USA > Pennsylvania > Chester County > Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsylvania : comprising a historical sketch of the county, by Samuel T. Wiley, together with more than five hundred biographical sketches of the prominent men and leading citizens of the county > Part 64
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Joshna L. Garrett was reared principally on the farm, where he early became accus- tomed to the varied and exacting duties connected with snecessful farm manage- ment. He pursued his primary studies in the public schools of his neighborhood, and later attended Professor Griskem's boarding school, near Morestown, New Jersey, and finished his education at Professor Price's school, near West Chester. After leaving
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
school he engaged in farming, and has made that the leading business of his life, now owning a good farm of one hundred and sixty acres near Sugartown, and also one hundred and thirty-five acres in the north part of East Bradford township, near Brad- ford hills, in the cultivation of which he has been remarkably successful. Ever since its organization in 1885, he has been treasurer of the Mutual Security Fire Insurance Com- pany of Chester county, and is recognized as a gentleman of standing and ability in his community. In financial management he is particularly careful, avoiding all specula- tion and adhering closely to legitimate methods in business. Politically he is a stanch republican, and takes an active part in local politics. He served as supervisor one year and auditor 'of his township for four years, and has frequently been elected judge and inspector of elections. In re- ligion he is a member of the Society of Friends, and has all his life been connected with the Willistown meeting of that relig- ious organization. On September 18, 1856, Mr. Garrett was united in marriage to Caro- line Hoopes, a daughter of Ezra and Re- becca Hoopes, of West Chester, this county.
H ENRY RENNARD, the subject of this sketch, was the son of Jacob and Mary Rennard, and was born in Schuylkill township, near Valley Forge, August 25, 1805. His early life was spent in farming on his father's farm. On November 10, 1830, he married Prudence, daughter of James and Elizabeth Miller, of West Vin- cent township, Chester county. He still continued farming at different places near Paoli, until 1858, when he purchased a fine farm of one hundred and twenty acres in
Chester Valley, about two and one-half miles from Paoli. On this farm he lived until his death, September 18, 1882. The property is still in possession of his heirs.
Henry Rennard was a stanch republican all his life, and took an active part in poli- ties. He was a strong supporter of the Union cause during the civil war, in which three of his sons took part. He was a Presbyterian in his religious belief, being a member of the Great Valley Presbyterian church, the oldest Presbyterian church in Pennsylvania. He was the father of eleven children, ten of whom are still living : Mary E., William M., who married Sarah Little, March 6, 1877; Amanda, who married Joseph Roberts, March 18, 1863; Harry C., who died June 8, 1887; J. Harrison, who married Margaret Portens, January 11,1870 ; Emma J .; Tamzine A .; Hilborn D., who married Sarah Rees, March 27, 1883; Win- field S., who married Debora Groff, March 25, 1886; Lonis W., who married Fannie Stockton, September 20, 1887; and Teresa M., who married David Morgan, May 14, 1884. Prudence, the wife of Henry Ren- nard, died March 4, 1885.
LINCOLN WASHINGTON WEID-
AL, who for more than four years has been assistant superintendent of the French Creek mines, is a mining engineer of con- siderable skill and reputation, and as a citi- zen is characterized by the well-known thrift and industry of the German race, from which he is descended. He is a son of Amos and Susanna (Platt) Weidal, and was born at Myerstown, Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, March 31, 1860. There he grew to manhood, receiving a superior edu- cation in the public schools of his native
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OF CHESTER COUNTY.
town, and afterward learned the trade or business of a stationary engineer. He fol- lowed that occupation for a period of nine years, and then turned his attention to the profession of mining engineer, and soon afterward entered the employ of William Noble, locating in the Warwick iron region, where he has resided ever since. In 1888 he became assistant superintendent of Mr. Noble's iron mines at St. Peter's, and still occupies that responsible position. To his ability and faithfulness is largely due the sneeess of these mines. Politically he is a republican, but has seldom taken any active part in polities, and in religious faith and church membership is a Lutheran. He is also a member of the Patriotic Order Sons of America, and of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics.
On May 22, 1886, Mr. Weidal was mar- ried to Annie Noble, a daughter of William Noble (see his sketch), and to them have been born two children, both daughters: Blanche and Erma.
The paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, Jacob Weidal, was a native of Lebanon county, where he passed a long and useful life, dying about 1875. Ile was a teacher by occupation, engaged prinei- pally in teaching the German language, in which he was very proficient. He married Mary Kreitzer, by whom he had a family of three children, the eldest of whom was Amos Weidal (father), who was born in Lebanon connty, this State, where he lived all his life, dying at Myerstown, that county, in 1863, at an advanced age. In politics he was a stanch republican, and by occupa- tion a laborer. He married Susanna Platt, a daughter of Simon and Susanna Platt, of Lebanon county, and to them was born a family of eleven children.
JOHN L. HOY, a Union soldier of the
late war, and the proprietor of the well known Mansion house of Valley Forge, is a son of Bernard and Sarah (Curry) Hoy, and was born at Norristown, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, November 4, 1837. He received his education in the common schools of Valley Forge and Norristown, and then was engaged in farming and in the hotel business until 1861, when he en- listed in Co. H, 82d Pennsylvania infantry. Ile participated in the battles of the army of the Potomac on the Peninsula up to the last of the Seven days' fight, soon after which he contracted rheumatism and was sent to the hospital, where he remained some time. Returning to his company he was promoted to orderly sergeant, but was so afflicted with rheumatic tronble that on April 28, 1863, he was discharged from the service on account of disability. Returning from the army he was engaged for a short time in the hotel business at Mt. Claire, Montgomery county, and then went to Philadelphia, where he served as a conduc- tor on a street car line for three years and a half. At the end of that time he re- turned to Norristown, Montgomery county. and was in the hotel business there until 1880, when he came to Valley Forge, where he opened his present hotel. Mr. Hoy is a popular landlord and a successful business man. He owns and tills the home farm of seventy-six acres of land. He is a democrat in polities, and formerly took an active part in political affairs.
In August, 1858, Mr. Hoy married Maria Morgan, who died in 1875, and left three children : Bernard, Elizabeth Hallowell, and Peter V., (proprietor of the Montgomery house at Norristown, Pennsylvania). For his second wife he married Elizabeth Coats,
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
by whom he had one child, Annie. After his second wife's death (1887), he wedded Tillie, daughter of Chalkley Coats.
Bernard Hoy, sr. (paternal grandfather), was a native of county Antrin, Ireland, where he passed his life. He left two chil- dren to survive him, a son and a daughter : Bernard (father), and Bridget. Bernard Hoy was born in Ireland in 1802, where he became a "loom boss," and after following that occupation for a short time in the fac- tories of his native country, went in 1821 to England, where he married, and from which country he eanie, in 1835, to the United States. After spending some time in New York city he removed to Norris- town, this State, which he left in 1851 to settle at Valley Forge, where he purchased a good farm and engaged in farming and in the hotel business. Bernard Hoy was a democrat in politics, and a Catholie in re- ligion, and died in December, 1858, aged fifty-six years. He married Sarah Curry, and reared a family of six children, three sons and three daughters : James F. ; Peter; John L. (subject); Elizabeth, a sister of charity at St. Patrick's church in Philadel- phia ; Mary, who married Stanly Ogden, a cotton and woolen manufacturer of Valley Forge and Norristown; and Annie, who died in 1861. Mrs. Hoy was born and reared in England, and died at Valley Forge in March, 1879, when in the seventy- fifth year of her age.
ESSE HAUSE, a retired merchant and farnier of Marsh, is a man who boldly maintained his place in the ranks of the business men of this county during the time of an entire generation. He is the only surviving son of Jacob and Ann (Evans)
Hause, and was born March 8, 1818, near Ralston's store, West Vincent township, Chester county, Pennsylvania. The family is of German extraction, and was planted in America by the great-grandfather of Jesse Hause, at an early day. John Hause, paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in Vincent township, this county, about 1750. He was a farmer by ocenpation, industrious and economical, and became fairly prosperous and well-to-do. He was a member of the German Reformed church, married in this county, and reared a large family, among whom was Jacob Hause (father), who was born in East Vin- cent township in 1783, and lived there un- til 1818, when he removed to East Nant- meal township, where he resided until his death in 1862, aged seventy-nine years. He received a good education and soon after attaining his majority he learned the trade of blacksmith, which he followed for a short time and then commenced merehan- dising, in which business he was engaged during most of his life-for a time in East Vincent, later in West Vincent, and then at Marsh, until 1854, when he retired and was succeeded by his son Jesse. In his political convictions he was a staneh demo- erat, and in religious faith and church membership a striet Lutheran. He married Ann Evans, a daughter of Capt. John Evans, of West Vincent township, this county, and to them was born a family of four children, of whom Jesse Hanse is the youngest. The eldest was John Hause, who after attaining manhood was employed for some time as elerk in a large business house in Philadelphia, where he died in 1886, aged seventy-two years. The next child was a daughter, named Elizabeth, who married Thomas B. Douese (now deceased),
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OF CHESTER COUNTY.
and resides in West Vincent township. The fourth was Margaret Hause, who died quite young.
Jesse Hause was reared principally in East Nantmeal township, and received his education in the public schools. After leaving school he engaged in school teach- ing, and was variously employed until 1854, when he succeeded to his father's business at Marsh, and successfully conducted a gen- eral store at that place for a period of thirty-six years. In 1890, at the age of seventy-two, he retired from active busi- ness, being succeeded in his turn by his only son, Harry Hause, who has since man- aged the establishment, which for many years has enjoyed a steady patronage from the substantial citizens of this section. Since his retirement Mr. Hause has been taking life easy, and enjoying the comforts and luxuries that are the appropriate re- ward of a long life of unwearied activity and successful labor. He owns a fine farm, containing one hundred and two acres of valuable land, which he formerly operated in connection with the store. Politically he is a democrat of the old school, and has served one term as school director of East Nantmeal township. For many years he has been a member of St. Mary's Episcopal church, and is widely known and most highly esteemed as a man of upright con- duet and true Christian character.
In 1864 Jesse Hause was married to Han- nah Evans, a daughter of Griffith and Martha Evans, of East Nantmeal township, this county, and to this union was born an only son, Harry Hause, who is now about twenty-three years of age. Inheriting the leading characteristics of his father, Harry early displayed an aptitude for business, and, as has been stated, came into the man-
agement of his father's store in 1890, since which time he has devoted such careful at- tention to his large and growing trade as promises to give him rank with the best business men in the county. In 1891 Harry Hause was wedded to Ella Penny- packer, a daughter of Silas and Hannah A. Pennypacker, of East Nantmeal township.
L. W. GHEEN, a well known journalist of Chester county and editor and pro- prietor of the daily evening Republican of Phoenixville, is a son of Jonathan and Martha J. (Chamberlain) Gheen, and was born in Goshen township, Chester county, Pennsylvania. July 28. 1846. He received his education in the public schools and learned the trade of printer, which he fol- lowed for over twenty-nine years at various places in the State. In 1890 he came to Phoenixville and took charge of the daily evening Republican, which he has edited ever since. The paper, as its name indi- cates, is republican in politics and earnestly advocates the cardinal principles of the Republican party. It is carefully edited. contains everything that is of general im- portance, and never fails in promptly pre- senting to the publie the local events of the borough and county. Mr. Gheen has labored hard to build up a first class daily paper. and an ample measure of success has re- warded his efforts. His paper is a six col- umun folio, and now has a cirenlation of thirteen hundred in the borough and county. and in the western part of Montgomery county. He is a stanch republican and an earnest supporter of the principles of his party. He is well qualified for the position which he holds by years of practical expe- rience as a printer, and by the considerable
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
length of time spent in an editorial capacity upon various papers which he has owned.
On October 9, 1873, Mr. Gheen married Rowena, daughter of Solomon Russell, of Ashland, this State. To their union was born one child, which died in infancy.
The Gheen family in Chester county was founded by Joseph Gheen, who married December 7, 1768, Elizabeth Ingram, at Christ's church, Philadelphia. He resided in Chester county and reared a family of six sons : Thomas, John, William, Joseph, Jonathan and Levi. Levi Gheen (grand- father), the youngest son, was born March 3, 1783, and died September 12, 1839, at fifty-six years of age. He was a farmer by occupation, a whig in politics, and a Friend in religion. He was a resident of Goshen township, and married Mary Taylor, by whom he had seven children : Titus W., Elizabeth, Jacob, Palmer, Taylor, Jonathan, and Lydia, wife of John McCauley. Jona- than (father), the youngest son, was born in 1815, on the home farm, where he resided until within two years of his death, Novem- ber 9, 1861, at forty-six years of age. He was a whig, and Methodist, and married Martha J. Chamberlain. They had three children : Mary, who died in infancy ; L. W., and Arthur P., now engaged in the saddlery business at West Chester. Mrs. Gheen, who now resides at West Chester, is a daughter of Jacob Chamberlain, and was born in 1822.
SIMEON BUZZERD, one of the old and highly respected citizens of Schuyl- kill township, is a sou of John and Mary (High) Buzzerd, and was born in Hamp- shire county, Virginia (now West Virginia), February 18, 1806. He was educated in
the primary and subscription schools of his native county, and learned the trade of hatter, at which he worked but a short time on account of the founding of establishments to manufacture hats by machinery. He then engaged in farming, which he has since followed. In 1840 he came to Schuylkill township and purchased his present farm of one hundred and twenty-two acres. His farm is well improved, and in addition to it he owns thirty-three acres of land in West Pikeland township, and a house and some valuable property at Phoenixville. During the last few years Mr. Buzzerd has been turning his attention to the dairying busi- ness. He is a democrat in politics, and a member of the Presbyterian church, in which he has served as an elder for over forty years. Mr. Buzzerd has served his town- ship as collector, assessor and school director, and discharged faithfully and efficiently every duty of each of these offices. He is recognized as a useful and valuable citizen, and has met with encouraging success in life.
In April, 1833, Mr. Buzzerd married Elizabeth High, daughter of Daniel High, and to their union were born six children, four sons and two daughters: John, who was a Union soldier, and fell at the battle of Cold Harbor: Thornton, who served in the army of the Potomac; Simeon, married Susan Stuart, and is in the employ of the Phoenix Iron Company ; Francis, a farmer, who married Anna L. Farrow; Margaret Sowers, and Mary L. Pierce.
The birthland of Frederick Buzzerd, the founder of the American branch of the family, was Hesse Cassell, Germany, from which he came to Schuylkill township prior to the revolutionary war. He was a well read and thoroughly posted bible student, and died in 1811, at the ripe old age of
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OF CHESTER COUNTY.
ninety-two years. His children were : John, Frederick, Jacob, Esther Kiter, and Eliza- beth Mauzzy. John Buzzerd (father) was born in Germany, and came with his father to Schuylkill township, which he afterward left to settle in Hampshire county, Virginia. He resided near Winchester, in the famous Shenandoah valley, where his father had purchased farms for him and his two broth- ers. John Buzzerd died in 1810. He mar- ried Mary High, who was a daughter of Daniel High, and they reared a family of nine children, six sons and three daughters : Jacob, John, David, Henry, Jonas, Simeon (subject), Susan Grove, Mary Bnekwalter, and Elizabeth Lane.
MICHENER FAMILY. John and Sarah Michener were the American progenitors of the family, and in 1715 re- moved to Abington. They had six children, and their descendants are quite numerous to-day in Chester county. Their son, Wil- liam Michener, was the father of Mordecai Michener, who married Sarah Fisher, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Searbor- ough ) Fisher, of Bucks county, Pennsyl- vania, and a granddaughter of John and Sarah ( Hutchinson) Fisher, of Yorkshire, England. Mrs. Sarah Michener's brother, Barak Fisher, married Mary Butler, daugh- ter of Thomas and Rebecca (Gilbert) Butler, of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, who, in 1763, removed from Bucks county. Pennsyl- vania, to Frederick county, Virginia, where they reared a large family, one of whom ( Elizabeth), was the mother of Rachel ( Brownfield ) Searight. Rachel married William Searight, a prominent democrat and leading citizen of Fayette county. Penn- sylvania, and now, in the eighty-eighth
year of her age, is living with her son. James A. Searight, president of the Peoples' bank of Fayette county, at Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Mordecai and Sarah Mich- ener had eleven children, and their son, Mordecai Michener, jr., married Alice Dunn, and reared a family of four children, of whom the youngest was Dr. Ezra Michener, a prominent physician, and the author of several valuable works in relation to the geography and conchology of Chester county.
JOSE OSEPH JACOBS, one of the success-
ful business men of the great Chester valley, and postmaster of Aldham since 1888, is a son of George and Mary Anna (McCool) Jacobs, and was born in Ply- mouth township, Montgomery county, Penn- sylvania, December 29, 1839. Ile grew to manhood on the farm, received his ednea- tion in the public schools of East White- land township, and was engaged success- ively in farming in Charlestown and East Whiteland townships until 1886. In that year he came to Aldham and established his present general mercantile business. Ile has a good store building and a heavy stock of goods. aml enjoys a large trade. On his East Whiteland farm of ninety-five acres is situated one of the finest flint quarries in the county. This quarry is now opera- ted by Breeder, Adamson & Co., of Phila- delphia. Mr. Jacobs is a democrat in poli- ties, has served as postmaster at Aldham since 1888, and is now tax-collector of Charlestown township. He served in a regiment of Pennsylvania militia during Lee's invasion of the State in 1863. He is kind and courteous, has become justly pop- ular, and has achieved well merited success in his line of business.
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
On February 24, 1862, Mr. Jacobs was united in marriage with Sarah K. Detwiler, daughter of Henry and Catherine Detwiler. Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs have six children, two sons and four daughters : George, Katie E., H. H., Blanche, Jennie and Lulu. The two sons are managing their father's farmi in East Whiteland township.
Joseph Jacobs is of German descent. His paternal grandfather came from one of the provinces of Germany, and settled in Montgomery county, where his occupa- tion was that of lime burner until his death at an advanced age. He married and reared a family of three sous and two daughters: George, Robert, Joseph, Katharine and Ann. Joseph Jacobs (father) was born September 15, 1810, and died April 11, 1889. He fol- lowed lime burning and farming, and a few years before his death engaged in the gen- eral mercantile business at Aldham. He was a democrat in politics, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and was also a member of Sugartown Lodge, Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. George Jacobs was a man of influence and high standing in his community, and served as supervisor of East Whiteland township, and after removing into Charlestown, as tax collector of that township. He married Mary Anna McCool, and to their union were born eight sons: Samuel, Charles, Robert, George, William, John, Morgan and Joseph. Mrs. Jacobs was a daughter of Samuel and Hesther McCool, and died in September, 1876, when in the sixty- fourth year of her age.
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DAVID OPPERMAN, a well known general merchant of Anselma, and one of the successful and substantial citizens of
that place, is the third child of David and Elizabeth (Acker) Opperman, and a native of West Pikeland township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, where he was born Novem- ber 3, 1830. He grew to manhood on his father's farm in that township, attending the public schools of his neighborhood, where he acquired a good practical educa- tion, and later learned the trades of dish moulder and cigar maker, at each of which he worked for a time. In 1870 he embarked in general merchandising at Anselma, erect- ing the commodious store building he now occupies, and has been continuously en- gaged in that business ever since. Having fine business ability and a disposition to ac- commodate and please his patrons, he was soon in the enjoyment of a good trade, which has continued to increase in volume and importance every year. He now car- ries a complete stock of general merchan- dise, aggregating between two and three thousand dollars in value, and all his goods are sold at reasonable prices and are of reliable manufacture. Mr. Opperman is a member of Pilgrim Lodge, No. 455, Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and of Washington Camp, No. 275, Patriotic Order Sons of America.
On August 16, 1869, the subject of this sketch was umted in marriage to Martha March, a daughter of Israel March, of West Pikeland township, this county, and to Mr. and Mrs. Opperman have been born five children, four sons and a daughter : George, Elizabeth, Harvey, Clarence and William, the latter now deceased.
The Opperman family is of German ex- traction, and was planted on these shores by Henry Opperman, paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketeli, who was a native of Hanover, Germany, and came to
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OF CHESTER COUNTY.
the United States while yet a young man, settling in Charlestown township, this county. He was a man of fine education, obtained in the schools of his native land, and after coming to this county conducted a school in Charlestown township for some years. He owned a large farm in that township, and engaged in stock raising to some extent. Although in independent circumstances, it is related of him that he personally attended to all his marketing, frequently riding into the city of Philadel- phia with a pair of old saddle-bags, con- taining butter in one end and eggs in the other, which he always disposed of "at the highest market price." He was twice mar- ried, and reared a family of four sons and a daughter. One of these sons was David Opperman (father), who was born, reared and educated in Charlestown township, but in 1842, after his marriage, removed to West Pikeland township, where he died March 23,1880, at the advanced age of ninety- one years, having been born March 30, 1789. When a young fuan he learned the trade of wheelwright, and worked at that business to some extent, though his principal occu- pation was that of farming, in which he was very industrious and extremely suc- cessful. He owned a large farm in West Pikeland township, which being cultivated and managed with great care, became very productive and valuable. In politics the elder David Opperman was an old-line whig, and later a republican; while in re- ligious faith he was a Lutheran, being for many years a member of St. Paul's Evan- gelieal Lutheran church at Lionville. In 1826 he married Elizabeth Acker, a daugh- ter of Henry Acker, of Uwehlan township. and was the father of ten children, five sons and live daughters: Henry, John. David
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