Biographical annals of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania : containing biographical sketches of prominent men and representative citizens and of the early settled families, Part 14

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 946

USA > Pennsylvania > Lebanon County > Biographical annals of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania : containing biographical sketches of prominent men and representative citizens and of the early settled families > Part 14

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ried Josiah M. Brandt, of South Annville township, and has one son, John; Christian S., a student at the State Agricultural College, in Center county, class of 1904, married Ella Stauffer; Peter S. married Maggie Hoke and has one son, John; Adam S. is unmarried.

In addition to being a first-class citizen in every respect, Mr. Bomberger has also an honorable war record. On August 13, 1862, he was mustered into Company E, One Hundred and Twenty-seventh Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, under Capt. L. L. Greenawalt, and took part in the terrible battle of Chancellorsville, and other engagements, and was mustered out of the service May 29, 1863.

CAPT. M. J. FITZGERALD is a retired army captain of the United States Army, now residing in Lebanon, Pa. He was born in Ireland Sep- tember 24, 1837, in County Westmeath, son of John FitzGerald, and left his father's home when only nine years old, coming to Baltimore, Md., to visit a relative who promised to continue his education. He had gone to school for a time in Ireland, and attended also in Baltimore. But he had not been in this country long before he was apprenticed to learn the brick- mason's trade. At the age of eighteen, in 1855, he enlisted in Company E, First United States Artillery, and remained in the service for five years, serving at Fortress Monroe, Va., Fort Dallas, Fort Miami, Fort Capron, Fla., and Fort Moultrie, S. C. He was in the Ordnance Corps on Sullivan Island, at the United States Arsenal at Charleston, S. C., and was taken prisoner December 31, 1860, by the State of South Carolina. From there he was sent to the United States Arsenal at Augusta, Ga., and again taken prisoner, later being released. He was ordered to Washington, D. C., and discharged at his own request. He then re-enlisted in the First Artillery, March 14, 1861. Owing to the fact that he had given all his spare time while serving in the South to the study of pharmacy and materia medica, he received appointment as hospital steward at Fort McHenry, Md. After eight months of service he was moved to Frederick, Md., as chief steward of the general hospital at that place, where he was taken prisoner. After the battle of Antietam he had some 4.500 sick and wounded under his charge, as steward. In May, 1863, he was relieved from duty at Frederick. Md., to take charge, as chief steward, of the Naval Academy at that time converted into a hospital. On June 1, 1863, he was appointed second lieu- tenant of the Ninth United States Infantry, and received orders to report at Presidio, Cal. From there he went to join Company C, at San Juan Island, in Puget Sound, Washington Territory. There he served in a joint mili-

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tary occupation with the British troops until September, 1865, during which time he performed the duties of acting assistant quartermaster, acting assistant commissary of subsistence and post adjutant. He was then ordered back to the Presidio of San Francisco, Cal. In the meantime he received his promotion to first lieutenant, and served as acting adjutant, quartermas- ter and commissary during his stay at the Presidio. From there he was ordered to Surprise Valley, Cal., where he built Fort Bidwell, and was commander there for two years. Then he was transferred to the command of Fort Crook, Cal., remaining there ten months, at the end of that time being returned to Fort Bidwell and appointed quartermaster and commis- sary. There he remained until November, 1868, when he was relieved and ordered East, on general recruiting service in New York City. As soon as he arrived in New York he received orders to proceed to Cincinnati, Ohio. Here he threw up his detail and rejoined his regiment, at Omaha, Neb. After remaining there a short time he was transferred to Company F and ordered to take command of it and Fort Sidney, Neb. He served there eighteen months, was relieved, with his company, and ordered to Fort Russell, Wyoming Territory. After serving there he was ordered to the Omaha Barracks, where, in 1873, he received promotion as captain of Com- pany D, Ninth United States Infantry, and was ordered to Fort Sidney, Neb. After a short stay there he went back to Omaha, where he received orders to go to Fort Russell, thence to the Red Cloud Indian Agency, in the Sioux Nation, to duty at Fort Robinson, where he was wounded. Later he proceeded to Fort McKinney, in the Big Horn mountains, remaining there until his retirement, in 1879. During all those years he was engaged in scout duty and fighting Indians all over Florida, the Pacific coast and the plains, and received his retirement from the government for wounds and injuries received while in line of duty. He was for a time assistant adjutant general of Colorado. He came to Lebanon in 1889.

Capt. FitzGerald is a member of the Society of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, the Society of the Army of the Potomac and the G. A. R. He is a Mason of high rank in Lebanon City. He organized Company H, of the Fourth National Guard, of Lebanon, and at the beginning of the Spanish-American war tendered his and his com- pany's services to the United States. He is a stanch Republican, and one of the honored citizens of Lebanon.

The Captain has three children : Mrs. Alice Cavanaugh; Gerald, of Washington, D. C., who is a machinist in the United States Navy yards; and John, of Philadelphia, who is also a machinist. Capt. FitzGerald is a

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man well-learned, of keen mind and splendid character, and a true patriotic citizen. A man with a big heart, and kind toward all, he is noted for his hospitality. He served his adopted country like a true American, and spent all the better part of his life in hard service for that country, proving him- self a man who never flinched from duty as a citizen or a soldier.

THOMAS S. JOHNSTON, D. D. In his day Thomas S. Johnston was one of the most widely known ministers in the Reformed Church in the State of Pennsylvania. Gifted with absolute sincerity of purpose, and pos- sessing an overwhelming desire to better the conditions and lives of those who composed his environment, he was never weary of well doing, and con- sidered no task too arduous for the service of his Master. In his character he embodied the high moral sense and conservative reliability of his Scot- tish ancestors, adapted to the exigencies of times a little earlier and less liberal than those of the present. He was born in the city of Philadelphia, August 4, 1818, and his death occurred June 11, 1887.

Thomas Johnston, the father of Thomas S., was born in Scotland, and upon emigrating to America many years ago settled in Philadelphia. He had formerly been a shoe merchant in Edinburgh, and he undertook his former occupation in the city of his adoption. Five children were born to himself and wife, namely : John, Samuel, Thomas, Jemima and Helen, all of whom are deceased.

Rev. Dr. Johnston was reared and educated in Philadelphia, and was prepared for the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal church at the seminary conducted by the church. For a number of years he preached in Philadelphia, beginning at the age of twenty-one, but eventually came to Lebanon and assumed charge of the Second Reformed Church, with which he was con- nected for so many years, resigning at the close of his twentieth year. He filled many positions aside from that directly connected with his charge, one of the most important being that of secretary of the Foreign Missionary Society of the Reformed Church of the United States. He was a forceful and convincing speaker, and found no difficulty in conveying to large audiences his own optimistic and happy thoughts of life. He judged leniently the frailties of human nature, yet in his own existence stood for the sentinel which suggested better things, and was ever ready with advice, counsel and help.

About 1843 Dr. Johnston was united in marriage with Hannah Frailey. daughter of Leonard Frailey, a cutlery merchant of Philadelphia, and who had two other children, John and Susan, now deceased. Mrs. Johnston.

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who is still living in her commodious home on Eighth street, Lebanon, is remarkably active for her advanced years, and is a delight to the many friends who draw inspiration and help from her noble character. Like her husband, her life has been of great help to those around her, and she ever worked hand in hand with the man whose life work represented her own idea of exalted existence. Six children were born to Dr. and Mrs. Johnston, viz. : Thomas, a practicing physician of Duncannon; James, a medical practitioner of Denver, Colo .; Mary, deceased; Susan, the wife of Sammuel Raber, of Denver, Colo .: Jennie, the wife of Harris Tabor, of New Jersey; and Elizabeth, the wife of Robert Marshall, of Lebanon.

ANDREW TICE, late one of the highly respected and eminently suc- cessful farmers of Jackson township, resided on a well cultivated farm, two miles northeast of Myerstown, and was born April 7, 1822, at the time of his death being one of the oldest citizens of this locality. He was the son of John and Catherine (Line) Tice, of Jackson township, now deceased.

It is supposed that one John Tice, who came from Germany in the early history of the country, was the great-grandfather of Andrew Tice. One of the sons of John, Philip, became the father of two children : John and Henry, and the former was the father of Andrew, of Jackson township. John Tice was born in 1799, and lived to be an old man. In 1820, he married Catherine Line, and they had five children : Andrew; Eliza, widow of Henry Kreitzer; David, deceased; Rebecca, deceased, who married William Peiffer; and Catherine, who married Lamiel Groh. John Tice was an old-time Democrat, and was a stanch supporter of Andrew Jackson. For many years he was a member of the Reformed Church of Tulpehocken, lived an honorable life, and died firm in the faith of his creed and at peace with all men.

Andrew Tice was reared upon his father's farm, receiving his education at the old-fashioned schools. After attaining his majority, he adopted the calling of a farmer, and by hard, unremitting work accumulated a fine property of eighty-seven and one-half acres, all in a fine state of cultivation, and sup- plied with comfortable buildings. On August 10, 1845, he was united in mar- riage with Miss Eliza Shirk, daughter of Samuel and Catherine (Noeker) Shirk, farmers of Jackson township, and a member of a family of seven children : Cyrus, of Lebanon county; William, of Iowa; John; Henry; Catherine, deceased; Catherine, who married Jacob Edris, of Missouri; and Mrs. Tice. Mrs. Tice was born August 27, 1827, and has lived a long and useful life. The grandfather of Mrs. Tice, Abram Shirk, was among the very early settlers of Lebanon county. One child was born to Mr. and Mrs.

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Tice, Mary A., widow of George W. Uhrich, deceased, of Myerstown, Pa., who is the mother of ten children : George, of Myerstown; Catherine; Annie, deceased ; Ida ; John; Mary ; Harry ; Valentine, of Lebanon county; Andrew, deceased; and Ira, of Myerstown. In addition to rearing their one child, Mr. and Mrs. Tice brought up several orphan children to be a credit to them- selves and the community: Dr. Milton Batdorf, a practicing physician of Myerstown; Caroline Seibert, who married Henry Tice, of Lebanon county ; Levi Wolf, of Iowa; Henry Wolf, of Ohio. In politics Mr. Tice was always a stanch Democrat, but never aspired to political preferment, having suf- ficient to occupy him in his farm duties, and in his Christian work of caring for the fatherless and homeless. In his life both he and his good wife lived up to the teachings of the Myerstown Reformed Church, of which they were active members for many years. Few people were more worthy the respect and esteen! of their fellow citizens than was Mr. Tice, who with his wife passed his declining years in peace and happiness which comes of a well spent life and good deeds done without hope of reward but simply for the sake of Him whom they followed. Mr. Tice entered into rest July 26, 1903.

MICHAEL SPANGLER. The Spangler family is one of the old established ones of Lebanon county, Michael Spangler, its founder, coming to the locality from his German home, as early as 1732, purchasing at that time a tract of land near Myerstown. Here he reared a family of ten sons and two daughters, one of the former, George Spangler, becoming the grand- father of Michael Spangler of West Cornwall township.

George Spangler was born near Myerstown in 1782, and was the youngest of his father's numerous sons. He owned a small property and supported his family by his own industry, rearing them to respectable maturity and in the religious faith of the Reformed Church. His wife was Catherine Dandies, and their children were : Jacob; John ; George; William; Catherine, who mar- ried John Lowinell; and Sarah, who married John Beckley, a prominent farmer.

Jacob Spangler, father of Michael, was born in 1806, in Prescott, Lebanon county, and died in 1877. His trade was that of shoemaker, which he followed through life, in Lebanon township, this county. His father had taken part in the war of 1812, and he was captain of the Light Horse Guards, a company of militia.

Michael Spangler was born in 1830, in South Lebanon township, a son of Jacob and Maria (Beckley) Spangler, the latter of whom died in 1851, at the age of forty-two years, having been the devoted mother of twelve

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children, ten of whom grew to maturity, namely: Michael; Jonathan, de- ceased ; Samuel, a resident of Lebanon; David, a resident of Ohio; Maria, who died unmarried; Isaac and Israel, both residents of Illinois; Joseph, of Myerstown : Catherine, the wife of Daniel Stover, of Prescott; and Rudolph, deceased.

Michael Spangler was reared in South Lebanon township, and under his father's instruction became a first-class shoemaker, engaging in this business for a period of twenty-three years. Then Mr. Spangler decided to try farm- ing, and accordingly purchased a tract of fifty acres in 1865, and moved upon it in the following year. Until 1901 when he retired from activity, Mr. Spangler operated his farm with great success, selling the property then to his son Abel, but he still makes it his home.

In 1859 Mr. Spangler married Barbara Witmer, born in 1830, in Corn- wall township, a daughter of Peter Witmer, of Lebanon county, and a family of five children was born to them, namely : Solomon, who married Elizabeth Mellinger, of Ephrata, Lancaster county, lives at Bismarck, and they have one son, Michael H. ; Oliver, who married Catherine Mellinger, lives near Lebanon, and they have two children, Catherine and Willie; Abel, who is the farmer on the home place, married Sarah Greiner, of Lancaster county. and they have one son, Harvey; Amanda resides at home; and Daniel, who married Elizabeth Steckbesk, resides in Lebanon and they have four children : Henry, Herman, Daniel and Leroy.

Mr. Spangler is a man who is very highly esteemed in his community, his estimable life and character making him one of the most respected men in West Cornwall township. For fifty-four years he has been one of the leading members of the Reformed Church, and has been entrusted with the duties of the highest positions on its official board. For twenty years he has been treasurer of St. Paul's Reformed Church at Bismarck, for six years the leader of the prayer meeting, for three years deacon, and for six years has been one of the elders. Few men in this locality have a larger circle of warm friends.

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HON. CONRAD G. GERHART, mayor of the city of Lebanon, and one of its substantial and influential citizens, was born there, September 16, 1841, son of William and Elizabeth (Uhler) Gerhart.

Conrad Gerhart, his grandfather, was a native of Germany, who emi- grated to America and settled in Lebanon at an early day, where he followed a tailoring business.

William Gerhart, son of Conrad and father of Hon. Conrad, was born in

bliksemhart

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Lebanon, and followed a butchering business for a number of years. His death occurred in June, 1890, in the eighty-ninth year of his age. His widow, Elizabeth Uhler, daughter of Michael Uhler, a native of Germany, was also born in Lebanon county, June 6, 1806, and is nearing her, end of a century, remarkably preserved, and most highly esteemed. Ten children were born to William and Elizabeth Gerhart, as follows: Maria, who died in 1850, at the age of twenty-five years; Elizabeth, who married John Mills (a member of the gallant Ninety-third Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and killed at the battle of Fredericksburg), and died in 1888: Catherine, who married Cyrus Bemes- derfer ; John; Mary, who married William Synder; William, who enlisted in the Ninety-third Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, served three years, was orderly sergeant and had been commissioned second lieutenant, but who fell a martyr to his country on the second day of the battle of the Wilderness ; Conrad G .; Sarah, who married Samuel Shank: George B., and Caroline, who married George R. Rise.

The early life of Hon. Conrad G. Gerhart was probably not very different from thousands of other healthy, happy schoolboys of his time. except that as early as ten years he was taught that industry is indispensable to success in any vocation, and that a trade was a stepping-stone to higher things. For some years he worked on the Union canal in the summer and went to school in the winter. He entered later a cigarmaking establishment, and also assisted his father in the butcher shop, and was thus engaged at the outbreak of the Civil war. Loyal to the core, in September, 1861, he enlisted as a musician in the Ninety-third Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry and was discharged in 1862. In 1863 he re-enlisted in the Twenty-sixth Emergency Regiment and participated in the battle of Gettysburg. and was discharged with his com- rades when the emergency was over. After his return from the army, Mr. Gerhart resumed work at the butcher business, and in 1872 embarked in that line on his own account. To do this he borrowed $300, Adolphus Reinoehl signing the note with him as security. Mr. Gerhart paid the note in full, when due, and now has it framed and hanging in his library. He continued until the spring of 1888, when he made a specialty of the manufacture of sausages on an extensive scale, and still continues interested in this business. He was one of the organizers of the Central Market House, on Ninth street. and is one of its directors.

From his youth Mayor Gerhart has taken an intelligent interest in public affairs, and since his majority has been actively identified with the Republi- can party. In 1896 he served as select councilman from the Third ward, and in 1899 he was honored by his fellow-citizens with the election to the

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mayoralty. During his administration municipal reforms have been many, and many important improvements have been made and enterprises promoted. One of the most important of these was the improvement and enlarging of the city water plant. Mr. Gerhart is a man of large means, and was one of the original nine that organized the Farmers National Bank in 1892, was then elected a director, serving as such officer to date, and for five years has been president. He is a man of public-spirit, of unswerving integrity and enjoys the esteem of his fellow-citizens. His fraternal connection is with the Sedg- wick Post, No. 42, G. A. R.

In 1864 occurred the marriage of Mayor Gerhart to Catherine F. Ritter, who was born in Franklin county, Pa., daughter of Jacob and Sarah Ritter. She passed out of life in 1890. The children to this marriage were : William, who died in 1881, at the age of seventeen years ; Dora M., who married George W. Kochenour, of Lebanon ; Minnie M., who married George A. Maulfair, of Lebanon : and Anna M., at home with her father.

CHARLES B. WAGNER, D. D. S., who bears the proud distinction of being the pioneer dentist of Lebanon, was born in Haines township, Center county, Pa., February 4, 1832. He is a son of Rev. Philip and Catherine (Bordner) Wagner, of Millheim, Center county, Pennsylvania.

Rev. Philip Wagner was born near Carlisle, Pa., November 28, 1800, and died February 15, 1870. He became a minister of the Evangelical Associ- ation at New Berlin, Union county, Pa., in 1822, and was elected presiding elder in 1833, in which capacity he acceptably served for almost a quarter of a century. He was also the president of the conference a number of sessions, and a member of ten General Conferences. He was a clergyman of marked ability and splendid oratorical powers, speaking both English and German fluently, and during the years of his faithful ministry he was considered one of the leading men of the church, and as a man was greatly beloved for his nobility of character. His wife. Catherine (Bordner) Wagner, was born April 9, 1799; she died September 8, 1870, and her remains repose beside those of her husband in the cemetery at Lewisburg, Pa. Rev. Philip and Catherine (Bordner) Wagner were the parents of six children: David, a miller by trade; and Benjamin, Elizabeth, Eliza, William B. and Charles B., all of whom have been gathered by the silent reaper except the two last named, William B. being a prominent minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Seneca Falls, N. Y .; and Charles B., our subject.

Charles B. Wagner was reared in the country, and his boyhood days were passed at Millheim. When quite young he worked at haymaking and

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harvesting for a "fip" (614 cents) a day, and in later years in the summer season he was hired out by the month to a farmer for a small salary ($2.00 per month). During the winter he was at home and attended school, but school-going in those days did not amount to much, as the boys were obliged to help the farmers thrash their grain. His schooling, in consequence, was somewhat limited, but by close application, after he entered the professional world, he became a proficient scholar.

Dr. Wagner was but a youth when he first became interested in dentistry. His father wore a small gold plate, which his son had an occasional oppor- tunity to examine. The mechanism of the little skeleton of a plate was some- what of a curiosity to him, and he determined then that he would like to be a dentist. Years passed and it was not until 1852, that an opportunity pre- sented itself to study the profession of his choice. At Millheim he placed himself under the instruction of a practicing dentist, with whom he re- mained two years. At that time there were few dental colleges, and it was not deemed necessary by most preceptors, outside of the cities, to advise students to attend college. It was the custom of the preceptors usually to take large fees, and at the end of the student's term to induce him to purchase some of his stock, such as instruments and office fixtures that might be needed, at prices almost equal to those of new and improved appliances. These instruments, were, no doubt, received by them in a similar manner. "Well do I remember." remarked the Doctor, "that I had such an experience at the end of my term. Some of the instruments purchased, appeared to me, after I became wiser in dentistry, as though they had been used by the man who made the Golden Calf for Aaron in the wilderness."

We are permitted to quote Dr. Wagner's own words, which prove quite interesting: "My greatest worry when I started out in my profession was the lack of means, as I had but fifty cents of my own. For the balance of the money needed, I was obliged to depend upon good frinds, who took my honesty as a guarantee for future reimbursement.

"In 1856 I was married to Miss Elizabeth Stine, of Millheim, a daugh- ter of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Stine, natives of East Hanover, Lebanon county, who moved to Center county, Pa., when their daughter was quite young. In October, 1856, we left Millheim in private conveyance for Lebanon, Pa., where we rented a frame house on East Cumberland street, then the property of David Hallman. Here we used a wooden box as a table, on which we served our first meal -- the first provided for ourselves. We commenced housekeeping with about $60. We were entire strangers in Lebanon and in the county, but when Sunday came we attended Emanuel Evangelical Church,

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and after service we made ourselves known to the pastor, Rev. C. Haman, now an ex-bishop residing at Reading, Pa., who became our first guest after we had been fixed for housekeeping. He made it pleasant for us, encouraged me in my business, and received us as members of his church by certificate from our former pastor, Rev. D. Kramer, at Millheim, of the same denomi- nation. I had been converted between Christmas and New Year in 1854, in the old church at Millheim, since destroyed.

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Biographical annals of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania : containing biographical sketches of prominent men and representative citizens and of the early settled families, Part 14

Author: J.H. Beers & Co Publication date: 1904 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : J. H. Beers Number of Pages: 946

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 946