USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > Biographical annals of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, containing genealogical records of representative families, including many of the early settlers and biographical sketches of prominent citizens, Vol. I > Part 44
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Samuel R. Gordon was taught early in life that work was not only conducive to health on account of its exercising the body, but was the means of gaining a livelihood and acquiring a fortune. He obtained his education in the common schools of the neighborhood. Having acquired habits of industry and thrift by force of the example of his elders and by the lack of money to spend, he be- came a rising young farmer, and his services were much sought after by all the farmers in the neigh- borhood. He also made many friends in the vicin- ity of his home, and on October 12, 1861, married Margaret, daughter of Frederick and Matilda (Neavil) Knipe, of an old and prominent family of Upper Gwynedd township.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon are: Amanda, born January 1, 1864, married Decem- ber, 1886, Henry Englehart, of Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, they residing on the Helfenstein homestead, near North Wales; Samuel Bird, born July 30, 1865, died March, 1866; Mary Ann, born February 9, 1867, died in infancy ; George Wash- ington, born February 17, 1869, married Sep- tember 30, 1903, Elizabeth Fisener, of Colmar, they residing at "Gordon Place," where he is en- gaged as a farmer and butcher; Walter Scott, born March 10, 1871, married October 3, 1903, Fanny Y. Yocum, of Hatfield, and lives at "Gor- don Place;" Simon Gordon, born October 16, 1873, is deceased; Viola, born July 2, 1875, died May 23, 1894; Ross B., born November 13, 1879,
SAMUEL R. GORDON
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died December 17, 1883. Amanda, the oldest child, wife of Mr. Englehart, has had the fol- lowing children : Helen Evelyn, born March 6, 1888; Gordon born February 7, 1899.
Soon after his marriage, in 1861, Samuel R. Gordon and his wife removed to the farm of Daniel Foulke, in Montgomery township, Mont- gomery county, where they lived two years. They next rented the farm of Richard Dobbins, of Montgomery Square, and managed it for three years, Mrs. Gordon always ably assisting her hus- band in his undertakings. In 1867 they purchased the farm of George and Samuel Woolf, on Beth- lehem Pike, just beyond the limits of North Wales, and established a dairy there. It included 119 acres of improved land and was well watered and drained. It is now known as the "Gordon Place." Mr. Gordon always took a deep interest in his herd of cows, usually keeping about thirty, mostly Alderney. He lived on this place the rest of his life, dying May 27, 1895.
Mr. Gordon always took an active part in the affairs of the community in which he lived, and served as director of the North Wales Building and Loan Association, and also in the local bank. In politics he was a Democrat, and, although he was active in working for his party, never sought personal preferment. He and his family belonged to St. Peter's Lutheran church at North Wales, and took an active interest in religious and edu- cational matters. In the division of his estate he gave to his two sons jointly the farm "Gordon Place," and to his daughter, Mrs. Englehart, the property which was formerly the homestead of the Helfenstein family. His widow, Mrs. Margaret Gordon, resides with her daughter, Amanda.
JAMES M. HALLMAN, of Pottstown, is a member of an old Montgomery county family, which has resided therein for more than a cen- tury and a half.
James M. Hallman, a well known citizen of Pottstown, was born February 4, 1845. He is the son of Isaiah and Susanna ( Hartel) Hallman. Isaiah (father) was a shoemaker by occupation and a life-long resident of Montgomery county. Susanna Hallman died in 1852 at the age of thir-
ty-two years. Her husband survived for many years, dying in December, 1899, at the age of eighty-four years. Both were buried at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran church, near Center Square, in Whitpain township. He was a Demo- crat in politics and was for many years road su- pervisor of the township and a prominent man in the district. They had four children, all living as follows: Henry H., who was for some time deputy county treasurer, and is now engaged in the office of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, residing at 658 George street, Norristown ; Anna ; Sophia, married William Lynch, both sisters also residing in Norristown; James M., subject of this sketch.
The paternal grandparents were John and Margaret (Gouldy) Hallman, also residents of Montgomery county. He died young. She sur- vived to the age of more than eighty years. Both were buried at St. John's, Center Square. They had three children, Isaiah, Charles and Charlotte, who married Mr. Cassel.
Henry Hartel (maternal grandfather) was married twice and had the following children : Mary, Hannah, Jacob, Susanna and Sophia. He was a Democrat in politics. They were both members of the Presbyterian church and were buried at the Lower Providence cemetery. They resided in Norriton township, where he was a farmer.
James M. Hallman attended school until he was eighteen years of age and then learned the trade of shoemaking, which he followed for sev- eral years. He then went to Chicago and spent several months in the west. Returning to the east he located in Pottstown, where he engaged in the feed business and has followed that ever since. He married, April 27, 1876, Mary Mag- dalena, daughter of Thomas and Harriet ( Mohr) Francis. Mrs. Hallman's father was a carpenter and lived in Birdsboro, being a carpenter and con- tractor.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. James M. Hall- man : Charles L., born April 23, 1877, in Potts- town. He is a clerk employed by the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company at the Reading ter- minal, Philadelphia, having previously graduated
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from the Pottstown high school and the Potts- town Business College. Harry F., born Septem- ber 10, 1879, unmarried, residing with his parents, and is engaged at the Warwick Iron Company's furnace as a clerk.
The children of Thomas and Harriet Francis (Mrs. Hallman's parents) : Levi, Mary M. (Mrs. Hallman), Elias, John, George; Elizabeth, mar- ried twice, her present husband being William J. Agnew, residing in Philadelphia; Ella, married Mr. Shuler and residing in Pottstown.
Mrs. Hallman's grandparents were John and Susanna ( Murray) Francis, who resided in Ches- ter county, where he was a dealer in charcoal. They were Episcopalians or Methodists in relig- ious faith.
Mr. Hallman is a Democrat in politics but takes no active part in public affairs. He and his wife are members of the Lutheran church.
JOHN LOOMIS was born in Montgomery county, March 27, 1858, and has been a farmer all his life. He was elected justice of the peace in 1897, re-elected in 1902, and still holds the office. In politics he is a Democrat. He is a member of the Methodist church.
On September 1. 1881. John Loomis married Theressa, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Ewing. They have had three children : Walter, born in 1883: Myrtle Emma and Violet Edith (twins), of whom Violet Edith is deceased.
John Loomis (father) was born in 1812. He married Sarah Knauer, daughter of Tobias and Elizabeth Knauer. She was born in 1823 and is still living. Their children: John, William, Jacob (deceased), Nimrod, and Elizabeth. John Loomis (father) had the following brothers and sisters: Joseph, James, William, Esaw, who is still living : Elizabeth, who married John Strick- land (deceased).
Mrs. Theressa Loomis, wife of John Loomis, is the daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Ewing. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Ewing: John Cal- vin, Luther Lewis, Samuel, Howard, William, Allison, and Charles Simeon, all residents of San Francisco, California; Theressa (Mrs. Loomis) ; Margaret Ann, widow of Thomas Care; Barbara
Ann, widow of David Rancel; Clara S., wife of Howard Wynn; Mary Ellen, wife of Philip Richard.
EUGENE L. TAFT, of Norriton township, was born March 19, 1853, in Easton, Pennsyl- vania, where his father was stationed at the time. He is the son of Rev. John L. and Isabella (Honpt) Taft.
Rev. John L. Taft (father) was born in Paris, France, December 25, 1812. He was educated at St. Mary's College, Baltimore, and joined the Methodist Episcopal church while a resident of that city. In 1833 he was received on trial in the Philadelphia conference, and during a ministry of fifty years served the church as follows: Snow Hill, Maryland; Salem, New Jersey; Mauch Chunk, Norristown, Bustleton, Germantown, Frankford, New Castle, Delaware ; Port Deposit, Easton, Pottsville and Manayunk, Pennsylvania. In 1865 he was appointed presiding elder by Bis- hop Scott and he entered on missionary work in the south, forming a mission which extended from Richmond, Virginia, to Norfolk, and in- cluded Petersburg and Old Point Comfort. In 1866 he had charge of the work on the eastern coast of Virginia and the following year was ap- pointed to the counties of Northampton and Ac- comac, Virginia, where he did good work for the church. In 1868 he was appointed to Seaford Station, Delaware, and in 1871, became presiding elder of the old Snow Hill district, serving the full term of four years.
His health having become impaired, he re- ceived, by his own request, a supernumerary re- lation, and this continued until his death. In 1875 he visited Europe in the hope of improving his health and for nearly a year traveled over Eng- land and the continent. Soon after his return to his home his eyesight failed him and an operation was necessary, which, however, resulted in total blindness. November 20, 1883, he was stricken with paralysis and deprived of the use of one side. He lingered for six months, and on Dec- oration Day, May 29, 1884, quietly passed away, after a life spent for the good of others. The funeral services were held in the Oak Street
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church, Norristown, and were conducted by G. W. F. Graff, pastor of the church, who was as- sisted by Rev. M. D. Kurtz. The remains were interred in Norris City cemetery.
Rev. John L. Taft married Isabella Houpt, who was born at Broad Axe, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, where her father, Samuel Houpt, was born and spent his entire life. Samuel Houpt was a contractor and builder and most of the bridges built in the county during his time have his name attached as builder. He was very suc- cessful, and at the age of forty-eight years re- tired with what was then considered a large for- tune. He was a Democrat in politics and held many county offices, among others recorder of deeds. The children of Samuel Houpt were Anna, Isabella and Samnel.
Rev. John and Isabella Taft had these chil- dren : Lonis M., born in 1840, married Susan Barr, and has children : John, Mary, Fanny. He is a physician in Everett, Massachusetts, and also has a practice in Philadelphia. Laura J., born in 1838, married Amos E. Willis, of Richmond, Vir- ginia.
Eugene L. Taft was the youngest child and traveled from place to place with his father. He received such an education as a father like his would give a favorite son but learned no trade or profession. He lives the life of a retired gentle- man.
In politics he is a Democrat. He is not a church member but naturally inclines to the faith of his revered father.
Engene L. Taft married Mary Willis, who was born May 13, 1859, in Richmond, Virginia. She is the daughter of Amos E. and Nancy (Wills) Willis. Mr. Willis was born near Elk- ton, Maryland, and removed to Philadelphia, where he was in business for many years. He afterwards removed to Norristown and now lives retired. Mary Willis was his only child.
Engene L. and Mary ( Willis) Taft have four children : Laura E., born Angust 8, 1878, resides with her parents. She was graduated at the Penn Square schools and attended the Norristown high school for two years but was compelled to leave on account of poor health. Charles L., born July
12, 1881, resides with his parents. Susie Viola, born April 18, 1888, attends the schools of Penn Square. Edwin W., born June 6, 1895, is in school at Penn Square.
ELMER S. ALLEBAUGH, one of the best- known contractors of Norristown, is a member of a family long resident in that part of Mont- gomery county. He was born in Towamensing township, December 30, 1868. The family re- moving to the county-seat when he was a child, he grew to manhood in Norristown, attending the public schools until he was fourteen years of age. He then became an apprentice with James P. Famous, at that time a bricklayer and contractor. Having learned the trade of bricklaying in three years, he remained with Mr. Famous four years longer as a journeyman. After leaving Mr. Fa- mous he worked for different contractors until 1898, when he started business on his own ac- count.
Mr. Allebaugh's first work as a contractor was the building of six handsome residences in pairs on Haws avenue, Norristown, for Mr. McGrath. Among other operations are the fol- lowing ; twelve houses for Harry A. Keeler, on Haws avenue, and about forty for Ellwood Rob- erts, partly on Haws avenue and partly on Elm and other streets. In 1902 Mr. Allebaugh built the Kauffman Stoker Factory in Bridgeport ; for J. Frank Boyer twenty houses ; for the Hamilton Terrace Company forty houses : and a woolen mill for George Watt at Buttonwood street and the Schuylkill river. In addition he erected one of the Gresh Cigar Factory buildings at Marshall and Corson streets; another for the Diamond State Fibre Company in Bridgeport, and many others in Norristown and vicinity. He started out with his own carnings as his capital and owes his success to close attention to his business and to the fact that he believes in doing well whatever he undertakes to do.
In politics Mr. Allenbaugh is a Republican and has been a member of the borough executive committee. He is also a member of the following orders: Norristown Lodge, No. 620, Free & Ac- cepted Masons : Benevolent Protective Order of
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Elks, No. 714; and Minnie Kaunee Lodge of Red Men. In religious belief Mr. Allebaugh is at- tached to the Reformed church.
Benjamin V. Allebaugh (father) was born in Lower Salford township, Montgomery county, on March 15, 1837, and grew to manhood in that locality, working on his father's farm until he reached the age of twenty-one years, when he entered the grist and saw mill owned by his father, Jacob G. Allebaugh, which he managed until 1867. Having married, he then bought a part of his father's farm, on which he built a house and outbuildings, and followed the occu- pation of farming until he removed to Norris- town in 1876. He has worked at the carpenter trade although he never served an apprentice- ship, but he is to a certain extent a born mechanic, displaying much originality in that direction. He was two years in the furniture business and spent a year in serving a milk route in Norristown. Mr. Allebaugh was in the grocery business for five years. After the grocery was sold he erected a stocking factory on Blackberry Alley, in West Norristown, which he operated successfully for eight years.
Benjamin V. Allebaugh is a member of the Reformed Church of the Ascension, on Airy street, Norristown. His wife, one son and two daughters are also members of that church. He is a member of the Brotherhood of the Union, and of Sincerity Home, No. 16.
He married. September 25, 1862, Miss Cath- arine Ann, daughter of Joseph and Catharine (Reiff) Swartley. She was born in Skippack- ville, January 23, 1842. Their children are as follows : Ella K., born August 13, 1863, married George Lee, of Norristown, they having four chil- dren, Norman, Anna, Florence and George; Clayton S., born March 30, 1865, married Flo- rinda Wagner, who is now deceased, leaving two children, Hannah and Clayton; Jacob S., born October 8, 1866. and residing in Atlantic City, married Anna Hepting : Elmer S. is the subject of this sketch; Norwood Penrose, born May 16, 1870, unmarried, is a resident of New York city, and a traveling salesman ; Florence S., born July 20, 1880, was graduated from the Norristown
high school in 1899 and resides with her parents.
Jacob G. Allebaugh (grandfather) was a life- long resident of Lower Salford, where he was a farmer and miller.
David Allebaugh (great-grandfather) was a farmer in Skippackville.
The Reiffs were an old Montgomery family for generations and were influential in that sec- tion of the country. Jacob, maternal great- grandfather of Elmer S. Allebaugh, was for many years a merchant at Skippackville. He . reared a family of five children, two sons and three daughters. The sons were both farmers.
Joseph, son of Jacob Reiff, had two children, Elias and Catharine Ann, the latter the wife of Benjamin V. Allebaugh. Elias removed to Flor- ida in 1890, where he engaged in orange grow- ing. In 1895 he came to Norristown on a visit, and had a stroke of paralysis from which he died, leaving a widow and five daughters. The wife died in 1900. The daughters are all married and have families.
Elmer S. Allebaugh is a prominent member of the Hancock Fire Company. He is alert and progressive in his business. Several years ago he introduced the method of raising bricks and mortar to the upper stories of buildings which he was engaged in erecting by means of a portable engine, thus dispensing with the labor of several hod carriers, and enabling the work to proceed much more rapidly than it could under the old system. There is no doubt that some such plan will ultimately come into general use, so as to prevent the necessity for such exhausting labor on the part of workmen employed on the upper stories of buildings.
GEORGE BERKHIMER, son of Jacob and Mary (Rubicam) Berkhimer, was a native of Whitemarsh township, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, where he was born May 21, 1815. He was born on a farm rented by his father. He was one of a family of six children, and attended the schools of the day which were very inferior to those of the present time. George Berkhimer was trained to habits of honest industry in accordance with the custom of that day in Montgomery, but
Georges Beckshismen
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MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
school learning was a comparatively small part of the education of the boy. He conducted a store with a relative for a time, finding that em- ployment more congenial than farming. He mar- ried, February 27, 1851, Phebe Ann, daughter of Levi and Hettie (Wilkinson) Shepherd, of Hor- sham township. After his marriage George and Phebe Berkhimer located at Springhouse, in Lower Gwynedd township, where he remained for a year, and then removed to the locality known as Franklinville, in Whitpain township, on the State road, (DeKalb street) about six miles from Norristown, and two miles from Gwynedd Friends' meeting-house. There Mr. Berkhimer occupied the hotel, a portrait of Benjamin Frank- lin on whose swinging sign, yet remembered by some of the older residents of the neighborhood, gave name to the place. He purchased the farm and hotel, and operated both for many years. The farm contained eighty-seven acres of land, and Mr. Berkhimer brought it into a high state of cul- tivation. He did not keep the bar of the hotel, that being in the hands of another person, but at- tended to the comfort of all guests.
George Berkhimer sold his farm, the hotel having been abandoned because of the diversion of travel in other directions through the building of railroads and otherwise, the purchaser being John Robinson, about 1866. He held it a few years, Mr. Berkhimer in the meantime erecting a house on the opposite side of the State road, where he spent his remaining days, and where his widow now resides. John Robinson, after a few years occupancy, sold the property to William M. Sing- erly, of the Philadelphia Record, who spent much money upon the buildings and surroundings, and transformed it into the "Home Farm," purchas- ing also in the neighborhood several hundred acres of land, and operating them for twenty years or more until his death. The property is now owned and occupied as a summer residence by General William P. Wilson, of the Commer- cial Museum of Philadelphia, all the farms of Mr. Singerly having been sold.
Mr. Berkhimer continued to farm in a small way the acres on which his widow resides, until his death, which occurred July 16, 1898. He was
buried at St. Thomas' Episcopal cemetery, in Whitmarsh township. In politics he was a Dem- ocrat, but not by any means a bitter partisan. He never sought or held office, deeming it sufficient to go to the polls on election day and deposit his ballot.
The Berkhimers are an old family of German origin, long resident in Whitpain and adjoining townships. They were all farmers, and as a fam- ily were noted for thrift and frugality, being in- dustrious and energetic in attention to business, George Berkhimer was an exceedingly kind- hearted man, a good husband and a kind neigh- bor. He died at an advanced age, thoroughly re- spected by the entire community in which he had lived so long, and to whose members he was so well known. (For further particulars of the Berkhimer family see the biographical sketches of Allen Berkhimer, John Berkhimer and Charles Berkhimer, alsewhere in this work.)
Mrs. Berkhimer's family are old residents of Pennsylvania, but they have been domiciled in Montgomery county only for two generations. Her father, Levi Shepherd, was a miller, and re- sided at Tacony, in Philadelphia county, whence he removed about 1834 to Moreland, in Montgom- ery county, and in 1843 to Montgomery town- ship. Mrs. Berkhimer was born at Tacony, but has resided the greater part of her life in the lo- cality where she now lives, she and her husband having removed to Franklinville in 1852, more than a half century ago. Having no children of her own, Mrs. Berkhimer has usually been sur- rounded by nephews or nieces of herself or her husband, with whom she shares the comforts of her home. She is a benevolent, kindly woman. who is widely known and highly esteemed by all who know her.
ALLAN CORSON EGBERT, one of the most successful farmers in Norriton township. was born in Whitemarsh township, Montgomery county. July 3, 1826. He received his education in the pay schools of his day, attending them three months in winter. Like the sons of farmers of that time in general, he was early taught that man must earn his bread by the sweat of his
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brow. His father having died when the son was fifteen years of age, when he had reached the age of seventeen years, he was apprenticed by his guardian, Dr. Hiram Corson, to Joseph D. Wood, at Blue Bell, that he might learn the blacksmith trade. After remaining there four years and three months, he found himself competent to se- cure work as a journeyman in any shop, in any city. He went to Philadelphia and obtained em- ployment in the carriage-building shop of Ogle & Watson. at Thirteenth and Parish, where he worked as a blacksmith for seven months. Through the influence of his cousin, Richard Cor- son, he secured a position with Moore & Hooven, of Norristown. He spent three and one half years with this firm and then feeling that he had a chance to better his condition he entered the employ of General William Schall.
He did not expect to stay long in this place as he had, to some degree, the western fever. How- ever, his relations with his employer had been so pleasant that at the close of a year he concluded to remain, and he did not leave for twenty-seven years. During all this time there was no agree- ment, bond or contract between him and Mr. Schall and they never had an unpleasant word or a disagreement. In 1878 the mill passed into the hands of Byrne, Burtlett & Heller, and Mr. Eg- bert remained with the new firm until it went out of existence five years later, when he abandoned his trade and has since devoted himself exclu- sively to his farm.
Mr. Egbert bought the land where he now lives in 1850, and made it his home during the time that he worked in Norristown. For seven- teen years he walked to and from his work every day. The farm contains twenty acres and at the time he purchased it the land was destitute of trees or buildings and Mr. Egbert had built the house, barn and all the smaller buildings, besides planting trees and adding all the touches that make a home pleasant. He can sit under his own vine and fig tree in the literal sense of the say- ing, and expects to pass the remainder of his life in this home. In politics he was a Whig, of the Henry Clay type, and on the organization of the Republican party he joined its ranks and has ever
since given its interests his support. He cast his first presidential vote for General John C. Free- mont and has supported every Republican candi- date since that time. His ancestors were mem- bers of the Society of Friends and he affiliates with that body, though not a member.
George Egbert (father) was born in White- marsh township, passed all his life there and died in 1841. He owned a small farm and also burned lime, leading an humble and upright life. He was a Whig in politics and active in the sup- port of his party. He was a Friend in spirit though not a member of the Society. He married Hanna Kerkner, a descendant of an old Mont- gomery county family. They had the following children : Saralı, unmarried, who lives in Norris- town; Mary, who married Austin Miller and also resides in Norristown; Allan Corson ; David, deceased; Laurence, who died in Phila- delphia ; and Susan, who married Norman Egbert and lives in Norristown.
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