USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > Biographical annals of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : containing biographical and genealogical sketches of prominent and representative citizens and of many of the early settlers > Part 27
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Frederick Shoff was the father of twelve children. all now deceased except Christian, the father of Frederic, viz .: John; Frederick; Christian, who died in childhood; Martha, wife of William Reil ; Nancy, wife of Andrew Mehaffy ; Abraham : Jacob ; Christian (2), born Sept. 27, 1821 ; George: Bar- bara : Henry, of Martic township ; and Margaret.
Christian Shoff lived on the home farm until after he was married, and then went to work in the rolling-mill at Colemanville, where he remained about fourteen years, after which he went back on the old farm, which he worked on shares for four years. He then returned to the rolling-mill for six years, and back to the farm again for two years. His next move was to Shenks Ferry, where he kept hotel for six years. At the end of this time he returned to Colemanville, the place of his birth, where he has lived for twenty-four years, and there he still makes his home, with his children. He married Eliza. daughter of David Groff, of Lancaster county, and they are the parents of the following named children : Maris, of Philadelphia ; Martha, wife of Martin H. Good: John, of Altoona, Pa .: Henry, of Martic township; Abram, of Logansport, Ind .: Frederic, the subject proper of this sketch: Christian. of Conestoga; Annie, wife of Martin B. Foulz, of Conestoga : and George, deceased.
FREDERIC SHOFF was born April 1, 1857, on the old farm where his ancestors first settled, and he re- mained at home until he was fourteen years old, when he started in the contracting business for himself. taking logs off the river and also dealing in furs. For eight years he followed fishing and trapping, and then went to work for his uncle for four years,
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Frederico Shoff
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BIOGRAPHICAL ANNALS OF LANCASTER COUNTY
after which he lived six years on the old farm where he was born. He then bought the place where he now resides, and has ever since been engaged in farming and contracting. Mr. Shoff also has a flourmill and saw and planing mills. He has been highly success- inl in all his undertaking's. One of his first profitable ventures was the purchase of a bridge which had been blown into the Susquehanna, from the Pennsyl- vania Railway Company. He removed it in about six weeks, and cleared about $20,000 on the deal. In 1896 Mr. Shoff commenced growing Paragon chest- nuts, establishing an orchard of IS5 acres, which he sold in the fall of the same year to a Mt. Joy com- pany. In 1897 he started an orchard of 300 acres, which he still holds, and another of boo acres in York county, which he sold in the fall of that year to W. G. Reist. He also has another grove, of 370 acres, well started. Aside from several pieces of property in Columbia and Lancaster-eight dwellings in the latter place and two in the former-Mr. Shoff is the owner of over 3,000 acres of land, and in 1901 he shipped over forty thousand railroad ties-all made on his own property --- and cut and chopped over five thousand telegraph poles, besides manufacturing thousands of feet of lumber, etc. He keeps seventy- five men in his emplov.
In 1898 Mr. Shoff conceived the idea of utiliz- ing the Susquehanna river for generating power, and he at once organized a company for that purpose, at York Furnace, known as the York Furnace Elec- tric Heat & Power Company, which has already in- vested several hundred thousand dollars.
In 1901 Mr. Shoff also launched another enter- prise of considerable magnitude. Having decided to erect a large hotel on his property at Pequea. on the Susquehanna river, he at once put the wheels in motion, and a three-story and basement structure has been put up, which, when completed, is expected to afford accommodation for 150 guests ; Mr. Shoff in- tends to keep his hostelry open all the year 'round. He has also put up twenty-seven cottages at the same place, of which he has made a very attractive summer resort.
In the fall of 1901 Mr. Shoff started a movement to secure a trolley road from Lancaster to York Furnace, to be known as the Lancaster & York Furnace road. After the initial survey was made, at his own expense, a company was organized with a capital of $200,000, Mr. Shoff being elected presi- dent. Under his energetic supervision the matter has progressed rapidly, and success is now assured, it having through his individual efforts gained the right of way.
Mr. Shoff is a Republican in politics, and holds the position of school director. in which he has served for the past sixteen years : for six years he was also director of the poor, and is now commencing his third term in that incumbency. In politics, as in busi- ness. he has been very successful, having never suf- fered defeat when a candidate for office. Fraternally
he is a member of Millersville Lodge, No. 496, F. & A. M. : of Tribe No. 1003, I. O. R. M., of Shoff, of which he is treasurer ; and of the I. O. K. of M. C., of Mt. Nebo.
On Oct. 9. 18,8, Mr. Shoff married Miss Delila, daughter of Samuel Warfel, of Conestoga town- ship, and they have had eight children, as follows : Floyd, deceased; Walter, who is a fireman on the Pennsylvania railroad ; William, at home, employed in the mill; Chester, who is a clerk in Frey's store; Milton. deceased; Edgar. with his uncle, Christian ; Earl, at home; and Frederic, Jr., at home.
Mr. Shoff was left without a mother at twelve years of age, and was almost entirely deprived of the advantages of an education, but he has ever been one of the most enterprising and successful men of Lancaster county. He is very progressive, and al- ways ready to lend a helping hand to any enterprise for the advantage of the county in which he lives.
HILL F. DAVIS, who for many years was en- gaged in farming in Colerain township, Lancaster county, was born in Delaware county, Pa .. in Feb- ruary. 1844, son of William S. and Catherine (Engle) Davis. The parents were also natives of Delaware county, where the father was born in IS0.4, and the mother in 1805. His parents, William and Rachel ( Robinson) Davis, passed all their married life in Delaware county.
William S. and Catherine Davis lived on a farm in Delaware county until 1855, when he sold the place and moved into Colerain township, near the Chester county line, where he owned the large place known as the "Col. Bell farm." There he re- mained until his death. in 1887; his wife passed to her reward in 1883. They were reared in the faith of the Friends. and always adhered to that belief. To them were born eleven children, of whom nine lived to maturity, Caroline and Susan dying in young womanhood. (1) Joseph Davis, born in Delaware county, married Miss Lucretia Haves, of Chester county, where they made their home for some years, then moving into Colerain township; there his wife died, leaving one daughter. Cather- ine, who is now the widow of Rufus Springer, of Chester county. Mr. Davis later married Miss , Anna Wright, of Delaware county, where they lo- cated, and where he died in 1900. (2) Mary Davis, born in Delaware county, married James F. Turner, of Lancaster county, and after living for a number of years on a farm in Colerain township moved into Chester county, where Mr. Turner died, leaving his widow and seven children: William, now in Dakota; Caroline. wife of Charles White- side, of Colerain township; Montgomery, in Da- kota: Engle, of Sioux City, Iowa: Anna, wife of Samuel Whiteside, of Colerain township; James ; and Abbie, widow of William Reynolds, of Atglen, Chester county. (3) Dora Davis was born and educated in Delaware county, and married James
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T. Barnard, of Chester county, where they lived on his farm until April, 1902, when they moved to Christiana, Lancaster county. They have had seven children, of whom three died in infancy; William D., living in Philadelphia, who married Laura Shrack, of Northumberland, Pa .; Harry W., who married Ella Sidney Cooper, of Bird-in-Hand, Lan- caster county, and lives on the old home, "Rosa Mo- rado Farm," in Upper Oxford, Chester Co., Pa .; Mary, unmarried, at home ; Dr. Everett, engaged in the practice of his profession in Philadelphia. (4) William Davis, born in Delaware county, married Miss Sheminith Underwood, and made his home in Colerain township, where Mrs. Davis died. Later he married Isabelle Holmes, of Chester county, and with her moved to Northern Kansas, where he died in 1884, leaving his widow and tow children, who are still in Kansas; Carrie, wife of William Harmon, of Kansas City ; and Edward, who is with his mother in Leavenworth, Kan. (5) Ellen Davis, born in Delaware county, married Brinton Walter, a grain merchant at Christiana, where they were living at the time of her death, in 1883. She left one daugh- ter, Georgiana, a graduate (1902) of the Woman's Medical College, at Philadelphia. (6) Hill E. Davis is the sixth member of the family. (7) Louisa Davis, born in Delaware county in 1846, be- came the third wife of Brinton Walter. (8) Cath- erine Davis, born in Delaware county in 1848, is now the widow of Joseph Echternach, of Lancaster county. They were living on his farm in Strasburg township at the time of his death in 1890. The widow and her two children have their home in Christiana. Carrie is the wife of John Danner, and Joseph is studying dentistry in a dental school in Philadelphia. (9) Harry Davis, born in Delaware county in 1853, married Miss Roberta Ross, of Ches- ter county, and they made their home in Christiana where she died, leaving two children. Helen and Norman. Mr. Davis later married Miss Phoebe Evenson, of Bart township. They have their home in Christiana, where he is engaged in a planing mill.
Hill E. Davis was educated in the schools of Lancaster county, and at the Millersville State Nor- mal. He remained with his parents. and when a young man became manager of the home place. upon which he settled, living there until the spring of 1889, when he purchased the William Paxson farm, near the line of Little Britain, one of the finest farms in the township. There he had a large stone house, a fine bank barn and outbuildings, and there he re- mained until the spring of 1902, when he sold the farm to his son William, and moved to the Johnson farm near Oxford.
Mr. Davis was married Dec. 7. 1869. to Anna, daughter of David and Hannah (Turner) Bunting, who settled in Colerain township, where he died in 1859, his widow surviving until Jan. 4. 1902. They were the parents of five children : Nelson, of Cole- rain township; Washington, of Oxford, Chester
county : Laura, wife of Jerre King, of Oxford ; Ella, wife of William Burling, also of Oxford ; and Anna, Mrs. Davis, who was born in Colerain township-in October, 1849, and completed her education in the Union high school. She died on the farm in Cole- rain, Dec. 15, 1900. Mrs. Davis was a Christian woman, and long a member of the Presbyterian Church. having united with that body in her girl- hood. She was the mother of five children: (I) Laura Louisa, born in Colerain township, in Decem- ber, IS70, was educated in the Union high school. She was married in October, 1802, to Calvin Swisher, son of Samuel and Amanda Swisher, and they located in Coatesville, where he was engaged in the grocery trade up to the time of his death, in 1893. His widow is now living in her father's home. (2) William S. Davis, born in July, 1874, who now owns the home place, was married Feb. 19, 1903, to Miss Lena Boyd, of Colwyn, Delaware Co., Pa. (3) Clyde Davis, born in December, 1875, died in 1882. (4) Joseph Davis, born in August, 1881, is now a student in the Union high school. (5) Fred Davis, born in February, 1886, is at home.
Mr. Davis and his family are all members of the Presbyterian Church of which he has been a trustee for twelve years. In politics he is a Demo- crat, and for twelve years has been school director in Colerain township. Hill Davis, as he is commonly known, is a man of fine character and lofty princi- ples, and conunands the hearty and unstinted respect of the community in which his quiet but useful life is passing.
JONAS HUBER. Among the successful and representative citizens of Martic township is Jonas Huber, born April 14, 1851, son of Henry and Annie (Hess) Huber, both of whom are deceased.
The Huber family was founded in America by four brothers of the name, who came hither from Germany in the seventeenth century, one of whom settled in Lancaster county and one in Bucks county, Pa. Abraham Huber, grandfather of Jonas, was the father of ten children, namely, Henry, Nancy, Martin, Joseph, David, Martha, Barbara and John, the others dying young. Henry Huber, son of .\bra- liam and father of Jonas, was a merchant and tailor in Marticville for more than fifty years. He was the father of nine children, five of whom grew to maturity, mamely : David H., a retired farmer of Martic township; Abraham, a farmer of Conestoga township; Jonas ; Sarah, the wife of Henry Rohrer, of the city of Lancaster ; Samuel, also of Lancaster. Henry Huber was a Republican in his political at- tachment and was a most highly respected citizen. He belonged to the Mennonite Church.
Jonas Huber was reared in Marticville and early made himself useful to his father in the store. Af- ter completing his education in the public schools, he entered mercantile business and the wisdom of his choice of occupation is shown in the success which has attended his efforts. As a merchant he
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has displayed good business capacity and by honor- able and upright methods has won and has kept the best trade of the town and vicinity. His store and dwelling are both valuable properties, and in the latter is carried a general line of seeds, suited to the demands of his trade. for which there is a contsant- ly increasing patronage.
Mr. Huber was first married in 1874 to Miss Mary Miller, of Providence township, a daughter of Abraham Miller, and two children were born to this union; Elizabeth, who died in girlhood; and Annie, the wife of Adam Shank. of Manor town- ship. Mrs. Huber died in 1889. In 1891 Mr. Huber was united in marriage to Miss Mary Hess, daughter of Amos Hess, of Pequea township, and this marriage has been blessed with two children : Verna, now deceased ; and Ethel at home.
Mr. Huber has been an important factor in po- litical life in Martic township and for a number of years has most efficiently filled offices of responsi- bility. For several years he has been postmaster of Marticville; in 1896 was appointed mercantile appraiser in the county, in 1898 was made paster and folder for the State Senate, and in 1900 was elected jury commissioner of Lancaster county. He has shown his interest in educational matters by service as school director and has been assistant as- sessor of his township. He is known as one of the leading Republicans of that part of the county. In both public and private life he is a man to be held in high esteem.
CHRISTIAN GEORGE BASSLER (formerly spelled Bossler), attorney-at-law, Lancaster, was born in Manheim township, Lancaster county, Jan. 2, 1856, son of the late John and Leah ( Minnich ) Bassler. The ancestors of the Bassier family were of Swiss origin, and came to America from their native land about 1749.
Christian Bassler, grandfather of Christian G., was born in Manheim township, Lancaster county, and there spent his entire life, engaged in agricul- tural pursuits. On attaining his majority he mar- ried Catherine Bachman, who came of one of the old families of the county, and of their children but one survives, Christian H., who resides on the old homestead in Manheim township. Christian Bass- ler died in 1862, aged seventy-nine years. His wife, born in 1787, died in 1865, aged about seventy-eight years. Their remains are interred in the family graveyard located on the homestead farm.
John Bassler was born in Manheim township in 1815, and like his father spent his entire life in his native township, engaged in the peaceful voca- tion of a tiller of the soil. To him and his wife were born five children : (1) Frances Augusta, married Herman W. Graybill and had the following chil- dren : Nora B., wife of John M. Groff, attorney-at- law, Lancaster ; John B .: Laura, deceased ; Daniel ; Catherine. (2) Amos H. resides in Lancaster. He married Kate Miller, and they have one son, Harry
M. (3) John Jacob resides at home. (4) Christian G. (5) Benjamin F. died in 1878, aged eighteen years. John Bassler died in Manheim township, May 18. 1861. His wife, who survives him, lives at Petersburg, Lancaster county.
Christian G. Bassler, having lost his father when but six years old, went to live with his grandpar- ents and remained with them until 1865. He then removed to the house of his uncle, Jacob Gamber, where he remained until he was fourteen years of age. During this period his education was limited to a very brief attendance at the district school. When he attained the age of fifteen years he went to Man- heim and lived with his guardian, Elias Bomberger, and for two years he was a pupil in the Manheim school. At the expiration of this period he received a teacher's certificate, and securing a school he taught in Penn township until 1876. He then entered the Millersville Normal School for the purpose of taking a regular course and was graduated there- from in 1878. He then secured a school in East Hempfield township where he taught for four years. Meanwhile he was industriously engaged during his spare hours in reading and studying law, and he was admitted to the bar in the fall of 1832. Removing to North Dakota, he settled in Minewaukan, where he successfully practiced his profession for five years. During this time he served as county attorney for Benson county, Dakota, for several months. In 1887 he returned to Lancaster county and settled in the City of Lancaster, since which time he has success- fully practiced his profession in that city.
Mr. Dassler was married in Lancaster in 1879 to Maria, daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth (Ruth) Shissler. of Lancaster, and they have had issue as follows: Olive Lodelia, a teacher in the public schools; John Franklin, who died in childhood; George H. : William Sidney. Mr. Bassler is a mem- of the Lancaster County Bar Association, and takes a deep interest in whatever pertains to the advance- ment of the material interests of the association and members.
J. MILTON HUBER. The Huber family be- longs among the old agricultural settlers of Lancas- ter county, where it has grown and flourished these many years, its descendants and representatives be- ing among the most highly esteemed in this part of the State of Pennsylvania.
Grandfather Abraham Huber was born in Ger- many, and there he was reared until young man- hood, when he came to the United States and first located in the State of Virginia. His permanent home, however, was made in Lancaster county, and it was in Lampeter township that he purchased his first tract of Jand, consisting of seven acres, which lay just south of Willowstreet. a village which was then just being laid out and platted in five-acre tracts. Mr. Huber, with remarkable foresight, saw his opportunity, and began buying these five-acre tracts until he was in possession of 120 acres, a great
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part of this land being now owned by his grandson, J. Milton Huber.
Abraham Huber was a carpenter by trade. and worked at it until his land required his personal at- tention, when he devoted his later years to its im- provement and development. He lived to be sev- enty-eight. He married Polly Stauffer, their chil- dren being : Katie, who married Abraham Harnish ; Polly, who married John Huber; Susan, who mar- ried John Yordy; John, who was a well-known farmier of considerable prominence in East Hemp- field township, and was locally called "Pap"Huber ; and Levi, who was the father of I. Milton. The parents had reared the family in the instruction and membership of the Old Mennonite Church.
Levi Huber was born in 1812 and died in 1884. He was brought up on the farm and received his primary education in the public schools. his father later procuring for him a private tutor, under whose instruction he became educated in the profession of a scrivener and also of a surveyor, later engaging in farming, as well as in the practice of these arts. His life was spent on the old homestead at Willow- street, as he succeeded to the property, and both socially and in a business capacity he was widely known and esteemed.
Levi Huber was married to Catherine Kuperts who was born in Conestoga township in 1819, and died in 1893, her life having been devoted to good works and the rearing of a family of ten children, these being: Abraham, who was a successful farm- er in West Lampeter and died at the age of sixty- three, leaving a widow, since deceased ; Elizabeth, deccased, the wife of Martin Witmer, of West Lampeter township, now of Strasburg; John. who died at the age of thirty-eiglit, leaving a widow : in his profession of physician he served in the Civil war, remaining four years at Hilton Head, S. C., in the Hospital corps, as its superintendent, was a graduate of Jefferson Medical College and had previously studied medicine with Dr. Carpenter, of Lancaster ; Catherine, deceased wife of Benjamin Huffman : Susan, the wife of Benjamin Hastings, also deceased ; Louisa, the wife of John L. Brenne- man, of Lancaster City; Mary, who died in child- hood; Elam. who died at the age of twelve; Levi, who died at the age of forty-three, a graduate of Jefferson Medical College, having previously read with Dr. Boyle, of Hagerstown. Md., and at the time of his death a surgeon in Kansas, in the em- ploy of a Western railroad.
J. Milton Huber, of whom this biography is written, was the youngest of the family of Levi and Catherine Huber, was born Dec. 17, 1853, was reared on the large farm of his father, and attended the common schools of the district, later taking a course in the State Normal School at Millersville. When twenty-three years old he began work at the car- penter trade, and since then has given a portion of his time to it, and the remainder to operating his farm, as he owns eighteen acres of the old home-
stead. This place he has improved by the erection of a fine, modern brick residence and other substan- tial buildings, which make it a model country home, and one of the most attractive places in the neigh- borhood, Mr. Huber demonstrating that he is not only a competent carpenter, but also an excellent agriculturist.
As one of the leading men in the district and an ardent Republican, he has been recognized by the party of his choice and his activity rewarded by the appointment to local offices, having been a most efficient justice of the peace for the past fifteen years. During this long term of service he has never had any of his decisions reversed. His aim has been to adjust all matters peaceably. and to each case he gives time and close attention, and has thus gained the confidence of the community, who feel sure of his just dealing.
The marriage of J. Milton Huber occurred in September, 1875. to Henrietta Gall. a daughter of Henry and Nancy ( Furry) Gall. who was born in Conestoga township in 1851. When Mr. Huber was but twenty-three years of age he became a mem- ber of the M. F. Church, and since that time has been one of its most active supporters and con- sistent members, has served for several years as trustee and is the efficient superintendent of the Sun- dlay-school : in every way he is a good citizen, hav- ing done all in his power to advance his family, sec- tion and State.
RESH. Henry Resh, who came from Germany to Pennsylvania in 1748, first settled on a tract of land a short distance east of Lancaster, where he spent three years. In 1751 he bought 125 acres in Leacock township, from Joseph Musser, for which he paid £475. After his death, in 1754, this property passed into the hands of his widow, Frena Resh, and from her to her son. John, and. with the exception of a small fraction, was still held by his descendants in 1902-the larger portion, with the mansion house and original home, by Jacob Ranck, a great-great-grandson : the remainder be- longs to the estate of Mary Shirk. a great-great- granddaughter. Henry Resh was the father of five children, two sons and three daughters: John, born in Europe March 2, 1737 ; Elizabeth, born in Europe Ang. 2. 1739; Christian, born in Europe Sept. 3. 1743: Barbara, born in Pennsylvania Jan. 13, 1751 : and Magdalena, born in Pennsylvania March 19, 1753. . The history of the family is traditional and not at all full. The daughters all married. Elizabeth to a Mr. Stoner. and Barbara to a Mr. Miller. The daughters of Mrs. Elizabeth Stoner married Bress- lers : and her son. while yet a young man, was killed by his horse running away down the little slope just west of Henry Ressler's mill, on the Old Philadelphia road. which is now the Bird-in-Hand turnpike. Mag- dalena married Jacob Denlinger.
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