 
on  the  one  hand  as  it  was  encouraged  on  the 
other.  It  brought  villages  and  towns  to  the 
north  and  to  the  southeast  nearer  to  Reading, 
not  in  respect  to  distance  but  to  time  ;  and  this 
was  certainly  a  wonderful  accomplishment  in 
the  onward  march  of  our  development.  And 
what  a  teacher  it  was  in  quickening  the  intel- 
lect! Who  can  comprehend  its  power  in  this 
direction  ?  It  would  seem  to  have  been  the 
forerunner  of  increased  general  education — to 
have  prepared  the  way  for  the  grand  system 
which  was  then  gradually  working  its  way  into 
the  affections  of  the  people.  This  railroad  ex- 
tended in  a  southeasterly  direction  to  Phila- 
delphia, and  in  a  northerly  direction  to  Potts- 
ville.  Another  railroad  had  been  projected,  to 
extend  westwardly  from  Reading  through  Le- 
banon Valley  to  Harrisburg,  but  it  was  not  as 
yet  begun.  The  canals  and  stages  must  be 
mentioned  in  this  connection,  for  they,  too,  occu- 
pied still  a  prominent  position.  The  former 
consisted  of  two  lines,  the  "  Schuylkill "  and 
"  Union ; "  and  the  latter  of  three  lines, — to  the 
northeast  to  Easton,  to  the  west  to  Harrisburg, 
and  to  the  southwest  to  Lancaster. 

A  prominent  social  movement  was  also  then 
perceptible.  This  was  the  secret  society.  Though 
not  practically  in  its  infancy,  it  had,  neverthe- 
less, not  begun  to  make  a  marked  impression  till 
towards  the  close  of  the  second  period  of  Read- 
ing. The  Independent  Order  of  Odd-Fellows 
was  particularly  active.  The  beginning  of  the 
third  period  was  its  dawn.  As  a  beneficial  or- 
ganization it  extended  its  branches  in  various 
directions  with  remarkable  activity.     People  of 


all  trades,  all  classes  and  all  denominations 
fairly  ran  to  it,  for  the  friendship  that  it  en- 
gendered, and  especially  for  the  charity  that  it 
dispensed  amongst  its  members  in  sickness  and 
distress. 

The  Building  and  Saving  Association  had 
not  yet  arrived  as  a  great  financial  institution 
in  this  growing  community.  The  idea  of  saving 
money  in  small  sums  by  numerous  members 
of  a  common  society,  and  erecting  dwellings 
from  the  total  accumulations  by  and  for  the 
working  people  was  simply  formulating.  It 
was  a  public  conception  which  was  extending 
itself  favorably  amongst  the  laborers  and  mid- 
dle classes  and  obtaining  a  permanent  hold  upon 
them.  It  was  a  grand  project  for  providing 
homes  through  economy  in  the  daily  affairs  of 
life,  just  as  the  "  Secret  Beneficial  Society  "  was 
also  a  similar  project  for  providing  relief  to  its 
members  and  their  families.     Both  were  akin. 

The  fire  company  was  in  an  active,  if  not  in 
a  flourishing,  state.  Four  volunteer  organiza- 
tions were  being  conducted  successfully  (Rain- 
bow, Junior,  Reading  and  Neversink),  partly 
through  pecuniary  assistance  from  the  municipal 
government,  but  mainly  from  the  spontaneous 
efforts  of  their  members.  It  was  a  useful  body, 
but  its  usefulness  was  sacrificed  to  a  considerable 
degree,  in  the  estimation  of  many  property- 
holders  by  the  boisterous,  if  not  the  riotous, 
conduct  of  some  of  its  members  about  that  time. 
It  had  not  yet  come  to  possess  friendly  unity  in 
a  common  cause,  and  especially  to  realize  its 
possible  importance  as  a  political  factor.  It  was 
still  without  a  head.  Each  organization  acted 
for  itself.  And  all  the  organizations  responded 
to  alarms  from  impulse  towards  accomplishing 
the  object  of  their  existence,  in  which  they  re- 
spectively always  displayed  an  earnest  and  a 
commendable  pride  in  reaching  the  fire  first. 
This  performance  provided  them  with  amuse- 
ment in  a  certain  sense,  but  they  obtained  it  at  the 
expense  of  labor  and  risk  of  life,  if  not  suffering. 
They  still  pulled  their  apparatus  by  hand,  and 
after  somewhat,  if  not  entirely,  exhausting  them- 
selves in  this  manner  on  their  way  to  the  fire, 
they  were  there  compelled  to  further  exert  their 
physical  powers  towards  extinguishing  the 
flames.      When   we  consider  that  these  four 


684 


HISTOEY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


companies  were  composed  of  men  generally  in 
ordinary  circumstances,  with  a  limited  common 
education,  and  continued  their  organizations 
successfully  year  after  year,  in  spite  of  gratuitous 
labor  and  of  monthly  dues,  we  cannot  help  but 
feel  a  high  respect  for  their  disinterested,  per- 
sistent devotion  in  behalf  of  the  common  wel- 
fare, and  especially  so  upon  comparing  them 
with  literary  societies,  which  were  then  in  a 
feeble  existence  and  struggling  unsuccessfully 
to  continue  for  a  little  while  longer,  though 
composed  of  professional  gentlemen  who  are 
presumed  to  have  possessed  a  high  order  of  in- 
tellect and  to  have  been  in  good  circumstances. 

The  system  of  common-school  education  was 
actively  conducted  in  the  two  school  wards  of 
the  city.  There  were  seventeen  schools,  thirty- 
one  teachers  and  two  thousand  and  sixty-four 
scholars.  The  system  of  1834  had  been  ac- 
cepted by  the  citizens  of  the  horough  immedi- 
ately after  its  enactment,  and  shortly  afterward 
four  brick  school  buildings  erected.  The  fol- 
lowing ten  districts  in  the  county  besides 
Reading  had  also  accepted  the  system  previous 
to  1847  :  Caernarvon,  Colebrookdale,  Hamburg, 
Hereford,  Kutztown,  Marion,  Robeson,  Rus- 
comb-manor,  Union  and  Womelsdorf.  Its  pro- 
gress was  perceptible,  but  public  energy  was 
necessary  to  maintain  its  increasing  hold  upon 
the  citizens.  In  the  beginning  it  had  encoun- 
tered a  strong  opposition,  so  strong,  indeed,  as 
to  have  been  a  prominent  factor  in  politics. 
This  was  especially  the  case  in  the  country  dis- 
tricts. About  this  time  the  power  of  the  County 
Court  was  directed,  upon  petition,  towards  the 
enforcement  of  the  system  in  certain  districts  iu 
which  directors  had  been  elected,  but  who 
failed  to  perform  their  duties.  Such  a  spirited 
agitation  of  the  subject  naturally  increased  the 
general  movement  in  its  behalf. 

The  newspaper  was  in  a  flourishing  condition 
at  that  time.  When  the  borough  began,  in 
1783,  there  was  no  publication  of  any  kind  at 
Reading.  Shortly  afterward,  however,  the 
newspaper  was  instituted,  and,  before  1800,  it 
was  being  conducted  with  energy  in  both  lan- 
guages—English and  German.  Each  decade 
thereafter  saw  the  beginning  and  endino-  of 
different  enterprises  of  this  kind.      They  all 


were  more  or  less  important  for  a  time,  and 
moulded  public  opinion,  especially  of  a  political 
nature,  to  a  large  degree.  Advertising  was  a 
conspicuous  feature.  When  the  city  began 
there  were  five  strong  and  well-conducted  news- 
papers, viz.  :  Readinger  Adler,  Berks  and 
Schuylkill  Journal,  Berks  County  Press,  Liberate 
Beobaohter  and  Beading  Gazette  and  Democrat. 
The  political  sentiment  of  the  inhabitants  was 
favorable  to  the  Whigs  in  relation  to  the  local 
government,  but  to  the  Democrats  in  relation 
to  State  and  national  government. 

The  markets  were  being  conducted  success- 
fully in  Penn  Square.  The  "  market-people  " 
came  to  Reading  regularly  twice  a  week — 
Wednesdays  and  Saturdays — with  their  produce 
and  sold  it  during  the  early  hours  of  the  morn- 
ing. They  stood  in  the  market-houses  and 
round-about  them  through  all  the  seasons  of  the 
year,  without  regard  to  the  condition  of  the 
weather.  Convenience  to  them  and  to  the  pur- 
chaser was  not  as  yet  a  subject  of  consideration. 
The  Town  Council  proposed  no  improvement 
beyond  the  public  advantages  first  afforded 
four-score  years  before ;  and  they  still  levied 
and  collected  rents  ;  and  about  that  time  they 
even  rebuilt  the  market-houses,  apparently 
indicating  thereby  that  the  "  old  style  "  should 
prevail  for  a  score  of  years  more,  notwithstand- 
ing the  wonderful  development  of  the  place  in 
respect  to  internal  affairs  and  population,  and 
the  increase  of  its  influence  as  a  centre  of  trade 
and  wealth. 

The  semi-annual  "Fairs"  were  still  kept  up; 
but  they  were  without  profit  or  advantage  of 
any  kind.  They  were  useless ;  indeed,  injurious 
to  public  morals.  Hence,  they  were  not  only 
discouraged,  but  denounced  by  the  press  and  by 
the  people  generally.  Under  such  pressure 
their  influence  was  weakened  naturally.  Amongst 
the  customs  of  the  inhabitants  its  hold  was 
almost  entirely  gone.  Dancing,  drinking  and 
fighting  were  conspicuous  features,  these  having 
been  indulged  in  by  the  lower  classes  of  the 
people.  Military  affairs,  however,  maintained 
their  activity.  "  Exercise  "  was  carried  on  an- 
nually in  May  ;  and  it  was  known  as  "  battalion 
day." 

The  great  majority  of  the  people  were  still 


READING, 


685 


very  domestic  in  their  daily  life.  Gardening  was 
commonly  carried  on  either  in  the  lots  upon 
which  the  dwellings  stood,  or  in  out-lots. 
Fruit-trees  were  numerous  in  every  quarter. 
Plums,  peaches,  cherries  and  apples  were  plen- 
tiful. The  first  three  were  "  preserved,"  not 
canned,  as  now.  And  nearly  every  family 
boiled  apple-butter  in  an  open  fire-place  in  the 
fall  of  the  year.  And  "butchering"  was  ob- 
served by  all.  Home-made  sausage,  pudding, 
scrapple,  hams  and  mince  were  common  in 
every  household.  About  Christmas  all  the 
cellars  of  housekeepers  were  well  stocked. 
Wood  was  still  mostly  used  for  fuel,  and  sawing 
upon  the  highway  was  a  common  occupation. 
It  was  commonly  called  "  cord-wood,''  because 
it  was  delivered  by  the  cord  on  a  wagon  with 
ladders.  It  consisted  of  pieces  of  hickory,  oak 
and  chestnut  (mostly  the  first),  cut  four  feet  in 
length.  These  pieces  were  sawed  into  two  or 
more  parts  and  then  split  and  piled  away  ready 
foruse.  The  "ten-plate"  stove  was  almostwholly 
used  for  cooking  and  heating  purposes.  Coal 
had  been  known  to  the  community  for  nearly 
forty  years,  but  it  had  not  yet  come  to  be  gen- 
erally utilized,  especially  for  domestic  purposes. 
Its  consumption  was  principally  in  public 
places,  and  shops,  factories,  etc. 

The  light  was  produced  from  fluid,  oil  and 
tallow,  even  common  fat,  the  first  two  having 
been  used  almost  wholly  in  stores,  and  the  last 
two  in  dwellings,  especially  of  the  poorer  classes 
of  inhabitants.  Gas  was  not  yet  introduced. 
The  streets  were  not  lighted  up  in  the  evening  ; 
and  those  people  Avhose  business  dr  pleasure 
called  them  away  from  their  homes  during 
the  night,  had  to  go — if  not  grope — in  darkness. 
Lanterns  were  frequently  carried  to  shed  light 
upon  the  roadway.  And  then  this  was  no  easy 
matter,  for  pavements  were  comparatively  few 
and  irregular,  and  did  not  facilitate- the  way  of 
pedestrians.  There  were  no  "  street-crossings  " 
at  the  intersections  of  streets.  The  customs  of 
the  residents  had  not  yet  come  to  convert  night 
into  day  for  amusements  of  various  kinds ;  in- 
deed, their  morals  would  not  have  tolerated 
such  a  practice,  especially  on  the  part  of  the 
young  people.  Dramatic  entertainments  were 
just  starting  out  in  earnest,  and  the  demands  for 


an  improved  light  were  gradually  growing 
larger.  The  town  was  not  large — the  principal 
portion  lying  between  Walnut  Street  on  the 
north  and  Chestnut  on  the  south,  Ninth  Street 
on  the  east  and  Third  on  the  west.  Business 
of  all  kinds  was  almost  entirely  done  during 
the  day-time,  and  merchants  derived  their  chief 
support  from  the  farmers.  The  streets  were, 
therefore,  quiet  after  sunset.  Two  constables 
were  watchmen  of  the  night,  and  for  several 
hours  before  and  after  midnight  called  out  the 
hour  and  the  condition  of  the  weather  in  a 
monotonous,  low  tone  of  voice. 

The  pump  was  still  an  institution  through- 
out the  city,  notwithstanding  the  general  supply 
of  superior  water  afforded  by  the  "  Heading 
Water  Company."  It  was  convenient  in  every 
block,  if  not  on  or  near  every  street-corner.  At 
least  one  hundred  were  in  daily  use.  Penn 
Street  was  especially  well  supplied.  Ice  had 
come  to  be  furnished  in  small  quantities  for 
about  ten  years,  but  not  for  drinking  purposes. 
Cool  water,  freshly  pumped  from  the  wells,  was 
satisfactory  to  all. 

Incorporation. — The  borough  of  Eeading 
was  incorporated  into  a •  city  by  an  act  of  As- 
sembly passed  on  March  16,  1847.1  This  act, 
besides  investing  the  corporation  with  cer- 
tain powers  and  privileges  common  to  all  muni- 
cipalities, preserved  the  division  of  the  territory 
into  five  wards, — Northeast,  Northwest,  South- 
east, Southwest  and  Spruce.  It  provided  for 
the  election  of  Select  and  Common  Councilmen 
by  the  people,  the  former  for  three  years  and 
the  latter  for  one  year  ;  and  for  the  annual  ap- 
pointment of  a  solicitor,  street  regulator,  street 
commissioners,  market  commissioner,  high  con- 
stable, scavenger,  and  president  and  clerks  of 
Councils  by  the  Councils ;  and  for  the  annual 
election  of  mayor,  treasurer  and  three  auditors 
by  the  people.  It  divided  the  city  into  two 
districts  for  aldermen — Penn  Street  having 
been  the  dividing  line ;  and  each  district  be- 
came entitled  to  two  aldermen,  with  similar 
term  of  office  and  powers  of  justice  of  the  peace. 
The  day  of  election  was  fixed  on  the  third 
Friday  of  March. 

1  The  act  of  Assembly  was  prepared  by  David  F.  Gordon, 
J.  Pringle  Jones  and  J.  K.  Longenecker. 


686 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


A  second  charter  was  provided  for  the  city  by 
an  act  passed  on  the  13th  of  March,  1861.  In 
it,  among  other  things,  the  names  of  the  wards 
were  changed,  as  follows  :  Spruce  to  First  Ward ; 
Southwest  to  Second ;  Southeast  to  Third ; 
Northeast  to  Fourth ;  Northwest  to  Fifth  ;  and 
the  terms  of  office  of  the  mayor  and  treasurer 
were  increased  to  two  years,  and  city  auditors  to 
three  years. 

A  third  charter  was  provided  by  an  act  passed 
on  the  26th  of  April,  1864.  The  city  was  then 
divided  into  nine  wards,  numbered  respectively, 
1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9.  The  day  of  election 
was  changed  to  the  second  Friday  in  February. 
And  the  term  of  Common  Council  men  was  in- 
creased to  two  years,  one-half  of  the  number  to 
be  elected  alternately  every  two  years. 

And  in  1874  the  act  of  May  23,  1874,  was 
accepted  by  the  people  as  a  fourth  charter  for 
the  city.  It  introduced  additional  changes. 
Each  ward  became  entitled  to  one  alderman.  It 
substituted  a  "  city  controller,"  with  a  term  of 
office  for  two  years,  in  the  place  of  the  three 
auditors.  It  increased  the  terms  of  office  of 
engineer  and  solicitor  to  two  years.  And  all 
the  Common  Council  men  were  to  be  elected 
every  two  years.  This  charter  is  now  the  gen- 
eral law  for  the  administration  of  the  several 
affairs  of  the  city. 

Development. — From  the  time  of  the  in- 
corporation of  Reading  into  a  city  till  now  the 
general  development  of  the  place  from  decade 
to  decade  has  been  remarkable.  Its  history  be- 
gan whilst  the  Mexican  War  was  being  carried 
on,  and  in  which  there  was  a  com  pan y  of  vol- 
unteers from  Reading,  called  the  "  Reading  Ar- 
tillerists." *  During  the  decade  from  1847  to 
1857  business  affairs  grew  more  active,  and 
continued  to  do  so  till  towards  the  close,  when 
a  panic  ensued.  Gas  was  introduced  for  light- 
ing purposes ;  and  the  first  large  hall  was  pro- 
vided for  the  accommodation  of  the  public  in  re- 
spect to  entertainments,  dramatic  performances 
etc.  The  "  Charles  Evans  Cemetery "  was 
founded  and  other  cemeteries  were  established  to 
which  the  dead  were  then  removed  from  the 
grave-yards  in  the  central  portion  of  the  city,  and 


1  See  Chap.  XI.,  Mexican  War. 


in  which  burials  were  from  that  time  made. 
Numerous  buildings  were  erected,  both  dwell- 
ings and  industrial  establishments,  the  latter 
including  prominent  enterprises  which  have 
been  continued  in  operation  almost  constantly 
till  now,  affording  employment  to  hundreds  of 
men  and  yielding  to  the  community  thousands 
of  dollars  which  have  been  invested  here  in  im- 
provements of  a  substantial  character.  Two 
railroads  were  constructed, — the  East  Penn  to 
the  northeast,  and  the  Lebanon  Valley  to  the 
west, — and  these  stimulated  the  energy  of  the 
people. 2  The  militia  system  was  still  promi- 
nent, and  battalion  days  were  devoted  to  general 
military  exercise  ;  but  the  "  fair-days  "  at  the 
market-houses  passed  away  without  regret  from 
any  one,  and  the  Agricultural  Society  substituted 
a  county  fair  for  an  improved  annual  exhibition 
of  goods,  live-stock,  etc.  About  1850  many 
citizens  became  excited  upon  the  subject  of  mi- 
grating to  California,  and  several  parties  pro- 
ceeded thither,  under  the  hopes  of  realizing  great 
profits  from  adventure  and  speculation  in  the 
golden  State  across  the  continent;  but  their  dole- 
ful letters  and  early  return  dispelled  the  charm 
which  had  been  thrown  over  the  community 
and  the  excitement  subsided.  And  political 
questions  also  agitated  the  people.  One  ques- 
tion, that  of  slavery,  was  brought  prominently 
to  their  notice,  and  caused  the  Presidential 
campaign  of  1856  to  be  particularly  enthusiastic. 
In  the  next  decade,  from  1857  to  1867,  the 
Civil  War  was  the  most  prominent  subject 
which  engaged  the  attention  of  the  people,  and 
it  is  treated  at  length  in  this  history. 3  The 
streets  were  regulated  by  a  topographical  survey, 
which  was  successfully  carried  on  for  several 
years,  and  which,  by  the  establishment  of  lines 
and  grades,  encouraged  building  operations, 
especially  in  the  northern  section  of  the  city  ; 4 
and  the  houses  were  numbered  by  an  admirable 


2  See  Chap.  XVIII.  Internal  Improvements. 

8  See  Chap.  XII.,  Civil  War. 

4  The  "Topographical  Survey"  of  Beading  was  author- 
ized by  act  of  Assembly  passed  April  26,  1864,  in  pur- 
suance of  which  the  City  Councils  caused  the  lines  and 
grades  of  the  streets  to  be  surveyed,  fixed,  etc.,  during  the 
years  1864-5-6-7-8.  Duplicate  confirmed  plans  of  the 
several  sections  (eight  in  number)  are  on  file  in  the  Quarter 
Sessions  office  of  Berks  County. 


EEADING. 


687 


system  along  all  the  streets.1  The  "  water- 
works "  became  the  property  of  the  people ;  ef- 
forts were  made  to  improve  the  city  charter  by 
two  amendments ;  the  wards  were  differently  ar- 
ranged and  increased  in  number ;  and  a  "  Fire- 
men's Union "  was  organized.  The  people 
were  very  active  and  energetic  in  every  depart- 
ment of  life  and  the  general  wealth  of  the 
community  was  increased  millions  of  dollars. 
Weekly  newspapers  became  more  thoroughly 
circulated,  and  the  daily  newspaper  was  estab- 
lished. Postal  facilities  were  increased,  to  the 
great  convenience  of  the  people.  The  fourth 
railroad  from  Reading  was  projected  and  suc- 
cessfully extended,  affording  direct  communi- 
cation with  Lancaster  and  Columbia.  Political 
excitement  reached  the  highest  point  which  the 
community  was  able  to  bear  without  resulting 
in  a  serious  social  disturbance. 

During  the  third  decade,  from  1867  to  1877, 
general  enterprise  was  active  in  the  beginning 
and  continued  so  for  several  years ;  but  then  it 
began  to  decline  and  finally  showed  marked 
effects  from  the  panic  which  prevailed  through- 
out the  country.  Fire  elsewhere  destroyed 
much  property,  resulting  in  enormous  losses 
which  amounted  to  many  million  of  dollars ; 
and  it  seemed  that  some  evil  genius  possessed 
this  community  also,  by  the  numerous  acts  of 
incendiarism  in  the  most  populous  parts  of  the 
city.  Fortunately  for  us,  the  volunteer  fire 
companies  were  not  only  prompt  but  vigilant. 
They  were  interested  in  the  preservation  of 
property  and  therefore  were  moved  by  the 
noblest  impulses  to  prevent  losses  from  fire. 
Then  the  "  Electric  Fire  Alarm "  was  intro- 
duced, which  soon  demonstrated  its  incalculable 
value  to  the  community ;  and  the  water  supply 

1  On  May  30,  1863,  eight  petitions  from  citizens  of  Read- 
ing were  presented  to  Councils,  praying  them  "  to  pass  an 
ordinance  providing  for  the  numbering  of  the  buildings  in 
this  city."  A  special  committee  was  appointed,  which  re- 
ported June  29,  1863, — "  that  the  public  wants  demanded 
that  it  should  be  immediately  acted  upon  by  the  Councils." 
Accordingly,  an  ordinance  was  passed  and  approved  August 
31,  1863.  This  provided  for  the  allowance  of  one  hundred 
numbers  for  each  square,  on  each  street  running  east  from 
Front  Street,  north  from  Penn  and  south  from  Penn.  The 
system  was  first  advocated  in  1854.  Previously  a  system 
had  been  in  vogue  on  Penn  Street  for  business  convenience, 
the  numbers  running  east  and  west  from  Fifth  Street. 


was  largely  increased  by  the  appropriation  of 
the  water  of  Antietam  Creek,  and  the  construc- 
tion of  a  lake  to  be  used  as  a  storage  reservoir, 
with  a  capacity  of  many  million  gallons.  The 
"Centennial"  was  a  prominent  subject  for 
several  years,  especially  during  the  year  1876 
for  six  months,  from  the  10th  of  May  to  the 
10th  of  November,  when  our  people  patronized 
the  "Great  International  Exhibition"  at  Phil- 
adelphia very  extensively,  having  traveled 
repeatedly  to  and  fro  in  regular  and  excursion 
trains.  The  railroads  were  busy,  and  their 
activity  led  others  to  be  extended  from  Read- 
ing: the  Wilmington  and  Northern,  and  the 
Berks  County.  Street  railways  were  also  intro- 
duced and  operated  through  the  length  and 
breadth  of  the  city.  The  old  market-houses  be- 
came objectionable,  and  upon  the  erection  of 
fine,  commodious  and  pleasant  buildings  in 
the  several  sections  of  the  city  by  private  enter- 
prise for  market  purposes,  they  were  removed. 
New  and  modern  halls  were  provided,  not  only 
to  encourage  but  to  gratify  the  public  desire  for 
amusement.  Foundries  and  factories  were  ex- 
tended in  different  branches  of  industry,  show- 
ing the  increasing  enterprise  and  wealth  of 
manufacturers,  and  the  employment  of  a  larger 
number  of  mechanics  and  workingmen. 
Merchants  and  business  men  generally  began 
to  appreciate  more  the  value  and  also  the  neces- 
sity of  advertising  in  various  ways,  especially 
in  the  newspapers ;  and  just  as  they  here  en- 
deavored to  attract  the  attention  of  the  people 
of  Reading  and  the  districts  throughout  the 
county,  so  did  the  merchants  at  Philadelphia 
endeavor,  through  the  newspapers,  to  draw 
trade  away  from  the  growing  stores  here  to  the 
business  places  there.  Competition  became  an 
active  feature  of  business  life  and  a  state  of 
carrying  on  trade  was  produced  far  in  advance  of 
previous  decades.  The  city  was  extended  north- 
wardly in  1871,  and  the  total  area  increased  to 
three  thousand  two  hundred  acres.  And  a  new 
charter  for  the  city  was  obtained,  by  acceptance  of 
the  general  actof  Assembly  passed  May  23, 1874, 
for  the  government  of  cities  of  the  third  class. 
In  the  previous  decade  the  militia  system  was 
obliterated  by  the  Civil  War;  and  though  a  new 
system  was  then  provided,  it  did  not  exhibit 


688 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


auy  strength  during  this  decade  in  our  com- 
munity. The  feeling  and  the  general  situation 
of  the  people  in  this  respect  are  altogether  dif- 
ferent. We  have  had  no  "battalion  days," 
no  military  exercises.  In  the  beginning  of  the 
decade  before  1867  there  were  over  fifty  com- 
panies of  militia  which  exercised  frequently 
every  year  in  the  several  sections  of  the  county  ; 
but  in  this  decade  (before  1877)  we  had  only 
two  companies,  one  at  Reading  and  the  other  at1 
Hamburg,  whose  exercises  were  scarcely  noticed. 
The  building  and  savings  associations  had  a 
flourishing  existence  and  assisted  greatly  in 
improving  the  city  with  numerous  dwelling- 
houses  for  the  working  people.  The  political 
feeling  of  the  people  throughout  the  country 
changed  very  much,  and  the  process  of  change 
necessarily  developed  a  high  degree  of  excite- 
ment. The  year  1876  was  particularly  dis- 
tinguished in  this  respect.  Improved  postal 
facilities  were  given  to  the  people,  and  the  bus- 
iness of  the  post  office  was  largely  increased. 

And  the  fourth,  or  last  decade,  from  1877 
till  now,  has  not  fallen  behind  the  previous 
decades.  It  started  out  with  a  serious  trouble, 
the  regulation  of  which  was  beyond  our  wis- 
dom. We  could  not  rectify  it ;  it  broke  upon 
us  like  an  explosion ;  and  then,  through  fear, 
it  subsided.  This  was  the  labor  question. 
Several  years  before  1877,  the  subject  was  agi- 
tated earnestly  and  it  led  to  the  formation  of 
different  societies,  the  most  prominent  of  which 
was  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers. 
Demands  for  higher  wages  were  made ;  these  were 
not  complied  with  and  a  strike  followed.     This 

1  In  1869,  there  were  four  military  companies  at  Read- 
ing :  First  Reading  Reserves,  commanded  by  Captain  Oscar 
R.  Christ ;  First  Reading  Rifles,  commanded  by  Thomas  E. 
Weber  ;  Reading  Zouaves,  commanded  by  Captain  William 
B.  McMichael;  and  Veteran  Zouaves,  commanded  by  Cap- 
tain John  Gehring. 

The  total  enrollment  of  men  for  military  duty  then  was 
11,502. 

In  August,  1870,  a  military  encampment  was  held  at 
Reading. 

A  "  Grand  Military  Parade  and  Review  "  took  place  at 
Reading  on  May  28,  1875,  under  the  auspices  of  company 
A,  Reading  Rifles,  and  company  C,  Reading  Zouaves. 
There  were,  altogether,  fourteen  companies  in  line,  num- 
bering six  hundred  men  ;  some  of  the  companies  were 
from  Philadelphia,  Allentown  and  Easton. 


strike  was  general  in  this  State  and  in  other 
States ;  and  it  was  persisted  in  until  it  termin- 
ated in  a  great  riot  at  Reading,  which  is  de- 
scribed elsewhere  in  this  chapter.  Councils  in- 
creased the  water  supply  to  answer  the  growing 
demands  of  our  rapidly-increasing  community  ; 
and  they  made  efforts  in  the  direction  of  im- 
proved highways.  An  earnest  and  a  successful 
beginning  for  a  City  Park  was  instituted  in 
1878  by  private  individuals,  but  the  decade  is 
passing  away  and  the  park  is  still  to  be  estab- 
lished. 

Numerous  other  things  within  the  past  forty 
years  have  transpired  which  are  worthy  of  men- 
tion, but  they  cannot  be  detailed  without  increas- 
ing the  size  of  this  history  far  beyond  my  inten- 
tions. It  would  be  a  difficult  matter  for  me  to 
determine  just  what  to  include  and  what  to  ex- 
clude, what  to  present  in  an  extended  manner 
and  what  to  give  only  a  passing  notice.  For 
this  reason  I  have  only  taken  a  general  survey 
of  this  period.  The  industries,  internal  im- 
provements, churches,  schools,  associations,  offi- 
cials and  census  of  Reading  are  treated  in  sepa- 
rate parts  of  this  chapter.  All  the  parts,  taken 
together,  give  the  county-seat  a  prominent  place 
in  the  history  of  this  county.  The  reader  will, 
therefore,  understand  that  I  was  compelled  to 
confine  myself  more  to  the  history  of  past 
events  which  are  not  within  the  knowledge  of 
most  of  the  people  living,  than  to  the  history 
of  matters  and  things  which  are  within  the  re- 
collection of  the  present  generation. 

The  last  score  of  years  of  this  century 
— a  century  already  glorious  with  prodigiou-i 
results,  especially  in  our  own  vicinity — has  ad- 
vanced only  several  years  beyond  1880.  Look- 
ing backward  through  two  scores  of  years  in 
our  municipal  life,  and  realizing  what  education 
and  steam  have  done  for  our  industrious  and 
law-abiding  Christian  community  since  1840, 
or  the  close  of  the  second  score  in  this  century, 
when  these  two  great  forces  just  began  to 
impress  themselves  forcibly  upon  our  people ; 
and  then  looking  forward  through  the  remaining 
years  of  the  present  score  to  the  year  1900,  with 
the  advantages  of  our  vigorous  population, 
education,  wealth,  manufactures,  various  internal 
improvements  and  political  freedom,  what  c.i  1 


READING. 


689 


we  not  hope  to  accomplish  in  the  next  fifteen 
years,  in  respect  to  population,  wealth  and 
influence,  with  these  same  forces,  the  one  to 
direct  and  the  other  to  propel  us  in  the  progress 
of  civilization  ?  We  have  here  a  grand  centre 
possessed  of  inconceivable  natural  advantages 
which  arise  from  the  conjunction  of  fertile 
valleys  and  flowing  streams.  The  prospects 
before  us  for  developments  on  the  one  hand  and 
accomplishments  on  the  other  are  most  pleasing 
to  contemplate.  But  to  insure  our  future  pro- 
gress and  make  it  proportionate  with  that  of  the 
past,  we  must  fit  ourselves  to  discriminate  for 
things,  not  persons,  and  so  direct  our  industrial, 
political  and  moral  energy  as  to  subserve  the 
public  welfare  rather  than  individual  aggran- 
dizement. 

Riot  in  Reading,  July,  1877.1 — The  great 
riot  at  Reading  was  such  an  extraordinary 
event  in  the  history  of  our  community  that  I 
give  it  a  special  notice. 

On  Saturday,  July  21, 1877,  great  excitement 
prevailed  at  Reading,  owing  to  the  general 
strike  of  railroad  train  men  in  the  following 
States :  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania, 
Delaware,  Maryland,  West  Virginia,  Ohio, 
Indiana,  Illinois  and  Missouri.  The  central 
point  of  excitement  was  at  Seventh  and  Penn 
Streets,  where  many  men  gathered  to  discuss 
the  situation.  At  that  time  the  excitement  at 
Pittsburgh  was  intense,  ending  shortly  there- 
after in  the  great  destruction  of  railroad  prop- 
erty, which  consisted  of  buildings,  cars,  etc., 
and  in  the  loss  of  at  least  a  score  of  lives.  On 
the  next  day  the  situation  was,  naturally,  worse, 
owing  to  the  news  from  Pittsburgh,  and  more 
men  crowded  at  the  point  named,  but  there 
was  no  disorderly  demonstration  of  any  kind 
during  the  day.  By  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening 
the  crowd  had  moved  to  the  passenger  station, 
where  the  men  greeted  the  last  train  from 
Philadelphia  (10.30)  with  shouts  and  yells. 
Then  the  excitement  became  uncontrollable. 
The  crowd  moved  westwardly  upon  the  Lebanon 
Valley  Railroad,  and   fire  and  destruction  of 

1  See  report  of  committee  appointed  to  investigate  rail- 
road riots  in  July,  1877.     Testimony  taken  in  February 
and  March,   1878,  including  witnesses  at  Reading,  and 
read  before  Legislature  May  23,  1878,  pp.  25-28. 
62  '  i 


property  followed.  It  would  be  utterly  im- 
possible to  describe  briefly  the  terrible  occur- 
rences of  that  fatal  Sunday  night.  Railroad 
tracks  were  torn  up,  and  certain  cabooses  and 
freight,  cars  were  set  on  fire  which  resulted  in 
a  general  alarm  of  fire,  and  response  of  the  Fire 
Department,  and  during  the  terrible  excitement 
in  and  about  the  "cut,"  near  Sixth  Street, 
whither  all  attention  had  been  directed,  the 
costly  and  handsome  railroad  bridge,  which 
spanned  the  river  within  a  mile  to  the  west, 
was  set  on  fire  and  entirely  destroyed.  The 
bright  flames,  which  flashed  high  into  the  dark- 
ness of  the  night,  attracted  thousands  of  people 
to  the  place.  The  burning  bridge  presented  a 
sight  as  grand  as  it  was  awful.  This  condi- 
tion of  affairs  was  extremely  alarming ;  no  one 
knew  what  was  next  to  happen,  what  was  next 
to  be  destroyed.  The  news  shocked  the  whole 
community.  Crowds  had  gathered  on  Satur- 
day, innocently,  apparently,  but  unlawfully /with- 
out any  earnest  movement  from  the  policemen 
to  disperse  them,  and  property  had  been  de- 
stroyed on  Sunday,  the  next  day  afterward. 
But  what  was  to  follow  on  the  third  day  ?  On 
Monday  the  newspapers  were  almost  wholly 
taken  up  with  vivid  descriptions  of  the  excited 
condition  of  the  community  and  of  the 
destructive  work  of  incendiaries.  They  were 
the  centre  of  attraction.  So  important  were 
they  that  they  were  never  before  in  greater 
demand,  and  so  interesting,  indeed,  that  the 
news  which  they  detailed  caused  shuddering 
hearts  and  moistening  eyes.  Everybody  dis- 
cussed the  fire — everybody  wondered  what 
next!  Throughout  the  day  great  excitement 
prevailed,  and  as  the  night  approached  it  grew 
greater.  The  four  corners  of  Seventh  and 
Penn  Streets  were  again  crowded  hour  after 
hour,  subject  to  a  weak  protest,  but  without  any 
determined  effort  from  municipal  or  county 
authorities  to  clear  the  highway.  Who  were 
rioters  ?  Who  were  law-abiding  citizens  ?  All 
were  disturbers  of  the  peace.  Trains  were 
stopped  there,  coal  cars  were  detached  and  many 
tons  of  coal  were  dumped  upon  the  track  for 
several  hundred  feet.  Who  did  it?  Men 
were  blind.  All  was  disorder.  Hundreds,  nay, 
thousands  of  people  were  concentrated  at  that 


690 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


point  on  both  sides  of  Penn  and  Seventh  Streets. 
And    with   this   state   of  affairs,   then   wholly 
uncontrollable,  the  six  o'clock  passenger  train 
approached  the  city  around  the  bend  of  "  Never- 
sink,"  and  the  shrill  whistle  of  the  engine  never 
sounded  in  such  a  piercing   manner.     The  en- 
gineer remained  bravely  at  his  post;  the  command 
was  given  to  proceed  forward  at  full  speed,  and 
forward  indeed  he  directed  his  engine  at  the 
rate  of  forty-five  miles  an  hour  over  the  block- 
aded  track.     Who    can  '  imagine    what    might 
have  been  the  result?     Fortunately  the  train 
passed  through  safely,  but  the  people  scattered 
pell-mell  for  their  lives,  coals  were  thrown  high 
into  the  air,  and  a  dense  cloud  of  black  dust 
obscured   everything    round-about  for  a  time. 
At   the   passenger   station   a  great  excitement 
took  place  immediately  after  the  arrival  of  this 
train.     The  next  down  train  was  stopped  in  the 
cut,  and  this  unlawful,  daring  proceeding  drew 
the  crowd  from  the  depot  and  intensified  the 
excitement  at  Seventh  and  Penn  Streets.     And 
in  this  state  the  people  remained  at  that  point, 
immovable.    Proclamations  by  the  sheriff  of  the 
county  and  earnest  appeals  by  the  policemen  of 
the  city  did  not  make  the  slightest  impression 
upon  them.     It  seems  that  the  vast  multitude 
were  in  sympathy  with  the  riotous   demonstra- 
tions.    And  so  matters  remained  for  nearly  two 
hours,  apparently  growing  worse  as  the  dark- 
ness of  night  fell  upon  the  community.     Then, 
however,  a  sudden  change  arose.     And  what 
agent  was  this  that  could,  as  it  were,  in  a  mo- 
ment, in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  separate  a 
maddened,  threatening  crowd,  when  sober,  sen- 
sible appeals  to  citizens  who  had  theretofore 
been  a  law-abiding  people,  were  wholly  unavail- 
ing?    It  was  the   bullet.     This    acted   upon 
them  as  effectually  as  the  lightning  upon  the 
restless,  thickening  clouds  in  a  portentous  sky. 

About  eight  o'clock  seven  companies  of  the 
Fourth  Regiment1  of  Pennsylvania  Volunteers 
numbering  about  two  hundred  men,  under  the 
command  of  General  Franklin  Reeder,  arrived 
at  the  station  in  the  city,  viz. : — 

Company  B,  Allen  Rifles,  Allentown ;  Com- 


1  Company  A,  Reading  Rifles,  commanded  by  Captain 
R.  P.  Wenrioh,  was  a  pari  of  this  regiment,  but  it  did  not 
report  at  Allentown  for  duty, 


pany  D,  Allen  Continentals,  Allentown ;  Com- 
pany E,  Blue  Mountain  Legion,  Hamburg; 
Company  F,  Easton  Grays,  Easton  ;  Company 
H,  Slatington  Rifles,  Slatington  :  Company  I, 
Catasauqua;  Company  K,  Portland,  North- 
ampton County. 

After  some  consultation  they  were  marched 
down    the   railroad    and    through    the    "cut" 
towards  Penn  Street  to  liberate  the  train  there. 
On  the  way  they  were  attacked  by  persons  on 
the  elevated  pavements,  who  threw  stones  and 
bricks  upon  them.     They  did  not  fire  in  self- 
defense,  but  moved  on  bravely.     Nearing  Penn 
Street,  the  situation  became  so  dangerous  that- 
some  of  the  men,  by  some  order  or  mistaken 
command,   shot  off  their   rifles.     Bricks   and 
stones  were  thrown  with  increased  energy,  and 
many  shots  followed.     The  crowd  immediately 
scattered,  and  men  were  seen  bearing  away  the 
wounded    and    killed.     "With    the    dispersing 
crowd  the  soldiers  also  became  disordered,  and 
the    companies   disorganized.      Their  conduct 
was  disgraceful,  and  the  whole  community,  and 
especially  the  management  of  the  Philadelphia 
and  Reading  Railroad  Company,  lost  confidence 
in  them  as  a  means  of  restoring   order  or  pre- 
serving peace.      A   battery   of  United  States 
Regular  Artillery,  equipped  as  infantry,  then 
came  here  shortly  afterward,  under  the  com- 
mand of  General  Hamilton,  and  remained  till 
peace  and  order  and  safety  were  assured.     The 
fidelity  of  G.  A.  Nicolls  and  George  Eltz  to 
their  posts  as  officials  of  the  railroad  at  this 
point,  in  the  perilous  situation  of  affairs  then 
existing,  was  highly  commendable. 

VERDICT   OP  CORONER'S  JURY. 

"The  undersigned  members  of  an  inquest  upon  the 
bodies  of  a  number  of  citizens  who  were  killed  dur- 
ing a  riot  which  took  place  on  Monday  night,  the  23rd 
day  of  July,  1877,  in  the  city  of  Reading,  after  having 
heard  a  large  number  of  witnesses  whose  testimony  is 
hereto  appended,  and  after  due  inquiry  and  consider- 
ation of  all  the  facts  and  circumstances  attending  the 
riotous  demonstrations,  report  as  follows : 

"1.  The  said  persons  came  to  their  death  by  a  firing 
of  the  military  upon  the  rioters. 

"2.  That  the  soldiers  composing  a  portion  of  the 
Fourth  Regiment,  Pennsylvania  National  Guard, 
numbering  about  two  hundred  men,  while  marching 
through  the  railroad  cut  along  Seventh  Street,  were 
continually  assailed  with  stones  and  brickbats  from 


READING. 


691 


the  time  they  entered  the  cut  at  Walnut  Street  bridge 
until  they  approached  Peuu  Street,  a  distance  of  two 
squares,  the  assault  becoming  severer  the  further  they 
moved,  and  being  accompanied  with  pistol  shots  after 
having  reached  Washington  Street  bridge  ;  that  dur- 
ing said  march  many  of  the  soldiers  were  badly  woun- 
ded by  the  missiles,  some  of  them  being  knocked  down 
two  or  three  times ;  notwithstanding  an  order  from 
the  commanding  officer  not  to  fire,  a  single  shot  from 
one  of  the  military  was  a  signal  for  others  to  fire, 
which  soon  became  general.  It  would  be  expecting 
too  much  of  human  nature,  especially  on  the  part  of 
untrained  soldiers,  to  expect  them  not  to  fire  under 
the  fearful  peril  in  which  they  were  placed,  and  when 
once  the  firing  commenced  the  volleys  of  stones  and 
pistol  shots  continuing  and  especially  directed  against 
their  ranks,  the  inquest  cannot  censure  them  for  the 
manner  in  which  they  acted. 

"3.  That  the  military  werehere  as  the  representative 
of  public  order,  under  directions  of  Major-General  Bol- 
ton, who  was  doubtless  acting  under  the  State  civil 
authority,  said  orders  having  been  duly  communica- 
ted to  General  Reeder,  commanding  the  Fourth  Reg- 
iment, who  was  instructed  to  report  to  the  Sheriff, 
Mayor  or  Railroad  Officials.  Having  been  met,  before 
reaching  Reading,  by  several  officers  of  the  Railroad 
Company,  who  informed  him  that  the  railroad  depot 
was  in  possession  of  the  mob,  he  left  the  cars  with  his 
command  at  a  short  distance  above  the  depot,  and 
marched  down  the  railroad  to  the  depot ;  upon 
reaching  the  depot,  and  finding  it  in  possession  of  the 
Coal  and  Iron  Police,  but  meeting  neither  the  Sheriff 
nor  the  Mayor  (the  latter  official  being  out  of  the  city), 
he  was  requested  by  an  official  of  the  railroad  com- 
pany to  move  in  the  direction  of  Penn  Street  to  re- 
lease a  passenger  train  then  in  the  hands  of  the  mob, 
and  whilst  complying  with  this  request  the  firing  of  the 
military  took  place.  It  thus  appears  that  under  the 
evidence  as  far  as  it  has  been  laid  before  the  inquest, 
that  General  Reeder  with  his  command  was  acting 
within  his  instructions,  and  if  any  blame  is  to  be 
attached  to  the  action  of  the  military,  it  must  be  born 
by  the  superior  officer  in  command. 

"  4.  That  whilst  the  deaths  were  immediately  owing 
to  the  firing  of  the  soldiers  who  were  at  the  proper 
place  under  proper  authority  where  the  disorder  was 
raging,  yet  the  responsibility  for  the  terrible  tragedy 
of  Monday  night  is  directly  attributed  to  those  who 
composed  the  lawless  body  assembled  near  the  corner 
of  Seventh  and  Penn  Streets,  who  were  instigating 
the  riotous  proceedings ;  whilst  many  were  present, 
not  as  inciting  to  riot,  but  out  of  idle  curiosity,  they 
nevertheless  by  their  presence  gave  aid  and  confidence 
to  the  mob  spirit  who  initiated  the  disturbance ;  the 
latter  are  the  persons  primarily  responsible  for  all 
subsequent  trouble  and  bloodshed,  and  if  detected  and 
arrested  should  be  held  to  the  severest  accountability. 

"5.  The  absence  of  the  Mayor  from  the  city  may  be 


a  sufficient  excuse  for  the  inactivity  of  the  city  au- 
thorities at  the  time. 

"6.  Whilst  on  the  one  hand  the  testimony  clearly 
shows  that  Chief  of  Police  Cullen  was  faithful  in  the 
discharge  of  his  official  duty,  it  is  a  matter  of  regret 
to  the  inquest  that  the  testimony  does  not  equally 
commend  the  Sheriff  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty. 
On  the  contrary,  though  telegraphed  for  early  on 
Monday  morning,  23d  July,  and  having  reached  the 
city  by  special  train  provided  by  the  railroad  company 
at  5  o'clock  a.m.,  he  nevertheless  made  no  attempt  to 
provide  for  the  preservation  of  the  public  peace,  al- 
though earnestly  appealed  to  and  urged  to  organize  a 
posse  by  a  number  of  citizens  during  the  day.  It  is 
well  known  that  during  the  whole  of  Monday  the  city 
was  under  the  power  and  in  the  control  of  the  mob, 
whose  progress  was  hourly  gathering  strength,  and 
that  before  noon,  Messrs.  Wootten  &  Miller  offered  to 
furnish  a  sufficient  number  of  men  with  arms  and  am- 
munition, to  constitute  a  posse  comitatus  and  suppress 
the  riot  if  the  Sheriff  would  give  the  authority  for  so 
doing.  This  offer  was  declined  by  the  Sheriff,  who 
significantly  remarked  that  the  mob  also  had  arms. 
All  that  the  Sheriff  of  Berks  County  did  in  this  fear- 
ful emergency,  after  wasting  the  whole  day  in  his 
office  doing  nothing,  was  to  issue  his  proclamation 
after  5  o'clock  in  the  evening,  calling  upon  the  citi- 
zens to  remain  at  home. 

"  In  conclusion  thereof  or  in  accordance  with  the 
evidence  presented,  the  inquest  believes  that  the  Sheriff 
having  neglected  and  refused  to  perform  what  was  his 
obvious  duty,  is  in  a  measure  responsible  for  the  events 
which  followed. 

"  In  witness  whereof,  as  well  as  aforesaid  Coroner,  as 
the  jurors  aforesaid,  have  to  this  inquisition  put  their 
hands  and  seals,  this  7th  day  of  August,  1877,  [Signed] 
William  Bland,  David  Fox,  William  C.  Kelchner, 
S.  A.  Stout,  John  H.  Kelly,  Reuben  Hottenstein, 
George  S.  Goodhart,  (Coroner)." 

The  jury  also  rendered  special  verdicts  in  each 
of  the  cases  of  the  ten  citizens  killed  during  the 
riot,  as  follows : 

"  Milton  Tkace  came  to  his  death  on  South  Sev- 
enth below  Chestnut ;  died  from  the  effects  of  a  large 
bullet  wound  entering  in  near  the  angle  of  the  mouth, 
left  side,  passing  through  horizontally,  wounding 
large  arteries,  fracturing  the  second  vertebra  of  the 
neck  and  then  passing  out  on  the  same  side  of  en- 
trance ;  wound  was  received  at  the  time  the  second 
volley  was  fired  by  the  military. 

"  James  J.  Fisher  died  near  the  corner  of  Penn  and 
Seventh  Streets,  from  hemorrhage  of  the  femoral  ar- 
tery, caused  by  a  bullet  shot  which  entered  on  the  in- 
side of  the  left  thigh,  penetrating  the  artery  and  pas- 
sing out  on  the  opposite  side,  fracturing  the  bone. 
Shot  was  fired  by  one  of  the  military. 

"Ludwig  Hoffman  was  shot  while  standing  a  little 


692 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


above  Esterly's  store,  on  Perm  Street,  on  the  evening 
of  the  23d  nit.,  and  from  which  he  died  early  next 
morning  ;  ball  entered  on  the  right  side  of  the  spine 
immediately  above  the  crest  of  the  ilium,  passing 
through  the  ascending  colon  to  the  right  and  a  little 
below  the  umbilicus,  where  it  passed  out. 

"John  H.  Weaver  came  to  his  death  by  a  wound 
produced  by  a  rifle  ball  which  entered  the  left  side  of 
the  chest  about  the  fifth  rib,  which  it  fractured  and 
then  passed  downward,  wounding  probably  the  aorta, 
the  hemorrhage  causing  death  in  a  short  time.  Ball 
was  shot  by  one  of  the  soldiers. 

"Lewis  Alexander  Eisenhower  came  to  his 
death  by  a  rifle  shot  wound  while  leaving  the  east  side- 
walk of  the  Ubil  House,  the  bullet  entering  the  out- 
side, passing  through  horizontally  the  lower  part  of 
the  upper  third  of  the  right  thigh,  taking  with  it  a 
portion  of  the  thigh  bone  and  wounding  the  femoral 
artery,  the  hemorrhage  from  which  caused  his  death 
in  about  two  hours.  We  are  satisfied  that  the  shct 
came  from  the  military. 

"John  A.  Cassidy  came  to  his  death  nearly  in  front 
of  Shearer's  shoe  store  by  a  rifle  shot  fired  by  the 
military  on  Penn  Street  and  Seventh,  shooting  diag- 
onally across  and  up  Penn  Street,  the  ball  entering 
in  the  small  of  the  back  near  the  spine,  on  the  right 
of  the  spine,  making  its  exit  near  the  lower  part  of 
the  breast  bone,  right  side,  from  which  wound  he  died 
in  about  twenty  minutes. 

"  John  Alvin  Wunder  came  to  his  death  from 
wounds  received  from  the  military  near  the  corner  of 
Penn  and  Seventh  Streets,  and  from  which  he  died  in 
about  two  hours  after  the  receipt  of  the  wounds. 
The  wound  was  that  of  a  rifle  ball  or  slug  shot  which 
passed  the  hip  and  abdomen ;  that  above  named  was 
at  Seventh  and  Penn  simply  as  an  innocent  spectator. 
"Daniel  Nachtrieb  came  to  his  death  at  the  cor- 
ner of  Penn  and  Seventh  Streets;  that  a  bullet-shot 
entered  immediately  over  the  right  eye,  passing 
through  the  brain  and  making  its  exit  behind  the 
right  ear,  on  about  a  level  with  it,  causing  his  death 
in  a  short  time,  and  that  said  shot  was  fired  by  one  of 
the  military,  who  were  on  Seventh  Street,  about 
twenty  or  twenty-five  yards  above  Penn  Street. 

"  Elias  Shafer  came  to  his  death  on  the  evening  of 
the  23d  ult.,  on  Penn  Street,  near  Seventh  Street,  and 
died  of  hemorrhage,  from  a  wound  of  a  rifle-ball, 
which  entered  on  the  left  side  of  the  chest,  near  the 
nipple,  passed  in  a  direct  horizontal  line  backward, 
penetrating  the  lower  part  of  the  lung,  and  emerged 
at  the  left  side  of  the  spinal  column,  which  was  shat- 
tered. We  believe  that  the  shot  came  from  the  mil- 
itary. 

"  Howard  Cramp  was  picked  up  on  Penn  Street,  a 
little  above  Esterly's  store,  about  half-past  eight 
o'clock,  and  carried  into  the  drug-store,  where  he 
died.  The  boy  was  no  rioter,  but  a  peaceable  and 
quiet  boy,  and  was  there  simply  as  a  spectator.    Ball 


entered  immediately  above  the  hip,  on  the  left  side, 
and  passed  out  on  a  level  on  the  right  side. 

The  following  citizens  were  wounded  : 

William  Clark,  Elam  Kissinger,  Christian  Groet- 
zinger,  John  Weiler,  Patrick  Quinn,  Samuel  Grau], 
Edward  Boyer,  George  W.  Palm,  Albert  Mills,  Walter 

GrofF,  Edward  Heineman, Wentzel,  stranger  from 

New  Jersey,  Martin  Noonan,  Ludwig  Rupp  (police- 
man), Edward  Haggerty  (policeman),  Daniel  D.  Hart 
(policeman),  Samuel  M.  Oden waller  (policeman), 
Abner  R.  Jones,  Albert  S.  Hawk,  David  Buchter, 
Henry  Murray,  Samuel  Bertolet,  Isaac  Diefenderfer, 
Thomas  H.  Gwinn,  Valentine  Graf,  Valentine  Long- 
lot,  Henry  W.  Corbit. 

The  following  soldiers  were  wounded  : 

G.  P.  Roth,  Company  B ;  C.  G.  Weber,  Company  B ; 
Josiah  Hillegass,  Company  B ;  Lewis  Heckman,  Com- 
pany E ;  O.  C.  Bunting,  Company  F ;  Frederick  Sny- 
der, Company  F ;  Charles  Leidy,  Company  F ;  George 
McDowell,  Company  H  ;  B.  F.  Hunt,  Company  H ; 
Albert  Kildare,  Company  I ;  H.  M.  La  Bar,  Company 
K ;  William  F.  Allen,  Company  K. 

Trial  of  Rioters. — Many  men  were  ar- 
rested and  indicted  for  alleged  implication  in 
the  riot.  Samuel  Humphreys  and  Edward 
Smith  were  indicted  with  five  others  (including 
Hiram  Nachtrieb)  for  maliciously  setting  fire 
to  Lebanon  Valley  Eailroad  bridge,  but  they 
pleaded  guilty  and  were  sentenced  to  imprison- 
ment for  five  years.  Of  the  five  other  defen- 
dants, Hiram  Nachtrieb  was  the  only  one  tried, 
and  after  a  determined  trial  on  the  part  of  the 
commonwealth,  with  the  assistance  of  F.  B. 
Gowen,  Esq.,  president  of  the  Philadelphia  and 
Reading  Railroad  Company,  from  October  2 
to  October  6, 1877,  he  was  acquitted.  A  second 
case,  against  fourteen  men,  was  tried  the  follow- 
ing week  and  all  were  acquitted  excepting  one, 
who  was  convicted  of  inciting  to  riot.  A  third 
case  was  called  on  October  22d,  in  which  forty- 
one  persons  were  indicted,  but  it  was  not  tried. 
The  trials  were  attended  by  many  people,  espe- 
cially the  first  trial. 


PART  IV. 


MANUFACTURING  INDUSTRIES. 

The  close  proximity  of  Reading  to  the  vast 
coal  fields  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  the 
superior  local  resources  and  its  location  being 


READING. 


693 


near  the  great  marts  of  trade  and  commerce  of 
the  seaboard  States  induced  enterprising  busi- 
ness men  to  here  establish  large  manufacturing 
works.  They  have  been  the  main  cause  of  the 
rapid  growth  and  substantial  prosperity  of  the 
city,  and  have  given  Reading  a  name  and  a 
fame  which  extends  throughout  our  entire 
country,  and  into  many  other  countries  of  the 
civilized  world.  Small  manufactories  were  first 
started,  which  were  attended  by  success,  and 
then  gradually  developed  into  the  present  ex- 
tensive ones,  which  have  given  employment  to 
many  people,  and  have  contributed  very  much 
to  the  material  interests  of  the  city. 

A  description  and  a  history  of  the  various 
manufacturing  industries  of  the  city  are  pre- 
sented in  the  following  pages. 

Before  1849  large  manufacturing  establish- 
ments were  very  few  in  Reading ;  in  fact,  only 
one  extensive  firm  is  worthy  of  special  mention, 
Keims,  Whitaker  &  Co.,  afterward  Seyfert, 
McManus  &  Co.,  instituted  in  1835.  There 
were  numerous  works,  some  carried  on  by  indi- 
viduals and  others  by  firms  consisting  of  two 
and  three  persons,  such  as  furnaces,  machine- 
shops,  foundries,  saw-mills,  planing-mills, 
coach-factories,  wheelwright-shops,  cabinet- 
shops,  etc.  The  decade  from  1840  to  1850  was 
particularly  prosperous  in  respect  to  various 
enterprises.  As  a  consequence,  the  population 
of  Reading  increased  eighty-seven  per  cent, 
during  that  period,  and  dwellings  multiplied 
rapidly  to  satisfy  the  great  demand  for  them. 
The  growth  in  these  two  respects  was  almost 
entirely  to  the  south  of  Penn  Street,  which 
district  surrounded  the  industries. 

The  first  considerable  enterprises  under  the 
act  of  1849  were  the  "cotton-mill"  and 
"  woolen-mill."  But  they  had  not  been  carried 
on  long  before  they  ran  into  insolvency.  The 
spirit  of  a  corporation  was  apparently  not 
adapted  to  industries  of  this  character.  Upon 
falling  into  private  management  they  were 
operated  successfully. 

Jones,  Darling  &  Co.,  in  1837,  erected  a 
foundry  in  the  western  portion  of  the  borough 
of  Reading,  and  began  the  manufacture  of  all 
kinds  of  iron  and  brass  castings  for  rolling- 
mills,    factories,    engines,   threshing-machines, 


corn-shellers,  forge-hammers  and  anvils,  car- 
wheels,  platforms  and  turnouts  for  railroads, 
pipes  and  pumps,  etc.  Brass  castings  were 
made  here,  however,  at  least  twenty  years  be- 
fore, a  foundry  having  been  carried  on  by 
Henry  Fellows  and  Isaac  Myers. 

About  the  same  time  Dotterer,  Darling  & 
Co.  established  a  large  machine-shop  near  by, 
for  the  manufacture  of  locomotives  and  station- 
ary engines,  mill-gearing  and  machinery.  They 
manufactured  the  first  locomotive  engine  at 
Reading.  It  was  made  to  order  for  the 
Charleston  (South  Carolina)  Railroad,  and  tried 
on  April  27,  1838,  with  success.  Soon  after, 
they  finished  another  for  the  same  road. 

The  manufacture  of  iron  tubes  was  begun  at 
Reading  by  Thomas  S.  Darling.  He  converted 
the  old  machine-works  in  which  he  had  been 
interested  into  a  tube-works  with  a  daily  capac- 
ity of  twenty-five  hundred  feet. 

In  December,  1851,  a  forge  company  was  in- 
stituted, under  the  name  of  the  Reading  Steam 
Forge  Company,  for  the  manufacture  of  iron, 
with  a  capital  stock  of  seventy  thousand  dol- 
lars, in  fourteen  hundred  shares.  In  January, 
1853,  the  stock  was  increased  to  two  thousand 
shares,  and  in  February,  1854,  to  two  thousand 
five  hundred  shares.  The  first  subscribers 
numbered  fifty-two,  and  the  largest  in  Reading 
were  Farmers'  Bank,  100  shares ;  Lewis 
Kirk,  100  shares;  H.  A.  Muhlenberg,  110 
shares ;  Andrew  Taylor,  100  shares ;  Adam 
Johnston,  80  shares  ;  M.  S.  Richards,  80  shares. 

This  forge  was  built  in  1852,  adjoining  Jack- 
son's ropewalk,  and  operated  some  years  by  the 
company. 

The  Reading  Iron- Works  were  estab- 
lished in  May,  1836,  by  the  firm  of  Keims, 
Whittaker  &  Co.,  and  then  named  the  Read- 
ing Iron  and  Nail-Works.  About  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars  were  invested  in  the  business. 
The  firm  was  composed  of  Benneville  Keim, 
George  M.  Keim,  James  Whittaker  and  Simon 
Seyfert.  A  large  rolling-mill,  a  slitting-mill  and 
a  nail-factory  were  erected.  These  works  were 
planned  on  a  very  extensive  scale  and  gave  a  new 
impetus  to  the  industrial  life  of  Reading.  At 
these  works  the  first  large  stationary  steam-en- 
gine for  driving  machinery  was  introduced  into 


694 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUiYJ.%  PENNSYLVANIA. 


this  county.  Two  hundred  and  fifty  men 
were  employed.  Bar-iron  was  made  in  very 
large  quantities,  and  cut-nails  of  many  kinds 
and  varieties,  by  twenty-six  nail-machines. 
In  April,  1839,  George  M.  Keim  retired  from 
the  firm,  and  in  July,  1844,  Benneville  Keim 
and  James  Whittaker  retired. 

From  July,  1844,  to  July,  1846,  the  works 
were  owned  exclusively  by  Simon  Seyfert  and 
John  McManus,  (the  latter  of  whom  had  some 
years  prior  to  the  first  date  become  a  part  owner,) 
each  owning  a  half-interest,  under  the  firm- 
name  of  Seyfert  &  McManus.  In  July,  1846, 
Jacob  V.  K.  Hunter  and  Nicholas  V.  R.  Hun- 
ter were  taken  in  as  partners.  Each  of  the 
four  individuals  then  composing  the  firm 
owned  a  fourth  interest,  and  the  name  was 
changed  to  Seyfert,  McManus  &  Co.  In 
1848  the  tube-mill  was  built,  the  capacity  of 
manufacture  greatly  increased  and  more  work- 
men employed.  In  1852,  after  the  death  of 
Simon  Seyfert,  his  interest  was  disposed  of  to 
his  son,  William  M.  Seyfert,  and  James  Mc- 
Carty.  The  name  remained  unchanged,  and 
the  individuals  composing  the  firm  then  were 
John  McManus,  Jacob  V.  R.  Hunter  and 
Nicholas  V.  R.  Hunter.  In  1853  Horatio  Trex- 
ler  purchased  one-fifth  interest  in  the  works. 
Anthracite  Furnace,  No.  1,  was  built  in  1853- 
54.  Its  height  was  fifty-six  feet,  and  it  was 
fifty  feet  square  at  the  base  and  forty  feet 
square  at  the  top.  During  the  first  week  it 
was  in  blast  one  hundred  and  seventy  tons  of 
iron  were  made ;  its  entire  capacity  was  two 
hundred  and  fifty  tons  per  week.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1861,  the  interest  of  Nicholas  V.  R.  Hunter 
was  closed  out  by  purchase. 

In  1862  a  charter  of  incorporation  was  ob- 
tained and  approved  on  April  17th,  under  the 
present  name,  Seyfert,  McManus  &  Co.,  the 
Reading  Iron-Works.  The  names  of  the  in- 
corporators are  John  McManus,  Horatio  Trex- 
ler,  William  M.  Seyfert,  James  McCarty, 
Charles  H.  Hunter,  M.D.  (son  of  Jacob,)  I.  N. 
Hunter,  H.  A.  Hunter,  Mary  A.  Hunter,  Lucy 
J.  Seyfert,  Lmma  E.  Hunter  and  James  F. 
Hunter. 

In  January,  1862,  the  Scott  Foundry,  on  North 
Eighth  Street,  was  purchased  by  this  company, 


at  which  large  cotton-presses,  castings  for  sugar- 
mills  and  other  large  castings  have  been  exten- 
sively made.  During  the  Civil  War  cannons 
from  nine-inch  to  fifteen-inch  calibre  were  made 
for  the  United  States  government. 

In  February,  1 862,  the  Reading  Steam  Forge, 
situated  on  North  Eighth  Street,  was  purchased, 
and  the  manufacture  of  heavy  forge-iron  was 
begun.  No  forge  in  America  has  exceeded  this 
one  in  the  production  of  immense  bars  of  iron. 
Some  years  ago  a  solid  shaft  of  iron,  thirty-six 
feet  long  and  three  feet  in  diameter,  was  made 
here  for  a  large  ocean  steamer. 

In  September,  1865,  the  sheet-mill  was 
bought  of  Lauth,  Berg  &  Co.  It  is  situated 
at  the  foot  of  Chestnut  Street.  Huge  sheets  of 
iron  and  large  plates  are  made  at  this  mill.  In 
1874  Blast  Furnace  No.  2  was  built.  Its 
capacity  is  two  hundred  and  fifty  tons  per 
week. 

The  Reading  Iron-Works,  employs,  in  all  its 
departments,  about  two  thousand  and  twenty- 
five  men  regularly.  When  running  in  full 
capacity,  three  thousand  men  have  been 
employed.  At  the  present  time  (1886)  about 
one  thousand  men  are  employed  in  the  tube- 
works,  two  hundred  and  fifty  in  rolling-mill, 
two  hundred  and  fifty  men  in  the  sheet-mill, 
two  hundred  and  twenty  men  in  the  two  blast 
furnaces,  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  men  in 
Scott  Foundry,  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  men 
in  the  steam-forge.  From  eight  hundred 
thousand  to  one  million  dollars  are  paid  annu- 
ally to  the  employees.  The  company  that  own 
and  operate  the  Reading  Iron- Works  own  one- 
half  interest  in  the  Gibraltar  Plate-Mill  and 
lands  belonging  thereto,  and  also  own  the  tube- 
works  at  Camden,  N.  J. 

Simox  Seyfert  was  of  German  descent,  his 
grandfather  having  emigrated  from  the  prov- 
ince of  Alsace.  His  father,  Joseph  Seyfert,  was 
born  in  1752,  near  Shartlesville,  Berks  County. 
He  was  married  to  Catherine  Allweine,  of  the 
same  township.  Joseph  Seyfert  combined  farm- 
ing with  the  business  of  a  miller  and  continued 
in  the  active  management  of  his  varied  interests 
until  his  death,  in  1821,  in  his  sixty-ninth  year. 
Simon  Seyfert,  one  of  his  seven  sons,  was  born 
June  2,  1786,  on  the  homestead.    After  obtain- 


Oiii^en^.    a/e^y  Ze*-*~\ 


BEADING. 


695 


ing  a  rudimentary  education  he  began  business 
as  a  clerk  in  the  grocery  and  dry-goods  store  of 
John  F.  Eichorn,  in  Reading,  and  remained 
several  years  in  his  employ.  Being  ambitious 
for  a  more  extended  field  than  had  thus  far 
opened  to  him,  he  then  purchased  property  at 
the  northeast  corner  of  Seventh  and  Penn  Sts., 
Reading,  and  erected  a  store,  where  he  engaged 
in  the  grocery  and  dry-goods  business.  Here 
he  remained  until  1826,  when,  in  connection 
with  John  Schwartz,  he  purchased  the  Gibral- 
tar Forges  and  embarked  in  the  manufacture  of 
iron.  In  1828  he  and  his  partner  purchased 
the  Mount  Penn  property,  in  Cumru  township, 
erected  a  furnace  and  operated  it  in  connection 
with  the  Gibraltar  property,  under  the  firm- 
name  of  Seyfert  &  Schwartz.  This  business 
connection  was  continued  until  1833,  when,  on 
a  dissolution  of  the  partnership,  the  property 
was  divided,  Mr.  Seyfert  taking  the  Gibraltar 
Iron-Works,  which  he  managed  successfully 
until  his  death.  In  connection  with  George 
M.  and  De  Benneville  Keim  and  James  Whit- 
aker,  Mr.  Seyfert,  in  1836,  became  interested 
in  the  original  Reading  Iron- Works,  consisting 
of  a  rolling-mill  and  nail-factory,  the  interested 
parties  remaining  as  above  mentioned  until 
1838,  when  George  M.  Keim  retired.  In  July, 
1844,  Mr.  Seyfert  became  owner  in  connection 
with  John  McManus,  the  firm  becoming  Seyfert 
&  McManus,  which  was  again  changed  in  1846 
and  became  Seyfert,  McManus  &  Co.,  with 
Jacob  V.  R.  Hunter  and  Nicholas  V.  R.  Hunter 
as  the  additional  partners.  Two  years  later  the 
firm  established  the  wrought  pipe  and  tube- 
works,  which  are  still  in  successful  operation 
in  Reading.  In  1848,  upon  his  death,  William 
M.  Seyfert,  his  son,  assumed  his  interest  in  the 
concern. 

Simon  Seyfert  was  married,  in  1811,  to 
Catherine,  daughter  of  William  Mannerback,  of 
Reading.  Their  children  are  eight  in  number. 
Mr.  Seyfert  affiliated  with  the  Old-Line  Whig 
party  in  politics,  and  while  active  in  the 
furtherance  of  the  principles  of  that  party,  de- 
clined all  proffers  of  office.  He  was,  aside  from 
his  private  business  interests,  energetic  in  the 
organization  and  support  of  various  corporations 
of  which  he  was  director  and  a  leading  spirit. 


Gifted  with  rare  business  capacity,  unerring 
judgment  and  great  energy,  his  co-operation  in 
the  establishment  of  various  commercial  enter- 
prises was  earnestly  solicited.  Public-spirited, 
liberal  and  ever  ready  to  invest  capital  for 
the  employment  of  labor,  Mr.  Seyfert  was 
an  influential  factor  in  the  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  Reading.  He  died  October  26,  1848, 
in  his  sixty-third  year. 

John  McManus,  a  well-known  man  in  his 
day  throughout  the  country,  and  a  resident  for 
the  most  years  of  his  life  in  Reading,  was  born 
in  September,  1808,  in  the  county  of  Fermanagh, 
province  of  Ulster,  Ireland.  His  parents,  of 
whom  the  father  was  Irish  and  Catholic,  whilst 
the  mother  was  English  and  Protestant,  oc- 
cupied glebe  lands,  which  his  father  farmed  under 
a  lease  that  had  been  held  and  renewed  for  many 
generations  by  his  people.  The  father  was 
well-to-do  in  his  farming,  according  to  the 
measures  of  the  country,  and  able  to  send  his 
son  to  Portumna  College,  where  he  had  the 
benefit  of  a  good  education.  At  the  age  of 
nineteen,  alone  and  without  acquaintance,  he 
came  to  this  country.  Owing  to  the  friendly 
interest  of  the  captain  of  the  ship  on  which  he 
made  the  passage,  he  was  able  shortly  after  his 
landing  to  get  employment  in  a  dry-goods  store 
in  Philadelphia.  But  the  position  of  a  dry- 
goods  clerk  was  irksome  and  promised  too  little 
future  advancement.  He  preferred  a  sturdier 
and  more  independent  walk  in  life,  and  the 
public  works  at  that  period,  1828,  just  begin- 
ning to  take  great  form,  under  the  needs  which 
the  political  and  commercial  growth  of  the 
country  created,  attracted  him.  He  started  out 
as  a  common  laborer,  though  his  term  of 
service  in  that  position  was  but  brief,  for  his 
employer  soon  discovered  that  he  was  fitted  by 
natural  ability,  as  well  as  by  education,  to  higher 
duties,  and  shortly  thereafter  he  became  a  "  boss  " 
or  director  over  portions  of  his  employer's 
work.  The  step  was  not  then  a  long  one  to 
taking  contracts  for  himself,  and  his  first  work 
as  a  contractor  was  on  the  Morris  Canal. 
There  were  but  few  of  the  great  public  enter- 
prises under  way  between  the  years  1828  and 
1842  in  which  he  was  not  engaged,  and  the 
location  of  his  works  in  the  various  and  then 


696 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


remote  parts  of  both  the  States  and  Canada, 
compelling  him  to  travel  widely,  enabled  him 
to  gain  an  aquaintance  with  public  men  and 
an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  country's  re- 
sources, which  made  him  a  man  of  practical 
and  interesting  intelligence,  and  proved  to  him 
in  after-years  valuable  achievements.  In  1838, 
he  built  the  section  of  the  Philadelphia  and 
Reading  Railroad  around  Neversink  Hill, 
just  south  of  Reading  and  underneath  the  land- 
mark known  as  the  "  White  House,"  where  he 
kept  bachelor's  hall  while  prosecuting  this  work. 
Dnring  his  stay  about  Reading  he  met  Ca- 
roline Seyfert,  daughter  of  Simon  Seyfert,  a  well- 
known  merchant  and  manufacturer  of  Reading, 
to  whom  afterwards,  on  January  29,  1839,  he 
was  married  by  the  Rev.  Keenan,  of  Lan- 
caster. In  1840  he  was  at  work  on  the  con- 
struction of  the  Croton  Dam  and  Aqueduct,  the 
water  supply  system  of  New  York  City,  and  a 
stone  tablet  affixed  to  the  reservoir  at  Croton 
bears  testimony  to  his  important  connection 
with  this  work.  As  a  contractor  he  did  other 
work  near  and  about  Reading :  to  wit,  the  grad- 
ing of  a  portion  of  the  line  of  the  Philadelphia 
and  Reading  Railroad  near  Shoemakersville,  and 
the  widening  of  the  Schuylkill  Canal  and  Union 
Canal.  His  last  work  as '  a  contractor  was 
the  building  of  a  section  of  the  Hudson 
River  Railroad  opposite  West  Point. 

In  the  meantime,  in  1840,  he  had  fixed  his 
family  in  Reading  as  a  place  of  residence,  and 
at  the  urgent  solicitation  of  his  father-in-law, — 
for  he  was  loth  to  leave  a  field  of  business 
which  had  been  so  profitable  to  him,  and  which 
at  that  time,  too,  was  offering  even  larger  and 
more  important  stakes  by  reason  of  the  great 
railroad  and  canal  extensions  just  then  being 
projected, — he  invested  a  large  portion  of  the 
accumulated  fruits  of  his  labors  and  exertions 
as  a  contractor,  then  amounting  to  over  $100,000, 
in  the  rolling-mill  business,  at  Reading,  of 
Whitaker  &  Seyfert.  In  1844  Whitaker  left 
the  partnership,  and  Mr.  McManus,  who  had 
been  quietly  instructing  himself  in  the  iron 
business  and  the  process  of  its  manufacture, 
took  personal  charge,  and  the  business  thence- 
forward was  carried  on  under  the  firm-name 
of   Seyfert,    McManus    &    Co.      Under    his 


unremitting  and  vigorous  energy  and  enterprise 
there  were  added  to  the  rolling-mill  various 
branches,  one  after  the  other,  of  manufacture, 
and  the  firm  made  great  strides  in  the  expan- 
sion and  development  of  its  business.  It  be- 
came the  owner  or  controller  of  thousands  of  acres 
of  coal,  ore  and  farm  land,  in  one  locality  being  the 
owner  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  acres 
in  a  block.  Bloomaries,  furnaces,  rolling-mills, 
tube-mills,  forges,  foundries  and  machine-shops 
were  built  or  secured  and  the  firm-name  became 
nearly  as  well  known  on  the  Pacific  as  on  the 
Atlantic  coast.  Its  name  and  brand  can  be  read 
to-day  on  many  of  the  largest  cannon  of  our 
national  defense ;  and  vessels  of  both  our  own  and 
foreign  navies,  in  the  guns  which  man  their 
decks,  the  plates  which  frame  their  hulls,  as  well 
as  in  the  shafts  and  other  heavy  parts  of  the 
ships'  interiors,  display  the  handiwork  of  the 
firm.  The  promptness  with  which  he  turned 
the  resources  of  his  firm,  so  far  as  its  works 
were  applicable,  to  the  aid  of  the  government 
in  its  trying  need  for  guns  and  heavy  arma- 
ment, at  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion,  was  fit- 
tingly testified  to  in  terms  complimentary  to 
him  in  an  autograph  letter  of  General  Scott. 
It  was  due  to  this  letter  that  one  of  the  firm's 
largest  industrial  departments  was  named 
the  "Scott  Foundry."  Mr.  McManus'  early 
experience  as  a  contractor  and  the  inclinations 
bred  of  that  employment  would  never  wholly 
permit  him  to  give  up  taking  an  active  part  in 
public  enterprises,  and  he  was  prominently  con- 
nected with  many  of  them.  His  connection 
with  the  Union  Pacific,  Kansas  Pacific  and 
Texas  Pacific  Railroads  is  worthy  of  note.  In 
the  first  he  was  an  incorporator ;  in  the  second 
he  was  both  an  incorporator  and  an  active  mem- 
ber of  its  board  of  management  to  the  time  of 
its  completion  and  for  some  time  thereafter; 
in  the  third  he  was  also  both  an  incorporator 
and  a  director,  and  in  the  construction  of  the 
road  itself,  closely  allied  to  it  as  the  president 
of  the  California  and  Texas  Railway  Construc- 
tion Company.  When  telegraphy  was  little 
more  than  a  dream,  he  became  satisfied  of  its 
ultimate  success,  and  for  quite  a  time  he  held  a 
controlling  interest  in  the  capital  stock  of  the 
Philadelphia,  Reading  and  Pottsville  Telegraph 


^^  ^//  5£» 


£t-^Z^l^L^t<3. 


READING. 


697 


Company,  nearly  the  oldest  of  existing  telegraph 
companies  in  the  country.  Letters  now  in  the 
possession  of  his  family,  between  Professor 
Morse  and  himself,  show  an  arrangement  with 
the  great  inventor  for  the  building  of  the  line. 
No  one  took  a  more  active  part  in  developing 
and  extending  the  railroad  facilities  of  Reading, 
either  by  personal  energy  or  substantial  money 
assistance.  He  interested  himself  in  the  building 
of  the  Lebanon  Valley,  the  Reading  and  Colum- 
bia and  the  East  Pennnsylvania  Railroads  from 
the  time  of  their  inception  and  building  til  1  the  ac- 
quisition of  each  and  all  of  them  by  the  Phila- 
delphia and  Reading  Railroad.  In  the  building 
of  the  East  Pennsylvania  Railroad  he  made  a 
great  effort  to  acquire  an  independent  outlet  for 
Reading,  subscribing  and  taking  a  large  number 
of  shares  of  its  capital  stock.  Beyond  th  e  benefit  to 
Reading  in  the  possession  of  an  independent  and 
competitive  railroad  outlet,  there  were  other 
and  very  important  motives  for  resisting  the  at- 
tempts of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Rail- 
road to  get  control  of  this  line.  The  East  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad  had  been  built  and  ade- 
quately equipped,  and  under  traffic  arrange- 
ments with  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  which 
had  not  yet  acquired  the  present  line  to  New 
York.  It  had  become  the  link  in  a  chain 
of  roads  by  which  numbers  of  through  trains 
from  the  West  via  Harrisburg,  passing  daily 
through  Reading,  were  enabled  to  reach 
New  York  City.  It  was  naturally  the  short 
and  direct  highway  for  freight  and  passengers 
from  the  West  to  New  York  or  vice  versa,  and 
had  the  road  been  retained  in  the  control  of 
its  builders  and  original  owners,  the  present 
enormous  tonnage  now  carried  to  Philadelphia, 
and  thence  to  New  York  over  the  New  Jersey 
system,  subsequently  acquired  by  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad,  would  have  passed  through 
Reading,  much,  no  one  can  doubt,  to  the  latter 
city's  advantage  and  prosperity.  It  was  one  of 
Mr.  McManus'  grievous  disappointments  in  life 
that  these  arrangements  had  to  be  abandoned 
when  the  East  Pennsylvania  passed  under  the 
control  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Rail- 
road, not  alone  because  he  deemed  it  a  blow  to 
some  of  his  own  business  projects,  but  because 
he  knew  that  Reading,  the  city  of  his  home, 


had  lost  an  advantage  that  tended  greatly  to  its 
industrial  and  commercial  advancement,  and 
which  would  never  possibly  arise  again. 

In  character  Mr.  McManus  was  a  man  of  in- 
domitable will  and  an  eaergy  untiring,  quali- 
ties which  were  well  displayed  and  evidenced 
in  the  expression  of  his  countenance  and  the 
erect  and  sturdy  carriage  of  his  person.  Fixed 
in  his  purpose  and  plan,  and  certain  of  its 
honesty,  he  pursued  it  to  an  end,  whether  suc- 
cessful or  not,  regardless  of  criticism  or  remark. 
He  feared  no  one  and  respected  all  who  were 
worthy.  His  truthfulness  and  sincerity  in  all 
things  no  one  was  able  or  dared  to  question.  In 
his  habits  he  was  correct  to  severity,  yet  never 
obtruded  on  others  his  own  methods  of  conduct 
and  practice.  In  religion  he  was  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  faith,  whose  principles  and  obligations 
he  strictly  followed  through  life,  making  them 
a  duty  and  a  guiding  star  to  himself  in  all 
things.  He  died  June  2,  1875,  in  the  sixty- 
seventh  year  of  his  age,  after  only  a  few  days' 
illness. 

Henry  Clay  Furnaces,  located  near  the 
Schuylkill,  south  of  South  Street,  were  built  in 
1840  by  Isaac  and  George  M.  Eckert,  as  the 
firm  of  Eckert  &  Bro.  In  1872  Henry  S.  and 
George  B.  Eckert,  as  Eckert  &  Bro.,  became  the 
owners  and  are  now  operating  them.  The  fur- 
nace property  includes  an  area  of  twelve  acres. 
Two  large  stacks  are  erected  and  the  capacity  of 
the  furnaces  is  twenty-five  thousand  tons  of  pig- 
iron  annually. 

One  hundred  workmen  are  regularly  em- 
ployed in  the  production  of  iron  at  the  furnaces 
and  two  hundred  men  in  the  various  ore-mines 
operated  by  this  firm.  The  mines  are  located  in 
Berks  and  Lebanon  Counties.  These  furnaces 
are  among  the  important  manufacturing  indus- 
tries of  the  city  of  Reading. 

The  Reading  Stove- Works. — The  large 
enterprise  of  the  firm  of  Orr,  Painter  &  Co., 
proprietors  of  the  Reading  Stove-Works,  has 
greatly  assisted  in  giving  prestige  and  character 
to  the  manufacturing  industries  of  the  city  of 
Reading.  The  firm  was  organized  in  1866  by 
Jesse  Orr,  John  R.  Painter,  William  Grauder, 
Peter  W.  Nagle,  William  H.  Shick,  Henry  C. 
Posey,  Jasper  Sheeler,  Elijah  Bull  and  Charles 


698 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Egolf.  Of  this  number,  Jasper  Sheeler  died 
in  1877,  William  Grauder  in  1881  and  John 
E.  Painter  in  1883.  Charles  Egolf  sold  his 
interest  in  the  business  to  William  Stauffer  in 
1869,  and  the  latter  retired  from  the  firm  in 
1880.  Cyrus  Shick  purchased  the  interest  of 
William  Grauder  in  1881,  and  Enoch  T.  Pain- 
ter the  interest  of  John  R.  Painter  in  1883. 
The  present  firm  is  composed  of  Jesse  Orr,  Peter 
W.  Nagle,  William  H.  Shick,  Henry  C.  Posey, 
Elijah  Bull,  Cyrus  Shick  and  Enoch  T.  Painter. 

From  the  time  the  works  were  started  to  the 
present  this  firm  has  met  with  great  prosperity. 
Beginning  on  a  small  scale,  the  business  grew 
rapidly,  and  the  facilities  for  manufacturing 
were  gradually  increased  and  greatly  improved. 
Fourteen  moulders  were  employed  at  first ;  now 
as  many  as  one  hundred  and  five  are  at  work  in 
the  foundry,  and  the  entire  number  of  employees 
is  about  three  hundred.  The  capital  invested  is 
four  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Immense 
quantities  of  stoves  are  annually  made  and  sold. 
The  product  of  the  past  year  (1885)  was  thirty 
thousand  stoves  of  three  hundred  styles  and 
sizes,  which  were  disposed  of  in  various  States 
of  the  Union.  They  are  favorably  known  for 
their  usefulness  and  durability.  Heating  fur- 
naces, heaters  and  hollow-ware  are  also  manu- 
factured at  these  works.  The  same  firm  have 
a  branch  establishment  at  64  North  Second 
Street,  Philadelphia,  under  the  management  of 
William  Thompson,  and  one  also  in  Chicago, 
superintended  by  Charles  T.  Boal. 

These  stove-works  are  located  on  Canal  Street, 
below  Chestnut.  They  cover  a  large  area  on 
both  sides  of  this  street.  The  western  side  of 
the  works  extend  an  entire  square  in  length, 
from  Chestnut  to  Spruce  Street,  and  from 
Canal  Street  to  the  Reading  and  Schuylkill 
Canal.  On  the  eastern  side  they  extend  half  a 
square  below  Chestnut  Street.  Superior  facil- 
ities for  shipping  the  manufactured  articles  are 
afforded  by  the  three  lines  of  railroads  which 
intersect  the  works.  Seven  distinct  buildings 
are  occupied.  There  are  two  large  five-story 
foundries, with  additional  buildings  for  moulding, 
casting,  cleaning,  grinding  and  polishing,  nickle- 
plating,  finishing  and  mounting.  There  are 
also  shipping  departments  and  offices.     A  large 


five-story  building  on  the  east  side  of  Canal 
Street  has  seven  rooms,  each  one  hundred  and 
fourteen  feet  in  length,  used  as  pattern  and 
storage-rooms,  near  an  adjoining  shipping  de- 
partment. The  motive-power  to  run  the  works 
is  furnished  by  three  engines  with  three  duplex 
boilers  combining  one  hundred  and  thirty-five 
horse-power. 

Reading  Bolt  and  Nut- Works. — In  1865 
J.  H.  Sternbergh  came  to  Reading  from  the 
State  of  New  York  and  began  the  manufacture 
of  iron  nuts.  At  that  time  there  were  but  few 
establishments  in  the  country  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  iron  nuts  by  machinery,  and 
although  Mr.  Sternbergh  never  had  experience  in 
any  mechanical  industry,  yet  by  patient  labor 
and  close  application  he  succeeded  in  inventing 
and  constructing  machinery  well  adapted  for 
the  purpose  intended,  and  at  the  end  of  the 
second  year  was  so  far  encouraged  as  to  consid- 
er his  enterprise  quite  hopeful.  He  erected 
temporary  buildings  at  the  foot  of  Pine  Street 
in  the  autumn  of  1865,  and  having  leased 
power  from  an  adjoining  establishment,  carried 
on  his  work  diiring  the  next  three  years  at  that 
place  with  a  force  of  eight  or  ten  men,  and 
there  laid  the  foundation  of  his  subsequent  op- 
erations. 

In  January,  1869,  he  moved  to  North  Third 
Street,  above  Buttonwood,  where,  in  1868,  he 
had  erected  permanent  buildings  adapted  to  meet 
the  requirements  of  his  increasing  business. 
Since  that  date  the  works  have  been  in  con- 
stant and  successful  operation,  having  been  en- 
larged at  three  different  times,  until  now  the 
establishment  consists  of  several  large  buildings, 
the  principal  one  of  which  is  about  two  hun- 
dred and  fifteen  feet  long  by  one  hundred  and 
thirty-five  feet  wide,  and  is  supplied  with  the 
best  modern  machinery  for  the  production  not 
only  of  nuts  of  all  sizes,  but  also  for  the  manu- 
facture of  every  variety  of  bolts,  washers,  rivets, 
as  well  as  many  other  articles  made  of  wrought 
iron. 

In  addition  to  the  main  building  above  men- 
tioned, the  works  include  a  rolling-mill  build- 
ing one  hundred  and  ninety  feet  long  by  seven- 
ty-two feet  wide,  in  which  there  are  three  trains 
of  rolls  and  three  large  heating  furnaces,  three 


READING. 


G99 


upright  steam-engines,  besides  steam-shears, 
lathes,  pumps  and  other  machinery  usually 
found  in  a  rolling-mill.  The  capacity  of  this 
mill  is  about  ten  thousand  tons  of  rolled  iron 
annually,  embracing  all  the  various  sizes  of 
merchant  iron  commonly  used,  rounds,  squares, 
flats,  bands,  hoops,  etc.  Most  of  the  product  of 
this  mill  is  consumed  in  the  works  in  the  pro- 
duction of  bolts,  nuts,  washers,  rivets  and  rods 
for  bridges,  buildings,  etc.,  and  the  surplus 
product  is  sold  to  merchants  and  consumers  of 
refined  bar  and  band-iron.  In  1880  a  large 
warehouse,  about  one  hundred  feet  by  fifty  feet, 
four  stories  high,  was  built,  in  which  is  stored 
the  stock  of  goods  manufactured,  all  packed 
in  boxes  and  kegs  ready  for  immediate  ship- 
ment. So  large  is  the  consumption  of  goods  of 
this  character  that  many  hundred  tons  of  fin- 
ished goods  are  constantly  kept  in  stock  ready 
for  the  prompt  filling  of  orders. 

The  grounds  upon  which  these  works  are 
situated  embrace  about  eight  acres  between 
Third  and  Fourth  Streets,  and  between  the 
Lebanon  "Valley  Railroad  and  Buttonwood 
Street.  Three  different  railroad  tracks  run  into 
the  works, — one  for  the  delivery  of  coal,  an- 
other for  the  delivery  of  crude  iron  in  various 
forms,  and  the  third  for  the  shipment  of  the 
products  of  the  factory  and  the  mill,  altogether 
affording  very  convenient  facilities  for  the 
prompt  handling  of  materials.  About  two 
hundred  and  fifty  men  have  been  employed  in 
this  establishment,  but  during  the  past  year  or 
two  only  about  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  or 
two  hundred  men  have  been  employed.  This 
decrease  in  the  number  was  owing  to  the  gener- 
al depression  in  business. 

Twenty-five  years  ago  bolts  and  nuts  were 
made  by  hand,  and  were  generally  clumsy  as 
well  as  expensive  articles.  Such  works  as 
these  illustrate  the  rapid  progress  in  the  devel- 
opement  of  machinery  and  methods  for  the  pro- 
duction of  useful  articles  in  new  lines  with 
remarkable  precision,  and  with  great  economy, 
and  while  they  contribute  to  the  general  ad- 
vancement of  the  mechanic  arts,  they  are  also 
of  great  importance  in  contributing  to  the 
wealth  and  population  of  the  town  or  city  where 
they  are  located. 


Reading  Hardware  Company. — The  pro- 
prietors of  this  extensive  business  are  William 
M.  Griscom,  Matthan  Harbster,  William  Harb- 
ster  and  Henry  C.  England.  This  is  one  of  the 
leading  manufacturing  establishments  in  the 
State  of  Pennsylvania.  Their  works  are 
located  in  the  southern  part  of  the  city,  adjoin- 
ing the  Wilmington  and  Northern,  West  Read- 
ing and  Pennsylvania  Schuylkill  Valley  Rail- 
roads. The  Reading  Hardware  Company  has 
grown  to  its  present  importance  from  a  com- 
paratively small  beginning.  In  the  year  1851, 
William  Harbster  laid  the  foundation  of  it  in  a 
small  blacksmith-shop  at  the  foot  of  South  Sixth 
Street.  In  1852  his  brothers  Matthan  and 
John  became  associated  with  him,  under  the  firm- 
name  of  Harbster  Brothers.  The  goods  pro- 
duced soon  became  favorably  known  to  dealers, 
and  the  increased  demand  for  them  necessitated 
the  securing  of  better  appliances,  the  enlarge- 
ment of  their  works  and  the  investment  of 
more  capital.  In  1858  William  M.  Griscom 
became  associated  with  the  Harbster  Brothers, 
and  the  name  of  the  firm  was  changed  to 
Harbster  Brothers  &  Co.,  under  which  title  it 
worked  until  1862,  when  it  received  its  present 
name.  By  steady  yearly  increases  the  business 
of  the  firm  has  grown  to  large  proportions.  The 
members  are  practical  mechanics  as  well  as  good 
business  men,  have  paid  strict  attention  to  the 
demands  of  the  trade  and  have  constantly 
introduced  new  designs  in  the  various  articles 
in  builders'  hardware.  They  have  maintained  a 
strict  personal  supervision  of  the  business  in  all 
its  branches  and  have  continuously  produced 
goods  of  a  very  superior  quality.  The  magni- 
tude of  the  buildings  indicates  the  extent  of  the 
business  done.  They  cover  an  area  of  five 
acres.  The  buildings  are  substantial  brick 
structures,  three  and  four  stories  high,  and  are 
specially  adapted  to  the  work  carried  on  in 
them.  They  contain  large  and  commodious 
warehouses  for  the  storage  of  finished  goods ; 
finishing-shops  equipped  with  the  most  ap- 
proved modern  machinery  for  aiding  in  the 
work  and  manned  by  skilled  artisans;  japan 
building  in  which  are  the  baking  ovens  (this 
building  has  been  highly  commended  by  insur- 
ance companies   as  a   model   of  neatness  and 


y/7^6u^^^t)  T^ai/ijjtj^ 


READING. 


701 


safety ;  lock  and  register  buildings ;  machine- 
shop  ;  shops  for  drilling,  plating,  bronzing  and 
finishing ;  brass  and  iron  foundries ;  butt  and 
brace-factories — all  of  which  are  furnished  with 
the  best  mechanical  appliances.  Every  building 
is  carefully  protected  in  case  of  fire. 

In  connection  with  their  own  works,  thus 
described,  the  firm,  in  1878,  leased  and  operated 
the  extensive  factory  at  Tenth  and  Spruce 
Streets  (formerly  Keystone  Hardware  Company), 
and  in  1885  became  the  purchasers  of  said 
property. 

When  in  full  operation  the  Reading  Hard- 
ware Company's  force  numbers  about  eight 
hundred  and  fifty  employees,  principally  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  builders'  hardware, 
which  includes  a  full  line  of  locks,  latches, 
knobs  and  lock  furniture  and  the  different  styles 
of  butts,  both  plain  and  ornamental.  Also  a 
complete  line  of  general  hardware  in  Japan, 
German,  American,  Persian,  Albion,  Geneva 
bronzed,  bronze  metal,  royal  bronze  and  plain 
bronze  finishes;  different  sizes  and  styles  of 
warm  air  registers  and  ventilators;  and  also 
stationery  goods.  They  have  lately  added  de- 
partments for  the  manufacture  of  jail  padlocks 
and  carpenter's  bit  braces. 

For  many  of  the  large  business  buildings 
erected  in  New  York  and  other  cities  within  the 
past  few  years,  special  hardware  furnishings 
have  been  designed.  The  Reading  Hardware 
Company  have  unsurpassed  facilities  for  such 
work  ;  they  will  furnish  designs  or  will  execute 
orders  from  drawings  or  patterns  furnished 
them. 

The  company  also  manufacture  apple-parers 
known  as  Nos.  72,  76,  78  and  Gem,  Advance  and 
Champion,  which  are  among  the  best-known 
parers  made.  For  the  superior  excellency  of 
their  wares  the  company  were  awarded  medals 
at  the  Centennial  and  the  Paris  Exposition ;  but 
a  better  evidence  of  the  good  qualities  of  their 
productions  is  found  in  the  steady  and  increas- 
ing demand  for  them.  They  have  a  large  trade 
throughout  the  Union,  an  especially  large  trade 
in  the  West.  They  also  have  a  large  and  rapidly- 
growing  export  trade  with  Canada,  Cuba,  the 
South  American  States,  Europe  and  other 
foreign  countries. 


.During  the  past  year  H.  C.  England,  who 
for  nearly  a  score  of  years  so  efficiently  managed 
the  sales  department,  was,  on  January  1,  1885, 
admitted  as  a  partner,  and  in  June  of  the  same 
year  William  Harbster,  the  founder  and  senior 
member  of  the  company,  died.  The  members  of 
the  company  at  present  are  William  M.  Griscom, 
Matthan  Harbster  and  Henry  C.  England.  Mr. 
Griscom  resides  in  Europe  and  has  special 
charge  of  the  foreign  business  of  the  company. 
Mr.  Harbster  presides  over  the  manufacturing  de- 
partments and  supervises  the  general  business. 
Mr.  England  continues  to  have  charge  of  the 
selling  department. 

For  the  convenience  of  the  trade  and  to 
facilitate  business,  the  company  have  established 
stores  in  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  where 
large  stocks  of  their  full  line  are  carried.  They 
also  employ  traveling  salesmen,  who  canvass  the 
States  from  Maine  to  California. 

William  Harbster  is  descended  from  Ger- 
man ancestry.  His  grandfather,  John  Harbster, 
on  his  emigration  to  America,  settled  in  Albany 
townships,  Berks  County,  Pa.  Among  his 
children  was  Henry  Harbster,  born  in  the  same 
township,  from  whence  he  removed  to  Lehigh 
and  later  to  Montgomery  County.  He  was  a 
blacksmith  by  trade,  but  subsequently  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  of  coffee-mills,  and  con- 
ducted a  thriving  business  in  the  sale  of  these 
articles.  He  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Se- 
bastian Bucherd,  whose  children  were  Matilda 
(married  to  Casper  Aman),  Hannah  (married  to 
Jacob  Nukerck),  Ellen  (deceased,  married  to 
William  M.  Griscom),  William,  Henry,  Sam- 
uel (who  died  in  youth),  Matthan  and  John 
(deceased). 

William  Harbster  was  born  October  20, 
1823,  in  Albany  township,  where  his  school- 
days were  spent,  after  which  he  removed  to 
Boyertown  for  the  purpose  of  learning  the  trade 
of  a  blacksmith.  He  remained  there  seven  years, 
working,  on  the  completion  of  his  apprentice- 
ship, as  a  journeyman.  Removing  at  the  expi- 
ration of  this  period  to  Reading,  he  found  em- 
ployment in  a  foundry,  and,  subsequently,  en- 
tered the  shops  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading 
Railroad.  He  next  removed  to  Hamburg, 
opened  a  shop  and  devoted  his  skill  principally 


702 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


to  the  iron-  work  for  carriages.  At  the  end  of 
the  second  year  he  returned  to  Reading  and 
there  continued  at  his  trade.  In  1851,  by  the 
advice  and  assistance  of  William  M.  Griscom, 
he  projected  the  Reading  Hard  ware- Works, 
beginning  under  very  humble  circumstances, 
and,  at  first,  manufacturing  but  few  articles. 
By  energy,  excellent  management  and  skillful 
workmanship,  the  business  increased,  and  Mat- 
than  and  John  Harbster,  his  younger  brothers, 
were  admitted  as  partners,  under  the  firm-name 
of  Harbster  Brothers.  Mr.  Harbster  was,  on  the 
15th  of  June,  1848,  married  to  Ellen,  daughter 
of  George  Matthews,  of  Lebanon  County,  the 
children  of  this  marriage  being  Emma  R.  (mar- 
ried to  William  Kensel),  Cecelia  (married  to  John 
Mohn),  John  F.,  Morris  G.  (deceased),  Anne  R. 
(married  to  John  Goodman),  Howard  E.  and 
Mary  Margaret. 

Morris  G.  Harbster  was  actively  engaged 
in  the  Reading  Hardware-Works,  being  chief 
designer  and  manager  of  the  chasing  depart- 
ment, where  his  skill  and  ability  were  inval- 
uable. He  was  married  to  Miss  Kate  E.  Seivert, 
of  Reading.  William  Harbster  was  also  the 
head  of  the  Reading  Nickel-Plating  Works. 
He  was  formerly  officially  connected  with  banks 
and  other  business  organizations,  but  in  later 
years  retired  from  these  responsibilities.  In 
politics  he  is  an  active  Republican.  As  a 
Mason,  he  was  a  member  of  Chandler  Lodge, 
No.  227 ;  Reading  Chapter,  No.  1 52 ;  Creigh 
Council,  No  16,  and  De  Molay  Commandery, 
No.  9.  He  was  a  member  of  Trinity  Evangel- 
ical Lutheran  Church  until  his  death,  June  16, 
1885,  in  his  sixty-second  year. 

Matthan  Harbster,  brother  of  William, 
was  born  on  the  18th  of  May,  1831,  in  Lehio-h 
County,  and  removed  with  his  parents  in  early 
youth  to  Montgomery  County,  attending  the 
common  schools  at  Pottstown,  in  that  county, 
and  afterward  entered  the  shop  of  his  brother 
William,  in  Hamburg,  for  the  purpose  of 
learning  the  blacksmith's  trade.  He  continued 
this  as  journeyman  for  several  years  in  Pottstown 
and  later  in  Hamburg,  after  which  he  made 
Reading  his  residence.  In  1852  he  became  as- 
sociated with  his  brother,  William,  in  the 
Reading   Hardware- Works,   and   is  still   con- 


nected with  that  establishment  as  its  active  and 
managing  partner.  Mr.  Harbster  was  married, 
August  12,  1856,  to  Susan,  daughter  of  John 
Bingman,  of  Reading.  Their  children  are 
Ida  C.  (married  to  Charles  E.  Shrader),  John 
E.  (associated  with  his  father  in  business),  Ellen 
Kate  (married  to  Howard  Boas)  and  Nellie  G. 
Mr.  Harbster  is  a  director  of  the  Farmers' 
National  Bank  of  Reading,  and  of  the  Sixth 
Street  Passenger  Railway,  and  is  president  of 
the  Reading  Land  Improvement  Company.  As 
a  Republican,  he  has  represented  his  ward  in 
the  Common  and  Select  Council  and  has  been  a 
member  of  the  School  Board  of  the  city.  He 
is  also  actively  connected  with  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity. He  is  a  member  of  Trinity  Evangeli- 
cal Lutheran  Church  and  director  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 

Union  Boiler- Works,  at  the  foot  of  Ninth 
Street,  including  all  the  departments,  cover  an 
area  of  eight  acres.  They  were  established  by 
the  firm  of  Obert  &  Tippets  in  1854,  at  the 
same  site.  In  1862  Francis  J.  Obert  purchased 
the  interest  of  his  partner,  Robert  Tippets,  and 
has  since  conducted  the  business  as  sole  pro- 
prietor. These  works  front  on  Ninth  Street, 
and  extend  in  depth  to  the  Reading  Railroad, 
and  consist  of  a  main  building,  warehouses, 
store-house  and  coal-bins.  An  extensive  busi- 
ness is  done  here  in  the  manufacture  of  boilers, 
smoke-stacks,  water  and  oil-tanks,  gas-holders, 
cupolas,  furnace  casings,  iron  bridges,  pulp 
digesters  for  paper-mills,  iron  stock  cars,  iron 
roofing,  etc.  The  number  of  men  employed 
has  ranged  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  and  sixty. 
The  manufactured  products  of  these  works  have 
been  sold  in  large  quantities  since  they  were 
originated. 

The  Reading  Butt- Works  are  located 
on  north  Third  Street,  corner  of  Buttonwood. 
The  foundry  has  a  frontage  on  the  railroad, 
and  is  furnished  with  two  large  cupolas,  with  a 
capacity  of  twenty  tons  of  iron  daily.  Twelve 
hundred  tons  of  metal  of  various  kinds  are  used 
yearly  in  the  production  of  hardware  and  butts. 
The  business  was  begun  in  1867  by  the  pres- 
ent proprietors,  Cyrus,  John,  Charles,  Jr.,  and 
James  Rick,  under  the  firm-name  of  Rick 
Brothers. 


/^T=4^^,zfer 


^ 


READING. 


703 


The  large  tack  works  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  railroad  are  also  owned  and  operated  by  this 
company,  and  are  furnished  with  thirty  tack- 
making  machines,  which  turn  out  daily  one  ton 
of  finished  tacks  of  all  sizes,  the  yearly  product 
being  three  hundred  tons.  The  firm  employs  in 
the  foundry  and  tack-works  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  workmen. 

The  Manhattan  Hardware  Company, 
corner  of  Ninth  and  Bingaman  Streets  was  or- 
ganized by  gentlemen  from  New  York  in  1875, 
who  located  this  foundry  at  Reading.  On  Sep- 
tember 22,  1885,  it  was  incorporated  under  the 
laws  of  Pennsylvania,  with  D.  H.  Fitzgerald, 
president ;  William  Kerns,  vice-president ;  and 
J.  P.  Egan,  secretary  and  treasurer.  About 
one  hundred  thousand  dollars  are  invested  in 
the  enterprise,  and  over  five  hundred  hands 
employed.  The  business  for  the  past  year  has 
exceeded  seven  hundred  thousand  dollars.  This 
company  is  now  (1886)  building  large  and  ex- 
tensive works,  covering  the  entire  block  on 
Third  Street,  between  Bern  and  Richmond 
Streets,  North  Reading. 

The  Penn  Hardware  Company,  corner 
of  Canal  and  Spruce  Streets,  was  organized  in 
1877  by  C.  Raymond  Heizmann  and  Albert  A. 
Heizmann,  who  are  the  present  proprietors. 
Capital  in  1885,  one  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
Three  hundred  and  fifty  workman  are  employed ; 
and  in  the  past  year  (1885)  a  business  amounting 
to  three  hundred  thousand  dollars  was  done. 
A  general  line  of  builders'  hardware  is  made, 
and  their  manufactures  are  sold  over  the  entire 
United  States  ;  also  in  Canada,  England,  Ger- 
many and  Australia.  To  satisfy  the  increasing 
demand  for  their  goods,  the  company  has  estab- 
lished salesrooms  in  Philadelphia,  New  York, 
Baltimore  and  Chicago. 

The  Maiden  Creek  Iron  Company,  of 
Reading,  have  their  works  at  Blandon,  in 
Maiden  Creek  township.  This  industry  was 
formerly  known  as  the  Blandon  Iron- Works, 
and  were  erected  in  1867  by  Jacob  Kauf- 
man and  Charles  D.  Geiger,  and  successfully 
worked  in  the  manufacture  of  band,  hoop  and 
pipe-iron  until  1876.  The  works  were  then 
purchased  by  the  present  company,  which  is 
composed  of    R.    H.   Reifsnyder  and   Z.   H. 


Maurer,  who  have  at  present  thirteen  furnaces 
in  full  blast,  which  produce  four  thousand  tons 
of  manufactured  iron  per  year.  They  employ 
one  hundred  and  forty  men.  The  full  capa- 
city of  the  works  is  seven  thousand  tons  per 
year. 

McIlvaine  Iron- Works,  on  Neversink, 
near  Eighth,  Reading,  were  established  in  1856 
by  William  McIlvaine,  who  had  for  ten  years 
previously  been  associated  with  Simon  and 
Henry  A.  Seyfert  in  the  manufacture  of  boiler- 
plate, at  Gibraltar,  in  this  county.  On  the  9th 
of  July,  1857,  the  first  sheet  of  boiler-plate  was 
rolled.  The  works  comprised  at  that  time  two 
heating  furnaces,  one  pair  of  plate-rolls,  seventy- 
two  inches  long  by  twenty-two  inches  in  diam- 
eter, and  one  Nasmyth  hammer.  July  1, 1862, 
Morton  C.  and  William  R.  McIlvaine,  sons  of 
the  proprietor,  were  admitted  as  partners,  the  firm 
taking  the  name  of  William  McIlvaine  &  Sons. 
During  the  year  1864  two  puddling  furnaces 
were  built,  and  subseqently  others  were  added 
of  the  same  kind,  in  all  making  four  single  and 
two  double  puddling  furnaces.  In  1873  the 
rolls  were  enlarged  to  eighty-one  inches  long 
and  twenty-five  inches  in  diameter,  and  the 
third  heating  furnace  was  built.  A  larger  engine 
was  put  in  and  the  hammer  increased  in  weight. 
A  train  of  break-down  rolls,  for  rolling  puddled 
bars,  was  also  placed  in  position,  increasing  the 
capacity  of  the  works,  which,  in  1886,  are  pro- 
ducing between  five  thousand  and  six  thousand 
tons  of  plate-iron  yearly. 

In  1864  the  firm  purchased  two  thousand 
acres  of  woodland  near  Duncannon,  Pa.,  and 
erected  a  charcoal  forge,  for  the  manufacture  of 
charcoal  blooms,  which  were  used  by  the  works 
here  in  the  higher  grades  of  boiler-plates.  The 
capital  employed  in  these  two  establishments 
amounts  to  two  hundred  thousand  dollars.  One 
hundred  and  fifty  workmen  are  employed. 

Mount  Penn  Stove- Works  occupy  an 
acre  and  a  quarter  of  ground  in  the  northwestern 
part  of  Reading,  corner  of  North  Third  Street 
and  Lebanon  Valley  Railroad.  The  company, 
represented  by  Samuel  H.  Kutz  as  president, 
J.  Allison  Orr,  superintendent,  and  M.  B.  Mc- 
Knight,  treasurer,  was  incorporated  in  June, 
1882,  with  a  paid-in  capital  of  fifty  thousand 


704 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


dollars.  The  works  had  been  operated  in  1881 
by  Stauffer,  McKnight  &  Co.,  who  sold  out  to 
the  present  company. 

The  buildings  comprise  a  large  foundry,  with 
cupola  of  fifteen  tons'  capacity,  finishing  and 
machine-rooms,  pattern  and  carpenter-shops, 
engine  and  boiler-rooms,  polishing  and  nickle- 
plating  rooms,  churning-rooras,  blacksmith- 
shops,  etc.,  together  with  storage  and  packing- 
floors  of  fifty  thousand  square  feet  capacity. 
They  employ  one  hundred  hands  in  the  manu- 
facture of  stoves,  heaters,  ranges,  furnaces,  etc., 
in  all  their  various  styles,  together  with  hollow- 
ware  and  fine  light  iron  castings.  During  the 
year  1885  this  company  made  over  one  thousand 
tons  of  stove-plate,  representing  ten  thousand 
stoves  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  different 
styles  and  sizes. 

Mellert  Foundry  and  Machine  Com- 
pany (Limited),  on  Second  and  Chestnut  Streets, 
is  a  very  important  industry,  and  was  originated 
by  John  Mellert,  the  father  of  Arnold,  Magnus 
and  Otto  Mellert,  in  1848,  for  the  manufacture 
of  stoves.  In  1851  he  began  to  make  water 
and  gas-pipes  and  discontinued  the  making  of 
stoves.  In  1853  he  built  a  large  machine-shop 
in  connection  with  the  foundry,  and  commenced 
to  construct  machinery  for  grist  and  rolling- 
mills.  In  1860  he  introduced  a  new  business  in 
the  building  of  passenger-cars  and  coal-cars  for 
the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad,  and 
erected  large  shops  for  that  purpose.  In  1863 
the  car-shop  was  changed  into  a  general  foundry, 
and  the  old  foundry  was  converted  into  a  pipe 
foundry  to  make  water  and  gas-pipes  twelve 
feet  in  length.  In  1876  a  new  pipe  foundry 
was  built  for  the  special  construction  of  large 
pipes  from  twenty  to  forty-eight  inches  in 
diameter.  In  1880  a  stock  company  was 
formed,  the  stockholders  of  which  are  Peter  D. 
Wanner,  Arnold  Mellert,  Magnus  Mellert, 
Otto  Mellert  and  Albert  Mellert.  The  chair- 
man is  Arnold  Mellert ;  secretary  and  treasurer, 
Peter  D.  Wanner. 

The  entire  works  occupy  five  hundred  and 
forty  feet  on  Second  Street,  two  hundred  and 
ninety  feet  on  Chestnut  Streetand  two  hundred 
and  twenty  feet  on  Grape  Street.  Four  different 
tracts  of  land,  separated  by  the  streets  above 


mentioned,  are  occupied  by  the  different  build- 
ings belonging  to  these  works.  For  loading 
pipes  and  for  lifting  purposes  in  the  foundry, 
nine  cranes  are  used  ;  seven  of  these  have  each  a 
ten  horse  power  engine  attached  to  them.  The 
motive-power  to  run  the  machine  shops  is  a  forty 
horse-power  engine  and  two  tubular  boilers 
having  a  combined  power  of  one  hundred  and 
ten  horses. 

The  various  kinds  of  manufactures  are  water 
and  gas-pipes,  flange-pipes,  stop-valves,  fire- 
hydrants,  lamp-posts,  structural  work,  car  and 
railroad  castings,  the  Canada  turbine,  etc.  Two 
hundred  men  are  employed.  Amount  of  busi- 
ness annually  done,  $500,000.  The  company 
has  a  branch  house  at  160  Broadway,  New 
York  City,  under  the  management  of  John 
Fox. 

The  Spectacle-Factory  of  Thomas  A. 
Wilson,  on  the  corner  of  Second  and  Washing- 
ton Streets,  was  built  in  1871,  completed  and 
supplied  with  machinery  specially  devised  by 
the  proprietor  during  the  early  part  of  the  year 
1872.  Lenses  are  here  manufactured  out  of 
sand  brought  from  Berkshire,  Mass.  Many 
varieties  are  made.  This  is  the  only  factory  of 
its  kind  in  the  world  in  which  all  of  the  parts, 
glass  lens  and  frames  are  made  under  one  man- 
agement. Employment  is  given  to  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  workmen.  The  average  daily 
production  during  the  year  1885  was  three 
thousand  eight  hundred  pairs;  one  ton  of  steel 
a  month  is  consumed.  Two  large  buildings  are 
now  occupied. 

The  Franklin  Foundry  was  started  by 
Adam  Johnston,  iu  1840,  at  the  southeast  corner 
of  Eighth  and  Chestnut  Streets,  for  the  manu- 
facture of  iron  castings.  He  conducted  the 
foundry  successfully  for  nearly  twenty  years. 
In  1844  he  increased  its  capacity  and  sfilded  a 
machine-shop,  and  then  he  changed  the  name 
to  "Franklin  Iron- Works,"  and  began  the 
manufacture  of  iron  cars  for  coal  transportation 
on  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad.  In 
1851  he  commenced  the  building  of  woodeD 
freight  cars  for  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
Company  and  other  companies,  constantly  in- 
creasing the  business.  In  1844  five  hundred 
cars  were  built  annually,  which  by  1851  was 


READINfl. 


705 


increased  to  twelve  hundred  cars  annually. 
From  1858  to  1860  Ezekiel  Jones  and  Daniel 
Shaaber  conducted  the  business,  but  in  1860, 
Adam  Johnston,  his  son  Henry  and  Daniel 
Shaaber  became  associated  under  the  name  of 
Johnston  &  Son.  In  1882  Henry  Johnston 
came  into  possession  of  the  works  and  has  since 
conducted  them,  filling  large  orders  for  castings 
for  blast  furnaces,  etc.  The  foundry  at  this 
time  turns  out  twenty  tons  of  castings  daily, 
with  seventy  workmen  employed ;  when  run  to 
its  full  capacity,  employment  is  given  to  two 
hundred  men. 

Central  Foundry  asd  Machine-Shops, 
operated  by  B.  W.  Grist  &  Co.  (Limited),  are 
located  on  the  corner  of  Cherry  and  Carpenter 
Streets.  They  were  started  in  the  year  1840 
by  L.  K.  Moore,  who  conducted  them  for  a 
number  of  years.  Since  1879  the  above-men- 
tioned firm  has  been  engaged  here  in  the  manu- 
facture of  vertical  and  horizontal  steam-engines, 
counter  and  platform  scales  and  a  variety  of 
machinery.     Forty  workmen  are  employed. 

The  Machine-Shops  located  on  the  corner 
of  Orange  and  Bingaman  Streets  were  started 
in  1883  by  David  Greth.  In  1884  Fred.  Ger- 
hart  and  Mahlon  Shaaber  purchased  the  stock 
of  machinery  and  have  since  carried  on  the 
business  under  the  firm-name  of  Gerhart  & 
Shaaber.  They  manufacture  supplies  for  ma- 
chinists and  a  variety  of  brass  and  iron-work, 
and  do  a  large  business  in  repairing  and  refit- 
ting. 

F.  S.  Neudoerffer  &  Co.,  manufacturers 
of  iron  railing  and  locks,  are  the  successors  of 
Louis  Neudoerffer,  who  established  the  business 
at  428  Court  Street  in  1859.  At  his  death,  in 
1884,  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  his  son,  Fred- 
erick S.  Neudoerffer,  who  admitted  as  a  partner 
Charles  Frichter.  The  new  firm  employ  seven 
workmen,  manufacturing  iron  railing  and  various 
kinds  of  architectural  iron-work. 

The  Beass  and  Iron  Foundry  on  the 
corner  of  Sixth  and  Chestnut  Streets  was  estab- 
lished in  1853  by  James  L.  Douglass.  In  1854 
Henry  Connard  was  admitted  as  a  partner  in 
the  business.  Brass  castings  for  machinists  and 
manufacturers  are  made  here  as  specialties. 
Steam-valves,      steam-pumps,     steam-engines, 


lathes,  fans  and  shaftings  are  also  manufactured. 
Eighteen  workmen  are  employed.  The  present 
firm-name  is  Douglass  &  Connard. 

Beading  Industrial  Works  originated  in 
the  year  1871,  at  their  present  location,  Ninth 
Street  below  Bingaman,  by  Joseph  H.  Miller, 
John  C.  Printz,  Samuel  Davies,  William  Shaf- 
fer and  Adam  Shaaber,  as  the  firm  of  Miller, 
Printz  &  Co.  No  changes  have  taken  place  in 
this  firm,  who  are  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
brass  and  iron  castings,  machinists'  and  manu- 
facturers' supplies,  pipe-fittings,  globe  valves, 
cocks,  pumps,  injectors  and  a  variety  of  other 
products.     Thirty-five  men  are  employed. 

Beading  Nickel-Plating  Woeks  were 
founded  during  the  year  1881,  at  Sixth  Street, 
below  Chestnut,  by  Bobert  Arhard.  The  next 
year  he  sold  the  works  to  Kensil  &  Harbster, 
who,  in  1884,  removed  them  to  316  and  318 
Maple  Street.  In  1885  E.  H.  Smeltzer  became 
the  sole  proprietor.  For  a  time  a  brass  foundry 
was  operated  in  connection  with  these  works. 
Brass,  bronze  and  German  silver  castings  are 
made  and  nickel-plating  in  various  forms  is  ex- 
tensively done.     Twenty  employees  are  at  work. 

West  Beading  Boilee- Woeks,  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Front  and  Chestnut  Streets,  were  built 
by  the  firm  of  Sterling  &  Weidner  in  1877, 
and  have  since  been  operated  by  them.  Boil- 
ers, tanks,  oil-stills,  pipes  for  blast  furnaces, 
smoke-stacks,  etc.,  are  manufactured.  About 
forty  men  are  employed  and  an  extensive  busi- 
ness is  done. 

Beading  Engine- Works,  on  Pine  Street, 
between  Second  and  Third,  were  started  in  1885 
by  Orr  &  Sembower  (W.  Harry  Orr  and  C.  H. 
Sembower)  for  the  manufacture  of  vertical,  hor- 
izontal and  hoisting  engines,  from  three  to 
twenty  horse-power.  Sixteen  workmen  are 
constantly  employed,  and  the  firm  do  a  large 
business  in  constructing  the  marine  vertical 
engine,  which  is  of  special  design,  with  link 
and  reversing  lever,  and  can  be  utilized  for  gen- 
eral purposes  as  a  motor. 

The  Eagle  Bolt- Works  were  established* 
in  1845,  at  Philadelphia,  where  the  business 
was  conducted  until  1876  by  William  Golcher, 
who  there  manufactured  the  first  carriage-bolt 
by  machinery  in  America.    During  the  Centen- 


706 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


nial  year  G.  and  J.  T.  Golcher,  sons  of  the  orig- 
inal proprietor,  removed  the  works  to  a  site 
near  the  Lebanon  Valley  Railroad  Bridge.  The 
machinery  used  in  making  bolts  are  patented 
inventions,  designed  by  the  members  of  the 
firm.  Eighteen  men  are  employed  and  forty 
thousand  bolts  are  made  weekly. 

Swell  &  Meharg  operate  the  engine-works 
on  Court  Street,  above  Second ;  and  since  they 
began,  in  1880,  have  manufactured  vertical  and 
horizontal  engines  ranging  from  three  to  twenty 
horse-power.  In  addition,  this  firm  designs  and 
constructs  various  kinds  of  machinery.  About 
a  dozen  men  are  constantly  at  work.  The 
proprietors  are  J.  H.  Snell  and  George  F. 
Meharg. 

The  Machine-Shops  of  Muhlenberg  & 
West  (N.  H.  Muhlenberg  &  R.  H.  West) 
were  begun  in  1883,  at  Nos.  26  and  28 
South  Fifth  Street.  This  firm  manufact- 
ures and  deals  extensively  in  machinery  and 
machinists'  supplies,  steam  fittings,  belting, 
wrought-iron  pipes,  joints  and  connections,  etc. ; 
they  are  also  agents  for  Westinghouse  steam- 
engines,  Worthington  steam  pump  and  the 
Rue  Little  Giant  Injector.  Capital  invested, 
thirty  thousand  dollars ;  fifteen  hands  are  em- 
ployed ;  business  extends  to  several  of  the 
Northern  States,  and  amounts  to  one  hundred 
and  eighty  thousand  dollars  per  year. 

The  Penn  Boilek- Works  were  established 
in  1883  on  the  corner  of  Front  and  Pine  Streets, 
by  George  C.  Wilson  and  H.  P.  Yeager.  The 
works  are  designed  for  the  manufacture  of 
steam  boilers,  tanks,  oil-stills,  pipes  for  blast 
furnaces,  stacks,  etc.  They  have  three  thousand 
dollars  invested  in  the  business  and  twelve 
workmen  employed  ;  amount  of  business,  fifteen 
thousand  dollars  per  year. 

Peipher  &  Leinbach,  manufacturers  of 
steam-engines,  boilers  and  machinery  of  various 
kinds,  are  the  successors  of  Hass  &  Peipher, 
who  began  the  business  in  1883.  On  January  1, 
1886,  Daniel  Leinbach  purchased  the  interest 
of  J.  A.  Hass,  and  the  present  firm  was 
formed.  Eight  employees  are  engaged  at  these 
works. 

The  Machine-Shops  at  126  Carpenter 
Street,  owned    by   George   W.   Francis,  were 


started  by  him  in  1882  for  the  manufacture 
of  light  machinery,  stocks,  taps,  dies,  planer 
knives,  moulding  bits  and  cutters. 

The  Greth  Machine-Shops,  Nos.  627 
and  631  Franklin  Street,  Reading,  were 
founded  by  Daniel  Greth  in  1883.  In  1884, 
J.  P.  Miller  and  H.  E.  Deininger  bought  out 
the  entire  stock  and  machinery,  and  have  since 
conducted  the  business.  They  manufacture 
machinists'  and  manufacturers'  supplies,  brass 
and  iron-work,  and  do  a  large  business  in  re- 
pairing engines  and  machinery.  They  also  keep 
in  stock  belting,  packing,  pipe,  valves,  etc. 
Capital  invested,  three  thousand  dollars ;  six 
hands  employed. 

The  Gun  and  Rifle-Factory  on  south- 
west corner  of  Ninth  and  Walnut  Streets  was 
founded  in  1870  by  Nelson  Delany,  who 
bought  ground  and  erected  the  factory  for 
making  small  calibre  rifles  for  the  Southern  and 
Western  trade  and  special  orders.  From  1856 
to  1870  he  made  rifles  in  small  quantities,  but 
the  increasing  demand  for  his  manufactures  led 
to  the  erection  of  the  present  works.  During 
the  War  of  the  Rebellion  he  took  large  contracts 
from  the  government  for  the  manufacture  of 
gun-barrels,  which  were  made  during  the  day- 
time, and  in  the  evening  his  entire  force  of 
workmen  were  also  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  cartridges  for  the  army. 

Daniel  Gerhart  began  business  as  a  gun- 
smith at  12  North  Fifth  Street  in  1876.  In 
1878  he  removed  to  14  North  Eighth  Street; 
he  manufactures  guns  and  rifles  of  many  kinds 
to  order,  and  has  lately  commenced  to  make 
fine  fishing-rods,  reels,  etc.,  for  the  trade. 

The  Noa^elty  Works,  at  308  Schuylkill 
Avenue,  were  started  in  1881  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  breech-loading  guns,  rifles,  meat-cutters 
and  cigar-cutters.  The  specialty  is  the  New 
American  breech-loading  rifle,  the  design  of 
which  was  invented  by  the  proprietor  of  these 
works,  James  J.  Oakes. 

Wagner's  Patent  Roller  Tugs  were  first 
introduced  to  the  public  in  1883,  when  Julius 
Wagner,  the  inventor  and  patentee,  began  the 
manufacture  of  them  at  276  South  Ninth  Street, 
Reading.  Since  1883  he  has  secured  several 
patents,  including  boom-tugs,  roller  rein  hook 


READING. 


707 


and  leather  clamp,  for  harness.  He  has  suc- 
cessfully introduced  his  patents  over  a  large 
territory,  and  in  the  past  year  the  sales  of  his 
tugs  have  largely  increased,  thirty  thousand  sets 
having  been  sold. 

The  Excelsior  Galvanizing  Works,  of 
Beading,  were  started  in  1878,  by  Daniel  F. 
McCullough,  at  No.  546  South  Seventh  Street. 
In  1884  he  fitted  up  the  works  at  No.  526 
South  Seventh  Street.  He  has  two  workman 
employed  ;  his  trade  is  confined  to  Reading  and 
Berks  County.    . 

John  Miller  was  the  first  locksmith  in 
Beading,  having  started  the  business  at  932 
Penn  Street  in  1826.  He  built  up  a  large  trade 
in  door  locks  of  his  own  design  and  manufact- 
ure, which  were  in  great  demand  in  most  of  the 
counties  of  the  State,  and  which  are  still  in  use. 
Two  forges  were  worked  and  six  hands  con- 
stantly employed  for  many  years.  After  his 
death,  in  1872,  the  shops  came  into  the  posses- 
sion of  his  son,  John  W.  Miller,  who  still  con- 
tinues the  business. 

hatters  and  hat-making. 

The  manufacture  of  wool  and  fur  hats  is  the 
oldest,  most  conspicuous  and  most  continuous 
employment  in  Reading.  This  department  of 
trade  was  in  a  flourishing  condition  when  the 
borough  was  created.  The  prominent  hatters  of 
'Beading  between  the  years  1752  and  1782  were 
the  following,  whose  names  are  arranged  in 
the  order  of  priority  :  John  Jackson,  Samuel 
Jackson,  Isaac  Lebo,  Matthias  Hineline,  Elias 
Yungman,  George  Schultz,  Jacob  Graeff,  Peter 
Nagle,  Sr.,  Peter  Gross,  Jacob  Gross,  Baltzer 
Henritze,  Frederick  Repp,  Jr.,  Charles  Bu- 
shaur. 

The  following  statistics,  in  reference  to  the 
manufacture  of  fine  and  coarse  hats  in  Berks 
and  surrounding  counties  for  the  year  1795, 
appear  in  an  early  publication  : 1 

Hatters.  Fur  Hats.  Wool  Hats. 

Philadelphia 68  '    31,637  7600 

Montgomery 10  800  1000 

Delaware 14  1500  4000 

Chester 14  1300  4000 

Lancaster 16  "  3000  15,000 

Dauphin 10  1200  4000 

1  Coxe's  View,  p.  158. 


Bucks 12  1000         1,000 

Berks 38  2200       54,000 

182  42,637  •     90,600 

Total  State 315  54,237     161,140 

This  condition  of  the  trade  led  the  author  to 
remark, — 2 

"It  may  be  safely  affirmed  that  the  counties  of 
Lancaster,  York  and  Berks  are  among  the  most  vig- 
orous in  Pennsylvania,  perhaps  in  the  Union ;  and 
that  there  are  none  in  the  State  in  which  there  are 
more  manufactures,  is  beyond  all  question." 

The  county  of  York  then  had  twenty-six 
hatters  and  produced  twenty-six  hundred  fur 
hats  and  thirty  thousand  wool  hats. 

Reading  contributed  almost  entirely  the  hat- 
ters and  hats  stated  in  the  foregoing  table  for 
Berks  County.  The  hatters  in  Berks  County 
were  almost  wholly  devoted  to  the  production 
of  wool  hats,  whilst  in  Philadelphia  they  were 
mostly  of  fur  hats.  Every  county  in  the  State 
then  contained  busy  factories  in  this  branch  of 
industry. 

The  wool  hat,  as  then  made,  was  heavy  and 
stiff,  so  stiff  that  a  man  (weighing  two  hundred 
pounds)  could  stand  upon  it  without  crushing 
it.  Its  weight — well,  to  us  of  to-day,  who 
carry  fine,  small,  light  hats,  weighing  but  two 
ounces,  prodigious — was  eleven  to  twelve  ounces. 
Its  height  was  from  four  and  a  half  to  six 
inches,  with  a  brim  three  and  a  half  to  four 
inches  wide  and  from  one-eighth  to  three-eighths 
inch  thick.  The  colors  were  black  and  white, 
the  number  of  each  manufactured  being  about 
the  same.  The  quantity  of  wool  in  each  hat 
was  about  eight  ounces. 

In  1824  the  borough  contained  less  than  one 
thousand  taxables.  Of  this  number,  there  were 
six  master-hatters,  who  gave  employment  to  four 
hundred  and  .fifty  journeymen  and  apprentices, 
worked  up  annually  sixty  thousand  pounds  of 
wool,  and  manufactured  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  hats.  A  hatter  could  make,  on  an 
average,  eight  hats  a  day. 

.This  branch  of  industry  continued  to  grow  in 
strength  as  the  months  and  years  rolled  on, 
especially  in  respect  to  the  number  of  employees. 
The  apprentices  were  numerous.      Their  in- 

2  lb.,  p.  313. 


708 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


creasing  number  alarmed  the  masters  and 
journeymen.  It  became  a  serious  matter  with 
them.  Finally  they  began  to  consider  the  ad- 
visability of  forming  a  society  for  regulating 
the  admission  of  new  hands,  into  their  employ- 
ment. The  subject  was  discussed  till  it  resulted 
in  a  public  meeting.  This  meeting  was  held  in 
the  borough  on  May  13,  1829.  But  the  con- 
clusion of  its  deliberations  was  adverse  to  the 
formation  of  a  society.  The  following  resolu- 
tion was  adopted : 

"  Resolved,  That  upon  due  reflection  we  consider 
the  object  of  this  meeting  entirely  premature,  and 
indirectly  tending  to  the  subversion  of  those  philan- 
thropic views  that  prompted  it,  as  well  as  infringing 
upon  the  prerogative  relatively  existing  between  the 
master  and  apprentice — that  therefore  the  formation 
of  such  society  be  deemed  at  present  useless  and  in- 
expedient." 

The  persons  present  were  Joseph  Homan  (presi- 
dent), Jacob  Goodhart  (secretary),  Benjamin  Davies, 
Samuel  Bitter,  Abel  Levering,  John  Sherrer,  William 
Arnold,  Nicholas  Lott,  Abram  Boland,  George  Ro- 
land,  Adam  Fesig,  Anthony  Boyer,  George  Graeff, 
Peter  Homan,  Jacob  Fricker,  Frederick  Bapp,  Henry 
Bitze,  David  Bightmyer,  John  Brown,  John  Kidd, 
Charles  Kessler,  George  Till,  Christian  Bitter, 
Daniel  M.  Keim,  William  Sherer,  Matthias  Boland, 
Jacob  Maurer,  John  Keffer,  Daniel  Bightmyer,  Jacob 
Sauerbier,  Jacob  Graeff  and  John  Price. 

In  1854  M.  &  J.  Siegel  carried  on  the  largest 
factory  in  Reading,  and  one  of  the  largest  in 
the  State.  They  employed  altogether  sixty 
hands,  and  manufactured  daily  twelve  thousand 
wool  hats.  They  consumed  three  thousand 
pounds  of  wool  weekly. 

Some  years  afterward  this  industry  was  in- 
jured considerably  by  the  introduction  of  caps 
and  straw  hats.  Many  journeymen  were  there- 
by induced,  if  not  compelled,  to  seek  other  oc- 
cupations. In  1846  the  estimated  number 
actively  engaged  in  it  was  about  fifteen  master- 
hatters  and  fifty  journeymen.  The  daily  pay 
was  about  ninety-six  cents.  Hats  were  made 
by  the  piece.  This  was,  indeed,  a  wonderful 
decrease  in  twenty  years.  And  it  was  not  re- 
vived until  1852,  when  hats  began  to  be  made 
by  machinery.  The  colors  began  to  be  intro- 
duced about  1847.  Many  different  colors  were 
used  in  1851. 

The  first  soft  wool  hats  in  Reading  were  made 


in  1847,  by  John  Lotz  and  his  son  David. 
They  were  from  six  to  six  and  a  half  inches  high, 
and  weighed  from  four  to  five  ounces.  They 
had  a  wide  brim.  A  button  was  attached  on 
the  right  and  left  sides  of  the  hat  to  enable  the 
brim  to  be  looped  up,  if  necessary.  The  style 
was  called  "  sugar-loaf,"  having  a  round  top. 
Home-made  hats  were  mostly  worn  by  the 
citizens. 

William  Arnold,  who  was  for  more  than 
half  a  century  prominently  identified  with 
manufacturing,  political  and  business  interests  of 
Reading  and  Berks  County,  was  born  in  the 
year  1798,  and  died  in  1884,  in  the  eighty-sixth 
year  of  his  age.  His  father,  Nicholas  Arnold, 
was  one  of  the  earliest  persons  who  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  wool  hats  on  an  extensive 
scale  in  Reading,  and  was  also  a  farmer  and 
owned  and  cultivated  the  land  on  which  the 
southwestern  part  of  the  city  is  now  built.  Early 
in  life  he  was  married  to  Barbara  Fichthorn. 
Both  of  them  lived  to  an  advanced  age.  William 
Arnold,  their  son,  after  serving  an  apprentice- 
ship and  carefully  learning  the  trade,  succeeded 
his  father  in  the  business  on  North  Eighth 
Street,  between  Penn  and  Washington,  and  there 
manufactured  wool  hats  for  the  Southern  trade 
in  large  quantities  for  a  period  of  twenty-eight 
years.  He  regularly  employed  from  thirty  to 
forty  hands,  and  made  many  more  hats  than  any 
other  person  then  engaged  in  the  same  business 
at  Reading.  He  frequently  shipped  the  hats  in 
sailing-vessels  to  Charleston,  South  Carolina, 
which  took  him  three  months  to  make  the  trip. 
Prosperity  attended  him  in  his  occupation,  and 
at  the  age  of  fifty  years  he  retired  from  the 
business  with  a  handsome  competence  as  the 
result  of  his  energy  and  executive  ability.  After 
he  discontinued  the  hat  business  he  took  an 
active  interest  in  the  administration  of  county 
affairs,  being  a  Democrat  in  politics.  He  was 
commissioner  from  1841  to  1845;  treasurer, 
from  1845  to  1847 ;  and  director  of  the  poor  from 
1850  to  1857  ;  also  for  many  years  a  director  in 
the  Farmer's  Bank  of  Reading.  He  served  as 
executor,  administrator,  trustee  and  guardian 
for  a  period  of  thirty  years,  during  which  he 
settled  numerous  estates.  This  attests  in  a  high 
degree  the  confidence  of  the  community  in  him. 


^K^ca^y\    lA^y^c*^^ 


READING. 


709 


He  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  Masonic  Order 
of  Reading,  having  been  a  member  of  Lodge 
No.  62.  He  was  a  consistent  member  of  Trinity 
Lutheran  Church.  He  was  married  twice.  His 
first  marriage  was  with  Anna  Homau,  by  whom 
he  had  four  children,  two  of  whom  are  living, — 
William  A.  and  Annie  Louisa,  married  to 
Ferdinand  Ratter,  of  Reading.  His  first  wife 
died  in  1834,  at  the  age  of  thirty-four  years. 
His  second  marriage  was  with  Catharine  Sauer- 
bier,  of  Reading,  who  died  in  1877,  aged  fifty- 
eight  years.  The  children  of  the  last  marriage 
are  Amanda  (married  to  Frank  Markley)  and 
Emma  (married  to  Lewis  Dauth). 

William  A.  Arnold,  the  eldest  child  by  the 
first  marriage,  now  an  influential  citizen  of 
Reading,  was  born  in  1836,  and  educated  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  place.  In  1859,  after 
having  carefully  learned  the  trade  of  a  hatter,  he 
engaged  in  the  business  of  manufacturing  hats. 
He  was  connected  with  Adam  Kutz  and  Samuel 
Kutz  for  twenty  years,  and  the  firm  of  Kutz, 
Arnold  &  Co.,  during  the  war,  carried  on  the 
largest  factory  and  trade  in  the  county.  They 
were  very  successful.  This  firm  had  located  on 
South  Eleventh  Street,  near  Chestnut,  and  there 
erected  numerous  dwellings,  being  the  first  to 
improve  that  section  of  Reading.  Mr.  Arnold 
is  president  of  the  Reading  Fire  Insurance  and 
Trust  Company,  and  a  director  of  the  Farmers' 
National  Bank  and  the  Reading  Gas  Company. 
When  the  Reading  Savings-Bank  suspended 
he  was  appointed  assignee,  and  displayed  much 
energy  and  ability  in  the  settlement  of  its  large 
estate  to  the  satisfaction  of  its  many  creditors. 
He  was  married  to  Ellen  L.  Rick,  with  whom 
he  has  six  children. 

Hendel  Bros.,  Sons  &  Co.  own  an  exten- 
sive hat-factory  located  on  South  Fifth  Street, 
below  Laurel.  This  is  one  of  the  largest  and 
most  productive  establishments  of  its  kind  in 
this  country.  In  1860  John  and  George  Hen- 
del,  in  partnership  with  their  father,  in  Adams- 
town,  Lancaster  County,  began  to  make  wool 
hats,  and  in  1863  the  two  sons  erected  a  factory 
in  Exeter  township,  Berks  County;  in  1867 
they  moved  to  Reading,  and  started  the  busi- 
ness on  a  more  extensive  scale  on  Maple  Street, 
below  Chestnut.     In  1869  this  factory  was  sold 


to  the  firm  of  Reed  &  Miller.  The  following 
year  John  Hendel  purchased  a  hat-factory  on 
the  corner  of  Eleventh  and  Spruce  Streets, 
which  he  disposed  of  at  the  expiration  of  one 
year,  and  in  1871,  in  connection  with  his  bro- 
thers, George  and  Henry  Hendel,  as  the  firm  of 
Hendel  Bros.,  bought  the  Wyomissing  Woolen- 
Mills,  located  on  Fifth  Street,  below  Laurel,  in 
the  city  of  Reading,  remodeled  the  building 
and  supplied  it  with  superior  machinery  and 
appliances  for  manufacturing  woolen  hats  of 
many  kinds  and  varieties.  The  business  rapidly 
developed  and  soon  became  known  as  one  of 
the  leading  manufacturing  establishments  in  the 
city.  In  1879  Levi  H.,  Daniel  J.  and  James 
M.,  sons  of  George  Hendel,  were  admitted  as 
partners  of  this  prosperous  firm.  In  1883 
Henry  B.  Hendel  retired.  The  following  year 
Charles  B.  Hendel  became  a  partner.  The 
firm  is  now  composed  of  John  and  George 
Hendel,  the  four  sons  of  the  latter  and  William 
J.  Bobst,  under  the  name  of  Hendel  Bros., 
Sons  &  Co.  The  building  occupied  by  the 
firm  is  a  large  three-story  brick  factory  and  all 
the  necessary  accompanying  buildings  for  full- 
ing, dyeing,  storage  and  finishing-rooms.  The 
capacity  of  this  extensive  establishment  is  two 
hundred  and  fifty  dozen  hats  per  day.  About 
one  hundred  and  seventy  workmen  are  regu- 
larly employed.  The  amount  of  capital  invested 
is  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars ; 
amount  of  business  done  yearly  is  two  hundred 
and  twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  Many  kinds 
and  varieties  of  hats  are  made  for  the  general 
trade  in  this  country,  and  some  are  shipped  to 
foreign  countries.  All  boxes  used  are  manu- 
factured in  this  establishment. 

John  and  George  Hendel,  the  senior  members 
of  this  firm,  in  1878  started  another  hat-fac- 
tory near  Shillington,  in  Cumru  township,  this 
county,  and  in  1884  John  R.  Hendel,  Jr.,  son 
of  George  Hendel,  became  a  partner  in  this 
firm,  which  has  since  been  known  as  George 
Hendel  Bro.  &  Son.  The  same  kinds  and  var- 
ieties of  hats  are  made  at  this  factory  as  in  the 
one  at  Reading.  The  number  of  employees  is 
eighty,  and  yearly  production  thirty-eight  thou- 
sand dozen  hats.  The  amount  of  capital  inves- 
ted  is  seventy-five  thousand  dollars,  and  the 


710 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


amount  of  business  done  yearly  is  one  hundred 
and  ten  thousand  dollars. 

The  manufactured  goods  of  the  above- 
named  hat-factories  are  sold  through  their  own 
commission  house,  managed  by  Hawley,  Hen- 
del  &  Mohn,  on  the  corner  of  Houston  and 
Green  Streets,  New  York  City. 

John  Hbndbl  of  the  above-mentioned 
firm,  is  a  grandson  of  John  Hendel,  of  Ger- 
man descent,  an  industrious  cabinet-maker,  who 


ness  of  his  life.  He  was  married  to  Susan, 
daughter  of  Jacob  BollmaD,  a  farmer  of  Spring 
township,  Berks  County.  Their  children  are 
John,  George,  Kate  (married  to  Isaac  Lausch), 
Henry,  Louisa  (married  to  William  Humbert) 
and  William.  Mr.  Hendel's  second  marriage 
was  with  Susan  Will,  whose  children  are  a  son, 
Howard,  and  a  daughter,  Emma  (married  to 
Isaac  Spang).  John  Hendel  was  born  on  the 
7th  of  December,  1833,  in  Adamstown,  Lan- 


resided  in  Adamstown,  Lancaster  County,  Pa., 
and  was  married  to  Kate  Amman.  Their 
children  were  Levi,  John,  and  Theresa  (married 
to  William  Fichthorn). 

Levi  Hendel  was  born  in  Brecknock  town- 
ship, Lancaster  County,  and,  being  left  an  or- 
phan at  the  age  of  three  years,  was  indentured 
to  a  farmer  until  his  fourteenth  year.  He  was 
then  apprenticed  to  the  hatter's  trade  under 
Philip  Fichthorn,  of  Adamstown,  Lancaster 
County,  which  he  subsequently  made  the  busi- 


Q^iyi  d*JLs 


caster  County,  where  he  remained  until  his 
thirty-first  year.  After  instruction  in  the  com- 
mon English  branches  he  entered  his  father's 
shop  and  became  proficient  in  the  trade  of  a  hat- 
ter. In  1 860  a  co-partnership  was  formed  be- 
tween his  father,  his  brother  George  and  him- 
self, which  continued  for  three  years.  On  its 
expiration  Mr.  Hendel  removed  to  Exeter 
township,  Berks  County,  and  continued  the 
business  with  his  brother  George,  erecting  a 
factory,  to  which,  from  time  to  time,  various 


BEADING. 


711 


improvements  were  added.  At  the  end  of  the 
second  year  they  removed  to  Reading,  and, 
effecting  an  exchange  of  property  with  John 
Yerger,  embarked  in  the  same  business  on  a 
more  extended  scale.  His  brother  Henry  was 
later  admitted  as  a  partner,  under  the  firm-name 
of  Hendel  Brothers.  The  house  was  again 
changed,  and  became,  as  at  present,  Hendel 
Brothers,  Sons  &  Co.  Mr.  Hendel  was,  on  the 
22d  of  February,  1853,  married  to  Miss  Kate, 
daughter  of  William  and  Kate  Steiff,  of  Berks 


of  the  Beading  Fire  Insurance  Company, 
treasurer  and  director  of  the  Keystone  Land 
and  Cattle  Company  and  partner  in  the  com- 
mission house  of  Hawley,  Hendel  &  Mohn, 
New  York.  He  is  in  his  political  associations 
a  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  Chan- 
dler Lodge,  No.  227,  of  F.  and  A.  M. ; 
of  De  Molay  Commandery,  No.  9,  and 
Chapter,  No.  152,  all  of  Reading.  Mr.  Hendel 
is  connected  with  the  Evangelical  Association, 
in  which  he  is  class-leader,  steward  and  trustee. 


t&BttffBfp 


m* 


"$ii ' 


•\-Mm 


aMf 


HAT   FACTORY   OF   HENRY   B.    HENDEL,   &  CO. 


County.  Their  children  are  Levi  H.,  born 
November  30,  1853;  Daniel  J.,  July  8,  1855  ; 
James  M.,  February  23,  1857  ;  John  O.,  De- 
cember 18,  1858 ;  Mary  A.,  November  26, 
1860;  George  W.,  September  18, 1862;  Charles 
W.,  February  22,  1864 ;  Edwin,  March  30, 
1866 ;  Harrison  P.,  September  12, 1867;  Har- 
vey H.,  December  30,  1869 ;  and  Kate  A., 
September  8,  1871.  Three  of  this  number  are 
deceased.  Levi  H.,  Daniel  J.,  James  M.  and 
Charles  W.  are  partners  in  the  house  established 
by  their  father.  Mr.  Hendel  is  a  director  of 
the  First  National  Bank  of  Reading,  a  director 


H.  B.  Hendel  &  Co.— The  hat-factory  of 
H.  B.  Hendel  &  Co.  is  situated  on  Maple 
Street,  between  Chestnut  and  Spruce.  It  com- 
prises a  large  and  commodious  three-story 
brick  building,  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet 
front  and  forty-four  feet  deep,  and  a  wing 
addition,  in  length  one  hundred  and  five  feet, 
with  all  the  latest  improved  machinery  for 
carrying  on  successfully  the  business  of  hat 
manufacturing.  The  product  is  felt  hats  of 
various  colors.  The  number  of  hands  em- 
ployed averages  from  one  hundred  to  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five ;  and  the  weekly  produc- 


712 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


tion  is  about  one  thousand  dozens  of  hats. 
This  firm  is  composed  of  Henry  B.  Hendel, 
his  brother,  William  B.  Hendel,  and  three 
nephews,  William  S.  Humbert,  Levi  H.  Lausch 
and  George  H.  Lausch.  The  co-partnership 
was  formed  in  1882,  when  this  building  was 
taken  and  improved,  and  it  has  since  been 
occupied.  The  building  is  owned  by  the  senior 
member.  This  firm  is  composed  of  enterprising 
and  energetic  young  men,  and  they  have  been 
successful  in  their  business  operations. 

Henry  B.  Hendel  was  born  April  21, 
1843,  in  Adamstown,  Lancaster  County,  Pa., 
and  obtained  his  early  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools,  after  which  he  became  a  pupil  of 
the  State  Normal  School  at  Millersville.  He 
then  entered  the  hat  manufacturing  establish- 
ment of  his  father,  and,  in  1866,  became  a 
partner  in  the  business.  During  the  year  1868 
the  partnership  terminated,  owing  to  the  death 
of  the  senior  member  of  the  firm,  and  Mr. 
Hendel  removed  to  Reading.  Here  he  pur- 
chased a  factory  located  on  the  corner  of 
Eleventh  and  Spruce  Streets,  and  again  em- 
barked in  manufacturing,  but  sold  at  the  ex- 
piration of  the  first  year.  He  next  became 
interested  as  part  owner  in  two  factories  located 
at  Adamstown  and  Mohnsville  respectively,  the 
buying  and  selling  for  the  latter  being  done  by 
him  while  continuing  his  residence  in  Reading. 
Finally,  disposing  of  his  interests  in  both  these 
concerns,  he  became  a  partner  with  his  brothers, 
John  and  George,  in  the  present  factory  on 
Fifth  Street,  Reading.  He  was  also  inter- 
ested in  the  factory  built  by  his  brother  George 
in  Cumru  township.  Selling  these  various  in- 
terests, he  established  the  business  now  con- 
ducted on  Maple  Street,  Reading,  enlarging  the 
mill  and  otherwise  increasing  the  opportunities 
for  manufacturing,  the  firm  being  known  as 
Henry  B.  Hendel  &  Co.,  hat  manufacturers. 
Mr.  Hendel  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  now 
fills  the  office  of  school  controller,  though  rarely 
accepting  public  position  from  his  party.  He 
is  a  member  of  Williamson  Lodge,  No.  307  of 
F.  and  A.  M.,  of  Womelsdorf  ;  of  Reading 
Commandery,  No.  42,  and  of  Excelsior  Chap- 
ter, No.  237.  He  is  also  interested  in  the  com- 
mission house  of  Hawley,  Hendel  &  Mohn,  of 


New  York.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Evangeli- 
cal Association.  Mr.  Hendel  was,  on  the  5th 
of  September,  1876,  married  to  Martha,  daugh- 
ter of  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Metzger,  of  Reading,  who 
died  in  1877.  Their  only  daughter,  Estella, 
died  in  infancy. 

J.  G.  Mohn  &  Bros.'  wool-hat  factory, 
located  on  Eleventh  Street,  below  Chestnut, 
was  originated  in  1859  at  the  same  place  by 
Kutz,  Arnold  &  Co.,  who  conducted  the  busi- 
ness until  1878,  when  the  present  firm,  composed 
of  Jeremiah  G.  Richard  and  John  G.  Mohn, 
purchased  the  entire  interests.  The  buildings 
used  are  a  three-story  brick  factory,  containing 
Various  departments,  and  three  adjoining  store- 
houses. The  factory  is  supplied  with  improved 
machinery  for  the  manufacture  of  staple-wool 
hats  in  many  different  colors,  shapes  and  forms, 
which  are  sold  to  the  general  trade  through  the 
commission  house  of  Hawley,  Hendel  &  Mohn, 
corner  of  Houston  and  Green  Streets,  New  York 
City.  This  enterprising  firm  has  about  ninety 
employees  regularly,  manufacturing  daily  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  dozen  hats  or  forty  thou- 
sand dozen  yearly. 

John  R.  Miller  &  Co.'s  wool-hat  man- 
ufactory is  located  on  Fourth  and  Laurel 
Streets.  Mr.  Miller,  who  at  present  is  the 
sole  proprietor  of  the  business,  is  a  native  of 
Adamstown,  Lancaster  County,  and  came  to 
Reading  from  Pine  Grove,  Schuylkill  County, 
January  5,  1870,  when  he  began  the  manufac- 
ture of  hats  in  connection  with  John  Hendel 
and  William  L.  Reed  in  a  building  located  on 
Maple  Street,  below  Chestnut.  About  twenty- 
five  workmen  were  then  employed.  In  1871 
the  factory  burned  down  which  caused  a  disso- 
lution of  the  original  partnership.  Mr.  Miller 
then  leased  an  old  mill  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Lancaster  bridge,  and  in  connection  with  John 
Shadle  embarked  anew  in  the  business.  This 
partnership  lasted  but  one  year,  when  William 
B.  Hendel  became  a  member  of  the  firm,  con- 
tinuing one  year.  At  the  expiration  of  this 
time  Levi  Miller,  of  Pine  Grove,  took  an  inter- 
est, and  the  firm  of  John  R.  Miller  &  Co.  was 
formed.  Since  1878  the  senior  member  of  the 
firm  has  been  sole  proprietor  and  has  conducted 
the    business    with    enterprise,    acknowledged 


READING. 


713 


ability  and  success.  In  1879  he  built  his  pres- 
ent factory,  a  large  three-story  brick  building, 
forty  by  one  hundred  and  forty  feet,  with  an 
office,  dye-house  addition  and  a  three-story  wing 
extending  from  the  middle  of  the  main  build- 
ing. The  interior  is  supplied  with  the  latest 
improved  machinery,  run  by  a  sixty  horse- 
power engine,  supplied  by  a  one  hundred  horse- 
power boiler.  About  one  hundred  employees 
are  regularly  engaged  at  this  factory.  The 
daily  product  is  one  hundred  and  fifty  dozens 
of  wool  hats,  which  are  sold  to  the  general  trade 
through  a  commission  house  in  New  York  City. 
For  several  years  past  Henry  R.  Miller,  brother 
of  the  proprietor,  has  been  chief  assistant  in  the 
management  of  the  business. 

D.  F.  Lotz  &  Co.  are  the  proprietors  of  an 
establishment  for  the  manufacture  of  staple- 
wool  hats,  on  South  Eleventh  Street,  near 
Spruce.  The  factory  was  built  in  1866  by 
Jacob  Sauerbier  and  soon  after  operated  by 
Eisenbeiss  &  Co.  In  1878  D.  F.  Lotz  leased 
the  factory,  and,  in  connection  with  Elim  Heck- 
ler, John  Rehrer  and  Samuel  Homan,  formed  a 
co-partnership  under  the  name  of  D.  F.  Lotz  & 
Co.,  the  present  firm.  They  also  made  staple- 
wool  hats  of  various  kinds,  which  are  sold  to 
the  general  trade  through  New  York  commis- 
sion houses.  The  factory  is  a  fine  three-story 
building,  with  all  conveniences  and  apparatus 
needed.  Thirty-seven  workmen  are  employed. 
The  yearly  production  now  is  seventy-two  thou- 
sand dozen  hats.  The  full  capacity  of  the 
works  is' one  hundred  thousand. 

C.  F.  Kessler  &  Son  are  proprietors  of  the 
hat-factory  on  the  corner  of  South  Eleventh 
and  Spruce  Streets,  which  was  established  in 
1862  by  David  Lotz.  In  1876  Conrad  F. 
Kessler,  the  present  senior  proprietor,  pur- 
chased the  factory,  and  in  1883  admitted  his  son, 
William  H.  Kessler,  as  a  partner.  Wool  hats 
are  made  here  to  the  amount  of  one  hundred 
dozens  per  day  when  the  full  capacity  is  used. 
Sixty  hands  are  employed. 

Neversink  Hat-Factory,  owned  by 
Robert  H.  Savage,  is  at  the  southeast  corner  of 
Thirteenth  and  Muhlenberg  Streets.  The  fac- 
tory was  built,  in  1883,  by  the  present  owner, 
and  is  a  new  three-story  brick  building,  ex- 
64 


tending  a  long  distance  on  both  streets,  fur- 
nished with  well-designed  machinery  of  im- 
proved kinds.  Eighty  hands  are  employed 
regularly,  and  the. capacity  of  the  factory  is 
seventy -five  dozen  staple- wool  hats  daily. 
Manufactured  hats  are  sold  through  commis- 
sion houses  and  to  merchants  directly  from  the 
factory. 

Keystone  Hat- Factory,  owned  by  I.  W. 
Levan  &  Son,  on  Muhlenberg  Street,  above 
Eleventh,  was  established  in  1865,  by  W.  &  I. 
W.  Levan.  In  1871  the  firm  was  changed  to 
I.  W.  Levan  &  Son,  and  in  1884,  Charles  Y. 
Levan  became  a  partner  of  the  present  firm. 
They  manufacture  staple-wool  hats  for  the 
West,  Southwest  and  California  trade  in  large 
quantities,  as  well  as  other  kinds  and  varieties. 
The  factory  is  a  three-story  building,  extending 
one  hundred  and  twenty-six  feet  on  Muhlen- 
berg Street,  well  fitted  and  well  furnished  with 
machinery  and  apparatus.  The  capacity  of  the 
factory  is  one  hundred  and  fifty  dozen  hats 
daily ;  capital  invested,  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  thousand  dollars.  The  number  of  hands 
employed  is  seventy. 

Isaac  W.  Levan,  the  senior  proprietor  of 
this  firm,  is  descended  from  Huguenot  ancestry. 
His  grandfather,  Isaac  Levan,  resided  in  Exe- 
ter township,  Berks  County,  where  he  engaged 
in  farming.  He  was  married  to  a  Miss  New- 
kirk,  of  the  same  county,  and  had  the  follow- 
ing-named children  :  Isaac,  John,  Jacob,  Cath- 
erine (married  to  John  Deiter),  Mary  (married 
to  Lewis  Seider),  Nellie  (married  to  William 
Yohn)  and  Phebe  (married  to  William  Yohn). 

John  Levan  was  born  in  Berks  County,  and 
on  reaching  mature  years  engaged  in  stage- 
driving  on  the  Philadelphia  and  Pottsville 
turnpike,  after  which  he  became  a  farmer,  and 
died  at  the  age  of  forty-three  years.  He  mar- 
ried Rebecca,  daughter  of  Philip  Witz,  a  lock- 
smith, a  soldier  of  the  Revolution  and  a  resi- 
dent of  Pottstown,  Pa.  Their  children  are 
Isaac  W.,  John  (deceased),  Susan  (married  to 
Henry  Hagen),  Catherine  (married  to  Joseph 
Watt),  Julia  and  Mary  (married  to  Enos  Alder- 
man). 

Isaac  W.  Levan  was  born  on  the  22d  of 
October,  1818,  on  the  farm  in  Exeter  township, 


714 


•HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


and  removed,  when  a  youth,  to  Pottstown, 
where  he  attended  school.  In  1827  Reading 
became  his  home.  He  was  employed  in  the 
summer  on  the  Schuylkill  Canal  and  in  the 
winter  found  his  services  in  demand  to  carry 
the  local  mails.  In  1836  he  was  indentured  to 
John  Yeager,  in  Philadelphia,  as  apprentice  to 
the  hatter's  trade,  and  after  a  service  of  three 
years  he  worked  as  a  journeyman.  He  was,  in 
the    spring    of    1842,  married   to   Catherine, 


well-founded  and  beautiful  Christian  character. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Levan  were  members  of 
the  Second  Reformed  Church  of  Reading,  in 
which  the  family  have  been  active  workers. 

In  1847  Mr.  Levan  returned  to  Reading, 
and,  under  the  firm-name  of  Levan  &  Faust 
opened  a  store  and  began  the  manufacture  of 
hats.  This  business  connection  being  dissolved 
in  1863,  he  continued  the  enterprise  as  a 
retailer  and   manufacturer,  becoming,  in  1865 


daughter  of  John  Yeager,  of  Philadelphia,  who 
died  on  the  28th  of  July,  1883.  Their  chil- 
dren are  John  Y.  (who  died  in  1884,  married 
to  Emma  Rowe),  Charles  Y.,  Emily  (married 
to  Thomas  Andrews,  of  Philadelphia),  Cath- 
erine, Amelia  (deceased)  and  Harry  (deceased). 
Mrs.  Levan  was  a  lady  of  many  Christian 
virtues,  active  in  the  leading  city  charities 
zealous  in  the  promotion  of  all  benevolent 
interests  connected  with  her  church,  and  exem- 
plifying in  her  daily  walk  and  conversation  a 


MraAl 


a  manufacturer  exclusively.  In  this  he  is  still 
engaged.  Beginning  with  little  capital,  by 
industry  and  judgment  he  established  an  exten- 
sive and  successful  business  and  amassed  a 
competency.  In  politics  Mr.  Levan,  until  the 
outbreak  of  the  war,  was  a  Democrat.  Cir- 
cumstances then  influenced  a  change  in  his 
views,  since  which  time  he  has  affiliated  with 
the  Republican  party.  He  has  represented 
both  parties  in  the  City  Council.  He  was  one 
of  the  organizers  and  is  now  president  of  the 


READING. 


715 


Penn  National  Bank.  In  business  circles,  and 
in  all  deliberative  assemblies  where  experience 
combined  with  sound  judgment  are  of  conse- 
quence, Mr.  Levan's  opinions  command  respect 
and  consideration. 

W.  H.  Rbinoehl  &  Co.  are  the  owners  of  a 
wool-hat  factory  on  the  southeast  corner  of 
Tenth  and  Spruce  Streets,  Reading.  The  busi- 
ness was  instituted  in  1866  by  F.  D.  Nagle  & 
Co.,  who  were  succeeded  by  Nagle  &  Reinoehl. 
In  1877  the  present  firm  was  formed  composed 
of  W.  H.  Reinoehl  and  O.  B.  Wetherhold. 
The  main  factory,  three-story  brick,  with 
five  other  adjoining  buildings,  are  all  well 
equipped  with  good  machinery  and  appliances. 
A  fine  grade  of  wool  hats  is  made  here,  as  well 
as  medium  grades  in  black  and  fancy  colors. 
Seventy  workmen  are  employed  ;  eighty  dozen 
hats  are  daily  made. 

G.  W.  Alexander  &  Co.,  hat  manufactu- 
rers, of  West  Reading,  are  the  successors  of  F. 
R.  Frill  &  G.  R.  Alexander,  who  began  the 
business  in  1877,  and  in  1881  the  present  firm 
became  the  proprietors.  They  have  invested 
forty-five  thousand  dollars  in  the  business  and 
employ  seventy-six  hands.  Their  goods  are 
sold  partly  from  their  factory,  though  principally 
through  New  York  commission  houses. 

Theodore  Terrell  and  Ira  W.  Travis 
commenced  the  manufacture  of  hat  blocks, 
flanges  and  hatters'  tools  in  1881,  at  the  corner 
of  Franklin  and  Carpenter  Streets.  In  1882 
they  removed  to  their  present  manufactory, 
Ninth  and  Bingaman  Streets.  They  have  three 
thousand  dollars  invested  in  the  business. 

BRICK-MAKING. 

The  business  of  making  bricks  for  building 
purposes  was  an  early  industry.  Tile-making 
is  mentioned  amongst  the  first  employments  of 
the  town.  It  is  not  known  whether  or  not  this 
branch  here  included  bricks.  Tradition  says 
that  the  first  brick  house  erected  in  Reading  is 
the  one-story  small  building  still  standing  on 
the  southwest  corner  of  Seventh  and  Washing- 
ton Streets.  It  was  erected  about  1800  for  the 
German  Reformed  congregation  as  a  school- 
house.  The  buildings  theretofore  erected  were 
of  stone,  log  and  frame.     In  1845  this  business 


had  reached  a  wonderful  degree  of  development. 
In  this  year,  in  Reading,  over  seven  millions  of 
bricks  were  made  by  the  following-named  man- 
ufacturers, who  then  employed  one  hundred  and 
twenty-seven  workmen  : 

Thos.  Diehra 444,000 

Henry  Graul 450,000 

Jacob  Young 450,000 

Wra.  Yeager 575,000 

Benj.  Fink 750,000 

H.  Wunder 368,000 

A.  D.  Miller 400,000 

Jacob  Geiger 400,000 

Adam  Diehm 550,000 

Win.  Young 356,000 

John  Darrah 1,067,000 

G.  D.  Levan 580,000 

John  Settle 300,000 

Wm.  Tobias 340,000 

Total 7,040,000 

Brick  manufactured  at  Reading  in  1846  : 

Thos.  Diehm 518,000 

Adam  Diehm 640,000 

George  D.  Levan 806,000 

John  Darrah 1,400,000 

Wm.  Yager 600,000 

Benj.  Fink 525,000 

Wm.  Young 400,000 

Wm.  Tobias 475,800 

Jacob  Young , 540,000 

Jacob  Geiger 1,050,000 

'      Wunder  &  Bingaman 430,000 

Samuel  Filbert 440,000 

Henry  Graul 600,000 

Amich  Miller 480,000 

Charles  Weidman 200,000 

Jacob  Davies 104,000 

Total 9,208,800 

Building  brick  then  cost  four  dollars  a  thou- 
sand. It  may  be  stated  in  this  connection  that 
the  increase  of  the  population  from  1840  to 
1 850  was  eighty-seven  per  cent.  This  was  at- 
tributed to  improvements  which  arose  directly 
from  manufactures  superinduced  by  legislation 
for  tariff  in  1842.  And,  among  other  things, 
it  was  said  that  "  immediately  after  the  passage 
of  the  tariff  law  of  that  year  the  business  and 
enterprise  of  the  town  received  a  fresh  impetus. 
New  factories  were  started  in  various  parts  of 
the  town  ;  the  coal  trade  was  increased  ;  large 
numbers  of  hands  were  employed  in  the  railroad 
shops ;  people  flocked  from  all  quarters ;  houses 


716 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


became  scarce;  building  operations  were  com- 
menced on  a  larger  scale  than  during  any 
former  period  in  the  history  of  the  town  to 
accommodate  the  influx  of  new  citizens." 

Beading  Fire-Brick  Works,  located  on 
Canal  Street,  between  Fourth  and  Fifth,  were 
originated  by  William  A.  Wells  in  1846,  who, 
after  carrying  on  the  business  for  some  years, 
sold  out  to  Isaac  Bertolett,  and  by  him  carried 
on  until  April,  1857,  when  Mr.  Bertolett  sold 
his  interest  to  Isaac  McHose  and  A.  S.  Thomp- 
son, who  continued  the  business  under  the  firm 
name  of  McHose  &  Thompson.  Their  annual 
capacity  was  two  million  bricks.  On  January 
1,  1865,  Levi  Quier  was  admitted  as  a  member 
of  this  firm.  On  January  1,  1870,  the  firm  of 
McHose  &  Co.,  consisting  of  Isaac  McHose, 
Levi  Quier  and  Jerome  L.  Boyer,  bought  the 
interest  of  A.  S.  Thompson,  and  during  the 
year  1870  the  old  works  were  rebuilt  and 
enlarged,  stocked  with  new  and  most  improved 
machinery,  capacity  increased  to  three  million 
five  hundred  thousand  bricks  per  annum  ;  em- 
ploying from  sixty  to  seventy  workmen.  The 
material  used  is  all  transported  by  railroad  and 
canal  from  the  celebrated  fire-clay  banks  of  New 
Jersey.  Principal  market  is  supplying  the  num- 
erous blast  furnaces,  rolling-mills,  foundries, 
etc.,  located  in  the  Schuylkill  and  Lebanon 
Valley  districts ;  special  orders  are  often  sent  to 
more  distant  parts  of  this  country.  These 
works  are  connected  by  three  lines  of  railroads, 
viz.  :  Philadelphia  and  Beading,  Pennsylvania, 
Schuylkill  Valley  and  Wilmington  and 
Northern,  and  the  Schuylkill  Canal,  giving  it 
the  very  best  of  shipping  facilities  to  all  parts 
of  the  country. 

Isaac  McHose,  who  is  of  Scotch  descent,  is 
the  son  of  Isaac  McHose,  who  was  born  in 
Northampton  County,  Pa.,  in  1783,  and  died 
January  15,  1861,  aged  seventy-seven  years. 

He  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Jonathan 
Laubach,  of  Lehigh  County,  whose  children 
are  John,  Julia  Ann,  Hannah,  Samuel,  Levina, 
Isaac,  Owen,  William,  Elizabeth  and  Josiah. 
Isaac  McHose,  lately  president  of  the  Keystone 
National  Bank  of  Beading,  was  born  in  Han- 
over township,  Lehigh  County,  December  6, 
1822.     He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools. 


His  father  having  followed  the  occupation  of  a 
bricklayer,  his  son  learned  the  trade,  making  a 
specialty  of  the  construction  of  anthracite  fur- 
naces. In  this  he  reached  such  perfection  that 
his  contracts  always  guaranteed  a  complete  and 
satisfactory  furnace  before  its  delivery  to  the 
owner,  which  gave  him  a  practical  monopoly  of 
the  business  throughout  the  iron  region.  In 
1852  he  removed  to  Reading,  where  he  has  since 
resided,  and  the  same  year  purchased  a  small 
fire-brick  works  in  that  city;  rebuilt,  remodeled 
and  extended  it  until  it  has  become  the  largest 
and  most  successful  manufactory  of  its  kind  in 
the  United  States.  His  business  projects  have 
been  both  diversified  and  prosperous.  For 
many  years  he  has  been  largely  interested  in  the 
manufacture  of  iron.  Upon  the  removal  of  the 
Keystone  National  Bank  to  Beading,  he  was 
solicited  to  take  the  presidency  of  the  institution, 
though  not  an  owner  of  its  stock,  which  request 
he  complied  with.  Mr.  McHose  is  a  gentleman 
of  great  business  talent  combined  with  practical 
experience.  He  has  been  very  successful  in  his 
investments  and  possesses  a  competence.  His 
name  is  a  synonym  of  uprightness,  strict  in- 
tegrity and  honor  wherever  he  is  known,  and  he 
has  been  called  by  his  fellow-citizens  to  serve 
them  in  various  positions  of  trust.  He  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Select  branch  of  the  City 
Council,  of  the  Board  of  Control,  and  is  also  one 
of  the  Water  commissioners.  He  was  a  Presi- 
dential elector  on  the  Bepublican  ticket  in  the 
campaign  of  1884.  His  name  was  brought 
prominently  before  the  Bepublican  State  Con- 
vention for  the  office  of  State  treasurer  by  his 
friends  and  received  a  strong  support.  He  is 
president  of  the  Board  of  Trade  of  Beading 
and  president  of  the  Beading  Public  Library. 
Mr.  McHose  is  an  active  member  of  St.  Paul's 
Beformed  Church  of  Beading,  in  which  he  has 
served  as  an  elder  for  twenty-five  years.  He  is 
much  interested  in  benevolent  and  charitable  in- 
stitutions, aiding  in  the  founding  of  the  Woniels- 
dorf  Orphans'  Home  and  serving  as  a  director  in 
that  institution,  while  every  worthy  charity  en- 
lists his  aid.  A  citizen  of  Beading  writes  that 
for  fifteen  years  some  orphan  boy  has  received  a 
collegiate  education  through  the  benevolence  of 
Mr.  McHose,  and  when  one  graduates  another 


%/AeZ) 


<2-> 


READING. 


717 


takes  his  place,  some  of  these  proUgh  having 
risen  to  honor  and  distinction.  His  ability  and 
integrity  have  given  him  a  prominent  and  lead- 
ing position  in  his  own  city,  and  extended  his 
reputation  throughout  the  State.  He  has  ever 
aimed  in  his  business  career  to  so  invest  his 
capital  as  to  give  employment  to  labor.  He  has 
manifested  an  active  and  practical  interest  in 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  of 
Reading,  and  is  at  present  chairman  of  its  board 
of  trustees.  Mr.  McHose  was,  on  March  5, 
1846,  married  to  Letitia,  daughter  of  Valentine 
Weider,  of  Lehigh  County.  Their  children  are 
Susan  E.  (Mrs.  J.  L.  Boyer),  of  Reading ; 
Ambrose  A.,  of  Columbia,  Pa. ;  Wilson  V.  and 
Isaac,  Jr.,  of  Reading. 

Printz's  Brick  Works. — The  large  brick 
manufactory  on  North  Tenth  Street  and 
Pricetown  road  was  owned  from  1856  to 
1862  by  John  Printz  and  Michael  Sands, 
as  the  firm  of  Printz  &  Sands.  In  1862 
they  started  a  new  yard  on  North  Fifth  Street 
and  Centre  Avenue.  In  1865  Michael  Sands 
sold  his  interest  to  Daniel  D.  Graul,  and  in 
1877,  J.  L.  Moyer  was  admitted  as  a  partner  to 
the  firm,  then  known  as  Printz,  Graul  &  Co. 
In  1880  this  firm  dissolved,  and  the  business 
has  since  been  continued  by  John  Printz. 
Seventy-five  to  eighty  hands  are  employed. 
Four  million  bricks  per  year  are  made  at  this 
yard. 

In  1885  Mr.  Printz  extended  his  works  to 
cover  thirty  acres,  and  began  to  manufacture 
fancy  and  ornamental  bricks  for  house-fronts. 
He  is  preparing  to  carry  on  the  kilns  to  their 
fullest  capacity  and  to  manufacture  sixty-five 
thousand  bricks  per  day,  with  one  hundred  and 
forty  hands  employed. 

John  H.  Printz. — The  Printz  family  have 
been  residents  of  Reading  from  the  beginning  of 
the  town.  They  are  of  German  origin.  John 
H.  Printz  is  the  son  of  John  Printz,  Jr.,  and 
was  born  at  Reading  March  31,  1833.  His 
father  was  also  born  at  Reading,  carried  on  the 
trade  of  a  carpenter  and  afterward  the  business 
of  a  contractor,  and  left  seven  surviving  child- 
ren,— Henry,  William,  Susan  Ann,  Christian, 
John  H.,  Levi  and  Frederick.  His  mother 
was  Rosanna  Hill,  of  Spring  (formerly  Cumru) 


township,  who  died  in  1866,  aged  sixty-six 
years.  His  father  died  in  1880,  aged  nearly 
I'ighty  years.  Mr.  Printz  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools.  In  184-1  he  became  an  ap- 
prentice in  the  business  of  brick-making  under 
John  Darrah,  who  was  then  an  extensive  manu- 
facturer, and  after  completing  his  apprentice- 
ship and  working  as  a  journeyman  till  1855,  he 
began  business  for  himself,  continuing  since 
that  time  in  this  department  of  industry.  The 
kilns  were  then  almost  entirely  south  of  Penn 
Street,  in  the  vicinity  of  Eighth  and  Chestnut 
Streets,  and  their  capacity  was  from  fifty 
thousand  to  sixty  thousand,  excepting  Darrah's, 
whose  kiln  held  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand. 
Subsequently,  as  the  city  developed,  the  kilns 
were  removed  farther  and  farther  north  of 
Penn  Street  until  they  reached  their  present 
locality.  On  Ninth  Street,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Elm  and  Buttonwood,  many  thousand  of  bricks 
were  manufactured  about  the  time  and  for  some 
years  after  he  began.  The  single  mould  was 
then  used  and  it  is  still  used.  The  double 
mould  was  tried,  but  it  proved  a  failure.  The  clay 
was  worked  by  hand  and  turned  over  repeatedly 
bya  shovel, and  this  process  continued  tillafterthe 
war,  when  horse-power  was  introduced.  A  ma- 
chine for  manufacturing  brick  was  first  tried  here 
in  1855,  and  again  in  1868,  but  it  was  a  failure, 
the  clay  here  not  having  been  adapted,  on  ac- 
count of  numerous  stones.  The  clay  is  still 
worked  by  hand  and  tempered  by  horse-power. 
Mr.  Printz  introduced  the  manufacture  of  orna- 
mental brick  in  1885,  being  the  second  manu- 
facturer in  this  State.  There  are  only  three 
manufacturers  of  them  in  the  United  States, — one 
at  Philadelphia,  one  at  Reading  and  one  at 
Wilmington.  From  1880  to  1885  the  average 
annual  production  of  bricks  at  Reading  was 
about  twenty  millions.  Mr.  Printz  was  the 
largest  producer  during  the  last  three  years, 
having  employed  seventy-five  hands  (including 
thirteen  brick-makers)  and  produced  four  and 
a  half  million  brick  annually.  He  has  been 
now  thirty  years  in  this  industry,  and  has  oc- 
cupied the  same  stand,  along  the  west  side  of 
the  Philadelphia-  and  Reading  Railroad  at 
Marion  Street,  for  the  last  seventeen  years. 
During   April,  1886,   he  employed  one  hun- 


718 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


dred  and  fifty  hands  and  manufactured  daily 
sixty-eight  thousand  brick,including  ornamental. 
He  had  then  five  kilns  in  service,  four  at  Read- 
ing and  one  at  Birdsboro'.  They  are  the 
largest  in  the  county,  capacity  varying  from 
one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  to  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty  thousand.  Altogether  there 
are  five  hundred  hands  employed  in  this  bus- 
iness at  Reading. 

Mr.  Printz  served  in  the  Common  Council 


1885  he  visited  the  New  Orleans  Exposition. 
He  has  traveled  altogether  through  thirty-six 
States  and  Territories  of  the  United  States. 

He  was  twice  married, — first  to  Matilda 
Totton,  who  died  in  1877  ;  and  then  to  Catharine 
Bulles.  He  has  six  children — John  Thomas, 
Alice  Catharine  (married  to  George  Clouser), 
Harry  C,  Anna,  Laura  and  Bessie. 

The  Shenfelder  brick-yard  at  Hockley  Lane 
and  Kissinger  Streets,  has  been   in  successful 


^4  ^-£^- 


of  Reading  three  times, — from  the  Third  Ward, 
1869  to  1871 ;  from  the  Fourth  Ward,  1880  to 
1882 ;  and  again  from  the  Third  Ward  from 
1884  to  1886.  He  also  officiated  as  constable 
of  the  southern  district  of  Reading  (that  por- 
tion south  of  Penn  Street)  for  two  years,  1865 
and  1866.  He  entered  the  order  of  Free  Ma- 
sonry in  1866,  being  a  member  of  Chandler 
Lodge,  No.  227.  He  was  one  of  the  Knights 
Templar  excursion  party  which  made  a  grand 
pilgrimage  to  San  Francisco  in  1883 ;  and  in 


operation  since  1856.  At  this  date  A.  Shen- 
felder and  D.  P.  Shenfelder,  his  son,  commenced 
making  pressed,  building  and  paving  brick, 
and  continued  for  twenty-eight  years.  In  1 884, 
D.  P.  Shenfelder  and  H.  P.  Shenfelder,  his 
son,  purchased  the  works,  and,  under  the  name 
of  D.  P.  Shenfelder  &  Son.,  have  continued  it 
to  date.  They  manufacture  bricks  by  machin- 
ery which  turns  out  twenty  thousand  bricks  per 
day.  Thirty-two  workmen  are  employed. 
William    Graul,    James   Katzermoyer  and 


READING. 


719 


Mathias  Moyer,  trading  as  Granl  &  Co.,  com- 
menced brick-making  in  1878  at  Sixth  and 
Hockley  Lane.  They  were  the  successors  of 
Daniel  Graul  and  J.  L.  Moyer,  who  started  the 
brick-yard  in  1876.  Graul  &  Co.  burn  both 
pressed  and  common  bricks  for  building  pur- 
poses. They  employ  sixty-five  hands,  turning 
out  three  million  five  hundred  thousand  bricks 
per  year. 

Conrad  Kaltenbach  and  Charles  Focht  corn- 


France,  came  to  Berks  County,  and  engaged  in 
farming.  His  children  were  John,  Abraham, 
Henry,  Adam,  Elizabeth,  Sarah.  Henry,  of 
this  number,  was  born  in  Alsace  township, 
Berks  County,  where  he  combined  the  business 
of  farming  with  the  trades  of  a  cooper  and  a 
weaver.  He  married  Magdalena  Shmale, 
daughter  of  John  Shmale,  of  the  same  county. 
They  had  children, — John,  Catharine  (Mrs. 
"William),    Adam,    Henry,    Abraham,    Sarah 


menced  burning  house  and  paving  bricks  on 
Second  Street,  near  the  Lebanon  Valley  Railroad 
bridge,  in  the  year  1884,  where  they  continue 
to  do  a  large  business.  Fourteen  men  are  reg- 
ularly employed.  The  product  of  the  year 
1885  was  seven  hundred  thousand  bricks. 

The  other  brick  manufacturers  of  the  city  are 
William  B.  Kline,  William  Parker  and  Cor- 
nelius Rothenberger. 

Simon  Kline  is  the  grandson  of  Henry 
Kline,   who,  on   his  emigration  from   Alsace, 


(Mrs.  Jacob  Brumbach),  Daniel,  Elizabeth 
(Mrs.  Henry  Diehl),  Mary  (Mrs.  Perry  Reif- 
snyder),  Sophia  (Mrs.  David  Clouser,  and 
Simon.  Simon  Kline  was  born  May  14,  1830, 
on  the  homestead  farm  in  Alsace  township,  and 
in  youth  attended  the  schools  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, after  which  he  continued  his  studies  in 
Reading.  He  then  assisted  his  father  in  his 
various  occupations  until  his  twenty-first  year, 
and,  on  the  30th  of  November,  1851,  was 
married  to  Catharine,  daughter  of  Henry  Noll, 


720 


HISTOEY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


of  Ruscomb-manor  township,  Berks  County, 
and  granddaughter  of  Peter  and  Magdalena 
Keller  Noll.  Their  children  are  Ezra,  born 
September  13,  1852;  Henry  Adam,  May  19, 
1856  (deceased);  Rebecca  Minerva,  May  7,  1858 
(deceased);  Mary  Magdalena,  August  23,  1859, 
married  to  Edmund  Schlegel ;  Rebecca  Cath- 
erine, January  24,  1861,  married  to  William 
M.  Fulton;  Simon  Sidenham,  March  8,  1863  ; 
Elias,  August  20, 1865  (deceased);  George  Oscar, 
July  19,  1866  and  David  Milton,  August  25, 
1868.  Mr.  Kline,  during  the  two  years  suc- 
ceeding his  marriage,  was  employed  in  the  pur- 
chase of  wood-lands,  which  he  cleared,  a  ready 
market  being  found  for  the  wood  in  the 
county.  He  then  removed  to  Reading  and  en- 
gaged in  contracting,  as  also  in  the  manufacture 
of  bricks.  Removing  from  Reading  to  Fleet- 
wood, he  devoted  five  years  to  the  manufacture 
of  bricks  at  this  point,  and  returning  again  to 
Reading,  continued  the  business  combined  with 
building  and  contracting  in  which  he  is  still 
engaged,  and  has  met  with  marked  success  as 
the  result  of  honesty  and  thrift.  He  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat in  politics.  He  has  been  connected  by 
membership  with  various  building  organiza- 
tions, but  is  now  identified  only  with  the 
Hampton  Building  Association.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Mt.  Penn  Lodge,  No.  65  of  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  of  Freedom  Circle. 

He  is  a  member,  and  was  formerly  an  Elder 
of  the  First  Reformed  Church  of  Reading,  of 
which  his  wife  and  children  are  also  members.. 

The  Fire-Brick  Kilns  of  George  J.  Eck- 
ert,  at  458  Canal  Street,  were  built  by  Miller  & 
Eckert  in  1863.  Two  years  later  Mr.  Miller 
retired  from  the  business  and  Mr.  Eckert  as- 
sumed entire  control.  There  are  now  three 
large  kilns,  the  manufacturing  capacity  of  which 
is  one  hundred  thousand  bricks  per  month. 
Twenty  men  are  employed.  The  works  cover 
a  large  area  and  a  prosperous  business  is  done. 

George  J.  Eckert  is  the  grandson  of  Philip 
Eckert,  who  was  born  June  18,  1756,  and  died 
September  10,  1828.  He  was  married  to  Lydia 
Beck,  born  June  17,  1762.  Their  children 
were  George,  born  September  9,  1782;  Mary, 
born  1784;  Susanna,  born  1785;  Catherine, 
born    1788;    Peter,  born    1790;   Sarah,    born 


1792  ;  Margaret,  born  1794;  Elizabeth,  born 
1795  ;  Catherine  (2d),  born  1799;  and  Hannah, 
born  1803.  George,  the  eldest  of  these  chil- 
dren, was  born  near  Shaefferstown,  Lebanon 
County,  and  died  on  the  19th  of  January,  1854. 
He  was  married,  January  26,  1809,  to  Sarah, 
daughter  of  Rudolph  Resley,  of  South  Lebanon 
township,  Lebanon  County,  Pa.,  who  was  born 
December  16,  1787,  and  died  January  12, 
1879.  Their  children  were  Catherine,  born 
1809  ;  Elizabeth,  born  1811 ;  Mary,  born  1813  ; 
George,  born  1815;  Cyrus,  born  1817  ;  Philip, 
born  1820;  William,  born  1822;  Rudolph, 
born  1825  ;  George  John,  born  February  14, 
1827,  and  Aaron  T.,  born  in  1830;  of  whom 
the  survivors  are  Catherine,  William,  Rudolph 
and  George  J. 

The  last-named  was  born  in  North  Lebanon 
township,  Lebanon  County,  and  obtained  his 
preparatory  education  at  Lebanon,  Pa.,  after 
which  he  entered  Marshall  College,  Mercers- 
burg,  Pa.,  and  was  graduated  on  the  6th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1852.  The  same  fall,  on  becoming  a 
citizen  of  Reading,  he  entered  the  law-office  of 
Hon.  William  Strong  as  a  student,  and  was 
admitted  to  practice  in  the  several  courts  of 
Berks  County  April  28,  1855.  He  pursued 
his  profession  successfully  until  1865,  when 
it  was  abandoned  for  less  sedentary  employ- 
ment. Having,  in  1863,  established  a  fire- 
brick factory,  he  devoted  his  time  mainly  to 
this  enterprise,  which  has  been  enlarged  and 
extended,  and  is  still  conducted  by  him.  Mr. 
Eckert  was,  on  the  26th  of  November,  1857, 
married  to  Rebecca,  daughter  of  Isaac  M.  Ger- 
hard, of  Sheridan,  Lebanon  County,  Pa.  Their 
children  are  Isaac  Gerhard,  Rudolph  Resley, 
Mintie  S.,  Emma  Rebecca,  George,  William 
(deceased)  and  Ellen.  Isaac  G.  is  married  to 
Elizabeth  Smith,  of  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  his 
present  residence. 

Mr.  Eckert  was  one  of  Reading's  most  patriotic 
citizens  during  the  late  war.  He  was  then  ac- 
tive in  the  raising  of  recruits  and  in  the  equip- 
ment of  the  soldiery.  He  was  in  the  military 
service  for  ninety  days,  during  the  invasion  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  on  July  6,  1863,  was  com- 
missioned second  lieutenant  of  Company  C  of 
the  Forty-second  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Vol- 


READING. 


721 


unteers.  He  is  an  active  and  influential  mem- 
ber of  the  Republican  party  in  this  county ; 
he  was  a  delegate  to  the  State  Republican 
Convention  held  at  Pittsburg  in  1863,  and 
also  a  delegate  to  the  National  Conven- 
tion of  1868,  held  at  Chicago,  which  nomi- 
nated General  Grant  for  the  Presidency  ;  he 
was  a  member  of  the  Select  Council  of  Reading 
from  1866  to  1869,  and  of  the  Common  Coun- 


man  of  the  building  committee  on  the  occasion 
of  the  remodeling  of  the  church  in  1874-75. 

Reading  Terra-Cotta  Works  began 
operations  in  1867,  under  the  proprietorship  of 
Sfaarff,  Hagy  &  Co.,  who  were  succeeded  in  the 
ownership  of  it,  in  1873,  by  E.  S.  Fox  &  Co., 
who  now  manufacture  sewer-pipes,  water-pipes, 
chimney-tops,  heat-pipes,  flues,  garden,  rustic 
and  hanging  vases,  etc.    The  works  are  located  at 


oil  from  1876  to  1878.  During  this  time  he 
was  instrumental  in  defeating  the  bill  author- 
izing the  making  of  loans  by  the  city,  which 
measure  has  materially  reduced  her  debt.  He 
participated  in  the  organization  of  the  Union 
Bank  of  Reading,  and  was  for  three  years  a  mem- 
ber of  its  board  of  directors.  He  is  a  member, 
and  was  for  years  one  of  the  trustees,  of  the  First 
Reformed  Congregation  of  Reading,  and  chair- 
65 


the  foot  of  Franklin  Street,  and:cover  an  area 
of  two  hundred  and  thirty  by  two  hundred  and 
forty  feet.  There  are  two  down-draft  kilns^for 
burning  the  products  of  their 'manufacture.  A 
thirty  horse-power  engine,  with  a  fifty  horse- 
power boiler,  are  used  to  produce  a  motive 
force  to  drive  the  machinery.  A  steam  pipe- 
press,  capable  of  making  three  hundred  feet  of 
drain-pipe  per  hour,  is  in  operation. 


722 


HISTOEY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


The  Reading  Potteey. — The  manufac- 
ture of  stone-ware,  earthen-ware  and  glazed 
ware  has  been  extensively  carried  on  since 
1864,  on  Schuylkill  Avenue,  by  Daniel  P. 
Shenfelder.  He  makes  large  quantities  of 
fruit-jars,  crocks  and  stone-ware  for  farmers' 
use.  Two  large  kilns  are  in  operation  and  ten 
hands  employed.  The  machinery  is  run  by  a 
large  engine.  '  Twenty  thousand  dollars  are  in- 
vested in  this  business. 

breweries,  malt-houses  and  distilleries. 

Frederick  Lauer  was  born  in  the  pro- 
vince of  Palatine  (now  Rhenish  Bavaria)  Oc- 
tober 14,  1810,  and  was  the  sou  of  George  and 
Katrina    Lauer.      He    attended    school    until 
twelve  years  of  age,  and  during  that  time  be- 
came familiar  with  the  French  language.  His  fa- 
ther had  been  one  of  the  largest  property-owners 
in  the  country  and  raised  the  first  liberty  pole 
on  the  French  borders.     He  suffered  a  penalty 
for  his  liberal  and  patriotic  views,  and  for  nine 
years  was  unable  to  gather  any  crops,  owing  to 
the  presence  of  the  army.       He  emigrated  to 
America,  with  his  family,  and  landed  in  Balti- 
more in  August,  1823,  and  immediately  there- 
after  came   to    Reading,    where    his    married 
daughter  was  then  living.     Here,  for  a  short 
time,  his  son  Frederick  became  a  butcher-boy, 
assisting  his  brother-in-law.     He  left  this  em- 
ployment when  his  father  began  the  brewing 
business   at  Womelsdorf,  Berks  County,  and 
assisted  him  there  until  his  removal  to  Reading, 
where  he  continued  his  calling.     During  this 
time  the  lad   received  four   months'  schooling 
(three  of  them  at  a  night-school),  but  many  of 
his  leisure  hours  were  devoted  to  study.      In 
the  spring  of  1826  his  father  returned  to  Read- 
ing and  established  a  small  brewery  in  an  old 
log  house,  built  many  years  before  by  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  town.     Frederick,  who  was  then 
but  sixteen  years  of  age,  was  made  foreman  and 
clerk,  and,  with  one  assistant,  did  all  the  brew- 
ing.    He  built  up*  his  first  kettle  with  a  capa- 
city of  five  barrels,  which,  in  two  months,  was 
increased  to  ten.     He  rose  at  two  a.m.,  finished 
the  brewing  by  daylight,  and  after  breakfast 
would  deliver  the  beer  to  customers  in  town. 
In  1835  he  became  proprietor  of  the  brewery 


enlarged  it,  and,  with  the  aid  of  more  assist- 
ants, extended  the  business.  During  the  first 
five  years  nothing  was  made  but  what  was 
known  as  "  strong  beer."  The  brewing  of  ale 
and  porter  was  begun  in  1831,. and  of  lager 
beer  in  1844.  The  site  of  the  brewery  in  1826 
was  in  the  midst  of  a  swamp.  The  improve- 
ments which  have  resulted  from  Mr.  Lauer's 
industry  and  tact  are  truly  wonderful.  In 
1849  he  began  to  buy  up  vacant  lots,  and 
therein  quarried  extensive  vaults  in  the  solid 
lime-stone  rock  for  the  storage  of  lager  beer. 
In  1866  he  erected  a  large  brewery  on  this  lo- 
cality, containing  all  the  latest  improvements 
and  in  every  respect  complete.  In  connection 
with  this  brewery  was  a  fine  park,  with  shade- 
trees  and  other  adornments. 

The  civic  virtues  and  public  spirit  of  Fred- 
erick Lauer  were  justly  appreciated  by  his  fel- 
low-citizens. He  represented  his  ward  in  the 
Town  Council,  and  he  was  greatly  instrumental 
in  securing  the  incorporation  of  Reading  as  a 
city,  in  1847.  In  1867  he  was  chosen  presi- 
dent of  the  Select  Council.  He  was  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  Berks  County  Agricultural 
Society,  was  its  president  for  several  years,  and, 
to  the  time  of  his  death,  one  of  its  most  ac- 
tive members  ;  was  for  many  years  in  the  board 
of  directors  of  the  Reading  and  Columbia  Rail- 
road Company,  a  member  of  the  Reading  Dis- 
pensary Board,  Reading  Benevolent  Society, 
Reading  Relief  Society  and  Reading  Board  of 
Trade,  and  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  Keystone 
State  Normal  School. 

Frederick  Lauer  was  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity,  a  companion  of  De  Molay  Com- 
mandery  of  Knights  Templar,  and  a  Past 
Master  of  Lodge  No.  62,  of  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons.  He  was  a  sincere  Christian,  Lutheran 
by  denomination,  and  for  many  years  a  vestry- 
man and  trustee  of  Trinity  Church  of  Reading. 

His  business  interests  forbidding  the  accept- 
ance of  political  office,  he  declined  offered  Con- 
gressional  nomination.  As  a  delegate  to  the 
National  Convention  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  in 
1860,  he  determinedly  opposed  secession,  and 
earnestly  endeavored  to  secure  the  adoption  of 
a  platform  and  the  nomination  of  a  candidate 
for  the  Presidency  that  would  guarantee  the 


READING. 


723 


preservation  of  the  Union.  True  to  his  loyal 
principles,  when  the  struggle  for  the  mainten- 
ance of  the  Union  came,  he  equipped,  at  his 
own  expense,  a  whole  company  of  men,  which 
served  throughout  the  war  in  the  One  Hundred 
and  Fourth  Pennsylvania  Regiment. 

He  was  an  intimate  friend  of  the  celebrated 
Dr.  Hebbe,  the  Swedish  revolutionist,  who 
was  driven  from  his  native  land.  He  was  also 
in  regular  correspondence   with    the    United 


lishment  one  of  the  most  successful  in  the 
United  States. 

Mr.  Lauer  was  married,  May  9,  1838,  to 
Mary,  daughter  of  Peter  and  Elizabeth  Guldin. 
The  children  of  the  union  are  George  Fred- 
erick, born  November  2,  1850;  Franklin 
Pierce,  born  November  2,  1852 ;  and  one  who 
died  an  infant. 

Mr.  Lauer  died  September  5,  1883,  in  the 
seventy-third  year  of  his  age.    On  the  occasion 


States  consuls  abroad,  interchanging  views  and 
keeping  well  informed  on  foreign  affairs  and  in 
advanee  of  the  movements  which  afterward  took 
place.  His  efforts  in  connection  with  the  in- 
ternal revenue  tax  on  fermented  liquors  were 
invariably  crowned  with  success,  and,  as  presi- 
dent of  the  Brewers'  Congress,  he  was  indefati- 
gable in  the  service  of  his  trade.  Shrewd, 
far-seeing  and  industrious,  he  made  his  estab- 


of  his  decease  suitable  resolutions  were  passed 
by  the  Lager  Bier  Brauer  Verein,  the  Ale  and 
Porter  Brewers'  Association  of  Pennsylvania 
and  the  United  States  Brewers'  Association. 
The  latter  association  erected,  in  Reading,  an 
imposing  monument  to  his  memory,  which  was 
unveiled  on  the  23d  of  May,  1885. 

B abbey's  Bbeweby  was  built  in  1860  by 
Peter  Barbey,  who  admitted  his  son,  John  Bar- 


724 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


bey,  as  a  partner,  in  1880.  The  extensive  es- 
tablishment which  they  now  own  is  located  on 
the  corner  of  River  and  Hockley  Streets,  and 
was  erected  in  1869.  The  buildings  are  a 
three-story  brewery,  a  six-story  brick  malt- 
house,  two  refrigerators  and  two  ice-houses. 
They  cover  a  tract  of  three  acres. 

In  the  malt-house  are  five  germinating-floors, 
one  storage-floor  and  two  large  drying-kilns. 
Two  engines,  producing  sixty  horse-power,  and 
two  large  duplex  boilers,  of  seventy-five  horse- 
power, are  used.  Thirty  hands  are  employed. 
During  the  year  1885  twenty  thousand  barrels 
of  beer  and  porter  were  manufactured  and  sold 
by  Peter  Barbey  &  Son.  The  full  brewing  ca- 
pacity of  this  establishment  is  thirty-five  thou- 
sand barrels,  and  the  full  malting  capacity 
seventy-five  thousand  bushels  of  barley  malt. 

Peter  Barbey,  the  originator  of  this  brew- 
ery, was  born  November  9,  1825,  in  Dierbach, 
Canton  of  Borgzabern  Rhinepfaltz,  Bavaria, 
and  is  a  son  of  Christopher  and  Katrina  Bar- 
bey. He  attended  the  schools  of  his  native 
country  until  the  age  of  fourteen,  when  he  en- 
tered the  brewing  establishment  of  Peter  Bar- 
bey, his  uncle,  for  the  purpose  of  learning  the 
business  of  a  brewer,  remaining  three  years,  at 
the  expiration  of  which  time  he  became  thor- 
oughly familar  with  the  art  of  brewing.  He 
sought  employment  in  France  and  Switzerland, 
in  which  countries  he  spent  four  years,  adding, 
meanwhile,  largely  to  his  knowledge  of  brew- 
ing by  practical  experience.  Returning  home 
at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  he  was  drafted, 
and  served  four  years  in  the  army  as  a  member 
of  a  cavalry  regiment,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  he  emigrated  to  America,  and,  proceeding 
at  once  to  Philadelphia,  he  engaged  for  two  and 
a  half  years  in  the  pursuit  of  his  trade.  Re- 
moving to  Reading,  he  entered  the  employ  of 
Frederick  Lauer  for  one  year,  and  soon  after 
opened  a  saloon.  In  1860  he  began  his  pros- 
perous career  as  a  brewer  in  the  city  of  Read- 
ing, which  business  he  has  conducted  with 
gratifying  success,  and  is  now  the  senior  pro- 
prietor of  the  above  described  establishment. 

Mr.  Barbey  was  married  to  Rosina,  daughter 
of  Philip  Kuntz,  of  Rhenish  Bavaria.  They 
had  two  children, — Katrina,  a  daughter,  now  de- 


ceased, and  John,  at  present  associated  with  his 
father  in  business.  In  politics  Mr.  Barbey  is  a 
Democrat  but  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for 
office ;  he  is  a  director  of  the  Keystone  National 
Bank,  and  a  member  of  Teutonia  Lodge,  No. 
368,  of  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  of  Ger- 
mania  Lodge,  Independent  Order  of  Odd-Fel- 
lows. 

Deppen's  Brewery,  on  Chestnut  Street, 
was  established  in  1845,  by  N.  A.  Felix,  who, 
until  1874,  a  period  of  twenty-nine  years,  made 
lager  beer,  porter  and  ale  in  large  quantities, 
and  during  that  time  added  various  improve- 
ments. Mr.  Felix  died  in  1874  and  the  mana- 
gers of  his  estate  conducted  the  business  until 
1879,  when  Dr.  William  P.  Deppen  bought  the 
brewery  and  has  since  had  an  increasing  demand 
for  the  product  of  his  manufacture.  The  build- 
ings, which  cover  a  large  area,  include  the 
brewery  proper,  a  malt-house  and  two  ice- 
houses. The  establishment  is  furnished  with  a 
large  engine,  a  boiler  and  all  necessary  appli- 
ances for  making  beer. 

Keller's  Brewery  is  located  on  Ash  Street 
and  is  owned  and  operated  by  Samuel  C.  Kel- 
ler and  Otto  Eyring.  The  brewery  was  erected 
in  1850  by  a  Mr.  Hoyer.  In  1877  Samuel  C. 
Keller  purchased  it  and  in  1884  admitted  his 
present  partner.  They  now  brew  what  is  widely 
known  as  the  "  Reading  Lager  Beer  and  Por- 
ter." The  grounds  are  an  acre  in  extent  and 
five  buildings  are  occupied.  Two  engines,  with 
a  combined  power  of  eighty  horses,  are  used. 
Twelve  men  are  employed.  The  amount  of 
yearly  business  is  sixty  thousand  dollars  and 
the  interests  are  prospering. 

The  City  Brewery  is  situated  at  38  and  40 
South  Seventh  Street,  and  was  built  in  1874  by 
Abraham  Peltzer,  who  then  began  the  brewing 
of  lager  and  "Weiss  beer.  The  building  is  thirty 
by  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  includes  a 
brewery,  ice-house  and  storage-rooms.  Nearly 
all  of  his  beer  is  consumed  in  the  city. 

The  Malt-House  between  Laurel  and 
Muhlenberg  Streets,  on  the  line  of  Philadelphia 
and  Reading  Railroad,  was  built  in  1863  by 
Frederick  Shouldt  and  Moses  K.  Graeff,  who 
continued  as  partners  in  the  manufacture  of 
malt  from  barley,  to  the  amount  of  thirty-two 


READING. 


725 


thousand  bushels  annually,  until  1867,  when 
Mr.  Shouldt  sold  his  interest  to  his  partner,  who 
is  the  present  owner.  The  large  buildings  now 
used  cover  an  area  of  an  acre  and  are  three  and 
four  stories  high.  The  capacity  of  the  establish- 
ment is  seventy-five  thousand  bushels  of  malted 
grain  per  year. 

The  Malt-House  of  Hagy  &  Pott,  on  Third 
Street,  north  of  Buttonwood,  was  built  in  1882, 
by  the  present  proprietors;  who  then  owned  a 
malt-house  on  Orange  Street,  near  Chestnut, 
which  they  purchased  from  Frederick  Shouldt, 
who  started  it  in  1876.  The  Third  Street  malt- 
house  has  eighty  feet  front  and  two  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  depth.  Sixty  thousand  bushels  of 
barley  are  malted  annually.  An  eighteen  horse- 
power engine  and  a  twenty-five  horse-power  up- 
right boiler  are  used.  The  entire  apartments 
are  two  large  drying-rooms,  three  storage-rooms 
and  one  large  double  kiln.  Two  elevators  are 
used.  This  firm,  composed  of  Walton  K.  Hagy 
and  Benjamin  Pott,  show  evidences  of  prosper- 
ity.  . 

Neversink  Distillery  was  built  on  north- 
east corner  of  Eleventh  and  Muhlenberg  Streets, 
in  1857,  by  Hill  &  Wolf  kill,  and  the  business 
was  begun  the  same  year  and  conducted  by 
them  until  1862,  when  Samuel  Buch  purchased 
the  entire  interest  and  has  since  manufactured 
whiskies  in  large  quantities.  The  original  ca- 
pacity of  this  distillery  was  one  hundred  and 
fifty  gallons  per  day.  When  it  came  under  the 
ownership  of  Samuel  Buch,  the  main  building 
was  greatly  enlarged  and  five  additional  ones 
were  erected,  one  of  which  is  a  bonded  ware- 
house, capable  of  holding  three  thousand 
barrels.  Improved  machinery  is  used  and  now 
eight  hundred  gallons  of  whiskey  are  made 
every  twenty-four  hours.  A  forty  horse-power 
engine  and  a  sixty  horse-power  boiler  are  used 
as  a  motive-power.    Eight  hands  are  enlployed. 

TANNERIES. 

The  Kerper  Tannery,  now  the  oldest  man- 
ufactory of  its  kind  in  Eeading,  was  built  on  a  lot 
originally  conveyed  by  the  heirs  of  Penn  to 
Conrad  Bower  in  1753.  Isaac  Levan  pur- 
chased the  property,  in  1761,  of  the  original 
grantee,  and  the  same  year  began  to  manufact- 


ure the  first  leather  in  the  town.  He  followed 
his  chosen  occupation  for  many  years,  and  sup- 
plied the  early  cordwainers  of  the  olden  time 
in  the  new  town  of  Reading  and  its  vicinity 
with  the  necessary  leather  to  make  the  boots 
and  shoes  for  the  industrious  populace.  John 
Dieffenbach  became  the  successor  of  Isaac  Le- 
van and  conducted  the  business  until  1825, 
when  Abraham  Kerper  purchased  the  tannery 
and  worked  it  with  great  success  until  1856. 
The  year  last  named  Henry  Kerper,  the  present 
owner,  purchased  it,  made  extensive  improve- 
ments of  various  kinds,  extended  the  tanning 
facilities  and  increased  the  number  of  vats  to 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five.  In  1884,  owing 
to  its  position  near  the  heart  of  the  city,  Mr.  Ker- 
per discontinued  the  tannery  and  is  the  proprietor 
of  a  leather  and  shoe-finding  establishment  at 
124  South  Sixth  Street. 

Winter  &  Goetz  conducted  an  extensive 
business  in  the  manufacture  of  glove  kid  leather 
at  their  tannery  on  Canal  Street,  at  the  foot  of 
Pine  Street.  The  business  was  begun  in  1869 
on  Jefferson  Street,  at  the  River  road  crossing, 
by  Blatz  &  Winter.  Upon  the  retirement  of 
Mr.  Blatz,  in  1875,  Ferdinand  Goetz  purchased 
his  interest  and  the  present  firm  was  formed. 
Owing  to  an  increasing  business,  the  old  tannery 
and  site  were  sold.  The  firm  then  purchased 
the  present  site,  and  on  it,  in  1883,  erected  a 
tannery  building,  two  hundred  and  twenty-five 
feet  front  on  Canal  Street  and  one  hundred  and 
forty  feet  in  depth  to  the  canal.  The  firm 
have  forty-four  employees.  The  amount  ot 
business. done  yearly  is  one  hundred  and  ten 
thousand  dollars,  and  the  amount  of  investment 
is  sixty  thousand  dollars.  Through  a  branch 
establishment  at  No.  180  William  Street,  New 
York  City,  the  manufactured  goods  of  this 
tannery  are  sold  to  the  general  trade. 

De  Long  Brothers,  tanners  and  curriers, 
own  an  establishment  on  the  corner  of  Ninth  and 
Muhlenberg  Streets.  This  industry  was  founded 
by  Stroup  &  Co.,  in  1860,  on  the  same  site.  In 
1865  Merkle  &  Co.  became  the  owners.  Ma- 
nasses  and  Michael  De  Long  bought  the  tan- 
nery and  land  adjoining  in  1868  and  made 
many  important  improvements  and  extended 
the  business.    One  acre  is  now  occupied  by  this 


726 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


tannery".  In  1870  John  De  Long  was  admitted 
an  active  partner,  and  in  1872  Jacob  B.  Fricker 
became  a  silent  partner.  On  January  1, 1886, 
Michael  De  Long  retired  and  since  then  Ma- 
nasses  and  John  De  Long,  with  J.  B.  Fricker, 
have  continued  the  business  under  the  name  of 
De  Long  Brothers.  A  twenty  horse-power 
engine,  with  a  forty  horse-power  tubular  boiler, 
furnish  the  motive-power  for  this  establishment. 
One  hundred  vats  are  used  in  tanning,  having  a 
capacity  of  five  thousand  sides  of  hides  and  four 
thousand  calf-skins  per  year.  The  tirm  em- 
ploys twenty-five  workmen.  The  amount  of 
yearly  business  done  is  eighty  thousand  dollars. 
Since  1868  the  business  has  been  more  than 
doubled.  In  connection  with  tannery,  this  firm 
has  a  commission  house  at  No.  301  North  Third 
Street,  Philadelphia,  through  which  most  of  the 
products  of  the  tannery  are  sold. 

George  F.  Winter,  tanner  and  currier,  on 
the  northwest  corner  of  Second  and  Chestnut 
Streets,  now  owns  what  for  more  than  half 
a  century  was  known  as  the  "Old  Dutch 
Tannery,"  located  on  the  same  premises,  and 
conducted  for  many  years  by  "Winter  &  Gabriel. 
The  present  proprietors  purchased  the  tannery 
in  1864.  The  capacity  is  one  thousand  hides 
per  year.  One  large  bark-mill  and  thirty  vats 
are  used. 

CIGAR-MAKING. 

The  manufacture  of  cigars  began  in  Beading 
about  the  year  1800,  and  from  that  date  to 
1850  the  prominent  manufacturers  of  the  town 
were  James  Morris,  John  Eyrich,  Samuel 
Eyrich,  Isaac  James,  J.  &  E.  Eyrich,  son  of 
John,  Philip  Albright,  Gosham  Wolf,  John 
Maltzberger,  J.  &  G.  W.  Hautsh,  C.  Breneiser 
and  William  Harman.  The  tobacco  used  in 
making  cigars  at  first  was  obtained  from  Ken- 
tucky ;  manufacturers  visited  that  State  annually 
and  purchased  a  sufficient  supply  for  the  entire 
year.  The  prices  paid  ranged  from  three  to 
seven  cents  a  pound.  About  1835  tobacco  was 
introduced  from  Lancaster  and  York  Counties. 
Cigar-makers  generally  made  from  eight  hun- 
dred to  fifteen  hundred  cigars  per  day.  A  few 
made  as  many  as  two  thousand  per  day.  If  an 
experienced  workman  could  not  make  one  thou- 


sand per  day,  he  was  considered  ordinary.   The 
wages  paid  were  five,  six  and  seven  cents  a 
hundred.     The  cigars  were  sold  at  rates  rang- 
ing from  one  dollar  and  a  half  to  two  dollars 
per  thousand.     The  total  manufacture  in  1840 
was  about  forty  thousand  cigars  daily.     Possi- 
bly of  this  number,  one-half  were  made  in  the 
country  districts    surrounding  Reading.     The 
country    cigars    were    made    mostly   for  Mr. 
Eyrich.     The  country  cigar-makers  would  buy 
the  leaf  tobacco  from  him  and  then  sell  him 
the  cigars   they   manufactured.     He  had,    at 
times,   one   half   a    million    cigars   on   hand. 
Most  of  the  cigars  made,  and  which  were  sold 
at  from  three  to  seven  for  a  cent,  were  con- 
sumed in  Reading  and   vicinity.      There   was 
then  more  smoking,  in  proportion  to  the  popu- 
lation, than  at  the  present  day.     On  the  counter 
of  every  tavern  a  box  of  cigars  always  stood, 
whose  contents  were  free  to  all  guests.     The 
workers  in  tobacco  then  were  almost  entirely 
men  and  boys,  the  latter  being  strippers.     The 
employment  of  females  was  begun  about  1870. 
Chewing  tobacco  was  manufactured  by  Morris  & 
Eyrich.  Since  1840  the  business  of  cigar-making 
has  gradually  increased,  a  better  quality  of  cigars 
have  been  made,  more  skillful  workmen  em- 
ployed, until  at  the  present  day  it  is  a  very  valu- 
able and   productive  industry    in  the  city  of 
Reading.    According  to  the  report  of  the  Board 
of  Trade  of  the  city  for  the  year  1882,  there 
were  then  eleven  establishments,  with  an  in- 
vested capital  of  $119,000;  number  of  hands 
employed  three  hundred  and  forty-eight,  who 
received  in  wages  $54,635 ;    the  value  of  the 
product,  $271,000.     The  number  of.establish- 
ments  has  lately  increased. 

The  wholesale  tobacco  house  of  Crouse  & 
Co.,  on  South  Sixth  Street,  is  quite  an  extensive 
establishment.  The  business  was  begun  at  the 
same  site,  in  1836,  by  Hautsch  &  Bro.,  who 
were  succeeded  in  order  by  Hautsch  &  Lyon, 
Hautsch  &  Crouse  and  the  present  firm,  com- 
posed of  Daniel  W.  Crouse,  George  W.  Crouse 
and  George  W.  Hautsch.  One  hundred  and 
fifty  hands  are  employed.  A  large  building  is 
used.  The  same  firm  has  a  branch  house  at  168 
Chambers  Street,  New  York. 

The  manufacture  of  cigars  and  sale  of  manu- 


READING. 


727 


factured  tobacco,  at  No.  707  Penn  Street,  Read- 
ing, was  commenced  in  1876,  by  D.  C.  &  H. 
H.  Hillegass.  In  1879  D.  C.  Hillegass  formed 
a  co-partnership  with  John  R.  Mast,  under  the 
name  of  Hillegass  &  Mast,  as  packers  and 
wholesale  dealers,  and  established  the  warehouse 
at  No.  728  Penn  Street,  with  packing-house  at 
No.  511  Cherry  Street.  In  1882  D.  C.  Hille- 
gass withdrew  from  the  firm  and  commenced 
business  as  a  wholesale  dealer  in  cigars  and  leaf 
tobacco,  at  No.  23  South  Sixth  Street,  with  ware- 
houses for  storing  and  packing  on  Cherry,  Pearl 
and  South  Sixth  Streets.  He  employed  forty 
hands  and  purchased  the  products  of  twenty 
manufactories  in  different  portions  of  Berks  Co. 

The  Cigar  Manufactory,  at  No.  728 
Penn  Street,  conducted  by  Hillegass  &  Mast 
from  1879  until  1882,  was  continued  by  John 
R.  Mast  until  1883.  He  then,  with  H.  B. 
Bausman,  commenced  the  sale  of  leaf  tobacco, 
having  a  warehouse  at  No.  636  Court  Street. 
Under  the  name  of  Bausman  &  Mast  a  large 
business  were  transacted  ;  fifty  thousand  dollars 
was  invested  and  thirty  hands  employed.  On 
January  1,  1886,  this  firm  dissolved,  and  a 
new  one  was  formed  at  the  same  location,  with 
J.  S.  Wisler,  John  R.  Mast  and  H.  Elwood 
Reifsnyder  as  partners,  who,  in  1886,  erected  a 
large  manufactory  on  Cherry  Street,  below 
Eighth  Street. 

Glaser  &  Frame  own  an  extensive  cigar- 
factory  on  Spruce  Street,  between  Eighth  and 
Ninth.  The  same  firm,  composed  ot  N.  G. 
Glaser  and  George  C.  Frame,  began  business 
on  a  smaller  scale,  at  No.  13  South  Sixth  Street, 
in  1879,  to  make  a  fine  grade  of  cigars,  which 
soon  were  in  great  demand,  and  the  firm,  in  order 
to  extend  their  business,  moved  to  their  present 
location.  In  addition  to  their  own  factory  this 
firm  coptrols  the  product  of  twenty  other  facto- 
ries, located  in  Berks,  Lancaster  and  York 
Counties.  In  the  Reading  factory  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  hands  are  employed,  and  amount 
of  capital  invested  is  ninety  thousand  dollars. 
Seven  traveling  agents  sell  their  goods  to  the 
general  trade.  At  a  branch  establishment, 
owned  by  Glaser  &  Frame,  located  at  Seneca, 
N.  Y.,  known  as  the  Seneca  Cigar  Company, 
twenty  agents    are    employed   to   sell   to   the 


retail  trade  through  New  York  and  the  New 
England  States.  The  firm  also  imports  Hav- 
ana and  Sumatra  fine  grade  leaf  tobacco.  A 
very  large  and  successful  business  is  done. 

Some  of  the  other  manufacturers  of  cigars 
who  do  a  considerable  business  are  Paul 
Blackman,  Darrah  &  Co.,  Glaser  &  Frame, 
Albert  S.  Hartman,  George  Lehr,  Beard  &  Son, 
Henry  W.  Burky,  C.  M.  Deem,  Dibert  Bros., 
Francis  Gross,  Orth  M.  Heckman,  Marks  Heil- 
man,  William  Heilman,  Kalbach  &  Schroeder, 
Michael  A.  Krug,  Lutz  &  Swartz,  George  R. 
Maltzberger,  Jacob  Neihart,  John  H.  Riegel, 
Philip  Rufe  and  John  Stump. 

MISCELLANEOUS  MANUFACTURES. 

Reading  Cotton-Mill. — Soon  after  the 
passage  of  the  "  General  Manufacturing  Law  " 
of  April  9,  1849,  the  capitalists  and  business 
men  of  Reading  made  &  second  effort  to  intro- 
duce a  cotton  manufacturing  establishment.  A 
meeting  was  held  by  them  on  May  26,  1849  ; 
and  a  second  meeting  on  14th  of  June  follow- 
ing, at  which  a  company  was  recommended 
under  the  law  of  1849,  with  the  name  of 
"  Reading  Manufacturing  Company,"  and  a 
capital  of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  in 
four  thousand  shares  of  fifty  dollars  each,  and 
a  term  of  twenty  years.  On  the  18th  of  Au- 
gust following,  at  a  meeting,  a  report  was  made 
that  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars 
of  the  stock  had  been  subscribed  for  ;  and  on 
the  17th  of  November  a  meeting  was  held  to 
elect  thirteen  directors,  which  was  spirited  and 
polled  over  twenty-two  hundred  votes.  Subse- 
quently a  new  board  was  elected,  and  the  char- 
ter and  subscriptions  thereto  were  recorded  June 
17,  1850.  The  capital  stock  was  fixed  at  two 
hundred  and  twenty  thousand  dollars,  or  forty- 
four  hundred  shares.  There  were  five  hundred 
and  fifty-five  subscribers  who  took  all  the  stock, 
the  largest  being  Charles  T.  James,  of  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  one  thousand  shares ;  Farmers' 
Bank,  Reading,  two  hundred  shares  ;  F.  A.  M. 
Hiester,  Reading,  one  hundred  shares  ;  Samuel 
Bell,  Reading,  one  hundred  shares ;  H.  A. 
Muhlenberg,  Reading,  ninety-eight  shares. 

The  county  commissioners  subscribed  for 
forty  shares. 


728 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


The  company  shortly  before  had  purchased 
ground  and  issued  proposals.  The  contract  was 
awarded  to  C.  T.  James,  for  one  hundred  and 
ninety  thousand  dollars,  and  mill  to  contain 
eighty-one  hundred  and  ninety-six  spindles. 
The  ground  was  broken  May  2,  1850,  and  the 
building  was  completed  and  put  in  operation  in 
December,  1851.  The  dimensions  of  the  build- 
ing :  Width,  sixty-eight ;  length,  two  hundred 
and  seventy-four  feet;  self-operating  mule 
spindles,  11,264;  and  looms,  three  hundred. 
Steam  engine,  two  hundred  horse-power;  and 
daily  production  estimated  at  ninety-three  hun- 
dred yards. 

In  1852  the  production  of  muslin,  in  yards, 
was  1,578,859.  In  1853  the  production  of 
muslin,  in  yards,  was  2,186,927.  The  num- 
ber of  hauds  employed  in  1853  was  three 
hundred  and  twenty-four — men,  thirty-six; 
boys,  seventy-seven ;  women  and  girls,  two  hun- 
dred and  eleven — and  wages  paid,  $44,832.15, 
During  this  year  the  company  exhibited  manu- 
factured goods  at  Crystal  Palace  Exhibition, 
New  York,  and  a  bronze  medal  was  awarded 
for  fine  brown  sheeting,  its  evenness  of  thread 
and  perfection  in  weaving.  The  company  con- 
tinued operations  till  February,  1860,  when  the 
stockholders  decided  to  sell  the  factory;  and 
it  was  accordingly  sold  on  March  28,  1860,  for 
one  hundred  and  fifty-two  thousand  four  hun- 
dred and  sixty  dollars,  to  Garner  &  Co.,  of  New 
York.  The  total  cost  was  two  hundred  and 
twenty  thousand  dollars.  The  panic  of  1857  was 
the  direct  cause  of  the  sale.  This  was  the  first 
large  enterprise  of  the  kind  started  at  Reading. 

This  extensive  establishment,  located  on  South 
Ninth  Street,  covering  an  entire  square,  or  seven 
acres  in  area,  is  now  in  full  operation  under  the 
firm  of  Garner  &  Co.,  who  employ  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty  hands.  Thirty  mules,  running 
sixteen  thousand  spindles,  are  used  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  Silesia  goods.  The  product  of  this 
factory  is  now  shipped  direct  to  the  print-works 
owned  by  the  same  firm  in  New  York  City.  A 
three  hundred  horse-power  engine,  with  three 
accompanying  tubular  boilers,  run  the  extensive 
machinery.  The  weekly  production  for  the 
present  year,  1886,  is  fifty  thousand  yards  of 
goods. 


The  Reading  Woolen-Mills,  on  North 
Fourth  Street,  are  owned  by  J.  G.  Leinbach  & 
Co.  The  mills  were  built  in  1859,  by  Robert 
M.  Shouse,  for  the  manufacture  of  checkered 
goods  and  ginghams.  In  1864  they  were  fitted 
up  as  woolen  and  cotton-mills  and  operated  by 
Shouse  &  Leinbach.  In  1875  J.  G.  Leinbach 
rented  the  mills  and  took  in  as  partners  A.  S. 
Leinbach,  John  Shadle  and  E.  Davis.  The 
following  year  the  firm  of  J.  G.  Leinbach  & 
Co.,  purchased  the  mills.  Four  additional 
buildings  were  erected,  covering  an  entire  area 
of  one  acre.  Sixty  hands  are  employed  in  the 
mills  and  six  traveling  salesmen.  Amount  of 
capital  invested,  one  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
The  motive  force  is  produced  by  a  forty-five  horse- 
power engine  and  two  thirty  horse-power  cylin- 
der boilers.  One  mule  and  three  jacks,  run  twelve 
hundred  and  sixteen  spindles  in  this  mill. 

Paper-Mills. — Jacob  Bushing  is  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  Reading,  Packerach  and  Tulpe- 
hocken  Paper-Mills,  all  of  which  are  in  this 
city. 

The  Tulpehocken  Mill  was  built  in  1856.  At 
this  mill  a  fine  quality  of  Manilla  paper  is 
made  and  twenty-five  employees  are  at  work. 
The  Reading  Paper-Mill  was  built  in  1865. 
Book-paper  is  made  at  this  mill  and  forty-five 
hands  are  employed.  The  Packerach  Mill  was 
built  in  1871.  The  manufactured  product  of 
this  mill  is  book-paper,  and  fifty  hands  are  em- 
ployed. 

The  Artistic  Glass- Works  are  owned  by 
Joseph  Bournique  &  Co.,  who  do  a  large  busi- 
ness at  the  factory  on  the  corner  of  Ninth  and 
Laurel  Streets.  The  firm  is  composed  of  Joseph 
and  Adolph  Bournique,  L.  and  J.  P.  Kremp 
and  Augustus  Rolland.  Fifteen  glass-blowers 
are  employed.  Glass  lamps,  globes,  vases,  toi- 
let-sets and  many  kinds  of  fancy  glassware  are 
made.  The  specialties  are  gas  and  electric 
globes,  dome  shades,  white  enameled  ware.  Many 
exquisite  designs  are  made. 

West  Reading  Planing-Mills,  on  Spruce 
Street,  below  Third,  were  built  in  1866  by 
Eisenhower,  Fink  &  Co.,  who  were  the  propri- 
etors until  the  death  of  the  senior  member  of 
the  firm,  in  1877,  when  the  present  owners,  J. 
Fink  and  A.  Huyett,  as  J.  Fink  &  Co.,  sue- 


HEADING. 


729 


ceeded.  Sixty  hands  are  employed  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  sash,  shutters,  doors,  blinds  and 
other  varieties  of  building  materials.  These 
mills  extend  one  hundred  and  ten  feet  front  on 
Spruce  and  an  entire  square  along  the  side,  to 
Pine  Street.  A  fifty  horse-power  engine,  with 
an  eighty  horse-power  boiler,  drive  the  machin- 
ery of  these  extensive  mills.  Thirty-nine 
varieties  of  machines  have  recently  been  added 
to  increase  the  manufacturing  capacity. 

Kline  &  Shunk  (Limited). — On  the  2d 
of  January,  1884,  the  firm  of  Kline  &  Shunk 
(Limited)  took  possession  of  the  large  steam 
planing-mill  located  at  the  corner  of  Franklin 
and  Carpenter  Streets,  for  many  years  previous- 
ly occupied  by  J.  H.  Cheatham.  Aaron  K. 
Kline,  the  senior  member  of  this  firm,  is  a  son 
of  the  late  David  B.  Kline,  of  Exeter  township. 
Previous  to  entering  the  firm  Frederick  Shunk 
had  been  foreman  at  this  mill  for  thirteen  years. 
The  firm  manufactures  and  sells  in  this  and  ad- 
joining counties,  doors,  window-sash,  shutter- 
blinds,  window-frames,  door-frames,  mouldings, 
brackets,  furniture  and  a  great  variety  of  build- 
ers' material  of  various  kinds.  They  use  a  sixty 
horse-power  engine  and  employ  forty-five  me- 
chanics. There  is  connected  with  this  establish- 
ment a  lumber-yard  on  Spruce  Street,  Reading, 
used  for  the  storage  and    drying  of  lumber. 

Builders. — Many  prominent  builders  have 
been  produced  in  Reading  during  the  last  forty 
years.  All  of  them  have  sprung  from  the 
working-class  of  citizens.  Their  energy,  en- 
terprise and  industry  have  contributed  incalcu- 
lable wealth  to  this  community.  As  the  popu- 
lation of  the  city  multiplied,  the  wants  of  the 
community  for  dwellings  and  buildings  in- 
creased, and  the  builders  satisfied  these  wants. 
Some  of  the  more  prominent  builders  before 
1870  were  George  Foos,  Joseph  Henry,  William 
Henry,  Samuel  Summons,  John  Fink,  Nathan 
M.  Eisenhower,  William  B.  Hertzel,  Benne- 
ville  Hemmig,  Daniel  Spohn,  Henry  Heck- 
man,  Samuel  Koch,  Miller  &  Craig,  George 
Garst,  George  Mast,  Jacob  Graeff,  Dickinson 
Kutz,  John  Printz,  David  Gross,  Benjamin 
Oster,  William  Wells  and  Daniel  Mast;  and 
since  1870,  Daniel  C.  Roth,  Jacob  Kline,  Wil- 
liam Brison,  William  Shatell,  John  Augstadt, 


Herman  Rummel,  Edward  K.  Mull,  Christian 
Frantz,  Daniel  Helfrich,  Peter  Helfrich,  David 
Stephan,  Jacob  D.  Shollenberger,  Henry  D. 
Fisher,  Frederick  Fisher,  William  Myers,  John 
Schaeffer,  Jacob  Miller,  Gabriel  Matz  and  David 
Moser. 

Business  men  have  also  erected  numerous 
houses  in  this  time,  among  them  being  Philip 
Zieber,  John  C.  Maitland,  John  B.  Grissinger, 
Jacob  B.  Fricker,  Jeremiah  Benner,  Jacob  S. 
Livingwood,  John  R.  Bechtel  and  George  M. 
Ermentrout. 

Daniel  Spohn,  a  prominent  and  successful 
builder  and  contractor,  born  in  Reading,  Dec. 
15,  1815.  He  learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter 
under  his  father,  Solomon  Spohn.  At  an  early 
age  he  started  out  for  himself  without  any  capi- 
tal, but  by  well-directed  industry  and  close  ap- 
plication he  soon  developed  a  large  business 
and  eventually  became  ■one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent, progressive  and  successful  builders  in 
Reading.  For  many  years  he  was  a  master- 
builder,  erecting  rows  of  houses  at  a  time  and 
thereby  assisting  in  the  rapid  growth  of  the 
city.  These  houses  he  disposed  of  on  easy 
terms — mostly  to  workingmen — as  an  incentive 
to  them  to  acquire  their  own  homes  and  become 
practically  interested  in  the  welfare  and  devel- 
opment of  Reading.  He  built  some  of  the 
finest  structures  in  Reading,  including  several 
school-houses,  the  city  hall  and  the  rear  of  the 
Reading  Fire  Insurance  Company  building. 
The  last  public  building  in  which  he  was  in- 
terested was  the  "  Reading  Relief  Building." 
This  was  erected  by  him  in  1874.  Many  years 
ago  he  directed  his  attention  to  the  improve- 
ment of  South  Sixth  Street,  below  Franklin, 
and  he  succeeded  in  building  up  many  fine 
dwellings,  in  this  way  doing  more  than  any 
other  persons  toward  the  permanent  improve- 
ment of  that  section  of  the  city.  And  he  was 
not  only  engaged  in  improvements  of  this  kind 
in  one  section  of  Reading,  but  in  several 
parts  at  the  same  time.  By  his  enterprise  he 
afforded  employment  to  many  carpenters  and 
laborers,  and  patronized  business  and  material 
men  of  various  kinds.  He  was  an  earnest 
friend  of  Building  and  Saving  Associations. 
Communities  are  created  and  enriched  by  men 


730 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


of  foresight,  energy  and  determination,  such  as 
Mr.  Spoh n.  He  enjoyed  the  entire  confidence 
of  the  many  prominent  men  who  employed  him. 
As  an  illustration  of  this,  Hon.  W.  J.  Wood- 
ward (president  judge),  in  proposing  to  erect 
his  residence  on  North  Fifth  Street,  selected 
and  made  a  contract  with  him,  providing  for 
payments  at  certain  periods  during  the  progress 
of  the  building.  One  clay  Judge  Wood- 
ward offered  him  two  thousand  dollars  in  ad- 
vance  long   before  it   was  due.      Mr.   Spohn 


council  for  several  terms — 1865-67,  and  1868- 
72 — and  whilst  in  that  body  performed  valua- 
ble public  services  on  a  number  of  important 
committees. 

Mr.  Spohn  assisted  in  organizing  the  Mutual 
Fire  Insurance  Company  of  Reading,  and,  for  a 
time,  acted  as  one  of  its  directors.  He  was  also 
connected  with  the  Odd  Fellows. 

Notwithstanding  his  many  business  engage- 
ments, he  found  time  to  become  interested  in 
poultry  and  pigeons.     He  was  passionately  fond 


l/l lU^t^C    CjAcrfi^zs 


politely  declined  it,  but  Judge  Woodward  in- 
sisted upon  his  accepting  it,  saying  that  he  was 
thoroughly  satisfied  of  his  honesty.  This  is  an 
evidence  of  the  esteem  in  which  he  was  held. 

Having  been  so  deeply  interested  in  the  prac- 
tical^development  of  Reading,  he  naturally  di- 
rected his  attention  to  its  local  government 
and  his  fellow-citizens  were  not  slow  in  appre- 
ciating his  ability  and  energy  in  their  behalf. 
He  represented  the  fourth  ward  in  the  common 


of  the  latter,  having  had  on  hand  for  many 
years,  and  till  his  decease,  a  large  and  valuable 
stock  of  the  finest  fancy  birds. 

He  was  a  kind  and  indulgent  husband  and 
father,  a  warm  friend  and  good  neighbor. 

He  died  on  August  8,  1875,  of  .paralysis,  in 
the  sixtieth  year  of  his  age.  He  was  married 
to  Sarah  Reiif,  the  descendant  of  an  old,  promi- 
nent and  influential  family  in  Chester  County, 
with  whom  he  left  nine  surviving  children, — 


READING. 


731 


Annie,  Emma  (intermarried  with  John  Moore, 
a  prominent  farmer  near  Millbach,  Lebanon 
County),  Kate  (intermarried  with  Henry  C. 
Jones,  auditor  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading 
Railroad  Company),  Llewellyn,  Jacob  R.,  Mary 
(intermarried  with  Alexander  Shartle),  Charles 
D.,  Clara  (intermarried  with  Wallace  Wise)  and 
Rosa. 

Jacob  Reiff  Spohn  was  born  at  Reading, 
February  25, 1845,  and  educated  in  the  common 
schools.  He  became  an  employee  of  the  Phila- 
delphia and  Reading  Railroad  Company  at  an 
early  age,  and,  by  industry,  unusual  ability  and 
remarkable  devotion  to  the  interests  of  the 
company,  he  rose  step  by  step  in  the  confidence 
of  the  officials,  and  was  promoted  from  one  po- 
sition to  another  until  he  came  to  fill  the  posi- 
tion of  general  division  freight  agent,  for  which 
he  was  thoroughly  qualified.  He  died  at  Phila- 
delphia on  October  9,  1883,  much  lamented  by 
the  highest  officials  of  the  company,  who  at- 
tended  his  funeral  in  a  body.  As  a  tribute  of 
their  high  esteem,  many  of  the  employees  united 
in  erecting  a  fine,  large  monument  over  his 
grave  in  Charles  Evans'  Cemetery.  He  left  a 
widow  and  son,  Harry  Reiff  Spohn. 

Paper-Box  Factories. — Augustus  Webe- 
kind  began  the  manufacture  of  paper-boxes  in 
1865  at  No.  1240  Perkiomen  Avenue.  Twen- 
ty-five men  are  employed  at  this  establishment 
and  twenty  thousand  dollars  of  business  is  an- 
nually done.  Hat-boxes  and  hardware-boxes 
of  many  kinds  and  varieties  are  made. 

The  paper-box  factory  at  No.  527  South 
Sixth  Street,  owned  by  Abraham  Trate,  was 
commenced  in  1872.  He  makes  hat-boxes  and 
many  varieties  of  paper-boxes  for  the  shipping 
and  handling  goods.  About  a  dozen  workmen 
are  regularly  employed. 

Benjamin  Mohu  established  a  paper-box 
manufactory  at  No.  211  Maple  Street  in  1874. 
His  business  is  quite  extensive  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  hat-boxes  for  the  trade  in  Reading. 

Albert  Thalheimer  established  his  box- 
factory  July  10, 1866,  and  then  employed  three 
workmen.  As  his  business  increased  he  inven- 
ted and  introduced  improved  machinery,  and 
enlarged  his  factory,  located  on  Cedar  Street, 
near  Walnut.     He   now   has   sixty-three   em- 


ployees, consumes  twenty-five  thousand  feet  of 
lumber  weekly,  and  makes  cigar-boxes,  shelf- 
boxes  and  boxes  for  general  purposes  in  large 
quantities.  Seven  saws  are  kept  running.  The 
printing  department  is  connected  with  the  fac- 
tory. Mr.  Thalheimer  is  also  proprietor  of  the 
"  Reading  Organ  Action  Works,"  established  in 
1885,  at  Reading. 

Daniel  Rapp  conducts  carriage-shops  od 
Poplar  Street.  He  began  the  same  business  on 
Court  Street  in  1867,  and  removed  to  his  pres- 
ent place  in  1872.  He  employs  sixteen  work- 
men. 

E.  W.  Kreider's  shops,  on  Pearl  Street, were 
started  in  1855  by  Conrad  Krebs.  In  1872  the 
present  owner  purchased  the  shops,  and  has 
since  run  them.  About  a  dozen  employees  are 
at  work. 

Keystone  Coal-Dumping- Wagon  Fac- 
tory, near  the  Lebanon  Valley  Railroad  bridge, 
was  started  in  1882  by  H.  S.  Bromhart  and 
Isaac  R.  Ritter,  as  the  firm  of  Bromhart  &  Rit- 
ter.  They  construct  a  convenient  dumping- 
wagon  of  their  own  invention,  which  is  pat- 
ented. This  wagon  has  met  with  a  large  sale. 
Nine  men  are  employed  in  this  factory. 

Reading  Fire  Apparatus  Works,  near 
the  Lebanon  Valley  Railroad  bridge,  was 
founded  in  1881  by  the  Spawn  &  Dennison 
Manufacturing  Company,  who  in  1882  disposed 
of  them  to  the  present  owner,  W.  W.  Wunder. 
Hook-and-ladder  trucks,  hose-carriages,  carts, 
reels,  extension  ladders,  fire  extinguishers  and  a 
variety  of  other  apparatus  necessary  to  extin- 
guish fire  are  made.  Thirteen  workmen  are 
employed  and  fifteen  thousand  dollars  of  busi- 
ness is  done  yearly.  Among  the  important  towns 
supplied  with  apparatus  from  these  works  are 
Charleston,  S.  C,  Augusta,  Ga.,  Poughkeepsie, 
Jamestown,  Salamanca,  N.  Y.,  Birmingham 
and  Danbury,  Conn. 

Thomas  P.  Kinsey,  mechanical  engineer  and 
solicitor  of  patents,  at  No.  102  South  Third 
Street,  began  business  in  1876,  and  makes  de- 
signs, drafts,  plans,  elevations,  specifications  and 
estimates  of  bridges,  boilers,  mills,  mines  and 
furnace  equipments. 

The  Furniture  and  Upholstery  Man- 
ufactory of  Schrader  &  Kline,  No.  650  Penn 


732 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Street,  was  established  in  1883  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  special  articles  in  the  furniture  and  up- 
holstery line  to  order.  They  have  a  large  four- 
story  factory,  extending  from  Penn  to  Cherry 
Street,  and  employ  forty  hands  in  filling  orders 
for  dealers'  supplies  in  Pennsylvania  and  sur- 
rounding States ;  with  forty-five  thousand  dollars 
invested  in  the  business.  E.  M.  Schrader  and 
L.  S.  Kline  compose  the  firm. 

Enteepbise  Fuenituee  Manufactoey 
was  originated  in  the  year  1869  by  Jacob  H. 
Deysher,  in  a  building  on  South  Third  Street. 
In  1874  he  opened  a  retail  furniture  salesroom 
at  409  South  Fifth  Street  in  addition.  Owing 
to  the  financial  depression  of  1873,  the  proprietor 
suffered  losses ;  so  that  in  1878,  the  business 
passed  into  the  hands  of  his  wife,  Anna  K. 
Deysher,  who  is  the  present  owner.  Mr.  Deysher 
still  acting  as  general  superintendent.  The 
factory  covers  a  half  acre  of  ground  and  large 
quantities  of  furniture,  packing-boxes  and  box 
lumber  are  made.  Thirteen  employees  are 
engaged,  thirty-five  thousand  dollars  are  in- 
vested and  a  business  of  sixty  thousand  dollars 
is  done  yearly. 

The  Anchoe  Bending-Wobks,  on  Second 
and  Franklin  Streets,  have  been  in  operation 
since  1879,  when  Jacob  A.  Leippe  commenced 
the  manufacture  of  the  Anchor  shafts  and  rims, 
which  are  extensively  manufactured  and  sold. 
An  area  of  an  acre  is  occupied  by  the  works 
and  the  storage-rooms  for  prepared  lumber  and 
manufactured  products.  Twenty-five  men  are 
employed. 

Wheelwbights.— The  name  of  Goodman 
as  a  wheelwright  and  carriage-builder  has  been 
prominently  and  favorably  known  to  the  citi- 
zens of  Eeadingand  Berks  County  since  1824. 
John  Goodman  then  began  this  business  on 
Court  Street,  between  Seventh  and  Eighth 
Streets.  In  1826  he  removed  to  shops  on 
Lenion  Street,  near  Franklin.  He  enjoyed  a 
large  trade  over  an  extensive  territory.  In  1854 
he  admitted  as  a  partner  his  son,  Henry  Good- 
man. In  1866  the  latter  was  given  entire  con- 
trol of  the  business  and  has  since  conducted  it. 

Shadell  &  Fegley  own  a  shop  at  340  Church 
Street,  Jacob  Troop  at  15  North  Third  St.,  and 
Christian  Bridenstine  at  901  North  Eighth  St. 


Geoege  W.  Biehl,  proprietor  of  the  large 
carriage  manufactory  on  Pearl  Street,  between 
Cherry  and  Franklin,  and  of  the  salesroom,  at 
No.  31  South  Fifth  Street,  commenced  the  busi- 
ness in  1877  on  Cherry  Street,  below  Sixth,  and 
in  1881  removed  to  his  present  location.  Mr. 
Biehl  makes  a  specialty  of  furnishing  large 
invoices  of  manufactured  carriage-bodies,  wooden 
gear  and  builders'  supplies  to  the  trade  in  the 
Northern  and  Western  States.  His  salesrooms 
are  filled  with  carriages,  phaetons,  sleighs,  etc. 
He  employs  thirty-eight  workmen,  has  fifteen 
thousand  dollars  invested  in  the  manufactory 
and  his  yearly  sales  amount  to  thirty-five  thou- 
sand dollars. 

William  H.  Wetheehold  possesses  an  ex- 
tensive carriage  manufactory  on  Poplar  Street, 
which  was  originated  by  him  in  1862.  The 
departments  are  wheelwright-shop,  blacksmith- 
shop,  trimming,  paint  and  storage-rooms,  which 
together  cover  a  large  area.  Many  kinds  of 
carriages  and  wagons  are  made  at  this  factory 
by  forty  workmen.  The  annual  business  done 
is  about  eighteen  thousand  dollars.  The  car- 
riages of  this  factory  are  known  over  a  large 
territory. 

The  Baed  Spoke-  Woeks,  owned  by  Harry 
S.  Bard,  were  established  in  1864  by  Roland  & 
Smith,  who'  made  tool-handles  and  spokes  until 
1875,  when  Mr.  Bard  purchased  the  works. 
He  has  since  erected  three  additional  buildings, 
and  manufactures  banded  hub  wheels,  spokes, 
felloes  and  handles.  Fifteen  men  are  em- 
ployed. 

The  Pipe-Oegan  Factoey  at  No.  824 
Court  Street  was  established  in  Reading,  dur- 
ing the  year  1856,  by  the  present  proprietor, 
Samuel  Border,  who  for  thirty  years  has  built 
pipe-organs  for  churches.  Mr.  Bohler  is  a 
native  of  Switzerland,  learned  the  business  of 
organ-making  under  his  father,  who  also  was  a 
builder  of  organs.  Sixty-seven  large  pipe  or- 
gans, for  various  churches  in  the  Eastern  and 
Middle  States,  whose  prices  ranged  from  three 
hundred  to  six  thousand  dollars,  were  made  by 
the  Reading  factory.  The  three-manual-pipe 
organ,  with  forty  stops,  now  owned  by  the  St. 
John's  Lutheran  Church  at  Allentown,  is  the 
largest  one   constructed   here.     First  ten-stop 


READING. 


733 


organ  made  in  Reading,  by  Messrs.  Bohler  & 
Son,  July,  1850. 

The  Lumber-Yard  of  F.  P.  Heller,  at  No. 
205  Penn  Street,  was  first  opened  by  Solomon  F. 
Snyder  in  1850,  and  purchased  by  the  present 
owner  in  1867.  His  yard  on  Penn  Street  is 
one  hundred  and  twenty  by  two  hundred  and 
seventy  feet.  He  has  another  yard  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Second  and  Walnut  Streets,  three  hun- 
dred by  two  hundred  and  thirty  feet,  used  for 
storing  lumber.  Forty  thousand  dollars  are 
invested,  and  a  business  of  one  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars  per  year  is  transacted. 

Fredric  P.  Heller  is  the  great-grand- 
son of  William  Ludwig  Heller,  who  died  in 
Eeading,  July  7,  1765.  His  son,  Frederick 
Heller,  was  born  July  19,  1763,  and  died 
October,  1837.  He  was  married  to  Catherine 
Bright,  and  had  two  daughters  and  twelve  sons, 
of  whom  George  Heller  was  the  sixth  child. 
The  latter  was  born  January  22,  1800,  in 
Eeading,  which  has  been  his  life-time  residence, 
his  business  for  more  than  sixty  years  having 
been  that  of  h  jeweler.  He  married  Catherine, 
daughter  of  Peter  Smith,  of  Reading,  and  had 
three  sons, — Fredric  P.,  Joseph  F.  and  James 
A.,  of  whom  the  subject  of  this  biography  is  the 
only  survivor.  Mr.  Heller's  second  marriage 
was  with  Caroline,  daughter  of  Jacob  Kern,  of 
Eeading.  Their  children  are  Francis  K.  (once 
a  student  at  Yale  College,  and  whose  death  was 
the  result  of  a  wound  received  at  the  battle  of 
Fair  Oaks,  during  the  Civil  War),  Charles  H. 
(deceased),  Philip  K.  (of  Philadelphia),  Mary 
C,  Emily  C.  and  Rosa  A. 

Fredric  P.  Heller  was  born  on  July  28, 1834, 
in  Eeading,  where  his  life  has  been  spent  in 
active  business  pursuits.  His  education  was 
acquired  in  the  common  schools,  after  which  he 
learned  the  trade  of  watch-maker,  under  his 
father  and  in  Philadelphia.  In  1857  he 
opened  a  store  in  Reading,  at  the  corner  of 
Fourth  and  Penn  Streets,  from  whence,  in  1860, 
he  removed  to  625  Penn  Street,  and  conducted 
the  business  until  1867,  when  it  was  relinquished 
for  -his  present  interest  as  a  lumber  dealer.  He 
was,  February  8,  1859,  married  to  Rose  E., 
daughter  of  S.  L.  Snyder,  of  Reading.  Their 
children  are  two  daughters, — Kate  E.,  married 


to  William  A.  Huff,  of  Greensburg,  Pa. ;  and 
Carrie  S.,  married  to  William  H.  Kesler,  of 
Reading.  Mr.  Heller  is  in  politics  a  Republi- 
can, and  prominent  in  the  various  political 
movements  connected  with  his  ward.  In  1858 
he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  School  Board, 
and  held  the  office  for  two  years.  He  served 
during  the  years  1873  and  1874  in  the  Common 
Council  of  the  city,  and  was  in  the  latter  year 
elected  to  the  Select  Council,  in  which  body  he 
officiated  until  1877.  He  was  again  elected  in 
1883,  aud  still  fills  the  office.  Mr.  Heller  was 
the  projector  of  the  Reading  Board  of  Trade 
and  until  recently  one  of  its  officers.  He  was 
also  the  originator,  and  has  since  its  organization 
been  the  president,  of  the  Washington  Library. 
He  is  Treasurer  and  Past  Master  of  Lodge 
No.  62,  of  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  Past 
High  Priest  of  Reading  Chapter,  No.  152,  and 
the  projector  and  among  the  earliest  officers  ot 
Reading  Commandery,  No.  42,  as  also  Division 
Commander  of  the  Tenth  Division.  Mr. 
Heller  has  been  a  leading  spirit  in  various 
building  associations  in  which  he  is  at  present 
an  officer.  He  has  been  active  in  military 
matters,  and  for  several  years  previous  to  the 
war  held  a  commission  in  the  volunteer  service, 
which,  owing  to  dissension  in  the  company,  he 
resigned  before  the  outbreak  of  the  late  war. 
He  is  a  member  of  Trinity  Evangelical 
Lutheran  Church  of  Reading. 

Boat-Builders. — The  building  of  canal- 
boats  was  an  important  industry  in  Reading  in 
days  of  the  past.  The  last  factories  in  opera- 
tion were  owned  by  John  A.  Hiester  and 
Krick  &  Co.,  both  located  at  the  foot  of  South 
Fifth  Street.  A  number  of  boats  and  barges 
now  in  use  on  the  Schuylkill  Navigation 
and  Erie  Canal  and  other  inland  water- 
routes,  have  been  made  at  the  yards  of  the 
above-mentioned  firms.  A  large  dry-dock  is 
attached  to  the  yard  owned  by  Mr.  Hiester.  No 
boats  have  been  built  since  1884. 

Brush-makers. — Peter  Stinell,  in  1847,  be- 
gan making  brushes  in  Reading,  at  945  Penn 
Street.  He  had  a  large  trade  for  many  years, 
employing  twenty-seven  workmen.  Three 
teams  were  constantly  traveling  to  dispose  of 
his  brushes.      In  1861  he  selected  the  eligible 


734 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


site  at  837  Walnut  Street,  and  fitted  up  a  new 
factory  and  salesroom.  By  his  death,  in  1870, 
his  son,  John  E.  Stinell,  succeeded,  and  has 
continued  the  business. 

Amos  Drenkel,  in  1863,  commenced  to  make 
brushes  at  his  present  place,  No.  15  North 
Eighth  Street.  In  1873  he  erected  a  three- 
story  brick  building.  The  first  floor  is  used  as 
a  salesroom.  The  other  brush-makers  of  the  city 
are  J.  O.  Flatt  &  Co.,  Adam  Nickalaus, 
Michael  Nickalaus  and  George  Regenfuse. 


present  owner,  on  Cherry  Street,  above  Second. 
The  present  bakery  was  built  by  Mr.  Lichten- 
thaeler  in  1872. 

Benjamin  Lichtenthaeler  was  born  at 
Lititz,  in  Lancaster  County,  on  March  17, 1817,- 
where  his  father,  Adolph  Lichtenthaeler,  settled 
shortly  after  the  Revolutionary  War,  having 
emigrated  from  Germany.  When  a  boy  he  at- 
tended the  Moravian  school  at  that  place  for 
some  years,  and  then  learned  the  trade  of  cabi- 
net-making, under  his  elder  brother.      After 


Jacob  B.,  Walter  B.  and  William  F.  Shana- 
man  commenced  the  manufacture  of  brooms  in 
1872,  at  No.  309  North  Fifth  Street,  under  the 
firm-name  of  Shanaman  Bros.  In  1878  they 
removed  to  the  manufactory  No.  236  North 
Sixth  Street,  where  they  carry  on  a  large  and 
increasing  trade.     They  employ  thirteen  men. 

The  Pretzel  Bakery  is  a  manufactory 
worthy  of  special  mention.  It  is  owned  by 
Benjamin  Lichtenthaeler ;  is  located  at  No.  37 
Apple  Street,  and   was  started  in   1860,  by  the 


carrying  on  this  business  himself  for  about 
twelve  years  at  Lititz  he  removed  to  Reading. 
This  was  in  the  spring  of  1860. 

Finding  that  there  could  be  a  trade  estab- 
lished in  the  sale  of  a  steam  pretzel,  he  then  em- 
barked in  that  business.  During  the  first  year 
he  had  one  workman  employed  beside  himself, 
one  team  upon  the  road  and  disposed  of  about 
two  hundred  thousand  pretzels.  This  successful 
beginning  was  very  encouraging  to  him,  and  he 
continued  in  the  business  from  year  to  year  till 


BEADING. 


735 


the  present  time,  developing  his  trade  and  in- 
creasing the  quantity  manufactured.  He  now 
employs  four  hands  beside  himself,  has  two 
teams  upon  the  road  (one  delivering  in  the  city 
and  the  other  throughout  the  county,  extending 
his  trips  into  the  adjoining  counties).  Last  year 
he  manufactured  and  disposed  of  one  million 
two  hundred  thousand  pretzels — an  evidence  of 
his  success  in  this  undertaking.  He  was  the 
first  one  to  engage  in  this  particular  business  as 
a  specialty  at  Reading.  Since  he  introduced  it 
others  have  engaged  in  it,  including  nearly  all 
the  bakers;  but  the  sale  of  his  article  has  not 
been  affected,  indicating  the  thorough  manner 
with  which  he  has  established  his  trade. 

During  his  residence  here  Mr.  Lichtenthaeler 
has  devoted  his  attention  entirely  to  his  busi- 
ness, excepting  for  a  period  of  three  years,  from 
1877  to  1880,  when  he  served  as  a  member  of 
the  Select  Council  from  the  Fifth  Ward,  he  hav- 
ing been  elected  to  this  position  without  any 
solicitation  on  his  part.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church. 

In  1848  he  was  married  to  Lucinda  E. 
Smith,  a  native  of  Bethlehem,  and  they  have 
two  children,  Edward  and  Sarah  (intermarried 
with  William  Conwell). 

Fakming  Implements. — Farming  imple- 
ments were  made  at  Reading  from  an  early 
period.  Before  1840  this  branch  of  industry 
was  carried  on  extensively  by  different  individ- 
uals, among  them,  Adam  Waid,  Jacob  Ahrens, 
Matthias  Raser  and  M.  Kirkpatrick.  Samuel 
Lessig  began  in  1849.  He  has  continued  till 
now.  In  1858  Raser  invented  the  first  lever 
horse-rake.  It  was  patented.  Samuel  Lessig 
obtained  a  half  interest  in  the  invention  ;  and, 
in  1859  he  improved  it.  For  about  ten  years 
he  manufactured  and  sold  large  numbers  of 
them. 

The  first  power  in  threshing  was  the  rotary 
lever  power  pulling  at  the  centre ;  then  the 
treading-power.  Mr.  Lessig,  in  1869,  improved 
the  lever-power  by  introducing  an  iron  circular 
frame,  and  applying  the  power  at  a  point  in  this 
frame  about  twenty  inches  from  the  centre. 
This  was  the  first  application  of  this  principle. 
It  increased  the  power  and  reduced  the  exertion. 

He  also  invented  an  improved  "Threshing- 


Machine"  in  1871,  for  which  he  obtained  a 
patent.  He  has  been  conspicuously  indentified 
with  this  industry  for  over  thirty  years  in  Read- 
ing. 

Clock-Making.  —  Clocks  were  made  at 
Reading  from  1760  for  about  seventy  years. 
The  metal  parts  of  the  clock  were  mostly  im- 
ported, and  then  set  together  by  clock-makers. 
Some  of  the  brass  wheels  were  cast  at  Reading, 
by  brass-founders  ;  which  were  filed  and  pre- 
pared for  clock-works.  Eight-day  corner  clocks 
only  were  made  at  Reading.  The  cost  was 
from  sixty  to  seventy  dollars,  and  with  a  fine 
high  walnut  case  added,  it  would  frequently 
amount  to  one  hundred  dollars.  Evidently,  only 
a  few  clocks  in  proportion  to  population,  were 
in  use.  The  making  of  a  clock  required  from 
six  weeks  to  two  months.  This  interesting 
branch  of  industry  was  forced  out  of  this  com- 
munity by  the  introduction  of  Yankee  clocks, 
which  were  much  cheaper.  There  were  shops 
also  for  making  repairs  to  watches,  clocks,  etc., 
in  which,  however,  no  clocks  were  made. 

Among  the  early  clock-makers  were  Daniel 
Rose,  Daniel  Oyster,  John  Keim,  Henry  Hahn. 
Some  of  these  clocks  indicated  the  changes  of 
the  moon  ;  others  had  moving  figures,  which 
appeared  and  disappeared.  A  musical  depart- 
ment was  even  included  in  the  more  valuable 
clocks,  which  produced  pleasing  tunes.  Their 
delicate  construction  displayed  wonderful  work- 
manship. Many  of  them  were  destroyed  be- 
tween 1840  and  1870.  Comparatively  few 
families  now  have  them. 

Rope-Making. — The  manufacture  of  ropes 
in  Reading  was  one  of  the  first  industries  of  the 
town;  and  it  has  continued  regularly  from 
the  beginning.  The  rope-walk  of  Thomas 
Jackson,  at  the  foot  of  Sixth  Street,  for  many 
years  was  the  most  prominent  establishment  of 
its  kind.  During  the  freshet  of  1850  it  was 
washed  away.  Mr.  Jackson  then  purchased 
land  in  North  Reading,  on  "  Hockley  Lane," 
near  the  "Kutztown  Road"  (now  Eighth 
Street),  and  erected  a  new  factory.  The  "  rope- 
walk  "  was  made  over  fourteen  hundred  feet 
long.  It  has  been  continued  in  this  locality 
since,  and  in  the  same  name,  having  at  the 
proprietor's  death  passed  to  his  son.     It   has 


736 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


been  very  successfully  managed.  Ropes  of 
many  sizes  are  manufactured  and  shipped  to 
many  points.  The  firm  of  Thomas  Jackson  & 
Son  now  manufacture  Manilla,  Sisal  and  jute 
rope,  cordage,  twines  and  packing  yarn. 

Marble- Works. — The  marble-works  of 
John  Frederick  Moers  were  established  in  1790 
by  the  grandfather  of  the  present  owner,  who 
bore  the  same  name.  The  father  of  Mr.  Moers, 
whose  name  was  also  John  Frederick  Moers, 
owned  them  for  a  number  of  years.  They  are 
located  at  212  and  214  Penn  Street. 

The  Reading  Steam  Marble-Mill,  H.  S. 
Getz  &  Co.,  proprietors,  began  business  in 
1873,  at  Spruce  and  Canal  Streets.  In  1881 
they  erected  the  large  buildings  on  Canal,  foot 
of  Second  Street.  This  is  the  only  general  supply 
marble-mill  in  Reading,  doing  strictly  a  whole- 
sale trade  with  about  sixty  thousand  dollars 
invested  in  the  business ;  with  seven  workmen 
employed. 

The  Eagle  Marble- Works,  at  the  northwest 
comer  of  Sixth  and  Elm  Streets,  were  estab- 
lished in  1875  by  Penrose  F.  Eisenbrown. 
In  1877  he  opened  a  granite  yard  in  connec- 
tion with  his  business ;  also  a  mantel  depart- 
ment, with  slate  and  marble  mantels,  marbleized 
slates  for  vestibule,  flooring,  etc.  He  has  twen- 
ty-five thousand  dollars  invested  in  the  busi- 
ness and  employs  from  twenty-five  to  thirty 
workmen ;  business  extends  to  several  of  the 
surrounding  States.  His  works  are  the  largest 
and  have  the  finest  collection  of  tombstones, 
monuments  and  fine  sculpture  in  the  city  of 
Reading. 

The  Reading  Marble  and  Granite- Works 
were  established  in  1881  by  F.  F.  Bressler 
and  Amos  S.  Esterly,  at  Nos.  418  to  435  North 
Sixth  Street,  Reading.  This  firm  has  invested 
ten  thousand  dollars  in  the  business,  and  em- 
ploy ten  workmen.  Many  fine  monuments  are 
executed. 

The  Umbrella  Manufactory,  No  639 
Penn  Street,  is  conducted  by  August  Rolland, 
who  began  the  business  in  1869  at  26  South 
Seventh  Street,  removing  to  the  present  loca- 
tion in  1879. 

Collar  Manufacturers.— Christian  Gran- 
der is  the  successor  of  Nathaniel  Gery,  who  be- 


gan the  manufacture  of  horse-collars  in  1854 
at  Ninth  and  Washington  Streets,  and  in  1856 
removed  his  shops  to  No.  844  Penn  Street.  At 
his  death,  in  1868,  the  business  was  purchased 
by  Mr.  Grander  and  run  successfully  until 
1881,  when  he  removed  to  No.  8  North  Ninth 
Street.  He  manufactures  and  keeps  in  stock 
Scotch,  Irish  and  short  straw  collars. 

The  collar  manufactory  at  903  Penn  Street 
was  commenced  by  John  M.  Kantner  in  1878. 
He  manufactures  all  kinds  of  short  straw  col- 
lars. The  business  demands  a  large  and  varied 
stock  to  be  kept  on  hand. 

Basket-Making. — John  Cook  began  the 
manufacture  of  willow  baskets  at  219  North 
Tenth  Street  in  1872;  in  1883  he  removed  to 
his  manufactory,  corner  Tenth  and  Walnut 
Streets.  This  branch  of  industry  has  rapidly 
declined  in  Reading  by  reason  of  large 
shipments  of  manufactured  willow-ware  from 
Philadelphia.  Jacob  Cook  commenced  basket- 
making  in  1870  at  Eighth  and  Cherry  Streets. 
In  1875  he  removed  to  114  North  Eleventh 
Street. 

The  Reading  Paint  Manufactory. — 
This  large  establishment  extends  from  220  to  230 
Poplar  Street.  It  was  originated  in  1870  by 
A.  Wilhelm  &  Co.,  and  has  been  in  successful 
operation  to  present  time.  The  company  manu- 
facture and  fill  large  orders  for  dry,  ground  in 
oil,  ready-mixed  paints.  Their  trade  extends 
through  eight  different  States,  and  twenty 
workmen  are  employed  constantly. 

The  Paint  Manufactory,  Nos.  229,  231 
and  233  South  Eighth  Street,  was  built  in  1884 
by  B.  Frank  Ruth  and  Edward  Scull,  known 
as  B.  F.  Ruth  &  Co.  They  manufactured  paints 
for  cars,  bridges,  houses,  roofs,  etc.  The  trade 
requires  these  dry,  ground  in  oil  and  ready 
mixed.  They  employ  five  hands.  The  pro- 
duct of  the  manufactory  is  shipped  largely  to 
Northern  and  Eastern  States. 

Michael  Schweitzer  began  the  business  of 
carpet-weaving  in  1851  at  his  present  manufac- 
tory, 139  South  Sixth  Street.  He  has  two 
thousand  dollars  invested  in  the  business;  runs 
four  looms,  with  five  hands  constantly  em- 
ployed. 

Bottling     Establishment.  —  Christian 


READING. 


737 


Schick  and  John  H.  Fett  are  the  proprietors  of 
the  oldest  and  largest  bottling  establishment  in 
the  city  of  Reading.  In  1864  they  erected  two 
large  buildings  on  property  to  the  rear  of  No. 
31  North  Ninth  Street,  and,  under  the  firm- 
name  of  Schick  &  Fett,  began  the  manufacture 
of  sarsaparilla,  soda  water,  pear  cider  and  birch 
beer.  The  bottling  of  porter,  lager  beer  and 
•  brown  stout  is  also  done.  In  the  past  year  a 
large  patent  water-filter  was  placed  in  the  works. 
They  employ  six  teams  and  a  force  of  ten  hands, 
and  their  trade  is  extended  through  Berks,  Lan- 
caster, Chester  and  Montgomery  Counties. 

The  Reading  Soap  and  Candle-Works 
were  established  in  1866  by  Frederick  Bickel, 
at  No.  128  Washington  Street,  In  1879  W.  K. 
Leaman,  who  had  been  in  the  works  for  some 
years,  assumed  the  entire  control,  and  by  the 
aid  of  improved  machinery  has  extended  the 
capacity  for  manufacturing,  and  his  trade  has 
since  increased.  The  amount  of  capital  invest- 
ed is  ten  thousand  dollars ;  number  of  hands 
employed,  ten. 

Boots  and  Shoes.  —  Large  quantities  of 
boots  and  shoes  were  manufactured  in  the  bor- 
ough previous  to  1839.  But  this  industry  was 
also  then  affected  by  the  introduction  of  foreign 
goods.  In  the  year  named  the  borough  con- 
tained seven  stores,  which  sold  annually  many 
cases  of  boots  and  shoes,  mostly  made  in  and 
shipped  from  Philadelphia  and  New  England. 
The  production  of  the  factories  at  Reading  was 
thereby  greatly  diminished.  This  result  was 
attributed  to  "  the  baneful  influence  of  trades 
unions  imported  from  England."  The  first 
large  factory  at  Reading  was  carried  on  by 
O'Brien  &  Foster.  In  1819  this  firm  had 
three  thousand  pairs  of  boots  and  shoes  for  their 
wholesale  trade,  independent  of  a  large  stock 
for  retail.  About  1846  Henry  F.  Felix  began 
the  extensive  manufacture  and  sale  of  this  class 
of  goods. 

Walp  &  Co.,  comprised  of  Oliver  J.  Walp 
and  Alonzo  R.  Leavitt,  conduct  a  shoe-fac- 
tory at  810  Cherry  Street.  The  business  was 
begun  in  1883  by  Mr.  Leavitt.  January  1, 
1886,  Mr.  Walp  became  a  partner.  At  present 
eighty-five  hands  are  employed.  The  capital 
invested  is  forty-five  thousand  dollars. 


Dives,  Pomeroy  &  Stewart. — This  firm 
has  become  deservedly  popular,  prominent  and 
prosperous  in  the  dry-goods  and  notion  business 
in  the  city,  and  its  members  are  an  example  of 
what  men  can  accomplish  by  an  active,  ener- 
getic application  to  business,  coupled  with  a  de- 
sire to  learn  the  wants  of  the  community  and  to 
cheerfully  supply  them.  On  the  1st  of  April, 
1876,  Josiah  Dives,  George  S.  Pomeroy  and 
John  Stewart  associated  themselves  as  partners, 
and  started  out  in  business  at  Reading,  in  the 
"Globe  Store,"  established  by  John  D.  Mishler. 
From  the  start  their  business  has  been  remark- 
ably prosperous  and  noted  for  its  enterprise  and 
fair  dealing.  These  characteristics  and  the  evi- 
dent purposes  that  the  young  merchants  enter- 
tained, that  "they servethepublicbestwhoserve 
it  most,"  secured  them  a  patronage  which  has 
made  the  large  establishment  they  now  occupy 
an  easy  possibility.  Their  extended  business 
soon  induced  them  to  vacate  the  "  Globe  Store  " 
and  remove  to  a  place  of  larger  capacity.  They 
entered  the  double  store  in  the  Miller  building 
in  1879,  and,  after  remaining  there  three  years, 
these  also  became  inadequate.  In  1882  they 
erected  their  present  magnificent  mercantile 
building  and  took  possession  on  October  12th 
of  that  year.  Its  massive  proportions  and  in- 
ternal arrangements  are  exceeded  by  but  few 
other  business  houses  in  the  State.  The  build- 
ing is  of  brick,  with  brown-stone  trimmings, 
60x155  feet,  and  four  stories  high.  The  base- 
ment is  also  finished  for  business  purposes,  serv- 
ing as  another  story  in  the  building.  The  main 
salesroom  has  an  area  of  more  than  nine  thousand 
square  feet,  and  contains  more  than  six  hundred 
lineal  feet  of  counters.  It  is  divided  into  depart- 
meiits,  after  the  manner  of  the  modern  store ; 
and,  since  November,  1882,  has  been  supplied 
with  the  "cash-ball  system,"  this  firm  being 
the  first  in  the  city  to  adopt  its  use.  The 
room  is  admirably  lighted  by  sky-lights  in  the 
rear,  and  has  the  front  entrances  recessed  eleven 
feet,  so  as  to  afford  additional  light,  and  large 
windows  for  displaying  goods.  The  arrange- 
ment of  goods  is  repeatedly  changed,  and  attracts 
much  attention.  Projecting  from  the  centre  of 
the  roof  is  an  observatory  seventy-three  feet 
above  the  sidewalk.   The  building  was  designed 


738 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


by  Edward  Mull,  a  prominent  and  successful 
builder  of  Reading,  and  erected  under  his  super- 
vision. 

It  is  very  creditable  alike  to  the  enterprise 
and  progressive  spirit  of  the  proprietors,  and 
to   the  taste    and   judgment    of    the   builder. 


people  from  all  the  surrounding  districts. 
This  firm  have  extended  their  business  into 
other  counties  of  the  State,  where  they  estab- 
lished large  and  nourishing  stores.  They  have 
in  their  employ,  in  their  several  stores,  eighty 
clerks   at   Reading,  forty-five   at   Harrisburg, 


DIVES,   POMEROY   &   STEWART,   DRY   GOODS. 


The  business  of  the  firm  has  been  largely  in- 
creased since  they  have  occupied  this  estab- 
lishment. Its  patronage  comes  from  all  parts 
of  the  county,  and  even  from  the  adjoinino- 
counties.  On  holidays  the  store-room  is  a 
veritable     "  bee-hive,"    almost    packed    -with 


thirty   at  Altoona   and  fifteen   at   Pottstown ; 
altogether,  one  hundred  and  seventy. 


George  Smith  was  the  second  son  of  the  late 
Hon.  Frederick  Smith,  once  attorney-general  of 
the  commonwealth,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death 


READING. 


739 


one  of  the  justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  of 
Pennsylvania,  was  married  to  Catharine  Leaf, 
of  Philadelphia.  She  was  of  English  extrac- 
tion and  a  woman  of  large  brain  capacity 
and  power  of  will  and  of  fine  physique.  George 
Smith  was  born  at  Eeading,  in  the  Smith  man- 
sion, which  stood  on  the  site  now  occupied  by 
The  First  National  Bank.  He  developed  at 
an  early  age  a  taste  for  active,  out-door  pur- 
suits, and  a  corresponding  repugnance  for  books, 


still  survives  and  is  among  the  oldest  of  Bead- 
ing's inhabitants,  and  loved  and  revered  alike 
for  her  goodness  and  her  years.  Young  Smith, 
when  freed  from  his  indenture  of  apprenticeship, 
entered  upon  a  business  career  for  himself.  He 
evinced  a  sagacity  and  foresight  seldom  found 
in  one  of  his  years.  Success  attended  his  well- 
directed  efforts  and  he  soon  became  the  owner  of 
the  mill  at  which  he  had  learned  his  trade. 
He  then   extended  his   operations  and  sought 


although  he  acquired  a  good  English  education. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  apprenticed  himself  to 
learn  the  trade  of  a  miller,  at  what  was  then 
known  as  Governor  Hiester's  mill,  adjacent  to 
Reading,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Schuylkill 
River,  at  the  mouth  of  Wyomissing  Creek.  On 
the  door-frame  of  the  old  mill  where  he  began 
his  apprenticeship  there  can  yet  be  seen,  carved 
with  his  pocket-knife,  the  following  :  "  George 
Smith,  1818."  When  but  eighteen  years  of  age 
he  married  Margaret,  the  youngest  daughter  of 
the  late  Jacob  Brecht  (since  called  Bright),  who 


the  markets  of  Philadelphia  and  other  adjoin- 
ing counties.  This  was  before  the  era  of  rail- 
roads, and  the  extent  of  his  enterprise  can  be 
judged  by  the  circumstance  that  in  the  transpor- 
tation of  his  cargoes  to  the  mining  regions  above 
and  tide-water  below,  quite  a  fleet  of  barges  on 
the  Union  and  Schuylkill  Canals  were  required. 
Subsequently  Mr.  Smith  associated  himself 
with  the  late  Lewis  Reese,  and  they,  together, 
for  many  years,  operated  Rees'  (now  Krick's) 
mill  on  the  Schuylkill.  Their  transactions  here 
were  so  large  that  the  mill  soon  was  reputed  as 


740 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


one  of  the  leading  plants  of  the  kind  in  this 
section  of  the  State,  and  it  brought  the  proprie- 
tors into  prominence.  It  was  whilst  engaged 
here  that  Mr.  Smith,  in  1839,  was  commissioned 
flour  inspector  by  Governor  David  R.  Porter. 
For  this  responsible  trust  he  was  well  prepared 
by  experience  and  practical  knowledge  of  de- 
tails. 

Writing  to  Governor  Wolf  in  1829,  one  of 
his  friends,  in  advocating  his  appointmont  as 
register  of  the  county,  epitomizes  his  qualifi- 
cations thus :  "  Among  the  applicants  for  office 
from  Berks  County  will  be  George  Smith.  He 
is  a  man  of  correct  morals  and  excellent  habits. 
He  will  apply  and  be  warmly  recommended  for 
the  register's  office  of  this  county.  He  has  ex- 
cellent capacity,  strong  sense,  a  clear  judgment 
and  most  sterling  integrity.  I  believe  him  in 
every  way  well  qualified  for  the  office." 

He  received  the  appointment,  and,  in  1830, 
was  commissioned  and  acceptably  filled  the 
office  during  the  six  years  of  Governor  Wolf's 
administration.  Prior  to  this,  in  1828,  he  went 
as  a  delegate  to  the  National  Convention,  at 
which  General  Jackson  was  renominated  for 
President.  He  represented  the  county  in  the 
State  Convention  of  1829,  where  George  Wolf 
was  nominated  for  Governor  and  was  by  the 
same  convention  made  a  member  of  the  State 
Committee  of  Correspondence. 

In  1843  he  was  appointed  by  the  party  in 
Berks  to  represent  it  in  the  State  Convention 
of  that  year  to  nominate  a  Board  of  Canal  Com- 
missioners and  upon  his  return,  at  the  ensuing 
County  Convention,  received  a  vote  of  thanks 
for  the  manner  in  which  he  had  performed 
his  duties.  On  two  subsequent  occasions,  in 
1850  and  1857,  he  was  again  a  delegate  to  State 
Conventions. 

In  1853  Mr.  Smith  quit  the  milling  business 
in  the  vicinity  of  Reading,  and  united  with  his 
son,  George  Smith,  Jr.,  as  a  partner  in  the  same 
business  at  Birdsboro'.  They  continued  at 
that  place  until  1859,  when  he  permanently 
withdrew  from  the  business,  and  thereafter 
gave  his  attention  to  his  real  estate  interests 
which  had  grown  to  large  proportions  through- 
out city  and  country. 

Although  strangely  indifferent  to  the  value 


of  education  in  his  youth,  he  realized  his  error 
in  after  years  and  afforded  all  his  children  ample 
opportunity  for  a  liberal  training.  With  great 
quickness  of  apprehension  and  a  tenacious 
memory,  he  availed  himself  of  every  opportun- 
ity to  compensate  for  his  own  deficiencies. 

Besides  his  widow,  already  mentioned,  he 
leaves  surviving  six  children,  as  follows :  Mrs. 
Angeline  E.  Stewart,  Mrs.  Colonel  J.  De  Puy 
Davis,  Judge  J.  Bright  Smith,  Miss  Kate  A. 
Smith,  all  of  Reading ;  Major  E.  L.  Smith,  of 
Denver,  Col.,  and  George  Smith,  Jr.,  of  Union 
township. 

Although  an  inflexible  Democrat,  and,  indeed, 
by  many  regarded  as  a  stanch  partisan,  he  was 
singularly  free  from  bigotry  of  every  sort,  and 
tolerant  of  the  opinions  and  professions  of  honest 
political  opponents.  He  believed  fully  in  the 
utmost  freedom  of  thought  and  speech  and  con- 
ceded it  as  freely  to  others  as  he  claimed  it  for 
himself.  "  Judge  not,  lest  ye  be  also  judged," 
was  a  favorite  Scriptural  injunction  which  he 
habitually  quoted  and  inculcated,  and  it  can 
with  truth  be  said  of  him,  as  was  said  of  his 
great  ancestor,  John  Frederick  Smith,  "  that  he 
practiced  what  he  preached." 

In  his  habits  and  manner  of  life  George 
Smith  was  modest,  plain  and  unobtrusive.  The 
natural  and  the  real  were  what  he  affected — the 
artificial  and  the  showy  were  his  aversion.  As 
in  the  affairs  of  State,  so  in  the  household,  he 
advocated  and  insisted  upon  good  husbandry, 
but  he  recognized  clearly  the  distinguishing 
line  between  the  benefits  of  a  prudent  economy 
and  the  evils  of  parsimony.  Mingling  with  all 
classes,  he  was  familiar  with  the  poor  and  dis- 
tressed, many  of  whom  survive  and  gratefully 
attest  the  tenderness  of  his  sympathy  and  his 
quiet  deeds  of  charity.  With  these  attributes  of 
head  and  heart  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add 
that  as  son,  husband  and  father  he  was  dutiful, 
affectionate  and  exemplary.  On  the  29th  of 
September,  1878,  at  his  residence,  in  the  city  of 
Reading,  surrounded  by  those  he  loved,  he 
quietly  passed  to  his  eternal  rest. 

John  Sallada  Pearson,  the  son  of  Elijah 
and  Mary  Pearson,  was  born  March  10,  1805, 
in  the  town  of  Womelsdorf.  After  mode- 
rate advantages   of    an   education   he  entered 


^-*te-s» -^c^z^- 


READING. 


741 


the  dry-goods  store  of  O'Brien  &  Raiguel,  at 
Reading,  and,  on  attaining  his  majority,  with 
his  cousin,  organized  the  firm  of  John  S.  & 
Charles  M.  Pearson,  which  was  one  of  the  oldest 
and  most  extensive  dry-goods  firms  in  the 
city.  After  completing  a  business  career  of  half 
a  century,  he  retired  in  1871  from  active  mercan- 
tile life,  having  built  up  not  only  a  successful 
trade,  but  a  character  for  probity  and  sterling 
worth.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  individuality 
and  great  industry;  was  firm  in  his  convictions 
and  prominent  in  the  cultivation  of  a  spirit  of 
benevolence.  Mr.  Pearson  was  agreeable,  ac- 
commodating and  attentive  to  his  customers  and 
just  in  his  dealings.  By  this  means  he  estab- 
lished a  trade  which  made  him  a  successful 
merchant  and  gave  him  high  standing  and  ex- 
cellent credit  in  the  commercial  world.  It  was 
said  by  one  of  his  friends  that  he  was  the  most 
upright  and  conscientious  business  man  he  ever 
knew.  Kind  and  benevolent  by  nature,  he 
contributed  to  every  deserving  charity  and  never 
refused  the  petitions  for  the  relief  of  poverty  and 
distress.  Mr.  Pearson  was  noted  for  his  kind- 
ness to  young  men  about  starting  in  business  life. 
During  his  business  career  his  establishment  was 
a  school  for  the  training  of  many  who  afterwards 
became  some  of  the  most  successful  business  men 
of  Reading.  His  nature  was  bright,  cheerful 
and  buoyant,  his  form  erect  and  his  step  elastic, 
even  in  advancing  years.  With  excellent  health 
and  a  heart  always  light  and  joyous,  life  had  for 
him  much  of  happiness  and  sunshine.  Mr. 
Pearson  was  always  in  politics  a  Whig  or  Re- 
publican, but  never  participated  in  the  strife  for 
office.  He  was  a  director  of  the  Union  Bank 
of  Reading,  a  trustee  of  the  Charles  Evans 
Cemetery,  a  member  of  the  Reading  Relief  and 
the  Reading  Benevolent  Societies,  and  for  thirty- 
three  years  a  consistent  member  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church,  of  which  he  was  both 
trustee  and  treasurer,  and  to  which  he  contrib- 
uted with  great  liberality.  He  was  one  of  the 
committee  appointed  to  select  the  site  for  the 
Widows'  and  Single  Women's  Home  and  the 
first  contributor  to  the  Reading  Dispensary.  He 
was  also  in  earlier  days  connected  with  the 
Montgomery  Lodge  of  Odd-Fellows.  Mr. 
Pearson  was  twice  married, — first,  to  Miss  Mary 


Jones,  and  second,  to  Mary,  widow  of  Captain 
Thomas  Leoser.  By  his  first  marriage  he  had 
two  children, — Annie  C.  (deceased)  and  Almira 
R.,  married  to  Henry  A.  Hoff,  whose  children 
are  Harry  K.,  D.  Pearson,  Charles  J.  and  Mary 
Pearson.  Mr.  Pearson  died  on  the  8th  of 
July,  1885,  in  his  eightieth  year.  As  a 
touching  tribute  to  his  character  and  influ- 
ence, the  business  men  of  Reading  closed 
their  stores  and  offices  on  the  occasion  of  his 
funeral. 
Caleb  Wheeler,  is  of  English  descent.  He 
was  born  in  Sussex  County,  N.  J.,  on  the  1st 
of  July,  1805,  and  at  the  age  of  four  years  re- 
moved to  Morris  County,  in  the  same  State,  his 
youth  having  been  spent  at  Denville  near  Mor- 
ristown.  His  education  was  confined  to  such 
instruction  as  was  obtained  at  the  country 
schools  and  for  a  short  period  at  a  boarding- 
school  in  Morristown,  after  which  his  time  was 
devoted  to  the  management  of  the  business  in- 
terests of  a  relative  in  the  same  county.  He 
then  entered  a  store  and  was  engaged  in  mer- 
cantile pursuits  until  his  subsequent  removal  to 
Hackettstown,  Warren  County,  N.  J.,  where  he 
remained  as  an  active  business  man  until  1830, 
the  date  of  his  advent  in  Schuylkill  County, 
Pa.,  where  he  continued  his  career  of  a  success- 
ful merchant.  In  1830  he  was  married  to 
Nancy  H,  daughter  of  Silas  Riggs,  of  Morris 
County,  N.  J.,  who  died  in  Reading  on  the  5th 
of  April,  1873.  Mr.  Wheeler  soon  after  his 
marriage  engaged  extensively  in  the  coal  busi- 
ness, being  one  of  the  first  to  develop  the  coal 
interests  of  the  western  end  of  Schuylkill  Coun- 
ty and  among  the  most  active  operators  and 
successful  shippers  of  that  product.  He  mean- 
while for  many  years  acted  as  agent  of  the 
Swatara  Coal  Company,  who  were  large  owners 
of  coal  lands  in  the  county.  Mr.  Wheeler,  in 
April,  1857,  removed  to  Reading,  and  while 
making  that  city  his  residence,  still  retained 
his  extensive  business  interests  and  continued 
to  manage  the  finances  of  the  firm.  Formerly 
a  Whig  and  later  a  Republican  in  his  political 
convictions,  he  has  ever  been  a  strong  and  earn- 
est advocate  of  the  principles  of  his  party,  but 
declined  all  proffers  of  office.  He  was  a  zeal- 
ous supporter  of  the  government  during  the 


742 


HISTOKY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


late  war,  both  with  his  means  and  influence.  He 
was  a  former  director  of  the  Farmers'  National 
Bank  of  Reading,  and  otherwise  identified  with 
the  business  interests  of  the  city.  Mr.  Wheeler 
is  an  elder  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Reading.  He  is  greatly  interested  in  the 
benevolent  enterprises  of  Reading,  which  receive 
from  him  substantial  support.  He  was  one  of 
the  projectors  of  the  Reading  Hospital,  is  now 
a  member  of  its  board  of  directors,  and  was 
one  of  the  committee  appointed  to  make  the 
purchase  of  land  for  the  site  of  the  Home  for 
Widows  and  Single  Women,  of  Reading. 
Having  retired  from  active  commercial  life,  he 
finds  pleasure  in  the  advancement  of  these  and 
other  benevolent  interests. 

James  T.  Reber,  a  prominent  and  success- 
ful hardware  merchant  at  Reading  for  nearly 
thirty  years,  was  born  April  29,  1834,  at  Sink- 
ing Spring,  then  in  Cumru,  now  Spring  town- 
ship, this  county.     He  is  of  German  descent. 

The  progenitor  of  the  Reber  family  in  Berks 
County  was  Johannes  Reber,  who  emigrated  to 
this  country  in  1742,  when  six  years  old,  from 
Langenselbold,  then  in  Hesse-Cassel,  now  be- 
longing to  the  kingdom  of  Prussia,  having  ac- 
companied his  parents.  His  father's  name  was 
Johann  Bernhart  Reber,  and  his  mother's  Jo- 
hanna Magdalena,  daughter  of  Conrad  Hahn. 
Another  son  was  included  in  this  party,  named 
Ludwig  Friedrich  August,  who  was  then  only 
two  years  old.  They  arrived  in  the  same  year 
at  the  port  of  Philadelphia,  proceeding  imme- 
diately to  the  Tulpehocken  settlement,  and  locat- 
ing at  the  "big  bend  "  of  the  Tulpehocken  Creek 
at  a  place  then  and  still  known  as  the  "  Blue 
Marsh,"  where  the  father  took  up  a  tract  of 
land  and  began  farming.  Three  sons  were  af- 
terward born  at  that  place,  named  Thomas, 
Valentine  and  Peter.  From  these  five  sons 
it  is  believed  that  all  the  persons  by  the  name  of 
Reber  in  this  country  have  descended.  Valentine 
and  Peter  Reber,  the  last  two  named,  proceeded 
to  the  West  upon  obtaining  their  majority. 

Johannes  Reber  pursued  the  life  of  a  farmer 
all  his  life  in  the  neighborhood  where  his  parents 
first  settled.  He  was  married  twice,  the  name 
of  his  first  wife  having  been  Orbengast,  and 
of  his  second,  Haas.      By  the  first  marriage  he 


had  two  children, — John  and  Magdalena  (who 
intermarried  with  John  Richards), — and  by  the 
second  three  children, — Nicholas,  Abraham  and 
Michael. 

John  Reber,  the  third,  was  born  September 
20,  1768,  in  Heidelberg  (now  Lower  Heidel- 
berg) township,  where  he  afterwards  also  car- 
ried on  farming.  By  the  manuscript  papers 
which  he  left,  it  appears  that  he  settled  up  nu- 
merous estates,  having  acted  as  a  fiduciary  for 
many  people  in  his  neighborhood.  He  was 
married  to  Magdalena  Rathmacher,  of  Macun- 
gie,  in  Northampton  (now  Lehigh)  County,  and 
had  issue  fifteen  children,  namely, — Magdalena, 
Barbara,  Christiana,  Elizabeth,  Rebecca,  Sarah, 
Anna  Maria,  Joseph,  John,  Benjamin,  Susan- 
nah, Jonas,  Daniel  and  Samuel,  and  one  who 
died  in  infancy.  He  died  May  12, 1844,  aged 
nearly  seventy-six  years. 

Benjamin  Reber,  the  fourth  generation,  was 
born  April  14,  1807.  He  was  a  saddler  by 
trade,  and  afterwards,  for  fifty  years,  he  followed 
farming  on  the  homestead,  of  which  he  became 
the  owner  about  1840.  He  had  seven  children 
by  the  first  wife, — Richard  T.  (married  first  to 
Sarah  Kerschner  and  afterward  to  Catharine 
Bickel),  James  T.  (married  to  Sarah  Potteiger), 
Charles  (married  to  Eliza  Z.  Van  Reed),  Sarah 
(intermarried  with  Harrison  Weitzel),  Rebecca 
(intermarried  with  Calvin  J.  Lorah),  Eliza  (died 
single)  and  John  (died  in  infancy). 

James  Tobias  Reber,  the  subject  of  this  bio- 
graphical sketch,  was  raised  on  the  farm  of  his 
father,  assisting  at  general  farming  labor  and 
attending  the  schools  of  his  native  township 
till  his  sixteenth  year,  when  he  went  to  the 
select  school  of  Professor  Henry  G.  Stetler,  at 
Boyertown,  for  one  term,  and  afterward  the 
Strassburg  Academy,  in  Lancaster  County,  then 
conducted  by  Rev.  J.  M.  Carter,  also  for  a 
term.  Upon  returning  home  he  became  engaged 
in  teaching  school,  which  he  followed  for  two 
seasons,  first  in  Lower  Heidelberg  township  and 
afterward  in  Muhlenberg  township.  In  1853 
he  removed  to  Reading  and  entered  the  general 
hardware-store  of  George  de  B.  Keim  &  Co., 
then  located  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Third 
and  Penn  Streets,  where  he  was  employed  as 
clerk  for  three  years. 


(^yn^U^Ud    ? 


READING. 


743 


In  1856  he  entered  into  a  co-partnership  with 
Adam  Bard  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  on  the 
general  hardware  business,  under  the  firm-name 
of  Bard  &  Reber,  and  on  October  6th  of  that 
year  began  at  No.  741  Penn  Street,  where  they 
continued  to  do  business  under  the  same  name 
for  twenty-two  years.     During  this  time  they 
were  very  successful,  and  their  business  requir- 
ing larger  facilities  for  carrying  on  the  same, 
they,  in  1877,  purchased  the  property  at  the 
southeast  corner  of  Eighth  and  Penn  Streets, 
where  they  erected  the  present  large  three-story 
brick  store  building,  in  dimensions  twenty-four 
by  two  hundred    and    seventy  feet,    and    into 
which  they  removed   in   1878.'     The   senior 
member,  Adam  Bard,  then  sold  his  interest  in 
the  business  to  his  son,  George  W.  Bard,  and  his 
son-in-law,  David  P.  Schlott,  and  retired  from 
active  mercantile   life.      Albert   F.   Kraemer, 
an  employee  with  the  firm  for  many  years,  was 
admitted  as  a  partner,  and  the  firm-name  became 
Bard,  Reber  &  Co.     Under   this   name   they 
have  since  conducted  the  business  very  success- 
fully, and  have  extended  their  trade  through- 
out this  and  the  surrounding  counties.      Not- 
withstanding the  active  life  of  Mr.  Reber  in  the 
hardware  business,  he  became  interested  in  the 
development  of  a  superior  plumbago  mine   in 
Chester  County,  of  which    he  was    the   gen- 
eral manager  for  eight  years ;  and  during  this 
time  the  enterprise  was  an  entire   success.     He 
has  acted  as  administrator,  guardian  and  trustee 
in  the  settlement  of  a  number  of  valuable  estates. 
Mr.  Reber  represented  the  Eighth  Ward  in 
Common  Council  during  the  years  1863  and 
1864,  and  he  served  a  term  of  three  years  as  a 
prison  inspector,  from  1876  to  1879.     In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Democrat. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Reformed  Church. 
He  has  filled  various  church  offices,  among  them 
being  trustee  of  Synod,  of  Palatinate  College, 
and  of  Bethany  Orphans'  Home,  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Publication  and  other  minor  posi- 
tions. 

In  1854  he  was  married  to  Sarah  Potteiger,  a 
daughter  of  John  Potteiger,  who  served  one 
term,  from  1850  to  1853,  as  sheriff  of  Berks 
County,  by  whom  he  has  now  living  five  chil- 
dren— C.  Alice  (intermarried  with  Joseph  H. 


Templin),  Valeria  E.  (intermarried  with  Isaac 
L.  Deeter),  Morris  B.,  Clara  R.  and  James  O, 
— one  son,  Benjamin  F.,  having  died  in  the 
ninth  year  of  his  age,  and  another  son  having 
died  in  infancy. 

Augustus  F.  Boas,  son  of  Jacob  and  Sarah 
(Dick)  Boas,  was  born  at  Reading  in  the  year 
1813.  His  paternal  grandfather  was  the  Rev. 
William  Boas,  an  emigrant  from  Germany,  who 
became  the  first  pastor  of  the  First  Reformed 
Church  of  Reading.  He  attended  the  schools 
of  his  native  town  first,  and  afterward  entered 
the  Reading  Academy,  then  under  the  princi- 
palship  of  Rev.  John  F.  Greer.  Some  of  his 
other  teachers  in  this  institution  then  were  Jos- 
eph Barrett,  Archibald  McElroy  and  a  Mr.  Daw- 
son. Under  the  last-named  he  received  excel- 
lent instruction  in  the  Latin  language.  At  the 
age  of  sixteen  he  engaged  as  a  teacher  of  a 
school  in  Alsace  township.  Finishing  one 
term  there,  he  was  engaged  eighteen  months 
continuously  as  a  teacher  in  the  village  of 
Kutztown.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  went  to 
Allentown  and  entered  the  law-office  of  Charles 
Davis,  Esq.,  as  a  student,  remaining  two  years, 
when  he  returned  to  Reading,  and  completed 
his  legal  studies  under  Elijah  Dechert,  Esq., 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  August  4,  1835. 
After  practicing  law  a  short  time  he  became 
chief  clerk  of  the  Berks  County  Bank,  which 
had  just  been  organized.  At  the  time  of  its 
collapse,  in  1842,  Mr.  Boas  settled  up  the 
affairs  of  the  bank,  and,  at  the  same  time,  en- 
gaged in  the  lumber  business  on  an  extensive 
scale.  In  1855  he  obtained  the  charter  for  the 
Reading  Savings-Bank  and  became  the  presi- 
dent of  it  and  was  the  principal  stockholder. 
In  1863  he  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
First  National  Bank,  and  was  elected  its  cash- 
ier, serving  from  the  time  of  its  organization 
until  1878.  He  was  also  president  of  the 
Reading  Savings-Bank  until  its  suspension,  in 
1877,  at  which  time,  in  order  to  protect  the 
interest  of  the  bank's  creditors  as  best  he 
could,  freely  surrendered  all  of  his  real  estate  and 
personal  property,  and  retired  from  the  business 
with  an  unblemished  reputation.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1883,  he  was  tendered  a  position  in  the 
Commonwealth  Guarantee,  Trust  and  Safe  De- 


744 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


posit  Company,  at  Harrisburg,  and  soon  after 
entered  upon  its  responsible  duties. 

No  person  in  the  city  of  Reading  was  a  more 
devoted  worker  in  the  Sunday-school  cause  than 
Mr.  Boas.  In  1820  he  became  a  pupil  of  the 
first  Sunday-school  in  his  native  city,  which 
was  organized  in  the  academy  in  1819.  When 
but  sixteen  years  old  he  became  superintendent 
of  the  first  African  Sunday-school  of  Reading. 
When  the  church  Sunday-schools  were  organ- 


PART  V. 

INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 

City  Buildings — Post-Office — Cemeteries — Ga9  and  Electric 
Light — Halls — Private  Market-Houses — Hospi- 
tals— Private  Parks—  Street  Railways. 

City  Buildings. — The  city  buildings1  in- 
clude the  market-houses,  water-works,  city  hall, 
fire  company  buildings,  commons  and  park. 

Market-Houses.  —  Immediately    after    a 


ized  he  was  chosen  superintendent  of  the  one 
connected  with  the  First  Reformed  Church  in 
Reading,  and  continued  in  that  position  for  thirty 
years.  He  greatly  assisted  in  establishing  the 
Reading  Library  and  in  organizing  St.  Paul's 
Memorial  Reformed  Church,  and  in  the  en- 
couragement of  local  charities. 

Mr.  Boas  was  married,  in  1835,  to  Emma  E. 
Boyer.  During  the  Civil  War  he  associated 
with  the  influential  men  of  Reading  in  encour- 
aging voluntary  enlistment  and  the  raising  of 
money  for  bounty  purposes. 


charter  had  been  granted  to  the  town  of  Read- 
ing, in  1766,  authorizing  the  holding  of  semi- 
annual fairs  and  weekly  markets,  the  town-peo- 
ple erected  a  market-house  on  Penn  Square, 
east  of  Callowhill  Street.  It  extended  from 
the  eastern  line  of  the  Central  Square  eastwardly 
about  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  along  the 
middle  of  the  highway.  It  was  about  twenty 
feet  wide.     It  consisted  of  a  number  of  small 

iThe  buildings  of  the  city  government  comprise  all  con- 
structions or  improvements  established  at  the  public  ex- 
pense. 


READING. 


745 


square  brick  pillars,  arranged  in  a  row  on  each 
side,  covered  by  a  shingle  roof  with  a  plastered 
ceiling. 

A  similar  market-house  was  erected  in  1799 
in  West  Market  Square,  about  the  same  distance 
from  Callowhill  Street.  A  belfry  was  on  the 
eastern  extremity. 

There  were  paved,  uncovered  extensions  to 
the  market-houses — from  the  eastern  market- 
house  to  Sixth  Street  and  from  the  western  to 
Fourth  Street.  In  the  eastern  market-house 
aod  extension  there  were  thirty-two  stalls  and 
fifty-eight  stands,  and  in  the  western  thirty- 
eight  stalls  and  fifty-eight  stands.  Numerous 
stands  were  on  the  outside  of  and  between  the 
market-houses.  The  stalls  of  the  eastern  market- 
house  were  mostly  occupied  by  butchers.  Their 
rental  was  high  through  competition.  The 
income  from  that  market-house  was,  therefore, 
much  larger  than  the  western.  In  the  former 
the  stalls  rented  from  ten  dollars  to  forty  dol- 
lars each  ;  in  the  latter,  only  five  dollars ;  and 
outside  benches  were  $2.50.  From  the  begin- 
ning till  about  1840  many  of  the  stalls  were  not 
taken.  This  arose  from  the  supply  of  country 
produce,  meats,  etc.,  delivered  to  the  citizens  at 
their  homes.  And  many  of  them  did  not  re- 
quire supplies  from  the  country,  because  they 
had  their  own  gardens  in  which  they  raised 
fruits  and  vegetables.  The  owners  and  occu- 
piers of  lots  on  Penn  Street  generally  owned 
and  farmed  out-lots  for  this  purpose ;  and  they 
also  kept  cows  and  raised  and  fattened  pigs  and 
poultry. 

The  total  revenue  from  rents  in  1851  was 
$494.62  j1  in  1857,  was  $2021.32;  in  1869, 
$12,643;  in  1870,  $5822;  and  in  1871, 
$1656.86.  In  the  year  1871  the  market-houses 
were  sold  for  seven  hundred  and  fifteen  dollars. 

These  two  market-houses  were  rebuilt — 
western,  thirty  by  one  hundred  and  ninety-two 
feet,  in  1846,  for  thirty-four  hundred  dollars; 
eastern,  in  1847,  for  twenty-nine  hundred  and 
ninety  dollars.  In  the  rebuilding,  iron  pillars 
were  substituted  for  brick  pillars  as  supports  for 
the  roof.  They  were  continued  till  1871 ;  then, 
by  the  encouragement  of  City  Councils,  private, 

1  Highest  price  then  paid  was  by  William  Lotz,  for  No.  2, 
Eastern  Market — $43.50.     Sold  by  public  outcry. 


commodious  buildings,  for  the  purpose  of  weekly 
markets,  were  erected  in  the  several  sections  of 
the  city,  and  the  old  buildings  weredemolished.2 

Town  Pump. — In  the  former  market-house 
there  was  a  pump.  It  was  known  as  the  "  old 
town  pump."  About  the  time  that  the  town- 
lots  were  sold,  a  town-pump  was  projected  by 
Richard  Peters,  agent  for  the  proprietors,  "  for 
the  encouragement  of  the  town,"  and  he  con- 
tributed ten  pounds  towards  the  expense.  Conrad 
Weiser  selected  the  place  for  the  well.  It  was 
situated  in  the  middle  of  Penn  Square,  about 
seventy-five  yards  east  of  Callowhill  Street. 
Good  water  was  found  at  the  depth  of  fifty- 
three  feet.  An  order  for  the  money  was  drawn 
by  Peters,  in  Weiser's  favor,  dated  August  1, 
1750,  in  which  Peters  certified  that  the  well  had 
been  dug,  and  Weiser  acknowledged  the  receipt 
of  the  ten  pounds.  Sixteen  years  afterward  it 
came  to  occupy  the  centre  of  the  market-house, 
which  was  erected  over  it.  And  there  it  stood 
till  the  market-house  was  torn  down  in  1871,  a 
period  of  over  one  hundred  and  twenty  years. 
What  a  history  it  has  !  Who,  of  the  many  cit- 
izens born  before  1860,  does  not  remember  it 
with  pleasure?  Many  a  thirst  was  quenched 
with  a  hearty  draft  of  cold  lime-stone  water  out 
of  the  rusty  iron  ladle,  with  a  long  handle,  at- 
tached to  the  pump  by  a  chain.  During  the 
semi-annual  fairs,  and  also  during  parades  and 
demonstrations  on  Penn  Square,  it  was  particu- 
larly convenient  and  useful. 

At  the  November  sessions  of  court,  in  the 
year  1806,  a  petition  was  presented  to  the 
judges,  which  represented  "that  there  is  fre- 
quently a  great  scarcity  of  water  in  the  town  of 
Reading,  which  is  not  only  a  great  inconve- 
nience to  the  inhabitants  and  farmers  passing 
through  with  their  teams,  but  excites  serious 
alarm  in  case  of  any  buildings  taking  fire. 
That  a  pump  of  water  is  particularly  wanted 
near  the  new  market,  in  the  said  town,  which 
would  be  free  to  all  inhabitants  and  others;" 
and  prayed  that  the  grand  jury  would  allow  a 
sufficient  sum  of  money  for  the  purpose  of  sink- 

2  George  W.  Garst  bought  them  at  public  sale  on  May  13, 
1871— eastern,  three  hundred  and  fifteen  dollars ;  western, 
four  hundred  dollars.  He  removed  them  during  May  and 
June  following. 


746 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


ing  a  well  and  putting  in  a  pump  at  the  west 
end  of  said  market-house.  The  prayer  was 
granted,  and  a  sum  allowed ;  and  the  pump  was 
established  at  the  place  designated.  But  this 
pump  was  not  so  popular  as  the  older  pump  in 
the  eastern  market-house — the  water  was  not  so 
palatable. 

Fair- Days. — By  the  charter  the  semi-annual 
fairs  were  held  on  the  27th  day  of  October  and 
the  4th  day  of  June  of  each  year.'  These  fairs 
were  instituted  for  the  exhibition  and  sale  of  all 
kinds  of  products,  manufactures  and  merchan- 
dise. And  they  were  not  alone  for  the  town 
people,  but  for  the  farmers.  The  eastern  mar- 
ket-house was  the  most  popular.  The  first  fair 
was  held  in  October,  1766.  They  were  held 
regularly  for  about  seventy  years,  during  which 
time  they  encouraged  trade  and  contributed 
much  pleasure  to  the  .people.  Dancing  was 
carried  on  by  men,  women  and  young  people  at 
certain  taverns  in  the  town,  the  "Green  Tree" 
(now  the  Keystone  House)  having  been  conspic- 
uous in  this  respect.  Besides  dancing  there 
was  much  general  jollification.  Two  days  were 
usually  spent  in  this  manner,  the  first  day  hav- 
ing been  by  common  consent  for  the  "  country 
folks"  and  the  second  for  the  "town  folks."2 
Fighting  was  a  common  practice,  and  "rowdies" 
and  "  bullies  "  were  conspicuous.  This  rough 
and  boisterous  element  in  public  brought  the 
fairs  gradually  into  disrepute.  About  1836  they 
began  to  be  objectionable,  so  much,  indeed,  that 
the  better  class  of  people  of  the  town  uttered 
complaints.  The  noise  and  disturbance  was  not 
caused  by  men  alone.  Boys  took  part  in  the 
demonstration  by  shooting  off  and  exploding 
fire-crackers  and  yelling  vociferously  till  mid- 
night. "What  times!  What  manners!" 
Just  then  the  common  school  was  fighting  its 
way  into  public  favor  ;  and  as  the  school  came 
nearer  to  the  people  the  fair-day,  with  its  hilarity 
and  profanity,  departed.     The  following  notice3 


'These  days  were  selected — it  was  said — to  celebrate  the 
birth-days  of  the  King  and  Queen  of  Great  Britain,  who 
reigned  in  1766. 

*  Some  of  the  older  residents  stated  that  only  one  day 
was  observed,  and  that  the  people  collected  mostly  about 
the  lower  market-house.     See  charter  of  1783. 

3  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal,  October,  1847. 


of  the  "  Fall  Fair-day  "  appeared  in  one  of  the 
local  weekly  newspapers : 

"  The  semi-annual  fair  on  Wednesday  [October  27, 
1847]  was  a  dead  failure.  A  few  rowdy-looking  in- 
dividuals of  both  sexes  rendezvoused  at  the  lower 
market-house,  but  elsewhere  the  streets  maintained 
their  usual  quiet  appearance.  These  fairs  are  now 
brought  down  to  the  lowest  standard  and  must  soon 
be  entirely  abolished  by  general  consent.  No  one, 
either  in  town  or  country,  laying  any  claim  to  respect- 
ability, will  attend  them ;  and  none  but  the  vilest 
grog-shops  and  dens  of  iniquity  afford  them  house- 
room  to  practice  their  drunken  orgies  and  vulgar 
'  hoe-downs.'    This  is  as  it  should  be." 

Year  after  year  these  great  days  lost  favor 
till  1850,  when  they  were  abandoned.  A  new 
institution  arose  to  take  its  place,  which  was 
more  adapted  to  develop  respectful  behavior 
and  encourage  agriculture  and  manufactures. 
This  was  the  Agricultural  Society.  And  from 
the  highway  at  the  market-houses  the  exhibition 
was  transferred  to  the  "  Commons,"  which  the 
society  inclosed  and  improved  for  the  purpose. 
The  selling  feature  of  "fair-day "  was  discon- 
tinued, and  the  semi-annual  town  fair  became 
an  annual  county  fair. 

Market-Days. — The  charter  established 
two  market-days  for  every  week — Wednesday 
and  Saturday.  The  weekly  markets  began 
during  the  fall  of  1766.  Butchers  and  farmers 
attended  regularly  for  the  sale  of  meat,  vege- 
tables, butter,  eggs,  etc.,  some  twice  a  week, 
others  once.  The  markets  opened  in  the  morn- 
ing. No  regular  hour  was  fixed  at  which  to 
begin  sales.  The  market  people  would  gener- 
ally be  at  their  stalls  very  early,  some,  indeed, 
soon  after  midnight,  and  so  timely  as  to  be  able 
to  take  a  nap  in  their  wagons  before  the  town- 
people  came  to  buy  their  articles ;  and  this  they 
did  with  wonderful  persistence  through  all  sea- 
sons of  the  year.  We  cannot  imagine  what 
trials  they  frequently  endured  through  the  cold 
winter  mornings  for  the  sake  of  selling  their 
goods  to  get  a  little  cash.  What  labor  to  pro- 
duce them,  what  energy  to  carry  them  to  mar- 
ket, what  patience  to  sell  them  !  And  this  cus- 
tom of  selling  goods  at  the  market-pkce  in  the 
highway,  mostly  without  shelter,  continued  de- 
cade after  decade  for  over  one  hundred  years, 
from  the  time  when  the  town  contained  about 


READING. 


747 


one  thousand  inhabitants  till  the  number  had 
grown  beyond  thirty-three  thousand.  This  was 
a  long  period  to  continue  going  to  the  same 
place  lor  the  same  purpose,  without  any  im- 
provement in  respect  to  comfort  and  convenience 
of  both  the  seller  and  the  buyer.  The  subject 
of  private  market-houses  in  the  several  sections 
of  the  city  was  agitated  for  several  years  pre- 
viously. The  movement  met  with  general  op- 
position from  the  property-holders  and  business 
men  on  Penn  Square.  After  considerable  dis- 
cussion the  Councils  passed  an  ordinance  on 
April  30,  1870,  favoring  the  removal  of  the 
public  market-houses.  This  action  encouraged 
private  enterprise,  and  steps  were  immediately 
taken  towards  the  erection  of  private  market- 
houses  to  the  east  and  west,  and  to  the  north 
and  south  of  Penn  Square.  Their  utility  and 
excellence  were  practically  demonstrated  imme- 
diately after  their  completion. 

Penn  Square. — The  public  square  of  the 
town,  formerly  called  "  Market "  and  latterly 
"Penn,"  and  its  improvement,  have  received 
much  consideration,  without  any  practical  re- 
sults. The  old  court-house  stood  in  the  centre 
from  1762  till  1841,  and  the  old  market-houses 
to  the  east  and  west  of  it  from  1766  to  1871. 
Immediately  after  the  court-house  had  been  re- 
moved, in  1841,  various  suggestions  were  pro- 
posed for  the  improvement  of  the  square.  The 
"odious  market-houses"  were  to  be  removed 
and  double  rows  of  American  forest-trees 
planted,  and  a  statue  of  either  William  Penn 
or  Conrad  Weiser  was  to  be  erected  on  the  site 
of  the  old  buildings.  These  improvements  were 
proposed  to  be  made  by  certain  generous,  public- 
spirited  individuals,  "  without  a  cent  of  charge 
to  the  town,"  provided  the  Town  Council  gave 
its  consent.  Seven  years  elapsed  without  suc- 
cess. The  centennial  year  (1848)  of  the  found- 
ing of  the  town  arrived,  and  again  the  spirit 
seized  the  party  of  improvement.  A  public 
meeting  was  held  January  22,  1848,  with  the 
following  officers:  Hon.  Samuel  Bell,  presi- 
dent ;  William  H.  Keim,  secretary ;  and  Dr.  H. 
H.  Muhlenberg,  treasurer;  for  the  purpose  of 
perfecting  the  plan  and  awakening  general  public 
spirit  for  the  improvement  of  the  square.  The 
following  resolution  was  adopted  : 


"  Resolved,  that  the  proposed  statue  be  that  of 
William  Penn,  on  account  of  its  appropriate  charac- 
ter and  feasibility,  and  to  commemorate  the  centen- 
nial anniversary  of  the  foundation  of  Beading  in  1748, 
by  the  Penn  family,  on  ground  given  by  them  to  the 
citizens  for  public  purposes  in  Penn  Street  and  Penn 
Square,  the  materials  to  be  of  Berks  County  iron  and 
sandstone,  and  the  work  executed  in  Beading." 

Various  committees  were  appointed  and  the 
subscriptions  were  to  be  not  less  than  one  dollar 
and  not  more  than  two  dollars.  These  com- 
mendable efforts,  however,  proved  unavailing. 
A  score  of  years  elapsed  before  the  odious  mar- 
ket-houses were  even  removed,  and  a  generation 
•has  passed  away,  leaving  the  square  without 
public  improvement  of  any  kind.  This  is 
rather  surprising,  especially  when  we  consider 
the  general  education,  enterprise  and  wealth  of 
the  community,  and  the  introduction  of  a  large 
and  increasing  new  element.  We  are  not  want- 
ing in  distinguished  persons  or  events  worthy  of 
a  monument.  If  conspicuous  places  are  selected 
for  churches,  around  which  certain  sects  can 
gather  and  become  enthusiastic  in  a  religious 
sense,  why  cannot  the  square  be  ornamented 
with  a  monument  to  signalize  the  nobility  and 
generosity  of  William  Penn,  the  public  services 
of  Conrad  Weiser,  the  devotion  of  our  people 
in  the  cause  of  independence,  the  honorable  and 
prominent  career  of  Joseph  Hiester,  the  heroism 
of  our  noble  company  of  men — the  Reading  Ar- 
tillerists in  the  Mexican  War,  or  the  great 
sacrifices  we  made  in  the  cause  of  the  Union  of 
our  States,  around  which  our  whole  community 
could  gather  and  become  enthusiastic  in  a  patri- 
otic sense  ?  It  is  said  that  a  monument  here 
would  be  a  great  obstruction.  But  do  we  not 
permit  obstructions  at  some  places  and  even 
encourage  them  at  others,  notwithstanding  that 
they  do  not  subserve  a  purpose  to  compare  with 
that  which  a  monument  in  Penn  Square  would 
subserve  in  the  development  of  a  noble  local 
pride  for  that  achievement  which  it  would  be 
specially  designed  to  signalize  ? 

Water- Works. — For  over  seventy  years 
the  inhabitants  of  Reading  were  almost  entirely 
supplied  with  water  from  cisterns,  wells  and 
pumps.  The  water  was  mostly  limestone  in 
quality  and  generally  unpalatable,  especially  to 
those  persons  who  were  not  accustomed  to  its 


748 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


peculiar  taste.     It  was  unfit  for  washing  pur- 
poses and  those  who  had  no  cisterns  were  com- 
pelled to  fetch  water  from  the  river  Schuylkill. 
After  the  borough  came  to  possess  a  population 
of  four  thousand,  these  sources  became  too  few 
in  proportion  for  convenience  and  certainty  of 
supply.     Accordingly,  in  1819,  the  subject  of 
"  Water-Works  "  was  agitated  ;  and  this  agita- 
tion resulted  in  the  incorporation  of  a  company 
for  supplying  the  people  with  water.     An  act 
of  Assembly  was  passed  on  March   16,  1819, 
whereby  the  "  Reading  Water  Company  "  was 
created.     The  commissioners  appointed  to  ob- 
tain subscriptions  of  stock  (four  hundred  shares) 
were    John    Spayd,   Frederick    Heller,  John 
Addams,  George  de  B.  Keim  and  John  Berkin- 
bine.     This  enterprise  proved  a  success.     The 
company  purchased   land  in    Alsace  township, 
along  the  western   declivity  of  Penn's  Mount, 
to  the  northeast  of  Reading,  which  included  a 
large  and  inexhaustible  spring  of  water,  com- 
monly called    "  Hampden    Spring,"  and   pro- 
ceeded without  delay  in  the  construction  of  a 
reservoir  at  the  head  of  -Penn  Street,  into  which 
they  conducted  the  spring  water.     Their  pro- 
gress was  so  rapid  that  by  July  19,  1821,  the 
water  was  let  into  the  reservoir ;  and  by  Octo- 
ber following,   it  was    conducted  through   the 
principal  streets.1     The  spring  was  situated  one 
mile  and  sixteen  perches  from  the  reservoir,  with 
an  elevation  of  one  hundred  and  sixteen  feet 
above  it ;  and   it   discharged  constantly  from 
day  to  day  about  seventy  gallons  of  pure,  moun- 
tain water   a    minute,  or   about  one   hundred 
thousand  gallons  a  day.     The  water  was  con- 
ducted   by  gravity  through  earthen  pipes  two 
and  a  half  inches  in  diameter,  laid  three  feet 
below  the  surface.     Some  of  the  pipes  were  of 
logs.     The  reservoir  was  constructed  of  stone, 
with  a   capacity  of  one  thousand   hogsheads. 
From  the  reservoir  to  the  "  Old  Court-House  " 
(Fifth   and   Penn    Streets)   the    distance   was 
three   thousand   four   hundred    and   fifty-nine 
feet,   with    a   fall   of  eighty-eight   feet.       The 
pipes  through  the  streets  were  mostly  of  iron, 


'-  Edelman  Spring,  introduced  in  1838  ;  Mineral  Spring, 
in  1853  ;  Bernhart,  in  1858  ;  and  subsequently,  by  the 
city,  the  Antietam,  in  1874. 


varying  from  two  to  four  inches  in  diameter.  By 
1833  the  money  expended  in  this  great  im- 
provement exceeded  twenty  thousand  dollars. 
Then  two  hundred  and  fifty  families  were  sup- 
plied with  water,  and  the  annual  income  was 
about  fifteen  hundred  dollars.  The  population 
was  about  sixty-five  hundred.  Apparently 
about  one-fourth  of  the  inhabitants  were  supplied 
with  water  by  the  water  company.  This  would 
indicate  a  considerable  encouragement  of  the 
enterprise.  The  company  increased  its  capaci- 
ties and  facilities  with  the  growth  and  demands 
of  the  borough,  and  continued  to  supply  the 
people  till  the  borough  grew  into  a  city,  and 
for  eighteen  years  afterward,  when  (1865)  the 
company  sold  its  rights,  properties,  etc.,  to  the 
"  City  of  Reading"  for  three  hundred  thousand 
dollars.  The  citizens  were,  therefore,  greatly 
indebted  to  the  "  Reading  Water  Company " 
for  the  introduction  of  pure,  soft,  spring  water, 
which  was  suitable  for  all  purposes.  Instead 
of  being  forced,  in  most  cases,  to  carry  water  for 
some  distance,  it  was  delivered  to  them  at  their 
doors. 

In  the  introduction  of  the  water  from  Bern- 
hart's  Creek  during  the  year  1858,  the  company 
excavated  a  tunnel  in  length  ten  hundred  and 
sixty-six  feet  through  the  hill  upon  which  the 
Alsace  Church  is  situated.  The  greater  part 
was  cut  through  slate-rock. 

The  water-works  comprise  four  reservoirs  : 
City  Reservoir,1  Antietam  Lake,  Bernhart  Lake 
and  Hampden  Reservoir. 

The  City  Reservoir  was  constructed  by  the 
Reading  Water  Company,  the  first  basin  in 
1821  and  the  second  in  1848,  and  was  included 
in  the  transfer  by  the  company  to  the  city  on 
April  1,  1865.  These  basins  were  enlarged  in 
1872,  at  an  expense  of  $16,869.21.  Their  total 
capacity  is  5,132,000  gallons,— northern  basin, 
2,087,000  gallons;  southern  basin,  3,045,000 
gallons.     This  is  a  superior  improvement. 

Immediately  before  the  purchase  of  the 
works  of  the  Reading  Water  Company,  the 
City  Councils,  by  a  special  committee,  had  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  the  Ohlinger  mill  property 
in  Alsace  township,  with  the  view  of  eventually 


1  Bee  cut  p.  466. 


READING. 


749 


constructing  water- works  at  that  point.     It  was 
this  purchase,  effected  principally  through  the 
careful   negotiations  of   Levi   J.   Smith,1  that 
induced  the  water  company  to  sell  their  prop- 
erties for  three  hundred  thousand  dollars,  having 
shortly  before  demanded  from   the  city  more 
than  five  hundred  thousand  dollars.     The  price 
paid  for  the  Ohlinger  property  was  seven  thou- 
sand  dollars.     For  some  years  afterward  the 
subject  of  an  increased  water  supply  was  agi- 
tated very  earnestly    by  Councils  and  by  the 
citizens  generally,  in  order  to  accommodate  the 
demands  of  our  rapidly  increasing  population 
and  manufacturing  establishments.     After  in- 
vestigating   all  the    surrounding    streams    of 
water,  Councils  determined  to  appropriate  the 
waters  of  Antietam  Creek,  and  to  convert  the 
mill-property  into  a  large  reservoir,  for  which 
purpose  it  was,  by  its  situation,  well  adapted. 
The  improvement  was  made  during  the  year 
1874,  affording  to  the  city  a  storage  reservoir 
with  a  capacity  for   thirty  million  gallons.2     A 
large  sum  of  money  as  damages  was  paid  to 
/the  several  property  holders  situated  below  the 
lake  on  the  creek. 

The  total  expense  to  the  city  exceeds  one 
hundred  thousand  dollars. 

The  Bernhart  Dam  was  included  in  the 
transfer  by  the  Reading  Water  Company  to  the 
city,  in  1865,  and  has  since  been  much  enlarged 
and  improved.  Additional  improvements  are 
now  being  made.  It  is  situated  in  Muhlen- 
berg township,  half  a  mile  beyond  the  city 
limit. 

The  Hampden  Reservoir  is  a  large  storage 
basin  in  the  northeastern  section  of  the  city.  It 
was  constructed  during  the  years  1882,  1883 
and  1884,  at  an  expense  of  about  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars. 

1  Mr.  Smith  was  an  active  and  enterprising  citizen  of 
Reading  for  many  years.  He  was  a  millwright  by  occupa- 
tion and  a  highly  esteemed  man  for  his  social  and  political 
integrity.  He  represented  the  Seventh  Ward  iu  Select 
Council  during  1865  and  1866,  officiating  as  president  for 
a  year ;  and  he  served  as  a  water  commissioner  from  1867 
till  1883,  a  period  covering  sixteen  continuous  years.  He 
died  in  1886. 

2  In  1880  the  dam  was  heightened  and  the  capacity  in- 
creased to  sixty  million  gallons,  supposed  by  some  to  have 
a  capacity  for  one  hundred  million  gallons. 


Two  springs  also  afford  a  water  supply — Edel- 
man  and  Mineral.  The  Edelman  Spring  is 
situated  in  Alsace  township  and  is  constructed  for 
a  storage  reservoir.  It  has  a  flow  of  fifty  thou- 
sand gallons  per  day,  and  is  conducted  by  a 
separate  pipe  to  the  city  reservoirs.  And  the 
Mineral  Spring  is  situated  within  the  eastern 
city  limits,  and  has  a  daily  flow  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  thousand  gallons. 

The  daily  minimum  flow  of  the  streams  and 
springs  of  water  which  supply  the  city  is  esti- 
mated to  be  as  follows  : 

Gallons. 

Antietam  Lake 950,000 

Bernhart  Lake 600,000 

Edelman  Spring 50,000 

Hampden  Spring 80,000 

Mineral  Spring3 120,000 

Total  daily  supply 1,800,000 

The  total  storage  capacity  in  the  several  reser- 
voirs is  133,132,000  gallons,  distributed  as  fol- 
lows : 

Gallons. 

Antietam  Lake 60,000,000 

Bernhart  Lake 41,000,000 

City  Eeservoir 5,132,000 

Hampden  Reservoir 27,000,000 

In  1882  the  total  length  of  main  and  dis- 
tributing pipes  was  271,748  lineal  feet  or  51.47 
miles.  This  has  been  much  increased  since. 
The  total  cost  of  the  reservoirs,  pipe,  etc.,  was 
then  estimated  at  nine  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

Commons  and  Paek. — A  large  tract  of 
land  which  lay  at  the  base  of  Penn's  Mount 
and  contained  about  fifty  acres  was  known  as 
the  "  Commons "  for  over  one  hundred  years 
after  the  town  was  laid  out.  By  the  language 
of  an  act  passed  on  the  17th  of  February,  1852, 
it  would  appear  that  this  tract  (in  reality  about 
eighty-five  acres  in  area)  had  been  "  reserved 
by  the  proprietaries  of  Pennsylvania  as  a  free 
and  public  commons  for  the  dwellers  in  said 
town"  at  the  time  when  they  laid  out  the  town. 
Notwithstanding  the  "  tradition "  that  this 
land  belonged  to  the  town  and  had  been  occu- 
pied by  the  dwellers  as  a  "  commons"  for  fifty 
years,  the  authorities  of  the  borough  permitted 
a  sale  thereof,  by  the  attorney  for  the  Penns,  to 
the  commissioners  of  Berks  County  on  Novem- 

3  Not  used  for  some  years. 


750 


HISTOEY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


ber  19,  1800,  for  the  nominal  consideration  of 
four  hundred  and  forty  dollars.  And  from 
that  time  till  1884  the  county  claimed  to  own 
it.  In  1839  the  county  commissioners  sold 
thirty-five  acres  of  the  tract,  comprising  that 
portion  which  lay  east  of  Tenth  Street  and 
north  of  Walnut  for  the  distance  of  one  thou- 
sand two  hundred  and  eighty  feet. 

In  June,  1850,  about  thirty  acres  were  in- 
closed by  a  fence,  the  inclosure  extending  from 
the  "  Hill  Road"  to  Washington  Street,  and 
from  Eleventh  Street  to  the  eastern  boundary 
line.  Upon  the  organization  of  the  Agricul- 
tural Society  of  the  county,  the  county  commis- 
sioners leased  the  tract  to  them  for  the  purpose 
of  holding  an  annual  "  Fair ;"  which  then  erec- 
ted exhibition  buildings,  constructed  a  circular 
race  track  (one-third  of  a  mile  in  circumfer- 
ence), etc.  In  1865  the  track  was  increased  to 
a  half-mile  in  length,  and  then  the  remaining 
part  of  the  "  commons  "  to  Walnut  Street  on 
the  north  was  inclosed. 

In  1852,  through  the  enterprise  and  influ- 
ence of  Hon.  Henry  A.  Muhlenberg,  then 
State  Senator  from  Berks  County,  an  act  of 
Assembly  was  passed  which  provided — 

"That  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  commissioners  of 
the  County  of  Berks,  and  they  are  hereby  authorized 
and  required  to  convey  in  fee,  to  the  mayor,  aldermen 
and  citizens  of  Reading,  in  trust  for  the  use  of  said 
citizens,  for  the  sole  purpose  of  establishing  a  public 
park  and  parade  ground  forever  and  for  no  other  pur- 
pose, object  or  design  whatsoever,  the  '  public  com- 
mons,' containing  forty-nine  acres  and  one  hundred 
and  thirty  four  perches.  And  that,  immediately  upon 
such  conveyance,  '  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  mayor, 
etc.,  to  cause  the  whole  of  said  lot  to  be  enclosed  for  the 
purpose  of  a  public  park  and  parade  ground,  to  fill 
up  the  water  gullies,  and  otherwise  level  the  surface 
of  the  ground,  so  far  as  may  be  necessary,  to  cause 
walks  to  be  laid  out,  trees  planted,  and  such  other 
steps  to  be  taken  as  will  best  carry  out  the  true  intent 
and  meaning  of  this  act,  always,  however,  reserving  a 
sufficiently  large  space  of  clear  ground  to  enable  any 
portion  or  the  whole  of  the  volunteers  of  Berks 
County  to  use  the  same  as  a  parade  ground,  which 
may  also  be  used  for  the  celebrations  of  the  Agricul- 
tural Society,  for  public  meetings  and  other  similar 
purposes." 

But  nothing  was  done.  It  would  appear 
from  this  inaction  that  the  public  spirit  of  the 
officials,  both  of  the  county-seat  and  county 


was  utterly  unworthy  the  generous  impulse  of 
the  Penns,  and,  afterward,  of  the  General  As- 
sembly. The  expense  of  this  improvement 
would  have  been  insignificant,  compared  with 
the  general  benefit  to  the  community.  And 
what  is  rather  surprising,  was  the  continued 
public  indifference  to  this  commendable  pro- 
ject thence  till  now,  a  period  extending  over 
thirty  years.  We  may  well  ask,  where  were 
the  men  of  station,  of  influence,  of  wealth,  of 
culture,  of  enterprise  during  this  period? — 
what  were  their  feelings  inasmuch  as  such  re- 
markable indifference  was  constantly  exhibited, 
toward  public  improvement  ? 

In  1878  a  movement  was  made  to  improve 
that  part  of  the  commons  which  lay  between 
the  prison,  the  turnpike  and  the  Hill  road. 
Prominent  in  this  movement  were  property- 
holders  in  the  vicinity,  including  Abraham  B. 
Bechtel,  David  F.  Lotz,  Hiester  Clymer, 
Henry  S.  Eckert,  William  E.  Good,  Charles  K. 
Hillegass,  Adam  Schwartz,  Charles  Breneiser, 
William  Arnold,  Samuel  H.  Kutz,  Abner  K. 
Stauffer  and  others.  Over  six  thousand  dollars 
were  collected  and  appropriated  toward  the  im- 
provement, and  their  proceedings  in  this  behalt 
were  entirely  successful.  The  sheds  of  the 
Agricultural  Society  were  removed  to  the 
northern  portion  of  the  "  fair-ground,"  and  the 
small  tract  was  inclosed.  David  F.  Lotz,  as- 
sisted by  John  Knabb,  was  untiring  in  his  ef- 
forts, and  he  succeeded  in  having  the  surface 
prepared,  walks  and  roads  laid  out,  trees 
planted,  etc.  During  the  hot  summer  of  that 
year  he  and  Mr.  Knabb  worked  faithfully  and 
without  compensation,  and  accomplished  much 
toward  the  improvement  of  the  place.  The 
Harbster  Brothers  presented  an  iron  drinking- 
fountain,  which  was  placed  at  the  main  en- 
trance; P.  F.  Eisenbrown  presented  a  fine, 
large  and  unique  marble  drinking-fountain, 
which  was  placed  toward  the  upper  end ;  and 
John  D.  Mishler  presented  a  marble  drinking- 
fountain,  which  was  placed  at  the  sorrthern  en- 
trance. And  since  that  time  the  City  Councils 
have  taken  charge  of  it,  though  not  kept  in  the 
same  fine  and  promising  condition  in  which 
they  received  it. 

Latjer  Monument. — A  fine  bronze  monu- 


READING. 


751 


merit  of  Frederick  Lauer  was  erected  in  the 
City  Park,  in  1885,  by  the  Brewers'  Association 
of  the  United  States.  It  has  the  following  in- 
scriptions on  the  four  sides  : 

[Front.] 

To 

Frederick  Lauer, 

of  Reading,  Pa. 

The  United  States  Brewers'  Association,  of  which  he 

was  the  first  president,  has  erected  this  monument 

in   grateful   remembrance  of   his    unselfish 

labor  for  the   welfare  of   the  brewing 

trade  in  this  country. 

[Rear.J 

The 

City  or  Reading 

Commemorates  the  public 

and 

Private  virtues  of  an  honored  citizen  by  the  grant  of 

this  location. 

Erected 

A.  D.,    MDCCCLXXXV, 

The  year    of  the  twenty-fifth   Convention  of   the 

United  States  Brewers'  Association. 

[East.] 

His  zeal  sprung  from  his  firm   conviction  that  in 

striving  to  advance  the  brewing  trade  he  was 

working 

for 

the  cause  of  National 

Temperance. 

[West.] 

Let  his  example  lead  the  brewers  of  this  country  to 

maintain  Good-Fellowship. 

to 

Preserve  their  Association 

and 

to  defend  their  rights. 

In  1884  proceedings  were  instituted  by  the 
City  Councils  to  obtain  a  deed  for  the  entire 
tract  of  land  inclosed,  and  now  occupied  by  the 
Agricultural  Society ;  but  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas  refused  to  award  a  writ  of  mandamus 
against  the  county  commissioners  to  compel 
them  to  execute  the  deed  which  was  prayed  for. 
The  matter  was  carried  to  the  Supreme  Court 
and  the  judgment  was  reversed  ;  but  the  deed 
has  as  yet  not  been  delivered  to  the  city  of 
Reading,  granting  and  conveying  the  "com- 
mons" to  the  corporation,  the  matter  being 
still,  as  the  lawyers  say,  in  fieri. 

City  Hall. — The  Borough  Council  organ- 


ized in  the  old  court-house  in  1783,  and  there 
it  assembled  year  after  year  until  the  new  court- 
house was  erected,  when  it  removed  its  place  of 
meeting  into  that  building.  In  1847  the  City 
Councils  organized  there — the  Select  branch  in 
the  room  on  third  floor,  south  side,  next  to  the 
stairway,  and  the  Common  branch  in  the  oppo- 
site room,  on  the  north  side;  and  they  continued 
to  meet  in  those  rooms  till  the  city  of  Reading 
purchased  the  property  on  the  northeast  corner 
of  Fifth  and  Franklin  Streets — then  an  old- 
fashioned,  low,  two-story  brick  building. 

City  Hall  was  erected  by  Councils  in  1870. 
The  total  expense  was  about  twenty-six  thou- 
sand dollars.  It  comprises  the  "  lock-up,"  the 
battery  for  the  electric  alarm,  offices  for  the 
several  city  officials,  Council  chambers,  and  a 
large  hall,  the  latter  being  occupied  by  lodges 
of  the  Masonic  order.  It  is  situated  on  the 
northeast  corner  of  Fifth  and  Franklin  Streets. 
Daniel  Spohn,  a  prominent  and  successful  buil- 
der in  his  time,  was  the  contractor. 

Fiee  Company  Buildings. — For  many 
years  the  early  fire  companies  owned  their  own 
buildings  in  which  they  kept  their  apparatus ; 
but  when  the  city  government  began  to  contrib- 
ute more  liberally  towards  their  encourage- 
ment, it  became  the  owner  of  the  buildings. 
Now  it  owns  all  the  buildings  of  the  several 
companies,  excepting  that  of  the  Liberty  Fire 
Company.  The  buildings  are  all  fine,  substan- 
tial structures,  elegantly  furnished.  They  are 
situated  as  follows : 

Rainbow,  Eighth  and  Court ;  Junior,  Walnut  below 
Seventh ;  Reading,  Franklin  above  Sixth ;  Never- 
sink,  Third  and  Court ;  Friendship,  Franklin  and 
Peach ;  Liberty,  Fifth  and  Laurel ;  Hampden,  Elev- 
enth and  Greenwich ;  Keystone,  Penn  above  Front  ; 
Washington,  Muhlenberg  above  Ninth. 

Increase  of  Buildings. — The  following 
table  shows  the  remarkable  and  continuous 
growth  of  Reading  in  respect  to  buildings,  from 
1842  to  1859.1  The  columns  represent  the  sev- 
eral wards  of  the  city  : 


i  In  1840  seventy-seven  houses  were  erected.  In  1841 
the  total  number  of  buildings  in  Reading  was  one  thousand 
three  hundred  and  sixty-five.  In  1849,  Richard  Clark,  of 
Philadelphia,  published  a  large  map  of  Reading,  four  feet 
square,  by  which  it  is  shown  that  then  two-thirds  of  the 
city  was  south  of  I'enn  Street. 


752 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


N.W.  N.E.  S.E.  S.W. 


1842 

1843 

1844 

1845 

1846 

1847 

1848 

1849 

1850 

1851 

1852 

1853 

1854 

1855 

1856 

1857 

1858 

1859 


13 
24 
63 
55 
42 
13 
16 
10 
8 
20 
28 
24 
67 
28 
37 


12 
43 
69 
88 
76 
44 
17 
20 
20 
41 
39 
67 
80 
39 
42 


50 
61 
71 
79 
69 
42 
32 
24 
17 
13 
20 
46 
56 
31 
69 


46 
51 
72 
61 
26 
14 
25 
10 
9 
15 
23 
32 
31 
38 
17 


Spruce.  Total. 

65 

98 

120 

182 
246 
360 
348 
255 
133 
99 
75 
79 
107 
123 
210 
266 
157 
204 


61.. 
67.. 
85.. 
65., 
42.. 
20.. 
19.. 
11.. 
25, 
18.. 
13.. 
41., 
32., 
21., 
39.. 


448       697      680      470 


549        3127 


The  following  figures  indicate  the  total  num- 
ber of  new  buildings  erected  annually  in  the 
city  since  1860: 


1860 

186 

1873 

457 

1861 

115 

1874 

*300 

1862 

114 

1875 -.. 

270 

1863 

96 

1876 

123 

1864 

*100 

1877 

113 

1865 

*100 

1878 

38 

1866 

*200 

1879 

175 

1867 

363 

1880 

205 

1868 

509 

1881 

248 

1869 

488 

1882 

350 

1870 

466 

1883 

295 

1871 

448 

1884 

436 

1872 

307 

1885 

396 

*  Estir 

aated. 

In  1873  the  city  of  Reading  had  the  smallest 
ratio  of  individuals  to  each  building  of  all  the 
cities  in  the  United  States,  excepting  Toledo, 
the  ratio  of  which  was  a  very  small  fraction  less. 
Our  ratio  was  a  little  more  than  five  persons  to 
each  dwelling. 

Persons  to 
Families.  Dwellings.  Each  Dwell'g. 

Reading 6,932  6,294        5.39 

Philadelphia 127,740        112,366        6.01 

Allegheny 10,147 

Scranton..... 6,642 

Toledo 6,457 

Post-Office. — The  post-office  in  Reading 
was  established  in  1793.  Shortly  afterward 
other  offices  were  established  in  different  parts 
of  the  county  and  the  people  found  them  a  great 


8,347 

6.37 

5,646 

6.21 

6,069 

5.20 

convenience  •  and  they  have  increased  from  de- 
cade to  decade  till  now.  The  total  number  of 
post-offices  now  in  the  county  is  one  hundred 
and  thirty.1 

The  letters  at  Reading  office  were  called  for 
altogether  till  about  1835  ;  then  a  man  by  the 
name  of  Sheirer  began  to  carry  letters  of  many 
individuals  not  in  business  throughout  the  bor- 
ough at  a  cent  a  letter.  He  was  succeeded  by 
William  Taylor,  who  continued  till  1848,  and 
earned  by  his  labor  in  this  position  about  five 
dollars  a  week.  Hamilton  Mills  and  Joseph 
Barrett  then  carried  for  less  than  a  year.  Wm. 
Ruckman  entered  upon  this  service  in  1848  and 
continued  to  carry  letters  till  1861,  a  period  cov- 
ering thirteen  years.  He  carried  letters  at  two 
cents  for  each  letter  and  earned  from  twelve  to 
fifteen  dollars  a  week.  Samuel  B.  Ruth,  Al- 
bert Miller,  Christian  Schultz  and  Benjamin 
Guinther  succeeded  him,  the  latter  two  carrying 
till  1864,  when  the  government  established  the 
free  delivery  system.  These  men  were  recom- 
mended by  the  postmaster  and  appointed  by  the 
department  at  Washington. 

Letter-Boxes. — Letter-boxes  were  put  up 
at  five  places  in  Reading  in  August,  1864,  for 
the  purpose  of  enabling  the  citizens  to  drop 
letters  to  be  collected  by  carriers.  These  were 
placed  at  the  following  stores,  inside : 

Yeich's  store,  Penn  above  Front ;  Ringler's  store, 
Fourth  and  Spruce;  Shalter's  store,  Seventh  and 
Bingaman;  Zieber's  store,  Ninth  and  Penn  ;  Heffel- 
finger's,  Eighth  above  Walnut. 

The  first  collection  was  made  on  August  22d. 
Two  collections  were  made  daily,  nine  a.m.  and 
three  p.m.  All  letters  had  to  be  stamped  with 
a  three-cent  stamp.  And  there  were  then  two 
letter-carriers — one  for  delivery  north  of  Penn 
and  the  other  south.  This  postal  accommoda- 
tion was  introduced  by  the  postmaster,  Jacob 
Knabb. 

Money  Order  System. — The  money  order 
system  was  introduced  about  the  same  time,  in 
pursuance  of  an  act  of  Congress  passed  May  17, 
1864.  In  this  division  of  service  at  Reading, 
the  following  orders,  etc.,  were  issued  and  paid 
in  1885: 

1  See  Chap.  XVIII.,  Internal  Improvements,  p.  471. 


READING. 


753 


4809  domestic  orders  issued $66,647.66 

3262  postal  notes  issued 6,404.87 

22  Canadian  orders  issued 232.57 

225  British  orders  issued 2,582.21 

313  German  orders  issued 4,058.92 

8  Swiss  orders  issued 120.38 

61  Italian  orders  issued 2,050.90 

12  French  orders  issued 145.87 

Amount  of  drafts  on  postmaster  of 
New  York 19,200.00 

6751  domestic  orders  paid $86,216.23 

5081  postal  notes  paid 10,362.17 

73  Canadian  orders  paid 931.44 

19  British  orders  paid 316.58 

73  German  orders  paid 2,174.03 

8  Swiss  orders  paid 186.73 

2  Italian  orders  paid 28.62 

1  Queensland  order  paid 3.16 

1  Hawaiian  Islands  order  paid 2.00 

Postal-cards  were  introduced  in  1873;  two- 
cent  postage  began  October  1,  1883,  and  special 
delivery  October  1,  1885.  In  the  postal 
service  at  Reading  there  are  17  carriers  to 
deliver  and  collect  letters,  etc.,  and  115  boxes 
distributed  throughout  the  city  at  different 
points,  and  in  the  post-office  10  clerks  and  1 
special  delivery  messenger  are  employed.  The 
call  boxes  number  322,  lock  boxes  37,  and  lock 
drawers  6. 

Business  for  1885. — The  business  of  the 
office  for  1885  was  : 

Receipts  for  stamps $41,936.81 

Number  of  letter  carriers 13 

Number  of  auxiliary  carriers  ap- 
pointed November  23 2 

Number  of  delivery  trips  daily...  5 

Number  of  collection  trips  daily,  5 

Number  of  Sunday  collection....  1 

Number  of  registered  letters  de- 
livered   4078 

Number  of  mail  letters  delivered  1,126,391 

Number  of  mail  postal-cards  de- 
livered   256,569 

Number  of  local  letters  delivered  130,739 

Number  of  local  postal  cards  de- 
livered   96,124 

Number  of  newspapers  and  cir- 
culars delivered 735,083 

Total  number  of  pieces  delivered 
by  letter-carriers 2,348,984 

Number  of  letters  collected  by 
letter-carriers 638,006 

Number  of  postal-cards  col- 
lected      244,991 

67 


Number  of  newspapers  and  cir- 
culars collected 

Total  number  of  pieces  collected 

Total  number  of  pieces  delivered 
and  collected  by  the  letter-car- 
riers, 1885 

Total  number  of  pieces  delivered 
and  collected  by  the  letter-car- 
riers for  1884 


80,495 


963,492 


3,312,476 


3,098,631 

Increase  over  1884 213,845 

Number  of  through  register  pouches  sent 

to  Philadelphia 319 

Number  of  through  register  pouches  from 

Philadelphia 312 

Number  of  registered  letters  received 6,578 

Number  of  registered  letters  made  up 4,101 

Number  of  registered  letters  in  transit 6,054 

Total  of  registered  letters  handled 15,733 

Number  of  registered  letters  in   transit 

handled  by  transfer  clerk 20,567 

Total  number  of  registered  letters  handled 

1885 36,300 

Total  number  of  registered  letters  handled 

in  1884 26,042 

Increase  of  registers  handled  over  1884 10,258 

Postmasters. — The  following  postmasters, 
by  appointment  from  the  President,  officiated 
at  the  Reading  post-office  from  the  time  of  its 
establishment  till  now : 

Postmasters.  Date  of  appointment. 

Gottlieb  Jungman March  20,  1793 

John  Walter October  1,  1801 

Samuel  Ritter August  11,  1829 

Charles  Troxell May  10, 1841 

John  K.  Wright June  19,  1845 

Henry  Rhoads April  17,  1849 

Lewis  H.  Wunder May  13,  1852 

Philip  K.  Miller November  6,  1857 

Jacob  Knabb May  17,  1861 

William  Briner July  12,  1865 

John  Fritz April  9,  1869 

Matilda  Fritz March  13,  1871 

George  W.  Grant February  26,  1875 

George  K.  Whitner1 May  31,  1882 

Gottlieb  Jungman,  first  postmaster,  serv- 
ing from  1793  to  1801,  was  a  prominent  pub- 
lisher of  several  newspapers  at  Reading.  The 
last  newspaper  which  he  published  here  was 
the  Weekly  Herald,  having  issued  it  from  1811 
to  1816,  when  he  discontinued  it  and  moved 
West, 

1  Calvin  Goodman  was  recently  appointed  to  succeed 
Mr.  Whitner  at  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  four  years. 


754 


HISTOEY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


John  Walter,  the  second  postmaster,  who 
officiated  for  twenty-eight  years,  from  1801  to 
1829,  was  born  at  Reading,  and  carried  on  for 
a  number  of  years  the  trade  of  book-binding. 
He  received  the  appointment  of  postmaster  from 
President  Jefferson  in  1801,  and  he  continued 
to  hold  this  position  by  re-appointment  of  the 
succeeding  Presidents  till  the  time  of  President 
Jackson,  when  he  was  suspended  on  account  of 
his  active  efforts  for  the  election  of  John  Quiucy 
Adams  as  President.  He  lived  on  North 
Fifth  street,  near  Walnut  (now  No.  140),  and 
there  kept  the  post-office.  He  died  in  1836, 
aged  sixty-nine  years.  He  was  married  to 
Magdalena  Lehman,  from  Germantown. 

Samt/el  Ritter,  the  third  postmaster  who 
served  for  twelve  years,  was  born  in  Exeter 
township  on  April  3, 1792,  and  educated  in  the 
schools  of  the  township.  He  removed  to  Read- 
ing about  the  time  he  attained  his  majority,  and 
for  some  years  engaged  in  the  grocery  business 
at  the  Southwest  corner  of  Seventh  and  Penn 
Streets.  He  served  as  deputy  sheriff  from  1821 
to  1823,  under  Henry  Betz,  Esq.,  and  then  till 
1829  as  clerk  in  the  Adler  printing  establish- 
ment. He  held  the  office  of  postmaster  of  Read- 
ing during  the  administrations  of  Jackson  and 
Van  Buren,  having  in  this  time  won  the  confi- 
dence and  esteem  of  the  community  by  his  strict 
integrity  and  uniform  courtesy  in  the  discharge 
of  his  official  duties.  The  post-office  was  in 
the  Messersmith  Building  (now  Lerch  hardware- 
store).  Afterward  he  was  a  clerk  in  the  dis- 
patcher's office  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Read- 
ing Railroad  Company  at  Reading.  He  died 
of  paralysis  whilst  occupying  that  position,  on 
September  8,  1860,  in  the  sixty-ninth  year  of 
his  age.  He  was  married  to  Catharine  Kast, 
and  left  nine  children — Joseph,  Anna  (married 
to  Charles  H.  Fritz),  Jacob,  Henry,  Hiram, 
Catharine  (married  to  William  Kerper),  Amelia 
(married  to  Michael  Locher),  Ellen  (married  to 
Simon  Seyfert),  and  Louisa  (married  to  B.  H. 
Brown). 

George  K.  Whitner  is  the  great-grandson 
of  George  Whitner,  who  emigrated  from  Wiir- 
temberg,  Germany,  and  settled  in  Berks  County 
as  a  minister  of  the  Reformed  Church.  Among 
his  children  was  a  son,  Abraham,  who  resided 


in  Columbia  County,  Pa.,  where  he  pursued  the 
business  of  farming.  He  was  twice  married ; 
his  only  son  by  the  first  marriage  was  George, 
born  in  Columbia  County,  who,  at  the  age  of 
eighteen,  came  to  Berks  County  and  learned  the 
trade  of  a  weaver  in  Albany  township.  Later, 
Reading  became  his  place  of  residence ;  but  in 
1826  he  made  Amity  township  his  home,  con- 
tinuing to  work  at  his  trade  in  both  localities. 
He,  in  1827,  married  Christina,  daughter  of 
David  Kline,  of  Amity  township,  whose  sur- 
viving children  are  David,  Rebecca,  Abraham, 
Hiram,  George  K.,  Samuel,  Sarah  and  Calvin. 
The  year  of  his  marriage,  Mr.  Whitner  engaged 
in  the  hotel  business  in  Amity  township,  and 
became  the  landlord  of  the  popular  hostelry 
known  as  "  The  Yellow  House." 

George  K.  Whitner  was  born  on  the  28th  of 
December,  1837,  in  Amity  township,  and  at 
the  youthful  age  of  four  years  removed  to  his 
father's  farm  in  Oley  township,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1869,  when  he  located  in  Reading. 
He  received  his  earliest  instruction  at  the  com- 
mon schools  of  the  township,  and  at  the  age  of 
seventeen  continued  his  studies  at  the  Mount 
Pleasant  Academy,  Boyertown,  Pa.,  finally  be- 
coming a  pupil  of  the  Reading  Institute  and 
Normal  School,  conducted  by  Rev.  William  A. 
Good,  after  which,  for  five  winters,  he  engaged 
in  teaching.  In  1863  he  was  appointed  assistant 
assessor  of  internal  revenue  for  the  district  em- 
braced in  Oley,  Pike  and  Rockland  townships, 
Berks  County,  which  position  he  held  for  a 
period  of  five  years.  In  1876  he  was  nominated 
for  prothonotary  of  the  county,  which  honor  he 
declined,  as  he  was  the  incumbent  of  the  above 
office.  Removing  to  Reading,  he  subsequently 
became  associated  with  Eli  S.  Fox  in  the  Read- 
ing Terra-Cotta  Works,  in  which  he  is  still 
interested.  Mr.  Whitner  was,  on  the  26th  of 
February,  1864,  married  to  Ellen  R.,  daughter  of 
Eli  S.  Fox,  of  Reading.  He  is  a  Republican  in 
politics,  and  has  for  years  taken  a  decided  stand 
in  defense  of  the  principles  of  his  party.  He 
has,  however,  held  no  office  other  than  that  of 
postmaster  of  the  city  of  Reading,  to  which  he 
was  appointed  May  31, 1882,  and  served  a  full 
term  of  four  years.  The  admirable  system 
introduced  by  Mr.  Whitner  into  the  manage- 


HEADING. 


755 


ment  of  the  office  has  won  for  him  the  most 
cordial  commendation  from  his  superior  officials. 
He  is  a  director  of  the  Keystone  National  Bank 
of  Reading,  and  a  member  of  the  Reformed 
Church. 

Cemeteries. — The  people  of  Reading  were 
accustomed  to  burying  their  dead  in  "  burying- 
grounds "  included  in  the  several  church  prop- 
erties during  the  first  two  periods  of  the  place 
as  a  town  and  borough.     The  grounds  conspic- 


Frienda',  W.  side  of  Sixth,  between  Washington 
and  Walnut  Streets. 

Episcopalian,  S.  E.  corner  of  Sixth  and  Walnut 
Streets. 

Episcopalian,  W.  side  of  Fifth,  above  Court  Street. 

Catholic,  E.  side  of  Seventh,  between  Franklin  and 
Chestnut  Streets. 

Burials  were  made  in  the  first,  third  and 
fourth  "grounds"  from  the  beginning  of  Read- 
ing during  a  period  of  one  hundred  years.  The 
several   religious   denominations    buried    their 


nous  for  this  purpose  were  rather  numerous, 
there  having  been  no  less  than  seven : 1 

Trinity  Lutheran,  N.  W.  corner  of  Sixth  and 
Washington  Streets. 

Trinity  Lutheran,  N.  W.  corner  of  Sixth  and  Wal- 
nut Streets. 

German  Reformed,  N.  E.  corner  of  Sixth  and 
Washington  Streets. 

1  The  Jews  claim  to  have  had  an  early  burying-ground 
on  Schuylkill  Avenue,  near  the  railroad  ;  but  I  could  not 
find  any  deed,  record  or  data  on  the  subject. 


dead  in  their  own  grounds ;  and  this  distinctive 
feature  was  continued  until  the  establishment  of 
a  general  cemetery  for  the  inhabitants.  The 
number  interred  in  them  was  large.  In  1860 
the  Lutheran  congregation  removed  the  dead 
from  the  ground  at  Sixth  and  Walnut  Streets ; 
and  in  1870,  the  Reformed  from  Sixth  and 
Washington  Streets. 

Charles    Evans'    Cemetery.  —  Charles 
Evans,  a  distinguished  and  wealthy  member  of 


756 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


the  Berks  County  bar,  "  not  having  any  child  of 
the  many  born  to  him  left  to  inherit  his  fortune, 
exercised  his  mind  with  devising  some  such  dispo- 
sition of  a  portion  of  his  property  as  would  re- 
dound to  the  benefit  of  the  people  of  Reading. 
He  finally  determined  that  the  establishment  of 
a  cemetery  would  be  the  practical  form  of  benev- 
olence most  beneficial  to  them  and  most  agree- 
able to  himself.  Not  postponing  the  execution 
of  his  project  until  after  his  death,  as  men  too 
frequently  do,  he  proceeded  to  select  the  site  for 
a  cemetery,  purchase  the  land  and  appoint  the 
trustees  of  his  choice.  The  necessary  legisla- 
tion having  been  obtained  to  incorporate  those 
trustees,  the  company  was  organized  on  March 
28,  1 846,  whereupon  Mr.  Evans  made  the  con- 
veyance to  it  of  twenty-five  acres  of  land.  His 
interest  in  the  institution  was  not  exhausted  by 
this  liberal  gift ;  for,  besides  a  further  gift  of 
two  thousand  dollars  in  money,  in  his  will  he 
bequeathed  to  it  ten  thousand  dollars  and  six- 
eighths  of  the  residue  of  his  estate,  which,  upon 
final  settlement,  amounted  to  nearly  sixty-seven 
thousand  dollars,  making,  with  the  land,  an 
aggregate  endowment  of  over  eighty-four  thou- 
sand dollars — a  benefaction  to  a  single  object  of 
public  utility  so  great  as  to  have  beeu  exceeded 
but  in  a  few  instances,  it  is  believed,  in  Penn- 
sylvania." 

The  trustees  appointed  by  Mr.  Evans  were 
John  Banks,  John  S.  Hiester,  Dr.  Isaac  Hies- 
ter,  James  L.  Dunn,  Samuel  Bell,  Dr.  Hiester 
H.  Muhlenberg,  William  Strong,  Matthias  S. 
Richards,  William  Darling,  Dr.  Diller  Luther, 
William  Eckert,  Benneville  Keim  and  Peter 
Filbert.  They  were  incorporated  by  an  act  of 
Assembly,  passed  24th  of  February,  1846, 
under  the  name  of  the  "  Charles  Evans  Ceme- 
tery Company."  On  the  28th  of  March  follow- 
ing they  organized  the  company  by  electing  as 
the  first  officers  of  the  board  :  John  S.  Hiester, 
president ;  Samuel  Bell,  treasurer ;  Matthias  S. 
Richards,  secretary.  Upon  this  organization, 
Mr.  Evans  conveyed  to  the  company  twenty- 
five  acres  of  ground,  situated  one  mile  north  of 
Penn  Square,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Centre 
turnpike,  to  be  used  for  the  burial  of  the  dead 
forever.  The  board  addressed  a  letter  of 
thanks  to   him   for   his   liberal   gift.     In  his 


reply,  dated  July   11,   1846,  he  said,  among 
other  things, — 

"...  That  it  is  the  duty  of  the  living  to  provide 
for  the  becoming  interment  of  the  dead,  is  a  senti- 
ment which  seems  to  have  been  cherished  by  almost 
all  nations  from  the  earliest  period  of  time.  The 
Greeks,  Romans  and  other  nations  manifested  a  laud- 
able desire  to  establish  suitable  places  for  the  repose 
of  the  dead.  Associations  for  these  meritorious  pur- 
poses have  recently  become  prevalent  in  Pennsylva- 
nia. Such  establishments  afford  opportunities  for 
all  to  provide  a  decent  place  for  the  interment  of 
their  friends  and  the  final  repose  of  themselves. 
Rural  cemeteries  have  long  been  considered  of  great 
utility  and  importance,  and  are  subjects  of  deep  and 
universal  interest.  Most  ancient  nations  permitted 
no  sepulture  within  their  cities.  Adrian  and  Theo- 
dosius,  and  other  Roman  Emperors,  believing  inter- 
ments in  populous  places  to  be  detrimental  to  health, 
prohibited  all  burials  within  the  walls  of  their  cities. 
Regulations  of  this  kind,  which  exempt  the  living 
from  the  miasma  of  the  dead,  have  long  been  consid- 
ered indispensable  to  the  health  and  happiness  of 
the  community. 

"  That  the  ground  selected  for  the  cemetery  should 
have  met  with  the  unanimous  approval  of  the  trus- 
tees is  to  me  a  source  of  inexpressible  gratification. 
In  the  hands  of  gentlemen  so  well  qualified  for  the 
trust,  the  march  of  improvement  will  be  unobstructed 
and  the  establishment  rendered  extensively  useful. 
That  such  may  be  its  fate  is  the  sincere  and  ardent 
desire  of  him  whose  humble  act  has  been  abundantly 
rewarded  by  the  very  gratifying  terms  in  which  it  has 
been  accepted." 

The  trustees  then  adopted  a  plan  for  laying 
out  and  permanently  inclosing  the  ground  and 
for  a  gateway  as  the  main  entrance  into  the 
cemetery.  This  gateway  presents  an  imposing 
front,  and  it  possesses  the  enduring  merit  of 
being  thoroughly  well  built  of  the  best  materials. 
Its  cost  was  $18,879.78.  It  was  built  in  1847- 
49.  Upon  its  completion  they  erected  the  side- 
wings  and  also  a  dwelling-house  within  for  the 
superintendent. 

In  1852  they  erected  a  chapel  of  red  free- 
stone.    Its  cost  was  $18,818.96. 

Since  the  death  of  the  founder  the  area  has 
been  increased  by  additional  purchases  of  land 
adjoining  the  cemetery  to  the  east  and  north. 
Now  it  embraces  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven 
acres. 

From  the  opening  of  the  cemetery  till  Janu- 
ary 1,  1864,  the  removals  from  other  grounds 
and  the  burials  together  numbered  three  thou- 


HEADING. 


757 


sand  two  hundred  and  sixty-three,  an  average 
of  two  hundred  and  four  interments  per  annum. 
During  1861,  1862  and  1863  the  average  was 
two  hundred  and  seventy.  From  the  beginning 
till  now  it  is  estimated  that  fifteen  thousand 
burials  have  been  made  in  the  cemetery. 

The  cemetery  contains  many  fine  monuments. 
The  Evans  lot  is  situated  in  the  central  section 
of  the  cemetery,  surrounded  by  a  heavy  iron 
railing.  In  it  are  four  large  trees,  two  graves, 
small  plain  head  and  foot-stones  for  each  grave, 
and  a  plain  marble  shaft  resting  upon  two  plain 
marble  blocks.  Near  the  top  of  the  shaft,  on 
the  east  side,  is  a  medallion  bust  of  Charles 
Evans;  and  the  inscriptions  on  it  are  as  follows : 

t 


Charles  Evans. 

|  The  founder  of  this  cemetery  which  justly  bears  + 

his  name,  t 

an  Eminent  Lawyer 

%  Learned,  faithful,  eloquent,  J 

An  exemplary  citizen,  j 

i      Publick  spirited  and  generous,  and  in  every       i 

sphere 
X  of  his  long  and  useful  life  conscientious,  upright  X 

and  honorable. 
j:  Born  30  of  March,  1768 

j  Died  5  of  September,  1847. 

I  In  the  Christian's  hope  of  a 

+  glorious  immortality.  ± 


t 


•H- -H--("i"i"H"i--H' +  *+■+  + 


*■ ■{■  1   I   I   I   11   i   1   I   Hf4-H-H-H-H-f+ 


+  4  I*  I  i   1  -H  4-+  • 


Mahy  Evaxs, 

wife  of 

Charles  Evans. 


H--M-1   I-t-H-M   1   H-  +  4-  +  4  +  4  +  H-H-  +  H- 

t 

t 
t 

Eminent  for  the  powers  of  her  mind 

And  the  benevolence  of  her  heart. 

She  died  beloved  and  lamented, 

30  August,  1838, 

In  the  seventieth  year  of  her  age, 


•H--M-+++++-H-H-H-H-H-++-H-++-H-H-+  4-H-H-H  1  I  H-H  I  I  I   I  I 

Chaeles  Evans  was  born  in  Philadelphia 
on  March  30,  1768.  His  parents  were  David 
Evans,  of  Philadelphia,  and  Letitia  Thomas,  of 
Eadnor,  both  members  of  the  Society  of 
Friends.  He  received  a  good  education,  "which 
Friends  never  failed  to  give  their  children,"  and 
entered  the  office  of  Benjamin  Chew,  Esq.,  a 
distinguished  lawyer  at  Philadelphia,  for  the 
purpose  of  reading  law,  when  he  was  twenty 
years  of  age.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
June,  1791,  and  two  months  afterward  went  to 
Reading  to  practice  law.     In  his  profession  he 


was  faithful,  capable  and  diligent,  and  "  in  ten 
years  after  his  admission  he  had  won  his  right- 
ful place  in  the  front  rank  of  this  bar.  At  that 
day  and  in  that  rank  his  compeers  were  lawyers 
of  the  severe  school,  who  studied  law  in  the 
original  sources  of  statutes  and  reports."  He 
continued  in  full  and  active  business  till  1828, 
and  then  retired  with  an  ample  fortune.  Occa- 
sionally afterward  he  appeared  in  court  to  try  a 
case  or  argue  a  rule.     His  last  elaborate  discus- 


CHABLES    EVANS. 

sion  of  a  question  of  law  was  in  1840,  and  his 
latest  appearance  in  court  in  1843.  In  1846  he 
founded  the  "  Charles  Evans  Cemetery,"  situated 
in  Reading,  and  established  it  firmly  by  large 
donations  of  money  and  grants  of  property.  He 
died  September  5, 1847,  and  "  was  buried  in  the 
cemetery  of  his  endowment,  where  a  fitting 
monument  marks  his  final  resting-place  and 
transmits  to  after-times  the  features  of  the  man 
and  a  just  and  truthful  tribute  to  his  worth." 
He  was  married  to  Mary  Keene,  a  daughter  of 
Reynold  Keene  and  Christiana  Stille,  both  of 
Philadelphia,  but  had  no  surviving  children. 
He  was  the  first  philanthropist  at  Reading 
whose  heart  was  moved  by  a  generous  sponta- 
neous impulse  toward  the  general  welfare  of 
this  growing  community.  But,  strange  to  say, 
notwithstanding  this  wonderful  incentive  to 
others  of  his  day  and  generation,  who  were  en- 
gaged here  in  business,  accumulated  fortunes 


758 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


and  survived  him,  "  to  go  and  do  likewise  "  in 
some  other  field  in  which  philanthropy  could 
be  equally  beneficial  to  the  public,  not  a  single 
individual  since  has  been  moved  to  make  a  lib- 
eral gift,  donation  or  grant  for  a  public  cause. 

Other  Cemeteries. — Two  cemeteries  were 
laid  out  and  established  in  1849  on  the  northern 
slope  of  Neversink, — Trinity  Lutheran  and 
Roman  Catholic.  The  former  was  extended  by 
the  addition  of  St.  John's  German  Lutheran, 
both  being  together. 

The  Aulenbach  Cemetery  was  established  in 
1851,  and  was  named  after  Charles  Aulenbach, 
who  owned  the  land  and  laid  it  out  in  lots  for 
burial  purposes.  The  original  tract  numbered 
four  hundred  and  thirty-two  lots.  The  ceme- 
tery company  was  incorporated  May  17,  1853. 
The  cemetery  has  been  enlarged  and  much 
improved  and  now  numbers  one  thousand  nine 
hundred  and  sixty  lots.  It  is  situated  at  the 
eastern  boundary  of  Reading. 

The  Hebrew  Cemetery  is  a  small  inclosure  on 
South  Street,  opposite  the  Roman  Catholic 
Cemetery. 

The  colored  people  buried  in  the  burying- 
ground  attached  to  the  African  M.  E.  Church, 
on  North  Tenth  Street,  near  Washington,  and 
also  in  burying-ground  attached  to  the  Wash- 
ington Street  Presbyterian  Church  for  many 
years;  but  since  1874  in  Charles  Evans'  Ceme- 
tery. 

Gas  and  Electric  Light. — Our  fore- 
fathers used  a  very  simple  sort  of  light.  It 
was  produced  from  tallow  and  oil.  Candles 
were  in  universal  use.  And  they  continued  in 
use  during  the  first  and  second  periods  of  Read- 
ing. The  inhabitants  did  not  require  a  superior 
light,  for  they  performed  their  labor  and  trans- 
acted their  business  during  the  hours  of  the  day 
in  which  the  sun  shone, — from  "  sun-rise  "  to 
"  sun-set," — carrying  out  the  divine  injunction, 
"  work  while  it  is  day,  for  the  night  cometh 
when  no  man  can  work."  From  this,  however, 
we  are  not  to  infer  that  the  night  was  not  used 
to  some  extent,  as  it  is  now,  for  amusement  at 
least,  if  not  so  much  for  labor  and  business. 
"  Country  life,"  as  distinguished  from  "  town- 
life,"  clung  to  the  inhabitants  with  remarkable 
tenacity.  This  arose  from  their  condition.  They 


were  mostly  of  the  laboring  class.  They  had 
simple  habits.  A  great  proportion  also  carried 
on  agriculture  in  connection  with  their  trades 
and  occupations.  Generally  inclined,  if  not 
forced,  to  exercise  economy,  they  avoided  ex- 
pense beyond  the  necessaries  of  life.  Naturally, 
therefore,  a  simple,  cheap  light  was  sufficient  for 
their  purposes.  A  demand  for  an  improvement 
did  not  arise;  hence,  it  was  not  thought  of. 
If,  perchance,  it  occurred  to  some  men  of  enter- 
prise and  advanced  thought,  it  was  certainly 
during  these  periods  impracticable.  The  time 
had  not  yet  come,  and  the  population  had  not 
yet  reached  the  number  to  justify  the  experi- 
ment and  expense. 

Immediately  after  the  erection  of  the  borough 
into  a  city  an  improvement  was  made.  And 
this  was  by  the  introduction  of  gas,  for  which  a 
company  was  formed  in  1848,  under  the  name 
of  the  "  Reading  Gas  Company."  It  continued 
to  supply  many  citizens  and  business  places  and 
the  streets  of  the  city  with  gas  from  that  time  till 
November,  1885,  when  the  "  Consumers'  Gas 
Company  "  took  possession  of  its  extensive  and 
costly  plant  under  a  lease.  This  latter  company 
is  now  supplying  gas  to  the  community.  The 
Reading  Company  began  their  enterprise  with 
five  miles  of  pipes  and  sixteen  lamps  in  the 
central  part  of  the  city,  and  supplied  the  gas 
from  a  gasometer  with  a  capacity  of  fifty  thou- 
sand feet.  The  works  then  had  only  nine  retorts. 
As  time  advanced,  the  demands  for  gas  increased 
and  the  retorts  multiplied,  advancing  in  number 
from  nine  to  sixty.  In  1861  a  telescope  gasom- 
eter was  erected  with  a  capacity  of  one  hundred 
thousand  feet,  and  afterward  a  similar  one  was 
substituted  in  the  place  of  the  original  one.  In 
1873  the  company  erected  at  Fourth  and  Elm 
Streets  a  large  distributing  telescope  gasometer, 
with  a  capacity  of  three  hundred  and  sixty  thou- 
sand feet.  Its  works  are  situated  in  the  south- 
ern section  of  the  city,  at  the  foot  of  Fifth  Street. 
Dr.  Isaac  Hiester  was  the  first  president  and 
Matthias  S.  Richards  the  first  secretary  and 
treasurer.  Horatio  Trexler  has  officiated  as 
president  since  1860;  and  Edward  D.  Smith  as 
secretary  and  treasurer  since  1859.  Its  organi- 
zation is  maintained  notwithstanding  the  trans- 
fer.    In  November,  1885,   there  were  thirty- 


READING. 


759 


nine  miles  of  pipes  and  two  hundred  and  fifty- 
five  gas  lamps. 

•Naphtha  gas  was  introduced  in  1879.  By  this 
process  about  three  hundred  lamps  are  lit,  be- 
ing located  in  the  outer  portions  of  the  city  and 
along  the  alleys. 

A  company  was  formed  in  1883  for  the  purpose 
of  supplying  Eeading  with  electric  light  and 
power,  and  it  has  been  in  successful  operation 
since.  At  present  the  company  has  in  use  four- 
teen miles  of  wire,  and  is  supplying  electric 
light  to  the  city  and  certain  business  men;  total 
number  of  city  lamps  being  seventy-eight,  and 
business  lights  forty-two.  The  company  began 
to  supply  the  city  with  light  at  the  more  prom- 
inent intersection  of  streets  on  Sept.  1,  1883. 
This  company  is  now  finishing  a  large  and  sub- 
stantial brick  building  on  Seventh  Street  near 
Chestnut,  to  supply  the  increasing  demands  for 
their  superior  light.  The  engine  is  four  hun- 
dred and  fifty  horse  power,  capable  of  carrying 
one  hundred  and  twenty-two  arc  lights  and 
two  thousand  four  hundred  incandescent  lights. 
The  officers  of  the  company  are  Thomas  P. 
Merritt,  president,  and  Joshua  K.  Righter, 
secretary  and  treasurer. 

Halls. — The  people  of  Reading  had  a  na- 
tural fondness  for  amusement  from  its  very  be- 
ginning as  a  prominent  centre.  During  its  first 
period  as  a  town  there  were  no  buildings  set 
apart  expressly  for  meetings  and  amusements. 
Every  tavern  had  a  large  room,  in  which  the 
landlord  encouraged  parties  to  assemble  for 
dancing,  an  amusement  which  was  indulged  in 
quite  frequently  during  the  year  by  the  young 
people,  and  which  was  especially  conspicuous  on 
"Fair-Days."  Public  meetings  assembled  at 
the  court-house,  and  also  to  a  certain  extent 
in  the  Reading  Academy,  a  building  erected 
in  1810  for  educational  purposes.  And  during 
its  second  period  as  a  borough  the  situation  in 
this  respect  was  not  much  improved.  The 
"State-House"  was  erected  in  1793,  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  Fifth  and  Penn  Streets,  and 
included  two  large  rooms  on  the  second  floor; 
but  these  rooms  were  never  converted  into 
"halls"  for  dancing,  theatres,  etc., — the  one 
having  been  mostly  used  for  a  Sunday-school, 
from   about    1820    till    1846,  and   the   other 


for  a  lodge-room  by  the  "  Masons,"  when  the 
building  was  sold  by  the  county.  Theatres  and 
performances  of  all  kinds  were  still  conducted 
in  large  rooms  of  certain  tavern  buildings.  But 
its  third  period  as  a  city  had  hardly  begun  be- 
fore a  change  was  effected  to  accommodate  the 
public.  The  first  enterprise  for  this  purpose 
was  projected  in  1842,  when  steps  were  taken 
by  the  Masonic  Lodge  for  the  erection  of  a  large 
and  commodious  three-story  hall  on  the  east  side 
of  South  Fifth  Street,  near  Franklin ;  but  it 
failed,  notwithstanding  a  large  room  was  much 
needed.  The  academy  had  been  closed  to  en- 
tertainments, even  concerts. 

In  1846  a  second  effort  was  made  in  this  be- 
half. This  was  by  the  "  Odd-Fellows."  They 
purchased  the  lot  on  the  southwest  corner  of 
Fifth  and  Franklin  Streets,  and  began  building 
operations  in  April,  1846.  The  building — 
three-story  brick — was  dedicated  as  the  ""Odd- 
Fellows'  Hall,"  on  October  26,  1847.  The  pro- 
cession of  Odd-Fellows  upon  that  occasion  pre- 
sented one  of  the  finest  pageants  ever  witnessed 
in  Reading.  A  large  number  of  the  members 
of  the  order  from  abroad,  including  the  digni- 
taries of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  this  and  other 
States  and  of  the  United  States,  were  in  attend- 
ance ;  and  the  various  lodges  in  this  county  were 
largely  represented.  The  ceremony  of  dedica- 
ting the  hall  was  imposing.  It  took  place 
between  ten  and  twelve  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

The  procession  was  under  the  direction  of 
General  Wm.  H.  Keim,  chief  marshal. 

Thirty-four  lodges  were  present  from  Phila- 
delphia and  surrounding  counties,  and  the  num- 
ber in  line  was  from  two  thousand  to  two  thou- 
sand five  hundred.  All  the  banners  were  beauti- 
ful and  attractive  and  mostly  made  for  the  oc- 
casion. A  levee  took  place  in  the  evening.  Many 
persons  attended.  The  ball  was  a  splendid  affair. 

Concerts  and  entertainments  began  to  beheld 
immediately  after  its  dedication  in  the  large 
auditorium  on  the  second  floor.  A  dramatic 
troupe,  under  the  management  of  J.  H.  Powell, 
is  worthy  of  special  mention.  He  opened  on 
May  10,  1848,  and  continued  to  play  to  large 
audiences  for  four  weeks. 

The  next  was  the  "  Keystone  Hall  "—an  ad- 
dition erected  at  the  rear  of  the  Keystone  House 


760 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


— northwest  corner  of  Sixth  and  Penn  Streets, 
by  the  owner,  Tobias  Barto.  Its  completion 
was  signalized  by  a  "  Grand  Dedication  Ball," 
on  Thursday  evening,  October  19,  1854.  Its 
capacity  was  about  five  hundred.  Many  en- 
tertainments, balls  and  public  meetings  were 
held  in  it  during  its  continuance.  In  1866  it 
was  enlarged  and  much  improved,  when  it  was 
called  Keystone  Opera-House.  It  was  discon- 
tinued upon  the  enlargement  of  the  hotel. 

The  third  was  "  Aulenbach's  Hall,"  on  the 
south  side  of  Penn  street,  one  hundred  feet 
above  Sixth,  erected  by  John  S.  Aulenbach  in 


by  Joseph  Mishler,  of  Reading/and  opened  to  the 
public  October  1,  1872,  with  an  entertainment 
by  home  talent,  consisting  of  an  address  by 
Hon.  Hiester  Clymer,  vocal  selections  by  Albert 
S.  Boyer,  violin  solos  by  A.  S.  Bowman,  zither 
solo  by  Philip  Bissinger,  the  Ringgold  Band, 
under  the  direction  of  B.  M.  Henry,  and  the 
Germania  Orchestra  under  the  direction  of  Prof. 
J.  William  Jost.  Tickets  were  sold  by  sealed 
proposals  which  ranged  from  twenty  dollars  to 
fifty  cents.  Col.  Eli  S.  Fox,  of  the  Keystone 
House,  was  the  highest  bidder,  taking  first 
choice  of  two  seats  for  forty  dollars.     Hon. 


EXTnkujzLHi 


STAGE   OF    MISHLER   ACADEMY. 


1862.  Its  capacity,  including  gallery,  was  about 
eight  hundred. 

The  fourth  was  "  Breneiser's  Hall  "  on  the 
northwest  corner  of  Penn  and  Eighth  Streets 
erected  by  Charles  S.  Breneiser  in  1869.  From 
1879  till  now  it  has  been  known  as  Association 
Hall — the  second  and  third  floors  having  been 
occupied  by  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation of  Reading  till  April  1,  1886,  and  since 
then  only  the  second  floor.  The  third  floor  is 
occupied  by  societies  of  Odd-Fellows. 

Mishler's  Academy  of  Music  was  erected 


Hiester  Clymer  had  four  seats  for  fifty  dollars ; 
Isaac  McHose  had  two  seats  for  twenty  dol- 
lars, and  the  following  persons  had  two  or  more 
seats  at  five  dollars  each  :  Moses  K.  Graeff,  F. 
P.  Heller,  William  M.  Griscom,  H.  M.  Keim, 
Adam  Kutz,  H.  A.  Kauffman,  Ambrose  Mc- 
Hose, Simon  Seyfert,  Mrs.  Frank  Seitzinger, 
Geo.  K.  Whitner  and  Dr.  W.  M.  Weidman. 
There  were  a  good  many  at  $2.50,  $2,  $1.75 
and  $1.  The  auditorium  was  about  two-thirds 
filled  the  opening  night,  but  the  receipts  were 
$1,384.50.     The  prices  after  the  proposals  had 


READING. 


761 


been  opened  were  :  Parquet,  five  dollars ;  par- 
quet circle,  $2.50;  gallery  one  dollar;  boxes, 
fortv  dollars.  The  first  dramatic  performance 
was  given  October  7,  1872,  by  a  dramatic  com- 
pany under  the  management  of  Mr.  John  E. 
McDonough,  which  remained  four  weeks  play- 
ing to  crowded  houses.  All  the  leading  Amer- 
ican stars,  except  Booth,  appeared  at  the 
Academy,  and  the  character  of  entertainments 
equaled  those  of  any  theatre  in  New  York 
or  Philadelphia.  Among  those  that  had  the 
largest  receipts  were  Charlotte  Cushman,  as 
"  Meg  Merrilies ,"  May  15,  1873,  and  on  that 


Company  (two  nights),  $1280;  Thatcher,  Prim- 
rose and  West,  $685.35  ;  Kiralfy's  Around  the 
World,  $698.50;  E.  L.  Davenport,  $613.50; 
Fanny  Davenport,  $652.70 ;  and  Thomas' 
orchestra,  $1011.  A  pleasing  feature  for  sev- 
eral seasons  was  Mishler's  course  of  lectures,  for 
which  the  stage  settings  were  made  expressly  to 
conform  with  the  subject  of  the  lecture.  The 
Mishler  Academy  was  the  first  modern  com- 
plete theatre  erected  in  Eastern  Pennsylvania, 
outside  of  Philadelphia.  The  Academy  occu- 
pied a  space  of  seventy  by  one  hundred  feet,  and 
the  auditorium  was  divided  into  a  parquette, 


AUDITORIUM   OF   MISHLER   ACADEMY. 


occasion  the  prices  of  seats  were  higher  than  for 
any  other  dramatic  performance  since  ;  the 
prices  were  $2,  $1.50,  $1  and  seventy-five  cents; 
the  receipts  were  seven  hundred  and  four  dol- 
lars, and  as  Miss  Cushman  received  five  hun- 
dred and  personal  expenses  for  her  own  services 
only,  there  was  a  loss  of  several  hundred  dollars; 
Carncross  and  Dixey,  $646.50;  Henry  Ward 
Beecher,  $761,  $1  having  been  charged  for  seats 
in  every  part  of  the  Academy;  George  L.  Fox  in 
pantomime,  $769.50 ;  Furbish's  Two  Orphans 


raised  parquette  circle,  and  one  gallery,  with  a 
total  seating  capacity  of  over  one  thousand  per- 
sons. The  cost  exceeded  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars.  The  interior  arrangements  were  com- 
plete in  all  their  appointments,  and  the  ceilings 
and  walls  were  magnificently  frescoed. 

After  a  successful  career  of  fourteen  years, 
the  Academy  was  closed  also  by  home  talent, 
February  27,  1886,— the  production  of  the 
"  Drummer  Boy  of  Shiloh,"  by  members  of  the 
McLean  and  Keim  Posts,  G.  A.  R. 


762 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


The  Academy  was  always  under  the  manage- 
ment of  John  D.  Mishler,  son  of  the  proprietor. 

Joseph  Mishler,  the  proprietor  of  the 
Academy,  was  born  at  Reamstown,  Lancaster 
County,  Pa.,  March  14,  1820.  He  located 
at  Reading  in  1848,  and  became  an  enterprising 
and  liberal-spirited  citizen.  He  was  of  a  jovial, 
sociable  disposition  and  had  an  extensive  ac- 
quaintance throughout  the  State.  In  the 
early  progress  of  the  city  he  was  among  the 
foremost  in  the  erection  of  numerous  buildings. 
In  1872  he  erected  the  first  modern  place  of 
amusement  in  Reading.  It  was  a  gratifying 
enterprise  to  his  friends  and  a  substantial  evi- 
dence of  his  liberality  and  good  taste.  The  last 
six  years  of  his  life  he  retired  from  active  busi- 
ness. He  died  August  20,  1880.  He  was 
married  to  Rebecca  Zimmerman,  of  Lebanon 
County,  Pa.,  and  left  a  widow  and  two  sons, 
— John  D.  and  William  D. 

John  D.  Mishler  was  born  at  Newmanstown, 
Lebanon  County,  in  1847,  and  educated  at 
Reading.  He  was  actively  engaged  as  a 
merchant  at  Reading  from  1868  till  1872,  when 
he  directed  his  attention  to  public  entertain- 
ments, in  which  since  that  time  he  has  met  with 
great  success.  He  has  also  shown  a  high  degree 
of  public  spirit  in  other  matters  pertaining  to 
the  progress  of  Reading.  In  various  charitable 
affairs  he  has  exhibited  much  liberality.  He 
was  connected  with  the  construction  of  the  first 
street  railway  in  Reading,  the  organization  of  the 
first  Board  of  Health,  the  agitation  of  the  City 
Park,  and  the  projection  of  the  Widows'  Home. 

Grand  Opera-House. — In  1871  the  West 
Reading  Market-House  Company-erected  a  fine 
and  commodious  market-house  on  Penn  Street, 
between  Third  and  Fourth  Streets,  extending  to 
Cherry  Street  in  the  rear.  Shortly  after  its 
completion,  the  company  decided  to  add  an 
"  Opera-House  "  to  the  front  part,  and  accord- 
ingly proceeded  in  that  behalf,  finishing  the 
building  in  September,  1873;  and  in  the  same 
month  it  was  regularly  opened  to  the  public  as 
a  superior  place  of  amusement  with  a  seating 
capacity  for  one  thousand  persons.  The  cost 
was  forty  thousand  dollars.  The  decorations 
were  admirably  executed  by  Frederick  Spang, 
artist,  of  Reading. 


The  front  of  the  parquet  circle  is  in  panel- 
work,  with  handsome  life-like  portraits  of  Ru- 
binstein, Mrs.  Billington,  Lucca,  Miss  Nielson, 
Jenny  Lind,  M'lle  Nilsson,  Handel,  Haydn, 
Clara  Louise  Kellogg,  Parepa  Rosa,  Mrs.  Scott 
Siddons,  Madame  Sessi,  Madame  Pasta,  and 
Meyerbeer.  These  are  interspersed  with  elegant 
little  bouquets  of  flowers.  Above  the  prosce- 
nium, in  a  recess,  is  the  head  of  Apollo,  and  on 
the  ceiling  are  portraits  of  Forrest  as  Macbeth, 
the  elder  Mrs.  Siddons  as  Lady  Macbeth, 
Fanny  Kemble,  Beethoven,  Mozart,  Schiller 
and  Goethe.  In  the  centre  of  the  dome  are 
four  figures,  representing  Spring,  Summer, 
Autumn  and  Winter,  which  are  interspersed 
with  wreaths  and  bouquets.  Eucircling  these 
are  figures  of  Music,  Tragedy,  Comedy  and  the 
Terpsichorean  art.  The  stage  is  thirty-four 
feet  deep,  with  a  recess  of  twelve  feet.  The  fol- 
lowing gentlemen  composed  the  board  of  direc- 
tors, who  attended  to  the  erection  of  the  build- 
ing :  Reuben  E.  Addams,  Charles  S.  Birch, 
George  M.  Ermentrout,  John  Kissinger,  John 
McKnight,  Arnold  Mellert,  John  F.  Orth, 
John  S.  Pearson  and  A.  W.  Potteiger.  The 
president  of  the  board  was  John  Kissinger,  and 
the  secretary  and  treasurer  George  M.  Ermen- 
trout, Esq. 

Mr.  George  W.  Miller  has  been  the  man- 
ager for  the  past  ten  years,  successfully  providing 
attractive  and  well  attended  amusements. 

MiENNERCHOR  Hall. — A  "  Masonic  Tem- 
ple "  was  begun  in  1873,  on  North  Sixth  Street, 
near  Walnut,  but  the  project  failed  during  the 
course  of  its  erection,  after  the  completion  of 
the  market-house.  Subsequently  Hon.  George  D. 
Stitzel  and  several  others  purchased  the  property 
and  completed  the  building.  It  was  opened  in 
1877,  and  named  after  the  prominent  singing  so- 
ciety of  Reading.  A  small  stage  was  added  to 
the  auditorium.  The  capacity  is  estimated  at 
eight  hundred  persons.  The  market-house  was 
torn  down  recently,  and  th«  owners  (George  D. 
Stitzel,  Nolan  Brothers,  William  Shomo,  John 
D.  Mishler  and  Garrett  B.  Stevens)  are  now 
erecting  a  commodious  opera-house,  to  take 
the  place  of  the  "  Academy  of  Music,"  and  to 
be  complete  in  all  its  appointments. 

There  have  been  other  places  of  amusement 


READING. 


f63 


in  Reading,  but  they  were  not  long  in  existence, 
and  special  mention  of  them  will  not  be  made. 

Private  Market-Houses. — Immediately- 
after  the  public  market-houses  were  abandoned, 
private  individuals  erected  substantial  and  com- 
modious buildings  to  accommodate  the  market 
people,  which  were  opened  the  first  time  on  May 
10,  1871.  The  following  three  buildings  were 
erected  shortly  before :  South  Reading,  Sixth 
and  Bingaman  ;  Farmer's,  on  Penn,  between 
Eighth  and  Ninth  ;  West  Reading,  on  Penn, 
between  Third  and  Fourth.  In  1874  two  addi- 
tional market-houses  were  erected, — Northeast, 
at  Ninth  and  Buttonwood,  and  the  Keystone,  on 
Sixth,  near  Walnut, — and  in  1884,  a  sixth  was 
erected  at  Tenth  and  Chestnut,  by  Dr.  W.  P. 
Deppen. 

Hospitals. — There  are  two  fine  hospital 
buildings  in  Reading, — the  Reading,  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  city ;  and  the  St.  Joseph's, 
on  Walnut  Street,  above  Twelfth.  Both  occupy 
fine  positions  and  command  magnificent  views 
of  the  surrounding  country. 

Reading  Hospital. — Prior  to'  the  year 
1867  Reading  had  no  institution  to  provide 
medical  treatment  and  medicines  for  the  worthy 
poor.  The  Reading  Medical  Association  recog- 
nizing this  want,  at  a  stated  meeting  in  Decent 
ber  of  that  year,  appointed  a  committee,  com- 
posed of  Drs.  D.  L.  Beaver,  J.  B.  Brooke,  S. 
L.  Kurtz,  Martin  Luther,  Edward  Wallace  and 
W.  Murray  Weidman,  to  confer  with  some  of 
the  leading  citizens  in  reference  to  this  charity. 
On  the  evening  of  December  14,  1867,  at  the 
office  of  Dr.  Martin  Luther,  the  following- 
named  gentlemen  met  the  committee :  A.  F. 
Boas,  Isaac  Eckert,  Wm.  Griscom,  Dr.  Chas. 
H.  Hunter,  Chas.  Kessler,  Adam  Leize,  Frede- 
rick Lauer,  H.  H.  Muhlenberg,  John  McManus, 
G.  A.  Nicolls,  James  F.  Smith,  Dr.  Daniel 
Ulrich  and  P.  M.  Ziegler.  It  was  then  deter- 
mined to  open  the  "  Reading  Dispensary." 

A  constitution  with  by-laws  was  adopted, 
a  charter  was  obtained,  money  was  subscribed 
and  a  house  rented.  Messrs.  A.  F.  Boas, 
Henry  Bushong,  Hiester  Clymer,  Isaac  Eckert, 
Wm.  Griscom,  Chas.  H.  Hunter,  M.D.,  Charles 
Kessler,  Adam  Leize,  Frederick  Lauer,  H.  H. 
Muhlenberg,  John  McManus,  G.  A.  Nicolls, 


John  S.  Richards,  Esq.,  Daniel  Shaaber,  Hon. 
Warren  J.  Woodward,  James  F.  Smith  and  P. 
M.  Ziegler  composed  the  first  board  of  man- 
agers. 

On  the  27th  of  January,  1868,  the  Reading 
Dispensary  was  opened  at  No.  618  Court  Street 
for  the  reception  of  in-door  patients.  One  sur- 
geon and  one  physician  were  appointed  to  be  in 
attendance  daily.  Out-door  patients  were  pre- 
scribed for  every  afternoon  except  Sundays, 
between  the  hours  of  two  and  three.  Ward 
physicians  were  appointed  to  attend  patients  too 
ill  to  call  at  the  institution.  All  this  work  was 
performed  gratuitously  by  the  members  of  the 
Reading  Medical  Association.  In  February, 
1874,  Frederick  Lauer,  Drs.  Brooke,  Kurtz 
and  Weidman  were  appointed  as  a  committee 
by  the  board  of  managers  to  purchase  a  site 
for  the  erection  of  a  hospital  building.  The. 
spot  selected  was  that  on  which  the  Reading 
Hospital  now  stands  and  was  purchased  of 
Michael  Hauser.  During  the  financial  panic 
of  1874  the  demands  on  the  dispensary  were 
greatly  increased  and  the  collections  diminished 
to  such  an  extent  that  the  managers  were  com-; 
pelled  to  close  the  building  on  Court  Street. 
A  room  was  obtained  in  the  building  of  the 
Reading  Relief  Association,  corner  of  Franklin 
and  Plum  Streets,  where  all  out-door  patients 
were  attended  daily,  and  the  services  of  the 
ward  physicians  continued  as  above  mentioned. 
In  1883  the  charter  was  revised  and  the  name 
changed  to  the  "  Reading  Hospital."  The  State 
appropriated  twenty  thousand  dollars  on  condi- 
tion that  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  be  col- 
lected from  citizens.  This  being  accomplished, 
a  plan  of  building,  designed  by  Furness  & 
Evans,  under  the  direction  of  the  building 
committee — namely,  W.  E.  C.  Coxe,  J.  B. 
Brooke,  M.D.,  Geo.  F.  Baer,  Harrison  Maltz- 
berger  and  W.  M.  Weidman,  M.D., — was 
adopted,  and  the  building  commenced. 

The  members  of  the  board  of  managers  at 
present  are  W.  E.  C.  Coxe,  president ;  P.  M. 
Ziegler,  treasurer  ;  Israel  Cleaver,  M.D.,  secre- 
tary ;  B.  R.  Lee,  M.D.,  representative  of  Read- 
ing Medical  Association  ;  George  F.  Baer,  Esq., 
Elijah  Bull,  Charles  Breneiser,  J.  B.  Brooke, 
M.D.,  A.  B.  Dundor,  M.D.,  Henry  S.  Eckert, 


764 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY.  PENNSYLVANIA. 


S.  L.  Kurtz,  M.D.,  Harrison  Maltzberger,  Esq., 
W.  F.  Muhlenberg,  M.D.,  John  B.  Raser,  P. 
R.  Stetson  and  "W.  Murray  Weidman,  M.D. 

The  hospital  comprises  a  superior  and  com- 
modious two-story  brick  structure  -with  a  cut 
lime-stone  base  in  a  fine,  elevated  position, 
which  commands  a  magnificent  view  of  Reading 
and  the  surrounding  country.  It  contains  all 
the  modern  improvements,  especially  designed 
for  a  complete  sanitarium,  with  two  large  wards, 
each  having  a  capacity  for  twelve  beds,  a  female 
ward  for  five  beds  and  three  apartments  for 


P.M.Ziegler 500  00 

Caleb  Wheeler 500  00 

GeorgeF.  Baer 500  00 

John  B.  Brooke 500  00 

John  Endlich 500  00 

AdamLeize 500  00 

John  Maltzberger 500-00 

E.  J.  Deininger 500  00 

Hauser  Estate 500  00 

W.  E.  C.  Coxe 500  00 

James  Jameson 500  00 

George  Brooke 500  00 

Mrs.  William  M.  and  Mr.  Isaac  Hies- 
ter 500  00 


BEADING   HOSPITAL. 


"pay"  patients.  When  finished  it  will  be 
under  the  care  of  a  physician  and  surgeon, 
matron  and  nurse,  with  several  assistants. 

The  building  is  situated  one  mile  north 
from  Penn  Street,  and  is  accessible  by  convey- 
ance or  by  the  street  railway,  the  northern  ter- 
minus of  which  is  only  a  short  distance  from 
the  inclosure.  The  property  includes  a  tract  of 
over  three  acres  of  ground. 

The  following  subscriptions  have  been  re- 
ceived towards  the  Reading  Hospital  to  Decem- 
ber 31,  1884  : 

John  S.  Pearson $500  00 


William  Mcllvain  and  Sons 500  00 

Eckert&Bro 500  00 

J.  H.  Sternbergh 500  00 

Philadelphia  Friend 500  00 

Orr,  Painter  &  Co 350  00 

Beading  Hardware  Co 350  00 

Charles  Breneiser 250  00 

G.  A.  Nicolls 250  00 

Horace  Roland 200  00 

McHose  &  Co 200  00 

Rick  Bros 200  00 

Mrs.  Sarah  Haywood 200  00 

A.  Wilhelm  &  Co 150  00 

Mrs.  Catharine  E.  H.  Jones 150  00 

Miss  Mary  Eckert 150  00 

Mrs.  Esther  Otto 100  00 


READING. 


765 


Miss  Clara  Gries 100  00 

Mrs.  Susan  B.  Good 100  00 

Miss  Susan  E.  Benson 100  00 

J.  L.  Stichter  &  Son 100  00 

Kline  &  Eppihimer 100  00 

D.  H.  Wingerd 100  00 

Moses  K.  Graeff. 100  00 

H.A.Muhlenberg 100  00 

M.  A.  DeWolfe  Howe 100  00 

J.  V.  Cvaig 100  00 

J.  H.Craig,  Keystone  Iron- Works...  100  00 

Jacob  Snell 100  00 

Jesse  G.  Hawley 100  00 

E.  D.  Smith 100  00 

W.  D.  Smith 100  00 

Bentley  H.  Smith 100  00 

L.Heber  Smith 100  00 

W.  A.  Arnold 100  00 

F.  Leaf  Smith 100  00 

Thomas  P.  Merritt 100  00 

Reading  Friend 100  00 

J.  O.  Geise 60  00 

H.  H.  Muhlenberg 50  00 

J.  E.  Wootten 50  00 

James  F.Smith 50  00 

W.  T.  Hain 50  00 

Samuel  Buch 50  00 

E.  T.  Leaf. 50  00 

Mrs.  A.  L.  Campbell 50  00 

Graul&Co 50  00 

Miss  S.  F.  Wharton 50  00 

Samuel  H.  Kutz 50  00 

Lodge  No.  62,  A.  Y.  M 50  00 

Chandler  Lodge,  No.  227,  A.  Y.  M...    50  00 
St.  John's  Lodge,  No.  435,  A.  Y.  M..     25  00 

Reading  H.  R.  Chapter,  No.  152 25  00 

Christian  Eben , 39  00 

A.  Harvey  Tyson 35  00 

George  Gasser 30  00 

Daniel  Borkert,  Jr.,  &  Co 30  00 

George  W.  Greisemer  &  Bro 30  00 

Douglas  &  Connard 25  00 

F.P.Howe 25  00 

Samuel  Koch ,.    25  00 

Mellert  Foundry  &  Machine  Co 25  00 

J.  C.  Bright 25  00 

Winter  &  Goetz 25  00 

H.  S.  Getz  &  Co 25  00 

John  R.  Miller 25  00 

W.  H.  Reinoehl  &  Co 25  00 

JohnHendel '.    25  00 

Henry  B.  Hendel 25  00 

High&Geiger 25  00 

DeLongBros 25  00 

Cash,  H.  A.  &  A 25  00 

8.  E.Ancona 25  00 

Mrs.  R.  T.  Leaf. 25  00 

Leymaster  &  Bricker 25  00 

J.H.  Cheetham 25  00 


P.Barbey&Son 25  00 

Martin  Streng 20  00 

Christopher  Leoser 20  00 

Solomon  Weida 20  00 

F.  S.  Jacobs 20  00 

C.  F.  Kessler 20  00 

Dr.  Joseph  Coblentz 20  00 

C.  Stolz 15  00 

Miss  Marion  Baer 10  00 

Penn  Hardware  Co 10  00 

Levi  Rothenberger 10  00 

Sundry  subscriptions  less  than   $10, 
Fairs,  etc 11,126  00 

Total $26,290  00 

During  the  year  1885, — 

Reading  Hardware  Co $350  00 

M.  A.  DeWolfe  Howe 100  00 

A.  Wilhelm  &  Co 50  00 

Reading  Foundry  Co 42  00 

Liquor  Dealers'  Protective  Assoc'n    25  00 
Sundry  contributions 32  51 

Total $509  51 

St.  Joseph's  Hospital.— The  land  on  which 
this  hospital  is  located,  on  the  north  side  of 
Walnut  Street,  above  Twelfth,  was  long  known 
as  the  "Vollmer  property.  It  was  purchased  in 
1873  for  ten  thousand  dollars  and  contained 
three  and  a  half  acres,  on  which  were  then  a 
two-story  brick  dwelling,  twenty  by  thirty  feet, 
a  frame  structure  and  a  stable.  The  dwelling 
was  arranged  into  wards,  appropriately  fur- 
nished, and  the  institution  was  opened  as  a  hos- 
pital in  August,  1873,  under  the  immediate 
stewardship  of  the  Sisters  of  St.  Francis.  Im- 
mediately after  the  organization  of.  the  hospital, 
the  Pathological  Society  of  Berks  County,  at  a 
meeting  held  for  that  purpose,  appointed  a  com- 
mittee to  tender  the  services  of  its  members  as  a 
medical  board  of  the  institution.  The  offer  was 
gratefully  accepted  and  a  board  was  organized, 
with  the  following  membership:  Drs.  D.  L. 
Beaver,  Martin  Luther,  Jeremiah  Breidenbach, 
H.  M.  Nagle,  Henry  Landis,  J.  G.  Kalbach, 
Samuel  Ermentrout  and  M.  A.  Rhoads,  which 
was  subsequently  increased  by  the  addition  of 
James  M.  Hoffman  and  A.  J.  Cressman.  The 
same  medical  society  is  to  the  present  day  the 
efficient  medical  staff  of  St  Joseph's  Hospital. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  new  St.  Joseph's  Hos- 
pital was  laid  in  July,  1882,  and  the  building 


766 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


placed  under  roof  some  time  during  the  follow- 
ing winter.  On  account  of  the  lack  of  funds, 
the  building  was  not  completed  until  1885, 
when,  on  May  25th,  it  was  solemnly  blessed  by 
the  most  Rev.  P.  J.  Ryan,  Archbishop  of  Phil- 
adelphia. Soon  after  this  it  was  properly  fur- 
nished and  occupied.  Since  then  it  has  done  a 
noble  work,  as  from  thirty  to  forty  patients  at 
a  time  have  been  carefully  provided  for.  The 
main  building  has  a  front  on  Walnut  Street  of 
sixty-five  feet;  its  depth  is  fifty  feet,  with  addi- 
tions both  in  the  front  and  to  the  rear.  On  its 
west  side  it  has  four  stories,  on  the  east  three. 
Spacious  balconies  on  the  east  and  west  sides  afford 
patients  who  can  leave  the  house  pure  air,  a  most 
beautiful  view  of  Reading  and  has  surroundings 
and  opportunity  for  light  out-door  exercise. 

The  interior  arrangements,  with  all  modern 
improvements,  are  well  adapted  to  the  comfort 
and  improvement  of  its  suffering  inmates.  The 
building  contains  fourteen  single  rooms,  well 
furnished  for  private  patients,  and  three  wards 
with  twenty-six  beds. 

There  are  other  large  rooms  and  halls  that 
can  be  made  into  wards  for  patients,  if  necessary, 
so  as  to  double  the  capacity  of  the  institution. 
The  hospital  occupies  an  elevated  location  on  the 
western  slope  of  Mount  Penn.  The  grounds 
belonging  to  the  institution  are  principally  oc- 
cupied by  productive  vineyards,  fruit-trees  and 
shrubbery,  thus  affording  convalescent  patients 
ample  opportunity  in  mild  weather  for  amuse- 
ment and  recreation.  Easily  accessible  from 
all  parts  of  the  city,  with  an  inexhaustible  flow 
of  pure  mountain  spring-water,  and  affording 
a  magnificent  view  of  the  city  of  Reading  and 
the  surrounding  country,  it  is  most  eminently 
adapted  to  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  erected. 

Though  conducted  by  the  Sisters  of  St.  Fran- 
cis, a  well-known  religious  society  in  the  Catholic 
Church,  it  is  by  no  means  a  sectarian  institu- 
tion in  the  dispensation  of  its  charities. 
The  statistics  of  the  hospital  show  that  more 
than  one-half  of  the  patients  treated  were  not  of 
the  Catholic,  but  of  the  Protestant  persuasion. 
Its  doors  are  open  alike  to  the  sick  and  afflicted 
of  every  race,  color  and  creed.  Comparatively 
few  of  its  inmates  are  able  to  pay  for  their 
board,  and  most  of  them  are  charity  patients. 


The  institution  was  built  by  charitable  con- 
tributions. Its  greatest  benefactor  was  the  late 
Francis  A.  Drexel,  who  kindly  remembered  it 
by  a  handsome  legacy  among  his  most  munificent 
charities.  Next  to  him  stands  the  charitable 
George  R.  Frill,  of  Reading,  who  has  donated 
to  the  institution  ten  thousand  dollars'  worth  of 
stock  of  the  Reading  Land  Improvement  Com- 
pany, on  which  the  hospital  may  realize  at  some 
future  day  a  handsome  sum  for  its  support. 
Meanwhile,  the  hospital  is  supported  by  the 
charity  of  the  citizens  of  Reading,  solicited  from 
time  to  time  by  the  Sisters  in  charge. 

Private  Parks. — A  number  of  small  parks 
are  situated  in  different  parts  of  the  city, — 
Lauer's,  Third  and  Elm ;  Fairview,  Ninth  and 
South ;  City  Hotel  and  Grand  Central,  in  East 
Reading ;  Andalusia  (Hertwig's),  North  Read- 
ing ;  and  the  Highland  House,  on  Neversink. 
The  first  has  been  prominent  in  social  and  con- 
vivial affairs,  in  political  demonstrations,  and  in 
celebrations  of  various  kinds  for  many  years. 
The  last  was  set  apart  in  1884  by  A.  S.  Gan- 
ser,  who  erected  thereon  a  fine,  commodious, 
three-story  frame  building  and  constructed  an 
inclined  railway.  This  place  affords  a  mag- 
nificent view  of  Reading,  and  also  northwardly 
over  the  Schuylkill  Valley,  and  westwardly 
over  the  Lebanon  Valley;  and  near  by  are 
"  look-outs"  (elevated  platforms),  one  at  the  east- 
ern end  of  Neversink,  looking  west  and  north, 
and  two  others,  on  the  same  mountain,  looking 
south  and  southeast  over  the  Schuylkill  Valley, 
in  which  the  "double  bend,"  bridges,  "Big 
Dam  "  and  fine  farms  are  conspicuous  features. 

The  Highland  House  has  one  hundred  and 
eighteen  rooms.  It  is  elevated  above  the  Schuyl- 
kill River  seven  hundred  and  twenty-eight  feet, 
and  nine  hundred  and  seventy-two  feet  above 
tide-water.  The  inclined  double  track  railway 
leading  to  it  is  one  thousand"  eight  hundred  feet 
long.  The  cars  are  drawn  by  a  double  cable, 
and  moved  by  an  eighty  horse-power  engine. 
Eighty  acres  are  included  in  the  property  with 
timber  of  thirty  years'  growth.  An  artesian 
well  is  upon  the  premises,  the  depth  of  which  is 
five  hundred  and  sixty  feet,  with  a  daily  water 
supply  equal  to  fifty  thousand  gallons.  The 
total  cost  is  about  sixty  thousand  dollars. 


BEADING. 


767 


Mineral  Spring. — The  property  in  the 
eastern  section  of  the  city,  owned  by  the  city  of 
Reading  and  commonly  known  by  the  name  of 
"Mineral  Spring,"  must  be  mentioned  in  this 
connection,  for,  if  not  a  private  park,  it  is  a  prop- 
erty used  as  a  park  by  many  people  on  pleasant 
days.  It  has  been  much  improved  lately.  The 
place  is  remembered  with  pleasure  by  many  on 
account  of  the  "  chickens  and  waffles  "  furnished 
there  for  thirty  years  by  Mrs.  Roland. 

By  a  petition  for  a  road  presented  to  court  on 
January  4,  1819,  it  would  appear  that  shortly 
before,  a  "  mineral  water "  was  discovered  on 
land  of  Charles  Kessler,  about  one  mile  and  a 
half  to  the  eastward  of  Reading,  which  was  con- 
sidered "  as  an  efficacious  remedy  for  many  dis- 
orders," having  been  used  for  some  time  prev- 
iously by  a  great  many  persons  as  a  medicine. 
On  this  account  the  public-house  near  by,  in  the 
occupancy  of  Jacob  Schneider,  was  expected  to 
become  a  place  of  great  resort,  and  not  having 
a  road  to  reach  it  conveniently,  the  court  was 
therefore  asked  to  lay  one  out,  which  was  done. 
This  place  has  been  a  resort  for  the  people  ever 
since.  The  Democrats  for  many  years  annually 
celebrated  the  "Fourth  of  July,"  drank  toasts 
and  delivered  speeches  there.  The  mineral 
spring  is  abandoned,  not  having  been  suffi- 
ciently strong  to  be  of  any  profit. 

STREET    RAILWAYS. 

Reading  City. — In  1873  the  Reading  City 
Passenger  Railway  Company  was  incorporated 
with  the  following  members :  George  R.  Frill, 
James  Millholland,  David  McKnight,  George 
W.  Bruckman  and  William  H.  Parvin.  The 
railway  was  laid  in  1874  on  Sixth  Street,  from 
Canal  Street  north wardly  to  Robeson,  and  thence 
to  the  Evans  Cemetery,  the  first  cars  having 
been  run  in  August  of  that  year.  The  company 
has  continued  to  operate  the  road  successfully 
since.  It  owns  four  miles  of  track,  seventy 
horses  and  twenty-one  cars.  In  1884  it  carried 
four  hundred  and  twenty-one  thousand  nine 
hundred  and  sixty-one  passengers. 

Perkiomen  Avenue. — The  company  for 
laying  this  street  railway  was  first  incorporated 
m  1 873,  under  the  name  of  Pen  n  Street  Passenger 
Railway  Company,  the  petition  having  been  sub- 


scribed by  two  hundred  and  five  citizens  and 
property-holders  along  Penn  Street;  and  the 
right  was  given  to  construct  a  street  railway  on 
Penn  Street  from  Front  to  Eleventh,  thence  on 
Perkiomen  Avenue  to  Nineteenth  Street.  Then 
an  organization  was  effected  and  the  railway 
laid  in  1874.  But  the  road  was  not  operated 
successfully  for  a  number  of  years;  then  it 
passed  into  the  possession  of  the  Central  Pas- 
senger Railway  Company,  which  also  failed  to 
carry  it  on  to  advantage.  In  1881  the  Perkiomen 
Avenue  Passenger  Railway  Company  was  or- 
ganized, when  it  purchased  the  road,  cars,  etc. 
It  has  operated  the  road  successfully  since.  In 
1884  it  carried  three  hundred  and  seventy-four 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  seven  passengers. 
The  length  of  the  road  is  two  miles  ;  and  it  has 
in  use  fifteen  cars  and  forty-two  horses. 


PART  VI. 


CHURCHES. 


LUTHERAN  CHURCHES. 


Trinity  Lutheran  Church. — The  records 
of  Trinity  Church  begin  with  1751,  and  the  first 
entry  is  the  baptism  of  Henry,  son  of  Abra- 
ham and  Margaret  Brosius,  born  August  20th, 
and  baptized  August  24th,  by  Rev.  Tobias 
Wagner,  who  served  congregations  in  a  some- 
what irregular  manner  in  this  and  neighboring 
counties.  Religious  services,  at  first,  were  held 
in  private  houses,  but  steps  were  speedily 
taken  for  the  erection  of  a  church-building. 
A  meeting  of  members  for  this  purpose  was  held 
on  the  festival  of  Epiphany,  January  6,  1752, 
and  Peter  Schneider  and  John  Oerlin  were  ap- 
pointed a  building  committee,  and  at  the  same 
time  Peter  Schneider,  Christian  Brentzer,  Wil- 
liam Marx  and  Abraham  Brosius  were  re- 
elected church  officers,  which  latter  statement 
shows  that  an  organization  had  previously  been 
effected.  The  building  was  begun  in  the  spring 
of  1752  on  a  lot  of  ground  situated  on  the 
northwest  corner  of  Prince  and  Thomas  Streets 
(now  Sixth  and  Washington  Streets).  It  was 
located  on  the  western  part  of  the  ground, 
where  the  parsonage  now  stands,  was  built  of 
logs  and  was  surmounted  with  a  steeple  having 


768 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


a  bell.  The  patent  to  the  congregation  for  the 
lots  Nos.  406  and  407  was  not  issued  until 
1754.  A  delegate  was  sent  to  the  meeting  of 
the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Ministerium,  held  in 
October,  1752,  with  a  petition  signed  by 
eighty-two  members,  praying  "  that  a  member 
of  that  reverend  body  might  be  appointed  to 
deliver  the  first  sermon  in  the  newly-erected 
church,  and  also  to  set  things  in  good  order  in  the 
congregation."  Rev.  Henry  Melchior  Muhlen- 
berg was  accordingly  appointed,  and  he  preached 
the  first  sermon  in  the  church  on  October  15, 
1752.  The  church  was  consecrated  on  Trinity 
Sunday,  June  17,  1753,  and  received  the  name 
"The  Holy  Trinity  Church."  On  that  occa- 
sion the  following  church  officers  were  in- 
stalled :  Peter  Schneider,  Philip  Jacob  Mayer, 
Wilhelm  Marx,  Henry  Hahn,  Peter  Weiser, 
Christian  Barchmann,  Eberhard  Martin,  Henry 
Reitmyer,  Frederick  Wendisch,  Michael  Fich- 
thorn,  Jurg  Sauerbrey,  Alexander  Klinger, 
Peter  Drompor  and  John  Kissinger,  together 
with  J.  Spengler  and  A.  Reissle,  from  Alsace, 
and  Martin  Gerich,  from  Schartzwald  (Exeter). 

Presents  to  the  new  church,  consisting  of 
pulpit  and  altar  coverings,  sacramental  vessels, 
collection  plates,  etc.,  are  recorded  as  having 
been  made  by  Christian  Brentzer  and  his  wife 
Catharine,  Eberhard  Martin,  Anna  K.  Sauer- 
milch,  Philip  J.  Rohrbauscht,  Master  Trury 
and  the  congregations  at  Lancaster  and  Phila. 

Pastoral  changes  were  frequent  in  the  early 
history  of  the  congregation  and  the  records 
kept  are  often  fragmentary.  The  following 
served  the  congregation  during  the  last  century : 
Rev.  H.  B.  G.  Wordman,  in  1752;  Rev.  D. 
Schuhmacker,  in  1754-55;  Rev.  J.  C.  Hart- 
wig,  in  1757;  Rev.  Hauseil,  1759-62; 

Rev.  J.  A.  Krug,  1764-71;  Rev.  Henry 
Moller,  in  1775;  Rev.  D.  Lehman,  1779-80; 
Rev.  Charles  Frederick  Wildbahn,  1782-96; 
and  Rev.  D.  Lehman  (the  second  time),  1796 
to  1801.  Notwithstanding  these  frequent 
changes,  and  the  distress  which  prevailed  during 
and  subsequent  to  the  Revolutionary  War,  the 
congregation  grew  in  numbers  and  wealth,  and 
in  1790  determined  to  erect  the  large  and 
stately  edifice  now  standing  on  the  northwest 
corner  of  Sixth  and  Washington  Streets.     The 


erection  of  a  building  of  such  dimensions, 
strength  and  beauty,  at  that  early  date,  bears 
testimony  to  the  enlarged  ideas,  culture  and 
liberality  of  the  congregation  and  its  pastor, 
Rev.  C.  F.  Wildbahn.  The  subscription  list 
was  started  in  1790,  the  corner-stone  was  laid 
in  1791  and  the  building  completed  in  1793, 
with  the  exception  of  the  spire,  which  was  not 
added  until  1831.  The  dimensions  are  one 
hundred  feet  long  by  sixty-one  feet  wide,  and 
originally  the  church  had  but  one  floor,  with 
three  doors  of  entrance  on  Washington  Street 
and  one  on  Sixth  Street. 


TRINITY  LUTHERAN  CHURCH   (1886). 

In  1803  Rev.  Henry  A.  Muhlenberg,  son  of 
Rev.  Dr.  H.  E.  Muhlenberg,  of  Lancaster,  and 
grandson  of  Rev.  Henry  Melchior  Muhlenberg, 
the  patriarch  of  the  Lutheran  Church  in 
America,  accepted  a  call  and  took  charge  of  this 
congregation.  He  married  into  the  family  of 
Governor  Hiester,  and  his  high  social  position 
and  eminent  talents  gave  a  new  impulse  to  the 
congregation.  His  call,  still  in  possession  of 
his  son,  Dr.  H.  H.  Muhlenberg,  provided  for 
English  preaching  every  fourth  Sunday,  the 
services  previous  to  that  date  having  been  en- 
tirely in  the  German  language.  The  number 
of  worshippers  on  these  occasions  was  quite 
small,  and  after  several  years  the  German 
language  was  again  used  in   all  the  services. 


READING. 


769 


Mr.  Muhlenberg  was  the  longest  settled  pastor 
the  congregation  ever  had,  his  ministry  con- 
tinuing twenty-six  years,  until  1829,  when  he 
was  chosen  to  represent  this  district  in  Congress. 

He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Jacob  Miller, 
D.D.,  who  took  charge  of  the  congregation  in 
May,  1829,  and  died  in  May,  1850,  having 
faithfully  served  the  church  for  twenty-one 
years. 

During  his  pastorate,  about  1831-33,  the 
very  fine  spire,  which  is  still  the  pride  of  the 
city  and  its  most  prominent  landmark,  was 
erected,  and  two  large  bells  placed  therein  ad- 
ditional to  the  smaller  one  which  had  been  in 
use  whilst  the  first  church  was  yet  standing. 
This  first  bell  was  cast  by  Henry  Kapple,  in 
Philadelphia,  in  1755,  aud  for  many  years  was 
rung  daily  at  eight  a.m.  and  at  noon,  the  cus- 
tom continuing  as  late  as  1844.  When  St. 
Luke's  Chapel  was  built,  this  bell  was  placed 
upou  it  and  used  about  ten  years,  when  it  became 
cracked  and  was  replaced  in  the  tower  of  Trin- 
ity Church,  where  it  is  kept  as  a  relic  of  "  ye 
olden  time."  The  spire  of  the  church  is  over 
two  hundred  feet  in  height,  and  for  a  long  while 
was  the  highest  in  the  State. 

In  1842  a  number  of  members  who  desired 
services  in  the  English  language  withdrew  and 
organized  St.  Matthew's  congregation.  This  led 
to  the  call,  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  of  Rev. 
F.  A.  M.  Keller  as  assistant  pastor,  who  was 
to  officiate  in  the  English  language.  He  entered 
immediately  on  his  duties.  From  that  time 
the  morning  services  were  held  by  Dr.  Miller 
in  the  German  language,  and  the  evening  ser- 
vices by  Mr.  Keller  in  the  English  language. 
Rev.  John  W.  Richards,  D.D.,  was  chosen  pas- 
tor after  the  death  of  Dr.  Miller.  He  was  a 
native  of  Reading,  and  a  grandson  of  the  Patri- 
arch Muhlenberg.  As  he  was  able  to  officiate 
in  both  languages,  the  services  of  the  English 
assistant  were  dispensed  with,  upon  which  action 
a  large  number  of  the  friends  of  Mr.  Keller 
withdrew  and  organized  in  1851  St.  James' Lu- 
theran congregation. 

4-t  a  meeting  of  the  vestry  held  November 

2,  1850,  it  was  determined  to  make  extensive 

alterations  in  the  church  edifice,  fitting  it  up  in 

modern  style  and  making  better  arrangements 

68 


for  the  Sunday-school  and  weekly  meetings. 
The  improvements  were  completed  by  the  mid- 
dle of  the  following  summer  and  the  church 
was  reconsecrated  on  July  27,  1851. 

The  building  was  very  materially  altered  in 
its  arrangements,  but  not  in  its  dimensions,  the 
great  height  of  the  church  allowing  a  basement 
story  of  eleven  feet  high  to  be  formed  by  put- 
ting a  second  floor  in,  and  still  leaving  a  height 
of  thirty  feet  for  the  main  auditorium,  and  giv- 
ing space  on  the  first  floor  for  a  large  Sunday- 
school  room  and  a  lecture-room.  The  chancel, 
with  pulpit  and  altar  richly  furnished,  was 
placed  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  building,  frosted 
glass  put  in  the  windows,  the  walls  frescoed  in 
a  very  superior  manner  by  an  Italian  artist  then 
in  this  country,  and  the  entire  building  reno- 
vated and  beautified  at  an  expense  of  about  ten 
thousand  dollars. 

Dr.  Richards  entered  on  his  duties  March 
16,  1851,  and  his  sudden  death  on  January  24, 
1854,  was  universally  lamented.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Rev.  John  N.  Hoffman,  who  served 
the  congregation  from  September  3,  1854,  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  July  26,  1857.  The 
congregation  had  grown  very  large,  and  many 
believed  the  time  had  come  for  a  division  on 
the  basis  of  language,  but  various  difficulties 
preventeditsimmediateconsummation.  Rev.  F. 
J.  F.  Shantz,  who  had  just  entered  the  ministry, 
was  called  as  a  supply  and  on  November  28, 
1857,  was  elected  pastor.  He  officiated  in  both 
languages  for  two  years,  when  Rev.  J.  J.  Kuen- 
dig  was  called  as  assistant  to  preach  in  the  Ger- 
man language.  This  arrangement  continued 
but  one  year,  when  the  division  or  separation  of 
the  English  and  German  portions  of  the  con- 
gregation took  place.  The  old  grave-yard  at 
Sixth  and  Walnut  Streets  was  sold,  and  with 
the  proceeds  the  German  portion  erected  St. 
John's  German  Lutheran  Church,  and  Trinity 
Church  became  exclusively  English  in  its  ser- 
Shortly  after  the  separation,  Rev.  Mr. 


vices. 


Schantz  resigned  (in  January,  1861),  and  on 
March  9th  Rev.  C.  Rightmyer  was  chosen  pas- 
tor and  served  the  congregation  until  the  sum- 
mer of  1864,  when  his  resignation  was  accepted. 
Rev.  Jacob  Fry,  the  present  pastor,  was 
elected  on  Christmas  day,  1864,  and  entered  on 


770 


HISTORY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


his  duties  February  1,  1865.  He  is  the  son  of 
Hon.  Jacob  Fry,  of  Montgomery  County,  who 
represented  that  district  in  Congress  for  several 
terms,  and  more  recently  was  auditor-general 
of  Pennsylvania.  A  large  number  of  families 
who  had  left  the  church  on  account  of  the  strifes 
and  troubles  which  for  some  years  disturbed 
the  congregation,  returned,  and  very  large  ac- 
cessions were  made  to  its  membership.  Some 
six  hundred  families  are  now  connected  with  it, 
the  communicant  members  numbering  over 
twelve  hundred,  and  one  thousand  leachers  and 
scholars  are  connected  with  the  Sunday-school- 
Mr.  Fry  is  a  graduate  of  Union  College,  New 
York,  and  the  title  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  was 
conferred  upon  him  by  his  Alma  Mater,  in  1873. 
He  has  occupied  many  prominent  positions  in 
the  Ministerium  of  Pennsylvania,  which  which 
the  congregation  is  connected,  and  has  succeeded 
in  developing  a  great  degree  of  enterprise  and 
liberality  in  the  congregation.  His  pastorate 
has  extended  twenty-two  years,  and  is  second 
in  duration  only  to  that  of  Mr.  Muhlenberg. 
During  his  time  the  venerable  church  has  twice 
been  renovated, — the  first  time  in  1873,  when 
the  entire  basement  was  thrown  into  one  large 
room  for  the  Sunday-school,  and  the  chapel  on 
the  north  side  of  the  church  was  erected  for 
week-day  services,  business  meetings  and  the 
Infant  and  Secondary  Departments  of  the  Sun- 
day-school. At  the  same  time  the  church  was 
repainted  and  recarpeted,  stained  glass  put  into 
the  windows,  and  the  magnificent  organ  pur- 
chased which  is  now  in  use.  It  has  three  banks 
of  keys,  forty-four  registers  and  two  thousand 
pipes,  the  bellows  being  operated  by  a  water- 
motor.  The  cost  of  the  organ  was  six  thousand 
dollars,  the  chapel  about  the  same  sum  and  the 
other  improvements  brought  the  total  expense 
to  fifteen  thousand  dollars,  all  of  which  was 
raised  by  Dr.  Fry's  personal  efforts. 

The  second  renovation  was  made  in  1881, 
when  the  walls  were  re-frescoed,  the  church  re- 
painted, the  pews  upholstered  and  new  carpets 
laid,  stained  glass  windows  put  in  the  vestibules 
and  Sunday-school  rooms,  and  a  large  ventila- 
tor in  the  ceiling  of  the  church.  The  expense 
of  these  improvements  was  about  six  thousand 
dollars,  all  of  which  was  secured  at  a  single 


service  before  the  work  began.  The  congrega- 
tion has  manifested  also  a  most  commendable 
missionary  spirit  during  Dr.  Fry's  ministry, 
and  'has  erected  no  less  than  five  mission 
churches  or  chapels  in  various  parts  of  the  city 
in  this  time. 

As  a  memento  of  the  Seventh  Jubilee  of  the 
Reformation,  the  congregation  and  Sunday- 
school  built  a  chapel  on  North  Ninth  Street, 
beyond  Button  wood  Street,  in  1867-68.  The 
building  and  ground  cost  about  three  thousand 
eight  hundred  dollars.  This  was  subsequently 
enlarged  and  became  St.  Luke's  Lutheran 
Church,  of  which  Rev.  F.  K.  Huntzinger  is  now 
pastor. 

In  1876,  as  a  memento  of  the  centennial  of 
American  Independence,  Grace  Church,  a  stately 
brick  structure  on  South  Eleventh  Street,  above 
Franklin,  was  begun,  and  in  1878  finished  at  a 
cost  of  eighteen  thousand  dollars  for  building 
and  ground.  A  congregation  was  organized 
in  1878,  with  Rev.  W.  H.  Myers  as  pastor. 

In  1885  three  chapels  were  erected  in  the 
suburbs  of  Reading  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  three  mission-schools  of  the  congregation — 
Peace  Chapel  in  North  Reading,  Faith  Chapel 
in  Woodvale  in  East  Reading,  and  Hope  Chapel 
in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  city,  on  Schuyl- 
kill Avenue,  above  the  Lebanon  Valley  Rail- 
road. They  are  exactly  alike,  built  in  part  of 
brick,  beveled  siding  and  slate,  with  Gothic  roof 
and  tower.  A  large  school-room,  infant  class- 
room, vestry  room  and  vestibule  make  up  the  in- 
terior arrangement.  The  buildings  and  furniture 
cost  about  seven  thousand  five  hundred  dollars, 
and  the  grounds  two  thousand  dollars  more. 
They  were  commenced  in  May  and  completed  in 
September  the  same  year.  Although  erected 
for  mission-school  purposes,  the  demand  for 
preaching  services  became  so  great  that  in  No- 
vember Dr.  Fry  secured  the  services  of  Rev. 
L.  J.  Bickel  to  take  pastoral  charge  of  them, 
and  public  services  have  since  been  held  in 
them  on  alternate  Sundays. 

Vestry  for  1886.— Elders,  Charles  Hahn,  P.  S. 
Ermold,  L.H.  Liess;  Trustees,  Hon.  J.  Hagenman,  J. 
K.  Grim,  William  A.  Arnold;  Deacons,  E.  Biirk- 
holder,  E.  C.  Eben,  A.  N.  Kissinger,  E.  W.  Gilbert, 
J.  P.  Sellers,  J.  H.  Lutz,  H.  G.  Young,  H.  J.  Fisher 
andH.  A.  Heckman. 


READING. 


771 


Total  communicant  Lutherans  in  Reading 
number  five  thousand. 

A  Sunday-school  has  been  successfully  con- 
ducted in  connection  with  the  church  since  1830. 
The  number  of  scholars  attending  school 
averages  nine  hundred  and  fifty  every  Sunday. 
Mr.  H.  M.  M.  Richards  is  the  superintendent. 
The  three  mission-schools  number  four  hundred 
and  twenty-five. 

A  beneficial  "brotherhood,"  together  with  a 
"  sisterhood,"  was  organized  by  the  pastor  about 
ten  years  ago,  out  of  members  of  this  congrega- 
tion, for  purposes  of  mutual  relief  and  sup- 
port in  times  of  sickness  and  distress.  Members 
of  other  Lutheran  congregations  are  also  ad- 
mitted. It  has  been  conducted  successfully  till 
now. 

During  the  past  winter  another  new  feature 
was  introduced  amongst  the  young  members  of 
the  congregation  for  the  purpose  of  affording 
literary  and  social  entertainment.  It  was  very 
successful. 

St.  Matthew's  English  Lutheran 
Chukch.1 — TheSt.  Matthew's  Lutheran  congre- 
gation was  organized  in  1842.  At  that  time  Trin- 
ity Church  was  the  only  Lutheran  Church  in 
Reading.  The  German  language  was  used  ex- 
clusively in  conducting  its  services.  An  applica- 
tion for  the  partial  introduction  by  a  portion  of 
its  English-speaking  members  for  English 
services,  which  was  refused,  originated  the  de- 
sire for  a  separate  church. 
An  organization  was  formed  and  a  room  on 

1  The  establishment  of  the  common-school  system  in 
Reading,  after  the  passage  of  the  act  of  1834,  gradually  led 
to  the  development  of  a  sentiment  among  the  citizens  for 
English  preaching  in  the  churches  where  German  was  used 
entirely.  The  progress  of  the  English  language  through 
English  education  was  rapid,  for  in  1840  articles  were  con- 
tributed to  the  local  newspapers  in  which  the  subject  was 
discussed  with  spirit.  Among  other  things,  it  was  said 
that ''  it  was  one  of  the  first  principles  of  Luther  that 
religious  services  in  an  unknown  tongue  were  not  only  use- 
less to  the  people,  but,  in  fact,  a  mockery  to  the  Creator ; 
that  the  business  affairs  of  the  town  were  mostly  conducted 
in  English  ;  that  the  judicial  and  legal  affairs  were  alto- 
gether in  English  ;  and  that  the  laws  were  promulgated  in 
English  ;"  and  that  it  was  even  asserted  "  that  the  German 
free  school  was  deserted."  This  subject  was  kept  before 
the  people  and  agitated.  English  preaching  by  Lutheran 
ministers  was  had,  and  finally  in  1840  an  English  Lutheran 
congregation  was  organized. 


the  second  story  of  the  "Old  State-House" 
building  was  rented  and  occupied  until  the 
present  church,  on  Franklin  Street,  between 
Fifth  and  Sixth,  was  finished  in  1844.  The 
Sunday-school  was  established  in  1842  in  a 
rented  room  on  Franklin  Street  soon  after- 
ward. The  Rev.  James  L.  Schoch  was  elected 
minister  of  the  church  and  he  also  served  as  the 
first  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school.  He 
continued  to  officiate  as  pastor  of  the  congrega- 
tion until  1849,  and  was  followed  temporarily 
by  Rev.  J.  Kohler  for  a  time.  Rev.  J.  C. 
Brown  (afterward  president  of  the  seminary  at 
Gettysburg)  became  the  next  regular  pastor,  and 
after  him  Rev.  D.  Milton  Valentine,  the  latter 
serving  the  congregation  until  he  was  elected 
president  of  Gettysburg  college.  The  present 
pastor  is  Rev.  T.  C.  Billheimer. 

An  interesting  fact  connected  with  the  history 
of  St.  Matthew's  Church  is  that  its  establish- 
ment was  strongly  opposed  on  the  ground  that 
it  was  not  needed,  insisting  that  the  Lutheran 
Church  was  German  in  her  origin,  history  and 
language,  and  that  she  should  remain  so.  With- 
in the  period  of  forty  years,  six  other  Lutheran 
Churches  have  been  reared,  in  all  of  which  ex- 
cepting two  the  English  language  is  used  ex- 
clusively, including  in  the  enumeration  the  old 
Trinity,  the  mother-church  from  whence  the 
principal  opposition  was  encounted.  Partly 
from  changes  in  population — in  a  large  degree 
from  the  necessity  of  providing  for  the  young 
English  portion  of  her  membership — she,  too, 
found  it  expedient  to  displace  the  German  and 
substitute  the  English  language  to  protect  her- 
self from  losses  by  diversions  into  churches  of 
other  denominations.  Such  have  been  the  re- 
sults of  the  contest  on  the  question  of  language, 
in  which  St.  Matthew's  Church  engaged  so 
earnestly  and  bore  so  conspicuous  a  part. 

The  following-named  persons  were  its  first 

officers : 

Dr.  Diller  Luther.  John  Hepler. 

Peter  Filbert.  Henry  Frey. 

Henry  Hahs.  Frederick  Fox. 

Marks  B.  Scull.  Jacob  H.  Boyer. 

Dr.  Solomon  Birch.  Nicholas  Mason. 

Dr.  A.  H.  Witman.  Jesse  Orner. 

Solomon  Stauffer.  Jacob  Sallada. 
The  membership  of  the  church  is  now  three- 


772 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


hundred  and  of  the  Sunday-school  about  the 
same  number. 

St.  James'  Lutheran  Church. — On  No- 
vember 14,  1850,  a  meeting  was  held  to  consider 
the  necessity  of  organizing  another  English 
Lutheran  congregation  in  Reading.  Horatio 
Trexler  was  appointed  chairman  and  Levi 
Hiester  secretary.  At  that  meeting  it  was  re- 
solved to  organize  a  congregation  to  be  known 
as  "St.  James',"  and  Rev.  F.  A.  M.  Keller  was 
chosen  its  pastor.  Measures  were  at  once  taken 
to  secure  a  suitable  lot  on  which  to  erect  a 
church  building.  Meanwhile  services  were  held, 
morning  and  evening,  in  the  Odd-Fellows' Hall, 
corner  of  Fifth  and  Franklin  Streets. 

At  a  meeting  held  on  December  23,  1850, 
the  charter  of  the  congregation  was  approved, 
and  on  the  30th  of  the  same  month  the  board 
of  church  officers  was  elected,  consisting  of 
the  following  members  :  Trustees,  Jacob  Hoff 
and  Asaph  Shenfelder;  Elders,  Peter  Shen- 
felder,  William  Rhode,  Nathan  M.  Eisenhower 
and  Horatio  Trexler ;  Deacons,  Ephraim  Arm- 
strong, Daniel  Weand,  Reuben  Fichthorn  and 
Michael  Fritz.  The  following  is  a  list  of  thenames 
of  the  original  incorporators  :  Horatio  Trexler, 
L.  Hiester,  Michael  Fritz,  Ephraim  Armstrong, 
Henry  W.  Moyer,  Peter  Shenfelder,  Reuben 
Fichthorn,  Thomas  Hill,  John  Fink,  Jacob 
Hoff,  F.  A.  M.  Keller,  Peter  Herman,  Nathan 
M.  Eisenhower,  Walter  Shoener,  Wm.  S.  Fisher, 
Peter  S.  Ermold  and  F.  A.  Donahower. 

The  lot  on  the  corner  of  Fifth  and  Chestnut 
Streets  was  purchased  and  the  church  building 
was  then  erected.  The  corner-stone  was  laid 
May  11,  1851,  and  the  building  dedicated 
March  21,  1852.  In  the  mean  time,  Odd- 
Fellows'  Hall  not  having  been  regarded  as  a 
suitable  place  to  administer  confirmation  and 
the  holy  communion,  the  use  of  the  Presbyter- 
ian Church  was  requested  and  kindly  given, 
and  the  first  confirmation  accordingly  took  place 
on  Good  Friday  evening,  April  18,  1851,  and 
the  holy  communion  was  administered  on  the 
Sunday  afternoon  following,  it  being  Easter. 
The  number  communing  was  ninety,  and  the 
number  confirmed  thirty-two.  Rev.  F.  A.  M. 
Keller  continued  to  serve  as  pastor  of  this 
church  until  his  death,  in  March,   1864.     He 


was  a  man  of  great  force  of  character,  warm- 
hearted and  generous,  and  his  memory  is  cher- 
ished with  ardent  affection  by  his  surviving 
parishioners  and  friends. 

The  second  pastor  was  Rev.  F.  C.  H.  Lampe, 
who  commenced  his  ministrations  to  this  church 
October  1,  1864.  His  pastorate  was  short,  but 
very  active.  During  the  three  years  in  which 
he  served  this  congregation  he  collected  upwards 
of  twenty-three  thousand  dollars,  repaired  the 
church  and  had  the  fine,  large  organ  built, 
which  is  still  in  use. 

The  third  pastor  was  Rev.  B.  M.  Schmucker, 
D.D.,  who  took  charge  November  1,  1867. 
His  able  ministry  extended  over  a  period  of  thir- 
teen years.  The  present  incumbent  is  Rev.  M. 
C.  Horine,  who  became  pastor  September  1, 
1881. 

This  church  has  at  present  a  membership  of 
five  hundred  and  fifty.  At  the  beginning  of 
the  congregation  a  Sunday-school  was  organ- 
ized, and  two  sessions  every  Sunday  were  held 
for  a  time,  one  in  the  forenoon  and  one  in  the 
afternoon  ;  afterwards  only  one  session  was 
held,  which  has  been  continued  since.  The  first 
superintendent  was  Peter  S.  Ermold ;  the  second, 
F.  B.  Fichthorn,  and  the  third  or  present,  Chas. 
B.  Wells.  The  Sunday-school  numbers  in  offi- 
cers, teachers  and  scholars,  five  hundred  and 
fifty-six.  The  library  contains  fifteen  hundred 
and  sixty  volumes. 

This  congregation  recently  purchased  a  par- 
sonage at  148  South  Fifth  Street,  at  a  cost  of 
five  thousand  dollars,  for  the  use  of  the  pastor. 
The  present  officers  of  this  congregation  are  as 
follows : 

Trustees,  Horatio  Trexler  and  David  F.  Lotz ; 
Elders,  John  Fink,  Henry  C.  Schroeder,  Henry  H. 
Johnston,  Charles  B.  Wells  ;  Deacons,  Philip  H. 
Lash,  George  K.  Hawman,  David  C.  Lotz,  Morris 
Kline,  Jeremiah  N.  Hagenman,  Charles  H.  Stichter; 
Treasurer,  Ephraim  Armstrong. 

St.  John's  German  Lutheran  Church. — 
The  first  Lutheran  Church  at  Reading  was 
erected  in  1752  by  the  German  Lutheran  con- 
gregation. The  services  of  this  congregation 
were  altogether  in  the  German  language  for 
nearly  a  hundred  years,  excepting  upon  several 
occasions  when  the  Rev.  H.  A.    Muhlenberg 


READING. 


773 


preached  in  English.  After  the  common-school 
law  of  1834  became  operative  the  use  of  the 
English  language  began  to  grow  in  the  com- 
munity and  by  1840  a  number  of  members  of 
this  congregation  manifested  a  strong  desire  to 
have  English  preaching, but  not  being  gratified, 
they  withdrew  in  1842,  organized  a  congrega- 
tion for  English  preaching,  and  called  it  "  St. 
Matthew's."  In  1 844  they  succeeded  in  erecting 
a  church.  Within  ten  years  afterward  another 
English  Lutheran  congregation  was  formed, 
which  erected  a  church  in  1851,  and  named  it 
"St.  James';"  and  before  1860  the  old  German 
Lutheran  congregation  became  entirely  English. 
Efforts  had  been  made  to  carry  on  successfully 
both  German  and  English,  but  they  were  un- 
successful. Rev.  F.  J.  F.  Schantz  was  the  pastor 
(a  young  man)  who  preached  in  both  languages, 
but  the  labor  was  too  Severe  for  him  and  an 
assistant  was  employed  to  preach  in  German. 
Two  congregations  were  thereupon  formulated 
out  of  the  old  congregation, — one  English, 
Trinity  Lutheran,  which  remained  in  the  old 
church  property  with  Rev.  Schantz  as  pastor, 
and  the  other  German,  which  withdrew  with 
Rev.  J.  J.  Kuendig,  also  a  young  man,  as  pas- 
tor. 

Rev.  Mr.  Kuendig  was  called  to  officiate  as  as- 
sistant pastor  in  October,  1859.  He  was  then 
a  student  at  the  Gettysburg  Seminary.  He 
preached  his  first  sermon  shortly  afterward  in 
Trinity  Church,  and  was  regularly  employed 
with  the  consent  of  the  Synod.  In  June  fol- 
lowing he  was  regularly  ordained.  His  services 
as  assistant  were  continued  from  November  27, 
1859,  to  November  13,  1860,  which  were  very 
successful,  having  been  attended  by  large  au- 
diences. When  the  separation  was  agreed  upon, 
Trinity  Church  vestry  consented  that  the  Ger- 
man congregation  should  be  permitted  to  hold  its 
services  for  one  year  in  the  old  church,  until  it 
could  have  its  own  church  erected,  and  that  it 
should  have  the  large  lot  of  ground  (used  then 
as  a  burying-ground)  on  the  northwest  corner 
of  Sixth  and  Walnut  Streets  (two  hundred  and 
forty  by  two  hundred  and  thirty  feet)  for  three 
thousand  dollars. 

The  congregation  was  formed  under  the  name 
of  "St.  John's  German   Lutheran   Congrega- 


tion," on  December  3,  1 860,  and  a  vestry  was 
chosen,  which  consisted  of  the  following  mem- 
bers : 

Trustees,  Francis  B.  Shatters,  Sr.,  Michael  K.  Boy- 
er  and  E.  Jonathan  Deininger;  Elders,  Jacob  B. 
Mast,  George  Ziegler  and  J.  George  Geissler,  Sr.; 
Deacons,  Christopher  Fried,  Herman  Dersch,  Valen- 
tine Wilk,  Christian  Eben,  Jeremiah  T.  Frey  and 
Christian  Bentz. 

And  Rev.  J.  J.  Kuendig  was  regularly  elect- 
ed its  pastor.  The  congregation  was  incorpor- 
ated under  the  name  adopted,  April  8,  1861. 

Proceedings  were  instituted  with  earnestness 
looking  to  the  erection  of  a  church  on  the  lot 
of  ground  mentioned,  and  for  that  purpose  a 
building  committee  was  appointed  which  con- 
sisted of  the  following  prominent  members : 
Francis  B.  Shalters,  Sr.,  E.  Jonathan  Deininger, 
Jacob  B.  Mast,  Christian  Eben  and  Christian 
Stolz.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  on  June  18, 
1861,  in  the  presence  of  a  multitude  of  people, 
and  the  church  was  dedicated  on  November 
30  and  December  1,  1861.  The  building  is 
a  fine,  large,  two-story  brick  structure,  with  a 
capacity  for  seating  twelve  hundred  persons.  J. 
Constantine  Deininger  was  the  first  organist, 
he  having  served  in  that  capacity  in  Trinity 
Church  for  many  years.  In  1868  the  steeple 
was  finished,  its  height  being  one  hundred  and 
eighty-five.  feet. 

The  most  liberal  member  of  this  church  was 
E.  Jonathan  Deininger.  Upon  his  death.,  several 
years  ago,  he  bequeathed  five  thousand  dollars 
to  the  congregation  in  addition  to  what  he  had 
generously  given  before. 

Rev.  Mr.  Kuendig  is  still  pastor  of  the  con- 
gregation. He  has  been  very  successful  in  his 
ministrations,  which  have  now  continued  through 
a  period  of  nearly  twenty-seven  years.  The 
present  membership  of  the  church  is  one  thou- 
sand four  hundred,  and  of  the  Sunday-school 
eight  hundred. 

The  vestry  for  1886  consists  of: 

Elders  :  George  Kaufmann,  Andreas  Muntz,  John 
Mueller ;  Trustees  :  A.  Bendel,  H.  Lettermann,  Adam 
Heilman ;  Deacons :  George  Nicklas,  John  Mueller, 
Adam  Reppin,  Christian  Bauknecht,  Fred.  Huber, 
Arnold  Hainel,  George  Mast,  John  Otto  and  Jacob 
Hiller. 

This  congregation,  believing  heartily  in  the 


774 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


religious  education  of  children  as  well  as  in  the 
secular,  instituted  a  parochial  school  on  August 
14,  1865,  with  two  hundred  scholars.  The 
committee  for  this  purpose  was  Rev.  J.  J.  Kuen- 
dig,  E.  Jonathan  Deininger,  Frederick  Lauer, 
John  Endlich  and  Michael  K.  Boyer.  A  large 
and  substantial  school  building  was  then  erected. 
The  first  teachers  were  Prof.  Carl  Wonnberger, 
James  N.  Ermentrout,  Esq.  (now  additional  law 
judge  of  Berks  County)  and  Wilhelm  Leesch. 
This  school  has  been  conducted  very  successfully 
since  by  the  congregation.  It  was  instituted 
for  the  benefit  of  the  children  of  its  own  mem- 
bers ;  but  other  children  are  admitted  upon  the 
payment  of  nominal  tuition  fees.  Prof.  Carl 
Wonnberger  is  still  principal  of  the  school.  He 
is  also  the  organist.  In  both  positions  he  is 
very  efficient. 

The  congregation  erected  a  fine  stone  chapel 
in  East  Reading  (Thirteenth  and  Cotton  Streets). 
The  corner-stone  was  laid  June  7,  1874,  and 
the  building  dedicated  November  29,  1874.  Its 
seating  capacity  is  four  hundred. 

A  number  of  societies  are  carried  on  by  the 
members  and  children  of  the  congregation  :  Be- 
nevolent (since  1861),  Dorcas  (since  1862), 
Youth's,  Reading,  Brotherhood  and  Maenner- 
chor. 

St.  Luke's  Lutheran  Church.  —  This 
church  is  situated  on  North  Ninth*  Street,  be- 
tween Buttonwood  and  Green.  The  nucleus  of 
the  congregation  was  from  a  Sunday-school 
which  met  in  a  public  school-house  on  Tenth 
Street  near  Green.  In  1865  the  Trinity  Lu- 
theran congregation,  under  whose  auspices  the 
school  was  conducted,  seeing  the  necessity  of 
providing  more  ample  accommodations  for  it, 
purchased  the  lot  on  which  it  stands,  and,  in 
1868,  built  a  frame  chapel,  thirty  by  fifty  feet, 
at  a  cost  (without  the  ground)  of  thirty-six 
hundred  dollars.  The  school  was  transferred  to 
this  building  immediately  after  its  completion. 

In  1869  Rev.  F.  K.  Huntzinger,  the  present 
pastor,  was  called  as  missionary  with  the  view 
of  organizing  a  congregation  at  some  future 
time,  and  held  his  first  service  in  the  church  in 
October  of  that  year.  The  attendance  at  the 
public  services  for  the  greater  part  of  the  first 
year  was  small,  often  not  more  than  ten  to  fif- 


teen persons  being  present.  That  section  of  the 
city  had  just  been  laid  out,  and  only  a  few 
houses  were  near  the  church  ;  but  as  the  section 
was  rapidly  improving,  the  attendance  at  the 
services  increased  accordingly,  and  an  organiza- 


st.  luke's  church  (first  building). 

tion  was  effected  by  Rev.  Mr.  Huntzinger  on 
Thursday,  January  12,  1871,  when  the  follow- 
ing-named persons  were  eurolled  as  members  : 

Solomon  L.  Moser  and  wife,  Jacob  Bissikummer 
and  wife,  Franklin  B.  Himmelreich  and  wife,  John 
Ziegler  and  wife,  John  Samsel  and  wife,  William 
Rapp  and  wife,  Jacob  D.  Maurer  and  wife,  Jacob 
Dearolf  and  wife,  James  K.  Texter,  Franklin  Gable, 
Josiah  Thompson,  Daniel  P.  Dietrich,  J.  W.D.  Whit- 
man and  wife,  Isaac  Masser  and  wife,  John  Hassin- 
ger  and  wife,  Ephraim  Fink  and  wife,  John  N.  Hoel- 
lein  and  wife,  Joel  Angstadt  and  wife,  John  P.  Ball 
and  wife,  Jacob  Geiger,  Abraham  Guildin,  Joseph 
Gable,  Mrs.  Henrietta  Kretz  and  Mrs.  Christiana 
Weaver. 

The  following  officers  were  chosen  to  serve  in 
the  first  vestry  : 

Elders— John    Samsel    and   Jacob    Bissikummer; 


READING. 


rT5 


Deacons — Jacob   D.   Maurer,  Franklin  B.  Himmel- 
reich,  Solomon  L.  Moser  and  J.  VV.  D.  Whitman. 

The  following  constitute  the  present  vestry  : 

Trustees — Ephraim  Fink  and  Charles  Dietrich ; 
Elders — Jacob  F.  Keil  and  Charles  Erb  ;  Deacons — 
John  E.  Biehl,  William  T.  Ermold,  Jacob  D.  Yorker, 
Daniel  B.  Potteiger,  Franklin  B.  Himmelrcich  and 
Thomas  Rapp. 

The  congregation  was  incorporated  in  1877. 
The  services  have  been  conducted  from  the  be- 
ginning both  in  the  English  and  German  lan- 
guages ;  in  the  morning  the  German  is  used  and 
at  all  other  services  the  English. 

The  first  class  of  catechumens  numbered 
twenty-five  persons  and  was  confirmed  on  Good 
Friday,  April  21,  1871.  Since  then  there  have 
been  confirmed  in  the  church  about  seven  hun- 
dred and  fifty  persons,  and  the  congregation 
now  numbers  over  eight  hundred  members. 
The  Sunday-school  has  a  membership  of  seven 
hundred  and  about  forty  teachers.  Benneville 
K.  Gruber  is  the  present  superintendent ;  Solo- 
mon L.  Moser  was  the  first  and  Levi  H.  Liess 
the  second.  The  library  has  nearly  one  thou- 
sand volumes.  William  T.  Ermold  has  been 
librarian  since  the  organization  of  the  school. 

The  church  choir  has  been  under  the  direction 
of  Nathan  Rohrbach  since  its  organization,  in 
1871.  The  church  was  enlarged  in  1874.  On  Jan- 
uary 10,  1879,  the  trustees  of  the  Trinity  Lu- 
theran congregation,  for  a  nominal  consideration, 
executed  a  deed  for  the  church  building,  together 
with  the  lot  of  ground  (sixty  by  one  hundred 
and  ten  feet)  on  which  it  stands,  to  St.  Luke's 
Lutheran  congregation  in  fee-simple. 

The  accompanying  illustration  represents  the 
first  church,  which,  in  1886,  was  replaced  by  the 
present  two-story  brick  structure.  The  dimen- 
sions of  the  new  building  are  ninety-four  by 
fifty  feet.  The  first  floor  is  arranged  in  three 
departments  to  accommodate  the  Sunday-school; 
and  the  auditorium  occupies  the  entire  second 
floor,  including  three  galleries  on  the  sides  and 
rear  end,  affording  a  total  seating  capacity  of 
about  twelve  hundred.  The  building  commit- 
tee were  Elias  A.  Bitner,  Charles  Dietrich  and 
David  Clouser,  Sr. 

Rev.  F.  K.  Huutzinger  is  also  pastor  of  the 
Alsace  Lutheran  congregation,  which   holds  its 


services  in  the  Alsace  Church,  adjoining  the 
northern  line  of  the  city  of  Reading,  and  of 
St.  Peter's  Lutheran  Church,  in  Richmond 
township. 

Grace  Lutheran  Church  had  its  begin- 
ning in  a  Sunday-school  which  was  organized 
July  5,  1868.  The  first  place  of  meeting  was 
in  a  public-school  house  at  the  corner  of  Ninth 
and  Spruce  Streets,  and  the  original  committee 
on  its  organization  comprised  Henry  J.  Rhoads, 
Daniel  S.  Zacharias,  John  Wise,  Amos  W.  Pot- 
teiger, Samuel  Ruckstool,  Louis  Dauth  and 
William  Rapp.  Its  affairs  were  under  the  con- 
trol of  the  Trinity  Lutheran  Sunday-school 
Association.  Mr.  Daniel  S.  Zacharias  was  the 
first  superintendent.  He  served  two  years,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Henry  J.  Rhoads,  who  has 
officiated  since,  a  period  of  sixteen  years.  A 
fine  brick  chapel,  with  a  view  to  the  forming 
of  a  congregation,  was  erected  on  Eleventh 
near  Franklin,  at  an  expense  of  seventeen 
thousand  dollars,  and  on  the  7th  of  April, 
1878,  the  new  building  was  dedicated.  In 
the  fall  of  1877  the  Sunday-school  was  re- 
moved to  its  new  home,  where  it  was  reor- 
ganized with  about  one  hundred  scholars  on  the 
roll.  Rev.  W.  H.  Myers  had  been  called  as 
the  assistant  to  the  pastor  of  Trinity  congrega- 
tion, with  a  view  eventually  to  form  a  congrega- 
tion in  Grace  Chapel.  Regular  services  were 
opened  on  the  28th  of  April,  1878.  In  the 
evening  of  the  7th  of  October  following  an  or- 
ganization was  effected,  when  fifty-four  signed 
their  names  to  join  church  ;  and  on  October 
29th  a  congregational  meeting  was  held,  a  con- 
stitution was  adopted  and  the  officers  and  a 
pastor  were  regularly  elected.  The  congrega- 
tion from  the  start  had  a  rapid  growth,  and  to- 
day numbers  four  hundred  and  fifty  active 
members  and  an  equal  number  of  Sunday-school 
scholars.  The  school  has  a  library  of  over  six 
hundred  select  books. 

REFORMED  CHURCHES. 

First  Reformed  Church  (known  common- 
ly as  German  Reformed). — At  the  same  time 
that  the  Lutherans  took  steps  to  establish  a 
place  of  worship  for  themselves  at  Reading,  the 
German  Reformed  (or,  as  they  were  then  mostly 


776 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


called,    "German    Calvinists")    did    likewise. 
Their  first  place  of  worship  is  not  definitely 


FIRST    REFORMED    CHURCH. 

In  1754  they  obtained  title  to  two  lots  of 
ground  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Prince  and 
Thomas  Streets  (now  Washington  and  Sixth 
Streets),  and  it  is  supposed  that  about  that 
time  they  caused  a  small  log  church  to  be  erect- 
ed thereon,  near  Thomas  Street. 

On  one  of  the  lots  mentioned,  toward  the 
eastern  end,  adjoining  the  street,  they  erected  a 
substantial  stone  church  building  in  1761,  and 
worshipped  in  it  till  it  was  torn  down,  in  1832. 
In  the  old  corner-stone  the  following  articles 
were  found  :  a  Bible  (much  decayed  and  entirely 
illegible),  a  silver  coin  and  a  copper  coin,  and  a 
leaden  plate,  eight  inches  square.  The  centre  of  the 
plate  was  marked  off  to  represent  the  two  lots 
of  ground,  and  lines  were  drawn  from  the  ex- 
ternal angles  to  the  four  corners,  dividing  it  into 
four  parts,  and  inscriptions  were  made  in  these 
parts,  as  follows : 

North. — "To  the  High  German  Reformed  Congre- 
gation of  Reading,  in  Berks  County,  and  privileged 
to  build  a  church  thereon,  and  for  the  interment  of 
the  dead  for  us  and  our  descendants." 

South. — "  The  corner-stone  was  laid  27th  July,  in 
presence  of  the  congregation.  A  Bible,  and  the  coin  in 
silver  and  copper  of  our  King  of  Great  Britain,  France 
and  Ireland,  were  deposited,  a.d.  1761." 

East. — "  The  Patent  was  recorded  in  Land-Office, 
Phila.,  Book  A,  folio  17,  p.  504,  16  Aug.  1754." 

West. — "These  two  lots  of  ground  were  sold  by 
Thomas  Penn  and  Richard  Penn,  veritable  proprie- 
tors of  the  province  of  Pennsylvania,  20  May,  1754." 


The  reverse  side  of  the  plate  was  also  in- 
scribed,— 

"Conrad  Weiser  and  Isaac  Levan,  trustees  of  the 
congregation  in  the  Patent ;  and  Architects  are  M. 
W.  Resser,  Abr.  Kerper  and  W.  Miller,  who  are  also 
Wardens  of  the  Congregation." 

The  congregation  was  incorporated,  under  the 
name  of  the  "  German  Reformed  Congregation' 
in  Reading,"  on  August  25,  1785. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  second  church  was 
laid  on  June  17, 1832,  and  the  following  articles 
were  deposited  in  it :  a  Bible  and  hymn-book, 
the  leaden  plate,  with  record  of  events  of  the 
first  church,  a  new  plate,  with  record  of  events, 
a  medal,  struck  in  commemoration  of  the  cen- 
tennial anniversary  of  the  birth  of  George 
Washington,  and  silver  and  copper  coins  of  the 
United  States. 

The  building  committee  was  composed  of  the 
following  persons  :  Nicholas  Lot,  Baltzer  Smith, 
Daniel  Fasig,  John  Miller,  John  Y.  Cunnius, 
Abraham  Kerper. 

This  building  was  extensively  remodeled  in 
1875,  at  an  expense  of  forty-one  thousand 
dollars,  including  a  steeple  one  hundred  and 
eighty-nine  feet  high  and  a  fine  three-story 
brick  parsonage. 

For  a  period  of  ten  years  after  the  foundation 
of  the  first  church  the  congregation  had  no 
regularly  ordained  pastor.  In  this  time,  how- 
ever, there  was  preaching  by  ministers  supplied 
for  the  purpose,  among  them  the  Revs.  Michael 
Schlatter,  John  Conrad  Steyner,  G.  M.  Weis, 
Leydick  and  Waldsmith.  In  1771  the  congre- 
gation secured  their  first  pastor  in  the  Rev. 
William  Boos,  who  continued  till  1782.  The 
subsequent  pastors  were, — 

J.W.  G.Nebling,1 1782-84;  Bernhart  Willy,  1784-86; 


'Rev.  J.  W.  G.  Nebling  (Nevellitig),  formerly  cliaplaiu  in 
the  Continental  array,  became  pastor  in  1782.  He  was 
possessed  of  a  valuable  estate,  amounting  to  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars,  which  he  tendered  Congress  for  the  re- 
lief of  the  country's  financial  embarrassment.  A  certificate 
of  Congress  was  his  only  security.  lie  was  demoted  to  the 
cause,  faithful  as  chaplain  and  was  held  in  high  esteem  by 
General  Washington.  As  an  evidence  of  the  influence  he 
exerted,  it  is  proper  to  mention  that  the  British  govern- 
ment offered  a  large  reward  for  his  apprehension,  and  that 
General  Washington  on  one  occasion  placed  a  troop  of 
horse  at  his  disposal  to  secure  his  protection  against  those 


READING. 


YY7 


John  William  Ingold,  1786-89;  William  Boos, 
1789-90;  Philip  Rhinehold  Pauli,  1793-1814 ;  Wil- 
liam Pauli,  1814-44;  John  Conrad  Bucher,  1842-48; 
Aaron  S.  Leinbach,  1849-63 ;  Benjamin  Bailsman, 
1863-73 ;  Henry  Mosser,  1873-86. 

Five  congregations  have  proceeded  from  this 
congregation  and  erected  churches, — Second,  in 
1848  ;  St.  John's,  in  1870 ;  St.  Paul's  Memorial, 
in  1873;  Zion's  (German),  in  1881;  and  St. 
Stephen's,  in  1884.  All  of  them  have  been 
conducted  very  successfully. 

A  Sunday-school  was  organized  on  the  10th 
of  January,  1841,  with  one  hundred  and  eighty 
scholars ;  and  it  was  decided  that  the  exercises 
should  be  conducted  in  the  English  language. 
From  this  it  would  seem  that  the  "  English  " 
spirit  had  also  taken  hold  upon  this  congrega- 
tion. A  year  afterward  (5th  of  February,  1842) 
the  subject  of  English  and  German  preaching 
was  submittal  to  the  congregation,  and  the 
proposition  was  supported  almost  unanimously, 
one  hundred  and  forty-five  having  voted  for  it 
and  only  three  against  it. 

Communicant  members  of  this  church  num- 
ber eight  hundred  and  forty-five.  Estimated 
membership  of  all  Reformed  Churches  in  Read- 
ing is  about  three  thousand. 

The  Sunday-school  has  eight  hundred  and 
forty-five  scholars  and  teachers ;  and  St.  Mark's 
Mission  Sunday-school  has  one  hundred  and 
,  thirty-five.  Total  scholars  and  teachers  of 
Reformed  Sunday-schools  in  Reading  are  about 
two  thousand  nine  hundred. 

The  consistory  of  the  congregation  is  com- 
posed of  the  following  persons :  Samuel  Holl, 
Amos  Dick,  Levi  R.  Snyder,  John  Jacobs, 
Harrison  Althouse,  elders ;  Samuel  Herbien, 
Samuel   Leymaster,   Aaron    S.  Leas,  trustees ; 


who  sought  his  life.  By  some  means  unknown  the  certifi- 
cate was  ruined,  the  money  was  lost  and  he  was  ever  after- 
wards poor.  At  the  close  of  his  first  year  he  rode  out  of 
town,  when  the  horse  stumbled  and  fell,  and  the  stem  of  a 
pipe  inflicted  a  severe  wound  in  his  throat.  This  perma- 
nently injured  his  speech  He  was  a  man  of  commanding 
personal  appearance  and  a  popular  preacher.  After  leaving 
Reading  he  was  stricken  with  apoplexy  and  remained  an 
invalid  for  sixty  years  He  died,  nearly  one  hundred  years 
old,  at  Philadelphia,  in  very  destitute  circumstances,  and 
was  buried  in  the  grave-yard  attached  to  the  Reformed 
Church,  near  Fourth  and  Race  Streets. 


Albert  S.  Hartman,  Wellington  D.  Dundore, 
Franklin  Himmelberger,  Theodore  Maurey, 
Jesse  M.  Sprecher,  Jared  B.  Faust,  deacons. 

The  Second  Reformed  Church. — In  the 
spring  of  1848  the  Rev.  John  Casper  Bucher, 
pastor  of  the  First  Reformed  Church,  which 
was  then  the  only  one  in  the  city  of  Reading, 
felt  that  the  time  had  come  when  the  old 
congregation  should  send  a  colony  to  establish 
a  purely  English  interest.  His  consistory,  ac- 
cordingly, resolved  to  organize  a  Second  Re- 
formed Church,  to  have  its  worship  and  exer- 
cises altogether  in  the  English  language.  They 
authorized  their  pastor  to  organize  a  congrega- 
tion, and  to  install  the  officers  so  soon  as  they 
could  be  elected  by  persons  who  desired  to  unite 
themselves  with  the  same. 

At  a  special  congregational  meeting  of  the 
First  Church,  held  on  July  9,  1848,  the 
following  twenty-five  members,  viz.:  Ivens 
Benson,  John  Ermentrout,  A.  F.  Boas,  Andrew 
S.  Rhoads,  John  Hartman,  Benneville  Dissler, 
William  Ermentrout,  Jr.,  Edmund  H.  Zieber, 
George  B.  Snyder,  Philip  Derringer,  Franklin 
Beidler,  Henry  A.  Lantz,  Charles  Fisher,  Mrs. 
Susan  Benson,  Mrs.  J.  L.  Derringer,  Mrs. 
Emma  Boas,  Mrs.  Rebecca  Andrews,  Mrs.  M. 
Smith,  Miss  Anna  L.  Zieber,  Miss  Elenora 
Leize,  Miss  Leonora  Derringer,  Miss  Seraphina 
Derringer,  Miss  Catharine  Helfenstein,  Miss 
Rebecca  Lantz  and  Miss  Susan  B.  Goodhart, 
were  dismissed,  who,  with  five  others  not  mem- 
bers of  the  First  Church,  were  organized  and 
constituted  the  Second  Church.  Rev.  Bucher 
at  the  same  time  and  place  installed  John  Er- 
mentrout and  Ivens  Benson  as  elders,  and 
Benneville  Dissler,  A.  F.  Boas,  John  Hart- 
man and  Andrew  S.  Rhoads  as  deacons.  After 
the  congregation  had  been  fully  organized,  the 
Rev.  Bucher  extended  an  invitation  to  the  Rev. 
Thomas  C.  Porter  to  take  charge  of  this  con- 
gregation. Rev.  Porter  accepted  the  invitation. 
A  temporary  place  of  worship  was  secured  in 
the  "  Old  Academy,"  the  present  ladies'  High 
School  building,  where  he  preached  twice  every 
Sunday.  In  the  following  spring,  however,  a 
call  to  the  professorship  of  natural  sciences  in 
Marshall  College,  at  Mercersburg,  Pa.,  was 
placed  in  Rev.  Porter's  hands,  the  acceptance 


778 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


of  which  compelled  him  to  resign  as  pastor.  He 
left  Reading  about  the  1st  of  May,  1849. 

During  the  vacancy  of  the  pastorate  the 
congregation  returned  to  the  mother-church, 
retaining,  however,  their  organization,  with  a 
view  toward  an  independent  existence.  On  the 
21st  day  of  April,  1851,  they  became 
an  incorporated  body,  under  the  name  of  the 
"  Second  German  Reformed  Church  of  Read- 
ing." Although  the  name  may  appear  at  this 
day  rather  anomalous  for  an  English  congrega- 
tion to  assume,  yet  the  word  "German"  was 
used  to  designate  the  denomination  to  which 
the  congregation  belonged,  to  distinguish  it 
from  the  "Dutch  Reformed." 

At  a  congregational  meeting  held  May  11, 
1851,  the  Rev.  Moses  Kieffer  was  chosen  pastor. 
He  brought  new  zeal  into  the  congregation. 
On  June  3d,  following,  a  committee  composed 
of  Rev.  Kieffer,  John  Ermentrout  aud  Philip 
Zieber  was  appointed  to  ascertain  the  expense 
to  erect  a  church  edifice,  and  to  devise  means 
of  securing  the  money  needed  to  meet  such  ex- 
pense. They  made  a  report,  which  was  favor- 
ably considered,  and  recom  mended  the  purchase 
of  a  lot  on  the  east  side  of  Sixth  Street,  between 
Cherry  and  Franklin.  Work  on  the  new 
church  building  was  immediately  commenced, 
and  on  September  14,  1851,  the  corner-stone 
was  laid.  They,  however,  soon  met  with  em- 
barrassments from  want  of  funds,  having  been 
disappointed  in  receiving  that  assistance  from 
the  mother-church  which  had  been  promised  to 
them.  But  under  the  circumstances  the  work 
was  carried  on  to  the  best  advantage  possible 
until  February  6,  1853,  when  the  church  was 
so  far  finished  as  to  be  in  a  condition  to  be  used, 
and  was  consecrated  for  divine  service  amid 
many  anxious  hopes  and  fears. 

On  the  7th  day  of  August,  1855,  Rev. 
Kieffer  resigned  the  pastorate  in  order  to  accept 
a  call  to  a  professorship  in  the  Theological 
Seminary  at  Tiffin,  Ohio.  The  resignation  took 
effect  October  1,  1855.  The  pastorate  of  the 
church  remained  vacant  for  two  aud  a  half 
months,  at  the  end  of  which  Rev.  Charles  F. 
McCauley,  D.D.,  entered  on  the  discharge  of 
the  duties  of  that  position,  and  has  continued  in 
the  exercise  of  the  same  until  the  present  day. 


He  found  the  condition  of  the  congregation 
most  discouraging.  The  membership  was 
small  and  the  indebtedness  heavy.  The  burden 
of  the  indebtedness  almost  crushed  the  congre- 
gation. It  was  only  by  the  personal  efforts  of 
Dr.  McCauley  that  the  property  was  saved 
from  being  seized  under  an  execution.  On  the 
16th  of  February,  1860,  he  went  forth  on 
a  mission  of  charity,  and  during  a  protracted 
series  of  journeys,  extending  over  four  thous- 
and five  hundred  miles,  was  enabled  to  pay 
$3192.75  into  the  church  treasury.  Within 
two  years  thereafter  he  wiped  out  the  whole 
indebtedness,  having  collected  $7256.27. 

Notonly  has  the  congregation  prospered  finan- 
cially under  the  pastorate  of  Dr.  McCauley, 
but  also  spiritually  and  in  membership.  On 
January  1,  1886,  the  membership  had  increased 
to  five  hundred  and  seventy  confirmed  mem- 
bers and  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  uncon- 
firmed members.  The  congregation  has  under 
its  care  two  Sunday-schools,  having  five  hundred 
and  seventy-seven  Sunday-school  scholars.  The 
revenue  of  the  congregation  amounts  to  yearly 
about  three  thousand  dollars  for  congregational 
purposes  and  about  eighteen  hundred  dollars  for 
benevolent  purposes. 

St.  Paul's  Memorial  Reformed  Church. 
— This  church  was  founded  by  a  colony  of  the 
First  Reformed  Church  of  Reading.  Rev.  B. 
Bausman,  D.D.,  had  been  the  pastor  of  the  ' 
mother-church  for  nine  years.  As  its  member- 
ship had  become  very  large,  the  consistory  and 
many  of  the  members  deemed  it  necessary  to 
form  a  new  congregation.  The  enterprise  was 
started  under  the  auspices  of  the  First  Church. 
By  it  the  lot  was  selected,  the  building 
committee  appointed,  the  erection  aud  style  of 
the  building  decided  upon  and  subscriptions  to 
secure  the  necessary  means  were  solicited.  Un- 
der its  direction  this  committee  continued  until 
December  26,  1872,  when  St.  Paul's  congrega- 
tion was  organized.  On  August  27,  1871,  the 
corner-stone  of  the  contemplated  building  was 
laid. 

On  August  18,  1872,  the  chapel  or  Sunday- 
school  building  was  dedicated.  On  the  after- 
noon of  the  same  day  a  Sunday-school  was  or- 
ganized under  the  supervision  of  the  school  of 


READING. 


779 


the  First  Church.  In  this  relation  it  continued 
until  June  28,  1873,  when  it  became  an  organ- 
ization by  itself,  as  the  Sunday-school  of  St. 
Paul's  ChuVch.  On  December' 29,  1872,  St. 
Paul's  Memorial  Reformed  congregation  was 
organized,  with  a  colony  of  one  hundred  and 
ninety-eight  members  of  the  First  Reformed 
Church,  and  six  members  were  received  from 
other  evangelical  churches.  Others  were  added, 
so  that  by  the  end  of  the  first  year  the  congre- 
gation had  four  hundred  and  twenty-one  mem- 
bers. At  an  election  for  pastor  held  January 
6,  1873,  Rev.  B.  Bailsman,  D.D.,  was  chosen 
to  this  office  and  has  continued  to  serve  the 
congregation  to  this  time  (1886).  The  comple- 
tion of  the  main  building  was  thereafter  prose- 
cuted independent  of  the  parent  congregation. 
This  was  dedicated  on  February  15,  1874. 

The  church  is  situated  on  North  Sixth  Street, 
on  a  plot  of  ground  one  hundred  feet  front  and 
two  hundred  and  thirty  feet  deep,  and  is  a  cruci- 
form Gothic  structure.  The  front,  with  a  central 
tower,  is  of  brown  sandstone.  The  rest  of  the 
edifice  is  built  of  brick.  The  pulpit  is  a  lofty 
Gothic  recess,  with  a  large  organ  at  the  side  of  it. 
The  cost  of  the  building  amounted  to  eighty-two 
thousand  six  hundred  dollars,  without  the 
ground,  valued  at  twenty  thousand  dollars.  The 
total  estimated  value  of  the  property  at  the  time 
of  dedication,  including  the  organ  and  furni- 
ture, was  one  hundred  and  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars. 

Since  its  organization  two  other  Reformed 
churches  were  founded  in  Reading,  to  which  St. 
Paul's  contributed  its  proportion  of  material. 
The  congregation  has  now  six  hundred  con- 
firmed members.  Its  Sunday-school  has  four 
hundred  scholars  and  sixty-four  officers  and 
teachers.  From  its  early  history  various  char- 
itable, benevolent  and  religious  societies  have 
been  organized  for  the  improvement  of  the 
members  as  well  as  for  vigorous  aggressive 
church  work.  Its  poor  are  cared  for  by  a  per- 
manent committee  of  ladies  appointed  by  the 
consistory  and  furnished  with  the  necessary 
means  by  the  congregation.  Its  systematic 
Benevolent  Society  is  as  old  as  the  flock  itself. 
Its  ward  committees  canvass  the  congregation, 
whose  members   bring   their   offerings  at  the 


monthly  meetings.  Two  beneficial  societies — 
the  Brotherhood  and  the  Sisterhood— have  done 
excellent  work  for  a  period  of  thirteen  years. 
Their  object  is  to  cultivate  kindly  social  inter- 
course among  the  members,  to  encourage  one 
another  in  temporal  and  spiritual  things,  support 
the  members  in  time  of  sickness  and  bereave- 
ment, help  them  to  bury  their  dead  and  care  for 
their  orphans.  After  doing  all  this  each  society 
has  accumulated  considerable  invested  funds. 
A  large  society  of  ladies  is  actively  engaged  in 
the  interest  of  such  objects,  inside  and  outside 
the  congregation,  as  may  claim  their  attention. 
St.  Paul's  Young  Men's  Association,  although 
scarcely  a  year  old,  has  already  become  an  active 
and  important  factor  in  congregational  work. 

St.  John's  Reformed  Church  is  situated 
on  the  corner  of  Ninth  and  Chestnut  Streets. 
The  congregation  that  worships  in  it  is  the  out- 
growth of  a  mission  Sunday-school  organized 
under  the  auspices  of  the  First  and  Second  Re- 
formed congregations  of  the  city,  at  the  instance 
of  their  respective  pastors,  Rev.  B.  Bausman, 
D.D.,  and  C.  F.  McCauley,  D.D.  Both  took 
the  warmest  interest  in  the  mission  school  and 
tenderly  fostered  it  with  their  pastoral  care. 
The  Sunday-school  was  organized  in  the  second 
story  of  the  old  public  school-house  on  Frank-, 
lin  Street,  above  Eighth,  on  March  6,  1864. 
On  the  second  Sunday  seventy-five  pupils  were 
iu  attendance.  Rev.  W.  A.  Good  was  identi- 
fied with  the  interest  from  the  beginning,  labor- 
ing with  great  zeal  and  self-denial  as  its  super- 
intendent until  August  12,  1871,  when  the 
school  had  already  developed  into  a  congrega- 
tion. 

On  November  23,  1864,  Rev.  Dr.  Bausman 
purchased  two  of  the  three  lots  now  in  posses- 
sion of  the  congregation,  on  his  own  respon- 
sibility, for  the  sum  of  nine  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars.  A  chapel,  forty-eight  by  thirty- 
two  feet,  was  completed  then  and  dedicated 
April  2,  1865.  The  superintendent,  Rev. 
W.  A.  Good,  conducted  German  services 
for  several  years.  On  June  25,  1871,  the 
following-named  persons  resolved  to  be  organ- 
ized into  a  congregation:  Henry  R.  Eshelman, 
Samuel  Savage,  John  G.  Herbine,  Conrad  Geh- 
rung,    John    Harner,    Henry   Wittich,    Adam 


780 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Dies,  John  Kessler,  JohD  Goodhart,  Daniel 
Zimmerman,  Philip  Wittich,  Jacob  Detthoff, 
Isaac  Medary  and  John  Miller.  On  May  24, 
1872,  Rev.  Christian  Kessler  was  ordained  and 
installed  as  pastor  of  the  congregation.  Chronic 
bronchitis  compelled  him  to  resign  on  January 
3,  1873.  During  his  brief  pastorate  he  gath- 
ered about  two  hundred  members  and  the 
chapel  was  twice  enlarged. 

The  second  pastor,  Rev.  James  A.  Schultz, 
began  his  labors  in  March,  1873.  Ill  health 
constrained  him  to  resign  on  the  19th  of  the 
following  October.  He  confirmed  a  class  of 
twenty-four,  and  sixty  were  received  by  certifi- 
cates. An  additional  lot  was  purchased  for 
eighteen  hundred  dollars  during  his  pastorate. 
On  March  15,  1874,  Rev.  J.  G.  Shoemaker  was 
installed.  He  resigned  in  less  than  a  year.  On 
October  12,  1875,  Rev.  J.  W.  Steinmetz,  for- 
merly of  Danville,  Pa.,  was  installed  as  the 
pastor. 

Owing  to  frequent  changes  of  pastor  and 
protracted  vacancies,  the  mission  had  deterior- 
ated. Many  of  the  members  had  scattered, 
only  one  hundred  and  sixty  remained,  and  but 
eighty-seven  communed  at  the  first  communion 
on  October  24,  1875.  But  hope  revived  in  the 
hearts  of  the  people  and  they  rallied  around  the 
new  pastor.  A  larger  house  of  worship  was 
needed.  One  aged  member,  William  Lotz, 
obligated  himself  to  furnish  four  hundred  thou- 
sand bricks  for  a  new  church  and  parsonage, 
whereupon  the  consistory  and  the  congregation 
resolved  to  build  the  present  church,  which  is 
eighty-three  by  fifty-three  feet,  with  a  square 
tower  sixty-four  feet  in  height,  containing  a 
bell  of  thirteen  hundred  pounds,  donated  by 
Manasses  Delong,  Michael  Delong,  John  Delong 
and  Jacob  Straub.  The  parsonage  was  erected 
with  the  church  and  connected  with  it.  The 
whole  church  property  is  of  brick  with  sandstone 
base.  The  audience  chamber,  with  an  end  gal- 
lery, will  comfortably  seat  eight  hundred  people. 
The  basement  was  dedicated  on  May  13,  1877. 
The  audience  chamber  was  dedicated  on  Octo- 
ber 14,  1877.  Church  and  parsonage  were 
erected  at  a  cost  of  sixteen  thousand  five  hun- 
dred and  fifty-four  dollars.  The  property  cost 
about  eighteen  thousand  dollars.      The  present 


value   of  the   property   is    about    twenty-two 
thousand  dollars. 

Nearly  five  hundred  members  constitute  the 
present  strength  of  the  congregation  and  four 
hundred  and  twenty-five  pupils  are  enrolled 
upon  the  register  of  the  Sunday-school. 

Zion's  Reformed  Church. — Rev.  L.  K. 
Derr,  under  whose  ministration  and  supervision 
this  church  was  organized,  was  commissioned 
by  the  Board  of  Missions  of  the  German  Synod 
of  the  East,  to  come  to  Reading  and  look  after 
the  German  interests  of  the  Reformed  people  of 
the  city.  He  preached  his  first  sermon  on  the 
last  Sabbath  in  the  month  of  May,  1881,  in  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  Hall,  corner 
of  Eighth  and  Penn  Streets,  to  an  audience  of 
eighteen  persons.  Here  services  were  held  twice 
every  Sunday  for  two  months,  after  which  the 
place  of  worship  was  changed  to  Fisher's  Hall, 
corner  of  Eighth  and  Washington  Streets.  On 
August  14, 1881,  the  congregation  was  organized 
with  thirty  members,  by  electing  the  following 
consistory :  Elders,  Louis  Grebe,  John  D. 
Taenzer  and  Jacob  Hoffman  ;  Deacons,  William 
Keller,  Jacob  K.  Stuber  and  William  T. 
Lamm. 

The  pastor  was  assisted  on  this  occasion  by 
Rev.  Dr.  N.  Gehr,  president  of  the  Board  of 
Missions;  a  suitable  site  was  selected  at  the  south- 
west corner  of  Washington  and  Cedar  Streets, 
and  in  the  fall  of  1882,  the  following  building 
committee  was  appointed:  L.  K.  Derr,  James 
T.  Reber  and  Jacob  B.  Fricker,  who  at  once 
made  arrangements  to  build  a  church.  On  the 
12th  day  of  November,  1882,  the  corner-stone  was 
laid;  on  April  1,  1883,  the  basement  was  dedi- 
cated, and  on  August  26th,  of  the  same  year,  the 
church  proper  was  dedicated.  The  congrega- 
tion at  this  time  (1886)  has  two  hundred  and 
fifty  members.  The  Sunday-school  was  organ- 
ized in  the  spring  of  1883,  with  twenty-five 
members,  and  now  numbers  one  hundred  and 
sixty.  C.  W.  Rickenbach  is  the  present  super- 
intendent. In  the  summer  of  1885,  the  congre- 
gation built  a  fine  parsonage,  which  is  now 
occupied  by  the  pastor  and  his  family. 
.  St.  Stephen's  Reformed  Church  is  situ- 
ated on  the  corner  of  Ninth  and  Greenwich 
Streets.     The  church  building  was  erected  in 


BEADING. 


781 


the  fall  of  1883,  the  corner-stone  being  laid  on 
Sunday,  September  the  2d,  1883,  and  the 
church  dedicated  on  December  30  following.  The 
building  originaUy  cost  thirty-seven  hundred 
dollars.  An  addition  was  made  during  the  fall 
of  1885,  at  a  cost  of  six  hundred  dollars.  The 
dimensions  of  the  church  building  are  thirty-six 
by  seventy  feet ;  addition,  twenty-five  by  twenty- 
two  feet.  Size  of  lot,  sixty- one  by  one  hundred 
and  ten  feet.  Services  in  the  English  language 
have  been,  held  regularly  twice  a  Sunday  since 
the  dedication.  The  congregation  was  organized 
March  16,  1884,  with  fifty-seven  communicant 
members.  The  present  communicant  member- 
ship is  one  hundred  and  thirty. 

St.  Paul's  Memorial  (Tenth  Street  Mission) 
Sunday-school,  numbering  sixty  members,  was 
transferred  to  this  church  on  the  Sunday  before 
dedication.  Of  these,  about  twenty  remain.  The 
present  number  in  Sunday-school  is  three  hun- 
dred and  forty.  The  members  of  the  church 
building  committee  were :  James  T.  Reber, 
Aaron  Leas,  Solomon  Hartman  and  Jacob  B. 
Fricker.  Rev.  Calvin  S.  Gerhard  is  pastor  of 
the  congregation.  The  elders  are  Daniel  Bucher 
and  Daniel  Kline;  the  deacons  are  Samuel 
Palm  and  Milton  J.  Coller. 

SOCIETY    OF  FRIENDS. 

First  Meeting-House  in  Reading. — The 
Friends  residing  in  Reading  effected  an  organi- 
zation and  erected  a  small  building  for  a  tempo- 
rary meeting-house  in  1751.  Where  it  was 
located  is  now  unknown.  On  the  30th  of  De- 
cember, 1 756,  meetings  were  ordered  to  be  held 
at  Reading  every  Third  Day,  the  year  round, 
beginning  at  the  eleventh  hour.  November 
29,  1759,  a  committee  reported  that  they  had 
selected  lots  402  and  403  as  a  suitable  site 
for  a  new  meeting-house.  The  committee 
were  authorized  to  purchase  the  lots,  and 
they  subsequently  reported  a  deed  thereof. 
On  these  lots  (west  side  of  North  Sixth 
Street,  between  Washington  and  Walnut,  where 
the  present  stone  meeting-house  is  located)  for- 
est-trees were  cut  down  and  they  were  used  in 
erecting  a  small  building,  in  which  the  meetings 
were  then  held.  At  the  Exeter  Meeting,  held 
October  30, 1760,  "  Reading  reported  that  meet- 


ings are  kept  up,  though  the  attendance  is  some- 
times small ;  they  are  not  so  well  behaved  as 
they  ought  to  be  ;  love  and  unity  subsist  in  a 
good  degree,  but  the  members  are  not  all  clear  of 
sleeping  in  meeting." 

On  the  27th  of  August,  1761,  the  Reading 
Friends  asked  for  a  First  Day  meeting  to  begin 
at  ten  a.m.  and  at  three  p.m.,  and  in  the  fol- 
lowing month  a  committee  reported  favorably. 

On  the  30th  of  December,  1762,  a  report  was 
presented  that  "  the  Friends  of  Reading  are  in 
much  need  of  a  better  house  to  meet  in,  and  have 
thought  of  beginning  to  build  one  next  summer, 


LOU    MEETING-HOUSE — 1705. 

but  their  ground  (on  North  Sixth  Street)  is  no 
more  than  sufficient  for  a  burying-place,  and 
that  it  is  advisable  to  build  a  house  large  enough 
to  accommodate  the  meeting  when  Friends  visit 
the  place,  for  which  another  lot  should  be 
bought."  A  special  committee  reported  favora- 
bly January  27, 1763,  but  desired  the  advice  of 
the  Quarterly  Meeting  which  was  held  in  Phila- 
delphia in  November,  1764,  when  the  matter 
was  referred  to  a  committee  of  thirteen,  who  re- 
ported at  the  Exeter  Meeting  December   27, 

1764,  recommending  a  Monthly  Meeting  and  a 
new  house.  The  Philadelphia  Meeting  held  May 
6, 1765,  recommended  the  erection  of  "  a  meet- 
ing-house of  round  logs  only  at  present,"  and 
the  Exeter  Meeting,  on  the  30th  of  the  same 
month,  concurred  in  this  action.  The  same  year, 

1765,  the  building  of"  round  logs  "  was  erected, 
on  a  lot  of  ground  on  the  corner  of  Queen 
and  Thomas  Streets.  After  the  lower  logs  had 
partly  decayed,  the  building  was  repaired  by 
the  erection  of  a  brick  wall  extending  from  the 
ground  upward  a  few  feet. 

The   last  wedding  which  took  place  in  the 
little   meeting-house    on   North  Sixth   Street, 


782 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


shortly  before  its  demolition,  was  that  of  Solo- 
mon Coles,  son  of  Daniel  Coles,  and  Esther 
Pearson,  daughter  of  Thomas  Pearson,  of  Mai- 
den-creek, May  2,  1765,  and  the  following 
Friends,  including  the  parents  of  the  bride,  were 
the  witnesses  :  Thomas  Pearson,  Elizabeth  Pear- 
son, William  Boone,  Benjamin  Pearson,  Jere- 
miah Boone,  Elijah  Pearson,  Hannah  Pearson, 
George  Hughes,  Judah  Boone,  David  Pearson, 
Jonathan  Jones,  Hannah  Jones,  Jonathan  Pear- 
son, Sarah  Pearson,  Barbara  Parks,  Thomas 
Hutton,  Samuel  Imbree,  Jeremiah  Paul,  William 
Jennings,  Thomas  Wickersham,  Edward  George, 
James  Imbree,  Richard  Penrose,  Samuel  Parks, 
Moses  Embree,  Elijah  Wickersham,  Samuel 
Jackson,  Mary   Jackson,  Abraham   Williams, 


THE   NEW  FRIENDS'  MEETING-HOUSE. 

Joseph  Shiff,  Eleazer  Jackson,  Jane  Wiley,  Mary 
Chandler,  Mary  Hutton,  Mary  Wright,  Debo- 
rah Lee  and  Susanna  Parks. 

Meeting-House  Used  as  a  Hospital. — 
While  the  Hessians,  captured  at  Trenton  in  1776, 
were  prisoners  in  Reading,  the  meeting-house 
was  used  as  a  hospital,  in  which  many  sick  soldiers 
were  treated.  Those  who  died  were  interred  in 
the  lot  adjoining  the  Friends'  burial-ground  on 
North  Sixth  Street.  Among  the  prisoners  of 
war  were  James  Forster,  master  of  a  transport 
ship,  and  John  Wilkinson,  mate  of  the  same, 
Samuel  Elphinstone  and  James  Homes,  mates 
of  a  British  ship  of  war ;  and  there  were  other 
seamen.      One  of  these,  while  in  the  hospital, 


drew l  with  a  sharp  instrument  upon  the  wain- 
scotting  of  the  meeting-house  the  picture  of  a 
British  ship  of  war.  When  the  old  log  house 
was  torn  down  eighteen  years  ago,  after  having 
stood  one  hundred  and  three  years,  Rachel  D. 
Griscom,  who  bought  the  house  (without  the 
lot)  for  twenty-five  dollars,  sent  to  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Historical  Society  of  Philadelphia  that 
portion  of  the  wainscot  containing  the  drawing 
of  the  finest  ship.  There  was  found  under 
the  old  building  several  pieces  of  American  and 
a  French  coin,2  and  the  bayonet  of  a  British 
musket,  which  Miss  Griscom  keeps  as  relics. 
A  number  of  citizens  have  canes  made  from 
logs  and  wainscot  of  the  meeting-house.  Some 
of  the  material  was  hauled  to  the  present  meet- 
ing-house property  on  North  Sixth  Street,  and 
some  of  the  old  benches  are  in  the  stone  build- 
ing. Small  locust-trees  were  in  the  yard  and  old 
poplar-trees  with  immense  roots  stood  along  the 
sidewalk  at  the  log  meeting-house  on  Washing- 
ton Street. 

At  the  Monthly  Meeting  held  in  Maiden-creek 
April  24,  1867,  Henry  Tyson,  Samuel  E.  Gris- 
com and  John  H.  Reid  were  appointed  a  com- 
mittee to  devise  a  plan  and  means  to  build  a 
meeting  and  school-house  on  either  the  Wash- 
ington or  the  Sixth  Street  lot.  They  recom- 
mended that  a  new  building  be  erected  on  Sixth 
Street.  August  21,1867,  the  Washington  Street 
lot,  sixty  by  two  hundred  and  thirty  feet,  ex- 
tending from  Fourth  to  Ash,  was  disposed  of  at 
public  sale  to  Daniel  Miller  and  Giles  J.  Wil- 
son for  nine  thousand  and  fifteen  dollars,  and 
there  are  now  nine  brick  houses  on  that  lot 
The  deed  conveying  the  title  of  the  property  to 
Miller  and  Wilson  is  dated  March  30, 1868, 
and  is  signed  by  Thomas  Lightfoot,  Maiden- 
creek  ;  Samuel  E.  Griscom,  Schuylkill  County ; 
Dr.  Henry  Tyson,  Exeter  ;  William  P.  Reid, 
Reading;  and  Thomas  Pearson,  Pughtown, 
Chester  County,  as  "  trustees  for  the  sole  use  of 
the  members  of  the  religious  society  of  Friends 
of  Reading  in  unity  and  religious  fellowship 
with  Exeter  Monthly  Meeting  held  at  Maiden- 


1  Drew  a  fleet  of  seven  British  ships  of  war  in  a  line  on  a 
smooth  horizontal  poplar  board  of  the  wainscot.  They 
were  very  well  executed  with  the  English  flag  at  the  stern. 

2  There  was  only  one  French  coin. 


READING. 


783 


creek."  Since  the  demolition  of  the  old  log 
building,  in  1868,  the  Friends  have  held  their 
meetings  in  the  neat  stone  building  they  erected 
on  North  Sixth  Street. 

EPISCOPAL   CHURCHES. 

Christ  Episcopal  Church.1 —  The  first  no- 
tice of  Episcopalians  in  Berks  County  is  in  a 
letter  by  Rev.  Thomas  Barton  to  the  Society 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign 
Parts,  dated  December  21,  1759,  in  which  he 
said :  "  In  the  county  of  Berks  there  are  a 
number  of  people  of  the  Communion  of  the 
Church  of  England,  who  have  never  had  an 
Episcopal  minister  among  them."  He  may 
have  alluded  particularly  to  the  persons  in  Caer- 
narvon, where  there  was  a  new  church  of  this 
denomination  erected,  a  former  church  having 
existed  there,  it  is  said,  about  twenty  years ;  and 
also  to  those  in  Amity,  at  a  place  called  Mo- 
latton  (now  Douglassville),  who  had  established 
themselves  there  for  thirty  years.  Besides  these 
two  churches,  there  was  no  other  in  the  entire 
county  till  the  lapse  of  sixty-five  years,  when  a 
third  church  was  erected  at  Reading. 

In  1760,  William  Bird  and  others  addressed 
a  petition  to  the  society  mentioned,  in  which 
they  stated  :  "  That  the  said  county  is  a  very 
large  and  growing  one,  situated  on  the  frontiers 
of  the  said  province  and  hath  never  yet  had  any 
English  minister  of  any  denomination  settled 
in  it,"  etc.  That  in  this  distress  (of  leaving  their 
families  entirely  destitute  of  religious  instruc- 
tion) they  invited  Rev.  Dr.  Wm.  Smith  to 
preach  among  them,  &c. ;  and  "  we  have  pre- 
sumed to  apply  for  your  assistance  in  sending 
over  a  missionary  to  reside  in  Reading,  the 
chief  town  of  the  county  of  Berks,  and  to  offici- 
ate also  at  Morlattin,  a  place  fifteen  miles  dis- 
tant, where  a  church  has  for  many  years  been 
built  by  a  society  of  English  and  Swedes,  who 
are  desirous  of  having  a  missionary  of  the 
Church  of  England,  and  join  with  us  in  this  ap- 
plication ;  that  to  induce  request  they  have,  with 

iSee  "Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History,"  vol.  iv.  p. 
66-78,  for  an  interesting  article  on  "  The  Episcopal  Church 
in  Reading,  Pa.,"  which  embraces  mostly  letters  pertain- 
ing to  the  condition  and  strength  of  the  Church  of  England 
at  Reading  before  1775. 


Morlattin  congregation,  obligated  themselves  to 
pay  such  missionary  annually  £60  Penna. 
money  ;  that  for  want  of  ministers  their  mem- 
bers are  drawn  after  various  sorts  of  sectaries, 
and  which  is  still  worse,  the  Roman  Catholic 
priests  are  making  converts,  to  great  grief  of 
petitioners ;  and  that  if  they  have  no  particular 
missionary  they  would  ask  for  Mr.  Jos. 
Mather,"  etc. 

In  1763  Rev.  Alexander  Murray  wrote  to 
the  society  and  stated  that  his  mission  (English 
Church)  at  Reading  comprised  seven  families, 
or  forty-eight  souls,  of  which  twelve  were  under 
seven  years  of  age ;  besides  whom  there  were 
twenty  unbaptized  Anabaptists  who  resided  in 
the  town  and  occasionally  made  up  part  of  his 
congregation.  Then  they  had  no  church  at 
Reading,  but  they  held  their  meetings  in  a 
"  Dwelling-House  that  is  hired  for  holding  the 
Civil  Courts  in."  At  this  time  he  estimated 
the  town  to  contain  two  hundred  and  ten  fami- 
lies, or  about  thirteen  hundred  persons,  young 
and  old ;  of  the  number  of  families,  one  hundred 
and  ten  were  German  Lutherans,  about  half  as 
many  German  Calvinists  and  the  rest  chiefly 
Quakers,  and  a  few  Papists.  The  Germans 
were  computed  twelve  to  one  of  all  other  nation- 
alities together,  and  they  seemed  "  abundantly 
well  provided  in  teachers  of  one  denomination 
or  another,  and  as  long  as  they  are  so  blindly 
attached  to  their  native  tongue  as  they  are  at 
present,  an  English  minister  can  be  of  no  service 
to  them.  For  though  they  might  be  at  no  loss 
for  English  schoolmasters,  yet  they  choose  to 
send  their  children  rather  to  German  schools, 
which  they  have  everywhere  in  great  plenty." 

In  1764  his  congregation  increased  from 
seven  to  eighteen  families,  consisting  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty-one  souls.  He  despaired 
then  of  seeing  a  church  erected  for  some  time  to 
come.  But  in  his  despair,  without  church,  par- 
sonage or  voluntary  subscriptions,  he  hardly 
thought  that  the  "  some  time  "  would  be  so  long 
as  sixty  years.  In  1765  they  had  the  use  of 
the  court-house  to  assemble  in  for  divine  ser- 
vice, which  place  was  common  to  all  sectaries. 

The  parish  in  Reading  was  called  "St. 
Mary's,"  having  been  named  after  the  principal 
parish  of  Reading,  England.     It  was  so  known 


784 


HISTORY  OP  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


till    about    1815,    when    it    was    changed    to 
"Christ's."     It    has   since   retained  the  latter 
name.     In  1765  the  officers  were, — Wardens: 
Edward  Biddle  and  James  Diemer ;  Vestrymen : 
James  Read,  John  Patton,  Jonas  Seely,  James 
Whitehead,    John    Price,   Mark   Bird,   Peter 
Witherington  and  George  Hinton.    And  in  this 
year  they  made  an  effort  to  obtain  a  lot  (No.  396, 
North  Fifth  Street,  near  Walnut)  for  building 
an  Episcopal  Church  ujion  it,  "  as  the  Honora- 
ble Proprietors  have  given  orders  for  that  pur- 
pose."    It    would    seem    that   they    had    first 
intended  to  build  on  lot  No.   394    (southwest 
corner  of  Sixth  and  Walnut)   upon  which  they 
deposited   building    material ;  but  the  lot  was 
rather  distant  from  the  centre  of  town,  so  it  was 
afterward  removed  to  lot  No.  71   (North  Fifth, 
above  Court).     They  then  endeavored  to  raise 
money  by  a  lottery  for  a  church  building.    The 
Assembly  granted  the  prayer  of  their  petition 
by   giving   them    three    hundred    and    fifteen 
pounds,  and  the  petitioners  bound  themselves  to 
add  two  hundred  pounds.     But  they   failed  to 
accomplish  the  object  of  their  earnest  endeavors. 
After  the  lapse  of  seven  years  the  rector  hoped 
that  they  would  be  in   a  condition   to  build  a 
church;  but  his  congregation  was  too  weak  and 
his   hopes    were   not  realized.     In   a  letter  of 
March  26,  1772,  he  alluded  to  the  order  and 
quiet  of  his  congregation  "amidst  the  clamor  and 
noise,  contention  and  evil-speaking  of  the  Ger- 
man   colonists,    who    are    the    body    of    the 
people  in  this  Frontier  County  ; "  and  he  added 
certain  remarks  which  are  decidedly  interesting 
to  the  Lutherans  and  Calvinists  (Reformed)  of 
to-day,  over  a  century  afterward,  these,  briefly 
stated,  being  that  the  Lutherans  and  Calvinists 
used  organs,  violins,  etc.,  in  worship ;  that  the 
Lutherans  of  the   town    were   execrating   one 
another  on  an  occasion   of  electing  a  minister 
which    satisfaction    they    frequently    indulged 
themselves  in,  "  being  fonder  of  new  clergy  than 
new  clothes,  which  they  are  parsimonious  enough 
to  wear  threadbare,  and  when  they  are  ripe  for 
a  change  of  pastors  they  make  them  do  so  too 
and  so  starve  them  out  of  place  with  cold   and 
hunger." 

The  spirit  of  independence   and    revolution 
which  soon  afterward  was  developed  among  the 


town-people,  and  especially  in  his  own  little 
patriotic  flock,  antagonized  with  the  loyalty  of 
the  Rev.  Murray  to  the  English  government, 
and  so  the  relation  of  pastor  and  people  was 
seriously  disturbed.  He  was  given  special  per- 
mission by  the  Executive  Council  of  the  State 
to  dispose  of  his  real  property  (which  he  had 
come  to  own  here),  after  which  he  departed. 
He  left  about  1 778. 

From  1772  for  over  forty  years  there  is  no 
record  of  the  Episcopal  congregation  nor  men- 
tion of  a  church.    In  1815  lot  No.  71  (west  side 
of  Fifth,  second  lot  north  of  Court)  was  granted 
by  James  Diemer  to  James  May,  Marks  John 
Biddle  and  George  Douglass,  "  in  trust  for  the 
erection  of  an  Episcopal  Church  whenever  it 
should  be  found  convenient,  and  as  a  burial- 
place  for  the  Episcopalians  within  the  Town  of 
Reading  and  vicinity,  and  for  such  other  per- 
sons,  not   Episcopalians,  as   the  trustees  shall 
permit  to  be  buried  therein,  and  for  no  other 
purpose    whatever."     But    nine  years  elapsed 
after  the  granting  of  this  lot  before  any  active, 
successful  steps  were  taken   toward  the   erec- 
tion of  a  church  thereon.     In  October,  1824, 
the    wardens  and    vestry  advertised    for  pro- 
posals to  be  presented  on  November  8th.     In 
the  following  spring  they  began  the  erection  of 
a  church.     The  corner-stone  was  laid  on  June 
8,  1825,  in  the  presence  of  a  great  concourse  of 
people,  with  all  the  clergy  of  Reading  in  attend- 
ance,   and    also   Reverends   Bull   and   Allen. 
After  the  customary  services  in  the  laying  of 
the  stone  the  clergy  and  people  proceeded  to 
Trinity  Lutheran  Church,  where  sermons  were 
delivered  appropriate  to  this  great  event.     The 
building  was  completed  within  a  year  afterward, 
the  consecration  thereof  having  taken  place  on 
May  10, 1826,  and  sermons  delivered  by  Bishop 
White.     The  style  of  the  building  was  of  the 
early   English    Gothic.     Its   dimensions    were 
thirty-five  feet  front  and  fifty  feet  deep,  with  a 
seating  capacity  for  three  hundred  persons.    In 
1863  the  old  building  was  enlarged  and  im- 
proved by    the   addition   of  a  recess   chancel, 
transepts  and  spire.    The  church  was  enlarged 
again  in  1873  by  the  addition  of  sixteen  feet  to 
the  depth  of  the  chancel  and  of  rooms   for  the 
vestry,  the  rector  and  the  choir.     In  1884  a 


READING. 


785 


handsome  and  commodious  parish  building  was 
erected  with  a  legacy  left  to  the  church  by  the 
late  Lucretia  D.  Wood.  This  building  con- 
tains rooms  for  classes  and  parish  societies  and 
a  chapel  and  Sunday-school  room. 

The  rectors  of  Christ  Church,  with  their  terms 
of  service  since  1823  have  been, —  t 

1823  to  1824— Rev.  Roberi,  Davis. 

1826— Rev.  W.  C.  Mead. 

1827  to  1828— Rev.  H.  J.  Whitehouse. 

1829— Rev.  M.  Leonard. 

1830  to  1831— Rev.  J.  H.  Cummings. 

1832  to  1833— Rev.  S.  A.  McCoskry. 

1834— Rev.  G.  W.  Cole. 

1834  to  1850— Rev.  R.  U.  Morgan,  D.D. 

1850  to  1861— Rev.  M.  C.  Lightner. 

1861  to  1867— Rev.  A.  G.  Cummins. 

1867  to  1869— Rev.  J.  P.  Lundy,  D.D. 

1869  to  1872— Rev.  J.  P.  Hammond. 

1872,  Oct.  7th— Rt.  Rev.  M.  A.  De  W.  Howe,  D.D. 

1873,  Oct.  1st— Rev.  W.  P.  Orrick,  D.D. 

Rt.  Rev.  Mark  Antony  De  Wolfe 
Howe,  D  D.,  LL.D.,  first  bishop  of  the  dio- 
cese of  Central  Pennsylvania,  was  born  in  Bris- 
tol, Rhode  Island,  on  the  5th  of  April,  1809. 
His  parents  were  John  and  Louisa  Smith  Howe, 
the  former  being  descended  on  the  maternal  side 
from  the  De  Wolfe  family.  John  Howe  was 
graduated  from  Brown  University  in  1805  ;  he 
studied  law  with  Judge  Bourne  and  became  a 
successful  practitioner  in  Bristol,  Rhode  Island. 
Mrs.  Howe  was  the  daughter  of  Stephen  Smith, 
Esq.,  and  sister  to  Bishop  B.  B.  Smith,  of  Ken- 
tucky, late  presiding  bishop  of  the  church  in 
America.  John  Howe  was  a  member  of  the 
congregation  of  St.  Michael's  Church,  Bristol, 
in  which  his  son  was  baptized  by  Bishop  Gris- 
wold,  then  rector  of  the  church,  as  well  as 
bishop  of  the  "  Eastern  Diocese."  Mark  An- 
tony De  Wolfe  Howe  entered  the  celebrated  Phil- 
lips Academy  at  Andover,  Mass.,  when  about 
eleven  years  of  age  and  became  in  1824  a  pupil 
of  the  college  at  Middlebury,  Vt.,  where  he 
completed  his  freshman  and  sophomore  years, 
and  was  transferred  to  Brown  University,  mat- 
riculating at  that  institution  under  Dr.  Way- 
land,  and  two  years  later  was  graduated  with 
high  distinction.  He  became  a  member  of  the 
Phi  Beta  Kappa  Society  and  was  subsequently 
a  successful  candidate  for  a  classical  tutorship 
in  Brown  University. 
69 


•  He  entered  his  father's  office  as  a  student  of 
the  law ;  soon  thereafter  accepted  the  position 
of  usher  in  the  Adams  Grammar  School,  Bos- 
ton, and  was  the  following  year  appointed  mas- 
ter of  the  Hawes  Grammar  School.  With 
great  responsibilities  resting  upon  him,  and 
with  but  little  assistance,  he  was  eminently  suc- 
cessful in  maintaining  discipline,  and  winning 
for  the  school  an  enviable  reputation.  He  was 
at  this  time  a  regular  attendant  on  St.  Matthew's 
Church,  South  Boston,  and  was  then  confirmed 
by  Bishop  Griswold.  Turning  his  attention  to 
the  ministry,  he  began  his  preparation  for  its 
duties,  and  was  admitted  as  a  candidate  for 
holy  orders  in  1830.  Through  the  influence 
of  Dr.  Wayland  he  was  elected  classical  tutor, 
in  Brown  University,  and  accepted  the  position 
at  pecuniary  sacrifice  but  with  increased  oppor- 
tunities for  study.  In  January,  1832,  he  was 
ordained  deacon  by  Bishop  Griswold,  in  St. 
Michael's  Church,  Bristol,  continuing  his  duties 
as  tutor  at  Brown  University.  In  September 
following  he  was  invited  to  officiate  in  the  va- 
cant parish  of  St.  Matthew's  Church,  Boston, 
and  soon  after  became  rector  of  St.  James' 
Church,  Roxbury.  This  congregation  was 
then  worshipping  in  a  hall,  but  active  measures 
were  in  progress  for  the  erection  of  a  new  church" . 
edifice,  which  was  built  under  his  successful 
ministry  and  consecrated  in  1834.  He  was  or- 
dained to  the  priesthood  in  February,  1833,  in 
St.  Paul's  Church,  Boston,  by  Bishop  Griswold. 
Resigning  his  rectorship  in  1834,  he  accepted 
the  position  of  associate  editor  of  the  Christian 
Witness,  his  colleague  being  the  Rev.  Dr.  Stone, 
of  St.  Paul's  Church,  Boston,  and  continued 
his  residence  in  Roxbury,  meanwhile  minister- 
ing in  vacant  parishes.  In  1835  he  was  called 
to  the  rectorship  of  Christ  Church,  Cambridge, 
and,  while  accepting  the  position,  still  retained 
his  connection  with  the  Christian  Witness. 
Recalled  to  St.  James'  Church,  Roxbury,  in 
1836,  under  peculiar  and  interesting  circum- 
stances, he  felt  constrained  to  accept  the  charge. 
The  debt  of  the  church  was  speedily  reduced 
from  twenty-four  thousand  to  three  thousand 
dollars;  and  in  1839  a  missionary  enterprise 
was  begun  at  Jamaica  Plains,  which  resulted  in 
the  formation  of  the  present  St.  John's  Church. 


786 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


In  1845  he  was  called  to  St.  Paul's  Church, 
Louisville,  Ky.,  but  declined  the  invitation. 
Early  the  following  year  he  accepted  the  rector- 
ship of  St. '  Luke's  Church,  Philadelphia. 
In  1847  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
standing  committee  of  the  diocese  of  Pennsylva- 
nia and  served  that  body  for  many  years  as 
secretary.  In  1848  he  received  from  Brown 
University  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity. 
Having  in  1850  taken  his  seat  in  the  General 
Convention  as  a  deputy,  he  was  at  once  elected 
its  secretary,  and  filled  the  office  with  great  abil- 
ity for  a  period  of  twelve  years,  after  which  he 
declined  re-election.  Under  his  rectorship  in 
St.  Luke's  Parish,  Philadelphia,  various  mission 
enterprises  were  inaugurated,  the  first  being  a 
"  night-school  "  for  young  men.  He  founded 
St.  Luke's  Home  for  Aged  Women,  then  a  Sun- 
day-school for  colored  children,  which  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  inauguration  of  a  system  of  mis- 
sionary work  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the 
city.  A  hall  was  engaged,  centrally  situated  in 
the  neighborhood,  from  which  the  congregation 
was  to  be  gathered  in.  A  Sunday-school,  sew- 
ing-school, night-school  and  the  usual  forces  of 
mission  work  were  put  into  active  operation, 
resulting  in  the  purchase  of  the  neighboring 
Church  of  the  Ascension,  which  for  five  years 
was  connected  with  St.  Luke's  as  its  mission 
chapel  and  afterwards  became  an  independent 
church.  On  the  election  of  an  assistant  bishop 
of  Pennsylvania,  in  1858,  the  name  of  Dr.  M. 
A.  De  Wolfe  Howe  came  prominently  before 
the  convention.  At  the  death  of  Bishop  Bow- 
man, a  few  years  later,  he  was  again  placed  in 
nomination,  but  withdrew  in  favor  of  Rev.  Dr. 
Stevens.  In  1865  he  was  elected  missionary 
bishop  of  Nevada  (an  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction 
including  Utah,  New  Mexico  and  Arizona), 
but  after  mature  deliberation  he  declined  the 
office.  In  May,  1870,  the  convention  of  the 
diocese  of  Pennsylvania  decided  upon  a  division 
of  jurisdiction,  subject  to  the  approval  of  the 
General  Convention.  The  diocese  which  it  was 
proposed  to  erect  was  to  consist  of  territory  out- 
side the  counties  of  Philadelphia,  Delaware, 
Chester,  Montgomery  and  Bucks.  This  divi- 
sion would  leave  thirty-seven  counties  in  the 
proposed  new  diocese.     The  General  Convention 


assented  to  this  division  in  October,  1871,  and 
the  new  diocese  was  named  the  Diocese  of  Cen- 
tral Pennsylvania  at  the  primary  convention 
held  at  Harrisburg  on  the  8th  of  November  of 
the  same  year.  In  the  following  day's  session 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Howe  was  elected  bishop  of  this 
diocese  by  a  very  gratifying  vote.  The  conse- 
cration took  place  in  St.  Luke's  Church,  Phila- 
delphia, on  Innocents'  Day,  December  28, 187J . 
The  bishop's  first  episcopal  duty  in  his  diocese 
was  performed  in  Trinity  Church,  Easton,  on 
the  14th  of  January,  1872,  the  city  of  Read- 
ing afterwards  becoming  his  residence.  The 
Diocese  of  Central  Pennsylvania  contains  twenty- 
four  thousand  square  miles.  From  1871  to 
1884  Bishop  Howe  administered  this  great  dio- 
cese alone,  travelling  in  the  visitation  of  its 
parishes  six  thousand  miles  yearly.  In  that 
period  he  consecrated  thirty-five  new  churches, 
and  the  number  of  the  clergy  increased  from 
fifty-seven  to  ninety-eight.  In  the  autumn  of 
1884  the  Rev.  N.  S.  Rulisou,  D.D.,  was  conse- 
crated as  assistant  bishop,  since  which  time 
Bishop  Howe  has  confined  himself  to  general 
administration  in  the  diocese.  Amid  his  proper 
labors  Dr.  Howe  has  devoted  some  leisure  to 
literary  work,  and  has  published  the  following : 
"  Essays  and  Fugitive  Pieces  in  Verse,"  "  A 
pamphlet  on  the  right  of  the  Eastern  Diocese 
to  elect  an  Assistant  Bishop,"  "  A  Review  of 
the  Report  of  the  Boston  School  Committee," 
"  A  pamphlet  in  vindication  of  the  Missionary 
Association  for  the  West,"  "  Preface  to  Butler's 
Edition  of  Bishop  Heber's  Poems,"  "  Several 
Occasional  Sermons,"  "  Sermon  before  the  Con- 
vention of  the  Diocese  of  Pennsylvania,"  "  Me- 
moirs of  the  Rt.  Rev.  Alonzo  Potter,  D.D." 

St.  Barnabas'  Church.— This  is  a  free 
church  and  had  its  origin  in  mission  services, 
which  were  conducted  by  members  of  Christ 
Church.  On  December  5,  1859,  Rev.  John 
Long  became  the  first  rector  of  the  parish  es- 
tablished about  that  time,  and  he  served  until 
November  1,  1861.  During  his  ministry  the 
present  small  brick  church  was  built  on  Sixth 
near  Bingaman  Street,  having  been  completed 
and  first  occupied  in  the  fall  of  1860.  Peter 
Jones,  Wharton  Morris  and  David  A.  Griffith 
were  the  building  committee.  The  conjrre^ation 


■IIM 


'Pll 


ml 


{J$feM. 


BISHOP  OF  CENTRAL  PENNSYLVANIA. 


READING. 


787 


numbers  sixty  communicant  members.  The 
vestry  for  the  year  1886  comprises:  Wardens, 
Peter  Jones  and  William  Bouchat;  Vestrymen, 
Samuel  C.  Moyer,  Wm.  K.  Yocom,  Nicholas 
Jones,  Joseph  W.  Holmes,  George  Ray,  Huys- 
inga  Bouchat  and  Emanuel  Richards. 

After  the  resignation  of  Rector  Long  the 
congregation  was  supplied  with  preaching  by 
Christ  Church  until  1864,  since  which  time 
the  rectors  have  been  : 

1864,  Rev.  C.  J.  Wendley;  1865,  Eev.  Hiram 
Adams;  1867,  Eev.  H.  S.  Gallodet;  I860,  Rev.  Jere- 
miah Karcher;  1874,  Rev.  C.  J.  Wendley ;  1876,  Rev. 
William  Burk;  1881,  Rev.  Benjamin  W.  Stone;  1883- 
86,  Rev.  Lewis  P.  Cloves. 

The  Sabbath-school  is  superintended  by 
Chester  B.  Jennings  and  the  membership  num- 
bers one  hundred  and  twenty. 

PKESBYTEEIAK  CHUECHES. 

Fiest  Presbyterian  Church. — The  exact 
date  of  the  organization  of  the  Presbyterian 
congregation  in  Reading  is  not  known.  John 
P.  Grier  came  to  Reading  in  the  beginning  of 
the  year  1811,  probably  shortly  before ;  when 
he  and  John  McKnight,  William  Bell,  Sam- 
uel Bell,  William  Moore,  Louis  Reese 
and  others,  about  that  time,  or  soon  after- 
ward, associated  together  for  the  purpose  of 
organizing  a  Presbyterian  congregation.  For 
several  years,  however,  there  would  appear  to 
be  no  definite  information.  In  1813,  there 
would  seem  to  have  been  an  organization,  for 
tnen  ruling  elders,  were  ordained, — namely,  John 
McKuight,  William  Bell,  William  Moore  and 
Charles  Snowden.  On  November  22,  1814, 
Mr.  Grier  was  ordained  as  a  minister  by  the 
Presbytery  of  New  Castle  in  the  Trinity  Luth- 
eran Church.  He  had  carried  on  teaching 
hi  the  "Reading  Academy"  for  at  least  three 
years  previously.  From  the  time  of  his  ordina- 
tion he  doubtless  preached  regularly,  if  he  did 
not  preach  before;  and  from  this  time  onward 
he  exerted  himself  toward  increasing  his  con- 
gregation and  toward  obtaining  a  separate 
church  for  religious  worship.  In  both  respects 
he  was  successful.  His  membership  comprised 
numerous  influential  people  who  were  prom- 
inent in  the  business  and  social  affairs  of  the 
town. 


In  1823  the  congregation  purchased  lot  No. 
526  and  half  of  525,  Penn  Street  (north  side  be- 
tween Second  and  Third  Streets),  and  thereon 
caused  a  building  to  be  erected.  The  corner- 
stone was  laid  on  Sunday  morning,  June  29, 
1823,  in  the  presence  of  a  large  number  of  peo- 
ple. The  day  was  bright  and  beautiful.  Vocal 
and  instrumental  music  was  rendered.  A  Ger- 
man hymn,  composed  for  the  occasion,  was  sung. 
Rev.  H.  A.  Muhlenberg  (pastor  of  Trinity 
Lutheran  congregation)  delivered  a  brief  in- 
troduction, address  and  prayer  in  the  German 
language,  and  Rev.  J.  N.  C.  Grier  (of  Chester 
County)  preached  an  appropriate  sermon.  The 
ceremony  of  laying  the  corner-stone  was  per- 
formed by  the  pastor  of  the  congregation,  Rev. 
J.  F.  Grier.  In  the  afternoon,  services  were 
held  in  Trinity  Lutheran  Church  (which  was 
kindly  given  for  the  occasion),  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Dechant,  pastor  of  the  German  Presbyterian 
Church  at  Pottsgrove  (Pottstown),  having 
preached  in  the  German  language.  And  the 
building  was .  dedicated  on  May  2,  1824.  In 
the  dedication,  eight  clergymen  from  four  dif- 
ferent denominations  officiated. 

Large  circular  pillars  were  constructed  in 
the  front  of  the  building  and  painted  in  imita- 
tion of  marble.  The  building  was  painted 
white,  for  which  reason  it  was  commonly  known 
as  the  "White  Church."  Its  dimensions  were 
forty  by  seventy-five  feet,  and  its  capacity  was 
about  six  hundred  persons. 

In  1825  the  membership  of  the  congregation 
was  sixty-eight. 

In  1847  another  site  was  selected  for  a  new 
and  improved  building.  The  last  services  in 
the  "  White  Church "  were  held  on  the  9th 
of  May,  1847.  On  the  24th  of  June  fol- 
lowing the  corner-stone  of  the  new  building 
was  laid.  Whilst  the  building  was  in 
course  of  erection,  services  were  held  in  the 
English  Lutheran  Church  (St.  Matthew's),  a  tem- 
porary association  of  the  two  congregations  hav- 
ing been  carried  on  successfully,  and  the  alternate 
services  of  the  respective  pastors  having  been 
largely  attended.  It  was  dedicated  on  the  19th 
of  November,  1848,  the  officiating  ministers 
having  been  Rev.  E.  J.  Richards,  the  pastor,  Rev. 
De  Witt,  of  Harrisburg,andRev.  Albert  Barnes, 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


of  Philadelphia.  This  building  is  still  standing. 
Upon  its  completion  the  cost  amounted  to  fif- 
teen thousand  dollars.  The  dimensions  are 
sixty-one  by  eighty-one  feet.  A  square  tower, 
ninety-five  feet  high,  is  constructed  in  front. 
The  face  of  the  front  and  tower  is  cut  sand- 
stone. The  style  of  architecture  is  "  early 
English  Gothic."  The  seating  capacity  is  about 
one  thousand  persons.  In  1883-84  a  fine  and 
commodious  addition  was  made  to  the  rear  of 
the  building. 

The  pastors  who  have  served  this  congrega- 
tion were, — 

John  F.  Grier,  1813-29 ;  Eleazer  Holt,  1832-35 ; 
William  Sterling,  1835-44;  E.  J.  Richards,  1846-72  ; 
Wallace  Radcliffe,  1872-85  ;  James  Leeper,  1886. 

Elders  for  1886  :  Caleb  Wheeler,  James  F. 
Smith,  James  Jameson,  J.  H.  Stern bergh,  Frank 
B.  Nagle  and  Joseph  V.  Kendall.  The  Sunday- 
school  connected  with  this  church  numbers  three 
hundred  and  fifty  pupils  with  J.  H.  Sternbergh 
as  superintendent ;  and  the  congregation  four 
hundred  and  seventy  members. 

Bethany  Mission  Chapel. — In  North 
Beading,  near  the  terminus  of  Ninth  Street, 
the  Presbyterians  erected  a  chapel  as  a  thank- 
offering  for  the  reunion  of  the  Old  and 
New  School  Presbyterian  Churches,  which 
resulted  from  meetings  in  the  vicinity  for  Sun- 
day-school purposes,  begun  on  the  28th  of 
June,  1868.  The  chapel  was  dedicated  on  the 
11th  of  September,  1870.  The  Sunday-school 
connected  with  this  chapel  numbers  one  hundred 
and  thirty-five  members,  and  is  superintended 
by  Charles  S.  Foos. 

Certain  Presbyterians  exerted  themselves  in 
behalf  of  establishing  a  Sunday-school  at  Bead- 
ing about  1815,  and  finally  succeeded  in  organ- 
izing a  Sabbath-school  association  in  1819. 
Shortly  after  its  organization  the  school  assem- 
bled in  the  "  State-House,"  and  continued  to 
assemble  there  till  the  Fifth  Street  Church  was 
completed,  in  1848,  when  it  was  transferred 
thither  It  has  been  in  active,  continuous  oper- 
ation since. 

In  1858  a  "  Union  Mission  Sunday-School  " 
was  organized,  which  was  held  in  the 
Franklin  Street  public  school  building.  At 
first  it  was  composed  of  members  of  different 


denominations,  but  it  soon  became  exclusively 
Presbyterian,  when  the  name  was  changed  to 
Calvary  Presbyterian  Sabbath-School.  It  has 
been  carried  on  successfully  since. 

"Washington  Street  Presbyterian 
Church  congregation  was  organized  April  29, 
1823,  by  Bev.  John  A.  Grier.  A  property  was 
purchased  then  on  the  northeast  corner  of 
Washington  and  Mulberry  Streets, — a  lot  sixty 
by  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet,  with  two 
tenements  thereon,  which  were  then  converted 
into  a  "  house  of  worship,"  at  an  expense  of 
five  hundred  dollars.  The  cost  of  this  improve- 
ment was  paid  by  Bev.  Grier  and  his  widow. 
The  following  early  ministers  officiated  : 

Rev.  Mr.  Ward,  two  years  ;  Rev.  John  Gloucester, 
three  years ;  Rev.  John  Dorsey,  one  year ;  Rev.  Thom- 
as Hunt,  two  years. 

Bev.  Gloucester  also  served  the  congregation 
from  1844  till  1849. 

In  1848  a  new  church  was  erected  on  same 
site  for  fifteen  hundred  dollars.  The  church 
building  was  improved  in  1882  at  an  expense 
of  about  five  hundred  dollars.  Bev.  William 
B.  Templeton  has  been  the  resident  pastor  since 
1874.  The  preseDt(1885)  membership  of  church 
is  sixty. 

It  is  believed  that  a  Sunday-school  was 
organized  in  1835.  The  school  now  numbers 
one  hundred  and  thirty  children.  Hiram  Fry 
was  superintendent  for  over  forty  years. 

Members  of  this  congregation  on  1st  of 
April,  1834,— 

Herman  Fry  (elder),  Abraham  Fry  (elder),  Henry 
Jones  (elder),  Richard  Brown  (deacon),  James  Ban- 
ton  (deacon),  Margaret  Clymer,  Hester  Brown,  Maria 
Fry,  Catharine  Jones,  Elizabeth  Bowers,  Mary 
Waters,  Elizabeth  Dobbing,  Abigail  Leader,  Eliza- 
beth Fry,  Hanuah  Brown,  Mary  Goldy,  Mary  Ann 
Wilson,  Margaret  Banton,  Mrs.  Dorsey,  Jane  Baker, 
Richard  Dorsey. 

BAPTIST  CHURCHES. 

First  Baptist  Church. — From  the  begin- 
ning of  Beading  for  a  period  of  eighty  years 
there  were  persons  who  were  Baptists  by  pro- 
fession of  faith  and  doctrine ;  but  their  num- 
ber was  too  small  to  admit  of  an  organization. 
They  attended  the  religious  services  of  other 
congregations  and  were  somewhat  classed  with 


READING. 


789 


them  till  a  separate  organization  was  effected  ; 
but  they  doubtless  occasionally  went  to  Sink- 
ing Spring  to  participate  in  the  worship  of  their 
own  denomination — a  Baptist  Church  in  the 
county  having  been  established  there  about 
1740.  Another  church  probably  earlier  was 
also  nearer  Reading,  on  the  Wyomissing  Creek. 

During  the  year  1828,  Revs.  John  Booth 
and  Lsonard  Fletcher,  of  the  Baptist  denomina- 
tion, visited  Reading  occasionally  and  held  re- 
ligious services.  Toward  the  close  of  that  year 
(December  20,  1828),  a  half-dozan  baptized 
persons  met  in  the  dwelling  of  William  James, 
on  the  northwest  corner  of  Front  and  Franklin 
Streets,  and  organized  the  First  Baptist  congre- 
gation of  Reading.  Revs.  J.  Booth  and  J.  H. 
Kennard  were  present  upon  that  occasion  and 
assisted  in  its  organization  and  recognition.  The 
names  of  the  six  constituent  members  were 
William  James,  Adam  Johnson,  Sr.,  John 
Faulkner,  Sarah  Faulkner,  Mary  Ann  Lockart 
and  Ann  Oliver. 

Shortly  afterward,  in  1829,  this  little  society 
purchased  a  lot  of  ground  on  the  south- 
east corner  of  Front  and  Cherry  Streets,  and 
thereon  immediately  began  and  soon  completed 
a  modest  church.  In  this  building  they  con- 
tinued to  hold  their  religious  services  till  the 
summer  of  1836,  when  they  removed  to  another 
church,  which  they  had  just  before  erected, 
situated  on  Chestnut  Street,  north  side,  above 
Fourth.  In  1845  this  church  was  found  too 
small  and  inconvenient  for  them,  so  they  substi- 
tuted a  larger  building.  This  has  been  occupied 
to  the  present  time.  It  is  a  plain  but  substantial 
and  comfortable  plastered  brick  building,  two 
stories  in  height,  and  capable  of  seating  in  the 
auditorium  about  five  hundred  persons.  For 
some  time  after  the  organization  of  the  con- 
gregation there  was  no  regular  preaching.  But 
during  the  first  six  years  they  obtained  their 
first  pastor, — when,  it  is  not  known,  owing  to  the 
loss  of  the  minutes  of  the  congregation.  Since 
its  organization  about  seven  hundred  members 
were  added  by  baptism.  The  Sunday-school 
was  organized,  which  has  been  carried  on  since 
successfully. 

In  1869  the  congregation  erected  a  small 
brick  chapel  on   Ninth  Street,  beyond    Centre, 


and  then  organized  the  Second  Baptist  Church, 
which  was  known  as  the  Berean  Mission. 

The  pastors  of  the  First  Baptist  Church 
were  :  ' 

George  Higgins,  E.  M.  Barker,  1835-38 ;  Enos  M. 
Philips,  1840-42  ;  Samuel  Davidson,  1842-45  ;  Emer- 
son Andrews,  1845-46 ;  Joseph  Hammitt,  1846-49 ; 
Isaac  Bevan,  1850-58  ;  George  Frear,  1858-72  ;  A.  H. 
Sembower,  1872-85  ;  Charles  .M.  Deitz,  since  June 
1,  1885. 

The  present  membership  is  five  hundred  and 
fifteen ;  number  of  members  added  under  the 
present  pastor,  one  hundred  and  twenty-five.  A 
flourishing  Sunday-school  meets  in  this  church, 
of  which  Daniel  Shaaber  is  superintendent. 

The  Sunday-school  Association  has  begun  a 
mission  school  in  Ricktown,  which  is  superin- 
tended by  Jesse  Orr. 

Berean  Baptist  Church  is  located  on 
North  Ninth  Street,  above  Centre.  The  build- 
ing in  which  the  congregation  worships  was 
built  in  1869  by  the  First  Baptist  Church  of 
Reading.  The  congregation  was  organized 
July  15,  1879,  when  the  building  was  leased 
and  has  since  been  used  by  the  Berean  congre- 
gation. The  pastors  who  have  officiated  since 
the  time  of  the  organization  were  J.  P.  Mc- 
Collough,  from  November,  1879,  to  September, 
1880;J.  J.  Reeder,from  October,1880,  to  April, 
1882 ;  B.  G.  Parker,  from  June,  1882,  to  Sep- 
tember, 1884.  The  present  pastor  is  J.  N.  Earle, 
who  has  served  since  December,  1885.  The 
original  membership  was  eighteen;  present  (1886) 
membership,  ninety-two.  The  Sunday-school 
was  organized  in  1869 ;  transferred  to  the  Berean 
Church  in  1879.  J.  H.  Romkin  has  served  as 
superintendent  since  organization. 

Universalist  Church.  —  The  Universa- 
list  congregation  was  organized  in  1831.  Sev- 
eral years  before,  in  June,  1829,  the  Rev. 
Theophilus  Fiske  preached  in  the  city  on  the 
doctrine  of  "  the  restitution  of  all  things."  He 
came  here  for  that  purpose  upon  the  invitation 
of  certain  influential  citizens,  comprising,  among 
others,  members  of  the  Keim,  Boas  and  Ritter 
families.  The  Keim  family  are  descendants  of 
Dr.  George  de  Benneville,  who  emigrated  from 
England  to  this  country  in  1841,  and  who,  it  is 
believed,  was  the  first  public  advocate  of  Uni- 
versalism  on  the  "Western  Continent. 


79D 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


After  the  organization  of  the  society,  steps 
were  taken  for  the  erection  of  a  building  for 
public  worship  ;  the  corner-stone  was  laid  Aug. 
12,  1831,  and  oh  the  22d  day  of  April,  1832, 
the  church  was  dedicated.  The  building  is 
still  standing.  It  is  situated  on  the  south  side 
of  Franklin  Street,  above  Fourth  ;  two-story 
brick,  forty  by  sixty  feet,  with  a  belfry,  and 
capable  of  seating  about  five  hundred  people. 
An  addition  was  made  in  1870  for  Sunday- 
school  purposes  by  the  Sunday-school.  It 
is  the  third  church  which  was  consecrated  to 
this  faith  in  Pennsylvania. 

The  society  was  incorporated  on  May  29, 
1832.     The  charter  members  were, — 

George D.  B.  Keim,  George  M.  Keim,  Chas.  Kessler, 
John  Taxis,  Daniel  Seider,  John  Bitter,  John  M. 
Keim,  Abel  Levering,  John  Walter,  Jacob  W.  Seitz- 
inger,  John  Green,  Christian  Bitter,  John  Boas,  Jr., 
Henry  Schoener,  J.  Walter  Frill,  John  W.  Tyson, 
Charles  Phillippi,  Daniel  H.  Boas,  Samuel  Fesig, 
George  Till,  John  Brown,  Joseph  Snyder,  Samuel 
Bitter,  Samuel  Goodman,  John  Boas,  Godfrey  Pflieger, 
John  H.  Beachell,  Samuel  Levan,  Jr.,  David  Medary, 
Daniel  M.  Keim,  William  P.  Orrick,  Jacob  Marshall, 
William  Cathcart,  Franklin  Miller,  and  John  Chris- 
tian. 

The  following  persons  joined  the  congrega- 
tion soon  after  the  erection  of  the  church  : 

Joseph  Berrett,  Sr.,  William  E.  Wilson,  John  K. 
Wright,  John  H.  Danfleld,  Lewis  Briner,  William  H. 
Miller,  Elizabeth  Hutching.-i,  Sarah  Berrett,  Eliza 
Cathcart,  Amelia  Christian,  Elizabeth  Tyson,  Mary 
F.  Tyson,  Catharine  Kessler,  Mary  Elizabeth  Bitter, 
Caty  Bitter,  Mary  Pflieger,  Joel  Bitter,  Peter  Viven, 
Benjamin  Stamm,  Catharine  C.  Schoener,  George  Al- 
bright, Sarah  B.  Albright,  James  Yager,  Eliza  Bright, 
Rjbert  W.  Albright,  Lavinia  Tyson,  Sarah  Cheeney, 
Catharine  Fincher,  Henrietta  Finney,  Sarah  Kessler, 
Bebecca  Pflieger,  Bichard  Warner,  Lewis  Diehl, 
George  Bright,  Samuel  R.  Christian,  Francis  Bright, 
Hannah  Phillippi,  Juliann  Woolison,  Elizabeth  Mil- 
ler, Susan  Pflieger  and  Mary  Ann  Taxis. 

The  following  ministers  served  the  congrega- 
tion : 

Bev.  Asher  Moore,  1832-34;  Bev.  John  Perry, 
1835-38 ;  Bev.  Samuel  Ashton,  1841-45  ;  Rev.  A.  B. 
Grosh,  1845-50 ;  Bev.  J.  Shrigley,  1850-54 ;  Rev.  J. 
T.  Goodrich,  1854-56  ;  Rev.  J.  Shrigley,  1856-58 ;  Rev. 
William  M.  Barber,  1858-66 ;  Rev.  T.  B.  Thayer,  D.  D., 
1867-68  ;  Rev.  Bernard  Peters,  1868-69 ;  Rev.  Giles 


Bailey,  1869-78  ;  *  Rev.  L.  H.  Squires,  1878-80  ;  Rev. 

5.  Giibert,  1881 ;  Rev.  Abraham  Conkling,  1882-85 ; 
Rev.  W.  S.  Peterson,  1885 ; '  Rev.  J.  H.  Amies,  1885- 
86. 

The  present  membership  of  the  congregation 
is  two  hundred  and  seventy-one,  and  of  the 
Sunday-school  two  hundred  and  twenty-five. 
The  library  of  the  school  contains  one  thousand 
selected  books. 

Captain  F.  S.  Boas  has  officiated  as  the 
superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school  since  May 

6,  1861,  excepting  for  a  period  of  nearly  four 
years,  from  1865  to  1869.  He  has  taken  a 
prominent  part  in  the  church  affairs  during  the 
period  of  thirty-five  years,  having  served  as 
secretary  of  the  congregation  since  January, 
1854. 

The  vestry  is  composed  of  the  following 
members : 

A.  G.  Green,  Esq.,  moderator ;  F.  S.  Boas,  secre- 
tary; William H.  Luden,  treasurer;  W.  L.  C.  Bailey, 
Charles  Marsh,  Joseph  F.  Rogers,  George  C.  Frame, 
William  S.  Ritter  and  Dr.  Harrison  T.  Witman. 

METHODIST  CHUKCHES. 

Ebenezee  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
— Methodism  in  Berks  County  is  not  an  indig- 
enous plant,  but  an  exotic  one.  Therefore, 
while  in  other  parts  of  the  State  it  exhibits 
great  strength  and  wealth,  here  it  has  been  of 
rather  slow  growth.  The  first  Methodist 
Episcopal  class  in  Reading  was  formed  in  1822 
by  Rev.  Henry  Boehm.  This  formed  the 
nucleus  of  the  first  organization,  which  was 
composed  of  Henry  Goodhart,  William  Collier, 
Christian  Miller,  Daniel  Rhiem,  John  Rorick, 
Elijah  Bull  and  John  Addams.  The  society 
worshipped  for  five  years  in  private  houses.  In 
1827  the  first  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was 
built  on  Third  Street,  below  Franklin.  This 
was  a  plain  structure,  where  the  society  wor- 
shipped for  twelve  years.  Samuel  Pettit  bought 
this  ground  and  did  much  for  the  church  in 
various  ways. 

Revs.  Christian  Miller,  Thomas  Sovereign, 
David  Best,  Joseph  Ash  brook,  James  Talbot, 
Allen  Johns  and  John  Inskip  served  this  charge 
as  pastors. 

The  building  proving  too   limited   for  the 

1  Died  whilst  minister. 


BEADING. 


791 


increasing  membership,  in  1839,  Rev.  John  A. 
Roach,  with  a  binding  committee,  bought  a 
large  lot  on  Fourth  Street,  above  Franklin,  and  on 
it  erected  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
of  Reading.  This  was  a  two-story  brick  build- 
ing, with  seating  capacity  for  about  six  hundred. 
It  was  thoroughly  remodeled  in  1868,  under 
the  ministry  of  Rev.  T.  A.  Fernley.  It  was 
agaiu  renovated  and  is  now  well  furnished  both 
in  lecture  and  audience-rooms,  is  free  of  debt 
and  is  the  strongest  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  Berks  County.  It  has  a  member- 
ship of  about  four  hundred.  The  Sabbath- 
school  is  large  and  vigorous,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Walter  Davis  and  William  Price. 
There  is  a  large,  well -furnished  parsonage  on  a 
lot  adjoining  the  church. 

Two  flourishing  churches  have  been  formed 
by  this  charge,  viz. :  St.  Peters,  on  Fifth  Street, 
and  Covenant,  on  Elm  Street,  near  Ninth 
Street. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  the  pastors 
who  have  served  the  church  since  1839,  in  the 
order  of  their  appointments : 

Revs.  John  A.  Roach,  Samuel  Higgins,  Joseph  Ma- 
son, Pennell  Coombs,  Elijah  Miller,  William  A.  Wig- 
gins, T.  A.  Fernley,  Gasaway  Oram,  J.  Thomas,  Wil- 
liam Elliott,  J.  Ruth,  J.  B.  McCullough,  J.  W. 
McCaskey,  J.  R.  Anderson,  William  L.  Gray,  Jerome 
Lindemuth,  George  W.  McLaughlin,  J.  F.  Meredith, 
S.  N.  Chew,  J.  Richards  Boyle,  W.  C.  Best,  R.  W. 
Humphries,  T.  D.  Neely,  C.  W.  Biukley. 

The  present  value  of  the  property  is  about 
thirty-five  thousand  dollars.  In  the  year  1884 
a  large  pipe-organ  was  placed  in  the  church. 

St.  Peter's  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  is  situated  on  South  Fifth  Street, 
opposite  Pine  Street.  The  congregation  was 
organized  in  1848,  by  Rev.  James  Y.  Ashton, 
who  was  appointed  by  the  bishop,  at  the  Phila- 
delphia Annual  Conference,  for  the  purpose  of 
establishing  a  second  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  Reading.  James  H.  McFarland 
was  presiding  elder  of  the  Reading  District. 
Sixty  members  of  the  Ebenezer  Church  volun- 
teered to  start  the  new  enterprise.  They  held 
religious  services  first  in  the  Odd-Fellows',  now 
Library  Hall,  and  afterward  in  Aulenbach's 
Hall,  on  Penn  Street,  above  Sixth.  The  same 
year  a  two-story  brick  church  was  built,  fifty , 


by  seventy-five  feet,  and  January  28,  1849,  the 
lower  room  was  opened  for  church  and  Sabbath- 
school  services.  The  upper  room  was  finished 
and  dedicated  in  1849. 

Andrew  M.  Dehart,  Isaiah  Wells  and  Jacob 
Sauerbier  were  the  building  committee.  In 
1883-84  the  front  of  the  church  was  remodeled, 
the  tower  built,  twenty-one  feet  added  to  the 
length  of  the  church  and  a  one-story  infant 
school-room  annexed.  Henry  D.  High,  Wil- 
liam M.  Staufferand  Wesley  H.  Wells  were  the 
building  committee. 

The  names  of  the  pastors  of  the  church 
since  the  time  of  organization,  and  term  of  ser- 
vice, were  as  follows  : 

James  Y.  Ashton,  two  years  ;  G.  Dixon  Bowen,  two 
years;  Newion  Heston,  two  years;  Thomas  A.  Fern- 
ley, two  years;  Arthur  W.  Milby,  two  years;  John 
H.  Alday,  one  year  ;  James  H.  McCarter,  two  years  ; 
Samuel  Irwin,  two  years ;  John  F.  Meredith,  three 
years ;  Peter  J.  Cox,  two  years  ;  Robert  H.  Pattison, 
one  year;  Henry  R.  Calloway,  two  years;  George 
Heacock,  two  years  ;  Samuel  Irwin,  three  years ;  John 
E.  Kessler,  three  years  ;  William  J.  Mills,  three  years  ; 
Joseph  B.  Dobbins,  two  years  ;  Amos  Johnson,  who 
has  served  two  years,  is  the  pastor  for  the  year  1886. 

The  Sunday-school  connected  with  this 
church  was  organized,  in  1844,  in  a  school - 
house,  and  moved  to  the  church  in  1849.  This 
school,  on  February  1,  1886,  had  three  hun- 
dred and  ninety-nine  pupils,  with  an  average 
attendance  of  three  hundred  and  forty-two. 
There  is  also  a  mission  school  connected  with 
this  congregation. 

Covenant  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
located  on  Elm  Street,  above  Ninth. — The  con- 
gregation was  organized  in  1869,  by  Rev.  S.  G. 
Grove,  with  thirteen  members.  Under  his 
ministration  many  members  were  added.  He 
officiated  as  pastor  until  1872.  The  following 
is  a  complete  list  of  the  pastors  who  have  served 
this  congregation  : 

S.  G.  Grove,  from  1869  to  1872 ;  T.  M.  Griffiih,  from 
1872  to  1873  ;  W.  K.  Macneal,  from  1873  to  1876  ;  J. 
B.  Graff,  from  1876  to  1879 ;  L.  B.  Hoffman,  from 
1879  to  1881 ;  C.  Hudson,  from  1881  to  1882 ;  H.  A. 
Cleveland,  from  1882  to  1884  ;  J.  D.  Fox,  from  1884 
to  date. 

Since  its  organization  the  congregation  has 
greatly    increased.      Membership,    1886,    two 


792 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


hundred  and  ten.  The  Sunday-school  was  or- 
ganized in  the  same  year  as  the  church,  and  has 
been  very  successfully  conducted.  The  present 
number  of  pupils  is  two  hundred  and  fifty. 
Mr.  J.  D.  Fox  is  the  superintendent. 

African  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
— The  congregation  was  organized  in  1837,  and 
soon  after  a  one-story  frame  building  was  ob- 
tained, in  which  religious  worship  was  held 
until  the  present  handsome  two-story  brick 
church  was  built  in  1869,  on  Tenth  Street,  near 
Washington,  by  Samuel  Underhill  and  Aaron 
Eyrick.  The  membership  of  the  congregation 
is  about  forty.  The  Sunday-school  connected 
with  it  numbers  fifty  pupils.  The  superintendent 
is  G.  T.  Hawkins. 

The  following  pastors  have  ministered  to  this 
congregation  since  the  time  of  organization  : 

Eichard  Robertson,  Sampson  Peters,  George 
Greenly,  John  Cornish,  John  Butler,  Adam  Driver, 
William  H.  Jones,  William  Moore,  Israel  Scott,  A. 
W.  Wayman,  William  Winder,  Joseph  Smith,  An- 
drew Till,  Jeremiah  Young,  Richard  Barney,  Thomas 
Oliver,  John  L.  Armstrong,  John  R.  V.  Morgan, 
William  R.  Norris,  Thomas  A.  Cuff,  Joseph  Nel- 
son, Henry  J.  Rhodes,  Amos  Wilson,  H.  H.  Lewis, 
Jacob  Wilksbelm,  James  Payton,  William  H.  Davis, 
Charles  H.  Green,  J.  C.  Brock,  J.  W.  Norris. 

evangelical  chukches. 

Salem  Church  of  the  Evangelical 
Association. — The  congregation  of  this  church 
was  organized  in  1844  by  Rev.  Joseph  M. 
Saylor.  A  house  of  worship  was  erected  the 
same  year  on  the  corner  of  Eighth  and  Court 
Streets.  This  building  was  used  until  1877, 
when  the  present  large  and  commodious  church 
was  erected.  The  congregation  has  constantly  in- 
creased in  membership  until  it  now  (1886)  num- 
bers five  hundred  members.  The  Sunday-school 
was  organized  the  same  year  as  the  congrega- 
tion. It  now  has  seven  hundred  pupils  with 
Dr.  S.  L.  Dreibelbis  as  superintendent. 

The  following  is  a  complete  list  of  the  pastors 
who  have  ministered  to  this  congregation  : 

J.  M.  Saylor,  Daniel  Berger,  William  Hein,  Chris- 
tian Meyers,  J.  M.  Saylor,  J.  C.  Farnsworth,  Corne- 
lius Loose,  Jacob  Adams,  Francis  Hoffman,  William 
Hein,  John  Koehl,  Isaac  Hess,  Ephraim  Ely,  Daniel 
Wieaud,  Joseph  Specht,  John  Schell,  George  Knerr 
C.  H.  Baker,  Solomon  Neitz,  B.  F.  Bohner,  Solomon 
Neitz,  S.  S.  Chubb,  W.  K.  Wieand. 


Ebenezer  Church  of  the  Evangelical 
Association,  located   on  Ninth  Street,  above 
Elm,  was  organized  by  the  Rev.  John  Koehl,  in 
1870,  with  sixty  members.     The  congregation 
first  worshipped  in  Fisher's  Hall.     The  same 
year    a     one-story     church,     sixty-eight     by 
thirty- eight  feet,    was   built  on    Ninth  Street, 
near  Buttonwood.      George  Gasser,  Abraham 
Fry,     "William     R.     Heilig,    Christian    Kolb 
and    Andrew   Benner    were  the    trustees  and 
building   committee.      In    1885  a  large  and 
commodious  two-story  brick  building,  forty  by 
seventy-four  feet  in  size,  was  built,  and  a  two- 
story  brick  parsonage  which  is  the  property  of 
the   congregation.     The  pastors  in   successiou 
were  John  Koehl,  E.  Butz,  Isaac  Hess,  F.  P. 
Lehr,  J.  Neitz,  S.  B.  Brown,  S.  Neitz  and  Isaac 
J.  Reitz,  who  is  the  present  pastor.     The  con- 
gregation  has    largely    increased;    has   at  the 
present  time  (1886)  a  membership  of  two  hun- 
dred and  thirty.     The  Sunday-school  was  or- 
ganized May  22,  1870,  with  forty  scholars,  and 
has    been  very  successful,  having   at  this   date 
three  hundred  pupils. '  James  H.  Miller  is  the 
superintendent. 

Immanuel  Church  of  the  Evangelical 
Association  is  situated  on  Sixth  Street,  above 
Chestnut  Street.  In  1861  a  number  of  the 
members  in  good  standing  of  the  Salem  Evan- 
gelical Church,  of  this  city,  made  application  to 
the  East  Pennsylvania  Conference  for  a  separate 
organization,  the  motive  being  to  establish  an 
exclusively  English  congregation.  This  was 
granted  the  same  year,  and  the  congregation  or- 
ganized at  the  house  of  Rev.  Seneca  Breyfogel. 
Soon  after,  a  hall  was  rented  on  the  northwest 
corner  of  Fourth  and  Penn  Streets.  The  first 
services  were  held  on  October  27,  1861,  and 
seventeen  persons  signed  the  constitution  as 
members.  In  January,  1862,  the  congregation 
purchased  a  two-story  brick  church  on  Chestnut 
Street,  below  Sixth  Street,  formerly  used  by  the 
Protestant  Methodist  congregation.  In  this  they 
worshipped  until  December,  1884,  when  they 
removed  to  the  lecture-room  of  their  new  and 
large  church  on  Sixth  Street  near  Chestnut. 
This  had  been  in  course  of  erection  for 
several  months  and  was  completed  at  a  cost  of 
thirty  thousand   dollars.      The   entire  amount 


READING. 


793 


was  secured  on  the  day  of  the  dedication,  in 
1885.     During  the  dedication  ceremonies  the 
congregation  unanimously  decided  that  the  pews 
of  this  church  should  be  forever  free. 
The  officiating  pastors  were, — 

Kevs.  George  B.  Fisher,  J.  A.  Apgar,  Thomas  Bow- 
man, C.  S.  Haman,  S.  C.  Ehoads,  S.  P.  Reinoehl,  J. 
G.  Sands,  George  B.  Fisher,  U.  H.  Hershey, .  W.  A. 
Leopold,  James  Bowman,  J.  N.  Metzgar  and  S.  C. 
Breyfogel,  the  present  pastor. 

Eight  hundred  persons  have  united  with  this 
church  since  its  organization,  and  during  the 
same  period  five  thousand  dollars  were  con- 
tributed toward  the  missionary  fund.  The 
congregation  at  the  present  time  numbers  four 
hundred  members.  A  Sunday-school  was  or- 
ganized at  the  same  time  as  the  church,  with 
sixty-eight  pupils  in  attendance,  and  has  been 
very  successful.  In  1885  the  number  of  pupils 
had  increased  co  five  hundred  and  twenty,  with 
an  average  attendance  of  four  hundred  and  ten. 
F.  G.  Boas  is  now,  and  has  been  for  more  than 
twenty  five  years  general  superintendent  of  the 
school.  Miss  Ella  B.  Dunkel  is  superinten- 
dent of  the  primary  department,  with  over  two 
hundred  pupils. 

St.  Matthew's  Church  of  the  Evangel- 
ical Association  is  situated  at  Eighteenth  and 
Cotton  Streets,  and  is  a  mission  under  the 
supervision  of  the  pastor,  Francis  Hoffman,  and 
trustees  of  Salem  Evangelical  Church.  It  was 
organized  in  1883,  in  a  one-story  frame  build- 
ing, which  is  still  used  as  a  place  of  worship. 
There  are  forty  members  connected  with  this 
mission;  also  a  Sunday-school  with  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  pupils  in  attendance.  Lewis 
Riegner  is  superintendent.  This  chapel  was 
erected  by  the  trustees  of  the  Salem  Evangelical 
Church. 

united  brethren  churches. 

Zion  Church  of  the  United  Brethren 
in  Christ  was  organized  in  1847  by  Rev.  S. 
Noll.  A  frame  house  of  worship  was  built 
during  the  same  year,  at  a  cost  of  six  hundred 
dollars.  Rev.  S.  Vonieda  took  charge  in  1848, 
and  the  next  year  a  mission  station  was  consti- 
tuted, with  Rev.  S.  Noll  as  leader,  for  three 
years,  during  which  time  he  gathered  in  seventy- 
eight  members.     Rev.  D.  Hoffman  served  the 


congregation  from  1852  to  1856,  during  whose 
pastorate  fifty-seven  members  were  added  and 
the  church  now  standing  was  built. 

The  pastors  in  order  of  succession  who  fol- 
lowed were, — 

Joseph  Young,  George  W.  Hoffman,  Jacob  Brewer, 

D.  M.  Kauffman,  Ezekiel  (under  this  pastorate 

a  division  of  the  church  was  made  and  the  Otterbein 
formed),  J.  Runk,  Job  Light,  J.  H.  Unger,  J.  H. 
Mark,  D.  Hoffman.  Rev.  Samuel  Etter  became  pas- 
tor of  the  congregation  in  1881,  and  in  1886  is  occu- 
pying the  position. 

The  congregation  had  one  hundred  and  fifty 
members  when  he  was  chosen  pastor.  There  are 
now  two  hundred  and  ninety-six  members.  The 
Sunday-school  connected  with  this  church  was 
organized  in  1854.  It  has  now  three  hundred 
pupils,  with  Franklin  Ebright  as  superinten- 
dent. 

Otterbein  Church  of  the  United 
Brethren  in  Christ  is  the  second  of  that  de- 
nomination in  Reading.  The  church  building  is 
situated  on  Eighth  Street  near  Elm.  The  con- 
gregation was  organized  in  1856,  under  Rev. 
I.  L.  Peters  as  pastor,  and  the  first  church 
was  built  the  same  year.  The  church  was  re- 
built in  1879  while  the  congregation  was  under 
the  pastoral  care  of  Rev.  J.  B.  Funk. 

The  pastors  have  been, — 

I.  L.  Peters,  Wm.  Evers,  Israel  Carpenter,  J. 
Muma,  J.  B.  Funk,  H.  Phillips  and  the  present  pastor, 
M.  P.  Doyle. 

The  first  board  of  trustees  was  composed  of 
Michael  Sands,  M.  Fishburn,  N.  Zell  and  Geo. 
Heffelfinger.  The  trustees  for  the  year  1886 
are  J.  Wisler,  Emerson  Kline,  Joseph  Kline, 
Abraham  Landis  and  Jacob  Stoner.  The 
church  membership  in  1886  is  two  hundred  and 
fifty.  The  number  of  pupils  in  the  Sunday- 
school,  three  hundred. 

MENNONITE  CHURCH. 

Faith  Chapel,  Mennonite  Brethren  in 
Christ,  is  situated  on  North  Tenth  Street  near 
Oley.  The  congregation  was  organized  in  1884, 
by  Rev.  Wm.  B.  Musselman.  Thirty-five 
persons  became  members  at  the  first  meeting. 
The  chapel  was  dedicated  in  January,  1885, 
by  the  pastor,  who  has  officiated  since  the  or- 
ganization.    The  present  membership  is  sixty- 


794 


HISTOKY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


nine.  The  Sunday-school  was  organized  in 
April,  1885,  with  one  hundred  and  ten  pupils. 
The  superintendent  is  Wm.  Gamier. 

This  is  an  independent  congregation,  a  branch 
of  the  Mennouite  denomination,  whose  strongest 
membership  is  in  Canada. 

free  church. 
Friendship  Home  Mission  op  the  Re- 
formed Evangelical  Free  Church  (Cotton 
Street,  above  Tenth). — The  congregation  was 
organized  September  1,  1883,  in  Sauppe's 
Hall,  on  Penn  Street  above  Eighth,  by  the 
Rev.  Joseph  Kutz,  the  pastor  and  founder  of 
the  church.  Eighteen  original  members  joined 
this  church,  and  a  Sunday-school  was  organized 
at  the  same  time  on  Tenth  Street  below  Cotton, 
with  fifteen  pupils  in  attendance.  In  1875  Mrs. 
Mary  Kutz,  wife  of  the  pastor,  collected  suffi- 
cient funds  to  enable  her  husband  to  build  a 
one-story  brick  church,  twenty-six  by  forty-five 
feet,  on  Cotton  Street  above  Tenth,  which  is 
now  used  by  the  congregation.  Joseph  Kutz 
acted  as  their  pastor  until  his  death,  in  1883, 
and  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  J.  Addison  Kutz, 
the  present  pastor.  The  membership  of  the 
church  has  been  constantly  increasing  since 
the  time  of  organization.  There  are  at  present 
eighty-five  members.  The  Sunday-school  has 
two  hundred  and  fifty  pupils.  The  pastor,  J. 
Addison  Kutz,  is  superintendent  of  the  school. 
This  congregation  is  an  independent  church  or- 
ganization. 

ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CHURCHES. 

St.  Peter's. — The  Roman  Catholic  denom- 
ination obtained  an  early  foothold  in  Berks 
County.  An  establishment  was  effected  in 
1741  along  the  eastern  border  in  Hereford  (now 
Washington)  township,  at  a  place  named 
"  Churchville,"  after  the  church  there  situated. 
But  their  number  in  the  county  in  the  early 
history  of  the  church  was  not  at  any  time 
great. 

There  were  adherents  of  this  church  in  Read- 
ing from  the  beginning.  About  1755,  during 
the  "  French  and  Indian  War,"  the  inhabitants 
of  the  town  regarded  them  with  suspicion. 
This  superinduced  a  strong  letter,  addressed  by 
the  justices   of  the  county  to  the  Governor  of 


the  province,  dated  July  23,  1755,  in  which 
they  expressed  the  fear  that  the  Protestants  were 
"  subject  to  a  massacre  whenever  the  Papists  are 
ready,"  and  prayed  direction  "  in  this  import- 
ant business."  But,  after  submitting  the  mat- 
ter to  the  Executive  Council,  he,  in  a  reply 
dated  Aug.  25th,  following,  said  that  there  was 
little  foundation  for  their  representations,  and 
this  caused  the  apparently  unnecessary  excite- 
ment to  subside. 

In  the  letter  it  would  appear  that  there  was  a 
priest  then  at  Reading,  who  preached  to  his  con- 
gregation once  in  four  weeks.  His  name  was 
Ferdinand  Farmer.  He  reported  in  1757  at 
Reading  the  following  membership  : 

German.  41  males,  39  females 80 

Irish:  5  males,  3  females 8 


The  first  Roman  Catholic  Church  was  erected 
in  1791,  on  South  Seventh  Street,  east  side,  near 
Chestnut,  on  lot  No.  321.  It  was  built  of  brick 
and  capable  of  holding  three  hundred  persons. 
It  was  called  "St.  Peter's."  Previously,  for 
some  years,  worship  was  carried  on  in  a  small 
log  building  on  same  lot. 

With  the  growth  of  the  town  their  number 
increased,  and  after  the  lapse  of  fifty  years  a 
larger  building  became  necessary.  Accordingly, 
they  removed  to  the  west  side  of  South  Fifth  near 
Spruce  Street,  and  began  the  erection  of  a  large, 
improved  church  in  1845,  which  was  dedicated 
May  24,  1846.  Patrick  Devlan,  a  prominent 
member  of  the  congregation,  presented  a  large 
bell  to  the  church  on  December  12,  1850,  which 
is  still  in  use.  Its  total  weight  was  three  thou- 
sand four  hundred  pounds,  with  a  diameter  at 
its  mouth,  four  feet  eight  inches. 

The  membership  aud  services  were  English 
and  German  till  the  erection  of  "  St.  Paul's," 
in  1860-61,  when  the  German  portion  with- 
drew. 

The  priests  who  officiated  here  were, — 

Revs.  Peter  Helbron,  Paul  Ernsten,   George  Shen- 

felder,  Edward  McCarthy,  Nicholas  Steinbacher, 

Gasman,  F.  A.  Marshall,  Peter  Steinbacher,  Basel 

Shorb, Balffe,  Peter  Lemke,  Richard  O'Conner, 

P.  Carbon,  James  Powers, Cobbin,  J.  Ahem, 

Miller,  Kunzer,  Francis  O'Conner,  

Schroeder,  J.  J.  McElroy,  A.  D.  Filan,  P.  J.  Garvey 


HEADING. 


795 


and  Gerald  Coghlan,  the  hitter  serving  since  August, 
1882. 

On  March  25,  1829,  W.  S.  Allgaier  first 
moved  to  organize  a  separate  Sunday-school  for 
Roman  Catholic  children.  He  went  to  the 
different  families  of  the  congregation  and  ob- 
tained the  names  of  sixty-two  children.  Col- 
lections were  then  made  for  the  purchase  of 
books,  etc.,  and  soon  after  the  school  was  formed 
in  the  Madeira  school  building.  Several  years 
afterward  the  school  was  moved  to  the  basement 
of  the  parsonage  on  Seventh  Street,  and  after- 
ward to  St.  Peter's  Church,  on  South.  Fifth 
Street,  where  it  has  since  been  conducted  suc- 
cessfully. 

A  number  of  societies  are  connected  with  St. 
Peter's  Church.  Some  are  beneficial.  The 
oldest,  St.  Joseph's,  was  organized  in  1852, 
Hibernia  in  1860,  and  the  Emerald  in  1869. 
St.  Peter's  Temperance  Society,  consisting  of 
about  one  hundred  adults,  was  organized  in 
June,  1883,  and  is  connected  with  the  Dio- 
cesan- and  the  National  Union.  The  cadets, 
having  a  membership  of  about  sixty-five  young 
folks,  was  organized  about  the  same  time  as  the 
adult  society.  The  Sodality  of  the  Blessed 
Mary  was  organized  in  May,  1883,  and  con- 
sists of  about  two  hundred  women  and  men. 
The  Society  of  the  Angels  also  has  a  member- 
ship of  about  two  hundred,  ranging  in  age 
from  twelve  to  fifteen  years,  who  have  made 
their  first  communion.  The  Conference  of  St. 
Vincent  de  Paul,  which  includes  many  of  the 
most  prominent  members  of  St.  Peter's  congre- 
gation, and  looks  after  the  temporal  and  spirit- 
ual wants  of  the  poor,  was  organized  in  Decem- 
ber, 1884. 

St.  Paul's. — This  congregation  was  organ- 
ized in  1860.  Its  members  were,  prior  to  that 
year,  connected  with  St.  Peter's  Roman  Cath- 
olic Church,  on  South  Fifth  Street.  Under 
the  direction  of  the  late  Most  Rev.  Archbishop 
J.  F.  Wood,  of  Philadelphia,  the  German- 
speaking  portion  of  St.  Peter's  Church  was 
formed  into  a  separate  congregation,  and  the 
late  Rev.  Charles  F.  Schrader  was  appointed 
their  first  pastor.  Under  his  superintendence 
and  by  his  exertions  the  St.  Paul's  Church  was 
erected.  Mr.  A.  Felix  donated  the  lot  of  ground 


on  which  the  church  was  built.  Ground  was 
broken  on  August  8, 1860,  and  the  corner  stone 
for  the  building  was  laid  with  great  solemnity 
on  the  16th  of  September,  following,  by  the 
Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Wood.  The  building 
was  completed  in  June,  1861,  and  solemnly 
dedicated  to  the  worship  of  God.  Its  original 
dimensions  were  sixty  by  one  hundred  and 
twenty  feet,  with  a  steeple  one  hundred  and 
seventy-two  feet  high.  The  height  of  the 
ceiling  is  forty  feet.  The  members  of  the  con- 
gregation having  increased  rapidly  in  number, 
the  church  became  too  small,  and  an  addition 
was  made ;  the  steeple's  height  was  also  increased 
to  one  hundred  and  eighty-seven  feeet.  The 
present  dimensions  of  the  church  are  sixty  by 
one  hundred  and  sixtv-two  feet. 

These  improvements  were  completed  in  1884. 
The  architecture  of  this  church  is  Romanesque 
in  style,  and  the  interior  ceiling  and  walls  are 
elaborately  decorated  with  fresco-work  and  oil 
paintings.  The  new  stained-glass  windows  are 
especially  attractive;  each  one  of  these  has 
groups  of  figures  representing  scenes  from  the 
Holy  Scripture.  They  were  imported  from 
Innsbruck,  Tyrol,  and  are  really  beautiful  works 
of  art.  They  are  rare  and  costly  specimens  of 
fine  workmanship,  almost  unrivaled  •  in  beauty 
of  conception  and  artistic  finish.  St.  Paul's 
Church  is  at  present  the  largest  house  of  wor- 
ship in  Reading.  The  congregation  is  very 
large  and  constantly  increasing.  Rev.  George 
Borneman  has  been  the  pastor  since  its  organi- 
zation— after  Rev.  Schrader.  Its  present 
strength  and  wealth  in  church  property  attest  to 
a  very  high  degree  his  superior  management  in 
the  performance  of  his  duties. 

St.  Paul's  parochial  residence  was  built  in 
1873,  beside  the  church,  on  North  Ninth  Street. 
It  is  large  and  substantial,  and  arranged  with 
every  convenience  desirable. 

Attached  to  St.  Paul's  Church  is  a  large  par- 
ochial school.  The  school-house  was  built  in 
1869.  It  is  a  spacious  structure,  sixty  by  forty 
feet,  three  stories  high,  each  story  fourteen  feet 
clear.  The  daily  attendance  of  pupils  has  been 
about  six  hundred  ever  since  its  origin.  In  this 
school  both  the  German  and  English  languages 
are  taught.     It  is   entirely  supported   by  the 


796 


HISTOKY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


members  of  St.  Paul's  congregation  by   volun- 
tary contributions. 

In  1881  a  lot  of  ground,  thirty  by  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  feet,  with  a  one-story  brick 
dwelling-house,  adjoining  the  church  property  on 
the  south  side,  was  bought,  for  the  purpose  of 
building  a  house  for  the  Sisters  of  Christian 
Charity,  who,  together  with  one  male  lay  teach- 
er, are  now  the  instructors  in  St.  Paul's  School. 
A  suitable  three-story  building  was  accord- 
ingly erected,  in  1862,  to  the  rear  of  the  oue- 
story  dwelling  mentioned,  and  is  occupied  since 
then  by  the  Sisters  as  their  residence. 

The  following  beneficial  societies  are  composed 
of  members  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  .and  hold 
their  meetings  in  the  parochial  school  building  : 
St.  Peter's  and  St.  Paul's  Society,  organized  in 
1850;  Bonifacius  Brotherhood,  1866;  St. 
John's  Society,  1 868 ;  Holy  Cross  Society, 
1868  ;  St.  Mary's  Society  (consisting  of  ladies). 

St.  Catharine's  Female  Orphan  Asy- 
LUM.—In  April,  1872,  three  Sisters  of  the 
Order  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  came  from  the 
Mother's  Home,  Emmitsburg,  Md.,  and,  on 
the  15th  of  that  month,  opened  St.  Catharine's 
Female  Orphans'  Asylum,  in  an  old  and  small 
one-story  building  on  the  south  side  of  Franklin 
Street,  between  Eleventh  and  Twelfth.  The 
first  two  orphans  were  brought  from  the  Berks 
County  Poor-House  by  "W-.  S.  Allgaier,  executor 
of  Mrs.  Medary's  estate,  on  April  29th  follow- 
ing. The  property,  one  hundred  and  forty  by 
three  hundred  and  thirty-nine  feet,  was  devised 
for  the  purpose  by  Mrs.  Catharine  Medary,  who 
died  in  May,  1871.  The  present  three-story 
brick  building,  fifty  by  forty  feet,  was  erected 
in  1873-74,  at  a  cost  of  about  fifteen  thousand 
dollars,  contributed  by  members  of  St.  Peter's 
and  St.  Paul's  Catholic  Churches,  and  by  citi- 
zens not  belonging  to  the  Catholic  denomina- 
tion. The  corner-stone  of  this  building  was 
laid  on  September  9,  1873,  by  the  Most  Eev. 
Bishop  "Wood,  and  the  building  was  completed 
and  first  occupied  June  10,  1874.  On  the  first 
floor  proper  is  a  beautiful  little  chapel  contain- 
ing a  white  marble  altar  that  cost  three  hun- 
dred dollars.  The  chapel  services  are  conducted 
by  the  pastors  of  St.  Peter's  and  St.  Paul's 
congregations  alternately.     At  the  present  time 


there  are  in  the  institution  forty-two  orphans, 
who  are  taught  to  read,  and  write,  and  cipher, 
and  to  do  all  kinds  of  house- work.  They  are 
neatly  attired,  have  cheerful  faces  and  are  well 
cared  for.  The  Order  of  Sisters  of  Charity, 
having  charge  of  the  asylum,  was  founded  by 
Vincent  de  Paul,  in  France,  in  1617. 

HEBREWS. 

Ohef  Sholem  of  the  City  of  Reading. 
—In  1864  (May  1st)  the  Hebrews  of  Reading 
assembled  together  for  the  purpose  of  forming 
a  Hebrew  congregation  and  of  raising  a  sufficient 
sum  by  subscription  for  the  encouragement  of 
regular  preaching  by  a  rabbi.  An  organization 
was  effected  on  the  8tb  of  May  following  by  the 
election  of  officers,  and  then  a  lot  of  ground  for 
burying  purposes  was  reported  to  have  been 
purchased  (situated  on  South  Street  opposite  the 
Catholic  Cemetery)  and  inclosed.  On  May  15, 
1864,  they  adopted  the  name  of  their  congre- 
gation. 

Their  first  religious  services  were  held  in  a 
rented  room  on  northeast  corner  of  Sixth  and 
Franklin  Streets,  and  continued  to  be  held  there 
for  a  considerable  time.  In  1885,  and  for  some 
years  before,  they  conducted  services  successfully 
in  the  building  on  the  northwest  corner  of 
Eighth  and  Washington  Streets. 

In  1884  and  1885  the  Immanuel  Evangelical 
congregation  erected  a  new  church  for  their  re- 
ligious worship  on  west  side  of  Sixth  Street  above 
Chestnut.  They  then  moved  into  this,  leaving 
their  old  building  unoccupied.  The  Hebrews 
found  this  building  suitable  for  them  as  a  con- 
gregation ;  so  they  purchased  it  in  1885  and 
made  the  necessary  repairs.  They  paid  four 
thousand  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars. 
In  this  commendable  undertaking  they  were 
generously  encouraged  by  business  men  of  all 
denominations.  They  have  a  resident  rabbi, 
Rev.  Simon  Levy,  who  preaches  to  them  reg- 
ularly. Their  services  are  held  on  Friday 
evening  and  Saturday  morning.  They  also  con- 
duct a  sunday-school  for  their  children  on 
Sundays.  Their  congregation  comprises  twen- 
ty-six members. 

STJ  NDA  Y-SCHOOLS. 

By  a  communication  of  "A  Friend,"  address- 


READING. 


797 


ed  to  the  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal,  dated 
November  25,  1816,  it  would  appear  that  the 
"  Sunday-school "  as  an  institution  at  Reading 
began  some  time  before.     The  meeting  for  an 
organization  of  a  "  Sunday-school "  was  held  in 
the  "  Reading  Academy,"  and  its  deliberations 
were  presided  over  by  the  Rev.  John  F.  Grier, 
who  was  then  conducting  the  academy.      He 
doubtless   suggested    the  idea  of  such    an  or- 
ganization and  oifered  the  academy  as  a  place 
of  meeting  for  that  purpose.     About  seventy- 
five  children    assembled.     Through    the    zeal 
aud  kindly  assistance  of  several  ladies,  the  first 
effort  was  attended  with  success.      Its   object 
was  to  "  instruct  children  of  every  class,  not  on- 
ly in  the  rudiments  of  the  English  language, 
but  in    those   moral   principles   and    religious 
truths,  which  are  acknowledged  by  all  to  form 
the  basis  of  human  happiness  and  hope."     The 
first  suggestion  and  attempt  towards  this  organi- 
zation "  were   treated   with   levity   by  many." 
Upon  its  establishment  the  meetings  were  sub- 
sequently held  in  the  "  State-House"  building, 
having  begun  there  on  October  10,  1819.     A 
"Eeading  Sunday-school  Association"  was  af- 
terward organized.     The  officers  for  the  year 
1828-29  were: 

President,  Samuel  Baird;  Vice-Presidents,  John 
McKnight,  Wm.  Darling;  Treasurer,  Elijah  Dechert; 
Secretary,  Lot  Benson ;  Managers,  William  Addams, 
Philip  A.  Good,  Henry  A.  Muhlenberg,  John  F. 
Grier,  William  Paul,  Henry  J.  Whitehouse,  Jacob 
Hubley,  Daniel  Rhine,  William  Bell,  Dennis  O'Brien, 
William  Davis,  George  N.  Eckert,  Philip  Miller  and 
Thomas  Cruise. 

By  the  names  of  these  persons,  it  would  appear 
to  have  had  the  support  of  the  best  and  most 
influential  people  of  the  town.  In  June,  1828, 
there  were  three  Sunday-schools  in  the  associa- 
tion. 

School  No.  1  assembled  in  the  "  State- 
House."  The  scholars  numbered  four  hundred 
and  seven — male,  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight ; 
female,  two  hundred  and  thirty-nine ;  and  the 
teachers  twenty-nine — male,  twelve;  female, 
seventeen.  It  possessed  a  library  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  volumes.  The  officers  were  a  president 
and  two  directresses. 

School  No.  2  assembled  in  the  room  on  the 
first  floor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.    Number 


of  scholars,  one  hundred  and  forty — male,  sixty, 
female,  eighty ;  teachers,  seventeen — male,  seven  ; 
female,  ten.  Library  contained  one  hundred 
volumes.  Its  officers  were  a  director  and  di- 
rectress. The  larger  scholars  of  the  two  schools 
formed  a  "  Bible  Class,"  which  numbered  fifty. 
They  met  every  Tuesday  evening. 

School  No.  3. — This  school  was  composed 
of  colored  adults  and  children.  Several  years 
before,  there  was  scarcely  an  African  in  Read- 
ing who  could  read  the  Word  of  God.  But 
they  made  rapid  progress  and  some  were  then 
teachers. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  congregation  had 
then  a  flourishing  school,  which  numbered 
seventy  children  and  twelve  teachers ;  and 
flourishing  schools  were  then  also  at  Sinking 
Spring,  Womelsdorf,  Rehrersburg,  Bernville, 
Hamburg  and  Kutztown. 

The  number  of  children  taught  at  Sunday- 
schools  in  the  county  during  the  year  was 
estimated  at  about  twelve  hundred. 

School  No.  1  continued  to  hold  its  sessions 
regularly  every  Sunday  till  September  26, 
1 847,  in  the  "  State  House,"  a  period  covering 
about  thirty-one  years  ;  and  during  all  these 
years  there  was  but  one  superintendent,  Thomas 
O'Brien.  It  was  then  transferred  to  the  new 
Prebyterian  Church-building,  then  erecting  on 
Fifth  Street  near  Franklin.  At  times  the 
scholars  numbered  three  hundred  and  fifty. 
During  its  existence,  especially  for  ten  years 
after  its  organization,  the  teachers  were  not 
only  Presbyterians,  but  also  Lutherans,  Re- 
formed, Episcopalians  and  Catholics.  The 
institution  during  that  time  had  apparently 
been  operated  for  the  general  welfare,  without 
respect  to  religious  feelings  and  prejudices. 

After  the  Sunday-school  had  become  an 
established  institution,  and  had  been  in  success- 
ful operation  for  over  twelve  years,  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Lutheran  and  Reformed  congrega- 
tions of  the  borough  conceived  the  necessity  of 
organizing  separate  Sunday-schools  for  their 
own  children.  This  was  effected  on  the  12th  of 
April,  1829,  under  the  name  of  "  The  Lutheran 
and  Reformed  Sunday-school  Association  of 
Reading."  The  school  was  first  opened  in  the 
spacious  school-room  of  David  Medary,  on  the 


798 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


west  side  of  Fifth  Street  below  Penn.  The 
prospectus  of  the  managers  declared  "  that  they 
were  not  instigated  by  any  desire  to  propagate 
particular  religious  opinions  or  to  impress  the 
children  confided  to  their  care  with  sectarian 
principles.  ...  In  the  exercises  of  the  school 
no  preference  will  be  given  to  one  mode  of 
faith  or  form  of  worship  over  any  other." 
The  association  continued  there  only  a  short 
time,  and  then  removed  to  the  "  Old  Court- 
House."  E.  Jonathan  Deininger  was  the 
superintendent.  Several  years  afterward  the 
two  denominations  separated,  and  the  scholars  of 
each  occupied  places  specially  provided  by  the 
congregations.  The  Lutheran  Sunday-school 
began  in  a  one-story  brick  building,  erected  for 
the  purpose,  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Wash- 
ington and  Church  Streets. 

As  other  denominations  organized  congrega- 
tions, Sunday-schools  were  also  formed  for  their 
respective  children.  All  the  congregations  have 
Sunday-schools  connected  with  them,  as  indis- 
pensable parts  in  the  great  system  of  inculcating 
proper  conceptions  of  morality  and  social  and 
religious  duty. 


PART  VII. 


SCHOOLS. 


Education  began  in  Reading  in  the  very 
beginning  of  its  settlement.  The  town-plan 
was  laid  out  in  1748,  and  the  first  lots  were 
sold  in  1749.  Soon  after  this  time  churches 
were  erected;  and  in  connection  with  the 
churches  there  were  schools.  This  conjunction 
of  the  two  was  common  throughout  the  county 
from  its  earliest  settlements.  The  oldest  build- 
ing used  for  school  purposes  for  nearly  a  hun- 
dred years,  now  standing  in  Reading,  is  the 
one-story  stone  building  at  the  southwest  corner 
of  Sixth  and  "Washington  Streets  (the  southern 
half  of  the  building  having  been  torn  away). 
This  was  owned  and  carried  on  by  the  "  German 
Lutheran  "  (afterward  Trinity)  congregation.  It 
was  erected,  it  is  supposed,  in  1765.  The  lot 
was  purchased  in  1763.  Two  of  the  early 
teachers  were  Joseph  Fleischer  and  Paul 
Fuegner.     In   1844  the   week-day  school  was 


still  active,  though  not  so  numerously  at- 
tended as  previously.  Education  was  con- 
ducted in  German. 

The  "  German  Reformed  "  congregation  ob- 
tained title  to  a  lot  on  the  southwest  corner  of 
Seventh  and  Washington  Streets  in  1776,  and 
about  that  time  erected  a  brick  building  and 
used  it  for  school  purposes  for  many  years. 
The  building  is  still  standing. 

The  earliest  record  of  a  school  is  the  "  Charity 
School,"  for  the  establishment  of  which  in 
Reading  application  was  made  in  1756.  But 
an  allowance  of  only  three  pounds  was  made 
three  years  afterward  in  1 759. * 

One  of  the  early  teachers  in  Reading  was 
Philip  Jacob  Foesig.  His  name  has  been 
traced  back  to  1762.  In  the  year  1778  he  was 
still  a  "schoolmaster."  His  school  was  situated 
on  Seventh  Street,  west  side,  a  short  distance 
above  Court. 

The  "  Friends  "  were  active  at  a  very  early 
period  in  the  matter  of  education.  The  follow- 
ing statement  was  copied  from  an  old,  well- 
worn  folio  sheet.  There  was  no  date  upon  it.  It 
related  to  the  Friends'  School,  which  was  erect- 
ed on  the  south  side  of  Washington  Street,  at 
Wood,  about  1787,  and  stood  there  many 
years. 

"  From  an  apprehension  of  the  advantages  arising 
to  children  by  having  their  school  education  under 
exemplary,  well-qualified  tutors,  and  the  necessity  to 
encourage  such  schools,  we  whose  names  are  hereto 
subscribed  do  promise  and  agree  to  give  the  sums  we 
have  thereto  annexed  towards  building  a  school-house 
at  Reading,  which  house  and  the  masters  employed 
while  they  continue  to  teach  therein  shall  be  and  re- 
main under  the  direction  of  Exeter  Monthly  Meet- 
ing, or  a  number  of  Friends  thereby  appointed  to 
superintend  the  same." 

There  were  twenty-seven  subscribers,  the 
largest  having  been  Wm.  Green,  £15;  Samuel 
Jackson,  £7  10s. ;  John  Mears,  £5  10s.,  and 
James  Loure,  Richard  Lewis,  James  Imbree 
and  Owen  Hughes,  each  £5;  Benjamin  Pearson, 
£4 ;  and  Samuel  Lee,  £2. 

This  school  was  successfully  conducted  for 
nearly  eighty  years,  when  it  was  removed  to 
the  present  church  building  of  the  Friends,  on 


1  Sec  Chap.  XV.  General  Education. 


READING. 


799 


Sixth  Street,  north  of  Washington.  The 
last  teachers  were  the  Misses  Griscom,  who  are 
two  of  the  oldest  surviving  teachers  in  this 
community  after  a  long  period  of  useful  service 
in  the  profession  of  teaching. 

Reading  Academy. — The  Reading  Acad- 
emy was  the  most  prominent  educational  institu- 
tion at  Reading  for  about  thirty  years.  The 
association  was  incorporated  as  early  as  March 
10,  1788;  but  for  twenty  years  its  history  is 
unknown. 

In  1805  the  State  made  a  grant  of  forty-five 
hundred  acres  of  land  to  it,  and  in  that  year  a 
board  of  trustees  was  organized.  Two  years 
afterward,  March  11,  1807,  the  board  received 
a  donation  of  two  thousand  dollars  from  the 
State  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  suitable 
building. 

In  1805  the  following  commissioners  :  Fred- 
erick Schmidt,  Matthias  Reichert,  Nicolaus 
Dick,  J.  K.  Messerschmidt,  Geo.  De  B.  Keim 
and  ¥m.  "Witman,  Jr.,  were  appointed  to  con- 
duct a  lottery  for  the  purpose  of  raising  money 
to  erect "  a  building  for  English  worship  and  for 
a  school-house  in  the  borough  of  Reading." 
They  advertised  the  scheme  in  the  Reading  Ad- 
ler  on  the  27th  of  December,  1805.  Five 
thousand  tickets  were  to  be  sold  at  three  dollars 
each.  Prize  tickets  were  2293 ;  blanks,  2707. 
The  prizes  were :  1  of  $1000,  1  of  $500,  2  of 
$200,  13  of  $100,  6  of  $50,  10  of  $40,  20  of 
$30,  40  of  $20, 50  of  $10,  150  of  $8,  2000  of  $4. 
On  the  15th  of  July,  1806,the  commissioners 
published  the  drawing  of  the  prizes.  The  highest 
prizes  were:  No.  2577  for $1000,  No.  167  for 
$500  and  Nos.  193  and  3734,  each  $200. 

On  the  26th  of  June,  1806,  they  published  a 
scheme  for  second-class/  same  as  the  first.  They 
presented  a  petition  to  the  Court  of  Quarter  Ses- 
sions, praying  "  that  the  Grand  Jury  authorize 
the  county  commissioners  to  take  a  number  of 
tickets."  On  the  6th  of  April,  1808,  authority 
was  given  "  to  take  two  hundred  tickets  of  the 
second  class  of  the  '  Reading  Church  and 
Academy  Lottery,'  to  hold  them  for  the  profit  or 
loss  of  the  county." 

The  profits  to  the  commissioners  on  the  lot- 
tery enterprise  were  devoted  to  the  "  Reading 
Academy." 


The  following  notice  appeared  in  the  Weekly 
Aduertiaer  of  Reading  in  1811  and  1812 : 

"Reading  Academy. 
"  A  very  large,  commodious  and  elegant  building, 
lately  erected  in  the  town  of  Reading,  will  be  opened 
on  the  13th  of  April  next  for  the  instruction  of  youth 
in  languages,  mathematics,  natural  philosophy,  as- 
tronomy, chemistry,  geography,  with  use  of  the 
globes  and  projection  of  maps,  English  grammar 
and  common  English,  etc. 

"  Terms  of  tuition  in  the  higher  branches,  five  dol- 
lars per  quarter;  the  lower  in  proportion. 

"  Perhaps  no  place  in  the  Union  can  boast  of  a 
more  advantageous  site  for  such  an  institution  than 
Reading.  Its  dimensions  are  such  as  happily  to  com- 
bine the  advantages  of  a  city  with  those  of  a  coun- 
try place,  beautifully  situated  on  the  banks  of  the 
river  Schuylkill,  in  the  midst  of  a  rich  and  highly 
cultivated  country,  being  remarkably  healthy — the 
best  of  boarding  to  be  had  on  the  most  reason- 
able terms  ;  possessing  every  convenience,  to  be  de- 
rived from  stages  running  in  all  directions,  from  good 
society,  well-chosen  libraries — it  promises  a  very  desir- 
able retreat,  especially  in  the  summer  seasons,  for 
studious  young  men,  desirous  of  obtaining  a  liberal 
education. 

"  To  expedite  as  much  as  possible  the  progress  of 
the  pupils,  sober  and  experienced  assistants  will  be 
employed,  proportional  in  number  to  the  increase  of 
students,  and  the  strictest  attention  shall  be  paid,  not 
only  to  their  progress  in  science,  but  to  the  preserva- 
tion of  their  morals. 

"  The  seminary  is  under  the  immediate  inspection 
of  gentlemen  of  the  first  attainments  in  the  different 
professions,  and  private  literary  characters,  who  have 
resolved  upon  using  every  laudable  means  to  render 
this  institution  worthy  the  public  attention. 

"The  subscriber  flatters  himself,  from  an  opportu- 
nity of  a  liberal  education,  and  several  years'  exper- 
ience in  conducting  an  academy,  that  he  can  render 
every  reasonable  satisfaction  to  those  who  may  intrust 
him  with  the  education  of  their  children. 

"  John  F.  Geiek. 
"  Reading,  March  2d,  1811." 

.  By  this  notice,  it  would  appear  that  the  build- 
ing was  erected  during  the  year  1810.  Its 
location  was  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Seventh 
and  Chestnut  Streets.  It  was  opened  on  April 
13, 1811,  as  advertised. 

The  donated  land  was  not  surveyed  till  1818, 
when  it  was  located  in  Mifflin  township,  Lyco- 
ming County,  and  a  patent  obtained  for  fifty- 
four  hundred  and  forty-eight  acres,  eighty-one 
perches.  One  third  of  it,  however,  was  allowed 
and  granted  to  the  surveyor  for  his  services.    It 


800 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


would  seem  that  the  academy  never  realized  any 
benefit  from  this  grant,  for  the  remaining  two- 
thirds  were  undisposed  of  as  late  as  1838.     In 
1832    another  donation  was  received  from  the 
State,  amounting  to  three   thousand  dollars — 
"  Upon  the  condition  that  four  students  in  in- 
digent   circumstances   should  be  educated   for 
five    years   in  such  a  manner   as    to    become 
teachers  in  common  English  schools."     And  it 
is  believed  that  as  early  as  1820  the  trusteees 
had  received  about  thirty-five  hundred  dollars 
from  the  estate  of  Ernest  L.  Baishe,  under  his 
last  will,  wherein  he  provided  that  the  principal 
should  be  invested  and  the  interest  thereof  ap- 
plied  to   the    support  and  education   of  poor, 
talented  young  men.     The  trustees  also  received 
considerable  money  from  the  "Beading  School- 
House  and  Church  Lottery."    All  these  several 
sums  of  money  were  expended  by  the  trustees  ; 
but   the   institution    was    left   in    debt.      This 
caused  great  dissatisfaction  in  the  community. 
Public  meetings  were  held  in  relation  to  it.     A 
sale  of  the  academy  was  considered  at  a  public 
meeting  on   December   22,   1835,  and  deemed 
inexpedient  and  improper ;  aud  on   January  2, 
1836,  another  meeting  was  held,  when  the  same 
opinion  was  expressed,  as  follows : 

"  That  the  trustees  of  the  Academy  hold  it  merely 
in  trust  for  the  beuefit  of  the  citizens,  and  that  any 
application  of  its  funds  for  other  purposes  than  the 
Academy,  is  a  violation  of  the  rights  of  the  commun- 
ity ;  and  that  nothing  can  be  done  without  the  peo- 
ple's consent." 

A  committee  was  appointed  by  the  meeting 
to  confer  with  the  trustees  as  to  the  sale.  Com- 
plaint was  then  made  to  the  State  Legislature 
An  investigation  was  demanded  and  given. 
This  was  in  1837.  Considerable  communica- 
tions appeared  in  the  local  newspapers  in  refer- 
ence to  the  matter.  The  academy  building  and 
one  acre  of  ground  was  finally  sold  in  1838. 
Then  the  trustees  of  the  academy,  in  1839-40, 
erected  the  two-story  brick  building  now  stand- 
ing at  the  northeast  corner  of  Fourth  and  Court 
Streets.1  A  school  was  opened  in  it  May  4, 1840 
by  Rev.  J.  R.  Goodman,  assisted  by  Professor 
Bournes.      The  course  of  instruction  em- 


1  An  addition  was  made  at  the  rear  in  1869. 


braced  all  the  branches  of  a  classical  eclucatiou 
and  scholars  were  prepared  for  college.  Young 
men  from  distant  parts  were  accommodated 
with  boarding.  The  cost  of  boarding  and  tui- 
tion was  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  dollars 
a  year.  Day  scholars,  for  tuition  only,  was  six 
dollars  a  quarter.  . 

The  trustees  then  held  the  academy  building 
till  1850.  By  virtue  of  an  act  of  Assembly 
passed  April  8,  1848,  they  sold  it  to  the  school 
directors  for  the  purposes  of  a  "  High  School," 
by  deed  dated  September  8,  1850;  and  this 
deed,  with  its  conditions,  was  accepted  October 
10,  1850. 

The  first  effort  made  to  establish  a  High  School 
proved  a  failure,  "  through  the  remissness  of 
one  of  the  wards"  (Northeast),  and  it  was  aban- 
doned for  a  while. 

A  meeting  of  the  directors  of  three  wards 
was  held  December  6,  1849,  and  they  decided 
to  organize  a  "City  Union  High  School," 
which  was  to  be  opened  with  seventy-five 
scholars,— from  Northwest  Ward,  thirty;  South- 
west Ward,  thirty;  and  Southeast  Ward,  fifteen. 
Military  Institute. — A  "Military  and 
Scientific  Collegiate  Institute"  was  then  organ- 
ized by  Captain  Alden  Partridge,  April  1, 1850, 
and  carried  on  in  the  building.  He  was  assisted 
by  Professors  E.  G.  Rehrer  and  J.  B.  Bachelder. 
The  cost  of  tuition   was  as  follows  : 

Primary,  under  ten  years  of  age:  four  dollars  a 
quarter.  Junior,  from  ten  to  fourteen  years :  Eng- 
lish, six  dollars  a  quarter;  classical,  seven  dollars  a 
quarter.  Senior,  over  fourteen  years  :  English,  eight 
dollars  a  quarters;  classical,  ten  dollars  a  quarter. 

General  William  H.  Keim  was  chiefly 
instrumental  in  its  establishment.  The  insti- 
tute was  incorporated  under  the  name  of 
''  Pennsylvania  Military  Institute  of  Reading" 
in  1852.     Then  it  had  sixty-nine  scholars. 

Batchelder  succeeded  Partridge  as  principal. 
He  resigned  in  the  spring  of  1853.  Professor 
Alonzo  Brown  succeeded  him.  But  the  institu- 
tion was  not  carried  on  long  by  him.  About 
the  time  of  its  discontinuance,  Rev.  William 
A.  Good  began  the  "  Reading  Classical  Acad- 
emy." 

Common-School  System.  —  Immediately 
after  the  passage  of  the  act  of  1834  the  people 


READING. 


801 


of  Reading  exerted  themselves  in  its  behalf. 
The  following  extracts  are  taken  from  the 
"  First  Annual  Report  of  Controllers  of  the 
Reading  School  District,"  which  was  published 
by  them  in  January,  1856.  The  first  organi- 
zation of  the  school  system  in  Reading  began 
in  1834: 

"Surprising  as  it  may  seem  to  those  who  recollect 
the  fierce  political  opposition  it  received  in  Berks  for 
many  years  subsequently,  two  of  her  then  members  of 
the  Legislature,  Benjamin  Tyson  and  Adam  Schoener, 
voted  for  the  original  bill.  They  were  renominated 
by  the  dominant  party  the  ensuing  year,  but  a  '  split ' 
was  the  consequence  ;  the  school  '  candidates '  were 
defeated  by  regular  old  fogies,  and  from  that  time 
until  within  a  few  years  past,  opposition  to  the  public 
schools  continued  to  be  the  main  article  in  the '  Dem- 
ocratic' creed. 

"  The  first  meeting  which  was  held  in  Beading  about 
the  time  the  law  was  passed  in  favor  of  the  school 
system  was  called  by  Wm.  Wilson,  Joshua  Davis,  God- 
frey Pfleager,  Andrew  Martin,  Edward  Smeck  and  C. 
Huzzard.  After  the  law  was  passed  the  most  strenu- 
ous efforts  were  made  by  the  '  wheel  horses  '  of  that 
day  to  procure  its  repeal  and  prevent  the  opening  of 
schools.  Like  most  laws  of  a  progressive  character, 
it  was  pronounced 'unconstitutional,'  'tyrannical'  and 
'  unjust.'  But  although  the  '  no  school '  party  suc- 
ceeded in  the  county,  they  were  unsuccessful  in  the 
city.  The  people  took  the  matter  in  hand,  the  system 
was  accepted  and  the  schools  were  opened." 

In  May,  1836,  a  meeting  of  delegates  from 
the  various  districts  of  Berks  County  was  held 
in  the  court-house,  for  the  purpose  of  accepting 
or  rejecting  the  school  system. 

There  were  twenty-nine  districts  represented. 
The  following  voted  for  it :  Reading  (two  dis- 
tricts), Amity,  Caernarvon,  Robeson,  Ruscomb- 
manor,  Union,  Windsor  and  Womelsdorf.  All 
the  others  voted  against  it.  At  first  the  school- 
houses  in  Reading  were 'small  and  inconvenient. 
They  improved  as  the  population  and  wealth 
increased. 

The  first  school  directors  of  Reading  were 
elected  without  opposition  on  the  20th  March, 
1835.    They  were, — 

North    Ward,   David    Bightmyer    and   Benjamin 
Davis. 
South  Ward,  William  Darling  and  John  Goodheart. 

Other  pioneers  in  the  cause  of  education  in 
Reading  during  this  year  were, — 

North  Ward,  Henry  Bhoads,  John  Eoland   and 
Joseph  Kendall. 
70 


South  Ward,  Daniel  Ermold,  William  Wanner, 
Jacob  Geiger  and  Daniel  Graeff. 

And  the  reports  for  this  year  show  that  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  nine  children 
attended  school, — 

In  North  Ward,  579  :  357  males  and  222  females. 
South  Ward,  1230  :  860  males  and  370  females.  And 
teachers  in  North  Ward,  7  :  4  males  and  3  females. 
South  Ward,  10 :  6  males  and  4  females. 

The  first  school-house  in  Reading,  as  a  result 
of  the  advocacy  and  adoption  of  the  common- 
school  system,  was  the  small  one-story  brick 
building  erected  in  1838  at  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  Sixth  and  Walnut  Streets.  Previously 
the  schools  were  conducted  in  buildings  rented 
for  the  purpose. 

In  1840  there  were  in  Reading  seventeen 
schools,  twenty-four  teachers  and  one  thousand 
five  hundred  and  seventy-seven  scholars1  and 
four  public  school  buildings,  each  with  four 
apartments.     These  buildings  were, — 

1.  One-story  brick,  forty-two  by  thirty  feet,  on 
Washington,  between  Eighth  and  Ninth,  erected  in 
1838. 

2.  Two-story  brick,  forty-five  by  fifty-five  feet,  on 
Franklin,  between  Eighth  and  Ninth,  erected  in  1839. 

3.  One-story  brick,  forty-five  by  thirty  feet,  on  cor- 
ner of  Sixth  and  Walnut,  erected  in  1840. 

4.  Two-story  brick,  forty:five  by  fifty-five  feet,  on 
Chestnut,  between  Third  and  Fourth,  erected  in  1840. 

In  1846  there  were  seventeen  schools,  thirty- 
five  teachers  and  one  thousand  nine  hundred 
and  fifteen  scholars. 

The  "  Normal  School "  began  in  the  spring  of 
1852,  in  the  Washington  Street  school  building. 
Thirty  teachers  attended.  The  sessions  were 
held  on  every  Saturday  morning.  Subsequently 
they  were  held  in  the  High  School  building. 

The  act  of  1874,  providing  a  municipal  gov- 
ernment for  cities  of  the  third  class  (which  in- 
cluded Reading),  was  accepted  by  the  electors 
of  Reading  upon  the  recommendation  of  the 
City  Councils  ;  but  it  was  not  recommended  by 
the  Board  of  Controllers,  they  deeming  the  man- 
agement of  the  school  affairs  under  a  distinct 
organization  as  necessary  and  as  more  disposed 

i  In  Stahle's  "  Description  of  Reading,"  p.  53,  the  num- 
ber of  schools  is  stated  to  have  been  then  22  (13  public 
and  9  private),  and  of  all  scholars  2532,  in  public  schools 
913  ;  the  total  number  entitled  to  privilege  of  free  cchools, 
2000. 


802 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


to  promote  the  general  progress  of  education  in 
the  city. 

In  1885  an  act  was  passed,  directing  the 
holding  of  "  City  Institutes  "  in  cities  of  the 
third  class.  The  first  institute  of  this  kind 
was  held  at  Reading  during  the  last  week  of 
November,  1885,  in  the  Grand  Opera-House. 

Officers  of  School  District. — On  the 
26th  of  April,  1864,  in  the  revised  charter  for 
the  city  of  Reading,  the  five  school  districts  of 
the  city — each  ward  having  then  constituted  a 
district — were  consolidated  into  one  district,  un- 
der the  name  of  the  "  Reading  School  District." ' 
Each  ward  became  entitled  to  four  controllers, 
with  a  term  of  four  years ;  and  two  were  to  be 
elected  alternately  every  two  years.  The  voters 
at  the  biennial  elections  were  to  vote  for  one 
person,  and  the  two  persons  having  the  largest 
number  of  votes  were  to  be  declared  elected. 
This  provision  was  made  to  preserve  political 
equipoise  in  the  Board  of  Controllers.  The 
first  members  were  elected  at  the  city  election  in 
February,  1865.  The  city  charter  of  1874 
made  provision  for  school  affairs,  but  it  was  not 
accepted.  The  school  district  is  therefore  a  sep- 
arate organization.  Under  the  provisions  of 
this  law,  the  school  district  was  authorized  to 
assess  and  collect  taxes  for  school  purposes. 
The  management  of  the  school  affairs  of  the  city 
since  1865,  by  the  Board  of  School  Controllers, 
has  been  very  successful.  Numerous  large, 
commodious  and  handsome  school  buildings 
have  been  erected  in  every  section  of  the 
city,  and  general  education  has  been  so  thor- 
oughly introduced  as  to  render  the  average 
ability  of  the  many  children  in  the  city  to  read 
and  write  equal  to  that  of  any  other  city ;  in- 
deed, in  excess  of  that  of  some  cities  which  are 
composed,  like  Reading,  of  a  people  mostly  de- 
voted to  manufactures.  The  glory  of  the  great 
system  of  free  education  provided  for  by  the 
State  under  the  general  act  of  1854  is  therefore 
admirably  illustrated  by  the  condition  of  the 
school  affairs  in  the  citv. 


'The  organization  of  the  High  School  influenced  the  con- 
solidation of  the  wards  of  the  city  for  school  purposes. 
This  was  finally  effected  in  1859,  by  an  Act  of  Assembly 
and  nil  the  schools  of  the  city  came  to  be  regulated  by  a 
Board  of  Controllers. 


The  school  buildings  here  and  elsewhere 
throughout  the  State  are  the  pride  of  the  people, 
notwithstanding  complaint  from  some  of  them 
in  respect  to  cost,  style,  etc. ;  and  the  system  of 
education  which  is  carried  on  within  them,  not- 
withstanding its  weaknesses,  contributes  a  well- 
being  to  the  general  community  that  cannot  be 
estimated.  They  are,  indeed,  monuments  which 
celebrate  daily  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  peo- 
ple— the  advancement  of  children,  with  little  or 
nothing  to  recommend  them  to  the  favor  of  the 
world,  into  noble,  industrious,  law-abiding  men 
and  women,  who  come  to  occupy  positions  of 
prominence  and  responsibility  in  the  commer- 
cial, industrial,  political,  professional  and  social 
affairs  of  life,  and,  by  their  education  there 
obtained,  to  discharge  trusts  with  such  ability 
and  fidelity  as  to  win  universal  admiration. 

The  following  persons  were  officers  of  the 
Board  of  Controllers  of  the  Reading  Schoo 
District  from  1865  to  the  present  time: 

PRESIDENTS. 
Name.  Terra. 

J.  K.  McCurdy 1865-67 

John  S.  Richards 1867-72 

Henry  S.  Eckert 1872-86 

SECRETARIES. 
Name.  Term. 

Lewis  Briner 1865-67 

John  L.  Barnes 1867-70 

Charles  Scull 1870-72 

Thomas  Severn 1872-73 

William  M.  Rightmyer 1873-77 

A.  J.  Darlington 1877 

Harrison  Shultz 1877-79 

James  M.Lyons 1879-86 

TREASURERS. 
Name.  Term. 

James  Bell 1865-66 

Matthias  Mengel 1866-68 

Peter  Jones 1868-69 

Wm.  Erment.rout 1869-77 

Levi  H.  Liess 1877-80 

Ephraim  Armstrong 1880-86 

City  Superintendents.— -In  1867  the  school 
directors  of  cities  containing  a  population  ex- 
ceeding ten  thousand  were  authorized  to  elect  a 
city  superintendent  of  the  common  schools  for 
the  term  of  three  years.  The  directors  of  Read- 
ing elected  the  first  superintendent  in  1867. 
Thence,  till  now,  the  superintendents  were : 


READING. 


803 


Name.  Term. 

John  L.  Barnes 1867-69 

Thomas  Severn 1871-78 

Robert  K.  Buehrle 1878-80 

David  B.  Brunner 1880-81 

Samuel  A.  Baer 1881-84 

Joseph  T.  Valentine 1884-85 

Thomas  M.  BaUiet 1885-87 

High  School. — The  subject  of  a  "  Reading 
High  School "  was  first  agitated  in  1851.  It 
was  organized  on  November  2,  1852.  William 
H.  Bart  was  the  principal.  There  were  thirty- 
five  scholars,  all  boys,  admitted,  who  were  sent 
from  the  several  wards  as  follows  :  Northeast, 
5  ;  Southeast,  5 ;  Northwest,  10  ;  Southwest,  10 ; 
Spruce  5.  In  September,  1853,  it  opened  with 
sixty-three  scholars. 

The  first  "  High  School  Commencement " 
was  held  on  July  3,  1856.  The  address  was 
delivered  by  Hon.  William  Strong. 

The  "  Female  High  School "  was  organized 
in  September,  1857.  The  second  floor  of  the 
building  was  occupied  for  this  purpose. 

The  co-education  of  boys  and  girls  began 
August  15,  1859,  and  continued  till  1881.  The 
Board  of  Controllers  then  decided  upon  a  sepa- 
ration, the  female  department  remaining  in  the 
"  High  School "  building  and  the  male  locating 
in  the  building  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Eighth 
and  Penn  Streets,  third  floor. 

The  fine  commodious  "  Boys'  High  School,  " 
at  the  southeast  corner  of  Eighth  and  Wash- 
ington Streets,  was  erected  in  1883  and  1884. 
The  total  cost,  including  equipment  in  all  its 
departments,  was  $65,500.  Possession  was 
taken,  and  the  school  began  to  be  conducted  in 
it,  April,  1884. 

High  School  Pupils  since  1852. — The  fol- 
lowing table  is  presented  to  show  the  number 
of  scholars  in  the  High  School  department  of 
the  city  annually  from  1852  till  1885  : 

Male.  Female.  Total. 

1852 35 

1853 63 

1854 67 

1855 71 

1856 69 

1857 75  38  113 

1858 87  63  150 

1859 85  74  159 

1860 74  84  158 

1861 40  46  86 


1862 66  80  146 

1868 53  61  114 

1864 67  79  146 

1865 57  105  162 

1866 64  142  206 

1867 82  110  192 

1868 80  193  273 

1869 99  120  219 

1870 89  108  197 

1871 101  114  215 

1872 106  140  246 

1873 104  136  240 

1874 103  142  245 

1875 87  148  235 

1876 78  124  202 

1877 56  127  183 

1878 89  127  216 

1879 94  154  248 

1880 95  181  276 

1881 57  216  273 

1882 103  204  307 

1883 135  236  371 

1884 157  241  398 

1885 162  206  368 

Schools,  Teachers  and  Scholars  since 

1835. — The  following  statistics  are  interesting 
to  show  the  gradual  development  of  education 
in  Reading  through  schools,  teachers  and 
scholars  for  a  period  covering  fifty  years  : 

Schools.  Teachers.  Scholars. 

1835 17  17  1439 

1836 15  16  1225 

1837 20  17  1317 

1838 19  23  1368 

1839 16  21  1400 

1840 17  24  1577 

1841 17  22  1851 

1842 16  24  1848 

1843 15  23  1951 

1844 16  31  1521 

1845 18  31  1917 

1846 17  35  1915 

1847 17  31  2064 

1848 17  33  2093 

1849 18  34  2327 

1850 26  49  2849 

1851 28  52  2917 

1852 38  56  2848 

1853 39  58  3541 

1854 37  57  3247 

1855 33  62  4191 

1856 41  66  4325 

1857 40  66  4103 

1858 42  73  5318 

1859 43  76  5606 

1860 43  76  3661 

1861 46  77  5253 


804 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


1862 46     80  4852 

1863 43     81  5442 

1864 83     83  5622 

1865 82     83  6449 

1866 84     84  5749 

1867 86     86  5987 

1868 86     86  6412 

1869 93     93  6463 

1870 108  108  5205 

1871 112  112-  5359 

1872 112  112  6351 

1873 116  116  5517 

1874 121  121.  7217 

1875 128  128  6328 

1876 131  132  6345 

1877 130  130  6159 

1878 126  133   .  6380 

1879. 137  137  7531 

1880 142  142  7474 

1881 145  145  7262 

1882 144  151  8187 

1883 147  154..  8221 

1884 148  157.        .    7706 

School  Buildings. — The  following  state- 
ment is  presented  to  show  the  time  of  erection 
of  the  school  buildings  in  Eeading,  and  their 
location  : 

1.  Southwest  corner  Sixth  and  Walnut,1  1838. 

2.  Southeast  corner  Washington  and  Cedar,  1839. 

3.  Southwest  corner  Chestnut  and  Carpenter,  1839. 

4.  Northwest  corner  Tenth  and  Washington,  1842. 

5.  Northeast  corner  Franklin  and  Peach,  1842. 

6.  Northwest  corner  Washington  and  Rose,2  1849. 
7-  Southeast  corner  Second  and  Chestnut,  1850. 

8.  East  side  of  Seventh,  between  Washington  and 
Walnut,  1854. 

9.  Southwest  corner  Bingaman  and  Orange,  1854. 

10.  North  Tenth,  beyond   Green  (addition   1884) 
1860. 

•  11.  Schuylkill  Avenue  and  Hockley,  1864. 

12.  Southeast  corner  Ninth  and  Spruce,  1865. 

13.  Elm,  between  Ninth  and  Tenth,  1868. 

14.  Franklin,  between  Second  and  Third,  1868. 

15.  South  Sixth,  below  Chestnut,  1868. ' 

16.  Northeast  corner  Ninth  and  Marion,  1870. 

17.  South    Twelfth,  below    Chestnut    (Richards) 
1872. 

18.  North    Tenth,  beyond   Washington    (Eckert) 
1873. 

19.  Southeast   corner  Fourth   and   Elm    (Briner) 
1873. 

20.  North  Tenth,  near  Walnut  (Phillippi).  1873. 

21.  Northeast  corner  Franklin  and  Peach  (Hagen- 
man),  1875.     Substituted  for  No.  5  in  table. 


1  Discontinued  and  property  sold. 
'*  Demolished  and  rebuilt  1886. 


22.  Southeast  corner  Thirteenth  and  Cotton  (Frees), 
1875. 

23.  Seventh  below  Laurel  (Severn),  1880. 

24.  Northeast     corner     Oley    and    Church    (Mc- 
Knight),  1880.     • 

25.  Centre  Avenue  beyond  Exeter  (Jacobs),  1880. 

26.  Tenth  and  Centre  (Ziegler),  1882  (addition  1885). 

27.  Boys'  High  School  building,  Eighth  and  Wash- 
ington, 1883-84. 

28.  Girls'  High  School  building  (conveyed  by  legis- 
lative grant). 

Since  1880  the    board  has  expended  for  new 
buildings,  $154,000. 

Infant  School  Society. — In  1832  a  move- 
ment was  encouraged  towards  the  establish- 
ment of  a  society  for  the  education  of  the  infant 
children  of  Reading.  A  meeting  was  held  on 
January  19,  1832, — Joseph  Kendall  having 
been  chairman  and  Samuel  Bell,  secretary.  A 
constitution  was  adopted,  and  a  report  was  pre- 
sented, showing  the  success  in  this  novel  experi- 
ment. Over  two  hundred  infants  had  enjoyed 
the  benefits  of  a  school  which  was  being  con- 
ducted for  this  purpose,  notwithstanding  various 
prejudices  were  manifested  against  it. 

The  highest  number  of  scholars  in  the  school 
at  one  time  was  108  ;  the  average  number,  50. 
The  tuition  for  a  whole  term  was  $3.12i 
Children  of  parents  in  good  circumstances,  $1 
a  quarter ;  poor  children,  fifty  cents  a  quarter  ; 
destitute  children,  free. 

The  salary  of  the  principal  teacher  was  $150; 
and  the  assistant,  $100. 

The  whole  receipts  were  reported  at  $687.79 ; 
the  expense,  $682.73. 

A  resolution  was  passed  encouraging  the  con- 
tinuance of  the  school ;  and  the  following  board 
of  managers  was  elected  to  serve  for  the  ensuing 
year : 

Mrs.  N.  O'Brien,  Mrs.  Bell,  Mrs.  Beard,  Mrs.  Dech- 
ert,  Mrs.  E.  O'Brien,  Mrs.  Moers,  Misses  Baum,  Shat- 
ter, Beard,  Badger,  Porter,  Coleman,  Mrs.  Cumming, 
Mrs.  Kendall,  Mrs.  Eckert  and  Mrs.  M.  S.  Richards. 

Female  Seminaries.— The  first  establish- 
ment of  a  separate  institution  at  Reading  for 
the  education  of  young  ladies  was  in  1835.  A 
seminary  was  then  begun  by  Mrs.  M.  E.  Shaw, 
who  came  highly  recommended.  Her  school  wa 
in  five  departments  ;  and  besides  English  and 
French,  her  course  of  education  embraced 
music,  drawing  and  needle-wort     Her  terms 


READING. 


805 


were, — board  and  washing,  twelve-  weeks, 
thirty-two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  ;  music,  French 
and  drawing,  each  eight  dollars ;  use  for  piano, 
one  dollar;  pew-rent  in  church,  fifty  cents.  She 
was  succeeded  by  a  Mrs.  Clarke,  of  Lancaster, 
on  October  13,  1835. 

Reading  Female  Seminary. — In  pursuance  of 
an  act  passed  April  16,  1838,  a  female  school 
in  Reading  was  erected  into  a  seminary  for  the 
education  of  female  youth  in  the  arts,  sciences 
and  useful  literature. 

The  trustees  were  Rev.  Jacob  Miller,  Rev. 
William  Pauli,  Jacob  Sallade,  Alv.i  Kerper, 
Henry  A.  Muhlenberg,  Geo.  De  B.  Keira,  W. 
Darling,  John  Miller  and  Peter  Firbert. 

The  seminary  was  endowed  from  the  State, 
according  to  the  number  of  teachers  and  pupils, 
from  three  hundred  dollars  to  five  hundred  dol- 
lars. Sallade  was  elected  first  president ;  Kerper, 
treasurer  and  Filbert,  secretary. 

Eighty  shares  of  stock  were  authorized  to  be 
issued  at  twenty-five  dollars,  and  only  two 
shares  were  allowed  to  one  person.  An  adver- 
tisement was  made  on  June  16,  1838. 

It  was  opened  on  September  3,  1838,  with 
three  teachers  and  sixty  pupils,  and  successfully 
conducted  for  some  years  afterward. 

In  1850  three  female  seminaries  were  carried 
on, — one  by  Mrs.  Dechert  and  daughters,  on 
Penn,  above  Sixth  Street ;  a  second  by  Mrs. 
Orrick  and  Mrs.  Young,  at  corner  of  Fifth  and 
"Walnut  Streets ;  and  a  third  by  Miss  M.  Jack- 
son, on  Fifth,  between  Franklin  and  Chesnut 
Streets,  whose  course  embraced  English  educa- 
tion, wax,  worsted,  and  zephyr-work,  and 
Polish  and  silk  embroidery. 

A  "  Winchester  Female  Academy  "  was  car- 
ried on  for  some  years  on  Penn  above  Eighth, 
in  the  building  now  used  as  Union  Hotel.  It 
was  an  incorporated  body,  created  in  1867. 

private  schools  of  beading. 

The  Academy  of  the  Immaculate 
Heaet  is  a  Roman  Catholic  School,  established 
by  St.  Peter's  congregation  in  1859.  It  is 
devoted  to  the  education  of  young  ladies.  At 
the  same  time  and  place  there  were  established 
a  parochial  school  and  a  boarding-school,  the 
former  being  still  continued.     The  latter  was 


removed  to  West  Chester  in  1872  where  it  is 
now  kept  up  by  the  church.  The  academy 
was  first  in  charge  of  Mother  Superior  Magda- 
lena,  but  the  present  Mother  Superior  is  Mary 
Ambrosia.  About  a  hundred  students  are  in 
daily  attendance.  The  parochial  school  has 
about  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  pu- 
pils of  both  sexes,  who  are  taught  by 
five  Sisters  of  the  Immaculate  Heart.  Both 
schools  are  supervised  by  the  Rev.  Father 
Gerald  P.  Coghlan.  The  buildings  at  225South 
Fifth  Street  were  erected  for  a  residence  some 
years  before  1859,  but  were  enlarged  and 
changed  to  adapt  them  to  the  wants  of  the 
school. 

The  Reading  Scientific  Academy. — 
In  the  fall  of  1862  Prof.  D.  B.  Brunner  located 
in  Reading  after  a  thorough  preparation  for 
educational  work  and  became  the  owner  of  S. 
A.  K.  Francis'  Classical  Academy,  which  he 
continued  with  great  success  for  ten  years.  In 
1872  he  was  elected  county  superintendent  of 
public  schools,  and  then  he  suspended  teaching 
till  the  expiration  of  his  term,  in  1875,  when 
he  revived  it  with  the  present  name,  conducting 
it  in  connection  with  Mr.  Farr's  business 
school  one  year.  In  1876  the  academy  became  a 
separate  institution  and  was  largely  attended 
for  the  next  four  years.  Prof.  Brunner  is  a 
scientist  of  acknowledged  ability.  He  has  con- 
structed a  superior  set  of  philosophical  apparatus 
to  illustrate  frequent  lectures  on  natural 
philosophy  to  his  scholars.  In  1880  he  sold 
out  his  interest  in  one  branch  of  the  school  to 
E.  L.  Horning,  and  under  the  principalship  of 
the  latter  the  academy  was  conducted  till  1886. 
In  1885  a  commercial  department  was  opened 
by  Prof.  Brunner  in  the  Scientific  Academy.  A 
night-school  has  also  been  conducted  for  some 
years.  Both  sexes  are  admitted  in  the  course  of 
instruction. 

Reading  Business  College. — The  first 
business  college  in  Reading  was  opened  about 
1864,  by  Clark  &  Nelson,  and  was  well 
patronized.  In  the  course  of  a  few  years  there 
were  several  changes  of  management  which 
aifected  the  attendance  so  that  the  school  was 
closed.  About  1868  a  Mr.  Folmer  attempted 
to  carry  on  another  business  school,  but  aban- 


806 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


cloned  the  project  at  the  end  of  the  year.  In  1872 
C.  N.  Farr  established  a  new  business  college, 
which  he  carried  on  with  much  success  until 
1876,  when  he  disposed  of  his  interest  to  E.  E. 
Post,  to  become  private  secretary  to  the  Gover- 
nor of  the  State.  Mr.  Post  continued  the 
school  until  1879,  when  it  was  finally  closed. 
In  1881  Prof.  D.  B.  Brunner  revived  the  college, 
with  the  present  name,  and  has  succeeded  in 
founding  it  upon  a  permanent  basis.  Under 
his  principalship  the  college  has  become  very 
popular,  having  an  annual  attendance  of  nearly 
two  hundred  students. 

Selwyn  Hall  is  the  name  of  the  diocesan 
school  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of 
Central  Pennsylvania,  and  is  situated  near  the 
northern  city  limits,  in  the  building  commonly 
known  as  the  "  Deininger  Mansion."  It  was 
founded  in  1875  as  a  boarding  and  day-school 
for  boys.  The  property  comprises  about  four 
and  a  half  acres  of  land  at  the  foot  of  Penn's 
Mount.  The  building  is  large  and  commodious, 
well  ventilated,  warmed  by  the  most  improved 
hot-air  furnaces  and  in  particular  equipped  with 
a  view  to  the  health  and  comfort  of  the  ca- 
dets. 

The  gymnasium — a  handsome  brick  build- 
ing, eighty  by  thirty-five  feet — has  been  fitted 
up  with  a  view  to  encouraging  athletic  sports, 
and  contains  all  the  necessary  apparatus. 

The  course  of  instruction  is  similar  to  that 
of  kindred  institutions,  having  in  addition  the 
influences  and  advantages  of  special  instruction 
in  the  doctrines  of  the  Episcopal  Church. 

The  school  is  under  the  immediate  direction 
of  the  Rev.  Bishop  M.  A.  De  Wolfe  Howe, 
D.D.,  and  has  as  its  head  master  Lot  Clarke 
Bishop.  In  1885  the  cadets  on  the  roll  num- 
bered twenty-five. 

Carroll  Institute  situated  on  Fourth 
Street,  near  "Walnut,  was  established  in  1880  by 
Edward  Carroll,  the  present  principal,  to  pre- 
pare boys  for  college.  The  number  of  students 
is  limited  to  thirty-five,  and  so  generous  has  been 
the  patronage  of  this  community  that  the  average 
annual  attendance  has  been  thirty-four.  Of  the 
twenty  students  who  were  prepared  for  college 
under  Prof.  Carroll,  eight  were  admitted  to  the 
Lehigh  University,  one  to  University  of  Penn- 


sylvania, ten    to    Lafayette   College  and  one 
to  Princeton. 

Schuylkill  Seminary  was  established  by, 
and  is  under  the  patronage  of,  the  East  Penn- 
sylvania Conference  of  the  Evangelical  Asso- 
ciation, which  decided  to  maintain  such  an 
institution  at  its  annual  meeting  in  1881.  The 
committee  to  whom  was  assigned  the  work  of  es- 
tablishing a  seminary  held  its  first  meeting  at 
Reading  May  9,  1881,  when  an  organization 
was  effected;  subsequently  the  appointment  of 
the  Rev.  S.  S.  Chubb  as  general  manager  and 
the  Rev.  W.  E.  Walz  as  principal  was  made. 
The  seminary  was  formally  opened  on  the 
evening  of  August  16,  1881,  in  the  Salem 
Evangelical  Church  in  Reading  ;  and  the  fol- 
lowing day  the  exercises  of  the  school  began  in 
the  building  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Sixth 
and  Walnut  Streets,  where  it  has  since  been 
continued.  The  Rev.  W.  E.  Walz,  becoming  a 
missionary  to  Japan,  Prof.  John  F.  Crowell 
was  elected  principal  and  Miss  Lizzie  F.  Baker 
preceptress.  Prof.  Crowell  is  now  in  Europe 
completing  his  studies  in  the  old  universities, 
and  Thomas  S.  Stein,  A.M.,  is  serving  as  prin- 
cipal de  facto.  The  seminary  having  become 
permanently  established  and  outgrowing  its 
present  quarters,  it  will  be  removed  to  Freder- 
icksburg, Lebanon  County,  in  August,  1886, 
where  one  of  the  most  complete  college  build- 
ings in  the  State  has  been  erected  for  its  use 
through  a  generous  donation  by  Col.  John  H. 
Lick. 

Stewart  Academy  is  an  English  classical 
and  mathematical  school  for  both  sexes.  It  is 
conducted  in  the  fine  three-story  sandstone 
mansion,  late  the  residence  of  Henry  A.  Sey- 
fert,  situated  on  the  corner  of  Fifth  and  Cherry 
Streets.  Its  ample  and  elegant  rooms  have 
been  well  furnished  for  school  purposes  by  the 
present  proprietor.  The  academy  was  estab- 
lished September  12,  1881,  by  Prof,  and  Mrs. 
John  A.  Stewart,  both  long  identified  with  the 
educational  work  of  the  city.  The  former  was 
an  assistant  in  the  High  School  twelve  years, 
and  served  fourteen  years  more  as  principal, 
having  been  then  assisted  by  Mrs.  Stewart  (nee 
Greth).  Their  large  experience  as  educators 
and  recognized  popularity  have  been  fully  ap- 


READING. 


807 


predated  by  the  public  iu  the  patronage  they 
have  received  in  their  new  enterprise.  The 
academy  was  opened  with  eighty-six  pupils, 
and  it  has  since  had  a  yearly  attendance  of  one 
hundred  and  seventy-five  students.  The  num- 
ber attending  this  year  shows  an  increase  over 
the  preceding  year. 

It  has  primary,  intermediate  and  academic 
departments,  thus  enabling  children  of  the  same 
family  to  be  educated  under  the  same  system, 
from  the  first  elements  to  the  training  for  busi- 
ness or  the  admission  into  college.  Besides  the 
principals,  the  corps  of  teachers  includes  six  as- 
sistants. All  the  necessary  apparatus  has  been 
supplied  to  illustrate  the  course  of  instruction. 
The  first  class,  of  six  scholars,  graduated  June 
26,  1884,  the  exercises  upon  that  occasion  hav- 
ing been  conducted  in  the  Academy  of  Music, 
in  the  presence  of  a  large  number  of  persons. 
The  graduating  class  of  1886  numbers  ten 
scholars.  Under  the  direction  of  Prof,  and 
Mrs.  Stewart  the  academy  has  been  a  great  suc- 
cess; it  is  now  one  of  the  principal  educational 
institutions  of  the  city,  and  has  aided  materially 
in  awakening  a  stronger  interest  in  the  higher 
branches  of  learning  afforded  by  local  enter- 
prise. 

Reading  Seminary  foe  Young  Ladies 
was  opened  in  convenient  rooms,  on  the  corner 
of  Fourth  and  Penn  Streets,  September,  1884. 
The  first  principal  was  Mrs.  S.  I.  B.  Wisener, 
who  had  charge  of  the  school  one  year,  when 
flie  removed  to  the  South.  In  September,  1885, 
Miss  C.  J.  Brown  became  the  principal  of  the 
seminary,  and  it  has  since  prospered  under  her 
direction.  It  has  now  four  teachers  and  thirty 
scholars.  Special  attention  is  paid  to  the  study 
of  the  fine  arts  and  painting. 

Inter-State  Commercial  College  was 
established  September  1,  1885,  by  the  present 
principal,  Prof.  H.  Y.  Stoner.  It  occupies 
commodious  and  well-arranged  rooms  on  the 
corner  of  Sixth  and  Washington  Streets,  and, 
though  not  quite  a  year  old,  has  been  remarka- 
bly prosperous.  More  than  fifty  students,  of 
hoth  sexes,  have  been  admitted  and  twelve  have 
completed  the  course  of  study.  Prof.  Stoner  is 
a  native  of  Exeter  township.  For  eight  years 
he  was  connected  with  the  foremost  business 


colleges  of  the  country.  In  addition  to  the 
studies  usually  pursued  in  business  colleges, 
English  branches  and  short-hand  are  taught,  so 
that  a  thoroughly  practical  education  may  be 
obtained  in  his  college. 

Among  the  select  schools  of  the  city  continued 
for  a  term  of  years,  that  of  the  Misses  Cooper  is 
worthy  of  notice.  It  was  established  in  1874, 
and  had  a  regular  attendance  of  twenty-five 
girls  till  recently.  The  common  English 
branches,  French  and  German  were  taught. 
Other  select  schools  have  been  successfully  con- 
ducted for  a  time,  the  most  prominent,  by  reason 
of  its  continuance  till  now,  being  that  of  Miss 
Esther  Benade. 

Herman  Strecker,  of  Reading,  is  one  of 
the  most  eminent  specialists  in  the  department 
of  science  iu  America.  He  was  born  in  Phila- 
delphia March  24,  1836.  At  a  very  early  age 
be  evinced  a  fondness  for  the  study  of  natural 
history,  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  centered  his 
attention  and  diligent  study  during  leisure 
hours  on  the  Lepidoptera,  a  division  of  the  fas- 
cinating science  of  entomology  devoted  to  but- 
terflies and  moths.  He  is  one  of  the  best 
authorities  on  this  subject  in  the  world,  and  is 
a  faithful  illustration  of  what  wonders  may  be 
accomplished  by  one  who  devotes  his  leisure 
hours  to  patient  and  diligent  study  on  one 
particular  department  of  science.  His  val- 
uable and  truly  magnificent  collection  of  but- 
terflies is  not  excelled  by  any  other  collec- 
tion of  the  same  kind  in  the  world.  It  con- 
tains over  seventy  thousand  specimens,  gathered 
from  every  corner  of  the  globe.  Among  the 
great  rarities  is  a  specimen  of  Colias  BoothH, 
taken  by  the  second  Ross  expedition  in  search 
of  a  northwest  passage,  in  1827-29.  This  is 
the  only  example  of  that  species  in  any  Ameri- 
can collection.  There  are  also  three  of  the 
great  Papilio  Antimnchus,  from  equatorial  Af- 
rica, of  which  only  about  a  dozen  are  known. 
Then  there  is  the  argus  moth  (Eustera  Argus), 
with  enormously  long,  slender,  tail-like  attach- 
ments to  the  hind  wings ;  whole  suites  of  the 
splendid  golden  Croesus  and  Lydius  butterflies, 
from  Halmeheira ;  the  curious  dead-leaf  butter- 
fly, from  China  and  India ;  the  wonderful  Par- 
nassius  butterflies,  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  thou- 


808 


HISTOKY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


sand  feet  elevation  in  the  Himalayas  and  other 
great  mountain  ranges  ;  enormous  Cossus,  from 
Australia,  which  are  eaten  by  the  natives;  the 
owl  moth  of  Brazil,  measuring  afoot  across  the 
wings;  the  resplendent  Ehipheus  flies,  from 
Madagascar,  which  have  no  rival  in  nature  to 
their  beauty — the  brilliancy  of  the  humming- 
bird, the  glitter  of  gems  fading  in  comparison 
with  them.  There  are  also  monsters,  half  male 
and  half  female,  or  those  with  one  wing  partly 
of  one  sex  and  the  rest  of  the  other ;  there  are 
albinos,  melanos,  hybrids,  monsters  with  an 
extra  wing — every  imaginable  variety  or  freak. 
There  are  butterflies  that  look  like  wasps,  like 
bees,  like  lichens;  moths  with  peculiar  mark- 
ings resembling  skulls,  anchors  and  the  figures 
88.  There  are  examples  collected  by  trained 
collectors  in  every  quarter  of  the  world,  by  In- 
dians, by  Esquimaux,  by  explorers  and  travel- 
ers, by  Jesuit  missionaries,  by  any  one  whose 
services  could  be  enlisted.  This  truly  wonder- 
ful collection  is  the  result  of  more  than  thirty 
years  of  study  and  systematic  collecting.  For 
some  specimens  he  has  paid  as  much  as  fifty 
dollars  each.  Being  endowed  with  great  artistic 
talent,  he  has  published  many  valuable  works 
describing  new  species,  etc.,  illustrated  by  finely- 
executed  lithographs  engraved  by  himself,  and 
in  many  cases  colored  in  a  life-like  manner  by 
his  own  hands.  He  also  published  a  work 
containing  a  catalogue  of  North  American 
butterflies. 

Mr.  Strecker  is  an  architect,  designer  and 
sculptor  by  profession.  He  located  at  Reading 
nearly  forty  years  ago,  having  then  accompa- 
nied his  father,  who  was  the  prominent  dealer 
in  marble  and  marble- worker  of  Reading  at 
that  time.  He  has  since  followed  the  pursuit  of 
his  father.  As  a  sculptor  he  gained  an  enviable 
reputation,  and  he  has  produced,  many  praise- 
worthy works  of  art,  among  which  are  the 
large  crucifix  in  the  burial  lot  of  the  DeLong 
family  in  Charles  Evans  Cemetery,  cut  from 
solid  marble  and  weighing  fourteen  tons  ;  the 
monument  erected  for  the  familv  of  Judge  Don- 
aldson,  of  Pottstown  ;  a  monument  erected  to 
the  memory  of  James  Nolan,  Esq., — a  beautiful 
design ;  the  "  angel  boy,"  erected  on  the  grave 
of  Sammy  Kutz.     The  above  are  a  few  of  the 


designs  from  his  master  hand.  Joseph  Drexel, 
of  New  York,  has  in  his  palatial  residence  a 
superb  alto  relievo  from  the  chisel  of  Mr. 
Strecker.  It  is  a  grand  conception  of  the  alle- 
gory of  Poe's  "  Raven." 

ARTISTS. 

Art  and  artists  can  be  appropriately  mentioned 
in  this  connection.  Art  was  taught  here  for  a 
time  in  the  ladies'  seminaries,  especially  be- 
tween 1830  and  1850. 

The  first  artist  of  distinction  at  Reading  (of 
whom  any  definite  information  was  obtainable) 
was  Genorino  Persico.  He  came  here  about 
1820,  married  a  daughter  of  John  McKnight, 
banker,  and  after  remaining  several  years,  re- 
moved to  Richmond,  Va.  He  was  particularly 
expert  in  crayon  drawing.  His  brother  was  a 
famous  artist,  having  painted  one  of  the  prom- 
inent scenes  in  the  Capitol  building  at  Wash- 
ington, and  was  befriended  there  by  Hon. 
George  M.  Keim,  a  great  patron  of  art  and 
artists. 

Jacob  B.  Schoener,  son  of  "William  Schoe- 
ner,  Esq.,  for  many  years  a  justice  of  the  peace  at 
Reading,  was  a  superior  painter  of  miniature 
portraits  before  1845.  He  was  born  at  Read- 
ing in  1805,  and  when  still  a  boy  took  some 
lessons  in  drawing  under  Persico;  subsequently 
he  entered  the  Academy  of  Fine  Arts  at  Phila- 
delphia and  there  devoted  himself  especially  to 
miniature  painting,  in  which  he  became  profi- 
cient. He  was  successful  at  Reading  till  1845; 
when  he  removed  to  Boston,  where  he  died  sev- 
eral years  afterward. 

James  A.  Benade  was  doubtless  .the  first 
artist  at  Reading  who  acquired  more  than  a 
local  reputation  by  his  brilliant  productions. 
He  was  the  son  of  Dr.  Andrew  Benade,  a  dis- 
tinguished Moravian  bishop  of  Bethlehem, 
where  he  was  born  in  1823,  aDd  educated  in 
the  superior  schools  which  that  place  afforded. 
Having  a  natural  inclination  to  art,  he  studied 
painting  for  a  time  under  a  noted  Moravian  artist 
named  Griinewald,  and  afterward  prosecuted 
his  studies  at  Philadelphia.  When  seventeen 
years  old  he  settled  at  Reading.  His  mind  was 
active  and  his  brush  was  busy,  and  he  soon  won 
a  high  place  in  the  esteem  of  this  community 


READING. 


809 


by  his  wonderful  talent.  He  was  rapidly  on 
the  way  to  a  national  reputation  as  a  landscape 
painter,  but  in  the  very  midst  of  his  bright 
and  encouraging  prospects  he  was  stricken  with' 
paralysis,  from  which  he  died  shortly  afterward 
(February  2,  1853)  in  the  thirty-first  year  of 
his  age.  Upon  that  occasion  the  BerJcs  and 
Schuylkill  Journal  contained  the  following 
highly  complimentary  obituary  notice  : 

"  As  a  landscape  painter  Benade  had  no  superior 
who  were  natives  of  this  country,  and  his  constant  im- 
provement afforded  high  ground  for  believing  that  in 
the.course  of  a  few  years  he  would  stand  at  the  very 
head  of  painters  in  his  peculiar  branch  of  art." 

A  number  of  his  larger  paintings  are  highly 
valued  by  certain  persons  of  this  community,  on 
account  of  their  artistic  excellence,  prominent 
pieces  among  them  being  with  his  family  and 
the  families  of  Dr.  H.  H.  Muhlenberg,  William 
H.  Clymer  and  William  H.  Strickland.  His 
productions  indicate  a  master  as  well  as  a  genius, 
for  he  was  able  to  execute  what  he  conceived. 
His  sketches  include  superior  views  of  Reading 
and  of  picturesque  localities  round  about  the 
place. 

He  was  married  to  Sarah  Nagle  Moers,  of 
Eeading,  by  whom  he  had  four  children, — 
James,  Henry,  Esther  and  Sarah. 

F.  D.  Devlan,  a  distinguished  artist,  who 
succeeded  Benade  in  the  order  of  prominence, 
was  born  in  Paterson,  N.  J.,  on  the  15th  of 
December,  1835,  but  shortly  after  his  birth  his 
family  moved  to  Lambertville,  in  the  same 
State,  where  they  engaged  in  the  iron  business. 

In  a  few  years  one  of  those  panics  which 
periodically  seem  to  paralyze  the  business 
world,  affected  them,  and  they  came  and  settled 
in  Eeading,  Pa.  At  that  time  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  could  not  have  been  more  than  four 
years  old.  Subsequently  he  attended  the  public 
schools  until  he  was  about  fifteen  years  old. 
This  story  is  told  of  the  school-boy,  "  Dan,"  as 
he  was  familiarly  called  then  and  through  his 
after-life.     He   occupied   the  same  desk   with 

George  S ,   now  a  prominent  Democratic 

politician  of  Berks  County.  One  day  the  prin- 
cipal of  the  school,  or  rather  his  assistant,  caught- 
"Dan"  drawing  in  George's  atlas,  while  he  did 
"  Dan's  "  arith  metical  examples.  This  the  teacher 


threatened  to  tell  the  principal,  when  George 
raised  his  slate  (without  a  frame)  and  said  :  "If 
you  do,  I'll  cut  your  head  off."      After  school 
hours  the   warehouse  in   the  rear  of  the   store 
kept  by  his  father  and  his  brother,  at  the  south- 
east corner  of  Fifth  and  Chestnut  Streets,  was 
crowded  every  day  by  boys  watching   the  em- 
bryo artist  covering  sheets  of  pasteboard  and 
shingles  with   pictures   done    in    house-paints, 
furnished  by  a  friend  and  admirer  in  the  house- 
painting  business.     "  Dan's  "  father  thought  he 
was  wasting   time  and   neglecting   his  studies 
"for  the  painting  craze,"  as  pater  farnilias  char- 
acterized his  son's  love  for  painting ;  so  he  sent 
him  to  a  classical  school  in  order  to  divert  his 
mind  from  a  continuance  in  the  work  for  which 
he  had  such  a  marked  propensity.    His  mother 
and  elder  brother,  however,  encouraged    him  in 
his  painting,  and  when  he  was  about  seventeen 
years  of  age  he  was  sent  as  a  pupil  to  Mr.  James 
A.    Benade,  an  artist   at   Reading  at  that  time. 
Boy  as  he  was,  his  preceptor  always  got  him  to 
paint  the  animals  in    his   pictures.     It  was  in 
this  branch  of  art  that  Mr.  Devlan    excelled. 
He  had  a  poetic  feeling,  and  could  impart  to  a 
landscape   most   charming   effects.       His    first 
picture  created  quite  an  excitement  in   the  art 
circles  of  Philadelphia.     It  was  placed  on   ex- 
hibition in  a  window  of  one  of  the  prominent 
art  galleries  on  Chestnut  Street,  and  people  went 
in  throngs  to  see  the  "  picture  painted  by  a  boy 
up  in  the  mountains."     His  best  pictures  are  in 
possession  of  the  following  individuals :     Mr. 
Clark,  architect  of  the  National  Capitol,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C;  Mrs.  Dr.  Chas.  H.  Hunter,  Mrs. 
Harry  Hunter,  Nathaniel  Ferguson,  Theodore  I. 
Heizmann,  Mrs.  John  McManus,  Wm.  Mcllvain, 
Jr.,  Horatio  Trexler,  all  ofReading,andMr.  Geo. 
Brooke,  of  Birdsboro'.  Thepieture  owned  by  Mrs. 
John   McManus   was  finished   only  a  few  days 
before  he  died.      It  is  said  of  him  that  he  was 
so  much  in  love  with  his  art  that  he   had  a 
strong  inclination  to  join  a  monastic   order,  so 
as  to  afford   an  opportunity  for  pursuing   his 
studies  to  "  his  heart's  content."     From  this  he 
was,  however,  dissuaded  by  dear  friends.      Mr. 
Devlan  was  one  of  the  most  genial  companions, 
of  unruffled  sweetness  of  temper,  and  although 
full  of  humor,  there  was  a  deep  religious  feeling 


810 


HISTOKY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


pervadiug  his  nature.  At  one  time,  during  the 
beginning  of  the  Civil  War,  he  drew  cartoons  for 
Frank  Leslie's  Illustrated  News,  all  of  which 
were  published — some  of  them  full-page 
pictures.  This  field  of  work  he  soon  abandoned, 
however,  because  of  the  poor  compensation 
which  it  yielded.  Mr.  Devlan  died  June  6, 
1870,  after  a  somewhat  protracted  illness,  at  the 
age  of  thirty-five.  His  remains  were  buried  in 
the  Catholic  Cemetery,  on  the  northern  slope  of 
the  Neversink.  He  was  married  to  a  daughter 
of  Jacob  Sauerbier. 

Amos  Gable,  portrait-painter,  a  son  of  Joseph 
Gable,  was  born  at  Reading,  February  2, 1840. 
He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools,  and 
then  pursued  the  trade  of  barber  for  twenty-five 
years,  till  1875.  About  1860  he  began  to  prac- 
tice painting  as  a  pastime,  having  taken  to  it 
from  his  natural  taste;  and  in  1865  he 
painted  his  first  portrait.  He  has  been  very 
successful,  his  patronage  coming  not  only  from 
this  community,  but  from  other  places  in  this 
State  and  other  States.  He  visited  Dusseldorf 
and  Munich  in  1867,  where  he  took  lessons 
under  distinguished  artists  in  this  special  branch 
of  painting. 

J.  Heyl  Raser,  for  many  years  a  success- 
ful druggist  at  Reading,  opened  an  art  studio 
in  1872.  He  had  studied  painting  when  a  boy 
at  Plainfield,  Conn.,  showing  at  that  time  a 
high  order  of  talent  for  drawing ;  and  he  had 
continued  bis  studies  as  a  diversion,  year  after 
year,  till  he  disposed  of  his  business  to  his  son 
in  the  year  mentioned,  and  then  turned  his 
entire  attention  to  painting.  He  soon  attracted 
much  attention  and  his  sketches  were  received 
with  great  favor.  In  1875  he  visited  Europe, 
and  upon  his  return  continued  at  Reading 
till  1884,  when  he  removed  to  Philadephia  and 
there  opened  a  studio.  He  painted  many  fine 
sketches  of  the  picturesque  scenery  round-about 
Reading. 

Frederick  Spang,  a  descendant  of  Freder- 
ick Spang,  a  prominent  iron-master  of  this 
county,  was  born  in  Oley  township,  and  edu- 
cated at  Norristown,  to  which  place  his  parents 
had  removed  when  he  was  a  boy.  He  served 
for  three  years  in  the  Civil  War,  having  been  a 
member  of  Company  C,  in  the  Fifteenth  Penn- 


sylvania Cavalry.  He  studied  art  in  Philadelphia, 
and  after  spending  several  years  in  California, 
along  the  coast,  pursuing  his   profession,  he 
came  to  Reading  in   1870.     He  has  since  been 
here,  producing  superior  portraits  and  sketches. 
Christopher  Shearer,  a  native  of  Read- 
ing, and  son  of  Christopher  Shearer,  an  enter- 
prising builder   at    Reading,    and   farmer    at 
Tuckerton,  inclined  to  the  study  of  art  at  an 
early  age.     He  frequently  visited  the  studio  of 
F.  D.  Devlan  whilst  that  distinguished  artist 
was  engaged  upon  some  of  his  noted  produc- 
tions, and  also  the  studio  of  J.  Heyl  Raser,  to 
whom,  upon  a  certain   occasion,  it  is  said,  he 
innocently  remarked,  "  I  believe  I  can  paint," 
when  Raser  replied,  "  Yes,  a  man  can  do  any- 
thing if  he  tries."     He  tried  and  he  was  enT 
couraged    to    continue.      After   showing   great 
aptitude  for  the  profession,  he  visited  Europe, 
and  pursued  his  studies  for  several  years  under 
German    masters.      Since    returning    he    has 
established  himself  at  Philadelphia,  where  he 
has   attained,   by    his   industry  and    skill,    a 
national   reputation   as   a   brilliant   landscape- 
painter.     His   conceptions   are   grand  and  his 
productions  are  highly  appreciated  by  art  critics 
and  people  of  culture. 

Singing.— In  1811  Stephen  St.  John  adver- 
tised a  notice  that  he  purposed  establishing  an 
"  English  Singing-School "  at  Reading.  Pre- 
vious efforts  had  been  made  in  this  direction, 
but  they  proved  fruitless.  And  nothing  hav- 
ing been  mentioned  of  this  effort  of  1811  after- 
ward, it  can  be  presumed  that  this  also  failed. 
The  time  for  such  an  undertaking  had  not  yet 
arrived,  though  English  education  had  been 
carried  on  by  the  Friends  for  fifty  years  before. 
Within  the  past  thirty  years  a  number  of  pro- 
fessors have  taught  music,  some  in  private 
classes,  others  in  public  schools  and  in  churches. 
John  Teed  and  Thomas  W.  Frescoln  have  been 
active  and  successful  teachers. 

Dancing. — The  accomplishment  of  "danc- 
ing" is  a  branch  of  education  which  received 
the  early  attention  of  the  people  of  Reading. 
A  Mr.  Hervey,  dancing-master,  advertised  a 
notice  in  the  Weeldy  Advertiser,  of  Reading, 
that  he  would  open  a  "dancing-school"  at 
Wood's  tavern  on  the  21st  of  May,  1796. 


READING. 


811 


Professor  A.  Bonnaffon  opened  a  dancing- 
school  in  "  Flicker's  Hall "  (Sixth  arid  Penn 
Streets,  southwest  corner)  on  March  25,  1818, 
and  carried  it  on  for  some  years.  B.  August, 
a  professor  from  Paris,  gave  instructions  for 
some  time,  about  1822.  Charles  Seville,  a 
distinguished  dancing-master,  taught  for  two 
seasons,  about  1840.  Among  his  many  scholars 
was  Professor  Frank  St  ouch. 

Professor  Stouch  succeeded  Seville  in  1 840, 
and  taught  dancing  at  Eeading  and  vicinity  for 
over  forty  years,  without  interruption.  He 
distinguished  himself  by  his  successful  teaching. 
Every  year  the  average  number  of  pupils  at 
Reading  and  elsewhere  was  four  hundred.  He 
taught  occasionally  at  Lancaster,  Allentown, 
Pottstown,  Lebanon  and  Philadelphia.  He  is 
remembered  with  great  respect  and  affection. 
By  his  accomplishment  and  teaching  he  con- 
tributed much  pleasure  to  many  persons,  old 
and  young.  In  many  families  he  taught  the 
parents,  their  children  and  grandchildren.  He 
is  still  active  and  successful  in  the  profession. 

Latterly,  dancing-schools  have  been  carried 
on  here  quite  extensively  and  successfully. 
Prominent  among  the  masters  are  Professors 
John  Fahrbach  and  William  K.  Drexel. 


PART  VIII. 

PROTECTIVE  ASSOCIATIONS. 

The  associations  of  Reading  which  have  been 
created  for  the  protection  of  the  inhabitants 
from  losses  by  fire  comprise  those  which  are 
called  "  Fire  Companies."  The  first  company 
at  Reading  for  this  purpose  was  the  "  Rainbow." 
It  was  organized  March  17,  1773.  It  is  said 
that  an  organization  of  this  nature  existed  here 
for  some  years  previously;  but  no  definite  in- 
formation respecting  it  was  obtainable.  The 
"  Rainbow  "  was  the  only  company  for  nearly 
thirty  years.  In  March,  1800,  a  second  com- 
pany was  organized  under  the  name  of  the 
"Sun."  Some  time  afterward  a  third  was  or- 
ganized under  the  name  of  "  Union."  These 
two  were  disbanded  about  1812 ;  possibly  they 
merged  into  a  new  company,  which  was  organ- 
ized December  2, 1813,  and  called  the  "Junior." 


Since  1813  nine  companies  have  been  formed, 
namely:  Reading,  July  4,  1819;  Neversink, 
April  14,  1829;  Friendship,  March  4,  1848; 
Liberty,  January  21,  1854;  Washington,  Sep- 
tember 17,  1855;  Keystone,  January  19, 1856; 
Ringgold,1  June  5,  1856;  Hampden,  September 
8,  1867;  and  Marion,  1884.  The  "Reading" 
and  "  Washington"  were  organized  as  "Hose 
Companies;"  but  the  former  became  an  "En- 
gine Company"  in  1860,  by  the  introduction 
of  the  first  steam  fire-engine  at  Reading.  The 
"  Washington "  added  a  hook-and-ladder 
truck  in  1873.  The  "Keystone"  was  organ- 
ized as  a  "  Hook-and-Ladder  Company  "  and 
in  1880  it  added  a  "Salvage  Corps."  These 
several  companies  are  incorporated  bodies. 

A  meeting  of  the  firemen  of  Reading  was 
held  on  February  12,  1833,  for  the  purpose  of 
considering  the  propriety  of  calling  upon  the 
Borough  Council  "to  pay  the  expenses  of  keep- 
ing up  the  Fire  Department."  Previously  the 
companies  were  compelled  to  beg  assistance  from 
the  citizens  to  enable  them  to  carry  on  success- 
fully the  object  of  their  association.  But  this 
continual  begging  came  to  be  regarded  by  the 
people  as  a  nuisance  in  one  respect  and  as  unjust 
and  unequal  in  another,  for  some  citizens  gave 
contributions  of  money  and  others  would  not 
give  any,  yet  all  were  benefited  alike  by  the 
common  protection  which  the  fire  companies 
afforded.  This  proceeding  was  begun  in  order 
"  that  the  burden  should  be  removed  from  the 
few."  The  companies  represented  at  this  meet- 
ing were  the  Rainbow,  Junior,  Reading  Hose; 
Neversink  and  Protection.2  A  committee,  com- 
posed of  three  members  from  each  of  the  com- 
panies named,  was  appointed  to  present  a  petition 
to  the  Borough  Council,  praying  for  an  appro- 
priation to  pay  the  expenses  of  the  Fire  Depart- 
ment. This  brought  a  partial  relief.  The  local 
government  made  annual  appropriations  and 
subsequently  came  to  own  the  fire  apparatus  and 
buildings. 

Ninety  years  had  elapsed  before  this  step  was 
taken  here.  The  great  progress,  by  comparison, 


1  Disbanded  in  1871,  the  principal  members  having  then 
united  with  the  Junior  Company. 

»  This  company  must  have  had  a  short  duration  ;  nothing 
remains  to  show  when  it  began  or  ended. 


812 


HISTOEY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


is  apparent.  Before  the  next  decade  had  elapsed 
four  additional  steam  fire-engines  were  added  to 
the  Fire  Department  by  the  following  companies 
in  the  order  named  :  Bainbow,  Junior,  Liberty 
and  Friendship.  From  the  time  of  the  institu- 
tion of  these  respective  companies  the  hand- 
engine  had  been  used.  In  1872  two  more 
steam  fire-engines  were  added  by  the  Neversink 
and  the  Hampden.  There  are  how  altogether 
seven  in  the  service  of  the  department. 

Firemen's  Union. — Bepresentatives  from 
the  several  companies  named  assembled  in  the 
city  on  the  18th  day  of  March,  1861,  and 
formed  a  Firemen's  Union,  "in  order  to  promote 
harmony  and  friendly  intercourse  among  the 
firemen,  to  establish  those  just  relations  which 
ought  to  exist  among  institutions  whose  views 
are  similar,  and  to  enable  them  more  effectually 
to  perform  those  philanthropic  duties  which 
devolve  upon  them."  This  Union  was  an  ordi- 
nary association  for  four  years,  composed  of 
five  delegates  from  each  company  represented. 
Finding  its  powers  inadequate  for  the  purposes 
for  which  it  was  formed,  an  application  was 
made  to  the  Legislature  of  the  State  for  a 
charter  of  incorporation ;  and  it  was  accord- 
ingly incorporated  on  the  15th  of  March, 
1865,  under  the  name  of  the  "  Firemen's  Union 
of  the  City  of  Beading." 

It  has  since  acted  under  this  charter,  and 
performed  its  functions  in  an  admirable  manner. 
And  it  has  been  to  the  people  of  the  city 
through  these  years  a  certain  and  strong  assur- 
ance of  protection  to  their  property  and  their 
lives  from  fire.  The  management  is  vested  in 
a  board  of  trustees,  elected  by  the  Union  annu- 
ally in  October,  and  serving  from  the  third 
Monday  of  January  following.  It  is  composed 
of  one  member  from  each  company  represented 
in  the  Union,  and  it  is  authorized  to  elect  such 
officers  st  such  salaries  as  the  trustees  shall 
deem  expedient. 

The  volunteer  Fire  Department  has  now  been 
an  institution  here  over  one  hundred  and  ten 
years.  The  respective  companies  have  through 
this  long  time  not  only  defended,  but  also  pro- 
moted the  public  welfare.  They  have  always 
occupied  a  prominent  place  in  the  municipal 
affairs  of  Beading,  more  especially  since  the 


establishment  of  the  Firemen's  Union.  How- 
ard F.  Boyer,  the  chief  engineer,  has  been  the 
most  prominent  person  in  the  department  for 
the  past  decade.  He  has  filled  his  responsible 
position  with  credit  to  himself  and  with  satis- 
faction to  the  public.  The  firemen  have  con- 
ceded this  place  to  him  year  after  year  with 
remarkable  unanimity,  by  reason  of  his  devo- 
tion, courage,  promptness  and  efficiency  in  the 
service  of  the  department.  Many  firemen  are 
equally  zealous  ;  and  they  are  worthy  of  great 
praise  for  their  self-sacrifices  in  behalf  of  the 
public  safety  and  welfare. 

Fire- Alarm. — Immediately  upon  the  break- 
ing out  of  a  fire  an  alarm  was  given  to  summon 
assistance.  This  alarm  was  struck  on  the  bells 
of  Trinity  Lutheran  Church  for  many  years, 
till  1840  ;  then  upon  the  bell  of  the  court- 
house for  the  next  thirty-three  years.  The 
locality  of  the  fire  was  indicated  by  a  number 
of  strokes  on  the  bell  to  correspond  with  the 
number  of  the  ward  in  which  the  fire  was.  In 
1873  the  "electric  fire-alarm"  was  introduced. 
It  has  proved  invaluable ;  and  the  response  of 
the  respective  fire  companies  thereto  has  been 
as  prompt  as  their  services  were  efficient. 

Previous  to  1873  the  fact  that  a  fire  had 
broken  out  was  carried  to  the  janitor  of  Trinity 
Church  or  of  the  court  house,  who  would 
ascend  into  the  steeple  and  strike  the  alarm 
This  was  a  proceeding  slow  and  tedious,  and 
frequently  delayed  by  the  absence  of  the  janitor. 
Joseph  Bitter,  janitor  of  the  court-house  and 
court-crier  of  the  County  Courts  from  1840  till 
his  death,  in  1880,  was  conspicuous  in  this  im- 
portant service.  At  all  hours  of  the  night, 
as  well  as  during  the  day,  and  in  all 
seasons  of  the  year,  for  thirty-three  years, 
he  responded  promptly  and  willingly  to 
the  call  for  the  alarm ;  and  upon  sound- 
ing it  on  the  superior,  clear-toned  bell  of 
the  court-house,  he  awakened  the  whole  com- 
munity. Firemen  of  the  several  companies 
ran,  first  to  their  respective  engine-houses  and 
then  with  their  engines  to  the  fire ;  men  and 
boys  from  all  parts  ran,  many  taking  hold  of 
the  ropes  attached  to  the  engines  and  hose- 
carriages  and  assisting  in  drawing  them  to  the 
fire.     On  the  way  the  fireman's  horn  sounded, 


READING. 


813 


"  Roll  her,  boys  ;  roll  her !"  and  excited  voices 
cried  out  repeatedly,  "  Fire  I  fire  ! !  "  Such 
a  demonstration  naturally  collected  a  large 
crowd  at  the  fire.  When  the  hand-engines 
were  in  use  many  of  the  bystanders  assisted, 
and  the  pumping  process  afforded  them  much 
amusement.  But  progress  has  brought  change. 
Men  and  boys  are  no  longer  seen  tugging  away, 
nearly  breathless  and  exhausted,  or  running  out 
of  rank  on  account  of  "  stitches  "  in  their  sides, 
to  rest  on  the  curb-stone  half-way  to  the  fire, 
or  rolling  out  of  the  way  after  a  stumble  from 
weak  knees  to  prevent  a  "  run  over."  Horses, 
with  ambitious,  fearless  drivers,  have  been  sub- 
stituted in  their  stead,  and  these  now  gallop 
onward  as  if  sporting  with  the  heavy  engines 
drawn  after  them ;  and  excited  people  are  no 
longer  heard  crying  "  Fire ! "  whilst  running 
to  the  scene  of  the  conflagration. 

During  the  decade  from  1860  to  1870  the 
improvement  from  the  hand-engine  to  the 
steam-engine  was  great ;  but  the  introduction  of 
the  electric  fire-alarm,  in  1873,  was  a  greater 
improvement.  By  it,  many  places  were  substi- 
tuted for  one  place,  at  all  of  which  the  signal 
could  be  given  with  equal  facility.  These  were 
located  in  different  parts  of  the  city,  so  as  to  be 
convenient  in  case  of  fire,  and  to  enable  the 
alarm  to  be  given  promptly.  Its  operation 
came  to  be  understood  and  its  utility  recognized 
immediately.  In  the  old  way,  much  valuable 
time  was  frequently  lost  in  causing  the  alarm 
to  be  given,  whereby  the  fire  reached  a  stage 
beyond  control ;  but  in  the  new  way,  the  alarm 
was  transmitted  to  all  parts  of  the  city  without 
loss  of  time,  and  its  promptness  enabled  the 
chief  engineer  and  responding  department  to 
arrive  at  the  place  before  the  fire  obtained  much 
progress  beyond  ignition.  The  alarm  was 
struck  at  first,  for  some  years,  on  the  Presby- 
terian church-bell,  and  then  fire-gongs  were  intro- 
duced in  the  buildings  of  the  several  fire  com- 
panies. And  this  electric  communication  has  been 
carried  on  so  far  as  to  open  the  stable-doors  and 
permit  the  horses  to  run  into  position  at  the 
engines  and  carriages  without  assistance.  In 
1877  a  handsome,  substantial  brick  fire-alarm 
tower  was  erected  on  the  premises  of  the  Eain- 
ow  Fire    Company.     It  is  one  hundred  and 


fourteen  feet  high,  constructed  of  two  hundred 
and  sixty-seven  thousand  brick.  The  alarm- 
bell  weighs  over  three  thousand  pounds  and  is 
elevated  ninety  feet.  The  money  for  this  im- 
provement was  raised  by  contributions  and 
subscriptions  through  the  energy  and  liberality 
of  its  members. 

The  system  of  the  fire-alarm  is  regulated  by 
a  powerful  battery  which  is  situated  in  the  city 
hall.  It  is  supervised  by  a  superintendent. 
Wires  extend  from  this  battery  in  three  circuits 
throughout  the  city,  and  alarm-boxes  for  public 
convenience  are  located  along  these  wires  at  or 
near  the  intersection  of  streets,  several  squares 
from  one  another. 

Parades,  Etc. — The  fire  companies  have 
had  numerous  parades,  in  which  they  exhibited 
their  respective  organizations  in  full  dress. 
Their  appearance  was  fine  and  won  general  ad- 
miration. The  success  of  these  voluntary  asso- 
ciations for  the  general  welfare  was  thereby 
satisfactorily  demonstrated.  Their  number  was 
an  imposing  feature. 

An  annual  ball  has  been  given  by  each  com- 
pany for  many  years,  especially  by  the  older 
companies.  It  is  an  event  which  has  awakened 
much  interest  and  afforded  much  pleasure,  and 
the  members  have  displayed  energy  and  ability 
in  its  successful  management.  General  sociabil- 
ity has  always  stood  out  prominently  upon  this 
occasion. 

Previous  to  1860  the  general  deportment  of 
the  companies  as  bodies  was  not  at  all  friendly 
towards  one  another.  It  was  rough  and  fre- 
quently resulted  in  demonstrations  which  elicited 
public  concern.  In  November,  1849,  an  affair 
arose  which  implicated  two  rival  companies. 
"  Stones  were  thrown,  heads  were  bruised  and 
pistols  were  discharged.  The  row  was  a  pre- 
meditated affair.  Seventeen  of  the  rioters  were 
bound  over  to  court."  Shortly  before  there 
were  "disgraceful  pugilistic  exhibitions  and 
frequent  false  alarms."1  Water-fights  were  oc- 
casionally indulged  in  after  a  fire  was  extin- 
guished. Such  battles  required  much  courage 
and  perseverance.  The  water  was  driven  with 
great  force  into  the  faces  of  the  respective  facr 


1  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal,  November  10,  1849. 


814 


HISTOKY  OP  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


tions,  especially  the  leaders,  who  held  the  branch- 
pipes.  The  performance  naturally  offered  much 
amusement  to  the  by-standers;  indeed,  these  were 
impelled  to  give  their  attendance  through 
curious  anticipations.  Since  I860  the  general 
conduct  of  the  firemen,  especially  their  friendli- 
ness towards  one  another,  has  improved  very 
much.  There  have  been  no  fights  for  many 
years.  The  "Union"  has  exercised  a  large 
beneficial  influence  over  them. 

The  Rainbow  Fire  Company. — In  the 
latter  part  of  1772  the  project  of  organizing  a 
fire  company  was  spoken  of,  but  it  was  not 
until  the  year  following,  1 773,  that  the  repre- 
sentative men  of  that  day  came  together  and 
regularly  organized  the  Rainbow  Company. 

A  hand-engine  was  the  first  ever  brought  to 
Heading,  and  was  ordered  from  Philadelphia. 
One  of  the  most  important  events  of  the  history 
of  the  early  days  of  Reading  was  the  reception 
of  this  engine.  It  was  brought  by  way  of  the 
Perkiomen  turnpike,  and  a  large  number  of 
people  turned  out  to  witness  its  coming.  The 
engine  was  housed  at  the  company's  headquar- 
ters, then  situated  on  the  estate  of  the  Keims. 
It  consisted  of  a  small  frame  building  and  was 
situated  on  the  north  side  of  Penn  Street,  near 
Ninth. 

Among  the  members  who  organized  the  com- 
pany (it  has  been  asserted  that  it  was  a  stock 
company,  organized  for  the  protection  of  mem- 
bers' property  first,  and  others'  afterwards)  are 
found  such  names  as  Printz,  Lott,  Homan, 
Nagle,  Dick,  Wunder,  Phillippi,  Eisenbeise, 
Shearer,  Boas,  Rightmyer,  Graeff,  Rupert, 
Fichthorn,  Miller,  Geiger,  Graul,  Eisenhower, 
Maltzberger,  Rush,  Rhein,  Brobst,  Koch, 
Schwartz,  Boyer,  Arnold,  Cunius,  Bickley, 
Spatz,  Goodman,  Rapp,  Roland,  Scholl,  Sauer- 
bier,  Cleaver,  Henritze,  Hahn,  Madeira,  Diss- 
ler,  Keim,  Orth,  Mover,  Schultz,  Lotz,  Rein- 
hart,  Borkert,  Rhoads,  Boyer,  Aulenbach  and 
others.  Who  the  first  officers  were  it  is  impos- 
sible to  tell,  as  all  the  minutes  and  records,  if 
any  existed,  have  been  lost,  and  such  members 
as  might  have  remembered  have  long  since 
passed  away. 

The  company  at  that  time  had  no  regular 
uniform.     Each   member   was   provided   with 


two  buckets,  a  bag  or  a  basket,  to  use  at  fires 
in  subduing  the  flames  and  carrying  out  val- 
uable articles  from  burning  buildings.  These 
things  were  kept  at  the  private  houses,  and  an 
inspector,  who  was  regularly  appointed,  visited 
the  homes  of  the  members  every  three  months 
to  inspect  the  condition  of  the  buckets,  baskets 
and  bags.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution 
a  great  many  of  the  members  joined  the  com- 
pany of  Captain  Joseph  Hiester,  who  was  after- 
ward made  a  general  in  the  army,  and  who 
organized  the  company  in  Reading  at  his  own 
expense.  During  the  Revolution  and  for  quite  a 
number  of  years  afterward  the  Rainbow  Fire 
Company  was  inactive,  but  always  maintained 
its  organization. 

Up  to  the  year  1834  very  little  is  known  of 
the  company.  In  that  year  the  old  building 
was  removed  from  its  position  and  taken  to  the 
lower  part  of  the  city  to  do  duty  as  an  office 
for  the  Anderson  distillery.  Those  were  the 
days  of  the  great  temperance  orator  and  advo- 
cate, Elijah  Dechert,  and  it  is  said  that  he  made 
the  remark  after  the  removal  that  it  was  "  Hell 
Fire-Engine  *'  and  should  so  be  called. 

A  new  frame  engine-house  was  built  by  Car- 
penter Printz,  on  the  old  location ;  the  old 
members  gave  way  to  their  grown  sons,  and 
Jacob  Fricker  was  elected  the  first  president 
after  the  re-organization  in  the  same  year,  1834. 
Shortly  after  this  the  company  did  excellent 
service  at  a  great  fire  which  took  place,  burning 
large  stores  on  the  south  side  of  Penn  Street, 
between  Fifth  and  Sixth,  the  sites  of  the  Bush- 
ong  Bank,  the  residences  of  Colonel  Joseph  L.. 
Stichter,  Henry  Bushong  and  the  Lauman 
property.  About  this  time  the  first  uniforms 
came  into  use,  and  consisted  of  black  oil-cloth 
capes,  with  a  spread  eagle  and  the  word  "Rain- 
bow "  painted  on  them.  The  members  never 
held  meetings  at  the  engine-houses,  but  as- 
sembled at  the  old  hotel  at  Eighth  and  Penn 
Streets,  and  also  at  a  hotel  on  a  site  now  occu- 
pied by  the  Farmers'  Market-House. 

In  1840  the  company  moved  their  head- 
quarters to  North  Eighth  Street,  between  Court 
and  Penn,  and  erected  a  building  on  property 
deeded  to  the  company  by  Henry  Nagle, 
chief  marshal  of  the  day.     After  the  removal 


READING. 


815 


the  old  hand-engine  was  laid  aside  and  a  new 
one  procured.  It  remained  in  service  until  the 
arrival  of  the  company's  first  steam  fire-engine. 
The  second  hand-engine  passed  into  the  hands 
of  the  city  and  was  sold  to  Douglass  &  Conard 
for  old  iron. 

Here  they  continued  to  hold  forth  up  to 
March  10,  1870,  when  they  removed  to  the 
present  large  and  commodious  engine-house, 
whose  building  commenced  in  July,  1869,  and 
was  finished  in  the  winter  of  1870.  Their  first 
steam  fire-engine  arrived  in  June,  1863.  They 
used  it  until  the  fall  of  1866,  when  it  was  sold 
to  the  Rainbow  Fire  Company,  of  Rome,  Ga. 
Their  present  steamer,  which  is  a  second-class 
Amoskeag,  was  bought  for  four  thousand  nine 
hundred  dollars,  and  arrived  in  this  city  on 
the  10th  of  November,  1868. 

All  those  who  yet  remain  to  tell  the  early 
history  of  the  Rainbow  were  the  youngest  of 
the  members  that  belonged  to  the  company  at 
its  reorganization,  in  1834.  In  1867  John 
Printz,  then  the  oldest  member  of  the  company, 
died  at  the  age  of  ninety-six  years. 

In  1873  the  company  celebrated  the  one 
hundredth  anniversary  of  their  origin  by  a 
magnificent  street  parade,  at  which  many  com- 
panies from  neighboring  towns  and  cities  parti- 
cipated. Among  the  old  members  of  the 
Rainbow  then  living  were  Abraham  Reinhart, 
Nicholas  Lott,  William  Arnold,  Philip  Zieber, 
John  Goodhart,  Henry  Henritze,  Francis  B. 
Shalter,  John  Fox,  Daniel  Graeff,  John  Fox, 
William  Shearer,  Jacob  Sauerbier,  Abraham 
Clemens,  Augustus  Whitman,  John  Zieber, 
John  Moyer,  Jacob  Neihart,  John  Ziegler, 
John  Goodman,  Daniel  Burkhart,  Frank  Mel- 
len,  Samuel  Levan,  Frederick  Printz,  Augustus 
Nagle,  Peter  and  Jacob  Maltzberger,  Christian 
Eiler,  Francis  Roland,  William  M.  Graul, 
Charles  Horn,  Solomon  McCabe,  John  Drenkle, 
William  Lockwood,  Henry  Eisenbeise,  Jacob 
Lott,  George  Rotheuberger,  Henry  Hahn,  Jacob 
Drenkle,  Peter  Lindekugle,  Michael  Shultz, 
Jacob  Roland,  Augustus  F.  Boas  and  others. 

The  first  charter  of  the  company  is  dated 
April  7,  1843,  when  David  Eisenhower  was 
president  and  Henry  Nagle  secretary.  The 
charter  was  revised  and  granted  by  the  County 


Court  in  1869.  The  company's  house  is  one  of 
the  finest  in  the  United  States,  and  the  individ- 
ual efforts  of  the  members  have  placed  it  in  a 
prosperous  condition. 

The  number  of  active  members  for  the  year 
1886  is  three  hundred  and  sixty,  of  honorary 
members  one  hundred  and  forty-eight,  and  of 
contributing  members  ninety-five. 

Junior  Fire  Company. — This  company 
was  organized  December  2,  1813.  The  first 
building  used  was  situated  on  Fifth  Street, 
between  Court  and  Washington.  The  charter 
members,  as  far  as  could  be  gathered,  were 
Dr.  Philip  Marshall  (who  was  the  first  presi- 
dent of  the  company),  Wm.  Rhoads,  John  Reiff- 
snyder,  Michael  Reiffsnyder,  Geo.  Weller,  Jacob 
Davies,  Henry  B.  Sage,  Wm.  Frill,  Geo.  Wile, 
Francis  Boyer,  William  Schoener,  Joseph  All- 
gaier,  George  Nagel,  Jacob  Weizel,  Daniel 
Fichthorn,  Joshua  Davies,  Peter  Yeager,  John 
Diffenbach,  John  Kidd,  Daniel  Ermold,  John 
K.  Boyer,  George  Phillippi,  Daniel  H.  Otto, 
Charles  Witman,  Henry  Reinhart,  John  E. 
Ruhl,  John  C.  Baum,  John  Witman,  Thomas 
Jones,  Jacob  Stichter,  George  Reese,  John  Frill, 
George  Strohecker,  Benjamin  Gicker,  Abraham 
Seybert,  Isaac  Meyers,  Jacob  Gossler. 

The  following  charter  members  held  positions 
in  the  company  in  1813: 

Key  Company.  —  John  Allgaier,  John 
Schwartz,  John  McKnight,  Samuel  Moore, 
Henry  Schoener,  William  Rehr,  Philip  Smith, 
Jacob  Lehman,  Joseph  Allgaier,  William  Row, 
Isaac  Young,  George  Zieber. 

Engineers. — John  C.  Neidley,  Abraham 
Yeager. 

Hook-Men. — Andrew  Fichthorn,  Jr.,  Chris- 
tian Haveracker,  Joseph  Bright,  Jacob  Fritz. 

Bank-Formers.  —  Henry  Boyer,  William 
Marx,  William  Jones,  Jacob  Young. 

Guard  Movables. — John  Hanold,  Benjamin 
Stout,  John  Schembers,  Isaac  Pierson,  Josiah 
Smith. 

The  first  building  occupied  was  frame,  in 
which  the  hand-engine  was  kept.  A  two-story 
frame  building,  on  the  corner  of  Washington 
and  Church  Streets,  was  next  used.  In  1865 
the  first  steam-engine  used  by  this  company  was 
purchased    of   the   Amoskeag    Manufacturing 


816 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Company  by  the  city  authorities,  and  new  quar- 
ters were  secured  on  Washington  Street,  between 
Reed  and  Sixth.  In  1876  the  city  erected  a 
fine  two-story  brick  building  on  the  corner  of 
Walnut  and  Vine  Streets,  which  is  at  present 
the  headquarters  of  the  Junior  Company.  It 
contains  various  apartments,  suited  for  the 
wants  of  the  members  of  the  company,  all  of 
which  are  well  furnished. 

The  city  authorities,  in  1881,  sold  the  Amos- 
keag  engine,  purchased  in  1865,  to  Douglass  & 
Conard,  the  Junior  Company  having,  the  year 
previous,  bought  a  first-class  steam  fire-engine  of 
Clapp  &  Jones,  of  Hudson,  New  York.  Two 
hose-carriages — one  of  them  made  by  Spawn  & 
Dennison,  of  Reading,  the  other  by  Fraser,  of 
Philadelphia — and  three  horses  are  the  property 
of  this  company. 

For  the  year  1886  there  are  three  hundred 
and  fifty-six  active  members  and  three  hundred 
and  forty-two  honorary  members. 

Reading  Fire  Company  was  organized 
on  July  4,  1819.  The  first  place  of  meet- 
ing was  on  Court  Street,  between  Fifth  and 
Sixth  ;  at  that  time  it  was  a  hose  company.  The 
original  frame  building  used  as  the  first  head- 
quarters was  removed  in  its  entirety  to  Fifth 
Street,  near  Franklin,  and  a  hand-engine  was 
added  to  the  needed  apparatus  of  the  company. 
In  1 839  the  building  entire  and  its  equipments 
were  moved  to  Franklin  Street,  above  Fourth. 
The  old  frame  building  was  sold  in  1843  and  a 
two-story  brick  building  was  obtained  on 
Franklin  Street,  above  Fifth,  which  continued 
to  be  the  headquarters  until  1857,  when  another 
removal  was  made  to  Franklin  Street,  below 
Sixth.  The  present  headquarters  is  located  on 
Franklin  Street  above  Sixth,  where  a  very  com- 
modious and  convenient  two-story  brick  building 
was  erected  for  the  company  by  the  city  in 
1884.  This  building  is  well  designed,  ad- 
mirably arranged  and  all  of  its  apartments 
well  furnished,  affording  the  best  modern 
comforts  aud  conveniences. 

The  Reading  Fire  Company  has  the  honora- 
ble distinction  of  having  purchased  the  first 
steam  fire-engine  ever  owned  in  this  city.  It 
was  manufactured  by  Lee,  Larned  &  Co.,  who 
had   the   engine   on   exhibition   at   the   Berks 


County  Agricultural  Fair.  It  was  bought  in 
1860  for  the  sum  of  three  thousand  dollars. 
This  steamer  was  put  into  effective  use  for  fif- 
teen years  in  succession,  when  it  was  sold,  in 
1875,  to  William  Wunder  for  old  iron.  The 
beautiful  Silsby  engine  purchased  in  1875,  for 
the  sum  of  five  thousand  five  hundred  dollars, 
was  manufactured  at  Seneca  Falls,  N.  Y.  The 
company  also  owns  one  Silsby  hose-carriage 
and  three  fine  horses.  The  charter  members  of 
the  company,  as  far  as  could  be  ascertained,  were 
John  H.  Keim,  James  M.  Lewis,  Ephraim 
Booth,  Valentine  Graff,  Ephraim  Armstrong, 
Isaac  Peterman,  Richard  Bickel,  John  Warren, 
Marks  John  Biddle,  William  Zieber,  George 
Heller, Hyde, Hill.  The  first  pres- 
ident of  the  company  was  Samuel  Bell,  and  the 
first  secretary  Mr.  Tilton.  For  the  year  1886 
there  are  seventy-five  active  members  of  this 
company  and  eighty  honorary  members. 

Neversink  Fire  Company  was  organized 
April  14,  1829,  with  the  following  named 
charter  members :  George  W.  Oakley,  Jere- 
miah Snyder,  William  H  Keim,  Henry  W. 
Smith,  Alex.  P.  Miller,  William  Betz,  Francis 
Aurand,  William  Miller,  Joel  Ritter,  William 
Goode,  J.  Hansey  Eichho,  Daniel  Shenfelder, 
Walter  Frill,  Henry  High,  Solomon  A.  Stout, 
George  E.  Ludwig,  John  F.  Alden,  Abner  W. 
Davies,  William  Frantz,  Augustus  H.  Raiguel, 
John  Pelliter,  Jacob  Winsted,  Richard  M.  Ken- 
dall, J.  Mannerback,  H.  Hallowen,  George  W. 
Hallowen,  Charles  K.  Snell,  James  E.  Frill, 
Jacob  M.  Bickel,  John  Shaner,  Fred.  B.  Heller, 
James  Walker,  John  H.  Keim,  S.  B.  Shoener, 
Washington  Richards. 

The  company  organized  the  same  year  by 
electing  George  W.  Oakley,  president ;  Jeremiah 
Snyder,  secretary  ;  and  William  H.  Keim,  treas- 
urer. The  headquarters  of  the  company  at  the 
time  of  the  organization  was  on  Washington 
Street  above  Fourth,  in  a  small  frame  building. 
This  continued  to  be  the  headquarters  from 
1829  to  1861.  During  that  period  one  of  the 
old-time  hand-engines  was  used  by  the  company. 
In  1861  a  building  was  secured  on  Fourth  Street, 
between  Washington  and  Walnut,  which  was 
used  as  the  headquarters.  Soon  after  their  re- 
moval, a  small  steam-engine  was  purchased  by 


READING. 


817 


the  city  authorities,  and  was  put  into  effective 
use  on  many  occasions. 

It  was  superseded,  in  1876,  by  the  present 
beautiful  and  attractive  steam-eugine  which  was 
purchased  from  the  exhibitors  of  it  in  the  Cen- 
tennial buildings,  at  Philadelphia,  immediately 
after  the  close  of  the  exhibition.  This  valuable 
engiue  was  purchased  by  the  company  and  is 
now  owned  by  them.  In  1877  the  city  author- 
ities sold  the  old  steam-engine  to  Douglass  & 
Conard,  of  Reading. 

In  1883  the  city  erected  for  this  company  a 
large  two-story  brick  building  on  the  corner  of 
Third  and  Court  Streets,  which  has  been  ele- 
gantly furnished  by  the  company,  and  contains 
various  apartments,  including  a  finely-furnished 
parlor.  The  equipment  is  a  steam  fire-engine 
manufactured  by  Klapp  &  Jones,  of  Hudson, 
N.  Y.,  and  purchased,  in  1876,  and  a  hose- 
wagon  made  by  the  American  Fire-Hose  Man- 
ufacturing Company,  of  Chelsea,  Mass.  Three 
horses  are  owned  by  the  company.  The  com- 
pany was  incorporated  in  1835. 

Friendship  Fire  Company  was  organized 
March  4,  1848,  at  the  public-house  of  Wil- 
liam Rapp,  on  the  corner  of  Eighth  and 
Penn  Streets.  The  charter  members  of  this 
company  were  A.  D.  Miller,  Zachariah  Maurer, 
Reuben  Goodman,  Franklin  D.  Nagle,  Thomas 
Barnet,  William  Rapp,  Henry  Nagle,  Levi 
Homan,  George  Greaff,  Charles  Breneiser,  John 
Drenkle,  Jacob  Young,  John  Miller,  Ferdinand 
Ritter,  George  S.  Bickley,  Calvin  Shingle,  James 
Orth,  Amos.  Geily,  William  Kriesher,  Daniel 
D.  Maurer,  Benjamin  Shearer,  James  Edward, 
Franklin  S.  Bickley,  William  Den  hard,  John 
Shaaber,  Matthias  Babb,  James  and  M.  Rol- 
land.  For  many  years  the  building  of  the 
company  was  on  Franklin,  above  Peach. 

This  company  received  a  charter  of  incorpo- 
ration on  March  20,  1869.  The  neat  and  com- 
modious building*  used  as  the  headquarters  of 
the  Friendship  is  located  on  the  corner  of 
Franklin  and  Peach  Streets.  The  supply  of 
fire  apparatus  consists  of  one  second-class  Amos- 
keag  steam-engine,  made  at  Manchester,  New 
Hampshire,  one  horse  hose-carriage,  one  hand 
hose  carriage.  Four  horses  are  also  owned  by 
the  company.  The  number  of  active  members 
71 


for  1886  is  four  hundred  and  forty-three,  two 
hundred  and  ninety  honorary  members  and  one 
hundred  and  fifty  contributing  members. 

Liberty  Fire  Company  was  instituted 
January  21,  1854,  by  the  following-named 
charter  members :  Lewis  W.  Hagenman,  Mar- 
tin B.  Hoffman,  James  W.  Holmes,  William 
Hill,  Daniel  Leeds,  Michael  McCullough, 
C.  Ganser  Miller,  De  Witt  Clinton  Morris, 
Reuben  S.  Miller,  George  Newkirk,  James  S. 
Baumburg,  Henry  Miller,  David  L.  Murphy, 
William  Baumburg,  Daniel  Rhoads,  Marks 
Redmond,  Henry  D.York,  John  Keller,  James 
Schroeder,  Daniel  M.  Snyder,  William  Spicker, 
Joseph  Sheffer,  Henry  Schroeder,  William 
Stott,  Robert  Toll,  Martin  Stohecker,  William 
B.  Williams,  William  Van  Buskirk,  Andrew 
S.  Warner,  Abraham  S.  Witman,  John  Wert- 
zel,  Jesse  B.  Yeager,  Frederick  Buckmyer, 
Philip  Albright,  George  Ashenfelter,  William 
B.  Albright,  Frederick  Buckmyer,  David  Bech- 
tel,  George  Boyer,  Jr.,  Frederick  S.  Boas, 
Henry  Goodhart,  Rothermel  L.  Day,  Martin 
Deysher,  James  H.  Deysher,  Jacob  H.  Deysher, 
George  W.  Durell,  William  Geiger,  Henry 
Fegley,  Henry  Hoffman,  Ferd.  Hoffmaster, 
Daniel  Kramer,  Jediah  Miller  and  George  Mil- 
ler. 

The  headquarters  of  this  company  is  on  the 
southeast  corner  of  Fifth  and  Laurel  Streets. 
A  two-story  building  is  occupied,  which  is  the 
property  of  the  company.  It  contains  various 
apartments,  including  a  finely-furnished  parlor. 
The  apparatus,  which  is  owned  by  the  city, 
consists  of  one  fine  second-class  Silsby  engine, 
purchased  at  Seneca  Falls,  N.  Y. ;  one  Silsby 
hose-carriage.  Four  horses  are  also  used  by 
this  company.  The  number  of  active  members 
is  five  hundred  and  ninety-five.  There  are 
seventy-three  honorary  members. 

Keystone  Hook-and-Ladder  Company 
was  organized  January  19,  1856,  by  the  fol- 
lowing-named charter  members : 

Henry  Chrisman,  Irvin  Benson,  John  Kissinger, 
John  Eesinger,  J.  B.  Sheaffer,  Adam  Waid,  William 
H.  Norton,  Halbury  A.  Bartlet,  Benjamin  Weis, 
Peter  D.  Getz,  Jacob  Bushong,  Henry  Bushong, 
Benjamin  Stehman,  Jonathan  Reber,  Joseph  Fix, 
James  Eobenson,  Jacob  Kauffman,  John  Shoemaker, 
John  Heifer,  C.  D.  Geiger,  0.  D.  Bertolette,  Daniel 


818 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Klopp,  Lewis  Hoffman,  Amos  W.  Potteiger,  J.  M. 
Heller,  Jerome  Ringler,  John  Drexel,  Thomas  Rambo, 
Sr.,  Albert  Boyer,  Vincent  Bloomdale,  Henry  Heck- 
enroth,  William  Yohn,  Harvey  Birch,  Rudolph  Hav- 
erstick,  Henry  Bowman,  Joseph  B.  Smail,  Joseph 
Markley,  Nicholas  Boone,  James  Honberger,  Herman 
Homan,  John  Horn,  Henry  Sink,  Asphar  Truchman, 
William  Ehley,  Amos  Heckler,  Samuel  Fix,  Daniel 
Fehr,  Arnold  Mellert,  Magnus  Mellert,  Arion  Briner, 
Francis  Warren,  Jacob  K.  Hoyer,  William  Wenrich, 
John  B.  Weidner,  James  Gregie,  Edwin  L.  Mace, 
Henry  Hoffmaster,  Henry  Graul,  John  Paff,  C.  F.  D. 
Dweight,  Charles  Fricker,  Edwin  Brady,  Edward 
Kutz,  Charles  F.  Davis,  Francis  Bowman,  Levi  Hin- 
nersheet,  Henry  McGill,  Israel  Spayd,  Levi.  Richard, 
Adam  Plank,  Daniel  Dillion,  Charles  F.  Fink,  Noah 
Levan,  Jeremiah  Fisher,  D.  M.  Fox,  Jacob  Yoe, 
Elijah  Briner,  Benevile  Leader,  Jacob  Breisinger, 
George  W.  Runyeon,  William  Stump,  Henry  Brown, 
Samuel  Kauterman,  Harrison  Brady,  Hezekiah  Andy, 
Samuel  Weidner,  John  Strohecker,  Anthony  Hupp, 
Jeremiah  Boone,  John  Dearing,  Daniel  Bricker, 
Andrew  Yohl,  William  Ricker,  Samuel  Kissinger, 
John  Kochle,  J.  B.  Wentzle,  William  Savage,  Isaac 
Doyle,  William  R.  Yeich,  James  Robenson,  George 
Morgendale,  Daniel  Hauerbach,  William  Homer, 
William  Murphy,  Albert  Dautrich,  Daniel  Heifer, 
Frederick  Dehart,  Emanuel  Frederick,  Charles  Hart- 
line,  H.  M.  Hart,  Joseph  Heifer,  William  Reoder, 
Reuben  Frees,  David  P.  Lash,  John  A.  Sefrick, 
Adam  Bickle,  William  Brown,  Adam  Waid,  John 
Trexler. 

The  Keystone  owns  one  hook-and-ladder 
truck,  made  by  Buckley  &  Merritt,  of  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.  ;  one  patrol-wagon,  made  by  W.  W. 
Wunder,  of  Reading  ;  and  three  horses.  A 
two-story  brick  building,  on  Penn  Street,  north 
of  Front  Street,  erected  by  the  city,  is  the  head- 
quarters of  this  company. 

Washington  Hose  Hook-and-Ladder 
Company. — Washington  Hose  Company  was 
organized  February  22,  1856,  by  the  members 
of  the  Washington  Club,  of  Reading.  The 
charter  members  were  William  H.  Andrews, 
James  C.  Brown,  Thomas  M.  Richards,  W.  P. 
Dodson,  James  H.  Gentzler,  Alexander  Seigel, 
F.  P.  Heller,  Philip  J.  Cutler,  William  G. 
Vonneida,  Charles  A.  Ringel,  George  L. 
Knopp,  William  Noble,  John  F.  Boyer,  Wil- 
liam R.  Priestly,  William  Kessler  and  J.  R. 
Fritz.  The  company  was  incorporated  May  23, 
1859. 

March  31,  1871,  the  Spring  Garden  Hose 
Company  was  consolidated  with  the  Washing- 


ton. In  1873  a  hook-and-ladder  truck  was 
added  to  the  fire  apparatus.  The  Company  was 
then  reorganized  and  the  present  name  was 
adopted. 

The  two-story  brick  building  on  Spruce 
Street  above  Tenth,  is  the  headquarters  of  the 
Washington.  Its  various  apartments  are  well 
furnished  and  attractively  arranged,  so  as  to 
afford  all  necessary  comforts  and  conveniences  to 
the  members  of  the  company.  The  supply  of 
apparatus  consists  of  one  hook-and-ladder 
truck,  made  by  E.  B.  Leverick,  of  New  York ; 
one  hose-carriage,  made  by  W.  W.  Wunder,  of 
Reading. 

The  number  of  active  members  of  this  com- 
pany is  one  hundred  and  thirty,  and  the  num- 
ber of  honorary  members  one  hundred  and 
thirty-five. 

The  Hampden  Fire  Company  was  or- 
ganized September  7,  1867.  The  original  mem- 
bers of  this  company  were  S.  E.  Ancona,  H. 
A.  Hartman,  George  Rothenberger,  Daniel 
Bechtel,  William  Border,  Adam  Bower,  Jacob 
Bower,  Jr.,  John  H.  Clay,  Adam  Harbold, 
Amos  Hinnershitz,  C.  C.  Smith,  Henry  Hin- 
nershitz,  Henry  Katzemoyer,  Daniel  Leese, 
Fred.  Leese,  Amos  Madary,  William  Shirey, 
Joseph  Spies,  Herman  Selig,  John  Rothen- 
berger, Henry  Rothenberger,  Samuel  Madary, 
Jeremiah  Leese,  Solomon  Leese,  James  Kutz, 
James  Y.  Hartman,  Samuel  Jacobs,  Samuel 
Kutz,  Lewis  Neiman,  Christ  Gansler,  Christian 
Gansler,  John  Staub,  George  Kramer,  Frank 
Botzum,  Jacob  Hollenbach,  George  Reisinger, 
Peter  Steigerwald,  William  Sands,  F.  W.  Gun- 
kle,  John  Gallagher,  A.  Auchter. 

The  Hampden  Company  have  their  head- 
quarters in  a  two-story  brick  building  with 
various  apartments.  The  apparatus  consists  of 
a  third-class  steam  fire-engine  made  by  Klapp 
&  Jones,  one  hose-cart  made  by  Spawn  &  Den- 
uison  of  Reading.  Three  "horses  are  used. 
There  are  one  hundred  and  sixty-two  active 
members. 

The  Marion  Hose  Company  was  organ- 
ized in  the  year  1881,  October  1st,  by  sixty- 
nine  charter  members,  at  Ninth  Street,  near 
Spring.  The  first  officers  elected  were  John  F. 
Wagner,  president ;  Ellsworth  B.  A.  Zwoyer, 


READING. 


819 


secretary  ;  Samuel  Milmore,  treasurer.  As  yet 
a  small  frame  building  is  used  as  the  headquarters. 
One  hose- wagon  and  other  necessary  apparatus  for 
extinguishing  fire  is  the  property  of  the  com- 
pany. The  number  of  active  members  in- 1886 
is  seventy- three. 

The  Salvage  Corps  was  instituted  June, 
1879,in connection  with  the  Keystone  Hook-and- 
Ladder  Company.  The  first  patrol- wagon  of  the 
Corps  was  purchased  the  same  year  of  the  or- 
ganization, from  Spawn  &  Dennison,  of  Read- 
ing, and  was  used  until  1884,  when  a  larger 
wagon  was  purchased  with  more  complete 
arrangements,  including  a  hose-reel  for  carrying 
three  hundred  feet  of  hose.  The  entire  fire  ap- 
paratus consists  of  water-proof  tarpaulins,  fire 
extinguishers,  rubber  blankets,  respirators,  buck- 
ets, axes,  brooms,  door-jammers,  etc. 

LIBRARIES. 

Two  libraries  were  instituted  at  Reading 
about  the  year  1809 ;  the  one  was  Ger- 
man and  the  other  English.  It  is  probable 
that  the  former  was  established  first.  It  was 
organized  by  twenty-six  prominent  citizens  of 
Reading,  under  the  name  of  "  Reading  German 
Library  Company."  By-laws  were  adopted  and 
a  successful  management  was  carried  on  for 
many  years.  It  began  with  six  hundred  and 
eighty-five  volumes ;  a  first  addition  of  books 
was  made,  numbering  one  hundred  and  forty 
volumes ;  a  second,  two  hundred  and  forty-five 
volumes;  a  third,  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
two  volumes  ;  and  a  fourth,  two  hundred  and 
seventy-five  volumes — altogether  including  one 
thousand  five  hundred  and  seven  volumes.  By 
these  additions  it  would  appear  that  the  library 
was  well  patronized  and  in  a  flourishing  condi- 
tion. The  company  disbanded  about  1847  and 
distributed  its  books  among  its  members.  A 
large  number  of  them  came  to  be  owned  by 
John  Ritter,  an  active  member,  and  they  are 
now  in  the  possession  of  his  son,  Louis  Ritter. 

The  "  Reading  Library  "  was  organized  at  a 
public  meeting  held  by  Joseph  Green,  Samuel 
Moore,  James  Morris,  Samuel  Morris,  Thomas 
L.  Morris,  John  Miller,  Thomas  Peacock,  Ben- 
jamin Davis,  Jesse  Smith  and  John  Allgaier, 
on  March    16,  1808,   at  the  public-house  of 


Conrad  Foesig.  The  name  then  adopted  was 
"  The  Society  of  the  English  Library  of  Read- 
ing." Seventy  persons  subscribed  its  constitu- 
tion.1 Upon  its  organization  eighty-four  vol- 
umes of  books  were  obtained  from  a  "  Library 
Company "  which  had  been  previously  estab- 
lished— the  former  having  evidently  taken  the 
place  of  the  latter.  On  the  16th  May  follow- 
ing, its  name  was  changed  to  "  The  Library 
Company  of  Reading,"  and  on  December 
14,  1819,  it  was  incorporated.  In  June,  1832, 
the  library  contained  about  one  thousand  vol- 
umes, and  it  was  then  kept  at  the  dwelling  of 
Hon.  Matthias  S.  Richards.  At  that  time  it  was 
in  successful  operation ;  but  about  1847  it  was 
otherwise.  Members  had  failed  to  pay  their 
dues,  also  to  keep  up  interest  in  it.  Instead  of 
taking  out  one  book  at  a  time,  they  were  found 
to  have  taken  out  more.  One  member  was  dis- 
covered who  had  taken  out  twenty  volumes, 
and  kept  them  some  years.     This  course  had 


1  The  names  were, — 

Samuel  Moore. 
Thomas  L.  Morris. 
Benjamin  Davis. 
Thomas  Peacock. 
John  Miller, 
Josiah  Smith. 
James  Morris. 
Samuel  Morris. 
Joseph  Green. 
John  Algaier. 
William  Bell. 
Geo.  Be  B.  Keim. 

E.  G.  Bradford. 
Marks  J.  Biddle. 
Samuel  D.  Franks. 
James  B.  Hubley. 
Daniel  De  B.  Keim. 

F.  C.  Smith. 
William  Dundas. 
Collinson  Read. 
Joseph  Heister  Jr. 
Thomas  Mills. 
Francis  &  John  Parvin. 
Isaac  Thomas. 

Curtis  Lewis. 
William  Witman  Jr. 
Charles  Evans. 
John  Berkinbine. 
Joseph  Morris. 
John  Deifenbach. 
Joseph  Hiester. 
Christopher  Shearer. 


Jacob  Vanneda. 
William  Moore. 
Dr.  J.  Diemer. 
Benjamin  Morris. 
John  Spayd. 
John  K.  Messersmith. 
Peter  Frailey. 
Conrad  Feger. 
John  S.  Hiester. 
Frederick  Smith. 
H.  A.  Muhlenberg. 
Robert  Adrain. 
Philip  Pauli. 
James  May. 
James  Bell. 
John  Addams. 
Jacob-  K.Boyer. 
Gabriel  Heister  Jr. 
John  Witman. 
Nenien  Lindsay. 
John  Pfleager. 
Charles  Kessler, 
Thomas  Moore. 
Henry  M.  Richards. 
Lewis  Reese. 
John  McKnight. 
Frederick  Fritz. 
John  Wiley. 
William  Tilton. 
Thomas   Lightfoot. 
Mordecai  Wright. 
Gottlob  Jungman. 


'820 


HISTORY  OP  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


caused  great  dissatisfaction  to  arise ;  and  the 
members  had,  therefore,  dwindled  away  till 
scarcely  a  dozen  remained.  A  report  was  pre- 
sented at  a  special  meeting  held  on  July  31, 
1845,  by  which  it  appeared  that  the  member- 
ship was  thirty -three ;  that  the  books  on  the 
catalogue  numbered  eleven  hundred  and 
eighty-six,  though  the  actval  number  was 
greater ;  and  that  the  library  had  been  under 
the  control  of  a  librarian  for  thirty  years, 
during  which  period  it  was  not  closed  a  single 
time. 

For  some  time  before  Reading  was  incorpora- 
ted into  a  city  the  "  Reading  Library  "  had  not 
been  in  a  flourishing  condition ;  in  fact,  it  had 
become  rather  abandoned.     The  citizens,  in  re- 
spect  to   trade,  buildings,    etc.,    were   making 
great  strides  onward  since  the  establishment  of 
the   city ;    but,    notwithstanding   their   earnest 
efforts  in  these  directions,  they  could  not  forget 
this  struggling  institution  whose  object  was  the 
general  welfare  of  the  people  through   reading 
and  good  literature.     During  the  fall  of  1849 
efforts  were   made  to   revive  it   into   activity. 
A  meeting  was  held  on  the  23d  of  November, 
at  which  the   annual  dues  were  fixed  at   two 
dollars,  the  price  of  stock  at  two  dollars  a  share, 
aud  twenty-four  members  were  elected.      The 
general  indifference  of  the  public  to  the  welfare 
of  the  library  was  deprecated.      At  this  meet- 
ing it  was  reported  that  the  "  Reading  Cabi- 
net"1 (aliterary  society  in  vogue  for  some  time) 
had  dissolved  and  presented  its  cases  of  minerals, 
etc.,  to  the  library,  and  recommended  the  library 
to   take  the    Cabinet's   place   in   the   Reading 
Academy  building.      The  books  of  the  library 
were  accordingly  removed,  in  December,  1849, 
from  the  dwelling  of  Mr.  Richards  (where  they 
had  been  for  years)  to  the  second  story  of  the 
academy.     A  year  afterward  (December,  1850) 
the  library  contained  fifteen  hundred  volumes. 
About  1860  the  books  were  transferred  to  the 


iThe  members  present  were  Dr.  J.  P.  Heister,  W.  H. 
Keim,  Chas.  Kessler,  Lewis  Briner,  Jos.  L.  Stichter,  G.  W. 
Oakely,  Wm.  M.  Hiester  and  John  3.  Richards.  The  design 
of  the  members  of  the  Cabinet  was  to  merge  the  society  in 
the  Reading  Library,  an  institution  of  kindred  character 
and  embracing  nearly  all  its  members.  This  society  was 
first  organized  in  1837. 


second  story  of  the  Journal  building,  on  Sixth 
Street  near  Penn,  where  they  remained  for  eight 
years.  In  1868  a  reorganization  of  the  library 
company  was  effected,  and  the  company  then, 
through  A.  F.  Boas,  Esq.,  purchased  the  "Odd- 
Fellows'  Hall"  for  ten  thousand  dollars.  It 
was  actively  conducted  till  1879,  then  it  was 
closed  for  four  years.  In  1883  (September)  it 
was  reopened  and  since  that  time  it  has  been 
open  to  members  on  alternate  days  (excepting 
Sunday),  every  afternoon  and  evening.  The 
present  number  of  volumes  is  about  sixty-two 
hundred.  It  is  also  supplied  with  the  weekly 
papers  and  monthly  periodicals.  The  board  of 
directors  comprises  Jacob  Knabb,  president ; 
William  H.  Strickland,  secretary,  treasurer  and 
librarian.  The  latter  has  officiated  as  treasurer 
since  1862. 

The  "  Franklin  Library  "  and  "  Mechanics' 
Institute"  were  organized  at  Reading  about 
1840.  In  1848  they  were  successfully  con- 
ducted, and  then  the  library  contained  nearly 
one  thousand  volumes. 

The  "  Harmonie  Msennerchor "  possesses  a 
fine  library  in  their  hall,  which  numbers  twen- 
ty-five hundred  volumes. 

Washington  Library  Company  had  its 
origin  in  the  fall  of  1854  as  a  social  society,  but 
after  a  number  of  years  it  was  permanently  or- 
ganized with  the  above  name.  On  the  22d  of 
October,  1 870,  it  was  incorporated.  The  fol- 
lowing persons  were  members  at  the  time  ef  its 
incorporation  :  F.  P.  Heller,  William  P.  Bard,- 
H.  A.  Yundt,  P.  K.  Heller,  W.  G.  Von  Neida, 
C.  C.  Maltzberger,  John  D.  Mishler,  Lemon 
Buck,  Lyman  Shirey,  James  H.  Gentzler,  A.  A. 
Heizmann,  Charles  Peacock  aud  Charles  A.  Rin- 
gel.  In  1876  a  hall  was  erected  by  the  company 
and  the  second  and  third  stories  fitted  up  for  its 
use,  the  lower  story  forming  business  rooms. 
There  are  parlors  for  study  and  recreation,  the 
former  containing  the  nucleus  of  a  library,  which 
is  enlarged  as  the  funds  of  the  company  permit. 
In  all  there  are  one  hundred  members,  of  whom 
forty  are  active.  The  property  of  the  company 
is  valued  at  ten  thousand  dollars. 

MUSICAL. 

Musical    associations    have    had     an    early 


READING. 


821 


beginning  in  Reading.  Music  was  taught 
here  in  1814  and  for  some  years  afterward  by 
J.  Jungmann,  who  conducted  a  musical  academy 
in  the  borough.  This  class  of  associations  com- 
prises two  kinds,  instrumental  and  vocal.  The 
instrumental  associations  were  instituted  first. 
A  band  was  in  existence  in  1814.  In  1832  the 
"  Reading  Military  Band  "  was  instituted.  Dif- 
ferent bands  were  organized  afterwards,  among 
them  the  "  Mechanics'  Brass  Band,"  which  was 
conspicuous  in  and  after  1845.  How  long  these 
several  bands  continued  is  not  known.  The 
"Ringgold  Band"  was  instituted  in  1852.  It 
was  afterward  engaged  in  the  Civil  War  for  a 
time.  It  has  continued  till  now,  winning  year 
after  year  higher  popular  favor,  both  here  and 
throughout  the  country,  by  its  proficiency  in 
discoursing  superior  classic  music.  Latterly,  it 
has  conducted  annual  concerts  with  great  suc- 
cess. It  has  accompanied  the  "  Knights  Tem- 
plar" upon  long  pilgrimages.  Wherever  it  is, 
wherever  it  goes,  it  makes  a  marked  impression. 
In  parades  it  is  always  conspicuous.  The  con- 
cordance of  its  inarching  music  thrills  the  mul- 
titudes through  which  it  passes.  Joseph  Winter 
has  been  the  leader  for  some  years,  through 
whose  superior  direction  the  band  has  attained 
its  eminent  position  as  a  musical  organization. 

Another  band  worthy  of  mention  is  the  "Lib- 
erty Band."  It  was  instituted  in  1881.  It  is 
employed  frequently  to  accompany  excursions ; 
also  to  discourse  music  for  balls,  festivals,  etc. 
It  has  come  to  possess  considerable  proficiency 
under  the  leadership  of  Prof.  O.  H.  linger. 

The  vocal  associations  began  in  1832 ;  possibly 
a  short  time  before.  The  first  society  was  en- 
titled "  Beethoven  Society  of  Reading."  The 
first  public  concert  was  given  by  this  society  on 
April  7,  1832,  in  the  State-House.  J.  Roland 
was  the  leader.  An  interesting  programme  of 
vocal  and  instrumental  music  was  successfully 
rendered  to  a  large  audience.  Its  subsequent 
history  is  not  known. 

In  1855  a  society  entitled  the  "Reading 
Musical  Society"  was  organized.  Its  meetings 
were  held  in  High-School  Hall.  Its  life  was 
short. 

The  "  Mozart  Musical  Union  "  was  organized 
by  James  M.  Lyons  in  the  fall  of  1862.     It 


was  composed  of  about  seventy  members,  ladies 
and  gentlemen,  from  Reading.  It  practiced 
vocal  music  for  nearly  ten  years  under  the  lead- 
ership of  Mr.  Lyons,  and  gave  occasional  public 
concerts  here  and  elsewhere. 

Harmonie  M^ennerchor. — In  1847  the 
Reading  Msennerehor  was  organized  at  Read- 
ing, having  been  composed  mostly  of  the  prom- 
inent Germans  then  in  the  city.  It  continued 
its  organization  till  1874,  when  it  became  united 
with  the  Harmonie  Msennerchor  (an  institution 
organized  at  Reading,  in  1870),  since  which 
time  the  two  organizations  have  been  one, 
under  the  name  last  mentioned.  The  society  is 
under  the  directorship  of  Professor  J.  William 
Jost.  It  numbers  now  thirty-eight  active  mem- 
bers, four  hundred  and  thirty  passive,  and  four- 
teen honorary.  It  has  been  located  in  its  pres- 
ent quarters  in  the  hall,  on  North  Sixth  Street, 
near  Walnut,  named  after  it,  since  1878,  where 
pleasant  rooms  have  been  furnished  for  meet- 
ings, etc.  It  has  a  library  of  classical  and 
other  works,  both  English  and  German,  num- 
bering twenty-five  hundred  volumes,  and 
moneyed  assets  amounting  to  four  thousand 
dollars,  indicating  its  substantial  and  flourish- 
ing condition. 

Numerous  other  societies  were  organized,  but 
they  had  a  short  existence. 

The  Reading  Choral  Society  is  worthy 
of  mention.  It  was  organized  in  April,  1875, 
with  Professor  E.  A.  Berg  as  director.  It  has 
had  a  successful  existence  since,  with  the  same 
director.  The  present  membership  numbers 
about  one  hundred  and  forty.  Mr.  Jesse  Orr 
is  president  of  the  society. 

historical. 

Historical  Society  of  Berks  County 
was  organized  at  Reading  on  August  5,  1869, 
for  the  purpose  of  collecting  and  perpetuating 
the  historical  reminiscences  of  Berks  County. 
The  first  officers  were :  President,  William  M. 
Hiester ;  Vice-Presidents,  Jesse  G.  Hawley, 
Samuel  L.  Young,  Hiester  Clymer  and  Oliver 
C.  James  ;  Corresponding  Secretary,  Henry  M. 
Keim;  Recording  Secretary  and  Treasurer, 
Charles  W.  Keim ;  and  Librarian,  Daniel  S. 
Zacharias.     It  was  incorporated  December  13, 


822 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


1869,  the  petition  for  that  purpose  having 
been  subscribed  by  twenty -four  members  of  the 
society.  Some  meetings  were  held,  which  were 
preparing  the  way  for  historical  investigations  ; 
but  within  a  year  the  commendable  spirit  in 
this  behalf  passed  away,  leaving  the  society 
with  solely  a  legal  existence,  but  without  ac- 
complishing its  purpose.  One  paper  read 
before  it  is  worthy  of  special  mention, — the 
article  by  Hon.  William  M.  Hiester,  on  the 
"Ringgold  Light  Artillery,"  showing  that  this 
company  was  the  first  to  offer  its  services  to  the 
national  government  in  answer  to  the  call  of 
President  Lincoln  for  troops  and  to  move  to 
the  Capitol  in  defense  of  the  country  in  the 
Civil  War.1 

A  society  of  this  nature  existed  at  Reading 
about  thirty  years  before  the  society  mentioned. 
It  was  an  organized  body,  whose  purpose  was 
the  collection  of  data  pertaining  to  the  history 
of  the  county  and  the  county-seat.  Through 
the  decease  of  certain  prominent  members  it  fell 
into  neglect.  It  left  no  archives  of  any  kind. 
No  effort,  not  even  a  suggestion,  was  made  till 
1869  to  revive  a  society  of  this  important  and 
useful  nature  here.  This  total  indifference  on 
the  part  of  certain  prominent,  well-informed 
citizens  to  such  an  interesting  field  of  knowl- 
edge is  altogether  inexcusable.  Many  valuable 
facts,  manuscript  papers,  statistics,  etc.,  which 
could — and  doubtless  would — have  been  pre- 
served by  a  society  of  this  nature,  have  been 
lost  by  this  neglect.  Historical  research  has 
therefore  come  to  be  a  most  laborious  and  dis- 
couraging undertaking. 

literary. 
Philomathean  Literary,  Musical  and 
Social  Union  was  organized  January  13, 
1879,  with  twenty  members.  It  originated  as 
a  branch  of  the  old  Keystone  Literary  Society. 
Its  title  indicates  its  purposes.  The  Union  is 
one  of  the  few  societies  of  this  nature  which  has 
continued  beyond  a  few  years.  It  is  now  in  a 
flourishing  condition.  There  are  thirty  active 
and  twenty  associate  members.  The  semi- 
monthly meetings    are    atteuded    with    great 


1  Extracts  have  been  taken  from  this  paper  by  the  author 
of  this  history.     See  Chapter  XII.,  Civil  War. 


interest.  The  yearly  entertainments  are  occa- 
sions of  public  concern.  The  Union  has  the 
nucleus  of  a  fine  library  and  other  valuable 
property. 

The  "  Reading  Lyceum  "  flourished  for  some 
years.  It  was  organized  in  1869,  and 'incor- 
porated in  1873,  composed  mostly  of  young 
attorneys.  For  several  successive  years  it  gave 
a  course  of  lectures. 

scientific. 

A  Society  of  Natural  Sciences  was 
organized  in  1869,  and  then  incorporated  ;  and 
in  1870  it  opened  rooms  to  the  public  for  the 
exhibition  of  numerous  natural  curiosities  of 
various  kinds.  For  a  time  it  was  located  on 
the  first  floor  of  the  "  Library  Hall,"  and  there 
gave  several  successful  exhibitions.  But  it  was 
not  sufficiently  patronized,  and  in  1884  it  was 
disbanded,  when  the  collection  was  distributed 
amongst  its  members. 

charitable  associations. 

Charity  has  been  active  and  prominent  in  the 
various  public  affairs  of  Reading  for  over  sixty 
years.  The  citizens,  as  a  whole,  have  not  dis- 
played any  noteworthy  enterprise  whose  object 
was  the  promotion  of  the  common  welfare; 
but  throughout  their  entire  history  they  have 
exhibited  active  benevolence.  It  assumed 
definite  proportions  about  the  time  when  the 
common-school  system  of  education  was  firmly 
introduced ;  and  as  time  advanced  it  ran  into 
different  useful  channels.  The  several  associa- 
tions of  this  nature  which  have  been  established 
are  the  following :  Benevolent,  Relief,  Widows' 
Home  and  Hospitals. 

The  first  organization  was  a  "  Soup  Society." 
It  was  formed  September  23,  1823.  A  meet- 
ing of  ladies  of  Reading  was  then  held  in  the 
"  State-House  "  "  for  the  purpose  of  devising 
means  for  the  relief  of  sick  and  indigent  per- 
sons within  the  borough ; "  and  it  was  decided 
"that  a  supply  of  wholesome  and  nutritious 
soup  should  be  prepared  for  distribution  twice 
a  week  during  the  continuance  of  the  sickly 
season."  The  families  in  distress  called  on  the 
following  managers  for  assistance :  Mrs. 
Frederick   Smith,  Mrs.    Charles  Evans,  Mrs. 


READING. 


823 


William  Darling,   Mrs.    E.    Eckert  and  Mrs. 
Lydia  M.JBaird,  treasurer. 

Much  valuable  relief  was  afforded  by  this 
organization.  One  hundred  and  twenty  gallons 
of  soup  and  great  quantities  of  bread  were  dis- 
tributed every  week. 

This  "  sickly  season  "  was  superinduced  by 
the  construction  of  the  Schuylkill  Canal.  In 
Union  township  whole  families  were  found 
bed-fast,  helpless  and  poor,  and  assistance,  and 
even  nurses,  were  sent  from  Reading  to  the 
stricken  people.  This  society  terminated  its 
useful  career  after  the  prevailing  epidemic  had 
passed  away. 

A  meeting  was  held  in  the  State-House  on 
January  27,  1835,  for  the  purpose  of  estab- 
lishing a  "  Benevolent  Society."  A  constitu- 
tion was  adopted,  and  officers  and  a  board  of 
managers  were  elected.  Two  days  afterward 
the  board  organized,  divided  the  borough  into 
seven  wards  and  instituted  the  work  of  practical 
benevolence.  The  first  annual  meeting  of  the 
society  was  held  on  January  1,  1836. 

Annual  meetings  have  been  held  since.  It 
has  now  been  actively  engaged  for  fifty  years  in 
carrying  out  the  commendable  object  for  which 
it  was  instituted.  In  this  time  it  accom- 
plished much  good  and  relieved  many  suffering 
families  from  cold  and  hunger.  The  managers 
met  mostly,  if  not  altogether,  at  various  private 
dwellings  "till  1874.  The  "  Eelief  Society"  then 
granted  them  the  privilege  of  meeting  in  their 
fine  building  free  of  rent,  where  they  have  con- 
tinued to  meet  till  now.  Their  active  work  of 
benevolence  is  carried  on  almost  entirely  during 
the  winter  months.  The  many  good  women 
who  have  been  engaged  in  this  noble  work  can- 
not be  too  highly  commended.  The  annual 
meetings  of  the  society  have  been  held  princi- 
pally in  the  prominent  churches. 

The  society  was  incorporated  November  21, 
1849,  under  the  name  of  "  Benevolent  Society 
of  the  City  of  Reading." 

Officers  of  the  Society. — Presidents :  M.  S.  Richards, 
1835-48 ;  Samuel  Bell,  1848-60 ;  G.  A.  Nicolls,  1860- 
71 ;  W.  J.  Woodward,  1871-79  ;  J.  Hagenman,  1879- 
83 ;  D.  McM.  Gregg,  1883-86. 

Secretaries  :  Diller  Luther,  1835-37  ;  R.  U.  Mor- 
gan,   1837-44;    James  L.  Schock,   1844-49;   E.    J. 


Richards,   1849-70;    Jacob  Fry,  1870-83;    Wallace 
Radclifi'e,  1883-85 ;  William  H.  Myers,  1886. 

Treasurers:  John  M.  Keim,  1835-44;  Joseph  L. 
Stichter,  1844-70;  James  Millholland,  1870-73; 
William  G.  McGowan,  1873-83  ;  Thomas  D.  Stiohter, 
1883-86. 

Reading  Dispensary. — An  association 
composed  of  certain  physicians  and  citizens  was 
organized  December  14,  1867,  upon  the  sugges- 
tion of  the  "  Reading  Medical  Association,"  and 
a  constitution  was  adopted  January  8,  1868. 
The  object  of  the  association  was  to  provide  for 
the  indigent  sick  and  wounded  people  of  Read- 
ing. A  dispensary  was  opened  on  January  27, 
1868,  and  during  the  first  year  of  its  existence 
over  four  hundred  cases  of  sickness  and  acci- 
dents were  attended  to  by  the  association.  It 
was  incorporated  March  10,  1869.  The  hos- 
pital was  located  at  618  Court  Street  and  was 
conducted  successfully  for  eight  years,  when  it 
was  abandoned  for  want  of  pecuniary  support. 
In  the  mean  time  a  society  of  ladies  was 
formed,  whose  object  was  to  obtain  a  building 
or  hospital  for  the  use  of  the  dispensary.  They 
met  at  the  dispensary  November  28,  1873,  to 
take  the  necessary  steps  in  this  behalf.  They 
were  Mrs.  William  A.  Good,  Mrs.  Ebur,  Mrs. 
Edward  Scull,  Mrs.  J.  T.  Craig,  Misses  Rachel 
D.  Griscom,  Kate  Leaman  and  Louisa  Filbert. 
Mrs.  Craig  was  elected  president  and  Miss 
Griscom  secretary  and  treasurer.  They  held  a 
"  Bazaar,"  in  which  proceeding  they  were 
assisted  by  the  several  churches  in  Reading, 
and  on  February  4, 1874,  they  reported  on  hand 
$2125 ;  and  in  November  following  they  held 
a  "Fair,"  from  which  they  realized  $941.48. 
Shortly  afterward  a  small  tract  of  land  was 
purchased  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  thereon  a 
hospital,  and  from  that  time  onward  earnest 
steps  were  taken  to  finish  the  undertaking.  And 
in  this  the  parties  particularly  interested  were 
entirely  successful.  The  name  of  the  first  asso- 
ciation was  changed  to  "The  Reading  Hos- 
pital" on  March  12,  1883. 

The  "Reading  Hospital"  and  "St.  Joseph's 
Hospital"  are  mentioned  elsewhere.1 

Reading  Relief  Society  is  a  charitable 
organization  which  became  an  incorporated  body 


iSee  Part  V.  Internal  Improvements,  p.  744. 


824 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


September  22,  1866.  The  charter  members 
were  G.  A.  Nicolls,  John  S.  Eichards,  A.  F. 
Boas,  James  L.  Douglas,  James  Jameson, 
Jacob  Knabb,  H.  F.  Felix,  Alex.  P.  Tutton, 
Diller  Luther,  George  W.  Blakely,  A.  B.  Wan- 
ner, A.  G.  Green  and  J.  S.  Livingood. 

The  object  was  "  to  provide  means  for  the 
gratuitous  distribution  of  soup  and  such  means 
of  life  as  may  be  deemed  proper  for  the  poor 
and  needy  of  the  city  of  Reading."  In  its  work- 
ings the  society  has  sustained  an  auxiliary  rela- 
tion to  the  Reading  Benevolent  Society,  and  has, 
like  that  body,  been  a  valuable  means  in  allevi- 
ating the  sufferings  of  many  poor  and  hungry 
people  of  Reading.  In  1874  its  usefulness  was 
emphasized  by  the  erection  of  a  fine  two-story 
brick  building  on  the  corner  of  Franklin  and 
Plum  Streets,  costing  five  thousand  dollars, 
where  its  charity  has  since  been  dispensed  with 
great  success.1  The  following  persons  have  been 
the  officers  for  many  years,  and  they  are  still 
officiating :  George  D.  Stitzel,  president ;  Reuben 
Hoffa,  secretary ;  James  Jameson,  treasurer ;  A. 
B.  Yeager,  superintendent. 

"Widows'  Home. — The  assciation  known  as 
the  "  Home  for  Widows  and  Single  Women  of 
Reading  "  was  organized  in  1874,  and  incorpor- 
ated in  1875,  for  the  purpose  of  affording  hu- 
mane and  charitable  relief,  assistance  and  sup- 
port to  widows  and  single  women  of  Reading. 
The  incorporating  members  were  Eliza  W. 
Howe,  Sarah  Briner,  Ann  E.  Craig,  Rachel  D. 
Griscom,  Mary  Eckert,  Sarah  B.  Good,  Har- 
riet B.  Connard,  Maria  W.  Brooke,  Maria  B. 
Ritter,  Asenath  J.  Shaaber,  Susan  E.  Benson, 
Margaretta  C.  Ermentrout,  Catharine  E.  H. 
Jones,  Mary  H.  Pearson,  Emily  H.  Smith,  Em- 
ily K.  Baer,  Sarah  C.  Mcllvain  and  Lucretia 
M.  Hickman. 

In  the  first  annual  report  the  following 
remarks  were  introduced,  showing  the  efforts 
expended  in  behalf  of  forming  this  society  : 

"  For  many  years  the  ladies  of  Reading  have  de- 
sired to  establish  a  home  similar  to  the  one  in  Phila- 
delphia, for  the  benefit  of  the  unfortunate  aged  who 
have  lived  useful  and  meritorious  lives.  Some  ladies 
made  considerable  exertions  towards  it,  and,  in  Sep- 
tember,  1873,   another    effort    was    inaugurated    by 

1  Building  opened  December  8,  1874. 


others.  Public  meetings  were  held,  at  which  Mr. 
Lewis  Briner,  His  Honor,  Mayor  Evans,  Rev.  Mr.  Ead- 
cliffe  and  other  friends  of  humanity  made  efforts 
towards  establishing  combined  homes  for  men, 
women  and  children.  A  committee  was  appointed  at 
the  last  meeting  to  make  arrangements,  which  failed 
again  and  again  to  find  a  quorum,  and  then  disbanded. 
A  few  ladies  then  ascertained  that  a  charter  could  be 
given  by  the  Court  of  Berks  County  for  a  home  for 
women  only,  while  the  combined  homes  required  an 
act  of  the  Legislature.  They  therefore  resolved  to  un- 
dertake what  could  be  done  in  Reading.  Applying  to 
Mr.  Morton  L.  Montgomery  (lawyer)  from  time  to 
time  for  advice,  he  guided  the  actions  of  the  ladies  in 
obtaining  petitioners,  a  charter,  a  constitution  and  by- 
laws, and  the  society  was  formed  and  in  action,  and  a 
pamphlet  published,  by  the  14th  of  January,  1875." 

The  membership  of  this  association  numbers 
one  hundred  and  eighty-eight,  all  citizens  of 
Reading,  to  which  place  membership  is  re- 
stricted. 

Since  the  regular  organization  Mrs.  M.  A. 
De  Wolfe  Howe  has  officiated  as  first  directress, 
Miss  Susan  E.  Benson  as  treasurer  and  Miss 
Rachel  D.  Griscom  as  secretary. 

The  management  of  this  society  lias  been 
conducted  very  successfully.  A  "  Home  "  was 
rented  for  a  time ;  then  a  fine  property  was 
purchased,  in  which  a  "home  "  was  established. 
This  is  situated  on  Eighth  Street,  near  Chestnut. 
In  1885  a  large  lot  of  ground  was  obtained  in 
East  Reading,  and  there  the  members  caused  a 
superior  and  commodious  stone  structure  to  be 
erected,  which  is  now  being  finished.  In  this 
behalf  they  received  liberal  encouragement 
from  a  number  of  prominent  citizens. 

religious. 

Young  Men's  Christian  Association1 
was  organized  in  the  chapel  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  November  22,  1869.  The  first  officers 
were  J.  H.  Sternbergh,  president;  F.  A. 
Shearer,  vice-president ;  W.  O.  Brewster,  secre- 
tary ;  and  H.  J.  Rhoads,  treasurer. 

The  first  board  of  managers  was  not  elected 
until  December  19,  1870.  It  was  composed  of 
J.  E.  Price,  G.  W.  Armstrong,  Rev.  S.  Dower, 
D.  H.  Beideman,  J.  Dorwort  and  George  W. 
Phelps. 

1  An  organization  of  same  name  existed  for  a  time  at 
Reading  about  ten  years  previously. 


READING. 


825 


On  the  1st  of  January,  1870,  the  association 
occupied  its  first  rooms  in  Earl's  building, 
northwest  corner  Fifth  and  Penn,  and  shortly 
afterward  removed  to  the  Crouse  building,  near 
the  southeast  corner  of  Fifth  and  Penn,  where 
it  remained  about  six  years.  Since  1879  it  has 
been  at  its  present  quarters,  corner  of  Eighth 
and  Penn  Streets. 

In  February,  1879,  the  first  general  secretary 
was  employed  to  look  after  the  work  and  in- 
terests of  the  association.  The  following  secre- 
taries have  officiated  : 

February,  1879,  till  September,  1880,  C.  H.  Coon. 
November,  1880,  till  September,  1882,  S.  B.  Herr. 
September,  1882,  till  May,  1885,  John  H.  Eeid. 
November,  1885,  till  now,  E.  Bruce  Lyttle. 

The  association  was  incorporated  in  March, 
1882,  and  afterwards  authorized  to  own  real- 
estate.  A  movement  to  erect  a  building  was 
made  in  the  fall  of  1885,  during  the  Moody 
revival  services  at  Reading,  the  funds  collected 
and  pledged  being  placed  in  charge  of  building 
trustees,  comprising  the  following  prominent 
citizens :  Isaac  McHose,  Jesse  Orr,  William 
McElwain,  Matt.  Harbster,  W.  H.  Stuck,  J. 
F.  Smith,  J.  Hendel,  S.  E.  Ancona.  Nearly 
ten  thousand  dollars  have  already  been  secured 
for  that  purpose. 

The  association  has  spacious  and  well- 
famished  rooms  for  worship,  recreation  and 
literary  culture.  The  reading-room  is  supplied 
with  sixty-five  daily,  weekly  and  monthly 
newspapers  and  periodicals,  which  are  perused 
daily  by  nearly  a  hundred  visitors.  The  entire 
membership  is  four  hundred  and  eighty-three, 
and  the  yearly  expenses  of  the  association  are 
about  two  thousand  five  hundred  dollars. 

The  Board  of  Trade  of  Reading  was 
organized  April  21,  1881,  to  enhance  the 
material  interests  of  the  city.  Its  specific  pur- 
poses are  to  promote  the  trade,  commerce, 
manufactures  and  mechanic  arts ;  to  establish 
and  maintain  uniformity  in  commercial  usages 
and  to  inculcate  principles  of  justice  and  equity 
in  business  relations  ;  to  disseminate  valuable 
commercial  and  statistical  information  ;  to  facili- 
tate the  adjustment  of  controversies  in  trade  ; 
and  to  foster,  protect  and  advance  the  best  in- 
terests of  the  business  community.  These  aims 
72 


have  enlisted  the  sympathy  and  secured  the  co- 
operation of  most  of  the  energetic  business 
men  of  the  city,  who  have  enrolled  themselves 
as  members  of  the  association. 

Committees  have  been  appointed  in  accord- 
ance with  the  above  purposes,  and  their  eiforts 
have  produced  gratifying  results.  In  1882  an 
exhaustive  report  of  the  board  was  prepard  by 
Mr.  De  B.  Randolph  Keim,  which  served 
a  valuable  purpose  in  disseminating  informa- 
tion regarding  the  city  as  a  great  business  centre. 

The  following  was  the  first  official  organiza- 
tion of  the  association : 

President:  J.  H.  Sternbergh.  Vice-Presidents: 
First — Jesse  Orr  ;  Second — Henry  S.  Eckert.  Direc- 
tors :  J.  H.  Sternbergh,  Jesse  Orr,  Henry  S.  Eckert, 
John  R.  Kaucher  (ex-officio),  Matthan  Harbster, 
Thomas  A.  Willson,  Frederick  Lauer,  Henry  Eppi- 
himer,  Frederick  P.  Heller,  William  H.  Reinoehl, 
Charles  Breneiser,  J.  Fred.  Moers.  Treasurer :  John 
R.  Kaucher.     Secretary :  E.  F.  Keever. 

Standing.  Committees. 

Finance.  —  Henry  S.  Eckert,  Christian  Stolz, 
Jeremiah  G.  Mohn,  John  R.  Miller,  Louis  Kraemer. 

Manufactures. — Jesse  Orr,  T.  A.  Willson,  W.  H. 
Reinoehl,  Matthan  Harbster,  William  M.  Kauffman, 
Isaac  McHose,  Charles  Rick. 

Arbitration. — Charles  Breneiser,  Abner  K.  Stauffer, 
Thomas  P.  Merritt,  Nicholas  Jones,  J.  B.  Brooke, 
M.D. 

Transportation. — Frederick  Lauer,  A.  Wilhelm, 
William  R.  Mcllvain,  De  B.  Randolph  Keim,  Jacob 
Knabb. 

Statistics. — Henry  Eppihimer,  J.  F.  Moers,  F.  C. 
Smink,  Joseph  V.  Kendall,  James  L.  Douglas. 

City  Affairs.— F.  P.  Heller,  George  P.  Zieber,  Louis 
Kremp,  Henry  D.  Highj  F.  S.  Jacobs. 

E.  F.  Keever  has  continued  to  serve  effi- 
ciently as  secretary  of  the  board  since  its  organ- 
ization. 

The  present  officers  are  Isaac  McHose,  presi- 
dent ;  H.  C.  England  and  Peter  D.  Wanner, 
vice-presidents  ;  John  R.  Kaucher,  treasurer ; 
Elijah  F.  Keever,  secretary. 

Building,  Loan  and  Savings  Associa- 
tions.— These  associations  of  Reading  have 
been  important  factors  in  promoting  the  growth 
of  the  city,  and  have  assisted  many  worthy  citi- 
zens to  the  ownership  of  homes  or  given  them 
financial  aid  in  transacting  their  business.  The 
moneys  handled  by  them  count  into  the  millions 
of  dollars.     Being  thus  matters  of  public  in- 


826 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


terest,  a  list  of  the  principal  institutions  is  here 
presented.1 

When  Organized. 

Reading  German September,  1848 

Berks  County January,  1849 

Beading  Savings February,  1849 

Franklin  Savings 1850 

Columbia 

Beading  Building April,  1859 

Union January,  1866 

National  Workingmen's February,  1867 

Franklin  Building November,  1867 

Columbia,  No.  2 May,  1868 

Homestead May,  1868 

Liberty January,  1869 

Friendship June,  1869 

Schiller August,  1869 

Berks  County August,  1869 

Jefferson April,  1870 

Equitable May,  1870 

Germania July,  1870 

Keystone January,  1872 

Neversink April,  1872 

Lafayette February,  1873 

Beading  German February,  1873 

Schuylkill April,  1873 

Berks  County,  No.  2 September,  1873 

Central October,  1873 

Excelsior December,  1873 

Good  Will May,  1874 

Industry May,  1874 

Bead.  Land  and  Imp.  Co May,  1874 

Schiller,  No.  2 July,  1874 

Marion August,  1874 

Franklin,  No.  2 September,  1875 

Homestead,  No.  2 May,  1876 

National July,  1877 

Columbia,  No.  3 January,  1878 

American June,  1878 

Friendship,  No.  2 May,  1879 

Harmonie,  No.  2 May,  1879 

Washington,  No.  2 February,  1880 

Jefferson,  No.  2 February,  1880 

Homestead,  No.  3 May,  1880 

Union,  No.  2 May,  1880 

Neversink,  No.  2 May,  1880 

Keystone,  No.  2 March,  1881 

West  Beading May,  1881 

Germania,  No.  2 June,  1881 

Wm.  Penn September,  1881 

Keystone,  No.  3 April,  1882 

Homestead,  No.  4 May,  1882 


1The  author  endeavored  for  several  years  to  obtain 
data  to  show  the  name  and  organization  of  each  association, 
membership,  moneys  received  and  buildings  erected,  but 
the  information  was  not  supplied.  The  list  presented  is  not 
complete. 


Northwest..: September,  1882 

Binggold October,  1882 

Neversink,  No.  3 August,  1883 

East  Beading 1^83 

Schuylkill  Valley January,  1884 

Northeast March,  1884 

Schiller,  No.  3 July,  1885 

Franklin,  No.  3 October,  1885 

The  building  association  as  an  organization 
did  not  begin  to  erect  buildings  till  about  1876. 
Previously  it  simply  received  moneys  and  made 
the  same  profitable  by  disposing  of  them  to 
parties  on  mortgage  securities.  When  the 
amounts  on  hand  became  so  large  as  to  be  unpro- 
ductive, measures  were  instituted  to  make  them 
productive,  and  the  directors  then  turned  their 
attention  to  building  operations.  During  the 
last  ten  years  it  is  estimated  that  the  several 
building  associations  of  Eeading  erected  alto- 
gether about  eight  hundred  buildings,  almost 
entirely  dwellings  for  the  working  people. 
Many  men  have  been  active  in  this  matter  for 
a  number  of  years,  and  they  have  contributed 
greatly  to  the  permanent  improvement  of  Eead- 
ing. Louis  Kremp,  Esq.,  has  been  connected 
with  this  branch  of  business  in  our  community 
for  over  twenty  years,  and  he  has  served  most 
faithfully  as  secretary  and  treasurer  during  this 
long  period  of  time. 

Louis  Kremp  was  born  October  26, 1820,  in 
Saar-Union,  Bas-Rhin,  Alsace,  France.  His 
grandfather,  John  Kremp,  had  held  the  office 
of  mayor  and  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary 
influence  in  the  community  in  which  he  lived. 
His  father,  Xavier  Kremp,  was  for  many  years 
city  clerk. 

Louis  Kremp  obtained  his  early  education  in 
the  parish  school,  and  finished  his  studies  in  the 
seminary  of  Metz.  After  his  return  to  Saar- 
Union  he  joined  his  father  as  a  partner  in  busi- 
ness. In  September,  1847,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Caroline  Prestat,  a  daughter  of  Nicolas 
Joseph  Prestat,  a  gentleman  of  culture  and  re- 
finement, holding  a  responsible  office  under  the 
government.  In  the  spring  of  1849  he,  with 
his  wife,  came  to  America,  arriving  in  New 
York  on  the  4th  of  July.  Mr.  C.  Wagner,  a 
friend  and  school  companion  of  Mr.  Kremp, 
Sr.,  was  then  teaching  Latin  in  Philadelphia. 
He  advised  Louis  Kremp  to  remove  to  Reading, 


BEADING. 


827 


where  he  opened  a  notion-store.  In  April, 
1862,  he  was  elected  secretary  of  St.  Peter's 
Roman  Catholic  Beneficial  Society,  a  very  large 
organization.  In  1863  he  was  elected  secretary 
of  the  Reading  German  Building  and  Savings 
Association,  and  since  then  has  helped  to  or- 
ganize one  or  more  associations  every  year,  of 
which  he  was  invariably  chosen  secretary.  Six- 
teen of  these  associations  have  successfully  run 


second  nomination,  and  at  that  date  received  a 
commission  as  notary  public. 

Mr.  Kremp  has  two  sons  and  three  daughters, 
named,  respectively,  Joseph  P.,  Felix  P.,  Ame- 
lia T.,  Lizzie  P.  and  Caroline  E.  Kremp. 

Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company  op 
Berks  County. — During  the  year  1844  the 
citizens  of  the  southeast  section  of  Berks  Co.  felt 
the  necessity  of  a  society  whose  object  was  their 


their  course,  paying  the  stockholders  ten,  twelve 
and  even  thirteen  per  cent.  He  is  now  secre- 
tary of  twenty-one  associations,  one  or  two  of 
which  will  expire  every  year.  He  is  also  a  real 
estate  and  fire  insurance  agent. 

In  1873  Louis  Kremp  was  the  Democratic 
candidate  for  alderman  of  the  Eighth  Ward 
of  Reading,  and  was  elected  by  a  large  majority. 
At  the  expiration  of  his  term  he  declined  a 


protection  against  loss  by  fire,  and  for  this  pur- 
pose held  a  meeting  at  the  "  Yellow  House,"  in 
Amity  township,  on  November  2, 1844,  at  which 
time  and  place  the  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Com- 
pany of  Berks  County  was  organized,  and,  on 
December  7th  following,  the  members  elected  a 
board  of  managers  as  follows  :  Henry  Schaeffer, 
Isaac  Bertolet,  David  Kline,  Thomas  Snyder, 
John  Deturck,  Daniel  Snyder,  Gideon  Hoch, 


828 


HISTOEY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Joshua  Hoch,  Jacob  Weiser,  John  Herbein, 
William  Knabb,  Jacob  H.  Reiff,  Thomas  P. 
Lee. 

The  company  was  incorporated  January  31, 
1845,  for  a  term  of  twenty  years.  The  charter 
was  renewed  in  1863  and  made  perpetual.  The 
first  policies  of  this  company  were  issued  on 
August  9,  1845 ;  they  numbered  fifty-nine, 
with  an  aggregate  insurance  of  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars. 

In  1865  new  policies  were  issued  to  all  the 
members  under  the  new  charter,  which  then 
numbered  eleven  hundred  and  forty-one,  with 
an  aggregate  insurance  amounting  to  two  mil- 
lion five  hundred  thousand  dollars.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1885,  the  aggregate  insurance  was  seven 
million  eight  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

The  officers  from  the  time  of  organization  of 
the  company,  with  their  terms  of  service,  are  as 
follows  :  Presidents — Daniel  Snyder  (from  1845 
to  1849),  William  Knabb  (from  1849  to  1869), 
John  Francis  (from  1869  to  1872),  William 
Yocom  (from  1872to  1885) ;  Treasurers — Jacob 
H.  Reiff  (from  1845  to  1862),  Wellington  B. 
Griesemer  (from  1862  to  1871),  Jacob  Herbein 
(from  1871  to  1885)  ;  Secretaries — James  Berto- 
let  (from  1845  to  1849),  James  Lee  (from  1849 
to  1864),  George  K.  Lorah(from  1864  to  1885). 

Reading  Fire  Insurance  and  Trust 
Company  op  Berks  County,  is  the  outgrowth 
of  the  Neversink  Life  and  Fire  Insurance  Com- 
pany of  Berks  County,  which  was  organized  on 
July  8,  1867,  by  the  election  of  J.  Pringle 
Jones,  president ;  James  McKnight,  vice-presi- 
dent; and  S.  E.  Ancona,  secretary  and  treasurer. 
The  first  directors  were  J.  T.  Valentine,  George 
Rieser,  Jacob  Shaffner,  J.  T.  Jackson,  Henry 
L.  Van  Reed,  Jonas  Shalter  and  Daniel  E. 
Stout.  In  1868  an  application  was  made  to 
the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  of  Berks  County 
to  change  the  name  of  the  corporation  to  "  The 
Reading  Fire  Insurance  and  Trust  Company  of 
Berks  County."  This  application  was  granted 
April  13,  1868.  The  building  owned  and  oc- 
cupied by  the  company  is  situated  on  the  south- 
east corner  of  Fifth  and  Court  Streets,  Reading, 
and  was  erected  in  1870,  at  a  cost  of  thirty 
thousand  dollars,  including  the  lot.  The  busi- 
ness offices  are  neat,  attractive  and  well  adapted 


to  the  purposes  for  which  they  are  used.  Up 
to  January,  1870,  a  large  home  business  was 
done,  but  since  that  time  it  has  been  extended 
into  other  counties  in  Pennsylvania  and  various 
States  of  the  Union.  At  the  close  of  the  year 
1885  the  paid-up  capital  of  the  company  was 
two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  with 
four  hundred  thousand  dollars  assets.  The 
present  officers  are  William  A.  Arnold,  presi-. 
dent ;  Adam  Bard,  vice-president ;  S.  E.  Ancona, 
secretary  and  treasurer. 

Sinking  Spring  Mutual  Fire  Insurance 
Company. — This  company  was  organized  un- 
der an  act  of  the  Legislature,  approved  Febru- 
ary 10,  1843,  and  had  its  principal  office  at 
Sinking  Spring  until  1864,  when  it  was  remov- 
ed to  Reading,  where  it  has  since  been  main- 
tained. The  original  corporators  were  Solomon 
Kirby,  William  Peacock,  Aaron  Mull,  John 
Van  Reed,  James  C.  Livingood,  Andrew 
Kurr,  Isaac  H.  Mohr,  George  Whitner,  John 
Kemp,  Peter  Kershner,  John  W.  Gloninger, 
C.  O.  Meiley,  Edward  Kern.  The  company  is 
purely  mutual,  issues  perpetual  policies  on  or- 
dinary risks  and  its  management  is  safe  and, 
conservative.  Since  its  organization  three  hun- 
dred and  thirty-nine  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  insurance  has  been  paid.  The  in- 
surance carried  at  present  aggregates  nearly 
fourteen  million  dollars.  The  principal  officers 
are  James  Y.  Shearer,  president;  Wellington 
Van  Reed,  secretary ;  Philip  R.  Ball,  treasurer. 

American  Protective  and  Detective 
Society  op  Reading,  was  organized  1885.  It 
was  chartered  on  the  9th  of  March,  of  the  same 
year,  with  a  paid-up  capital  of  twenty  thousand 
dollars,  with  the  privilege  to  extend  the  same 
to  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  It  issued  its 
first  policy  March  25,  1885,  since  which  time 
the  business  has  rapidly  increased.  The  number 
of  members  is  two  hundred  and  thirty,  the 
amount  of  insurance  taken  is  two  hundred 
and  sixty-five  thousand  dollars. 

secret  associations. 

Free  and  Accepted  Masons. — The  first 
lodge  of  Masons  in  the  county  was  instituted  at 
Reading  March  31,  1794,  with  five  members. 
Its  meetings  have  since  been  regularly  held  as 


READING. 


829 


Reading  Lodge,  No.  66.  It  has  at  present 
more  than  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  mem- 
bers. Hundreds  more  have  been  initiated  by  it 
into  the  doctrines  of  Masonry.  Chandler  Lodge 
is  the  strongest,  numerically,  in  the  city,  having 
about  four  hundred  members. 

The  appended  list  shows  the  Masonic  organ- 
izations of  Reading  : 

Lodges. 
Reading,  No.  66,  instituted  March  31,  1794. 
Chandler,  "    227,        "  May  4,  1848. 

Teutonia,  "    367,        "  "    30,  1867. 

St.  John's, "    435,        "  March  1,  1869. 

Reading,    "    549,        "  Dec.  28,  1876. 

Chapters. 
Reading,  H.  R.,  No.  152,  instituted  Nov.  20, 

1827. 
Excelsior,  No.  237,  "  1870. 

Commanderies. 
De  Molay,  No.  9,  instituted  March  25,  1854. 
Reading,       "   42,        "  Sept.  24,  1871. 
Fraternal  Temple,  No.  2,  Masonic  tie,  insti- 
tuted   . 

Creighton  Council,  No.  16,  instituted  June 
25, 1863. 
Independent  Order  op  Odd-Fellows. — 
The  Independent  Order  of  Odd-Fellows  was 
established  in  the  United  States  April  26, 1819, 
and  the  first  prominent  lodge  in  Reading  was 
instituted  in  1839.  From  that  time  the  growth 
of  the  order  has  been  steady,  both  in  the  city 
and  the  county.  In  1 849  there  were  1 6 1 3  mem- 
bers ;  increased  to  1707  in  1855. 

The  condition  of  the  order  in  the  county  on 
the  1st  of  October,  1884,  is  shown  in  the  fol- 
lowing lists : 


No. 

Name. 

Date  of  Charter. 

Member- 

Location. 

ship. 

59 

Montgomery    .  .  . 

March 

26,  1838 

258 

Reading    .... 

103 

Symmetry     .... 

Feb'y 

17,  1845 

123 

Hamburg  . 

life 

March 

25,  1845 

232 

Reading    .  . 

m 

.Tilly 

24,  1845 

26 

Bernville  .   . 

141 

Dec. 

15,  1845 

•84 

Leesport .  .  . 

147 

Jan. 

14,  1845 

228 

Reading    .  . 

158 

Feb. 

16,  1846 

195 

Reading    .  . 

169 

Golden  Rule .... 

Feb'y 

16,  1846 

81 

Womelsdorf . 

169 

Emblematic .... 

March 

23,  1846 

157 

Reading     . 

•a-i 

Dec. 

21,  1846 

82 

Reading    .  . 

348 

Reading    .      ... 

Feb'y 

19,  1849 

206 

Reading    .   . 

441 

10,  1851 

33 

Douglassville 

498 

Continental  f  .  .  . 

Nov. 

21,  1853 

144 

Reading    .  . 

014 

Nov. 

20,  1854 

82 

BirdBboro' .  . 

518 

Mount  Penn    .   . 

May 

16,  1855 

229 

Reading    .  . 

534 

Longswamp .... 

Feb'y 

21,  1857 

52 

Longswamp  . 

bb'l 

Caernarvon .  . 

Nov. 

15,   1869 

33 

Morgan  town 

b34 

May 

20,  1869 

32 

Lyons  Station 

820 

Bethel 

Dec. 

16,  1872 

55 

Bethel    .  .   . 

835 

Wernereville  .  .  . 

April 

14,  1873 

39 

Wernereville 

194 

Sept. 

17,  1884 

Reading 

*  Removed  from  Pleasantville  to  Boyertown,  thence  to  Reading, 
t  Formerly  Rehrersburg  Lodge;  removed  to  Reading  and  reorganized 
January  30, 1867. 


The  nine  lodges  in  the  city  had  seventeen 
hundred  and  twenty-five  members,  and  the  out- 
side lodges  six  hundred  and  forty-eight  mem- 
bers. 

The  above  lodges  have  assets  amounting  to 
seventy  thousand  seven  hundred  dollars  and 
pay  out  about  fifteen  thousand  dollars  annually 
for  the  care  of  the  sick  and  the  burial  of  the 
dead.  The  assets  of  the  lodges  in  the  city  alone 
are  nearly  forty-one  thousand  dollars,  and  its 
lodges  are  carried  on  at  an  expense  of  a  little 
more  than  fifteen  thousand  dollars  per  year. 

The  following  are  the  encampments  in  the 
city  and  the  county : 


No. 


Name. 


Date  of  Charter. 


Hebron  .  . 
Reading  .  . 
Hamburg  .  . 
Longswamp 
Mt.  Penn  .  . 
Birdsboro'    . 


April 

July 

Jan'y 

Nov. 

Feb'y 

Oct. 


3,  1841 
13,  1846 
21,  1851 
19,  1856 
16,  1867 
23,  1869 


Member- 

Location. 

ship. 

207 

Reading    .... 

215 

Reading    .... 

41 

Hamburg  .... 

22 

Longswamp .  .  . 

71 

Reading    .... 

47 

BirdBboro'     .  .  . 

The  Odd-Fellows'  Mutual  Life  Insurance 
Association,  of  Berks  County,  was  organized 
December  1,  1869,  and  has  been  fairly  prosper- 
ous.    Its  office  is  in  Reading. 

Temperance  Societies. — The  Reading 
Temperance  Society  was  organized  on  July  2, 
1829,  and  two  years  later  it  had  one  hundred 
members.  Prior  to  1831  there  were  ten  distil- 
leries in  and  near  the  city  which  were  about 
that  time  discontinued,  so  that  but  one  remained 
in  1832.  The  following  year  there  was  organ- 
ized the  "Berks  County  Temperance  Society," 
auxiliary  to  the  State  Society,  for  discouraging 
the  use  of  ardent  spirits.  Its  purposes  were 
shown  in  its  constitution  : 

"Article  10.  The  members  of  this  society, believ- 
ing that  the  use  of  distilled  liquor  is,  for  persons  in 
health,  not  only  unnecessary,  but  injurious,  and  that 
the  practice  is  the  cause  of  forming  intemperate  ap- 
petites and  habits,  and  while  it  is  continued  the  evil 
of  intemperance  can  never  be  prevented,  do,  there- 
fore, agree,  that  they  will  not,  except  as  medicine, 
in  case  of  bodily  infirmity,  use  distilled  spirits  our- 
selves, or  procure  them  for  the  use  of  our  families,  or 
provide  them  for  the  entertainment  of  our  friends  or 
for  persons  in  our  employment ;  and  that,  in  all  suit- 
able ways,  we  will  discountenance  the  use  of  them  in 
the  community." 


830 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


The  officers  for  1833  were, — President,  Garrick 
Mallery ;  Vice-Presidents,  Isaac  Heister  and 
John  P.  Rutter ;  Secretary,  Henry  Rhoads ; 
Treasurer,  Lloyd  Wharton ;  Executive  Com- 
mittee, Isaac  Heister,  Wm.  Darling,  John  P. 
Rutter,  James  L.  Dunn,  Evan  Evans,  Elijah 
Dechert,  Joseph  Kendall. 

In  1845  the  Sons  of  Temperance  established 
a  flourishing  division1  in  Reading,  and  the  fol- 
lowing year  there  were  six  hundred  members  in 
the  county,  most  of  them  in  the  city.  On  the 
18th  of  January,  1847,  John  B.  Gough  lectured 
on  temperance  in  the  Reformed  Church,  the 
tickets  of  admission  being  sold  at  twelve  and  a 
half  cents.  "His  lecture  excited  the  most 
astonishing  sensation,"  according  to  the  report 
of  a  local  paper.  In  October,  1853,  Neal  Dow 
lectured  on  the  Maine  Liquor  Law  in  St. 
Peter's  Methodist  Church,  his  address  creating 
a  favorable  impression. 

The  first  lodge  of  Good  Templars  iu  Read- 
ing was  organized  January  1,  1855,  and  was 
called  Keystone,  No.  254.  About  a  year  later 
Esmeralda  Lodge  was  instituted,  but  both 
ceased  to  exist  in  a  few  years.  Next  came 
Reading  and  Norma  Lodges  of  Good  Templars, 
which  were  very  flourishing  for  a  number  of 
years;  and  in  later  years  other  lodges  were 
established  which  had  a  short  existence. 

A  merican  Protestant  Association. — 
This  order  has  the  following  organizations  : 
Reading  Lodge,  No.  74,  instituted  July  31, 
1857  ;  Germania  Lodge,  No.  1,  instituted  June 
16,  1870;  Esther  Lodge,  No.  2,  instituted 
March  1,  1871  ;  Aaron  Lodge,  No.  95,  insti- 
tuted Aug.  23,  1871;  Mount  Sinai  Encamp- 
ment, No.  4,  instituted  Jan.  1,  1866;  Friend- 
ship Lodge  (Junior  Order),  No.  7,  instituted 
September  21,  1868. 

Brotherhood  of  the  Union. — This  order 
has  the  following  organizations :  Freedom 
Circle,  No.  7,  instituted  April  31, 1864 ;  Friend- 
ship Circle,  No.  17,  instituted  May  1,  1866  ; 
Lady  Jefferson  Home  Commission,  No.  5,  in- 
stituted Oct.  8,  1867;  Deborah  Franklin  Home 
Commission,  No.  6,  instituted  May  19,   1868. 


1  Phoenix  Division,  No.  41,  instituted  May  1,  1845. 


Order  of  American  Mechanics. — The 
Senior  Branch  has  four  councils,  namely:  Osceola, 
No.  34 ;  Reading,  No.  46  ;  Seminole,  No.  88 ; 
and  Pocahontas,  No.  235.  The  Junior  Branch 
of  the  order  has  two  councils :  Perseverance,  No. 
19  ;  and  Resolute,  No.  27. 

Patriotic  Order  Sons  of  America. — 
The  camps  of  this  order  in  Reading  are  Wash- 
ington, No.  61,  instituted  Feb.  3,  1860 ;  Wash- 
ington, No.  89,  instituted  March  13,  1868  ; 
Washington,  No.  163 ;  Lexington  Command- 
ery,  No.  2,  instituted  in  May,  1868,  and  reor- 
ganized February  22, 1880.  The  order  has  more 
than  seven  hundred  members  in  Reading. 

Knights  of  Pythias. — This  organization 
has  the  following  societies  at  Reading  :  Friend- 
ship Lodge,  No.  5,  instituted  August  24,  1867; 
Mt.  Penn  Lodge,  No.  65,  instituted  March  17, 
1868;  Allemauia  Lodge,  No.  204,  instituted 
October  14,  1869;  Neversink  Lodge,  No.  313; 
Endowment  Rank,  Section  No.  9,  instituted 
December  1,  1877. 

German  Order  of  Harugari. — This  order 
has  the  following  lodges :  Herman  Lodge,  No. 
16,  instituted  June,  1849  ;  Muhlenberg  Lodge, 
No.  27;  Goethe  Lodge,  No.  60,  instituted 
March  3, 1857  ;  Vereinigungs  Lodge,  No.  132, 
instituted  July  31,  1866  ;  Cherusker  Degree 
Lodge,  No.  1 1 ;  German  Mannie,  No.  7,  insti- 
tuted in  1857. 

Order  of  Red  Men  maintains  the  follow- 
ing tribes  in  Reading  :  Juniata,  No.  74,  insti- 
tuted August  22,  1867 ;  Opekassett,  No.  122, 
instituted  April,  1870  ;  Mahala,  No.  34,  O.  R. 
M. 

OKDEKS  NOT  CLASSIFIED. 

Reading  Lodge,  No.  14,  Knights  of  Birmingham.  ' 
Alpha    Castle,    No.    1,    Knights    of    the   Mystic 
Chain. 

Koerner  Conclave,  No.  7,  Order  of  Seven  Wise 
Men. 

Reading  Castle,  No.  49,  K.  of  G.  E.,  instituted 
March  27,  1885. 

Reading  Council,  No.  1021,  A.  L.  H.,  instituted 
August  1,  1882. 

Mt.  Penn  Council,  No.  495,  Royal  Arcanum. 

Fidelia  Chamber,  No.  5,  K.  of  F.,  instituted  Feb- 
ruary 4,  1880. 

Cavendish  Lodge,  No.  127,  Sons  of  St.  George,  in- 
stituted September,  1883. 


READING. 


831 


Semlukie  Tent,  No.  26,  D.  of  F.,  instituted  June  5, 

1866. 

Beading  Grove,  No.  15,  A.  0.  of  D.,  instituted  Au- 
gust 18,  1858. 

Mistletoe  Grove,  No.  20,  A.  O.  of  D.,  instituted  Oc- 
tober 27, 1847. 

Chapter  No.  2,  United  Order  of  Pythagoreans,  in- 
stituted February  6,  1867. 

Reading  Conclave,  No.  67,  I.  O.  of  Heptasophs. 

Division  No.  1,  Eailroaders'  Brotherhood,  instituted 
October  12, 1873. 

Reading  Division,  No.  75,  B.  of  L.  E.,  instituted 
March,  1866. 

Jochebed  Lodge,  No.  1306,  G.  U.  O.  of  0.  F. 

Hermania  Association,  No.  32,  Philozathians,  insti- 
tuted 1849. 

Star  of  Hope  Association,  No.  16,  Philozathians,  in- 
stituted November  30,  1848. 

United  Encampment,  No.  6,  Philozathians,  insti- 
tuted July  6,  1854. 

True  Friends  Lodge,  No.  6,  L.  of  P.,  instituted 
August  10,  1868. 

United  Sons  of  America,  instituted  1855. 

Beneficial  Society,  No.  3,  American  Workingmen's, 
incorporated  January  20,  1872. 

Beneficial  Society,  No.  2,  American  Workingmen's. 

Equitable  Beneficial  Society,  chartered  January  17, 
1882. 

Washington  Beneficial  Society,  instituted  January 
22, 1835. 

Unterstuetzungs  Verein,  No.  1. 

Mutual  Belief  Association,  organized  November  8, 
1866. 

Abigail  Lodge,  No.  8,  instituted  November  9,  1865. 

Samaritan,  No.  32,  Ancient  Order  Good-fellows,  in- 
stituted January  1,  1867. 

Bricklayers'  Union,  instituted  October,  1883. 

BANKS  AND  BANKING. 

The  first  public  financial  institution  of  this 
country  was  the  "Bank  of  North  America."  It 
was  incorporated  by  the  United  States  Congress 
on  December  31, 1781.  The  idea  of  such  an  in- 
stitution was  suggested  by  Robert  Morris,  and 
he  also  submitted  a  plan  for  its  management. 
It  arose  from  a  conviction  that  the  public 
finances  would  be  supported  thereby,  and  that 
the  exigencies  of  the  government  rendered  its 
establishment  indispensable.  Its  operations 
began  on  January  7, 1782.  Robert  Morris  then 
wrote  to  the  president  of  the  Executive  Council 
of  Pennsylvania  "that  it  would  have  a  tendency 
to  increase  both  the  internal  and  external  com- 
merce of  North  America,  and  would  undoubt- 
edly be  infinitely  useful  to  all  the  traders  of 


every   State   in   the   Union,   if  properly  con- 
ducted." 

This  project  necessarily  stimulated  the  idea  of 
a  State  bank.  After  the  lapse  of  a  decade,  leg- 
islation was  induced  in  this  direction,  and  on 
the  30th  of  March,  1793,  the  "Bank  of  Penn- 
sylvania "  was  incorporated.  It  was  empowered 
to  establish  "  Branch  Banks." 

Reading  Branch  Bank. — The  directors 
were  authorized  to  establish  a  branch  at  Read- 
ing. Subscriptions  of  the  stock  were  directed 
to  be  made  on  the  3d  of  June,  1793,  at  Phila- 
delphia, Lancaster  and  Reading.  The  amount 
to  be  subscribed  at  Reading  was  two  hundred 
shares,  and  the  subscription  was  to  be  conducted 
by  James  Diemer,  Joseph  Hiester,  James  May, 
Jacob  Bower  and  Thomas  Dundas.  The  efforts 
of  these  men  were  not  successful  at  that  time. 
But  the  opportunity  of  establishing  such  an  in- 
valuable agent  for  public  progress  was  not 
laid  out  of  sight,  though  fifteen  years  elapsed 
before  it  came  to  be  permanently  instituted.  On 
the  26th  of  July,  1808,  it  was  opened  to  the 
public,  and  it  was  commonly  known  as  the 
"Reading  Bank  of  Discount  and  Deposit." 
The  directors  were  Daniel  Udree,  George  Ege, 
John  Addaras,  Peter  Frailey,  George  De  B. 
Keim,  John  Smith,  Marks  J.  Biddle,  Gabriel 
Hiester,  Jr.,  Charles  Evans,  Joseph  Hiester, 
William  Bell  and  William  Moore. 

It  will  be  observed  that  only  one  of  the  ac- 
tively interested  persons  at  the  beginning  sur- 
vived, and  this  was  Joseph  Hiester.  The  busi- 
ness of  this  bank  was  carried  on  in  the  building 
now  occupied  by  the  "  Union  Bank  "  from  the 
beginning  of  its  career  till  its  suspension  in 
1857.  This  building  has  been  used  for  the  pur- 
poses of  a  bank  for  nearly  eighty  years. 

Farmers'  Bank.  —  This  was  the  second 
bank  instituted  at  Reading.  It  was  authorized 
by  an  act  of  Assembly  passed  on  the  21st  ot 
March,  1813,  creating  a  general  system  of  bank- 
ing for  the  entire  State,  divided  the  State  into 
twenty-seven  districts  and  provided  a  bank  for 
each  district.  The  counties  of  Berks  and 
Schuylkill  were  made  one  district  and  given  a 
bank,  to  be  called  the  "  Farmers'  Bank  oi 
Reading;  "  and  the  directors  were  authorized  to 
establish  an  office  at  Orwigsburg,  in  Schuylkill 


832 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


County,  for  the  purposes  of  discount  and  de- 
posit only.  The  number  of  shares — at  fifty 
dollars  each — which  were  to  be  subscribed  for 
was  ten  thousand  five  hundred  in  Berks  County 
and  fifteen  hundred  in  Schuylkill  County. 
Governor  Simon  Snyder  was  opposed  to  legis- 
lation on  this  subject,  and  especially  to  the 
system  proposed.  He  therefore  returned  the 
bill  with  his  objections,  which,  it  can  be  added, 
were  expressed  with  great  force  and  sense,  if  not 
with  effect.1  But  a  year  afterward  (21st  of 
March,  1814)  it  was  passed  over  his  veto  by 
two-thirds  of  both  Houses. 

The  introductory  steps  towards  establishing 
this  institution  were  taken  on  the  11th  of  No- 
vember, 1813,  at  a  public  meeting  which  was 
held  in  the  public  building ; 2  the  officers  were 
John  Spayd,  chairman,  and  Frederick  Smith, 
secretary. 

The  following  resolutions,  among  others, 
were  adopted ; 

"  That  a  well  regulated  Bank,  with  a  competent 
capital,  under  the  direction  of  Persons  in  whom  the 
Citizens  of  the  County  of  Berks  and  of  the  State  at 
large  would  place  confidence,  established  in  the  Bor- 
ough of  Reading  and  authorized  by  Law,  would 
greatly  promote  internal  improvements  and  the  Agri- 
cultural, Commercial  and.  Manufacturing  Interest  of 
the  County. 

"  That  it  is  highly  imprudent,  unsafe  and  would 
speedily  subvert  every  principle  of  good  government 
for  Banking  Associations  in  Pennsylvania  to  com- 
mence operations  contrary  to  the  Laws  of  this  Com- 
monwealth, and  to  oppose  the  constituted  authorities 
of  our  Country  in  violating  the  Act  of  the  19th  of 
March,  1810,  on  the  subject  of  Banks,  by  establish- 
ing or  organizing  Banking  Companies  without  pre- 
viously obtaining  Charters. 

"  That  S.  D.  Franks,  John  Spayd,  John  M.  Hyne- 
man,  Frederick  Smith,  Esqs.,  and  Matthias  Ludwig 
be  a  Committee  for  the  purpose  of  drafting  the  Mem- 
orial, and  that  they  be  authorized  to  confer  with  a 
similar  Committee  should  such  Committee  be 
appointed  in  Schuylkill  County,  and  to  embrace 
Schuylkill  and  Berks  in  the  Petition  for  a  Charter 
should  the  Citizens  of  Schuylkill  County  deem  it 
proper.  Capital,  $500,000,  with  privilege  of  extend- 
ing it  to  $1,000,000." 

The  first  directors  were  John  Spayd,  William 
Witman,   Jr.,  John   M.  Hyneman,  Jacob  K. 

1  Smith's  Laws. 

2  The  State-House  was  commonly  used  in  this  work. 


Boyer,  Lewis  Reese,  Daniel  Kerper,  Samuel 
Bell,  Benneville  Keim,  Conrad  Stauch,  John 
Good,  Ludwig  Worinan,  John  Wiley,  Daniel 
Graeff.  These  individuals  met  at  the  court- 
house on  the  14th  of  June,  1814,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  effecting  an  organization,  and  on  the 
22d  of  June,  following,  they  elected  William 
Witman  president  and  John  S.  Hiester  cashier. 
Having  shortly  before  purchased  the  building 
now  occupied  by  the  bank,  at  445  Penn  Street, 
they  began  business  on  the  day  named. 

A  "  Branch  Bank "  was  not  established  at 
Orwigsburg. 

As  a  matter  of  general  interest,  and  being  the 
earliest  banking  statistics  which  could  be  ob- 
tained, the  following  statement  is  presented  : 
Profits  of  Bank. 

From  June,  1814,  to  April,  1815 $18,776 

From  May,  1815,  to  Nov.,  1815 19,026 

From  Nov.,  1815,  to  May,  1816 18,961 

From  May,  1816,  to  Nov.,  1816 17,221 

From  Nov.,  1816,  to  May,  1817 20,075 

From  May,  1817,  to  Nov.,  1817 18,544 

From  Nov.,  1817,  to  May,  1818 15,601 

From  May,  1818,  to  Nov.,  1818 16,225 

Condition  of  Bank. 

Nov.,  1815.  Oct.,  1818. 

Notes  of  bank $40,475.00  $158,142.00 

Western  notes 21,568.00  3235.00 

Philadelphia  notes..  23,113.00           

Foreign  gold 7,899.49  1,678.83 

American  notes 3420.00  2,847.50 

Silver 30,820.90  16,988.74 

Total $127,296.39    $182,892.17 

This  will  afford  an  idea  of  the  extent 
of  the  business  of  the  borough  then.  The 
Reading  Bank  had  transactions  as  great,  it 
not  greater,  in  amount.  Till  September,  1819, 
the  business  had  increased  to  five  hundred  and 
eighteen  thousand  seven  hundred  and  forty-one 
dollars,  having  been  almost  trebled.  In  No- 
vember, 1840,  it  was  six  hundred  and  nine 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  seventy-one  dol- 
lars. 

This  institution  has  continued  to  prosper  from 
the  time  of  its  organization  to  the  present. 
The  names  of  the  presidents  and  cashiers,  to- 
gether with  their  terms  of  service,  are  as  fol- 
lows : 

Presidents.      William    Witman,   1814-15;    Lewis 


BEADING.  . 


833 


Reese,  1815-19;  Frederick  Smith,  1819-25;  Benne- 
villeKeim,  1825-36;  Isaac  Eckert,  1836-7- ;  Henry 
S.  Eckert,  1873.  Cashiers  :  John  S.  Hiester,  1814- 
16 ;  James  Wilson,  1816-18  ;  Benjamin  Davis,  1818- 
19;  John  S.  Hiester,  1819-27;  George  M.  Keim, 
1827-36;  Benneville  Keim,  1836^2;  H.  H.  Muhlen- 
berg, 1842-86  ;  Cyrus  Rick,  1886. 

The  cash  capital  at  present  is  four  hundred 
thousand  dollars ;  surplus,  two  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars. 

Hiester  H.  Muhle>tberg  was  born  at 
Reading  January  15,  1812.  His  father,  Rev. 
Henry  A.  Muhlenberg,  was  pastor  of  Trinity 
Lutheran  Church  of  Reading;  afterwards 
member  of  Congress  and  ambassador  to  Aus- 
tria, and  at  the  time  of  his  death  the  candidate 
of  the  Democratic  party  for  Governor  of  Penn- 
sylvania. His  mother  was  Rebecca  Hiester, 
daughter  of  Governor  Joseph  Hiester.  He 
acquired  a  preliminary  education  under  the 
instruction  of  Rev.  John  F.  Grier,  in  the  Read- 
ing Academy.  In  1826  he  entered  the  sopho- 
more class  of  Dickinson  College,  from  which 
institution  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of 
1829.  He  selected  medicine  as  a  profession  and 
began  the  study  of  it  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Thomas 
Harris,  a  physician  of  excellent  reputation  in 
'  Philadelphia.  He  attended  the  medical  lectures 
at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  during  the 
winters  of  1831  and  1832,  and  was  graduated 
from  that  institution  with  the  class  of  1832. 

Dr.  Muhlenberg  began  the  practice  of  his 
profession  in  his  native  city  and  continued  eight 
years.  During  this  period  and  for  some  years 
following  he  took  an  active  interest  in  politics, 
and  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War  he 
remained  a  firm  and  consistent  Democrat. 
During  the  panic  of  1837  the  affairs  of  the 
Farmers'  Bank  of  Reading  became  very  much 
involved,  and  the  complete  ruin  of  the  bank 
seemed  close  at  hand.  The  integrity,  capacity 
and  financial  ability  of  Dr.  Muhlenberg  were 
well  known  and  he  was  placed  temporarily  in 
charge  of  the  bank  in  order  to  restore  its  affairs 
to  a  sound  and  healthy  condition.  His  manage- 
ment of  the  affairs  of  the  bank  was  in  the  high- 
est degree  successful,  so  that  he  was  induced  to 
give  up  his  intention  of  resuming  the  practice 
of  medicine  and  urged  to  accept  the  position  of 
cashier  of  the  Farmers'  Bank  in  March,  1842. 


He  has  been  annually  re-elected  and  has  served 
continuously  in  that  position  until  this  date 
(1886),  a  period  of  forty-three  years.  The  in- 
tegrity, capacity  and  financial  ability  of  the 
cashier  preserved  the  bank  from  embarrassment 
during  the  panic  of  1857,  the  financial  troubles 
incident  to  the  the  Civil  War  and  of  the  finan- 
cial crisis  of  the  year  1873.  During  all  these 
periods  of  financial  depression  the  Farmers' 
Bank  of  Reading  has  always  maintained  the 
highest  reputation  for  great  financial  strength 
and  for  the  soundest  business  management. 
The  success  and  reputation  of  the  bank  are 
mainly  due  to  the  ability  and  high  character  of 
its  cashier. 

Dr.  Muhlenberg  was  for  ten  years  a  mem- 
ber of  Councils  of  the  borough  of  Reading,  and 
a  member  of  the  first  Councils  after  the  city 
corporation  in  1850. 

Prior  to  the  Civil  War  he  took  great  interest 
and  an  active  part  in  the  volunteer  military  or- 
ganizations of  his  own  county.  He  entered  a 
noted  company,  called  the  Washington  Grays, 
as  a  private,  and  afterwards  became  lieutenant. 
During  the  Catholic  riots  of  1844,  in  Philadel- 
phia, as  lieutenant  of  the  Washington  Grays  he 
formed  part  of  the  force  sent  to  that  city  to  as- 
sist in  quelling  the  riot.  During  the  Civil  War 
he  twice  enlisted  in  the  Pennsylvania  State 
Volunteers — once  before  the  battle  at  Antietam, 
and  again  after  the  battle  of  Gettysburg. 

Dr.  Muhlenberg  was  one  of  the  original  trus- 
tees of  the  Charles  Evans  Cemetery  Company, 
and  for  many  years  was  the  president  of  that 
corporation.  He  was  a  director  and  president 
of  the  Reading  Water  Company. 

Dr.  Muhlenberg  has  been  twice  married, — first, 
to  Amelia  Hanold,  and  second,  to  Catherine  S. 
Hunter,  both  of  Reading,  Pa.  By  the  last 
marriage  he  has  had  seven  children.  He  be- 
came a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church  in 
1830  and  was  a  member  of  the  vestry  of 
Trinity  Church  for  many  years. 

Dr.  Muhlenberg  has  always  been  a  public- 
spirited  and  enterprising  citizen,  and  his  gener- 
osity is  well-known.  He  has  favored  and  assisted 
the  growth  and  development  of  his  native  city 
by  every  proper  means  within  his  power.  He 
died  May  5,  1886. 


834 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Isaac  Eckert,  ironmaster  and  bank  presi- 
dent, was  born  in  the  town  of  Wornelsdorf, 
Berks  County,  in  January,  1800.  He  was  a 
son  of  Peter  Eckert,  a  farmer  and  merchant  of 
that  neighborhood,  and  a  grandson  of  Valentine 
Eckert,  who  represented  Berks  County  as  one 
of  the  delegates  to  the  first  Constitutional  Con- 
vention of  Pennsylvania,  in  1776,  and  who 
served  in  the  Revolutionary  War  as  captain  of 
a  troop  of  cavalry.  The  maiden-name  of  his 
mother  was  Brown,  a  member  of  a  well-known 
family  near  Erie,  Pa.  He  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  place  and  in  the  grammar- 
school  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Before  attaining  his  majority,  he  and  his 
elder  brother,  William,  succeeded  their  father 
in  the  mercantile  business  at  Womelsdorf,  and, 
about  1828,  they  removed  their  business  to 
Reading,  where  they  continued  the  same  busi- 
ness at  the  northwest  corner  of  Fourth  and 
Penn  Streets  until  1836,  when  he  retired  and 
became  associated  with  his  younger  brother, 
Dr.  George  N.  Eckert,  in  the  manufacture  of 
iron.  In  1842-44  they  erected  at  Reading  the 
"  Henry  Clay  Furnace,"  which  was  one  of  the 
largest  anthracite  furnaces  in  the  State  at  that 
time;  and,  in  1855,  a  similar  furnace  was 
erected  upon  an  adjoining  site.  Upon  the 
death  of  Dr.  Eckert,  he  became  the  sole  owner 
of  these  iron-works,  and  continued  to  operate 
the  same  until  1873,  when  he  retired,  passing 
them  over  to  his  sons,  Henry  S.  and  George  B. 
Eckert,  by  whom  the  furnaces  have  been  since 
successfully  carried  on  under  the  firm-name  of 
Eckert  &  Brother. 

In  1838  he  was  elected  president  of  the 
Farmers'  Bank  of  Reading,  and  he  held  this 
office  without  intermission  until  his  death,  in 
1873,  covering  a  period  of  thirty-five  years. 
His  eldest  son,  Henry  S.  Eckert,  succeeded  him 
in  this  position.  He  also  served  as  president  of 
the  Country  Bank  Association  for  eight  years, — 
this  association  having  been  composed  of  the 
national  banks  east  of  the  Allegheny  Moun- 
tains. In  1852  he  was  chosen  president  of  the 
Leesport  Iron  Company,  and  he  continued  to 
act  as  the  executive  officer  till  the  time  of  his 
decease,  a  period  of  twenty-one  years.  He  was 
one  of  the  largest  stockholders  of  this  extensive 


industry.  Through  his  enterprises  he  became 
a  large  land-owner  in  Berks  and  Schuylkill 
Counties. 

Mr.  Eckert  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
Berks  County  Agricultural  and  Horticultural 
Society  and  served  for  many  years  as  president, 
having  been  well  fitted  for  this  position.  He 
took  great  interest  in  the  introduction  of  the 
best  breeds  of  horned  cattle  and  other  live  stock 
and  also  of  standard  fruits ;  and  during  his  ad- 
ministration superior  specimens  of  such  stock, 
fruits,  etc.,  constituted  the  chief  attraction  of 
the  annual  fairs  of  the  society. 

In  1867  and  also  in  1873  he  made  extensive 
tours  through  the  principal  countries  of  Europe 
and  acquired  much  practical  information  upon 
many  subjects.  In  the  latter  year  he  served  as 
one  of  the  commissioners  to  the  Vienna  Expo- 
sition, having  been  appointed  by  President 
Grant,  and  he  also  served  as  one  of  the  two 
commissioners  from  the  Berks  District  for  the 
organization  of  the  Board  of  Finance,  under 
which  the  Centennial  Exposition  was  success- 
fully conducted. 

Mr.  Eckert  took  a  strong  interest  in  the  suc- 
cess of  the  political  principles  in  which  he  had 
been  educated  and  to  which  he  adhered  through 
life,  first  as  a  Whig  and  afterward  as  a  Repub- 
lican. His  influence  and  wealth  were  freely 
used  for  the  benefit  of  his  party.  During  the 
Rebellion  he  contributed  liberally  of  his  means 
to  encourage  the  national  administration  in 
successfully  prosecuting  the  war  for  the  preser- 
vation of  the  Union,  and  in  this  behalf  he  took 
an  active  part  with  the  prominent  men  of  Read- 
ing at  public  and  private  meetings  to  develop 
proper  sentiments  in  the  community  favorable 
to  the  great  cause.  In  1860  he  was  a  delegate 
to  the  National  Convention  at  Chicago,  when 
Abraham  Lincoln  was  nominated  for  President 
on  the  Republican  ticket,  and  in  1864  he  served 
as  one  of  the  Presidential  Electors  for  the  State 
of  Pennsylvania.  Politically  he  was  univer- 
sally respected  and  personally  he  was  highly 
esteemed  for  his  many  admirable  traits  of  char- 
acter. 

Mr.  Eckert  was  a  member  of  Christ  Episco- 
pal Church  at  Reading,  and  a  liberal  contribu- 
tor to  the  endowment  fund  of  the  diocese  ot 


READING. 


835 


Central  Pennsylvania.  He  was  distinguished 
for  cheerfulness  of  disposition,  and  he  possessed 
pleasing  manners  in  his  social  and  business 
intercourse.  He  died  on  December  13,  1873, 
aged  nearly  seventy  three  years.  He  was  mar- 
ried to  Judith,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Hahn,  of 
Montgomery  County.  He  left  a  surviving 
widow  and  three  children, — Henry  S.  Eckert, 
George  B.  Eckert  and  Rebecca  (intermarried 
with  P.  R.  Stetson,  of  New  York).  A  full 
chime  often  superior  bells,  weighing  over  five 
tons,  were  presented  to  Christ  Church  in  his 
name  as  a  memorial  by  them  and  placed  in  the 
Gothic  spire  of  that  elegant  and  costly  struc- 
ture. The  appropriateness  of  this  tribute  to 
him  is  increased  by  the  fact  that  he  had,  upon 
various  occasions  during  the  latter  years  of  his 
life,  expressed  a  desire  to  see  the  original  design 
of  the  architect  carried  out  in  the  construction 
of  a  bell-tower  over  its  facade. 

Hesry  S.  Eckert,  banker  and  iron  manu- 
facturer, was  born  at  Reading,  Pa.  He  is  a 
son  of  Isaac  Eckert,  who  was  also  a  prominent 
banker  and  iron  manufacturer.  After  a  careful 
preparatory  education,  he  attended  Marshall 
College,  at  Mercersburg,  Pa.,  and  was  graduated 
from  that  institution.  Upou  his  return  home 
from  college  he  became  interested  with  his 
father  in  the  iron  business,  and,  shortly  after, 
took  the  active  management  of  the  iron-works 
upon  himself.  For  this  position  he  manifested 
a  high  order  of  ability,  and  his  management  of 
the  business  interests  of  his  father  was  very  suc- 
cessful. He  continued  to  serve  as  manager  until 
July  1,  1873,  a  few  months  before  his  father's 
death,  when  he  and  his  brother,  George  B.  Eck- 
ert, formed  a  co-partnership  under  the  firm 
name  of  Eckert  &  Bro.,  for  the  purpose  of  car- 
rying on  the  same  business,  and  then  they  be- 
came the  proprietors  of  the  iron-works.  Shortly 
before  that  time,  however,  he  became  interested 
in  a  separate  enterprise,  as  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Eckert,  McHose  &  Co.,  which  had  been 
formed  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  on  the  roll- 
ing-mill business.  The  panic  of  1873  was  at 
that  time  disturbing  the  financial  and  manufac- 
turing relations  of  the  country,  but  the  firm  of 
Eckert  &  Bro.  conducted  their  operations  suc- 
cessfully, and  they  have  continued  to  do  so  from 


that  time  till  now — a  period  covering  thirteen 
years — without  reducing  the  number  of  their 
workmen  or  diminishing  the  amount  of  their 
production.  The  firm  own  extensive  iron-mines 
and  carry  on  mining  operations  for  the  supply 
of  iron-ore,  and  they  employ  altogether  at  the 
mines  and  iron-works  about  two  hundred  and 
fifty  men. 

Mr.  Eckert  has  taken  an  earnest  interest  in 
political  matters  for  many  years.  His  valuable 
business  interests  naturally  inclined  him  to  ad- 
vocate the  principle  of  protection  to  home  in- 
dustries, and  he  has  therefore  been  an  ardent 
Republican.  During  the  Civil  War  he  was 
active  in  sustaining  the  national  government  by 
his  personal  means  and  efforts,  and  enlisted  as 
one  of  the  "  Emergency  Men "  during  Lee's 
first  invasion  into  Pennsylvania,  and  in  1866 
the  Republican  party  of  the  county  gave  him 
the  nomination  for  Congress  against  J.  Lawrence 
Getz,  the  Democratic  nominee.  His  popularity 
was  shown  by  obtaining  a  majority  in  the  city 
over  Mr.  Getz. 

The  cause  of  education  has  received  the  ac- 
tive attention  of  Mr.  Eckert  for  many  years, 
and  not  only  have  the  tax -payers  of  his  ward 
(the  Eighth)  appreciated  his  devotion  to  the 
common-school  system  as  one  of  their  control- 
lers for  many  years,  but  also  the  school  con- 
trollers have  recognized  his  able  services  by 
selecting  him  repeatedly  to  be  their  president, 
having  served  in  that  office  with  distinction  from 
1872  continuously  till  now.  As  a  mark  of  their 
esteem  for  his  services  as  a  controller,  the  "  Eck- 
ert Public  School,"  erected  in  1873,  was  named 
after  him.  This  is  a  superior  and  commodious 
two -story  brick  structure,  situated  on  Tenth 
Street  above  Washington,  and  one  of  the  finest 
school  buildings  in  the  city  of  Reading.  He 
was  the  author  of  the  plan  for  funding  the  debt, 
and  succeeded  in  having  it  carried  out,  notwith- 
standing much  opposition!  had  been  shown 
against  it. 

Art  has  been  patronized  by  Mr.  Eckert, 
especially  the  productions  of  home  talent.  At- 
tached to  his  elegant  home  he  has  an  art 
gallery,  which  contains  a  choice  collection  ot 
paintings,  including  a  superior  cattle  piece  by 
Devlan   (considered   the   best  of   that   artist), 


836 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Shearer's  great  pieces,  known  as  "  Schwartzbach" 
and  "  Head-waters  of  the  Maiden  Creek,"  and 
studies  by  Benade  and  Spang. 

Internal  improvements  in  this  vicinity  have 
also  been  encouraged  by  Mr.  Eckert.  He  took 
a  prominent  part  iu  projecting  the  Berks 
County  Railroad  from  Reading  to  Slatington, 
and  upon  its  completion  served  as  a  director  in 
the  board  of  managers,  and  also  in  Wilming- 
ton and  Northern  Railroad.  Afterward,  when 
the  road  became  the  property  of  the  "  Schuyl- 
kill and  Lehigh  Railroad  Company,"  he  was 
chosen  one  of  the  directors,  and  he  has  been 
serving  as  such  since  that  time.  He  was  the 
principal  projector  of  the  Penn  Street  Passenger 
Railway,  and  by  his  enterprise  and  persever- 
ance this  railway  came  to  be  constructed  and 
operated  in  1874,  and  it  has  been  operated 
since  to  the  great  advantage  of  the  citizens  and 
property-holders  along  the  Perkiomen  Avenue 
and  the  vicinity  of  that  prominent  thorough- 
fare. It  has  contributed  much  towards  improv- 
ing East  Reading. 

His  father,  Isaac  Eckert,  served  as  president 
of  the  Farmers'  Bank  of  Reading  from  1840 
till  his  decease,  in  1873,  and  then  he,  the  son, 
was  chosen  as  the  successor  to  this  important 
position.  He  has  acted  as  president  of  this 
bank  till  now,  a  period  of  thirteen  years. 

In  the  cause  of  religion  and  of  advancing  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  Mr.  Eckert  has 
been  active,  zealous  and  liberal.  He  is  now 
and  has  been  for  some  time  a  vestryman  of 
Christ  Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Eckert  is  now 
holding  and  serving  various  prominent  and  re- 
sponsible positions  :  director  of  Charles  Evans' 
Cemetery,  and  also  of  Reading  Hospital ;  trus- 
tee of  the  Union  Trust  Company,  and  of  the 
Penn  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company,  at 
Philadelphia;  president  of  the  Eastern  Pig- 
Iron  Association  (since  its  organization  in  1883); 
president  of  the  Topton  Furnace  Company  at 
Topton,  and  of  the  Pennsylvania  Bolt  and  Nut- 
Works  at  Lebanon.  The  numerous  positions 
which  he  fills  indicate  the  high  character  of  the 
man,  and  the  confidence  of  the  people  in  his 
judgment  and  integrity. 

In  1857  Mr.  Eckert  was  married  to  Carrie 
Hunter,   a  daughter   of    Nicholas   Hunter    a 


prominent  and  successful  iron-master  of  Read- 
ing, with  whom  he  had  four  children, — Isaac 
married  to  Eliza,  daughter  of  William  M. 
Kaufman  ;  Helen,  intermarried  with  Herman 
Meigs ;  Hunter ;  and  Kate  M.  His  wife  was  a 
lady  of  superior  culture,  and  highly  appreciated 
in  this  community  for  her  friendship,  her 
charity  and  her  devotion  to  Christ  Church. 
She  died  March  28,  1880. 

National  Union  Bank  op  Reading  was 
chartered  by  the  State  May  5,  1857,  as  the 
"  Union  Bank  of  Reading,"  with  an  authorized 
capital  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  The 
first  election  for  directors  was  held  October  8, 
1857,  when  the  following-named  persons  were 
chosen :  John  S.  Pearson,  Henry  P.  Robeson,  M. 
A.  Bertolet,  Joseph  Mishler,  Joseph  Shomo, 
Charles  H.  Hunter,  Joseph  Henry,  Levi  J. 
Bertolet,  David  E.  Stout,  Jacob  Bushong,  Reese 
Davies,  Jeremiah  Hagenman  and  Peter  G.  Ber- 
tolet. The  bank  was  organized  October  14, 1857. 
John  S.  Pearson  was  elected  president,  and 
Charles  B.  McKnight  cashier. 

The  presidents  in  succession  have  been  John 
S.  Pearson,  October  14,  1857,  to  November  23, 
1857  ;  David  McKnight,  November  23,  1857, 
to  August  29, 1873 ;  Horatio  Trexler,  September 
9,  1873  (still  serving).  The  cashiers  have  been 
Charles  B.  McKnight,  October  14,  1857,  to 
July  17,  1878 ;  Edwin  Boone,  July  23,  1878 
(still  serving). 

The  national  charter  granted  by  the  United 
States  government  was  obtained  December  27, 
1864,  good  for  twenty  years,  and  the  institution 
was  then  named  the  "  National  Union  Bank  of 
Reading."  This  charter  was  renewed  Decem- 
ber 27,  1884,  to  extend  to  December  27,  1904. 
The  location  of  the  bank  building  has  always 
been  at  448  Penn  Street.  The  cost  of  the 
property  was  fifteen  thousand  dollars  in  1857. 
The  capital  stock  was  increased,  in  1865,  to 
two  hundred  thousand  dollars  by  a  stock  divi- 
dend of  one  hundred  per  cent.,  which  was  made 
in  addition  to  the  regular  dividends  each  six 
months.  This  bank  made  its  first  dividend 
November,  1858,  and  every  six  months  since, 
and  never  missed  one  to  this  date;  its  undivid- 
ed profits  are  now  two  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  being  equal  to  the  capital,  making  its 


a 


HEADING. 


837 


stock  sell  over  one  hundred  per  cent,  above 
par. 

David  McKnight  was  born  in  Reading 
May  2, 1814,  and  died  August  29,  1873,  in  the 
sixtieth  year  of  his  age.  His  father,  John  Mc- 
Knight, was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  He  was 
a  son  of  Paul  McKnight,  who  lived  and  died 
in  Chester  County.  When  the  Bank  of  Penn- 
sylvania opened  a  branch  at  Reading,  in  1808, 
John  McKnight,1  who  was  at  that  time  a  clerk 
in  the  employ  of  the  bank  in  Philadelphia,  re- 
moved to  Reading  for  the  purpose  of  taking 
charge  of  the  institution.  The  bank  was 
opened  in  the  building  now  occupied  by  the 
National  Union  Bank  of  Reading,  into  which 
John  McKnight  moved  with  his  wife,  whose 
maiden-name  was  Catharine  Stahl,  and  his  family, 
consisting  at  that  time  of  Elizabeth,  born  in 
1802  ;  Sarah,  born  in  1803 ;  Mary  Ann,  born 
in  1805  ;  and  Eleanor,  born  in  1807.  Here  he 
lived  until  his  death,  in  1855.  During  his  resi- 
dence in  Reading  the  following  children  were 
born :  John, in  1809 ;  Catharine,in  1811 ;  David, 
in  1814;  Charles,  in  1818;  and  James,  in  1820. 
All  these  children  lived  to  mature  years.  Eliza- 
beth married  John  Kennedy,  and  after  his 
death,  Generino  Persico  ;  Sarah  married  Dav- 
enport Orrick ;  Mary  Ann  married  Jacob 
Graeff;  Eleanor  married  Milton  B  ray  ton  ;  and 
Catharine  married  Oliver  Hause.  All  of  the 
daughters  are  now  deceased  except  Mrs.  Jacob 
Graeff,  who  is  a  widow,  still  living  (1886)  in 
Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

John,  the  oldest  son,  began  a  business  career 
in  Philadelphia,  and  died  early  in  life ;  Charles 
lived  in  Reading,  where  he  died  on  the  17th  of 
July,  1878.  James,  the  youngest  son,  is  still 
living  at  his  residence  in  the  suburbs  of 
Reading. 

David  McKnight,  after  spending  some  time 
at  Colonel  Rouinfort's  Military  Institute,  near 
Germantown,  Pa.,  completed  his  education  di- 
rectly under  the  supervision  of  his  father.  At 
the  age  of  fifteen  years  he  was  employed  as 
clerk  in  the  Branch  Bank  of  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  acquired  the  excellent  habits  and 
superior  business  qualifications  which  afterwards 

1  See  p.  681. 


distinguished  him  in  life.  He  remained  in  that 
institution,  rising  step  by  step,  until,  upon  the 
death  of  his  father,  in  1855,  he  was  elected 
cashier  of  the  Branch  Bank  of  Pennsylvania. 
This  position  he  held  until  1857,  when,  in  the 
financial  panic  that  swept  the  country  in  that 
disastrous  year,  the  Bank  of  Pennsylvania,  with 
its  numerous  branches,  was  compelled  to  suc- 
cumb. In  the  later  years  of  his  life  John  Mc- 
Knight, who  had  never  been  of  a  robust  consti- 
tution, was  unable  to  perform  all  his  official 
duties,  though  with  that  tenacity  of  purpose  and 
inflexible  devotion  to  duty  which  characterize 
the  Scotch-Irish  race,  he  still  gave  personal 
attention  to  the  business  when  actually  unfit 
physically  so  to  do.  In  these  later  years  the 
responsible  and  arduous  duties  incident  to  the 
management  of  the  institution  fell  largely  upon 
David  McKnight,  and  so  well  did  he  perform 
them,  that  when  the  Union  Bank  of  Reading 
was  incorporated,  in  1858,  he  was  at  once  elected 
president  of  the  institution.  This  office  he  held 
until  his  death.  Inheriting  the  strict  principles 
of  integrity  that  so  prominently  distinguished 
his  father's  character,  and  enjoying  at  the  same 
time  the  blessings  of  a  kindly  heart  and  genial 
disposition,  he  soon  beame  prominent  in  business 
and  social  circles.  In  addition  to  his  duties  as 
a  banker,  he  was  frequently  called  upon  to  ac- 
cept trusts  of  importance  and  difficulty,  and  the 
public  records  of  the  county  disclose  the  fre- 
quency with  which  he  was  called  upon  so  to  act, 
and  the  fidelity  and  integrity  with  which  all 
his  trusts  were  executed.  He  was  a  public- 
spirited  citizen,  and  participated  actively  in 
every  enterprise,  whether  of  business  or  social 
enjoyment  or  charity,  which  was  calculated  to 
enhance  the  welfare  of  our  city  and  her  people. 
In  1862,  during  the  absence  of  the  mayor,  Maj. 
Joel  B.  Wanner,  in  the  army,  he  was  elected  by 
the  City  Councils  as  acting  mayor  of  the  city, 
which  office  he  filled  until  the  expiration  of  the 
term.  In  1863,  during  the  absence  of  post- 
master Knabb  in  the  Pennsylvania  militia,  he 
also  acted  as  postmaster  pro  tern. 

He  was  called  upon  from  time  to  time  to  fill 
many  other  positions  of  honor  and  confidence, 
his  selection  to  which  was  evidence  of  the  es- 
teem in  which  he  was  held  by  his  fellow-citizens. 


838 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Scarcly  an  organization  existed  in  this  city  for 
public  or  private  benevolence  with  which  he 
was  not  associated,  either  as  an  officer  or  mem- 
ber. 

While  never  obtrusive  in  his  political  opinions, 
he  was  in  earlier  days  an  Old-Line  "Whig. 
When  that  party  was  merged  into  the  Repub- 
lican party  his  views  and  sympathies  naturally 
led  him  into  that  political  faith,  and  he  remained 
a  stanch  Republican  until  the  day  of  his  death. 
His  patriotism  was  fervid  and  throughout  the 
whole  war  he  gave  his  time,  his  labor  and  his 
pecuniary  aid  generously  to  his  country's  cause. 
The  records  he  left  behind  bear  ample  evidence 
of  the  great  amount  of  time,  labor  and  money 
he  expended  in  the  early  days  of  the  conflict  in 
the  maintenance  and  care  of  the  wives  and 
children  left  at  home  by  our  devoted  soldiers, 
to  become  in  many  cases  widows  and  orphans. 

The  same  rigid  integrity  which  distinguished 
his  business  career  also  characterized  his  private 
life. 

For  many  years  he  was  one  of  the  leading 
members  of  Christ  Episcopal  Church,  but  in  the 
later  years  of  his  life  he  connected  himself  with 
Trinity  Lutheran  Church,  which  he  regularly 
attended  with  his  family  till  his  death. 

In  person  Mr.  McKnight  was  a  genial,  com- 
panionable man.  There  was  ever  a  smile  upon 
his  frank  and  open  countenance  and  a  kindly 
word  for  all.  He  was  a  person  of  warm  friend- 
ships, social  disposition,  fine  conversational  abil- 
ities and  of  perfect  manners.  He  lived  a  useful 
life  and  left  the  impression  of  his  character  upon 
his  day  and  generation.  He  was  married,  April 
13,  1837,  to  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Joseph 
Hiester,  of  Reading,  Pa.  Their  children  are 
John  McKnight,  who  died  in  1882;  Mary  A., 
wife  of  John  A.  McClenegan;  Joseph  H. ; 
Amelia  M.,  wife  of  Charles  H.  Shaeffer,  Esq. ; 
William  S.;  and  Milton  B.,  a  member  of  the 
bar,  all  residing  in  the  city  of  Reading. 

At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion  but  two 
of  the  sons  were  of  sufficient  age  to  do  military 
duty,  both  of  whom  served  in  the  army,  John 
having  been  captain  of  a  company ;  Joseph  H. 
served  with  the  Ringgold  Battery  and  afterwards 
with  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth  Reg- 
iment, participating  in  the  battles  of  Antietam 


Chancellorsville  and  many  of  the  other  most 
notable  engagements  of  the  war. 

Charles  B.  McKnight  was  born  January 
18,  1818,  in  the  building  occupied  as  a  branch 
of  the  State  Bank  of  Pennsylvania,  more 
familiarly  known  at  the  time  as  the  Office  of 
Discount  and  Deposit  of  the  Bank  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. His  early  education  was  obtained  in 
the  schools  conducted  by  Joshua  Davies,  David 
Medary  and  Mr.  Haslem. 

In  1833  he  entered  as  a  clerk  the  mercantile 
establishment  of  E.  T.  Lane,  at  Mercersburg, 
Franklin  County,  Pa.  The  following  year  a 
position  was  offered  and  accepted  in  the  stock 
exchange  and  broker  office  of  B.  W.  Hewson, 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  Sep- 
tember, 1837.  Upon  his  return  to  Reading 
he  served  as  a  clerk  to  the  late  John  McManus, 
contractor  on  the  Reading  Railroad.  Upon  the 
opening  of  the  railroad  between  Reading  and 
Pottstown  for  business,  he  entered  the  office  of 
the  railroad  company  in  Reading  as  freight  and 
ticket  clerk. 

Upon  the  reopening  of  the  Branch  Bank  of 
the  Bank  of  Pennsylvania,  Philadelphia,  for 
business,  after  the  financial  crisis  of  1837,  he 
was  appointed  receiving  and  paying  teller  by 
his  father,  who  was  cashier  of  the  institution. 
When  the  bank  suspended  in  1857,  he  imme- 
diately inaugurated  a  movement  for  the  organ- 
ization of  a  new  bank,  and  during  that  year  the 
Union  Bank  was  organized,  and  he  chosen  as 
cashier.  Subsequently,  when  the  bank  accepted 
the  provision  of  the  National  Banking  Act,  and 
became  the  National  Union  Bank  of  Reading, 
he  was  elected  cashier  of  the  reorganized  bank, 
retaining  the  position  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  July  17,  1878,  closing  the  management 
of  a  bank  conducted  by  the  McKnight  family 
on  the  site  of  the  present  National  Union 
Bank  for  nearly  three-quarters  of  a  century. 

Edwin  Boone,  one  of  the  descendants  of 
George  Boone,  Esq.,  prominent  in  the  early  his- 
tory of  Berks  County  as  a  justiee  of  the  peace 
and  surveyor,  and  as  the  grandfather  of  Col. 
Daniel  Boone,  the  famous  "Kentucky  Pioneer," 
was  born  in- Exeter  township,  on  the  old  Boone 
homestead,  January  14,  1846.  He  is  the  son  of 
Ellis  Hughes  Boone  (who  was  also  born  on  the 


READING. 


839 


homestead  in  1818)  and  Ann  Cleaver,  his  wife 
(a  daughter  of  Derrick  Cleaver,  of  Oley  town- 
ship, a  descendant  of  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  that  section).  He  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Reading,  and  when  a  boy 
fifteen  years  old  came  to  be  employed  in  the 
Union  Bank  of  Reading,  on  March  4,  1861, 
four  years  after  the  bank  was  organized  to  take 
the  place  of  the  Branch  Bank  of  Pennsylvania. 
From  that  time  till  now,  a  period  covering 
twenty-five  years,  he  has  continued  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  bank,  rising  from  one  position  to 
another  till  he,  in  1878,  eventually  was  chosen 
its  cashier,  which  position  he  has  since  filled 
with  great  success  and  to  the  entire  satisfaction 
of  its  board  of  directors. 

Mr.  Boone  was  married  in  1868,  to  Mary 
Jane  Buchanan,  of  Reading,  and  has  two  chil- 
dren, Mary  and  Annie.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
First  Baptist  Church. 

Hokatio  Teexleb  was  born  in  Longswamp 
township,  Berks  County,  Pa.,  in  the  year  1812. 
Engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  in  1830  ; 
continued  in  same  until  1834,  after  which  he 
superintended  his  father's  iron-works,  consisting 
of  a  charcoal  blast  furnace,  located  in  Long- 
swamp  township,  Berks  County,  known  as 
Mary  Ann  Furnace ;  also  two  forges  situated  in 
District  township,  same  county ;  the  production 
of  the  forges  was  exclusively  bar-iron.  In  the 
year  1837  he  succeeded  his  father  in  the  furnace 
business,  became  the  owner  of  the  Mary  Ann 
Furnace,  which  continued  in  operation  every 
successive  year  up  to  1869,  since  which  time  it 
has  been  out  of  blast;  the  property  remains  in 
his  ownership. 

Mr.  Trexler  moved  to  Reading  in  1848.  In 
1853  he  bought  one-fourth  interest  in  the  Read- 
ing Iron-Works,  and  has  been  interested  and 
actively  engaged  in  said  works  up  to  this  time ; 
was  elected  a  director  in  National  Union  Bank  of 
Reading  in  1864,  and  president  of  said  bank  in 
1873,  which  position  he  now  holds ;  was  elected 
president  of  Reading  Gas-Works  in  1860  and 
fills  that  position  now.  He  has  been  interested 
and  actively  engaged  in  the  iron  business  since 
1837  up  to  present  time.  Mr.  Trexler  is  a  lead- 
ing Lutheran  and  a  representative  citizen  and 
is  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  oldest  families. 


First  National  Bank  of  Reading  was 
organized  under  and  according  to  the  require- 
ments of  the  act  of  Congress  "to  provide  a 
national  currency  by  a  pledge  of  United  States 
stocks  and  to  provide  for  the  circulation  and  re- 
demption thereof."  This  act  was  approved  by 
President  Lincoln,  February  25,  1863.  An 
association  of  individuals  of  Reading,  having 
complied  with  the  requirements  of  the  act,  ob- 
tained a  charter  for  and  organized  "  The  First 
National  Bank  of  Reading "  on  November 
12,  1863.  The  original  cash  capital  was  one 
hundred  thousand  dollars,  which  in  1879  was 
increased  to  two  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

The  first  directors  were  Levi  B.  Smith,  A .  F. 
Boas,  Edward  Brooke,  ffm.  Mcllvaine  and 
Win.  Clymer,  who,  upon  organization,  elected 
Levi  B.  Smith  president,  and  A.  F.  Boas 
cashier.  At  the  next  election  the  number  of 
directors  was  increased  to  nine.  Levi  B.  Smith 
continued  as  president  of  the  institution  until 
his  death,  in  1876,  when  Wm.  H.  Clymer  was 
elected  to  fill  the  same  position.  Upon  his 
death,  in  1880,  George  Brooke,  of  Birdsboro', 
was  chosen  president,  and  continues  as  such  to 
date.  A.  F.  Boas,  who  was  chosen  the  first 
cashier  in  1863,  occupied  that  position  until 
1878,  when  the  present  cashier,  John  R. 
Kaucher,  was  elected. 

Second  National  Bank  of  Reading  was 
chartered  August  10, 1881,  with  capital  paid  in, 
one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  The  following- 
named  directors  were  chosen  at  the  first  election, 
which  was  held  July  23,  1881 :  Isaac  Hiester, 
Thomas  D.  Stichter,  John  H.  Sell,  Israel  M. 
Bertolet,  Wm.  Mcllvaine,  J.  H.  Sternbergh, 
John  R.  Miller,  L.  M.  Kaufman  and  R.  T. 
Leaf.  The  first  meeting  of  directors  was  held 
July  23,  1881,  and  Wm.  Mcllvaine  was  elected 
president,  and  Christopher  Leoser,  cashier. 

October  1,  1881,  Frederick  A.  Roland  was 
elected  teller,  and  on  April  8,  1882,  Isaac 
Hiester  was  elected  vice-president,  since  which 
time  there  have  been  no  changes  in  the  officers. 
The  bank  was  opened  for  business  September  3, 
1883,  at  511  Penn  Street,  where  its  business  has 
since  been  conducted. 

Penn  National  Bank  of  Reading  was 
organized  March    3,    1833,   chartered   March 


840 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


12th,  and  began  business  March  14th.  The 
authorized  capital  of  the  bank  was  $100,000. 
The  first  election  was  held  on  the  day  of  organ- 
ization, when  the  following-named  directors 
were  chosen  :  I.  N.  Levan,  Adam  Bard,  F.  S. 
Bernhart,  A.  J.  Brumbach,  Geo.  F.  Baer,  Jacob 
S.  Hillegass,  Aug.  W.  Hoff,  David  Keiser, 
Jeremiah  G.  Mohn,  Jacob  Herbine,  Samuel 
H.  Lenhart,  George  K.  Lorah  and  Samuel  B. 
Knabb.  At  the  organization  of  the  board,  on 
the  same  day,  Mr.  Levan  was  elected  president; 
Calvin  D.  Moser,  cashier;  and  Samuel  H. 
Fulmer,  teller.  The  bank  was  opened  in  the 
room  previously  occupied  by  the  Commercial 
National  Bank.,  No.  748  Penn  Street.  Liberal 
patronage  from  the  merchants  of  Blading  and 
the  farmers  of  the  county  afforded  the  bank  fine 
prospect  for  success.  The  building  in  which  it 
was  started  and  still  is  kept  was  purchased, 
including  a  large  Corliss  burglar-proof  safe, 
which  cost  $17,000.  In  January,  1884,  the 
new  quarters  were  first  occupied.  No  change 
has  been  made  in  any  of  the  officers  or  clerks 
since  the  organization. 

Keystone  National  Bank. — This  bank 
was  organized  March,  1883,  in  a  building  at  624 
Penn  Street,  with  a  cash  capital  of  $100,000. 
Surplus  and  undivided  profits  of  the  year  1886 
are  $19,500.  The  officers  of  this  institution 
are  A.  Wilhelm,  president ;  Jacob  Holl,  cashier; 
Joseph  W.  Wanner,  teller. 

Suspended  Institutions. —  Among  the 
monetary  institutions  of  Reading  that  have  had 
an  existence  for  a  number  of  years  are  the  fol- 
lowing : 

Berks  County  Savings  Association  was  in- 
corporated April  23,  1835.  The  incorporators 
were  David  Hottenstein,  M.  S.  Richards,  H. 
A.  Muhlenberg,  G.  M.  Keim,  Lloyd  Wharton, 
Frederick  A.  Shulze,  Jos.  H.  Spayd,  Thomas 
Morris,  Elijah  Dechert,  Geo.  Bieber,  John 
Fister,  John  Beitenroan,  Daniel  Keim,  Geo. 
Fox,  John  Bailey,  Lewis  W.  Richards,  Wm. 
Arnold,  Geo.  Malsberger,  Peter  Filbert,  John 
F.  Smith,  John  Bickle,  John  Ritter,  John 
Miller,  Jacob  Long,  Wm.  Schoener,  David 
Bright,  Geo.  Zieber,  Jacob  Goodman,  Anthony 
Bickle,  Daniel  H.  Boas,  H.  W.  Smith,  John  M. 
Keim,  Jas.  L.  Dunn,  Wm.  Darling,  W.  Hamil- 


ton, David  Finger,  Geo.  Leaf,  Henry  McKin- 
ley  and  Heury  Flannery. 

Capital  not  to  exceed  $50,000 ;  par  value  of 
stock,  $25.     Interest  on  deposits  allowed. 

In  operation  June,  1835.  The  charter  of  this 
saving-bank  was  revoked  by  an  act  passed  in 
1836,  incorporating  the  Berks  County  Bank, 
which  was  to  succeed  to  all  rights,  etc.,  and 
authorized  to  increase  stock  to  $200,000. 

Bank  went  into  operation  April  25,  1836, 
with  the  following  officers  :  President,  Lloyd 
Wharton  ;  Secretary,  J.  M.  Keim  ;  Treasurer 
Samuel  S.  Jackson  ;  Notary,  Jeremiah  Snyder. 

Elijah  Dechert  succeeded  as  president.  It 
continued  in  operation  several  years.  Its  organ- 
ization having  been  effected  in  doubtful  times, 
little  financial  strength  could  be  imbibed  from 
the  community,  which  was  then  supporting  two 
well-established  banks.  In  1844  the  bank  fig- 
ured somewhat  conspicuously  by  an  over-issue 
of  relief  notes.     These  notes   were  redeemed. 

Reading  Savings-Bank  was  incorporated  by 
act  of  Assembly  in  1855  for  twenty  years,  with 
a  capital  of  fifty  thousand  dollars.  A  share  of 
stock  was  fifty  dollars.  The  charter  was  ac- 
cepted at  a  meeting  of  interested  citizens  on 
June  16,  1855,  and  all  the  stock  was  taken  by 
subscription.  The  first  directors  were  Augus- 
tus F.  Boas,  William  Umbenhower,  Hiram  C. 
Ritter,  William  C.  Ermentrout,  E.  Penn  Smith, 
Jacob  Dick,  Joseph  A.  Schneider.  Officers 
elected  :  A.  F.  Boas,  president ;  Adam  Leize, 
cashier.  Began  business  on  October  22,  1855, 
in  building  now  occupied  by  Second  National 
Bank,  on  Penn,  above  Fifth  Street.  This  bank 
suspended  November  16,  1877,  after  having 
been  in  successful  operation  for  over  twenty 
years. 

Commercial  National  Bank  was  organized 
in  1880,  with  a  capital  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  dollars,  by  William  Young'  and 
B.  F.  Young,  of  Mifflinburg,  Pa.,  and  a  num- 
ber of  business  men  of  Reading.  Business  was 
begun  in  the  building  of  I.  W.  Levan,  at  No. 
748  Penu  Street,  April  22,  1880.  William 
Young  was  the  first  president  and  B.  F. 
Young  the  cashier.  During  the  summer  of 
1882  a  handsome  brown-stone  building  was 
erected  at  No.  758  Penn  Street.     Before  the 


READING. 


841 


completion  of  the  new  bank  building  an  outside 
business  matter  alienated  nearly  all  the  friends 
of  the  institution,  who  withdrew  their  support, 
and  soon  after  organized  the  Penn  National 
Bank.  The  Commercial  National  Bank  re- 
mained in  the  new  building  until  October,  1883, 
when  the  Reading  stockholders  sold  their  stock 
to  the  Messrs.  Young,  and  took  in  part  pay- 
ment the  bank  building  from  the  latter,  and  the 
bank  went  into  voluntary  liquidation. 


PAET    IX. 

OFFICIALS. 

Burgesses  axd  Mayors. — The  principal 
executive  officer  of  Reading,  during  its-  history 
as  a  borough,  from  1-783  to  1847,  was  a  "Chief 
Burgess."  He  was  elected  annually  at  the  reg- 
ular spring  election.  His  duties  were  prescribed 
by  law  and  these  he  was  sworn  to  execute.  They 
pertained  to  the  peace  of  the  borough,  and  the 
regulation  of  its  several  affairs  pursuant  to  the 
rules  and  ordinances  adopted  by  the  "  Town 
Council."  He  was  also  ex  officio  a  justice  of 
the  peace.  The  following  list  comprises  the 
names  of  those  who  served  from  1815,  those 
who  served  previously  not  having  been  obtain- 
able. The  election  was  held  annually  in  May  till 
1838,  when  it  was  changed  to  March. 

In  1847,  upon  the  incorporation  of  the  bor- 
ough into  a  city,  the  chief  officer  was  named 
mayor.  His  term  of  office  was  one  year.  In 
1861  it  was  increased  to  two  years,  since  which 
time  it  has  remained  the  same. 

The  office  of  treasurer  was  filled  annually  till 
1861,  when  the  term  was  increased  to  two 
years. 

CHIEF  BUEGES8ES. 
Name.  Term. 

JohnSpayd 1815-23 

William  Witman 1823-25 

Peter  Nagle,  Jr...  1825-31 ;  1832-33  ;  1837-39 

Henry  A.  Muhlenberg 1831-32 

George  M.  Keim 1833-34 

Anthony  Bickel 1834-35 

Thomas  Kepple 1835-36 

William  Schoener 1836-37  ;  1839-43 

William  High 1843^4 

William  Betz 1841^47 

73 


MAYORS. 
Name.  Term. 

Peter  Filbert 1847-48 

William  H.  Keim 1848-49 

George  Getz1 1849-53 

Daniel  R.  Clymer 1853-54 

JohnS.  Richards 1854-55 

William  M.  Baird 1855-56 

Joel  B.  Wanner 1856-57 

A.  Jordan  Swartz 1857-58 

Benneville  Keim 1858-61 

Joel  B.  Wanner2 1861-63 

Joseph  S.  Hoyer 1863-65 

Nathan  M.  Eisenhower 1865-67 

William  H.  Gernand 1867-71 

Samuel  C.  Mayer 1871-73 

Charles  F.  Evans 1873-79 

Henry  A.  Tyson 1879-81 

William  G.  Rowe 1881-85 

James  K.  Getz 1885-87 

CITY  ELECTION  KETUENS  FOE  MAYOE,  AND 
MAJORITIES. 

1847. 

Peter  Filbert,  Dem 632 

Wm.  H.  Keim,  Whig 605 

Majority  for  Filbert 27 

(W.  A.  Wells  had  a  vote  of  210.) 
1848. 

Wm.  H.  Keim,  Whig 936 

Daniel  R.  Clymer,  Dem 926 

Majority  for  Keim 10 

1849. 

George  Getz,  Whig 956 

Andrew  M.  Sallade,  Dem 746 

Majority  for  Getz 210 

(Peter  Filbert  had  a  vote  of  262.) 

1850. 

George  Getz,  Whig 1130 

Andrew  F.  Sallade,  Dem 749 

Majority  for  Getz 381 

1851. 

George  Getz,  Whig 746 

Peter  Filbert,  Dem 670 

Majority  for  Getz 76 

(Scattering,  203.) 

1852. 

George  Getz,  Whig 738 

Daniel  R.  Clymer,  Dem 683 

Majority  for  Getz 55 

i  Mr.  Getz  died  February  10,  1853,  and  General  Geo. 
M.  Keim  was  elected  to  fill  the  short  vacancy. 

2  Mr.  Wanner  enlisted  in  the  Civil  War  before  the  expi- 
ration of  his  term,  and  David  McKnight  was  elected  to  fill 
the  vacancy. 


842 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


1853. 

Daniel  R.  Clymer,  Dem 975 

John  S.  Richards,  Whig 923 

Majority  for  Clymer 52 

1854. 

John  S.  Richards,  Ind ..654 

Daniel  R.  Clymer,  Dem 614 

Majority  for  Richards 40 

(John  C.  Myers,  Ind.,  had  a  vote  of  562  ; 

William  Mason,  71.) 

1855. 

William  M.  Baird,  Amer 1544 

Samuel  L.  Young,  Fusion 840 

Majority  for  Baird 704 

1856. 

Joel  B.  Wanner,  Dem 1197 

Peter  Filbert,  Amer 1173 

>  Majority  for  Wanner 24 

1857. 

A.  Jordan  Swartz,  Dem 1373 

Charles  K.  Robeson,  Fusion 1005 

Majority  for  Swartz 368 

1858. 

Benneville  Keim,  Amer 1519 

Jacob  M.  Sallade,  Dem 1075 

Majority  for  Keim 444 

1859. 

Benneville  Keim,  Amer 1703 

John  K.  McKurdy,  Dem 759 

Majority  for  Keim 944 

1860. 

Benneville  Keim,  People's 1420 

Michael  Kraemer,  Sr.,  Dem 1285 

Majority  for  Keim I35 

1861. 

Joel  B.  Wanner,  Dem 1773 

Benneville  Keim,  Rep 1129 

Majority  for  Wanner 644 

1863. 

Joseph  S.  Hoyer,  Dem 1512 

David  McKnight,  Rep 1269 

Majority  for  Hoyer 243 

1865. 

Nathan  N.  Eisenhower,  Rep 1590 

Matthias  Mengel,  Dem 1448 

Majority  for  Eisenhower 142 

1867. 

William  H.  Gernand,  Dem 2101 

Henry  Van  Reed,  Rep 1775 

Majority  for  Gernand 226 


1869. 

William  H.  Gernand,  Dem 2305 

J.  Pringle  Jones,  Ind 2146 

Majority  for  Gernand 159 

1871. 

Samuel  C.  Mayer,  Dem 2972 

William  Geiger,  Rep 2521 

Majority  for  Mayer 451 

1873. 

Charles  F.  Evans,  Rep 3304 

William  H.  Gernand 3013 

Majority  for  Evans 281 

1875. 

Charles  F.  Evans,  Rep 3677 

Henry  M.  Keim,  Dem 3303 

Majority  for  Evans 374 

1877. 

Charles  F.  Evans,  Rep 3735 

J.  George  Seltzer,  Dem 3351 

Majority  for  Evans 384 

1879. 

Henry  A.  Tyson,  Dem 4114 

Charles  F.  Evans 2933 

Majority  for  Tyson 1181 

1881. 

William  G.  Rowe,  Rep 3868 

Henry  A.  Tyson,  Dem 3831 

Majority  for  Rowe 37 

1883. 

William  G.  Rowe,  Rep 4405 

George  S.  McFarlan,  Dem 4154 

Majority  for  Rowe 251 

1885. 

James  K.  Getz,  Dem 4629 

William  G.  Rowe,  Rep 4106 

Majority  for  Getz 523 

City  Vote  Compared.— The  total  vote  of 
the  city  in  1847  for  mayor  was  1237.  This  was 
in  the  spring  of  that  year.  The  total  vote  for 
Governor  in  the  fall  of  that  year  was  2273,  a 
difference  of  1036  j  and  in  1848,  for  President^ 
it  was  2945. 

In  1883  the  total  vote  for  mayor  was  8659 ; 
in  1882,  for  Governor,  9110;  and  in  1880,  for 
President,  9047. 

The  taxables  of  the  city  and  the  total  vote  for 
President  for  two  periods  are  compared  to  show 
the  proportion  of  taxables  who  voted,— 

Taxables.        Vote.      Per  C«nt. 

1856 4,775  3287  69 

1880 10,679  9047  85 


READING. 


843 


The  proportion  of  taxables  in  the  whole 
county  who  voted  in  1880  was  eighty-six  per 
cent. 

Aldermen.1 — In  1847  the  city  was  divided 

i  Justices  of  the  Peace. — The  following  list  of  justices 
of  the  peace  of  the  borough  was  copied  from  the  record  at 
Harrisburg. 

Valentine  Eckert 1784 

Henry  Christ 1784 

John  Otto 1785 

James  Diemer ,  ...1788 

Peter  Nagle August  3,  1791 

James  May  (does  not  act) August  31,  1791 

John  Christ October  3,  1799 

Peter  Frailey 

Matthias  Richards 

Henry  Hahn April  1,  1806 

Frederick  Heller Januai-y  1,  1807 

Jacob  Miller November  13,  1811 

John  M.  Hyneman September  b,  1813 

Christopher  Scherrer September  17,  1813 

John  Addanis  May  13,  1816 

Wm.  Schoener March  24,  1818 

JohnFrantz March  24,  1818 

(Vacated  by  accepting  office  under  U.  S.  Gov- 
ernment; recommissioned  October  17,  1820.) 

Frederick  Fritz June  28,  1821 

John  Spayd June  28,  1821 

Matthias  Richards November  8, 1823 

Edward  B.  Hubley December  3,  1823 

Joseph  Tyson December  8,  1823 

Curtis  Lewis December  8,  1823 

Peter  Aurand December  12,  1823 

John  Miller December  12,  1823 

Henry  Betz December  12,  1823 

Matthias  Richards April  4,1827 

Jonathan  D.  Hiester June  5,  1827 

(Removed  out  of  town.) 

Peter  Nagle,  Jr August  1,  1828 

Jacob  Sallade March  5,  1830 

David    Rightmyer July  25,  1831 

Lloyd  Wharton October  19,  1831 

Lewis  Rees April  2,  1832 

Thomas  Morris January  4,  1836 

Jacob  Fritz February  12,  1838 

Henry  Tothers September  22,  1838 

Henry  Bowman March  26,  1839 

In  1840  Reading  was  divided  into  two  wards  for  justices, 
Penn  Street  having  been  the  dividing  line. 
North   Ward. 

Wm.  Schoener Aprill4,  1840 

Henry  Betz April  14,  1840 

Wm.  Betz April  13,  1841 

Wm.  Schoener April  15,  1845 

Wm.  Betz April  14,  1846 

South   Ward. 
Charles  Troxell April  14,  1840 

i  Resigned.) 

Wm.  A.  Wells April  14,  1840 

(Resigned  March  15,  1844.) 

Marks  B.  Eckert April  12,  1842 

David  Medary April  9,  1844 

Matthias  Mengel April  15,  1845 

On  December  5,  1803,  pursuant  to  the  act  of  April  4, 
1803,  the  county  commissioners  divided  the  county  of 
Berks  into  fifteen  districts  for  justices  of  the  peace. 
Reading  was  made  one  district,  called  First,  and  given 
four  justices.  Their  names  were  Peter  Nagle,  James  May, 
John  Christ  and  Peter  Frailey. 


into  two  districts  for  aldermen,  that  portion 
north  of  Penn  Street  comprising  the  Northern 
District,  and  that  portion  south,  the  Southern  ; 
and  each  district  was  given  two  aldermen  with 
a  term  of  five  years.  An  additional  alderman 
was  given  to  the  Northern  District  by  a  special 
act  of  Assembly,  passed  January  31,  1873,  by 
reason  of  its  extent  and  large  population.  In 
1874  the  new  charter  created  nine  wards  in  the 
city  and  gave  each  ward  an  alderman.  Two 
wards  were  erected  in  1876  and  two  more  in 
1885  ;  and  thence  the  electors  of  each  ward  also 
elected  an  alderman. 

from  1847-75. 

Northern   District. 
Name.  Term. 

William  Betz 1847-51 

William  Schoener2 1847-51 

Frank  B.  Miller 1851-65 

William  B.  Schoener 1851-75 

Washington  Richards 1865-73 

Lewis  Kremp 1873-75 

Israel  C.  Becker 1874-75 

Southern  District. 

David  Medary 1847-55 

Matthias  Mengle 1847-60;  1868-73 

George  Printz 1855-75 

John  Quimby 1860-63 

Peter  Cleaver 1863-68 

Ezekiel  Jones 1873-75 

UNDER   CHARTER  OF  1874. 

First  ward. 
Name.  Term. 

Enos  Morris 1875-78 

John  B.  Maxton 1878-84 

John  W.  Ringler 1884— 

Second  ward. 

Joseph  R.  Pawling 1875-80 

Christopher  M.  Deem 1880-85 

George  Ritner 1885-90 

Third   ward. 

Ezekiel  Jones 1875-83 

John  Hippie 1883-88 

Fourth  ward. 

Matthias  Mengel 1875-85 

Edmund  Sheetz 1885-90 

Fifth  ward. 

Daniel  Potteiger 1875-85 

Robert  L.  Keith 1885-90 


2  William  Schoener  died  whilst  serving  the  office.  He 
officiated  as  an  alderman  for  thirty-three  continuous  years, 
—from  1818  to  1851— and  enjoyed  the  entire  confidence  of 
the  community.  He  was  seventy  years  old  at  the  time  of 
his  death. 


844 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Sixth  ward. 

Jonathan  L.  Beber 1875-77 

George  M.  Ermentrout 1877-87 

Seventh  ward. 

William  B.  Schoener 1875-81 

Israel  C.  Becker 1875-78 

John  G.  L.  Brownwell 1881-86 

(Ee-elected,  1886.) 
Eighth  ward. 

Lewis  Kremp 1875-78 

William  L.  Graul : 1878-83 

John  Denhard 1883-88 

Ninth  ward. 

Isaac  E.  Fisher 1875-85 

(Ee-elected,  1885.) 
Tenth  ward. 

Henry  H.Holl 1876-86 

(Ee-elected,  1886.) 
Eleventh  ward. 

Israel  M.  Bertolet 1876-80 

David  Eink 1880-81 

George  H.  Long 1881-86 

(Ee-elected,  1886.) 
Twelfth  ward. 

John  K.  Howden L 1886— 

Thirteenth  ward. 
Peter  T.  Phillippi1 1886— 

PRESIDENTS  OF  SELECT  COUNCIL. 
Name.  Term. 

Henry  Nagle 1847-50;  1854-55 

JoelEitter 1850-52 

Peter  F.  Nagle 1852-54 

Samuel  Frees 1855-58 

Hiram  C.  Eitter 1858-59 

John  D.  Morris 1859-60;  1861-62 

Frederick  8.  Boas 1860-61 

Jacob  C.  Hoff. 1862-64 

Jacob  Bushong 1864-65 

Levi  J.  Smith 1865-66 

George  W.  Garst .....1866-67;  1868-70 

Frederick  Lauer 1867-68 

Geo.  W.Morgan 1870-71;  1872-73 

Frederick  W.  Lauer 1871-72 

Henry  S.  Eckert 1873-75 

James  L.  Douglas 1875-76 

Frederick  P.  Heller : 1876-77 

Jesse  Orr 1877-79 

Joseph  Ganser 1879-80 

William  H.  Kelly 1880-82 

F.  S.  Jacobs 1882 

Levi  J.  E.  Krick 1882-83 

John  L.  Lawrence 1883-84 

Michael  McCullough 1884-86 

Henry  H.  Heckman 1886-87 

1  Elected  for  five  years. 


CLERKS  OF  SELECT  COUNCIL. 
Name.  Term. 

John  L.  Eightmyer 1847-51 

James  L.  Eightmyer 1851-52 

Nathan  M.Eisenhower 1852-61 

A.  Lucius  Hennershotz 1861-62 

Adam  Waid 1862-64 

B.  Frank  Haas 1864-73 

Edward  A.  Howell 1873-79 

John  H.  Keppelman 1879-84 

George  H.  Felix 1884-87 

PRESIDENTS  OF  COMMON  COUNCIL. 
Name.  Term. 

Lewis  Briner 1847-49 

Samuel  Frees 1849-50 

William  A.  Wells 1850-51 

Augustus  C.  Hoff. 1851-53 

Adam  Waid 1853-54;  1859-60 

Hiram  C.  Eitter 1854-55 

Joseph  A.  McLean 1855-56 

John  Fink 1856-57 

Henry  A.  M.  Filbert 1857-59 

J.  Timothy  Jackson 1860-61 

Samuel  M.  Fillman 1861-62 

William  B.  Hertzel 1862-63 

James  Donagan 1863-64 

William  S.  Eitter 1864-65 

George  B.  Connard 1865-66 

Levi  Wunder 1866-67 

Michael  McCullough 1867-69 

Addy  Gebry 1869-71;  1874-75 

Lew.  Wanner 1871-73 

Abner  K.  Stauffer 1873-74 

Charles  B.  Wells '. 1875-76 

Wesley  C.  Hall 1876-77 

William  G.  Eowe 1877-78 

HiesterM.  Nagle 1878-79 

Christian  W.  Geissler 1879-80 

Edward  O.  Immel 1880-81 

James  K.  Getz 1881-82 

Amos  B.  Wanner 1882-83 

Ellis  L.  Castor 1883-84 

Lewis  Heilman. 1884-85 

James  A.  O'Eeilly 1885-87 

CLERKS  OF  COMMON  COUNCIL. 
Name.  ierm, 

John  W.  Tyson 1847-52 

A.  L.  Hennershotz 1852-58;  1859-61 

Michael  P.  Boyer 1858-59 

B.  Frank  Haas 1861-62 

Nathan  M.  Eisenhower 1862-63 

John  Ealston 1863-72 

Solomon  A.  Stout 1872-73 

Charles  S.  Butler 1873-74;  1875-76 

John  C.  K.  Heine 1874-75 

Jonathan  Holt 1876-78 

Henry  H.  Holl 1878-79 

Luther  Seiders 1879-80 

George  H.  Felix 1880-83 


READING. 


845 


Charles  J.  Tyson 1883-86 

John  H.  Focht 1886-87 

TREASURERS. 
Name.  Term. 

Peter  Nagle 1815-28 

JohnHahn 1828-36 

William  Ermentrout 1836-43 

George  Feather 1843-47;  1847-55 

George  R.  Frill 1855-56 

Daniel  S.  Holl 1856-57 

George  W.  Bruckman 1857-58 

Michael  Kraemer 1858-59 

Peter  Cleaver 1859-61 

Peter  Shaneman 1861-63 

William  Heidenreich 1863-71 

John  E.  Arthur 1871-85 

Horatio  Jones 1885-87 

AUDITORS. 

Name.  Term. 

Lewis  J.  Hanold 1847^8 

Nathan  M.Eisenhower 1847-19  ;  1859-61 

John  L.  Eeifsnyder 1847^19 

Frank  B.Miller 1848-19 

Jacob  B.  Smith 1849-50 

Z.  H.  Maurer 1849-51;  185-1-55 

Jeremiah  Bitting 1849-50 

John  Darrah 1850-52 

George  Heekman 1850-51 

James  L.  Bightmyer .1851-52 

John  F.  Evans 1851-54 

John  F.  Moers 1852-53 

A.  W.  Nagle 1852-53  ;  1854-55 

JohnPfleager 1853-54 

William  Briner 1853-54 

John  J.  Tyson 1854-55 

Peter  Cleaver 1855-56 

William  Geiger 1855-56 

John  A.Banks 1855-56 

Matthias  Babb 1856-57 

William  Henry 1856-57 

Albert  G.  Green 1856-57 

William  Umbenhower 1857-58 

Wharton  Morris 1857-58;  1861-62 

James  Van  Horn 1858-59 

Amos  B.  Wanner 1858-59 

John  0.  Schoener 1858-59 

Peres  Hain 1859-60 

Charles  Scull 1859-60 

Henry  Eppihimer 1860-61 

James  A.  Fasig 1860-61 

B.  Frank  Haas 1861-63 

Charles  F.  Smith 1861-64 

Lewis  Briner 1862-65 

Henry  Kerper 1863-66 

Isaac  E.  Fisher 1864-67 

JohnS.  Aulenbach 1865-68 

William  M.  Goodman 1866-69 

John  E.  Arthur 1867-71 


Hiester  M.  Nagle 1868-71 

W.  Murray  Weidman 1869-72 

Levi  H.  Liess 1871-74 

John  Keppelman 1872-73 

Jacob  Lenhart 1872-75 

Isaac  T.  James 1873-75 

Henry  M.Keim 1874r-75 

CONTROLLERS. 
Name.  Term. 

William  Briner  l 

Chester  N.  Farr,  Jr 1875-76 

Henry  A.  Tyson 1876-79 

William  A.  Eunkel 1879-81 

Joseph  Housum 1881-87 

SOLICITORS. 
Name.  Term. 

James  Donagan 1847-48 

George  G.  Barclay 1848-50 

J.  Bright  Smith 1850-52 

William  F.  Filbert 1852-53 

Edmund  L.  Smith 1853-55 

Charles  K.  Eobeson 1855-57 

Albert  G.  Green 1857-59 

A.  Lucius  Hennershotz 1859-61 

Wharton  Morris 1861-62 

George  J.  Eckert 1862-63 

James  B.  Bechtel 1863-64 

Edward  H.  Shearer '. 1864-65 

J.  Glancy  Jones 1865-67 

Daniel  Ermentrout 1867-70 

Edwin  Shalter 1870-73 

J.  Howard  Jacobs 1873-74 

William  M.  Eightmyer 1874^75 

Daniel  H.  Wingerd 1875-79 

Christian  H.  Buhl 1879-81 

Benjamin  F.  Dettra 1881-83 

Wayne  Hayman 1883-85 

William  J.  Eourke 1885-87 

ENGINEERS. 
Name.  Term. 

Matthias  S.  Eichards 1847^8 

Aaron  Albright.. .1848-57;  1859-61 ;  1862-63 

William  Davis 1857-58 

Christian  Stolz 1858-59 

D.  S.  Zacharias...  1861-62;  1863-68 ;  1874r-76 

Samuel  M.  Eea 1868-74 

Henry  T.  Kendall 1876-79 

Levi  Wunder 1879-81 

A.  Harvey  Tyson 1881-85 

Daniel  Housum 1885-87 

CHIEFS  OF  POLICE. 
Name.  Term. 

John  L.  Morris 1847-49 ;  1858-59 

Henry  Seitzinger 1849-51 

.    John  H.  Nagle 1851-54 

1  Mr.  Briner  did  not  accept  the  office  to  which  he  was 
elected  in  1875,  and  Governor  J.  i\  Hartranft  appointed 
Chester  N.  Farr,  Jr.,  until  the  election  of  a  successor. 


846 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Keuben  Goodhart 1854-55 

William  Y.  Lyon 1855-57  ;  1860-61 

Samuel  Folk 1857-58 

Henry  Wunder 1859-60 

Howard  L.  Miller 1861-63 

Jacob  B.  Mast 1863-65 

Joseph  Deysher 1865-67 

William  McNall 1887-71 

Peter  Cullen 1871-79 

Daniel  Housum 1879-81 

Raymond  B.  Lewis 1881-85 

Frederick  H.  Fleck 1885-87 

Water  Commissioners. — The  city  was  divi- 
ded into  four  districts  for  the  election  of  com- 
missioners of  water  by  an  act  passed  March  21, 
1865.  Sixth  Street  and  Penn  Street  were  made 
the  dividing  lines ;  and  the  City  Councils 
were  required  to  elect  four  persons,  one  from 
each  district.  Of  the  first  board  two  were  to 
hold  office  for  two  years  and  the  remaining  two 
for  four  years  ;  and  thereafter  every  two  years 
Councils  were  to  elect  two  members  for  four 
years.  Like  the  office  of  City  Councilman,  this 
office  is  without  compensation.  In  pursuance 
of  the  act  mentioned,  the  following  persons 
served  as  commissioners : 

Name.  Term. 

Jacob  Bushong 1865-67 

Joseph  Mishler 1865-67 

David  A.  Stout 1865-73 

John  Maltzberger 1865-67 

Thomas  L.  Addison 1867-73;  1877-85 

Jacob  C.  Hoff. 1867-71 

Levi  J.  Smith 1867-83 

William  R.  Mcllwain 1871-83 

Solomon  L.  Snyder 1873-77 

Augustus  C.  Greth 1873-77 

Addy  Gehry 1875-79 

George  K.  Levan 1877-80 

Charles  Melcher 1877 

Matthias  Mengel 1880-81 

Charles  K.  Hillegass 1881-83 

Jacob  Holl 1883-89 

F.  S.  Jacobs 1883-87 

Isaac  McHose 1883-87 

Albert  A.  Heizmann 1885-89 

Board  op  Health.1— Initiatory  steps  to- 
ward the  formation  of  a  body,  whose  express 
duty  it  was  to  look  after  the  health  of  the  city, 
were  first  taken  in  July,  1872,  but  a  satisfac- 
tory organization  was   not  effected  till   1874. 

1  The  author  is  indebted  to  Edward  A.  Howell,  clerk  of 
the  Board  of  Health,  for  the  names  of  the  members. 


An  act  of  Assembly  was  passed  on  April  22, 
1873,  specially  authorizing  the  establishment  of 
a  Board  of  Health  for  Reading,  with  powers 
for  the  preservation  of  the  public  health.  The 
board  was  made  to  consist  of  seven  members, 
with  an  indefinite  term  of  service  and  without 
compensation,  who  were  to  be  appointed  by  the 
presidents  of  the  City  Councils.  The  city  was 
divided  into  four  districts,  with  Sixth  and  Penn 
Streets  as  the  dividing  lines.  One  member  was 
to  be  appointed  from  each  district  and  one  from 
the  city  at  large  ;  and  these  five  were  to  select 
two  physicians.  And  provision  was  made  for 
the  annual  appointment  of  a  health  commis- 
sioner by  the  board,  with  a  compensation  to  be 
fixed  by  Councils. 

The  Board  of  Health  effected  the  first  per- 
manent organization  on  March  10,  1874.  The 
following  persons  were  members  : 

First  District. 

Name.  Term. 

Charles  Breneiser 1874-80 

Dr.  William  F.  Marks 1880— 

Second  District. 

David  Ermentrout 1874-82 

Garrett  B.  Stevens 1882-83 

Charles  H.  Schaeffer 1883— 

Third  District. 

Dr.  W.  Murray  Weidman 1874-82 

Thomas  P.  Merritt 1882— 

Fourth  District. 

Dr.  S.  S.  Stevens 1874-82 

David;  P.  Schlott 1882— 

At  Large. 
Dr.  Martin  Luther 1874 — 

Physicians. 

Dr.  Israel  Cleaver 1874-79 

Dr.  Frank  Rieser .....1874-80 

Dr.  M.  Albert  Rhoads 1879— 

Dr.  William  F.  Muhlenberg 1880-83 

Dr.  Adam  B.  Dundor 1883— 

Note.— The  dash  after  the  year  indicates  contin- 
uance in  office. 

HEALTH   COMMISSIONERS. 
Name.  Term. 

Charles  F.  Frick 1874 

Howard  L.  Miller 1874-82 

Roland  Laing 1882-87 

The  following  are  interesting,  statistics  of 
marriages,  births  and  deaths  in  the  city  for  the 
years  named : 


READING. 


847 


In  1881  there  were  620  marriages,  1283 
births  and  895  deaths. 

In  1882  there  were  594  marriages,  1316 
births  and  890  deaths. 

In  1883  there  were  634  marriages,  1384 
births  and  869  deaths. 

In  1885  there  were  628  marriages,  1447 
births  and  917  deaths. 

The  board  for  the  year  1886  is  constituted  as 
follows:  M.  A.  Ehoads,  M.D.,  (president), 
Martin  Luther,  M.D.,  William  F.  Marks,  M. 
D.,  D.  P.  Schlott,  Thomas  P.  Merritt,  A.  B. 
Dundor,  M.D.,  C.  H.  Schaeffer,  Esq.,  E.  A. 
Howell  (secretary),  R.  J.  Laing,  (health  com- 
missioner.) 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES   OF   MAYOES.  1 

Peter  Nagle,  Jr.,  was  born  at  Reading 
June  11,  1782.  He  was  well  educated,  and 
wrote  a  fine  hand.  He  was  a  superior  musi- 
cian, and  officiated  as  organist  in  the  First 
Reformed  Church  during  his  early  manhood. 
His  business  was  hat  manufacturing,  in  which 
he  became  both  prominent  and  successful.  Sub- 
sequently he  removed  to  the  northern  part  of 
Amity  township,  where  he  owned  several  fine 
farms,  including  the  "  Yellow  House  "  proper- 
ty, and  carried  on  tavern-keeping  for  some 
years.  He  returned  to  Reading,  engaged  in  the 
grocery  business  for  a  time  and  then  in  the  dis- 
tilling business  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Tenth 
and  Chestnut  Streets.  He  was  a  superior  busi- 
ness man. 

He  officiated  as  chief  burgess  of  Reading  for 
nine  years,— 1825-31,  1832-33  and  1837-39. 
General  Lafayette  visited  the  United  States 
during  that  time,  and  he  addressed  a  letter  to 
Burgess  Nagle,  February  5,  1825,  thanking 
the  Council  and  citizens  of  Reading  for  their 
kind  invitation  to  him  to  visit  Reading.2  His 
father,  Peter  Nagle,  served  as  treasurer  of  the 
borough  from  1815  to  1828.  This  continuous 
service  indicates  his  integrity  as  a  man  and  his 
prominence  as  a  citizen. 

Mr.  Nagle  was  a  large  man,  over  six  feet  in 
height,  and  weighed  about  three  hundred  and 


1  Besides  the  sketches  of  the  mayors  given  in  this  chapter, 
sketches  of  all  the  other  mayors  appear  elsewhere  in  this 
history. 

'  See  p.  677. 


twenty-five  pounds.  In  disposition  he  was 
genial  and  unpretentious.  He  was  married  to 
Susan  E.  Filbert  December  28, 1802,  by  whom 


he  had  one  daughter  and  seven  sons,  four  of  the 
latter  surviving  him, — Filbert  J.,  Peter  F., 
Augustus  W.  and  Henry. 

Joseph  S.  Hoyer  was  born  in  Robeson 
township,  this  county,  September  10,  1817. 
He  was  educated  at  Myerstown,  Lebanon 
County,  and  taught  public  schools  for  a  number 
of  years  in  addition  to  his  duties  as  a  farmer. 
Removing  to  Reading,  he  conducted  a  general 
store  for  a  time  and  held  various  offices  of  trust. 
He  officiated  as  mayor  of  Reading  for  one  term 
— from  1863  to  1865— and  afterwards  served 
for  a  number  of  years  as  a  clerk  in  the  prothono- 
tary's  office  of  this  county:  He  died  in  Reading 
June  16,  1880. 

Nathan  M.  Eisenhower  was  born  in 
Reading  in  1811,  and,  after  reaching  nearly 
three-score  and  ten  years,  died  very  suddenly 
on  September  2,  1879. 

He  was  well  known  as  a  builder,  and  was  the 
senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Eisenhower,  Fink 
&  Co.  In  his  business  relations  he  was  a  care- 
ful and  conscientious  man,  and  a  very  highly 
esteemed  citizen  of  this  community.  He  served 
some  years  as  clerk  of  the  old  Borough  Council. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Odd-Fellows  and  also 
of  the  Masonic  order,  in  the  progress  of  which 
he  took  an  earnest  interest,  and  these  societies 
buried  him  with  h'bnors.  He  officiated  as  mayor 


848 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


for  one  term — from  1865  to  1867,  having  been 
elected  to  this  position  by  the  Republicans. 

William  H.  Gerjstand  was  a  son  of  Abra- 
ham and  Catherine  Gemand,  of  Cumru  town- 
ship, and  died  at  Reading  Nov.  22,  1874,  aged 
over  fifty-five  years.  In  early  life  he  was  a 
farmer ;  he  afterwards  became  a  school-teacher, 
and  pursued  the  profession  of  teaching  for  many 
years. 

He  officiated   as  mayor  of  Reading  for  two 


a  time  he  was  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of 
Moyer  &  Hart,  on  Penn  Street,  in  the  dry- 
goods  business.  With  the  exception  of  a  few 
years  spent  at  Philadelphia,  he  has  resided  con- 
tinuously in  Reading  since  1841.  He  officiated 
as  mayor  of  Reading  for  one  term — from  1871 
to  1873. 

Daniel  R.  Clymer,  the  eldest  son  of  Ed- 
ward T.  Clymer,  was  born  at  the  Clymer  home- 
stead, in  Caernarvon  township,  Berks  County, 


terms— from  1867  to  1871.  He  was  a  prom- 
inent and  very  active  member  in  a  number  of 
secret  orders  and  took  a  warm  interest  in  their 
affairs.  In  manner  he  was  quiet  and  unpreten- 
tious, and  his  exemplary  life  won  the  highest 
regard  of  his  fellow-citizens. 

Samuel  C.  Myer  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Lancaster,  Pa.,  April  17,  1824.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen  years  he  became  a  citizen  of  Reading, 
where  he  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits.     For 


on  March  31,  1819.  After  receiving  his  edu- 
cation at  Lititz,  in  Lancaster  County,  he  came 
to  Reading,  and  was  employed  as  a  clerk  in 
the  store  of  Messrs.  William  &  Isaac  Eckert, 
with  whom  he  remained  for  some  years.  He 
then  went  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  a  wholesale  dry-goods  house  until 
1840,  when  he  returned  to  Reading,  and,  in 
connection  with  his  brother,  William  H.  Cly- 
mer, opened  a  general  dry-goods  store  in  the 


READING. 


849 


"  Old  Seyfert  Building,"  now  518  Penn  Street. 
Here  they  conducted  business  for  a  couple  of 
years,  when  they  removed  to  the  building  at  the 
southwest  corner  of  Fifth  and  Penn  Streets, 
which  they  had  purchased.  His  brother  Wil- 
liam withdrawing  from  the  firm  in  1845,  he 
continued  the  business  alone  until  1852. 

Mr.  Clymer  always  took  an  active  interest  in 
the  welfare  and  progress  of  Reading.  In  1848 
he  was  the  Democratic  candidate  for  mayor 
against  General  William  H.  Keim,  the  Whig 
candidate,  but  was  defeated  by  a  small  majority. 
At  that  time  the  city  was  Whig  in  political 
sentiment,  and  continued  so  for  some  years.  In 
1852  he  was  again  the  Democratic  candidate  for 
mayor  against  Major  George  Getz,  on  the 
AVhig  ticket,  who  was  then  mayor  and  had  held 
the  office  since  1849,  and  he  was  again  defeated. 
The  next  year  the  party  nominated  him  a  third 
time,  with  John  S.  Richards,  Esq.,  a  prominent 
attorney,  as  his  opponent  on  the  Whig  ticket, 
and  he  was  elected.  After  serving  in  this  posi- 
tion for  one  year,  the  party  nominated  him  for 
a  fourth  time,  and  against  the  same  candidate  on 
the  Whig  ticket,  who  was  run  as  an  Independ- 
ent. In  that  year  there  were  four  candidates  in 
the  field,  and  an  Independent  Democrat  caused 
Mr.  Clymer's  defeat. 

In  1854  Mr.  Clymer  became  interested  in  the 
forwarding  and  transportation  business  on  the 
Schuylkill  Canal,  continuing  in  it  for  some 
years.  Upon  the  completion  of  the  East  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad  (with  the  construction  of 
which  his  brother,  Edward  M.  Clymer,  was 
prominently  identified)  and  the  establishment 
of  a  ticket-office  at  the  "  Junction  "  (the  pres- 
ent site  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  main 
station),  Mr.  Clymer  was  appointed  ticket  agent, 
holding  the  position  until  1869,  when  he  re- 
signed. In  the  interval  that  occurred  after  dis- 
continuingthe  forwarding  business  and  becoming 
ticket  agent,  he  studied  law,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  August  20,  1857.  He  never  engaged  in 
active  practice,  however.  He  was  also  interested 
in  the  militia  system  of  the  county,  and  was  for 
a  time  captain  of  the  "  Reading  Artillerists." 

Mr.  Clymer  was  married,  in  1846,  to  Miss 
Delia  Pierson,  daughter  of  Silas  Pierson,  Esq., 
and  a  granddaughter  of  Hon.  Benjamin  Pier- 


son, of  Morristown,  N.  J.  She  was  born  Jan- 
uary 8,  1824,  and  died  June  14,  1861.  They 
had  issue  five  children,  all  of  whom  are  dead 
excepting  one  (Annie  M.  Clymer),  who  was 
intermarried  with  Mr.  Edward  Brooke,  de- 
ceased, late  of  Birdsboro'. 

Henry  A.  Tyson,  mayor  of  Reading  from 
1879  to  1881,  is  of  English  descent.  His  an- 
cestors were  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends, 
who  came  to  America  early  in  the  eighteenth 
century.  The  American  branch  of  the  family 
is  confined,  with  few  exceptions,  to  the  city  of 
Philadelphia  and  the  counties  of  Bucks,  Ches- 
ter, Montgomery,  Berks  and  Schuylkill,  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  to  Baltimore,  in  Maryland, 
and  it  has  taken  a  prominent  stand  wherever  its 
members  located.  Captain  Tyson  was  an  Arctic 
explorer,  Dr.  Henry  Tyson  is  professor  of 
medicine  in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  Robert  and  Jesse  Tyson  are  prominent  in 
the  shipping  interests  at  Baltimore. 

Joseph  Tyson,  grandfather  of  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  was  born  at  Skippack,  Mont- 
gomery County,  Pa.,  March  22,  1771,  and  was 
married  to  Elizabeth  Levering,  who  was  born 
March  19,  1772,  on  North  Second  Street, 
Philadelphia.  In  1798  he  located  at  Reading, 
where  he  engaged  extensively  in  the  tan- 
ning business,  at  the  head  of  Franklin  Street, 
becoming  a  prominent  owner  of  real-estate  in 
that  vicinity.  He  retired  from  business  in 
1826  and  died  in  1842.  His  wife  died  in 
1857.  Mary  Snyder,  of  Philadelphia,  aged 
eighty-three  years,  is  the  only  survivor  of  his 
nine  children. 

John  W.  Tyson  was  the  fourth  child  and 
only  son.  He  was  born  at  Reading  July  3, 
1801,  and  learned  his  father's  business,  which 
he  continued  for  a  time.  He  afterwards  be- 
came a  clerk  in  Eckert's  store,  at  Fourth  and 
Penn  Streets,  and  there,  for  many  years,  he  also 
earned  on  the  occupation  of  gauger,  being  the 
only  one  in  Beading  who  understood  the  busi- 
ness at  that  time.  In  1844  he  ran  for  the  of- 
fice of  county  recorder  on  an  independent 
ticket;  was  elected  and  served  his  term  of  three 
years  with  great  acceptance  to  the  people.  He 
was  married,  October  13,  1822,  to  Mary  Fasig, 
daughter  of  William  Fasig,  of  Reading.     Of 


850 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


their  nine  children,  four  survive, — William  F. 
Tyson,  eldest  son,  at  present  and  for  many 
years  foreman  of  the  Readinger  Adler ;  two 
daughters  (Mrs.  Emma  C.  Redgrave  and  Mrs. 
Mary  E.  Walker,  of  Philadelphia),  and  Henry 
A.  Tyson.  Albert  L.  Tyson,  the  second  son 
(now  deceased),  was  for  many  years,  until  his 
death,  foreman  of  the  Philadelphia  Press  and 
the  Washington  Chronicle,  under  John  W. 
Forney. 


until  1876,  when  he  was  elected  on  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket  to  the  office  of  city  controller,  to 
fill  a  vacancy.  In  1877  he  was  elected  at  the 
regular  election  for  a  full  term  of  two  years, 
and  served  in  the  position  with  acknowledged 
ability.  In  1879  he  was  nominated  for  the 
office  of  mayor,  and  elected  by  a  majority  of 
eleven  hundred  and  eighty-one,  the  largest  ever 
given  to  any  candidate  for  that  office.  During 
his  incumbency  in  the    mayoralty  many  ira- 


Henry  A.  Tyson  was  born  December  14, 
1 832,  at  Reading,  on  Franklin  Street,  near  his 
present  residence,  in  the  vicinity  of  which  he 
has  resided  all  his  life.  He  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools.  In  1847  he  went  to  live 
with  his  uncle,  John  Brown,  of  Eeading  (now 
living  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years),  and 
under  him  learned  the  trade  of  a  chair-maker 
remaining  with  him  until  1860.  He  was  after- 
wards engaged  in  this  occupation  with  Jacob 
R.  Ritter  and  Sohl,  Seidel  &  Co.,  of  Reading, 


portant  ordinances  were  passed  by  the  City 
Councils,  new  regulations  instituted,  and  the 
government  was  so  administered  as  to  be  con- 
ducive to  the  best  interests  of  the  city.  During 
his  official  career,  among  other  things,  he  ap- 
proved the  ordinance  granting  the  right  to  erect 
a  soldiers'  monument  in  Penn  Square ;  the 
Antietam  Reservoir  was  greatly  enlarged  ;  in  a 
special  message  he  recommended  public  action 
looking  to  the  erection  of  a  public  building 
here  by  the  national  government,  since  which 


READING. 


851 


time  particular  efibrts  have  been  made  in  that 
behalf.  Upon  his  retirement  from  political 
life  he  became  interested  in  introducing  the 
present  satisfactory  system  of  lighting  the 
streets  by  electricity,  having  acted  as  secretary 
and  treasurer  of  the  company  for  a  time,  and 
all  the  original  stock  having  been  subscribed 
through  his  solicitation.  He  is  now  connected 
with  his  son,  A.  Harvey  Tyson,  Esq.,  in  con- 
ducting, as  a  specialty,  "  Tyson's  Real-Estate 
Title-Briefs." 

He  is  a  prominent  Mason,  being  connected 
with  Chandler  Lodge,  No.  227,  of  which  he  is 
a  Past  Master,  and  of  which,  also,  he  has  been 
secretary  for  the  last  twenty  years,  and  is  now 
District  Deputy  Grand  Master  of  the  Seventh 
District,  comprising  Berks  and  Lebanon 
Counties.  He  has  officiated  as  recorder  of 
Reading  Commandery,  No  42,  Knights  Tem- 
plar, since  1872. 

Mr.  Tyson  was  married,  December  23,  1855, 
to  Miss  Anna  Shultz,  of  Reading,  and  has 
three  children  now  living, — A.  Harvey  Tyson, 
Esq.,  a  prominent  civil  engineer  at  Reading, 
who  served  as  city  engineer  from  1881  to  1885  ; 
Charles  H.  Tyson,  Esq.,  a  practicing  attorney 
at  Reading,  who  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1884 ;  and  Estelle  L.  Tyson,  now  the  youngest 
pupil  in  Reading  High  School. 

Mr.  Tyson  has  always  been  an  earnest  advo- 
cate for  progress  in  his  native  place,  and  in  pub- 
lic life  acquired  a  high  reputation  by  his  con- 
scientious administration  of  the  trusts  which 
the  people  had  committed  to  him. 

William  G.  Rowe,  mayor  of  the  city  of 
Reading  from  1881  to  1885,  was  born  August 
13,  1841,  at  Newburg,  in  Cumberland  County, 
Pa.,  to  which  place  his  parents  had  removed 
from  Reading  in  1840,  and  returned  in  1846. 
His  father  was  Henry  B.  Rowe,  a  blacksmith, 
who  carried  on  that  trade  for  many  years  at 
Reading,  having  made  the  shoeing  of  horses  a 
specialty ;  and  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Zerbe. 
Both  of  his  parents  were  born  at  Reading;  the 
father  died  July  4,  1866,  aged  nearly  fifty-four 
years,  leaving  a  widow  and  two  sons,  William 
G.  and  Joseph  Z. 

Mr.  Rowe  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  of  Reading,  and  learned  the  trade  of 


blacksmith  under  his  father.  During  that  time 
the  Civil  War  broke  out,  and  he  enlisted  as  a 
private  in  Company  G,  commanded  by  Captain 
George  W.  Alexander,  in  the  First  Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers.  Upon  returning  from 
active  military  service  he  became  a  partner  with 
his  father  in  the  blacksmi thing  business,  and  con- 
tinued with  him  till  his  decease ;  then  he  took 
sole  control  of  it,  and  has  since  carried  it  on 
successfully  at  the  old  stand,  on  Cherry  Street, 
below  Fourth,  where  his  father  had  been  located 
for  many  years. 

In  1874,  Mr.  Rowe  became  actively  interested 
in  the  political  affairs  of  Reading.  Previously 
he  had  identified  himself  with  the  Republican 
party,  and  as  he  grew  in  years  he  became  more 
and  more  a  stanch  advocate  of  its  principles. 
Whilst  a  resident  of  the  Fifth  Ward  he  was 
solicited  to  run  for  Common  Council,  but  he 
declined.  Upon  removing  into  the  Sixth  Ward 
his  many  friends,  of  both  political  parties,  urged 
him  for  the  same  office,  and  consenting,  they 
placed  his  name  upon  the  Republican  ticket  and 
elected  him  over  the  Democratic  nominee.  This 
was  a  high  compliment  to  him,  for  the  ward  was 
then  largely  Democratic.  He  was  re-elected  in 
1876,  serving  altogether  three  years.  In  1881 
he  was  nominated  upon  the  Republican  ticket 
for  mayor  and  elected  over  Henry  A.  Tyson, 
who  at  the  previous  election  had  been  chosen  to 
this  office  on  the  Democratic  ticket  by  the  un- 
precedented majority  of  1181 ;  and  in  1883,  he 
was  re-elected.  This  election  and  re-election  of 
Mayor  Rowe  exhibits  in  a  high  degree  the  pop- 
ularity which  he  enjoyed  in  Reading,  the  city 
having  been,  during  that  time  and  for  some 
years* previously,  Democratic  by  about  four  hun- 
dred majority. 

Mayor  Rowe  advocated  earnestly  numerous 
measures  tending  to  develop  the  city  in  its 
various  internal  affairs.  He  issued  permits  for 
the  erection  of  over  two  thousand  new  build- 
ings ;  he  co-operated  heartily  with  both  branches 
of  Councils  in  encouraging  the  entrance  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Schuylkill  Valley  Railroad  into 
Reading;  the  proceedings  for  recovering  posses- 
sion of  the  "  Commons  "  and  for  instituting  a 
public  park  received  his  earnest  attention,  re- 
commending in  this  behalf  the  raising  of  the 


852 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


taxes  to  pay  the  costs  and  expenses  incurred 
rather  than  borrow  money  and  create  indebt- 
edness for  that  purpose;  he  strenuously  opposed 
the  movements  of  the  "  Consumers'  Gas  Com- 
pany "  in  the  city  towards  laying  down  gas- 
pipes  under  special  legislation,  acting  in  har- 
mony with  the  wishes  of  the  business  people ;  and 
he  was  progressive  in  the  matter  of  improved 
highways,  investigating  the  question  of  a  "steam 
road-roller"  in  conjunction  with  a  special  corn- 


making  the.  shoeing  of  horses  a  specialty, 
for  which  he  enjoys  a  high  reputation,  and  has 
since  followed  it  successfully  at  the  old  stand. 

Mayor  Rowe  was  married  to  Miss  Sallie  B. 
Kimes,  of  Philadelphia,  with  whom  he  has  two 
daughters,  Lizzie  and  Sallie. 

Jambs  K.  Getz,  the  present  mayor  of  the 
city  of  Reading,  was  born  on  the  19th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1 848,  in  Albany  township,  Berks  County, 
Pa.,  and  in  1854  removed  with  his  parents  to 


&*    f^^ 


mittee  appointed  for  that  purpose,  and  recom- 
mending its  introduction.  He  had  a  superior 
police  force  and  preserved  the  general  order  of 
the  community  in  a  very  successful  manner; 
and  as  a  magistrate  he  was  firm  and  dignified 
on  the  one  hand,  but  kind,  just  and  sympa- 
thizing on  the  other.  During  his  administration 
he  enjoyed  the  high  respect  and  confidence  of 
the  community,  was  popular  in  every  section  of 
the  city  and  by  his  upright  course  won  unto  him- 
self many  friends.  Upon  his  retirement  from 
office  be  resumed  his  business  of  a  blacksmith 


Reading,  where  he  became  a  pupil  of  the  pub- 
lic school,  and  later  spent  a  year  at  the  Phila- 
delphia Classical  Academy.  He  then  entered 
the  store  of  his  father  (who  was  a  wholesale 
grocer)  as  book-keeper,  and  acted  in  that  ca- 
pacity until  1869,  when  he  succeeded  his  father 
in  the  firm  of  Getz  &  Grim.  In  1874  he  sold 
his  half-interest  to  his  partner  and  retired  from 
the  business.  He  then  became  interested  with 
his  father  in  the  Reading  steam  marble-works, 
under  the  firm-name  of  H.  S.  Getz  &  Co.,  to 
which  he  devotes  his  almost  exclusive  attention. 


READING. 


853 


Mayor  Getz  has  been  affiliated  with  the  Dem- 
ocratic part)'  in  politics  since  he  cast  his  first 
vote  and  has  been  an  influential  factor  in  local  po- 
litical measures.  He  was  elected  by  a  flattering 
majority,  and  in  a  district  strongly  Republican, 
to  represent  the  Fifth  Ward  of  Reading  in  the 
City  Council  in  1880,  the  second  year  filling 
the  office  of  president  of  that  body.  In  the 
spring  of  1885  he  was  elected  mayor  of  the  city 
and  is  the  present  incumbent  of  the  office.  While 


Mayor  Getz  was  married,  in  1873,  to  Mary 
Agnes,  daughter  of  John  H.  and  Margaret 
A.  Jones,  of  Sinking  Spring,  in  Berks  County. 


PART   X. 

CENSUS   OF   READING.1 

Location  op  Population. — The  following 


his  executive  ability  and  business  training 
eminently  fit  him  for  public  life,  he  has 
heretofore  refused  to  accept  political  office, 
preferring  to  devote  his  energies  to  his 
private  business  enterprises.  Mr.  Getz  is  an 
active  Free-Mason,  being  a  member  of  Lodge 
No.  62;  of  Reading  Chapter,  No.  152;  of  De 
Molay  Commandery,  No.  9;  and  of  Creigh 
Council,  No.  16.  His  religious  creed  is'that  of 
the  Reformed  Church,  with  which  he  is  con- 
nected by  membership. 


table  is  interesting  to  show  the  locality  of  the 
population.  The  major  part  of  the  population 
of  Reading  has  been  south  of  Penn  Street  since 
1840;  but  from  1850  till  1880  there  was  a 
gradual  decrease,  owing  to  the  tendency  of  im- 
provements in  northern  sections  of  the  city. 
Now  the  major  part  is  north  of  Penn  Street. 
Five  wards  are  situated  south  of  Penn  Street 
and  eight  wards  north : 

1  See  Census  of  Berks  County,  644. 


854 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


1830. 

1840. 

4991 
3419 

1850. 

9901 
5842 

I860. 

1870. 

1880. 

South  of  Penn... 2162 
North  of  Penn.,.34691 

13,113 
10,049 

17,912 
16,0i8 

22,111 
21,167 

1572 

4059 

3,064 

1,894 

944 

Population  in  1847. — In  1847,  when  the 
borough  of  Reading  was  incorporated  into  a 
city,  the  enumeration  was  made  by  J.  Lawrence 
Getz,  publisher  of  the  Reading  Gazette  and 
Democrat,  and  published  by  him  in  a  small 
pamphlet,  which  he  then  offered  for  sale  at  ten 
cents  a  copy.  The  result  of  his  enumeration 
was  as  follows : 2 


N.  E.  Ward.... 
N.  W.  Ward... 

S.  E.  Ward 

S.W.Ward.... 
Spruce  Ward.. 


North  of  Penn  St. 
South  of  Penn  St., 


1077 
1291 
1282 
1875 
1116 


6641 


2368 
3273 


1014 
1252 
1203 
1906 
1028 


6403 


2266 
4137 


2,091 
2,543 
2,485 
3,781 
2,144 


13,044 


4,634 
8,410 


K 


355 
396 
416 
573 
398 


2138 


751 
1387 


402 
409 
489 
685 
413 


2398 

811 

1587 


Population  in  1876. — Edgar  M.  Levan, 
Esq.,  publisher  of  the  Reading  Sunday  Review, 
caused  a  census  of  Reading  to  be  taken  in  De- 
cember, 1876,  from  the  18th  to  the  23d.  The 
result  was  as  follows  : 


MALES. 

FEMALES. 

e 

E 

a 

i 
>> 

s 

CM 

■g 

es 
St 

u 

s 

St 

»o 

s 

&. 

s 

3 

> 

o 
682 

P 

692 

H 

o 

P 

H 

H 

1st  ward 

1,374 

816 

703 

1,519 

2,893 

2d      " 

1249 

1382 

2,631 

1,392 

1357 

2,749 

5,380 

3d      " 

1097 

994 

2,091 

1,201 

1128 

2,329 

4,420 

4th     " 

676 

521 

1,197 

871 

581 

1,452 

2,649 

5th     " 

810 

755 

1,565 

911 

766 

1,677 

3,242 

6th     " 

921 

959 

1,880 

962 

876 

1,838 

3,718 

7th     " 

999 

766 

1,765 

1,135 

840 

1,975 

3,740 

8th     " 

1012 

932 

1,944 

1,018 

953 

1,971 

3,915 

9th     " 

908 

1022 

1.930 

1,010 

945 

1,955 

3,885 

10th     " 

527 

638 

1,165 

530 

590 

1,120 

2,285 

11th    " 

884 

1126 

2,010 

938 

1034 
9773 

1,972 

3,982 

Total.... 

9765 

9787 

19,552 

10,784 

20,557 

40,109 

Buildings:  Stores,  1044;  occupied  dwellings,  7732  ; 

1  Colored,  192.      In  1840  it  was  221 ;  in  1850,  85.7  ;  in 
1860.  285  ;  and  in  1870,  311. 

2  Reading  Gazette  and  Democrat,  August  17,  1850. 


vacant  dwellings,  454 ;  manufactories,  117;  places  of 
amusement,  6. 
Number  of  persons  to  each  inhabited  dwelling,  5.19. 

Sexes  of  Population. — The  population  of 
Reading  by  sexes  was  as  follows  : 

Male.  Female. 

1830 2,785  2,846 

1840 4,098  4,837 

1850 7,760  7,983 

I860 11,183  11,979 

1870 16,525  17,405 

1880 21,099  22,179 

CENSUS  OF  HEADING,  1790  TO  1880. 


First  .  . 
Second  . 
Third. 
Fourth  . 
Fifth  .  . 
Sixth  .  . 
Seventh  . 
Eighth  . 
Ninth.  . 
Tenth .  . 
Eleventh 


Total  . 


1790  1800  1810 


2236  2386  3462  4332  5856  8410  15,743  23,162  33,930  43,278 


1850 


2,962 
3,774 
3,165 
3,204 

2,1 


1860 


4,019 
4,189 
4,905 
5,760 


1870 


2,834 
5,530 
3,732 
2,611 
3,205 
2,763 
3,541 
3,690 
6,024 


1880 


3,044 
5,553 
4,456, 
2,826 
3,399 
3,762 
4,130 
3,874 
4,206 
2,834 
5,195 


Note. — In  1861  the  names  of  the  wards  were  changed  from  names  to 
numerals.  The  Spruce  Ward  to  First  Ward,  the  Southwest  to  Second, 
the  Southeast  to  Third,  the  Northeast  to  Fourth,  and  the  Northwest  to 
the  Fifth.  In  1864  the  city  was  divided  into  nine  wards ;  in  1876  two  ' 
wards  were  added,— the  Tenth  Ward  having  been  taken  from  the  Second, 
and  the  Eleventh  from  the  Ninth  ;  and  in  1885  the  Eleventh  Ward  was 
divided  into  three  wards. 

Taxables  in  1886. — The  following  state- 
ment contains  the  taxable  citizens  of  Reading  in 
January,  1886,  according  to  a  computation  or- 
dered by  Hon.  James  K.  Getz,  mayor  of  the 
city,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the  number 
of  Councilmen  to  which  each  ward  is  entitled.  It 
includes  not  only  men,  but  also  women  and 
minors  who  are  taxable : 


Resident 
wabds.  Owners. 

First 288 

Second 508 

Third 498 

Fourth 251 

Fifth 283 

Sixth 351 

Seventh 462 

Eighth 464 

Ninth 541 

Tenth 370 

Eleventh 282 

Twelfth 201 

Thirteenth 169 


Single 

Tenants. 

Men. 

Total. 

555 

46 

889 

777 

70 

1,355 

575 

150 

1,223 

450 

133 

834 

564 

81 

928 

702 

116 

1,169 

538 

138 

1,138 

552 

157 

1,173 

573 

106 

1,220 

501 

41 

912 

405 

44 

731 

365 

38 

604 

324 

52 

545 

Total. 


..4668        6881        1172        12,721 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


855 


CHAPTEE   XXIV. 

BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 

The  following  nine  boroughs  have  been  erected 
in  Berks  County,  and  the  historical  narrative  of 
each  appears  in  the  order  mentioned  :  Kutztown, 
Womelsdorf,  Hamburg,  Boyerlown,  Bernville, 
Birdsboro',  Fleetwood,  Topton  and  Centreport. 


KUTZTOWN. 

The  borough  of  Kutztown  is  situated  on  Sacony 
Creek,  in  the  southern  part  of  Maxatawny  town- 
ship. The  lands  in  this  locality  were  patented 
April  10,  1728,  to  Peter  Wentz,  and  embraced  a 
tract  of  one  thousand  acres,  of  which  five  hundred 
and  fifty  acres  were  devised  to  his  son  Jacob.  On 
June  16,  1755,  Jacob  Wentz  and  his  wife,  Eliza- 
beth, conveyed  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres  of 
this  land,  lying  along  the  Sacony,  to  George  Kutz, 
a  farmer.  Twenty  four  years  later,  in  February, 
1779,  the  latter  laid  out  a  town  to  which  he  gave 
the  name  of  Kutztown.  The  plan  embraced  one 
hundred  and  five  acres  in-lots  and  a  like  number 
of  out-lots,  all  of  which  were  subject  to  a  perpetual 
ground-rent.  The  lots  located  on  Front,  or  Main 
Street,  were  fifty  feet  wide  and  one  hundred  and 
Bixty  feet  deep,  subject  to  a  rental  of  5s.  3d.  On 
the  lots  on  White  Oak  and  the  other  streets  of  the 
original  town  the  rental  was  2s.  9d.,  and  on  the 
out-lots  5s.  Towards  the  close  of  the  last  century 
Henry  Kohler  became  the  proprietor  of  Kutztown, 
and  such  lots  as  have  not  been  released  of  this 
ground-rent  are  still  subject  to  the  demands  for  its 
annual  payment.  The  first  payment  was  made  on 
May  27,  1779.  South  of  the  original  plan  and 
beyond  the  lane  called  "  Baldy's  (after  a  black- 
smith who  lived  there)  an  addition  was  laid  out 
without  any  ground-rent,  which,  in  consequence 
received  the  name  of  "  Freetown."  The  place 
grew  slowly.  Dr.  John  D.  Schoep,  who  traveled 
through  this  part  of  Berks  County  in  1783, 
expressed  himself  as  follows  in  reference  to  the 
naming  of  Kutztown :  "A  wealthy  German,  in 
order  to  tickle  his  ears  with  the  agreeable  sound  of 
his  name,  gave  the  land  for  this  place,  which  was 
first  settled  three  years  ago,  and  which  has  only  a 
few  small  houses." ' 

1 5  Penna.  Mag.  of  History,  p.  75. 


Among  the  first  transfers  of  lots  were  those 
made  in  1785  to  Adam  Deitrich  and  Henry 
Schweier  (an  inn-keeper),  the  former  having 
bought  seven  in-lots  and  ten  out-lots,  and  the  latter 
six  in-lots  and  eleven  out-lots,  and  then  part  of  the 
Kutz  farm  (seventy-four  acres  and  one  hundred 
perches,  embraced  in  the  one  hundred  and  thirty 
acres)  was  sold  to  George  Kutz,  Jr.  These  persons 
having  bought  a  number  of  lots,  it  is  likely  that 
they  had  speculative  purposes  in  view.  The  first 
house  was  a  one-story  log  building,  near  the  Sacony 
Creek,  on  the  lot  now  occupied  by  the  residence  of 
Daniel  Sharadin.  It  was  demolished  about  1850. 
Half  a  mile  south  of  it,  on  Main  Street,  where  is 
now  the  residence  of  J.  Daniel  Wanner,  Esq.,  the 
log  house  of  Jacob  Baldy  was  situated — removed 
about  thirty  years  ago. 

The  Esser  house  is  one  of  the  oldest  buildings 
standing,  and  was  put  up  about  a  century  ago  by 
Jacob  Esser.  The  Captain  Daniel  Bieber  house, 
on  Main  Street,  also  ranks  as  one  of  the  oldest. 
Most  of  the  old  landmarks  have  give;n  way  to  fine, 
substantial  buildings.  The  progress  of  the  village 
is  thus  noted  by  Prof.  Ermentrout : 

"  Our  esteemed  friend,  Fayette  Schoedler,  informs 
us  that,  in  1817,  from  the  stone  house  next  to  Baldy's 
Lane,  clear  out  to  the  southern  limits  of  the  town,  and 
far  beyond,  nothing  but  woodland-  greeted  the  eye  of 
the  traveler;  whilst  the  people  not  unfrequently 
gathered  in  their  strength  to  assist  some  luckless 
horses  in  dragging  out  of  the  deep  mud  the  farmer's 
wagon  and  the  laborer's  cart.  In  Freetown,  on  that 
side  of  the  street  where  now  stands  the  new  erected 
mansion  of  J.  D.  Wanner,  Esq.,  down  to  1830,  there 
were  built  three  houses  only,  those  of  Messrs.  Baldy, 
Sander  and  Strasser, — a  tract  of  land  which  is  now 
beautified  by  private  residences  of  every  description, 
whilst  farther  out  stand  the  residences  of  Jonathan 
Biehl,  William  Kutz,  David  Sharadin,  the  splendid 
houses  of  John  G.  Wink  and  Colonel  Thomas  D.  Fis- 
ter,  and,  towering  above  them  all,  the  Keystone  Nor- 
mal School,  whose  cupola,  during  a  crisp  winter's 
night,  seems  almost  a  globe  of  crystal  suspended  in 
mid-air.  In  1800  was  built  the  stone  house  now  known 
as  Siegfried's  by  Adam  Kutz,  who  owned  the  land  on 
both  sides  of  the  street,  from  Baldy's  Lane  to  where 
now  lives  William  Hein.  In  Kutztown,  in  1817, 
taverns  were  kept  by  George  Pfister,  Daniel  Levan 
and  Isaac  Levan." 

Incorporation. — Kutztown  was  incorporated 
as  a  borough  March  1,  1815,  by  an  act  similar  to 
the  act  of  1783,  by  which  Reading  was  incorpor- 


856 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


ated  into  a  borough.  Henry  Heist  and  Jacob 
Levan  were  appointed  to  supervise  the  first  elec- 
tion at  the  house  of  Daniel  Levan.  The  first 
burgess  was  Henry  Heist.  The  other  officers 
were:  Town  Council,  Jacob  Levan,  Esq.  (presi- 
dent), Moth  Wilson,  Dewalt  Wink,  Peter  Gift, 
George  Fister,  Jonathan  Grim  and  John  Kutz ; 
Jacob  Levan  (merchant),  treasurer;  James 
Scull,  town  clerk ;  Solomon  Kutz,  collector ; 
Jacob  Humbert  and  George  Breyfogel,  supervis- 
ors ;  George  Bieber  and  Thomas  Lightfoot,  regu- 
lators; Jacob  Graff,  High  Constable. 

The  following  list  comprises  ihe  chief  burgesses 
and  town  clerks  since  1816 : 

.Term.  Burgees.  Clerk. 

1816-17 Dewalt  Bieber James  Scull. 

1818 Daniel  Levan John  Fister. 

1819 George  Breyfogle John  Fister. 

1820-21 George  Breyfogle James  Donagan. 

1822 Henry  Heist James  Donagan. 

1823 John  Kutz James  Donagan. 

1824 Jonathan  Prime Loyd  Wharton. 

1825-26 John  Palsgrove James  Donagan. 

1827 Jacob  Esser James  Donagan. 

1828 Geo.  A.  Odenheimer James  Donagan. . 

1829 John  Fister James  Donagan. 

1830 Daniel  Bieber James  Donagan. 

1831 John  Palsgrove James  Donagan. 

1832 John  Fister James  Donagan. 

1833 Peter  Girt Henry  Heist. 

1834 John  Fister James  Donagan. 

1835 John  Fister George  Bieber. 

1836 William  Heidenreich... .George  Bieber. 

1837 Peter  Gift Wm.  F.  Sellers. 

1838 George  Bieber Wm.  F.  Sellers. 

1839 Daniel  Bieber Wm.  F. Sellers. 

1840 John  V.  Houck Wm.  F.  Sellers. 

1841 Dr.  William  Bieber David  Neff. 

1842 William  Heidenreich.. .David  Neff. 

1843 William  Heidenreich. ..George  Hortzell. 

1844 Jacob  Graeff. Wm.  S.  Bieber. 

1845 George  Bieber Wm.  S.  Bieber. 

1846 Daniel  Bieber Wm.  S.  Bieber. 

1847 William  Heidenreich. ..Wm.  S.  Bieber. 

1848 Daniel  Bieber Wm.  S.  Bieber. 

1849 David  Fister Wm.  S.  Bieber. 

1850 Daniel  B.  Kutz Wm.  S.  Bieber. 

1851 David  Levan Wm.  S.  Bieber. 

1852 Jacob  Graeff. Henry  C.  Kutz. 

1853 Reuben  Sharadin Wm.  S.  Bieber, 

1854 John  Fister James  M.  Gehr. 

1855 Daniel  B.  Kutz H.  B. VanScheetz. 

1856 Fayette  Schaedler J.  D.  Wanner. 

1857-58 Hiram  F.  Bickel J.  D.  Wanner. 

1859 J.  S.Trexler James  M.  Gehr. 

1860 B.  H.  Kutz J.  D.  Wanner. 


Term.  Burgess.  Clerk. 

1861. William  Helfrich J.  D.  Wanner. 

1862 Jacob  Sunday J.  D.  Wanner. 

1863-64 C.  H.  Wanner J.  D.  Wanner. 

1865-66 David  Fister J.  D.  Wanner. 

1867 David  Fister A.  O.Beidelman. 

1868-69 Paul  Hilbert H.  H.  Schwartz. 

1870 John  Humbert H.  H.  Schwartz, 

1871 David  Fister J.  D.  Wanner. 

1872 Lewis  Hottenstein Jonas  Hoch. 

1873-74 J.  D.  Wanner H.  H.  Schwartz. 

1875 Daniel  Hinterleiter E.  D.  Bieber. 

1876 S.  S.  Schmehl J.  H.  Marx. 

1877 John  M.  Graeff. J.  H.  Marx. 

1878 R.  Dewalt J.  H.  Marx, 

1879 Walter  B.  Bieber J.  D.  Wanner. 

1880 Walter  B.  Bieber J.  H.  Marx. 

1881-82 D.  W.  Sharadin J.  D.  Wanner. 

1883-84 D.  F.  Bieber J.  D.  Wanner. 

For  the  same  time  the  following  have  been  the  treas- 
urers : 

1815-19,  Henry  Heist. 
1820-22,  Jacob  B.  Levan. 
1823,  Isaac  B.  Levan. 
1824-54,  Joseph  Heist. 
1855-56,  Charles  W.  Esser. 
1857-59,  Charles  Kutz. 
1860,  Henry  Ege. 
1861-64,  C.  W.  Esser. 
1865-66,  Henry  Biehl. 
1867-68,  Richard  Dunkel. 
1869-N.  S.  Zimmerman. 
1870-71,  S.  S.  Schmehl. 
1872-74,  D.  B.  Snyder. 

1875,  Isaac  K.  Rahn. 

1876,  John  Humbert. 
1877-78,  S.  S.  Schmehl. 
1879,  Lewis  A.  Stein. 
1880-84,  William  Stein. 

In  1885  the  borough  officials  were: 

Burgess,  W.  B.  Bieber;  Councilmen,  A.  B.  Urich 
(president),  William  Sanders,  Benneville  Levan, 
James  Herman,  James  De  Turk,  Edward  Hottenstein  ; 
Clerk,  J.  D.  Wanner ;  Treasurer,  W.  W.  Stein ;  Reg- 
ulators, John  Humbert,  David  K.  Hottenstein ;  Jus- 
tices, James  Marx,  John  Humbert. 

Other  justices  have  been  the  following :  Henry 
Heist,  Jacob  Graeff,  Charles  Wanner,  W.  S.  Bie- 
ber, John  B.  Van  Scheetz,  James  M.  Gehr,  J.  D. 
Wanner  and  Charles  W.  Esser. 

The  following  statement  comprises  the  first 
assessment  roll  of  the  borough  for  the  year  1817: 

Angstadt,  Joseph,  gunsmith 20 

Baity,  Jacob,  Sr.,  blacksmith 592 

Biehl,  Daniel,  tinman 905 


BOROUGHS  OP  COUNTY. 


857 


Baity,  Jacob,  Jr.,  blacksmith 32 

Bryfogel,  George,  Sr.,  farmer 932 

Busby,  Samuel,  shoemaker 20 

Bieber,  Dewald,  merchant 1617 

Bast,  Dewald,  farmer 2904 

Becker,  Ephraim,  doctor 705 

Barrier,  Michael 390 

Benjamin,  John,  hatter 20 

Cupp,  Conrad,  town-crier 600 

Cupp,  Andrew 150 

Cupp,  Christian,  cabinet-maker 20 

Dennis,  John,  shoemaker 752 

Dum,  Thomas 812 

Deisher,  John 350 

Denuis,  Jacob 

Ernst,  Nicholas,  farmer 1122 

Essert,  Jacob,  cabinet-maker 1384 

Essert,  Daniel,  cabinet-maker 20 

Essert,  George,  cabinet-maker 20 

Fister,  George,  inn-keeper 1572 

Fister,  John,  saddler 20 

Fritz,  Peter,  cabinet-maker 532 

Gross,  Joseph 92 

Geehr,  Philip,  Esq. ,  justice 32 

Gifft,  Peter,  clock-maker 102 

Geehr,  Benjamin,  saddler 20 

Graff,  Jacob,  blacksmith 760 

Grube,  Christina 350 

Glasser,  Daniel,  hatter 420 

Geschwind,  John 

Geehr,  Samuel,  andLevan,  Jacob 580 

Grim,  Jonathan 2852 

Geisweit,  Peter,  laborer 32 

Herbine,  Samuel,  cooper 954 

Humberd,  Jacob,  carpenter 32 

Hottenstine,  Catharine 682 

Heist,  Henry 962 

Heninger,  John,  shoemaker 882 

Heirst,  Hannah,  widow 500 

Harmony,  Benjamin,  tailor 32 

Jung,  John,  laborer 20 

Kutz,  Peter,  tinman \....1272 

Kutz,  Adam,  carpenter 1762 

Kutz,  Jacob,  mason 32 

Knoske,  John,  minister 772 

Keaffer,  Joseph 302 

Kutz,  John,  tailor 1077 

Keiser,  Joseph 1037 

Kutz,  Peter,  Revolutionary  soldier 1209 

Kutz,    Daniel 462 

Kemp,  George,  Jr 900 

Kohler,  Henry,  propr.  of  Kutztown  H'1..1600 

Klein,  Philip 500 

Kaup,  Andrew,  wheelwright 20 

Klein,  Jacob,  tailor 20 

Klein,  Isaac 430 

Keller,  Israel,  shoemaker 20 

Kutz,  Solomon,  butcher 722 

Kister,  George,  tailor 820 

74 


Keiser,  Jacob,  weaver 432 

Levan,  Jacob,  Esq 1107 

Levan,  Daniel,  inn-keeper 1602 

Levan,  Jacob,  inn-keeper 1923 

Lehman,  Jacob,  tinman 20 

Levan,  Charles,  inn-keeper 95 

Levan,  Isaac,  inn-keeper 44 

McCandless,  Robert 

Neff,  John,  mason 1494 

Nevel,  Jacob,  laborer 

Neff,  Henry,  mason 692 

Neff,  Peter 1464 

Neudorf,  Susanna,  widow 420 

Owerbeck,  Jacob,  tobacconist 140 

Old,  Gabriel,  carpenter 32 

Paltzgrove,  John,  weaver 854 

Rudenauer,  Samuel 52 

Reifsnyder,  Abram 20 

Rever,  Adam 760 

Sharodin,  John,  hatter 1072 

Sander,  Henry 820* 

Strasser,  Michael,  carpenter 70 

Seigfried,  John,  Sr 490 

Seigfried,  John,  Jr 50 

Selfridge,  Mathias,  merchant 32 

Schofield,  Ebenezer,  shoemaker 232 

Smith,  Catharine  (estate  of) 300 

Till,  Jacob,  teacher 40 

Wolff,  Peter,  laborer 20 

Wickert,  Jacob,  tailor....1. 20 

Wilson,  Motheral 2110 

Winck,  Dewald,  hatter 744 

Wanner,  Abram,  hatter 1052 

Single  Freeman. 

Bast,  Jacob. 

Becker,  Samuel. 

Becker,  Benjamin. 

Essert,  Jacob. 

Glasser,  Jonathan. 

Harmony,  Jonathan. 

Mehrman,  William. 

Owerbeck,  Henry. 

O'Neal,  David. 

Odenheimer,  George. 

Smith,  James,  each  75  cts. 

Total  valuation $56,465 

Rate,  1^  mills  on  dollar. 

George  Bryfogel,  Assessor. 

Houses 69 

Horses  47 

Cows 63 

Progress  or  the  Borough. — After  the  incor- 
poration of  the  borough,  in  1815,  its  progress  was 
uneventful  but  steady.  The  condition  of  affairs  in 
1835  was  as  follows : 

"  In  Maxatawny,  in  1 835,  there  were  three  hundred 
and  sixty-four  taxables,  and  in  Kutztown  one  hun- 


858 


HISTOKY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


dred  and  fifty-nine.  These  latter  lived  in  one  hun- 
dred and  five  houses,  and  represented  eight  hundred 
persons.  In  the  town  there  were  four  stores,  five 
taverns,  three  esquires,  one  German  and  two  English 
schools,  and  one  church.  They  owned  five  hundred 
and  fifty  acres  of  out-lots,  whilst  the  borough  proper 
occupied  twenty-rive  acres.  On  three  hundred  and 
seventy  acres  of  the  former  grew  corn,  potatoes,  flax, 
hay,  etc. ;  and  one  hundred  and  seventy-two  acres 
yielded  eight  thousand  and  two  shocks  of  grain,  of 
which  five  thousand  five  hundred  were  wheat.  Com- 
puting these  (8002)  at  five  and  a  half  bushels  to  the 
hundred  sheaves,  they  thrashed  four  thousand  four 
hundred  bushels,  or  twenty-five  and  a  half  bushels  to 
the  acre.  If  now  we  suppose  that  each  of  the  eight 
hundred  inhabitants  needed  for  living  five  bushels,  it 
follows  that,  in  1835,  the  town  owned  four  hundred 
bushels  of  grain  more  than  it  consumed.  The  re- 
maining three  hundred  and  seventy-eight  acres  pro- 
duced more  than  plenty  of  the  other  necessaries  of 
life,  while  the  land  within  the  borough  proper  poured 
into  the  lap  of  its  owners  a  rich  supply  of  the  delica- 
cies of  each  returning  season. 

"  During  the  same  year  wheat  commanded  $1.20  per 
bushel ;  rye,  80  cts. ;  corn,  75  cts. ;  oats,  35  cts. ;  po- 
tatoes, 50  cts. ;  rye  whiskey,  35  cts.  per  gallon ;  apple 
jack,  35  cts. ;  hams,  11  cts.  per  pound ;  pork,  10  cts.  ; 
beef,  6  cts. ;  firkin  butter,  11  cts. ;  hickory  wood,  $3.00; 
oak,  $2.25 ;  coal,  $5.00 ;  eggs,  8  cts.  per  dozen. 

"  For  the  year  ending  March  31, 1835,  the  post-office 
of  Kutztown  paid  over  to  the  department  at  Wash- 
ington $153.68,  and  of  Eothrocksville,  $17.12.  It 
must  not  be  forgotten,  however,  that  many  citizens  of 
Maxatawny  made  use  of  the  postal  facilities  of  the 
borough. 

"From  April  17, 1835,  to  April  15, 1836,  the  income 
and  expenses  of  the  town  were  each  $381,373."  1 

During  the  next  fifteen  years  few  material 
changes  took  place.  In  1850  the  number  of 
houses  was  one  hundred  and  fifteen,  occupied  by 
one  hundred  and  thirty-one  families.  The  male 
population  numbered  three  hundred  and  thirty 
and  the  female  three  hundred  and  seventeen  ;  the 
children  of  school  age  numbered  one  hundred  and 
sixty-three.  Certain  customs  and  forms  of  enjoy- 
ment were  then  encouraged  with  great  spirit, 
which  caused  the  name  of  Kutztown  to  become 
widely  known.  It  was  the  era  of  fairs,  battalions 
and  frolics. 

On  February  1,  1837,  a  daily  line  of  stages  from 
Reading,  by  way  of  Kutztown  to  Easton,  was  sub- 
stituted for  the  tri-weekly  stages,  and  a  line  was 
then  also  established  from  Kutztown  to  Norristown 


i  Ermentrout. 


via  Boyertown.  The  borough  was  on  the  princi- 
pal highways,  south  and  west,  and  it  was  visited 
by  men  of  distinction,  who  passed  from  one  point 
to  another.  In  1836,  during  the  first  week  in 
October,  Governor  Joseph  Ritner,  the  Hon.  H.  A 
Muhlenberg  and  General  William  Henry  Harrison 
were  among  the  distinguished  men  who  visited  the 
borough.  In  1839,  Martin  Van  Buren  was  ten- 
dered a  reception  by  a  delegation  which  went  out  to 
meet  him  and  escorted  him  to  town  with  martial 
music.  He  dined  at  the  present  Ulrich  Miller 
house.  He  was  on  his  way  to  Easton  from  Read- 
ing, amid  the  huzzas  of  the  assembled  muliitudes. 
In  1840,  during  the  Presidential  campaign,  one  of 
the  most  stirring  events  was  the  political  speech  of 
the  Buckeye  Blacksmith,  an  orator  of  great  power 
and  success  in  advocating  the  Whig  doctrines  of 
that  day.  He  made  a  horseshoe  in  the  shop  of 
Nathan  Wink,  and  then  spoke  to  an  imraenes 
crowd  of  people  assembled  in  front  of  Fauber's 
Hotel,  keeping  it  in  good  humor  in  spite  of  a  pur- 
pose on  the  part  of  many  to  molest  him. 

Fairs  and  Battalions. — As  early  as  1831 
that  peculiar  institution,  the  "  Yearly  Fair,"  had  a 
popular  existence  in  Kutztown.  It  was  not  a  dis- 
play of  mechanical  and  agricultural  products,  but 
an  occasion  for  hilarious  sport,  as  will  be  seen  from 
the  following  announcement : 

"The  Yearly  Fair  will  be  held  Aug.  12  &  13,  1831. 
Persons  fond  of  military  parade  will  see  Capt.  Grini's 
company  of  Horse,  and  Capt.  Bieber's  company  of 
Infantry,  and  the  Kutztown  Band  of  Music  parade  on 
these  days.  Shows  and  pastimes  of  all  kinds  will  be 
exhibited.  Hucksters  will  be  well  provided  with 
Beer,  Mead,  Sweet  Meats  and  all  the  Fruits  in  Season. 
The  Youth  are  informed  that  there  will  be  an  abun- 
dance of  good  music  and  plenty  of  pretty  girls  to 
dance  to  it."  1 

An  example  of  the  fairs  at  a  later  day  is 
given  in  the  following  circular  : 

"  GL^NZENDE  FAIK  IN   DEE  STADT   KUTZTAUN. 

"  Am  Freytag  und  Samstag,  den  2ten  und  3ten 
naechsten  September,  wird  in  der  Stadt  Kutztaun  eine 
glaeDzende  Fair  gehalten  werden.  Unter  den  vielen 
ansiehenden  Gegenstaenden,  welche  dieses  glaenzende 
Fest  zieren  werden,  brauchen  wir  nur  anzufuehren, 
dass  ein  ganzes  Regiment  Freiwilliger  zur  Parade  aus- 
ruecken  werden— Cavallarie  und  Infanterie,  und  dass 
verschiedenartige  militaerische  Manoever  ausgetuehrt 


1  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal,  July  13,  1831. 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


859 


werden  sollen.  Dir  Wirthe  haben  sich  nebenbei  mit 
den  besten  Getraenken  versehen ;  stark  und  seh  wach, 
vom  besten  Braendy  bis  aufs  klare  Wasser,  so  dass 
auch  Temperenz  Leute  accommodirt  werden  koennen 
— wie  auch  mit  den  besten  Speisen  fuer  Van  Buren 
und  Harrison  Leute — wie  auch  mit  Platz  fuer  8000 
Mann,  denn  man  erwartet,  dass  diese  Fair  ungewoehn- 
lich  zahlreich  besucht  werden  wird.  Fuer  gute  Fid- 
dler ist  ebenfalls  gesorgt  worden.  Dass  auch  Pferde 
Wettrennen  stattfinden  werden,  versteht  sich  von 
selbst.  Namentlich  wird  das  beruehmte  Virginien 
Pferd  Bucephalus  gegen  das  vollbluetige  importirte 
PferdRosinantespringen.  Auch  werden  einige  kleine 
Ballons  in  die  Hoehe  gelassen  werden. 

"  P.  S.-Es  wird  erwartet,  dass  die  Laedies  vom  Lan  de 
sich  ein  wenig  schoen  aufdressen  werden — indem  die 
Kutztauner  Laedies  sich  von  Kopf  zum  Fuss  mit  den 
praechtigsten  neuen  Stoffen  aus  unsern  Stohren  verse- 
hen  haben. 

"Kutztaun,  August  17,  1886." 

At  first  the  battalions  and  the  militia  trainings 
were  one  and  the  same  thing.  When  the  latter 
were  abolished,  the  festivities  originally  connected 
with  them  were  continued  under  the  name  of  the 
former.  These  were  held  in  the  month  of  May, 
the  fairs  in  September,  and  the  frolics  whenever 
the  humor  of  the  people  and  the  wishes  of  land- 
lords required  them.  About  forty  years  ago  fairs 
died  out.  These  became  so  unpopular  that  it 
sometimes  happened  that  no  sufficient  notice  of  the 
time  of  their  holding  was  given.  As  a  result  of 
this,  the  lovers  of  fun  who  lived  in  the  remoter 
parts  of  the  county,  occasionally  made  their  ap- 
pearance in  Kutztown  a  day  too  late.  From  this 
fact  originated  the  well-known  phrase  "  a  day  after 
the  fair." 

The  battalions  were  the  occasion  of  immense 
gatherings.  Not  only  did  the  militia  turn  out, 
but  the  volunteer  organizations  swelled  the  ranks 
until  more  than  a  thousand  men  were  in  line. 
General  Jeremiah  Shappell  is  best  remembered  as 
a  brigade  inspector  who  ably  handled  this  body  of 
citizen  soldiers,  and  his  military  bearing  is  still  re- 
membered by  the  old  citizens.  These  gatherings 
were  seldom  bloodless.  Men  of  brutal  disposition 
looked  forward  to  them  as  the  time  when  they 
would  meet  kindred  spirits,  and  in  sanguinary 
combats  determine  who  should  be  entitled  to 
homage  as  the  "  bully  "  the  ensuing  year.  Hence 
fights  and  brawls  were  of  constant  occurrence,  and 
the  whole  influence  was  debasing.     The  battalions 


were  not  inclined  to  elevate  life,  and  it  was  not 
until  the  Normal  School,  with  its  refining  influence, 
had  made  them  obnoxious  in  the  sight  of  the 
respectable  element  of  the  community  that  they 
finally  succumbed  in  1873.  The  "Frolic"  has 
also  been  relegated  to  the  past,  and  its  departure 
should  cause  no  regrets.  It  was  a  low  form  of 
amusement,  whose  existence  is  not  possible  among 
refined  people ;  and  those  who  regarded  it  as  a 
form  of  enjoyment  in  their  youth  looked  upon  it 
as  mad  folly  in  their  maturer  years,  and  so  severely 
discountenanced  it  that  it  died  for  want  of 
patronage. 

Railroad. — "  The  tendency  toward  public  and 
social  improvement  was  now  also  greatly  aided  by 
the  branch  railroad  which  connects  Kutztown,  by 
way  of  Topton,  with  the  chief  centres  of  American 
civilization.  Failing  in  their  plans  to  have  the 
East  Pennsylvania  Railroad  pass  through  the 
borough,  the  people  bent  their  energies  upon  the 
completion  of  what  once  bore  the  name  of  the  Allen- 
town  and  Auburn  Railroad,  but  is  now  known  as 
the  Allentown  Railroad.  To  this  had  been  sub- 
scribed by  Kutztown  and  vicinity  more  than 
twenty  thousand  dollars.  Work  was  commenced 
on  it  in  1857,  but  the  financial  panic  that  ensued 
put  a  stop  to  the  project.  Meanwhile  the  Phila- 
delphia and  Reading  Railroad  Company  obtained 
control  of  the  stock.  In  1868  our  citizens,  in 
public  meeting  assembled,  drew  up  a  petition,  in 
which  they  requested  the  company  to  complete  the 
road  from  Topton  to  Kutztown.  Their  petition 
met  with  a  generous  response.  On  June  9,  1869, 
work  was  begun.  Mr.  Fayette  Schoedler  had  the 
honor  of  digging  up  the  first  earth.  Under  the 
direction  of  Engineer  G.  W.  Hoover,  Conductor 
George  Snodgrass  and  Baggage-Master  Theodore 
G.  Faber,  the  first  train  was  run  on  January  10, 
1870." ' 

The  depot  building  was  completed  in  1870,  and 
the  telegraph  line  constructed  in  February,  1873. 
Half  a  dozen  trains  each  way  are  daily  maintained, 
enabling  the  borough  to  have  rapid  communica- 
tion with  all  points  in  the  country.  Population 
and  all  forms  of  industries  increased  rapidly.  In 
1870  there  were  945  inhabitants,  an  increase  of  but 
30  during  the  preceding  decade.      In  1880  the  in- 

1  Ermentrout. 


860 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


habitants  numbered  1198,  and  in  1885  the  popu- 
lation was  estimated  at  1500. 

Public-Houses. — Kutztown  has  always  had  a 
liberal  supply  of  inns  and  hotels.  One  of  the  first 
was  that  of  George  W.  Fister,  which  occupied  the 
site  of  the  present "  Pennsylvania  House."  Later, 
he  kept  the  "Washington  House"  many  years, 
and  made  it  the  headquarters  for  a  line  of  stages 
in  which  he  was  interested.  At  this  place  he 
entertained  James  Buchanan,  Martin  Van  Buren 
and  other  noted  public  men.  He  was  succeeded  by  his 
son  David,  and  a  later  landlord  was  Ulrich  Miller- 
The  "  Black  Horse  "  tavern  is  also  an  old  stand' 
the  first  house  then  having  been  a  weather- boarded 
log  building.  The  keeper  was  Killian  Borst.  The 
present  house  was  built  by  Jacob  Fisher  in  1845 
and  kept  by  him  until  1858,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Daniel  Zimmerman,  who  has  since  that 
time  been  its  popular  landlord. 

Where  Isaac  Hottenstein  now  resides,  Michael 
Hendel  lived  in  1823-24,  and  his  swinging  sign, 
with  Andrew  Jackson  emblazoned  on  it,  told  the 
weary  traveler,  as  he  trudged  or  rode  up  the  street, 
that  he  could  be  accommodated  with  refreshments 
to  warm  his  freezing  body  in  winter  and  to  cool 
himself  in  summer.  Farther  up,  the  ■'  Full  Moon  " 
shed  its  mellow  beams  on  the  belated  wanderer, 
and  invited  him  in  to  "Apple  Jack "  and  pure 
"  Old  Rye."  Its  landlord,  David  Moyer,  it  is 
said,  astonished  the  natives  by  the  erection  of  a 
clover-mill,  which  was  operated  by  ox-power.  More 
than  seventy  years  ago  a  man  named  Lesher  had 
an  inn  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  John 
Kohler  mansion.  It  was  a  yellow  frame  building 
and  quite  popular  in  its  day.  The  Levan  familv 
furnished  many  of  the  first  landlords,  at  one  time 
three  persons  by  that  name  having  conducted 
taverns  in  the  borough.  In  1885  Kutztown  con- 
tained six  public-houses. 

Business  Places. — It  is  believed  that  Jacob 
Herman  sold  the  first  goods  at  Kutztown,  in  a 
regular  store,  which  was  in  a  building  on  the  lot 
now  owned  by  John  Gonser,  and  a  little  later 
George  Fister  was  in  trade.  Motheral  Wilson  was 
a  successful  merchant  in  the  borough  for  many 
years ;  he  was  succeeded  by  his  nephew,  Matthew 
Selfridge.  They  last  occupied  the  present  Walter 
Bieber  stand.  Grim  &  Odenheimer  were  in  trade 
in  the  house  of  Rev.  J.  S.   Herman,  long  since 


converted  into  a  residence.  Dewald  Bieber  was  an 
early  merchant  of  prominence,  at  the  present 
Reinhart  stand.  Heidenreich  &  Kutz  and  M. 
Arnold  also  had  stores  after  1825.  In  later  years 
the  Bieber,  Fister,  Fisher,  Hinterleiter  and  Stein 
families  furnished  representative  merchants,  whose 
business  was  a  credit  to  the  place.  Schmehls  had 
the  pioneer  hardware  store,  the  Breningers  the  drug 
store  and  I.  F.  Christ  one  of  the  first  book-stores. 

The  first  grain  warehouse  was  built  in  1869,  by 
John  R.  Gonser  and  James  S.  Hefiher,  which  has 
been  occupied  by  the  latter  since  1873.  Near  by, 
George  Ludwig  built  the  second  warehouse,  in 
1870,  in  which  Fogel  &  Zimmerman  carried  on 
business  a  number  of  years.  Since  1885,  William 
H.  Heffher  has  been  engaged  in  this  business. 
Both  firms  transact  a  heavy  business. 

Protection  from  Fire. — From  the  town  rec- 
ords interesting  extracts,  relating  to  protection 
from  fires  and  the  improvement  of  the  streets, 
show  that  in  1816  fire-ladders  were  provided. 
William  Henninger  was  authorized  to  take  the 
same  to  the  shop  of  Jacob  Baldy  and  have  them 
shod.  As  early  as  1820  steps  were  taken  to  secure 
a  fire-engine,  but  none  was  purchased  until  1830, 
when  Dr.  Christian  L.  Schlemm,  George  Bieber 
and  William  Heidenreich,  as  a  committee,  pur- 
chased an  engine.  The  following  year  an  engine- 
house  was  built  by  Benjamin  Bachmanfor  $44.75. 
In  1836  the  fire  company  then  in  existence  com- 
plained that  the  engine  was  out  of  repair.  In 
1840  another  engine  was  bought,  and  January  1, 
1841,  Dr.  Bieber  was  appointed  a  committee  to 
procure  a  fire  bell  for  the  use  of  the 

American  Fire  Company. — This  company 
became  an  incorporated  body  April  2,  1844.  Its 
members  were, — 


Charles  W.  Esser. 
Samuel  Schneider. 
Wm.  Heist. 
Isaac  K.  Strausser. 
Jonathan  Fritz. 
James  M.  Leidy. 
Elias  Fegely. 
Peter  Angstadt. 
Harrison  Ohl. 
John  Schneider. 
David  Levan. 
Abraham  Levan. 
Charles  H.  Gehr. 
William  Schlem. 
Reuben  Bast. 


Henry  G.  Henninger. 
John  Kover. 
John  G.  Wink. 
Joshua  Bieber. 
John  H.  Esser. 
Jacob  Dieter. 
Jonathan  S.  Grim. 
David  Neff. 
John  Y.  Houck. 
Edward  G.  Knoske. 
Levi  Reppert. 
David  Fegely. 
Edwin  H.  Bieber. 
Daniel  Gift. 
Isaac  Baldy. 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


861 


In  1854,  there  being  no  fire  company  in  exist- 
ence, owing  to  the  engine  being  out  of  repair,  the 
young  boys  of  the  borough  petitioned  the  Council 
for  permission  to  organize  a  company.  The  re- 
quest was  not  allowed.  The  engine  was  repaired 
by  Paul  Hilbert  and  Henry  Glasser,  but  not  thor- 
oughly, it  would  seem,  for  in  1858  two  hundred 
dollars  more  were  expended  for  this  purpose, 
through  D.  B.  Kutz  &  Co. 

<  In  1860  the  Borough  Council  decided  to  build 
an  engine-house,  but  the  Civil  War  caused  the 
matter  to  be  suspended.  The  building  was  not 
put  up  until  1871.  It  is  a  two-story  brick,  twenty- 
one  by  thirty  feet,  and  cost  one  thousand  three 
hundred  and  forty-nine  dollars.  In  it  are  housed 
the  old  fire-engines,  but  no  company  to  man  the 
same  is  now  maintained. 

Street  Improvement. — In  1855  an  ordinance 
was  passed  to  grade  Main  Street,  which  was  op- 
posed by  many  property-holders  as  not  conducive 
to  the  public  welfare,  and  as  tending  to  increase 
the  taxes  unnecessarily.  "  But  we  are  in  favor  of 
having  the  pavements  made,  every  man's  according 
to  his  neighbor's." 

This  year  the  wages  for  working  on  the  roads 
were,  for  men,  eighty-seven  and  a  half  cents  ;  for 
boys',  forty-three  and  three-fourths  cents.  This 
exactness  and  regard  for  the  fraction  of  a  dollar 
finds  a  counterpart  in  the  report  of  the  treasurer 
in  1829,  which  indicated  a  balance  in  the  treasury 
of  030.31*. 

For  a  long  while  the  borough  maintained  the 
office  of  clerk  of  the  market,  a  position  which  was 
filled  first  by  Conrad  Capp  and  many  years  by 
John  Baer. 

In  1857  the  first  lock-up  was  built  by  Nathan 
Levan,  by  contract,  for  one  hundred  and  forty- 
nine  dollars.  The  principal  street  of  the  borough 
is  well  paved  and  fairly  well  lighted.  The  public 
improvements  were  much  retarded  by  the  Civil 
War.  The  borough  was  at  great  expense  during 
that  period  in  procuring  volunteers  and  filling 
quotas.  The  following  table  shows  the  men  fur- 
nished and  appropriations  made : 

First  call,  Oct.  6,  1862,  nine  men  volunteers.  $927.33 
First  call,  June  29, 1863,  thirty  men,  State 

defense 150.00 

Second  call,  Feb.  5,  1864,    seventeen  men 

for  quota 5100.00 


Second    call,  Apr.  7,  1864,  four  men  addi- 
tional  , 1155.00 

Third  call,  Sept.,   1864,  fifteen    men    for 

quota 7180.00 

Third  call,  Sept.,  1864,  two  men  additional  400.00 

Fourth  call,  March,  1865,  thirteen  men 3900.00 

Expenses  in  filling  third  and  fourth  calls....  157.88 

Expenses  in  filling  fourth  call 15.00 

Total  amount $19,005.21 

"  Of  this  sum,  $1810.00  were  raised  by  private  sub- 
scription, and  $3,000.00  by  county  bounty  ;  the  re- 
mainder by  the  borough. 

"  The  bounty  tax  in  Maxatawny  amounted  to 
$48,000.00." 

Manufactures.— One  of  the  first  industries  of 
the  place,  aside  from  the  ordinary  mechanic  pur- 
suits, was  the  building  of  pipe-organs  by  the  Open- 
heimer  Brothers,  who  removed  to  Reading  where 
they  followed  the  same  occupation. 

In  the  lower  part  of  the  borough  a  tannery  was 
operated  for  a  number  of  years,  with  success,  by 
Nathan  Levan,  who  was  also  a  currier  by  trade. 
It  was  removed  about  twenty-five  years  ago. 

The  Kviztovm  Tannery  was  established  in  1870 
by  the  present  proprietor,  J.  D.  Sharadin.  It  con- 
sists of  a  main  building,  thirty-three  by  seventy- 
two  feet,  two  stories  high,  with  an  extension  thirty 
by  thirty  feet.  The  power  is  furnished  by  a 
ten  horse-power  engine.  The  product  is  chiefly 
oak-tanned  harness-leather,  although  kipp  and 
calf-skins  are  also  prepared.  From  five  to  six 
men  are  employed. 

The  Kutztown  Shoe-Factory  was  established  in  the 
fall  of  1883  by  a  company  composed  of  Hon.  H.  H. 
Schwartz,  Dr.  J.  S.  Trexler,  Nathan  Levan,  Wil- 
liam F.  Stimmel,  Lewis  A.  Stein  and  A.  A.  Lentz, 
under  the  firm-name  of  Levan,  Stein  &  Co.  Lenfz 
withdrew  in  1884.  The  business  has  since  been 
carried  on  successfully  by  the  firm.  The  factory 
occupies  a  large  building,  formerly  used  by 
Davied  Saul  as  a  brewery,  but  not  operated  for 
many  years.  The  firm  employ  thirty  workmen  in 
the  factory,  and  manufacture  shoes  for  ladies, 
misses  and  children.  An  increasing  trade  indi- 
cates the  prosperity  of  their  enterprise. 

Eek's  Hosiery-Factory  was  established  in  the  fall 
of  1882  by  J.  L.  Eck.  He  began  operations  with 
three  machines,  and  has  steadily  increased  his  bus- 
iness, until  now  there  are  thirty  weaving  and  knit- 
ting-machines in   the  factory.    A  new  building 


862 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


was  fitted  up  in  1884,  with  steam  for  motive- 
power.  The  operatives  are  girls  and  boys  and 
the  products  are  plain  and  fancy  hose,  chiefly  for 
women  and  children.  About  three  hundred 
dozen  pairs  are  manufactured  weekly. 

Carriage-Factory. — The  carriage-factory  of  R. 
Miller's  Son,  on  Main  Street,  was  established  by 
R.  Miller  in  1837.  The  present  building  has  been 
occupied  since  1873.  It  is  of  brick,  sixty  by  sixty- 
four  feet,  two  stories  high,  with  a  blacksmith- 
shop,  thirty  by  sixty  feet,  attached.  From  twelve 
to  eighteen  hands  are  employed  on  light  vehicles 
and  sleighs. 

Kutztown  Foundry  and  Machine- Shops. — This 
industry  was  established  in  1851  by  Daniel  B. 
Kutz  and  Elias  Jackson.  In  1865  the  Zehm 
Brothers  became  the  proprietors,  who,  four  years 
later,  moved  to  the  present  site.  The  foundry  was 
burned  down  in  1870  and  the  present  shops  were 
erected  the  same  year.  The  main  shop  is  of  brick, 
forty-two  by  one  hundred  and  two  feet,  two  stories 
high,  and  is  well  supplied  with  lathes  and  iron- 
working  machinery.  The  motive-power  is  fur- 
nished by  a  thirty  horse-power  engine.  The  plant 
embraces  about  one  and  one-fourth  acres,  which 
include  smaller  work-shops  and  buildings  for  stor- 
age purposes.  A  track  from  the  railroad,  close  at 
hand,  affords  easy  shipment  for  the  products  of  the 
establishment.  Twenty  hands  are  employed  in 
the  manufacture  of  engines,  boilers,  steam-pumps, 
mining,  milling  and  slate  machinery.  A  specialty 
is  made  of  the  Keystone  Turbine  Water- Wheel. 
The  present  proprietors  are  Chas.  G.  and  Fred.  S. 
Zehm. 

#  Isaac  Wentzel  &  Sons  built  a  machine-shop 
near  the  Sacony  in  1873,  consisting  of  a  two-story 
frame  building,  thirty  by  forty-five  feet,  with  steam 
for  motive-power.  They  manufacture  general 
farming  implements. 

Cigars. — In  the  borough  the  manufacture  of 
cigars  is  carried  on  by  Fritch  &  Merker,  Harvey 
Bast  and  C.  W.  Keiter,  the  latter  employing  six- 
teen hands. 

Bricks. — John  H.  Mohr  and  William  Weaver 
each  have  large  and  well-appointed  brick-yards, 
just  outside  the  limits  of  the  borough,  which  give 
employment  to  a  large  number  of  hands.  The 
clay  is  of  fine  quality  and  the  bricks  manufactured 
by  them  are  very  durable. 


Lime  is  manufactured  extensively  by  John  D. 
Deisher,  Neff  Bros.,  Lewis  Brown,  A.  W.  Fritch 
and  William  Wessner.  The  first-named  has  a 
dozen  kilns.  This  business  affords  occupation  for 
a  large  number  of  men. 

Kutztown  Creamery.  An  association  with  forty- 
nine  members  was  organized  in  the  spring  of  1881, 
for  the  manufacture  of  butter  and  cheese  ;  and  in 
the  following  summer  a  fine  two-story  brick  build- 
ing (thirty  four  by  forty-four  feet)  was  put  up; 
and  the  other  necessary  buildings  provided  to 
carry  on  the  business.  The  entire  outlay  was 
about  four  thousand  dollars.  The  creamery  has 
been  carried  on  successfully,  having  about  seventy 
patrons  who  supply  milk  daily.  In  1885  William 
S.  Kutz  was  president ;  David  S.  Schaeffer,  treas- 
urer ;  and  Jonathan  Biehl,  secretary. 

Kutztown  Furnace  was  erected  by  the  Kutztown 
Iron  Company,  which  was  incorporated  in  1872. 
Most  of  the  stockholders  lived  in  Kutztown  and 
vicinity,  although  some  persons  from  abroad  were 
interested.  A  tract  of  five  acres  of  land  was 
secured  from  the  D.  S.  Kutz  farm,  near  the  bor- 
ough, and  thereon  the  furnace  was  built  in  1873, 
the  first  ground  having  been  dug  July  2d,  by  Henry 
Boyer.  The  contractors  were  Lee,  Noble  &  Co. 
The  furnace  was  first  operated  under  a  lease  by 
Charles  H.  Nimson  &  Co.,  with  Henry  C.  Cooper 
as  the  manager.  In  the  course  of  a  few  years  the 
furnace  became  the  property  of  the  Philadelphia 
and  Reading  Coal  and  Iron  Company,  who  leased 
it  to  different  parties.  William  M.  Kauffman  & 
Co.  have  been  the  most  successful  operators. '  In 
July,  1883,  the  boiler  of  the  furnace  exploded, 
upsetting  the  smoke-stack,  which  fell  across  the 
casting-house  and  demolished  it.  Several  work- 
men were  fatally  injured.  Since  that  time  the 
property  has  laid  in  ruins.  The  capacity  of  the 
furnace  was  nearly  two  hundred  tons  per  week. 

Churches. — St.  John's  Church,  commonly  called 
the  old  Union  Church,  from  its  being  the  joint 
property  of  Lutheran  and  Reformed  Congrega- 
tions, ranks  with  the  oldest  in  the  county.  Its 
early  history  is  somewhat  obscure,  owing  to  the 
loss  of  the  records  ;  but  from  the  history  of  con- 
temporary churches,  its  organization  took  place 
some  time  about  1755.  The  first  meeting-house, 
built  of  logs,  stood  about  a  mile  east  of  the  present 
site.     The  church  property  included  twenty-four 


BOROUGHS  OP  COUNTY. 


863 


acres  of  land.  The  ministers  were  Revs.  Daniel 
Lehman  and  John  Henry  Helfrich.  In  1788  the 
congregation  determined  to  erect  a  church  in 
Kutztown. 

"  On  the  9th  of  November,  1789,  the  present 
congregations  were  reorganized  ;  and  on  the  24th 
of  May,  1790,  the  corner-stone  of  the  church  was 
laid.  It  was  dedicated  August  7,  1791,  with 
Rev.  Daniel  Lehman,  Evangelical  Lutheran 
preacher,  and  Rev.  John  Henry  Helfrich,  Evan- 
gelical Reformed  preacher,  as  officiating  ministers 
on  that  occasion.  The  earliest  officers  were :  Trustees 
on  the  Lutheran  side,  Jacob  Herman,  1789-1801 ; 
Jacob  Schweirer,  1789  ;  Michael  Weortrlein,  1789  ; 
and,  on  the  Reformed  side,  George  Pfister,  1789- 
1839;  Jeremiah  Kolb,  1789;  Peter  Christman, 
1789-1813 ;  as  elders  on  Lutheran  side,  George 
Kistler,  1791  ;  Peter  Mathern,  1791 ;  and,  on  the 
Reformed  side,  Nicholas  Kieffer,  1791  ;  George 
Kemp,  1791 ;  as  deacons  on  the  Lutheran  side, 
M.  Bast.  1791  ;  Abraham  Biehl,  1791-95 ;  Nich- 
olas Kutz,  1791-99 ;  Jacob  Esser,  1796-99  ;  John 
Bieber,  1799  ;  John  Kutz,  1799  ;  Abraham  Eer- 
kel,  1800  ;  and,  on  the  Reformed  side,  John  Sieg- 
fried, 1791 ;  Simon  George,  1791 ;  John  Levan, 
Jr.,  1791 ;  Philip  Michael,  1795  ;  Philip  Klein, 
1797-98  ;  John  Funk,  1801. 

"  In  1812  there  was  expressed  a  desire  to  com- 
plete the  building.  Up  to  that  time  it  had  cost 
$3307.33}.  On  January  2,  1813,  it  became  free 
of  debt.  In  1816  the  building  was  weather- 
boarded,  at  an  expense  of  $515.98.  In  1842  the 
church-yard  was  completed,  and  in  1846  a  new 
pulpit  was  constructed.  The  total  cost  was  about 
six  thousand  dollars. 

"  The  real  estate  of  the  congregation  consists  of 
seven  lots.  The  first  three,  on  the  corner  of  which 
the  building  stands,  were  deeded  to  it  September 
8, 1820,  for  the  consideration  of  one  dollar,  by 
Henry  Kohler,  the  owner  of  them,  and  the  then 
proprietor  of  Kutztown.  On  May  9,  1804,  was 
delivered  to  it  the  school  lots,  Nos.  87  and  88,  for 
five  shillings,  by  Jacob  Herman,  lessee,  and  after- 
wards one  of  them  for  school  purposes,  gratuitously, 
by  Henry  Kohler.  On  one  of  them  must  still 
be  paid  a  yearly  ground-rent  of  thirty  seven  and  a 
half  cents,  and  on  lots  Nos.  85  and  86  a  yearly 
ground-rent  of  seventy-five  cents. 

"  For  eighty-six  years  the  Lutheran  and  Re- 


formed people  worshipped  Almighty  God  in  this 
venerable  edifice.  But  the  time  came  when  they 
required  a  temple  that  would  more  worthily  rep- 
resent their  zeal  and  devotion  in  Divine  things. 
So  on  April  4,  1876,  at  a  meeting  of  the  joint 
vestries,  they  passed  the  following  resolution : 
'  That  the  question  whether  a  New  Union  Church 
shall  be  built,  shall  be  submitted  to  the  members 
of  the  Lutheran  and  Reformed  congregations  of 
Kutztown,  to  be  decided  at  an  election  to  be  held 
on  April  17th,  after  service,  to  be  voted  upon  with 
written  or  printed  tickets  as  follows  :  for  building 
a  New  Union  Church  and  against  building  a  New 
Union  Church.'  The  result  was  two  hundred  and 
seventy-nine  votes  for  and  seventy-seven  against 
building.  There  was  immediately  appointed  a 
committee  on  subscription, — Charles  Rahn,  Charles 
Deisher,  George  Bieber,  David  Schaeffer,  Jacob 
Sunday,  Charles  Kutz,  Jonathan  Bieber,  John 
Christman,  George  Kutz,  John  Kemp,  W.  Rahn 
and  Jac.  Rahn. 

"  In  the  presence  of  a  great  multitude  of  people, 
on  Whit-Sunday,  June  4th,  the  corner-stone  was 
laid.  The  exercises  were  continued  on  Whit- 
Monday,  1876." ' 

The  house  was  so  far  completed  that  the  base- 
ment was  used  for  worship  in  the  fall  of  1876,  but 
the  church  was  not  fully  completed  until  the 
following  year,  when  it  was  formally  dedicated.  It 
is  of  brick,  forty-nine  by  seventy-six  feet ;  the  main 
room  is  on  the  second  story.  The  basement  is 
divided  into  four  rooms.  The  church  is  supplied 
with  a  fine  bell,  the  sound  of  which  can  be  heard 
many  miles  away  ;  and  also  with  an  excellent  pipe- 
organ. 

The  Lutheran  congregation  had,  in  1885,  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty  members,  with  Rev.  J.  J. 
Cressman  as  pastor.  His  predecessors  in  the  min- 
istry of  the  church  were  the  Rev.  Daniel  Lehman, 
until  1808  ;  Rev.  John  Knoske,  till  1  837  ;  Rev. 
Daniel  Kohler,  from  1839  to  1851  ;  Rev.  G.  A. 
Hinterleiter  and  Rev.  George  F.  Spieker. 

The  first  minister  of  the  Reformed  congregation 
was  the  Rev.  Henry  Helfrich,  who  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Revs.  Charles  G.  Herman  and  J.  Sassa- 
man  Herman.     The   present  pastor  is  the   Rev. 


i  Ermentrout. 


864 


HISTOKY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


John  H.  Leinbach.      The  membership  of  the  con- 
gregation is  more  than  three  hundred. 

The  Union  Sunday-school  maintained  in  the 
church  had  as  its  superintendents  Milton  J. 
Bieber  and  Charles  Christman.  The  membership 
of  the  school  was  more  than  two  hundred  and 
fifty. 

"  About  1826  the  first  Sunday-school  was  organ- 
ized under  the  name  of  The  Kutztown  Sunday- 
School  Union.  It  occupied  an  independent  posi- 
tion. Prior  to  that  time  religious  instruction  was 
imparted  to  the  young  by  the  preachers,  and 
during  the  summer,  on  the  Lord's  Day,  by  the 
organists,  who  also  taught  the  daily  parochial 
school.  In  the  Fatherland  it  was,  and  still  is,  the 
custom  for  the  pastor,  on  every  Sunday  afternoon, 
to  explain  the  catefchism  to  the  children  assembled 
in  the  church.  But,  as  the  pastors  here  were 
overburdened  with  work,  ic  became  necessary  to 
organize  the  Sunday-school.  The  opposition  to  it 
was  at  first  earnest,  but  it  soon  gave  way. 
In  addition  to  the  one  just  mentioned  other  Sud- 
day-schools  were  established, — the  '  German  Re- 
formed and  Lutheran  Sunday-School '  and  the 
'  German  Reformed  Sunday-School.'  Thus,  at 
one  time  three  schools  vied  with  one  another  in 
training  up  the  children  in  the  way  in  which 
they  should  go.  The  last-named  school  having 
drained  the  first  named  of  its  members,  on  April 
24,  1868,  there  was  established  in  place  of  the 
'  German  Reformed  and  Lutheran  Sunday- 
School,'  an  exclusively  Lutheran  one.  Of  the 
latter,  the  first  superintendent  was  E.  D.  Bieber. 

"  The  first  Union  Sunday-school  (Reformed  and 
Lutheran)  was  organized  by  Rev.  J.  S.  Herrmann, 
who  served  as  superintendent  for  a  number  of 
years.  Even  before  he  became  pastor  in  Kutz- 
town, he  had  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the  religious 
education  of  the  young." 

Of  this  Sunday-school  John  G.  Wink  was  the 
superintendent  from  1846  to  1857.  Many  others 
took  a  warm  interest  in  its  support. 

Trinity  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  is  the  off- 
spring of  the  Lutheran  Sunday-school,  which  was 
organized  April  24,  1868.  After  meeting  in  the 
old  church  for  some  time,  the  conviction  was 
forced  on  the  minds  of  those  interested  in  its  main- 
tenance that  its  welfare  would  be  best  promoted  in 
a  house  of  its  own.     At  the  same  time  the  organ-  ' 


ization  of  an  exclusively  Lutheran  Church  was 
suggested,  and  on   the  12th  of  February,  1874, 
definite  action  in  this  direction  was  taken  by  the 
Sunday-school  deciding  then  that  it  would  raise 
five   hundred   dollars   towards   the  erection  of  a 
building,  providing  a  room  therein  would  be  set 
aside  for  its  use.     This  proposition  was  received 
with  favor,  and  the  work  of  building  was  begun 
in  earnest,  on  a  lot  on  the  west  side  of  Main  Street. 
The  corner-stone  of  the  chapel  of  the  proposed 
church  was  laid  August  2,  1874,  and  December 
25th  of  the  same  year  the  building  was  dedicated. 
It  is  a  neat  brick  edifice,  having  a  capacity  for 
about  five  hundred  people,  costing  about  six  thou- 
sand dollars.     Nearly  one-fourth  of  this  amount 
was  contributed  by  the  Sunday-school.     In  April, 
1876,  the  Rev.   George   T.   Spieker  became  the 
pastor  of  the  new  congregation,  and  since  May, 
1884,  the  Rev.  W.  A.  C.  Mueller  has  served  in 
that  capacity.     In  the  spring  of  1885  the  chapel 
was  beautifully  frescoed  and  otherwise  improved. 

In  January,  1886,  the  congregation  numbered 
two  hundred  and  fifty  members,  and  then  it  had 
the  following  consistory : 

Trustees,  Abraham  Bieber,  Isaac  Fegeley,  Henry 
Peterson,  W.  B.  Bieber;  Elders,  Jacob  B.  Heffner, 
Richard  Miller,  D.  H.  Hinlerleiter,  John  Humbert; 
Deacons,  D.  K.  Sprenger,  A.  B.  Johnson,  N.  S. 
Schmehl,  Charles  B.  Herman. 

W.  B.  Bieber  is  superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 
school,  which  has  about  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  members. 

The  Kutztown  Reformed  Sunday-school  was  or- 
ganized May  17,  1863,  and  had  for  first  president 
J.  S.  Herman,  and  first  superintendent  H.  R. 
Nicks.  Its  meetings  were  first  held  in  the  old 
Union  Church,  later  in  the  Evangelical  Church 
and  the  past  five  years  in  the  public  school  build- 
ing. The  superintendent,  in  1886,  was  E.  L. 
Kemp.  Like  Trinity  Lutheran  Sunday-school, 
this  Sunday-school  has  led  to  the  formation  of  a  ' 
separate  congregation  to  be  known  as  First  Re- 
formed Church,  which  will  erect  a  building  on 
White  Oak  Street.  The  style  of  architecture  will 
be  Gothic,  the  material  brick,  and  the  cost  about 
six  thousand  dollars.  The  building  committee  is 
comprised  of  Lewis  Butz,  president;  Edward 
Hottenstein,  secretary;  David  H.  Hottenstein,. 
treasurer ;  J.  D.  Sharadin,  Alfred  Neff,  William  T. 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


865 


Stimmel  and  Nathan  Kemp.  Most  of  these  mem- 
bers formerly  had  a  connection  with  the  St.  John's 
Church. 

Salem  Church  of  the  Evangelical  Association. — 
The  pioneer  minister  of  this  persuasion  was  the 
Rev.  Bishop  John  Seybert,  who  preached  the  first 
sermon,  April  12,  1828,  at  the  house  of  Peter 
NefT.  From  that  time  until  1848  occasional 
preaching  was  held  at  the  houses  of  such  as  ac- 
cepted the  faith,  but  no  regular  congregation  was 
formed  until  about  two  years  later,  when  meetings 
were  held  statedly.  In  1850  a  lot  on  Main  Street 
was  bought,  and  a  meeting-house  built  the  same 
year,  which  was  placed  in  charge  of  Trustees  Jacob 
Stoudt,  Solomon  Ely  and  Benneville  Klein,  who 
were  also  among  the  principal  members.  The 
building  was  of  brick,  thirty-five  by  forty-five  feet, 
and  cost  eleven  hundred  dollars.  It  served  as  a 
place  of  worship  until  May  6,  1885,  when  it  was 
demolished,  and  the  present  fine  edifice  erected 
by  a  building  committee  composed  of  D.  B.  Sny- 
der, John  R.  Gonser,  Rev.  W.  H.  Weidner,  Silas 
K.  Hoch  and  H.  B.  Mohr.  It  is  a  two-story  brick 
building,  with  a  very  fine  steeple,  in  which  is  a 
bell  weighing  five  hundred  and  sixteen  pounds. 
The  bell  on  the  old  church  weighed  but  eighty 
pounds.  The  lower  part  of  the  church  was  occu- 
pied in  the  fall  of  1 885,  and  the  auditorium  will 
be  consecrated  in  the  summer  of  1886.  Its  cost 
has  been  six  thousand  dollars.  The  trustees  are 
J.  C.  Gehr,  Silas  Hoch  and  D.  B.  Snyder.  The 
membership  of  the  church  is  small,  numbering 
only  thirty.  Their  pastor  was  the  Rev.  W.  H. 
Weidner,  preacher  in  charge  of  Kutztown  Circuit. 
Other  Evangelical  preachers  at  Kutztown  have 
been  the  Revs.  McLane,  Hess,  Serm,  Wieapd, 
Leopold,  Neitz,  Ziegenfuss,  Gingrich,  Schultz, 
Sechrist,  Stauffer,  Miller,  Yeakel,  Overholtz,  Ster- 
mer  and  Speicher.  The  Sunday-school  has  Elias 
J.  Hoch  for  its  superintendent.  The  first  Evan- 
gelical Sunday-school  was  organized  May  26, 
1851. 

Religious  meetings  are  also  held  in  the  chapel  of 
the  Normal  School,  but  they  are  non-sectarian  in 
character.  The  principal  of  the  school  and  visit- 
ing clergymen  officiate  at  the  services. 

Schools. — The  Parochial  School,  one  of  the 
first  organized  schools,  was  established  by  the  con- 
gregations of  the  old  Union  Church,  and  measures 
75 


were  early  taken  to  make  the  instruction  effec- 
tive and  thorough.  "  In  the  rules  which  they 
framed  on  November  9,  1789,  it  is  stated,  that  as 
the  education  of  the  young  in  reading,  writing, 
and  other  branches,  is  of  the  highest  importance, 
there  shall  be  built  as  soon  as  possible  a  school- 
house  ;  that  the  school-house  shall  be  located  near 
the  church;  that  when  built,  there  shall  be 
elected  a  man  who  is  not  only  competent  to  teach 
and  to  sing,  but  also  bears  a  good  moral  charac- 
ter ;  that  the  preachers,  elders  and  deacons  shall 
have  a  care  that  good  order  prevails  in  the  school, 
that  each  child  receives  proper  attention  and  that 
no  partiality  be  shown. 

"  The  school-house  was  built  1804-5.  Its  first 
trustees  were  Jacob  Levan,  Jr.,  Jacob  Kutz,  Jr., 
Henry  Heist  and  John  Bieber,  Jr.  The  trustees 
had  charge  of  the  school-house  and  were  required 
to  hold  quarterly  examinations  of  the  pupils,  in 
the  presence  of  the  teacher,  and  with  the  co-opera- 
tion of  the  preachers,  elders  and  deacons.  The 
teacher  lived  in  the  building.  His  duties  were  to 
lead  the  singing  in  church,  to  play  the  organ,  to 
teach  the  children  how  to  pray,  to  spell,  to  read, 
to  write,  to  sing,  to  cipher ;  also,  during  the  sum-  . 
mer,  on  the  Sundays  when  there  was  no  divine 
service,  Kinder  lehre  zu  halten,  and  from  time  to 
time  to  confer  with  the  trustees. 

"On  May  15,  1805,  it  was  resolved  that  in  the 
school-house  there  should  be  a  room  for  the  accom- 
modation of  an  English  teacher ;  that  the  follow- 
ing autumn  there  should  be  employed  one  who 
bore  a  good  character,  and  who  could  instruct  well 
in  speaking,  reading,  writing  and  ciphering  ;  and 
that  the  trustees  shall  have  a  care  that  there  be 
English  teaching  at  least  every  winter."  This 
school  was  kept  up  with  satisfactory  results  until 
after  the  free  school  system  was  introduced. 

Common-School  System. — In  the  year  1838  Kutz- 
town accepted  the  common-school  system.  On 
the  ground  where  the  present  school-building 
now  stands,  David  Levan  erected  the  first  school- 
house,  and  on  its  site,  under  the  supervision  of  the 
directors — Hon.  H.  H.  Schwartz,  Dr.  Charles  A. 
Gerasch,  A.  Manderbach,  Aug.  Sprenger  and 
H.  F.  Bickel — there  was  built  in  1862,  at  a  cost 
of  $3300.00,  the  building  which  now  ornaments 
the  borough.  In  it  taught,  at  different  periods, 
J.  B.  Van  Scheetz,  William  Detweiler,  John  G. 


866 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Wink,  Aug.  Wink,  Dr.  Ed.  Bieber,  William 
Kelley,  George  Shinn,  J.  Vansickle,  John  Hum- 
bert, George  Hertzell,  R.  T.  Barnville,  James  M. 
Gehr,  Jacob  Humbert,  J.  K.  Steven,  G.  W.  Long, 
Daniel  E.  Schoedler,  Allen  Hottenstein,  Lew 
Wanner,  Thomas  A.  Strasser,  P.  S.  Umbenhauer, 
Eugene  D.  Bieber,  L.  F.  Sprenger,  Irwin  W. 
Bieber,  Zach.  C  Hoch,  W.  W.  Kistler,  James  H. 
Marx,"  and  a  number  of  others.  The  schools  are 
maintained  at  an  outlay  of  sixteen  hundred  dollars 
per  year  and  the  attendance  is  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty. 

The  Franklin  Academy. — An  interest  in  and 
desire  for  higher  education  was  manifested  in 
the  borough  at  an  early  day,  and  as  the  parochial 
school  did  not  supply  this  need,  it  was  determined, 
in  1836,  to  found  an  academy.  For  this  purpose 
an  association  was  formed  to  establish  this  institu- 
tion. It  was  dopendent  upon  the  general  public 
for  support  A  new  building  was  provided  and 
the  institution  was  opened  on  September  1,  1836. 
The  number  of  students  was  limited  to  thirty- 
three,  and  no  student  was  received  for  a  less  term 
than  six  months,  the  tuition  fee  for  that  period 
being  ten  dollars.  In  order  to  secure  the  State 
appropriation  of  four  hundred  dollars  per  year, 
offered  to  any  academy  which  had  twenty-five 
students  on  its  rolls,  the  academy  was  incor- 
porated in  1838.  Its  first  trustees  were  Daniel 
B.  Kutz,  Daniel  Bieber,  Colonel  John  Wan- 
ner, David  Kutz,  Dr.  C.  L.  Schlemm,  David 
Deisher  and  Henry  Heffner.  Among  its  teachers 
were  Alexander  Ramsey,  Eev.  Charles  Lukens, 
Messrs.  Murphy,  Wanner,  Kohler,  Hill,  Bitler, 
Salter  and  Woodbury.  Its  first  teacher,  Alexan- 
der Eamsey,  migrated  to  Minnesota,  and  in  time 
became  Governor  of  the  State,  and  its  representa- 
tive for  several  terms  in  the  United  States  Senate. 
On  invitation  of  the  Keystone  Agricultural  So- 
ciety, Senator  Ramsey  visited  Kutztown  October, 
1874,  and  delivered  an  able  and  eloquent  address. 

The  academy  flourished  for  a  number  of  years, 
but  when  interest  in  the  public  schools  was  in- 
creased its  support  diminished,  and  it  was  allowed 
to  go  down.     It  had  a  good  library. 

The  desire  for  better  schools  and  higher  educa- 
tion, however,  still  existed,  and,  in  1847,  Prof.  G. 
Dering  Wolff  opened  a  select  school  at  the  solici- 
tation of  a  number  of  citizens.     It  was  numerously 


attended,  and   served   its   purpose   a  number  of 
years. 

Maxatawny  Seminary  and  Keystone  State 
Normal  School. — Toward  the  close  of  1860  a 
more  important  educational  movement  was  inaug- 
urated. Rev.  J.  Sassaman  Herman  now  applied 
to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Gerhart,  president  of  Franklin 
and  Marshall  College,  for  a  teacher,  and  Prof.  H. 
R.  Nicks,  A.M.,  a  graduate  of  that  institution, 
was  recommended.  On  November  15,  1860,  this 
gentleman  came  to  Kutztown,  and  opened  Fair- 
view  Seminary,  in  the  house  now  occupied  as  a 
residence  by  Col.  Thomas  D.  Fister.  His  assistant 
teachers  were  John  Humbert,  Esq  ,  and  Harry. 
Weand.  In  the  spring  of  1863,  Mr.  Nicks  moved 
his  school  into  the  borough.  Through  the  influ- 
ence of  the  professor,  a  man  of  fine  scholarly  at- 
tainments, some  of  the  citizens  of  Kutztown  and 
Maxatawny  were  induced  to  purchase  five  acres  of 
land  at  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  dollars  per 
acre,  and  to  erect  on  it  a  building  at  a  cost  of  four 
thousand  one  hundred  dollars.  This  building 
(fifty  by  forty  feet)  became  in  time  the  northern 
wing  of  the  present  Keystone  State  Normal  School. 
In  the  consummation  of  this  work  Prof.  Nicks 
was  greatly  assisted  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Gerhart, 
who  spent  several  days  in  Kutztown  and  vicinity, 
visiting  our  citizens  and  urging  the  importance  of 
the  undertaking.  He  suggested  the  plan  on 
which  the  wing  just  referred  to  was  erected.  In 
consideration  of  the  fact  that  the  people  of  the 
township  had  manifested  a  very  deep  interest  in 
the  success  of  the  project,  the  name  of  the  school 
was  changed  from  Fairview  to  Maxatawny  Semi- 
nary. Prof.  Nicks  moved  into  his  new  home  in 
September,  1864.  His  chief  assistant  was  Prof.  S. 
Transue,  A.M.,  a  graduate  of  Franklin  and  Mar- 
shall College.  During  several  months  of  the  year 
1865,  Prof.  John  S.  Ermentrout  also  assisted  in 
teaching  in  the  seminary.  His  chief  object  in 
doing  so  was  to  prepare  the  way  for  carrying  into 
effect  a  project  which,  as  superintendent  of  the 
common  schools  of  Berks,  he  had  long  entertained. 
This  project  was  the  establishment  of  a  State  Nor- 
mal School  in  Berks  County  for  the  education  of 
teachers. 

As  he  was  journeying  from  Lyons  to  Kutztown, 
in  the  discharge  of  official  duty,  the  superintendent 
of  schools  in  the  county,  saw  in  the   distance  the 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


867 


building  known  as  Maxatawny  Seminary.  It 
occurred  to  him  that,  if  the  people  of  that  section 
had  taken  sufficient  interest  in.  the  cause  of  educa- 
tion to  erect  that  building,  they  might  be  induced 
to  assist  him  in  carrying  out  his  project  of  estab- 
lishing a  regular  State  Normal  School  for  the 
Third  Normal  District.  On  consultation  with  Prof. 
Nicks,  he  found  that  the  project  was  favored.  In 
1865  the  teachers  of  Berks  County  were  collected 
in  the  seminary,   for  the   purpose   of  normal   in- 


Susannah  Hottenstein,  Solomon  Christ,  each  three 
hundred  dollars;  D.  H.  Hottenstein,  Jon.  S. 
Bieber,  Isaac  Koeller,  B.  E.  Kramlich,  C.  A. 
Gerasch,  A.  R.  Nicks,  E.  Butz,  Susannah  Hotten- 
stein, Win.  Hottenstein,  G.  Dietrich,  Sol.  Christ, 
David  Schaeffer,  J.  D.  Wanner,  Jno.  Kieffer, 
John  Rahn,  each  two  hundred  dollars  ;  H.  R. 
Nicks,  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars ;  Ulrich  Mil- 
ler, David  Fister,  G.  Bieber,  George  Kutz,  D.  H. 
Hottenstein,   each   one   hundred  dollars ;  H.  R. 


MAXATAWNY    SEMINARY   AND    KEYSTONE   STATE    NORMAL   SCHOOL. 


struction  but  it  was  found  too  small  to  accommo- 
date the  students  who  flocked  thither  from  every 
part  of  the  county  and  from  adjacent  districts. 
The  success  of  this  movement  inspired  the  people 
of  Kutztown  and  Maxatawny  to  erect  such  build- 
ings as  the  school  law  required,  and  to  establish  a 
regular  Normal  School  for  the  district,  and  to  the 
generous  and  enterprising  citizens  of  that  section 
of  the  county  belongs  the  honor  of  having  pro- 
vided the  "  material  means  "  which  were  needed  to 
purchase  grounds  and  put  up  necessary  buildings. 

The  contributors  to  the  fund  for  building  Max- 
atawny Seminary  were  Jacob  Sunday  and  G. 
Bieber,  each  five  hundred  dollars  ;  C.  A.  Gerasch, 
D.  H.  Hottenstein,   Lizzie  E.    Bieber,   E.  Butz, 


Nicks,  fifty  dollars, — total,  six  thousand  five  hun- 
dred dollars. 

Maxatawny  Seminary,  which  was  started  as  a 
private  enterprise,  disappeared.  For  the  furniture 
with  which  Prof.  Nicks  had  provided  it,  and  for 
any  necessary  improvements  he  had  made,  he  was 
compensated.  Its  stock,  building  and  grounds 
were  transferred  to  a  new  board  of  trustees,  who 
purchased  five  additional  acres  of  land,  and  began 
to  procure  subscriptions  with  which  to  erect  what 
is  now  known  as  the  Keystone  State  Normal 
School.  Within  a  year,  to  the  building  formerly 
known  as  Maxatawny  Seminary  were  added  a 
centre  building,  one  hundred  by  forty  feet,  and 
two  wings  each  fifty  by  forty  feet. 


868 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


These  improvements  were  made  possible  in  con- 
sequence of  subscriptions  by  the  following,  who 
were  also  the  original  stockholders  of  the  Normal 
School : 

"  Lewis  K.  Hottenstein  and  Susannah  Hottenstein, 
each  $1200 ;  G.  Bieber,  D.  H.  Hottenstein,  Dr.  E. 
Hottenstein,  each  $1000  ;  Jonas  Miller,  Jon.  Bieber, 
Sr.,  Jacob  Sunday,  Dr.  C.  A.  Gerasch,  Dav.  S.  Levan, 
Horace  Trexler,  each  $500 ;  David  Fister,  $400  ;  Da- 
vid Schaeffer,  S.  Bernhardt,  A-  Stein,  D.  Melot,  D. 
Kemp,  E.  Butz,  Jonathan  S.  Bieber,  each  $300;  Danl. 
Dietrich,  Danl.  Christ,  Dr.  L.  Thompson,  Joel  Hoch, 
W.  W.  Kemp,  W.  De  Turk,  C.  F.  Kutz,  Jas.  Weiler, 
Jacob  Grim,  A.  C.  Kieffer,  Hon.  J.  G.  Jones,  David 
Levan,  each  $200  ;  Henry  Williams,  Jon.  Bieber,  H. 
Stein,  Hon.  Jno.  H.  Fogel,  S.  H.  Lease,  Dan.  Clader, 
Hon.  H.  H.  Schwartz,  Jno.  S.  Ermentrout,  D.  Shara- 
din,  John  Rahn,  Jr.,  Mrs.  M.  J.  Rahn,  D.  L.  Gable, 
E.  De  Turk,  Jno.  Herbine,  Jac.  F.  Kutz,  David  Kemp, 
Jonas  Hoch,  Ulrich  Miller,  Jos.  Stichter,  Fred.  Lauer, 
Dr.  D.  Luther,  D.  L.  Wenrich,  H.  Bushong,  Isaac 
Eckert,  Dr.  L.  Trexler,  Jonas  Ritter,  J.  Nich.  Hun- 
ter, Jas.  Bushong,  W.  B.  Bensinger,  J.  Moyer,  W.  B. 
Fogel,  M.  Arnold,  S.  W.  Arnold,  A.  N.  Raub,  J.  C. 
Wanner,  John  Ebner,  Isaac  McHose,  Ed.  Clymer, 
Rich.  Dunkel,  C.  Lesher,  Nathan  Levan,  Jon.  B. 
Grim,  each  $100,— total,  $18,300." 

They  selected  as  the  first  board  of  trustees, — 

"  L.  K.  Hottenstein,  Pres.;  David  H.  Hottenstein, 
Sec.  ;  Lesher  Trexler,  M.D.,  President  of  the  Board 
of  Stockholders  ;  Jonas  Hoch,  Secretary  of  the  Board 
of  Stockholders ;  Chas.  Gerasch,  M.D.,  Treasurer ;  H. 
Bushong,  E.  Butz,  D.  Dietrich,  John  S.  Ermentrout, 
D.  Fister,  Hon.  Jno.  H.  Fogel,  Edward  Hottenstein, 
M.D.,  Hon.  J.  Glancy  Jones,  Rev.  B.  E.  Kramlich, 
D.  Luther,  M.D.,  J.  Miller,  H.  R.  Nicks,  Hon.  H.  H. 
Schwartz,  D.  Schaeffer,  A.  Stein,  J.  D.  Wanner,  Esq. 

"The  individual  who  first  conceived,  suggested 
and  urged  the  erection  of  a  Normal  School  at  Kutz- 
town  was  Prof.  John  S.  Ermentrout,  then  Superin- 
tendent of  Common  Schools  in  Berks  Co.  The  Hon. 
H.  H.  Schwartz,  a  graduate  of  Franklin  and  Marshall 
College,  Lancaster,  Pa.,  procured  the  architectural 
design.  He,  Profs.  Nicks  and  Ermentrout,  and  the 
Rev.  B.  E.  Kramlich  deserve  great  credit  for  the  zeal 
with  which  they  encouraged  the  great  work  to  its  final 
completion. 

"  The  corner-stone  was  laid  Sept.  17,  1865,  by  the 
County  Superintendent  of  Berks  County  ;  and  ad- 
dresses were  delivered  by  Hon.  J.  Lawrence  Getz 
William  Rosenthal,  Esq.,  Hon.  Daniel  Ermentrout 
Llewellyn  Wanner,  Esq.,  and  Prof.  Albert  N.  Raub. 

"On  September  13,  1866,  the  school  was  recog- 
nized by  the  State  Superintendent,  Hon.  Chas.  R. 
Coburn,  and  the  Committee  of  Inspection,  as  the  State 
Normal  School  for  the  Third  District,  which  em- 


braces the  counties  of  Berks,  Schuylkill  and  Lehigh. 
The  Inspectors  were  the  Hons.  W.  Worthington,  G. 
Landon,  S.  Elliott,  Thaddeus  Banks  and  the  County 
Superintendents,  John  S.  Ermentrout,  of  Berks,  Jesse 
Newlin,  of  Schuylkill,  and  E.  J.  Young,  of  Lehigh." 1 

On  the  15th  of  September,  1866,  the  building 
was  formally  dedicated, "  with  the  celebration  of  ap- 
propriate religious  and  literary  exercises,  to  the 
honor  of  Almighty  God,  to  the  service  of  a  sound 
Christian  morality  and  to  the  educational  interests 
of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania." 

The  first  principal  of  the  Keystone  Normal 
School  was  John  S.  Ermentrout,  A.M.,  Professor 
of  Mental  and  Moral  Science,  and  of  Theory  and 
Practice  of  Teaching.  From  1866-71  he  dis- 
charged the  duties  of  this  position.  During  the 
first  year  of  its  existence  there  were  enrolled  three 
hundred  and  eighteen  students. 

During  the  first  year  the  following  teachers  were 
employed:  H.  R.  Nicks,  A.M.,  Associate  Princi- 
pal, and  Professor  of  Mathematics  and  Physics ; 
Albert  N.  Raub,  A.M.,  of  English  Language  and 
Literature  and  Vocal  Music;  Samuel  Transeau, 
A.M.,  of  Ancient  Languages  and  History ;  Ed- 
ward T.  Burgan,  M.E.,  Superintendent  of  Model 
School ;  Rev.  G.  P.  Spieker,  of  German  Language 
and  Literature ;  Lesher  Trexler,  M.D.,  of  Anat- 
omy, Physiology  and  Hygiene;  Miss  Julia  E. 
Bullard,  M.L.,  of  Instrumental  Music,  French, 
Painting  and  Drawing ;  Mary  Morrison,  of  Read- 
ing, Geography ;  and  P.  S.  Umbenhauer,  Pupil 
Assistant. 

In  1871  the  Rev.  A.  R.  Home,  A.M.,  was 
elected  as  the  principal,  Professor  Ermentrout  hav- 
ing gone  to  another  field  of  labor ;  but  he  did  not 
take  charge  of  the  school  until  March,  1872. 
Meantime  Prof.  N.  C.  Schaeffer  was  the  acting 
principal,  and,  upon  the  retirement  of  Professor 
Home,  in  the  summer  of  1877,  he  became  princi- 
pal, which  office  he  has  since  filled  with  great  suc- 
cess. 

Professor  Schaeffer  was  born  in  Maxatawny  in 
1849,  educated  at  the  Keystone  Normal  and  grad- 
uated from  Franklin  and  Marshall  College  in  1867. 
Studied  theology,  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  and 
pursued  a  course  of  study  in  the  Universities  of 
Berlin,  Tubingen  and  Leipzic  from  1873  to  1875. 


R.  R.  Koch. 


BOROUGHS  OP  COUNTY. 


869 


Returning  to  this  country,  he  taught  several  years 
in  Franklin  and  Marshall  College  and  then  re- 
signed his  professorship  to  become  principal  of  the 
Keystone  Normal  School. 

In  1885  the  organization  of  the  school  was  as 
follows : 

Trustees  representing  the  stockholders :  John  Hum- 
bert, Esq.,  Daniel  Dietrich,  U.  J.  Miller,  J.  Howard 
Jacobs,  Esq.,  Hon.  H.  H.  Schwartz,  Nathan  S.  Kemp, 
I.  L.  DeTurk,  David  H.  Hottenstein,  Rev.  B.  E. 
Kramlich,  Dr.  J.  S.  Trexler,  David  Schaeffer,  Prof. 
Henry  R.  Nicks. 

Trustees  representing  the  State :  John  G.  Wink, 
Joseph  N.  Shomo,  Col.  Thomas  D.  Fister,  George  J. 
Kutz,  Rev.  A.  J.  G.  Dubbs,  Gen.  J.  A.  M.  Passmore. 

Officers :  Rev.  B.  E.  Kramlich,  president  of  board 
of  trustees;  John  Humbert,  secretary  of  board  of  trus- 
tees ;  David  H.  Hottenstein,  president  of  board  of 
stockholders ;  Dr.  Edward  Hottenstein,  secretary  of 
board  of  stockholders;  Prof.  John  J.  Hottenstein, 
treasurer ;  Dewalt  F.  Bieber,  steward. 

Board  of  Instruction :  Rev.  Nathan  C.  Schaeffer, 
Ph.D.,  principal;  Rev.  George  B.  Hancher,  A.M., 
vice-principal ;  Henry  F.  Bitner,  A.M.,  secretary ; 
Ellwood  L.  Kemp,  A.M.,  librarian;  J.  J.  Hotten- 
stein, M.E.,  book-keeper;  Miss  Katharine  A.  Find- 
ley,  preceptress. 

Allen  Hottenstein,  James  H.  Marx  and  F.  K. 
Berndt  have  been  superintendents  of  the  Model 
School. 

In  1868  the  first  class  was  graduated,  consisting 
of  six  young  men,  namely, — W.  M.  Achenbach, 
George  H.  Heffner,  R.  N.  Lehman,  J.  H.  Marx, 
A.  D.  Rowe  and  F.  F.  Springer.  Since  that  time 
the  number  of  graduates  annually  in  the  elemen- 
tary course  has  been  as  follows : 


1869 

6 

1878 

10 

1870 

11 

1879 

18 

1871 

13 

1880 

21 

1872 

6 

1881 

17 

1873 

3 

1882 

16 

1874 

4 

1883 

24 

1875 

20 

1884 

30 

1876 

23 

1885 

36 

1877 

29 

The  following  have  been  the  graduates  in  the 
scientific  course : 

1871,  Rev.  W.  J.  Andres,  M.S.,  Rev.  T.  K.  Bernd, 
M.S.,  Rev.  Jacob  G.  Neff,  A.M.,  Jairus  G.  Neff,  A.M. ; 
1874,  Rev.  U.  P.  Heilman,  M.S. ;  1876,  F.  P.  Matz, 
Ph.D.;  1877,  F.  K.  Flood,  Esq.,  M.S.,  Mrs.  Clara 
J.  Mohr  Webb,  M.S.,  Alice  Hottenstein,  M.S. 

Of  the  two  hundred   and  seventy    graduates, 


ninety  were  from  Berks  County.  A  majority  of 
the  graduates  have  devoted  themselves  to  teaching. 
Fourteen  of  the  graduates  have  been  awarded 
State  certificates . 

The  total  enrollment  of  students  in  1885  was 
five  hundred  and  forty-four. 

The  Normal  School  buildings  are  located  upon 
an  elevated  campus,  ten  acres  in  extent,  which 
have  been  highly  beautified.  The  observatory  of 
the  main  building  commands  a  magnificent  view  of 
the  surrounding  country.  In  addition  to  the  origi- 
nal buildings,  a  building  for  the  ladies'  depart- 
ment of  the  school  was  erected  in  1880-81. 

In  1884  the  trustees  erected  another  building, 
which  contains  a  dining-room  and  kitchen,  a  com- 
modious chapel  and  four  recitation-rooms,  and  a 
number  of  dormitories. 

The  building  presents  a  front  of  three  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  and  a  depth  of  one  hundred  and 
ninety  feet.  The  property  is  estimated  to  be  worth 
one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  Two 
literary  societies,  connected  with  the  school,  con- 
tribute to  the  progress  and  culture  of  the  students. 
Each  has  a  library  of  one  thousand  volumes. 

The  school  is  well  supplied  with  illustrative 
philosophical  apparatus,  geological  and  ornitho- 
logical cabinets,  and  an  extensive  herbarium,  con- 
taining the  entire  flora  of  the  county. 

Centennial  Monument. — On  the  4th  of  July, 
1876,  a  fine  monument  was  erected  in  the  inclo- 
sure  of  the  Keystone  State  Normal  School,  before 
the  main  building. 

'  The  base  is  a  granite  stone,  weighing  two  tons 
and  a  half.  On  this  rests  an  octagonal  die 
which  supports  an  octagon  spire,  both  of  Italian 
marble,  and  upon  the  spire  there  is  an  octagonal 
cap,  surmounted  with  an  eagle.  The  whole  work 
reflects  great  credit  on  the  sculptor,  Mr.  Philip 
Wentz.  The  cost  was  two  hundred  and  fifty  dol- 
lars. Of  this  sum,  Mr.  Wentz  himself  subscribed 
seventy-five  dollars,  and  the  remainder  was  col- 
lected in  town  and  in  the  Normal  School  by  Mrs. 
Dr.  Charles  H.  Wanner  and  the  Misses  Alesa 
Helfrich  and  Harriet  B.  Swineford.  On  the  four 
larger  sides  of  the  die  the  following  mottoes  are 
inscribed,  which  were  selected  by  a  committee 
consisting  of  Rev.  Professor  Home,  Professor  John 
S.  Ermentrout  and  County  Superintendent  Sam- 
uel A.  Baer. 


870 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


On  the  north  side, — "  Unser  Frei  Schul  Wesa- 
kumt  fun  da  Pennsilfownish  Deitsha  har.  Der 
Govaner  Wolf  hat's  geplant  un  g'start  un  der  Rit- 
ner  un  der  Shunk  hen's  ausg'fuehrt." 

On  the  south, — "  Nee  scire  fas  est  omnia." 

On  the  east, — "  Wie  gott  mit  unsern  Vaetern 
war,  so  sei  er  auch  mit  uns." 

On  the  west, — "  Virtue,  Liberty  and  Independ- 
ence." 

The  following  articles  were  deposited  in  that 
part  of  the  monument  on  which  the  spire  rests  : 

The  history  of  Kutztown  and  Maxatawny  ;  the 
latest  newspapers  of  the  county ;  ancient  coins ; 
almanacs  and  coins  of  1876 ;  a  catalogue  of  the 
Normal  School  for  1876;  the  names  of  contribu- 
tors to  the  monument ;  and  the  late  census  of  Kutz- 
town, continental  scrip,  and  a  silver  quarter  dated 
1776,  donated  by  A.  J.  Fogel.  Professor  John  S. 
Ermentrout  deposited  these  articles,  and  delivered 
an  appropriate  address.  The  chairman  of  the 
monumental  committee,  County  Superintendent  S. 
A.  Baer,  presented  the  monument  to  the  chief 
burgess  of  the  borough,  and  the  chief  burgess  to 
the  trustees  of  the  Keystone  Normal  School,  who 
received  the  same  through  their  president,  the 
Hon.  H.  H.  Schwartz. 

Banks. — Kutztown  Savings- Bank  was  chartered 
in  1869,  with  a  capital  of  twenty-four  thousand  dol- 
lars in  twelve  hundred  shares  at  twenty  dollars  each. 
It  began  business  with  a  paid-up  capital  of  six  thou- 
sand. The  first  president  was  J.  H.  Fogel,  and 
Edward  Hottenstein  was  the  first  cashier.  The 
bank  suspended  business  in  November,  1876,  on 
account  of  the  general  stagnation  of  trade  which 
crippled  its  loans.  In  1876  W.  C.  Dietrich  was 
the  cashier. 

Peabody  Savings-Bank  was  organized  a  year 
later,  with  J.  D.  Wanner  as  cashier.  It  met  a 
similar  fate  after  being  ten  years  in  business. 

National  Bank  of  Kutztown  obtained  its  charter 
under  the  general  banking  laws  of  the  United 
States  in  1871.  Its  authorized  capital  was  sixty 
thousand  dollars,  with  the  privilege  of  increase  to 
two  hundred  thousand  dollars.  John  H.  Fogel 
was  the  president,  and  Thomas  D.  Fister  the 
cashier.  J.  G.  Wink  succeeded  the  former  as 
president,  and  held  that  position  until  the  bank 
was  removed  to  Reading,  in  the  spring  of  1883, 
when  the  name  was  changed  to  Keystone  National 


Bank.  A  branch  of  this  bank  for  receiving  de- 
posits is  still  maintained  in  the  Trexler  Block  at 
Kutztown. 

Press. — The  history  of  the  press  of  the  borough 
is  noted  in  detail  in  Chapter  XVII.,  Newspapers. 

In  1886  there  was  a  finely-equipped  office,  the 
property  of  A.  B.  Urich,  from  which  he  regularly 
published  the  Journal  and  the  Patriot,  German 
and  semi-English  papers,  edited  by  Conrad  Geh- 
ring,  both  of  which  were  well  patronized. 

Post-office  at  Kutztown  was  established  in 
1805,  and  had  for  many  years  poor  mail  facilities. 
Henry  Heist  was  one  of  the  first  postmasters,  and 
was  succeeded  by  his  son  Joseph,  who  held  the  office 
until  after  1850.  His  successors  were  George 
Fister,  Reuben  Bast,  Charles  Helfrich,  Jonathan 
Bieber,  Christian  Bieber,  and  since  April,  1885, 
William  Sander.  The  office  is  supplied  with  half 
a  dozen  mails  per  day,  and  distributes  a  large 
amount  of  matter. 

Physicians. — Among  those  who  first  practiced 
medicine  at  Kutztown  was  a  Dr.  Ephraim  Becker, 
of  whom  but  little  more  than  the  name  is  now  re- 
membered. The  Baums,  Drs.  David  and  William, 
came  soon  afterward,  but  did  not  remain  long, 
both  removing  to  the  West.  At  a  later  date  Dr. 
Christian  L.  Schlemm  (who  died  in  Richmond 
township)  was  a  practitioner  of  high  repute.  Dr. 
James  Donagan  was  long  in  practice,  serving  also 
as  town  clerk.  He  removed  to  Reading  where  he 
studied  law,  and  in  the  latter  years  of  his  life  fol- 
lowed th&t  profession.  Dr.  Evan  Slough  came 
from  Easton,  to  which  place  he  returned  after  a 
few  years'  stay. 

Dr.  Charles  A.  Gerasch  came  to  the  county  in 
1829,  settled  first  at  Mertztown,  but  later  at  Kutz- 
town, where  he  became  one  of  the  foremost  physi- 
cians of  the  county.  He  died  July  22, 1876,  and  his 
funeral  was  the  largest  ever  held  at  Kutztown. 
Dr.  Reuben  Haines  was  in  the  borough  from  about 
1836  until  his  death,  eight  years  later.  Dr.  William 
S.  Bieber  was  in  the  place  about  the  same  time, 
and  died  two  years  afterward.  He  was  the  father 
of  Dr.  Lewis  Bieber,  of  Phillipsburg,  N.  J.  Dr. 
Edward  Hottenstein  first  practiced  in  Maxa- 
tawny township,  and  since  1870  in  the  borough. 
Dr.  Elmer  K.  Hottenstein  is  also  in  practice  at 
Kutztown.  Dr.  Jeremiah  S.  Trexler  succeeded 
Dr.  Charles  A.  Gerasch,   and   is  now  in  active 


BOROUGHS  OP  COUNTY. 


871 


practice.  Dr.  Charles  H.  Wanner  practiced  at 
Kutztown  till  his  death,  November  12,  1869,  at 
the  age  of  forty-two  years.  Dr.  Cyrus  Wanner 
has  been  at  Kutztown  in  active  practice  since 
1875.  Dr.  L.  C.  Berkemeyer  came  to  the  place  as 
a  druggist,  but  has  been  professionally  engaged  the 
past  few  years.  Additional  physicians  have  been 
Drs.  J.  H.  Helfrich,  I.  N.  Shoemaker  and  Solo- 
mon Becker. 

In  dentistry  may  be  named  H.  L.  and  A.  B. 
Johnson,  Samuel  and  James  O'Boyle  and  William 
Steller,  A.  B.  Johnson  and  James  O'Boyle  con- 
tinuing to  the  present. 

As  graduates  from  medical  colleges,  who  re- 
moved from  Kutztown  and  vicinity,  may  be  named 
David  Hottenstein,  Levi  Thompson,  Charles 
Schlemm,  W.  S.  Bieber,  Edward  Hottenstein,  W. 
Reichard,  Thomas  Strasser,  L.  Bieber,  A.  C. 
Hottenstein,  E.  N.  Bieber,  W.  Reber  and  T.  T. 
Thompson. 

Lawyers. — Among  the  attorneys  at  this  place 
were  Silas  E.  Buzzard,  John  K.  Longenecker, 
Henry  Kutz  and  Frederick  John  Haller,  who  was 
also  a  teacher. 

H.  H.  Schwartz  was  an  attorney  at  Kutztown 
from  1860  till  1883,  when  he  was  elevated  to  the 
office  of  Orphans'  Court  judge  of  Berks  County. 

James  H.  Marx  has  been  a  successful  attorney 
in  the  borough  since  1878. 

Farmers'  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Com- 
pany of  Berks  and  Lehigh  Counties  was  or- 
ganized in  1857.  Its  directors  in  January,  1886, 
were  Benneville  Smith,  president ;  William  Sieg- 
fried, treasurer ;  Jonathan  Biehl,  secretary  ;  C.  H. 
Dietrich,  Thomas  D.  Mohr  and  Stephen  Smith. 
The  office  of  the  secretary  is  at  Kutztown.  The 
company  carries  twelve  hundred  risks,  represent- 
ing three  million  dollars,  in  farm  and  detached  vil- 
lage property.  The  average  cost  of  insurance,  up 
to  this  period,  has  been  about  $1.25  per  thousand 
per  annum. 

Secret  Societies. — The  Odd-Fellows  organ- 
ized the  first  secret  society  in  the- borough. 

Brotherly  Love  Lodge,  No.  77,  was  instituted  in 
October,  1842,  and  for  many  years  flourished. 
The  war  and  removals  decimated  its  numbers  to 
such  an  extent  that  its  meetings  had  to  be  discon- 
tinued in  January,  1879. 

Kutztown  Council,  No.  48,  Order  of  Senior  Amer- 


ican Mechanics,  instituted  March  22,  1858,  was 
the  next  in  the  order  of  time.  It,  too,  was  weak- 
ened by  the  war  and  by  the  stagnation  of  business 
which  followed  the  panic  of  1873.  At  one  time  it 
had  a  membership  of  one  hundred  and  twenty, 
but  it  weakened  so  that,  in  1876,  it  was  forced  to 
disband. 

Friendship  Link,  No.  6,  Daughters  of  Liberty, 
was  instituted  February  21,  1867,  with  thirty-six 
members,  as  a  beneficiary  society  for  ladies,  to  pro- 
vide a  fund  in  case  of  sickness  or  death.  The  or- 
der proved  highly  beneficial  so  long  as  it  was  kept 
up,  but  lack  of  interest  and  changes  in  the  social 
relations  of  the  ladies  belonging  to  the  society 
forced  it  to  disband  March  30,  1876. 

Kutztown  Lodge,  No.  307,  Knights  of  Pythias, 
was  instituted  in  1872,  but,  after  a  few  years  of 
successful  existence,  in  which  period  more  than 
one  hundred  members  were  enrolled,  it  was 
obliged  to  surrender  its  charter  in  1 878,  on  account 
of  lack  of  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  order. 

Tuscaledo  Council,  No.  116,  Junior  American 
Mechanics,  was  instituted  in  1870,  and  disbanded 
in  1878. 

Maxatawny  Orange,  No.  14,  Patrons  of  Husban- 
dry, was  instituted  in  the  fall  of  1873,  and  had  for 
its  first  Master  George  Kutz.  His  successors 
were  William  DeTurk  and  Lewis  Wagenhorst. 
The  meetings  were  first  held  at  Kutztown,  but 
later  in  the  township,  where  a  sort  of  co-operative 
store  was  also  maintained.  At  one  time  there 
were  more  than  fifty  members,  but  their  interest 
in  the  good  of  the  order  declined  to  such  an  ex- 
tent that  the  meetings  could  no  longer  be  kept  up, 
and  it  was  discontinued  in  1876. 

Huguenot  Lodge,  No.  377,  F.  and  A.  M.,  was 
instituted  November  29,  1866,  as  a  lodge  of  the 
Ancient  York  Masons,  by  J.  L.  Stichter,  of  Read- 
ing. It  has  had  a  flourishing  existence,  the  mem- 
bership being  more  than  a  hundred. 

Kutztown  Lodge,  No.  214,  D.  0.  Harugari,  whose 
motto  is  "  Freundschaft,  Liebe  und  Humanitat," 
was  instituted  May  20,  1870.  Unlike  most  lodges 
of  this  order,  the  membership  is  composed  largely 
of  native-born  citizens,  only  a  few  Germans  of 
foreign  birth  belonging  to  it.  In  the  first  five 
years  of  its  existence  the  lodge  had  more  than  a 
hundred  members,  but  the  panic  of  1873  reduced 
the  number  to   sixty-three.     In   January,   1886, 


872 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


ninety  members  were  reported.  The  lodge  has  an 
invested  fund  of  two  thousand  dollars  and  holds 
its  meetings  in  a  very  fine  room.  On  the  4th  of 
July,  1876,  the  lodge  dedicated  a  lot  in  Fairview 
Cemetery  for  the  use  of  its  members,  upon  which 
it  planted  an  oak-tree  as  its  symbol. 

Adonis  Castle,  No.  70,  Knights  of  the  Golden 
Eagle,  was  instituted  January  14,  1886,  with 
thirty-seven  charter  members. 

Cemeteries. — Hope  Cemetery  Company  was  in- 
corporated September  17,  1861.  The  cemetery 
was  consecrated  June  22,  1 862.  The  subscribers 
were  Samuel  Shearer,  Daniel  Bieber,  John  W. 
Bieber,  William  Heine,  David  Kutz,  Jacob  R. 
Heffner  and  Charles  W.  Esser.  Purchasers  of 
lots  in  the  cemetery  obtain  a  mutual  membership 
in  the  company,  whose  affairs  are  controlled  by 
nine  trustees.  In  1886  these  were  George  J.  Kutz, 
president;  John  Humbert,  secretary;  Jonathan 
Biehl,  treasurer ;  J.  R.  Heffner,  Reuben  Kutz,  D. 
S.  Kutz,  David  Schaeffer,  Willuun  Shaedle  and 
William  Sanders.  The  cemetery  consists  of  about 
three  acres  of  land,  near  St.  John's  Church.  A 
neat  iron  fence  was  erected  along  Church  Alley, 
at  a  cost  of  sixteen  hundred  dollars.  The  lot- 
owners  number  about  two  hundred.  The  first 
burial  was  John  D.  Bieber,  December  30,  1861. 

Fairview  Cemetery  was  consecrated  June  15, 
1861.  It  consists  of  five  acres  of  finely-located 
land,  lying  beyond  the  campus  of  the  Normal 
School.  It  is  also  controlled  by  an  associa- 
tion, having  no  ecclesiastical  connection.  This 
body  was  organized  April  12,  1861.  In  January, 
1886,  it  had  one  hundred  and  ninety-two  members. 
The  officers  then  were  :  President,  Isaac  F.  Christ ; 
Secretary,  Jonathan  Hoch ;  Treasurer,  J.  D. 
Wanner.  The  cemetery  has  been  inclosed  with  a 
substantial  stone  and  iron  fence  and  presents  an 
attractive  appearance.  Isadore  Weiser  was  the 
first  person  interred. 

Keystone  Agricultural  and  Horticultu- 
ral Society  was  chartered  in  1870,  with  forty-one 
stockholders.  Its  first  officers  were  Elijah  De  Turk, 
president ;  John  R.  Gonser,  secretary ;  and  L.  K. 
Hottenstein,  treasurer.  Fifteen  acres  of  land,  near 
the  borough  limits,  were  purchased  and  improved 
for  fair  purposes.  A  race-course  was  constructed 
and  substantial  buildings  were  erected  for  the  display 
of  textile  and  manufactured  goods.     The  outlay 


was  nearly  fifteen  thousand  dollars.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  exhibitions  first  held  were  successful,  the 
receipts  were  inadequate  to  defray  the  amounts 
expended,  which  embarrassed  the  society  to  such 
an  extent,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  that  a  fore- 
closure was  inevitable.  At  a  sale  of  the  same, 
Jacob  R.  Heffner  and  Joshua  A.  Levan  became 
the  owners,  and  by  a  subsequent  transfer  the  prop- 
erty passed  into  the  hands  of  W.  H.  Heffner.  The 
society  attained  its  zenith  in  1876. 

From  that  time  on  the  business  depression 
which  affected  Kutztown  caused  a  diminished  in- 
terest in  the  affairs  of  the  society  ;  and,  although 
the  annual  exhibitions  have  been  maintained,  they 
have  not  reached  the  high  standard  of  the  first 
meetings.  In  1872  Horace  Greeley  visited  Kutz- 
town and  delivered  the  annual  address  before  the 
society  ;  in  1874  the  orator  was  the  Hon.  Alex- 
ander Ramsey  ;  and  in  1875  Judge  Humphreys, 
of  Washington,  D.  C.  The  meetings  are  now 
held  under  the  direction  of  the  owners  of  the 
property. 

Berks  County  Poultry  Association  was  or- 
ganized at  Kutztown,  in  the  latter  part  of  1875,  with 
L.  C.  Berkemeyer,  president ;  Conrad  Gehring,  sec- 
retary; J.  H.  Marx,  corresponding  secretary;  S.  S. 
Schmehl,  treasurer.  Its  first  and  only  exhibition 
was  held  January  11-14, 1876,  the  association  dis- 
banding soon  afterwards. 

biographical. 

Nathan  Levan  is  descended  from  Huguenot 
stock,  and  the  great-grandson  of  Jacob  Levan,  who 
resided  in  Maxatawny  township.  His  son  John, 
who  later  occupied  the  homestead,  married  a  Miss 
Schwoyer,  whose  children  were  Daniel,  Gideon, 
John,  Samuel,  David,  Perry,  Harrison;  and 
daughters,  Mrs.  Levan,  Mrs.  Kahl,  Mrs.  De  Turck 
and  Mrs.  Houpt. 

John,  of  this  number,  was  born  in  the  year 
1800,  and  resided  on  a  farm  adjacent  to  the  home- 
stead in  Maxatawny  township.  He  married  Susan, 
daughter  of  Jacob  Glasser,  of  the  same  township, 
and  had  children,— Nathan,  Jacob  (deceased), 
Joshua  (deceased),  Susan,  Mary  (deceased)  and 
Louisa.  John  Levan  died  in  1850  His  son 
Nathan  was  born  on  the  12th  of  November,  1828^ 
in  Maxatawny  township,  and  remained  at  the  home 
of  his  parents  until  his  seventeenth  year. 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


873 


He  meanwhile  attended  the  academy  at  Kutz- 
town, and  on  completing  his  studies  entered  the 
taunery  of  William  Hine,  of  Rockland  township. 
On  the  completion  of  his  apprenticeship,  he 
removed  to  Philadelphia,  and  pursu>  d  his  trade 
in  that  city  for  five  years.  Returning  to  his 
rative  county,  he  built  a  tannery  in  Kutztown, 
and  for  five  years  conducted  a  successful  business. 
Selling  the   property   at   the    expiration  of  this 


and  attention.  Mr.  Levan,  in  politics,  is  a  Demo- 
crat, and,  during  the  war,  was  president  of  the 
Borough  Council  of  Kutztown,  manifesting  then 
great  patriotism,  by  his  efforts  to  fill  the  required 
quota  and  by  earnestly  supporting  the  Union  cause 
during  that  eventful  period.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Reformed  Church  of  Kutztown,  in  which  he 
is  an  elder.  Mr.  Levan  was,  on  the  24th  of  No- 
vember, 1880,  married  to  Ella  F.,  daughter  of 


0/oc/MciyO^  oUfr&^s^ 


time,  he  built  a  distillery  for  the  manufacture  of 
rye  whiskey,  and  managed  it  for  six  years 

Mr.  Levan  had  meanwhile  evinced  a  practical 
interest  in  the  Keystone  State  Normal  School,  at 
Kutztown,  and  contributed  largely  both  by  means 
and  personal  effort  to  its  completion.  He  was, 
in  1867,  elected  steward  of  the  school,  and  filled 
the  office  for  seventeen  years. 

On  tendering  his  resignation,  which  was  ac- 
cepted with  regret,  he,  with  other  citizens,  estab- 
lished a  shoe-factory,  under  the  name  of  Levan, 

Stein  &  Co.,  to  which  he  at  present  gives  his  time 
76 


Samuel  and  Harriet  F.  Berlin,  of  Cherryvillf, 
Northampton  County,  Pa.  Their  only  child,  a 
son,  John  Nathan,  was  born  in  August,  1884,  at 
Kutztown. 


WOMELSDORF. 

The  borough  of  Womelsdorf  is  situated  on  the 
"  Berks  and  Dauphin  Turnpike,"  fourteen  miles 
from  Reading  and  about  a  mile  north  of  Womels- 
dorf Station,  on  the  Lebanon  Valley  Railroad.  It 
contains  three  churches,  a  fine  public  school  build- 


874 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


ing,  four  hotels  and  about  a  dozen  places  of  busi- 
ness. It  is  an  old  town,  laid  out  in  1762  by  John 
Womelsdorf,  from  whom  it  takes  its  name.  The 
town-plan  comprised  seventy-five  lots.  Until  sixty 
years  ago  it  was  known  and  designated  in  the  re- 
cords as  Middletown,  probably  from  its  location 
midway  between  Reading  and  Lebanon.  In  1885* 
the  population  was  nearly  eleven  hundred,  but  as 
three  hundred  were  reported  in  1800,  the  increase 
since  that  time  has  been  only  about  ten  per  year. 
The  place  has  been  substantially  improved  and  con- 
tains a  number  of  fine  buildings. 

Among  the  first  settlers  of  the  borough  were 
families  bearing  the  names  of  Seltzer,  Sallade, 
Bressler,  Sicherthaler,  Bennethum,  Moyer,  Sim- 
mons, Reed,  Pliny,  Hersch,  German,  Stouch, 
Lesher,  Ermentrout,  Petree,  Brownell,  Arnold, 
Yeiser,  Smith,  See,  Vandersliee,  Diehl,  Livingood, 
Voneida,  Stephens  and  Kintzer. 

The  old  landmarks  have  nearly  all  been  re- 
moved. No  direct  descendants  of  John  Womels- 
dorf remain.  Jacob  Seltzer,  grandfather  of  Mich- 
ael Seltzer,  built  the  first  house  in  1762.  It  was 
long  used  as  a  tavern  and  well  adapted  for  that 
purpose.  It  was  constructed  of  large  limestone 
blocks  and  stood  on  the  lot  now  occupied  by  the 
mansion  of  Harry  A.  Fidler.  It  was  demolished 
about  fifteen  years  ago.  It  was  at  this  house  that 
Washington  sojourned  all  night  November  13, 
1793,  and  where  John  Pliny  addressed  him  in  be- 
half of  the  citizens.  The  road  at  that  time  passed 
direct  by  the  Conrad  Weiser  house,  along  the  rise 
of  ground,  and  at  the  tavern  turned  northwest  in 
its  course  across  the  mountain. 

The  following  list  comprises  the  taxable  inhabi- 
tants of  Middletown  (Womelsdorf)  for  the  year 
1790: 


Wm.  Bergenhoff. 
Christian  Bricken. 
Imkoff  Benedict. 
John  Bonawitz. 
George  Bodle. 
Jacob  Egle. 
John  Fleisher, 
John  German. 
Daniel  Graeff. 
Henry  Hersh. 
John  Henry. 
Christian  Miller. 


Jacob  rleini. 
George  Rapp. 
John  Rose. 
George  Seidle. 
Conrad  Stouch. 
John  Smith. 
Jacob  Seltze. 
Weyrich  Seltze. 
Maria  Sherman. 
Nichola  Saladin. 
Andrew  Saladin. 
Michael  Wolford. 


Elizabeth  Newman. 


Incorporation. — In  1833  the  town  of  Womels- 
dorf was  incorporated  into  a  borough.  The  first 
election  was  held  in  1833  and  resulted  in  the 
choice  of  the  following  officers: 

Burgess,  Lewis  Richards ;  Council,  Wm.  Gries, 
John  Schwalm,  Michael  Seltzer,  David  Bennethum, 
Peter  Womelsdorf,  George  Keiser,  Jr. ;  Clerk,  Joseph 
D.  Biles  ;  High  Constable,  George  Sallade. * 

Since  that  time  those  named  below  have 
served  as  burgesess  and  clerks. 

Term.  Burgess.  Clerk. 

1834-38 John  Vandersliee Francis  Wessels. 

1839-43 Peter  Womelsdorf. Francis  Wessels. 

1844-45 Henry  Kendall David  Steach. 

1846 George  Voneida David  Steach. 

1847-50 John  Miller David  Steach. 

1851-52 James  Moore David  Steach. 

1853 William  Bennethum David  Steach. 

1854 Joseph  Smith David  Steach. 

1855 Henry  Brinkley David  Steach. 

1856 J.  A.  Claus David  Steach. 

1857 William  Anderson David  Steach. 

1858-59 Martin  Manderbach David  Steach. 

1860 Henry  Binkly David  Steach. 

1861 Henry  H.  Manderbach..David  Steach. 

1862 John  G.  Keiser David  Steach. 

1863 William  Smith David  Steach. 

1864-65 E.  Penn  Smith David  Steach. 

1866 William  G.  Moore Franklin  Zerby. 

1867 Isaac  Y.  Kintzer Wm.  M.  Sallade. 

1868 William  G.  Moore Wm.  M.  Sallade. 

1869 E.  Penn  Smith Wm.  M.  Sallade. 

1870-71 B.  Frank  Shortell Isaac  Y.  Kintzer. 

1872 John  A.  Matthew Wm.  M.  Sallade. 

1873 Charles  B.  Fisher Isaac  Y.  Kintzer. 

1874 James  Moore Isaac  Y.  Kintzer. 

1875 Michael  Kolbach Isaac  Y.  Kintzer. 

1876 Jacob  A.  Wolf. Isaac  Y.  Kintzer. 

1877 Samuel  Mowry Isaac  Y.  Kintzer. 

1878 George  K.  Valentine.. ..Isaac  Y.  Kintzer. 

1879 B.Frank  Shortell Isaac  Y.  Kintzer. 

1880 FranklinS.  Haak Isaac  Y.  Kintzer. 

1881 FranklinS.  Haak Isaac  Y.  Kintzer. 

1882 Frederick  A.  Fidler Isaac  Y.  Kintzer. 

1883 Simon  P.  Moyer Isaac  Y.  Kintzer. 

1884 Samuel  Kurtz Isaae  Y.  Kintzer. 

1885 John  F.  Petree Isaac  Y.  Kintzer. 

John  M.  Smith  and  Isaac  Y.  Kintzer  were  the 
justices  of  the  peace  in  1885,  the  latter  having 
served  during  the  past  seventeen  years. 

1  In  1835  the  Rev.  William  Hendel  was  elected  high  con- 
stable, his  name  having  been  placed  upon  the  ticket  "  as  a 
good  joke  upon  the  reverend  gentleman."  But  to  the 
surprise  of  all  the  citizens  of  the  borough,  he  accepted  his 
commission  and  enforced  the  ordinances  strictly.  He  was 
still  in  the  ministry  at  the  time. 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


875 


Post-Office. — The  post-office  at  Womelsdorf 
was  established  July  1,  1807. 

In  1844  Womelsdorf  contained  a  population  of 
nine  hundred ;  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
houses,  three  stores  and  three  taverns;  three 
churches, — Lutheran  and  German  Reformed,  Pres- 
byterian and  Evangelical  Association ;  three 
schools,  and  an  academy,  built  in  1834,  of  which 
Rev.  Morse  was  the  principal.     [Rupp.J 

In  July,  1850,  the  borough  contained — 


Hotels 

Coach  manufactories 

Distillery 

Tannery 

Segar  manufactory... 


Dwelling-houses 159 

Churches 3 

Academy 1 

Stores 5 

Grist-mills 2 

Saw-mill  1 

Physicians. — A  number  of  physicians  of  more 
than  ordinary  prominence  have  resided  and  prac- 
ticed in  Womelsdorf.  Among  those  who  made  a 
name  in  that  profession  were  Drs.  John  Livin- 
good,  John  Lesher,  William  Gries,  Wm.  Moore, 
Daniel  B.  D.  Beaver  and  John  M.  Stephen.  Later 
practitioners  are  Drs.  James  C.  Livingood,  Lewis 
A.  Livingood,  Horace  F.  Livingood  and  Franklin 
L.  Sallade. 

Taverns. — The  present  Seltzer  House  was  orig- 
inally a  two-story  building,  erected  before  ^1 800. 
For  nearly  fifty  years  Michael  Seltzer  served  the 
public  as  a  landlord.  Contemporary  with  him  for 
some  years  was  Conrad  Stouch  at  the  present  Cen- 
tre House  (which  was  then  the  stage-office). 
Where  John  H.  Spatz  has  kept  an  inn  the  past 
twenty  years  Jacob  Mover  "  fed  man  and  beast " 
in  the  pioneer  days  of  Womelsdorf.  The  patron- 
age of  taverns  was  then  large,  and  all  of  them 
were  great  centres  for  the  exchange  of  news  and 
the  transaction  of  business. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  these  inns  a  riot  took 
place  during  the  building  of  the  Lebanon  Valley 
Railroad,  in  1856  For  some  cause  the  workmen  be- 
came disaffected  and  desired  to  show  anger  against 
the  paymasters,  who  had  an  office  in  the  lower  end 
of  the  borough.  But  before  they  could  do  great 
damage  the  Ringgold  Light  Artillery,  from  Read- 
ing, restored  order  by  planting  its  guns  at  various 
points  in  the  streets  and  overawing  the  mob. 
Several  of  the  leaders  were  arrested,  but  nearly  all 
■of  them  managed  to  escape,  and  the  excitement 
soon  subsided. 


Industries. — The  first  settlers  of  Womelsdorf 
were  supplied  with  flour  made  by  Seltzer's  mill, 
on  the  Tulpehocken,  at  the  lower  end  of  the  bor- 
ough. This  was  an  old  landmark,  which  gave 
way  to  a  new  mill  built  by  David  Lauks,  in  1862, 
and  which  was  supplied  with  steam  as  an  auxiliary 
power  in  1877.  Mahlon  Fogelman  is  the  present 
proprietor.  Northwest  of  the  borough  Adam 
Brown  had  another  grist  mill,  which,  in  an  im- 
proved condition,  is  still  running.  A  distillery  was 
there  carried  on  for  a  time  by  John  Longenecker 
and  others,  but  it  has  long  since  been  discontin- 
ued. 

The  making  of  hats  was  a  profitable  occupation 
of  some  of  the  people  at  Womelsdorf  in  the  early 
part  of  this  century.1  Among  others,  Michael 
Petree  and  John  and  Samuel  Ermentrout  had 
shops  where  they  manufactured  all  kinds  of  hats. 
A  tannery  was  carried  on  by  David  Bennethum 
on  Second  Street,  and  John  Palm  made  guns, 
whose  reputation  was  not  confined  to  the  immedi- 
ate neighborhood.  These  industries  have  passed 
away.  The  usual  shops  of  mechanics  are  carried 
on  in  the  borough.  The  place  has  never  encour- 
aged manufacturing;  hence  its  lack  of  work-shops. 
Several  general  stores  in  the  borough  are  afforded 
a  large  and  thriving  business.  Pliny  had  a  store 
on  the  Filbert  corner  and  was  in  trade  about  the 
same  time  as  Henry  Hersch,  whose  store  was 
where  is  now  John  Long's  undertaking  shop. 
Near  by,  at  a  later  day,  Peter  Eckert  was  in  trade 
and  was  followed  by  Lott  Benson.  Huff  &  Deck- 
ert  and  Seibert  were  also  early  merchants. 

Valentines  Cigar-Factory  is  the  most  note- 
worthy industry  in  the  borough.  It  is  carried  on 
in  the  Seibert  mansion,  and  with  its  spacious 
grounds  is  one  of  the  finest  factories  in  the  State  ; 
and  in  the  extent  of  its  business  it  ranks  with  the 
leading  cigar-factories  in  the  country.  The  head 
of  the  firm,  A.  S.  Valentine,  began  the  manufac- 
ture of  cigars  at  Womelsdorf,  in  a  very  small  way, 
in  1852.  As  his  business  prospered  he  extended 
his  facilities.  In  1885  nearly  four  hundred  hands 
were  employed  by  his  firm.  Of  this  number, 
about  one-third  found  occupation  in  the  home  fac- 
tory, the  remainder  being  employed  in  smaller 
factories,  at  Womelsdorf  and  Stouchsburg,  con- 

1  See  Rupp,  page  194. 


876 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


trolled  by  the  firm.  In  1876  George  H.  Valen- 
tine became  associated  with  his  father  in  carrying 
on  this  business.  A  number  of  buildings  have 
been  occupied  by  the  firm,  but  since  1882  the 
factory  has  been  at  its  present  quarters.  The 
trade  of  the  firm  is  chiefly  in  the  South  and  the 
West,  the  products  being  distributed  through  job- 
bing-houses, for  whom  special  grades  of  work  are 
made. 

Schools.— It  is  said  that  Baron  Stiegel,  the 
unfortunate  iron-master,  taught  a  school  at  Wom- 
elsdorf  in  1765,  having  been  brought  to  that  place 
by  the  Rev.  John  Nicholas  Kurtz.  A  mong  other 
pioneer  teachers,  Walker  Stephen  is  best  remem- 
bered. He  made  teaching  a  profession  and  fol- 
lowed it  with  success  for  a  period  of  sixty  years, 
teaching  at  Womelsdorf  as  late  as  1862.  He  also 
started  the  first  Sunday-school  at  that  place.  In 
1828  the  High  Schools  found  encouragement  in  the 
building  of  an  academy,  which  was  successfully 
carried  on  until  about  1855.  Among  those  active 
in  promoting  this  object  were  Dr.  William  Gries, 
Dr.  John  Livingood,  Andrew  Taylor,  John  Selt- 
zer, John  Smith,  George  Keiser  ,  and  Jacob  Sal- 
lade.  In  time  it  was  found  necessary  to  enlarge 
the  building  and  to  place  the  academy  in  charge 
of  an  incorporated l  board  of  directors.  Prof. 
Howell,  Robert  Kerr  and  William  Reynolds  are 
best  remembered  as  successful  teachers. 

In  a  few  years  after  the  academy  was  aban- 
doned the  building  became  the  property  of  the 
Public  School  Board  and  was  used  until  1880, 
when  the  present  High  School  building  was  erected. 

In  the  eastern  part  of  the  borough  a  select 
school  was  established  in  1 866,  through  the  efforts 
of  Elias  Fidler  and  others,  and  in  which  Miss 
Moore,  Miss  Quimby,  Charles  F.  Evans  and  John 
S.  Grumbein  were  successful  teachers,  the  latter 
teaching  last  in  1875.  The  following  year  Mr. 
Grumbein  opened  a  school  in  a  building  at  the 
railroad  station,  which  was  discontinued  soon 
afterward,  in  consequence  of  his  death,  March, 
1877.    He  was  a  teacher  of  rare  ability,  and  also 


1  Incorporated  11th  of  April,  1834.  Charter  members  : 
William  Gries,  Joseph  D.  Biles,  Lewis  W.  Richards, 
Andrew  Taylor,  Philip  Schwalm,  Samuel  Petree,  Michael 
Seltzer,  Jacob  Sallade,  John  Seltzer,  George  Keyser,  Jr. 
Capital  stock,  $2400, 


richly   endowed   with   inventive   skill.      He  was 
particularly  known  as  a  superior  mathematician. 

In  1880  the  High  School  building  at  Womels- 
dorf was  erected,  at  a  cost  of  about  four  thousand 
five  hundred  dollars.  It  has  an  eligible  location 
on  the  site  of  the  old  academy,  and  is  a  fine  two- 
story  brick  building.  It  composes  four  rooms, 
occupied  by  Primary,  Secondary,  Grammar  and 
High  Schools.  The  average  attendance  is  over  two 
hundred.  At  the  time  the  building  was  erected 
the  board  of  directors  was  composed  of  Rev.  T.  C. 
Leinbach,  president ;  Isaac  Y.  Kintzer,  secretary  ; 
John  Haak,  treasurer ;  Dr.  H.  B.  Hamaker,  C. 
P.  Moyer  and  C.  P.  Kreitzer.  An  additional 
school  is  occasionally  maintained  in  the  old  Uni- 
versalist  Church,  making  five  public  schools  in 
the  borough. 

Churches — Zion's  Lutheran  and  German  Re- 
formed Church. — In  1792  adherents  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Lutheran  and  German  Reformed  Churches 
residing  at  Womelsdorf  and  vicinity  determined 
to  jointly  build  a  house  of  worship.  The  corner- 
stone of  the  church  was  laid  June  30,  1792.  The 
building  was  completed  some  years  afterward.2 
It  was  constructed  of  stone,  and  possessed  the  fea- 
tures peculiar  to  the  church  architecture  of  that 
day.  *  The  mason-work  was  done  by  Thomas 
Millerd;  the  carpenters  were  Christian  Miller, 
Philip  Webber  and  George  Strickler.  The  build- 
ing committee  was  composed  of  Heinrich  Seltzer, 
Philip  Moyer,  Jacob  Seltzer,  Frederick  Bechtold, 
Daniel  Graeff,  Johannes  German,  Adam  Ruth, 
Conrad  Weiser,  Conrad  Stouch,  Heinrich  Hersch, 
Johannes  Keiser,  Jacob  Eckert. 

Originally  the  building  had  a  floor  of  brick. 
In  1867  the  church  was  rebuilt.  Peter  Althouse, 
Samuel  Filbert   and  John    Moyer  acted  as  the 


2  In  reference  to  the  erection  of  this  church,  an  act  was 
passed  February.  1,  1805,  and  Nicholas  Eckart,  Henry 
Hirsh,  George  Ege,  Jr.,  Conrad  Stouch,  John  Keiser,  John 
Weisser  and  Daniel  Graeff  were  appointed  commissioners 
"  to  raise  fifteen  hundred  dollars  by  lottery,  to  be  applied 
in  defraying  expenses  of  erecting  Zion  Church  and  two 
school-houses  at  Womelsdorf,  Berks  County." 

The  following  prizes  were  given  to  numbers  drawn: 
$600  to  No.  2528  ;  $300  to  No.  2444  ;  $200  to  No.  1383  ; 
$100  to  Nos.  5,  1162,  1795 ;  $50  to  18  numbers ;  $25  to 
40  numbers ;  $10  to  70  numbers ;  $8  to  100  numbers ; 
$3  to  800  numbers.  Altogether  there  were  1034  numbers 
of  the  value  of  $7200. 


BOEOUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


877 


building  committee.  It  remains  substantially  as 
they  delivered  it  to  the  congregations.  It  is  a 
large  two-story  stone  edifice,  supplied  with  a 
steeple  and  bell.  In  1885  the  trustees  were  John 
Moyer,  Michael  Seltzer  and  Charles  P.  Kreitzer. 
The  loss  of  records  will  not  permit  us  to  give  a  full 
history  of  the  congregations,  but  when  the  church 
was  first  built  the  Lutheran  preacher  was  the  Rev. 
Emanuel  Shultz,  and  the  Rev.  Daniel  Wagner  the 
Reformed. 

The  Reformed  congregation  was  served  in  1 885 
by  the  Rev.  Levi  D.  Stambaugh,  in  connection 
with  other  appointments.  Some  of  the  interme- 
diate pastors  have  been  the  Revs.  Lewis  D.  Stickle, 
George  Wolf,  D.D., Zehring  Pauli  and  Wil- 
liam Hendel,  D.D.  In  1885  this  congregation 
had  two  hundred  and  sev«nty-five  members,  and 
Enoch  Gaul  John  M.  Smith,  Levi  Manderbach, 
John  and  William  Yoder  as  its  consistory. 

The  Lutheran  congregation  at  the  same  time 
had  the  Rev.  Aaron  Finfrock  as  pastor,  he  having 
served  the  church  since  September,  1865.  He 
succeeded  the  Rev.  Eggers  The  congregation  in 
1885  numbered  two  hundred  and  twenty-five,  and 
had  Thomas  E.  Haak,  Charles  Geisler,  William  B. 
Filbert  and  Frank  Haak  as  elders  and  deacons 

Interments  — Among  the  numerous  interments 
in  Zions  Church  Cemetery  the  following  are  noted  : 

Philip  Schwalm,  born  1790  ;  died  1849. 
Magdelen  Ermentrout,  born  1774 ;  died  1846. 
Jacob  Moyer,  born  1770  ;  died  1851. 
John  Nicholas  Moyer,  born  1769 ;  died  1828- 
Johann  Bennethum,  born  1765 ;  died  1828. 
Rev.  William  Hendel,  born  1768;  died  1846.      Re- 
formed minister  fifty  years. 
Jabez  Weiser,  born  1753 ;  died  1820. 
John  Seltzer,  born  1790 ;  died  1858. 
Joseph  Kendall,  born  1779 ;  died  1826. 
Conrad  Stouch,  born  1757  ;  died  1840. 
Peter  Womelsdorf,  born  1787  ;  died  1843. 
George  Bennethum,  born  1789  ;  died  1851, 
Philip  Lash,  born  1774;  died  1853. 
John  Dietrich  Gries,  born  1754 ;  died  1833. 
Christopher  Ermentrout,  born  1754 ;  died  1825. 
Frederick  Schultz,  born  1776  ;  died  1836. 
George  Ege,  born  1748 ;  died  1S29. 
Johannes  Kasper  Reith,  born  1778 ;  died  1847. 
Michael  Reith,  born  1800;  died  1829. 
Adam  Ruth,  born  1759 ;  died  1824. 
John  Vanderslice,  born  1770 ;  died  1846. 
George  Ulrich,  born  1797;  died  1844. 
Johann  Hoffman,  born  1759 ;  died  1835. 
Margaret  Shoffer,  born  1739;  died  1815. 


Robert  Woods,  bom  1765  ;  died  1840. 

Anna  Sallade,  born  1727  ;  died  1806. 

John  Lebo,  born  1779  ;  died  1805. 

Andrew  Stouch,  born  1780 ;  died  1864. 

John  Jacob  Schoenfelder,  born  1762  ;  died  1829. 

Frances  Moore,  born  1777  ;  died  1858. 

John  Sallade,  born  1768  ;  died  1855. 

Johannes  Filbert,  born  1777  ;  died   1857. 

Peter  Neff,  born  1779 ;  died  1854 

George  Ege,  born  1779 ;  died  1812. 

The  monument  of  the  Ege  family  in  this  ceme- 
tery is  worthy  of  special  mention.  The  cemetery 
is  kept  in  fine  order. 

New  Lutheran  Church. — In  1858  a  number  of 
persons  at  Womelsdorf  associated  for  the  pur- 
pose of  maintaining  worship  according  to  the  cus- 
toms of  the  new  school  Lutherans.  For  this  pur- 
pose they  secured  the  use  of  the  old  Presbyterian 
meeting-house,  and  they  have  met  there  statedly 
since.  The  congregation,  as  originally  composed, 
has  as  elders,  Elias  Fidler  and  Absalom  Fisher  ; 
Deacons,  Peter  Spang  and  William  M.  Sallade  ; 
and  Isaac  Fidler,  Isaac  Womelsdorf,  John  M. 
Schonour,  John  H  Sell  and  Jacob  Stout  were 
among  the  other  members.  The  Rev.  J.  M.  Ditz- 
ler  became  the  first  pastor,  preaching  about  ten 
years,  and  was  followed  by  the  Revs.  Uriel  Graves, 
G.  J.  Mortz,  E.  Lenhart,  P.  C.  Croll  and  Isaiah 
B.  Christ.  At  one  time  the  congregation  had 
eighty  members,  but  as  no  regular  service  has  been 
maintai  ed  the  past  six  months,  the  interest  in  the 
work  has  declined,  and  not  more  than  half  that 
number  retain  their  profession. 

Emanuel  Evangelical  Church  — Members  of  the 
Evangelical  Association  worshipped  at  Womels- 
dorf more  than  fifty  years  ago  at  the  houses  of 
those  who  had  accepted  that  faith,  and  later  in  a 
small  brick  meeting-house,  standing  at  the  lower 
end  of  tfte  town.  This  was  demolished  in  1867, 
and  the  present  neat  church  edifice  erected  on  an 
adjoining  lot.  It  is  thirty-eight  by  sixty-five  feet, 
two  stories  high  and  constructed  of  brick.  The 
building  committee  were  Zachariah  Burns,  Isaac 
Deppen,  Isaac  Miller,  Ezra  Price  and  John  Yost. 

In  1869  a  parsonage  was  built  on  the  old  church 
lot,  which  is  the  home  of  the  preacher  in  charge  of 
Womelsdorf  Circuit.  This  circuit  embraces,  be- 
sides the  church  here,  appointments  at  Bernville, 
Bern,  Centreport  and  Leesport.  In  1885  the 
resident  pastor  was  the  Rev.  J.  Savitz.     His  pre" 


878 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS   COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


decessors  during  the  past  twenty  years  were  as  fol- 
lows :  The  Revs.  J.  L.  Ginther,  D.  W.  Bixler, 
Isaac  Hess,  F.  Sechrist,  John  Koehl,  I.  E.  Knerr, 
A.  Leopolt  and  C.  Breyfogle,  the  latter  having 
been  in  charge  when  the  church  was  built.  In 
1885  the  trustees  were  Samuel  E.  Dundore,  Isaac 
P.  Deppen,  Samuel  Mumma,  John  C.  Bickle  and 
A.  Bauct.  The  membership  of  the  church  was 
about  fifty  and  its  service  was  alternately  in  the 
English  and  German  languages. 

Presbyterians. — The  Presbyterians  in  this  com- 
munity were  always  weak  numerically ;  but,  in- 
spired by  a  zealous  purpose  to  provide  a  place  for 
English  worship,  a  meeting  house  was  built  in 
July,  1834,  on  a  lot  of  ground  set  aside  for  this 
purpose  by  Misses  Frances  Moore  and  Lydia 
Moore.  In  this  house  the  Rev.  Mr.  Morse  and 
others  expounded  the  gospel,  the  most  of  the 
ministers  being  supplies  from  neighboring  Presby- 
terian Churches.  Preaching  was  conducted  regu- 
larly and  successfully  for  twenty  years.  Then, 
owing  to  the  death  of  those  mostly  interested  in 
the  society,  the  congregation  weakened  and  the 
preaching  was  afforded  only  at  intervals.  The 
Presbyterian  Synod  still  retains  its  title  to  the 
church  property,  and,  in  1885,  it  was  held  in  trust 
for  the  Synod  by  William  Livengood,  William  G. 
Moore,  James  Moore  and  John  M.  Stephen. 

Universalists. — The  Universalists  also  had  the 
nucleus  of  a  society  at  Womelsdorf,  nearly  half  a 
century  ago,  and,  through  the  efforts  of  the  Longe- 
neckers,  Manderbachs  and  others,  a  meeting-house 
was  built,  in  which  preaching  was  maintained  at 
irregular  periods  for  several  years.  The  building 
was  then  sold  to  the  board  of  school  directors  and 
is  still  used  for  school  purposes. 

Union  Cemetery  is  controlled  by  an  association 
organized  in  1858,  which  had  as  directors  Elias 
Fidler,  president ;  William  M.  Sallade,  secretary  ; 
Peter  Spang,  treasurer  ;  and  Dr.  William  Moore 
and  John  M.  Schonour.  The  association  bought 
three  acres  of  land  on  the  hill  north  of  the 
borough  and  west  of  the  Union  Church,  which 
was  improved  for  cemetery  purposes,  and,  in  1883, 
purchased  an  addition  of  three  acres.  The  whole 
is  neatly  inclosed.  It  is  the  burial-place  of  many 
of  the  oldest  families  of  that  part  of  the  county, 
and  contains  a  number  of  fine  monuments.  On 
the  death   of  Elias  Fidler  and  Dr.  Moore,  Adam 


S.  Valentine  and  William  G.  Moore  became  direc- 
tors. With  the  exception  of  these  changes,  the 
board  of  directors  remains  the  same  as  when  first 
organized. 

Societies. —  Williamson  Lodge,  No.  307,  F.  and 
A.  M.,  was  instituted  at  Womelsdorf,  April  1, 
1857,  with  the  nine  charter  members  named  be- 
low :  John  M.  Stephen,  E.  Penn  Smith,  William 
Moore,  John  M.  Schonour,  John  H.  Oberly,  John 
H.  Sell,  Charles  Phillips,  William  A  Moyer  and 
Thomas  S.  Searle.  Dr.  Stephens  was  the  first 
Master  of  the  lodge.  In  1885  it  had  eighty-eight 
members. 

Golden  Rule  Lodge,  No.  159,  /.  0.  0.  F.,  was 
instituted  February  16,  1846,  with  the  following 
charter  members :  Jacob  H.  Boyer,  Samuel  Stites, 
Jeremiah  Clouse,  Jonathan  Klopp,  Elijah  P.  Smith, 
H.  Vanderslice,  William  Yerger,  Jacob  Sutter, 
Daniel  Smith,  H.  C.  Dewalt,  Joseph  Smith,  Jacob 
F.  Peters,  Edward  Walborn  and  Benj.  Spatz.  In 
1885  the  lodge  had  a  membership  of  seventy-nine. 

Washington  Camp,  No-  67,  Patriotic  Sons  of 
America,  was  instituted  on  August  6, 1869,  with 
twenty  members.  It  is  still  an  active  organiza- 
tion. In  1885  it  reported  a  membership  of  one 
hundred  and  thirty-seven.  Previously  a  camp 
had  been  in  existence  at  Womelsdorf  for  a  time, 
but  it  was  allowed  to  go  down. 

Neversink  Council,  No.  127,  United  American 
MecJianics,  was  instituted  at  Womelsdorf,  in  1851, 
with  twelve  charter  members.  The  meetings  of 
council  have  been  held  with  continued  interest. 
The  present  membership  is  seventy-three.  The 
council  has  had  an  aggregate  membership  of  three 
hundred  and  seventy-five. 

Military  Encampment. — A  military  encamp- 
ment was  held  at  Womelsdorf  in  August,  1842,  in 
which  five  militia  companies  participated,— 
Reading  Artillerists,  National  Greys  (Reading), 
Bernville  Troop,  Womelsdorf  Rifles,  Lebanon 
Company. 

A  large  number  of  people  visited  the  encamp- 
ment, and  the  customary  amusements  were  exten- 
sively patronized. 

General  Washington's  Visit.— The  follow- 
ing account  of  Washington's  visit  to  Womelsdorf 
has  been  taken  from  the  "  Life  of  Captain  Samuel 
Dewees,"  which  was  published  by  John  Smith 
Hanna  in  1844 : 


BOROUGHS  OP  COUNTY. 


879 


"The  young  men  of  WomellsdorfF  and  adjoining 
country,  fired  with  the  same  undying  spirit  of  true 
patriotism,  organized  themselves  into  a  volunteer  com- 
pany, and  chose  me  for  their  Captain.  In  1793,  if  my 
memory  serves  me  right,  General  Washington,  when 
President  of  the  United  States,  made  a  tour  through 
the  eastern  part  of  Pennsylvania,  passing  through 
Reading,  Lancaster,  Harrisburg,  Carlisle,  Chambers- 
burg,  etc.  After  leaving  Reading,  he  came  to  Wom- 
ellsdorfF, where  he  stopped  for  the  night.  He  arrived 
late  in  the  evening,  and  put  up  at  the  public-house  of 
my  brother-in-law,  Stouch.  Hearing  that  Washing- 
ton had  arrived,  I  ran  around  and  collected  about 
thirty  of  my  men,  and  placed  them  under  arms,  each 
man  having  in  accordance  with  my  orders,  provided 
himself  with  a  powder-horn  containing  powder  enough 
to  fire  fifteen  or  twenty  rounds  as  a  salute  to  President 
Washington,  First  Father  and  Saviour  of  his  country. 
By  the  time  we  were  in  readiness  it  was  nearly  dusk, 
I  had  a  capital  Drummer  but  no  Fifer,  and  I  could 
not  think  of  marching  my  men  to  salute  the  great  and 
good  Washington  without  having  music  as  it  should 
be.  I  resolved  that  I  would  play  the  fife  myself.  I 
therefore  sheathed  my  sword,  appointed  my  First 
Lieutenant  Captain,  in  part,  and  myself  Fifer  pro  tern. 
I  then  placed  myself  by  the  side  of  my  Drummer,  on 
the  right  of  my  company.  When  matters  were  thus 
arranged,  we  marched  up  to  Stouch's  Hotel,  then  the 
quarters  of  President  Washington,  and  drew  up  in 
line  in  front  of  the  house.  I  then  brought  my  men  to 
an  order,  and  as  soon  as  President  Washington  ap- 
peared at  the  door  of  the  Hotel,  I  quickly  commanded 
my  men  to  shoulder  arms,  and  then  ordered  them  to 
present  arms.  I  had  then  to  assist  the  Drummer  (by 
playing  a  tune  on  the  fife  for  him)  to  beat  the  appro- 
priate salute.  It  was  common  in  those  days,  and  I  be- 
lieve it  is  still  done,  when  beating  a  salute,  for  the 
ensign  or  flagbearer  to  wave  the  flag  at  certain  rolls 
of  the  drum.  By  the  time  that  the  musical  salute 
was  ended,  President  Washington  had  gained  a  posi- 
tion on  the  steps  in  the  front  door  of  the  Hotel.  He 
then  asked  for  (or  who  was)  the  captain  of  the  com- 
pany. I  drew  my  sword  and  stepped  towards  him  and 
saluted  him  with  the  usual  salute  of  the  sword.  I  then 
stepped  up  to  him,  and,  with  my  sword  in  one  hand 
and  my  Fife  in  the  other,  observed  to  him  as  follows  : 

" '  Sir,  I  am  both  Captain  and  Fifer.  I  have  a  good  Drummer,  sir,  but  no 
Fifer,  and  could  not  think  of  tendering  military  honors  to  you  in  a 
patched  up  or  lame  way,  and  concluded,  in  the  absence  of  a  Fifer,  to  play 
the  Fife  myself,  and  told  him  my  name  was  Dewees.' 

"  Washington  smiled  and  said,  '  Captain  Dewees, 
you  have  been  in  the  Revolutionary  War.'  '  Yes,  sir,' 
said  I.  He  then  said,  '  You  have  played  the  fife  dur- 
ing the  war.'  I  told  him  that  I  had.  He  said  that  he 
knew  by  the  tunes  we  had  played,  and  by  the  manner 
in  which  they  were  played,  that  I  had  been  in  the 
Continental  service.  He  then  complimented  me  upon 
my  having  sacrificed  my  station  (that  of  Captain)  to 
gratify  his  ear  with  the  well-to-be-remembered  airs  so 


often  heard  during  the  Revolution  in  the  camps  of  his 
country.     He  then  observed  : 

Captain  Dewees,  you  are  disposed  to  pay  great  respect  to  me,  for  which 
I  am  extremely  obliged  to  you,  as  also  to  the  officers  and  men  composing 
your  company.  But  there  has  been  so  much  respect  paid  to  me  on  my 
whole  route,  at  Reading  especially,  that  I  feel  rather  unpleasant  when 
ill  receipt  of  it.  I  know,  sir,  that  it  is  earnestly  done.  Although  I  have 
not  done  less  than  any  man,  I  have  always  tried  to  serve  my  country 
faithfully,  fearlessly  and  nobly,  whether  when  in  the  field  or  out  of  it, 
and  in  doing  this,  I  have  but  done  my  duty  to  my  country  and  country- 
men, posterity  and  to  my  God.  Still,  sir,  I  do  not  wish  to  damp  your  pa- 
triotic ardour,  nor  the  patriotic  ardour  of  a  single  member  of  your  com- 
pany. Nor  am  I  to  be  understood,  sir,  as  wishing  to  damp  the  genernue 
and  patriotic  feelings  of  the  men  and  women,  citizens  of  Womellsdorff 
now  present  as  spectators  ;  nor  do  I  wish,  Captain  Dewees,  to  be  viewed 
as  despising  your  tender  of  honors.  Nor  do  I  wish  you,  sir,  to  under- 
stand me  as  forbidding  you  to  fire  a  salute,  but  I  would  respectfully  re- 
quest that  it  may  be  dispensed  with,  and  if  it  will  be  agreeable  to  you 
and  your  men,  that  of  granting  my  request,  I  hope  that  a  salute  will  not 
be  fired.'  I  replied,  '  General  Washington,  if  it  is  your  desire  that  we 
shall  not  fire  a  salute,  there  shall  not  he  a  gun  fired.'  I  then  addressed 
myself  to  my  men  and  stated  that  not  a  man  would  be  permitted  to  fire  a 
gun. 

"  President  Washington  then  requested  me  to  march 
my  men  into  the  house.  I  did  so.  He  then  ordered 
different  kinds  of  liquor  to  be  set  out,  and  invited  us 
to  partake  with  him  of  whatever  kind  of  liquor  we 
should  choose  to  drink.  I  then  asked  my  men  to  come 
forward  and  partake  of  the  President's  treat,  and  ob- 
served that  they  should  take  a  civil  drink,  and  for 
each  to  do  so  in  a  quiet  and  respectful  manner.  After 
all  had  drank,  I  gave  them  strict  orders  also  that  no 
man  should  behave  in  an  uncivil,  rude  or  noisy  man- 
ner ;  that  we  had  called,  out  of  respect,  to  render  re- 
spect and  honors  to  his  Excellency,  the  President,  and 
all  things  should  now  be  conducted  in  a  respectful  and 
quiet  manner.  The  President  told  the  landlord  to 
charge  the  liquor  he  had  ordered  to  his  bill,  thanked 
us  in  a  kind  manner  for  the  honors  we  had  done  him, 
bowed  to  us,  bade  us  good-night  and  then  retired  to  his 
room.  I  do  not  pretend  to  state  that  the  President's 
language  was  in  the  precise  words  I  have  used,  but  it 
was  tantamount  thereto. 

"  As  soon  as  the  President  retired,  I  then  ordered 
my  drummer,  and  I  may  add  myself  (for  I  assisted), 
to  beat  up  the  long  roll ;  this  done,  the  men  paraded 
at  their  posts  and  formed  ranks  immediately.  We  then 
marched  down  to  the  lower  tavern,  in  Womellsdorf, 
kept  by  Wierech  Seltzer,  where  we  enjoyed  ourselves 
in  dancing  awhile.  We  dispersed  (I  suppose)  at  a 
late  hour,  but  the  orders  which  I  gave,  that  mirth  and 
sociability  should  reign  throughout  the  evening,  were 
most  happily  obeyed.  Nothing  transpired  to  (not  even 
the  President's  wish  as  regafded  a  salute;  this  of  itself 
was  not  a  disappointment,  for  he  was  a  lover  of  quiet, 
and  every  man  yielded  spontaneously  what  he  so  anx- 
iously desired)  to  mar  the  patriotic  pleasure  which 
each  member  of  my  company  set  out  determined  to 
enjoy." 

And  the  following  German  report  of  this  visit  is 
published  in  Rupp's  "  History  of  Berks  County," 
page  194. 


880 


HISTOEY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


"  Wommelsdoef,  den  14sen  Nov.  1793. 
"  Gestern  Abends  hatten  die  Einwohner  dieser  Stadt 
das  Vergnuegen  den  Presidenten  George  Washing- 
ton, der  Vereinigten  Staaten  von  America  zu  bewir- 
then,  und  ihm  bey  dieser  Gelegenheit  folgende  Ad- 
dresse  zu  ueberreichen. 
"  Ibro  Excellentz ! 

"  Moecbten  sie  unsere  aus  Dankbarkeit  und  Gehor- 
sam  entstebende  Freudensbezeugungen,  in  diesem 
gluecklichen  Augenblick  da  wir  die  persoenliche  Ge- 
gewart  von  Ibro  Excellentz  geinessen,  in  Dero  ange- 
bornen  und  gewoehnlichen  Guete  auzunehinen  belie- 
ben. 

"  Die  kluge  und  mit  gluecklichem  Erfolg  gekroente 
Tbaten,  die  Sie  unter  dem  Schutz  des  Allerhoechten 
Wesens  in  dem  letzten  glorreichen  Krieg  ausgefueh- 
ret  baben,  dan  Glueck  und  Zufriedenheit  das  wir 
unter  Dero  Regierung  seithin  in  Friedenszeit  genissen 
und  des  letzhin  sowohl  ueberlegte  zum  recbten  Zeit- 
punct  anempfoblne  Neutralitaete  System,  ermuntert 
all  Menschen  aufs  Neue  zur  Hocbachtung  und  Liebe 
gegen  sie.  Die  Einwobner  dieser  Gegend  werden 
niewals  unterlassen.  langes  Leben  and  Gesundheit 
von  Gott  fuer  sie  zu  erbeten." 


To  which  General  Washington  sent  the  following 
very  appropriate  reply  : 

"  Die  Aufmerksamkeit  die  sie  mir  erzeigen,  und 
drr  Beifall  von  meinen  Bemuebungen,  giebt  mir  das 
groeste  Vergnuegen." 

A  company  of  volunteers  assembled,  and  amidst 
repeated  firing  of  guns,  near  the  door  of  the  house 
in  which  he  lodged,  exclaimed, — 

"  Lang  lebe  George  Washington !  Lang  lebe  George 
Washington  ! !  " 


HAMBURG. 

The  thriving  borough  of  Hamburg  is  situated  on 
the  Schuylkill  River,  near  where  it  passes  through 
the  Blue  Mountains.  It  is  favorably  located  in 
a  good  farming  country,  and  having  communica- 
tions with  points  north  and  south  by  means  of  the 
canal  and  two  principal  lines  of  railway— the 
Philadelphia  and  Reading  and  Pennsylvania,  -  as 
well  as  being  a  projected  station  on  other  railways 
under  construction,  it  has  become  a  business  point 
in  the  county,  with  varied  industries,  second  in 
importance  to  Reading  only.  In  1885  there  were 
about  two  thousand  five  hundred  inhabitants,  five 
churches,  two  school-houses,  a  bank  and  other  in- 
terests. 


The  locality  in  which  Hamburg  is  situated  was 
known  by  that  name  before  the  town  was  laid  out, 
the  nature  of  the  country  and  the  nationality  of 
the  first  settlers  no  doubt  suggesting  the  appella- 
tion.    The  records  of  this  section  indicate  a  land- 
warrant,  dated  in  London,  May  12,  1732,  for  six 
hundred  and  twenty  six  acres,  situated  east  of  the 
Schuylkill  and  north  of  the  mouth  of  Maiden- 
creek,  which  was  divided  into  three  parts  by  Dep- 
uty   Surveyor    James      Scull,     and     one    part 
surveyed  November  25, 1772,  for  Martin  Kaercher, 
Sr.     This  survey  was  confirmed  to  him  by  a  deed, 
December  23,  1772,  in  which  it  is  spoken  of  as  "a 
certain  tract  of  land  called  Hamburg,  and  situate 
in  Windsor  township,  containing  two  hundred  and 
fifty  acres.     Seven  years  later,  on  the  23d  of  Jan- 
uary, 1779,  Martin  Kaercher,  Sr.,  and  Elizabeth, 
his   wife,  of  Longswamp  township,  granted  this 
tract  of  land  to  their  son,    Martin  Kaercher,  Jr., 
who,  at  that  time,  lived  on  it.     The  consideration 
was  two  thousand  five  hundred  pounds.     About 
this  time  Martin  Kaercher,  Jr.,  laid  out  the  town, 
for  on  the  1st  of  December,  1779,  he   executed  a 
deed  to  Michael  Lindenmuth  for  lotsNos.  17,  19, 
32,  45,  87  and  110,  and  out-lots   59,  60,  88,  89, 
125  and  126.     These  lots  were  subject  to  a  ground- 
rent,   payable  on  the  27th  day  of  May  of  each 
year,  at  the  rate  of  two  pounds  five  shillings  for 
corner-lots  and  twenty-two  shillings  six  pence  for 
other  lots.    This  ground  rental  has  been  the  source 
of  much  vexatious  litigation,  and  many  of  the  lo's 
of  Hamburg  are  not  yet  clear  of  this  claim.    Its 
existence  has,  in  a   great   measure,  retarded  the 
growth  of  the  borough      In  1 780  Martin  Kaercher, 
Jr.,  deeded  back  a  part  of  the  Hamburg  tract  to 
his  father,  but  reserved  the  lots  laid  out,  and  made 
sales  as  follows : 

July  20,  1781,  to  John  Zone. 

November  27,  1782,  to  Frederick  Pouch. 

October  28,  1782,  to  Christopher  Tin. 

May  2,  1783,  to  John  Mover  and  Frank  Levenberg. 

April  3,  1783,  to  Peter  Fornwalt. 

July  19,  1784,  to  George  Benzeman. 

April  19,  1784,  to  Andrew  Helwig. 

January  27,  1785,  to  George  Miller,  Jr.,  for  corn- 
mill  and  tract  of  forty  acres. 

January  8,  1785,  the  tract  called  the  "Shoup," 
fourteen  acres  (which  had  been  patented  to  Kaercher 
the  previous  year). 

March  1,  1785,  to  John  Moyer  (tavern-keeper  and 

trader).  ■ 


BOROUGHS  OP  COUNTY. 


881 


September  1,  1785,  to  Martin  Kaercher,  Sr. 

May  25,  1786,  to  Andrew  Lytle. 

May  6,  1786,  to  John  Myer  and  Philip  Shatz,  lots 
for  school  and  church  purposes,  they  being  trustees 
of  Lutheran  and  Reformed  congregations. 

October  20,  1786,  to  Daniel  Rothermel  (paper- 
maker). 

1792,  to  Andrew  Forsyth. 

March  16,  1793,  to  William  Kaercher. 

March  17, 1793,  to  George  Kaercher. 

January  1,  1794,  to  Daniel  Kaercher. 

March  20,  1794,  to  Samuel  Winters. 

Martin  Kaercher,  Jr.,  lived  on  a  farm  on 
Kaercher's  Run.  He  also  owned  the  mill  on  that 
stream,  which  is  now  the  mill-site  on  Main  Street. 
He  conveyed  this  property  to  George  Miller  in  1785. 
He  appears  to  have  been  financially  embarrassed, 
and  some  of  his  property  was  sold  by  the  sheriff  in 
1787.  The  elder  members  of  the  family  died  at 
Hamburg,  and  others  removed  to  other  parts.  The 
village  grew  very  slowly,  and,  after  the  custom  of 
that  time  (naming  towns  for  their  founders),  was 
called,  in  the  common  vernacular, "  Kaerchertown," 
which  some  people  earnestly  suppose  to  have  been 
the  original  name  of  the  borough  ;  and  some 
people,  to  give  the  place  an  English  name,  called  it 
Church  town.  The  first  buildings  were  built  of 
logs.  Some  of  them,  weather-boarded  or  rough- 
cast, may  still  be  found  in  the  older  parts  of  the 
town.  The  first  brick  house  was  built  by  John  Miller, 
on  the  upper  part  of  Main  Street,  -which  is  still 
standing  as  the  residence  of  E.  M.  Miller.  It  is  a 
one-story  building.  After  the  manufacture  of 
bricks  was  begun  at  this  place  the  larger  portion 
of  the  buildings  were  put  up  of  that  material.  One 
of  the  oldest  large  houses  was  built  of  stone,  in 
1811,  by  Abraham  Bailey,  and  even  now  has  the 
appearance  of  a  mansion.  The  masonry  and  the 
wood-work  indicate  skill  and  care  of  no  mean  order 
on  the  part  of  the  workmen  engaged  in  its  con- 
struction. 

After  the  first  meeting-house  was  built,  in  1790, 
the  population  increased  more  than  in  former 
years,  and,  in  1800,  the  place  had  three  hundred 
and  twenty-nine  inhabitants. 

Among  the  citizens  of  Hamburg  from  1800  to 
1820  were  the  following ; 


George  Miller,  miller. 
Charles  Guss,  mason. 
William  Feather,  tanner. 
Moses  Levy,  store-keeper. 
Daniel  Levan,  tavern-keeper. 
Jacob  Snell,  butcher. 
JoBeph  Shomo,  Sr.,  tinsmith. 
Abraham  Wolff,  saddler. 
Henry  Groh,  yeoman. 
Adolphus  Hatzfield,  justice. 
Dr.  Klein,  physician. 
Philip  Sousley,  corclwainer. 
Andrew  Helwig,  yeoman. 
Henry  Schooner,  chair-maker. 
William  Coulter,  chair-maker. 
Henry  Lewers,  tinsmith. 
Henry  Fister,  hatter. 
John  Schenk,  tailor. 
John  Beideman,  clock-maker. 
Mrs.  Peter  Schatz,  cake-baker. 
Henry  Lindenmuth,  Bhoemaker. 
Abraham  Bailey,  tavern-keeper. 
William  Schau,  tailor. 
Abraham  De  Wald,  cigar-maker. 
Dr.  Benj.  Becker,  physician. 
Philip  Hummel,  farmer. 
Frederick  Felix,  shoemaker. 
Michael  Reese,  cooper. 
John  Eberhard,  carpenter. 
William  Machemer,  dyer. 


Jacob  Glatt,  laborer. 
John  Miller,  cabinet-maker. 
Andrew  Forsytb,  merchant. 
Jacob  Fisher,  coffee-mill  maker. 
Capt.  Leithoiser,  Revolutionist. 
Sebastian  Leonard,  blacksmith. 
Daniel  Kern,  store-keeper. 
David  Davidheiser,  tavern-keeper. 
Andrew  Hummel,  laborer. 
Jacob  Hains,  carpenter. 
Christian  Lochman,  weaver. 
John  Miller,  cooper. 
Peter  Dile,  laborer. 
Henry  Roi,  watchmaker. 
Wm.  Lochman  (Hessian),  laborer. 
John  Scharff  (Hessian),  hostler. 
Abraham  Shollenberger,  potter. 
John  Shollenberger,  blacksmith. 

Hetrich,  cooper. 

Silliman,  ferryman. 

Fred'k  Shollenberger,  butcher. 
Abraham  Keiser,  butcher. 

Kennedy,  mason. 

Killian  May,  cooper. 
Joseph  Miller,  farmer. 
Wm.  Williamson,  wheelwright. 
Casper  Diehl,  tavern-keeper. 
Jeremiah  Shappell,  farmer. 
Ab'm  Williamson, spinning-wheel 
maker. 


John  Meyer,  broker. 
Henry  Heinly,  tailor. 
John  De  Wald,  hatter. 
John  Shomo,  Jr.,  teacher. 
David  Newhart,  tobacconist. 


John  Moyer,  tobacconist. 
John  Shomo,  Sr.,  inn-keeper. 
Andrew  Smith,  blacksmith. 
John  Derr,  tanner. 
Robert  Scott,  store-keeper. 


The  building  of  the  turnpike  and  the  canal, 
and  later  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Rail- 
way, through  this  place,  each  promoted  the  growth 
of  the  borough — each  event  forming  a  period  of 
prosperity  in  its  history.  But  more  especially  was 
a  building  boom  inaugurated  when  it  was  sup- 
posed that  Hamburg  would  become  the  entrepot 
for  the  shipment  of  the  vast  quantities  of  coal  now 
loaded  on  the  boats  at  Port  Clinton  and  Schuylkill 
Haven  — a  belief  which  was  strengthened  when 
the  railroad  company  bought  up  all  the  property 
available  along*  the  canal,  with  a  view  of  erecting 
immense  warehouses  thereon  for  shipment  pur- 
poses. It  was  about  this  time  that  the  fine  Heinly 
Block,  on  Main  Street,  was  erected,  and  a  little 
later,  in  1871,  the  massive  four-story  building,  on 
the  corner  of  Main  and  State  Streets,  now  known 
as  the  Fenstermacher  Block.  This  inaugurated 
the  era  of  better  buildings  in  Hamburg.  The 
last  event,  which  quickened  the  business  life  of  the 
borough,  was  the  building  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad,  in  1885,  and  the  erection  of  the  attrac- 
tive depot  building  on  State  Street,  near  the  canal. 
It  is  of  brick,  elegantly  finished,  and  has  few 
superiors  anywhere.  Its  architecture  has  been  the 
means  of  causing  other  buildings  in  the  town  to 
assume  shapes  practical  and  pleasing,  though  much 
at  variance  with  the  styles  prevailing  for  sixty  years. 
The  depot  building  was  opened  in  December,  1 885. 


882 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


To  this  new  order  of  buildings  belongs  the  busi- 
ness house  of  N.  A.  Confer,  erected  in  1885-86, 
on  the  southwest  corner  of  White  Oak  and  State 
Streets.  It  is  a  high,  one-story  building  of  brick, 
sixty  by  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet,  forming 
one  room,  to  be  devoted  to  general  mercantile  pur- 
poses. The  building  is  ornate,  and  having  a  high 
roof  with  raised  skylights,  is  not  unattractive  in 
appearance.  Mr.  Confer  has  been  in  trade  at 
Hamburg  since  1868,  and  ranks  as  one  of  the 
foremost  nerehants  of  the  county.  Robert  Scott, 
on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Pine  Streets,  had  one 
of  the  first  good  stores ;  and  soon  after  came  John 
Beitenman.  At  the  upper  end  of  the  town  John 
Miller  had  a  good  trade.  Later,  Joseph  Shomo 
and  Samuel  Shollenberger  carried  on  a  large  busi- 
ness in  what  is  now  the  Item  office.  After 
some  years  George  and  Joseph  Shollenberger  were 
associated  and  opened  a  store  on  the  corner  where 
is  now  the  Nathan  Bear  stand,  where  had  been 
David  Nice  and  Daniel  Wolff.  Shomo  opened 
the  stand  on  Main  and  Pine  Streets,  now  known 
as  the  D.  A.  Heffner  store ;  William  D.  Sh'omo 
also  conducted  business  very  successfully  in 
the  same  place.  Among  the  earlier  stores  was 
that  of  Daniel  Kern,  on  Main  Street,  next-door  to 
the  "  Swan  "  Hotel,  which  he  also  kept.  Joseph 
Filbert  and  others  were  in  the  same  locality. 
Charles  Shomo  was  in  trade  in  the  Item  build- 
ing, and  Joseph  Seidel  in  the  building  now  occu- 
pied by  Fister's  drug- store.  Charles  A.  Seidel 
was  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street.  David 
Heinly  put  up  the  building  where  is  now  the  gen- 
eral store  of  James  L.  Merkel.  James  Fenster- 
macher  has  been  in  trade  at  Hamburg  since  1862, 
occupying  his  present  building  since  1871 ;  and 
next-door  is  the  notion-store  of  James  L.  Baum. 
John  Beitenman  was  an  early  dealer  in  hardware. 
Peter  C.  Baum  had  the  first  store  wholly  devoted 
to  that  line  of  trade,  his  place  being  on  White  Oak 
Street.  David  Heinly  opened  the  next  store,  on 
Main  Street,  which  is  now  occupied  by  Walter 
Raubenhold. 

Nathaniel  J.  Hatzfield  was  one  of  the  first  dealers 
in  cabinet- ware,  and  Jacob  Laub  had  an  early 
furniture-store  on  Main  Street.  Sheradin.  Men- 
gel  and  others  were  also  in  this  business.  It  is 
now  successfully  carried  on  by  Peter  Burkey,  who 
operates  a   small  furniture-factory  in  connection 


with  a  store.  Other  stores  devoted  to  specialties 
were  opened  lately,  among  them  being  the  grocery 
business  of  R.  T.  Lenhart  and  the  fine  jewelry- 
store  of  W.  W.  Appel.  On  State  Street  and  the 
canal  is  the  fine  grain  warehouse  of  J.  A.  Baus- 
cher,  erected  in  1876 ;  and  farther  down  the 
canal,  at  the  old  Loose  &  Shollenberger  place, 
Lenhart  &  Co.  have  been  coal  and  lumber  dealers 
since  1882.  Near  this  point  the  river  was  first 
crossed  by  ferries,  one  of  them  being  operated 
many  years  by  a  man  named  Silliman.  The  first 
bridge  across  the  stream  was  swept  away  by  a 
freshet  in  July,  1850,  and  broken  to  pieces.  The 
present  wood-covered  bridge  is  over  two  hundred 
feet  long.  After  being  a  toll-bridge  for  many 
years,  it  was  recently  declared  free. 

Among  the  chief  public-houses,  the  John  Bailey 
stand,  on  Main  Street,  lately  demolished,  is  one  of 
the  best  remembered.  It  was  partly  log  and 
partly  brick,  and  in  its  time  was  a  good  house. 
Daniel  Kern's  inn,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
street,  was  the  headquarters  for  stages.  At  the 
head  of  the  street  John  Shomo,  Jr.,  had  a  public- 
house,  which  has  since  been  demolished.  The 
present  house  was  built  by  John  Confer,  but  kept 
by  him  as  an  inn  only  a  short  time.  Joseph 
Shomo  had  an  old-time  hotel  on  the  site  of  Rau- 
benhold's  store,  which  was  kept  at  a  later  day  by 
Daniel  Levan.  The  present "  Washington  House  " 
is  on  the  site  of  an  inn  formerly  kept  by  John 
Shomo.  The  frame  house  was  removed,  and  in 
the  house  now  standing  Charles  Keller,  Jacob 
Boyer  and  Joseph  N.  Shomo  have  entertained  the 
public, — the  latter  since  1870.  The  present  three- 
story  brick  American  House  was  built  by  Isaac 
Thompson,  and  has  been  kept  by  him  and  the 
landlord  now  in  possession,  David  H.  Fink. 

Hamburg  Incorporated. — In  order  to  secure 
better  streets  and  to  promote  the  general  welfare 
of  the  village,  an  effort  was  made  to  incorporate 
Hamburg  more  than  fifty  years  ago.  To  this  end 
a  number  of  special  acts  were  passed,  the  first  bear- 
ing date  April  5,  1830.  In  accordance  with  one 
of  the  provisions  of  the  act,  a  survey  and  plat  of 
the  town  was  made  September  8,  1830,  by  Mathias 
S.  Richards,  Philip  A.  Good  and  George  Heisler. 
But,  owing  to  a  non-compliance  with  some  of  the 
terms  of  the  act,  no  organization  was  effected,  and 
it  was  not  until  after  the  passage  of  the  act  of  April 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


883 


3,  1837,  that  Hamburg  became  possessed  of  cor 
porate  powers  and  privileges,  which  «  ere  extended 
and  enlarged  by  the  following  special  acts :  April 
16, 1838 ;  January  12,  1840 ;  March  18,  1852  : 
August  24,  1864;  March  22,  1865;  June  2> 
1875 ;  and  by  the  general  act  of  May  5,  1876' 
The  bounds  of  the  borough  were  changed  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1876,  and  further  modified,  in  1877,  by 
regular  surveys. 

The  first  borough  election  was  held  in  1837,  and 
resulted  in  the  choice  of  Daniel  Sheiffley  as  presi- 
dent of  the  Council,  and  P.  C.  Baura  clerk.  The 
loss  of  the  records  for  the  first  thirty  years  of  the 
corporate  history  renders  the  task  of  compiling  a 
complete  list  of  officials  impossible. 

P.  C.  Baum  served  as  clerk  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  others  who  filled  the  same  office  were 
George  Shenk,  B.  E.  Shollenberger,  Charles  Ben- 
zeman,  Bennewell  Derr,  Mahlon  F.  Wolf  and 
George  A.  Xander. 

Some  of  the  presidents  for  the  same  period  were 
Augustus  Shultz,  E.  M.  Smith,  Edward  H.  Mil- 
ler, Charles  Faust,  Rufus  D.  Wolff  and  Benjamin 
Goodman. 

Since  1867  the  principal  officers  have  been : 

1867-68.— John  Sunday,  burgess;  Jacob  Geiger, 
president  of  the  Council ;  George  A.  Xander,  clerk. 

1869-71. — James  Prutzman,  burgess ;  Benjamin 
Goodman,  president  of  the  Council ;  Geo.  A.  Xander, 
clerk. 

1872-73. — R.  Seidel,  burgess ;  Benjamin  Goodman, 
president  of  the  Council ;  Geo.  A.  Xander,  clerk. 

1874-75.— John  Sunday,  burgess ;  William  K.  Mil- 
ler, president  of  the  Council ;  J.  Jerome  Miller, 
clerk. 

1876. — Jacob  Geiger,  burgess ;  Levi  Williamson, 
president  of  the  Council ;  J.  Jerome  Miller,  clerk. 

1877. — Fred.  Gordfleck,  burgess ;  James  Prutzman, 
president  of  the  Council;  J.  Jerome  Miller,  clerk. 

1878—  Fred.  Gordfleck,  burgess;  R.  D.  Wolff, 
president  of  the  Council;  B.  S.  Gardner,  clerk. 

1879.— J.  A.  Tobias,  burgess ;  R.  D.  Wolff,  presi- 
dent of  the  Council;  B.  S.  Gardner,  clerk. 

1880. — Reuben  Seidel,  burgess ;  R.  D.  Wolff,  presi- 
dent of  the  Council;  B.  S.  Gardner,  clerk. 

1881. — Wm.  Harris,  burgess ;  J.  L.  Merkel,  presi- 
dent of  the  Council ;  R.  J.  M.  Miller,  clerk. 

1882. — Wm.  Harris,  burgess ;  J.  L.  Merkel,  presi- 
dent of  the  Council ;  B.  S.  Gardner,  clerk. 

1883. — Solomon  K.  Dreibelbis,  burgess ;  J.  L.  Mer- 
kel, president  of  the  Council .  B.  F.  Bean,  clerk. 

1884. — A.  F.  Luburg,  burgess ;  J.  L.  Merkel,  presi- 
dent of  the  Council ;  R.  J.  M.  Miller,  clerk. 


In  1885  the  officers  were, — 

Solomon  K.  Dreibelbis,  burgess  ;  William  K.  Mil- 
ler, assistant  burgess ;  Members  of  Council,  James  L. 
Merkel  (president),  D.  K.  Nies,  J.  C.  Bear,  J.  J.  Mil- 
ler, C.  A.  Seidel,  John  S.  Smith,  Christian  Baum, 
Wm.  H.  Grimm,  Jacob  Hallenbach ;  R.  J.  M.  Miller, 
secretary  of  Council;  0.  J.  Wolff,  treasurer;  0.  J. 
Wolff  and  Jackson  Levan,  justices  of  the  peace  ;  Geo. 
M.  Witters,  constable;  Charles  Williamson  and' 
Franklin  N.  Fichthorn,  policemen. 

The  office  of  justice  was  also  held  by  Israel 
Derr,  Henry  Lewars,  Benjamin  Shollenberger, 
Jeremiah  Wolfinger,  Henry  K.  Burkhalter  and 
Mahlon  F.  Wolff. 

Jackson  Levan  was  the  first  notary  public,  re- 
ceiving his  commission  in  1870. 

Measures  for  protection  against  fire  were  taken 
before  Hamburg  became  a  borough,  a  number  of 
buckets  having  been  procured  and  distributed 
among  the  citizens. 

The  Hamburg  Fire  Company  was  organized 
in  1838,  and  it  had,  among  others,  the  following 
members : 


Henry  Fister. 
Henry  Levan. 

Shappell. 

Henry  Groh. 
Robert  Scott. 
Andrew  Smith. 
Adam  Keiser. 
Moses  Levy. 
Abr.  Bailey. 
John  Derr. 
Peter  Miller. 
B.  R.  Nyce. 
H.  F.  Hold. 
John  Shenk. 
William  Feather. 


Joseph  Shomo. 
Jacob  Shollenberger. 
John  Miller. 
Jesse  Dewald. 
William  Shomo. 
George  Miller. 
John  Shollenberger. 
William  Smith. 
Abraham  Williamson. 
Andrew  Smith,  Jr. 
John  C.  Thiell. 
Daniel  Feather. 
Daniel  Shollenberger. 
Adolph  Hatzfield. 


A  small  engine,  worked  by  a  crank,  was  pur- 
chased, and  every  member  of  the  company  was 
supplied  with  a  leathern  bucket  and  a  sail-cloth 
bag.  In  1866  the  borough  erected  a  substantial 
engine-house,  of  brick,  twenty-two  by  forty  feet, 
part  of  which  is  two  stories  high.  This  building 
also  serves  as  a  place  for  the  meetings  of  Council. 
About  the  same  time  a  larger  hand-engine  was 
purchased,  which  was  used  until  1877,  when  a 
Silsby  steam  fire-engine  was  purchased  and  the 
department  again  reorganized.  Fire-plugs  were 
placed  at  the  upper  end  of  Main  Street,  and  at 
other  places  on  the  canal  and  creek,  where  a  good 


884 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


water  supply  might  be  obtained,  and  from  these 
plugs  nearly  every  point  in  the  borough  can  be 
reached  with  several  hundred  feet  of  hose. 

The  Ujsion  Fire  Company,  No.  1,  was  formed 
in  January,  1886,  with  the  following  organization : 

Oliver  J.  Wolff,  president;  Wm.  G.  Sheradin, 
vice-president;  Douglass  D.  Seidel,  recording  secre- 
tary ;  Dr.  John  R.  Wagner,  assistant  recording  secre- 
tary ;  Abraham  J.  Seaman,  financial  secretary ;  Hon. 
Charles  A.  Seidel,  treasurer;  William  Heinley,  Chas. 
F.  Jones,  William  F.  Burkey,  trustees  ;  Douglass  D. 
Seidel,  janitor ;  William  G.  Sheradin,  foreman;  Albert 
Seivert,  first  assistant  foreman ;  J.  W.  Heinly,  second 
assistant  foreman  ;  John  H.  Smith,  engineer ;  Daniel 
A.  Burkey  and  B.  Frank  Bean,  assistant  engineers  ; 
Cbarles  Williamson,  fireman;  Franklin  M.  Seaman  and 
Franklin  V.  Ficbthorn,  assistant  firemen ;  David  Fin- 
ady,  William  Heinly,  Irwin  Lenbart  and  Solomon  K. 
Hoffman,  engine  directors ;  Reuben  A.  Dietrich,  Dr. 
John  R.  Wagner,  John  Burkey  and  Franklin  Kauff- 
man,  hose  directors ;  L.  K.  Saul,  David  Beard,  Chas. 
Reinhart  and  James  Kelchner,  pipemen ;  George 
Spindler,  Charles  F.  Jones,  John  Spareley,  John 
Williamson,  Daniel  Tobias,  Arthur  Fesig,  George  H. 
Seaman,  Samuel  Longlow,  Calvin  F.  Miller,  W.  Wil- 
liam Appel,  John  Shadier,  Joel  E.  Seaman,  hook-and 
ladder-men. 

West  Hamburg. — The  station  on  the  Phila- 
delphia and  Reading  Railroad,  at  Hamburg,  is  on 
the  west  side  of  the  river,  about  half  a  mile  from 
the  borough.  The  depot  building  was  first  sixty 
rods  north  of  the  present  site,  and  Henry  S.  Kern 
became  the  agent,  holding  the  position  eighteen 
years  In  1867  the  present  location  was  selected, 
on  the  farm  of  N.  S.  Schock.  S.  K.  Kramp  is 
the  present  agent. 

The  first  store  in  the  hamlet,  by  the  depot 
(sometimes  called  West  Hamburg),  was  opened  at 
the  old  station,  in  1853,  by  Moses  S.  Schock. 
Since  1867  N.  S  Schock  has  been  in  business  at 
his  present  stand.  He  was  the  first  postmaster  of 
the  Berks  post-office,  established  there  in  1879. 

In  1870  John  Williams  and  Solomon  Seaman 
erected  a  large  brick  block,  which  was  arranged 
for  hotel  and  store  purposes.  There  Williams 
opened  what  is  now  the  National  Hotel,  and 
Solomon  Seaman  &  Sons  established  a  mercantile 
business,  which  is  now  carried  on  by  Seaman  & 
Brother. 

The  Hamburg  Rolling-Mill  is  situated  at  the 
lower  part  of  the  hamlet,  and  comprises  spacious 
buildings  with  convenient  connections  with  the  main 


tracks  of  the  railroad.  The  enterprise  was  begun 
in  1 865  by  an  association  composed  of  William  D. 
Shomo,  Benjamin  H.  Lenhart,  Gideon  Sunday, 
George  Merkel  and  John  Bickley.  The  following 
year  the  business  was  carried  on  by  Merkel, 
Spang  &  Co.,  and  in  1871  by  the  Hamburg  Iron 
Company,  composed  of  William  A.  Shoemaker, 
John  Shoemaker,  John  Raudson  and  H.  C. 
Beam.  Afterward,  it  was  carried  on  for  a  time 
by  Richard  Dunkel  and  others.  In  1881  the 
present  firm  of  Nevegold,  Scheide  &  Co.,  of  Bris- 
tol, Pa.,  took  po.-session  of  the  works  and  began 
operations  under  a  lease  for  five  years.  They 
employ  seventy-five  men  and  make  a  specialty  of 
the  manufacture  of  band  and  hoop-iron,  produc- 
ing from  eighty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  tons 
daily.  The  property  belongs  to  the  Philadelphia 
and  Reading  Coal  and  Iron  Company. 

Industries.— One  of  the  earliest  industries  at 
this  place  was  the  mill  of  Martin  Kaercher,  Jr., 
on  Kaercher's  Run,  where  it  crosses  Main  Street. 
He  sold  out  to  George  Miller  in  1 785,  who  put  up 
the  first  substantial  mill.  The  old  building  was 
burned  down  in  1875,  and  the  present  fine  mill 
was  erected  by  William  D.  Shomo,  who  operates 
it  still. 

The  next  mill  was  built  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  borough  by  Jonas  Kern  ;  but,  after  it  became 
the  property  of  the  Reading  Railroad  Company,  it 
was  allowed  to  remain  idle. 

Near  State  Street,  a  steam-mill  was  built  by 
Thomas  Sieger,  which  was  supplied  with  good  ma- 
chinery, but  which  has  had  many  owners,  among 
them  being  Daniel  Kern,  Jacob  Geiger,  Fink  & 
Co.,  Motes  &  Buffington  and  the  present  George 
Walters. 

In  this  locality  the  boat-yard  of  Benjamin 
Meinder  was  situated.  He  was  the  successor  of 
Frederick  Albright,  the  first  boat-builder,  whose 
yard  was  in  the  southern  part  of  the  borough. 
Meinder  was  succeeded  by  Miller  &  Baltzer,  and 
they  by  Jacob  Wolff,  the  last  boat-builder,  to  any 
extent,  in  the  borough. 

Among  the  smaller  industries  were  the  hat- 
shops  of  Henry  Fister,  who  employed  a  number 
of  hands,  and  that  of  George  &  Peter  Stam- 
baugh,  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  State  Streets, 
both  long  since  discontinued.  The  chief  products 
were  wool  hats. 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


East  of  the  old  mill  the  distillation  of  liquor 
was  carried  on  in  early  times.  Jacob  and  Wil- 
liam Kalbach  put  up  a  large  distillery  near  the 
canal,  in  the  lower  part  of  the  borough,  which  was 
in  operation  about  1850.  An  extensive  business 
was  at  one  time  carried  on,  but  no  liquor  has  been 
made  there  within  the  last  twelve  years.  The 
building  is  the  property  of  the  Philadelphia  and 
Reading  Railroad  Company,  and  latterly  has  been 
used  for  warehouse  purposes. 

On  White  Oak  Street,  where  the  office  of  J. 
Levan,  Esq.,  is  now  situated,  Dr.  Augustus 
Shultz  had  a  brewery  in  operation  several  years, 
about  1832.  On  Main  Street,  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  borough,  another  brewery  had  a  short 
existence.  It  was  the  property  of  Benjamin 
Meinders. 

The  principal  brewery  in  the  place  was  on  Main 
Street,  in  the  central  part  of  the  town.  It 
was  built  by  William  D.  Shomo,  about  1840. 
John  Rothlauf  filled  the  position  of  brewer 
many  years  and  was  succeeded  by  Joseph  Popp 
and  others.  The  building  has  not  been  used  for 
brewing  purposes  since  1880.  No  liquor  is  now 
manufactured  in  the  borough. 

The  manufacture  of  bricks  was  commenced  on 
the  Schuylkill  flats  about  forty  years  ago  by  John 
Tobias,  and  the  business  which  he  established  is 
still  carried  on  by  Tobias  Brothers  &  Co.  Fine 
bricks  are  made  and  a  number  of  men  afforded 
employment.  At  this  point  Wilson  Rothenberger 
was  an  early  brick-maker.  John  Schrayer  had  a 
yard  near  the  distillery  for  a  time,  but  which  is 
now  idle. 

On  Main  Street,  on  the  site  of  the  Savings- 
Bank,  William  Fetter  had  a  tannery,  which 
passed  from  him  to  Wilson  Motz  and  then  to 
Michael  Richards.  Latterly,  steam-power  was 
employed  and  an  extensive  business  carried  on. 
Leather  was  finished  for  the  market. 

Near  the  canal  Eli  Kummerer  built  a  tannery, 
in  1869,  with  twenty  vats.  It  was  operated  until 
1883. 

The  tannery  of  Joseph  Kummerer,  on  Washing- 
ton Street,  was  built  in  1858  by  J.  &  E.  Kum- 
merer, and  has  been  operated  since  1861  by 
Joseph  Kummerer.  It  has  twenty-one  vats,  and 
eleven  hundred  hides  are  prepared  annually  for 
the  market. 


The  shoe-factory  of  R.  S.  Appel  and  J.  A. 
Spangler  was  established  in  1881,  on  Main  Street, 
near  State.  From  twenty  to  thirty  hands  are  em- 
ployed in  the  manufacture  of  infants',  children's 
and  misses'  fine  and  medium  grade  shoes. 

Cordwainers  were  in  the  town  at  an  early  period 
of  its  history ;  these  were  shoemakers. 

As  early  as  1790  Andrew  Smith  began  the 
manufacture  of  chains  in  a  shop  which  stood  on 
State  Street,  on  the  site  of  the  residence  of  E.  M. 
Smith.  In  1825,  when  E.  M.  Smith  was  fourteen 
years  of  age,  he  continued  the  trade  of  his  father 
and  afterward  added  the  manufacture  of  shoot 
nails,  for  use  in  cdal-breakers.  In  1877  E.  M. 
Smith  &  Son's  Chain  and  Nail-Works  were 
established  in  a  large  frame  building  on  Main 
Street.  The  shop  now  has  thirteen  fires  and  the 
necessary  machinery  for  making  all  kinds  of 
wagons  and  mine  chains  as  well  as  shoot  nails. 
Most  of  their  production  is  sold  to  the  Philadelphia 
and  Reading  Railroad  Company. 

In  the  immediate  locality  Israel  Derr  carried  on 
a  tannery  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century. 
It  was  erected  on  the  site  of  an  abandoned  oil-mill. 
The  tannery  was  converted  into  a  foundry  about 
1850  by  Benneville  Derr,  who  added  a  brick 
building.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the  "  Ham- 
burg Stove-Works,"  in  which  were  made  the 
'•  Day-Light  Heater  "  and  cooking-stoves ;  also  the 
"  B.  De  r  Plow."  Mr.  Derr  employed  from 
twelve  to  fifteen  men.  The  name  of  this  industry 
has  been  changed  to  the  Hamburg  Plow- Works, 
operated  by  a  firm  composed  of  S.  A.  Loose,  C.  F. 
Seaman  and  P.  M.  Shollenberger,  trading  under 
the  name  of  Loose,  Seaman  &  Co.,  which  obtained 
possession  of  the  property  November  26,  1881. 
Since  the  decease  of  Benneville  Derr  this  firm  has 
carried  on  extensively  a  general  foundry  business 
and  the  manufacture  of  specialties.  Water-power 
was  used  at  first  alone  for  a  time,  then  steam-power 
was  added  and  the  works  enlarged  to  accommodate 
the  growing  business.  At  present  four  spacious 
buildings  are  occupied  by  the  firm,  and  more  than 
twenty  men  are  afforded  constant  employment, 
chiefly  in  the  manufacture  of  the  Hamburg  Cham- 
pion Plow  and  Bowers"  Patent  Slip  Point  Plow- 
shares. The  latter  article  is  sold  in  almost  every 
State  of  the  Union,  where  reversible  plow-shares 
are  used. 


886 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


The  Keystone  Foundry  of  Hamburg  was  estab- 
lished on  State  Street,  near  Canal,  in  1841,  by- 
Reuben  Lins.  In  1848  a  large  brick  building  was 
erected  and  steam-power  supplied  to  operate  the 
machinery.  The  establishment  was  devoted  to 
manufacturing  agricultural  implements,  rolling- 
mill  castings  and  stoves.  After  1850  the  business 
amounted  annually  to  fifteen  thousand  dollars.  In 
1852,  Charles  Egolf  became  a  partner,  and  the 
firm  of  Lins  &  Egolf  carried  on  the  business  till 
1858,  when  they  transferred  it  to  G.  &  W.  Deisher. 
Afterward,  Henry  Diesher  became  the  sole  owner. 
The  works  were  then  operated  nine  years,  under  a 
lease  by  Si  vert  &  Stonecker.  In  1881,  Henry 
Seivert  became  the  owner,  and  he  is  the  present 
proprietor.  Eight  men  are  employed  in  the 
manufacture  of  mill  castings,  kettles  and  the 
Hamburg  chilled  plow. 

Carriage-shops  have  been  maintained  at  Ham- 
burg from  the  beginning  of  its  existence  as  a  busi- 
ness point.  In  1885  there  were  three  establish- 
ments of  this  kind,  carried  on  by  Lewis  C.  Romich, 
Christian  Baum  and  W.  A.  Scott,  all  situated  on 
State  Street.  Baum  has  been  in  business  since 
1868,  and  Scott  since  1866.  The  three  shops  em- 
ploy about  thirty  hands. 

Post-Office. — The  Hamburg  post-office  was 
established  July  1,  1798.  Among  the  first  post- 
masters were  Henry  Fister,  who  had  the  office  at 
his  hat-shop,  and  John  Shenk,  who  kept  it  at  his 
tailor-shop.  Later,  another  tailor,  John  Kirkpat- 
rick,  was  the  postmaster,  and  among  his  successors 
were  Charles  Benzeman,  John  F.  Rhoades,  Daniel 
Wolff,  George  Shollenberger,  Peter  S.  Hains, 
Milton  S.  Ludwig,  M.  M.  Lenhart,  Elias  Shomo, 
Henry  Rothenberger,  and  since  October,  1885, 
Dr.  William  Harris.  The  office  has  been  on 
State  Street  for  some  time.  It  is  graded  as  fourth- 
class,  and  has  been  a  money-order  office  since 
July  1,  1874.  There  are  seven  mails  in  and  an 
equal  number  out  of  this  office.  It  is  the  dis- 
tributing point  for  mails  to  offices  on  the  Allentown 
and  Strausstown  stage-route. 

Legal  and  Medical  Professions. — In  the 
learned  professions  J.  Ed.  Miller  has  been  the 
only  attorney  to  open  and  maintain  an  office  at 
Hamburg  for  the  practice  of  law.  Other  attorneys 
have  visited  Hamburg  at  stated  periods  for  many 
years.      Dr.  A.  Klein  was  one  of  the  first  medical 


practitioners  at  Hamburg,  continuing  until  his 
tragic  death  at  the  hands  of  Adolph  Hatzfield,  a 
prominent  German  compatriot,  whose   plea  was 

justifiable  homicide      Dr. Baum  was  another 

early  physician,  whose  stay  was  not  of  long  dura- 
tion.  Dr.  John  B.  Tryon  was  in  successful  practice 
until  his  death  ;  and  Drs  Killian,  Becker,  Shultz, 
Kendall,  Benzeman  and  Medlar  were  each  here 
for  short  periods.    Dr.  John  Seiberling  had  a  good 
practice  until  his  removal  to  Philadelphia,    and 
Dr.  Herman  Seider  until  he  went  to  Schuylkill 
County.     Dr.   Benjamin  F.  Isett  succeeded  Dr. 
Seiberling,  he  being  the  father  of  Dr.  Joseph  T. 
Isett,   a    homoeopathist,   still    in    practice.     Dr. 
Benjamin  Nice  was  in  practice  at  Hamburg  before 
1820,  but  he  removed  and  did  not  locate  here 
permanently  until  1830 ;  upon  his  return  he  con- 
tinued in  active  jjractice  until  his  death,  July  14, 
1862.     His  son,  Dr.  Franklin  B.  Nice,  began  his 
professional  career  at  Hamburg  in  1851,  and  is 
still   in   active    practice.      Another  son,  George 
Nice,  studied    medicine   the  same  time,   but  he 
removed  to  Port  Clinton,  and  died  there  in  1877. 
Other  resident  physicians  are  Dr.  John  Potteiger, 
who   came   to   this    place  from  Lenhartsville  in 
1870;  Dr.  John  R.  Wagner,  since  the  spring  of 
1884;  and   Dr.  Joseph  Hatsfield,  homoeopathist, 
since  1882. 

In  the  drug  business  John  Beitenman  was  the 
pioneer,  having  his  apothecary-store  on  Main 
Street.  His  successor  was  Major  John  A.  Beiten- 
man, who  pursued  this  avocation  a  number  of 
years.  Since  1868  William  Harris  has  conducted  a 
drug-store  successfully  at  Hamburg.  Later,  stores 
were  opened  by  Adam  Bodenhorn  and  Thomas 
Fister,  the  former  being  now  known  as  the  Stein 
store. 

Hamburg  Savings-Bank. — This  bank  was 
established  under  a  charter  granted  March  24, 
1870,  and  was  opened  for  business  in  November, 
1872.  The  authorized  paid-up  capital  was  fifty 
thousand  dollars,  but  business  was  begun  with  ten 
thousand  dollars,  which  was  increased  to  forty 
thousand  dollars  in  1877,  and  the  capital  fully  paid 
up  in  1884.  The  bank  organized  by  electing 
Benneville  Derr  president,  and  Charles  M. 
Schomo  cashier.  From  1877  to  1885  Nathan 
Bear  was  the  president,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
Peter  Burkey.    The  cashier  since  1877  has  been 


BOKOUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


887 


J.  Jerome  Miller.  The  present  directors  are 
Peter  Burkey,  Nathan  Bear,  A.  R.  Shollenberger, 
Daniel  Boyer,  Samuel  C.  Boyer,  Nathan  Schock, 
Samuel  Merk  and  Solomon  H.  Lenhart. 

The  bank  occupies  a  substantial  building  on 
Main  Street,  especially  prepared  for  its  use  in 
1877.  Previous  to  that  time  business  was  done 
in  the  Shomo  Block.  Though  organized  as  a 
savings-bank,  a  general  banking,  collection  and 
exchange  business  is  also  transacted,  thus  making 
the  bank  a  great  accommodation  to  Hamburg  and 
vicinity. 

Churches. — St.  John's  Church  is  the  oldest  in 
the  borough,  and  the  one  around  which  the  most 
historic  interest  centres  In  1790,  on  February 
12th,  the  first  church  at  Hamburg  was  consecrated 
as  a  German  Lutheran  and  Reformed  United 
(  Gemeinschaftliche)  Ch u rch . 

The  land  on  which  it  was  erected,  and  which  at 
that  time  was  the  old  church-yard  ( Oottes-aoker) 
of  this  congregation,  had  been  given  as  a  gift  by 
Martin  Kercher  in  1773,  for  the  use  of  the 
Lutheran  and  Reformed  inhabitants  of  Hamburg 
and  vicinity,  to  bury  their  dead  and  to  erect  on  it 
a  United  Lutheran  and  Reformed  Church  edifice. 
At  that  time  Hamburg  resembled  a  desert ; 
the  vicinity  was  a  forest,  the  inhabitants  were  few 
and  poor,  and  could  not  erect  a  church  ;  they 
therefore  worshipped  God  in  private  dwellings, 
and  used  the  lower  part  of  the  land  as  a  burying- 
ground,  reserving  the  upper  part  for  the  church. 
In  time  they  were  enabled  to  build  a  church  of  logs, 
using  the  lower  story  as  a  school-room  and  the 
second  story  as  a  place  of  public  worship.  On  the 
day  mentioned  the  church  was  solemnly  conse- 
crated as  a  church  of  God  under  the  name,  style 
and  title  of  "  The  United  Evangelical  Lutheran 
and  Evangelical  Reformed  St.  John's  Church  in 
the  village  of  Hamburg." 

Pastors,  Rev.  Daniel  Lehman  (Lutheran)  and 
Rev.  Henry  Hertzel  (Reformed). 

After  1800  the  influx  of  population  at  Ham- 
burg was  rapid,  and  the  church  became  too  small 
to  accommodate  the  growing  congregations.  As 
all  the  means  to  erect  a  new  church  could  not  be 
raised  by  the  ordinary  methods  of  collections  and 
subscriptions,  the  legislature  was  invoked  to  grant 
the  church  privilege  to  raise  funds  by  lottery — 
by  no  means  an   unpopular  method  of  raising 


money  in  those  days  for  various  enterprises.  An 
act  was  passed  in  1807  authorizing  them  to  raise 
by  lottery  three  thousand  dollars,  with  which  to 
build  a  church  at  Hamburg  for  the  use  of  the 
Lutheran  and  Calvinist  congregations.  Robert 
Scott,  George  Miller,  Philip  Klein,  Philip  Seidel, 
John  Mayer  and  Abraham  Bailey  were  appointed 
commissioners  to  conduct  the  lottery.  Five  thou- 
sand tickets,  at  one  dollar  each,  were  issued,  seven- 
teen hundred  and  fifty  entitling  the  holders  to 
prizes,  and  three  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty 
being  blanks.  The  final  drawing  was  published 
for  June  15,  1813,  from  which  it  appeared  that 
there  were  two  prizes  of  twenty-five  dollars,  two  of 
twenty  dollars,  two  of  fifteen  dollars,  five  of 
ten  dollars,  seventy  of  five  dollars,  and  others 
at  smaller  amounts.  It  is  not  known  what 
amount  was  actually  realized  by  this  lottery.  The 
corner-stone  of  the  new  church  was  laid  June  16, 
1811,  and  a  very  substantial  stone  building  erected, 
— in  dimensions,  thirty-five  by  forty-five  feet.  It 
was  finished  in  1814,  and  consecrated  in  March, 
1815.  This  building  stood  on  the  site  of  the  pres- 
ent edifice.  After  the  new  church  came  to  be 
occupied  the  old  church  was  set  apart  for  school 
purposes.  The  upper  room  was  used  as  a  public 
hall.  Upon  its  removal  the  logs  were  used  in  the 
construction  of  a  one-story  school-house  on  the 
same  lot.  When  the  stone  church  was  consecrated 
the  Lutheran  congregation  was  without  a  pastor, 
but  the  Reformed  had  Rev.  Philip  Mayer.  The 
trustees  at  the  time  were  George  Schumacher  and 
Henry  Lewers  (^Lutheran),  Jacob  Stitzel  and 
Henry  Fister  (Reformed).  Abraham  Wolff  was 
the  treasurer,  and  Robert  Scott  the  secretary.  The 
mason-work  was  done  by  William  Adam  and 
Jacob  Gehret,  and  the  carpenter-work  by  Philip 
Altenderfer.  In  the  church  thus  provided  the 
congregations  flourished  forty-six  years,  when  it 
was  found  too  small  and  "  its  inner  arrangements 
too  inconvenient  to  accommodate  all  the  members 
and  to  be  in  harmony  with  the  spirit  of  the  times." 
A  proposition  to  build  a  new  church,  as  urged 
upon  the  members  by  Pastor  A.  L.  Herman,  June 
1,  1857,  was  received  with  much  favor,  and  meas- 
ures to  build  it  were  at  once  instituted  and 
diligently  prosecuted. 

The  necessary  list  of  subscription  was  filled  in  a 
few  weeks,  the  trustees  chosen  and  a  resolution 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


adopted  to  erect  the  building  that  summer,  which 
was  to  be  known  by  the  same  name.  The  corner- 
stone was  laid  August  16,  1857. 

Prior  to  the  building  of  this  church  the  brick 
school-house  was  built  and  the  upper  room  set 
aside  for  the  use  of  the  congregations  until  the 
present  edifice  would  be  occupied.  The  old  walls 
of  the  stone  church  were  used  in  building  the 
foundation  of  the  present  church,  and  the  other 
materials  removed.  The  steeple  of  the  old  church 
had  a  vane  in  the  shape  of  a  fish,  and  upon  which 
was  the  date  1811.  The  pulpit,  also,  was  a  novelty, 
very  closely  resembling  a  tulip.  The  new  church 
is  of  brick,  very  commodious,  being  sixty  by  eighty 
feet,  and  a  fine  building  throughout.  The  bell, 
with  which  the  steeple  is  supplied,  is  one  of  the 
best  in  the  county.  The  lot  upon  which  the  build- 
ing stands  indicates  careful  attention.  In  the  rear 
of  the  church  there  is  a  new  cemetery,  a  few  acres 
in  area.  The  trustees  in  1885  were  George  Wal- 
ters and  J.  B.  Pottinger  (Lutheran),  Lewis  C. 
Romich  and  William  G.  Sheridan  (Reformed). 
The  pastor  of  the  Reformed  congregation  was  the 
Rev.  Perry  Y.  Schelley,  and  the  members  num- 
bered three  hundred.  Among  other  pastors  may 
b  named  the  Revs.  Moses  Peters,  William  F.  P. 
Davis  and  A.  L.  Herman.  The  Lutheran  congre- 
gation, also,  has  about  three  hundred  members 
under  the  pastoral  care  of  the  Re,v.  Oscar  Miller. 
Among  his  predecessors  were  the  Revs.  Drum- 
heller,  Iaeger,  Klein  and  Iaeger.  The  latter  served 
the  congregation  many  years. 

Since  the  Rev.  Herman  was  connected  with  the 
church,  the  pastors  have  been  superintendents  of 
the  Sunday-schools.  The  first  Sunday-school 
was  started  in  the  old  log  church  by  Henry 
Lewers,  Robert  Scott,  John  Shenck,  Henry  Fister, 
Andrew  Smith  and  John  Bailey,  kept  up  for  some 
years  The  present  school  was  instituted  after- 
wards. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

Rev  G.  F.  I.  Iaegee,  who  was  for  sixty  years 
a  minister  of  the  Lutheran  Church  in  Berks 
County,  was  born  July  20,  1796,  in  Illingen,  in 
the  kingdom  of  Wiirtemberg.  His  parents  were 
Rev-  Charles  F.  Iaeger  and  Catherine  Commerell. 

He  was  baptized  in  infancy,  and  iu  due  time 
confirmed  and  received  by  his  father  as  a  com- 
municant member  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  After 


attending  the  schools  of  his  native  village,  and 
also  the  Latin  school  at  Maulbrun,  six  miles  from 
Illingen,  he  entered  the  University  of  Tubingen, 
where  he  remained  several  years 

But  at  this  juncture  came  a  turning-point  in  his 
life.  The  war  between  France,  under  Napoleon  the 
First,  and  Russia  had  just  ended,  and  of  the  eighteen 
thousand  soldiers  that  left  Wiirtemberg,  only  three 
thousand  returned.  A  heavy  draft  must,  of  con- 
sequence, be  made  to  fill  up  the  ranks  of  the  army, 
and  he  having  no  desire  to  enter  military  life,  in- 
formed his  parents  that  he  should  make  his  future 
home  in  America.  He  left  his  father's  house  in 
July,  1817,  and  coming  by  way  of  London,  visited 
his  relatives,  the  Commerells.  On  the  8th  of 
September  he  took  passage  for  New  York  and  was 
forty-nine  days  crossing  the  ocean.  It  was  a 
strange  coincidence  that  thirty-eight  years  after 
this,  in  1855,  on  the  8th  of  September,  he  again 
took  passage  from  Liverpool  to  New  York,  after  a 
pleasant  visit  to  his  old  home,  and  to  his  brother 
and  sister,  this  time  making  the  trip,  by  steamer, 
in  eleven  days.  After  remaining  a  few  days  in 
New  York,  he  came  to  Philadelphia,  and  from 
there  went  to  Northampton  County,  where  he 
taught  school  near  Bethlehem  dudng  that  winter 
and  summer.  In  1818  he  came  to  Hamburg, 
Berks  County,  and  joined  Rev.  John  Engel,  pastor 
of  a  number  of  Lutheran  congregations,  who  soon 
found  him  a  diligent  student.  He  offered  him  a 
home  in  his  family,  instructed  him  in  the  doctrines 
of  the  Lutheran  Church  in  this  country,  and  pro- 
cured a  school  for  him  near  Hamburg,  at  St.  Paul's 
Church,  where  he  taught  during  the  winter  of  1818. 
He  also  commenced  preaching  as  Rev.  Mr.  Eugel's 
student,  and  at  times  officiated  in  that  minister's 
congregations.  He  delivered  his  first  sermon  at 
PlunkePs  Church  October  18, 1818,  in  Greenwich, 
six  miles  from  Hamburg,  and  from  that  date  con- 
tinued preaching  for  fifty-one  years  to  this  people. 
In  the  spring  of  1819  he,  with  three  other  young 
men,  Dr.  Demme,  Dr.  Krauth  and  Henry  Kurtz, 
was  received  as  a  member  of  the  old  Pennsylvania 
Synod  at  Baltimore,  Md.  On  his  return  from 
Synod  to  Hamburg,  Rev.  Mr.  Engel  gave  him 
two  congregations, — White  Church  in  Albany  and 
St.  Jacob's  in  Lynntown.  This  was  the  beginning 
of  the  pastoral  work  in  which  he  engaged  as  a 
faithful  shepherd  for  fifty-five  years. 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


889 


On  March  14, 1820,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Mary,  daughter  of  Lewis  and  Anna  Audenried, 
from  McKeansburg,  Schuylkill  County.  In  April, 
1820,  they  commenced  house-keeping  in  Lynntown, 
near  St.  Jacob's  Church,  where  they  remained 
five  years.  In  1825  they  removed  near  Klines- 
ville,  seven  miles  east  of  Hamburg,  and  resided 
at  this  point  until  1876,  when,  on  account  of  the 
infirmities  of  old  age,  Mr.  Iaeger  gave  up  his  con- 
gregations and  moved  to  Hamburg,  where  he  con- 


heart-disease,  which  often  gave  him  great  pain.  He, 
however,  endured  his  sufferings  with  Christian  for- 
titude and  patience,  until  the  Head  of  the  Church 
called  him  to  his  eternal  rest.  He  died  Novem- 
ber 16,  1879,  aged  eighty-six  years,  three  months 
and  twenty-six  days.  His  widow  still  resides  at 
Hamburg,  and  is  now  in  her  eighty-ninth  year. 

Emanuel  Church  was  built  in  1854,  at  a  cost 
of  eleven  thousand  dollars,  for  the  accommodation 
of  Evangelical  Lutheran  and   German  Reformed 


L^  ^ \f  t/z^M^ 


tinued  active  in  his  Master's  work,  visiting  the 
sick  and  the  aged,  and  occasionally  preaching 
funeral  sermons.  He  was  an  able  sermonizer,  a 
pleasant  speaker  and  a  beloved  and  faithful  pastor. 
He,  with  his  devoted  wife,  reared  a  family  of 
eleven  children,  seven  of  whom  are  still  living, — 
William,  in  West  Virginia;  Lewis,  in  Yuma, 
Arizona ;  Rev.  Thomas  T.  and  Samuel,  in  Read- 
ing ;  Mrs.  Levan,  in  Hamburg ;  Mrs.  Berger,  in 
Philadelphia ;  and  Mrs.  Salade,  in  Tamaqua.  In 
the  fall  of  1879  Mr.  Iaeger  began  to  suffer  from 
77 


Congregations,  most  of  the  members  having  with- 
drawn from  St.  John's  Church,  on  account  of  a 
difficulty  which  arose  from  the  opposition  of  many 
members  to  preaching  in  the  English  language. 
The  building  committee  was  composed  of  Dr.  John 
Seiberling,  John  Lubarg,  Wm.  E.  Shollenberger, 
Jacob  Geiger,  Reuben  Lins,  George  Shollenberger 
and  Daniel  Kern.  The  united  congregations  oc- 
cupied the  church  under  favorable  auspices  for 
some  years,  and  at  one  time  had  a  joint  member- 
ship of  two  hundred  and  fifty.   Their  services  were 


890 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


conducted  wholly  in  the  English  language.  The 
Reformed  congregation  had  as  pastors  the  Revs. 
Moses  Kieffer,  Joseph  H.  Appel,  Uriah  Heilman, 
D.  B.  Albright  and  "William  H.  Reilly,  some  of 
them  preaching  as  supplies.  On  the  part  of  the 
Lutherans,  the  ministers  were  the  Revs.  Scheide, 
Keller,  Gable  and  B.  D.  Zweitzig.  On  July  5, 
1877,  the  church  was  badly  wrecked  by  a  tornado. 
The  expense  attending  the  repair  of  the  building 
proved  so  burdensome  to  the  congregations  that  the 
Rev.  B.  D.  Zweitzig  assumed  the  settlement  of  it 
on  behalf  of  the  Lutheran  congregations,  and  he 
now  holds  the  church  in  trust.  No  services  of  any 
kind  have  been  held  in  the  church  during  the  past 
year,  and  most  of  the  members  have  again  con- 
nected themselves  with  St.  John's  Church.  A  flour- 
ishing Sunday-school  was  maintained  by  the  con- 
gregations, and  superintended  by  H.  R.  Shollen- 
berger,  but  it  has  been  discontinued. 

St.  Mary's  Roman  Catholic  Church  was  built 
in  1853.  It  is  a  plain  brick  building ;  in 
dimensions,  forty  by  seventy  feet.  The  congrega- 
tion has  never  been  large,  and  without  a  resident 
priest,  its  interests  have  not  received  proper 
encouragement.  Lately  monthly  meetings  have 
been  held  by  a  priest  from  Schuylkill  Haven,  with 
preaching  in  the  English  language.  The  member- 
ship does  not  exceed  a  dozen  persons. 

Hamburg  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  —  In 
the  spring  of  1859  the  Rev.  H.  H.  Davis  be- 
gan preaching  Methodism  in  Hamburg  and  met 
with  so  much  opposition  that  a  building  could  not 
be  obtained  in  which  to  hold  the  meetings.  Strong 
in  his  purpose,  however,  he  continued  his  labors, 
and  on  May  15th  preached  on  the  door-steps  of  a 
Mr.  Epler  in  the  morning,  and  in  the  afternoon  in 
Shollenberger's  lumber  yard.  These  services  won 
several  members,  and  three  months  afterward  he 
was  encouraged  to  rent  Kern's  hall,  at  a  rental  of 
fifty  dollars  for  seven  months.  He  began  preach- 
ing August  27th,  and  held  semi-monthly  meetings. 
On  November  6th  an  extra  meeting  was  conducted, 
which  produced  great  excitement  and  not  a  little 
opposition  in  the  town,  and  on  November  25th  he 
organized  a  class  with  the  following  members :  James, 
Geiger,  Gleasoner,  Dewalt  and  Long  and  their 
families.  They  met  statedly  in  the  hall,  till  its 
further  use  was  refused,  May  5,  1860.  A  lot  was 
then  bought  for  church  purposes,  and  in  June  a 


tent  was  procured  and  services  held  in  it  until  a 
church  was  erected,  in  -the  fall  of  the  same  year. 
On  July  15th  a  Sunday-school  of  twenty-two 
scholars  was  formed,  with  H.  H.  Dove  as  superin- 
tendent, this  having  also  been  organized  in  the 
tent.  The  church  was  dedicated  on  November 
29,  1860,  and  Sunday-school  was  first  held  in  the 
building  on  December  2d  following,  each  pupil 
having  been  presented  with  a  card  to  commemor- 
ate the  occasion.  The  building  was  improved  in 
1870,  and  again  in  1884,  the  latter  repairs  involv- 
ing an  outlay  of  five  hundred  dollars.  It  is  cen- 
trally located,  on  White  Oak  Street,  and  is  a  neat 
and  inviting  brick  edifice.  The  congregation  has 
about  fifty  members,  and  the  Sunday-school  one 
hundred  and  thirty  five.  S.  A.  Loose  is  superin- 
tendent of  the  school.  The  ministers  of  the  church 
since  its  organization  have  been  the  following  : 


1859-61,  H.  H.  Davis. 

1863,  A.  Fisher. 

1864,  Joseph  Schlichter. 

1865,  William  Manlove. 

1866,  Jacob  Hughes. 

1867,  Benjamin  Christ. 

1868,  M.  Barnhill. 

1869,  S.  G.  Grove. 
1870-71,  John  W.  Sayers. 


1872,  A.  L.  Urban. 
1873-74,  L.  M.  Hobbs. 
1875,  W.  A.  Macnich. 
1876-77,  Geo.  W.  North. 

1878,  C.  Hudson. 

1879,  George  A.  Wolfe. 
1880-81,  A.  L.  Hood. 
1882-83,  S.  H.  Evans. 
1884-86,  A.  A.  Arthur. 


St.  Paul's  Church  (Evangelical  Association)  was 
built  in  1872,  under  the  direction  of  the  Rev.  Thos. 
Bowman  and  the  Rev.  B.  Miller,  for  the  accom- 
modation of  fifteen  members.  Among  these  were 
Jonas  Mengle,  Henry  Gessley,  Henry  Lenhart 
and  Jesse  Rubright.  The  present  trustees  are  R. 
T.  Lenhart,  Jesse  Rubright  and  Allen  Savage. 

The  membership  of  the  church  is  still  small,  but 
the  Sabbath-school,  under  the  superintendence  of 
R.  T.  Lenhart,  has  seventy-five  scholars.  This 
congregation  is  included  in  the  Kutztown  Circuit, 
of  which  Rev.  Wm.  H.  Weidner  is  pastor.  Other 
ministers  serving  here  have  been  Revs.  J.  Stermer, 
D.  Lentz,  D.  S.  Stauffer,  B.  Miller  and  I.  Hess. 

Schools. — When  the  first  St.  John's  Church 
was  built  it  was  so  arranged  that  a  part  of  it  could 
be  used  for  school  purposes,  and  therein  instruction 
was  imparted  as  early  as  1791.  After  1815  the 
building  was  wholly  devoted  to  secular  uses  and 
English  schools  were  taught  in  it ;  and  afterward 
the  one-story  log  house  upon  the  same  lot  was  used 
for  the  same  purpose.  The  present  brick  school- 
house,  in  the  same  locality,  was  built  after  1855 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


891 


by  the  united  efforts  of  the  school  board  and  the 
members  of  St.  John's  Church,  who  used  the  upper 
part  of  the  building  as  a  place  of  worship  until 
their  new  church  was  completed,  in  1858.  The 
large  brick  school-house  on  the  upper  part  of 
White  Oak  Street  was  erected  at  a  later  day. 
The  first  English  school  in  Hamburg  was  taught 
in  a  log  building,  near  Silliman's  Ferry,  by  a  lady 
named  Miss  Shinnins.  Some  few  years  later, 
about  1820,  John  Shomo  taught  English  school 
at  his  residence  on  Main  Street.  About  the  time 
Hamburg  accepted  the  free-school  system,  in  1838, 
a  stone  school-house  was  built  on  State  Street, 
near  the  canal,  which  was  used  many  years.  The 
building  stood  until  1885,  when  it  was  demolished 
by  the  Pennsylvania  Eailroad  Company,  to  make 
way  for  its  track.  Joseph  Barr  Tyson  (who  after- 
wards became  a  noted  lawyer  in  Philadelphia, 
taught  school  for  a  time  at  Hamburg ;  also  Philip 
Ellinger,  of  the  same  city,  and  Charles  Smith  and 
P.  C.  Bauin,  of  Hamburg.  The  Rev.  R-  S.  Appel 
taught  a  select  school  with  success,  several  years, 
in  the  basement  of  Emanuel  Church,  soon  after 
the  completion  of  that  building,  in  1854.  R  G. 
Hunter  and  D.  S.  Keck  conducted  the  High 
School  successfully  for  some  years. 

In  1885  there  were  eight  public  schools  in  the 
borough,  graded  as  three  primary,  two  secondary, 
two  grammar  and  one  High  School.  The  average 
attendance  was  about  four  hundred.  The  school 
board  was  composed  of  R.  J.  M.  Miller,  president ; 
0.  J.  Wolff,  secretary ;  J.  Jerome  Miller,  treas- 
urer; A.  B.  Shollenberger,  D.  A.  Bauscher  and 
Walter  M.  Raubenhold. 

Associations.— Company  E,  Fourth  Regiment, 
National  Guards  of  Pennsylvania,  was  organized 
April  13, 1875,  with  one  hundred  men  and  E.  F. 
Smith  as  captain.  The  compariy  owned  its  private 
uniforms  and  kept  up  the  standard  of  its  member- 
ship to  one  hundred  for  three  years.  In  1878  it 
accepted  the  State  uniform  for  its  guards  and  re- 
duced its  membership  to  a  maximum  of  sixty  en- 
listed men.  Captain  Smith  remained  in  command 
until  1882,  when  Charles  F.  Seaman  was  elected 
his  successor,  who  has  since  retained  that  position. 
The  company  has  kept  up  its  organization  to  the 
legal  standard.  The  other  officers  of  the  company 
then  were  B.  F.  Geres,  first  lieutenant ;  William 
S.  Scott,  second  lieutenant ;  William  Fesig,  order- 


ly sergeant;  Lewis  Faust,  color  sergeant.  The 
company  then  served  as  color  company  of  the 
Fourth  Regiment.  In  May,  1885,  the  company 
secured  an  armory  on  White  Oak  Street,  forty  by 
one  hundred  and  ten  feet,  and  fitted  up  the  same 
for  meeting  purposes.  This  company  has  won  a 
high  reputation  for  coolness  and  devotion  to  duty 
when  in  actual  service.  It  was  out  three  months 
during  the  Scranton  strike  and  ten  days  during 
the  great  strike  of  1877.  At  Reading  the  company 
led  the  march  through  the  railroad  cut.  In  pass- 
ing through  Penn  Street  upon  that  occasion,  Cap- 
tain Smith  was  knocked  down  three  times  and  Pri- 
vate John  Koller  seriously  injured.  The  soldierly 
conduct  of  the  company  was  warmly  commended 
by  the  superior  officers  of  the  regiment  and  their 
bearing  was  generally  commended  by  all  law-abid- 
ing citizens.  Connected  with  the  company  is  a 
drum  corps  of  three  men.  There  is  also  in  Ham- 
burg a  well-trained  corps  of  nine  members,  of 
which  Samuel  Shollenberger  is  the  drum-major. 

Hamburg  has  long  been  noted  for  the  excellence 
of  its  musical  organizations.  As  early  as  1825  a 
band  of  nineteen  members  was  organized,  which 
was  instructed  by  W.  W.  Wright,  of  New  York, 
and  played  difficult  music  in  so  superior  a  style 
that  the  band  was  held  up  as  a  model  for  Reading 
to  imitate.  One  of  the  most  popular  bands  was 
the  Hamburg  Brass  Band,  organized  in  1845. 
Under  the  instruction  of  Prof.  J.  B.  Robotham,  of 
Philadelphia,  it  attained  a  proficiency  which  made 
it  the  most  noted  band  in  the  county  at  that  time. 
Perry  R.  Shollenberger  was  the  leader,  and  among 
the  members  were  Peter  Burkey,  Edwin  Shollen- 
berger, Geo.  Seaman,  Isaiah  Derr,  Geo.  Shenk,  Al- 
exander Shollenberger,  John  Derr,  Elias  Rum- 
mer, Nathan  Bear  and  H.  R.  Shollenberger,  the 
last-named  having  been  its  last  musical  director. 
The  band  visited  Easton,  New  York  City  and 
Philadelphia,  where  it  attracted  great  attention  by 
its  superior  rendition  of  the  most  difficult  music. 
It  was  disbanded  during  the  late  Civil  War,  many 
of  its  members  having  entered  the  military  service. 

The  Hamburg  Cornet  Band  was  a  musical  body 
of  note.  It  was  organized  in  1872,  with  twenty- 
five  men,  under  the  leadership  of  William  Harris. 
Its  standard  was  kept  up  until  1879,  the  band  at- 
taining a  popularity  which  caused  its  services  to 
be  in  great  demand.     Engagements  were  filled  at 


892 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


the  Lititz  Springs,  on  the  Fourth  of  July,  for  four 
successive  years  ;  at  the  Firemen's  Tournament  at 
Reading;  at  the  Grand  Commandery  of  the 
Knights  Templar  at  Philadelphia,  one  week,  hav- 
ing then  had  the  right  on  the  line  of  march ;  and 
at  the  meeting  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Odd-Fellows 
in  Philadelphia  in  1876,  four  days.  In  1879  the 
membership  of  the  band  was  decreased,  and  after 
the  inauguration  of  President  Garfield,  in  1881,  it 
was  wholly  disbanded.  In  1883  six  members  of 
the  old  band,  under  the  leadership  of  Peter 
Burkey,  formed  a  new  band.  This  has  maintained 
its  existence  since,  with  a  membership  increased  to 
eleven  musicians. 

Symmetry  Lodge,  No.  103, I.  0.  0.  F.,  was  in- 
stituted in  1844,  with  John  F.  Rhodes,  William 
E.  Shollenberger,  Charles  Lochman,  Peter  C. 
Baum  and  A.  S.  Fesig  as  members.  In  1885 
the  lodge  numbered  one  hundred  and  thirty-two 
members.  Of  this  lodge  H.  R.  Shollenberger  has 
been  secretary  the  past  thirty-seven  years.  The 
meetings  are  held  in  a  hall  owned  by  the  lodge. 
Its  entire  property  aggregates  twelve  thousand 
dollars. 

Hamburg  Encampment,  No.  106, 1.  0.  0.  F., 
was  instituted  in  1850,  with  seven  members.  In 
1885  the  number  was  thirty-two. 

Its  organization  was  kept  up  during  the  Civil 
War,  and  notwithstanding  the  loss  of  members  by 
removals  to  the  West.  The  encampment  has  funds 
invested,  which  indicates  its  flourishing  condition. 

Vaux  Lodge,  No.  406,  A.  Y.  M.,  was  instituted 
March   18,  1868. 

In  1885  the  lodge  reported  fifty-eight  members. 

The  meetings  are  held  in  a  rented  hall.  The 
lodge  has  been  prosperous. 

Hamburg  Council,  No.  74,  Order  U.  A.  M.,  was 
organized  on  February  8,  1848.  Its  meetings 
have  been  regularly  held  for  the  past  twenty-five 
years  in  the  Shomo  Block.  The  hall  is  well  fur- 
nished, and  the  property  of  the  council  is  valued 
at  four  thousand  dollars.  In  1885  there  were 
seventy-three  members. 

Washington   Camp,  No.  78,  P.  0.  S.  of  A.,  was 
instituted  in  1866.      In  1885  there  were  seventy- 
three  members,  and  it  had  two  thousand  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty-nine  dollars  invested. 
The  meetings  are  held  in  Mechanics'  Hall. 

Arcadia    Chamber,  No.   20,    Order  Knights  of 


Friendship,  was  instituted  January  26,  1885,  with 
thirteen  charter  members.  Since  that  time  forty- 
seven  additional  names  have  been  added  to  the  roll. 
GeneralJohn  A.  Rawlins  Post,  No.  157,  G.A  R., 
was  instituted  in  1868,  and  attained  a  membership 
of  forty-five.  William  R.  Smith  was  one  of  the 
first  Commanders.  Owing  to  loss  of  members  by 
removals  from  Hamburg,  the  post  surrendered  its 
charter  in  1 872. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

William  Harris  was  born  February  8, 
1843,  in  Hemlock  township,  Columbia  County, 
Pa.,  and  is  the  oldest  son  of  Jacob  Harris,  who, 
during  his  lifetime,  was  a  prominent  citizen  of 
that  county,  having  served  as  treasurer  two 
terms,  and  as  a  justice  of  the  peace  for  twenty- 
five  years.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  edu- 
cated in  the  common  schools,  at  Greenwood 
Seminary,  in  Columbia  County,  and  Dickinson 
Seminary,  at  Williamsport,  Pa.  He  is  also  a 
graduate  of  the  Iron  City  College,  of  Pitts- 
burgh, where  he  taught  book-keeping  and  pen- 
manship for  two  years. 

He  was  a  successful  teacher  in  the  common 
schools  and  received  a  professional  certificate 
from  William  Burgess,  the  first  county  superin- 
tendent of  Columbia  County.  From  his  boy- 
hood he  was  engaged  in  mercantile  business  in 
his  father's  store,  at  Buckhorn,  Pa.,  and  upon 
attaining  his  majority  was  made  a  member  of 
the  firm. 

He  read  medicine  with  Dr.  M.  Reynolds, 
but,  preferring  the  drug  business  to  the  practice 
of  medicine,  chose  that  as  his  vocation,  and  re- 
moved to  Hamburg,  Berks  County,  in  1869 
where  he  has  since  resided  and  established  a 
prosperous  business. 

He  was  one  of  the  first  members  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Pharmaceutical  Society,  and  has, 
at  various  times,  served  on  important  commit- 
tees. Dr.  Harris  has  become  widely  known  as 
chairman  of  the  Democratic  Standing  Committee 
of  his  county,  to  which  position  he  has  been 
chosen  for  seven  successive  years.  He  has 
ability  as  a  public  speaker,  an  organizer  and 
leader. 

He  conducted  the  Hamburg  Band,  a  well- 
known  organization,  for  seven  years.     At  the 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


893 


formation  of  the  Berks  County  Merchants'  As- 
sociation he  was  chosen  its  president.  He  has 
served  as  school  director,  and  has  been  for  four 
years  burgess  of  the  borough  of  Hamburg  and 
is  now  acting  as  postmaster. 

Dr.  Harris  was  married,  February  20,  1868, 
to  Ella,  daughter  of  Robert  Hagenbush,  of 
Bloomsburg,  Pa.,  and  has  three  children, —  two 
sons,  James  Albert  and  Charles  Caleb,  and  a 
daughter,  Mary  Elizabeth.  Dr.  Harris  is  a  mem- 


the  villages  of  Brooklyn,  Beidlertown,  Lincoln- 
ville  and  Silverton.  It  is  on  both  sides  of  Hay  Creek. 
It  was  formed  out  of  parts  of  Union  and  Robeson 
townships ;  and,  though  founded  nearly  one  hundred 
and  thirty  years  ago,  it  has  had  the  most  of  its 
growth  within  the  last  three  decades.  In  1850 
the  population  was  two  hundred  and  fifty,  and  in 
1886  the  inhabitants  numbered  fully  two  thousand 
more.  This  increase  was  brought  about  mainly  by 
the  development  of  the  iron  business  at  that  place, 


ber  of  Symmetry  Lodge,  No.  103,  of  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd-Fellows,  and  of  the 
Grand  Lodge.  He  is  connected  by  member- 
ship with  the  Reformed  Church  of  Hamburg, 
and  conducts  the  music  of  the  Sunday-school 
as  its  organist. 


BIRDSBORO. 

The  flourishing  borough  of  Birdsboro  is  on  the 
southern  bank  of  the  Schuylkill,  nine  miles  below 
Reading,  and  includes,  within  its  corporate  limits, 


through  Messrs.  Edward  and  George  Brooke,  and 
by  becoming  a  station  on  three  lines  of  railways. 
The  oldest  station  is  on  the  Reading  Railroad,  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  where  new  and 
attractive  buildings  were  erected  in  1883,  by 
L.  H.  Focht,  contractor  for  the  company.  On  the 
Wilmington  Railroad,  Raymund  Moore  erected  a 
superior  station  in  1885,  as  contractor  for  the  com- 
pany ;  and  during  the  same  year  the  handsome 
station  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  was  built. 
The  architecture  of  these  buildings  has  had  a 
wholesome  effect  upon  the  place,  causing  a  pleasing 


894 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


diversity  of  style  in  the  new  homes  erected,  in 
which  respect  Birdsboro  surpasses  all  the  other 
boroughs  in  the  county. 

First  Settlement  by  William  Bird. — 
Iron-works  were  established  at  Birdsboro  among 
the  earliest  in  the  country.  In  1740  William 
Bird  bought  a  tract  of  land  lying  along  Hay 
Creek,  where  it  empties  into  the  Schuylkill  River, 
including  several  water-powers.  Here  he  built  the 
first  forge,  and  took  out  warrants  for  adjoining 
lands,  until  at  the  time  of  his  death,  about  1760, 
he  owned  three  thousand  acres  of  land,  three 
forges,  a  grist-mill  and  saw-mill.  His  son,  Mark 
Bird,  succeeded  him  in  the  business,  built  Hope- 
well Furnace  and  increased  his  boundaries,  until 
in  1785  they  included  eight  thousand  acres.  He 
also  built  a  rolling  and  slitting-mill,  which  was 
one  of  the  first  mills  of  the  kind  in  the  country, 
and  stood  upon  the  same  ground  that  the  present 
rolling-mill  occupies.  A  nail-factory  was  also  in 
operation  here  at  an  early  date  making  nails,  by 
cutting  them  from  plates  of  iron  and  heading  them 
by  hand.  Mark  Bird  became  embarrassed  in 
business,  and  in  1788  transferred  the  greater  part 
of  his  property  to  John  Nixon,  who  sold  to  Cad- 
wallader  Morris  and  James  Old,  and,  after  passing 
through  other  hands,  James  Wilson,  in  1794,  became 
possessed  of  nearly  all  the  estate.  He  was  the 
brother-in-law  of  Mark  Bird,  and  a  signer  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence.  James  Wilson  sold 
the  forges,  with  two  thousand  two  hundred  acres  of 
land,  in  1796,  to  John  Louis  Barde,  the  grand- 
father of  the  present  proprietors.  He  came  to 
Birdsboro  in  the  year  1788,  and  had  been  running 
the  forges  under  a  lease.  John  Louis  Barde  was 
born  in  Geneva,  Switzerland,  in  1756,  and  edu- 
cated in  England  at  the  Royal  Military  Academy 
at  Woolwich.  He  entered  the  English  army  and 
accompanied  the  expedition  to  this  country  with 
the  troops  sent  to  operate  against  the  Spaniards 
in  their  attack  on  Pensacola,  in  1779,  where  he 
married  the  daughter  of  Major  Robert  Farmar, 
the  English  Governor  of  West  Florida.  .  He  came 
North  in  1782,  sold  his  commission,  and  became 
a  citizen  of  the  United  States.  He  died  at  Birds- 
boro in  1799,  and  the  property  came  into  the 
hands  of  Matthew  Brooke,  who  afterwards  married 
his  daughter,  and  was  the  father  of  Edward  and 
George  Brooke. 


Matthew  Brooke  had  purchased  the  Birdsboro 
farm  in  1796,  and  in  the  year  1800  he,  together 
with  his  brother,  Thomas  Brooke,  and  Daniel 
Buckley  (who  was  married  to  their  sister),  pur- 
chased Hopewell  Furnace  from  Judge  Wilson. 
The  forefathers  of  the  Brooke  family  came  from 
Yorkshire,  England,  in  1698. 

Development  of  Birdsboro  by  the  Brookes. 
— John  Brooke  and  Frances,  his  wife,  with  their  two 
sons,  James  and  Matthew,  arrived  in  the  Delaware 
River  in  the  above  year,  but  in  consequence  of  a 
contagious  disease  on  board  the  vessel,  the  pass- 
engers were  not  permitted  to  come  to  Philadelphia, 
but  disembarked  lower  down  the  river,  where  the 
parents  died  soon  after  landing  and  were  buried 
in  the  grave-yard  at  Haddonfield,  N.  J.  They 
were  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  before  leaving 
England  John  Brooke  had  purchased  of  William 
Penn  one  thousand  five  hundred  acres  of  land,  to 
be  taken  up  anywhere  between  the  Delaware  and 
Susquehanna  Rivers,  where  vacant  land  should  be 
found.  James  and  Matthew  took  up  the  land  in 
Limerick  township,  Montgomery  County,  and 
settled  there.  Matthew  Brooke,  of  Birdsboro, 
was  the  grandson  of  this  Matthew,  and  the  third 
of  that  name.  The  old  mansion-house,  which  was 
built  by  William  Bird  in  1751,  and  still  standing, 
was  the  residence  of  all  the  early  proprietors  of 
the  works.  It  was  in  its  time  one  of  the  finest 
country-seats  in  the  State.  The  front,  which  was 
of  cut  sandstone,  faced  the  Schuylkill,  with  a  lawn 
stretching  to  its  banks.  On  the  side  along  Hay 
Creek  stood  a  grove  of  large  old  trees  which  Mark 
Bird  had  fenced  up  and  used  as  a  deer-park.  When 
the  canal  was  built  in  front  of  the  house  it  became 
unsuitable  for  a  residence,  and  one  near  the  lower 
forge  was  used  for  that  purpose.  The  latter  was 
torn  down  in  1879  to  make  room  for  the  enlarge- 
ment of  the  rolling-mill. 

Matthew  Brooke  left  two  sons  and  three 
daughters,  two  of  whom  died  young,  and  the  third 
married  the  Hon.  Hiester  Clymer,  of  Reading. 
His  sons,  Edward  and  George  Brooke,  took  charge 
of  the  property  in  1837.  The  works  then  consisted  of 
two  forges,  one  of  which  was  called  the  "  refinery," 
where  the  pig-iron  was  converted  into  what  were 
termed  "Anchovies,"  being  blooms  hammered 
down  into  a  bar  at  one  end  for  convenience  of 
handling  and  taken  to  the  other  forge,  called  the 


J 


o 


'^r 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


895 


"  chafery,"  where  they  were  heated  and  hammered 
into  various  kinds  of  bar-iron.  The  whole  pro- 
duction was  only  about  two  hundred  tons  per 
annum. 

After  building  the  residence  now  occupied  by 
Mrs.  Edward  Brooke  and  a  large  flour-mill,  they 
turned  their  attention  to  enlarging  the  production 
of  iron.    In  1846  they  built  a  charcoal  furnace 
where  old  Hampton  Forge  had  stood,  with   the 
object  of  using  their  wood  to  make  pig-iron  in  place 
of  operating  the  forges.     In  1848  they  commenced 
building  the  rolling-mill  and  nail-factory,  which 
were  put  in   operation  the   next  year.       No.  1 
Anthracite  Furnace  was  built  in  1852,  and  two 
other  furnaces  in  1870  and  1873.     The  furnaces 
are  supplied  with  ores  chiefly  from  the  French 
Creek,  Warwick  and  Jones'  Mines,  in  which  the 
firm  own  nearly  one-half  interest.     These  mines 
are  situated  ten  to  fifteen  miles  south  of  Birdsboro, 
and  are  connected  with  the  furnaces  by  the  Wil- 
mington and  Northern  Bailroad.      In  1864  E.  and 
G.  Brooke,  in  connection  with  Seyfert,  McManus  & 
Co.  and  Samuel  E.  Griscom,  opened  the  William 
Penn    Colliery,    near     Shenandoah,     Schuylkill 
County,    Pa.,    which    has   since    come    into    the 
sole  possession  of  Edward  and  George  Brooke.     It 
is  one  of  the  best  mines  in  the  coal  region,  both 
for  quality  of  coal  and  large  production.     It  has 
for  a  number  of  years  been  managed  by  William 
H.  Lewis. 

Edward  Brooke  was  born  at  Birdsboro,  and 
died  there,  deeply  regretted  by  all  who  knew 
him,  on  Christmas  day,  1878.  He  was  distin- 
guished for  his  business  ability  and  ambition,  and 
united  boldness  and  foresight  in  projecting  enter- 
prises with  carefulness  and  prudence  in  their  exe- 
cution. To  his  success  in  life  his  extended  scientific 
knowledge  largely  contributed,  and  in  all  business 
affairs  he  manifested  great  industry,  perseverance 
and  sound  judgment.  He  was  by  nature  kind  and 
genial,  honorable  in  all  his  dealings  and  generous  to 
every  one  in  word  and  deed.  The  welfare  of  Birds- 
boro was  always  a  matter  of  interest  to  him,  and, 
in  co-operation  with  his  brother,  he  was  wise 
and  liberal  in  devising  and  effecting  its  advance- 
ment. Through  his  efforts  the  Wilmington  and 
Reading  Railroad  was  constructed,  passing  through 
Birdsboro,  and  he  was  its  first  president.  He  was 
one  of  the  original  projectors  of  the  First  National 


Bank  of  Reading,  and  one  of  its  directors  until  his 
death.  He  married  Annie  M.  Clymer,  daughter 
of  Daniel  R.  Clymer,  of  Reading,  and  left  one 
daughter,  Annie  C,  and  three  sons, — Robert  Ed- 
ward, George  Clymer  and  Frederick  Hiester.  In 
order  to  continue  the  business  after  his  death,  it 
was  organized  into  two  companies,  under  the  title  of 
the  Edward  and  George  Brooke  Iron  Company  and 
the  Edward  and  George  Brooke  Land  Company,  all 
the  property  remaining  in  the  same  ownership.  Geo. 
Brooke  was  made  president  of  the  two  companies, 
and  Geo.  W.  Harrison,  treasurer,  and  Richard  T. 
Leaf,  secretary.  Under  this  arrangement  the  busi- 
ness has  since  been  conducted,  and  kept  up  fully  to 
the  progress  of  the  times.  A  steel  plant  is  now  being 
erected  at  No.  2  Blast  Furnace,  with  the  intention 
of  converting  the  molten  iron  directly  into  steel, 
which  will  be  used  to  make  nails.  A  new  train  of 
rolls  will  also  be  put  into  the  rolling-mill  and  other 
alterations  made  to  work  steel. 

The  capacity  of  the  works  has  been  gradually 
increased  until  now  they  are  capable  of  producing 
fifty  thousand  tons  of  pig-iron  and  two  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  kegs  of  nails  per  annum.  About 
six  hundred  and  seventy-five  men  and  boys  are 
employed  at  the  works  and  iron-mines,  who  earn 
about  twenty-eight  thousand  dollars   per  month. 
One  hundred  and  seventy  houses  belonging  to  the 
firm  are  occupied  by  workmen  employed,  and  about 
one  hundred  other  houses  are  owned  by  the  em- 
ployees, who  have  built  them  out  of  the  savings  of 
their  wages.     At  the  William  Penn  Colliery  five 
hundred  and  seventy-five  men  are  employed,  earn- 
ing about  twenty-two  thousand  dollars  per  month, 
and  about  two  hundred  and  forty  thousand  tons 
of  coal  are  mined  annually. 

George  Brooke  was  also  born  at  Birdsboro,  and 
has  always  taken  the  same  interest  with  his  brother 
in  the  substantial  and  moral  improvement  of  the 
place.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Town  Council  and 
School  Board,  giving  his  assistance  and  advice  in 
their  deliberations.  Beside  his  engagements  in  the 
iron  business,  he  is  president  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Reading,  a  director  in  the  Wilmington 
and  Northern  Railroad  and  in  the  Schuylkill 
Navigation  Company,  president  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Diamond  Drill  Company,  and  treasurer 
of  the  Keystone  Coal  Company  of  West  Virginia. 
In  1862  he  married  Mary  B.  Irwin,  the  grand- 


896 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


daughter  of  Captain  Stephen  Baldwin,  a  well- 
known  and  highly-respected  ship-owner  and  mer- 
chant of  Philadelphia,  and  daughter  of  John  H. 
Irwin,  a  grandson  of  Frederick  Augustus  Muhlen- 
berg, the  first  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives.  They  have  two  sons, — Edward  and  George. 

General  Industries,  Stores  and  Hotels. — 
The  present  Brooke  flouring-mill  is  the  third 
occupying  that  site.  It  was  begun  in  1844  and 
completed  the  following  year.  In  the  fall  of 
1844  a  Henry  Clay  meeting  was  held  in  the 
building,  there  being  at  that  time  no  hall  to  ac- 
commodate such  a  gathering.  In  1879  and  1882 
the  mill  was  remodeled  and  supplied  with  modern 
machinery  and  steam-power.  Its  capacity  has 
been  much  enlarged.  Another  mill  was  started 
in  the  borough  in  1876,  when  J.  R.  Kerst  supplied 
the  old  Bland  building  with  mill  machinery.  It 
was  operated  till  1885,  when  work  was  discontinued, 
and  the  machinery  removed  the  following  year. 

In  1867  the  Birdsboro  Iron  Foundry  Company, 
a  joint-stock  association,  was  formed,  with  David 
Knaur  as  president,  and  Edward  Parlaman  as 
secretary.  In  1868  they  erected  a  large  building 
for  manufacturing  purposes,  and  this  was  enlarged 
in  1869  by  the  addition  of  a  wing,  when  forty-five 
men  were  afforded  employment.  Stoves  were 
manufactured,  a  specialty  being  made  of  the 
''  Enterprise  "  pattern,  and  machine-castings  were 
also  produced.  In  1869  the  works  were  leased  to 
A.  R.  Young  and  Joseph  R.  Kerst.  Soon  after- 
ward they  were  operated  by  the  former  alone ; 
and  he  then  began  the  manufacture  of  fine  cast- 
ings for  the  Boston  market.  In  1871  work  was 
discontinued  and  the  buildings  were  sold  to  E.  and 
G.  Brooke.  After  standing  idle  till  1885,  they 
came  to  be  then  occupied  by  the  Pennsylvania 
Diamond  Drill  Company,  which  removed  their 
works  to  that  place  from  Pottsville  The  company 
is  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  diamond  drilling- 
machines,  mining  tools  and  high-speed  electric 
light  engines.     Thirty-five  men  are  employed. 

The  first  store,  independent  of  the  iron-works, 
was  opened  about  1829,  by  Geiger  &  Umstead,  in 
a  building  which  stood  on  the  site  of  the  present 
mill-shed.  In  1837  the  Brookes  opened  a  store 
in  the  mansion,  in  the  same  locality,  but  soon 
afterward  occupied  a  store-room  which  they  erected 
at  the  canal  lock.     In  1875  a  fine  business-stand 


opposite  the  mill  was  erected  by  the  Brookes,  but 
it  was  burned  out  when  nearly  ready  for  occu- 
pancy. It  was  immediately  rebuilt.  The  third 
story  contains  a  large  auditorium,  known  as 
"•  Brooke  Hall."  The  lower  stories  form  spacious 
business  rooms,  now  occupied  by  Brooke  &  Co. 

In  1850  Caleb  Harrison  erected  a  business 
house  on  Schuylkill  Street,  which  was  occupied 
as  a  store  for  six  years  by  John  Bland.  In  1876 
it  was  converted  into  a  steam  grist-mill  by  J.  R. 
Kerst. 

Opposite  this  place  Jacob  E.  Hook  erected  a 
business  house,  where  L.  R.  Bland  was  long  in 
trade,  and  where  Harry  E.  Hook  &  Bro.  are  now 
merchandising.  In  a  part  of  the  block  is  situated 
the  Washington  House,  now  the  oldest  hotel  in 
the  place.  For  many  years  the  public-house  of 
Birdsboro  was  in  the  old  Bird  mansion,  and  since 
1882  it  has  been  occupied  by  I.  G.  Steinrock. 

In  1859  George  Brinley  established  a  business 
and  it  is  still  carried  on  by  John  H.  Brinley. 
Other  business  men,  prominent  in  the  borough, 
are  F.  B.  Kern,  James  S.  Brusstar,  Raymond 
Moore  and  A.  S.  East. 

The  Birdsboro  co-operative  store  was  in  opera- 
tion from  1875  to  1886,  I.  L.  Pauling  being  the 
president  of  the  association. 

The  borough  has  had  three  building  and  loan 
associations,  two  of  which,  the  "  Birdsboro  "  and 
the  "  Keystone,"  have  closed  up  their  business  with 
satisfactory  results  ;  the  third,  the  "  Enterprise," 
is  now  in  operation,  having  one  thousand  shares  at 
four  hundred  dollars  each.  Its  officers  are  George 
W.  Harrison,  president ;  James  S.  Brusstar,  sec- 
retary ;  and  C.  K.  Rhoads,  treasurer. 

The  Birdsboro  post-office,  was  established  Jan- 
uary 6,  1851,  and  has  had  S.  B.  Hafer  as  post- 
master since  July,  1885.  There  are  six  mails 
per  day  and  since  July,  1884,  the  office  has  been  a 
postal  money-order  office.  Other  postmasters  have 
been  William  Lincoln,  Sarah  Evans  and  Reese 
Evans. 

Incorporation— On  the  11th  day  of  July, 
1872,  sixty-five  freeholders  and  forty-four  tenant 
citizens  of  Birdsboro  and  its  outlying  villages 
petitioned  the  Court  of  Quarter  Sessions  of  Berks 
County  for  a  decree  of  incorporation  as  a  borough; 
and,  on  the  14th  day  of  August  of  the  same  year, 
the  grand  jury  recommended   that  the  prayer  of 


BOROUGHS  OP  COUNTY. 


897 


the  petitioners  be  granted.  The  court  made  the 
decree  on  November  23,  1872,  and  directed  that 
the  first  election  of  officers  should  be  held  March 
11,  1873,  having  appointed  Joseph  R.  Kerst 
judge,  and  Levi  R.  Bland  and  Benjamin  Grubb 
inspectors.  The  first  election  resulted  in  the  choice 
of  George  W.  Hain  as  burgess ;  Edward  Brooke, 
Henry  A.  Beandencup,  George  W.  Harrison,  Geo. 
R.  Brinley,  B.  F.  Bunn  and  John  Mock,  Coun- 
cilmen.  Caleb  K.  Rhoads  was  appointed  the  clerk 
and  treasurer,  and  he  has  since  been  annually  ap- 
pointed to  the  same  offices.  The  following  have 
been  the  burgesses  :  1874-75,  James  Liggett ;  1876, 
George  Beard  ;  1877,  D.  K.  Miller  ;  1878,  George 
W.  Hook  ;  1879-80,  H.  B  Brusstar ;  1881-82,  C. 
B.  Beard;  1883,  Cyrus  Painter;  1884,  Michael 
Hoffman  ;  1885-86,  A  S.  East.  The  presidents  of 
the  Council  for  the  same  period  have  been  Edward 
Brooke,  B.  F.  Bunn,  John  Mock,  George  Brooke 
and  A.  S.  East.  The  clerk  and  treasurer  from 
1873  till  now  has  been  C.  K.  Rhoads.  The  Coun- 
cilmen  in  1886  were  George  Brooke,  George  E. 
Hook,  I.  G.  Steinrock,  Isaac  Huyett  and  Isaac 
March.  The  justices  of  the  peace  have  been  J.  R. 
Kerst  and  J.  S.  Brusstar. 

The  borough  was  incorporated  with  the  following 
bounds :  S.  24°  15'  W.,  5118  feet ;  S.  74°  40'  E., 
7128  feet ;  N.  14°  13'  E.,  6349  feet ;  thence  up  the 
Schuylkill  River  to  the  place  of  beginning,  con- 
taining eight  hundred  and  five  square  acres.  The 
survey  was  made  by  Kendall  Bros.,  and  the  entire 
incorporation  cost  $133.50. 

From  the  records  of  the  borough  the  following 
extracts,  relating  to  its  affairs,  have  been  taken  : 
George  R.  Brinley  and  George  W.  Harrison  were 
appointed  a  committee  to  name  the  streets.  The 
latter,  B.  F.  Bunn  and  John  Mock,  were  appointed 
a  committee  to  secure  fire-ladders  and  other  means 
of  protection  against  loss  from  fire,  which  were 
ordered  to  be  purchased  April  19,  1873. 

On  the  5th  of  March,  1873,  the  first  ordinances 
were  adopted. 

On  the  6th  of  June,  1873,  George  W.  Harrison, 
on  behalf  of  the  committee  on  a  "lock-up,"  reported 
a  plan,  which  was  adopted,  and  Moses  Stubblebine 
was  awarded  the  contract  for  building  the  same, 
a  two-story  building,  which  was  ready  for  occu- 
pancy December,  1873.  The  upper  story  has  been 
fitted  up  for  the  business  meetings  of  the  borough 


officers,   and    the  expense   of    the  building   was 
$1275. 

In  December,  1878,  Edward  Brooke  died  while 
holding  the  position  of  president  of  the  Council, 
and  that  body  passed  appropriate  resolutions  of 
condolence,  and  ordered  his  chair  in  the  council- 
room  to  be  draped  in  morning. 

On  the  27th  of  January,  1883,  the  council  pre- 
sented a  purse  of  fifty  dollars  to  the  Reading  Hose 
Company  for  its  assistance  in  putting  out  the  fire 
in  the  De  Witt  shop. 

In  September,  1883,  Kendall  Bros,  established 
the  grade  of  the  streets  of  the  borough.  October  17, 
1883,  resolutions  of  condolence  were  passed  upon 
the  death  of  Jacob  E.  Hook,  a  member  of  the 
Council ;  and  December  29th,  of  the  same  year, 
President  George  Brooke  reported  that  the  system 
of  water  supply,  established  by  his  company,  was 
completed  to  allow  the  water  to  be  put  in  the 
mains  for  the  use  of  the  borough.  Twenty-seven 
fire-plugs  were  erected  at  convenient  points  in 
the  borough,  to  afford  protection  against  fires, 
the  Council  agreeing  to  pay  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  for  the  use  of  the  first  twelve  hydrants,  and 
fifteen  dollars  apiece  for  the  use  of  the  remainder. 
The  reservoir  is  in  the  mountains,  two  miles  from 
Birdsboro,  on  Indian  Run,  and  is  fed  by  springs  of 
pure  water.  It  has  an  area  of  about  eight  acres, 
and  a  capacity  of  thirty-seven  million  gallons. 
The  pressure  is  eighty-four  pounds  to  the  inch,  and 
a  stream  of  water  can  be  thrown  two  hundred 
feet  high  in  the  lowest  part  of  the  borough.  The 
water  is  conducted  to  the  borough  in  a  ten-inch 
main  and  thence  distributed  through  three  miles 
of  smaller  pipes  to  the  different  parts  of  the  village. 

December  31, 1884,  the  Council  contracted  with 
the  Pennsylvania  Globe  Gas- Light  Company,  to 
erect  twenty  street  lamps  in  the  borough,  at  a  cost  of 
eighteen  dollars  per  lamp  ;  and  the  same  were  put 
up  and  have  been  used  since  the  spring  of  1885. 

The  principal  streets  of  the  borough  have  been 
curbed  and  some  substantial  sidewalks  built. 

Churches— Methodist  Episcopal  Church.— The 
first  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  this  locality 
was  erected  in  the  Mt.  Airy  neighborhood  in  1839, 
and  had  as  its  first  board  of  trustees,  J.  Beard, 
David  Gilmore,  John  Kupp,  Daniel  Fox,  John 
Harrison,  John  Rorke  and  Chas.  Hoyer.  The 
building  was  of  stone,  one-story  high,  and  dimen- 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


sions,  twenty-five  by  forty  eight  feet.  It  well  served 
its  purpose  a  number  of  years.  In  1869  the 
present  edifice  was  erected  in  Birdsboro  by  a 
building  committee  composed  of  John  Rorke,  L. 
R.  Bland,  L.  L.  Bush,  Wm.  Morris  and  Joseph  R. 
Minker.  It  is  a  spacious  brick  structure,  with 
basement,  forty-four  by  seventy  feet,  and  cost 
eight  thousand  dollars.  It  was  dedicated  Novem- 
ber 7,  1869,  and  on  the  16th  of  May,  the  following 
year,  the  society  became  an  incorporated  body 
with  the  following  as  trustees  :  John  Rorke,  Jos. 
R  Minker,  William  Morris,  Charles  Hoyer,  Adam 
Hoyer,  L.  R.  Bland,  Jeremiah  Beard  and  Daniel 
Gilman  The  church  has  a  membership  of  three 
hundred,  with  the  Rev.  Thomas  S.  Mutchler  as 
pastor  (he  serving  also  the  Monocacy  Church). 
A  Sunday-school  of  two  hundred  and  eighty 
members  is  connected  with  the  church,  and  has 
J.  Beard  as  the  superintendent. 

St.  Michael's  Episcopal  Church. — The  congrega- 
tion occupying  this  house  of  worship  had  its  origin 
in  missions,  which  were  established  at  Birdsboro 
and  Mt.  Airy  by  St.  Gabriel's  Church,  of  Doug- 
lassville,  of  which  the  Rev.  Edmund  Leaf  was  at 
that  time  rector.  The  interest  thus  developed  led 
to  the  building  of  a  small  church  at  Birdsboro, 
the  corner-stone  of  which  was  laid  by  Rev.  Leaf, 
May  31,  1852,  and  the  building  consecrated  Feb- 
ruary 12, 1853,  by  the  Rev.  Alonzo  Potter,  D  D. 
Rees  Evans  and  Joseph  R.  Kerst  were  chosen  war- 
dens ;  and  Edward  Brooke,  Levi  E.  Hook,  George 
Brinley,  George  Brooke  and  David  J.  Lincoln, 
vestrymen.  Some  time  afterward,  through  the  lib- 
erality of  E.  and  G.  Brooke,  a  chapel  was  built  on 
the  same  lot,  in  which  a  well-attended  Sabbath- 
school  has  been  maintained.  For  a  few  years  a 
mission  Sabbath-school  was  maintained  at  Mt. 
Airy,  in  the  building  which  was  formerly  the 
Philomathean  Academy,  discontinued  ten  years 
ago.  In  1877,  E.  and  G.  Brooke  built  a  rectory 
at  a  cost  of  six  thousand  five  hundred  dollars,  and 
presented  it  to  St.  Michael's  Church  It  is  built 
of  cut  sandstone  and  presents  a  fine  appearance. 
In  1885  the  Brookes  again  manifested  their  interest 
in  the  welfare  of  St.  Michael's  Church  by  remodel- 
ing and  rebuilding  the  church,  at  a  cost  of  twelve 
thousand  dollars,  making  it  one  of  the  finest 
churches  of  its  size  in  the  county.  Its  exterior 
has  been  made  very  substantial,  and  the  interior  is 


beautifully  decorated,  containing  also  memorial 
windows,  perpetuating  the  remembrance  of  Ed- 
ward Brooke,  Caleb  Harrison,  Rees  Evans,  the 
family  of  Hiester  Clymer  and  others. 

The  last  improvement  was  the  erection  of  a  li- 
brary hall,  in  1884,  which  contains  a  reading  room, 
free  to  all,  upon  the  payment  of  a  very  small 
membership  fee.  It  has  been  supplied  with  eight 
hundred  standard  books,  and  is  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  church  officials.  In  1886  they  were  : 
Wardens,  David  J.  Lincoln1  and  William  Young; 
Vestry,  George  Brooke,  George  W.  Harrison,  H. 
G.  Hunter,  James  King  and  William  Brusstar. 
These  also  control  St.  Michael's  Cemetery,  in 
Union  township,  which  includes  the  old  Philoma- 
thean Academy  property.  The  building  has 
been  fitted  up  for  a  chapel,  for  use  when  inter- 
ments are  made,  and  the  ground  .  has  been  en- 
larged, so  that  it  now  includes  about  six  acres. 
Thus  far,  two  hundred  and  sixty  lots  have  been 
laid  out,  and  upon  which  about  four  hundred  in- 
terments have  been  made.  In  the  past  sixteen 
years  it  has  been  open  to  the  public.  About  two 
thousand  five  hundred  dollars  have  been  expended 
in  the  improvement  of  the  property,  which  is  becom- 
ing one  of  the  handsomest  cemeteries  in  the  county. 

The  parish,  when  the  first  church  was  built,  in- 
cluded the  churches  at  Pottstown  and  Douglassville 
but  has  for  many  years  been  limited  to  the  church 
at  Birdsboro,  and  the  Rev.  Edmund  Leaf  has 
been  the  only  rector.  Through  his  efforts  the 
work  has  grown  from  a  small  mission  to  a  well-es- 
tablished church,  having  one  hundred  members. 

St  Mark's  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  was 
built  in  1877  by  a  committee  composed  of  Ray- 
mond Moore,  Harry.  E.  Hook,  C.  K.  Rhoads  and 
F.  B.  Kern.  It  is  a  plain  brick  building,  with 
the  rear  wall  recessed  to  form  pulpit  space,  and 
cost  two  thousand  three  hundred  dollars.  The 
congregation  was  organized  in  1875,  with  forty- 
five  members  (the  first  services  in  this  behalf  hav- 
ing been  held  in  November,  1873)  ;  at  present  it 
numbers  one  hundred  and  fifty.  Rev.  Z.  H.  Gable 
has  been  the  only  pastor.  A  flourishing  Sunday- 
school,  numbering  two  hundred  members,  has  C. 
K.  Rhoads  as  its  superintendent.  It  was  organ- 
ized in  1878. 


1  Died  in  18 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


899 


Birdnboro  Evangelical  Church  is  a  plain  frame 
building,  erected  in  1874  in  South  Birdsboro.  It 
is  part  of  a  charge  called  the  Birdsboro  Circuit. 
The  membership  was  at  first  small,  and  the  con- 
gregation has  had  many  obstacles  to  contend  with. 
It  has,  however,  prospered,  and  numbers  one  hun- 
dred and  ten  members,  with  the  Rev.  N.  A.  Barr 
as  pastor.  The  Sunday-school  superintendent  is 
William  Homan,  and  has  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
eight  members. 

St.  Paul's  Reformed  Church. — The  congregation 
which  occupies  this  church  was  organized  in 
March,  1880,  with  thirty  members,  most  of  whom 
had  previously  belonged  to  the  Schwartzwald  con- 
gregation, in  Exeter  township.  S.  R.  Hofer  and 
E.  R.  Hain  were  chosen  as  the  first  elders.  The 
following  year  a  building  was  commenced  by  Sam- 
uel R.  Hafer.  John  Wuuch  and  Frederick  De 
Turk, as  a  committee  appointed  by  the  congregation, 
consecrated  it  in  the  fall  of  1882.  It  is  a  rough  stone 
structure,  thirty-five  by  fifty  feet,  plastered  on  the 
outside,  and  cost  three  thousand  dollars.  The 
church  has  no  settled  pastor,  having  been  supplied 
by  ministers  residing  at  Reading,  the  Rev.  W.  J. 
Kerschner  being  the  present  supply.  The  mem- 
bership has  been  increased  to  sixty  persons,  and 
there  is  also  a  Sunday-school,  having  an  attend- 
ance of  a  hundred,  of  which  S.  R.  Hafer  is  the 
superintendent. 

Schools. — In  the  locality  of  Birdsboro,  com- 
mon pay-schools  were  maintained  soon  after  1820 
Among  the  teachers  there  were  Samuel  Bard, 
Thomas  Graham  and  John  Paulding.  After  the 
free  schools  had  been  established,  so  that  a  general 
interest  was  awakened  in  educational  matters,  a 
demand  arose  for  a  local  High  School.  This  feel- 
ing received  material  encouragement  at  the  hands 
of  Henry  S.  Kupp,  who  was  instrumental  in  secur- 
ing the  services  of  B.  F.  Boyer,  a  graduate  of 
Yale  College,  and  opening  a  select  school  in  a 
building  on  the  Kupp  farm,  east  of  Birdsboro,  in 
Robeson  township,  and  near  the  Mount  Airy 
neighborhood.  His  success  as  a  teacher  encour- 
aged the  building  of  the  Philomathean  Academy, 
on  the  same  farm,  in  1855,  in  which  Prof.  Boyer 
taught  four  years.  Other  teachers  continued  the 
school  until  1865,  when  the  building  was  vacated 
and  set  aside  for  religious  uses.  St.  Michael's 
Cemetery  was  opened  on  adjoining  lands. 


The  following  year  another  school,  called  the 
"  Birdsboro  Academy,"  was  opened,  and  Prof.  J. 
H.  Swindell,  of  North  Carolina,  became  the  first 
teacher,  receiving  a  salary  of  one  thousand  dollars 
per  year.     This  school  was  discontinued  in  1871. 

In  1866  the  borough  maintained  nine  schools, 
in  five  buildings,  which  were  attended  by  four 
hundred  and  fifty  pupils,  whose  instruction  cost 
about  ten  dollars  per  pupil.  These  schools  were 
under  the  principalship  of  Prof.  H.  D.  Hunter 
the  past  twelve  years,  and  were  graded  by  him 
into  primary,  secondary,  grammar  and  high 
schools.  The  board  of  directors  at  this  time  is 
composed  of  William  K.  Young,  president ;  Dan- 
iel K.  Miller,  secretary  ;  L.  E.  Hook,  treasurer  ; 
George  Brooke,  John  I.  Reeser  and  David  Watts. 

The  old  public-school  building  on  Mill  Street 
was  demolished  by  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
Company  when  its  road  was  built  through  the 
place  in  1884,  and  in  its  place  a  spacious  build- 
ing, costing  eight  thousand  dollars,  erected.  The 
school  building  in  the  Brooklyn  addition,  which 
was  erected  in  1873,  was  enlarged  also  in  1884, 
and  the  edifice  on  First  Street  was  built  in  1881, 
at  a  cost  of  about  three  thousand  five  hundred 
dollars 

Physicians — In  the  practice  of  medicine  Dr. 
Caleb  Liggett  (who  located  here  about  thirty- 
eight  years  ago)  may  be  regarded  as  the  first. 
Dr.  Jonathan  Pounder,  an  Englishman,  who  suf- 
fered shipwreck  on  his  voyage  to  America,  and 
who  died  at  Morgan  town  a  very  aged  man,  was 
also  an  early  practitioner.  Dr.  B.  F.  Bunn  has 
been  in  Birdsboro  continuously  since  1867,  having 
come  from  Chester  County.  He  opened  the  first 
drug-store  in  1867.  Dr.  J.  B.  Holman,  a  Scotch- 
man, was  in  practice  from  1865  till  his  death,  in 
1873.  Dr.  H.  B.  Brusstar,  who  graduated  in 
1873,  located  in  Birdsboro  in  1875,  and  since 
1883  has  carried  on  a  drug-store  in  connection 
with  his  profession.  Dr.  James  Lincoln,  after 
being  in  practice  three  years  in  Chester  County, 
located  at  Birdsboro  in  1880,  and  since  1881  has 
also  been  in  the  drug  business.  Dr.  M.  A  Hengst 
has  been  in  practice  there  since  his  graduation  in 
1877. 

Secret  Societies.— Neversink  Lodge,  No.  514, 
'I.  0.  0.  F.,  was  instituted  December  16,  1854. 
Among  the  surviving  members  are  Levi  E.  Hook, 


900 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Henry  Yeager  and  Jacob  Bower.  In  1886  there 
were  one  hundred  and  seven  members,  having  a 
fund  amounting  to  two  thousand  four  hundred 
dollars. 

Id  1848  Seminole  Council  of  American  Mechanics 
was  instituted  at  Birdsboro.  In  June,  1850,  a 
hall  was  built  for  its  accommodation,  and  dedi- 
cated September  28th,  the  same  year.  After  a 
seasoa  of  prosperity  it  went  down. 

In  1868  Council  No.  37,  Order  of  Junior 
American  Mechanics,  was  instituted,  and  its  meet- 
ings are  still  continued  with  succeess,  the  members 
in  April,  1886,  numbering  one  hundred  and 
twenty-two. 

Fire  Company. — Friendship  Fire  Company, 
No.  1,  was  incorporated  August  2,  1883,  and  is 
the  first  distinct  fire  company  organized  in  Birds- 
boro. In  1886  it  had  eighty-six  members  and 
occupied  a  very  handsome  building,  which  was 
erected  in  the  fall  of  1884  and  delivered  to  the 
company  January  20,  1885,  by  the  contractor,  L. 
H.  Focht.  The  lot  was  donated  by  George. 
Brooke.  The  building  is  two  stories  high,  twenty- 
three  by  forty  feet,  of  very  pleasing  architecture, 
and  cost  three  thousand  dollars.  The  upper 
story  forms  a  neat  parlor,  and  in  the  lower  the 
apparatus  of  the  company  is  kept,  consisting  of 
five  hundred  feet  of  hose  and  a  carriage  for  the 
same,  which  was  presented  by  Friendship  Fire 
Company,  No.  4,  of  Reading,  on  the  12th  of  May, 
1S83.  The  present  property  of  the  company  is 
valued  at  four  thousand  five  hundred  dollars. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

Levi  H.  Focht  is  descended  from  German 
ancestry.  His  grandfather,  George  Focht,  was 
born  February  ],  1773,  and  died  March  1,  1839. 
He  resided  in  Robeson  township,  and  devoted  his 
life  to  farming.  By  his  marriage  with  Catherine 
Huyett,  the  following  children  were  born  :  John, 
June  14,  1804 ;  Samuel,  August  8,  1805  ;  Daniel, 
April  20, 1807 ;  Mary,  January  18, 1809  ;  Charles, 
January  5,  1812 ;  George,  January  1,  1814  ;  and 
Jacob,  July  18,  1815.  Jacob,  the  youngest  son, 
is  the  only  survivor,  and  now  resides  in  Reading. 
Daniel  Focht,  the  third  son  of  George  Focht,  was 
born  on  the  homestead  in  Robeson  township,  and. 
from   his   boyhood  until   his  death,  October  14, 


1871,  gained  a  livelihood  by  working  upon  the 
Schuylkill  Canal  as  a  repair  man,  and  by  culti- 
vating the  homestead  farm  after  the  death  of  his 
father.     He  married  Catherine,  daughter  of  David 
Hemmig,  and  had  the  following  children  :  Mary 
Ann,  born  May  12,  1834,  and  now  the  wife  of 
Raymond  Mohr  ;  Sarah,  born  November  12, 1835, 
married  to  Lewis  Fritz ;  Catherine,  born  Septem- 
ber 19,  1839,  married  to  David  Mock;  David,  born 
October  30,  1841,  now  deceased,  leaving  a  widow, 
Martha  Lincoln  ;  Elizabeth,  bom  March  21,  1845, 
married  to  Jeremiah  Weidner ;  Hannah,  born  April 
17,  1846  ;  and  Levi  H,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
who  was  born  August  3,  1850.    The  last-named 
is  a  native  of  Robeson  township.     He  obtained  his 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  Birdsboro,  and 
at  the  age  of  thirteen  secured   employment  with 
the  Schuylkill  Navigation  Company,  and  worked 
upon  the  repairs  to  the  canal  for  two  years.    He 
was  next  apprenticed  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  car- 
penter with  his  brother-in-law,  Raymond  Mohr, 
of  Birdsboro,   and  was    then    employed    on  the 
Perkiomen  Railroad,  and  afterward  entering  the 
service  of  Berton  &  McDonald,  bridge-builders,  of 
Philadelphia.    He  assisted  them  in  the  erection  of  a 
number  of  bridges  in  New  York,  New  Jersey  and 
Pennsylvania.     When    the  large  wooden  bridge 
spanning  the  Pompton  River,  on  the  line  of  the 
Midland  Railroad  of  New  Jersey,  was  built,  he  was 
given  charge  of  the  construction  of  it,  then  being 
but  eighteen  years  of  age.     On  the  23d  of  May, 
1874,  Mr.  Focht  was  married  to  Alice,  daughter 
of  Jeremiah  Beard,  of  Birdsboro.      They  had  two 
children, — George  Walter  and  Levi  Roy,  deceased. 
In  1873  Mr.  Focht  established  himself  in  Birdsboro 
as  a  contractor  and  builder,  and  has  prospered 
through  his  energy  and  determination  to  make  the 
excellence  of  his  work  a  guarantee  of  success.   His 
most    important  orders    include    the  stock-farm 
buildings  of  Mr.  A.  J.  Cassatt,  the  majority  of  the 
stations  on  the  line  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Read- 
ing Railroad,  and  many  large  and  elegant  resi- 
dences along  the  line  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad. 
He   has    recently  completed  an   addition  to   the 
Haverford  College  buildings,  at  Haverford  Col- 
lege, Pa. ;  also  the  Wood  Memorial  Chapel,  adjoin- 
ing Christ  Cathedral,  Reading,  Pa.      Mr.  Focht 
has  done  the  major  part  of  the  building  in  the 
town  of  his  adoption,   and  is  the    projector   of 


BOROUGHS  OP  COUNTY. 


901 


that  portion  of  Birdsboro  known  as  Lincolntown 
addition,  in  which  the  greater  part  of  the  many 
attractive  residences  were  erected  by  him  in  con- 
formity with  his  own  plans  and  designs.  Mr.  Focht 
is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  has  represented 
that  party  in  the  Borough  Council.  As  a  Free  and 
Accepted  Mason,  he  is  connected  with  Chandler 
Lodge,  N  o.  227,  of  Reading,with  Excelsior  Chapter, 
No.  237,  and  with  Reading  Commandery,  No.  42, 
K.  T.    He  is  also  a  member  of  Neversink  Lodge, 


section  of  Berks  County,  and  near  the  Montgomery 
County  line  It  is  the  most  important  station  on 
the  Colebrookdale  Railroad.  The  inhabitants  are 
wide-awake  and  intelligent,  having  numbered 
about  fifteen  hundred  in  the  year  1885  ;  and  the 
place  contains  an  unusual  number  of  large  and  at- 
tractive buildings. 

In  1769  Henry  Stauffer  became  the  owner  of  a 
large  tract  of  land  on  part  of  which  Boyertown  is 
now  located.     He  sold  off  from  this  tract  to  Jacob 


Independent  Order  of  Odd-Fellows,  No.  514,  and 
of  Mount  Pleasant  Council,  No.  37,  Jr.  0.  U.  A.  M. 


BOYERTOWN. 
The  borough  of  Boyertown  is  comparatively 
recent  in  point  of  political  existence,  yet  it  has  a 
degree  of  prosperity  which  places  it  amongst  the 
most  thriving  and  enterprising  towns  of  Eastern 
Pennsylvania.  It  has  a  charming  and  healthful 
location,  in  Colebrookdale  township,  in  the  eastern 


Latshaw  in  1775  ;  to  Jonathan  Rhoads  in  1786  ; 
and  to  Henry  Baer  in  1795.  But  upon  part  of 
this  land  John  Salter  lived  as  early  as  1720 ;  and 
he  was,  probably,  the  first  resident  of  that  imme-  , 
diate  section  of  country.  Henry  Stauffer  was  a 
son  of  Jacob  Stauffer,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
Hereford  township,  and  died  in  1803.  His  son 
Jacob,  born  in  1754,  died  in  1839,  and  was  the 
father  of  Henry  and  John  Stauffer,  both  of  whom 
lived  on  the  homestead  until  their  death.  The 
Shaner  family  was  also  one  of  the  first  to  settle  in 


902 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


that  vicinity.  Soon  afterward  came  Henry  Boyer 
and  the  Schaeffers,  who  settled  on  the  Latshaw 
place.  Boyer  secured  a  central  location  on  the 
above  farm  and  opened  a  public-house,  and  his 
sons  engaged  in  other  business  at  the  same  point, 
which,  through  them,  received  the  name  of  Boyer- 
town,  long  before  it  was  laid  out  in  town  lots  in 
1835. 

Borough  Incorporation. — The  first  attempt 
to  incorporate  Boyertown  into  a  borough  was  made 
in  1851 ;  then  thirty-three  persons  signed  a  petition 
for  such  a  purpose.  But  it  was  not  successful.  A 
second  effort  was  made  in  April,  1866,  which 
received  the  consideration  of  the  grand  jury,  a 
favorable  report  having  been  made  October  20, 
1866,  and  then  the  decree  of  incorporation  was 
accordingly  made.  An  election  was  held  and  the 
first  Council  was  organized  at  the  Union  Hotel 
November  19,  1866,  with  William  Fegley,  presi- 
dent; Samuel  Shaner,  treasurer;  H.  B.  Rhoads, 
clerk ;  Dr.  John  Todd,  Samuel  Leaver,  William 
Binder  and  Philip  Gabel,  Councilmen.  Jonathan 
Kepler  was  the  first  burgess. 

Since  that  time  the  following  have  been  the 
burgesses,  clerks,  treasurers  and  presidents  of 
Council  : 

Term.  Burgess.  Clerk. 

1867 Jonathan  Kepler H.  B.  Rhoads. 

1868 Jonathan  Kepler Jacob  L.  Fritz. 

1869 Samuel  Shaner Jacob  L.  Fritz. 

1870-75 Thomas  J.  B.  Rhoads.. .J.  K.  Grant. 

1876 W.  K.  Grim J.  K.  Grant. 

1877 W.  K.  Grim J.  K.  Grant. 

1878 W.  K.  Grim J.  K.  Grant. 

1879-80 W.  K.  Grim L.  M.  Koons. 

1881 W.  H.  Grim L.  M.  Koons. 

1882 W.  H.  Grim C.  F.  Ernes. 

1883 John  Stauffer C.  F.  Ernes. 

1884-85 John  Stauffer C.  F.  Ernes. 

In  1886  the  officers  were, — 

Franklin  Hartman,  burgess;  C.  F.  Ernes,  clerk; 
Levi  H.  Lefever,  treasurer ;  Jeremiah  Romig,  presi- 
dent. 

Councilmen,  George  E.  Bleim,  Samuel  G.  Sands, 
Zep.  Gottshall,  John  Schaeffer. 

The  justices  since  the  organization  of  the 
borough  have  been  William  K.  Stauffer,  L.  M. 
Koons,  William  Fox,  J.  B.  Haukey,  Henry  B. 
Rhoads  and  C.  F.  Ernes. 

The  solicitors  for   the    borough  have  been  B. 


Frank  Boyer,  Daniel  and  James  Ermentrout  and 
J.  K.  Grant,  the  last-named  serving  at  present 

In  1867  the  grades  of  the  streets  were  established 
by  D.  S.  Zacharias  and  William  K.  Stauffer.  Since 
that  time  several  of  the  principal  streets  have  been 
graded  in  a  very  substantial  manner,  and  the 
benefits  sought  by  the  incorporation  have  been 
generally  realized. 

Industries — Iron-ore. — The  oldest  and  most 
important  pursuit  of  the  citizens  of  Boyertown  has 
been  iron-mining,  an  employment  engaged  in  with 
more  or  less  activity  the  past  one  hundred  and 
sixty  years. 

As  early  as  July  29,  1718,  David  Powell 
obtained  a  patent  for  two  hundred  acres  of  land, 
which  afterward  became  known  as  the  "  Furnace 
Tract,"  and  a  source  of  great  profit  to  the  pro- 
prietors. On  June  4,  1719,  Powell  sold  this  land 
to  Thomas  Ruter,  and  on  May  22,  1733,  Samuel 
Potts  obtained  an  interest  in  the  same.  These 
parties  were  the  first  to  develop  the  mineral  re- 
sources on  the  land.  The  Colebrookdale  Furnace 
was  erected  about  1720  '  in  that  locality,  and  sup- 
plied with  iron-ore  obtained  from  the  land  near  by, 
where  mining  operations  are  still  carried  on.  When 
they  sold  the  land  to  Henry  Stauffer,  December 
29,  1769,  they  reserved  the  mineral  right,  retained 
one  acre  where  the  iron  vein  cropped  out  and 
exacted  a  condition  whereby  they  might  have  the 
privilege  of  mining  at  the  ,:  Red  Bank,"  holding 
themselves  liable  for  damages  resulting  from 
mining  operations.  In  later  years,  a  claim  for  con- 
sequential damages  having  been  made,  the  owners 
of  the  mineral  right  purchased  six  acres  of  land  at 
that  point,  including  the  "  Red  Bank."  This  land, 
including  the  mineral  right  of  the  old  "  Furnace 
Tract,"  is  now  the  property  of  Robert  and  Morris 
Lewis,  of  Philadelphia,  but  is  worked  under  a 
lease  by  the  Phoenix  Iron  Company,  which  was 
the  first  to  carry  on  operations  on  an  extensive 
scale  and  to  employ  machinery  to  increase  the 
product.  Before  this  the  owners  of  the  Colebrook- 
dale Furnace,  the  Eckerts  at  Reading  and  others, 
had  mined  at  the  "  Red  Bank  "  in  the  old  way. 
After  working  the  mine  on  a  limited  scale,  from 
1852  for  a  few  years,  the  Phoenix  Iron  Company 
began  using  steam-power  in  1855,  and  so  continued 

1  See  Early  Furnaces,  etc. 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


903 


at  the  '■  Red  Mine  "  until  1881,  since  which  time 
operations  have  been  confined  to  the  lower  mine, 
or  the  acre  lot.  At  that  place  steam-power  has 
been  employed  since  1869.  At  the  lower  place 
slope-mining  is  carried  on,  the  slope  at  present 
being  four  hundred  feet  long  and  running  at  an 
angle  of  forty  degrees.  The  ore  is  black  magnetic 
and  yields  fifty-five  per  cent,  of  pure  iron. 

The  lands  contiguous  to  the  "  Furnace  Tract " 
have  the  same  vein  of  iron,  though  at  much 
greater  depths,  and  generally  having  a  horizontal 
position.  On  the  Binder  lot,  tests  made  for  the 
Warwick  Iron  Company,  in  1873,  gave  proof  of 
the  presence  of  rich  ore,  which  has  been  developed 
and  mined  by  that  company.  The  shaft  has  a 
depth  of  six  hundred  and  seventy  feet.  Sixty 
men  are  employed. 

Gabel,  Jones  &  Gabel  are  extensive  miners  on 
the  Ritter  tract,  having  operated  since  1877.  Their 
shaft  has  reached  the  depth  of  six  hundred  feet. 
They  employ  forty-five  men  and  mine  large  quan- 
tities of  first-class  ore. 

The  fourth  mine  is  on  the  John  Rhoads  tract, 
and  has  been  worked  by  the  present  operators 
since  October,  1883.  Fifteen  men  are  employed. 

The  united  product  of  these  mines  is  about  six 
thousand  tons  per  month,  all  of  which  is  readily 
moved  by  direct  tracks  or  sidings  of  the  railroad 
from  the  mines. 

Cigaes. — The  manufacture  of  cigars  is  another 
industry  which  has  quickened  the  business  life  of 
the  borough,  and  affords  employment  to  hundreds 
of  persons.  The  pioneer  manufacturer  is  D.  S. 
Erb,  the  proprietor  of  the 

Keystone  Cigar  Factory. — Mr.  Erb  began  busi- 
ness at  Boyertown  as  a  tobacconist  in  1864,  employ- 
ing two  hands,  but  increased  the  force  from  year  to 
year  until,  in  1883,  he  had  five  hundred  hands  em- 
ployed. About  that  time  he  changed  the  grade  of 
■of  his  work,  and  has  since  produced  fine  cigars  only, 
employing  at  present  two  hundred  hands.  His  fac- 
tory is  one  of  the  most  complete  in  the  county, 
occupying  the  greater  part  of  a  three-story  brick 
building,  seventy-five  by  seventy-five  feet,  which 
be  erected  in  1882. 

Enterprise  Cigar-Factory  is  conducted  by  Wil- 
liam M.  Riegner  &  Brother.  It  was  established 
in  1880,  and  also  had  a  small  beginning.  In  1882 
sixty  persons  were  employed,  but  on  raising  the 


grade  of  the  work,  the  number  was  reduced   to 
thirty  two. 

Boyertown  Cigar  Factory  (P.  A.  Brauss  &  Co., 
proprietors)  was  established  in  the  summer  of 
1884,  and  enlarged  to  its  present  size  in  the  spring 
of  1886, — a  frame  factory,  two  and  a  half  stories 
high,  sixty  by  fifty-three  feet.  It  contains  eight 
rooms,  heated  by  steam,  and  affords  working 
space  for  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  men.  This 
factory  is  operated  with  other  factories  elsewhere. 

Cigar-Box  Factory. — William  W.  Wren  and 
Oliver  Engel  established  this  factory  in  1881, — a 
two-story  frame  building,  is  supplied  with  first- 
class  machinery,  operated  by  steam-power.  Eight 
hands  are  employed. 

Boyertown  Maehine-Shop  was  established  in 
1878  by  Daniel  Schlegel,  and  has  since  been  car- 
ried on  by  him.  The  motive-power  is  steam  and 
the  products  are  general  farm  and  mining  ma- 
chinery.    Four  men  are  employed.  . 

Churches. — Mennonite  Church. — The  Mennon- 
ites  were  the  first  to  establish  a  place  of  worship  in 
what  is  now  Boyertown.  In  1790  Henry  Stauffer, 
a  member  of  this  sect,  granted  one  acre  of  ground 
to  Abraham  Bechtel  and  Henry  High,  in  trust 
for  the  use  of  the  "  Mennonite  Congregation  of 
Colebrookdale,''  an  organization  some  twenty 
years  old  at  that  time,  and  worshipping  i.?.i  a 
meeting-house  in  the  eastern  end  of  the  valley. 
Upon  this  lot  a  log  church  was  built  the  same 
year  and  a  cemetery  opened,  which  is  still  kept 
up,  though  in  the  borough.  This  log  meeting- 
house was  used  as  an  auxiliary  place  of  worship  by 
the  old  Colebrookdale  congregation,  meetings  being 
held  every  four  weeks,  until  1819,  when  it  was  re- 
placed by  a  more  commodious  brick  church,  sus 
taining  the  same  relation  as  the  old  house.  For  a 
number  of  years  John  Gehman  and  Christian 
Clemmer  were  the  ministers,  and  the  congregation 
had  a  harmonious  existence  until  May,  1847,  when 
a  dissension  arose  on  account  of  a  change  in  the 
time-honored  dress  of  the  ministry  and  a  modifica- 
tion of  some  of  the  cardinal  doctrines  of  the  sect, 
causing  a  division  into  old  and  new  measure 
parties.  The  latter  held  that  Menno  Simon,  the 
founder  of  the  sect,  did  not  lay  down  an  impera- 
tive rule  in  regard  to  dress,  or  one  which 
should  for  all  time  be  unchangeable,  but 
that    the    essential    required    was    simplicity,   a 


904 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


condition  which  could  be  obtained  as  well  by  the 
use  of  buttons  as  of  hooks  and  eyes,  or  by  modify- 
ing the  cut  to  adapt  it  to  the  wearer  instead  of  fol- 
lowing an  arbitrary  cut.  They  claimed  that  a  revi- 
sion of  the  catechism  had  also  been  made  necessary, 
and  that  the  rule  forbidding  marriages  outside  of 
the  pale  of  the  church  should  be  amended.     They 
did  not  think  that  the  use  of  musical  instruments, 
as  a  means  of  worship,  was  sinful,  and  advocated 
the  necessity  of  having  a  printed  or  written  consti- 
tution instead  of  relying  entirely  upon  the  tradition- 
ary customs  which  so  long  governed  them.      They 
claimed,  further,  that  the  times  demanded  an  edu- 
cated ministry,  and  that  the  aids  to  progress  and 
social  and  religious  advancement  should   be  ac- 
cepted  and  used  to  the   honor    of   the  Divine 
Master.     These  innovations,  introduced  and  de- 
manded by  John  H.  Oberholtzer,  were  too  sweep- 
ing in  their  nature  to  be  accepted  by  the  Menno- 
nites  generally,   and  a  determined    opposition  to 
them  was  aroused  on  the  plea  that  they  were  inimi- 
cal to  the  best  interests  of  the  church,  and  that,  if 
entertained,  the  disruption  of  the  sect  would  fol- 
low.    The  old  party  held  that  while  the  new  coat 
of  Oberholtzer,  rounded  to  suit  his  person   and 
provided  with  buttons,  was  not  sinful  by  ^  itself 
considered,  it  symbolized  a  rebellion  against  the 
usages  which  had  been  a  distinguishing  character- 
istic of  the  sect,  and  brought  with  it  a  change  of 
principles  which  would  destroy  all  the  traditions 
of  the  church.     A  vital  issue  having  thus  been 
made,  a  spirited  controversy  ensued  which  caused 
Oberholtzer  to  sever  his  connection  with  the  Fran- 
conia  Conference,  in  which  body  the  title  to  the 
church   property  was   vested,   and  to    whose  rul- 
ings the  old  Mennonites  loyally  held.      Hence, 
when  the  new  measure  Mennonites  demanded  an 
interest  in,  or  possession  of,  certain  church  prop- 
erty, the   courts   decreed   that  their  claims  had 
been   forfeited.      At  Boyertown  and   Colebrook- 
dale    Clemmer     became    a    follower    of    Ober- 
holtzer,  and    was    seconded    by    a    large    num- 
ber   of   members,  to   whom    he  preached    as   a 
separate    congregation.  '    They    used     the     old 
brick    meeting-house    alternately    with    the    old 
congregation  until  1877,   when   the    latter    pro- 
ceeded to  demolish  it  with  the  purpose  of  erect- 
ing a  new  house.     They  gave  the  new   congre- 
gation notice  of  their  intention  and  invited  it  to 


co-operate  with  them  in  building   a  new  church, 
the  title  to  which  should  remain  in  the  Franconia 
Conference.     They  declined  to  do  so,  and  had  an 
injunction  served  on  the  old  congregation  to  re- 
strain the  demolition  of  the  old  building      A  long 
and  costly  litigation  ensued,  and,  at  the  end  of  six 
years,  the  courts  finally  decreed  as  above  stated. 
Meantime,  the  old  congregation  completed  a  new 
brick  meeting-house  forty-five  by  fifty  feet,  which 
was  occupied  in  the  fall  of  1879.     The  building 
committee  was  composed  of  Samuel  H.    Landis, 
Jacob   Bechtel,   Joel   B.   Bauer  and   Henry  G. 
Gabel.     This  building  has  since  been  used  in  con- 
nection with  the  old  church  in  Washington  town- 
ship,  meetings    being   held    every    four    weeks. 
There  are  about  forty    members,    and  John  B. 
Bechtel  and  Andrew  Mack  served  as  ministers. 

The  courts  having  decided  that  the  new  Men- 
nonite  congregation  had  no  interest  in  the  old 
church  property,  a  new  church  edifice  was  be- 
gun by  it  on  July  20,  1883.  The  building  com- 
mittee was  composed  of  J.  H.  Borneman,  Isaac 
Borneman  and  George  Bleim,  and  the  build- 
ing was  dedicated  January  7,  1884,  by  the  Rev. 
Andrew  Schelly.  It  is  a  brick  edifice,  in  dimen- 
sions, forty  by  sixty -five  feet,  situated  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  borough.  The  trustees,  in 
1886,  were  John  Bechtel,  Samuel  Landis  and  J. 
H.  Borneman.  The  Rev.  Christian  Clemmer 
preached  for  the  congregation  until  his  death,  in 
1882.  The  present  minister  is  Bishop  Moses  God- 
shall,  who  is  assisted  by  Abraham  Godshall. 
There  are  about  forty  members  and  services  are 
held  semi-monthly. 

Old  Union  Church.  —  The  members  of  the 
German  Reformed  and  Lutheran  congregations 
of  the  Swamp  Church,  living  in  Colebrookdale 
township,  erected  a  house  of  worship  in  1811,  upon 
a  lot  of  ground  donated  by  Henry  Stauffer,  ad- 
joining that  of  the  Mennonites.  It  was  a  plain 
edifice,  forty  by  fifty  feet,  and  contained  galleries 
on  three  sides.  It  was  arranged  similar  to  the 
churches  of  that  period.  In  1851  a  small  steeple 
was  added  to  the  building,  which  was  consecrated 
on  April  26th.  A  bell  was  introduced  at  the  same 
time,  this  having  formerly  been  on  the  court  house 
at  Reading.  The  bell  was  cast  in  England  in 
1764,  and  weighed  three  hundred  pounds.  The 
congregation  paid  fifty  dollars  for  it,  which  was  a 


BOROUGHS  OP  COUNTY. 


905 


low  price  for  a  bell  of  such  a  quality.  After  the 
old  house  was  demolished,  as  the  property  of  the 
Reformed  congregation,  the  bell  was  stored  away 
for  future  use  on  a  chapel  or  lecture-room.  In 
1853  the  stone  wall  inclosing  the  cemetery  was 
built  by  the  united  congregations,  Dr.  Charles 
Keeley  having  bequeathed  two  hundred  dollars 
for  that  purpose.  In  1854  lamps  and  chandeliers 
were  supplied,  and  these  were  lit  for  the  first  time 
January  28th  of  that  year.  In  1873  the  Iter 
formed  congregation  became  the  owner  of  the 
property,  and  the  old  church  building  was  taken 
down  and  the  present  Reformed  Church  of  the 
Good  Shepherd  erected  in  its  place,  the  meetings 
of  the  congregation  having,  in  the  mean  time,  been 
held  in  the  Mennonite  Church.  The  corner-stone 
was  laid  April  30,  1874,  by  the  Rev.  A.  S.  Lein- 
bach,  of  Reading,  and  contained,  among  other 
things,  a  leaden  plate,  upon  which  were  engraven 
the  names  of  the  building  committee, — Jacob 
Kuser,  L.  M.  Koons,  Jeremiah  Sweinhart,  Joseph 
Young,  J.  H.  Funk  and  Henry  Leh,  Sr. ;  the 
consistory,  Jacob  Kuser,  Daniel  Leidy,  F.  H. 
Stauffer,  Daniel  Borneman,  W.  Schealer,  H.  Will, 
Charles  Hagy  and  John  K  Scauffer,  and  the 
pastor,  Rev.  L.  J.  Mayer. 

It  is  a  two  story  edifice,  with  a  front  of  Phila- 
delphia pressed  brick.  The  building  is  fifty-two 
by  eighty  feet,  with  the  rear  wall  recessed  nine 
feet  more  to  afford  pupil  space.  In  front  is  a 
tower,  one  hundred  and  forty  feet  high,  the  upper 
part  presenting  an  octagonal  appearance.  The 
building  contains  a  number  of  fine  memorial  win- 
dows, presented  by  the  friends  of  the  church.  The 
auditorium  is  finely  finished,  and  has  a  seating 
capacity  for  six  hundred  persons.  It  was  dedicated 
on  December  25,  1876.  The  cost  was  thirty-five 
thousand  dollars. 

The  following  pastors  of  the  Reformed  congre- 
gation officiated :  Revs.  Frederick  Herman,  Henry 
S.  Bassler,  Samuel  Siebert,  N.  S.  Strassburger, 
Augustus  S.  Dechert,  R.  A.  Van  Court  and  L.  J. 
Moyer,  the  last  being  the  present  pastor.  Rev. 
Mr.  Dechert  introduced  English  preaching  every 
four  weeks.  The  congregation  has  four  hundred 
members,  and  a  consistory  of  which  L.  P.  G. 
Pegley  is  the  secretary,  and  L.  H.  Lefever  the 
treasurer. 

St.  John's  Lutheran    Church. — The    Lutheran 

78 


congregation,  organized  about  the  time  the  Union 
Church  was  built,  had  as  its  first  pastor  the 
Rev.  Jacob  Miller,  who  served  it  eighteen  years. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Conrad  Miller,  whose  pastor- 
ate extended  through  twenty-four  years.  Revs. 
Nathan  Yeager  and  A.  H.  Groh  officiated  for  a 
short  time.  Since  December  9,  1865,  the  Rev.  L. 
Groh  has  been  the  pastor,  and  during  his  ministry 
the  history  .of  the  church  has  been  the  most  event- 
ful. Soon  after  his  accession  the  question  of 
building  a  new  church  was  agitated,  to  accommo- 
date the  growing  congregation  ;  but  it  was  not 
until  1870  that  definite  action  was  taken.  On  the 
last  day  of  that  year  a  meeting  was  held,  at  which 
it  was  decided  that  a  charter  should  be  procured 
and  a  new  church  built.  It  was  then  reported  that 
ten  thousand  dollars  had  been  pledged  for  a  new 
church,  one-fourth  of  the  amount  having  been 
tendered  by  Samuel  Shaner.  The  charter  was 
procured  the  following  January,  and  in  it  the 
congregation  was  designated  by  the  present  name, 
having  been  known  up  till  then  by  the  locality 
only.  Dr.  Thomas  J.  B.  Rhoads,  Jeremiah 
Romig,  William  Binder  and  Aaron  Mory  com- 
posed the  building  committee.  The  corner-stone 
was  laid  September  2, 1871,  and  the  church  was 
formally  dedicated  August  18,  1872.  It  is  a  well- 
proportioned,  two-story  brick  edifice,  fifty-five  by 
ninety  feet, with  a  high  auditorium,  having  galleries 
on  three  sides,  and  affording  seating  capacity  for 
one  thousand  persons.  The  church  is  finely 
finished  and  contains  a  pipe-organ  of  twenty-four 
stops.  A  steeple  one  hundred  and  sixty-nine  feet 
high  is  attached  to  the  building,  and  includes 
a  fine  bell,  weighing  two  thousand  six  hundred 
pounds.  The  total  church  improvement  cost 
about  thirty- five  thousand  dollars. 

A  Lutheran  Sunday-school  has  been  conducted 
since  September,  1872.  In  1885  it  had  five  hundred 
members,  with  David  S.  Erb  as  the  superintendent. 
The  congregation  has  about  eight  hundred 
members.  The  services  are  conducted  in  the 
German  and  English  languages. 

Ebenezer  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — The  cor- 
ner-stone of  this  church  was  laid  August  10,  1875, 
and  the  church  was  completed  for  consecration  the 
following  year.  It  is  a  brick  edifice,  with  a  seating 
capacity  for  four  hundred  persons.  The  building 
committee  were  composed  of  James  Wren,  Joseph 


906 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Tyrrell  and  Richard  Richards,  the  latter  serving 
as  treasurer.  When  the  congregation  was  organ- 
ized there  were  fifty  members,  but  owing  to  re- 
movals only  thirty-eight  were  reported  in  1882. 
During  Rev.  Martin's  ministry  there  was  an  in- 
crease of  membership,  so  that  at  the  close  of  1884 
the  entire  number  was  seventy-two.  On  March  1, 
1886,  there  were  one  hundred  full  and  thirty-five 
probationary  members. 

There  is  a  flourishing  Sunday-school  of  twenty- 
one  teachers  and  officers  and  one  hundred  and 
eighty-one  scholars,  supported  by  the  church,  Wil- 
liam W.  Wren  being  the  superintendent. 

Educational  —  Public  School.  —  The  first 
schools  at  Boyertown  were  taught  by  German 
teachers  in  the  school-house  standing  on  the  Union 
Church  lot.  When  the  free-school  system  was  ac- 
cepted, in  1838,  English  instruction  began  to  be 
imparted  in  the  octagonal  school  building,  which 
was  used  until  1860,  when  the  board  of  directors 
— composed  of  Amos  K.  Strunk,  Daniel  K.  Ritter, 
Isaac  Ritter,  John  Murkel,  Jesse  Pennypacker 
and  William  Ritter — purchased  a  lot  in  another 
part  of  the  town  and  erected  a  two-story  brick 
building  to  accommodate  two  schools.  This  build 
ing  was  enlarged  and  remodeled  in  1876  by  the 
directors  of  the  borough,  who  had  controlled  the 
school  since  1866.  It  contains  four  rooms,  neatly 
furnished.  The  schools  were  graded  in  1878  and 
have  achieved  a  good  reputation.  The  four  de- 
partments had  an  average  attendance  of  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-one  in  1885,  and  the  schools  were 
under  the  principalship  of  Henry  B.  Yorgey.  At 
the  same  time  the  directors  were  J.  H.  Funk,  pres- 
ident ;  William  H.  Fox,  secretary ;  O.  P.  Grim- 
ley,  treasurer ;  L.  M.  Wootman,  D.  B.  Bauer  and 
Daniel  H.  Fox. 

Mourit  Pleasant  Seminary  had  its  origin  in  a  se- 
lect school,  established  in  1842  by  Hon.  John 
Staufler.  Its  success  encouraged  him  to  erect  a 
building  for  a  school  on  a  more  extensive  scale, 
and  in  1849  the  present  seminary  building  was 
put  up.  Prof.  Jacob  Whitman  was  the  first  prin- 
cipal, in  1850,  he  having  been  a  very  able  teacher 
and  especially  skillful  as  a  botanist.  The  course 
of  instruction  he  provided  embraced  the  common 
English  branches,  the  classics  and  higher  mathe- 
matics. After  occupying  a  professor's  chair  at  the 
State  Agricultural  College  he  removed  to  Kansas 


where  he  now  resides.  Henry  Dechert  and  Charles 
Albert  were  later  teachers.  In  1854  Prof.  P.  D. 
W.  Hankey  took  charge  of  the  seminary  and  ably 
conducted  it  for  thirteen  years,  and  was  assisted, 
part  of  the  time,  by  his  brother,  Isaac  B.  Hankey. 
In  1855  the  building  was  enlarged  and  its  facili- 
ties much  increased,  so  that  it  afforded  accommo- 
dations for  fifty  resident  scholars,  besides  having  a 
number  of  day  scholars.  In  1867  Prof.  L.  M. 
Koons  became  principal  and  continued  until  the 
school  was  closed,  in  1880.  He  was  an  able  teach- 
er, but  his  failing  health  caused  him  to  relinquish 
a  work  which  had  become  a  part  of  his  nature. 
The  school  afforded  instruction  for  both  sexes  and 
supported  a  literary  society,  which  had  a  library 
of  several  hundred  volumes.  The  building  has  a 
fine  location  on  spacious  grounds,  and  is  at  present 
the  property  of  Fred.  H.  Stauffer.  Since  the  school 
was  closed  it  has  been  used  as  a  residence. 

Kallynean  Academy  was  established  in  1866  by 
Prof.  Isaac  B.  Hankey.  He  erected  a  large  brick 
building,  which  had  accommodations  for  seventy- 
five  scholars,  and  had  a  corps  of  four  teachers. 
The  library  contained  about  one  thousand  volumes. 
For  a  number  of  years  the  academy  was  highly 
prosperous.  This  school  ha3  also  been  recently 
discontinued  and  the  property  is  now  occupied  as 
a  private  residence. 

Taverns. — A  public-house  was  opened  about 
1805  in  a  long,  log  building,  which  stood  upon  the 
site  of  the  present  "  Union  House,"  and  of  which 
Michael  Boyer  was  the  landlord.  Prominent 
among  the  early  landlords  was  Samuel  Hartranft, 
the  father  of  the  ex-Governor.  The  present  build- 
ing was  erected  in  1855  by  William  Binder,  and 
has  been  owned  by  D.  D.  Boyer  since  1861.  The 
recent  landlords  have  been  Frederick  Graeff, 
Charles  Grant,  Nathaniel  Erb  and  the  present,  M. 
K.  Grant.  In  the  days  of  stage  travel  this  house 
was  the  headquarters  at  Boyertown  for  several  lines. 

In  the  lower  part  of  the  town  Jacob  Neidig  had 
a  small  beer-shop,  which  afterwards  became  a  pub- 
lic-house.    The  building  has  been  torn  down. 

The  present  "  Keystone  House"  was  the  second 
hotel  of  any  size.  It  was  built  in  1850  by  Henry 
Boyer,  and  has  been  enlarged  several  times,  the 
last  time  by  George  K.  Ritter.  It  is  now  an  at- 
tractive, four-story  building,  kept  by  Jacob 
Schaeffer. 


BOROUGHS  OP  COUNTY. 


907 


The  third  public-house  of  note  was  built  as  a 
residence  by  William  Shaner  and  changed  to  a 
hotel  by  Charles  Fegley  in  1870.  It  was  then 
known  as  the  "  William  Penn  Hotel,"  but  after 
having  been  enlarged  by  the  present  owner,  Sam- 
uel Sperry,  in  1884,  it  was  called  the  "  Mansion 
House." 

Stores. — Some  time  after  the  year  1805  Daniel 
Boyer  opened  the  first  store  in  the  place,  occupy- 
ing a  part  of  the  old  log  tavern ;  and  some  years 
later  he  built  a  brick  store  on  the  corner  opposite, 
which  has  ever  since  been  known  as  the  "  Boyer 
Stand."  In  1835  Samuel  B.  Boyer  opened  another 
store,  on  the  corner  diagonally  opposite  the  hotel, 
and  Daniel  B.  Boyer  engaged  in  trade  the  follow- 
ing year.  In  1S75-76  D.  B.  Boyer  erected  a 
three-story  brick  block,  seventy  by  sixty-nine  feet, 
on  the  site  of  the  old  stand,  the  upper  story  form- 
ing two  public  halls.  In  this  building  his  sons, 
James  and  Horace  K.  Boyer,  are  now  carrying  on 
business. 

Grim's  Block,  adjoining,  was  erected  in  1873, 
by  William  K.  Grim.  It  is  sixty  by  eighty  feet, 
three  stories  high,  with  large  halls  in  the  upper 
story. 

The  buildings  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  old 
Boyer  stand  were  removed  and  the  present  fine 
block  built  in  1879  by  D.  B.  Boyer,  and  the  ad- 
joining block  was  built  by  him  in  1884.  Part  of 
it  is  occupied  by  Levi  E.  Lefever,  who  started  the 
first  general  hardware-store  in  the  borough.  In 
the  lower  part  of  the  town  L.  H.  Lefever  put  up  a 
large  business  house,  in  1868,  and  he  has  since 
been  engaged  there  as  a  general  merchant.  Op- 
posite is  the  Bhoads  Block,  erected  in  1885,  by 
Dr.  Thomas  J.  B.  Rhoads,  in  dimensions  forty- 
.eight  by  one  hundred  and  fifty-seven  feet,  and  four 
stories  high.  An  opera-house  is  in  the  second- 
story  front,  with  a  seating  capacity  for  five  hun- 
dred persons.  It  was  formally  opened  December 
26, 1885.  In  the  lower  story  are  three  fine  store- 
rooms. 

D.  C.  Brumbach's  furniture  establishment  is  in 
the  same  neighborhood  and  was  erected  in  1882. 
The  building  is  forty  by  ninety  feet,  three  stories 
in  height,  and  is  entirely  occupied  by  him.  H. 
M.  Houck  is  the  pioneer  in  this  branch  of  trade, 
having  established  himself  about  twenty  years 
ago.     His  present  large  warerooms  have  been  oc- 


cupied since  1883.  Charles  A.  Mory  and  Baker 
&  Weller  are  also  general  merchants ;  J.  K.  Him- 
melreich  and  A.  E.  &  H.  Leidy,  dealers  in  milli- 
nery ;  D.  H.  Fox,  clothier ;  J.  S.  Case,  shoe  deal- 
er ;  I.  J.  Renner,  harness ;  B.  M.  Yost,  coal  and 
feed. 

Among  the  early  inhabitants  of  the  place  w,ere 
Lewis  S.  Worman,  who  established  himself  as  a 
harness-maker  in  1842,  which  business  he  still  con- 
tinues; David  K.  East,  a  watchmaker,  for  the 
same  length  of  time ;  Hugh  Borneman,  a  watch- 
maker, in  1841 ;  Benjamin  Riegner  and  John 
Deysher,  blacksmiths ;  Abraham  Eshbach,  John 
Stauffer,  John  Steinrook  and  Israel  R.  Laucks, 
tinsmiths ;  John  Maurer,  Daniel  Sands  and  D.  H. 
Fox,  tailors;  John  Fegley,  shoemaker;  William 
Whitman,  Josiah,  Frederick  and  Jeremiah  Swein- 
hart,  wheelwrights;  Reuben  Prile  and  John 
Stauffer,  cabinet-makers ;  and  Daniel  Cressman,  to- 
bacconist. Aside  from  a  few  stores  and  shops, 
with  the  general  interests  of  a  country  town,  the 
borough  had  nothing  to  distinguish  it  as  a  business 
point  until  the  building  of  the  railroad,  in  1869. 
The  depot  buildings  were  erected  in  1869  and 
Daniel  Spare  was  appointed  the  first  agent.  Since 
January  1,  1879,  the  agent  has  been  L.  M.  Wart- 
man.  The  principal  shipment  is  ore,  about  two 
hundred  tons  being  moved  daily.  Cigars  follow 
next  as  an  article  of  shipment. 

Keystone  Fiee  Company. — Before  the  incor- 
poration measures  had  been  taken  to  secure  pro- 
tection against  fire,  and  a  small  hand-engine  had 
been  bought  at  Pottstown  by  means  of  a  popular 
subscription.  This  engine  was  manned  by  a  volnu- 
teer  company  whose  organization  was  not  kept  up 
very  strictly,  and,  in  1867,  it  was  in  debt  to  such 
an  extent  that  the  borough  bought  the  apparatus 
and  thenceforth  appropriated  a  small  sum  of  money 
each  year  to  keep  the  same  in  order.  In  1873  a 
good  No.  2  Silsby  steam  fire-engine  was  bought, 
as  well  as  a  hose-carriage  and  a  hose-truck,  with 
six  hundred  feet  of  leather  hose,  which  were 
placed  in  care  of  the  newly-organized  Keystone 
Fire  Company.  For  a  number  of  years  a  house  was 
leased  to  store  the  apparatus  ;  but,  in  1878,  a  desir- 
able lot  was  purchased,  on  which  a  good  two-story 
engine-house  was  built  the  following  year.  In 
1884  a  part  of  this  building  was  arranged  for  a 
borough   lock-up.      The    upper  story  has    been 


908 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


handsomely  fitted  up  for  the  use  of  the  fire  com- 
pany. 

The  company  was  organized  January  27,  1873, 
and  became  an  incorporated  body  May  6,  1873. 
Its  first  officers  were  I.  B.  Hankey,  president ;  S. 
N.  Bucher.  vice- president;  «I.  K.  Grant,  secre- 
tary ;  D.  G.  Gabel,  assistant  secretary ;  William 
Binder,  treasurer  ;  John  Schealer,  chief  engineer. 

The  company  adopted  as  its  motto :  ''  When 
duty  calls,  'tis  ours  to  obey,"  and  selected  a  full 
board  of  hose  and  engine  directors.  On  the  4th 
of  July,  that  year,  it  made  the  first  public  exhibi- 
tion of  the  engine,  the  department  parading  on 
that  occasion.  Since  its  existence  the  company 
has  demonstrated  its  usefulness  on  several  occa- 
sions, subduing  fires  when  general  conflagrations 
were  threatened.  It  has  acquired  property  to  the 
amount  of  four  hundred  dollars  and  receives  a 
yearly  appropriation  of  one  hundred  dollars  from 
the  borough,  Its  active  membership  in  1886  was 
about  forty,  embracing  only  about  one-third  of 
the  persons  enrolled.  Officers  for  1886  :  John 
Leaver,  president;  William  Wallace,  vice-presi- 
dent; William  H.  Sperry,  secretary;  Frank 
Bucher,  treasurer;  Jacob  Sassaman,  chief  engi- 
neer; James  Anderson  and  Wilson  Geyer,  fire- 
men ;  John  Schealer,  D.  H.  Fox  and  F.  G. 
Binder,  trustees. 

Friendship  Hook-and-Ladder  Company 
was  organized  May  5,  1882,  and  had  as  its  first 
officers  George  Endy,  president ;  Franklin  Dey- 
sher,  secretary;  and  John  Deysher,  treasurer. 
A  membership  of  thirty  was  reported  in  1886, 
who  manned  a  good  outfit,  consisting  of  hooks, 
ladders  and  trucks.  Officers  for  1886 :  Charles 
Bird,  president ;  Charles  Deysher,  secretary ;  and 
Jacob  Freed,  foreman. 

Post-Office. — The  Boyertown  post-office  was 
established  February  14,  1828.  The  following 
persons  have  been  the  postmasters :  Daniel  Boyer, 
1828-36  ;  Daniel  B.  Boyer,  1836-41 ;  Jacob  K. 
Boyer  and  D.  B.  Boyer,  1841-65  ;  J.  H.  Funk, 
1865-69;  D.  B.  Boyer,  1869-85;  W.  K.  Grim, 
1S85-86.  The  office  is  kept  in  a  commodious  room 
in  the  Grim  Block,  which  has  been  especially  fitted 
up  for  it.  There  are  thirty-eight  lock  and  two 
hundred  and  sixteen  call  boxes  in  addition  to  the 
general  delivery.  The  office  has  twelve  mails  per 
day,  one  being  direct  from  Philadelphia.     Since 


August  1,  1880,  it  has  been  a  postal  money-order 
office.  For  many  years  the  nearest  office  was 
Pottstown,  and  when  established  but  one  mail  per 
week  was  afforded. 

Physicians, — The  first  practitioners  were  Wil- 
liam and  Joel  Bryant  and  a  Dr.  Wagenzeller, 
after  1830.  Dr.  Charles  Keely  is  remembered  as 
one  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  early  physicians, 
practicing  here  from  1840  for  ten  years,  when 
he  removed  to  Reading.  Dr.  Erastus  P.  Schull 
succeeded  him,  and  he  by  Dr.  John  Todd,  Dr. 
Samuel  Todd,  Dr.  Addison  Schultz  and  Dr.  L.  K. 
Francis,  the  latter  being  still  in  practice.  The 
other  resident  physicians  now  are  Dr.  Thomas  J. 
B.  Rhoads,  since  1863;  Dr.  T.  H.  Leidy,  since 
1878  ;  Dr.  Wilbur  Hankey  tince  1881  ;  and  Dr. 
John  S.  Borneman,  since  1882.  Dr.  J.  Funk  is 
a  resident  physician,  but  not  in  practice.  Dr. 
Henry  Johnston,  who  died  at  Boyertown  in  1861, 
had  been  a  successful  practitioner  for  fifteen 
years. 

The  first  drug-store  was  established  in  1865,  by 
Dr.  J.  H.  Funk,  and  is  now  continued  by  J. 
Gieger.  Another  drug-store  was  opened  in  1882 
by  J.  H.  Borneman.  The  latter  was  the  first  to 
practice  dentistry  at  this  place,  a  profession  which 
has  also  been  followed  by  Dr.  Joel  B.  Bower  since 
1862. 

Printing.  —  Franklin  Printing-House  was 
opened,  in  the  fall  of  1878,  by  Clinton  S.  Miller, 
who  here  published  the  Boyertown  Weekly  Messen- 
ger. In  the  fall  of  1880,  M  G.  Oberholtzer  pur- 
chased the  office  and  discontinued  the  paper,  de- 
voting his  attention  to  job  work.  In  the  spring 
of  1884  he  sold  out  to  J.  H.  Stauffer  and  C.  F. 
Ernes,  who  continued  until  September,  1885,  when 
I.  T.  Ehst  bought  out  Stauffer's  interest,  and  the 
firm  became  Ehst  &  Ernes. 

Boyertown  Democrat,  a  semi-German-English 
weekly,  is  published  by  the  Charles  Spatz  Com- 
pany. (See  chapter  on  Newspapers.)  The  office 
is  well  equipped  to  do  job  printing. 

Banks. — National  Bank  of  Boyertown  began 
business  in  March,  1874,  with  a  capital  of  fifty 
thousand  dollars,  which,  in  1875,  was  increased  to 
one  hundred  thousand.  The  business  was  first 
conducted  in  Aaron  Mory's  building.  In  1882  a 
spacious  and  substantial  banking-house  was 
erected  for  its  exclusive  use,  at  a  cost  of  nine  thou- 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


909 


sand  dollars,  which  has  been  occupied  since  1883. 
The  bank  was  organized  with  a  board  of  stock- 
holders composed  of  Ttiomas  J.  B.  Rhoads,  D.  B. 
Boyer,  Aaron  Mory,  Milton  A.  Mory,  William  K. 
Grim,  J.  W.  Hillegas,  Daniel  L.  Rhoads,  Thomas 
Christman,  William  Weand,  Jacob  B.  Bechtel, 
Andrew  B.  Bauer  and  Jeremiah  R.  Guldin.  The 
first-named  became  the  president  and  Milton  A. 
Mory  the  cashier,  the  latter  serving  since.  The 
business  of  the  bank  has  been  very  successfully 
conducted.  The  total  resources  March  1,  1886, 
were  $453,690.89,  with  undivided  profits  amount- 
ing to  nearly  ten  thousand  dollars. 

Farmers'  National  Bank  of  Boyertown  was  or- 
ganized March  20,  1883,  with  the  following  direc- 
tors :  Dr.  Thomas  J.  B.  Rhoads,  president ;  Wil- 
liam K.  Grim,  vice-president;  Hiram  Burdam, 
J.  William  Hillegas,  E.  G.  Fegley,  Joseph  H. 
Moyer,  Dr.  R.  B.  Rhoads,  John  Sabold,  William 
H.  Schneider  and  A.  Y.  Yoder.  The  capital 
stock  is  $50,000,  and  its  total  resources  March  1, 
1886,  were  $179,361,  of  which  $103,848  were  owing 
'  to  depositors.  An  office  is  occupied  on  Philadelphia 
Avenue,  and  W.  B.  Grim  is  the  cashier. 

Thomas  J.  B.  Rhoads  was  born  September 
26,  1837,  on  the  Rhoads  homestead,  now  in- 
cluded in  the  corporate  limits  of  Boyertown,  he 
being  the  youngest  son  of  John  Rhoads  and  his 
wife,  Catharine.  His  progenitors  emigrated  from 
the  Palatinate  early  in  the  eighteenth  century, 
and  took  up  their  abode  in  what  is  now  Amity 
township,  this  county.  His  great-grandfather, 
Mathias  Roth,  became  a  resident  of  Colebrook- 
dale  township  about  the  year  1760,  and  twelve 
years  later  became  the  owner  by  purchase  from 
Rutter  and  Potts  of  several  hundred  acres  of 
land,  with  improvements,  in  what  is  now  Morys- 
ville,  near  Boyertown.  His  grandfather,  Jonathan 
Roth,  became  the  owner  of  the  mill  property  and 
farm  at  Morysville  by  inheritance.  To  this  he 
added  by  purchase  several  tracts,  which  became 
the  property  of  John  Rhoads  upon  the  death  of 
Jonathan  Roth.  The  orthography  of  the  name 
was  changed  from  Roth  to  Rhoads  through  the 
instrumentality  of  the  instructors  of  the  children 
of  that  period,  in  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth 
century. 

Before  the  adoption  of  the  public  school  sys- 
tem in  Berks  County  he  was  chiefly  under  the 


instructions  of  that  precise,  veteran  school-teacher, 
Henry  G.  Stetler,  who  is  still  living.  Later  he 
became  a  student  in  Mount  Pleasant  Seminary,  of 
Boyertown,  when  that  institution  was  in  the 
height  of  its  success ;  and  later  he  was  for  a  time 
a  pupil  of  Hon.  Augustus  S.  Sassaman,  under 
whose  instructions  he  acquired  a  knowledge  of  the 
higher  branches  of  English  literature  and  mathe- 
matics. 

At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  was  selected  by  the 
school  directors  of  Colebrookdale  township  to 
take  charge  of  the  Wise  School,  and  during  the 
three  succeeding  school  terms  he  was  teacher  of 
the  Gabeltown  School,  and  closed  his  experience 
as  a  teacher  of  public  schools  in  the  spring  of 
1859.  In  his  leisure  hours,  during  1857  and  1858, 
he  commenced  the  study  of  medicine,  of  which  he 
acquired  considerable  knowledge,  until  the  spring 
of  1859,  when  he  entered  the  office  of  his  brother, 
Dr.  R.  B.  Rhoads,  then  a  physician  in  successful 
practice  at  Zieglersville,  Montgomery  County. 
He  prosecuted  his  studies  with  diligence  until 
October,  1 859,  when  he  became  a  matriculate  of 
Jefferson  Medical  College,  Philadelphia ;  from 
this  institution  he  was  graduated  in  March,  1861, 
and  on  May  23d  following  he  opened  an  office  at 
Gilbertsville,  Montgomery  County,  where  he  soon 
gained  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  commu- 
nity, and  acquired  a  good  paying  practice. 

On  May  10, 1862,  he  was  married  to  Theresa 
F.,  only  daughter  of  Captain  Henry  S.  Leidy, 
which  union  was  blessed  with  two  sons  and  two 
daughters,  of  whom  one  son  and  one  daughter 
only  are  living. 

In  September  of  the  same  year,  responding  to 
the  call  of  his  country  for  assistant  surgeons  of 
volunteers,  he  proceeded  to  Harrisburg,  and  after 
having  passed  a  creditable  examination  by  the 
State  Board  of  Medical  Examiners,  he  was  commis- 
sioned as  assistant  surgeon,  with  the  rank  of  first 
lieutenant,  and  assigned  to  the  One  Hundred  and 
Sixty-ninth  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 
then  stationed  at  Gloucester  Point,  opposite  York- 
town,  Virginia.  During  the  winter  of  1862  he 
and  his  brother,  Dr.  R.  B.  Rhoads,  had  medi- 
cal charge  of  all  the  forces  then  stationed  at 
Gloucester  Point,  Fort  Keyes,  and  a  large  settle- 
ment of  "  Contrabands,"  as  well  as  the  brigade 
hospital  connected  therewith,   his   brother  being 


910 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


the  senior  officer.  The  onerous  duties  connected 
with  his  calliDg,  in  conjunction  with  the  unavoid- 
able exposures  incident  thereto,  brought  on  an 
attack  of  typho-malarial  fever,  which  laid  him  up 
for  several  weeks,  and  came  nigh  putting  an  end 
to  his  career,  but  an  iron  constitution  and  an  in- 
domitable will  at  last  triumphed,  and  he  became 
convalescent,  although  the  disease  left  him  a  sub- 
ject to  rheumatic  attacks  thereafter. 

Upon  the  opening  of  the  campaign  of  1863  he 
shared  the  trials,  dangers  and  vicissitudes  of  his 
regiment  until  it  was  mustered  out  of  service,  on 
July  28th  of  that  year.  Upon  returning  from  the 
army  he  settled  down  in  Boyertown  to  continue 
the  practice  of  his  profession.  His  varied  experi- 
ence in  medical  and  surgical  practice  whilst  in  the 
army  gave  him  a  leading  position  among  the 
medical  fraternity  of  his  section,  and  he  was  soon 
overrun  with  practice. 

He  has  been  in  continuous  practice  for  a  period 
of  twenty-five  years,  with  the  exception  of  about 
six  months  during  1882,  when  he  was  laid  up  with 
a  compound  fracture  of  the  right  leg,  the  result  of 
a  runaway  horse  and  several  attacks  of  inflamma- 
tory rheumatism  previously. 

He  was  one  of  the  projectors  of  the  National 
Bank  of  Boyertown,  when  it  was  organized  in 
1874,  and  became  its  first  president,  which  position 
he  held  until  January,  1883,  when  he  peremptorily 
declined  a  re-election.  In  March,  1883,  he  was 
one  of  the  projectors  of  the  Farmers'  National 
Bank  of  Boyertown,  which  was  organized  on 
March  20th,  becoming  its  president,  which  posi- 
tion he  is  holding  at  the  present  time. 

On  January  2,  1886,  he  became  treasurer  of 
the  Boyertown  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company, 
upon  organization  of  that  corporation.  He  has 
held  various  offices  of  trust  and  honor,  indicating 
the  high  estimation  in  which  he  is  held.  Besides 
carrying  on  his  practice,  in  which  he  is  still 
actively  engaged,  he  is  interested  in  real  estate, 
principally  in  Boyertown. 

Other  Companies.— Boyertown  Mutual  Fire 
Insurance  Company  was  projected  at  an  informal 
meeting,  held  December  5,  1885,  by  L.  P.  G. 
Fegley,  Dr.  Thomas  J.  B.  Rhoads,  William  K. 
Grim  and  William  D.  Kehl,  and  it  was  then  de- 
cided to  open  subscription  books  and  solicit  in- 
surance. At  another  meeting,  held  December  28th, 


it  was  ascertained  that  a  pledge  of  $216,500  of  in- 
surance had  been  secured.  A  charter  was  obtained 
January  2,  1886. 

The  first  policy  was  issued  on  February  20, 
1886,  for  three  thousand  dollars  insurance,  in  favor 
of  Jacob  W.  Leaver,  of  New  Berlinville.  On  the 
1st  of  March,  1886,  the  policies  numbered  eighty^ 
all  of  which  are  perpetual  and  limited  to  safe  risks, 
none  exceeding  five  thousand  dollars. 

Boyertown  Water  Company  was  incorporated 
under  an  act  of  the  Assembly,  approved  April  8, 
1856,  on  the  petition  of  George  Mull,  Samuel 
Shaner,  Daniel  B.  Boyer,  William  Binder,  Fred. 
H.  Stauffer,  Dr.  Charles  Keeley,  William  K. 
Stauffer,  Lewis  S.  Worman,  Benjamin  Riegner, 
Jeremiah  Sweinhart,  Aaron  K.  Strunk,  Henry 
Borneman  and  David  H.  Fox.  The  company 
supplies  the  borough  with  pure  water,  from  springs 
in  the  neighborhood.  The  direct  supply  is  from  a 
reservoir  of  large  capacity,  in  the  rear  of  the  Mount 
Pleasant  Seminary,  on  an  elevation  'which  will 
afford  a  flow  higher  than  the  tallest  building  in  the 
borough.  An  additional  supply  of  water  can  be 
pumped  into  the  reservoir  from  springs  at  the 
Ironstone  Creek,  distant  one-fourth  of  a  mile,  by 
means  of  a  steam-engine  located  there.  The  town 
is  supplied  with  water-mains  and  eight  fire-plugs. 

Fairview  Cemetery. — A  company  was  organized 
March  2, 1859,  with  the  following  trustees :  Jacob 
Merkel  (president),  William  K.  Stauffer  (secre- 
tary), Samuel  Shaner  (treasurer),  Samuel  Witman, 
Thos.  Shaner,  Fred.  H.  Stauffer  and  Peter  Fryer. 

Five  acres  of  land  adjoining  Boyertown  were 
first  purchased,  and  afterward  five  acres  more^» 
the  present  area  being  ten  acres.  One  thousand 
lots,  each  fourteen  by  sixteen  feet,  have  been  laid 
out  and  many  sold.  A  number  of  substantial  and 
attractive  improvements  have  been  made,  includ- 
ing a  sexton's  residence.  The  association  has  a 
fund  of  three  thousand  dollars  unexpended*. 

Union  Cemetery  is  southwest  of  the  borough  and 
has  an  attractive  location  on  an  elevated  tract  of 
land.  It  embraces  several  acres,  much  of  which 
was  donated  by  the  iron-mining  firm  of  Gabel, 
Jones  &  Gabel. 

Secret  Societies.— Freedom  Council,  No.  2  5, 
American  Mechanics,  was  instituted  January  5, 
1854,  at  Boyertown. 

The  meetings  were  held  with  interest  until  1862 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


911 


when  they  were  discontinued  for  the  time  being, 
and  soon  wholly  given  up.  The  last  trustees  were 
H.  B.  Rhoads,  L.  S.  Worman  and  B.  Riegner. 

Some  years  later  a  lodge  of  the  Brotherhood 
Society  was  established,  which  had  a  flourishing  ex- 
istence for  a  few  years. 

Washington  Camp,  No.  104,  P.  0.  S.  of  A.,  was 
instituted  in  the  fall  of  1869,  and  flourished  until 
a  determined  local  opposition  caused  the  meetings 
to  be  discontinued.   There  were  at  one  time  eighty 


causes  led  to  the  dissolution  of  the  society.  It 
was  purely  beneficial  and  entirely  local. 

Miners'  Beneficial  Sdciety  was  organized  Feb- 
ruary 18, 1882,  for  the  purpose  of  affording  the 
miners  of  Boyertown  mutual  assistance,  in  case 
of  sickness  or  death.  It  has  some  sixty  members 
in  good  standing. 

Salah  Castle,  No.  46,  A.  0.  K.  of  M.  C,  was  in- 
stituted February  15,  1873.  It  has  a  membership 
of  sixty-seven,  and  a  fund  approximating  $700. 


RESIDENCE   OP   FRANK   G.    BINDER,   BOYERTOWN,   PA. 


members  in  good  standing,  some  of  whom  remained 
faithful  to  their  obligations,  and  still  retain  posses- 
sion of  the  camp  property,  hoping  some  day  to 
revive  the  meetings. 

Oley  Lodge,  No.  218, 1. 0. 0.  F.,  was  organized  at 
Pleasantville,  in  Oley  township,  but  removed  to 
Boyertown  in  1874.  Its  meetings  were  continued 
three  .years ;  then  the  lodge  was  transferred  to 
Reading,  where  it  still  exists. 

Boyertown  Beneficial  Association  was  instituted 
in  1847.  At  one  time  there  were  one  hundred 
members,  and  the  meetings  were  kept  up  with  ben- 
eficial results  until  1857,  when  removals  and  other 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 

Frank.  G.  Binder  was  born  January  29,  1860, 
in  Boyertown.  William  Binder,  his  father,  was 
born  in  New  Hanover  township,  Montgomery 
County,  November  18, 1820,  and  had  four  brothers 
—Samuel,  born  October  19,  1822;  Jesse,  born 
September  2,  1824— Benjamin,  born  July  13, 
1831;  and  Franklin;  and  three  sisters,— Esther, 
Magdalena,born  December  23, 1827 ;  Emma,  born 
May  6,  1834;  and  Maria  Ann,  born  June  23, 
1837.  Benjamin  died  from  wounds  received  in 
the  army  and  Franklin  died  when  but  seven  years 
old. 


912 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


William  Binder  died  February  25,  1880.  He 
had  three  children, — Henry  M.,  with  first  wife 
and  Clara  G.  and  Frank  G.,  with  second  wife. 
Clara  was  married  to  Frank  Hartman,  and  died 
February  13,  1885. 

Jonathan  Binder,  father  of  William,  was  born 
in  Montgomery  County,  June  14,  1789,  and  was 
married  to  Joanna  Bickel,  born  June  9,  1794. 
Jonathan  Binder,  father  of  Jonathan,  was  born  in 
Germany,  came  to  this  country  early  in  the  eigh- 
teenth century  and  settled  in  Montgomery  County. 
He  and  his  son  Jonathan  were  fullers  by  trade. 

In  1854  William  Binder  came  to  Boyertown  and 
moved  into  the  old  log  hotel,  then  located  ou  the 
corner  of  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Avenues,  upon 
which  site,  in  1857,  he  erected  the  three-story  brick 
hotel,  and  remained  there  eight  years,  and  for 
sixteen  years  dealt  extensively  in  horses. 

In  1859  he  purchased  fourteen  acres  of  land 
from  James  Ellis.  March  6, 1872,  he  leased  a  part 
thereof  to  H.  and  J.  Gabel,  Griffith  Jones  and 
Jacob  and  Isaac  Fegley  for  twenty  years.  June  6, 
1874,  the  lease  was  extended  to  fifty  years.  Rich 
ore  was  discovered.  Since  1878  this  "  Binder 
mine"  is  extensively  operated  by  Fegley  &  Co., 
and  is  called  the  "  Warwick  Mines,"  superintended 
by  Jacob  Shupp.  This  property  was  inherited  by 
Frank,  Henry  and  Clara,  and  is  still  owned  by 
them. 

William  Binder  was  one  of  the  first  Councilmen 
of  the  borough,  treasurer  of  Fire  Company,  build- 
ing-master of  St.  John's  Church  and  director  of 
the  Boyertown  Building  and  Loan  Association.  His 
good  council  was  often  sought. 

Frank  G.  Binder,  in  early  youth,  attended  the 
common  public  school  and  in  early  years  com- 
menced going  to  Mount  Pleasant  Seminary  and 
Kallynean  Academy  of  his  native  town.  In  the 
fall  of  1877  he  entered  Muhlenberg  College,  Allen- 
town,  Pa.,  and  took  one  session  in  that  institution ; 
returning,  he  remained  with  his  father  until  the 
latter  died. 

In  the  spring  of  1883  he  entered  into  co-partner- 
ship with  his  brother  Henry,  engaging  in  the  trade 
of  their  father— dealing  in  horses— under  the  firm- 
name  of  H.  M  Binder  &  Bro.,  doing  an  extensive 
business,  and  commanding  the  esteem  and  confi- 
dence of  their  customers,  and,  like  their  father, 
true  in  their  dealings.    December  23, 1884,  Frank 


married  a  daughter  of  Hon.  Isaac  F.  Yost,  ex- 
associate  judge  of  the  Montgomery  County  Courts. 
Mr.  Binder  is  very  popular  and  a  young,  influen- 
tial citizen.  He  is  president  of  the  Keystone  Fire 
Company  of  Boyertown,  and  was  a  director  of  the 
Boyertown  Building  and  Loan  Association  at  its 
close,  in  1884. 

John  Scheaffee,  of  Boyertown,  Pa.,  was  born 
August  26,  1859,  in  Earl  township,  Berks  County, 
Pa.,  at  the  place  known  then  as  "Scheaffer'e 
Tannery,"  now  "  Rapp's." 

His  father,  Jeremiah  Scheaffer,  was  born  on  the 
"Scheaffer  farm,"  at  Boyertown,  November  12, 
1818,  and  died  on  the  same  farm  April  27, 1880, 
leaving  an  only  son.  John  Scheaffer,  father  of 
Jeremiah,  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  February 
28,  1788.  Christian  Scheaffer,  grandfather  of 
Jeremiah  and  great-grandfather  of  John  Scheaffer, 
Jr.,  was  a  Hessian ;  came  to  this  country  when  but 
fifteen  years  old  and  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
War.  He  first  settled  in  Exeter  township,  and 
by  economy  became  possessed  of  three  farms, — one 
in  Exeter  township,  still  known  as  the  "  Captain 
Scheaffer  Farm,"  one  in  Oley,  and  the  Scheaffer 
farm  at  Boyertown. 

The  accession  of  this  Boyertown  farm  records 
an  exceedingly  important  history.  A  pile  of  old 
deeds,  written  on  parchment,  are  in  possession  of 
the  present  owner  of  the  farm,  John  Scheaffer. 
The  tract  first  consisted  of  two  hundred  and  fortyr 
five  acres,  and  comprised  then  also  the  Landis 
farm  adjoining,  at  New  Berlinville.  The  oldest 
records  show  that  by  a  claim  of  right  of  proprietary, 
Thomas  Baylie,  of  the  city  of  Bristol,  England, 
obtained  it  September  26  and  27,  1601.  March 
4,  1707,  the  commissioners  of  property,  by  war- 
rant, granted  the  same  to  Edward  Roberts  in 
right  of  said  Thomas  Baylie,  who,  May  8,  1713, 
sold  it  to  Edward  Roberts,  Jr.,  for  four  hundred 
and  sixty-five  pounds,  who  had  a  part  patented 
in  1717,  and  November  31,  1725,  sold  the  whole 
farm  to  Nicholas  Scull,  who  the  same  day,  sold  it  to 
Thomas  Rutter,  of  Philadelphia,  who  sold  it, 
December  14,  1727,  unto  Henry  Keyler,  who 
died  intestate,  and  his  heirs  afterward  sold  it 
to  George  Keyler.  George  Keyler,  December 
4,  1754,  sold  it  to  Matthias  Holsbough,  who 
sold  it,  August. 19,  1762,  to  Stephen  Crumrein 
(Krumrein),  for   "  seventeen  hundred  pounds  in 


BOKOUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


913 


good  gold  and  silver."  (At  this  period  the  Landis 
farm  was  sold  off,  leaving  iu  the  Scheaffer  tract 
the  present  number  of  acres — one  hundred  and 
forty-two.)  In  1785  Krumrein  sold  the  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-two  acres  to  Jacob  Latshaw, 
who  sold  it,  March  19, 1801,  to  Abraham  Latshaw, 
who,  April  2,  1810,  sold  it  to  Christian  Scheaffer, 
the  great-grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
for  three  thousand  seven  hundred  and  fifty  pounds, 
and  from  this  it  was  inherited  from  father  to  son 


borough,  and  for  nine  years  Councilman,  holding 
that  office  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

John  Scheaffer's  early  years  were  spent  on  his 
father's  farm.  He  attended  the  borough  schools 
and  in  1875  and  1876,  Kallynean  Academy,  at 
Boyertown.  In  1885  he  was  elected  a  member  oi 
the  Borough  Council.  Mr.  Scheaffer  is  an  enter- 
prising young  man,  and  is  highly  respected.  He 
is  married  and  has  one  child. 


down  to  John  Scheaffer,  Jr.  In  1874  fear  arose  as 
to  the  patent,  and  in  that  year  it  was  patented  to 
George  Landis,  P.  Y.  Brendlinger,  James  Focht 
and  the  trustees  of  the  St.  John's  Lutheran  congre- 
gation, of  Boyertown,  Pa.  A  part  thereof  is  with- 
in the  borough  limits,  and  fine  building  lots  have 
been  sold,  the  St.  John's  Church  being  erected 
on  one  of  the  lots  in  1872.  The  old  log  farm- 
house still  stands  and  was  the  first  in  the  vicinity. 
Jeremiah  Scheaffer  was  the  third  burgess  in  the 


BERNVILLE. 
The  borough  of  Bernville  is  situated  in  the 
western  part  of  Penn  township,  on  the  North- 
Kill,  near  its  confluence  with  the  Tulpehocken 
Creek,  and  about  ten  miles  from  the  nearest 
railway  station,  Mohrville,  on  the  Philadelphia 
and  Beading  Railroad.  Many  substantial  im- 
provements have  been  made  lately  and  the  bus- 
iness men  are  'enterprising ;  but  there  has  been 
no  increase  in  the  population.     In  1885  the  in- 


914 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY.  PENNSYLVANIA. 


habitants  numbered  about  five  hundred.  Bern- 
ville  was  laid  out  in  1819  by  Thomas  Umben- 
hauer, who  owned  the  farm  on  which  it  is 
located.  On  the  24th  of  August  of  the  same 
year  Peter  Bennethum  bought  the  first  lots, 
six  in  all.  The  old  tannery  occupied  this 
ground,  and  near  by  he  built  the  first  house. 

The  place  was  named  January  22,  1820  by 
Thomas  Umbenhauer,  after  the  native  place  of 
his  father,  Stephanus  Umbenhauer,  which  was 
Bern,  in  Switzerland.  Number  of  lots  laid  out 
was  sixty-two. 

On  March  7,  1820,  sales  of  lots  were  made  to 
the  following  persons : 

Philip  Filbert No.  10 

John  Umbenhauer Nos.  12  and  14 

Mathias  Stoudt No.  15 

Henry  Waters No.  16 

Peter  Filbert Nos.  18  and  20 

Philip  A.  Good No.  21 

Samuel  Umbenhauer Nos.  22  and  24 

Catharine  Stoudt No.  51 

Joseph  Seybert No.  29 

Samuel  Seybert No.  31 

Nicholas  Haas No.  35 

Samuel  Filbert No.  37 

John  Heck,  Jr No.  41 

John  Miesse Nos.  8  and  46 

Jacob  Wagner No.  50 

John  Wagner No.  52 

Daniel  Strause ; No.  53 

John  Allenbach,  Jr No.  57 

John  Heck,  Sr ...No.  49 

All  of  the  lots  mentioned  were  not  im- 
mediately improved. 

The  first  houses  were  occupied  by 

Henry  Witman tinsmith 

William  Eunkle merchant 

Abraham  Beber merchant 

Andrew  Greth blacksmith 

John  Haag wheelwright 

Joseph  Burkhart chair-maker 

Jacob  Allenbach hatter 

Eev.  Boyer minister 

Peter  Bennethum...  tanner 

Michael  Parst paper-box  maker 

Benj.  L.  Kerschner coach-maker 

Jacob  Wagner butcher 

Joseph  Kauffman hatter 

Catherine  Stoudt cake-baker 

Lewis  Perr tailor 

John  Umbenhauer weaver 

William  Umbenhauer tavern-keeper 

Daniel  Klopp tavern-keeper 

John  Daniel tinsmith 


Incorporation. — Bernville  was  incorpo- 
rated as  a  borough  in  1851  in  order  to  secure 
better  schools  and  roads.  The  latter  at  that 
time  were  in  a  very  poor  condition,  and  measures 
were  taken,  as  soon  as  the  power  was  vested 
with  the  Council,  to  improve  them.  To  more 
fully  encourage  the  authorities  in  this  matter, 
the  following  persons,  on  the  17th  day  of 
August,  1852,  agreed  to  sustain  the  Council 
in  the  expenses  necessary  to  improve  the  streets 
and  gutters  : 

A.  E.  Koenig.  Joseph  B.  Conrad. 

Jacob  Eiegel.  John  F.  Burkhart. 

Wm.  E.  Huber.  John  Eunkle. 

Adam  .Snyder.  Joseph  Wolfinger. 

John  Miller.  Jacob  Strauss. 

Elijah  Eichardson.  Samuel  Hix. 

Jonathan  Miller.  John  Greiner. 

Joseph  Eenner.  John  Yeager. 

Adam  Bohn.  Benj.  Lins. 

A.  B.  Kerschner.  Jacob  Werner. 

Henry  Witman.  John  Herback. 

Albert  Hine.  John  Haag. 

Henry  Kline.  Wm.  B.  Noll. 

S.  W.  Miller.  A.  A.  McDonough. 

Daniel  Bentz.  Jonathan  Kline. 

John  S.  Eick.  Henry  Beyerle. 

John  Spengler.  Wm.  Grime. 

David  E.  Faust.  Benj.  Himmelberger. 

Abraham  Andrews.  John  Hetrick. 

Jacob  Eieser.  Daniel  Umbenhauer. 

Joseph  Burkhart.  Wm.  Eunkle. 

John  Hix.  John  Daniel. 

E.  B.  Filbert.  John  Wenrich. 

These  objects  were  secured  in  the  course  of  a 
few  years,  and  Bernville  has  since  been  noted 
for  its  well-paved  and  neatly-kept  streets. 

The  burgesses  and  clerks  since  the  incorpor- 
ation have  been  the  following  : 

Term.  Burgess.  Clerk. 

1851 E.  B.  Filbert A.  E.  Koenig. 

1852 A.  E.  Koenig John  S.  Eick. 

1853 William  Eunkle John  S.  Eick. 

1854 Henry  Witman John  S.  Eick. 

1855 ...Abraham  Andrews Harrison  Harner. 

1856 Joseph  B.  Conrad Harrison  Harner. 

1857 H.  Harner Wm.  H.  Kintzle. 

1858 Adam  Stoudt H.  Harner. 

1859 Paul   Wenrich H.  Harner. 

1860-61 Levi  M.  Gerhart H.  Harner. 

1862 D.  D.  Deppen H.  Harner. 

1863 John  F.  Burkhart H.  Harner. 

1864 A.M.  Bright C.  W.  Hetrich. 

1865 David  E.  Koenig Peter  Sands. 

1866 AdamM.  Dundore C.  W.  Hetrich. 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


915 


1867.. 
1868.. 
1869.. 
1870., 
1871.. 
1872.. 
1873.. 
1874.. 


..Jefferson  Haag L.  W, 

..D.  D.  Deppen C.  W. 

..Abraham,  Witman 0.  W. 

..F.  M.  Harbaugh 0.  W. 

..Adam  M.  Dundore John 

..Joseph  B.  Conrad John 

..Ephraim  Witman John 

..Jacob  S.  Werner C.  W 


1875 Charles  F.  Rentschler...C.  W 

1876 John  A.  Hiester C.  W, 

1877 Lewis  Kerschner H.  S. 

1878-80 LeviLudwig H.  S. 

1881 Levi  Berger C.  H. 

1882-84 John  S.  Wenrich C.  H. 


.  Rentschler. 

Hetrich. 

Hetrich. 

Hetrich. 
H.  Riegel. 
H.  Riegel. 

H.  Eiegel. 
.  Hetrich. 
.  Hetrich. 
.  Hetrich. 

Machmer. 
Machmer. 

Hetrich. 

Hetrich. 


In  1885  the  officers  of  the  borough  were  as 
follows : 

Burgess,  John  S.  Wenrich  ;  Clerk,  C.  H.  Hetrich  ; 
Councilman,  Benjamin  Pleise,  Ephraim  Bentz,  Exeriel 
Lengel,  F.  R.  Schroeder ;  School  Directors,  W.  George 
Beyerle,  Charles  F.  Rentschler,  D.  D.  Deppen,  Benj. 
Klahr,  Levi  Berger,  Christ.  Schweikert;  Assessors, 
J.  M.  Bordner,  Joseph  B.  Conrad,  J.  B.  Miller ;  Au- 
ditors, C.  W.  Hetrich,  N.  P.  Stoudt,  Edwin  Umben- 
hauer;  Constable,  William  Fidler;  Justices,  Benj. 
Klahr  and  C.  W.  Hetrich. 

In  1880  the  borough  contained  86  dwelling- 
houses, — 45  brick,  28  frame,  12  log  and  1 
stone;  also  6  frame  shops,  1  bending-works 
and  1  foundry. 

Stores. — After  the  Union  Canal  was  com- 
pleted to  this  point  the  place  became  a  trading 
centre  for  grain  and  lumber,  and  then  a  ware- 
house was  erected  by  Henry  Witman  and  Wil- 
liam Runkle  for  this  business.  David  Renno 
built  the  second  warehouse  about  1839,  about 
ten  years  later  than  the  first.  Philip  Filbert 
had  one  of  the  first  stores  in  this  locality  at  his 
tavern-stand,  just  outside  of  the  borough.  In 
Bernville  proper  a  man  named  Uhlman  first 
traded,  near  the  present  Miller  store.  Reber 
&  Penrose  came  next,  closely  followed  by  Wm. 
Runkle,  Michael  Boyer  and  Charles  Heine. 
In  1885  there  were  six  stores  in  the  place, 
representing  all  branches  of  trade.  Of  these, 
several  are  noteworthy.  The  hardware  busi- 
ness has  been  carried  on  by  John  F.  Burkhart 
since  1848;  the  drug  trade  by  Dr.  H.  H. 
Snavely  since  1877.  The  mercantile  business 
of  the  Millers  was  established  at  Bernville  in 
1847  by  S.  W.  Miller,  the  father  of  the  present 
proprietor.  In  1864  the  firm  became  S.  W. 
Miller  &  Son,  and  so  continued  until  1878, 


when  the  father  retired,  leaving  the  son,  Jona- 
than B.  Miller,  in  charge  of  the  business.  In 
1849  this  stand  was  established  in  a  store-room, 
twenty  by  thirty  feet.  A  new  room  was  found 
necessary  in  1867  and  accordingly  supplied, 
twenty  by  fifty-five  feet.  In  1884  an  addition 
of  thirty-five  by  fifty-one  feet  was  made,  giving 
a  room  one  hundred  and  six  feet  in  depth. 
The  main  building  is  fifty-five  feet  square  and 
three  stories  high.  The  extension  has  well 
arranged  sky-lights  and  the  entire  building  is 
heated  by  steam  and  lit  by  gas,  generated  on 
the  premises.  In  its  arrangement  and  general 
appearance  this  store  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
finest  in  Eastern  Pennsylvania,  and  the  volume 
of  business  is  not  excelled  by  stores  outside  of 
large  cities. 

Jonathan  B.  Millee  traces  his  ancestry  to  an 
early  member  of  the  family  who  emigrated  from 
Germany.  His  great-grandfather  was  Johannes 
Miller,  who  resided  in  Tulpehocken  township, 
where  he  conducted  a  tannery.  His  children  were 
John,  Samuel,  Henry,  Matthew  and  four  daughters. 
John  was  a  native  of  the  same  township,  and  suc- 
ceeded his  father  as  a  tanner.  He  married  Eliza- 
beth Wagner,  and  had  one  son,  Samuel  W.,  who 
was  born  in  the  same  township,  January  15,  1816. 
After  receiving  a  rudimentary  education  he  entered 
his  father's  tannery,  and  became  familiar  with 
the  business,  in  which  he  continued  until  1847, 
when,  on  removing  to  Bernville,  he  engaged  in 
mercantile  pursuits  with  such  limited  capital  as  it 
was  possible  to  command.  He  continued  in  busi- 
ness alone  until  1864,  when  his  son  was  admitted 
to  an  interest,  under  the  firm-name  of  S.  W. 
Miller  &  Son,  and  the  enterprise  thus  managed 
until  the  retirement  of  the  senior  partner,  on  the 
1st  of  March,  1878. '  Mr.  Miller  married  Sarah 
Brossman,  of  the  same  township,  born  December 
4,  1821,  whose  children  are  Monroe  (deceased), 
Isabella  B.  (wife  of  Dr.  D.  D.  Deppen)  and  Jona- 
than B.  The  death  of  Samuel  W.  Miller  occurred 
November  23,  1885.  The  only  surviving  son, 
Jonathan  B.,  was  born  on  the  21st  of  November, 
1841,  at  Bernville,  where  his  life  has  been  spent 
in  mercantile  pursuits.  After  some  attention  given 
to  the  English  branches  at  the  public  schools,  he 
entered  his  father's  store  as  a  clerk,  having  before 
this  time  become  familiar  with  the  business  .by 


916 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


occasional  assistance  rendered  when  a  lad.  In 
1868  the  trade  had  reached  such  proportions  as  to 
make  larger  quarters  necessary,  and  a  new  store 
was  erected  on  the  present  site.  This  also  in  a 
few  years  proved  inadequate  to  the  demands  of 
customers,  and  a  very  spacious  and  attractive  ex- 
tension was  added,  the  total  length  of  the  building 
being  one  hundred  and  six  feet.      It  is  now  one  of 


ceased,  born  May  27,  1865 ;  Harry  Grant,  De- 
cember 12,  1867;  Benjamin  P.,  August  17, 1870; 
John  S.,  July  4,  1872  ;  Catherine  E.,  June  11, 
1874  ;  Amelia  I.,  June  16,  1876  ;  Mary  M.,  June 
27,  1878 ;  James  Garfield,  deceased,  June  21, 
1882;  and  Emily  N.,  June  13,  1885.  A  Re- 
publican in  his  political  associations,  Mr.  Miller 
has  not  been  an  active  worker  in  the  party  ranks. 


the  most  attractive  and  perfectly  equipped  stores  in 
the  county,  requiring,  beside  the  services  of  the  pro- 
prietor, the  aid  of  six  clerks,  which  number  on 
Saturdays  is  increased  to  eight.  The  heating  ap- 
pointments are  supplied  by  steam  to  the  store,  as 
also  to  the  dwelling  adjacent,  and  the  illuminating 
power  manufactured  on  the  premises.  Mr.  Miller 
was  married,  on  the  24th  of  December,  1863,  to 
Eliza  L.,  daughter  of  Gabriel  Dundore,  of  Bern 
township.     Their  children  are  Sarah  Lydia,  de- 


He  has,  however,  held  for  eight  yeare'  the  office  of 
school  director  and  various  minor  positions  in  the 
borough.  He  is  an  influential  member  of  the 
Berks  County  Merchants'  Association.  Both  he 
and  Mrs.  Miller  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
Evangelical  Church  of  Bernville,  Mr.  Miller  dis- 
played his  patriotism  by  enlisting  for  the  emergency 
period  of  the  late  war  in  Company  I,  Forty- 
eighth  Regiment  Pennsylvania  State  Militia.  He 
varies  the  routine  of  trade  by  superintending  the 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


917 


cultivation  of  a  productive  farm  he  owns,  located 
in  the  suburbs  of  Bernville. 

The  store  of  Albert  F.  Schock  is  of  large 
proportions.  He  has  been  in  trade  since 
1872.  He  took  possession  of  his  present  fine 
room  in  the  fall  of  1884.  The  main  room  is 
twenty-seven  feet  wide  and  one  hundred  feet 
long,  including  a  wing  eighteen  by  twenty- 
five  feet.  The  second  story  is  used  for  sto- 
rage purposes  as  well  as  a  large  brick  ware- 
house in  the  rear  of  the  building.  The 
store  is  well  arranged  for  a  large  and  varied 
stock.     Seven  clerks  are  employed. 

Post-Offices. — Philip  Filbert  was  the  first 
postmaster  in  1832,  keeping  the  office  at  his 
inn.  Wm.  Runkle  had  the  office  many  years 
at  his  store.  The  present  postmaster  is  0.  H. 
Hetrich.  The  office  has  a  daily  mail  from 
Reading  and  a  tri-weekly  from  Mohrsville  via 
Centreport. 

Taverns. — In  this  locality  the  old  Filbert 
tavern  is  best  remembered  as  an  old-time  inn, 
kept  before  the  present  century.  On  this  site 
a  tavern  is  still  kept.  In  the  borough  Samuel 
Umbenhauer  opened  the  first  inn  about  1821, 
in  the  house  now  occupied  by  Dr.  John  A. 
Brobst.  The  second  inn  was  kept  by  Daniel 
Bentz  and  is  now  known  as  the  upper  tavern. 
The  Eagle  Hotel  was  first  a  store  and  was 
changed  to  a  tavern  by  John  Runkle.  The 
lower  tavern  was  built  for  hotel  purposes  by 
Samuel  Hix  and  has  been  kept  by  different 
landlords. 

Physicians. — Dr.  Enoch  Bricker,  who  died 
about  1835,  was  the  first  practicing  physician  at 
Bernville,  and  he  was  followed  by  Dr.  Daniel 
Deppen. 

Dr.  George  Beyerle  was  one  of  the  pioneer 
physicians  of  the  place.  He  was  born  at  Read- 
ing in  1804,  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  John 
Livengood,  of  Womelsdorf,  and  located  at 
Bernville  in  1828.  Here  he  practiced  forty- 
five  years.  He  died  in  1875.  Then  came 
other  physicians, — Dr.  A.  A.  McDonough  till 
1857,  Dr.  Philip  R.  Palm  and  Dr.  George  W. 
Ditzler,  all  removed. 

Dr.  W.  G.  Beyerle  since  1853,  but  move 
actively  since  the  close  of  the  "War  for  the  Union, 
when  he  succeeded  to  his  father's  practice. 


Dr.  Darius  D.  Deppen  has  been  here  since 
1855,  having  practiced  in  Penn  township  two 
years  previously,  after  his  graduation  from  the 
Pennsylvania  Medical  College  in  1853. 

Dr.  John  A.  Brobst  since  April,  1857,  hav- 
ing followed  his  profession  here  continuously 
since  his  graduation. 

Industries. — The  oldest  industry  in  the 
place  is  tanning.  As  early  as  1820  Peter  Ben- 
nethum  engaged  in  this  business,  and  continued 
until  his  death,  fifteen  years  later,  when  John 
Miller  began  operations.  Since  1872  the  tan- 
nery has  been  carried  on  by  Charles  F.  Rentch- 
ler,  using  steam-power.  The  plant  is  well  ar- 
ranged and  capacitated  to  work  up  two  thousand 
five  hundred  hides  per  year,  oak  tanning. 

West  from  this  point  a  foundry  was  built  by 
Painter  &  Embich,  but  converted  into  a  tannery 
by  Elias  Stoudt,  and  carried  on  as  such  a  short 
time.  Stoudt  had  also  a  distillery,  which,  in 
the  course  of  a  few  years,  was  changed  into  a 
grist-mill,  and  is  still  in  operation. 

In  the  same  locality,  about  thirty-five  years 
ago,  Zadoch  Weaver  carried  on  a  foundry  on  a 
small  scale,  using  steam-power,  but  the  build- 
ings have  long  since  been  removed.  The  foundry 
in  the  upper  part  of  the  borough  was  built  by 
Joel  Haag,  who  used  the  waters  of  the  North- 
Kill  for  motive-power.  Changes  of  ownership 
followed,  Haag,  Kline  &  Co.  being  the  last  to 
operate  it,  in  1875.  The  buildings  are  large, 
and  at  one  time  employment  was  given  to  fifty 
men  in  the  manufacture  of  farm  machinery. 
Among  other  articles  manufactured  was  Klahr' s 
boring  and  sawing- machine,  a  very  ingenious 
contrivance,  patented  January  31,  1865,  by 
Benjamin  Klahr,  of  Bernville.  Since  1883  Mr. 
Klahr  has  carried  on  a  pottery,  operated  by 
steam.  It  was  established  in  1873  by  Levi 
Yonson. 

The  Bernville  Handle- Works  is  an  import- 
ant factor  in  the  industrial  history  of  the  vil- 
lage. They  were  established  April  1,  1868,  by 
Klahr  &  Son,  and  successfully  carried  on  until 
their  destruction  by  fire,  September  24,  1882. 
The  loss  also  included  more  than  one  hundred 
thousand  feet  of  lumber.  They  were  immedi- 
ately rebuilt  by  Joseph  Klahr,  the  present 
owner.     The  works  use  steam-power,  and  are 


918 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


well  supplied  with  good  machinery,  much  of  it 
patented  by  Joseph  Klahr.  Employment  is 
given  to  six  men. 

Benneville  has  mechanics  of  all  kinds,  and  in 
addition  half  a  dozen  small  cigar-shops,  in  which 
about  forty  men  are  employed. 

Churches — North-Kill  Church  (Lutheran 
and  Reformed. — This  is  an  old  stone  church, 
situated  on  a  lot  of  ground  adjoining  the 
borough  on  the  north.  It  was  built  in  1791, 
and  is  essentially  the  same  as  when  put  up, 
some  few  modifications  having  been  made  in  the 
inside  of  the  building. 

The  first  house  of  worship  at  that  place  was 
constructed  of  logs,  and  stood  in  a  corner  of 
the  old  cemetery,  which  was  part  of  one  acre  of 
ground  given  for  church  purposes  by  Gottfried 
Fidler,  in  an  agreement  bearing  date  December 
25,  1745,  and  about  which  time  the  building 
was  erected. 

This  document  was  witnessed  by  Rev.  John 
Casper  Stoever,  the  minister  in  charge,  Jacob 
Hoffman,  John  George  Haag,  and  Albrecht 
Strause.  In  1768  Stephen  Fidler  confirmed 
this  gift,  on  the  part  of  his  father,  by  a  deed, 
and  John  Nicholas  Haag  was  appointed  trustee 
of  the  property,  in  an  instrument  attested  before 
Justice  Peter  Spycker,  of  Stouchsburgh.  A 
year  later  Samuel  Filbert  gave  a  lot  of  ground 
to  the  church,  and  in  1770  conveyed  the  same 
to  Christopher  Minnich  and  Jacob  Strause,  as 
trustees.  The  old  log  church  was  used  until 
1791,  when  it  had  decayed  so  much  that  a  new 
house  became  necessary,  which  after  much  effort 
was  built  that  year.  The  membership  at  that 
time  was  small  and  the  people  poor,  so  that  aid 
was  sought  from  adjoining  districts  through 
Helfrich  Kolb,  who  was  appointed  collector  to 
visit  neighboring  churches.  His  credentials 
were  signed  by  the  pastor,  Emanuel  Shultze, 
D.D.,  Nicholas  Haag,  Thomas  Long,  Samuel 
Strause,  Thomas  Umbenhauer,  Philip  Filbert, 
Frantz  Umbenhauer  and  Michael  Guiss.  In 
1795  the  church  was  supplied  with  an  organ, 
which  is  still  in  use.  In  March,  1834,  the 
church  ceased  to  be  exclusively  Lutheran  ;  then 
persons  of  the  German  Reformed  faith  obtained 
an  interest  which  has  been  maintained  since.  On 
February  26, 1870,  the  church  was  incorporated. 


In  1885  the  Lutheran  congregation  had  two 
hundred  and  forty  members ;  the  Rev.  J.  J. 
Cressman  as  pastor. 

The  Reformed  congregation  then  had  two 
hundred  and  sixty  members,  and  the  Rev. 
Thomas  C.  Leinbach  as  pastor. 

In  the  old  North-Kill  Cemetery  are  interred, 
among  others,  the  following : 

John  George  Geihers,  born  1738,  died  1811. 
Benjamin  Adam  Reif,  born  1725,  died  1784. 
Johannes  Fidler,  born  1734,  died  1784. 
Nicholas  Haag,  died  1797. 
Johannes  Brossman,  born  1768,  died  1830. 
Christopher  Witter,  born  1759,  died  1808. 
John  Nicholas  Umbenhauer,  born  1799,  died  1823. 
Samuel  Umbenhauer,  born  1790,  died  1826. 
Johannes  Thomas   Umbenhauer,  born   1762,  died 
1832. 
John  P.  Heyler,  born  1756,  died  1832. 
George  Bellman,  born  1739,  died  1813. 
Jacob  Gerber,  born  1784,  died  1813. 
Johannes  Haag,  born  1 776,  died  1826. 
Melchoir  Tiegel,  born  1754,  died  1822. 
Michael  Sibert,  born  1761,  died  1831. 
Philip  Filbert,  born  1770,  died  1829. 
John  George  Haag,  born  1758,  died  1845. 
Christian  Gruber,  born  1712. 
John  Adam  Gruber,  born  1752,  died  1781. 
Valentine  Reber,  born  1742,  died  1818. 
Conrad  Reber,  born  1778,  died  1817. 
John  Peter  Haas,  born  1750,  died  1816. 
John  Philip  Filbert,  born  1743,  died  1817. 
Albrecht  Strauss,  born  1760,  died  1832. 

This  old  lot  is  small  and  inclosed  by  an  old 
stone  fence.  The  new  cemetery  is  spacious, 
well-kept  and  contains  a  large  number  of 
modern  headstones. 

Salem  Church  of  the  Evangelical  Association, 
just  outside  of  the  borough  limits  of  Bern- 
ville  and  forming  a  part  of  the  borough,  is  a 
brick  building,  with  spire  and  bell,  and  a  seat- 
ing capacity  for  four  hundred  persons.  It  is 
the  third  church  erected  on  this  site.  The  first 
was  erected  in  1852  and  the  second  in  1872. 
The  latter,  a  commodious  brick  building,  was 
burned  September  24,  1882.  The  congregation 
immediately  proceeded  to  rebuild  the  church. 
It  was  dedicated  by  Bishop  Bowman  in  Febru- 
ary, 1883.  Among  the  first  members  of  this 
faith  in  the  vicinity  of  Bernville  were  the  fam- 
ilies of  John  Daniel  and  John  Henry  Kline, 
Benjamin  Klahr  and  a  few  others.  The  member- 


BOROUGHS  OP  COUNTY. 


919 


ship  has  never  been  large,  numbering  at  present 
about  thirty.  They  are  served  by  ministers 
assigned  to  the  Womelsdorf  Circuit,  which  con- 
nection has  been  maintained  many  years.  H. 
H.  Swavely  is  superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 
school. 

Schools. — One  of  the  first  English  teachers 
in  this  locality  was  Michael  Borsch.  The  first 
school-house  was  of  logs,  on  the  present  school- 
ground.  The  second  was  a  brick  building,  and 
this  becoming  too  small,  another  was  built  on 
the  same  lot.  In  1878  these  were  removed  and 
the  present  two-story  brick  building  was  then 
erected.  It  has  four  well-arranged  rooms  and 
presents  a  neat  appearance.  Ever  since  the 
incorporation  of  the  borough,  in  1851,  a  com- 
mendable interest  has  been  manifested  by  the 
people  of  Bernville  in  their  schools  and  the 
education  of  their  children. 

Societies. — Bernville  Lodge,  No.  122,1.  0. 
of  0.  F.,  was  instituted  on  September  6,  1845. 
In  1885  there  were  twenty-seven  members.  A 
hall  was  dedicated  June  7,  1851. 

Washington  Camp,  No.  113,  P-  0.  S.  of  A., 
was  instituted  May  6,  1869,  with  twelve  char- 
ter members.  In  December,  1885,  there  were 
fifty-eight  members.  Weekly  meetings  are 
held  in  a  neatly-furnished  hall  in  the  Miller 
Block. 

Bernville  Association  for  Detection  of  Horse- 
Thieves  was  incorporated  on  April  14,  1862, 
with  following  members : 


Joseph  B.  Conrad. 
William  N.  Potteiger. 
Adam  H.  Potteiger. 
John  S.  Wenrich. 
Joseph  M.  Stoudt. 
Samuel  Stump. 
Peter  Umbenhauer. 
David  Luckenbill. 
Aaron  M.  Bright. 
Peter  Bright. 


Abraham  R.  Koenig. 
Exereal  Lengel. 
Daniel  Bentz. 
William  Rishel. 
John  R.  Koenig. 
H.  F.  Groff. 
Moses  Scheffer. 
D.  D.  Deppen. 
Elias  Obold. 
John  B.  Reber. 


This  society  has  maintained  a  successful  ex- 
istence since  its  organization. 

Military  Encampment. — A  large  military 
encampment  was  held  at  Bernville  on  August 
27,  1841,  comprising  seventeen  companies  of 
militia,  almost  entirely  from  Berks  County. 
Several  companies  were  from  Lebanon  and 
Schuylkill    Counties.      At    that    time    Berks 


County  had  altogether  twenty-three  companies, 
indicating  that  the  majority  of  the  local  com- 
panies were  present  upon  that  occasion. 

The  principal  officer  in  command  was  Gen- 
eral William  H.  Keim.  The  grand  review  of 
all  the  companies  in  dress  parade  was  witnessed 
by  Governor  David  B.  Porter.  Many  persons 
were  in  attendance.  The  encampment  was  a 
great  success. 


FLEETWOOD. 

The  borough  of  Fleetwood  is  situated  on  the 
East  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  in  the  southeastern 
part  of  Richmond  township.  It  is  located 
principally  on  the  old  Wanner,  Schlegel  and 
Ely  farms,  and  the  town  here,  prior  to  the 
building  of  the  railroad,  in  1857,  was  known 
by  the  name  of  Coxtown,  which  also  was  Ihe 
name  of  the  post-office  until  the  railroad  station 
was  established.  As  Coxtown  the  place  ante- 
dates the  century.  In  1800  there  were  five 
log  houses,  one  of  them  occupied  by  the 
Cox  family,  which  came  into  notoriety  in  1809 
on  account  of  the  hanging  of  one  of  the 
daughters,  Susanna,  for  the  murder  of  her 
illegitimate  child.  The  family  removed  at  an 
early  day,  but  the  house  is  still  standing,  with 
an  addition,  as  the  property  of  Solomon 
Schlegel.  For  a  few  years  after  1810  the 
place  was  locally  known  as  "  Crowtown,"  a  term 
applied  to  it  by  a  wag  who  passed  through  the 
town,  lying  on  the  bottom  of  his  wagon  and 
cawing  like  the  crow  to  express  his  disgust  with 
the  place.  Coxtown  was  not  favorably  situated, 
before  the  railroad  was  built,  to  become  a  busi- 
ness place ;  and  in  1856  it  contained  but  twenty- 
five  buildings,  three  of  which  only  were  of 
stone,  all  the  rest  being  one-story  log  houses, 
occupied  by  mechanics  or  laborers.  The  stone 
houses  are  still  standing  as  the  residences  of 
George  Sholl  and  Isaac  Mertz.  The  other 
building  is  part  of  the  present  Schaeffer  tavern. 
All  of  them  were  built  about  1825.  The  log 
cabins  have  nearly  all  given  place  to  more 
substantial  structures,  while  the  old-fashioned 
sweep-well  which  was  almost  invariably  found 
in  the  back-yard,  has  been  replaced  by  the 
modern  pump. 


920 


HISTOKY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Among  the  early  residents  of  the  place  were, 
Michael  Moyer,  carpenter ;  Peter  Hill,  blacksmith ; 
Jacob  Sholl,  shoemaker  and  inn-keeper  ;  John  Mes- 
sersmith,  tailor ;  Joseph  Reifsnyder,  carpenter ;  Jacob 
and  John  Widman,  hatters;  Christian  Schlegel, 
farmer ;  Peter  Wanner,  farmer  and  miller ;  George 
Merkel,  hatter;  John  Lehman,  hatter;  George 
Young,  weaver  ;  James  Maxim,  wheelwright ;  Benja- 
min Parks,  store-keeper ;  and  George  Heckman, 
school-teacher. 

Many  of  the  early  citizens  of  the  place  at- 
tained great  age.  Isaac  Koch  died  aged  eighty- 
three  years,  and  his  wife,  Elizabeth,  was 
eighty-six.  Among  those  living  at  present, 
whose  length  of  years  borders  on  the  four-score 
list,  are  George  Scholl,  Solomon  Schlegel, 
Samuel  Schlegel  and  Mrs.  Hannah  Hoch,  the 
latter  being  eighty-five  years  old. 

In  1868  Thomas  Mellon  laid  out  the  town- 
plan  and  acknowledged  the  same  on  the  11th  of 
May,  in  the  year  named.  About  that  time  some 
very  substantial  improvements  were  made,  and 
the  future  of  the  place  was  assured  by  the  erec- 
tion of  several  prosperous  manufactories.  Since 
then  there  has  been  a  steady  increase  of  fine  resi- 
dences and  business  houses.  The  town,  in  1885, 
numbered  about  one  thousand  inhabitants. 

Incorporation  op  Borough. — Fleetwood 
was  incorporated  as  a  borough  by  a  decree  of 
the  court  October  4,  1873.  The  first  election 
was  fixed  for  October  31,  1873,  and  George  D. 
Schaeffer  was  appointed  judge;  Daniel  Melot 
and  Samuel  Dumtn,  inspectors.  The  election 
resulted  in  the  selection  of  John  Swartz  as  bur- 
gess, and  the  following  Council:  Daniel  Koch, 
president;  Jacob  S.  Kelchner,  secretary;  Edwin 
M.  Shollenberger,  treasurer ;  Jonas  Weaver  and 
Amos  Melot.  Conrad  Nill  was  the  first  high 
constable.  Since  that  time  the  following  have 
been  the  borough  officials : 

Term.  Burgess.  Clerk. 

1874 Levi  Templin Thos.  J.  Kreidler. 

1875 John  E.Maurer Thos.  J.  Kreidler. 

1876 John  E.Maurer C.  F.  Reifsnyder. 

1877 Lewis  Schaeffer C.  F.  Reifsnyder. 

1878 William  H.  Madeira C.  P.  Reifsnyder. 

1879 WilliamS.  Merkel C.  F.  Reifsnyder. 

1880 William  S.  Merkel C.  F.  Reifsnyder! 

1881 Cosmus  Schwoyer E.  M.  Mill. 

1882 A.  C.  Kemp E.  M.  Mill. 

1883 E.  M.  Shollenberger Adam  W.  Haag. 

1884 John  Herbein S.  K.  Cleaver. 


In  1885  the  officers  were, — 

Burgess,  J.  P.  Koch  ;  Council,  George  B.  Schaeffer 
(president),  George  D.  Schaeffer  (secretary),  William 
S.  Schaeffer  (treasurer),  Samuel  Cleaver,  Henry 
Schlegel,  Henry  Reider ;  Justices,  James  F.  Dumm, 
William  Bernhart ;  High  Constable,  Jacob  Keitn. 

The  first  justices  of  the  borough  were  George 
D.  Schaeffer  and  Samuel  Dumm. 

On  the  3d  of  September,  1874,  the  Ken- 
dall Bros.,  of  Reading,  who  had  laid  out  and 
surveyed  the  streets  and  alleys  of  the  borough, 
covering  an  area  of  three  hundred  acres,  reported 
the  following  names  for  the  streets : 

Willow.  Richmond.  Locust. 

Buttonwood.  Chestnut.  Main. 

Laurel.  Maple.  Washington. 

Walnut.  Cedar.  Arch. 

Franklin.  Spruce.  Race. 

Green.  Poplar.  Vine. 
Elm. 

All  streets  were  made  fifty  feet  wide,  from 
house  to  house,  except  Main  Street,  from  J. 
Deisher's  to  Hannah  Schaeffer's  house,  and 
Richmond,  between  Main  and  Arch  Streets, 
which  were  made  wide  streets.  Forty-three 
alleys  were  located,  with  widths  of  twelve,  fif- 
teen and  twenty  feet.  A  number  of  the  above 
streets  have  been  much  improved.  No  action 
leading  to  the  formation  of  a  Fire  Department 
has  yet  been  taken,  excepting  to  purchase  the 
old  Neversink  fire-engine,  of  Reading,  but 
which  has  never  been  used. 

Stores. — Benjamin  Parks,  Esq.,  had  the 
first  store  in  the  place,  in  a  building  which  stood 
opposite  the  Farmers'  and  Drovers'  Hotel,  and 
which,  in  a  remodeled  condition,  is  now  occu- 
pied by  Samuel  Schlegel.  A  man  named  Bach- 
man  was  the  next  in  trade  at  that  place,  and 
John  Messersmith  in  1830.  The  latter  soon 
opened  another  stand  in  the  present  Fleetwood 
House,  keeping  both  store  and  tavern.  In 
1837  he  was  succeeded  by  Benjamin  Messer- 
smith, who  continued  there  until  1851,  when 
he  built  the  store  on  the  opposite  corner,  still 
known  as  the  Messersmith  stand.  In  that 
building  Daniel  J.  Wanner  first  traded  and  the 
successive  merchants  were  John  Shollenberger, 
Melot  &  Kline,  Melot  &  Schaeffer,  C.  A.  Mes- 
sersmith, Schaeffer  &  Reifsnyder  and  since  1880 
the  present  firm,  Schaeffer,  Messersmith  &  Co. 


BOROUGHS  OP  COUNTY. 


921 


The  next  stand  was  opened  in  a  building  put 
up  by  Daniel  Schaeffer,  Philip  Schaeffer  and 
Israel  Kline,  who  occupied  it  for  trading  pur- 
poses. This  place  is  now  occupied  by  Daniel 
Melot,  Oscar  Melot  and  Nathan  Schaeffer  as  a 
general  store. 

In  1860  William  Sholl  put  up  the  business 
house  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Franklin 
Streets,  which  is  at  present  used  by  Isaac  Mer- 
kel  and  C.  F.  Reifsnyder  as  a  general  store. 
In  this  period  John  Shollenberger  had  a  store 
opposite  the  foundry  for  a  time.  The  stand  on 
Main  Street,  occupied  by  Kelchner  Brothers, 
was  built  by  Samuel  Kelchner  and  is  the  fourth 
business  place  in  order. 

The  first  distinct  hardware-store  was  opened 
in  1885  by  Albert  Kline. 

The  first  to  engage  in  the  furniture  trade  was 
Joseph  Reifsnyder,  and  Joseph  Schlegel  was 
the  next.  This  business  is  now  carried  on  by 
Edwin  M.  Mill. 

In  the  general  produce  business  Schaeffer  & 
Co.  were  the  first  firm,  at  the  railroad,  estab- 
lishing a  large  trade,  which  is  still  carried  on 
by  Lewis  A.  Wanner,  Joel  M.  Schaeffer  and 
others.  Large  quantities  of  iron-ore  have  been 
shipped  from  Fleetwood  station,  the  shippers  of 
the  more  i-ecent  period  being  the  Schaeffers, 
James  F.  Dumm  and  Samuel  H.  Rothermel  & 
Brother,  the  latter  also  being  miners,  operating 
on  an  extensive  scale. 

Taverns. — Opposite  the  old  Parks  store  the 
Sholls  had  a  tavern, — the  first  in  the  place — 
which  is  still  continued  as  the  property  of  that 
family. 

From  1837  to  1851  Benjamin  Messersmith 
was  the  proprietor  of  the  present  "Fleetwood 
House,"  and  which  has  been  kept  for  a  number 
of  years  by  the  present  landlord,  George  D. 
Schaeffer.  The  original  building  has  been  much 
enlarged. 

.The  "Union  House"  was  built  by  Levi 
Templing  about  the  time  the  railroad  was  com- 
pleted, but  was  enlarged  by  George  Dewees, 
and  is  at  present  kept  by  Samuel  Dewees. 

A  fourth  hotel  was  built  by  its  present  occu- 
pant, Jacob  Knoll,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
depot. 

Post-Office. — The  post-effice  at  Fleetwood 
79 


was  established  in  1852  as  Coxtown,  and  Ben- 
jamin Messersmitli  was  the  first  postmaster. 
Subsequently  the  office  was  held  by  D.  J.  Wan- 
ner, John  Shollenberger,  Daniel  Melot,  Lewis 
Schaeffer,  C.  F.  Reifsnyder,  C.  A.  Messersmith 
in  1880,  and  since  January,  1886,  by  Daniel 
Schaeffer.  Since  August  15,  1881,  it  has  been 
a  postal  money-order  office.  Six  mails  per  day 
are  supplied,  and  it  is  the  distributing  office  for 
Moselem  Springs  and  Pricetown. 

Physicians. — In  the  practice  of  medicine 
Dr.  James  Matthews,  now  of  Temple,  was  lo- 
cated at  this  place  about  four  years.  Among 
other  practitioners  who  were  here  a  short  time 
may  be  named  Drs.  Heiser,  Long,  Evans, 
Maury,  Nagle  and  Thompson. 

Dr.  Edward  Bieber  was  located  at  Fleetwood 
on  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  and  joined  the 
army  from  this  place.  Dr.  L.  R.  Lentz  has 
been  in  successful  practice  since  1865,  and  has 
as  contemporaries  Dr.  A.  N.  Fretz  and  Dr.  M. 
O.  Grenawalt.  Dr.  Fretz  carries  on  a  drug- 
store in  connection  with  his  practice.  Dr.  Gren- 
awalt located  in  the  fall  of  1885. 

Dr.  Peter  H.  Gehris  is  the  dentist  of  the 
borough. 

Societies. — Fleetwood  Council,  No.  20,  Or- 
der of  American  Mechanics,  was  instituted  in 
August,  1858,  and  has  maintained  its  meetings 
regularly  since  its  organization,  convening  every 
Saturday  evening.  In  1885  there  were  forty- 
four  members. 

The  council  has  an  invested  fund  of  $2100, 
$800  real  estate  and  $600  widows'  and  orphans' 
fund. 

Willow  Valley  Lodge,  No.  142,  K.  of  P.— 
This  body  was  instituted  in  March,  1868,  and' 
reported  ninety-two  members  in  1885. 

An  invested  fund  of  two  thousand  dollars  is 
evidence  of  the  prosperity  of  the  lodge. 

Washington  Camp,  No.  103,  P.  O.  S.  of  A., 
was  instituted  September  22, 1868,  with  twenty- 
seven  members,  as  a  junior  camp.  On  the 
24th  of  January,  1 880,  it  was  re-chartered  with 
its  present  title,  the  membership  at  that  time 
being  thirty-five.  In  1885  the  number  belong- 
ing was  thirty-nine. 

Graded  School. — In  1877  the  graded 
school  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  more 


922 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


than  six  thousand  dollars.  It  is  a  fine,  large 
brick  edifice,  standing  on  a  spacious  lot,  shaded 
by  young,  thrifty  trees.  The  building  is  well 
supplied  with  apparatus,  and  a  literary  society, 
which  meets  regularly  in  it,  maintains  a  library. 
The  schools  are  graded  into  four  departments, — 
primary,  secondary,  intermediate  and  grammar, 
— having  a  total  enrollment  of  two  hundred  and 
nine  pupils.  Since  1883  William  M.  Zechman 
has  been  the  principal. 

Chueches.  —  St.  Paul's  Church  (German 
Reformed  and  Lutheran)  is  located  a  short  dis- 
tance west  of  the  borough,  in  Richmond  town- 
ship, but  continues  to  be  the  principal  place  of 
worship  for  many  of  the  people  of  Fleetwood. 
It  is  a  plain  stone  edifice,  erected  in  1841,  and 
has  the  architecture  peculiar .  to  that  period. 
The  grounds  embrace  two  acres  of  land,  cut 
from  the  farm  of  Benjamin  Hoch,  and  most  of 
which  constitutes  a  cemetery.  The  church  was 
built  by  a  committee  composed  of  Reuben 
Sholl,  Joseph  Reifsnyder,  Abraham  Mertz  and 
Henry  Seidel. 

The  Rev.  Isaac  Roeller  became  the  pastor  of 
the  Lutheran  congregation  and  served  it  until 
1860,  when  the  Rev.  B.  E.  Krumlich  took 
charge  and  still  continues  the  pastoral  relation. 
His  congregation  numbers  more  than  three 
hundred  members.  The  Reformed  element  of 
the  church  has  a  smaller  membership,  and  has 
had  two  pastors,  the  Rev.  Charles  Herman  being 
the  first,  with  Rev.  J.  Sassaman  Herman  as  his 
successor. 

A  Sunday-school,  organized  in  St.  Paul's 
Church,  had  William  Sholl  as  its  first  super- 
intendent, and  after  being  continued  here  some 
time,  was  moved  to  the  borough,  where  it  is 
kept  up  in  St.  Paul's  Chapel. 

St.  Paul's  Chapel  is  a  non-sectarian  house  of 
worship,  dedicated  in  1884,  "  for  the  use  of  any 
denomination  professing  the  teachings  of  Christ 
and  His  followers,  on  proper  consent  obtained 
from  the  board  of  trustees  controlling  the 
house."  The  building  is  to  be  forever  inde- 
pendent of  synodical  connection,  but  as  it  was 
erected  mainly  by  the  members  of  St.  Paul's 
Church,  to  afford  a  more  convenient  place  of 
worship  in  the  village,  the  meetings  of  the 
foregoing  congregations    are   most    frequently 


held  in  it.  The  movement  to  erect  this  build- 
ing was  set  on  foot  at  a  public  meeting  in 
August,  1883,  when  a  number  of  the  leading 
citizens  were  appointed  to  solicit  subscriptions, 
conditioned  upon  a  purpose  to  build,  if  funds 
sufficient  could  be  secured.  Their  success  led 
to  the  organization  of  a  building  society,  Sep- 
tember 1,  1883,  of  which  C.  F.  Riefsnyder  was 
president ;  T.  J.  Kreidler,  secretary;  and  George 
B.  Schaeffer,  treasurer;  and  a  building  commit- 
tee was  appointed,  composed  of  Lewis  Schaeffer, 
A.  H.  Madeira,  George  Knoll,  C.  F.  Reifsnyder 
and  Levi  Boyer.  At  the  same  time  a  board  of 
trustees  was  selected,  consisting  of  George  B. 
Schaeffer,  Lewis  Schaeffer,  C.  F.  Reifsnyder, 
George  Knoll  and  Amos  H.  Madeira.  A  lot 
of  ground  was  secured  on  Franklin  Street, 
where  the  corner-stone  was  laid,  September  28, 
1883,  by  the  Revs.  K  C.  Schaeffer,  B.  E. 
Kramlich  and  others.  Upon  this  was  built  an 
attractive  superstructure  of  brick,  forty  by 
seventy  feet,  and  crowned  with  a  steeple  more 
than  a  hundred  feet  high.  In  this  is  a  bell  of 
fine  tone,  weighing  two  thousand  and  thirty-four 
pounds.  The  building  was  completed  at  a  cost 
of  about  seven  thousand  dollars,  and  is  a  worthy 
monument  to  the  public-spirited  citizens  who 
erected  it.  The  property  is  in  charge  of  a 
board  of  control,  from  whose  numbers  a  body 
of  trustees  is  selected,  as  the  executive  body  of 
those  who  have  contributed  to  the  building 
of  the  chapel,  and  they  also  select  the  controllers. 

Emanuel  Church  of  the  Evangelical  Asso- 
ciation, at  Fleetwood,  was  built  in  1866. 
It  is  a  brick  building  of  respectable  appearance, 
with  about  five  hundred  seats.  Among  those 
interested  in  its  erection  were  Dr.  L.  H.  Thomp- 
son, George  Kline,  Levi  Templin,  Samuel 
Heckman,  William  Bernhart,  Henry  Gehris, 
Peter  Gehris  and  George  Haight.  The  mem- 
bers number  fifteen  hundred  and  seven,  consti- 
tuting three  classes. 

The  Sunday-school  connected  with  the  church 
was  organized  with  Peter  H.  Gehris  as  superin- 
tendent, and  is  at  present  in  charge  of  Edwin 
M.  Mill.  It  is  well  attended.  The  pastor  in 
1885  was  the  Rev.  H.  J.  Glick,  serving  the 
church  in  connection  with  other  appointments 
on  the  Friedensburg  Circuit. 


OJAslW 


J^/trc/h/ 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


923 


The  United  Mennonite  Church  was  built  as 
the  Church  of  God,  by  Daniel  Koch  and  others, 
in  1868.  The  same  year  the  few  members  at 
this  point  connected  themselves  with  the  United 
Mennonites,  a  relation  which  has  since  been 
maintained.  The  society  has  not  been  strong 
at  any  time,  and  in  1885  there  were  but  sixteen 
members,  who  had  C.  F.  Hill  as  elder  and  Dan- 
iel Koch  as  deacon.  Among  the  pastors  have 
been  the  Revs.  S.  H.  Fry,  Gaman,  Shelly  and 
Samuel  Musselman.  No  regular  minister  serves 
at  present,  but  Mr.  William  Gaman,  of  Lehigh 
County,  is  the  presiding  elder  of  the  district  to 
which  this  church  belongs. 

Industries. — The  oldest  industry,  in  the 
place,  and  the  only  one  operated  by  water-power, 
is  the  grist-mill  of  Franklin  Fritch,  situated  on 
Willow  Creek.  The  power  was  first  improved 
by  the  Wanner  family.  Samuel  Wanner  has  a 
pioneer  grist-mill.  The  mill  now  standing  was 
built  in  1844  by  William  Schaeffer,  and  has 
had  as  intermediate  owners  to  the  present,  Jacob 
Wanner,  Daniel  Hoch  apd  Daniel  Koch.  The 
capacity  is  small  and  the  milling  is  done  by  old 
methods. 

Daniel  Koch  is  of  German  descent  and  the 
grandson  of  William  Koch,  who  resided  in 
Schuylkill  County,  where  he  was  both  a  miller 
and  a  successful  farmer.  He  was  twice  married, 
the  children  by  the  first  alliance  being  Mrs. 
Knoskey,  Mrs.  Haller,  Mrs.  Rouse  and  Mrs. 
Hunsicker.  By  a  second  marriage,  to  Miss  Nei- 
phon,  were  children — William,  Jacob,  Henry, 
John,  Hannah  (Mrs.  Benjamin  Bensinger)  and 
Sarah  (wife  of  Daniel  Fultz,  M.D.,  of  Schuyl- 
kill County).  Henry  Koch  resided  in  his  native 
county  of  Schuylkill  until  his  death,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-six  years.  A  miller  by  trade,  he 
afterward  adopted  agriculture  as  a  pursuit.  He 
married  Susannah,  daughter  of  Baltzer  Bock, 
of  the  same  county,  whose  children  were  four 
sons  and  one  daughter.  The  children  of  Henry 
Koch  and  his  wife  are  Daniel,  Benjamin,  Hugh, 
Henry,  William,  Charles,  Maria  (wife  of  Eli 
Miller),  Catherine  (wife  of  William  Schuman), 
Sarah  (wife  of  Charles  T.  Bowen)  and  Amanda 
(wife  of  Jacob  H.  Pile). 

Daniel  Koch  was  born  on  the  24th  of  De- 
cember, 1816,  in  Schuylkill   County,   where, 


after  a  common-school  education,  he  engaged  in 
work  on  the  farm.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he 
decided  learning  the  trade  of  a  miller,  and  with 
that  purpose  in  view,  entered  the  mill  of  his 
father,  where,  after  an  experience  of  four  years, 
he  became  thoroughly  proficient  in  the  miller's 
art.  Soon  after  he  engaged  in  the  purchase  and 
sale  of  produce  and  later  opened  a  country  store 
at  McKeansburg,  Schuylkill  County,  from 
whence  he  removed  to  Middleport,  in  the  same 
county,  and  conducted  a  prosperous  business  for 
a  period  of  thirteen  years.  He  next  became  a 
farmer,  having  purchased  a  farm  in  Auburn, 
Schuylkill  County,  and  removed  to  it.  Eight 
years  later  he  repaired  to  Monocacy  township, 
Berks  County,  and  purchased  a  mill,  which,  after 
managing  a  short  time,  he  sold,  and,  removing 
to  Fleetwood,  in  1866,  again  engaged  in  milling. 
At  the  expiration  of  an  extended  career  of  six- 
teen years  Mr.  Koch  retired  from  business.  He 
was  elected,  in  1860,  to  the  State  Legislature  as 
a  Republican;  has  also  filled  several  borough 
offices.  He  has  frequently  been  appointed  to 
such  responsible  offices  as  that  of  administrator 
and  executor  and  filled  them  with  a  scrupulous 
regard  to  duty. 

Mr.  Koch  and  his  family  enjoy  a  record  for 
patriotism  which  can  be  equaled  by   few  fami- 
lies in  the  State.     He  enlisted  in  the  Twenty- 
seventh    Regiment    Pennsylvania    Volunteers 
for  the  emergency  period  and  served  for  two 
months  in  defense  of  his  State,  engaging  in  the 
skirmish  at  Wrightsviller  Pa.     Three  of  his 
brothers  also  enlisted  and  were  in  active  service. 
Mr.  Koch  was,  on  the  24th  of  October,  183H, 
married  to  Mary  Ann,  daughter  of  Emanuel 
Beck,  of  Columbia  County,  Pa.    Their  children 
are  Harriet  (Mrs.  Benjamin  Jacobs),  born  Jan- 
uary 17,  1841  ;  Francis  D.,  born  August  21 
1842;  Allen,   February    10,    1844;  Jeremiah 
October  27,  1845;  Albert,  November  27, 1847 
Sarah  (Mrs.  L.  R.  Lentz),  March  26,  1850 
Richard    Henry,   April    2,    1852;    Emanuel 
March   3,    1854;    Areneus,    April    3,    1856 
Catherine  (Mrs.  Oscar  Melot),  January  8,  1859 
Ambrose  E.,  January  24,  1864. 

All  of  this  number  survive  but  Albert,  who 
died  April  6,  1853.  Francis  Koch  joined  the 
Forty-eighth  Regiment    Pennsylvania  Volun- 


924 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


teers  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  par- 
ticipating in  many  important  engagements,  in 
one  of  which  he  was  severely  wounded.  He 
was  promoted  to  the  office  of  captain  before  his 
discharge.  Allen  enlisted  as  a  drummer-boy, 
at  the  age  of  seventeen,  and  during  his  three 
years  of  service  participated  in  many  battles. 
Jeremiah  accompanied  his  father  during  the 
emergency  period.  Mr.  Koch's  religious  creed 
is  that  of  the  Evangelical  United  Mennonite 
Church,  of  which  he  is  a  member. 

In  1867  George  Cox,  William  Cox  and  Wil- 
liam S.  Young  built  a  wadding-mill,  which 
was  enlarged  in  1869.  The  Messrs.  Cox  came 
from  New  York  to  engage  in  this  business. 
Later,  C.  A.  Messersmith  became  interested  in 
the  factory,  employed  from  ten  to  twenty  hands 
and  transacted  a  yearly  business  of  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  On  May  5,  1873,  the  factory 
was  totally  destroyed  by  fire,  involving  a  loss  of 
forty-five  thousand  dollars,  and  it  has  never 
been  rebuilt. 

Amandus  Kern  began  the  manufacture  of 
mill-picks  in  1868,  and  in  1885  he  carried  on 
a  shop  with  two  fires. 

About  the  same  time  E.  C.  Weston  began  the 
manufacture  of  cigars,  and  he  has  since  contin- 
ued the  business  in  a  factory  which  affords  em- 
ployment to  fifteen  hands.  Small  factories  are 
also  carried  on  by  Oliver  Hoch  and  the  Gehret 
Bros. 

Coach-making  is  followed  by  Daniel  Focht 
and  Moses  Foulk. 

William  B.  Melot  has  a  small  shop  for  the 
manufacture  of  a  seamless  base-ball,  which  was 
patented  by  him  November  27,  1883,  and 
which  has  been  received  with  great  favor  by  the 
several  leagues  in  the  country. 

Creamery. — The  Fleetwood  Creamery  was 
built  in  March,  1885,  by  Cleaver  &  Moyer, 
and  has  been  operated  since  by  them.  They 
occupy  a  fine  building  supplied  with  steam,  and 
manufacture  butter,  cream  only,  being  delivered 
by  the  farmers  who  patronize  it.  The  operations 
of  the  first  year  were  very  successful. 

Foundry. — The  most  important  industry  in 
the  borough,  which  more  than  any  other  has 
given  growth  to  the  place  and  quickened  its 
business  activities  is  the 


Fleetwood  Fuundry  and  Machine  Works,  car- 
ried on  by  Schaeffer,  Merkel  &  Co.     The  busi- 
ness was  established  in  1864  by  Lewis,  George1 
D.,  Daniel  and  Jonathan  Schaeffer  in  a  shop 
which  is  now  the  main  building  of  the  works, 
and  this  was  enlarged  as  the  business  expanded. 
In  1885  the  works  embraced  a  machine-shop, 
foundry,  wood-working    shop,   a    blacksmith- 
shop  and  pattern-house,  buildings  for  the  stor- 
age of  machinery  and  sheds  for  housing  lum- 
ber, all  conveniently  provided  with  sidings  from 
the  railroad.     The  firm  occupy  three  acres  of 
ground.     The    motive-power    is    steam.     The 
cupola  of  the  foundry  has  a  capacity  for  eight 
tons  at  a  casting.     From  eighty  to  one  hundred 
men  are  employed ;  capital  invested,  one  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars.     The  products  embrace 
all  classes  of  general  farm  machinery  ;  mining 
machinery,  since  1869  ;  stationary  engines  and 
mill  machinery,  since  1876  ;  and  the  celebrated 
Reliance   Turbine    Water-Wheel    since   1873. 
The  latter  machine  was  invented  by  Adam  W. 
Haag,  a  member  of  the.firm,  and  is  reputed  one 
of  the  best  wheels  of  the  kind  now  in  the  mar- 
ket.   The  engines  manufactured  here  are  also  de- 
servedly popular.    In  1867  George  D.  Schaeffer 
retired    from    the    firm,  his    successor    being 
Charles  Melcher,  when  the  title  became  Schaef- 
fer, Melcher  &  Co.,  and  so  continued  until  1872, 
when  Wm.  S.  Merkel  took  the  place  of  Melcher 
in  the  firm-name.     The  present  members  of  the 
firm    of  Schaeffer,   Merkel  &   Co.   are   Lewis 
Schaeffer,  William  S.  Merkel,  Adam  W.  Haag, 
C.  F.  Reifsnyder  and  John  B.  Bertolet. 

Lewis  Schaeffer.— The  Schaeffer  family 
comprises  numerous  members  in  Richmond  and 
adjoining  townships  of  this  county.  The  pro- 
genitor was  George  Schaeffer,  who  emigrated 
from  Germany  about  1750,  and  upon  arriving 
at  Philadelphia,  proceeded  to  "  East  Penn  Val- 
ley," and  settled  in  Richmond  township,  where 
he  took  up  land  and  carried  on  farming.  He 
had  four  children — two  daughters  (one  married 
to  Dewald  Bieber,  and  the  other  to  John  Bieber, 
a  brother),  and  two  sons — Philip  and  Peter,  the 
latter  of  whom  moved  towards  Philadelphia, 
where  many  of  his  descendants  are  now  living. 

Philip  Schaeffer  was  born  in  Richmond  town- 
ship, and  there  carried  on   farming.     He  was 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


925 


married  to  a  Miss  Fetherolf,  a  descendant  of  that 
old  family  in  Northampton  (now  Lehigh) 
County,  by  whom  he  had  issue  twelve  children 

eight  sons   (George   Jonathan,  Peter,  Isaac, 

Daniel,  Philip,  William  and  David),  and  four 
daughters — Sarah  (married  to  Jacob  Delong), 
Elizabeth  (married  first  to  Isaac  Siegfried,  and 
then  to  Solomon  Yoder),  Anna  (married  to 
Isaac  Merkel)  and  Esther  (married  to  Francis 
Delong). 
The  second  son  of  the  eight  named,  Jonathan 


(married  to  Joel  Hoch,  of  Eichmond),  Mary 
(married  to  Peter  L.  Diener),  Amanda  (married 
to  John  B.  Bertolet),  Susanna  (married  to  Amos 
Eothermel  and  Caroline.  He  died  in  1869, 
aged  seventy-seven  years,  and  his  widow  died 
in  1884,  aged  sixty-seven  years. 

Lewis  Schaeffer,  the  eldest  son  of  Jonathan 
Schaeffer,  and  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
born  in  Richmond  township  in  1838.  He  was 
educated  in  the  schools  of  his  native  township, 
and  was  then  engaged  at  farming  for  a  time. 


Schaeffer,  was  born  in  the  same  township,  and 
there  carried  on  farming  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  then  became  the  senior  partner  of  Schaeffer 
&  Co.,  a  firm  organized  at  Fleetwood  for  the 
purpose  of  carrying  on  the  manufacturing  busi- 
ness, in  which  he  continued  till  his  decease.  He 
was  a  man  of  enterprise  and  highly  esteemed  by 
the  community.  He  was  married  to  a  Miss 
Barto,  by  whom  he  had  issue  ten  children, — 
Lewis,   Reuben,  Adam,  George,  Jacob,  Sarah 


In  1864  he  became  interested  with  his  father 
in  the  manufacturing  business  at  Fleetwood,  in 
which  he  has  continued  successfully  till  now, 
being  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Schaeffer, 
Merkel  &  Co.,  and  owning  the  major  part  of 
the  interest  in  its  business  and  property.  Mr. 
Schaeffer  is  recognized  for  energy  and  success 
in  business  affairs,  and  he  has  contributed  great- 
ly toward  the  development  of  the  borough  of 
Fleetwood.  In  187  7  he  officiated  as  chief  burgess. 


926 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


He  was  married  twice  ;  first  to  Caroline  Mes- 
sersmith,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Messersmith, 
who  died  in  1881,  and  by  whom  he  has  two 
daughters,  Mary  and  Alice,  and  then  to  Mrs. 
Sallie  Schaeffer  (nee  Kaufman),  a  daughter  of 
David  Kaufman,  of  Oley  township,  by  whom 
he  has  a  daughter,  Alice. 


TOPTON. 


The  borough  of  Topton  is  situated  at  the 
junction  of  the  Kutztown  Railroad  with  the 
East  Penn  Railroad,  near  the  northwestern  line 
of  Longswamp  township.  Its  name  was  derived 
from  its  location,  at  the  highest  point  of  the  East 
Penn  Railroad  between  Reading  and  Allentown. 
Although  the  railroad  was  opened  in  1859,  the 
place  made  but  slow  progress  until  within  the 
past  five  years,  .when  some  substantial  improve- 
ments were  erected. 

Incorporated  into  a  Borough. — On  the 
11th  of  August,  1875.  a  petition,  signed  by 
forty-five  persons,  was  presented  to  the  Court  of 
Quarter  Sessions  of  Berks  County,  praying  for  a 
decree  authorizing  the  incorporation  of  the  town 
as  a  borough,  and  on  the  12th  day  of  the  same 
month  the  grand  jury  reported  favorably.  Excep- 
tions having  been  filed  October  12, 1875,  object- 
ing to  the  incorporation,  on  account  of  including 
too  much  farming  lands,  action  in  the  matter 
was  stayed.  Subsequently  the  plan  was  modi- 
fied to  exclude  these  lands,  and  on  January  18, 
1877,  the  decree  of  incorporation  was  finally 
granted.  At  the  first  election,  held  in  that  year, 
the  following  borough  officers  were  elected  : 

Burgess,  Peter  W.  Fisher ;  Councilmen,  Benjamin 
Pott  (president),  0.  D.  Trexler,  T.  DeLong,  David 
Merkel,  J.  D.  Sanders,  Peter  L.  Diener ;  Secretary, 
E.  J.  S.  Hoch ;  Treasurer,  B.  0.  Baer. 

Since  that  time  the  following  have  been  the 
burgesses  and  presidents : 

Term.  Burgess.  President. 

1878 John  Henning B.  C.  Baer. 

1879-81 John  Henning C.  D.  Trexler. 

1882 John  Henning Jesse  Fisher. 

1883 S.  H.  Fisher Peter  W.  Fisher. 

1884 8.  H.  Fisher Josiah  H.  Fisher. 

The  secretaries  for  the  same  period  were  E.  J. 
S.  Hoch,  W.  D.  Trexler,  L.  F.  Moll  and  James 
W.  Sallade. 


In  1885  the  officers  were, — 

Burgess,  S.  H.  Fisher ;  Councilmen,  M.  H.  De  Long 
(president),  Ephraim  Butz,  C.  D.  Trexler,  Philip  De 
Long,  Josiah  H.  Fisher. 

The  borough  justices  then  were  William  D. 
Trexler  and  John  H.  Miller.  These  offices  had 
been  previously  filled  by  Levi  F.  Kuhns  and 
B.  C.  Baer. 

The  population  in  1885  was  estimated  at  six 
hundred. 

Stores. — One  of  the  first  business  houses  in 
the  place  was  carried  on  in  the  Butz  building, 
now  occupied  by  the  Topton  Bank.  There  a 
store  was  kept  in  1860  by  Jerome  Tidlow  &  Co., 
and  three  years  later  by  Peter  L.  Diener  and 
Smith  Ubil.  The  next  stand  was  opened  in 
1866  by  Peter  W.  Fisher,  being  the  building 
now  occupied  by  C.  B.  Trexler  as  a  general 
store.  In  1875,  Michael  H.  Miller  built  another 
store  house,  which  was  first  occupied  by  David 
H.  Merkel,  and  where  Peter  L.  Diener  is  now 
in  trade. 

Hotels. — The  first  hotel  in  the  place  was 
the  Topton  House,  built  in  1859  by  James 
Butz,  which  became  the  property  of  Peter  W. 
Fisher  in  1866.  The  following  year  James 
Butz  built  the  present  American  House,  which 
is  still  owned  by  his  family.  The  Washington 
House  was  built  in  1874  by  James  George.  It 
contains  a  hall,  used  for  lodge  purposes. 

In  February,  1886,  the  first  shoe-store  was 
erected,  which  was  occupied  by  Daniel  Heist. 
An  extensive  business  in  lumber,  grain  and  coal 
is  carried  on  by  A.  S.  Heffner. 

Topton  Post-Office  was  established  in 
August,  1861,  and  J.  D.  Haas  was  the  first 
postmaster.  His  successors  have  been  Peter  L. 
Diener,  C.  D.  Trexler  and  Levi  F.  Moll.  The 
office  is  supplied  with  four  mails  per  day. 

Physicians. — Dr.  W.  D.  Trexler  has  fol- 
lowed his  profession  successfully  the  past  fifteen 
years ;  and  since  1881  Dr.  A.  C.  S.  Herman  has 
also  been  located  at  Topton. 

Dr.  C.  H.  Rives  was  located  at  Topton  a  short 
time  before  1870,  but  soon  removed.  In  1875-76 
Dr.  D.  S.  Bruner  was  at  this  place  as  a  prac- 
ticing physician ;  and  others  have  lived  here  for 
short  periods. 

Topton  Furnace  was  built  in  1871  by  a 


BOROUGHS  OF  COUNTY. 


927 


company  organized  for  this  purpose,  which  had 
Isaac  McHose  as  president,  John  H.  Miller, 
secretary,  and  Thomas  Berker,  treasurer.  Wil- 
liam H.  Berlin  was  the.  first  manager.  The 
company  failed  in  1873,  and  for  some  time  the 
property  lay  idle,  when  Jacob  H.  Huntzinger 
became  the  owner.  In  1879  the  furnace  was 
again  put  in  blast  and  operated  by  William  M. 
Kauffman  &  Co.  until  March,  1885,  when  that 
firm  was  succeeded  by  the  Topton  Furnace 
Company,  of  which  Henry  S.  Eckert  is  presi- 
dent and  Isaac  S.  Eckert  superintendent.  The 
plant  embraces  about  twenty  acres  of  land.  Six 
good  tenements  are  included. 

Topton  Roller-Mill,  was  built  in  1885, 
and  set  in  motion  in  August  of  that  year,  by 
Sylvester  Rohrbach,  Oliver  Rohrbach  and 
Albert  F.  Kutz,  the  firm-name  being  Rohrbach 
Brothers  &  Kutz.  The  mill  building  is  a  three- 
story  brick,  forty-five  by  fifty-five  feet,  with  an 
engine-house  attached,  and  a  sixty-five  horse- 
power engine.  The  mill  is  supplied  with  twelve 
pairs  of  Odell  rollers  and  operated  on  merchant 
work  only,  one  hundred  barrels  per  day  being 
produced. 

T.  &  M.  H.  DeLong's  Fueniture-F ac- 
tory  was  established  in  1880  by  T.  DeLong. 
The  power  is  furnished  by  a  steam-engine,  and 
fourteen  men  are  employed  in  the  manufacture 
of  furniture.  In  1883  the  present  warerooms 
were  occupied,  which  are  well  stocked  with -first- 
class  furniture. 

Railroad  Station.  —  The  present  depot 
building  was  erected  in  1875.  It  has  ample 
accommodations  and  is  well  conducted  by  the 
station  agent,  G.  F.  Motzer.  Large  quantities 
of  ore  are  shipped,  but  the  output  is  only  one- 
fourth  as  large  at  present  as  ten  years,  ago, 
owing  to  the  depression  of  the  iron  trade. 

Topton  National  Bank  was  organized 
under  the  National  Banking  Laws,  June  1, 
1885,  with  a  paid-up  capital  stock  of  fifty  thou- 
sand dollars.  The  old  Butz  building  was  fitted  up 
for  this  purpose,  and  the  business  has  been 
highly  prosperous.  At  the  close  of  the  first  six 
months  the  assets  were  $93,859.29,  and  the 
undivided  profits  $1683.19.  The  erection  of  a 
new  bank  building  is  contemplated,  a  lot  for 


this  purpose  having  been  purchased  opposite 
the  Topton  House. 

The  president  was  John  N.  Jacobs,  the  cashier 
James  M.  Slifer.  The  other  members  of  the 
board  of  directors  were  John  H.  Miller,  Levi 
F.  Mall,  M.  S.  Long,  D.  H.  Schweyer,  George 
B.  Schaeffer,  William  F.  Stimmel  and  Ben 
Smith. 

Schools. — The  chief  object  aimed  at,  by  the 
incorporation  of  Topton  was  obtained  in  the 
improved  condition  of  its  schools.  A  superior 
building  was  erected  in  the  fall  of  1885,  at  a 
cost  of  nearly  five  hundred  dollars,  it  being  an 
imposing  two-story  brick  edifice,  thirty-four  by 
seventy-two  feet  in  dimensions,  surmounted  by  a 
belfry,  which  contains  a  fine  bell.  There  are 
four  recitation-rooms,  three  of  which  have  been 
occupied  by  schools  since  October  12,  1885, 
under  the  principalship  of  S.  W.  Kline.  The 
enrollment  of  pupils  was  one  hundred  and 
thirty-five.  At  the  time  the  building  was 
erected  the  board  of  directors  was  composed  of 
A.  S.  Heffner,  D.  D.  Hinterleiter,  J.  H.  Moll, 
H.  C.  Roth,  W.  D.  Trexler  and  Levi  F.  Moll. 

Societies. — Topton  Stamm,  No.  201,  Red 
Men,  was  instituted  in  1873.  It  is  a  beneficial 
order,  paying  five  dollars  per  week  in  case  of 
sickness  of  members,  or  one  hundred  dollars  in 
the  event  of  their  death.  In  1885  there  were 
thirty-five  members,  and  the  society  had  a 
reserve  fund  of  nine  hundred  dollars. 

Centennial  Castle,  No.  80,  Knights  of  the 
Mystic  Ckain,-was  instituted  at  Topton  in  1876, 
flourished  a  short  time,  but  after  three  years  the 
meetings  were  discontinued. 

Topton  Lodge,  No.  437,  K.  of  P.,  has  been 
in  existence  since  1873,  having  forty-six  mem- 
bers twelve  years  later.  It  has  a  fund  of  five 
hundred  dollars  invested  for  the  good  of  the 
order.  The  meetings  are  held  in  a  good  hall, 
in  the  Washington  House. 


CENTREPORT. 

The  principal  town  in  Centre  township  com- 
prises several  hundred  inhabitants,  three 
stores  and  one  public-house.  It  is  located 
in  a  very  rich    section   of  country,  two  miles 


928 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


from  Mohrsville.  The  locality  became  a  busi- 
ness point  as  early  as  1818,  when  a  public-house 
was  opened  by  John  Haag,  whose  family  owned 
a  farm  covering  the  site  now  occupied  by  the 
town.  This  house  has  since  been  open  for  the 
entertainment  of  the  public,  and  it  was  kept  for 
a  long  time  by  John  Pefferman  and  Bennewell 
Loose.  In  a  part  of  the  building  John  Faust, 
George  Haag,  Samuel  Perry  and  others  kept 
small  stores.  The  first  building  for  mercantile 
purposes  was  put  up  near  this  house  in  1856, 
by  Jacob  Haag.  William  Borkey  occupied  it 
first  in  1857,  and  after  a  period  he  was  fol- 
lowed by  James  R.  Koller  and  the  present 
Kantner  &  Rentschler.  The  post-office  is  at 
this  store.  It  was  established  in  1868,  with 
James  R.  Koller  as  postmaster.  The  present 
postmaster  is  J.  H.  Spatz.  It  is  supplied  with 
tri-weekly  mails  from  Mohrsville. 

At  the  upper  end  of  the  town  Perry  Ludwig 
and  John  Koenig  opened  the  first  store,  where 
John  E.  Pautsch  and  James  T.  Kline  are  now 
carrying  on  business.  William  Haag  has  a 
furniture-store. 

The  first  mechanics,  etc.,  at  Centreport  were  : 

Daniel  H.  Noecker,  saddler ;  Joseph  F.  Seaman, 
shoemaker;  Michael  Rentschler,  tailor;  Joshua  Re- 
ber,  blacksmith  ;  Emanuel  Pleiss,  coach-maker ;  Isaac 
H.  Eeber,  undertaker;  John  Riegel,  cigar-maker; 
George  P.  Rentschler,  butcher. 

Physicians. — Doctor  J.  H.  Spatz  is  the 
oldest  physician  of  the  place.  He  located  in 
West  Leesport  in  1848,  and  north  of  Centreport 
in  1874.  Since  1881  he  has  resided  in  the 
borough. 

The  first  doctor  at  Centreport  was  Dr.  Wil- 
liam Palm,  who  came  in  1860  and  remained 
until  1875.  Dr.  C.  G.  Loose  was  here  from 
1876  till  1882,  when  Dr.  James  A.  Hoffman,  a 
native  of  Kutztown,  located  in  the  practice  of 
his  profession  and  still  remains.  Dr.  C.  G. 
Rither  located  here  in  the  spring  of  1885. 

Incorporation.— Centreport  became  a  bor- 
ough in  1884,  mainly  to  obtain  the  benefits 
which  such  bodies  have  in  regulating  their  own 
affairs.  The  bounds  are  small,  including  only 
the  town  proper.  The  first  registry-list  showed 
only  thirty-two  voters.  The  first  Board  of 
Councilmen  was  organized  April  10, 1884  \rith 


W.  W.  Haag,  president ;  J.  H.  Moll,  secretary: 
Henry  Stoyer,  treasurer ;  David  Stepp,  W.  R. 
Kline,  G.  W.  B.  Kauffman. 

Morris  Reeser  was  the  first  burgess ;  William 
Dewees,  constable ;  and  G.  W.  B.  Kauffman 
and  James  W.  Klopp,  justices. 

The  first  Board  of  School  Directors  was  com- 
posed of  John  E.  Pautsch,  David  Myers,  Henry 
Stoyer,  A.  A.  Lesher,  John  Stepp,  George  P. 
Rentschler. 

A  well-conducted  school  is  maintained  in  the 
borough. 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

TOWNSHIPS  OF  BERKS  COUNTY. 

Boundary  op  County. — Berks  County  is 
bounded  on  the  northwest  by  Schuylkill  Coun- 
ty, the  Blue  Mountain  forming  the  natural 
boundary  line,  in  length  about  thirty-six  miles ; 
on  the  northeast  by  Lehigh  County,  the  line 
extending  N.  49°  W.  24  miles — ;  on  the  south- 
east by  Montgomery  and  Chester  Counties,  the 
line  along  the  former  county  extending  S.  33J° 
W.  I65  miles,  and  the  line  along  the  latter  S. 
53°  W.  11|  miles;  and  on  the  southwest  by 
Lancaster  and  Lebanon  Counties,  the  entire  line 
extending  N.  49^°  W.  39  miles— along  the 
former  county  19  miles,  and  along  the  latter  20 
miles.  These  lines  inclose  526,000  acres,  or 
822  square  miles. 

The  Schuylkill  River  divides  this  territory 
into  two  nearly  equal  divisions, — the  eastern 
division  containing  about  280,000  acres,  and 
the  western  246,000  acres  ;  and  each  division  is 
capable  of  a  natural  subdivision. 

Four  Sections  of  County. — The  eastern 
division  can  be  divided  into  two  sections  by  a 
line  which  extends  eastwardly  from  the  "  Great 
Bend"  of  the  Schuylkill,  at  Tuckerton,  along 
the  upper  boundary  lines  of  Muhlenberg,  Rus- 
coinb  Manor,  Rockland  District  and  Hereford 
townships  to  Lehigh  County.  The  southern 
section  contains  about  133,000  acres,  and  the 
northern  147,000  acres.  Each  section  was 
identified  from  the  earliest  settlements  by  con- 
spicuous streams  of  water,  the  southern  section 
having  been  known  by  the  name  of  Manatavmy, 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


929 


atid  the  uppar  Ontelaunee.  Both  these  words 
are  of  Indian  origin.  The  Indians  had  first 
possessed  the  entire  territory,  and  their  names 
naturally  became  attached  to  it.  It  is  not  only 
natural,  therefore,  to  recognize  the  Indians,  but 
simple  justice  to  them  in  the  use  of  these  names 
to  perpetuate  their  memory  in  its  description. 
These  streams  extend  northwardly  through,  and 
drain  the  greater  part  of,  the  respective  sections 
from  one  extremity  to  the  other.  Nature  has 
made  them  prominent ;  the  Indians  recognized 
them ;  and  the  historian  cannot  justly  do  other- 
wise. 

The  western  division  can  be  similarly  di- 
vided. A  natural  boundary  line  divides  it  into 
two  sections.  It  extends  from  the  outlet  of  the 
Tulpehocken  stream  along  the  northern  and 
western  boundary  lines  of  Spring  township, 
formed  by  the  stream  named  and  its  tributary, 
the  Cacoosiug,  to  Lancaster  County.  The  upper 
section  was  called  Tulpehocken  by  the  first  set- 
tlers— a  word  also  of  Indian  origin.  This 
stream  extends  westwardly  and  northwardly 
through  this  section  and  drains  it  almost  en- 
tirely. The  lower  section  was  called  Schuylkill, 
from  its  connection  with  a  large  district  of  ter- 
ritory in  Chester  County  known  by  this  name. 
It  has  two  streams  which  are  known  by  Indian 
names,  the  Wyoniissing  and  the  Allegheny ;  but 
neither  was  sufficiently  prominent  to  give  its 
name  to  the  entire  section.  The  upper  section 
contains  about  130,000  acres,  and  the  lower 
116,000  acres. 

The  four  sections  have  therefore  been  named 
Manatawny,  Ontelaunee,  lulpehocken  and 
Schuylkill,  and  they  are  treated  in  the  order 
mentioned. 


MANATAWNY  SECTION. 

The  Manatawny  section  comprises   fourteen 
townships,  viz : 


Oley. 
Amity. 

CoLEBROOKDALE. 

Douglass. 

EXETEE. 

Alsace. 
Muhlenberg. 


Hereford. 

Washington. 

ruscomb-manor. 

Rockland. 

District. 

Earl. 

Pike. 


They  are  arranged  and  treated  in  the  order  of 
priority  of  settlement  and  erection.  Reading  is 
situated  within  this  section ;  but  it  is  treated 
separately  as  the  county-seat  in  Chapter 
XXIII. 

The  central  portion  of  this  large  section  of 
territory  is  almost  surrounded  by  hills.  These 
hills  form  natural  water-sheds  for  the  section, 
whereby  the  streams  are  drawn  through  the 
several  parts,  south,  east,  north  and  west,  af 
fording  invaluable  irrigation  and  industrial 
power.  The  hills  to  the  eastward  and  north- 
ward have  been  known  for  over  one  hundred 
and  fifty  years  as  the  "  Oley  Hills ;"  and  those 
to  the  westward  for  nearly  the  same  period  as 
the  hills  of  "  Ruscomb  Manor,"  and  "  Penn's 
Manor," — the  latter  including  "  Neversink  "  in 
Alsace,  and  "  Schwartzwald"  in  Exeter.  The 
greater  proportion  of  the  land  is  rather  elevated 
and  rolling  ;  and  about  a  fourth  part  of  it  is 
wood-land. 

Streams. — The  principal  streams  are  Mana- 
tawny, Monocacy  and  Antietam.  The  Mana- 
tawny is  the  largest  and  longest  stream.  It  has 
three  sources,  which  unite  near  Pleasantville, — 
Beaver  Creek,  East  Branch  and  West  Branch. 
From  the  junction  the  Manatawny  flows  south- 
wardly through  the  eastern  part,  and  near  the 
line  of  Oley  ;  thence  southeastwardly  through 
Upper  Amity  and  Central  Douglass,  into  and 
through  the  extreme  southwestern  corner  of 
Montgomery  County  into  the  Schuylkill. 
From  its  source  to  its  mouth  it  is  about  twenty- 
five  miles  long,  only  three  miles  being  in 
Montgomery  County.  In  Douglass,  near  Pine 
Iron-Works,  the  Iron-stone  Creek  flows  into  it. 
The  Manatawny  and  all  its  tributaries  have  a 
total  length  of  fifty-six  miles. 

The  Monocacy  rises  in  the  eastern  part  of 
Alsace  and  western  part  of  Oley,  and  flows 
southwardly  through  Exeter  and  Amity  into 
the  Schuylkill,  a  length  of  eleven  miles.  It 
has  two  branches  which,  flow  into  it  on  the 
east, — Little  Monocacy  and  Limekiln. 

The  Antietam  rises  in  Ruscomb-manor,  and 
flows  southwardly  through  Alsace  and  Exeter 
into  the  Schuylkill,  a  length  of  nine  miles. 

To  the  westward  the  minor  noteworthy 
streams  are  Rose  Valley  Run,  Bernhart's  Run 


930 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


and  Laurel  Run.  All  empty  into  the  Schuyl- 
kill. 

Besides  the  streams  mentioned,  the  following 
rise  in  this  section:  Willow  Creek,  Sacony  and 
Perkiomen,  with  its  tributaries,  West  Branch 
and  Swamp  Creek. 

The  total  length  of  the  streams  and  their 
tributaries  in  this  section  is  over  one  hundred 
miles. 

The  water  system  of  this  territory  is  thor- 
ough. It  plays  a  very  important  part  in  its 
prosperity.  It  affords  invaluable  and  constant 
water-power.  This  power  was  appreciated  by 
the  first  settlers,  having  been  appropriated  by 
them  for  mills,  and  subsequently  utilized  for 
forges,  furnaces  and  factories. 

Internal  Improvements.  —  Numerous 
roads  have  been  laid  out  in  this  territory. 
Each  township  is  well  supplied.  The  most 
prominent  roads  of  considerable  length  in  this 
section  are  the  following  :  Four  from  Reading, 
— 1,,  to  Boyertown  (via  Stonersville),  eighteen 
miles-  2,  to  Friedensburg,  nine  miles;  3, 
to  Pricetown,  nine  miles ;  4,  to  Kutztown  (via 
Temple).  Two  roads  lead  from  Amity ville, — 
one  by  way  of  Friedensburg  and  Pricetown  to 
Blandon,  and  the  other  by  way  of  Yellow 
House,  Pleasantville  and  Stony  Point  to  Kutz- 
town. And  a  road  leads  from  Boyertown,  via 
Shultzville  and  Claytonville,  to  Lehigh  County, 
ten  miles. 

Two  turnpikes  have  been  constructed  in  the 
section, — the  "  Perkiomen,"  from  county  line 
via  Douglassville  and  Baumstown  to  Reading, 
and  the  "  Centre,"  from  Reading  to  Tuckerton, 
which  extends  nortwardly,  via  Leesport  and 
Hamburg,  to  the  county  line.  A  short  turn- 
pike has  also  been  constructed  in  the  extreme 
eastern  part  through  Hereford. 

Three  railroads  extend  through  it,  viz. :  The 
Philadelphia  and  Reading,  along  the  Schuyl- 
kill River  through  the  lower  portion  of  Doug- 
lass, Amity,  Exeter  and  Alsace  and  the  central 
portion  of  Reading  and  Muhlenberg,  for  twenty 
miles ;  the  East  Pennsylvania,  through  Read- 
ing and  Muhlenberg,  for  six  miles;  and  the 
Colebrookdale,  through  Douglass,  Colebrook- 
dale  and  Washington,  for  ten  miles — altogether 
thirty-six  miles. 


The  Schuylkill  Canal  extends  along  the 
river,  through  Reading  and  Muhlenberg,  to 
"  Stoudt's  Ferry,"  a  distance  of  nine  miles. 


OLEY  TOWNSHIP. 

The  district  of  Oley  comprised  the  greater 
part  of  Manatawny  section  for  a  number  of 
years  till  1720.  Next  to  "Manathanim" 
(Manatawny),  it  was  the  first  name  given  to 
any  considerable  tract  of  territory  in  this  re- 
gion of  the  province,  and  by  it  the  early  settlers 
designated  the  locality.  Strictly  speaking,  the 
district  included  only  those  lands  in  the  central 
portion  which  were  surrounded  by  hills.  This 
circumstance  led  the  Indians  to  name  them 
Olink,  and  from  this  word  the  first  settlers  de- 
rived the  name  Oley.1  Its  first  appearance  in 
a  written  form  was  in  the  patent  to  Isaac  le 
Turk,2  granted  to  him  for  three  hundred  acres 
of  land  taken  up  in  1712.  At  that  time  there 
were  two  other  settlers  who  had  taken  up  lands 
by  patent,  named  John  le  Dee  and  John  Fred- 
erickfull.  The  land  of  the  former  was  situated 
along  the  "  Little  Manatawny  "  (now  adjoining 
Friedensburg),  and  in  a  continuous  line  of 
transmission  for  one  hundred  and  seventy-four 
years,  it  has  passed  from  father  to  son,  grand- 
sons and  great-grandsons  to  the  present  genera- 
tion. 

Before  the  year  1700  William  Penn  had 
granted  to  different  parties  the  right  to  take  up 
lands  in  Pennsylvania,  by  virtue  of  which 
right  certain  large  tracts  were  taken  up  in 
Oley.  Actual  possession  was  not  taken  by  the 
original  grantees  when  the  right  was  given  to 
them,  but  some  years  after  1700  by  subsequent 
grantees.  Prominent  representative  ancestors 
of  some  of  the  first  families  in  the  county  ob- 

1  It  has  been  suggested  that  possibly  the  name  arose  from 
Oleye,  a  community  in  the  Belgian  province  of  Liittich 
Circuit,  Waremme,  from  which  the  first  settlers  may  have 
emigrated. 

'■*  Isaac  le  Turk  had  previously  been  settled  on  the  Quas- 
sick  Creek,  in  Dutchess  County,  New  York,  having  emi- 
grated from  the  country  along  the  Rhine,  with  twelve 
thousand  Germans,  upon  the  invitation  of  Queen  Anne. 
In  1709  he  was  registered  there  as  a  husbandman,  unmar- 
ried, aged  twenty-three  years.  He  left  in  1711,  and  mi- 
grated to  Oley  in  1712. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


931 


tainecl  lauds  under  these  grants,  among  them 
having  been  John  Hoch '  and  John  Yoder,  and 
the  lands  purchased  by  them  over  one  hundred 
and  sixty  years  ago  have  been  transmitted  from 
generation  to  generation  in  their  respective  de- 
scendants to  the  present  time.2 

The  Friends  made  early  settlements  in  this 
district,  prominent  amongst  them  having  been 
George  Boone,  Sr.,  and  Anthony  Lee.3     Boone 


'In  a  deed  from  William  Penn  to  John  Snashold,  of 
Chiddington,  Sussex  County,  England,  dated  26th  of  Ma3', 
1682,  for  a  tract  of  five  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, it  is  mentioned  as  "  in  his  actual  possession  now 
being.''  This  tract  was  subsequently  conveyed  to  William 
Ranberry,  and  by  Ranberry,  on  30th  of  January,  1728,  to 
John  Hoy  (Hoch).  A  part  of  this  land  is  cow  owned  and 
possessed  by  Gideon  Hoch,  who  has  (amongst  the  title  pa- 
pers) the  original  patent  of  1682.  Snashold  did  not  have 
possession  in  point  of  fact,  but  in  point  of  law. 

2  See  "Oley  and  Vicinity,"  manuscript  history  by  Dr. 
Peter  6.  Bertolet,  in  the  possession  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Historical  Society  at  Philadelphia,  which  contains  a  valua- 
ble collection  of  data  relating  to  the  early  settlers  of  Oley, 
to  the  genealogy  of  their  families,  to  the  Indians  and  to 
other  interesting  topics.  Dr.  Bertolet  had  intended  to 
publish  this  history,  but  was  prevented  by  his  untimely 
death.  He  was  a  man  of  unusual  intelligence  and  dis- 
played great  energy  in  behalf  of  our  early  county  history. 
(See  sketch  in  Medical  chapter  of  this  history.) 

3  Arthur  Lee  settled  in  Oley  about  1718.  He  was  a  na- 
tive of  England.  It  is  possible  that  he  came  into  this  sec- 
tion of  Philadelphia  County  with  George  Boone,  Sr.  He 
then  took  up  a  large  tract  of  land  on  the  west  branch  of 
the  Manatawny  Creek,  and  Boone  took  up  a  large  tract 
several  miles  to  the  west,  along  the  Monocacy  Creek.  There 
had  been  an  Indian  village  on  his  land,  which  was,  doubt- 
less, removed  beyond  the  South  Mountain  about  that  time, 
when  the  land  was  released  to  the  Penns  by  the  Indians. 
By  a  tradition  in  the  Lee  family,  the  Indians  were  for  a 
time  neighbors  of  Arthur  Lee,  and  they  showed  a  high 
respect  for  him  on  account  of  his  principles, — they  know- 
ing that  he  was  one  of  the  class  of  men  to  which  the 
Penns  belonged.  At  one  time  these  Indians,  hearing  that 
a  hostile  tribe  intended  to  make  an  incursion  into  the  set- 
tlement, came  and  notified  him,  but  not  without  an  appar- 
ently cruel  demonstration.  They  visited  his  home  in  the 
night-time,  painted  and  equipped  as  if  to  carry  on  warfare. 
Their  formidable  attitude  alarmed  the  family,  especially 
the  younger  members,  'who,  in  consequence,  made  some  ef- 
forts to  escape.  But  they  assured  the  family  that  they 
came  to  notify  and  prepare  them  for  a  threatened  invasion, 
rather  than  do  any  injury.  They  came  disguised  in  this 
manner  so  as  to  deceive  the  Indians  in  case  they  should 
meet  them.  They  then  inquired  of  Mr.  Lee  for  a  confirma 
tion  of  this  alarming  report ;  but  they  learned  from  him 
that  it  was  untrue.      This  information   delighted   them. 


served  as  a  justice  of  the  peace  for  many  years, 
and  practiced  surveying,  having  surveyed  a 
number  of  the  townships  in  proceedings  for 
their  erection.  He  was  the  grandfather  of 
Daniel  Boone,  the  Kentucky  pioneer.  He 
took  up  a  tract  of  four  hundred  acres  in  Oley 
(now  Exeter)  in  1718,  about  which  time  he 
settled  there  and  erected  and  carried  on  the 
first  mill  in  this  section  of  the  province.  His 
son,  James  Boone,  was  a  superior  mathemati- 
cian and  served  as  one  of  the  provincial  judges 
of  the  county. 

Early  Prominent  Roads.4 — At  the  March 
sessions  of  court  at  Philadelphia,  in  1735,  a  peti- 
tion was  presented  to  extend  the  Tulpehocken 
road  (laid  out  in  1727)  from  the  Schuylkill 
River  to  Oley.  Mordecai  Lincoln,  Marcus  Hul- 
ings,  James  Thompson,  Peter  Robeson,  Benjamin 
Boone  and  Thomas  Potts  were  appointed  viewers. 
At  June  sessions,  1736,  they  reported  "  a  road 
from  the  ford  of  the  Schuylkill  at  the  end  of 
the  Tulpehocken  road  °  to  the  road  from  Oley 
to  Philadelphia,  in  length  thirty-seven  hundred 
and  twenty-six  perches,  or  11.64  miles."  The 
course  of  this  road  occupied,  in  a  general  way, 
the  present  road  from  Reading  via  Black  Bear, 
Jacksonwald    and  Stonersville  to  Amityville. 

At  that  session  also  (June,  1736)  a  petition 
was  presented  for  a  road  from  Jacob  Levan's 
mill,  in  Maxatawny,  to  the  "  King's  Highway," 
by  John  Yoder's  fence  in  Oley.  John  High, 
John  Yoder,  Jr.,  Samuel  Golden,  Benj.  Langa- 
worthy,  Abraham  Ashman  and  Thomas  Ellis 
(all  residents  of  Oley)  were  appointed  viewers. 
They  laid  out  the  road.  It  is  now  called  the 
"  Katztown  Road,"  and  extends  from  Pleasant- 
vine,  ma  Lobachsville  and  Stony  Point,  to  Kutz- 
town. 

Indian  Villages.6 — The  Indians  had  a 
prominent  settlement  in  this  township.  They 
had  villages  scattered  at  different  places.  One 
was  situated  a  little  north   of  the  "  Moravian 

They  shot  off  their  guns  into  the  air  with  a  shout  of  exul- 
tation, and  returned  to  their  homes.* 

4 See  "Early  Roads"  in  Amity  township. 

5  At  the  Penn  Street  bridge,  Reading. 

sBertolet's  "Oley  and  Vicinity." 

*  Rupp's  "  History  of  Berks  County,"  p.  231. 


932 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


School-house,"  near  the  foot  of  "  Grand  Hill," 
on  the  farm  occupied  by  Jared  Hoch.  Five 
springs  were  at  that  point.  Engle  Peters  was  a 
near  neighbor,  with  whom,  it  is  said,  they  were 
upon  intimate  terms.  He  was  a  blacksmith  by 
occupation  and  in  appearance  large  and  power- 
ful. The  Indians  frequently  visited  his  shop. 
Another  village  was  on  the  Bertolet  farm,  at 
"  Clay  Slate  Hill."  The  largest  village  was  on 
the  Lee  farm,  where  marks  of  numerous  graves 
existed  till  about  1860.  The  spot  was  called 
"  Lee's  Field,"  having  doubtless  been  a  bury- 
ing-ground  of  the  Indians.  Some  of  the  In- 
dians continued  to  live  in  that  vicinity  for  a 
score  of  years  after  the  territory  was  sold  by 
them  to  the  proprietaries.  One  of  their  em- 
ployments was  basket-making,  in  which  they 
were  expert.  Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the 
"  French  and  Indian  War "  all  intimacy  be- 
tween them  and  the  settlers  ceased. 

In  May,  1728,  George  Boone — a  justice  of 
the  peace,  residing  in  Oley  township — addressed 
the  following  interesting  letter  to  Patrick  Gor- 
don, Deputy  Governor  of  the  province,  in  refer- 
ence to  the  unsettled  and  uncertain  condition  of 
the  inhabitants,  which  arose  from  the  threaten- 
ing attitude  of  the  Indians  : 

"Our  condition  at  present  looks  with  a  bad  Vizard, 
for,  undoubtedly,  the  Indians  will  fall  down  upon  us 
very  suddenly.  Our  Inhabitants  are  generally  fled. 
There  remain  about  twenty  men  with  me  to  guard  my 
mill,1  where  I  have  about  1000  bushels  of  wheat  and 
flour  ;  and  we  are  resolved  to  defend  ourselves  to  the 
last  extremity  and  not  to  quit  our  habitations  if  we 
can  have  any  succor  from  you.  Wherefore  I  desire 
the  Governor  and  Council  to  take  our  cause  into  con- 
sideration and  speedily  send  some  messengers  to  the 
Indians,  and  some  arms  and  ammunition  to  us,  with 
some  strength  also,  in  order  to  defend  our  frontiers. 
Otherwise  we  shall  undoubtedly  perish  and  our  pro- 
vince laid  desolate  and  destroyed.  The  bearer  is  able 
to  inform  you  with  his  own  mouth  the  cause  of  my 
writing."  2 

First  Assessment  List.— No  assessment  lists 
have  as  yet  come  to  light  for  this  district  for 
the  period  between  1719  and  1734.  But  fortu- 
nately, in  spite  of  the  gross  and  inexcusable 
carelessness  of  the  county  officials,  a  record  of 


1  The  Boone  mill  was  situated  on   the   Monooacy  Creek, 
several  miles  from  the  Schuylkill. 
1  Penna.  Arch.,  218. 


the  taxable  inhabitants  of  Philadelphia  County 
for  the  year  1734  has  been  found.  It  was  pre- 
sented to  the  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania, 
in  whose  careful  and  worthy  possession  it  is 
now.  It  includes  four  districts — which  were 
then  recognized,  though  not  yet  established — 
now  parts  of  Berks  County :  Oley,  Amity, 
Colebrookdale  and  Maxatawny.  The  names  of 
the  taxables  and  the  quantity  of  land  held  by 
each  taxable,  upon  which  quit-rents  were  paid, 
for  Oley,  were  as  follows  : 

Acres. 

George  Hunter 250 

John  Yoder 200 


John  Yoder,  Junior 300 

Jonas  Yoder 150 

John  Kimes 100 

Anthony  Lee 400 

Sebastian  Groff 10 

Peter  Shillpert 200 

Jacob  De  Plank 100 

Engle  Peters 150 

Andrew  Bally 200 

Nicholas  Lesher 150 

Hance  Mirtle 150 

David  Jones 100 

John  Webb 200 

George  Boon 200 

Thomas  Ellis 200 

John  Bartolet 200 

Arnold  Houghnaile 200 

Christopher  Bittle 100 

Martin  Wyler 100 

Mary  Messersmitb 100 

Christian  Weeks 100 

Maximilian  Sbeaper 200 

Isaac  Levant 230 

John  Collins 100 

George  Itutter 150 

Martin  Allstadt 150 

Peter  Furnawald 100 

Peter  Bingaman 100 

Ellis  Hugh 200 


Acres. 

Adam  Weidnor loo 

Peter  Baaly 200 

George  Boon,  Junior 250 

John  High 300 

Abraham  Levant 150 

Philip  Eillwaine 200 

Samuel  High 150 

Jonathan  Herbine 200 

John  Snyder 200 

Elizabeth  Bartolet 200 

Samuel  Golding 200 

John  De  Turk 300 

David  Caughman 300 

John  Kearson 100 

Margaret  Kearson 300 

Francis  Butter 150 

John  Fisher 100 

John  Lineabah 250 

Martin  Shinkle 100 

Abraham  Asheman 150 

Robert  Stapleton 200 

Benjamin  Langaworthy 400 

David  Garrad 100 

Gabriel  Boyer 150 

Benjamin  Boon 200 

Rudolph  Heagler : 250 

John  Englehart 150 

Squire  Boon 250 

John  Ellis 160 

Daniel  Wilkinson 12 


In  1741  fifty-eight  taxables  were  reported 
for  the  township. 

Erection  of  Township. — On  September 
5,  1720,  a  petition  was  presented  to  court,  at 
Philadelphia,  in  which  the  petitioners  represent- 
ed that  they  were  settled  on  lands  adjoining 
Amity,  altogether  about  ten  thousand  acres,  and 
requested  that,  owing  to  the  inconveniences 
under  which  they  labored,  that  said  land  should 
be  erected  into  a  township  by  the  name  com- 
monly known.  It  was  signed  by  the  following 
inhabitants,  mostly  in  German  handwriting  : 

John  Longworthy.  John  Yoder. 

Benjamin  Longworthy.  Hans  Schneider. 

John  Henry  Kirsten.  George  Kreider. 

Hans  Helfiu  Week.  Henry  Baker. 

Johannes  Keihm.  Hans  Klemer. 

Jacob  Koch.  Peter  Bertolet. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


933 


Isaac  de  Turek. 
Philip  Kuhlwein. 
Hans  Siegfried. 
Abram  Zimmerman. 
Engel  Potter. 
Jacob  Plank. 
Johannes  Jung. 
Martin  Schenkel. 
Isaac  Lennerd. 

Abraham 


Samuel  Saul. 
Jonathan  Herbein. 
Jacob  Stauber. 
Arnold  Huffnagle. 
Anthony  Lee. 
Jost  Joder. 
George  Boon. 
Peter  Trakseler. 
Richard  Gregrey. 
Ashman. 


Action  on  this  petition  was  delayed  for  some 
unknown  reason  for  twenty  years  before  the 
township  was  regularly  erected. 

The  application  for  the  erection  of  the  town- 
ship was  renewed  in  June,  1740.  A  petition, 
signed  by  fifty-four  subscribers,  was  presented 
to  court,  in  which  they  asked  for  viewers  to  fix 
the  boundary  lines.  Viewers  were  appointed, 
and  on  September  1,  1740,  they  made  the  fol- 
lowing return : 

li  Beginning  at  a  corner  of  Thomas  Pott's  land  in 
ithe  Amity  township  line ;  thence  N.  70  W.,  591  ps. ; 
S.  20  W-,  36  ps.,to  the  North  side  of  the  King's  road 
leading  from  Philadelphia  to  Tulpehocken  settlements ; 
thence  along  said  road  1043  perches  ;  thence  N.  20  E., 
1200  ps.;  S.  70  E.,  1400  ps.,  and  S.  20  W.,  1720  ps.,  to 
the  beginning,  containing  about  14,000  acres  of  land." 

Benjamin  Eastburn  was  the  surveyor.  In  the 
draft  on  file,  the  stream  which  empties  into  the 
Schuylkill  above  the  Monocacy,  is  called  "  Lah- 
undakie,"  now  as  the  "  Antietam."  This  return 
was  confirmed,  known,  and  the  district  inclosed 
was  named  Oley. 

Takables  of  1759. — The  following  list 
comprises  the  taxables  of  the  township  for  the 
year  1759.  The  tax  levied  amounted  to  one 
hundred  and  thirty-nine  pounds,  and  Samuel 
High  was  the  collector  : 


Abraham  Bartolet 25 

Frederick  Bartolet 18 

John  Bartolet 22 

Isaac  Earto 14 

Gabriel  Boyer 16 

William  Boone 4 

Peter  Briel 16 

Michael  Blatner 2 

Jacob  Beretler 6 

Michael  Brest 2 

William  Collins 3 

James  Delaplank 17 

George  Bollinger 12 

JohnDurck 35 

John  Beobald 2 

Henry  Derr 2 

Mordecai  Ellis 15 

John  Frederick 7 

Conrad  Fisher 6 

Christian  Fairy 6 


"Widow  Gelbach 30 

Henry  Gerat 16 

Isaac  Greenleaf 10 

Caspar  Griesemer 45 

Samuel  Gulden 30 

Francis  Gerlach 2 

Leopold  Gross 2 

John  Greth 4 

Frederick  Gulden 4 

Henry  Ginter 3 

Jonathan  Harpine 30 

Peter  Harpine 18 

John  Hill 13 

Peter  Herple 8 

John  High 32 

Samuel  High 45 

Elias  Huffnagle 14 

Benjamin  Huffnagle 14 

Valentine  Huffnagle 14 

Matthias  Hollebach 10 


Anthony  Hamscher 4 

Philip  Hartman 2 

Jacob  Hnssinger 1 

"Valentine  Huff 3 

Frederick  Hill 2 

Casper  Hoffman 1 

Anthony  Jilger 36 

Nicholas  Jiiger 30 

John  Joder,  Sr 20 

John  Joder,  Jr 16 

John  Yost  Joder 18 

Jacob  Joder 7 

Michael  Joder 5 

Valentine  Jung 4 

Widow  Jungman 8 

George  Juugman 1 

Jacob  Kauffman 20 

Nicholas  Kime 6 

Michael  Knab. 24 

George  K  alt  eisen 2 

Adam  Kehly 2 

George  Keplinger 4 

Samuel  Koenig 5 

John  Lee 34 

Thomas  Lee 28 

Samuel  Lee 26 

Abraham  Levan 32 

Frederick  Leimbach 4 

Henry  Leimbach 15 

John  Leimbach 11 

John  Lesher 70 

Nicholas  Lesher 18 

Benjamin  Longworthy 20 

Adolph  Meyer 10 

Nicholas  Matery 3 

John  Mertz 3 

Philip  Meth 6 


Single 


Frederick  Eberly. 
Samuel  Gulden 
Daniel  Gulden. 
John  High. 
Jacob  Harpine. 
Jacob  Joder, 
John  Joder. 
Philip  Knahb. 
Peter  Knabb. 
John  Knabb. 
John  Kelchner. 
George  Kime. 
Daniel  Levan. 
Andrew  Lerch. 


Melcliior  Meyer 2 

Henry  Novkirk,  Sr 6 

Henry  Newkirk,  Jr 3 

Valentine  Normer 1 

Henry  Norpet 1 

Abraham  Peter 26 

Conrad  Reif  and  two  sons 100 

Widow  Reiff. 6 

John  Reppert 7 

Michael  Reiter 3 

Jacob  Reiter 2 

William  Reiter 2 

Martin  Schenkle 32 

Widow  Scheffer 12 

Benedict  Schwob 24 

Jacob  Schneider 24 

William  Stapleton 12 

Leonard  Scheffer 2 

Henry  Schenkle 1 

Martin  Schlagenhanf. 6 

John  George  Schneider 2 

Jacob  Siery S 

Jacob  Stauffer 8 

John  Stitzel 5 

Jacob  Sin]/. 2 

Lazarus  Weidner. 18 

Dehecus  Weidner.* 17 

David  Weiser 18 

Jonas  Weaver 2 

George  Weikert 2 

John  Weikert 6 

Andrew  Weiler 7 

Daniel  Wentz 2 

Jacob  Wernert 3 

George  Windbigler 4 

Jacob  Wiest 4 

John  Zug 6 

Men. 

Tost  Lerch. 
Frederick  Meinder. 
George  Michael. 
Matthias  Moser. 
Michael  Oerter. 
Peter  Reath. 
Nicholas  Smith. 
Conrad  Shoemakei. 
Gebrge  Seitzinger. 
John  ThomaB. 
Jacob  Wiest. 
Jacob  WeBner. 
Martin  Wetzel. 


Industries. 
Before  the  county  was  cleared  of  its  forests 
the  Manatawny  and  its  affluents  had  a  sufficient 
volume  to  operate  numerous  mills  and  small1 
factories,  some  of  which  are  still  carried  on  suc- 
cessfully. On  what  is  locally  called  Furnace 
Creek,  near  the  mountains,  the  Oley  Furnace1 
was  erected,  which  during  the  Eevolution  be- 


1  Near  this  furnace  a  valuable  deposit  of  iron-ore  was 
discovered  about  1760.  The  ore  was  doubtless  used  in  the 
forges  in  that  vicinity,  notably  the  "Oley"  and  the 
"Spring,"  and  induced  the  erection  of  the  furnace.  Ore 
was  also  conveyed  hither  from  the  Moselem  mine,  in  Rich- 
mond township,  about  eight  miles  to  the  northwest.  See; 
Early  Industries. 


934 


HISTOKY  OP  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


came  the  property  of  General  Daniel  Udree. 
The  Clymer  Iron  Company  succeeded  in  the 
ownership  of  this  old  industry  and  are  still  op- 
erating it.  It  is  the  oldest  charcoal  furnace  in 
use  in  the  State.  The  grist-  mill  connected  with 
this  property  has  been  continuously  operated. 
Down  the  creek  John  Stoetzel  had  a  paper- 
mill  as.  early  as  1790.  It  was  converted  into  a 
forge  by  Solomon  Boyer  in  1836.  About  1849 
Nimrod  Yeakel  became  the  owner  and  he  built 
a  grist-mill  in  the  place  of  the  forge,  which  is 
still  operated  by  his  family.  Above  this  place 
a  woolen-factory  was  erected  by  John  R.  Edel- 
man,  which  is  also  continued  and  produces  all 
kinds  of  woolen  goods.  A  little  more  than  half 
a  mile  down  the  stream  on  the  present  Mahlon 
De  Turck's  farm  was  the  Seger  saw-mill,  whose 
power  was  last  employed  to  operate  a  flax- 
brake.  But  the  Weiser  saw-mill,  below  this 
point,  has  been  operated  for  several  generations, 
having  as  successive  owners  Christian,  Jacob  and 
Daniel  "Weiser.  At  the  mouth  of  this  stream  the 
Bertolets  had  an  oil-mill,  but  later  the  power  was 
used  only  to  operate  a  saw-mill.  This  property, 
as  well  as  the  old  Bertolet  grist-mill  on  the  Little 
Manatawny,  is  still  owned  by  that  family,  the 
owner  of  the  latter  being  Daniel  G.  Bertolet. 
It  is  on  a  good  site  and  is  well  patronized.  The 
saw-mill  is  operated  by  Israel  Bertolet,  the 
owner  of  the  large  farm  and  a  direct  descendant 
of  the  first  purchaser,  one  hundred  and  sixty 
years  ago.  Near  Friedensburg,  on  the  power 
above  the  Bertolet  mill,  is  the  Kerst  mill,  now 
the  property  of  Ammon  Kaufman  and  long 
operated  by  Daniel  Kaufman.  It  is  a  substan- 
tial mill,  supplied  with  good  steam-power  and 
four  sets  of  stones.  The  old  Reiff  mill,  on  the 
headwaters  of  this  stream,  is*  now  operated  by 
A.  Carl.  It  has  also  done  service  for  several 
generations. 

On  the  Monocacy  John  Knabb  had  a  saw- 
mill, which  after  many  years  of  successful 
operation  was  burned  down.  A  new  mill  was 
built  by  Charles  Knabb.  Haifa  mile  lower 
down  the  stream  John  Knabb  erected  a  large 
stone  grist-mill,  which,  in  a  repaired  condition, 
is  now  carried  on  by  Daniel  Bieber.  Lower 
down,  the  Herbein  saw-mill,  built  by  Jonas 
Herbein,  is  situated.     Gehr's  fulling-mill  was 


just  outside  the  township,  in  Exeter,  but  has 
long  since  been  removed. 

On  a  branch  of  the  Bieber  Creek  Jacob 
Bieber  had  a  pioneer  saw-mill,  which  was  after- 
wards operated  by  Wm.  Bieber;  it  is  now  the 
property  of  Benjamin  Keim.  A  short  distance 
below  is  one  of  the  oldest  mill-seats  in  the  town- 
ship. As  early  as  1742  a  corn-mill  was  oper- 
ated there  by  Snapphold,  the  mill  standing  some 
distance  below  the  present  one,  which  was  built 
in  1761  by  John  Hoch.  Originally  it  was  a 
one-story  building,  not  near  as  large  as  at  pres- 
ent, having  been  built  to  its  present  size  in  1830, 
by  Solomon  Peter.  Before  1790  Casper  Maul 
owned  the  property.  Since  1846,  Daniel  Y. 
Peter  has  owned  this  mill.  In  1884  he  supplied 
steam-power.  He  has  manufactured  molasses 
at  the  same  place.  Below  this  point  Joshua 
Hoch  had  an  oil-mill  about  1835,  but  the  build- 
ing has  been  idle  many  years;  the  saw-mill, 
built  in  1839,  is  now  operated  by  Isaac  Brum- 
bach.  Several  miles  lower  down  the  stream 
Ely  &  Yoder  erected  a  paper-mill  about  1850,' 
using  the  power  which  had  before  operated  a 
saw-mill  and  carried  it  on  some  time.  When 
owned  by  Daniel  Yoder  alone  he  enlarged  it. 
Subsequently  it  became  the  property  of,  first, 
Ezra  Becker  and  then  Geo.  B.  Conrad.  At 
present  it  is  owned  by  Henry  Conrad.  It  was 
worked  in  the  manufacture  of  printing  paper 
and  employed  twenty  hands.  On  the  Yoder 
farm,  at  Pleasantville,  Daniel  Yoder  had  an  oil- 
mill,  which  was  abandoned  and  the  power  used 
to  operate  a  clover  and  feed-mill,  owned  by  John 
and  David  Yoder.  These  interests  still  remain. 
The  Yoders  were  large  land-owners.  On  the 
lower  part  of  the  tract  there  was  another  mill- 
site  ;  it  is  now  the  Griesemer  mill.  This  was 
first  built  by  John  Griesemer,  and  in  1839  de- 
stroyed by  fire.  It  is  at  present  operated  by 
Jacob  L.  Griesemer  and  is  one  of  the  principal 
mills  of  the  township.  A  short  distance  below 
were  the  Oley  Forges,  operated  by  the  Leshers 
and  the  Spangs.  The  stream  there  afforded  a 
strong  water-power;  the  dam  covered  about 
forty  acres.  Spang  also  had  a  fulling-mill  at 
that  place,  which  was  at  one  time  extensively 
operated.  The  last  power  on  the  Manatawny, 
in  Oley,  was  improved  for  a  saw-mill,  built  by 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


935 


John  P.  Kaufman,  and  now  owned  by  Samuel 
Kaufman.  It  is  claimed  by  Benneville  Gries- 
emer.  that  he  used  the  first  stationary  steam- 
engine  in  Oley,  in  1848,  in  furnishing  power 
for  a  stave-factory.  Finding  it  unprofitable,  he 
sold  the  machinery  to  parties  who  moved  it  to 
Bucks  County.  The  township  formerly  had 
half  a  dozen  small  tanneries,  but  some  of  them 
have  been  altogether  discontinued.  One  of  the 
largest  was  carried  on  by  David  Bear,  at  Fried- 
ensburg. 


west  of  what  is  now  the  Yellow  House.  He 
brought  with  him  a  son  named  Abraham,  then 
fourteen  years  of  age,  aud  who  married  Esther 
De  Turk  and  had  a  son  John,  who  was  married 
to  a  Miss  Shenkel.  John  Shenkel  Bertolette, 
a  son  by  this  marriage,  was  the  father  of  Levi 
J.  Bertolette.  John  S.  Bertolette  was  the  propri- 
etor of  the  iron-mill  known  as  Spring  Forge, 
near  where  Earlville  is  now  located,  and  man- 
aged the  forge  and  a  farm  at  the  same  time.  He 
was  a  man  of  energetic  business  qualities,  firm  in 


LEVI  JOHN   BERTOLETTE. 


Levi  John  Bektolette  was  born  at  Spring 
Forge,  in  Earl  township,  March  29,  1813. 
His  father  was  John  Shenkel  Bertolette,  and 
his  mother,  Mary  Boyer.  His  paternal  an- 
cestor, Jean  Bertolette,  emigrated  to  this 
country  from  the  Palatinate,  on  the  Khine,  in 
1726.  He  was  a  native  of  Chateaudeux,  in  the 
Canton  of  Berne,  Switzerland ;  was  a  Hugue- 
not, and  is  said  to  have  been  a  descendant  of  a 
French  family  driven  from  their  native  country 
during  the  persecution  of  the  Huguenots  in 
France.  Jean  Bertolette  settled,  upon  his  ar- 
rival in  Pennsylvania,  at  a  spot  about  one  mile 


purpose,  and  quick  in  execution.  Levi  J.  Bertol- 
ette, his  son,  before  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age,  was 
placed  by  his  father  in  charge  of  a  six-horse  team, 
with  which  he  hauled  iron  blooms  to  Philadel- 
phia. At  the  early  age  of  eighteen  he  was 
married  to  Henrietta  Guldin,  and  was  placed  by 
his  father  in  possession  of  a  farm,  which  came 
to  him  in  his  own  right  but  a  short  time  after- 
ward, at  his  father's  death.  He  lived  upon 
this  farm,  which  was  part  of  the  originally 
settled  tract,  all  his  life,  and  became  one  of  the 
prominent  men  of  his  neighborhood  and  of  the 
county.     He  varied  his  farm  duties  with  those 


936 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


of  stock-raising  and  dealing  in  stock,  and 
made  frequent  trips  to  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois 
and  Kentucky,  buying  up  stock,  bringing 
it  home  and  selling  it,  the  business  proving 
lucrative.  In  stock  raising  his  tastes  ran 
toward  fine  driving  horses,  and  he  raised  and 
turned  out  some  of  the  fastest  trotters  and  pacers 
in  the  county.  At  the  time  of  the  organization 
of  the  National  Union  Bank  of  Reading  he  became 
one  of  its  directors,  and  filled  that  position  for 
many  years. 

Politically,  he  was  a  Democrat  of  the  Jack- 
sonian  stripe,  and  never  varied  in  his  faith. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church 
from  his  early  youth.  He  had  a  sympathetic 
nature  under  a  somewhat  stern  and  severe  ex- 
terior. He  was  a  warm  friend  and  held  the 
respect  of  all  his  neighbors,  and  thoroughly 
enjoyed  his  long  life.  He  was  guarded  and 
judicious  in  his  business  relations.  He 
had  a  great  taste  for  travel,  which  was  never 
gratified  to  its  fullest  extent,  though  he  made 
several  trips  to  Colorado  and  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  Throughout  his  life,  and  until  his 
final  sickness,  he  was  a  remarkable  healthy  and 
vigorous  man.  He  was  fond  of  reading,  par- 
ticularly subjects  relating  to  the  deeds  and 
achievements  of  great  men,  and  was  possessed  of 
a  disposition  that  looked  upon  the  bright  side 
of  life.  He  died  April  10,  1883,  full  of  years, 
and  leaving  a  beloved  and  honored  memory  to 
his  family  and  friends.  He  was  the  father  of 
eight  children.  His  widow,  two  sons  and  a 
daughter  survive  him.  The  former  lives  in 
Reading,  The  eldest  son,  John  C,  is  a  suc- 
cessful ranchman  in  Colorado,  a  few  miles  from 
the  city  of  Denver.  The  second,  Levi  A.,  is 
now  residing  in  Wilmington,  Del.,  and  the 
daughter,  Emma  Josephine,  is  the  wife  of 
Samuel  Heckman  and  lives  at  the  old  home- 
stead in  Oley  township,  which  she  inherited. 
He  left  also  fourteen  surviving  grandchildren. 

CHURCHES. 

In  no  other  township  of  the  county  have 
there  been  greater  diversity  of  religious  thought 
and  freedom  of  opinion  regarding  doctrinal 
usages,  than  in  Oley.  Among  the  very  earliest 
settlers  there  were  a  number  of  ultra-religionists 


and  during  the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury various  sects,  whose  doctrines  were  in  direct 
conflict  with  the  beliefs  of  the  older  churches, 
found  adherents  in  the  township.  Some  of 
these  maintained  meetings  for  a  short  period  in 
Oley,  but  did  not  succeed  in  effecting  permanent 
organizations. 

During  the  earlier  history  of  Oley,  about 
1718,  there  prevailed  for  a  time  a  certain  relig- 
ious excitement,  which  was  caused  by  a  peculiar 
sect  of  people  who  styled  themselves  "  New- 
Born. "  Their  leader  was  a  man  named  Mat- 
thias Bowman,  who  arrived  from  the  Palatinate 
about  that  time  for  the  purpose  of  conducting 
them  in  their  religious  belief.  They  professed 
sinless  perfection  and  claimed  that  they  "were 
sent  of  God  to  conform  others."  Their  dispu- 
tations were  frequently  heard  in  the  market- 
places of  Philadelphia.  Their  leader  was  so 
forward  as  to  carry  his  doctrines  wherever  he 
could.  No  person,  howsoever  retired,  seemed 
to  escape  his  visits.  Even  Conrad  Beissel — 
the  founder  of  the  "  Sieben  Taeger" 1 — was  oc- 
casionally annoyed  by  the  importunity  of  him- 
self and  of  his  disciples.2  It  is  probable  that 
they  continued  for  thirty  years. 

The  Brethren,  or  Dunkards,  were  quite  nu- 
merous in  Oley  from  1724  till  1745,  when 
many  removed.  No  effort  appears  to  have  been 
made  by  them  to  establish  a  regular  place  of 
worship.  About  that  time  the  Moravians  ob- 
tained a  foothold  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the 
township,  holding  their  first  general  meetings 
in  the  barn  of  John  De  Turk,  and  it  was  in 
that  building  where  a  general  meeting  was  held 
February  11,  1742,  which  was  attended  by 
Bishops  David  Nichtsman  and  Count  Zinzen- 
dorf,  who  had  then  just  arrived  in  America, 
and  who  there  ordained  Christian  Henry  Rauch 
and  Gotlieb  Buettner  as  deacons  of  the  Mora- 
vian Church.  The  former  was  the  missionary 
in  Counecticut  and  was  accompanied  to  this 
place  by  three  Indians,  who  had  been  converted 
to  the  Christiau  religion,  and  who  now  sought 


1  Seventh-day  Baptists. 

"Rupp's  "  Hist.  Berks  County,"  pp.233,  234  and  235, 
see  letter  of  Maria  de  Turk  and  opinion  of  Muhlenberg  on 
this  sect. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


937 


tlie  rite  of  baptism  at  the  hands  of  the  bishops 
or  of  some  authorized  minister. 

After  the  ordination  services,  "the  whole  as- 
sembly being  met,  the  three  catechumens  (In- 
dians) were  placed  in  the  midst  and  with  fervent 
prayer  and  supplication  devoted  to  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  as  his  eternal  property,  upon  which 
Rauch,  with  great  emotion  of  heart,  baptized 
these  three  firstlings  of  the  North  American 
Indians  into  the  death  of  Jesus,  in  the  name  of 
the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  calling  Shabash,  Abraham;  Slein,  Isaac; 
and  Kiop,  Jacob."1  This  extraordinary  meeting 
produced  a  marked  effect  upon  the  community, 
and  was  the  means  of  giving  the  Moravians 
precedence  in  the  next  few  years,  so  that  a 
school-house  and  church  building  were  erected 
some  years  afterward  (1748)  in  the  same  neigh- 
borhood. It  was  located  upon  a  tract  of  sixteen 
acres,  which  had  been  donated  by  John  Diedrich 
Youngman,  who  had  received  a  patent  for  the 
same  from  the  Penns  in  1 735.  Youngman  was 
very  zealous  in  this  enterprise  and  it  was  mainly 
through  his  exertions  that  the  buildings  were 
erected.2  The  larger  building,  commonly  called 
the  meeting-house,  was  forty-one  feet  square  and 
three  stories  high.  The  lower  story  was  divided 
into  four  apartments,  each  having  a  large  open 
fire-place,  and  were,  probably,  the  living-rooms 
of  the  teachers.  The  second  story  was  devoted 
to  church  and  school  purposes,  and  the  third 
story  contained  sleeping-rooms.  Youngman 
died  in  1747,  and,  as  he  was  most  interested  in 
it,  it  was  not  kept  up  long  afterward. 

The  large  building  became  a  farm-house,  on 
the  present  Moyer  place  In  1776  a  building 
was  erected  by  Daniel  Hoch  and  others  upon 
a  smaller  tract  of  land,   near    the    burying- 


1  Loskiel. 

!  The  Moravian  schools  of  Germantown  and  of  Frederick 
township  were  incorporated  into  this  school.  In  August, 
1750,  the  following  pupils  were  transferred  from  the  Fred- 
erick school  to  Oley  :  David  Beck,  of  Bethlehem  ;  Abraham 
and  John  Bibighausen,  George  M.  Graaf,  Abraham  Haller, 
Michael  Kraemer,  John  Riehm  and  John  Weber,  all  of  Lan- 
caster County ;  Jonathan  and  Peter  Jones,  of  New  Provi- 
dence township ;  Abraham  Leinbach,  Peter  Vetter,  of  Oley ; 
Israel  Horsfield,  of  Long  Island  ;  Isaac  Noble,  of  New 
York;  Frederick  Klemm,  of  Philadelphia;  John  Walton 
and  Isaac,  a  Mohegan  Indian,  of  Shecomeco. 
80 


ground,  which  was  thereafter  known  as  the 
"  Herrnhueter  Schule  Hans "  (aud  which  is 
still  standing),  nominally  as  the  property  of  the 
Moravians.  In  this  building  schools  were 
maintained  with  considerable  regularity  until 
1873 ;  then  it  became  a  residence  and  has  since 
been  used  as  such. 

From  1850  till  1872  the  township  rented 
the  building  at  four  dollars  per  year  for 
public  schools,  the  proceeds,  in  part,  being  ap- 
plied to  the  care  of  the  property.  The  last 
school  in  it  was  taught  in  1873  by  Elijah  Mer- 
kel.  The  cemetery  is  inclosed  with  a  substan- 
tial fence  and  contains  a  number  of  graves, 
some  of  them  marked  with  sand-stones,  whose 
inscriptions  have  been  effaced.  The  property 
comprises  about  three  acres  of  land  and  is  held 
in  trust  by  Levi  Merkel,  Benneville  Herbein 
and  Jackson  Snyder.  Jared  Hoch  was  long 
the  treasurer  of  the  school-house  fund. 

Dr.  George  De  Benneville  may  be  regarded 
as  the  first  minister  to  take  up  his  residence  in 
the  township  for  the  purpose  of  teaching  and 
preaching.  He  settled  on  what  was  known  as 
the  Peter  Knabb  farm.  He  built  a  spacious 
house,  in  which  he  taught  and  preached,  and 
also  frequently  held  services  in  the  Moravian 
meeting-house.  He  was  a  medical  practitioner; 
thus  he  became  well  known  and  popular  among 
the  people,  and,  as  he  did  not  belong  to  any 
particular  sect,  he  was  called  on  to  preach  the 
funeral  services  of  most  of  the  early  settlers.  It 
was  he  who  encouraged  the  custom  of  having 
private  burial-grounds  on  the  farms,  as  a  mat- 
ter of  convenience,  since  public  cemeteries  were 
few  and  far  removed  In  belief  he  was  a  Res- 
torationist,  but  made  no  effort  to  establish  that 
sect  in  Oley.  Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Indian  troubles,  in  1755,  he  removed  to  near 
Philadelphia,  where  he  died. 

Oley  Reformed  Church  was  founded  in 
the  Manatawny  Valley,  in  one  of  the  richest 
sections  of  the  township.  A  number  of  Cal- 
vinists  lived  there,  and  one  of  them,  John 
Lesher,  on  the  13th  of  April,  1734,  deeded  one 
hundred  and  thirty-two  perches  of  land  to  Gabriel 
Boyer  and  Casper  Griesemer,  "  in  trust  for  the 
society  of  Christian  people  inhabiting  Oley, 
professing  the  doctrines    and    tenets  of  John 


938 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Calvin."  Upon  this  lot  a  small  log  meeting- 
house was  built  in  1735,  in  which  preached  the 
visiting  German  Reformed  ministers,  and  also, 
occasionally,  a  Lutheran  minister.  Among  the 
former  were  the  Rev.  Henry  Goetschy  (who 
also  preached  before  the  church  was  built),  Rev. 
George  Michael  Wiest,  Rev.  Johannes  Bartholo- 
maes  Rieger,  Rev.  J.  B.  Boehm,  Rev.  Michael 

Schlatter  and  Rev. Leydick.     In  1754  a 

new  meeting-house  was  built  by  John  Lesher, 
Casper  Griesemer  and  Gabriel  Boyer,  which 
was  used  until  the  present  edifice  took  its  place, 
in  1822.  The  names  of  these  members  of  the 
building  committee  were  cut  on  the  vane  which 
adorned  the  roof  of  the  church,  and  which  was 
in  the  form  of  a  huge  rooster.  The  building 
was  partly  of  stone  and  finished  up  with  logs, 
making  it  more  substantial  than  attractive. 
The  floor  was  composed  of  bricks,  about  eight 
inches  square  and  three  inches  thick.  For  a 
number  of  years  there  was  no  stove  in  it.  In 
other  respects  it  was  like  the  churches  of  that 
day,  having  the  old-fashioned  pulpit  and  the 
usual  number  of  side-doors.  "Whilst  the  second 
church  was  being  built  the  congregation  made 
an  effort  to  secure  a  regular  pastor,  and,  in 
1755,  appointed  Elders  John  Lesher  and 
Casper  Griesemer  to  visit  the  Coetus  at  Lancas- 
ter and  present  a  petition  for  a  minister.  Revs. 
"Wiest,  Schlatter,  Leydick,  "Waldsmith  and 
Steyner  were  appointed  supplies  for  this  congre- 
gation and  congregations  at  Reading  and  other 
places  in  this  part  of  the  country.  In  1761 
Oley  united  with  Reading  in  extending  a  call 
to  the  Rev.  William  Otterbein,  which  he  de- 
clined, and  no  regular  pastor  was  secured  until 
1771,  when  the  Rev.  John  "William  Boos  as- 
sumed that  relation  and  preached  eleven  years. 

In   1782    the  Rev. Nebling    became  the 

pastor,  followed,  in  1784,  by  Rev.  Bernhart 
"Willy,  and  by  Rev.  John  William  Ingold  in 
1786.  A  few  years  later  the  Rev.  John  Wil- 
liam Boos  was  again  the  pastor,  and  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  Revs.  Fred  Herman, Deeh- 

ant,  Augustus  Pauli,  J.  Sassaman  Herman, 
Daniel  E.  Schoedler  and  the  present,  Rev.  I.  S. 
Stahr.  The  membership  approximates  four 
hundred  and  the  congregation  is  in  a  flourish- 
ing condition.     The  Lutherans  also  worshipped 


in  the  old  church,  but  in  1821  they  became  a 
distinct  body  and  erected  a  place  of  worship  on 
an  adjoining  lot.  The  following  year  the  Re- 
formed congregation  vacated  its  old  church,  and 
in  May,  1822,  laid  the  corner-stone  of  the  pres- 
ent brick  edifice,  which  was  erected  by  a  build- 
ing committee  having  as  its  members  Daniel 
Griesemer,  Peter  Knabb,  Tobias  Schall  and 
Peter  Guldin.  It  was  dedicated  late  the  same 
year  and  was  used  as  built  until  1880,  when  it 
was  remodeled  and  made  very  attractive,  in  its 
interior  arrangements  and  embellishments. 

Christ's  Lutheran  Church. — Having  de- 
termined  to  erect  their  own  house  of  worship, 
instead  of  uniting  with  the  Reformed  congrega- 
tion in  building  a  new  church  in  place  of  the 
old  Oley  Church,  which  had  become  unfitted  by 
age,  the  Lutheran  members  selected  as  their 
building  committee  Henry  J.  Spang,  Martin 
Yoder  and  William  Trout,  and  began  oper- 
ations early  in  1821.  A  lot  was  procured  from 
Jacob  S.  Spang,  adjoining  the  old  church,  upon 
which  was  laid  the  corner-stone  May  27,  1821, 
and  the  building  was  completed  so  far  that  a 
meeting  was  held  in  it  on  Christmas  the  same 
year.  It  is  a  plain  structure,  almost  square, 
built  of  rough  stone.  It  has  been  occupied 
since  its  consecration,  May  27,  1822.  It  was 
repaired  in  1878. 

On  January  6,  1822,  Conrad  Miller  was  in- 
stalled the  first  pastor,  and  the  congregation 
adopted  its  constitution  on  the  31st  of  March 
following.  Rev.  Miller  served  until  1834.  The 
subsequent  pastors  were, — 


1834-39,  Isaac  Roeller. 
1840,  Daniel  Kohler. 
1841-44,  Mark  Harpel. 
1845-48,   A.   T.    Geisen- 
heimer. 


1848-53,  George  F.  Mil- 
ler. 

1853-66,  G.  A.  Hinterlei- 
ter. 


Since  December  16,  1866,  the  Rev.  T.  T. 
laegar  has  officiated  as  pastor.  The  congrega- 
tion is  in  a  prosperous  condition  and  has  about 
the  same  number  of  members  as  the  Reformed. 
In  1868  both  churches  were  inclosed  with  a 
beautiful'  iron  fence,  costing  two  thousand  five 
hundred  dollars.  It  was  built  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Benneville  Griesemer  and  James  Staple- 
ton. 

The  Oley  Cemetery  is  controlled  by  an  asso- 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


939 


ciation  chartered  in  1870.  The  present  officers 
are  Samuel  Hoch,  president ;  Dr.  A.  N.  Fegley, 
secretary ;  and  John  B.  Yingling,  treasurer.  It 
comprises  about  four  acres,  which  are  neatly 
kept.    Some  fine  monuments  have  been  erected. 

A  Sunday-school  was  instituted  here  on  June 
6,  1852,  after  some  opposition  had  been  man- 
ifested against  it. 

Upon  part  of  the  old  Reformed  lot  are  the 
ruins  of  the  old  stone  parochial  school-house, 
which  was  used  before  the  adoption  of  the  free- 
school  system.  In  it  were  taught  some  good 
schools,  for  the  times  in  which  they  were  main- 
tained. It  also  served  as  the  home  of  the  or- 
ganist for  some  years. 

Each  church  has  provided  ample  shed-room 
for  the  horses  of  its  members. 

Feiedex's  Church1  (Reformed  and  Luth- 
eran).— Members  of  these  denominations,  re- 
siding in  the  northern  and  western  parts  of  Oley, 
and  desiring  a  more  convenient  place  of  wor- 
ship than  the  neighboring  churches  afforded, 
decided,  at  a  meeting  held  January  1,  1830,  to 
build  a  church  of  their  own  at  a  place  in  the 
township  now  Friedensburg,  and  appointed 
John  Laucks,  Henry  Dengler,  Gideon  Schneider 
and  Abraham  De  Turk  a  building  committee. 
A  few  days  later  (January  5th)  Henry  Dengler 
executed  a  deed  in  trust  for  one  hundred  and 
thirty-three  perches  of  land,  to  Jacob  H.  Reiff, 
John  Hunter,  Sr.,  Solomon  Boyer  and  Abraham 
Haas,  "  for  the  use  of  a  church  in  which  the 
Christian  religion  might  be  taught  in  German, 
according  to  the  several  doctrines  of  the 
Lutheran  and  Calvinist,  or  German  Reformed 
Churches."  Church  regulations  were  now 
drawn  up  and  the  plan  of  the  organization  set 
forth  as  being  purely  fraternal,-  whence  the 
name  "  Friedens  "  was  suggested  for  the  new 
building.  Provision  was  also  made  to  erect  a 
school-house  at  the  same  time,  which  was  to  be 
controlled  wholly  by  the  trustees ;  and  all  these 
interests  were  to  be  "  independent  of  synodical 
connection  until  the  end  of  all  time."  The 
corner-stone  of  the  church  was  laid  May  23, 
1830,  and  the  two  buildings  were  completed 
the  following  year   at   a   cost   of  $1678.11  J. 

1  From  data  by  J.  B.  Herbein. 


This  amount  was  exclusive  of  the  work  gratui- 
tously done,  which  aided  materially  in  the  con- 
struction. The  frames  of  the  doors  and  windows 
were  procured  from  a  large  oak,  which  stood 
on  the  farm  of  David  Levan  (now  Mahlon  De 
Turk),  this  having  been  cut  down  by  the  mem- 
bers and  converted  into  lumber  at  a  neighboring 
saw-mill. 

On  the  13th  of  August,  1831,  the  first  bap- 
tism in  the  church  took  place,  Solomon  S. 
Reider  receiving  that  rite ;  and  the  first  com- 
munion was  held  October  23d  of  the  same  year. 
On  August  30, 1854,  the  church  and  cemetery 
connected  with  it  became  an  incorporated  body. 
Then  the  cemetery  was  enlarged,  comprising 
now  more  than  three  acres,  which  have  been 
attractively  improved.  The  trustees  in  1886 
were  J.  B.  Leinbach,  P.  L.  Glase,  Stephen 
Reider,  Daniel  Link,  George  Brownmiller, 
John  R.  Adelman  and  John  Dengler. 

The  congregations  have  prospered  and  in- 
creased in  membership  (each  having  about  three 
hundred)  so  that  the  old  church  was  no  longer 
a  fit  earthly  temple,  and  it  was  decided  to  erect 
a  new  one  of  larger  capacity,  and  better  suited 
to  the  requirements  of  the  times.  On  April  5, 
1886,  the  work  of  demolishing  the  old  church 
was  begun  and  on  its  site  a  new  structure  of 
brick  will  be  erected,  with  a  capacity  for  eight 
hundred  persons.  The  tower  is  to  be  one  hun- 
dred and  three  feet  high,  and  is  to  contain  a 
bell  weighing  eighteen  hundred  pounds.  The 
committee  charged  with  building  this  house  are 
Henry  Dellecker,  Jacob  Hoch,  Charles  Reiff, 
Joel  Haas,  P.  L.  Glase  and  J.  B.  Herbein. 
While  it  is  being  built  the  congregations  will 
worship  in  the  "Union  Church,"  below  Friedens- 
burg, and  the  Sunday-school,  which  was  organ- 
ized and  held  for  a  time  in  the  church  school- 
house,  will  be  held  in  the  public  school  building. 
Until  1867  it  was  held  in  summer  only,  but 
since  that  time  it  has  been  continued  all  year. 
H.  Van  Sickle  and  J.  H.  Major  were  the  first 
two  superintendents ;  and  D.  D.  Hoch  and  J. 
L.  Endy  the  last  two.  The  school  is  well 
attended. 

The  following  have  been  the  pastors  of  the 
church  and  the  years  they  began  to  teach  : 


940 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Reformed. 


1830,  Carl  Herman. 
1839,  Aug.  Herman. 
1841,  Isaac  Miesse. 
1848,  N.  S.  Strassburger. 
1861,  Isaac  Miesse. 


1830,  Isaac  Roeller. 
1838,  Daniel  Kohler. 

1848,  A.  T.  Geisenheimer 

1849,  George  F.  Miller. 


1862,  P.  P.  A.  Hoffman. 
1879,  Daniel   E.  Schoed- 

ler. 
1884,  I.  S.  Stahr  (present 

pastor). 
Lutheran. 

1853,  A.  J.  Hinterleiter. 
1866,  T.  T.  Iaeger. 
1883,    U.    P.     Heilman 

(pre.-ent  pastor). 


From  the  organization  of  the  congregations 
until  1882  the  services  were  almost  exclusively 
in  German,  but  since  the  latter  date  one-fourth 
of  the  preaching  has  been  English. 

St.  John's  Lutheran  Church  is  located 
at  Pleasantville,  and  is  an  attractive  brick  edi- 
fice, having  capacity  for  four  hundred  people. 
It  was  erected  in  1879,  and  dedicated  Novem- 
ber 23,  1879,  at  a  cost  of  about  twenty-four 
hundred  dollars.  A  neat  spire  embellishes  the 
outside  appearance  of  the  building.  The  con- 
gregation occupying  it  was  organized,  in  1868, 
of  members  who  belonged  to  the  Lobachsville 
and  Hill  Churches,  and  who  adhered  to  the 
Rev.  Alfred  D.  Croll  when  be  withdrew  from 
the  old  Lutheran  Synod  of  Pennsylvania  and 
connected  himself  with  the  class  known  as  New 
Lutheran.  The  membership  was  at  first  small, 
but  increased  until  forty  belonged,  which  is  the 
number  reported  in  1886.  The  meetings  were 
held  in  the  Odd-Fellows'  Hall  until  the  church 
was  completed,  and  the  Rev.  Croll  was  the 
pastor  until  his  death,  in  1876.  Since  that 
time  the  pastors  have  been  Revs.  William 
Cutter,  Edward  Darron,  William  H.  Lewars, 
John  A.  Singmaster,  and  the  present,  George 
W.  Fritsch.  The  church  controls  a  cemetery 
of  one  acre,  part  of  which  was  the  old  burial- 
ground  of  the  Yoder  family. 

Ebenezer  Evangelical  Church  is  a 
small,  plain  frame  building,  erected  in  1869,  at 
the  same  place.  At  that  time  there  were 
thirty-five  members,  and  Rev.  Frank  Sechrist 
was  the  preacher  in  charge  of  the  Fried  ens- 
burg  Circuit,  which  supplies  this  church. 
From  the  records  at  hand  it  appears  that 
in  1853  a  class  of  the  association  was  organized 
at  that  place,  which  had  twenty-two  members, 
Jacob  Bertolet  as  a  local  preacher,  and  S.  Brei- 


fogel  as  the  leader.  They  were .  known  as  the 
Maxatawny  Class,  of  the  Milford  Circuit,  and 
Henry  Bucks  was  the  preacher  in  charge.  Since 
that  time,  among  the  Evangelical  preachers  in 
this  section  have  been  Revs.  Wiland,  Specht, 
Gold,  Hess,  Ziegenfuss,  Gingrich,  Zorn,  Se- 
christ, Adams,  Harber,  Glick  and  the  present, 
R.  Deisher.  In  1886  there  were  fifty-four  mem- 
bers. Its  trustees  then  were  Albert  Cleaver, 
Reuben  Sharer  and  Irwin  Kline. 

Salem  Church  of  the  Evangelical 
Association  at  Friedeusburg  was  built  in 
1881.  The  congregation  occupying  it  was  or- 
ganized about  1840,  and  was  one  of  the  fruits 
of  the  religious  excitement  which  prevailed  in 
the  township  at  that  period.  Meetings  were 
first  held  at  the  house  of  Daniel  Bertolet,  Sr., 
in  the  barns  of  the  members  or  in  nature's  own 
temple,  the  leafy  woods.  But,  soon  afterward, 
Daniel  Bertolet  erected  a  union  meeting-house, 
in  the  locality  of  his  home,  one  mile  from 
Friedensburg,  in  which  the  meetings  of  the 
Association  were  statedly  held  for  some  ten 
years,  when  an  acre  of  laud  was  purchased, 
at  Friedensburg,  for  church  and  cemetery  pur- 
poses, upon  which  was  ereeted  a  plain,  stone 
church.  This  was  occupied  until  1881,  when  it 
was  demolished  and  the  material  used  in  the 
present  edifice.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  in 
July  of  that  year,  and  the  church  dedicated  oa 
January  29,  1882,  by  the  Rev.  I.  E.  Knerr. 
It  is  a  brick  building,  with  a  spire  ninety-five 
feet  high,  which  includes  a  bell  weighing  one 
thousand  pounds.  The  building  committee 
comprised  W.  H.  Butterweck,  William  Schroe- 
der  and  Amos  Man  wilier.  Rev.  Thomas  Harber 
was  the  preacher  in  charge  of  the  circuit  at  that 
time.  The  present  trustees  are  B.  R.  High, 
William  Schroeder  and  George  Schaerer.  The 
members  number  fifty,  constituting  a  class  of 
which  Lewis  Hoeffer  is  the  leader.  The  Sun^ 
day-school  has  seventy-five  members  and 
George  Dellecker  is  the  superintendent.  This 
church  also  belongs  to  Friedensburg  Circuit,  and, 
in  addition  to  the  pastors  named  in  the  Eman- 
uel Church,  the  Revs.  Moses  Dissinger,  John 
Koehl  and  Joseph  Sayler  preached,  in  the  latter 
when  the  stone  church  was  built. 

Union  Church  (mentioned  in  connection  with 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


941 


Salem  Church)  is  used  by  various  denomina- 
tions, besides  the  Evangelicals.  The  property- 
is  held  in  trust  by  the  heirs  of  Daniel  Bertolet, 
who  thus  carry  out  the  purpose  of  the  founder. 
A  cemetery  is  connected  with  it,  in  which  are 
interred  many  people  of  that  part  of  the  town- 
ship. 

OLEY  ACADEMY. 

This  institution  had  its  origin  in  the  desire  of 
many  of  the  best  people  of  Oley  to  have  in  their 
midst  a  school  where  instruction  in  the  higher 
branches  might  be  obtained.  An  effort  was 
made  as  early  as  1850  to  establish  such  a  school 
at  Friedeusburg,  which  failed,  owing  to  the 
want  of  enterprise  and  forethought  on  the  part 
of  some  of  the  members  of  the  School  Board 
serving  at  that  time. 

The  free-school  system  was  accepted  in  1849, 
and  when  school  buildings  had  to  be  provided, 
the  following  year,  Dr.  Peter  G.  Bertolet  (one 
of  the  most  progressive  citizens  of  the  township), 
as  a  member  of  the  School  Board,  urged  the 
erection  of  a  two-story  building,  in  which  a 
graded  school  should  be  taught,  promising,  on 
the  part  of  the  people  of  Friedeusburg,  that 
if  such  a  school  building  were  erected  there,  the 
citizens  would  defray  one-half  of  the  expense. 
He  was  warmly  seconded  by  Martin  Yoder;  but 
the  prejudice  against  such  schools  overcame  the 
judgment  of  the  majority  of  the  directors  and 
the  proposition  was  defeated. 

The  township  built  two  separate  district 
school-houses  in  this  locality  and  was  content 
with  ordinary  English  teaching  a  few  months 
each  year.  Disappointed,  but  not  disheartened, 
the  friends  of  a  liberal  education  bided  their 
time,  and  on  the  1st  of  January,  1857,  they  put 
forth  another  effort  to  establish  such  a  school, 
but  one  which  should  be  independent  of  public 
control.  Dr.  Bertolet  found  warm  coadjutors  in 
Daniel  S.  Leinbach,  B.  A.  Glase  and  others, 
who  agreed  to  associate  themselves  with  him  to 
form  a  stock  company  to  erect  and  conduct  an 
academy.  The  project  was  so  warmly  encour- 
aged that  its  success  was  soon  assured  ;  and  to 
put  the  enterprise  upon  the  best  possible  footing, 
the  company  became  an  incorporated  body 
April  13,  1857,  upon  the  petition  of  the  follow- 
ing persons : 


Daniel  S.  Leinbach. 
B.  A.  Glase. 
Daniel  H.  Levan 
John  K.  Bertolet. 
John  R.  Edelman. 
Samuel  F.  Busby. 


P.  G.  Bertolet. 
Jacob  Bertolet. 
Daniel  G.  Bertolet. 
J.  H.  Major. 
Peter  Guldin. 
David  Bear. 


A  commodious  two-story  brick  building  was 
erected  in  the  lower  part  of  Friedensburg,  and 
on  December  1,  1857,  Oley  Academy  was 
opened,  with  forty  studeuts,  and  Jacob  H. 
Major  as  principal.  From  the  first  it  was  pros- 
perous. It  suffered  a  reverse  in  1874,  which 
threatened  the  life  of  the  school.  Fortunately, 
a  new  generation  of  friends  of  higher  education 
came  to  the  rescue,  and  by  their  united  efforts 
the  institution  was  placed  upon  a  better  footing 
than  eves  before.  Not  only  were  old  debts 
liquidated,  but  enough  money  was  raised  besides 
to  erect  a  fine  three-story  boarding  hall.  The 
academy  was  supplied  with  choice  philosophical 
apparatus,  a  large  collection  of  geological  and 
botanical  specimens,  and  a  library  of  about  five 
hundred  volumes  of  standard  and  reference 
books.  Thus  equipped,  it  entered  upon  a  new 
career  of  prosperity,  which  has  continued  to  this 
day.  The  yearly  attendance  is  about  one  hun- 
dred students,  and,  being  empowered  by  its 
charter  to  confer  "  honorary  degrees,"  regular 
courses  of  study  have  been  established. 

These  embrace  the  study  of  the  English,  in 
all  its  branches,  and  the  ancient  and  modern 
classics.  In  1885  the  first  class  was  graduated 
— twelve  in  number — which  had  completed  the 
prescribed  courses. 

The  academy  has  had  a  number  of  really  dis- 
tinguished men  as  instructors,  who  have  con- 
ducted the  academy  very  successfully.  It  has 
aided  in  preparing  many  for  the  different 
learned  professions  ;  has  educated  a  large  num  ■ 
ber  of  the  ablest  teachers  in  this  section  of  the 
county,  and  inculcated  a  love  for  literary  life 
in  many  homes  in  Oley  and  the  surrounding 
townships.  Of  the. many  academies  in  the 
State  called  into  existence  thirty  years  ago,  this 
is  one  of  the  few  still  open  and  whose  present 
condition  is  better  than  its  beginning. 

Its  principal  instructors  have  been  the  fol- 
lowing : 

1857-58,  Jacob  H.  Major. 

1859-60,  I.  B,  Hankey,  J.  P.  Matthews. 


942 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


1861-62,  Israel  M.  Bertolet,  Frank  Laucks. 

1863-64,  Eev.  L.  K.  Evans. 

1865-67,  Rev.  Daniel  M.  Wolf,  Wm.  G.  Guinther. 

1868-69,  Howard  Gutelius. 

1870-72,  Jacob  H.  Major. 

1873,  George  Hetrick. 

1874r-75,  Samuel  A.  Baer. 

1876,  Rev.  D.  E.  Schoedler. 

George  H.  Heffner  has  served  as  the  princi- 
pal of  the  academy  since  1884,  and  manifested 
a  high  order  of  efficiency  for  the  position.  His 
assistant  is  John  G.  Dengler,  who  was  a  student 
in  the  academy  in  1858,  and  has  been  for  the 
past  twenty  years  an  instructor  in  the  institu- 
tion. Other  instructors  of  special  branches  are 
Martha  Mertz  Heffner,  J.  B.  Leinbach  and  G. 
E.  M.  Herbst,  A.M. 

The  present  board  of  trustees  composes 
President,  Jared  Hoch ;  Secretary,  John  G. 
Dingier ;  Treasurer,  Dmiel  D.  Hoch,  Frank  Y. 
Kauffman,  Jacob  K.  Levan,  James  B.  Herbein. 

VILLAGES. 

Oley  has  no  large  villages  within  its  hounds. 
Its  people,  from  its  first  settlement,  were  almost 
wholly  given  up  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and 
cared  little  for  the  advantages  and  influences 
possessed  by  those  living  in  more  densely  in- 
habited communities.  Only  within  the  last  few 
decades  have  any  attempts  been  made  at  build- 
ing in  villages.  On  the  Monocacy,  where  the 
State  road  from  Reading  crosses  that  stream,  is 
Oley  Line  (Lime-Kiln  post-office).  It  is  a 
business  point,  noted  in  Exeter.  Hans  Schnei- 
der was  the  first  settler  there,  in  1717,  and  part 
of  the  house  he  built  in  1746  is  still  in  use  on 
the  Gehr  farm,  Jacob  Gehr,  the  owner,  having 
intermarried  in  the  Schneider  family.  South  of 
the  road  are  still  living  the  Schneiders,  direct 
descendants  of  the  pioneer  who  died  in  1763.  To 
the  eastward  the  Herbeins  made  improvements 
and  to  the  southeast  the  Knabbs  have  long 
maintained  their  possessions.  In  this  locality 
Peter  Knabb  had  a  country  store  several  years 
and  also  manufactured  lime  on  an  extensive 
scale.  Lower  down  the  valley,  and  also  in 
Exeter,  is  the  well-known  Yellow  House  store 
and  tavern  opened  by  Peter  Nagle,  and  later  the 
property  of  Lemuel  Guldin,  who  there  trans- 
acted a  heavy  business  as  a  dealer  in  mules  for 


the  government  during  the  late  Civil  War, 
amassing  therefrom  quite  a  fortune.  He  had  as 
many  as  one  hundred  and  fifty  mules  stabled  at 
one  time,  waiting  orders  to  ship  to  the  army. 
North  on  the  Oley  pike  Benneville  Griesemer 
had  a  country  store  from  1840  till  1847.  In 
the  central  part  of  the  township  Jacob  Kemp 
had  an  old-time  tavern  about  1820,  but  which 
was  discontinued  more  than  thirty  years  ago. 
It  was  the  first  election-place  of  the  township, 
and  the  polls  were  continued  there  after  the 
tavern  was  closed. 

Griesemeesville  is  in  the  southeastern  part, 
which  took  its  name  from  the  Griesemer  family, 
which  at  one  time  owned  about  one  thousand 
acres  of  land  in  that  locality.  Casper  Griesemer 
was  the  great-grandfather  of  the  elder  Griese- 
mers  living  in  the  township  at  present.  He 
lived  on  the  present  Wellington  Griesemer  farm. 
One  of  his  sons  (Peter)  resided  a  little  west  of 
the  hamlet,  and  built  a  house  there  in  1782  which 
is  still  in  use  by  his  immediate  descendants. 
Here  also  lived  Samuel  Goodman,  who  had 
the  strength  of  a  giant  combined  with  the  do- 
cility of  a  child.  He  served  in  the  War  of 
1812-15,  and  the  many  feats  which  he  per- 
formed appear  almost  incredible  to  the  present 
generation.  In  that  neighborhood  several  inns 
were  kept  at  an  early  day.  East  of  the  Mana- 
tawny,  on  the  present  Henry  Fisher  farm, 
Fredrick  Hill  had  a  tavern  which  before  him 
was  kept  by  the  Boyer  family.  It  has  been 
used  as  a  farm-house  for  a  long  time.  Nearer 
the  present  hamlet  Nicholas  Yeager  sheltered 
man  and  beast  in  buildings  which  were  closed 
to  the  public  more  than  sixty  years  ago ;  and 
about  the  same  time  was  discontinued  the  inu 
of  George  Focht,  on  the  present  High  farm. 
Nearer  the  Oley  Churches,  on  the  present  De- 
Turk  farm,  Enoch  Griesemer  had  an  inn,  kept 
open  until  about  forty  years  ago.  This  was,  in 
its  day,  a  noted  house,  and  being  on  a  principal 
thoroughfare,  was  well  patronized.  At  the 
centre  of  the  hamlet  a  brick  hotel  building,  four 
stories  high  and  sixty  feet  front,  was  erected  by 
Peter  D.  Griesemer,  in  1860,  which  has  since 
been  used  as  a  public-house.  At  one  time  the 
building  contained  ninety  rooms;  but  this  num 
ber  has  been  reduced  by  making  several  halls, 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


943 


which  are  used  for  public  gatherings.  In  this 
building  a  store  was  also  opened  and  the  Griese- 
mersville  post-office  established  in  1870,  kept 
by  Peter  D.  Griesemer.  A  later  postmaster 
was  A.  E.  Fegley  and  the  present  is  William 
Renno,  the  proprietor  of  the  building..  The 
store  is  kept  by  George  S.  Keiffer.  Near  this 
place  is  a  mechanic-shop,  carried  on  for  the 
past  fifty  years  by  J.  Spahn. 

Spangsville,  a  post  hamlet  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  old  Oley  Forge,  derived  its  name 
from  Jacob  S.  Spang,  one  of  the  owners  of  that 
industry,  and  who  also  merchandised  there  about 
sixty  years  ago.  After  his  retirement  Alexander 
Peacock  was  in  trade,  and  subsequent  merchants 
were,  among  others,  George  S.  Keiffer,  John 
Hartman,  and  the  present,  John  B.  Yingling. 
These  have  had  charge  of  the  Spangsville  post- 
office,  established  in  1851,  and  which  is  at 
present  supplied  with  a  daily  mail  from  Read- 
ing. For  a  number  of  years  Jacob  L.  Griese- 
mer has  been  the  postmaster.  It  comprises  a 
number  of  houses  and  shops,  which  may  be 
classed  as  belonging  to  this  hamlet.  Near  the 
Oley  Churches  Dr.  E.  E.  Griesemer  was  in  the 
active  practice  of  his  profession  before  his  re- 
moval to  Reading ;  and  the  present  physician 
is  Dr.  A.  N.  Fegley,  who  has  resided  there  the 
past  sixteen  years. 

Pleasantville  is  not  inappropriately 
named.  It  has  a  fine  location  on  the  Mana- 
tawny,  near  the  Pike  township  line,  and  con- 
tains two  churches,  a  store,  taverns,  shops  and 
a  dozen  fine  residences.  Isaac  Yoder  was  the 
founder  of  the  place.  About  1850  he  erected 
part  of  the  present  tavern  building,  which  he 
opened  as  a  public-house.  Soon  afterward 
Abraham  Cleaver  began  trading  in  the  same 
building  and  later  the  house  was  used  solely  as 
an  inn.  It  has  been  much  enlarged  by  Evan 
Mensch,  the  present  proprietor.  In  1856  the 
Odd-Fellows  belonging  to  Oley  Lodge,  No. 
218,  erected  a  fine  three-story  brick  building, 
finishing  it  up  in  an  attractive  and  substantial 
manner. 

It  was  formally  dedicated  on  Christmas  day 
of  that  year.  The  lower  story  was  fitted  up  for 
a  business  room  and  the  upper  stories  formed  a 
public  hall,  and  one  for  the  use  of  the  lodges. 


In  1873  the  lodge  was  transferred  to  Boyer- 
town  and  later  to  Reading,  where  its  meetings 
are  now  held.  In  this  building  Ely  &  Yoder, 
Daniel  Hoffman,  Jacob  F.  Holder,  H.  K. 
Cleaver,  and  since  1874,  F.  R.  Cleaver,  have 
conducted  a  successful  store  business.  Here  is 
kept  the  Manatawny  post-office,  established  in 
1851,  and  on  the  Shanesville  daily  mail-route. 
Near  this  place  Dr.  Peter  G.  Bertolet  practiced 
medicine  a  short  time  prior  to  his  location  at 
Friedensburg,  and  Albert  Cleaver  has  had  a 
saddlery  on  the  place  for  many  years.  Pleasant- 
ville was  erected  into  a  separate  school  district 
in  1857,  having  been  then  taken  out  of  Oley 
township. 

Friedensburg  is  the  largest  and  most  pros- 
perous village  in  the  township,  having  now 
more  than  five  hundred  inhabitants.  Though 
founded  in  1831,  the  place  has  had  the  most  of 
its  growth  within  the  past  twenty  years.  Re- 
cently it  hag  been  beautified  by  the  erection  of 
costly  and  substantial  buildings  to  a  greater  ex- 
tent than  in  all  its  previous  history.  It  contains 
the  Oley  Academy — an  institution  of  learning 
of  good  repute — Friedens  Church,  an  Evangeli- 
cal Church,  and  stores,  shops,  etc.  The  name 
was  suggested  by  Henry  H.  Maurer,  and  was 
derived  from  the  Friedens  Church,  which  was 
erected  at  this  place  in  1830.  About  the  same 
time  John  A.  Bertolet  opened  the  tavern  oppo- 
site the  new  church.  Henry  Dengler  had 
opened  a  store  some  five  years  previous.  The 
village  was  not  regularly  laid  out.  The  build- 
ings are  mainly  on  the  prominent  road  leading 
through  the  place.  The  original  tavern  build- 
ing was  enlarged  by  Peter  Glase,  who  kept  it 
for  a  long  time.  The  present  keeper  is  Oliver 
C.  Miller.  The  second  hotel  was  built  in  1881 
by  S.  H.  Mensch  and  has  since  been  occupied 
by  him. 

Henry  Dengler  continued  his  store  in  the 
long  building  until  about  1832,  when  he  occu- 
pied for  some  time  in  trade  the  building  which 
is  now  the  residence  of  Dr.  J.  Jack. 

Near  the  same  time,  John  K.  and  Malery 
Bertolet  engaged  for  six  years  in  business  in 
part  of  the  building  which  now  forms  the  fine 
business  house  of  John  O.  Glase.  They  were 
succeeded  by  Schnell  &  Laucks,  and  the  latter 


944 


HISTOEY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


by  B.  A.  Glase,  one  of  the  most  successful  mer- 
chants in  the  county.  His  business  is  now 
carried  on  successfully  by  his  son,  John  O. 
Glase.  In  1860  David  Baer  built  another 
business  stand,  which  was  occupied  by  William 
Baer,  Calvin  Whitner,  Edwin  Baer  and  P.  L. 
Glase,  the  latter  since  1884.  John  K.  Bertolet 
and  Jacob  Day  had  other  stores  for  short  pe- 
riods. 

The  post-office  for  this  section  of  the  town- 
ship was  established  in  1828  with  the  name  of 
Oley  Furnace,  which  was  afterward  changed  to 
Oley.  The  postmasters  have  been  Henry 
Dengler,  B.  A.  Glase,  Edwin  Baer,  J.  O.  Glase 
and,  for  the  past  six  months,  George  W.  Yeag- 
er.  It  has  a  daily  mail  from  Reading  to  Pike- 
ville. 

In  the  practice  of  the  medical  profession-  Dr. 
Francis  Palm  located  here  about  1820,  continu- 
ing till  his  death,  about  1850.  Dr.  Thomas 
Rutter  came  next,  remaining  several  years ;  and 
Dr.  Mark  Kerr,  for  a  short  time,  when  he 
removed  to  Norristown.  Dr.  Henry  Tyson  came 
about  1844,  and  was  a  practitioner  for  six  years, 
then  removed  to  Reading;  and  Dr.  Mengel, 
after  a  few  years'  practice,  located  in  Schuylkill 
County.  Dr.  Peter  G.  Bertolet  was  long, 
prominently  and  successfully  identified  with  the 
medical  interests  of  the  township,  and  he  was 
succeeded  by  Dr.  J.  A.  Jock.  Other  physi- 
cians are  Dr.  George  E.  M.  Herbst  and  Dr. 
William  F.  Hertzog,  the  latter  locating  within 
the  past  year. 

The  principal  industry  in  the  village  is  the 
coach-making  establishment  of  W.  H.  Butter- 
week,  carried  on  since  1872.  He  occupies  a 
two-story  building,  and  produces  light  work,  and 
employs  seven  hands.  Northeast  of  the  village 
is  the  old  and  well-known  machine-shop,  oper- 
ated by  a  small  water-power,  chiefly  on  repair- 
work,  which  is  a  great  accommodation  to  the 
people  of  Oley.  It  has  been  carried  on  by 
Martin  Yoder.  In  1886  the  principal  trades- 
men of  Friedensburg  were  :  Wheelwright  and 
blacksmiths,  Edwin  Lorah,  J.  Houck  and  E. 
Yoder;  marble  cutters,  William  Schollenberger 
and  George  Brownmiller ;  saddler,  George  W. 
Yeager;  tinsmith,  Jonas  Carl ;  cabinetmakers, 
Uriah    A.    Schlegel    and    Amos    Rothermel; 


shoemakers,  David  Deihl,  Samuel  ADgstadtand 
Daniel  Angstadt;  tailor,  John  Himmelriech. 

societies. 

Ringgold  Council,  No.  23,  Oedee  op 
Ameeican  Mechanics,  was  instituted  at  Frie- 
densburg April  28,  1858.  At  present  it  has 
sixty-eight  members. 

Minnehaha  Lodge,  No.  154,  Knights 
op  Pythias,  was  instituted  January  9,  1869, 
and  in  1885  had  one  hundred  and  twenty-two 
members. 

Both  the  above  orders  own  and  meet  in  a 
very  fine  hall,  converted  out  of  the  David  Baer 
residence  in  1884,  and  they  have  a  flourishing 
existence. 


AMITY  TOWNSHIP. 
The  first  settlements  in  the  county  were  made 
by  Swedes  along  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Schuyl- 
kill, in  the  locality  of  Douglassville.  In  1701 
Andrew  Rudman,  clerk,  in  behalf  of  himself 
and  several  of  his  countrymen,  the  Swedes,  who 
were  desirous  of  making  a  new  settlement  in 
the  province  of  Pennsylvania,  made  application 
to  William  Penn  for  the  privilege  of  taking  up 
ten  thousand  acres  of  land  on  the  river  Schuyl- 
kill, near  Manatawny  Creek.  Penn,  in  pur- 
suance of  this  application,  issued  a  warrant  on 
October  21,  1701,  to  Edward  Pennington, 
forthwith  to  lay  out  ten  thousand  acres,  which 
were  to  begin  about  six  hundred  perches  up  the 
Schuylkill  from  the  upper  line  of  the  German's 
land  (meaning Sprogell's  manor,  afterwards  cal led 
McCall's  manor),  and  to  extend  backward  from 
the  river  ten  miles  with  the  said  German's  land, 
if  convenient.  The  following-named  Swedes 
then  took  up  lands,  the  earliest  survey  having 
been  made  on  October  21,  1701,  and  patents 
having  been  issued  during  the  years  1704  and 
1705  : 

Acrea. 

Andreas  Rudman 1000 

Benjamin  Burden 500 

Mounce  Jones 500 

Justa  Justason 1000 

John  Cock 500 

Andrew  Bankson... 500 

Peter  Cock 300 

Matthias  Holston 900 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


945 


Peter  Boon 1000 

Mounce  Justice 700 

Richard  Eoads 800 

Otto  Ernest  Cock 500 

Morton  Morton 1200 

Jacob  Culinn 600 

Jonas  Yocum 350 

Benjamin  Boon 200 

Of  those  named,  the  following  were  among 
the  Swedish  settlers  on  the  Delaware  in  1693, 
the  number  indicating  the  persons  in  their  re- 
spective families : 

Maus  Jonsson - 

Gostaf  Gostafson 8 

Johan  Cock 7 

Anders  Benkson 9 

Matts  Hollsten 7 

Maus  Gostafson 2 

Otto  Ernest  Cock 5 

Marten  Martenson   10 

Acrelius,  in  his  "  History  of  New  Sweden," 
says  that  "  when  Penn  came  to  Pennsylvania 
the  second  time  he  offered  the  Swedes  ten  thou- 
sand acres  of  land  in  Mauathanim,  sixty  miles 
higher  up  in  the  country,  under  the  pretext  that 
they  might  have  more  room  and  live  together. 
But  the  upshot  was  to  get  their  homes  for  his 
Quakers,  and  few,  therefore,  accepted  of  the 
offer."  The  Swedes  named  are  the  few  referred 
to  by  him. 

In  a  letter  from  the  Swedes  to  John  Thelin, 
postmaster  at  Gotheborg,  dated  in  1693,  they 
asked  for  two  ministers  to  come  over  and  ad- 
minister to  them  and  also  for  certain  religious 
books;  they  also  represented, — "We  live  in 
great  amity  with  the  Indians,  who  have  not  done 
us  any  harm  for  many  years."  From  this  cir- 
cumstance the  Swedes,  who  afterward  settled 
farther  north,  called  their  settlement  "  Amity." 
Their  letter  was  answered  by  Archbishop  Suebi- 
lius,  upon  the  recommendation  of  King  Charles, 
of  Sweden,  and  the  two  ministers  and  books 
asked  for  were  sent  to  them.  One  of  the  min- 
isters was  Andrew  Rudman,  of  Gestricia,  who, 
upon  his  arrival  on  June  24,  1697,  selected  the 
congregation  at  Wicocoa,  in  Philadelphia,  which 
included  Manathanim  [Manatawny].1 

Old  Swede  Building. — On  the  eastern  bank 
of  the  Schuylkill,  at  the  bridge  near  Douglass- 

'Acretfus'  "  History  of  New  Sweden,"  p.  197. 


ville,  a  small  two-story  stone  building  is  still 
standing  in  a  good  state  of  preservation,  though 
erected  one  hundred  and  seventy  years  ago.  Its 
dimensions  are  thirtv-six  by  twenty-one  feet.  A 
soft  yellow  shale  stone  tablet  is  built  in  the  front 
wall,  between  the  windows  of  the  second  story 
which  face  the  river,  and  bears  the  following 
inscription :  Such  /GK&.  inscriptions  were 
commonly  made  by  ffj  ^k  the  Swedes.  Many 
similar  stones  are  n|7|6«  found  on  buildings 
in  Bucks  County.     \*jr    The    upper    letter 


OLD    SWEDE'S   BUILDING. 

indicated  the  initial  of  the  husband's  name ;  the 
lower  letter  to  the  left  the  initial  of  the  hus- 
band's given  name,  and  to  the  right  that  of  the 
wife's,  and  the  figures  indicated  the  time  of  erec- 
tion. This  inscription  indicates  that  the  build- 
ing was  erected  by  Mounce  Jones  and  Ingabo, 
his  wife,  in  1716.  He  took  up  one  of  the 
Swedes'  tracts  of  land,  on  which  this  building 
is  situated,  on  October  21,  1701,  and  the  patent 
was  issued  to  him  on  May  15,  1705,  At  that 
point  of  the  river  there  was  a  ford.  It  was 
used  for  many  years  till  1833,  when  a  private 
bridge  was  erected  by  a  stock  company.  Pre- 
vious to  1820  the  building  had  been  used  for 
some  years  as  a  tavern,  and  went  by  the  name 
of  "  Lamb's  Inn." 

Soon  after  the  Swedes  had  effected  permanent 
settlements  on  their  lands  they  felt  the  want  of 
roads.  In  March,  1709,  they,  with  other  set- 
tlers, who  occupied  lands  lower  down  the  river, 
presented  a  petition  to  court  at  Philadelphia. 
They  represented  that  they  had  plantations 
lying  very  remote  in  the  country,  and  in  the 
edge  or  outskirts  of  any  inhabitants  in  the 
county  and  that  it  was  very  difficult  for  them 
to  pass  and  re-pass  unto  their  plantations,  be- 


946 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


cause  there  was  no  public  road  laid  out  far 
enough  ;  they  therefore  prayed  for  viewers  to 
lay  out  a  road  from  the  late  house  of  Edward 
Lane,  deceased,  being  on  the  Queen's  Highway, 
unto    Manitania.      Tins   petition   was   signed 

by 

John  H.  Sprogell.  Charles  Millard. 

Mons  Jones.  Andrew  Leicken. 

Walter  Newman.  Matthew  Brooks. 

John  Justus.  Robert  Billings. 

John  Newman.  Thomas  McCarey. 

Jesta  Jestison.  Henry  Parker. 

John  Jones.  Hubert  Hiibertson. 

The  court  appointed  Mouns  Jones,  Walter 
Newman,  Matthew  Brooks,  Andrew  Lyson, 
John  Justice  and  James  Brooks,  or  any  four  of 
them,  to  lay  out  the  road  and  report  at  the  next 
session.  This  report  could  not  be  found,  and 
it  is  believed  that  the  road  was  not  laid  out. 

Township  Eeected. — About  1719  an  ap- 
plication was  made  to  erect  the  Swedes' 
tracts,  together  ten  thousand  five  hundred 
acres  in  area, "  into  a  township  to  be  cal- 
led "Amity."  The  survey  was  made  by 
George  Boone,  Esq.  The  application  was 
granted ;  the  township  was  erected,  and  a  con- 
stable and  other  necessary  township  officers 
were  appointed,  but  no  record  was  made  of  the 
proceedings  and  the  application  had  to  be  re- 
newed twenty-five  years  afterward. 

The  petition  was  presented  at  Philadelphia 
on  March  3,  1744,  and  signed  by  the  following 
persons  : 

Daniel  Womelsdorf. 
Johann  Dietrich,  Jr. 
Daniel  Ludwig. 
John  Sands. 

his 

Jacob  W.  Wawer. 

mark 
bis 

John  L.O.  Lorey. 

mark 

Marcus  Hidings. 
Jacob  Waren. 
Peter  Weaver. 
Windeel  Candreas. 
Charles  Megru. 
Malin  Sander. 
B.  Brinly. 
Hans  Jacobroth. 
Abijah  Sands. 
Jonas  Jones. 
Monce  Jones. 


Gilbert  Dehart. 
Simon  Dehart. 
William  Nelson. 
John  Campbell. 
Owen  Richard. 
John  Bell. 
John  Bausfeld. 
David  Campbell. 
William  Falman. 
Stephen  Miker. 
Walter  Campbell. 
Robert  Patterson. 
Joseph  Boone. 
Thomas  Dalmar. 
Owen  Williams. 
Ellis  Griffeth. 
William  Davis. 
Isaac  Wiseman. 
Andrew  Sadowski. 
Nicholas  Scull. 


William  Bird.  Henry  Bell. 

John  Dunckley.  Peter  Jones. 

Michael  Melmyer. 

This  was  the  first  township  erected  in  the 
district  now  comprised  in  Berks  County. 

In  1717  another  petition  was  presented  for  a 
public  road  from  Oley  to  the  King's  Highway. 
At  December  sessions  the  court  appointed  the 
following  viewers  :  John  Rhodes,  Thomas  Mc- 
Carty,  Andrew  Robeson,  Matthew  Brooks, 
James  Brooks  and  Matthias  Bowman.  The 
road  was  laid  out  forty  feet  wide  and  confirmed 
at  December  sessions,  1719.  It  is  the  direct 
road  from  Pleasantville,  by  way  of  Yellow 
House,  to  Amityville. 

In  June,  1718,  Andrew  Robeson  applied  for 
a  road  from  Perkiomen  Creek,  through  Lower 
and  Upper  Limerick  and  the  Frankford  tracts, 
to  the  upper  part  of  Amity.  William  Harman, 
John  Jacob,  Matthew Holgate,  Thomas  Stroud, 
John  Redwitzer  and  Matthew  Brooks  were  ap- 
pointed viewers.  The  Perkiomen  turnpike  oc- 
cupies the  road  laid  out  by  them.  The  name 
"  Amity,"  to  designate  locality,  was  first  used  in 
this  petition. 

The  following  list  comprises  the  names  of  the 
taxables  (thirty-seven)  of  the  township  in  1734, 
and  the  quantity  of  land  upon  which  they  paid 
quit- rent : 


Acres. 

Mordecai  Lincoln 500 

Peter  Robinson 500 

Marcus  Hilling 200 

Anthony  SeduBky 300 

Jonah  Yocom 200 

Andrew  Bingbery 50 

Peter  Jones 200 

Andrew  Jones 220 

Henry  Gibson 200 

Andrew  Caldwell 300 

Walter  Campbell 100 

Walter  Davis 100 

John  Warren,  Jr 200 

Richard  Dunkley 100 

John  Jacob  Roth 150 

Jacob  Warren loo 

Owen  Williams,  only  proprie- 
tary land 

Windle  Andrews 150 


Acres. 

Joseph  Boon 240 

Morgan  Herbert 100 

James  Thompson 300 

Thomas  Palmore 100 

Jacob  Weaver 110 

George  Hinton 150 

David  Harry 150 

Elyah  Dfliart 100 

William  Richards 150 

Thomas  Broomfleld 100 

Anthony  Turner ...150 

John  Zetter  Griner 150 

Daniel  Womblesdorf ■ 200 

George  Andre 200 

Jonah  Jones 200 

Edward  Rees 300 

Simon  Dehart 100 

Thomas  Smith,  a  tenant 150 


In  1741  the  number  of  taxables  returned  was 
seventy. 

The  following  list  comprises  the  number  of 
taxables  for  1759.  The  amount  of  tax  then 
levied  was  £72  19s.  Qd.  John  Lorah  was  the 
collector. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


947 


Daniel  Andrew .*...,. 14 

Johu  Ax 3 

Abraham  Andrew 7 

AdauiBriner 1 

Martin  Becker 8 

Nicholas  Boyer 12 

Moees  Bower 2 

Genrge  Bower 4 

William  Boone 5 

Thomas  Brumfleld 10 

Solomon  Bruinfield 6 

Joseph  and  Hugh  Boone 30 

John  Boyer 18 

John  Childa 2 

George  Caplinger 2 

JohnCriner 20 

Peter,  Carting 4 

JuhnCarling 20 

John  Campbell 3 

Jacob  Crust 7 

Christian  Cough 1 

Peter  Cattsnioyer 2 

Lawrence  Cooper 2 

Curneliua  Dehait 15 

Adam  Drinkout 2 

Edward  Drury 4 

Cornelius  Dewees 4 

David  Davis 4 

Jacob  Early 4 

George  Englehardt 3 

William  Engle 18 

Wid>w  Eliz.  Enters 10 

John  Ewald 16 

]»aniel  Freilich 2 

John  Fretts 9 

Ludwig  Fittinger 5 

Jacob  Fix 1 

Jacob  Gelbach 14 

Christopher  Havener 1 

Andrew  Huttenloch 2 

William  Hole 1 

Martin  Hartter 2 

Rowland  Harris 14 

David  Harman 4 

John  Hutting 13 

Michael  Hewet 12 


Jacob  Hoffman 16 

Nicholas  Jones 7 

Mounce  Jones 12 

Peter  Jones 16 

Jonas  Jones.,..' 16 

Samuel  Kookson 15 

George  Kranl 8 

Daniel  Ludwig 18 

George  Lotts 16 

John  Lincoln 6 

Philip  Ludwig 8 

John  Lorah 28 

Michael  Messinger 18 

Christopher  Metz 20 

John  Marshall 3 

John  Monty 1 

Hugh  Mitchell 20 

HughMcCaffry 1 

Henry  Piper 1 

John  Potts,  Esq 15 

John  RaefFsnider 8 

Leonard  Rodarnisll 6 

Owen  Richard 16 

Jacob  Roads 23 

Baltzer  Stntts 2 

John  Sinclair 2 

John  Smith 2 

Bernhard  Spankock 2 

John  Sands 25 

Abijah  Sands >. 12 

Michael  Trump 9 

Henry  Van  Reed 16 

Eliz.  Womelsdorff. 20 

Daniel  Walters 2 

James  Waren 10 

Thomas  Waren 6 

Jacob  Waren 4 

Joseph  Williams 2 

Isaac  Wisenian,  Jr 1 

Isaac  Wiseman,  Sr 7 

George  Webb 2 

John  Webb 7 

William  Winters 30 

John  Waren 17 

Peter  Weaver 18 

Jacob  Weaver,  Esq 3 


Hezekiah  Boone. 
Samuel  Boone, 
Joseph  Bromfield. 
William  Davis. 
Peter  EiBeminger. 
Abram  Enoch. 
Charles  Guest. 
Nicholas  Jones. 
Jeremiah  Keffer. 


Single  Men. 

John  Lincoln. 
Martin  Marquart. 
Ludwig  Merberger. 
Daniel  Pile. 
Abijah  Sands. 
Samuel  Sands. 
Frederick  Walk. 
Benjamin  Williams. 
William  Williams. 
Jacob  Womelsdorf. 


MANUFACTURING  INTERESTS. 

The  water-powers  of  the  township  have  been 
well  utilized.  On  the  Monocacy,  near  the 
Exeter  line,  the  old  Griesemer  mill,  so  long 
operated,  is  still  carried  on  as  the  property  of 
George  Brown.  Some  distance  below  there 
was  an  old  mill,  in  1820,  called  Kinsey's, 
whose  power  was  used  by  the  De  Turks  to 
operate  a  fulling-mill.  Near  the  turnpike  the 
Bowers  have  had  a  saw-mill  the  past  seventy 


years;  and  for  a  longer  period  of  time  the 
Schracks  had  a  mill  near  the  mouth  of  the 
creek,  which  is  now  carried  on  by  Isaac  Moyer. 

On  the  Manatawny,  the  lower  power  in  the 
township  was  made  to  operate  grist  and  clover- 
mills  for  the  Boone  family,  which,  like  the 
owners,  have  passed  away.  Thomas  Boone 
died  at  that  place.  Lida  Schull  built  the 
present  three-story  brick  mill  about  1850, 
which  replaced  the  old  stone  and  frame  mill. 
Isaac  F.  March  and  Isaac  Fegley  also  owned  the 
property,  which  now  belongs  to  M.  Rhoads. 
The  old  Ose  Sands  mill  was  next  above, — an 
old  structure  with  the  lower  part  stone  and  a 
frame  superstructure.  Solomon  Rhoads  re- 
modeled the  mill,  which  was  destroyed  by  fire 
July  7,  1855.  The  present  brick  mill  was 
built  on  the  site  the  same  year,  and  as  the 
property  of  Mahlon  Weidner,  was  supplied 
with  new  process  machinery  in  1884.  The  old 
stone  mill  of  John  S.  Bertolet,  at  the  next  site, 
was  rebuilt*  by  John  Rhoads,  but  is  now  the 
property  of  John  Hiest.  Near  the  Earl  line 
David  Rhoads  had  a  paper-mill,  Jacob  Weaver 
a  grist-mill,  and  seventy  years  ago  an  oil-mill 
was  put  up  at  the,  same  place.  After  a  number 
of  years  elapsed  the  grist-mill  only  remained 
which  is  now  operated  by  James  High. 

The  Monocacy  Valley  Creamery  was  built,  in 
1881,  by  George  K.  Lorah,  James  B.  McLane, 
Cyrus  Moser,  Alfred  Gross,  Ammon  Kline, 
Jacob  Guldin  and  M.  L.  Lorah.  There  are 
sixty-five  patrons,  and  the  creamery  is  carried 
on  by  the  association,  under  the  superintendency 
of  Jacob  F.  Guldin. 

CHURCHES. 

Molatton  Church. — Next  after  a  public 
road  the  Swedes  considered  the  necessity  of  a 
meeting-house  for  their  religious  well-being. 
They  erected  a  log  house  for  this  purpose  sev- 
eral years  before  1720.  It  was  called  the 
"Swedes' Church." 

It  stood  near  the  eastern  line  of  the  St. 
Gabriel's  Church  property,  at  Douglass vi lie, 
about  twenty  paces  south  from  the  turnpike. 
The  door- way  faced  toward  the  east.  The  di- 
mensions of  the  building  were  about  twenty-four 
by  thirty  feet,  one  story  in  height. 


948 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Conferences  between  the  Indians  and  the 
government  officials  of  the  province,  which  are 
referred  to  in  the  Colonial  Records,  were  held 
in  this  meeting-house.  It  was  the  first  house 
for  worship  erected  in  the  large  area  of  territory 
now  included  within  the  limits  of  Berks  County, 
and  it  was  used  for  this  purpose  for  many 
years.  It  took  fire  in  some  unaccountable 
way  during  a  cold  winter  night  in  the  year 
1831  and  was  entirely  destroyed.  For  some 
years  previously  it  had  been  used  for  school 
purposes.  Some  of  the  teachers  were  Francis 
R.  Shunk  (afterwards   Governor  of  Pennsyl- 


SWEDES     CHURCH. 

vania),  Mrs.  Jacob  Warren,  Abraham  Banuan 
(father  of  the  distinguished  editor  and  political 
economist,  Benjamin  Bannan,  of  Pottsville), 
Henry  McKenty  and  William  Mendenhall. 
The  building  was  burned  whilst  the  last-named 
carried  on  the  school.  The  private  schools  kept 
there  by  the  persons  named  were  very  success- 
ful. Upwards  of  fifty  scholars  attended  during 
a  term.  Desks  were  arranged  along  the  walls. 
The  backs  of  the  scholars  were  toward  the  teacher, 
who  had  his  desk  and  Seat  situated  in  the  centre 
of  the  room.  The  heat  was  supplied  by  a  large 
wood-stove.  The  tuition  was  four  cents  a  day, 
or  two  dollars  and  a  half  for  three  months. 
The  branches  of  education  comprised  spelling, 
reading,  writing  and  arithmetic.  Very  few  schol- 
ars were  taught  grammar  and  none  geography. 


A  meeting  of  members  from  all  parts  of  the 
Wicocoa  congregation  was  held  on  Sunday, 
March  27,  1720,  to  determine  the  arrangements 
for  the  services  and  support  of  the  two  pastors 
(Lidman  and  Hesselius).  Many  attendants 
from  Manathanim  were  present.  They  repre- 
sented that  they  had  always  held  to  the  Wicocoa 
congregation  and  had  contributed  their  share 
for  the  building  of  the  church  and  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  minister  and  church,  and  therefore 
prayed  that  Hesselius  should  dwell  among  them 
and  exercise  his  office  for  their  spiritual  edifica- 
tion. Upon  this  application  he  went  up  to 
them.  The  following  year  he  com- 
plained that  his  hearers  were  few  and 
unable  to  support  him.  He  was  the 
first  settled  pastor  at  Molatton.1  Rev. 
Gabriel  Falk  was  the  second  resident 
pastor.  The  earliest  records  of  the 
congregation  were  begun  by  him  in 
1735.  No  record  of  the  previous 
years  has  been  found.  In  the  be- 
ginning of  his  career  at  Molatton, 
Falk  succeeded  in  erecting  a  log 
church,  which  was  begun  in  1736 
and  completed  in  1737.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  a  church  had  previously 
stood  here  for  about  twenty  years. 
The  land  on  which  the  church  build- 
ing stood  was  obtained  from  Andrew 
Robeson. 
In  1742  and  for  some  years  afterward  the 
Moravians  made  efforts  to  get  possession  of  the 
congregation.  Zinzendorf,  who  came  to  Penn- 
sylvania in  1742,  brought  with  him  a  number 
of  spiritual  co-laborers,  and  they  together  made 
earnest  efforts  to  gather  new  believers  from  dif- 
ferent religious  denominations.  A  young  Swede 
was  sent  to  this  place,  and  having  won  over  to 
him  some  Swedish,  English,  Irish  and  German 
people,  tried,  with  their  help,  to  take  possession  of 
this  church.  Services  were  announced  by  him 
to  take  place  on  a  certain  day.    On  this  day  the 

1  The  name  given  to  the  settlement  of  the  Swedish  col- 
ony wa9  "  Molatton.''  This  word  has  been  spelled  differ- 
ently,— Molatton  (Muhlenberg),  Malatten  (Handsohuh), 
Morlatten  (Lidenius)  and  Molatton  (Murray).  Acrelius 
called  it  Manathanim. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


949 


regular  pastor  (Falk)  went  early  to  the  church 
and  in  the  pulpit  awaited  the  arrival  of  the 
young  emissary.  Upon  his  arrival,  after  the 
people  had  assembled,  Falk  (who  was  an  old 
man)  went  from  the  pulpit  to  meet  hiin,  and 
said:  "You  enter  the  sheep-fold  as  a  thief  and 
murderer,"  and  then  gave  him  a  heavy  blow  on 
the  mouth.  Before  a  fight  arose  the  members 
separated  them.  The  Moravians  obtained  a 
foot-hold  through  the  absence  of  Fal  k,  who  was 
not  always  at  home,  and  could  not  win  over  the 
people  to  himself  as  the  young  Swede  did.  But 
they  did  not  remain  long  in  this  field.  The 
practical  results  of  their  labors  amongst  other 
congregations  ended  iu  discord. 

A  third  resident  pastor  was  John  Abraham 
Lindenius,  who  was  sent  by  Acrelius,  near  the 
close  of  1752,  to  reside  at  Molatton.  Falk 
having  left  in  1745,  the  congregation  had  no 
regular  pastor  for  the  following  seven  years. 
During  that  time  Muhlenberg  preached  to  them 
repeatedly.  Lindenius  remained  till  the  spring 
of  1755.  He  was  the  last  Swedish  pastor  at 
Molatton. 

Rev.  Muhlenberg  continued  his  occasional 
visits  at  Molatton  till  August,  1761.  From 
the  beginning  till  that  time  the  congregation 
was  Lutheran  in  denomination  and  only  Lu- 
theran pastors  officiated.  Soon  afterward  it 
became  connected  with  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church.  This  change  was  effected  through 
applications  to  the  "  English  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts " 
for  assistance  in  carrying  on  religious  work  at 
Molatton.  Eev.  Alexander  Murray  was  sent 
by  this  society  as  a  missionary  to  live  at  Read- 
ing and  form  a  congregation  there,  and  also  to 
minister  to  the  congregation  at  Molatton.  He 
arrived  in  1762.  He  reported  (April  9,  1763) 
the  membership  of  the  congregation  to  consist 
of  thirty-six  families  and  two  hundred  and 
thirty-two  persons,  of  whom  sixty-five  were 
under  seven  years  of  age;  also  that  there  was 
then  a  ruinous  kind  of  a  church  there,  "  built 
of  logs  or  rough  timber  about  thirty  years  ago 
by  the  Swedes,  and  as  a  great  part  of  the  con- 
gregation there  consisted  of  these,  I  have  been 
hitherto  allowed  the  use  of  it,  but  it  matters 
very  little  whether  I  am  or  not  for  the  future, 


as  it  will  cost  as  much  to  repair  it  as  it  would 
to  build  a  new  one  of  like  materials  and  dimen- 
sions." In  January,  1764,  he  reported  twenty- 
nine  families  and  one  hundred  and  eighty-five 
persons,  and  added,  "  I  can  no  more  prevail  on 
that  people  than  these  in  town  [meaning 
Reading]  to  engage  heartily  in  any  scheme  for 
building  a  church;  so  I  despair  of  seeing  one 
erected  in  either  of  the  places  for  some  time  to 


come. 


St.  Gabriel's  Church. — Shortly  after  the 
arrival  of  Rev.  Alexander  Murray,  in  1762,'he 
succeeded  in  having  a  vestry  chosen  to  officiate 
for  the  Episcopal  congregation  at  Molatton. 

This  organization  was  effected  in  April,  1763. 
In  1765  the  congregation  erected  a  log  church 
of  hewn  timber,  near  by  to  the  west  of  the 
"  Swedes'  Church,"  and  continued  to  occupy,  it 
till  1801,  when  they  demolished  it  and  built  a 
stone  structure.  This  latter  building  is  still 
standing,  having  been  in  use  over  four-score 
years. 

In  1880  measures  were  taken  to  erect  a  new 
church,  in  which  the  rector,  Rev.  John  Long, 
was  particularly  earnest  and  successful.  A 
building  committee  was  appointed,  consisting 
of  Rev.  Mr.  Long,  John  Y.  Yocum  and  Jere- 
miah Yocum,  and  Mr.  Henry  Messchert,  a 
resident  of  the  vicinity,  generously  donated  a 
fine  lot  of  ground  for  the  purpose.  Work  was 
commenced  in  June,  1880;  on  the  19th  of  Oc- 
tober following,  the  corner-stone  was  laid,  and 
on  January  23,  1884,  the  building  was  conse- 
crated. The  liberality  of  John  Crouse  towards 
encouraging  and  completing  this  church  im- 
provement is  worthy  of  special  mention.  A 
small,  neat  spire,  eighty-five  feet  high,  is  con- 
structed at  the  lower  front  angle.     It  contains 


'The  members  of  the  Molatton  congregation  decided,  at 
a  meeting,  April  23,  1753,  to  obtain  the  canons  of  the 
Church  of  England,  "  in  order  that  their  affairs  might  be 
attended  to  in  an  orderly  and  Christianlike  manner." 
This  having  been  done,  it  was  afterward  decided  to  ask 
the  "  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign 
Lands,"  in  England,  to  supply  them  with  a  minister.  Such 
a  request  was  made  July  13,  1760,  and  again  at  a  general 
meeting  April  17,  1761.  Under  the  direction  of  this  soci- 
ety the  Rev.  Alexander  Murray  assumed  a,  pastoral  care 
of  the  missions  at  Molatton  and  Reading  in  November, 
1762. 


950 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


a  dear-toned  bell,  weighing  nineteen  hundred 
pounds.  The  total  cost  was  nearly  twenty-one 
thousand  dollars. 

The  interior  is  finished  and  furnished  in  a 
most  pleasing  manner.  Beautiful  memorial 
windows  enhance  the  attractive  appearance  ot 
the  auditorium.  The  building  is  also  supplied 
with  an  organ  of  twenty  stops,  a  large  furnace 
for  heating  purposes,  and  gas,  which  is  gener- 
ated upon  the  premises. 

The  first  Sunday-school  was  organized  during 
the  pastorate  of  Rev.  George  Mintzer  in  a  barn 
near  by,  and  comprised  scholars  who  are  citi- 
zens of  the  townships  and  members  of  the 
church.  A  Sunday-school  is  conducted  in  the 
old  church  building.  The  membership  of  the 
Sunday-school  is  sixty,  and  of  the  congregation, 
seventy-two. 

A  burying-ground  is  attached  to  the  old 
church  building,  and  contains  the  oldest  grave- 
stones in  the  county,  one  of  which — that  of 
Andrew  Robeson — is  still  legible. 

During  the  ministry  of  Rev.  Edmund  Leaf 
a  parsonage  was  erected  at  Douglassville  at  a 
cost  of  three  thousand  dollars.  Rev.  Alexan- 
der Murray  officiated  as  rector  from  1762  till 
the  Revolution  ;  afterward  he  served  the  con- 
gregation again  from  1790  to  1792.  The  sue 
ceeding  ministers  were, — 


1796,  John  Wade. 
1801-4,  John  Armstrong. 

,  Levi  Bull,  D.D. 

1827,  Caleb  Good. 
1828-36,  George  Mintzer. 
,  William  Homman. 


,  H.  F.  M.Whitesides. 

1839,  Oliver  A..  Shaw. 

1840,  George  Burcker. 
1844-72,  Edmund  Leaf. 
1872-76,  J.  Karcher. 
1876-86,  Rev.  John  Long. 


St.  Paul's  Chubch  (Reformed  and  Lutheran) 
is  situated  at  Amity  ville,  and  occupies  a  very  fine 
and  conspicuous  position.  The  earliest  members 
first  worshipped  at  Molatton  Church,  but  after 
the  change  which  took  place  there  a  central  lo- 
cality was  sought  upon  which  to  build  a  church 
for  themselves.  A  small  tract  of  land  at  the  inter- 
section of  three  important  roads  was  selected 
and  eleven  rods  purchased  from  the  Boyer  estate 
and  there  they  erected,  in  1753,  a  log  building, 
which  served  for  both  church  and  school  pur- 
poses; it  was  used  until  1796,  and  then  a  new 
church  was  substituted.  The  small  church  lot 
was  enlarged  by  the  purchase  of  three  acres  and 


thirty-six  rods  of  land  from  the  farm  of  Philip 
Boyer,  and  upon  part  of  it  a  log  school-house 
was  built,  which  was  used  until  1839.  Having 
determined  to  build  a  new  church  of  stone,  a 
subscription  list  was  started  February  14, 
1795,  in  which  the  amounts  pledged  ranged 
from  three  pounds  down  to  a  shilling,  and 
when  seven  hundred  and  thirty-eight  pounds 
had  been  promised,  building  operations  were 
commenced  in  the  spring  of  the  same  year. 

This  house  was  to  be  used  alternately  by 
the  congregations,  and  it  was  provided  that  all 
denominational  differences  "should  be  settled 
in  a  Christian-like  manner,  so  as  to  promote 
the  worship  of  God  and  the  honor  of  the  Sa- 
viour." The  corner-stone  was  laid  September 
18,  1795,  the  clergy  present  being  the  Revs. 
Carl  Frederick  Wildbahn  and  Daniel  Lehman, 
Lutheran  ;  the  Revs.  Philip  Pauli  and  William 
Ingold,  Reformed.  At  that  time  the  vestry 
was  composed  of  Jacob  Roth  and  George  Fuss, 
Lutherau ;  and  Jacob  Hoerner  and  Michael 
Ludwig,  Reformed.  The  building  committee 
was  George  Lorah  and  Matthias  Roth;  the 
mason  was  Carl  Boyer  and  the  carpenter  Jacob 
Gerber.  The  church  was  completed  in  1796 
at  a  cost  of  two  thousand  three  hundred  and 
twenty-five  dollars,  but  was  not  consecrated  un- 
til the  following  year.  It  was  covered  with 
cedar  shingles,  and  most  of  the  lumber  used  was 
brought  from  Orwigsburg.  The  building  of 
the  church  was  a  great  burden,  and  it  was  not 
fully  paid  until  1816. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  present  (or  third) 
church  was  laid  August  12,  1872,  and  a  little 
more  than  a  year  later  (August  16  and  17, 
1873)  the  consecration  took  place.  It  is  an 
imposing  edifice,  with  a  steeple  one  hundred  and 
twenty  feet  high,  which  is  visible  many  miles 
in  the  surrounding  country.  It  has  a  seating 
capacity  of  eight  hundred.  The  bell  in  the 
steeple  weighs  two  thousand  pounds. 

The  building  committee  was  John  Frooes, 
George  Lorah,  David  Horner,  Joshua  Fulmer 
and  David  Rhoads. 

South  of  the  church  a  large  new  cemetery 
was  opened  in  1860.  It  has  been  much  beauti- 
fied and  contains  a  large  number  of  fine  monu- 
ments.   It  is  controlled  by  the  consistory. 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


951 


For  many  years  the  services  of  the  congre- 
gations were  exclusively  in  German,  and  as  the 
English-speaking  element  developed  and  the 
demand  for  preaching  in  that  language  was  un- 
heeded, a  separate  English  Lutheran  congre- 
gation was  formed  in  1841,  and  carried  on 
services  in  the  school-house,  with  Rev.  J.  L. 
Schoch  as  pastor.  In  1844  this  congregation 
put  up  a  small,  plain  brick  church,  which  served 
them  as  a  place  of  worship  until  the  members 
again  connected  themselves  with  the  old  church. 
Mr.  Schoch's  ministry  continued  until  after 
1850,  when  the  Rev.  J.  A.  Brown  preached  for 
a  short  time.  Meantime,  in  1848,  the  Rev. 
Geo.  F.  Miller,  pastor  of  the  Old  Lutheran 
congregation,  commenced  holding  English  ser- 
vices every  four  weeks, — a  custom  which  was 
also  followed  by  the  German  Reformed  pastor — 
thus  removing  the  principal  cause  which  led  to 
the  formation  of  a  new  church,  and  afterward 
it  was  deemed  inadvisable  to  keep  up  a  separate 
organization.  The  building  has  since  been 
used  statedly  as  a  place  of  worship  by  a  small 
congregation  of  the  sect  called  the  United 
Brethren.  It  is  held  in  trust  for  the  Lutherans 
by  Ezekiel  Rhoads,  surviving  trustee  of  the 
congregation.  Prior  to  the  building  of  this 
house  an  English  Sabbath-school  was  established 
in  the  school-house,  which  later  held  its  meet- 
ings in  the  new  church,  and,  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  Ezekiel  Rhoads,  was  so  prosperous 
that  it  threatened  the  vitality  of  the  old  Sunday- 
school,  causing  that  body  also  to  encourage 
the  use  of  English  in  its  school. 

The  first  English  Sunday-school  has  main- 
tained its  existence  since  its  organization,  and  is 
still  in  a  flourishing  condition.  This  Sunday- 
school  is  now  one  of  seven  schools  maintained 
by  the  congregations,  which  together  have  an 
aggregate  attendance  of  nine  hundred  scholars, 
and  the  exercises  in  all  of  them  are  exclusively 
English. 

The  services  of  both  congregations  were  almost 
wholly  in  the  German  language  until  1848,  when 
English  preaching  was  introduced  and  the  ser- 
vices increased  to  twice  per  month ;  and  a  few  years 
later  they  became  alternate  with  the  German. 
Since  the  organization  of  the  congregations  the 
following  have  been  the  Lutheran  pastors  : 


1758,  H.  M.  Muhlenberg. 
1761,  John  H.  Schauin. 
1767,  John  L.  Voight. 
1778,  A.  GerreBheim. 
1783,  Christian  Striet. 
1789,  John  F.  Weimland. 
1799,  Carl  F.  Wildbahn. 
1801,  Henry  A.  Geiden- 
heimer, 


1806,  Fred.  Wm.  Giesen- 

hamer. 
1809,  John  P.  Hecht. 

1814,  Ernst  Braineseus. 

1815,  Jacob  and  Conrad 
Miller. 

1848,  George  F.  Miller. 
1872,  Charles  Koerner. 


1880,  Uriah  P.  Heilman.1 

The  congregation  has  a  membership  of  nearly 
five  hundred. 

The  pastors  of  the  Reformed  congregation  for 
the  same  period  were, — 


1791,  John  C.  Gobrecht. 
1791-96,  John  W.  Ingold. 
1802-40,  Fred.  Herman. 
1840-44,  H.  S.  Bassler. 
1844-49,  Samuel  Seivert. 


1849-64,  N.  S.  Strassbur- 

ger. 
1864-69,  J.  H.  Dubbs. 
1869-80,  D.  Leberman. 
1880,  John  H.  Leinbach. 


A  membership  of  four  hundred  was  reported 
in  1885. 

The  United  Brethren  congregation,  worship- 
ping in  the  small  brick  church  at  Amityville  is 
weak  numerically,  and  has  not  been  able  to 
maintain  regular  services.  In  1885  the  num- 
ber of  members  did  not  exceed  twenty  and  no 
regular  organization  was  reported. 

VILLAGES. 

Weaveetown  is  the  oldest  business  point  in 
the  township.  Half  a  century  ago  it  was  more 
important,  relatively,  than  at  present.  It  has 
twenty  buildings,  which  are  but  a  few  more  in 
number  than  the  place  had  sixty  years  ago. 
It  took  its  name  from  Jacob  Weaver,  on  whose 
farm  the  village  was  laid  out,  and  who  lived 
on  the  present  William  K.  Lorah  place,  where 
he  died.  The  house  he  occupied  was  partly  of 
stone  and  logs,  and  served  as  a  pioneer  inn. 
After  it  was  abandoned  for  that  purpose,  an  inn 
was  opened  in  a  log  house  farther  up  the 
road,  which  was  last  kept  by  Henry  Yerger,  a 
number  of  landlords  having  been  his  predeces- 
sors. The  first  settlers  were  nearly  all  German 
mechanics.  Ludwig  Spiese  had  a  small  store 
for  a  time.  Henry  Wiebeck  was  a  shoemaker ; 
Adam  Knauer,  tailor;  Michael  Klinger, hatter ; 
John  Bridenbaugh,  cooper;  David  Dehart, 
shoemaker;  Henry  Yerger,  clock-maker;    and 

1  The  latter  still  continues  and  has  furnished  the  data 
from  which  the  above  sketch  is  written. 


952 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


old  blind  man,  named  Hatfield,  basket-maker, 
who  peddled  his  wares  about  the  country. 
Henry  Auman  was  a  German  teacher,  who 
conducted  schools  at  the  church  at  Amityville 
and  at  the  Yellow  House.  In  the  last  years  of 
his  life  he  taught  at  his  house,  in  Weavertown. 
In  1853  Daniel  Lorah  built  a  store-house, 
which  he  occupied,  and  it  has  been  a  place  of 
business  ever  since,  the  merchant  at  present 
occupying  it  being  A.  S.  Strassburger. 

The  post-office  at  this  place  was  established 
in  1828,  with  the  name  of  Brurnfieldville,  in 
compliment  to  Jesse  Brumfield,  the  first  post- 
master, who  had  the  office  at  his  residence,  half 
a  mile  from  the  hamlet.  For  a  long  time  the 
office  was  kept  at  the  house  of  Henry  Auman, 
the  old  school-teacher.  The  present  postmaster 
is  Milton  Schaeffer.  A  daily  mail  from  Read- 
ing is  supplied. 

The  Sabbath-school  chapel  was  built  in 
1879,  and  the  neat  brick  school-house  in  1876, 
both  being  very  creditable  buildings. 

The  Union  Sunday-school  Chapel  at  Weaver- 
town,  was  erected,  in  1879,  on  a  lot  donated  for 
that  purpose  by  William  K.  Lorah.  It  is  a 
neat  frame  building,  and  cost  twelve  hundred 
and  twenty-eight  dollars. 

The  Sunday-school  occupying  this  house  was 
organized  May  19,  1867,  and  has  since  been 
maintained.  It  has  eighty  members  and  a 
library  of  two  hundred  volumes. 

Amityville  is  a  beautifully  located  village, 
on  the  Amity  turnpike  leading  to  the  Yellow 
House,  a  little  east  of  the  centre  of  the  town- 
ship. It  contains  two  churches,  school-house, 
hotels,  store  and  several  mechanic-shops.  A 
number  of  fine  residences  adorn  the  place. 
This  locality  was  called  "  New  Storeville  "  as 
early  as  1782,  on  account  of  a  new  store  having 
been  established  there  by  Ludwig  Spiese,  who 
first  began  trading  at  Weavertown.  In  1818 
Adam  Miller  was  also  in  trade  at  both  places. 
Later,  his  son-in-law,  John  Yocum,  built  a  new 
store-stand,  where  he  traded  some  ten  years 
about  1850.  J.  M.  Manger  has  been  in  trade 
the  past  few  years.  He  is  the  postmaster  of  the 
Athol  post-office,  established  January  23,1885 
and  which  has  a  daily  mail  on  the  Boyertown 
route.     About  1852  the  name  New  Storeville 


was  abandoned.  The  place  has  since  been 
called  Amityville.  In  the  beginning  of  the 
century  a  man  named  Luther  had  a  public- 
house  near  the  angle  of  the  roads,  where  is  now 
the  Schaeffer  residence,  the  building  being  a 
quaint  log  structure,  and  the  sign  having  a  coon 
painted  on  it,  whence  it  was  called  the  "  Coon's 
Nest."  Luther  was  a  coffee-mill  maker  and 
had  a  small  shop  where  he  carried  on  that  busi- 
ness. In  1840,  J.  J.  Wagner  located  here  as  a 
cabinet-maker  and  undertaker  ;  also  followed 
the  carpenter's  trade.  He  has  built  most  of  the 
houses  in  the  place.  In  the  former  business  he 
was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Henry  B.,  who 
maintains  a  shop.  In  1858,  William  Yocum 
a  wheelwright  shop  and  the  Pottses  afterwards 
also  engaged  at  that  trade,  their  shops  being 
still  carried  on. 

Near  Amityville,  Dr.  ,R.  B.  Rhoads  estab- 
lished a  nursery,  which  is  continued  by  B.  J. 
Rhoads,  and  is  the  only  industry  of  this  nature 
in  that  part  of  the  county. 

Physicians. — In  1840,  Dr.  John  F.  Baum 
resided  near  Yellow  House,  and  in  the  same 
neighborhood  was  Dr.  Mark  Darrah,  each 
having  had  a  large  practice.  Dr.  Elias  C. 
Kitchen  located  between  Amityville  and 
Weavertown,  and  has,  for  a  number  of  years, 
been  in  active  practice.  On  the  same  road, 
north,  are  located  as  physicians,  Doctors  D. 
McLane  and  Ira  Moser,  both  being  recent 
graduates.  At  Amityville  lived,  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  as  a  successful  practitioner,  Dr. 
Reuben  B.  Rhoads,  who  has  now  become  a 
citizen  of  Boyertown., 

The  cause  of  education  found  many  warm 
friends  in  Amity  at  an  early  day,  and  as 
early  as  1820  Samuel  Boyer  had  a  private 
English  school,  which  was  well  patronized. 
In  1842  S.  L.  Rhoads  established  an  academy, 
which  flourished  until  1852,  when  the  free 
schools  seem  to  supply  the  wants  for  schools 
of  that  nature,  and  it  was  then  discontinued. 
The  present  school-house  was  built  in  1869, 
and  is  a  large  brick  building  with  an  attrac- 
tive exterior.  In  the  summer  months  it  is 
conducted  as  the  Amity  Seminary  by  J.  C. 
Hollo  way. 

Amity  Library    Association. — On    January 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


953 


12,  1878,  a  meeting  was  held  to  discuss  the 
advisability  of  forming  a  library  association, 
which  should  be  auxiliary  to  and  be  governed  by 
a  literary  society;  and  then  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  report  on  the  organization  of  such  a 
body.  A  week  later  another  meeting  was 
held,  the  society  organized  and  officers  elected. 

An  unlimited  number  of  shares  of  stock  in 
the  Library  Association  were  offered  at  one 
dollar  per  share,  and  were  so  freely  taken 
that  the  nucleus  of  a  library  was  very  soon 
gathered.  To  this,  additions  were  made 
from  time  to  time  until,  in  March,  1886, 
the  library  contained  five  hundred  volumes 
of  standard  books  and  about  two  hundred 
volumes  of  public  documents.  A  library- 
room  has  been  fitted  up  in  the  old  school- 
house  at  Amityville,  and  since  its  organ- 
ization the  association  has  been  faithfully  kept 
up. 

Washington  Camp  No.  213,  P.  0.  8.  of  A.} 
was  instituted  at  Amityville  (Athol)  May  7, 
1874.  In  1885  it  had  forty  members,  and 
held  its  meetings  in  a  neat  hall  in  the  Stetler 
House.  The  camp  has  about  five  hundred 
dollars  in  its  treasury  and  twelve  hundred 
dollars  invested  in  real  estate. 

Eaklville  is  a  post  hamlet  two  miles 
north  from  Amityville,  on  the  line  of  Earl 
township.  It  derived  its  name  when  the 
post-office  was  established,  in  1838.  Until  that 
time  the  locality  was  called  Klinesville,  after 
Jacob  Kline,  who  opened  a  public-house  there 
about  1800,  and  a  store  twenty  years  later. 
These  interests  have  since  been  continued,  the 
property  being  owned  in  later  years  by  Isaac 
G.  Stettler,  and  whose  heirs  still  control  it. 
The  office  has  a  daily  mail  on  the  Boyertown 
route. 

Yellow  House  is  a  similar  hamlet  on  the 
Oley  line,  on  the  turnpike  from  Douglassville, 
and  derived  its  name  from  a  country  tavern  at 
that  point,  kept  by  the  Nagles,  which  was 
painted  yellow.  It  became  widely  known  by 
this  name  and  when  the  post-office  was  estab- 
lished, in  1866,  it  took  the  same  name.  The 
hotel  and  store  were  long  the  property  of  the 
Guldin  family.  A  creamery  was  lately  erected 
here  by  W.  D.  Kehl. 
81 


Douglassville  is  a  station  on  Philadelphia 
and  Reading  and  Pennsylvania  Railroads.  Few 
stations  on  these  great  railways  are  so  highly 
favored  in  the  matter  of  depot  accommodations 
as  this  place.  It  is  the  railway  point  of  large 
sections  of  country,  north  and  south  of  the 
river.  The  village  contains  the  handsome 
St.  Gabriel's  Episcopal  Church,  some  fine 
residences,  a  forge,  two  stores  and  a  hotel. 
After  the  removal  of  some  of  the  early  Swed- 
ish settlers,  Jacob  Warren,  by  trade  a  carpen- 
ter, became  the  owner  of  some  lands  here  and 
built  several  houses,  one  of  which  was  after- 
ward known  as  the  Ludwig  mansion,  and 
the  place  became  locally  known  as  Warrens- 
burg.  Failing  in  business,  his  property  passed 
into  other  hands.  George  Douglass,  having  be- 
come an  extensive  land-owner  along  the  river, 
including  the  old  Jones  house,  the  hamlet  was 
called  Douglassville;  and  with  this  name  the 
post-office  was  established  in  March,  1829. 
For  many  years  the  office  was  kept  by  Dr. 
Michael  Ludwig,  Theodore,  his  son,  and  L.  B. 
Holloway,  the  latter  from  1865  to  January, 
1886,  when  George  S.  Reider  was  appointed. 
There  are  five  mails  per  day.  In  this  old  build- 
ing George  Douglass  once  carried  on  business,  and 
in  the  next  building  below  was  an  inn,  called 
the  "  White  Horse  Tavern."  Another  inn  was 
opened  by  Jacob  Rahu,  called  the  "Black 
Horse  Tavern,"  and  which,  in  an  enlarged  and 
improved  condition,  is  continued,  by  Samuel  Van 
Reed,  as  the  Douglassville  Hotel.  In  this 
building  Henry  McKenty  opened  a  store  and 
also  followed  his  occupation  as  a  tailor.  The 
room  has  been  much  enlarged  and  occupied  by 
L.  B.  Holloway,  Charles  Hine  and  the  present 
John  H.  Egolf  in  transacting  a  general  mercan- 
tile business.  McKenty  also  built  the  large  resi- 
dence which  is  now  the  Egolf  mansion.  In 
1877  a  Union  Co-operative  Store  was  started  by 
the  Patrons  of  Husbandry  of  this  section,  in 
the  old  Ludwig  building,  which  was  continued 
a  few  years  under  the  management  of  E.  H. 
Prutzman.  The  directors  controlling  the  store 
were  D.  B.  Mauger,  H.  P.  Leaf  and  J.  Y.  Yo- 
cum,  as  officers.  The  same  building  has  also 
been  used  for  hotel  purposes.  Walter  and 
David  Young  are  dealers  in  lumber  and  coal. 


954 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


About  seventy  years  ago  Dr.  James  May  was 
here  as  a  physician.  In  1823  Dr.  Michael 
Ludwig  succeeded  him  and  practiced  many 
years.  When  the  latter  first  became  a  practi- 
tioner here,  his  ride  extended  over  territory 
which  is  now  occupied  by  fifteen  doctors.  Dr. 
William  Jones  was  also  long  in  practice  and 
was  succeeded  by  Dr.  Franklin  Gerhart. 

Washington  Camp,  No.  240,  P.  0.  S.  of  A., 
was  instituted  at  Douglassville  July  15,  1877, 
with  fourteen  members.  In  1885  twenty  were 
reported.  The  camp  has  about  two-hundred 
and  fifty  dollars  in  its  treasury,  and  though 
not  strong  numerically ,  is  fairly  prosperous. 

Mchstocacy  Station,  on  the  Philadelphia 
and  Eeading  Railroad,  is  a  small  hamlet,  eleven 
and  a  half  miles  below  Eeading.  It  derives  its 
name  from  Monocacy  Hill,  in  that  locality.  A 
post-office  was  established  in  1872.  It  contains 
a  public-house,  a  store  and  a  half-dozen  resi- 
dences. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

EzETviEL,  Rhoads. — The  ancestors  of  the 
Rhoads  family  arrived  in  Pennsylvania  about 
1710.  An  allusion  is  made  to  them  in  a  manu- 
script history  of  Oley  township,  which  is  now 
in  the  Pennsylvania  Historical  Society,  at 
Philadelphia,  to  this  effect : 

"About  1725  three  brothers  named  Rhoads, 
or  Roth,  also  prospected  this  section  of  country 
for  a  home.  As  they  threaded  their  way 
through  Oley,  one  day,  they  halted  at  the  beau- 
tiful spring,  where  now  stands  the  farm-house 
of  Jacob  K.  Kaufman,  near  the  Yellow  House. 
.  .  .  They  finally  took  up  land  on  the  All  Sort 
range,  in  Amity,  and  settled  thereon,  and  many 
families  of  that  name  have  descended  from  them, 
some  of  whom  are  still  in  possession  of  the  an- 
cestral estates." 

Ezekiel  Rhoads  was  the  son  of  Samuel  and 
Elizabeth  Rhoads,  grandson  of  Jacob  and  the 
great-grandson  of  Jacob,  one  of  the  three  broth- 
ers mentioned.  He  was  born  in  Amity  town- 
ship January  26,  1810.  In  his  fifteenth  year 
he  became  an  orphan,  and,  at  the  same  age,  he 
was  confirmed  and  admitted  to  full  membership 
in  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  at  Amity- 
ville,  then  under  the  ministration  of  the  Rev. 


Conrad  Miller.  Owing  to  the  early  death  of 
his  parents,  the  lad  attended  school  but  six 
months  in  his  life.  His  guardian,  David  Lud- 
wig, hired  him  to  John  A.  Bertolette,  of  Oley 
township,  at  the  wages  of  four  dollars  per 
month  for  services  which  now  would  be  valued 
at  twelve  dollars  per  month.  On  October  1, 
1825,  he  was  apprenticed  for  a  term  of  two  and 
a  half  years  to  Jacob  Coleman,  of  Amity,  to 
learn  the  tailoring  trade,  often  working  from 
four  o'clock  in  the  morning  until  eleven  at  night 
during  the  winter  season.  This  period  of  his 
life  instilled  into  young  Rhoads  those  habits  of 
industry  and  steady  application  which  have 
clung  to  him  and  are  part  of  his  characteristics, 
even  in  his  old  age.  In  1828  he  went  to  Trappe, 
in  Montgomery  County,  where  he  followed  his 
trade  as  a  journeyman  for  a  year,,  and  in 
1829  removed  to  Reading  where  he  was  em- 
ployed with  Joseph  Wanner  until  1831,  when 
he  removed  to  Amity  township,  on  a  tract  of  land 
containing  thirty-eight  acres,  on  the  Manatawny 
Creek.  This  land  he  inherited  at  a  valuation  of 
one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty  dollars. 
This,  with  two  hundred  dollars  in  cash  which 
he  had  saved  from  his  earnings,  constituted  his 
start  in  life.  Mr.  Rhoads  here  followed  tailoring, 
then  purchased  forty- three  and  a  half  acres  ad- 
joining the  inherited  tract.  In  1833  he  pur- 
chased twenty  acres  additional  at  one  hundred 
dollars  per  acre,  having  then  in  all  one  hundred 
and  a  half  acres.  Shortly  afterward  he  ac- 
quired, by  purchase,  a  tract  of  forty-three  acres, 
and  one  of  thirty-four  acres,  having  then  in  all 
one  hundred  and  seventy-eight  and  a  half  acres. 
From  1831  to  1838  he  conducted  tailoring  in 
addition  to  farming,  employing  five  hands  at 
the  former  business.  In  the  year  last  named 
he  began  to  devote  his  entire  energies  to  farm- 
ing. 

Mr.  Rhoads  during  all  this  time  was  a 
public-spirited  citizen,  ever  favoring  and  aiding 
public  enterprises.  He  was  one  of  the  original 
shareholders  of  the  National  Union  Bank 
of  Reading.  He  holds  stock  in  the  National 
Bank  of  Norristown,  and  in  the  Yellow  House 
and  Douglassville  Turnpike  Company,  and 
one-fourth  scholarship  in  Franklin  and  Mar- 
shall College.     From  the  date  of  his  admission 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


955 


to  the  church  he  has  been  a  zealous  and  devoted 
member.  He  has  been  a  church-warden,  and 
was  for  many  years  one  of  the  principal  aids  in 
furnishing  the  music  for  the  services  of  the 
church  at  Amityville.  In  1838  he  was  elected 
superintendent  of  the  first  Sunday-school  be- 
tween Reading  and  Pottstown — that  connected 
with  his  home  church.  This  position  he  held 
with  but  brief  intermission  for  forty  years, 
with  credit  to  himself  and  profit  to  the  school. 


married  to  Susanna  K.  Bertolette,  daughter  of 
John  A.  Bertolette,  of  Oley  township.  They 
have  had  eight  children,  two  of  whom  died  in 
infancy.  His  wife  was  stricken  with  paralysis 
and  died  February  28,  1875,  in  her  forty- 
fourth  year. 

Calvin  B.  Rhoads,  the  oldest  son,  was  mar- 
ried to  Camilla  Johnson,  of  Norristown ;  he 
removed  to  Wilmington,  Del.,  in  1873,  and  in 
1885  was  elected  mayor  of  that  city. 


In  1885  he  accepted  the  superintendency  of  the 
Locustdale  Sunday-school,  between  Yellow 
House  and  Earlville.  He  has  never  faltered 
in  the  diligent  study  of  the  Scriptures. 

In  politics  Mr.  Rhoads  has  always  been  a 
Democrat.  In  1860  he  supported  Stephen  A. 
Douglas  for  President  of  the  United  States. 
He  has  remained  a  firm  Democrat,  and  has 
always  been  an  advocate  of  sound  political 
principles. 

On  November  27,  1831,  Mr.  Rhoads  was 


Franklin  B.  Rhoads,  the  second  son,  married 
Rebecca  Lorah,  daughter  of  John  Lorah,  of 
Amity  township.  He  now  resides  at  Yellow 
House,  where  he  is  ■  known  as  a  man  of 
quick  intelligence  and  marked  business  capacity. 

Amos  W.  B.  Rhoads,  the  third  son,  removed 
to  Dayton,  Ohio,  in  1868,  and  was  married  to 
Annie  Willard,  of  that  city ;  he  became  secre- 
tary and  treasurer  of  the  Farmers'  Friend 
Manufacturing  Company,  but  died  in  Novem- 
ber, 1872. 


956 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


The  eldest  daughter,  Louisa,  married  Levi  A. 
Bertolette,  of  Oley  township,  who  removed  to 
Wilmington,  Del.,  in  1871,  and  was  appointed 
a  justice  of  the  peace  in  1878,  which  office  he 
holds  at  this  date. 

Catherine  E.,  the  second  daughter,  was  mar- 
ried to  Daniel  L.  Rhoads,  who  resides  at 
Yellow  House,  Amity  township,  and  is  presi- 
dent  of    the   National   Bank    of  Boyertown. 

The  youngest  daughter,  Harriet  A.,  married 


ance  of  religious,  private  and  social  duties,  and 
has  come  to  be  affectionately  called  grandfather 
by  all  the  people  of  his  neighborhood.  He  is 
yet  in  the  full  vigor  of  health  and  possesses  a 
genial  and  happy  disposition. 

Ezekiel  Bhoads  is  a  man  of  marked  traits  of 
character,  of  irreproachable  honesty  and  the 
strictest  integrity.  He  is  dignified  in  his  bear- 
ing, affable  in  his  manners  and  highly  revered 
by  the  community  in  which  he  lives. 


Henry  K.  Bechtel,  of  Exeter  township,  and 
now  resides  in  Reading.  By  these  six  children 
Mr.  Rhoads  has  sixteen  grandchildren  living: 

After  his  wife's  death  Mr.  Rhoads  ceased 
farming  and  lived  with  his  son  Franklin,  who 
succeeded  him.  He  resides  with  his  son-in-law 
and  daughter,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Daniel  L.  Rhoads, 
at  Yellow-House,  where  he  lives  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  surrounded  by  all  the  bright  and 
cheerful  influences  of  a  charming  domestic 
circle.     He  confines  his  energies  to  the  perform- 


William  Yocom  was  born  on  the  old  Yocom 
homestead,  in  Amity  township,  January  23, 1 81 7. 
His  father  was  Moses  Yocom,  born  at  the  same 
place  October  11,  1786,  and  died  August  30, 
1850.  William  Yocom's  mother  was  Susanna 
Weaver,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Anna  Weaver, 
who  were  the  parents  of  Peter  Weaver,  who  was 
the  father  of  Colonel  Jeremiah  Weaver.  Susanna 
Yocom,  mother  of  William  Yocom,  was  born 
August  18, 1791,  and  died  May  19, 1872.  William 
Yocom's  grandfather    was  John   Yocom  and 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


957 


was  also  born  ou  the  old  homestead  (now  the 
Casselbury  farm),  in  the  year  1749,  and  died 
October  14,  1823. 

Jonas  Yocom,  the  great-grandfather  of 
William  Yocom,  was  a  Swede,  and  came  with 
the  Swedes  to  this  country  late  in  the  seven- 
teenth century,  and  settled  with  the  colony  at 
the  Wissahickon,  near  Philadelphia,  with  two 
other  brothers.  Later  some  of  the  Swedes 
settled  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Schuylkill  Kiver, 
at  what  is  now  Douglassville,  but  two  miles 
south  from  Mr.  Yocom's  residence,  where  the 
old  stone  house,  built  in  1716,  still  stands.  The 
name  was  first  spelled  "Jocom,"  then  "Yo- 
comb"  and  now  "  Yocom."  Moses  Yocom  had 
three  farms  in  Amity  township. 

William  Yocom  obtained  a  common-school 
education  ;  worked  on  farm  with  his  father. 
In  January,  1834,  he  was  apprenticed  to  John 
Bunn  at  cabinet-making  and  served  three 
years,  and  pursued  it  two  years.  He  became 
highly  respected  and  still  is  held  in  high  esteem 
by  all  who  know  him.  He  was  elected  to  nu- 
merous township  offices ;  was  a  school  director 
when  Jesse  G.  Hawley,  Esq.,  editor  of  the 
Reading  Daily  Eagle,  first  taught  school,  and 
served  three  terms. 

In  1867-68  the  Douglassville  and  Yellow 
House  turnpike  road  was  constructed  and  Mr. 
Yocom  elected  its  first  superintendant,  and  also 
ever  since  its  construction  its  treasurer;  is  pres- 
ident of  the  Berks  County  Mutual  Fire  Insur- 
ance Company  for  the  last  ten  years,  and  since 
1870  a  director  of  the  National  Bank  of 
Pottstown;  is  trustee,  guardian,  assignee,  execu- 
tor and  administrator  of  estates.  His  farm, 
which  he  still  cultivates,  contains  two  hundred 
acres  ;  it  lies  between  Amityville  and  Douglass- 
ville, and  was  formerly  known  as  the  "Jones 
homestead."  His  son's  name  is  William  B. 
Yocom.  He  has  his  second  wife,  who  was 
Miss  Mary  B.  Kline,  daughter  of  George  Kline, 
and  was  in  later  years  a  prominent  merchant  at 
Earlville,  Berks  county,  Pa.,  and  has  one  son, 
William  B.  Yocom. 

George  K.  Lorah  was  born  on  a  farm  in 
Amity  township  January  14,  1823.  John 
Lorah,  his  great-grandfather,  emigrated  from 
France  during  the  time  of  the  persecution  of 


the  Huguenots,  about  1710.  The  deed  for  a 
tract  of  two  hundred  and  sixty-seven  and  one- 
half  acres  of  land  he  purchased  in  Amity  town- 
ship is  dated  June  1,  1740.  John  Lorah  died 
in  1868  (?)  leaving  two  sons,  George  and 
John,  and  three  daughters.  George  Lorah  was 
born  in  1745.  He  held  the  office  of  county 
commissioner  of  Berks  County  for  three  years  ; 
was  also  appointed  a  justice  of  the  peace  for 
Amity  township  and  held  the  office  until  he 
died,  August  1, 1823,  leaving  three  sons — John, 
George  and  Daniel — and  three  daughters.  John, 
the  eldest,  moved  to  Ohio,  and  died  there  about 
1845.  George,  the  second  son,  lived  in  Cumru 
township,  Berks  County,  and  died  therein  1840. 
Daniel,  the  third  son,  was  born  February  20, 
1779,  in  Amity  township.  He  was  very  prom- 
inent in  the  church  and  in  political  matters,  and 
filled  various  offices. 

He  owned  the  farm  previously  owned  by  his 
father  and  grandfather;  it  is  now  owned  by 
John  Lorah,  brother  of  George  K.  Lorah. 
He  died  September  8,  1853,  leaving  four  sons 
— William,  John,  George  and  Augustus — and 
seven  daughters.  The  sons  reside  in  Amity 
township,  except  Augustus,  who  lives  in  Potts- 
town. The  mother,  Hannah  Knabb,  was  a 
descendant  of  a  prominent  family  of  Oley  town- 
ship. 

George  K.  Lorah  obtained  his  education  in 
a  subscription  school  in  Amityville,  until  he 
was  eighteen  years  old,  taught  by  Samuel  Boyer, 
an  efficient  teacher.  He  worked  on  the  farm 
of  his  father  until  1843,  when  he  engaged  in 
teaching  a  subscription  school  in  Colebrook- 
dale  township ;  then  taught  one  year  in  Amity 
township  and  was  a  clerk  in  the  mercantile 
business  for  eighteen  months.  In  1847  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  land  which  he  afterwards 
inherited  from  his  father,  and  by  purchases 
since  has  now  in  all  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
nine  acres.  September  23,  1847,  he  married 
Wilhelmina  De  Turk,  daughter  of  Jacob  De 
Turk,  also  a  descendant  of  the  Huguenots.  She 
was  prominent  in  church-work,  in  which  she 
always  took  great  interest.  She  was  born  Oc- 
tober 16,  1825,  and  died  September  21,  1880. 
Mr.  Lorah  has  always  taken  a  prominent  part 
in  the  church  and  in  political  matters ;  held  the 


958 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


office  of  deacon  and  elder  in  the  Reformed 
Church  at  Amity ville;  was  also  one  of  the 
building  committee  for  the  erection  of  the  pres- 
ent church  there. 

Mr.  Lorah  was  at  various  times  elected  school 
director,  and  served  as  a  mercantile  appraiser 
for  the  year  1858.  In  1861  he  was  elected 
county  commissioner.  During  the  time  of  the 
Civil  War,  by  reason  of  which  it  was  often  diffi- 
cult to  act  upon  subjects  brought  before  the 


He  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  from  1 865 
to  1880.  He  then  resigned  the  office  in  order  to 
accept  the  office  of  Representative  in  the  Legis- 
lature of  Pennsylvania,  to  which  position  he 
was  elected  in  November,  1880,  for  the  term  of 
two  years,  and  served  during  the  session  of 
1881  faithfully  and  with  credit  to  himself  and 
his  constituents.  In  the  fall  of  1882  he  was 
re-elected,  and  served  in  the  extra  session  of 
1883  to  the  entire  credit  of  himself  and  those  he 


board,  asking  for  relief,  for  the  families  of 
soldiers  during  their  absence' at  the  seat  of  war, 
and  for  the  payment  of  bounties  to  men  willing 
to  enlist,  to  fill  the  different  quotas  of  the 
county,  and  which  required  appropriations  of 
large  sums  of  money,  upon  the  propriety  or  the 
right  of  which  people  greatly  differed,  the 
commissioners  took  the  responsibility  to  act  in 
accordance  with  their  best  judgment,  and  were 
abundantly  sustained  by  the  people,  and  the 
county  debt  thereby  created  has  since  all  been 
cheerfully  paid  by  the  tax-payers  of  the  county. 


represented.  At  the  expiration  of  his  term,  in 
December,  1884,  he  was  appointed  a  notary 
public.  In  1886  the  citizens  of  his  township 
again  elected  him  justice  of  the  peace. 

He  is  the  secretary  of  the  Mutual  Fire  In- 
surance Company  of  Berks  County,  which  po- 
sition he  has  held  since  December,  1864. 
Through  his  excellent  and  careful  management 
the  company  has  been  very  successful,  increasing 
their  insurance  from  two  million  five  hundred 
thousand  dollars  to  eight  million  dollars.  He  is 
also  president  of  the  Douglassville  and  Yellow 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


959 


House  Turnpike  Company,  and  a  director  of 
the  Oley  Valley  and  Lehigh  Railroad  Com- 
pany; also  a  director  of  the  Penn  National 
Bank  of  Reading,  and  secretary  and  treasurer 
of  the  Monocacy  Bridge  Company  ;  also  presi- 
dent of  the  Monocacy  Valley  Creamery  Asso- 
ciation. He  has  had  the  settlement  of  a  large 
number  of  estates  as  executor,  administrator  or 
assignee,  and  held  many  positions  as  trustee  and 
guardian  of  minor  children,  enjoying  the  geu- 
eral  confidence  and  esteem  of  all  who  know  him. 


young  woman  named  Bechtel,  by  whom  he  had 
children,  among  them  being  two  sons, — Michael 
(who  was  married  to  a  Miss  Lutz)  and  Philip. 
Philip  Ludwig  was  born  in  Amity  township, 
March  10,  1759,  and  carried  on  farming.  He 
was  actively  interested  in  the  building  of  the 
first  substantial  Amity  Church,  having  been 
one  of  the  prominent  members  of  that  congre- 
gation. He  was  married  to  Anna  Dehart,  born 
August  16,  1769,  and  died  December  25,  1825. 
He  died  February  5,  1827,  and  left  seven  chil- 


Elam  M.  Ludwig,  a  prominent  and  success- 
ful breeder  of  fine  blooded  horses,  is  a  descend- 
ant of  Michael  Ludwig,  who  emigrated  from 
Germany  to  Pennsylvania,  having  sailed  in  the 
ship  called  "Pennsylvania  Merchant"  and 
landed  at  the  port  of  Philadelphia  in  1733, 
whence  he  proceeded  to  Amity  township  and 
settled  on  the  farm  now  occupied  by  William 
Davidheiser,  of  which  he  then  became  the 
owner.     Michael  Ludwig  was    married  to    a 


dren, — Abraham,  Thomas  (married  to  Mary  A. 
Schaeffer),  Jacob  (married  to  Sarah  Spang), 
Benjamin,  Mary  (married  to  George  Moser), 
Ellen  (married  first  to  a  Nein,  and  afterward 
to  Wesley  Stern),  and  Rachel  (married  Daniel 
Deeter  and  moved  West). 

Abraham  Ludwig  was  born  in  Amity  town- 
ship, on  the  homestead,  March  7,  1788.  He 
was  educated  at  the  "  Molatton  School "  and 
subsequently  carried  on  farming.  He  was  mar- 


960 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


ried  to  Sarah  Miller,  who  was  born  January  8, 
1786.  He  died  January  18,  1863,  and  left  a 
widow  (who  survived  him  fifteen  years,  having 
died  July  26, 1878)  and  seven  children,— Harriet 
(married  to  William  Lorah,  a  descendant  of  one 
of  the  earliest  settlers  of  the  township),  Augus- 
tus (married  to  Carolina  Pott,  a  daughter  of 
John  Pott),  Elizabeth  (married  to  Peter  Mar- 
quart,  Esq.),  Mary  Ann  (married  to  Jacob 
Holloway),  Elam,  Sarah  (married  to  Jacob 
Schaeffer)  and  Lewis  (married  to  Elizabeth 
Rothermel,  a  daughter  of  Peter  Rothermel). 

Elam  Miller  Ludwig,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  born  on  the  homestead  March  7, 
1828,  and  educated  in  the  schools  which  the 
township  afforded.  He  assisted  his  father  in 
farming  till  he  became  twenty-three  years  of 
age,  and  then  commenced  farming  for  himself  in 
Union  township,  on  one  of  the  Brooke  farms, 
which  he  bought  in  the  next  year  after  he  be- 
gan (having  been  given  a  generous  opportunity 
by  the  owners,  Edward  and  George  Brooke), 
and  in  three  years  he  sold  the  same  at  a  consid- 
erable profit ;  this  profit  gave  him  a  substan- 
tial start  in  business  life.  He  then  moved 
to  Amity  township,  and  bought  the  Egle  farm 
(eighty  acres),  known  also  as  the  Gerling  farm, 
which  was  a  part  of  one  of  the  Swedes'  tracts  ; 
this  he  has  occupied  and  conducted  contin- 
uously till  now. 

Mr.  Ludwig  has  taken  a  great  interest  in  the 
Agricultural  Society  of  the  county,  having  at- 
tended all  its  exhibitions,  excepting  the  first, 
and  placed  superior  blooded  horses  on  exhibi- 
tion. His  first  exhibition  consisted  of  two 
heavy  Canadian  stallions.  From  that  time  till 
now — a  period  covering  over  thirty  years — he 
has  paid  much  attention  to  the  raising  of  fine 
horses,  distinguished  for  speed,  and  exhibited 
them  at  county  fairs.  The  stallion  "  Bonaparte  " 
was  introduced  by  Townsend  Evans,  of  which 
Mr.  Ludwig  became  the  owner.  Sired  by  this 
stallion,  he  raised  a  fine,  speedy  mare,  which,  at 
four  years  old,  trotted  a  mile  in  two  fifty-two. 
This  was  remarkable  speed  for  a  local  horse  thirty 
years  ago.  He  introduced  "  Ironsides,"  having 
bonght  him  as  a  colt.  This  superior  stallion 
trotted  a  mile  on  an  inferior  track  (circular, 


one-third  of  a  mile  in  length)  in  two  thirty -six. 
This  was  a  wonderful  feat,  and  the  exhibition 
developed  a  feeling  in  the  community  for  speed 
in  horses.  In  1865  Mr.  Ludwig  introduced 
the  "Ethan  Allen"  stock.  He  raised  "Lady 
Elgin,"  a  fine,  gentle  and  speedy  mare,  which 
trotted  a  mile  in  two  twenty-seven.  This  mare 
he  now  has  upon  his  plantation  for  breeding 
purposes.  In  1874  he  introduced  the  "  Ham- 
bletonian  "  stock,  which  he  has  latterly  made  a 
specialty,  and  in  which  he  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful. His  stock  now  includes  two  fine  bay 
mares,  "  Purity  "  and  "  Little  Thome  "  mated, 
that  have  trotted  together  a  half  a  mile  in  one 
fifteen  and  a  quarter. 

Mr.  Ludwig  was  married  to  Hannah  Grinder, 
a  daughter  of  Samuel  Grinder,  by  whom  he 
has  nine  children, — Calvin,  Brooke,  Barde, 
Harriet,  Mahlon,  Amelia,  Sarah,  Abraham  and 
Lewis. 

Colonel  Jeremiah  Weaver,  of  Amity 
township,  Berks  County,  Pennsylvania,  was 
born  October  1,  1816,  on  the  farm  of  his  father, 
and  the  farm  he  afterwards  owned.  He  always 
lived  on  the  same  farm  on  which  he  died, 
November  2, 1885,  from  softening  of  the  brain. 
His  father  was  Peter  Weaver,  a  wealthy  and 
distinguished  farmer,  who,  during  the  latter 
days  of  his  life,  was  nearly  blind.  Peter  Weaver 
was  born  on  the  same  farm,  where  he  resided 
until  his  death,  in  the  eighty-sixth  year  of  his 
age,  from  palsy.  He  was  buried  in  the  Amity- 
ville  church-yard.  Colonel  Weaver  was  buried  at 
the  Oley  Churches.  Peter  Weaver  had  two  child- 
ren, Jeremiah  and  Anna  Weaver,  the  latter  being 
married  to  Cyrus  Ludwig,  and  after  his  death 
she  married  Edward  Philipps. 

The  parents  of  Peter  Weaver  and  the  grand- 
father of  Colonel  Weaver  were  Jacob  Weaver 
and  a  Miss  Van  Reed  ;  they  had  eleven  chil- 
dren. 

Ellen  Knabb,  of  Oley  is  a  sister  of  Peter 
Weaver  and  an  aunt  of  the  colonel.  She  is 
now  in  her  ninety-second  year. 

Colonel  Weaver  had  no  children.  He  was  a 
firm,  yet  rational  man,  courageous  and  brave. 
He  was  elected  and  commissioned  by  Governor 
Francis  R.  Shunk,  April  18,  1845,    colonel  of 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


961 


the  Third  Regiment  of  Militia  of  Pennsylvania, 
Second  Brigade  of  the  Sixth  Division,  composed 
of  the  militia  of  the  counties  of  Dauphin,  Leba- 
non, Berks  and  Schuylkill.  September  7,  1850, 
William  F.  Johnson,  Governor  of  Pennsylvania, 
commissioned  him  captain  of  the  National  Ar- 
tillery of  the  Uniformed  Militia  of  Pennsylvania, 
First  Brigade  of  the  Fifth  Division,  comprising 
Dauphin,  Lebanon  and  Berks  Counties. 
He     was    again    elected     and     commissioned 


stock  farms  in  the  country.  He  had  a  custom 
of  always  keeping  six  heavy  Norman  horses  on 
the  farm  and  objected  to  all  small  horses.  He 
usually  kept  about  twenty-five  milk  cows  for 
use  on  the  farm,  and  made  the  fattening  of  oxen 
a  specialty,  which  were  shipped  to  New  York 
and  Philadelphia  markets.  Much  of  the  bur- 
den and  care  of  managing  the  farm  was 
assumed  by  John  Swavely,  who  had  been  em- 
ployed by   Colonel  Weaver  for  twenty  years, 


captain  of  the  National  Artillery,  First  Brigade, 
October  20,  1854,  by  William  Bigler,  then 
Governor  of  Pennsylvania.  His  uniform  is  care- 
fully preserved  by  Mrs.  Weaver  and  is  still  in 
excellent  condition  and  much  prized. 

His  two  swords  were  loaned  to  friends  and 
never  returned.  In  his  dress  he  ever  showed 
good  taste,  always  seeking  the  best.  He  was 
a  man  who  dealt  honorably  with  mankind. 
During  the  latter  years  of  his  life  he  dealt  ex- 
tensively in  live  stock,  and  had  one  of  the  finest 
82 


and  since  the  colonel's  death  still  assists  Mrs. 
Weaver  in  the  direction  of  the  farm  In  1871 
Colonel  Weaver  had  as  much  as  fifty-five  head  of 
cattle  and  three  hundred  sheep.  He  dealt  mostly 
in  "short-horn"  Durhams.  In  1868  Mr.  Swavely 
brought  from  Ohio,  for  Colonel  Weaver,  an  ox 
that  weighed  twenty-five  hundred  pounds,  for 
which  hepaid  in  Ohio  two  hundred  and  fifty  dol- 
lars. Other  oxen  averaged  from  eighteen  hun- 
dred to  two  thousand  pounds,  and  for  many  he 
gave  one  hundred  dollars  per  head.    He  bought 


962 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


nearly  all  his  cattle  in  Trumbull  County,  Ohio. 
He  bought  Southdown  sheep  (imported),  for 
which  he  paid  one  hundred  and  five  dollars  per 
head,  and  for  Canada  sheep  he  paid  as  high  as 
forty  dollars  per  head.  When  he  exhibited 
stock  at  the  county  fairs  he  always  secured  first 
premium.  He  was  given  first  premium  at  the 
State  fair  when  held  at  Easton,  Pennsylvania, 
for  fat  and  yoke  oxen.  His  farm  was  one  of 
the  finest  in  Berks  County,  and  has  been  in  the 
possession  of  the  Weaver  family  since  January  5, 
1 760.  It  was  patented  to  Peter  Weaver,  one  of  the 
earliest  ancestry  of  the  Weavers  in  this  county, 
and  descended  from  father  to  son  or  brother  to 
brother.  In  1718  the  first  owner,  Peter  Weaver, 
sold  it  to  Jacob  Weaver.  In  1747  Jacob  sold 
it  to  his  son  Peter,  and  in  1783  Peter  sold  it  to 
his  son,  Jacob  Weaver,  Jr.  In  1820  Jacob 
Weaver,  Jr.,  sold  it  to  his  son  Samuel ;  when,  in 
1840,  Samuel  died  single  and  intestate,  Jacob 
Weaver,  a  brother  of  Samuel,  took  it  at  the 
appraisement.  Jacob,  in  1842,  had  it  sold  by 
the  sheriff,  when  Peter  Weaver  (the  father  of  our 
subject)  bought  it  and  in  1866  sold  it  to  his  son, 
Colonel  Jeremiah  Weaver.  The  latter,  owing  to 
sundry  losses  and  misfortunes,  became  involved 
and  assigned  his  estate  to  William  Yocom  for 
benefit  of  creditors,  and  in  1876  Mrs.  Cathar- 
ine Weaver,  wife  of  Colonel  Weaver,  bought  the 
property  and  still  retains  it.  It  contains  two 
hundred  and  two  acres  and  fifty-five  perches  of 
good  soil,  well  divided  into  suitable  fields,  with 
the  finest  spring  water  facilities  on  all  parts  of 
the  farm  and  never  freezes. 

The  farm  extends  from  the  Reading  and 
Boyertown  road  to  the  Douglassville  and 
Yellow  House  turnpike  road,  accessible  from 
either.  The  farm  has  the  finest  and  best  fruit, 
three  apple  orchards  containing  about  thirty  five 
acres. 

The  buildings  are  in  excellent  condition, 
there  being  two  dwelling-houses  and  twenty- 
two  out-buildings.  The  farm  is  tenanted  (1886) 
by  William  Conrad. 


COLEBROOKDALE  TOWNSHIP. 

Erection  of    Township.— A   petition   of 
sundry  inhabitants  of   "  Colebrook-Dale"  was 


presented  to  the  Court  of  Quarter  Sessions,  at 
Philadelphia,  on  September  7,  1741,  in  which 
they  set  forth  "  that  your  petitioners  suffer  un- 
der some  disadvantages  as  touching  roads  and 
highways,  the  poor,  etc.,  as  not  knowing  their 
boundaries,  for  which  reasons  some  contentious 
persons  frequently  oppose  us  in  our  proceedings : 
wherefore  we  humbly  pray  this  court  to  take 
this  affair  into  their  consideration  and  erect  a 
new  township.  Beginning  at  a  corner  in  George 
McCall's  upper  line  of  the  manor  called  John 
Penn's  and  Douglass  township  line,  and  from 
thence  to  run  along  the  said  manor  line  north 
forty  east  one  thousand  six  hundred  perches; 
thence  northwest  nine  hundred  and  sixty  perches 
to  a  corner ;  thence  south  forty  west  one  thou- 
sand six  hundred  perches;  thence  southeast 
nine  hundred  and  sixty  perches  by  vacant  land 
and  Douglass  township,  to  the  place  of  begin- 
ning, containing  about  nine  thousand  six  hun- 
dred acres."    The  subscribers  were, — 


Thomas  Potts. 
John  Potts. 
John  Conrad  Roths. 
Matthias  Rhoades. 
Friedrick  Frey. 
Thomas  Willson. 


Conrad  Behm. 
Samuel  Michael  Essig. 
Frantz  Yoster  Staudt. 
Joseph  Walker. 
Jacob  Maiklon. 
Thomas  Potts,  Jr. 


The  survey  was  made  by  George  Boone,  Esq., 
and  reported  by  him  to  William  Parsons,  sur- 
veyor-general, who,  in  December  following,  cer- 
tified that  the  courses  of  the  district  surveyed 
did  not  interfere  with  the  bounds  of  any  other 
township;  whereupon  the  court  erected  the  same 
into  a  township  by  the  name  of  Cole-Brook- 
Dale. 

In  1839  the  area  of  the  township  was  reduced 
over  one-third  by  the  appropriation  of  about 
three  thousand  six  hundred  acres  in  the  upper 
section  toward  the  erection  of  Washington  town- 
ship. The  estimated  area  in  1849  was  six 
thousand  acres.  In  1866  the  borough  of  Boyer- 
town was  erected  out  of  a  portion  of  territory  in 
the  eastern  section  of  the  township.  A  post-of- 
fice had  been  established  at  this  point  in  the 
township  in  1828. 

Early  Iron- Works. — Iron-works  were  be- 
gun at  a  very  early  period  in  this  district,  and 
it  is  believed  that  they  were  the  first  in  Penn- 
sylvania.    In  the  colonial  records  they  are  re- 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


963 


ferred  to  as  the  "  Mahanatawny  Iron-Works," 
because  they  were  situated  in  the  district  of 
country  known  by  that  name.    They  comprised 
a  furnace,  which  has  been  called  and  kuown  as 
"  Colebrookdale."    It  is  supposed  that  this  fur- 
nace was  erected  in  the  year  1720,  "  or  a  year 
or  two  earlier,"    by   a   company   comprising, 
among  others,  Thomas  Rutter,  Anthony  Morris, 
James  Lewis  and  Thomas  Potts,  and  carried  on 
for  about  fifty  years.1   The  furnace  was  situated 
on  the  Iron-Stone  Creek,  an  important  branch 
of  the  Manatawny,  within  a  mile  to  the  south 
of  the  present  borough  of  Boyertown.    It  stood 
about  five  perches  west  from  the  creek,  near  the 
road  which    leads  from  the  Reading  road  to 
Englesville.     A  large  dam  was  constructed  im- 
mediately above  the  furnace  and  supplied  with 
water  by  a  head-race,  which  extended  from  a 
point  in  the  creek  about  one  hundred  and  forty 
perches  north  from  the  furnace  and  lay  to  the 
west  of  the  creek.     The  early  discovery  of  a 
valuable  deposit  of  iron-ore  near  by  induced  the 
erection  of  the  furnace  at  this  point.  The  mouth 
of  the  mine-hole  was  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  perches  distant  from  the  furnace  in  a  north- 
eastwardly  direction.     A    great   abundance   of 
magnetic  ore  has  been  mined  in  this  vicinity. 
Two  veins  have  been  worked  very  successfully, — 
one  at  a  depth  of  three  hundred  and  ninety-two 
feet,  which  was  found  to  be  twenty-two  feet 
thick  and  to  yield  fifty  per  cent,  of  red  magnetic 
ore;  and  the  other  at  a  greater  depth,  which  is 
said  to  be  inexhaustible.     Latterly    for  some 
years  the  mine  has  been  operated  by  the  War- 
wick Iron  Company.     A  portion  of  Boyertown 
has  been  undermined. 

The  land  upon  which  this  furnace  stood  was 
taken  up  by  David  Powell,  to  whom  a  patent 
was  issued  in  1718  for  two  hundred  acres,  and 
he  conveyed  it  to  Thomas  Rutter  in  1719. 

Settlement  Attacked  by  Indians. — The 
first  conflict  between  the  Indians  and  the  early 
settlers  of  this  section  of  country,  now  included 
in  Berks  County,  was  in  1728,  in  the  Mana- 
tawny region.2  A  petition,  subscribed  by  a 
number  of  the   inhabitants   of  Colebrookdale, 


1  See  Early  Industries. 

2  3  Col.  Rec,  321. 


was  presented  to  Governor  Gordon  on  May  10, 
1728,  in  which  they  referred  to  their  sufferings 
from  the  Indians  and  prayed  for  "  relief  of 
themselves  and  their  poor  wives  and  children, 
who  were  to  them  more  than  life  itself." 3  A 
skirmish  is  alleged  to  have  taken  place  at 
"  Mahanatawny  Iron- Works  "  between  the  in- 
habitants of  that  region  of  country  and  a  party 
of  foreign  Indians,  and  the  Governor,  in  pur- 
suance of  the  petition  mentioned,  accompa- 
nied by  divers  gentlemen,  visited  the  place. 
Upon  his  return  to  Philadelphia  he  met  the 
Executive  Council,  on  May  15,  1728, 

"  And  acquainted  the  board  that  he  had  just  re- 
turned from  Mahanatawny,  where  he  found  the 
people  in  very  great  disorder  by  the  noise  of  the 
skirmish  that  happened  between  some  of  our  people 
and  a  small  party  of  Indians  ;  that  many  of  the  back 
inhabitants  had  quitted  their  houses  and  seemed 
under  great  apprehensions  of  numbers  of  Indians 
coming  to  attack  them  ;  that  several  Palatine  families, 
numbering  some  hundreds  of  persons,  were  gathered 
together  at  a  mill  near  New  Hanover  township,  in  order 
to  defend  themselves,  and  that  there  he  saw  the  man 
who  was  said  to  have  been  killed  by  the  Indians,  but 
he  appeared  to  be  only  slightly  wounded  in  the  belly. 
The  report  had  been,  that  the  Indians  fired  upon 
some  of  our  people,  wounded  several  slightly  and  one 
man  mortally ;  that  having  examined  several  persons 
there  and  at  Colebrookdale,  touching  the  said  Indians, 
he  understood  that  they  were  eleven  in  number, 
painted  for  war,  armed  with  pistols,  guns,  etc,  and 
had  been  in  that  neighborhood  for  some  days,  that 
they  were  all  armed,  and  had  a  Spanish  Indian  for 
their  captain  ;  and  that  having  been  rude  in  several 
houses  where  they  forced  the  people  to  supply  them 
with  victuals  and  drink,  some  of  our  inhabitants,  to  the 
number  of  twenty,  were  armed  with  guns  and  swords, 
went  in  search  of  the  Indians,  and,  coming  up  with 
them,  they  sent  two  of  their  number  to  treat  with  the 
captain,  who,  instead  of  receiving  them  civilly,  brand- 
ished his  sword  and  commanded  his  men  to  fire, 
which  they  did  and  wounded  two  of  ours,  who,  there- 
upon, returned  their  fire;  upon  which  they  saw  the 
captain  fall,  but  he  afterward  got  up  and  ran  into 
the  woods  after  his  party,  having  left  his  gun  and 
watch-coat  behind,  and  that  since  that  time  they  had 
been  seen  no  more."  * 

Early  Roads.— On  March  22,  1723,  a 
public  road  was  laid  out  in  this  section  of  terri- 
tory from  Thomas  Rutter's  iron-mines  to  the 
great  road  which  led  from  "  Manahatawny  " 


3]  Fenna.  Arch.,  p.  213. 

*Rupp's  "  History  of  Berks  County, 


,  96. 


964 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


to  Philadelphia,  by  Thomas  Butter,  John 
Roades,  Jonathan  Robeson  and  Burg  Hollen- 
bock.  A  public  road  was  laid  out  in  1728 
from  Skippack  to  Colebrookdale. 

Early  Taxables. — The  following  eighteen 
persons  were  reported  as  taxables  in  the  district 
for  the  year  1734: 

Thomas  Potts. 

Garret  Ingle. 

Daniel  Stover. 

Joseph  Walker. 

John  Henry  Kyler. 

Joseph  Murry. 

Samuel  Griffiths. 

John  Garret. 

Richard  Gregory. 

The  following  list  comprises  the  names  of 
the  taxables  of  the  township  for  1759,  from 
which  it  appears  that  the  early  settlers  were 
almost  entirely  Germans.  The  tax  levied  was 
£50  12s.  6d.  Conrad  Laglider  was  the  collec- 
tor. 


John  Parker. 
Andrew  Buzard. 
John  Ball. 
Jacob  Buckwalter. 
Peter  Bidder. 
Michael  Bower. 
Wooldery  Ingery. 
Jacob  Harman. 
Hance  Bower. 


Allenbach,  Peter 7 

'  Bacher,  John 10 

Boochwolder,  John 15 

Beem,  Conrad 8 

Bishopbargcr,  Jacob 4 

Brindle,  Andrew 5 

Bouse,  John 3 

Eshenbach,  Andrew 9 

Erney,  Frederick 8 

Eared,  Peter 6 

Feagley,  George 7 

Gerber,  John 8 

Gilbert,  George 4 

Gerber,  Adam 9 

Gulden,  John 16 

Houck,  Jacob 2 

Kooser,  Michael 10 

Keplor,  David 9 

Long,  Dewald 10 

Laglider,  Conrad 9 

Lober,  Peter 14 

Mayberry,  William 5 

Mechlin,  Jacob 12 


Matthias,  Martin.. 


9 


Mifflin,  George  St  Co 30 

Potts,  Thomas 45 

Potts,  Rebecca 10 

Butter,  Thomas 65 

Richard,  Casper 17 

Butter,  Paul 16 

Rhoads,  Matthias 16 

Rhoads,  Adam 10 

Rhoads,  Conrad 8 

Stalez,  Christian 8 

Slegle,  John ^..    6 

Sassemanhouse,  Manus 19 

Stover,  Daniel 10 

Shinhard,  George 10 

Shen,  Peter 8 

Shen,  Thomas 8 

Shaw,  Hannah 30 

Tuddow,  Michael 10 

Tuddow,  Matthias 10 

Wannemacher,  Bombard 5 

Willson,  Thomas 19 

Wershler,  John 10 

Ton,  John io 

Yerger,  Barbara  7 


Poor  Men. 


Biper,  Emanuel 1 

Coplebarger,  Henry' 1 

Eackel,  Henry 2 

Ensmenger.  Philip 1 

File,  George 1 

Frean,  John 1 

Hardman,  George 1 

Heffnor,  Frederick 1 

Hup,  Augustus 1 

Kellor,  Martin 1 

Single  Men, 

Bucher,  Casper. 

Bom,  Jacob. 

Collin,  Thomas. 

Clotz,  Leonard. 

Duin,  Ulrick. 

Erne,  Jacob. 

Eagle,  George. 


Kill,  Adam 1 

Leabegood,  Peter 1 

Mengle,  Christopher 1 

Naugle,  Christian 1 

Ramsey,  Joseph 4 

Sackman,  Henry i 

Shallgod,  George 1 

Snept,  George \ 

Scheffner,  Henry 1 


Gilbert,  Henry. 
Happle,  Christian. 
Rhoads,  Matthias. 
Williams,  Richard. 
Weiman,  George. 
Yon,  Joachim. 


Industries. — East  of  Boyertown  is  an  old- 
established  tannery,  which  was  carried  on  many 
years  by  the  Landis  family,  and  at  present  con- 
ducted by  Samuel  G.  Landis.  There  are  thirty 
vats.  Steam  is  employed  to  heat  the  liquor  of 
the  vats  only,  the  other  portion  of  the  work 
being  done  by  the  old  methods.  The  product 
is  mainly  fine  leather.  In  the  same  locality  is 
the  David  Landis  tannery,  also  an  old  estab- 
lishment, and  operated,  on  a  small  scale,  in 
1886,  by  Tobias  Landis.  Beyond  these  a  num- 
ber of  powers  are  afforded  on  the  Swamp  Creek, 
which  were  early  made  to  operate  mills  and 
small  factories. 

Near  the  Washington  township  line  is  the  old 
Reninger  mill,  a  stone,  plastered  building,  hav- 
ing small  grinding  capacity,  which  is  owned  by 
Jacob  Oberholtzer.  The  next  lower  power 
operated  is  a  small  saw-mill,  the  capacity  of 
which  was  increased  when  Ambrose  Stauffer 
introduced  steam-power.  A  short  distance  from 
this  William  Johnson  put  up  a  fulling-mill  and 
also  made  cloths  and  light  cassimers.  It  became 
the  property  of  Henry  Fisher  and  was  operated 
by  him  a  number  of  years.  For  more  than 
twenty  years  the  factory  has  been  carried  on  by 
Nicholas  J.  Fisher.  Steam-power  is  employed. 
The  building  is  an  old  frame  structure.  Some 
fine  work  is  produced. 

On  the  stream,  next  below,  is  a  large  brick 
mill,  supplied  with  good  machinery,  operated 
by  water  and  steam  and  owned  by  Nicholas 
Johnson.  The  next  lower  and  the  last  mill-site 
in  the  township  was  improved  to  operate  a  full- 
ing-mill for  the  Allebachs,  which  has  given 
place  to  a  grist-mill,  owned  by  Jacob  Merkel. 

The  site  of  the  old  Knauss  mill,  on  the  Iron- 
stone Creek,  near  the  head-waters  of  that 
stream,  has  been  occupied,  since  1865,  by  the 
mill  of  William  K.  Grim.  It  is  a  stone  build- 
ing and  has  four  runs  of  burrs.  In  the  same 
locality  Henry  Knauss  had  a  small  tannery, 
which,  in  1830,  became  the  property  of  Gideon 
Grim,  and  which  was  carried  on  by  William 
K.  Grim  until  1877,  when  work  was  discon- 
tinued. The  buildings  are  still  standing  and 
when  fully  worked  the  tannery  had  a  good  ca- 
pacity, having  in  all  forty  vats.  Lower  down 
this  stream  the  Gables  had,  for  many  years,  saw 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


965 


aud  oil-mills,  but  converted  the  latter  into  a 
spoke  and  handle  factory,  which  are  still  carried 
on  by  John  Gable.  The  power  below  was  also 
improved  by  the  Gables,  and  the  present  mill, 
built  in  1860,  by  David  Gable,  and  operated  by 
Henry  G.  Gable,  is  below  the  site  first  occupied 
by  the  old  Henry  Gable  mill,  which  has  been 
removed.  It  is  a  stone  and  brick  building  and 
has  a  good  power  and  four  runs  of  stones,  with 
a  large  capacity. 

On  the  lowest  power  in  the  township  was  the 
old  Rhodes  mill  and  the  Colebrookdale  Fur- 
nace, the  former  built  about  1800.  Later  it  was 
owned  by  the  Morys ;  and  the  new  mill  built 
at  this  place  by  Mathias  Ritter  was  burned 
down  in  1884.  It  has  been  rebuilt  by  William 
Groff,  the  present  owner.  The  power  is  limited. 
Aside  from  the  above  interests,  there  has  been 
but  very  little  manufacturing,  excepting  such 
as  has  a  relation  with  agricultural  pursuits.  In 
1881  the  Colebrookdale  Creamery  was  gotten 
in  operation  by  a  stock  company,  which  has  since 
continued  it.  The  factory  has  a  good  location, 
two  miles  from  Boyertown,  and  does  a  prosperous 
business.  The  building  is  large  and  supplied 
with  both  butter  and  cheese-making  machinery. 

In  1876  Dr.  J.  H.  Funk  began  the  cultiva- 
tion of  small  fruits,  apples,  pears  and  cherries 
on  his  farm  near  Boyertown,  and,  having  safely 
passed  through  the  experimental  stage,  he  has 
succeeded  in  establishing  a  pleasant  and  profit- 
able business,  which  gives  steady  employment  to 
six  men,  and  in  the  fruit  season,  to  scores  of 
persons.  In  1885  he  produced  eight  hundred 
bushels  of  strawberries  and  had  an  enormous 
vintage  from  fifteen  hundred  grape-vines.  He 
also  grows  from  fifty  to  sixty  thousand  heads  of 
cabbage  per  year.  His  success  has  caused  other 
fruit  and  truck  farms  to  be  opened,  among  the 
principal  being  those  of  Funk  &  Schaeffer, 
twenty-one  acres  in  grapes  and  pears,  and  John 
Schaeffer,  five  acres  in  a  variety  of  fruits. 

On  the  farm  of  Jacob  Bechtel  is  a  large  de- 
posit of  black  lead,  which  has.  been  mined  to 
some  extent  by  the  owners,  and  which  at  one 
time  was  a  profitable  business.  The  quality  is 
good,  but  not  as  fine  as  some  recently  discovered 
in  other  localities,  which  has  caused  this  mine 
to  be  abandoned  for  the  present. 


Zion's  Church,  Evangelical  Associa- 
tion.— This  is  the  only  house  of  worship  in  the 
township  outside  of  the  borough  of  Boyertown.  It 
is  a  plain  brick  building,  thirty-two  by  forty  feet, 
and  was  erected  in  1850,  in  the  village  of  New 
Berlinville,  upon  a  lot  of  land  given  for  the 
purpose  by  Henry  Gilbert,  who  was  one  of  the 
original  members  of  the  association  at  this 
place,  and  who  was  most  instrumental  in  the 
organization  of  the  church.  Among  other 
prominent  members  were  Edwin  Fritz,  Amos 
Brower,  Wm.  G.  Fritz,  David  York,  Augustus 
Levan,  Mathias  Levan,  Stover  Worman,  Josiah 
H.  Reninger,  Melchoir  Schultz  and  George 
Schultz. 

The  latter  three  served  as  the  first  board  of 
trustees.  This  church  has  never  had  a  strong 
membership,  but  it  has  shown  much  spiritual 
life,  and  has  contributed  faithfully  to  the  exten- 
sion of  religious  influences  in  the  community. 
It  has  also  furnished  four  serviceable  ministers, 
— the  Revs.  David  Stauffer,  Aaron  Steltz,  Wil- 
liam H.  Stauffer  and  F.  G.  Stauffer.  In  1885  there 
were  fifty  members,  who  had  their  ministerial 
service  from  the  Milford  Circuit,  the  Rev.  Frank 
Sechrist,  preacher  in  charge.  In  1869  the 
church  secured  three-fourths  of  an  acre  of  land 
for  cemetery  purposes ;  and  in  1886  the  property 
was  controlled  by  Trustees  Wm.  H.  Stauffer, 
DavidWorsler  and  Stover  Worman.  ASunday- 
school  of  fifty  members  has  Henry  B.  Stauffer 
as  the  superintendent. 

VILLAGES. 

New  Berlinville  is  a  growing  village,  a 
little  more  than  half  a  mile  east  from  Boyer- 
town, sustaining  a  suburban  relation  to  that 
place.  It  was  started  about  1835  on  the  lands 
of  Samuel  Gilbert,  Peter  Houck  and  Jacob 
Gottschall,  and  was  long  called  New  Berlin,  in 
compliment,  it  is  said,  to  a  worthy  German 
orphan  boy  who  was  reared  here  and  whose 
nativity  was  Berlin.  When  the  post-office  was 
established,  February  23,  1883,  the  present 
name  was  adopted  to  distinguish  it  from  New 
Berlin,  in  Union  County.  Jacob  W.  Leaver 
has  been  the  only  postmaster  till  now. 

Two  daily  mails  are  received.  The  office  is 
kept  in  a  store  carried  on  by  Leaver,  as  the 


966 


HISTOEY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


successor  of  his  father,  Samuel  Leaver,  who  here 
engaged  in  trade  in  1879.  Other  merchants  in 
trade  at  this  stand  were  David  Johnson,  Levi 
Gilbert,  Josiah  Eeninger,  P.  Y.  Brendlinger, 
(for  about  twenty  years),  Fritz  and  Hagy.  In 
the  same  building  an  inn  was  opened  in  the 
spring  of  1886  by  U.  Y.  Houck.  A  store  for 
the  sale  of  farming  implements  was  established 
in  1885  by  D.  H.  G.  Kuser,  and  C.  W.  Eitter 
has  also  recently  opened  a  jewelry  store.  At 
the  railway  station,  some  distance  from  the 
main  part  of  the  village,  E.  H.  Moyer  began 
business  in  the  coal  trade  in  1884,  and  also  put 
in  operation  a  small  feed-mill.  In  this  locality 
a  large  brick-yard  was  opened  in  1883  by 
James  Muthard,  Samuel  G.  Landis  and  Henry 
R.  Eschbach,  which  is  now  carried  on  by  Jacob 
Schaeffer.  The  clay  is  of  a  good  quality  and 
the  product  is  large.  New  Berlinville  contains 
some  handsome  residences,  and  it  has  one 
church,  Zion's  Evangelical.  The  ordinary  me- 
chanic trades  are  also  carried  on  in  the  vil- 
lage. 

Moeysville,  on  the  turnpike,  west  of 
Boyertown,  is  a  hamlet  comprising  about  thirty 
houses,  clustered  around  what  was  formally  the 
site  of  the  old  Colebrookdale  Furnace.  Its 
proximity  to  the  above  place  prevents  it  from 
becoming  much  of  a  business  place.  It  contains 
a  store,  mill,  shops,  etc.  The  name  was  de- 
rived from  the  Mory  family,  prominent  at  an 
early  day  in  this  settlement. 

In  1869  R.  R.  Engel  began  merchandising 
at  this  point  and  he  has  since  continued.  For 
many  years  he  has  been  a  tobacconist.  In  1885 
he  erected  a  cigar  factory,  in  which  eight  men 
are  now  employed.  William  Groff  is  the  mil- 
ler of  that  locality  and  also  carries  on  the  coal 
business. 

Engelsville  is  also  a  small  hamlet  in  the 
southwestern  part  of  the  township,  about  two 
miles  from  Boyertown.  It  derived  its  name 
from  Peter  and  John  Engel,  farmers  and  coop- 
ers, who  lived  at  the  "  Cross-Roads "  at  that 
point.  Later  other  cooper-shops  were  opened. 
Coopering  was  the  principal  occupation  of  the 
inhabitants  for  a  number  of  years,  the  barrels 
etc.,  being  peddled  over  the  country.  A  public 
house  was  opened  by  William  Engel  in  a  build- 


ing which  has  been  devoted  to  other  uses.  While 
it  was  yet  an  inn  Solomon  Stetler  kept  another 
tavern  and  a  store  in  connection,  the  place  then 
having  two  public-houses.  The  store  has  been 
discontinued,  having  been  last  kept  by  Jacob 
Shaner,  but  the  tavern  is  still  continued  by 
Jeremiah  G.  Brumbaugh.  A  pottery  after 
being  conducted  for  some  years  has  been  dis- 
continued. The  manufacture  of  brick  is  carried 
on  by  William  Kehl. 

In  the  northeastern  part  of  the  township 
John  Muthard  had  a  public-house,  about  1800, 
on  the  farm  now  occupied  by  John  Emerick, 
!  which  was  discontinued  many  years  ago  ;  and 
within  the  past  few  years  W.  H.  B.  Shanely 
has  opened  a  country  store  in  the  Ironstone  Val- 
ley. The  first  store  was  kept  here  about  fifty 
years  ago  by  Abraham  Gobel. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

Lewis  P.  G.  Fegley  was  born  August  23, 
1851,  in  New  Berlinville,  Colebrookdale  town- 
ship. His  father,  Peter  Fegley,  was  born 
in  Douglass  township,  Montgomery  County, 
August  14,  1815,  and  in  1843  moved  to  New 
Berlin,  on  the  farm  of  his  father-in-law,  Ja- 
cob Gottshall.  At  this  place  Lewis  P.  G. 
Fegley  was  born.  He  attended  the  pub- 
lic school  of  his  native  township,  and  Mount 
Pleasant  Seminary,  at  Boyertown.  In  the  fall 
of  1868  he  began  to  teach  among  the  Mennon- 
ites  in  Butter  Valley.  In  1869  he  taught  the 
Treichlersville  school,  and  the  succeeding  four 
terms  the  New  Berlin  school,  and  the  two  follow- 
ing terms  the  Boyertown  High  School. 

He  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace  for  his 
native  township  in  1885.  In  1881  he  taught 
the  Colebrookdale  Grammar  School.  In  1878 
he  was  appointed  by  the  heirs  of  a  deceased 
relative  to  go  to  California  to  look  up  their 
interest  in  an  estate  of  a  deceased  uncle.  After 
meeting  with  success  during  his  journey  to  and 
fro,  he  took  notes  of  interest  and  incidents  along 
the  entire  route,  and  has  since  written  a  little 
volume  of  over  two  hundred  pages,  which  he 
styles  "From  Ocean  to  Ocean,"  or,  "Across 
the  Continent."  He  has  had  many  and  large 
estates  to  settle  as  administrator,  assignee  and 
trustee.     January  2, 1883,  he  was  appointed  act- 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


967 


ing  cashier  of  the  National  Bank  of  Boyertown, 
to  fill  a  brief  vacancy. 

He  is  closely  identified  with  Sunday-school 
and  church  interests;  was  superintendent  of 
the  Reformed  Sunday-school  of  Boyertown  for 
five  years ;  served  as  deacon  in  the  church  for 
six  years  and  secretary  of  the  congregation  since 
September  24,  1882.  At  the  Democratic 
County  Convention  held  at  Reading,  September 
1882,  he   announced   himself   as  a  candidate 


sentatives  of  Pennsylvania.     He  did  not  miss  a 
single  session. 


DOUGLASS  TOWNSHIP. 

Erection  of  Township.— A  petition  of 
several  inhabitants  of  the  township  of  Oley  was 
presented  to  the  Quarter  Sessions  at  Phila- 
delphia, in  the  beginning  of  the  year  1736, 
which  set  forth  "  that  for  several  years  past, 


for  State  Representative.  Under  the  rule  of  his 
party,  he  withdrew  his  name  before  balloting 
commenced  and  waited  until  the  Convention  of 
1884,  and  when  the  ballot  had  proceeded  about 
two-thirds  he  had  eleven  votes  more  than  were 
required  to  nominate  him,  and  was  at  that 
point,  with  his  colleague,  Mr.  Baer,  nominated 
by  acclamation  and  elected  at  the  general  elec- 
tion that  fall.  Resigned  as  justice  of  the  peace 
December  1,  1884.  January  6,  1885,  he  took 
his  seat  as  a  member  of  the  House  of  Repre- 


about  four  miles  distant  from  the  high  road 
leading  to  Philadelphia  through  George  Mc- 
Call's  manor  and  several  other  tracts  of  land, 
the  roads  have  been  so  bad  that  it  was  difficult 
for  a  single  horse  to  pass  without  damage,  and 
that  the  said  petitioners  had  several  times  rep- 
resented to  this  court  the  badness  thereof,  but 
that  nothing  as  yet  had  been  done  the  reason, 
as  they  were  informed,  was  because  no  overseers 
have  been  as  yet  appointed  by  the  court  over 
the  said  road,  and  that  there  were  at  least  thirty 


968 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


families  settled  on  the  said  lands  who  are  not  in 
Hanover  or  Amity  townships,  between  which 
townships  the  aforesaid  road  lieth/'  and  prayed 
"  the  said  court  would  be  pleased  to  erect  the 
said  lands  into  a  township  and  appoint  a  con- 
stable and  overseers."  In  pursuance  of  an  order 
of  the  court  upon  this  petition,  the  surveyor- 
general,  Benjamin  Eastburn,  made  a  draft  of 
the  said  lands  petitioned  for  to  be  made  a  town- 
ship, and  certified  that  the  same  did  not  inter- 
fere with  any  other  township.  The  courses  and 
distances  returned  by  him  were  as  follows  : 

"  Beginning  at  a  corner  of  Amity  township  by  the 
river  Schuylkill,  and  extending  thence  by  the  said 
township,  N.  20  E.  700  perches ;  thence  N.  70  W. 
89  perches ;  thence  N.  20  E.  five  hundred  perches 
to  the  upper  corner  of  the  said  township;  thence  on 
vacant  land  N.  E.  660  perches ;  thence  on  vacant 
land  and  on  a  line  dividing  the  lands  of  Thomas 
Potts  &  Co.,  from  lands  belonging  to  the  heirs  of 
Thomas  Butter  and  lands  of  the  Colebrookdale  Co., 
and  on  other  land  and  on  George  McCall's  manor, 
S.  E.  1380  perches,  to  a  line  of  the  German  Co.'s 
land;  thence  on  the  sameS.  40  W.  1200  perches,  to 
the  aforesaid  river ;  thence  up  the  same,  1060  perches, 
to  the  place  of  beginning." 

And  this  tract  was  erected  by  the  court  on 
June  7,  1736,  into  a  township,  naming  it 
"  Douglass;  "  and  in  the  order  of  erection  John 
Ball  and  James  Yokham  (Yocum)  were  ap- 
pointed as  the  first  overseers  of  highways,  and 
Andrew  Ringberry  as  first  constable  for  the 
ensuing  year. 

In  1842  the  boundary  lines  of  the  township 
separating  Colebrookdale  and  Earl  were  ad- 
justed in  order  to  remedy  an  existing  incon- 
venience with  respect  to  road  taxes. 

In  1849  the  estimated  area  of  the  township 
was  seven  thousand  acres. 

The  southern  section  of  the  township  adjoin- 
ing the  river  is  flat,  but  the  central  and  northern 
section  are  considerably  interspersed  with  hills 
and  wood-land. 

Taxables  of  1759. — The  following  list  con- 
tains the  names  of  the  taxables  of  the  town- 
ship in  1759.  The  tax  levied  was  £37  17s.  6d. 
Derrick  Cleaver  was  the  collector. 


Busserd,  Samuel 16 

Bostick,  William 2 

Bean,  Nicholas 2 

Beard,  Jacob....„ 1 


£ 

Burn,  James 2 

Bender,  Christian 2 

Burk,  Michael 3 

Cleaver,  Derick 16 


Conglar,  Michael 16 

Coshear,  Christian 12 

Conrad,  Christian 3 

Close,  John 2 

Focht,  Valentine 3 

Fretts,  George 1 

Geiger,  John 1 

Huling,  Andrew 9 

Haunselman,  George 10 

Herriger,  Leonard 2 

Hoffman,  Michael 14 

Harman,  John 1 

Kelly,  Valentine 20 

Keepers,  William 5 

Keaser,  John 2 

Kearinger,  George 2 

Leabergood,  Peter 14 

Leahergood,  Adam 9 

Morris,  Anthony  &  Co 40 

Miller,  Adam 8 

Moses,  Christopher 1 

Neagle,  Jacob 16 

Near,  Martin..., S 


Newman,  George ; 1 

PottB,  John 40 

Peck,  Thomas l 

Potte,  Thomas 6 

Poltner,  Philip 2 

Ringberry,  Andrew  5 

Schetler,  George 12 

Schuler  Christian 8 

Spotts,  Michael 13 

Spece,  Hieronynins 5 

Shamberger,  Henry 2 

Smith,  Conrad l 

Seglar,  Zach'aria l 

Teferheiser,  Jacob 5 

Walters,  Philip 13 

Wills,  Daniel.. 10 

Wanderalice,  John c 

Wikle,  Christian 12 

Wombeck,  Frederick 9 

Yocum,  Margaret 12 

Yocum,  Peter 15 

Yocum,  Jonas 3 


Holmes,  Wiljiam. 
Hosselbarger,  Philip. 
McGilly,  Roger. 


Singh  Men. 


Ryan,  James. 
Ringberry,  Samuel. 
Romesh,  John. 


Early  Iron- Works. — The  only  industry 
in  the  township  is  the  "  Pine  Iron- Works," 
situated  on  Manatawny  Creek,  near  the  line  of 
Amity  township.  It  occupies  the  site  of  the 
"  Pine  Forge,"  which  was  begun  by  Thomas 
Potts  in  1740.  A  piece  of  pig-metal  is  pre- 
served on  the  place,  which  was  cast  then  to 
signalize  the  foundation  of  the  industry.  Its 
length  is  one  and  a  half  feet,  and  its  appearance 
thus : 


T  P     1140 


Two  forges  named  "  Pool  "  were  then  in  this 
vicinity,  on  the  same  creek,  one  above  and  the 
other  below  the  "  Pine  Forge."  John  Potts,  son 
of  Thomas,  succeeded  him  as  owner ;  and  he,  after 
having  carried  it  on  till  1769,  sold  it  to  David 
Potts,  Jr.  In  1783  David  Putter  bought  it  at 
public  sale,  and  carried  it  on  till  his  decease,  in 
1815,  when  his  son  John  became  the  owner 
and  operator.  In  1844  Joseph  Bailey  pur- 
chased the  property,  who,  in  the  following  year, 
tore  down  the  forge  and  erected  in  its  stead  a 
rolling-mill  for  making  plate-iron,  with  a 
capacity  of  eight  hundred  tons,  and  substituted 
the  name  "  Pine  Iron-Works."  The  mill  was 
rebuilt  and  enlarged  in  1869,  with  its  capacity 
increased  to  twenty-eight  hundred  tons,  from 
which  time  it  has  been  owned  and  operated  by 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


969 


Joseph  L.  Bailey  and  Comley  B.  Shoemaker, 
under  the  firm-name  of  Joseph  L.  Bailey  & 
Co.  This  firm  have  made  a  specialty  of  the 
best  qualities  of  cold  blast  charcoal  boiler-plate 
for  locomotive  and  marine  work.  In  1881 
they  purchased  a  property  at  Manatawny 
Station,  on  the  Colebrookdale  Railroad,  and 
erected  a  steam-power  rolling-mill  with  a 
capacity  of  four  thousand  tons,  which  was  set 
in  operation  in  May,  1882.  In  the  beginning 
of  the  year  1882  the  firm -name  was  changed  to 
Bailey  &  Shoemaker.  Forty  men  are  employed 
at  the  latter  works. 

The  old  Pine  Iron-Works  have  fallen  into 
disuse  and  are  practically  abandoned.  The 
water-power  is  devoted  to  the  operation  of  the 
Bailey  grist-mill,  a  four-story  structure  of 
mountain  stone,  which  has  a  good  capacity. 

A  large  covered  frame  county  bridge  was 
constructed  across  the  Manatawny  at  this  point 
in  1855. 

Industries.: — The  manufacturing  interests  of 
the  township  are  limited  to  the  water-powers 
found  on  two  streams,  of  which  the  Manatawny 
is  fully  given  over  to  the  interests  of  the  Pine 
Iron- Works."  On  the  Ironstone  Creek,  the 
upper  power  was  first  improved  by  a  man 
named  Bechtel,  who  had  a  saw-mill  there. 
This  is  now  the  site  of  Wren's  Woolen-Mills, 
which  had  its  beginning  about  forty  years  ago 
as  a  small  fulling-mill,  putup  by  Amos  Brower. 
The  first  building  now  forms  the  upper  part  of 
the  factory.  John  C.  Castle  enlarged  the 
building  some  twenty  years  later.  At  present 
it  is  sixty  by  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet,  and 
part  of  it  is  three  stories  high.  It  is  supplied 
with  one  jack  and  three  hundred  and  thirty- 
six  spindles,  one  set  of  cards,  one  hard  waste 
pricker,  one  teazel  and  wire  gig  and  four  Comp- 
ton  looms,  thus  enabling  the  manufacture  of 
all  kinds  of  woolen  goods.  At  present  a 
specialty  is  made  of  miners'  gray  flannels. 
The  water-power  is  supplemented  by  a  ten 
horse-power  engine.  Eleven  operatives  are 
employed.  Since  1883  the  mills  have  been 
carried  on  by  William  Preston  &  Co.  For  a 
number  of  years  the  property  has  belonged  to 
Major  James  Wren. 
:  Colebrookdale  Iron-  Wor-ks  has  the  site  of  the 
88 


old  George  Gresh  mill  and  where  later  Jonas 
Weaver  had  an  oil  and  saw-mill.  W.  W. 
Weaver  became  the  owner  of  the  property  about 
fifty-five  years  ago  and  put  up  a  tilt-hammer, 
to  which  a  foundry  was  added.  Wood-burning 
stoves  were  cast  there,  which  obtained  a  wide 
reputation.  Mill  fixtures  and  ordinary  castings 
were  also  manufactured.  Later  a  wrought  iron 
coffee-mill  was  also  manufactured  and  sold  ex- 
tensively. Wash-kettles  and  sad-irons  were 
added,  as  other  products.  These  latter  articles 
still  constitute  some  of  the  chief  articles  of 
manufacture..  Wagon-boxes,  thimble-skeins 
and  pipe-boxes  are  also  made  at  the  works.  In 
1867,  W.  W.  Weaver  was  succeeded  by  the 
present  proprietors,  Brendlinger  &  Co.  The 
work  is  under  the  management  of  John  Sabold, 
as  superintendent.  They  enlarged  the  estab- 
lishment and  in  1871  added  a  thirty-five  horse- 
power engine.  This  industry  at  present  em- 
braces half  a  dozen  large  buildings  and  affords 
employment  to  sixty  men.  The  property  in- 
cludes thirty  acres  of  land  and  a  number  of 
tenement  houses.  A  store  was  formerly  kept 
in  connection  with  the  works. 

Near  the  little  Oley  post-office  Jacob  Albright 
had  a  small  tannery  which  was  discontinued 
when  the  owner  removed  to  Earl  township, 
many  years  ago.  In  the  same  locality  Henry 
Gresh  had  a  saw-mill  and  an  oil-mill.  Feed 
was  also  ground  there.  The  oil  and  chopping- 
mills  have  been  discontinued.  The  saw-mill  is 
operated  by  Z.  F.  Gresh. 

The  Gilbert  mill  occupied  the  next  site  and 
Henry  and  George  Gilbert  were  succeeded  by 
Adam  Miller.  Fred.  Neiman  was  the  next 
proprietor.  The  latter  remodeled  the  mill  in 
1880,  and  supplied  new  machinery.  It  has  a 
good  power.  Since  1884  H.  Y.  Livengood  has 
been  the  owner. 

A  short  distance  lower  down  the  stream  was 
the  old  Nagle  mill,  which  was  improved  by 
David  Fritz,  who  built  the  present  stone  mill 
about  twenty  years  ago.  It  is  now  operated  by 
his  son,  Eli,  and  carried  on  as  a  custom-mill. 
The  Samuel  Wagner  custom  and  merchant-mill 
is  at  the  next  power.  It  is  a  stone  building 
and  was  erected  about  forty  years  ago  by  Ma- 
thias  Livengood.     Near  the  mouth  of  the  Iron- 


970 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


stone  is  an  old  mill,  operated  many  years  in 
the  early  part  of  the  century  by  Jacob  Keely, 
and  which  had  a  wide  patronage.  The  old 
building  still  stands.  It  was  supplied  with 
new  machinery  by  Jacob  Livengood.  A  clover- 
mill  was  carried  on  for  a  time  by  Mr.  Liven- 
good.  The  grist-mill  is  owned  by  William 
Livengood,  who  carries  on  the  same  successful- 

No  Church  in  Township. — The  township 
has  no  house  of  worship  or  organized  religious 
body  within  its  bounds.  There  is  a  small  pub- 
lic cemetery  in  the  vicinity  of  "  Little  Oley." 
It  is  commonly  called  "  Fritz's  Grave- Yard." 
There  have  been  interred  in  it  many  of  the 
pioneer  residents  of  this  township,  including 
the  Eppenheimers,  Keelys,  Beckers,  Brunners, 
Greshes.  Macks  and  Eeifsnyders.  The  town- 
ship is  well  supplied  with  schools. 

VILLAGES. 

Though  this  township  has  a  large  popula- 
tion for  its  area,  the  nature  of  the  country  and 
its  relation  to  other  localities  have  prevented 
the  founding  of  villages  of  any  size.  The  old- 
est distinctive  business  place  is — 

Geeshville,  a  village  situated  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  township,  on  the  western  slope  of 
"Furnace"  Hill.  Large  deposits  of  lime- 
stone are  in  that  locality,  which  are  easily 
quarried  and  readily  converted  into  lime.  This 
employment  gave  occupation  to  a  large  number 
of  men  years  ago,  wh  ich  caused  the  place  to  become 
known  as  "  Limestone."  In  1853  a  post-office 
was  established  with  the  name  of  Greshville,  in 
compliment  to  Adam  Gresh,  a  prominent  busi- 
ness man  in  the  early  part  of  the  century,  and 
since  that  time  the  place  has  been  so  known. 
Adam  Gresh  had  a  store,  tavern  and  distillery, 
which  caused  his  place  to  be  widely  known 
and  also  the  centre  of  quite  an  active  business. 
In  1824  the  Keely  family  had  a  public-house, 
George  Miller  and  David  Gresh  were  also  early 
in  trade,  and  Peter  Ludwig  is  remembered  as  a 
pioneer  merchant.  The  last  merchant  there 
was  Jacob  Eeiff,  who  discontinued  business  in 
1885.  The  public-house,  first  kept  by  Adam 
Gresh,  was  continued  by  his  family  after  his 
death.     The  landlord  for  the  past  fifteen  years 


has  been  Mahlon  H.  Maurer,  who  is  also  the 
postmaster.  The  latter  has  also  been  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  of  lime.  Other  persons 
who  have  been  engaged  in  this  business  are  the 
Greshes,  Charles  Hagy,  Henry  B.  Keely  and 
Samuel  Leaver.  The  total  product  of  lime 
was  very  large.  Near  this  place  is  Colebrook- 
daje  Station. 

Little  Oley. — A  short  distance  from  the 
latter  place  are  the  buildings  occupied  by  the 
workmen  of  the  "  Colebrookdale  Iron-Works  " 
and  other  scattering  houses,  the  whole  forming 
the  hamlet  of  Little  Oley.  About  forty-five 
years  ago  a  public-house  was  here  opened  by 
Solomon  L.  Engle,  which  has  had  many  keep- 
ers, among  them  being  Aaron  Maurer,  John 
Wise  and  Ephraim  Yorgey.  In  1885  the  tav- 
ern was  rebuilt  by  William  W.  Turner,  and  it 
has  been  kept  by  him  since.  In  1865  U.  F. 
Gresh  opened  a  store,  in  which  he  has  since  car- 
ried on  the  business  of  a  general  country  store, 
and  served  as  postmaster  of  the  Little  Oley 
post-office,  established  in  1871.  Southwest 
from  this  place  is  a  fertile  stretch  of  country 
which  resembles  Oley,  and,  being  less  in  area, 
it  was  called  "  Little  Oley." 

Glendale. — Several  miles  below  is  Mana- 
tawny  Station,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ironstone 
Creek.  The  Pine  Iron- Works  post-office  is 
located  there,  which  was  established  in  1871, 
with  Joseph  Bailey  as  postmaster,  and  having 
at  present  A.  L.  Burns  as  deputy.  The  locality 
is  known  as  "  Glendale." 

It  comprises  the  new  Pine  Iron-Works,  a 
well-appointed  industrial  establishment,  mills, 
a  tavern,  store,  neat  school-house  and  about  forty 
other  buildings.  The  tavern  situated  on  the 
Ironstone  was  long  kept  by  the  Hatfields,  who 
opened  it  about  1851.  Ephraim  Swavely  is 
the  present  keeper.  At  the  old  iron-works  the 
elder  Bailey  supplied  some  goods,  but  no  reg- 
ular store  was  opened  until  1879,  when  Philip 
S.  Baker  engaged  in  merchandising.  He  dis- 
posed of  his  business  in  1886  to  J.  R.  Mowday 
&  Son.  The  school-house  is  a  long  building 
with  two  rooms,  and  stands  on  a  spacious  lot 
somewhat  removed  from  the  street.  It  was 
erected  in  1883.  A  select  summer  school  is 
there  maintained  under  the  title  of  the  "Glen- 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


971 


dale  Seminary,"  of  which  D.  M.  B.  VVann  is 
the  principal. 

West  of  Manatawny  Station  is  the  country 
store  of  Samuel  Yorgey,  which  has  been  carried 
on  the  past  twelve  years.  William  Focht  and 
Elias  Fritz  were  also  licensed  to  retail  goods, 
but  have  not  been  carrying  full  lines  of  mer- 
chandise. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

David  B.  Mauger,  of  Douglassville,  was  born 
in  Douglass  township  August  12,   1822.     He 


ing  and  is  now  one  of  the  most  reliable  surveyors. 
He  made  his  first  survey  December  22, 1842,  of  a 
tract  in  Montgomery  County,  Pa.,  upon  which 
site  the  villageof  Buchananville  is  built.  Hefol- 
lowed  the  profession  of  teaching,  iu  connection 
with  surveying  and  conveyancing,  for  a  period 
of  sixteen  years.  In  1856  he  purchased  from 
Henry  McKenty  the  fine  farm  upon  which  he 
now  resides.  He  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace 
of  his  native  township  in  1850,  succeeding  his 
uncle,  Jacob  Livengood,  and  received  his  corn- 


obtained  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of 
his  native  township.  Being  possessed  of  con- 
siderable ambition,  he  applied  himself  to  reading 
and  study,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he 
opened  a  subscription  school  in  the  "  Gross- 
town  "  school-house,  in  Pottsgrove  township, 
Montgomery  County.  In  the  fall  of  1842  he 
took  charge  of  an  academy  at  Douglassville, 
and  continued  in  that  position  seven  years,  dur- 
ing which  time  he  took  up  the  study  of  survey- 


mission  from  Governor  William  F.  Johnston 
April  9,  1850,  and  has  held  the  same  office  ever 
since,  with  much  credit  and  confidence.  In 
October,  1851, he  was  married  to  Mary  Amanda, 
daughter  of  Daniel  Lorah,  by  whom  he  had  one 
daughter  and  three  sons  living.  His  daughter 
Sallie  was  a  graduate  from  Allentown  Female 
College,  in  1876,  taking  the  first  honors  of  her 
class.  His  three  sons  attended  the  Keystone  State 
Normal  School.      Daniel  Lorah,  the  eldest,  is 


972 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


now  agent  at  Franklin  Street  Station,  Reading, 
on  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad. 
His  second  son,  David  Franklin,  is  now  (1886) 
astudent  in  the  seniorclass  at  Franklin  andMar- 
shall  College.  His  third  son,  Henry  Snyder,  is  a 
student  at  the  College  of  Pharmacy  in  Philadel- 
phia. Since  1851  Mr.  Mauger  has  been  largely 
engaged  in  the  settlement  of  estates.  He  has 
been  secretary  of  the  Douglassville  and  Yellow 
House  Turnpike  Company  since  its  organization 
in  1867 ;  was  elected  one  of  the  directors  of  the 
Schuylkill  Bridge  Company,  at  Douglassville, 
in  1866,  and  in  1867  became  the  successor  to 
Henry  McKenty  as  secretary  and  treasurer  of 
said  company,  occupying  this  position  until  July, 
1880,  when  he  sold  his  stock  and  ceased  to  be  a 
member.  He  was  elected  one  of  the  board  of 
managers  of  the  Perkiomen  and  Reading  Turn- 
pike road,  and  also  became  its  secretary  June, 

1872,  which  office  he  still  holds.  He  has  been 
a  school  director  for  a  number  of  terms,  and 
always  secretary  of  the  board.  He  has  been  an 
elder  in  the  Reformed  Church  at  Pottstown 
since  1857  ;  was  elected  by  Goshenhoppen  Clas- 
sis  a  delegate  to  the  first  meeting  of  the  triennial 
session  of  the  General  Synod  of  the  Reformed 
Church,  held  at  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  in  November, 
1863,  and  represented  said  Classis  as  a  delegate 
to  the  Synods,  almost  annually,  ever  since, 
and  has  been  treasurer  of  Classis  since  1870. 
He  became  a  member  of  the  Order  of  Patrons 
of  Husbandry,  and  at  the  meeting  of  Subor- 
dinate Granges,  held  in  Reading  in  September, 

1873,  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  State 
Grange,  was  elected  its  first  Master,  and  in  Jan- 
uary, 1875,  he  was  re-elected  at  the  annual 
meeting  of  Subordinate  Granges,  held  for  that 
purpose  at  Williamsport,  Pa.  At  the  annual 
meeting  held  at  Meadville,  Crawford  County, 
Pa.,  his  services  were  again  solicited,  but  he 
declined,  and  was  succeeded  by  Victor  E.  Pio- 
lette,  of  Bradford  County,  Pa.  During  'Squire 
Mauger's  mastership  he  represented  the  Penn- 
sylvania State  Grange,  P.  of  H,  held  at  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  in  January,  187 ±,  also  at  the  an- 
nual session  held  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  in  1875 
the  session  held  in  Louisville,  Ky.,  in  Novem- 
ber, 1875,  and  the  annual  session  held  in  Chi- 
cago in  November,  1876. 


In  January,  1886,  he  was  elected  a  director 
and  manager  of  the  Boyertown  Mutual  Fire 
Insurance  Company. 

His  ancestry  dates  back,  as  far  as  can  be  as- 
certained, to  his  grandfather,  Henry  Mauger, 
and  his  wife,  who  emigrated  to  this  county  from 
Germany  in  or  about  the  year  1762,  being  but 
twelve  years  old,  and  settled  on  the  farm   of 
which    he  afterwards   became  the  owner.     He 
was  married  to  Mary  Balser ;  they  had  born  unto 
them  six  sons,  viz. :  John,  Henry,  Frederick, 
Jacob  and  David   (the  latter  the  father  of  the 
subject  of  this  biography)  and  William  and  one 
daughter,  Elizabeth.     All  were  married,  raised 
families,  and  lived  from  seventy-eight  to  eighty- 
four  years  respectively.     William,  the  last  one, 
died  about  one  year  ago,  aged  eighty-four  years. 
David  Mauger,  Sr.,  father  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  born  February  12,  1797,  in  Doug- 
lass township,  Berks  County,  on  the  "  Mauger 
Farm,"  becoming  the  owner  thereof  in  fee-sim- 
ple March  24,  1826,  purchasing  the  same  from' 
his  father,  the  aforesaid  Henry  Mauger.     The 
farm  comprises   one   hundred  and  sixty-eight 
acres  of  the  finest  and  best  arable  land,  beauti- 
fully  located   near    two   railroads,   Schuylkill 
River  and  canal.     Its  buildings,  although  old, 
are  kept  in  excellent  repair,  and  look  neat   and 
tidy,  showing  skillful  and  proper  management 
and  attention  by  its  owner. 

Sarah  Mauger,  the  mother  of"  D.  B.,"  as  he  is 
frequently  called,  was  born  April  20,  1802,  on 
the  farm  of  her  father,  George  Bechtel,  in  Potts- 
grove  township,  Montgomery  County.  John 
George  Bechtel,  the  father  of  the  Bechtel  family 
in  this  country,  emigrated  in  the  year  1740,  and 
was  the  great-great-grandfather  of  D.  B.  Mau- 
ger. * 


EXETER  TOWNSHIP. 

Erection  of  Township. — In  the  erection 
of  Oley  township  by  the  establishment  of  the 
boundary  lines,  in  1741,  over  fifty  families 
(who  had  settled  to  the  southwest)  were  ex- 
cluded. A  petition  was  therefore  presented  to 
court,  at  Philadelphia,  on  September  7,  1741, 
setting  forth  that  they  had  been  left  out,  and 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


973 


praying  that  the  "  south  part  of  Oley  "  should 
be  erected  into  a  township.  The  petitioners  were 


James  Boone. 
Benjamin  Boone. 
John  Boone. 
John  Hughes. 
William  Hughes. 
Francis  Yarnall. 
Peter  Yarnall. 
Michael  Waren. 


Peter  Huyett. 
Peter  Higo. 
Ezekiel  Mathias. 
Roger  Rogers. 
Joseph  Brown. 
Jacob  Vetter. 
Ellis  Hughes. 
Squire  Boone. 


The  court  ordered  the  district  to  be  exam- 
ined, according  to  the  draft  presented,  to  ascer- 
tain whether  or  Hot  it  interfered  with  any 
other  township,  and  the  surveyor-general,  Wil- 
liam Parsons,  certified  that  the  lines  did  not 
interfere;  whereupon,  on  December  7,  1741, 
the  tract  of  land  inclosed  was  erected  into  a 
township  by  the  name  of  "  Exeter,"  within  the 
following  bounds :  "  Beginning  by  the  river 
Schuylkill  at  the  upper  end  of  Burgeon  Bird's 
land;  thence  N.  33  E.,  87  perches  ;  S.  57  E.,  70 
ps. ;  N.  33  E.,  1154  ps. ;  and  N.  70  E.,  400 
ps.  to  a  road  commonly  called  Hans  Snyder's 
road ;  thence  along  said  road  to  Amity  township 
line,  a  distance  of  1208  ps. ;  thence  S.  20  W., 
1160  ps.  to  Schuylkill  River,  and  thence  up 
the  river  1760  ps.  to  the  beginning."  The 
lines  inclosed  about  13,500  acres.  The  survey 
of  the  lines  on  the  draft,  presented  with  the 
petition  was  made  by  George  Boone,  Esq. 

Early  Land  Grants. — In  August,  1682, 
Penn  granted  to  John  Millington,  of  Shrews- 
bury, England,  a  baker,  five  hundred  acres,  to 
be  located  in  Pennsylvania.  Millington's  in- 
terest became  vested  in  Ralph  Asheton,  of 
Philadelphia,  and,  in  November,  1 730,  Asheton 
granted  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  adjoining 
the  "Swedes'  tract,  to  Squire  Boone,  of  Philadel- 
phia County,  father  of  the  famous  Kentucky 
pioneer,  Colonel  Daniel  Boone. 

The  "  London  Company "  (consisting  of 
Tobias  Collet,  Daniel  Quair  and  Henry  Gold- 
ney)  took  up  a  tract  of  one  thousand  acres  on 
the  east  side  of  the  river  ;  the  warrant  was  is- 
sued October  18,  1716.  Penn,  in  1699,  had 
granted  to  this  company  sixty  thousand  acres  in 
Pennsylvania.  The  one  thousand  acres  were 
taken  in  part  thereof,  and  on  November  9, 
1717,  the  patent  was  issued.      In   February, 


1718,  the  company  granted  their  right  to  An- 
drew Robeson,  then  of  Roxbury  township,  in 
Philadelphia  County.  This  tract  became  vested 
in  Mordecai  Lincoln,  the  elder,  in  May,  1730, 
and  he  devised  it  to  his  two  sons,  Mordecai1 
and  Thomas,  and  a  posthumous  son,  who  was 
named  Abraham.  The  latter  became  promi- 
nent in  the  political  history  of  Berks  County. 

George  Boone,  Esq.,  took  up  a  tract  of  four 
hundred  acres  in  this  district,  along  the  Monoc- 
acy  Creek,  in  1718. 

The  Levan  family  have  occupied  a  prominent 
position  in  this  township  for  one  hundred  and 
fifty  years,  having,  during  this  time,  owned  a 
large  area  of  farming  land  where  the  members 
of  that  family  are  now  located.  They  gave  much 
encouragement  to  the  Schwartzwald  Church  by 
liberal  contributions. 

The  Ritter  and  Herbeiu  families  have  also 
been  prominent  for  many  years. 

Pioneer  op  Kentucky. — Daniel  Boone,  the 
famous  Kentucky  pioneer,  was  born  in  this 
township   on   October   22,     1733,   on   a  farm 

1  Careful  inquiry  within  the  last  five  years  has  fully  de- 
veloped the  Lincoln  genealogy.  Mordecai  Lincoln,  the 
President's  great-great-grandfather,  was  a  resident  in  the 
Quaker  settlement  at  Oley,  in  Berks  County,  Pa.,  before 
1735,  and  died  and  was  buried  there.  He  came  from 
Massachusetts  originally,  and  lived  for  a  time  in  New 
Jersey.  About  May,  1736,  he  died,  and  about  1750,  at  the 
same  time  when  the  Boones  and  the  Hanks  set  off  from 
the  same  neighborhood  for  the  South,  his  son  John  re- 
moved with  his  family  to  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  Rock- 
ingham County,  Va.  From  there  his  son,  Abraham,  re- 
moved into  Kentucky,  in  1782,  and  was  killed  by  the  In- 
dians, leaving  three  sons,  of  whom  Thomas,  the  youngest, 
was  the  father  of  the  President. 

Nancy  Hank,  the  wife  of  Thomas  Lincoln,  and  the 
mother  of  the  President,  was  a  descendant,  probably  the 
granddaughter,  of  that  John  Hank  who  left  Berks  County, 
also,  about  1750,  and  settled  ultimately  in  Virginia,  in 
Rockingham  County.  She  is  said  to  have  been  in  her 
youth  a  woman  of  beauty.  She  was  by  nature  refined, 
and  of  more  than  ordinary  intellect.  Her  friends  spoke 
of  her  as  being  a  person  of  marked  and  decided  character. 
Sbe  was  unusually  intelligent,  reading  all  the  books  she 
could  obtain.  She  taught  her  husband,  as  well  as  her  son 
Abraham,  to  read  and  write.  She  was  a  woman  of  deep 
religious  feeling,  of  the  most  exemplary  character,  and 
most  tenderly  and  affectionately  devoted  to  her  family. 
.  .  .  .  She  could  not  only  kill  the  wild  game  of  the 
woods,  but  she  could  also  dress  it,  aud  make  of  the  skins 
clothes  for  her  family,  and  prepare  the  flesh  for  food. — 
Arnold's  ''Life  of  Abraham  Lincoln." 


974 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


which  is  about  one  mile  north  of  Baumstown. 
His  father,  Squire  Boone,  then  owned  and 
occupied  the  farm,  having  bought  it  in  Nov- 
ember, 1730.  The  dwelling  in  which  he  was 
born  is  still  standing,  though  much  enlarged 
and  improved.  He  and  his  father  and  family 
left  the  township  in  1750  and  migrated  to 
North  Carolina  ;  and  thence,  some  years  after- 
ward (1769),  he  led  a  party  into  the  unknown 
regions   of     Western    Virginia,    "  beyond   the 


BIRTHPLACE  OF  DANIEL  BOONE. 

mountains/'  where  he  distinguished  himself  by 
his  boldness,  his  experiences  with  the  Indians, 
his  narrow  escapes  and  his  successful  career  as 
a  pioneer.  His  life  in  that  early  period  of  our 
great  country  has  made  him  the  most  conspic- 
uous person  in  the  first  steps  of  our  civilization 
westward  of  the  Allegheny  Mountains,  He 
died  at  Charette  village,  in  Missouri,  on  Sep 
tember  26,  1820,  aged  eighty-six  years,  eleven 
months,  four  days.  l 

Taxables  of  1759.— The  following  list 
comprises  the  names  of  the  taxables  of  the  town- 
ship in  1759.  Total  amount  of  tax  then  levied 
was  £76  2s.  6d.  Peter  Huet  was  the  collector: 

1  John  F.  Watson  made  the  first  published  statement 
that  Daniel  Boone  was  born  in  Berks  County.  This  was 
in  a  paper  read  by  him  before  the  Pennsylvania  Histori- 
cal Society,  at  Philadelphia,  on  May  17,  1853.  Dr.  Peter 
G.  Bertolet  has  made  the  same  statement  in  his  manu- 
script of  "  Oley  and  Vicinity  '*  deposited  with  the  Histori- 
cal Society  mentioned  (written  in  1860).  Colonel  Nicho- 
las Jones,  of  Reading,  publishes  a  very  interesting  and 
conclusive  letter  on  this  subject  in  the  Reading  Times  and 
Dispatch  on  October  28,  1879.  The  author  published  an 
article  to  the  same  effect  in  the  Historical  Register,  issued  at 
Harrisburg,  September,  1884. 


Martin  Alstadt 21 

John  Aurandt 7 

George  Albright 1 

Joseph  Boone 16 

Joseph  Brown 4 

Godfried  Baker 1 

Isaac  Brubaker 3 

John  Bishop 7 

Christopher  Boyer 3 

John  Bower 3 

Paul  Briderciim 3 

James  Boone 32 

William  Boone 15 

Benjamin  Boone 16 

Peter  Beacley 6 

Jacob  Beacley 16 

Jacob  Bower 16 

Henry  Boyer 2 

Adam  Bolich 2 

Henry  Caknate 2 

Conrad  Cealler 3 

Stephen  Crider 2 

Daniel  Conrad 4 

Frederick  Celler 2 

Paul  Durst 18 

Robert  Dickey 4 

Morris  Ellis 12 

Christopher  Frederick 4 

Peter  Fisher 5 

John  Fullwiler 10 

GodfredGrin 2 

Adam  Gearrit 10 

George  Garrit 24 

Jacob  Huet 4 

George  Hart 2 

Daniel  Hart 1 

Jacob  Hisler 5 

Leonard  High 8 

John  Hughes 27 

Samuel  Hughes 10 

Edward  Hughes 6 

Nicholas  Herner 3 

Rudolph  Heckler 22 

Henry  Herner 8 

William  Henton 2 

Peter  Hint 10 

George  Hinton 10 

Henry  Kerson 5 


William  Kerby 8 

Deter  Kerby g 

Mordecai  Lincoln 10 

Thomas  Lincoln 15 

Paul  Leffel 1 

Isaac  Levan 3$ 

Michael  Ludwig lg 

Lenhart  Lebo 10 

Abraham  Levan 15 

Philip  Louderlock 4 

Henry  Leace 2 

Peter  Matis IT 

William  Maugridge 15 

Val.  Messersmitb 20 

George  Messersmith I 

TJlrick  Moone 3 

Philip  Near 2 

Peter  Null 5 

Frederick  Nackel 2 

Henry  Oder J 

Robert  Patterson 5 

Thomas  Payne „    9 

Jonathan  Price 3 

Francis  Ritter 24 

Peter  Rine 1 

Jacob  Rawn 15 

William  Russel _ v    2 

Michael  Sister 7 

John  Suck 10 

Peter  Smith * ,_...    6 

Jacob  Scharer „.„.    8 

Peter  Snider „ 14 

Christopher  Sheath 2 

Widow  Sheffer 5 

Henry  Stye '. 2 

Henry  Stucker I 

Henry  Thompson 6 

John  Thompson „„, .    8 

Jacob  Willear 13 

Martin  Waltz 2 

John  Webb 20 

Joseph  Webb 2 

Frederick  Wallick „„    6 

Christian  Weeks 10 

John  Wainwright 3 

Adam  Young 12 

Jacob  Yoder 12 

Jacob  Young 5 


Adam  Barnet. 
John  Beacley. 
John  Boone. 
Engle  Boyer. 
John  Collier. 
Frederick  Herner. 
Francis  Kereton. 
Abraham  Lincoln. 


Single  Men. 

John  Modling. 
William  Patterson. 
Nathan  Pugh. 
George  Rutter. 
Philip  Statler. 
Frederick  Wallick. 
James  Webb. 


Industries. — The  water-power  of  Antietam 
Creek,  for  the  first  half-dozen  miles  in  its 
course  through  .the  township,  was  formerly 
well  improved,  and  a  few  important  industries 
still  remain.  Near  the  Alsace  line  is  the  old 
Hill  mill,  now  operated  by  John  Wanner, 
which  has  produced  flour  for  half  a  century. 
A.  short  distance  below  John  Bremer  had  a 
stone  paper-mill.  He  then  lived  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  building.  Afterward  the  building 
was  used  to  bore  rifles.     No  manufacturing  is 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


975 


done  at  present  at  the  place.  Immediately  be- 
low, Philip  Moyer  had  a  tilt-hammer,  to  which 
was  added  a  forge  by  Solomon  Seidel  and  both 
were  carried  on  a  number  of  years.  Gottlieb 
Moyer  was  the  last  owner.  The  power  has 
been  entirely  vacated.  Benjamin  Custer  had  a 
fulling-mill  at  the  power  below,  also  carding 
and  making  coarse  cloths.  A  saw-mill  was 
operated  at  the  same  place,  but  the  power  has 
long  since  been  idle.  The  paper-mill  of  Abra- 
ham Keller  was  operated  by  the  power  below 
this  point,  and,  after  a  time,  it  was  made  to 
work  the  machinery  of  a  carding-mill  for  Jacob 
Brumbach.  When  owned  by  William  Brum- 
bach  it  was  burned  down  and  rebuilt,  when  it 
was  converted  into  an  oil-mill.  Afterward  it 
was  used  as  a  hat-factory  by  the  Hendels  and 
John  Yerger.  It  has  stood  idle  the  past  few 
years.  The  site  below  was  also  occupied  by  an 
oil-mill,  belonging  to  Jacob  and  Adam  Breiner, 
and  becoming  the  property  of  Adam  Johnson,  a 
small  foundry  was  established,  which  was  oper- 
ated by  him  some  time.  In  1854  Jacob  Gries- 
emer  converted  it  into  a  grist-mill,  and  a  saw- 
mill was  added,  and  steam-power  was  afterward 
supplied.  The  mills  are  now  operated  by 
James  Griesemer.  Below  the  place  where  the 
Oley  pike  crosses  the  creek,  Daniel  Guldin  had 
a  carding-mill,  the  power  of  which  was  after- 
ward used  to  operate  a  hat- factory  for  Abraham 
Stauffer  ;  but  do  work  has  been  done  the  past 
few  years,  the  building  being  unoccupied. 
Close  by  a  large  glue-factory  was  established  in 
1878  by  Joseph  and  Daniel  Levan,  which  is 
still  successfully  operated  by  them.  The  Philip 
Housin  mill  was  on  the  creek  at  the  next  lower 
power.  -Becoming  the  property  of  William 
Brumbach,  it  was  converted  into  a  woolen- 
factory,  and  as  such  operated  until  it  was 
burned  down  some  twenty  years  ago,  when  the 
present  "St.  Lawrence  Woolen-Mills"  were 
erected  by  Albert  J.  Brumbach,  the  present 
proprietor.  It  is  a  large  two-story  stone  build- 
ing, supplied  with  superior  improved  machinery 
for  making  all  kinds  of  woolen  fabrics  and 
yarns.  The  motive-power  is  water  and  steam 
and  thirty  operatives  are  employed.  The  name 
"  St.  Lawrence  "  arose  from  a  grade  of  goods 
manufactured"  there.     This  property  has  been 


improved  with  a  number  of  buildings  to  such 
an  extent  that  the  locality  has  the  appearance 
of  a  village.  Next  below  ■  this  factory  Jacob 
Levan  operated  a  saw-mill,  which  has  been 
removed ;  also  an  old  grist-mill,  formerly  oper- 
ated by  the  Bechtels.  Near  by,  on  a  small 
tributary,  George  De  B.  Keim  had  a  clover-seed 
mill,  which  did  good  service  in  its  day,  but  has 
been  idle  a  long  time.  On  the  main  stream,  in 
this  locality,  Gottlieb  Moyer  erected,  in  1828, 
what  he  called  the  "  Exeter  Tilt-Hammer,"  and 
George  de  B.  Keim  purchasing  an  interest  in 
the  property,  a  forge  was  added,  which  was 
operated  by  Keim  &  Moyer  from  about  1840 
for  some  years,  and  known  as  the  "  Exeter 
Forge."  Moyer  &  Yocum  were  later  operators. 
The  business  has  been  abandoned  and  the  power 
has  been  used  to  operate  a  small  feed-mill, 
now  owned  by  M.  J.  Althouse.  A  pottery  has 
been  carried  on  near  by  for  a  number  of  years 
by  Jacob  Troxell.  A  small  turning-factory  in 
this  locality  has  also  passed  away.  Near  the 
Perkiomen  turnpike  John  Bishop  had  a  saw 
and  grist-mill,  among  the  first  in  the  township, 
which  burned  down  whilst  owned  by  Nicholas 
Jones.  A  stone  building  was  erected  in  its 
place  and  the  mill  is  now  operated  as  the  prop- 
erty of  Jacob  Hertzog.  Thomas  and  John 
Lincoln  had  a  saw-mill  at  the  next  power, 
which  was  replaced  by  a  new  mill,  erected  by 
Washington  Kissinger,  and  is  still  operated  as  a 
saw-mill.  At  this  place — "  Exeter  Station  " — 
Colonel  D.  C.  Keller  had  a  distillery,  which 
was  discontinued  after  several  years'  operation. 
The  building  afterward  burned  down.  At  this 
place  there  was  also  a  small  steam  forge,  erected 
by  Reuben  Seidel  and  operated  by  him  for 
some  years. 

On  the  Monocacy,  just  where  it  passes  into 
Exeter,  Jacob  and  John  Gehrhad  a  fulling  and 
carding-mill,  but  which  has  not  been  run 
the  past  fifty  years.  The  building  has  been  re- 
moved. Traces  of  the  old  race  may  still  be 
seen.  Half  a  mile  down  the  stream  Daniel 
Snyder  erected  a  grist-mill,  which  was  operated 
before  1800  and  which  has  been  continuously 
owned  by  the  Snyder  family.  The  original  old 
stone  building  has  been  enlarged  and  improved 
and  it  is  still  a  good  mill,  operated  by  William 


976 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


H.  Snyder.  On  the  Limekill  Creek,  near  the 
Oley  line,  Henry  Knauss  operated  a  grist-mill 
many  years,  John  H.  Bechtel  becoming  a  later 
owner,  and  though  the  power  is  not  strong,  the 
mill  is  operated  nearly  constantly.  A  saw-mill, 
by  Jacob  Thomas,  occupied  the  next  site,  and, 
after  being  the  property  of  Herbein  and  others, 
at  present  belongs  to  James  Boone.  '  The  oldest 
mill  in  the  township  was  in  this  locality,  near 
the  Friends'  meeting-house,  but  had  its  water- 
power  from  the  Monocacy,  by  means  of  a 
race,  being  almost  a  mile  long.  It  may  have 
been  operated  as  early  as  1726  by  the  Boone 
family,  but  owing  to  its  unfavorable,  location,  it 
was  not  kept  up  after  the  first  log  building 
commenced  to  show  signs  of  decay,  especially 
after  better  mills  were  supplied.  The  mill  was 
on  the  present  Jacob  B.  Kaufman  farm  and  the 
head  of  the  race  was  on  the  farm  of  Isaac 
Christman.  The  Boone  who  had  this  mill 
was  of  the  same  family  from  which  has  de- 
scended Moses  Boone,  still  living  in  that  local- 
ity. Below  this  point  potteries  have  been 
carried  on  by  C.  C.  Guldin,  C.  Link  and  others. 
Near  the  Birdsboro  station  Messrs.  E.  &  G. 
Brooke  erected  a  fine,  large  furnace,  which  is 
still  carried  on  successfully  in  connection  with 
the  Brooke  Iron-Works  at  Birdsboro. 

Exeter  Station,  on  the  same  road,  nearer 
Reading,  has  but  a  few  buildings,  the  principal 
being  the  store  and  tavern  of  H.  B.  Levan. 
He  is  also  the  postmaster  of  Exeter  Station 
office,  established  in  1861.  William  B.  Levan 
has  been  the  station  agent  of  the  railroad  com- 
pany for  many  years.  Washington  Kissinger 
was  the  first  to  engage  in  business  at  this  point. 

On  the  Perkiomen  turnpike,  from  the 
"Black  Bear"  to  the  "Red  Lion "  Inns,  are 
several  settlements  approaching  hamlets  in  ap- 
pearance, and  which  are  known  locally  as 
"  Woodville  "  and  "  Suckertown."  Neither  has 
any  business  place  connected  with  it. 

On  the  present  Samuel  Kaufman  farm, 
formerly  owned  by  one  of  the  Boones  is  part  of 
a  stone  building  erected  in  1733,  which  is  yet 
in  good  condition. 

Other  old  houses  are  along  the  Monocacy, 
among  them  being  the  one  now  owned  by 
James  Lee,  formerly  the  Isaac  Christman  place, 


the  Lees,  Hughes,  etc.     They  are  all  stone  and 
some  of  them  two  stories  high. 

CHURCHES. 

Friends'  Meeting-House  is  situate  in  the 
Monocacy  Valley  and  on  the  Amity  line.  It 
is  a  plain  stone  building,  built  similar  to,  but 
a  little  larger  than,  the  ordinary  country  school- 
house.  Like  the  habits  of  the  sect  for  which 
it  was  designed,  it  was  finished  in  a  simple,  but 
neat  style.  Meetings  are  still  held  regularly, 
but  there  are  few  attendants  besides  the  Baileys, 
Shoemakers  and  Lees,  some  of  whom  come 
from  a  distance.  The  Monthly  Meetings  are 
attended  by  Friends  from  Reading,  Robeson 
and  Maiden-creek,  in  addition  to  the  foregoing. 
The  cemetery  is  inclosed  with  a  substantial 
stone  fence,  and  contains  so  many  interments 
that  some  graves  are  on  top  of  others.  The 
site  is  pleasant,  and  the  place  for  a  meeting- 
house was  well  selected,  at  that  time  having 
been  a  central  point  for  large  settlements  of 
Friends  in  the  valleys  of  the  Monocacy  and 
the  Manatawuy.  The  one  acre  of  land  on 
which  the  house  was  built  was  part  of  a  two 
hundred  and  seventy-seven-acre  tract  which 
had  been  patented  by  Thomas  Penn  to  George 
Boone  in  1734,  and  was  deeded  by  Boone  and 
his  wife,  Deborah,  to  Anthony  Lee,  John  Webb 
and  Squire  Boone,  for  a  consideration  of  twenty 
shillings,  December  24,  1736.  The  same  day 
they,  in  turn,  conveyed  the  land  to  Ellis  Hugh, 
Thomas  Ellis  and  James  Boone  in  trust,  "for  a 
house  and  place  of  religious  worship  for  meeting 
for  the  people  called  Quakers,  within  said  town- 
ship of  Oley,  and  shall  permit  and  suffer  the 
said  piece  of  land  whereon  ye  said  messuage 
stands,  and  is  erected  ...  to  be  and  remaine 
a  burying-place  for  ye  burying  and  intering  of 
all  such  persons  as  the  people  called  Quakers 
within  ye  said  township  shall  allow  of,  and  to 
and  for  no  other  use  and  service  whatsoever." 

It  is  probable  that  the  first  meeting-house 
was  erected  prior  to  this  date  (December  24, 
1736),  but  the  first  Monthly  Meeting  appears  to 
have  been  held  June  25,  1737.  At  the  meet- 
ing in  the  Eighth  Month,  Anthony  Lee  and 
Richard  Lundy  were  chosen  additional  elders ; 
and    at    the    Tenth    Monthly   Meeting   Ellis 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


977 


Hughes  and  James  Boone  were  appointed  over- 
seers in  place  of  Thomas  Ellis  and  Anthony 
Lee.  The  Eleventh  Monthly  Meeting,  in 
1737,  was  held  in  the  meeting-house  in  Maiden- 
creek,  with  which  society  this  organization  has 
always  been  connected  in  holding  Monthly 
Meetings. 

Exeter  having  been  set  off  from  Oley,  in 
1742,  the  name  of  the  meeting,  which  was  up 
to  that  time  Oley,  was  changed  to  Exeter 
(March  3, 1742),  and  the  first  recorded  meeting 
as  Exeter  was  held  April  24,  1742.  Though 
so  many  changes  have  taken  place  that  scarcely 
any  members  are  left,  those  remaining  must  be 
commended  for  their  adherence  to  the  faith  of 
the  fathers  and  the  consistent  service  they 
maintain  when  the  future  of  the  meeting  seems 
so  inauspicious. 

This  meeting-house  is  mentioned  in  a  peti- 
tion, presented  to  the  court  at  Philadelphia,  in 
1727,  for  a  road  "  from  the  Lutheran  Meetiug- 
House  at  Tulpehocken  creek  to  the  High  Road 
at  the  Quaker  Meeting-House  near  the  Mill  of 
George  Boone,  in  Oley."  By  this  petition  it 
appears  that  both  a  mill  and  a  meeting-house 
were  then  in  existence,  and  that  the  inhabitants 
of  the  surrounding  country  had  their  grists 
ground  in  the  vicinity  of  their  settlements, 
instead  of  having  been  compelled  to  proceed  to 
the  Perkiomen  Mills,  thirty  miles  distant,  for 
that  purpose. 

Schwaetzwald  Church  (Reformed  and 
Lutheran)  is  near  the  centre  of  the  town- 
ship. Its  early  history  is  obscure,  inas- 
much as  no  records  have  been  preserved.  It 
was  founded  at  such  an  early  day  that  no  per- 
sonal recollection  is  authentic.  But  from  con- 
temporary accounts  it  is  learned  that  a  log 
church  was  built  as  early  as  1754,  in  which 
worshipped  Reformed  and  Lutheran  congrega- 
tions, whose  early  ministry  was  the  same  as 
those  of  the  Trinity  Lutheran  Church  of  Read- 
ing and  the  First  Reformed  Church  of  the 
same  place.  This  church  was  used  until  1810, 
when  a  new  stone  church  was  built  upon  the 
same  lot  of  ground.  It  was  built  after  the  cus- 
tom of  that  day,  being  almost  square,  and  hav- 
ing three  galleries,  a  tulip-shaped  pulpit  and  a 
good  pipe-organ,  which  was  consecrated  No- 


vember 10,  1811,  when  services  were  held  in 
both  the  English  and  German  languages. 
Early  in  1870  it  was  determined  to  erect  a  new 
church,  as  the  old  one  had  insufficient  accom- 
modations and  bore  the  appearance  of  age  so 
that  it  was  unattractive.  Accordingly,  a  build- 
ing committee  was  appointed,  consisting  of 
Joseph  Levan,  Benjamin  S.  Ritter,  Simpson 
Garber,  Joseph  Kissling  and  John  Heister,  and 
they  labored  so  zealously  that  the  present  edi- 
fice was  completed  before  the  close  of  the  year. 
The  old  church  was  torn  down  in  the  early 
part  of  June  and  the  corner-stone  of  the  new 
church  was  laid  July  17,  1870.  The  consecra- 
tion took  place  December  18,  1870.  It  is  a 
brick  structure,  fifty  by  seventy-eight  feet,  and 
was  completed  at  a  cost  of  twelve  thousand  dol- 
lars. On  the  church  is  a  square  spire,  contain- 
ing a  superior,  rich-toned  bell.  The  interior  is 
finely  finished  and  has  a  seating  capacity  for 
eight  hundred  people.  In  the  rear  of  the  pul- 
pit is  a  fine  life-size  painting  of  Christ,  stand- 
ing at  an  open  door.  This  was  presented  to 
the  church  in  the  spring  of  1871  by  Benjamin 
S.  Ritter.  A  new  organ  was  purchased  in  1875, 
and  sheds  for  the  comfort  of  the  horses  of  the 
members  have  also  been  built. 

The  Reformed  congregation  reported  five 
hundred  and  fifty  members  in  1886,  and  the 
Rev.  Aaron  S.  Leinbach  and  his  son,  John  H., 
as  pastors.  The  former  has  officiated  here 
thirty-eight  years.  He  preaches  in  the  German 
language,  while  the  latter  has  English  services, 
thus  giving  a  dual  pastorate.  The  predecessor 
of  these  was  the  Rev.  Wm.  Pauli,  who  sus- 
tained a  pastoral  relation  many  years. 

The  Lutheran  congregation  has  a  smaller 
membership,  there  being  about  three  hundred 
members  under  the  pastoral  care  of  the  Rev. 
B.  D.  Zweizig,  who  served  for  the  past  twenty 
years.  His  predecessors  were  the  Revs. 
Kuendig,  Wagner  and  Miller.  One-third  of 
the  preaching  is  in  the  English.  North  of  the 
church  is  the  Schwartzwald  Cemetery,  con- 
taining five  acres.  It  includes  the  old  burial- 
ground  and  lot  of  the  church  (one  acre).  The 
improvements  are  substantial  and  the  older  part 
of  the  cemetery  has  been  planted  with  fine  trees 
and  shrubs.     It  is  controlled  by  the  "  Schwartz- 


978 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUiNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


wald  Cemetery  Association,"  which  was  incor- 
porated on  November  18,  1859.  The  petition- 
ers for  incorporation  were, — 

William  Brumbach,  Daniel  Schneider,  Solomon 
Close,  John  D.  Ritter,  George  Stoner,  Jonas  Kisling, 
Gottlieb  Moyer,  Joseph  Levan,  John  Herbein,  Chris- 
tian Schaffer,  Daniel  Faber,  Samuel  B.  Knabb,  Henry 
Shaffer,  Benjamin  S.  Ritter,  James  Z.  Griesemer, 
George  Hill,  Daniel  Lutz. 

For  the  past  twenty-seven  years  the  church 
and  cemetery  have  been  in  charge  of  Sexton 
William  Ebbert.  The  trustees  of  the  Cemetery 
Association  for  1886,  are  A.  Herbein,  presi- 
dent ;  A.  J.  Brum'iacli,  secretary  ;  B.  S.  Bitter, 
treasurer;  Joseph  Snyder,  Cyrus  Levan,  David 
Lutz,  Samuel  B.  Knabb. 

In  the  eastern  part  of  the  township  are  a 
number  of  private  burial-grounds,  some  in- 
closed with  good  stone  walls  and  neatly  kept, 
while  others,  on  farms  which  have  passed  out  of 
the  hands  of  the  original  owners,  are  in  a  ne- 
glected condition. 

Baumstown  Chapel  (Reformed)  is  a  plain 
frame  building,  thirty  by  forty  feet,  on  an  unde- 
fined lot  of  ground,  long  regarded  as  a  commons. 
A  partof  this  has  been  inclosed  and  forms  a  small 
cemetery.  It  was  built  about  forty  years  ago 
and  in  1885  was  controlled  by  Trustees  H.  Y. 
Linderman,  Philip  Lott  and  Amos  Redcay. 
Since  February  8,  1869,  the  congregation  has 
been  an  organized  body ;  but  as  the  member- 
ship is  small,  little  attention  is  paid  to  the  de- 
tails of  the  organization.  Some  of  the  pastors 
of  the  Amity  Church  have  occasionally  preached 
in  this  church,  and  until  recently  the  Rev.  M. 
H.  Mishler  was  the  pastor.  The  Rev.  A.  H. 
Liess  lately  began  preaching  here.  In  the 
chapel  a  good  Sunday-school  has  been  main- 
tained for  a  number  of  years,  having  as  a  for- 
mer superintendent  H.  Y.  Stoner,  and  William 
B.  Potts  as  the  present.  There  are  about  ninety 
members. 

Below  Baumstown  is  another  chapel,  nomin- 
ally belonging  to  the  "  United  Brethren  in 
Christ,"  but  which  has  lately  become  the  prop 
erfcy  of  Daniel  Bowers,  by  purchase.  It  was 
built  in  1869,  and  for  a  time  occupied  by  a 
flourishing  congregation.  The  removal  of 
members,  however,  and  other  causes  have  inter- 


fered with  the  prosperity  of  the  society,  so  that 
only  occasional  services  are  held.  The  building 
is  a  plain  frame  structure  and  stands  on  one 
acre  of  land,  purchased  from  the  farm  of  George 
Wamsher. 

Stonersville  Sunday-school  Chapel  was 
built  in  the  fall  of  1885,  for  the  use  of  a  Union 
Sunday-school,  organized  in  April,  1882.  D. 
V.  R.  Ludwig  has  been  superintendent  since 
its  organization.  The  chapel  stands  upon  a  lot 
donated  by  Sarah  A.  Young  and  is  a  neat 
frame  building,  thirty  by  fifty  feet,  costing  one 
thousand  dollars.  It  was  erected  by  Ammon  M. 
Kline,  Charles  B.  Rice  and  D.  V.  R.  Ludwig 
as  a  committee  for  the  Sunday-school. 

Schools. — The  oldest  school -house  in  the 
township  was  the  one  erected  by  the  Friends  at 
their  meeting-house,  and  in  which  schools  were 
maintained  from  1790  till  1860,  when  the  prop- 
erty was  sold  to  the  township,  to  be  used  as  a 
public-school  building.  The  schools  until  that 
were  subscription  schools,  patronized  by  the  peo- 
ple generally.  Some  of  the  principal  teachers 
were  James  Boone,  Thomas  Cherington,  Abner 
Thomas,  John  Lee,  Ellis  Lee  and  James  Lee. 

In  1885  there  were  twelve  districts  in  the 
township,  each  provided  with  its  own  school 
building.  Those  recently  erected  are  very  at- 
tractive. The  Hill  school-house  was  built  in 
1885,  and  among  other  improvements  contains 
a  furnace  for  heating  purposes.  It  has  patent 
furniture  and  slate  blackboards.  The  cost  was 
about  twelve  hundred  dollars.  In  all  the  dis- 
tricts the  schools  are  conducted  for  five  months 
annually,  and  this  is  supplemented,  in  some 
districts,  by  private  schools  in  summer. 

VILLAGES. 

A  few  miles  east  from  Reading,  at  the  inter- 
section of  the  Oley  and  Perkiomen  turnpikes, 
an  inn  has  been  kept  almost  from  the  time  the 
country  was  first  settled.  It  is  widely  known 
as  the  "Black  Bear,"  from  the  picture  of  that 
animal  painted  on  the  sign,  and  having 
a  bountiful  supply  of  superior  water,  no  team- 
ster thinks  of  passing  by  without  refreshing  his 
teams.  Jacob  Maury  was  one  of  the  early 
landlords,  but  for  the  past  twenty  years  it  has 
been  kept  by  George  Hill  and  his  son,  Levi. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


979 


St.  La  whence  is  situated  on  the  Oley  turn- 
pike and  extends  along  this  prominent  high- 
way from  Antietam  Creek  for  a  mile.  The 
name  arose  from  a  certain  class  of  woolen  and 
cotton  goods  in  1856  which  were  manufactured 
by  Wm.  Brumbach,  and  sold  at  the  commission 
house  of  T.  P.  Remington,  Philadelphia. 

Jacob  Brumbach  first  started  the  manufacture 
of  woolen  goods  here  about  1840,  in  the 
building  above  the  turnpike  lately  known  as 
"Yerger's  hat  factory."  In  1842  he  and  his 
brother  William  carried  on  the  business  until 
1850 ;  then  William  took  and  continued  it  alone 
until  1856,  when  he  removed  the  machinery  to 
a  mill  a  mile  down  the  creek,  now  known  as 
the  "  Brumbach  Mill."  This  was  formerly 
a  grist-mill,  and  William  Brumbach  converted 
it  into  a  woolen-mill  in  1853.  In  1857 
he  erected  a  second  mill.  In  1862  both  mills 
were  destroyed  by  fire,  loss  being  $75,000. 
They  were  then  rebuilt  by  Albert  J.  Brumbach, 
his  son,  the  present  enterprising  and  successful 
proprietor,  who  has  carried  on  the  business 
since.  In  1881  he  ran  three  sets  of  machines, 
employed  forty-five  persons,  and  made  annual 
sales  amounting  to  $100,000. 

Hats  were  first  manufactured  here  by  Moyer 
Siegel  and  John  Siegel  in  1850.  This  business 
was  carried  on  for  about  thirty  years  by  various 
parties,  among  them  M.  &  J.  Seigel,  Stauffer  & 
Kretz,  John  Yerger  and  Schulhoff  Brothers. 

The  Levan  Brothers  (Daniel  and  Joseph) 
began  the  manufacture  of  glue  here  in  1874, 
when  they  erected  their  present  large  factory. 
They  had  for  some  years  before  carried  on  the 
business  at  Reading,  in  a  building  on  Cherry 
Street,  below  Eleventh,  where  their  father 
and  grandfather  had  manufactured  glue  for 
many  years. 

James  Z.  Griesemer  has  carried  on  a  grist 
and  saw-mill  for  a  number  of  years  on  Antietam 
Creek,  at  the  crossing  of  the  "  Oley  Turn- 
pike." 

In  1881  the  village  had  fifty-four  dwell- 
ings and  two  hundred  and  sixty  inhabit- 
ants. 

Camp  No.  230,  P.  O.  S.  of  A.,  at  St.  Law- 
rence, holds  its  meetings  in  a  building,  near  the 
Brumbach  factory,  but  a  new  hall  will   be  es- 


pecially built  for  it  in  1886,  on  an  eligible  site 
on  the  turnpike.  There  are  one  hundred  and 
six  members  and  property  valued  at  nearly 
three  thousand  dollars. 

Jacksonwald  was  named  after  John  Jack- 
son, who  built  a  large  hotel  there  in  1870,  and 
in  November  of  the  same  year  succeeded  in 
having  a  post-office  established  with  the 
name  of  the  hamlet.  Jackson  was  appointed 
postmaster  and  still  holds  that  position.  There 
is  a  daily  mail  from  Reading.  In  the  vicinity 
is  the  "  Sohwartzwald  Church  "  and  eight  or 
ten  houses,  occupied  by  people  who  have  been 
attracted  by  the  beauty  of  this  locality.  Near 
by  is  the  "  Centre  Hotel "  of  P.  Althouse,  and 
a  mile  east  was  formerly  the  old  Amos  Ritter 
tavern,  now  used  as  a  farm  residence. 

Dr.  J.  Y.  Hoffman,  who  graduated  from  the 
Jefferson  Medical  College  in  1880,  has  been 
located  as  a  practitioner  at  Jacksonwald  since 
1882,  being  the  successor  of  Dr.  Martin  L. 
Bertolet,  who  settled  there  in  1878,  and  after 
practicing  four  years  removed  to  the  West. 
Prior  to  that  time  Dr.  Peter  Snyder  was  in 
practice  in  that  part  of  the  township.  He  re- 
moved in  1868. 

Dr.  John  B.  G-reisemer  has  practiced  the 
healing  art  in  Exeter  township  for  many  years, 
residing  at  present  near  the  "  Black  Bear."  For 
several  years  Dr.  H.  M.  Nagle  was  at  Stoners- 
ville,  and  Dr.  T.  L.  Leidy  and  Dr.  J.  B.  Kern 
were  each  in  practice  several  years,  in  the  same 
locality. 

Lime  Kiln,  commonly  known  as  Snyderville, 
is-  situated  on  the  Monocacy,  at  the  Oley  line, 
and  contains  a  store,  tavern,  post-office  and  half 
a  dozen  residences  in  the  immediate  locality. 

The  business  house  was  built  in  1835  by 
Jacob  and  Peter  Snyder,  the  former  becoming 
the  owner  in  1842,  and  the  property  still  re- 
mains in  his  family.  Jacob  Snyder  had  the 
first  public-house  and  Augustus  Miller  the  store. 
The  latter  is  now  kept  by  Charles  S.  Snyder 
and  the  former  by  Jacob  H.  Snyder.  The  Lime 
Kiln  post-office  was  established  in  1870  (the 
name  originated  from  the  lime  kiln  near  by) 
and  Jacob  C.  Snyder  was  the  postmaster.  This 
position  is  now  held  by  John  H.  Snyder.  At 
that  place  is  an  octagonal  stone  building,  erected 


980 


HISTOKY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


in  1833,  on  the  Gehr  (now  Cleaver)  farm, 
which  was  recently  repaired  and  supplied  with 
a  belfry.  It  is  used  for  public  gatherings  and 
Sunday-school  purposes,  and  is  controlled  by 
Trustees  John  H.  Snyder  and  Samuel  B. 
Knabb. 

The  building  was  erected  for  private  schools 
and  replaced  an  old  log  school-house  on  the 
same  site,  which  was  built  soon  after  1800.  It 
was,  next  to  the  Moravian  school  in  Oley,  the 
oldest  in  this  part  of  the  county.  Lime  Kiln, 
or  Oley  Line  has  an  attractive  location  and  has 
lately  been  substantially  improved  by  the  erec- 
tion of  several  fine  buildings. 

Washington  Camp,  No.  221  P.  0.  S.  of  A., 
was  instituted  at  Oley  Line  July  30,  1874,  but 
held  its  first  meetings  at  Griesemerville.  In 
1886  there  were  seventy-eight  members  who 
met  statedly  in  a  hall  in  the  Snyder  building, 
having  as  principal  officers,  President,  George 
M.  Ruth  ;  Vice-President,  Isaac  Herbein  ;  Sec- 
retary, John  S.  Snyder ;  Treasurer,  C.  S.  Snyder; 
Trustees,  J.  G.  Herbein,  B.  H.  Altenderfer,  D. 
V.  R.  Ludwig. 

The  camp  is  in  a  prosperous  condition, 
having  property  to  the  amount  of  eighteen  hun- 
dred dollars. 

Stojjersville,  a  hamlet  of  about  fifteen 
buildings,  is  east  of  the  centre  of  the  townshij), 
and  became  a  business  place  in  1813,  when 
Philip  Boyer  opened  a  hotel  called  the  "  Com- 
pass," from  the  figure  of  that  instrument  painted 
on  the  sign.  Philip  Boyer  was  succeeded  by 
his  son  John,  who  sold  out  to  George  Stoner 
in  1847.  The  latter  was  a  man  of  great 
energy.  He  built  an  addition  to  the  house,  and 
also  opened  a  store,  in  which  was  kept  the  post- 
office,  established  with  the  name  of  Stoners- 
ville.  This  title  was  then  applied  to  the  lo- 
cality and  has  since  been  continued.  Stoner's 
tavern  was  largely  patronized  by  drovers,  and 
for  their  accommodation  he  had  a  forty-acre 
pasture  field  opposite  the  hotel.  In  1 848  he 
erected  a  large  brick  shed  on  the  roadside. 
After  a  few  years  the  business  declined,  leaving 
this  large  building  almost  useless.  This  change 
was  caused  by  the  railroad.  Stoner  removed  to 
the  "Red  Lion"  in  1863  and  Daniel  II. 
Snyder  became  the  proprietor  of  the  hotel.     In 


1881  David  K.  Young  succeeded  him  and  it  is 
now  continued  by  John  K.  Young.  Since  1882 
the  store  has  been  kept  by  D.  V.  R.  Ludwig, 
who  was  also  postmaster  until  1885,  when 
Jacob  F.  Guldin  received  the  appointment.  It 
is  served  with  a  daily  mail  by  the  Boyertown 
stage  on  the  route  from  Reading  to  Boyertown. 
At  and  near  this  place  are  several  old  estab- 
lished mechanics'  shops.  Moses  Boone  has  pur- 
sued the  business  of  a  wheelwright  for  many 
years. 

Baumstown,  at  the  lower  end  of  the  town- 
ship, on  the  highlands,  traversed  by  the  Perki- 
omen  turnpike,  one  mile  from  the  Schuylkill,  is 
the  oldest  hamlet  in  the  township,  and  is  more 
of  the  nature  of  a  straggling  village.  The 
site  was  first  surveyed  in  1733  and  the  follow- 
ing year  two  hundred  and  fifty-one  acres  were 
patented  to  Rudolph  Wachler.  Stephen  Bolty 
became  a  later  owner,  and  he,  in  1792,  deeded 
some  laud  to  Wm.  Witman,  who,  about  1795 
or  1796,  laid  out  a  town  on  a  comprehensive 
scale,  which  he  called  Exetertown.  July  3,1796, 
he  conveyed  the  first  lot  to  Frederick  Kopp,  of 
Robeson  township,  for  ten  silver  dollars;  but 
it  does  not  appear  that  he  succeeded  in  making 
many  sales  to  actual  settlers,  and,  about  1800,  he 
sold  out  his  town  to  Dr.  John  Christian  Baum. 
It  was  from  him  that,  the  place  took  its  present 
name  some  years  later.  Dr.  Baum  lived  there 
and  followed  his  profession,  and  was  father  of 
Dr.  John  Baum,  who  practiced  his  profession 
for  a  number  of  years  at  the  Yellow  House.  A 
later  physician  at  Baumstown  was  Dr.  Ernst 
Baggie,  who  died  at  the  "Red  Lion  "  soon  after 
1864.  At  Baumstown  a  public-house  was 
kept  many  years,  but  not  since  1868,  when  Ed- 
mund Levan  was  the  landlord.  Other  keepers 
were  E.  Dengler  and  Capt,  George  Newkirk. 
The  nearness  of  Birdsboro  has  made  the  busi- 
ness of  tavern-keeping  and  also  of  merchandis- 
ing unprofitable  at  Baumstown. 

The  "  Red  Lion "  inn  was  established  on 
this  road  a  mile  above  Baumstown  by  Nicholas 
Hoerner  in  1 760.  During  its  early  history,  for 
twenty  years  it  was  known  as  the  "  King 
George."  It  is  now  owned  by  Solomon  Stoner, 
a  successful  merchant  in  the  township  for  many 
years. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


981 


Lionel  Leinberger,  a  Jew,  had  the  first  store 
in  part  of  the  old  Baum  house.  Samuel  Hech- 
ler  built  a  store  fifty  years  ago  and  since  1854 
H.  Y.  Linderman  has  been  his  successor.  At 
this  store  is  kept  the  Baumstown  post-office,  es- 
tablished in  1835,  and  which  at  present  has  one 
mail  daily  from  Birdsboro.  The  postmaster  is 
F.  J.  Linderman.  Among  the  early  mechanics 
at  this  place  were  Ezekiel  Jones,  Jacob  Kerlin 
and  John  Moyer.  Birdsboro  Station,  Phila- 
delphia and  Reading  Railroad,  is  in  Exeter. 
The  depot  buildings  are  new  and  very  attrac- 
tive in  external  appearance  and  interior  ar- 
rangement. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

Joseph  Lev  ax  is  of  Huguenot  descent,  and 
the  grandson  of  Jacob  Levan,  whose  son  Abra- 
ham married  Maria  Bechtel.  The  children  of 
this  marriage  are  Susan,  Jacob,  Elizabeth,  Jo- 
seph Abraham  and  two  who  died  in  childhood. 
Abraham  Levan  spent  his  life  on  the  farm  now 
owned  by  Jacob  Levan.  His  son,  Joseph  Levan, 
was  born  on  the  9th  of  June,  1803,  and 
with  his  brothers  and  sisters  inherited  the  home- 
stead, where  he  devoted  his  life  to  agriculture 
and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  successful 
farmers  of  the  township.  He  was  married  to 
Caroline  Matilda,  daughter  of  Peter  Bechtel,  of 
Caernarvon  township.  Their  children  were 
Mary,  deceased,  born  December  3, 1836 ;  Joseph, 
deceased,  born  March  29, 1838;  Abraham,  born 
January  18,  1841;  Jacob,  September  5,  1843; 
Cyrus,  December  18,  1849 ;  Nathan,  July  5, 
1854 ;  and  David,  December  24, 1859.  Joseph 
Levan  being  the  only  one  of  his  father's  chil- 
dren who  was  married,  he  for  many  years  lived 
upon  the  paternal  homestead.  He  was  an  earnest 
Democrat  in  politics  and  among  the  foremost  to 
defend  the  principles  of  his  party.  He  was  fre- 
quently chosen  as  a  delegate  to  County  Con- 
ventions and  held  various  township  offices, 
more  from  a  sense  of  duty  than  from  preference. 
His  integrity  and  scrupulous  honesty  caused 
him  often  to  be  made  guardian,  executor  and 
administrator,  which  positions  were  filled  with 
ability  and  fidelity.  Mr.  Levan  was  a  member 
of  the  Schwartzwald  German  Reformed  Church, 
in  which  he  was  both  a  deacon  and  an  elder ; 


all  his  children  became  members  of  the  same 
church.  He  was  a  member  of  the  building 
committee  at  the  time  of  the  erection  of  the 
church  building  and  contributed  liberally  to- 
ward paying  the  debt.  He  died  December  10, 
1872.  His  widow  survives  and  lives  in  Exeter 
township.  Jacob  Levan  resides  upon  the  farm 
which  was  the  place  of  his  birth  and  has  followed 
the  employment  of  a  farmer  all  his  life.  He 
was  married  to  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  John 
and  Joan  Kerper,  of  Exeter  township,  in  1882. 
They  have  two  children,  Caroline  Amelia  and 
Jacob.  Cyrus  Levan  is  also  a  prosperous 
farmer  in  the  same  township.  He  married 
Susan,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Trout.  Their 
surviving  children  are  Jacob,  Edwin  and  Harry. 
Abraham  Levan  has  retired  from  his  labors  as 
a  farmer  and  resides  in  Exeter  township.  He 
married  Sally  Davis  and  has  no  living  children. 
Nathan  Levan  resides  in  Exeter  township.  He 
married  Amanda,  daughter  of  John  and  Joan 
Kerper  and  has  two  children,  Mary  and  Joseph. 
David  Levan  graduated  from  Franklin  and 
Marshall  College  and  is  now  engaged  in  the 
study  of  law. 

Epheaim  Schneider  is  a  descendant  of 
Hans  Schneider,  the  progenitor  of  the  branches 
of  the  Schneider  family  residing  in  Exeter  and 
Oley  townships,  Berks  County.  He  emi- 
grated from  Switzerland  before  the  Revolu- 
tionary War,  and  settled  on  a  tract  of  land 
at  present  known  as  "  Oley  Line."  Ephraim 
Schneider  was  born  October  11,  1822,  in 
Exeter  township,  on  the  Schneider  mill  farm, 
on  a  part  of  which  stands  his  present  home. 
The  grist-mill  and  farm  were  deeded  to  his 
grandfather,  Daniel  Schneider,  by  his  great- 
grandfather, Peter  Schneider,  and  again  willed 
by  his  grandfather  Daniel  to  his  son,  Daniel  K. 
Schneider.  The  grist-mill  and  part  of  the  land  are 
now  owned  and  occupied  by  William  H.  Schnei- 
der, who  was  for  six  consecutive  times  elected 
justice  of  the  peace  (1855  to  1885).  Daniel 
Schneider,  grandfather  of  Ephraim,  served  in 
the  army  during  the  Revolutionary  War,  and 
on  his  return  from  Valley  Forge,  where  Wash- 
ington's army  was  encamped,  narrowly  escaped 
death  from  the  severity  of  the  cold.  He  mar- 
ried Sarah  Knabb,  and  had  among  their  chil- 


982 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS   COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


dren  a  son,  Daniel  K.,  the  eldest  of  the  family, 
who  carried  on  the  well-known  Schneider  mill. 
He  commanded  a  company  of  militia  on  the 
breaking  out  of  the  War  of  1812,  but  by  unfair 
means  was  later  deprived  of  his  command, 
which  he  much  regretted  in  after-life.  He 
filled  for  three  years  the  office  of  county  com- 
misioner,  and  was  one  of  the  incorporators  of 
the  Berks  County  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Corn- 


trade  of  a  millwright,  but  finding  it  necessary 
to  be  much  away  from  home  in  the  pursuit  of 
his  vocation,  finally  abandoned  it,  and  purchas- 
ing a  farm  at  Stonerville,  in  Exeter  township, 
devoted  his  attention  to  farming.  At  a  later 
date  he  bought  another  farm,  on  which  he  now 
resides.  He  was,  in  1844,  married  to  Rebecca, 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Susan  Knabb  Dehart. 
Their  children   are   William,   born   June   25, 


\*Afo<ra*rn'    ^J  cArtex-dA/^ 


pany,  of  which  he  was  the  first  president.  He 
died  on  the  4th  of  March,  1872,  in  his  eighty- 
fourth  year.  Daniel  K.  Schneider  married 
Mary  Lies.  Their  children  were  Solomon  and 
Henrietta,  married  to  John  Bechtel.  By  a 
second  marriage,  with  Catherine  Herbine,  of 
Exeter  township,  he  had  the  following-named 
children  :  Ephraim,  Daniel,  William,  Augus- 
tus, Amelia,  (Mrs.  Levan),  Susan  (Mrs.  Faber), 
Catherine  (Mrs.  Girst),  and  Lydia  (deceased). 
Ephraim  Schneider  has  spent  his  whole  life  in 
the   township   of  his   birth.     He   learned  the 


1846;  Sarah  M.,  October  29, 1848 ;  Kate  (Mrs. 
Peter  Harbine),  September  25,  1850;  Ezra, 
January  25,  1855;  Calvin,  October  16,  1858; 
Rosa,  February  21,  1861,  deceased;  Mary 
Ann,  April  2,  1863;  and  Daniel,  an  infant. 
The  grandchildren  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schneider 
are  Elizabeth  M.,  Calvin  and  Cora,  children  of 
William  Schneider,  and  Lizzie,  Alice,  Charles 
(deceased)  and  Gertrude,  children  of  Peter  and 
Kate  Harbine.  Mr.  Schneider,  as  a  Democrat, 
is  active  and  influential  in  local  politics.  He 
is  interested  in  the  lumber  business.     He  and 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


983 


his  family  are  members  of  the  Schwartzwald 
Reformed  Church,  in  which  he  has  filled  the 
offices  of  trustee,  deacon  and  elder. 


ALSACE  TOWNSHIP. 

Eeection  of  Township. — Jacob  Spangler, 
Dewalt  Baum,  Johannes  Haweracker,  Henry 
Snider,  Philip  S.  Hare,1  Peter  Smith,  Heinrich 
Guthard,  Heinrich  Gerhard  and  Michael  Graul 
subscribed  a  petition  -which  was  presented  to  the 
Court  of  Quarter  Sessions  of  Philadelphia 
County  on  December  2,  1744,  in  which  they 
represented  that  a  sufficient  quantity  of  land  had 
become  settled,  and  that  they  labored  under  such 
inconveniences  as  to  entitle  them  to  be  erected 
into  a  separate  township ;  that  the  first  settlers 
had  come  from  a  place  in  Germany,  called  JElsas, 
and  that  they  therefore  desired  the  township 
to  be  called  by  that  name.  The  court  ordered 
a  survey  of  the  district  to  be  made ;  and  the 
survey  was  accordingly  made  by  Edward 
Scull,  surveyor,  who  reported  the  following 
description  : 

"  Beginning  at  a  corner  of  Exeter  township,  on  the 
northeast  bank  of  the  Schuylkill  river ;  thence  by 
said  township  N.  33  E.  87  perches;  S.  57  E.  70 
perches;  N.  33  E.  1154  perches;  N.  70  E.  400 
perches  to  a  road  leading  to  Philadelphia ;  thence 
along  said  road  167  perches  to  a  corner  of  Oley  town- 
ship ;  thence  by  the  same  N.  20  E.  450  perches ; 
thence  by  vacant  land  and  the  Manor  of  Ruscomb, 
N.  45  W.  1730  perches  ;  thence  S.  65  W.  817  perches 
to  Schuylkill  River;  thence  down  the  river  about 
seven  miles  to  the  place  of  beginning,  containing 
.  23,270  acres." 

The  surveyor-general,  William  Parsons,  ex- 
amined the  survey  and  certified  on  March  3, 
1745,  that  it  did  not  interfere  with  any  other 
township ;  and  on  the  following  day  it  was 
erected  into  a  township,  to  be  known  as 
"  Alsace." 

The  area  of  the  township  was  reduced  upon 
several  occasions  — first,  by  erecting  the  town  of 
Reading  into  a  separate  district  or  township  in 
1761,  and  upon  its  enlargement  as  a  borough  in 
1783,  and  a  city  in  1847 ;  again,  upon  the 
erection  of  Muhlenberg  township,  in  1851,  out 
of  that  portion  of  its  territory  which  lay  to  the 
north  of  Reading  and  to  the  west  of  Penn's 


Mount.  And  in  1850 '  another  reduction  was 
made  by  cutting  off  the  "  Poplar  Neck  "  and 
lands  adjacent,  extending  to  "Neversink," 
together  with  over  three  hundred  acres,  and 
adding  it  to  Cumru  township — this  having 
been  deemed  advisable  as  a  matter  of  con- 
venience in  respect  to  roads,  schools  and  elec- 
tions. This  body  of  land  is  the  only  portion 
of  the  county  lying  to  the  east  of  the  Schuyl- 
kill which  is  connected  with  a  district  lying  to 
the  west. 

Early  Warrants. — In  pursuance  of  an 
application'  by  Andrew  Robeson  for  five  hun- 
dred acres  of  land,  a  tract  was  surveyed  for 
him  on  August  26,  1714.2  The  northern  line 
began  "  on  the  east  side  of  the  Schuylkill,  at  a 
black-oak,  near  the  ford  where  the  old  road 
leads  to  Turpahoking ;  "  and  the  southern  line 
ran  along  "  Neversink's  land."  This  comprised 
what  is  now  the  southwestern  section  of  Read- 
ing. The  survey  was  abandoned  for  some 
unknown  reason.  The  Indians  may  have 
objected,  because  the  land  lay  beyond  the 
"Lechay  Hills"  (South  Mountain).  Several 
years  afterward,  in  1718,  Robeson  purchased 
one  thousand  acres  south  of  this  natural  boun- 
dary line. 

A  large  tract  of  land,  containing  three  hun- 
dred and  seventy-five  acres,  in  the  extreme 
lower  section  of  the  township,3  adjoining  the 
Schuykill,  was  patented  to  Edward  Farmer  in 
1735,  under  the  name  of  "  Poplar  Neck." 
Nicholas  Scull,  surveyor,  made  use  of  the  same 
name  in  entering  notes  of  a  survey  in  that 
locality  in  his  note-book  on  December  11, 1734. 
The  greater  part  of  this  tract  (two  hundred  and 
thirteen  acres)  became  vested  in  Samuel  High,  of 
Oley.  by  deed,  dated  February  20, 1746.  And 
this  land  has  been  transmitted  in  an  unbroken 
line  in  the  High  family  from  that  time  till  now, 
a  period  covering  one  hundred  and  forty  years. 
The  name  was  given  to  this  neck  of  land 
(formed  by  a  bend  in  the  river)  from  the 
poplar  trees  which  were  found  growing  there, 


i.  Act  of  Assembly  passed  April  11,  1850. 

2  This  is  the  first  notice  of   taking  up  land   above  the 
South  Mountain. 

3  Separated   from  the  township    and   added  to   Cumru 
township  in  1851. 


984 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


and  this  same  species  of  tree  is  still  found  there 
growing  with  great  vigor.  The  land  is  now 
owned  and  occupied  by  Ezra  High,  a  superior 
farmer  and  exemplary  man. 

In  the  extreme  northern  end  of  the  township 
there  is  a  parallel  case  of  the  transmission  of 
land  in  one  family  in   an  unbroken  line,  for 
nearly  a  hundred  years.     In  1737   a  tract  of 
one   hundred  and  forty-four  acres,  called  the 
"  Four  Corners,"  was  surveyed  to  Conrad  Koh 
(or  Cook),  and  he  conveyed  his  right,  in  1741, 
to   Dietrich   Bydelman.     Dietrich  Shalter  mi- 
grated from  GosheDhoppen  to   this  land  and 
hired  himself  to  Bydelman,  and  soon  afterward 
married  his   only  child.     Bydelman   obtained 
the  patent   for  the  tract   mentioned,   and  two 
other  tracts  in  1770  and  1771,  together  contain- 
ing two  hundred  and  forty-two  acres  ;  and  in 
1791  he  conveyed  these  tracts  to  his  son-in-law, 
Dietrich  Shalter,  from  whom  this  land  has  been 
transmitted  in  the  Shalter  name  till  the  present 
time.     Benjamin  S.  Shalter  (a  great-grandson  of 
Bydelman)  became  the  owner  in  1835,  and  died 
in  possession  in  1884.     It  is  still  in  the  family. 
Mr.    Shalter    was    a   progressive    farmer    and 
recognized   for    his   honor    and    honesty ;  and 
notwithstanding    that    his  land  is  situated  on 
the  hills,  he  has  brought  it  to,  and  continued 
it  in,  a  high  state  of  cultivation.     He  was  a 
man    possessed    of  much    public   spirit.     His 
Christian  generosity  won  for  him  the  highest 
esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens.  The  church  erected 
near  by,  in    1860,    commonly  known   as  the 
"  Shalter  Church,"  is  mainly  attributable  to  his 
energy,  and  his  great  desire  to  promote  the  public 
welfare    of   his    neighborhood,  he  having  do- 
nated   the    land,    contributed   much    building 
material    and   subscribed  five  hundred  dollars 
toward    the  enterprise,  together  amounting  to 
about  three-fourths  of  the  total  cost. 

Taxables  for  1759.— The  following  list 
comprises  the  names  of  the  taxables  of  the 
township  in  1759.  The  total  amount  of  tax 
then  levied  was  fifty-four  pounds  nineteen 
shillings.     Samuel  High  was  the  collector: 


Adam  Apple 1 

Jacob  Bleiler 2 

Conrad  Bower 5 

Jacob  Beilor 8 

Dieter  Beidleman 14 


£ 

Henry  Becker 4 

Stephen  Boucht 2 

Dewald  Baum 14 

Jolm  Baum 2 

Henry  Bingaman 10 


John  Bingaman 3 

Adam  Bowman 8 

Jacob  Becker 4 

Conrad  Bob 5 

George  Born 4 

John  Close 10 

Herman  Dehaven 14 

Matthias  Drenkle 2 

Michael  Deoser 4 

Jacob  Depree 9 

John  Ebling 7 

George  Eger 4 

John  Fix , 2 

John  Faber 1 

Michael  Fisher 13 

Adam  Garradt 8 

Frederick  Goodhardt 8 

Henry  Garrett 9 

Lawrence  Graun 5 

Nicholas  Greyser 3 

Michael  Glauser 7 

John  Hertz 1 

George  Hyer 4 

John  Haveracker 15 

John  Nich.  Heitsboe 9 

Samuel  High 18 

Richard  Hockley 45 

William  Iddinga 18 

Nicholas  Jost 16 

Conrad  Keller 9 

Christian  Kinsey 12 

Matthias  Keimer 1 

Adam  Koon 2 

Henry  Koocb 2 

Matthias  Knapt l 

Isaac  Levan 15 

George  Lorah 1 


Henry  Baum. 
Nicholas  Fisher. 
John  Fisher. 
David  Kinsey. 
Abraham  Kinsey. 
George  May. 


John   Lamer 6 

Jacob  Lanciscus 14 

Baltzer  Moone 5 

Baltzer  Martin , 3 

William  Null 4 

Casper  Nine 8 

Charles  Noma,  Esq 3 

George  Nies 3 

Peter  Norgang 1 

Adam  Riefle 14 

Richard  Peters,  Esq 4 

Peter  Rudenberger 10 

Philip  Reasor 6 

Francis  Parvin , 4 

George  Soningberg l 

Philip  Sailor 3 

Jacob  Scheffer 6 

Henry  Snider 19 

Adam  Swartzbach 4 

Henry  Shilt 1 

Stophel  Spangler 17 

John  Senack 20 

Victor  Spice 5 

John  Shite 2 

Rudolph  Schlear 3 

George  Sowerheer 1 

William  Sheplar 2 

Ernst  Sidle 6 

Henry  Sheffer 2 

Adam  Spicklemier 3 

Michael  Saylor 5 

Casper  Streador 1 

John  Umstadt 1 

Adam  Wagner 3 

Philip  Wax 10 

Lawrence  Wendle 10 

George  Wolf 14 

Single  Men. 

Daniel  Norgang. 
George  Rotenberger. 
Michael  Spoohn. 
Adam  Shier. 
John  Stout. 
George  Wagner. 


The  "  Manor  of  Perm's  Mount "  lay  princi- 
pally in  this  township.  It  extended  into  Exeter 
on  the  south  and  into  Maiden-creek  on  the 
north,  and  comprised  two  hundred  and  thirty- 
two  tracts  of  land,  mostly  small  in  area,  con- 
taining together  (exclusive  of  patented  land) 
eleven  thousand  one  hundred  and  ninety-six 
acres,  one  hundred  and  eight  perches.  The 
survey  was  made  in  June,  1789,  by  Cadwal- 
lader  Evans,  Jr.  Many  tracts  were  owned  by 
inhabitants  of  Reading,  but  the  great  majority 
of  them  were  owned  by  farmers.  The  "  Manor" 
was  known  for  many  years  before.  It  was 
set  apart  by  warrant  dated  November  25, 1748, 
for  the  use  of  the  Penns,  and,  after  having  been 
surveyed,  it  was  returned  January  21,  1755. 
It  contained  in  the  whole  twelve  thousand  two 
hundred  acres.1 


1 A  copy  of  a  draft  of  this  "  Manor,"  containing  a  con- 
nected draft  of  all  the  tracts,  is  in  the  possession  of  Ken- 


{U-^c<t<7 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


985 


Industries. — From  the  nature  of  the  coun- 
try, Antietam.  Creek  and  its  affluents  had 
many  water-powers  which  were  made  to 
operate  industries  of  various  kinds,  some  soon 
after  the  arrival  of  the  first  settlers,  and  others 
after  the  War  of  1812,  when  milling  and  other 
species  of  manufacturing  had  been  stimulated  to 
an  unusual  degree.  In  consequence  many 
places  were  established  which  had  powers'  too 
small  or  inadequate  support  for  their  permanent 
existence,  and  declined  more  than  half  a  century 
ago.  Others  were  destroyed  when  the  city  of 
Reading  utilized  the  upper  part  of  the  stream  as 
part  of  its  system  of  water  supply,  so  that  but 
few  places  are  now  operated.  Near  the  head- 
waters of  the  main  stream  Christian  Kinscy  had 
a  small  grist-mill  sixty  years  ago.  It  was  last 
operated  by  John  Fies,  and,  after  standing  idle 
a  number  of  years,  was  torn  down  in  1883  by 
William  Hoch,  the  owner  of  the  farm.  A  short 
distance  below  there  was  a  tilt-hammer,  in  a 
building  which  had  double  fires,  and  where  a 
large  amount  of  business  was  done.  John  Zim- 
merman, the  first  owner,  was  succeeded  by  Ben- 
jamin Tobias,  who  operated  it  a  number  of 
years,  when  it  was  abandoned.  This  site  is  now 
on  the  farm  of  Peter  Fies.  The  first  improve- 
ment was  situated  a  short  distance  farther  down 
the  stream.  It  was  a  small  grist-mill,  owned 
and  carried  on  by  Jacob  Lanciscus.  After  the 
grist-mill  was  no  longer  used  the  power  was 
employed  to  operate  a  flax-brake.  All  the  im- 
provements have  been  removed.  The  site  was 
on  the  present  farm  of  Valentine  Hartman. 
Lanciscus  was  a  very  large  land-owner,  having 
had  the  first  title  to  nearly  all  the  farms  in  this 
locality,  most  of  which  are  now  in  posses- 
sion of  the  Hartman  family.  At  a  later  day 
David  Babb  had  an  oil-mill  and  saw-mill  on 
the  power  next  below,  the  former  being  after- 
wards converted  into  a  clover-mill.  This  power 
is  still  used  to  operate  a  saw-mill  for  William 
Faust.  A  short  distance  from  this  place  Har- 
rison Hinnershitz  used  the  water-power  to  oper- 
ate a  grist-mill,  and  later  added  a  saw-mill, 
using  steam  to  supplement   the   water-power. 

dall  Brothers,  at  Reading,  who  obtained  it  from  the  Zach- 
avias  estate.     Daniel  S.  Zacharias  received  it  from  M.  S. 
Richards,  Esq. 
84 


These  industries  are  yet  carried  on  by  him. 
For  many  years  Enoch  Caller  operated  a  paper- 
mill  at  the  next  power  down  the  valley.  He 
occupied  a  large  log  building,  a  part  of  which 
served  as  a  residence.  The  mill  was  destroyed 
by  fire  and  the  power  was  afterward  taken 
when  "  Antietam  Lake "  was  constructed.1 
Near  by  a  forge  was  run  by  Philip  Seidel,  and 
sold  by  him  to  Philip  Burkert,  who  built  a 
grist-mill,  which  was  subsequently  operated  as 
an  oil-mill.  Philip  Burkert  also  had  a  forge 
below  what  is  now  Antietam  Lake  ;  but  it  has 
long  since  been  abandoned.  A  little  more  than 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  lower  down  Conrad  Feger 
had  a  paper-mill  in  a  large  wooden  building, 
which  was  destroyed  by  fire.  It  was  rebuilt  by 
C.  Van  Reed,  and  again  burned  down.  Dr.  C. 
Reber  next  had  it  as  a  paper-mill,  and  this  site 
is  now  occupied  by  Kraemer's  woolen-mill. 

Louis  Keaembr  is  of  German  nationality, 
and  the  son  of  Ferdinand  and  Catherine  Krae- 
mer,  who  resided  in  Berleburg,  Westphalia, 
where  the  former  was  in  early  life  a  merchant. 
In  1830  he  exchanged  his  city  property  for  a 
farm  in  the  suburbs.  His  son  Louis  was 
born  on  the  2d  of  January,  1828,  in  Berleburg, 
and  until  the  age  of  sixteen  remained  upon  his 
father's  farm,  meanwhile  attending  theneighbor- 
ing  school.  He  then  chose  his  vocation  in  life — 
that  of  a  dyer — and,  removing  to  Barmen,  in 
the  Rhine  province,  devoted  four  years  to  per- 
fecting himself  in  his  trade.  Seeking  a  wider 
field  of  operation  than  was  offered  at  home,  he,  in 
1848,  emigrated  to  America,  and  remained  six 
years  in  the  employ  of  Joseph  Ripka,  at  Mana- 
yunk,  now  a  part  of  Philadelphia,  as  a  dyer. 
In  1854  he  assumed  charge  of  a  large  dyeing 
establishment  at  Norwich,  Conn.,  and  remained 
thus  engaged  until  1865.  The  previous  fall,  in 
connection  with  other  partners,  he  purchased 
the  site  on  which  the  present  Stony  Creek  Mills 
are  erected,  and,  in  the  summer  of  1865,  the 
firm  of  Kraemer,  Schaefer  &  Co.  began  the 
erection  of  buildings  which  have  since  been  re- 
modeled and  replaced  by  more  commodious 
structures,  the  present  factory  and  its  adjuncts 
having  been  erected  since  1875.     Mr.  Schaefer 

'See  Chap.  XXII.,  Reading,  Part  V. 


986 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


withdrew  in  1875,  and  in  1879  Louis  F.  Krae- 
mer,  son  of  the  senior  partner,  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm,  since  known  as  Louis  Kraemer 
&  Co.  A  more  detailed  account  of  the  magni- 
tude of  this  business  enterprise  will  be  found 
elsewhere  in  this  volume.  Mr.  Kraemer  was 
married,  on  the*  21st  of  September,  1852,  to 
Catherine  Pfeil,  daughter  of  John  Pfeil,  of  the 
same  German  province.  Their  children  are 
Louis  F.,  married  to  Ella  Hall,  of  Huntingdon, 
Pa. ;  Henry,  who  died  in  infancy ;  Caroline, 
still  living;  and  Mary,  who  died  in  1858.  He 
is  not  an  office  seeker,  and  has,  for  that  reason, 
never  held  public  position.  He  is  a  stock- 
holder of  the  Shetucket  Company  Cotton-Mills, 
at  Norwich,  Conn.,  but  to  his  home  enterprise 
devotes  his  entire  attention.  Mr.  Kraemer  is 
a  member  of  St.  Paul's  Memorial  Church  of 
Reading,  in  which  he  has  served  for  many  years 
as  an  elder. 

The  "  Stony  Creek  Mills  "  is  the  only  indus- 
try in  the  township  worthy  of  mention.  The 
firm  of  Kraemer,  Franklin  &  Co.  purchased  the 
property  in  1864,  and  shortly  afterward  began 
the  manufacture  of  woolen  and  cotton  goods. 
This  firm  was  succeeded  by  Kraemer,  Schaefer 
&  Co.  in  1865,  who,  in  1873,  were  incorporated 
under  the  name  of  "  Stony  Creek  Woolen  Manu- 
facturing Co., "  and  in  1879  this  corporation 
sold  the  valuable  property  and  business  to  Louis 
Kraemer,  Louis  Grebe  and  Louis  F.  Kraemer, 
who,  under  the  firm-name  of  "Louis  Kraemer 
&  Co.,"  have  since  conducted  the  enterprise  suc- 
cessfully. Next  below  a  grist  and  saw-mill  was 
long  operated  by  John  Hill,  when  he  turned  the 
mill  into  a  factory  for  boring  rifles  and  built  a 
new  grist-mill  farther  up,  in  Alsace  township, 
the  lower  mill  being  just  across  the  line  in  Exe- 
ter. The  latter  building  was  again  converted 
into  a  grist-mill  and  is  now  operated  by  John 
"Wanner;  the  Alsace  mill  is  the  property  of 
Peter  Wanner. 

On  Laurel  Run  John  Heckman  had  a  pioneer 
grist-mill,  which  was  owned  by  the  Millers  at 
an  earlier  day.  Jack  Miller  supplied  steam- 
power,  but  it  was  removed,  and  water  is  now 
the  only  motor.  The  capacity  is  small.  A 
saw-mill,  built  by  Wm.  Hinnershitz,  farther 
up  the  stream,  has  been  altogether  removed. 


The  attention  of  the  inhabitants  of  Alsace  has 
lately   been   directed   to    vineyards  and  truck 
gardening,   and   many   have  found    profitable 
employment     in     these     occupations.       Aug. 
Wentzel  has  fine  truck  gardens  near  Reading, 
and  in  the  lower  part  of  the  township,  on  the 
slopes  of  Penn's  Mount,  are  the  vineyards  of 
Eberhart  Barth,  John  Reininger,  George  Rein- 
inger and  John  Fisher,  each  being  several  acres 
in  extent.     Others  have  lately  engaged  in  these 
industries  and  ere  long  the  apparently  sterile 
mountain-side  will  be  rendered  more  produc- 
tive than  some  of  the  low  lands  of  the  county. 
The  surface  is  rolling  and  mountainous.  The 
soil  is  principally  of  a  gravel  nature  and  where 
cultivated  is  generally  very  productive.     The 
eastern  and  southeastern  sections   are  particu- 
larly adapted  to  the  cultivation  of  the  grape, 
different  berries,  fruits  and   vegetables.     The 
farmers,  by  industry  and  perseverance,  in  these 
sections,  have  been  very  successful.     It  is  rather 
surprising  that  they  have  cleared  and  cultivated 
such  a  large  area  of  land  upon  and  amongst  the 
hills. 

There  is  not  a  general  store  in  the  town- 
ship. It  has  four  licensed  taverns ;  these 
were  for  many  years  and  still  are  known  as 
Dengler's,  Babb's,  Fies'  and  Heckman's. 
And  notwithstanding  its  riches  and  importance, 
and  its  possession  by  a  thrifty,  energetic  and 
prolific  people,  it  has  not  a  single  town  nor  a 
village  that  is  recognized  by  any  name.  It  did 
not  even  have  a  post-office  for  many  years, 
"  Stony  Creek  Mills  "  having  been  established 
in  1879.  Its  proximity  to  Reading  and  the 
almost  daily,  at  least  weekly,  visits  of  its  inhab- 
itants to  the  county-town  enabled  them  to  pro- 
cure merchandise  and  receive  their  mail  matter; 
the  want  of  stores  and  post-office  was  therefore 
not  felt. 

CHURCHES. 

Zion's  Church,  known  in  the  beginning 
and  still  commonly  called  "  Spies's  Church,"  is 
situated  in  the  eastern  section  of  the  township. 
It  was  first  established  in  1774,  on  a  small  tract 
of  land  donated  by  Victorous  Spies.  Burials 
were  permitted  by  him  in  the  ground  for  about 
five  years  before.  Prominent  among  the  first 
trustees  were  Spies  and  Paul  Feger.      In  1810 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


987 


a  large  two-story  stone  structure  was  erected  in 
the  place  of  the  old  building,  the  trustees  at  the 
time  having  been  Paul  Bar,  John  Babb,  George 
Schade  and  Peter  Knabb,  and  the  ministers,  J. 
Frederick  Herman,  Reformed  ;  and  Henry  A. 
Muhlenberg,  Lutheran.  Rev.  A.  L.  Herman 
preached  to  the  congregation  during  the  long 
periqd  of  forty-tliree  years.  J.  P.  Herline  offi- 
ciated as  organist  from  1839  to  1858.  He  was 
then  succeeded  by  William  C.  Keller,  who  still 
officiates  in  this  capacity.  The  building  of 
1810  is  still  used  for  religious  services  by  the 
Lutheran  and  Reformed  denominations.  A 
Cemetery  Company  was  incorporated  April  16, 
1861.     The  charter  members  were  : 

William  Knabb.  Benjamin  F.  Seidel. 

Valentine  Hartman.  Jacob  Folk. 

Frederick  Hinnershitz.       Peter  Hartman. 

Gottfried  Lutz.  George  B.  Hartman. 

George  Schlottman.  Jacob  Hoch. 

Daniel  Schmeck.  Matthias  Moyer. 

Peter  Fies.  Nathan  Knabb. 

A  tract  of  four  acres  was  purchased  for  the 
purposes  of  a  cemetery  and  added  to  the  church 
property  in  1860.  It  is  pleasantly  located  on 
the  hill-side.  It  is  laid  off  in  squares  and  many 
fine  marble  grave-stones  and  monuments  have 
been  erected.  The  lots  number  three  hundred 
and  eighty-six,  and  they  have  nearly  all  been 
sold. 

Rev.  T.  T.  Iaeger  has  been  the  Lutheran 
pastor  for  the  past  thirty  years ;  and  Rev.  A.  S. 
Leinbach,  the  Reformed  for  the  past  fifteen 
years. 

Shalter  Church,  also  known  as  the  "  Sa- 
lem's Church  "  is  situated  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  township.  It  was  erected  in  1860,  the 
corner-stone  having  been  laid  on  the  9th  of 
April,  and  the  dedication  having  taken  place  on 
the  24th  of  October.  The  building  is  a  two- 
story  stone  structure,  plastered  and  painted  in 
imitation  of  brick.  The  upper  room  is  the 
auditorium,  with  a  seating  capacity  of  three 
hundred.  The  congregation  numbers  five  hun- 
dred members.  The  first  story  is  used  for 
Sunday-school  purposes.  It  takes  its  name 
after  Benjamin  Shalter,  who  was  the  most  liberal 
contributor  towards  its  erection.  The  property 
includes  a  burial-ground  in  area  about  two  acres. 
Dieter  Beitelman   (Bydelman)  first  set  apart  a 


small  tract  of  land  here  for  a  burying-ground, 
and  advised  burials  to  be  made  in  it.  This 
was  in  1790.  His  body  was  buried  in  it,  a 
grave-stone  marking  the  resting  place,  with  an 
inscription  : 

Dietrich  Beitelman, 

Born  June  15,  1709;  died  February  16,  1793  ; 

Aged  83  years,  8  months. 

Faith  Chapel  was  erected  by  Trinity  Lu- 
theran congregation  during  the  year  1885,  in 
connection  with  two  other  chapels  in  Reading. 
It  is  situated  in  the  village  of  "  Woodvale,"  on 
the  road  to  Friedensburg.  Regular  church 
and  Sunday-school  services  are  conducted  there. 
It  is  mentioned  in  connection  with  Trinity 
Church  of  Reading. 

The  following  extracts  are  taken  from  an 
article  entitled  "  Zion's  Hill,"  which  I  wrote 
and  published  in  the  Reading  Times  and  Dis- 
patch on  the  30th  of  June,  1881,  and,  being 
applicable  to  our  churches  and  districts  gener- 
ally, they  are  introduced  in  this  connection  : 

"  This  church  has  the  highest  location  of  any  in 
the  county;  and,  though  not  one  of  the  oldest,  it  is 
nevertheless  to  be  classed  with  our  early  churches. 
The  religious  organizations  which  worship  in  it  are 
Lutheran  and  Reformed.  Both  have  a  large  mem- 
bership. Each  organization  holds  services  in  the 
church  alternately  every  two  weeks.  The  services  are 
conducted  altogether  in  the  German  language.  This 
language  has  been  in  constant  use  from  the  begin- 
ning of  the  church  until  now.  In  many  respects  this 
is  a  representative  church  of  the  county.  The  people 
of  the  vicinity  for  miles  are  attached  to  it,  and  their 
attachment  is  manifested  through  their  devotion. 
This  religious  quality  has  been  transmitted  unto 
them,  for  their  parents  and  grand-parents  exhibited 
it  in  an  equal  degree.  It  was  productive  of  great 
good  to  their  progenitors ;  and  it  is  now  equally  and 
similarly  fruitful  to  them  in  various  ways.  They  are 
not  boastful  of  that  religious  progress  which  too  often 
begets  hurtful  pride,  especially  in  an  agricultural 
people;  and  they  are  not  afflicted  with  intoleiance. 
They  have  indeed  the  religion  of  their  fathers,  incul- 
cated by  such  distinguished  ministers  as  Muhlenberg 
and  Miller,  Herman  Iaeger  and  Leinbach.  They  are 
not  cultured,  but  their  intelligence  enables  them  to 
show  a  contentment  which  a  cultivated  people  too 
frequently  do  not  enjoy.  Their  fellowship  and  hospi- 
tality manifest  a  degree  of  natural  refinement  which 
is  truly  praiseworthy.  Continuous  hard  labor  in 
cultivating  the  soil  prohibits  them  from  giving  that 
attention  to  graceful  demeanor  which  is  demanded 
by  social  life  in  our  cities.     But  they  are  a  faithful 


HISTORY  OP  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


people,  and  their  untiring  energy  is  generally  re- 
warded with  success.  And  their  economic  habits  en- 
able them  to  live  well  and  comfortably.  More  world- 
ly refinement  would  indispose  them  to  give  personally 
the  same  amount  of  labor  to  agriculture,  and  they 
would  therefore  be  obliged  to  resort  gradually  to 
speculation  for  sustenance.  I  have  observed  these 
characteristics  to  be  general  throughout  our  coun- 
ty.    .    .    . 

"  The  people,  being  contented,  scarcely  feel  the 
force  of  government;  taxation  is  light,  crimes  are  lim- 
ited, serious  offenses  are  very  seldom  committed,  a 
high  order  of  morality  is  exhibited  everywhere,  un- 
tiring industry  and  a  rather  rigorous  economy  are 
daily  practiced.  These  are  certainly  the  elements  of 
a  law-abiding  and  prosperous  people.  And  I  think 
I  can  say  that  they  are  principally  attributable  to  the 
form  of  religion  which  has  been  transmitted  from 
generation  to  generation  during  this  comparatively 
long  period  without  any  change.  To  us,  therefore,  it 
has  been  a  fortunate  circumstance  in  the  preservation 
and  development  of  our  people.  Their  houses  have 
not  grown  into  costly  palaces,  their  roads  into  rail- 
ways, their  horse-power  into  steam-power,  their  mail 
communication  into  the  telegraph  and  telephone, 
their  farms  into  out-lots,  and  their  labor  into  specula- 
tion,— all  these  are  generally  the  same  as  their  fathers 
had  them  ;  but  their  rugged  hill-sides  have  been  made 
more  fruitful,  their  manual  labor  has  been  gradually 
decreased  by  the  introduction  of  labor-saving  machin- 
ery, their  intelligence  has  been  improved  by  the  en- 
couragement of  more  schools  and  teachers,  their  gen- 
eral wealth  has  been  increased,  their  health  and 
longevity  have  been  preserved,  their  names  have  been 
made  stronger  in  influence  and  their  sons  and  daugh- 
ters have  been  multiplied.  Who  will  say  that  the 
latter  accomplishments  are  not  of  more  importance  to 
the  well-being,  stability  and  equality  of  a  free  people 
than  the  former  ? 

"Steam  and  electricity  are  importantagents  amongst 
our  people — particularly  in  our  rapidly-growing  and 
beautiful  county-seat,  whence  they  are  extending  in 
every  direction.  They  are  producing  wonderful 
changes  as  well  here  as  elsewhere.  They  are  bringing 
us  into  closer  proximity  with  each  other  every  year. 
By  our  present  condition  and  mode  of  life  they  are 
indispensable.  But  we  cannot  overlook  the  fact  that 
they  are  gradually  making  us  to  be  too  much  a  spec- 
ulative people,  developing  more  and  more  our  feelings 
into  passions  and  our  comforts  into  luxuries  and 
causing  a  more  apparent  social  inequality  through 
the  enrichment  of  some  at  the  expense  of  others  ;  and 
we  cannot  deny  the  fact  that  they — though  they 
should  be  valuable  instruments  in  our  hands  for  our 
uniform  development — are  in  reality,  to  a  consider- 
able degree,  misguided  influences,  which  are  working 
in  us  a  gradual  physical  weakness  and  transmitting 
vast  accumulations  of  wealth  and  high-spirited  blood 
not  much  beyond  a  single  generation.  Why  shall  suc- 


cessful business  men,  whether  in  stocks  or  trade,  or 
in  or  out  of  the  useful  professions,  leave  mostly  only 
asylums,  cemeteries  and  monuments  for  a  gaping 
multitude?  Why  not  blood,  a  living  and  self-perpet- 
uating blood,  that  shall  manifest  itself  in  an  ever-in- 
creasing nobility  ?  Why  not  sentient  living  temples, 
instead  of  pyramids,  sphinxes  and  tombs?  Are  we 
growing  into  a  period  when  millionaires  shall  cele- 
brate an  age  with  uplifted  brick  and  stone,  iron  and 
gold,  carried  aloft  by  a  dependent  people,  as  Cheops 
did  with  his  subjects  thousand-)  of  years  ago?  We 
want  no  golden  calves  to  worship,  no  false  gods  to 
mock  us.  We  rather  want  a  hundred  thousand  people 
in  every  community  to  construct,  without  expense  or 
suffering,  by  a  common  impulse,  a  social  organization 
that  shall  carry  us  into  a  higher,  real  civilization  and 
a  certain  immortality.  We  want  a  posterity  that  can 
take  care  of  itself  and  that  shall  not  be  dependent 
upon  trustees  from  an  ordinary  man  with  uncertain 
sureties  to  an  extraordinary  corporation  with  expert 
officers,  whose  financial  management  generally  brings 
unto  themselves  self-aggrandizement  and  remarkable 
affluence  and  ease.  We  want  a  people  that  shall 
thrive  by  industry  in  productive  labor  and  not  by  ac- 
tivity in  consuming  speculation.  We  want  a  posterity 
that  shall  transmit  physical  strength  and  laudable  in- 
dustry to  the  next  generation,  instead  of  great  wealth 
and  pride,  resulting  in  imbecility  and  idlene*s.  The 
contrast  is  apparent.  By  the  latter  we  cannot  fail  to 
suffer  eventually ;  but  by  the  former  we  mu-t  continue 
to  prosper  and  produce  in  ourselves  and  for  our  pos- 
terity a  physical  development  and  moral  grandeur 
that  shall  make  us  a  better,  and  preserve  us  a  free 
people. 

"  This  beautiful  hill  is  expre-sive  of  our  mo;-t  prev- 
alent religion.  This  inspiring  religion  has  charac- 
terized and  is  still  characterizing  the  great  majority 
of  our  people.  The  qualities  it  has  produced  in  us  are 
the  basis  of  our  moral  and  substantial  welfare.  These 
have  influenced  our  daily  life,  discouraged  evil  of 
every  sort,  and  encouraged  good,  and  directed  indus- 
try into  not  only  profitable,  but  useful  channels.  Our 
agricultural  communities  especially,  from  which  we 
are  daily  receiving  so  much  benefit,  have  been  con- 
trolled and  benefited  by  them.  These  results  in  us 
are  apparent,  not  only  lately,  but  from  the  beginning 
until  now. 

"A  beacon  light  set  upon  this  hill  would  scatter  its 
bright  rays  far  aqd  wide  in  every  direction  and  glad- 
den many  hearts.  Every  township  in  the  county  has 
a  number  of  religious  lights,  who-e  beneficent  rays 
have  been  directed  by  upright  Lutheran  and  Reformed 
minister*  from  churches  on  the  hills  and  in  the  val- 
leys. Their  ministrations  have  been  blessed.  They 
have  not  made  us  a  brilliant  but  a  successful  people,— 
successful  in  having  preserved  an  average  develop- 
ment which  is  not  inferior  to  any  other.  Health,  lon- 
gevity, industry,  economy,  wealth,  intelligence,  mo- 
rality, increase  in  population  and  contentment— these 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


989 


make  a  strong,  good  and  reliable  people.  And  these 
qualities  our  people  generally  possess  in  a  degree  su- 
perior to  that  in  which  our  ancestors  possessed  them. 
To  what  is  this  attributable  ?  It  must  be  attributable 
to  some  good  influence,  for  they  could  not  have  been 
thus  developed  spontaneously  through  so  long  a  pe- 
riod of  time.  And  I  may  here  observe  that  the  county 
has  received  comparatively  little  benefit  from  immi- 
gration or  any  other  outside  influence,  excepting  the 
railway.  So  that  the  development  has  arisen  princi- 
pally from  our  own  people  themselves,  under  the  con- 
tinual guidance  of  some  beneficent  influence.  This 
influence  has  been  our  simple  but  powerful  religion. 

"This  is  in  reality  the  spirit  of  our  people.  It  is  the 
vitality  that  disposes  us  to  be  a  good  rather  than  a 
rich  people.  It  tends  more  and  more  to  create  and 
preserve  a  general  equality  upon  which  the  perma- 
nence of  our  free  government  depends.  It  teaches  us 
that  our  highest  ambition  should  and  must  ever  be 
life,  not  wealth — rather  to  live  well  than  to  die  rich ; 
rather  to  transmit  reliable  principles  than  to  be- 
queath property.  A  noble  teacher  is  this,  whose  great 
and  constant  aim  for  us  is  nobility  now  and  immor- 
tality hereafter.  And,  like  'Zion's  Hill,'  it  will 
always  have  the  bubbling  waters  of  purity  and  excel- 
lence to  flow  in  amongst  us  for  our  spiritual  delecta- 
tion; and  it  will  remain  permanent  through  all  the 
fluctuations  of  an  advancing  civilization." 

Villages  and  Taverns. — At  Stony  Creek 
Mills  there  is  a  collection  of  buildings  which 
give  the  place  the  appearance  of  a  village. 
Most  of  its  inhabitants  find  employment  in  the 
woolen-mill  and  the  neighboring  vineyards.  It 
contains  no  store.  A  tavern  near  by  the  mills 
is  kept  by  George  Babb.  It  was  established  in 
1859  by  John  Babb,  and  has  since  been  carried 
on  by  him.  A  post-office,  bearing  the  name 
of  the  mills,  was  established  in  1879  with  Louis 
F.  Cramer  as  postmaster,  and  Henry  Cramer 
as  deputy.  There  is  a  daily  mail  on  the  Frie- 
densburg  route,  via  this  office,  which  also  sup- 
plies the  Alsace  office,  established  in  1863. 

On  the  Perkioraen  turnpike  a  number  of 
houses  have  been  built,  and  the  locality  begins 
to  assume  the  aspect  of  a  business  place.  In 
1884  Kendall  Bros.,  of  Reading,  laid  out  a 
small  town  and  named  it  "  Woodvale."  They 
sold  some  lots  at  public  sale,  and  several  build- 
ings and  a  fine  Lutheran  chapel  have  been 
erected  since.  In  1820  there  was  a  public- 
house  kept  by  the  Fry  family.  The  present 
Mount  Penn  Hotel  is  kept  by  Charles  Dengler, 
successor  to  George  Dengler.     A  lumber  and 


coal  business  is  carried  on  by  Aug.  H. 
Wentzel,  and  several  mechanic  shops  are  main- 
tained. A  dozen  dwellings  are  along  the  turn- 
pike towards  the  Black  Bear  Inn,  and  a  black- 
smith-shop, carried  on  by  Percival  Leinbach, 
who  has  been  there  for  a  number  of  years. 

North  of  the  Stony  Creek  Mills  is  the  oldest 
tavern  in  the  township,  kept  since  1839  by 
Peter  Fies.  It  was  opened  in  another  building 
on  this  site  about  seventy  years  ago,  by  Benja- 
min Tobias,  and  became  the  property  of  Wil- 
liam Hartman,  who  was  followed  by  Abraham 
Spies.  Before  the  building  of  the  East  Penn 
Railroad  the  place  had  a  large  patronage  and 
was  a  central  point  for  a  large  scope  of  country. 
Several  miles  from  here  Jacob  Hartman,  a  blind 
man,  had  a  public-house  which  was  well 
patronized  on  account  of  the  misfortune  of  the 
owner.  It  was  originally  an  old  log  building, 
but  after  Hartman's  removal  to  the  West  a  new 
tavern  was  built  by  a  German  named  Roth- 
houpt.  In  the  extreme  corner  of  the  township 
the  Heckman  tavern  has  afforded  the  public 
needed  accommodations,  and  is  still  continued 
by  that  family. 

Hessian  Camp. — On  the  southern  declivity 
of  ''  Penn's  Mount,"  near  Reading,  certain 
prisoners,  taken  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution, 
were  encamped  for  a  period  of  six  years,  from 
1777  to  1783.  They  were  mostly  Hessians, 
and  hence  the  place  was  called  "  Hessian 
Camp  " — a  name  which  the  locality  has  retained 
to  this  day.  Huts  had  been  erected  by  them 
for  their  quarters.  Depressions  in  the  ground 
there  still  indicate  the  locality  where  they  once 
stood. 

Mineral  Spring. — About  1815,  Charles 
Kessler  and  John  Spade  erected  a  woolen-mill 
on  Rose  Valley  Creek,  in  "Rosenthal,"  for  the 
purpose  of  encouraging  home  industry.  But 
the  importation  of  foreign  goods  obliged  them 
to  abandon  the  experiment  in  1818.  About 
this  time,  Dr.  Isaac  Hiester  discovered  mineral 
water  at  a  spring  near  by.  He  analyzed  it  and 
reported  that  it  "contained  iron,  held  in  solu- 
tion with  carbonic  acid  gas,  together  with  a 
small  quantity  of  muriate  of  soda."  Then  the 
dwelling  was  converted  into  an  inn,  and  Jacob 
Schneider  advertised  it  as  a  health  resort.     In 


990 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


1837  it  was  converted  into  a  "fashionable 
hotel,"  and  carried  on  until  1856,  when  the 
Reading  Water  Company  purchased  the  prop- 
erty. The  mineral  spring  was  walled  out  and 
an  octagonal  building  erected  over  it,  consisting 
of  eight  iron  pillars,  with  open  sides  and 
covered  with  a  roof.  This  building  is  still 
standing ;  but  the  spring  is  very  nearly  run 
dry,  not  so  much  from  waut  of  water  as  from 
want  of  care.  The  hotel  has  been  famous  for 
many  years  as  a  banqueting  place.  Before  the 
Civil  War  the  leaders  of  the  Democratic  party 
generally  assembled  here  on  the  4th  of  July 
for  many  successive  years,  and  celebrated  the 
day  by  responding  to  patriotic  toasts  and  senti- 
ments, etc.  Madam  Susan  Roland  and  her 
most  delicious  "  chickens  and  waffles "  con- 
tributed much  toward  the  popularity  of  this 
pleasant  retreat  by  the  side  of  the  gurgling 
brook,  over-shaded  by  tall  oaks  and  button- 
woods.  Her  pleasant  manners  and  superior 
cooking  will  be  remembered  for  many  years. 
She  died  April  6,  1883,  aged  seventy-nine 
years,  after  having  occupied  the  place  since 
1850. 

Schild  Murder. — A  "  most  horrible  mur- 
der "  occurred  on  the  hill  several  hundred  yards 
southwardly  from  the  Shalter  Church,  on  Au- 
gust 12,  1812.  The  following  account  appeared 
in  the  Weekly  Advertiser,  August  15,  1812  : 

"It  falls  very  unfortunately  to  our  lot  to  communi- 
cate one  of  the  most  barbarous  and  murderous  acts 
ever  committed  by  a  monster  in  human  shape.  On 
Wednesday,  the  12th  inst.,  after  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  a  man  named  John  Schild,  in  Alsace 
township,  about  four  miles  from  this  place,  began 
with  an  axe  to  cut  up  everything  about  and  in  the 
house.  When  his  father  (who  lived  close  by)  heard 
it,  he  went  to  him,  and  said,  '  John  !  John  I  what  are 
you  doing?'  John  turned  upon  his  father  with  the 
axe  and  cut  him  in  the  breast,  when  the  father  imme- 
diately turned  around,  holding  his  breast,  and  re- 
treated to  the  house.  John  pursued  him,  cut  him 
down,  chopped  half  of  his  head  off,  threw  it  from 
him,  then  cut  his  body  open,  tore  out  his  entrails 
and  heart.  His  mother  approaching  him  with  ex- 
clamations, he  cut  her  down  in  the  very  same  manner, 
taking  her  bowels,  heart  and  liver  out,  and  threw  it 
in  thebake-oven,  which  had  just  before  been  heated 
by  the  family  to  bake  bread.  A  younger  brother, 
being  near  by,  this  monster  now  made  at  him  with 
the  axe,  but  the  brother  catching  his  arms,  threw 


him  down  and  fled.  The  monster  then  tried  to  set  a 
dog  after  him,  but  the  dog  would  not  obey  him,  so  he 
seized  the  dog,  chopped  his  legs  off,  and  threw  bis 
body  also  into  the  bake-oven.  Then  he  set  fire  to  the 
barn,  which  with  all  its  contents  was  soon  reduced  to 
ashes.  His  wife  and  family  had  in  the  mean  time 
fled  to  the  woods,  where  they  lay  all  night  under  a 
tree.  His  brother  in  a  little  while  after  came  back 
to  the  horrible  scene  with  some  neighbors,  to  whom 
the  monster,  after  having  thrown  away  his  deadly 
weapon,  surrendered  himself,  and  said,  '  I  am  the 
person  who  has  done  all  this.'  The  monster  was 
arrested  and  conveyed  to  the  gaol  of  this  place 
(Reading),  where  he  is  now  confined.  A  coroner's 
inquest  was  held  over  the  mangled  remains  of  the 
parents  of  this  savage  monster  !  It  is  not  in  our 
power  at  present  to  add  anything  more.  We  wished 
rather  to  have  passed  it  in  silence,  but  something  was 
expected." 

Immediately  after  the  murder  the  neighbors 
were  terrorized  so  much  as  not  to  be  willing  to 
approach  the  place.  But  Dietrich  Shalter 
(father  of  Benjamin,  who  was  known  to  have 
great  influence  over  Schild)  went  there,  and 
finding  Schild  walking  about  with  the  axe  on 
his  shoulder  said  to  him  (in  German),  "  Oh, 
John,  what  have  you  done  ! "  He  replied  (also 
in  German),  "  Yes,  what  have  I  done  1" 

Schild  was  tried  in  November  following,  con- 
victed of  murder  in  the  first  degree  and  sen- 
tenced to  be  hanged.  His  execution  took  place 
on  the  "  Commons,"  at  Reading,  on  January 
30,  1813.  An  unusually  large  number  of 
people  assembled  from  all  parts  of  the  sur- 
rounding county  to  witness  the  scene.  A  full 
confession  was  made  by  the  murderer  before 
his  execution.1  His  body  was  buried  on  the 
hill  near  by  the  place  where  he  committed  the 
murder.  Sohild's  father  was  sixty-eight  years 
old  and  his  mother  sixty-five,  when  they  were 
killed.  Their  bodies  were  buried  in  the  bury- 
ing-ground  now  a  part  of  the  Shalter  Church 
property. 

Wentzel  Horror. — On  Sunday  morning, 
April  19,  1885,  a  small  out-building  on  the 
property  of  Augustus  H.  Wentzel  was  burned. 
At  the  time  of  the  occurrence  the  two  sons  of 
Mr.  Wentzel  and  two  workmen  named  Hettin- 
ger were  sleeping  there,  and  they  perished  in 
the  flames.     Albert  Knoll,  a  weak-minded  son 

1  Reading  Adler,  February  2,  1813. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


991 


of  a  neighbor,  was  arrested  for  the  deed,  but  he 
was  acquitted  on  the  ground  of  insanity.  This 
produced  a  profound  sensation  and  moved  the 
hearts  of  the  entire  community.  The  funeral 
services  conducted  at  Zion's  Church  were  at- 
tended by  a  multitude  of  sympathizing  people 
from  all  parts  of  the  county. 

Political  Prize  Banner. — In  1852  the 
Democratic  citizens  of  Reading  proposed  to 
present  a  "  Prize  Banner  "  to  the  political  dis- 
trict which  would  show  the  largest  increase  in 
majority  at  the  Presidential  election.  After  the 
election  it  was  ascertained  that  the  largest  in- 
crease had  been  made  by  Alsace  township. 
Accordingly,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  make 
the  presentation,  on  February  19,  1852,  and  a 
township  committee  was  also  appointed  to  re- 
ceive the  banner,  which  comprised  the  follow- 
ing active  political  workers  of  the  township  : 

Jacob  Seidel,  Sr.  Simon  Lies. 

Joseph  Marks.  Reuben  Shalter. 

Daniel  Gotshall.  Benjamin  Hill. 

Abraham  Hartman.  Samuel  Fick. 

Franklin    Rothenber-  Jacob  Marks. 

ger.  Jacob  Seidel,  Jr. 

Henry  Hinnershitz.  Frederick  Seidel. 

John  Seidel.  Michael  Lies. 
Benjamin  Barto. 

The  banner  contained  the  following :  On 
the  obverse  side  there  was  a  fine  portrait  of 
President  Pierce,  on  white  satin,  with  the  pa- 
triotic motto  in  a  scroll  underneath  : 


"  No  North. 
No  South. 


No  East. 
No  West." 


And  on  the  reverse  side,  the  following 
inscription,  in  gold,  on  a  blue  silk  ground  : 

"Prize  Banner, — Presented  by  the  Democratic 
Citizens  of  Beading  to  the  Democrats  of  Alsace  for 
their  devotion  to  the  principles  of  Democracy." 

The  presentation  was  made  at  the  public- 
house  of  Peter  Fies,  by  A.  M.  Sallade,  Esq., 
chairman  of  the  committee;  and  the  banner 
was  received  by  Hon.  Henry  A.  Muhlenberg 
in  behalf  of  the  township.  Other  addresses 
were  made,  after  which  a  bountiful  dinner  was 
enjoyed.  About  three  hundred  persons  attended 
this  exceptional  meeting. 

During  the  last  thirty  years  the  hill  lands  of 
Penn's  Mount,  overlooking  Exeter  township, 


have  been  highly  improved.     The  grape  has 
been  largely  cultivated. 

Recently  a  resort  has  been  established  on  the 
top  of  one  of  the  hills  of  this  township,  and  a 
distinguished  Pennsylvania  German  poet,  H. 
L.  Fisher,  Esq.,  of  York,  Pa.,  made  it  the  sub- 
ject of  an  interesting  and  expressive  poem, 
after  a  pleasant  visit  with  Mr.  Thomas  C.  Zim- 
merman and  others.  With  his  permission  it  is 
introduced, — 

kuchlee's  ktjuscht. 

(Der  Ehrvoller  Alsace  Fuszganger  Klubb  Gewitmet). 

"Drei  Meil  hinnig  Red'n"  do  isch  'en  Weiberg, 
Un  der  Weeg  nuf  isch  ziemlich  geh ; 

Dort  leewe  die  Herre  so  luschtig  wie  Lerch, 
Un  freue  sich,  dort,  in  der  Hoh. 

Im  Friihling,  so  wan  die  Fflgel  z'riick  kumme, 

Un  singe  un  peife  so  scho ; 
Im  Summer — die  Luft,  wohlriechend  mit  Blumme — 

Wie  lieblig  isch's  dort  in  der  Hoh ! 

Im  Herbscht,  wan  der  Wald  isch  brau,  geel  un  roth, 
Un  die  Fogel,  die,  singe,  "  Adee," — 

Wan  die  Felder  im  Dhaal  sin  grii  mit  der  Soot, 
Wie  herlich  isch's  dort  uf  der  Hoh ! 

Im  Winter,  wan  Bam  un  Felder  sin  bloosz, 
Un's  Bltimli  schlooft  unner  'm  Schnee — 

Wan  alles  isch  schtumm  un  weisz  wie  der  Doot, 
Doch  heemelt's  em  a'  uf  der  Hoh. 

Der  Weeg  nuf  isch  iiwerecks,  eng,  un  krumm, 

Un  laaft  iiwer  Felse  un  Schtee ; 
Was  gewwe  die  luschtige  Fuszganger  d'rum, 

Mit  Wei  un  Gesang  uf  der  Hoh  ? 

Im  Morge,  so  wan  die  Sun  sich  erhoht, 
Un  Aurora  gukt  wie  der  Roth  See — 

Am  Owet,  so  wan  die  Sun  unnergeht, 

Wie  'r  gotzlich  isch's  dort  uf  der  Hoh  ! 

Der  Schnee  mag  so  dief  sei — bis  an  die  Knie, 

Doch  traue  mer  als  zu  de  Bee ; 
Mer  saddle  juscht  uf  un  laafe  dort  hi', 

Un  schtelle  dort  uf— uf  der  Hoh. 

En  jede,  der,  traagt  sei  eegne  Lascht  nuf— 

Ja,  des  muss  er  dhu—  all  allee; 
Wie  'n  Dampfgaul,  doch  macht  er  als  "  huff!  huff 
huff!" 

Un  der  Dampf  schteight  hooch  in  die  Hoh  1 

Ich  hab  schun  geleese  fun  Himmel  uf  Erd, 

In  Lander  weit  iiwer  de  See, — 
Was  ware  sie  all  zumm'e  Fuszganger  w'eerd, 

Im  Hausel  dort  hooch  uf  der  Hoh ! 


992 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Ich   hab,   a'h,   schun  g'heert    film   e'   "Hausel    am 
Rhein,"— 

En  Hausel,  "  net  grosz  un  net  klee;  " 
Doch,  geb  mer  die  Freiheit,  Ferkniige,  un  Wein, 

Im  Hausel,  do,  hooch  uf  der  Hoh. 

'S  isch  net  all  in  Geld,  un  hat  mer  die  Welt, 

So  wot  mer  doch  immer  noch  meh ; 
Hier  sin  mer  so  luschtig  un  frey  wie  die  Held' 

Un  die  Adler,  do,  hooch  in  der  Hoh. 

So  liiftig  un  heftig  wie  'm  Adler  sei  Nescht, 

Uf  de  Alpen — weit  tiwer  'm  See — 
So  schtandhaft  wie  'm   Kaiser  sei  Schloss   un   sei 
Feacht, 

Schteht's  Hausel,  do,  hooch  uf  der  Hoh. 

Im  Winter  bloost  Boreas  grimmig  un  scharf, 
Un  die  Luft  isch  lewendig  mit  Schnee; 

Dan  schpielt  alt  Eolus  sei  bescht's  uf  der  Harf, 
Uf  'm  Hausel,  do,  hooch  uf  der  Hoh. 

Es  Wasser,  die  Luft,  un  alles  isch  rein — 

Do  gebt's  ke'  Malari,  0 !  nee ; 
Ke'  Hausel  am  Neckar,  ke'  Palascht  am  Rhein, 

Wie's  Hausel,  do,  hooch  uf  der  Hoh ! 

Es  kummt  a'h,  net  bal,  en  Katzer  do  heer — 
Ke'  Kranket,  ke'  Krampet,  ke'  Weh ; 

Un  es  gans  Johr-rum  wert's  Fassli  net  lehr, 
Am  Weiberg,  do,  hooch  uf  der  Hoh. 

Es  Leewe  isch  fiiichtig  un  kurz  bey  uns'  all, 
Un  der  Wandel  isch  kriimig  un  geh  ; 

Doch  heemelt  em  a'  der  Hall  un  der  Schall, 
Am  Weiberg,  do,  hooch  uf  der  Hoh. 

Endlich,    "  Aschen     zu    Aschen     und    Schtaab    zu 
Schtaab," 

Un  en  Felse  zum  Denkmal-Schtee ! 
O,  dan  schenk  uns  hier,  en  friedliches  Kraab, 

Un  Seligkeit,  dort,  in  der  Hoh ! 

H.  L.  Fischer. 
Dec.  11th,  1884. 


MUHLENBERG  TOWNSHIP. 

•  Erection  of  Township. — The  western  sec- 
tion of  the  township  of  Alsace,  from  the  upper 
to  the  lower  extremity,  is  comparatively  level, 
and  comprises  mostly  fertile,  lime-stone  land  ; 
and  the  eastern  section  is  remarkably  hilly,  and 
comprises  rather  sterile  gravel  land.  The  roads 
in  the  former  were  easily  and  cheaply  repaired, 
but  in  the  latter  the  repairs  were  frequent  and 
expensive.  This  was  a  subject  of  complaint  by 
the  tax-payers  of  the  former  section  for  some 


years ;  finally,  it  culminated  in  an  application 
to  court,  in  1849,  for  a  division  of  the  town- 
ship. Aaron  Albright,  Dennis  W.  O'Brien 
and  Henry  Schoener  were  appointed  commis- 
sioners to  make  and  report  the  desired  division. 
On  June  14,  1849,  they  reported  a  division, 
having  run  a  line  almost  straight  from  a  point 
near  the  Ruscomb-manor  corner  to  the  northern- 
most point  of  the  Schuylkill  bend,  near  the  Big 
Dam,  and  having  suggested  for  the  western 
section  (exclusive  of  the  ground  included  in 
the  limits  of  Blading)  the  name  of  "  Neversiuk 
township."  This  report  met  with  great  oppo- 
sition from  the  prominent  men  of  the  eastern 
section,  among  them  Benjamin  Shalter,  Adam 
Heckman,  Valentine  Hartman,  Peter  Hartman 
and  John  Bernhart.  Their  exceptions  pre- 
vailed, and  the  report  was  "set  aside  upon 
merits  "  on  November  24, 1849.  A  review  was 
asked  for,  and  the  court  appointed  M.  S.  Rich- 
ards, Richard  Boone  and  Benjamin  Tyson  com- 
missioners. A  re-survey  was  made  by  them  on 
March  25,  1 850.  They  considered  the  advisa- 
bility of  continuing  the  name  of  Alsace  town- 
ship for  the  western  section,  and  of  suggesting 
the  name  of  "  Manor  township "  for  the  east- 
ern, inasmuch  as  the  eastern  was  principally 
composed  of  the  "  Manor  of  Penn's  Mount." 
Their  report  could  not  be  found  amongst  the 
records  in  the  Quarter  Sessions  of  the  county. 

In  May  following  a  large  and  enthusiastic 
meeting  was  held  at  the  public-house  of  Jacob 
Kerlin  by  tax-payers  of  the  proposed  western 
section  who  favored  a  division.  Jacob  S.  Eb- 
ling  was  president  of  the  meeting ;  John  Ha- 
beracker,  John  Geh  ret,  John  Leinbach,  John 
Schneider  and  Henry  Leinbach  were  vice-pres- 
idents ;  and  Francis  Parvin  and  T.  J.  Weber 
secretaries.  The  following  prominent  men  re- 
ported appropriate  resolutions,  which  were 
adopted  by  the  meeting :  Daniel  Shepp,  Jacob 
Gehret,  John  Ulrich,  George  Spengler,  Daniel 
Shell,  John  Dotterer,  Peter  Rothermel,  Daniel 
Maurer,  Jacob  Maurer,  Jacob  Moyer,  Daniel 
Zacharias,  Sr.,  J.  P.  Ulrich,  Simon  Moyer,  Ja- 
cob Gehret,  Sr.,  Edward  Leader,  Jonathan 
King,  Henry  Spengler,  Henry  Body;  and  a 
vigilance  committee,  consisting  of  sixty-nine 
members,  was  then  appointed  to  promote  the 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


993 


interests  of  the  movement  in  behalf  of  the  pro- 
posed new  township.  Shortly  afterward  the 
division  was  made  by  the  court,1  and  the  west- 
ern division  was  named  Muhlenberg,  the  family 
of  this  name  then  owning  a  large  quantity  of 
land  within  its  limits.  It  may  be  remarked,  in 
this  connection,  that  this  is  the  only  township 
named  after  a  representative  man  of  the  county. 

INDUSTRIES. 

The  old  Leize  mill,  near  the  mouth  of  Laurel 
Run,  was  one  of  the  first  improvements  of  the 
kind  in  the  present  township. 

The  second  mill,  built  of  stone,  by  Adam 
Leize,  was  long  operated  by  his  son,  Henry. 
The  present  brick  mill  was  built  by  a  later 
owner,  Wm.  Rothenberger.  It  has  been  sup- 
plied with  steam-power,  aud  it  is  now  carried 
on  by  Peter  Rothenberger. 

On  Spring  Creek  (commonly  known  as 
Bsrnhart's  Run)  near  the  mountain,  the  Leizes 
had  a  saw-mill,  on  a  power  which  was  later 
made  to  operate  a  hat-factory,  owned  by  Wertz 
and  others.  Cotton  batting  was  also  made 
there.  Twenty  years  ago  the  power  was  used 
to  operate  a  grist-mill,  which  is  now  owned  by 
John  Grim.  At  the  lower  part  of  the  valley 
there  was  the  pioneer  Rothermel  saw-mill,  and 
on  its  site  such  a  mill  was  maintained  until 
1883,  the  property  having  passed  into  the  hands 
of  the  Bernharts.  A  short  distance  above, 
clover  and  grist-mills  were,  erected,  both  of 
which  were  demolished.  The  grist-mill  was 
replaced  by  the  present  mill,  which  was  built  in 
1856  by  John  Bernbart,  and  steam-power  was 
introduced  in  1876.  The  building  is  a  large 
three-story  brick,  and  is  the  property  of  the 
city  of  Reading,  being  on  the  tract  purchased  to 
obtain  a  water  supply.  Large  reservoirs  have 
here  been  constructed,  from  which  the  water 
flows  by  gravitation  to  the  distributing  reser- 
voir and  also  through  the  streets  of  the  city. 

1  The  record  of  this  proceeding  could  not  be  found  in  the 
county  court-house.  On  February  10,  1851,  an  act  of  As- 
sembly was  passed,  ordering  the  qualified  electors  of  Muhl- 
enberg township  to  hold  their  general  and  township  elec- 
tions at  the  public-house  of  Gabriel  Gehret,  which  was  at 
the  Temple;  and  on  March  11th  following  an  act  was 
passed  ordering  such  elections  also  in  Alsace  township,  to  be 
held  at  the  public-house  of  Peter  Fies. 


Mount  Laurel  Furnace,  near  the  moun- 
tain, on  Laurel  Run,  was  built  in  1836  by  John 
A.  Bertolet,  Mayberry  Bertolet  and  Francis 
Palm  as  a  charcoal  furnace  of  small  capacity, 
and  shortly  afterward  it  became  the  property  of 
Samuel  Kaufman.  In  1846  it  was  sold  to 
Wm.  H.  Clymer,  who  had  it  in  blast  pretty 
generally  until  1872,  when  the  charcoal  furnace 
was  abandoned  and  an  anthracite  furnace 
erected  on  its  site.  This  improvement  was 
made  by  the  Clymer  Iron  Company,  which  was 
formed  in  1873  and  was  composed  of  William 
H.  Clymer,  Edward  C.  Clymer  and  Heister 
Clymer,  the  former  as  president,  the  latter  as 
secretary  and  treasurer.  It  has  since  been  op- 
erated by  that  company.  The  officers  in  1885 
were  Geo.  E  Clymer,  president ;  and  Abra- 
ham Sweitzer,  general  manager. 

The  plant  comprises  about  forty  acres  of  land, 
with  mansion  and  thirteen  tenements.  It  is 
connected  with  the  railroad  at  Temple  station, 
one  mile  distant,  by  its  own  track.  The  product 
is  about  two  hundred  tons  of  good  foundry  iron 
a  week. 

The  company  also  controls  the  Oley  Furnace 
property,  and  operates  it  in  connection  withMt. 
Laurel  Furnace.  It  has  been  out  of  blast  some 
years,  and  was  last  operated  by  Levan,  Merkel 
&  Co.,  from  whom  it  passed  to  the  present 
company. 

Temple  Furnace  is  located  on  the  railroad, 
at  Temple,  the  plant  embracing  a  finely  con- 
structed anthracite  furnace,  with  thirty-two 
acres  of  ground  and  eighteen  tenements.  The 
furnace  was  begun  in  1867,  and  put  in  blast  the 
following  year  by  Wm.  H.  Clymer  &  Co.,  his 
brothers  Edward,  Heister  and  George  E.  being 
associated  with  him.  He  was  the  manager  until 
March,  1871,  when  Isaac  McHose  secured  an 
interest,  and  the  firm  became  Clymer,  McHose 
&  Co.,  continuing  as  such  until  March  22, 
1873,  when  the  parties  interested  became  an  in- 
corporated body,  as  the  Temple  Iron  Co.,  of 
which  Wm.  H.  Clymer  was  the  president,  and 
Ambrose  A.  McHose,  secretary. 

The  property  is  still  controlled  by  the  Temple 
Iron  Co.,  the  present  officers  being  Geo.  F. 
Baer,  president ;  Edward  T.  Clymer,  secretary 
and  treasurer.    The  furnace  has  been  out  of 


994 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


blast  since  May,  1883.  Its  capacity  is  two 
hundred  and  forty  tons  of  foundry  iron  per 
week.  The  larger  part  of  the  ore  has  been  ob- 
tained from  the  mines  of  this  company  in  Berks 
and  Lehigh  Counties. 

Shearer's  Frtjit  Farms,  near  Tuckerton 
station,  are  among  the  most  noteworthy  interests 
of  the  township.  They  embrace  one  hundred  and 
three  acres  of  good  land,  which  have  been  made 
doubly  fertile  by  skillful  cultivation.  The  pro- 
prietor, Christopher  Shearer,  located  here  in 
1858  and  first  successfully  cultivated  grain  and 
hay,  producing  immense  quanties  of  the  latter, 
but  soon  devoted  his  attention  to  the  culture  of 
potatoes  and  tobacco,  as  principal  crops.  About 
the  same  time  he  began  setting  his  farm  with  fruit 
trees,  planting  in  one  year  one  thousand  seven 
hundred  Bartlett  pear  trees  and  near  the  same 
number  of  apple  trees.  All  varieties  of  small 
fruits  were  also  planted,  and  a  peach  orchard  of 
two  thousand  trees  started,  while  the  area  of  his 
apple,  pear  and  quince  orchards  was  much  in- 
creased. In  1885  there  were  two  vineyards  of 
sixteen  acres,  set  almost  wholly  with  the  Clin- 
ton grape,  and  nearly  the  entire  acreage  of  the 
farm  was  devoted  to  the  culture  of  the  fruits 
named,  about  twenty  acres  only  being  set  aside 
for  tobacco.  The  farm  has  been  well  im- 
proved, containing,  in  addition  to  the  home 
buildings,  six  tenements,  large  refrigerators  and 
nine  vaults,  three  cider-presses  and  other  appli- 
ances for  storage  and  manufacturing  purposes. 
About  forty  thousand  gallons  of  wine  are  made 
annually.  From  ten  to  thirty  men  are  con- 
stantly employed. 

CHURCHES. 

Alsace  Church  is  situated  on  the  road 
from  Beading  to  Kutztown,  on  a  tract  of  land 
which  adjoins  the  northern  boundary  line  of 
Beading.  It  was  first  established  about  1740, 
the  exact  time  being  unknown.  It  is  the  oldest 
site  of  a  church  in  the  vicinity  of  Beading.  The 
earliest  records  of  the  church  have  been  lost. 
A  burying-ground  was  included  with  the 
property  from  the  beginning  of  the  church. 
Many  of  the  first  residents  of  Beading,  after  the 
town  was  laid  out,  continued  to  worship  there 
for  many  years  notwithstanding  the  erection  of  ! 


separate  church  buildings  by  the  Lutheran  and 
Beformed  denominations  in  the  town.  A  new 
and  fine  two-story  brick  building  was  erected  in 
1850  on  the  old  site,  the  corner- stone  having 
been  laid  May  9,  1850,  and  the  dedication 
having  taken  place  on  October  19th  to  20th 
following.  This  is  probably  the  third  church. 
It  is  a  fine,  large  brick  building  and  occupies  a 
prominent  position  on  a  knoll,  which  renders  it 
visible  for  many  miles.  In  1885  it  was  hand- 
somely repaired  and  repainted ;  new  windows 
with  stained  glass  were  introduced,  and  a  neat 
baptismal  font  was  procured.  A  life-size 
painting  of  Christ  is  on  the  wall  in  the  rear  of 
the  pulpit. 

It  is  a  "  union "  church  for  Lutheran  and 
Beformed  congregations.  In  1885  the  elders 
were :  Lutheran,  Henry  Say  lor  and  W.  Fisher; 
Beformed,  Beuben  Frederick  and  Amos  Gehret. 
The  membership  then  was:  Lutheran, one  hund- 
red and  ninety;  Beformed,  two  hundred  and 
forty-five. 

A  new  cemetery  was  set  apart  in  1854,  and 
sheds  were  erected  to  accommodate  one  hundred 
teams.  The  church  is  inclosed  in  a  spacious 
yard. 

The  ministers  who  officiated  here  since  1850 
have  been  Beverends  Geissenheiner,  Wagner, 
Iaeger  and  Huntzinger  for  the  Lutheran  congre- 
gation, and  Beverends  William  Pauli,  Augustus 
Pauli  and  A.  S.  Leinbanh  for  the  Beformed. 

Hinnershitz  Church  is  situated  at  Tucker- 
ton, on  an  acre  lot  of  land,  adjoining  the  Centre 
turnpike,  which  was  donated  by  William  Hinner- 
shitz  (son  of  Conrad,  an  early  and  prominent 
settler  in  that  section  of  the  county)  on  February 
17,  1849,  for  church  purposes.  During  that 
year  a  large  and  handsome  two-story  brick 
building  was  erected  by  the  people  of  that  vicin- 
ity, and  it  was  dedicated  on  April  28,  1850, 
taking  the  name  of  "Hinnershitz  Church," 
after  the  generous  donor  who  started  the  move- 
ment in  its  erection.  Two  additional  acres  were 
purchased  for  burying  purposes.  The  building 
committee  was  composed  of  John  Zacharias, 
George  Maurer,  Jonas  Shalter  and  Peter  Both- 
ermel. 

In  1882  the  church  was  handsomely  repaired 
and  a  fine  new  altar  was  supplied. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


995 


The  elders  in  1885  were:  Lutheran,  Frederick 
Hartraan  and  James  Schmeck ;  Reformed, 
James  Keller  and  Lewis  Bridegam. 

The  membership  of  the  congregations  is : 
Lutheran,  one  hundred  and  twenty ;  and  Re- 
formed, one  hundred  and  thirty. 

The  pastors  have  been :  Reformed,  Reverends 
William  Pauli,  Augustus  Pauli  and  Aaron  S. 
Leinbach  (the  last  name  :  officiating  now)  ;  and 
Lutheran,  Reverends  G.  F.  J.  Iaeger,  T.  T. 
Iaeger,  and  B.  D.  Zweizig  (the  latter  being  the 
present  minister  and  having  officiated  for  the 
past  twenty-six  years). 

VILLAGES. 

Tuckerton. — Conrad  Hinnershitz  died  in 
1838,  possessed  of  a  farm  containing  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty-one  acres  in  the  vicinity  of 
Tuckertou.  His  son  William  became  owner 
of  the  land  by  devise,  opened  a  lime-stone 
quarry  and  carried  on  the  business  of  lime, 
coal  and  grain.  This  business  started  a 
station  on  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading 
Railroad.  In  1850  it  was  known  as  Steeleville, 
having  been  named  after  J.  Dutton  Steele,  the 
civil  engineer  of  the  road.  In  1862  an  appli- 
cation was  made  for  a  station,  to  be  named 
"Tuckerton,"  after  John  Tucker,  the  first 
,  president  of  the  road,  which  was  granted.  The 
station  has  been  continued  since  by  this  name. 
Along  the  pike,  a  short  distance  to  the  east,  a 
number  of  houses  were  then  erected,  forming 
quite  a  village.  It  took  the  name  of  the  station. 
In  1881  it  had  thirty  dwellings,  a  church,  tav- 
ern, store,  warehouse  and  one  hundred  and 
sixty-five  inhabitants.  A  post-office,  named 
"Schuylkill  Bend"  was  established  with  Jonas 
Shalter  as  postmaster,  in  1838;  afterward  it 
was  changed  to  "Tuckerton,"  and  Thomas 
Baum  was  the  postmaster.  J.  A.  Moyer  is  the 
present  railroad  station  agent,  having  held  that 
position  a  number  of  years.  Hinnershitz. erect- 
ed stores  and  warehouses  and  was  largely  en- 
gaged in  trade,  being  especially  a  heavy  dealer 
in  grain.  He  was  succeeded  by  Daniel  Baum 
and  others,  the  present  merchant  being  John  A. 
Schaeffer.  The  first  tavern  in  this  vicinity  was 
opened  about  1845  by  Solomon  Horning  and 


kept  by  him  a  number  of  years.     The  present 
landlord  is  Lewis  Breidegam. 

Temple  is  the  largest  village  in  the  town- 
ship and  has  a  pleasant  location  on  the  East 
Pennsylvania  Railroad,  of  which  it  is  a  station. 
It  contains  a  large  furnace,  store,  hotel  and 
about  seventy  buildings  and  three  hundred  in- 
habitants. 

The  place  has  collected  about  a  prominent 
"cross-roads"  on  the  Kutztown  road,  five  miles 
from  Reading.  It  derived  its  name  from  an 
old  tavern,  which  stood  here  many  years  before 
1800,  and  had  for  its  sign  a  figure  of  King  Sol- 
omon, painted  in  gorgeous  colors,  sitting  on  his 
throne.  The  portrait  was  remarkably  well  ex- 
ecuted and  thereby  the  place  became  widely 
known.  It  required  no  great  inventive  faculty 
to  designate  the  tavern  as  the  temple — a  term 
by  which  it  and  the  locality  have  been  known 
the  past  sixty  years.  The  sign  was  three  by 
five  feet  and  the  post  fifteen  feet  high.  It  was 
taken  down  about  1870.  The  tavern  building 
was  of  logs  and  stone — the  latter  rough-cast— 
and  owned,  first,  by  members  of  the  Hartman 
family.  In  1836  the  keeper  was  John  Huyett, 
who  leased  it  to  Daniel  Kerlin.  Isaac  Bieber 
was  a  later  landlord.  The  present  hotel  was 
built  by  Daniel  Kelchner  in  1853,  and  kept  by 
him  about  ten  years.  It  has  since  been  occupied 
by  a  number  of  landlords,  the  present  occupant 
being  William  L.  Graul.  Shortly  after  the  rail- 
roud  station  was  opened  and  named  "  Temple  " 
— the  word  "Solomon"  was  dropped. 

Daniel  Baum  was  the  first  merchant  in  the 
place,  opposite  the  hotel,  where  he  built  a  large 
business  house  in  1870.  In  the  course  of  a  few 
years  he  moved  to  Luzerne  County,  when  he 
was  succeeded  by  John  H.  Schaeffer  and  Daniel 
Kerling,  and,  since  1882,  Michael  Adam.  The 
latter  enlarged  the  building  in  1884.  The  third 
story  forms  a  hall,  used  for  lodge  purposes. 

The  Temple  post-office  was  established  June 
20,  1857.  Since  August,  1883,  B.  F.  Y.  Graeff 
has  been  the  postmaster,  keeping  the  office  in 
connection  with  his  duties  as  railroad  station 
master.     Four  mails  a  day  are  supplied. 

Dr.  D.  L.  Bieber,  about  1840,  was  the  first 
physician  located  here.  Later,  Dr.  William 
Schlemm  settled  at  Tuckerton  and  Dr.  James 


996 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Mathews,  in  1860.  After  the  latter's  retire- 
ment, his  son  Franklin  began  practicing.  The 
present  physicians  are  Drs.  Robert  Huyett  and 
George  Engler. 

Among  the  first  residents  of  this  locality  were 
Daniel  Hollenbach,  a  chainsmith,  who  lived  in 
an  old  log  house  on  the  lot  now  owned  by 
Dr.  Mathews,  where  he  also  carried  on  a  small 
shop.  Daniel  Zweitzig  lived  here  as  a  laborer, 
selling  out  to  Benneville  Rothermel,  a  mason. 
Augustus  Kerling  has  been  a  shoemaker  here 
the  past  forty  years,  and  Daniel  Kerling  a  coach - 
maker.  John  Rothermel  was  one  of  the  first 
carpenters.  In  the  coach-making  business  Ker- 
ling was  succeeded  by  his  sons  in  1881,  the 
firm  becoming  ¥m.  F.  Kerling  &  Bros.  They 
have  a  well-ordered  shop  and  produce  about 
forty  fine  carriages  annually.  Seven  hands  are 
employed.  Cigar-shops  are  carried  on  by  Daniel 
H.  and  John  B.  Kerling,  eight  hands  being 
employed  in  the  aggregate. 

Temple  Council,  No.  339,  American  Me- 
chanics, was  instituted  in  1873  and  had  in  1885 
thirty-four  members.  Since  its  organization  the 
meetings  have  been  regularly  kept.  The  coun- 
cil has  an  invested  fund  of  five  hundred  dollars 
and  is  generally  prosperous. 

Hyde  Park  is  a  name  applied  to  a  hamlet 
on  the  Kutztown  road,  two  miles  north  of 
Reading.  It  is  chiefly  on  sixteen  acres  of  land, 
which  were  laid  out  into  lots  by  John  Frymire 
and  William  Umbenhauer.  The  former  built 
a  large  brick  hotel  in  1876,  which  he  has  since 
kept,  and  north  of  this  point  Henry  Miller  has 
a  store.  Near  by  is  the  old  Geiger  inn,  known 
many  years  as  the  "  Cross  Keys,"  now  continued 
by  Edwin  Becker.  The  hamlet  includes  a 
number  of  fine  homes.  Since  1838  Jacob 
Lutz  has  followed  blacksraithing  at  this  point, 
and  his  stone  shop  is  one  of  the  first  im- 
provements in  the  place.  The  immense 
Wyomissing  ice-houses  were  built  in  1885  by 
Jefferson  M.  Keller,  who  removed  them  from 
Reading.  The  supply  is  taken  from  a  fine 
large  pond,  of  seven  acres  in  area.  Steam- 
power  is  used  to  elevate  the  ice.  Beyond  this 
is  Bernhart's  Crossing,  the  railway  station  of 
Hyde  Park.  It  is  at  the  lower  part  of  "  Spring 
Valley,"  a   vale   of   striking  beauty,  through 


which  courses  the  sparkling  Spring  Creek,  and 
in  which  there  are  a  number  of  improvements. 
The  Bernhart  family  was  early  settled  here, 
and  for  many  years  was  engaged  in  keeping  a 
public-house.  The  successive  keepers  were 
Daniel,  Jacob  and  John  Bernhart.  Opposite 
the  brick  hotel  are  fine  pleasure  grounds,  ex- 
tending to  Penn's  Mount,  and  near  by  are 
several  highly  improved  farms.  The  property 
is  at  present  owned  by  James  Nolan,  of 
Reading. 


HEREFORD  TOWNSHIP. 

Erection  of  Township. — This  district  of 
territory  was  first  settled  about  twenty  years 
before  the  erection  of  the  county,  in  1752.  The 
early  settlers  were  principally  Schwenkfelders, 
and  included  Rev.  Christopher  Schultz,  George 
Schultz,  Melchior  Schultz,  Melchior  Wiegner, 
David  Mester,  Gregorius  Mester  and  Baltzer 
Yeagle.  In  1753  a  petition  was  presented  to 
court,  asking  for  the  erection  of  a  new  township, 
which  was  to  be  bounded  and  described  as  fol- 
lows :  "  Beginning  at  a  heap  of  stones  on  land 
of  Adam  Trump — being  the  chief  corner  of 
Philadelphia  County  in  the  line  of  Northamp- 
ton County;  thence  northwest  1320  ps.  to 
a  post;  thence  by  lands  of  Peter  Federolf, 
Adam  Mon,  Richard  Gregory,  Thomas  May- 
berry  and  others,  S.  W.  1770  ps.  to  a 
corner  of  land  of  John  Hess;  thence  S.  E.  615 
ps.  to  a  chestnut-tree,  the  corner  of  Colebrook- 
dale  township ;  thence  along  the  line  of  said 
township  by  the  same  course  945  ps.  to  a  post 
in  the  line  of  McCall's  manor,  being  the  upper 
line  of*  Philadelphia  County;  thence  by  the 
line  of  said  manor  N.  38  E.,  1800  ps.  to  the 
place  of  beginning,  containing  15,930  acres." 

The  petition  was  signed  by  seventeen  inhabit- 
ants of  this  section  ;  their  names  were, — 

Michael  Zell.  Melchior  Schultz. 

Jacob  Zell.  Christophe  Schultz. 

George  Steinman.  Benedict  Strohm. 

Jacob  Fisher.  Jacob  Stauffer. 

Gregory  Meschter.  George  Bechtel. 

David  Meschter.  Michael  Bauer. 

Peter  Moll.  Abram  Bechtel. 

Abram  Bauer.  Melchior  Wiegner. 
Samuel  Bauer. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


997 


David  Shultz  surveyed  the  tract  above  de- 
scribed on  January  5,  1753,  and  the  lines  not 
interfering  with  any  other  township,  it  was,  on 
February  1st  following  erected  into  a  township 
and  named  Hereford. 

In  1839  a  large  part  of  the  township  in  the 
southern  section,  comprising  about  four  thousand 
two  hundred  acres,  was  laid  off  and  appropri- 
ated toward  the  erection  of  a  new  township 
called  Washington. 

In  1841  a  large  tract  in  the  western  section, 
containing  about  eleven  hundred  acres,  was 
asked  to  be  set  apart  and  added  to  District 
township.  The  court  appointed  James  Dona- 
gan,  Benjamin  Tyson  and  M.  S.  Richards  as 
commissioners  to  view  the  premises,  who  made  a 
favorable  report,  and  the  prayer  of  the  peti- 
tioners was  granted.  In  1849  the  estimated 
area  of  the  township  was  twelve  thousand  acres, 

Taxables  of  1759. — The  following  list 
comprises  the  names  of  the  taxables  of  the 
township  for  1759.  Tax  levied  was  £74  15s. 
6cf.    Peter  Featherolf  was  the  collector. 

£ 


George  Acre 12 

Andrew  Altendorf 2 

Michael  Bower 14 

Samuel  Bower 13 

Widow  Bower 12 

Widow  Bechtel 7 

Abraham  Bechtel 10 

John  Bechtel 14 

Dewald  Beck .'. 4 

Conrad  Been 5 

Peter  Bishop 2 

W.  Daunss 1 

George  Dea 1 

Joseph  Erman 15 

John  Erich 1 

Peter  Federolf. 18 

Nicholas  Fink 8 

Jacob  Finckboner 1 

Jacob  Fisher 4 

Richard  Gregory,  Sen 15 

Richard  Gregory,  Jr 6 

John  Gngory 12 

Ludwig  Ganger 10 

Leonard  Gressemer 18 

Jacob  Gressemer 4 

Martin  Glaber 5 

Peter  Gerich 2 

Christopher  Gehinan 30 

Abraham  Herb 1 

Geoige  Herbst 1 

Jacob  Hane 1 

Abraham  Jeakella 3 

Martin  Kreater. 18 

Michael  Kolb 1 

Jacob  Kunius 4 

David  Kurtz 6 

Mountz  Lorentz 8 

Benedic  and  Michael  Leasher..  10 
Fraotz  Lesher,  Jr 9 


£ 

Frantz  Lesher,  Sr 20 

Casper  Leydecker 3 

Conrad  Ludwig 1 

Jacob  Leibegoodt 1 

David  Master 12 

widow  Moiling 8 

Wm.  Mayberry 75 

Casper  Meyer 14 

Jacob  Miller 12 

Andrew  Mauer 12 

Henry  Miller 1 

Luckess  Mandy 4 

George  Marsteller 2 

Nicholas  Nickum 8 

Frederick  Nester 3 

Thomas  Potts  &  Co. 35 

George  Rorebach 7 

Martin  Reber. 3 

"William  Richard 4 

Anthony  Risse 1 

Andrew  Schwords 2 

George  Schultz 3 

John  Stap 2 

Benedic  Strom 12 

Frederick  Sayler. 12 

Conrad  Schaub 3 

Nicholas  SeydeJl 5 

John  Schudy 1 

John  Shomoud 5 

Widow  Stomeny 14 

William  Shell 9 

Christopher  Schultz 10 

Jacob  Stokr 12 

Melchior  Schultz 18 

Jacob  Trollinger 2 

Jacob  Tressener 2 

Jacob  Trey 12 

Melchior  Weigner 24 

Jacob  Wetzel 8 


Wolfgang  Wolf 

3 

....  12 

10 
1 

...     1 

....     8 

Single 

Men. 

Christopher  Ashbach. 
George  Beyer. 
Henry  Bortz. 
John  Ebener. 
Peter  Faderolff. 

Philip  Leydecker. 
Christopher  Master. 
Philip  Nyst. 
Philip  Rauch, 
Theodore  Schneider. 

Abraham  Gehman. 

Abram  Stoffer. 

Henry  Gable. 
Christopher  Gretor. 

Henry  Scheweckle. 
Abram  Stauffer. 

George  Lahr. 
Philip  Lahr. 

George  Wegner. 
Peter  Wolf. 

INDUSTRIES. 

The  Perkiomeu   and  its  branches  afford    a 
number  of  mill-sites,  whose  powers  have  been 
utilized  for  more  than  a  century.     One  of  the 
oldest  is   the  Wiegner  mill,  long    owned  and 
operated  by  that  family,  and  which  is  now  car- 
ried on  by  Eli  Klotz.     Near  by  a  man  named 
Sleicher  had  a  mill,  whose  site  was  taken  for  a 
new    mill    by   David    Knetz,    and    of    which 
Charles   Knetz    is    now   the   proprietor.     The 
Clemmer  mill  is   closely   associated   with   the 
early  matters  of  the  township.     It  was  built  by 
David  Clemmer  and  is  at  present  operated  by 
James  B.  Funk,  the  motive-power  being  water 
and  steam.    In  this  part  of  the  township  a  small 
pottery  was  started  about  forty  years  ago  by 
John  Frederick,  which  is  still  carried  on  by  his 
family.    The  "  Clayton  Creamery  "  is  owned  and 
conducted  by  an  association  which  was  organ- 
ized in  1881.     The  present  officers  are  Henry 
G.   Clemmer,  manager ;  John   L.  Bauer,  secre- 
tary ;  and  James  B.  Funk,  treasurer.     Spacious 
buildings  are  occupied,  which  are  supplied  with 
the  most  approved  apparatus  for  making  first- 
class  butter  and  cheese,  the  products  having  a 
high  reputation  in  the  city  markets.     It  is  suc- 
cessfully   managed.     William   A.  Clemmer  is 
the  present  operator  for  the  association.    A  few 
miles  from  this,  place  a  tannery  was  built  many 
years  ago  by  Benjamin  De  Long,  which  had  as 
later  owners  F.  K.  Wald,  F.  K.  KDetz  and, 
since  January,   1885,  M.  K.  Smith.     It  is  a 
large   two-story   stone    building   and    contains 
twenty-six  double  vats.   It  is  worked  largely  on 
calf-skins. 

On  the  main  branch  of  the  Perkiomen  John 
E.  Gery  built  an  oil-mill,  which  became  the 
property  of  Israel  Kriebel  in  1833.    Four  years 


998 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


later  he  put  up  a  new  stone  mill-house,  which 
he  supplied  with  machinery  for  making  linseed 
oil.  It  has  been  operated  the  past  twenty-five 
years  by  Henry  Kriebel.  It  is  the  only  oil- 
mill  now  operated  in  the  county.  On  the  same 
stream,  at  Treichlersville,  Samuel  Treichler  had 
an  oil-mill,  which  was  converted  into  a  grist- 
mill by  David  Treichler,  making  the  building 
three  stories  high  and  supplying  three  runs  of 
burrs.  A  saw-mill  at  the  same  power  has  been 
abandoned.  The  flouring-mill  is  operated  by 
the  Treichler  family.  Above  is  the  mill-seat 
improved  by  the  Schultz  family  and  which  has 
been  controlled  by  them  many  years.  Beyond 
the  hills,  near  the  Lehigh  County  line,  Jonas 
Shauk  had  a  carding-mill.  Coarse  cloths  were 
manufactured.  It  has  been  idle  some  time. 
The  next  power  above  drives  the  machinery  of 
the  Christman  mill.  The  present  stone  build- 
ing is  the  second  on  the  site,  erected  by  Jacob 
Christman.  It  is  supplied  with  four  runs  of 
stones.  At  what  is  locally  called  "  Perry  ville  " 
is  the  stone  grist-mill  built  by  Michael  Gery 
and  which  is  now  operated  by  E.  N.  Gery. 
These  mills  produce  large  quantities  of  flour 
annually  and  are  a  great  accommodation  to  the 
people. 

On  the  west  branch  of  the  Perkiomen,  below 
Huff's  Church,  there  was  a  small  charcoal  fur- 
nace, which  was  erected  many  years  ago.  It 
stood  near  a  high  bank,  above  Mensch's  mill, 
and  had  a  long  race,  leading  to  a  dam  above 
Huff's  Church,  to  supply  the  power.  For  a 
time  the  furnace  was  operated  by  a  man  named 
Mayberry,  but  it  was  removed  so  long  ago  that 
scarcely  any  trace  now  remains.  Several  miles 
down  the  stream  the  Mount  Pleasant  Furnace 
stood  for  many  years.  It  was  built  in  1739  by 
Thomas  Potts.  Both  these  industries  are  men. 
tioned  in  the  draft  of  the  township  prepared  in 
1753.  Mensch's  mill  is  also  one  of  the  oldest 
in  Hereford.  The  present  mill  is  of  stone 
three  stories  high.  A  saw-mill  is  operated  by 
the  same  power.  The  Mensch  family  have 
continuously  owned  this  property  for  several 
generations.  Some  distance  below,  Daniel 
Hunter  had  a  pioneer  mill,  which  became 
known  as  John  Rush's  mill,  but  which  is  now 
the  property  of  Hartsough  &  Bro.     Between 


these  there  was  a  forge  carried  on  for  a  time 
by  Peter  Weller,  but  which  was  abandoned  and 
the  building  converted  into  a  smith-shop. 

Iron-Ore  Mines. — Valuable  iron-mines 
have  been  carried  on  successfully  for  many 
years  in  the  northern  part  of  the  township, 
those  on  the  Bittenbender  and  Gehman  tracts 
being  worthy  of  special  mention. 


•d 

-u  cq 

E«3 

i 

o  S 

^  a 

?• 

3g> 

Profit  to 

S3   O 

8  * 

PO 

Prop'ty  Owuera 

SH 

fit's 

£  § 

from  royalties. 

fr< 

& 

Bittenbender  ) 
Tract.        J 

118,000 

$236,000 

8283,000 

847,000 

@50c 

869,000 

Gehman  West  [ 
Tract.         j 

100,000 

200,000 

240,000 

40,000 

@35c 

35,000 

Gehman   East  i 
Tract.          J 

12,000 

24,000 

28,800 

4,800 

@  50c 

6,(100 

230,0011 

9460,000 

8561,80(1 

$91,800 

$100,000 

The  following  table  shows  the  profit  of  the 
iron-ore  mines  in  this  township  till  1880. 

The  yield  was  from  the  entire  field,  which  is 
about  three  thousand  feet  long,  and  averaging 
in  depth  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet.1 

At  the  Bittenbender  mine  the  ore  raised  from 
January  to  August,  1880,  was  three  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  ninety-two  tons. 

CHURCHES. 

Hereford  Church  (Reformed  and  Luth- 
eran).—In  1812  a  stone  meeting-house  for  the 
Reformed  and  Lutheran  congregations  was  be- 
gun on  a  lot  of  land  donated  for  this  purpose  by 
Frederick  Huff,2  which  was  not  completed  until 
1814.  It  was  a  building  almost  square  in  ap- 
pearance, high,  with  three  galleries  and  other 
characteristics  of  the  old-time  church.  This 
house,  from  its  location,  became  popularly  known 
as  the  "  Huff  Church,"  and  is  so  spoken  of  to 
this  day,  although  the  proper  name  is  the  one 
given.  In  a  repaired  condition  the  stone  church 
was  used  until  1881,  when  it  was  taken  down 
and  a  new  edifice  erected,  whose  proportions  and 
attractive  finish  are  surpassed  by  few  churches 
in  the  county  outside  of  the  city  of  Reading. 


1 1  Penna.  Geol.  Survey— "  Berks  "—part  1,  p.  289. 

Frederick  Huff  died  in  1816,  aged  eight j-two  years. 
He  lived  to  see  seventy-nine  grandchildren  and  thirty-seven 
great-grandchildren. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


999 


The  corner-stone  was  laid  June  5,  1881,  and 
just  a  year  later  the  church  was  dedicated.  It 
is  a  brick  structure,  sixty  by  ninety  feet,  two 
stories  high,  the  basement  being  divided  into 
four  rooms.  The  auditorium  is  very  high  and 
has  wide  galleries  on  three  sides,  so  that  accom- 
modations for  one  thousand  persons  are  afforded. 
Thewalls  and  ceilings  are  beautifully  frescoed  and 
embellished  by  life-size  paintings  of  Moses,  St. 
John,  St.  Mark,  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Luke.  In 
the  rear  of  the  pulpit  is  a  portrait  of  Christ 
holding  an  open  book  containing  the  words, 
"Wer  mich  bekennet  for  den  Menschen  den 
will  ich  wieder  bekennen  for  meinem  Himlish- 
en  Vater." 

The  pulpit  furniture  is  very  fine.  A  fine 
baptismal  font  was  the  joint  gift  of  D.  H. 
Schweyer  and  Wm,  H.  Sallade.  The  chandelier 
was  presented  by  C.  N.  Gery,  Wm.  B.  Mull 
and  Dr.  J.  A.  Roth.  A  superior  pipe-organ 
was  supplied  in  1865.  The  church  is  sur- 
mounted by  a  shapely  spire,  in  which  is  a  bell 
weighing,  with  its  hangings,  twenty-two  hun- 
dred and  forty  pounds.  The  cost  of  this  fine 
improvement,  exclusive  of  the  labor  performed 
gratuitously,  was  twenty  thousand  dollars.  The 
building  committee  was  composed  of  Samuel 
Bittenbender,  Charles  N.  Gery,  John  Geisinger 
and  John  Rush. 

The  Reformed  congregation  has  had  the 
pastoral  service  of  the  Rev.  Charles  Herman, 
Rev.  J.  Sassaman  Herman,  and,  for  the  past 
twelve  years,  the  Rev.  Eli  Keller.  Its  member- 
ship numbers  nearly  four  hundred.  The  Luth- 
eran congregation  has  about  four  hundred  and 
fifty  members,  and  is  under  the  pastoral  care  of 
the  Rev.  D.  K.  Humbert,  who  is  the  successor 
in  this  office  of  the  Revs.  Roller,  Kramlich, 
Croll  and  Boyer.  A  flourishing  Sunday-school 
is  maintained  nine  months  in  the  year. 

SCHWENKFELDER     MEETING-HOUSE     JS     On 

the  Washington  township  line,  a  short  distance 
from  Montgomery  County.  Connected  with  it 
is  a  small  cemetery,  where  are  interred  the  mem- 
bers of  this  faith  who  settled  in  lower  Berks 
many  years  ago.  It  is  a  stone  house,  about 
thirty-five  by  fifty  feet,  and  was  erected  in  1824. 
Extensive  repairs  in  1883  have  again  placed  it 
in  a  good  condition.     The  church  members  wor- 


shipping here  are  few  in  number  and  services 
are  held  in  connection  with  two  other  churches 
in  Montgomery  County,  each  church  having  a 
meeting  every  three  weeks.  The  holidays  of 
the  church  are  strictly  observed.  A  Sabbath- 
school  is  maintained  the  entire  year. 

VILLAGES. 

Clayton  is  a  hamlet  on  the  Washington 
township  line,  with  its  principal  interests  in 
Hereford.  It  received  its  name  when  the  post- 
office  was  established,  in  1850.  Before  that  time 
it  had  become  a  business  point.  It  is  located  at 
the  intersection  of  several  roads,  and  is  the 
southern  terminus  of  a  fine  turnpike  to  Treich- 
lersville.  There  are  a  store,  tavern,  mechanic- 
shops  and  half  a  dozen  residences.  The  first 
settler  was  Andrew  Fink,  a  dealer  in  small  beer 
and  cakes,  who  lived  in  a  small  house  opposite 
the  present  store.  He  sold  out  to  A.  B.  Bech- 
tel,  who  put  up  the  present  improvements. 
John  Bechtel  put  up  the  store  building  about 
forty  years  ago,  and  he  and  his  son,  A.  B.  Bech- 
tel, engaged  in  merchandising.  This  became 
the  property  of  Henry  Schultz  and  since  1872 
the  merchants  have  been  H.  H.  and  E.  H. 
Schultz.  The  post-office  is  kept  by  them.  It 
distributes  a  daily  mail.  The  tavern  was  built 
in  1839  by  Jacob  Treichler,  who  also  kept  a 
small  store  in  the  same  building.  After  his 
death  the  business  was  continued  some  time  by 
his  widow.  The  inn  at  present  is  the  property 
of  Frank  Schultz. 

Herefordville  is  a  small  village,  near  the 
Montgomery  line,  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the 
township.  It  has  the  usual  interests  of  a  country 
place  and  contains  about  two  dozen  buildings. 
The  name  was  derived  from  the  township  and 
first  used  when  John  Hillegas  laid  out  the  vil- 
lage lots.  Eli  Ritz  had  one  of  the  first  im- 
provements here,  keeping  a  public-house,  soon 
after  1800,  in  part  of  the  building  which 
still  serves  such  a  purpose.  The  Hillegas 
family  became  the  owners  of  the  property,  after 
Abraham  Shell  had  occupied  it  a  long  time,  and 
enlarged  the  old  stone  house.  They  carried  on 
a  tavern  and  store  in  it.  Later  John  Hillegas 
built  the  brick  store  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
street,  in  which  many  parties  have  merchandised. 


1000 


HISTOEY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Benjamin  Deysher  has  had  a  tin  and  hardware 
store  the  past  thirteen  years.  Lower  down  the 
turnpike,  near  the  Montgomery  line,  Jacob 
Gery  had  a  store  and  tavern,  which  were  kept  a 
number  of  years,  but  have  long  since  been  dis- 
continued. In  this  locality  lived  Dr.  Joel  Y. 
Schelley,  for  a  number  of  years  a  successful 
practitioner.  In  Herefordville  proper  Dr.  Henry 
Babb  built  a  fine  residence  and  was  also  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  The  last  resi- 
dent physician  was  Dr.  J.  P.  Hersh. 

Tbeichleesville  is  a  hamlet  on  the  Perkio- 
men  Creek,  at  the  intersection  of  the  "  Clayton 
Turnpikes,"  and  was  named  after  Samuel  Treich- 
ler,  who  opened  a  store  at  this  point  and  was  also 
the  keeper  of  a  public-house,  begun  about  1830. 
The  latter  has  had  many  owners.  It  was  con- 
ducted in  1885  by  Daniel  Bortz.  The  Here- 
ford post-office,  established  in  1830,  is  kept  at 
this  place,  and  Treichler  was  the  first  postmas- 
ter. For  many  years  H.  Kriebel  held  the  office. 
The  present  postmaster  is  E.  G.  .Fegley,  the 
merchant  of  the  place.  Several  mills  are  situ- 
ated here.  Some  years  ago  a  small  tilt-hammer 
was  operated  by  the  Bauer  family. 

Peeeyville. — Near  the  head-waters  of  the 
Perkiomen  is  a  small  hamlet  called  Perryville, 
or  Gery's  Mills,  long  operated  by  Michael  Gery. 
He  also  had  a  store  and  tavern,  the  latter  only 
being  continued  at  present,  with  Nathaniel 
Gregory  as  the  proprietor. 

Siesholtzville. — North,  near  the  Long- 
swamp  line,  is  the  old  hamlet  of  Siesholtzville, 
which  received  its  name  from  Abraham  Siesholtz, 
the  keeper  of  an  old-time  tavern.  The  first  pub- 
lic house  was  opened  about  1800,  by  a  man 
named  Mensch.  A  store  was  begun  by  Charles 
Helfrich,  and  a  later  merchant  was  Charles 
Gery.  The  Siesholtzville  post-office,  estab- 
lished in  1849,  is  kept  by  the  latter.  A  tri- 
weekly mail  is  supplied  from  Barto.  Dr.  J.  A. 
Roth  has  been  the  medical  practitioner  for 
several  years.  A  few  mechanics  find  employ- 
ment in  this  locality. 

Huff's  Chuech  is  a  hamlet  on  the  head- 
waters of  the  west  branch  of  the  Perkiomen,  so 
called  on  account  of  the  Hereford  Union 
Church,  located  here,  and  the  Huff  family,  who 
first  made  this  a  public  place.     It  comprises 


half  a  dozen  houses.     George  Huff  had  a  public- 
house  at  the  place  now  kept  by  C.  D.  Gery,  for 
many  years ;  the  latter  demolished  the  old  house 
in  the  spring  of  1886,  and  erected  a  three-story 
stone  building  in  its  place.      Abraham  Baum 
had  the  first  store.     In  1871  M.  M.  Gery  built 
a  large  frame  store,  in  which  he  engaged  in 
business  the  following  year.     He  was  succeeded 
in  1876  by  the  present  merchant,  D.  R.  Beeh-. 
tel,  who  is  also  the  postmaster  of  Huff's  Church 
office,  established  in  1874,  and  supplied  with 
a  tri-weekly  mail,  on  the  route  to  Siesholtzville. 
A  fine  hardware  store  was  opened  in  1883  by 
Daniel  C.  Gruber,  and  it  has  since  been  carried 
on  by  him.     There  are  also  a  few  mechanic 
shops  in  the  neighborhood.     The  school-house, 
a  neat  and  attractive  brick  building,  was  erected 
in  1878. 

Tuenpikes. — The  township  is  well  supplied 
with  turnpikes,  indicating  the  enterprise  and 
public  spirit  of  the  citizens  in  that  vicinity. 
There  are  three  turnpikes, — 

From  Clayton  to  Treichlersville,  three  miles  long. 
It  was  constructed  by  a  company  of  citizens  of  the 
township.     Henry  G.  Clemnier  is  the  manager. 

From  Treichlersville  to  Montgomery  County  line, 
one  and  a  half  miles  long.  Managed  by  company  or- 
ganized out  of  county. 

From  Treichlersville  to  Lehigh  County  line,  one- 
half  mile  long. 


WASHINGTON  TOWNSHIP. 

Ebection  of  Towkship. — A  new  township, 
named  Washington,  was  erected  in  1839  out  of 
the  southern  part  of  Hereford  (forty-two  hun- 
dred acres)  and  the  northern  part  of  Colebrook- 
dale  (about  eighteen  hundred  acres).  The  names 
of  the  early  settlers  of  these  parts  are  included 
in  the  lists  of  names  given  for  said  two  town- 
ships. 

EaelySettlees.— The  land  on  which  Esch- 
bach's  Crossing,  Barto  and  Schultzville  are  sit- 
uated, together  with  the  laud  constituting  adjoin- 
ing farms  in  the  vicinity,  comprise  five  hundred 
acres,  or  one-half  of  a  tract  of  one  thousand 
acres  which  William  Penn  granted  to  a  certain 
John  Coles,  of  Calcut,  in  Somerset  County, 
Great  Britain,  in  September,  1681,  to  be  taken 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1001 


up  in  the  province  of  Pennsylvania.  This  grant 
became  vested  in  Samuel  Powel,  of  Philadel- 
phia, who  shortly  afterward  caused  five  hundred 
acres  to  be  located  and  surveyed  in  this  vicinity. 
In  1724  he  conveyed  this  tract  of  five  hundred 
acres  to  Jacob  Stauffer,  a  shoemaker,  resident  at 
Skippack.  A  large  part  of  this  tract  has  been 
retained  in  the  Stauffer  family  from  that 
time  till  now,  it  having  been  transmitted  in  a 
direct  line  from  Jacob  to  Daniel,  to  Abraham, 
to  Henry,  to  Abraham  B.,  the  present  owner. 

In  1734  a  number  of  "  Schwenkfelders " 
came  to  Pennsylvania, — altogether  one  hundred 
and  sixty-four :  eighty-one  males  and  eighty- 
three  females.  Amongst  these  were  Melchior 
Schultz,  his  wife,  Susanna,  and  their  three  young 
sons, — George,  Melchior  and  Christopher.  They 
settled  at  a  point  several  miles  northeast  from 
Schultzville  about  the  year  1736,  where  they 
succeeded  in  erecting  a  capacious  two-story 
dwelling  out  of  tall  oaks,  which  they  had  felled, 
cut  into  logs  and  sawed  by  hand  into  plank,  the 
latter  having  been  placed  on  the  outside  wall  for 
protection ;  and  they,  in  their  early  life,  manu- 
factured wagon- wheels  out  of  oak  timber,  plaited 
horse-collars  out  of  straw,  twisted  traces  out  of 
hemp  and  raised  their  own  flax  and  wool,  which 
they  spun  into  yarn  and  upon  a  weaver's  loom 
wove  into  cloth  for  wearing  apparel. 

INDUSTRIES. 

The  "  West  Branch  "  of  the  Perkiomen  af- 
fords some  water-powers  which  are  not  surpassed 
in  the  county.  They  were  improved  at  an  early 
day  to  operate  mills  and  forges.  In  the  little 
dale,  from  the  hills  of  Hereford  to  the  lowlands 
of  Washington,  a  distance  of  about  three  miles, 
there  are  a  dozen  powers,  two  of  which  at  one 
time  operated  furnaces  and  three  of  them  forges. 
When  the  latter  were  in  operation  this  was  one 
of  the  busiest  sections  of  the  county.  One  of  the 
largest  and  most  widely  known  of  these  forges 
was  the  one  so  long  carried  on  by  David  Schall, 
and  known  as  the  "  Dale  Forge."  '  It  had  a 
very  superior  water-power  and  large  capacity. 
When  first  started  it  was  known  as  "  Focht's 
Forge."  It  has  not  been  worked  the  past  twenty 
years  and  the  power  is  now  devoted  to   the   op- 


lSee  Chap.  VII.,  Early  Industri  s. 


eration  of  a  saw-mill.  Below  this  place  Aaron 
Covely  had  a  foundry  for  the  manufacture  of 
cooking  and  heating-stoves,  etc.  It  became  the 
property  of  Anthony  Eltz,  who  converted  it 
into  a  forge  after  the  foundry  building  had  been 
burned  down.  The  power  has  also  been  aban- 
doned. The  lower  forge  was  long  known  as 
Fisher's,  having  been  last  operated  by  Samuel 
Wise.  Above  this  place  there  was  a  power 
used  successfully  for  a  time  by  Joseph  Rush, 
in  preparing  whet-stones,  the  material  having 
been  quarried  on  his  farm  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. The  quality  was  good,  but  the  layer  was 
limited  and  became  exhausted  some  years  ago. 
While  used  as  a  mill  by  Edward  Meckler  the 
property  was  destroyed  by  fire,  in  the  spring 
of  1885.  It  has  been  rebuilt  and  converted 
into  a  turning-shop.  In  this  locality  the  grist- 
mill of  Jacob  Anthony  is  operated  in  a  small 
way.  Lower  down  is  the  fine  mill  of  Samuel 
B.  Latshaw,  which  was  lately  enlarged  and  sup^ 
plied  with  roller  machinery,  with  steam-power 
added.  This  site  was  formerly  known  as  Erb's, 
and  later  as  Babb's.  The  Mount  Pleasant 
Furnace  was  at  a  lower  site,  where  the  dale 
widens  out  into  the  level  lands.  After  the 
manufacture  of  iron  was  discontinued  the  power 
was  used  to  operate,  a  saw-mill.  Several  miles 
below,  Henry  Landis  established  a  tannery 
about  seventy  years  ago.  It  was  operated  lat- 
terly by  David  Landis  and  by  Jonathan  Ma- 
thias.  It  has  thirty  vats.  In  1885  the  latter 
established  a  currier-shop  at  Churchville.  The 
tannery  has  been  idle  since  1885.  The  last 
power  in  this  county  on  this  stream  operates  a 
grist-mill,  owned  by  Amos  Schultz.  The 
building  is  constructed  of  brick  and  a  profitable 
business  is  carried  on  by  him. 

On  Swamp  Creek  improvements  were  made 
at  an  early  period  by  the  Kummerers,  Bechtels 
and  Stauffers.  On  a  branch  of  the  creek,  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  township,  one  of  these 
mills  is  now  operated  by  A.  Benfield.  Below, 
John  Dotterer  had  in  operation  a  clover  and  a 
grist-mill,  but  as  the  power  was  small  it  was  soon 
abandoned,  when  he,  in  1885,  built  a  superior 
new  mill  on  the  old  Kummerer  site.  The 
next  lower  power  was  made  to  operate  the  oil 
and  saw-mills  of  John  Bechtel  and  others.   The 


85 


1002 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


oil-mill  has  been  discontinued.  In  1882  James 
Bechtel  started  a  grist-mill  in  its  stead  and  re- 
built the  saw-rnill.  The  old  Stauffer  mill,  next 
below,  was  also  rebuilt  in  1882  and  supplied 
with  roller  machinery  by  John  Stauffer,  the 
present  owner.  Near  what  is  now  Bechtelsville, 
the  upper  mill  was  formerly  supplied  with  ma- 
chinery for  making  linseed  oil,  but  became  a 
grist-mill  under  the  ownership  of  William 
Bechtel.  Jacob  Oberholtzer  is  the  owner  of 
the  lower  mill.  It  was  carried  on  for  sixty 
years  by  John  S.  Bechtel  and  his  son,  David. 
It  is  still  a  good  mill.  A  short  distance  below 
the  village  is  the  fine  grist-mill  of  Henry 
Young,  which  is  the  last  power  on  the  stream 
in  the  township.  Most  of  the  above  mills  have 
a  good  capacity.  When  the  water-power  be- 
comes insufficient  they  are  able,  with  steam- 
power  supplied  in  recent  years,  to  manufacture 
almost  constantly.  Altogether,  thousands  of 
barrels  of  flour  are  manufactured  annually  in 
the  township,  indicating  the  great  value  of  the 
flowing  water  in  the  meandering  streams  of 
that  township. 

Norway  Furnace,  at  Bechtelsville,  is  the 
property  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Coal 
and  Iron  Company.  It  was  projected  aud  built 
by  the  Bechtelsville  Iron  Company,  composed 
mainly  of  citizens  of  Washington  township,  in 
1872-73,  but  owing  to  the  panic  coming  on,  it 
was  never  put  in  blast  by  the  original  owners. 
It  resulted  in  great  losses  to  the  projectors. 
Afterward  it  was  first  operated  under  a  lease  by 
the  Pottstown  Iron  Company.  In  December, 
1883,  the  company  transferred  its  lease  to  Gabel, 
Jones  &  Gabel.  Substantial  improvements  were 
then  made  by  this  firm  and  they  have  since  suc- 
cessfully operated  it  under  the  superintendence 
of  Levi  Yocum.  The  ore  used  is  procured  at 
the  mine  of  the  firm  at  Boyertown,  and  the 
daily  product  is  forty  tons  of  superior  foundry 
iron.  Forty-five  nieu  are  steadily  employed. 
The  plant  embraces  thirty  acres  of  land  and  the 
furnace  cost  originally  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  dollars. 

At  Barto  a  valuable  mine  of  iron-ore  has 
been  in  successful  operation  for  many  vears. 
The  ore  was  first  mined  in  limited  quantities 
and    the    operations    were    confined     to    the 


surface.  Within  the  past  twenty  years  steam- 
power  has  been  employed  and,  in  later  years, 
three  mines  have  been  worked,  viz. :  the  A.  H. 
Barto,  at  a  depth  of  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  feet;  the  R.  S.  Landis,  at  a  depth  of  three 
hundred  and  twenty-five  feet,  and  drifts — the 
most  productive  of  all  the  mines;  and  the  mine 
of  the  Pottstown  Iron  Company,  which  has 
been  wholly  abandoned.  Its  shaft  had 
reached  a  depth  of  two  hundred  feet,  but  not 
being  very  rich,  and  the  water  being  trouble- 
some, the  machinery  was  removed  to  other 
points.  In  1885  the  mines  were  idle.  Near 
Bechtelsville  iron-ore  also  abounds,  but  not  in 
quantities  to  warrant  mining  operations. 

CHURCHES. 

Mennonite  Churches. — Among  the  first 
settlers  of  the  township  of  Hereford  was  a  col- 
ony of  Mennonites,  who  have  since,  in  connec- 
tion with  kindred  settlements  in  Montgomery 
and  Lehigh  Counties,  preserved  a  denomina- 
tional organization,  which  was  formed  in  the 
last  century.  These  early  Mennonites  were  od 
very  friendly  terms  with  Father  Theodore 
Schneider,  the  Jesuit  missionary.  They  co-oper- 
ated with  him  in  building  the  first  Catholic 
Church,  in  1743,  and  as  a  compensation  to  them 
for  their  kindness,  an  acre  of  land  was  granted 
to  them  out  of  the  tract  belonging  to  his  society. 
This  gave  them  a  central  location  upon  which 
to  build  a  church  of  their  own.  The  meeting- 
house which  they  then  erected  still  stands  and 
has  a  very  primitive  appearance,  which  indi- 
cates its  extreme  age.  It  is  a  low,  wooden 
structure,  a  little  larger  than  the  ordinary 
school-house,  with  the  joists  extending  far  across 
the  walls  and  the  roof  resting  upon  the  same. 
It  is  occupied  by  the  old  Mennonites,  who  have 
stated  services  there  in  connection  with  other 
appointments.  On  the  same  lot  there  is  a  plain 
brick  church,  forty-five  by  seventy-five  feet, 
which  was  put  up  by  the  New  Mennonites  in 
1851.  The  building  committee  consisted  of  G. 
Bechtel,  H.  Eschbach  and  A.  Bauer.'  It  has 
since  been  occupied  by  them.  Meetings  are  held 
regularly  every  two  weeks  by  their  ministers, 
Rev.  C.  H.  A.  Van  Der  Smissen  and  A.  God- 
shall.  The  members  number  nearly  two  hundred. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1003 


During  the  past  sixteen  years  they  have 
maintained  a  flourishing  Sabbath-school.  James 
H.  Funk  is  the  present  superintendent.  The 
congregations  at  Boyertown  are  a  part  of  the  old 
Hereford  (or  Colebrookdale)  congregation,  and 
the  account  there  given  will  serve  as  a  history  of 
these  congregations  in  the  more  important  mat- 
ters and  the  causes  which  led  to  their  separate 
establishment.  The  cemetery  of  the  Washing- 
ton churches  contains  a  large  number  of  graves 
and  is  kept  in  good  condition. 

Church  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament. — 
The  earliest  Roman  Catholic  Church  in  the 
county  was  erected  in  this  township  in  the 
eastern  section,  about  a  half-mile  from  the  county 
line.  The  first  church  was  built,  in  1743,  by 
the  Rev.  Theodor  Schneider,  from  Bavaria,  for 
the  "Society  of  Jesus."  During  his  efforts  in 
this  behalf  he  was  assisted  by  the  Menuonites 
and  Schwenkfelders.  This  building  is  still 
standing  in  a  good  state  of  preservation.  The 
record  of  baptisms  begins  with  the  year  1741, 
and  includes,  among  other  districts,  Maxatawni, 
Tulpehaken  and  Goshenhoppen.  Two  patents 
were  taken  up  for  land — one  for  one  hundred 
and  twenty-one  acres  by  Father  Neale,  in  1747, 
and  the  other  for  three  hundred  and  seventy- 
three  acres  by  Father  Greaton,  in  1748.  A 
substantial  brick  church  was  erected  in  front 
of  the  old  church  in  1837,  including  a  steeple, 
in  which  two  superior  bells  were  placed.  The 
church  was  recently  improved,  figures  were 
introduced  and  fine  lamps  were  supplied  for 
evening  services.  Two  masses  are  conducted 
on  Sundays. 

In  1882  the  old  mission-house  was  torn 
down  and  a  brick  residence  was  erected  for  the 
priest.  A  new  cemetery  was  set  apart  and  con- 
secrated October  6,  1876. 

Three  priests  lie  buried  under  the  floor  at  the 
pulpit  in  the  old  church  building.  They  were 
the  first,  Father  Schneider,  who  died  July  10, 
1764,  aged  sixty-two  years;  the  second,  Father 
John  Baptist  de  Ritter,  who  died  February  3, 
1787,  aged  seventy  years,  after  having  held  the 
mission  for  twenty  years ;  and  the  fifth,  Father 
Paulus  Erntzen,  who  died  March  26,  1818, 
aged  fifty-three  years,  after  having  held  the 
mission  twenty-seven  years. 


In  1820  Father  Paul  Kohlman,  a  Franciscan 
monk,  became  the  first  priest  of  the  "Society  of 
Jesus."  He  was  assisted  by  Father  Corvin,  a 
Pole,  till  1827;  then  the  latter  became  the 
priest,  and  he  continued  to  officiate  till  his 
death,  October  11,  1837. 

Rev.  Augustus  Bally  began  his  service  here 
November  1, 1837,  and  he  continued  to  officiate 
as  priest  with  great  success  for  a  period  of  forty- 
four  years.  He  died  January  28,  1882.  He 
was  a  native  of  Belgium  and  won  a  high  posi- 
tion as  a  priest  in  this  denomination.  He 
possessed  an  active  mind,  and  he  was  recognized 
for  his  liberality  and  enterprising  spirit.  Be- 
sides completing  the  church,  which  had  been 
begun  before  he  arrived,  he  also  erected  a  fine 
brick  school-house. 

Rev.  John  Baptiste  Meurer  succeeded  Father 
Bally  as  priest,  after  having  assisted  him  since 
September  1,  1875.  The  parish  now  numbers 
three  hundred  and  twenty-five  families. 

Father  Schneider  was  settled  here  perma- 
nently in  1741.  He  erected  a  small  two-story 
building,  with  one  room  on  each  floor,  soon 
after  he  arrived.  In  the  room  on  the  first  floor 
he  instituted  a  school  in  1743.  It  is  said  that 
about  that  time  he  and  his  scholars  were  com- 
pelled to  remain  in  the  building  for  a  day  and 
night  owing  to  a  heavy  snow-fall.  This  school 
building  is  still  standing.  A  school  was  con- 
ducted successfully  in  it  till  the  township 
accepted  the  common-school  system,  in  1850, 
when  the  congregation  established  a  parochial 
school.  Reverend  Father  Bally  erected  a  fine 
brick  school  building,  to  take  the  place  of  the 
old  school-house.  The  school  term  extends 
through  eight  months  of  the  year.  Father 
Meurer  pays  the  expense  of  one  month,  and  the 
remaining  expense  is  paid  by  subscription. 

VILLAGES. 

Churchville  is  a  pleasant  village  near  the 
northeastern  line  of  the  township.  It  was  laid  out 
in  1860,  by  the  Rev.  Father  Bally,  on  the  lands 
of  the  Catholic  Society  of  Jesus.  It  is  situated 
in  a  very  fertile  country,  and  the  beauty  of  its 
location  is  not  excelled  by  any  other  village  in 
the  county.  In  this  vicinity  there  are  the  fine 
Church  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  two  Menno- 


1004 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


nite  Churches,  stores  and  various  kinds  of  me- 
chanic shops.  The  residences  are  substantial 
looking,  and  bear  evidence  of  the  thrift  and 
comfort  of  the  owners. 

One  of  the  first  improvements  was  the  public- 
house  kept  by  Nicholas  Andre,  soon  after  1860. 
It  was  subsequently  enlarged  by  Samuel  Cole 
and  has  since  had  a  number  of  keepers.  Oppo- 
site is  a  general  store  carried  on  by  Wm.  Bech- 
tel  since  1869;  also  the  hardware-store  of 
Henry  Reding,  being  a  branch  store  of  that  first 
established  here  by  Bechtel  &  Diehl.  A  clock 
and  jewelry-store  has  been  carried  on  by  E.  S. 
Gehman  since  1882,  aud  a  general  store  by 
Frank  Johnson  since  the  fall  of  1883.  A  plan- 
ing-mill,  operated  by  steam,  was  started  in  the 
spring  of  1886  by  Anthony  Johnson.  To  the 
north  a  hardware-store,  begun  in  1869,  by  Jo- 
seph Diehl,  is  carried  on  by  H.  M.  Diehl  & 
Bro.  A  post-office  was  established  at  Church- 
ville  in  October,  1883,  with  the  name  of  Bally, 
and  of  which  Wm.  Bechtel  was  the  first  post- 
master. February  15,  1886,  Aug.  Kuhn  suc- 
ceeded him.  A  daily  mail  is  supplied.  The 
village  has  at  present  over  three  hundred  in- 
habitants. 

Barto  is  situated  at  the  northern  terminus  of 
the  Colebrookdale  Railroad,  in  the  centre  of  the 
township.  It  was  laid  out  in  1869  by  Thomas 
Christman,  guardian  of  Abraham  H.  Barto,  on 
land  of  the  latter,  at  a  point  where  the  railroad 
company  was  then  erecting  a  depot.  It  was 
first  called  "  Mount  Pleasant,"  because  of  its 
nearness  to  the  spot  where  the  old  "  Mount 
Pleasant  Furnace"  formerly  stood.  The  name 
was  changed  to  Barto  in  1875  by  the  railroad 
company,  to  distinguish  it  from  other  places  of 
the  same  Dame.  In  1881  it  contained  a  store, 
hotel,  thirteen  dwellings  and  sixty-six  inhabi- 
tants. An  extensive  business  in  coal  and  lum- 
ber is  carried  on  by  William  D.  Schall.  A 
large  and  valuable  body  of  magnetic  iron-ore 
has  been  mined  in  the  immediate  vicinity. 
Jacob  Fretz  was  the  first  agent  of  the  railroad. 
Since  1875  the  position  has  been  filled  by  W. 
W.  Albright.  Ore  was  formerly  shipped  in 
large  quantities,  but  not  since  1884.  The  first 
building  in  the  place  was  put  up  in  1869  by 
Schall  &  Bauer,  dealers  in  lumber  and  coal,  and 


was  part  of  the  present  hotel  first  opened  by 
Eli  Gilbert.  The  house  was  enlarged  by  R.  S. 
Smith  in  1873,  and  kept  by  him  ten  years. 
The  first  general  store  was  opened,  in  1878,  by 
B.  F.  Sell.  He  was  succeeded  in  the  spring  of 
1885  by  Smith  &  Stauffer.  The  Barto  post- 
office  was  established  in  1882,  and  B.  F.  Sell 
served  as  postmaster  until  April  7,  1885,  when 
J.  A.  Smith  was  appointed.  It  has  two  mails 
per  day  and  is  the  distributing  point  for  a 
number  of  offices. 

Schultzville  is  situated  a  half-mile  east- 
wardly  from  Barto,  at  the  intersection  of  two 
public  roads, — one  leading  from  Boyertown  to 
Allentown,  and  the  other  from  Dale  (Barto)  to 
Zieglersville.  It  was  named  in  1833  by  Chris- 
topher K.  Schultz,  who  then  and  for  over  twenty 
years  afterward  conducted  here  a  store  and  tavern. 
A  post-office,  named  "Colebrookdale,"  was  estab- 
lished here  in  1828,  and  Mr.  Schultz  served  as 
postmaster  till  his  death,  in  1856.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  present  postmaster,  P.  D.  Schall, ' 
who  is  also  the  proprietor  of  the  store  and  tav- 
ern. In  1881  it  contained  a  hotel,  a  store,  seven 
dwellings  and  fifty  inhabitants.  An  independent 
school  district  was  established  in  1852  out  of 
territory  comprising  the  village  and  adjacent 
properties,  since  which  time  the  directors  have 
conducted  a  successful  school,  with  the  scholars 
varying  in  number  from  thirty  to  fifty. 

This  place  has  no  mechanic-shops.  Dr. 
Chester  Clark  practiced  there  as  a  physician 
from  1828  till  1842  ;  then  the  property  passed 
into  the  possession  of  D.  S.  Schultz,  Esq.,  who 
has  since  occupied  it.  He  is  a  practical  sur- 
veyor. The  Schultz  and  Stauffer  families  have 
been  land-owners  here  for  more  than  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years. 

North  of  Barto,  near  the  Hereford  line,  the 
Dale  post  office  was  established  in  1828,  the 
name  being  suggested  by  the  Dale  Forge,  car- 
ried on  then  at  that  point.  The  office  has  been 
kept  by  the  Schall  family  since  its  establish- 
ment, the  present  mistress  being  Mary  Schall. 

In  this  neighborhood  the  Covelys  opened  a 
public-house.  This  became  the  property  of 
Abraham  Trollinger,  and  he  then  carried  on  a 
store  also.  These  interests  have  been  continued 
since  by  different  parties.     After  the  forges  in 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1005 


the  valley  were  abandoned,  the  place  ceased  to 
be  an  important  business  point. 

Eschbach  is  nearly  a  mile  southwest  of 
Barto.  It  is  also  a  station  on  the  railroad.  It  con- 
tains several  shops,  a  store  and  tavern  and  about 
twenty  buildings.  It  took  its  name  after  George 
M.  Eschbach,  a  successful  stock  dealer  and 
tavern-keeper  on  the  road  west  of  the  present 
railroad  station.  He  encouraged  the  railroad 
enterprise  by  a  liberal  subscription  for  the 
bonds  of  the  company.  The  tavern  is  at  pres- 
ent carried  on  by  William  Hartsough,  who  has, 
also,  a  cigar-factory  in  which  eight  hands  are 
employed.  Adam  Glase  had  the  first  store  in 
1858,  having  removed  here  from  Bechtelsville. 
The  present  merchant  is  William  Hines,  also 
the  keeper  of  the  Bechtelsville  post-office,  es- 
tablished half  a  mile  west,  in  1852,  with  Isaac 
Bechtel  as  postmaster.  In  1858  George  M. 
Eschbach  was  the  postmaster  and  had  the  office 
first  transferred  to  this  place  ;  but,  in  1866,  when 
Jacob  E.  Bowman  had  the  office,  it  was  returned 
to  Bechtelsville,  thus  intermingling  the  interests 
of  the  two  places.     The  place  was  not  laid  out. 

Bechtelsville  is  a  growing  village,  with 
a  fine,  large  furnace,  mills,  several  stores  and 
taverns  and  sixty  good  houses,  occupied  by 
seventy  families.  The  increase  of  population 
has  been  greatest  during  the  past  few  years  and 
almost  all  the  entire  growth  has  been  made 
since  1869,  when  it  became  a  railway  station. 
Before  that  time  there  were  two  mills  and 
three  houses,  most  of  them  belonging  to  the 
family  of  John  S.  Bechtel,  after  whom  the 
place  took  its  name.  The  village  has  a  pleasant 
location  on  Swamp  Creek.  Isaac  Bechtel  had 
the  first  store  in  a  building  near  the  mill,  some 
time  about  1850.  The  building  was  after- 
wards converted  into  a  tavern,  which  is  still 
kept.  Another  tavern  was  opened  by  David 
K.  Borkey.  This  became  the  property  of 
Matthias  Dotterer,  and  he  then  introduced  a 
store.  Two  more  stores  were  opened  in  1885, 
by  H.  C.  Sehoenley  and  John  E.  Stangier  & 
Bro.  The  cabinet  and  undertaking  business 
was  established  in  1883  by  William  Conrad. 
A  marble-yard  is  owned  and  carried  on  by 
Thomas  W.  Hoffman  &  Son;  and  J.  H.  Moyer 
is  a  dealer  in  coal  and  feed. 


PHYSICIANS. 

In  1884  Dr.  B.  S.  Grim  located  here  as  a 
physician  and  continues  in  practice.  At  Esch- 
bach, Dr.  Franklin  E.  Brunner  (the  present 
State  Senator  from  Berks  County)  has  been  in 
practice  the  past  twenty-five  years ;  at  Church- 
ville,  Dr.  Isaac  It.  Yeagle,  the  past  eighteen 
years;  and  near  the  latter  place  Dr.  C.  K. 
Christian,  the  past  sixteen  years.  The  first  to 
practice  medicine  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
township  was  Dr.  Joel  Y.  Shelly,  who  lived 
near  Herefordville.  He  was  the  preceptor  of 
Dr.  Nathan  Young,  who  was  at  Schultzville 
from  1828  till  1842.  Dr.  Oliver  Young  also 
practiced  medicine  at  that  place.  Drs.  John 
and  Joseph  Wilson  were  practitioners  a  short 
time,  the  latter  retiring  and  the  former  moving 
to  Bethlehem. 

Abeam  H.  Barto,  of  Washington  town- 
ship, is  the  son  of  Isaac  Bartow  (as  the 
name  was  first  spelled),  who  was  born  in  Oley 
township  August  17,  1786,  and,  in  1812,  was 
married  to  Elizabeth  Feger.  In  April,  1838, 
Mrs.  Bartow  and  her  two  daughters  died.  On 
November  24,  1843,  Mr.  Bartow  was  married 
to  Magdalena  Huber,  by  whom  he  had  one  son 
— Abram.  Isaac  Bartow  came  from  Oley  in 
1813,  and  purchased  land  in  what  was  then 
Hereford  (now  Washington)  township.  The 
tract  contains  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres.  He 
died  June  27,  1865,  highly  honored  and  re- 
spected. Abram,  his  son,  succeeded  in  the 
ownership  of  his  property. 

Abram  H.  Barto  was  born  March  4, 
1855.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools, 
Mount  Pleasant  Seminary,  at  Boyertown,  and 
the  Kutztown  State  Normal  School.  In  1875 
he  took  a  scientific  course  in  the  Allentown 
Business  College.  He  married  Miss  Stauffer, 
and  they  have  three  children. 

In  1868  the  Colebrookdale  Railroad  Com- 
pany surveyed  its  line  from  Pottstown,  via 
Boyertown,  to  a  terminus  on  and  near  the  west- 
ern border  of  Mr.  Barto's  farm.  The  road  was 
soon  completed  and  a  fine  depot  erected  at  this 
terminus.  In  1870  he  had  building  lots  sur- 
veyed and  commenced  to  sell  them.  A  dozen 
houses  have  since  been  erected,  and  the  name  of 


1006 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


the  station  changed  from  "  Mount  Pleasant "  to 
"  Barto,"  which  is  also  the  name  of  the  post- 
office.  Mr.  Barto  conducts  a  store  at  this  place. 
He  is  closely  identified  with  Sunday-school 
and  church  matters. 


lowing   five  persons   only  were    mentioned  as 
patentees: 

Jacob  Tysher,  patent  issued  April  25,  1764,  for  one 
hundred  acres. 
Adam  Speitlemyer,  patent  issued  December  9,  1766, 
for  one  hundred  and  one  acres. 


RUSCOMB-MANOR  TOWNSHIP. 

Manor  of  Pojscomb  Erected. — Pursuant 
to  a  verbal  order  from  the  proprietor,  Nicholas 
Scull  surveyed,  on  July  26,  1739,  for  the  pro- 
prietors' use,  a  large  tract  of  land,  situated  be- 
tween Oley  and  Maiden  creek,  containing  ten 
thousand  acres,  which  was  named  the  "  Manor 
ofRuscombe." 

No  positive  information  was  obtained  respect- 
ing the  early  settlements  in  this  district  of  terri- 
tory. It  is  more  than  probable,  however,  that 
very  few  settlements  were  made  in  it  prior  to 
1752.  This  inference  is  drawn  from  a  survey 
made  by  Cadwalader  Evans,  Jr.,  in  August 
1789.     In  a  return  made  by  him  then,  the  fol- 


John  Riegel,  patent  issued  February  2,  1772,  for 
fifty  six  acres. 

Jacob  Zauger,  patent  issued  February  21,  1772,  for 
one  hundred  and  ten  acres. 

Conrad  Schmell,  patent  issued  February  21,  1787, 
for  thirty-eight  acres. 

Other  patentees  then  were  John  Christian 
Slegle,  Jacob  Miller,  Yost  Wagner,  Ulrich 
Hny  and  Conrad  Price,  and  there  is  also  given 
a  list  of  names  of  persons  who  have  marked 
out  lands  for  themselves  within  the  manor  lines. 
This  list  comprises  one  hundred  and  fifteen 
names,  and  the  tracts  together  contained  eight 
thousand  nine  hundred  and  eighteen  acres  and 
twenty  three  perches.  It  is  more  than  likely 
that  if  settlers  to  any  considerable  number  had 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1007 


located  in  this  section,  they  would  have  takeu 
up  lands  by  patent  more  than  those  named  as 
settlers  did  in  neighboring  districts.1 

I  was  not  able  to  find  any  record  of  the 
erection  of  the  manor  into  a  township.  Its 
lines  were  changed  by  the  erection  of  neighbor- 
ing districts  into  townships.  The  earliest  evi- 
dence of  it  as  a  township  is  the  assessment 
record  of  the  county  for  the  year  1759,  in 
which  it  is  included  in  the  list  of  townships. 

Taxables  for  1759. — The  following  list 
comprises  the  names  of  the  taxables  in  the  town- 
ship in  1759.  The  total  tax  levied  was  £16 
lis.  6d.     Jacob  Leapert  was  the  collector, — 


George  Angstadt 4 

Joseph  Allgaier 2 

John  Allbright 2 

George  Becker 3 

Christian  Bruchman 2 

Frederick  Bachman 2 

Frederick  Boyer 2 

Henry  Boudt 2 

Jacob  Brown 1 

Anthony  Broost 1 

Jacob  Deiser 12 

Jacob  Doylman 1 

Peter  Diethelman 4 

Dietrich  Fall 5 

Jacob  Fuchs 4 

Michael  Fisher 1 

Valentine  Ginter 4 

Bastian  Gernant 4 

Jacob  Gilbert _ 2 

Nicholas  Gilbert 5 

Jacob  Heller 1 

Stephen  Haverhacker o 

Casper  Hoffman 2 

Christian  Hoffnagle 3 


Anthony  Kruest 1 

Philip  Kluniuger 2 

Simon  Kraus 4 

Peter  Kline 1 

Frederick  Liess 4 

Henry  Liess 2 

Jacob  Liebert 8 

Henry  Landerslagle 1 

Michael  Miller 4 

Tobias  Metzger 1 

Jacob  Michael 6 

Conrad  Piiess 12 

John  Riegle 3 

George  Rock 5 

Ludwig  Biegle 5 

Adam  Smeal 8 

George  Swartz 1 

Andreas  Sigfried 4 

Michael  Sigfried 6 

Godlieb  Volck 3 

Tost  Waggoner 10 

John  Weidinghamer 7 

Peter  Williams 6 

Jacob  Zouner 2 


Kraftt  Kearn 1 

Single  Men. 
Dietrich  Fall.  Christopher  Gernandt. 

ToBt  Fall. 

Owing  to  the  altitude  of  the  township  and 
the  temperate  habits  of  its  citizens,  a  large 
number  of  people  attain  extreme  old  age.  A 
partial  list  of  those  who  have  passed  the 
allotted  "  three-score  years  and  ten  "  shows  that 
Daniel  Eider,  at  the  age  of  ninety-six,  is  still 
able  to  do  work  on  the  public  roads ;  John 
Gift,  eighty-six  years  old ;  John  Manwiller, 
eighty-five;  John  Heller,  eighty-eight;  David 
Manwiller,  eighty-two ;  John  Glasser,  eighty- 
one  ;  John  Buskirk,  John  Heller  and  Daniel 
Moyer,  eighty ;  and  Daniel  Brown,  John 
Rider,  Isaac  Hoefler,  Samuel  Schmehl,  John 

•Rupp,  in  his  "History  of  Berk  i  County,"  page  244, 
mentions  the  names  of  thirty-eight  land-holders  within 
the  township  in  1749. 


Haas,   Benjamin    Foos,  Charles   Schaeffer   and 
Daniel  Spies  are  each  over  seventy-five  years. 

The  highest  point  in  the  township  is  on 
"  "Wagner's  Head,"  about  a  mile  southwardly 
from  Pricetown.  It  is  about  two  hundred  feet 
higher  than  Pricetown  and  seven  hundred  feet 
higher  than  Fleetwood,  on  the  East  Pennsylva- 
nia Railroad  (two  miles  distant),  or  about 
eleven  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  the  sea.  It 
commands  a  magnificent  view  of  the  East  Penn 
Valley  to  the  north,  Lebanon  Valley  to  the 
west  and  the  Oley  Valley  to  the  southeast. 

Industries. — The  water-power  of  Ruscomb- 
manor  is  limited  to  several  small  streams  whose 
volume  is  strong  enough  to  operate  small  mills 
or  other  common  industries.  Near  Pricetown 
William  D.  Haines  had  in  successful  operation 
a  good  tannery  from  1824  for  a  number  of 
years.  William  Haas  was  a  later  owner  and 
tanned  until  ten  years  ago,  when  work  was 
discontinued.  Below  this  place  George  Heck- 
man  carried  on  a  tannery  until  his  death, 
when  the  property  passed  into  the  possession  of 
Benjamin  Kline,  who  then  operated  it  for  some 
years.  These  buildings  have  been  removed.  In 
1855  Michael  Buck  put  up  a  tannery  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  township,  which  he  carried 
on  about  five  years,  and  then  in  186  L  he  con- 
verted it  into  a  glue  factory.  As  such  he 
operated  it  until  1875,  when  his  son,  Fred.  Buck, 
became  the  owner.  Since  1885  Peter  Hill  has 
been  the  proprietor.  The  motor  is  steam  and 
the  annual  product  is  about,  eighty  barrels. 
Lower  down,  on  the  Willow  Creek,  Henry 
Gilbert  owned  and  carried  on  a  mill  about  1800, 
which  became  the  property  of  John  Focht. 
The  first  mill  had  only  a  small  capacity.  About 
forty  years  ago  Samuel  Winner  built  the 
present  mill,  now  owned  and  operated  by  Israel 
Leinbach. 

A  short  distance  below,  Henry  Rettinger  had 
a  small  saw-mill,  which  was  afterward  removed 
and  the  power  abandoned.  Another  power  was 
improved  to  operate  a  tilt-hammer  for  a  man 
named  Biecher,  which  became  the  property  of 
Henry  Rettinger,  who  employed  the  power  to 
operate  a  clover-mill.  Here  is  now  a  feed-mill 
and  machine-shop  owned  and  operated  by 
Schmeck  &  Haag.     An    improvement    lately 


1008 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


made  will  enable  them  to  manufacture  yellow 
ochre  at  the  same  point.  The  mineral  is 
obtained  from  an  abandoned  iron-mine  in  the 
neighborhood.  This  stream  was  also  appro- 
priated before  1800  to  operate  a  carding-mill  for 
Peter  Wanner  for  some  years,  which  has  been 
discontinued  and  the  power  used  to  carry  on  a 
saw-mill  for  Nicodemus  Noll. 

Near  Blandon,  William  Moser  had  a  grist- 
mill containing  good  machinery,  but  as  his 
water-power  is  weak,  very  little  work  is  done. 

The  first  iron-ore  mine  was  opened  in  the 
township  about  1860.  The  locality  is  near 
Fleetwood.  It  is  commonly  called  the  Madeira 
Mine.  Some  years  afterward  the  "  Clymer  Iron 
Company "  opened  several  ore-mines  about  a 
mile  eastwardly  from  Pricetown,  from  which 
much  ore  was  obtained. 

CHURCHES. 

Baptist  Meeting-House. — In  1807  Mar- 
tin Gau be  conveyed  to  "The  Old  Baptist  Soci- 
ety," composed  of  members  in  and  about  the 
township  of  Ruscomb-manor,  a  lot  of  ground 
containing  one  acre,  and  a  "  House  of  Divine 
Worship  "  thereon  erected.  This  lot  is  part  of 
the  Price  tract.  The  trustees  of  the  society 
then  were  Martin  Gaube,  David  Kinsey,  Chris- 
tian Kinsey  and  John  Beyler.  This  church  was 
in  existence  at  least  a  score  of  years  before. 
A  "  burying-ground  "  was  also  inclosed.  Be- 
fore the  completion  of  the  church  the  meetings 
were  held  under  a  large  tree,  which  stood  on 
this  lot,  and  in  the  Gaube  house  or  barn,  he  be- 
ing the  first  preacher.  Among  the  members 
were  persons  belonging  to  Kenzie,  Reubleraoyer, 
Fiant  and  Price  families.  The  local  member- 
ship was  not  large  at  any  time.  At  present  only 
few  members  survive.  Among  the  preachers 
at  this  church  have  been  George  Price  (of  Ches- 
ter County),  John  Price,  John  Zug,  Henry  Kas- 
sell,  Samuel  Harley,  Jonas  Price,  William 
Hartzell  and  Christian  Bucher.  The  present 
preachers  are  J.  Rothermel,  Joshua  Koenig 
and  Israel  Koenig. 

St.  John's  Church'  (Lutheran  and  Re- 
formed).— Rev.  Augustus  Herman,  a  Re- 
formed minister,  and  Rev.  Jacob  Miller,  Lu- 
theran, visited  this  locality    before   1840  and 


occasionally  preached  in  the  Baptist  meeting- 
house ;  but  none  of  their  ordinances  were  ever 
observed  in  that  place  and  no  efforts  made  to 
form  congregations.  The  Harvest  Home  meet- 
ings were  usually  held  under  the  large  tree  near 
the  church.  In  1841  William  D.  Haines  suc- 
ceeded in  interesting  a  number  of  people  to 
unite  with  him  in  building  at  Pricetown  a  new 
church  for  the  use  of  the  Lutheran  and  Re- 
formed congregations,  which  had  been  formed 
of  the  Haas,  Fry,  Buskirk,  Levan,  Rider,  Van 
Miller  and  Lamb  families.  It  was  dedicated 
as  the  "  St.  John's  Union  Church."  It  is  a 
stone  building  standing  on  an  acre  of  land  pur- 
chased from  John  Haas  for  this  purpose.  The 
membership  of  both  congregations  has  al- 
ways been  small,  and  the  aggregate  number 
belonging  at  present  is  not  more  than  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty. 

The  Reformed  congregation  had  as  its  first 
pastor  the  Rev.  Isaac  Miesse.  At  present  it  is 
served  by  Rev.  Isaac  S.  Stahr.  His  predecessors 
were  Revs.  N.  Strassburger,  William  Good, 
Philip  Hoffman  and  Daniel  Schoedler.  The 
pastors  of  the  Lutheran  congregation  have 
been  the  Revs.  Isaac  Roeller,  Daniel  Kohler,  J. 
M.  Ditzler,  A.  Hinterleiter,  T.  T.  Iaeger,  G. 
F.  Spicker  and  U.  P.  Heilman. 

The  Sunday-school  conducted  in  this  church 
by  Samuel  J.  Hill,  superintendent,  was  first 
organized  in  the  Baptist  meeting-house,  in  the 
spring  of  1833,  by  William  D.  Haines,  who 
by  birth  was  an  Englishman,  and  came  to  this 
place  from  Philadelphia.  He  was  the  superin- 
tendent many  years,  and  it  was  his  interest  in 
this  matter  which  led  to  the  building  of  the 
church,  although  for  many  years  the  Sunday- 
school  was  elsewhere  held. 

The  church  bell  is  the  old  bell  which  hung 
for  four-score  years  in  the  old  court-house  at 
Reading.  It  is  still  in  a  good  state  of  pres- 
ervation, and  when  rung  produces  a  pleasing 
sound,  which  reverberates  grandly  amongst 
the  high  hill-tops  surrounding.  Years  ago 
it  summoned  the  citizens  of  the  county  to 
give  their  attendance  before  the  transitory 
judgment-seat  of  man  ;  but  it  is  now,  and  has 
been  for  over  forty  years,  used  to  summon  the 
surrounding  community  into  the  church  to  pre- 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


1009 


pare  the  way  for  the  judgment-seat  of  God, 
"  Eternal  in  the  Heavens." 
•  Salem  Evangelical  Church  at  Pricetown 
was  built  in  1857  by  John  Brown,  Franklin 
Palm  and  Rev.  Henry  Bucks,  as  a  committee 
appointed  for  that  purpose.  It  is  constructed 
of  mountain  stone,  very  plainly  built,  and  stands 
on  an  acre  of  ground,  the  greater  part  of  which 
is  a  cemetery.  The  trustees  in  1885  were  Eph- 
raim  Stitzer,  Obed  Manwiller  and  David  Bier- 
man.  The  membership  is  weak,  only  twenty 
persons  belonging  to  it.  These  form  a  class 
under  the  leadership  of  Francis  Heckman.  The 
church  is  an  appointment  of  the  Friedensburg 
Circuit,  of  which  Rev.  H.  H.  Glick  was  the 
preacher  in  1885.  Other  ministers  who 
preached  here :  Revs.  Henry  Bucks,  Hess, 
Schultz,  Litzenberger,  Butz,  Kurtz,  Ziegenfuss, 
Kalil,  Hooper,  Sechrist  and  Lerch. 

Seventh-Day  Adventists. — A  society  of 
this  faith  was  organized  at  Pricetown  in  the  fall 
of  1883  by  Elder  Henry  A.  Rife,  acting  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Pennsylvania  Conference. 
Amos  Snyder  was  appointed  local  elder  and 
Samuel  S.  Gruber  deacon.  The  ten  members 
originally  composing  the  society  have  received 
an  addition  of  eight  members,  and  the  work  of 
the  society  is  fairly  prosperous.  The  meetings 
are  held  in  the  school-house  at  Fleetwood  and 
at  the  houses  of  the  members  at  Pricetown,  ex- 
cept when  a  protracted  effort  is  made,  when  a 
large  tent  is  provided,  in  which  visiting  elders, 
conduct  the  services.  The  society  is  part  of 
District  No.  1,  whose  headquarters  are  at  Al- 
lentown. 

In  addition  to-  the  cemeteries  connected  with 
the  foregoing  churches,  there  are  a  number  of 
private  burial-grounds  in  the  township,  usually 
on  the  farms  of  those  who  made  the  first  inter- 
ments, and  containing  the  dead  of  the  original 
owners  and  their  family  connections.  Among 
them  are  those  of  Samuel  Fox,  Samuel  J.  Hill, 
David  Croll,  Henry  Knoll,  Washington 
Schmeck,  Isaac  Hoeffer,  Dr.  Levi  Thompson, 
Zachariah  Hilbert,  Samuel  Hoeffer,  Daniel 
Iaeger,  Samuel  Schmehl  and  Ephraim  Snyder. 

Schools. — One  of  the  first  schools  in  the 
township  was  taught  in  the  vicinity  of  Price- 
town.     A  school-house  was  afterward  built  at 


Pricetown,  on  the  same  lot  that  the  Dunker 
Church  occupies,  thebuilding committee  having 
been  Daniel  Brown,  Daniel  Snyder  and  Abra- 
ham Wagner.  In  this  both  English  and 
German  were  taught,  George  Price  being  a 
German  teacher.  The  best  remembered  Eng- 
lish teachers  were  Cyrus  Knapp,  John  P.  Dan- 
iels and  Isaac  Jacobs.  The  free-school  system 
was  accepted  by  Ruscomb-manor  in  1837,  the 
township  being  one  of  the  first  in  the  county  to 
adopt  it,  and  the  first  school  at  Pricetown  under 
that  system  was  taught  by  an  Irishman  named 
Murphy. 

VILLAGES. 

Pricetown  is  the  only  village  in  the  town- 
ship. It  is  located  on  the  highlands  south  of 
the  centre.  It  contains  several  hotels  and 
stores,  three  churches  and  about  thirty  resi- 
dences. Its  nearest  railroad  station  is  Fleet- 
wood, on  the  East  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  two 


the  first  log  house. 

miles  north.  The  place  took  its  name  trom 
Conrad  Price  (Preiss),  who  purchased  a  tract  of 
one  hundred  and  one  acres  lying  here  from 
Adam  Spittlemyer  in  1768.  It  is  supposed 
that  the  town  plan  was  laid  out  by  him  in  1780. 
He  erected  a  log  house  on  this  tract  in  1773 
which  is  still  standing.  Some  time  about  the 
Revolution  he  gave  each  of  his  sons  a  tract  of  this 
land,  and  made  calculation  for  a  future  village 
by  providing  for  an  alley-way  in  the  rear  of  the 
land.  These  smaller  tracts  were  subsequently 
cut  up  into  lots  to  suit  purchasers.  One  of 
Price's  sons  lived  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
present  village,  and  was  by  trade  a  pump- 
maker.  Another  son  lived  in  the  western  part, 
and  was  a  farmer.     A  tailor  named  Gable  was 


1010 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


an  early  citizen  of  the  place,  and  a  little  later 
came  Anthony  Le  Fever,  who  had  a  small  tan- 
nery in  the  eastern  part,  which  became  the 
property  of  Aaron  Heckman,  who  last  carried  it 
on.  And  mechanics  came  as  the  surrounding 
country  was  developed,  among  the  number  be- 
ing Jacob  Weiser  and  Henry  Haines,  carpen- 
ters ;  Christian  Glasser,  John,  Elijah  and  Amos 
Brown,  shoemakers ;  Thomas  Sechrist,  tailor ; 
Benjamin  Tobias  and  Valentine  Ebling,  black- 
smiths. Lewis  Frank,  a  Jew  peddler,  also 
lived  here  many  years,  becoming  quite  noted  in 
other  parts  of  the  country  for  the  sharp  bar- 
gains which  he  drove.  Jonathan  Price  built  a 
tavern  on  the  present  Guinther  stand  and  op- 
posite another  house,  in  which  he  opened  the 
first  store.  In  the  tavern  business  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Henry  Bernhart,  who  kept  it  until 
his  death,  when  his  widow  carried  it  on.  The 
present  tavern  was  built  by  Israel  Wentzel,  who 
enlarged  the  old  building.  In  1885  it  was 
kept  by  Saphenus  Guinther.  After  Price  dis- 
continued his  store  Benjamin  Kline  succeeded 
him,  and  he  had  among  his  successors  Henry 
Dengler,  Samuel  Babb,  Charles  Levan,  Jacob 
Engle  and  Charles  Levan,  the  last  in  trade  at 
that  stand. 

Near  by  Daniel  Brown  opened  another  store 
some  eight  years  ago,  which  is  still  continued 
by  him.  In  the  lower  part  of  the  village  Ben- 
jamin Kline  put  up  a  store  and  tavern  building 
fifty  years  ago,  and  was  in  business  there  about 
ten  years.  It  has  been  carried  on  there  since 
1868  by  Weston  &  Brother. 

The  post-office  at  Pricetown  is  the  only  one 
in  the  township.  For  a  long  time  it  had  but  a 
weekly  mail,  and  George  Heaner  was  the  post- 
master. Samuel  Babb  was  his  successor,  fol- 
lowed by  iarou  Heckman,  Charles  Levan  and 
William  C.  Weston,  when  the  mail  was  tri- 
weekly. Since  July,  1885,  a  daily  mail  from 
Fleetwood  has  been  supplied,  and  George  Hill 
is  the  present  postmaster.  Charles  Levan,  a 
prominent  and  very  successful  merchant  at 
Pricetown,  was  the  postmaster  for  twenty-eight 
years,  till  October,  1864. 

Dr.  Jacob  Rothrock  is  remembered  as  one  of 
the   first  physicians  located  at  this  place.     He  j 
was    followed    by   Dr.    Henry    Burch.      Dr. 


Adrian  Loeven  was  also  a  practitioner  for  some 
years,  and  he  died  in  the  township.  Dr. 
Charles  Weber  located  at  Pricetown  about 
thirty-five  years  ago,  and  is  still  in  successful 
practice,  having  been  the  longest  located  in  the 
township. 

In  1844  the  village  contained  twenty-five 
houses,  one  church,  one  store,  two  taverns  and 
one  hundred  and  sixty-five  inhabitants ;  and  in 
1883  it  contained  four  churches,  two  stores, 
three  taverns  and  two  hundred  inhabitants. 

Among  other  country  inns  maintained  at 
different  times  in  the  township,  the  most  im- 
portant was  the  one  kept  by  John  Stermer, 
about  1820,  on  the  place  now  owned  by  David 
Manwiller.  West  of  Pricetown,  Peter  Miller 
had  an  inn  about  the  same  time,  the  place  be- 
ing at  present  the  farm-house  of  Washington 
Schmeck. 


ROCKLAND  TOWNSHIP. 

Erection  of  Township. — In  May,  1758, 
Henry  Vanderslice  surveyed  a  large  tract  of 
land,  containing  twelve  thousand  and  eighty- 
five  acres,  in  the  "  Oley  Hills,"  for  a  township. 
It  was  confirmed  by  the  court  on  November 
14th  following  and  named  "Rockland."  The 
lines  were  as  follows  : 

"  Beginning  at  a  corner  of  Oley  township  ;  thence 
along  the  same  S.  70  E.  1070  perches,  to  a  stone 
corner;  thence  along  territory  in  which  there  was 
then  a  great  number  of  settlers,  but  which  was  not  yet 
a  township  (though  it  was  known  by  the  name  of  East 
District,  having  been  the  Eastern  District  of  Oley), 
N.  40  E.  1350  perches,  to  a  chestnut  tree ;  thence 
along  territory  known  by  the  name  of  Long  Swamp 
(which  was  not  yet  a  township,  though  steps  were 
then  being  taken  to  erect  it  into  a  township),  N.  35 
W.  972  perches,  to  a  stone  corner  ;  then  along  Maxa- 
tawny  township,  S.  W.  599  ps.,  to  a  Hickory  tree 
corner,  and  N.  W.  472  ps.,  to  a  white  oak  tree  corner ; 
thence  along  Richmond  township,  S.  W.  668  ps.,  to  a 
stone  corner ;  thence  along  Ruscomb-manor  township, 
S.  E.  578  ps.,  to  a  white  oak  tree  corner,  and  S.  W.  639 
ps.,  to  the  place  of  beginning." 

In  1840  a  large  tract  in  the  western  section 
of  the  township,  containing  about  one  thousand 
four  hundred  acres,  was  cut  off  and  added  to 
Richmond  township,  by  petition  of  interested 
citizens,  on  account  of  grievances  felt  in  respect 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1011 


to  road  taxes  and  to  attending  military  exercises. 
M.  S.  Kichards,  Samuel  S.  Jackson  and  Samuel 
Beard  were  the  commissioners. 

In  1842  a  triangular  tract  in  the  extreme 
southeastern  section  was  cut  from  the  township 
by  Samuel  S.  Jackson,  William  Wunder  and 
M.  S.  Richards,  commissioners  on  petition,  etc., 
and  added  to  Pike  township. 

In  1733  (March  10th)  a  warrant  was  issued 
to  Casper  Wistar,  of  Philadelphia,  for  one  thou- 
sand acres.  The  tract  was  not  then  located.  In 
August  following  Conrad  Reiff,  of  Oley,  ob- 
tained a  patent  for  three  hundred  acres  under 
this  warrant,  which  he  located  in  the  northern 
section  of  Oley,  and  "which  subsequently  became 
a  part  of  Rockland. 


KOCKS   IN    KOCKLAND. 

The  township  took  its  name  from  the  numer- 
ous large  rocks  found  on  its  territory,  especially 
in  the  central  section.  A  large  rock  (in  dimen- 
sions, thirty  feet  long,  fifteen  feet  wide  and 
fifteen  feet  high),  which  rests  on  another  some- 
what smaller,  is  situated  in  an  open  field  near 
by,  and  to  the  south  of  the  road  leading  from 
Drysville  to  Fredericksville,  and  about  a  mile 
west  from  the  line  of  District  township.  It  is 
commonly  known  as  "  Short's  Head."  A  rock 
twice  the  size  of  the  one  mentioned  lies  on  the 
surface  of  the  field  near  by.  A  large  collection 
of  rocks,  comprising  what  is  generally  known 
as  "  Guiuther's  Head/'  are  situated  about  a  mile 
to  the  north  of  "  Shott's  Head."  The  topmost 
rock  is  sixty  feet  long,  twelve  feet  high  and  ten 
feet  wide.  Its  appearance  is  imposing,  the  sur- 
face of  the  earth  descends  abruptly  for  several 
hundred  feet.  It  is  in  a  direct  line  with  the 
Keystone  Normal  School  and  the  "Pinnacle" 
(Albany  township).      It  is  about  one  mile  west 


from,  and  fifty  feet  lower  than,  a  prominently 
projecting  point  in  the  Longswamp  Hills,  which 
has  been  selected  by  the  United  States  govern- 
ment as  a  station  in  the  triangulation  survey, 
and  represented  to  be  visible  from  the  State- 
House  at  Philadelphia.  Near  by  "  Guinther's 
Head  "  there  is  a  succession  of  six  large  rocks 
(somewhat  lower  in  elevation),  which  project 
upwards  in  a  line  at  an  angle  of  seventy  de- 
grees, and  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet 
in  length.  The  water-shed  of  the  township  is 
in  this  vicinity,  the  water  draining  to  the  -east, 
south  and  west. 

Taxables  of  1759. — The  following  list 
comprises  the  names  of  taxables  in  the  town- 
ship in  1759.  The  tax  levied  was  £31  17s.  6d. 
Henry  Mertz  was  the  collector.  The  early 
settlers  were  Germans,  who  migrated  northwardly 
from  Oley  before  the  erection  of  the  county  : 


John  Anstadt 2 

John  Albrecht 5 

Conrad  Bear 3 

Nicholas  Bearninger 10 

Philip  Barnaby 5 

Charles  Bernhard 1 

Jacob  Burrel '. 4 

John  Bast.' 3 

George  Bieber 3 

Widow  Breifogel 1 

William  Dallrish 3 

Melchior  Danner 4 

Michael  Dressley 1 

Jacob  Drog 2 

John  Eck 7 

Jacob  Ellinger 3 

George  Flack 4 

Jacob  Groul 1 

Andreas  Great 3 

Richard  Hoffman 2 

George  Hoffner 5 

Jacob  Hoffman,  Sr 10 

Frederick  Hersh 2 

Christian  Henry 5 

Peter  Heeder 3 

Herman  Imrich 2 

Nicholas  Jacoby ^ 3 

Jacob  Kutz 3 

Michael  Kerver 1 

Simon  Kerver 1 

Michael  Kline 4 

John  Nich  Keen 1 

Jacob  Keim 8 

Jacob  Krepps 5 

Nicholas  Klementz 3 

Peter  Lobach 12 

John  Nich.  Long 2 

John  Luckenbill 1 

Ludwig  Long 1 

Michael  Lang 5 


Henry  Lang 3 

Henry  Mertz 9 

Conrad  Manessmith 2 

Nicholas  Moyer 2 

John  Jost.  Mertz 2 

Frederick  Olrich 6 

George  Oberdorf. 2 

William  Pott 12  ■ 

John  Pott 8 

Matthias  Peck 10 

Casper  Pecking 4 

Hans  Nicholas  Platter^ 2 

Jacob  Poger 1 

Ludwig  Prim 1 

Conrad  Koad.. 3 

Casper  Rubbert 2 

Lawrence  Rerick 2 

Peter  Reemer 1 

Casper.  Rep 3 

John  Ludwig  Rout  2 

Frederick  Reish 2 

Peter  Rieff,  Sr 20 

George  Shoemaker 1 

George  Shaeffer 9 

Michael  Shaeffer 4 

Henry  Sobarsh 9 

Frederick  Schekler 7 

George  Seibert 14 

Hans  Scheirer,  Jr 1 

Jacob  Sheradeen 2 

Christian  Shoemaker 4 

Dewald  Trumheller 4 

Henry  Telang 4 

Peter  Volck 3 

Hans  William  Volck 5 

Adam  Week 1 

Adam  Wagner 3 

Casper  Wink 3 

Lazarus  Weidner 3 

Jacob  Ziggenfus.. 7 


Single  Men. 


Peter  Anstadt. 
Ludwig  Beating. 
Michael  Jacoby. 


Peter  Keffer. 
Christopher  Kolp. 
George  Reiff. 


1012 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


INDUSTRIES. 

The  streams  of  Rockland  township  are  small, 
but  the  rugged  nature  of  the  country  makes 
their  use  as  water-powers  possible.  These  ad- 
vantages have  been  well  improved.  On  the 
Sacony,  near  the  Maxatawny  line,  "William  Grim 
and  Joseph  De  Long  have  in  operation  a  fine 
mill,  whose  old  power  has  been  supplemented 
by  steam,  and  the  old  methods  have  given  place 
to  the  roller  process.  A  new  mill  has  also  been 
built.  For  the  quarter  part  of  a  century  the 
Grim  family  have  been  interested  in  milling  at 
this  point. 

Above,  on  the  site  of  the  old  Haag  mill,  C. 
Rohrbach  has  in  operation  a  good  mill,  which 
is  well  patronized.  The  marble  saw-mills  of 
Schweyer  &  Leiss,  operated  since  1864,  is  an 
interest  which  has  given  steady  employment  to 
a  number  of  men.  The  marble  is  brought  here 
in  blocks,  hauled  from  Bower's  Station,  and 
after  being  sawed  into  the  desired  shape,  is  again 
taken  back  to  the  yard  at  Bower's. 

"  Sally  Ann  Furnace,"  on  the  head- 
waters of  the  Sacony,  was  built  about  1811  by 
Valentine  Eckert.  Prior  to  that  time  the  site 
was  owned  by  Abraham  Bieber.  Like  the  fur- 
naces put  up  in  those  days,  it  had  only  a  small 
capacity,  and  was  located  here  principally  on 
account  of  the  ease  in  getting  wood  for  charcoal 
purposes.  Eckert  sold  the  property  to  Jacob 
V.  R.  Hunter.  The  furnace  was  discontinued 
iu  1869.  In  1879  it  was  again  put  in  blast, 
steam-power  having  been  added,  and  it  was 
operated  only  a  short  time  when  the  machinery 
was  removed.  The  furnace  has  since  been  idle. 
The  property  belongs  to  the  heirs  of  Daniel 
Hunter,  and  includes  several  hundred  acres  of 
land,  a  good  farm  with  mansion  and  half  a  dozen 
tenements. 

The  "Rockland  Forges"  were  located  in 
the  southern  section  of  the  township,  on  Beaver 
Creek,  and  operated  for  about  seventy  years. 
Seven  thousand  and  fifty-three  acres  of  woodland 
were  connected  with  these  industries.  The 
most  prominent  operator  was  General  Daniel 
Udree.1 

On   the  head-waters  of  Bieber   Creek,    near 


1  See  Chapter  VII.,  Early  Iuduatries. 


Dryville,  is  the  old  Roth  mill,  built  as  early  as 
1810.  It  has  a  small  capacity  and  is  now 
operated  as  the  property  of  C.  Keller.  Near 
by,  the  Yoder  family  had  a  saw-mill  many 
years  ago,  which  has  become  better  known  as 
the   Sander  mill, 

The  Tyson  Forge,  at  Strunk's  mill,  was  dis- 
continued long  ago,  but  the  mill  is  still  carried 
on.  Near  the  Oley  line  Jacob  Barto  put  up  a 
paper-mill,  which  he  operated  some  time,  when 
he  sold  out  to  Levi  Kohler.  It  was  last  operated 
by  David  Lohbach,  Esq.,  in  the  manufacture  of 
wrapping-paper.  This  building  is  now  occu- 
pied, and  the  power  used  by  William  S.  Rein- 
hart  in  the  manufacture  of  farming  implements. 
Here,  for  a  short  time,  a  small  mill  was  operated 
by  two  Germans  in  the  manufacture  of  birch- 
oil. 

Near  New  Jerusalem  there  is  a  deposit  of 
granite,  closely  resembling  the  better  grades  of 
Vermont  granite,  very  hard  and  capable  of 
bearing  a  fine  polish.  It  has  been  quarried  to 
some  extent  on  the  farms  of  Jacob  Angstadt 
and  John  Dry,  and  shipments  made  to  Easton, 
Philadelphia  and  other  points.  Lately  nothing 
has  been  done  in  this  direction.  Eighteen  men 
were  formerly  employed.  Several  iron-mines 
have  been  profitably  worked,  the  ore  found 
being  heavy  and  rich  hematite.  The  principal 
operations  were  on  the  Bieber  and  Beidler 
farms. 

CHURCHES. 

Christ's  Lutheran  Church,  sometimes 
called  "  Bieber  Creek  Church,"  from  its  loca- 
cation  on  the  headwaters  of  that  stream,  is  situ- 
ated near  Drysville  in  a  fine  position.  The  con- 
gregation was  organized  in  1747  by  the  Rev. 
Tobias  "Wagner,  and  in  the  spring  of  that  year 
Henry  Mertz donated  three-fourths  of  an  acre  of 
land  upon  which  to  build  a  church.  The  build- 
ing was  of  logs,  and  was  so  far  completed  that 
it  could  be  occupied  in  the  fall  of  that  year. 
After  seventeen  years  the  members  of  the  con- 
gregation had  increased  to  such  an  extent  that 
a  new  and  larger  church  was  required.  Accord- 
ingly, the  corner-stone  was  laid  June  14,  1764, 
and  the  church  built  that  year.  The  building 
committee  comprised  George  Schaeffer,  Sr., 
Henry  Mertz,  Johannes  Bieber,  George  Heflher 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


1013 


and  Jacob  Freu.  The  minister  at  that  time 
was  the  Rev.  Johannes  Schauta.  When  he 
died,  January  25,  1778,  he  was  buried  under  the 
church,  after  the  custom  of  that  day.  He  was 
an  earnest  pastor  and  highly  appreciated  by  the 
congregation.  A  third  church  was  erected  in 
1798,  being  the  present  building.  It  is  a  stone 
building,  of  substantial  appearance.  It  was 
handsomely  repaired  in  1879.  The  church 
property  embraces  about  twenty  acres  of  land, 
four  of  which  have  been  devoted  to  cemetery 
purposes.  Sheds,  several  hundred  feet  in  length, 
of  neat  appearance,  have  been  erected  for  the 
comfort  of  the  horses  of  the  attendants  of  the 
church. 

The  congregation  had  about  five  hundred 
members  in  1885. 

Rev.  B.  E.  Kramlich  was  the  pastor,  succeed- 
ing the  Rev.  Issac  Roeller  in  1862,  the  latter 
having  served  the  congregation  twenty-two 
years.  His  predecessors  were  Revs.  John 
Knoske  and  Daniel  Lehman. 

New  Jerusalem  Church  (Reformed  and 
Lutheran)  was  erected  in  1840,  in  consequence 
of  a  division  in  "  Christ  Church,"  a  number 
of  members  withdrawing  to  form  separate  con- 
gregations and  to  erect  a  distinct  church.  The 
house  stands  on  half  an  acre  of  land,  donated  by 
Andrew  Shiffert,  who  was  a  member  of  the 
building  committee.  At  a  later  period  two 
acres  more  were  secured  from  the  Herbein  farm, 
which  were  set  apart  for  cemetery  purposes.  The 
church  is  of  stone  and  almost  square  in  dimen- 
sions. A  movement  is  on  foot  to  remodel  it  in 
the  near  future.  The  Lutheran  congregation  had 
as  its  first  pastor  the  Rev.  John  Knoske,  who 
was  instrumental  in  building  the  church.  His 
successors  ^ere  the  Revs.  Hinterleiter,  Kohler, 
Sell,  Croll,  Boyer  and  D.  K.  Humbert,  the  latter 
being  at  present  in  charge.  The  members  num- 
ber about  two  hundred.  The  Reformed  con- 
gregation has  a  much  smaller  membership,  and 
the  Rev.  Isaac  S.  Stahr  is  the  pastor.  His 
predecessors  were  Revs.  Daniel  Schoedler,  J. 
Sassaman  Herman  and  Isaac  Miesse,  the  last 
having  been  the  first  pastor.  A  Sunday-school, 
comprising  one  hundred  members,  is  conducted 
in  this  church. 


VILLAGES. 

Dryville  comprises  fifteen  residences,  a 
tavern,  store,  church  and  eighty  inhabitants.  It 
is  situated  near  the  northern  line  of  the  township, 
about  one  and  a  half  miles  from  Lyons  station, 
on  the  East  Pennsylvania  Railroad.  It  received 
its  name  in  1852,  when  the  post-office  was  estab- 
lished. Previously  it  had  been  called  "  Stony 
Point,"  Benjamin  E.  Dry  was  appointed  post- 
master, and  he  has  since  continuously  held  that 
office.  The  early  settlers  here  were  Jacob  Mertz, 
farmer  ;  Mathias  Roth,  farmer  and  miller  ;  John 
Diener,  farmer ;  and  later,  John  Stimmel,  coach- 
maker.  Upon  the  old  Mertz  farm  most  of  the 
present  hamlet  is  built. 

The  first  store  in  the  place  was  opened  by 
Fink  &  Weidenhammer,  and  those  subsequently 
in  trade  were  Klein  &  Weiler,  Thomas  Oyster, 
Samuel  Fee,  Christian  Bryman,  S.  &  H.  H. 
Weidner,  Joseph  E.  Dry,  R.  E.  Dry,  R.  B.  Dry, 
and  since  March  11,  1857,  Benjamin  E.Dry,  the 
latter  two  having  occupied  the  present  stand, 
which  was  built  in  1 852.  The  former  store 
was  at  the  lower  end  of  the  place,  near  the 
creek. 

John  Christman  was  the  first  inn-keeper. 
The  present  tavern  was  opened  about  1847.  A 
large  number  of  landlords  have  served  the 
public  at  this  place. 

New  Jerusalem  is  located  toward  the  cen- 
tre of  the  township,  about  a  mile  from  Dry- 
ville. It  contains  about  twenty  residences,  a 
store,  hotel,  church  and  a  liberal  supply  of 
mechanic  shops.  Among  the  early  tradesmen 
at  this  place  were  John  Kline,  cradle-maker ; 
Joel  Barto  and  E.  Guinther,  shoemakers;  A. 
Hilbert,  saddler ;  Jacob  Meyer,  blacksmith ; 
Samuel  Funk,  wagon-maker ;  and  Jacob  Kline, 
tin-smith. 

The  first  public  place  at  this  point  was  the 
tavern  kept  by  Andrew  Shiffert,  about  1810, 
in  a  house  which  has  been  converted  into  a 
residence.  In  the  present  building  David  Bast 
was  the  first  landlord.  In  this  building  the 
first  store  of  the  place  was  opened  by  John 
Bower,  and  at  the  present  stand,  now  occupied 
by  Herman  B.  Ruppert ;  the  first  store-keepers 
were  Jacob   Holder  &   Bro.      In    1882    the 


1014 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


village  contained  twenty    dwellings    and    one 
hundred  and  twenty  inhabitants. 

The  New  Jerusalem  post-office  was  establish 
ed  in  1828.     It   is  supplied  with  a  daily  mail. 
For  many   years   a   tri-weekly   mail  only    was 
afforded. 

In  the  practice  of  medicine  Dr.  George  L. 
Maurer  located  here  in  1835,  and  was,  probably, 
the  first  permanent  physician  in  the  township. 
Benjamin  E.  Dry  graduated  in  medicine  in 
1856,  but  never  became  a  practitioner.  The 
present  physician  is  Dr.  D.  M.  Bortz.  Other 
physicians  in  the  township  have  been  Doctors 
Evans,  L.  H.  Thompson,  William  H.  Babb 
(who  died  in  the  township),  James  McDonough, 
William  Funk  and  William  Hertzog. 

In  the  country  east  of  Dryville,  R.  H. 
Angstadt  had  a  store,  which  he  continued  about 
five  years,  when  he  removed  it.  Country  hotels 
have  also  been  kept  by  Thomas  Geissler  and 
others  at  the  stand  now  occupied  by  William 
G.  Weidner. 

Destructive  Whirlwind  in  Township. — 
On  Tuesday,  May  22,  18C4,  a  fearful  and  de- 
structive whirlwind  arose  in  Rockland  town- 
ship, which,  it  was  thought  by  the  inhabitants, 
could  hardly  have  been  surpassed  in  severity. 
It  began  in  the  township  about  four  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  near  the  mill  of  Frederick  Miner, 
and  covered  a  width  of  about  two  hundred 
yards  and  extended  thence  through  Northamp- 
ton (now  partly  Lehigh)  County  to  the  Dela- 
ware River.  Its  course  was  from  west  to  east, 
and  the  entire  area  was  marked  by  destruction. 
It  hurled  the  roofs  from  the  buildings  of  the 
following  persons  in  the  township  :  Peter  Bauer, 
mills,  saw-mill,  barn  and  house;  Paul  Gross- 
cup,  barn ;  Henry  Hoffman,  barn  and  house ; 
Daniel  Fry,  barn,  stable  and  house.  Many 
other  buildings  were  injured.  It  uprooted 
nearly  all  the  fruit  and  other  trees,  turned  over 
fences,  etc.  At  some  places  large  hail-stones 
fell,  destroying  much  growing  grain.  It  con- 
tinued about  ten  minutes  and  was  accompanied 
with  severe  rain,  thunder  and  lightning. 


DISTEICT  TOWNSHIP. 
Early  Settlement. — As  early  immigrants 
into  Pennsylvania  proceeded  up  the  Schuylkill 


Valley  and  its  principal  tributaries,  the  Perkio- 
men  and  the  Manatawny  Valleys,  some  of  them 
settled  in  and  above  the  "  Oley  Hills,"  and  in 
taking  up  lands  they  located  them  as  lying  in 
the  district  between  Oley  and  Colebrookdale. 
The  settlements  extended  over  a  long  section  of 
territory,  and  to  facilitate  the  assessment  of 
property  therein,  the  county  commissioners 
caused  it  to  be  divided  into  two  sections,  which 
they  called  "  East  District "  and  "  West  Dis- 
trict." Separate  assessment  lists  of  the  taxables 
in  these  two  districts  -were  made  for  some  years. 
I  could  not  ascertain  when  this  township  by  the 
name  of  District  was  first  established. 

In  1841  a  tract  of  eleven  hundred  acres  was 
added  to  this  township  in  the  eastern  section, — it 
having  been  taken  from  the  western  part  of 
Hereford  township. 

In  1849  the  estimated  area  was  seven  thou- 
sand acres. 

Taxables  of  1759. — The  following  list 
comprises  the  names  of  the  taxables  of  the 
township  for  the  year  1759.  Tax  levied  was 
£40  14s.  Gd.  George  Hartlein  was  the  col- 
lector : 


Thos.  Banfield 

£ 

2 

8 

3 

4 

1 

3 

Christ'r  Brintzinger 

2 

1 

3 

3 

Geo.  Doret 

3 

,.      12 
2 

5 

2 

8 

Michael  Hoffman 

2 

Peter  Hart  man 

2 

2 

Michael  Kline 8 

John  Koldren 2 

Geo.   Kous 12 

Nicholas  Kous 6 

Dieter  John  Kremer 1 

Conrad  Kime 10 

Widow  Kijje 2 

Adam  Killdan 2 

Geo.  Klauser 3 

Casper  Cressemer 3 

John  Leaner  &  Co 25 

Daniel  Ludwig 3 

Geo.  Lans 3 

Geo.  Lens 2 

Joseph  Lehman    4 

Jacob  Matthias 8 

Dietrich  Matthew 3 

Wm.  Mackey 6 

Stein  Mayberry 1 

John  Motzer 10 

Peter  Miller 2 

John  Miller 8 

Wm.  Mayberry 30 

Wm.  Miller 3 

Henry  McGeneth 2 

Fred'k  Moyer 8 

Dirck  Martin 15 

FrantK  Moser 7 

Andrew  Norgong , 1 

Geo.  Oyster 20 

Thos.   Potts 35 

John  Beifenour 5 

Jacob  Roth 9 

Michael  Dedger 1 

John  Sands 3 

Geo.  Shall 10 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1015 


Wm.  Storck 5 

Jacob  Stineberger 3 

Lorentz  Shiller 3 

Lorentz  Shillor,  Jr 3 

Geo.  Steibesaud 4 

Nicholas  Schlichter 2 

Geo.  Shinck 1 

Stopbel  Sack 3 

AdamUlrick 3 


Daniel  East. 
Samuel  Oyster. 


Jacob  Walter 3 

Peter  Weller 9 

Philip  Weisinillor 3 

Casper  Wessner 2 

Jacob  Werley 2 

Geo.  Adam  Weidner 20 

Lazarus  "Weidner 2 

Charles  Weis 3 

Jacob  Weaver 3 

Single  Men. 

Peter  Keplinger. 


Early  Industries. — In  1726  Owen  Rich- 
ards and  David  Harry  conveyed  unto  John  El- 
lis, of  Oley,  two  tracts  of  land,  containing  two 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  which  adjoined  property 
belonging  to  the  "  Spring  Forge  Co."  This 
company  was  then  conducting  a  forge  some- 
where in  this  vicinity,  which  was  commonly 
called  "  Spring  Forge."  Its  location,  it  is  be- 
lieved, was  on  Pine  Creek,  in  this  district  (now, 
and  since  1813  in  Pike  township),  about  four 
miles  north  of  the  "  Oley  Churches."  Its  early 
history  is  involved  in  obscurity.  It  was  owned 
bv  Anthony  Morris  and  conducted  by  him  in 
1729.  It  is  possible  that  the  forge  of  this  com- 
pany was  situated  on  the  Manatawny,  within 
several  miles  of  "  Pine  Forge."  * 

"  The  District  Furnace  "  was  in  this  town- 
ship, situated  on  Pine  Creek  about  a  mile  above 
the  line  of  Pike  township.  It  was  owned  in 
1784  by  John  Lesher,  who,  it  is  believed, 
erected  it  some  years  before.2 

The  inhabitants  of  District  are  almost  ex- 
clusively engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  The 
township  is  isolated,  and  it  has  only  a  few 
streams  of  water,  whose  power  is  very  feeble. 
In  the  eastern  part  Anthony  Eltz  conducted  a 
tannery  for  a  number  of  years.  The  buildings 
were  enlarged  and  converted  into  a  tavern  by 
Thomas  Heydt,  about  ten  years  ago.  It  is 
still  a  public-house.  Near  this  place  the  Sharps 
had  a  mill,  which  became  the  property  of 
George  Conrad.  It  is  now  the  property  of 
George  Kemp.  The  work  done  there  is  limited. 
In  the  northwestern  part,  on  the  head-waters  of 
Pine  Creek,  on  the  site  of  a  small  charcoal  fur- 
nace, which  the  Leshers  formerly  carried  on, 
Reuben  Trexler  built  a  stone  mill,  which  is 
still  operated  as  the  property  of  William  Lesher. 

1  See  Chap.  VII.,  Early  Industries. 

2  lb.,  p.  70. 


It  has  three  sets  of  stones  and  does  good  custom 
work. 

VILLAGES. 

Fredericks v i lle  is  situated  in  the  north- 
western part  of  the  township.  It  was  named 
after  David  Frederick,  who  built  and  kept  a 
public-house  there.  Later  Henry  Bauman 
opened  a  store  at  the  same  place.  The  present 
store  is  in  a  new  building  erected  by  Jacob 
Fry,  the  merchant,  inn-keeper  and  postmaster 
of  the  village. 

The  Fredericksville  post-office  was  estab- 
lished in  1853,  with  David  Frederick  as  the 
first  postmaster.  The  office  has  a  daily  mail 
from  Lyons  and  Barto  stations. 

Landisville,  commonly  known  as  "  Landis' 
Store  "  is  situated  in  the  central  portion  of  the 
township.     John  Weller  established  a  tavern 
at  this  place  about  1800,  and  carried  it  on  suc- 
cessfully for  many  years.     The  old  building  is 
still  standing.     He  sold  out  to  Samuel  Landis, 
who  continued   the  same  business.     The  place 
then  took  the  name    mentioned.     Samuel  Tee 
opened  a  general   store  in  the  same  building. 
In  1853  a  post-office  was  established  at  this 
point,  and  named  "  Landis'  Store."      Samuel 
Landis  was  the  first  postmaster  and  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  son,  John  H.  Landis,  the  present 
incumbent.     It  is  on  the  same  stage  line  as  the 
Fredericksville  office  and  has  a  daily  mail.  Tee 
was  succeeded  in  the  mercantile    business  by 
Henry  Bauman,  for  a  short  time,  when  he  sold 
out  to  Samuel  Landis.     The  latter  was  succeed- 
ed in  both  store  and  tavern  by  his  son,  John 
H,  in  1872,  who,  after  conducting  business  for 
ten  years,  enlarged  and  remodeled  the  buildings. 
The  location  is  on  elevated  ground.     Near  this 
place  lived  Dr.   Augustus  Knoske,  a  German 
physician,  skilled  as  a  practitioner,  but  eccentric 
in  his  habits.     He  was  professionally  engaged 
a  number  of  years,  traveling  over  a  large  scope 
of  country  on  foot  and  carrying  his  medicines 
in  his  great-coat  pockets,  which  he  wore  even 
on  the  warmest  days. 

There  is  no  organized  religious  body  in  the 
township,  most  of  the  inhabitants  worshipping 
at  the  Hill  Church  or  Hereford  Church,  each 
being  only  several  miles  distant.     The  school- 


1016 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


houses  are  inviting  and  the  schools  are  usually 
well  sustained. 

"  Down  to  the  spring  election  of  1867,  one 
township  of  the  county  refused  to  come  under 
the  beneficent  rule  of  the  common-school  sys- 
tem. At  last  it  has  wheeled  into  line ;  and  it 
now  stands  ready  to  join  its  energies  with  the 
other  townships  of  the  county  in  the  great  work 
of  education.  The  people  of  District  township 
covered  themselves  with  glory,  when  last 
March,  through  the  ballot-box,  they  elected  six 
directors  according  to  the  requirements  of  the 
school  law.  They  now  enter  upon  a  new  epoch 
in  their  history."  * 

In  1868  the  township  had  four  schools  with 
an  attendance  of  two  hundred  and  seven 
scholars. 


EARL  TOWNSHIP. 

Erection  op  Township. — In  the  hilly  and 
wooded  section  of  territory  which  lay  to  the 
east  of  the  "  Oley  Hills,"  and  which  was  in- 
cluded as  a  part  of  Oley  township,  a  consider- 
able number  of  settlers  took  up  lands  and 
established  their  homes  before  the  erection  of 
the  county,  and  these  were  continued  for  some 
years  afterward.  The  settlements  then  came  to 
be  commonly  regarded  in  that  vicinity  as  a 
district,  though  it  was  not  regularly  established 
as  such  ;  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  one  or  other 
portion  identified  their  locality  as  the  "  West- 
ern District  "  or  '  Eastern  District." 

On  August  14,  1781,  the  inhabitants  of  the 
"  Western  District "  presented  a  petition  to  the 
court  at  Eeading,  praying  that  the  district 
might  be  divided  on  account  of  its  great  length 
(upwards  of  eighteen  miles),  and  set  apart  into 
a  separate  township.  The  following  commis- 
sioners were  appointed  :  Daniel  Bertolet,  Dan- 
iel Guldin,  Daniel  Hunter,  Daniel  Levan  and 
Henry  Kerst,  who  made  return  of  the  district 
inclosed  the  within  following  lines  for  such 
township,  viz. : 

"Beginning  at  a  corner  of  Oley  and  Amity  town- 
ships ;'  thence  along  Amity  township  S.  75  W.  875 
perches;   thence  aloDg  Douglas  township  N.  40   E. 


'Pennsylvania  School  Report,  1867,  pp.  27-28.  Re- 
marks of  county  superintendent,  Prof.  John  S.  Ermen- 
trout. 


660  perches ;  thence  along  Colebrookdale  township 
N.  55  W.  236  perches  and  N.  35  E.  880  perches  to  a 
point;  thence  along  territory  commonly  called  the 
'  Eastern  District,'  the  following  five  courses  and 
distances  :  N.46  W.  160  perches,  N.  69  W.  234  perches, 
N.  77  W.  320  perches,  S.  46  W.  20  perches  and  N. 
63  W.  540  perches  to  a  point  on  the  line  of  Oley 
township ;  thence  along  said  line  S.  15  W.  1686 
perches  to  the  place  of  beginning ;  and  reported  it  to 
contain  10,882  acres." 2 

Their  return  was  confirmed  by  the  court, 
and  in  November  of  the  same  year  the  court 
erected  the  said  district  into  a  township  by  the 
name  of  Earl. 

Taxables  of  1782. — The  following  list 
comprises  the  names  of  one  hundred  and  ten 
taxables  of  the  township  for  the  year  1782. 
Tax  levied  was  £28  19s.  ll^d.  The  amount 
assessed  was  £347  19s.  6d.  John  Weidner 
was  the  collecter.  AH  the  parties  named  did 
not  then  reside  in  the  township  ;  some  of  them 
were  non-residents, — 


Jacob  Auty. 

John  Amrig. 

Jacob  Ars. 

Erhard  Apler. 

Conrad  Bohu. 

Batus  liuli ii. 

Samuel  Boyer. 

Christopher  Blantz. 

Christopher  Brentzinger. 

Henry  Bach  (landlord). 

Valentine  Bush. 

Widow  Bousin. 

George  dowser. 

George  Clowser,  Jr. 

Nicholas  Drumheller. 

Peter  Diener. 

Henry  Diener. 
Joshua  Delaplain. 
John  Drumheller. 
Andrew  Dirolf.  ' 
Widow  Dehart. 
John  Eberhart. 
Daniel  Eist. 
Abraham  Eist. 
John  English. 
Casper  Greesenier. 
John  Greesemer. 
Jacob  Gerber. 
Jacob  Gilbach. 
Nicholas  Godehall. 
John  Hauch. 
Nicholas  Handwerk. 
George  Happenheimer. 
Jacob  Hill. 
George  Hartman. 
Philip  Hartman. 
Philip  Hartman,  Jr. 
Frederick  Hill. 
Adam  Hieder. 


Nicholas  Hunter. 

John  Hossler. 

Melchoir  Heist. 

Widow  Hill. 

Tillman  Joust. 

Jacob  Jude. 

Henry  Joxthermer. 

Adam  Imbody. 

Peter  Joder  (landlord). 

George  Kuntz. 

John  Koch. 

Christopher  Kolp. 

John  Kolrun. 

Michael  Kuhn. 

Widow  Klotz. 

Michael  Ludwig. 

John  Lesher. 

John  Miller. 

Jacob  Miller. 

Frantz  Mosser. 

Michael  Mosser. 

John  Motzer. 

Casper  Mayer. 

Philip  Mathew. 

"William  Miller. 

Nicholas  Miller. 

Joist  Maninger. 

Daniel  Mourer  (landlord). 

David  Potts. 

James  Richards. 

Adam  Rhoads. 

Thomas  Rutter. 

Michael  Ries. 

George  Seip. 

Adam  Swable. 

George  Shall. 

Joseph  Sands. 

Daniel  Sands. 

John  Statpleton. 


2  A  section  of  this  township  on  the  north  was  cut  off  and 
added  to  Pike  township  in  1852,  thereby  reducing  the 
area  to  nine  thousand  five  hundred  and  twenty  acres. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1017 


William  Stapleton. 
Martin  Shenkel. 
John  Shoff. 
Nicholas  Saul. 
John  Stoudt. 
Leonard  Sheffer. 
•William  Stork. 
Henry  Sockman. 
George  Spotz. 
Jacob  Troud. 


James  English. 
John  Kerlin. 
David  Schall. 
John  Miller. 
John  Slageuouff. 


John  White. 
Christopher  White. 
Erhard  White. 
Charles  White. 
John  Weidner. 
Jucob  Woiduer. 
George  A.  Weidner. 
Jacob  Weaver. 
Jacob  Wonielsdorf. 
Elias  Weyand. 

Singh  Freemen. 

Martin  Acker. 
Edward  Clowser. 
William  Barentz. 
Philip  Endy. 
Henry  Lyman. 


iNDUSTRiES.^The  water-power  of  the  town- 
ship has  never  been  strong,  nor  the  mill-seats 
numerous ;  but  since  the  hills  have  been  denuded 
of  the  timber  which  formerly  covered  them,  the 
volume  of  the  streams  has  become  so  small  that 
nearly  all  the  enterprises  carried  on  at  an  early 
day  have  been  abandoned.  The  site  of  the 
"  Spring  Forge,"  '  on  the  Manatawny,  is  now 
occupied  by  a  small  saw-mill  and  turning-shop, 
and  the  forge,  which  was  last  owned  by  the 
Spangs,  has  been  abandoned  eighteen  years  ago. 
On  the  Trout  Brook,  near  its  mouth,  the  Hart- 
ranft  fulling-mill  has  also  since  been  abandoned. 
A  mile  above,  Peter  Ludwig  had  a  powder-mill, 
which  has  also  passed  away  and  the  power  is 
idle.  On  Furnace  Creek,  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  Oley  Forge,  the  Spangs  carried  on  a 
small  furnace  for  a  while,  but  it  soon  became 
unprofitable,  and  it  was  abandoned ;  and  the 
power  was  not  used  to  operate  any  other  in- 
dustry. On  the  small  stream  in  the  upper  part 
of  the  township  Tobias  Shall  had  a  pioneer 
oil-mill,  which  was  changed  into  a  grist-mill  by 
John  Wentzel.  Wm.  Gabel  became  a  later 
owner  and  last  operated  it.  In  1883  the 
machinery  was  removed  to  Pike  township,  and 
the  building  has  since  been  idle.  Below  there 
was  a  fulling-mili,  which  had  a  number  of 
owners  and  which  was  last  operated  by  Solomon 
Lsinbach.-  Though  the  building  still  remains,  it 
is  not  used  for  manufacturing.  A  powder-mill 
owned  by  Isaac  and  Jonathan  Cleaver,  near  by, 
and  operated  by  them  for  a  time,  has  also  been 
entirely  removed.  The  last  active  power  in 
Earl  township  was  the  fulling-mill  of  Jonathan 
Cleaver.     It  contained  carding  machinery  and 

1  See  Chap. VII.  Early  Industries. 


some  power  looms  for  manufacturing  cloths,  and 
for  a  time  it  was  carried  on  successfully.  The 
machinery  has  also  been  removed  and  the  build- 
ing converted  into  a  residence.  The  tanning 
business,  carried  on  at  different  places  in  the 
township,  has  also  been  discontinued,  leaving 
agriculture  as  the  sole  pursuit  of  the  inhabitants. 

SHANESVILLE. 

The  only  distinctive  business  point  in  Earl 
township  is  Shanesville,  a  village  of  twenty 
buildings,  a  little  north  of  the  centre  of  the 
township.  It  derived  its  name  from  John 
Shane,  who  owned  the  land  upon  which  the 
place  was  founded  by  Peter  Clauser,  in  1833,  the 
latter  having  built  and  opened  a  public-house 
that  year.  This  was  kept  by  him  uutil  his 
death,  when  his  son  Daniel  succeeded  him.  He 
was  an  active  business  man,  and  under  his 
direction  most  of  the  buildings  in  the  place  were 
put  up.  The  present  landlord  is  his  son,  Simon 
B.  Clauser. 

The  first  mercantile  business  was  carried  on 
by  Tobias  Clauser,  about  forty  years  ago. 
Afterward  Daniel  Clauser  had  a  store  at  the 
same  place.  In  1859  he  builta  new  store-room, 
in  which  Young  &  Hillegas  first  traded.  Sub- 
sequently, Simon  Clauser,  Wm.  Haas,  Samuel 
Weidner  and  Isaac  Heydt  traded  there;  the 
last-named  is  the  present  merchant,  and  he  is 
also  postmaster  of  the  Shanesville  office,  which 
was  established  in  1867.  The  first  mail  service 
was  from  Kutztown,  three  times  a  week.  In 
1872  the  Reading  route  was  established,  and 
since  1882  the  service  has  been  daily.  For 
many  years  the  proprietor  of  the  stage-line  has 
been  Reuben  Uptegrove,  whose  faithful  ser- 
vice has  given  the  people  of  this  remote  town- 
ship comparatively  easy  communication  with 
Reading.  In  the  southern  part  of  the  township 
is  a  country  tavern  kept  by  A.  E.  Fegley. 
Farther  up  the  road  is  Earlville,  with  a  post- 
office,  store  and  tavern.  The  place  is  just  across 
the  line  in  Amity,  and  is  noted  in  the  sketch  of 
that  township. 

The  first  tavern  in  the  township  was  kept  by 
the  Pennybecker  family,  soon  after  1800,  in  a 
house  which  stood  at  the  foot  of  the  hills  in  the 
central  part  of  the  township.     It  was  discon- 


1018 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


tinued  many  years  ago,  and  the  building  was 
converted  into  a  farm-house.  The  early  elec- 
tions were  held  at  that  place. 

The  land  of  this  township  is  very  hilly,  but 
it  has  been  occupied  by  an  enterprising  people, 
who  have  obtained  for  themselves  numerous 
roads,  and  established  six  schools  for  the  educa- 
tion of  their  children.  The  "  Oley  Hills  "  in 
this  township  comprise  a  number  of  prominent 
elevations  which  are  respectively  known  as 
"  Earl,"  "  Stone  Cave,"  "  Long,"  "Fancy  "  and 
"Sandy."  They  are  also  sometimes  called 
"  Earl  Mountains." 

Although  there  is  no  church  within  the 
bounds  of  Earl  township,  it  must  not  be  sup- 
posed that  its  inhabitants  are  averse  to  religious 
influences.  Most  of  them  are  attendants  of  the 
churches  in  Oley,  Pike  and  Colebrookdale 
townships.  Sunday-schools  are  maintained  in 
the  township.  A  union  Sunday-school  was 
organized  as  early  as  May  20,  1850,  when  op- 
position against  such  schools  was  very  strong  in 
some  parts  of  the  county.  In  July  following 
it  had  sixty  scholars. 

Since  1850  these  valuable  auxiliaries  to  the 
neighboring  churches  have  received  the  pat- 
ronage and  support  of  the  best  people  of  the 
township. 

The  success  of  this  Christian  enterprise  in 
amongst  the  hills  of  Earl  over  thirty  years  ago, 
when  the  system  of  common-school  education 
was  struggling  to  complete  its  grand  march 
throughout  the  county,  won  the  following  com- 
plimentary notice  in  a  newspaper  published  then 
at  Reading  :  "  Earl  is  a  glorious  little  town- 
ship. These  names  (alluding  to  the  names  of 
the  officers  and  teachers  published)  stand  in 
bright  contrast  with  the  anti-Sunday-school  men 
of  Robeson." 


PIKE  TOWNSHIP. 

Erection  op  Township.— In  pursuance  of 
an  application  for  a  new  township,  the  Court  of 
Quarter  Sessions,  in  November,  1812,  appoint- 
ed Henry  M.  Richards,  Frederick  Fritz  and 
John  Miller  commissioners  for  the  purpose  of 
viewing  and  laying  out  the  desired  township. 
Some  months  afterward   these   commissioners 


viewed  the  premises,  consisting  of  sections  of 
territory  from  District,  Rockland,  Oley  and 
Earl  townships,  and  set  them  apart  for  a  new 
township,  to  be  called  Pike,  which  were  bound- 
ed and  described  as  follows:  "Beginning at  Pine 
Creek,  on  lands  of  John  Weidner,  in  Oley  town- 
ship; thence  south  sixty-six  and  a  half  east  one 
thousand  five  hundred  perches;  thence  along  the 
line  of  Colebrookdale  township,  north  thirty- 
three  and  a  half  cast  five  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  perches;  thence  through  District  township, 
north  fifty,  west  one  thousand  four  hundred  and 
forty  perches;  thence  along  the  line  of  Rock- 
land township,  south  thirty-five' west  six  hun- 
dred and  ten  perches  (o  Pine  Creek;  and  thence 
along  said  creek  four  hundred  and  fifteen 
perches  to  the  place  of  beginning.  Their  re- 
port was  presented  and  confirmed  at  August 
sessions,  1813. 

In  1842  a  section  of  Rockland  township  was 
added  to  Pike. 

The  names  of  the  taxables  of  the  township 
for  the  year  1814  are  not  given,  for  the  reason 
that  the  early  settlers  of  this  section  are  included 
in  the  townships  of  Oley,  District  and  Rockland. 

CHURCHES. 

St.  John's  Church. — An  old-established 
church,  commonly  known  as  the  "  Hill  Church," 
stands  in  the  eastern  section  of  the  township. 
In  1741  certain  members  of  the  Lutheran  de- 
nomination and  their  neighbors  of  the  "  Oley 
Hills  "  bought l  a  tract  of  fifty  acres  of  land  on 
a  high  place  of  the  mountain,  for  a  glebe  or 
parsonage  farm;  and  in  1747  they  erected  a 
frame  building  for  church  purposes.2  They 
were  assisted  by  members  of  the  German  Re- 
formed congregation,  who,  in  consideration  of 
their  assistance,  were  permitted  to  send  their 
children  to  the  school  of  the  Lutheran  contjre- 


^he  warrant  was  issued  in  1747  to  Casper  Grygler, 
George  Ernest  and  Andrew  Rodenheffer  for  the  use  of  the 
"  Hill  Church."  The  patent  was  issued  in  1829  to  Williitm 
Walter,  Adam  Weller,  Henry  Gross  and  George  Herbst, 
wardens  of  the  Lutheran  and  Presbyterian  congregations, 
in  Pike  township,  called  "  Hill  Church.'' 

2  The  roof  of  the  first  church  projected  over  the  sides  so 
as  to  protect  it  against  storms.  This  space  under  the 
roof  on  the  outside  was  used  by  the  early  settlers  to  hang 
up  their  seed  corn,  from  which  circumstance  it  was  called 
locally  "  Die  Welshkorn  Kerche." 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1019 


gation,  hold  religious  services  in  the  church  and 
bury  their  dead  in  the  adjacent  burying-ground. 
Some  years  afterward  the  Reformed  members 
became  joint  owners  of  the  property.  In  1786 
the  two  congregations  united  in  the  erection  of 
a  fine  stone  church  building  in  place  of  the 
frame  church.  And  a  third  church  was  erected 
in  1853,  the  corner-stone  having  been  laid  on 
May  15, 1853.  A  grand  "  Centenary  Festival" 
was  held  in  this  church  on  September  22,  1866. 
This  occasion  was  set  apart  in  order  to  celebrate 
the  day  when  Eev.  Michael  Schlatter — the 
pioneer  missionary  of  the  German  Reformed 
Church  in  Berks  County — visited  Oley,  which 
was  exactly  one  hundred  and  twenty  years  be- 
fore (September  22,  1746).  The  church  was 
handsomely  and  profusely  decorated.  A  con- 
spicuous figure  in  the  services  then  was  the 
Hon.  Daniel  Young,  a  prominent  member  of 
the  First  Reformed  Church  of  Reading,  who 
had  been  the  organist  of  the  "  Hill  Church  " 
fifty-three  years  before.  He  was  present  by 
special  invitation  and  officiated  at  the  organ. 
Though  over  seventy  years  of  age  "  he  gave 
speech  and  voice  to  the  devotions  of  a  hundred 
years.  His  discourses  spoke  of  feasts  and  fun- 
erals, of  bridal  joys  and  burial  griefs.  The 
church  rang  with  the  same  hymns  and  the  same 
chorals  which  the  original  settlers  sang  when 
lonely  strangers  here,  and  the  same  which  he 
sang  with  this  flock  fifty  years  ago." ' 

In  1886  the  present  building  was  remodeled 
and  supplied  with  a  spire,  which  greatly  im- 
proved its  appearance. 

The  ministers  of  the  Lutheran  congregation 
have  been  the  following  : 

The  Revs.  Lucas  Raus,  in  1754 ;  Wm.  Kurtz, 
John  H.  Schaum,  Fred.  A.  Muhlenberg,  G.  H. 
E.  Muhlenberg,  J.  M.  Schmidt,  Christian 
Striet,  Daniel  Lehman,  John  C.  Dill,  John  F. 
Wieand,  Jacob  Miller,  Conrad  Miller,  Nathan 
Iaeger,  A.  D.  Croll,  S.  R.  Boyer  and  D.  K. 
Humbert,  the  latter  being  the  present  pastor. 
The  Reformed  congregation  has  had  as  its  prin- 
cipal pastors  the  Revs.  Aug.  Herman,  Lewis 
Herman,  R.  A.  Van  Court  and  P.  P.  A.  Hoff- 

1  An  interesting  article  on  the  history  of  this  church  was 
prepared  by  Rev.  B.  Bausman,  of  Reading,  and  published 
in  the  Oerrnan  Reformed  Messenger  in  1866. 


man.     Each  congregation  has  about  four  hun- 
dred members. 

St.  Paul's  Church  (Lutheran  and  Re- 
formed) is  located  on  a  very  elevated  tract  of 
ground  near  Lobachsville,  and  is  most  generally 
spoken  of  as  the  "  Lobach's  Church."  To  afford 
a  more  central  place  of  worship  to  the  people  of 
this  vicinity  than  that  occupied  by  the  Hill  and 
Oley  Churches,  Samuel  Lobach  donated  a  lot  of 
land  for  church  and  cemetery  purposes,  and 
upon  this  there  was  built,  in  1834,  a  plain  stone 
church.  The  building  committee  was  composed 
of  Samuel  Lobach,  Jacob  Weidner,  Jacob 
Bieber  and  Joseph  Specht.  The  structure  was 
small,  being  but  thirty-five  by  forty  feet,  and 
it  soon  became  insufficient  to  accommodate  the 
people.  It  was  used,  however,  until  1877, 
when  it  was  taken  down  and  the  present  edifice 
erected  in  its  place  the  same  year.  Many  per- 
sons came  from  near  and  far  to  witness  the  con- 
secration services,  which  transpired  late  in  the 
fall.  The  building  committee  was  composed  of 
David  Lobach,  Benjamin  Yerger  and  William 
Gabel.  The  first-named  was  not  only  active, 
but  untiring  in  the  matter.  It  is  a  fine  build- 
ing of  substantial  stone  masonry  and  has  a  neat 
spire.  Connected  with  the  church  is  a  ceme- 
tery, which  has  been  enlarged  by  the  addition 
of  several  acres.  The  property  was  neatly  in- 
closed in  1878.  This  cemetery  is  controlled  by 
a  corporate  body.  Officers  for  1886 :  Trustees, — 
Nathan  H.  Landis,  Daniel  Peters,  David  Fry, 
Moses  Eberhart,  Nathan  Yoder,  Jr.,  and 
Tilghman  Houseman.  The  church  property 
also  includes  a  number  of  sheds,  built  of  stone 
and  substantially  constructed.  Its  members 
number  one  hundred. 

The  first  pastor  was  the  Rev.  Isaac  Roeller, 
who  remained  until  1836.  The  succeeding 
pastors  were  Revs.  Peter  Miller,  1836-39; 
Daniel  Kohler,  1839-50;  John  Grim,  1850- 
51;  Joel  Grim,  1851-52;  George  S.  Miller, 
1852-53;  A.  J.  Hinterleiter,  1853-60;  Alfred 
D.  Croll,  1862-68;  Simon  R.  Boyer,  1868-72; 
and  D.  K.  Humbert,  1872-86. 

The  membership  is  small,  embracing  only 
about  forty.  Since  June  28, 1862,  the  pastor  has 
been  Rev.  P.  P.  A.  Hoffman.  His  predecessor 
and  the  first  pastor  of  the  church  was  the  Rev. 


1020 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Lewis  Herman,  who  preached  from  1834  until 
August  19,  1860.  In  the  cemetery  lies  in- 
terred George  Angstadt,  who  died  at  Lobachs- 
ville  in  1861,  aged  one  hundred  and  one  years, 
six  months  and  fifteen  days ;  and  on  May  22, 
1859,  his  wife  died,  aged  ninety-one  years. 

VILLAGES. 

Hill  Church. — Of  the  villages  in  the  town- 
ship, Hill  Church  is  the  smallest,  comprising 
but  a  few  buildings,  the  posi-oifice,  store  and 
tavern  being  the  principal  features.  Both  the 
latter  are  kept  by  John  W.  Dotterer.  He  is 
also  the  postmaster  of  the  office  which  was  es- 
tablished in  1864.  Among  other  tavern-keep- 
ers there  were  members  of  the  Wieand  family. 
Adam  Glase  kept  the  first  store. 

Pikeville,  one  mile  from  the  Oley  line, 
is  situated  in  the  most  fertile  valley  of  the  town- 
ship, near  the  base  of  the  hills  which  charac- 
terize the  interior.  It  contains  about  a  dozen 
houses,  some  of  them  large  and  substantial. 
The  point  is  favorable  for  trading  purposes.  It 
is  the  place  where  William  Shall  had  his  store 
and  tavern  many  years  ago.  In  1834  the  post- 
office  was  established  and  named  Pikeville.  A 
shop  and  a  few  other  buildings  were  built  soon 
afterward.  Most  of  the  improvements  have 
been  made  in  recent  years.  From  1868  till 
1879  Nathan  H.  Landis  conducted  the  business 
of  the  place.  He  is  the  present  postmaster 
The  store  and  tavern  have  been  kept  successive- 
ly by  H.  B.  Ruppert,  Benjamin  Yerger  and  H. 
B.  Yerger. 

Near  this  place  Dr.  William  A.  Herbst  lived 
as  a  medical  practitioner,  and  after  a  number  of 
years  moved  to  Reading.  His  first  home  was 
at  the  mill,  which  he  also  carried  on.  He  was 
succeeded  by  a  Dr.  Gore,  whose  practice  con- 
tinued until  his  death  ;  then  Drs.  T.  D.  Leidy 
Oliver  H.  Fisher,  E.  N.  Herbst  and  B.  S.  Grim 
practiced  here  for  a  short  time.  The  last-named 
was  succeeded  by  the  present  Dr.  W.  D.  De 
Long,  who  has  a  large  and  increasing  practice. 
One  mile  north,  Dr.  Wiley  was  in  practice  a 
short  time  before  his  death;  and  some  other 
physicians  were  in  the  township  for  very  brief 
periods,  removing  before  they  had  succeeded  in 
establishing  themselves  in  practice. 


Lobachsville  is  the  oldest  hamlet  in  the 
township,  and  derived  its  name  from  Peter 
Lobach,  its  founder.  It  was  formerly  the  seat 
of  active  manufacturing  interests  and  a  business 
place  of  considerable  importance,  but  with  the 
decay  of  the  former  the  latter  has  also  declined 
until  but  little  remains.  Here  are  half  a  dozen 
residences  and  the  usual  interests  of  a  country 
place.  The  first  improvements  were  made  by 
William  Pott,  who  was  a  large  land-owner  and 
miller  on  the  Pine  Creek.  In  1 745  he  conveyed 
fifty-nine  acres  and  a  fulling-mill  to  Peter  Lo- 
bach, but  he  reserved  the  grist-mill,  a  short  dis- 
tance above.  Lobach  carried  on  the  fulling- 
mill  and  was  succeeded  in  that  business  by  his 
son  Samuel,  who  was  the  father  of  two  sons — 
William  and  Samuel.  The  first-named  (Wil- 
liam) succeeded  his  father  in  the  ownership  of 
the  mills  and  woolen- factory  ;  and  his  brother 
(Samuel)  built  and  carried  on  successfully  a 
chair-factory  for  some  years.  Samuel  Lobach, 
last-named,  was  the  father  of  David  Lobach, 
for  many  years  a  justice  of  the  peace  at  this 
place.  The  elder  Samuel  Lobach  substituted 
the  present  large  stone  woolen-factory  in  the 
place  of  the  old  factory.  Latterly,  since  1885, 
the  building  has  been  used  as  a  creamery  by 
William  Keim.  Its  use  as  a  woolen -factory 
was  abandoned  when  William  Lobach  erected  a 
new  woolen-factory  a  short  distance  below.  This 
was  successfully  operated  by  him  for  a  number 
of  years  and  then  the  machinery  was  removed. 
The  building  was  demolished  and  the  dam  torn 
away.  The  property  now  belongs  to  the  Weid- 
ner  family.  The  saw-mill  at  the  upper  power 
is  still  operated  for  the  Lobach  heirs. 

Samuel  Lobach,  the  chair-maker,  started  the 
store,  and,  at  his  death  it  passed  to  his  son  Da- 
vid. The  latter  sold  out  to  Levi  Brown,  and, 
upon  Brown's  death,  others  succeeded  for  several 
years.    The  present  store-keeper  is  F.  K.  Yoder. 

The  Lobachsville  post-office  was  established 
in  1835.  It  has  always  been  in  this  store,  and 
the  store-keepers  have  been  the  postmasters.  It 
has  a  daily  mail  from  Reading,  on  the  stage- 
route  to  Pikeville.  William  Lobach  built  and 
kept  the  tavern  opposite  the  store.  Since  his 
time  it  has  had  many  keepers,  the  present  being 
A.  K.  Yoder. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1021 


The  old  Pott  mill  became  the  property  of 
Jonathan  Grim,  who  owned  it  a  number  of 
years.  William  Harner  was  a  later  owner  and 
David  Reinert  is  the  present.  It  is  an  old  stone 
building.  The  site  was  one  of  the  first  im- 
proved in  this  part  of  the  county.  Above — 
where  were  the  Pott,  and,  later,  the  Heilig 
forges,  no  improvements  remain,  the  water- 
power  being  unemployed. 

On  the  Manatawny  proper,  near  the  Oley 
line,  the  old  mill,  long  operated  by  George 
Shall,  became  the  property  of  Dr.  William  A. 
Herbst,  and  from  him  it  passed  to  George  Ren- 
ninger.  It  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1883,  and 
rebuilt  by  him  the  same  year.  It  is  now  the 
property  of  Jonas  Lesher.  The  mills  of  Motz, 
Yoder,  Kleh  and  others  have  also  had  a  number 
of  changes  of  ownership,  most  of  them  being 
still  operated  in  a  small  way.  Near  Pikeville, 
F.  F.  Cleaver  built  a  first-class  creamery  in  the 
spring  of  1886. 

Die  Beeg  Maria. — A  woman,  by  the  name 
of  Maria  Young,  also  commonly  called  "  Die 
Berg  Maria,"  lived  as  a  recluse  for  many  years 
in  this  township,  near  Motz's  mill.  She  was 
visited  in  her  home  in  the  mountain  by  persons 
from  various  parts  of  the  country,  some  having 
come  a  distance  of  four  hundred  miles  to  see 
her.  A  stone  was  placed  at  her  grave  "  By  a 
Lady  of  Philadelphia,"  with  the  following 
epitaph  : 

"Anna  Maria  Young,  a  truly  pious  and  benevolent 
recluse,  who  lived  nearly  thirty  years  alone  on  a  small 
farm,  the  home  of  her  ancestors,  situated  almost  on 
the  summit  of  one  of  the  Oley  mountains.  Her  cot- 
tage was  the  picture  of  neatness  and  of  comfort,  and 
was  visited  by  strangers  from  every  direction,  who 
never  failed  to  depart  without  imbibing  the  highest 
Opinions  of  the  meekness,  the  piety  and  the  benevo- 
lence of  their  lonely,  yet  happy  hostess.  She  died 
November  17,  1819,  aged  seventy  years. 

"  Here,  underneath  this  mountain  stone, 

Lies  Mary  Young,  who  lived  alone, 

High  on  the  lofty  mountain  side, 

Belov'd  and  honor'd  till  she  died ; 

Lov'd  and  honor'd  by  the  few, 

Who  give  to  virtue,  virtue's  due. 

Stranger,  she  that's  buried  here, 

Was  humble,  pious  and  sincere ; 

The  even  tenor  of  her  days, 

She  pass'd  in  grateful  pray'r  and  praise ; 

Her  heart  was  like  the  gentle  dove, 


That  came  from  Heav'n  with  promis'd  love — 

Her  heart,  her  hands,  her  cottage  door, 

Were  open  to  the  rich  and  poor. 

Her  faith  confirm'd,  her  will  resign'd, 

So  sweetly  calm,  so  pure  her  mind, 

The  God  of  mercy  from  his  Throne 

Look'd  down  and  claimed  her  as  his  own.  " l 


ONTELAUNEE  SECTION. 

Ontelatjnee  section  comprises  the  upper  east- 
ern portion  of  the  county.  It  takes  its  name  from 
the  large  stream  which  drains  the  greater  part 
of  its  territory. 

It  is  an  Indian  word,  and  signifies  "  Maiden 
Creek,"  a  daughter  or  branch  of  the  Schuylkill. 
The  stream  was  called  "Maiden  Creek"  by  the 
"  Friends  "  when  they  began  their  first  settle- 
ments in  1733 — ignoring  the  beautiful  and  ex- 
pressive name,  "  Ontelaunee."  The  legislative 
provision  that  English  words  should  be  used 
in  naming  persons  may  have  indirectly  induced 
them  to  make  the  change.  They  took  up  the 
first  land  by  patents  along  and  across  its  wind- 
ing banks  from  its  mouth  northwardly  for  more 
than  .ten  miles ;  and  also  along  the  eastern  bank 
of  the  Schuylkill  from  the  same  point  to  the 
Blue  Mountain.  Their  presence  and  influence 
brought  about  the  introduction  of  English 
names  for  the  four  townships — Maiden-creek, 
Richmond,  .Windsor  and  Greenwich,  which,  at 
the  erection  of  the  county,  included  over  half  of 
this  large  section. 

But  the  name  was  very  justly  restored  to 
prominence  in  the  nomenclature  of  the  county 
by  the  division  of  Maiden-creek  township,  and 
naming  the  western  part  "  Ontelaunee." 

Streams. — The  Maiden-creek  rises  in  Le- 
high County.  It  enters  Berks  County  in  Albany 
township,  flows  southwardly  for  about  -twenty- 
five  miles,  forming  in  its  course  an  irregular, 

1  Published  in  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal,  1st  Jan- 
uary, 1820.  An  interesting  German  poem,  pertaining  to 
the  life  and  character  of  the  same  person,  was  prepared  by 
"A  Gentleman  of  Oley  "  (believed  to  have  been  Daniel  Ber- 
tolet,  »,  rich  and  religious  farmer).  It  is  published  in 
Rupp's  "  History  of  Berks  County,"  p.  260.  A  small  Ger- 
man book,  entitled  "Die  Berg  Maria,"  was  published  by 
L.  A.  Wollenweber  in  1880.  It  is  valuable  for  many  in- 
teresting historical  facts,  which  relate  as  well  to  Berks 
County  as  to  Maria  Young. 


1022 


HISTOKY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


diagonal  Hue  of  the  section,  and  empties  into 
the  Schuylkill  in  Ontelaunee  township.1 

Its  principal  tributaries  are  the  following: 
Pine,  Stony,  Furnace,  Sacony,  Moselem  and 
Willow. 

No  considerable  creeks,  except  Pine  Creek 
mentioned,  flow  into  it  from  the  west.  The 
total  length  of  the  stream  and  its  tributaries  is 
seventy  miles.  It  is  a  wonderful  water-power, 
and  is  invaluable  in  irrigating  the  lands 
through  which  it  wends  its  winding  way. 

Hills. — There  are  numerous  hills  in  this 
section,  but  they  are  not  remarkable  for  promi- 
nence, and  are  not  classed  with  any  chain  of 
mountains.  They  are  mostly  used  for  wood- 
land. The  Blue  Mountain  bounds  it  on  the 
northwest.  The  "Pinnacle"  is  a  spur  from 
this  mountain,  and  extends  eastwardly  through 
Windsor  into  Albany,  in  length  about  six 
miles.  The  easternmost  point,  at  the  apex,  is  one 
of  the  highest  points  in  the  county,  being  elevated 
over  twelve  hundred  feet  above  the  sea.  It 
commands  a  magnificent  view  of  the  surround- 
ing country  for  many  miles,  extending  into 
Schuylkill,  Lehigh  and  Northampton  Counties, 
to  the  north  and  east,  and  including  all  that 
portion  of  Berks  which  lies  north  of  the  South 
Mountain. 

Internal  Improvements. — This  section  is 
intersected  by  very  many  roads  in  all  the  town- 
ships. There  are  three  prominent  highways 
worthy  of  particular  mention, — the  "Centre 
Turnpike,"  which  extends  thirteen  miles  from 
Muhlenberg  northwardly,  generally  along  the 
Schuylkill,  through  Ontelaunee,  Perry  and 
Windsor  to  the  Schuylkill  County  line;  the 
"  Kutztown  Boad,"  2  which  extends  in  almost 
a  direct  line  northeastwardly  seventeen  miles 
from  the  Centre  turnpike,  near  the  mouth  of 
the  Maiden  Creek,  through  Ontelaunee,  Maiden- 
creek,  Bichmond  and  Maxatawny  to  the  Le- 
high County  line;  and  the  "State  Boad," 
which  extends  eastwardly  thirteen  miles  from 
the  river  at  Hamburg,  through  Windsor  and 


'The  upper  portion,  from  the  mouth  of  the  Sacony  north- 
wardly, ia  known  as  "  Ontelaunee  ;"  and  the  lower  section 
from  this  point  as  "  Maiden  Creek." 

2  Sometimes  called  -'Eastou  Road,"  because  it  was  orig- 
inally laid  out  to  Easton. 


Greenwich,  to  the  Lehigh  County  line,  it  being 
a  continuation  of  the  State  road  from  the 
Lebanon  County  line  across  the  entire  upper 
section  of  the  county,  in  length  altogether 
thirty-five  miles. 

The  "  Schuylkill  Canal  "  extends  along  the 
river  to  the  western  extremity  of  the  section 
from  West  Leesport,  through  Ontelaunee,  Perry 
and  Windsor,  to  Schuylkill  County,  a  length  of 
eleven  and  a  half  miles. 

The  "  Beading  and  Lehigh  Bailroad  "  (for- 
merly called  the  "Berks  County")  extends 
along  the  Maiden-creek  from  Berkley,  near  its 
mouth,  to  the  Lehigh  County  line,  a  length  of 
about  twenty  miles. 

The  "  East  Penn  Bailroad  "  extends  north- 
eastwardly through  the  lower  portion  of  Onte- 
launee, Maiden-creek,  Bichmond  and  Maxa- 
tawny and  the  central  portion  of  Longswamp 
to  the  Lehigh  County  line,  a  distance  of  eigh- 
teen miles. 

Nine  townships  are  included  in  this  section, 
and  the  historical  narrative  of  each  appears  in 
the  order  mentioned :  Maiden-creek,  Onte- 
launee, Bichmond,  Maxatawny,  Longswamp, 
Windsor,  Perry,  Albany,  Greenwich. 


MAIDEN-CREEK  TOWNSHIP. 

The  land  in  Maiden-creek  township  was 
taken  up  by  Friends.  The  exact  period  is  not 
known  ;  but  it  is  supposed  about  the  time  that 
the  Indians  released  the  land  in  1732.  The 
Friends  were  always  inclined  to  respect  the 
rights  of  the  Indians,  and  therefore  they  were 
not  guilty  of  trespasses.  The  Indians  knew  of 
and  appreciated  this  friendly  and  honorable 
feeling. 

It  is  supposed  that  Moses  Starr  and  his  wife 
were  the  first  two  settlers  in  that  remote  section 
of  uninhabited  country,  having  gone  there  about 
1720.  This  is  possible,  but  not  probable. 
Some  of  the  earliest  Friends  who  took  up  lands 
by  warrant  and  patent  were  Moses  Starr, 
Francis  Parvin,  Samuel  Lightfoot,  Joseph 
Whyley  (Wily),  Bobert  Penrose,  Mordecai  Lee 
and  Nathaniel  Houlton.  At  one  time  about 
1752,  when  Berks  County  was  erected,  nearly 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1023 


the  entire  township  was  owned  and  occupied  by 
Friends.  Seventy  families  of  them  were  con- 
nected with  the  meeting  house  in  the  township, 
which  was  erected  in  their  midst. 

In  1746,  on  the  2d  day  of  the  First  Month 
(March)  a  petition  was  presented  to  the  Court  of 
Quarter  Sessions,  at  Philadelphia,  asking  the 
judges  to  erect  a  new  township  and  suggesting 
as  a  proper  name,  Maiden-creek.  The  petition 
described  a  large  tract  of  land,  containing  near 
thirteen  thousand  acres,  with  the  usual  allow- 
ance. The  descriptions  by  metes  and  bounds 
was  as  follows  ; 

"Beginning  at  White  Oak  tree  on  the  schuylkill 
Kiver,  a  corner  of  land  of  Nicholas  Kindser ;  thence 
N.  65  E.  970  perches  to  stone  in  a  line  of  the  Manor 
of  Euscum;  thence  along  said  manor  N.  E.  500  ps., 
S.  E.  116  ps.,  N.  E.  86  ps.,  S.  E.  91  ps.,  N.  65  E.  349 
ps.;  thence  N.  W.,  1380  ps. ;  thence  S.  65  W.  1370  ps. 
to  the  river ;  thence  down  the  same  river  about  1400 
ps.  to  the  beginning."' 

Doubtless  the  townships  to  the  east  and  north 
(Richmond  and  Windsor)  were  not  then  erected 
or  recognized  by  the  names  subsequently  given 
to  them.  The  survey  was  made  July  20,  1746, 
by  Benjamin  Lightfoot.  The  eastern  line  was 
reckoned  four  miles  from  Maxatawny. 

This  petition  was  subscribed  by  the  following 
signers,  who  were  property-holders,  in  the  pro- 
posed new  district : 


Moses  Starr. 
Jacob  Lightfoot. 
Eichard  Lundy. 
George  Eoseborough. 
Isaac  Eutledge. 
John  Barger. 
Eobert  Wilson. 
John  Wily. 
Lawrence  Pearson. 


Merrick  Starr. 
William  Wily. 
John  Greasey. 
Eobert  Eoseborough. 
Joseph  Wily. 
Isaac  Starr. 
Joseph  Penrose. 
Henry  Willits. 


The  names  were  well  written,  without  any 
marks.  The  prayer  of  the  petitioners  was 
granted  in  December,  1746,  and  the  township 
by  the  name  suggested  was  then  erected. 

In  September,  1838,  a  large  tract  of  land 
was  laid  off  from  Ruscomb-manor  township  and 
added  to  Maiden-creek  township,  in  order  to 
accommodate  the  property-holders  of  that  section 
in  respect  to  road  taxes,  etc. 

In  1849  the  township  was  divided  into  two 
sections  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  new  town- 


ship, and  the  western  section  was  named  "Onte- 
launee." 

The  township  was  named  after  the  creek 
which  extends  diagonally  through  its  territory. 
The  words  "  Maiden  Creek "  arose  from  the 
fact  that  the  creek  was  a  branch  of  the  Schuyl- 
kill. The  Indians  called  it  Ontelaunee,  which 
signifies  little  daughter.  This  Indian  word  is 
supposed  to  have  been  originally,  Andenielia. 

In  the  central  part  of  the  township  is  a  spring 
of  unusual  size,  its  dimensions  covering  nearly 
three  acres  of  ground.  It  was  long  known  as 
the  Berndt  spring,  but  for  a  number  of  years 
the  farm  on  which  it  is  located  has  been  the 
property  of  the  Peters  family.  The  water 
issuing  from  this  spring  is  cool  and  pleasant  to 
the  taste,  and  its  volume  would  be  great  enough 
to  furnish  water-power  if  the  formation  of  the 
land  were  favorable  to  furnish  a  mill-site.  The 
surrounding  country  is  level,  preventing  the 
utilization  of  the  water  as  a  motive-power. 

The  following  list  comprises  the  taxable  in- 
habitants of  the  township  in  1759.  Joseph 
Penrose  was  the  collector.  The  amount  of  tax 
then  levied  was  £50  2s. 


Michael  Arnold 2 

William  Berkeiser 1 

Stephen  Barnet 8 

John  Bavto 2 

Joseph  Barger 3 

Simon  Barger 1 

Thomas  Carby 30 

Barnabas  Curry 2 

John  Coch 8 

John  Cline 2 

John  Cumpert 2 

Michael  Dunkle 8 

George  Fegley 4 

John  lfrowenfelter 5 

John  Hutfon 11 

Owen  Hughes 18 

Jonathan  Hughes 3 

Ulrick  Huy 12 

George  Heldebrand 2 

James  Hutton 16 

Valentine  Kline 10 

Joseph  Lightfoot 4 

Jacob  Lightfoot 11 

Thomas  Lewis 4 

Mordecai  Lee 10 

Leonard  Mier 11 

Adam  Mingle 3 

Edward  Moren 4 

Joseph  Penrose 16 


William  Penrose 12 

Francis  Parvin 19 

Francis  Parvin,  Jr 5 

Richard  Penrose 6 

Thomas  Parvin 1 

Frederick  Plot... 2 

Peter  Rodarmel 15 

Paul  Rodarmel 16 

Elias  Reed 8 

John  Reeser 26 

Christian  Risteon 5 

Joseph  Sees 1 

Moses  Starr,  Jr 4 

Merrick  Starr 7 

Barnet  Vanhorne 10 

Joseph  Wily 1 

Martiu  Carshman 1 

Jacob  Cauffman 7 

Frederick  Hess 2 

Richard  Hockley 60 

Rudolph  High 8 

John  High 6 

Martin  Honsman 2 

James  Jordan 6 

James  Keys 6 

Samuel  Lightfoot 24 

Thomas  Pearson 3 

Jacob  Perky 8 

Alvin  Shettle 6 


Single  Men. 


Michael  Carby. 
Jacoh  Cook. 
Timothy  Jennings. 
Stanley  Kerby. 
Adam  Mire. 
Benjamin  Parvin. 


John  Parvin. 
Thomas  Reed. 
John  Starr. 
Casper  Strall. 
John  Vanhorne. 
Peter  Vanhorne. 


1024 


HISTOKY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


The  early  substantial  improvements  in  the 
township  were  made  by  the  Friends.  Latterly, 
especially  during  the  last  fifty  years,  a  great 
proportion  of  those  highly  improved  lands  have 
passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Germans,  through 
the  gradual  extinction  or  departure  of  the 
Friends. 

Several  families  of  the  Friends  still  remain, 
however,  bearing  the  honored  names  of  Wily, 
Pearson,  "Wright,  Lightfoot,  Willit,  Parvin  and 
Penrose,  who  are  now,  as  their  fathers  before 
them  -were,  among  the  most  substantial  citizens 
of  the  county. 

Maiden-creek  Feiends'  Meeting-House 
is  a  plain  old  stone  building,  one-half  a 
mile  west  from  Maiden-creek  Station.  The 
Monthly  Meetings  of  the  Friends  in  Maiden- 
creek  were  established  as  early  as  1737,  but 
they  were  probably  held  at  the  houses  of  some 
of  the  Friends.  The  present  property  was  not 
obtained  until  about  twenty-two  years  later. 
On  the  12th  of  July,  1759,  Benjamin  Lightfoot 
granted  a  small  tract  (four  acres  and  five 
perches)  of  land  from  his  farm  to  certain 
friends,  Joseph  Penrose,  Richard  Penrose, 
Thomas  Wright  and  William  Tomlinson, 
who  then  erected  the  present  meeting- 
house thereon.  Originally  the  surrounding 
country  was  a  forest  of  oak  and  walnut  trees, 
some  of  the  trees  having  attained  very  large 
proportions  (the  stump  of  an  oak  tree  indicates 
a  diameter  of  six  feet  and  that  of  a  walnut  tree 
more  than  three  feet).  The  building  itself  is 
out  of  repair,  and  the  cemetery  shows  a 
neglected  condition,  owing  to  the  very  small 
number  of  persons  now  interested  in  these 
venerable  landmarks.  The  Friends'  school- 
house,  near  by,  in  consequence  of  its  disuse  for  a 
number  of  years,  is  also  dilapidated.  The  latter 
was  built  in  1 807,  and  was  kept  open  until  about 
1870.  It  is  the  second  building  at  that  place, 
the  first  having  been  erected  some  time  before 
1784.  In  that  year  a  lot  of  ground  adjoining 
the  church-lot  was  purchased,  and  Thomas 
Wright,  Mordecai  Lee  and  Thomas  Lightfoot 
were  appointed  a  committee  to  provide  a  school. 
They  secured  a  log  building,  which,  no  doubt, 
was  used  until  the  stone  house  took  its  place 
twenty-three  years    later.     In  the    spring    of 


1784  Thomas  Pearson  became  the  first  regu- 
lar teacher,  his  engagement  having  then  been 
made  for  one  year.  Fifteen  pupils  entered  the 
school  then,  and  eight  during  the  spring  quar- 
ter, making  twenty-three  pupils  in  all.  In- 
struction was  given  at  the  rate  of  forty  shillings 
each  a  quarter.  As  this  was  one  of  the  first 
English  schools  in  the  country,  its  patronage 
was  quite  large,  many  young  men  coming  from 
a  distance  and  boarding  with  farmers  in  the 
neighborhood.  Special  attention  was  given  to 
mathematical  studies,  and  as  surveying  promised 
to  be  a  lucrative  employment,  a  number  at- 
tended the  school  with  a  view  of  qualifying 
themselves  in  that  branch  of  study  under  teach- 
ers who  were  usually  very  proficient.  Nearly 
all  the  teachers  were  Friends,  the  most  prom- 
inent among  them  having  been  Thomas  Pearson, 
Mordecai  Wright,  John  G.  Lewis,  Joseph 
Jacobs,  Jesse  Willetts,  James  M.  Meredith  and 
Jesse  Lightfoot.  This  school  was  instrumental 
in  creating  a  sentiment  in  favor  of  English 
schools,  and  helped  to  make  the  system  of  free 
education  a  success. 

"At  Maiden-creek  Meeting-House  11  of  7th  m. 
1759,  Marriage  of  Joseph  Lightfoot,  Maiden-creek, 
to  Deborah  Hutton. 

Members  of  Families. 


Jacob  Lightfoot. 
John  Hutton. 
James  Hutton. 
Thomas  Lightfoot. 
Francis  Parvin,  Jr. 
Benjamin  Parvin. 
Mary  Lightfoot. 
Sarah  Hutton. 
Sarah  Hutton,  Jr. 
Abigail  Hutton. 

Benjamin  Fearson. 
Esther  Pearson. 
Tamer  Hutton. 
Eleanor  Parvin. 
Benjamin  Parvin. 
Mary  Parvin. 
Mordecai  Lee. 


Others. 


Sarah  Parvin. 
Martha  Hutton. 
Ann  Lightfoot. 
Grace  Lightfoot. 
Mary  Hutton. 
Hannah  Hutton. 
Francis  Parvin. 
Moses  Starr. 
John  Starr. 
James  Starr. 

Thomas  Reed. 
Phebe  Starr. 
Thomas  Parvin. 
Moses  Starr,  Jr. 
Margery  Starr. 
Sibilla  Wright. 
James  Jordan. 


"  Same  M.  H.  10  of  4th  mo.  1747,  Marriage  of  Saml. 
Hughes,  of  Ellis,  Exeter,  to  Elizabeth  Willits,  of 
Thomas,  Maiden-creek. 

Members  of  Families. 
Ellis  Hughes.  Margaret  Lee. 

Thomas  Willits.  Amey  Hughes. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1025 


John  Hughes. 
William  Hughes. 
Edward  Hughes. 
John  Willits. 
Isaiah  Willits. 
Isaac  Willits. 
Jane  Hughes. 
Rachel  Willits. 


Rachel  Willits, 
Samuel  Lee. 
Morris  Ellis. 
Thomas  Ellis. 
Mord.  Ellis. 
Mary  Boone. 
Robert  Penrose. 
Moses  Starr. 


Jr. 


Deborah  Starr. 


Others- 


John  Wily. 
Lawrence  Pearson. 
Esther  Pearson. 
Isaac  Starr. 
Margaret  Starr. 
Robert  Wilson. 
Mary  Lightfoot. 
Richard  Penrose. 
Ellinor  Rosburry. 
Mary  Penrose. 
Martha  Houlton. 


Francis  Parvin. 
Elinor  Parvin. 
Jacob  Lightfoot. 
Sigmnn  Wright. 
Benjamin  Parks. 
John  Wily. 
John  Starr. 
James  Starr. 
Thomas  Starr. 
William  Wily. 
Joseph  Kirby. 


The  Orthodox  Friends'  Meeting-House 
is  situated  on  lands  which  was  given  for  church 
purposes  by  Thomas  Willits.  It  stands  on  the 
west  side  of  the  Maiden-creek.  It  is  a  small 
brick  building.  The  Meeting  is  composed  of 
Jacob  Parvin  and  family,  Thomas  Willits  and 
family,  John  Pearson,  Susan  Pearson,  Rebecca 
Lee  and  William  Smith.  The  present  house  has 
been  occupied  since  1853.  Prior  to  that  time, 
and  after  the  Orthodox  Friends  had  ceased  to 
worship  in  the  old  stone  house,  the  meetings 
were  held  in  a  log  house  on  the  Reber  farm,  pre- 
viously used  as  a  residence.  There  is  no  resi- 
dent minister,  but  meetings  are  held  regularly 
on  every  First  day  and  also  occasionally  on 
week-days. 

Maiden-creek  Church. — This  house  of 
worship,  in  the  lower  part  of  Blandon,  is  finely 
located.  It  is  a  large  brick  edifice,  with  a  base- 
ment, surmounted  by  a  steeple  and  presents  a 
substantial  appearance.  It  was  built  in  1860  by 
Adam  Kauffman,  Jeremiah  De  Turk,  David 
Trout  and  William  Bland,  as  a  building  com- 
mittee of  the  Lutheran  and  Reformed  congre- 
gations, at  a  cost  of  about  seven  thousand  dollars. 
The  corner-stone  was  laid  June  24,  1860.  The 
trustees,  in  1885,  were  Frank  Seidel,  John  H. 
Medary  and  Jeremiah  De  Turk. 

The  Lutheran  congregation,  consisting  of  one 
hundred  and  forty  members,  has  had  the  pas- 


toral care  of  the  Rev.  B.  D.  Zweitzig,  with  Wil- 
liam Kisling  and  David  Depp  as  elders  ;  at  the 
same  time  the  Reformed  congregation  had  about 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  members,  with  John 
S.  Fox  and  Solomon  G.  Dunkle  as  elders,  and 
Rev.  B.  F.  Wise  pastor  since  1877.  The  pre- 
vious Reformed  ministers,  were  the  Revs.  Wil- 
liam Davis  and  A.  L.  Herman,  the  latter  having 
been  the  first  pastor. 

A  fine  cemetery  is  connected  with  the  church 
which  is  controlled  by  the  Maiden-creek  Cem- 
etery Co.,  incorporated  April  8,  1862,  with  the 
following  members:  Jacob  Hoffman,  John  S. 
Fox,  William  Wissner,  George  D.  Wissner, 
Jeremiah  De  Turk,  George  Dunkle,  Nicholas 
Madary  and  A.  W.  Kauffman.  The  cemetery 
contains  several  acres  of  ground,  is  neatly  laid 
out  and  kept  in  good  order.  It  includes  many 
fine  monuments. 

Zion's  Church  op  the  Evangelical  Asso- 
ciation is  a  small  but  neat  brick  building  in 
the  upper  part  of  Blandon.  It  was  erected  in 
1875,  mainly  through  the  efforts  of  Jacob  Rep- 
pert  and  Jacob  Bartley,  assisted  by  Mahlon 
Snyder,  Reuben  Shirey  and  William  Siegfried. 
The  membership  of  the  church  has  always  been 
small,  numbering  in  1885  only  twenty  members. 
The  leader  of  the  class  is  Mahlon  Snyder.  A  Sun- 
day-school is  connected  with  the  church,  which 
is  superintended  by  James  Wilson.  This  ap- 
pointment was  formerly  with  the  Kutztown 
Circuit.  Among  the  preachers  were  the  Revs. 
Kurtz,  Butz,  Seagrist,  Leib,  Leopold,  Lerch, 
Gingrich,  Dissinger,  Zorn  and  Ziegenfuss. 
Within  the  past  few  years  Blandon  has  been 
connected  with  other  charges  in  forming  Fried- 
ensburg  Circuit,  and  which  has  had  as  pastors 
the  Revs.  C.  Gingrich,  Jacob  Adams,  Thomas 
Harper  and  H.  J.  Klick,  the  latter  officiating 
at  the  present  time. 

TOWNS. 

Molltown  is  a  hamlet  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  township,  which  derives  its  name  from 
the  Moll  family,  early  settlers  at  that  point. 
Many  years  ago  a  tavern  was  kept  there  by  a 
man  named  Lesher.  Later,  the  stand  was 
bought  by  Abraham  Groves,  when  a  few  houses 
were  put  up  and  the  place  began  to  assume  the 


1026 


HISTOKY  OP  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


appearance  of  a  hamlet.  Thence  Joseph  Peters 
had  the  tavern,  and  John  Forney  built  the  first 
store-house,  in  which  Peters  first  engaged  in 
trade,  and  mechanic-shops  were  put  up  about 
the  same  time.  In  1885,  Peter  Adam  was  in 
trade  at  Molltown.  The  post-office  in  this  lo- 
cality bears  the  name  of  Kirbyville,  being 
named  for  the  Kirby  family,  who  were  honored 
citizens  in  this  part  of  the  county.  It  was  es- 
tablished in  1859.  Dr.  L.  D.  Bieber  lived  at 
Molltown  a  number  of  years  as  a  successful 
practitioner  of  medicine,  removing  from  here  to 
the  central  part  of  the  State.  Dr.  John  D. 
Rupp  is  at  present  in  practice. 

West  from  this  place  is  another  trading  point, 
called  Evansville,  half  a  mile  from  the  railway 
station  which  bears  the  same  name.  Here  is 
the  site  of  the  old  Stichter  mill,  and  where 
later  lived  the  Evans  family,  who  operated  the 
mill  and  carried  on  other  enterprises.  A  store 
was  opened  here  and  a  post-office  established 
with  the  name  of  South  Evansville.  The  mill, 
which  is  a  valuable  property,  is  now  owned  by 
John  Huy.  A  short  distance  from  this  place  is  a 
settlement,  called  Buena  Vista,  locally  celebrated 
for  the  wines  made  there  by  certain  Germans. 

In  a  southerly  direction  is  Maiden-creek  Sta- 
tion and  a  post-office,  called  Calcium,  which 
was  established  July  4,  1885,  with  C.  J.  Miller 
as  postmaster.  He  is  also  the  station  agent  and 
carries  on  a  store  in  a  small  way.  This  is  a 
centre  for  the  manufacture  of  lime  and  the  ship- 
ment of  limestones,  which  in  this  locality  is  of 
a  superior  quality.  Near  the  station  are  six 
kilns,  owned  by  Kline  &  Hoffman,  who  ship 
several  car-loads  of  lime  per  day.  The  business 
was  begun  in  1873  on  the.Bushong  farm.  The 
same  year  J.  M.  Meredeth  began  developing  his 
quarry  for  bridge  stone,  one-fourth  of  a  mile 
from  the  station,  and  to  which  a -railroad  track 
extends.  Employment  has  been  afforded  for 
fifteen  men.  This  quarry  supplied  the  stone  for 
the  Blue  Mountain  dam  and  some  of  the  largest 
bridges  on  the  Berks  and  Lehigh  Railroad.  The 
stones  are  usually  taken  out  in  large  blocks, 
some  of  them  weighing  five  tons.  At  the  depot 
J.  M.  Meredeth  and  Thomas  Lightfoot  manu- 
facture lime  in  kilns,  which  have  a  capacity 
of  fifteen  hundred  bushels  per  week. 


The  Croydon  Creamery  is  another  industry 
at  this  point  deserving  notice.  It  occupies  a 
large  new  building  put  up  in  1884.  Since 
January,  1885,  Mr.  F.  Hart  has  operated  a 
first-class  creamery,  which  is  well  patronized  by 
the  surrounding  farmers. 

Not  quite  a  mile  east  from  Maiden-creek 
station  is  the  hamlet  usually  called  the  "Half- 
Way  House,"  after  an  old  hotel  which  occupies 
an  intermediate  position  on  the  road  from 
Reading  to  Kutztown.  The  land  there  orig- 
inally belonged  to  the  Penrose  family,  but  later 
a  part  was  owned  by  a  man  named  Moyer, 
who  had  a  well-known  public-house,  about  the 
beginning  of  the  present  century.  Later  keep- 
ers of  the  inn  were  John  Garver  and  John  B. 
Marsh,  who  moved  to  Illinois,  in  1850.  The 
present  hotel  was  put  up  in  1855-56  by  Sam- 
uel Kauffman,  who  made  other  substantial  im- 
provements here,  including  the  store  building 
and  the  Seidel  mansion.  Before  the  railway 
period  the  Half- Way  House  was  one  of  the  best- 
known  stands  in  the  county,  and  was  especially 
patronized  by  dealers  in  cattle,  who  took  large 
droves  there  for  sale  to  the  rich  farmers  in  that 
section.  The  tavern  is  still  kept  up.  Since 
1858  Isaac  Plank  has  successfully  conducted  a 
general  store  at  this  place.  He  is  the  post- 
master of  the  Maiden-creek  post-office,  estab- 
lished at  this  point  in  1862.  His  store  is  con- 
nected by  the  telephone  with  principal  points  in 
the  county.  George  D.  Stitzell  was  oue  of  the 
earlier  merchants.  Since  1848  John  S.  Fox 
has  had  a  smithy  in  the  village. 

The  physician  of  the  place  is  Dr.  W.  E. 
Hunsberger,  a  native  of  Montgomery  County, 
who  has  been  in  practice  since  1867.  He 
succeeded  Dr.  H.  Clay  Merideth.  Before  he 
became  a  practitioner  here  Dr.  Charles  Schlem, 
living  near  Molltown,  was  the  physician  of  this 
part  of  the  township. 

Blandon  is  the  only  town  in  the  township. 
It  is  situated  near  the  base  of  the  mountain,  in 
the  eastern  section,  and  on  the  East  Penn  Rail- 
road. A  station  of  the  same  name  is  on  the 
railway,  with  a  neat  passenger  depot  and  all 
the  conveniences  in  sidings  for  freight  ship- 
ments. The  town  contains  two  churches,  sev- 
eral stores  and  hotels,  a  rolling-mill  and  several 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1027 


hundred  inhabitants.  It  derives  its  name  from 
Robert  Bland,  the  owner  of  the  laud.  He  was 
a  blacksmith.  In  the  shop  there  was  also  a 
tilt-hammer.  It  stood  on  the  site  of  the  lower 
hotel.  This  hotel  was  opened  to  the  public  by 
William  Bland,  after  the  building  of  the 
railroad,  and  kept  by  him  for  some  time.  It 
has  been  improved  since  and  has  had  various 
landlords,  among  them  being  Ezekiel  Jones, 
and  since  1883,  R.  Unger. 

The  town  had  a  slow  growth  in  the  beginning 
and  the  improvements  were  not  remarkable 
during  the  first  ten  years  of  its  existence. 
Among  the  first  inhabitants  were  Robert  Bland, 
Henry  Money,  Samuel  Hawkins,  Thomas  Rob- 
erts, Sr.,  Thomas  Roberts,  Jr.,  Jacob  Keiffer, 
Lewis  Guldin  and  Henry  Wessner.  After  the 
rolling-mill  was  established  here,  in  1867,  by 
Adam  and  Jacob  Kauffman  and  C.  D.  Geiger, 
they  and  others  put  up  substantial  buildings, 
which  gave  character  to  the  place  and  caused 
improvements  to  be  added  steadily  since. 

The  first  store  at  this  point  was  kept  by 
Peter  Cleaver  in  a  dwelling-house.  He  sold 
out  to  John  B.  Marsh,  about  forty  years  ago. 
Jeremiah  B.  Rothermel  enlarged  the  building 
and  kept  the  firs\  regular  store.  Then  came 
George  Wessner  and  later  the  building  was 
converted  into  a  tavern.  The  lower  store- 
stand  was  built  by  James  Ahrens,  in  which  he 
carried  on  business  a  number  of  years.  The 
present  occupants  are  A.  G.  and  N.  G.  Rother- 
mel, the  former  being,  also,  the  postmaster  of 
the  Blandou  office,  established  long  before  the 
village  had  an  existence. 

Many  years  ago  John  Packer  carried  on  a 
pottery  for  a  time  where  the  Blandon  House 
now  stands,  and  manufactured  a  considerable 
quantity  of  common  ware.  The  mill  at  the 
upper  end  of  the  town  has  been  operated  by 
the  Guldin  family  many  years.  The  first  im- 
provements were  made  by  a  man  named  Dun- 
kel,  who  conducted  several  mills  and  a  distillery. 
Frederick  Guldin  made  some  additional  im- 
provements about  1800,  and  these  were  after- 
ward owned  by  Lewis  Guldin,  who  also  had  a 
store  at  the  mills  for  a  short  time.  The  present 
owner  is  Albert  Guldin.  On  the  same  stream, 
farther  up  the  mountain,  is  the   mill   built  by 


John  Moser.  Near  the  railroad  station  a  small 
planing-mill  has  been  in  operation  for  several 
years  by  D.  S.  Thomas,  who  also  operates  a 
saw-mill  in  connection. 

The  most  important  industry  at  Blandon  is 
the  Blandon  Rolling-Mill.  It  was  built  in 
1867  by  Adam  W.  and  Jacob  Kauffman  and 
Charles  D.  Geiger,  who  operated  the  same  until 
1874.  After  being  idle  several  years,  the 
Maiden-creek  Iron  Company  became  the  owners, 
since  which  time  this  company  has  been  suc- 
cessfully operating  the  mill.  The  building  js 
conveniently  located  near  the  main  line  of  the 
railroad  and  is  one  hundred  and  twenty  by 
three  hundred  and  ten  feet  in  dimensions.  It 
contains  two  heating  and  eleven  puddling  fur- 
naces, which  are  worked  to  produce  band  and 
hoop-iron,  and  affords  employment  to  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  hands.  Formerly,  bar  and 
other  kinds  of  iron  were  made.  The  mill  has 
a  superior  water  supply,  from  a  never-failing 
mountain-stream,  which  flows  into  a  reservoir 
near  the  works.  Six  tenement  houses  constitute 
part  of  the  property. 

Feankun  Seidel  is  a  great-grandson  of 
Henry  Seidel,  who  was  born  in  1732  and  emi- 
grated from  Strasburgh  when  nineteen  years  of 
age.  He  was  sold  for  his  passage.  On  obtain- 
ing his  freedom,  in  1 752,  he  came  to  Reading, 
Berks  County,  and  afterward  participated  in 
the  Indian  war  under  Captain  Hiester.  He 
also  served  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  his 
wife  and  children  meanwhile  conducting  the 
farm.  About  1760  he  married  Elizabeth  Rath- 
macher  and  purchased  land  in  Bern  township, 
returning  again  to  Germany  about  1786,  and 
meanwhile  engaging  in  mercantile  ventures. 
He  became  the  owner  of  four  hundred  acres  of 
land  in  Maiden-creek  township,  where  he  was 
for  years  a  prosperous  farmer.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  1801.  Henry  and  Elizabeth  Seidel 
had  children — Michael,  Henry,  Daniel,  John, 
Philip,  Jacob  and  two  daughters,  Mary  and 
Margaret.  Henry  was  born  November  12, 
1765,  and  died  August  7,  1847,  having  settled 
on  the  homestead  in  1791.  He  married  Eliza- 
beth Reber,  of  Windsor  township,  Berks 
County,  and  had  fourteen  children,  of  whom 
the  following  reached  mature  years :  Daniel, 


1028 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Henry,  Jacob,  Elizabeth,  Sarah,  Catherine, 
Mary,  Hannah,  Susannah  and  Rebecca.  Henry, 
the  eleventh  child  in  order  of  birth,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Maiden-creek  township,  where  he  was 
born  on  the  homestead  June  9,  1809.  Here  he 
engaged  in  farming  until  his  retirement  from 
that  occupation  and  removal  to  Reading,  in 
1857.  He  was,  November  4,  1832,  married  to 
Lydia,  daughter  of  Frederick  Guldin,  of  the 
same  township,  and  has  children — Franklin, 
born  July  11,  1833,  and  Sarah  (Mrs.  Henry 


born  January  3,  1858,  who  died  July  8,  1877  ; 
Sarah  Amanda,  May  19,  1866,  who  died 
August  26,  1868;  and  Lydia  Cora,  April  5, 
1870.  Mrs.  Seidel's  great-grandfather  came 
from  Germany.  Her  grandfather,  John  Adam, 
married  Elizabeth  Dnnkel.  Their  son  George, 
a  farmer,  born  August  1,  1799,  who  died  Sep- 
tember 12,  1885,  married  Hannah  Sell,  of  the 
same  county.  Their  two  children  are  Amanda 
(Mrs.  George  D.  Stitzel)  and  Susannah  (Mrs. 
Seidel).     Mr.  Seidel    has   devoted   his   life  to 


//I  0Z^7 


^/^WT>         tf^C 


'Ce^c^rLt^ 


Throm,  of  Reading),  born  February  13, 1836. 
Franklin,  the  subject  of  this  biographical 
sketch,  who  spent  his  early  life  upon  the  home- 
stead, was  educated  at  the  common  schools  and 
received  additional  advantages  at  the  boarding 
school  conducted  by  Rev.  Samuel  Rhoads  in 
Amity  township.  Returning  to  the  farm,  he 
assisted  his  father  in  his  various  pursuits  until 
his  marriage,  on  June  3, 1856,  to  MissSusannah, 
daughter  of  George  Weidenhammer,  of  the  same 
township.     Their  children  are  George  Henry, 


farming.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Berks  County 
Agricultural  Society,  iu  which  he  manifests  an 
active  interest.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Lutheran  Church. 

Thomas  Willits  is  descended  from  English 
ancestors,  the  earliest  representative  of  the  fam- 
ily being  Mary  Willits,  who  settled  on  Long 
Island,  where  she  was  a  resident  as  early  as 
1678,  and  removed  from  thence  to  Burlington, 
N.  J.,  in  1685  or  before.  Henry  Willits,  the 
first  who  bore  the  name  in  Maiden-creek  town- 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1029 


ship,  Berks  County,  was  received  iuto  the 
Maiden-creek  Monthly  Meeting  on  the  Third 
month,  26th  day,  1743.  He  was  the  great- 
grandfather of  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He 
married,  on  the  Fourth  month,  2d  day,  1746, 
Sarah,  daughter  of  Anthony  Lee,  of  Oley, 
Berks  County,  and  had  two  sons,  John  and 
Jesse.  Henry  Willits  purchased  a  tract  of  two 
hundred  and  thirteen  acres  of  land  in  Maiden- 
creek  township  (now  Ontelaunee  township)  sit- 
uated at  the  mouth  of  Maiden-creek,  and  settled 
upon  it.  Jesse,  who  was  born  on  this  tract, 
which  embraced  the  homestead,  married,  on  the 
10th  month,  6th  day,  1779,  Phebe,  daughter 
of  John  and  Mary  Hutton.  Their  children 
are  John  H.,  bom  11th  month,  27th  day,  1782, 
who  died  11th  month,  10th  day,  1861  ;  Sarah, 
3d  month,  16th  day,  1784,  who  died  5th  month, 
11th  day,  1819  ;  Mary,  3d  month,  24th  day, 
1785,  who  died  in  childhood  ;  Mary  (2d),  12th 
month,  18th  day,  1786  ;  William,  4th  month, 
6th  day,  1789,  who  died  10th  month,  2d  day, 
1852;  Elizabeth,  3d  month,  21st  day,  1791, 
who  died  1st  month,  25th  day,  1869;  Henry, 
2d  month,  5th  day,  1793,  who  died  10th  month, 
1864 ;  Esther,  1st  month,  25th  day,  1795,  who 
died  in  1877  ;  Phebe,  2d  month,  23d  day,  1797, 
who  died  10th  month,  19th  day,  1865;  Susan- 
nah, 10th  month,  3d  day,  1799,  who  died  8th 
month,  28th  day,  1831  ;  Jesse,  1st  month,  17th 
day,  1802,  who  died  7th  month,  22d  day,  1867  ; 
and  Deborah,  3d  month,  31st  day,  1805,  who 
died  7th  month,  20th  day,  1841. 

Phebe  Hutton's  ancestors  emigrated  at  an 
early  date  from  Ireland.  Nehemiah  Hutton 
removed  to  Maiden-creek  township  in  1733 
and  purchased  a  tract  of  land,  the  half  of  which 
is  now  owned  by  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
His  son  John,  the  grandfather  of  Thomas  Wil- 
lits, was  twice  married, — first  to  Jane  Fincher, 
on  the  3d  month,  13th  day,  1754,  and  a  second 
time,  on  the  12th  month,  6th  day,  1858,  to 
Mary,  widow  of  John  Wily.  Their  only  child, 
Phebe,  is  the  grandmother  of  Thomas  Willits. 
By  the  first  marriage  were  two  children.  Wil- 
liam Willits,  who  was  born  on  the  Hutton 
property,  married  Esther,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Lightfoot,  on  the  4th  month,  8th  day,  1818. 
Her  grandparents  were  Jacob  and  Sarah  Light- 


foot  and  her  great-grandparents  Thomas  and 
Sarah  Lightfoot.  The  family  were  among  the 
pioneers  to  the  county  and  took  up  lands,  a 
portion  of  which  is  owned  by  the  subject  of  this 
biography.  William  and  Esther  Willits  had 
four  children, — Mary,  born  10th  month,  6th 
day,  1820,  who  died  on  the  3d  month,  27th 
day,  1843  ;  Thomas,  2d  month,  13th  day,  1822  ; 
Samuel,  2d  month,  14th  day,  1824,  who  died 
3d  month,  9th  day,  1863.  The  latter  left 
children, — William,  born  10th  month,  4th  day, 
1852  ;  engaged  as  a  general  merchant  in  Lees- 
port ;  Francis,  born  11th  month,  3d  day,  1856, 
of  Delaware  County  ;  and  Ellie,  born  2d  month, 
17th  day,  1859.  William,  who  has  served  for 
five  years  as  justice  of  the  peace,  married,  12th 
month,  18th  day,  1885,  Amanda,  daughter  of 
John  Yoder,  of  Maiden-creek  township.  They 
have  one  son,  Allen,  born  10th  month,  26th 
day,  1878.  Two  children,  Howard  and  Sarah, 
are  deceased.  Francis  Willits  married  Eliza- 
beth Paschall,  of  Delaware  County.  Thomas 
Willits  was  born  on  the  homestead  and  has 
made  farming  the  business  of  his  life,  receiving 
in  boyhood  but  a  limited  education  at  the  school 
in  the  vicinity  of  his  home.  With  his  brother 
he  inherited  the  farm  which  was  his  birth-place, 
and  married,  on  the  9th  month,  21st  day,  1854, 
Susan  P.,  daughter  of  James  and  Elizabeth 
Smith,  of  Chester  County,  and  granddaughter 
of  John  and  Mary  Smith.  Their  children  are 
Mary,  born  10th  month,  16th  day,  1855;  and 
Samuel,  7th  month,  25th  day,  1858,  now  culti- 
vating the  farm,  and  married  to  Mary  H., 
daughter  of  Clifford  and  Ellen  Pomeroy,  of 
Eeading.  They  have  one  son,  Herbert  P. 
Thomas  Willies  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but 
has  neither  sought  nor  held  office.  He  is  a 
director  of  the  National  Union  Bank  of  Read- 
ing. Both  he  and  his  wife  have  adhered  to 
the  faith  of  their  faihers  and  are  members  of 
the  Exeter  Friends'  Monthly  Meeting. 


ONTELAUNEE  TOWNSHIP. 
On  the  2d  of  April,  1849,  a  petition  of  cer- 
tain inhabitants1    of    Maiden-creek    township 

1  Ninety-five  subscribers,  of  which  eighty-five  signatures 
were  English. 


1030 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


was  presented  to  court,  asking  for  a  division  of  the 
township  by  a  line  to  be  extended  from  the  Al- 
sace township  line,  at  the  foot  of  Penn's  Mount, 
northwardly,  by  way  of  Maiden  Creek  bridge 
and  the  public  road  from  Oley  to  Hamburg,  to 
the  Windsor  township  line,  and  suggesting  as  a 
proper  name  for  the  western  portion,  "  Schuyl- 
kill." The  court  entertained  the  petition  and 
appointed  Michael  K.  Boyer,  Richard  Boone 
and  Benjamin  Tyson  as  commissioners.  At  that 
time  the  electors  of  the  township  numbered 
about  four  hundred  and  fifty,  and  the  popula- 
tion about  two  thousand  one  hundred. 

The  commissioners,  after  viewing  the  town- 
ship, decided  that  it  could  be  divided  advan- 
tageously, and  reported  the  following  division 
line :  "  Beginning  at  a  heap  of  stones,  in  the  Al- 
sace township  line,  at  the  foot  of  Penn's  Mount ; 
thence  north  thirty-four  west  two  hundred  and 
sixty-four  perches,  north  twenty-four  west 
ninety-seven  perches,  and  north  eighteen  west 
one  hundred  and  ninety-two  perches  to  the 
Maiden  Creek ;  thence  along  said  creek  north- 
wardly, two  hundred  and  sixty-four  perches,  to 
the  road  leading  from  Oley  to  Hamburg,  and 
thence  along  said  road  northwardly  six  hundred 
and  thirty-six  and  one-fourth  perches  to  the 
Windsor  township  line.1"  And  they  recom- 
mended "  Schuylkill  "  as  a  proper  name.  Their 
report  was  presented  on  August  9,  1849.  Re- 
monstrances were  filed,2  objecting  to  the  divi- 
sion of  the  township  because  it  was  not  large 
and  because  the  poll  was  central ;  and  these 
were  subscribed  by  the  most  prominent  tax- 
ables  of  the  township.  But  they  were  dismissed 
on  December  27,  1849,  and  the  report  was  con- 
firmed absolutely,  excepting  as  to  the  name, 
the  court  having  substituted  the  name  of  "  An- 
talawny."3 

1  The  other  sides  were  reported  :  From  said  road,  aloog 
said  township  line,  south  sixty-five  west  five  hundred  and 
forty-eight  perches  to  the  Schuylkill  River ;  down  the 
river  fourteen  hundred  perches  to  the  Alsace  township 
line ;  thence  along  said  line  north  sixty-five  east  seven 
hundred  and  sixty-four  perches.  The  lines  inclosed  about 
five  thousand  seven  hundred  acres. 

2  Subscribed  by  two  hundred  and  eighteen  signatures, 

one  hundred  and  forty-four  English. 

3  This  spelling  had  been  used  for  a  century  by  different 
persons  in  deeds  and  church  records ;  but  it  was  erroneous 
The  proper  spelling  is  "  Ontelaunee." 


In  pursuance  of  an  act  passed,  the  question 
was  submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  inhabitants,  and 
the  division  was  sustained  by  a  majority  of 
twenty-one.  The  whole  number  of  votes  polled 
was  two  hundred  and  five.  The  new  township 
was  erected  into  a  separate  election  district  by 
act  passed  February  28,  1850. 

In    Ontelaunee    township,     as   in    Maiden- 
creek,  the  first  settlers  were  Friends,  some  of 
whom  entered  the  territory  as  early  as  1721. 
Among  the  first  was  Moses  Starr,  who  bought 
a  tract  of  land  containing  five  hundred   and 
fifty-one    acres,  situated    along    the    Maiden- 
creek.     This  tract   has   been  subdivided  and  is 
now  owned  by  the  Forneys,  Hottensteins  and 
others.     Upon  this  land  a  mansion  was  built  in 
1729,  which  was  well  preserved  until  recently. 
The  Starrs  have  long  since  ceased  to  be  citizens 
of  the  township.     About  the  same  time  Francis 
Parvin  built  a  log  house,  which   stood  in  what 
is  now  the  orchard  of  his  great-grandson,  Jacob 
Parvin,  at  Berkley.      This  house  was  kept  un- 
locked for  the  accommodation  of  such  Indians 
as  might  chance  to  visit  Parvin,  he  having  been 
on  very  friendly  terms  with  them.     They  con- 
sidered his  place  their  home  when  in  that  vicin- 
ity.    In   1758   Francis   Parvin,  the  son  of  the 
first  Francis,  built  a  house  at  the  place  now 
known  as  Berkley,  upon  the  same  lot  of  ground 
as  the  first,  but  nearer  the  creek,  which  is  still 
standing  and  is  the  home  of  the  Parvins.     It 
was  constructed  of  stone  and  consisted   of  two 
rooms  and  a  hall  below.     In  1856  Jacob  Par- 
vin, the  present  owner,  built  an  addition   to  it 
at  the  east  end,  and  plastered  the  whole  build- 
ing on  the  outside,  thus  destroying  the  original 
appearance  of  the  old  part  of  the  house.     The 
old  building,   in  its  improved  condition,  forms 
a  very  comfortable  residence.     The  elder  Par- 
vins also  interested  themselves  in  the  welfare  of 
the  colored  people,  several  of  them  having  had 
their  homes  with  them  at  Berkley,  being  com- 
monly known  as  Joe,  Bill  and  Frisbie  Loyd. 
The  latter  removed   to    Reading,    where    he 
opened  a  restaurant  and  also  became  a  dealer  in 
lottery  tickets. 

In  the  southern  part  of  the  township  Bal- 
thaser  Schalter,  a  native  of  Germany,  settled 
on  a  tract  of  land  which  is  commonly  called 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1031 


Schuylkill  Bend.  The  farm  embraced  two 
hundred  and  eighty  acres.  He  there  reared  his 
sons — Dieter,  Michael  and  Jacob.  The  former 
took  up  his  abode  at  what  is  called  Shalter's 
Church,  in  Alsace  township,  while  the  other 
sons  remained  on  the  homestead.  Part  of  this 
farm  still  belongs  to  one  of  the  descendants, 
Jonas  Shalter,  who  was  born  in  1815. 

This  locality  suffered  a  great  deal  from  the 
flood  of  September  3,  1850.  At  the  bend  of 
the  Schuylkill  eight  acres  of  heavy  timber  were 
washed  out,  and  the  canal  in  that  locality  was 
much  damaged.  East  of  Leesport  John  Ger- 
nant, son  of  George  Gernant,  settled  on  the 
farm  now  owned  by  John  Gernant.  A  barn 
built  in  1784  was  recently  torn  down.  Some 
of  the  Gernant  daughters  married  into  the 
Eckert,  Huy  and  Miller  families,  the  latter 
being  the  ancestor  of  Levi  Miller,  the  coal 
operator  at  Pine  Grove.  Jacob  Eahn  was  a 
neighbor  of  the  Gernants,  living  on  the  farm 
owned  by  the  Rahns.  He  was  the  father  of 
sons  named  Jacob,  John,  Philip  and  Adam, 
and  grandfather  of  the  older  Rahns  of  that 
part  of  the  county.  The  Dunkels,  Huys  and 
Hottensteins  were  also  among  the  first  German 
families  who  effected  settlement  among  the 
Friends.  AH  of  these  have  descendants  occu- 
pying the  original  places,  and  some  owning  the 
first  improvements. 

Berkley  is  a  name  applied  to  the  hamlet  on 
Willow  Creek,  where  it  is  crossed  by  the  Cen- 
tre turnpike  and  the  Berks  County  Railroad. 
It  is  said  to  have  received  the  name  on  account 
of  its  relative  position  to  Reading,  as  Berkley 
in  England  to  the  Reading  of  that  country.  It 
is  beautifully  located  in  a  valley  and  contains  a 
tannery,  grist-mill,  distillery,  hotel,  several 
shops  and  residences.  A  station  of  the  same 
name  is  on  the  railroad,  and  a  post-office  is  main- 
tained there,  called  East  Berkley.  A  store  was 
formerly  kept  in  the  place  by  a  man  named  Dief- 
fenbach,  but  carried  on  a  few  years  only,  dis- 
continuing about  1830.  John  Eckert  was  an 
early  keeper  of  the  inn  and  part  of  the  house 
built  by  him  remains.  But  John  Stichter  was 
the  first  landlord  who  gave  the  inn  a  reputa- 
tion. Before  1825  he  had  a  large  patronage 
and  attracted  a  number  of  guests  as  summer 


boarders.  In  1829  William  Dunkel  became 
the  owner.  He  was  succeeded,  in  1857,  by  the 
present  proprietor,  James  Dunkel.  The  house 
is  large  and  bears  evidence  of  its  former  popu- 
larity. 

A  mile  below,  at  Schuylkill  Bend,  a  store 
was  opened  by  F.  B.  Shalter,  in  1826,  which, 
since  1835,  has  been  carried  on  by  Jonas  Shal- 
ter, the  latter  engaging  there  in  trade  when  he 
was  only  eighteen  years  of  age.  The  public- 
house  was  first  kept  by  a  man  named  Medlar. 
For  the  past  twenty  years  Samuel  Mengel  has 
been  the  landlord.  These  interests  and  the  few 
houses  along  the  turnpike,  from  the  hamlet,  are 
sometimes  called  Shalter's  Store,  but  more  prop- 
erly Schuylkill  Bend. 

Leesport  is  the  only  town  in  the  township. 
It  is  finely  situated  on  the  Schuylkill,  about 
nine  miles  above  Reading.  It  derives  its  name 
from  its  founder,  Samuel  Lee,  who  laid  it  out 
in  1840.  On  the  12th  of  April,  1839,  Lee 
bought  a  farm  of  seventy-five  acres  from  John 
Miller,  a  part  of  which  he  set  aside  for  town 
lots,  which  now  form  the  site  of  Leesport.  Prev- 
iously, there  was  a  public-house  at  the  place, 
called  in  early  times  George  Gering's  Inn,  and 
where,  later,  Isaac  and  Reuben  E.  Addams 
were  well-known  landlords.  In  1841  there  were 
the  following  additional  land-owners:  James 
Bell,  Jacob  Miller,  Jacob  Dunkelberger,  Josiah 
Zellers,  John  Althouse,  George  Weidenbaum, 
Henry  Ropp  and  Henry  Garrett.  Lee  closed 
out  his  unsold  lots  to  Young  &  Darrah,  who, 
for  a  number  of  years,  were  the  principal  lot- 
owners  of  the  town.  Althouse  lived  at  the 
canal-lock,  where  he  kept  a  public-house,  and 
the  bridge,  which  was  built  across  the  river  at 
that  point,  was  long  known  by  his  name.  His 
public-house  is  now  known  as  the  Peter  Hot- 
tenstein  place.  It  had  a  number  of  other  keep- 
ers, among  them  William  Gift,  Henry  Gawker, 
George  Gernant  and  Reuben  Wirner.  The 
hotel  kept  by  Jacob  Graeff  for  the  past  twenty 
years  was  built,  in  1842,  by  John  Fuss,  but  not 
opened  as  an  inn  until  1844,  by  Jacob  Ebling. 
Other  landlords  of  that  time  were  Solomon 
Keirn,  John  Yeager  and  Jacob  Boyer,  eleven 
years.  The  Leesport  post-office  was  established 
in  1851,  with  Reuben  Addams  as  the  first  post- 


1032 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


master.  Jacob  Graeff  is  the  present  incumbent. 
Nathan  Young  and  Dr.  James  Darrah  had 
the  first  regular  store  in  the  Althouse  building 
at  the  canal,  near  which  they  also  had  a  large 
warehouse.  They  had  an  immense  trade  and 
first  made  Leesport  a  business  point.  In  1854 
Benjamin  Lenhart  engaged  in  trade.  The  store 
which  he  occupied  has  been  used  the  past  eight 
years  by  William  Willits.  Reuben  Werner 
has  also  carried  on  business  many  years. 

Young  &  Darrah  built  a  good  steam  mill,  in 
1840,  near  the  canal  and  close  by  their  ware- 
house, which  they  successfully  operated  a  num- 
ber of  years.  They  also  built  themselves  fine 
mansions,  which  are  among  the  finest  residences 
of  the  town.  After  a  period  the  mill  machinery 
was  removed  from  the  mill  and  the  building 
was  converted  into  a  woolen-factory  by  Butz  & 
Levan.  It  was  successfully  operated  for  sev- 
eral years,  the  goods  having  a  high  reputation. 
In  1871  the  building  was  destroyed  by  fire. 

A  Doctor  Evans  was  one  of  the  first  resident 
practitioners  in  the  township.  In  1836  Dr. 
Strawbridge  lived  at  Berkley,  but  subsequently 
built  a  house  at  Leesport  and  died  there,  some 
time  after  1842.  He  was  succeeded  by  Dr. 
Zollers,  a  German  physician  of  good  repute, 
who  lived  in  the  house  now  occcupied  by  Jacob 
Boyer.  Dr.  Penrose  Wily  was  next  in  prac- 
tice, continuing  until  his  death,  in  1874.  Dr. 
William  Schlemm  was  here  about  one  year,  and 
Dr.  Levan  three  years,  removing  theuce  to 
Philadelphia.  Other  physicians  are  noted  in 
connection  with  West  Leesport,  in  Bern  town- 
ship. 

Leesport  is  connected  with  the  latter  place  by 
a  bridge  and  the  two  places  are  practically  one. 
On  the  west  side  is  the  station  of  the  Philadel- 
phia and  Reading  Railroad,  also  three  stores, 
two  hotels,  one  church  and  a  school-house ;  on 
the  east  side  are  a  like  number  of  similar  inter- 
ests and  the  station  of  the  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road, opened  to  the  public  in  1885.  A  furnace 
and  a  number  of  shops  contribute  to  its  busi- 
ness. The  population  is  about  three  hundred 
and  fifty. 

INDUSTRIES. 

One  of  the  first  manufacturing  interests  in  the 
township  was  the  tannery  of  Francis  Parvin, 


on  Willow  Creek,  at  Berkley.  The  tannery  was 
established  in  1730,  and  it  has  been  continuously 
carried  on  by  the  Parvin  family  since  that  time, 
the  successive  owners  being  three  Francis  Par- 
vins,  one  in  each  generation.  The  present  Ja- 
cob Parvin  has  had  the  property  during  the 
past  forty  years.  For  a  long  time  the  tannery 
included  only  three  vats,  but  each  successive 
owner  increased  the  capacity  until  at  present 
there  are  thirty-five  vats  and  two  large  build- 
ings adapted  for  tannery  purposes.  In  1852 
steam  was  introduced  and  has  since  been  em- 
ployed. The  production  is  twenty-five  hides 
per  week  (oak-tanned),  making  calf-skin  and 
harness-leather. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream  John  Stich- 
ter  had  a  tannery,  about  1810,  which  was  al- 
lowed to  go  down  ;  but,  in  1880,  Rufus  H. 
Dunkle  erected  a  stone  building  on  its  site,  in 
which  he  has  since  carried  on  the  distillation  of 
pure  rye  whiskey.  On  the  same  stream,  to 
the  east,  Benneville  Moser  carried  on  for  some 
years  a  distillery,  after  the  late  Civil  War, 
which  produced  a  considerable  quantity  of 
whiskey.  The  buildings  have  been  removed. 
Below  the  tannery,  on  the  same  stream,  the 
Parvins  built  a  mill  which  in  the  early  part  of 
this  century  became  the  property  of  Mark  Davis, 
who  afterward  rebuilt  the  mill.  It  has  been 
further  improved  by  the  present  owner,  Reese 
Davis,  and  is  now  one  of  the  best  mills  in  that 
part  of  the  county.  Above  Berkley,  where  the 
turnpike  crosses  the  Maiden  Creek,  a  paper- 
mill  was  put  up,  by  Jacob  Ulrick,  on  one  side 
of  the  stream,  and  a  fulling-mill,  by  Michael 
Ulrick,  on  the  other  side.  This  was  about 
1820.  Some  fifteen  years  later  the  fulling-mill 
was  changed  into  a  grist-mill  by  Jacob  Parvin, 
and  it  is  still  so  operated  by  Charles  W.  Faust. 
The  paper-mill  was  also  converted  into  a  grist- 
mill by  George  Fox,  after  he  had  for  a  time 
distilled  liquor  in  the  building.  The  latter  mill  is 
now  owned  by  David  Schlegel.  The  next  power 
above  was  improved  to  operate  a  mill  built  by 
Penrose  Wily,  soon  after  1800,  and  which  in 
its  day  did  a  large  business.  A  later  owner  of 
the  improved  mill  was  Dr.  Oweu  H.  Wily. 
Still  farther  up  the  stream  is  the  Evans  mill, 
noted  elsewhere. 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


1033 


In  the  western?  part  of  the  township  the  quar- 
rying of  limestone  has  been  a  great  industry 
for  many  years.  Below  Leesport  there  are  ex- 
tensive quarries,  operated  by  the  Atkins  Bros., 
of  Pottsville,  from  which  ten  car- loads  of  stone 
per  day  are  shipped.  Near  by  are  the  lime- 
kilns of  Wm.  Baltzer,  and  the  Richenbach 
lime- works,  each  carried  on  largely.  These  in- 
terests employ  several  dozen  men,  in  addition 
to  those  engaged  in  taking  out  stone  for  the 
Leesport  Iron  Co.  The  quarries  are  reached  by 
the  tracks  of  both  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading 
and  Pennsylvania  Railroads. 

Leesport  Ikon  Company. — The  industries 
of  this  company  are  the  most  important  in  the 
township.  On  the  27th  of  November,  1852, 
the  following-named  persons  associated  them 
selves  to  carry  on  the  manufacture  of  iron  at 
Leesport :  Wm.  Eckert,  Nicholas  V.  R.  Hun- 
ter, W.  H.  Clymer,  John  G.  Kauffman,  Geo. 
N.  Eckert,  James  Millholland,  Samuel  Kauff- 
man, Wm.  M.  Heister,  Isaac  Eckert,  Fred.  S. 
Hunter  and  Edward  M.  Clymer,  having  organ- 
ized with  the  above  name.  They  obtained  a 
tract  of  land,  embracing  four  acres,  which  for- 
merly belonged  to  Darrah  &  Young,  upon 
which  they  erected  furnace  buildings  and  made 
other  necessary  improvements.  These  were 
completed  to  such  an  extent  that  the  work  of 
filling  the  furnace  stack  took  place  at  twelve 
o'clock,  on  the  17th  of  September,  1853,  and 
the  first  run-out  made  the  following  day.  The 
capacity  of  the  furnace  was  small  at  first,  the 
entire  yearly  product  being  only  a  little  over 
six  thousand  tons.  This  capacity  was  more 
than  doubled  in  1871,  when  the  furnace  was  re- 
built to  its  present  size.  As  such  it  was  in  suc- 
cessful blast  for  some  years,  under  the  manage- 
ment of  L.  M.  Kauffman.  A  season  of  de- 
pression followed,  which  caused  this  furnace,  as 
well  as  many  others  in  the  Schuylkill  Valley,  to 
go  out  of  blast  and  to  remain  idle  for  some  time, 
or  to  be  operated  only  on  a  limited  scale.  In 
May,  1885  the  company  was  reorganized  with 
K.F.  Leaf  (president),  P.  R.  Stetson  (secretary 
and  treasurer)  and  M.  P.  Jenney  (general  man- 
ager). The  furnace  was  overhauled  and  its  capa- 
city increased.  In  Nov.,  1885,  itwas  putinblast, 
since  which  time  it  has  been  in  operation. 
b7 


The  property  of  the  iron  company  consists  of 
three  farms  in  Outelaunee  township,  near  Lees- 
port, two  of  them  containing  superior  limestone, 
adapted  for  use  in  the  furnace.  Upon  one  of 
these  farms  a  fine  mansion  for  the  use  of  the 
manager  was  built  in  1885.  The  company  has  a 
well  appointed  office  and  thirty-seven  tenements 
located  in  various  parts  of  Leesport.  It  has  also 
several  miles  of  sidings,  connecting  with  the 
Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad,  half  a  mile 
below  the  furnace.  It  uses  ores  from  the  Le- 
high section  and  from  the  Miller  farm  at  Topton, 
in  Berks  County.  About  sixty  men  were  em- 
ployed in  1885,  these  embracing  the  greater 
part  of  the  working  population  of  Leesport. 

CHURCHES. 

St.  John's  Church  (Evangelical  Luthe- 
ran and  German  Reformed). — This  is  the  oldest 
church  in  the  township,  and  one  of  the  oldest 
in  that  part  of  the  county.  On  account  of  its 
proximity  to  the  Gernant  farm,  it  is  often 
called  the  Gernant  Church,  and  as  such  obtains 
wide  local  recognition.  The  site  on  which  it 
stands  is  very  commanding,  making  the  church 
a  prominent  object  for  many  miles.  It  is  a 
large  brick  edifice,  erected  in  1868,  by  a  building 
committee,  composed  of  William  Rahn,  John 
Gernant,  Franklin  Rodenberger,  Henry  Gromis 
and  Henry  Gawker.  The  lot  on  which  it  stands 
contains  thirteen  acres  and  includes  a  cemetery 
which  has  been  partly  improved,  and  which,  when 
fully  completed,  will  be  one  of  the  finest  in  that 
section  of  the  county.  The  property  was  en- 
larged to  the  present  area  when  the  present 
church  was  built.  John  Gernant  donated  six 
acres,  and  six  more  acres  were  purchased  from 
the  farm  of  Adam  Gernant.  The  old  cemetery 
embraced  about  one  acre  of  ground,  and  on  it 
stood  the  old  church.  Part  of  this  land  was  ob- 
tained from  the  Gernant  lands  and  one-half  acre 
was  granted  by  Mordecai  Lee,  in  1795,  to  the 
trustees  of  the  two  congregations, — Jacob  Rahn, 
Yost  Sies,  Nicholas  Schaeffer,  John  Althouse, 
Lndwig  Bausler  and  Jacob  Huey.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  the  church  building  had  been  put  up 
in  the  previous  year  and  most  likely  it  was  the 
second  house  used  as  a  place  of  worship.  The 
first   building   was   a   plain   log   house.     The 


1034 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


second  church  was  also  of  logs,  but  it  was  built 
in  a  more  attractive  style.  It  was  rough-cast 
on  the  outside.  Its  general  appearance  was 
that  of  a  two-story  building  and  it  was  supplied 
with  a  gallery  after  the  manner  of  that  day. 

The  Lutheran  congregation  has  had  as  pastor 
the  Rev.  B.  D.  Zweitzig  for  the  past  twenty 
years.  Some  of  the  ministers  who  preceded 
him  were  the  Revs.  Ditzler,  Harple,  Wagner, 
Miller  and  Minnich.  The  earlier  service  was 
the  same  as  that  of  other  Lutheran  congrega- 
tions in  this  part  of  the  county.  This  was  also 
the  case  of  the  Reformed  congregation.  The 
Reformed  pastors  within  the  recollection  of 
present  members  were  the  Revs.  William  Pauli, 
A.  L.  Herman,  Fred.  Herman,  J.  W.  Steinmetz 
and  the  present  pastor,  S.  A.  Leinbach.  The 
congregation  has  about  one  hundred  and  seven- 
ty-five members. 

Burials. — Among  other  interments  in  the 
St.  John's  Cemetery  the  following  are  noted  : 

Born.  Died. 

Samuel  Hain 1795  1879 

Jacob  Engel 1795  1870 

Jacob  Dunkel 1794  1880 

David  Hottenstein 1796  1880 

Jacob  Rahn 1790  1874 

Isaac  Fisher 1775  1864 

Catherine  Fisher 1780  1879 

Benjamin  Staudt 1797  1876 

SallieHuy 1796  1870 

Abraham  Hottenstein 1793  1872 

Elizabeth  Hottenstein ]795  1881 

John  Keim 1798  1867 

Catherine  (Mohr)  Keim 1799  1876 

John  Grett 1794  1863 

William  Hottenstein 1791  1860 

John  Hallenback 1783  1861 

Bennewell  Mengel 1816  1860 

Samuel  De  Turk 1792  1864 

George  Hinkel 1781  1864 

John  Moser 1782  1847 

George  Dunkel 1776  1841 

Charlotte  Dunkel 1780  1852 

Mary  (Dunkel)  Parvin 1811  1878 

Jacob  Graeff. 1762  1840 

Isaac  Graeff. 1803  1843 

James  Anderson 1784  1853 

John  Henry  Heffner 1763  1830 

Elizabeth  Heffner 1766  1843 

Philip  Snyder 1768  1841 

Adam  Rahn 1762  1842 

Margaret  (Snyder)  Rahn 1760  1853 


Daniel  Maurer J774  1832 

John  Huy 1784  1840 

JohnGernant 1788  1864 

John  Jacob  Mwhr 1769  1827 

Susan  (Huy)  Mohr 1779  1849 

John  Jacob  Huy 1781  1826 

John  Gernant 1749  1821 

Anna  Gernant 1765  1830 

Jacob  Huy 1748  1820 

Jacob  Engel 1753  1800 

Henry  Shucker 1765  1801 

JohnSchaeffer ,  1771  1820 

Catherine  Schaeffer 1789  1861 

Nicholas  Schaeffer 1736  1796 

Catherine  Schaeffer 1745  1811 

J.  Henry  Moll 1777  1865 

Elizabeth  Moll 1776  1856 

Henry  Moll 1734  1801 

John  Stoudt 1737  1801 

Christian  Fox 1746  1814 

Jacob  Schalter 1777  1853 

Frantz  B.  Schalter 1735  1813 

Susan  Schalter 1784  1841 

Jacob  Rahn 1757  1823 

Benjamin  Hottenstein 1764  1844 

Peter  Addams 1784  1852 

Barbara  (Eckert)  Addams 1787  1842 

Henry  Hottenstein 1796  1815 

John  George  Alspach 1779  1863 

Jacob  Seidel 1776  1846 

Elizabeth  Seidel 1786  1843 

Sebastian  Phillips 1775  1843 

Isaac  Addams 1779  1844 

Catherine  (Eckert)  Addams..  1780  1841 

Catherine  Zoller 1847 

Trinity  Church  (Reformed  and  Lutht 
bran).— This  house  of  worship  has  a  beautiful 
location  in  the  eastern  part  of  Leesport.  It  was 
founded  in  1867  and  then  erected,  at  a  cost  of 
nearly  twenty  thousand  dollars,  in  which  the 
congregations  prospered  until  the  night  of  De- 
cember 25,  1872,  when  it  was  destroyed  by  a 
fire,  resulting  from  an  overheated  furnace, 
warmed  for  the  Christmas  exercises  of  that 
evening.  Not  disheartened,  though  feeling  the 
loss  keenly,  steps  were  at  once  taken  to  rebuild 
it  and  the  present  house  was  erected  the  follow- 
ing year  under  the  direction  of  Reuben  Werner 
and  John  V.  Epler  as  a  building  committee.  It 
is  of  brick,  built  in  modern  style,  and  while  not 
as  large  nor  as  fine  as  the  first  house,  it  is  of 
ample  proportions  and  attractive  in  appearance. 
It  was  completed  at  a  cost  of  about  SI 2,000. 
The  trustees  in  1885  were  Abraham  Kauffman, 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


1035 


William  Rahn,  Daniel  Schlegel,  Jared  Miller, 
and  David  L.  Fetherolf,  secretary. 

The  Lutheran  congregation,  numbering  about 
one  hundred  and  thirty  members,  has  had  the 
pastoral  service  of  the  Rev.  B.  D.  Zweitzig 
many  years.  The  Reformed  congregation  has 
the  Rev.  Samuel  A.  Leinbach  as  pastor.  Both 
congregations  have  had  the  same  ministers  as 
those  officiating  at  St.  John's  Church.  A  very 
prosperous  and  largely  attended  Sunday-school 
is  connected  with  Trinity  Church.  A  short 
distance  from  it  is  a  well-kept  cemetery  of  four 
acres,  opened  by  a  church  in  1868. 


EICHMOND  TOWNSHIP. 

The  district  of  territory  now  comprising  the 
township  of  Richmond  was  settled  at  the  same 
time  as  the  surrounding  townships,  and  gene- 
rally with  the  same  class  of  people.  The  names 
of  the  first  settlers  will  appear  from  the  list  of 
members  who  connected  themselves  with  the 
Moselem  Church  in  1746.  It  was  known  as  a 
district  before  the  county  was  erected,  in  1752. 
A  survey  of  the  territory  was  made  whilst  it 
was  a  part  of  Philadelphia  County,  the  bearings 
and  distances  of  the  large  tract  surveyed  hav- 
ing been  as  follows  : 

"Beginning  at  a  corner  of  Maiden  Creek  township 
on  the  bank  of  the  Maiden  Creek,  about  200  perches 
below  the  outlet  of  Moselem  Creek  ;  thence  along 
said  township  S.  E.  1370  perches,  and  thence  S.  65 
W.  59  perches  to  a  corner  of  the  M  mor  of  Ruscomb  ; 
thence  along  said  manor  land,  S.  E.  132  ps.,  No.  65 
E.  500  ps.,  and  S.  E.  123  ps.,  to  a  corner  of  a  district 
subsequently  named  Rockland ;  thence  along  said 
district  N.  E.  620  ps.,  to  a  corner  of  Maxatawny  town- 
ship ;  thence  along  said  township  N.  W.  880  ps.,  and 
N.  E.  200  ps.,  to  a  corner  of  a  district  subsequently 
named  Greenwich,  thence  N.  30  W.  590  ps.  to  the 
Srtcony  Creek,  and  thence  down  the  Sacony  and  the 
Maiden  Creek  to  the  place  of  beginning,  containing 
12,480  acres." 

This  district  was  then  called  Musseeley 
(Moselem)  after  the  creek  running  through  its 
central  portion.  I  could  not  ascertain  from  the 
records  of  Philadelphia  County  when  the  town- 
ship, by  the  name  mentioned,  was  erected. 

It  is  probable  that  the  proceedings  for  the 
erection  of  the  township  were  not  successful  at 
that  time.      The  surveyor,  in    preparing   the 


draft,  did  not  affix  a  date  or  even  his  name. 
Benjamin  Lightfoot  was  doubtless  the  surveyor. 
The  township,  by  the  name  of  Richmond  was 
organized  subsequently,  supposed  to  have  been 
in  1755.  The  lines  were  the  same  as  men- 
tioned. In  the  erection  of  Greenwich  town- 
ship the  lines  on  the  north  were  changed,  and  a 
number  of  acres  inclined  with  that  township. 
The  lines  along  Ruscomb-manor  and  Rockland 
were  changed  so  as  to  add  a  considerable  area 
of  land  to  Richmond  township,  the  former  in 
1839  and  the  latter  in  1840.  This  was  done  to 
accommodate  the  townships  in  respect  to  roads, 
taxes,  etc. 

The  township  comprises  some  of  the  finest 
farms  in  the  county.  Valuable  deposits  of  iron- 
ore  have  contributed  much  to  its  wealth,  the 
prominent  mines  being  the  Moselem,  Rothermel 
and  Heffner.  These  mines  were  worked  at  an 
early  period  in  the  history  of  the  county.  A 
forge,  known  as  the  "  Moselem  Forge,"  was  in 
existence  as  early  as  1767,  and  occupied  a  site 
on  the  Moselem  creek  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
furnace. 

The  borough  of  Fleetwood  was  erected  out 
of  a  portion  of  the  township  in  the  extreme 
southern  section. 

Taxables  of  1759. — The  following  list  con- 
tains the  taxable  inhabitants  of  the  township  in 
the  year  1759.  Dewald  Beaver  was  the  col- 
lector, and  the  tax  levied  amounted  to  £41  Is.  6d. 

£ 

David  Kamp 6 

Henry  Kelkner 12 

Nicholas  Kiefer 3 


Frederick  Brown 1 

Melchior  Brown 4 

Henry  Burkard 2 

Jacob  Beaver 3 

Deobald  Beaver 10 

Peter  Biehl 10 

John  Claus 4 

Frederick  Cramer 2 

Henry  Dilbone 4 

Peter  Dilbone 2 

George  Michael  Derr 1 

Stephen  Weigher 9 

Henry  Eartly 6 

David  Ely 12 

Peter  Ettleman 1 

George  Foulk * 

Jacob  Foust 3 

Peter  Greenawald 8 

Michael  Hessler 2 

Christian  Hoffman 3 

Henry  Heffner 9 

George  Heffley 7 

Frederick  Hill 19 

Daniel  High 12 

Valentine  Hoffman 1 

Charles  Heylman 1 

Derrick  Johnston 56 


Abraham  Kiefer 12 

Michael  Kelchner 2 

Jacob  Lupler 2 

Vincent  Lesher 7 

Conrad  Miller 10 

Peter  Merkle 16 

George  Merckle 22 

Andreas  MiMeagle 2' 

Casper  Merckle. , 7 

George  Merckle 3 

Christian  Merckle 4 

George  Merckle,  Jr 2 

Nicholas  Merckle 1 

George  Nutta 3 

George  Owl 2 

Adolf  Peter 2 

Richard  Peters 30 

John  Ressler 3 

Baltzer  Reem 9 

Christopher  Rodarmel 6 

Michael  Reaver 3 

John  Rodarmel 10, 

Nicholas  Ransh 1 

Jacob  Shoemaker 5 


1036 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Philip  Sons 2 

Peter  Spohn ■. 3 

Christian  Shich 2 

George  Shaffer.-. 10 

Christian  Schleagle 6 

Single  Men. 

Nicholas  Barron. 

Peter  Grub. 

Philip  Grub. 

Michael  Grist. 


Jacob  Dreibelbis 30 

Michael  Weinman 2 

Michael  William 3 

George  Zerr 2 


Michael  Gellinger. 
Christopher  Bink. 
Jacob  Sherer. 
Jacob  Wanner. 


Early  Settlers. — On  the  Jonathan  Shel- 
lenberger  farm,  at  Fleetwood,  the  Dreibelbis 
family  made  a  settlement  in  1740,  coming  from 
Hannesthal,  Germany.  Daniel  Dreibelbis  had 
sons  named  Daniel,  Abraham  and  Jacob.  The 
first  settled  at  Milton,  Pa. ;  the  second  in 
Schuylkill  County  ;  and  Jacob  married  a 
Merkel,  and  lived  near  Virginsville.  Here  he 
reared  sons  named  Jacob,  John,  Samuel,  William 
and  David,  the  latter  still  living  at  a  very  old 
age.  The  Leshers  and  Heffners  settled  in 
Greenwich,  but  some  of  the  descendants  early 
became  identified  with  the  history  of  Rich- 
mond. 

John  and  Henry  Stein  settled  on  the  Sacony, 
in  Richmond,  on  what  is  now  the  Fegely  farm. 
The  former  had  sons  named  Jacob,  Peter, 
Daniel,  Benjamin  and  Solomon,  all  deceased. 
Jacob  died  in  Greenwich  at  the  age  of  eighty 
years.     He  was  the  father  of  Adam  Stein. 

The  Leibelsperger  family  settled  on  the  State 
road  at  Moselem  Springs.  Jonathan  Leibel- 
sperger became  ninety-two  years  old. 

On  Moselem  Creek  lived  the  Merkel  family, 
^who  were  large  land-owners,  the  George  Merkel 
tract  at  one  time  embracing  one  thousand  three 
hundred  acres.  He  had  a  mill  above  the 
present  Merkel  mansion,  which  was  built  in 
1768,  and  this  has  been  repaired  so  that  it  is 
still  in  excellent  condition.  The  present  Merkel 
Mill,  below  the  old  mansion,  was  built  in  1856 
by  Samuel  Merkel,  its  owner,  and  also  the 
owner  of  the  homestead.  The  mill  is  a  larce 
stone  building.  A  distillery  at  this  point  has  long 
since  been  abandoned. 

Moselem  Mines,  Etc. — On  the  same  stream, 
and  about  half  a  mile  from  where  it  empties 
into  the  Maiden  Creek,  Valentine  Eckert  had 
grist  and  saw-mills,  and  at  an  early  day  built  a 
small  charcoal  furnace.  It  had  a  very  small 
stack  and  the  operations  were  carried  on  in  a 
limited  way.    Eckert  owned  thousands  of  acres 


of  land  in  Richmond  and  surrounding  town- 
ships which  embarrassed  him  so  that  it  was  put 
up  at  a  forced  sale.  When  Nicholas  Hunter 
became  the  owner,  he  began  work  on  a  much 
larger  scale  and  for  his  time  operated  ex- 
tensively. He  improved  the  water-power,  and 
converted  the  timber  on  the  surrounding  hills 
into  charcoal.  The  ore  was  obtained  from  the 
mines  near  by,  which  he  more  fully  developed. 
In  1 847  he  erected  a  new  furnace,  which,  in  an 
improved  condition,  still  remains.  Its  capacity 
is  from  seventy-five  to  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  tons  of  iron  per  week.  In  this  enterprise 
his  sons  became  associated  with  him,  and  after- 
ward owned  and  operated  the  furnace.  The 
water-power  was  applied  by  him  to  improve 
grist  and  saw-mills,  except  so  much  as  was 
pumped  into  a  large  reservoir  on  an  adjoining 
hill  for  a  system  of  water- works  to  protect  the 
furnace  and  its  surroundings  against  fire.  At 
different  points  hydrants  have  been  erected,  from 
which  a  stream  can  be  thrown  upon  any  of  the 
buildings  in  the  place. 

In  1885  the  plant  embraced  the  furnace  and 
its  necessary  buildings,  grist  and  saw-mills, 
store  and  hotel  buildings,  a  very  fine  mansion 
in  spacious  grounds  and  about  forty  tenement 
houses.  In  addition,  there  were  seven  hundred 
acres  of  land,  forming  three  farms,  one  of  which 
contains  several  valuable  ore-mines,  provided 
with  the  necessary  machinery  for  working  the 
same.  The  furnace  has  been  out  of  blast  since 
1883.  The  other  interests  are  carried  on  under 
the  management  of  J.  H.  Druckemiller.  A 
siding  connects  the  furnace  with  Moselem 
station,  on  the  railroad,  distant  one-fourth  of  a 
mile.  The  furnace  property  has  had  a  number 
of  changes  of  ownership.  In  1871  Jacob  and 
Henry  Bushong,  Jacob  K.  Spang  and  Wilson 
Kaufman,  as  Bushong  &  Co.,  became  the  pro- 
prietors, and  they  four  years  later  sold  it  to  the 
Moselem  Iron  Company,  which  then  carried  on 
the  furnace.  This  company  laid  out  town  lots 
in  1875  for  village  purposes.  Upon  the  dissolu- 
tion of  the  company,  soon  afterward,  Leibrand 
&  McDowell  succeeded  to  the  ownership,  and 
were  followed,  December  18,  1884,  by  the 
present  proprietors,  C.  H.  Shebel  &  C.  H. 
Stel  wagon. 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


1037 


The  Moselem  ore-beds  are  in  that  part  of 
Richmond  in  which  the  level  lands  of  the 
Maxatawny  Valley  meet  the  gravel  hills,  south- 
east of  the  centre  of  the  township,  and  cover 
several  hundred  acres  of  land.  Most  of  this 
was  originally  owned  by  John  G.  Gloss,  but 
since  1830  by  Samuel  and  John  G.  Kaufman. 
The  ore  is  a  fine  brown  hematite  imbedded  in 
red  clay,  assays  from  forty-five  to  fifty  per  cent, 
of  iron,  and  produces  an  almost  neutral  metal. 
The  development  of  this  mineral  has  given  em- 
ployment to  a  large  number  of  men  the  past 
fifty  years,  and  the  mines  promise  to  be  a  source 
of  wealth  for  a  long  time  to  come.  The  product 
has  been  as  high  as  fifteen  thousand  tons  per 
year,  but  since  1885  only  two  of  the  eight 
washers  have  been  in  use. 

At  the  furnace  is  Moselem  post-office,  estab- 
lished in  1856.  The  first  office  was  called 
Nora,  after  one  of  Hunter's  daughters.  It  has 
a  daily  mail. 

Moselem  Springs. — In  the  township  there 
are  several  natural  features  which  deserve  par- 
ticular notice.  On  the  Kutztown  road,  on  the 
farm  of  R.  Weidenhammer,  one  and  one-half 
niilesfrom  Moselem  Springs  post-office,  the  large 
Moselem  Springs  are  located,  being  the  source 
of  Moselem  Creek.  The  volume  of  water  flow- 
ing from  them  is  very  large  and  clear  as  crys- 
tal. When  the  country  was  first  settled  the  set- 
tlers found  both  the  spring  and  creek  well  sup- 
plied with  brook  trout.  The  Indians,  on  this 
account,  gave  it  the  name  of  Maschilnmehanne 
(Moselem),  signifying  a  trout  stream.  The 
creek  affords  excellent  water-power  and  is  alto- 
gether one  of  the  finest  streams  in  the  county. 

Crystal  Cave. — Along  the  Sacony  there  is 
a  singular  limestone  formation  in  which  there 
are  numerous  crevices,  several  of  them,  thus  far 
discovered,  having  the  nature  of  caves.  They 
are  overlaid  with  a  loose,  shaly  soil  which  per- 
mits the  water  to  percolate  through  them  and 
form  numerous  crystalline  objects.  One  of  these 
caves,  near  Virginsville,  was  discovered  many 
years  ago,  and  its  mouth  was  opened  so  as  to 
permit  easy  entrance.  It  was  described,  in  1840, 
as  being  in  the  edge  of  a  cultivated  field  on  the 
brow  of  a  hill.  "  Passing  into  it,  the  adven- 
turer descends  about   fifty  yards  by  a  rough, 


narrow  passage,  and  then  turns  to  the  left  at  an 
acute  angle  with  the  passage.  After  proceeding 
about  thirty  yards  farther,  he  enters  the  great 
chamber,  about  fifty  feet  long,  twenty  wide  and 
fifteen  to  twenty  high,  in  a  rock  of  limestone. 
Near  the  end  of  this  chamber,  opposite  to  the  en- 
trance, is  the  altar,  a  large  mass  of  stalactite, 
which  rings  under  the  hammer,  and  is  translu- 
cent." This  cave  was  popularly  known  as  the 
Dragon's  Cave  many  years  ago.  It  has  lately 
been  much  neglected  and  entrance  can  be  had 
only  with  great  difficulty.  Its  existence  has 
almost  been  forgotten  in  the  discovery  of  a 
much  larger  cave  about  two  miles  from  Virgins- 
ville, and  which  has  not  improperly  been  called 
Crystal  Cave.  It  was  discovered  November  12, 
1871,  while  John  Gehret  and  Gideon  Merkel 
were  engaged  in  quarrying  stone  on  the  farm  of 
the  latter,  to  burn  lime  in  a  kiln  near  by.  After 
making  a  blast  they  were  astonished  to  find  a 
large  opening  leading  to  hidden  recesses  beyond, 
the  extent  of  which  was  not  apparent  without 
an  exploration.  This  they  were  emboldened  to 
make  in  the  course  of  a  few  days,  and  they  found 
the  cavern  to  be  of  large  size  and  stored  with  the 
most  beautiful  stalactites  and  stalagmites  in 
every  conceivable  form.  A  more  extended  ex- 
ploration was  made  by  S.  D.  F.  Kohler,  an  am- 
ateur geologist,  who  resided  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  he  was  so  favorably  impressed  with 
the  cave,  as  an  object  of  natural  curiosity  and 
beauty,  that  he  purchased  the  farm  and  opened 
the  cave  to  the  inspection  of  the  public.  He 
removed  numerous  impediments  and  provided 
easy  passages  and  stairways  until  the  subterra- 
nean passages  were  improved  to  the  extent  of 
more  than  one  thousand  feet.  Large  numbers 
of  visitors  then  came  from  all  parts  of  the 
country,  and  they  were  delighted  with  the 
sights  they  beheld.  In  addition  to  the  large 
corridors,  whose  roofs  were  overhung  with  glit- 
tering stalactites,  there  are  in  different  parts  of  the 
cave,  forms  which  closely  resemble  a  "  Mummy 
Chamber,"  a  "Preacher,"  a  "Cemetery,"  a 
"  Woman  in  White  "  and  an  "  Angel's  Wing." 
When  the  cave  is  fully  illuminated  it  does  not 
require  a  vivid  imagination  to  conjure  up  a 
number  of  other  beautiful  forms.  Many  of  the 
smaller  crystals  have  been  removed  and  con- 


1038 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


verted  into  numerous  beautiful  objects,  which 
are  exposed  for  sale  as  mementoes  of  a  visit  to 
this  interesting  spot.  Very  fine  springs  are 
situated  near  the  cave  and  a  large  hotel  has  been 
erected  for  the  accommodation  of  visitors. 

churches. 

Zion's  Lutheran  Church  (Moselem).— 
This  ancient  house  of  worship  is  located  two 
and  a  half  miles  east  of  Virginsville,  near  the 
line  of  Maxatawny  township.  Its  plan  is  an- 
tique, patterned,  doubtless,  after  the  Lutheran 
Church  at  the  Trappe,  said  to  be  the  oldest  of 
that  denomination  in  America.  The  present 
church  was  built  in  1761,  the  rear  wall  being 
made  hexagonal  and  the  roof  shaped  to  a  slope 
covering  it  the  same  way.  The  masonry  is  of 
stone,  procured  in  the  neighborhood.  The 
walls  have  resisted  the  elements  remarkably 
well.  The  organ  was  supplied  nine  years  after 
the  building  of  the  church.  It  was  built  by 
Tanneberger,  of  Lancaster,  and  was  formally 
dedicated  by  Pastor  Schaum  in  1770. 

The  purpose  to  build  an  Evangelical  Luth- 
eran Church  in  Richmond  was  agitated  as  early 
as  1739  by  Christopher  Kuhn,  Sebastian 
Kraemer  and  Jacob  Hill,  but  before  it  could  be 
accomplished  the  latter  two  died,  leaving  the 
work  to  be  finished  by  Christopher  Kuhn.  In 
this  he  was  ably  assisted  by  his  son,  Dr.  Adam 
Kuhn,  of  Lancaster  County,  who  collected  funds 
and  secured  a  tract  of  one  hundred  acres  from 
the  Penns  for  church  purposes.1 

Upon  this  land  a  log  church  was  built  in 

1742.  It  was  formally  dedicated  January  20, 

1743,  by  John  Valentine  Kraft,  at  that  time 
serving  both  as  minister  and  school-teacher  of 
the  congregation.  His  dual  services  continued 
about  two  years,  when  the  congregation  became 
so  strong  that  Eev.  Tobias  "Wagner  was  or- 
dained as  regular  minister.  He  began  in  1745 
and  served  sixteen  years. 

He  began  his  labors  by  perfecting  the  organ- 
ization of  the  congregation. 

1  In  1741  a  warrant  was  issued  to  Adam  Simon  Kuhn, 
Leonard  Bieber,  Wm.  Killian  and  Christian  Houseknecht, 
for  one  hundred  and  oue  acres  ;  and  the  patent  was  issued 
to  them  July  31,  1741,  for  the  consideration  of  fifteen 
pounds  thirteen  shillings. 


The  following  members  subscribed  the  church 
regulations  on  Trinity  Sunday,  1746  : 

Johann  Christolph  Kuhn. 
George  Kern. 
Charles  Hafelin. 
John  Herbst. 
Rudolph  Schlier. 
John  Herrgeroly.    . 
Nicholas  Gottschall. 
George  Jacob  Ohlinger. 
Killian  Kehser. 
John  Fillis  Schuss. 
George  Bast. 

John  Frederick  Kraemer. 
Michael  Henninger. 
Hans  Michael  Hauer. 
John  Frederick  Heiny. 
John  Hill. 

Leonard  Koeplinger. 
Christopher  Schraeber. 
Andrew  Fry. 
Michael  Kelchner. 
Jacob  Brandsteller. 
John  Jacob  "Wagner. 
Michael  Hauer. 
Daniel  Hill. 
Leonard  Reber. 
Christian  Hausknecht. 
Hans  Jacob  Hummel. 
John  Rieger. 
Nicholas  Schumacher. 
Michael  Schlier. 
JohnMelchor  Hoffa. 
Melchor  Fritz. 
Daniel  Bailey. 
Andrew  Hummell. 


John  W.  Ernst. 
Peter  Biehl. 
David  Komb. 
Conrad  Bauer. 
Isaac  George  Mauk. 
Casper  Killian. 
Daniel  Komb. 
John  Heisser. 
Nicholas  Stein. 
George  Fegely. 
W.  Bauer  Schaedell. 
Henry  Heffher. 
John  Geo.  Merkle. 
Geo.  William  Vion. 
Rudolph  Fetter. 
George  Kelchner. 
Christian  Rothermel. 
Peter  Merkel. 
George  Merkel. 
Casper  Merkel. 
John  George  Merkel. 
Jacob  Henry  Royer. 
John  Fred.  Biehl. 
George  Nic.  Hildebrant. 
John  Jacob  Klein. 
Gottfried  Kraemer. 
John  Kohler. 
George  M.  Dauber. 
Henry  Christolph  Rick. 
George  Folk. 
George  Hahn. 
George  Miller. 
Lorenz  Bieber. 
John  Bast. 


A  new  church  building  was  erected  in  1770, 
and  an  organ  supplied.  And  a  third  church 
was  dedicated  on  May  17,  1849. 

The  ministers  who  succeeded  Rev.  Wagner 
were, — 

Frederick  Schaum,  1761  to  1778  ;  Daniel  Lehman, 
1778  to  1810;  John  Knoske,  1811  to  1822;  Conrad 
Miller,  1822  to  1829;  Isaac  Roller,1829  to  1860;  Ben- 
jamin E.  Kramlich,  1860  to ;  W.  A.  C.  Mueller, 

1885  to . 

The  congregation  maintained  a  school  as  early 
as  1742,  the  teacher  being  John  Valentine 
Kroft,  and  at  an  early  day  endeavored  to 
elevate  the  standard  of  the  profession  by  free- 
ing the  teacher  from  other  occupations  which 
would  distract  his  attention  from  school  work. 

In  1743  the  consistory  declared  :  "That  it 
is  our   most  earnest  desire   that  the  teacher,  as 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1039 


well  as  the  preacher,  shall  be  fairly  compen- 
sated, so  that  he  can  live  with  his  family  like 
an  honest  man,  without  being  obliged  to  engage 
in  any  business  foreign  to  his  profession.  To 
this  end,  the  teacher  and  the  preacher  shall  have 
the  land  and  the  house  upon  it  free,  as  long  as 
they  officially  serve  the  congregation,  and,  as 
far  as  is  reasonable,  they  may  use  the  same  as 
serves  them  best." 

In  the  latter  history  of  the  congregation  a 
two-story  building  was  erected,  one  room  of 
which  served  as  a  school-room  and  the  other  as 
a  residence  for  the  teacher.  After  the  accept- 
ance of  the  free-school  system  this  school-house 
was  leased  to  the  directors  from  year  to  year, 
until  about  ten  years  ago.  The  house  is  still 
standiug. 

St.  Petee's  Gekman  Reformed  Church 
is  south  of  Moselem  Creek  and  west  of  the  ore- 
beds,  on  a  fine,  elevated  site.  A  log  church  was 
first  built  in  1762  to  accommodate  such  persons 
in  Richmond  township  and  the  adjoining  county 
as  entertained  the  faith  of  the  Reformed  Church, 
the  Moselem  Church  having  been  erected  for 
the  use  of  Lutherans  only.  In  1809  the  present 
stone  edifice  was  erected,  and  in  essential  fea- 
tures remains  as  put  up.  In  1840  the  church 
was  supplied  with  an  organ.  The  logs  of  the 
old  church  were  used  in  building  a  school- 
house,  where  church  schools  were  taught,  and 
later  other  schools  maintained.  The  con- 
gregation, never  as  strong  as  in  other  localities 
in  that  part  of  the  county,  has  been  greatly 
diminished  by  the  building  of  another  church 
in  the  immediate  locality  in  1866,  this  having 
arisen  from  a  church  difficulty.  For  the  past 
forty-eight  years  the  Revs.  Herman,  father  and 
son,  have  ministered  to  them  in  spiritual  things, 
and  the  present  pastor  is  the  Rev.  J.  Sassaman 
Herman. 

Becker's  St.  Peter's  Church  (Reformed 
and  Lutheran)  is  on  the  same  hill  as  the 
church  just  mentioned,  and  several  hundred 
yards  from  it.  It  stands  on  ground  secured 
for  this  purpose  from  the  farm  of  Henry 
Becker,  whose  name  is  used  to  distinguish 
it  from  the  old  church.  The  building  is 
of  fine  liihestone,  well  laid,  and,  although 
plain,  it  is  attractive.  Its  elevated  position  com- 


mands a  fine  view  of  the  surrounding  country.  It 
was  erected  in  1866  by  members  who  withdrew 
from  the  "Zion's"  and  the  "Old  St.  Peter's" 
Churches,  and  has  had  flourishing  congregations 
worshipping  in  it.  The  membership  of  the 
Lutheran  congregation  was  reported  in  1885  as 
one  hundred  and  thirty,  and  that  of  the  Ger- 
man Reformed  somewhat  less.  Its  pastor  since 
the  organization  has  been  the  Rev.  Richard 
Appel.  The  pastor  of  the  Lutheran  congrega- 
tion is  the  Rev.  F.  K.  Huntzinger,  who  suc- 
ceeded the  Rev.  J.  Wicklein,  pastor  when  first 
organized. 

The  burial-ground  connected  with  Becker's 
St.  Peter's  Church  is  one  of  the  finest  in  that 
part  of  the  county. 

St.  James'  Evangelical  Church  is  at 
Virginsville.  It  was  built  in  1883,  but  not 
formally  dedicated  until  Pentecost  Sunday  in 
1884.  It  is  a  neat,  small  brick  building,  built 
through  the  efforts  of  David  Dreibelbis,  Albert 
Shappley,  Eli  Keller,  Solomon  Miller,  Benja- 
min Smith  and  Peter  Adam.  During  the 
building  of  the  church  the  Rev.  Stanffer  was 
the  pastor,  and  since  that  time  the  ministers 
have  been  the  .same  as  those  preaching  in  the 
church  of  this  denomination  in  Albany  town- 
ship. In  1885  the  preachers  on  that  circuit 
were  the  Revs.  Weidner  and  Speicher. 

Roman  Catholics. — Among  the  earliest 
settlers  of  Maxatawny  and  Richmond  were  a 
few  Catholic  families,  embracing  the  Winks, 
Dumms  and  others,  and  a  lot  of  ground  was  set 
apart  for  them,  in  1740,  in  case  they  should 
wish  to  build  a  house  of  worship.  It  does  not 
appear  that  this  was  ever  done,  and  the  lot  re- 
verted to  the  proprietors,  as  part  of  the  vacant 
lands,  at  that  time  so  abundant.  In  the  present 
century  a  large,  plain  stone  building  was  put  up 
near  the  Moselem  Ore-Mines,  which  was  used 
as  a  Catholic  Church  a  number  of  years,  ser- 
vices being  held  at  long  intervals.  The  resi- 
dent membership  was  very  small,  and  as  popu- 
lation shifted,  some,  of  those  who  had  belonged 
removed,  making  it  impossible  to  continue  the' 
meetings  with  interest.  After  standing  vacant 
a  number  of  years,  the  building  was  demolished 
and'  the  material  removed. 


1040 


HISTOKY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


VILLAGES. 

In  the  southeastern  part  of  the  township  is  a 
small  hamlet  called  Walnuttown,  from  a 
cluster  of  walnut-trees  growing  at  the  place. 
Here  there  was  formerly  an  inn,  kept  in  a  small 
log  house.  Among  the  keepers  were  Joseph 
Bartholomew,  Nicholas  Machemer,  Peter  Roth- 
ermel  and  Thomas  Schneck.  The  house  at 
present  kept  by  Albert  Strasser  was  built  by 
Peter  Rothermel. 

A  mile  from  this  place  is  the  old  village  of 
Coxtown,  now  the  thriving  borough  of  Fleet- 
wood, of  which  a  separate  sketch  is  given  in  the 
chapter  on  the  boroughs. 

Near  Moselem,  and  in  the  neighborhood  of 
St.  Peter's  Church,  there  is  an  old  tavern- 
stand  kept  years  ago  by  a  man  named  Kemp. 
A  later  keeper  was  Joel  Becker,  and  for  the 
past  thirteen  years  Henry  Becker.  On  the  State 
road  to  Kutztown,  where  the  Fleetwood  road 
crosses  the  same,  public-houses  have  been  kept 
for  many  years  by  the  Crolls,  Elijah  Moyer, 
Michael  Dumm  and  the  past  forty  years  by 
Solomon  Leibelsperger  and  his  family.  The 
present  hotel  and  store  building  was  put  up  in 
1852.  In  the  store  is  kept  the  Moselem 
Springs  post-office,  established  in  1846,  and 
which  had,  in  1885,  Joel  Leibelsperger  as  post- 
master. A  daily  mail  from  Fleetwood  is  sup- 
plied. 

Virginsville  is  a  small  village  in  the 
northwestern  part  of  the  township,  on  the 
Maiden  Creek,  a  little  below  the  mouth  of  the 
Sacony.  It  is  a  station  on  the  Berks  and 
Lehigh  Railroad,  and  has  had  its  greatest 
growth  since  the  completion  of  the  railway. 
The  place  contains  three  taverns,  a  store,  a 
number  of  fine  residences  and  a  church.  The 
first  regular  store  in  this  locality  was  opened  in 
1809  by  William  Dreibelbis,  and  about  the 
same  time  an  inn  was  opened  by  the  Lesher 
family.  The  Dreibelbis  family  has  been  more 
or  less  engaged  in  trade  here  since.  A  store  is 
now  carried  on  by  Abraham  Mengel.  In  it  is 
kept  the  Virginsville  post-office,  established 
in  1839,  and  of  which  Jackson  Dreibelbis 
was  the  postmaster  in  1885.  Joseph  De  Young 
had  a  store  here  first,  selling  goods  on  a  small 
scale.    He  also  entertained  the  public.    William 


Dreibelbis  became  his  successor,  and  kept  a 
public-house  from  1844  to  1871.  This  house  is 
now  kept  by  Gustavus  Dreibelbis.  The  fine 
three-story  brick  hotel,  called  the  "Mansion 
House,"  was  opened  to  the  public  in  1885,  by 
Eli  Hein.  Since  1851  Simon  Dreibelbis  has 
had  a  public-house  in  Perry,  near  Virginsville. 
The  past  twelve  years  Dr.  D.  M.  L.  Fritch 
has  been  a  practitioner  of  medicine  at  VirginsT 
ville. 


MAXATAWNY  TOWNSHIP.1 

The  Indians  loved  the  Maxatawny  country, 
and  lingered  there  long  after  they  had  left 
other  parts  of  the  county,  maintaining  a  friendly 
attitude  towards  the  settlers.  They  had  a  place 
of  burial  in  what  is  now  a  field  of  the  Charles 
Deisher  farm,  and  a  tradition  prevails  that 
many  hundreds  of  them  were  buried  there, 
incl  uding  their  implements  of  warfare.  Many 
relics  were  taken  from  that  place  in  years  gone 
by.  Frequent  cultivation  of  the  ground  has 
almost  entirely  obliterated  the  evidences  that  it 
was  once  their  burial-place.  There  is  a  tra- 
dition that  a  stalwart  Indian  remained  several 
years  after  the  others  had  gone,  as  if  loth  to 
leave  the  scenes  of  his  childhood.  He  was 
known  by  the  unpoetic  name  of  "  Kneebuckle," 
and  he  lived  on  the  banks  of  the  Sacony,  sub- 
sisting on  the  fish  and  game  which  his  skillful 
hands  enabled  him  to  capture.  He  was  kind 
in  his  dealings  with  the  early  settlers  and 
beloved  by  those  who  knew  him.  He  sud- 
denly disappeared.  The  beautiful  lands  of 
Maxatawny  invited  many  immigrants  at  a  very 
early  period. 

First  Taxables.— Prior  to  1734  there 
lived  in  Maxatawny  the  following  persons  who 
owned  land  and  paid  quit-rents  : 


Moses  Starr. 
Joseph  Wily. 
Isaac  Starr. 
Nehemiah  Hutton. 
Jacob  Hottenstein. 
Peter  Andreas. 


Peter  Trexler. 
Hans  Hage. 
Johannes  Siegfried. 
Nicholas  Kutz. 
Abr'm  Zimmerman. 
Jost  H.  Sassaman. 


'The  author  is  indebted  to  Prof.  J.  S.  Ermentrout's 
sketch  of  Kutztown  and  Manatawny  for  valuable  informa- 
tion in  connection  with  this  township. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1041 


Jacob  Levan. 
Jacob  Kemp. 
Wilhelm  Gross. 
Casper  Wink. 
C.  Mahnenschmidt. 
Jacob  Hill. 
Isaac  Leonard. 


Andreus  Fischer. 
Heinrich  Hartman. 
Michael  Mueller. 
H.  Kleimer  (Clymer). 
Heinrich  Schade. 
Jeremiah  Trexler. 
Bastian  Ferr. 


This  township  was  settled  immediately  after 
the  land  was  released  by  the  Indians.  It  was 
called  a  new  district  in  1734,  by  the  name  of 
Maxatawny.     It  had  no  constable  then. 

Township  Erected. — A  petition  was  pre- 
sented to  the  Court  of  Quarter  Sessions  of 
Philadelphia  County  on  September  6,  1742, 
praying  for  the  erection  of  a  new  township  out 
of  a  part  of  said  county.  The  survey  of  the 
tract  of  land  proposed  for  the  township  was 
made  by  George  Boone,  Esq.,  a  draft  of  which 
was  attached  to  the  petition  ;  and  William  Par- 
sons, surveyor-general  of  the  province,  certified 
that  the  survey  did  not  interfere  with  any  other 
township.  And  the  township  was  erected  on 
the  same  day.  The  following  statement  is  a 
copy  of  the  record  in  the  office  of  the  court 
mentioned.     The  petition  could  not  be  found. 

"  Upon  the  Petition  of  several  of  the  Inhabitants 
of  the  County  of  Philadelphia,  situate  at  a  Place 
called  Maxatawny,  setting  forth  that  they  had  been 
settled  in  that  part  of  this  County  for  several  years 
and  paid  Taxes  and  County  Levies,  and  that  the  said 
Place  is  now  become  very  populous,  praying  this 
Court  would  be  pleased  to  view  and  examine  a 
Draught  of  a  Tract  of  Land  to  the  said  Petition  an- 
nexed, and  would  erect  the  same  into  a  Township  by 
the  following  Bounds,  viz:  Beginning  in  Bucks 
County  Line  and  from  thence  running  South  West 
one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  sixty  perches ; 
thence  North  West  one  thousand  three  hundred  and 
sixty  perches  ;  thence  North  East  one  thousand  seven 
hundred  and  sixty  perches  to  Bucks  County  Line; 
thence  along  the  same  South  East  one  thousand  three 
hundred  and  sixty  perches  to  the  place  of  Beginning, 
containing  fourteen  thousand  nine  hundred  and  sixty 
Acres  of  Land. 

"The  Court  having  taken  the  said  petition  into 
consideration  and  the  Surveyor-General  of  this 
province  having  certified  to  the  Court  that  the  sev- 
eral Courses  and  bounds  of  said  Township  petitioned 
for  do  not  interfere  with  any  other  Township,  The 
said  Tract  of  Land  bounded  as  aforesaid,  containing 
fourteen  thousand  nine  hundred  and  sixty  Acres  of 
Land,  is  now  erected  by  this  Court  into  a  Township 
by  the  name  of  Maxatawny." 1  

'The  name  of  the  township  was  derived  from  an  Indian 
word,  Machksithanne,  meaning  Bear's  Path  Creek. 


Taxables  op  1759. — The  following  list 
comprises  the  taxable  inhabitants  of  the  town- 
ship for  the  year  1759.  The  amount  of  tax 
then  levied  was  £77.  Andrew  Hauck  was  the 
collector  : 


John  Bart 10 

Anthony  Benusinger 4 

George  Bader 12 

Conrad  Bader 11 

Tcterich  Bever 10 

John  Bever 11 

Michael  Bower 3 

Peter  Brown 5 

Henry  Christ 13 

Michael  Christian 14 

Frederick  Delaplank 25 

Peter  Belong 11 

John  Belong 6 

Anthony  Fisher 10 

William  Grose 10 

Nicholas  Harmony 16 

John  Hartman 16 

John  Hill 15 

Henry  Hagh 11 

Andreas  Hagh 20 

David  Huttenstein 23 

Conrad  Henninger 13 

John  Hargerader 16 

Julius  Kerber 6 

Deobald  Kempt 20 

Nicholas  Kutz 10 

Adam  Kutz 10 

Thomas  Kutz 10 

Caspar  KilUan 2 

Derat  Kersner 4 

Charles  Kurn 3 


Widow  Kemp 10 

George  Kutz 18 

Jacob  Kutz 17 

Jacob  Kraul 15 

Philip  Kraul 9 

Sebastian  Levan 23 

Daniel  Levun ....25 

Jacob  Levan,  EHq 31 

Henry  Lnckenbill 9 

Conrad  Manesmith 16 

Nicholas  Moffly 10 

MirhaelOtt 1 

Christopher  Road 7 

George  Sassamanhouse..., .........10 

Andreas  Sassamanhouse 7 

Henry  Sassamanhouse 12 

Joseph  Siegfried 20 

Baltzer  Sweuck 2 

John  Siegfried 21 

Peter  Sherer 22 

Jacob  Sheradeen 14 

Paul  Sheradeen 5 

George  Sell   12 

Caspar  Smith 5 

Nicholas  Shoneaker 2 

Henry  Wetstone 13 

Dewald  Wink 19 

Bichard  Wistar 25 

Christian  Wanner 5 

Abram  Zimmerman 16 

Bastian  Zimmerman 23 


Inmates. 


Anthony  Altman 2 

George  Brenig 2 

Jacob  Bauer 2 

Christian  Baum 2 

Daniel  Dosser 2 

George  Esser 3 

Andreas  Hagh,  Jr 1 

Philip  Hain 2 

Michael  Henninger 2 

John  Huth 3 

Leonard  Kern 2 

Jacob  Kamerer 2 

Henry  Lutz 2 

John  Miller 2 

David  Musgenig 1 


Jacob  Moyer 1 

Daniel  Ort 3 

Leonard  Saul 2 

.Christopher  Slenker 2 

Martin  Sea 2 

John  Smals 2 

Peter  Stutz 2 

Jacob  Sharadin 2 

Christopher  Urban 1 

George  Weser , 2 

John  Weser 1 

Jacob  Wildraut 2 

Joseph  Wild 1 

George  Wild 2 

Peter  Will 2 


William  Adle'man. 
George  Bader. 
Jacob  Delong. 
George  Etzler. 
Joseph  Gross. 
Frederick  Hauseman. 
Michael  Heit. 


Single  Men. 

Jacob  Kootz. 
Conrad  Metzger. 
Peter  Minch. 
Philip  Both. 
George  Steinbrook. 
Jacob  Steinmal. 
Michael  Steinborn. 


Early  Prominent.  Families. — During  the 
early  history  of  the  township  the  most  promin- 
ent public  men  were  the  Levans,  the  Zimmer- 
mans,  the  Gehrs,  the  Groscups  and  the  Hotten- 
steins. 

Jacob  Levan  was  one  of  the  county  justices  from 


1042 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


1752  to  1760;  Sebastian  Levan  was  a  member 
of  the  Provincial  Committee  for  Pennsylvania 
in  1775.     Sebastian  Zimmerman  was  a  county 
justice  from  1767  to  1771,  and  again  from  1778 
to  1784.     Baltzer  Gehr  held  numerous  public 
offices,  as  is  elsewhere  shown,  and  Paul  Gros- 
cup  was  scarcely  less  prominent ;  he  was  one  of 
the  best  penmen  in  his  day.     The  Hottensteins 
are   of  noble  origin  and  came  to   America  in 
1727,  settling  first  in  Gley,  but  three  years  later 
in  Maxatawny,  where  they  leased  from  the  pro- 
prietors upwards  of  five  hundred  acres  of  land. 
The  Levans  became  a  numerous  family,  and 
owned  many  tracts  of  land.     Jacob  and  John 
Levan  lived  near  Kutztown,  where  some  of  their 
descendants   still  own  the  original  settlement. 
Others  lived  in  the  western   part  of  the  town- 
ship, where  they  had   the  first  mill,  and   inter- 
married with  the  Siegfried  family,  also  early 
settlers  and  large  land-owners,  in   what  is  still 
known  as  Siegfried's  Dale.     At  one  time  the 
two  families  had  more  than  a  thousand  acres  of 
the  choicest  lands,  lying  in  different  tracts.  The 
Biebers,  from  Chester  County,  were  early  set- 
tlers near  Kutztown,  John  Bieber  being  one  of 
the  older  members.      Another  family  by  that 
name,  having  among  them  John  and  Dewalt, 
came   from   Montgomery  County   and   settled 
north  of  the  Kemp  tavern.     On  the  opposite 
side  lived  Nicholas  Kutz,  and  his  son  Nicholas, 
who    were  not   of  the  same  family  as  George 
Kutz,  the  founder  of  Kutztown.      Members  of 
both  families  still  remain  in  the  township.     At 
Kemp's   tavern    Daniel    Levan    and    his    son 
Daniel  lived  until  1788,  when  George  Kemp 
became  the  owner,  continuing  the  tavern  already 
opened.     He  was  a  justice  of  the  peace  thirty- 
four  years,  and  his  son  John  for  twenty  years, 
living  still  on  the  homestead  at  an  advanced  age. 
The  former  was  the  grandson  of  Dewalt  Kemp, 
who  settled  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Nathan 
Kemp  about  1730.   His  daughters  married  into 
the  Hottenstein  and  Bieber  families. 

Casper  "Wink,  married  to  Gertrude  Kemp, 
was  also  one  of  the  early  settlers.  They  reared 
six  children ;  Catherine,  the  eldest  daughter, 
born  iu  1728,  and  Theobald,  the  eldest  son,  in 
1 733.  The  latter  was  the  father  of  sons  named 
Philip,  John,  Peter,  Jacob   (a  Revolutionary 


soldier)  and  Dewalt.  His  daughters  married 
Isaac  Roberts,  Jacob  Levan,  John  Heiden- 
reich  (father  of  Judge  Wm.  S.  Heidenreich),  John 
Hausman  and  Daniel  Kemp.  A  brother  of  Theo- 
bald Wink,  John  Peter,  born  in  1745,  went  to  the 
Revolutionary  War  and  never  returned.  Dewalt 
Wink,  son  of  Theobald,  born  in  1776,  was 
married  to  a  daughter  of  George  A.  Fister,  also 
a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  who  was  the  grand- 
father of  Colonel  Thomas  D.  Fister.  He  was  the 
father  of  eleven  sons  and  two  daughters,  among 
the  former  being  John  G.  Wink,  of  -Kutztown. 
Casper  Wink  was  a  Catholic  and  a  faithful 
colonist,  having  his  allegiance  certified,  which 
reads  as  follows  : 

"  I  do  hereby  certify  that  Casper  Wink,  of  Berts 
County,  State  of  Pennsylvania,  hath  voluntarily  taken 
and  subscribed  the  oath  of  allegiance  and  Fidelity,  as 
directed  by  an  Act  of  General  Assembly  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, passed  on  the  13th  day  of  June  A.D.  1777. 

"Witness  my  hand  and  seal,  the  26th  day  of  May, 
a.d.  1778. 

"  Peter  Tkexleu,  Esq." 

A  similar  paper  was  procured  by  Davold 
(Theobald)  Wink  November  3,  1777,  and  was 
attested  by  Samuel  Ely.  These  interesting 
papers  are  now  in  possession  of  John  G.  Wink. 
Casper  Wink  was  buried  on  his  farm,  which  is 
still  owned  by  a  member  of  the  family  in  the 
sixth  generation. 

Jacob  Hiuterleiter  was  a  large  land-owner 
near  Topton.  He  was  the  father  of  Daniel 
Hinterleiter,  of  Kutztown,  born  in  1800,  and 
grandfather  of  W.  C.  Hinterleiter.  George, 
another  son,  moved  to  New  York. 

At  Eagle  Point  the  Kroningers  were  early 
settlers.  One  of  the  family,  Daniel,  became  a  very 
old  man.  John  George  Sell,  living  near  Kutz- 
town, also  became  very  aged.  At  Bowers 
the  De  Long  family  were  early  and  prominent 
settlers,  the  church  at  that  place  being  often 
called  by  that  name. 

Southeast  of  Kutztown  lived  Peter  Wanner 
(born  where  Fleetwood  now  is),  who  also  became 
very  old,  dying  at  the  age  of  ninety-two  years. 
He  was  the  father  of  sons  named  Peter,  Daniel, 
Samuel,  Thomas  and  John,  the  latter  being  the 
father  of  J.  Daniel  Wanner  and  Dr.  Charles  H. 
Wanner,  of  Kutztown,  and  of  Amos  B.  Wan- 
ner, of  Reading. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1043 


Numerous  other  old  settlers  in  the  township 
attained  a  great  age,  bordering  on  a  century. 

Revolutionary  History.  —  In  reference 
to  the  Revolutionary  history  of  the  township, 
Professor  Ermentrout  says, — 

"In  the  War  for  Independence,  Maxatawny  was 
not  passive. 

"  From  John  G.  Wink,  one  of  the  most  intelligent 
citizens  of  Maxatawny,  we  learn  that  Washington's 
army  marched  through  Kutztown.  Eye-witnesses 
informed  him  that  it  came  from  Easton,  and  encamped 
for  a  time  in  the  valley  between  the  present  residence 
of  John  Kemp,  Esq.,  and  the  farm  of  Daniel  Zimmer- 
man in  Maxatawny.  Washington  and  his  wife  were 
with  the  soldiers.  Mrs.  Sassaman,  for  some  years 
deceased,  used  to  delight  in  telling  her  visitors  that 
Mrs.  Washington,  who  lodged  in  the  house  of  her 
father,  Joseph  Gross,  lifted  her  on  her  lap,  and 
soothed  her  with  caresses.  On  their  way  from  Trenton, 
by  way  of  Easton,  to  the  well-known  camp  at  Bead- 
ing, the  captured  Hessians  were  marched  through 
Kutztown. 

"  It  is  interesting  also  to  know  that,  whilst  the 
battle  at  Germantown,  1777,  was  raging,  the  thunders 
of  the  cannon  fell  upon  the  ears  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Kutztown  and  vicinity ;  that  after  the  battle  of 
Brandywine,  1777,  a  regiment  of  the  American  army 
encamped  on  the  farms  now  owned  by  the  Hotten- 
steins,  and,  on  leaving,  impressed  the  horses  and 
wagons  of  the  people ;  and  that  George  Kemp,  Esq., 
was  one  of  the  wagon-masters  who  were  present  at- 
the  battle  of  Germantown. 

"  In  Maxatawny  there  were  still  living  in  1840  the 
following  Revolutionary  pensioners:  Henry  Grim, 
aged  seventy-five ;  Frederick  Bower,  eighty-three ; 
Jacob  Wink,  eighty -two ;  Philip  Noyes,  eighty-four  ; 
Christian  Schmick,  seventy-six.  To  this  list  we  add 
the  names  of  William  Marx,  Sr.,  and  son,  William, 
Casper  Wink  (buried  on  Squire  Kemp's  farm),  Jacob 
Esser,  Peter  Kutz,  George  Pfister,  Peter  Wink,  Philip 
Wink  and  Doldridge.  On  January  7,  1857,  Matthias 
Both  died  in  Rockland  township,  aged  seventy-eight 
years.  On  the  last  Monday  of  November,  1836,  an- 
other died,  Peter  Klein,  Esq.,  of  Greenwich  town- 
ship, aged  seventy-seven  years,  who  was  buried  at 
Dunkel's  Church. 

"On  the  farm  of  J.  Bieber,  Jr.,  in  Maxatawny,  stands 
the  Mammoth  White  Oak  of  Berks.  It  may  be  justly 
called  the  Centennial  White  Oak  of  Pennsylvania. 
On  the  15th  of  September,  1877,  one  hundred  years 
will  have  passed  by  since  the  baggage  train  of  General 
Washington's  army,  on  its  retreat  from  the  battle- 
field of  Germantown,  sought  and  found  protection 
under  and  around  this  Revolutionary  tree.  It  is  said 
that  two  centuries  have  looked  upon  this  oak ;  and 
competent  judges  assure  us  that  it  is  now  sturdy 
enough  to  defy  the  storms  of  another  hundred  years, 


and  may  wave  its  branches  in  honor  of  the  Centennial 
of  1976.  One  foot  above  the  ground  it  measures 
twenty-eight  feet  in  circumference,  and  ten  feet  above 
it  begins  to  stretch  forth  twenty-seven  limbs,  some  of 
which  are  three  feet  in  diameter." 

Taverns. — The  oldest  tavern  in  the  town- 
ship and  first  opened  to  the  public  is  the 
"  Kemp  Tavern,"  one  mile  from  Kutztown,  on 
the  Easton  road.  It  was  opened  probably  as 
early  as  1740,  by  Daniel  Levan,  and  since 
1788  has  belonged  to  the  Kemp  family.  George 
Kemp  kept  the  tavern  fifty-two  years  and  was 
succeeded  by  his  son,  John,  who  still  owns  the 
property.  For  many  years  the  ''Half- Way 
House"  in  Richmond  township,  and  this  one 
were  the  only  public-houses  on  the  State  road 
between  Reading  and  Allentown.  Part  of  the 
present  house  was  built  by  George  Kemp  in 
1795,  and  the  addition  by  John  Kemp  in  1852. 
It  is  a  long  stone  building,  and  though  large, 
was  often  taxed  to  its  uttermost  to  accommodate 
the  many  travelers  who  visited  or  passed 
through  that  section  before  the  era  of  railroads. 
Not  only  were  all  the  sleeping  rooms  occupied, 
but  the  bar-room  was  frequently  filled  with 
sleeping  teamsters  and  peddlers.  In  this  part 
of  the  township  Dr.  David  Hottenstein  was  a 
practicing  physician  many  years  and  was  fol- 
lowed by  his  grandson,  Oscar  Hottenstein,  now 
in  practice  at  that  place.  Farther  up  the  State 
road,  in  the  Zimmerman  neighborhood,  George 
Bohn  had  a  store  from  1817  on  for  the  next 
eighteen  years,  when  the  place  was  converted 
into  farm  property.  Soon  after  1800,  when  the 
State  road  was  extended  through  this  section, 
the  Siegfried  Inn  (north  of  Kroningersville) 
was  opened  to  afford  entertainment  for  the 
public.     It  has  been  maintained  since. 

INDUSTRIES. 

Mills. — On  the  Sacony,  below  Kutztown, 
the  Bieber  family  had  a  pioneer  mill,  John  W. 
Bieber  being  for  a  long  time  the  owner.  In  a 
repaired  condition  this  grist-mill  (with  saw-mill 
attached)  is  now  operated  by  Charles  Kutz. 
The  first  mill  in  Maxatawny  was  on  Mill 
Creek,  near  the  hamlet  of  Eagle  Point,  and 
owned  by  Jacob  Levan.  A  new  mill,  on  the 
same  site,  is  now  the  property  of  Charles  Levan. 
Near  by  was  formerly  a  tannery,  also  carried  on 


1044 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


by  the  Levans,  but  long  since  discontinued, 
John  Levan  having  been  the  last  to  operate  it. 
Another  mill,  on  the  same  stream,  was  built  by 
Daniel  Siegfried  and  after  a  time  also  became 
the  property  of  the  Levans  and  is  now  owned 
by  George  Levan.  That  locality  is  locally 
known  as  Siegfried's  Dale,  on  account  of  the 
early  improvements  made  there  by  members  of 
that  family.  North  of  Bower's,  on  a  branch  of 
the  Sacony,  the  Grims  had  a  good  grist-mill, 
long  operated  by  Daniel  Grim,  and  which  is 
still  carried  on  by  the  family  of  Charles  Trex- 
ler.  The  present  is  the  second  mill,  a  substan- 
tial stone  building. 

Furnaces.  —  The  East  Penn  Furnaces,  at 
Lyons,  were  built  in  the  summer  of  1871,  on 
sixteen  acres  of  land,  secured  from  the  farm  of 
Daniel  Angstadt,  by  the  East  Penu  Iron  Com- 
pany, which  had  among  its  members  John 
Deisher,  William  Grim,  David  Kern,  Benjamin 
Helfrich,  Amos  Barto,  Daniel  Angstadt,  Levi 
Kutz  and  Jacob  Haag.  Johu  T.  Noble,  of 
Pottsville,  Pa.,  was  the  contractor  and  builder. 
This  large  establishment  cost  over  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  Franklin  Brownback  was 
the  first  manager  for  the  company.  It  was  oper- 
ated for  four  years  and  then  the  property  passed 
into  the  hands  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading 
Coal  and  Iron  Company,  which  still  controls  it. 
A  fire  destroyed  the  engine-house  and  damaged 
the  furnace  to  such  an  extent  that  it  has  been 
out  of  blast  the  past  five  years. 

At  Bower's,  a  small  furnace  was  erected  in  the 
summer  of  1883,  by  S.  Good  and  Jacob  Smith. 
Before  it  was  put  into  blast  a  storm  destroyed 
the  casting-house  and  otherwise  damaged  the 
property  so  that  it  has  never  been  repaired. 
Subsequently  Smith  became  the  sole  owner. 

Iron-Ore. — Iron-ore  abounds  in  the.  town- 
ship and  is  usually  of  a  good  quality,  yielding 
about  forty  per  cent,  of  pure  metal.  On  the 
Jacob  Glasser  farm,  east  of  Kutztown,  some  of 
the  first  mining  operations  were  carried  on. 
Some  of  this  ore  was  supplied  to  "Sally  Ann" 
and  "Mary  Ann"  Furnaces  many  years  ago. 
Since  1870  mining  has  been  carried  on  more 
extensively,  with  the  aid  of  modern  methods  and 
machinery ;  about  sixty  men  are  employed  at 
the  mines.     At  Rothrocksville  profitable  mines 


are  worked.  At  Bower's  extensive  shipments 
are  made  by  Schweyer  &  Leiss,  the  Thompson 
Iron  Company,  Isaac  Bieber,  C.  W.  Kutz  and 
Kauffman  &  Eokert,  the  ore  being  mined  within 
a  radius  of  a  few  miles  of  that  place.  Extensive 
limestone  quarries  are  operated  by  the  Clymer 
Iron  Company,  of  Temple,  averaging  fifty  tons 
per  day.  The  stone  quarried  there  is  superior 
for  smelting  purposes. 

Schools. — In  1852  Maxatawny  accepted  the 
common-school  system  and  organized  its  first 
board  at  the  house  of  David  A.  Hottenstein, 
May  16th,  of  that  year.  The  first  directors 
were  Sam.  Kutz,  Dan.  Hinterleiter,  Sam.  Bern- 
hart,  Peter  Deysher,  Henry  Wagenhorst  and 
Henry  Heffuer.  At  the  first  examination,  held 
October  8,  18  52-,  certificates  were  granted  to 
Jacob  Gehr,  Benneville  Stimmel,  John  Hum- 
bert and  Jonas  Hoch;  on  October  23,  1851,  to 
William  Levan,  Isaac  Fisher  and  Samuel  Ber- 
net;  on  November  13th  to  a  Mr.  Fisher  and 
Benjamin  Dornblaser. 

Most  of  the  districts  have  been  provided  witli 
good  school  buildings  and  supplied  with  the 
necessary  books  and  charts  for  conducting  the 
schools  successfully.  The  school-house  at  Lyons 
is  the  largest  one  outside  of  Kutztown.  It  is  a 
two-story  brick,  erected  in  1876,  and  cost  one 
thousand  two  hundred  and  forty-seven  dollars. 
In  it  are  maintained  two  well-attended  schools. 

CHURCHES. 

Maxatawny  Church  (Reformed  and  Lu- 
theran) is  located  at  the  village  of  Bower's.  It 
is,  next  to  the  St.  John's  Church,  at  Kutztown, 
the  oldest  in  Maxatawny,  and  one  of  the  oldest 
in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county.  For  the  first 
one  hundred  years  of  its  existence  it  was  the 
exclusive  property  of  the  Reformed  congrega- 
tion, the  union  not  having  been  formed  until 
1859.  The  first  house  of  worship  was  a  log 
building,  erected  in  1759,  on  three  acres  of 
ground  which  had  been  donated  for  that  pur- 
pose by  John  Sharadin,  Peter  De  Long  and 
Andreas  Haag,  each  giving  one  acre,  "to  be 
used  as  long  as  the  sun  and  moon  shine."  Sub- 
sequently additions  were  made  to  the  church 
property  until  it  now  contains  about  eight  acres. 
Most  of  this  is  included  in  the  cemetery,  whick 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1045 


is  well  inclosed  and  contains  some  fine  monu- 
ments. The  first  church  stood  on  this  donated 
land.  The  second  building  was  constructed  of 
stone  and  was  located  very  nearly  on  the  site  of 
the  present  edifice.  It  was  erected  in  1808  and 
served  its  purpose  until  1871,  when  it  was 
demolished  to  make  place  for  the  imposing 
structure  which  is  now  the  spiritual  home  of 
the  two  congregations.  It  is  of  brick,  fifty  by 
seventy  feet,  and  has  a  stately  steeple  contain- 
ing a  bell  weighing  one  thousand  six  hundred 
and  ninety-four  pounds.  A  smaller  bell,  of 
three  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  weight,  is 
used  by  the  Sunday-school.  These  bells  were 
provided  in  1872. 

The  Reformed  congregation  had  the  Rev.  M. 
J.  Schalter  as  its  first  minister,  although  he  did 
not  sustain  a  pastoral  relation.  Others  who 
preached  from   1759  to  1772  were  the  Revs. 

-: Fritz  and  Philip  J.  Michiel,  neither  of 

whom  succeeded  in  building  up  the  congrega- 
tion spiritually,  and  it  is  said  "  left  it  in  a 
wretched  condition." 

"  As  specimens  of  these  leaders  of  the  people,  may 
be  mentioned  a  Mr.  Fritz,  who,  on  one  occasion,  as- 
cended the  pulpit  of  De  Long  Church '  in  a  state  of 
beastly  intoxication !     He  announced  his  text : 

'If  any  man  will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  him- 
self, take  up  his  cross,  and  follow  me.'  Repeating 
his  text,  with  emphasis,  he  lost  his  balance  and 
tumbled  down  the  high  pulpit  stairs,  with  the  last 
words,  'follow  me,'  in  his  mouth!  One  of  the  el- 
ders arose  in  his  seat,  and  earnestly  addressing  the 
people,  exclaimed,  'No  brethren,  we  will  not  follow 
him  !'    He  was  immediately  sent  away." 2 

The  real  history  of  the  church  begins  with 
1772,  when  the  venerable  Rev.  John  Henry 
Helferich  became  the  pastor.  His  Christian 
piety  and  examplary  life  exerted  a  great  influ- 
ence for  good  in  the  many  years  of  service 
which  he  gave  to  the  church.  He  died  Decem- 
ber 5, 1810,  and  his  remains  repose  in  the  Sas- 
samashausen  burial-ground,  in  Maxatawny. 
His  successor  was  the  Rev.  Charles  G.  Herman, 
beginning  his  ministry  in  August,  1810,  and 
also  served  the  congregation  until  his  death,  in 
1863,  a  period  covering  fifty-three  years.     He 


1  The  Maxatawny  Church. 

8Harbaugh's    "Lives  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Reformed 
Church."  242. 


was  recognized  as  one  of  the  ablest  ministers  in 
this  section  of  the  State.  His  son,  the  Rev. 
Alfred  J.  Herman,  had  previously  begun  to 
officiate  as  the  pastor  and  he  still  faithfully 
serves  the  congregation.  The  membership  is 
about  four  hundred. 

The  Lutheran  congregation  had  as  its  first 
acceptable  pastor  the  Rev.  Alfred  D.  Croll.3 

His  successor  was  the  Rev.  S.  R.  Boyer  and 
since  the  fall  of  1872,  the  present  pastor,  the 
Rev.  David  K.  Humbert.  The  congregation 
has  about  one  hundred  and  ten  members. 

Zion's  Church  (Lutheran  and  Reformed), 
commonly  called  Siegfried's,  from  those  who 
took  an  active  part  in  its  erection,  is  in  ths 
northern  part  of  the  township.  It  was  built  in 
1828,  on  one  and  a  half  acres  of  land,  a  part  of 
which  is  set  aside  for  cemetery  purposes. 
Lately,  half  an  acre  more  was  donated  to  the 
church  by  Mrs.  Matilda  Kohler.  The  building 
is  of  stone. 

The  Lutheran  congregation  had  for  its  first 
pastor  the  venerable  Rev.  Gottlob  F.  J.  Iaeger, 
who  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Isaac  Roeller, 
and,  since  1862,  by  the  present  Rev.  B.  E. 
Kramlich.  The  congregation  numbers  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty  members. 

The  first  pastor  of  the  Reformed  congrega- 
tion was  the  Rev.  Charles  G.  Herman  ;  the 
next  the  Rev.  A.  J.  Herman,  under  whose 
ministrations  the  congregation  flourished.  The 
membership  is  about  two  hundred. 

Saint  Paul's  Lutheran  Church,  of  the 
East  Pennsylvania  Synod,  at  Lyons,  is  an  off- 
spring of  the  old  Maxatawny  Church.  It 
was  erected  in  1868,  being  a  brick  edifice  with 
an  auditorium  and  basement- rooms,  haviug  a 
capacity  for  three  hundred  persons.  Those 
active  in  building  it  were  Levi  L.  Springer, 
Jacob  Rohrbach,  Reuben  Grim,  David  Fisher, 
Solomon  Yoder,  Willoughby  Fenstermaker, 
William  L.  Grim,  Charles  G.  Cline  and  John 
Deisher. 

The  Rev.  Alfred  D.  Croll  was  the  first  pas- 
tor, continuing  until  his  death,  June  19,  1876, 
at  the  age  of  thirty-seven  years.      He  was  a 

3  He  left  the  old  Synod  and  connected  himself  with  the 
East  Pennsylvania  Synod,  in  consequence  of  which  St. 
Paul's  Church  at  Lyons  was  built. 


104:6 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


native  of  Albany  township,  but  was  reared  in 
Maxatawny.  He  was  an  eloquent  minister, 
and  under  his  pastorate  the  church  flourished. 
The  next  pastor  was  the  Eev.  W.  I.  Cutter ; 
afterward  the  pulpit  was  filled  by  supplies  for  a 
number  of  years.  The  later  ministers  were 
the  Revs.  Edward  E.  Baron,  J.  H.  Singmaster 
and  the  present  Rev.  George  W.  Fritch.  The 
congregation  numbers  sixty  members. 

Mr.  Reed  is  superintendent  of  a  Sunday- 
school  which  numbers  eighty-five  teachers  and 
scholars. 

East  of  the  village  is  a  cemetery  of  two 
acres,  well  improved,  which  is  the  property  of 
St.  Paul's  Church. 

Zion's  Church,  Evangelical  Associa- 
tion, in  the  village  of  Lyons,  is  a  plain  frame 
building,  twenty-eight  by  forty  feet,  which 
has  as  its  trustees,  in  1885,  David  Fegeley, 
Solomon  Fegeley  and  Charles  Parks.  The 
members  number  only  twenty-three,  and  the 
ministerial  service  is  supplied  by  ministers  in 
the  Kutztown  Circuit.  A  Sunday-school  is 
connected  with  the  church,  consisting  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty-three  members,  with 
David  Fegeley  as  superintendent. 

TOWNS   AND    VILLAGES. 

Lyons  is  a  thriving  village  favorably  located 
on  the  East  Penn  Railroad,  one  mile  west  of 
Bower's,  and  two  and  a  half  miles  from  Kutz- 
town. It  was  the  railway  station  of  Kutztown 
till  1870,  when  the  branch  railroad  was  ex- 
tended to  that  borough  from  Topton.  It  was 
named  after  M.  E.  Lyons,  chief  engineer  of  the 
railroad.  The  first  improvements  had  been 
made  before  a  station  was  located.  The  land 
on  which  the  village  stands  was  owned  by  John 
Haag  and  David  Kemp,  who  donated  the  depot 
grounds.  Upon  this,  John  Haag  built  the 
railroad  station-house  in  the  winter  of  1859. 
The  depot  is  the  shipping  point  for  a  large 
scope  of  country  lying  south  of  the  railroad. 
W.  B.  Lance  has  been  the  agent  since  1881. 
The  first  building  in  the  place  was  the  Lyons 
hotel,  put  up  in  the  fall  of  1858  by  Jacob 
Reichert.  It  has  been  a  public-house  since 
that  time,  Amos  Barto  being  the  present 
keeper.   About  five  years  afterward  the  Ameri- 


can House,  a  spacious  three-story  brick  build- 
ing, was  built  by  Jacob  Mathias. 

John  Haag  erected  the  first  business  house,  a 
few  years  after  the  building  of  the  railroad,  and 
Levi  Kutz  first  occupied  it  for  mercantile 
purposes.  Subsequently  it  was  enlarged  and 
became  the  property  of  William  Grim.  Kauff- 
man  &  Merkel  traded  in  it  in  1885.  The  next 
business  stand  was  opened  about  1870,  by 
Adam  Glase,  in  a  building  erected  by  Jacob 
Bertolet,  of  Oley.  The  mercantile  firm  of 
Moses  &  Augustus  Kutz  now  carry  on  business 
there.  The  first  grain,  lumber  and  coal  dealer 
was  Jacob  Haag.  This  business  is  at  present 
carried  on  by  the  Hoch  Bros.  (Solomon,  Jacob 
and  Daniel).  Among  the  first  settlers  and 
mechanics  at  Lyons  were  Daniel  Angstadt,  far- 
mer ;  Charles  Parks,  carpenter ;  William  Fet- 
ter, cooper ;  Joseph  Dry,  blacksmith  ;  Amos 
Barto,  shoemaker  (and  afterward  miller,  grain 
dealer,  etc.);  Samuel  Kutz,  tailor;  Henry 
Boyer,  coach-maker;  Edward  Reed,  cabinet- 
maker and  undertaker.  Benjamin  Helfrich 
conducted  business  successfully  in  the  Bertolet 
building  for  some  years.  The  growth  of  the  place 
has  not  been  fast,  but  substantial.  It  contains 
a  number  of  fine  residences.  It  is  supplied  with 
superior  water  by  a  company  specially  organized 
for  that  purpose.  The  East  Penn  Furnaces  are 
situated  half  a  mile  to  the  east.  In  January, 
1886,  there  were  about  five  hundred  inhabit- 
ants. 

The  Lyons  post-office  was  established  in  Oc- 
tober, 1860,  with  Jacob  Reichert  as  postmaster. 
The  office  has  five  mails  per  day  and  is  the 
distributing  point  for  a  stage  route  which  sup- 
plies the  mails  for  Dryville,  New  Jerusalem 
and  other  points  south. 

Among  the  doctors  at  Lyons  have  been  Drs. 
Frederick  Spang,  Levi  Thomson  and  Kunkel. 
In  practice  are  Dr.  B.  A.  Yeager,  homoeopath ist, 
and  Dr.  M.  E.  Koch,  allopathist,  the  latter 
locating  in  the  village  in  1883.  Dr.  C.  H. 
Thimmo  is  the  dentist  of  Lyons. 

Lyons  Steam  Mill.— The  first  grist-mill  at 
Lyons  was  built  by  Solomon  Yoder  &  Son. 
It  was  destroyed  by  fire  July  12,  1876,  being 
at  that  time  the  property  of  Amos  Rapp  and 
William  Bieber,  who  rebuilt   it   in  1877.     It 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1047 


became  the  property  of  the  Hoch  Bros,  in 
1882.  In  1885  they  remodeled  the  mill,  sup- 
plying it  with  six  sets  of  roller  machinery. 
The  engine  is  forty  horse-power,  and  the  capac- 
ity is  seventy-five  barrels  per  day.  The  mill 
is  a  three-story  brick  building,  with  an  engine- 
house  attached. 

Lyons  Creamery  has  been  carried  on  by  Wil- 
liam Forward  since  January,  1883,  in  the 
manufacture  of  gilt-edge  butter,  the  product 
being  about  nine  thousand  pounds  per  month. 
The  business  was  established  in  1881  by  Wil- 
liam Grim,  Ed.  Miller  and  Naee  &  Swartley 
(the  latter  of  Philadelphia),  as  the  "  Lyons 
Creamery  Company,  Limited."  The  creamery 
building  is  supplied  with  the  necessary  machin- 
ery, etc.,  and  is  operated  by  a  ten  horse-power 
engine. 

Societies. — Lyons  Lodge,  No.  102,  Knights 
of  Pythias,  was  instituted  June  1,  1869.  In 
1885  there  were  sixty  members. 

Lyons  Lodge,  No.  634,  I.  O.  O.  F.  The 
membership  in  January,  1886,  was  thirty- 
seven. 

Bower's  is  a  pleasant  village  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  township,  on  a  branch  of  the 
Sacony.  It  is  a  station  on  the  East  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad,  with  about  two  hundred  inhabits 
ants,  a  church,  and  a  number  of  very  fine  resi- 
dences. The  place  was  named  after  Jonas 
Bower,  the  owner  of  the  farm  on  which  the 
village  was  laid  out  by  him  in  1859.  That 
year  he  converted  the  farm-house,  which  had 
been  built  in  1820,  into  a  hotel,  which  was 
afterward  kept  by  Amos  Bower,  Jacob  Hill, 
James  Fegeley,  Geo.  B  Yoder  and  Henry  P. 
Schoedler.  The  first  new  building  was  put  up 
in  1859  by  E.  J.  Knoske,  a  part  of  which  be- 
came the  store  of  the  place,  being  first  occupied 
for  mercantile  purposes  by  Boyer  &  Knoske. 
A  large  number  of  persons  have  traded  there, 
among  others  being  Levi  H.  Leiss  and  Wil- 
liam Seidel.  In  it  was  established  the, Bower's 
Station  post-office,  in  June,  1860,  with  E.  G. 
Knoske  as  the  first  postmaster.  The  office  is 
at  present  kept  by  Wm.  F.  Seidel.  The  ground 
for  the  railroad  station  was  donated  by  Jonas 
Bower  and  Daniel  Grim,  and  the  station-house 
was  built  by  the  first  agent,  E.  G.  Knoske,  who 


occupied  it,  in  part,  as  a  warehouse  to  carry  on 
his  business  as  a  coal  and  grain  dealer.  It  has 
since  been  used  in  the  same  way  by  the  succes- 
sive agents.     C.  W.  Kutz  is  the  present  agent. 

The  only  active  industry  of  the  village  is  the 
marble-yard  of  Schweyer.&  Liess,  established 
in  1863,  by  D.  IT.  Schweyer.  That  year  he 
purchased  the  Sell  mill,  in  Rockland  township, 
and  fitted  up  the  same  for  sawing  marble  into 
shapes  for  dealers  and  cutters.  In  1865,  Levi 
H.  Liess  became  a  partner.  Three  years  later 
they  formed  a  connection  with  the  Easton 
Marble  Company,  which  is  still  maintained. 
In  1882  they  purchased  the  blue  marble  quar- 
ries at  "  King  of  Prussia,"  in  Montgomery 
County,  and  marble-mills  at  that  point,  which 
gave  them  facilities  for  carrying  on  business  on  a 
very  extensive  scale.  The  quarry  is  one  of  the 
best  in  the  State.  The  shipments  at  Bower's 
amount  to  about  twenty-five  thousand  dollars 
per  year.  Ten  men  are  employed  at  the  Bow- 
er's yard  and  at  the  mills  in  Rockland. 

Kroningersvillb  is  a  small  hamlet,  about 
three  miles  from  Kutztown,  near  the  Greenwich 
line.  It  derived  its  name  from  Daniel  Kron- 
inger,  a  land-owner  at  that  point,  who  also  car- 
ried on  the  coach-maker's  trade.  The  shop  is 
still  kept  open  by  the  family.  A  store  and 
tavern  were  started  at  that  point,  about  twenty 
years  ago,  by  J.  P.  T.  Haas.  The  former  has 
been  discontinued,  but  the  tavern  is  still  carried 
on  by  James  Mertz.  In  August,  1862,  a  post- 
office  was  established  there  with  the  name  of 
"  Eagle  Point."  Since  that  time  the  locality  is. 
frequently  called  by  the  same  name. 

Monterey. — The  first  improvements  of  a  busi- 
ness nature  were  made  about  1830  by  Israel  and 
JonathanWertman,who  opened  a  store,  when  the 
place  became  known  as  Weisport.  At  a  later  day 
Isaac  L.  Bieber  built  a  tavern,  which  was  first 
kept  by  one  of  the  Wertmans.  In  May,  1847, 
the  post-office  was  established,  with  the  name, 
of  Monterey,  and  Joshua  Miller  as  postmaster. 
The  present  store  building  was  put  up  by 
Henry  Lowe.  At  present  James  Fisher  is  en- 
gaged in  trade,  and  he  is  also  the  inn-keeper 
and  postmaster.  A  cabinet-shop  was  formerly 
carried  on  by  David  Zimmerman.  The  hamlet 
contains  but  a  few  houses.     Ten  years  ago  a 


1048 


HISTOEY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


co-operative  store  was   opened  under  the  au 
spices  of  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  but  it  was 
kept  up  only  a  short  time.     At  present  a  regu- 
lar store  is  carried  on  by  John  G.  Shofer.    The 
place  has  a  few  houses  and  a  shop. 

Rothrocksville  is  situated  in  the  town- 
ship, near  the  Lehigh  County  line,  and  took 
its  name  from  its  founder,  Dr.  Jonas  Rothrock, 
an  eccentric  physician,  who  located  there  about 
1 830.  He  followed  his  profession  and  at  the  same 
time  kept  a  public-house.  Afterwards  he  was  a 
justice  of  the  peace.  It  is  said  that  he  had  a  quar- 
relsome disposition  and  that  his  neighbors  lived 
in  dread  of  him  In  the  later  years  of  his  life 
he  moved  to  Reading,  where  he  was  an  object 
of  public  charity  on  account  of  his  having  be- 
come a  cripple.  He  frequently  visited  the  court- 
house and  afforded  the  clerks  much  amusement. 
He  was  a  devoted  Democrat  and  was  earnest  in 
his  expressions  for  the  party.  The  village  has 
about  thirty  dwellings,  several  mechanic-shops, 
a  store  and  a  tavern.  At  one  time  there  were 
two  public-houses,  both  having  been  built  by 
Rothrock,  who  kept  the  new  one  at  the  same 
time  that  Christian  Swoyer  had  the  old  one. 
The  inn-keeper  in  1885  was  Stephen  Rohr- 
bach.  In  this  house  is  kept  the  Maxatawny 
post-office.  It  is  supplied  with  a  daily  mail. 
The  first  store  was  kept  by  Daniel  Clader. 
The  present  merchants  are  Stephen  Smith  and 
Martin  Croll  (Smith  &  Croll),  who  do  an  ex- 
tensive business.  Dr.  Milton  Richards  is  the 
physician  of  the  village,  having  located  there 
several  years  ago. 


LONGSWAMP  TOWNSHIP. 
During  the  years  1734  and  1735  several 
trains  of  immigrants  wandered  from  Goschen- 
hoppen  and  Oley  towards  the  Lehigh  Moun- 
tains adjoining  Longswamp.  Among  these 
were  the  Fenstermachers,  Carls,  Haases,  Zim- 
mermans,  Reicherds,  Brauszes,  Schmidts, 
Schneiders,  Lynns  and  others.  Several  brothers 
by  the  name  of  Fenstermacher  were  from  Oley. 
One  of  these  remained  in  Longswamp  and  the 
others  pi-oceeded  with  the  Lynns  and  other 
immigrants  farther  up  towards  the  Blue  Moun- 
tain, where   they   founded  the    settlement   of 


Allemaengel,  at  times  called  Lynn.  From 
Longswamp  the  e'evated  land  commands  a  view 
which  overlooks  the  great  valley  over  Weissen- 
berg  to  Lynn  in  a  straight  line  to  the  Blue 
Mountain,  the  elevation  forming  the  water- 
shed between  the  Schuylkill  and  the  Lehigh. 
From  this  elevation  there  appear  to  the  right 
and  the  left  little  valleys,  which  descend  gradu- 
ally and  lead  the  best  water  from  springs.  The 
immigrants  followed  this  stretch  of  country 
and  Longswamp  became  the  place  of  entrance 
in  the  immigration  from  Goschenhoppen  and 
Oley  into  this  valley. 

Many  sections  of  our  county  bear  Indian 
names,  and  settlements  were  also  named  after 
neighboring  streams  and  other  peculiarities. 
Names  having  thus  been  given  to  settlements 
even  before  communities  were  established  or 
townships  named,  they  were  generally  retained. 
This  settlement  was  first  called  "  Little  Lehigh," 
and  at  the  same  time  the  land  lying  to  the  east 
and  west  "the  long  swamp."  But  after  the 
Lutheran  community,  situated  several  miles 
downward,  had  recognized  the  name  "  Little 
Lehigh,"  the  name  Longswamp  prevailed. 

On  the  elevation  in  the  valley  above  Topton 
a  small  creek  flows,  formerly  called  "  Frog 
Creek."  It  flows  along  the  side  of  the  moun- 
tain through  Mertztown,  and  in  Butz's  Valley, 
below  Ludwig's  mill,  it  empties  into  the  "  Lit- 
tle Lehigh."  This  Frog  Creek  extends  from 
the  neighborhood  of  Topton  to  the  "Lihle 
Lehigh,"  and  there  extends  farther  on  along 
this  little  creek  a  small  strip  of  meadow  land, 
which  was  formerly  named  "  the  long  swamp." 
Upon  the  greater  part  of  this  swampy  ground 
only  sour  grass  and  thickets  grew,  for  which  the 
immigrants  had  no  inclination. 

Taxables  or  1759. — The  following  state- 
ment comprises  the, list  of  taxables  of  the  dis- 
trict for  the  year  1759.  The  tax  levied  amount- 
ed to  £45  17s.,  and  Samuel  Borger  was  the 
collector. 


Peter  Allen l 

Nicholas  Arnoldt 5 

Christian  Abandshin 2 

Keinhold  Abandshin 3 

Fricderich  Bobemyer 9 

JoBeph  Berey 16 

Samuel  Berger G 

Philip  Berger 4 


£ 

Peter  Bechtoldt 4 

Leonard  Bauer 2 

Jacob  Bachman 0 

Michael  Biever 4 

Peter  Bute 9 

Henry  Bullinger 8 

Martin  Boger 15 

Charles  Deubald., 5 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1049 


Peter  Dicker 5 

Philip  Doll 1 

JohnDiehl 8 

Valentine   Dillinger 3 

Adam  Dietrich 2 

Matthias  Egner 20 

Bernhardt  Fegeley H 

Jacob  Fenstermacher 7 

John  Flaminer 4 

Philip  Fenstermacher 10 

Matthias  Fenstermacher 2 

Valentine  Fleck 2 

Philip  Finck 3 

Nicholas  Gress 4 

AdamGerich 4 

DeobaldGrub. 1 

Casper  Herdy 1 

Paul  Hammerich I 

Nicholas  Helm 2 

Stophel  Hoffman 7 

JohnHilbard 7 

Frederick  Helwig 13 

Lndwig  Hasplehorn 7 

John  Hess 12 

Daniel  Hamm 1 

Jacob  Hamm 4 

Peter  Kline 4 

Philip  Kissner 2 

Bartholomew  Kiffer 

Michael  Roller,  Jr 1 

John  Kissner 2 

Bemhard  Klein 6 

George  Kamp 3 

Baltzer  Kleber 5 

Martin  Karcher 15 


Baltzer  Lutz 2 

Adam  Luy 2 

Jacob  Long 2 

Jacob  Long 8 

Valentino  Ley  decker 3 

William  Mayberry 9 

Adolph  Meyer 2 

Simon  Moser  ...., 2 

Peter  March 12 

Nicholas  March 13 

Michael  Niederaner 5 

Ludwig  Neitz 2 

Michael  Notestein 4 

Peter  Retler 7 

Stephen  Reppert        9 

Joseph  Richard 1 

Christian  Reissinger 2 

Michael  Schroeder 12 

Jacob  Sneck 4 

Andrew  Sahm 2 

Henry  Sheffer 2 

Philip  Straub 1 

August  Stockier 3 

Henry  Strieker 1 

Michael  Smith 3 

Andrew  Shorp 6 

Geo.  Shabel 2 

Jacob  Stall 1 

Nicholas  Swartz 14 

Daniel  Swartz 2 

Baltzer  Trit 2 

Conrad  Tress 1 

Christian  Trefelsted 2 

Frederick  Weible 6 

Bernhard  Zwitzig 6 


Lawrence  Bach  man. 
Jacob  Danner. 
Bernhard  Danner. 
Matthias  Egner,  Jr. 
Wm.  Fenstermacher. 


John  Albrecht 2 

Wm.  Andes 1 

Philip  Dressher 1 

Wm.  Feigle 1 

Anthony  Fisher 2 

Wm.  Gross * 5 

John  Hart  man 3 

John  Hergarader 5 


Single  Men. 

Philip  Hein. 
Adam  Helwig. 
Deobald  Kline. 
Sebastian  Lintz.' 
Joseph.  Volck. 
For  Located  Lands. 

£  £ 

David  Heinly 1 

Peter  Keiffer 1 

Daniel  Levan 5 

Conrad  Manesmith 5 

Michael  Bigely 1 

Christian  Ruth I 

Henry  Wetstone 2 

Jacob  Weis 1 


Erection  of  Township. — This  district  of 
territory  was  known  as  Longswamp  from  the 
time  of  the  earliest  settlements,  in  1734.  In 
a  draft  of  Rockland  township,  made  in  1758, 
it  is  referred  to  as  Long  Swope,  and  mentioned 
as  no  township.  The  foregoing  assessment  list 
indicates  that  the  district  was  recognized,  though 
not  yet  regularly  established. 

On  the  10th  of  February,  1761,  a  petition 
was  presented  to  the  justices  of  Berks  County 
asking  that  the  place  called  Longswamp  be 
erected  into  a  township.  It  was  subscribed  by 
twenty-six  names,  in  German  handwriting. 
They  were  as  follows  : 

Frederick  Helwig.       Samuel  Dormeyer. 


Martin  Karcher. 
Ph'p  Fenstermacher. 
Jacob  Weimer. 
Ludwig  Neitz. 
Philip  Burger. 
Peter  Lutz. 
Fred.  Sauasman. 

Adam . 

Jacob  Daumeir. 
Jacob  Mertz. 
Peter  Mertz. 
Henry  Bollinger. 


Christian  Erstenstatt. 
Frederick  — .  Meier. 
Joseph  Bury. 
John  Kline. 
Samuel  Burger. 
Jacob  Forny. 
Jacob  Fenstermacher. 
Michael  (Niethammer). 
Lorentz  Klein. 
Jacob  Bachman. 
Nicholaus  Schwartz . 
Matthias  Eigner. 


A  survey  of  the  district  was  made  by  Nicho- 
las Buna  on  February  2, 1761.  It  was  bound- 
ed and  described  as  follows  : 

"  Beginning  at  a  corner  of  Maxatawny  township, 
in  the  Northampton  County  line ;  thence  along  said 
township  S.  W.  1286  ps. ;  thence  along  Rockland 
township,  S.  34  E.  955  ps.,  and  East  1262  ps. ;  thence 
along  Hereford  township,  N.  E.  610  ps. ;  thence  along 
said  county  line  N.  W.  1840  ps.  to  the  beginning ; 
containing  13,  935  acres. 

In  May,  1761,  the  township  was  erected. 

INDUSTRIES. 

The  water-power  afforded  by  the  Little  Le- 
high was  early  utilized  to  operate  small  mills, 
such  as  the  wants  of  the  settlers  demanded. 
One  of  these  improvements  was  on  the  head- 
waters of  that  stream,  where  Jacob  Lesher  put 
in  operation  a  small  charcoal  furnace,  as  early 
as  1797,  and  which  he  owned  until  1808,  when 
he  sold  the  property  to  his  son-in-law,  Reuben 
Trexler.  It  had  a  wide  reputation  as  the 
Mary  Ann  Furnace,  and  it  was  there  that  the 
first  stoves  made  in  Pennsylvania,  for  burning 
anthracite  or  stove-coal,  were  cast.  Their  man- 
ufacture continued  from  1820  till  1857,  and 
they  were  known  to  the  trade  as  the  "  Lehigh 
Coal-Stove,"  and  had,  in  their  day,  a  fine  repu- 
tation. Reuben  Trexler  transferred  his  interest 
in  the  furnace  to  his  son  Horatio,  who  still 
owns  the  property.  It  has  been  out  of  blast 
since  1869  and  the  improvements  have  been  al- 
lowed to  go  to  decay.  Down  this  stream  Lesher 
had  a  mill,  which  also  passed  into  the  hands-  of 
the  Trexlers,  and  which  is  still  in  operation. 
The  mill  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  county.  A 
mill  near  by  was  in  operation  for  a  time  for 
grinding  gypsum,  but  it  has  been  abandoned. 
A  tannery  was  started  in  the  early  part  of  this 


1050 


HISTOKY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


century  by  Andrew  Weiler.  He  sold  out  to 
Reuben  Trexler,  who  was  succeeded  by  his  son 
William,  the  present  owner.  About  one  thou- 
sand hides  per  year  are  tanned.  The  old  Wag- 
enhorst  mill  occupies  the  next  site  on  this  stream, 
being  near  the  county  line.  The  improvements 
antedate  the  century  and  were  made  by  John 
Wagenhorst.  The  present  mill  has  been  im- 
proved and  is  still  operated  by  the  Wagenhorst 
family.  On  the  West  Branch  of  the  Little 
Lehigh  Peter  Hawerter  had  improved  a  site 
upon  which  he  erected  a  fulling-mill,  and  later 
a  feed-mill  was  added,  the  present  owner  being 
Morgan  Long.  Below  this  site  there  was  a 
tannery  of  Valentine  Geist,  last  operated  by 
Benjamin  Hawerter,  The  buildings  remain,  but 
the  business  has  long  since  been  discontinued. 
Above  was  the  saw-mill  of  George  Fritch, 
which  was  next  carried  on  by  Nathan  Fritch. 

Paint-Mill. — The  power  above  was  made 
to  operate  a  grist-mill  for  the  Fritch  family, 
but  in  1884  this  was  converted  into  a  paint- 
mill  by  T.  L.  Fritch  &  Bros.  This  has  become 
one  of  the  most  important  industries  in  the 
township.  The  firm  mines  and  manufactures 
floated  ochres,  umbers  and  metallic  paints,  pro- 
ducing at  the  rate  of  one  thousand  barrels  per 
month,  and  employing  from  ten  to  fifteen  hands. 
The  water-power  has  been  supplemented  by 
steam,  so  that  operations  can  be  carried  on  con- 
tinuously. A  specialty  is  made  of  raw  and 
burnt  umber,  the  mineral  being  found  near  by 
twenty  feet  below  the  surface  and  having  a 
thickness  of  forty  feet.  The  improvement 
above  was  made  by  John  Butz,  to  operate  a 
clover-mill,  which  has  been  idle  a  long  time. 

In  the  southwestern  part  of  the  township,  on 
a  branch  of  the  Sacony,  on  the  site  of  the  old 
Schnable  mills  are  the  Lesher  grist  and  saw- 
mills, now  operated  by  John  Long.  The  power 
is  weak  and  the  mills  are  old. 

Near  the  Lehigh  County  line  were  the  grist 
and  saw-mills  of  John  Keifer,  which  have  been 
replaced  by  better  and  larger  mills,  operated  by 
water  and  steam-power  and  owned  by  Ed. 
Mickley  and  Perry  Wannamaker.  This  firm 
also  has  a  large  slaughter-house  where  from  ten 
to  thirty  steers  per  week  are  killed.  The  locality 
is  known  as  Maple  Grove.    Nearly  west  of  this 


place  was  the  oil-mill  of  Jacob  Wagenhorst,which 
had  a  wide  reputation.  The  building  is  still 
standing,  but  is  not  in  use. 

At  Hancock  a  paint-mill  was  begun  in  the 
fall  of  1884  by  Henry  S.  Weiler  and  S.  Long 
&  Son,  which  is  still  operated  by  them  in  the 
manufacture  of  crude  ochres,  the  material  for 
which  is  procured  at  some  of  the  iron-mines  in 
the  township.  The  mill  has  a  capacity  of  thirty 
barrels  per  day,  and  the  products  are  in  good 
demand. 

Plumbago. — In  1880  William  Reiley  &  Go. 
built  a  plumbago-factory  on  the  land  of  William 
Long,  which  was  operated  one  year,  when  the 
building  was  destroyed  by  fire.  The  plumbago 
there  found  is  of  good  quality  when  properly 
prepared. 

White  Clay. — On  the  lands  of  David  De- 
long  are  beds  of  clay,  almost  pure  white,  which 
has  been  found  well  adapted  for  the  use  of 
paper-makers.  Its  development  and  manu- 
facture was  begun  in  1876  by  William  Reiley 
&  Co.  who  put  up  works  for  that  purpose. 
These,  in  an  enlarged  condition,  are  now  carried 
on  by  the  "  Star  Clay  Company,"  of  which  J. 
B.  Wilson  is  the  manager.  Steam-power  is  em- 
ployed and  ten  men  are  engaged  in  the  various 
stages  of  manufacture. 

In  no  township  of  the  county  is  iron-ore 
more  abundant  than  in  Longswamp.  Nearly 
every  farm  is  underlaid  with  it  and  as  many  as 
one  hundred  mines  have  been  opened.  In  most 
of  the  larger  mines  steam-power  has  been  em- 
ployed and  within  two  miles  of  Mertztown  forty 
engines  have  been  in  operation  for  this  purpose. 

CHURCHES. 

Longswamp  Church.1 — Frederick  Hoel  wig, 
the  cantor  (the  director  of  church  music)  of  the 
congregation,  certifies  in  his  chronicle.  Certain 
members  of  the  Reformed  congregation  in 
Longswamp,  after,  the  command  of  God,  de- 
clared that  they  would  erect  a  church,  and  they  be- 
gan about  September,  1748.  The  piece  of  ground 
which  the  members  had  selected  was  lawfully 
secured   by  Jost  H.  Sassamanhausen    through 

1  Extracts  taken  from  Allentown  Friedensbote,  translated 
by  the  author  and  published  in  Reading  Daily  News,  April 
21-24,1885. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1051 


a  warrant.  Afterwards  the  congregation  bought 
nine  acres  in  addition  for  the  purpose  of  erecting 
a  school-house  thereon  and  for  the  use  of  the 
school-teacher.  Both  tracts  were  patented  for 
the  perpetual  use  of  the  Reformed  congregation, 
which  was  not  a  union  one  originally,  but  so 
hard  Reformed  that  the  Lutherans  who  came 
afterward  were  pressed  farther  down  into  the 
valley,  where  they  likewise  established  a  con- 
gregation on  the  Little  Lehigh. 

The  first  church  was  erected  about  the  year 
1748.  The  members  selected  as  master-builders 
(building  committee)  Joseph  Biry  and  Samuel 
Burger.  These  said — as  Hoelwig  said  in  his 
chronicle — "  with  the  help  "  of  other  members 
of  the  congregation,  who  had  given  contribu- 
tions and  whose  names  follow,  the  building  was 
fiuished : 


Leopold  Kreber. 
Theobald  Karl. 
Jacob  Fenstermacher. 
John  Fried. 
Peter  Butz. 
Nicholas  Schwartz. 
Nicholas  Mertz. 
David  Mertz. 
Peter  Mertz. 
Henry  Bohlinger. 
Christian  Ruth. 
Philip  Burger. 


Nicholas  Kaiser. 
Peter  Kaiser. 
Peter  Walbert. 
Bernhard  Fegley. 
Jost  Henry  Sassaman- 

hausen. 
Henry  Strieker. 
Jacob  Long. 
David  Delong. 
Henry  Eigner. 
Jacob  Daniel  Volk. 


At  the  lower  northern  corner  of  the  grave- 
yard, several  paces  inward  from  the  present 
wall,  the  old  church  was  erected. 

The  second  church  was  built  under  the  church 
administration  of  Hertzel.  The  first  church 
stood  forty-three  years.  In  this  time  the  con- 
gregation increased  in  number  so  that  the  old 
little  church  became  too  small,  and  the  well- 
being  had  also  grown  so  much  that  the  members 
thought  that  they  could  build  a  more  correspond- 
ing church.  In  1790  preparations  were  made 
for  the  new  building.  Then  it  happened,  as  it 
generally  happens  in  the  building  of  a  church 
where  there  are  many  heads,  each  one  would 
have  their  own  way,  and  each  one  considered 
that  he  is  right ;  so  they  disagreed  where  the 
church  should  be  built.  The  place  where  the  old 
church  stood  was  not  suitable  any  longer  in  the 
opinion  of  many.  It  was  said  that  it  should  be 
built  higher  up  the  hill,  and  yet  they  did  not 


wish  to  leave  the  old  church-yard.  So  they 
came  to  pass  "the  throwing  of  hats."  This  was 
an  old  custom  among  the  Germans,  which  was 
generally  practiced  when  differences  arose  con- 
cerning matters  of  a  congregation.  By  throw- 
ing their  hats  down  upon  the  place  that  they 
thought  was  the  proper  place  they  expressed 
their  opinion,  and  they  were  satisfied  ac- 
cording to  the  majority  of  opinion.  This 
was  regarded  as  a  holy  election,  which  decision 
was  submitted  to  by  each  one,  whether  it  hap- 
pened to  be  for  or  against  him.  So  it  happened 
here.  Each  one  threw  his  hat  upon  the  place 
where  he  was  most  pleased  to  have  it.  The 
hats  were  then  counted  and  it  was  ascertained 
that  the  upper  western  corner  had  the  most  hats. 
Then  a  beautiful  walled  terrace  was  erected 
there  and  the  commencement  of  the  church 
building  was  made  in  a  practical  and  united 
manner.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  May  28, 
1791,  and  Hertzel,  the  then  minister,  preached. 

John  Hclfrich,  a  son  of  the  deceased  Rev. 
Helfrich,  was  then  elected  pastor  of  the  congre- 
gation. In  autumn,  .1816,  he  began  to  preach 
after  he  had  received  his  license  from  Synod. 
By  his  election  dissatisfaction  arose.  Other 
ministers  tried  to  become  elected  and  did  all 
they  could  to  make  good  their  application.  The 
consequences  were  that  the  minds  of  the  congre- 
gation became  excited  and  thereby  Helfrich's 
election  became  more  decided.  In  the  course  of 
time  many  Lutherans  settled  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  congregation  through  buying  and  selling 
and  reciprocal  family  connections.  These  or- 
ganized themselves  into  a  congregation  and  pe- 
titioned the  Reformed  members  to  be  allowed  to 
hold  religious  services  in  their  church  on  condi- 
tion that  they  paid  a  small,  rent.  The  rigid 
Reformed  spirit  of  the  parents  had  partly  died 
out,  and  the  Lutherans  were  willingly  allowed. 
They  elected  the  Rev.  Jacob  Miller  in  1817,  he 
who  was  compensated  for  a  short  time  by  his 
brother,  Conrad  Miller. 

The  church  was  rented  by  the  Lutherans  at 
a  nominal  rent  for  a  definite  term.  After  this 
term  expired  it  was  re-rented  under  similar 
conditions.  At  the  third  re-renting  a  difference 
arose  which  brought  a  separation.  Under  the 
administration  of  Pastor  Roeller,  who  was  the 


1052 


HISTOKY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Lutheran  minister  about  this  time,  the  year 
1837  found  the  greatest  number  of  Lutherans 
brought  together.  They  resolved  to  build  their 
own  church  and  founded  the  Mertztown  con- 
gregation, near  by  the  Longswamp.  A  small 
number  of  the  Reformed  members  went  with 
the  Lutherans,  and  so  the  Mertztown  congrega- 
tion became  a  union  congregation.  But  a  small 
number  of  the  Lutherans  also  remained  with  the 
Old  Longswamp  Church  and  were  given  the 
right  to  carry  on  worship  therein  without  rent. 
And  so  this  church  also  became  union. 

In  the  year  1848,  after  the  congregation  had 
existed  for  more  than  one  hundred  years,  they 
decided  to  celebrate  the  event  by  a  jubilee.  The 
church  was  beautifully  ornamented  with  flowers 
and  crosses  and  the  festival  was  held  on  the 
30th  of  September  and  the  1st  of  October. 
This  was  the  first  centennial  festival  which  was 
held  in  this  vicinity.  The  festival  sermons 
were  preached  by  Dr.  J.  S.  Kessler,  Eichenberg 
and  Brobst.  From  near  and  far  people  came 
to  witness  this  immense  festival. 

In  1852  the  second  church  was  torn  down 
for  the  purpose  of  erecting  in  its  stead,  in  the 
vicinity,  a  new  and  more  spacious  one.  The 
corner-stone  was  laid  on  the  9th  of  May.  De- 
chant  and  both  ministers  of  the  congregation 
preached  upon  this  occasion.  On  Christmas  of 
this  year  the  church  was  dedicated.  Schmidd, 
Brobst,  Hinterleitner  and  other  ministers 
preached.  The  church  is  a  tasteful  building, 
with  a  steeple  and  bell.  This  was  the  first 
steeple  in  this  district  for  miles  round-about, 
and  the  bell  the  first  which,  with  its  brass 
tongue  and  resounding  tone,  called  the  congre- 
gation together  from  the  extensive  valley  to 
the  service  of  God. 

The  Reformed  ministers  who  preached  in 
Longswamp  Church  were, — 

Frederick  Casimir  Miller. 
Philip  Jacob  Michael. 
Rudolph  Reidenweile. 
G.  H.  Helfrich. 
Henry  Hertzel. 
J.  Henry  Helfrich,  1795-1810. 
W.  Dechant,  1811-15. 
John  Helfrich,  1816-52. 
W.  A.  Helfrich,  1852-85. 

The  Lutheran  ministers  of  the  congregation 


from  1817  were  Jacob  Miller,  Conrad  Miller 
and  Isaac  Roeller.  After  the  separation,  in 
1837,  the  following  ministers  preached :  Au- 
gustus Griebler,  Peter  Oberfeld,  Jeremiah 
Schindel,  P.  Hinterleitner,  Ferdinand  Berke- 
meyer,  C.  H.  M.  Sell,  A.  Croll,  S.  R.  Boyer 
and  D.  K.  Humbert. 

.  The  trustees  in  1885  were  Nathan  Haas, 
Manoah  Long  and  William  Schubert ;  and  then 
the  Reformed  congregation  had  three  hundred 
members,  and  the  Lutheran  two  hundred. 

The  church  property  now  comprises  forty 
acres  of  land. 

St.  Paul's  Church  (Reformed  and  Lu- 
theran) is  located  at  Mertztown.  It  is  a  brick 
edifice,  forty-four  by  fifty-six  feet,  with  galler- 
ies on  three  sides ;  and  it  includes  two  acres  of 
ground,  most  of  which  is  used  for  cemetery 
purposes.  The  church  was  erected  in  1837  by 
a  building  committee  composed  of  Daniel  Gin- 
ginger,  Jonas  Trexler,  Jonathan  Haas  and  John 
Diener. 

The  Reformed  congregation  was  organized 
by  the  Rev.  Charles  Herman,  who  was  its  first 
pastor,  and  the  Rev.  William  Helfrich  next. 
The  present  pastor  is  the  Rev.  J.  Sassaman 
Herman.  The  members  number  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty.  Of  the  Lutheran  congrega- 
tion; the  Rev.  Isaac  Roeller  was  the  first  pas- 
tor, and  had  here,  as  in  other  parts  of  the 
county,  the  Rev.  B.  E.  Kramlich  as  his  succes- 
sor. His  congregation  is  large,  numbering 
three  hundred  members. 

A  large  Sunday-school  is  maintained  in  the 
church.  In  1885  Benneville  Fegeley  was  su- 
perintendent. 

Salem  Church  (Evangelical  Association) 
was  erected  at  Shamrock  in  1870.  It  is  a 
plainly-built  frame  building,  put  up  by  a  com- 
mittee composed  of  James  Weida,  Daniel 
Shirey  and  the  Rev.  Frank  Sechrist,  who  was 
at  that  time  the  preacher  in  charge  of  Kutztown 
Circuit,  which  has  supplied  the  ministerial  ser- 
vice of  the  church.  The  membership  has  never 
been  large,  the  aggregate  in  1885  being  only 
twenty-five  persons.  Ephraim  Fegeley  is  the 
superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school,  which 
has  about  seventy-five  members. 

St.  Peter's  Church  (Reformed  and   Lu- 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


1053 


theran),  at  Topton,  was  built  in  the  fall  of  1869, 
originally  for  school  purposes,  with  the  name  of 
the  "  Excelsior  Institute."  The  projectors  of 
this  enterprise  had  selected  as  their  board  of 
trustees  Peter  L.  Diener,  James  M.  Butz,  Mi- 
chael H.  Miller  and  D.  D.  Hinterleit  er,  who 
supervised  the  erection  of  the  building.  As 
soon  as  it  was  ready  for  occupancy  a  Sunday- 
school  was  organized  in  it,  with  Peter  L. 
Diener  as  superintendent,  which  is  still  contin- 
ued by  him.  Failing  in  the  purpose  to  main- 
tain a  private  school,  the  building  was  converted 
into  a  church  for  the  use  of  the  above  congre- 
gations.  An  organization  was  effected  October 
29, 1871,  and  the  building  was  formally  dedi- 
cated May  9,  1872.  It  was  used  until  1881, 
and  then  rebuilt  by  Peter  L.  Diener,  John  Pfen- 
ning, B.  C.  Baer  and  M.  H.  Miller  as  trustees. 
They  still  constitute  the  present  board  of 
trustees.  The  walls  were  plastered,  the  interior 
embellished  and  sittings  provided  for  about  four 
hundred  persons.  The  Reformed  congregation 
was  organized  with  twelve  members;  it  has 
now  sixty.  The  Rev.  A.  J.  Herman  has  been 
the  only  pastor.  The  membership  of  the  Lu- 
theran congregation  is  about  the  same,  and  the 
Rev.  B.  E.  Kramlich  is  pastor. 

Schools. — The  public  schools  of  the  town- 
ships are  taught  in  good  buildings,  which  have 
been  provided  with  the  necessary  books,  charts, 
etc.  In  three  of  the  buildings  graded  schools 
are  maintained,  and  instruction  in  the  higher 
branches  is  afforded.  These  buildings  are 
two  stories  high,  the  lower  stories  being  used 
for  the  ordinary  schools  of  the  district.  Ad- 
mission to  the  graded  schools  may  be  ob- 
tained by  the  children  of  the  township  by 
evidence  of  advancement  in  the  other  schools, 
or  by  passing  an  examination.  The  graded 
school  at  the  Longswamp  Church,  or  the 
Centre  School,  was  established  in  1875 ;  the 
one  at  Mertztown  in  1876  ;  and  the  build- 
ing at  "  Red  Lion  "  was  put  up  afterward.  In 
1883  a  fine  public  school  building  was  erected 
at  Shamrock,  and  neatly  finished.  It  is  a 
model  worthy  of  imitation.  The  old  parochial 
school-house  at  the  Longswamp  Church,  has 
been  converted  into  a  residence,  now  occupied 
by  William  Schubert,  Esq. 


VILLAGES. 

Numerous  hamlets  and  small  villages  abound 
in  every  part  of  the  township,  on  account  of  the 
extensive  mining  of  iron-ore. 

Red  Lion. — In  the  southeastern  part  is  the 
hamlet  of  Red  Lion,  a  freight  station  on  the 
Catasauqua  and  Fogelsville  Railroad,  which 
derived  its  name  from  a  tavern  in  that  locality, 
whose  sign  was  a  "  Red  Lion."  This  house 
was  built  by  James  Butz,  and  is  still  used  for 
public  purposes.  Edwin  Butz  has  a  lumber 
and  grain  business  and  James  Findley  and 
others  ship  ore  extensively.  In  the  place  are  a 
dozen  residences  and  a  graded  school-building. 

Farmington  is  on  the  same  railroad,  in  the 
northeastern  part  of  the  township,  with  about 
the  same  number  of  houses.  Its  only  business 
interest  is  that  carried  on  by  Smith  &  Croll,  and 
the  shipment  of  iron-ore. 

Maple  Grove  is  situated  between  these 
places,  on  the  Lehigh  County  line.  It  com- 
prises several  mills,  a  number  of  dwellings  and 
an  inn  built  by  John  Keifer. 

Longswamp  is  a  post-office  centre  and 
comprises  a  store  and  tavern  and  several  dwell- 
ings. It  is  often  called  "  Trexler's."  The 
post-office  was  established  in  April,  1822,  and 
was  first  kept  in  a  building  which  stood  on  the 
site  of  the  present  Trexler  mansion,  which  was 
the  homestead  of  the  Trexler  family.  Reuben 
Trexler  was  the  first  postmaster,  and  the  office 
has  since  been  kept  by  succeeding  members  of 
the  family.  He  had  opened  a  store  there  about 
1820  and  conducted  a  general  business.  The 
post-office  has  a  daily  mail  from  Shamrock, 
the  nearest  railway  station,  distant  one  mile. 
The  public-house  in  the  same  locality  was  first 
a  residence,  having  been  converted  into  a 
tavern  by  the  Trexlers. 

Weilertown  is  a  village  in  the  centre  of 
the  township,  north  of  the  Longswamp 
Church,  containing  about  twenty-five  buildings. 
From  its  location  it  is  sometimes  called  Long- 
swamp Centre.  Its  old  name  was  derived 
from  John  Weiler,  an  early  settler  on  the  farm 
owned  by  Amos  Weiler.  He  reared  three  sons, 
— Andrew,  a  tanner,  who  removed  to  Potts- 
town  ;  John,  a  pioneer  blacksmith  at  this 
place  (who  was  the  father  of  Nathan,  James, 


1054 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


William,  Charles  and  Peter  Weiler) ;  and 
George,  who  was  a  farmer,  the  father  of  Amos 
Weiler,  of  Longswamp,  and  Manoah  Weiler, 
of  Reading.  Daughters  were  married  to 
Daniel  Weida  and  Richard  Wertz,  both  of 
Longswamp.  One  of  the  first  improvements 
was  the  public-house  of  John  Weiler,  built  in 
1812  and  kept  by  him  until  some  time  before 
his  death,  in  1835.  The  past  forty  years  this 
house  has  been  kept  by  Richard  Wertz.  The 
place  had  no  store  until  1874,  when  one  was 
opened  by  Franklin  Wertz  and  William  Schu- 
bert, Jr.,  which  has  been  carried  on  by  William 
Weiler  and  his  sons  since  1877.  Some  of  the 
early  mechanics  at  this  place  were  John  Weiler, 
blacksmith ;  William  Maberry,  wheelwright ; 
John  Maberry,  blacksmith;  Richard  Wertz, 
tailor ;  Aaron  Albright,  saddler ;  Nathan 
Weiler,  tobacconist ;  Charles  Weiler,  carpenter 
and  cabinet-maker ;  and  James  Master,  marble- 
cutter.  C.  Deininger  and  Frederick  Stein  were 
teachers. 

South  of  this  place  Dr.  Manoah  Long  has 
been  for  many  years  in  successful  practice  as  a 
physician  ;  and  in  the  village,  Dr.  James  Frank- 
lin Wertz  (who  was  born  in  Longswamp  in 
1836),  has  lived  and  followed  his  profession 
since  his  graduation.  Associated  with  him  is 
his  brother,  Dr.  Peter  Weiler  Wertz  (born  in 
1842). 

The  population  of  the  village  is  about  one 
hundred. 

Shamrock,  on  the  East  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road, near  the  county  line,  was  laid  out  in  1859, 
and  received  its  name  from  Engineer  Lyons,  who 
located  the  station.  The  affairs  of  the  railroad 
company,  since  I860,  have  been  in  charge  of  L. 
S.  Hawerter.  The  present  depot  building  was 
erected  in  1883.  A  hotel  is  conducted  by  C.  A. 
Fegeley  and  a  general  store  by  Romig  &  Wet- 
zel, who  have  been  in  trade  since  1869.  Their 
new  building,  completed  in  February,  1886,  is 
seventy  feet  long,  and  part  of  the  second  story 
is  set  aside  for  tailor,  saddler  and  shoemaker- 
shops.  The  Shamrock  post-office  was  estab- 
lished in  1884,  with  Uriah  Beiry  as  postmaster. 
Four  mails  per  day  are  supplied.  A.  Trexler 
is  a  dealer  in  coal  and  grain.  A  large  amount 
o'f  ore  was  formerly  shipped  from  this  point, 


but  the  annual  shipment  was  only  about  fifteen 
thousand  tons  the  past  few  years.  Shamrock 
contains  a  fine  school-house,  an  Evangelical 
Church,  about  thirty  residences  and  a  hundred 
and  fifty  inhabitants. 

Mertztown  is  a  station  on  the  East  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad,  a  little  more  than  a  mile 
west  of  Shamrock.  It  is  an  old  place  and  took 
its  name  from  Martin  Mertz,  an  old  settler.  It 
contains  fine  residences,  a  good  school-house,  a 
church,  hotel  and  store.  The  greater  part  of 
the  village  has  been  built  up  since  the  opening 
of  the  railroad.  In  1858  a  grain  warehouse  was 
built  by  Nathan  Trexler  and  Levi  Leiss,  in 
which  a  large  business  has  since  been  done  and 
which  has  attracted  other  interests.  The  occu- 
pants of  this  house  in  1885  were  E.  H.  &  D. 
S.  Trexler.  In  this  place  was  kept  the  Mertz- 
town  post-office,  established  in  December,  1857. 
Nathan  Dresher  has  been  the  postmaster  since 
August,  1885.  It  has  four  mails  per  day,  and 
is  the  distributing  point  for  Schwoyer's  post- 
office.  The  first  postmaster  at  Mertztown  was 
Levi  Leiss,  and  his  successors  were  Marcus  and 
Nicholas  Long  and  James  L.  Trexler.  Nathan 
Trexler  was  one  of  the  first  prominent  business 
men  of  the  place.  In  1831  he  built  the  house 
now  occupied  by  E.  H.  Trexler,  and  kept  it  as 
a  public-house  until  1861,  when  it  was  con- 
tinued fourteen  years  longer  by  E.  H.  Trexler. 
In  1874  the  latter  built  the  present  hotel,  a  very 
large  brick  building.  Levi  Leiss  was,  for  a 
number  of  years,  a  successful  merchant  at 
Mertztown,  having  been  succeeded  by  Haas  & 
Klein.  The  present  merchants  are  T.  L.  Fritch 
&  Brothers. 

In  March,  1885,  the  Mertztown  Creamery  be- 
gan operations  under  the  ownership  of  Miller 
&  Klein.  In  September  of  the  same  year  E. 
H.  Trexler  became  the  proprietor.  About 
eighteen  hundred  pounds  of  butter  are  made 
weekly.  Near  by,  Uriah  Butz  has  a  coach- 
making  establishment. 

Kline's  Corner  is  situated  north  of 
Mertztown,  containing  more  than  a  dozen 
houses,  many  of  them  being  occupied  by  miners. 
In  1885  a  post-office  was  established  there  with 
the  name  of  Schwoyer,  the  name  being  derived 
from  the  first  postmaster,  James  Schwoyer,  who 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1055 


also  carries  on  a  store.  At  this  place  A..  H. 
Sehwoyer  has  a  public-house. 

"West  is  the  small  hamlet  of  Okeville, 
which  has  not  yet  become  a  business  point. 

Hancock,  a  flag-station  between  Topton  and 
Mertztown,  owes  its  existence  to  S.  Long  &  Son, 
who  opened  it  for  settlement  about  fifteen  years 
ago,  and  who  are  at  present  carrying  on  an  ex- 
tensive coal  and  lumber  business.  A  paint- 
mill  has  recently  been  started,  and  a  public- 


position  in  Ayrshire.  His  great-grandfather, 
Hugh  Findlay,  of  Kilmarnock,  was  prominently 
connected  with  the  coal  mining  interest  of  his 
native  country,  and  a  son  by  the  same  name, 
was  identified  with  his  father,  and  for  many 
years  was  manager  for  the  well-remembered 
Sandy  Gawtry,  the  great  Scotch  coal  operator. 
He  had  eight  children,  of  whom  James  was  the 
eldest,  born  in  1802,  and,  trained  by  his  father 
in  the  business  of  coal  mining,  in  early  man- 


house  was  opened,  about  a  year  ago,  by  Francis 

W.  Schwartz.      A  dozen  residences  constitute 

the  other  features  of  the  place.     Southwest  is 

a  collection  of  houses    called    Kutzville,    but 

there  is  no  special  interest  connected  with  it. 

The  borough  of  Topton  was   erected   from 

this  township. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

James  Findlay  is  of  Scotch  descent.     His 
ancestors  for  centuries  occupied  an  honorable 


hood  was  made  one  of  the  managers  of  the 
mines.  He  was  married  in  1 822  to  Miss  Eliz- 
abeth Holland  in  Kilmarnock,  Ayrshire,  by 
Eev.  Mr.  McGinlay.  "When  thirty  years  of 
age,  himself,  wife  and  four  children  took  passage 
on  the  sailing  vessel  "  Mercator,"  and,  after  a 
voyage  consuming  thirty-five  days,  landed  at 
New  Glasgow,  Nova  Scotia,  early  in  1832.  He 
at  once  engaged  in  the  pursuit  with  which  he  was 
very  familiar,  and  connected  himself  with  the 


1058 


HISTORY  01  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Henry,    John   Richard,   Katie    Louisa,   Carrie 
Agnes  and  Nicholas  Frederick. 


WINDSOR  TOWNSHIP. 

Eakly  Settleks. — It  is  difficult  to  give  a 
full  and  authentic  account  of  the  early  settle- 
ment of  Windsor  township,  inasmuch  as  there 
is  so  little  recorded  matter  to  refer  to  for  ac- 
curate data,  and  so  many  changes  of  ownership 
have  taken  place.  There  are  some  few  farms 
remaining  in  the  possession  of  descendants  of  the 
original  owners.  In  general  the  first  improve- 
ments were  made  on  the  high  lands,  on  account 
of  the  ease  of  clearing  the  same,  and  their  sup- 
posed greater  healthfulness.  Later,  finding  the 
level  lands  more  desirable,  many  of  the  first 
tracts  were  sold  and  new  homes  were  selected. 
The  development  of  the  country  was  slow,  as  is 
shown  by  the  amount  of  work  done  on  the  pub- 
lic roads.  From  an  auditor's  book  begun  in 
1765,  and  used  for  this  purpose  continuously 
since,  we  learn  that  the  total  expenditures  for 
the  improvement  of  the  roads  the  first  year 
were-  only  £3  lis.  Pennsylvania  currency. 
The  workmen  were  paid  at  the  rate  of  three 
shillings  per  day  and  the  supervisor  four  shill- 
ings for  going  to  Reading  to  be  inducted  to  his 
office  and  a  like  amount  to  make  his  report. 
Lawrence  May  was  the  first  supervisor  and 
Eberhard  Shappell,  Peter  Focht  and  Jeremiah 
Shappell  the  auditors.  Among  the  men  em- 
ployed on  the  roads  were  George  Yoh,  Leonard 
Reber,  Conrad  Kerschner,  George  Linden  muth, 
John  Buck,  Baltzer  Buck,  Michael  Yoh,  Peter 
Yoh,  Michael  Hallenbach  and  Henry  Kalbach. 
When  any  of  these  persons  furnished  a  team 
they  were  paid  ten  shillings  a  day  for  the  use  of 
the  same.  Accounts  were  kept  in  pounds,  shill- 
ings and  pence  until  1820,  when  the  present 
system  began  to  be  used. 

The  early  settlers  were  not  entirely  free  of 
the  superstitions  entertained  by  people  in  other 
localities,  and  a  "  witch  dance "  is  said  to  have 
existed  in  the  present  township.  Not  quite  two 
miles  from  Windsor  Castle,  on  a  vacant  piece 
of  land,  a  spot  was  designated  as  the  trysting- 
place  of  the  spirits  of  the  evil  one.  Thither 
witches,  ghosts  and  spooks  hied  themselves,  at 


certain  periods,  and  with  measured  steps  trav- 
eled around  a  common  centre  until  a  deep  cir- 
cular path  had  been  worn  in  the  earth,  closely 
resembling  the  track  made  by  horses  hitched  to 
a  sweep-power.  In  late  years  the  practice  has 
not  been  kept  up,  and  only  a  few  traces  of  the 
"  dance  "  remain. 

Among  the  natural  features  of  the  township 
there  are  several  trees  which  are  remarkable  for 
their  unusual  size  or  other  peculiarities.  A  tree 
on  the  farm  of  Jacob  Jacoby  is  thirty  feet  in 
circumference.  In  the  road  near  Windsor  Cas- 
tle stood  a  white  oak,  which  was  an  object  of 
much  attention.  Its  diameter  at  the  base  was 
forty-six  inches.  During  a  heavy  storm  the  tree 
was  blown  down  and  upon  being  cut  up  yielded 
ten  cords  of  wood.  Some  twenty  feet  from  the 
ground,  a  main  limb,  growing  out  of  the  trunk 
and  being  two  feet  in  diameter,  was  supported 
by  another  limb,  about  a  foot  in  diameter, 
which  grew  out  of  the  trunk  and  downward 
into  the  lower  and  larger  limb,  so  as  to  form  a 
perfect  triangle.  This  curious  freak  of  nature 
is  still  preserved  by  Mahlon  A.  Sellers.  The 
township  is  not  generally  subject  to  storms, 
but  on  the  5th  of  July,  1877,  there  was  a  severe 
visitation  by  that  destructive  element,  which  un- 
roofed thirteen  barns  and  damaged  all  kinds  of 
property  to  the  amount  of  sixty  thousand  dol- 
lars. 

The  names  of  the  earlier  settlers  in  the  town- 
ship, appears  in  the  following  statement,  which 
comprises  a  list  of  the  taxable  inhabitants  for 
the  vear  1759  : 


Geo.  Angstadt 2 

Matthias  Alsbacb 5 

Reinhard  Alabach *4 

Peter  Bartholomew 6 

George  Bowman 3 

Casper  Brouch 3 

Wm.  Busier 6 

Daniel  Bealy 2 

Christopher  Briningor 4 

Henry  Bopat 5 

John  Buck 2 

Clement  Donkleberger 6 

Michael  Davold 5 

Leonard  Dietrich 9 

Killian  Dunkle 5 

Wendle  Ernst 2 

Michael  Esseman 2 

Nicholas  Fry 3 

Geo.  Folk 2 

John  Garber \j 

Geo.  Gotshall 3 

John  Hart ,   .  q 


John  Houser 4 

Conrad  Heaisur 2 

Philip  Hill 3 

Jacob  Hill 9 

Daniel  Hill 5 

Jacob  Hill 5 

Philip  Honekel 6 

Christopher  Housekuecht 7 

Geo.  Hollebach 1 

Jacob  Homel 5 

Jacob  Hower 5 

Wendle  Hower 5 

Geo.  Hower 3 

John  Hess 5 

Conrad  Houseman 5 

John  Heffner 2 

Geo.  Heffner. 4 

Philip  Hensel 3 

Widow  Hughes 6 

Michael  Kreieer G 

Joseph  Kreisher 2 

Conrad  Kersner 16 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1059 


Henry  Kaulbach 3 

Geo.  Krause 7 

Geo.  Kortner 3 

Baatian  Kreisher 5 

Melchior  Keeper 3 

Leonard  Keplinger 4 

Geo.  Kearl 4 

Jacob  Kraff. 3 

Daniel  Kompf. 3 

,  Henry  Kross 2 

Lawrence  Kuntz 4 

Adam  Klein 5 

Henry  Kime 4 

WendleKiefer 3 

Adam  Kuhn 7 

Adam  Luckenbill 5 

Geo.  Miller 4 

Jacob  Miller 2 

John  Moyer 1 

Geo.  Poust 4 

Jacob  Petrie 3 

Jacob  Rouse 6 

Jacob  Raesh 3 

Martin  Roust) 4 

Single  Jfrn 

Anthony  Adam. 

David  Alsbach. 

Casper  Breininger. 

Hans  Conrady. 


Geo.  Roslar 3 

Leonard  Raver 15 

Michael  Rentier z 

Thomas  Right 12 

Widow  Rodarmel 8 

Everhard  Shoppie 5 

Jeremiah  Shoppie 4 

Henry  Sheirer 4 

Michael  Schlear 4 

Geo.  Snider 4 

Andreas  Seidle 0 

Geo.  Stenger 3 

Elias  Stein 10 

Matthias  Terhar ,r> 

Wm.  Tomlinson 3 

Michael  Unger 2 

Nicholas  Wenger 4 

Martin  Werner 3 

Dewald  Werner 3 

Jonathan  Worald 4 

Gerhard  Will 4 

Jacob  Wingerd 7 

Adam  Wagner 4 


John  Homel. 
Jacob  Link. 
Geo.  Plat. 
Benj.  Wily. 


Inmates. 


Martin  Epley 1 

CnaB.  Heafley 2 

Andreas  Homel 1 

Michael  Kinttel 1 

Jacob  Martin 1 

John  Miller 1 

Geo.  Monty 1 


£ 

Philip  Martin 1 

Jacob  Schock 1 

Casper  Smith 1 

Matthias  Sowermilk t 

Peter  Weaver 1 

Philip  Winsel 1 

Henry  Wittenberg 1 


The  total  tax  levied  then  was  £40  8s.  6<£ 
and  Michael  Greisher  was  the  collector. 

It  is  not  known  when  the  township  was  reg- 
ularly erected.  It  had  a  legal  existence  before 
1752.  The  name  was  taken  from  Windsor,  in 
England,  and  given  to  the  township  by  the 
Friends,  who  were  the  earliest  settlers,  espe- 
cially along  the  Schuylkill  River.  The  forego- 
ing list  discloses  the  fact  that  numerous 
Germans  were  in  the  township  at  an  early 
period. 

The  original  description  of  the  township  by 
metes  and  bounds  was  as  follows  :  "  Beginning 
at  the  corner  of  Maiden-creek  township  on  the 
eastern  bank  of  the  Schuylkill ;  thence  N.  65 
E.  1400  prs. ;  thence  S.  E.  140  prs.  to  Maiden 
Creek ;  thence  up  said  creek  1300  prs.  to 
a  point ;  thence  N.  W.  1383  prs.  to  the  Blue 
Mountain ;  thence  S.  60  W.  1235  prs.  to  the 
Schuylkill,  and  thence  down  the  river  2750  prs. 
to  the  beginning  ;  and  this  tract  was  estimated  to 
contain  26,481  acres."  When  this  description 
was  given,  the  townships  to  the  east  and  north 
,  (Richmond,  Greenwich  and  Albany)  were   not 


mentioned,  which  would  indicate  that  Windsor 
township  had  been  set  apart  about  1746.  The 
survey  was  doubtless  made  by  Benjamin  Light- 
foot,  who  surveyed  nearly  all  the  townships  in 
this  section  of  the  county. 

In  1790  a  tract  of  mountain  land  was  added 
to  the  township  on  the  north,  containing  about 
four  thousand  acres. 

Windsor  Furnace  is  near  the  base  of  the 
Blue  Mountain,  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the 
township,  on  a  stream  of  water  called  Furnace 
Creek.  It  is  believed  that  the  first  improvement 
at  that  point  was  made  soon  after  the  settlement 
of  the  county.  On  November  2,  1768,  Henry 
Moll  conveyed  to  Jacob  Winey,  of  Philadelphia, 
one  hundred  and  seventy-six  acres  of  land, 
together  with  a  forge  for  the  manufacture  of  bar- 
iron,  and  a  water  grist  and  saw-mill  thereon  erect- 
ed, which  had  come  into  the  possession  of  Moll  the 
same  fall,  through  purchase  at  a  sheriff's  sale 
of  the  property  of  Frederick  Delaplank,  report- 
ed as  an  iron-master.  After  this  sale  the  forge 
does  not  seem  to  have  been  operated,  and  we  next 
learn  of  the  establishment  of  a  small  charcoal 
furnace  at  that  site  by  Valentine  Eckert,  an  en- 
terprising iron-master  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  county.  Later,  George  Reagan  became  the 
manager,  and  the  furnace  was  operated  in  con- 
nection with  Union  Furnace  and  the  forges  in 
Albany  township.  Thence  the  operators  were 
Boyd  &  Amnion,  Jones,  Keim  &  Co.,  Darrah 
and  Jones,  who  discontinued  about  1850.  While 
Jones,  Keim  &  Co.  had  the  furnace  they  made 
castings  of  various  kinds,  and  in  1834  ventured 
upon  the  production  of  artistic  work,  which  is 
thus  described  :  " '  The  Last  Supper,'  after  Leon- 
ardo da  Vinci,  made  at  the  Windsor  Furnace,  by 
Jones,  Keim  &  Co.,  was  presented  to  the  Phila- 
phia  Exchange  by  D.  M.  Keim.  It  was  cast 
from  pure  ore  in  common  sand  and  oiled.  This 
firm  made  the  first  attempt  to  bring  to  perfec- 
tion, castings  of  this  description.  Many  of  our 
public  institutions  are  in  possession  of  speci- 
mens of  their  taste  and  skill." 1 

After  the  furnace  had  been  idle  some  time, 
William  Metzler  obtained  the  property  and 
established  a  tannery  on  it,  which  he  carried  on 

1  Commercial  Herald,  Philadelphia,  November,  1834. 


1060 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


very  extensively  until  he  was  accidentally  killed 
in  his  grinding-mill  by  being  caught  up  by  the 
machinery.  Another  period  of  inactivity  fol- 
lowed, when  the  property  was  again  converted 
into  a  charcoal  furnace  by  George  Merkel  and 
equipped  so  that  it  could  produce  about  thirty 
tons  of  iron  per  week.  He  operated  it  success- 
fully a  number  of  years  and  was  succeeded  by  the 
present  owner  of  the  property,  Daniel  B.  Fisher. 
The  furnace  was  in  blast  till  1 882.  Connected 
with  the  furnace  are  a  large  tract  of  land,  mills 
and  about  ten  tenements,  constituting  together  a 
valuable  property. 

A  short  distance  north  from  Hamburg,  on 
the  Schuylkill,  w.is  the  Keim  Furnace,  which 
was  last  operated  by  Jones,  Keim  &  Co.,  in  con- 
nection with  the  Windsor  Furnace.  When  the 
canal  was  widened  it  was  found  necessary  to 
destroy  the  property,  and  then  it  passed  out  of 
existence.  It  was  never  operated  extensively, 
employing  usually  only  about  twenty-five  men. 
Among  other  productions,  some  fine  castings  for 
the  railings  of  fences  were  manufactured  and 
other  ornamental  work.  In  this  locality  there 
was  also,  for  a  time,  a  mill. 

In  the  eastern  part  of  the  township  on  the 
lower  waters  of  Furnace  Creek,  is  a  mill-site 
which  was  improved  many  years  ago  by  the 
Miller  family,  and  the  mills  erected  there  have 
always  been  operated  by  them.  Steam-power 
was  added  at  a  later  day,  and  the  mill  was 
thereby  improved,  so  that  it  enjoys  a  good  repu- 
tation.    The  present  owner  is  George  S.  Miller. 

The  other  interests  of  the  township  are  such 
as  pertain  to  purely  agricultural  pursuits. 
These  engage  the  attention  of  most  of  the 
citizens,  and  therein  they  have  achieved  a  repu- 
tation as  skillful  farmers. 

Water-Cure  Establishment.- About  1850 
a  Dr.  Quinadon,  an  eccentric  but  well  educated 
man,  of  foreign  extraction,  appeared  in  Wind- 
sor and  avowed  his  purpose  to  establish  a  water- 
cure.  He  secured  a  location  near  the  Windsor 
Furnace,  where  he  put  up  frame  buildings  for 
the  accommodation  of  his  patients  and  provi- 
ded bath-houses,  where  shower,  hot  and  cold 
baths  could  be  taken.  He  obtained  the  neces- 
sary water  from  the  race  which  carried  the 
water  to  the  furnace.    At  that  point  the  furnace 


was  elevated  a  considerable  height  from  the 
ground.  He  opened  his  establishment  in  a  pub- 
lic way  and  by  having  religious  services,  preach- 
ing a  sermon  wherein  he  endeavored  to  impress 
his  hearers  with  the  importance  of  his  mission. 
Occasionally  he  would  also  preach  in  the  neigh- 
boring churches,  filling  the  appointment  of  some 
regular  preacher.  For  a  time  he  conducted  his 
place  with  success,  and,  it  is  said,  persons  afflicted 
with  rheumatism  were  especially  benefited.  His 
patronage,  however,  was  never  large  and  the 
enterprise  was  soon  abandoned.  Some  of  the 
buildings  were  removed  and  others  converted 
into  a  residence.  Dr.  Quinadon  removed,  it  is 
said,  to  Washington  Territory. 

St.  Paul's  Church  is  on  the  State  road, 
two  miles  northeast  from  Hamburg.  It  is  the 
third  house  erected  for  religious  purposes  in  that 
locality.  The  first  church  was  of  logs,  put  up 
for  the  accommodation  of  a  Lutheran  congrega- 
tion, formed  sometime  after  1750,  as  the  result 
of  the  missionary  labors  of  the  Revs.  Krug  and 
Decker.  It  was  dedicated  November  6,  1756, 
by  the  Rev.  Daniel  Schumacher,  as  the  "  Leba- 
non Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  at  the  Blue 
Mountains."  The  latter  part  of  the  title  has 
been  most  generally  applied  to  the  church.  At 
that  time  the  elders  were  Martin  Rouch,  Jacob 
Mueller  and  George  Gardner,  who  also  served 
as  the  building  committee.  The  members  were 
at  first  few  in  numbers  and  the  preaching  at 
long  intervals.  But  the  increase  of  popula- 
tion and  consequent  increase  of  membership 
caused  a  desire  for  a  larger  and  better  building, 
and  it  was  determined  to  erect  it  as  soon  as  the 
necessary  funds  could  be  collected.  Nearly  all 
the  people  of  that  locality  having  been  poor, 
authority  was  asked  of  the  Lieutenant-Governor 
of  the  province  to  collect  funds  among  charita- 
ble people  in  other  sections  to  assist  the  enter- 
prise, and  a  petition  to  that  effect  was  issued 
September  25,  1767.  It  set  forth  that  they 
wanted  a  "  Brief  to  collect  money  for  the  pur- 
pose of  erecting  a  church,  in  which  they  were 
desirous  of  having  the  Gospel  of  Christ  preached 
to  them  and  the  Holy  Sacraments  administered 
to  them  ;  and  stating  that  they  were  living  near 
the  Blue  Mountains,  from  which  place  they  had 
lately  been  driven  by  the  Indians."   This  paper 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTS. 


1061 


was  signed  by  the  Eev.  Peter  Mischler,  at  that 
time  the  preacher,  Jacob  Mueller  and  George 
Crove,  on  behalf  of  many  others.  On  the  9th 
of  October,  1767,  such  a  letter  was  granted, 
giving  permission  to  collect  five  hundred  pounds 
within  the  next  two  years.  This  means,  added 
to  their  own  efforts,  enabled  them  to  dedicate 
the  new  church  in  the  summer  of  1769.  Soon 
afterward  the  Rev.  Frederick  Miller  assumed 
the  pastorate  of  the  congregation  and  sustained 
that  relation  until  his  bodily  infirmities  com- 
pelled him  to  relinquish  his  charge  in  1826. 
He  died  in  August,  1827,  and  was  interred  in 
the  cemetery  of  the  church.  On  the  9th  of 
July,  1826,  the  Rev.  G.  F.  E.  Iaeger  became 
the  pastor  and  ministered  to  the  congregation 
until  1870.  His  accession  was  marked  by  two 
important  events, — the  beginning  of  preaching 
by  the  German  Reformed  congregation  and  the 
agitation  of  the  question  of  building  a  new 
church  of  more  substantial  material  than  the 
old  one.  This  was  also  of  logs,  and  after  the 
new  edifice  had  been  provided,  it  was  taken 
down  and  the  material  used  in  building  the 
schoolmaster's  house,  now  used  as  the  residence 
of  the  sexton. 

In  carrying  out  the  latter  purpose  the  corner- 
stone was  laid  April  29,  1832,  and  the  church 
built  during  the  summer  and  fall  of  that  year. 
It  was  dedicated  October  20,  1832,  as  the  St. 
Paul's  Church,  union  in  nature,  the  two  con- 
gregations to  have  equal  rights  and  privileges  in 
the  property  forever. 

New  church  regulations  were  adopted,  which 
are  still  in  operation.  In  this  condition  the 
church  was  occupied  until  September,  1868, 
when  some  improvements  were  made  on  the  in- 
terior of  the  building  and  new  furniture  sup- 
plied. At  that  time  the  pastors  were:  Lutheran, 
Rev.  G.  F.  E.  Iaeger,  and  Reformed,  Rev.  Aug. 
L.  Herman,  who  had  commenced  serving  the 
congregation  in  1834. 

The  occupancy  of  the  renovated  church  was 
made  the  occasion  of  celebrating  its  centennial, 
although  twelve  more  years  than  a  hundred  had 
elapsed  since  the  church  was  founded.  The 
church  is  a  plain,  almost  square,  stone  struc- 
ture, very  high  and  in  a  fair  state  of  preserva- 
tion.    In  connection    with  it  there  is  a  large 


cemetery,  which  shows  good  care  and  is  the 
resting-place  of  hundreds  of  pioneers  of  that 
part  of  the  county. 

In  1870  the  Rev.  F.  K.  Huntzinger  became 
the  Lutheran  pastor  and  those  subsequently 
preaching  were  the  Revs.  B.  S.  Smoll,  Drum- 
heller  and  the  Rev.  Oscar  Miller,  since  1884. 
The  Reformed  congregation  had  less  changes  of 
pastor,  the  Rev.  A.  L.  Herman  being  succeeded, 
in  1872,  by  the  present,  Rev.  B.  F.  Wise.  His 
congregation  has  about  seventy-five  members, 
while  that  of  the  Lutheran  is  somewhat  more. 
The  elders  in  1885  were :  Lutheran,  Daniel 
Boyer  and  William  Hollenbach;  Reformed, 
Jacob  Stamm  and  Joseph  Arndt. 

An  early  record  of  baptisms  shows,  among 
other  members  belonging  from  1767  to  1784, 
the  following  :  Michael  Lindenmuth,  George 
Gardener,  Yost  Greim,  John  Huber,  Jacob 
Heil,  Jacob  Resch,  George  Heilman,  Henry 
Bolender,  Jacob  Will,  Christopher  Lindenmuth, 
John  Peter  Gephart,  Conrad  Bolender,  Henry 
Raush,  Jacob  Keller,  Henry  Billig,  Jacob 
Seidel,  James  Mohr  and  Jacob  James. 

As  a  rule,  the  citizens  of  Windsor  have  taken 
a  commendable  interest  in  their  public  schools, 
and  as  early  as  May,  1850,  decided  to  build  six 
new  school-houses  and  to  levy  a  tax  of  nine 
mills  for  this  purpose.  In  them  the  usual 
periods  of  school  have  since  been  maintained 
each  year. 

Windsor  Castle,  the  only  business  point 
in  the  township,  is  a  hamlet,  three  miles  south- 
east from  Hamburg,  containing  a  store,  hotel, 
creamery,  blacksmith-shop,  etc.,  and  half  a  dozen 
residences  in  the  immediate  neighborhood.  It 
took  its  name  when  the  post-office  was  estab- 
lished, in  1856,  through  the  efforts  of  Mahlon 
A.  Sellers,  Esq.,  who  was  appointed  postmaster, 
and  has  had  the  office  ever  since.  The  office  is 
on  the  Hamburg  and  Allentown  stage  route, 
and  a  daily  mail  is  supplied  since  July,  1885. 
Prior  to  that  time  the  mails  were  tri-weekly. 
The  hotel  in  which  the  office  is  kept  is  one  of 
the  oldest  buildings  in  the  township,  and  has 
been  used  for  tavern  purposes  since  the  general 
settlement  of  the  country.  It  was  originally 
the  home  of  Jeremiah  Shappell.  Ferdinand 
Yoh  was  one  of  the  early  keepers.    During  the 


1062 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Kevolution  a  hickory  liberty  pole  which  stood 
in  front  of  this  tavern  was  cut  down  by  British 
soldiers  on  their  march  to  Bethlehem.  In 
1820  Jacob  Heinly  became  the  proprietor  of  the 
inn,  and  kept  it  until  1845,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Mahlon  A.  Sellers,  who  has  since 
been  the  proprietor.  The  place  is  more  widely 
known  than  any  other  tavern  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  county  and  is  sometimes  also 
called  the  "  Black  Horse  Inn,"  from  its  old-time 
sign.  The  first  stores  in  this  locality  were  kept 
in  the  old  tavern  building  by  Charles  Heinly 
and  others,  more  than  sixty  years  ago.  Later, 
in  1849,  a  store-house  was  built  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  road.  This  was  burned  down  after 
having  been  occupied  a  few  years  by  John 
Weightman.  The  present  house  was  built  in 
1852  by  Mahlon  A.  Sellers,  and  occupied  by 
him  the  following  year  for  store  purposes.  He 
was  in  business  until  1870,  since  which  time  a 
number  of  dealers  have  occupied  the  stand. 

The  Windsor  Castle  Creamery  occupies  a 
building  forty  by  forty-four  feet,  which  was 
erected  in  1885  by  the  Windsor  Castle  Creamery 
Association,  which  was  organized  on  the  7th  of 
April  of  that  year.  The  first  directors  were 
Jacob  D.  Hoffman,  Alfred  K.  Rentschler, 
Jeremiah  M.  Shappell,  Daniel  Smith  and  Peter 
Strasser.  In  1885  the  officers  were  Jacob  D. 
Hoffman,  president;  Daniel  Saul,  treasurer; 
and  M.  A.  Sellers,  secretary.  The  creamery  is 
operated  under  a  lease  by  Milton  L.  Ritter,  and 
the  past  year  manufactured  about  ten  thousand 
pounds  of  butter  and  fifteen  thousand  pounds  of 
cheese.  The  patrons  of  the  factory  number 
about  sixty. 

Near  Windsor  Castle,  on  the  Auburn  and 
Allentown  Railroad,  partially  completed,  is 
a  projected  tunnel  one  thousand  four  hundred 
feet  in  length.  In  1870  about  four  hundred 
feet  of  this  tunnel  was  built  on  the  south  side 
of  the  hill,  when  work  on  the  railroad  was 
suspended. 

North  of  this  place,  on  the  upper  State  road, 
in  what  is  now  the  residence  of  William  D. 
Merkel,  was  for  some  years  a  public-house, 
which  was  well  patronized  when  Windsor 
Furnace  was  in  active  operation. 

Gold  was  discovered  in  the  neighborhood  of 


Windsor  Castle  in  1850,  on  the  farm  of  George 
Focht,  and  indications  of  silver  also  abounded, 
but  not  in  quantities  large  enough  to  warrant 
mining  operations. 

The  Windsor  Mutual  Assistance  and  Fire  In- 
surance Company  is  the  oldest  of  the  mutual 
companies  originated  and  maintained  in  the 
township.  It  was  organized  in  1844  and  has 
been  successfully  carried  on  ever  since.  At  one 
time  the  policies  carried  amounted  to  more  than 
$3,000,000 ;  but  the  formation  of  a  new  com- 
pany has  reduced  this  amount  somewhat.  Both 
farm  and  village  property  are  insurable,  by  the 
terms  of  the  amended  charter,  and  the  annual 
meetings  must  be  held  at  Windsor  Castle.  In 
1885  the  principal  officers  were  William  Um- 
benhauer,  president ;  James  L.  Merkel,  secre- 
tary ;  Augustus  R.  Shollenberger,  treasurer. 

The  Farmers'  Mutual  Insurance  Company  of 
Berks  County  is  an  offspring  of  the  company 
named,  and  was  organized  in  1875  by  members 
of  the  old  company  opposed  to  the  insurance  of 
village  property.  In  the  new  company  policies 
are  written  on  farm  and  country  property  only, 
for  two-thirds  of  their  value.  The  company 
has  been  eminently  successful,  being  prosperous 
from  its  formation.  In  1885  the  policies  ag- 
gregated over  $2,000,000  insurance.  On  or- 
dinary property  the  insurance  is  perpetual,  if 
the  mutual  clause  is  complied  with  ;  but  on  ex- 
tra hazardous  country  property  five-year  policies 
are  written.  By  the  terms  of  the  charter  the 
meetings  must  be  held  annually  at  Windsor 
Castle.  In  1885  the  principal  officers  were  the 
following :  Samuel  K.  Fisher,  president ;  A.  S. 
Seidel,  secretary  ;  Samuel  Bewer,  treasurer. 

Windsor  Society  for  the  Detection  of  Horse- 
Thieves. — This  body  was  organized  under  a 
charter  granted  April  9,  1855,  with  eighty 
members  and  the  following  officers:  Daniel 
Bausher,  president ;  Jacob  Reber,  Jr.,  vice- 
president;  M.  A.  Sellers,  secretary;  Jeremiah 
Focht,  treasurer ;  William  Miller,  G.  E.  Hor- 
lacher  and  William  Reber,  auditors.  Of  the 
above  officers,  M.  A.  Sellers  has  filled  the  po- 
sition of  secretary  continuously  to  the  present 
time.  The  membership  is  limited  to  an  area  of 
country  described  by  a  radius  of  ten  miles  from 
Windsor  Castle,  the  headquarters  of  the  society. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1063 


The  by-laws  provide  a  police  committee  of  six- 
teen persons,  who  hold  themselves  under  the 
control  and  direction  of  the  president  of  the 
society,  and  when  the  theft  of  a  horse  is  re- 
ported, a  search  is  instituted  by  this  committee, 
and,  getting  on  the  track  of  the  horse,  must  be 
pursued  fifty  miles,  or  until  the  thief  is  appre- 
hended. In  case  of  the  loss  of  the  animal  the 
horse  is  appraised  and  the  owner  reimbursed 
from  the  funds  of  the  society  to  the  extent  of 
three-fourths  of  the  actual  value.  Since  the 
operation  of  the  society  twelve  horses  belonging 
to  members  were  reported  missing,  of  which  ten 
of  them  were  recovered,  and  in  nearly  every  in- 
stance the  thieves  were  brought  to  justice.  In 
1885  there  were  one  hundred  members  and  the 
following  officers  :  Joseph  L.  Smith,  president; 
John  De  Turk,  vice-president ;  Mahlon  A.  Sel- 
lers, secretary ;  Joseph  Bewer,  treasurer. 

TheWindsor  Horse  Life  Insurance  Company 
of  Berks  County  was  organized  under  a  charter 
granted  by  the  County  Court  August  1,  1859, 
with  one  hundred  and  ten  members  and  the  fol- 
lowing as  the  first  board  of  directors  : 


Mahlon  A.  Sellers. 
William  Miller. 
Samuel  S.  Unger. 
Joseph  Smith. 
William  D.  Shomo. 
John  Balthaser. 


Daniel  Bausher. 
William  Bieser. 
Benjamin  Gardner. 
William  Beber. 
Jeremiah  Focht. 
George  Merkel. 


The  first  officers  were  William  D.  Shomo, 
president ;  Benjamin  Gardner,  vice-president ; 
Mahlon  A.  Sellers,  secretary ;  Samuel  S.  Unger, 
treasurer ;  John  Balthaser,  collector. 

In  its  workings  the  company  is  purely  mutual, 
and  its  operations  are  limited  to  Berks  County. 
Its  success  is  attested  by  the  fact  that  its  mem- 
bership is  fully  kept  up,  and  that  since  its  ex- 
istence the  society  has  been  able  to  sustain  the 
loss  of  one  hundred  and  forty-five  horses.  In- 
surance on  animals  may  be  placed  as  high  as 
two  hundred  dollars,  and  in  case  of  a  loss,  the 
owner  is  compensated  within  thirty  days,  less 
twenty  per  cent,  of  the  appraised  value  of  the 
animal.  In  1885  the  officers  were  Solomon 
Miller,  president;  John  De  Turk,  vice-presi- 
dent ;  Mahlon  A.  Sellers,  secretary ;  Jacob  F. 
Christ,  treasurer. 


PERBY  TOWNSHIP. 


In  an  act  passed  April  2,  1821,  establishing 
and  altering  certain  election  districts,  the  fol- 
lowing provision  was  made  :  "  That  the  township 
of  Perry,  in  the  county  of  Berks,  shall  be  a 
separate  election  district,  and  the  electors  thereof 
shall  hold  their  general  elections  at  the  house 
now  occupied  by  John  Binckley,  in  said  town- 
ship." But  no  action  was  taken  upon  this  legis- 
lation, and  that  section  of  territory  was  not 
made  into  a  separate  election  district.  No  such 
township  was  in  existence.  Twenty-eight  years 
afterward  this  election  district  was  again  estab- 
lished ;  and  still  the  township  was  not 
erected.  Four  years  more  elapsed  before  such 
a  political  division  was  created.  The  provision 
was  as  follows  :  "  That  so  much  of  the  town- 
ship of  Windsor  as  lies  south  of  a  line  com- 
mencing at  a  certain  point  on  the  Schuylkill 
River  designated  by  a  post  on  land  of  George 
Hughes  ;  thence,  including  the  farm  buildings, 
the  Ziou's  Church,  et  cetera,  N.  87J  degrees, 
E.  1776  perches,  to  a  double-hickory  tree  on 
the  banks  of  the  Maiden  Creek,  on  land  of 
Jacob  Heinly,  be  and  the  same  is  hereby  erected 
into  a  new  and  separate  township,  school  and 
election  district,  to  be  called  Perry  township." 
The  voting-place  was  fixed  at  the  house  of 
Jacob  Boyer,  in  Shoemakersville.  Benjamin 
Gardner  was  appointed  judge  and  John  Snyder 
and  John  H.  Mohr  inspectors  of  the  first  elec- 
tion for  township  officers. 

Industries. — The  industries  of  Perry  town- 
ship are  few  in  number  and  limited  to  the 
ordinary  occupations  of  a  farming  country. 
Along  the  Maiden  Creek,  near  Virginsville,  is 
the  blue-stone  quarry  of  Isaac  Leiby,  which  is 
noted  for  its  fine  quality  of  stone,  resembling 
slate  in  many  respects.  Blocks  of  stone  have 
been  taken  from  it  varying  from  two  inches  to 
four  feet  in  thickness  and  thirty  feet  long. 
The  same  kind  of  stone  is  found  on  the  farm 
of  Jacob  Shappell.  Neither  quarry  is  worked 
on  a  large  scale.  The  former  has  been  open 
many  years.  Near  Shoemakersville  flag-stones 
of  fine  quality  and  large  size  are  quarried  by 
William  S.  Roller  and  Isaac  Wheeler,  both 
quarries  being  worked  to  a  considerable  extent. 


1064 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


On  Plum  Creek,  more  than  a  mile  east 
from  Shoemakersville,  is  an  old  mill-seat, 
known  in  early  times  as Schnable's,  and  later  as 
the  mill  of  Nicholas  Greth.  The  present  mill, 
a  roomy  brick  building,  was  erected  by  Enoch 
Wartzenluft,  and  steam  supplied,  in  addition  to 
the  water-power,  before  1870.  It  is  operated 
on  custom-work.  Near  the  village  of  Virgins- 
ville,  and  operated  by  the  waters  of  the  Maiden 
Creek,  are  the  Gruber  grist  and  saw-mills,  built 
in  1832  by  John  Dreibelbis  and  now  owned  by 
Ephraim  Dreibelbis,  which  have  a  good  repu- 
tation. The  fine  mill  of  Adam  Stoudt,  at 
Shoemakersville,  is  operated  by  the  Plum  Creek 
and  the  Schuylkill.  It  was  built,  about  1840, 
by  James  and  Joshua  Reber,  but  has  been  sup- 
plied with  modern  machinery.  In  all  points 
it  is  an  excellent  mill. 

On  the  Plum  Creek,  in  the  village,  is  the 
well-equipped  tannery  of  C.  H.  &  W.  S. 
Seidel,  operated  by  the  present  firm  since  1884. 
It  was  built  to  its  present  size  in  1867,  by 
Solomon  B.  Seidel,  the  owner  since  1846.  The 
building  is  fifty  by  ninety  feet,  and  two  stories 
high.  There  are  sixty-four  vats.  Fifty  hides 
per  week  are  tanned  into  harness-leather. 
Steam  has  been  used  since  1863.  The  business 
was  established  by  Samuel  Shoemaker.  Part 
of  the  building  put  up  by  him  in  1810  is  still 
used  as  an  office.  It  is  said  that  schools  were 
taught  in  that  room  at  an  early  day.  Shoe- 
maker was  succeeded  by  Jacob  Seidel,  grand- 
father of  the  present  owners.  Near  Shoe- 
makersville, Henry  Moll  began  the  manufacture 
of  common  pottery-ware  many  years  ago, 
and  this  is  still  carried  on  by  Franklin  B. 
Moll. 

CHURCHES. 

Zion's  Church  (Lutheran  and  Reformed). — 
This  old  house  of  worship  is  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  township,  three  miles  from  Shoe- 
makersville. In  1805  the  present  edifice  was 
erected,  the  brick  used  in  its  construction  hav- 
ing been  made  on  the  church  property.  The 
lot  on  which  the  house  stands  was  bought  then. 
Since  that  time  additions  have  been  purchased 
to  enlarge  the  cemetery,  which  now  embraces 
about  three  acres.     It  has  lately  been  improved  • 


by  having  a  neat  iron  fence  built  in  front  of  the 
lot.     The  house  shows  evidence  of  age ;  but  it 
has  been  improved  so  as  to  make  it  attractive. 
It  was  remodeled  in  1860.     At  the  time  it  was 
built  the  trustees  were  Andrew  Schmidt,  Peter 
Shappell,  George   Hinkel  and  Peter  Gardner, 
the  last  two  named  being  Lutheran.    The  pres- 
ent is  the  third  house  of  worship  used  by  these 
congregations.     As  early  as  1760  the  purpose 
to  build  a  church  in  this  neighborhood  was  agi- 
tated, and  Conrad  Kerschner  made  a  journey  to 
Philadelphia  to  secure  a  donation  of  land  from 
the  Penns  for  church  purposes.     He  was  suc- 
cessful in  obtaining  a  grant  of  forty  acres,  and 
on  this  there  was  built  a  small  log  meeting- 
house, in  1761.    It  soon  proved  too  small,  and, 
in  1771,  a  larger  building  (also  of  logs)  was 
erected,  by  a  committee  composed  of  Jeremiah 
Shappell,  Eberhard  Shappell,  Johannes  Herd, 
Conrad  Kerschner  and  George  Hauer.      This 
house  also  stood  on  the  church  property,  on  land 
donated  by  the  Penns,  but  the  third  house  it 
was  thought  best  to   build  on   more  elevated 
ground,  which  was  secured  by  purchase.     The 
church  property  is  improved  with  a  residence, 
barn  and  enough  sheds  for  the  gratuitous  use 
of  church  attendants  to  accommodate  sixty-one 
teams. 

The  Rev.  Bernhart  Hausich  was  the  first  to 
preach  in  this  locality.  He  held  meetings  be- 
fore the  first  church  was  built.  He  visited  the 
neighborhood  from  1759  to  1763.  Then  came, 
as  Lutheran  pastors,  the  following : 


D.  Schumacher...  1763-65 

John  A.  Krug 1765-71 

Heinrich  Miller.. 1775-77 
Dan.  Lehman..l778-1810 


John  Knoske 1811-14 

Frederick  Engel.. 1817-23 
G.  F.  J.  Iaeger... 1823-66 
Thos.  T.  Iaeger...  1866 — 

The  Rev.  John  Andreas  Krug  was  the  first 
minister  to  preach  regularly,  and  he  began  the 
records  of  the  church.  Some  of  his  first  entries 
indicate,  in  1766,  the  marriage  of  Frantz  Roth 
to  Hannah  Kerschner,  the  ceremony  having 
been  performed  in  the  church,  after  the  bans 
had  been  declared  at  Reading. 

The  first  baptism  was  that  of  a  child  belong- 
ing to  Jacob  and  Magdalena  Schumacher,  in 
September,  1762.  The  child  received  the  name 
of  Mary  Magdalena,  and  Jacob  Hill  and  Mag- 
dalena, his  wife,  were  the  sponsors.    The  Luth- 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1065 


eran  congregation  has  flourished  for  many  years. 
In  1885  it  had  four  hundred  members. 

The  Reformed  congregation  had  its  first  set- 
tled pastor  in  1771,  in  the  person  of  Rev.  Philip 
Jacob  Michel.  The  successive  pastors  were  as 
follows : 


Henry  Hertzell 1800 

George  Wack 1807 

Henry  Dieffenbach...l808 

C.  S.  Hermann 1819 

Joseph  S.  Dubbs 1822 

P.S.Fischer 1831 

Adam  Schaeffer 1833 


Abraham  Berkey 1834 

C.  Y.  Hermann 1836 

J.  S.  Hermann " 

L.  D.  Lederman 1868 

E.  S.  Appel 1870 

B.  S.  Wise 1872 


In  1885  the  congregation  had  three  hundred 
members.  Sixty  years  ago  the  church  was  sup- 
plied with  a  pipe-organ  and  John  Starr  was  the 
organist  for  thirty-six  years.  Daniel  Saul  has 
filled  the  same  position  since  1866. 

Shoemakersville  Church  (Reformed 
and  Lutheran)  was  built  in  1853  on  two 
acres  of  land  secured  for  this  purpose 
from  the  farm  of  Joshua  Reber.  It  is 
a  two-story  brick  edifice,  with  a  gallery,  and 
was  put  up  by  a  building  committee  composed 
of  Daniel  Unger  and  Solomon  B.  Seidel,  on  the 
part  of  the  Lutheran  congregation  ;  and  David 
Becker  and  Isaac  Mohr,  on  the  part  of  the  Re- 
formed congregation. 

The  latter  had  for  its  first  pastor  the  Rev. 
Isaac  Miesse,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Revs.  F. 
H.  Swartz,  E.  P.  A.  Hoffman  and  the  present 
pastor  P.  Y.  Schelley.  The  congregation  has 
one  hundred  and  fifty  members.  The  Lutheran 
congregation  had  for  its  first  pastor  the  Rev. 
Thomas  T.  Iaeger,  whose  successors  in  the 
ministry  were  the  Revs.  B.  E.  Kramlich,  Ben- 
jamin Kline,  T.  T.  Iaeger,  C.  K.  Drumheller 
and  O.  D.  Miller.  It  has  one  hundred  and  fifty 
members  and  a  well-attended  Sunday-school  is 
superintended  by  Henry  K.  Miller. 

St.  Timothy's  Church  (Reformed  and 
Lutheran)  is,  as  its  name  implies,  a  union 
house  of  worship,  and  was  built  at  Mohrsville 
in  1864.  It  is  located  in  the  upper  part  of  the 
village,  on  the  east  side  of  the  turnpike  and 
presents  an  inviting  appearance.  The  house 
is  of  brick,  in  modern  style  of  church  architect- 
ure, and  is  supplied  with  a  plain  spire.  The 
89 


church  was  formally  dedicated  on  Sunday,  May 
17,  1865. 

The  Lutheran  congregation  was  organized 
with  seventeen  members  and  has  increased  to 
about  sixty.  The  Rev.  E.  B.  Kramlich  was  the 
first  pastor.  The  Rev.  G.  W.  Fritch  is  the 
present  pastor. 

The  Reformed  congregation  numbers  about 
thirty  members,  and  has  had  the  pastoral  services 
of  the  Revs.  Aaron  S.  Leinbach,  Tobias  Kessler, 
and  R.  S.  Appel,  the  latter  at  present  in  charge. 

The  Ebenezer  Church  of  the  Evangelical 
Association  was  built  in  1857,  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  village  of  Snoemakersville.  The 
building  is  of  brick  and  rather  small  in  dimen- 
sions. It  was  erected  under  the  direction  of  the 
Rev.  Daniel  Wieand,  assisted  by  a  building 
committee.  At  that  time  about  thirty  persons 
constituted  the  membership,  which  is  not  much 
stronger  at  this  time,  owing  to  the  organization 
of  Salem  United  Brethren  Church  in  the  same 
village.  The  church  is  included  in  the  Kutztown 
Circuit.  It  was  served  in  1885  by  the  Revs. 
William  Weidner  and  C.  C.  Speicher.  Thecircuit 
embraced  in  1885  Kutztown,  Lyons,  Shamrock, 
Richmond,  Virginsville,  Wesnersville,  Albany, 
Hamburg  and  Shoemakersville.  The  following 
ministers  have  been  in  charge  of  it:  Revs. 
Wieand,  Ziegenfuss,  Leib,  Leopold,  Sechrist, 
Gingrich,  Lichtenwalter,  Stauffer,  Yeagle,  Lenz, 
Hess  and  Weidner. 

Ebenezer  Church  supported  a  Sunday-school 
in  1885,  which  had  Wm.  P.  Burkhart  as  the 
superintendent. 

Salem  Church  of  the  United  Brethren  in 
Christ  is  located  in  the  upper  part  of  the  village 
of  Shoemakersville. 

The  congregation  occupying  it  was  or- 
ganized in  1874/  The  church  was  built  in 
1876.  It  is  a  small,  but  neat  brick  house, 
plainly  built.  The  committee  who  erected  it 
were  John  Sieger,  Peter  Heckman  and  Frank- 
lin Gundy.  The  two  former  and  Samuel 
Lesher  are  the  present  trustees.  There  were 
thirty  members  when  the  church  was  organized ; 
now  they  are  nearly  double  that  number.  Since 
the  fall  of  1885  the  pastor  has  been  the  Rev. 
L.  W.  Cranmer.  Other  ministers  of  the  church 
have  been   the   Revs.   Longenecker,    Fleisher, 


1066 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Lowry,  Etter,  Unger  and  Moon.  A  flourish- 
ing Sunday-school  is  supported  by  the  church, 
with  Henry  Dubson  as  superintendent. 

Schools. — The  people  of  Perry  have  taken 
a  warm  interest  in  educational  matters,  and  their 
school-houses  generally,  are  well  supplied  with 
the  requisities  demanded  by  our  modern 
teachers.  The  school-house  at  Shoemakersville 
was  built  in  1875.  It  is  a  spacious  two-story 
building,  well  furnished  and  the  schools  main- 
tained in  it  enjoy  a  good  reputation. 

VILLAGES. 

Shoemakersville,  the  largest  village  in 
Perry  township,  is  on  the  Schuylkill,  south- 
wardly of  the  centre  of  the  township  and  at 
the  mouth  of  Plum  Creek.  It  is  finely  located 
on  a  level  tract  of  land  and  is  surrounded  by  a 
fertile  country.  Its  name  was  derived  from 
Henry  Shoemaker,  one  of  the  first  settlers  at 
the  place,  who  lived  on  the  north  side  of  Plum 
Creek.  The  stone  mansion  which  he  built  in 
1768  is  still  standing  and  is  used  as  a  residence, 
being  now  the  property  of  Solomon  R.  Seidel. 
For  a  time  he  kept  an  inn  at  that  place,  but  it 
was  discontinued  when  a  public-house  was 
opened  in  Charles  Shoemaker's  dwelling,  which 
stood  on  the  south  side  of  Plum  Creek  and  on 
the  site  of  the  present  Metropolitan  Hotel.  The 
original  house  was  of  logs,  but  an  addition  of 
stone  was  made  after  more  room  was  demanded. 
Charles  Shoemaker  was  the  father  of  sons 
named  Charles,  Benjamin,  Jacob  and  Samuel. 
The  first-named  figured  most  in  public  affairs, 
being  a  member  of  the  Assembly  and  a  Senator 
from  1813  to  1816.  He  died  at  Shoemakers- 
ville in  1822.  He  was  the  father  of  Mrs. 
Solomon  B.  Seidel,  of  Shoemakersville,  and 
Mrs.  Charles  Mohr  and  Mrs.. Samuel  Stepp,  of 
Mohrsville.  The  lower  part  of  Shoemakers- 
ville was  never  laid  out  for  village  purposes, 
but  buildings  were  put  up  on  lots  of  irregular 
size  to  suit  the  purchasers.  Most  of  the  growth 
has  been  made  within  the  last  twenty  years.  A 
quarter  of  a  mile  farther  up  the  turnpike,  and 
on  the  north  side  of  the  canal,  an  addition  to 
Shoemakersville  was  made  by  Isaac  Reber ;  and 
later,  others,  by  F.  S.  Reber  and  S.  S.  Unger, 
upon  which    a   number   of  houses    have    been 


built.  Now  this  part  is  larger  than  the  original 
village.  The  first  house  here  was  put  up  by 
Harrison  Derrick,  a  log  building  used  for  a 
dwelling.  Jacob  Sieger  put  up  the  first  sub- 
stantial house,  also  a  residence,  in  1855 ;  and 
about  the  same  time  William  Miller  another, 
now  the  residence  of  Perry  Reber.  Near  the 
same  time  substantial  improvements  were  made 
by  Daniel  Zuber,  D.  B.  Fisher  and  George  B. 
Fisher.  The  latter  opened  the  first  store,  about 
1865,  in  a  building  now  occupied  as  a  tin-shop 
by  William  F.  Burkhart. 

In  1870  S.  S.  Unger  put  up  a  large  three- 
story  brick  hotel  in  this  part  of  the  village, 
calling  it  the  "  Mansion  House."  The  upper 
part  was  finished  off  for  a  public  hall  and  part 
of  the  lower  floor  prepared  for  a  store-room, 
which  has  since  been  occupied  for  business 
purposes.  The  hotel  has  been  continuously 
kept  by  S.  S.  and  A.  S.  Unger. 

Between  these  two  parts  of  the  village  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  has  located  its  station, 
erecting  very  neat  depot  buildings,  opened  for 
business  in  December,  1885.  Half  a  mile  west, 
in  Centre  township,  is  the  depot  building  of  the 
Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad,  and  which 
is  the  Shoemakersville  station.  It  was  not 
located  as  early  as  the  construction  of  the  rail- 
way, the  people  of  the  place  for  many  years 
having  been  obliged  to  transact  their  business 
through  the  Mohrsville  station.  In  1862  the 
Windsor  Haven  Bridge  Company  opened  its  toll- 
bridge  and  entered  into  an  agreement  with  the 
railroad  company  whereby  the  latter  agreed  to 
maintain  a  station,  provided  the  former  would 
erect  the  depot  buildings.  This  arrangement 
was  carried  out  and  since  that  time  the  station 
has  aided  in  increasing  the  business  of  Shoe- 
makersville. The  first  merchandising  was  done 
in  the  old  Shoemaker  mansion,  where  Samuel 
Dreibelbis  had  a  store.  Soon  after,  a  man 
named  Feyer  opened  a  store  in  part  of  the 
Charles  Shoemaker  inn.  This  was  discontinued 
and  a  store  was  opened  at  the  canal  by  Jacob 
Barndt.  Soon  after,  Michael  Beard  began  trad- 
ing in  a  house  put  up  for  store  purposes  by  the 
Reber  brothers,  Joshua  and  James,  who  endea- 
vored to  attract  business  to  the  village  by  these 
improvements.     Another    store-staud    was  es- 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1067 


tablished  by  Charles  Shoemaker,  where  Charles 
Weightman  engaged  in  business.  Later,  Joseph 
Seidel  built  a  store-house,  which  is  still  in  use, 
occupied  by  Henry  K.  Miller  many  years. 
Along  the  canal  store-houses  were  built  by  the 
Rebers  and  by  Jacob  Seidel,  Sr.  In  the  one 
D.  I.  Saul  is  in  business,  and  near  the  Penn- 
sylvania depot  Charles  N.  Brownmiller  has 
lately  established  himself  in  trade  as  a  lumber 
and  coal  dealer. 

The  old  Charles  Shoemaker  inn  was  carried 
on  in  a  repaired  condition  until  1869,  when 
Elias  Becker  built  and  has  since  kept  the  com- 
modious three-story  hotel  known  as  the  Metro- 
politan House.  The  upper  story  was  fitted  up 
for  the  use  of  secret  societies  and  it  has  been  oc- 
cupied by  lodges  of  the  orders  of  Patrons  of 
Husbandry,  Knights  of  Pythias,  Junior  Ameri- 
can Mechanics  and  Knights  of  the  Mystic 
Chain,  all  of  which  have  been  discontinued  and 
the  charters  surrendered.  In  this  hotel  is  the 
Shoemakersville  post-office,  established  in  1833, 
and  which  was  kept  by  Charles  Shoemaker,  Jr. 
The  present  postmaster  is  Elias  Becker. 

Among  the  physicians  at  Shoemakersville 
may  be  named  Dr.  Winters,  Dr.  Hiram  Whit- 
ner,  Dr.  J.  N.  Brause  and  the  present  practi- 
tioners, Dr.  M.  S.  Reber  and  Dr.  N.  K.  Fisher. 

On  the  turnpike,  above  the  village,  were  two 
old-time  inns,  known  as  Fink's  and  Heckman's  ; 
at  the  former  were  also  as  landlords,  Solomon 
Lesher,  Tobias  Gerhart,  Aspen  Kerschner  and 
Charles  Dreibelbis,  the  last  to  keep  the  inn. 

Mohesville  is  a  pleasant  hamlet  consisting 
of  fifteen  buildings  on  the  Perry  township  side 
of  the  Schuylkill,  and  as  many  more  on  the 
Centre  township  side.  There  are  stations  of 
the  same  name  on  both  the  Philadelphia  and 
Reading  Railroad  and  the  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road. The  former  station  was  established  in 
October,  1841,  in  Centre  township,  and  J.  W. 
Smith  appointed  agent.  Upon  his  decease 
Seth  Zimmerman  became  his  successor,  and 
since  December,  1842,  has  faithfully  and  effi- 
ciently discharged  the  duties  of  an  agent  of  the 
company.  The  depot  is  large  and  much  ship- 
ping is  done  at  this  point. 

The  station  on  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
was  opened  in  December,  1885,  and  has  been 


provided  with  pleasant  quarters.  It  was  on 
this  side  that  Mohrsville  began  its  growth  and 
took  its  name  from  the  Mohr  family,  who  were 
early  settlers  here  and  the  first  to  engage  in 
trade.  John  H.  Mohr  had  a  public-house  in 
the  first  building  in  the  place,  and  he  was  the 
first  postmaster  of  the  office  established  May  10, 
1836.  The  inn  was  vacated  about  18.53,  after 
the  hotel  on  the  west  side  was  opened.  The 
store  built  about  1840  by  John  H.  Mohr  and 
John  Gernant,  and  in  which  Michael  R.  Smith 
is  now  carrying  on  business,  is  the  only  public 
place  on  the  east  side,  and  in  it  is  kept  the  post- 
office  by  Michael  R.  Smith.  It  is  the  distribu- 
ting office  for  Centreport  and  Bernville  by 
stage  route  tri-weekly.  Various  shops  are  in 
the  village.  Dr.  W.  R.  Shaner  is  located  there 
in  the  practice  of  medicine. 

On  the  west  side  are  a  large  hotel,  a  good 
store  and  a  number  of  fine  homes,  some  of  them 
lately  erected,  while  on  the  east  side  the  new 
railroad  has  caused  evidences  of  improvement 
to  appear. 


ALBANY  TOWNSHIP. 

Albany  township  is  the  northernmost  dis- 
trict in  the  county.  Its  eastern  line  forms  part 
of  the  county  line  between  Berks  and  Lehigh 
Counties,  and  its  northern  line  part  of  the 
county  line  between  Berks  and  Schuylkill 
Counties.  I  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain 
when  this  township  was  first  erected  and  how 
much  territory  it  embraced.  The  first  district 
in  this  upper  section  of  the  county  embraced  a 
large  area  of  territory,  including  what  is  now 
Albany  and  Greenwich  townships,  altogether 
about  forty-five  thousand  acres,  and  it  was 
known  for  some  years  previous  to  1752  by  the 
name  of  "Allemaengel,"  which  signified  all- 
wants,  a  country  wanting  in  fertility  of  soil. 
About  the  time  of,  and  probably  immediately 
after,  the  erection  of  the  county  this  large  area 
was  divided  into  two  districts  by  a  straight  line 
run  east  and  west  through  the  central  portion, 
the  upper  having  been  named  Albany  and  the 
lower  Greenwich.  These  names  were  taken  from 
prominent  districts  in  England,  and  were 
doubtless  suggested  by  the  surveyor,  Benjamin 


1068 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Lightfoot,  who  was  active  in  such  service 
during  that  early  period  of  the  county.  I  made 
diligent  search  amongst  the  old  records  of  Phil- 
adelphia County,  and  also  of  Berks  County, 
without  finding  anything  relating  to  the  erec- 
tion of  this  large  tract  of  territory  into  a  town- 
ship or  to  its  subsequent  subdivision. 

Immediately  after  the  country  between  the 
South  Mountain  and  Blue  Mountain  was  de- 
clared open  to  general  settlement  upon  its  pur- 
chase from  the  Indians,  settlers  proceeded  north- 
wardly along  the  Maiden  Creek  and  took  up 
lands  by  warrant  and  survey.  These  were 
mostly,  if  not  entirely,  Germans.  In  1741  there 
were  thirty-seven  taxables. 

In  1732  a  "manor"  of  two  thousand  acres 
was  set  apart  for  the  use  of  Thomas  Penn  in 
the  upper  section.  This  tract  was  described  as 
situated  on  the  Andenehilia  (Maiden  Creek),  be- 
tween Big  Manor  Creek  and  Little  Manor 
Creek.  Tradition  has  carried  the  "  manor " 
down  till  now,  and  the  creeks  to  the  east  and 
west  are  still  pointed  out  and  so  named. 

Early  Settlers. — Cornelius  Frees  took  up 
a  tract  of  land,  containing  two  hundred  acres, 
in  1743,  which  lay  at  the  foot  of  the  Blue 
Mountain,  towards  the  western  end  of  the  town- 
ship, in  what  is  commonly  called  "  The  Cor- 
ner " — [Die  E6fc\.  His  neighbors  then  were 
Adam  Frees,  Andreas  Hagenbough  and  Tobias 
Stapleton.  When  the  land  was  taken  up  it  was 
described  as  being  on  a  branch  of  Maiden  Creek, 
in  Philadelphia  County.  But  several  years 
afterward  this  section  was  known  as  "  Alle- 
maengel."  He  erected  a  log  building  on  this 
tract.  It  was  one  story,  with  a  garret,  and  its 
dimensions  were  eighteen  feet  wide  by  twenty- 
seven  feet  long.  This  was  the  first  building 
erected  in  that  distant  locality.  It  was  still 
standing  in  1 883,  when  I  visited  it,  being  then 
one  hundred  and  forty  years  old,  but  it  was  in 
a  very  weak  condition.  The  first  floor  had 
three  rooms,  and  the  garret  the  same.  A  large 
space  was  set  apart  for  the  "  fire-corner  "  and 
kitchen.  The  two  rooms  adjoining  were  heated 
by  a  walled- in  stove,  which  consisted  of  iron 
plates  fastened  together,  and  extended  from  one 
room  through  the  partition  into  the  other  room. 
This  was  the  only  specimen  of  a  stove  of  this 


pattern  which  I  saw  at  any  time  in  this  county 
or  elsewhere. 

A  large  iron  plate  had  been  walled  in  on  the 
side  of  the  building  by  Frees,  which  continued 
in  place  for  many  years,  until  it  was  removed  by 
Daniel  Levan,a  succeeding  owner,  who  migrated 
from  Exeter  township.  This  plate  is  supposed 
to  have  been  cast  at  the  Colebrookdale  Furnace. 
It  contained  the  following  inscription  in  raised 
letters  : 

WAS  NGH"  ZU  GOTTES   Effi 
AUS  GLAIEEN  GEF  1ST  SLNDE 
NERCKALF  0THELRE3   HERTZ 
VERLIErR  IA  KEINE  STUME 

DIE  UBERKLUGE  WELT   VER-- 
=STEHT  DOCH  KENE  WAAREN 
SESUCHT  UMD   FINDET  KOTH 
U\ID  LAST  DIE  PERLE  FAffiEN 

This  building  occupied  a  dangerous  position 
during  the  invasion  by  the  Indians.  It  was 
occupied  at  times  as  a  place  of  refuge  by  the 
settlers  in  that  vicinity.  A  man  named  Schoner, 
it  is  said,  was  shot  at  the  door;  and  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  away  a  man  named  Shisler  and  his 
wife  were  killed  by  the  Indians. 

Taxa.ble.3  of  1759. —The  following  list 
comprises  the  taxable  inhabitants  of  the  town- 
ship in  1759.  Michael  Brobst  was  the  collector. 
The  tax  levied  amounted  to  £31  6s.  Od. 


Anthony  Adam 2 

Arnold  Billig 8 

Francis  BiUig * 6 

John  Bricker 6 

Jacob  Bacher 4 

Michael  Brobst 14 

Martin  Brobst 14 

Deobald  Biehlman l 

Nicholas  Bacher 6 

Valentine  Brobst 16 

Cornelius  Drees 3 

Nicholas  Emrich 2 

John  Frees 3 

Simon  Frees e 

Jacob  Gerhard 4 

Jacob  Gortner 7 

Peter  Gortner 2 

Andreas  Hagebach 7 

Christopher  Hagler 12 

Christian  Henry 7 


Frederick  Hauer 2 

John  Hein 2 

Michael  Hollenbach I 

Michael  Herster 5 

George  Kungle (j 

John  Kuss I 

Jacob  Kuntz 6 

Martin  Kanip 5 

Peter  Kneper 7 

Christopher  Keilbach 2 

John  Kistler 5 

Martin  Keffer 2 

George  Klingeman 2 

Philip  Kugler 2 

Christopher  Lentzberger 2 

George  Lilly 5 

George  Lomberts 7 

John  Lebs 1 

Jacob  Lautz , 5 

John  Miller 4 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1069 


Michael  Manrer :...  2 

Nicholas  Miltenberger 3 

Jacob  Poh 3 

Valentine  Petry 1 

Henry  Rutter 16 

Henry  Raohelsder^er 3 

John  Reick 2 

Christopher  Swenck 1 

John  Stierwald 2 

Jacob  Stam 2 

Nicholas  Strasser 6 

Nicholas  Smith 3 


Philip  Stampach 0 

Tobias  Staplotou.A 10 

William  Smcather 6 

William  Stump 5 

George  Tram 5 

Alldrens  Wenner 0 

John  Wilt 8 

Jacob  Werdt 4 

Nicholas  Wenner , 4 

Ulrich  Waggoner 1 

Henry  Zimmerman 2 


William  Farmar. 
Jacob  Frees. 
Henry  Fulweiler. 
Jacob  Hagenbach. 


SmgU  Men. 

Henry  Kanisb. 
Elias  Redkin. 
Daniel  Smith. 


Inmates. 

Solomon  Bacher 1        George  Ranch 

Jacob  Bayly 2        Henry  Rnppert 

Christopher  Braucher. 1        George  Sharp 

Jacob  Donat 1        John  Smeather 

Daniel  Graucher 1        Daniel  Stump 

Frederick  Hass 2        Henry  Swenck 

George  Kautzman 1        Peter  Zeybold 

Samuel  Leydy 1 

Eaely  Buildings. — Several  old  buildings 
in  the  township  remain  as  evidences  of  its  early 
settlement.  On  the  farm  of  James  B.  Levan 
is  an  old  log  building  which  is  a  relic  of  the 
time  when  Indian  warfare  harassed  the  settlers, 
and  it  doubtless  served  as  a  sort  of  fort,  for  bul- 
let-marks are  still  visible  on  the  logs. 

Near  by  is  a  stone  house,  owned  by  Joel 
Baer,  which  antedates  the  Revolution.  It  was 
long  known  as  the  "  Robert  Steppleton  Place." 
Farther  east,  on  the  Ontelaunee,  is  a  log  house, 
now  owned  by  N.  D.  Trexler,  at  Trexler  Sta- 
tion, which  is  a  landmark  easily  recognized  by 
the  older  people,  and  around  which  cluster 
many  recollections.  It  was  long  an  inn  and  in 
the  days  when  grain  was  cut  by  hand-sickles 
the  thirsty  harvesters  used  to  drive  their  sickles 
into  the  logs  while  they  went  inside  to  refresh 
themselves.  These  marks  can  be  plainly  seen. 
A  few  years  ago,  while  the  owner  was  rebuild- 
ing the  chimney,  he  found  a  very  rare  relic  of 
the  Revolutionary  period  imbedded  in  the  wall 
of  the  garret  and  plastered  over.  It  is  a  circu- 
lar piece  of  apple  wood,  about  a  foot  in  diame- 
ter and  contains  an  excellent  profile  of  Wash- 
ington. On  its  edge  there  appears,  in  reversed 
letters,  the  following  sentiment:  "Long  live 
Geo.  Washington,  the  Commander  of  the  Fed- 
eral Army."  The  date  and  other  matter  at  the 
bottom  have  been  eaten  away  by  mice.  The 
engraving  shows  skillful  workmanship. 

Eaely  Settlers. — Of  the  early  settlers,  a 


number  of  descendants  of  the  fourth  and  fifth 
generations  still  remain  on  the  places  first  occu- 
pied by  their  forefathers,  among  which  may  be 
named  the  Berks  and  Baileys.  Of  the  latter, 
Daniel  Bailey,  born  in  Albany,  who  died  in 
Greenwich,  ninety  years  of  age. 

In  that  township  John  Jacob  Dietrich  settled 
on  the  Sacony  Creek,  where  he  reared  sons 
named  Henry,  John  Jacob,  George  and  Chris- 
tian. The  first  two  settled  in  Albany,  and  John 
Jacob,  who  died  in  1857,  was  the  father  of 
Solomon  and  Charles  P.  Dietrich,  well-known 
citizens  of  Albany.  A  member  of  another 
generation,  Franklin  S.  Dietrich,  born  in  Al- 
bany in  September,  1851,  after  being  educated 
at  Kutztown  Normal  School,  Freeland  Semi- 
nary and  at  Philadelphia,  went  as  a  missionary 
to  India  in  the  fall  of  1882,  and  has  since  been 
in  that  service. 

The  Fetherolf  family,  though  prominent 
years  ago  in  the  affairs  of  Albany,  have  nearly 
all  died  or  removed.  Abraham,  a  son  of  John, 
became  a  physician  of  repute. 

Among  other  natives  of  Albany  who  became 
physicians  are  James  D.  Graver,  Wm.  Trexler 
and  George  Reagan. 

The  Trexlers  identified  themselves  with  the 
township  in  1826,  occupying  the  Fusselman 
farm.  Of  sons  named  Amos,  Jonas,  Riter, 
Jairus,  Aaron,  Nathan,  David  and  Benjamin, 
the  first  four  survive,  who,  with  their  descend- 
ants, are  active  in  the  affairs  of  the  county. 
The  Kistlers  settled  in  Lehigh  County,  near 
Wesnersville,  from  which  place  some  of  the 
family  early  came  to  Albany  and  carried  on 
mills  and  small  factories.  Jacob,  Daniel  and 
Mathias  Kistler  are  best  remembered  in  this 
connection. 

INDUSTRIES. 

The  mountain  streams  of  Albany  were  early 
improved  to  operate  mills  and  factories  requir- 
ing but  small  power.  Prominent  in  their  day 
were  the  Union  Forges  and  Furnace,  on  Pine 
Creek  and  its  tributary,  all  within  a  radius  of 
a  mile,  and  their  operations  brought  a  sturdy, 
busy  population  to  the  township,  many  of  whom 
left  after  the  iron-works  were  no  longer  carried 
on.  A  small  charcoal  furnace  and  two  forges 
were  built  before  1780,  which  became  known 


1070 


HISTOET  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


as  the  "  Union  Iron- Works."  They  were  sub- 
sequently operated  by  Michael  JBrobst,  John 
Brobst,  Valentine  Brobst  and  John  Richards. 
Later,  George  Reagan,  an  iron-master  from 
Virginia,  became  the  owner  of  the  property, 
which  included  extensive  tracts  of  land.  Be- 
sides carrying  on  the  iron-works,  he  operated 
grist  and  saw-mills  and  carried  on  a  general 
store.  The  furnace  was  abandoned  more  than 
fifty  years  ago,  and  the  last  forge  ceased  to  work 
twenty  years  later,  under  the  ownership  of  Wil- 
liam Reagan.  But  the  grist-mill,  built  by 
Brobst  over  a  hundred  years  ago,  still  remains. 
The  lower  story  is  of  stone  and  the  upper  of 
logs.  It  is  the  property  of  Thomas  Long.  On 
Pine  Creek  were  also  the  Knepper  mill  (very 
early)  and  oil,  grist  and  saw-mills  by  Jacob 
Grenewalt  and  the  Grim  family.  On  Stony 
Run,  near  its  mouth,  the  Mason  family  had  an 
early  mill,  which  was  owned  by  Samuel  Brobst 
and  subsequently  by  Isaac  Levan  and  his  son 
Jackson.  The  present  Deitrkh  mill  is  remem- 
bered as  Kistler's  and  later  as  the  property  of 
Reuben  and  Jonathan  Grim,  well-known  citi 
zens  in  their  day.  Then  came  the  Grenewalt 
mill,  which  obtained  a  wider  reputation  as  Kun- 
kel's  and  is  still  owned  by  that  family.  The 
Fetherolf  family  had  mills  and  shops  on  Mill 
Creek,  which  became  the  property  of  the  Trex- 
ler  family.  On  the  Ontelaunee,  near  the  Le- 
high line,  there  was  early  a  mill  known  as 
Witmann's,  but  better  remembered  as  Moser's. 

At  Trexler's  Station  the  Shellenberger  family 
had  a  clover-mill  and  a  power  to  grind  sickles 
and  turn  gun-barrels.  This  power  is  now  used 
to  operate  N.  D.  Trexler's  tannery,  which  was 
established  in  1857  by  Joel  Kistlerand  operated 
since  1867  by  the  present  owner.  The  capacity 
is  sixteen  hundred  hides  per  year.  Other  tan- 
neries were  operated  on  Aaron  Trexler's  place 
and  on  the  Hagenbush  farm,  where  fine  leather 
was  made  a  specialty.  Isaac  Levan  long  car- 
ried on  a  tannery,  making  leather  of  good  quality 
by  the  use  of  improved  methods  and  machinery. 

Other  small  industries,  such  as  carding-ma- 
chines,  oil-mills,  saw-mills,  etc.,  had  an  exis- 
tence and  some  are  still  run  to  a  limited  extent. 
The  majority  of  the  population  find  employment 
in  agriculture. 


Slate  Quarries. — Albany  has  become  a 
prominent  locality  on  account  of  its  slate  inter- 
ests. These  were  first  developed  by  Charles 
Faust,  on  his  farm  on  the  slope,  of  the  Blue 
Mountain.  As  the  products  had  to  be  hauled 
to  Hamburg,  but  little  was  done  until  1876, 
when  the  Berks  County  Railroad,  by  affording 
better  shipping  facilities,  induced  more  active 
operation  of  the  quarries.  That  year  David 
Heinley  and  Charles  Faust  opened  the  "  Cen- 
tennial Quarry,"  taking  out  a  superior  quality 
of  slate  and  employing  eighteen  men  the  fol- 
lowing year.  In  1881  they  sold  out  to  the 
"Standard  Slate  Company,"  which  was,  in  turn, 
succeeded  by  the  "  Big  Bed  Slate  Company." 
In  this  quarry  as  high  as  forty  men  have  been 
employed.  The  "  Quaker  City  Slate  Com^ 
pany  "  was  the  next  to  open  a  quarry  opposite 
the  "  Centennial,"  and  it  successfully  operated 
the  same  until  1884,  when  a  change  of  owner- 
ship took  place.  Under  this  management  thirty 
men  found  employment.  In  the  same  locality 
is  the  "  Pittsburgh  Quarry,"  which,  when  fully 
worked,  employs  twenty  men,  and  also  a  new 
quarry  by  the  "  Continental  Slate  Company," 
of  Philadelphia,  which  commenced  work  in  the 
fall  of  1885. 

The  slate  of  this  section  ranks  with  the  best 
quality  found  in  the  slate  region.  It  is  in 
strata  from  fifteen  to  eighty  feet  below  the  sur- 
face. New  developments  being  made  from 
time  to  time,  this  industry  promises  to  become 
the  most  important  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
county. 

CHURCHES. 

Albany  Church. — In  this  section  of  coun- 
try, notwithstanding  its  remoteness  from  the 
stronger  settlements  to  the  south,  the  settlers 
displayed  commendable  energy  towards  estab- 
lishing a  church  for  religious  worship.  The 
devotion  of  Rev.  Henry  Melchior  Muhlenberg 
carried  him  into  that  wild  region  of  territory, 
to  give  encouragement  and  comfort  to  those 
pioneers  in  the  great  work  of  possessing  and 
improving  this  new  country,  and  of  building  up 
and  carrying  onward  the  development  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  in  Pennsylvania.  Certain  of 
his  church  members  had  moved  thither,  be- 
tween 1735  and  1745,  from  New  Hanover,  in 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1071 


Philadelphia  (now  Montgomery)  County,  and  he 
naturally  followed  them  to  look  after  their 
spiritual  welfare.  In  1746  (April  11th)  he 
took  up  in  this  township  a  tract  of  land  con- 
taining fifty  acres,  and  about  that  time  a 
church  was  erected  thereon.  This  was  first 
known  as  "  Allemaengel  Church,"  and  after- 
ward named  "New  Jerusalem."  In  1770, 
Muhlenberg  granted  this  land  to  Philip  Stam- 
bach,  Jacob  Gortner  and  Valentine  Brobst,  of 
Albany  township,  in  Berks  County,  and  Mat- 
thias Brobst  and  George  Kestler,  of  Lynn  town- 
ship, in  Northampton  (now  Lehigh)  County, 
trustees,  in  trust  and  for  the  use  of  the  "  Ger- 
man Lutheran  Congregation  of  Albany  town- 
ship." 1 

The  following  interesting  extracts  have  been 
taken  from  a  centennial  sermon  delivered  by 
the  Rev.  S.  K.  Brobst,  at  a  celebration  in  this 
church  on  September  3,  1871 : 2 

"The  beginning  of  the  foundation  of  a  German 
Evangelical  Lutheran  congregation  in  this  vicinity, 
formerly  called  'Allemaengel,'  must  have  been 
already  begun  between  the  years  1740  and  1747.  In 
the  'Hallischen  Nachrichten,'  pp.  215-216,  the  Rev. 
Henry  Melchior  Muhlenberg  mentions  the  following 
facts  concerning  it : 

"  '  In  March,  1747,  I  took  a  journey  to  the  north- 
western mountains,  fifty  miles  from  Providence  (now 
called  the  Trappe).  Many  German  people  lived  there, 
poor  and  destitute,  and  have  a  scarcity  of  spiritual 
and  bodily  food.  Divers  members  of  the  congrega- 
tion from  New  Hanover  having  moved  thithtT,  and 
recalled  their  worship  of  God,  they  gave  me  a  press- 
ing invitation  to  visit  them.  Many  grew  into  a  wild 
life  and  no  longer  regarded  churches  and  schools,  and 
some  followed  such  men  who  had  set  themselves  up 
as  preachers  (vagrants).  Others  sought  something 
edifying  and  would  not  have  anything  to  do  with 
ministers  walking  about  by  themselves,  but  fell  on  the 
other  side  and  connected  themselves  with  the  Mora- 
vians from  Bethlehem. 

"'  My  former  members  had  already  several  times 
sent  men  to  me  and  asked  me  to  help  them.  Having 
at  the  time  had  with  me,  as  an  assistant,  Mr.  Kurtz 
(school-teacher  and  assistant  preacher),  I  sent  him 
thither  several  times,  and  through  my  father-in-law, 
Conrad  Weiser,  let  a  small  tract  of  land  (50  acres)  as 

'Deed  recorded  in  Recorder's  office,  Reading,  in  D.  B. 
vol.  vi.,  p.  321-322. 

Published  in  Die  Lutherische  Zeilschrift,  at  Allenlown, 
Pa.i  September  16,  1871,  in  German  and  translated  by  the 
author  of  this  history. 


a  property  for  church  purposes.  Upon  this  they  were 
to  erect  a  log  school-house  or  church.  If  they  should 
in  time  become  strong,  so  that  they  could  support  a 
school-teacher,  then  the  children  should  receive  some 
help.  The  school-teacher  should  read  the  Scriptures 
on  Sundays  and  I  would  visit  them  once  or  several 
times  every  year. 

"'After  a  majority  of  them  had  united  and  agreed 
upon  a  fair  proposition,  they  began  to  erect  a  log 
church.  In  the  mean  time  the  Moravians 8  from  Beth- 
lehem were  industrious  in  drawing  some  of  these  peo- 
ple unto  themselves,  most  of  whom  were  still  in 
the  possession  of  bodily  sustenance.  These  Mora- 
vians proclaimed  that  they  were  the  genuine  Luther- 
ans, and  they  also  administered  the  sacrament  after 
the  manner  of  the  Lutherans,  and  sent  a  brother 
member  with  his  family  to  those  whom  they  had  won 
over,  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  school. 

"  '  The  other  party  seeing  this,  they  became  angry 
and  used  abusive  language,  and  the  third  party,  on 
this  account,  withdrew.  Soon  after  they  had  begun 
to  erect  a  church,  the  operations  stopped,  and  the 
building  without  a  roof  stands  to  this  day.  The  Mora- 
vians thought  that  they  would  and  could  finish  the 
building  with  the  understanding  that  it  should  be  a 
brotherly  church ;  but  this  I  did  not  agree  to,  because 
the  ground  was  still  in  my  possession,  and  I  had  hopes 
that  the  poor  Lutherans  would  in  time  be  able  to  help 
themselves.  But  then  I  did  not  see  any  possibility 
how  such  a  spoiled  disordered  heap  could  be  improved 
until  the  Lord  should  give  me  ways  and  means  as  yet 
unknown.  During  my  recent  visit  there,  I  myself 
preached,  baptized  several  children  and  urged  my 
former  members  to  read  the  Scriptures  and  pray  with 
diligence.  And  I  administered  the  sacrament  unto 
two  old  persons,  at  their  earnest  request.  Their  chil- 
dren had  joined  the  Moravians  and  this  caused  them 
to  sorrow  secretly  and  receive  the  sacrament  with  the 
deepest  humiliation  ;  and  they  promised  through  Jesus 
Christ  to  remain  faithful  in  life,  sorrow  and  death.' 

"  The  first  children  baptized  were  the  children  of 
Join  Bely,  Frank  Bely,  Caspar  Langenberger,  Peter 
Driesz,  Michael  Brobst,  Frederick  Beichelsdorl'er, 
John  Wesner  and  George  Kistler. 

"  Among  the  first  persons  confirmed  were  the  fol- 
lowing :  in  1756,  George  Kistler,  George  Kunkel, 
Conrad  Billman,  Fr.  Billig,  Maria  D.  Fosselman ;  in 
1757,  George  Fr.  Braucher,  George  Brobst,  Anna  M. 
Grimm. 

"  A  burying-ground  is  connected  with  the  church. 

"  The  first  grave-stone  bears  , date  in  1760,  and  the 
second  in  1762. 

"  The  whole  tract  is  still  owned,  excepting  1£  acres 
sold  off  to  an  adjoining  owner  of  property. 

3  The  Moravians  had  a  settlement  near  by  in  "  Kistler's 
Valley,"  which  must  have  included  a  considerable  number- 
Upon  Jonas  Kistler's  land  there  was  a  burying  ground 
which  was  known  as  the  "  Moravian  Burying-Ground." 


1072 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


"  Beside  the  church  record,  the  pastor  (Schumacher) 
kept  a  private  record  with  great  care  and  exactness, 
in  which  he  entered  the  baptisms  and  confirmations, 
with  dates,  names,  etc.,  and  this  is  now  with  the  docu- 
ments of  the  church.  It  contains  the  names  of  1208 
children  baptized  from  1754  till  1774,  and  their  pa- 
rents, and  the  names  of  500  persons  who  were 
confirmed  and  admitted  to  membership.  Among 
these  names  are  many  of  the  families  who  still  reside 
in  the  vicinity  and  continue  their  connection  with  the 
church. 

"  From  1755  to  1769  the  congregations  were  served 
by  the  Rev.  Daniel  Schumacher,  a  Lutheran  minister 
who  then  lived  at  Weissenberg,  between  three  and 
four  miles  from  Allemaengel,  and  in  that  time  also 
served  fifteen  or  sixteen  other  congregations  in  Berks 
and  Northampton  Counties;  those  in  Berks  having 
been  Maxatawny  (near  Kutztown),  Windsor,  Green- 
wich, Alsace,  Schwartzvvald,  '  Oley  Hills,'  beyond 
the  Blue  Mountains  (Zionsville)  and  Summer  Hill 
(North-kill). 

"  In  1769  he  withdrew  from  this  church,  moved  a 
small  distance  away,  and  took  with  him  a  considerable 
number  of  his  friends,  where  in  1770-71  a  new  '  Al- 
lemaengel Kirche  '  was  erected,  formerly  called  Bethel 
Church,  also  the  '  White  Church.' 

"  In  the  beginning,  and  till  1808,  the  congregation 
was  entirely  Lutheran,  excepting  the  privilege  given 
to  members  of  the  Reformed  denomination  to  worship 
in  the  church  occasionally.  Then  a  new  church  was 
encouraged,  conjointly  by  Lutheran  and  Reformed 
members,  with  the  understanding  that  the  latter 
should  enjoy  equal  privileges  in  the  building,  for 
church  and  school  purposes  and  in  the  land  for  bury- 
ing. The  corner-stone  was  laid  on  7th  May,  1812, 
upon  which  occasion  the  Lutherans  were  represented 
by  the  Revs.  J.  Knoske,  H.  Geissenhainer  and  J. 
Weiand,  and  the  Reformed  by  Revs.  Henry  Dieffen- 
bach  and  Jacob  Dieffenbach. 

"  The  dedication  of  the  new  church  took  place  on 
29-30  May,  1814.  Revs.  Knoske  and  J.  Heim  offici- 
ated for  the  Lutheran  members,  and  Revs.  Henry 
Dieffenbach,  Jacob  Dieffenbach  and  Carl  Hermann 
for  the  Reformed.  The  church  of  1814  is  still  stand- 
ing in  a  good  state  of  preservation,  and  religious  ser- 
vices are  conducted  there  regularly  and  successfully. 
A  school  was  conducted  for  many  years  in  connection 
with  the  church." 

The  church  is  situated  near  the  eastern  line 
of  the  township,  a  short  distauce  above  Wess- 
nersville.  First  known  as  the  "  Allemaengel 
Kirche"  and  later  as  the  "Albany  Church,"  it 
has  locally  been  designated  as  the  "Red 
Church "  on  account  of  its  roof  having  been 
painted  that  color.  Its  offspring,  the  church  at 
Wessnersville,  about  the  same  time  was  desig- 


nated as  the  "  White  Church,"  a  title  which  still 
clings  to  it. 

A  centennial  celebration  was  held  at  this 
church  on  Saturday  and  Sunday,  the  2d  and  3d 
days  of  September,  1871.  The  building  was 
handsomely  decorated  with  evergreens  and 
flowers.  The  entire  congregation,  including 
many  persons  from  distant  parts  who  had  been 
confirmed  in  this  church,  assembled  to  partici- 
pate in  the  ceremony.  , 

Various  Lutheran  preachers  offiiciated  here 
from  1770  to  1777,  according  to  the  hand- 
writing in  the  church  record,  their  names  not 
having  been  mentioned.  From  1777,  for  three 
years,  the  Eev.  Friedrich  Miller  acted  as  pastor, 
and  subsequently  until  1810  the  Rev.  Daniel 
Lehmann.  After  Lehmann's  death,  Rev.  John 
Knoske  came  from  Orwigsburg  (now  in  Schuyl- 
kill County),  and  served  this  church  in  connec- 
tion with  others  situated  in  the  vicinity 
extending  to  Kutztown,  for  twelve  years,  till 
the  close  of  1823.  From  1824  until  1831  there 
were  the  Revs.  Doring,  Wartman  and  Pfalz, 
and  in  1831,  Rev.  J.  Roeller  began  to  preach 
and  continued  faithfully  for  twenty-six  years. 
His  successors  have  been  Revs.  Leopold,  S.  S. 
Klein,  L.  Zuber,  D.  Trexler  and  H.  S.  Fegeley. 

The  Reformed  pastors  since  1812  have  been 
Revs.  Henry  Dieffenbach,  J.  Zulich  and  A.  J. 
Herman,  the  latter  being  in  charge  since  1856. 
The  membership  of  each  denomination  then 
was  about  one  hundred  and  fifty. 

Burials. — The  New  Jerusalem  Cemetery 
contains  a  number  of  fine  monuments  erected 
by  the  Bachman,  Trexler,  Kistler  and  Fetherolf 
families. 

Bethel  Church.— Some  years  after  the 
erection  of  the  Albany  Church  a  movement  was 
made  for  the  erection  of  another  church  in  the 
same  township.  This  arose  from  a  disturbance 
which  existed  in  1769,  between  certain  mem- 
bers of  the  Albany  Church  and  its  pastor,  the 
Rev.  Daniel  Schumacher,  and  which  obliged 
him  to  withdraw.  In  leaving  the  church  he 
carried  a  considerable  number  of  sympathizing 
friends  with  him,  and  they  together  succeeded  in 
organizing  a  second  congregation  and  erecting  a 
church  a  short  distance  to  the  south,  which  was 
dedicated  May  20,  1774.  It  was  named  "Bethel 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


1073 


Church."  It  is  a  log  building,  still  standing, 
and  is  occupied  by  the  sexton.  At  the  time  of 
its  dedication  it  was  declared  a  "  union  "  church 
for  the  use  of  Lutheran  and  Reformed  congre- 
gations. 

The  members  were  devoted  to  the  interests  of 
the  church,  and  made  a  number  of  gifts.  Chris- 
tian Hechler  presented  a  communion  set ;  Jacob 
Belleman,  a  baptismal  font ;  Christian  Braucher, 
a  church  record ;  John  A.  Manderbach,  three 
pounds  of  money  and  a  black  altar-cloth  ;  Su- 
sanna Norgang,  a  white  worked  altar-cloth ;  and 
Elias  Ruthgen,  a  silk  altar  -cloth. 

A  new  stone  building  was  erected  near  by  in 
1840,  to  take  the  place  of  the  old  log  building. 
The  corner-stone  was  laid  May  3d,  and  the 
church  was  dedicated  on  November  8th  follow- 
ing. From  its  white  appearance  it  took  the 
name  of  the  "  White  Church,"  to  distinguish  it 
from  the  "  New  Jerusalem  Church,"  which  was 
commonly  known  as  the  "  Red  Church,"  and 
it  is  still  so  called. 

The  Lutheran  ministers  have  been  Revs. 
Daniel  Schumacher,  Frederick  Miller,  J.  Schaef- 
fer,  John  S.  Engel,  G.  F.  J.  Iaeger,  Oliver 
Smith  and  since  1874  the  Rev.  B.  S.  Small ; 
and  the  Reformed,  Revs.  Frederick  T.  Berger, 
Joseph  S.  Dubbs,  Charles  G.  Herman,  J.Sassa- 
man  Herman,  John  Zulich,  Adam  Schaeffer 
and,  since  1872,  the  Rev.  Benjamin  Wise.  Each 
congregation  has  about  one  hundred  members. 

New  Bethel.  Church. — In  the  centre  of 
Albany  township,  about  five  miles  west  of  the 
Albany  Church,  another  church  was  erected 
about  1750.  It  is  stated  that  this  building  was 
erected  in  1761.  But  in  looking  over  the  coun- 
ty records  pertaining  to  the  early  roads  of  this 
township,  I  find  that  a  church  stood  at  that 
place  in  1754,  on  a  road  described  as  beginning 
at  Frederick  Reichelderfer's  and  running  by 
way  of  Martin  Brobst's  mill  and  the  Lutheran 
Church  to  the  Northampton  County  line.  It  is 
possible  that  a  temporary  church  was  first  estab- 
lished there  some  time  previous  to  1754,  and 
that  the  first  permanent  church  was  erected  in 
1761.  Forty  persons  were  interested  in  its 
erection,  prominent  among  them  having  been 
Jacob  Zettelmoyer,  Simon  Fries,  Jacob  Gerhart, 
Jacob  Wade,  Adam  Levan  and  Ferdinand 
90 


Ritter.  Some  of  the  persons  resided  in  North- 
ampton (now  Lehigh)  County.  In  1790  repairs 
were  made  to  the  building  and  thus  it  was  used 
until  1<X  53,  when  a  new  stone  church  was  erected 
in  its  stead. 

In  1883  the  building  was  handsomely  re- 
paired and  then  (October)  re-dedicated. 

The  membership  of  each  denomination  is 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty.  The  Lutheran 
minister  is  Rev.  Oscar  D.  Miller ;  and  the  Re- 
formed, Rev.  J.  N.  Bachman. 

The  church  school-house  still  stands,  having 
become  the  property  of  the  township  after  the 
adoption  of  the  free-school  system.  In  it  pri- 
vate schools  were  successfully  maintained  many 
years.  A  grave-yard  is  part  of  the  church  prop- 
erty and  contains  some  fine  monuments. 

Zion's  Evangelical  Church  is  in  the 
western  part  of  Wessnersville.  It  is  a  neat  frame 
building,  on  an  acre  of  ground  secured  for 
church  purposes,  chiefly  through  the  efforts  of 
John  P.  Smith,  for  many  years  one  of  the  most 
prominent  members.  It  was  dedicated  in  1872 
and  its  first  minister  was  the  Rev.  W.  Miller. 
The  membership  has  always  been  small,  the 
congregation  being  part  of  a  circuit  in  Berks 
and  Lehigh  Counties.  In  1885  the  preachers 
in  charge  were  the  Revs.  Weidner  and 
Speicher. 

Salem  Evangelical  Church  is  situated 
in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  township,  near 
the  Blue  Mountains,  and  included  in  the  same 
circuit.  It  is  a  frame  building  and  was  erected 
in  1883. 

VILLAGES. 

Wessnersville  is  the  largest  village  in 
Albany  township.  It  has  a  very  pleasant  loca- 
tion on  the  high  lands,  three  miles  east  from 
the  Ontelaunee.  Keinpton  is  its  nearest  rail- 
road point.  The  place  derives  its  name  from 
Samuel  and  Nathan  Wessner,  who  put  up  a 
nnmber  of  substantial  buildings  in  their  en- 
deavor to  make  this  a  business  point.  The 
large  hotel  was  built  by  Samuel  Wessner  in 
1858,  and  rebuilt  by  the  present  owner,  Jere- 
miah Dunkle,  in  1885.  The  first  public-house 
was  kept  by  Michael  Shaeffer,  prior  to  1820,  in 
a  log  house  standing  where  is  now  the  fine 
store  of  E.  D.  Kistler,  which  was  put  up  in 


1074 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


1883.  A  store  was  kept  there  at  an  early  day 
by  Nathan  Wessner.  The  first  store  in  the 
locality  was  kept  by  Daniel  Kistler,  situated 
across  the  Lehigh  line. 

The  post-office  here  bears  the  name  of  Stony 
Run.  Solomon  Fister  was  the  first  postmaster ; 
William  B.  Kistler  is  at  present  in  charge.  In 
addition  to  the  interests  named,  the  village  con- 
tains an  Evangelical  aud  Union  Church,  a 
number  of  shops,  and  a  number  of  well-kept 
residences. 

Kempton,  the  next  place  in  point  of  size,  is 
on  the  railroad,  twenty-four  miles  from  Read- 
ing. It  is  a  station  with  good  sidings  and  a 
fine  Y  track.  An  express-office  is  also  main- 
tained. The  place  is  located  on  lands  formerly 
owned  by  W.  G.  Kemp,  hence  its  name.  It 
dates  its  existence  from  1874,  and  contains  a 
fine  grain  warehouse,  kept  by  M.  C.  Deitrich 
(for  eleven  years  in  business  there),  a  post-office, 
established  in  1881,  some  residences  and  a  very 
fine  hotel  building.  The  latter  was  built  by 
A.  M.  Metz  in  1874.  It  is  now  the  property 
of  Adam  Hippie. 

Tbexlee  is  a  station  nearly  a  mile  above 
Kempton,  and  contains  a  warehouse,  store, 
tannery  and  public-house,  owned  by  Amos  and 
N.  D.  Trexler,  whose  name  the  station  bears. 
The  former  is  postmaster  of  the  office  removed 
here  from  Fetherolfsville  in  1874,  when  the 
name  was  changed  to  Trexler,  and  the  hamlet 
called  Fetherolfsville  abandoned  as  a  business 
point.  The  post-office  there  and  the  one  at 
"Union  Iron-Works,"  also  abandoned,  were 
the  oldest  in  the  township.  At  the  mill  Abra- 
ham Long  had  an  early  store.  Years  ago  a 
store  was  kept  at  Trexler  by  a  Jew,  in  the  old 
tavern  building. 

Albany  Station,  below  Kempton,  though 
established  by  the  railroad  company  in  1874, 
did  not  become  a  place  of  business  until  1882, 
when  William  Heinly  built  a  warehouse  at 
that  point.  He  has  since  transacted  business  in 
grain,  lumber,  coal  and  lime.  The  post-office 
is  half  a  mile  west,  at  what  is  called  "Albany 
Centre,"  established  December,  1845.  Long 
before,  at  that  place  Jacob  Fusselman  opened  a 
public-house  in  a  long  building;  the  middle 
part  was  occupied  as  a  residence,  and  the  other 


as  a  store,  kept  by  Godfried  Zillich.  In  1836 
David  Heinly  became  the  owner  of  the  prop- 
erty, and  he  was  succeeded  by  his  son  David. 

Lower  down  the  Ontelaunee  is  another  flag- 
station,  called  Greenewald,  near  which  was  an 
old-time  inn  kept  by  the  Greenewald  family, 
now  kept  by  J.  D.  Fenstermacher.  Stores  were 
also  at  that  point,  at  the  Union  Iron- Works 
and  at  other  points,  which  were  discontinued 
when  trade  was  diverted  by  local  circumstances. 
The  slate  quarries  have  afforded  a  trading  point 
since  their  development.  In  1876  the  Moun- 
tain post-office  was  established  at  that  point,  and 
in  1882  Eckville  post-office  was  created,  far- 
ther west,  with  George  W.  Bolich  postmaster. 

BIOGEAPHICAL. 

David  Heinly  is  of  German  descent.  His 
great-grandfather,  David  Heinly,  was  born  in 
Germany,  October  17,  1728,  and  on  his  emigra- 
tion settled  in  Greenwich  township,  the  date 
of  this  event  being  July  21,  1774.  He  resided 
upon  a  farm  purchased  of  Thomas  and  John 
Penn.  His  four  sons  were  David,  George,  John 
and  Henry.  His  son  Henry  settled  in  Ham- 
burg, John  in  Montour  County,  George  occu- 
pied the  homestead,  and  David,  the  grandfather 
of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  located  in  Windsor 
township,  Berks  County.  The  death  of  the 
elder  David  Heinly  occurred  October  30,  1784. 
His  son  David  was  born  June  27,  1765,  and  be- 
came a  successful  agriculturist.  He  married 
Mary  Magdalene  Dimner,  of  the  same  county, 
to  whom  were  born  children, — George,  Jacob, 
David,  John,  Samuel,  Isaac,  Henry,  Sally  (Mrs. 
Samuel  Dietrich)  and  Polly  (Mrs.  Nathan 
Hoch.) 

David  Heinly,  the  father  of  the  subject  of 
this  biographical  sketch,  was  born  in  Windsor 
township,  November  20,  1799,  and  followed  his 
trade  of  a  tanner  until  1836,  when  he  abandon- 
ed this  vocation  for  the  more  attractive  life  of  a 
farmer,  settling  upon  the  farm  now  owned  by 
his  son,  David,  in  Albany  township.  In  con- 
junction with  this,  he  conducted  both  a  saw-mill 
and  a  grist-mill.  He  married  Rufina,  daughter 
of  Jacob  Fusselman,  of  the  same  township,  and 
had  children— James,  married  to  Sarah  Grim ; 
Charles,    deceased ;    Julia,    deceased  ;    David, 


TOWNSHIPS  OE  COUNTY. 


107£ 


Helena,  deceased  ;  Amelia  (Mrs.  G.  W.  Reagen), 
deceased  ;  Kate  (  Mrs.  C.  P.  Follweiler) ;  Wil- 
liam, married  to  Mary  Jane  Levan  ;  Jacob, 
married  to  Mary  Hagenbuch ;  Henry,  married 
to  Amanda  Faust ;  Mary  Magdalene,  deceased. 
Mr.  Heinly's  death  occurred  August  20,  1863, 
and  that  of  his  wife  in  July,  1868.  Their  son 
David  was  born  on  the  31st  of  March,  1836, 
on  the  farm  which  is  his  present  residence. 
Here,  with  the  exception  of  a  brief  interval,  his 


father,  Fusselman,  and  for  years  kept  by  his 
father.  He  was,  on  the  28th  of  May,  1860 
married  to  Amanda,  daughter  of  Benjamir 
Levan,  formerly  county  commissioner  of  Berki 
County.  Their  children  are  Elmira  Josephine 
born  April  16,  1861,  deceased;  Catherine  Jane 
September  22,  1862,  (Mrs.  J.  Neff);  Jamei 
Franklin,  April  12,  1865 ;  David  Levan,  De 
cember  20,  1871,  deceased;  Charles  Benja- 
min, June  20,  1874.     Mr.  Heinly  is,  in  politics 


whole  life  has  been  passed.  He  received,  in 
youth,  instruction  at  private  schools,  and  after- 
ward enjoyed  additional  advantages  at  Camden, 
N.  J.  His  services  were  given,  until  1861,  to 
his  father,  on  the  farm,  after  which  date  he  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  pursuits  in  Albany  town- 
ship, and  at  the  expiration  of  the  second  year  re- 
turned to  his  father's  home.  In  1864  the  farm 
became  his  by  inheritance.  He  also  opened  a 
store,  which,  two  years  later,  was  sold  to  his 
brother,  Mr.  Heinly  continuing  to  be  the  popu- 
lar landlord  of  a  hotel  established  by  his  grand- 


an  active  Democrat.  He  was,  in  1865,  electe 
to  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace,  which  he  hj 
filled  continuously  since  that  date.  He  was 
delegate  to  the  State  Convention  in  1876,  ar 
from  1868  until  1881  held  the  commission  i 
postmaster  of  his  locality.  He  was  one  of  tl 
projectors  of  the  Berks  and  Lehigh  Railroai 
and  a  member  of  its  first  board  of  director 
He  was  secretary  of  the  Albany  Mutual  Fi 
Insurance  Company,  which  he  aided  in  orga: 
izing.  He  was  formerly  president,  and  is  no 
a  stockholder  in  the  Steinsville  Creamery. 


1076 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Mr.  Heinly,  in  1867,  opened  a  slate-quarry 
in  Albany  township  (the  second  in  the  vicinity), 
known  as  the  "  Centennial  Slate-Quarry,"  which 
he  successfully  operated  for  five  years. 

In  his  religious  views  Mr.  Heinly  is  a  Luther- 
an and  a  member  of  the  German  Lutheran 
Church  of  Albany  township. 


GREENWICH    TOWNSHIP. 

Before  the  erection  of  the  county  Greenwich 
township  was  a  part  of  Albany  township ;  but 
shortly  after  that  time  it  was  erected  into  a 
separate  township.  The  name  arose  from 
Greenwich,  a  place  in  England,  and  it  was 
doubtless  suggested  by  the  English  settlers  in 
this  section  of  country.  The  boundaries  could 
not  be  ascertained.  The  area  is  about  fourteen 
thousand  acres. 

Early  Settlers. — Henry  Kohler  was  an 
early  owner  of  a  large  tract  of  land  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  township,  including  the 
farm  now  owned  by  Adam  Stein,  where  he 
built  a  stone  house  over  a  large  spring.  This 
building  is  still  standing,  being  used  as  a  ware- 
house for  Stein's  distillery.  Yost  Henry 
George  was  another  pioneer  who  made  substan- 
tial improvements  near  by,  some  of  which  still 
remain.  To  the  north  Henry  Smith  (father  of 
Samuel,  Jonas  and  Benjamin  Smith)  improved 
a  large  tract  of  land,  having  been  assisted  in 
this  work  by  his  sons ;  and  to  the  east  the 
Grimm  family  took  an  important  part  in  im- 
proving the  township.  These  families  have  hon- 
ored descendants  still  residing  in  the  same 
vicinity. 

In  1749  Peter  Lenhart,  of  York  County, 
received  a  patent  for  a  tract  of  land  which  he 
conveyed  to  Jacob  Lenhart  in  1771.  At  what 
is  now  Lenhartsville,  Henry  Lenhart  lived  and 
also  his  sons  John,  Jacob,  Samuel,  Isaac,  Henry, 
David  and  Frederick,  most  of  whom  had  fami- 
lies of  their  own  and  resided  in  this  locality. 
In  the  western  part  of  the  village  one  of  their 
buildings  remains,  it  having  been  put  up  in 
1812.  To  the  southeast,  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  church  which  bears  their  name,  were  the 
Dunkel  family,  whose  descendants  are  found  in 


all  parts  of  the  country  and  have  become  lead- 
ing citizens ;  and  north  of  them  the  Klines 
reared  families,  whose  members  may  still  be 
found  in  Reading  and  other  points  in  Berks 
County.  In  the  eastern  part  of  the  township 
the  Christ  family  made  a  settlement  which  per- 
manently fixed  their  name  upon  that  locality. 

Taxables  of  1759. — The  township  had  the 
following  taxables  in  1759.  The  tax  then 
levied  amounted  to  £35  15s.,  and  Frederick 
Moser  was  the  collector : 


Lorentz  Beaver 6 

MelchoirBell 7 

Peter  Boss 4 

Adam  Bobs 3 

George  Beiner 6 

George  Bowman 3 

Henry  Berck 4 

Leonard  Banman 5 

Kudolph  Bosserd 5 

Charles  Balmer 4 

Ludwig  Berck 3 

Henry  Bolander 3 

Adam  Bower 6 

Peter  Dell 5 

John  Dunckle 18 

Jacob  Detrick 3 

Simon  Dirck 5 

Gabriel  Eissenberger 8 

Henry  Eshbach 6 

Simon  Eisenberger 2 

Urban  Fribele 2 

Simon  Fries 3 

Henry  Fauat 8 

Adam  Faust 4 

Philip  Faust 5 

Nicholas  Godshall 5 

Jacob  Gronobell 4 

Peter  Hardinger 2 

Frederick  Hummel 2 

Melchior  Haffen 2 

Peter  Hauck 2 

George  Haring 6 

Jacob  Hartman 1 

Philip  Kallbach 6 

John  Koller 5 

Michael  Krauss 7 

Godfried  Kremer 8 

Frederick  Kremer 10 

Durst  Kiehl 5 

George  Koeler 5 


George  Kamp 6 

Henry  Kraul 4 

George  Kremer 8 

Matthias  Keffer 4 

John  Long , 2 

Matthias  Ley 6 

George  Ley 2 

Jacob  Leiby 6 

George  Leiby 5 

Frederick  Leiby 5 

Peter  Lenhardt 5 

Philip  Lenhardt 2 

Jacob  Ledig 5 

Michael  Lesher 8 

Michael  Mauser 2 

Philip  Meyer 2 

Henry  Meyer 2 

Frederick  Meyer 12 

George  Miller 8 

Matthias  Bemer 2 

Christopher  Rein 2 

George  Riegle 12 

'Widow  Sharer. 3 

Nicholas  Steine 4 

George  Spoon 4 

John  SasBeman 6 

John  Swedner 4 

Godfried  Stern 3 

Henry  Smith 1 

Peter  Steierwalt 5 

Adam  Smith 4 

George  Saneling 2 

Gerhard  Shollenberger 3 

Frederick  Shollenberger 7 

Martin  Unangst .-..  1 

Andrew  Unangst... 5 

Jacob  Warey 4 

Rudolph  Zimer 6 

Adam  Zollman 6 

Jacob  Zettlemeyer. 2 


Single  Men. 


Peter  Dunkle. 
Christian  Manesmith. 
Andrew  Seydle. 


Henry  Shollenberger. 
Michael  Smith. 


Inmates. 


Jacob  Bower 1 

John  Christbaum 1 

Nicholas  Dehoof. 1 

Martin  Hetinger 1 

John  Hill 2 

David  Huttenstein 3 

Nicholas  Ironman 1 

George  Keplinger 5 

Jacob  Kootz - 2 


Nicholas  Kootz 3 

John  Konshnitz 1 

George  Krubach 2 

DeobaldLong 5 

Adam  Long 

Daniel  Manesmith 

Jacob  May , 

John  ChriBt.  Rebomen... 

George  Spong 


Industries. — The  township  has  always  been 
well  supplied  with  mills  from  the  time  of  its 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1077 


early  settlement.  In  March,  1755,  a  mill  be- 
longing to  Peter  Conrad  was  burned  down  by 
the  Indians,  who  at  the  same  time  burned  the 
house  of  Barnabas  Seidel  and  killed  the  wife  of 
Balsar  Neyfong.  The  exact  location  of  these 
events  is  not  clearly  remembered  by  the  present 
inhabitants  of  the  township.  On  the  Sacony, 
near  its  mouth,  the  Schneider  family  built  or 
operated  an  early  mill,  and  it  was  carried  on 
later  by  Michael  and  Jacob  Lesher.  In  1862 
Samuel  Heinly  rebuilt  it,  and  later  it  became 
the  property  of  Samuel  Fegeley.  On  the  same 
stream,  above,  was  the  mill  of  John  Kremer, 
about  1800,  later  owned  by  David  and  Isaac 
Kemp,  and  which  is  now  operated  by  William 
Heffner.  Another  mill  was  built  farther  up 
by  Jacob  Kurtz  ;  and  on  Mill  Creek,  where  is 
now  the  mill  of  Daniel  Deitrich,  was  long  the 
well-known  mill  of  Kistler.  It  is  a  stone  house 
in  good  condition.  Stein's  mill  was  owned  at 
an  early  day  by  men  named  Kremer  and  Laab, 
and  the  present  is  the  third  building  on  that 
site.     It  was  built  in  1857  by  Adam  Stein. 

Down  the  stream  was  a  carding-mill  carried 
on  for  a  time  by  Jacob  and  Daniel  Christ,  but 
idle  since  1875.  The  last  site  on  Mill  Creek 
was  also  used  by  the  Christ  family  and  others 
in  the  manufacture  of  gun-barrels  and  sickles. 
Guns  of  fine  quality  were  made  there  prior  to 
1835  by  John  Wagenhorst.  Above  Stein's 
Michael  Croll  owned  and  carried  on  a  small 
mill  for  a  time. 

At  Grimsville  the  Croll  family  operated  a 
distillery  many  years  ago.  Fruit  liquors  were 
also  manufactured  on  numerous  farms  in  the 
township.  Stein's  distillery,  on  the  Kutztown 
road,  is  the  best  known  industry  of  this  kind  in 
the  township.  It  was  begun  in  1832  by  Jacob 
Stein,  and  since  1846  it  has  been  operated  by 
Adam  Stein.  It  is  devoted  to  making  pure 
rye  whiskey.  Near  by  is  Stein's  tavern,  built 
in  1850  by  Jacob  Stein,  and  still  continued  as 
an  inn.  Farther  down  the  road  was  the  inn  of 
Anthony  Lee,  long  since  closed,  as  has  also  been 
the  public-house,  north  of  Grimsville,  kept 
about  1810  by  the  Billios  family,  and  where 
Noah  Seib  was  the  host.  Near  Klinesville  is 
still  a  country  inn,  kept  by  Charles  Bleicher.  In 
1816  Peter  Leiby  was  licensed  to  distill  liquor 


in  a  still  of  seventy-three  gallons'  capacity,  at 
eighteen  cents  per  gallon. 

At  the  centres  made  by  these  mills  and  taverns 
there  were  usually  small  tanneries  and  other 
industries.  Of  these,  Jacob  and  Peter  Grim  had 
atannery  on  the  Henry  Greenewald  place,  which 
had  an  unusually  good  reputation  for  producing 
fine  leather.  The  pottery  at  Lenhartsville  was 
carried  on  about  thirty  years,  but  not  since  1870. 
Common  ware  only  was  made.  Above  this 
village,  where  are  the  most  important  interests, 
on  a  stream  flowing  into  the  Ontelaunee,  John 
Lenhart  had  a  pioneer  mill,  which  was  after- 
ward operated  by  Benjamin  Lenhart.  The  new 
mill  built  in  1876  is  the  'property  of  Daniel 
Grim.  On  the  Ontelaunee,  a  short  distance 
below  Lenhartsville,  George  Merkel  built  a 
stone  mill,  which  was  burned  down  in  1875. 
It  was  rebuilt  by  the  Merkel  estate,  and  re- 
modeled in  1885  by  the  present  owner,  Jacob 
K.  Spang.  The  mill  has  been  supplied  with  a 
set  of  rollers  and  other  modern  machinery,  en- 
abling the  production  of  twenty-five  barrels  of 
superior  flour  per  day. 

Near  this  mill  Nicholas  Iaeger  (Hunter)  had 
a  small  forge  at  a  very  early  day,  and  which 
was  operated  by  Samuel  V.  R.  Hunter  until 
1833,  when  George  Merkel  became  the  owner. 
He  carried  on  the  works  until  his  death,  in 
1875.  It  was  he  who,  in  1854,  built  the  char- 
coal furnace  known  among  iron  men  as 
"  Maiden-creek  Charcoal  Furnace,"  and  about 
the  same  time  discontinued  working  the  forge. 
In  1878  Jacob  K.  Spang,  Samuel  Erb  and 
Joshua  Hunsicker  assumed  charge  of  the  works, 
under  the  firm-name  of  Spang,  Erb  &  Co.,  and 
carried  them  on  until  January,  1882,  when 
Jacob  K.  Spang  became  the  sole  owner.  For 
the  past  year  it  has  been  out  of  blast.  The 
capacity  of  the  furnace  is  about  forty  tons 
per  week,  and  the  ore  used  is  from  the  Moselem 
Mines,  distant  seven  miles.  The  furnace  is  well 
located,  with  convenient  sidings  from  the  Berks 
County  Railroad,  and  includes  two  hundred 
and  seventy-five  acres  of  land,  a  mansion  and 
store,  mill,  barns  and  eleven  tenement-houses. 

churches. 
New    Jerusalem    Church,    (Reformed 


1078 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


and  Lutheran"). — As  early  as  1744  a  Re- 
formed congregation  (known  as  the  High 
Dutch)  was  organized  in  the  southwestern 
part  of  the  township,  to  which  Conrad  Koch 
presented  two  acres  of  land  upon  which  to  erect 
a  house  of  worship.  A  log  house  was  built 
and  used  for  church  purposes  until  1790,  when 
forty  acres  more  were  secured  aud  a  new  build- 
ing, also  of  logs,  built  by  the  joint  efforts  of  the 
Lutherans  and  the  German  Reformed  people. 
This  union  of  interests  was  effected  August  29, 
1790,  and  since  that  time  the  property,  locally 
known  as  the  "Dunkel  Church,"  has  been 
mutually  controlled  by  the  two  congregations.1 
The  church  was  repaired  and  again  dedicated 
October  6,  1824,  and  in  that  condition  was  used 
for  over  thirty  years.  On  the  12th  of  June, 
1859,  the  corner-stone  of  the  present  edifice  was 
laid,  and  the  church  was  dedicated  November 
13,  1859.  It  is  a  neat  brick  building,  with  a 
capacity  for  eight  hundred  persons. 

Each  congregation  has  about  two  hundred 
members.  The  first  Reformed  minister  was 
the  Rev.  Jacob  Weimer.  He  left  this  part  of 
the  county  in  1770,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Conrad  Steiner,  Jr.  (who  served  as  the  school- 
teacher until  that  time).  He  preached  until 
1775,  after  which  the  congregation  had  no 
regular  minister  until  1790. 


1  Members  in 
Lutheran. 
Geo.  Michael  Reinhard. 
Peter  Staiger. 
Geo.  Heinly. 
Geo.  Dietrich. 
Jacob  Sonntag. 
Philip  Reinhard. 
Jacob  Will. 
David  Lichty. 
Michael  Schaber. 
Adam  Dietrich. 
Jacob  Arnold. 
Jonathan  Dunkelberger. 
Dayid  Heinly. 
Michael  Aldendaerffer. 
Henry  Sonntag. 
Geo.  Wehr'a. 
Geo.  Sonntag. 
Peter  Merkel. 
Jacob  Merkel. 
Samuel  Sch'afer. 
These  then  agreed  upon   rules 
church  affairs. 


1808. 

Reformed. 
Fredrick  Leiby. 
John  Dunckel. 
Peter  Dunckel. 
Jacob  Griinewald. 
Geo.  Schollenberger. 
John  Batz. 
Jacob  Leiby. 
Philip  Linn. 
Peter  Klein. 
Daniel  Dorwart. 
Jacob  Georg. 
Jacob  Dunckel. 
Peter  Leiby. 
John  Berk. 
Peter  Berk. 
Conrad  Fry. 
David  Dorwart. 


for  mutual  regulation  of 


From  1790  the  Reformed  pastors  have  been 
Revs.  Henry  Hertzel,  Henry  Dieffenbach,  Carl 
G.  Herman,  Augustus  Herman,  J.  Sassaman 
Herman  and  others.  Since  1872,  Rev.  Benja- 
min Wise  has  been  the  minister. 

The  Lutheran  congregation  had  as  its  first 
pastor  the  Rev.  Daniel  Lehman,  and  his  succes- 
sors were  the  Revs.  John  Knoske,  Fred. 
Engel,  Gottlieb  G.  J.  Iaeger,  and  since  1874 
the  Rev.  B.  S.  Small. 

Bethel  Church  is  located  at  Grimsville 
and  has  for  the  past  sixty-odd  years  been  the 
joint  property  of  Lutheran  and  German  Re- 
formed congregations.  The  organization  of  the 
former  was  made  as  early  as  1761,  when  mem- 
bers of  the  Croll,  Slenker,  Grim,  Gruber,  Koh- 
ler,  Deitrich,  Gerringer  and  Bennehoff  families 
united  for  that  purpose  and  established  worship 
in  a  small  log  church.  This  was  torn  down  in 
1803  and  a  new  stone  church  then  erected. 
This  was  improved  in  1822.  At  that  time  the 
German  Reformed  congregation  secured  a  half- 
interest  in  the  church  property  and  assisted  in 
erecting  the  new  building.  In  1881  the  build- 
ing was  thoroughly  remodeled  and  supplied 
with  a  spire,  making  it  not  only  more  substan- 
tial, but  a  very  inviting  place  of  worship.  • 

The  Lutheran  congregation  has  about  four 
hundred  members  and  the  Reformed  about  half 
that  number.  The  latter  are  under  the  pastoral 
care  of  the  Rev.  J.  Sassaman  Herman,  who 
had  as  a  predecessor  his  father,  the  Rev.  Aug- 
ustus Herman.  The  Rev.  Schaeffer  was  the 
first  pastor. 

The  Rev.  Schumacher  was  the  first  Lutheran 
pastor.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  John 
Knoske.  From  1821  until  his  death,  in  1874, 
the  venerable  Rev.  G.  F.  J.  Iaeger  was  the 
pastor.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  B.  S.  Small, 
the  present  minister,  a  native  of  Montgomery 
County. 

Friedens  Church  (Lutheran  and  Re- 
formed) is  situated  at  Lenhartsville.  It  is  a 
brick  structure,  plainly  built,  with  a  capacity 
for  about  four  hundred  persons.  Connected 
with  the  church  is  a  grave-yard.  The  building 
was  erected  in  1856  by  a  number  of  members 
of  both  congregations,  who  withdrew  from  the 
"Dunkel    Church"    for   that   purpose.      The 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1079 


Lutherans  have  had  as  pastors  Revs.  Iaeger,  F. 
K.  Hunsicker,  B.  S.  Smoll  and  since  1881  D. 
D.  Trexler  (there  are  about  one  hundred  and 
eighty  members) ;  and  the  Reformed,  Revs.  J. 
S.  Herman,  R.  S.  Appel,  B.  Wise  and  the 
present  pastor,  Rev.  Mr.  Keiser.  Its  members 
number  one  hundred. 

VILLAGES. 

Lenhartsville. — This  is  the  chief  village  of 
the  township.  It  is  situated  on  both  sides  of 
the  Ontelaunee,  on  the  Allentown  State  road, 
five  miles  east  of  Hamburg.  It  comprises  about 
fifty  buildings  and  the  usual  interests  connected 
with  a  country  place.  Its  name  is  derived  from 
the  Lenhart  family,  original  owners  of  the  land 
and  the  first  to  engage  in  business  there.  Its 
growth  was  slow  and  uneventful  until  after  the 
erection  of  the  Maiden-creek  Furnace,  on  the 
east  side  of  the  creek ;  then  other  improvements 
were  made.  The  Berks  County  Railroad  stim- 
ulated the  growth  of  the  place  when  it  made 
Lenhartsville  a  station. 

One  of  the  first  houses  was  put  up  by  a  man 
named  Eisenhour  in  the  western  portion  of  the 
village.  In  it  John  and  Samuel  Lenhart  kept 
an  inn.  It  stood  on  the  site  of  the  present 
Washington  House  and  was  opened  in  1842  by 
Benneville  Lesher,  the  first  postmaster.  The 
Farmers  and  Drovers'  House  was  built  in  1856 
by  William  Rees. 

James  Fenstermacher  had  the  first  store  on  the 
west  side  in  a  building,  which  was  last  occupied 
for  trading  purposes,  in  1883,  by  James  W. 
Kerschner.  In  another  building  Francis  B. 
Levan  has  had  a  store  since  1881. 

At  the  forge  and  furnace  the  several  owners 
had  stores,  among  them  being  Jacob,  George 
and  Horatio  Merkel,  Samuel  Kaufman  and  the 
present,  S.  R.  Smith.  The  building  is  now 
owned  by  Jacob  K.  Spang.  At  the  same  place 
the  Lenhartsville  post-office  has  been  kept  since 
1881  by  John  G.  Bast. 

Before  1850  Dr.  Say  lor  was  located  at  Len- 
hartsville. Then  came  Drs.  Appel  and  Potteiger. 
Since  1870  Dr.  Jonathan  K.  Seaman  has  been 
the  physician. 

Klinesville  is  the  next  hamlet  east,  on  the 
State  road,  at  its  junction  with  the  Kutztown 
road,  two  miles  from  Lenhartsville.     It  owes 


its  existence  to  Peter  Kline,  land-owner,  who 
put  up  a  large  log  building  in  the  last  century, 
and  kept  an  inn  and  a  store.  The  store  was 
largely  patronized,  and  as  the  property  of  his 
son  and  grandson  of  the  same  name,  it  always 
maintained  a  good  reputation.  Peter  Krause 
became  the  owner  in  1876. 

The  large  stone  house,  almost  opposite,  was 
built  by  Peter  Kline  (second),  who  carried  on 
a  store  there.  Charles  H.  Deitrich  now  occu- 
pies it,  and  he  is  postmaster  of  the  Klinesville 
office.  The  place  contains  also  the  usual  me- 
chanics' shops.  Near  by,  Peter  Fister  carried  on 
a  small  distillery,  which  has  long  since  been 
abandoned. 

Krumville  is  the  next  hamlet,  eastward  on 
the  State  road  leading  to  Allentown.  Until 
recently  it  was  known  as  Smithville,  after 
Reuben  Smith,  who  built  the  tavern  and  around 
which  other  buildings  followed.  The  store  was 
first  kept  by  Henry  and  Michael  Croll.  In  1885 
Mrs.  Wilson  P.  Krum  became  the  owner  of 
most  of  the  Smith  property.  Then  a  post- 
office  was  established  there,  named  "Krum- 
ville," and  the  place  has  since  been  so  called. 

Grimsville,  near  the  eastern  line  of  the 
township,  has  a  store,  post-office,  inn,  steam 
tannery,  church  and  several  shops  and  resi- 
dences. The  first  improvements  were  made  by 
Michael  Croll,  consisting  of  a  public-house. 
Owing  to  its  location  on  the  State  road,  about 
ten  miles  from  Hamburg,  the  place  has  been 
well  patronized,  especially  before  the  days  of 
railroads,  when  droves  of  cattle  were  almost 
daily  driven  over  that  prominent  highway. 
Daniel  Grim  put  up  the  present  brick  inn  more 
than  fifty  years  ago  and  carried  on  the  store 
and  tannery.  The  hamlet  took  its  name  after 
him.  The  tannery  is  well  appointed  and  oper- 
ated by  Daniel  P.  Grim,  of  Kutztown. 

Dreibelbis  is  a  flag-station  on  the  Berks 
County  Railroad,  a  few  miles  below  Lenharts- 
ville. Mills  have  been  carried  on  by  water- 
power  at  that  point  (grist,  saw,  and  oil  mills). 
The  first  mill  was  erected  by  the  Sunday  family 
in  the  Revolutionary  period.  The  mills  (grist 
and  saw)  are  owned  and  operated  by  Venus 
Deitrich.  Manassas  Dreibelbis  and  Gottlieb 
Kerschner  owned  them  for  many  years. 


1080 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 

Adam  Stein. — During  the  year  1742  Jacob 
Stein  and  his  wife  emigrated  from  Germany  to 
America.  Their  son  Heinrich  was  born  while 
on  the  passage.  Upon  landing  in  this  country 
they  proceeded  to  Berks  County,  took  up  a 
large  tract  of  land  in*  Richmond  township 
and  began  to  cultivate  it.  Other  children 
born  to  them  were  Michael,  Peter,  Jacob 
and  John.  John  was  married  to  Maria 
Berk  and  their  children  were   named   Jacob, 


land,  which  he  divided  into  five  farms  and  built 
substantial  farm  buildings,  and  he  also  built  a 
school-house  for  the  township  near  his  home. 
He  died  in  May,  1872,  aged  eighty-one  years. 
His  wife  died  in  February,  1846. 

Adam  Stein,  born  December  18,  1819,  at- 
tended the  schools  of  the  neighborhood  and  at 
the  same  time  worked  for  his  father  on  the 
farm  and  in  the  distillery.  At  the  time  of  his 
marriage,  in  1846,  his  father  sold  him  a  farm. 
The  distillery  lay  idle  from  this  time  until  1872, 


Elizabeth,  Peter,  Daniel,  Hannah,  Benjamin, 
Solomon  and  Hetty.  John  Stein  died  about 
1835,  at  an  advanced  age.  Jacob  was  born  in 
1791,  and  married  Sarah  Sunday.  Their 
children  were  Solomon,  Adam,  Nathan,  Annie 
(married  "William  Schaeffer),  Lavinia  (married 
Daniel  Deisher),  Lucinda  (married  Henry  K. 
Siegfried),  Jacob  and  Henry,  all  born  in  Green- 
wich township.  Jacob  Stein  was  engaged  in 
farming  and  distilling,  and  did  an  extensive 
business.     He  owned  over  five  hundred  acres  of 


when  Adam  began  the  distilling  of  a  fine  grade 
of  rye  and  apple  whiskies.  These  goods  have 
attained  a  wide  and  excellent  reputation,  and 
his  double  copper  distilled  hand-made  produc- 
tions are  extensively  used. 

Mr.  Stein  has  taken  great  interest  in  the 
cause  of  education.  When  the  Keystone  State 
Normal  School  was  originated,  in  1866,  he  gave 
liberal  encouragement  and  support.  He  was 
elected  one  of  the  first  trustees  of  the  institution 
and  continued  to  fill  the  position  until   1877. 


TOWNTSRTP«    AU    r(ATT\Trn^ 


10£l 


.  ■  •t.x.iM.-r  ,.f  tlieSshool   Bomv,!  0f  |      Since  lsti4  Me.  Stein  '.*    !,.-(;it  8  iven&et-'  f 

•  Winih  he  live-  i..r » .«-(.)vc  _■»  ear.-,  j  the  F.  and  A.  jVi     The  faithful  v,  ite  awl  loviis ; 

■Ti«  three   y<-.>r*   ami    treasurer '  m^ipr  died   in    Xnv<-?t,l>er,    1882.     Tvtiv   ■»■  1 

h:    IV)4   h<-  wa-iiv.tf'I   county  \  Mnl  Stein   joi.i.d    the    liefi.r'n. d    <  '.'.urch     - ; 

■'     "t4   .hirit.ji  •  i;i«   form    of  tlmv  j  Grimsville  at  an  early  -'4..   am!   he  is  still     i 

•-■    -  ^irmr.vmul   i:j  erwtiug  ,ten  <-ounty  !  oonsi-teni  member. 

,v  -  ;ii<  cxseaskni  01' the  Berk,.  Ounty  j      '-ou'im-x  Daniel  Ji  <*R.i,f,  is  tin-   son  ..-' 
.  .v'  feeding,     He  wm  nwrhv.  Maivli  22,    .).>i;athun  <  rriru,  we.^e  father   emigre*  t».i    from 
i.-i  KS--.fh.idii  Biebr       Th«ji-  -iiii.ltvi-.  are     V'-,s'v,  f.cmuwy,     The  former  married  Cftih- 
'-    »'•,.  !Ki«  h.iiig  at  Kuteiown,  married  ;  eriw  Fl.  Bertohl.  and  relied    in   Maxafc.  *■  t« 


__J £&?■?'    / 


"•  l-iauiir,  Khi.-i ,  by  v,  L,  i.j  he  has  had  ihr-t  <' 
'->>  »  j  Isaac  B.,  owe   d  to  Delilah  -tvhU; 
'*■■■■■'<■■   ht  has  two  ohtkhvn  (the;,   live  <•« 
' ■ -ftjestead)  ;  Saily    A  ,--ir,    married    v*"d'r. 
•'"*!    ■:•:  and  died   in    ]»7'"',  leaving 
i*srfe   xi'Lvi',   maHed    to   .Sd'ly   -V> 
•  ■j'V  have  tv*'»  children  'and  are  »-..«'  '  -■    ' 
!•- <*L>i. i u  n  ;    Mabra    ai.*o    ..sureied  W^ 
?H.  1  rich,   and    have   four  child  1  in     -h 

'  >''•■•',   188J);  and  l.*-i\->i~\  ,\mu:-i. , 
d»«d  September,  ]S8h?  ii£«d  tM'euty-t\v><  ;,-  -'- 


tttqttvrv  OT7  PFTfWS  nOTTNTV    PENNSYLVANIA. 


1 .  -  ?  -  K  A  i  'HR'i  L 

,\-,k     -        , ,   -i'iirit'g  tho  yt'ii*   ':   ..   --.-    ■• 
\.  ,  ...        '  .'  'i  li.-lbrl'-i-  •■■-■-•  :»^  Vhilc 

* 

•:•■  -  >■  ■>.-<**  Jed  to  i'x-rk.-  !  >  ny.  i.,.ok  up  a 
.  ._■  .-.-..*?.  of  lawl  •;>  n. ,-!•!»!! :.nd  township 
.:  ■!  ; ■>:£»':! a  ;■•  (."nUivT'';  .';-  Other  children 
i,,,r;i  to  tlif-iii  V'f;*i-'  !il,.-fuifl,-  P«ter,  Jacob 
fnni     John.       Jifhii    w;t-.     warned      to     Maria 

1  >€'!••       -••'It'     tllcii      '-[x'l'Kvli     WCV'      <VS;,""'i      Jjit-ob, 


fas '. 

fllrtr 

I'h. 


•***  •■  ^"itUsus- 


:}..    IWr.  r, 


* 

U* 


\'ibuii  began  the  « 
•  -'  ji'i1  .jikI  apple  whisk  i 

'■'■  :n  .  ;;?i«iiied   a  wide  and   > 
i  in  ir    his  double  copper  di» 
Mini,      don,-   .'i-.-  '■xti.-mi\«-iv  \ 

■■■■■■        My.    -.,:»   h-.i--.   c  !. 
'  '"■-'f'  "<  ^iiitjat, ».'... 
'-'"rmal  Sclwio!  *j>  -v 
: .'*';-«i'  enwiii- .. .. ■  .• 
-         '      ■>■:  -vj:  of;1. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1081 


He  has  been  a  member  of  the  School  Board  of 
the  township  in  which  he  lives  for  twelve  years 
and  was  president  three  years  and  treasurer 
three  years.  In  1864  he  was  elected  county 
commissioner  and  during  his  term  of  three 
years  was  instrumental  in  erecting  ten  county 
bridges,  and  the  extension  of  the  Berks  County 
Prison  at  Eeading.  He  was  married,  March  22, 
1846,  to  Florinda  Bieber.  Their  children  are 
"William  B.,  now  living  at  Kutztown,  married 


Since  1864  Mr.  Stein  has  been  a  member  of 
the  F.  and  A.  M.  The  faithful  wife  and  loving 
mother  died  in  November,  1882.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Stein  joined  the  Keformed  Church  at 
Grimsville  at  an  early  day  and  he  is  still  a 
consistent  member. 

Colonel  Daniel  B.  Grim,  is  the  son  of 
Jonathan  Grim,  whose  father  emigrated  from 
Alsace,  Germany.  The  former  married  Cath- 
erine H.  Bertolett  and  resided  in  Maxatawny 


to  Emma  Kisler,  by  whom  he  has  had  three  chil- 
dren ;  Isaac  B.,  married  to  Delilah  Sechler,  by 
whom  he  has  two  children  (they  live  on  the 
homestead);  Sally  Ann,  married  William  D. 
Dietrich;  and  died  in  1870,  leaving  one  sou ; 
Lewis  Adam,  married  to  Sally  Ann  Miller 
(they  have  two  children  and  are  now  living  at 
Kutztown ;  Malara  also  married  William  D. 
Dietrich,  and  have  four  children  (she  died 
November,  1881);  and  Lenora  Amanda,  who 
died  September,  1880,  aged  twenty-two  years. 


township,  Berks  County.  Their  only  son,  Dan- 
iel B.,  is  the  subject  of  this  biographical 
sketch.  He  married,  a  second  time,  Elizabeth 
Snyder,  and  had  children, — Joshua,  Jonathan 
and  Mary  (Mrs.  Faber).  Daniel  B.  was  born  on 
the  17th  of  July,  1800,  in  Maxatawny  town- 
ship, and  after  a  common-school  education  re- 
ceived in  New  Jersey  and  elsewhere,  entered 
the  tannery  of  his  father  for  the  purpose  of  be- 
coming master  of  the  trade  of  a  tanner  and 
currier.     He  continued  to  follow  this  trade,  and 


1082 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


in  1824  purchased  the  property,  together  with  a 
distillery  and  farm  adjacent  to  it,  and  conducted 
the  business  at  Grimsville,  Berks  County, 
Pa.  He  was,  in  1819,  married  to  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  Abraham  Krause,  of  Skippack- 
ville,  Montgomery  County.  Their  children 
are  Mary  (deceased),  Jonathan  K.,  Daniel  P., 
Charles  A.  K.,  Catherine  (Mrs.  William  Stet- 
ler),  Amelia  (Mrs.  William  Breinig),  Charlotte 
(deceased),  Susan  (Mrs.  Charles  Dietrich)  and 
Sarah.  Daniel  P.  is  engaged  in  the  tanning 
business  at  Grimsville,  Greenwich  township ; 
Jonathan  K.  is  a  wholesale  grocer  at  Reading ; 
and  Charles  A.  K.  is  a  farmer  at  Topton,  Max- 
atawny  township.  Mr,  Grim,  after  his  mar- 
riage, engaged  in  various  business  pursuits  and 
brought  to  bear  in  each  bis  accustomed  sagacity 
and  energy.  He  was  much  interested  in  the 
cause  of  education  and  one  of  the  first  to  sup- 
port the  public  schools  of  the  township  when 
they  received  great  opposition  from  citizens  and 
tax-payers.  In  all  efforts  to  advance  the  inter- 
ests of  the  community  he  was  a  leading  spirit. 
In  politics  he  was  an  Old-Line  Whig.  In  early 
life  he  gave  much  attention  to  military  matters, 
and  held  a  commission  as  colonel  in  the  State 
militia.  He  died  March  6, 1883.  His  wife 
died  November  24,  1882. 


TULPEHOCKEN  SECTION. 

Tulpehocken  section  comprises  the  upper  west, 
era  portion  of  the  county.  It  takes  its  name  from 
the  large  stream  which  drains  three-fourths  of  its 
territory.  The  name  is  an  Indian  word,  which 
signifies  "  Land  of  Turtles." 

Streams. — Nature  could  not  have  marked  out 
a  course  for  this  stream  which  would  have  been 
better  adapted  to  the  territory  in  point  of  locality. 
It  rises  in  Lebanon  County,  a  short  distance  west 
of  Myerstown,  and  enters  this  section  very  nearly 
at  the  central  point  of  its  western  line ;  thence  it 
flows  northeastwardly  about  thirteen  miles  to  a 
point  near  BernvHle,  where  a  branch,  the  North- 
kill,  has  its  outlet,  and  thence  southeastwardly 
the  same  distance  to  the  Schuylkill.  It  flows 
through  the  central  portion  of  Marion  to  the  east- 
ern border,  and  thence  it  forms  the  boundary  line 


between  Marion  on  the  east  and  Heidelberg  on 
the  west,  Heidelberg  North  on  the  north  and  Jef- 
ferson on  the  south,  and  Penn  on  the  southwest, 
and  Heidelberg  Lower  and  Spring  on  the  north, 
and  Bern  on  the  south.  Its  importance  in  this 
particular  was  naturally  appreciated  when  the  ter- 
ritory was  subdivided.  The  North-kill,  a  branch, 
flows  southwardly  from  the  Blue  Mountain,  a 
length  of  ten  miles,  and  forms  the  boundary  line 
between  Penn  and  Bern  Upper  on  the  west,  and 
Jefferson  and  Tulpehocken  Upper  on  the  east. 
Through  the  northwestern  portion  the  little  Swa- 
tara  flows  from  the  Blue  Mountain  into  Leb- 
anon County  a  length  of  fourteen  miles,  and  forms 
the  boundary  line  between  Bethel  on  the  south  and 
east,  Tulpehocken  on  the  north  and  Tulpehocken 
Upper  on  the  west.  This  section  is  thus  admira- 
bly subdivided  by  the  streams  named  into  four  sub- 
divisions, each  of  which  was  a  township  by  itself 
when  the  county  was  erected. 

The  principal  branches  of  the  Tulpehocken  are 
the  following :  Three  flowing  into  it  from  the 
north— Mill,  North- kill  and  Plum.  North-kill  de- 
rives its  name  from  its  locality,  and  Plum  Creek 
from  the  numerous  wild  plum  trees  which  grew 
along  its  banks;  and  two  flowing  into  it  from 
the  souths  Spring  (which  rises  in  a  large  crystal 
spring  near  Robesonia)  and  Cacoosing.  The  length 
of  the  Tulpehocken  and  these  branches  is  about 
seventy-five  miles.  It  is  the  longest  stream  in  the 
county.  The  eastern  portion  of  the  section  is 
drained  principally  by  the  Irish  Creek  (eight  miles 
long)  and  Mill  Creek  (six  miles  long)  into  the 
Schuylkill.  The  total  length  of  all  the  streams 
in  the  district  is  over  one  hundred  miles. 

The  Blue  Mountain  forms  the  northern  bound- 
ary line.  In  the  interior  part  there  is  a  considera- 
ble area  of  elevated  land,  which  consists  of  rolling 
hills  covered  with  woods.  "  Scull's  Hill "  is  the 
only  portion  worthy  of  special  mention.  It  extends 
from  Centre,  through  Penn  into  Jefferson,  a  length 
of  about  ten  miles. 

Internal  Improvements.— This  district  is  in- 
tersected by  numerous  roads.  There  are  three 
which  are  especially  prominent.  The  "  Berks  and 
Dauphin  Turnpike,"  which  extends  westwardly 
from  Reading  via  Sinking  Spring,  through  Heidel- 
berg Lower,  Heidelberg  and  Marion,  to  the  county 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1083 


line,  a  length  of  thirteen 1  miles.  This  comprises 
the  bed  of  the  "  Old  Tulpehocken  Road  "  Which 
was  petitioned  for  and  laid  out  in  1727.  Subse- 
quently this  road  to  Middletown  (Womelsdorf ) 
and  thence  northwestwardly  via  Godfrey  Roehrer's, 
through  Tulpehocken  and  Bethel,  across  the  Blue 
Mountain  and  along  the  Mahanoy  Creek  to  the 
Susquehanna,  was  established  by  an  act  of  As- 
sembly. 

The  "  State  Road  '"  extends  across  the  upper  por- 
tion several  miles  south  of  the  Blue  Mountain 
from  Lebanon  County  line  to  the  Schuylkill  at 
Hamburg,  a  length  of  twenty-two  miles  And 
the  "  Bernville  Road "  extends  northwestwardly 
from  Reading  via  Bernville  to  Millersburg,  in 
Bethel,  a  length  of  twenty-three  miles. 

The  Union  Canal  extends  through  the  section 
along  the  upper  bank  of  the  Tulpehocken  Creek 
from  a  point  in  Bern  about  a  mile  and  a  quarter 
above  the  mouth  of  the  creek  to  the  county  line,  a 
length  of  about  twenty-five  miles. 

The  Lebanon  Valley  Railroad  extends  westward- 
ly  from  Reading  via  Sinking  Spring,  through  Hei 
delberg  Lower,  Heidelberg  and  the  lower  cor- 
ner of  Marion  to  county  line,  a  distance  of  ten 1 
miles. 

Before  1729  the  whole  section  was  known  as 
Tulpehocken.  At  the  time  of  the  erection  of  the 
county,  in  1752,  it  comprised  four  townships — Tul- 
pehocken, Heidelberg,  Bern  and  Bethel.  Subse- 
quently eight  townships  were  erected  by  subdivision 
— Bern  Upper,  Tulpehocken  Upper,  Penn,  Centre, 
Heidelberg  Lower,  Marion,  Heidelberg  North  and 
Jefferson. 


TULPEHOCKEN  TOWNSHIP. 

Erection  of  Township. — The  township  of  Tul- 
pehocken was  a  recognized  d'strict  of  territory  be 
fore  1729,  when  it  became  part  of  Lancaster  Coun- 
ty. It  was  organized  whilst  a  portion  of  Chester 
County.  Then  it  extended  from  the  Schuylkill 
River  on  the  east  to  Lebanon  township  (doubtless 
limited  by  the  stream  called  Little  Swatara)  on  the 
west,  and  from  the  Blue  Mountain  on  the  north  to 
the  Cacoosing  Creek  (possibly  Wyomissing  Creek) 

1  Not  including  distance  through  Spring  township. 


on  the  south.  I  could  not  find  any  order  of  court 
in  either  Chester  or  Lancaster  Counties  establish- 
ing the  boundary  line  of  the  township.  The  name 
of  the  township  was  taken  from  the  stream. 

In  July,  1707,  a  French  Indian  trader  named 
Nicole  was  arrested  by  order  of  the  Governor,  on 
account  of  great  complaints  against  him  at  a  vil- 
lage called  Peixtan,  on  the  Susquehanna,  and  ta- 
ken by  way  of  Tulpehocken  and  Manatawny  to 
Philadelphia.  Nicole  was  mounted  upon  a  horse 
with  his  legs  tied  under  the  horse's  belly.  This  is 
the  earliest  mention  of  these  names  in  the  colonial 
recoids.* 

When  Lancaster  County  was  erected  the  Indi- 
ans still  claimed  this  territory  as  a  part  of  their 
possessions.  In  1718  they  had  released  their  rights 
to  a  large  district  to  Penn,  but  the  upper  bounda- 
ry was  the  Lechay  Hills  (South  Mountain).  Im- 
migration was,  however,  carried  forward  with  such 
energy  that  the  immigrants  extended  their  move- 
ments and  settlements  beyond  the  limit  of  Penn's 
purchase. '  The  first  settlement  was  effected  by 
certain  Germans,  about  1723.  The  Indians  ob- 
served this  trespass  upon  their  lands,  but  made  no 
complaint.  Five  years  afterward  another  colony 
of  Germans  entered.  The  Indians  then  (June  5, 
1728),  carried  information  of  these  trespasses  to 
Philadelphia,  and  laid  it  before  the  Provincial 
Council. 

In  June,  1728,  Sassoonan,  with  certain  Indians, 
vistied  Philadelphia  and  held  a  conference  with 
the  Lieutenant-Governor  and  the  Executive  Coun- 
cil, in  the  presence  of  a  vast  audience  that  fill  d 
the  house  and  all  its  galleries — this  being  in  refer- 
ence to  the  extent  of  lands  sold  and  released  in 
1718.  The  Indians  thought  that  the  settlers  be- 
yond the  Lechay  Hills  along  the  Tulpehocken  were 
trespassers,  and  it  was  admitted  that  the  Tulpe- 
hocken lands  lay  beyond  the  release  of  1718.  Sas- 
soonan said  he  could  not  himself  believe  the  Chris- 
tians had  settled  on  them  till  he  came  and  with  his 
own  eyes  saw  the  houses  and  fields  they  had  made 
there.  Logan  said  that  he  was  sensible  the  Pala- 
tines were  settled  there,  but  without  the  consent  or 
knowledge  of  the  commissioners ;  and  he  then  ex- 
plained how  they  came  hither,  and  read  the  fol 
lowing  petition,  which  the  Palatines  had  addressed 

2  2  Col.  Rec.,405. 


1084 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


to  the  Governor  and  Council,  ia  the  handwriting 
of  the  Governor's  secretary.     It  was  as  follows  : 

"  The  petition  of  us,  the  subscribers,  being  thirty- 
three  families  in  number, — at  present  inhabiting  Tul- 
paheca1  creek, — humbly  sheweth, — 

"  That  your  petitioners,  being  natives  of  Germany, 
about  fifteen   years   ago,  were  by  the  great  goodness 
and  royal   bounty  of  her  late  majesty,  Queen  Anne, 
relieved  from   the  hardships  which  they  then  suf- 
fered in  Europe,  and  were  transported  into  the  colony 
of  New  York,  where  they  settled.     But  their  families 
increasing,  and  being  in  that  government  confined  to 
the  scanty  allowance  often  acres  of  land  to  each  fam- 
ily, whereon  they  could  not  well   subsist,  your  peti- 
tioners, being  informed  of  the  kind  reception  which 
their  countrymen  usually  met  with  in  the  Province  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  hoping  they  might,  with  what  sub- 
Stance  they  had,  acquire  larger  settlements  in  that 
province,  did  last  year2  leave  their  settlements  in  New 
York  government  and  came  with  their  families  into 
this  province,  where,  upon  their  arrival,  they  applied 
themselves  to   his  excellency,  the  Governor,  who  of 
his  great  goodness  permitted  them  to  inhabit  upon 
Tulpahaca  creek  (being  the  farthest  inhabited  part 
of  the  province  northwest  from  Philadelphia)  on  con- 
dition that  they  should  make  full  satisfaction  to  the 
proprietor  or  his  agents  for  such  lands  as  should  be 
allotted  them  when   they  were  ready  to  receive  the 
same.     And  now  your  petitioners,  understanding  that 
some  gentlemen,  agents  of  the  proprietor,  have  ample 
powers  to  dispose  of  lands  in  this  province,  and  we 
your  petitioners,  being  willing  and  ready  to  purchase, 
do  humbly  beseech  your  excellency  and  council  to 
recommend  us  to  the  favorable  usage  of  the  proprie- 
tor's agent,  that   upon   paying   the  usual  prices   for 
lands  at  such   distance   from  Philadelphia,  we  may 
have  sufficient  rights  and  titles  made  to  us  for  such 
lands  as  we  shall  have  occasion  to  buy,  that  our  chil- 
dren may  have  some  settlement  to  depend  on  hereaf- 
ter, and  that  by  your  authority  we  may  be  freed  from 
the  demands  of  the  Indians  of  that  part  of  the  coun- 
try, who  pretend  a  right  thereto.    And  we  humbly  beg 
leave  to  inform  your  excellency  and  council  that  there 
are  fifty  families  more  who,  if  they  may  be  admitted 
upon  the  same  conditions,  are  desirous  to  come  and 
settle  with  us.     We  hope  for  your  favorable  answer 
to  this,  our  humble  request,  and   as   in  duty  bound, 
shall  ever  pray,  etc." 3 

It  was  hoped  that  this  explanation  would  be  sat- 
isfactory. The  Indians  had  complained  and  they 
were  answered  ;  arid  they  were  asked  not  to  offer 
the  settlers  any  violence,  but  to  wait  till  such  time 


1  Tulpehocken. 

a  1727.     Rupp  says  that  it  was  in  the  spring  of  1723. 

33  Col.  Rec,  318-33. 


as  the  matter  could  be  adjusted.  This  proceeding, 
however,  could  not  stop  immigration  into  this  ter- 
ritory. The  Germans  continued  to  enter  and  take 
up  and  improve  the  land.  Finally,  in  1732,  the 
Indians  sold  the  lands  in  the  entire  valley  and  re- 
moved beyond  the  Blue  Mountain. 

The  following  interesting  details  about  these 
German  first  settlers  in  the  Tulpehocken  Valley 
are  submitted  in  this  connection  : 

"  Of  the  large  number  of  Germans  who  went  to  Eng- 
land in  1708  and  1709,  10,000  died  for  want  of  suste- 
nance, medical  attendance  &c,  and  7000  returned  to 
their  native  country,  after  having  suffered  great  pri- 
vations, half  naked  and  in  great  despondency.  Some 
of  the  survivors  were  transported  to  English  Colonies 
in  America.  Ten  sails  of  vessels  were  freighted  with 
upward  of  4000  Germans  for  New  York.  They  em- 
barked 25th  December  1709,  and  arrived  at  New  York 
June  14,  1710.  On  the  inward  passage,  and  immedi- 
ately upon  landing,  1700  died.  The  survivors  en- 
camped in  tents — which  they  had  brought  with  them 
— on  Nutting  [now  Governor's]  Island.  Here  they 
remained  until  late  in  autumn,  when  about  1400  re- 
moved to  Livingston  Manor,  100  miles  up  the  Hudson 
River. 

"Those  who  settled  on  the  Hudson  River  were  under 
indenture  to  serve  Queen  Anne,  as  grateful  subjects,  to 
manufacture  tar  and  raise  hemp,  in  order  to  repay 
.  the  expenses  of  their  transportation  and  cost  of  sub- 
sistence to  the  amount  of  £10,000,  which  had  been  ad- 
vanced by  Parliamentary  grant.  This  experiment 
proved  a  complete  failure. 

The  Germans,  having  been  unjustly  oppressed,  be- 
came dissatisfied  with  their  treatment  and  situation. 
Governor  Hunter  resorted  to  violent  measures  to  se- 
cure obedience  to  his  demands,  without  success.  One 
hundred  and  fifty  families  left  late  in  the  autumn  of 
1712 — to  escape  the  certainty  of  famishing — for 
Schoharie  Valley,  some  60  miles  northwest  of  Living- 
ston Manor.  They  had  no  open  road;  no  horses  to 
carry  or  haul  their  baggage— this  they  loaded  on 
rudely  constructed  sleds,  which  they  tugged  them- 
selves through  a  three  feet  deep  snow  ;  their  way  was 
through  an  unbroken  forest.  It  took  them  three  full 
weeks.  At  Schoharie  they  improved  the  lands  which 
Queen  Anne  had  granted  to  them.  They  remained 
about  ten  years;  then,  owing  to  some  defect  in  their 
titles,  they  were  deprived  of  lands  and  improvements. 
In  the  spring  of  1723  thirty-three  families  removed 
to  Pennsylvania,  and  settled  in  Tulpehocken,  some 
fifteen  miles  west  of  the  Schuylkill  River.4 
'Among  these  families  there  were  the  following:5 
Johannes  Lantz.  George  Rieth. 

Sebastian  Pisas.  peter  Rieth. 


4  Rupp's  •'  30,000  Immigrants,' 

5  Ibidem,  p.  465. 


p.  6. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1085 


Gottfried  Fitler. 
Conrad  Schuetz. 
Antonius  Scharf. 
Johannes  Eieth. 
Joseph  Saab. 
Christian  Lauer. 


Andreas  Walborn. 
Johan  N.  Schaeffer. 
Lorentz  Zerbe. 
Sebastian  Fischer. 
Johan  Peter  Pacht. 
Johann  Adam  Lesch. 


George  Anspach. 

"  In  1728  other  families  left  Schoharie,  and  settled 
here  also.    Among  these  there  were  : 

Leonard  Anspach.  Casper  Hohn. 

Georg  Zeh.  Johannes  Noecker. 

Johan  Jacob  Holsteiner.   Michael  Lauer. 
Andreas  Kapp.  Jacob  Werner. 

Johan  Philip  Schneider.  Jacob  Katterman. 
Jacob  Lbwengut.  Heinrich  Six. 

Philip  Theis.  Conrad  Scharf. 

George  Schmidt. 

"  In  1729,  Conrad  Weiser  left  Schoharie  with  his  wife 
and  five  children  [Philip,  Fred'k,  Anna,  Madlina  and 
Maria]  and  settled  near  the  present  site  of  Womels- 
dorf,  one  mile  east  of  the  town." 

There  was  a  Lutheran  Church  in  this  district  as 
early  as  1727  ;  for  in  September,  1727,  a  petition 
was  presented  to  the  Court  of  Quarter  Sessions,  at 
Philadelphia,  asking  for  a  road  to  be  laid  out  from 
the  Lutheran  meeting  house  at  Tulpehocken  Creek 
to  the  high  road  at  the  Quaker  meeting  house,  near 
the  mill  of  George  Boone,  in  Oley.  Viewers  were 
then  appointed,  but  they  laid  out  the  road  only  to 
the  Schuylkill  River.1 

In  1731,  John  Peter  Miller2  became  the  pastor 
of  the  Reformed  Church  at  Tulpehocken,  and  he 
preached  to  the  Reformed  people  of  this  place  for 
four  years.  [Dubbs'  "  History  Man'l  of  Reformed 
Church,"  p.  176.] 

During  that  time  Conrad  Beissel,  a  leader  of  the 
"  German  Baptists,"  visited  Miller,  who  received 
him  as  an  Angel  of  the  Lord,  was  immersed  and 
became  a  member  of  the  brotherhood.  Beissel 
made  other  converts  here  ;  among  them  was  Conrad 
Weiser  and  three  elders  of  the  Reformed  Church. 
But  Weiser  soon  disagreed  with  this  denomination 
and  withdrew  from  them.  Miller  lived  for  a  time 
as  a  hermit  in  Tulpehocken  and  then  became  the 
most  active  member  of  this  fraternity.  [Dubbs' 
"History  Refd.  Ch.,"  p.  184.J 

Manor  of  Plumton. — The  proprietaries  of 
Pennsylvania,  on  the  17th  of  September,  1735,  by 

1  See  Marion  Township--"  Churches.'' 
*  He  came  to  America  in  1730  under  the  auspices  of  the 
church  authorities  of  Heidelberg. 


letters  patent,3  granted  arid  conveyed  to  John 
Page  a  large  tract  of  land,  situated  in  the  town- 
ship of  Tulpehocken,  which  contained  5165  acres,4 
and  they  erected  the  same  into  a  "  Manor,"  adding 
and  providing  in  said  patent :  "And  the  said  pro- 
prietaries do  erect  the  said  described  tract  of  land 
into  a  Manor,  and  name  it  the  Manor  of  Plumton, 
and  they  do  further  give  and  grant  to  the  said 
John  Page,  and  to  his  heirs  and  assigns,  full 
power  and  authority  to  erect  and  constitute  within 
said  manor  a  Court  Baron  with  all  things  what- 
soever which  to  a  Court  Baron  do  belong." 

Two  of  the  adjoining  land-owners  were  William 
Allen  and  Gulielma  (Wilhelmina)  Maria  Fell. 
Most  of  the  land  surrounding  was  described  as 
vacant. 

In  1743,  Page's  attorney-in-fact  conveyed  a  part 
of  this  manor,  347£  acres,  including  the  privileges 
of  the  Court  Baron,  to  Conrad  Weiser,  Esq.  The 
manor  was  not  held  together,  and  the  Court  Baron 
was  not  established.  The  entire  area  was  sold  off 
to  sundry  .settlers  in  Tulpehocken  and  Heidelberg 
townships. 

In  this  township  a  manor  was  set  apart  for  the 
use  of  the  proprietaries,  containing  over  two  thou- 
sand acres.  It  was  called  "  Tulpehocken  Manor." 
But  I  could  not  ascertain  any  definite  information 
respecting  it.5 

Taxables  of  1759. — The  following  list  com- 
prised the  taxables  of  the  township  in  1759. 
Michael  Forrer  was  the  collector  of  taxes.  The 
tax  levied  amounted  to  £143  5s.  6d.  The 
township  then  included  all  the  territory  bounded 
on  the  north  by  Blue  Mountain,  on  the  east  by  the 
Northkill,  on  the  southeast  by  the  Tulpehocken, 
on  the  northwest  by  the  Little  Swatara,  and  on 
the  southwest  by  the  boundary  line  of  Lancaster 
County.  Subsequently  three  other  townships  were 
formed  out  of  portions  of  this  territory,  namely : 
Tulpehocken  Upper  in  1820,  Marion  in  1843, 
and  Jefferson  in  1851.  The  list  including  the  tax- 
ables for  all  this  territory,  no  separate  lists  will  be- 
added  for  the  three  townships  named. 


s  Recorded  at  Philadelphia  in  Pat.  Bk.  vol.  vii.  p.  264. 

i  Tract  extended  across  Tulpehocken  Creek  into  Heidel- 
berg township.     It  was  surveyed  in  1734. 

5  The  draft  of  this  manor  is  with  the  Historical  Society  of 
Penna.,  at  Philadelphia,  in  book  entitled  ' '  Berks  County." 


1086 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Allenbach,   Andreas 8 

Anspach,  John 18 

Arnold,  John 4 

Achey,  John 2 

Anspach,    Leonard 9 

Albrecht,  Michael 2 

Anspach,  Peter 20 

Arnold,  Peter 6 

Albert,  "William 10 

Benike,  Catharine 1 

Beier,  Geo 2 

Becker,  John 8 

Brosius,  Jacob 5 

Bortner,  Jacob 6 

Broshia,  Nicholas 10 

Broeius,  Nicholas 1 

Brown,  Philip,  Sr 20 

Brown,  Philip,  Jr..' 10 

Bogenreif,  Simon 8 

Brosius,  Sebastian 7 

Bower,  Thomas 2 

Brenig,  Marcus 1 

Christ,  Geo 1 

Dieffenbach,  Adam 17 

Dissler,  Anthony 4 

D'Hei,  CharleB 4 

Dundore,  Jacob 10 

Derr,  Jost 4 

Dubelor,  Melchior 9 

Dissler,  Melchior 3 

Decker,  Michael 4 

Detweiler,  Melchior 1 

Deck,  Nicholas... 6 

Emrich,  Adam 7 

Etschberger,  Jacob 14 

Ernst,  Michael 12 

Ely,  Nicholas 6 

Fishborn,  Adam 1 

Frantz,  Christian 4 

Fengle,  Geo 1 

Foust,  Geo 2 

Fischer,  Jacob 18 

Folmer,  Jacob 12 

Fehler,  Jacob 2 

Forrer,  Michael 9 

Fries,  Michael 10 

Frenger,  Nicholas 2 

Fischer,  Ulrich 5 

Geissler,  David 1 

Gertner,  Geo 14 

Ginter,  Michael 20 

Gertner,  Geo 3 

Groff,  Henry 8 

Gasaen,  Jacob 2 

Goodman,  Geo 2 

Gicker,  Jacob 6 

Gebhardt,  Philip 10 

Gebhardt,  Peter 1 

Gunter,  Geo 10 

Haak,  Geo 2 

Hassinger,  Herman 4 

Holtzman,  Henry 5 

Heberling,  John 5 

Hubler,  Jacob 8 

Han,  John 2 

Harberger,  Michael 1 

Heckenrode,  Zacbarias 1 

Haak,  Nicholas 4 

Hackman,  Peter 4 

Heberling,  Valentine 10 

Jacooy,  Adam 4 

Keiser,  Christian 6 

Ember,  Christian 8 

Keiner,  Christian 2  I 

Kurtz,  Christian 1 


Katterman,  David 1 

Keiser,  Fred'k 1 

Keel,  Geo 9 

Kline,  Geo 3 

Kautner,  Jacob ■ 3 

Katterman,  Jacob 13 

Kaufman,  John 1 

Klahr,  Jacob 1 

Kettner,  Michael 8 

Kuntz,  Michl 1 

Kemp,  Matthias  3 

Kintzer,  Nicholas 16 

Kreiger,  Peter 5 

Kreiger,  Peter 3 

Kurr,  Thos 10 

Kern,  Thos 5 

Keiser,  Wilhelm 5 

Lash,  Adam 20 

Laucks,  Abram 17 

Leho,  Abram 2 

Lower,  Christian 30 

Long,  Casper 1 

Long,  Conrad 2 

Legner,  Geo 20 

Lebegut,  Jacob 12 

Long,  John 2 

Loos,  Jacob 3 

Lub,  Ludwig 1 

Lederman,  Jacob 10 

Long,  Nicholas 6 

Lebo,  Peter 6 

Laucks,  Peter 10 

Leitner,  Wilhelm 3 

Meyer,  John 1 

Milleisen,  Jacob 1 

Miller,  John 4 

Miller,  Jacob 11 

Miller,  Nicholas 1 

Meyer,  John 8 

Meyer,  Philip 3 

Meyer.  Rudolph 12 

Noll,  Baltzer 3 

Naftzinger,  Matthias 9 

Ney,  Valentine 1 

Pleistein,  Geo 16 

Punzius,  John 3 

Peiffer,  Jacob 3 

Beam,  Adam 1 

Reed,  Casper 17 

Reed,  Casper,  Jr 3 

Reber,   Conrad 2 

Reit,    Daniel 12 

Beit.  Daniel 2 

Reed,  Fred'k 16 

Reit,  Geo 20 

Reit,  Geo.,  Jr 1 

Roehrerf    Gotlieb 10 

Radenbach.  Henry 5 

Reed,  Jacob 7 

Riegle,   John 25 

Reitenaur,  John 1 

Reed,  Leonard 14 

Reed,  Leonard,  Jr 5 

Reed,  Mich'l 10 

Rice,    Mich'! 22 

Rice,  Mich'l  &  Co 15 

Bull,  Philip ^    2 

Beed,  Peter 15 

Ritzman,  Peter 1 

Reinsel,    Val 5 

Sheetz,  Adam 15 

Sherman,  Adam \q 

Schmidt,  Adam 4 

Stein,  Adam 2 

Shade,  Andreas 2 


Schaeffer,  Andreas 2 

Schneider,  Abram 6 

Speicher,  Benj 10 

Stump,  Casper 16 

ShernidD,  Geo 5 

Stouch,  Geo 1 

Schaeffer,  John 20 

Seibert,  Jacob 18 

Schwope,  John 2 

Snebely,  John 3 

Sherman,  Jacob 10 

Schwartz,  Ludwig 5 

Schaeffer,  Mich'l 22 

Sumi,  Mich'l 1 

Stupp,  Martin 12 

Sauser,  Mich'l 2 

Smith,  Matthias 3 

Steiner,  Maria 9 

Swengle,  Nicholas..... 11 

Schlessman,  Nicholas 3 

Schaeffer,  Nicholas 4 

Speicher,  Peter 12 

Schaeffer,  Peter 18 

Soleberger,  Ulrich 8 


Troutman,  John 11 

Weaver,    Adam 1 

Wender,  Christopher 3 

Wender,  Conrad 1 

Wender,  Fred'k 2 

Wolf,  Fred'k 2 

Wolf,  Geo 8 

Wolfart,  Geo 3 

Weber,  Geo 1 

Wenrich,   John 5 

Weiser,  John 15 

Womelsdorff 16 

Wilhelm,  Jacob 3 

Wentz,  John 6 

Walborn,  Leonard 15 

Wagner,  Matthias  &  Co 8 

Wagner,  Matthias , 15 

Zimmerman,  Geo 5 

Zeller,  Geo 12 

Zeller,  John 10 

Zerbe,  John 4 

Zerbe,  Peter 13 

Zerbe,  Peter,  Jr 3 

Ziegler,  Philip 2 


Inmates. 


Apple,  Lorentz 1 

Bechtel,  Christian 2 

Brown,  Geo 1 

Bressler,  Geo . 1 

Bogenrief,  Henry 1 

Blank,  Jacob 1 

Bressler,  Simon 1 

Bickler,  John 1 

Boltz,  Geo 1 

Fischer,  Adam 1 

Fischer,  Ludwig 1 

Grow,  Leonard 1 

Gebhardt.  Peter 1 

Huber,  Frantz 2 

Hartman,  Mich'l 1 

Hoffman,  Peter 1 

Hob,  John 1 

Jordan,  Adam 1 

Kress,  Valentine 2 

Korngib,  John 1 

Kuhns,  Nich 1 

Kricbbaum.  Adam 1 

Leinberger,  Nich 1 

Lescher,  John l 

Luzkimber,  Christopher 1 

Lenig,   Thos 1 


Lavene,  John 

Lenig,   Peter 

Muckenfus,  Fred'k 

Meier,  Valentine 

Miller,  Jacob 

Metz,  Jacob 

Reiner,  Peter 

Run,  John 

Boset,  Jacob 

Schneider,  Abram 

Schnoke,  Fred'k 

Schnederle,  Geo 

Schreffler,  Geo 

Schaeffer,  Geo 

Schmidt.  Henry 

Schmidt,  Leonard 

Schaum,  Christopher. 

Schaeffer,  Jacob 

Sallade,  Nicholas 

Stein,  John 

Wiegand,  Nicholas 

Weis,  John 

Weidner,  John 

Wolfart,  Mich'l 

Zerbe,  Henry 2 

Zerbe,  Jacob \ 


Allenbach,  Daniel. 
Andes,  Fred'k. 
Albert,  John. 
Brown,  Martin. 
Brua,  Peter. 
Din,  Adam. 
Fisher,  Maitin. 
Heberling,  Adam. 
Heberling,  Jacob. 
Kaercher,  Godfried. 
Knoll,  Valentine. 
Leamor,  Leonard. 
Merkle,  Dieter. 


Biugle  Men. 


Meier,  Geo. 
Meier,  Philip. 
Redebach,  Henry. 
Reed,  Michael. 
Schaeffer,  Geo. 
Schaeffer,  John. 
Schaeffer,  Abram. 
Schaeffer,  Henry. 
Toner,  JoVin. 
Wolf,  Daniel. 
Wann,  W. 

Wolfart,  Christopher. 
Weiser,  Jacob. 


New  Township  Refused.— In  November,  1844, 
a  petition  signed  by  one  hundred  and  thirty 
subscribers  was  presented  to  court  praying  for 
the  erection  of  a  new  township  out  of  parts 
of  Tulpehocken,  Upper  Tulpehocken  and  Mar 
ion  townships;   and  Matthias  S.  Richards,  Sam- 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


1087 


uel  Baird  and  Samuel  S.  Jackson  were  ap- 
pointed conimisssoners  to  make  the  neces- 
sary investigations,  etc.  These  commissioners 
recommended  the  erection  of  the  new  township — 
"  being  satisfied  that  the  late  practice  of  subdivid- 
ing large  townships,  and  the  convenience  caused 
thereby  for  township  transactions  and  the  better 
attention  to  the  keeping  of  roads,  etc  ,  in  repair, 
has  received  general  favor  from  experience,''  and 
suggested  as  a  proper  name — "  South  Tulpe- 
hocken."  Their  report  was  filed  January  9, 1845, 
and  confirmed  nisi.  But  earnest  exceptions  were 
filed  against  the  proposed  and  recommended  new 
township  ;  one  remonstrance  setting  forth  that 
the  district,  as  laid  out,  "  contains  only  about  110 
taxable  inhabitants — it  is  seven  miles  long  and 
the  widest  part  from  one  and  a  half  to  two  miles 
broad, — and  it  will  be  inconvenient  and  burden- 
some to  your  petitioners  and  it  will  only  gratify 
a  few  self-interested  individuals."  An  act  of  As- 
sembly was  passed  on  the  19th  of  February,  1845, 
requiring  the  question  of  this  proposed  township 
to  be  submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  taxable  inhabit- 
ants of  the  three  townships ;  but  at  an  election 
held  on  the  21st  day  of  March,  1845,  the  question 
was  decided  in  the  negative  -,1  and  the  court  ac- 
cordingly refused  the  application. 

CHURCHES. 

Host  Church  is  in  the  southeastern  part  of 
the  township.  It  derives  its  name  from  a  family 
which  formerly  resided  in  that  locality.  As  early 
as  1745  a  congregation  of  the  German  Beformed 
Church  had  an  existence  there  and  worshipped  in 
a  log  meeting-house,  put  up  for  the  use  of  the  con- 
gregation. Here  they  received  the  ministrations 
of  the  Bev.  D.  Bartholemae,  in  1747,  and  of  the 
Eevs.  H.  W.  Stoy,  William  Otterbein,  John 
Waldschmidt  and  John  Jacob  Zufall,  preaching 
at  irregular  periods,  until  1769,  when  the  Bev. 
Wm.  Hendel  entered  upon  a  pastorate  which  con- 
tinued thirteen  years.  In  1775  his  labors  resulted 
in  giving  the  congregation  a  permanent  organiza- 
tion, which  has  been  continued  until  this  day.  It 
was  determined  to  build  a  new  church  and  a  com- 
mittee was  selected  to  take  this  work  in  hand.  The 
church  as  they  built  it  was  used  about  fifty  years ; 

1In  Upper  Tulpehocken   the  vote  was  181  against  and  9 
for  new  township. 


but,  in  1832,  the  brick  floor  was  removed,  and  a 
floor  of  boards  put  in  its  place ;  and  other  changes 
were  also  made  in  the  house  to  bring  it  up  to  the 
requirements  of  that  day.  This  work  was  done  by 
George  See  at  seventy-five  cents  per  day  and  board. 
Twenty  years  later,  in  1852,  a  steeple  was  put  on  the 
church  and  a  bell  of  six  hundred  and  thirty-four 
pounds  weight  placed  in  the  same.  In  this  condition 
the  church  was  used  three  decades  longer.  On  Octo- 
ber 4,  1884,  it  was  decided  to  enlarge  the  building  by 
theaddition  of  seventeen  feet  to  its  length,  to  cover  it 
with  slate  and  to  renovate  it  internally.  The  corner- 
stone was  laid  May  17,  1885,  and  the  completed 
building  recon  secrated  September  20, 1885,  givingto 
the  congregation  one  of  the  finest  country  churches 
in  the  county.  The  following  ministers  officiated : 
Wm.  Hendel,  Fredeiick  Herman,  Thomas  H. 
Leinbach  (1833-51),  Jacob  D.  Zehring  (1851-64), 
George  Wolf  and  C.  H.  Leinbach. 

Bev.  Thomas  C.  Leinbach  became  the  pastor  in 
1866  and  he  has  been  continued  until  now.  In 
1885  the  congregation  numbered  three  hundred 
and  fifty  members.2 

After  being  exclusively  a  Beformed  Church 
about  one  hundred  years,  a  congregation  of  Lu- 
therans began  holding  regular  meetings  here 
March  12,  1865,  with  the  Bev.  Aaron  Finfrock  as 
pastor,  who  has  since  served  it  with  acceptance. 
In  1885  a  membership  of  one  hundred  and  seven- 
ty-five was  reported.  By  agreement  the  congre- 
gation has  a  voice  in  the  temporal  affairs  of  the 
church,  which  is  now  practically  a  "  union  church." 

Behrersburg  Lutheran  Church. — In  1765 
Henry  Holtzman  granted  to  Trustees  Christian 
Moyer,  Ulrich  Fisher,  Jacob  Beed  and  Thomab 
Kurr  two  and  a  half  acres  of  ground  for  church 
purposes.  This  lot  was  enlarged  by  the  addition 
of  sixty  rods  more  by  Sebastian  Brosius,  and  one 
hundred  and  thirty-eight  rods  by  Godfrey  Boehrer. 
In  1786  the  latter  donated  four  acres  more ;  and 
other  additions  were  made  at  later  periods,  until, 
at  present,  the  church  lot  contains  about  thirteen 
acres  of  ground.  Upon  part  of  this  lot  there  was 
built,  in  1765,  a  two- story  meeting  house  of  logs, 
which  was  used  as  a  place  of  worship  until  1808, 
when  the  present  meeting-house  was  built.     It   is 

2  For  a  long  list  of  names  (150)  Lutheran  and  Reformed 
members,  see  Bupp's  "  30.000  Immigrants,"  pp.  466-468. 


1088 


HISTOEY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


a  large  stone  edifice  of  substantial  masonry.  In 
1849  the  first  steeple  was  placed  on  the  church, 
which  was  removed  in  1882  and  another  construct- 
ed in  its  stead.  The  latter  contains  a  fine  bell. 
The  cemetery  is  large  and  finely  kept.  The  mem- 
bership of  the  church  is  large,  numbering  about 
five  hundred  and  sixty.  The  pastor  is  Rev.  A.  J. 
Long,  resident  minister  at  the  Tulpehocken 
Lutheran  Church,  at  Stouchsburg.  In  the  main 
these  two  churches  have  had  the  same  ministers. 

About  thirty  years  after  the  church  was  built  a 
parochial  school  was  established,  in  a  building 
put  up  for  that  purpose,  upon  the  church  grouuds. 
This  house  was  of  logs,  two-story,  and  was 
afterwards  used  as  the  public  school-house  until 
1882,  when  a  new  school-house  was  erected.  The 
early  schools  taught  in  it  were  excellent.  Peter 
Walborn  was  a  superior  teacher.  He  taught 
about  thirty  years.  Jacob  Kline  was  the  last 
teacher  of  the  parish  school,  and  the  instruction 
generally  imparted  there  was  in  the  German  lan- 
guage. 

The  first  English  school  was  taught  in  a  private 
house,  about  1820,  by  a  Mr.  Embich.  Later  a 
building  was  provided  for  English  schools  near  the 
old  church,  in  which  James  Allen,  Jacob  Rehm 
and  others  taught. 

The  public  schools  of  Rehrersburg  form  four 
grades,  and  are  taught  in  a  large  frame  building 
put  up  in  1882.  The  old  school-house  has  been 
demolished.  The  old  log  church  was  torn  down 
about  1810  and  the  material  used  for  a  residence 
near  the  centre  of  the  village. 

St.  John's  Union  Church  (Reformed  and 
Lutheran)  is  in  the  eastern  part  of  Rehrersburg 
and  was  built  in  1847.  The  edifice  is  a  neat  brick 
structure  and  has  attractive  surroundings  ;  the  lot 
is  inclosed  with  a  fine  iron  fence.  It  embraces 
also  a  well-kept  burial-ground,  on  which  are  some 
neat  monuments.  This  church  was  built  by 
members  withdrawing  from  the  old  church  at 
Rehrersburg,  on  account  of  the  difficulty  of  mak- 
ing arrangements  whereby  both  congregations  could 
have  mutual  interests.  The  membership  was  at 
first  small,  but  in  1885  the  Reformed  congregation 
reported  one  hundred  and  thirty  and  the 
Lutherans  not  quite  so  many.  The  latter  had  the 
Rev.  Daniel  D.  Trexler  as  pastor,   and  previously 


Revs.  H  Y.  Grahn,  Rees  and  Rev.  Thomas 
Iaeger.  The  Reformed  congregation  had  as  its 
minister,  since  February,  1884,  the  Rev.  L.  D. 
Stambaugh.  Those  who  preceded  him  were  the 
Revs.  Steckle,  Wolf,  Schwartz  and  Miesse. 

St.  Paul's  Church  op  the  Evangelical 
Association  is  located  near  the  centre  of  the 
township,  close  by  the  old  Livingood  mills.  The 
church  was  built  in  1852  and  is  of  brick,  with  a 
small  steeple  and  bell.  Its  capacity  is  a  few  hun- 
dred. The  early  members  belonged  to  the  Liven- 
good  and  Burns  families  and  were  but  few  in 
number.  There  having  been  few  accessions, 
the  congregation  is  weak  numerically.  The 
ministerial  service  is  from  Myerstown,  in  Lebanon 
County,  with  which  place  this  appointment  is 
united  in  forming  a  circuit. 

Trinity  Church.— This  house  of  worship 
belongs  to  the  United  Brethren  and  was  built  in 
1848,  but  remodeled  and  improved  in  1885.  The 
building  is  a  plain  frame,  but  ample  for  the  wants 
of  the  congregation  worshipping  there,  which 
numbered  in  1885  but  fifty  members.  The  ap- 
pointment was  served  in  connection  with  churches 
in  Lebanon  County,  forming  a  circuit,  and  the 
pastor  was  the  Rev.  J.  P.  Smith.  A  small  grave- 
yard is  connected  with  the  building. 

St.  John's  Church  (Lutheran  and  Re- 
formed), is  located  on  a  commanding  site  in  Mt. 
Etna.  It  was  built  in  1883.  It  is  a  neat  brick 
structure,  forty-two  by  sixty-one  feet,  with  steeple 
and  bell,  and  cost  over  four  thousand  dollars.  The 
building  committee  having  the  work  in  charge  was 
W.  A.  Klick,  J.  Stamm,  J.  Bricker  and  P.  M. 
Forrer.  This  is  the  second  house  which  occupies 
the  lot.  The  first  was  built  in  1846  by  John 
Fisher,  J.  Stutzman  and  J.  Goldman,  in  order  to 
afford  a  more  convenient  place  of  worship  for  the 
people  of  that  locality,  and  the  site  selected  was 
the  acre  of  ground  set  aside  for  church  and 
school  purposes  by  the  proprietor  of  the  town-site. 
The  greater  part  of  this  was  set  aside  for  burial 
purposes.  The  cemetery  provided  is  well  kept, 
and  contains  some  neat  monuments. 

In  1885  the  Lutheran  congregation  had  about 
sixty  members  and  the  Rev.  F.  J.  F.  Schantz  as 
pastor.  At  the  same  time  the  Reformed  congre- 
gation had  one  hundred  members  and  the  pastor 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


1089 


was  the  Rev.  L.  D.  Stambaugh.    Each  congrega- 
tion supports  a  Sunday-school  and  Bible  class. 

Brethren  Meeting-House. — In  the  north- 
ern part  of  the  township,  in  what  is  known  as  the 
Ziegler  neighborhood,  there  is  a  frame  meeting- 
house belonging  to  the  Brethren,  or  Dunkards. 
It  was  built  about  fifteen  years  ago  and  replaced  a 
smaller  brick  house  which  had  been  built  about 
fifteen  years  previously.  The  congregation  occu- 
pying it  is  large  and  flourishing,  a  large  number 
of  members  coming  from  other  townships,  chiefly 
from  Bethel,  The  meetings  held  alternate  with 
those  in  the  Bethel  Churches. 

VILLAGES. 

Rehrersburg. — The  town  plan  of  Rehrers- 
burg  was  laid  out  by  Jacob  Rehrer,  about  the  year 
1803.  It  was  acknowledged  by  him  on  the  4th 
of  April,  1803,  and  recorded.  The  plan  included 
ninety-four  lots,  which  were  arranged  along  the 
thoroughfare. 

The  main  street  was  named  "  Gottfried ;"  the 
principal  cross-street,  "  Jacob  ;"  the  next  cross- 
streets,  to  the  west,  "Magdalena"  and  "Rehrer," 
and  to  the  east,  "Maria"  and  "Brown."  The 
"  square "  in  the  centre  of  the  town  is  seventy 
by  four  hundred  and  ten  feet.  Width  of  streets — 
main,  fifty  feet ;  cross,  forty  feet.  The  lots  in  the 
"  square"  are  sixty  by  two  hundred  and  forty-six 
feet ;  the  others  on  Gottfried  Street,  sixty  by  two 
hundred  and  seventy  feet.  On  .  the  back  of  the 
plan  the  proprietor  made  the  following  provision, 
written  in  German :  "  This  plan  has  three  classes 
in  price  and  are  as  follows  :  In  the  first  class  the 
tickets  are  twenty  dollars,  and  a  half-dollar  ground 
rent  each  year ;  in  the  second,  fifteen  dollars  and 
one  dollar  ground  rent  each  year  ;  in  the  third, 
ten  dollars  and  one  dollar  and  a  half  ground  rent 
each  year." 

The  lots  were  disposed  of  by  lottery.  One  of 
the  first  lots  was  sold  in  1803  to  Michael  Tryon. 
Dr.  John  Tryon,  his  son,  has  occupied  this  lot  and 
the  dwelling  thereon  for  many  years. 

Subsequently,  in  1819,  Mr.  Rehrer  laid  out 
fifty-three  additional  lots  on  the  north  of  the  town. 

In  1825,  Thomas  Kurr  was  the  proprietor  of  the 

ground  rent,  the  total  amount  of  which  was  then 

stated  to  be  seventy-seven  dollars  and  eighty-five 

cents- 
Si 


The  deeds  from  Rehrer  to  purchasers  were  not 
recorded.  The  form  of  deed  was  printed.  The 
following  were  some  of  the  purchasers  : 

Abraham  Guth,  lots  3  and  8,  in  1803. 
Michael  Tryon,  lots  30  and  31,  in  1803. 
Joseph  Geissler,1  lot  77,  in  1803. 
Joseph  Geissler,  lots  46  and  47,  iu  1806. 
George  Ohlwein,  lot  79,  in  1807. 
Maria  Messersmith  (formerly  Strack,)   lot   82,  in 
1807. 
Adam  Weber,  lot  83,  in  1810. 

The  first  building  in  this  vicinity  was  erected 
south  of  the  town  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile. 
In  addition : 

George  Harner  and  Godfrey  D.  Behrer,  lot  106,  in 
1820. 
Christian  Brobst,  lot  108,  in  1819. 
Christian  Brobst,  lot  110,  in  1819. 
John  Binkley,  lot  112,  in  1821. 
Jacob  Good,  lot  122,  in  1822. 

The  ground  rent  has  not  been  released.  The 
last  payments  were  made  in  1834.  In  this  year  a 
plow  was  distrained  for  rent  due;  but  it  was 
released  upon  proceeding  in  replevin. 

Among  the  early  settlers  of  Rehrersburg  were 
Abraham  Guth,  merchant ;  Joseph  Geissler,  inn- 
keeper; Dr.  Michael  Tryon,  physician;  P.  Lud- 
wig,  justice;  John  Seamen,  justice;  Philip  A.  Good, 
surveyor ;  Christian  Brobst,  inn-keeper ;  John 
Schaeffer,  weaver;  John  Aulenbach,  cabinet 
maker ;  John  Hartman,  brick-maker ;  John  Moss- 
watchmaker  ;  Michael  Fichthorn,  hatter ;  John 
Reber,  carpenter ;  Gerhart  Miller,  blacksmith  ; 
Jacob  Lininger,  blacksmith ;  Frederick  Muth, 
lumber  dealer ;  Godfrey  Rehrer,  merchant ;  John 
Lindenmuth,  saddler  ;  John  Reber,  tailor ;  Philip 
Kline,  tanner ;  Henry  Dewald,  tinsmith ;  Wm. 
A.  Good,  teacher ;  Sebastian  Lutz,  saddler ;  Philip 
Schwalm,  tailor ;  Jacob  Schaeffer,  farmer. 

The  house  built  by  Abraham  Guth  was  con- 
verted into  a  tavern  by  Jacob  Good  in  1806  and 
kept  by  him  until  1814,  when  Christian  Brobst 
became  the  landlord,  keeping  the  house  until  his 
death,  in  1831.  Then  came  Valentine  Brobst  un- 
til 1853,  and  Henry  Brobst,  the  present  proprie- 
tor, succeeded  to  the  ownership.  About  the  same 
time,  1806,   Joseph   Geissler  opened  the  second 


1  Geissler  erected  American  Houae,  and  it  is  said  that  he 
erected  the  first  dwelling  on  this  lot. 


1090 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


inn,  which  is  now  known  as  the  "  Farmers'  Ho- 
tel." Michael  Lindenmuth  was  the  landlord 
there  thirty  years.  On  the  site  of  Dr.  Tryon's  res- 
idence was  a  public-house  kept  about  thirty-five 
years  by  John  Binkley.  The  present  "Union 
House  "  has  been  open  for  the  entertainment  of 
the  public  since  1838,  John  Ebling  being  the  first 
landlord  and  John  Christ,  the  present. 

After  Abraham  Guth  left  the  Brobst  stand,  in 
1806,  he  opened  a  place  of  business  where  Kurr's 
store  now  is.  This  place  has  been  used  continuously 
for  trading  purposes.  For  a  time  a  store  was  kept  in 
the  building  which  had  formerly  been  the  church, 
and  which  is  still  standing  on  the  square  as  a  resi- 
dence. 

The  Rehrersburg  post-office  was  established 
May  27,  1818.  George  Harner  was  the  postmas- 
ter until  1834,  keeping  the  office  at  his  store.  For 
the  next  five  years  Valentine  Brobst  was  the  post- 
master. Since  1866  John  B.  Barnett  has  offici- 
ated. The  office  has  daily  mails  from  Womels- 
dorf,  and  also  from  Reading  via  Bernville. 

Physicians. — Dr.  Michael  Tryon,  a  native  of  Mill 
Creek,  Lebanon  County,  located  here  as  the  first 
doctor  in  1800,  and  remained  until  his  death,  in 
1830.  His  son,  Dr.  Jacob  Tryon,  followed  his 
profession  at  Rehrersburg  actively  from  1821 
until  1884,  when  he  retired  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
four  years.  During  the  first  twenty-three  years  of 
his  practice  he  traveled  altogether  on  horseback, 
and  often  visited  patients  twenty-five  miles  distant, 
traveling  through  woods  without  roads  and  over 
mountains.  Since  1855  his  son,  Dr.  John  S. 
Tryon,  has  been  a  successful  practitioner  at  this 
point.  Dr.  Abraham  Good  was  the  second  physi- 
cian in  the  village,  a  number  of  years  prior  to  his 
removal  to  Lebanon,  about  1837.  Dr.  Adam 
Schoener  was  here  from  1820  until  his  removal 
to  Reading,  in  1865.  Before  his  death  he  returned 
to  Rehrersburg.  Dr.  Adam  J.  Schoener  was 
fifteen  years  in  practice  before  his  death,  in  1880. 
The  last  to  locate  was  Dr.  George  M.  Bickel,1  who 
has  been  in  successful  practice  the  past  eight  years. 

Besides  the  foregoing,  a  number  of  natives  of 
the  place  became  successful  physicians,  among 
them  being  Decatur  Schoener,  William  J.  Schoener, 


^See  sketch  in  Chapter  XXI.,  p.  620. 


Edward,  John  A.  and  James  C.  Brobst,  sons  of 
Valentine  Brobst. 

The  village  had  several  secret  societies,  which, 
after  a  period  of  prosperity,  were  allowed  to 
go  down,  and  have  for  a  number  of  years  been 
discontinued. 

The  tannery  there  was  established  by  Kline  & 
Shellenberger  sixty  years  ago,  and  is  still  in 
existence,  though  carried  on  in  a  small  way  at 
present.  Among  the  industries  at  this  point, 
which  have  been  altogether  abandoned,  was  a 
small  foundry  by  S.  Weber,  which  was  once  a  use- 
ful enterprise. 

Organs  are  built  by  Monroe  Salem,  and  coach- 
making  is  carried  on  by  C  D.  Wagner. 

The  Rehrersburg  Creamery  was  built  in  1885  by 
Isaac  H.  Shade  &  Co.  Steam-power  is  used,  and 
about  three  hundred  pounds  of  prime  butter  are 
made  daily,  in  one-pound  prints.  The  creamery 
has  the  patronage  of  thirty-one  customers. 

Mt.  Etna. — This  village  is  in  the  southwestern 
part  of  the  township,  on  an  elevated  tract  of  land 
which  overlooks  the  surrounding  country.  It  was 
laid  out  in  1810  by  Peter  Wohleber,  and  for  many 
years  called  Wohleberstown.  The  present  name 
was  adopted  after  1854,  when  the  post-office  was 
established.  Wohleber  owned  a  farm  at  this 
place,  and  surveyed  some  twenty  acres  of  it  for 
village  purposes.  He  laid  out  the  streets  and 
alleys  with  great  regularity.  The  main  street 
was  widened  at  its  centre,  to  form  a  market  square. 
Following  the  custom  of  that  day,  the  lots  were 
disposed  of  with  an  annual  ground-rent.  The 
amount  was  two  dollars  per  year,  and  it  was  paid 
for  many  years.  The  last  lot  released  was  that 
of  Peter  Wohleber,  Jr. 

The  proprietor  lived  near  the  public  well,  which 
he  had  provided,  and  he  continued  in  the  village 
until  his  death.  Before  this  occurred,  Peter 
Schell  became  the  proprietor,  and  in  turn  sold  out 
to  John  Neff,  in  1845.  The  latter  disposed  of  his 
interests  to  Daniel  Gasser,  who  executed  titles  to 
the  lots. 

The  first  house  in  the  place  was  by  the  public 
well,  and  was  removed  by  Peter  Schell,  a  cooper 
by  trade ;  John  Acheanbach  was  the  blacksmith  ; 
Evan  Lewis,  the  tailor;  John  Heffelfinger,  the 
nail-maker ;  John  Bechtold,  mason  ;  Michael  Het- 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1091 


linger,  millwright ;  Jacob  Robinson,  laborer.  These 
embraced  the  early  settlers,  in  addition  to  the 
Wohleber  family.  Peter  Wohleber  sold  the  first 
goods,  he  having  traded  on  a  small  scale.  But 
Levi  Wolfersperger  was  the  first  to  engage  in 
trade  to  any  extent.  He  lived  on  lot  No.  6,  and 
also  kept  a  public-house.  He  was  in  business 
more  than  thirty  years,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Brown  &  Bordner.  William  A.  Glick  was  the 
second  merchant,  trading  on  a  larger  scale.  In 
1885  the  village  had  four  stores.  One  of  these 
was  in  a  three-story  brick  building,  forty  by  sixty- 
one  feet,  built  in  1881  by  the  proprietor,  I.  J.  H. 
Bordner,  who  has  been  in  trade  eighteen  years. 
Daily  mails  are  received  from  Myerstown,  and  tri- 
weekly are  carried  to  Wintersville.  The  present 
postmaster  is  I.  J.  H.  Bordner. 

The  first  tavern  in  the  place  was  kept  in  1810 
at  the  present  Brown  House,  in  a  building  which 
forms  a  part  of  the  present  hotel.  Jacob  Het- 
tinger was  the  landlord.  The  second  inn  was  the 
Bordner  House,  kept  chiefly  by  members  of  the 
Bordner  family.  The  third  house  was  built  by 
John  H.  Weller,  about  1870.  These  three  taverns 
are  still  maintained. 

In  the  practice  of  medicine,  Dr.  Christian 
Strohm  was  the  first  to  locate  at  Mt.  Etna.  He  was 
followed,  in  1856,  by  Dr.  L.  G.  Batdorff,  a  prac- 
titioner here  continuously  since  that  time. 

South  of  Rehrersburg  is  an  old  tavern-stand 
widely  and  favorably  known  as  Gasser's,and  which 
had  been  kept  by  that  family  the  greater  part  of 
a  century.  On  the  Womelsdorf  road,  near  the 
southern  line  of  the  township,  a  nuober  of  people 
have  had  stores,  Conrad  Hinnershitz  being  one  of 
the  first  in  trade.  A  post-office  having  the  name 
of  Host  was  established  here  in  1852,  which  is  at 
present  kept  in  the  store  of  Jacob  Shaffner,  for  a 
number  of  years  a  successful  merchant  at  this  point. 
The  office  has  a  daily  mail  from  Womelsdorf. 
West,  nearly  midway  between  Host  and  Mt.  Etna, 
is  the  hamlet  of  Wintersville,  so  called  after  Jacob 
Winters,  who  had  a  store  and  a  tavern  at  that  place. 
The  post-office  was  established  there  in  1857  and  is 
still  maintained. 

Near  Mt.  Etna,  on  a  small  spring  branch,  is  the 
old  Livengood  mill,  built  in  the  early  part  of  the 
present  century.  The  old  mill-house  is  still  in  use, 
but  steam-power  has  been  supplied  to  take  the  place 


of  the  failing  water-power.  On  the  Swatara,  near 
the  mouth  of  this  stream,  is  the  old  Zimmerman 
mill,  where,  about  1850,  Frederick  Miller  built  a 
new  mill,  which  has  been  remodeled  and  supplied 
with  steam-power  so  that  it  has  become  an  excel- 
lent mill.  Jacob  Zeigler  was  the  proprietor  in 
1885.  In  the  southern  part  of  the  township,  on 
Mill  Creek,  Daniel  Wolf  had  a  small  mill,  before 
1800,  occupying  the  site  of  the  Moyer  mill,  started 
soon  after  the  settlement  of  the  township.  The 
present  is  the  third  mill,  having  been  rebuilt  in 
1869. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

Geoege  K.  Stoudt  is  the  grandson  of  George 
Stoudt,  who  was  of  German  extraction  and  spent 
his  life  in  Tulpehocken  township  as  a  farmer.  He 
married  Rebcca  Wolfe,  whose  children  were 
Daniel,  Jacob,  George,  Benjamin,  Maria,  Eva, 
Elizabeth  and  Sarah.  George  Stoudt,  of  this 
number,  was  born  on  the  30th  of  June,  1794,  in 
Tulpehocken  township,  where  he  followed  the 
occupation  of  his  father,  and  married  Susanna, 
daughter  of  John  Kutz,  of  Maxatawny  township. 
The  children  of  this  marriage  are  George  (who 
died  in  youth),  Mary  (Mrs.  Jacob  D.  Barnet), 
William,  George  K.,  Isaac,  Rebecca,  John,  Sarah 
(Mrs.  Henry  Peiffer)  and  Eliza  (Mrs.  John  B. 
Schaeffer),  of  whom  all  but  two  survive.  George 
K.  Stoudt  was  born  in  Maiden-creek  township, 
Berks  County,  March  15,  1818,  and  received  very 
few  advantages  of  education,  his  time  having  been 
required  as  assistant  in  the  cultivation  of  his 
father's  land.  He  removed  in  1834  with  the  latter 
to  the  farm  now  owned  by  him  in  Tulpehocken 
township,  and  continued  industriously  employed 
as  a  farmer  for  many  years.  He  was  married  on 
the  15th  of  June,  1839,  to  Mary,  daughter  of 
William  Riehl,  of  the  same  township.  Their 
children  are  Alvin  (a  prosperous  farmer  in  Indi- 
ana), Susanna,  (Mrs.  Jared  Himmelberger),  John 
(engaged  in  farming  pursuits  in  Ohio),  Jemima 
(Mrs.  J.  Henry  Gasser),  Frank  (who  settled  upon 
a  farm  in  Illinois),  Rebecca  (Mrs.  Jonathan  R. 
Reber)  and  Sarah  E.  (Mrs.  Edward  Bickel).  The 
death  of  Mrs.  Stoudt  occurred  July  10,  1881. 
George  K.  Stoudt  remained  with  his  father  until 
his  death,  in  1881,  when  the  property  was  bequeath- 
ed to  him,  subject  to  the  claims  of  the  remaining 


1092 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


heirs.  He  is  still  actively  engaged  in  farming  and 
ranks  among  the  most  successful  agriculturists  of 
his  township.  As  a  Democrat  in  politics,  he 
has  served  in  various  local  offices.  He  is  often 
solicited  to  serve  as  guardian,  executor  and  in 
other  places  of  trust  where  his  fidelity  to  duty  has 
won  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  public. 
With  other  patriotic  citizens  he  was  active  during 
the  war  in  furthering  the  interests  of  the  govern- 
ment.    He  is  a  director  of  the  Sinking  Spring 


Hull,  whose  children  are  William,  (deceased), 
Margaret  (Mrs.  Emanuel  Kissel),  Polly  (Mrs. 
Samuel  Hallacher),  Sarah,  (Mrs.  Samuel  S. 
Brown),  George,  Henry  (deceased)  and"Jacob.  The 
last-named  of  this  number  was  born  January  23, 
1831,  in  New  Holland,  Lancaster  County,  and 
at  the  age  of  thirteen  years  removed  to  Berks 
County,  becoming  a  member  of  his  brother's 
family  in  Tulpehocken  township.  In  this 
township  he  still  resides,  the  spot  being  familiarly 


&*~  -S&-   S£^eJ£ 


Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company.  Mr.  Stoudt  is 
a  member  of  the  Reformed  Church  of  Rehrersburg, 
in  which-  he  has  officiated  as  elder  and  deacon  and 
is  now  a  trustee. 

Jacob  Shaffner  is  the  grandson  of  George 
Shaffner,  who  married  a  Miss  Stetler,  and  resided 
in  New  Holland,  Lancaster  County.  The  chil- 
dren of  this  marriage  were  George,  Henry,  John 
and  one  daughter.  George  was  born  in  New 
Holland,  and  remained,  during  his  life-time,  a 
resident  of  his  native  county,  where  he  followed 
the  trade  of  a  hatter.     He  married  Catherine 


known  as  Host  post-office.  He  entered  the 
store  of  his  brother  as  clerk,  acting  in  that  capac- 
ity until  1851,  when  he  went  to  California  by 
the  well-known  Nicaragua  route.  He  located 
in  Downieville,  Sierra  County,  and  later  remov- 
ed to  Marysville,  at  the  terminus  of  the  Sacra- 
mento Kiver.  He  first  engaged  in  mining  and 
afterward  embarked  in  the  dairy  business,  which 
was  carried  on  with  success  until  his  return,  in 
September,  1854,  to  his  present  home.  In  1855 
Mr.  Shaffner  formed  a  co-partnership  with  his 
brother  in  general  merchandising,  and  the  fol- 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1093 


lowing  year  purchased  the  entire  interest,  which 
he  has  since  controlled.  He  is  also  extensively 
engaged  in  lime-burning  and  the  quarryiug  of 
stone  for  building  purposes,  and  known  as 
one  of  the  most  enterprising  farmers  in  the 
township.  He  was  married,  August  30, 1855, 
to  Amelia,  daughter  of  Augustus  Leiss,  of 
the  same  township.  Their  children  were 
William,  born  July  21,  1863,  and   four    pre- 


County,  before  the  Hon.  Robert  Porter,  president 
judge,  and  his  associates  (Gabriel  Hiester  and 
Charles  Shoemaker),  a  petition,  subscribed  by  one 
hundred  and  twelve  inhabitants1  of  Tulpehocken 
township,  was  presented,  praying  for  a  division  of 
the  township  into  two  parts,  by  a  straight  line  to 

1  The  first  thirty-four  signers  were : 
Jacob  Batdorf,  Daniel  Zerbe, 

Andreas  Edris,  David  S.  Seibert, 


^~\^z^c*s\    ^)  lv 


viously  born,  who  are  deceased.  Mr.  Shaffner 
was  formerly  a  director  of  the  Reading  Fire 
Insurance  and  Trust  Company.  He  is  a  pro- 
nounced Democrat,  as  were  his  ancestors.  He 
has  served  as  prison  inspector  of  Berks  County. 
Since  the  establishment  of  the  post-office  at 
Host  he  has  been  the  postmaster. 


UPPER  TULPEHOCKEN  TOWNSHIP. 
Erection    of    Township. — In    1820,    at  the 


November  term  of  the  Quarter  Sessions  of  Berks 


John  Katterman, 
Balthaser  Noll, 
George  Bender, 
George  Sch'afer, 
Wilhelm  Bender, 
Conrad  Daub, 
Abraham  Behny, 
John  Manbeck, 
George  Wolleber, 
Peter  Hettinger, 
Michael  Hettinger, 
John  Bechtoldt, 
Christian  Fisher, 
George  Winter, 
William  Seibert, 


George  Kapp, 
John  Lower, 
Peter  Dieffenbach, 
Edward  Good, 
John  Fisher, 
Christian  Fisher, 
Peter  Shitz, 
David  Behny, 
Benjamin  Boyer, 
Philip  Reinoehl, 
Jacob  Glautz, 
Michael  Kremer, 
Joel  Weidman, 
Elijah  Bowen, 
Samuel  Moore. 


1094 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


extend  from  the  Tulpehocken  Creek  at  the  grist- 
mill of  George  Ege,  Esq.,  to  the  little  Swatara 
Creek,  near  the  house  of  Philip  Wilhelm ;  and  on 
the  same  day  (November  6th)  the  court  ap- 
pointed Matthias  S.  Richards,  John  V.  Epler  and 
Jonathan  Hiester  as  commissioners,  and  direct- 
ing them  to  view  the  township,  and  report  their 
opinion  as  to  the  necessity  of  a  division  of  the 
same,  together  with  a  draft  of  the  township  pro- 
posed to  be  laid  off.  On  the  24th  of  No- 
vember following  the  commissioners  viewed  the 
township  and  reported  in  favor  of  its  division  ac- 
cording to  the  line  suggested,1  regarding  such  di- 
vision "  to  be  of  much  advantage  and  no  inconven- 
ience to  any  of  the  inhabitants  thereof,  particu- 
larly on  account  of  its  great  extent,  being  about 
eighteen  miles  in  length  and  varying  from  six  to 
ten  miles  in  width  ;"  and  they  recommended,  "  up- 
on the  solicitation  of  a  number  of  respectable  in- 
habitants of  Tulpehocken  township,''  the  name  of 
Perry  to  be  adopted  for  that  part  laid  off,2  "  as  be- 
ing short  and  of  easy  pronunciation."  Their 
report  was  presented  to  court  on  January  4,  1821 , 
and  held  under  advisement.  But  the  recommen- 
dation of  the  short  name  "  Perry,"  which  was  "  of 
easy  pronounciation,"  was  not  acceptable  to  a 
great  many  inhabitants  of  that  part  of  the  town- 
ship laid  off;  they  therefore  objected  to  its  adop- 
tion, and  presented  a  petition  setting  forth  their 
reasons,  as  follows  : 

"  Your  petitioners  have  a  predilection  for  the  name 
of  Tulpehocken  for  various  reasons. 

"First. — By  long  use  the  name  is  familiar  to  us,  and 
we  can  pronounce  it  with  facility  without  deeming  it 
to  be  too  hard  or  too  long. 

"  Secondly-It  is  an  ancient  name  by  which  that  part 
of  Pennsylvania  bordering  on  the  banks  of  the  Tulpe- 
hocken Creek  has  been  known  for  more  than  one 
hundred  years,  and  it  has  been  generally  understood 
that  the  settlement  of  Tulpehocken  is  in  a  fruitful 
country  and  consists  of  Germans  and  the  descendants 
of  Germans,  noted  for  their  industry,  frugality,  and 
their  simple  and  virtuous  habits  of  life.  Your  peti- 
tioners beg  leave  to  say  that  they  are  proud  of  this 
distinction  and  do  not  only  wish  to  deserve  it  in  fu- 
ture, but  also  to  preserve  the  appellation  of  '  Tulpe- 
hocken,' which  has  hitherto  been  indicative  of  the 
good  qualities  before  mentioned. 


1  The  line  was  N.  23  W.,  1882  perches. 

2  The  northerly  part  was  to  be  called  "  Perry.'' 


"  Thirdly. — The  name  is  an  original  one  and  we 
think  that  the  preservation  of  such  names  tends  to  the 
encouragement  of  patriotism  and  exclude  invidious- 
ness,  which  is  sometimes  provoked  by  the  application 
of  the  name  of  party  favorites. 

''In  addition  to  our  reasons  for  preferring  the  name 
of  Tulpehocken,  we  would  further  remark  that  accord- 
ing to  our  title  deeds,  our  lands  are  said  to  be  situate 
in  Tulpehocken  township,  which  will  not  be  true  un- 
less the  name  shall  be  restored  to  us,  and  a  great  in- 
consistency will  occur  when  it  shall  be  said — '  The 
lands  of  A.  B.  are  situate  in  Tulpehocken  township 
according  to  his  title  papers,  and  yet  Tulpehocken  is 
ten  miles  from  A.  B's  land.' 

"  Your  petitioners  are  also  of  opinion  that  names 
are  matters  of  right,  and  should  not  be  taken  away  for 
any  other  than  strong  reasons,  unless  by  the  consent 
of  those  who  have  a  property  or  interest  in  them, 
and  we  assure  your  honors  that  we  had  not  the  least 
apprehension  of  being  deprived  of  our  ancient  name, 
or  we  should  have  made  known  our  wishes  to  the 
Court.  We  expected  that  each  of  the  parts  would  re- 
tain the  ancient  name,  with  a  distinction  added,  such 
as  Upper  and  Lower,  or  North  and  South  Tulpe- 
hocken. This  was  done  with  our  neighboring  town- 
ship '  Bern,'  as  has  so  frequently  been  done  in  other 
counties  as  Upper,  Middle  and  Lower  Paxton,  in 
Dauphin  County,  Upper  and  Lower  Mount  Bethel,  in 
Northampton  County,  etc.,  etc.,  that  we  had  reason  to 
believe  the  same  thing  would  be  done  with  the  parts 
of  Tulpehocken. 

"  Wherefore,  we  pray  that  our  township  may  be 
called  '  Upper  Tulpehocken,'  instead  of '  Perry.'  " 

This  petition  was  subscribed  by  sixty-five  per- 
sons —mostly  in  German  handwriting. 

Four  other  petitions  with  ninety-four  subscrib- 
ers (German  handwriting  almost  entirely)  were 
presented,  asking  for  some  name  for  upper  part. 

The  court  confirmed  the  proceedings,  but 
named  the  parts  as  prayed  for,  by  inscribing  on 
the  draft  "  Upper  Tulpehocken  "  in  the  northern 
part,  and  "  Tulpehocken  "  in  the  southerly  part. 

The  area  of  the  township  is  estimated  to  be  six- 
ty-five hundred  acres. 

For  first  taxables,  see  Tulpehocken  township. 

Early  Settlers. — Among  the  early  settlers  of 
the  townships,  the  Reber  family  made  substantial 
improvements  east  of  Strausstown.  The  elder 
Reber  had,  among  other  children,  a  son  named 
Jacob,  who  was  the  father  of  Peter,  John,  Jacob, 
Jonathan  and  Samuel.  His  daughters  were  married 
toPeter  Weaver,  Jno.  Schwalm,  Michael  Boltz,Jacob 
Noeckerand  Andrew  Daniels,  whose  descendants 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1095 


form  a  large  portion  of  the  population  of  the  upper 
section  of  the  county.  Valentine  Boltz  was  the  father 
of  George,  Johnand  Michael  Boltz  and  of  adaughter 
who  married  Peter  Keber.  Jacob  Klahr  was  another 
early  settler  and  reared  sons  named  John,  Jacob, 
Benjamin,  Joseph  and  Peter.  Some  of  his  daugh- 
ters were  married  to  Joseph  Berger,  Daniel  Strause 
and  Peter  Boltz. 

The  Goodmans,  Jacob,  Simon  and  Benjamin, 
removed  from  the  township  after  attaining  man- 
hood; but  George,  another  brother,  remained.  He 
was  the  father  of  George,  Henry,  Daniel,  Benja- 
min and  Jonathan  Goodman,  the  latter  being  the 
youngest  and  still  living  at  Strausstown,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-five  years.  Daughters  of  the  elder 
George  Goodman  married  Christian  Seaman, 
George  Moyer,  Jacob  Batteiger  and  Adam  Bat- 
teiger.  Jacob  Degler  lived  near  the  mountain,  on 
a  farm  still  owned  by  his  grandson,  John  Degler. 
John  Kline  was  in  the  same  neighborhood  and  was 
the  father  of  sons  named  Benjamin,  Philip  and 
William.  The  homestead  is  no  longer  in  possession 
of  the  family.  The  Strauss  family,  the  Spanglers, 
the  Hiesters  and  others  whose  improvements  made 
them  noteworthy  still  have  numerous  descendants 
in  Upper  Tulpehocken. 

Indian  Fort. — The  fort  built  for  protection 
against  the  Indians  was  on  the  farm  now  owned  by 
Jacob  Ritzman,  about  two  miles  from  Strausstown. 
It  was  located  so  as  to  command  a  gap  in  the 
mountain,  through  which  a  path  led.  This  path 
is  still  kept  up.  Near  by  there  were  numerous 
springs  of  fresh  water.  The  fort  was  on  a 
small  rise  of  ground  facing  the  mountain  and  was 
intended,  most  likely,  to  guard  approach  from 
that  direction  only.  It  is  probable  that  it  was 
built  of  earth  and  stone,  although  some  are  inclined 
to  think  that  it  was  surrounded  by  a  palisade  of 
logs.    There  are  but  faint  traces  of  its  existence. 

Diedrich  Schneider's. — A  prominent    and 

lovely  building  stood  on  the  top  of  Blue  Mountain 

for  many  years,  which  was  famous  in  the  days  before 

the     Revolution.      It     was     called     "Diedrich 

Schneider's." 

churches. 

Zion's  Church,  (Lutheran  and  Reformed), 
the  principal  church  of  the  township,  is  located  half 
a  mile  east  of  Strausstown.  When  first  built, 
nearly  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,   the   church 


was  called  the  "Blue  Mountain  Church,"  also 
"  North- Kill  Church."  At  first  it  was  used  by 
members  of  the  German  Reformed  faith  only. 
The  Lutherans  obtained  an  interest  in  the  property 
when  the  present  house  was  built,  in  1819,  since 
which  time  its  affairs  have  been  mutually  managed. 
From  the  meagre  records  at  hand  it  appears  that 
among  others  who  worshipped  here,  as  early  as 
1750,  were  Adam  Sontag,  George  Weber,  Valen- 
tine Van  Huss,  Henry  Berger,  John  Pontius, 
Andrew  Kremer,  Peter  Smith,  John  Dundore, 
Simon  Eichler,  Nicholas  Long,  Balser  Henne, 
Stephen  Kerr,  Thomas  Miller,  Adam  Weber, 
Jacob  Kantner,  Yost  Schumacher,  Valentine 
Baumgartner,  Jacob  Emerich,  Peter  Homan, 
Casper  Smith,  Jacob  Stouch,  Martin  Troester, 
Conrad  Reber,  Frederick  Stupp  and  Simon  GraefF. 
The  first  meeting-house  was  of  logs,  of  small  size, 
and  stood  in  the  grave-yard.  The  present  church 
is  of  very  substantial  limestone  masonry.  In  1863 
it  was  covered  with  slate  and  in  1883  it  was  sup- 
plied with  a  new  steeple  and  other  improvements. 
The  church  property  embraces  nearly  fifty  acres 
of  land. 

The  Reformed  congregation  reported  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  members,  with  the  Rev.  Thomas  C. 
Leinbach  as  pastor.  Among  those  who  preceded 
him,  were  Revs.  Schwartz,  Miesse,  Zehring, 
Hassinger,  Herman,  Boyer,  Meyers,  Hendel  and 
Stowe. 

Rev.  George  Minnich  was  the  first  pastor  of  the 
Lutheran  congregation,  and  under  his  ministry  the 
church  prospered.  Later  pastors  were  the  Revs. 
J.  M.  Deitzler,  H.  G.  Grahn,  Joel  Grimm  and,  for 
many  years,  the  Rev.  Aaron  Finfrock.  In  1885 
the  congregation  had  more  than  three  hundred 
members. 

On  the  church  property  a  small  school-house 
was  built,  soon  after  the  first  church,  and  schools 
were  regularly  taught  by  German  teachers. 
Seventy  years  ago  a  Mr.  Trewitz  served  as  teacher. 
He  had  the  reputation  of  being  a  strict  discipli- 
narian. Other  teachers  were  Peter  Gilbert, 
Charles  Butzer  and  William  Miller.  The  latter 
also  taught  the  English  branches.  David  Garman 
is  best  remembered  as  one  of  the  first  successful 
English  teachers.  His  school  was  kept  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  village.  Most  of  these  teachers 
served  the  church  as  organists,   a  position  which 


1096 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


has  been  held  since  1862  by  William  A.  Unger. 
A  Sunday-school  is  maintained  and  successfully 
conducted  in  the  church. 

St.  Paul's  Lutheran  Church  is  in  the  village 
of  Strausstown.  It  is  a  frame  building,  erected  in 
1861  by  Dr.  W.  J.  Schoener,  Jonathan  G.  Reber 
and  John  Strause,  as  a  building  committee.  The 
membership  was  small  when  the  church  was  built, 
only  about  a  dozen  belonging.  Rev.  J.  M.  Ditzler 
was  their  pastor.  Subsequently  the  congregation 
had  the  ministry  of  the  Eevs.  Graves,  Mortz,  Cut- 
ler,  Lenhart,  Croll  and  Fritsch.  In  1885  there 
were  twenty-eight  members.  A  Sunday-school  is 
kept  up  in  the  church. 

VILLAGES. 

Strausstown  is  a  pleasant  village,  a  little  north 
of  the  centre  of  the  township,  on  the  State  road, 
twelve  miles  west  from  Hamburg.  It  was  laid  out  in 
1840  by  John  Strauss,  a  land-owner  in  this  local- 
ity, after  whom  it  was  named.  He  lived  west  of 
the  village,  on  the  Himmelberger  farm.  After 
the  village  was  laid  out  he  moved  to  the  centre  of 
the  town,  where  he  died.  The  tract  of  land  to  the 
north  was  owned  by  John  Batteiger,  and  east  of 
him  by  Daniel  Moyer ;  and  upon  each  of  these 
three  tracts  the  village,  with  its  additions,  is  now 
located.  The  first  house  in  the  place  was  built  on 
a  lot  from  the  Batteiger  tract,  purchased' by  Joseph 
Boltz,  March  28,  1835  ;  and  the  house  built  by 
Boltz  that  year  has  been  occupied  by  him  since. 
The  second  house  was  also  begun  in  1835,  but  it 
was  not  completed  until  the  following  year.  It 
was  built  by  Jacob  and  Joseph  Klahr,  and  now 
forms  part  of  the  Centre  Hotel.  After  the  lots 
were  laid  out  by  the  foregoing  land-owners,  a  num- 
ber of  houses  were  built.  Among  the  early  citi- 
zens of  the  place  were : 

Joseph  Boltz,  tailor;  Joseph  Heister,  black- 
smith; Benneville  Clay,  blacksmith;  Thomas 
Schaum,  turner  and  painter;  John  Keener,  car- 
penter; Wm.  Keener,  carpenter;  Samuel  Neuu, 
hatter ;  Jonathan  Reber,  cabinet-maker :  Joseph 
Ulrich,  tailor;  Amos  Sallade,  tanner;  Daniel 
Moyer,  inn-keeper;  Isaac  Smith,  shoemaker; 
Isaac  Fessler,  shoemaker ;  Jonathan  Sauser,  tin- 
smith ;  Michael  K.  Boyer,  merchant ;  Daniel  Bat- 
teiger, merchant;  Jacob  Klahr,  saddler;  John 
Berger,  farmer ;  Peter  Holtzman,  wagon-maker. 


The  first  store  in  this  locality  was  begun  about 
sixty  years  ago,  in  what  is  now  the  eastern  part 
of  the  village,  by  a  man  named  Uhlman. 

In  1836  Samuel  Shollenberger  opened  a  store  in 
the  building  put  up  by  the  Klahrs,  but  it  was 
shortly  followed  by  Michael  K.  Boyer  and  Daniel 
Batteiger.  Then  came  Daniel  Boltz  and  others. 
Subsequently  a  school  was  taught  in  that  building, 
and  since  1865,  Moses  Henne  has  used  it,  with  ad- 
ditions, as  the  "  Centre  Hotel."  After  1840  Wm. 
Strauss  used  part  of  the  present  L.  W.  Ritzman 
stand  as  a  store,  and  at  which  place  Joseph  Bat- 
teiger and  George  Heilig  were  in  successful  trade 
years  afterward. 

Wm.  Shomo  built  the  third  store-house  in  1854, 
and  Samuel  Strauss  engaged  in  trade  there.  The 
fourth  store  was  built  by  Joseph  Batteiger  after 
1860. 

The  Strausstown  post-office  was  established  Nov. 
18,  1847,  with  Jacob  Boltz  as  the  first  postmaster. 
There  was  one  mail  per  week  from  Allentown  to 
Rehrersburg.  Joseph  Boltz  had  the  office  from 
1852  to  1864.  Solomon  Strauss  succeeded  him, 
and  since  March,  1879,  E.  S.  Strauss  has  been  the 
postmaster.  There  are  two  stage  lines  supplying 
daily  mails  from  Womelsdprf  and  Allentown,  via 
Hamburg. 

Daniel  Moyer  kept  the  first  public-house  at  the 
east  end  of  the  village,  having  erected  the  present 
house  about  1840.  The  present  Filbert  Hotel  was 
kept  first  by  Jacob  Boltz,  about  1845. 

Strausstown  has  three  hotels,  four  stores  and  all 
the  mechanic  shops  maintained  in  a  thriving 
village.  There  are  good  pavements  and  the  few 
hundred  inhabitants  are  prosperous. 

To  Dr.  Charles  McDonough  is  given  the  credit 
of  being  the  first  to  locate  in  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine at  Strausstown.  Then  came  Dr.  Isaac  Wal- 
born,  followed  by  Dr.  Wm.  J.  Schoener,  who  prac- 
ticed for  a  dozen  of  years  prior  to  his  death,  in  1865. 
Since  the  spring  of  1864,  Dr.  I.  S.  Herbein  has  been 
here  in  successful  practice,  locating  at  this  point 
immediately  after  his  graduation.  Since  1875, 
Dr.  J.  F.  Flick  has  been  his  contemporary. 

At  Strausstown  the  manufacture  of  cigars  was 
first  carried  on  by  Henry  Degler.  In  1885  there 
were  three  shops  in  which  this  industry  was  con- 
ducted. The  largest  was  the  factory  of  Potts  & 
Herbein.     A  fine,  building  was  put  up  recently  for 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


1097 


this  purpose,  and  in  it  are  employed  from  ten  to 
twenty  hands. 

The  most  important  industry  Strausstown  ever 
had  was  the  extensive  tannery  of  Michael  Miller. 
It  was  established  as  early  as  1825  by  John  Him- 
melberger.  At  first  it  was  carried  on  in  a  small 
way.  Miller  rebuilt  the  tannery  and  added  im- 
provements from  time  to  time,  until  it  was  an  ex- 
tensive establishment.  He  used  modern  methods 
and  made  all  grades  of  leather  successfully.  He 
continued  for  about  thirty  years,  until  1876. 

Of  the  grist-mill  nearest  the  village,  John  Geo. 
Reber  was  the  first  owner.     The  property  subse 
quently  passed  into  the  hands  of  John  Miller,  and 
was  by  him  carried  on.    The  site  is  one  of  the 
oldest  in   this  section.     The   lower   mill   on  the 
North-Kill  was  built  by  Joseph  Seyfert,  in  1849, 
on  the    site  of  a  mill  formerly  owned  by  John 
Miller,  which  had  been  destroyed   by  fire.     It  is 
of  stone  and  brick,  with  water  and  steam-power. 
It  is  capable  of  doing  much  work.  Joseph  Hiester 
is  the  present  proprietor.     In  the   eastern   part  of 
the  township,  on  a  branch  of  the  North-Kill  are 
the  sites  where  were  the  forges  and  mills  of  Joseph 
Seyfert     The  first  improvement  was  a  small  grist- 
mill. It  was  replaced  by  a  mill  of  better  capacity, 
which  was  built  by  Benjamin   &  Joseph  Seyfert. 
This  mill  is  still  in  operation,  as  the  property  of 
Wni.  Shomo.     Below  this  power  an  improvement 
was  made  to  operate  a  forge  by  the  Seyferts,  about 
1830,  and  the  business  was  so  successfully  carried 
on,  that  some  ten  years  later  an  old  mill,  a  mile  up 
the  stream,  was  converted  into  another  forge,  which 
Seyfert  also  operated.     These,  in  connection  with 
the  mills  and  several  farms,  which  he  had  under 
cultivation,  formed  an  industry  which  gave  em- 
ployment to  a  large  number  of  men.     After  the 
death  of  Joseph  Seyfert,  about  the  close  of  the  late 
Civil  War,  the  iron  interests  declined.     The  forges 
were  practically    abandoned    about    1870.    The 
Seyfert  homestead  is  now  the  property  of  one  of 
the  sons  of  Joseph  Seyfert,  but  the  greater  part 
of  the  once  large  estate  has  passed  into   other 


North  of    Strausstown,   in   the  thickly-settled 

neighborhood  along  the  base  of  the  mountain,  the 

Schubert  post  office  was  established,  June  6,  1884, 

with  Lewis   Emerich   as  postmaster.     The   mail 

service  is  from  Strausstown. 
91 


MARION  TOWNSHIP. 

Erection  of  Township. — In  November,  1843, 
a  petition  of  sundry  inhabitants  (one  hundred  and 
sixty-one)  of  Tulpehocken  and  Heidelberg  town- 
ships was  presented  to  court,  praying  for  the  erec- 
tion of  a  new  township,  to  be  composed  of  parts 
of  said  townships,  "  The  line  to  begin  on  the  land 
of  Sybilla  Troutman,  on  the  line  between  Tulpe- 
hocken and  Upper  Tulpehocken  townships;  thence 
to  a  point  at  Wohleberstown  ;  thence  the  nearest 
and  best  route  to  the  Lebanon  County  line ;  thence 
along  said  line  to  a  point  to  the  eastward  of  New- 
manstown  ;  thence  to  a  point  on  the  western  line 
of  the  borough  of  Womelsdorf,  near  the  land  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Hendle ;  thence  to  a  point  on  the  line 
between  the  townships  of  Heidelberg  and  Tulpe- 
hocken, near  George  Reiser's  mill ;  thence  by  the 
best  route  to  the  beginning," — and  the  court  ap- 
pointed three  commissioners  to  view  and  report 
upon  the  proposed  new  township, — Matthias    S. 
Richards,  Samuel  Baird  and  Samuel  S.  Jackson. 
This  application  was  strenuously  opposed   by  very 
many  of  the  taxable  inhabitants  of  the  townships.1 
The  report  of  the  commissioners  was  presented  to 
court  on  January  4,  1844,  in  which  they  returned 
the  survey,  by  metes  and  bounds,  of  the  new  town- 
ship laid  off,  and  recommended  the  name  of  Mar- 
ion,  as  follows  :  "  Beginning  on  land  of  Sybilla 
Troutman  ;  thence  S.   85  W.,  172  perches ;  N.  84 
W.,  6  miles  and  44  perches,  to  the  Lebanon  Coun- 
ty line  ;  along  said  county  line,  S.  47i  E.,  7  miles, 
212  ps. ;  thence  N.  13J  E.,  354  ps.,  to  the  line  of 
the  Borough   of  Womelsdorf;  thence  along  said 
Borough  N.  Hi  W.,  275  ps.  to  the  Tulpehocken 
Creek ;  along  said  creek  1430  ps.,  to  a  stone  corner 
set  up  for  a  dividing  corner  between  Tulpehocken 
and  Upper  Tulpehocken ;  and  thence  along  the 
dividing  line  of  said  townships  N.  23  W.,  304  ps. 
to  the  Beginning."     This  report  was  confirmed  on 
the   6th  of  April,  1844,   and  the  new  township 
thereby  laid  off  was  named  Marion,  as   recom- 
mended 

For  first  taxables,  see  Tulpehocken  township. 

In  1865  a  small  triangular  tract  of  land  was 

taken  from  this  township  and  added  to  Lebanon 

county.      This  was  caused  by  the  extending  of 


'The  handwriting  is  almost  entirely  German. 


1098 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


the  Newmanstown  improvements  into  Berks  Coun- 
ty.' 

Among  the  Palatines  were  the  Reeds  (originally 
Rieth)  who  in  1723  settled  on  the  Tulpehocken, 
in  what  is  now  Marion  township.  They  bore  the 
Christian  names  of  Peter,  George,  John  Adam, 
Christopher,  Jacob,  Valentine,  Nicholas,  Frederick 
and  Casper.  Adam,  John  and  Christopher  settled 
in  the  neighborhood  of  what  is  now  Reed's  Church, 
so  called  on  account  of  their  prominence  as  early 
members.  The  land  on  which  John  Reed  lived  was 
one  hundred  and  forty-four  acres  in  extent,  and  it 
has  been  in  the  Reed  family  six  successive  genera 
tious,  the  proprietors  in  the  order  of  time  being 
John,  Leonard,  Valentine,  Christopher,  John  and 
the  present,  Frank  Reed,  through  marriage  with 
Rebecca,  daughter  of  John,  who  was  a  son  in  the  di- 
rect descent.  On  the  farm  is  .an  old  house,  partly 
built  in  1740  and  increased  to  its  present  size  in 
1804.  It  is  of  logs,  weather- boarded  and  has  im- 
mense timbers  to  support  the  upper  floors.  The 
house  contains  an  old  clock  which  has  been  part 
of  its  furniture  the  past  eighty-five  years.  Its 
maker  was  Jacob  Gorgas,  and  it  is  believed  that 
it  has  been  running  since  1704.  The  dial  is  ham- 
mered brass  and  each  of  the  weights  weighs  twelve 
pounds.  The  Rieths  intermarried  with  the  Lech- 
ners  and  both  families  have  always  been  prominent 
in  the  affairs  of  the  township. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  the  Rieths,  Andrew 
Lash  became  the  owner  of  a  tract  of  land  in  1735, 
upon  which  John  Jacob  Lash  built  a  large  rough- 
stone  house  in  1753.  This  date  and  other  in- 
scriptions are  cut  in  a  stone  in  the  gable  of  the 
house.  John  Kurtz,  the  greatgrandfather  of  the 
present  owners,  James,  William  and  Samuel 
Kurtz,  bought  the  property  April  16,  1764,  since 
which  time  it  has  been  in  the  Kurtz  family.  The 
walls  of  the  house  indicate  that  the  buildiug  may 
have  been  designed  as  a  means  of  defense  against 
Indians  as  well  as  a  residence.  The  Lechners — 
John  George,  his  brother  Christopher  and  the 
latter's  son,  also  named  Christopher — were  among 
the  early  settlers  of  this  section  of  country.  The 
former  reared  a  son  named  George,,  who  united 
with  his  father  in  buying  a  tract  of  land  extend- 
ing up  both  sides  of  the  Millbach  from  its  mouth, 

1  Act  of  Assembly,  passed  March  lb,  1865. 


most  of  which  is  still  owned  by  their  descendants. 
In  all  there  were  two  hundred  and  thirty-five  and 
a  half  acres,  which  were  transferred  to  the  Lech- 
ners May  9,  1776.  These  lands  had  previously 
been  owned  by  Leonard  Groh,  Nicholas  Rieth  and 
Martin  Weiser.  John  George  Lechner  dying  in 
1784,  his  son  George  became  the  sole  owner  of  the 
land,  and  he  bequeathed  the  southern  half  to  his 
son  Christopher,  who  built  mills  and  made  other 
important  improvements  on  it.  Most  of  this  land 
is  now  owned  by  his  grandson,  Richard  Lechner 

An  interesting  incident  in  the  lives  of  these 
families  happened  in  1793,  when  General  Wash- 
ington visited  the  grave  of  Colonel  Conrad  Weiser. 
He  requested  the  presence  of  his  former  body- 
guard, Christopher  Lechner  and  the  Reith  brothers, 
Jacob  and  Valentine,  who  hastened  to  comply  and 
spent  several  hours  in  the  company  of  th«  great 
commander.  These  patriotic  heroes  lie  in  the 
grave-yard  of  the  old  Reed  Church.  Their  places 
of  earthly  rest  are  marked  by  sandstones  whose 
inscriptions  are  almost  obliterated.  Jacob  Rieth 
died  in  1821  and  Valentine  Rieth  in  1825,  aged 
respectively  seventy-five  and  seventy-six  years. 

Industries. — A  mill  existed  in  Tulpehocken 
settlement  in  1732.  In  October  of  that  year  the 
provincial  treasurer  paid  £1  5a.  to  the  miller  at 
Tulpehocken  for  ten  bushels  of  meal  delivered  to 
Sassoonan  (an  Indian  chief),  who  was  then  in  want 
of  provisions. 

W.  and  B.  F.  Taylor  continued  to  operate  the 
Charming  Forge  property  with  its  mills,  etc.2  Since 
the  abandonment  of  the  canal,  the  water-power  has 
been  sufficiently  strong  for  all  necessary  purposes. 
In  1885  three  of  the  five  fires  of  the  forge  were 
used  and  twenty-five  men  employed  in  the  pro- 
duction of  charcoal  blooms  of  superior  quality. 
The  metal  used  was  from  the  Robesonia  and  Clin- 
ton Furnaces.  In  1884  the  forge  was  improved  by 
the  addition  of  a  Baker  Rotary  Blower,  which 
greatly  promotes  its  operation  The  saw-mill  is  in 
Marion,  but  the  grist-mill  is  in  North  Heidelberg. 
The  latter  is  a  three-story  stone  building,  put  up 
in  1817  by  George  Ege.  It  has  a  separate  waters 
power  and, being  a  good  mill,  is  largely  patronized. 
All  these  interests  give  this  place   the  appearance 

2  See  account  of  "  Charming  Forge  "  in  Chap.  VII.,  Early 
Industries. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1099 


of  a  busy  hamlet.  Passing  up  the  Tulpehocken, 
there  was,  in  Marion,  a  mill  for  making  cement, 
carried  on  by  the  Reed  family  several  years. 

Where  the  turnpike  crosses  the  stream,  below 
the  junction  of  the  Millbach  with  the  Tulpehocken, 
there  was  a  grist-mill  which  had  as  its  last  owner 
the  Lechner  family.  When  the  canal  was  built  it 
was  removed  to  make  way  for  that  improvement. 
Nearly  opposite  this  old  site  is  a  carding-mill,  put 
up  by  the  Lechners,  which  is  still  operated  on  a 
limited  scale  as  the  property  of  Dr.  J.  C.  Liven- 
good. 

A  short  distance  up  the  Millbach,  on  the  old 
Christopher  Lechner  farm,  is  a  good  water-power 
which  was  improved  by  Christopher  Lechner  after 
1776,  to  operate  a  wool-carding  mill  and  an  oil- 
mill.  The  carding-mill  was  torn  down  about  1825, 
but  the  oil-mill  stood  until  after  1850.  In  it  was 
organized  the  first  Sunday-.-chool  in  this  neighbor- 
hood, about  1834.  Its  meetings,  subsequently, 
were  held  elsewhere.  A  saw-mill  took  the  place 
of  the  oil-mill,  and  the  power  of  the  former  card- 
ing-mill was  used  to  operate  new  grist  and  clover- 
mills,  put  up  by  the  family  of  Christopher  Lechner. 

Of  these  latter  mills  only  the  saw-mill  remains, 
the  clover-mill  having  been  recently  removed, 
although  not  used  for  mill  purposes  for  a  long 
time.  From  1829  until  1858  this  mill  property, 
containing  fifteen  acres  of  land,  was  out  of  the 
possession  of  the  Lechner  family,  and  while  owned 
by  Michael  Wolf,  in  1834,  he  built  a  mill  for  saw- 
ing what  he  supposed  was  marble,  but  which 
turned  out  to  be  a  soft  white  limestone ;  conse- 
quently that  enterprise  was  soon  abandoned. 
Peter  Walborn  owned  the  property  from  1838  until 
1858,  when  J.  George  Lechner  became  the  owner, 
and  his  heirs  still  own  the  site. 

South  of  Stouchsburg,  on  the  Tulpehocken,  on 
the  site  of  a  clover-mill  put  up  by  Peter  Sheetz,  a 
grist-mill  was  erected  by  Adam  Klopp,  which,  in  a 
rebuilt  condition,  is  now  operated  as  the  property 
of  Augustus  Burkholder.  The  next  power  above, 
and  the  last  in  the  township  on  this  stream,  in  early 
times  operated  the  Anspach  mill.  Later,  Edward 
Good  owned  the  property,  which  is  still  carried  on 
as  a  mill. 

In  this  locality  was  the  dynamite  factory  of 
Henry  W.  Stump,  which  exploded  with  such  dis- 
astrous effects. 


Dynamite  Explosion.— In  1883  Henry  W. 
Stump  erected  a  dynamite  factory  in  this  town- 
ship, within  half  a  mile  of  Stouchsburg.  The  in- 
dustry comprised  six  frame  buildings.  At  half- 
past  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  November  7, 
1884,  the  entire  plant  was  carried  away  by  two 
terrific  explosions,  including  threeemployees,  John 
Capp,  Frederick  Knause  and  Frantz  Spatz  Much 
damage  was  done  in  the  vicinity,  caused  by  the 
concussion,  which  was  felt  within  a  radius  of  many 
miles.     The  factory  was  not  rebuilt. 

CHURCHES. 

Zion's  Lutheran  Church,  more  generally 
called  the  "  Reed  Church,"  is  on  an  elevated  site, 
one  mile  east  from  Stouchsburg  and  one-fourth  of 
a  mile  north  of  the  turnpike,  where  it  crosses  the 
Tulpehocken.  Zion's  congregation  is  one  of  the 
oldest  in  the  county,  and  its  early  history  is  full 
of  stirring  events.  As  early  as  1725  the  people 
living  along  the  Tulpehocken  agitated  the  ques- 
tion of  building  a  house  of  worship,  where  in- 
struction might  also  be  imparted  to  their  children. 
Accordingly,  a  preliminary  meeting  was  held  in  a 
block-house  which  stood  on  the  right  bank  of 
Millbach  (Mill)  Creek,  on  the  land  now  owned  by 
William  Zellers,  near  Newmanstown,  to  discuss 
this  matter.  The  Rev.  Casper  Stoever,  afterwards 
pastor  of  the  Hill  Church,  in  Lebanon  County, 
came  to  preside,  and  to  urge  the  brethren  to  take 
action.  George  Schnll  moved  that  such  a  house 
be  built  on  lands  which  Adam,  Christopher  and 
John  Rieth  offered  to  donate,  in  addition  to  the 
seven  acres  which  the  proprietor  of  Plumton 
Manor  (John  Page)  had  already  set  aside  for 
church  purposes,  in  case  such  a  house  should  be 
built.  Upon  the  fourteen  acres  of  land  thus 
selected,  on  account  of  its  central  position  and  eleva- 
ted site,  Christopher  Lechner,  as  building-master, 
supervised  the  erection  of  a  small  but  strong  log 
meeting-house,  in  1727.  The  labor  was  done  by 
the  people  from  many  miles  around.  Living  in 
dread  of  the  wily  savages,  whose  hostility  might 
endanger  their  lives  almost  at  any  moment,  the 
building  was  so  arranged  that  it  could  be  used  as 
a  fort  in  case  of  attack,  and  a  sort  of  vault  was 
made,  under  the  earthen-floor  (with  which  the 
church  was  first  supplied),  where  arms  and  ammu 
nition  might  be  stored. 


1100 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUN'1%  PENNSYLVANIA. 


"Do  droben  auf  dem  runde  Berg 
Do  stehet  die  alte  Riethe  Kerch, 
Drm  hot  der  Pfarrer  Stoever  schon 
Vor  hunnert  Yohr  manch  r redigt  tohn ; 
Gepredigt  zur  die  Deutsche  Leit. 
In  seller,  ach  !  so  harten  Zeit ! 
Auch  war  die  Kerch  en  gute  Fort, 
Gaegen  der  Indien  wilde  Hord. 
Un  schliefen  drinen  gar  monche  Nacht 
Die  arme  settler  wohl  beracht." 

In  this  rude  house  the  people  assembled  statedly 
to  worship,  and  having  had  no  regular  minister, 
one  of  their  number  served  as  lector,  reading  a 
sermon  and  conducting  the  services.  Occasionally 
they  were  visited  by  Lutheran  or  Reformed  mis- 
sionaries, who  preached  for  them  and  encouraged 
them  to  hope  that  they  would  soon  have  a  pastor 
In  1729  Conrad  Weiser,  and  others  who  accompa- 
nied him  to  this  country,  became  a  member  of  the 
church,  and  more  diligent  efforts  were  made  to 
secure  a  minister.  In  1733  Casper  Leutbecker,  a 
tailor  by  trade,  and  who  had  been  secured  to 
teach  the  school,  began  to  serve  the  congregation 
as  a  lector,  and  through  him  an  effort  was  made, 
the  year  following,  to  secure  a  pastor,  on  apromise  of 
a  salary  of  thirty  pounds  (Pennsylvania  currency). 
Meantime  a  parsonage  was  built,  and,  as  no  pastor 
could  be  secured  from  abroad,  Leutbecker  was 
inducted  into  that  office,  and  occupied  the  parson- 
age. His  ministry  did  not  prove  acceptable  to  all 
the  members,  and  as  Rev.  John  Casper  Stoever 
had  begun  preaching  at  this  place,  in  connection 
with  the  Hill  Church,  in  Lebanon,  and  other  ap- 
pointments, the  disaffected  ones  adhered  to  him 
and  endeavored  to  have  him  installed  as  pastor. 
Thus  arose  a  contention,  which  lasted  several 
years  and  which  has  not  inaptly  been  styled  the 
"  Confusion  of  Tulpehocken."  This  strife  was 
very  strong  in  the  summer  of  1736,  and  as  there 
were  then  two  ministers  and  two  sets  of  church 
officers,  each  claiming  the  property  which  had 
been  set  aside  by  William  Webb,  the  attorney  of 
John  Page,  he  was  appealed  to  to  decide  which  party 
should  predominate.  He  visited  the  church, 
called' into  council  the  two  so  called  pastors  and 
their  members,  and  after  a  patient  hearing  author- 
ized Leutbecker  as  the  regular  pastor  of  the 
Lutheran  Church,  and  so  declared  on  the  13th 
day  of  September,  1736. 


He  also  appointed  Frederick  Schaeffer,  Michael 
Rieth,  Michael  Schaeffer  and  Leonard  Rieth 
church  wardens,  and  delivered  the  keys  of  the 
church  to  them  to  be  held  by  them  and  their  suc- 
cessors as  the  wardens  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 
He  stipulated,  however,  that  when  no  regular 
services  were  held  by  Leutbecker,  as  the  regular 
minister,  Stoever  or  any  other  preacher  who 
would  behave  himself  might  occupy  the  house  for 
worship.  Under  this  condition,  and  with  the  full 
approbation  of  the  Leutbecker  party,  who  avowed 
themselves  ready  to  harmonize,  Stoever  continued 
to  preach  once  a  month.  But  his  adherents  were 
not  disposed  to  submit  without  protest  and  in- 
stigated a  series  of  persecutions  which  made  the 
life  of  Leutbecker  far  from  pleasant.  He  was 
molested  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties,  and  on  one 
occasion,  at  least,  his  life  was  imperiled  by  an 
attempt  to  explode  a  piece  of  firewood,  charged 
with  gunpowder.  Fortunately,  the  plot  miscarried 
by  the  stick's  being  thrown  out  of  the  fire  without 
doing  any  damage.  Leutbeeker's  labors  were 
ended  by  his  death  in  1738,  and  although  Stoever 
continued  to  preach  until  1742,  he  failed  to  unite 
the  factions.  Meanwhile,  a  new  element  appeared, 
and  a  second  strife  ensued  in  consequence  of  the 
effort  of  the  Moravians  to  obtain  possession  of  the 
property.  After  Leutbeeker's  death  the  party 
adhering  to  him  were  without  a  minister  until  the 
spring  of  1742,  when,  through  an  acquaintance  of 
Conrad  Weiser  with  Count  Zinzendorf,  the  latter 
promis  d  to  send  them  a  minister  free  of  expense, 
who  should  serve  them  until  they  could  obtain  a 
regular  pastor  from  Europe.  The  pastor  secured 
was  J.  Philip  Meurer,  who  began  his  labors  in 
September,  1742.  Pending  his  arrival,  Zinzendorf 
sent,  as  the  minister  above  stated,  a  young  man, 
Gottlob  Buettner,  who  had  just  been  ordained  by 
the  Oley  Synod.  He  began  preaching  at  Retd's 
Church  in  March,  1742,  and  soon  had  arrayed 
against  him  the  friends  of  Stoever,  who  denounced 
him  as  an  interloper  and  non-Lutheran.  The 
wardens  accepted  him  as  the  successor  of  Leut- 
becker and  gave  their  official  support,  regarding 
him  as  a  supply  until  Meurer's  pastorate  should 
actually  begin,  some  months  later.  The  Stoever 
faction,  having  been  strengthened  by  the  arrival  of 
new  settlers,  again  made  a  vigorous  effort  for  the 
mastery,  and  being  stronger  in  numbers  than  those 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1101 


who  followed  Buettner,  again  claimed  the  property 
on  the  plea  that  no  title  had  been  given  to  the 
■wardens  and  that  they  now  demanded  the  title. 
Again  the  attorney,  Webb,  came  to  the  help  of 
those  opposed  to  Stoever  and  deeded  the  property 
to  the  wardens  upon  their  assurance  that  they 
would  hold  it  in  trust  for  a  Lutheran  congregation. 
Chagrined  at  what  they  considered  a  defeat  of 
their  plans,  and  acting  under  a  belief  that  the 
Moravians  were  using  covert  means  to  obtain  the 
property  for  their  own  use,  the  feeling  became  so 
strong  that  when  Zinzendorf  visited  the  place  to 
preach,  in  August  of  that  year,  they  threatened  him 
with  personal  violence.  This  act  was  the 
subject  of  a  correspondence  from  this  place  which 
apprised  the  public  of  the  unhappy  state  of  affairs 
and  gave  the  locality  an  unenviable  reputation. 
To  correct  these  matters,  the  wardens  prepared  a 
statement,  which  was  attested  by  Conrad  Weiser, 
and  published  August  11,  1742,  under  the  title  of 
"  The  Confusion  of  Tulpehocken."  The  publica- 
tion of  this  account  and  the  arrival  of  Pastor 
Meurer  had  the  effect  of  influencing  many  who 
had  before  been  neutral  so  that  the  Stoever  party 
soon  found  themselves  in  the  minority  Unwilling 
to  accept  Meurer  as  their  pastor  and  strengthened 
in  their  belief  that  the  preaching  at  the  Reed 
Church  was  Moravian  and  not  Lutheran,  they  re- 
linquished their  efforts  to  obtain  possession  of  the 
church  and  withdrew,  in  the  fall  of  1742,  to  form  a 
new  congregation.  In  this  they  were  successful, 
and  the  following  year  Christ  Church  was  founded. 
The  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  J.  Philip  Meurer  does 
not  appear  to  have  been  successful,  beyond  the 
building  a  new  stone  church  in  1744,  his  members 
being  prompted  thereto,  most  likely,  by  the  action 
of  the  other  congregation  in  building  a  stone 
house.  His  congregation  did  not  increase,  and,  as 
the  element  which  was  distinctly  Moravian  with- 
drew, in  1745  (on  account  of  having  a  church  of 
their  own  built,  about  seven  miles  farther  down 
the  Tulpehocken,  where  a  Moravian  settlement  was 
founded),1  those  remaining  were  so  few  that  services 
could  hardly  be  maintained.  Meurer  added  to 
his  unpopularity  by  his  action  (February,  1747) 
in  refusing  to  allow  the  then  pastor  of  the  Christ 
Church  to  hold  the  funeral  services  of  a  man  who 


'Now  in  North  Heidelberg  township. 


formerly  belonged  to  his  congregation,  although  he 
(the  deceased)  wanted  the  burial  performed  by  the 
Rev.  Kurtz.  Some  of  his  members,  condemning 
his  conduct,  became  connected  with  Christ  Church, 
and  as  so  little  interest  remained  in  Zion's  Church, 
it  came  to  pass  in  the  summer  of  1747  that  the 
proposition  to  have  the  pastor  of  the  Christ  Church 
enter  in  and  preach  was  acceptably  received.  The 
Rev.  Kurtz  began  preaching  there  on  September 
13,  1747,  and  thenceforth  the  church  was  prac- 
tically Lutheran  and  one  with  the  other  congrega- 
tion, except  in  the  matter  of  a  preaching-phice. 
It  still  remained  for  decision  how  much  of  an 
ownership  the  Moravians  had  in  the  property,  in- 
asmuch as  most  of  the  means  tor  building  the  new 
church,  in  1744,  had  been  furnished  by  them.  A 
suit  was  brought  to  test  the  matter  and  a  decision 
reached,  April  26,  1755,  which  affirmed  the  claims 
of  the  Lutherans  on  the  ground  of  the  original  in- 
tention of  the  donors  of  the  land  and  the  lar^e 
mpjority  of  membership  of  the  Lutherans  at  the 
time  the  suit  was  brought. 

R  v.  John  Nicholas  Kurtz  continued  pastor  of 
the  church  until  April,  1770,  when  he  moved  to 
York.  The  pulpit  of  Zion's  Church  was  thence 
successively  occupied  by  the  same  pastors  as  those 
of  Christ  Church,  namely,  the  Rev.  C.  Emanuel 
Schuhe,  1770  until  1809;  and  by  the  Rev.  Daniel 
Ulrich  from  1811  until  1851.  In  1853  Zion's 
Church  called  the  Rev.  T.  T.  Iaeger  as  a  separate 
pastor,  who  remained  until  1865,  when  the  present 
pastor,  Rev.  Aaron  Finfrock,  took  charge  of  its 
spiritual  affairs. 

In  1837  the  present  church  building  was  erected. 
It  was  repaired  in  1879  by  a  slate  roof  and 
crowning  it  with  a  steeple.  Like  its  predecessor, 
it  is  a  stone  house,  and  though  not  large,  is  well- 
built. 

Christ  Lutheran  Church. — The  causes  which 
led  to  the  formation  of  this  Lutheran  congregation 
are  stated  in  the  account  of  Zion's  Church.  A 
beautiful  building  site  was  selected,  about  one  mile 
west  from  Stouchsburg,  on  the  south  side  of  the 
turnpike,  where  a  tract  of  fifteen  acres  of  ground 
was  donated  for  church  purposes  by  Sebastian 
Fisher,  Christian  Lauer  and  George  Unruh,  each 
giving  five  acres.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  May 
1 2,  1743,  and  a  stone  church  built  during  the  sum- 
mer of  that  year,  dedicated  on  Christmas  day  M- 


1102 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


lowing.  At  that  time  there  were  one  hundred  and 
sixty  male  members.  Some  of  them  were  not  in 
hearty  accord  with  those  who  really  desired  to 
build  up  an  active  Lutheran  congregation.  The 
preaching  of  the  Rev.  Stoever  failed  to  satisfy  them 
and  they  secured  the  pastoral  services  of  Rev.  To- 
bias Wagner,  who  took  charge  of  the  congregation 
October  25, 1743.  His  connection  with  the  church 
was  terminated  April  30,  1746,  when  he  became 
the  pastor  of  the  Alsace  Church.  While  he  was 
the  minister  he  performed  the  marriage  ceremony 
of  the  Rev.  Henry  Melchior  Muhlenberg  and  An- 
na Maria  Weiser,  daughter  of  Conrad  Weiser,  in 
the  spring  of  1745.  The  congregation  was  then 
supplied  by  Lutheran  pastors  of  Eastern  Pennsyl- 
vania, among  whom  was  Muhlenberg,  who  visited 
Christ  Church  twice  per  year,  preaching,  confirm- 
ing and  administering  the  holy  sacrament.  He 
had  as  a  helper  Rev.  John  Nicholas  Kurtz.  The 
latter  created  so  favorable  an  impression  that  the 
congregation  asked  him  to  settle  in  their  midst  as 
pastor.  This  he  did,  occupying  the  newly-built 
parsonage  September  5,  1747.  His  pastorate  was 
successfully  continued  until  1770,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  Rev.  Emanuel  Schulze,  who  was  a 
son-in-law  of  the  Rev.  Muhlenberg.  He  removed 
to  Christ  Church  in  December,  1770.  He  had 
charge  of  a  number  of  congregations  and  was  as- 
sisted by  his  brother-in-law,  Rev.  Frederick  Au- 
gustus Muhlenberg.  His  pastorate  was  long  and 
faithful,  and  it  continued  until  his  death,  March  9, 
1809.  He  was  the  pastor  of  Governor  Schulze, 
who  was  born  in  the  parsonage  of  Christ  Church 
July  19,  1775. 

After  the  Rev.  Schulze  died,  Rev.  Daniel  Ulrich 
became  the  pastor,  in  1811,  and  faithfully  served 
until  December,  1851.  In  February  of  the  fol- 
lowing year  the  Rev.  L.  G.  Eggers  became  the 
pastor,  and  he  served  Christ  Church  until  1867. 
His  three  predecessors  had  also  served  Zion's 
Church,  but  the  ministry  then  became  separate. 

In  1868  the  Rev.  F.  P.  Moyer  began  serving 
Christ  Church,  and  he  continued  until  1873.  He 
was  succeeded  ia  1874  by  the  present  pastor.  Rev. 
A.  J.  Long,  under  whose  efficient  ministrations  the 
congregation  continues  to  prosper. 

The  stone  church  built  in  1743  becoming  too 
small,  the  present  large  stone  edifice  was  erected  in 
its  stead  in  1788.     It  was  badly  wrecked   by  a 


dynamite  explosion,  which  occurred  near  by,  in 
November,  1884. 

In  the  summer  and  fall  of  1885  this  church  was 
thoroughly  remodeled  and  repaired  at  a  cost  of  six 
thousand  dollars.  A  basement  story  was  con- 
structed, a  new  gallery  provided,  the  windows  were 
lengthened  and  colored  glass  put  in.  The  interior 
wood-work  is  made  of  walnut  and  yellow  pine,  and 
new  furniture  and  carpets  were  also  provided. 
The  walls  are  frescoed  in  water  colors,  and  on  the 
ceilingare  fourlife-size  paintings  in  oil,  representing 
the  Birth,  Crucifixion,  Resurrection  and  Ascension 
of  Christ.  In  the  rear  of  the  pulpit  is  Christ  in 
Gethsemane.  The  congregation  has  three  hundred 
members.  The  church  organ  is  seventeen  and  a 
half  feet  high  ;  it  was  rebuilt  by  Diefienboch,  of 
Millersburg. 

TlJLPEHOCKEN  TRINITY  REFORMED  CHURCH  is 

not  within  the  bounds  of  Berks  County,  but  it  is 
so  near  the  western  line  and  so  many  of  its  citizens 
belong  to  its  membership,  that  a  short  sketch  of  its 
history  is  here  given.  The  congregation  was  or- 
ganized sometime  before  1745,, when  the  first 
church  building  was  put  up  of  logs,  on  the  south 
corner  of  the  old  cemetery,  and  near  the  present 
parsonage.  This  house  was  in  use  until  1772,  when 
a  new  church  was  built  in  the  upper  part  of  the 
old  cemetery  and  on  the  south  side  of  the  present 
highway.  In  1853  the  present  house  of  worship 
was  built  on  the  north  side  of  the  turnpike,  and 
adjoining  the  new  cemetery,  which  was  opened  in 
1864.  It  is  about  two  miles  from  Stouchsburg, 
and  on  an  elevated  site.  The  building  is  of  stone, 
spacious  and  attractive,  and  accommodates  a  very 
large  membership.  In  1885  they  numbered  nearly 
five  hundred. 

The  church  property  includes  two  well-kept 
cemeteries,  an  old  but  substantial  parsonage,  and 
about  thirty-five  acres  of  land. 

The  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter  was  one  of  the 
pioneer  preachers  at  this  place  in  1746  and  the 
year  following ;  and  his  labors  as  a  missionary 
were  shared  by  Revs.  Rieger,  Boehm  and  Weiss. 
They  preached  at  irregular  intervals  varying  from 
four  to  ten  weeks.  The  rapid  settlement  of  the 
country  and  the  increased  interest  in  the  work 
made  a  regular  pastorate  possible,  and  such  a  min- 
isterial service  began  in  the  summer  of  1747, 
Since  that  time  the  pastors  oj  the  church  have 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


1103 


been  the  following.  Revs.  D.  Bartholemae,  H. 
W.  Story,  Johannes  Waldschmidt,  Wm.  Otter- 
bein,  John  J.  Zufall,  J.  Wm.  Hendel,  Sr.,  Andrew 
Loretz,  D.  Wagner,  Wm.  Hendel,  D  D.,  Thomas 
H.  Leinbach,  Charles  H.  Leinbaeh,  H.  J.  Welker. 
St.  Peter's  Union  Chapel  is  in  the  eastern 
part  of  Stouchsburg.  It  was  built  in  1849  as  a 
Union  Church.  A  committee  of  seven  persons 
solicited  funds  to  put  up  the  building.  It  is  a 
small  brick  edifice.  It  has  been  remodeled  so  as 
to  adapt  it  for  Sunday-schools,  which  is  one  of  its 
chief  uses.  The  first  Sabbath-school  in  it  was 
superintended  by  Wm.  H.  Seibert.  Other  super- 
intendents have  been  Thomas  S.  Searle  and  the 
preset)  t,  Samuel  Keiser.  The  chapel  is  controlled 
by  a  board  of  trustees,  under  whose  sanction  meet- 
ings are  held  by  various  persuasions,  but  chiefly 
by  the  Brethren,  or  Dunkards. 

SCHOOLS. 

The  early  settlers  along  the  Tulpehocken  estab- 
lished some  of  the  first  schools  in  the  county.  The 
first  school  was  opened  in  a  log  building  (which 
stood  near  the  present  Reed  Church],  about  1730. 
Casper  Leutbecker  was  the  teacher.  His  services 
continued  until  his  death,  in  1738,  when  Valentine 
Kroft  taught  at  the  same  place.  George  Lechner 
was  subsequently  a  teacher  in  this  neighborhood 
and  imparted  excellent  instruction.  In  1747 
John  Nicholas  Kurtz  taught  a  parish  school  at 
Christ's  Church,  where  he  was  also  pastor  ;  and  he 
was  probably  preacher  and  teacher  as  long  as  he 
remained  in  this  locality.  At  the  Tulpehocken 
Reformed  Church  there  was  also  a  parochial 
school,  established  by  the  direction  of  the  Rev. 
Michael  Schlatter,  which  had  an  existence  as  early 
as  1752,  and  probably  received  aid  from  the 
charity  fund  shortly  after  that  time.  In  each  of 
these  localities  schools  were  maintained  with  more 
or  less  regularity  for  nearly  a  hundred  years.  Near 
Christ's  Church,  west  of  Stouchsburg,  the 
Tulpehocken  Academy  was  founded  in  1831.  The 
school  occupied  a  log  building  and  was  managed 
by  aboard  of  trustees.  M)  les  Green,  an  Irishman, 
was  the  teacher  who  gave  the  school  its  reputation. 
Some  of  the  leading  men  of  this  section  received 
their  English  education  in  that  school.  He  re- 
moved to  the  West  in  1837,  and  was  succeeded  by 
J.  C.  Kessels.     The  academy  was  kept   up   until 


after  1840.  Latterly  it  was  not  largely  patronized. 
The  building  became  the  property  of  the  Public 
School  Board  and  stood  until  1879,  when  it  was 
replaced  by  the  present  brick  school-house. 

Stouchsburg  Academy  was  established  in 
1838  in  a  building  erected  for  the  purpose  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  village.  Among  the  promoters 
of  the  enterprise  were  Samuel  Moore,  George 
Lechner,  Samuel  Lindenmuth  and  Jacob  Seibert. 
When  first  opened  the  school  was  not  as  successful 
as  the  patrons  had  hoped  it  would  be,  and,  after  a 
year  or  two,  it  passed  out  of  the  management  ot 
the  trustees  and  was  conducted  as  a  private  enter- 
prise by  Jacob  Seibert.  He  secured  as  a  teacher 
William  H.  Seibert,  who  taught  with  much  success 
from  1840  until  1854.  Among  other  teachers  who 
followed  him  were  Thomas  S.  Searle,  Simon  S. 
Miller,  Isaac  S.  Moyer  and  W.  Z.  Deck.  The 
house  was  converted  into  a  residence  about  ten 
years  ago. 

In  the  fall  of  1873  the  public  schools  of  Stouchs- 
burg were  graded  into  primary,  secondary  and 
grammar  departments,  and  each  taught  in  different 
buildings.  This  arrangement  continued  until  the 
fall  of  1 877,  when  the  present  school  building  was 
occupied.  It  is  a  two-story  brick,  thirty  by 
seventy -two  feet,  having  four  rooms.  The  average 
attendance  of  the  schools  is  one  hundred  and  ten, 
with  a  yearly  increase,  especially  since  the  town- 
ship board  has  authorized  the  attendance  from  all 
parts  of  Marion  township  of  pupils  who  desire  to 
enter  the  grammar  school  after  attaining  a  certain 
standard  in  their  own  schools.  W.  Z.  Deck  has 
for  many  years  been  connected  with  the  schools  ot 
Stouchsburg.  Through  his  efforts  they  were 
graded. 

Stouchsburg. — This  is  the  only  village  in  the 
township.  It  is  on  the  Harrisburg  turnpike,  seven- 
teen miles  from  Reading  and  one  and  a  half  miles 
from  Sheridan,  the  nearest  railway  station.  It 
contains  a  church,  school  house,  several  taverns 
and  stores,  with  residences  enough  to  accommodate 
about  six  hundred  inhabitants.  Many  of  the 
homes  appear  attractive  and  the  village  is  kept 
very  neat  and  orderly.  The  place  was  first  called 
Stouchstown,  after  Andrew  Stouch,  who  laid  out 
the  first  lots,  but  received  the  present  name  when 
the  post-office  was  established,  in  1832.  Stouch 
lived  in  the  western  part  of  the  village,  on  the 


1104 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS   COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Wintersville  Street.  In  the  same  part  lived  Ben- 
jamin and  Peter  Spycker.  Both  were  well  edu- 
cated and  figured  prominently  in  the  early  affairs  of 
the  county.  Benjaminlived  on  the  north  side  of  the 
present  turnpike.  It  was  at  his  house  that  Colonel 
Conrad  Weiser's  forces  rendezvoused,  in  October, 
1755,  before  marching  against  the  Indians  on  the 
Swatara.  He  left  no  issue,  but  reared  an  adopted 
daughter  Peter  Spycker  was  one  of  the  early 
justices  and  executed  many  legal  papers  of  the 
people  living  in  this  part  of  the  county.  His 
house  was  on  the  south  side  of  the  street.  One  of 
the  houses  built  by  him  is  still  standing,  now  the 
property  of  Dr.  Newcomet  Peter  Sheetz  subse- 
quently was  the  land-owner  there,  and  sold  off  the 
village  lots  from  his  farm.  The  elder  Spyckers  died 
in  this  locality,  but  what  few  descendants  they  had, 
removed. 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing,  other  early  settlers 
at  Stouchsburg  were, — 

Samuel  Moore,  merchant;  Andrew  Stouch,  inn- 
keeper ;  Samuel  Lindenmuth,  blacksmith ;  John 
Reed,  farmer;  Daniel  Hackman,  saddler;  Jacob 
Burkholder,  Daniel  Burkholder,  wheelwrights ;  Jacob 
Tice,  merchant;  George  Peiffer,  farmer;  Jacob 
Spatz,  drover;  John  Baum,  Zep.  Baum,  James  Livin- 
good,  Lewis  Livingood,  William  Gruber,  David  Ray- 
bock,  Moses  Gruber,  Isaac  Y.  Reed,  John  G.  Kline, 
Jonathan  C.  Klopp,  Daniel  Smith,  Henry  Stump, 
Wm.  Lindenmuth,  Francis  Retter,  Isaac  Rauch,  Ja- 
cob Jones. 

John  Dieffenbach  was  one  of  the  first,  tavern- 
keepers,  his  house  being  the  old  Stouch  stand. 
George  W.  Crumb,  Peter  "Walborn  and  others 
kept  tavern  in  a  house  which  stood  on  the  site  of 
the  residence  of  Aaron  Spohn,  at  the  lower  end  of 
the  village.  The  "  Eagle  Hotel "  was  opened  by 
Henry  Bennethum ;  the  "Marion  House,"  by 
Wm.  Dieffenbach  before  1832,  and  it  has  been  a 
tavern  since.  The  "  American  House  "  was  built 
in  1870  by  Isaac  L.  Moyer. 

Samuel  Moore  had  the  first  store  near  the  centre 
of  the  village,  before  1825,  trading  in  the  present 
Searle  house  many  years.  Where  James  Zerbe 
lives  Jacob  Tice  traded.  Ephraim  Stein  was  in 
the  upper  part  of  the  village  and  there,  later,  Abra- 
ham Stein  had  a  store.  M.  Thierwechter  and 
Ephraim  H  artier  engaged  in  trade  in  1840,  which 
■was  afterwards  carried  on  by  Thierwechter  alone 
John  C  Reed  was  a  merchant  more  than  twenty 


years  and  Moyer  &  Gerhart  came  later.  In  1866 
E.  G  Fisher  and  Samuel  Keiser  formed  a  co- 
partnership which  continued  until  1872,  when 
Samuel  Keiser  became  sole  proprietor  of  the  store. 
F  S.  Fisher  is  carrying  on  business  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  street. 

At  the  Keiser  store  is  kept  the  Stouchsburg 
post-office,  established  in  1832.  A  daily  mail  is 
supplied  from  Sheridan  Station. 

The  early  physicians  were  Drs  Nathaniel  Rauch 
and  Adam  Stouch ;  others  were  Drs.  Edward  II- 
lick  and  Augustus  Fisher  (both  moving  to  Ohio), 
James  S.  Fisher  (about  twenty  years)  and  Dr.  H. 
W.  Newcomet,  the  last  a  cotemporary  of  Dr.  I. 
W.  Newcomet,  who  has  been  in  practice  twenty 
years. 

The  manufacture  of  cigars  gives  occupation  to 
a  large  number  of  persons  in  the  village.  In  ad- 
dition to  those  producing  cigars  for  the  factory  of 
A.  S.  Valentine  &  Son,  at  Womelsdorf,  there  are 
factories  operated  by  James  Zerbe  and  Yocum 
Bros.  The  former  was  established  in  1878,  and 
employs  twenty-five  hands.  The  latter,  when  fully 
operated,  employs  about  thirty  hajads. 

Golden  Rule  Lodge  No.  42,  Ancient  Order  of  Good 
Fellows. — This  lodge  was  instituted  at  Stouchsburg, 
October  7,  1871,  with  the  following  members : 
D.  Smith,  Isaac  L.  Moyer,  A.  Burkholder,  J.  W. 
Manbeck,  G.  L.  Groff  F.  Kirst,  H  W.  Wenrich, 
and  L.  L  Moyer.  In  1885  there  were  seventy- 
three  members. 

The  meetings  are  held  in  a  fine  lodge-room,  in 
the  American  House  block. 

Washington  Camp  No.  237  P.  0.  8.  of  A., 
was  instituted  May  17,  1875.  The  principal  offi- 
cers then  v-ere  Isaac  L.  Moyer,  Daniel  Smith, 
Franklin  Kirst,  F.  G.  Eckert,  J.  F.  Brendle  and 
George  Bruner. 

In  1885  the  camp  reported  fifty-four  members. 


JEFFERSON  TOWNSHIP. 
Erection  op  Township.— Divers  inhabitants 
of  Upper  Tulpehocken  township  (one  hundred  and 
seventeen)  represented  to  the  court  in  April,  1851, 
"  that  it  would  conduce  to  the  advantages  and 
convenience  of  said  townships,  to  have  a 
new    township    erected  by    dividing     the     said 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1105 


township  on  account  of  the  township  busi- 
ness, and  because  the  common-school  system, 
although  not  yet  in  operation,  soon  will  be ;"  and 
indicated  therein  by  metes  and  bounds  the  south- 
ern section  of  the  township  (about  two  fifths  in 
area)  to  be  set  apart.  The  court  appointed 
George  Fox,  John  H.  Gernant  and  Reuben  E. 
Addams  as  commissioners.  The  report  of  the 
commissioners  was  presented  to  court  on  the  6th 
of  August,  1851,  in  which  they  expressed  the 
opinion  that  there  was  a  great  propriety  in  divid- 
ing said  township  and  forming  a  new  township  as 
prayed  for,  and  reported  the  following  metes  and 
bounds : 

"  Beginning  at  a  stone  in  the  North-Kill  creek, 
near  a  black  oak  tree  on  the  land  of  John  Riegel ; 
thence  S.  89  J  W.  1306  perches  to  a  black  oak 
t  ee  on  land  of  Jonas  Christman  ;  thence  S.  62  W. 
334  ps.  to  a  point  on  the  dividing  line  between 
Tulpehocken  and  Upper  Tulpehocken  townships, 
at  or  near  a  hickory  tree  on  land  of  Daniel  Kline.; 
thence  along  said  dividing-line  to  a  point  where 
Marion,  Tulpehocken  and  Upper  Tulpehocken 
townships  meet ;  and  thence  continuing  in  the  same 
course  S.  23  E.  to  the  Tulpehocken  creek  (alto- 
gether 1209  ps.)  ;  thence  down  the  Tulpehocken 
creek  to  the  North-Kill  creek  (about  1350  ps.)  ; 
thence  up  the  North-Kill  creek,  1054  ps.,  to  the 
beginning — the  tract  containing  10,493  acres."  No 
Dame  for  this  new  township  was  recommended  by 
the  commissioners.  Only  one  taxable  excepted  to 
the  confirmation  of  the  report,  and  his  exceptions 
were  technical.  A  large  number  of  taxables  rec- 
ommended the  name  of  "  Lower  Tulpehocken." 
The  court  confirmed  the  report  on  January  28, 
1852,  and  directed  the  township  to  be  named 
"Jefferson."1 

For  first  taxables,  see  Tulpehocken  township. 

Early  Families. — Accounts  of  the  early  set- 
tlers appear   in  township   from   which  Jefferson 


1  The  president  judge  upon  the  bench  then  was  Hon.  J. 
Pringle  Jones,  a  sterling  Democrat.  The  vote  of  the  town- 
ship for  Governor  in  November  preceding  was  :  Democratic, 
293;  Whig,  88.  The  judge  doubtless  appreciated  this 
preponderance  of  political  sentiment  and  named  the  new 
township  after  a  typical  Democrat.  He  did  not  appar- 
ently appreciate  the  public  sentiment  for  a  local  name.  In 
this  respect  he  acted  differently  from   Judge    Porter,    who 

named  Upper  Tulpehocken  in  1821. 
93 


was  formed.  The  Potteiger  family  settled  first  on 
the  Wm.  L.  Klopp  farm,  in  North  Heidelberg 
township,  and  there  John  Adam  Potteiger  reared 
sons  named  Adam,  Michael  and  Conrad.  The 
former  moved  to  Jefferson,  settling  on  the  farm 
now  owned  by  his  grandson,  Adam  N.  He  had 
two  sons  named  John  and  Adam  and  a  daughter 
who  married  Michael  Miller,  also  of  this  township. 
Brothers  of  the  first  John  Adam  settled  at  Read- 
ing, also  in  Lebanon  Co.  A  branch  of  the  Pot- 
teiger family,  commonly  called- Batteiger,  settled 
near  Strausstown,  where  descendants  still  live. 
The  Riegel  family  also  made  early  improvements 
in  the  township,  which  are  still  owned  by  the 
family.  John  Riegel  had  sons  named  David, 
Michael,  Abraham  and  Jacob,  the  first-named 
still  living  in  Jefferson.  On  the  Rehrersburg  road 
John  Miller  made  notable  improvements.  He  was 
the  father  of  sons  named  Samuel,  John  and  Henry, 
whose  descendants  continued  to  live  in  the  county. 
In  the  southern  part  the  Smith  family  was  promi- 
nent, and  in  the  central  the  Shaeffer.  John 
Shaeffer  lived  on  the  present  Wm.  Shaeffer  farm, 
removing  thence  to  Reading.  He  was  a  son  of 
Michael  Shaeffer  and  a  brother  of  Moses.  In.  the 
northwestern  part  lived  another  Shaeffer  family 
as  early  settlers,  but  not  related  to  the  foregoing. 

Industries. — On  the  Little  North-Kill  there 
was  a  mill  operated  at  an  early  day  by  Benjamin 
Miller,  who  was  succeeded  by  Jonathan  Miller, 
Moses  Schock,  Ephraim  Moyer  and  the  present 
Jonathan  K.  Potteiger,  the  latter  operating  the 
old  mill  in  an  improved  condition.  A  distillery 
at  this  point,  and  carried  on  for  a  time  by  Benj. 
Miller,  is  no  longer  in  use.  On  the  North-Kill  the 
Haag  family  had  one  of  the  first  mills  in  this  part 
of  the  county.  It  was  successively  owned  by 
Jacob,  John  and  Jonathan  Haag  and  still  belongs 
to  the  family.  On  the  same  stream,  near  Bern- 
ville,  in  Penn  township  John  Haag  built  a  mill 
in  1838,  which  is  now  operated  by  John  Kissling, 

In  the  southwestern  part  of  the  township  is  the 
old  Jacob  Gerhart  mill,  operated  as  the  property 
of  Wm.  Derr.  In  the  southern  part  there  is  a 
small  water-power  oa  a  stream  near  the  Tulpe- 
hocken, where  David  Brumbaugh  had  in  success- 
ful operation  a  fulling-mill.  This  was  enlarged 
and  carried  on  more  extensively  by  Isaac  Yost. 
On  account  of  its  isolated  location,  the  mill  was 


1106 


HISTORY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


closed  and  the  machinery  removed  about  fifteen 
years  ago. 

West  of  Shaefferstown,  Samuel  Miller  carried 
on  a  tannery  about  sixty  years.  He  made  an  ex- 
cellent quality  of  leather.  The  business  is  now 
carried  on  by  Jacob  Miller,  who  employs  steam- 
power  and  lans  after  modern  methods. 

The  tannery  of  Henry  Miller,  south  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Schaefferstown,  worked  in  the  old  way,  has 
long  since  been  abandoned. 

CHURCHES. 

Christ's  Church  (Lutheran  and  Eeformed)  is 
situated  on  the  Tulpehocken  Creek,  in  the  south- 
eastern part  of  the  township.  It  is  sometimes  called 
the  "  Little  Tulpehocken  Church,"  to  distinguish 
it  from  the  old  Tulpehocken  Church,  at'Stouchs- 
burg.  For  more  than  a  hundred  years  the  church 
was  devoted  exclusively  to  the  worship  of  the  Lu- 
theran congregation,  but  since  February  18, 1853, 
the  Reformed  congregation  has  had  a  joint  inter- 
est in  the  property.  This  consisted  in  1885  of 
church  building  and  thirty-five  acres  of  land.  The 
landed  property  was  conveyed  to  the  congregation 
in  1744  by  Richard  and  Thomas  Penn,  proprie- 
tors, and  in  the  instrument  making  this  convey- 
ance Jacob  Miller,  Simon  Minig,  Conrad  Ernst, 
Mathias  Smith,  Henry  Gruber  and  Martin  Bat- 
teiger  are  named  as  trustees.  About  this  time  a 
log  meeting-house  was  built,  and  it  continued  in 
use  until  1809,  when  the  present  edifice  took  its 
place.  It  is  of  stone,  thirty-four  by  forty  feet,  two 
stories  high,  with  gallery  in  the  auditorium.  The 
old  church  had  a  singular  cresting  on  the  roof, 
which  consisted  of  a  vane,  crowned  with  a  small 
rooster.  The  interior  of  the  present  church  has 
been  changed  considerably,  but  the  outside  re- 
mains about  as  built  in  1809. 

In  1789  church  regulations  were  adopted.  From 
that  time  on  the  church  flourished  until  many 
members  moved  away,  between  1830  and  1850. 
The  Lutheran  congregation  in  1885  numbered 
about  one  hundred  and  forty  members,  and  the 
Reformed  one  hundred.  The  Lutheran  pastor  was 
Rev.  A.  J.  Long,  and  the  Reformed,  Rev.  Thomas 
C.  Leinbach. 

St.  Paul's  Church  (Lutheran  and  Reformed) 
is  situated  at  Shaefferstown.  It  was  built  in  1 884-85. 
The  corner-stone  was  laid  August  24, 1884,  and  the 


church  formally  dedicated  July  19,  1885.  It  is 
built  of  brick,  and  surmounted  by  a  shapely  stee- 
ple, in  which  a  clear-toned  bell  is  suspended.  The 
cost  was  about  five  thousand  dollars.  In  Septem- 
ber, 1885,  the  Rev.  L.  D.  Stambaugh  organized 
the  Reformed  congregation,  and  became  the  first 
pastor ;  there  were  forty  members.  The  Lutheran 
Congregation  was  organized  November  22,  1885, 
by  the  Rev.  B.  E.  Kramlich,  president  of  the  Syn- 
od, with  about  the  same  number  of  members. 

Schools. — Soon  after  the  township  was  settled 
a  school  was  started  at  the  Little  Tulpehocken 
Church,  in  which  instruction  was  imparted  in  the 
German  language.  It  was  kept  up  until  about 
1850.  The  first  English  school  was  opened  sixty- 
five  years  ago,  through  the  efforts  of  John  Pottei- 
ger,  in  a  room  in  a  spring-house  which  stood  on 
the  old  Potteiger  farm.  Thomas  Shields,  James 
Rogers  and  others  were  the  teachers  of  schools  well 
attended  by  the  larger  boys  of  the  township.  About 
1845  Daniel  Potteiger  was  instrumental  in  es- 
tablishing another  English  school  in  the  central 
part  of  the  township,  which  was  kept  until  the  free- 
school  system  was  adopted. 

Shaefferstown. — This  is  the  only  village  in 
the  township,  and  takes  its  name  from  John  Shaef- 
fer,  who  laid  out  the  town-plan  in  1836.  That 
year  the  first  house  was  built  by  Michael  Fox.  It 
is  the  second  building  east  of  the  new  church.  Fox 
was  by  occupation  a  laborer.  The  same  year  anoth- 
er house  was  built  by  Zadock  Weaver,  a  carpenter. 
This  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1839.  The  following 
year  it  was  rebuilt.  Another  house  was  also  built, 
which  is  now  part  of  the  tavern  stand.  This  was 
owned  by  Christian  Bombauer,  who  was  the  first 
inn-keeper.  Joseph  Manbeck  enlarged  the  house, 
and  in  1 852  Isaac  and  Samuel  Noll  were  the  inn- 
keepers. John  S.  Holtzman  enlarged  the  house 
still  more.  His  family  have  kept  the  inn  a  num- 
ber of  years. 

The  first  store  was  kept  by  Moses  Schock  and 
William  Shaffner,  in  a  small  building  opposite  the 
present  church,  in  1846,  and  removed  two  years 
later  to  the  tavern  building,  and  since  that  time 
stores  have  been  continuously  kept  at  that  place. 
Among  others  in  trade  there  have  been  Isaac  and 
Samuel  Noll,  Joseph  Manbeck,  Frank  and  James 
Crissman  and,  since  1877,  the  Holtzmans.  Criss- 
man    &  Lesher  opened  the  second  store,  in  1864, 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1107 


in  the  building  now  occupied  by  Adam  Gotschall 
and  Jeremiah  Turk.  The  latter  is  the  postmaster 
of  the  Tulpehocken  post  office,  located  at  Shaeffers- 
town.  It  was  first  kept  by  Moses  Schock.  A  daily 
mail  from  Reading  is  supplied,  and  telephonic 
communication  with  that  place  is  also  maintained. 

The  first  smith  at  Shaefferstown  was  Michael 
Seitzener ;  Isaac  Miller,  the  tailor  ;  and  Samuel 
Moyer,  the  cabinet-maker.  The  place  had  differ- 
ent mechanic-shops  in  1885,  and  in  addition  to 
the  foregoing  had  about  twenty  residences. 

The  first  trading-point  in  this  locality  was  half 
a  mile  east  of  the  present  village,  where  John 
Kersch  had  a  store  in  1813.  Daniel  Potteiger 
was  the  last  in  trade  there.  Close  by,  on  the  road 
leading  to  Strausstown,  Christian  Long  had  a 
country  tavern,  which  was  kept  open  until  about 
1851,  when  the  place  was  converted  into  a  farm- 
house. 


HEIDELBERG  TOWNSHIP.1 

Erection  of  Township. — The  early  history  of 
Heidelberg  township  is  inseparably  connected  with 
Tulpehocken  district.  The  first  settlements  were 
made  in  the  vicinity  of  Womelsdorf,  to  the  east  and 
west  and  north  of  the  Tulpehocken  Creek,  and  they 
took  the  name  "Tulpehocken"  naturally  after 
the  creek.  The  Indians  had  a  settlement  or 
village  here  before  the  early  immigrants  arrived, 
which  was  known  by  the  same  name.  The  town- 
ship of  Heidelberg  was  laid  off  from  Tulpehocken 
and  erected  in  the  year  1734, — this  having  been 
done  at  Lancaster  at  the  same  time  that  the  town 
of  Lancaster  was  erected  as  a  separate  district. 
The  name  was  suggested  by  the  settlers  to  hold  in 
continual  remembrance  their  "  father-land"  across 
the  sea,  where  they  were  born  and  whence  they 
had  shortly  before  emigrated. 

With  the  other  territory  west  of  the  Schuylkill, 
it  continued  a  part  of  Lancaster  County  until  1752 
when  Berks  County  was  erected.  During  these 
eighteen  years  many  settlers  entered  the  township,2 

1 1  examined  the  records  at  Lancaster  for  the  proceedings 
in  establishing  this  township,  but  I  could  not  find  anything, 
excepting  the  time  of  its  erection. 

2  Refer  to  Tulpehocken  township  for  names  of  earliest 
settlers. 


took  up  large  tracts  of  land  and  improved  them 
with  buildings  and  by  cultivation.  And  about  the 
same  time  that  the  inhabitants  proceeded  to  estab- 
ish  this  township  for  their  convenience,  they  also 
founded  a  church  for  themselves,  near  the  centre, 
and  about  eight  miles  from  the  "  Tulpehocken  (or 
Reed's)  Church."  It  was  called  "Hain's 
Church,"  after  George  Hean  (Hain),  who  donated 
land  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  church  thereon* 

The  area  of  the  township  was  about  thirty-seven 
thousand  acres,  embracing  territory  about  eight 
and  a  quarter  miles  long  and  seven  miles  wide. 
The  boundary  lines  were  as  follows :  Tulpehocken 
Creek  from  Lancaster  County  line  to  mouth  of 
Cacoosing  Creek  ;  thence  by  the  Cacoosing  Creek 
southeastwardly  to  the  Lancaster  County  line  and 
thence  northwestwardly,  along  said  county  line,  to 
the  Tulpehocken  Creek. 

In  1833  the  borough  of  Womelsdorf  was  erected 
out  of  a  part  of  this  •  township,  situated  in  the 
western  section. 

Division  of  Township. — The  inhabitants  find- 
ing the  township  too  large  for  the  convenient  trans- 
action of  public  business3  "thereto  necessarily 
appertaining,"  presented  four  petitions,  to  court  on 
April  3,  1832,  asking  for  the  division  of  the 
township— a  small  stream  called  "  Spring  Creek," 
which  runs  through  the  township,  affording  such  a 
natural  division  line  as  to  remedy  completely  the 
evils  complained  of.  The  court  appointed  John 
Miller,  George  Gernand  and  Joseph  Schmucker 
as  commissioners.  These  commissioners  viewed 
the  township  and  the  proposed  line  of  division, 
and  on  the  23d  of  May,  1832,  recommended  the 
division  as  prayed  for,  reporting  the  following 
line:  "Beginning  at  a  chestnut  tree,  a  corner  of 
Lancaster,  Lebanon  and  Berks  Counties ;  thence 
through  land  of  Matthias  Wenrich,  George  Ege 
and  Daniel  Bechtel,  N.  44J  E.  286  ps.  to  a  cherry 
tree  ;  thence  through  lands  of  Peter  Leininger, 
Frederick  Bechtel,  deceased,  Matthias  Wenrich 
and  David  Wenrich,  N.  35  E.  662  ps.  to  Spring 
Creek ;  thence  along  said  creek  to  the  outlet  there- 
of at  the  Tulpehocken  Creek,  a  distance  of  2045 
ps.,"  the  total  length  being  niue  and  one-third 
miles.     Exceptions   were  filed,  setting  forth  that 


3  Subscribed  with  120  signatures,  well  written,-42  English 
and  78  German. 


1108 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


the  greater  part  of  the  line  was  not  described  by 
bearing  and  distance  ;  that  the  line  was  arbitrary 
and  did  not  divide  the  township  in  equal  parts, 
but  cut  the  greater  part  of  the  roads  into  the  west 
ern  portion,  which  would  thereby  make  the  road 
taxes  oppressive.  The  report  was  set  aside  on  the 
12th  of  January,  1833. 

Ten  years  afterward  the  application  for  a  divi- 
sion of  the  township  was  renewed l — the  petition- 
ers praying  for  a  straight  line  from  the  corner  of 
the  counties  named  to  the  "  Big  Spring,"  and  thence 
by  Spring  Creek  to  Tulpehocken.  The  commis- 
sioners appointed  were  Samuel  S.  Jackson,  Benja- 
min Tyson  and  Matthias  S.  Richards,  who  on 
June  17,  1842,  reported  the  line  suggested— the 
first  line  being  "N.  42£  E.  957  ps.from  the  county 
corner  to  the  Big  Spring,  and  thence  by  Spring 
Creek  to  the  Tulpehocken  Creek  (by  courses  and 
distances)  2147  perches" — the  entire  line  being  in 
length  nine  and  seven-tenths  miles,  and  recom- 
mended the  name  of  Lower  Heidelberg  for  the 
eastern  portion  of  the  township.  Their  report 
was  presented  on  September  15,  1842,  and  con- 
firmed nisi.  No  exceptions  were  filed  against  this 
report  and  the  eastern  portion  was  accordingly 
erected  under  the  name  of  Lower  Heidelberg. 

Taxables  of  1759. — The  taxables  of  the 
township  for  1759  are  named  in  the  following 
statement.  The  amount  of  tax  levied  was  <£134 
19s.  6c?.  Andrew  Boyer  was  the  collector  of 
taxes. 


William  Allen,  Esq ,  55 

John  Artz 22 

Jacob  Artz 6 

George  Aumiller 1 

Martin  Arnold 3 

Daniel  Ammy 3 

Christopher  Amstecker 2 

Philip  Aumiller 1 

W.  Bird,  Esq 20 

John  Boyer,  Sr 25 

John  Boyer,  Jr 9 

Widow  Benitch 7 

Henry  Boyer 11 

Adam  Bonewitz 5 

Michael  Bush 5 

Peter  Botts 3 

Peter  Bollander 2 

Ulrich  Brunncr 2 

George  Basehore 8 

Nicholas  Bechtel 8 

George  Brendle 7 

Tobias  Bechtel 7 

Johannes  Blanck 8 


Jacob  Boyer 5 

Peter  Bricker 14 

Charles  Baumberger 6 

Adam  Brown 9 

Frantz  Bosserman 9 

Andreas  Boyer 25 

George  Brown 7 

Assemus  Boyer 2 

Michael  Berger 1 

Matthias  Bopp 1 

Bernhard  Bopp \ 

David  Broadbent 1 

Philip  Boppenmoyer l 

Andreas  Grove 10 

Jacob  Creator 3 

Nicholas  Christ 1 

Johannes  Dieter 8 

Christian  Deppen 12 

Henry  Dechert q 

John  Doutrich q 

Nicholas  Dornmeyer 1 

William  David 10 

Widow  Durst \ 2 


1  There  were  301 

English. 


subscribers— 108    names  written 


Peter  Eberly 15 

Eliczer  Evans 12 

Conrad  Ernst 10 

John  Eckert 25 

Simon  Eigler 1 

Eliezer  Evans 17 

Christian  Eberhart 2 

Andreas  Evart 1 

Christian  Frantz 6 

Henry  Fry 4 

Yost  Fox 2 

Christr.  Frymeyer 3 

Peter  Foust 2 

Conrad  Finck 7 

Peter  Feick ft 

Valentine  Fry 11 

Peter  Fisher 4 

Philip  Filtzmoyer 20 

Anthony  FouBt 18 

William  Fisher. 24 

Henry  Fidler 20 

Michael  Folmer 2 

Frederick  Gerhard 4 

Andreas  Gerberich 6 

Leonard  Groh 15 

John  Gross 1 

Henry  Gebbardt 1 

George  GelBinger 1 

Adam  Harris 1 

Adam  Hain 24 

Tost  Hetterich .'„ 8 

Peter  Hause 8 

Ludwig  Heldt 5 

Frederick  Hain; 22 

Casper  Hain 24 

John  Hertzmentz 3 

Henry  Hetrich 1 

Christian  Hain 14 

George  Michael  Heldt 4 

Henry  Hain 16 

George  Hain 13 

Peter  Exor.  Hain 30 

Jacob  Hawman 2 

John  Hopf. 1 

William  Jones 6 

Thomas  Jones 15 

Sebastian  Jerig. 1 

Michael  Kessler 2 

Michael  Keiser 9 

Abram  Kessler 2 

Teter  Kaufman 1 

Peter  Knabb 10 

John  Keller 6 

John  Klenker 5 

Henry  Kruber 18 

Jacob  Kehn 15 

Frederick  Kogle 15 

John  Koble ]2 

Christr.  Kehlbach 2 

Jacob  Kuhl 8 

Baltzer  Koenig 2 

Casper  Koble 2 

Michael  Kleinfelter l 

Henry  Kerlitz 1 

Henry  Kieler 1 

Widow  Koburn 1 

George  Kreek 3 

Henry  Kieler 2 

Martin  Lehr. 1 

Martin  Link 5 

Paul  Lengle 2 

GodliehLoeffler 1 

Martin  Lang 2 

Michael  Lower g 

George  Loucks 20 

Peter  Lamp 3 


Jacob  Leininger 5 

John  Last 6 

Ulrich  Michael 6 

Christn.  Michael 1 

Michael  Miller 6 

Henry  Miller 3 

John  Moyer m 

Henry  Martin 8 

Christr.  Miller 7 

Dietrich  Marshall 24 

Michael  Menich 2 

Jacob  Moore 2 

Lawrence  Moore 1 

Christn.  Mantle 1 

Peter  Newman 7 

Samuel  Nicholas 4 

John  Nagle,  Sr. 2 

Michael  Overheiser 2 

Sebastian  Obold 10 

Chrisn.  Paffenberger. 7 

Peter  Peltzer 2 

Adam  Potteiger 2 

Martin  Potteiger 8 

Michael  Reiff. 8 

Adam  Reese 1 

Gabriel  Reeser  &  Son 20 

John  Bosi 7 

Nicholas  Reed 25 

Ulrich  Richards 8 

Peter  Ready 10 

George  Ran 5 

Casper  Reed 1 

Jacob   Roehrer 5 

Peter  Riegle 1 

Peter  Schney 20 

Adam  Shower 14 

Jacob  Sensenhach M> 

Michael  Shower 22 

Yost  Shugart 30 

Jacob  Spatz 5 

John  Shugart ft 

Michael  Snyder 2 

Nicholas  Sweigert 2 

William  Spatz 5 

Henry  Spohn 9 

Jacob  Stouch 2 

Casper  Schnpffer. 4 

Henry  Stear ft 

Dietrich  Sohl 2 

Nicholas  Schaeffer fi 

Conrad  Scharff. ft 

Conrad  Schneider 2 

Leonard  Schnell 3 

John  Stroh Schneider 1 

Lawrence  Strunk fi 

Conrad  Smith ft 

George  Sees 1 

Michael  Schmal 14 

Adam  Spohn 18 

Henry  Setley 1 

Jacob  Smith 3 

Abram  Stauffer 12 

Christn.  Schweitzer 1 

Jacob  Seltzer C 

Jacob  Smith  (weaver) 1 

John  Steiner 8 

Jacob  Schoab 1 

Henry  Schwartz 4 

JohnSchorp 1ft 

Jacob  Schaeffer 2 

Dietrich  Steinbrecher. 2 

Ludwig  Schweitzer 2 

Michael  Schaeffer 3 

Frederick  Stupp 1 

John  Schaeffer 1 

Frederick  Schwartz 3 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1109 


Poter  Werlan 2 

Philip  Wagn  r 2 

Frederick  Werhein 1 

Philip  Zerbe 1 

John  Zerbe H 

Jacob  Zinn \ 


Philip  Weiser 13 

Frederick  Weisur 10 

Peter  Werner 7 

Christr.  Whitmore. 1 

Balthiiser  Wenrich 3 

Matthias  Wenrich,  Jr 4 

Lazarus  Wingert 9 

Single  Men* 
'Philip  Baur.  Josepli  Mountz. 

Jacob  Baur,  George  Mountz. 

Conrad  Christ.  Matthias  Miller, 

Jacob  Ernst.  Andrew  Kiogle. 

Christopher  Fidler,  John  R*  am. 

Philip  Fisher.  Henry  Stear. 

Adam  Gruber.  John  Snyder. 

Thomas  Jones.  Henry  Sohl. 

Griffith  Jones.  Henry  Seidle. 

Christian  Lerch.  Jacob  Strunck, 

Old  Buildings. — Among;  the  old  buildings  in 
the  township  is  part  of  an  out-building  on  the  old 
Sheetz  farm,  now  owned  by  Peter  Marshall,  which, 
it  is  thought,  was  put  up  by  Conrad  Weiser.  It 
is  a  low  two-story  building.  It  contains  a  large 
fire-place  in  the  upper  and  lower  rooms.  As  the 
walls  are  very  massive,  the  idea  of  using  the 
building  as  a  means  of  Drotection  is  suggested. 
The  Weiser  farm  contained  two  hundred  and 
forty-eight  acres  of  land,  not  very  remarkable  for 
fertility ;  and  the  selectiou  was  more  likely  made 
on  account  of  the  abundance  of  excellent  water 
and  the  fine  timber  which  covered  the  ground. 
East  from  this  farm  are  several  old  buildings,  used 
for  public  purposes  when  the  highway  was  along 
the  base  of  hills,  where  these  houses  stand.  One  of 
these  is  stone,  the  other  of  logs  ;  but  both  are  in 
a  well-preserved  condition.  West,  on  the  turn- 
pike, is  a  large,  frame-building  in  which  John 
Seltzer  and  others  kept  a  tavern. 

Early  Settlers. — North  of  Womelsdorf  one 
of  the  early  settlers  was  John  Deppen,  who  resided 
there  until  his  death.  He  was  the  father  of  sons 
named  Samuel,  Joseph,  Isaac,  Adam  and  Michael. 
Some  of  their  descendants  still  live  in  the  township. 

Among  many  other  families  who  contributed  to 
the  development  of  the  township  were  the  Eckerts, 
Filberts,  Fidlers,  Leisses,  Lauckses,  Livingoods 
and  Seltzers,  most  of  whom  have  retained  their 
landed  interests. 

Grave  of  Conrad  Weiser. — The  remains  of 
Gonrad  Weiser  and  his  wife  still  lie  where  they 
were  interred  a  hundred  and  twenty-six  years  ago. 
The  burial  plat  is  in  the  orchard  on  the  Sheetz 
farm,  about  fifty  yards  west  from  the  house  and 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  east  from  Womelsdorf. 
It  is  situated  between  the  turnpike  and  Lebanon 


Valley  Railroad.  When  the  place  was  visited  by 
the  writer,  November  12,  1885,  there  was  nothing 
to  indicate  the  spot  except  a  single  head-sandstone, 
on  which  was  engraved, — 

•M-  -M-  -t-+  -h+  ++  -H-  -M-  +-+  -M-  -t-+  -M-  -H--M-  -1-+  «-+  -H-  ■(-+  -H-M-  -M-  -M-  -M-  -HH++ 
t  t 

J  "  Dieses  is  die  j 

i  Euhe  Staette  des  J 

|  woyl  ehren  geachten  M.  Conrad  Weiser,  t 

I  derselbige  ist  geboren  1696  den  2.  November  i 

;  in  Afsteat,  im  Amt  Herrenberg,  im  + 

X  Wittenberger  Lande,  und  gestorben  % 

!'  1760  den  13.  Julius,  ist  X 

t  t 

i  alt  worden  63  jahr  £ 

j  8  Mopat  und  13  Tage."  \ 

-1--H--M--H-3-+M  ■!■<■  I  3--M-+-H  1  1  I  I  H-H-H-1--H--M-++-H--M-+-M  !  1-  A  X 

This  inscription  was  recut,  in  1884,  by  Peter 
Marshall,  the  present  owner  of  the  farm.  The 
headstone  on  the  grave  of  Conrad  Weiser's  wife 
lies  prostrate ;  and  the  numerous  stone  slabs,  which 
formerly  marked  graves  supposed  to  have  been  those 
of  Indians,  have  been  removed,  the  latter  indicated 
graves  having  an  east  and  west  direction,  while 
the  Weiser  graves  are  from  north  to  south.  A 
number  of  years  ago  the  Sheetz  family  had  en- 
closed this  burial-plat  with  a  neat  fence,  but  at 
present  no  such  division  is  shown,  the  graves  being 
a  common  part  of  the  orchard. 

Industries. — As  early  as  1790  members  of  the 
Bennethum  family  had  a  small  tannery,  east  of 
Womelsdorf,  on  the  old  State  road.  This  interest 
has  been  carried  on  at  that  point  ever  since,  and 
for  the  past  twenty  years  by  Henry  J.  Moyer. 
Since  being  the  owner  he  very  much  increased  the 
capacity,  operating  by  steam  since  1873.  There 
are  in  all  fifty  vats,  and  the  product  is  oak-tanned 
harness  leather.  In  the  early  history  of  the  tan- 
ning very  fine  calf  and  kip  leathers  were  made. 

Below  this  point,  on  the  same  road,  an  active 
industry  has  been  developed  in  sand-mining,  a  very 
large  deposit  having  been  found,  which,  in  1885,  was 
placed  on  the  market  by  steam  machinery,  oper- 
ated by  David  Sheetz.  West  of  Robesonia,  Sam- 
uel R.  Deppen  has  manufactured  lime  for  some 
years,  producing  yearly  about  thirty-five  thousand 
bushels.  The  stone  there  quarried  yields  ninety 
per  cent,  of  carbonate  of  lime. 

"  The  Robesonia  Furnace  "  is  situated  south  of 
Robesonia,  on  Spring  Creek.  In  1794  George 
Ege  here  began  the  manufacture  of  iron  in  what 
was  known    as  the  Reading  Furnace,  erecting  it 


1110 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


after  he  had  abandoned  the  Berkshire  Furnace,  in 
Lower  Heidelberg  township.  He  carried  on  the 
same  successfully  until  1824,  when  a  depression  in 
business  caused  him  to  suspend.  In  the  course  of 
years  Robeson  &  Brooke  became  the  owners,  hav- 
ing the  property  until  1858,  when  Ferguson, 
White  &  Co.  came  in  possession  of  it ;  while 
owned  by  them  the  name  of  the  furnace  was 
changed  to  Robesonia.  Nathaniel  Ferguson  was 
a  skillful  and  successful  iron-master,  but  was 
obliged  by  weight  of  years  to  relinquish  the  busi 
ness  in  1 885.  It  is  now  carried  on  by  the  "  Robe- 
sonia Iron  Company,  Limited."  In  1845,  while 
owned  by  Robeson  &  Brooke  an  anthracite  fur- 
nace was  put  up  in  place  of  the  charcoal  furnace. 
In  1858  another  furnace  of  larger  capacity  was 
erected  in  its  place,  and  other  improvements  were 
made  afterwards.  While  putting  up  a  new  stack 
an  accident  occurred,  on  November  7,  1884,  by 
the  falling  of  a  large  furnace-stack,  which  had 
been  in  process  of  construction  the  previous  June, 
which  resulted  in  the  death  of  seven  men — Joseph 
Reed,  Davilla  Beckley,  Henry  Spangler,  David 
M.  Person,  Monroe  Peipher,  Frederick  Foreman 
and  Henry  Putt — and  the  wounding  of  eight 
others — Lewis  Dietrich,  Jacob  Fox,  John  Wein- 
hold,  James  McCloskey,  Charles  F.  Moyer,  John 
Capp,  Frank  Spatz  and  Frederick  Knause. 

The  demolished  stack  stood  on  cast-iron  col- 
umns thirty  feet  high,  and  the  body  of  the  stack 
was  forty  feet  more  in  height  and  fifty  feet  in 
diameter.  Within  were  the  seven  men  engaged 
on  the  lining  and  they  had  almost  reached  the  top, 
within  fifteen  feet,  working  on  the  scaffolding  on 
the  in-walls.  Below  were  the  bricklayers  and 
tenders.  Beneath  all  was  Henry  Putt,  an  old  man, 
whose  labor  consisted  in  filling  the  buckets  with  fire- 
brick and  clay.  The  cause  of  the  fall  was  the  break- 
ing of  the  columns,  which  fell  like  a  flash  all  in  a 
heap  and  without  warning.  The  wall  did  not  fall 
at  once,  but  the  scaffolding  fell  and  then  the  walls 
gave  way,  covering  the  victims  within  a  living 
grave  By  the  stack  stood  the  easting-house,  part 
of  which  was  carried  away  by  the  fall.  The  col- 
umns twisted  clean  out  before  the  fall.  The  cause 
was  the  weakness  of  the  support  on  which  the 
stack  rested,  the  weight  having  been  three  thousand 
tons. 

The  damage  to  the  property  was  repaired  as 


speedily  as  possible,  but  it  was  deemed  best  to 
practically  rebuild  the  furnace  in  1885.  Accord- 
ingly, the  present  owners  availed  themselves  of  all 
the  improvements  suggested  by  the  most  approved 
systems  of  iron  manufacture,  so  that  the  capacity 
is  now  about  one  thousand  tons  per  week,  making 
the  furnace  in  all  its  appointments  and  attendant 
interests  one  of  the  most  valuable  properties  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  State.  Employment  is  given 
to  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  men.  The 
ore  used  is  procured  from  the  celebrated  Cornwall 
mines,  in  Lebanon  County,  on  which  the  furnace 
holds  a  perpetual  ore-right  for  the  gratuitous  sup- 
ply of  as  much  ore  as  will  keep  one  stack  in  blast. 
Owing  to  improved  methods,  this  amount  is  now 
thirty  times  greater  than  when  the  contract  giving 
this  right  was  entered  into. 

The  fine  cut-stone  mansion,  built  by  George 
Ege,  at  the  furnace,  in  1807,  has  also  been  re- 
paired, and  the  grist-mill,  long  in  operation,  has 
been  improved  to  meet  the  wants  of  present  cus- 
tomers. 

•  East  of  Robesonia  is  a  spring  of  unusual  size 
and  beauty,  popularly  called,  from  its  former  own- 
er, Gernant's  Big  Spring.  In  1775  it  was  known 
as  "  Allen's  Spring."  Its  water  is  very  clear  and 
refreshing,  with  a  volume  large  enough  to  furnish 
power  for  a  mill  several  hundred  yards  below  the 
spring.  One  of  the  early  owners  of  this  mill  was 
Daniel  Bechtol.  The  present  improved  mill  is  the 
property  of  James  T.  Reber,  hardware  merchant 
of  Reading.  The  next  water-power  below  opera- 
ted a  woolen-mill  for  John  Eckert,  now  discon- 
tinued, as  well  as  a  distillery,  which  was  carried  on 
some  time  in  the  same  building. 

On  the  farm  of  the  Orphans'  Home  is  one  of  the 
finest  springs  in  the  county.  Its  volume  is  great. 
Power  was  afforded  to  operate  a  grist-mill  and  dis- 
tillery a  few  hundred  yards  below  it.  This  place 
became  widely  known  as  "  Manderbach's  Summer 
Resort,"  and  was  largely  patronized.  The  distil- 
lery produced  a  fine  quality  of  whiskey.  Large 
wagons  conveyed  it  to  distant  counties  There 
were  also  grounds  for  target  practicing,  Mander- 
bach  himself  having  been  well  skilled  in  the  use 
of  the  rifle.  The  mill  still  remains,  but  the  distil- 
lery has  long  since  been  demolished. 

CHURCHES. 

St.  Daniel's  Church  is  situated  a  mile  north 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1111 


of  Robeson  ia,  at  the  intersection  of  several  roads, 
from  which  fact  it  is  sometimes  called  "  Die  Ecke 
Kirche."  The  present  building  was  put  up  in 
1814.  It  has  been  remodeled  and  improved  inside 
so  that  it  bears  little  resemblance  to  its  original 
condition.  It  is  the  third  house  used  as  a  place 
of  worship  at  this  point,  the  first  having  been 
of  logs,  and  built  during  ■  the  early  settlement  of 
the  country.  The  building  preceding  the  present 
one  was  put  up  in  1757;  the  congregation  had  the 
ministry  of  the  Rev.  John  Nicholas  Kurtz,  who 
lived  at  Stouchsburg. 

Upon  the  dedication  of  the  present  church  the 
pastor  was  Rev.  Daniel  Ulrich,  who  served  the 
congregation  thirty-nine  years.  Then  came  the 
Revs.  T.  T.  Iaeger,  eleven  years ;  H.  S.  Miller, 
one  year ;  and  the  Rev.  Aaron  Finfrock,  s'nce 
1863. 

Until  December  25,  1876,  the  church  was 
entirely  under  the  control  of  the  Lutherans ;  then 
Rev.  T.  C.  Leinbach  organized  a  German  Re- 
formed congregation,  with  twenty-nine  members, 
which  prospered  to  such  an  extent  that  in  1885 
the  membership  was  one  hundred  and  fifty-five. 
Mr.  Leinbaeh  is  still  pastor. 

The  affairs  of  the  church  are  now  controlled  by 
the  two  congregations.  The  property  includes 
well  kept  cemeteries  and  a  residence.  In  the 
latter  is  the  home  of  John  S.  Henry,  for  many 
years  the  organist. 

In  the  same  locality  are  the  grounds  of  the 
"  Heidelberg  Cemetery  Company,"  embracing 
several  acres  of  land,  which  was  opened  to  the 
public  in  1880.  It  has  been  made  an  attractive 
place. 

Union  Chapel  is  situated  at  Robesonia.  It  is 
a  neat  stone  chapel,  built  in  1869  by  Fergu- 
son, White  &  Co  ,  furnace  owners,  for  the  free  use 
of  such  religious  bodies  as  may  choose  to  maintain 
worship  there.  It  was  dedicated  May  1,  1870. 
Originally  intended  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
furnace  employees,  it  has  proven  a  great  con- 
venience to  the  people  of  the  village.  A  Sunday- 
school  is  regularly  conducted  in  it,  which  is  well 
attended  by  all  classes.  For  many  years  Nathaniel 
Ferguson  was  the  superintendent.  The  Presby- 
terians and  German  Baptists  most  frequently 
worship  in  the  chapel. 

Bethany  Orphans'  Home.— This  charitable 


institution  is  located  near  Womelsdorf  Station,  on 
the  Lebanon  Valley  Railroad.  It  was  founded 
September  21,  1863,  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  by  a 
number  of  Synods  of  the  German  Reformed 
Church  of  North  America,  but  at  present  is 
maintained  by  but  two  Synods  of  that  church. 
The  location  at  Philadelphia  not  being  desirable, 
the  home  was  moved  to  Bridesburg  July  13,  1864, 
where  it  remained  about  three  years.  On  account 
of  the  prevalence  of  sickness  among  its  inmates,  a 
new  location  was  sought  where  greater  healthful- 
ness  could  be  obtained  in  connection  with  other 
advantages.  Accordingly,  for  this  purpose  the 
property  known  as  "  Manderbach's  Summer  Re- 
sort," comprising  twenty-six  acres  of'  land,  on 
which  was  a  three-story  brick  building,  thirty-six 
by  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet,  mill  and  other 
improvements,  was  purchased  in  1867  and  fitted  up 
to  adapt  it  to  the  wants  of  the  Home,  and  the  in- 
stitution was  transferred  October  1st  of  that  year. 
In  the  fall  of  1872  a  farm  of  sixty  acres  of  good 
land  was  added  to  the  property  and  the  necessary 
buildings  provided  to  carry  it  on  as  part  of  the 
Home.  The  last  improvement  was  a  fine  barn,  in 
1885,  at  a  cost  of  two  thousand  three  hundred 
dollars.  Here  the  Home  enjoyed  uninterrupted 
prosperity  until  the  midnight  of  November  11, 
1881,  when  the  main  house  and  some  other  build- 
ings were  destroyed  by  fire,  with  all  their  contents, 
the  inmates  only  escaping.  The  old  mill  and 
remaining  buildings  were  fitted  up,  and  after  a 
short  interruption  the  work  of  the  Home  was 
carried  on  as  before.  Steps  were  at  once  taken  to 
rebuild  the  Home,  and  under  the  management  of 
Mr.  Isaac  McHose,  of  Reading,  as  chairman  of 
the  building  committee,  the  present  superior  three- 
story  brick  structure  was  erected  and  ready  for  use 
in  December,  1882.  The  building  is  finely  finished, 
heated  throughout  by  steam  and  lighted  by  gaso- 
line. Water  is  supplied  on  each  floor  from  a 
reservoir  on  the  mountain  side  and  from  a  tank  on 
the  top  of  the  building.  The  upper  floor  has  the 
dormitories  of  the  Home.  The  second  floor  con- 
tains the  chapel,  with  a  seating  capacity  for  three 
hundred  persons,  music  and  recitation-rooms, 
parlors  and  offices  for  the  matron  and  the  superin- 
tendent. The  lower  floor  is  devoted  to  the  house- 
hold affairs  of  the  Home.  The  entire  cost  was 
nearly  thirty  thousand  dollars. 


1112 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


The  Home  is  controlled  by  a  board  of  managers, 
under  the  direction  of  the  Reformed  Churches 
contributing  to  its  support,  and  is  composed  of 
twelve  members  and  the  superintendent  ex  officio. 
It  passes  upon  the  applications  for  admission  to 
the  Home,  basing  its  action  upon  the  recommenda- 
tions of  the  congregations  forwarding  such  appli- 
cations. Orphan  children  more  than  six  years  old 
may  enter  the  Home  and  be  entitled  to  all  its 
benefits,  remaining  on  the  terms  of  their  indenture 
or  until  an  equally  good  home  is  provided  else- 
where. The  inmates  are  instructed  in  the  common 
English  branches,  German  reading  and  writing, 
the  common  sciences  and  algebra,  ten   months  of  < 


whose  vigilant  care  has  done  much  to  promote  the 
welfare  of  the  Home.  He  resigned  in  January, 
1886,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Thomas  M. 
Yundt,  who  is  the  present  superintendent. 

VILLAGES. 

Womelsdoef  Station  is  fifteen  miles  from 
Reading,  on  the  Lebanon  Valley  Railroad,  and 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  south  of  the  borough  of 
Womelsdorf.  Near  by  is  the  Bethany  Orphans' 
Home.  Around  the  depot  a  dozen  buildings  have 
been  erected.  The  hamlet  dates  its  beginning  from 
1858,  when  the  station  was  established  on  lands 
given  for  this  purpose  by  John  Sheetz.     The  large 


BETHANY  ORPHANS'  HOME. 


school  being  afforded  each  year.  Religious  in- 
struction is  imparted  by  daily  worship,  preaching 
in  the  chapel  every  Sunday  and  in  the  Sabbath- 
school,  upon  all  of  which  attendance  is  required. 

In  connection  with  the  school  work  each  pupil 
is  required  to  labor  several  hours  per  day,  the  in- 
mates being  divided  into  four  sections  for  this 
purpose.  By  this  means  the  physical  condition  of 
the  pupil  is  promoted,  and  it  has  been  found  so 
beneficial  that  not  a  single  case  of  sickness,  re- 
quiring the  care  of  a  physician,  was  reported  in 
1885.  The  highest  number  of  inmates  the  Home 
has  had  was  one  hundred  and  five.  In  the  fall  of 
1885  there  were  but  sixty-nine.  These  were  in 
charge  of  the  superintendent,  a  matron  and  two 
lady  teachers.  The  superintendent  since  Novem- 
ber 12,  1868,  has  been  the  Rev.  D.  B.  Albriu-ht, 


hotel  building  was  put  up  in  1867  by  Isaac 
Kintzer.  Some  years  later  Lewis,  Jacob  and 
William  Livingood  put  up  a  fine,  large  factory 
building  and  supplied  it  with  machinery  for  the 
manufacture  of  bolts  and  nuts.  After  a  short  op- 
eration the  works  were  closed  and  the  machinery 
removed.  Afterward  the  building  was  used  for 
some  years  as  a  creamery,  but  latterly  it  has  not 
been  occupied  for  manufacturing  purposes. 

Robesonia  was  laid  out  on  lands  of  the  Robe- 
sonia  Furnace  Company  in  1855,  by  Robeson  & 
Brooke,  and  it  was  named  after  Henry  P.  Robe- 
son. The  plan  contained  one  hundred  and  fifteen 
lots.  Before  1857  there  was  only  one  house  on  the 
present  village  site.  It  is  still  standing  on  the 
turnpike,  and  forms  part  of  the  public-house  of 
Frank  Filbert!     At  that  time  it  was  the  property 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1113 


of  Leonard  Kohl,  and  Samuel  Deoliert  occupied  it 
as  a  store.  Afterward  John  L.  Fisher,  Jacob 
Wenrich,  Samuel  Wenrich,  I  aac  Sohl,  Jacob  Noll 
and  Win.  Filbert  became  residents  of  the  village. 
In  1885  there  were  about  fifty  residences,  three 
stores,  three  taverns,  a  good  school-house,  a  chapel 
for  common  worship,  and,  in  addition,  the  interests 
connected  with  the  furnace.  Gideon  B.  Noll  is 
the  oldest  merchant  in  the  place.  Hiester  Filbert 
has  been   in   trade   for  fifteen  vears.     Before  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 

Reily  L.  Fisher  is  the  great-grandson  of 
Peter  A.  A.  Fisher,  who  resided  in  Spring  town- 
ship, this  county.  John  Fisher,  son  of  Peter,  was 
born  in  Lower  Heidelberg  township,  of  the  same 
county,  where  he  established  a  paper-mill,  since 
converted  into  a  woolen-mill,  and  conducted  the 
business  of  paper  manufacturing. 

He  married  Rosi'.ia  Hain,  daughter  of  John  and 
Margaret   Hain,  born   in  1796.      Their  children 


village  was  founded,  stores  were  kept  in  connection 
with  the  furnace  by  Leonard  Kohl  and  others. 

Dr.  James  C.  Cress  was  the  first  to  locate  here 
as  a  physician  ;  and  other  practitioners  have  been 
Doctors  C.  Strohm,  Jacob  Ammon,  Adam  Dun- 
dore,  John  A.  Conrad  (since  1873)  and  Harry  H. 
Bollman. 

The  manufacture  of  cigar-boxes   by  machinery 

was  begun   here  in  1880,  by  Wm.  Fidler,  and   is 

still  continued  by  him. 
94 


were  Elenora,  born  in  1797  ;  Samuel,  October  28, 
1799  ;  Peter,  in  1801 ;  Anna  C,  in  1804  ;  Eliza- 
beth, in  1805,  deceased  in  youth  ;  John,  in  1808  ; 
who  also  died  in  early  life;  Anna,  in  1810; 
Elijah,  in  1812;  Daniel,  in  1815  ;  Sarah,  in  1818, 
and  Jeremiah,  in  1821. 

Samuel  Fisher  spent  his  life  as  a  farmer,  in 
the  township  of  his  birth.  On  the  28th  of  De- 
cember, 1821,  he  was  married  to  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  Peter  Laucks,  of  the  same  township. 


1114 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Their  children  were  Rtily  L.,  born  Nov.  12, 1822  ; 
Mary,  March  27,  1824;  Adam,  March  27,  1825  ; 
David,  April  7,  1829  ;  Elizabeth,  May  14,  1834. 

Reily  L.  Fisher  was  born  in  Heidelberg  town- 
ship, where  he  has  since  lived.  His  educational  ad- 
vantages were  such  as  the  paid  schools  of  the  neigh- 
borhood afforded,  after  which,  for  a  limited  time, 
he  assisted  in  the  labor  of  the  farm,  and  later  was 
engaged  as  clerk  at  Sinking  Spring  and  Werners- 
ville. 

On  the  28d  of  January,  1851,  he  was  married 
to  Matilda  B.,  daughter  of  Conrad  and  Magda- 
lene Reber,  of  Bern  township.  The  children  of 
this  union  are  Mary  Magdalene,  (Mrs.  Albert  A. 
Wenrich,  of  Heidelberg  township)  born  March 
13,  1852;  Samuel,  January  10,  1854,  married  to 
Ellen,  daughter  of  Michael  Ruth ;  Anna  Eliza- 
beth, September  21,  1856,  deceased;  Sarah  Re- 
becca, (Mrs.  David  H  Hain),  March  8,  1859; 
Amelia  Catherine,  June  9,  1861 ;  Rosa  Ellen, 
January  2,  1865  ;  and  Matilda  Lucetta,  March  21, 
1872.  Mr.  Fisher  remained  on  the  farm  one  year 
after  his  marriage,  and  then  embarked  in  mercantile 
business  at  Sinking  Spring.  He  eventually  returned 
to  the  farm,  and  on  his  abandonment  of  active 
labor  placed  his  son  Samuel  in  charge  of  the 
property,  which  he  now  cultivates.  In  1874,  on 
his  retirement,  he  removed  to  his  present  home,  in 
Heidelberg  township,  and  is  occupied  in  the  im- 
provement of  a  small  tract  of  land  adjacent  to 
residence.  Mr.  Fisher  is  a  strong  Democrat  in  his 
politics.  His  ability  and  integrity  have  caused 
him  often  to  be  solicited  for  the  offices  of  guardian, 
trustee  and  administrator,  which  duties  have  ever 
been  fulfilled  with  scrupulous  care.  He  is  a  sup- 
porter of  the  Reformed  Church,  of  which  his  wife 
and  children  are  members. 

Nathaniel  Ferguson  was  born  in  Lancaster 
County,  Pa.,  November  20,  1817,  and  is  the  son  of 
John  aud  Elizabeth  Ferguson,  who  emigrated  to 
the  United  States  about  the  year  1800,  from  near 
Dublin,  and  located  in  the  above  county,  where 
they  lived  and  reared  a  family  of  twelve  children. 
The  youngest  son,  Nathaniel,  left  home  when 
eighteen  years  of  age,  with  fifty  cents  given  by  his 
mother  and  her  blessing  and  wishes  for  success. 
Having  graduated  at  the  Moscow  Academy  in 
Lancaster,  where  he  had  shown  himself  a 
diligent    pupil,    in    1839   he     became   clerk    at 


the  Elizabeth  Furnace,  in  Lancaster  County, 
then  owned  by  the  heirs  of  James  Coleman, 
one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Cornwall  mines, 
two  and  a  half  years  later  rising  to  the 
management  of  the  business,  which  position  he 
held  for  seven  years.  He  then  removed  to  Swa- 
tara  Furnace,  Schuylkill  County,  and  became  one 
of  the  firm  of  Eckert,  Gilbert  &  Co.,  assuming 
meanwhile  the  active  management.  The  co-part- 
nership lasted  until  1855,  when  they  ceased  oper- 
ations, as  the  use  of  anthracite  coal  had  superseded 
charcoal.  In  1857  he  removed  to  Robesonia 
Furnace  and  assumed  the  management.  In  1860, 
at  the  death  of  Henry  P.  Robeson,  he  purchased 
an  interest  and  became  a  partner  in  the  firm  of 
White,  Ferguson  &  Co.  In  1863  the  firm  became 
White  &  Ferguson,  and  remained  so  until  1875, 
the  interest  of  Mr.  White,  who  died  in  1868,  hav- 
ing been  continued  for  the  benefit  of  his  heirs. 
The  surviving  partner  then  purchased  the  interest 
of  one  of  the  heirs  and  the  firm  became  Ferguson, 
White  &  Co.  One  furnace  being  abandoned  in 
1874,  after  the  enlargement  of  No.  2  stack,  it  was 
deemed  advisable  to  manufacture  but  one  brand  of 
pig- iron  —  "  Robesonia,"  —  made  exclusively  of 
Cornwall  ore,  working  under  an  ore-right  used  at 
Robesonia  (formerly  the  Reading)  Furnace  since 
1793,  which  right  had  been  purchased  from  Peter 
Grubb,  the  original  owner  of  the  Cornwall  ore- 
banks,  and  transferred  from  the  Berkshire  Furnace 
(originally  named  Roxborough),  near  Werners- 
ville,  in  Berks  County,  subsequently  abandoned. 
In  1 885  Mr.  Ferguson  sold  his  interest  in  Robeso- 
nia, and,  retiring  from  active  business,  removed  to 
Reading,  where  he  now  resides.  He  was  married, 
in  1856,  to  Miss  Amanda  Davenport,  grand- 
daughter of  Judge  William  Adams,  a  member  of 
Congress  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century. 
As  a  man  of  self-reliance,  sound  education,  untir- 
ing energy  and  great  executive  ability,  the  re- 
sult, a  successful  manufacturer  aud  clear-sighted 
business  man,  seemed  as  much  a  natural  conse- 
quence as  that  Mr.  Ferguson  should  win  the  re- 
spect and  regard  of  all  who  knew  him  for  his 
unswerving  integrity,  benevolence  and  liberality 
toward  all.  Patriotic  and  public-spirited,  generous 
and  kind,  after  a  life  of  great  activity  he  is  resting 
from  his  labors,  surrounded  by  his  family  of 
seven  children,  at  his  home  in  Reading. 


^n»ibyAH.Tv.'^K'r- 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


1115 


HEIDELBERG  LOWER. 

The  township  of  Heidelberg  Lower  was  laid 
off  from  Heidelberg  in  1842,1  with  an  area  of 
about  eighteen  thousand  acres.  The  population 
was  about  nineteen  hundred.  In  1850  the 
population  was  twenty-one  hundred  and 
forty -four,  and  in  1852  the  total  vote  polled  at 
the  Presidential  election  was  three  hundred  and 
ninety  five. 

Ten  years  after  the  erection  of  the  township 
the  inhabitants  felt  the  inconvenience  of  its  ex- 
tended territory,  especially  in  respect  to  holding 
elections.  They  presented  a  petition2  to  court, 
on  April  10,  1852,  asking  for  its  division  by  a 
line  extending  from  a  point  in  the  Cacoosing 
Creek,  where  the  turnpike  crosses  the  township 
line;  thence  in  a  straight  line,  northwestwardly, 
to  a  point  in  the  Tulpehocken  Creek  at  Peter 
Hain's  mill-dam ;  and  the  erection  of  the 
northern  section  into  a  new  township — and  the 
court  appointed  Michael  K.  Boyer,  Henry 
Nagle  and  Richard  Boone  as  viewers.  These 
viewers  examined  the  territory,  and  decided 
that  there  was  a  great  propriety  in  making  the 
division,  reporting  the  line  suggested — 
"  N.  58f  W.,  920  perches,"  and  suggesting  "  Ca- 
coosing  township"  as  a  proper  name  for  the 
northern  section  laid  off.  This  subdivision  cut 
off  about  seven  thousand  five  hundred  acres3  in 
the  proposed  township.  Their  report  was  pre- 
sented on  August  12,  1852,  and  held  under  ad- 
visement. Technical  exceptions  were  filed,  and 
a  remonstrance  signed  by  one  hundred  and 
fifty-nine  inhabitants,4 — representing  the  divi- 
sion to  be  against  the  best  interests  of  the  town- 
ship,— was  also  filed.  In  February,  1853,  the 
court  decided  not  to  confirm  the  report,  and  so 
the  proposed  township  of  "  Cacoosing  "  was  not 
granted. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  settlers  of  the 
township  was  George  Hean  (Hain),  who,  with 

1  See  Heidelberg  township. 

2  Subscribed  by  eighty -three  signatures,  fifty-five  of 
which  are  English. 

3  In  all  the  returns  of  surveys  for  new  townships,  the 
area  wns  not  calculated  or  mentioned.  This  is  a  singular 
oversight,  as  though  the  area  were  not  an  important  fact  in 
the  matter. 

4  Seventy-two  English  signatures. 


the  Kricks,  Ruths  and  Fishers,  came  some  time 
about  1730.  He  was  a  man  of  remarkable 
energy  and  became  a  large  land-owner,  having 
purchased  in  1735  nine  hundred  and  twenty 
acres;  in  1741,  one  hundred  and  ninety  acres; 
in  1742,  two  hundred  and  ninety-two  acres; 
and  in  1743,  three  hundred  and  twenty-seven 
acres.  For  the  Allen  tract  (included  in  the 
first  quantity)  he  agreed  to  pay  one  hundred 
and  sixty-five  pounds  and  a  yearly  rent  of  one 
and  one-half  bushels  of  wheat  per  hundred 
acres,  to  be  paid  forever  after  the  1st  of  No- 
vember, 1736,  and  to  be  delivered  at  the  city  of 
Philadelphia.  The  Hain  homestead  was  west 
of  the  village  of  Wernersville,  on  what  is  now 
known  as  the  Hill  farm.  The  original  build- 
ings have  been  removed.  He  died  in  1746, 
and  on  the  24th  of  June,  1747,  his  sons, 
Peter,  Adam,  George,  Frederick,  Henry,  Cas- 
per and  John  Christian,  met  and  agreed  to  pay 
their  mother,  Veronica,  each  two  pounds  per 
year,  on  every  24th  day  of  June,  during  her 
natural  life. 

Among  the  later  improvements  made  by  the 
Hains  was  a  house  of  limestone,  built  by  a 
German  mason,  said  to  have  been  a  "  Redemp- 
tioner,"  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Henry 
Werner.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest  buildings  in 
the  township.  The  houses  on  the  farm  of 
Thomas  Reber,  near  Wernersville,  and  the  one 
on  the  Eberle  place  are  also  very  old.  De- 
scendants of  the  Hain,  Dundore,  Fisher,  Krick, 
Ruth  and  Reber  families  still  live  in  the  town- 
ship, on  some  of  the  original  purchases. 

Industries. — The  people  of  Lower  Heidel- 
berg are  distinctively  agriculturists,  there 
being  but  few  water-powers  which  admitted 
improvement  for  manufacturing  purposes.  Be- 
fore the  woods  were  cleared  off,  the  brooks,  flow- 
ing from  South  Mountain,  had  greater  volume 
than  at  present  and  upon  them  small  mills 
were  built.  One  of  the  first  was  the  old  Hain 
mill,  put  in  operation  soon  after  1755.  Its  ca- 
pacity was  small.  The  mill  which  afterward 
occupied  the  site  was  also  a  simple  affair.  It 
was  replaced  by  the  present  mill,  which  is 
owned  by  George  W.  Wertz.  Above  this  im- 
provement is  the  gun-barrel  factory  of  Lerch, 
Hassler  &  Co.,  worked  on  a  small  scale.     This 


1116 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


business  was  begun  here  about  fifty  years  ago 
by  Jacob  Siegfried,  who  turned  out  good  work. 
Ou  Spring  Creek  proper,  John   Fisher  had  a 
paper-mill  before  1800,  which,  after  being  oper- 
ated some  time,  was  converted  into  a  joiner's 
shop.     Another  change  was  also  made  by  John 
Keim,  in  the  manufacture  of  gun-barrels  for  a 
few  years.     Then  Peter  Hain  established  the 
foundry  business,  which  was  successfully  carried 
on  by  him  several  years.  Common  castings  were 
made.     Some  of  the  buildings  remaining  and 
other  improvements  by  Peter  Hain  were  next  de- 
voted to  a  woolen  factory,  which  is  the  industry 
now  carried    on   under  the   proprietorship   of 
Ulysses  Hain  and  Wm.  Klopp.     The  motive- 
power  is  water  and  steam  and  the  products  are 
common  woolen  goods,  carpets  and  yarns.    The 
next  power  below  operates  the  Hain  grist-mill, 
the  mill-house  in  use  being  the  second  at  this 
site.     It  was  long  the  property  of  Peter  Hain. 
At  Brownsville  Philip  Von  Neida  employed  the 
power  (formerly  used  for  a  saw- mill)  to  operate 
a  grist-mill,  which  he  built  in  1855  and  which 
is  still  carried  on  by  John  B.  Flickinger.     At 
Wernersville  a  later  industry    is   a   creamery, 
established  in    1882  by  Eirich  &  Klopp,  and 
of  which  Lewis  M.  Klopp  has  been  the  sole 
owner  the  past  year.     It  is  devoted  to  the  man- 
ufacture of  butter  and  cheese  and  is  well  patron- 
ized.    Here  also  the  quarrying  and  shipment  of 
limestones    was    once    au   important    business, 
among  the  firms  engaged  in  it  being  Samuel, 
Charles   and  John  Fiant,  John  Widmayer  & 
Co.,  Eirich  &  Hassler,  Zinn  &  Biuckley  and 
Deppen  &  Wenrich.     The  latter  operated  on  a 
large  scale.     "When  the  three  quarries  at  this 
place  were  fully  worked,  employment  was  given 
to  a  large  number  of  men.     Latterly  but  little 
quarrying  has  been  done,  on  account  of  inflow- 
ing water. 

The  only  industry  which  had  any  historic 
interest  attaching  to  it  was  the  old  Berkshire 
Furnace.  It  was  located  on  the  small  stream 
near  Dr.  Walter's  Mountain  Home.  It  was  a 
small  charcoal  furnace,  erected  by  William  Bird 
previous  to  1760,  and  was  at  first  operated  by 
him.  The  ore  was  mined  at  the  base  of  Cushion 
Hill,  in  what  is  now  Spring  township.  After  | 
the  death  of  William  Bird,  a  few  years  after  | 


the  building  of  the  furnace,  his  widow  became 
the  owner,  and,  in  1764,  George  Ege  leased  the 
property  from  her  and  operated  the  furnace 
about  thirty  years.  About  1790  Ege  became 
the  owner  of  the  property  and  soon  afterward 
discontinued  running  it  on  account  of  the 
scarcity  of  water.  Meantime,  he  had  built  the 
"  Eeading  Furnace,"  on  Mill  Creek,  to  the 
west.  Frequently  cannon-balls  were  found  on 
the  site  of  the  furnace  and  also  other  articles  of 


iron. 


St.  John's  Church,  (Reformed)  commonlv 
known  as  "  Hain's  Church,"  is  the  only  house 
of  worship  in  the  township.  It  is  located  in 
an  elevated  position,  about  a  mile  north  from 
Wernersville.  The  church  lot  contains  about 
seven  acres  of  land,  of  which  five  were  donated 
before  1735  by  George  Hain,  after  whom  the 
church  was  named.  The  building  was  con- 
structed of  logs  in  1735,  small  in  size  but  strongly 
built.  A  school  was  carried  on  in  this  building 
at  that  time.  The  male  members  (it  is  re- 
ported by  tradition)  always  carried  their  rifles 
with  them  when  the  presence  of  the  enemy  was 
reported.  Some  were  posted  as  sentinels  on 
the  outside  to  watch  the  movements  of  the  In- 
dians, whilst  the  others  worshipped  inside. 
After  peace  was  assured,  there  came  an  era 
of  prosperity  which  enabled  the  congrega- 
tion to  build  a  better  church.  It  was  erected  in 
1766,  and  was  a  substantial  stone  edifice,  forty  by 
fifty  feet,  with  walls  three  feet  thick.  A  large 
sandstone  was  placed  in  the  wall,  with  the  fol- 
lowing inscription: 

Heidelberg  Township— Hoch  Deutsche  Reformierte 
Kirohe. 

Alle  die  ein  und  aus  gehen  sollen  Gott  und  dem 
Koenig  getrei  bleiben. 

After  the  war  for  independence  was  over,  and 
their  allegiance  to  the  crown  could  no  longer  be 
enforced,  one  of  the  builders  (Ruth,  it  is  said) 
exclaimed  "  Der  verdamdt  Koenig  musz  ram  !  " 
A  chisel  was  procured  and  the  word  King  was 
cut  from  the  stone.  In  this  condition  it  is  still 
preserved  in  the  building.  In  1794  a  pipe- 
organ  was  supplied.  The  next  improvement 
was  made  in  1844;  the  brick  floor  was  removed 
and  the  galleries  were  rebuilt,  being  made  more 
sloping  than  previously.     In  1851  a  steeple  was 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


1117 


built  and  supplied  with  a  bell  weighing  ten  hun- 
dred and  forty  pounds,  and  dedicated  on  the  1 9th 
of  October,  of  the  same  year.  On  June  6,  1866, 
the  centennial  of  the  church  wascelebrated  in  the 
presence  of  many  people.  Twelve  years  later 
it  was  decided  to  enlarge  the  church  and  to 
modernize  it  to  meet  the  demands  of  those  ac- 
customed to  worship  there.  Mull,  of  Eeading, 
was  the  architect.  On  April  9,  1878,  ground 
was  broken  for  the  new  part  of  the  building. 

The  addition  to  the  building  gave  it  the  shape 
of  the  letter  T,  and  the  entire  dimensions  of  the 
church  increased  to  fifty  by  eighty-two  feet. 
The  basement  is  thirty  by  forty-eight  feet,  and 
the  tower  is  one  hundred  and  thirty-two.  feet  high. 
The  new  part  is  of  brick  and  the  remaining  walls 
of  the  old  church  have  been  made  to  resemble 
brick-work.  The  interior  has  been  handsomely 
finished  in  oil  and  water-colors,  the  entire  im- 
provements costing  eleven  thousand  dollars. 
The  old  bell  having  broken  in  1884,  a  new  one 
was  supplied  in  1885,  whose  volume  and  fullness 
of  tone  causes  it  to  be  heard  many  miles.  The 
capacity  of  the  building  is  a  little  more  than  eight 
hundred.  It  is  sometimes  too  small  to  accom- 
modate all  the  members  of  the  congregation.  The 
cemetery  and  the  church  surroundings  show  care- 
ful attention  on  the  part  of  those  entrusted  with 
their  oversight,  and  the  place  is,  with  all  its 
appointments,  creditable  to  the  community. 

One  of  the  most  important  events  in  the  early 
history  of  the  church  was  the  meeting  of  the 
Coetus,  on  the  29th  of  August,  1743,  which 
was  attended  by  fifty  elders.  At  that  time  the 
Rev.  Jacob  Lisby  was  the  pastor,  and  he  was 
the  first  minister  who  had  a  regular  pastoral 
connection.  The  preachers  before  that  time  had 
been  the  Revs.  Boehm,  Weisse  and  Schlatter. 
The  pastors  following  the  Rev.  Lisby  were 
Revs.  Win.  Boas,  Philip  Moyer,  ¥m.  Pauli, 
Wm.  Hendel,  D.D.,  Frederick  Herman,  J.  S. 
Dubbs,  Anthony  Hautz  and  Thomas  H.  Lein- 
bach.  In  1834  the  Rev.  Augustus  C.  Pauli 
began  a  pastorate  which  was  the  most  import- 
ant in  the  history  of  the  church,  and  whose 
ministrations  harmonized  the  congregation  and 
caused  it  to  increase  in  membership.  He  con- 
tinued until  his  death,  in  1871.  His  successor 
was  the  Rev.  W.  F.  P.  Davis,  who  began  on 


the  17th  of  March,  1872,  and  continued  until 
September  8,  1883,  when  Rev.  W.  J.  Kershner 
became  the  pastor. 

Hain  Cemetery  is  in  the  immediate  neigh- 
borhood of  the  church.  It  is  controlled  by  a 
company  which  was  organized  in  1876,  with 
the  following  members :  Isaac  Hain,  Moses 
Gockley,  John  A.  Weitzel,  John  W.  Ernst, 
John  H.  Miller  and  William  Yoder.  The 
company  purchased  seven  acres  of  land,  and 
laid  out  two  acres  of  the  same  in  lots  sixteen 
by  eighteen  feet. 

VILLAGES. 

Wernersville  is  on  the  Berks  and  Dau- 
phin turnpike  and  the  Lebanon  Valley  Rail- 
road, eight  miles  from  Reading.  It  was 
laid  out  in  December,  1855,  on  the  lands  of, 
William  Werner,  after  whom  it  was  named. 
The  plat  was  made  by  Aaron  Albright,  sur- 
veyor, and  shows  one  hundred  and  thirty-one 
lots,  located  south  of  the  turnpike  and  extend- 
ing to  the  railroad.  The  adjoining  lands 
were  owned  on  the  north  by  John  A.  Hain  and 
William  Werner  (the  latter  was  a  farmer  and 
lived  in  this  locality  until  his  death),  on  the 
east  by  Thomas  Reber  and  Israel  Grim,  and  on 
the  west  was  the  Lerch  tavern.  The  buildings 
on  the  plat  were  the  houses  of  Reuben  Keim 
and  a  tenement  house,  occupied  by  Daniel 
Stoudt,  the  father  of  nineteen  children.  He 
was  by  trade  a  mason.  Near  him  lived  John 
Maurer,  a  shoemaker,  who  is  the  oldest  citizen 
in  the  place,  having  settled  here  in  1852.  East 
of  him  was  a  large  stone  building,  put  up  by 
William  Werner  in  1849,  and  occupied  by 
Philip  Ludwig  as  a  store.  The  Wernersville 
post-office  was  established  in  1853,  and  first 
opened  there.  Farther  down  the  pike  was  the 
fine  stone  mansion  of  William  and  Rebecca 
Werner,  erected  in  1844  ;  farther  east,  at  what 
is  now  the  lower  end  of  the  village,  was  the 
inn  kept  by  ex-Sheriff  Binckley,  still  owned 
by  the  family.  The  Lerch  tavern  was  in  a 
large  rough-stone  building,  put  up  before  1800, 
and  kept  in  1855  by  Daniel  Lerch.  Its  use  as 
a  public-house  was  long  ago  discontinued.  It 
is  still  in  excellent  condition  as  a  residence 
belonging  to  the  Lerch  family.  Other  early 
settlers   of    Wernersville    were   Jonas   Knorr, 


1118 


HISTOEY  OF  BEE.KS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


carpenter ;  Daniel  Seitzinger,  blacksmith ; 
Michael  Newman,  blacksmith  ;  Charles  Spohn, 
tailor;  Michael  Shrum,  wheelwright;  Fred. 
Werner,  tinsmith  ;  Samuel  Charles,  saddler ; 
Harry  Wolfekill,  plasterer ;  Reuben  Landis, 
cigar-maker.  The  latter  trade  was  carried  on 
in  1885  by-Franklin  B.  Sohl  in  a  factory  with 
thirty  hands.  Allison  H.  Eirich  was  the  first 
coach-maker  and  he  was  succeeded  by  John 
Roether.  At  the  Lerch  tavern  the  first  stores 
were  kept. 

In  1872  J.  W.  Deppen  put  up  a  large  build- 
ing in  the  western  part  of  the  village,  in  which 
he  has  kept  a  public-house,  and  where  the  firm 
of  Deppen  &  Wenrich  has  also  merchandized. 
In  this  place  is  kept  the  Wernersville  post- 
office,  Dr.  J.  W.  Deppen,  postmaster,  since  Oc- 
tober, 1885.  There  are  four  mails  per  day. 
Prior  to  its  establishment  here  the  office  was 
kept  at  the  Wernersville  tavern,  opposite  the 
depot,  by  Charles  Spohn.  The  building  was 
put  up  in  1847;  but  was  not  at  first  used  as  a 
tavern.  A  fine  grain  warehouse,  built  by  J. 
W.  Deppen,  is  occupied  by  E.  M.  Witman, 
who  is  also  a  large  lumber  dealer. 

One  of  the  first  located  physicians  was  Dr. 
Edward  Livingood,  who  removed  to  the  West. 
A  Dr.  Kalbach,  after  being  in  practice  a  short 
time,  removed,  and  Dr.  Jacob  Addams  succeed- 
ed him.  During  the  war  he  became  a  surgeon 
in  the  army.  Dr.  R.  D.  Weinrich  became  a 
practitioner  at  this  place  in  1864,  and  continued 
until  1879,  when  he  took  charge  of  the  "Moun- 
tain Home."  Dr.  J.  W.  Deppen  became  a  citi- 
zen of  this  place  in  1872  and  has  followed  his 
profession  since  that  time.  Dr.  David  H. 
Haines,  after  being  in  practice  a  few  years,  re- 
moved to  Mount  Pleasant.  Since  1883  Dr.  J. 
M.  Myers  has  been  in  successful  practice.  The 
present  veterinary  surgeon  is  Dr.  William  H. 
Seitzinger,.  who  succeeded  Dr.  Reuben  H.  Spon- 
agle. 

Lower  Heidelberg  Live-Stock  and  Theft  Insur- 
ance Company  was  incorporated  November  3 
1873.  In  January,  1886,  the  company  reported 
a  membership  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-six  and 
the  following  officers :  John  Roether,  president ; 
Frederick  Frees,  vice-president ;  John  A.  Weit- 
zel,  treasurer  and  collector ;    M.  E.  Smeltzer 


secretary.  The  operations  of  the  company  are 
confined  within  a  radius  of  twenty  miles  and 
have  been  successfully  conducted  since  its  or- 
ganization. The  rates  of  insurance  have  aver- 
aged about  two  dollars  per  hundred.  The  total 
disbursements  per  year  are  about  twelve  hundred 
dollars,  which  amount  is  nearly  all  collected  on 
the  mutual  plan,  there  being  only  a  small  re- 
serve fund.    The  home  office  is  at  Wernersville. 

Brownsville  is  a  small  hamlet  in  the  north- 
western part  of  the  township,  containing  about 
twenty  buildings,  an  inn  kept  by  Moses  Bal- 
thaser  and  a  store  by  M.  W.  Kieth.  The  latter 
is  also  the  postmaster  of  the  Lower  Heidelberg 
office,  established  there  in  1864.  The  place 
takes  its  name  from  the  Brown  family,  who  were 
early  merchants  at  that  point.  Sebastian  Blind- 
lein  carries  on  the  business  of  coach-maker. 
East  from  this  place  is  an  old-time  inn,  popu- 
larly called  the  "  Dry  Tavern,"  not  because 
those  patronizing  it  could  not  obtain  stimulating 
drinks,  but  because  there  is  no  running  water 
in  the  locality.  It  was  opened  some  time  about 
1800.'  Its  use  as  an  inn  has  long  since  been 
discontinued.  Eastward,  on  the  same  State 
road,  Isaac  Addams  opened  another  public- 
house  at  a  later  day,  which  was  quite  popular 
before  the  era  of  railroads.  Isaac  Addams,  Jr., 
was  also  a  landlord,  and  the  place  was  last  kept 
by  the  Haag  family.  The  place  was  closed  to 
the  public  about  fifteen  years  ago,  and  the 
house  is  now  a  farm  residence. 

Blue  Marsh  is  the  name  of  a  small  village 
in  the  northern  section  of  the  township,  close  to 
the  Tulpehocken  Creek.  It  has  been  known 
by  this  name  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  years. 
The  Rebers  were  some  of  the  earliest  settlers  in 
that  vicinity.  The  place  contains  a  number  of 
dwellings,  which  extend  along  the  "  Bernville 
Road  "  for  half  a  mile. 

Lorah.— At  the  top  of  the  hill,  south  of 
Blue  Marsh, commonly  known  as  "State  Hill," 
a  post-office  was  established  recently.  It  con- 
tains a  fine  two-story  tavern,  coach-making  es- 
tablishment, blacksmith-shop  and  several  build- 
ings. 

Health  Resorts  have  given  this  locality 
great  prominence.  The  mountains  have  pecu- 
liar configurations  which  afford  gentle  exposures 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1119 


and  sheltered  sides,  beaming  with  the  warmth 
of  the  glowing  sun,  or  fanned  by  cooling 
breezes.  This  locality  is  almost  wholly  free 
from  fogs,  which  sometimes  hang  over  moun- 
tain-sides, and  having  a  sandy  and  gravelly 
soil,  which  assures  quick  drainage  in  case  of 
rains,  there  is  no  dampness  and  seldom  any 
dew  in  summer.  The  temperature  is  equable, 
and  Bayard  Taylor  pronounced  it  the  finest  cli- 
mate in  the  world. 

Dr.  Charles  Frederick  Leisenring  was  the 
first  person  to  utilize  these  advantages  for  sani- 
tary purposes.  In  1849  he  put  up  a  small 
frame  building  near  the  site  of  the  present  large 
"  Grand  View  House."  The  place  was  not  so 
accessible  as  at  present,  and  institutions  of  that 
kind  had  not  yet  been  popularized.  He  con- 
tinued successfully  for  nearly  ten  years,  till  his 
death.  In  this  time  he  established  a  promising 
business  and  prepared  the  way  for  institutions 
of  this  kind.  Dr.  Aaron  Smith  then  purchased 
the  property,  and  shortly  afterward  (1860)  im- 
proved the  place  by  erecting  a  fine,  large  stone 
building.  He  conducted  the  enterprise  with 
increasing  success.  In  1867  he  erected  a  large 
stone  addition  to  the  building,  and  in  1874  a 
fine  frame  cottage  opposite  the  main  building. 
During  this  time  Dr.  R.  T.  Trail,  of  New  York 
City,  leased  the  institute  and  carried  it  on  a 
year(1864-65).  In  1874  Dr.  J.  S.  Preston 
became  the  lessee,  and  shortly  afterward  Dr. 
Robert  Walter.  The  latter  was  very  successful 
for  over  three  years.  He  then  founded  an  in- 
stitution of  his,  own,  a  mile  to  the,  west,  on  a 
much  more  comprehensive  scale,  when  the 
"  Home  "  was  again  conducted  by  Dr.  Smith  for 
five  years.  In  1879  Drs.  R.  D.  Wen  rick  and 
J.  W.  Deppen  became  the  proprietors.  They 
improved  the  property,  changed  the  Home  to  an 
eclectic  institution  and  have  since  been  very 
successful.  The  main  building  and  annex  are 
heated  by  steam. 

There  are  miles  of  walks  and  drives  leading 
to  many  local  points  of  interest.  Included  with 
the -property  are  groves  of  native  timber,  some 
of  them  several  acres  in  extent,  and  which  are 
named  after  the  woods  growing  there.  "  Cush- 
ion Peak  "  is  also  a  part  of  this  property.  Tour- 
ists have  declared  the  view  from  the  buildings 


and  also  from  this  peak  to  be  unsurpassed  by 
any  in  America  or  Europe.  It  extends  to  the 
"Delaware  Water  Gap,"  seventy-five  miles  to  the 
northeast,  and  to  the  Swatara  Gap,  thirty  miles 
to  the  northwest,  overlooking  the  Schuylkill  and 
Lebanon  Valleys,  with  all  their  numerous  fiue 
farms,  growing  towns  and  busy  thoroughfares. 
Since  the  ownership  and  management  of  the 
place  by  Messrs.  Wenrick  &  Deppen,  it  has 
been  known  as  "  The  Grand  View  House,"  and 
patronized  by  many  people  every  year  from  all 
parts  of  the  country. 

Walter's  Park  Sanitarium. — After  leaving 
the  "Mountain  Home"  Dr.  Robert  Walter 
secured  a  fine  site,  one  mile  to  the  west,  on  the 
northerly  slope  of  the  South  Mountain,  and 
there  erected  a  superior  building  for  the  accom- 
modation of  his  patients  and  guests,  taking  pos- 
session in  May,  1877.  This  building  is  known 
as  "  Chestnut  Lodge."  The  patronage  was  so 
liberal  in  the  summer  and  fall  of  1877  that 
tents  were  erected  to  afford  shelter,  and  he  at 
once  began  the  erection  of  "  Maple  Wood  Hall," 
which  was  finished  by  the  summer  of  1878. 
In  the  spring  of  1879  he  built  the  "Home 
Cottage,"  and  in  August  of  that  year  began 
work  on  "  Science  Hall,"  completing  it  in 
1880.  The  last-named  is  an  imposing  build- 
ing, forty-eight  by  sixty-four  feet,  five  stories 
high,  exclusive  of  the  attic,  and  is  properly  the 
hotel  part  of  the  sanitarium,  containing  the 
offices,  parlors,  dining-rooms,  etc.  The  follow- 
ing year  additional  cottages  were  built,  and,  in 
1882,  a  fine  gymnasium.  These  four  buildings 
are  of  stone,  lined  throughout  to  prevent  damp- 
ness. Including  piazzas,  they  aggregate  three 
hundred  feet  front,  and  are  arranged  in  semi- 
circular form,  so  as  to  obtain  sunlight  and  air 
in  abundance.  They  are  capable  of  accommo- 
dating one  hundred  and  fifty  persons.  The 
main  building  has  an  elevator  for  the  use  of 
feeble  persons. 

The  parlors  are  large  and  airy,  capable  of 
seating  two  hundred  persons.  The  dining- 
room  is  equally  capacious  and  comfortable.  The 
ceilings  are  twelve  feet  in  height.  The  piazzas 
are  double,  extending  around  the  principal 
buildings,  connected  with  three  floors,  and  so 
arranged  that  any  one  may  walk  out  upon  level 


1120 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


ground  from  any  one  of  them — an  unusual  con- 
venience and  safe  fire-escape. 

The  gymnasium  and  bowling-alley  are  seven- 
ty-five by  twenty-two  feet  in  dimensions,  twelve 
feet  to  ceiling,  with  abundant  apparatus,  health- 
lift,  Indian-clubs,  horizontal-bars,  swings,  trav- 
eling-rings, railroad,  Gilford's  apparatus  for  row- 
ing, etc.,  giving  complete  facilities  for  exercise. 

The  buildings  are  heated  by  steam.  Each  of 
the  three  lower  floors  is  supplied  with  pure,  soft 
water,  obtained  from  the  mountain,  at  an  eleva- 
tion above  the  buildings.  The  park  comprises 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  with  over  a  score 
of  buildings.  The  piazzas,  and  the  property 
generally,  afford  magnificent  views  of  the  coun- 
try to  the  north  and  east  for  many  miles. 
The  landscape  gardener  has  embellished 
the  grounds,  bringing  nature  and  art  to- 
gether with  harmonious  effects.  More 
than  two  miles  of  walks  and  drives  have 
been  provided  on  the  grounds,  which  afford 
a  pleasing  variety  for  all  classes  of  persons. 

The  offices  have  telegraphic  and  tele- 
phonic connection.  Dr.  Walter  and  his 
wife  have  been  very  successful  in  building 
up  and  carrying  on  this  sanitarium.  The 
principles  which  they  set  forth,  and  the 
practices  which  they  follow,  have  given 
the  place  its  popularity  and  success. 

Sunny-Side  Sanitarium  is  on  the  south- 
ern side  of  South  Mountain,  which  insures 
it  some  advantages  of  location  not  possessed 
by  the  other  places.  It  is  three  miles  from 
Wernersville  and  about  ten  miles  from  Reading. 
Its  situation  upon  a  small  plateau,  eight  hundred 
feet  above  tide-water,  and  four  hundred  feet 
above  the  adjacent  valley,  gives  it  a  view  both 
extensive  and  beautiful.  A  large  portion  of 
Lancaster  County  is  spread  before  it  like  a  great 
map.  In  the  rear  of  the  building,  on  the  moun- 
tain-top, an  observatory  has  been  erected,  which 
gives  an  additional  elevation,  from  the  summit 
of  which  a  grand  view  is  afforded  to  the  north, 
east,  south  and  west,  overlooking  mountains  and 
valleys.  The  property  embraces  fifty  acres  of 
land,  most  of  it  sloping  gently  towards  the 
south,  and  enjoying  the  protection  and  shelter 
of  the  wooded  heights  beyond.  This  delightful 
location  was  selected  by  Dr.  James  S.  Preston. 


He  began  improvements  in  1879,  and  completed 
the  buildings  in  the  spring  of  1880.  The  main 
building  is  of  gray  mountain  stone,  lined,  and 
contains  three  full  stories  and  a  basement,  ar- 
ranged for  comfort  and  convenience.  It  is  cap- 
able of  accommodating  seventy-five  guests.  Hot 
and  cold  water  are  supplied  on  each  floor.  The 
rooms  are  so  arranged  that  the  sun  shines  into 
every  one.  It  is  a  delightful  place,  and  the 
proprietor  has  been  very  successful.  It  is  a 
popular  institution  since  the  spring  of  1885. 
James  H.  Preston,  a  son  of  the  founder,  has 
been  the  proprietor. 

The  South  Mountain  Sunset  Home   is  a   re- 
sort for  summer  boarders,  and  occupies  a  com- 


RESIDENCES  AND  PAPER-MILLS  OF  CHARLES  L.  VAN  REED. 

[see  industries  in  spring  township.] 

manding  site  near  the  summit  of  the  moun- 
tain. The  building  is  of  gray  mountain 
stone,  four  stories  in  height,  with  an  obser- 
vatory on  the  top,  which  commands  a  fine 
view.  It  was  erected  by  Francis  Grosch  in 
1876,  and  additions  and  improvements  were 
made  by  him  in  1880,  and  in  1885  by  the 
proprietor.  The  entire  building  contains  sixty 
rooms,  capable  of  accommodating  one  hundred 
persons.  The  dining  and  reception-rooms  are 
spacious.  This  resort  is  complete  in  all  its  ap- 
pointments, and  has  been  conducted  very  success- 
fully by  Mr.  Grosch  for  ten  years. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

The  Van  Reed  Family'. — The  progenitor 
of  the  Van  Reed  family  in  Berks  County  was 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1121 


John  Van  Reed,  who  died  April  18,  1820,  in 
his  seventy-third  year.  He  was  married  to  Eva 
Yost.  Among  their  children  was  a  son,  Henry 
Van  Reed,  born  in  1 780  and  settled  in  Lower 
Heidelberg  township,  Berks  County,  on  a  tract 
of  land  now  owned  by  Charles  L.  Van  Reed. 
He  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mary  Reber. 
Their  children  were  Mary  (born  December  13, 
1800),  Elizabeth  (May  1,  1803),  Charles  (Octo- 
ber 12,  1807),  John  (July  1,  1810),  Thomas 
(October   13,  1812),  Levi   (March    10,  1815). 


ber,  M.D.),  Mary,  second,  (August  19,  1839, 
who  died  March  29,  1842).  Henry  Van  Reed 
built  a  paper-mill  in  Lower  Heidelberg  town- 
ship, but  did  not  long  survive  to  witness  its 
successful  operation.  His  son  Charles  succeeded 
to  the  interest  and  for  years  conducted  the  mill, 
practically  establishing  the  business  on  a  firm 
basis.  Having  finally  abandoned  active  busi- 
ness, he  leased  the  mill  to  his  son  Henry,  who 
became  the  head  of  the  paper  manufacturing 
interest.     Charles  Van  Reed  was  an  enterpris- 


CHAKLES   VAN    REED. 


Mary  Van  Reed  married  Samuel  Knape,  Eliza- 
beth became  the  wife  of  Daniel  Baum,  Charles 
married  Rebecca  Zacharias,  John  married  Mary 
B.  Adams,  Levi  married  Amelia  B.  Bowerman 
and  Thomas  married  Eliza  Ruth.  Henry  Van 
Reed  died  July  13,  1826.  Charles  and  Rebecca 
Zacharias  Van  Reed  had  children, — Henry  (born 
September  14,  1827),  Rebecca  (May  24,  1830, 
married  toRufus  Adams),  Mary  (May  26, 1832, 
who  died  February  1,  1835),  Charles  (July  22, 
1834,  who  died  March  16,  1842),  Elizabeth 
(August  17,  1837,  married  to  Charles  T.  Re- 


ing  citizen  and  a  man  of  much  public  spirit. 
He  served  in  the  office  of  county  treasurer  of 
Berks  County.  His  son  Henry  married  Mary, 
a  daughter  of  Christian  Leinbach,  of  Bern 
township.  Their  children  are  Emma  L.  (born 
September  24,  1850,  married  to  Harrison  R. 
Epler),  Charles  L.  (March  31,  1853),  Clara  L. 
(December  4,  1854,  married  to  D.  K.  High,  of 
Cumru  township)  and  Joseph  L.  (October  31, 
1856,  who  died  January  8,  1868). 

The   business  of  paper-making  having  in- 
creased greatly,  Henry  Z.  Van  Reed  purchased 


1122 


HISTOEY  OP  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


a  grist-mill  at  the  mouth  of  the  Cacoosing 
Creek,  which  he  converted  into  a  paper-mill 
and  conducted  successfully  until  his  death,  when 
it  became,  by  inheritance,  the  property  of  his 
son,  Charles  L.  Mr.  Van  Reed  enjoyed  the 
reputation  of  being  one  of  the  most  sagacious 
business  men  of  the  county,  his  opinion  and 
judgment  being  often  sought  and  received  with 


deacon.  He  died  March  8,  1879,  in  his  fifty- 
second  year.  His  son,  Charles  L.  Van  Reed, 
was  born  on  the  homestead  at  Lower  Heidel- 
berg. From  boyhood  he  became  familiar  with 
the  paper-mill  owned  by  his  father,  and  finally 
entered  it  as  an  assistant,  in  1873  assuming  the 
management  of  the  establishment.  The  prop- 
erty, on  the  death  of  his  father,  became  his  by 


•€£_^L# 


great  deference.  As  a  citizen,  lie  was  public- 
spirited  and  foremost  in  advancing  the  interests 
of  his  township.  He  was  a  director  of  the  Na- 
tional Union  Bank  of  Reading.  He  was  a 
Whig  in  the  days  of  that  party,  and  since  a 
Republican.  He  was  first  a  member  of  the 
First  Reformed  Church  of  Reading,  and  later 
of  the  St.  John's  Reformed  Church  of  Sink- 
ing  Springs,  in  which  he   filled   the  office  of 


inheritance,  since  which  time  he  has  continued 
its  successful  management  as  the  sole  owner. 
His  extensive  business  interests  preclude  par- 
ticipation in  public  affairs,  though  frequently 
solicited  to  represent  the  Republican  party  as  a 
candidate.  Mr.  Van  Reed  was,  on  November 
18,  1875,  married  to  Laura  E.,  daughter  of 
Christian  Hertzler,  of  Mechanicsbnrg,  Cumber- 
land County,  Pa.     Their  children   are   Henry 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1123 


H.  (born  September  11,  1877,  who  died  August 
14,  1878),  Mary  H.  (May  10,  1881),  Charles 
Raymond  (June  23,  1882).  Mr.  Van  Reed  is 
a  member  of  St.  Paul's  Memorial  Reformed 
Church  of  Reading. 

Charles  V.  R.  Evans  is  descended  from 
Welsh  ancestry.  Three  brothers  emigrated 
from  Wales  about  the  year  1720,  and  landed 


the  Schuylkill  River.  He  married  a  Miss 
Thomas,  to  whom  was  born,  among  other 
children,  a  son,  Philip  Thomas  Evans.  He 
inherited  the  homestead  and  was  by  occupation 
both  a  farmer  and  a  miller.  He  was  married 
to  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  John  Van  Reed,  ot 
Cumru  township.  Their  children  were  Thomas, 
John,  Joshua,  Charles  V.   R.,   Henry,   Mary 


•^L^. 


in  Philadelphia.  All  started  on  a  prospecting 
tour  through  Pennsylvania  with  a  view  to  the 
purchase  of  land. 

Daniel,  settled  in  Chester  County,  a  second 
in  Montgomery  County,  and  Philip,  who  located 
in  Berks  County,  is  the  progenitor  of  the. 
branch  of  the  family  represented  by  the  sub- 
ject of  this  biographical  sketch. 

Joshua  Evans,  in  the  direct  line  of  descent, 
resided  in  Cumru  township,  on  the  west  side  of 


(married  Peter  Bright)  and  Elizabeth  (married 
to  Thomas  Jones). 

Charles  Van  Reed  Evans  was  born  on  the 
4th  of  March,  1810,  in  Cumru  township,  and 
spent  his  youth  on  the  homestead.  His  early 
education  was  obtained  in  the  log  school-house 
erected  by  the  neighbors  in  the  vicinity,  the 
services  of  a  teacher  being  paid  for  by  the 
patrons  of  the  school.  He  afterward  gave  his 
time  and  labor  to  his  father  in  connection  with 


1124 


HISTOKY  OF  BEEKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


the  farm,  and  on  the  death  of  the  latter,  and  a 
consequent  disposition  of  the  estate,  he  inherited 
his  patrimony,  and  with  it  purchased  the  farm 
he  now  owns  in  Lower  IJeidelberg  township. 
After  a  life  of  industry  he  retired  from  active 
labor  and  transferred  the  resposibility  of  the 
farm  to  his  son  John,  who  now  directs  its  culti- 
vation. Mr.  Evans  was,  in  1836,  married  to 
Maria,  daughter  of  William  Spohn,  of  Lower 
Heidelberg   township.     Their  surviving    chil- 


youth  been  an  invalid,  and  his  case  finally  re- 
garded as  hopeless,  he  was  induced,  in  1862,  to 
seek  restoration  to  health  at  the  water  cure  lo- 
cated at  Danville,  N.  Y.  The  benefit  he  re- 
ceived while  under  this  peculiar  treatment  led 
to  the  study  of  health  subjects  and  finally  to 
the  investigation  and  study  of  hygienic  medica- 
tion. He  entered  the  Hygeo-Therapeutic  Col- 
lege and  was  graduated  from  that  institution  in 
1873.  Removing  to  Franklin  County,  Pa.,  soon 


dl**&*./Z/l& 


^S-3'2^ 


dren  are  Jane,  John  (married  to  Margaret  Van 
Reed),  Thomas  and  Anne.  Mr.  Evans  is  a 
Republican  in  his  political  faith.  He  has  held 
various  township  offices.  He  enjoys  the  con- 
fidence of  his  fellow-citizens  to  such  an  extent 
as  to  have  frequently  been  appointed  guardian, 
executor  and  administrator. 

Robert  "Walter  is  the  son  of  George  and 
Betsey  Walter,  who  emigrated  from  England  in 
1837  and  located  in  Western  Canada.  Their 
son  Robert  was  born  in  Halton  County,  Onta- 
rio, on  the  14th  of  February,  1841,  where  he 
remained  until  his  twentieth  year.     Having  in 


after,  he  practiced  his  profession  tor  one  season, 
and  the  following  year  leased  the  water  cure  es- 
tablishment located  at  Wernersville,  Berks 
County,  Pa.,  which  he  successfully  conducted 
for  a  period  of  three  years. 

In  1876  Dr.  Walter  purchased  ground  in 
Lower  Heidelberg  township,  Berks  County,  and 
began  the  erection  of  buildings,  increasing  the 
dimensions  and  capacity  of  the  institution  from 
year  to  year  until,  in  convenience  and  comfort, 
it  is  one  of  the  most  perfect  in  the  State.  The 
doctor  claims  to  have  established  a  distinct  sys- 
tem of  medication  in  which  the  use  of  drugs  is 


'^Tfa/tzr 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1125 


wholly  avoided.  The  correctness  of  his  theory 
has  been  demonstrated  in  the  success  of  his 
treatment  and  the  popularity  of  the  institution, 
which  the  experience  of  several  years  has  fully 
confirmed.  Dr.  Walter  was  on  the  4th  of 
July,  1872,  married  to  Eunice  C.  Lippincott, 
daughter  of  John  Lippincott,  of  South  China, 
Maine.  Their  children  are  Maud  Marion, 
Robert  L.,  Mabel  Helen,  Stella  M.  and  Earnest 
Albert. 

The  doctor  is  an  earnest  advocate  of  the 
principles  of  the  Republican  party,  but,  aside 
from  the  position  of  delegate  to  the  State 
Convention  of  his  party  which  nominated  James 
G.  Blaine  for  the  Presidency,  he  has  taken  no  ac- 
tive part  in  politics.  He  now  affiliates  with  the 
Prohibition  party.  Dr.  Walter  wields  a  ready 
pen  on  subjects  relating  to  his  profession.  He 
is  the  editor  of  "  The  Laws  of  Health  "  and 
"Health,"  and  author  of  "  The  Philosophy  of 
the  Health  Reform,"  the  "  Nutritive  Cure  "  and 
"  The  Best  Means  of  Preserving  and  Regaining 
Health."  He  has  been  latterly  engaged  in  the 
preparation  of  a  large  work  entitled  "  Science 
in  Health  and  Disease,"  which  gives  a  scientific 
solution  of  all  the  great  problems  of  medical 
science,  and  establishes  a  system  of  treatment 
based  on  definite  scientific  principles.  The 
doctor  is  a  believer  in  Evangelical  Christianity 
and  often  conducts  worship  in  his  own  institu- 
tion, though  not  a  member  of  any  church  or 
denomination. 


NORTH  HEIDELBERG. 

Erection  of  Township. — The  township  of 
Heidelberg  embraced  at  first  about  thirty-seven 
thousand  acres  and  continued  so  large  without 
any  reduction  for  over  one  hundred  years.  In 
1842  it  was  divided,  and  the  eastern  portion, 
about  eighteen  thousand  acres,  was  erected  into 
a  township  named  "  Lower  Heidelberg."  The 
remaining  portion  comprised  about  nineteen 
thousand  acres.  In  April,  1844,  a  portion  was 
taken  away  and  contributed  toward  the  erection 
of  "  Marion,"  in  area  about  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  acres.     The  township  of  Heidelberg 


was  then   left  with  about  seventeen  thousand 
two  hundred  acres.1 

During  the  fall  of  1844  the  inhabitants  of 
the  township  thought  that  their  township  was 
too  large  and  inconvenient.  The  population 
was  about  one  thousand  six  hundred  and  the 
electors  about  three  hundred.  They  therefore 
considered  the  propriety  of  dividing  it.  A 
tract  had  just  been  cut  off.  But  this  small  re- 
duction was  not  to  stand  in  the  way  of  improv- 
ing their  situation  in  respect  to  elections  and 
roads.  So  they  applied  to  the  court  for  viewers.2 
And  the  court  was  sufficiently  generous  to  en- 
courage their  application  by  appointing  Mat- 
thias S.  Richards,  Samuel  Beard  and  Samuel 
S.  Jackson  as  prayed  for.  The  spirit  of  divi- 
sion and  of  erecting  new  townships  and  new 
counties  had  taken  a  strong  hold  upon  the 
people  during  this  decade.3  Fortunately,  the 
spirit  did  not  succeed  in  carrying  away  any  of 
the  territory  from  the  county  of  Berks  towards 
certain  projected  new  counties  round-about  to 
the  north,  east,  south  and  west. 

The  commissioners  examined  the  township, 
"  and  being  satisfied  that  the  late  practice  of 
subdividing  large  townships  has  received  gene- 
ral favor  from  experience,  because  of  the  con- 
venience for  township  transactions  and  of  the 
better  attention  to  keeping  roads  in  repair," 
they  therefore  surveyed  and  marked  off  a  divid- 
ing line,  which  began  at  the  "Ege  Forge,"  on 
the  Tulpehocken  Creek  and  extended  thence 
"S.  71  E.  1140  ps.  to  a  corner  and  S.  55  E. 
487  ps.  to  Spring  Creek,"  and  they  recommended 
the  northern  section  to  be  named  "  North  Hei- 
delberg." The  portion  laid  off  contained  about 
seven  thousand  two  hundred  acres.  Their  re- 
port was  presented  January  9,  1845,  and  con- 
firmed nisi.  A  remonstrance  was  filed  against 
the  proposed  division,  signed  by  thirteen  tax- 


1  The  population  of  Heidelberg  in  1840  was  three  thou- 
sand five  hundred  and  thirty-nine.  When  the  township 
was  divided,  in  1842,  the  population  was  about  three  thou- 
sand seven  hundred  and  the  lower  portion  had  more  than 

half. 

2  This  was  on  November  9,  1844.  Only  thirty  signatures 
(ten  English)  were  attached  to  the  petition. 

'Eleven  new  townships  were  erected  from  1839  to  1851, 
four  to  the  east  of  Schuylkill  and  seven  to  the  west. 


1126 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


ables  who  resided  therein,  representing  the 
division  inconvenient  and  burdensome ;  but 
the  court  confirmed  the  report  absolutely,  and 
erected  the  territory  laid  off"  into  a  new  town- 
ship by  the  name  recommended. 

See  Heidelberg  township  for  list  of  first  tax- 
ables  which  inhabited  this  section  of  the  county. 

Early  Families. — The  descendants  of  the 
Klopp  family  have  for  many  years  constituted 
a  large  portion  of  the  population  of  North 
Heidelberg  township.  It  is  said  that  one  of 
three  brothers  who  came  to  Eastern  Pennsyl- 
vania settled  in  Lebanon  County  and  was  killed 
by  the  Indians,  another  settled  in  Lower  Heid- 
elberg and  Peter,  the  third,  in  North  Heidel- 
berg. The  last-named  had  seven  sons — Peter. 
Adam,  John,  Benjamin,  Daniel,  Joseph  and 
Isaac.  Some  of  his  daughters  married  into  the 
Ernst,  Gerhart  and  Faust  families.  Peter,  the 
eldest  son,  moved  to  the  central  part  of  the 
township,  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  William 
D.  Klopp ;  several  of  the  sons  moved  to  Tulpe- 
hocken  township,  and  Daniel  became  a  citizen 
of  Illinois. 

The  Kalbachs,  Dundores  and  Lengels  were 
also  very  numerous,  but  most  of  them  have 
died  or  removed,  a  few  descendants  of  each 
family  only  remaining.  Along  the  Tulpe- 
hocken  there  was  an  early  settlement  of  Mora- 
vians, some  of  the  members  residing  in  what  is 
now  North  Heidelberg,  the  others  in  Penn  and 
Bern  townships.  Near  the  North  Heidelberg 
Church  Tobias  Bickel  made  his  home  in  the 
fall  of  1736,  and  his  brother,  George  Frederick, 
lived  in  Bern  (now  Penn)  township.  They 
were  both  young  men  and  reared  families  in 
these  townships.  The  former  had  a  son  named 
Anthony  and  a  grandson  by  the  name  of  Joseph, 
who  was  the  father  of  some  of  the  older  Bick- 
els  in  the  county  at  this  time. 

Most  of  the  other  Moravians  removed.  De- 
scendants of  the  Gerhart,  Bright,  Fisher,  Moyer 
and  Conrad  families  in  the  fourth  and  fifth 
generations  are  still  snear  the  cenes  where  a 
hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  the  simple  homes 
of  their  forefathers  were  erected. 

Mills  and  Stores. —  The  people  of  the 
township  are  almost  wholly  given  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits.     On  the  Tulpehocken,    at  the 


old  Seyfert  mill-site,  Abraham  Krick  put  up  a 
good  mill,  which  is  still  known  as  the  ''  Krick 
mill,"  although    owned    by  different  persons, 
among    them   John  K.    Derr    and   Benjamin 
Bickel,  the  present  proprietor.     A  saw-mill  is 
attached   to   this   mill.     Below,   on   the  same 
stream,  the  Zerby  family  had  early  saw  and 
grist-mills,  whose  sites  are  occupied  by  mills 
long  owned  by  Jacob  Wilhelm,  and  at  present 
the  property  of  Jacob  Sunday.     In  this  part  of 
the  township  the  distillation  of  liquor  was  for- 
merly   carried    on   by    the    Seyferts,   and  in 
other  localities   there   were  small   stills  which 
have' been  removed. 

Lamm's  mill,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town- 
ship, on  Spring  Creek,  was  built  soon  after  1800 
by  the  Fisher  family  and  long  carried  on  by  it. 
At  present  saw  and  grist-mills  are  successfully 
carried  on. 

In  the  township  are  two  post-offices,  Krick's 
Mill  and  North  Heidelberg.  The  former  is  in 
the  western  part  of  the  township  and  was  es- 
tablished in  1865  with  Abraham  Krick  as 
postmaster.  His  successor  was  John  K.  Derr. 
Joshua  Moyer  is  the  present  postmaster.  The 
office  has  a  tri-weekly  mail  via  the  North 
Heidelberg  office.  This  latter  office  was  estab- 
lished in  1864,  and  Jonathan  L.  Klopp  has 
been  the  postmaster.  It  is  kept  in  connection 
with  the  only  store  in  the  township  at  a  stand 
opened  in  1851  by  J.  L.  Reber,  and  where, 
since  1857,  Jonathan  L.  Klopp  has  suc- 
cessfully carried  on  business.  In  connection 
with  it  there  is  a  public-house,  the  whole  oc- 
cupying large  and  well-appointed  buildings. 
Near  by  there  was  formerly  an  old  public- 
house,  opened  about  1800,  and  kept  by  Michael 
Kalbach  and  others.  The  inn  was  known  for 
many  years  as  Kalbach's.  It  was  converted  in- 
to a  farm-house  in  1851.  The  building  stood 
until  September,  1885,  when  it  was  destroyed 
by  fire.  In  it  was  kept  the  first  store  in  the 
township  by  Adam  Fisher,  Charles  Rick  and 
others. 

CHURCHES. 

North  Heidelberg  Church  is  the  only 
house  of  worship  in  the  township.  It  is  situ- 
ated in  the  eastern  part,  upon  land  donated  for 
church  purposes,  by  Tobias  Bickel,  as  early  as 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1127 


1744.      Prior  to  that  time  the  people  of  this 
locality  attended  the  meetings  held  at  Reed's 
Church,  on  the  Tulpehocken,  in   the   present 
township  of  Marion.     A  settlement  of  Morav- 
ians having  bden  made  in  the  eastern  part  of 
North  Heidelberg,  and  the  meetings  at  Reed's 
Church  having  been  held  only  at  irregular  in- 
tervals, they  decided  to  have  their  own  meeting- 
house, in  which  the  Moravian  doctrine  might 
be  preached  without  interruption.     A  plain  log 
house  was  therefore  built,  in  the  summer  and 
fall  of  1744,  upon  the  lot  set  aside  by  Bickel, 
and  it   was   formally  dedicated  November  4, 
1744,  by  a  Moravian  Synod,  over  which  Henry 
Antes,  presided.  On  the  9th  of  April  following, 
a    Moravian    congregation  was  organized  by 
Bishop  August  G.  Spangenberg  with  the  follow- 
ing members:     Tobias  Bickel,    George  Fred- 
erick Bickel,  Stephen  Brecht,  John  Fisher,  Sr., 
John  Fisher,  Jr.,  Frederick  Gerhart,  Nicholas 
Glass,   John  Graefer,  John  Zerby,  and   their 
wives,  and  John  Keller,  a  widower. 

A  building  comprising  a  school-house  and 
parsonage  combined  was  built  at  the  same  time, 
and  it  was  occupied  by  Daniel  Neihart  when 
the  congregation  was  formed.  Later  teachers 
of  this  school  were  Werner,  Weile,  Blatzer  and 
Polk. 

The  Moravian  congregation  had  its  member- 
ship augmented  by  new  settlers,  among  whom 
were  the  Klapp,  Conrad,  Minnich  and  Zuber 
families,  and  then  it  flourished.  The  ministers 
visited  the  congregation  statedly,  coming  from 
Bethlehem  and  other  Moravian  settlements. 
After  1830anumber  of  families  removed  to  the 
West.  This  caused  the  congregation  to  weaken 
and  decline,  and  eventually  only  few  meetings 
a  year  were  held. 

The  congregation  was  then  disbanded,  and 
the  meeting-house  came  to  be  occupied  by  per- 
sons of  the  Lutheran  and  Reformed  faith  in 
that  vicinity.  About  1835,  congregations 
were  organized  by  them,  and  then  regular 
preaching  began  by  the  Revs.  Miesse  and 
Minnich.  In  1846,  with  the  assistance 
of  the  Moravians  who  remained,  the  congre- 
gations united  in  building  the  present 
church  upon  the  Moravian  Church  lot.  It  is  a 
plain  brick  building  of  moderate  size,  and  is 


supplied  with  a  gallery.  The  cemetery  attached 
is  neatly  inclosed.  The  German  Reformed 
congregation  had  more  than  a  hundred  mem- 
bers, and  Rev.  Thomas  C.  Leinbach  as  pastor. 
The  Lutheran  congregation  was  smaller,  and 
the  minister  was  the  Rev.  J.  J.  Cressman. 

The  Moravians  have  still  an  interest  in  the 
property,  but  no  meetings  have  been  held 
within  the  past  four  years. 


BERN  TOWNSHIP.' 

Erection  op  Township. — A  petition  was 
presented  to  the  Court  of  Quarter  Sessions  of 
Lancaster  County  on  May  2,  1738,  praying  for 
the  erection  of  a  new  township  out  of  the  east- 
ern section  of  Tulpehocken  township,  lying 
between  the  Schuylkill  River  and  Tulpehocken 
Creek,  and  extending  from  the  mouth  of  the 
creek  to  the  Blue  Mountain.2  The  court 
shortly  afterward  ordered  the  erection  of  the 
township  according  to  the  prayer  of  the  peti-\ 
tioners,  and  named  it  "  Bern."  The  name  was  \ 
taken  from  Bern,  a  large  division  of  territory 
in  Switzerland,  the  native  country  whence 
many  of  the  inhabitants  emigrated. 

When  the  county  of  Berks  was  erected  the 
lands  of  this  township  extended  beyond  the 
Blue  Mountain.  In  August,  1767,  a  petition 
was  presented  to  court,  asking  for  a  division  of 
the  township  on  account  of  its  extent.  Commis- 
sioners were  appointed  (William  Boone,  Samuel 
Hoch,  Thomas  Wright,  Joseph  Penrose, 
Frederick  Weiser  and  Thomas  Jones),  who  laid 
down  a  line  along  the  top  of  Blue  Mountain, — 
S.  91  W.  1836  perches.  In  November  follow- 
ing the  proceedings  were  confirmed,  and  the 
northern  portion  beyond  the  mountain  was 
named  "  Brunswick." 

In  1789  an  act  of  Assembly  was  passed, 
requiring  the  township  to  be  divided.  William 
Wheeler  surveyed  the    line,   which    extended 


■I 


1 1  examined  the  records  at  Lancaster,  but  I  could  not 
find  any  papers  relating  to  the  erection  of  this  township. 

'!■  The  township  included  territory  and  taxable  inhabit- 
ants beyond  the  mountains  till  1771,  when  the  portion 
beyond  the  top  of  the  mountain  was  laid  off  into  aseparate 
township  named  Pine  Grove. 


1128 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


from  the  Tulpehocken  Creek,  near  the  mouth 
of  the  North-kill,  across  the  township,  N.  67° 
51'  E.  seven  miles  and  six  perches  to  the 
Schuylkill  at  Noecker's  mill.  The  upper  por- 
tion was  called  ("  Upper  Bern." 

In  1841  Penn  township  was  erected  out  of  a 
portion  of  Bern  and  Upper  Bern,  and  in  1843, 
Centre  township. 

In  1849  the  estimated  area  of  Bern  township 
was  twenty  thousand  acres. 

Taxables  or  1759. — The  taxables  of  the 
township  in  the  year  1759  are  named  in  the 
following  list.  John  Reber  was  the  collector. 
The  tax  levied  amounted  to  <£89  5s. 


John  Althouse 7 

Jacob  Albrecht 6 

Christian  Althouse 5 

Jacob  Allwine 3 

Ludwig  Albrecht \ 

John  Adam 7 

Christian  Albrecht 7 

John  Arwegast 1 

Christopher  Bickel 3 

Christian  Berger 6 

Ulrick  Backenstos 4 

Jacob  Burcky 9 

Philip  Beyer 4 

Adam  Bohn      .  ...       .4 

Jacob  Beck  1 

Christian  Beyler 2 

John  Bucks       9 

David  Brecht 20 

George  Belleman 4 

Sebastian  Butz 10 

Jacob  Conrad 12 

Jacob  Criem 2 

Henry  Close 4 

Matthias  Dornebach   .  .       .    .    9 

William  Domliason 9 

John  Domlinson 2 

Titus  Denning 12 

Frederick  Deglar 5 

John  Epler 21 

Jacob  Epler       18 

John  Eppert 6 

Valentine  Eckert 3 

John  Faust 10 

Jacob  Fuchs 4 

Philip  Faust 15 

Henry  Freemen 1 

Samuel  Filbert 8 

John  Eeyck 7 

Christian  Feyck 4 

Frederick  From 7 

George  Gentzle 1 

George  Gernand 23 

Jacob  Geis 3 

Adam  Geis 3 

Ulrich  Gentzolberger 2' 

Eberhard  Geschwind 7 

Jacob  Grim 5 

David  Grim 3 

Adam  German 2 

Hendrick  Gicker 7 

T.  Heck 15 

Nicholas  Haller 8 

Daniel  Hiester o 


Tost  Hiester 1! 

Michael  Ilentzel  .  .  . 

Peter  Harpine /.  11 

Jacob  Heck       /.   .    5 

Val.  Himmelberger ....  5 

Abraham  Haas 3 

John  Hochstatter 1 

Christian  Herschberger  ....    6 

Jacob  Hetzler l 

John  Hoffmann 9 

Hieronymus  Hemig 7 

John  Eyors  Hiester 10 

William  Hettrich ....  8 

Christian  Joder 4 

John  Joder l 

Christian  Joder i 

Martin  Kershner ,9 

Conrad  Kershner 4 

John  Klein    .  .   .       .   .        5 

George  Kershner 2 

Stephen  Kauffman 3 

William  Koppersniith    .       .        1 

Henrich  Kettuer 6 

Michael  Kehl  4 

Jacob  Kaufman 1 

Jacob  Kaufman,  Jr 3 

Benjamin  Kepler 15 

Stephen  Kurtz 7 

John  Kurtz    ....  .   .  lu 

Christian  Koenig 2 

Christian  Kauflfman       .   .   .  ,   7 

Nicholas  Klee 7 

Valentine  Long 7 

Frederick  Long       1 

William  Leymaster 3 

George  Loos 3 

Nicholas  Ludwig 2 

John  Meth 8 

George  Mettler 2 

Nicholas  Miller 6 

Jacob  Meyer 1 

Jacob  Miller,  Jr 1 

Killian  May 1 

Jacob  Miller 9 

Christopher  Mensch 3 

Simon  Menecb 5 

Valentine  Mogle 1 

Philip  Machemer 4 

Joseph  Obold g 

Casper  Phillips 3 

Henry  Reeser,  Jr  ,  ....    6 

Jacob  Reeser,  Jr 9 

Jacob  Beeser,  Sr 22 


Ulrich  Rathmacher 5 

Nicholas  Bunckle 3 

John  Runckle 3 

Peter  Ricken  bach 2 

Jacob  Reichardt 1 

Adam  Rickenbach 9 

John  Rickenbach 5 

Jacob  Roth 2 

Christian  Roth 28 

John  Reber 8 

Conrad  Schneider 5 

John  Schneider,  Jr 8 

John  Schneider,  Sr 8 

Michael  Staudt .10 

Matthias  Staudt 9 

Ludwig  Seaman 2 

John  Schock 1 

George  Schell 3 

Werner  Stein    .       ......    8 

Albrecht  StrauBS 16 

Jacob  Strauss 6 

Philip  Strauss       7 

Yost  Shoemaker       8 

Christian  Stutzman 2 

Bernhard  Schartel 5 

John  Seibert 11 

John  Staudt 3 


Charles  Schmidt .    2 

Jacob  Stein 3 

Casper  Stein         .  .  ...    1 

Nicholas  Soder 15 

Jacob  Tester .5 

Baltzer  Umbenbauer  .   .       .   .    8 

Matthias  Weber iti 

Herman  Weber 7 

Michael  Wommel,  Jr 6 

Widow  Wise 6 

Michael  Wommer,  Sr 7 

Jacob  Wetzler 2 

George  Wagner,  Jr 8 

George  Wagner,  Sr  .   .       .       .3 

Andreas  Winter 3 

Samuel  Wollison,  Jr 4 

Samuel  Wollison,  Sr       ....  10 

James  Williamson 13 

Nicholas  Weiminger 4 

Joseph  Wollison 3 

Moses  Weyerich   .  ., 10 

Daniel  Zacharias ,  ,    1 

Peter  Zuber 5    ' 

Michael  Zuber 2 

John  Zimmerman l 

Joseph  Zallebarger 5 

Moritz  Zuck 8 


Single  Men. 


George  Belleman. 
Jacob  Belleman. 
Jacob  Gackley. 
John  Heck. 
John  Hauger. 
Philip  Heck. 
George  Ludwig. 
Conrad  Lauderdorf. 


Martin  Moore. 
Nicholas  Phillips. 
John  Reber,  Jr. 
Henry  Reeser. 
Joseph  Sumbread. 
Paul  Schaeffer. 
John  Sealy. 
Matthias  Weber. 


Early  Settlers. — Among  the  early  set- 
tlers of  what  is  now  comprised  within  the 
bounds  of  Bern  township,  the  Hiesters  were 
unusually  prominent.  They  purchased  several 
thousand  acres  of  land  along  the  Tulpehocken, 
and  built  mills,  which  proved  great  con- 
veniences. They  were  in  good  circumstances. 
Their  sons  came  to  figure  in  public  affairs 
prominently.  Few  of  the  descendants  now 
remain  in  the  township. 

On  the  Schuylkill,  Peter  Herbein  became  the 
owner  of  two  hundred  and  thirty-five  acres  of 
fine  land,  in  1734,  adjoining  the  lands  of 
Henry  Reeser,  who  was  also  an  early  settler. 
Both  families  have  retained  possession  of  their 
lands,  the  Herbeins  now  being  represented  by 
John,  Thomas  and  William,  great-grand- 
sons of  Henry  Herbein,  the  father  of  sons 
named  Abraham  and  John.  Below  this  point 
the  Rickenbach  family  became  the  owner  of  a 
tract  of  land  on  which  descendants  still  live. 
They  had  a  small  burial-plot  near  Rickenbach 
Station,  but  later  interments  have  been  made  in 
cemeteries. 

Industries.— Although  the  people  of  Bern 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1129 


are  almost  exclusively  devoted  to  agricultural 
pursuits,  the  ordinary  industries  are  not  wholly 
neglected.  On  Tulpehocken  Creek  the  Hiester 
family  built  a  mill,  soon  after  the  settlement  of 
the  township,  which,  in  a  changed  condition,  is 
still  kept  running.  Gabriel  and  Jonathan  Hiester 
are  best  remembered  as  successful  millers  at 
this  point.  After  a  number  of  owners,  John  B. 
Reber,  now  of  Reading,  became  the  proprietor. 
The  mill  is  of  stone  and  has  a  large  capacity. 
The  site  lower  down  the  stream  was  improved 
by  Joseph  Reber  and  the  mill  operated  by  him 
and  by  others  of  that  family  for  many  years. 
It  is  still  known  as  "  Reber's  mill,"  though 
owned  by  Frank  Hain. 

Along  the  Schuylkill  are  valuable  out-crop- 
pings  of  limestone  of  superior  quality,  both  for 
building  and  for  manufacturing  purposes. 
They  are  easily  quarried  and  readily  shipped. 
William  Silvis  was  one  of  the  pioneers  to 
develop  this  industry.  About  forty  years  ago 
he  opened  a  quarry  near  Leinbach's  store,  which 
has  been  pretty  generally  operated  since  that 
time.  He  encouraged  the  workmen  to  build 
homes  near  the  quarry.  This  was  the  begin- 
ning of  a  cluster  of  houses  in  this  locality  com- 
monly called  Mechanicsville.  The  present 
operators  of  this  quarry  are  the  Leinbach 
Brothers.  There  are  six,  lime-kilns,  with  a 
capacity  to  produce  annually  over  one  hundred 
thousand  bushels  of  lime.  The  next  quarry 
was  opened  by  Henry  Lerch  and  is  now  owned 
by  George  Hartman.  About  twenty-five 
thousand  bushels  of  lime  per  year  are  made. 
The  Stout  quarries,  opened  by  a  man  named 
Griscom,  are  now  operated  by  William  Fisher. 
Large  quantities  of  stone  are  shipped  from  here 
and  all  these  quarries  employ  from  twenty  to 
fifty  men. 

Farther  up  the  river  are  the  old  Herbein 
quarries,  first  opened  by  William  Herbein,  about 
1855,  and  developed  by  him  so  as  to  employ 
from  twelve  to  eighteen  men.  It  is  at  present 
owned  by  William  Herbein,  who  employs 
steam  to  carry  on  its  successful  operation. 
Here  is  Rickenbach  Station,  with  sidings  to  the 
quarry,  which  afford  good  shipping  facilities. 
Near  West  Leesport,  on  the  main  line  of  the 
Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad,  are  the 
95 


lime-kilns  of  Rahn  &  Kauffman,  which  were 
opened  by  Leinbach  &  Epler  soon  after  the 
completion  of  the  railroad.  From  one  hundred 
thousand  to  one  hundred  and  thirty  thousand 
bushels  of  lime  are  manufactured  and  shipped 
annually.  Near  by  the  manufacture  of  brick 
proves  a  profitable  occupation. 

Near  Rickenbach  Station  are  the  Herbein 
mill  and  distillery,  now  idle,  and  the  property 
of  Jonas  Shalter.  The  first  improvement  was 
a  small  distillery  by  Abraham  Herbein,  about 
sixty  years  ago.  After  the  property  passed 
into  the  hands  of  Reuben  Herbein,  the  latter 
built  the  present  mill  and  distillery,  operating 
the  same  successfully  some  years.  The  Reeser 
mill,  on  the  same  stream,  a  mile  above,  is  one 
of  the  first  in  the  township,  and  has  been  run 
by  that  family  since  its  erection.  The  present 
proprietor  is  Jonathan  Reeser,  who  has  also  a 
saw-mill  and  large  ice-houses  at  that  point. 
The  motive-power  is  water  and  steam. 

Canal-boat  building  has  been  successfully 
carried  on  for  about  a  score  of  years  by  James 
Rickenbach,  on  the  canal,  below  Rickenbach 
Station.  At  his  docks  from  twelve  to  twenty 
men  find  employment  at  building  boats. 
James  Rickenbach  is  also  the  owner  of  a 
number  of  boats  in  the  carrying  trade  from  that 
point. 

At  Hiester's  Mill  is  a  post-office,  established 
in  1865.  It  is  supplied  with  semi-weekly  mails 
from  Reading.  Formerly  small  stores  were 
kept  in  that  locality  as  well  as  on  the  State 
road,  almost  north  from  that  place,  by  J.  Klein 
and  others.  In  connection  was  a  public-house, 
built  about  fifty  years  ago,  which  is  now  well 
remembered  as  the  "  Hain  Tavern."  East,  on 
the  same  road,  is  Leinbach's  post-office,  store 
and  tavern.  The  latter  was  first  opened  by 
Christian  Leinbach  in  1848,  and  a  store  kept 
in  the  same  building  until  1867,  when  the 
present  stand  opposite  the  tavern  came  to  be 
occupied  by  E.  A.  Leinbach.  He  has  also  been 
postmaster  since  the  establishment  of  the  office, 
in  1852.     There  are  four  mails  per  week. 

The  Epler  tavern,  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
towards  Reading,  on  the  same  road,  was  the 
oldest  public-house  in  the  township.  The 
building,  which  has  been  removed,  was  put  up 


1130 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


in  the  Revolutionary  period,  and  was  the  scene 
of  a  disturbance  in  1799 — in  consequence  of  the 
putting  up  a  liberty  pole  by  Epler,  which  cer- 
tain parties  threatened  to  cut  down.1  The  tav- 
ern was  last  kept  by  J.  Mowry,  about  forty 
years  ago. 

CHURCHES. 

Been  Church  (Reformed  and  Lutheran)  was 
originally  the  exclusive  property  of  a  German 
Reformed  congregation.  This  may  have  been 
organized  as  early  as  1739,  for  there  are  records 
of  baptism  bearing  that  date.  In  1 743  about 
fifteen  acres  of  land  was  surveyed  by  the 
Penns  for  the  use  of  the  society,  and  which  was 
conveyed,  in  1748,  to  Henry  Reeser,  trustee,  for 
the  use  of  the  Calvinists  residing  in  Bern, 
Cumru  and  Heidelberg  townships.  Upon  this 
tract  of  land  a  log  meeting-house  was  built, 
which  was  in  use  until  some  time  about  1762, 
when  a  rough  stone  building  was  put  up  for  a 
place  of  worship.  This  stood  until  the  present 
edifice  took  its  place,  in  1 837.  In  the  previous 
winter  the  Lutherans  arranged  to  secure  an  own- 
ership in  the  property  and  the  present  house  was 
built  by  the  joint  efforts  of  both  societies.  The 
corner-stone  was  laid  July  30th,  and  the  build- 
ing completed  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year.  The 
church  is  constructed  of  brick,  two  stories  high, 
with  galleries,  and  it  presents  an  attractive  ap- 
pearance. In  1762  the  church  lot  was  enlarged 
by  the  purchase  of  land  from  Daniel  Hiester, 
which  was  conveyed  to  David  Brecht  (Bright), 
Matthias  Stoudt  and  Yost  Hiester,  of  Bern,  and 
Henry  Spohn  and  Martin  Arnold,  of  Heidel- 
berg, as  trustees.  Another  purchase  was  made 
in  1792,  when  John  Dundore,  John  Reber  and 
Nicholas  Stump  were  the  trustees,  making  the 
entire  church  property  about  twenty  acres. 
Upon  this  is  a  good  residence  and  other  im- 
provements. 

The  church  prospered  until  1867,  when  dis- 
sensions reduced  the  membership  of  the  Re- 
formed congregation,  and  very  greatly  impaired 
its  usefulness.  It  has  had  an  increase  of 
membership  during  the  past  few  years.  In 
1885  there  were  three  hundred  and  twenty-five 
members  and  Rev.  Samuel  S.  Leinbach  was  the 


1See  Chap.  X.,  Liberty  Poles. 


pastor.  His  immediate  predecessors  were  Revs. 
Aaron  Leinbach,  Franklin  H.  Swartz  and  Isaac 
Miesse. 

The  Lutheran  congregation  has  prospered 
under  the  ministry  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  T. 
Iaeger.  In  1885  it  reported  two  hundred  and 
eighty  members. 

The  church  is  situated  near  the  northwestern 
line  of  the  township. 

Friends. — In  1745  the  proprietaries  grant- 
ed two  acres  "  to  John  Ellyman  for  the  use  of 
the  congregation  of  people  called  Quakers,  to 
be  laid  out  in  an  oblong  where  there  are  some 
graves  already.''  A  trust  was  declared  and 
acknowledged  September  7, 1758.  Friends  were 
evidently  in  the  township  at  that  early  day. 

Epler  Church  (Lutheran  and  Reformed) 
is  a  plain,  substantial  brick  building,  occupying 
a  commanding  site  near  the  centre  of  the  town- 
ship. The  corner-stone  was  laid  June  1,  1851, 
and  the  house  was  almost  completed  the  same 
year,  under  the  direction  of  Abraham  Koenig, 
Wm.  Herbein,  Jacob  Gerhart  and  John  Fox, 
as  a  building  committee.  The  formal  dedica- 
tion took  place  in  the  spring  of  1852.  The 
present  church  took  the  place  of  a  rough-cast 
log  building,  erected  in  1788.  Previously  there 
was  a  log  building  of  small  size  built  soon  after 
the  settlement  of  the  country,  the  exact  date  not 
being  known.  It  was  intended  solely  for  the  use 
of  German  Reformed  people.  In  1825  Rev.  Waltz 
commenced  holding  services  for  the  Lutherans, 
and  in  1833  an  arrangement  was  effected  by 
which  the  Lutherans  secured  a  joint  interest  in 
the  property.  A  cemetery  comprising  four 
acres  is  included  with  the  church  property. 
Among  the  first  members  of  this  church  was 
the  Epler  family,  who  warmly  encouraged  the 
erection  of  the  first  building  and  after  whom  it 
was  named.  Others  associated  with  them  were 
the  Reeser,  Herbein,  Fisher,  Lerch,  Geiger,  Al- 
bright, Bodie,  Koenig,  Moser,  Young,  Medlar, 
Kerscher,  Hain,  Emerich,  Ba,er,  Woomer, 
Stoudt  and  Machemer  families. 

In  1885  the  Reformed  congregation  had 
about  three  hundred  members  and  Rev.  Samuel 
A.  Leinbach  was  pastor.  Among  his  prede- 
cessors were  Revs.  R.  S.  Apple,  A.  L.  Herman, 
Joseph  Dubs  and   Wm,  Pauli  and  (in  1788, 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1131 


when  the  second  church  was  built)  the  Rev. 
Wm.  Boas,  who  also  officiated  at  Reading  ;  and' 
in  1885  Rev.  B.  D.  Zweitzig  was  the  pastor  of 
the  Lutheran  congregation,  numbering  about 
one  hundred  members,  he  having  served  as  the! 
minister  since  1862.  The  Rev.  George  Min- 
nich  served  as  pastor  from  1833  till  1851, being; 
followed  that  year  by  the  Rev.  R.  S.  Wagner,' 
who  remained  until  1860 ;  then  came  Rev.  John1 
G.  Kuendig,  who  served  until  1862.  John 
Heintz  has  officiated  as  organist  since  1858.         1 

For  many  years  the  church  maintained  a 
well-ordered  school  for  the  study  of  the  Ger! 
man  language,  which  was  most  successfully! 
taught  from  1848  to  1858  by  John  Heintz.! 
Since  free  schools  have  been  established  the; 
school-house  has  been  converted  to  other  uses,  I 
in  connection  with  the  church  property. 

Just  above  the  church  cemetery  Franklin- 
Hain  opened  St.  Paul's  Cemetery  in  1885.  Thei 
lot  embraces  over  an  acre  of  ground  and  is; 
neatly  inclosed. 

Salem  Church  (Evangelical  Association)' 
is  situated  in  the  village  of  West  Leesport.  It! 
was  built  in  1872,  and  formally  dedicated  the, 
following  year.  It  is  a  brick  building,  without; 
steeple.  The  membership-  of  the  church  was 
small  at  first,  and  the  increase  has  not  been  large! 
since.  In  1885  about  fifty  were  connected  with: 
it.  The  congregation  belongs  to  Womelsdorf ; 
Circuit  of  the  Harrisburg  District  of  the  East 
Pennsylvania  Conference  ;  has  Rev.  J.  A.  Stirk| 
as  presiding  elder. 

A  Sunday-school,  comprising  fifty  members, 
is  maintained  in  the  church. 

Zion's  Church  (Evangelical  Association) 
is  situated  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  town- 
ship, near  Centreville.  It  is  a  plain  brick 
building,  and  was  dedicated  December  19,1852. 
The  membership  worshipping  here  has  always 
been  small,  and  embraced  on  its  first  roll  the; 
names  of  the  Hart,  Dundore,  Sonnon  and  Loose 
families.  The  church  is  part  of  the  Womels- 
dorf Circuit,  and  has  had  its  ministerial  service 
from  that  source.  A  small  grave-yard  is  con- 
nected with  the  church. 

West  Leesport  is  the  only  town  within  the 
present  bounds  of  Bern  township,  and  owes  its; 
existence   wholly  to  the  location  of  Leesport 


Station  on  the  railroad  at  this  place.  The  site 
is  favorable  for  building  purposes.  It  has  had 
a  slow  growth,  owing  to  the  fact  that  Leesport 
(from  which  it  is  separated  by  the  river)  has  the 
advantage  of  age  and  the  possession  of  manu- 
facturing interests.  There  were  in  1885  three 
stores,  two  public-houses,  a  church,  several 
mechanic-shops  and  about  thirty  residences, 
many  of  them  neatly  built.  At  the  station 
large  quantities  of  goods  are  received  and 
shipped,  this  being  a  distributing  point,  for  a 
considerable  area  of  the  country.  The  Uhlers 
were  the  first  to  engage  in  business  here  after 
the  completion  of  the  railroad.  They  began  in 
the  building  which  is  now  occupied,  in  an  en- 
larged condition,  by  Samuel  Lenhart,  and  in 
which  he  has  traded  since  1858.  In  addition 
to  general  merchandising,  he  is  a  dealer  in  lum- 
ber and  coal.  He  also  has  manufactured  brick 
since  1879,  affording  employment  to  fourteen 
men. 

Abraham  Tobias  built  the  next  store-house 
and  also  the  hotel  building  connected  with  it, 
in  1862,  where  he  entertained  the  public  some 
years.  This  house  has  had  numerous  landlords 
and  merchants.  It  was  kept  in  1885  by 
Emanuel  S.  Strauss.  The  first  public-house 
was  opened  by  Abraham  Harpell,  before  1860, 
in  what  is  now  a  private  dwelling,  near  the 
present  Gawker  House,  which  was  first  a  resi- 
dence, and  first  kept  as  a  tavern  by  John  Kaufl- 
man.  Since  1863,  James  Bell  has  been  in  the 
hardware  trade,  and  in  1885  was  also  the  post- 
master of  the  West  Leesport  office,  established 
in  1872.  Prior  to  his  appointment  the  office 
was  held  by  H.  M.  Kauffman,  John  Good  and 
Samuel  Lenhart,  the  latter  having  carried  the 
mails  from  West  Leesport  to  the  Leesport  office 
twenty-six  years. 

One  of  the  first  physicians  at  West  Leesport 
was  Dr.  John  H.  Spatz,  who  removed  from  this 
place  to  Centreport.  Dr.  Edwin  Brobst  ranks 
as  the  oldest  settled  practitioner,  having  been 
successfully  engaged  in  his  profession. at  this 
point  the  better  part  of  a  quarter  of  a  century. 
Dr.  F.  P.  Dundore  has  been  in  practice  the  past 
ten  years,  and  Dr.  J.  V.  Epler  for  a  longer 
period  of  time. 


1132 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


UPPER  BERN  TOWNSHIP. 

Erection  of  Township. — This  township 
was  erected  out  of  the  upper  portion  of  Bern 
township  in  1789 ;  but  no  separate  assessment 
of  taxables  was  made  till  1820. 

Early  Settlers. — Among  prominent  set- 
tlers of  the  township  the  Shartle  family  can  be 
mentioned.  The  original  place  of  settlement 
was  on  what  is  now  the  State  road,  one  mile 
east  of  the  village  of  Shartlesville,  the  farm 
being  now  owned  by  O.  F.  Berger.  Shartle 
had  sons  named  William,  John,  George  and 
Jacob.  Two  daughters  were  married  to  Adam 
Kauffman  and  Jacob  Albright.  Although 
their  offspring  was  ouce  numerous  in  the  town- 
ship, scarcely  any  descendants  remain.  The 
Kauffmans  settled  along  the  base  of  the  moun- 
tain, being  induced  to  select  the  lands  there  on 
account  of  the  excellent  water.  They  had  the 
Rentschlers  as  neighbors  and  some  of  the  first 
improvements  in  that  part  of  Bern  were  made 
by  them.  The  Wagners  came  a  little  later. 
North  of  them  lived  the  Moyer  family,  which 
had  some  of  its  members  killed  by  the  Indians. 
The  name  is  still  perpetuated  in  the  ownership 
of  lands  near  the  scene  of  that  shocking  tragedy. 
John  Christian  Albright  and  Johannes  Berger 
were  later  settlers.  The  former  lived  north  of 
Shartlesville  and  had  sons  named  Jacob,  John 
and  Solomon,  the  first-named  being  the  father 
of  Jacob  Albright,  still  residing  in  the  town- 
ship as  an  octogenarian.  The  Schocks  were 
also  prominent,  who  helped  to  develop  the  town- 
ship. The  names  of  the  early  settlers  are  in- 
cluded in  the  list  of  taxables  of  Bern  township. 

Shartlesville  is  situated  near  the  Blue 
Mountain,  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the 
township.  It  derives  its  name  from  the  Shartle 
family,  who  lived  at  this  place  and  made  early 
improvements,  which  caused  this  locality  to  be 
known  by  its  present  title  long  before  the  vil- 
lage had  an  existence.  The  Shartles  were  farm- 
ers and,  after  the  custom  of  that  day,  also  kept 
inns,  one  of  which  was  opened  as  early  as  1765, 
and  which,  in  1801,  was  spoken  of  as  an  old 
log  tavern.  In  1819  George  Shartle  built  a 
large  brick  house,  which,  with  other  property, 
passed  into  the  possession  of  Benjamin  Nunne- 


maker,  who  laid  out  the  village,  the  plat  being 
made  for  him  by  S.  V.  Wagner,  April  13, 1860. 
Prior  to  that  time  there  was  a  house  at  the 
upper  and  one  at  the  lower  end  of  the  village 
where  business  was  carried  on.  In  1858  the 
first  house  in  the  centre  of  the  village  was  built 
by  Martin  Zettlemeyer,  which  is  now  occupied 
by  Charles  Aschenbach,  who  has  resided  in  this 
locality  since  1851,  carrying  on  his  trade  as  a 
wheelwright.  A  number  of  houses  were  built 
soon  after  1859  and  occupied  by, — 

William  Nunnemaker,  laborer;  Benjamin  B.  Wag- 
ner, blacksmith;  James  Koller,  tailor;  Aaron  Sea- 
man, teacher ;  Joseph  Gettering,  undertaker ;  Moses 
Degler,  cabinet-maker;  Emanuel  Bly, coach-maker; 
John  Shaeffer,  carpenter;  and  George  K.  Wann, 
shoemaker. 

In  1885  the  place  had  three  public-houses, 
three  stores,  a  number  of  shops,  a  church  and 
two  hundred  and  twenty-five  inhabitants. 

At  the  lower  inn  George  Shartle  sold  the  first 
goods.  John  Albright  and  Daniel  Althouse  had 
one  of  the  first  stores  in  the  old  tavern-stand, 
where,  later,  C.  F.  Rentschler  traded  for  nine 
years.  It  is  now  occupied  by  the  Ritzmans  as 
merchants.  The  other  stand  was  also  kept  first 
as  a  tavern,  sixty  years  ago,  by  Samuel  Ney 
and  John  Tobias.  An  addition  was  built  for  a 
store-room  by  William  Shearer,  who  kept  both 
the  store  and  the  tavern.  Then  the  Beiteuman 
family  traded  many  years.  Since  1867  Joseph 
S.  Hix  has  successfully  carried  on  business 
there,  enlarging  and  improving  the  building. 
A  large  three-story  brick  business  house  was 
built  in  1876  by  William  K.  Haag,  who  occu- 
pied it  for  business  purposes  until  1881. 

The  Shartlesville  post-office  was  established 
February  9,  1830,  with  Solomon  Albright  as 
postmaster.  He  held  the  office  until  1852, 
serving,  at  the  same  time,  as  clerk  for  Joseph 
Seyfert.  He  was  followed  by  Benjamin  Nun- 
nemaker, Charles  F.  Rentschler,  Joseph  S.  Hix, 
F.  K.  Machemer,  Daniel  Wagner  and  Moses 
Kauffman.  The  office  has  a  daily  mail  from 
Hamburg. 

The  first  resident  physician  was  Dr.  Aug. 
Schultz,  a  German,  before  the  village  was  laid 
out.  Dr.  Devilla  Schoener  located  here  in  1860, 
and  remained  until   his   death,   in   December, 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1133 


1874.  He  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  Daniel  C. 
Kitzrnan,  for  four  years  in  practice,  when  came 
the  present  Dr.  John  M.  Brause. 

In  Shartlesville  are  small  cigar  factories  car- 
ried on  by  John  Ritzman  &  Co.  and  Levi  B. 
Wagner.  North  of  the  village  is  the  factory  of 
V.  C  Mohn  &  Brother.  All  of  the  factories 
employ  about  twenty  persons. 

The  industries  outside  of  the  villages  are  few 
in  number.  The  Kauffman  and  Wagner  mills 
are  the  oldest.  The  former  mill  remains  about 
as  first  built.  It  has  a  small  capacity,  the  vol- 
ume of  the  stream  on  which  it  is  located  being 
feeble.  Christopher  and  Valentine  Wagner 
were  successful  millers  at  the  lower  site,  or 
where  the  State  road  crosses  the  stream.  The 
present  mill  (of  massive  stone)  is  still  in  a 
good  condition,  enabling  the  product  of  large 
quantities  of  flour,  made  by  modern  machinery. 
The  present  owner  is  Israel  Miller.  The  first 
mill  at  this  site  was  put  up  before  the  Revolu- 
tion. It  was  of  logs  and  had  the  water-wheel  on 
the  outside.  Between  these  two  there  is  a  mill- 
site  where  Jacob  Rentschler  had  an  early  full- 
ing-mill, which  was  allowed  to  go  down ;  then 
it  was  revived  by  Edward  Moyer,  who  supplied 
new  machinery  and  carried  it  on  a  few  years, 
when  the  machinery  was  removed.  About  the 
same  time  he  owned  the  grist-mill  in  the  south- 
ern part  of  the  township  and  added  steam  to 
the  water-power  then  in  use.  This  mill  is  now 
carried  on  by  F.  H.  Lesher.  Near  the  Schuyl- 
kill was  a  mill-site,  improved  before  1800  by 
the  Keplinger  family.  This  is  now  operated 
by  the  Fisher  heirs.  At  this  place  a  large 
creamery  was  established  by  a  stock  company 
of  farmers,  which  has  been  successfully  operated 
for  several  years.  Here,  also,  is  a  store  and 
the  Bern  post-office,  established  in  1878.  The 
small  hamlet  is  a  flag  station  on  the  main 
line  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad. 

Upper  Been  post-office  was  established  in 
1863,  at  Wagner's  inn,  on  the  State  road,  four 
miles  west  from  Hamburg.  It  was  first  kept 
by  John  Albright  at  the  tavern,  and  later  by 
Frank  Wagner  at  the  mill  in  this  locality. 
Jonathan  Rentschler  is  the  present  postmaster, 
having  the  office  at  his  store  in  a  new  building 
opposite  the  old  tavern,  which  was  opened  for 


trading  purposes  by  G.  B.  Wagner  &  Son  in 
1882.  A  daily  mail  from  Hamburg  is  supplied. 
The  old  Wagner  or  "  Berks  County  "  inn  is  a 
log  building,  put  up  in  the  last  century.  It  is 
the  oldest  public-house  in  this  part  of  the  coun- 
ty. Valentine  Wagner  was  an  early  keeper 
and  it  has  remained  almost  continually  in  the 
family  name. 

Berks  post-office  is  at  the  hamlet  cluster- 
ing around  the  station  of  the  Philadelphia  and 
Reading  Railroad  in  Upper  Bern,  opposite  the 
borough  of  Hamburg.  It  was  established  De- 
cember 23,  1879,  with  Nathan  S.  Schock,  post- 
master, who  had  it  at  his  store  until  October, 
1885,  when  F.  S.  Seaman  was  appointed  and 
removed  the  office  to  his  store.  In  addition  to 
these  two  places  of  business,  there  are  a  large 
hotel,  rolling-mill  and  a  few  residences  at  this 
point.     It  is  usually  called  '•'  West  Hamburg  "  ' 

churches. 

St.  Michael's  Church  (Lutheran  and 
Reformed)  is  located  near  the  centre  of  the  town- 
ship, on  a  lot  elevated  above  the  surrounding 
country,  making  it  visible  many  miles  around. 
The  church  property  contains  about  fifty  acres 
of  land,  and  includes  a  large  cemetery  and  the 
residence  of  the  organist.  The  edifice  is  of  brick, 
with  large  galleries  on  three  sides,  and  has  sittings 
for  fourteen  hundred  persons,  being  the  largest 
country  church  in  the  county.  A  shapely 
steeple,  containing  a  large  bell,  adds  to  the  at- 
tractions of  the  building.  It  was  completed  at 
a  cost  of  eighteen  thousand  dollars.  It  was 
dedicated  the  latter  part  of  May,  1875,  having . 
been  erected  the  previous  year.  The  day  was 
very  windy  and  the  weather  for  some  time  had 
been  dry,  causing  the  leaves  in  the  surrounding 
woods  to  be  as  inflammable  as  tinder.  A  large 
concourse  of  people  was  in  attendance  and  hun- 
dreds of  teams  were  hitched  in  the  grove.  A 
match  dropped  by  a  careless  smoker  ignited  the 
leaves  which  were  soon  fanned  into  uncontrol- 
lable flames  and  burned  with  such  rapidity  that 
seventeen  horses  and  twenty-two  vehicles  were 
destroyed. 

This  is  the  third  church.     These  congrega- 

1  See  Borough  of  Hamburg. 


1134 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


tions  were  organized  in  1769,  during  the  ministry 
of  the  Eev.  Philip  Jacob  Michael  as  German 
Reformed  pastor,  and  the  Rev.  Peter  Mischler 
as  Lutheran. 

A  log  meeting-house  was  built  that  year  on 
nearly  six  acres  of  land,  bought  of  Joseph  Shol- 
lenberger,  which  tract  was  soon  afterward  en- 
larged by  the  purchase  of  forty-six  acres.  That 
building  stood  in  what  is  now  the  cemetery  of 
the  church  and  was  used  until  1811,  when  it 
was  replaced  by  the  present  edifice.  The  corner- 
stone was  laid  August  5, 1810,  and  the  building 
soon  afterward  completed.  The  building  was 
of  brick,  without  a  spire ;  but  having  been  ele- 
vated, it  presented  a  fine  appearance.  The  total 
cost  was  thirteen  hundred  and  eight  pounds  and 
thirteen  shillings,  Pennsylvania  currency.  After 
the  church  was  dedicated,  with  all  the  debts  paid, 
it  was  found  that  there  was  a  handsome  balance 
in  the  treasury.  From  that  time  on  both  con- 
gregations have  flourished,  the  Reformed  having 
nearly  four  hundred  members  in  1885,  and  the 
Lutherans  a  larger  number. 

The  pastors  of  the  church  have  been  as  follows : 

German  Reformed — Revs.  Jacob  Michael, 
John  Waldshmidt,  Hartzle,  Munn,  Philip 
Moyer,  E.  D.  Zehring,  Aaron  Leinbach,  T. 
C.  Leinbach  and  Samuel  Leinbach,  the  present 
minister.  On  the  part  of  the  Lutherans  there  were 
the  Revs.  Peter  Mischler,  Daniel  Schomacher, 
Miller,  Daniel  Lehman,  John  Knoske,  Marcus 
Harple,  Carl  Schmidt,  Thomas  T.  Iaeger  and 
B.  D.  Zweitzig,  the  present  pastor. 

Soon  after  the  congregations  were  organized 
a  school  was  regularly  maintained  at  the  church, 
Conrad  Stein  being  one  of  the  first  teachers. 
In  1846  a  new  school-house  was  built,  which  is 
still  standing  in  the  cemetery,  now  serving  as  a 
home  for  the  organist. 

Shaetlesville  Fbieden's  Chubcii  (Luth- 
eran and  Reformed). — This  is  a  fine  brick 
building,  and  occupies  a  commanding  site  at  Shar- 
tlesville.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  on  August 
28,  1870,  and  the  lower  part  of  the  building 
completed  for  dedication  in  1871.  A  fine  bell 
was  procured  eight  years  later  and  efforts  will 
be  made  to  finish  the  church  complete  at  an 
early  day.  The  project  of  building  a  church  at 
this  place  was  agitated  as  long  ago  as  1860,  but 


on  account  of  the  limited  number  of  members 
who  were  willing  to  associate  themselves  for  this 
purpose,  nothing  was  done  until  ten  years  after- 
ward, when  James  B.  Nunnemaker  encouraged 
the  enterprise  by  donating  four  acres  of  land, 
on  which  to  build  a  house  of  worship.  Accord- 
ingly, on  the  29th  of  January,  1870,  church 
regulations  were  signed  (Joseph  S.  Hix  having 
been  president  of  the  association,  which  included 
fourteen  members).  About  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars have  thus  far  been  spent  upon  the  church. 

The  German  Reformed  congregation  was  or- 
ganized with  about  fifty  members,  which  has 
not  been  materially  increased.  The  Rev.  R.  S. 
Apple  has  been  the  only  pastor.  The  Lutheran 
congregation  has  a  membership  of  seventy-five, 
with  the  Rev.  D.  D.  Trexler  as  pastor.  The 
first  pastor  was  Rev.  F.  P.  Messer.  A  well- 
conducted  Sunday-school,  of  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  members,  has  Thomas  Richardson 
as  its  superintendent. 

The  United  Bbetheen  in  C  heist  have  a 
comfortable  house  of  worship  near  the  Upper 
Bern  post-office.  It  was  built  in  1870.  Among 
those  who  promoted  the  building  of  the  church 
were  John  Loose  (on  whose  land  the  house  was 
built),  Jacob  Fisher,  Benjamin  Seaman,  Benja- 
min Wert  and  Levi  Dunkelberger.  The  mem- 
bership is  small  and  meetings  are  held  only  once 
a  month.  The  ministerial  supply  is  in  connec- 
tion with  other  churches  of  the  same  faith  in  i 
the  county. 

Mennonites. — The  sect  called  Amish  Men- 
nonites  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  Bern 
and  took  steps  at  an  early  day  to  establish  a 
place  of  worship.  For  this  purpose  the  Penns 
granted  them  a  tract  of  land,  consisting  of  twen- 
ty acres,  near  the  Blue  Mountain,  upon  which 
was  built,  in  1766,  a  small  log  meeting-house. 
It  does  not  appear  that  the  house  was  long 
maintained  as  a  place  of  worship,  but  that,  after 
the  custom  of  the  Mennonites,  the  meetings 
were  held  later  at  the  houses  of  the  members, 
which  embraced  in  this  and  other  townships 
families  bearing  the  names  of  Weidman,  Gerber, 
Miller,  Kauffman,  Yoder,  Forney  and  Speicher. 
Most  of  the  Amish  element  was  absorbed  by  the 
Brethren  or  Dunkards,  and  a  place  of  meeting 
established  in  Centre  township. 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


1135 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 

Joseph  S.  Hix  is  a  great-grandson  of  Henry 
Conrad  Hix,  who  emigrated  from  Hamburg, 
Germany,  about  the  year  1765,  and  settled  in 
Heidelberg  township,  Berks  County.  He  sub- 
sequently removed  to  Schuylkill  County,  and 
pursued  the  blacksmith's  trade  together  with 
farming.  He  was  united  in  marriage  to  a  Miss 
Hoyer,  by  whom  he  had  five  sons  and  two 
daughters.     Of    this  number,  George  resided 


Sarah  Seyfert,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Seyfert,  of 
Berks  County.  Their  children  are  Joseph  S., 
Elweina  (deceased,  married  to  Samuel  Tobias), 
Sybilla,  Michael  S.  (married  to  Louisa  Metz), 
George  S.  (deceased,  married  to  Emma  Graeff), 
and  Sarah  Ann  (deceased,  Mrs.EliasG.  Reber). 
Joseph  S.  Hix  was  born  August  18,  1837, 
in  Upper  Bern  township,  and  until  the  age  of 
sixteen  was  a  useful  assistant  upon  the  farm. 
He  first  attended  the  common  school,  and  later 


both  in  Schuylkill  and  Berks  Counties.  He 
married  a  Miss  Nunnemacher.  Their  children 
were  Elizabeth,  Eebecca,  Catherine,  Sarah, 
Joseph,  William,  Esther,  Hannah  and  Mary 
Ann.  Mr.  Hix  followed  the  occupation  of  his 
father,  and  during  the  later  years  of  his  life 
resided  in  Upper  Bern  township,  where  he 
died.  His  son  William  was  born  in  Berks 
County  in  1812,  and  was,  like  his  ancestors, 
both  a  farmer  and  blacksmith.      He  married 


the  White  Hall  Academy,  in  Cumberland 
County,  pursuing  his  studies  for  several  years 
at  that  institution.  He  then  engaged  in  teach- 
ing at  the  same  time,  adding  to  his  income  by 
filling  the  position  of  a  clerk.  In  1866  he  be- 
gan business  in  Bernville,  and  a  year  later  re- 
moved to  Shartlesville,  his  present  residence, 
engaging  at  this  point  in  general  mercantile 
business,  where  he  has  since  controlled  a  large 
and  increasing  trade.  He  was  largely  interested 


1136 


HISTOEY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


with  his  brother  in  Schuylkill  County,  where 
an  extensive  business  was  conducted.  On  the 
death  of  the  latter,  in  1880,  he  sold  his  interest, 
and  has  since  devoted  his  exclusive  attention  to 
the  enterprise  at  Shartlesville.  He  is  a  director 
of  the  Farmers'  Mutual  Assistance  and  Fire 
Insurance  Company  of  Berks  County,  and  tht 
Windsor  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company  oi 
the  same  county.  Mr.  Hicks  is  a  Democrat, 
and  active  in  the  arena  of  politics.  He  ha.' 
represented  his  county  on  various  occasions  al 
State  Conventions,  held  several  township  offices, 
and  been  elected  for  two  terms  justice  of  the 
peace,  the  first  time  when  but  twenty-one  years 
of  age.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Reformed 
Church  at  Shartlesville,  a  member  of  its  board 
of  trustees,  and  was  one  of  its  building  com- 
mittee during  the  erection  of  the  edifice.  Mr. 
Hix,  in  1866,  was  married  to  Fayette,  daughter 
of  Henry  Potteiger,  of  Berks  County,  who  died 
February  21,  1875.  Their  only  son,  William 
Henry,  died  in  his  thirteenth  year. 


PENN  TOWNSHIP. 

Erection  of  Township. — At  April  Ses- 
sions, 1838,  three  petitions1  were  presented  to 
court,  setting  forth, — 

"  That  the  petitioners  were  under  great  incon- 
venience for  the  want  of  a  new  township,  to  be  erected 
out  of  parts  of  Bern,  Bern  Upper,  Tulpehocken  Upper 
and  Heidelberg ;  that  said  townships  were  very  large 
and  township  meetings  were  very  inconvenient  for  a 
large  portion  of  the  petitioners,  and  that  the  erection 
of  a  new  township  would  make  it  much  more  con- 
venient for  your  petitioners,  and  enable  them  to  keep 
the  roads  in  better  repair." 

The  court  appointed  Evan  Evans,  Jacob 
Mast  and  David  Morgan  viewers.  These 
viewers  examined  the  territory  proposed  to  be 
set  apart  for  a  new  township ;  but,  on  May  23, 
1838,  they  reported  against  the  application,  for 
the  reason  that  a  new  township  would  make  the 
condition  of  the  petitioners  much  more  incon- 
venient for  a  great  majority  of  the  inhabitants 


1  Subscribed  with  one  hundred  and  thirteen  names,  all 
German  signatures  excepting  twenty-nine.  This  proportion 
is  one-fifth,  or  twenty  per  cent.,  English;  but  in  the  use  of 
the  English  language,  the  proportion  was  not  ten  per  cent. 


than  it  was  without  the  township.  Their  report 
was  then  filed  and  the  application  was  dropped. 
A  few  years  afterward  (November  4,  1840) 
the  application  for  a  new  township  was  renewed, 
with  a  modification  that  it  should  be  erected  out 
of  parts  of  Bern  and  Bern  Upper.2  The  peti- 
tioners recommended  the  name  of  "  North- 
kill."  The  court  appointed  John  Stauffer, 
Christian  Slianer  and  Henry  Gilbert  as  com- 
missioners. The  new  district  to  be  laid  off 
(comprising  nearly  an  election  district  as  then 
formed)  was  considered  advantageous  to  the  in- 
habitants, and  the  commissioners,  on  December 
17,  1840,  reported  the  following  metes  and 
bounds : 

"  Beginning  at  a  white  oak  tree  on  the  East  bank 
of  the  North-kill,  near  Peter  Mogle's  Carding- 
Mill ;  thence  N.  80  E.  1007  ps. ;  thence  S.  13  E. 
1742  ps,;  thence  S.  51  W.  680  ps.,  to  the  east 
bank  of  the  Tulpehocken  creek  ;  thence  along  said 
creek  and  the  North-kill  to  the  place  of  beginning." 

And  suggested  "Penn"  as  a  proper  name. 
Exceptions  were  filed  and  ,  depositions  taken. 
After  the  contest  was  heard,  the  Court,  on  No- 
vember'5,  1841,  confirmed  the  report.  This 
was  the  thirty-first  township  formed  in  the 
county,  and  at  last  William  Penn,  the  founder 
of  Pennsylvania,  was  honored  by  our  own 
citizens  in  naming  a  district  after  him.  This 
was  eminently  proper. 

The  borough  of  Bernville  was  erected  out  of 
this  township. 

Early  Settlers.— John  Bright  was  one  of 
the  early  settlers  on  the  road  between  Mount 
Pleasant  and  Bernville,  where  he  owned  a  large 
tract  of  land.  Part  of  this  property  is  still 
owned  by  his  grandsons,  John  and  Amandon 
Bright.  Here  is  part  of  an  old  house  standing 
more  than  a  hundred  years.  John  Bright  had 
sons  named  Jacob  and  Peter,  the  former  re- 
maining on  the  homestead,  the  latter  moving 
north  of  Bernville,  where  his  descendants  still 
reside.  John  Conrad  was  a  neighbor  of  the 
Brights.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Moravian 
Church,  and  a  prominent  man  in  the  early  his- 


'  These  townships  then  contained  eleven  hundred  and 
fifty-one  taxables.  Besides  inconvenience  to  petitioners, 
they  stated  that  one  set  of  election  boxes  would  be  saved 
in  the  Bernville  Election  District. 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


1137 


tory  of  the  township.  The  descendants  of  John 
Conrad  still  live  in  the  county,  and  have  con- 
tributed to  its  material  progress.  The  home- 
stead is  now  owned  by  a  great-grandson,  Dr. 
John  A.  Conrad. 

John  Jacob  Dundore  was  one  of  the  first 
settlers  in  the  southern  part  of  Penn,  owning 
tracts  of  land  in  that  township  and  North 
Heidelberg.  He  reared  a  large  family,  some  of 
the  sons  being  John  and  John  Jacob.  Daughters 
married  into  the  Gerhart  and  Shaul  families. 
From  these  are  descended  the  Dundores  of  the 
western  part  of  the  county.  On  the  present 
Hetrich  farm  lived  Joseph  Obold,  who  was  the 
grandfather  of  the  older  Obolds  of  the  town- 
ship. He  had  sons,  Philip,  George  and 
Joseph,  and  daughters  who  married  Benjamin 
Haas,  Samuel  Umbenhauer  and  Andrew  Greth. 
Other  early  families  were  the  Kalbachs,  Het- 
richs,  Smiths,  Kerschners,  Kissels  and  Himmel- 
bergers. 

Mount  Pleasant. — This  village  has  a  very 
pleasant  location  on  the  highlands,  on  the  State 
road,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  township.  It 
was  not  regularly  laid  out,  but  lots  were  dis- 
posed of,  according  to  the  demands  of  the  pur- 
chaser, from  the  farm  of  Henry  Hetrich,  land- 
owner, who  lived  in  what  is  now  the  lower  part 
of  the  village.  Where  is  now  the  residence  of 
George  Stoudt  the  first  house  in  the  place  was 
put  up  by  John  Hetrich  after  1812.  Thence  a 
residence  was  occasionally  built,  until  the  place 
has  attained  its  present  size.  In  1885  there 
were  about  forty  buildings,  a  store  and  a  tavern, 
besides  the  usual  mechanic  shops. 

About  1835  Benjamin  Haas  opened  a  public- 
house  in  a  building  which  had  previously  been 
used  as  a  farm-house.  Later,  John  B.  Keber  was 
a  host  at  this  place.  In  1885  Philip  Obold  was 
the  landlord.  The  first  tavern  in  this  locality 
was  half  a  mile  southeast,  on  the  State  road, 
and  kept  by  Jacob  Good.  It  was  discontinued 
about  1830.  A  store  was  also  kept  there.  Here 
is  now  the  wagon-factory  of  Frank  Gruber,  oc- 
cupying a  large  building  and  operated  by  water- 
power  since  the  summer  of  1883 

The  first  store  in  the  village  was   kept  by 
Elias  Obold,  who  commenced  trading  in  1851, 
in  the  building  which  is  occupied  by  E.  Obold 
96 


&  Sons,  general  merchants.  The  Lower  Bern 
post-office  was  established  here,  with  Joseph 
Obold  postmaster,  a  position  which  has  been 
held  since  1864  by  P.  Eeily  F.  Obold.  The 
office  has  a  daily  mail  from  Reading. 

On  a  farm  just  above  the  village  Dr.  Daniel 
Deppen  lived  and  practiced  medicine  a  period 
of  forty  years.  He  was  the  father  of  four  sous, 
who  also  became  physicians,  namely,  Darius 
Daniel  Deppen  (Bernville),  James  W.  Deppen 
( Werners ville),  Joseph  F.  Deppen  and  William 
P.  Deppen  (both  at  Reading).  After  Dr.  Dan- 
iel Deppen,  his  son  James  was  a  practitioner  a 
short  time  at  Mount  Pleasant,  and  was  succeed- 
ed by  Dr.  Henry  C.  Moore;  and  he,  in  1880, 
by  the  present,  Dr.  David  H.  Hain. 

•Since  1867  Dr.  O.  E.  Collins  &  Son,  veter- 
inary surgeons,  have  extensively  practiced  their 
profession  at  this  place. 

The  manufacture  of  cigars  is  carried  on  since 
1877  by  Jacob  D.  Madeira.  In  1885  a  fine 
factory  had  a  working  capacity  for  thirty-five 
hands.  He  employed  from  ten  to  twenty  men 
and  boys.  Another  factory,  of  smaller  capacity, 
is  operated  by  Darius  Althouse. 

Plow-making  is  carried  on  by  E.  H.  Gruber, 
and  coach-making  by  Isaac  H.  Gruber. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Scull's  Hill,  Jacob 
Hiester  had  an  old-time  tavern,  afterward  kept 
by  Levi  Balthaser,  who  opened  and  carried  on 
a  store  in  connection  with  the  tavern.  Under 
his  management  the  stand  became  widely  known. 
The  store  has  long  since  been  discontinued.  Ben- 
jamin Haas  also  kept  an  early  inn  at  this  place, 
and  northwest  there  were  also  country  taverns 
for  many  years,  which  have  been  converted  to 
other  uses. 

In  the  township,  aside  from  the  mills  noticed 
in  the  sketch  of  Bernville,  there  were,  on  the 
North-Kill,  several  miles  above  the  borough, 
fulling  and  carding-mills,  belonging  to  Peter 
Mogle  and  Daniel  Klahr,  both  of  which  have 
been  discontinued  and  the  power  used  to  oper- 
ate saw-mills.  In  their  day  a  large  amount  of 
work  was  done  and  they  proved  a  great  accom- 
modation to  the  people  of  this  part  of  the 
county.  Below  Bernville,  on  the  Tulpehocken, 
are  two  good  water-powers,  which  were  im- 
proved by  the  Stoudt  family,  who  there  erected 


1138 


HISTOKY  OF  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


mills.  The  buildings  now  used  were  put  up 
within  the  last  fifty  years.  Jacob  Bohn  is  the 
present  owner  of  the  lower  mill  and  Harrison 
Kalbach  of  the  upper.  Intermediate  is  the  old 
Gonrad  mill,  on  a  small  stream  near  the  canal, 
on  which  a  warehouse  had  been  built  for  its  ac- 
commodation. The  water  failing,  steam  was 
supplied,  and  it  is  still  carried  on,  with  this 
double  power,  by  Joseph  B.  Conrad.  Many 
years  ago  the  Conrads  had  a  powder-mill 1  at 


dents  attending  either  at  Bernville  Church,  to  the 
north,  or  the  Bern,  to  the  southeast. 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 

William  Umbenhauer,  is  descended  from 
German  ancestors,  his  grandfather  having  been 
Thomas  Umbenhauer,  the  founder  of  the  pres- 
ent thriving  borough  of  Bernville,  who  resided 
on  the  farm  now  owned  by  the  subject  of  this 


/^^k^/^Wi*^ 


this  place,  which  was  changed  to  a  clover-mill, 
also  long  since  abandoned. 

Near  Bern  Church  was,  in  the  early  history 
of  the  township,  a  gun-barrel  factory,  operated 
by  water-power  and  owned  by  Henry  Deitz. 
Daniel  B.  Fisher  converted  this  power  to  other 
use  and  it  now  operates  a  grist-mill.  Subse- 
quently steam  was  added. 

There  is  no  church  in  this  township,  the  resi- 

1  An  explosion  occurred  at  this  mill  on  July  25,  1838 
and  one  man  (Joseph  Long)  was  killed. 


e2s£4#s%/~' 


biography,  when  he  was  both  a  farmer  and  a 
carpenter.  He  married  Maria  Catharine  Stoudt 
of  Penn  township  and  had  children— John, 
Peter,  Daniel,  Magdalena,  Catherine  and  Eliza- 
beth. Peter  spent  his  life  as  a  farmer  on 
the  homestead  where  he  was  born.  He  mar- 
ried Sarah,  daughter  of  John  Reber,  of  the 
same  township.  Their  children  are  a  son,  Wil- 
liam, and  a  daughter,  Mary,  deceased,  wife  of 
Isaac  Kalbach.  William  Umbenhauer,  was 
born  on  the  21st  of  June,  1824,  on  the  ances- 
tral land,  of  which  he  is  now  the  owner.     He 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1139 


received   such    educational    advantages  as  the 
neighboring  school  afforded  with  additional  op- 
portunities at  a  boarding-school  in  Unionville, 
after  which  two  winters  were  spent  in  teaching. 
He  then  gave  his  attention  exclusively  to  the 
labor  of  the  farm,  and  on  the  death  of  his  father, 
in  1869,  inherited  the  property.     He  was,  on 
the  7th  of  September,  1844,  married  to    Su- 
sanna,  daughter   of  Peter    Spang,   of   North 
Heidelberg   township.       Their    children     are 
Thomas  S.,  married  to  Annie  Stover,  who    has 
four  children),  Henry  S.   (married  to  Jennie 
Shadel,  who  has  one  child),  William  S.  (married 
to  Jennie  Hain,  whose  only  daughter  is  de- 
ceased), Milton  S.,  Isaac  S.,  John  S.,  Daniel  S., 
Catherine,  and  four    who  are  deceased.     Mr. 
Umbenhauer  discontinued  the  management  of 
the  farm  in  1883,  which  is  now  in  the  hands  of 
his  son,  Thomas  S.,    and  retired   from  active 
labor.     He  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political  associa- 
tions and  was  in  1869  elected  justice  of  the 
peace  for  his   township,  which  office  he  still 
fills.     His  ability  and  upright  character  have 
caused  his  services  to  be  frequently  in   demand 
as  executor,  administrator  and  guardian.     He  is 
a  director  of  the  Windsor   Mutual  Fire  Insur- 
ance Company  of  Berks  County.    He  is  public- 
spirited  and  during  the  late  civil  war  showed  a 
high  degree  of  patriotism  by  assisting  in  filling 
the  quota  of  men  required  from  Penn  township. 
Mr.  Umbenhauer  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  of  Bernville. 


CENTEE  TOWNSHIP.1 

Erection  of  Township. — Upon  the  appli- 
cation of  inhabitants  of  Bern,  Upper  Bern  and 
Penn  townships  for  the  erection  of  a  new  town- 
ship out  of  parts  of  the  townships  named,  the 
Court,  on  February  16,  1842,  appointed  An- 
thony Bickel,  James  Donagan  and  Matthias  S. 
Richards  as  commissioners  to  view  the  district. 
The  commissioners  went  upon  the  premises,  and 
finding  that  a  new  district  would  be  advanta- 
geous to  the  inhabitants,  laid  off  the  following 
territory  : 

"Beginning  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mill  Creek,  on  the 

1  The  papers  relating  to  the  erection  of  this  township 
could  not  be  found.    The  facts  were  taken  from  the  record. 


western  bank  of  the  Schuylkill;  thence  S.  64J  W.  825 
pa.,  and  S.  46  J  W.  505  ps.,  to  the  line  of  Bern  Upper 
and  Penn  townships  ;  thence  along  said  line  S.  80  W. 
128  ps.;  thence  S.  24  E.  665  ps.,  S.  16  E.  560  ps.,  and 
N.  77  E.  1290  ps.,  to  the  Schuylkill  River  at  the  Alt- 
house  Bridge ;  thence  up  the  westerly  bank  of  said 
river  about  five  miles  and  three-quarters  to  the  place 
of  beginning.'' 

They  suggested  the  name  of  "  Centre." 
Their  report  was  confirmed  on  January  2, 1843. 
The  .name  of  the  new  township  was  suggested 
from  its  locality,  which  comprised  the  central 
portion  of  territory  between  Bern  and  Upper 
Bern  townships. 

In  1857  a  small  triangular  tract  of  land,  com- 
prising the  extreme  southeastern  corner  of  the 
township,  was  laid  off  and  annexed  to  Bern 
township.  The  commissioners  were  Daniel 
Potteiger,  Henry  Reider  and  Daniel  Schell. 
The  following  metes  and  bounds  inclosed  the 
tract : 

"Beginning  at  the  corner  of  Bern  and  Centre  town- 
ships, on  the  river  ;  thence  N.  51  W.  60  ps.;  thence  S. 
42£  W.  80  ps.,  to  the  township  line  ;  thence  N.  77 i  E. 
104  ps.  to  the  beginning." 

The  quantity  cut  off  was  about  twelve  acres. 

The  early  taxables  of  this  township  are  in- 
cluded in  the  list  of  taxables  of  Bern  township. 

The  industries  of  Centre,  aside  from  agricul- 
ture, are  few,  and  important  only  as  they  are  use- 
ful, the  small  water-power  limiting  their  capacity. 
On  Irish  Creek,  where,  in  early  days  was  the 
Wertman  saw-mill,  John  Becker  has  in  oper- 
ation a  gristrmill,  whose  power  is  water  and 
steam.  Near  the  mouth  of  that  stream  is  the 
Daubert  mill,  built  by  the  Ludwigs  and  which 
was  known  at  times  as  Westerman's  and  Kauff- 
man's  mill.  The  Lenhart  grist-mill,  south  of 
the  centre,  was  built  by  John  Ludwig  about 
fifty  years  ago.  It  is  operated  on  a  small 
scale. 

Along  the  Schuylkill,  lime-stone  has  been 
profitably  quarried  for  shipment  and  the  manu- 
facture of  lime,  carried  on  by  Jonathan  George, 
Frank  Bucks  and  others,  more  than  a  dozen 
men  finding  occupation  in  that  employment. 

Several  miles  north  of  Centreport  is  an  old 
tavern-stand  opened  more  than  half  a  century 
ago  by  Henry  Resch.  Reuben  Ludwig  has 
kept  the  house  the  past  twenty-one  years. 


1140 


HISTOKY  01  BEKKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


churches. 
Belleman's  Church  (Eepormed  and 
Lutheran)  is  the  oldest  house  of  worship  in 
the  township.  The  present  brick  edifice  was 
built  in  1812,  but  has  since  been  repaired.  Its 
yard  is  neat  and  the  cemetery  on  the  church 
property  is  well  kept.  The  land  on  which  the 
improvements  are  situated  was  secured  by 
patent  from  the  commonwealth,  November  30, 
1809,  when  a  little  more  than  eleven  acres  were 
granted  to  Frederick  Blatt,  Samuel  Vortman, 
Casper  Freeman  and  Nicholas  Klein,  trustees 
of  the  Lutheran  and  German  Reformed  con- 
gregations, then  already  existing.  The  land 
was  part  of  a  larger  tract  which  had  been  sur- 
veyed for  Jacob  Road,  September  12,  1754. 
The  organization  of  the  German  Reformed  con- 
gregation was  many  years  earlier.  In  1752 
the  Rev.  Win.  Stoy,  who  was  at  that  time  pas- 
tor of  the  old  Tulpehocken(now  Trinity)  Church, 
preached  in  this  locality  and  his  efforts  caused 
a  small  congregation  to  be  formed.  In  1769 
the  elder  Rev.  William  Hendel  began  preach- 
ing here  and  soon  after  a  log  meeting-house 
was  built.  He  remained  until  1782.  Eleven 
years  later  his  son,  the  Rev.  Wm.  Hendel,  D.D., 
began  a  ministry  here  which  was  terminated  in 
1815,  but  which  was,  in  many  respects,  the  most 
important  period  of  the  church,  inasmuch  as 
it  witnessed  the  building  of  the  present  house, 
the  acquisition  of  the  property  and  the  adoption 
of  church  regulations  on  September  11,  1813. 
At  that  time  the  pastor  of  the  Lutheran  con- 
gregation was  the  Rev.  Frederick  Moyer.  After 
the  Rev:  Dr.  Hendel  had  relinquished  his 
charge,  in  1815,  the  Rev.  Philip  Moyer  became 
the  pastor  of  the  Reformed  congregation  and 
served  until  1833.  Then  came  a  two  years' 
pastorate  by  the  Rev.  Frederick  Herman,  fol- 
lowed by  the  Rev.  John  A.  Liesse,  until  1840. 
Next  came  the  Rev.  Isaac  Miesse,  who  closed 
his  twenty-four  years'  pastorate  in  1864  and 
was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Franklin  H. 
Swartz,  who  left  the  congregation  in  1870. 
In  1872,  after  the  congregation  had  been  with- 
out a  regular  pastor  two  years,  the  Rev.  R.  S. 
Appel  took  charge.  A  feeling  of  discontent, 
which  had  been  brooding  a  long  time,  now 
manifested  itself  to  the  great  detriment  of  the 


spiritual  condition  of  the  congregation,  which 
was  almost  rent  in  twain.  Lately  these  differ- 
ences have  been  harmonized  to  some  extent 
and  the  congregation  again  supplied  with 
preaching.  In  1885  the  pastor  was  the  Rev. 
M.  H.  Mishler,  and  the  membership  of  the 
congregation  was  nearly  four  hundred.  The 
Lutheran  congregation  was  about  one  hundred 
less  and  the  Rev.  B.  D.  Zweitzig  was  the  pas- 
tor. 

Near  the  church  is  a  new  cemetery,  recently 
opened  by  Isaac  Graeff,  which  has  been  neatly 
improved. 

Jerusalem  Church  (Evangelical  Associa- 
tion) is  near  the  village  of  Centreport,  on  a  lot 
of  land  set  aside  for  church  purposes  by  Chris- 
topher Kline.  It  has  sittings  for  about  five 
hundred  persons,  and  was  built  in  1862.  A 
short  distance  from  the  church  is  the  cemetery 
of  half  an  acre  of  ground,  maintained  by  the 
congregation.  Among  the  first  members  here 
were  Christopher,  Benjamin  and  John  Kline, 
Joshua  Reber,  William  Zuber,  John  Dunkel- 
berger  and  Daniel  Lindenmuth.  In  1885 
there  were  nearly  fifty  members,  who  had  their 
ministerial  service  supplied  by  the  Womelsdorf 
Circuit.  A  Sunday-school,  formerly  main- 
tained here,  is  now  held  at  the  school-house  at 
Centreport. 

Brethren  Meeting-House. — East  of  Cen- 
treport is  the  meeting-house  of  the  Brethren  or 
Dunkards.  It  has  a  fine  location  for  the  wants 
of  its  worshippers,  on  half  an  acre  of  ground 
secured  from  the  farm  of  Reuben  Yoder.  The 
house  is  a  plain  brick,  of  large  capacity,  and  was 
built  in  1867.  One-fourth  of  a  mile  distant  is 
the  burial-ground,  taken  from  Emanuel  Yoder's 
farm.  The  members  come  from  the  surround- 
ing townships  to  worship  here  and  number 
about  eighty.  The  preachers  in  1885  were 
Jeremiah  Rothermel  and  Joshua  and  Israel 
Koenig. 

VILLAGES. 

Mohrsville.— After  the  completion  of  the 
Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad,  and  the 
location  of  a  station  opposite  the  hamlet  of 
Mohrsville,  in  Perry  township,  a  small  village  was 
begun  in  that  locality.  It  includes  now  about 
thirty  buildings.     The  depot  was  built  in  the 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1141 


fall  of  1841,  and  since  December,  1842,  Seth 
Zimmerman  has  been  station  agent.  Being  a 
central  shipping-point,  with  easy  roads  leading 
to  it,  a  large  amount  of  business  is  done.  The 
hotel  opposite  was  built  in  1851  bv  John  Y. 
Heffner,  and  was  kept  by  him  sixteen  years. 
Since  1867  it  has  been  the  property  of  Daniel 
Kauffman.  The  store  building  was  put  up  at  a 
later  day  by  John  G.  and  John  Y.  Heffner, 
and  had  a  number  of  occupants.  The  firm 
at  present  in  business  is  composed  of  Isaac 
Fraunfelder  and  James  Wagner. 

A  few  miles  up  the  road  is  Shoemakersville 
Station,  also  in  Centre  township,  consisting  of 
a  depot  building  only.     It  was  located  in  1862. 

Centreville  is  a  village  in  the  south- 
western part  of  the  township,  near  the  Bern 
line.  It  became  a  business  point  more  than 
half  a  century  ago,  when  John  Rick  opened  a 
store  there  and  also  carried  on  a  tannery  in  the 
neighborhood.  Subsequently  Charles  Rick  was 
in  business.  The  last  merchant  was  William 
Bentz.  Here  is  a  post-office  called  "  Garfield," 
supplied  with  tri-weekly  mails  from  Mount 
Pleasant.  It  was  established  January  28, 1 880, 
with  Joseph  L.  Loose  as  postmaster,  a  position 
which  is  now  held  by  Monroe  Bender. 


BETHEL  TOWNSHIP. 

Erection  of  Township.— The  township  of 
Bethel  occupies  the  extreme  northwestern  por- 
tion of  the  county.  Its  boundary  lines  are  the 
apex  of  the  Blue  Mountain  on  the  north,  the 
Swatara  Creek  on  the  east  and  south,  and  the 
Lebanon  County  line  on  the  west,  which  enclose 
about  twenty-seven  thousand  acres. 

In  the  course  of  migration  the  early  settlers 
entered  this  territory  about  1733,  immediately 
after  the  Indians  had  sold  the  land  lying  be- 
tween the  Blue  Mountain  and  the  South  Moun- 
tain. Previously,  at  least  ten  years,  the  country 
lying  to  the  west  of  the  Swatara  Creek  and  to 
the  south  of  the  Blue  Mountain  was  known  by 
the  name  of  Lebanon  ;  and  to  the  east  and  south 
of  this  district  the  country  was  known  as  Tul- 
pehocken  Manor.  These  districts  were  then 
included  in  Chester  County,  and  in  1729  they 
became  part  of  Lancaster  County.      In  May, 


1739,  the  court  at  Lancaster  ordered  the  town- 
ship of  Lebanon  to  be  divided  by  a  line  "  be- 
ginning at  the  Swatara  Creek,  at  a  stone  ridge, 
:  one-half  mile  below  John  Tittle's,  and  continu- 
ing along  said  ridge  eastwardly  to  Tulpehocken 
Township,  to  the  north  of  Tobias  Bickel's,  so  as 
in  its  course  to  leave  John  Benargle,  Adam 
Steel,  Thomas  Ewersly  and  Matthias  Tice  to  the 
south  of  said  line  ;  that  the  northern  division  be 
called  Bethel  and  the  southern  division 
Lebanon." 

Shortly  before  this  division  was  ordered,  a 
,  Moravian  meeting-house  was  erected  in  that 
,  locality,  not  far  from  the  Swatara  Creek,  and 

■  named  "Bethel."  When  the  surrounding  ter- 
j  ritory  was  erected  into  a  township,  the  prom- 
;  inence  of  this  building,  in  connection  with  the 
!  religious  sentiment  of  the  inhabitants,  naturally 
I  suggested  a  proper  name  by  which  it  should  be 
|  known.  In  1752,  upon  the  erection  of  Berks 
I  County,  the  county  line  extended  through  this 
!  township  and  divided  it  into  two  nearly  equal 

j  parts.  The  eastern  part,  included  with  Berks 
;  County,  retained  the  same  name.  And  it  has  been 
so  recognized  till  now.  No  efforts  have  been  made 

■  to  divide  the  township  into  smaller  districts  on 
!  account  of  its  large  extent — it  being  in  length 
:  nearly  eleven  miles  and  in  width  four  miles— as 
;  they  were  made  in   the  division  of  other  large 

townships  in  this  section,  Tulpehocken,  Heidel- 
j  berg  and  Bern. 

|  In  1791  the  northern  boundary  line,  on  the 
|top  of  the  mountain,  was  established  by  a 
survey  and  proceedings  in  the  Court  of  Quarter 
Sessions. 

Early  Settleks. — In  1733  a  patent  was 
issued  to  Thomas  Freame  (described  as  residirg 
in  Philadelphia),  for  ten  thousand  acres,  situa- 
ted on  the  Swatara  Creek  and  adjoining  the  land 
of  the  proprietaries  and  of  Thomas  Lower, 
This  large  tract  was  taken  up  in  pursuance  of 
ten  warrants.  It  extended  across  the  Swatara 
into  Tulpehocken  township.  It  was  sometimes 
called  a  "  Manor." 

The  following  tracts  were  sold  out  of  this 
manor,  in  Bethel  township.  Freame  died 
possessed  of  a  great  portion. 

Acres. 

1740    Freame  and  wife  to  William  Parsons  (Philadelphia.) 343% 

1742  "        "      "     to  John  Heberling 168 


1142 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


1755    Freame's  Executora  to  William  Parsons 109 

1725         "  "-         to  John  Etries 188 

1759         "  "         to  George  Lash 441 

1763  "  "  to  Leonard  Swartz 271 

1766    Freame's  Devisee  (daughter)  to  Batdorff. 443 

1766         "  "         to  Christopher  Eoyer 150 

1766         "  "         to  George  Eminert 250 

1766  "           "          to  Leonard  Miller  and  Martin  Emniert....l90j£ 

1768         "  "  to  Christian  Newcomet 173 

1770         "  "         to  Peter  Meyer 247 

1770         "  "         to  George  Anspach 147 

Other  tracts  were  taken  up  as  follows  : 

1738    Martin  Cappeller,  for  200    acres. 
1746    George  Dollingor,   for  352       " 
1759    Jacoh  Hoffman,  for  180         " 

Indian  Cruelties. — This  township  was 
conspicuous  during  the  incursions  and  cruelties 
by  the  Indians  from  1756  till  1763.1  More 
than  sixty  of  its  inhabitants  were  murdered.  A 
prominent  fort  stood  in  the  township,  several 
miles  north  from  Millersburg,  on  the  road  to 
Pine  Grove,  immediately  below  "  Round  Head," 
having  been  erected  there  about  1754.  It  was 
called  "Fort  Henry."2  The  spot  is  still 
pointed  out  by  the  neighboring  inhabitants. 
This  fort  was  a  large  log  building,  about  forty 
by  sixty  feet,  surrounded  by  a  stockade.  It  af- 
forded protection  to  many  alarmed  people  who 
fled  into  it  for  refuge  when  the  Indians  entered 
the  township.  It  was  situated  in  "  The  Hole," 
a  peculiar,  large  depression  of  the  earth's  surface 
between  two  ridges  of  the  mountain.  It  was 
called  by  the  early  neighboring  inhabitants 
''  Der  Loch" — the  hole  or  hollow.  This  hollow 
extends  some  miles  to  the  east  and  west  of  the 


iSee  Chapter  on  "  French  and  Indian  War." 
2Dr.  W.  H.  Egle,  in  his  "  History  of  Pennsylvania,''  p. 
867,  locates  this  fort  in  Lebanon  County.  He  states :  This 
fort  was  erected  in  1756  by  Captain  Christian  Busse,  by 
order  of  Governor  Morris.  In  January,  1756,  Governor 
Morris  ordered  him  "to  proceed  as  soon  as  possible  with 
the  company  under  your  command  to  the  gap  where  the 
Swatara  comes  through  "the  mountains,  and  in  some  con- 
venient place  there  to  erect  a  fort  of  the  form  and  dimen- 
sions herewith  given,  unless  you  shall  judge  the  stockade 
already  erected  there  conveniently  placed,  in  which  case 
you  will  take  possession,  and  make  such  additional  work 
as  you  may  think  necessary  to  make  it  sufficiently  strong." 
It  is  possible  that  Dr.  Egle  is  correct  in  locating  a  fort  in 
Lebanon  County  where  the  Swatara  passes  through  the 
mountains.  But  it  is  certain  that  Captain  Busse  was  sta- 
tioned in  the  fort  in  Berks  County;    and  it  is    probable 

that  when   he   reached    this   locality — "The   Hole" he 

found  "the  stockade  already  erected  there"  and  "con- 
veniently placed  ;  *'  and,  upon  taking  possession,  he  added 
certain  work  "to  make  it  sufficiently  strong." 


gap  in  the  ridge  of  the  mountain  where  the  fort 
stood.  The  eastern  side  is  formed  by  the  rocky 
eminence  called  _  "  Round  Head "  (in  German 
"Rund  Kopf").  The  people  here  call  the 
eastern  extremity  of  the  hollow  "  Der  Klein 
Loch"  (The  Little  Hole)  and  the  western  or 
greater  extremity  "Der  Grosz  Loch"  (The  Big 
Hole).  The  latter  extends  to  the  Swatara 
Creek.  It  is  sometimes  called  "  Monroe  Val- 
ley," having  taken  its  name  after  a  furnace  of 
this  name  erected  in  the  valley  by  Jonathan 
Seidel,  from  Robeson  township.  The  lower 
boundary  of  this  valley  is  called  "  Steiuig  Berg" 
(Stony  Hill).3 

3  Extracts  taken  from  an  article  entitled  "  Round  Head," 
which  was  prepared  by  the  author  of  this  history  and  pub- 
lished in  the  Reading  Times  July  22,  1880: 

"  Over  a  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and 
overlooking  the  fertile  valleys  and  rolling  hills  of  Berks  and 
Lebanon  Counties  for  six  hundred  square  miles,  it  stands 
high  above  the  surrounding  country,  a  monument  of  natural 
wonder,  a  witness  of  nature's  terrible  convulsions,  a  mark 
of  prehistoric  times.  Where  is  the  mind  that  can  penetrate 
into  its  hoary  history,  where  the  pen  that  can  portray  its 
grandeur  and  glory  ?  How  many  million  times  have  the 
magnificent  beams  of  the  morning  sun  crowned  its  towering 
head  with  a  halo  of  light,  first  before  reaching  the  rocks  and 
trees  below,  as  they  flashed  over  Penn's  Mount,  across  the 
Schuylkill  and  the  rolling  country,  far  on  to  the  West;  and 
how  many  times  have  the  same  beams,  after  showering  their 
life-giving  warmth  and  brightness  upon  industrious  villages 
and  towns  that  now  are  along  the  Tulpehocken  and  Swa- 
tara, and  upon  the  valleys  and  hills  that  now  are  divided 
into  numerous  productive  farms,  left  it  last  before  they  were 
drawn  in  behind  the  western  hills  ! 

"Thousands  of  years  ago,  when  the  waters  under  the 
heaven  were  gathered  together  and  the  dry  land  appeared, 
what  a  spectacle  must  have  been  in  this  locality !  The  first 
speck  of  earth- as  upon  Ararat's  famous  height— (o  feel  the 
rushing  of  the  mighty  winds  and  to  see  the  roaring  waters 
assuage,  what  a  witness  of  ages  gone  by !  And  when  the 
angry  waves  ceased  to  wash  its  rugged  sides,  and  the  great 
law  of  gravity  was  exerting  itself  to  the  utmost  to  reduce 
all  things  to  a  common  level,  what  a  crashing  and  a  thun- 
dering must  have  reverberated  in  the  valleys  round-about, 
(is  the  great  rocks  rolled  from  their  primeval  beds  down 
into  the  gorge  before  it,  seven  hundred  feet  below ! 

"And  this  is  'Round  Head'— so  called  for  over  one 
hundred  years— a  projection  from  the  Blue  Mountain  in 
Bethel  township,  the  northwestern  section  of  Berks  County, 
three  miles  north  from  the  village  of  Millersburg  and 
twenty-eight  from  the  city  of  Reading. 

*  *  *  *      "    *  * 

"  What  was  all  this  grand  country  a  thousand  years  ago  ? 
Where  are  the  records  to  give  us  to  know  who  inhabited 
these  mountains  and  hills,  these  valleys  and  streams  ?  Were 
wild  animals  here  alone  and  undisturbed?     Was  the  eagle 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


1143 


Taxables  of  1759. — In  1759  the  assess- 
ment list  comprised  the  following  taxables.  The 
tax  levied  then  was  £12  19s.  Wendell  Seidel 
was  the  collector : 


Peter  Bicksler  .   . 
Christian  Battorf  .       .   . 
Peter  Bicksler,  Jr  .  .   .   . 
Henry  Bergor 
George  Berger 
Adam  Cassel  .  . 
William  Crickbaum  . 
Henry  Cerring  ... 

Andreas  Creitzer 5 

Jacob  Cerven*.  .  .   . 

LndwigDerr  .   . 

Adam  Daniel 

John  Frantz      .  .   . 

Conrad  Ferster  .... 
Nicholas  Gebbardt 
Christopher  nerrold    .  . 
Lorentz  Hautz  . 
Andreas  Kreamer 
Christopher  Knebel  . 
George  Lash  .   . 
Peter  Mower  . 
Peter  Meyer  .   . 

Rudolph  Meyer . 


£ 
3 
2 
1 

John  Meyer 

Christopher  Neweomet 
Nicholas  Poncius  .   . 

£ 

.    3 

.    .    2 

3 

8 

2 

Christopher  Koyer 
John  Reed  ... 

3 
3 

10 

Abraham  Reiver 

.    .    8 

5 

Christopher  Stump  .   .  . 

Casper  Snevely 

Wondlo  Seidle 

.15 

4 

.    4 

1 

Wendle  Schutt 

] 

10 

Leonard  Swartz       .   .   . 

2 

3 

Balthaser  Smith    . 

1 

2 
1 

Ulrich  Spiese 

.    .    1 

.    .    2 

2 
3 

Martin  Shuy  ... 

1 

4 
4 
2 

Martin  Trester  . 
Frederick  Trester    .   . 

5 

2 

.    2 

211 
2 

Jacob  Teny    . 
Nicholas  Wolf 

1 

2 

3 

5 

Adam  Walborn  .       .    . 
Michael  Willand          .   . 

1 
.    1 

soaring  aloft  with  wings  unfurled  over  this  rocky  eminence 
watching  the  sparkling  ripples  in  the  meandering  stream 
below  or  the  gambols  of  the  deer  and  fawn  laving  here  and 
slaking  their  thirst ?  Were  men  and  women  and  children 
here  struggling,  as  now  they  are,  in  the  hot  sun  for  subsist- 
ence ?  Were  buildings  and  temples  and  peace  and  pros- 
perity here  ?  No  paper,  no  parchment,  no  papyrus  is  here 
to  inform  us  what  civilization  existed  ;  the  ploughshare  has 
turned  up  no  ornamented  and  finely-chiseled  stones  with 
hieroglyphic  inscriptions ;  no  famous  Bayeux  tapestry  has 
been  handed  down  from  generation  to  generation  to  tell  uh 
that  here,  too,  as  in  Britain,  a  William  reigned. 

"Even  five  hundred  years  ago  our  whole  country  was 
unknown — so  it  is  supposed — and  one  hundred  years  far- 
ther down  in  the  course  of  time  Columbus  was  only  con- 
cluding that  a  country  must  be  here  where  we  now  are. 
and  begging  for  aid  to  help  him  realize  the  grand  venture 
of  his  life ;  one  hundred  years  more  settlements  were  only 
begun  along  the  Atlantic  coast,  and  the  first  ideas  of  gov- 
ernment were  only  introduced  in  this  benighted  land ; 
fifty  years  more  the  Swedes  only  began  their  settlements 
on  the  Delaware  and  Schuylkill,  and  fifty  more  Penn  only 
landed  here  with  his  great  charter  from  King  Charles  the 
Second  for  the  government  of  Pennsylvania. 

"Only?  This  seems  like  trifling  with  time.  We  speak 
of  centuries  then  as  years  now.  And  well  we  can ;  for 
what  transpired  along  the  Schuylkill,  the  Tulpehocken 
and  the  Swatara  before  1680  ?  In  England  the  noblemen 
trace  back  their  ancestry  and  government  for  centuries  ;  in 
Germany  they  go  still  farther  back,  and  the  Maharajah  of 
Jeypore  a  thousand  years.  Think  of  it!  Two  hundred 
years  ago  our  people  here  were  only  in  reality  beginning 
to  live  and  understand  free  civil  government.  Then  the 
great  grandsires  of  our  forefathers  were  only  developing 
the  great  ideas  of  independent  thought  and  religious  tolera- 
tion in  France  and  Germany.     Then  the  Monceys,  the  most 


Early  Settlers. — Among  the  early  set- 
tlers was  Jacob  Bordner,  from  whom  have  de- 
scended the  Bordners  of  the  township.  He  lived 
first  in  Tulpehocken,  but  located  finally  near 
where  Millersburg  now  is,  where  he  remained 
until  his  death.  He  had  sons  named  Jacob 
and  John,  and  daughters,  who  married  Adam 
Weber,  Christopher  Deck,  Christian  Knabel 
and  Christopher  Lebo.  Michael  Miller,  the 
founder  of  Millersburg,  had  one  son,  Isaac,  who 
remained  in  the  township,  and  another,  Joseph, 
in  the  public  service  at  Harrisburg  many 
years.  Along  the  Swatara  lived  the  Frantz 
family.  Westward,  among  the  older  families 
were  the  Neweomet,  Grove,  Royer,  Batdorff, 
Walborn  and  Kurr  families. 

Diedrich  Schneider's  Inn. — Three  miles 
east  from  Millersburg,  on  the  State  road,  is  an 
old  inn,  which  is  a  land-mark  in  the  township, 

warlike  tribe  of  the  Lenap6  Indians,  were  roving  at  lib- 
erty over  these  mountains  and  valleys  with  no  one  to 
molest  them,  no  one  to  interfere  ;  and  then  they  traded 
peacefully  with  and  sold  their  lands  to  the  English  at  and 
about  the  mouth  of  the  Schuylkill. 

"  But  the  next  hundred  years  brought  about  a,  great 
change  in  this  locality.  Leaving  their  homes  and  all  their 
great  antiquity,  the  early  German  settlers  crossed  the  per- 
ilous ocean  and  located  here  in  this  township  of  Bethel,  one 
hundred  miles  from  the  sea,  in  the  wilderness,  at  the  very 
foot  of  the  mountains,  far  enough,  they  thought,  from  civ- 
ilization, and  out  of  the  reach  of  encroachments  on  their 
personal  rights.  What  terrible,  overhanging  cruelty  drove 
them  hither  ?  what  fear  induced  them  to  fly  from  their 
homes  and  face  the  dangers  of  the  Atlantic?  what  fond 
hopes  inspired  them  with  courage  to  travel  into  an  un- 
known, uncultivated  land,  and  risk  their  freedom  and  their 
lives  with  a  race  of  matchless  brutes  and  barbarians  ?  Was 
it  religious  enthusiasm  that  induced  these  excellent  and 
industrious  husbandmen  and  artisans,  with  their  families, 
to  come  here  to  evangelize  the  Indians  ?  or  did  they  wish 
to  be  free  men  and  women,  unfettered  by  thraldom  and 
away  from  war,  bloodshed  and  death  ? 

"As  early  as  1740,  settlements  were  made  here.  Then 
all  this  section  of  country  was  a  part  of  Lancaster  County. 
Then  the  Moravians  organized  a  congregation  several  miles 
east  of  the  '  Swatara  Gap  ; '  and  then,  or  soon  after,  they 
erected  a  two-story  log  meeting-house  which  they  called 
•Bethel  Church.' 

"  And  then  it  was  that  these  earnest  people  were  free 
and  happy.  But  little  did  they  think  that  their  good  work 
was  gradually  developing  in  the  natives  a  bitter  resentment. 
The  red  men  of  the  woods,  the  hardy  dwellers  in  frail  hab- 
itations, the  unlettered  worshippers  of  the  'Great  Spirit,' 
whose  hearts  had  not  yet  been  pierced  with  the  conviction 
of  Christ  and  His  precepts,     could   not  believe  that  their 


1144 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


having  been  in  existence  the  better  part  of  a 
hundred  years,  as  the  property  of  the  Schlase- 
man  family.     On  the  mountain,  northeast  from 
this  point,  in  Schuylkill  County,  but  on  a  farm 
which  lies  partly  in  Berks,  was  the  home  of  the 
celebrated    Diedrich    Schneider,    who   died    in 
1817,  and  was  buried  in  the  old  cemetery  at 
Rehrersburg.     His  wife,  Dolly,  whose  maiden- 
name  was  Dorothea  Hopp,  continued  the  public- 
house  after  his  death,  and  is  well  remembered 
as  the  keeper  of  that  hostelry,    noted   for    its 
plain,  but  unmistakable  hospitality.     She  was 
a  woman  of  remarkable  vigor  of  body,  and  it 
is  said,  could  dance  as  nimbly  at  the  age  of 
ninety-five  as  a  young  girl.     Before  her  death 
the  vicissitudes  of  life  overtook  her  and   she 
was  taken  to  the  Schuylkill  County  poor-house, 
where  she  died  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and 
seven  years.     The  locality  was  long  known  as 
"Dolly  Schneider's,"  after  the  house  was  aban- 
doned.    On   the  Sunbury  road,    nearly    three 
miles  from  Millersburg,  was  an  old  inn,  about 
1800,  known  as  Lechner's,  which  after  its  de- 
struction by  fire,  was  not  rebuilt  as  a  tavern.   A 
mile  nearer  the  mountain,  on   the  same  road, 
was  the  inn  of  Francis  Umbenhauer,  who  died 
in  1812;  this  afterwards  became  the  property 
of  George  Batz. 

strange  visitors  should  be  such  generous  philanthropists 
as  to  come  so  far,  without  any  pecuniary  reward,  for  their 
especial  happiness  and  salvation.  Their  lands  were  occupied 
and  cultivated,  their  fish  and  game  were  taken,  the  products 
of  their  soil  were  consumed.  What  was  all  this  for  ?  whence 
the  right  to  exercise  such  privileges?  They  could  not 
understand  the  various  inquiries  made  of  them  for  the 
purchase  of  their  lands  and  hunting-grounds  ;  so  they  be- 
came suspicious  and  believed  that  an  enemy  in  sheep's 
clothing  was  in  their  midst,  endeavoring,  by  apparent  kind- 
ness and  unselfish  devotion  for  their  soul's  salvation,  to 
gain  an  advantage  over  them  which  would  end  in  their 
conquest.  The  relations,  however,  continued  unbroken 
till  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  between  France  and 
England  for  American  possessions.  Then  their  suspicion 
and  resentment  was  fanned  into  a  flame  of  hate  and 
revenge  by  the  French.  Then  it  was  that  these  pio- 
neers, these  German  settlers,  these,  the  forefathers 
of  our  citizens,  in  Bethel,  sacrificed  their  precious 
lives  on  the  altar  offreedom;  then,  here  in  this  pic- 
turesque hollow  at  the  gorge,  '  Fort  Henry  '  was  built  for 
the  protection  of  our  early  families  from  the  scalping-knife 
and  tomahawk  of  the  savage  ;  and  then,  of  all  our  country 
this  was  the  battle-ground  where  the  grentest  cruelty  was 
exercised,   and   where   the   most  people   were  slain." 


Industries. — In  this  locality  a  tannery  was 
formerly  carried  on  by  John   and  afterward  by 
David   B.    Lerch,  which  was  discontinued  in 
1866.     West  was  another  small  tannery  by  a 
man  named  Barto ;  and  near  by  a  fulling-mill 
last  operated  by  Philip   Brown  ;    near  Frys- 
town  Thomas  Kurr  had  a  distillery,  which  has 
long  since. been  abandoned,  as  well  as  other  dis- 
tilleries of  small  capacity  in  various  parts  of  the 
township.     The  Crosskill  JVIills  were  built  by 
Abraham  Newcomet,  soon  after  the  settlement 
of  the  township.     Part  of  the  old  mill-house 
still  remains.  The  mill  proper  has  been  much 
improved,  and  steam-power   added ;  Emanuel 
Spaunuth  is  the  present  proprietor.      On  the 
Swatara,  a  few  miles  from  Millersburg  Jacob 
Miller  early  used  the  power  at  that  point  to 
operate  grist  and  saw-mills.     These  became  the 
property  of  Peter  "Weidener,  and  later  of  Daniel 
Weidener,  who  now  carries  them  on.  Eastward, 
on  a  branch  of  the  Swatara,  Conrad  Christ  had 
a  small   grist-mill,   to   which   a  saw-mill  was 
added,  and  which  are  still  operated  by  Jacob 
Ebling.      Bethel  is  distinctly  devoted  to  agri- 
culture, the  foregoing  mills  doing  only  the  cus- 
tom work  the  country  demands. 

CHURCHES. 

Salem  Church  (Lutheran  and  Reformed) 
is  one-half  mile  southeast  of  Millersburg,  at 
the  intersection  of  two  public  roads.  It  was 
put  up  in  1810.  A  steeple  was  added  to  the 
church  and  other  improvements  made  about 
1856,  and  an  organ  was  supplied  at  a  more  re- 
cent day.  When  built,  on  a  lot  of  ground 
given  for  this  purpose  by  Godfrey  Rehrer,  it 
was  intended  for  the  exclusive  use  of  the  Ger- 
man Reformed  denomination,  which  had 
among  its  members,  at  that  time,  Jacob  Bord- 
ner,  John  Klein,  John  Royer,  John  Ziebach, 
John  Lerch,  Leonard  Miller  and  Michael  Mil- 
ler. About  1850  the  Lutherans  arranged  for 
an  interest  in  the  property,  and  a  congregation 
was  organized  by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Iaeger,  who 
preached  every  four  weeks.  The  petitioners  to 
secure  this  arrangement  were  Martin  Smith 
and  Solomon  Shreffler.  This  congregation  has 
flourished,  one  hundred  members  being  reported 
in  1885,  with  Rev.  D.  D.  Trexler  as  pastor. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1145 


In  1880  twenty-five  members  of  the  Lutheran 
congregation  withdrew  from  the  Salem  Church, 
and  organized  themselves  into  a  new  body  for 
the  purpose  of  holding  separate  worship.  They 
secured  the  use  of  the  school  building  at  Mil- 
lersburg,  and  Rev.  J.  J.  Cressman  as  pastor, 
meeting  regularly  until  the  spring  of  1885, 
since  which  time  the  interest  has  been  allowed 
to  decline.  The  organization  is  now  imper- 
fectly maintained.    . 

The  German  Reformed  congregation  had 
two  hundred  and  seventy  members  in  1885, 
with  the  Rev.  H.  J.  Welker  as  pastor. 

German  Baptist  Meeting  Houses. — In 
the  township  are  two  meeting-houses  belonging 
to  this  denomination,  popularly  called  "  Dun- 
kards."  The  oue  north  of  Millersburg  is  a 
large  building  of  uncut  stone  and  was  put  up 
about  thirty  years  ago.  It  stands  on  a  lot  taken 
from  the  David  Merkey  farm  and  has  a  grave- 
yard attached.  The  meeting-house  at  Frystown 
was  built  a  dozen  years  ago.  It  is  a  frame  of 
large  proportions.  With  it  is  also  a  burial  plat. 
Both  these  meeting-houses  are  arranged  with  the 
necessary  conveniences  to  celebrate  the  ordi- 
nances of  this  sect.  The  membership  is  strong 
in  Bethel.  The  meetings  rotate  with  those  in 
Tulpehocken,  and  among  those  who  occasionally 
expound  the  word  are  Revs.  Pautz,  Hartzler 
and  Klein. 

VILLAGES. 

Millersburg  is  a  village  situated  in  the  central 
section  of  the  township,  near  the  base  of  the  Blue 
Ridge.  It  has  a  large  school  building,  three 
public-houses,  one  grocery  and  one  drug-store, 
and  two  general  stores.  It  was  laid  out  by 
Michael  Miller,  September  17,  1814,  the  town 
plan  including  fifty-two  lots.  He  lived  in  the 
lower  part  of  the  place,  in  part  of  the  house  now 
known  as  Kurr's  tavern,  which  was  the  first  build- 
ing in  the  village.  George  Leidner  put  up  the 
second  house  in  1817,  the  same  being  a  part  of 
the  present  Centre  House,  and  which,  like  the 
Kurr  house,  has  always  been  devoted  to  the 
entertainment  of  the  public.  Leidner  kept  his 
inn  about  twenty-five  years,  and  had  as  a  suc- 
cessor Daniel  Bordner.  In  their  early  history 
the  patronage  was  very  large,  scores  of  teams  on 
97 


the  way  to  Reading  or  points  on  the  canal,  be- 
fore the  building  of  the  railroad,  stopping  there. 
The  .third  public-house,  a  three-story  brick,  was 
built  by  Daniel  Althouse  in  1854  and  Jonathan 
Miller  was  the  landlord.  This  is  now  known 
as  the  "  Bordner  House." 

The  third  building  in  the  place  is  opposite 
the  Centre  House  and  was  put  up  by  Adam 
"Weber  in  1818,  who  occupied  it  until  his  death, 
in  1854.  In  all  this  time  he  followed  his  occu- 
pation of  pump-maker  and  was  succeeded  by 
his  son,  John,  at  the  same  business. 

The  principal  early  settlers  of  the  village  and 
their  occupations  were  the  following  : 

Michael  Millar,  farmer  and  inn-keeper;  George 
Leidner,  inn-keeper;  Adam  Weber,  pump-maker; 
Philip  Hunsicker,  carpenter ;  Peter  Herring,  hatter  ; 
Frederick  Ressler,  wagon-maker;  Michael  Schm^lt- 
zer,  blacksmith;  William  Blecher,  tailor ;  Christian 
Swope,  cooper;  Absalom  Klinger,  weaver;  Thomas 
Bordner,  coverlet-weaver;  Abraham  Clark,  merchant; 
Charles  Cummins,  merchant;  Frederick  Harner,  mer- 
chant ;  Thomas  Rehrer,  merchant. 

The  latter  built  the  first  brick  house  about 
1820,  using  the  same  for  a  store-room  and  did 
business  there  several  years.  He  was  succeeded, 
in  order,  by  Abraham  Clark,  Chas.  Cummins, 
Daniel  Althouse  and  others.  Since  1879,  Eras- 
mus Gerhart  hashad  a  drug-store  in  the  building. 
Jacob  Tice  opened  the  second  place  of  business 
about  1830,  and  soon  came  Frederick  Harner; 
on  the  site  occupied  by  the  store  of  Tyrus 
Lerch,  who  has  been  in  trade  since  1860.  Jones 
&  Bechtel  opened  another  place  of  business 
after  1840,  in  which  G.  M.  F.  Rick  was  in 
successful  trade  many  years,  followed,  in  1885, 
by  his  son,  George,  in  a  building  adjoining  the 
old  stand. 

Ever  since  the  village  has  had  an  existence, 
the  stores  have  had  a  large  volume  of  business, 
attracting  the  trade  of  the  surrounding  country. 

The  post-office  at  Millersburg  bears  the  name 
of  Bethel.  It  was  established  in  1827,  with 
Abraham  Clark  as  postmaster.  Subsequently 
the  office  was  held  by  Charles  Cummins,  Fred- 
erick Harner,  and  after  1861,  by  G.  M.  F. 
Rick.  Since  October,  1885,  the  postmaster  has 
been  William  Kline.  The  office  has  two  mails 
per  day  from  Reading  and  Myerstown. 

The   principal  practitioners   of   medicine  at 


1146 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Millersburg  were  Doctor  ■  Henry  Swope,  from 
about  1828  until  his  death  ;  Doctor  Abraham 
Ruth,  a  few  years  only  ;  Doctor  David  .Bat- 
dorff, for  thirty-five  years,  dying  in  1874 ;  Doc- 
tor Willoughby  Kline  and  Doctor  J.  V. 
Albert,  each  a  few  years  ;  Doctor  James  Y. 
Kline,  one  year  ;  Doctor  Henry  Batdorff,  for 
the  past  eight  years ;  and  Doctor  D.  M.  Bat- 
dorff, since  1866.  The  latter  is  a  nephew  of 
Doctor  Daniel  Batdorff,  with  whom  he  studied 
and  located  here  after  his  graduation.  Doctor 
Henry  Brown  has  been  a  reputable  veterin- 
ary surgeon  in  Bethel  the  past  forty  years. 

Bethel  Lodge,  No.  820, 1.  0.  0.  F.,  was  in- 
stituted at  Millersburg  January  11,  1873.  In 
1885  the  lodge  was  reported  flourishing,  with  a 
membership  of  sixty. 

One  of  the  first  acts  of  Michael  Miller,  when 
he  laid  out  the  village,  was  to  set  aside  a  lot  for 
an  English  school,  upon  which  the  present 
school  building  stands.  The  first  house  was  of 
logs,  small  in  dimensions.  Horatio  Jones, 
who  came  to  this  place  from  Chester  County, 
was  the  first  teacher  who  succeeded  in  awaken- 
ing an  interest  in  the  English,  and  it  was  from 
him  that  the  first  English  in  this  locality  was 
learned,  the  conversation  up  to  his  time  having 
been  wholly  in  Pennsylvania  German.  The  old 
log  house  was  replaced  by  a  small  brick  building. 
Afterward  a  two-story  brick  building  was  sub- 
stituted ;  and  this  proving  too  small,  a  larger 
brick  building  was  put  up.  The  school  affairs 
are  conducted  successfully. 

The  business  of  manufacturing  pipe-organs 
has  been  carried  on  in  the  township  by  the 
Dieffenbach  family  more  than  one  hundred  years. 
One  of  the  first  instruments  of  importance  was 
the  organ  made  for  the  Tulpehocken  Church 
by  Jacob  Dieftenbach  in  1787,  at  his  place  of 
residence,  one  and  one-half  miles  from  Millers- 
burg. He  was  succeeded  by  his  eldest  son, 
Christian,  and  the  latter  by  David  Dieffenbach, 
father  of  the  present  organ-builder  at  Millers- 
burg. The  organs  built  by  the  Dieffenbachs 
are  remarkable  for  their  durability,  power  and 
sweetness  of  tone,  many  of  them  having  been 
continuously  in  use  for  several  generations. 
Some  of  the  larger  organs  built  were  for  the 
Tulpehocken    Church,     in     1787;     Bernville 


Church,  in  1796 ;  New  Hanover  Church,  in 
1800;  Orwigsburg  Church,  in  1808;  Host 
Church,  in  1812 ;  and  Rehrersburg  Church,  in 
1816;  and  also  for  the  churches  at  Stouohsburg, 
Strausstown,  Klopp's,  Mount  Zion,  Epler's  and 
Millersburg.  The  present  proprietor  has  given 
his  attention  to  the  business  exclusively  for  the 
past  fifteen  years.  He  has  in  his  possession  a 
good  pipe-organ  made  by  his  great-grandfather 
in  1780.  . 

Fkeystown. — In  1823  Martin  Frey  pur- 
chased a  tract  of  land,  containing  seventy-seven 
acres  and  twenty-one  perches,  in  thesouthwestern 
portion  of  the  township;  and  in  1830  he  laid 
out  a  town  thereon,  and  named  it  "  Freys- 
town."  The  town-plan  included  one  hundred 
and  eighty-one  lots.  The  dimensions  of  each 
lot  were  sixty-six  by  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
eight  feet.  The  lots  were  chanced  off  by 
lottery,  each  ticket  selling  for  ten  dollars.  The 
following  lots  were  sold  during  October,  1830 : 

No.  48. — Abraham  Newcommet. 

No.  89.— Jacob  Kurr  and  Henry  Schall. 

No.  90. — John  Holsman. 

No.  93.— Benjamin  Heffelfinger. 

No.  94.— John  Xander  and  George  Anspach. 

No.  95. — David  Knoll  and  George  Diel. 

No.  96.— Henry  Spitter. 

No.  132. — Benjamin  Batdorf. 

No.  134.— Jacob  Kurr  and  Henry  Schall. 

No.  136.— Isaac  Seibert. 

No.  137.— John  Brown. 

No.  138.— Michael  Bashore. 

No.  140. — Jacob  Stewart. 

No.  142.— Jacob  Reedy. 

No.  143.— John  Bordner. 

No.  150.— Peter  Daub. 

The  chief  industry  here  is  a  tannery,  which 
was  established  by  Elias  Frantz  soon  after 
1830,  and_  carried  on  by  him  many  years. 
The  business  is  now  in  the  hands  of  Henry 
Frantz,  and  the  products  are  all  kinds  of  oak- 
tanned  leather. 

The  store  at  this  point  had  among  its  first 
keepers  Peter  Lutz,  who  also  had  a  public- 
house.  The  Cross-Kill  Mills  post-office  was 
established  here  in  184^,  and  kept  first  at  the 
mills  whose  name  it  bears,  west  of  the  hamlet. 
A  daily  mail  from  Myerstown  is  supplied,  the 
office  being  on  the  Millersburg  route. 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


1147 


SCHUYLKILL  SECTION. 

The  first  settlers  in  the  lower  western  section 
of  the  county  migrated  from  Philadelphia 
County,  across  the  Schuylkill,  about  1715. 
They  paid  taxes  for  some  years  as  assessed  citi- 
zens of  "  Mahanatawny  "  (afterward  Amity),  in 
this  county.  The  assessors  of  Chester  County 
then  included  them  also  in  their  list  of  tax- 
ables.  This  caused  them  to  complain,  and  they 
accordingly,  in  March,  1720,  presented  a  peti- 
tion to  the  Executive  Council  of  the  province, 
in  which  they  represented, — 

"  That,  whereas  the  Commissioners  for  the  county  of 
Chester  have  attempted  of  late  to  make  us  pay  taxes 
in  the  county  of  Chester,  notwithstanding  we  have 
ever  since  our  first  settlement  paid  our  taxes  in  the 
county  of  Philadelphia ; 

"And  your  humble  petitioners  having  no  trade  with 
Chester,  and  seeing  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  have  any 
tolerable  convenient  road  to  Chester  by  reason  oi 
rocks  and  mountains ; 

"  And  considering  that  the  county  of  Philadelphia, 
if  bounded,  by  the  Schuylkill  will  not  be  above  seven 
or  eight  miles  broad  at  this  place  by  an  indifferent 
computation,  and  the  county  of  Chester,  if  bounded 
by  the  Schuylkill  aforesaid,  will  be  near  fifty  miles 
broad  by  the  like  computation  ; 

"  And  considering  that  we  must  carry  the  produce 
of  our  labor  to  market  at  or  near  Philadelphia,  which 
is  forty  or  fifty  miles,  to  purchase  money  to  pay  our 
taxes  and  defray  the  several  charges  we  shall  be  inci- 
dent to  by  public  services  if  we  be  taken  into  Chester 
county,  which  will  be  a  very  great  burden  upon  us  ; 

'"  The  aforesaid  considerations,  your  humble  peti- 
tioners hope,  are  sufficient  reason  for  us  to  pray  your 
Honors  that  the  counties  may  be  divided,  and  that 
if  possible,  we  may  be  (as  heretofore)  inhabitants  in 
the  county  of  Philadelphia,  though  on  the  west  side 
of  the  Schuylkill." 

This  petition  was  signed  by  Israel  Robeson, 
Francis  Hughes,  Henry  Bell,  John  Sinclair, 
John  Rumford  and  about  forty  more  persons.1 
The  Council  ordered  the  secretary  "  to  inquire 
of  the  situation  and  case  of  the  petitioners  and 
report  his  opinion  thereupon  to  the  Board.' 
On  February  1,  1721,  he  reported  that  he  was 
not  able  to  find  any  authentic  order  for  the 
division  of  the  counties.  .  .  . 

"  That  he  finds  most  of  the  petitioners  passed  over 
the  Schuylkill  from  the  settlements  on  the  eastern 
side  of  it,  which  were  considerable  before  there  were 
any  of  note  on  the  western  side  so  high  up  that  river, 

1  The  names  could  not  be  ascertained. 


and  accounting  themselves  to  be  still  in  Philadelphia 
county  as  they  had  been  before  they  passed  the 
river,  they  were  accordingly  taxed  in  the  township 
formerly  called  Mahanatawny,  but  now  Amity,  town- 
ship, there  being  no  practicable  road  nor  convenient 
communication  between  those  parts  and  Chester." 

The  board,  after  consideration  of  the  case, 
ordered  "  that  the  commissioners  and  assessors 
of  Chester  County  should,  until  the  matter 
could  be  more  effectually  settled,  forbear  to 
claim  those  inhabitants,"  .  .  .  and  that  they 
"  be  permitted  to  pay  their  taxes  and  do  all 
other  duties  to  the  county  of  Philadelphia,  as 
formerly,  without  any  further  molestation,"  etc. 

The  Schuylkill  section  included  a  consider- 
able portion  of  Chester  County  in  the  vicinity, 
and  for  many  miles  north,  of  French  Creek  to 
the  Cacoosing.  In  1729  all  that  portion  of 
this  section  northwest  of  a  line  which  extended 
through  Union  township,  northeast  by  north 
twenty-one  hundred  perches,  to  the  Schuykill, 
at  a  point  a  short  distance  below  the  mouth 
of  the  Sixpenny  Creek,  was  separated  from 
Chester  County,  and  included  in  the  new 
county  then  erected,  and  named  "  Lancaster." 
And  in  1752  this  portion,  together  with  a  tri^ 
angular  tract  of  land  lying  to  the  east  of  this 
line,  was  included  in  Berks  County. 

Streams. — In  this  section  there  is  no  con- 
spicuous stream  which  extends  branches  into 
its  several  parts,  as  in  the  three  sections, — 
Manatawny,  Ontelaunee  and  Tulpehocken.  It 
has,  however,  numerous  creeks.  All  trend 
northeastwardly  and  empty  into  the  Schuylkill, 
draining  about  four- fifths  of  its  territory.  The 
other  fifth  comprises  Caernarvon,  drained  en- 
tirely by  the  Conestoga,  the  southern  part  of 
Brecknock  by  Muddy  Creek  and .  the  southern 
part  of  Spring  by  Little  Muddy  Creek,  into 
Lancaster  County. 

The  streams  worthy  of  special  mention  are 
Wyomissing,  Angelica,  Allegheny,  Hay  and 
Sixpenny,  whose  total  length  is  about  thirty- 
eight  miles. 

There  are  several  smaller  streams,  which  also 
empty  into  the  Schuylkill,  with  a  total  length 
of  about  fifteen  miles.  The  length  of  all  the 
streams  in  this  section  is  about  three-fourths  as 
great  as  the  streams  in  the  other  respective  sec- 
tions. 


1148 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Hills. — A  considerable  portion  of  this  sec- 
tion consists  of  wood-land,  especially  in  Breck- 
nock, Cumru,  Robeson  and  Union  townships. 
In  the  first  three  townships  named  the  hills 
constitute  what  is  generally  called  "  The  For- 
est," and  in  Union  they  constitute  part  of 
"  Chestnut  Ridge,"  which  extends  into  Chester 
County. 

Internal  Improvements — Numerous  pub- 
lic roads  intersect  this  section.  The  most  prom- 
inent are  the  following :  "  Schuylkill  Road," 
which  extends  along  the  Schuylkill  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Tulpehocken  to  the  Chester  Coun- 
ty line,  a  length  of  sixteen  miles  ;  "  Berks  and 
Dauphin  Turnpike,"  "Lancaster  Road," "New 
Holland  Road,"  "  Morgantown  Road,''  and  the 
"Conestoga  Turnpike,"  the  latter  extending 
through  the  southern  portion  of  Caernarvon 
township,  via  Morgantown,  in  length  three 
miles.  All  excepting  the  last  lead  from  Read- 
ing. 

The  "  Schuylkill  Canal "  extends  along  and 
near  by  the-  bank  of  the  Schuylkill,  from  the 
southern  line  of  Reading,  at  the  foot  of  "  Never- 
sink,"  through  Cumru,  Robeson  and  Union 
townships,  a  length  of  fifteen  miles,  and  the 
"  Union  Canal  "  through  a  part  of  Spring  and 
Cumru,  along  the  Tulpehocken  Creek  and  the 
Schuylkill,  a  length  of  about  three  miles. 

The  Lebanon  Valley  Railroad  extends  from 
Reading,  diagonally  through  Spring,  via  Sinking 
Spring,  a  length  of  five  and  a  half  miles ;  the 
Wilmington  and  Northern  from  Reading, 
through  Cumru,  Robeson,  Union  and  Caernar- 
von, via  Poplar  Neck,  Birdsboro'  and  Geiger- 
town,  a  length  of  eighteen  miles;  and  the  Schuyl- 
kill Valley  Branch  of  the  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road from  Reading,  through  Cumru,  Robeson 
and  Union  townships,  via  Poplar  Neck,  Birds- 
boro' and  Monocacy,  a  length  of  thirteen  miles. 

This  section  comprises  six  townships.  The 
first  four  were  erected  before  1752 ;  the  remain- 
ing two  afterward.  They  are  treated  in  the 
order  named, — 


Robeson. 

Caernarvon. 

Cumru. 


Spring. 

Brecknock. 

Union. 


ROBESON  TOWNSHIP. 

Robeson  Township  had  been  known  as  a  dis- 
trict before  the  erection  of  Lancaster  County,  in 
1 729,  whilst  its  territory  was  a  part  of  Chester 
County.  At  August  sessions,  1729,  of  Lan- 
caster County,  the  lines  of  certain  townships 
situated  north  of  the  South  Mountain,  between 
the  Schuylkill  and  Susquehanna  Rivers,  were 
defined,  but  Robeson  was  not  included.  A 
constable  for  the  district  was,  however,  then  ap- 
pointed— Francis  Hughes.  At  the  same  time 
Israel  Robeson  was  appointed  one  of  the  two 
supervisors  of  Leacock  township,  by  which  it 
would  appear  that  he  had  moved  out  of  the 
district,  to  the  south,  a  dozen  miles  into  the 
Conestoga  Valley. 

Andrew  Robeson  became  a  proprietor  of  land 
in  this  section  as  early  as  1718.  Together  with 
a  tract  of  one  thousand  acres  on  the  eastern 
bank  of  the  Schuylkill  River  (now  in  Exeter 
township),  he  purchased  a  tract  of  six  hundred 
acres  on  the  western  bank.  This  was  on  Feb- 
ruary 20,  1718.  He  was  then  a  resident  of 
that  part  of  Philadelphia  County  which  is  now 
Exeter,  on  the  one  thousand  acre  tract.  Several 
years  afterward  (1719-20)  he  made  his  last 
will,  whereby  he  disposed  of  a  considerable 
estate.  In  it  he  names  seven  sons — Andrew, 
Israel,  Jonathan,  David,  Thomas,  Samuel  and 
Peter — and  three  daughters — Elinor,  Mary  and 
"  Margat."  That  part  which  related  to  land  now 
included  in  Berks  County  was  as  follows  : 

To  Israel,  600  acres  "  whereon  he  now  (then)  liveth, 
as  also  ten  pounds  to  his  three  children  "  ;  (400  acres 
hereof  having  been  conveyed  by  Israel  to  his  son 
Moses  fifty  years  afterward,  1770.) 

To  Jonathan,  1000  acres.  (This  was  the  homestead 
in  Exeter.) 

To  David,  200  acres  (occupied  by  David). 

To  Thomas,  brick  house  called  the  "Sine  (sign)  of 
the  sun." 

To  Samuel,  house  occupied  by  John  Owen. 

To  Peter,  500  acres,  called  "Neversink." 

By  this  will  it  would  appear  that  he  then 
owned  in  this  vicinity  over  twenty-three  hun. 
dred  acres  of  land.  He  died  February  19,1719- 
20,  aged  sixty-six  years,  and  was  buried  in 
Molatton  church-yard  (now  St.  Gabriel's,  Doug- 
lassville.)    A  sand-stone  still  marks  the  grave. 


TOWNSHIPS  OP  COUNTY. 


1149 


On  the  obverse  side  there  appears  the  following 
inscription : 

"  Removed  from  noise  and  care 
This  silent  place  I  chose ; 
When  death  should  end  my  years 

To  take  a  sweet  repose. 
Here  in  a  peaceful  place, 
My  ashes  must  remain  ; 
My  Saviour  shall  me  keep 
And  raise  me  up  again." 

Andrew  Robeson  was  a  Swede,  a  man  of 
large  wealth  and  of  great  social  and  political 
influence.  His  prominence  was  worthy  a  special 
testimonial  to  perpetuate  his  memory,  and  this 
was  appropriately  given  to  him  by  naming  a 
township  after  him. 

Besides  the  Robesons,  some  of  the  earliest 
settlers  of  this  district  were  the  following 
Friends  :  Gaius  Dickinson,  John  Scarlet,  Peter 
Thomas,  John  Hugh,  William  Hugh,  Edward 
Hugh,  William  Morris,  John  Webb,  James 
Webb,  Joseph  Webb,  Benjamin  Webb  and 
Samuel'  Webb ;  and  associated  with  them  were 
Mordecai  Eliis,  Thomas  Ellis,  George  Boone, 
John  Boone  and  Thomas  Boone,  who  had  set- 
tied  on  the  other  side  of  the  Schuylkill. 
,  The  territory  of  this  township  extended  east- 
wardly,  originally,  to  the  Chester  County  line, 
several  miles  beyond  Hay  Creek.  The  early 
iron  industry  of  William  Bird,  begun  along  the 
banks  of  Hay  Creek  about  1740,  was  in  this 
township.  This  industry  has  been  kept  up  un- 
til the  present  time,  a  period  embracing  nearly 
one  hundred  and  fifty  years.  Upon  the  erection 
of  the  county,  in  1 752,  the  eastern  portion, 
which  lay  between  Hay  Creek  and  the  Chester 
County  line,  was  added  to  a  small  portion  of 
Chester  County,  which  was  cut  to  Berks  in  its 
erection  ;  and  these  two  portions,  united,  were 
formed  into  a  township  and  called  "  Union." 
Bird  can  be  claimed  as  having  begun  in  Robe- 
son ;  and,  as  Robeson  in  his  day  (1719)  was  the 
largest  resident  land-owner  in  this  upper  region 
of  the  settled  portion  of  the  province,  be,  like- 
wise, a  generation  afterward,  came  to  be  the 
largest  owner  of  land,  if  not  the  richest  inhab- 
itant, of  the  county.  And,  before  the  close  of 
the  eighteenth  century,  a  third  name  (Smith) 
came  to  be  prominent  in  this  township  for  the 
possession  of  property  and  influence,  which  has 


continued  here  with  increasing  strength  for  over 
four-score  years  till  the  present  day. 

Taxables  of  1759. — The  following  list 
comprises  the  assessment  of  taxable  inhabitants 
of  the  township  for  the  year  1759.  The  total 
tax  levied  was  £42  19s.  Gd.  Christian  Arecot 
(Ehrgood)  was  the  collector  : 


Christian  Arecot 6 

Richard  AndersoD 5 

JoBiah  Boone 10 

John  Adam  Bauin 5 

Jacob  Bechtel 0 

Daniel  Bean 10 

Adam  Bicltle 2 

James  Cad  wallader 6 

Jonas  Chamberlane 20 

Gaius  Dickinson 12 

Christopher  Geiger  ,  .  .  .  .  15 
Garrett  and  William  Dewees  .  10 
John  and  Roger  Davis  ....  12 

George  Dykes 10 

Jos.  Dickinson 8 

John  Evan 3 

Enos  Ellis 0 

Valentine  Emms 10 

Francis  Eckerman 1 

John  Griffith S 

Edward  Graff 12 

David  Garradt 6 

Richard  George 8 

Edward  George    . 3 

Paul  Geiger 6 

Elizabeth  Griffith 1 

John  Holmes 6 

Philip  Hart 2 

PhilipHoyle 6 

Valentine  Haun 10 

Sebastian  Harleman      ....    2 

William  Harford 8 

John  Holman       6 

Owen  Humphrey 13 

David  Jones 3 

Ephraim  Jackson,  Sr 14 

Kphraim  Jackson,  Jr 3 

John  Jenkin 4 


Michael  Kearn 14 

Jonas  Lyken 3 

Jacob  Long 1 

Samuel  Landis 4 

Peter  Lyken 4 

Michael   Miller 8 

Jenkin  Morris 2 

Nicholas  Miller 1 

Conrad  Moore 4 

William  Norton 3 

Samuel  Overhollzer    .  .  .3 

Matthew  Patecrew 6 

John  Phillips 6 

Pennybecker 12 

iBrael  Robinson 18 

David  Robinson 0 

Samuel  Robinson 3 

Elias  Rache 10 

Adam  Reitenaur  ...  .   .    5 

Henry  Reichert       5 

James  Richardson 3 

John  Scarlet 17 

Adam  Stall 3 

Arnold  Sheafer 4 

Michael  Stoufer 2 

Balrhaser  Snider 2 

Michael  Snider 3 

Christian  Tritt 2 

Thomas  Thomas 18 

David  Thomas 8 

Peter  Thomas 12 

James  Thomas 3 

George  Taylor 12 

Michael  Walter       4 

Benjamin  Williams 8 

Jacob  Weiler 6 

George  Wendle 8 


James  David. 
George  Ellis. 


Single  Men. 

Andrew  Lykens. 
Robert  Morris. 


Robeson  is  one  of  the  largest  townships  in 
the  county.  Its  surface  is  for  the  most  part 
mountainous,  about  three-eighths  of  its  area 
being  chestnut  wood-land.  Its  entire  area  com- 
prises about  twenty-two  thousand  four  hundred 

acres. 

New  Township  not  Established.— In 
1845  a  petition  was  presented  to  Court  asking 
for  the  erection  of  the  southern  section  of  the 
township  into  a  new  township.  The  court  ap- 
pointed commissioners  (Samuel  S.  Jackson,  Lewis 
Reese  and  N.  I.  Richards)  to  examine  the  ter- 
ritory to  be  set  apart  for  a  new  township  ;  and 
these  commissioners  reported  that  a  new  town-^ 


1150 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


ship  could  be  conveniently  erected,  reporting  a 
line  through  the  township  from  the  extreme 
eastern  corner  of  Brecknock  township  S.  84J 
E.  504  ps.,  N.  84  E.  647  ps.  and  east  186  ps. 
to  the  Union  township  line,  at  Hay  Creek,  26J 
ps.  north  of  the  Union  township  corner,  and 
they  recommended  "  Hay  Creek "  as  a  proper 
name  for  the  new  township.  This  report  was 
confirmed  by  the  Court  on  November  3,  1845. 
But  this  proceeding  had  developed  much  oppo- 
sition, which  led  to  the  passage  of  an  act  of 
Assembly1  directing  the  matter  to  be  submitted 
to  a  vote  of  the  electors  of  the  township.  This 
election  was  held  on  March  7,  1846,  and  the 
vote  was  unanimous  against  a  division  of  the 
township. 

INDUSTRIES. 

In  1792  Potts  &  Butter  erected  a  charcoal 
furnace  in  the  southern  section  of  the  township, 
near   the   line,  and  named  it  "  Joanna,"  after 
Joanna  Potts.     They  conducted  the  iron  busi- 
ness there  for  four  years,  and  then  sold  the 
property  to  Thomas  Bull;  Thomas  May  and 
John  Smith.     In  1798  Smith  purchased  the 
interests  of  his  co-partners,  and  moved  thither 
from  "  Dale  Forge/'  where  he  had  been  located 
for  some  years.    He  conducted  this  furnace  suc- 
cessfully until  his  death,  when  it  passed  into 
the  hands   of  his   son-in-law,    Hon.   William 
Darling,  and  his  son,  Levi  B.  Smith,  who  then 
carried  on  the  business  for  some  years,  under 
the  name  of  Darling  &  Smith.     Smith  after- 
ward obtained  entire  possession  and  continued 
the   iron  business   till  his  decease,  August  9, 
1876.      In  1877   one  of  his  sons,  Colonel  L. 
Heber  Smith,  purchased  the  furnace  property. 
He  has  since  carried  on  the  business  success- 
fully.    The  furnace  has  a  capacity  of  one  hun- 
dred tons  a  month,  and  affords  employment  to 
fifty  men.     About  six  thousand  acres  of  wood- 
land are  connected  with  it.      Besides  the  stone 
homestead,  near  by,  there  are  fifteen  tenement 
houses  and  large  stables  and  sheds  on  the  prem- 
ises, for  horses,  mules  and  charcoal.  The  water- 
shed of  this  vicinity  is  near  "Joanna,"  it  following 
along  the  township  line  for  the.greater  part,  the 
waters  which 'rise  to  the  north  flowing  into  Hay 

1  Passed  February,  1846. 


Creek,  and  those  to  the  south  into  the  Cones- 
toga. 

Gibraltar  Iron- Works,  on  Allegheny 
Creek,  consist  of  a  rolling-mill,  with  a  capacity 
of  three  thousand  tons  per  year,  one  forge  of 
three  fires  and  one  of  four  fires.  ,  About  fifty 
men  are  employed.  These  works  are  connected 
with  the  "  Beading  Iron- Works,"  a  corporation 
owning  extensive  industries  at  Beading.2 

Seyfert's  Iron-Works,  at  Seyfert,  consist 
of  rolling  and  puddling-mills,  with  a  capacity 
of  five  thousand  tons  of  iron  per  year.  The 
rolling-mill  was  erected  in  1880,  and  the  latter 
in  1882.  One  hundred  and  twenty  men  are 
employed,  and  there  are,  besides  the  mills,  a 
number  of  tenements  belonging  to  the  property. 

Grist-mills  began  with  the  early  settlements. 
The  superior  water-power  of  Hay  Creek  and 
Allegheny  Creek  invited  their  erection.  The 
"  Scarlet  Mill,"  on  Hay  Creek,  was  one  of  the 
first  mills.  John  Scarlet  took  up  two  hundred 
and  eight  acres  of  land  at  an  early  time  along 
this  creek.  In  1748  he  obtained  a  patent,  and 
in  1766  he  conveyed  the  land,  including  corn- 
mill,  saw-mill,  etc.,  to  his  son  John  ;  and  the 
mill  at  the  mouth  of  the  Allegheny  Creek, 
known  for  many  years  as  the  "  Beidler  Mill," 
but  latterly  as  the  "  Beed  Mill,"  occupies  the  site 
of  one  of  the  first  mills.  In  1800  an  application 
was  made  for  a  stone  bridge  over  the .  creek  at 
this  mill.  It  was  granted,  and  the  grand  jury 
(of  which  James  May  was  foreman),  on  January 
5,  1801,  recommended  an  appropriation  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  Notwithstanding 
these  successsful  proceedings,  it  would  seem  that 
this  stone  bridge  was  not  erected,  for  in  1831 
another  application  was  made  and  allowed,  and 
a  bridge  was  erected  at  the  same  place. 

On  Hay  Creek,  below  Joanna  Furnace,  the  old 
Brunner  mill  has  been  replaced  by  a  new  mill 
owned  by  Kurtz  &  Plank,  which  was  erected 
in  the  fall  of  1885.  The  building  is  three- 
story  stone,  and  includes  two  runs  of  burrs. 

The  old  Geiger  mill  was  built  in  1781  by 
Paul  Geiger,  and  remains  in  many  respects  as 
then  put  up,  having  a  Master  wheel  which  was 
in  use  more  than  one  hundred  years.  The  pres- 

8  See  Chapter  VII,  Early  Industries. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


list 


ent  owner  is  John  Marquart.  Near  this  build- 
ing John  Geiger  had  a  carding-mill,  and  Paul 
Geiger  a  sickle-factory,  both  of  which  have 
been  discontinued.  Near  this  place  is  the  Cold 
Run  Creamery,  owned  and  operated  by  an 
association  since  August,  1885.  It  is  substan- 
tially built  and  well  supplied  with  machinery, 
etc. 

Below  Scarlet's  Mill,  Ephraim  Scarlet,  a 
grandson  of  John  Scarlet,  got  in  operation  a 
woolen-factory  nearly  sixty  years  ago,  which 
was  discontinued  about  1870.  This  building 
and  the  mill  have  become  the  property  of  the 
Wilmington  and  Northern  Railroad  Company. 
Several  scythe- factories  were  also  carried  on  by 
the  Scarlets  for  some  years,  one  having  been 
discontinued  about  1840.  The  factory  below 
the  mill  was  carried  on  afterward  by  Peter 
Brown  and  others,  and  at  one  time  quite  ex- 
tensively. 

CHUBCHES. 

Friends'  Meeting-House,  near  the  central 
part  of  the  township,  is  a  large  sand-stone 
building,  fast  going  to  decay.  The  grave-yard 
is  inclosed  with  a  stone  wall,  which  is  still  in 
good  condition.  Some  of  the  first  settlers  of 
Robeson  were  Friends,  and  they  had  a  very 
early  meeting-house.  They  also  attended  the 
meetings  in  Exeter  and  Reading.  The  active 
members  were  John  Scarlet,  Isaac  Bonsai,  John 
Williams,  William  Morris,  Judah  Thomas, 
Benjamin  Scarlet  and  Enos  Morris.  The  com- 
mittee of  the  Philadelphia  Quarterly  Meeting,  to 
which  they  were  attached,  said,  in  their  report, 
after  one  of  their  visits  to  Robeson :  "  We 
found  more  Friends  there  than  we  had  expected, 
who  appeared  devoted  to  the  cause  of  truth." 
For  a  long  term  of  years  the  meetings  were 
held  with  regularity,  but  owing  to  the  reduced 
number  of  members,  they  were  discontinued  in 
1872,  and  the  property,  containing  about  twenty 
acres,  was  sold  to  Jacob  Kurtz,  excepting  the 
grave-yard,  which  was  reserved  as  a  permanent 
place  of  interment  for  such  as  might  choose  to 
use  it  for  that  purpose.  Some  of  the  descendants 
of  the  Friends  are  still  among  the  citizens  of  the 
township,  but  do  not  adhere  to  the  faith  of 
their  fathers. 


Robeson  ChUrch  (Lutheran  and  Re- 
formed) is  sometimes  called  the  "Forest,"  also 
the  "  Plow  "  Church.  It  was  built  in  1767  as 
the  exclusive  property  of  a  Lutheran  congrega- 
tion, and  was  unpretentious  in  its  appearance; 
The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  William  Kurtz,  who 
began  in  1 770.  He  remained  until  1779,  and  for 
a  short  time  the  pulpit  was  vacant.  A  minister 
was  proposed  by  some  members,  but  failed  to 
receive  the  office,  because  he  was  not  properly 
ordained,  and  was  suspected  of  being  unsound 
in  doctrine.  This  objection  was  expressed  in 
the  form  of  a  protest,  drawn  up  March  20, 1779, 
and  was  presented  to  the  Synod  by  the  Rev. 
Henry  M.  Muhlenberg,  in  behalf  of  the  follow- 
ing members :  John  Fehr,  John  Moyer,  Sr., 
Paul  Geiger,  Jacob  Seifrit,  Philip  Wert,  Mel- 
choir  Schweitzer,  Jacob  Hoffman,  Casper  Wolf, 
Peter  Bohm,  Philip  Fehr,  John  Moyer,  Jr.? 
George  Wicklein  and  Jacob  Fehr. 

At  the  end  of  two  years  the  Rev.  T.  F.  111- 
ing  became  the  pastor,  serving  from  1781  to 
1797.  His  successor  was  the  Rev.  John 
Plitt,  from  1799  till  1812;  and  it  was  in  the 
latter  years  of  his  pastorate  (1810)  that  the 
present  church  was  erected,  by  the  joint  efforts 
of  the  Lutherans  and  German  Reformed,  the 
latter  having  then  obtained  an  interest  in  the 
property.  As  the  expense  of  building  was 
greater  than  the  congregations  felt  able  to  bear, 
consent  was  sought  to  hold  a  lottery,  to  raise 
part  of  the  money.1 


1 "  Lottery ! ! 

"  Scheme  to  raise  by  means  of  a  lottery  five  thous- 
and dollars  to  enable  the  Lutheran  and  Reformed 
congregations  to  build  a  church  and  school-house  in  Rober 
son  township,  Berks  County."  The  following  prizes  were 
offered:  One  prize  each  for  $600,  $500,  $300,  $150^  four 
each  for  $100 ;  $51  ;  fifty  for  $50 ;  ten  for  $40  j  one  hun- 
dred for  $20.  ;  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  for  $5. ;  etc. 
Five  hundred  tickets,  at  three  dollars  per  ticket,  were  is- 
sued. All  prizes  were  subject  to  a  discount  of  twenty  per 
cent,  and  were  to  be  paid  in  thirty  days  after  the  lottery 
was  drawn.  Prizes  not  demanded  in  one  year  were  consid- 
ered as  relinquished  for  the  benefit  of  the  church  and 
school-house.  The  commissioners  were  Abraham  Mengel; 
Christian  Treat,  Jacob  Geiger,  John  Westley,  Christian 
Donnehaur  and  John  Ziemer  ;  and  the  circular  wis  dated 
January  15,  1810.  The  drawings  were  published  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1813,  and  it  is  said  that  many  of  the  prizes  were 
not  demanded. 


1152 


HISTOEY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


The  building  is  constructed  of  sand-stone  and 
remains  substantially  as  erected.  The  situation 
is  elevated  and  the  building  may  be  seen  many 
miles.  The  cemetery  near  by  is  kept  in  good  or- 
der. It  was  enlarged  in  1885,  by  the  addition  of 
several  acres  from  the  farm  of  Jacob  Good,  un- 
der the  general  cemetery  act.  On  the  19th  and 
20th  of  September,  1874,  the  church  celebrated 
its  first  centennial,  a  large  concourse  of  people 
having  been  in  attendance. 

In  the  new  church  the  Lutheran  pastors  have 
been  since  1813  Eevs.  Peter  Filbert,  J.  W. 
Richards,  C.  A.  Welden,  C.  P.  Miller,  Marcus 
Harpel,  Jeremiah  Harpel,  Thomas  T.  Iaeger, 
J.  R.  Focht,  F.  A.  M.  Keller,  H.  S.  Miller, 
Aaron  Finfrock,  F.  T.  Hoover,  D.  K.  Hum- 
bert and  Zenas  H.  Gable,  the  latter  having 
served  since  1873.  The  congregation  numbers 
four  hundred  members.  The  Reformed  con- 
gregation has  one  hundred  and  fifty  members, 
and  has  had  the  following  pastors  since  1811  : 
Rev.  Aug.  Pauli,  Amos  Dick  Thomas  Leiu- 
bach,  Fred.  Herman,  Aug.  Herman,  M.  L. 
Fritth,  the  last  name  having  served  since  1872. 

Frieden's  Lutheran  Church,  was  built 
in  1866  on  a  lot  set  aside  for  that  purpose  by 
Daniel  Wicklein.  It  is  a  stone  building,  with 
basement  and  was  never  wholly  completed.  The 
congregation  occupying  this  church  was  in- 
dependent of  synodical  connection  and  had  the 
Rev.  Jacob  Wicklein  as  its  only  pastor,  who 
preached  a  few  years.  He  also  served  some 
congregations  in  Schuylkill  County  where  he 
was  accidentally  killed.  A  cemetery  is  con- 
nected with  the  church,  and  about  the  only  use 
the  building  is  put  to  is  when  funerals  are 
held. 

St.  John's  Church,  (Lutheran  and  Re- 
formed), is  a  plain,  old-fashioned  stone  edifice, 
a  short  distance  below  Gibraltar.  The  grouud 
on  which  it  stands,  including  about  half  of  the 
present  grave  yard  was  sold  by  Elias  Retge 
(Redcay)  to  Valentine  Geiger  and  Herman  Um- 
stead,  in  trust,  for  the  use  of  such  Christian  con- 
gregations as  should  contribute  to  the  mainte- 
nance of  the  grave  yard  and  the  church  to  be 
erected  thereon.  The  original  plot  contained 
one  acre  and  ten  perches,  and  the  consideration 
was  five  shillings.     The  deed  for  this  land  was 


dated  April  29,  1791,  and  states  that  this  place 
had  been  used  for  divers  years  past  by  the  above 
named    Valentine   Geiger,   Herman   Umstead 
and  other  inhabitants  of  Robeson  township  and 
parts  adjacent.     If  a  purpose  had  been  formed 
to  build  a  church,  at  the  time  this  conveyance 
was  made,  it  was   not   realized   until   eighteen 
years  later.     The  present  and  only  edifice,  at 
this  place  was  erected  in  1809.     But  who  were 
instrumental  in  this  work  is  not  now  positively 
known,  for  all  accounts  bearing  on  it,  and  the 
early  history  of  the  congregations,  have  been 
mislaid   or  destroyed.     This  much  is  known 
that,  though  nominally  a  Lutheran  and  Re- 
formed Church,  Episcopal  and  Baptist  minis- 
ters also  preached  in  it,  the  Revs.  George  Mint- 
zer  and  Andrew   Collins  being  remembered  in 
this  connection.      The   uncertainty  as  to  the 
tenure  of  the  building  and  the  natural  opposi- 
tion to  Sunday-schools,  caused  much    trouble 
and  local  feeling  in  1850  which  was  set  at  rest 
when  the  church  became  an  incorporated  body, 
April  9,  1851.     In  this  charter  the  ownership 
of  property  is  vested  entirely   in  Lutheran  and 
Reformed  congregations  and  it  is  declared  that 
the  church  should  be  used  solely  for  preaching 
services  by  ordained  and  registered  clergymen 
of  those  denominations.     The  church  is  also 
declared  to  be  free  from   all  synodical  connec- 
tion, and  to  be  the  exclusive  property  of  the 
associated  congregations.     The  trustees  named 
in  the  charter  were  Jacob   R.    Hill,    Benjamin 
H.  Hill,  Henry  Moyer,  Philip  Hartz,  Benjamin 
Clauser  and  John  Haws.     The  latter  and  R.  B. 
Seidel  are  at  present  trustees. 

The  Reformed  congregation  has  one  hundred 
aud  twenty-five  members  with  Rev.  M.  L. 
Fritch  as  pastor  since  1873.  The  ministers 
preceding  him  were  the  Revs.  A.  S.  Leinbach, 
A.  L.  Herman,  Aug.  Pauli  and  William  Pauli. 
The  Lutheran  congregation  has  had  the  Rev. 
Zenas  H.  Gable  as  the  pastor  since  1873.  Other 
Lutheran  ministers  who  officiated  in  the  church 
were  Revs.  Peter  Filbert,  J.  W.  Richards,  J. 
Harpel,  J.  L.  Schock,  J.  A.  Brown,  F.  A.  M. 
Keller  F.  T.  Hoover  and  D.  K.  Humbert. 

Evangelical  Churches.— The  Evangel- 
ical Association  has  several  churches  within  the 
bounds  of  the  township,  the  oldest  of  which  is 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1153 


the  Bethel  Church,  south  of  the  Plow  Tavern. 
It  was  built  in  1845  and  rebuilt  in  1872.  It 
is  a  plain  sand-stone  building  with  sittings  for 
two  hundred  persons.  There  is  also  a  small 
grave-yard  attached,  in  which  are  interred  some 
of  the  early  members,  belonging  to  the  Witman, 
Behm,  Hoffman,  Brown,  Gorman,  Gable  and 
Hines  families.  In  the  spring  of  1874  a  class 
of  this  faith  was  formed  at  Scarlet's  Mill,  and 
in  that  neighborhood  a  small  house  of  worship 
was  built,  called  the  Hay  Creek  Chapel,  which 
was  completed  in  the  fall  of  that  year.  Those 
interested  in  this  work  were  J.  Rhoads,  William 
Pierce,  Alex.  McAllister,  R.  Sands,  David 
Kurtz  and  William  Linderman.  At  one  time 
there  were  thirty  members,  but  owing  to  re- 
movals and  deaths  the  congregation  has  de- 
clined. 

Joanna  Height  Camp  Meeting  Grounds 
were  opened  to  the  public  in  1879.  They  are 
under  the  general  management  of  the  Rev.  H. 
M.  Sebring.  They  embrace  about  eight  acres 
of  natural  forest,  which  is  abundantly  supplied 
with  spring  water.  They  are  elegantly  situated 
and  have  been  extensively  improved  with  num- 
erous buildings.  The  frame  dwellings  number 
two  hundred  and  fifty.  The  yearly  meetings 
of  the  Methodists  have  been  well  attended  and 
the  grounds  have  become  very  popular. 

VILLAGES. 

Beckees ville  is  a  small  post  hamlet,  in  the 
southwestern  part  of  the  township,  deriving  its 
name  from  Jacob  Becker,  who  was  in  business 
at  that  point  a  number  of  years,  and  who  was 
instrumental  in  having  the  post-office  estab- 
lished in  1852.  Benjamin  Dickinson  was  in 
business  at  that  place  as  early  as  1827,  having 
a  tavern,  store  and  distillery,  the  former  only 
being  now  continued.  The  office  has  a  daily 
mail  from  White  Bear  Station.  Several  me- 
chanic shops  complete  the  other  industries  of 
the  place.  Dr.  Isaac  Haldeman  has  practiced 
as  a  physician  at  that  place  the  past  thirty-five 
years. 

Plow  Taveen  is  a  small  business  point, 

nine  miles  from  Reading,  on  the  Morgantown 

road.     It  was  widely  known  in  the  early  part 

of  the  century  as  a  centre  for  the  "Forest  Dis- 

98 


trict,"  where  elections  and  battalions  were  held. 
The  sign  of  the  inn  had  a  plow  painted  on  it; 
and  teamsters  reckoned  distances  from  it  to 
many  points  north  and  south,  the  highway  on 
which  it  stands  having  been  much  traveled  fifty 
years  ago.  John  Kerling  is  remembered  as  a 
landlord  in  the  old  log  tavern,  on  the  west  side 
of  the  road ;  he  was  succeeded  by  Jacob  Yerger. 
About  1839  George  Coleman  opened  a  tavern 
on  the  east  side  of  the  road,  which  has  since 
been  continued  as  the  "Plow  Tavern,"  and  the 
keeper  for  the  past  twenty-one  years  has  been 
Augustus  Eshelman.  In  this  locality  stores 
have  been  kept,  some  in  the  tavern  building, 
but  latterly  in  a  room  prepared  for  that  pur- 
pose, and  in  which  J.  J.  Eshelman  has  traded 
since  1883.  Near  Robeson  church  Dr.  Tobias 
S.  Gerhart  has  resided  since  1864,  as  a  practi- 
tioner in  this  part  of  the  county. 

Geigertown. — A  hamlet  of  twenty-five 
buildings,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  township, 
took  its  name  from  the  Geiger  family,  who  were 
the  early  settlers  in  this  locality,  and  engaged  in 
the  first  business  enterprises.  It  is  located  on 
Hay  Creek,  at  almost  equal  distances  from  the 
Geigertown  and  Cold  Run  stations,  on  the  Wil- 
mington and  Northern  Railroad.  The  post- 
office  was  established  in  1828,  with  the  name  of 
"Geiger's  Mill,"  and  has  been  so  continued. 
It  has  usually  been  kept  by  the  different  pro- 
prietors of  the  stores,  and  among  those  in  trade 
were  Isaac  Geiger,  John  Slonacker,  Jacob  G. 
Zerr,  Joseph  Potts,  Jacob  Moyer,  H.  J.  Hoff- 
man and  Francis  Umstead.  Taverns  were  kept 
for  short  periods.  In  the  spring  of  1886  J..G. 
Zerr  began  the  manufacture  of  cigars,  in  the 
three-story  building  formerly  used  by  the 
"Brothers  of  the  Union."  For  eighty  years 
mechanic  shops  have  been  maintained  at  this 
place. 

Among  the  physicians  in  this  locality  were 
Drs.  A.  T.  Allison,  Charles  A.  Heckley  and 
H.  Palm,  the  latter  being  the  last  in  practice. 

White  Bear  Inn  is  near  Geigertown.  It 
is  kept  at  present  by  Mrs.  Sarah  E.  Beard.  A 
station  on  the  railroad  is  also  called  "White 
Bear."  The  inn  by  this  name  was  opened  more 
than  sixty  years  ago  by  Herman  Beard,  and  the 
family  has  entertained,  the  public  ever  since. 


1154 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Ad  older  inn  was  kept  by  Mordecai  Morris,  in 
1810,  which  was  called  the  "Red  Lion,"  both 
houses  taking  their  names  from  the  signs  which 
indicated  them.  The  latter  house  was  built  be- 
fore the  Revolution,  and  had  other  keepers. 
Joseph  Dickinson  became  the  owner  of  the 
Morris  property  and  established  a  tannery, 
which  he  carried  on  till  1840.  The  tannery 
was  discontinued  about  thirty  years  later,  when 
Jackson  Beard  became  the  owner  of  the  property. 

The  post-office  in  this  locality  is  called  "Scar- 
let's Mills"  and  was  established  in  1869.  It  is 
kept  in  a  small  store,  near  the  station.  Amos 
Boyer  was  the  first  postmaster,  he  having  kept 
the  office  at  the  Scarlet  mill.  A  store  was  kept 
in  1836  by  George  Pierce  and  last  by  Amos 
Boyer  in  1876. 

Naomi  is  situated  in  the  northwestern  part  of 
the  township  and  contains  about  forty  build- 
ings, occupied  principally  by  the  workmen  em- 
ployed in  the  "Seyfert  Iron  Works."  There 
have  been  public-houses  and  small  stores,  but 
none  of  historic  interest. 

Gibealtak  is  the  name  of  another  hamlet, 
one  mile  lower  down.  The  canal  and  railroads 
have  stations  on  each  of  the  lines.  It  was 
formerly  called  Seidelsville,  after  the  owner  of 
iron-works  located  near  the  place.  A  post-office 
was  established  with  that  name  in  1836,  but  was 
changed  to  Robeson  and  afterward  to  Gibraltar, 
under  which  name  the  office  is  continued. 
There  have  been  no  noteworthy  business  inter- 
ests, aside  from  those  connected  with  the  iron- 
works. Two  forges,  known  as  "  Do- Well," 
were  carried  on  near  by  for  a  time  by  the  Seidel 
family. 

Gickersville. — Near  Birdsboro  is  a  small 
hamlet  called  Robeson,  though  locally  it  has 
also  been  called  Gickersville  and  Junction.  It 
is  not  distinguished  as  a  business  place. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

Thomas  B.  Smith,  son  of  John  and  Eliza- 
beth (Bull)  Smith,  was  born  at  Dale  Forge,  in 
Berks  County,  August  17,-  1793.  He  gradu- 
ated at  Dickinson  College,  studied  law  and  was 
admitted  to  practice  at  the  bar,  Reading,  1814. 
In  1816  he  married  Annetta  Old  and  assumed 
the  management  at  Joanna  Furnace,  where  he 
died  February  24,  1825. 


Horace  Smith,  his  son,  was  born  at  Joanna 
Furnace,  graduated  at  Kenyon  College,  Gam- 
bier,  Ohio,  studied  law  in  Reading,  removed  to 
Pottsville,  where  he  practiced  law.  In  1850 
he  was  appointed  consul  to  Portugal.  His 
health  not  improving,  he  returned  in  the  spring 
of  1852  to  Reading,  where  he  died  a  few  weeks 
afterward. 

Levi  B.  Smith  was  of  Scotch  descent.  His 
great-grandparents,  John  and  Susanna  Smith, 
emigrated  from  Ulster  County,  Ireland,  in 
1720,  and  settled  in  what  is  now  Uwchlan 
township,  Chester  CouDty,  Pa.,  in  a  locality 
long  known  as  the  Brandywine  Settlement.  The 
family  name  was  originally  Macdonald,  and  that 
branch  of  it  from  which  he  was  descended  formed 
an  important  part  of  the  earliest  Scottish  emi- 
gration across  the  North  Channel  into  Ireland 
in  the  time  of  James  I.,  of  England.  Near  the  end 
of  the  seventeenth  century  the  family  lived  in 
the  northeastern  part  of  Ireland.  Just  before  the 
Battle  of  the  Boyne,  as  the  soldier-king,  William 
III.,  was  personally  reconnoitering  the  locality, 
which  was  so  soon  to  become  famouSj  his  horse 
cast  a  shoe.  There  was  no  farrier  in  attend- 
ance to  replace  it,  but  Macdonald,  the  father  of 
John  Smith,  in  whose  neighborhood  the  acci- 
dent occurred,  and  who,  like  many  other  farm- 
ers in  thinly  peopled  districts,  was  something  of 
a  blacksmith,  volunteered  to  repair  the  injury, 
shod  the  horse,  and  so  enabled  the  King  to  pro- 
ceed. The  legend  says  that  his  neighbors,  who, 
like  himself,  were  in  sympathy  with  the  cause 
of  which  William  was  the  champion,  called  him 
"  the  Smith."  In  that  district  there  was  a  sur- 
feit of  Macdonalds,  and  there  were  hardly 
enough  names  to  individualize  the  members  of 
the  clan.  Smith  was  to  them  a  novelty,  and 
this  particular  Scotchman,  proud  to  have  his 
name  linked  with  that  of  a  great  man  aud  a  de- 
cisive battle,  as  that  of  Boynewater  was  soon 
known  to  be,  accepted  the  cognomen  and  handed 
it  down  to  his  posterity  as  the  family  name. 
Among  the  first  of  the  Scotch-Irish  emigrants 
to  Pennsylvania  were  John  and  Susanna  Smith, 
who  left  their  home  in  1720,  one  year  after  the 
enforcing  of  "the  Test,"  and  whose  special 
grievance  was  not  the  raising  of  the  rent  of 
their   homestead,  but   the    absolute  refusal  of 


^C^t, 


^^L 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1155 


their  landlord  to  renew  their  lease  unless  they 
would  comply  with  the  requirements  of  that 
hated  act. 

With  her  brother  John  came  Mary  Smith, 
who  married  Alexander  Fulton,  and  to  whom 
in  due  time  was  born  a  grandson,  Robert  Ful- 
ton, who  has  indissolubly  linked  his  name  with 
the  history  of  steam  navigation.  John  Smith 
died  in  1765,  aged  seventy-nine  years,  and  his 
wife  Susanna  in  1767,  aged  seventy-six  years. 

Three  elder  brothers  having  sought  their  for- 
tunes elsewhere,  the  homestead  in  Uwchlan  fell 
to  Robert  Smith,  who  was  born  at  sea  during 
the  voyage  to  this  country,  and  who  had  mar- 
ried, December  20,  1758,  Margaretta,  daughter 
of  John  Vaughn,  of  Red  Lion,  Uwchlan  town- 
ship. Sergeant  Robert  Smith  is  reported  in  the 
public  records  of  the  time  as  "going  to  Reading  to 
be  qualified,"  when,  in  1757,  the  war  between 
the  French  and  English  made  the  Indians  rest- 
less and  aggressive.  In  August,  1775,  when 
the  colonial  government  was  discussing 
means  for  the  protection  of  Philadelphia,  the 
Supreme  Executive  Council  of  Pennsylvania 
returned  thanks  to  Robert  Smith  for  a  model  of 
a  machine  for  handling  chevaux-de-frise,  with 
which  to  obstruct  the  channel  of  the  Delaware 
River,  just  below  Red  Bank,  N.  J.  He  sat  in 
the  convention  which,  on  September  28,  1776, 
adopted  the  first  State  Constitution  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Being  a  man  of  considerable  means  and  of 
extensive  influence,  he  was  appointed,  on  the 
l2tb  of  March,  1777,  by  the  Supreme  Execu- 
tive Council,  to  the  position  of  lieutenant  of 
Chester  County,  with  the  rank  of  colonel,  and 
the  charge  of  raising,  arming  and  provisioning 
the  military  contingent  of  his  district,  and  pre- 
paring the  troops  to  take  the  field.  He  retired 
from  this  position  (which  he  had  filled  for  nine 
most  eventful  years)  March  21,  1786.  He 
served  for  one  term  in  the  State  Assembly  in 
1785,  and  in  1787  retired  to  his  farm  after 
twelve  years  of  public  life.  He  died  in  1803, 
aged  eighty-three  years,  and  his  wife  died  in 
1822,  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven. 

Of  their  children,  Jonathan  was,  for  many 
years,  honorably  and  prominently  connected 
with  the  First  and  Second  United  States  Banks 


and  the  Bank  of  Pennsylvania,  as  their  cashier. 
John  Smith,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  born  April  8,1762.  As  a  young 
man  he  was  manager  of  Warwick  Furnace, 
Chester  County,  for  Colonel  Thomas  Bull,  the 
proprietor.  In  December,  1790,  he  married 
Elizabeth,  eldest  daughter  of  Colonel  Thomas 
and  Ann  (Hunter)  Bull,  and  settled  at  Dale 
Forge,  Berks  County,  which  he  owned  and 
carried  on  until  about  1796,  when  he  removed 
to  Joanna  Furnace,  Berks  County,  where  the 
remainder  of  his  life  was  passed.  He  was  an 
active  and  successful  business  man.  He  died 
April  2,  1815. 

Of  the  children  of  John  Smith,  three  were 
sons, — Thomas,  Levi  B.  and  John  Vaughan. 
Levi  B.  was  born  at  Joanna  Furnace  February 
8,  1806.  He  received  a  liberal  education, 
graduating  with  honor  at  Princeton  College, 
N.  J.,  in  the  class  of  1824,  studied  law  and 
graduated  at  the  Litchfield  Law  School,  Litch- 
field, Conn.,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  at  the 
bar  of  Berks  County  January  10,  1827,  though 
not  with  any  intention  of  devoting  himself  to 
the  legal  profession.  He  was  married  April 
10,  1827,  to  Emily  H.  Badger,  a  native  of 
Bucksport,  Me.,  of  Puritan  descent,  whose  an- 
cestors emigrated  to  New  England  in  1635. 

Soon  after  his  marriage,  he  engaged  in  busi- 
ness, first  at  the  Old  Reading  Hall,  Chester 
County,  and  afterward  at  Mount  Airy,  about  a 
mile  southeast  of  Birdsboro.  In  1833  he  formed 
a  partnership  in  the  iron  business  at  Joanna 
Furnace,  with  his  brother-in-law,  William  Dar- 
ling, who  was  also  a  member  of  the  bar,  and 
better  known  as  Judge  Darling.  The  firm  of 
Darling  &  Smith,  which  lasted  more  than  thirty 
years,  became  known  through  the  whole  country 
for  their  manufacture  of  wood-stoves,  some  of 
which  can  still  be  seen  in  the  homes  of  many 
families  in  the  county,  with  the  name  of  the 
firm  cast  upon  them  in  raised  letters.  This 
firm  was  subsequently  dissolved,  and  gave  place 
to  that  of  Levi  B.  Smith  &  Co.,  and  later,  to 
Levi  B.  Smith  &  Sons.  The  business  interests 
of  these  firms,  together  with  that  of  his  sons, 
Bently,  William,  Heber,  Horace  and  Stanley, 
associated  as  Smith  &  Bros.,  extended  through 
the  three   counties   of    Berks,   Lancaster  and 


1156 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS   COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Chester,  comprising  the  Joanna  Furnace,  in 
Berks,  Isabella  Furnace,  in  Chester,  extensive 
iron-ore  lands  in  Lancaster,  with  over  six  thou- 
sand acres  of  land. 

In  1862  Mr.  Smith  relinquished  the  active 
management  of  these  business  enterprises  to  his 
sons  and  removed  to  Reading,  where  he  became 
one  of  its  most  useful  and  honored  citizens.  He 
was,  in  politics,  an  Old  Line  Whig,  and  a  Repub- 
lican  from  the  formation  of  that  party.     He 


ticket  the  same  year,  but  in  consequence  of 
having  been  nominated  for  Congress  he  resigned. 
He  was  outspoken  and  fearless  in  his  Republi- 
can principles,  and  assisted  largely  in  establish- 
ing and  maintaining  the  party  in  the  county. 
He  was  a  warm  friend  of  the  colored  race  and 
a  sympathizer  with  them  in  their  troubles. 

Mr.  Smith's  business  connections  in  this  city 
and  county  were  of  the  most  extensive  charac- 
ter.    He  was  ever  ready  to  lend  his  aid  to  pro- 


manifested  a  deep  interest  in  politics,  and  in 
his  younger  days  took  an  active  part  in  Na- 
tional, State  and  County  Conventions.  He 
was  frequently  a  delegate  to  these  bodies,  where 
his  services  were  always  of  a  valuable  character. 
He  was  a  candidate  for  Congress  in  1860.  His 
popularity  thoughont  the  county,  and  particu- 
larly in  the  southern  townships,  ran  him  far 
ahead  of  the  ticket.  In  Robeson,  out  of  543 
votes  he  received  435 ;  in  Caernarvon,  140  out 
of  200.  Mr.  Smith  was  on  the  Lincoln  electoral 


mote  public  improvement.  He  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Read- 
ing, and  was  its  president  from  its  organization 
till  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  one  of  the 
managers  of  the  Reading  Gas  Company,  one  of 
the  founders  of  the  Reading  Fire  Insurance 
Company,  and  a  leading  member  of  the  Read- 
ing Library  Company  and  the  Reading-Room 
Association.  He  was  an  earnest  and  faithful 
member  of  the  Episcopal  Church  and  a  member 
of  the  vestry  of  Christ  Church  at  the  time  of 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1157 


his  death.  For  over  thirty  years  he  was  a  dele- 
gate to  the  Diocesan  Conventions  from  St. 
Thomas'  Church,  Morgantown,  and  in  1858  a 
member  of  the  General  Convention  which  met 
in  New  York. 

During  the  Rebellion  but  few  men  exhibited 
more  spirit,  energy  and  patriotism  than  he.  He 
contributed  liberally  for  the  organization  and 
equipment  of  companies  to  crush  the  Rebellion. 
Largely  through  his  instrumentality  three  com- 
panies were  sent  out,  each  of  which  was  com- 
manded by  one  of  the  following  sons  :  Bently 
H.,  L.  Heber  and  William  D.  Smith. 

In  private  life  Mr.  Smith  bore  an  unblem- 
ished character,  and  was  esteemed  for  his  many 
virtues.  He  was  a  friend  to  the  poor,  a  coun- 
selor to  those  in  distress  and  a  warm-hearted 
and  pleasant  companion.  He  died  August  9, 
1876,  and  left  a  widow  and  seven  children,  four 
sons  (three  named  and  Dr.  Stanley  Smith,  ocu- 
list) and  three  daughters  (Mrs.  W.  H.  Clymer, 
Mrs.  E.  J.  Richards  and  Miss  Emily  Smith). 

L.  Heber  Smith,  son  of  Levi  B.  Smith,  was 
born  on  the  homestead  at  Joanna  Fu  rnace,  and, 
on  the  death  of  his  father,  succeeded  to  the  iron 
interests  at  that  place,  of  which  he  is  now  the 
exclusive  proprietor  and  the  first  sole  owner  of 
the  property.     He  indicated  his  patriotism  dur- 
ing the  late  Rebellion  by  raising  a  company  in 
July,  1862,  afterward  enrolled  as  Company  A, 
of  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth  Regi- 
ment, Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  of   which  he 
became  captain.     Soon  after  the  battle  of  An- 
tietam,  in  which  this  regiment  participated,  he 
was   promoted  to  the  lieutenant-colonelcy  and 
was  actively  engaged  at  South  Mountain  and 
Chancellorsville.     At  the  latter  battle  he  was 
taken  prisoner,  and,  after  a  short  confinement  in 
Libby  Prison,  he  was  paroled.     Colonel  Smith 
was  married  on  the  17th  of  June,  1868,  to  Ella 
Jane,  daughter  of  Clement  B.  Grubb,  of  Lan- 
caster City,  Pa.     Their  children  are  Clement 
Grubb,  Heber  Levi,  Mary  Grubb,  Daisy  Emily 
and  Stanley  McDonald.     Colonel  Smith,  in  his 
political  sentiments,  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and, 
while  an  active  and  influential  member  of  the 
party,  has  always  declined  office.      He  is  a  di- 
rector of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Reading, 
and  identified  with  the  leading  business  interests 
of  the  county. 


Colonel  Smith  is  a  member  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church,  being  a  member  of  St. 
Thomas'  Church,  Morgantown,  of  which  he  is 
a  vestryman. 


the 


CAERNARVON  TOWNSHIP. 

The  township  of  Caernarvon  is  situated  in 
extreme  southern  section  of  the  county. 
The  territory  was  settled  by  the  Weish  at 
a  very  early  period.  The  township,  by  this 
name,  had  been  erected  before  1729,  whilst  still 
a  part  of  Chester  County.  It  is  not  known 
how  early  the  first  settlements  were  made.  The 
discovery  of  iron  and  copper  in  this  section  of 
the  Conestoga  Valley  may  have  attracted  set- 
tlers here  about  1700;  but  general  immigra- 
tion would  seem  not  to  have  been  encouraged 
till  1732,  because  the  Indians  claimed  the  ter- 
ritory. The  northerly  line  of  the  released 
land,  fixed  in  1718,  was  in  this  vicinity.  In 
the  erection  of  the  township  the  whole  of 
the  Conestoga  Valley  was  included,  though  it 
lay  north  of  South  Mountain,1  and  though  par- 
ticular settlements  had  not  yet,  it  is  believed, 
been  effected.  In  1729  it  was  described  as 
being  bounded  by  Salisbury  township,  Cadwal- 
lader  Ellis' land,  a  township  not  named  (sup- 
posed to  have  been  Robeson),  Earl  township 
and  Leacock  township;  and  George  Hudson 
was  constable. 

The  Welsh  gave  this  name  to  the  township. 
Caernarvon  was,  and  is  still,  the  name  of  a 
county  in  the  northern  part  of  Wales,  and,  it 
having  been  the  native  place  of  the  settlers, 
they  naturally  suggested  it  as  a  proper  name 
for  the  section  of  country  in  which  they  esta- 
blished their  new  home. 

When  Berks  County  was  erected,  the  western 
boundary  line  extended  through  this  township. 
The  portion  which  was  cut  to  the  county  in- 
cluded about  eight  thousand  five  hundred  acres 
and  retained  the  same  name.  The  area  was 
not  reduced  at  any  time. 

Taxables  of  1759. — The  following  list 
comprises  the  taxable  inhabitants  of  the  town- 
ship lor  the  year  1759.     The  tax  levied  was 

1  The  southerly  range  of  the  South  Mountain  chain. 


1158 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


£21,  19s. 
taxes : 


and  John  Light  was  the  collector  of 


Adam  Ash  .... 
Matthias  Broadsword 
John  Brackin       .  .   . 
Valentine  Carberry  .  . 

Joseph  Davis 

John  Dancey 

Peter  Dix    . 
Bobert  Ellis 
John  Evans 
John  Faraon  .   . 
Charles  Farnon 
James  Fisher  .   . 
Daniel  Fox    . 
Daniel  Grillis  .   . 
Jacob  Hoffman  . 
Thomas  Harper 
David  Jones  .  . 


£ 
.  10 
.  10 
.  3 
.    2 

9 
.  1 
.11 
.15 
.    3 


32 
.  2 
.18 
2 
.  3 
.22 


John  Jones    .  . 
Jacob  Light  .   .   . 
Jacob  Light,  Sr    . 
John  Light   .  .  . 
Christian  Long  .  . 
Thomas  Morgan   . 
Francis  Morgan    . 
Eichard  Philip     . 
Mark  Pealor  .  .   . 
Charles  Bichardson 
William  Robeson  . 
Aaron  Rettew 
Moses  Robeson  .  . 
George  Rasor 
John  Stevens  .   .  . 
Cornelius  Shea . 
Henry  Talbert  .  . 


£ 

3 

22 

8 

18 

10 

16 

8 

1 

8 

.12 

9 

.14 

8 

2 

.    2 

.10 

.  12 


Smgle  Men. 


Robert  Cunningham. 
Daniel  Davis. 
Thomas  Fisher. 


John  Morgan. 
John  Talbert. 


Industries. — Although  the  volume  of  the 
streams  of  the  township  is  not  great,  there  are  a 
number  of  mill-sites  whose  advantages  were  ap- 
preciated and  improved  soon  after  the  settlement 
of  the  country.  Near  the  head- waters  of  Con- 
estoga  Creek  are  the  Spring  Mills,  formerly 
owned  by  George  Eobeson,  which  have  had 
many  owners,  and  which  are  still  in  operation. 
Lower  down  the  stream,  in  the  valley  proper, 
the  Morgans  improved  the  water-powers,  which, 
together  with  some  farming  lands,  became  the 
property  of  the  Clymers,  Edward  having  the 
upper  mill,  and  William  the  lower,  where  were 
an  oil-mill  and  a  distillery.  In  part  of  the 
mill-house  an  inn  was  kept.  The  Clymers 
sold  the  property  to  the  Rev.  Levi  Bull,  who 
discontinued  the  distillery;  and  the  oil-mill 
was  afterwards  converted  into  a  feed-mill  by 
Isaac  Graham.  The  Clymer  homestead  and 
the  upper  mill  became  the  property  of  the 
Kurtzes,  who  still'  possess  the  same.  The  mill 
is  still  operated.  At  the  confluence  of  the 
branches  of  the  Conestoga,  Dieter  Bechtel  had 
a  mill,  which  is  now  the  property  of  John  P. 
Mast,  who  supplied  roller  machinery  in  1885, 
and  added  steam-power  in  the  spring  of  1886, 
making  it  one  of  the  best  mills  in  this  part  of 
the  country.  On  the  left  branch  of  the  Cones- 
toga,  near  Morgantown,  Joseph  Broadbent  em- 
ployed the  power  (which  had  been  used  to 
operate  a  flax-brake  and  carding-machine)  to 
carry  on  the  machinery  of  a  woolen-factory  in 


1841,  and  enlarged  the  building  in  1842.  He 
manufactured  all  kinds  of  woolen  goods,  and 
discontinued  it  in  1864,  the  machinery  having 
been  removed  soon  afterward.  Above  this 
place  was  another  carding-machine  where 
Stephen  Mast  has  had  a  clover-mill  and  a  small 
mill  for  chopping  feed ;  and  in  the  same  local- 
ity sorghum  syrup  was  manufactured,  about 
1864,  by  John  P.  Mast,  in  a  building  specially 
erected  for  that  purpose. 

In  the  hills  beyond,  iron-ore  has  been  mined 
by  E.  &  G.  Brooke,  a  good  quality  being  ob- 
tained ;  and  the  Jones  mines,  three  miles  east- 
ward, among  the  oldest  and  most  productive 
in  the  county,  are  still  being  worked.1 

churches. 

St.  Thomas'  Church  (Episcopal). — 
Thomas  Morgan,  in  his  last  will,  dated  Decem- 
ber 6,  1740,  devised  to  his  four  sons,  John, 
Francis,  William  and  Jacob,  and  their  heirs, 
in  trust,  one  acre  of  ground  in  Caernarvon, 
for  the  purpose  of  erecting  thereon  a  house  of 
worship  and  for  a  burying-ground.  He  also 
devised  a  tract  of  ninety-three  acres  of  land  in 
the  same  township,  the  rent  of  which  should 
be  applied  towards  building  the  church  and 
maintaining  services  in  the  same.  This  land  was 
held  in  trust  until  1832,  when  it  was  sold,  and 
the  principal  put  on  interest  until  1886, 
when  it  was  applied  towards  the  erection  of  a 
parsonage  for  the  parish  at  Morgantown. 

Some  years  after  1740  a  church  was  built  on 
the  acre  lot,  situated  south  of  Morgantown,  on 
the  present  Adam  Styer  farm.  It  was  called 
"  St.  Thomas'  Chapel,"  and  services  were  held 
in  it  according  to  the  forms  of  the  Church  of 
England.  This  chapel  was  neatly  furnished  in 
1759,  but  had  no  settled  minister,  and  Thomas 
Barton  declared  his  purpose  to  visit  the  people 
the  coming  spring,  with  a  view  of  securing  an 
Episcopal  minister  for  them.  There  was  no 
regular  rector  before  the  accession  of  Dr.  Levi 
Bull,  some  time  before  the  close  of  the  century. 
The  chapel  becoming  too  small,  the  State 
Assembly  was  petitioned  for  consent  to  estab- 


1  See  Chap.  II.,  Physical  Geography,  p.  28. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1159 


lish  the  chapel  in  that  village,  and  the  congre- 
gation became  incorporated  on  March  6,  1786. 

In  1792  Jacob  Morgan  donated  lot  No.  32, 
on  Eeading  Street,  in  Morgantown,  for  church 
purposes.  The  chapel  was  built  of  logs  on 
this  lot,  and  so  arranged  as  to  form  two 
rooms,  one  serving  for  school  purposes.  This 
building  was  used  until  1824,  when  the  present 
church  edifice  was  erected  upon  the  same  site. 
It  is  a  plain  stone  building,  almost  square, 
having  a  basement  and  auditorium.  When  the 
old  chapel  was  removed  the  burial-ground  con- 
nected with  it  reverted  to  the  farm  of  Benjamin 
Gehman,  who  had  bought  it  from  the  Morgans, 
and  the'  lot  was  turned  into  a  field,  which  was 
plowed  over  by  Gehman.  No  trace  of  the  spot 
now  remains.  It  is  supposed  that  Thomas 
Morgan  was  among  those  interred  at  that  place. 
The  grave-yard  connected  with  the  new  church 
also  contains  many  interments,  among  them  be- 
ing the  following  before  1800:  Jacob  Morgan, 
Rachel  Morgan,  Alexander  Laverty  and  Henry 
Mengel.  It  contains  the  grave  of  James  Lin- 
coln, who  was  ninety-four  years  old ;  John 
Sypherd,  eighty- six;  John  Teater,  eighty- 
four;  Samuel  Laverty,  eighty;  and  others 
whose  years  were  more  than  three-score  and 
ten.  The  school-house  adjoining  the  church 
lot  was  built  in  1827  and  remodeled  in  1879. 
For  the  past  fifty  years  the  public  schools  have 
been  taught  in  it.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest  build- 
ings of  the  kind  now  remaining  in  the  county. 
The  parish  in  1886  had  thirty-three  members. 

The  successive  pastors  of  St.  Michael's 
Chapel  have  been  the  following  :  Revs.  Levi 

Bull,    D.D.,    James    Woodward,    Jr.,     

Flower,  Edward  Lycett,  Henry  M.  Stewart, 
Francis  E.  Arnold,  William  R.  Gries,  Henry  R. 
Smith,  John  Ireland  and  Samuel  McElwee. 

The  Morgantown  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. — The  edifice  at  present  occupied  by 
the  Methodists  of  Morgantown  and  vicinity 
was  dedicated  November  3,  1878.  It  is  a 
two-story  sand-stone  structure,  and  cost  eight 
thousand  dollars.  The  interior  is  handsomely 
finished,  with  frescoed  walls.  At  the  time  the 
edifice  was  erected,  the  Rev.  Edward  Devine 
was  the  pastor.  The  succeeding  ministers  were 
Revs.    William   W.   Smith,  W.  W.  Cookman 


and,  since  April,  1886,  the  Rev.  Amos  A.  Ar- 
thur. The  members  number  one  hundred  and 
fifteen,  constituting  two  classes,  led  by  Adam 
Styer  and  L.  B.  Foreman. 

The  first  church  was  built  in  1832,  on  the 
same  lot,  part  of  which  forms  a  burial-ground. 
It  was  a  small,  one-story  stone  building  and 
used  until  the  present  church  took  its  place. 
For  many  years  the  membership  of  the  church 
was  small. 

Harmony  Meeting-Hopse  was  erected  in 
the  fall  of  1871,  to  accommodate  such  denomi- 
nations as  might  wish  to  worship  in  that  local- 
ity. Though  Union  in  nature,  it  has  been  occu- 
pied chiefly  by  the  Methodists,  the  minister 
serving  this  charge  in  connection  with  appoint- 
ments in  Chester  County.  The  building  is  of 
brown  sandstone  and  has  sittings  for  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  persons.  The  members  occupying 
it  are  few  in  number.  It  stands  on  the  site  of 
an  old  stone  house,  which  was  small  and  very 
plainly  finished.  The  church  lot  was  donated 
by  Colonel  L.  Heber  Smith,  of  Joanna  Furnace, 
near  which  place  the  church  is  located. 

Several  miles  south  from  this  place  is  a  small 
Baptist  meeting-house,  occupied  by  a  congrega- 
tion of  that  faith,  whose  membership  is  also 
small. 

Caernarvon  Cemetery,  opposite  Saint 
Thomas'  church-yard,  at  Morgantown,  was  laid 
out  in  July,  1882,  by  J.  Howard  Jacobs,  Esq., 
of  Reading,  and  has  an  area  of  three  acres,  laid 
out  in  fourteen  sections,  containing  four  hun- 
dred and  ten  lots.  Fine  monuments  have  been 
erected  by  the  Jacobs  and  Kurtz  families. 

Morgantown,  the  only  village  in  the 
township,  and  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  county, 
is  located  in  the  beautiful  Conestoga  Valley, 
near  the  Lancaster  County  line.  It  was  named 
after  Jacob  Morgan,  who  laid  out  the  town 
about  1770.  He  was  a  son  of  Thomas  Morgan, 
a  native  of  Wales,  who  was  a  captain  in  the 
French  and  Indian  War,  and  who  had  become 
the  owner  of  a  large  tract  of  the  choicest  land 
in  what  is  now  Caernarvon.  In  1765  Jacob 
Morgan  was  a  merchant  at  Philadelphia,  but  he 
must  have  settled  in  this  township  soon  after- 
ward. He  died  at  Morgantown  in  1792,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-six  years,  and  his  wife,  Rachel, 


1160 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


in  1791,  aged  sixty-eight  years.  They  had  sons 
named  Jacob  and  Benjamin  and  several  daugh- 
ters, one  of  whom  was  Rebecca  (Price),  who  in- 
termarried with  the  Wetherill  family,  of  Phila- 
delphia. Jacob  Morgan  took  an  active  part  in 
the  Revolutionary  War.  Thomas  Morgan  was 
a  brother  of  Jacob,  and  the  father  of  sons  named 
John,  Francis,  Jacob  and  William,  most  of 
whom  figured  in  the  early  history  of  the  vil- 
lage. 

The  original  plat  of  the  village  embraced 
thirty-two  lots,  located  on  both  sides  of  a 
street  eighty  feet  wide,  except  on  Centre  Square, 
which  was  forty  feet  wide.  These  lots  were 
each  sixty  by  two  hundred  and  sixty  feet.  In 
1802  they  were  owned  by  Abner  Lewis,  Lott 
Evans,  Joseph  Ashton,  Mary  Hudson  and  Wil- 
liam Morgan.  In  1835  the  lot-owners  on  the 
south  side  of  the  street  were  Charles  Brooke,  E. 
Rees,  D.  Morgan,  S.  Dingier,  R.  Laverty,  E. 
Morgan,  J.  Jenkins,  J.  Morgan,  W.  Grier, 
John  Dougherty,  J.  Good  and  the  Methodist 
Church.  On  the  north  side,  from  the  west,  J. 
Sands,  A.  Fobes,  D.  Morgan,  B.  Clemson,  John 
Morgan,  David  Finger,  J.  and  S.  Roberts,  John 
Roberts,  D.  Morgan  and  Ann  Clymer.  Jehu 
Jones  lived  on  Reading  Street,  One  of  the 
above-named,  John  Sands,  a  cabinet-maker,  is 
still  living  at  Morgantown,  aged  eighty-seven 
years.  David  Finger  was  another  early  cabinet- 
maker, an  occupation  which  is  now  carried  on 
by  H.  G.  Weaver.  Other  pioneer  tradesmen 
were  Wilson  and  William  Hamilton,  wheel- 
wrights ;  John  Pawling,  blacksmith  ;  Frank 
and  John  Gillespie  and  John  Dougherty,  tai- 
lors ;  James  Quinn  and  John  Mason,  shoe- 
makers; Edward  Wells,  carpenter;  Henry 
Clark,  cooper ;  David  Gilmore,  tinsmith  ;  John 
Kelcher,  mason.  There  was  another  mason, 
remembered  only  as  "  Wee  Billy,"  who  built 
several  of  the  stone  houses  with  clay  mortar, 
which,  it  is  said,  the  hogs  in  the  street  mixed 
for  him.  He  prepared  a  bed  of  clay  mortar,  in 
which  he  threw  a  lot  of  shelled  corn,  which 
tempted  the  hogs  to  wallow  in  the  clay  until  it 
was  thoroughly  mixed.  This  ingenious  mason 
removed  at  an  early  day. 

In  the  early  history  of  the  village  there  were 
numerous    public-houses.     One    was   near  the 


Methodist  Church,  called  the  "  Hamilton 
House,"  which  was  kept  by  John  Gray,  Thomas 
Jones  and  others.  The  well  of  the  tavern  was 
in  the  street.  On  one  occasion  a  great  excite- 
ment was  created  when  a  horseman  rode  into  it, 
but  fortunately  without  injury  to  beast  or  rider. 
The  site  of  Odd-Fellows'  Hall  was  occupied  by 
a  store  and  tavern,  as  was  also  the  place  where 
is  now  Dr.  Plank's  residence.  David  Morgan 
built  a  part  of  the  old  hotel  in  1799  and  kept 
it  about  thirty  years.  It  was  extended  to  its 
present  condition  by  Daniel  K.  Plank  and  has 
always  been  used  as  a  tavern.  Stores  were  also 
kept  in  it  by  John  and  James  Morgan  and 
others  until  1841.  In  the  "  Hoffman  House  " 
Dieter  Bechtel  was  an  early  landlord.  Rees 
Evans  was  at  the  same  place.  For  many  years  it 
was  a  residence.  In  1878  it  was  again  devoted  to 
tavern  purposes.  Among  the  early  merchants, 
Dr.  McFarland  was  one  of  the  first  after  the 
Morgans.  He  traded  in  the  present  Kenney 
residence,  which  he  built.  He  also  followed 
his  profession,  leaving  the  village  about  1809. 
Later  merchants  at  that  place  were  James  Byers 
and  William  Ross.  Samuel  Laverty  and  Rob- 
ert Laverty  traded  in  the  old  Foreman  house, 
while  Thomas  Crews  and  later  John  C.  Evans 
had  stores  in  the  John  Plank  residence.  Wil- 
liam Morris  and  his  son  James  were  the  mer- 
chants in  the  Broadbent  residence.  The  Duch- 
man  store  was  erected  as  a  hall,  for  a  boarding- 
school,  by  Alexander  Tutton,  about  1853,  but 
not  proving  profitable,  William  Corbet  converted 
it  into  a  store  a  few  years  afterward.  Here  is 
kept  the  Morgantown  post-office,  established  in 
1806,  the  fourth  office  in  the  county.  There  are 
two  mails  per  day.  At  one  time  six  mail  routes 
concentrated  here,  and  Morgantown  was  the 
centre  for  a  large  scope  of  country.  In  "  Odd- 
Fellows'  Hall "  stores  have  been  kept  since 
1868,  the  first  being  Webb  &  Austin's. 

The  manufacture  of  cigars  has  lately  been 
added  to  the  interests  of  the  place,  factories 
being  carried  on  by  Emil  Myers,  Foreman  & 
Kenney  and  W.  S.  Duchman.  Twenty-five 
hands  are  employed  in  this  business. 

Dr.  Hopperstetter  was,  next  to  Dr.  McFar- 
land, a  practitioner  at  Morgantown.  Later 
physicians  were  Dr.  John  S.  Seltzer  and  Dr. 


o     o 

W 


H 
o 
3 


W 


o 


o 
*i 

r 

H 

o 

o 

r1 

o 
> 

M 
> 

« — t 
O 

z 

PJ 

c/2 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1161 


Henry  Woodruff.  Dr.  D.  Heber  Plank  has 
been  in  active  practice  at  Morgantown  since 
1869,  being  the  only  resident  physician. 

The  old  buildings  of  the  village  have  lately 
been  beautified,  and  with  the  addition  of  several 
new  ones,  the  place  has  been  made  attractive. 

Union  Lodge,  No.  66,  F.  and  A.  M.,  was  in- 
stituted at  Morgantown  in  1797,  but  it  never 
had  a  strong  membership.  In  1816  there  were 
twenty  members  and  in  1833,  when  the  last 
meeting  was  held  before  suspending,  only  five 
members  were  present,  John  C.  Evans  being 
the  last  Master.  From  that  time  until  Novem- 
ber 10,  1870,  there  was  no  Masonic  body  at 
Morgantown.  Union  Lodge,  No.  479,  was 
then  instituted.  In  1886  there  were  thirty- 
eight  members,  whose  meetings  were  held  in 
Odd-Fellows'  Hall. 

Caernarvon  Lodge,  No.  557,  I.  0.  0.  F., 
was  instituted  December  17,  1859,  and  has  at 
present  thirty-six  members  and  assets  amount- 
ing to  three  thousand  six  hundred  dollars. 

The  hall  was  erected  in  1868  by  the  Mor- 
gantown Hall  Association,  who  sold  out  to  the 
Odd-Fellows.  The  building  is  of  stone,  three 
stories  high,  and  originally  had  the  second  and 
third  stories  set  aside  for  hall  purposes,  the 
second  being  used  for  public  gatherings.  The 
hall  used  by  the  above  lodges  is  spacious  and 
furnished  in  good  style. 

Conestoga  Vigilant  Company  is  an  associa- 
tion of  horse-owners  for  protection  against 
theft.  It  was  founded  in  1822  and  has  at  pres- 
ent a  membership  of  fifty.  The  quarterly 
meetings  are  held  at  Morgantowo,  where  its 
principal  officers  reside. 

Joanna  Station,  on  the  Wilmington  and 
Northern  Railroad,  is  in  the  northeastern  part 
of  the  township,  near  the  Jones  Iron-Mines. 
It  contains  but  a  few  buildings,  one  of  them 
being  the  store  of  Allison  Fosnacht,  where  is 
kept  the  Joanna  Furnace  post-office,  established 
at  the  iron-works  whose  name  it  bears  in  De- 
cember, 1830.  From  this  place  the  Morgan- 
town  mail  is  supplied.  Southeast  from  this 
place  country  stores  have  been  kept  for  short 
periods,  and  on  the  Conestoga  pike,  Daniel 
Ubil  had  an  inn  soon  after  1'800,  this  being 
now  a  farm-house  on  the  Abraham  Kurtz  place. 
99 


Nearer  Morgantown,  on  the  same  thoroughfare, 
Robert  Gilmore  had  a  store  and  a  public-house, 
called  the  "  Conestoga  Hotel,"  but  first  called 
the  "  Bull  Inn,"  which  now  belongs  to  Robert 
Gilmore. 


CUMRU  TOWNSHIP. 

When  Lancaster  County  was  erected,  in 
1729,  all  the  territory  extending  north  of  the 
Chester  County  line  to  the  Cacoosing  Creek, 
excepting  that  portion  included  in  Caernarvon 
township,  was  generally  known  as  Robeson. 
About  the  time  that  the  Indians  released  their 
rights  to  this  territory  immigrants  entered  upon 
it  and  effected  settlements,  having  passed  north- 
wardly through  Caernarvon  township.  They 
were  Welsh  persons.  After  the  northern  sec- 
tion had  come  to  be  fairly  settled,  proceedings 
were  instituted  to  erect  a  new  township.  This 
was  in  1737.  The  township  was  named 
"Cumru."  I  could  not  find  the  petition  or 
other  papers  relating  to  its  erection,  on  file  in 
the  office  at  Lancaster. 

Hugh  Jones  was  the  first  settler  who  took  up 
lands  in  this  township.  He  applied  for  and 
obtained  a  warrant  in  1732  for  a  tract  of  one 
thousand  acres,  situated  along  the  Wyo- 
missing  Creek.1  In  pursuance  of  this  warrant,  six 
hundred  acres  were  surveyed  for  him  in  1733, 
and  two  hundred  acres  for  Evan  Price.  The 
patents  were  issued  in  1735. 

The  Price  tract  was  taken  up  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Wyomissing  Creek.  He  then  erected 
and  conducted  a  water  corn-mill.  This  was 
known  for  many  years  as  the  Price  Mill.  In 
1773  Nicholas  Lutz  purchased  the  mill.  Dur- 
ing the  Revolution  it  was  a  busy  industry  in 
supplying  flour  to  the  army.  In  1735,  several 
months  after  the  patent  had  been  issued,  Price 
conveyed  sixty-two  acres  of  this  tract  to  Evan 
Lloyd.  At  this  time  there  was  a  "  race  "  and 
also  a  mill-dam,  showing  that  the  improve- 
ment had  been  made.  In  1741  the  land  ad- 
joined Henry  Harry  and  David  Lewis. 

Evan  Lloyd  took  up  two  tracts  of  land  in 


1The  name  of  this  creek  was  then  written  "Weames- 
sing.'1     It  was  sometimes  called  Mill  Creek. 


1162 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


this  section,— one  in  1735  for  three  hundred 
acres,  and  the  other  in  1738  for  one  hundred 
and  seventy  acres.  And  several  months  after- 
wards, in  1738,  Thomas  Lloyd  (doubtless,  a 
brother)  took  a  tract  for  one  hundred  and 
eighty-six  acres.  On  this  latter  tract  a  paper- 
mill  was  erected. 

Thomas  Jenkins  took  up  a  tract  of  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty-eight  acres,  on  the  Cacoosing, 
in  1734. 

In  1737  Dietrich  Marshall  took  up  three 
hundred  and  forty-one  acres  along  the  Wyomis- 
sing.  In  1750  he  conveyed  forty-nine  acres 
thereof  to  John  Moon  (now  Mohn),  and  in 
1758  this  tract  was  conveyed  by  Moon  to  his 
son  Lodowick  (Ludwig).  John  Moon,  in  1748, 
took  up  two  hundred  and  forty-five  acres. 

In  1737  Sebastian  Goglin  (doubtless  changed 
to  Gougler)  took  up  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
five  acres  on  the  Cacoosing,  and  in  1740  and 
1741  John  Davis  took  up,  on  the  same  stream, 
seven  hundred  and  forty-three  acres. 

In  1744  Anthony  Morris  took  up  five  hun- 
dred acres  on  the  Tulpehocken. 

Henry  Harry,  in  1735,  took  up  three  hun- 
dred and  eleven  acres. 

Opposition  to  Division  of  Township. — 
In  April,  1842,  a  number  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Cumru  and  Heidelberg  townships  united  in  a  peti- 
tion to  court,  asking  for  the  erection  of  a  new  town- 
ship out  of  a  part  of  each  township,  for  the  reason 
that  their  respective  townships  were  unusually 
large  and  inconvenient  for  election  purposes, 
township  meetings,  road  repairs,  etc.  They 
suggested  a  division  of  the  two  townships  by 
lines  drawn  through  them  northwardly  from 
the  county  line,  the  Cumru  portion  lying 
west  of  the  "Wyomissing  Creek  and  Lancaster 
road,  and  the  Heidelberg  portion  lying  east  of 
Hain's  Church.  The  court  entertained  their 
petition  and  appointed  three  commissioners, — 
Samuel  S.  Jackson,  Benjamin  Tyson  and  Mat- 
thias S.  Richards.  These  commissioners  viewed 
the  townships  and  reported,  July  1,  1842,  in 
favor  of  the  division  of  Cumru  township, 
according  to  the  line  suggested;1  but   excep- 

1  Heidelberg  had  been  divided  by  commissioners  in  June 
previous,  and,  therefore,  the  Heidleberg  part  was  not  in- 
cluded. 


tions  were  filed  against  the  proposed  division, 
and  the  report  was  set  aside  January  6,  1843. 

Several  years  afterwards  (April,  1845)  this 
effort  for  a  division  of  the  township,  according 
to  a  line  suggested  in  the  report  of  1842,  was 
renewed.2  In  May  following  the  court  ap- 
pointed M.  S.  Richards,  S.  S.  Jackson  and 
Lewis  Reese  commissioners,  who,  on  1st  July, 
1845,  recommended  such  a  division.  But  the 
proceeding  was  again  strenuously  opposed,3  on 
account  of  the  injustice  and  inequality  of  the 
division,  the  upper  part  having  all  the  finest 
farming  lands  and  old  improved  roads,  and  the 
latter  the  poor  and  hilly  lands  and  the  recent 
roads,  which  occasioned  large  expense.  The 
court  held  the  matter  under  advisement  over 
two  years  and  then  set  aside  the  report. 

In  1850  a  third  effort  was  made  for  a  new 
township.  This  proved  successful.  The  divi- 
sion line  was  located  a  short  distance  to  the 
west  of  the  previous  line.  The  western  portion 
was  called  "  Spring." 4 

Taxablbs  of  1759. — The  following  taxa- 
ble persons  were  included  in  the  township  in 
the  year  1759.  The  tax  levied  then  was  £106 
18s.  6c?.  David  Evans,  Jr.,  was  the  collector 
of  taxes, — 


Henry  Alsbach 
Joseph  Althouse    . 
Dennis  Brady  .  .   . 
George  Burkhard  . 


.  7 
.  1 
.10 
.    3 


Christian  Bowman 15 

Jacob  Bowman 12 

John  Bowman 9 

George  Bower 4 

Thomas  Best 7 

JameBBiddle 4 

Walter  Burk 2 

Martin  Breiuinger 3 

John  Breininger 3 

John  Binckley 6 

Christian  Binckley 3 

Amendon  Beyer 6 

Jacob  Beyerle 11 

Ludwig  Beyerle 2 

John  Bausher 3 

John  Bullman fi 

Jacob  Clower 15 

Francis  Crick,  Jr 3 


Nicholas  Crieger 3 

Martin  Cobmer 2 

Francis  Crick,  Sr 19 

John  Crick 3 

John  Deininger .   3 

Widow  Davids 3 

Thomas  Davis 12 

John  David,  Sr 20 

John  David,  Jr       12 

William  David,  Sr 3 

Baltzer  Dickout 2 

John  David 6 

James  David 18 

Thomas  Evan 3 

George  Englehard 4 

David  Edwards 7 

Daniel  Evan 4 

Nathan  Evan 22 

Samuel  Emery 11 

Abraham  Eckert 12 

Heter  Eshelman 7 

Peter  Eshelman 15 


2  The  petition  was  signed  by  one  hundred  and  fifty-three 
subscribers,  ninety-eight  of  the  signatures  being  English. 

s  A  remonstrance  was  filed,  subscribed  by  one  hundred 
and  seventy-eight  tax-payers  of  the  township,  of  which 
eighty-one  signatures  were  English.  A  number  of  the 
exceptants  were  residents  of  Reading. 

4  See  Spring  township. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1163 


Johannes  Emrich 4 

John  Etens >   •    3 

John  Englebrown 6 

David  Evans,  Jr 20 

Jacob  Freymeyer 16 

Peter  Flick 2 

Nicholas  Gougler  .   .  ...    6 

Casper  Huffman 10 

Peter  Hain  .  .  .  . 3 

Ben.  Horning 2 

Ludwig  Harman 3 

Peter  Heckert  1 

Conrad  Hordt 10 

Rudolf  Heberliug 6 

Adam  Householder 15 

John  II  in  tun 6 

Christian  Jutzler 2 

William  Jous '20 

George  Jacob 8 

Thomas  James 16 

Nicholas  Jost 9 

James  Kremer 18 

Martin  Kremer 3 

Michael  Krawl 19 

John  Kleinginuy 4 

Nicholas  Killian 3 

George  Krumlauf 2 

George  Lewis 5 

Michael  Lub 8 

James  Lewis 9 

Richard  Lewie 9 

Stephen  Lash 1 

Nicholas  Lerch 4 

William  Lerch 12 

Joseph  Linvil 2 

Ludwig  Mohn 9 

Werner  Mohn 5 

George  Mender 3 

Hans  Martin  Mender 5 

William  Moore 2 

Michael  Meyer 2 

Sebastian  Morgan 12 

John  Morris 22 

Jacob  Mishler 25 

Robert  Meyler 1 

John  Mohn    .    _ 15 

Jacob  Morgan 10 

Morgan  Morgan 2 

George  Meyer 1 


Anthony  Morris 75 

Peter  Nagely 2 

Thomas  Nicholas 12 

Griffith  Owen    ...  ...  12 

(Penn's)  Proprietaries    ....  30 

John  Pugh    ...  ....  15 

Richard  Peters,  Esq 10 

Richard  Pressor 1 

Richard  Peters 14 

Samuel  Phipps 1 

Michael  Ruth 12 

Jacob  Ruth 12 

Peter  Ruth,  Sr 28 

Hurt  man  Ruhl 2 


Johannes  Ruchte  .  .   . 

Henry  Reed 

George  Ream  .... 
Reinhn.nl  Rorebach 
George  Rollnmn    .  .   . 

Jonathan  Stevens 6 

JohnSchlot 2 

Val,  Shoemaker »  .    2 

Christopher  Standley  .       ...    4 

John  Stoll 4 

Amos  Schenken 1 

Jonas  Seely,  Esq  ....  .21 

Jacob  Staly 12 

John  Stengle 1 

Anthony  Steiner  .  .    3 

John  Schawley 5 

Casper  Stieff 1 

John  Smith 1 

David  Smith 6 

Peter  Scharman       4 

Francis  Steel 1 

Melon  tor  Steel 3 

Jacob  Snyder 6 

Daniel  Shea 6 

Peter  Thomas 2 

Thomas  Williams 10 

Reinhard  Waltz 2 

Isaiah  Willis 10 

Andrew  Wolf 4 

Werner  Weisel 6 

Jacob  Weis 15 

Jacob  Worstel 1 

Francis  Yarnall 12 

Christian  Zuck 1° 

Adam  Ziegler 3 


Single  Men. 


George  Beatam. 
Daniel  Boeserd. 
Henry  Beyerly,  Jr. 
Jacob  Crick. 
James  David. 
Solomon  David. 
Renben  David, 
John  David. 
Michael  Freymeyer. 
Dietrich  Fernseler. 


Edward  Harry. 
Evan  Harry. 
JameB  Jones. 
Nathan  Lewis. 
William  Lewis. 
Nathaniel  Morgan. 
Joseph  Misselor. 
John  Popkin. 
Peter  Ruth. 
George  Riess. 


The  "Poor-house Property,"  which  is  owned 
and  conducted  by  the  county  of  Berks,  is  sit- 
uated on  the  Lancaster  road,  adjoining  Shil- 
lington,  three  miles  from  Reading.  It  embraces 
about  five  hundred  acres  of  cleared  land,  which, 
for  agricultural  purposes,  cannot  be  surpassed. 
As  an  institution  for  the  poor  of  the  county,  it 
was  begun  in  1824,  under  the  requirements  of 
special   legislation.       The  principal  improve- 


ments consist  of  "  Main  Building,"  "  Insane 
Buildings,"  "  Hospital  Building." J  They  are 
described  in  chapter  devoted  to  Public  Build- 
ings. 

The  farming  land  in  this  section  of  the 
county,  from  the  hills  to  the  river,  is  superior. 
It  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  re- 
flects much  credit  upon  the  industry  and  ability 
of  the  farmers  who  are  and  have  been  for  years 
in  possession. 

Whilst  John  Penn   was  on  his  way  from 
Reading    to     Harrisburg,     he    visited     Gen. 
Mifflin's  farm.     (A  part  of  this  farm  is  now 
included  in  the  property  of  the  Berks  County 
Poor-House.)     "  The  General  and  Mrs.  Mifflin 
received  us  (himself  and  Judge  James  Biddle), 
in  a  neat  farm-house,  and    being  very  early 
themselves,  provided  a  second  breakfast  for  us, 
though  it  was  only  half-past  seven.      He  took 
us  round  some  of  his  improvements,  and  I  rode 
with  him  to  various  points  of  view  which  com- 
manded the  town  of  Reading  and  circumjacent 
hills  and  valleys.     He  farms  about  twelve  hun- 
dred acres,  and  has  a  Scotch  farmer  who  con- 
ducts the  business  ;  one  hundred  acres  of  meadow 
land  he  waters.     A  neighbor  of  the  general's  is 
one  of  the  marrying  Dunkers.     They  live  in 
their  own  houses  like  other  countrymen,  but 
wear  their  beards  long.     General  Mifflin,  with 
agreeable  frankness  and  affability,  pressed  us 
both  to  stay  for  an  early  dinner,  to  which  we 
sat  down  about  one  o'clock.     After  dinner  I 
mounted  my  horse  and  came  into  the  Carlisle 
road  about  three  miles  off  at  Sinking  Spring."  2 
Industries. — No  stream  in  the  county  has 
been  a  more  important  factor  in  manufacturing 
enterprises  than  the  Wyomissing.     The  advan- 
tages of  its  water-powers  were  early  recognized 
and  improved  ;  and,  in  later  years,  sites  which 
were  once  regarded  as  undesirable,  on  account 
of  location,  became  the  most  productive  elements 
of  wealth.     At  the  mouth  of  the  creek,  opposite 
Reading,   are  two   old  mills,  known  in  early 
times  as  Hiester's  and  Messersmith's.     After 
John  Hiester,  George  Smith,  Isaac  Shoeneman 
and  Henry  Van  Reed  were  successive  owners. 

'Chap.  XVIII.,  Internal  Improvements,  p.  424. 
a  John  Penn' s  Journal  inPenna.  Mag.  of  History,  vol  iii. 
pp.  288-289. 


1164 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


It  is  still  operated  to  a  limited  extent.  The 
other  mill  was  owned  by  Benneville  Keiro  and 
later  by  the  Schwartz  family,  whose  property 
it  still  is.  This  mill  is  not  operated.  Next 
above  is  the  old  Evans  mill-seat.  The  power 
is  secured  by  means  of  a  long  raceway  and  there 
is  a  waste-race  running  through  several  farms 
below,  which  was  used  for  irrigating  the  mea- 
dows. After  Philip  Evans  the  property  was 
owned  by  J.  V.  R.  Evans  and  now  belongs  to 
Matthias  Mengel,  Esq.,  of  Reading.  In  its 
repaired  condition  the  mill  is  substantial  and 
has  a  good  patronage.  The  old  stone  mill  of 
Christian  Gernand,  built  in  1790,  is  at  the  next 
power  up  the  stream.  In  later  years  it  belonged 
to  Jonathan  and  Annie  Ruth,  and  is  now  known 
as  the  "  Ruth  Mill."  The  power  next  above 
was  probably  one  of  the  first  improved  on  the 
creek.  It  was  close  by  the  old  Baptist  Church, 
built  in  1740,  and  when  last  operated,  before  it 
was  demolished,  was  known  as  Hill's  saw-mill. 
In  earlier  times  carding  was  done  there  and 
clover  hulled  by  the  Reams.  The  old  Hemig 
mill-seat  is  above  the  Lancaster  road  and  all 
the  old  buildings  have  been  removed.  The 
present  fine  brick  mill  was  built  by  Joseph  G. 
Huyett,  and  after  being  operated  by  him  some 
time,  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  present 
owner,  Benneville  H.  Hemig.  The  water- 
power  is  not  strong,  but  the  mill  is  finely 
located..  More  than  seventy  years  ago  there 
was  a  small  woolen-factory  and  carding-mill 
run  by  Joseph  Warner,  on  the  old  Body  place, 
which  was  abandoned  half  a  century  ago,  the 
power  being  idle  until  again  utilized  for  Hen- 
del's  hat-factory.  So  the  power  next  above 
was  also  abandoned  a  number  of  years  ago.  In 
later  years  it  operated  D.  Matz's  saw-mill,  but 
before  the  Revolution  Henry  Voight  had  an 
establishment  at  that  place  for  drawing  wire. 
That  industry  was  discontinued  so  many  years 
ago  that  no  detailed  account  of  his  operations  is 
obtainable.  Where  is  now  the  R.  T.  Gring 
grist-mill,  William  Pennypacker  used  the  water- 
power  as  early  as  1810  to  bore  out  and  grind 
rifle-barrels,  after  he  had  hammered  them  out 
by  hand.  He  thus  continued  until  about  1 855, 
when  Cyrus  Hornberger  built  the  mill  now  at 
that    site.     The    pioneer    gun-maker  on   this 


stream  was  David  Pennypacker,  father  of  Wil- 
liam, who  worked  near  the  head  of  the  stream 
as  early  as  1786.  He  made  guns  complete,  in- 
cluding the  wood-work,  while  WiH^m  made 
the  barrels  only.  David  removed  to  Lancaster 
County,  where  he  continued  his  trade.  At  one 
time  there  were  a  number  of  small  shops  for 
the  manufacture  of  guns,  either  alone  or  in  con- 
nection with  other  work.  Such  shops  were 
owned  by  Cyrus  Hornberger,  Frank  Miller, 
Henry  Wooly,  Gougler  &  Heberling.  About 
1838  Cornelius  Reich wein  opened  a  gun-shop 
where  is  now  Ruth's  grist-mill,  in  which  Henry 
W.  Deeds  worked  many  years,  as  one  of  the 
most  skillful  gun-makers  in  the  county.  Hiram 
&  Joseph  Holtry's  file-works  were  also  first 
used  as  a  gun-shop  by  John  White,  who  re- 
moved to  Angelica,  where  he  put  up  another 
factory.  Franklin  Schnader's  shop,  which  has 
a  tilt-hammer  and  boring  machinery,  is  still 
operated  on  guns,  the  manufacture  of  which 
was  first  carried  on  there  by  Jolin  Keim.  The 
power  above  was  used  for  similar  purposes  by 
Kohl  &  Keim,  but  was  changed  to  operate 
saw  and  clover-mills  for  Joseph  Schoener  and 
later  for  Amos  Price.  The  stave-mill  of  Moses 
Ruffner  is  nearer  the  head  of  the  stream, 
where  also  John  Gougler  had  a  small  woolen 
factory  in  1862. 

After  the  manufacture  of  guns  was  no  longer 
profitable,  the  most  of  these  powers  were  devoted 
to  the  manufacture  of  hats. 

Absalom  Ruth  was  the  pioneer  of  this  in- 
dustry on  the  Wyomissing.  In  1859  he  and 
his  sons,  John  K.,  William,  Henry  and  Michael, 
came  from  Adamsj;own  and  started  up  the  hat 
business,  on  the  site  of  the  present  Kessler 
factory.  Later,  they  went  into  the  old  Reich- 
wein  gun-factory,  and  continued  there  until  1872, 
when  they  bought  the  old  Mohn  grist-mill,  and 
converted  that  into  a  hat-factory,  now  carried 
on  by  John  K.  Ruth.  The  product  is  fifty 
dozen  hats  per  day.  The  mill  machinery  was 
placed  in  a  new  building  at  the  Reichwein 
power,  now  Ruth's  mill. 

Jacob  Kessler's  wool-hat  factory  was  estab- 
lished in  1867  by  Conrad  F.  Kessler  &  Bro.. 
It  was  burned  down  in  1878  and  rebuilt  in 
1880   by  the  present  proprietor.      The  daily 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1165 


product  is  sixty  dozens  of  hats.  In  1878, 
Henry  Worley  began  making  hats,  using  the 
power  of  a  rifle-factory,  built  by  Benjamin 
Mohninl854.  Worley  also  made  rifles.  The 
old  building  was  small.  A  three-story  frame 
building  is  now  occupied.  Thirty-six  dozens 
of  hats  per  day  are  produced. 

At  the  next  power  David  Glass  had  a  trip- 
hammer as  early  as  1848.  Five  years  later 
Gougler  &  Heberling  operated  both  to  make 
rifles.  Then  John  Fichthorn  commenced  to 
make  wool  hats  in  a  factory  which  is  now  car- 
ried on  by  Spatz,  Miller  &  Co.,  producing 
thirty  dozen  per  day. 

Anthony  Wertz's  cotton-lap  factory  has  been 
in  operation  since  1870,  using  the  power  of  the 
Frank  Miller  gun-factory,  first  operated  in 
1850.  Jn  1885  carpet- weaving  was  begun  as 
another  branch  of  industry. 

J.  H.  Spatz's  hat-factory,  in  a  three-story 
frame  building,  twenty-eight  by  fifty-four  feet, 
was  established  in  1878.  Steam-power  only  is 
used,  and  the  product  is  forty  dozen  per  day. 

In  1874  Mohn,  Spatz  &  Co.  began  the  man- 
ufacture in  another  building,  where  they  were 
succeeded  in  1878  by  Cyrus  Hornberger, 
Samuel  and  Jonathan  H.  Miller.  This  factory 
is  now  operated  by  Spatz,  Son  &  Co.,  making 
forty  dozen  per  day,  and  using  water  and 
steam. 

J.  H.  Miller's  factory  was  erected  in  the 
winter  of  1885-86,  and  is  one  of  the  largest  and 
best  arranged  factories  at  the  place.  Steam- 
power  only  is  used  and  the  product  is  fifty  dozen 
per  day. 

A  mile  below  Mphnville  is  George  Hendel's 
factory,  which  is  operated  by  both  water  and 
steam-power.  It  was  erected  in  1878  on  the 
site  of  the  old  Warner  fulling-mill.  The 
building  is  forty  by  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  feet,  four-stories  high.  The  industry 
includes  separate  storage  buildings  of  large 
capacity.  In  its  appointments  it  is  one  of  the 
first  factories  in  the  country.  It  was  first 
operated  by  George  Hendel,  John  Hendel  and 
Samuel  K.  Mohn.  The  present  firm  is  George 
Hendel,  Brother  &  Son.  One  hundred  and  eighty 
dozen  hats  are  produced  daily,  giving  employ- 
ment to  eighty  hands.     In  all  the   foregoing 


factories  several  hundred  hands  are  at  present 
employed. 

Although  the  Angelica  Creek  has  a  number 
of  water-powers,  it  never  became  as  important, 
relatively,  as  the  Wyomissing,  and  has  in  late 
years  been  devoted  almost  exclusively  to  the  ice 
interests.  These  are  controlled  by  George  Frill, 
who  has  erected  large  and  well-appointed  ice- 
houses, enabling  him  to  store  ennrmous  quan- 
tities of  the  purest  ice.  The  former  powers  of 
Henning's  grist-mill,  a  pioneer  industry,  and 
the  "Speedwell  Forges"  have  thus  been  diverted. 
The  first  forge  became  the  property  of  Nicolas 
Yocum,  in  1815.  It  was  built  by  Philip  Seidel 
some  fifteen  years  earlier.  In  1835  "  Speedwell  " 
No.  2  was  built  by  Yocum,  and  in  the  course 
of  some  years  these  were  operated  separately  by 
his  sons,  Moses  and  Daniel  Yocum,  until  1870 
when  they  were  abandoned.  The  gun  factory 
of  J.  K.  White  and  the  Forest  File  Works  of 
Moses  Ruflner  have  also  been  abandoned,  but 
the  old  Yost  grist-mill  is  still  operated  in  a 
small  way.  The  Mount  Perm  Furnace  on  Fly- 
ing Hill  Run,  was  active  for  a  number  of  years, 
and  near  the  mouth  of  the  same  stream  William 
Lewis  had  a  forge  as  early  as  1790.  The 
power  was  afterwards  applied  to  the  operation 
of  a  small  grist-mill. 

CHURCHES. 

Baptist  Church.1 — The  first  meeting- 
house erected  within  the  bounds  of  the  town- 
ship was  (he  Baptist  Church.  It  was  built  on 
three  acres  of  land,  on  the  Wyomissing,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  "  Rieth's  mill,"  donated  by 
Hugh  Morris,  Evan  Lloyd  and  Evan  Price, 
early  settlers.  The  services  were  in  the  Welsh 
language,  aud  the  Rev.  Thomas  Jones  was  the 
pastor.  He  continued  to  preach  for  many 
years,  when,  on  account  of  German  immigra- 
tion and  other  influences,  the  organization  was 
allowed  to  go  down.  The  grave-yard  was 
kept  up  a  number  of  years  longer,  but  has  for 
a  long  time  been  sadly  neglected.  The  ruins 
of  it  may  still  be  seen. 

Salem  Evangelical  Church,  at  Mohns- 
ville,  was  the  next  erected.     It  was  a  rough 


1  See  Religious  Denominations,  p.  361. 


1166 


HISTOKY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


stone  building,  plain  in  every  respect,  and  put 
up  in  1849.  John  Spatz,  John  Mohn  and 
Samuel  K.  Mohn  were  the  first  trustees,  and 
served  until  the  church  was  demolished, 
twenty-nine  years  later.  From  a  small  mem- 
bership the  society  increased  until  a  larger  house 
was  necessary  to  accommodate  it.  The  present 
edifice  was  erected  in  1872.  It  is  a  two-story 
brick  structure,  with  a  steeple  and  bell.  The 
basement  has  been  fitted  up  for  Sunday-school 
purposes.  At  that  time  the  Rev.  Jesse  Law- 
rence was  the  pastor  of  the  church,  serving  it 
in  connection  with  other  appointments  on  the 
Adamstown  Circuit.  The  Rev.  B  D.  Albright 
is  the  present  pastor.  But  the  church  being  so 
flourishing,  having  more  than  two  hundred 
members,  will  become  a  separate  charge.at  the 
next  meeting  of  the  Conference.  The  building 
was  improved  in  1885,  at  a  cost  of  md-e  than 
fifteen  hundred  dollars.  A  Sunday-school  of 
more  than  two  hundred  members  has  Nelson 
Dickinson  as  the  superintendent. 

Opposite  the  church  is  its  burial-ground,  and 
adjoining  the  latter  is  Mohnsville  Cemetery, 
opened  in  1876,  and  controlled  by  an  associa- 
tion, of  which  James  D.  Leininger  is  president ; 
Samuel  K.  Mohn,  .secretary ;  and  Jonathan 
H.  Miller,  treasurer.  It  contains  one  acre  of 
land. 

Wyomissing  Chuech  {Reformed  and  Luth- 
eran) is  at  Gouglersville.  It  was  erected  in 
1850,  having  been  dedicated  November  17, 
1850.  The  building  becoming  too  small,  it 
was  determined,  early  in  1886,  to  erect  a  new 
edifice.  The  old  church  was  occupied  the  last 
time  April  4,  1886,  when  it  was  demolished. 
The  new  structure  will  be  built  of  red  sand- 
stone, forty-five  by  seventy-five  feet,  and  will 
have  a  basement  and  auditorium.  The  church 
will  also  be  supplied  with  a  spire  and  bell,  and 
will  be  finished  up  in  good  style. 

The  Lutheran  congregation  had  as  its  first 
pastor  the  Rev.  R.  S.  Wagner,  whose  succes- 
sors were  Revs.  B.  D.  Zweizig,  T.  T.  Iaeger,  D. 
K.  Humbert  and  Zenas  H.  Gabel,  the  present 
minister.  There  are  two  hundred  and  fifty 
members. 

The  Reformed  congregation  had  the  Rev. 
Augustus  L.  Herman  as  pastor   until    1872, 


when  the  Rev.  S.  Schweitzer  came  for  a  year. 
Since  June,  1873,  the  Rev..M.  L.  Frltch  has 
been  the  pastor.  There  are  also  two  hundred 
and  fifty  members.  Both  congregations  are  in 
a  flourishing  condition. 

Cheist  Church,  commonly*  called  Yo- 
cum's  Church  (Reformed  and  Lutheran),' 
is  a  little  south  of  the  centre  of  the  township. 
It  is  a  neat  brick  edifice,  having  a  seating  ca- 
pacity for  three  hundred  and  fifty  persons.  It 
was  erected  in  1854,  the  corner-stone  being  laid 
on  May  28th  of  that  year.  In  connection  with 
the  church  there  are  several  acres  of  land  de- 
voted to  cemetery  purposes  and  other  uses.  The 
sheds  and  all  the  improvements  are  in  good 
condition.  A  number  of  years  before  the  church 
was  built  an  octagonal  schookhouse  stood  on 
this  site,  in  which  meetings  were  occasionally 
held,  and  a  number  of  interments  had  taken 
place  before  the  church  was  founded.  This  fact 
ultimately  led  to  the  selection  of  this  place  for 
a  church.  On  account  of  its  proximity  to  Read- 
ing, it  has  never  been  occupied  by  strong  con- 
gregations. In  1886  each  congregation' had 
about  one  hundred  and  thirty  communicant 
members. 

The  Rev.  B.  D.  Zweizig  has  been  the  only 
Lutheran  pastor.  On  the  Reformed  side  the 
pastor  is  the  Rev.  W.  J.  Kershner,  whose  pre- 
decessors were  Revs.  W.  F.  P.  Davis  and  Au- 
gustus Pauli. 

Immanuel  Church  is  located  at  Shillington, 
and  since  1877  has  been  the  exclusive  property 
of  a  German  Reformed  congregation.  It  was 
built  in  1874  for  the  joint  use  of  Lutheran  and 
Reformed  congregations.  Both  congregations 
occupied  it  a  few  years,  when  the  Lutherans  re- 
linquished their  interests,  not  being  '  strong 
enough  to  maintain  an  organization.  The 
structure  is  of  brick  and  is  surmounted  by  a 
small  belfry.  There  are  sittings  for  four  hun- 
dred persons.  In  1886  only  about  fifty  com- 
municant members  were  reported.  Rev.  W.  J. 
Kershner  was  pastor.  His  predecessor,  for  one 
year,  was  the  Rev.  M.  H.  Mishler;  and  from 
1874  until  1884,  Rev.  M.  L.  Fritch. 

At  Shillington  a  Sunday-school  of  one  hun- 
dred and  ten  members  is  maintained  in  the 
school-house. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1167 


Among  the  old  burial-grouuds,  Heraig's,  near 
the  almshouse,  is  still  kept  up ;  also  the  Bernard 
Addams  Cemetery,  near  Reading.  The  latter 
contains  about  one-fourth  of  an  acre  of  ground, 
inclosed  by  a  very  substantial  stone  wall.  In- 
cluded is  a  small  stone  building,  used  at 
funerals.     Here  are  some  old  interments. 

Opposition    to    Education. — In   various 
parts  of  the  township  early  pay-schools  were 
taught,  which  educated  many  of  the  citizens  to 
recognize  the  advantages  of  the  free-school  sys- 
tem.    Nevertheless,  there  was  a  decided  oppo- 
sition to  the  system  on  the  part  of  many  wealthy 
and  influential  men,  who  expressed  their  dis- 
approbation at  a  public  meeting  April  12, 1849. 
Resolutions  were   adopted,  declaring  a  deter- 
mined hostility  towards  the  system  and  to  op- 
pose, at  all  hazards,  the  establishment  of  schools 
under  the  system.     The  meeting  went  so  far  as 
to  ridicule  the  government  in  offering  aid  to  es- 
tablish better  schools.      To  counteract  this  in- 
fluence, the  friends  of  free-schools  held  a  meet- 
ing at  the  public-house  of  Adam  Groff,  May 
12,  1849,  when  Jacob  Matz  was  chosen  presi- 
dent; Isaac    Matz,   vice-president;    Cornelius 
Freeman  and  Jacob  Stoudt,  secretaries.      Ap- 
propriate, resolutions  were  adopted,  in  which 
the  meeting  lamented   the  downward  tendency 
of  their  school  affairs  and  the  opposition  of  so 
many  wealthy,  influential  citizens, ,  and  urged 
ceaseless    effort     until    something    was     done 
towards  their  improvement.  George  W.  North- 
eimer,  John  M.  Dewees,  John  Van  Reed  and 
Charles  H.  Addams  were  appointed  a  commit- 
tee to  make  proper  application  to  the  court  to 
compel  the  directors  to  carry  out  the  provisions 
of  the  act  of  1849.     A  general  county  school 
convention,  to  be   held  at  Reading,  was  also 
suggested.     This  determination  was  not  with- 
out effect.     The   opposition  subsided  and  the 
schools  gradually  improved.     One  of  the  best 
known  teachers  of  the  township  was  William 
W.  Lewis.     He   engaged   at  this  vocation   in 
1854  and  continued  until  his  death,  in  1882. 
He  was  progressive  and  had  the  esteem  of  those 
whom  he  served. 

VILLAGES. 

,    Oakland  is  the  most  recent  village  in  the 


township,  and  sustains  a  suburban  relation  to 
Reading.  It  is  very  eligibly  located,  about 
half  a  mile  from  the  Lancaster  bridge,  and  has 
in  the  few  years  of  its  existence  been  remark- 
ably prosperous.  The  village  was  laid  out  by 
John  Bechtel  on  part  of  his  farm,  and  contains 
more  than  thirty  residences,  all  brick  and  ruaily 
of  attractive  appearance.  The  village  is  being 
supplied  with  water  from  springs.  The  hotel 
in  this  locality  was  erected  a  number  of  years 
ago  by  Henry  Kurtz,  favorably  known.  It  is 
a  large,  inviting  building. 

Shillington  is  very  pleasantly  located  on 
the  Lancaster  road,  three  miles  from  Reading, 
It  is  named  after  Samuel  Shilling,  who  sold  off 
most  of  the  lots.  Prior  to  1865  the  improve- 
ments consisted  of  the  tavern  and  a  large  stone 
farm-house.  The  tavern  was  opened  at  a  very 
early  day.  It  was  kept  in  1820  by  Valentine 
Straub.  A  later  keeper  was  Jacob  Shilling, 
who  was  succeeded  by  John  Beidler,  whose  es- 
tate still  owns  the  property.  Recent  improve- 
ments have  made  the  tavern  one  of  the  largest 
in  the  county,  outside  of  the  larger  towns.  It 
is  widely  known  as  the  "  Three-mile  House." 
Oliver  Hiunershitz  is  the  present  landlord. 
Connected  with  it  is  tne  Reading  Driv- 
ing Park,  which  was  opened  to  the  public 
in  1869.  It  has  a  good  half-mile  course  and 
other  improvements.  In  1874  a  store  was 
opened  by  Miss  Mary  Deeds,  which  is  contin- 
ued by  Adam  M.  Roll  man.  He  is  also  in 
charge  of  the  Shillington  post-office,  established 
in  July,  1884,  which  has  a  daily  mail  from 
Reading.  There  are  a  few  mechanic-shops,  a 
Reformed  Church  and  about  thirty  residences, 
some  of  them  being  large  and  attractive  in 
their  surroundings. 

Gouglbesville  is  near  the  southwestern 
corner  of  the  township,  on  the  old  Lancaster 
road.  It  contains  a  fine  Union  church,  a  hotel, 
store,  shops  and  twenty  residences.  The  place 
took  its  name  from  John  and  Philip  Gougler, 
who  were  influential  citizens,  and  has  been  dis- 
tinctively known  by  this  title  since  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Gouglersville  post-office,  in  1855. 
The  first  public  improvement  was  the  inn  of 
Jacob  Reedy,  put  up  in  1813.  A  later  keeper 
was  William  Kohl ;  and  in  1842  John,  Gougler 


1168 


HISTORY   OF   BERKS   COUNTY,   PENNSYLVANIA. 


became  the  owner,  who  greatly  enlarged  it.  He 
also  put  up  other  buildings  in  the  place.  A 
store  was  started  in  1843  by  John  Gougler. 
Philip  Gougler  was  a  later  owner  and  James 
Hartman  is  the  present  proprietor  of  these  inter- 
ests. The  post-office  was  kept  for  many  years 
by  Benjamin  F.  Hemmig,  as  deputy,  who  also 
served  as  justice  of  the  peace.  A  daily  mail  is 
supplied  by  the  Adamstown  stage  from  Reading. 
The  usual  mechanic-shops  have  long  been 
maintained.  The  manufacture  of  cigars  has 
lately  introduced  new  life.  Small  factories  are 
carried  on  by  Samuel  and  David  Hornberger, 
each  employing  about  a  dozen  hands.  Near  the 
village  David  M.  Krill  opened  a  factory  in 
1885  ;  he  employs  thirty-five  hands. 

In  1881  the  village  contained  seventeen 
dwellings  and  seventy-eight  inhabitants,  five 
carpenters,  two  wheelwrights,  two  hatters,  two 
butchers,  one  undertaker,  one  blacksmith,  two 
farmers  and  two  yeomen. 

During  the  active  days  of  stage  traveling 
between  Reading  and  Lancaster,  before  the 
Reading  and  Columbia  Railway  was  constructed, 
Gouglersville  was  a  prominent  stopping-place 
for  changing  horses. 

The  water-shed  of  the  township  is  at  Gouglers- 
ville, this  point  being  the  summit  on  the  way 
between  Reading  and  Lancaster.  The  waters 
of  Muddy  Creek  rise  to  the  south  and  flow  into 
the  Conestoga  and  thence  into  the  Susquehanna, 
and  the  waters  of  the  Wyomissiug  Creek  rise  to 
the  north  and  flow  into  the  Schuylkill. 

Mohnsville  is  five  miles  from  Reading,  in 
the  valley  of  the  Wyomissing  Creek,  and  owes 
its  existence  to  the  fine  water-powers  of  that 
stream  at  that  point.  Prior  to  1840  the  only 
improvement  was  a  small  log  house,  on  a  piece 
of  pasture  land  overgrown  with  brambles  and 
wild  bushes.  Soon  afterward  it  became  the 
property  of  Benjamin  Mohn,  who  cleared  the 
land  for  farming  purposes.  In  1846  he  built  a 
grist-mill,  being  now  joined  by  his  nephew. 
Within  the  past  ten  years  the,  manufacture  of 
wool  hats  having  become  so  important  an  indus- 
try at  this  place,  the  village  has  had  the  most 
of  its  growth  in  this  period.  It  now  includes 
one  hundred  and  fifteen  residences,  five  hundred 
and  twenty-five  inhabitants,  a  fine  Evangelical 


Church,  two  stores,  a  hotel  and  factories.  Sam  - 
uel  K.  Mohn  opened  the  first  store  in  the  mill 
which  he  was  carrying  on,  about  1854,  but  a 
few  years  later  erected  a  building  for  store  pur- 
poses, in  which  he  traded  fifteen  years.  Here 
was  established  the  Mohn's  Store  post-office,  in 
1857,  of  which  he  was  the  postmaster,  a  posi- 
tion now  held  by  Jonathan  H.  Miller.  Others 
in  trade  were  William  K.  Ruth,  John  Y.  Weid- 
ner,  Joseph  Gaul  and  Albert  G.  Miller. 

The  second  store- stand  was  established  by 
Ephraim  G.  Werner,  who  is  still  in  trade. 
Benjamin  Mohn  built  a  residence,  which  was 
used  first  as  a  tavern  by  John  Greiner  and  later 
by  John  Mengel.  The  family  of  the  latter  now 
own  the  property.  In  1886  Dr.  W.  B.  Shaner 
was  a  practicing  physician  at  the  village. 

In  1882  John  A.  Bolder  began  the  manufac- 
ture of  cigars  at  this  place.  He  is  the  pioneer 
manufacturer  in  this  industry.  He  occupies  a 
three-story  factory,  twenty-four  by  forty  feet, 
and  employs  sixty  hands.  Since  1885  George 
H.  Leininger  has  carried  on  a  factory  employ- 
ing twenty  hands  ;  and  since  April,  1886,  Mohn 
&  Seitzinger  have  in  operation  a  factory  employ- 
ing twelve  hands.  On  June  1,  1886,  Huyet  & 
Co.  opened  their  factory,  affording  employment 
for  forty  hands. 

The  Mohnsville  Water  Company  was  incor- 
porated September  9,  1885.  It  has  water  priv- 
ileges assured  which  will  give  an  inexhaustible 
supply  of  water.  About  one  mile  of  pipes  has 
already  been  laid,  the  water  being  secured  from 
springs  elevated  so  as  to  cause  the  water  to  flow 
by  gravity. 

The  Mohnsville  Building  and  Savings  Asso- 
ciation was  organized  in  June,  1882.  There  are 
one  thousand  shares,  whose  par  value  is  two  hun- 
dred dollars  per  share.  The  association  has 
erected  eighteen  buildings  and  has  been  an  im- 
portant factor  in  developing. the  village.  John 
A.  Bohler  is  secretary  of  the  association. 

Mohnsville  Council,  No.  86,  O.  of  A.  M., 
was  instituted  about  eighteen  years  ago.  It'  is 
well  established,  having  sixty-five  members.  A 
lodge  of  Knights  of  Pythias  was  instituted  more 
recently  and  is  also,  reported  flourishing.  Camp 
No.  211,  P.  O.  S.  of  A.,  was  instituted  July 
25,  1 884,  and  has  sixty  members.     In  the  same 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1169 


hall  an  independent  temperance  organization, 
having  fifty  members,  also  holds  its  regular 
meetings. 

Cumru  post-office  was  established  in  1858  at 
the  Five-Mile  House,  on  the  old  Lancaster  road, 
which  is  one  of  the  oldest  tavern-stands  in  the 
township.  It  has  had  numerous  keepers.  Sev- 
eral mechanic-shops  are  carried  on  there. 

Angelica  post-office  was  established  May  22, 
1882,  at  the  old  Yost  Tavern,  in  the  Angelica 
Valley.     Formerly  the  Groff  Tavern  was  con- 


John,  May  18,  1794,  who  married  Magdalena, 
daughter  of  Abraham  and  Mary  Hirsh  Yost. 
Their  children  were  Jeremiah,  Conrad  Y.,  Isaac 
Y.,  Mary  Ann  (Mrs.  Samuel  Brobst),  whose 
son,  John  B.,  is  the  only  grandson  of  John  and 
Magdalena  Beidler  and  Abraham.  Conrad  Y. 
Beidler,  the  second  son  by  this  marriage,  was 
born  in  Cumru  township,  near  Reading,  on  the 
17th  of  June,  1820,  and  received  his  education 
at  the  public  schools  of  his  township  and  in 
Reading.     He  then  became  familiar  with  the 


'fy^r-ruwjC  Sty  /v£e^M0^^> 


ducted  there.  Other  inns  ot  the  township 
which  are  of  the  nature  of  land-marks  are 
Lauber's  White  House,  on  Neversink  Moun- 
tain, and  the  Sorrel  Horse  Inn,  which  was 
known  as  Steward's  in  1820. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

Conrad  Y.  Beidler,  of  German  descent, 

is  the  great-grandson  of  Conrad  Beidler,  and 

the  grandson  of  Peter  Beidler,  who  married 

Barbara  Spohn.     To  this  union  was  born  a  son, 

100 


work  of  the  farm  and  a  valuable  assistant  to  his 
father  in  his  farming  enterprises.  He  was,  in 
August,  1844,  married  to  Catherine,  daughter 
of  William  and  Catherine  Miller  Spohn,  who 
was  born  July  18,  1822,  and  resided  in  Spring 
township.  Their  only  child  is  a  daughter, 
Sarah  Ann,  born  November  2,  1845,  and  mar- 
ried to  William  P.  High,  son  of  Ezra  High,  of 
Cumru  township,  Berks  County,  on  the  29th  of 
August,  1865.  Their  children  are  Kate  M., 
Hannah  C,  Ezra  (deceased),  Conrad  B.,  Mary 


1170 


HISTORY   OF   BERKS   COUNTY,   PENNSYLVANIA. 


(deceased),  William  B.,  Sallie  B.,  Magdalena 
B.,  Charles  B.  and  Mabel  B.  (twins). 

Soon  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Beidler,  with  his 
brother,  assumed  the  management  of  the  farm, 
which  they  jointly  cultivated  for  eight  years, 
when  he  removed  to  the  hotel  at  Shillington,  in 
Cumru  township,  of  which  he  was  for  five  years 
the  popular  landlord.  Reading  next  became 
his  place  of  residence,  where  he  remained  five 
years,  and  at  the  expiration  of  that  time  settled 
upon  a  farm  in  Cumru  township,  which  he  had 
meanwhile  purchased.  Oil  retiring  from  agri- 
cultural labor  he  built  a  residence  in  Shilling- 
ton,  and  remained  a  citizen  of  that  place  until 
his  death,  on  the  14th  of  June,  1883.  Mrs. 
Beidler  died  on  the  16th  of  September,  1863. 
Mr.  Beidler  was  in  politics  a  Democrat,  but 
held  no  office  other  thau  that  of  school  director 
of  his  township.  He  was  a  director  of  the 
Reading  Savings-Bank,  and  frequently  called 
upon  to  act  as  administrator,  trustee  and  ex- 
ecutor. He  was  a  member  of  the  Reformed 
Church. 


SPRING  TOWNSHIP. 
Eeection  of  Township. — In  1850  the 
township  of  Cumru  included  about  thirty-three 
thousand  acres  of  land.  The  population  was 
thirty-eight  hundred  and  fifty-three,  the  most 
populous  district  in  the  county  outside  of  Read- 
ing; and  the  electors  numbered  about  seven 
hundred  and  fifty.  And  in  respect  to  area  of 
territory  it  was  the  largest  township  in  the 
county.  Within  the  previous  decade  two  unsuc- 
cessful attempts  were  made  to  effect  a  division 
of  the  township,  on  account  of  its  great  extent 
and  incident  inconvenience.  In  that  year,  with 
the  state  of  affairs  mentioned,  a  third  attempt 
was  made  in  this  behalf.  The  petition  prayed 
for  a  division  line  situated  to  the  west  of  the 
line  suggested  in  the  previous  petitions,  begin- 
ning at  the  "  Harrisburg  Bridge  "  and  extending 
southwardly  to  the  Lancaster  County  lines,  at  the 
corner  of  Brecknock  township  ;  and  it  was  sub- 
scribed by  only  forty-five  taxable  inhabitants 
of  the  township.1     The  Court  appointed  Aaron 

i  Of  these  thirty-five  signatures  were  written  in  English. 
The  previous  petitions  had  been  subscribed  by  nearly  four 
times  the  number  of  subscribers. 


Albright,  Richard  Boone  and  Michael  K. 
Boyer  as  commissioners  to  inquire  into  the  ad- 
visability of  the  proposed  division.  These  com- 
missioners, after  viewing  the  township,  divided 
the  township  as  proposed,  and  recommended 
the  western  part  to  be  erected  into  a  new  town- 
ship under  the  name  of  Spuing.  The  bound- 
ary lines  were  described  in  the  report.2  They 
enclosed  about  fifteen  thousand  acres.  The  re- 
port was  presented  August  5,  1850.  Excep- 
tions were  filed,  which  stated  that  the  division 
would  cut  twenty-eight  bridges  in  the  eastern 
part  and  only  three  in  the  western,  and  also  cut 
forty  miles  more  of  roads  in  the  former  than 
in  the  latter.  But  the  Court  disregarded  the 
force  of  these  exceptions,  confirmed  the  report 
on  ^November  23,  1850,  and  erected  the  new 
township  with  the  name  suggested. 

The  names  of  the  early  settlers  are  included 
with  the  taxables  of  Cumru  township. 

Early  Murder  of  Indians. — In  1728 
several  of  the  Welsh  settlers  became  involved 
in  a  serious  trouble  with  the  colonial  govern- 
ment, which  arose  from  killing  three  Indians  at 
a  place  called  Cucussea,3  in  Chester  County, 
(afterward  changed  to  Cacoosing).  The  follow- 
ing proceedings  have  been  published  in  connec- 
tion with  the  matter : 

"  On  the  12th  of  May,  1728,  Patrick  Gordon,  Deputy 
Governor  of  Pennsylvania,  issued  a  warrant  for  the 
apprehension  of  the  murderers  by  hue  and  cry.  It  was 
as  follows: 

"'  To  all  Sheriffs,  Coroners,  Constables,  and  other  his 
Majesty's  subjects,  within  the  Province  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  every  of  them: 

"  '  Whereas  I  have  this  day  received  information  that 
Walter  Winter  and  John  Winter,  late  of  Chester 
County,  farmers,  did  on  the  11th  day  of  this  instant 
set  upon  and  kill  one  old  Indian  man,  named  Toka 
Collie  and  his  wife,  with  one  other  Indian  woman  be- 
ing of  our  friend  Indians,  and  being  then  in  the  peace 
of  God  and  the  King. 


2  "Beginning  at  Harrisburg  Bridge,ten  courses  generally 
S.  W.  altogether  in  length  8  m.  67  J  ps.  to  Lancaster  County 
line ;  thence  along  said  line  N.  48  W.  3  m.  264  ps.;  thence 
N.  E.  along  Heidelberg  township  line  (greater  part  of 
which  is  the  Cacoosing  creek,  8$  miles;  thence  from  mouth 
of  Cacoosing  S.  E.  along  Tulpehocken  creek,  3J  miles  to  its 
mouth,  and  along  the  Schuylkill  river  1  mile  to  Harrisburg 
Bridge.'' 

3  This  was  in  this  township.  The  place  can  not  be 
located. 


TOWNSHIPS   OF   COUNTY. 


1171 


"  'These  are  therefore  in  his  Majesty's  name  to  com- 
mand you  and  every  of  you  to  Levy  Hue  and  Cry,1  with 
horses  and  with  foot  within  ye  Province  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, after  the  said  Walter  Winter  and  John  Winter, 
and  them  and  each  of  them  to  apprehend  and  bring 
before  some  justice  of  the  Peace  of  the  Province  afore- 
said, to  be  examined  and  dealt  with  according  to  law.' 

"  The  coroner  was  dispatched  to  take  an  inquisition 
of  the  dead  bodies  and  bury  them  wrapt  in  linen; 
he  was  further  directed  that  if  any  of  their  relatives 
were  there,  he  should  present  them  with  four  strouds 2 
to  cover  the  dead  bodies  and  to  give  two  strouds  to  the 
Indian  girls,  and  to  employ  some  person  to  cure  their 
wounds,  and  further  to  assure  them  that  the  offenders 
should  not  go  unpunished.  And  messengers  were 
sent  to  the  chiefs  of  the  different  tribes  to  notify  them 
of  this  unfortunate  occurrence  and  to  quiet  their 
revengeful  spirit  by  giving  each  of  them  two  strouds. 

"  The  following  affidavits,  made  before  Edward 
Farmer  and  A.  Hamilton  (two  justices  of  the  peace, 
of  Philadelphia  County),  on  the  same  day  on  which 
the  warrant  was  issued,  detail  the  facts  in  relation  to 
the  killing  of  the  Indians : 

"  '  Walter  Winter,  of  Cucussea,  in  the  County  of 
Chester,  being  examined  saith  that  on  the  tenth  day 
of  this  instant  he  had  heard  by  a  Dutchman  who  lives 
at  Tulpehocken,  that  the  Indians  had  killed  sundry 
Dutchmen,  viz.,  had  killed  two  and  wounded  three 
Christians,  whereupon  the  said  Walter  went  about  the 
neighborhood,  and  desired  the  people  to  get  together 
to  his  house  to  defend  themselves  against  the  Indians, 
and  returning  again  to  his  own  house,  where  he  was 
making  fast  the  windows,  in  case  any  attempt  s"hould 
be  made  upon  them.  One  John  Roberts's  son,  came  to 
the  house  of  the  said  Walter,  and  desired  the  said 
Walter  to  go  to  his  father's  house  and  assist  him,  for 

1  "  Hue  and  cry  "  was  a  peculiar  proceeding  practiced  in 
the  early  colonial  days  in  pursuing  a-foot  after  »  person 
who  bad  committed  a  felony.  The  statute  of  Westminster, 
13  Edward  I.  (1287),  provided  that  "  immediately  upon 
robberies  and  felonies  committed,  fresh  suit  shall  be  made 
from  town  to  town  and  county  to  county  by  horsemen  and 
footmen  to  the  seaside.  The  constable  (with  the  description  of 
the  person,  etc.)  shall  call  upon  the  parishioners  £o  assist 
him  in  the  pursuit  in  his  precinct,  ajid  give  notice  to  the 
next  constable,  who  shall  do  the  same  as  the  first,  etc. 
And  if  the  county  will  not  answer  the  bodies  of  the  of- 
fenders, the  whole  hundred  shall  be  answerable  for  the 
robberies  and  felonies  there  committed,  etc.,''  and  this 
law  prevailed  here  in  1 728. 

A  person  who  was  engaged  in  a  hue  and  cry  for  appre- 
hending a  felon  became  entitled  to  forty  pounds  if  the 
felon  were  convicted  and  the  judge  or  justice  certified 
thereto ;  and  also  to  the  felon's  horse,  furniture,  arms, 
money  and  other  goods  taken  with  him,  subject  to  the 
lights  of  other  persons  therein. 

8  A  stroud  was  an  article  of  clothing  in  the  order  of  a 
blanket. 


that  there  were  some  Indians  at  his  father's  house 
with  a  bow  and  a  great  number  of  arrows,  and  that  his 
father  was  in  danger  of  being  killed,  whereupon  the 
said  Walter,  with  his  father-in-law,  Morgan  Herbert, 
each  having  a  gun,  went  away  to  the  house  of  the  said 
John  Roberts,  (the  gun  of  the  said  Walter  being  load- 
ed with  one  bullet  and  ten  swan  shot,)  and  as  the  said 
Walter  and  Morgan  Herbert  were  going  to  John  Rob- 
erts's they  met  with  John  Winter,  who  had  with  him 
a  shot  gun,  and  thereupon  John  Winter  took  the  large 
gun  and  gave  the  small  gun  or  pistol  to  Morgan  Her- 
bert, and  when  the  said  Walter  with  Morgan  Herbert 
and  John  Winter  came  over  the  log  that  lies  over  the 
run  just  before  Roberts's  door,  he  saw  John  Roberts 
standing  in  his  own  door,  he  saw  him  have  a  gun  in 
his  hand,  but  whether  he  had  it  in  his  hand  before 
this  examinant  came  up  to  the  house,  or  whether  he 
went  in  for  it  afterwards,  this  examinant  cannot  say, 
and  this  examinant  saw  an  Indian  man,  some  women 
and  some  girls  sitting  on  a  wood-pile  before  John 
Roberts's  door.  And  the  Indian  man  getting  up 
took  his  bow  and  stepping  backwards  took  an  arrow 
from  his  back,  putting  it  to  the  string  of  the  bow, 
whereupon  this  examinant  apprehending  the  Indian 
was  going  to  shoot  at  him,  this  examinant  presented 
his  gun  and  shot  at  the  Indian  man,  that  he  believes 
the  Indian  was  wounded,  for  he  saw  blood  upon  his 
breast,  that  John  Winter  at  the  same  time  shot  one  of 
the  Indian  women,  and  then  ran  up  and  knocked 
another  Indian  woman's  brains  out,  that  two  Indian 
girls  ran  away,  that  the  examinant  followed  one  and 
with  the  bow  and  arrow  which  he  took  up  where  the 
said  Indians  were  sitting,  he  shot  at  one  of  the  Indian 
girls  and  then  overtook  her  and  brought  her  back, 
and  he  then  saw  the  Indian  man  get  up  and  went 
staggering  in  a  swamp  near  the  house,  that  John  Win- 
ter and  the  examinant  with  Morgan  Herbert,  the  next 
morning  found  the  other  Indian  girl  in  Tocacolie's 
cabin,  she  was  much  hurt  about  the  head  and  face, 
and  she  was  ordered  to  go  to  Walter  Winter's  house, 
where  she  went  accordingly.  That  this  examinant 
was  told  by  John  Roberts'  wife  that  the  Indian  boy, 
that  was  in  company  with  the  other  Indians,  was  in 
the  house  and  made  three  arrows  in  the  house  but 
this  examinant  did  not  see  him.  That  this  exami- 
nant with  John  Winter  and  John  Herbert  took  the 
corpses  of  the  two  Indian  women  and  hauled  them 
out  of  the  road  and  covered  them  with  some  leaves.' 3 

"  Morgan  Herbert  said  that  he  was  present  at  this 
examination,  and  having  been  read  distinctly  to  him, 
that  it  was  true  in  all  its  parts,  except  that  of  John 
Roberts  having  a  gun,  which  he  said  he  did  not  see. 

"  John  Winter  was  examined  before  same  parties,  at 
the  same  time.  His  affidavit  corroborated  that  of  his 
brother  Walter.4 

"  On  the  15th  of  May,  1728,  a  warrant  was  issued  for 


3  1  Penna.  Arch.  218-19.         41  Penna.  Arch.  219-20. 


1172 


HISTORY   OF   BERKS   COUNTY,   PENNSYLVANIA. 


the  arrest  of  Walter  Winter,  John  Winter  andMorgan 
Herbert;  and  also  a  warrant  for  apprehending  John 
Roberts  by  'hue  and  cry.' 

"  It  does  not  appear  that  the  Winter  brothers  were 
tried,  or  even  arrested.  But  Herbert  was  arrested, 
and  convicted  '  for  aiding  and  abetting  Walter  Win- 
ter and  John  Winter  in  ye  murder  of  certain  native 
Indians.'  During  his  imprisonment,  however,  in  the 
Chester  County  jail,  'divers  of  ye  inhabitants  of  ye 
said  county,  and  some  of  ye  county  of  Philadelphia, 
who  give  a  good  account  of  the  said  Morgan's  good 
behavior  and  conduct  amongst  them,'  made  applica- 
tion to  the  justice  of  the  court  for  a  recommendation 
of  mercy ;  and,  it  appearing  to  them  that  he  was  not 
active  in  perpetrating  the  murder,  but  unhappily  fell 
into  the  company  of  those  that  committed  it,  they 
were  induced  to  recommend  him  as  an  object  of  the 
Governor's  compassion  and  mercy,  so  far  as  to  grant 
him  a  reprieve  '  until  the  King's  pleasure  be  known, 
and  in  ye  mean  time  to  release  him  out  of  prison 
upon  paying  for  and  giving  security  for  his  good  be- 
havior towards  all  ye  King's  subjects  and  especially 
the  native  Indians  of  the  province.' 1  This  recom- 
mendation was  issued  by  the  Justices  (David  Lloyd, 
Richard  Hill  and  Jeremiah  Langhorne).  On  the  6th 
of  August,  1728,  it  was  laid  before  the  Executive 
Council,  and  upon  considering  it,  they  decided  that 
mercy  should  be  shown  to  him,  and  that  the  justices 
should  be  consulted  as  to  the  proper  manner  of  doing 
it.2  The  further.proceedings  in  this  matter  were  not 
published.    But  he  was  doubtless  pardoned." 

Industries. —  Near  the  upper  tavern,  in 
Fritztown,  there  was  a  paper-mill  as  early  as  1770 
which  was  then  carried  on  for  some  years  and 
then  converted  into  a  grist-mill.  The  latter 
was  a  stone  building,  one-story  high  and  had  a 
small  capacity.  The  mill  had  many  owners, 
among  them  being  George  and  William  Hain, 
Addams,  Van  Keed,  and  the  Marshals.  Near 
by,  Jacob  Miller  had  a  distillery  in  which, 
after  it  was  discontinued,  Jacob  Spies  started  a 
store,  the  first  in  this  locality.  Both  mill  and 
distillery  have  been  removed,  and  some  eighty 
rods  lower  down  the  valley  a  saw-mill  was 
built  after  1850,  by  Philip  Von  Neida.  It  is 
operated  by  water  and  steam  power.  In  1885 
it  was  the  property  of  Augustus  Keener.  Farther 
down  the  Little  Oacoosing,  near  Weitzelville,  is 
the  old  Eberle  mill  site,  improved  soon  after 
the  settlement  of  the  county,  and  continuously 
owned  by  the  Eberle  family.  At  first  there 
was  a  saw-mill,   but  some  twenty  years    ago 

1 1  Penna.  Arch.  225-26.  2  3  Col.  Rec.  326-27. 


Joseph  Eberle  put  up  a  good  grist-mill,  which 
is  still  operated  by  him.  East,  at  the  base  of 
the  high  hills,  in  that  part  of  the  township,  is  a 
grist-mill,  built  about  forty  years  ago  by  David 
Gring,  and  now  operated  by  his  son,  David. 
The  power  is  furnished  by  springs  gushing 
from  the  hill  side.  After  the  stream  has  turned 
the  machinery  of  the  mill  it  sinks  into  the  earth 
to  reappear  lower  down  the  valley. 

At  Sinking  Spring,  John  Miller  put  up  a 
tannery  which,  after  being  carried  on  a  number 
of  years  by  him  became  the  property  of  Thomas 
Mull,  in  1840,  then  of  Aaron  Mull  who  carried 
it  on  until  1864,  doing  a  large  business.  An- 
drew Fichthorn  owned  and  operated  it  also  for 
some  years  successfully. 

The  tannery  has  long  since  been  abandoned. 
Lower  down,  on  Cacoosing  Creek,  is  the  mill 
built  by  William  Addams,  long  and  favorably 
known  by  his  name.  It  is  now  operated  by 
John  Van  Eeed. 

On  the  Tulpehocken  a  number  of  mill  seats 
abound,  which  were  early  improved.  The 
lowest  is  in  the  township  of  Bern  and  is  now 
known  as  Bushong's  paper-mill.  Samuel  Bell 
had  pioneer  grist  and  saw-mills  at  this  place, 
and  after  his  death  they  were  carried  on  by 
Samuel  Bell,  Jr.  The  next  power  above  has 
its  seat  in  Spring  township  and  had  been  im- 
proved to  operate  an  oil-mill  for  a  man  named 
Moyer.  The  building  has  been  removed.  Still 
another  power,  farther  up,  improved  by  Joshua 
Fisher,  has  also  been  abandoned.  The  mill  had 
been  put  up  about  1812. 

The  Daniel  Gring  mill,  the  next  power,  was 
built  about  the  same  time  and  is  still  in  operation. 
The  Zug  and  Lash  mills,  on  the  powers  above, 
are  carried  on  as  the  property  of  George  Wertz. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  Cacoosing,  the' Van- 
Beed  paper-mills 2  constitute  the  most  important 
industry  in  the  township,  and  rank  among  the 
most  successful  enterprises  of  the  kind  in  the 
county.  The  Van  Keeds  are  a  family  of  paper 
makers,  the  present  proprietor,  Charles  Van- 
Keed,  belonging  to  the  third  generation,  here 
carrying  on  that  business.     As  conducted  by 


2  See  engraving  of  mills  in  Lower  Heidelberg  township 
p.  1120. 


TOWNSHIPS  OP   COUNTY. 


1173 


him,  the  plant  consists  of  three  mills,  designated 
as  Nos.  1,  2  and  3,  the  first  and  last  being 
auxiliary  to  the  second.  No.  1  mill  is  in  Lower 
Heidelberg,  and  is  run  by  the  water  of  the  Tul- 
pehocken.  In  it  Charles  Van  Reed,  the  grand- 
father of  the  present  owner,  made  printing 
paper  by  hand  at  an  early  day,  and  for  a  time 
supplied  the  State  Department  at  Harrisburg, 
with  paper  which  was  used  in  publishing  offi- 
cial reports.  In  1850  he  leased  this  mill  to  his 
son,  Henry  Z.  Van  Reed,  and,  in  1859,  the  lat- 
ter became  the  owner  of  the  property,  using  the 
mill  in  connection  with  No.  2,  on  the  Cacoos- 
ing,  in  Spring  township,  which  he  bought  Jan. 
4,  1854.  This  building  had  previously  been 
used  as  a  grist-mill  by  John  Van  Reed  and  was, 
later,  the  property  of  Daniel  Dechert.  In  April, 
1879,  Charles  Van  Reed  succeeded  his  father, 
Henry  Z.  and  soon  afterward  supplied  No.  2 
mill  with  improved  machinery  which  greatly 
increased  the  capacity.  In  the  spring  of  1882 
he  became  the  owner  of  the  old  Henry  Van- 
Reed  paper-mill,  some  distance  above,  on  the 
Cacoosing,  which  had  previously  been  opened 
by  C.  R.  Leinbach,  and  also  made  it  tributary 
to  No.  2  mill.  This  arrangement  enables  him 
to  manufacture  three  hundred  and  twenty-five 
tons  of  printing  paper  per  year,  giving  steady 
employment  to  eighteen  hands.  The  mills  are 
substantial  stone  buildings.  The  property  in- 
cludes a  farm  of  eighty  acres  of  land  and  eight 
tenement  houses.  Since  January,  1886,  the 
principal  office  of  the  mills  has  been  in  the  city 
of  Reading,  where  he  then  established  a  paper 
and  rag  warehouse. 

A  fulling  mill  near  the  Van  Reed  paper- 
mills  was  abandoned  when  the  power  became 
necessary  to  carry  on  the  latter  interests. 

One  of  the  earliest  industries  of  Spring  town- 
ship was  the  mining  of  iron  ore,  which  is 
found  iu  different  parts  of  the  township.  The 
old  Berkshire  furnace,  near  Dr.  Walter's  Park, 
in  Lower  Heidelberg,  was  supplied  with  ore 
mined  near  Cushion  Hill,  as  early  as  1760. 
The  quality  is  red  hematite.  Among  those 
who  carried  on  iron  mining,  in  that  locality, 
at  a  later  day,  were  Johnson  &  McCullough  and 
Charles  Ruth  ;  the  latter  about  thirty  years  ago. 
The  next  discovery  was  made  on  the  timber 


land  of  Heny  Ruth,  sometime  about  1847. 
The  ore  there  found  is  bluish  magnetic,  almost 
entirely  free  from  sulphur,  which  made  it 
valuable.  In  mining  it  a  shaft  was  sunk  to 
the  depth  of  more  than  one  hundred  feet.  The 
next  mine  was  developed  in  the  same  locality, 
and  is  known  as  the  "  Wheatfield  Mines,"  on 
the  farm  of  William  Fisher.  This  mine  has 
been  found  very  productive,  and  supplied  ore 
for  a  number  of  furnaces  in  Reading.  At  one 
time  a  large  force  of  men  were  employed  in  its 
development,  but  lately  nothing  has  been  done 
in  active  mining.  Joseph  Grill  is  mining  ore 
in  this  locality  at  present,  employing  a  dozen 
hands.  The  mineral  is  loaded  on  cars  from  a 
wharf  provided  near  Fritztown.  North  of 
Sinking  Spring,  iron  ore  was  mined  on  the 
Ruth  and  Mull  farms,  by  the  Eckerts  and 
others,  but  operations  were  suspended  about 
fifteen  years  ago.  One  of  the  shafts,  on  being 
sunk  to  a  great  depth  tapped  a  large  subterra- 
nean stream  (known  to  abound  in  this  county), 
which  flooded  the  mine  and  caused  a  cessation 
of  work.  Limestone  of  good  quality  is  found 
in  nearly  every  part  of  the  township,  and  at 
Sinking  Spring  has  been  quarried  for  shipment, 
laige  quantities,  for  a  time,  being  taken  out.  , 
In  late  years  the  operations  have  been  on  a 
limited  scale,  owing  to  the  dullness  of  the 
furnace  business.  Among  those  who  shipped 
limestone  from  this  place  were  Stephen  Denner 
&  Co.,  Lewis  Evans,  Hezekiah  V.  Hamlin  and 
James  Ruth.  The  hands  formerly  employed 
have  been  obliged  to  seek  other  occupation. 

CHURCHES. 

Baptist  Churches. — A  Baptist  Congrega- 
tion was  one  of  the  first  religious  organizations 
of  the  present  township,  having  an  existence 
about  1740.  Its  membership  was  composed 
largely  of  Welsh  people  or  their  descendants, 
all  of  whom  have  deceased  or  removed,  taking 
whatever  records  pertained  to  the  society  with 
them.  The  congregation  became  fully  extinct 
many  years  ago.  It  worshipped  in  a  log 
church  which  stood  near  the  old  cemetery  in 
the  lower  part  of  the  village  of  Sinking  Spring. 
This  burial  plat  is  on  part  of  a  tract  of  about 
two  acres  of  ground  set  aside  for  the  use  of  the 


1174 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


society,  but  the  title  of  which  is  not  well  pre- 
served, and  the  ownership  is  now  involved  in 
doubt.  It  was  originally  enclosed  with  a  sub- 
stantial stone  wall,  which  crumbled  down, 
leaving  the  cemetery  in  a  much  neglected  con- 
dition. Lately  it  has  been,  enclosed  with  a 
substantial  picket  fence,  which  shows  that  the 
community  have  not  lost  all  respect  for  the  dead 
which  repose  there.  On  the  ground  are  some 
fine  locust  trees  and  a  number  of  headstones 
showing  great  age  and  with  inscriptions  which 
have  become  illegible. 

The  log  church  near  this  cemetery  was  sub- 
sequently used  fpr;  school  purposes,  and  after 
its  decay  wasiremoved  'and  the  present  octagonal 
stone  building  .erected  on  the' lot.,  This  was 
used  as  a  school-house  many  years,  some  excel- 
lent schools  being  there  maintained.  After  it 
ceased  to  be  used  for  that  purpose  it  was 
allowed  to  go  down  and  for  sometime  stood  in 
a  dilapidated  condition.  Subsequently  it  was 
repaired  and  for  a  number  of  years  it  has  been 
used  as  a  residence. 

St.  John's  Church  (Lutheran  and  Re- 
formed). This  fine  church  edifice  is  located  on 
a  beautiful  site  in  the  village  of  Sinking  Spring. 
It  stands  on  a  tract  of  land  of  one  and  a  half 
acres,  devised  to  the  society  by  Christian  Ruth, 
October  30,  1793.  The  corner-stone  was  laid, 
May  3,  1794..  The  church  was  a  plain  brick 
building,  forty-eight  by  fifty-six  feet,  two- 
stories  high,  and  without  a  steeple.  Inside  was 
the  usual  gallery,  a  wine-glass  shaped  pulpit, 
and  a  floor  made  of  brick.  These  were 
manufactured  on  the  old  Krick  farm,  three- 
fourths  of  a  mile  from  the  village.  Three 
doors  afforded  entrance  to  the  building.  It 
was  dedicated  as  the  "  Evangelical  Presbyterian 
Reformed  Church,"  and  was  the  exclusive 
property  of  a  Reformed  congregation  until 
about  1812  when  the  Lutherans  obtained  a 
common  interest.  In  1809  the  church  property 
was  enlarged  by  the  addition  of  two  and  a  half 
acres  from  the  farm  of  Peter  Ruth,  north  of 
the  church,  a  part  of  which  was  added  to  the 
cemetery.  In  1817  a  fine  pipe  organ  was  built 
for  the  church,  by  Openhauser  of  Reading. 
On  the  middle  of  the  organ,  overshadowing  it 
with  its  golden  wings,  was  a  large  eagle,  while 


on  each  side  were  figures  of  gilded  angels,  each 
blowing  a  horn.  The  next  improvement  was 
the  removal  of  the  brick  floor  and  other  interior 
changes.  In  1851  a  tower  was  built  on  the 
west  side  of  the  church.  It  is  sixteen  feet 
square  and  one  hundred  and  fifty-one  feet  high 
and  was  supplied  with  a  bell  weighing  one 
thousand  six  hundred  and  eight  pounds.  The 
entire  outlay  was  about  three  thousand  dollars, 
and  on  the  completion  of  the  work  appropriate 
dedicatory  services  were  held  October  16,  1852. 
This  bell  was  damaged  and  a  new  one  (of 
nearly  same  weight)  put  in  its.  place  in  Septem- 
ber, 1881. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1884  fine  improvements 
were  inade  to  the  church  building,  costing  over 
seven  thousand  dollars. 

The  auditorium  of  the  church  is  lit  by  a 
beautiful  chandelier  of  twenty-four  lights,  cost- 
ing one  hundred  and  thirty  dollars.  The  carpets 
and  furniture  of  the  church  were  secured  by  the 
ladies  of  the  congregations  at  an  outlay  of  six 
hundred  dollars.  This  amount  was  raised  by 
three  societies,  called  the  "  Ladies'  Aid  Society," 
composed  of  married  women  ;  the  "  Guild,"  of 
single  women;  and  the  "Busy  Bees,"  of  young 
girls.  The  enlarged  and  beautiful  church  was 
appropriately  dedicated  on  the  24th  of  May, 
1885.  A  fine  new  organ  was  also  supplied.  It 
has  twenty  stops  and  cost  sixteen  hundred 
dollars. 

The  Lutheran  congregation  has  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  members  under  the  pastoral  care 
of  the  Rev.  B.  D.  Zweitzig.  His  predecessors 
have  been  the  Revs.  T.  T.  Iaeger,  Keller, 
Reichert,  Jacob  Miller  and  Henry  A.  Muhlen- 
berg. 

The  ministers  who  served  on  the  Reformed 
side  were  Rev.  Philip  R.  Pauli,  from  1794  to 
1815,  twenty-one  years.  He  was  followed  by 
his  son,  Rev.  William  Pauli,  from  1816  to  1855, 
thirty-nine  years.  After  his  death,  his  brother, 
Rev.  Charles  A.  Pauli,  served  from  the  year 
1856  to  1870,  fourteen  years.  Rev.  W.  F.  P. 
Davis  officiated  from  1871  to  1883.  He  died 
after  having  served  for  twelve  years,  when  the 
Rev.  W.  J.  Kershuer  was  elected,  who  still  re- 
mains in  service.  The  Reformed  congregation 
numbers  four  hundred  and  fifty  members. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF   COUNTY. 


1175 


Independent  U.  B.  Church  is  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  village  of  Sinking  Spring. 
It  was  built  in  1867  and  dedicated  the  follow- 
ing year.  The  house  is  brick,  with  a  low 
steeple,  containing  a  small  bell,  and  capacitated 
to  hold  two  hundred  and  fifty  persons. 

Before  this  church  was  built,  meetings  of  this 
denomination  were  held  on  the  Weidman  farm — 
in  the  barn  when  the  weather  permitted.  The 
membership  belonging  in  1885  was  forty-five. 
These  had  as  their  pastor  the  Rev.  L.  VV.  Cran- 
mer.  A  flourishing  Sunday-school  is  maintained 
the  entire  year,  B.  B.  Weidman  being  the  super- 
intendent. 

Kissinger's  Church  is  situated  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  township.  It  was  built  in 
1852.  The  Lutheran  congregation  numbers 
fifty  members,  with  the  Rev.  T.  T.  Iaeger  as 
pastor ;  and  the  German  Reformed  congregation 
has  about  the  same  membership,  with  Rev.  M.  H. 
Mishler  as  pastor. 

Mohn's  Church  (Evangelical  Association) 
is  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  township,  on 
one  acre  of  land,  secured  for  this  purpose  from 
the  farm  of  Daniel  Mohn.  The  present  church 
is  the  second  house  of  worship  in  this  locality. 
It  is  a  plain  frame  building.  The  first  house 
was  of  brick,  built  about  forty  years  ago.  The 
members  of  the  Association  at  this  place  num- 
ber thirty  and  have  their  ministerial  service  in 
connection  with  Adamstown,  in  Lancaster 
County.  The  present  pastor  is  the  Rev.  B.  D. 
Albright. 

Sinking  Spring  Cemetery  Company  was 
incorporated  by  an  act  of  Assembly,  February 
5,  1861,  with  the  following  members :  David 
Gring,  Isaac  Huyett,  Reuben  Gaul,  John  Van 
Reed,  Michael  Goodman,  Adam  Dechert, 
Joshua  Huyett,  Daniel  B.  Lorah  and  Aaron 
Mull.  An  acre  of  ground  was  purchased  near 
St.  John's  Church,  which  was  improved  and 
disposed  of  so  quickly  that  it  was  found  neces- 
sary to  enlarge  the  cemetery.  These  additions 
give  it  an  area  of  nearly  three  acres.  The 
cemetery  is  in  an  excellent  condition  and  the 
alfairs  of  the  company  are  flourishing. 

Parochial  School-House. — On  the  east- 
ern part'  of  the  St.  John's  Church  property  a 
parish  school-house  was  built  in   1804,  and  an 


addition  built  to  it  within  the  next  ten  years. 
It  is  of  logs  and  stone,  and  the  house  still  re- 
mains substantially  as  when  first  built.  A  book 
devoted  to  the  interests  of  this  school-house  is 
one  of  the  most  interesting  records  preserved 
among  the  church  papers.  From  it  we  learn 
that  the  total  expense  of  putting  up  the  house 
was  £142,  5s.  -id.  Nearly  the  entire  amount 
was  raised  by  subscription. 

In  this  building  the  church  long  maintained 
schools,  the  organist,  most  generally,  being  the 
teacher.  Instruction  was  in  the  German  lan- 
guage. 

The  public-school  building  in  the  village; 
accommodates  two  schools,  which  are  well  at- 
tended. It  is  a  long  but  low  brick  structure, 
located  in  the  upper  part  of  the  village. 

East  from  the  village  early  English  schools 
were  taught  in  a  log  house  which  stood  on  the 
farm  of  Philip  Evans.  He  usually  secured 
teachers  from  the  New  England  States,  hiring 
them  as  they  were  journeying  by  his  house  on 
their  way  to  the  West.  In  this  manner  he  some- 
times employed  young  men  of  great  merit.  A 
few  remained  and  became  useful  citizens  of  the 
county. 

villages. 

Sinking  Spring  is  located  on  the  Lebanon 
Valley  Railroad,  and  on  the  Berks  and 
Dauphin  turnpike,  five  miles  from  Reading. 
It  is  also  the  junction  of  the  Reading  and  Co- 
lumbia Railroad,  which  here  takes  the  tracks  of 
the  former  railway  into  Reading.  The  vil- 
lage derives  its  name  from  a  singular  spring 
which  here  rises  out  of  the  ground  with  con- 
siderable volume  of  water  and  almost  immedi- 
ately sinks  again.  Its  flow  is  periodic,  being 
much  greater  some  seasons  than  others,  its  vol- 
ume depending  upon  local  conditions.  The 
sinking  away  of  the  water  is  caused  by  the  pe- 
culiar limestone  formation  in  this  locality.  The 
place  has  grown  slowly  and  has  never  been 
noted  for  its  business  enterprise.  It  contains 
two  stores,  four  public-houses,  a  number  of 
shops,  two  churches  and  a  number  of  fine  resi- 
dences. Among  the  first  settlers  here  were  the 
Ruth  family,  who  owned  the  land  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  present  village.  Jacob  Lambert  and 
Catherine  Sohl  were  also  land-owners  here   in 


1176 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


1793,  having  buildings  east  of  St.  John's 
Church.  At  the  spring  was  the  public-house 
of  John  Huy,  which  was  built  some  time  after 
the  Revolution.  This  was  afterwards  kept  by 
Samuel  Addams,  a  son-in-law  of  Huy,  and 
father  of  John  H.  Addams,  who  removed  to 
Northern  Illinois,  where  he  became  one  of  the 
most  prominent  citizens  of  the  State.  Among 
the  later  keepers  of  the  tavern  was  John  Heff- 
ner,  who  built  an  addition  to  the  original  house. 
The  property  is  now  owned  by  William  F. 
Ruth.  The  next  public-house  is  almost  of  the 
same  age,  and  John  Ludwig  was  an  early  land- 
lord, followed,  among  others,  by  George  Ruth, 
John  Binkley,  Elijah  Miller,  Hugh  Lindsay, 
the  showman,  Henry  Mull,  William  Masser, 
Joshua  Rollman,  William  Troxel,  Benjamin 
Gaul,  Hiram  Miller  and  Levi  Brumbaugh. 
The  present  "Centennial  House"  was  first  kept 
by  Frank  Stettler,  succeeded  by  Nicholas  Yo- 
cum  and  the  present,  Charles  Gring.  It  has  a 
large  capacity  and  also  contains  a  hall.  Farther 
up  the  turnpike  Thomas  Van  Reed  had  a  public- 
house  many  years  ago,  which  has  been  converted 
into  a  farm  building,  still  occupied  by  him. 
Near  the  depot  a  neat  tavern  was  built  by  Sam- 
uel Plum,  who  sold  it  to  C.  S.  Rieser. 

John  Ludwig  was  one  of  the  first  to  engage 
in  merchandising  in  the  tavern  building,  and 
later  the  firm  of  Ludwig  &  Hiester  was  at  the 
same  place.  The  house  now  owned  by  Isaac 
Beidler  was  devoted  to  business  purposes  in  the 
early  history  of  the  village,  John  Miller  being 
long  in  trade  there.  The  building  standing  in 
the  angle  formed  by  the  junction  of  the  Lan- 
caster road  with  the  turnpike  was  devoted 
many  years  to  merchandising.  Among  those  in 
trade  at  that  place  were  Elijah  Miller,  Elijah 
Ruth,  Thomas  Mull,  Aaron  Mull,  Reuben 
Spohn  and  William  K.  Ruth.  Near  this  place 
John  Lambert,  Sr.,  had  a  distillery,  more  than 
sixty  years  ago,  which  did  a  large  business  for 
those  times.  The  stand  at  present  occupied  by 
Hiram  R.  Hull  was  the  next  opened,  in  the  or- 
der of  time.  Among  those  in  trade  there  were 
John  Lambert,  John  Heffner,  Reily  Fisher 
and  Aaron  Yocum.  Here  is  kept  the  Sinking 
Spring  post-office,  established  in  1831.     Others  | 


in  business  are  William  K.  Ruth,  general  mer- 
chant; A.  B.  Krick  and  C.  D.  Reber,  grain, 
flour  and  feed  dealers ;  and  S.  P.  Keppel  &  Co., 
lumber  and  coal  dealers,  who  are  successors  of 
C.  S.  Rieser. 

Cigar-factories  were  established  by  J.  H. 
Kegerise  in  1867,  who  employed  five  hands ; 
Oliver  B.  Ruth  in  1879;  and  Thomas  Leininger 
in  1885,  with  nine  hands. 

The  Palms  (Peter  and  William)  are  well  re- 
membered as  early  and  successful  physicians. 
The  latter  died  in  the  village  in  1852,  and  had 
as  contemporaries  in  the  later  years  of  his 
practice,  Dr.  Alexander  H.  Witman  and  Dr. 
Wendell  Hibschman.  Dr.  Abraham  Ruth  was 
in  practice  here  and  at  Fritztown  many  years. 
Drs.  Charles  T.  Reber,  James  Hoffman,  Michael 
and  John  Livingood  and  Dr.  Fishburn  were 
all  in  practice  a  few  years,  then  removed  to  the 
West.  Drs.  Thierwechter  and  Davis  each 
practiced  a  short  time.  Dr.  Thomas  Mull  went 
to  the  war  as  a  surgeon  and  died  at  Alexandria. 
Dr.  C.  N.  Hoffman  is  the  oldest  resident  phy- 
sician in  the  place ;  Dr.  James  Y.  Shearer 
next;  and  Dr.  J.  S.  Herbein  since  1867. 

The  early  mechanics  were  Michael  Miller, 
carpenter ;  Matthias  Peiffer  and  Andrew  De 
Hart,  blacksmiths  ;  George  Lambert  and  John 
Lambert,  shoemakers ;  George  Luft,  tailor  ; 
Jacob  Latshaw,  tinsmith  ;  Isaac  and  John 
Miller,  carpenters;  Charles  H.  Addams,  jus- 
tice of  the  peace,  and  James  H.  Addams,  auc- 
tioneer. 

Sinking  Spring  Council,  No.  77,  0.  of 
U.  A.  M. — This  body  was  instituted  March 
24,  1862,  with  thirteen  members.  The  present 
roll  shows  a  membership  of  thirty-nine. 

The  meetings  are  held  weekly  in  Hettinger's 
Hall.  The  lodge  has  been  prosperous  and  has 
an  invested  fund  of  twenty-six  hundred  dollars. 

Lexington  Lodge,  No.  155,  K.  of  P.,  was  in- 
stituted at  Sinking  Spring,  June  12,  1869,  and 
in  1885  had  sixty  members.  The  lodge  meets 
in  the  Hoffman  building.  Its  invested  fund  is 
about  two  thousand  dollars. 

Weitzelville  is  a  small  hamlet,  on  the 
Lancaster  road,  two  miles  from  Sinking  Spring. 
It  comprises  fifteen  buildings,  including  a  pub- 


TOWNSHIPS   OF  COUNTY. 


1177 


lie-house  and  some  shops.  It  derived  its  name 
from  Michael  Weitzel,  who  lived  here  as  a  dyer 
and  cradle-maker.  His  son  John  had  a  turnino-- 
shop.  Conrad  Marshall  carried  on  a  wheel- 
wright-shop and  John  Haas  was  the  smith.  The 
latter  opened  a  public-house  in  182-1,  where  is 
now  the  tavern  of  John  K.  Gittleman,  which 
was  built  in  1878. 

Feitztowx  is  situated  half  a  mile  south 
of  Weitzelville  and  is  built  in  a  very  straggling 
manner.  It  does  not  contain  any  fine  improve- 
ments, although  a  number  of  comfortable  homes. 
The  hamlet  was  started  on  the  lands  of  Jacob 
and  Dietrich  Marshal],  and  took  its  name  from 
John  Fritz,  who  built  the  first  public-house, 
about  1811,  north  of  the  Fritztown  Station,  on 
the  Columbia  Railroad.  It  is  now  the  log 
building  occupied  as  a  residence  by  Daniel 
Ulrich,  an  octogenarian,  who  is  a  native  of  this 
place.  After  being  a  tavern  forty  years,  it  was 
turned  into  a  residence.  In  1884,  Mahlon  K. 
Masser  opened  a  public-house  almost  opposite, 
which  he  still  continues.  The  store-house  there 
was  built  in  1849  by  Charles  Ruth  and  was  oc- 
cupied by  him,  Jacob  Zinn  and  the  present, 
William  Zinn.  The  latter  is  postmaster  of  the 
Fritztown  office,  established  November  12, 1862. 
Among  the  early  settlers  here  were  John 
Ulrich  and  his  son  Daniel,  coopers,  since  1805; 
John  Fritz,  weaver ;  John  Adam  Miller,  cabi- 
net-maker; Daniel  Huebner,  Peter  Bensing  and 
John  Grill,  coopers;  Daniel  Hart,  laborer; 
Alexander  Fisher,  millwright ;  Lewis  Ruth  and 
Charles  Werner,  wheelwrights ;  John  Mohn, 
farmer;  and  Jacob  Miller,  justice.  Most  of  the 
trades  named  are  still  carried  on.  In  1885  the 
manufacture  of  cigars  was  conducted  in  four 
shops,  employing  about  a  dozen  hands.  The 
large  building  near  the  station  was  formerly  a 
tavern.  At  the  upper  end  of  the  hamlet  is  the 
"Farmers'  and  Butchers'  Hotel,"  in  a  stone 
building,  erected  by  the  Hill  family  in  1780. 
A  later  keeper  was  Abraham  Mengel,  who  made 
some  improvements  in  the  building.  Then 
came  Peter  Ludwig,  Peter  Texter  and  others. 
The  present  keeper  is  Martin  De  Hart. 

Ven~emont  is  a  station  on  the  Columbia  Rail- 
road, a  short  distance  above  the  upper  end  of 
Fritztown.     It  contains  only  a  few  buildings, 


but  has  a  post-office,  which  was  established  in 
1883,  with  Tysher  Stitzel  as  postmaster.  The 
office  is  at  present  kept  by  Daniel  Borneman, 
who  also  merchandises  in  a  small  way.  The 
most  important  interests  at  this  place  are  the 
vineyards  and  fruit-farms  of  Solomon  Shearer. 
In  1877  he  began  devoting  his  attention  to  the 
cultivation  of  fruits,  enlarging  his  farms  from 
year  to  year,  until  they  embrace  nearly  five 
hundred  acres  of  land.  The  soil  and  climatic 
conditions  of  this  locality  appear  to  be  espe- 
cially favorable  for  grape  and  small  fruit  culture, 
and  his  efforts  have  been  very  successful.  He 
has  good  farm  buildings,  refrigerator  and  wine- 
vault,  where  he  keeps  his  surplus  stock  for 
shipment.  About  six  acres  are  devoted  to  the 
cultivation  of  the  grape,  and  large  areas  are  set 
with  pear,  peach,  plum,  cherry,  quince  and 
apple-trees.  He  has  also  begun  the  cultivation 
of  all  kinds  of  nut-bearing  trees  and  successfully 
grows  the  small  fruits. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

Rev.  Benneville  B.  Weidman  is  the 
grandson  of  Joseph  Weidman,  who  resided  in 
Brecknock  township,  where  his  life  was  devoted 
to  agricultural .  pursuits.  He  married  Susan 
Hoffer,  who  was  a  native  of  Germany,  and  had 
children, — Daniel,  Joseph,  Henry,  Christianna 
(wife  of  David  Cole),  Magdalena  (wife  of  Simon 
Cole),  Elizabeth  (wife  of  Joel  Steffy),  Ann 
Mary  (wife  of  Jacob  Blankenbiller),  Susanna 
and  Solomon.  The  last-named  of  these  children, 
and  the  father  of  Rev.  Weidman,  was  born  in 
Brecknock  township,  where  he  followed  farm- 
ing pursuits  for  a  brief  time,  but  later,  removed 
to  Spring  township,  having  purchased  the  farm 
now  owned  by  his  widow.  He  married  Mary 
Blankenbiller,  whose  children  were  Benneville 
B.,  Joseph,  deceased ;  Elizabeth,  Mary  (Mrs. 
Ephraim  Light),  Lydia  (Mrs.  John  Light), 
Susan  (Mrs.  R.  G.  Siebert),  Solomon  B.,  Kate 
and  Amanda  (Mrs.  Bresler). 

Benneville  B.  Weidman  was  born  on  the  5th 
of  September,  1833,  in  Brecknock  township, 
and,  when  an  infant,  removed  with  his  parents 
to  Spring  township,  spending  his  youth,  until 
his  twenty  fifth  year,  on  the  homestead.  Very 
limited  advantages  of  education  were  enjoyed  by 


1178 


HISTORY  OP  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


Mr.  Weidraan,  the  lack  of  good  schools  being, 
in  a  measure,  supplied  by  judicious  reading  and 
study  during  his  leisure  hours.  On  leaving 
home  he  rented  a  farm  in  the  same  township, 
and  cultivated  the  land  for  a  period  of  thirteen 
years,  when  Sinking  Spring,  in  the  same  coun- 
ty, became  his  residence  In  1873  he  purchased 
his  present  residence,  and,  though  not  actively 
engaged  in  farming  on  an  extensive  scale,  gives 


j  January,  1865,  to  Sarah,  daughter  of  Matthias 

j  Peifer,  of  Spring  township.     Their  children  are 

|  Oscar  L.,  Lincoln,  Nora  Amanda,  Lizzie  Irene, 

Stephen  Matthias,  Solomon  Wilson,  Joseph  Ir- 

vin,  Daniel  Webster,  Benneville  Henry,  Sallie 

Bertha  and  Jacob  Austin,  deceased. 

Adam  B.  Keick  is  a  great-great-grandson  of 
Francis  Krick.  His  great-grandfather,  also 
named  Francis,  was  born  in  1736,  in  Cumru, 


a  general  supervision  to  the  work  incident  to 
the  improvement  of  the  tract  he  owns.  A  Re- 
publican in  politics,  and  interested  in  the  suc- 
cess of  his  party  and  its  principles,  he  has  never 
accepted  office.  Mr.  Weidman  is  connected,  as 
a  local  preacher,  with  the  Church  of  the  United 
Brethren,  in  which  his  grandfather  and  father 
held  the  same  relation.  He  is  particularly  ac- 
tive in  Sunday-school  work,  as  the  organizer 
and  superintendent  of  various  prosperous  Sun- 
day-schools. 

Mr.   Weidman  was  married  on  the  15th  of 


(now  Spring)  township,  and  died  April  20, 1814. 
He  was  married  to  Maria  Spohn  in  1 760,  and 
was  afterward  united  in  marriage  to  Catherine 
Schlegel.  Among  his  children  was  a  son  Francis, 
born  February  8, 1776,  who  died  May  19, 1863. 
He  was  married  to  Hannah  Kerlin,  aud  had 
two  sons  and  seven  daughters,  among  whom 
was  Daniel,  born  in  Spring  township,  October 
28,  1804,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farming. 
He  was  married  to  Susan,  daughter  of  George 
Bolin,  of  Bern  township,  in  1833.  Their  chil- 
dren are  James,  deceased;  Lydia  (married  to 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1179 


William  R.  High),  Adam  B.,  Henry  B.  and 
Mary  E.  Mr.  Krick  died  April  16, 1864.  His 
widow  survives,  and  resides  with  Adam  one  of 
the  sons  named. 

Mr.  Krick,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born 
in  Spring  township  October  27,  1836.  He  re- 
ceived his  education  at  Sinking  Spring,  Reading, 
and  at  the  Hudson  River  Institute,  Claverack, 
N.  Y.  For  five  terms  he  taught  school ;  then 
he  engaged  in  farming,  and  pursued  this  occupa- 


1844.  Their  children  are  William  F.,  born 
October  4,  1863  ;  Daniel  P.,  March  29,  1865  ; 
Sallie  S.,  October  26,  J  866  ;  Thomas  H.,  Janu- 
ary 11,  1868;  IdaR.,  October  11,  1869;  M. 
Ellen,  September  18,  1871.,  William  F.  is 
married  to  Clara,  daughter  of  Amos  Hartman, 
and  is  farming  a  portion  of  the  old  homestead, 
having  inherited  the  agricultural  tastes  of  his 
ancestors.  Mr.  Krick  has  served  as  school 
director  during  four  successive  terms.     He 


is 


JrUumJ  $.  TuuxA, 


tion  for  nine  years.  Mr.  Krick,  in  1852,  suf- 
fered from  an  accident,  which  influenced  his 
subsequent  career  and  rendered  the  amputation 
of  a  limb  necessary  in  1873.  He  for  this  reason 
abandoned  farming  the  same  year,  and,  remov- 
ing to  Sinking  Spring,  engaged  at  a  later  date 
in  the  wholesale  and  retail  flour,  feed  and  grain 
business,  in  whioh  he  is  still  engaged.  On 
April  16,  1863,  he  was  married  to  Lucy  J., 
daughter  of  Benneville  B.  Reber  and  Sarah  V. 
R.   High,  of  Bern  township,    born  April   13, 


a  member,  aud  the  present  treasurer,  of  the  Sink- 
ing Spring  Reformed  Church. 

Samuel  Wertz  is  of  Swiss  descent  and  the 
son  of  Frederick  and  Elizabeth  Wertz.  The 
children  of  this  marriage  are  two  sons, — 
Samuel  and  Rudolph,— and  a  daughter,  Eliza- 
beth. 

Samuel  Wertz  was  born  on  the  2d  of  March, 
1809,  in  the  Canton  of  Argau,  Switzerland,  and, 
on  learning  the  trade  of  a  silk-ribbon  weaver, 
found  employment  in  a  silk-factory.     Seeking, 


1180 


HISTORY  OF  BERKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


however,  a  wider  sphere  of  activity,  he,  on  the 
14th  of  May,  1834,  emigrated  to  America  and 
first  located  at  Frankford,  near  Philadelphia, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cotton 
laps  and  wadding.  He  then,  for  a  brief  time, 
made  Cumberland  County,  Pa.,  his  residence, 
and  from  that  point,  in  the  fall  of  1836,  re- 
moved to  Harrisburg,  where  he  conducted 
milling  business. 

Mr.  Wertz  was  for   a  time  a   landlord  in 


and  public  spirit.  He  often  responded  to  the 
demand  for  his  services  as  executor  and  admin- 
istrator, and  was  the  custodian  of  many  import- 
ant trusts.  He  was  an  active  member  of  the 
Eeformed  Church,  in  which  he  was  an  elder 
both  in  Harrisburg  and  Reading.  He  married 
Maria  Sweigert,  of  Lancaster  County,  whose 
children  are  Louisa  (Mrs.  Price),  Elizabeth  (Mrs. 
Strohecker),  George  W.,  Samuel  (deceased),  Ed- 
ward and  Jacob.     Mrs.  Wertz  having  died,  he 


Exeter  township,  Berks  County,  after  which  he 
removed  to  Spring  township  and  conducted 
both  a  mill  and  distillery,  his  chief  production 
being  cotton  laps.  Abandoning  the  distillery 
in  1865,  he  confined  his  attention  exclusively  to 
milling.  In  1870  he  removed  to  Reading,  es- 
tablished a  flour  and  feed  warehouse  and  con- 
tinued in  this  business  until  the  31st  of  Decem- 
ber, 1874. 

Mr.  Wertz  manifested  great  interest  in  pub- 
lic affairs,  and  was  a  man  of  much  intelligence 


married,  on  April  28th,  1850,  Catherine,  daugh- 
ter of  John  Waldemnaier,  of  Berks  County, 
whose  two  sons  are  Augustus  C.  and  Frank  S. 

Mr.  Wertz  received  a  stroke  of  palsy  on  the 
14th  of  June,  1882,  which  resulted  in  his  death 
on  the  20th  of  August,  1884,  in  the  seventy- 
sixth  year  of  his  age.  The  following  tribute  to 
his  memory  is  paid  by  a  friend  and  neighbor  : 
"  As  a  man  Mr.  Wertz  was  eminently  success- 
ful. In  his  business  transactions  he  was  dis- 
creet, reliable  and  honest.      By  strict  economy. 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1181 


and  steady  application  he  succeeded  in  amassing 
considerable  property.  As  a  citizen  he  was 
favorably  known  throughout  the  county.  He 
was  of  commanding  appearance,  tall,  erect  and 
well-built;  always  happy,  and,  by  his  strong 
personal  magnetism,  unconsciously  shed  the 
sunlight  in  his  own  heart  into  that  of 
others.  He  possessed  an  irrepressible  vein  of 
humor,  which  made  him  a  very  agreeable  com- 
panion and  enlivened  those  around  him .  He 
was  a  man  who  made  friends  wherever  he  went. 
On  account  of  his  intelligence  and  sense  of 
right,  he  was  a  judicious  and  safe  counselor, 
his  advice  being  frequently  sought  by  those 
who  knew  him.  In  religion  he  was  devout, 
magnanimous  and  generous.  He  repeatedly 
filled  various  offices  in  the  church,  very  ably 
and  acceptably." 

Conrad  D.  Reber  is  the  grandson  of  Con- 
rad Reber,  a  successful  farmer  in  Bern  town- 
ship, who  was  first  married  to  Magdalena 
Bright  and  afterward  to  Mrs.  Kate  Leib,  and 
left  the  following  children  by  the  first  marriage : 
Charles,  Thomas  B.,  Benneville  B.,  John  B., 
Levi  B.,  Daniel,  Matilda  (Mrs.  Reily  L. 
Fisher),  Mary  (Mrs.  Peter  Griesemer).  Benne- 
ville B.  Reber  was  born  in  Bern  township,  and 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  was  married, 
first,  to  Sarah  V.  R.  High,  by  whom  he  had 
children, — William  Henry,  Lucy  Jane  (Mrs. 
Adam  B.  Krick),  Kate  H.  (Mrs.  Henry  Huyett) 
and  Annie  M.  He  was  married  afterward  to 
Mary  E.,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Mary  Dechert. 
Their  children  are  Conrad  D.,  Sarah  E.  (Mrs. 
Frank  Hartman),  Mary  E.  (Mrs.  Peter  Lein- 
bach),  Matilda  V.,  Thomas  D.,  Ezra  (deceased) 
and  Clara  (deceased).  Conrad  D.  Reber,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  on  the  24th  of 
January,  1852,  in  Bern  township,  and  spent  his 
youth  upon  the  farm  where  he  was  born.  He 
was  educated  at  the  Stouchsburg  Academy,  in 
Berks  County,  and  then  located  at  Sinking 
Spring,  where  he  acted  for  three  years  in  the 
capacity  of  clerk  and  assistant  postmaster.  He 
then  traveled  through  the  Western  States, 
remaining  for  one  year  in  Springfield,  Ohio, 
engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits.  Returning  to 
his  native  county,  he  married,  on  the  2d  of 
November,  1876,  Miss  Amelia  J.,  daughter  of 


James  and  Mary  Ruth,  of  Sinking  Spring. 
The  children  of  this  marriage  are  Nellie  R., 
Edith  M.,  Addie  E.  and  Katie  May,  the  latter 
being  deceased.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  Reber 
engaged  in  the  wholesale  and  retail  grain,  coal 
and  lumber  business  at  Sinking  Spring  and 
Robesonia,  in  Berks  County,  and  is  still  inter- 
ested in  the  purchase  and  sale  of  these  com- 
modities, as  also  in  the  mining  of  magnetic  ore. 
He  has  been  and  is,  as  a  Democrat,  more  or 
less  active  in  local  politics.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Lutheran  Church,  of  Sinking  Spring,  in 
which  he  has  officiated  as  deacon,  and  is  con- 
nected with  the  Sabbath-school. 


BRECKNOCK  TOWNSHIP. 

The  township  of  Brecknock  was  erected  in 
1741.  Proceedings  relating  to  its  erection 
could  not  be  found.  When  Berks  County  was 
erected,  the  boundary  line  extended  through 
the  township,  and  that  portion  of  the  township 
in  this  county  naturally  retained  the  same 
name. 

The  estimated  area  of  the  township  in  1820 
was  nine  thousand  five  hundred  acres,  and  in 
1849  ten  thousand.  In  1842  the  western  sec- 
tion was  cut  from  the  township  and  added  to 
Cumru,  the  area  having  been  about  nine  hun- 
dred acres.  The  length  of  the  distance  on  the 
county  line  was  four  hundred  and  forty-four 
perches.  The  commissioners  were  Samuel  S. 
Jackson,  William  Eckert  and  M.  S.  Richards. 

The  early  settlers  were  Welsh,  and  they 
suggested  the  name  of  the  township,  doubtless- 
taking  it  from  the  place  of  their  nativity,  in 
Wales.1 

Four  fine  streams  of  water  take  their  rise  in 
this  township  near  the  "  Ziemer  Tavern."  The 
land  is  rolling,  interspersed  with  valleys,  but 
well  improved. 

Taxables  of  1759. — The  names  of  the 
taxable  people  in  the  township  for  the  year 
1759  appear  in  the  following  list.     Bernhard 

1 A  division  of  territory  situated  in  the  southerly  part  of 
Wales. 


1182 


HISTORY   OF   BERKS   COUNTY,   PENNSYLVANIA. 


Bealor  was  the  collector 
levied  was  £14,  13*. 


and  the  amount  of  tax 


Henry  Miller 2 

Jacob  Miller 1 

Francis  Marshall 2 


Johannes  Mosser  .  .    . 

Adam  .Jeydee 

Henry  Owerwasser      .  . 

John  Eubee 

Jeremiah  Siemor  .... 

Peter  Sweitzer 

John  Shartz 

Michael  Slough    .... 
Nicholas  Shauck  .       .   . 

Abram  Stone 

Henry  Seidebender  .   . 
Joseph  Wagner  .   . 

Jacob  Werst 4 

Leopold  Yost 13 

George  Tost 2 


John  Aldeberry 3 

Bernhard  Bealor  . ' 7 

Henry  Brindle 3 

Christian  Baltz 4 

Dieter  Baltz 4 

Adam  Beemer 6 

Daniel  Cooper '     .6 

Johannes  Cornier 2 

George  Douglass 13 

Christian  Eaire 3 

Michael  Finfrock ,13 

Michael  Frankhouser 5 

Jacob  Fry    .  ...  .2 

Christian  Gehman 3 

Johannes  H'emig 5 

Charles  Hornberry 8 

George  Hesong 3 

Casper  Koch  .       .  .   .   '.  ...    2 
John  Lery 4 

Single -Mm. 
Henry  Prattinger. 

Industries. — The  water-powers  of  Brecknock 
are  confined  to  a  few  sites  on  the  Allegheny  Creek, 
which  were  improved  at  an  early  period.  These 
mills  are  still  kept  up,  but  are  not  as  important 
in  their  relation  to  the  business  of  the  township  as 
formerly,  since  the  power  at  certain  seasons  is  very 
weak.  Near  the  Robeson  line  is  the  pld  Christian 
Bixler  saw-mill,  carried  on  many  years  as  the 
property  of  Isaac  Bixler.  The  old  Bixler  grist- 
mill, at  the  power  next  above,  was  long  operated  by 
Daniel  and  Philip  Bixler,  but  has  lately  become 
the  property  of  Daniel  Yelk.  It  has  a  small 
■capacity.  The  Allegheny  or  Bowman  mill,  now 
owned  by  Christian  Cooper,  is  a  familiar  landmark 
on  the  stream.  For  many  years  it  was  carried  on 
by  Joseph  Bowman  and  later  by  Noah  Bowman. 
Below  this  site  John  Bowman  had  wool-carding 
machinery  and  fulled  cloth,  discontinuing  the 
business  thirty  years  ago.  Afterwards  there  was 
a  small  wood- working  shop,  which  has  also  been 
removed.  On  Muddy  Creek,  John  Schweitzer 
built  a  small  saw-mill  a  number  of  years  ago, 
which  is  now  carried  on  successfully  by  Samuel  Z. 
Schweitzer.  William  Schweitzer  had  a  tannery 
in  the  same  locality  for  some  years,  but  it  has 
been  abandoned.  In  the  western  part  of  the 
township  George  Miller  made  axes  by  hand-power, 
and  a  small  gun  factory  was  also  carried  on  a  short 
time. 

The  citizens  of  the  township  are  mainly  agricul- 
turists, and  have  also  paid  considerable  attention 
to  fruit-culture,  the  soil  being  well  adapted  for  the 


smaller  varieties.  The  apple  and  peach  orchard 
of  Henry  Wagner  was  unusual  on  account  of  its 
size,  it  having  thirty  four  hundred  peach  trees. 
Unfortunately,  these  have  been  destroyed  by  blight, 
but  the  apple  orchard  is  still  one  of  the  largest  in 
this  section  of  country. 

Within  the  reccollection  of  the  old  inhabitants 
John  Ziemer  was  the  first  to  engage  in  mercantile 
pursuits,  having  a  store  on  the  old  State  road  in 
the  eastern  part.  He  there  also  distilled  liquor 
soon  after  1800.  Before  1829  he  had  a  public- 
house,  which  was  afterward  continued  by  Peter 
Ziemer.  It  has  become  a  farm-house  on  the  land 
of  J.  Schweitzer.  In  the  same  locality  Daniel 
Hummel  began  a  small  store  in  a  building  which 
had  formerly  been  •  a  school-house,  but  which  was 
enlarged  to  meet  the  demands  of  his  trade  In 
1869  a  post-office  was  established  with  the  name 
of  the  store,  Hummel  becoming  the  postmaster. 
A  few  years  later  Augustus  Schweitzer  became  the 
owner  of  the  property,  which  he  improved.  He 
also  conducted  a  public-house  and  store  and  the 
post-office,  continuing  the  two  latter  to  the  present 
time.  There  is  a  tri-weekly  mail  to  Reading. 
North  from'  this  place  John  Hartz  opened  a 
small  store  in  1884;  and  west  of  this  Peter  Bow- 
man had  a  store  for  thirty  years,  removing  it  some 
eighteen  years  ago,  to  Knauer's  post-office,  west  of 
the  centre  of  the  township.  John  Trostel  had  the 
first  public  interest  there,  building  a  part  of  the 
present  public-house  more  than  forty  years  ago. 
Becoming  the  property  of  Daniel  Knauer,  he  se- 
cured a  post-office,  with  the  name  of  his  hotel, 
March  3,  1856.  The  hotel  was  afterwards  carried 
on  by  Wm.  R.  Ziemer  and  is  now  the  property  of 
Henry  K.  Furlow,  who  is  also  the  postmaster.  In 
this  locality  a  store  was  lately  opened  by  Henry 
Trostel ;  there  are  also  some  mechanic- shops,  being 
the  only  place  having  the  appearance  of  a  hamlet 
in  the  township. 

churches. 
Allegheny  Church  (Reformed  and 
Lutheran). — In  1765  some  thirty  persons  united 
in  building  the  first  house  of  worship,  which  was 
a  simple  log  building,  thirty  by  forty  feet,  without 
floor  or  stove,  and  had  but  two  windows.  Some 
years  later  it  was  plastered  over  and  made  more 
comfortable.     It  was  used  in  this  condition   until 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1183 


1800,  when  it  was  replaced  by  a  plain  sandstone 
building.  From  its  location,  near  the  Allegheny 
Creek,  it  took  its  name  and  is  widely  known 
among  the  churches  of  the  county.  The  situation 
is  very  desirable,  the  church  grounds  commanding 
a  view  of  the  country  many  miles.  The  increase 
of  membership  and  the  prosperity  of  the  congrega- 
tions induced  them  to  undertake  the  building  of  a 
new  church  in  1878,  which,  in  its  completed  con- 
dition, is  a  worthy  monument  to  their  devotion 
It  is  a  beautiful  sandstone  edifice,  forty  five  by 
seventy  feet,  with  a  pulpit  recess  of  five  feet  in  the 
rear  wall.  A  steeple  seventy  feet  high  adds  to  its 
external  appearance.  The  arrangement  with 
galleries  gives  a  seating  capacity  of  eight  hundred. 
The  walls  are  finely  frescoed  and  back  of  the  pul- 
pit is  an  attractive  painting  representing  the 
"  Ascension  of  Christ."  It  has  a  pipe-organ 
costing  one  thousand  six  hundred  dollars. 
The  corner-stone  was  laid  May  23,  1878,  and  the 
dedication  took  place  November  loth  of  the  same 
year. 

The  cost,  exclusive  of  the  work  done  by  mem- 
bers, as  voluntary  contribution,  was  nearly  ten 
thousand  dollars.  Much  of  this  amount  was  the 
proceeds  realized  from  a  farm  of  eighty-two  acres 
which  was  devised  to  the  church  in  1814  by  one 
of  its  members,  John  Christian  Ludwig  Schaeffer, 
who  died  that  year.  He  was  born  in  1729  and  at 
his  death  was  interred  in  the  cemetery  of  the 
church.  Formerly  the  income  from  the  farm  was 
used  in  maintaining  a  school  under  the  direction  of 
the  church.  This  was  discontinued  after  the  era 
of  free  schools. 

Each  congregation  has  about  three  hundred  and 
twenty  five  members,  the  Lutherans  having  as 
their  pastor  Rev.  Zenas  H.  Gable.  Some  of  his 
predecessors  were  the  Revs.  D.  K.  Humbert,  T. 
T.  Iaeger,  S.  R.  "Wagner,  H.  Boyer  and  others 
who  preached  in  the  Plow  Church.  The  first 
Reformed  minister  recorded  was  the  Rev.  S. 
Ammon.  Then  came  the  Revs.  H.  Ingold,  T. 
Faber,  John  Z.  Guiding,  Reuben  Herman,  Fred. 
Herman  and  Aug.  Herman,  and,  since  1873,  M. 
L.  Fritch. 

The  inscriptions  on  many  sand  stones  have  been 
effaced  by  the  elements,  and  numerous  graves  have 
been  marked  by  simple  stone  slabs  containing  no 
name  at  all. 


Mennonite  Meeting-Houses. — Among  the 
early  settlers  of  Brecknock  were  a  number  of  fam- 
ilies belonging  to  the  Mennonite  denomination,  who 
worshipped  in  private  houses  until  some  thirty 
years  ago,  when  the  Allegheny  and  Gehman  meet- 
ing-houses were  built.  The  former  was  erected  of 
sandstone  on  the  laud  of  Henry  Weber,  and  has 
sittings  for  three  hundred  persons.  The  latter  is 
a  similar  building,  put  upon  the  land  of  David 
Gehman,  whose  family  was  most  active  in  promot- 
ing its  erection.  Each  church  has  a  small  grave- 
yard connected.  The  first  meetings  in  the  Alle- 
gheny neighborhood  were  held  at  the  house  of 
Wendell  Bowman.  The  preachers  were  Christian 
Good  and  Christian  Gehman,  the  latter  living  in 
Berks  County.  The  bishop  was  Jacob  Zimmer- 
man Later  preachers  were  Peter  Mentzer,  Jacob 
Mosseman  and  Samuel  Good.  The  churches 
have  at  present  the  ministry  of  Benjamin  Horning, 
of  Berks  County,  and  Abraham  Gehman  and  Chris- 
tian Stauffer,  of  Lancaster.  The  membership  is 
small,  and  is  confined  mamly  to  the  Bowman, 
Gehman,  Horning  and  Messner  families  in  Breck- 
nock. The  meetings  are  usually  well  attended  by 
members  from  associate  churches  in  Lancaster 
County,  where  preaching  was  fir=t  maintained. 

The  Evangelical  Meeting-House,  near  the 
Cumru  line,  was  built  about  fifteen  years  ago  on 
the  land  of  Benjamin  Remp,  one  of  the  most  active 
members.  Other  members  belonging  were  from 
the  Brinline,  Lutz  and  Bl'ankenbiller  families,  the 
number  never  being  large.  The  ministry  is  from 
Lancaster  Couoty.  The  church  is  a  small  frame 
building,  and  stands  in  a  grave-yard. 

biographical. 

Samuel  Z.  Schweitzer. — Four  brothers  by 
the  name  of  Sohweitzer  emigrated  from  Wiirtem- 
burg,  in  Germany,  to  Pennsylvania,  about  1740. 
One,  whose  name  was  Peter,  settled  in  Brecknock 
township,  Lancaster  County  (dow  Berks  County), 
another  in:  Northampton  County,  the  third  in 
Cumberland  County,  and  the  fourth  in  Lancaster 
(now  included  in  Dauphin)  County.  Peter 
Schweitzer  was  married  to  a  young  woman  named 
Heffelfinger  (who  emigrated  at  the  same  time), 
and  had  seven  children, — Frederick,  Peter,  Susan, 
Christiana,  Catharine,  Elizabeth  and  Margaret. 

Frederick  Schweitzer  was  born  in  Brecknock 


1184 


HISTOKY   OP   BERKS  COUNTY,   PENNSYLVANIA. 


township,  Berks  County,  and  carried  on  farming. 
He  was  married  to  Barbara  Burkhardt,  of  the 
same  township,  and  had  eight  children, — John, 
Frederick,  Peter,  Jacob,  Elizabeth,  Barbara,  Susan 
and  Catharine. 

John  Schweitzer  was  born  in  same  township 
August  28,  1791,  and  was  married  to  Mary 
Ziegler  (a  daughter  of  Abraham  Ziegler,  a  farmer 
of  Lancaster  County,  who  lived  near  by),  born 
October  5,  1791,  and  who  is  now  still  living  in  the 
township,  at  the  remarkable   age   of   ninety-five 


Samuel  Ziegler  Schweitzer  was  born  in  Breck- 
nock township,  on  the  old  homestead,  January  1, 
1816.  He  was  educated  in  his  early  youth  in  the 
private  schools  which  the  neighborhood  afforded  and 
subsequently  attended  a  higher  grade  of  schools  at 
Morgantown  and  at  Reading.  A  special  study  of  his 
was  surveying,  which  he  pursued  several  years 
after  returning  home.  In  his  seventeenth  year  he 
began  teaching  in  the  school  building  at  Allegheny 
Church,  in  Brecknock  township,  and  pursued  this 
profession  for  seventeen    successive  years.     The 


years,  in  good  health  and  able  to  move  about  with 
ease  and  speak  with  fluency,  being  possessed  of  a 
strong  recollection  of  past  events  in  the  early 
history  of  the  county.  He  had  a  farm  '£of  one 
hundred  acres,  with  a  saw-mill,  which  he  conducted 
successfully  for  many  years.  He  died  December 
5,  1871,  and  had  four  children, — Samuel  Z.,  John 
(married  to  Maria  Suader),  Salome  (now  deceased, 
who  was  married  to  John  Kachel)  and  Elizabeth 
(married  to  Peter  Bixler,  who  is  now  deceased). 


first  three  years  were  spent  in  the  township  named 
and  near  by,  and  the  other  years  at  various  places 
in  Lancaster  County,  the  more  prominent  localities 
having  been  New  Holland,  Goodville  and  Church- 
town.  He  also  taught  music  for  a  time.  Dur- 
ing the  interim  from  teaching  every  year  he 
was  engaged  at  farming,  and  also  at  droving 
for  five  years,  traveling  to  the  West  for  stock 
and  driving  it  to  the  East  to  market.  In  1852 
he    directed    his    attention    entirely   to   farming 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1185 


and  he  has  pursued  this  vocation  since.  He  has 
always  resided  on  the  homestead,  of  which  he  be- 
came the  owner  in  1872.  He  now  owns  three 
farms  (the  third  being  distant  one  mile  from  the 
homestead),  altogether  three  hundred  and  eighteen 
acres,  which  he  is  conducting  successfully.  On  the 
place  which  he  occupies  he  also  carries  on  a  saw- 
mill and  chopping-mill. 

Mr.  Schweitzer  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 
He  officiated  as  justice  of  peace  in  the  township 
for  one  term  of  five  years  from  1872.  He 
has  been  prominently  connected  with  the  Mu- 
tual Fire  Insurance  Company  of  Sinking  Spring, 
Berks  County,  for  many  years  having  officia- 
ted as  a  Director.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Alle- 
gheny Church,  Lutheran  denomination,  having 
been  associate  treasurer  of  the  church  for  the  last 
twenty  years,  and  treasurer  of  the  Lutheran  con- 
gregation since  1852.  When  the  Allegheny  Church 
was  rebuilt,  in  1878,  he  was  one  of  the  largest  con- 
tributors. 

He  was  married,  in  1853,  to  Elizabeth  Haller, 
daughter  of  Samuel  Haller,  a  farmer  of  Terre  Hill, 
Lancaster  County. 


UNION  TOWNSHIP. 

Erection  of  Township. — This  township  was 
erected  in  1753  by  proceedings  in  the  Court  ;of 
Quarter  Sessions  of  Berks  County.  The  papers 
could  not  be  found  on  file,  excepting  a  draft 
which  was  prepared  by  Benjamin  Lightfoot.  The 
lines  were  surveyed  by  him  on  the  10th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1753;  their  bearings  and  distances  being  as 
follows : 

"  Beginning  at  the  Schuylkill,  at  the  outlet  of  Hay 
Creek,  on  the  upper  side,  thence  along  Robeson 
township,  S.  10  W.  500  ps.  and  S.  44°  19'  W.  960  ps., 
to  a  white  oak  tree  corner,  thence  along  Caernarvon 
township  S.  45°  41'  E.  970  ps.  to  a  heap  of  stones, 
thence  along  Chester  County  N.  59  E.  2216  ps.  to  a 
post  on  the  western  bank  of  the  Schuylkill,  thence  up 
the  river  2125  ps.  to  the  beginning." 

These  lines  were  estimated  by  him  to  enclose 
13,112  acres,  with  usual  allowance.  Three  prom- 
inent creeks  are  mentioned  as  being  within  the 
townships, -"Six-pence,"  "Mill,"  and  the  head- 
waters of  "  French."  A  line  is  drawn  through 
this  draft  from  a  point  on  the  river-bank  opposite 
101 


the  mouth  of  Monocacy  Creek  to  the  Caernarvon 
township  line  (south  44°  19'  west),  crossing  the 
line  at  a  public  road  leading  to  Geiger's  Mill 
about  three  hundred  and  forty-five  perches. from 
the  Robeson  township  corner,  this  being  intended, 
doubtless,  to  indicate  the  locality  and  bearing  of 
the  county  line  which  had  existed  between  Chester 
and  Lancaster  Counties.1 

The  name  of  the  township  arose  from  a  "  union  " 
of  two  sections  of  territory,  one  (about  seven 
thousand  five  hundred  acres)  from  Coventry  town- 
ship, in  Chester  County,  and  the  other  from  Robe- 
son township,  in  Berks  County. 

First  Settlers. — The  first  tract  of  land  was 
taken  up  by  Hans  Monson,  by  warrant,  in  1684 
The  tract  contained  five  hundred  and  eighty  acres, 
and  was  situated  in  the  vicinity  of  Mill  Creek,  on 
the  Schuylkill.  Soon  afterward  he  conveyed  the 
land  to  Peter  Peterson  Yocum.  It  is  probable 
that  Yocum  did  not  then  occupy  this  land. 

In  1715  John  Rumford  took  up,  by  patent,  a 
tract  of  three  hundred  'acres,  situated  on  the 
Schuylkill,  opposite  the  Swedes'  tracts,  in  "  Coven- 
try." In  1728  he  sold  two  hundred  acres  of  this 
tract  to  Thomas  Reese ;  the  adjoining  owner  then 
on  the  east  was  John  Blare  (who  "  seated "  the 
land)  and  on  the  south  David  Stephens  (who  had 
the  land  "  in  tenure  ").  Subsequently  this  two  hun- 
dred acre  tract  came  to  be  owned  by  Abraham 
Wislar.  2 

i  Taking  this  line  to  have  been  the  county  line,  the  esti- 
mated area  of  territory  cut  from  Chester  County  was  about 
nine  thousand  acres.  But  in  1729,  when  Lancaster  County 
was  erected  from  Chester  County,  this  line  was  reported  to 
have  the  bearing  from  the  same  point  on  the  Schuylkill, 
southwest  by  south,  or  south  34°  45'  west.  This  differ- 
ence in  the  bearing  of  the  line  would  make  an  area  of 
about  fifteen  hundred  acres ;  and,  accordingly,  about 
seventy-five  hundred  acres  were  taken  from  Chester 
County. 

2  Some  of  the  earlier  warrantees  of  land  in  the  township 
before  the  erection  of  the  county,  besides  those  mentioned, 
were, — 


Wm.  J.  Adams. 
William  Bird. 
John  Bunn. 
John  Banfield. 
John  Best. 
Alexander  Brindley. 
David  Bieler. 
John  Jacob  Boob. 


Anthony  Bieler. 
James  Cadwallader. 
Jonas  Chamberlain. 
William  Comb. 
Francis  Dowdle. 
Michael  Gowger. 
Francis  Hughes. 
David  Howell. 


1186 


HISTORY   OF   BERKS   COUNTY,   PENNSYLVANIA. 


Taxables  of  1759. — The  following  list  con- 
tains the  names  of  the  taxable  persons  in  the 
township  for  the  year  1759.  The  amount  of  tax 
then  levied  was  £44  3s.  Gd.  The  collector  of  the 
tax  was  Abraham  Wanger : 


£ 

Win.  Bird 60 

Joseph  Burgeon 10 

Thos.  Banficld 15 

Jacob  Bason 7 

Samuel  Barefoot 8 

Goo.  Carson 18 

Henry  Coutcher 5 

Robert  Campbell 1 

Lochlan  Doylo 2 

Pcnnal  Evans 16 

Evan  Evans 11 

Samuel  Flower 25 

Peter  Fliyoner 1 

Peter  Fundi 2 

John  Godfrey 24 

Andrew  Gibson 4 

Robert  Galloway 1 

John  Harris 17 

Joseph  Hunt 15 

Mordecai  Harris 2 

Andrew  Harlman 2 

John  Hause 6 

Matthew  Hopkins 1 

Andrew  Hoffman 3 

Edward  Hughes 9« 

Frederick  Hously 10 

Mounce  Jonos 10 

Thomas  Lloyd 9 


John  Lincoln 10 

Stephen  Lewis 4 

Morgan  Lewis 1 

Michael  Leonard 2 

Joseph  Millard  &  Son 20 

Mordecai  Millard 3 

Jane  Millard 4 

Timothy  Millard 8 

Jonathan  Millard 3 

John  Medary 4 

Charles  McGrew 8 

Jacob  Meizle I 

Richard  Oaty 6 

Thomas  Pratt 8 

John  Peter 1 

Owen  Reinhard 7 

JameB  Roberts 6 

John  Scarlet 4 

John  Stoner 16 

Jacob  Switzer 10 

Casper  Singhause 10 

John  Taylor 10 

Geo.  Truck 1 

Henry  Winterberg 24 

Abraham  Wanger 20 

Conrad  Walter 10 

Thomas  Williams 7 

Daniel  Yoder 14 


Single  Men. 


Samuel  Hanson. 
Fredk.  Haws. 
Owen  Hughes. 


James  McGrew. 
John  Rattican. 
Adam  Stader. 


A  list1  of  the  freeholders  of  the  township  for 
1764  includes  the  following  persons  with  quantity 
of  their  land  and  number  of  servants,  stock,  etc. : 

Mark  Bird  :  1000  acres  of  land,  200  cultivated  and 
80  sowed;  5  servants,  5  negroes,  18  horses,  18  cattle, 
and  40  sheep. 

George  Cerson :  220  acres  of  land,  130  cultivated 
and  25  sowed ;  1  servant,  2  negroes,  4  horses,  5  cat- 
tle and  10  sheep. 


Caleb  Harrison. 
Christian  Herkett. 
Owen  Hughes. 
Job  Harvey. 
Peter  Krey. 
Jacob  Light. 
Robert  Long. 
Peter  Leykon. 
John  Moore. 
Evan  Price. 
John  Purcel. 
Richard  Peter. 
1  Manuscript   collection 
Society  at  Philadelphia. 


Roger  Rogers. 
Griffith  Rees. 
George  Sower. 
John  Scarlet. 
James  Steel. 
Jacob  Steigley. 
James  Thompson. 
James  Thomas. 
John  Treby,  Jr. 
George  Wickline. 
Henry  Williams. 

with   Pennsylvania   Historical 


Samuel  Flower :  2000  acres  of  hill  land. 
John  Stoner :  400  acres  of  land. 
John  Harrison:  300  acres  of  land,  100  cultivated, 
27  sowed. 

Industbies. — The  limited  water-power  of  the 
township  has  been  well  improved.  On  Six-Penny 
Creek,  George  Kerst  had  a  pioneer  mill,  which 
was  afterwards  known  as  Linderman's.  Previous 
to  1830  George  Zachariah  erected  a  forge,  called 
"  Clinton,"  at  this  water-power,  and  operated  it  for 
some  years,  when  it  was  removed,  and  the  power 
again  used  to  operate  a  mill  now  known  as  Shirey's. 
Below  this  site  Jacob  Umstead  had  fulling,  feed 
and  oil-mills,  which  were  useful  factors  in  the  early 
history  of  that  locality.  Daniel  Kinsey  used  the 
power  for  some  years  to  operate  a  grist-mill  erected 
by  him.  It  has  been  idle  a  number  of  years. 
Near  the  Schuylkill  George  Stoner  had  a  saw-mill 
soon  after  1800.  It  was  operated  until  1846, 
when  William  Miller  added  a  grist-mill.  Both 
mills  are  carried  on  by  the  Miller  family.  On 
Mill  Creek,  in  the  locality  of  Unionville,  Jacob 
Kerlin  was  the  proprietor  of  mills  until  1825, 
when  Abraham  Wanger  became  the  owner.  After 
1827  they  were  sold  to  Henry  Flannery,  and  from 
him  they  have  passed  to  Jacob  K.  Flannery,  the 
present  owner.  For  a  short  time  a  distillery  was 
also  carried  on.  In  the  southwestern  part  of  the 
township,  on  a  branch  of  Hay  Creek,  Paul  Geiger 
built  a  feed  and  clover-mill,  which  still  remains, 
Herman  Geiger  being  the  owner. 

The  "  Hopewell "  and  "  Monocacy  "  Furnaces 
are  the  prominent  iron  industries  in  the  township. 
The  latter  has  been  in  existence  for  one  hundred 
and  twenty  years.  They  are  mentioned  in  chapter 
on  "  Early  and  General  Industries." 

churches. 
St.  Paul's  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — 
This  is  the  oldest  Methodist  Church  in  the  county, 
and  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  State.  The  first 
church  building  was  erected  in  1773  upon  the 
land  of  Mounce  Jones,  for  the  use  of  the  Rev.  W. 
Diener,  a  preacher  of  the  "  New  Light "  doctrine, 
but  who  subsequently  embraced  Methodism,  and 
was  instrumental  in  converting  the  most  of  his  ad- 
herents to  the  same  faith,  some  time  before  1780. 
That  year  the  property,  which  was  known  as  the 
"  Forest  Church,"  from  its  location  in  a  district  of 


TOWNSHIPS  OF   COUNTY. 


1187 


of  the  ^county  by  that  name,  was  deeded  to  John 
Wesley  and  his  followers,  and  from  that  time  this 
has  been  distinctively  a  Methodist  Church.  The 
Methodist  members  at  that  period  were  David 
Hoffman,  Henry  Carbery,  Jacob  Zink,  Abraham 
Zink,  Mounce  Jones,  Abraham  Lewis,  Reuben 
Cox,  John  Geiger,  Henry  Kerlin  and  a  few  others. 
Before  1780  the  Lutherans  occasionally  held 
meetings  in  this  house,  which  was  of  the  nature  of 
a  Union  building,  but  thereafter  were  obliged  to 
attend  the  church  at  the  Plow  Tavern  until 
seventy  years  later,  when  they  built  a  church  in 
the  same  locality.  The  old  Forest  Church  was  a 
plain  stone  building,  one  story  high.  It  was  in  use 
until  1858,  when  the  present  St.  Paul's  Church 
was  erected  in  its  stead.  This  is  a  large  stone  edi- 
fice, plastered  on  the  outside,  and  has  basement 
rooms.  On  the  north  side  of  the  building  is 
preserved  the  stone  inscribed  with  the  date  of  the 
first  building.  In  connection  with  it  is  a  burial- 
lot,  the  front  of  which  is  enclosed  with  a  stone  wall 
built  in  1818  by  David  Hoffman  and  Paul 
Geiger.  In  1883  a  parsonage  was  erected  at 
Geigertown,  three-fourths  of  a  mile  distant. 

In  1870  St.  Paul's  Church  and  the  Zion  Church 
became  a  separate  charge,  as  the  Geigertown  Cir- 
cuit. 

The  congregation  of  St.  Paul's  Church  has 
ninety-five  members,  and  the  Zion  Church  thirty. 
The  latter  house  of  worship  was  built  in  1872,  of 
sandstone,  and  cost  twenty-three  hundred  dollars. 
It  includes  a  burial  plat. 

St.  James'  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church 
is  near  the  village  of  Geigertown  and  had  its  cor- 
ner-stone laid  August  11,  1850.  Under  the  direc- 
tion of  George  Zerr,  Paul  Geiger,  George  Wamsher 
and  Jacob  Wolf,  the  building  was  completed  for 
dedication  on  December  25th  of  the  same  year,  the 
ceremony  having  been  performed  by  Rev.  F.  A 
M.  Keller,  of  Reading,  who  was  the  first  pastor 
and  served  until  his  death,  in  1864.  The  congre- 
gation was  organized  by  his  predecessor,  Rev. 
Jos.  R.  Focht.  At  first  it  was  small;  in  1886  it  num- 
bered seventy-five  members.  Rev.  Zenas  H.  Gable 
has  beerj  pastor  since  1873.  The  church  building  is 
nearly  forty  feet  square,  constructed  of  rough 
stone  and  plastered.  It  stands  on  an  acre  of 
land,  which   was    donated  by   Paul   Geiger     and 


George  Zerr ;  part  of  the  land  has  been  set   apart 
for  burial  purposes. 

Monocacy  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
— A  plain  frame  building  was  erected  in 
1873.  At  the  organization  of  the  con- 
gregation there  were  sixty  members ;  now 
they  number  one  hundred  and  forty.  It  has 
always  had  the  same  ministerial  service  as  the 
charge  at  Birdsboro.  The  society  is  flourishing 
and  exerts  a  good  influence  on  the  community. 
The  land  on  which  the  church  stands  was  donated 
by  the  Monocacy  Furnace  Company. 

Roman  Catholic  Church  is  situated  below 
Monocacy.  It  was  built  about  1855,  on  a  lot  of 
land  donated  by  Henry  Flannery,  and  is  still  used 
by  that  denomination,  although  the  membership  is 
small  and  there  is  no  settled  priest.  Many  of  the 
worshippers  come  from  a  long  distance,  the  church 
accommodating  many  people  not  living  in  the 
township.  It  is  a  stone  building,  with  a  capacity  for 
several  hundred  people.  A  burial-ground  is 
attached. 

In  the  central  part  of  the  township  a  small  stone 
church  was  built  about  thirty  years  ago  by  the 
colored  people  belonging  to  the  Methodist  Church. 
The  congregation  is  small. 

Schools. — One  of  the  first  schools  in  the  town- 
ship was  on  the  Kerst  farm,  in  a  log  building  erect- 
ed about  a  hundred  years  ago.  It  was  an  ordinary 
pay-school,  but  was  well  attended  for  those  times. 
In  1830  H.  G.  Stettler  opened  a  boarding-school 
for  boys,  at  Unionville,  which  he  continued  five 
years.  He  was  accounted  a  good  teacher,  and  gave 
thorough  instruction  in  the  English  language. 
Other  pay-schools  have  been  maintained  for  short 
periods,  among  them  "  Philomathean  Academy," 
which  is  noted  in  Birdsboro.  The  common  schools 
are  well  attended. 

villages. 

Unionville  is  the  oldest  hamlet  in  the  township. 
The  land  in  that  locality  was  owned  by  Abraham 
Brower,  and  upon  part  of  it  John  Brower  founded 
a  business  point  before  1820,  called  Browerstown. 
When  the  post-office  was  established,  in  1828,  it 
was  called  "  Brower,"  by  which  name  it  is  still  des- 
ignated. The  present  title  of  the  hamlet  was  de- 
rived from  the  township.  Abraham  Brower  car- 
ried on  a  small  foundry  until  his  death,  in  1830, 


1188 


HISTOKY   OF   BERKS   COUNTY,   PENNSYLVANIA. 


after  which  the  business  was  continued  for  some 
time  by  his  son-in-law,  Augustus  Leopold.  Small 
castings  only  were  made.  John  Brower  had  a  shop 
for  the  manufacture  of  candle-sticks,  lamps  and 
coffee-mills,  in  which  six  men  were  employed  ;  but 
this  business  was  discontinued  before  1830.  About 
the  same  time  Jacob  Kerlin  had  a  sickle  and  scythe- 
factory  there,  and  William  Kerlin  a  shop  for  bor- 
ing out  gun-barrels.  The  elder  Jacob  Kerlin  car- 
ried on  a  mill.  All  these  interests  made  Union- 
ville  a  busy  place  for  a  time.  A  store  was  started 
before  the  post-office  was  established.  Samuel 
Boone,  Richard  Jones  and  others  carried  on  busi- 
ness there.  A  public-house  was  also  kept,  from 
1820  to  1874,  by  John  Brower,  Titus  Layering 
and  Augustus  Kerlin.  The  place  has  about  twenty 
buildings,  including  several  mechanic-shops. 

Above  this  place,  on  the  old  Jacob  Whistler 
farm,  Abraham  Bannan  built  a  warehouse  and 
dock  on  the  canal,  in  1830,  calling  it  "  Port  Un- 
ion." In  1836  David  Grim  carried  on  a  large 
business.  James  Healy  and  Amos  Boone  were 
later  merchants.  After  the  building  of  the  rail- 
roads the  business  of  the  canal  at  this  point  was 
reduced  and  eventually  suspended. 

Above  this  point  is  the  "  Black  Bear "  Inn, 
opened  in  1831  by  James  Blakely.  Since  1834  it 
has  been  kept  by  the  Ryan  family.  An  earlier 
public-house  was  kept  soon  after  1800  by  John 
Kerst,  continuing  some  years,  on  what  is  now  the 
Flannery  iarm.  In  the  same  locality  Jacob  Um- 
stead  operated  a  distillery  until  about  1824. 

Mt.  Airy,  or  Monocacy,  is  near  the  west  line 
of  the  township,  on  the  canal  and  Schuylkill.  A 
store  was  opened  by  William  Long,  on  the  farm  of 
Margaret  Long,  some  time  about  1813,  and  con- 
tinued about  a  dozen  years,  which  was  the  begin- 
ning of  business-life  in  this  locality.  After  that, 
other  interests  followed ;  but,  on  account  of  the 
nearness  of  Birdsboro,  the  hamlet  has  never  ob- 
tained an  important  business  position.  Within  its 
bounds  are  over  twenty  houses.  In  1826  Lyon 
Lemberger  had  the  store  in  this  neighborhood,  and 
a  later  merchant  was  John  C.  Evans,  who  discon- 
tinued in  1831 ;  and  it  was  not  until  1885  that 
Alexander  Church  opened  a  store  in  the  same 
room.  In  that  building  was  kept  the  Mt.  Airy 
post-office  ;  but  after  1825  it  was  continued  down 
the  road  by  Daniel  Y.  Knabb  and  Robert  Bland. 


About  1833  Samuel  Fox  built  a  hotel  in  this  local- 
ity, and  became  the  postmaster.  In  1837  he  was 
succeeded  by  Herman  Umstead,  who  kept  a  store 
and  inn  at  the  same  time.  In  1849  John  Bland 
became  the  postmaster,  who  was  succeeded  by 
Umstead,  who  had  the  name  of  the  office  changed, 
in  1856,  to  bear  his  name,  as  the  Mount  Airy  title 
was  claimed  at  another  place.  Some  time  about 
1861  the  name  of  the  office  was  changed  to  its  pres- 
ent title,  Monocacy.  In  the  hamlet  proper,  Caleb 
and  Charles  Bland  have  the  store  and  tavern.  The 
usual  mechanic-shops  are  carried  on.  East  of  this 
place  John  Geiger  had  a  pioneer  inn,  keeping  it 
in  a  log  building.  From  1830  untill  1872  Ezekiel 
Beard  entertained  the  public  at  the  same  point. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

Charles  M.  Clingan,  M.D.,  was  born  in  Ches- 
ter County,  Pa.,  March  18,  1820.  His  father, 
William  Clingan,  was  the  owner  of  the  Laurel 
Iron- Works,  Chester  County,  Pa.,  where  he  died 
before  reaching  his  thirtieth  year.  His  grand- 
father, William  Clingan,  was  a  native  of  Ireland, 
and  came  to  this  country  to  establish  a  mercantile 
business,  which,  combined  with  agricultural  pur- 
suits, he  carried  on  successfully  in  the  southern 
portion  of  Chester  County.  He,  with  Robert 
Morris,  Daniel  Roberdeau,  J.  Bayard  Smith  and 
Joseph  Reed,  represented  Pennsylvania  in  the 
framing  of  the  Articles  of  Confederation  and 
Perpetual  Union  between  the  States,  which  was 
ratified  at  Philadelphia  on  the  22d  of  July,  1778. 
His  mother  was  a  grand-daughter  of  Colonel 
Thomas  Bull,  of  Revolutionary  fame.  Upon  com- 
pletion of  a  preparatory  course,  Dr.  Clingan  began 
the  study  of  medicine,  graduating  from  Jefferson 
Medical  College,  Philadelphia,  in  1840.  He  fol- 
lowed his  profession  in  Chester  County  for  four 
years,  but,  finding  active  business  more  to  his 
taste,  abandoned  the  practice  to  embark  in  iron 
manufacturing  at  the  Rock  Furnace,  Lancaster 
County,  Pa.  He  was  married,  on  the  14th  of 
March,  1843,  by  the  Rev.  Levi  Bull,  to  Maria  T., 
daughter  of  Clement  Brooke,  of  Hopewell  Furnace. 
Eight  children  were  born  of  this  union,  three  of 
whom  survive, — two  sons,  Charles  B.  and  A. 
Hunter  (well  known  throughout  this  and  adjoin- 
ing counties),  and  one  daughter,  Anne  Louise. 
Dr.  Clingan,  after  his  marriage,  assumed  charge 


TOWNSHIPS  OF  COUNTY. 


1189 


of  the  Hopewell  Furnace,  belonging  to  his  father- 
in-law,  Clement  Brooke,  in  Hopewell,  Union 
township,  Berks  County,  also  devoting  much 
time,  until  his  death,  to  the  management  of  the 
Hopewell  estate,  comprising  some  five  thousand 
acres  of  land  situated  in  the  southern  portion  of 
Berks  and  northern  portion  of  Chester  Counties. 

In  the  year  1859  he  removed  to  Philadelphia 
and  became  engaged  in  mercantile  and  banking 
business.     He  was    a  prominent  member  of  the 


Two  stations,  both  known  as  Clingan,  are  located 
at  the  foot  of  the  lawn,  one  belonging  to  the 
Wilmington  and  Northern  Kailroad,  the  other  to 
the  Pennsylvania  Schuylkill  Valley  Railroad. 

Samuel  M.  Bea  is  the  grandson  of  Samuel 
Rea,  who  resided  in  the  northern  part  of  Chester 
County,  Pa.,  and  the  son  of  Samuel  Rea,  of  the 
same  county,  who  was  married  to  Lydia  Morris, 
daughter  of  Enos  and  Lydia  Jackson  Morris. 
Their  son,  Samuel  M.,  was  born  on  the  24th  of 


CHARLES    M.   CLINGAN,    M.D. 


Commercial  Exchange,  a  special  partner  in  the 
firm  of  Clingan,  Lewis  &  Co,  wholesale  pork  pack- 
ers and  provision  dealers;  and  president  of  the 
Keystone  National  Bank.  On  March  27,  1875, 
while  attending  to  the  duties  of  the  latter  position, 
he  was  stricken  with  sudden  and  fatal  illness. 

After  the  decease  of  Dr.  Clingan,  his  widow  and 
children,  preferring  country  life,  built  two  large 
mansions  on  farms  owned  by  them  and  containing 
over  four  hundred  acres,  situated  one  mile  west  of 
Birdsboro,  Pa.  The  widow  and  unmarried  chil- 
dren live  in  one,  whilst  Charles  B.  Clingan  and 
family  occupy  the  other. 


March,  1823,  in  the  northern  portion  of  Chester 
County,  and  in  early  youth  removed  to  Berks 
County,  from  whence  he  returned  again  to  his 
native  county.  After  preliminary  instruction  at 
the  common  schools  he  became  a  pupil  of  Price's 
boarding-school,  nearW  est  Chester,  devoting  special 
attention  to  surveying,  navigation  and  other  mathe- 
matical studies.  A  limited  time  having  been  spent 
as  a  farmer,  he  entered  the  office  of  John  S.  Bowen, 
of  West  Chester,  as  clerk  and  draughtsman,  and  af- 
terward engaged  in  surveying.  He  then  embarked, 
with  a  partner,  in  a  survey  of  the  State  of  Dela- 
ware, preparatory  to  the  publication  of  a  county 


1190 


HISTORY   OP   BERKS    COUNTY,    PENNSYLVANIA. 


and  State  map.  This  project  consumed  the  greater 
part  of  two  summers,  after  which  his  profession  of 
a  surveyor  and  engineer  led  to  his  temporary  loca- 
tion in  Philadelphia,  Pittsburgh,  New  Jersey  and 
New  York  States  respectively.  He  was  then  em- 
ployed in  the  survey  and  laying  out  of  the  town- 
ship of  Kingsessing  prior  to  its  consolidation  with 
the  city  of  Philadelphia.  Transferring  his  quarters 
to  Germantown,  he  engaged  in  a  survey  of  the 


1867,  he  was  elected  city  engineer.  During  this 
time  he  superintended  the  introduction  of  the 
Olinger  water  into  the  Penn  reservoir,  an  achieve- 
ment which  won  for  him  no  little  commendation. 
In  1876  Mr.  Ilea  purchased  his  present  valuable 
farm  in  Union  township,  and,  while  not  abandon- 
ing the  pursuit  of  his  profession  (being  the  present 
surveyor  of  the  borough  of  Birdsboro),  retired  to 
the  more  tranquil  life  of   an  agriculturist.      He 


district  including  Germantown  and  Chestnut  Hill. 
In  1862,  Mr.  Rea,  in  connection  with  a  partner, 
purchased  a  farm  of  eight  hundred  acres  in  Mary- 
land, and  embarked  in  agricultural  pursuits,  which 
were  continued  for  two  years,  when,  having  sold 
the  property,  he  returned  to  Germantown,  and,  in 
1864,  made  Reading  his  home.  Here  he  engaged 
in  a  topographical  survey  of  the  city.  Before  the 
completion  of  this  work,  and  on  the  18th  of  May, 


was  united  in  marriage  to  Elizabeth,  daughter  of 
James  Hartley  Potts  and  Sarah  Jackson,  of  Berks 
County.  Their  children  are  Morris  Jackson,  born 
February  16,  1870,  and  Lydia  Lee,  born  July  19, 
1871,  both  deceased.  Mr.  Rea  is  in  politics  a 
Republican,  but  gives  little  time  to  matters  of  a 
political  nature.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Berks 
County  Agricultural  and  Horticultural  Society. 
He  was  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Society  of  Friends 
and  inclines  to  that  belief. 


APPENDIX. 


In  1811  the  county  of  Schuylkill  was  erected 
from  a  part  of  Berks  county  and  a  part  of  North- 
ampton county.  The  greater  portion  of  its  terri- 
tory was  cut  from  Berks  Count}-. 

The  following  townships  had  heen  erected  in 
that  portion  beyond  the  Blue  Mountain  when  the 
county  was  established. 

The  early  settlers  had  moved  into  this  territory 
as  early  as  1749.  In  August,  1749,  their  tres- 
passes upon  the  possessions  of  the  Indians  became 
a  subject  of  complaint  by  the  Indians  to  the  gov- 
ernment. Their  deputies  were  sent  by  the  Sene- 
cas,  Onondagas,  Tutatoes,  Nantieoke  and  Conoy, 
to  treat  with  the  Governor  and  protest  against  the 
formation  of  settlements  beyond  the  mountains. 
The  Governor  assured  them  that  the  trespasses 
should  be  stopped  and  gave  them  many  presents.1 

In  May  1757,  the  following  persons  lived  beyond 
the  Blue  Mountains  in  the  vincinty  of  "  Fort  Frank- 
lin "  within  four  miles,  and  in  the  district  Which 
a  dozen  years  afterward  was  called  Brunswick. 


Geo.  Gilbert. 
Adam  Spittleman. 
Henry  Hauptman. 
Casper  Langeberger. 
Nich.  Kind. 
Geo.  Merte. 
Henry  Norbech. 
Mark  Grist's  widow. 
G.  Krammer's  widow. 
Wm.  Ball. 
Philip  Annes. 
Jacob  Leisser. 


Wm.  Wiegand. 
Anthony  Krum. 
Philip  Scholl. 
Jacob  Keim. 
John  Frist. 
Philip  Kirsbaum. 
Wm.  Gabel. 
John  Wissewer. 
Geo.  Wartman. 
Jacob  Eichards. 
Christopher  Sprecher. 
Geo.  Sprecher. 


John  Schaeffer. 
They  petitioned  the   Governor  not  to   remove 
Fort  Franklin  south  of  Blue  Mountain  into  Al- 
bany township,  otherwise  they  would  have  to  de- 
sert their  plantations.2 

'  5  Col.  Rec.  396. 

2  See  chap,  on  "  French  and  Indian  War." 


Bktjnswick. — The  first  township  beyond  the 
Blue  Mountain  in  the  purchase  of  1749  was 
Brunswick.  It  was  erected  in  1768.  Its  territory 
was  situated  east  of  the  Schuylkill  between  the  Blue 
and  Sharp  mountains.  The  first  collector  of  taxes 
was  Robert  Stephen. 

The  first  assessment  list  of  1769  levied  a  total 
tax  of  6£  2s.  6d.  and  comprised  the  following 
resident  tax-payers  : 


Bricldey,  Paul. 
Conrad,  Peter. 
Deibert,  Michael. 
Derr,  Adam. 
Fisher,  Joseph. 
Fahl,  Dietrich. 
Fahl,  Jost. 
Fay,  Nicholas. 
Grammes,  Andreas. 
Grau'l,  Geo. 
Heim,  Paul. 
Heiser,  Adam. 
Hughes,  Ellis. 
Hummel,  Michael. 
Kercher,  Gottfried. 
Kantner,  Jacob. 
Ketner,  Henry  Adam. 
McBride,  Robert. 

Willets, 


Meyer,  Gideon. 
Marburger,  Simon. 
Miller,  Johannes. 
Mayer,  George. 
Orwig,  Godfried. 
Schmeltzer,  Peter. 
Schaffer,  Jacob. 
Staatt,   Johannes. 
Stephen,  Richard. 
Sontag,  Adam. 
Staller,  Nicholas. 
Tress,  Valentine. 
Weber,  Adam. 
Webb,  Geo. 
Willets,  Isaac. 
Webb,  Benj. 
Webb,  John. 
Weyman,  Mich'l. 
Joseph. 


Singh  Men. 

Adam,  Conrad.  McNeill,  James. 

Berger,  Thomas.  Soheffer,  John. 

Hughes,  Job.  Stephen,  Richard. 

Lautter,  Henry.  Stephen,  Robert. 

Magee,  John.  Webb,  David. 

The  road  from  Reading  to  Fort  Augusta  ran 
through  this  township.  It  was  laid  out  about 
1750,  and  about  sixty  years  afterward  it  became 
the  Centre  turnpike.  "  Fort  Lebanon"  stood  on 
the  forks  of  Schuylkill  near  the  Blue  Mountain. 
It  was  erected  in  this  district  in  1754,  and  "  Fort 
Franklin  "  was  located  several  miles  farther  north 

1191 


1192 


APPENDIX. 


on  Bohundy  (or  Lizard)  creek — having  been 
erected  in  1756.  These  forts  were  erected  to  afford 
protection  to  the  early  settlers  from  the  Indians. 
Pine  Grove. — The  second  township  was  Pine 
Grove.  It  was  erected  in  1771.  Its  territory  was 
situated  west  of  the  Schuylkill,  between  the  Blue 
and  Sharp  mountains.  The  first  collector  of  taxes 
was  George  Goodman.  The  first  assessment  list  of 
1772  levied  a  total  tax  of  2£  lis.  9d.  and  cor 
prised  the  following  resident  taxpayers. 


August,  Daniel. 

Brecht,  David. 

Beyer,  Assimus. 

Bug,  Henry. 

Bigler,  Hans. 

Bordner,  Philip. 

Bohr,  Burghart. 

Bressler,  Geo. 

Bressler,  Simon. 

Brickley,  Peter. 

Batteiger,  Martin. 

Bretz,  Michael. 

Braun,  Hans. 

Diehl,  Stephen. 

Dundore,  Jacob. 

Dornmeier,  Nicholas. 

Dollinger,  Geo. 

Dubs,  Hans. 

Eschweg,  Nicholas. 

Folmer,  Michael. 

Forrer,  Michael. 

Faust,  John. 

Graffert,  Stophel. 

Goodman,  Geo. 

Gebhart,  Henry. 

Garnber,  Weybert. 

Hack,  Jacob. 

Hetrich,  Stophel. 
'  Heberling,  Valentine. 

Hautz,  Christian. 

Horsefield,  Timothy. 
Kob,  Kraust. 

Zerby. 


Keiser,  Michael. 
Kimerling,  Ludwig. 
Kucher,  Peter. 
Lingle,  Paul. 
Leininger,  Jacob. 
Litzinger,  Hans. 
Miller,  Matthias. 
Minich,  Conrad. 
Miller,  Jacob. 
Metz,  Jacob. 
Minich,  Michael. 
Minich,  Leonard. 
Neufang,   Baltzer. 
Rith,  Philip. 
Stein,  Hans. 
Schock,  Jacob. 
Schafer,  Fred'k. 
Schmit,  Baltzer. 
Schuber,  Valentine. 
Steiner,  Hans. 
Schuterly,  Geo. 
Schmit,  Peter. 
Stump,  Casper. 
Schwartzhaupt,  John. 
Spycker,  Benj. 
Ulrich,  Jacob. 
Valentine,  Geo.' 
Witmer,  Christopher. 
Weiser,  Fred'k. 
Weiser,  Hans. 
Zerby,  Benj. 
Zerby,  Daniel. 
Philip. 


Jacob  Leebs. 


Single  Man. 


Manheim. — The  third  township  was  Manheim. 
It  was  erected  in  1790.  Its  territory  was  taken 
from  Brunswick.  The  inhabitants  had  prayed  for 
a  division  of  Brunswick  township  on  February  10, 
1789.  The  commissioners  who  made  the  division 
were  Henry  Vanderslice,  Jacob  Shartle,  John 
Shomo,  Thomas  Wright,  Philip  Shatz  and  George 
Reber.    They  presented  their  report  to  Court  on 


the  10th  of  November,  1789.  But  some  time 
elapsed  until  it  was  confirmed,  for  no  assessment 
was  made  until  1791.  In  that  year,  the  first  tax 
was  levied — total  amount  seventeen  pounds  and 
eleven  shillings.  Conrad  Minich  was  the  first  col- 
lector. The  first  assessment  comprised  the  follow- 
ing resident  tax-payers : 


Michael  Alspach. 

Jacob  Alspach. 

Henry  Achey. 

Frederick  Boyer. 

Simon  Burgher. 

John  Boyer. 

Baltzer  Brown. 

Teeter  Baucy. 

William  Berkheuer. 

George  Beckler. 

Jacob  Cantner. 

Philip  Creyner. 

Lawrence  Cuntz. 

Michael  Castler. 

Andrew  Crammer. 

Philip  Confer. 

Peter  Confer. 

Michael  Confer,  Jr. 

Michael  Confer,  Sr. 

George  Crowe. 

Andrew  Crafft. 

John  Cantner. 

Michael  Divert. 

William  Divert. 

Martin  Dreibelbis,  - 

John  Deckert. 

John  Debolt. 
John  Emrich. 
Leonard  Emrich. 
Michael  Emrich. 
Adam  Friet. 
Abraham  Fey. 
Yost  Fahl. 
Patrick  Gleeser. 
John  Ginger. 
Henry  Hummel. 
Michael  Hummel. 
Matthias  Heim. 
Abram  Hinkle. 
John  Heim. 
Anthony  Hawk. 
Jacob  Kepner. 
William  Koch. 
Conrad  Kerstner. 
Christian  Koch. 
John  Kerstner. 
Adam  Kniddle. 
Peter  Lair. 
George  Lenig. 
Christian  Luckenbill. 


George  Luckenbill. 
Nicholas  Long. 
Peter  Miller. 
Jacob  Miller. 
Henry  Mertz. 
Philip  Moyer. 
Conrad  Minich. 
Benjamin  Minich. 
Andrew  Machemer. 
Peter  Moyer. 
Adam  Moyer. 
Samuel  Marburger. 
Henry  Moyer. 
Robert  McCann. 
Andrew  Miller. 
Jacob  Miller,  Sr. 
Peter  Neyschwender. 
John  Noacre. 
George  Pousman. 
John  Pleatner. 
John  Prickley. 
Henry  Price. 
Nicholas  Pander. 
Conrad  Platner. 
Jeremiah  Reed. 
Nicholas  Rodeback. 
John  Richards. 
Conrad  Redman. 
Michael  Reed. 
John  Reber. 
Philip  Reinhard. 
Andrew  Runckle. 
Nicholas  Runckle. 
Philip  Reeser. 
Herman  Sontag. 
Reinhard  Snepp. 
John  Starr. 
Peter  Stoller. 
Henry  Stoller. 
Daniel  Shappel. 
Daniel  Stout. 
Adam  Swenk. 
Adam  Smith. 
Adam  Sweichert. 
Jacob  Swenk. 
John  Stout. 
Michael  Stepp. 
Sebastian  Stepp. 
Nicholas  Smell. 
John  Saylor. 


APPENDIX. 


1193 


Evans  Williams. 
Thomas  Wenrich. 
Thomas  Wily. 
Michael  Wagoner. 
Leonard  Werner. 
Sericas  Wagner. 
Matthias  Wenrich. 


George  Serby. 
Adam  Tarr. 
Valentine  Treso. 
George  Treso. 
Francis  Teter. 
John  Weaver. 
Henry  Weaver. 
Philip  Wolf. 

Single  Freemen. 

Hunter  Fall.  Thomas  Eeed. 

Adam  Hyzer.  William  Eunckle. 

Jacob  Kimerling.  Anthony  Starr. 

George  Moyer.  Baltzer  Wenrich. 

Michael  Neyfang.  John  Zimmerman. 

John  Keed. 
For  several  years  the  township  lines  were  not 
closed  and  its  limits  were  not  properly  defined. 
The  inhabitants  therefore  presented  a  petition  to 
Court  on  April  3, 1797,  to  obtain  an  order  for  this 
purpose,  and  Thomas  Lightfoot,  Jesse  Willits  and 
Evan  Hughes  were  appointed  commissioners.  They 
fixed  the  boundary- lines  and  made  report  of  their 
proceedings  on  October  5,  1799.  The  area  was 
forty  thousand  six  hundred  and  nine  acres.  The 
greater  part  was  situated  on  both  sides  of  the 
Schuylkill,  and  it  extended  from  the  Blue  Moun- 
tain on  the  south  to  the  Tuscarora  (Sharp)  Moun- 
tain on  the  north.  The  point  where  the  West 
Branch  empties  into  the  Schuylkill  was  near  the 
Centre.  Here  Martin  Dreibelbis  had  settled  and 
erected  a  mill.  His  son  Jacob  laid  out  Schuylkill 
Haven  in  1811.  Several  miles  southeast  of  this 
point  Peter  Or  wig  owned  land,  and  laid  out  a  town 
in  1796.  It  was  named  after  him,  "  Orwigsburg." 
And  about  four  miles  north  of  it,  at  the  Schuyl- 
kill Gap,  on  the  north  side  of  the  Sharp  Mountain, 
a  large  tract  of  land  was  owned  by  Lewis  Reese 
and  Isaac  Thomas.  About  1796  they  erected  a 
furnace  near  this  gap,  and  carried  on  the  iron 
business  until  1806.  Then  they  sold  it  to  John 
Pott,  of  District  township,  in  Berks  County.  In 
1807  Pott  tore  it  down  and  erected  in  its  stead 
another  furnace,  which  he  named  "  Greenwood ;  " 
and  near  by  he  also  erected  a  number  of  small  ten- 
ement-houses for  his  laborers.  The  names  of  some 
of  these  laborers  were  Henry  Bolton,  John  Else, 
George  Frievie,  George  Reiner,  Anthony  Schott 
and  Thomas  Swoyer.  Daniel  Focht  was  clerk  at 
the  furnace. 

Near  this  gap  masts  were  cut  for  the  Continental 
Navy,  in  April,  1780.    Captain  Dennis  Leary  was 


in  command  of  the  men.  He  then  reported  inter- 
ruptions by  the  Indians,  who  had  invaded  the  ter- 
ritory from  the  north. 

Below  the  outlet  of  the  West  Branch,  on  the 
Schuylkill,  the  mill  of  Ellis  Hughes  was  situated. 
It  was  built  before  1775. 

In  1795  commissioners  were  appointed  to  run 
the  line  between  Berks  and  Northumberland  Coun- 
ties. The  establishment  of  this  line  by  them  left 
a  very  large  area  of  territory  in  Berks  not  yet 
erected  into  townships.  This  was  brought  to  the 
attention  of  the  Court  and,  accordingly,  on  Novem- 
ber 4,  1799,  Thomas  Lightfoot,  Jesse  Willets  and 
Thomas  Wright,  Jr.,  were  appointed  commission- 
ers to  lay  out  the  land  into  townships.  The  south- 
ern half  of  the  territory,  in  the  purchase  of  1749, 
had  been  laid  out  into  three  townships — Bruns- 
wick, Pine  Grove  and  Manheim.  The  commis- 
sioners named  laid  out  the  northern  half  into  three 
townships  also,  and  recommended  their  names  to 
be  as  follows :  The  eastern  township,  Schuylkill ; 
the  central,  Norwegian,  and  the  western,  Mahan- 
tango.  The  first  had  an  area  of  sixty-eight  thou- 
sand eight  hundred  and  sixty-eight  acres;  the  sec- 
ond, sixty-three  thousand  three  hundred  and  forty- 
four  acres,  and  the  third,  sixty-nine  thousand  five 
hundred  and  seven  acres.  Their  report  was  signed 
January  7,  1801,  and  confirmed  by  the  Court  at 
January  Sessions.  The  southern  boundary  line  of 
Mahantango  modified  the  adjoining  township,  Pine 
Grove,  and  it  was  adjusted  by  three  commission 
ers — Michael  Miller,  Jacob  Rehrer  and  Christian 
Lower,  on  January  3,  1804. 

Schuylkill. — The  first  assessment  of  taxes  in 
Schuylkill  township  was  levied  in  1802.  Total 
amount  of  tax  assessed  was  fifty-one  dollars  and 
fifty-nine  cents.  Jacob  Stahl  was  the  first  collector. 

The  following  persons  were  then  resident  tax- 
payers : 

Jacob  Boyer.  William  Green,  Sr. 

John  Busby. 
Michael  Busby. 
Jacob  Busby,  Sr. 
Jacob  Burger. 


Barlow. 

Beler  (widow). 
John  Deal. 
George  Focht. 
Christian  Frantz. 
Andrew  Gilbert. 


Christian  Horn. 
Michael  Heffer. 
James  Hanna. 
Leonard  Heim. 
Henry  Haller. 
Hugh  Hughes. 
Evan  Hughes. 

Hunsinger. 

Bernhart  Kepler. 
Geurge  Kless. 


1194 


APPENDIX. 


Christian  Koch. 
Frederick  Kremer. 
Conrad  Keim. 
Michael  Ketterer. 
Henry  Ketterer. 
Andrew  Kenear. 
Peter  Ladig. 
Jacob  Ladig. 
Henry  Miller. 
George  Reber,  Sr. 
George  Eeber,  Jr. 
Conrad  Eebb. 

Sine, 

John  Burger. 


Daniel  Rigel. 
Henry  Sheffer. 
William  Straub. 
Jacob  Stahl. 
Matthias  Shappel. 
Charles  Shoemaker. 
Richard  Stephens. 
George  Tresh. 
Gottfried  Treher. 
Frederick  Wals. 
Joseph  Webb. 
Geo.  A.  Zettlemoyer. 

le  Freemen. 

John  Kugler. 


In  this  township,  near  where  New  Philadelphia 
is  now  situated,  Rev.  F.  W.  Geisenheimer  &  Co. 
erected  a  furnace,  called  the  "  Valley  Furnace," 
about  the  year  1805,  and  carried  on  the  iron  busi- 
ness for  many  years 

Norwegian. — The  first  taxes  in  Norwegian 
township  were  levied  iu  1802, — total  amount  assess- 
ed was  $100.76.  Isaac  Thomas  was  first  collector. 
The  following  persons  were  then  resident  tax-pay- 
ers 


Michael  Alspach. 
David  Alspach. 
Henry  Alspach. 
Matthias  Baichtol. 
Wm.  Britton. 
Abrm.  Baichtol. 
John  Boyer. 
Michael  Bright. 
Fred'k  Bates. 
Wm.  Bredabenner. 
John  Black. 
Samuel  Bell. 
John  Yost  Baylor. 
John  Bishop. 
John  Wilks  Catara. 
George  Crouse. 
John  Cramer. 
Fred'k  Cramer. 
John  Cramer. 
Henry  Doan  &  Co. 
Jacob  Derr. 
Jacob  Dreibelbis  &  Co. 
R'bcaDreibelbis&Co. 
Jacob  Draup. 
Christian  Dirret. 
Michael  Dirret. 
John  Elliot. 
Bell  &  Filbert. 
Abraham  Feye. 
Jacob  Fox. 
Peter  Feather  &  Co. 
Earnest  Fritzinser. 


John  Fick. 
Taylor  Fitzrandolph. 
John  Gunckle. 
Jacob  Gunckle. 
Ellis  Hughes. 
Casper  Heppler. 
John  Heppler. 
Peter  Heppler. 
Peter  Heckman. 
Daniel  Jones. 
Jacob  John. 
David  James. 
John  Yost  Klaus, 
John  Kershner. 
Jacob  Kantner. 
Henry  Kettle  &  Co. 
John  Klaus. 
Peter  Klinger. 
Thos.Lightfoot&Co. 
John  Maunam. 
Peter  Minich. 
Benj.  Minich. 
Henry  Minich. 
Conrad  Minich. 
Samuel  Miles  &  Co. 
Henry  Mull. 
John  Meyer. 
Peter  Neischwender. 
Steven  Paskell. 
Thos.  Proctor. 
Theo.  Reed. 
John  Reed. 


John  (Morris)  Reed. 
Thos.  Reed,  Sr. 
Lewis  Rees. 
Lewis  Rees  &  Co. 
Geo.  Reynolds. 
Henry  Reaser. 
Isaac  Reed. 
Aaron  Rich. 
Adam  Smith. 
Henry  Snyder. 
Fred'k  Shoeman. 
Sol.  Steward  &  Co. 
Melchoir  Shubert. 
Peter  Streaper  &  Co. 
John  Suell. 
John  Stine. 
Isaac  Thomas  &  Co. 


Jacob  Wykle. 

Michael  Welker. 

Jonathan  Worrell. 

Wm.  Witman. 

Runckler  &  Weeler. 

Peter  Warner. 

John  Weaver. 

Jesse  Yurnall. 

Peter  Yarnall. 
Isaac  Yarnall. 
Isaac  Yarnall,  Jr. 
Mordecai  Yarnall. 
John  Zerbe,  Sr. 
Geo  Zerbe. 
Peter  Zerbe. 
Peter  Zerbe,  Sr. 
John  Zarbe. 


Coal  was  discovered  about  1770  in  this  district 
along  the  West  Branch  at  a  point  near  where 
Minersville  is  situated.  And  there  Thomas  Reed 
settled  in  1793.  He  then  erected  a  log  house  and 
a  saw-mill ;  and  several  years  afterward  he  built  a 
tavern.  It  stood  by  the  "  Sunbury  Road,"  and 
it  was  known  as  the  Half-way  House,  because  it 
was  mid-way  between  Reading  and  Sunbury. 
Reed  continued  as  proprietor  until  his  death  in 
1812.  And  another  tavern  was  erected  farther 
north  on  the  top  of  the  Broad  Mountain  by  George 
Seitzinger  in  1810.  It  stood  at  a  Fountain  Spring 
on  the  Centre  Turnpike. 

Mahantango. — The  first  asesssment  of  the 
taxes  in  Mahantango  township  was  also  made  in 
1802.  Total  amount  levied  $159.48.  Frederick 
Kreutzerwas  the  collector.  The  following  per- 
sons were  assessed  as  resident  tax-payers. 


Michael  Artz. 
Philip  Artz. 
Jas.  Asman. 
John  Brosius. 
Thos.  Bryon. 
Christian  Bressler. 
Wm.  Bredenbender. 
Nicholas  Brosius. 
Christian  Bixler. 
Jeremiah  Borckert. 
Peter  Borckert. 
Samuel  Boyer. 
Benj.  Beshore. 
Geo.  Beshore. 
Michael  Borckert. 
Christian  Bardshee,Sr. 
John  Bardshee. 
Geo.  Borckert. 


Peter  Braun,  Sr. 
Michael  Borckert,  Jr. 
Peter  Behly. 
Christ'n  Bardshee,  Jr. 
Chas.  Conrad. 
Jacob  Christ. 
Peter  Dinger. 
Geo.  Dinger. 
Fred'k  Dinger. 
Geo.  Deeterick. 
John  Deeterick. 
Jacob  Dressier. 
Samuel  Dresher. 
Jacob  Easterly. 
Leonard  Emrich. 
Geo.  Ertman. 
John  Eder. 
Eagle. 


APPENDIX. 


1195 


Henry  Fisher. 
Geo.  Forringer. 
Conrad  Friedline. 
Martin  Forringer. 
Peter  Glock,  Sr. 
Jacob  Glock. 
Philip  Geres,  Jr. 
Christian  Grimm, 
Philip  Geres,  Sr. 
Peter  Glock,  Jr. 
John  Glock. 
Michael  Heberling. 
Geo.  Hile. 
Frederick  Howman. 
John  Herof. 
Jacob  Heberling. 
Isaac  Hammacher. 
John  Haldeman. 
Stoffel  Hessler. 
Geo.  Hollenbach. 
John  Henn. 
Christian  Heldt. 
Daniel  Jund. 
Jonathan  Jund. 
Nicholas  Jund. 
Jeremiah  Klinger. 
Martin  Koppenhaver. 
John  Kook. 
Geo.  Klinger. 
Geo.  Adam  Klinger. 
Martin  Kessler. 
John  Kunselman. 
Philip  Kesser. 
Philip  Kunselman. 
Frederick  Kreutzer. 
Jonas  Kauffman. 
Henry  Kreminger. 
Daniel  Litch. 
John  Lesher,  Sr. 
John  Lesher. 


John  Leb. 
Philip  Lukens. 
Michael  Miller. 
Wm.  Otto. 
John  Reed. 
Philip  Reed. 
Henry  Remsel. 
Jacob  Reinert. 
Henry  Stiner. 
Wm.  Simrney. 
Simon  Sherman. 

Henry  Shreckengast. 

Daniel  Shuey, 

Henry  Shucker. 

John  Stallman. 

Geo.  Snyder. 

Christian  Stutzman 

Michael  Stump. 

Geo.  Stump. 

Geo.  Shreiber. 

Peter  Stein. 

John  Schwalm. 

Andrew  Sheath. 

Martin  Shaup. 

Henry  Snyder. 

Jno.  Shreckengast,  Jr. 

Jno.  Shreckengast,  Sr. 

John  Shucker. 

Conrad  Shreckengast. 

Adam  Swartz. 

Ludwig  Swartz. 

Val.  Truckenmiller. 

Mch'l  Truckenmiller. 

Jacob  Troup. 

Gideon  Williamson. 

Michael  Wolfgang. 

Conrad  Wenzel. 

Geo.  Zerby- 

Bernhart  Zimmerman. 


section  of  the  township  before  its  di  vision,  except- 
ing some  changes  which  may  have  taken  place  in 
the  meantime : 

Samuel  Keim. 
Geo.  A.  Klinger. 
Fred'k  Kreitzer. 
Godfrey  Krymer. 
Geo.  Kehler. 
John  Kehler. 
Jac.  Leidner. 
Christian  Leidner. 
Peter  Mattern,  Sr. 
M.  Neusdiwender. 
Fred'k  Obenhauser. 
Martin  Paul. 
Andw.  Redinger. 
Jac.  Reinert. 
Frederick  Reisy. 
Matthias  Remer. 
Hrnon  Sherman. 
Wm.  Simme. 
Philip  Snyder. 
Gottlieb  Strohecker. 
Henry  Shreckengast. 
M.  Wolfgang  (Estate). 
Jacob  Wagner. 
Gideon  Williams. 
Jac.  Weist. 
Jas.  Williamson. 
Thos.  Williamson. 
Jacob  Werey. 
Abr.  Zimmerman. 
Freemen  Singer. 
Henry  Baum. 
George  Carl. 
John  Wolfgang. 


Single  Freemen. 
Peter  Brown.  Abraham  Swartz. 

Philip  Brown. 

George  Klinger  was  appointed  a  justice  of  the 
peace  in  1800,  and  continued  to  hold  the  office  for 
a  period  of  forty  years. 

Upper  Mahantango. — About  the  year  1807, 
Mahantango  township  was  divided  into  two  parts, 
and  they  were  called  Upper  and  Lower  Mahan- 
tango. The  records,  showing  the  exact  time  and 
manner  of  division,  are  missing.  The  earliest 
assessment  found  was  for  1808.  Total  amount 
assessed,  $25.19.  Abrm.  Yoder  was  then  the  assessor 
and  collector.  The  following  list  shows  which  of  the 
persons  on  the  list  for  1802,  occupied  the   upper 


Bernhart  Adam. 
John  Broseus. 
Nichs  Broseus. 
Jacob  Bauer. 
John  Bixler. 
Christian  Bessler. 
John  Baum. 
Peter  Carl. 
Robert  Clark. 
Jacob  Clark. 
Jacob  Dresler. 
ge  Derch. 
George  Erdman. 
Andrew  Erdman. 

Albert  Erdman. 

John  Forster. 

Peter  Glock,  Sr. 

John  Glock. 

Henry  Glock. 

Jacob  Glock. 

Peter  Glock,  Jr. 

Fred'k  Hinterleiter. 

George  Herring. 

Daniel  Hilbish. 

Christopher  Hebler. 

Casper  Hebler. 

John  Hebler. 

Jacob  Heim. 

George  Heim. 

John  Heim. 

Peter  Hebler. 

John  Keim. 

Jeremiah  Klinger. 


Dieter  Wolfgang. 

In  1811,  the  last  assessments  were  levied  in  the 
foregoing  seven  townships,  as  parts  of  Berks 
County.  The  following  statements  show  the  num- 
bers of  taxable  residents  and  non-residents,  and 
the  amount  of  tax  assessed  in  each  township; 
and  also  the  whole  number  of  taxables  and  amount 
of  tax. 

Bedkswick  (Peter  Allbrecht,  collector.) 

Residents ...  279 

Sojourners ....    20 

Single  freemen  ...       .  .       .   .    25 

—  324  in  township. 

Non-residents 35 

359  taxed. 
Total  tax  levied,  $196.59. 

Pine  Grove  (Adam  Gebert,  collector.) 

Residents,  etc 

Single  Freemen 

Total  tax  levied,  §140.92. 


240 

11 
—  251  taxed. 


1196 


APPENDIX. 


Manheim  (Ludwig  Lehr,  collector.) 

Residents,  etc 245 

Single  freemen 24 

269  taxed. 

Total  tax  levied,  $154.56. 

Mahantango  (Nicholas  Riegel,  collector.) 

Residents 79 

Inmates 29 

Single  freemen 16 

—  124 
Non-residents 17 

—  141  taxed. 
Total  tax  levied,  877.72. 

Upper  Mahantango  (Peter  Carl,  collector.) 

Residents 61 

Single  freemen .       .   .  ...       .       11 

102 

Non-residents ....  6 

— 108  taxed. 
Total  tax  levied,  ?60.57. 

Norwegian  (Isaac  Reed,  collector.) 

Residents 69 

Single  freemen  ...  18 

—  8.7 
Non-reBidents 21 

—  108  taxed. 
Total  tax  levied,  $86.36. 

Schuylkill  (Jarob  Schockr  collector.) 

Residents 101 

Single  freemen 21 

—  122 
Non-residents 14 

136  taxed. 

Total  tax  levied,  $99.80. 

Total  tax  levied,  Brunswick .       .  . 

"        "      Pine  Grove  .   .  ... 


Manheim  .... 

Mahantango  .    .    . 
Upper  Mahantango .  . 
Norwegian  .  . 
Schuylkill  .   . 


.  $196.59 
146.92 
154.56 

.  77.72 
60.57 

.      86.36 

.      99.80 

$822.52 


Total  residents  taxed,  Brunswick 324 

"  "  "      Pine  Grove 251 

"  "  "      Manheim 269 

"  "  "      Mahantango    .  ....  124 

"  "  "      Upper  Mahantango  .  .  .  102 

"  "  "      Norwegian        87 

"  "  "      Schuylkill 122 

1279 

Non-reBidents,   Brunswick 35 

"  Mahantango .      .  .  17 

"  Upper   Mahantango 6 

Norwegian 21 

"  Schuylkill 14 


Total  taxed  number  . 


The  several  townships  named,  at  that  time,  pos- 
sessed many  permanent  improvements.  Saw-mills, 
grist-mills  and  furnaces  had  been  successfully 
carried  on    for  some  years.     Taverns   had    been 


established.  Churches  had  been  erected  through 
the  Christian  zeal  of  Lutheran  and  Reformed 
settlers.  Coal  had  been  mined  and  burned  suc- 
cessfully, and  enterprise,  capital  and  labor,  had 
already  been  drawn  to  its  wonderful  beds ;  and 
projectors  of  public  improvements  had  felt  the 
importance  of  local  government  and  representa- 
tion. 

The  industrial,  the  social,  and  the  political 
situation  of  the  people  were  therefore  sufficiently 
advanced  for  a  separate  existence  as  a  county 
organization  ;  and  accordingly  the  seven  townships 
named  and  two  townships,  West  Penn  and  Rush, 
of  Northampton  County,  were  erected  into  a  county, 
called  Schuylkill  on  March  1st,  1811.  And  by 
the  act  of  Assembly  Orwigsburg  was  made  the 
county-seat.  The  subsequent  development  of  the 
county  through  the  period  of  nearly  four  score 
years  has  been  marvellous. 

PHOTOGRAPHY. 

The  first  parties  who  introduced  photography  in 
Reading  were  H6ward  &  Maurer,  who  carried  on 
the  business  for  many  years  in  the  "  Jameson 
Building,"  northeast  corner  of  Sixth  and  Penn 
Streets,  second  and  third  stories.  This  was  in 
1852.  They  succeeded  Charles  L.  Phillippi,  who 
had  been  taking  daguerreotypes  for  several  years 
previously.  Daguerreotype  likenesses  were  first 
taken  in  Reading  by  John  H.  Scott,  of  Philadel- 
phia, in  September,  1841.  The  price  was  $3.50 
for  one  likeness,  and  the  person  was  obliged  to  sit 
for  forty  seconds. 

The  more  prominent  photographers  at  Reading 
during  the  last  thirty  years  have  been  George  W. 
Patton,  Abel  Mishler,  Frederick  Yeager,  John 
Lee,  William  K.  Leaman,  Charles  A.  Saylor, 
William  H.  Dietrich,  Edward  E.  Hafer,  John  D. 
Strunk  and  Thomas  Taylor. 

Mr.  Hafer  is  now  successfully  conducting  two 
galleries  in  Reading.  He  supplied  the  photo- 
graphs for  many  of  the  portrait  subjects  in  this 
history,  from  which  the  engravings  were  made.1 


1  The  author  was  promised  certain  facts  on  this  subject 
which  should  have  appeared  in  the  chapter  on  "  Educa- 
tion," with  "  Art  and  Artists,"  p.  808,  hut  they  were  not 
supplied. 


INDEX. 


A. 

Addams,  William,  505. 

Address  to  the  Associators  of  Pennsylvania, 

152. 
Advertisement  for  aid  in  1757,  129. 
Affairs  at  Reading  in  1777,  162. 
Agriculture  in  Berks  County,  84. 
Albany,  township  of,  1007  ;   early  settlers  of, 

1068-1069 ;  taxables,   1068 ;   early  buildings, 

1069  :  industries,  1069;  churches,  1070. 
Alsace,  township  of,  983  ;    erection    of,   983  ; 

early  warrants  in,  983 ;  taxables  of,  in  1759, 

984 ;   industries  of,   985  ;    churches  of,  986  ; 

extracts  from  article  called  Zion's  Hill,  987  ; 

villages  and  taverns,    989 ;    Hessian  Cam]), 

989  ;  Mineral  Spring,   989 ;  Schild  Murder, 

990  ;  Wentzel  Horror,  990  ;    Political  Prize 
Banner,  991. 

Amity,  township  of,  944 ;  settlement  of,  by 
Swedes,  944  ;  names  of  warrantees,  944  ;  Old 
Swede  building,  945 ;  petition  for  road  in, 
945-946 ;  erection  of,  946  ;  taxables  in  1734 
and  1759,  946 ;  manufacturing  interests  of, 
947  ;  churches  of,  947  ;  villages  of,  951-953. 

Ammon,  Jacob  S.,  M.  D.,  612. 

Aucona,  Sydenham  E.,  511. 

Andrews.  Captain  William  H.,  287. 

Appeal  for  aid  in  1757,  129. 

Appendix,  1191 ;  erection  of  townships  beyond 
the  Blue  Mountain  :  Brunswick,  1191  ;  Pine 
Grove,  1192;  Manheim,  1192;  Schuylkill, 
1193  ;  Norwegian,  1194  ;  Mahantango,  1194  ; 
Upper  Mahantango,  1195. 

Apple,  John  W.,  583. 

Appropriations  ia  Civil  War,  190. 

Ar.ns,  George  W.,  568. 

Army  Supplies  of  Berks  County  in  Revolution, 
160. 

Arnold,  William,  708. 

Arthur,  Colonel  John  E. ,  267 

Assembly  districts,  490. 

Associate  judges,  533-534,  548. 

Associators,  152  ;  refusal  of,  to  inarch,  156,  159. 

Attorneys-at-law,  534-558. 

Aurand,  Francis,  565. 


B.ichman,  Charles  W.,  M.D.,  621. 

Baer,  George  F.,  577.. 

Baer,  Samuel  A.,  383. 

Baird,  William  M.,  568. 

Baker,  James  IS.,  584. 

Banks  of  Berks  County:  Reading  Branch, 
831 ;  Farmers'  Nat'l,  831 ;  Nat'l  Union,  836  ; 
First  National  of  Reading,  839 ;  Second  Na- 
tional of  Reading,  839 ;  Penn  National  Bank, 
839  ;    Keystone  National,    840 ;    suspended, 


840  ;  Kutztown  Savings,  870  ;  Peabody  Sav- 
ings, 870;  National  Bank  of  Kutztown,  870; 
Hamburg  Savings,  886;  National  Bank  of 
Boyertown,  908  ;  Farmers'  National  Bank  of 
Boyertown,  9U9 ;  Topton  National  Bank, 
927. 

Banks  of  Reading,  831. 

Banks,  John,  541. 

Banks,  William  E,  571. 

Barbey,  Peter,  724. 

Barclay,  George  G.,  565. 

Bard,  William  P.,  574. 

Barr,  Robert  M.,  564. 

Barto,  Abraham  H.,  1005. 

Batdorf,  Milton  D.  M.,  M.  D.,  622. 

Battalion  Day  of  1843,  354. 

Battle  of  Lexington  awakens  the  county,  139. 

Battle  of  Long  Island,  155. 

Baum,  Charles,  M.D.,  599. 

Baum,  William  J.,  M.D.,  599. 

Bear,  Benjamin  C,  1055. 

Beaver,  D.  Llewellyn,  M.D.,  607. 

Bechtel,  James  B.,  573. 

Bechtel,  William  B.,585. 

Becker,  Israel  C,  575. 

Behne,  John  Henry,  M.D.,  631. 

Beidler,  Conrad  Y.,  1169. 

Bell,  Capt.  J.  Bowman,  337. 

Bell,  Samuel,  551. 

Benade,  James  A.,  808. 

Bench  and  Bar,  533. 

Berks  County,  geology  of,  26  ;  minerals  of,  28  ; 
botany  of,  34;  mountains  of,  51;  valleys 
of,  53 ;  Btreams  of,  53 ;  relative  elevations 
in,  55;  Indians  in,  56;  Indian  villages  in, 
62;  Indian  names  in,  03  ;  Indian  relics,  col- 
lection of,  fc3  ;  petition  for  erection  of,  74; 
act  erecting,  78 ;  districts  in,  79  ;  names  of 
towns  in,  80 ;  reduction  of  territory  of,  81 ; 
Northumberland  County  formed  from,  81 ; 
Schuylkill  County  formed  from,  81 ;  proposal 
to  erect  new  counties  from,  82  ;  agriculture 
in,  84 ;  county  societies  in,  86  ;  early  indus- 
tries in,  87  ;  recent  industries  of,  97 ;  fur- 
naces of,  88-94 ;  forges  of,  90 ;  summary  of 
present  furnaces,  forges  and  mills  in,  99 ; 
general  industries  in,  102  ;  statistics  of  manu- 
factures in  1870  and  1880,  103,  104  ;  invasion 
of,  by  Indians,  115;  letters  on  suffering'*  of 
inhabitants  of,  115  ;  report  of  cruolties  in, 
123;  alarming  condition  of  people  in,  131; 
petition  for  soldiers  for,  131 ;  persons  mur- 
dered, taken  prisoners  and  missing  in,  134, 
135  ;  Bible  Society  of,  372  ;  Law  Library  of, 
585  ;  boundary  of,  928. 
Born,  township  of,  1127  ;  erection  of,  1127 ;  di- 
vision of,  1128;  early  settlers,  1128;  Indus 
tries,  1128  ;  churches,  1)30;  vi-lage,  1131. 


Bernville,  Borough  of,  913  ;  laid  out,  91 4  ; 
sale  of  lots  in,  914  ;  incorporation,  914  ;  offi- 
cers of,  914 ;  business,  915  ;  post-office,  917  ; 
taverns,  917  ;  physicians,  917  ;  industries  < 
917;  churches,  918;  societies,  919  ;  military 
encampment,  919. 
Bertolette,  Levi  J. ,  935. 

Bertolett,  Peter  G.,  M.D.,  605. 

Bethany  Orphans'  Home,  1111. 

Bethel,  township  of,  1141 ;  erection  of,  1141 ; 
early  settlers,  1141-1143;  Indian  cruelties, 
1142;  note  from  Dr.  William  Egle,  1142; 
extracts  from  Bound  Head,  1142 ;  taxables 
in  1759,  1143;  Diedrich  Schneider's  Inn, 
1143;  industries,  1144;  churches,  1144;  vil- 
lages, 1145. 

Betz,  William,  565. 

Bible  Society  (Female),  373. 

Bickel,  George  H.,  M.  D.,  G20. 

Biddle,  Edward,  letter  of,  121. 

Biddle,  Edward,  sketch  of,  137. 

Biddle,  James,  558. 

Biddle,  James  D.,  561. 

Binder,  Frank  G.,  911. 

Biographical  Sketches  of  Congressmen,  Foreign 
Ministers,  Delegates  to  State  Conventions  and 
State  Officials,  504. 

Birch,  Solomon  G.,  M.  D.,    601. 

Birdsboro,  Borough  of,  893  ;  Progress  of,  893  ; 
First  Settlement  of,  894  ;  Development  of,  by 
the  Brookes,  894  ;  Stores  and  Hotels,  896  ; 
Industries,  896  ;  Incorporation,  890  ;  Church- 
es, 897  ;  Schools,  899  ;  Physicians,  899  ;  So- 
cieties, 899. 

Bitting,  Jeremiah  D.,  566. 

Bland.  H.  Willis,  579. 

Board  of  Trade  at  Reading,  429. 

Boas,  Augustus  F.,  743. 

Boas,  Capt.  Frederick  S..  304. 

Boone,  Daniel,  973. 

Boone,  Edwin,  838, 

Boroughs  of  Berks  County:  rKutztown,  855; 
Womelsdorf,  873 ;  Hamburg,  880  ;  Birdsboro, 
893;  Boyertown,  901 ;  Bernville,  913  ;  Meot- 
wood,  919  ;  Topton,  926  ;  Centreport,  927. 

Botany,  34. 

Bowman,  D.  Z.,  M.D.,  619. 

Boyer,  B.  Frank,  573. 

Boyer,  Michael  P.,  572. 

Boyertown,  Borough  of,  901 ;  First  Settlers, 
901 ;  Incorporation  of,  901 ;  Industries  of,  901; 
Churches  of,  903  ;  Schools  of,  906  ;  Taverns, 

906  ;   Stores,  907  ;  Keystone  Fire  Company, 

907  ;  Friendship  Hook-and-Ladder  Company, 

908  ;  Post-Office,  908  ;  Physicians,  908 ;  News- 
papers, 908;  Banks,  908;  Mutual  Fire  Insur- 
ance Company,  910;  Water  Company,  91U  ; 
Cemeteries,  910  ;  Societies,  910. 

1197 


1198 


INDEX. 


Bratt,  Benjamin  R.,  M.D.,  633. 
Brecknock,   Township  of,  1181 ;    Erection  of, 
1181 ;    Taxables,    1181 ;    Industries,    1182 ; 
Churches,  1182. 
Brenholtz,  Col.  Thomas,  228. 
Bridges,  433  ;  Harrisburg,  433  ;  Hamburg,  436  ; 
Lancaster,  436  ;  Poplar  Nock,  436  ;  Private 
Bridges,  437  ;  Kissinger's  (the  first  bridge), 
43T  ;  Leiss',  438  ;  Stoudt's  Ferry,  438  ;  Alt- 
house,  438;    Mohr's,  438;  Windsor  Haven, 
438  ;  Birdsboro',  438  ;  Monocacy,  439  ;  Doug- 
lassville,  439  ;  Exeter,  439  ;  Eailroad,  439. 
Brigadier-Generals  Elected  in  Bevolution,  154. 
Brewers  (See  Industries  of  Reading),  693. 
Brooke,  Edward,  894. 
Brooke,  George,  895. 
Brobst,  John  A.,  M.D.,  611. 
Brodhead,  Daniel,  148. 
Bruckman,  Charles  A.,  407. 
Bruckman,  George  W.,  556. 
Brunner,  David  B.,  381. 
Buckwalter,  A.  C,  415. 
Burd,  Col.  James,  Journal,  114. 
Buskirk,  Daniel,  556. 

C. 
Caernarvon,  Township    of,  1157  ;    Taxables, 
1157 ;    Industries,    1158  ;    Churches,   1158 ; 
Cemetery,  1159;  Villages,  1159.  • 
Calendar,  old  style  to  new  style,  665. 
Call  for  Volunteer  Troops,  1812,  172,  173. 
Canals,   444 ;    Union,    444 ;    Schuylkill,    446  ; 

Packets,  448. 
Cavalry  Company,  Independent,  306. 
Cemeteries  of  Reading,  755. 
Cemetery,  Charles  Evans,  753. 
Censors,  16. 

Census  of  Berks  County,  644. 
Centre,  Township  of,  1139  ;  Erection  of,  1139  ; 

Churches,  114u ;  Villages,  1140. 
Ceutreport,  Borough  of,  927  ;  Physicians,  928 ; 

Incorporation,  928 ;  Schools,  928. 
Charity  Schools,  374. 
Churches  in  BerkB  County  : 
Beading— Trinity  Lutheran,  767  ;  St.  Mat- 
thew's English  Lutheran,  771 ;  St.  James' 
Lutheran,  772  ;  St.  John's  German  Luth- 
eran, 772  ;  St.  Luke's  Lutheran,  774 ;  Grace 
Lutheran,  775  ;  First  Reformed,  778 ;  Sec- 
ond Reformed,  777  ;  St.  Paul's  Memorial 
Reformed,  778 ;  Zion's  Reformed,  780 ; 
Friends'  Meeting-House,  First,  781 ;  Christ 
Episcopal,  783  ;  St.  Barnabas',  786  ;  First 
Presbyterian,  787  ;  Bethany  Mission,  788  ; 
Washington  Street  Presbyterian,  788  ;  First 
Baptist,  788  ;  Berean,  789  ;  Uuiversalist, 
789  ;  Ebenezer  M.  E.,  790 ;  St.  Peter's  M. 
E.,  791  ;  Covenant  M.  E.,  791  ;  African  M. 
E.,  792 ;  Salem  Evangelical  Association, 
792 ;  Ebeuezer  Evangelical  Association, 
792 ;  Immanuel  Evangelical  Association, 
792 ;  St.  Matthew's  Evangelical  Association, 
793  ;  Zion  United  Brethren,  793  ;  Otterbein 
United  Brethren,  793  ;  Faith  Chapel,  Men- 
nonite,  793 ;  Friendship  Mission,  794  ;  St. 
Peter's  Roman  Catholic,  794;  St.  Paul's 
Roman  Catholic,  794 ;  Ohef  Sholem,  He- 
brew, 796 ;  Sunday-Schools,  790. 
Albany— Luth.  and  Reformed,  1070  ;  Bethel, 
1072  ;  New  Bethel,  1073  ;  Zion's  Evan- 
gelical, 1073  ;  Salem  Evangelical,  1073. 
Alsace — Zion's  or  Spies',  986  ;  Shatter's  or 
Salem,  987 ;  Faith  Chapel  (Lutheran),  987. 
Amity  Township— Molatton  or  Swedes',  947- 
St.  Gabriel's  Episcopal,  947  ;  St.  Paul's  Eef. 
and  Luth  950;  United  Brethren,  951. 
Bern— Bern,  1130;  Friends',  1130;  Epler 
1133  ;  Salem,  1131 ;  Zion's,  1131. 


Bernville — Korth-Kill    Lutheran  and  Re- 
formed, 918 ;  Salem  Evangelical  Associa- 
tion, 918. 
Bethel — Salem,    1144  ;    Ger.  Baptist,  1145. 
Birdsboro  —  Methodist   Episcopal,  897;  St. 
Michael's  Episcopal,  898  ;  St.  Mark's  Evan- 
gelical   Lutheran,    898 ;    St.    Paul's    Re- 
formed, 899. 
Botertown  —  Mennonite,   903  ;  Old  Union, 
904;  St.  .John's  Lutheran,  905;  Ebenezer 
M.  E.,  905. 
Bbeckxock— Allegheny,  1182  ;    Mennonite, 

1183;  Evangelical,  1183. 
Caebnabvon— St.  Thomas',  1158;  Morgan- 
town  M.  E.,  1159  ;  Harmony,  1159. 
Centee— Belleman's,  1140;  Jerusalem,  1140; 

Brethren  Meeting,  1140. 
Colebrookdale  Township — Zion's  Evangel- 
ical Association,  965. 
Cumru— Baptist,  1165  ;  Salem,  1165  ;   Wyo- 
missing,  1166;  Christ's  or  Yocum,  1166; 
Immanuel,  1166. 
Exeteb  Township— Friends'  Meeting,  976; 
Schwartzwald   Reformed   and    Lutheran, 
977  ;  Baumstown  Chapel  (Reformed),  978  ; 
Stonersville    S.    S.  Chapel,    978;    United 
Brethren,  978. 
Fleetwood— St.  Paul's  Lutheran  and   Re- 
formed, 922.;  Emanuel  Evangelical  Asso- 
ciation, 922 ;  United  Mennonite,  923. 
Greenwich — New  Jerusalem,  Reformed  and 
Lutheran,  1077  ;   Bethel,  1077  j  Frieden's 
Reformed  and  Lutheran,  1078. 
Hamburg — St.  John's  Lutheran  and   Re- 
formed, 887 ;  Emanuel  Lutheran  and  Re- 
formed, 889 ;  St.  Mary's  Roman  Catholic, 
890;    Hamburg    M.   E.,    890;    St.   Paul's 
Evangelical  Association,  890. 
Heidelberg  —  St.    Daniel's,    1110  ;    Union 

Chapel,   1111. 
Hereford — Reformed  and  Lutheran,   998  ; 

Schwenkfelder,  999. 
Jefferson — Christ's,  1106  ;  St.  Paul's,  1106. 
Kutztown — St.  John's  Union,  862 ;  Trinity 
Evangelical  Lutheran,  864  ;  Reformed  Sun- 
day-School, 804 ;  Salem  Evangelical  Asso- 
ciation, 865. 
Longswamp— Reformed,    1050 ;    St.    Paul's 
1052  ;  Salem  Evangelical,  1052  ;  St.  Peter's 
Reformed  and  Lutheran,  1052. 
Lower  Heidelberg— St.  John's,  1116. 
Maiden-okeek — Friends',   1024;    Orthodox 
Friends',  1025  ;  Maiden-creek,  1025  ;  Zion's 
Evangelical,  1U25. 
Marion— Zion's,  1099  ;  Christ,  1101 ;  Tulpe- 
hocken  Trinity,   llu2;  St.  Peter's  Union 
Chapel,  1103. 
Maxatawny— Lutheran  and  Reformed,  1044; 
St.  Paul's  Reformed  and  Lutheran,  1045  ; 
Zion  Evangelical,  1046. 
Muhlenberg— Alsace,  994;  Hinnershitz,  994. 
North      Heidelberg  —  Moravian,      1126  • 

North  Heidelberg,  1126 . 
Oley  Township— Moravian,  936  ;  Reformed, 
937 ;    Christ's    Lutheran,    938 ;    Frieden's 
Reformed  and  Lutheran,  939 ;  St.  John's 
Lutheran,  940  ;  Ebenezer  Evangelical,  940; 
Salem  Evangelical  Association,  940. 
Oxtelaunee-  -St.   John's  Lutheran  and  Re- 
formed, 1033  ;  Trinity  Reformed  and  Luth- 
eran, 1034. 
Perry -Zion's    Lutheran    and    Reformed, 
1064;     Shoemakersville     Reformed     and 
Lutheran,  1005  ;  St.  Timothy's   Retained 
and  Lutheran,  1005  ;  Ebenezer  Evangeli- 
cal, 1065  ;  Salem  United  Brethren,  1005. 
Pike— St.  John's,  Iul8  ;  St.  Paul's,  1019. 


Robeson — Friends'  Meeting,  1151 ;  Robeson 
1151 ;  Frieden's  Lutheran,  1 152;  St.  John's, 
1152  ;  Evangelical,  1152. 
Richmond — Zion's  Lutheran,  1038  ;  St.  Pe- 
ter's, 1039  ;  Becker's  St.  Peter's,  1039  ;  St. 
James',  1039  ;  Roman  Catholics,  1039. 
Rockland— Christ's   Lutheran,    1012  ;  New 
Jerusalem  Lutheran  and  Reformed,  1013. 
Ruscomb-manor — Baptist,  1008  ;    St.   John's 
Lutheran    and   Reformed,    1008 ;    Salem 
Evangelical,  1009  ;  Seventh  Day  Advent, 
1009. 
Spring— Baptist,    1173  ;   St.   John's,   1174  ; 
Independent     United     Brethren,     1175 ; 
Mohn's,  1175. 
Tulpehocken — Host,  1087  ;  St.  John's  Union, 
1088  ;  St.  Paul's,  1088  ;  Trinity,  1U88  ;  St. 
John's,  1088. 
Union— St.  Piuil's  M.  E.,  1186 ;  St.  James" 
Evangelical,  1187  ;  Monocacy  M.  E.,  1187  ; 
Roman  Catholic,  1187. 
Upper  Been— St.  Michael's,  1133  ;  Shartles- 
ville  Frieden's,   1134 ;    United  Brethren, 
1134 ;  Mennonite,  1134. 
Upper    Tulpehocken  —  Zion's,   1095 ;    St. 

Paul's,  1096. 
Washington — Mennonite,  1002  ;  Church  of 

the  Blessed  Sacrament,  1003. 
Windsor— St.  Paul's,  1060. 
WoMELSDORF-Zion's  Lutheran  and  Reformed, 
876  ;  New  Lutheran,  877  ;  Emanuel  Evan- 
gelical, 877  ;  Presbyterian,  878 ;   Univer- 
salists,  878. 
Civil  List,  489  ;    Members  of  Congress,  489  ; 
Foreign  Ministers,  490;    Foreign  Consuls, 
490  ;  United  States  Commissioners,  490  ;  Reg- 
ister in  Bankruptcy,  490  ;  State  Officials,  490 ; 
Senators,  490  ;  Assemblymen,  490  ;  District 
Attorneys,  493  ;  Special  Detectives,  493;  Com- 
missioners, 493  ;  Auditors,  493  ;    Treasurers, 
495  ;  Sheriffs,  496  ;  Prothonotaries,  497  ;  Re- 
corder, 497  ;    Registers,   498 ;    Clerks  of  the 
Orphans'  Court,  498  ;  Clerks  of  Quarter  Ses- 
sions, 498  ;   Surveyors,  498  ;  Poor  Directors, 
499  ;  Mercantile  Appraisers,  500 ;    Sealer  of 
Weights  and  Measures,  500  ;  Prison  Inspec- 
tors, 501 ;    Prison  Wardens,   502.;  Superin- 
tendents of  Common  Schools,  502  ;  Jury  Com- 
missioners, 503  ;  License  Commissioners,  503  ; 
Oil  Inspector,  504. 
Civil  War,  186  ;  Patriotism  of  Berks  County  in, 
188 ;    War   Meetings    and    Appropriations, 
190  ;  First  Meeting  iu  Berks  County,  190  ; 
Ladies'  Aid  Society,  191 ;  Reading  Hospital, 
192  ;  Draft  and  Quotas  of  Berks  County,  192  ; 
Northern  Men  in  Service,  193  ;  Companies 
in  and  Rosters  of,  195  to  341  ;    President's 
Call  for  Troops,  196  ;   First  Companies  to 
the  Front,  196  ;    Ringgold  Light  Artillery, 
196,  197,  198,  201,  320  ;     The    First     Eight 
Companies,  201 ;  Miscellaneous  Enlistments, 
336;    Unclassified    Soldiers,    337;    Soldiers 
buried  in  Berks  County,  341 ;    Societies  uf 
Ex-Prisoners  of  War,  348. 
Cleaver,  Israel,  M.  D.  617. 
Clingan,  Charles  M.,  M.  D.  1188. 
Clynier,  Daniel  R.,  848,  558. 
Clymer,  Edward  M.,  459. 
Clymer,  Hiester,  512. 
Clymer  Mass-Meeting,  1866,  488. 
Clymer,  William,  560. 
Coblentz,  Joseph,  M.D.,  007. 
Colebrookdale,  Township  of,  962 ;  Petition  for, 
962;  Early  Iron-Wovks  of,  902;  Settlement 
of,  Attacked  by  Indians,  963 ;  Early  Roads 
in,  903  ;  Taxables  of,  in  1734  and  1759,  904  ; 


INDEX. 


1199 


Industries  of,  064  ;  Church  iu,  065  ;  Villages 

in,  065-966. 
Committees  chosen  in  1774, 138. 
Comparative  Statement  of  Industries,  1850  and 

1876,  09. 
Comparative  Table  of  Schools,  385. 
Companies  in  Revolutionary  War  :  Capt.  Goo. 

Nagle,  139  ;  Captain  Jonathan  Jones',  141  ; 

Capt.  Henry  Christ,  142  ;  Capt.  John  Spohn, 

143  ;  Capt.  Peter  Decker,  144 ;  Capt.   John 

Lesher,  144 ;  Capt.  Jacob  Moser,  146  ;  Capt. 

Jacob  Bauer,  147  ;  Capt.  Benjamin  Weiser, 

147  ;  other  troops  from  county,  147,  148. 
Companies  in  War  of  1812-15  :  Captain  John 

May,  174 ;  Capt.  John  Mauger,  175  ;  Capt. 

Jacob  Marshall,  175  ;  Captain  George  Marx, 

176  ;  Capt.  George  Bitter,  177  ;  Capt.  Henry 

Willotz,    176 ;  Capt.  Jonathan   Jones,  177  ; 

Capt.    George    Ziebers,  175  ;  Capt.  Thomas 

Moore,  178  ;  Capt.  John  Christian,  178  ;  Capt. 

Gabriel  Old,  178. 
Companies,  List  and  Rosters  of,  in  Civil  War, 

195-341. 
Congressional  Districts,  480. 
Constitution  of  1776,  15. 
Constitution  of  1700, 16. 
Constitution  of  1S7J,  17. 
Continental  Paper-Money,  165. 
Convention  of  1789-00, 16. 
Conway  Cabal,  1C3. 
Council,  resolutions  by,  161. 
Councilors  from  Berks  County  to  1700,  532. 
County  Battalions,  First,  350 ;  Second,  Third, 

Fourth  and  Fifth,  351 ;  Sixth,  352. 
County  Militia  Companies  in  1856,  354. 
County  Offices,  492. 
County    Buildings,    462  ;    court-house,    462 ; 

prisons,  465  ;  State-House,  467  ;  poor-house, 

468. 
County  Societies,  86. 

Counties,  erection  of,  in  Pennsylvania,  10. 
Craig,  Walter  B.,  582. 
Cressman,  Albert  J.,  M.D.,  620. 
Cuuiru,  Township  of,  1161  ;  Erection  of,  1161 ; 

Division  of,  1162  ;  Taxables  in  1759,  1162 ; 

Industries,  1163,;  Churches,  1165;  Opposition 

to  Education,  1167 ;  Villages,  1167. 

D. 

Dampman,  John  B.,  416. 

Darling,  Wm.,  550. 

Davis,  Charles,  561. 

Davis,  J.  De  Puy,  569. 

Davis,  Wm.  N.,  M.D.,  606. 

De  Benneville,  George,  M.D.,  590. 

Dechert,  Elijah,  563. 

Deininger,  Chas.  A.,  M.D.,  605. 

Delegates  at  Convention  of  1789,  521. 

Democratic  State  Conventions,  48G. 

Dentistry,  643. 

Der  Deutsch  Kompanie,  song  of,  459. 

Derr,  Cyrus  G.,  570. 

Deserters  of  Berks  County  in  Revolution,  156. 

Dettra,  Benj.  F.,  581. 

Devlan,  F.  D.,  800. 

Detweiler,  Aaron  C,  M.D.,  637. 

Detweiler,  Isaac  C,  M.D.,  637. 

Detweiler,  Washington  C,  M.D.,  637. 

Deysher,  Elwood  H.,  584. 

Discoloration  of  water  in  Schuylkill  Biver,  432. 

Diemer,  James,  548. 

Districts  :  Assembly,  490  ;  Congressional,  490  ; 

Election,  474  ;  Senatorial,  490. 
District,  township  of,  1014  ;  early  settlement, 

1014  ;  taxables  (1750),  1014  ;  industries,  1015  ; 

villages,  1015. 
Distinguished  visitors  at  Reading,  673. 


Donagan,  James,  667. 

Douglass,  township  of,  005  ;  erection  of,  967 ; 
taxables  of,  in  1759,  968  ;  early  iron  works, 
968  ;  industries,  969 ;  Fritz  grave-yard,  970  ; 
villages  iu,  979. 

Drafted  militia  of  1862,  306. 

Drafts  and  quotas  in  Civil  War,  192. 

Dreibelbis,  Samuel  L.,  M.  D.,  636. 

Duel  at  Reading  in  1780,  164. 

Dundor,  Adam  B.,  M.D.,  616. 

Dunkle,  Thomas  A.,  M.D.,  619. 

Dunn,  Jamos  L.,  561. 

DureU,  Capt.  George  W.  281. 

Dutch  East  India  Company,  5-7. 

Dutch  driven  out  by  the  English  in  1604,  7. 


E. 


Earl,  township  of,  1016;  erection,  1016  ;  taxa- 
bles (1782),  1016  ;  industries,  1017 ;  village, 
1017. 

Eckert,  George  N.,  M.D.,  601. 

Eckert,  Henry  S.,  835. 

Eckert,  Isaac,  834. 

Eckert,  George  J.,  720. 

Eckert,  Valentine,  520. 

Education  in  Berks  County,  374. 

Ege,  John,  M.D.,  637. 

Ege,  George,  548. 

Egleman,  Charles  F.,  407. 

Eisenhower,  Na;han  S.,  847. 

Election  Districts,  474. 

Election  of  1876,  486. 

Embargo  of  1807, 170. 

Emergency  Troops  of  1863,  '314;  Thirty-first 
Regiment,  Company  H.,  315 ;  Forty-second 
Regiment,  Company  A,  315  ;  Company  B,  316; 
Company  C,  310  ;  Company  D,  316  ;  Compa- 
ny E,  317  ;  Company  F,  317  ;  Company  G, 
317  ;  Company  H,  318  ;  Company  I,  318  ; 
Company  K,  318 ;  Forty-eighth  Regiment, 
Company  G,  319  ;  Fifty-third  Regiment,  Com- 
pany A,  319  ;  Company  B,  319 ;  Ringgold 
Light  Artillery  (Ind.),  321);  One  Hundred 
Days'  Service,  320. 

Endlich,  John,  517. 

Endlich,  Gustav  A.,  582. 

English  prisoners  at  Reading  in  Revolution, 
152. 

Erection  of  Berks  County,  78. 

Ermentront,  Samuel  C,  M.D.,  6.17. 

Ermentrout,  John  Silvis,  380. 

Ermentrout,  James  Nevin,  546. 

Ermentrout,  Daniel,  512. 

Ermentrout,  George  M.,  577. 

Evans,  Charles  V.  R.,  1124. 

Evans,  David,  562. 

Evans,  CharleB,  757. 

Excitement  at  Reading,  1799, 168. 

Executive  Council,  action  of,  156. 

Exeter,  Meeting  in  1829,  370. 

Exeter,  township  of,  972  ;  erection,  972 ;  pe- 
tition for  erection,  972 ;  early  land  grants, 
973 ;  Boone,  Daniel,  born  in,  973 ;  taxa- 
bles 1159,  974;  industries,  974;  Exeter  Sta- 
tion, 976 ;  churches,  976  ;  Schwartzwald 
Cemetery  Association,  977  ;  schools,  978  ;  vil- 
lages, 978. 

F. 

Fegley,  Lewis  P.  G.,  966. 
Ferguson,  Nathaniel,  1114. 
Fetter,  I.  Comley,  584. 
Filbert,  Peter,  565. 
Filbert,  William  F.,  571. 
Findlay,  James,  1055. 


Firemen's  "Union,"  812. 

First  English  Families  of  Berks  County,  68. 

First  German  Families  of  Berks  County,  67. 

First  Trading  Post  aud  Fort  established  in 
Pennsylvania,  6. 

Fisher,  James  A.,  M.D.,  609. 

Fisher,  Reily  L.,  1113. 

Fleetwood,  borough  of,  920 ;  early  residents, 
920  ;  incorporation,  920  ;  streets,920  ;  stores, 
920  ;  taverns,  921 ;  post-office,  921 ;  phy- 
sicians, 921 ;  societies,  921 ;  schools,  921  ; 
churches,  922  ;  industries,  922. 

Flood,  Frank  K.,  585. 

Focht,  Levi  H.,  900. 

Forges  :  Pool,  90  ;  Pino,  90,  968 ;  Hay  Creek, 
90  ;  Oloy,  91  ;  Spring,  92,  1015  ;  Gibraltar, 
92, 1150  ;  Charming,  92, 1098  ;  Tulpehocken, 
92  ;  Moselem,  93,  1035  ;  Brobst,  95  ;  Rock- 
land, 96,  1012  ;  Burkhart's,  96  ;  Dale,  95,  96  ; 
District,  96  ;  Speedwell,  07  ;  Tyson,  1012. 

Forts  ;  Colonial,  of  1754,  108  ;  Henry,  108  ;  at 
Dietrich  Schneider's,  109  ;  North-Kill,  109  ; 
Lebanon,  109  ;  Franklin,  109  ;  Petition  for, 
128. 

Frame  or  plan  of  government,  Colonial,  14. 

Frankfort  Land  Company,  11. 

Franks,  Samuel  D.,  559. 

Frantz,  Elias  H.,  M.D.,  619. 

French  and  Indian  War,  104 ;  officers  and 
supplies  in,  107  ;  troops  in,  107 ;  causes  of, 
105. 

Freshets  in  Schuylkill  River,  429. 

Friends'  meeting-house  at  Reading  as  a  hospi- 
pital  in  1776,  782. 

Furnaces  and  forges  in  Berks  County  in  1845, 
99. 

Furnaces :  Colebrookdale,  88,  969 ;  Mount 
Pleasant,  88, 1001 ;  Hopewell,  89,  894  ;  Oley, 
89,  933  ;  Berkshire,  90, 1116  ;  Hampton,  91, 
895  ;  Union,  94,  1069  ;  District,  94,  1015  ; 
Sally  Ann,  94,  1012  ;  Joanna,  94,  1160;  Dale, 
95,  1001 ;  Mary  Ann,  95,  1049  ;  Reading,  95, 
1116  ;  Greenwood,  95  ;  Kutztown,  862  ;  Pine, 
968 ;  Mount  Laurel,  903 ;  Temple,  993  ; 
Norway,  1002  ;  Leesport,  1032  ;  East  Penn, 
1044  ;  Windsor,  1059  ;  Robesonia,  1109. 

a. 

Gable,  Amos,  810. 

Garrigues,  Theodore  H.,  578. 

General  Industries,  102. 

Geology;  26. 

Gerasch,  Charles  A.,  M.D.,599. 

Gerhart  Murder,  125. 

Gernantl,  William  H,  848. 

Getz,  George,  400. 

Getz,  James  K.,  852. 

Getz,  J.  Lawrence,  4n9. 

Good,  Frank  H.,  M.D.,  620. 

Good,  Rev.  William  A.,  379. 

Goodman,  William  M.,  576. 

Gordon,  David  F.,  542. 

Government  of  Pennsylvania  since  1681,  13. 

Grand  Army  Posts  :  McLean  Post,  No.  16,  348  ; 

General  William  H.  Keim   Post,    No.  76, 

349. 
Grant,  Jeremiah  K.,  582. 
Green,  Albert  G.,  571. 
Green,  David  P.,  573. 
Green,  Henry  D.,  583. 
Greenwich,   Township  of,  1076  ;  early  settlers, 

1076  ;  taxables  (1759),  1076  ;  industries,  1076  ; 

churches,  1077  ;  villages,  1079. 
Gries,  Major  John  M.,  273. 
Gries,  William,  M.D.,597. 
Grim,  Col.  Daniel  B.,  1081. 


1200 


INDEX. 


Gross,  George  F.,  Jr.,  584. 

Groaacup,  Joseph  G.,  M.D.,  635. 

Gulden,  Daniel  G.,  583. 
H. 

Hagenman,  Geo.  F.,  583. 

Hagenman,  Jeremiah,  543. 

Hahnemann  Medical  Society,  631. 

Holler,  Fred'k  John,  559. 

Haman,  William  A.,  M.D.,  637. 

Hamburg,  Borough  of,  880  ;  Survey  of,  880  ; 
Sale  of  lots  in  1780,  880 ;  Names  of  early  citi- 
zens, 881 ;  Growth  of,  881 ;  Incorporation, 
882  ;  Officers  883  ;  Fire  Company,  883 ;  Union 
Fire  Company,  884  ;  West  Hamburg,  884  ; 
Industriesin,  884  ;  Post-office,  886  ;  Lawyers, 
886;  Physicians,  886;  Savings  Bank,  886  ; 
Churches  of,  887  ;  Schools,  890  ;  Societies, 
891  ;  Biographical,  892. 

Harbster,  Matthan,  702. 

Harbster,  Wm,  701. 

Harner,  Capt.  Samuel,  304. 

Harris,  Wm.,  892. 

Harrison  Festival,  485. 

Hawley,  Jesse  G ,  422. 

Heacock,  Wm.  C,  583. 

Health  Resorts,  1118. 

Heidelberg,  Township  of,  1107 ;  Erection  of, 
]107;  DiviBion  of,  1107;  Taxables,  Early, 
1108  ;  OldBuildings,  1109  ;  Industries,  1109  ; 
Early  Settlers,  1109 ;  Grave  of  Conrad 
Weiser,  1109 ;  Churches,  1110 ;  Villages, 
1112. 

Heckman,  S.  B.,  M.D.,619. 

Heidenreich,  Wm.,  551. 

Heilig,  Albert  K.,  583. 

Heine,  John  C.  K.,  581. 

Heinly,  David,  1074. 

Helfrich,  John,  M.D.,  632. 

Heller,  Frederick?.,  733. 

Hendel,  Henry  B.,  712. 

llendel,  John,  710. 

Hennershotz,  A.  Lucius,  570. 

Henry,  Wm.,  682. 

Herbst,   Wm.,  M.D.,  601. 

Hereford,  Township  of,  906  ;  Erection  of,  996  ; 
Taxables  of  in  1759,  997  ;  Industries  of,  997  ; 
Churches,  998  ;  Villages,  999. 

Hessian  Camp  Surprised,  158. 

Hessian  Prisoners,  in  Revolution,  156. 

HieBter,  Daniel,  504. 

Hiester,  Frank  M.,  M.D.,  595. 

Hiester,  Festival,  483. 

Hiester,  Gabriel,  519,  527. 

Hiester,  Isaac,  582. 

Hiester,  Isaac,  M.D„  594. 

Hiester,  John  P.,  M.D.,  595. 

Hiester,  John  S.,  559. 

Hiester,  Joseph,  522. 

Hiester,  Joseph,  Patriotism  of,  154. 

Hiester,  William  M.,  528. 

High,  William,  551. 

Historical  Society  of  Berks  County,  821. 

Hix,  Joseph  S.,  1135. 

Hobart,  Nathaniel  P.,  560. 

Hoffeditz,  Oapt.  J.  C.  A.,  218. 

Hoffman,  Charles  E.,  M.D.,  601. 

Hoffman,  John  W.,  M.D.,  621. 

Hoffman,  Jacob,  564. 

Hoffman,  William  F.,  M.D.,  606. 

Homoeopathy,  629  ;  early  history  of,  630. 

Horning,  Wesley  D.,  581. 

Hottenstein,  Edward,  M.D.,623. 

House  Tax  and  Liberty  Poles,  168. 

Hoyei,  Joseph  S.,  847. 

Howe.  Bt.  Bev.  Mark  A.  De  W.,  785. 

Hubley,  Edward  B.,  561. 

Hubley,  James  B.,  561. 


Hunter,  Charles  H.,  M.D.,  604. 
Hunter,  Daniel,  520. 

Hyneman,  John  M.,  505. 
I. 
Iaeger,  Rev.  G.  F.  I.,  888. 

Incorporation  of  Reading  :  borough,  666  ;  city, 
685. 

Independence  won  and  peace  declared,  164. 

Indians,  56  ;  origin,  56  ;  Delaware,  tribes  of, 
56  ;  Minsi  Clans,  57  ;  Ganawese,  57 ;  Five 
Nations,  58 ;  manners  and  customs,  59  ;  re- 
treat of,  61  ;  present  location,  62  ;  names, 
63  ;  villages,  62  ;  collections  of  relics,  63. 

Indian  treaty,  126. 

Industriesin  1840,  98. 

Internal  improvements,  424  ;  Schuylkill  River, 
424 ;  bridges,  433  ;  roads,  439  ;  stages,  442  ; 
canals,  444  ;  railways,  449  ;  county  buildings, 
462 ;  post-offices,  468  ;  telegraph  and  tele- 
phone, 473. 

J. 

Jack,  Charles  J.,  M.D.,  563. 

Jacobs,  J.  Howard,  575. 

Jefferson,  township  of,  1104  ;  erection  of,  1104  ; 
early  families,  1105 ;  industries,  1105 ; 
churches,  1106 ;  schools,  1106  ;   village,  1106. 

Jennings,  Chester  B.,  M.D.,  637. 

Johnson,  Henry  W.,  M.D.,  605. 

Jones,  Charles  H..  574. 

Jones,  John  P.,  511. 

Jones,  Jonathan  P.,  141. 

Jones,  J.  Glancy,  515. 

Jones,"  James  M.,  569. 

Jones,  Richmond  L.,  574. 

Jones,  Thomas,  Jr.,  521. 

Journal  of  the  commander  at  Fort  North-kill, 
1754,  110. 

Judges  from  1776  to  1790,  533. 

Judiciary,  532. 

Justices  of  the  peace  from  1752  to  1776,  532. 

Justices  from  1777  to  1790,  533. 

K. 

Kauffman,  Hiram  Y.,  581. 
Keck,  David  S.,  385. 
Keely,  Thomas  J.,  M.  D.  006. 
Kehr,    Charles  C,  584. 
Keller,  Colonel  David  C,  263. 
Keim,  Benneville,  681. 
Keim,  Captain  Daniel  de  B.,  355. 
Keim,  Captain  Daniel,   company  of,   compli- 
mented, 170. 
Keim,  General  George  De  Benneville,  356. 
Keim,  General  William  H.,  204. 
Keim,  George  May,  5^  8. 
Keim,  George  De  B.,  letter  to  in  1815,  179. 
Keim,  George  de  B.,  455. 
Keim,  Henry  M.,  518. 
Keim,  Isaac  H.,  569. 
Keim,  John,  681. 
Keim,  Nicholas,  664. 
Keiser,  James  W.,  M.  D.,  622. 
Keiser,  Henry  P.,  584. 
Kessler,  Charles,  555. 
Kline,  David  C,  M.  D.,  637. 
Kline,  Simeon,  719. 
Kluck  Murder,  126. 
Knabb,  Jacob,  401. 
Knerr,  L.  J.,  M.  D.,  037. 
Knoderer,  Colonel  Charlos  A.,  307. 
Koch,  Daniel,  023. 
Kraemer,  Louis,  985. 
Krebs,  Rudolph  F.,  M.  D.,  633. 
Kremp,  Felix  P.,  584. 
Kremp,  Louis,  826. 
Krick,  Adam  B.,  1 178. 
Kuhu,  L.  De  Baitli,   M.D.,608. 


Kutztown,  borough  of,  855  ;  laid  out,  855 ; 
progress  of,  855,  857 ;  incorporation,  855  ; 
burgesses,  town  clerks,  etc.,  856 ;  fairs  and 
battalions,  858 ;  railroads  in,  859 ;  public- 
houses,  860 ;  business  places,  860  ;  fire  com- 
panies, 860  ;  street  improvements,  861 ;  manu- 
factures, 861,  862  ;  churches  of,  862  ;  schools, 
865  ;  banks,  87U  ;  press,  870  ;  post-office,  870  ; 
physicians,  870 ;  attorneys,  871 ;  Farmers' 
Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company  of  Berks 
and  Lehigh  Counties,  871;  societies,  871 ;  cem- 
eteries, 872;  Berks  County  Poultry  Associa- 
tion, 872 ;  Keystone  Agricultural  Society, 
872. 

Kurtz,  J.  Ellis,  M.D.,  621. 

Kurtz,  Samuel  L.,  M.D.,  609. 

Kutz,  David,  555. 

L,. 

Ladies'  Aid  Society,  191. 

Lafayette's  visit  to  Reading,  677. 

Landis,  Henry,  M.D.,  615. 

Language  of  the  early  settlers,  387. 

Lantz,  Captain  Henry  A.,  234. 
■  Laucks,  Benjamin  B.,  579. 

Laucks,  Franklin  B.,  576. 

Lauer,  Frederick,  722. 

Law  Library,  Berks  County,  585. 

Leavenworth,  William  C,  562. 

Lee,  Bernard  R.,  M.D.,  621. 

Legal  Association,  586. 

Lontz,  Levi  R.,  M.D.,  637. 

Leopold,  Charles,  575. 

Leoser,  Thomas  S.,  185. 

Lesher,  John,  520. 

Letter  of  Peun  to  the  Indians,  9. 

Levan,  Edgar  M.,  680. 

Levan,  Isaac  W.,  713. 

Levan,  Joseph,  981. 

Levan,  Nathan,  872. 

Libraries,  819. 

Lichtenthaeler,  Benjamin,  734. 

Lippe,  Adolph,  M.D.,  631. 

List  of  attorneys,  534. 

Livingood,  Frank  S.,  583. 

Livingood,  Jacob  S.,  569. 

Livingood,  William  H.,  573. 

Loewen,  Adrian,  M.D.,  604. 

Longnecker,  John  K.,  568. 

Longswamp,  township  of,  1048;  taxables  in 
1759,  1048  ;  erection,  1049  ;  industries,  1049  ; 
churches,  1050  ;  villages,  1053 ;  schools, 
1053. 

Loose,  Charles  G.,  M.D.,  615. 

Lorah,  George  K.,  957. 

Lotz,  Nicholas,  549. 

Lower  Heidelberg,  township  of,  1115  ;  erec- 
tion of,  1115  ;  industries,  1115 ;  churches, 
1116  ;  Hain  Cemetery,  1117  ;  villages,  1117  ; 
health  resorts,  1119. 

Ludwig,  Elam  M.,  959. 

Ludwig,  George  E.,  567. 

Ludwig,  Michael,  M.D.,  597. 

Luther,  Diller,  M.D.,  0U7. 

Luther,  Martin,  M.D.,  60s. 
M. 

McHose,  Isaac,  716. 

McKenty,  Jacob  K.,  511. 

McKnight,  Charles  B.,  838. 

McKnight,  David,  837. 

McKnight,  M.  Brayton,  682. 

McKnight,  Major  James,  201. 

McKnight,  John,  681. 

McLean  Women's  Relief  Corps,  No.  IP,  349. 

McLean  Lt.-Col.  Joseph  A.,  250. 

McManus,  John,  695. 

McMichael,  Col.  Richards.  320. 


INDEX. 


1201 


Maiden-creek,  township  in,  1022;  early  set- 
tlers, 1022 ;  taxables  in  1759, 1023 ;  churches, 
1024 ;  villages,  1*026  ;  Blandon  Rolling-Mill, 
1027. 

Maitland,  Captain  Alexander  C,  271. 

Mallery,  Garrick,  540. 

Maltzberger,  Henry,  584. 

Maltzberger,  Harrison,  576. 

Manatawny  Section  of  Berks  County,  928  ; 
townships,  928  ;  streams,  928 ;  internal  im- 
provements, 929. 

Manners  and  Customs  of  the  People,  389. 

Marion,  township  of,  1097  ;  erection  of,  1097 ; 
early  settlers,  1097 ;  dynamite  explosion, 
1099  ;  churches,  1099  ;  schools,  1103  j  Stouchs- 
burg  Academy,  1103 ;  village,  1103. 

Marks,  William  F.,  M.D.,  633. 

Marks,  John  B.,  559. 

Market-Houses  of  Beading,  744. 

Marshall,  Jacob,  M.D.,  597. 

Marx,  J.  H  ,  582. 

Mass  Meetings,  487. 

Mathews,  James  M.,  M.D.,  607. 

Mauger,  David  B.,  971. 

Maxatawny,  township  of,  1040  ;  first  taxables, 
1040,  1041 ;  erection  of,  1041 ;  early  families, 
1041  ;  Revolutionary  history,   1043  ;  taverns, 

1043  ;  mills,    1043  ;  furnaces,  1044 ;  schools, 

1044  ;  iron-ore,   1044  ;  churches,   1044 ;    vil- 
lages, 1046. 

May,  James,  682. 

Mayer,  John  B.,  565. 

Medical  Faculty  of  Berks  Connty,  623. 

Medical  history,  early,  587. 

Medical  Profession,  587. 

Medical  practice,  introduction  of,  588. 

Medical  Registry  of  Berks  County,  638. 

Medical  Society  of  Berks  County,  625. 

Mengel,  Matthias,  567. 

Meredith,  Stephen  M.,  580. 

Message  of  Governor  Morris,  105. 

Mexican  War  :  Cause  of,  180  ;  Reading  Artil- 
lerists, 181 ;  departure  of  troops  for,  181  ;  bat- 
tles engaged  in,  183;  return  of  artillerists  from, 
183  ;  reception  of  troops  from,  183  ;  infantry 
companies  in,  184  ;  death  of  soldiers  in,  184  ; 
discharge  of  soldiers  in,  184. 

Militia  encampment  at  Reading,  353. 

Militia  proffer  services  to  President  Adams, 
352. 

Militia  returns  of  Berks  County,  159. 

Militia  refuse  to  march  in  Revolution,  159. 

Military  Cadets,  357. 

Military  Division  of  county,  352. 

Miller,  Anthony  F.,  565. 

Miller,  Franklin  B.,  569. 

Miller,  Jonathan  B.,  915. 

Miller,  John,  707. 

Miller,  J.  Edward,  584. 

Miller,  J.  Ross,  576. 

Miller,  W.  Oscar,  583. 

Minerals  of  Berks  County,  28. 

Miscellaneous  enlistments  from  Berks  County, 
336. 

Mishler,  Joseph,  762. 

Mohr,  Henry  C,  M.  D.,  619. 

Montgomery,  Morton  L.,  579. 

Moore,  William,  M.  D.,  604. 

Morgan,  Jacob,  journal  of,  130. 

Morgan,  Jacob,  deposition  of,  120-127. 

Morgan,  Jacob,  519. 

Morris,  Benjamin,  549. 

Morris,  Gov.,  message  of,  105. 

Morris,  Thomas,.  562. 

Morris,  Wharton,  572. 

Mother's  defense  of  children  in  1757,  129. 


Mountains  of  Berks  County,  51. 
Muhlenberg,  Charles  P.,  573. 
Muhlenberg,  Franklin  S.,  560. 
Muhlenberg,  Hiester  H.,  833. 
Muhlenberg,  Henry  Augustus,  614. 
Muhlenberg,  Henry  A.,  506, 
Muhlenberg,  Rev.  Henry  M.,  letter  of,  126. 
Muhlenberg,   township  of,  992;    eroction  of, 

992  ;    industries    of,   993  ;    churches,  994  ; 

villages  of,  995. 

Murders  by  Indians :   Gerhart,  125  ;    Kluck, 

126;   Culmore  &    Fell,  127;    Trump,   128; 

Other,    129-134;   Liebenguth,  132;   Frantz 

132;  Fincher,  133. 
Mutual  Fire    Insurance    Company  of  Berks 

County,  827. 
Myera,  John  M.,  M.D.,  621. 
Myers,  Samuel,  408. 
Myer,  Samuel  C,  848. 

Itf, 
Nagle,  Hiester  M.,  M.  D.,  610. 
Nagle,  Peter,  Jr.,  847. 
Navigation  of  Schuylkill  River,  424. 
New  Sweden,  6. 
Newspapers,  392. 

Reading — Weekly  Advertiser,  393  ;  Reading 
Herald,  394;  Der  Readinger  Adler,  395; 
Berks  and  Schuylkill  Journal,  398  ;  Chroni- 
cle of  the  Times,  406 ;  Readinger  Post 
Bote,  407  ;  Jackson  Democrat,  407  ;  Read- 
inger Democrat,  407  ;  Berks  County  Press, 
408 ;  Liberate  Beobachter,  408  ;  Reading 
Gazette  and  Democrat,  409 ;  Alt  Berks, 
410;  Sonne  Von  Alt  Berks,  410  ;  People's 
Advocate,  411 ;  Berks  County  Democrat, 
411 ;  School  Album,  411 ;  Weekly  Leader, 
411 ;  Reformirter  Hausfreund,  411 ;  Ban- 
ner von  Berks,  411 ;  Die  Biene,  412 ;  Die 
Deutche  Eiche,  412 ;  Republikaner  Von 
Berks,  414  ;  Spirit  of  Berks,  415  ;  Reading 
Weekly  Eagle,  415  ;  Reading  Weekly 
News,  315  ;  Reading  Weekly  Herald,  416. 

Kutztown — Neutralist,  416 ;  Geist  Der  Zeit, 
416  ;  Der  Hirt,  416  ;  Kutztown  Journal, 
416 ;  National  Educator,  416 ;  American 
Patriot,  416. 

Hamburg — Hamburg  Schnellpost,  416  ;  Ham- 
burg Advertiser,  417;  Rural  Press,  417; 
Hamburg  Weekly  Item,  417. 

Boyertown — Boyertown  Bauer,  417  ;  Boyer- 
town  Democrat,  417. 

Birdsboro — Birdsboro  Pioneer,  418. 

Womelsdorf — Womelsdorf  Gazette,  418  ; 
Womelsdorf  Herald,  418 ;  Womelsdorf 
News,  418. 

Daily  Newspapers— Reading  Herald,  419 ; 
Reading  Gazette,  419 ;  Reading  Times, 
420;  Evening  Dispatch,  422;  Reading 
Daily  Reporter,  422  ;  Reading  Daily  Eagle, 

422  ;  Die  Reading  PoBt,  423 ;  Daily  Spirit 
of  Berks,  423 ;  Reading  Morning  Herald, 

423  ;  Reading  Daily  News,  423. 
Nicholls,  Colonel  Richard,  8. 
Nicolls,  G.  A.,  452. 
Non-Associators,  meeting  of,  151. 
Northern  men  in  service  in  Civil  War,  193. 
North  Heidelberg,  township  of,  1125  ;  erection 

of,  1125 ;    early   families,  1126 ;   mills  and 
stores,  1126  ;  churches,  1126. 

O. 

O'Brien,  Dennis  W.,  566. 
O'Reilly,  James  A.,  580. 
O'Reilly,  Simon  P.,  582. 
Officials  of  county,  489. 


Offices  by  special  legislation,  482. 

Ohio  Company,  105. 

Oley,  township  of,  930  ;  early  settlers  in,  930 
early  roads  in,  931  ;  Indian  villages  In,  931 
first  assessment  list  of,  932  ;  erection  of  932 
taxables  in  1759,  933 ;  industries  in,  933 
churches  in,  936  ;  Oley  Cemetery,  939  ;  Oley 
Academy,  941 ;  villages  in,  942-943  ;  societies, 
943. 

Ontelaunee  Section,  1021 ;  townships,  1021 ; 
streams,  1021 ;  internal  improvements,  1022. 

Ontelaunee,  township  of,  1029;  petition  for, 
1030  ;  early  settlers,  1030 ;  villages,  1031 ;  in- 
dustries, 1032 ;  churches,  1033. 

Otto,  Bodo,  M.D.,  591. 

Otto,  Bodo,  Jr.,M.D.,  592. 

Otto,  John  A.,  M.D.,  593. 

Otto,  John  B.,  M.D.,  593. 

P. 

Packets  on  Schuylkill  Canal,  448. 

Pachali,  Theodor,  M.D.,  635. 

Palatines,  11. 

Paper  Money  in  Revolution,  194. 

Parks  in  Reading,  747-749. 

Parsons'  William,  Letters  to  Richard  Peters,  118. 

Pathological  Society  of  Berks  County,  627. 

Patriotism  of  Berks  County  in  Civil  War,  188. 

Patriotic  Spirit  at  Reading  in  Revolution,  137. 

Patrons  of  Husbandry,  87. 

Pawling,  Levi,  559. 

Peace  declared,  134,  179. 

Pearson,  Edward  P.,  563. 

Pearson,  John  S.,  740. 

Penn,  John,  visit  of,  to  Reading,  676. 

Penn,  William,  8, 10. 

Penn's  Charter,  13. 

Penn,  Township  of,  1136 ;  erection  of,  1136  ; 
early  settlers  of,  1136  ;  village,  1137. 

Pennsylvania :  Development  of,  20 ;  popula- 
tion of,  21 ;  territory  of,  21 ;  first  and  second 
century  of,  21 ;  government  of,  21 ;  internal 
improvement  of,  22  ;  education  in,  22 ; 
buildings  in.  23  ;  inventions  in,  24  ;  patriotism 
of,  24  ;  agriculture  in,  24. 

Pennsylvania,  territory  of,  granted  to  William 
Penn,  8. 

Perry,  Township  of,  1063  ;  erection  of,  1063  ; 
industries,  1063 ;  churches,  1064 ;  schools, 
1066  ;  villages,  1066; 

Persons  murdered,  taken  prisoners  and  missing 
in  Berks  County  during  the  French  and  In- 
dian Wars,  134,  135,  136. 

Petition  for  new  county,  74,  76,  77. 

Physicians,  deceased^  590. 

Pike,  township,  of,  1018;  erection  of,  "1018; 
churches,  1018  ;  villages,  1020  ;  Die  Berg 
Maria,  1021. 

Plank,  D.  Heber.  M.D.,  615. 

Plank,  Jacob,  M.D.,  590. 

Political  parties,  483. 

Political  festivals  :  Hiester  (1820),  483  ;  Harri- 
son (1840),  485  ;  Tilden  (1876),  485. 

Political  sentiment  of  the-  county,  476. 

Porter,  Robert,  540. 

Post-offices,  468 ;  Reading  established,  470 ; 
mails  for,  470 ;  stamps,  471 ;  list  of,  in 
county,  471. 

Potteiger,  J.  B.,  M.D.,  614. 

Potts,  Jonathan,  M.D.,  590. 

Pound  Sterling,  665. 

Pounder,  Jonathan,  M.D.,  596. 

Proclamation  of  William  Penn,  8. 

Production  of  iron  in  1828-30,  97. 

Premium  offered  for  scalps,  124. 

President  Judges,  533,  534, 537. 

Printz,  John  H.,  717. 


1202 


INDEX. 


Printz,  Governor  John,  7. 

Probst,  "Valentine,  letter  of,  124. 

Purchases  from  Indians  in  1633  and  1638,  5,  6. 

Putnam,  General  Israel,  letter  of,  156. 

Puwelle,  Arnold,  408. 

Purchase  of  territory,  18. 


Quota  of  troops  required  from  county  exceed- 
ed, 154. 

R. 

Railways,  449  ;  Philadelphia  and  Reading,  449; 
East  Penn,  458  ;  Reading  and  Columbia,  460  ; 
"Wilmington  and  Northern,  460;  West  Read- 
ing, 461 ;  Colebrookdale,  461 ;  Allentown, 
461 ;  Schuylkill  and  Lehigh,  461 ;  Pennsyl- 
vania Schuylkill  Valley,  462. 

Ralston,  John,.  574. 

Rainbow  Fire  Company,  814. 

Raser,  J.  Hey],  810. 

Raudenbush,  Abraham  S.,  M.D.,  617. 

Rea,  Samuel  M.,  1180. 

Read,  Collinsun,  558. 

Read,  James,  558. 

Reading,  city  of,  650  ;  selection  of  site  of,  650  ; 
early  surveys  of,  651 ;  plan  of  town,  652  ;  lots 
of,  sold  at  public  sale,  652 ;  first  patentees, 
653 ;  ground-rent,  654  ;  list  of  taxables  in 
1759,  655  ;  district  of,  erected,  656 ;  early 
schools  of,  657 ;  markets  and  fairs  of,  6o7, 
745,  746,  763  ;  citizens  of,  against  change  of 
government,  659  ;  early  inn-keepers  of,  659  ; 
Rainbow  Fire  Company,  661,  814 ;  town  pump 
of, '661,  745;  fuel,  light  and  entertainment, 
662,  758  ;  hunting  and  fishing,  662  ;  Indian  in- 
vasion, 663  ;  prominent  men,  664,  681 ;  bor- 
ough of,  from  1783  to  1847,  666  ;  incorpora- 
tion of  borough  and  city.  666,  685  ;  election 
districts  of,  668 ;  newspapers  of,  392,  668 ; 
post-office  of,  669,  752;  internal  improve- 
ments of,  669,  767  ;  fire  companies  of,  670  ; 
ferries  and  bridges,  670 ;  banks  of,  671 ; 
panic  of  1837,  671 ;  water  supply  of,  672,  747  ; 
lights  of,  672,  758 ;  public  buildings,  672, 
744;  stages,  canals,  railways,  672;  manufac- 
tures of  674,  691 ;  traffic  of,  675  ;  merchants 
of,  in  1830,  675  ;  occupations  in  1839,  676 ; 
distinguished  visitors  at,  676  ;  memorial  ser- 
vices at,  678 ;  change  of  names  of  streets, 
678  ;  executions  at,  679  ;  early  exhibitions  at, 
680  ;  city  of,  from  1847  to  1886,  682  ;  review 
of,  in  1847, 682  ;  development  of,  686  ;  riot  in, 
689  ;  trial  of  rioters,  692  ;  industries  of,  693, 
744  ;  market-houses,  744 ;  Penn  Square,  747  ; 
commons  and  parks,  749,  766  ;  City  Hall, 
751 ;  Lauer  monument,  750 ;  fire  company 
building,  751 ;  business  of  (1885),  753  ;  post- 
masters of,  753  ;  cemeteries  of,  755  ;  Charles 
Evans'  Cemetery,  755  ;  other  cemeteries,  758  ; 
gas  aDd  electric  light,  758  ;  halls  in,  759 ; 
Grand  Opera  House,  762  ;  Maennerchor  Hall, 
762  ;  private  market-houses,  763  ;  Reading 
Hospital,  763;  St-.  Joseph's  HoBpital,  765; 
Mineral  Spring,  767 ;  churches  of,  767 : 
schools,  798  ;  Reading  Academy,  799  ;  Mili- 
tary Institute,  800  ;  common-school  system, 
800  ;  officers  of  school  district,  802  ;  High 
School,  803 ;  school  buildings,  804  ;  acade- 
mies, seminaries,  Ac,  804 ;  art  and  artists, 
808  ;  Protective  Association,  811  ;  Firemen's 
Union,  812  ;  fire  alarm,  812 ;  parades,  813  ; 
Salvage  Corps,  819;  libraries,  819;  Reading 
Library,  820 ;  Franklin  Library,  820;  societies, 
820,  830 ;  banks,  831,  840  ;  list  of  town  and 
city  officials,  841,846;  biographical  sketches 
of  mayors,  847 ;  census,  853  ;  taxables,  854. 


Reading  Artillerists,  355. 

Reading  Hospital,  192,  763. 

Reading  Loyal  Ladies'  League,  No.  6,  349. 

Reading  Medical  Association,  627. 

Reading  Washington  Guards,  178. 

Ream,  Alonzo  E.,  583. 

Reber,  Charles  T.,  M.D.,  612. 

Reber,  Conrad  D.,  1181. 

Reber,  Henry  C.  G.,  5L9. 

Reber,  James  T.,  742. 

Recent  industries,  97. 

Redemptioners,  11. 

Reeser,  Howard  S.,  M.D.,  619. 

Regiments  in  Civil  War,  202  to  335. 

Reichert,  Matthias,  504. 

Religious  denominations,  357;  Lutherans,  358  ; 
Reformed,  359 ;  Friends,  360  ;  Baptists,  361 ; 
Dunkards,  363 ;  Moravians,  364 ;  Roman 
Catholics,  367  ;  other  denominations,  368. 

Religious  excitement  in  1829,  369. 

Report  of  Cruelties  by  Indians,  123. 

Representatives'  Frame  of  Government,  16. 

Representative  men,  479. 

Resolution  passed  by  people  of  Berks  County 
in  1812, 171. 

Review  of  militia  by  General  Winfield  Scott, 
353. 

Revolution,  663. 

Revolution  and  Independence,  136. 

Revolutionary  survivors,  165. 

Rhoads,  Capt.  Geo.  B.,  258. 

Rhoads,  Thos.  J.  B.,  909. 

RhoaVls,  Reuben  B.,  M.D.,  609. 

Rhoads,  Henry,  556. 

Rhoads,  Ezekiel,  954. 

Rhoads,  M   A.,  M.D.,  619. 

Richards,  John  S.,  566. 

Richards,  Louis,  576. 

Richmond,  Township  of,  1035  ;  Survey  of,  1035; 
Taxables,  1035;  Early  Settlers,  1036  ;  Mose- 
lem  Mines,  1036  ;  Moselem  Springs,  1037  ; 
Crystal  Cave,  1037  ;  Churches,  1038  ;  Vil- 
lages, 1040. 

Rieser,  Adam  B.,  584. 

Rightmyer,  William  M.,  577. 

Rituer  Young  Men's  Convention,  487. 

Rittenhouse,  Samuel  R-,  M.D.,  632. 

Ritter,  Samuel,  754. 

Bitter,  Wm.  S.,  397. 

Ritter,  John",  396. 

Roads,  439  ;  Indian  Paths,  439  ;  Tnlpehocken, 
439  ;  Maiden-creek,  440  ;  Oley,  441;  Schuyl- 
kill, 441 ;  others,  442. 

Robeson,  Township  of,  1148  ;  Early  Settlers, 
1148 ;  Taxables,  1149 ;  New  Township  not 
established,  1149 ;  Industries,  1150  ;  Gibral- 
tar Iron- Works,  1150  ;  Seyfert's  Iron-Works, 
1150;  ChurcheB,  1151;  Joanna  Camp-Meet- 
ing Grounds,  1153  ;  Villages,  1153. 

Robeson,  Charles  K.,  572. 

Rockland,  Township  of,  1009;  Erection  of 
1009;  Taxables  (1759),  1011;  Industries,  1012  ; 
Churches,  1012  ;  Villages,  1013 ;  Whirlwind 
in,  1014. 

Roland,  Horace,  580. 

Rosenthal,  Wilhelm,  412. 

Roster  of  Berks  County  Regiments,  147. 

Rothermel,  Israel  H.,  583. 

Rothemiel,  JohnH.,  583. 

Rourke,  Wm.  J„  583. 

Rowe,  Wm.G.,  851. 

Bali],  Christian  H.,  581. 

Ruscomb-manor,  Township  of,  1006  ;  erection 
of,  1006;  taxables  in  1759,  1007  ;  industries 
of,  1007  ;  church-s,  1J0S  ;  villages,  1009. 

Rush,  Jacob,  539. 


S. 

Sallade,  Andrew,  366. 

Sallade,  Jacob,  537. 

Sallade,  Jacob  M.,  571. 

Sassaman,  Augustus  S.,  546. 

Sections  of  Berks  County,  928 ;  Manatawny 
and  its  townshipB,  929  ;  Ontelaunee  and  its 
townships,  10:21 ;  Tulpehocken  and  its  town- 
ships, 1082;  Schuylkill  and  its  townships, 
1147. 

Seltzer,  J.  George,  573. 

Senatorial  Districts,  490. 

Settlers,  Early  :  Dutch,  5,  7 ;  Swedish,  5,  64  ; 
English,  7,  63 ;  German,  11,  6%  67  ;  Welsh, 
12,  69  ;  Irish,  12,  70  ;  Hebrew,  70. 

Seyfert,  Simon,  694. 

Schaeffer,  Charles  H.,575. 

SchaefFer,  D.  Nicholas,  582. 

ScliHeffer,  Lewis,  924. 

Schall,  David,  551. 

Schell,  Frank  B.,  580. 

Schleuim,  Christian  L.,  M.D.,  596. 

Schlemm,  C.  W.  G.,  M.  D.,  596. 

Schm.-hl,  AdamH.,  581. 

Schmucker,  ElhananZ.,  M.D.,  635. 

Schmucker,  Frauds  R.,  M.D.,  635. 

Schneider,  Ephraim,  981. 

Schneider,  Jacob,  550. 

Schoener,  Adam,  M.D.,  000. 

Schoener,  Decatur  G.,  M.D.,  609. 

Schoener,  Franklin  B.,  566. 

Schoener,  Jacob  B  ,  808.  * 

Schoener,  J.  Dallas,  576. 

Sehoener.  William  B.,  569. 

Schollenberger,  Lewis  A.,  M  D.,  635. 

Schools  in  Reading,  798 :  Reading  Academy, 
799  ;  Military  Institute,  800  ;  common  school 
system,  800;  officers  of  school  district,  8012 ; 
high  school,  803;  school  buildings,  804 : 
Female  Seminary,  804  ;  private  schools,  805  ; 
Reading  Scientific  Academy.  805  ;  Reading 
Business  College,  805  ;  Carroll  Institute,  806  ; 
Schuylkill  Seminary.  806  ;  Stewart  Acade- 
my, 806  ;  Reading  Seminary,  807;  Inter-State 
Commercial  College,  807. 

Schcls  in  Kutztown  :  parochial,  865  ;  common, 
865 ;  Franklin  Academy,  866  ;  Maxatawny 
Seminary  and  Keystone  State  Normal  Schoul, 
866. 

Schrader,  Henry  O.,  584. 

Schroeder,  Captain  Isaac,  333. 

Schroeder,  Daniel  E.,  515. 

Schuylkill  River,  424;  fishing  in,  424  ;  naviga- 
tion of,  424;  obstruction  to  navigation  in, 
425;  riot  between  boatmen  and  fishermen, 
425,  426  ;  fords  over  Schuylkill  in  1778,  427  ; 
navigation  of  encouraged  by  legislation, 
427  ;  freshets  in,  429  ;  discoloration  of  water 
in,  432  ;  bridges  over,  433. 

Schuylkill,  section  of.  1147  ;  streams  of,  1147 ; 
hills  of,  114S;  internal  improvements,  1148; 
townships  of,  1148. 

Schwartz,  Hiram  II.,  547. 

Schwartz,  John,  510. 

Schweitzer,  Samuel  Z.,  1183. 

Scott's,  General  Winfield,  visit  to  Reading,  353, 
677. 

Seidel,  Franklin,  1027. 
Schaeffer,  John,  912. 
Shaffuer,  Jacob,  1092. 
Shalter,  Edwin,  576. 
Shalter,  Irenaeus,  576. 
Shearer,  Benjamin  Y.,  581. 
Shearer,  Christian,  810. 
Shearer,  Edward  H.,  574. 
Shearer,  Peter,  507. 


INDEX. 


1203 


Sherman,  Jackson  H.,  567. 

Topton,   Borough  of,    926  ;   Incoi 

poration  of, 

Upper  Tulpehocken,  township   of,  If  93  [erec- 

Shoemaker, Charles,  521. 

926;  Stores,  Hotels,  Post-Offlco 

and 

Physl- 

tion  of,  1093 ;  early  settlers,  1094  ;  Indian 

Shoemaker,  Charles,  549. 

clans,  926  ;  Topton  Furnace,  926 

;  Industries, 

Fort,  1095  ;  churches,  1095;  villages,  1096. 

Shoemaker,  Charles  E.,  M.D.,  012. 

927  ;  Topton  National  Bank,  927  ■,  Schools, 

Shollenberger,  Capfcvin  Jonas  M.,  311. 

927 ;  Societies,  927. 

V. 

Shulze,  John  Andrew,  525. 

Tory  feeling  in  Berks  County,  161, 

Vnn  Campen,  Moses,  account  of  1781  by,  159. 

Slavery,  71. 

Townships  of  Berks  County,  930. 

Van  Reed,  Charles,  1120. 

Slegel,  Eli,  643. 

Albany,  1067. 

Van  Reed,  Charles  L.,  1123. 

Smith,  Edmond  h.,  571. 

Alsace,  083. 

Van  Reed  family,  1120. 

Smith,  F.  Leaf,  572. 

Amity,  944. 

Van  Reed,  Henry  Z.,  1122. 

Smith,  Frederick,  526. 

Bern,  1127. 

Van  Reed,  Henry,  544. 

Smith,  George,  738. 

Bern  (Upper),  1142. 

Van  Buren'a  visit  to  Reading,  677. 

Smith,  Henry  \\\,  562. 

Bethel,  1141. 

Valleys  of  Berks  County,  52. 

Smith,  J.  Bright,  570. 

Brecknock,  1181. 

Villages  in  Berks  County : 

Smith,  J.  Howard,  M.D.,  601. 

Caernarvon, 1157. 

Albany  Station,  1074. 

Smith,  James  F.,  449. 

Centre,  1139. 

Amityville,  952. 

Smith,  John  F.,  581. 

Colebrookdale,  962. 

Baumstown,  980. 

Smith,  John  V.,  M.D.,  601. 

Cumrn,  1161. 

Barto,  1004. 

Smith,  Levi  B.,  1154. 

District,  1014. 

BechtelBville,  1005. 

Smith,  L.  Heber,  1157. 

Douglass,  967. 

Beckersville,  1 153. 

Smith,  Stanley,  M.D.,  617. 

Earl,  1016. 

Berks,  1133. 

Smith,  Thomas  B.,  1164. 

Exeter,  972. 

, 

Berkley,  1031. 

Snyder,  Jefferson,  581. 

Greenwich,  1076. 

Blandon,  1026. 

Societies  of  Reading,  829. 

Heidelberg,  1107. 

Bower's,  1047. 

Sohl,  Samuel,  5l»7. 

Heidelberg  (Lower),  1115. 

Centreville,  1140.. 

Sons  of  veterans,  General  George  G. 

VIeade 

Heidelberg  (North),  1125. 

Churchville,  1003. 

Camp,  No.  16,  349. 

Hereford,  996. 

Clayton,  999. 

Spang,  F.  K.,  M.D.,  614. 

Jefferson,  1104. 

Douglassville,  953. 

Spang,  Frederick,  816. 

Long-swamp,  1048. 

Dreibelbis,  1079. 

Spayd,  John,  539. 

Maiden-creek,  1022. 

Dryville,  1013. 

Spayd,  Joseph  H.,  563. 

Marion,  1097. 

Earlville,  963. 

Spicker,  Peter,  letter  of,  123. 

Maxatawny,  1(140. 

Engelsville,  966. 

Spohn.  Daniel,  729. 

Muhlenberg,  992. 

Eschbach,  1005. 

Spring,  township  of,  1170  ;  erection  of, 

1170; 

Oley,  930. 

Farmington,  1053. 

early  mnrder  of  Indians,  1170  ;  industries  of, 

Ontelaunee,  1029. 

Frederickville,  1015. 

1172 ;  churches,  1173 ;  Sinking  Spring 

Ceme- 

Penn,  1136. 

Friedensburg,  943. 

tery    Company,    1175 ;    Parochial    School- 

Perry,  1063. 

Fritztown,  1177. 

House,  1175  ;  villages,  1175. 

Pike,  1018. 

Fry6town,  1146. 

Spyker,  Benjamin,  520. 

Richmond,  1035. 

Geigertown,  1153. 

Stages,  442  ;  Coleman  lines  of,  442  ;  combina- 

Robeson, 1148. 

Gibraltar,  1154. 

tion,  443  ;  decline  of,  443. 

Rockland,  1009. 

Glendale,  966. 

Stamp  Duty,  136. 

Ruscomb-manor,  1006. 

Gouglersville,  1167 

Starkey,  George  R.,  M.D.,  632. 

Spring,  1170. 

Greshville,  966. 

State,  National  Guard,  355. 

Tulpehocken,  1083. 

Grieaemerville,  942. 

Statistical  Tables  of  Manufactures,  102. 

Tulpehocken  (Upper),  1093. 

Grimsville,  1079. 

Stauffer,  Abner  K  ,  574. 

Union,  1185. 

Hancock,  1055. 

Stauffer,  John,  550. 

Washington,  1000. 

Herefordville,  999. 

Stein,  Adam,  1080. 

Windsor,  1058. 

Hill  Church,  1020. 

Stephen,  John,  M.J).,  619. 

Troops  in  Revolutionary  War,  Miscellaneous, 

Huffs  Church,  1000. 

Stephen,  Walker  E.,  M.D.,  619. 

149,  150-151. 

Hyde  Park,  996. 

Sterrett,  Jacob  K.,  403. 

Trexler,  Jeremiah  S.,  M.D.,  608. 

Jacksonwald,  979. 

Stevens,  Garrett  B.,  580. 

Trexler,  Horatio,  839. 

Joanna  Station,  1161 

Stevens,  William  K.,  585. 

Tryon,  J.  Warren,  575. 

Kempton,  1074. 

Stitzel,  George  D.,  652. 

Tryon,  Jacob,  M.D.,  606. 

Kline's  Corner,  1054. 

Strasser,  Thomas  C,  M.D.,  637. 

Tryon,  JohnS.,  M.D.,  fill. 

Klinesville,  1079. 

Strecker,  Herman,  807. 

Tryon,  Michael,  M.D.,  596. 

Kroningersville,  1047. 

Strong,  Newton  D.,  565. 

Tulpehocken,  section  of,  1082;  streams, 

1082; 

Krnmville,  1079. 

Strong,  William,  528. 

internal  improvements,  1082  ; 

townships  in, 

Landisville,  1015. 

Stoudt,  George  K.,  1091. 

1083. 

Leesport,  1031. 

Stuyvesant,  Peter,  7. 

Tulpehocken,  township  of,  1083 

;  erection  of, 

Lenhartsville,  1079. 

Summary  of  battles  in  Civil  War,  194. 

1083  ;  taxables,  1085  ;  new  township  refused, 

Lime  Kiln,  979. 

Summary  of  present  furnaces,  forges  and  mills, 

1086  ;  churches,  1087  ;  villages 

1089. 

Little  Oley,  966. 

99,  100, 101. 

Tyson,  CharleB  H,  584. 

Lobachsville,  1020. 

Sunday  mails,  371. 

Tyson,  Henry  A.,  819. 

Longswamp,  1053. 

Swartz,  A.  Jordan,  571. 

Tyson,  Henry,  M.D.,598. 

Lorah,  1117. 

Swedes  driven  out  by  the  Dutch  in  1656, 

6. 

V. 

Lyons,  1046. 

Swedish  West  India  Company,  6. 

Udree,  Daniel,  505. 

Ulrich,  Daniel  A.,  M.D.,  605. 

Maple  Grove,  1053. 
Mertztown,  1064. 

T. 

Umbenhauer,  William,  1138. 

Milleisburg,  1145. 

Teachers'  Institute,  378.  , 

Union,  township  of,  1185  ;  erection  of, 

1185; 

Molmsville,  1168. 

Telegraph  lines,  473 ;  Philadelphia,  Reading 
and  Pottsville,  473 ;  Western  Union,  473  ; 
Lehigh,  473. 

Telephones,  473. 

Thompson,  L.  H.,  M.D.,  608. 

Tilden  Festival,  485. 

first  settlers,  1185;   taxables,  1186; 
tries,   1186  ;  churches,  1186 ;  schools 
villages,  1187. 
Upper  Bern,  township  of,  1132  ;  erect 
1132;  early  settlers,  1132;  churches, 
villages,  1133. 

inlus 
1187; 

on  of, 
1133 ; 

Mohrsville,  1140. 
Mohrsville,  1067. 
Molltown,  1025. 
Monocacy  Station,  954. 
Monterey,  1047. 
Morysville,  96«. 

1204 


^INDEX. 


Morgantown,  1159. 
Muunt  Airy  or  Monocacy,  1187. 
Muunt  Etna,  1090. 
Mount  Pleasant,  1137. 
Naomi,  1154. 
New  Berlinville,  965. 
New  Jerusalem,  1013. 
Oakland,  1107. 
Perry  vi  lie,  1000. 
Pikeville,  1020. 
Pleaeantville,  943. 
Plow  Tavern,  1153. 
Pricetown,  1009. 
Red  Lion,  1053. 
Rehrersburg,  1089. 
Robesonia,  1112. 
Rothrockaville,  1018. 
Shaefierstown,  1 106. 
Schultssville,  1004. 
Shamrock,  1054. 
Shanesville,  1017. 
Shillington,  1107. 
ShoemHkersville,  1066. 
Siesholtzville,  1000. 
Sinking  Spring,  1175. 
Spangsville,  943. 
St.  Lawrence,  979. 
Stonersville,  980. 
Stouchsburg,  1103. 
Strausstown,  1096. 
Treichlersville,  1000. 
Trexler,  1074. 
Unionville,  1187. 
Upper  Bern,  1133. 
"Vinemont,  1177. 
Virginsville,  1040. 
Weavertown,  951. 
"Weilertown,  1053. 
Weitzelville,  1176. 
Wernersville,  1117. 
Wessnerville,  1073. 
West  Leesport,  1131. 


White  Bear  Inn,  1153. 

Windsor  Castle,  1061. 

Womelsdorf  Station,  1112. 

Yellow  House,  953. 
Volunteer   Militia  of  1862,  301-303. 
Vote  for  Constitutional  Amendments,  478. 
Vote  for  Governor,  476. 
Vote  for  President,  477. 

W. 

Wallace,  Edward,  M.D.,  605. 

Walter,  Dr.  Robert,  1124. 

Walter,  John,  764. 

Wanner,  Amos  B.,  572. 

WaDuer,  Howard  P.,  585. 

Wanner,  Joel  B.,  671. 

Wanner,  Lewellyn,  577 

Wanner,  Peter  D.,  577. 

War  of   1812-16,  171;  causes   of,  172;  local 

preparations  for,  172 ;  officersof  companies 

in,  173. 
Washington    Memorial   Services  at  Heading, 

678. 
Water- Works  of  Reading,  748. 
Weidman,  William  M.,  M.D.,  617. 
Wagner,  Charles  0.,  572. 
War  Meetings  at  Reading,  190. 
Washington  at  Reading,  1794, 168' 
Washington,   township  of,  1000  ;  erection  of, 

1000;    early   settlers,  10  0;   industries   in, 

1001 ;  churches,  1102 ;  villages,  1003. 
Weaver,  Charles  B.,  571. 
Weaver,  Col.  Jeremiah,  960. 
Weirimm,  Charles,  567. 
Weidman,  Rev.  Benneville  B.,  1177. 
Weiser,   Conrad,   letters  to  Gov.  Morris,  115, 

116,  121, 127,  131. 
Weiser,  Conrad,  537. 
Wertz,  Samuel,  1179. 
Westley,  Daniel  F.,  583. 
Whig  Mass-Meeting  in,  1844,  487. 
Wharton,  Lloyd,  562. 


Wheeler,  Caleb,  741. 

Whiskey  Insurrection,  1(7. 

Whitehead,  James,  Jr.,  558. 

Whitner,  George  K.,  754. 

Willits,  Thomas,  1028. 

Wily,  Owen  H.,  M.D.,  603. 

Wily,  Penrose,  M.D.,  602. 

Windsor,  township  of,  1058 ;  early  settlers, 
1058 ;  taxables,  1058 ;  Windsor  Furnace,  1059  ; 
water-cure,  1060  ;  church,  1060  ;  Windsor 
Caslle,  1061 ,  societies,  1061. 

Wingerd,  Daniel  H.,  580. 

Witman,  Alexander  H.,  M.D.,  600. 

Witman,  Charles,  561. 

Witman,  William,  549. 

Wollenweber,  Louis  A.,  423. 

Womelsdorf,  borough  of,  873  ;  laid  out,  873 
first  settlers,  874 ;  taxables  for  1790,  874 ;  in- 
corporation of,  874 ;  burgesses  and  clerks, 
874 ;  post  office,  875 ;  physicians,  875 ;  taverns, 
875;  industries  of,  875;  schools  of,  876; 
churches  of,  876 ;  Union  Cemetery,  878  ;  so- 
cieties of,  879 ;  Washington's  visit;  to,  in  1793, 
879. 

Wood,  William,  M.D.,  594. 

Woodward,  Warren  J.,  529. 

Worman,  Ludwig,  505. 

Wuelfingh,  Michael  W.  A.,  M.D.,  619. 

Y. 

Yocom,  William,  956. 
Young,  Calvin  K.,  M.D.,  621. 
Young,  Daniel,  551. 
Young,  Daniel  B.,  581. 
Youne,  Samuel  L..  670. 
Yundt,  Horace  A.,  575. 

Z. 

Zieber,  Henry  A.,  582. 
Zieber,  Philip  S.,  584. 
Zimmerman,  Thomas  C,  404.