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 50
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GREENAWALT, MAJ. THEODORE D., was born in Harrisburg, Pa., December 11, 1820. He is a son of Jacob and Catherine ( Krause) Greenawalt. His great-grandfather, Philip Lorentz Greenawalt, was born in Germany in 1725, came to America in 1749, settled at Ephrata, Lancaster county, Pa., and engaged in farming and hotel keeping. He partici- pated in the Revolutionary war, held the commission of colonel, and was with Wash- ington at Brandywine, Germantown, Trenton, Princeton, and in other engagements. IIe was commissioned by Thomas Wharton, Jr., as colonel of the First battalion of Lancaster county, of which he was placed in command. He was appointed by Governor Mitllin, in connection with Colonels Green, Burd and Grubb, as a commission to devise ways and means to bring the war to a successful termination.
After the close of the war he settled at Lancaster, and kept a hotel. He was identi-
fied with many successful business enterprises and accumulated a large amount of property. He died in Lebanon, Pa., in 1802. He was a prominent member of the German Re- formed Church. He first married a Miss Uhland. His second wife was Miss Margaret Foesser, of Lebanon, by whom he had eleven children : John Philip, Christian, married Elizabeth Kelker, John, Elizabeth, married Henry Kelker, Margaret, married Philip Stochr, Matthias, married Annie Barbara Hetrick, Jacob, of Hummelstown, Catherine, married Jolin Jacob Zinn, Leonard, a tan- ner, of Lebanon county, married Catherine Pool, and two, Michael and Maria M., who died in infancy.
John Philip Greenawalt, grandfather of Major Greenawalt, was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, and was commissioned first lieutenant. After the war he became a hotel keeper at Lebanon. He was a men- ber of the German Reformed church. ITis children were: John Philip, died at the age of two years; Jacob ; John Philip (2), de- ceased, a carpenter, worked on the State capitol ; Matthias, deceased ; John, married Ann Brown ; Charles, who conducted a hard- ware business in Lebanon for several years, married Mary Ann Shaffner ; Elizabeth, de- ceased, married Daniel Frantz, of Lebanon ; Catharine, deceased, married Rev. Henry Shaffer, of Marietta, Pa., and Lydia, married Benjamin Stees and located in St. Paul, Minn.
Jacob Greenawalt, father of Maj. Theodore D., was born in Lebanon county in 1784. He was educated, as usual, in the schools of that period, both in German and in English. He came to Harrisburg in 1811, and estab- lished a tannery, which he conducted until his death in 1854. He learned his trade from his uncle, Mr. Shaffner, in Hagerstown, Md. Hle carried on a large business, and had the reputation of making the best leather shipped to the Philadelphia market. He was a stockholder in the Harrisburg Bank. He was drafted for service in the war of 1812, but on account of sickness was unable to serve, and sent a substitute. Mr. Greenawalt took a pew in the Chestnut street German Reformed church in 1821, and retained it until his death. He took an active interest in all church work. His wife, Catherine Krause, was a daughter of David Krause, associate judge of Lebanon county, and a sister of Judge Kranse, of Norristown, who, with his brother John, were members
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of the Pennsylvania Legislature at the same major, with the rank of captain, for the counties of Dauphin, Lebanon and Berks, in time. They had eight children: Louisa, de- ceased, married Philip Fisher, of Jonestown, . the State militia.) At the end of the three Lebanon county, a tanner and ex-sheriff of the county; Elizabeth, a maiden lady, of Harrisburg; Theophilus, died in 1860, a tanner and currier; Camilla, died at three years of age; Theodore D .; Regina C., mar- ried William Calder, of Harrisburg; Jacob and Jeremiah K., both of Harrisburg.
Theodore D. Greenawalt was educated in the subscription schools, and remained with his father until he was seventeen years of age. At this time he was employed as clerk by Philip Wolfersberger. He was to receive a salary of one hundred dollars per annum, and pay all his own expenses. He worked under this contraet for fifteen months, and then found employment with Dock & Hum- mel, with whom he remained one year. He was clerk also for Van Horn & Meredith. In 1844 he embarked in the dry goods and grocery business for himself, which he con- ducted for three years. He then acted as clerk at the Coverly Hotel until 1849, when he entered the office of William Calder, in the stage line and packet boat business, and remained with him thirteen years. When the Prince of Wales, on his tour through America, visited Harrisburg, Mr. Greena- walt, as manager of the transfer business, had the honor of escorting Lord Lyons and the Prince over the capital city. And when Abraham Lincoln stopped in Harrisburg on his way to Washington City to be inaugu- rated President of the United States, Mr. Greenawalt assisted Mr. Calder in conveying the President-elect secretly from his hotel to a train of cars which Hon. Thomas Scott. had on the track a mile south of the city. During the day Mr. Calder received a tele- gram from John S. Giddings, the banker, of Baltimore, containing the words, "In no wise permit President Lincoln to go to Washington by way of York or Baltimore." Acting on this. advice Mr. Calder ordered Mr. Greenawalt to bring out a trusty team, which Mr. Calder himself drove with the President to the train, so quietly that not even Mr. Lincoln's family, left by him at the supper table, knew of his departure under fear of danger.
At the breaking out of the war, or in May, 1861, Mr. Greenawalt turned the key in the office door, and enlisted as private for three months under Capt. Henry McCormick. (He already held the commission of brigade
months' service, he was appointed by Gen. Simon Cameron as assistant to Major Alli- son, in the paymaster's office; and on No- vember 26, 1862, he was appointed pay- master. Ilis first duties in this position were with the Army of the Potomac, in and around Washington. He was then trans- ferred to the department of the Mississippi, with headquarters at St. Louis, Mo., and with payments at Vicksburg, Miss. In this assignment he served fifteen months. The boat in which he made his first trip down the river was loaded at St. Louis with Gov- ernment supplies, including $3,000,000, which Major Greenawalt was to distribute among the soldiers. On the arrival of the boat at Cairo, Ill., the Captain announced that it would lie over for six hours. Major Greenawalt concluded to take a walk through the town. Passing along the street, he met his next door neighbor, Theodore Adams, who was waiting for a boat en route for St. Louis. He and Mr. Adams enjoyed a long chat. At last the Major, finding that it was about time for his boat to leave, went to the wharf, and was surprised to learn that it was already gone, another boat having arrived. Mr. Greenawalt took the next boat down the river, and while on the way, passed the boat which had left him behind, and which was on fire. He did not know at the time that it was the boat containing his effects, the Government money, and his nephew and as- sistant, Theodore Fisher, who, with fifty-two other persons, lost his life by this fire, the work of an incendiary. Major Greenawalt was next assigned to the department of the Gulf, with headquarters at New Orleans, and payments at Brownsville, Natehez, Baton Rouge and other points. In May, 1863, at Camp Gray, D. C., he was presented with a silver cup by the officers of the Sixth Michigan cavalry. He was mustered out of serviee November 15, 1865. During Major Greenawalt's service as paymaster he had disbursed, with the assistance of his clerk only, the sum of $3,564,289.42. Ile holds a receipt from the paymaster general and the Secretary of War, stating that the United States had no claim against him. He re- ceived the appointment after the war of deputy U. S. marshal for the counties of Dauphin, Union, Snyder, Juniata, North- umberland, and part of Lancaster county.
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The war being ended, Major Greenawalt returned to Harrisburg, where he has since been connected with many important enter- prises. He is president of the Harrisburg Car Manufacturing Company and of the Chestnut Street Market Company. Of the former he is one of the heaviest stockholders, and has been connected with the company since 1866; of the latter company he was among the organizers. He is vice-president .of the Harrisburg Foundry and Machine Works, and of the East Harrisburg Passenger Railway Company. Ile is a member of the boards of directors of the following organiza- tions: Lebanon Gas Company, First Na- tional Bank of Harrisburg, Commonwealth Guarantee Trust and Safe Deposit Company, People's Gas and Gaseous Fuel Company of Harrisburg, Harrisburg Traction Com- pany, Harrisburg Steam Heat and Power Company, Harrisburg Burial Case Company, and Harrisburg Furniture Manufacturing Company. In 1848 he became a stockholder in the first telegraph company, called the Atlantic and Ohio Telegraph Company. For thirteen years he was a member, with Jacob and Jeremiah K. Greenawalt, of the firm of Greenawalt Bros., in the tannery business. He has dealt largely in real estate, and has been running two fine farms in Dauphin county since 1870.
Major Greenawalt is a Republican, but is not an active politician, and never aspires to office. He is a member of Post No. 5S, G. A. R. He was treasurer of the Soldiers' Monument subscription fund, and took an active interest in that worthy tribute to the memory of his comrades. He was also treas- urer of the Dauphin County Centennial Cele- bration fund, in 1885. Major Greenawalt attends the Reformed church, retaining the pew so long occupied by his father. He is a genial gentlemen, and is held in the highest esteem by his neighbors and acquaintances.
KELKER, IMMANUEL MEISTER, deceased, was born May 21, 1822, in Harrisburg, Pa., son of Frederick and Catharine (Fager) Kel- ker. He was educated in the schools of Harrisburg and spent one year in the pre- paratory department of Marshall College, after which he entered the dry goods store of John C. Bucher & Co., of Harrisburg, to learn the mercantile business. In May, 1846, he embarked in the hardware business with his two brothers, Rudolph F. and Henry A. Kelker, under the firm name of
Kelker & Bros., and remained actively en- gaged in the business until his death, March 30, 1SSO. The business was done from May, 1846, to May, 1851, under the firm name of Kelker & Bros., and from May, 1851, to April, 1878, as Immanuel M. & Henry A. Kelker, under the firm name of Kelker & Bro. At the latter date George B. and Fred- erick, sons of Immanuel Kelker, were asso- ciated in the business under the firm name of Kelker & Sons.
Mr. Kelker was a confirmed member of the Reformed Salem church, of Harrisburg. He entered the Sunday-school in early childhood and continued through life a very active and liberal supporter in the cause. He taught for many years in the Sunday- school of the Salem church and assisted by personal labor and most liberal donations in the establishment of the Mission Sunday- school, from which sprang the Second Re- formed church, of Harrisburg. In his own church he served as deacon for many years, and from the time of the organization of the Second church, to which he subscribed liberally, his efforts were mainly for its wel- fare, having acted as superintendent of one department of the Sunday-school. Mr. Kel- ker was a firm and consistent advocate of temperance reform. He was a director of the Harrisburg National Bank for many years. His marriage 'occurred September 21, 1847, with Mary Ann Jefferson, daughter of George Beatty and Sarah Smith (Shrom) Beatty, of Harrisburg. Their children are: Catharine, born October 24, 1849; George B., born January 9, 1852, married October 3, 1878, to Louisa, daughter of Daniel and Catharine Dicker; Frederick, born July 28, 1858, married May 11, 1SS2, to Annie Ma- tilda, daughter of Thomas D. and Sarah (Zimmerman) Mahan, and has two chil- dren : Sarah V. and Thomas M.
HOYER, B. FRANKLIN, was born in Hoges- town, Cumberland county, Pa., September 14, 1823. He was educated in subscription schools ; he came to Harrisburg in 1834. and attended the private schools of William Mitchell and Samuel Cross. In 1839 he went to Clearspring, Washington county, Md., and learned the tinning business.
In 1841 he married Miss Margaret Ann Kershner, of Clearspring, Md., daughter of Elias Kershner. Ile worked at his trade in Clearspring and in Hagerstown for seven years. In 1847 he returned to Dauphin
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county, and located at Lock No. 9, where he resided for sixteen years, attending loek in the summer, and working at his trade in the winter. He then removed his family to Newmarket, York county, Pa., and estab- lished himself in business in New Cumber- land, Cumberland county, Pa .; in 1860 he removed his family to that place.
In 1862 he enlisted in company H, One Hundred and Thirtieth Pennsylvania vol- unteers, as private, and was promoted to corporal of his company. Mr. Hoyer served nine months, and was disabled at the battle of Antietam; he took part in the battles of Antietam, Fredericksburg, Salem and Chaneellorsville. He was honorably dis- charged from the army, and afterwards em- ployed for eighteen years by the Northern Central Railroad Company as watchman at the Yellow Breeches Creek bridge. In 1887 he removed to Harrisburg, where he has since lived retired from active business.
His first wife died April 23, 1882. They had four sons and two daughters : George, of the firm of Hoyer & Milnor, of Harris- burg, John, of Steelton, Charles, of Bridge- port, Pa., Frank, Jr., of New Cumberland, Mary E. (Mrs. David R. Hoffinan), of Steel- ton, Kate A. (Mrs. H. D. Eisenberger), of New Cumberland.
In 1883 he married his second wife, Mrs. Salome Snyder, daughter of John Shoek, of Harrisburg.
Mr. Hoyer is a Republican. He served as chief burgess and in the borough council and school board of New Cumberland. He belongs to Post 462, G. A. R., New Cumber- land. He and his wife are members of the United Brethren church.
-THOMPSON, JAMES BAXTER, was born in Carlisle, Cumberland county, Pa., Septem- ber 21, 1823. He is a son of Samuel and Letitia (Brown) Thompson, the grandfather Thompson and both parents having been born in Carlisle. The father of Mr. Thomp- son was a earpenter and spent the whole of his life in Cumberland county, where he died August 12, 1851, his wife surviving him until 1863. Their family consisted of eight .children, of whom four survive: Thomas B., born April 3, 1812, residing at Carlisle, Pa., the oldest living settler of that town; Amelia, widow of the late Adam Crouse, born December 15, 1818, re- siding at Carlisle; Joseph C., born August 18, 1820, residing at Carlisle, and James
Baxter. The four other members of the family who have died are: Samuel, died aged nineteen ; William, aged seventy-six ; Naney, aged sixty-eight, and John, aged seventy-six.
James Baxter was reared to manhood and received a limited education in his native town. He was apprenticed to the black- smith trade for three years, six months and eight days. Completing his apprenticeship, he removed to Harrisburg and continued to work at his trade nntil 1868, since which date he has been only occasionally employed at the business, of late years living a retired life. He was twice married; first at Harris- burg, in 1852, to Emily J. Black, daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Black, a native of Harrisburg. Two children were born of this marriage, both of whom died in child- hood. Mrs. (Reily) Thompson, the present wife, was born in Myerstown, Lebanon county, Pa., March 7, 1829 (and first wife died in July, 1855). Mrs. Thompson's father, William Reily, died July 28, 1843; her mother, May 23, 1866. They had a family of sixteen children, three only of whom sur- vive, namely: John A., born September 20, 1826; Mrs. Thompson, and Edward F., born January S, 1835. Mr. Thompson was mar- ried the second time at Harrisburg, Novem- ber 26, 1857, to Martha M. Reily, daughter of William and Salome Reily. The Reily family settled in Lebanon county at a very early date, and removed to Harrisburg in 1836, where they lived the rest of their lives. The father was a carpenter by trade, but spent his latter years in agricultural pur- suits. To this second marriage of Mr. Thompson there have been born five chil- dren, four of whom are living, namely: Edwin C., Harrisburg, Emily R., Harrisburg, James C., Harrisburg, William F., Philadelphia. In political views Mr. Thompson is a Repub- lican and an old-time abolitionist. The family attend the Reformed church.
REILY, JOHN A., retired, was born in Myerstown, Lebanon county, Pa., Septem- ber 20, 1826, and is a son of William and Saloma (Valentine) Reily. Mr. Reily may trace back his ancestral line with no appre- hension of finding anything but that which would be pleasant to diseover, for in all his preceding generations here appeared men of character and mark. The fourth genera- tion preceding his own was headed by Peter Reily, of English ancestry, while next comes
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Capt. John Reily, son of Peter, a soldier in the Revolution and a prominent lawyer, who practiced at the first court held in Dauphin county, followed in the next generation by William Reily, his father. On his mother's side Mr. Reily finds the record just as favor- able and enviable, his great-grandfather, Michael Valentine, having for many years been a successful merchant and a prominent and honored citizen of Myerstown, Lebanon county, Pa. William Reily, the father of John A. Reily, having lost his father in his early childhood, found a good home' with his uncle, Governor Heister, who cared for him and carefully looked after his training and instruction. Ilis uncle wisely judged that, for a boy who had his own way to make in the world, a good trade is one of the best kind of preparations, hence he was put to learn the trade of carpenter, and ac- complished his apprenticeship in the usual time, subsequently following the occupation . for some years. In the spring of 1836 Mr. Reily removed to Harrisburg, and became largely interested in agricultural pursuits, to which he gave most of his time until a short period before his death. Mr. Reily was advanced by his fellow-citizens to many prominent places of service and trust. He represented Lebanon county in the State Legislature and served with ability and honor in several county offices. His prom- inence in military circles was no less marked. He served in the United States militia at Baltimore in 1814. Later in life he was made a brigade major, and at the time of his death was holding the rank of brigadier general. His career was an honorable and useful one, beginning in humble obscurity, advancing by easy and certain steps of pre- ferment and ending in prominence and dis- tinction by death, July 28, 1843, his worthy wife long surviving him, and dying May 23, 1866. They had sixteen children, and of this large family there are but three now living, John A., Martha, wife of James B. Thompson, and Frank, all of whom are re- siding in Harrisburg.
John A., when he was ten years of age, came with his parents to Harrisburg, and was here given all the educational advan- tages afforded by the city schools, of which he availed himself with industrious applica- tion. Although abundantly qualified for any of the learned professions or active branches of business, his inclinations and surroundings led in the direction of agricul-
tural pursuits to which he has given his at- tention for the greater part of his active life. This city has been his residence for the whole of his life, with the exception of five years, spent at Minneapolis, Minn., and one year of service in the U. S. army during the war of the Rebellion. For a score or more of years Mr. Reily has been retired from the engage- ments and exacting requirements of active business, and has enjoyed the full quiet and comfort of home life. He wasmarried in Har- risburg September 25, 1852, to Miss Catha- rine Olewine, daughter of George and Maria (Pifer) Olewine, her father being of French ancestry, and both parents natives of Berks county, Pa. Mrs. Reily was born in Cumber- land county, Pa., near Fairview, November 7, 1827, and when about seven years of age came with her parents to Dauphin county, where she spent her entire life. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Reily are: William P., a printer now in Cincinnati, George E., now holding a position in the Pension De- partment, Washington, Martha L., and John Franklin, who both died in childhood. Mr. Reily is a member of Cornplanter Tribe, I. O. R. M. In politics he is a Democrat. Both he and his wife are members of Christ Lu- theran church, of Harrisburg.
LAMBERTON, ROBERT ALEXANDER, son of Robert Lamberton, and Mary Harkness Lamberton, his wife, was born December 6, 1824, at Carlisle, Pa. He graduated from Dickinson College June, 1843, being vale- dictorian of the class. After teaching school two years he began the study of law in the office of James McCormick of Harrisburg and was admitted to the Dauphin county bar in August, 1848. He soon acquired a wide reputation as an able and conscientious jurist. On the breaking out of the Civil war Mr. Lamberton enlisted in the First regiment, Pennsylvania militia, of which he was commissioned lieutenant colonel. He served on Governor Curtin's staff at the time of Lee's invasion of the Cumberland Valley and Gettysburg, in 1863. In 1873 he was chosen a member of the Constitutional Con- vention as a delegate at large. In that dis- tinguished body his abilities had marked at- tention in the various discussions therein. Hle served on the committees on executive department, counties, townships, and bor- oughs. Mr. Lamberton took high rank in the Masonic fraternity and was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylva-
Engraved Ly J R Rice & Sors Pitada
Gelex. Roberts
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nia from 1870 to 1871. He also served in the highest offices in the Odd Fellows, of which he was a very prominent member. From 1871 for a period of twenty years, he served as secretary of the Diocesan Conven- tion of Central Pennsylvania. In 1880 the board of trustees of Lehigh University recog- nizing the executive ability and brilliant attainments of Mr. Lamberton offered him the presidency of that institution, which he accepted. The same year the University of Pennsylvania conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Laws. Dr. Lamberton's labors as president of Lehigh University for the period of thirteen years were crowned with marked success-an everlasting monument to his fidelity and ability as an educator.
Apart from his duties as president of the University, Dr. Lamberton was a director of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company and trustee of estate of the late Asa Packer. He was also a trustee of the State Lunatic Hospital at Harrisburg, Pa., St. Luke's Hos- pital at South Bethlehem, and the Bishop Thorpe School for Young Ladies, and was a member of the Pennsylvania Society Sons of the Revolution. Dr. Lamberton died suddenly in the midst of his usefulness, at South Bethlehem, on the evening of the 1st of September, 1893. IIis remains were in- terred at Harrisburg. He married, September 14, 1852, Annie, daughter of the late Will- iam Buchler, of Harrisburg. Their children who survived him were William E., a mem- ber of the Dauphin county bar; James M., master at St. Paul's School, Concord, . N. II., and Nannie, wife of Rollin H. Wilbur, of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company.
- ROBERTS, ALEXANDER, SR., son of Col. John and Mary II. (Chambers) Roberts, was born in Harrisburg, Pa.
. The Roberts family were among the very earliest settlers of this State. They were Welsh Quakers, and came to America with William Penn. The grandfather of Alex- ander Roberts settled in Dauphin county, where now stands the village of Rockville, before the Revolution, and when he was about thirty years of age. He was a worker in steel and iron, and a manufacturer of sickles; a most reputable man and a skillful mechanic. Here was born and here grew up his son John, father of Alexander. This son, after the death of his father, removed to Lancaster, Pa .; after a residence of a few years in that place he again removed to
Harrisburg, and practiced law there for many years.
Col. John Roberts was admitted to the bar at the age of twenty-four years, on February 5, 1812, and on November 14, 1812, was commissioned by the secretary of the Com- monwealth to notify the electors for Pres- ident, in the different counties of the State, at the re-election of President Madison. On October 19, 1813, he became a private in Capt. Thomas Walker's company, Harris- burg volunteers, which was composed of forty men. On August 1, 1814, he was elected and commissioned by Gov. Simon Snyder to be second lieutenant in the First brigade, Sixth division, Pennsylvania militia, from Dauphin, Lebanon, Berks and Schuyl- kill counties, for seven years. Also, on the same date, he was commissioned as first lieutenant of company Ten, First battalion, Ninety-eighth regiment, First brigade, Sixth division, Pennsylvania militia; and on Au- gust 1, 1814, was commissioned as first lieutenant of the Ninety-eighth regiment, Harrisburg volunteers, referred to above. The foregoing commissions were under the State organization. After the burning of Washington by the British, August 23, 1814, the President issued a requisition on Gov- ernor Snyder for 10,000 militia. A number of uniformed volunteer companies, among which were the Harrisburg volunteers, tendered their services to' the governor, and were accepted by him. The necessity of in- creasing the number of men in cach com- pany, the dropping out of old members and the addition of new, caused a reorganiza- tion of the old volunteer companies, and in the new company, now increased to ninety- four men, John Roberts volunteered and was enrolled as private, and was, with the com- pany, mustered into the service of the United States at York, Pa., August 29, 1814. A few days after, John M. Forster, orderly sergeant of the company, was appointed brigade major by his uncle, Gen. John For- ster, and John Roberts was appointed and took his place as orderly, and served in that capacity until the volunteers returned home, after their honorable discharge at Baltimore, December 3, 1814.
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