USA > Maryland > Washington County > Leitersburg > History of Leitersburg District, Washington County, Md.: Including Its Original Land Tenure. > Part 16
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HISTORY OF LEITERSBURG DISTRICT.
JACOB LEITER and his brother Peter received the following specific bequests by the terms of their father's will:
Item .- I give and bequeath unto my two youngest sons, Jacob Leiter and Peter Leiter, the place of land whereon I now live, con- taining 362 acres, more or less.
Item .- I give and bequeath unto the said Jacob Leiter and Peter Leiter, my youngest sons, the sum of £100 current money of Penn- sylvania, to be paid unto them after the land is appraised by six men that are to be chosen to divide and appraise the land, and the aforesaid £ 100 is to be allowed to these, my youngest sons, as the portion of their mother, my second wife.
By the division of the 362 acres referred to Jacob Leiter re- ceived that part embracing the site of Leitersburg, the farm of Joseph Barkdoll, etc .; and the oldest part of the present dwelling house on the Barkdoll farm was his residence until his death in 1814. The following children survived him: Elizabeth; An- drew; Jacob; John; Abraham; Susanna, who married Samuel Houser; Samuel; Catharine, who married Jacob Houser; Judith, who married Benjamin Hartman, and Juliana, who married Peter Bell. Jacob Leiter was a member of the Lutheran Church.
PETER LEITER received the northern part of the 362 acres jointly inherited by himself and his brother Jacob. His land was situated on both sides of the Antietam and is now embraced prin- cipally in the farms of John Summer and the heirs of the late David Strite. He died in 1792, leaving a widow, Eve, who subse- quently married Peter Stightether, and two sons, Jacob, born on the 14th of August, 1776, and John, born in 1:91. The former eventually secured the interests of his mother and brother in his father's estate; the latter died in 1814, leaving three sons, viz., Peter; Henry, and Jonas. Peter Leiter was a member of the Lu- theran Church.
ANDREW LEITER, the founder of Leitersburg, was born in Lei- tersburg District, the son of Jacob Leiter and grandson of Jacob Leiter the pioneer. He seems to have been an energetic business man, but unfortunately his judgment was not equal to his energy, and at the time of his death he was practically insolvent. He was a blacksmith by trade. He laid out the town in 1815, and built the house now owned by David Barnhart. For a time he resided on the farm owned by the estate of the late David Strite, but at the time of his death in 1818 he lived in Leitersburg where
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the hotel now stands. He married Barbara Kieffer and they were members of the Lutheran Church. Of the children born to them the following grew to maturity: Catharine, who married John Leiter and after his death Daniel Lowman; John, who was born on the 24th of June, 1793, and died on the 16th of February, 1872; Andrew; Elizabeth, who married James Nofford; Mary, who married Abner Hays; Barbara, who married Jeremiah Wam- pler, and Samuel, a tailor by occupation, who resides in Richland County, Ohio.
JACOB LEITER was born in Leitersburg District, July 6, 1773, the son of Jacob and Juliana Leiter. IIe was a farmer by occu- pation and resided for some years at the present residence of John A. Bell, where he died in 1823, a member of the Lutheran Church. The following children survived him: David; John; Jacob; George; Ann Maria; Samuel; Felix; Henry; Abraham, and Ann Catharine. George and Samuel entered the ministry, the former in the Lutheran Church and the latter in the Reformed Church. Henry was a tailor and the other sons were farmers. The entire family, with the exception of George and Samuel, located in Richland County, Ohio.
ABRAHAM LEITER was born in Leitersburg District, February 9, 1779, the son of Jacob and Juliana Leiter. He was a miller by occupation and was so employed for some years at the Lantz mill near Leitersburg; he also worked at the mill of John Miller, now Walker's distillery on the Greencastle and Williamsport turn- pike, and at the Bowles mill in Clearspring District. He died while a resident of that locality and is buried at St. Paul's church. His first wife was Mary Elizabeth Houser and their children were Joseph; Abraham; Mary E .; James M .; Rachel, who married George Steinmetz, and Catharine. As his second wife he married Julia Bowles, and their children were Anna; Sarah, and Evans. Abraham Leiter was a member of the Lutheran Church and a Democrat in politics.
SAMUEL LEITER was born in Leitersburg District in 1789, the son of Jacob and Juliana Leiter. He learned the trade of cabinet maker under George Ziegler, with whom he served an appren- ticeship of five years. The first building on which he was em- ployed as a journeyman carpenter was the house on the farm of Alveh L. Stockslager, built for Sebastian Hartle by Lewis and
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Frederick Ziegler. After working for the Messrs. Ziegler one year he engaged in business individually, and there are few houses in Leitersburg that were not either built or repaired by him. He built the house where Frank Swailes now lives and there he died on the 17th of December, 1855. He married Catharine Myers, and their children were Isabel, who married Jacob Flory; Benjamin F .; Andrew; Samuel; Christian; Isaac G .; Lydia and Magdalene, who died in childhood, and Athalinda, who married Frank Swailes. Samuel Leiter was a member of the Lutheran Church and in politics a Whig.
JOSEPH LEITER was born in Leitersburg District, December 13, 1805, the son of Abraham and Mary Elizabeth (Houser) Leiter. He was reared in his native District and in the vicinity of Williamsport and Clearspring. He learned the trade of car- penter under Samuel Dayhoff, after which he entered the employ of George Ziegler, under whose instructions he was initiated into the mysteries of cabinet making. At that period it was the cus- tom for apprentices to enter the family of the master under whom they served, and thus it happened that while a member of the Zieg- ler household he formed an attachment for one of the daughters, Ann, to whom he was married in 1828 by Rev. Henry Kroh. Shortly after this he purchased a property opposite the Lutheran church and engaged in business individually. It was at this period that many of the present improvements in the District and adjacent region were erected and he did an extensive business as architect and contractor, employing from four to six men all the year round. In addition to private residences he also built Jacobs church, Daniel Mentzer's mill, the first brick school house at Leitersburg, cte. As his circumstances improved he built an- other house adjacent to his first purchase: here he lived for some time and then removed to the ancestral home of his family. then owned by George Poe and now by Joseph Barkdoll. In 1846 he purchased the property in Leitersburg that constituted his resi- dence until his death.
Joseph Leiter's early educational advantages were exceedingly limited: in fact, he attended school but one term in his life. These carly deficiencies were partly compensated by habits of close oh- servation and by extensive reading, while his mind derived valu- able discipline from the calculations peculiar to his calling. He
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was one of the corporators of the Planters' Mutual Insurance Company and president of that corporation from 1847 until his death. In politics he was an ardent Democrat, and cast his first presidential ballot for Andrew Jackson. In 1846 he was elected to the House of Delegates of Maryland as a Democratic candidate from his native county. He wasa member of St. James' Reformed Church at Leitersburg, in which he served continuously for many years as deacon and elder. His death occurred on the 25th of July, 1862; his wife, who was born on the 16th of October, 1805, survived him less than six months, dying on the 18th of Decem- ber, 1863. They were the parents of four children: James Free- land and George Abraham, deceased; Levi Ziegler, of Chicago, Ill., and Samuel, deceased.
BENJAMIN F. LEITER was born in Leitersburg District, Octo- ber 28, 1813, the son of Samuel and Catharine (Myers) Leiter. His education was obtained at the schools of his native District. In May, 1834, he removed to Canton, Ohio, and entered the em- ploy of his uncle, Jacob Myers, a miller near that city. He taught school in the winter and worked at his uncle's mill in the summer until 1839, when he was elected justice of the peace. To this office he was annually reelected for ten consecutive years. Dur- ing this period he studied law, and having been admitted to the bar he resigned his office and entered upon the practice of his profession. At this time he was a Democrat in politics and as such he was twice elected from Stark County to the Ohio Legisla- ture, serving as chairman throughout the long contest between the Whigs and Democrats known in the annals of Ohio politics as "the days of the Revolution." In 1854 he entered the Ameri- can party, by which he was elected to Congress in that year and returned in 1856. After the conclusion of his second term he resumed the practice of his profession, in which he continued until his death, June 17, 1866. He enjoyed great personal popu- larity and in the responsible public positions to which he was called reflected credit upon himself and his constituency. He was a member of the Lutheran Church. In 1836 he married Catharine, daughter of Peter and Barbara Burger, and their children were Isabella; Benjamin F .; Elmira J .; Charles A .; Mar- cus T., and Catharine W., wife of Volney Fulmer. Charles A. served in the Civil War as captain of Company E, Sixty-first Ohio
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HISTORY OF LEITERSBURG DISTRICT.
Volunteers, and subsequently entered the medical profession. His brother, Marcus T., the sergeant in his company, was killed in battle at Atlanta, Ga.
ISAAC G. LEITER was born at Leitersburg, January 29, 1823, the son of Samuel and Catharine (Myers) Leiter. He obtained his education at the village school, and learned the carpenter trade under his father. In 1853 he began business individually, and during his long carcer as carpenter he has either built or re- paired many of the houses of the District and adjacent territory. In 1842 he married Catharine Ann, daughter of James and Cath- arine (Reichard) Swailes, and to this union the following chil- dren were born: Louis B., who was born in 1844 and died in 1886 at Hagerstown, whore he was engaged in contracting and build- ing; Barbara Louisa, deceased, who married Frederick Hose; Al- len B., who died in 1895 at Latta, Ohio, where he was engaged in business as a carpenter and machinist; Margaret A., who died in infancy; Franklin S., who was born in 1853 and died in 1887 at Leitersburg, where he was principal of the public schools; Helen K., wife of Samuel Middlekauff; Isaac C., who died in in- fancy; Barry F. and Henry W., deceased, and Charles G., a teacher by profession. Mr. Leiter has been a Republican since the organization of the party, and in 1896 he was a member of the board of assessors for Leitersburg District.
JAMES FREELAND LEITER was born at Leitersburg on the 11th of July, 1829, the son of Joseph and Ann (Ziegler) Leiter. He obtained his early education at the schools of his native village and learned the trade of carpenter under his father, whose employ he entered as an apprentice at the age of seventeen years. From that time until the death of the latter he was either employed by him or associated with him in business, with the exception of the year 1853, when he spent nine months in the West, principally at New Carlisle, Ohio. From 1860 to 1862 he operated a sash and door factory established by his father at Williamsport, Md., one of the first industries of its kind in Washington County. Re- turning to Leitersburg in 1862 he was engaged in contracting and building ten years, after which he retired from business. He owned a valuable farm in Leitersburg District, to the manage- ment of which and other interests he gave much of his attention. - For many years he was a director in the Planters' Mutual Insur-
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ance Company of Leitersburg and treasurer of that corporation. He was a Democrat in politics and wielded considerable influence in the local councils of his party, frequently serving as delegate to county and State conventions.
A representative of one of the oldest families of Washington County, he was deeply interested in every measure calculated to preserve the ancient landmarks and promote local historical re- search. During the last year of his life much of his time was given to the erection of a permanent inclosure around the graves of his forefathers; in this he was associated with his brother, Levi Z. Leiter, although the work of personal supervision devolved entirely upon himself. The author of this work, to which he was the first subscriber, gladly bears testimony to his appreciative sympathy and generous support.
Mr. Leiter died, after a brief illness, on the 19th of March, 1897. He was a member of St. James' Reformed Church of Lei- tersburg, in which he held the office of elder. In 1855 he married Martha H., daughter of George W. and Mary B. (Drill) Lantz, and their children were Anna M., wife of George H. Wolfinger; Titus Benton; Barbara V., who died in infancy; Levi Z .; Joseph G .; Elizabeth, who died in childhood; Fannie K., wife of A. K. McGraw; James W., and Martha A.
LEVI Z. LEITER was born at Leitersburg, November 2, 1834, the son of Joseph and Ann (Ziegler) Leiter. His boyhood and youth were spent in his native village, and here his early educa- tion was obtained. Realizing the narrow opportunities of the in- sular community in which he was born he sought in early man- hood a larger field of action in the West. In 1853 he located at Springfield, Ohio, where he found employment in the store of Peter Murray, a prominent merchant. It was at this period that Chicago first evinced the marvelous growth that placed it in a few years among the great cities of the United States, and to a young man of Mr. Leiter's temperament it presented peculiar at- tractions. In the summer of 1854 he arrived at that city, thence- forth the place of his residence, and here he realized a business career that places him in the magnitude of its success among the foremost financiers of his generation. He first entered the employ of Downs & Van Wyck, with whom he continued until 1856, when he secured a position with the wholesale house of Cooley,
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Wadsworth & Company, with which he remained through its various changes until January 1, 1865. During this period, in consideration of the value of his services, he secured an interest in the business. This he sold to John V. Farwell, and in con- junction with Marshall Field purchased a controlling interest in the business of Potter Palmer, which was continued for two years under the style of Field, Palmer & Leiter, and then as Field, Leiter & Company until January 1, 1881, when, having large real estate and other investments to engage his attention, Mr. Leiter sold his interest to his partner and retired.
In the social life of Chicago no less than in its business circles Mr. Leiter is a prominent figure, while his Washington residence, justly regarded as one of the architectural attractions of that city, has been the scene of many brilliant social functions. He is a director in the Chicago Relief and Aid Society, a member of the Chicago Historical Society, and president of the Chicago Art Institute. Mr. Leiter married Mary T., daughter of Benjamin and Nancy (Fish) Carver, and their children are Joseph; Mary, wife of the Hon. George N. Curzon, M. P., under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs in Lord Salisbury's Cabinet; Nancy, and Mar- guerite.
LEVI Z. LEITER was born at Williamsport, Md., November 25, 1861, the son of James F. and Martha H. (Lantz) Leiter. He obtained his education at the local schools, at Mercersburg Col- lege, Mercersburg, Pa., at the Bryant and Stratton Commercial College in Baltimore, and at Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pa. In 1881-83 he clerked in the store of Josephus Ground at Leitersburg and in 1883-86 he was similarly employed at Lawrence, Kans. In 1887 he again entered Mr. Ground's em- ploy and continued with him until 1896. On the 10th of August, 1892, he married Mary H., daughter of Josephus and Mary (Zieg- ler) Ground, who died on the 12th of April, 1895. In politics Mr. Leiter is a Democrat.
JOSEPH G. LEITER, M. D., was born at Leitersburg, Md., April 13, 1864. the son of J. Freeland and Martha H. (Lantz) Leiter. His academic education was obtained at the Leitersburg schools and at the Washington County High School at Hagerstown. where he graduated in 1882. He was then a student in the scientific department of the University of Virginia three years
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and in the medical department of that institution one year; his professional training was completed at the Bellevue Hospital Medical College of New York City, from which he graduated on the 12th of March, 1888. He was one of four young doctors se- lected by competitive examination from thirty-one applicants for the position of interne at St. Mary's Hospital, the largest in Brooklyn; at the conclusion of his term of service he received a diploma and opened an office in Brooklyn. He was still con- nected with St. Mary's Hospital, however, as chief of the dis- pensary staff, until July, 1894, when he was elected as one of the consulting physicians on the visiting staff of that institution, and this position he now holds. In 1892 he married Miss Nellie Morey of New York State and they are the parents of one child, Martha Victoria. The Doctor is a Democrat in politics.
JACOB RITTER was one of the pioneers of Leitersburg District. In 1764 he purchased from Jacob Leiter, Sr., a tract of 216 acres, part of The Resurvey on Poe's part of Well Taught, now em- braced principally in the farms of Henry M. Jacobs and Mrs. Ja- cob M. Hykes. On the line between these farms is a well, re- ferred to in old deeds as "Jacob Ritter's well." Near this his resi- denco was doubtless located, and here he lived until his death in 1804. The following children survived him: Anna; Elias; Cath- arine; Margaretha; Tobias; Elizabeth; Jacob, and Barbara, who married Henry Clopper. Jacob Ritter was a member of the Lu- theran Church.
JACOB GOOD was a resident of Leitersburg District in 1765. He was probably a descendant of Hans Guth, who settled south of Conestoga creek in Lancaster County, Pa. There were Guths in Brecknock Township, Lancaster County, as early as 1711, and it was doubtless from this locality that Jacob Good (Guth) re- moved to Western Maryland. The land he purchased in 1765 comprised Good's Choice, with an area of 163 acres, originally embraced in Skipton-on-Craven, and Luck, a tract of 100 acres, formerly included in The Resurvey on Well Taught. He lived in a log house that stood on the bank of Little Antietam near the present residence of Harvey J. Hartle; on the opposite side of the creek was a saw-mill, in operation as early as 1772. Good eventually owned 350 acres of land, embracing these improve- ments and the confluence of Little Antietam with Antietam, and
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HISTORY OF LEITERSBURG DISTRICT.
hero he resided until 1787, when he sold this estate to his son- in-law, Joseph Long, and removed to Huckleberry Hall, a tract several miles distant in the valley of Little Antietam; there he died in 1797, leaving a widow, Barbara, and the following chil- dren: John; Anna, wife of Peter Longenecker; Elizabeth, wife of Joseph Long; Barbara, wife of Peter Witmer; Catharine, wife of Peter Newcomer; Jacob; Mary, wife of Christian Hershey; Christian, and Abraham. The senior Jacob Good was a member of the Mennonite Church, one of the few adherents of that faith among the pioneers of Leitersburg District.
CHRISTIAN Goon was born on the 25th of February, 1757, the son of Jacob Good. He was engaged in farming in Leitersburg District and owned the farm of 220 acres which he sold in 1817 to his son-in-law, Stephen Martin. His residence was at the pres- ent location of Daniel W. Durboraw's. He died on the 5th of December, 1820, and is buried at a graveyard on the Anderson farm near Charles's mill. He was a member of the Mennonite Church. His wife, Barbara, who is also buried here, was born on the 24th of October, 1759, and died on the 16th of May, 1813. Their children were Christian; Peter; Abraham; Jacob; John; David; Elizabeth, who married Henry Funk; Nancy, who mar- ried Peter Newcomer, and Barbara, who married Stephen Martin.
CHRISTIAN GOOD was born in Leitersburg District, November 18, 1783, the son of Christian and Barbara Good. In 1813 he purchased the farm in Washington Township, Franklin County, Pa., upon which Midvale station on the Western Maryland rail- road is located and which is now owned by his grandson, Jacob F. Good. Here he resided until his death, January 2, 1863. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Michael Stover, and their chil- dren were David M .; Henry; Christian; Jacob S .; David F .; Chris- tiana, who married Jacob Funk; Sarah, who married Samuel Welty, and Mary. He was a member of the German Baptist Church and in politics a Whig.
JACOB GOOD was born in Leitersburg District. April 12, 1794. the son of Christian and Barbara Good. In 1822 he purchased a tract of land southeast of Leitersburg adjacent to the Smithsburg road and Little Antietam creek; here he owned a carding and fulling-mill, which he operated until his death. In 1840 he purchased from Henry Boertner the adjacent farm, and
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this he also conducted. He married Sarah, daughter of Michael Stover, and their children were Daniel, who died in infancy; Samuel; Elizabeth, widow of Albert Metz; Sarah, deceased; Ja- cob; Abram; and Benjamin, deceased. Jacob Good was a mem- ber of the German Baptist Church and in politics a Whig. His death occurred on the 1st of August, 1854.
DAVID M. GOOD was born at Midvale, Pa., November 30, 1813, the son of Christian and Elizabeth (Stover) Good. He was edu- cated at an academy at York, Pa. At the age of eighteen he en- tered the store of Henry Smith at Waynesboro, Pa., as salesman, and for one year he was similarly employed at Massilon, Ohio. In 1840 he embarked in general merchandising at Leitersburg in partnership with Charles A. Fletcher and here he was engaged in business until 1852, when he removed to the Old Forge in Chowsville District, where he owned and operated the farm and mill. From 1864 to 1867 he was engaged in business as a brewer at Hagerstown. " From 1867 to 1870 he again resided at Leiters- burg, and in 1870 he located at Waynesboro, Pa., where he died on the 20th of October, 1885. In 1839 he married Margaret B. Davison, who died in 1841. In 1842 he married Mary M., daugh- ter of Henry and Elizabeth (Stehman) Dietrich, and their chil- dren were Allen; Milton D .; Stehman Y .; Preston O .; David M .; Henry W .; Mary K., wife of Dr. J. B. Amberson; Titus S .; Genora B .; Victor B., and Lillie A., wife of Joseph C. Clugston. Mr. Good was a member of the Presbyterian Church and a Re- publican in politics. He was a member of the first Republican County Committee of Washington County, Md.
CAPTAIN PETER BELL was probably a native of Germany and emigrated to American in early manhood. Definite information regarding his personal history begins with the year 1767, when he purchased from Peter Shiess a tract of 248 acres, part of the larger original survey called All That's Left, to which he gave the name of Bell's Choice. Its location is in the northern part of the District adjacent to Mason and Dixon's Line and the Ha- gerstown and Waynesboro turnpike; the present owners are Daniel S. Wolfinger and Joseph M. Bell. Near the turnpike on the Wolfinger farm there are several springs and here at the first settlement of the District there was a marsh, south of which on the slope of a hill near the line that separated his land from his
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brother Anthony's Peter Bell erected the improvements that con- stituted his residence. The main road from Hagerstown to Nich- olson's Gap passed through his land and the travel over this thor- oughfare doubtless gave him advantages not enjoyed by his more isolated neighbors. About the year 1775 he removed to Hagers- town, where he owned the lot at the corner of Franklin and Po- tomac streets now the location of the market house in that city. It is probable that he engaged in merchandising here, as the settlement of his estate shows that 225 persons were indebted to him in sums ranging from 1s. 3d. to £65.
On the 25th of November, 1776, he was elected a member of the Committee of Observation for Washington County, and dur- ing his connection with this body he served as a member of a sub- committee of seven appointed for the purpose of "licensing suits." It appears that the judicial functions of the Committee were in- trusted to this sub-committee. On the 30th of December, 1776, the Committee ordered the militia of the county to march to the assistance of General Washington. Some who had served in the Flying Camp claimed exemption from this order, and it is en- tered in the minutes of the Committee under date of January 4, 1777, that "On motion of Captain Bell it is resolved that the Flying Camp are by no means exempt from marching with the militia." The following entry occurs in the minutes for January, 6, 1777: "On motion, Resolved, That Matthias Need serve as a committeeman in the room of Captain Bell, who hath resigned." His resignation is not difficult to explain. In a letter from Col- onel John Stull to the Maryland Council of Safety, January 11, 1777, he says: "The militia of my battalion have marched al- most generally. * * * There are some of the former com- missioned officers who have gone in the German battalion whose places are vacated in the militia; others have been elected to serve in their room, viz., Captain Peter Bell in the room of Captain William Heyser," etc. ITe requested the Council to forward com- missions for these officers to Philadelphia. The following entry occurs in the minutes of the Council of Safety under date of Jan- uary 15, 1777: "Commissions issued to Peter Bell, appointed cap- tain, Jacob Ott, first lieutenant, Michael Ott, second lieutenant, and William Conrad, ensign, of a company of militia in Washing- ton County." Their commissions were duly forwarded to Phila-
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