USA > Pennsylvania > Dauphin County > Commemorative biographical encyclopedia of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania : containing sketches of prominent and representative citizens and many of the early Scotch-Irish and German settlers. Pt. 1 > Part 34
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Alricks, of Harrisburg ; William M., J. Wal- lace, James Wilson, and Martha, married Dr. Edward L. Orth, of Harrisburg. As a minister there were few who stood higher in the estimation of his brethren in the Presby- tery than the Rev. William Kerr.
FORSTER, JOHN, son of John Forster, was born September 17, 1777, in Paxtang, Lan- caster, now Dauphin county, Pa .; died May 28, 1863, at Harrisburg, Pa. ; he received a good education and was at Princeton when a call was made by President Washington for volunteers to march to Western Pennsyl- vania to put down the so-called " Whiskey Insurrection " of 1794, and was on that ex- pedition as an aid to General Murray. He subsequently read law with General Hanna, but never applied for admission, turning his attention to mercantile pursuits, in which he was very successful. During the military era of the Government prior to the war of 1812 he was colonel of the State militia, and in 1814, when the troops from Pennsylvania marched to the defense of the beleaguered city of Baltimore, he was placed in command of a brigade of volunteers. For his gallant services in that campaign the thanks of the general commanding were tendered in special orders. He served in the State Senate from 1814 to 1818. General Forster was cashier of the Harrisburg Bank for a period of at least sixteen years, established the Bank of Lewistown, and in 1837 was cashier of the Exchange Bank of Pittsburgh. He subse- quently became president of the Branch Bank at Hollidaysburg, but in a few years re- tired from all business pursuits and returned to his home at Harrisburg. General Forster was faithful, honest and upright in all his business connections, and a good financier. He was twice married ; first, September 25, 1798, Mary Elder, born 1779; died Decem- ber 18, 1831, at Harrisburg, Pa .; daughter of John Elder and Elizabeth Awl. General Forster married, secondly, July 9, 1833, Margaret Snodgrass Law, born March 6, 1804; died December 9, 1891; daughter of Benjamin Law, of Mifflin county, Pa., and widow of Rev. James H. Stuart, a Presby- terian minister of the Kishacoquillas Valley. There was issue by both marriages.
CRAIN, RICHARD MOORE, was born in No- vember, 1777, in Hanover township, Lancas- er county, Pa .; died Friday, September 17, 1852, in Harrisburg, Pa. He received a fair
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education and was brought up on his father's farm. He became quite prominent in pub- lic affairs the first decade of this century, and during the incumbency of Gen. Andrew Por- ter as surveyor general of Pennsylvania, Mr. Crain received the appointment of deputy sceretary of the Land Office, a position he ac- ceptably filled through all the changes of ad- ministration for forty years, until the advent of Governor Ritner, when he was displaced. He then retired to his farm in Cumberland county, from which district he was sent a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1837, in which he was a leading spirit. Dur- ing the war of 1812-14 he commanded a com- pany of volunteers from Harrisburg, and was subsequently commissioned colonel of the Pennsylvania militia. Colonel Crain mar- ried, in 1802, Elizabethi Whitehill, born 1771; died October 2, 1848; daughter of Robert Whitehill and Eleanor Read.
-JORDAN, BENJAMIN, son of Thomas Jordan and Rachel Steele, was born July 19, 1779, on the ground where the town of Milton, Northumberland county, Pa., is located. Thomas Jordan, the first of his family, was an emigrant from Scotland, coming to Anier- ica prior to 1700, and settled in Cecil county, Md. He and his family were rigid Presby- terians, and attached themselves to Christi- anna church, located just over the line in the State of Delaware. In the yard of that churchi the remains of four generations of the Jordan family rest. Thomas Jordan, father of Benjamin, was born near this old church prior to 1752, from whence he re- moved to Northumberland county, prior to the war of the Revolution. When the son was only a few weeks old the family were driven from their home by the marauding Indians, when they located in York county where Thomas Jordan died. He married Rachel Steele, the eldest sister of Gen. Archi- bald and Gen. John Steele, of Revolution- ary memory. In 1805 Benjamin Jordan removed to Lancaster, where he engaged himself in the business of bookseller with William Diekson, at the same time assisted in editing the Lancaster Intelligencer until 1808, when he was appointed weighmaster of the port of Philadelphia. In 1816 he re- signed and came to Danphin county, taking up his residence at Walnut Hill. Mr. Jor- dan represented the Dauphin District in the State Senate 1846 to 1850. He died at liis residence May 24, 1861, in the cighty-second
year of his age. Mr. Jordan married, Octo- ber 29, 1811, Mary Crouch, born October 23, 1791, at Walnut Hill, Dauphin county, Pa .; died October 27, 1846, at the same place; daughter of Edward Crouch and Margaret Potter. They are both interred in old Pax- tang church graveyard.
HIESTER, GEN. GABRIEL, JR., son of Gabriel IIiester and Elizabeth Bausman, was born in Bern township, Berks county, Pa., January 5, 1779. He received a good English and German education, and his early years were spent on his father's farm. His father being an active politician, the son was carly imbued with the same spirit. In 1809 he was ap- pointed by Governor Snyder clerk of the courts of Berks county, and in 1811 pro- thonotary, holding these offices until 1817. During the war of 1812-14 he was brigade major and served under General Adams, of Berks county, during the campaign at Wash- ington and Baltimore. Under appointment by Governor Findlay, he held the office of associate judge from 1819 to 1823. Gov- ernor Shulze appointed Judge Hiester sur- veyor general, when he removed to Harris- burg. He held that position from May 11, 1824, to May 11, 1830. He was a presiden- tial elector in 1817, and again in 1821, cast- ing his vote for James Monroe. About 1833 he erected the first rolling-mill in this neigh- borhood, at Fairview, on the Conedoguinet. He died there suddenly, September 14, 1831, in his fifty-sixth year, and is buried in the Harrisburg cemetery. General Hiester mar- ried, May 12, 1803, Mary, daughter of Dr. John Otto, of Reading, who died at Esther- ton, January 9, 1853. They had children : Louisa Harriet, married C. B. Bioren ; Au- gustus O., Gabriel, and Catharine.
Fox, JOHN, son of John Fox and Ann Margaret Rupert, was born June 10, 1780, near Hummelstown, Dauphin county, Pa. He was educated in the country schools of tie neighborhood, and a farmer by occupa- tion. He became quite prominent and in- fluential in the political affairs of the county, and served as a member of the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania from 1831 to 1833. Hle filled the office of sheriff from October 14, 1833, to October 21, 1836, and again from October 19, 1839, to October 24, 1842. Apart from these positions of trust and honor, he served his neighbors in the
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various township offices with fidelity. He died at his residence in Ilummelstown, July 19, 1853, aged seventy-three years. He was a representative man, not only of his family but of the county, a faithful officer, of strict integrity, upright and conscientious in all his relations with his fellow-men.
KELKER, FREDERICK, son of Anthony Kelker and Mary Magdalena Meister, was born October 29, 1780. His early education was extremely limited, and consisted of a few months' attendance at the parochial school in the churchyard of the Reformed church at Lebanon. In May, 1801, he cn- tered the store of Oves & Moore, and in March, 1805, removed to Harrisburg, where, in partnership with his former employers, hc established in that town the first exclusively hardware store. In 1811 he purchased the interest of his partners and became the sole owner. In 1823, his health failing, he relin- quished business and disposed of it to two of the young men who had been in his employ. He continued, however, to reside in the house in which he first settled until his decease. Through all that period he manifested great interest in the welfare of his successors in business, and there was perhaps no year in which a portion of his capital was not to a greater or less extent used by them whenever they desired it. He was remarkable for punetuality and integrity. A close observer . of human nature and a safe counselor, being often appealed to by his fellow-citizens, ealm and modest in his demeanor, he was not to be swerved from his purposes when he felt that he was in the line of duty. His habits of industry and economy led to the acquisi- tion of a competeney, and the latter half es- pecially of his long life was devoted in his own quiet and unobtrusive way to the amelioration of the condition of the poor, sick and friendless. In the vigor of man- hood he filled many minor positions in the community in which he lived, always rejeeting political preferment. For several terms he was a member and president of the borough council; was a director of the braneh established by the Philadelphia Bank in Harrisburg, a director of the Har- risburg Bank, a director of the common schools when they were first established in Pennsylvania, and was ready at all times to co-operate with his fellow-citizens in all the benevolent enterprises of the day. In the church of which he was a member (the Rc-
formed), he was prominent; presided at the meeting on November 17, 1820; to establish the first Sunday-school in connection with the church, and active in the measures adopted for erecting the church building yet standing. He died at Harrisburg on July 12, 1857, in the seventy-seventh year of his age. Mr. Kelker was twice married ; first to Lydia Chamber- lain, daughter of Charles Chamberlain, of Philadelphia ; secondly to Catharine Fager, daughter of John and Sarah Fager, of Har- risburg,
- COCHRAN, WILLIAM, was born in what is now Middle Paxton township, Dauphin county, Pa., in 1780. He received a good English education, and was brought up on his father's farm. In 1814 he served as a volunteer and marched to the defense of Baltimorc. He served as coroner of the county from 1818 to 1821; member of the House of Representatives from 1820 to 1824; county commissioner from 1830 to 1833, and sheriff from 1837 to 1839. He died at Har- risburg on Sunday, 26th of April, 1840, aged sixty years, and was interred in the family burying ground in Middle Paxtang. The Intelligencer pays this tribute to his memory: " Mr. Cochran was a highly respected citi- zen, a popular officer, and a kind and hos- pitable neighbor."
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- BEATTY, GEORGE, youngest son of Capt. James Beatty, was born January 4. 1781, at Ballykeel-Ednagonnel, county of Down, Ire- land. He received a good carly education in the Latin school of John Downey, and learned watch and clock-making with his brother-in-law, Samuel Hill, whose clocks are more or less celebrated to this day. In 180S Mr. Beatty established himself in business, which he continued uninterruptedly for up- wards of forty years. He was an ingenious mechanician and constructed several clocks of peculiar and rare invention. In 1814 he was orderly sergeant of Capt. Thomas Walker's company, the Harrisburg Volunteers, which marched to the defense of the city of Balti- more. Mr. Beatty in early life took a promi- nent part in local affairs, and, as a conse- quenee, was frequently solicited to become a candidate for office, but he almost invariably declined. He, nevertheless, served a term as director of the poor, and also as county andi- tor. Ile was cleeted burgess of the borough on three several occasions and was a member of the town eouneil several years, and, while
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serving in the latter capacity was one of the prime movers in the effort to supply the borough with water. Had his suggestions, however, been carried out, the water-works and reservoir would have been located above the present city limits. Mr. Beatty retired from a successful business life about 1850. He died at Harrisburg on the 10th of March, 1862, aged eighty-one years, and is interred in the Harrisburg cemetery. He was an active, enterprising and upright Christian gentleman. Mr. Beatty was thrice married; married, first, May 18, 1815, by Rev. George Lochman, D. D., Eliza White, daughter of William White, born January 20, 1797; died September 10, 1817.
Mr. Beatty, married, secondly, November 22, 1820, by Rev. George Lochman, D. D., Sarah Smith Shrom, daughter of Casper Shrom and Catharine Van Gundy, born Janu- ary 15, 1796, at York, Pa; died August 25, 1828.
Mr. Beatty married, thirdly, September 21, 1830, by Rev. Eliphalet Reed, Catharine Shrom, born December 26, 1807, at York, Pa .; died August 11, 1891, at Harrisburg, Pa.
Gross, ABRAHAM, was born December 24, 1781, in Montgomery county, Pa., and died August 25, 1834, in Middle Paxton township, Dauphin county, Pa. He was a son of John Gross and Rachel Sahler. Ilis father, John Gross, was born in November, 1749, in Wes- tern Massachusetts, not far from the Hudson river, where his parents were early settlers from the Palatinate, being of Huguenot de- scent. On the eve of the Revolution John Gross removed to now Montgomery county, Pa. He entered into the spirit of that con- test at the outset, and was commissioned first lieutenant. January 5, 1776, in Col. Ar- thur St. Clair's (Sceond Pennsylvania) bat- talion ; subsequently promoted a captain in the Third Pennsylvania at its organization, which was formed on the basis of the former, but with several of his colleagues in St. Clair's battalion seems never to have ac- cepted the position, or, if they did, declined it shortly after, especially upon the resigna- tion of Col. Joseph Wood in July, 1777. After the close of the war he removed with his family to now Middle Paxton township, Dauphin county, Pa., where he lived the re- mainder of his days, dying January 2, 1823. Mr. Gross married, about 1778, Rachel Sah- ler, born in 1756. in Ulster county, New York; daughter of Abraham Sahler and
Elizabeth Du Bois, of Huguenot extraction. She died August 16, 1828, and with her hus- band buried in the old cemetery at Dauphin.
- RAMSEY, THOMAS, was born near York, Pa., on the 15th of June, 1784. With a limited education acquired during his early years, he learned the trade of blacksmithing, at that period an important occupation. About 1806 he located at Hummelstown, Dauphin county, and there carried on busi- ness. In 1814 he was a corporal of Captain Moorhead's company of the First regiment, Colonel Kennedy, which marched to the defense of Baltimore. Mr. Ramsey died at Hummelstown on the 4th of May, 1826, at the age of forty-two years. He married Elizabeth Kelker, daughter of Henry Kelker and Elizabeth Greenawalt, of Lebanon, born September S, 1791, and died at Harrisburg 5th of February, 1858. Hon. Alexander Ramsey, former Secretary of War, is their son. Mr. Ramsey was an industrious, enter- prising citizen, patriotic, generous, and held in great esteem by his fellow-citizens.
-CATRELL (KETTERELL), WILLIAM, was a native of the State of Maryland, where he was born in 1784. He learned the trade of shoemaker, and established himself in Har- risburg about 1805. During the war of 1812-14 he served under General Pike in the Western Department. Subsequently he began merchandising, and successfully car- ried on business until the close of his life. March 23, 1835, he was appointed by Gov- ernor Ritner inspector of flour at Ilarris- burg, an office shortly after abolished. Ile served several years as a member of the bor- ough council of Harrisburg. He died at Harrisburg, April 7, 1848. He married, November 6, 1808, Letitia Wilson, sister of MeNair Wilson, of Harrisburg, who sur- vived her husband only a few years. They left no issue. By his will Mr. Ca- trell left several bequests to the Zion Lutheran church, of which he was long an elder, one resulting in the founding of the Catrell library. His pastor, the Rev. Charles W. Schaeffer, D. D., late of Germantown, bears this noble testimony : " He was a man of very kindly, cheerful spirit, of pleasant manners, of good sound sense, and gener- ally well informed. As a business man he had been distinguished for his habits of order and diligence, and his sterling integ- rity of principle. Ilis confession and main-
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tenance of his religious faith was modest, though positive and earnest, and in the highest degree sincere. He stood very high in the regard of all who knew him, and was deeply lamented in his death."
- HAMILTON, HUGH, the son of Jolin Hamil- ton and Margaret Alexander, was born at " Fermanagh," now in Juniata county, Pa., on the 30th of June, 1785. He received a careful preparatory education, and with his brother John was sent to Dickinson College, where he graduated. Ile studied law under Thomas Elder, and was admitted to the Dauphin county bar in 1805. At the time of his admission to the bar Judge Henry had ordered the prothonotary to issue commis- sions on parchment. Accordingly the de- scendants of the young lawyer have his con- mission " on parchment," issued 21st of June, 1805, signed by "Joshua Elder, Pro'thy, by order of the court," with the seal of the county attached. In 1808 Mr. Hamilton edited and published The Times at Lancaster, and upon the removal of the seat of govern- ment to Harrisburg, with William Gillmor, The Harrisburg Chronicle, the leading and influential newspaper at the State capital for twenty years. The Chronicle was the first paper in Pennsylvania which gave full and systematic legislative reports. He died at Harrisburg, on the 3d of September, 1836, aged fifty-one years. Mr. Hamilton married, January 6, 1807, Rosanna, daughter of Adam Boyd and Jeannette MacFarlane, born De- cember 1, 1789, died April 17, 1872. . They are both buried in the Harrisburg cemetery. Mr. Ilamilton was a vigorous and polished writer, and his editorials were models of elegant composition. For a quarter of a century he wielded considerable political in- fluence through his newspaper. He was an active and enterprising citizen, twice chief burgess of the corporation of Harrisburg, frequently a member of council, and highly esteemed in social intercourse.
-BOAS, FREDERICK, son of Rev. William Boas, was born at Reading, Pa., July 3, 1785. His parents were emigrants from Germany, and came over with the Muhlenbergs. Frederick learned the trade of a coppersmith and tin plate worker at Reading, but com- menced business for himself at Kutztown. He came to Harrisburg in 1811, where he carried on his trade successfully. He was an enterprising citizen, and although quiet
and unobtrusive, a representative man in the community. He died at Harrisburg, June 17, 1817, aged thirty-one years. Mr. Boas married, May 17, 1811, Elizabeth, daughter of David and Regina (Orth) Krause, who survived her husband many years, leaving two children: Frederick Krause and Elmina, who married William Jennings.
- BOAS, JACOB, son of the Rev. William Boas, was born at Reading, Pa., in 1786. He was brought up to mercantile pursuits and came to Harrisburg in 1805, where he established himself in business. He served as a mem- ber of the borough council, and was com- missioned by Governor Snyder, February 6, 1809, prothonotary and clerk of the Court of Quarter Sessions, and died while in office, on the Sth of October, 1815. Mr. Boas married Sarah, daughter of Jacob Dick, of Reading. They had five sons: William D., Jacob D., John, Augustus F., and Daniel D.
-ZAIMMERMAN, HENRY, son of Peter and Mary (Beane) Zimmerman, was born Decem- ber 30, 1786, in Cumberland county, Pa. His boyhood days were passed among the scenes of farm life, familiar to the majority of farmer sons during that early period. Schools were then very little known of and less attended. The subject of this sketch is said to have spent only three months in all in what was then known as " pay school " or " select school." Upon reaching manhood he married Miss Barbara Griner, daughter of Philip and Barbara (Fishburn) Griner, who then resided on what is now known as the Newton Gray farm, in Lower Swatara town- ship, Dauphin county, Pa. Shortly after the marriage he moved near the home of his wife's parents, in Dauphin county, and set- tled upon a forty acre tract, adjoining that of her parents, which was given to her as her patrimony. Ile learned the trade of wagon making and pursued this business together with the farming of this small tract, and while living here there were born to them the following children : Rebecca, July 8. 1810; Catherine, October 13, 1811 ; Philip, November 22, 1812; Elizabeth, September 14, 1814; Henry, May 16, 1816; George, February 11, 1819; Simon, January 8, 1821; Isaac, March 20, 1823; Mary, September 7, 182.4. On June 10, 1824, he purchased the farm known as the Kerr estate, adjoining this forty acre tract, and moved thereon with
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his family in the spring of 1825, and lived in the historic Old Spring House, still stand- ing at the " fork " of two ereeks. While liv- ing here there were born to them the follow- ing children : Solomon, October 7, 1827; Valentine, May 19, 1829; and Maria, Janu- ary 19, 1831. Here he established himself permanently and laid the foundation of the estate that has remained in the Zimmerman line of descent for nearly a century. Ile was one of the sturdy Jacksonian Democrats of that day, and was a highly esteemed citi- zen in the community. He died March 12, 1839, and lies buried beside the remains of his wife in theold graveyard on what is now called the Newton Gray farm.
CALDER, WILLIAM, eldest child of John Calder and Naomi Norris, was born in Belair, Harford county, Md., July 24, 1788. The father was a native of Scotland. William remained on the farm of his parents in Har- ford county until he was of age, when he removed to Baltimore, and soon thereafter to Lancaster, Pa. When the seat of govern- ment was removed from Lancaster to Harris- burg he came to the latter place, and resided there up to the time of his death. In 1817 he married Mary Kirkwood, who was born in Armagh, Ireland, of Scotch-Irish parents, and emigrated to this country when seven years of age. Their children were John, Mary, wife of Wells Coverly, William, Matilda, wife of Charles A. Keller, and James. His wife died in 1858, and in 1860 he married Margaret C. Walmer, of Dauphin county, by whom he had no issue. He died Marclı 5, 1861, and of his children none now survive. Immediately upon leaving Harford county, Mr. Calder became interested in lines of stage-coaches and the United States mail service, and for fifty years this was his chief business. Up to the time of the sale of the public works of Pennsylvania he was asso- ciated with Alexander Wilson, of Lewistown, Jacob Peters, of Philadelphia, Silas Moore, of Hollidaysburg, and other gentlemen in the "Pioneer," "Good Intent," and "Express " companies for the transportation of passen- gers and mails by cars and canal packet- boats. He never lost his fondness for farm- ing and live-stock, and maintained several of the most fertile farms in Dauphin county. Enterprises for the development of the re- sources of the country and particularly the business of Harrisburg received his support. He built many houses, favored the introduc-
tion of manufactures, and at the time of his death possessed an ample fortune.
- WALLACE, JOSEPH, son of James Wallace and his wife Rachel Elder, was born in Pax- tang, March 29, 1786, and died February 22. 1867, at Harrisburg. His mother was a niece of Rev. John Elder. Mr. Wallace received a good English education, and about the year 1809 or 1810, we find him the manager of New Market Forge, Lebanon county, for John Elder, subsequently employed at Hope Fur- nace, in Lancaster county. He removed to Harrisburg prior to 1812, and with Joshua Elder entered into mercantile life; afterwards in business alone for many years. In the war of 1812-14 he volunteered with the Har- risburg artillerists and marched as far as York. He served in the Harrisburg borough council and was treasurer a long term of years. He was quite prominent as an Anti- Mason, having been chairman of the State committee during the Ritner campaign, and afterwards appointed deputy secretary of the Commonwealth under that administration. For many years he was secretary and treas- urer of the Harrisburg Bridge Company, of the Middletown Turnpike Company and Peter's Mountain Turnpike Company. He was a gentleman of high moral character and worth, greatly esteemed in the community, and ever enjoyed their confidence and re- spect. Mr. Wallace married, May 28, 1816, Sarah Evans Cummins, born January 16, 1787, in Chester county, Pa .; died August 21, 1858, at Harrisburg, Pa., and with her hus- band there buried.
SHUNK, GOV. FRANCIS RAWN, the son of John Shunk and Elizabeth Rawn, was born August 7, 17SS, at the Trappe, Montgomery county, Pa. His father was the son of Fran- cis Shunk, who emigrated to America from the Palatinate, on the Rhine, in Germany, about the year 1715. His mother was the daughter of Casper and Barbara Rawn, also emigrants from the Palatinate. The mother of Franeis Rawn Shunk was a woman dis- tinguished for her kindness and affection, and the son ever spoke of her in terms of the most devoted attachment, and cherished her inemory with filial piety. Her influence no doubt was greatly felt in the formation of his early character and its subsequent de- velopment. Ilis father was a man of strong and stern mind, yet naturally facetious, and fond of indulging in this propensity.
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