USA > Pennsylvania > Cumberland County > Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of the Nineteenth Congressional District, Pennsylvania > Part 44
USA > Pennsylvania > Adams County > Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of the Nineteenth Congressional District, Pennsylvania > Part 44
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dren, whose names are as follows: Rose E., deceased wife of Z. H. Dougherty, Henry A. Manifold, deceased, Eliza A., deceased, wife of C. C. Smith; Margaret J. Manifold and W. F. Manifold.
Samuel Martin Manifold grew to man- hood on his father's farm and received a fair English education in the common and select schools of his neighborhood. Hard- ly had his school days closed, when the great Civil conflict in our country began, and, with patriotic zeal, Mr. Manifold of- fered his services in behalf of his nation. on May 23, 1869, he enlisted in company A. 2Ist Regiment, Pennsylvania cavalry, which was originally organized for six months service, but after the expiration of his term of service, he re-enlisted in the same Regi- ment and served for a period of three years. At the time of his enlistment he was a pri- vate but received successive promotions for his gallantry until he was commissioned lieutenant of his company. Mr. Manifold was a participant in the campaigns of the Shenandoah Valley, the siege of Peters- burg, the campaigns under Sheridan and took part in the battles of North Anna. Cold Harbor, Petersburg and numerous other engagements and skirmishes. He was honorably discharged at Lynchburg, Va., about July 20th. 1865. After the war was ended he returned home and engaged in farming until 1872, in which latter year he joined a railroad engineer corps as axe- man and began his career in connection with railroading. From axeman he was next made rodman, then assistant engineer and finally in 1875, chief engineer of the construction work of the Peach Bottom railroad. While serving in subordinate positions he studied railroading thoroughly and to a purpose, and between 1875 and 1878, he located, surveyed and superin- tended the successful construction of the last 20 miles of what is now the York
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Southern R. R. through a very difficult section of the county. In 1878 he became superintendent of the York and Peach Bot- tom R. R., and served acceptably as such for ten years, when he accepted the posi- tion of road master of the Baltimore and Lehigh railway, with which he was connec- ted up to 1891. In the latter year he sur- veyed an extension of the Stewartstown railway into Delta, and a few months later took charge of a position in the transpor- tation departments of the Pennsylvania railroad, with offices at Washington, D. C., and Baltimore, Md., which office he re- signed in April, 1893, to become master of transportation of the Baltimore and Lehigh R. R. In the same year a receiver was ap- pointed for the last named road and Mr. Manifold became General Manager, which office he held until that corporation was merged in the York Southern railway. He has held honorable connection ever since with that company.
On January Ist, 1875, Mr. Manifold was united in happy marital union with Miss Sallie E. Gregg, a native of Chester county, and a daughter of George and Sophia (Granger) Gregg. To Mr. and Mrs. Mani- fold have been born six children, a son and five daughters: J. Howard, Roselma, Myra Ross, Emily Martin, Keziah Warren and Margaret. The son, J. Howard Manifold, is a graduate of the York Collegiate insti- tute and subsequently entered the Law De- partment of Yale University from which he was graduated in June 1896, and in which he is now taking a special course in corporation and railroad law.
In politics Mr. Manifold is a strong dis- ciple of the principles taught in the Re- publican faith, but has never found time to accept any political office beyond one term as member of city council. He and Mrs. Manifold are members of the First Presbyterian church, of York. Fraternally
he is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, of General Sedgwick Post, No. 37, Grand Army of the Republic, and of York Conclave, 124, Improved Order of Heptasophs. In addition to his arduous and active duties in connection with the York Southern Railroad, Mr. Manifold has also been interested in the development of the Peach Bottom slate quarries and is president of the Delta Peach Bottom Slate Company, one of the leading concerns in the slate region of York county. He is a man of good executive ability and business capacity, energetic, far-sighted, and prudent and easily ranks among the leading citizens of the 19th Congressional District.
R EV. GEORGE L. SMITH, the pres- ent pastor of Calvary Presbyterian church, of York, Pennsylvania, since its organization in 1883, was born in West- chester county, New York, June 15, 1837. He is a son of Samuel D. and Sallie A. (Delavan) Smith. His paternal grand- father, Job Smith, of evidently English des- cent, was a farmer and merchant and an all round business man, who resided in Dela- ware county, New York, and his son Sam- uel D. Smith was born in Monticello, N. Y. Samuel D. Smith was a man of good education, taught school for several terms and followed merchandizing and other lines of business subsequently. He was a Pres- byterian in church membership, a Whig and Republican in politics and served as justice of the peace. A man of modest demeanor, he was highly esteemed for his quiet activity in educational matters and the common interests of his neighborhood. He was born January, 1808, died June 29th, 1869, and was buriedat South Salem, West- chester county, New York. He was a grandson of Judge Miller of Revolutionary fame. His marriage with Sallie A. De-
REV. GEORGE L. SMITH.
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lavan, who was of French descent, resulted in the birth of three children, who grew to maturity : Rosswell D., a minister and phy- sician, of New York City; Rev. George L., subject, and Elbert M., for sometime a mer- chant, but at present connected with the D. L. & W. R. R. company.
Rev. George L. Smith obtained his early education in the public schools, later con- tinued his studies with Rev. A. L. Linds- ley, D. D., lately connected with the Pres- byterian Theological Seminary at San Francisco, and then in Union College, Schenectady, New York, and New York University. He was graduated from New York University in 1862. In the same year he matriculated in Princeton Theolog- cal Seminary and was graduated in the class of 1865, of which Rev. Francis L. Pat- ton, LL. D., S. Stanhope Orris, Ph. D., Prof. Raymond, all of Princeton Univer- sity, and Rev. E. T. Jeffers, D. D., Presi- dent of the York Collegiate Institute, were members. About the time of graduation he was licensed to preach by the Second Presbytery, of New York, ordained to the ministry by the Presbytery of Passaic, New Jersey, within the bounds of which he had been called to the pastorate of the Presby- terian church at Rutherford, New Jersey. Here he remained in his ministerial rela- tions until the year 1871, when he was called to the charge at Ewing, New Jersey, with which he labored for a period of nearly eight years. Subsequently, he re- ceived a call to the First Presbyterian church at Cedarville, in the same State, and accepted and continued as the incumbent of that body until August, 1883, when he moved to York, Pennsylvania, and finally accepted the pastorate of Calvary Presby- terian church at that place. His new field was an experimental one in a large degree. Upon his advent he found a Sunday school established but neither church edifice nor
church organization. The former had for its meeting place at first a cooper shop in the southeastern part of the city of York, and on August 5th, 1882, comprised 37 scholars, five teachers and two visitors. In conjunction with the Sunday school, cot- tage prayer meetings were held, and in a very short time a sufficient number of de- votees was attracted to necessitate larger and more commodious accommodations. Consequently the erection of a chapel was begun, finished and opened for public wor- ship in November of the same year. Near- ly a year later a movement was started for the organization of a church, an application was made to the Presbytery of Westmin- ster, which met in Lancaster County, Sep- tember 25, 1883, and a committee was ap- pointed, which met October 9, 1883, and formally organized Calvary Presbyterian church with an enrollment of 27 members. Rev. Dr. Henry E. Niles, presided, Rev. Dr. McDougall took part in the devotional exercises, and Rev. Mr. Crawford gave the charge to the newly elected elders, all of which was followed by an address by the Rev. George L. Smith. On October 17, 1883, an invitation was extended Rev. Mr. Smith to accept the office of pastor of the newly organized church, and on the 30th of the same month he was duly installed by the Presbytery of Westminster. Dur- ing the installation service Rev. G. W. Ely, of Columbia, presided, the Rev. Dr. Mc- Dougall, President of the York Collegiate Institute at that time, preached the sermon, Rev. Dr. C. W. Stewart, of Coleraine, de- livered the charge to the pastor and Rev. Dr. Henry E. Niles, of York addressed the people. Subsequently the chapel received four material additions in the way of en- largement. Its insufficiency to accommo- date the congregation being soon recog- mized, ground was broken on May 25, 1885, for the present church edifice, whose corner
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stone was laid July 21, 1885. This church was dedicated February 16, 1886, and the manse for the pastor was begun and com- pleted in the year 1890, the group of Cal- vary buildings presenting an attractive and tasteful appearance. The buildings and organization of this church are a monu- ment to the labors of Rev. George L. Smith and the generous and open-handed contributions of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Small, Sr., Mr. Samuel Small, Jr., and others of the congregation. The record of growth in membership since 1883 is from 37 to about three hundred, which speaks more eloquently than words of the effect- iveness and emphatic results of concen- trated labor in the cause of the church and of Christianity, by those devoted to the moral and religious interests of Calvary Presbyterian church. Within the church organization, Mr. Smith has been largely instrumental in suggesting and instituting a number of auxiliary organizations, which constitute no inconsiderable part of its his- tory. These organizations are the Pastor's Aid, Temperance, and Christian Endeavor Societies whose functions are centered in local interests; the Rays of Light and the Ladies' Home Missionary Society to assist in spreading the gospel in remote portions of our own land; and the Woman's For- eign Missionary Society, and the Little Light Bearers, whose common object is to scatter the good seed of Christian living and the fruit of Christian character among heathen nations.
On November 21, 1865, Rev. George L. Smith was united in marriage with Carrie N. Olden, of Princeton, New Jersey, whose death took place on August 12, 1871. Nearly eight years after her death, Mr. Smith, on June 5, 1879, wedded Sarah G. Scudder, a daughter of Dr. J. W. Scudder, of Ewing, New Jersey. By his first mar- riage he had two children, one of whom
died in infancy, and the other, George E., is now connected with the York Daily.
Rev. George L. Smith has always taken a deep interest in civic and governmental affairs. He is a Republican in politics, ex- ercises an intelligent and discriminating ballot, and is a patron of educational and charitable institutions. He is a frequent contributor to religions newspapers, has written and published two serial stories, many of his sermons have been published in leading journals and pamphlet form and he has been prominent in the higher assem- blies of his church as well. For several years he has served on the board of trus- tees of the York Collegiate Institute, as vice president of the board, and secretary of the executive committee.
W ALKER A. DROMGOLD, senior member of the well-known firm of Hench & Dromgold, manufacturers of agricultural implements and machinery, of York, Pennsylvania, is a son of John and Bandinalı (Hench) Dromgold, and was born near Ickesburg, Perry county, Pa., March 4th, 1850. He is descended from Scotch-Irish ancestry. Thomas Drom- gold, his grandfather, was born in the county of Louth, near Dublin, in the King- dom of Ireland, subject to the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, where his father was a merchant, mill owner and farmer. The former came to the United States when a young man; he emigrated from Warren Point, in the north of Ireland, on or about the 11th day of May, 1801, and arrived at New Castle, State of Delaware, in the United States of America, on the 22d day of July in the same year. From there he traveled, largely on foot, to the Chesapeake Bay, and from the mouth of the Susquehanna River, he continued his journey, following the tow- path, until he reached Millerstown, Pa.
Walker a Dringold
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Shortly after his arrival he settled near Mil- lerstown, Perry county, Pa., and subse- quently removed to Donally's Mills in the same county. Soon after he purchased a farm near Ickesburg, Perry county. He married Elizabeth Donally, of Donally's Mills, who bore him a family of four chil- dren, three sons and one daughter. He continued to reside there until the time of his death; his wife Elizabeth, also resided on the old homestead, being cared for by the father of our subject.
At the Court of Common Pleas in Bloomfield, in and for the county of Perry, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States of America, on the 5th day of January, Anno Domini, One Thou- sand Eight Hundred and Thirty, came into open court, Thomas Dromgold, a native of Ireland, and exhibited his petition and affi- davit, stating that he is a free white man, and an alien, that he is about 55 years of age, as did appear by the Certificate of Reg- istry, therewith presented under the seal of the District Court of the United States for the district of Delaware, that he has continued to reside since the day of his ar- rival, in and under the jurisdicton of the United States, that he is desirous and will- ing to become a citizen of the United States, and to renounce forever, all allegi- ance and fidelity to any foreign Prince, Potentate, State or Sovereignty whatever, and particularly to George the Fourth, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
WHEREUPONthe Court ADMITTED the said THOMAS DROMGOLD to be- come a citizen of United States of Amer- ica, agreeable to the Acts of Congress in such case made and provided.
UPON the TESTIMONY of Jacob) Fritz and George Monroe, Esqs., citizens of the United States, and duly sworn for the Petitioner, I, George Stroop, Prothon-
otary, have hereunto set my hand, and af- fixed the seal of the said court at Bloom- field, this eleventh day of June, Anno Dom- ini, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty.
Thomas Dromgold was among the early settlers of Perry county. He died March 8, 1841, aged about 62 years. Elizabeth, wife of the elder Dromgold died September 28th, 1860, in the 74th year of her age.
John Dromgold, one of the three sons (Edward and Manassas being the others) of the grandfather of our subject, was born on the old homestead farm, near Ickesburg, on March 20, 1811, and died near Ickes- burg, on his farm, January 13, 1887.
On the 18th of August, 1834, he married Bandinah Hench, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Yohn) Hench. They had two sons and three daughters, of which the sub- ject's mother was the eldest. The subject's grandfather, Samuel Hench, had three brothers and five sisters: John, Jacob, Peter, Elizabeth, Susan, Catharine, Mary and Lina. Samuel Hench's farm adjoined the elder Dromgold's farm.
Bandinah Hench Dromgold was born January 17, 1815, and died December I, 1876. The first five years after their mar- riage, they resided on a farm near Dever's Run, subsequently removed to Juniata county, near Port Royal, in Turbett town- ship, a few years later removed to Spruce Hill township, and finally returned to their native county where they lived the remain- der of their lives. He became the owner of his father's large farm containing about six hundred acres, three hundred of which he improved. In addition to this he erec- ted a number of tenant houses, was a large employer of labor and withal a man of prominence in this section of the county. He was elected at various times to different public offices in his township, and was active in political and busi-
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ness affairs generally. Politically he was a supporter of the Democratic party, and in his religious affiliations was a consistent and valued member of the Lutheran church. The fruitage of this un- ion was five sons and four daughters: Eliza J., deceased, wife of Solomon Bower, deceased, Blain, Pa., J. Ellen, wife of Nich- olas Ickes, a resident of the State of Ne- braska, Maggie A., deceased, wifeof George Kochenderfer, Sarah P., deceased, wife of Philip Kell, of Ickesburg, Pa., Samuel M., resident of Blain, Perry county, William S., living on the old homestead, Dr. Thomas M., a practicing physician, located at Sen- eca, Illinois, Walker A., subject, Dr. Stew- art T., a practicing physican located at El- more, Ohio.
Walker A. Dromgold was reared on the farm upon which he was born and received his education in the public schools, at Spring Grove and Mt. Pleasant. After leaving school he engaged in farming with his father, with whom he remained until he reached his majority. Immediately sub- sequent to this he conducted a farm on his own account for a period of three years and afterward removed to Patterson, Jun- iata county, where he continued agricul- tural and kindred pursuits on the estate of Hon. James North, a prominent citizen of that county. From here he removed to Turbett township, the same county, where he continued to reside until 1877, when he disposed of his interests, and associated himself with S. Nevin Hench, of Ickesburg, Pa., in the manufacture and sale of agricul- tural implements near Port Royal. This connection was maintained for two years, when he removed to Perry county to take charge of his father's farm and where he continued to reside during the succeeding three years. His duties in connection with his father's farm he supplemented by selling agricultural implements. In 1882 he left
Perry county and removed to York, Penn- sylvania, which has since become the place of his residence and the seat of his business activities.
He is a man of large practical experience, inventive genius and good business capac- ity, and has succeeded in making a worthy name for himself in the domain of manufac- turing and commercial industry. He pos- sesses unusual energy, is a vigorous work- er, and his success in his special lines has been amply deserved.
In the formation of the National Har- row Company, of New York, capitalized at $200,000.00 he was elected a Director in the interests of Hench & Dromgold and served for several years. A few years later upon the formation of the Standard Harrow Com- pany, corporation, of Jersey City, New Jer- sey, capitalized at $2,000,000.00, on account of his large practical knowledge and good business abilities, his associates elected him one of its directors.
His residence on Linden Avenue is com- modious and tasteful, within which is cen- tered a happy domestic circle.
In politics Mr. Dromgold is a Republi- can and for some years served as a member of the Select Council of his adopted city. He is a member of Heidelberg Reformed church, in which he is an elder, and is ear- nestly devoted to such movements as have for their end the moral and social up-build- ing of the community. On September 23, 1871, he was joined in marriage with Martha E. Shull, a daughter of William Shull, of Ickesburg, Perry county, Pa. They have five children, Lelia Alice, Corinne, Thomas Edward, Bradie Lawrence and William Shull. Corinne and William S. died in infancy, and Bradie L. died aged 5 years, 7 months and 20 days. Mrs. Drom- gold died on November 24, 1881, and on February 19, 1891, Mr. Dromgold re-mar- ried,-his present wife being Ella F. Wilt,
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of York, Pennsylvania, who has borne him three children, Florence Aileen, Davis El- kins and Kathryn Isabel. Davis Elkins died in infancy.
R EV. WILLIAM S. FREAS, D. D., of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran church, of York, is a son of Jesse W. and Ann Catherine (Streeper) Freas, and was born in White Marsh township, Montgom- ery county, Pennsylvania, May II, 1848. Rev. Dr. Freas is of German descent.
During his boyhood, William S. Freas attended the public schools of his native township and Treemount Seminary at Nor- ristown, Pennsylvania., then conducted by Prof. John W. Loch. Subsequently he en- tered Pennsylvania College at Gettysburg, this State, from which he was graduated with the first honors of his class in 1873. Leaving college he immediately entered the Lutheran Theological Seminary located at the same place, from which he was grad- uated in 1876. In September, 1876, he was ordained to the ministry of the Evan- gelical Lutheran church at Everett, Bed- ford county, Pennsylvania, where he re- mained until 1880. In February of that year he became pastor of the Hughesville church, Lycoming county, which he left in September, 1882, to take charge of the First Lutheran church, of Carlisle, Penn- sylvania, where he labored during the suc- ceeding three years. At the end of that time, in December, 1885, he became pas- tor of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran church of York and has sustained that re- lationship ever since.
The present church edifice of St. Paul's congregation is located on the corner of South Beaver and West King streets, and was erected between the years 1869 and 1871 at a cost of $70,000. The seating ca- pacity is about 800 and the church building is regarded as one of the finest and most
delightfully situated structures in the city. St. Paul's church was organized February 26, 1836, with 98 members and its Sunday school was established in November follow- ing. The first church edifice was built in 1836 and '37 and stood on the site of the present structure, while the parsonage was purchased in 1842. When Rev. Dr. Freas became pastor in 1885, the church had a membership of 450 which under his minis- try has increased to 600, while the Sunday school has grown during the same period from a membership of 400 to 550. Rev. Dr. Freas is the fourth, and, so far, last, of the pastors of St. Paul's church. The first pastor was Rev. Jonathan Oswald, D. D., who served from 1836 to 1860. He was succeeded by Rev. William M. Baum, D. D., whose pastoral labors closed in 1873, and whose successor Prof. L. A. Gotwald, D. D., took charge the same year and served until 1885, when the present pastor was called.
On June 5th, 1878, Rev. Dr. Freas mar- ried Ella A. Streeper, a daughter of Jacob Streeper, one time editor and proprietor of the Montgomery County Ledger, published at Pottstown. Mrs. Freas died June 22, 1894, leaving five children: William, How- ard, Raymond, Elizabeth and Richard.
Rev. Dr. Freas, in recognition of his ser- vices as pastor, religious teacher and his well-known literary attainments, received the degree of D. D., from Wittenberg col- lege, Springfield, O. In his field of labor he has been a commanding figure in its moral and religious growth. He is not only active and prominent in church work but has manifested unusual public spirit and zeal in all social, municipal and eco- nomic reforms touching the welfare of the community in which he resides. He is President of the West Pennsylvania Synod of the Lutheran Church, President of the Board of Church Extension, has been sec-
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retary of the General Synod for the last ten years and has served in various other offi- cial capacities in the higher councils of the church.
B ENNETT BELLMAN, ESQ., was born at the foot of the beautiful South Mountain, in the old family home- stead at Mt. Holly Springs, this county, April Ist, 1853, and is descended, on the maternal line from James Moore, the el- der, who resided there and was a large landowner in South Middleton township before the formation of the county. James Moore died in September, 1767, leaving issue alive at the time of his death four sons and three daughters, viz: Wil- liam, John, James and Robert, and daugh- ters, Mary intermarried with Thomas Wil- son, Jane, (called also Jean) the great- grandmother of our subject, intermarried with John Thompson, and Agnes, who married Capt. John Steel, an ante-revolu- tionary member of this bar and son of Rev. John Steel, celebrated in the Indian War and known as the "fighting parson." John Thompson served in the Revolution and was commissioned as a lieutenant by the Marquise de Lafayette. Their daughter, Elizabeth Thompson, married Rev. Jasper Bennett, and their only daughter, Mary, married Rev. Henry W. Bellman, by whom there was issue two sons, Bennett Thomp- son, and Samuel H. Bellman, deceased.
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