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 73
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Horace B. Righter was born February 2, 1856, at Spring Mill. He attended the neigh- borhood schools, was a student in Professor John Loche's boarding school at Norristown and in a private school in Philadelphia. He became a remarkably fine penman. When seventeen years
Horace Righton
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of age he went to Altoona, Pennsylvania, to learn the machinist's trade but remained only six months and after his return clerked for D. O. & H. S. Hitner for fourteen years. He then en- tered the employ of the railroad company, at Conshohocken, and two years were thus passed after which he assisted his father in the recorder's office as clerk for fifteen years. He was then elected to that office in 1899 and served for one term. He is active and prominent in local poli- tical circles and served as a member of the county committee for several years and has been a delegate to the county conventions of the Re- publican party. He is a Mason and belongs to the same chapter in which his father held mem- bership. Of kindly, genial disposition he has made many friends in the various public posi- tions he has filled.
On the 12th of December, 1900, Mr. Righter married Miss Lettie Lentz, of Spring Mill, daughter of George W. and L. S. (Funk) Lentz. Her father, who was proprietor of a hotel, was born in Whitemarsh township and died April 19, 1901. Mr. and Mrs. Lentz had two children, Lettie and Daniel H. Mr. and Mrs. Righter have a daughter, Florence A., born December 3, 1901, and they reside at No. 903 West Marshall street, Norristown.
PETER S. RAPP, the descendant of an old Montgomery county family, was born in East Pikeland township, Chester county, July 5, 1846. He was reared on a farm, receiving a common school education, supplemented by one year's study in a private school. His parents were Joseph H. and Margueretta Supplee Rapp, both of East Pikeland township, Chester county. Later in life they removed to Phoenixville, where both died, she September 8, 1883, at the age of seventy- two years and eight months, he March 24, 1884, at the age of eighty-one years.
Joseph H. Rapp (father) was born and reared in Chester county on a farm. He learned the trade of wheelwright and conducted a shop on his farm. He was a skillful and successful farmer and mechanic. He served as a school
director and took a great interest in educational matters, although he never aspired to notoriety, political or otherwise. He was a member of the Baptist church, in which he was a deacon for many years. His wife, Margueretta Supplee, was born in Schuylkill township, Chester county, and was the daughter of Peter and Hannah (Eastbur) Supplee. Their children were: Ben- jamin F., a blacksmith and farmer ; Joseph E., a retired farmer; George W., who is a farmer and also manages a rolling mill; Silas, died while fighting in the Civil war; Elija J. (Mrs. Town- send) (deceased) had one child; and Peter S. Rapp.
Barnet Rapp (grandfather) emigrated from Germany and settled in Chester county, where he became a prominent farmer. He served as road supervisor, in which position he gave ex- cellent satisfaction. He was a church member, and was highly respected in the community in which he lived. His children were: Joseph H. (father) ; John, Benjamin, Elizabeth (Mrs. Trainer) ; Mary (Mrs. Bain) ; John and Benja- min, who died unmarried.
Peter Supplee (maternal grandfather) was born in Montgomery county, and was the son of Peter Supplee. His father died before he ( Peter, Jr.) was born, in 1855. Peter Supplee (great- grandfather) was the son of Peter Supplee (great- great-grandfather), who served in the Revolu- tionary army and died at Valley Forge. He is buried in Bethel cemetery, Norriton, and the Sup- plee descendants will unveil a monument to his memory in November, 1904. He volunteered as a private in his company, September 12, 1777, and died January 24, 1778. He was the son of Hance Supplee (great-great-great-grandfather) and his wife Mary DeHaven. Hance Supplee's father was Andrew Supplis, whose wife was Ann Stackhouse, and Andrew Supplis (great-great- great-great-grandfather) was the son of Andrew Supplis, a native of France. He was a Huguenot and was driven from his native country by re- ligious wars. He remained for a time in Ger- many where he married, and then came to Amer- ica in 1689. His descendants are very numerous,
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but the name was changed by Hance (great- great-great-grandfather) to Supplee, as it is now written.
Peter Supplee (maternal grandfather) was a prominent farmer in Chester county, and held the office of justice of the peace for many years. He was a leading member of the Baptist church. His children were: Samuel, Susan (Mrs. N. Roland) ; Margueretta (Mrs. Rapp) ; Hannah (Mrs. John Ruse) ; Ann Eliza (Mrs. W. R. Kennedy), who resides at No. 907 West Marshall street, Norristown; Horatio, the father of Peter S. Rapp's wife; Rachel, died unmarried; Cad- walader; Benjamin; Silas; and Peter.
Horatio Supplee was born in Chester county, where he was a prominent farmer, postmaster and useful citizen. He filled several township offices, but was never a politician. He died in Chester county in 1876, at the age of sixty-eight years. He was a member of the Presbyterian church. His wife Elizabeth Kennedy was born in Mont- gomery county, the daughter of Alexander Ken- nedy, a native of Ireland. Alexander Kennedy was a farmer and made and sold lime near Fort Kennedy, which was named for him. He died at the Kennedy homestead near Fort Kennedy. Alexander Kennedy's children were: William, John, Robinson, Alexander, Jane (Mrs. Barker) ; Margaret (Mrs. William Easton) ; Elizabeth (Mrs. Supplee, the mother of Mrs. Peter S. Rapp). Horatio and Elizabeth ( Kennedy) Sup- plee had the following children : Margaret (Mrs. John Cobert) ; Peter, a farmer ; Rachel (Mrs. John Supplee) ; William; Hannah (Mrs. L. Freshcolm) ; Horatio; Francis, died young ; Esther, the wife of Peter S. Rapp.
Peter S. Rapp began to learn the trade of carpenter when he was eighteen years of age, and followed it for sixteen years. In 1873 he mar- ried, and after making several changes he finally settled where he has lived ever since. He has made many changes in the farm, which is well improved and is near the market. He has given all of his attention to his family, and is widely known. The office of school director was pre- sented to him, and he has filled it for a number of years. He is one of the most careful and suc-
cessful farmers in Montgomery county, and the land is in a high state of cultivation.
Mr. Rapp has children as follows: Leonard T., a farmer on the homestead ; Leah, who is at- tending school in Chicago; Frank E., who re- sides with his parents; Charles Leon, who is at school.
DAVID E. WOOD, of Conshohocken, is one of the oldest surviving members of this branch of the Wood family in Montgomery county. He was born in Philadelphia, April 22, 1814, and is the son of Israel and Rachel (Davis) Wood. His father, Israel Wood, was born in Plymouth town- ship, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, about 1780, and was reared to manhood in that vicinity. His educational training was obtained in the schools of his native township, among them be- ing the old Sandy Hill school, at the old school house in that vicinity, which had a wide reputa- tion in those days. Mr. Wood, upon taking up the practical duties of life, engaged in farming, and was also extensively interested in operating lime kilns, sending large quantities of lime to leading builders and contractors in Philadelphia. Among his patrons were the well known philan- thropist, Stephen Girard, James Ferron, and other prominent builders of Philadelphia in those days.
Mr. Wood was a remarkable man in many respects. He was a patriotic citizen, and had a high appreciation of what belongs to American citizenship. During the time of General Lafay- ette's visit to the United States in 1824, Mr. Wood was desirous of meeting and shaking him by the hand. He set out on foot for Philadel- phia, his own horses and teams being engaged, and, not being able to obtain a horse or means of conveyance elsewhere, walked the entire dis- tance. After greeting and shaking hands with the distinguished Frenchman, he returned as he had gone, on foot, considerably fatigued by his day's travel. Soon after Mr. Wood was taken sick, and after a brief illness died in 1824. By his marriage with Rachel Davis, he had nine chil- dren, as follows: James, born in May, 1808, who married Eliza Still, daughter of Henry Still, of Whitpain township, Montgomery county,
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Pennsylvania ; John Davis, born in January, 1810, and died February 22, 1846, married Emeline Yetter, of Plymouth township; Joseph D., born in August, 1812, and died in June, 1900, married Margaret Clay, of Whitemarsh township; David E., subject of this sketch; Francis D., born in 1816, married Ann Sorber, of Whitemarsh ; Eliza- beth D., born July 2, 1818, married Henry G. Hart, of Plymouth; Hilary, born in 1820, who was twice married, his first wife dying at an early age ; Hannalı, born in 1822, married Charles Fer- ris, of Philadelphia; Ferran, born in 1824, mar- ried.
Upon the death of Israel Wood, the father of the family, his widow married Baltis Hoffman. There were three children by this marriage: Isabella, who married; Evaline, died at the age of twenty-two years ; and one who died in child- hood. The mother, Rachel Davis Hoffman, died in Norristown, in her ninety-third year.
David E. Wood obtained his elementary train- ing in the schools of the neighborhood in which his parents resided. He was for some time under the tuition of Alan W. Corson and Benja- min Conrad, both celebrated teachers in their day. He remained under the parental roof until he was sixteen years of age, when he entered on the practical duties of life. His first employment was in a general store at Plymouth Meeting, where he remained until he reached the age of twenty-one years. He was then employed for two years in a mercantile establishment in Norris- town. He then engaged in the storekeeping busi- ness on his own account at Hickorytown, in Plymouth township. In 1836 he disposed of his store and removed to Morristown, where he again engaged in mercantile business, locating at the corner of Main and De- Kalb streets, where he was associated with Dr. William Corson, who had an interest in the business. In 1839 Mr. Wood erected the building and store rooms on the southeast corner of Main and Swede streets, now the Stahler drug store. In 1842 he disposed of his interests in Norristown, and opened a dry goods store at the corner of Sixth and Spring Garden streets, in Philadelphia, in partnership with John M.
Keim, of Reading, Pennsylvania. After being in business for two years he disposed of his in- terests in that enterprise and engaged in the wholesale dry goods trade, opening a store on Third street, above Arch, where he remained for some time, when he removed to No. 228 Market street, Philadelphia, where he conducted a successful business, being for some time the buyer for William Warnock, at that time one of the most successful merchants of Philadelphia. In 1861 Mr. Wood retired from commercial pur- suits and removed to Limerick township, in Mont- gomery county, where he purchased a large tract of land on which he developed a copper mine. In 1867 Mr. Wood sold the property and removed with his family to Chesterfield county, Virginia, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits, re- siding there until 1890. He then removed to Gloucester county, New Jersey. In 1893 he re- moved to Conshohocken, where he has since re- sided. Mr. Wood is one of Conshohocken's most venerable citizens, and is held in high esteem by all who know him.
David E. Wood was married at the home of the bride's parents, Norristown, on February 20, 1838, to Mary Freedley, born October 27, 1818, daughter of Jacob and Susan (Jacoby) Freedley, the family being of German lineage. They had four children as follows: John Freedley, born March 20. 1840, who obtained his preliminary educational training at the Pottstown Academy, and at Nazareth Hall, a Moravian school at Nazareth, Pennsylvania, whence he entered Tuft's College, in Massachusetts, and upon leaving col- lege entered the law office of Isaac Hazlehurst, in Philadelphia, where he read law for some time, and in 1861 enlisted in the Fifty-eighth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, serving throughout the war for the Union, participating in more than fifty battles and skirmishes, and being several times promoted for gallant and meritorious services, and having been commissioned as captain at the time of his death, which occurred in Novem- ber. 1865, he having been chief ordnance officer of the Department of Virginia. David Irving, born December 6, 1841, enlisted in the One Hun- dred and Twenty-first Regiment Pennsylvania
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Volunteers, and served creditably throughout the war; was honorably discharged in 1865, and re- turning home, married Lillie Rogers, of New Castle, Delaware, having one child, Lillie R. Wood, who married Stanley Eilenberger, of New Jersey; they have one daughter, Marie Eilen- berger. Mary S., born December 23, 1844, mar- ried David W. Harry, of Conshohocken, they having two children, David W., Jr., born August 21, 1873, who was a machinist on the United States steamship "Brooklyn" during the naval battle at Santiago de Cuba, and now chief ma- chinist on the United States steamship "Vicks- burg," in the Asiatic Squadron, and Benjamin Rees, born February 10, 1879, residing with his parents.
Mary (Freedley) Wood died June 10, 1892. She was a faithful wife and mother, and a con- sistent member of St. John's Episcopal church, Norristown.
HON. HENRY W. KRATZ, ex-member of the house of representatives of Pennsylvania, son of Valentine and Mary (Weikel) Kratz, was born in Perkiomen township, Montgomery county, July 31, 1834. His name indicates his German origin. The family is one of the most numerous in the upper end of Montgomery and among its members are included some of the worthiest and most respected citizens of the county.
Valentine Kratz came from Germany and set- tled at an early day in what was then Philadel- phia and is now Montgomery county. Here his son Valentine was born, reared and died. Valen- tine the younger had a son, Isaac Kratz (grand- father). Isaac Kratz, a farmer, removed from Perkiomen township to Upper Providence, where he died at the age of eighty-one years. In reli- gion he was a Mennonite. He married Catherine Hunsicker by whom he had eight children: Val- entine, William, Isaac, Rebecca Godshall, Cath- erine Rittenhouse, Mary Bean, Elizabeth Young, and Ann Cassel. Valentine Kratz (father) was born October 10, 1810, in Perkiomen township, and died at Trappe, in 1891. He was a shoemaker by trade, conducting a shop at
Trappe for many years, but in after life becom- ing a farmer. He was a Republican and a mem- ber of the Reformed church. He married Mary Weikel, daughter of Henry Weikel, who sur- vived her husband a number of years, dying in 1901 in her ninety-first year.
Valentine and Mary Kratz had five children: Henry W .; Catherine, who was born March 6, 1837, and died September 7, 1841 ; Sarah, who was born May 3, 1840, and died August 24, 1841 ; Dora, who was born September 27, and died March 16, 1845; and Elizabeth, born April 2, 1846, and died February 8, 1859.
Henry W. Kratz, at six years of age, was taken by his parents to Trappe, in Upper Provi- dence township, where he resided until 1889, when he removed to Norristown. He attended the common schools and then entered the Wash- ington Hall Collegiate. Institute, receiving an English and partly classical education. His first employment was teaching, which he followed for eighteen years in his own and adjoining town- ships. Mr. Kratz took up the study of surveying and conveyancing, about 1870, in which he has been more or less engaged ever since, combining with it the business of real estate and insurance since his removal to Norristown.
His political career dates back to 1862, he serving for the next twenty years as justice of the peace and in other official positions. He was transcribing and message clerk of the senate of Pennsylvania at the session of 1866-7. In 1882 he was elected to the office of recorder of deeds, for which his long experience in conveyancing and kindred pursuits peculiarly fitted him. He served three years in that position but was not a candidate for re-election. In 1894 Mr. Kratz was elected a member of the house of representa- tives at Harrisburg, which position he filled in a highly creditable manner, rendering valuable. services to his constituents, and maintaining a dignified and honorable attitude among his as- sociates in the work of legislation. Thoroughly conscientious and solicitous rather that he should perform his duty faithfully than that he should' secure his own promotion, he was a model law- maker. He has since had strong support among:
Atemy MAbratz
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MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
Republicans for another term at Harrisburg, either as a member of the house of representa- tives or as senator, but he has never seen his way clear to yield to such solicitation and become an applicant for further political honors at the hands of his party.
Mr. Kratz's conservative views of business and financial undertakings have caused his coun- sel to be sought in such enterprises, and he has been actively interested in several of them. He was one of the organizers of the National Bank of Schwenksville, and a member of its board of directors from 1874 to 1891. In the latter year he was elected its president, a position for which he has shown peculiar fitness and which he still holds. He has served as manager in different in- surance, bridge and turnpike companies, is treas- urer of the Times Publishing Company at Norris- town, and was a member of the state board of agriculture from 1887 to 1893. Since 1868 he has been officially connected with the board of trustees of Ursinus College of which he has served as president since 1873. He enlisted with the emerg- ency men in 1863.
On May 26, 1857, Mr. Kratz married Myra Bean, daughter of William Bean, and their chil- dren are : Mary T., wife of Augustus W. Bom- berger, an attorney and assistant cashier in the United States mint at Philadelphia, by whom she has had six living children-Helen, Julia, Mar- garet, Mary, John and Robert, and one deceased, Walter ; Kate B., wife of Horace T. Royer and the mother of six children, J. Donald, Harry K., Jacob G., Lewis, Isabella and Catherine ; Harry E., who occupies a position in the office of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at Philadelphia, and married Mary Royer, by whom he has five children, Harold R., Lawrence T., Jerold B., Ellen and Robert F. ; and Irwin B. and Jane, both deceased. Mrs. Kratz died October 17, 1888, aged sixty years, and on February 17, 1892, Mr. Kratz wedded Emily Todd, of Philadelphia, who was born October 20, 1835. She is the daughter of Hon. John Todd, who was a native and resi- dent of Montgomery county, and of Scotch de- scent. He was born in Upper Providence town- ship, May 25, 1779, and died July 2, 1862. He
served as sheriff for two terms and as member of the leigslature for one term. His other chil- dren were : Dr. John, of Pottstown ; Dr. Samuel, of Boyertown; Brooke, a resident of Reading ; William, a resident of Norristown; and Chris- tiana Royer, whose husband, the late Horace Royer, was a state senator in 1866 and 1867. Both Mr. and Mrs. Todd are deceased.
Henry W. Kratz is a member of the St. Luke's Reformed church, of which he has been a trustee for fifteen years, and of whose choir he was the leader for many years. He is a member of the Warren Lodge, No. 310, Free and Ac- cepted Masons ; Norristown Chapter, No. 190, Royal Arch Masons ; and Hutchinson Command- ery, No. 32, Knights Templar. He is also a prominent member of the Montgomery County Historical Society. He served for two terms as chairman of the Republican county committee.
THE MCFARLAND FAMILY. For more than half a century the McFarland family have been identified with the manufacturing interests of Montgomery county, and to them especially have the people of Gulf Mills looked for employment during all these fifty and more years. The family are of Scotch descent, and the first one of the name to settle in America emigrated to Pennsyl- vania about 1730.
Dr. James McFarland, the first of the family of whom anything definite is known, was reared near Norristown, Montgomery county, Pennsyl- vania. On arriving at the proper age he en- tered the University of Pennsylvania, from which he graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medi- cine, and for many years followed his profession at Morgantown, Berks county, Pennsylvania. To him were born four sons, named as follows: I. Jolin, deceased, who made his home in Northamp- ton county, Pennsylvania. 2. Arthur, who re- sided in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, also de- ceased. 3. James B., deceased, who was a resi- dent of Philadelphia, and a member of the well known mercantile firm of Potts, Reynolds & Com- pany. afterwards McFarland, Tatman & Com- pany.
4. George, born in Morgantown above named,
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March 20, 1811. He lived with his uncle Stephen Porter (a nephew of General Andrew Porter), who resided in Norriton township, near Norris- town, and obtained such education as could be obtained at the public schools of that day and generation. Arrived at the age when it was deemed best for him to begin life on his own account, he entered the woolen mills of Mr. Bethel Moore, the first woolen mill in Pennsylvania, (the mills located where Conshohocken Woolen Company Mills are now) to learn the trade of manufacturing woolen cloth. He next went to Easton, Pennsylvania, to serve as superintendent in a slate quarry owned by another uncle, Hon. James M. Porter of Northampton county, Penn- sylvania.
During his stay in Northampton county he taught school for several years, and then returned to Gulf Mills and began the manufacture of woolen goods, and at that time laid the founda- tion for his subsequent successful business career. As a result of the hard times caused by the panic of 1837, Mr. McFarland, like thousands of the best and richest business men of that day, met with business reverses, but overcame them in 3 mill which employs from 120 to 140 people. At the present time cassimeres are the principal goods manufactured, although other goods can be made as the demands of trade may require.
time, and about 1847 purchased a mill which he rebuilt and operated successfully until 1859. In February of that year his mill was destroyed by fire, and the machinery, much of which had been imported not long before, was destroyed. This calamity, although a serious one, as the loss was great, did not discourage Mr. McFarland, as he was not the kind of a man to give way to mis- fortune, and he soon had the mill rebuilt and equipped even better than before, and in the mill then built he gained a wide reputation as a mann- facturer of woolen goods, a reputation which enabled him to secure contracts during the Civil war from the general government to manufacture cloth from which clothing was made for the Union soldiers. In 1875 Mr. McFarland asso- ciated with himself as partners his son Elbridge and Mr. Frank L. Jones, under the firm name of George McFarland & Co., and it so remained until his death, which occurred January 7, 1879.
On the 25th day of November, 1849. he was joined in marriage to Miss Mary Cornog, of
Gulf Mills, and their union was blessed with four sons, named as follows: George Clinton, died in infancy; Elbridge, James Arthur, and John.
Mr. McFarland's wealth and ability naturally made him a man of influence in the county, and he was called upon to fill many positions of honor and trust, among them were the following :- justice of the peace, school director, director of the Matson's Bridge Company, and director in the First National Bank of Norristown. He died after an illness of but a few days from paralysis, and his remains are interred in the Gulf church cemetery.
After the death of Mr. McFarland in 1879, the firm became composed of his three sons and Mr. Frank L. Jones, still retaining the firm name of George McFarland & Co., and remained so until 1895, when it was incorporated under the name of George McFarland Company, and has so continued until the present time (1903). Since 1879 new additions have been made to the mills, new machinery and fixtures taking the place of the old, making it in every way an up-to-date
Elbridge McFarland was born May 4, 1853, on a farm his father owned near King-of-Prussia, in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania. The first rudiments of his education were obtained at the public schools, supplemented by a course of study at the Treemount Seminary for Boys, taught by Professor John Loch. After com- pleting his studies at the seminary he entered the Polytechnic College in Philadelphia, from which he graduated as civil engineer in 1872. After graduating he followed his profession in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, for a short time, and then returning to the Gulf entered the mill and office of his father. After the death of the latter in 1879 he, with Mr. Jones before named, assumed the active management of the mill, and still continues in that capacity, being president of the company by which it is now operated. In politics he is a Republican, as was his father,
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