Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, Part 101

Author: Floyd, J.L., & Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, J. L. Floyd & Co.
Number of Pages: 1024

USA > Pennsylvania > Northumberland County > Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2 > Part 101

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On June 5, 1906, Mr. Miller, married Mary Elizabeth Felton, daughter of George E. and Mary (Clifford) Felton, of Sunbury. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are members of the Presbyterian Church at Sunbury.

DAVID CLOYD MINGLE, owner and pro- prietor of the "Mansion House," at Watsontown, Northumberland county, has been engaged in the hotel business ever since he was old enough to be of any assistance, his father having long been a successful hotel proprietor. He has been proprietor of the "Mansion House," the leading hotel at Wat- sontown, sinee 1906. Mr. Mingle was born at Huntingdon, Pa., July 6, 18:5, and belongs to a family which has been settled in Pennsylvania since the first half of the eighteenth century, the first of this line having located in Berks county in 1732.

The original spelling .of the family name, Mengel, is still used by many of its members, the form Mingle having been used by the branch here under consideration ever since a school teacher spelled Squire Mingle's name that way. whole family followed the new spelling for the sake of uniformity.

There are also Mingles or Mengels in Lancaster county, Pa. In 1890 David Mingle, father of David C. Mingle, met a "cousin" in Hagerstown, Md., Isaac Mengel, of the "Franklin Hotel." who told that his father's name was Isaac and that the father was a native of Laneaster county, Pa .. and a shoemaker by occupation. He also remembered having uneles David and Samuel, and an aunt. which would seem to make him of the same family as David Mingle. This Isaac Mengel had a brother in Reading, Berks Co., Pa., and a son William. There are Mingles at Warriorsmark, Huntingdon Co., Pa., and at Tvrone, Pa., who came from the South, but whether they are related to the Mingles here mentioned or not is unknown. Those of the name at Hagerstown write it Mengel.

The great-grandfather of David Cloyd Mingle, of Watsontown, lived in Lancaster county, Pa., where all his children were born. His family con- sisted of at least two sons and two daughters, of whom we have the following record: Samuel was the grandfather of David C. Mingle and is men- tioned more fully below. David settled in Mif- flinburg about 1823, but later moved to Brush Valley, in Haines township, Center Co., Pa., where he lived until 1854, at which time he moved to Stephenson county, Ill .. where he passed the re- mainder of his life, dying in 1812. He was twiee

Aaronsburg, who died in 1891), Mrs. Samuel Fisher (of Rock Grove, Stephenson Co., Ill. ) . and Mrs. Susan Motz ( who lived on a farm at Wood- ward, Center Co., Pa., where she died Dec. 11, 1897) ; and two sons of the second union, who live in the West. The two daughters of whom we have record, sisters of Samuel and David Mingle, were Mrs. Reigle and Mrs. Fox ; the latter's son George married a Miss Reigle, his cousin, and lived at Woodward, Center Co., Pa., but nothing further is given concerning the children of either Mrs. Reigle or Mrs. Fox, both of whom lived near Hartleton, Union Co., Pa. The great-grandfather was evidently a shoemaker. and both the sons mentioned followed that trade.

According to one account of this family, "David, who was still quite young, accompanied by a brother, joined the army during the war of 1812, David becoming a member of Capt. Henry Miller's . company, stationed at Marcus Hook. At the close of the war he learned the art of shoemaking, and later married a Miss Grove, of Union county. a member of the family noted for their prowess in battling with the Indians."

Samuel Mingle, brother of David, was a shoe-

The maker by occupation. He lived at Aaronsburg, Center Co., Pa .. and died at Millheim, that county, in 1849. He married Elizabeth Bordner, of Geneva, N. Y., and to them were born nine chil- dren, of whom David is now (1910) the only sur- vivor. The family lived for a number of years in Union county, Pa., where four of the children were born, moving to Center county in 1835 and settling at what was then called Motz Bank, now Woodward. We have the following record of the family: Hannah married Henry Dinges. of Mill- heim, and later moved to Orangeville. Stephenson Co., Ill. (she had one son, Frank, and two daugh- ters, Libbie and Sarah) : Absalom married Susan Roup, of Millheim, and had six children, two sons, David and Alfred, and four daughters. Annie Swartz (of Lewisburg), Libby ( whose husband. Mr. Boltz, is a farmer below Aaronsburg), Kate and Rosie : Mary married Henry Ano, of New Ber- lin, Union Co., Pa .. a coachmaker, and they have six living children, Johanna, Charlie. Jennie. Tim. Harry and Durben ; Manda died in young woman- hood: David was fifth in the family: Jeremiah died in infaney: Catherine married Levi Caver, a farmer of Stephenson county, Ill. (no children) : Elizabeth died in infaney: Samson Q. married Rosie Bower and had three children, Bertha. Elizabeth and Harry, of East Orange, New Jersey.

David Mingle, father of David Cloyd Mingle. learned the trade of coachmaker. If his father had not died when he was so young he would undoubt-

In January, 1863, Mr. Mingle married Cath- erine Mutherbangh, who is now over seventy years old. Nine children were born to this union : Flora married Thomas Pendergast, an engineer, of Lancaster, and had four children, Dolly (de- ceased), Claudy (deceased), Harold (who has a daughter, Margaret), and Mildred; Carrie, Mil- dred and Myrtle are unmarried ; Minnie May mar- ried Joseph Henderson and died April 28, 1910, leaving one daughter, Catherine; one son died in infancy; David Cloud is mentioned below : San- ford Bruce is a resident of Harrisburg; Jennie Alice married Samuel MIvers, and they live at Newport (they have no children). .

David Cloyd Mingle received a good education in the elementary and high schools of Lancaster, garet Bryson, and among their children were: Elizabeth, who married Daniel Mckinley, and

Mount Joy and Greencastle. He was trained to the hotel business from early youth, assisting his died at the advanced age of ninety; George: Ella. father, and when he engaged in the business on his who married Henry Eberly ; Peter, who was killed own account took the "City Hotel" at Danville, before Petersburg, while serving in the Civil war; which he conducted for four years. He then be- and Charles, who was killed in the same battle. came proprietor of the well known "Cocalico Four sons and two sons-in-law of this family were Hotel" at Ephrata, Pa .. which he carried on for killed while serving in the Civil war.

two years, later going to Newport, where he ran the "Mingle House" for five years. Thence he moved to Milton, Northumberland county. where he had the "Mingle Cafe," now known as Sum- mers Cafe, for two years. until he bought the "Mansion House," the leading hotel of Watson- town, in 1906. This hotel has twenty-four rooms, and is a modern structure of fine appearance. sur- rounded with spacious porches and well equipped and appointed. It is well kept up and conducted along modern lines, and Mr. Mingle has marte a success of the establishment from the beginning, his thorough understanding of the business insur- ing his patrons that everything possible to efficient management may be expected of him. He is a member of the Hotel Protective Association and the Commercial Travelers Association. Fraternallv he is an Elk and a member of the Improved Order

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edly have learned his trade, shoemaking. In 1886 of Red Men, belonging to Lodge No. 663, of he entered the hotel business as proprietor of the Lewistown. "American House" at Lancaster, Pa., which he On Nov. 9, 1905, Mr. Mingle married Laura conducted until 1889. From there he went to M. Gast. Mount Joy, same county, where he ran the "Red Lion Hotel" for a year, after which he was at JOHN H. JOHNSON, merchant of Milton, Northumberland county, is engaged as a dealer in iron, stoves and tinware, and has also built up an extensive patronage in tinsmithing, roofing, spout- ing and sheet metal work. Since 1903 he has also done contracting, and as his business interests reach out beyond Milton to surrounding towns he bids fair to become one of the most successful men in this section of the county. He has made his home in Milton from boyhood. Greencastle, Franklin county, where he conducted - the "Crowl House" for six years. He was then at Danville, Pa., for four years, conducting the "City Hotel," after which he lived retired at Lan- caster for about two years. His next location was at Newport, Perry Co., Pa., where he had the "Mingle House" for a period of six years, until his retirement. He still makes his home at that place, now (1910) in his seventy-fifth year en- joying the fruits of his active days in well earned leisure. In politics Mr. Mingle is a Democrat, with independent inclinations.

Mr. Johnson is a native of Center county, Pa., born July 25, 1867, at Milesburg, and his family is of Swedish origin, but has long been settled in this country. His ancestors first emigrated from Sweden to Scotland, from which country his great- grandfather. John Johnson, came to America, set- tling in New Jersey, where he built the first forge along the coast. The records show that he was an expert mechanic, and he was thus engaged until his death.

Jolin Johnson, grandfather of John H., was born in New Jersey, whence he removed in young man- hood to Center county, Pa., being one of the pioneers in the iron business in that region. He was engaged in that line of work all his life. find- ing a market for his iron at Pittsburg. whither he hauled it from his own forge with mules. He died - at Milesburg. Center county. His wife was Mar-

John Johnson, father of Jolin H., was a native of New Jersey and very young when he moved with his father to Center county, Pa. Like his father he also followed the iron business all his life, and after coming to Milton, in 1882, was em- ployed in the old rolling mill. . He died in 1891. During the Civil war he served as a member of Co. H. of a Pa, regiment, Volunteer In- fantry, and contracted typhoid fever while on duty as a soldier, suffering from poor health for a long time after leaving the service. But he eventually recovered. He married Rebecca Croft, daughter of John and Rebecca ( Irington ) Croft. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are buried at Milton. Five sons were born to their union : John H., Samuel, William, Elmer and Morris, all residing in Milton with the excep- tion of William, who lives in Chicago, Illinois.

John H. Johnson received his education in the

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. public schools of Milesburg and at Bellefonte Laffer, same county, where he was hired to blow Academy. He removed to Milton with his father, a fan and drive a team. Later he became a loader, and like the members of his family generally early beeame interested in the iron business. For three years he had charge of the nail department of the C. A. Godcharles Company's plant, and then en- gaged in the scrap iron business on his own ac- count, a line in which he has continued with profit to the present time. His main office is on South Front street, Milton, and he has warehouses at

and for some time he was a loader boss. His next work was cutting coal, driving gangways, chutes and headings. When he came to Shamokin, this county, in 1868, he assisted in opening the Lan- caster colliery, then owned by John and William Gabel, and at this colliery, later known as the Gimlet colliery, he remained for the long period of thirty-nine years and eleven months, until he botlı McEwensville and Milton. It was in natural ' retired from that line of work in 1909. He served order that tinsmithing and similar work should come his way, and he has built up an extensive foreman. in fact he was the only incumbent of trade in general work of that kind and in roofing, spouting and sheet metal work, his customers being found all over Milton and adjacent towns. Sinee 1903 he has also done contracting, and he was engaged on the excavation for the Souter Silk Company's mills at Milton. Mr. Johnson has proved his ability to keep up with the times and to lead progress in his chosen line of work, which undoubtedly accounts for the sueeess he has made. His personal and business standing is irreproacha- able. in various capaeities, for many years as outside that position at the Gimlet until he gave up the work. Mr. Higgins had bought a farm of eighty- five acres of good land in Ralpho township in 1900, and there he now resides and follows agricultural operations, which he has found a eongenial change. A hard-working and reliable man, he was well known in the coal fields and bore an exeellent reputation throughout his career as a miner. He is a eitizen of sterling worth and estcemed by all' who know him. In politics he is independent, voting for the candidate he prefers. regardless of

Mr. Johnson married Florence E. Krock, party ties. In religion he is a Catholie.

daughter of John and Emma ( Whitman) Krock, and they have had one daughter, Elizabeth. He is a member of the Lutheran Church, a Republican in politics and in fraternal connection a Mason, belonging to Danville Lodge, No. 224, F. & A. M., to the Chapter; R. A. M., and Calvary Command- ery, K. T.

PATRICK B. HIGGINS was engaged in min- ing work for over forty years before his recent re- tirement therefrom in 1909, and he is now devoting liis activities to farming, having bought his present farm in Ralpho township in 1900. He was born Nov. 1, 1846, near Pottsville, Sehuylkill Co., Pa., son of Thomas Higgins, a native of County Kil-

Mr. Higgins married Margaret Maderia, daugh- ter of George and Mary ( Rhoads) Maderia, and they have had children as follows: Mary married Frank Long; Catharine inarried William Haines; Thomas is living at Coal Run, Pa. : George makes his home in Shamokin, Pa .: Ellen, Patriek and John are deceased; James lives at home; Diana is the wife of Harry Hornberger; Thursa is de- eeased.

JOHN F. HESSER, who has been outside fore- man at the Hiekory Swamp eolliery, in Mount Carmel township, sinee 1898, is one of the re- spected citizens of this region. His father was a boss at this colliery at the time of his death. The kenny, Ircland, who came to Ameriea with his wife Hesser family is an old-established one in this seetion of Pennsylvania, and we give something of the early general history of the family, eon- tributed by Mr. W. Reiff Hesser, of Reading. Berks Co .. Pa., a descendant of the same stoek :

and two children when a young man. Loeating near Pottsville, he there passed the remainder of his long life, dying at the age of seventy-two years. He made a trip to California, but did not remain long in the. West. By his first wife, Mary ( Bren- In 1732 two brothers. John Hesser and Fred- crick Hesser. made the voyage to this eountry in "The Loyal Judith," coming from the Palatinate in Germany. They were young, no doubt, probably nan), he had a family of fifteen sons, only six of whom, however, grew to maturity: Barney. Thomas, Martin. John. James and William. To his seeond marriage, with Sarah Born. eamc the boys of fifteen and seventeen years. and in eonrse following children : Patriek B., Joseph, Bridget. of time married. One of them (maybe both) set- .

Elizabeth, Mary. Ellen, and Margaret. Mrs. Sarah (Born) Higgins died Dec. 23, 1910, at the remarkable age of 102 years, and was buried Dec. 27, 1910. in the Springfield eemetery.

Patrick B. Higgins was reared near Pottsville. When a boy he eommenecd work at the mines in Schuylkill eounty in the usual way. pieking slate. but was employed thus only two. and one half days when he went to the Williams mines at Mount

tled at the"Trappe." in what is now Montgomery county, Pa., and rcared a family. We have reeord of only two sons, John, born about 1760, and Fred- erick, born in 1763. both of whom were well known in the lower eounties of Pennsylvania. Both served in the Revolutionary war, Jolin (who never married) enlisting as a fifer, remaining in the army throughout the period of the Revolution and continuing in the regular serviee until the elose of

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the war of 1812-15. He was with Jackson at the Company, for a long time as superintendent of the battle of New Orleans, Jan. 8, 1815. His army service covered over fifty years, and he died at the age of abont seventy at Orwigsburg, Schuylkill Co., Pa., where he is buried; the date of death appears on his tombstone there.

Frederick Hesser (2), recorded above as having been born in 1963, was the grandfather of Mr. W. Reiff Hesser. He enlisted as a drummer in Wash- ington's army in September, 1216, and the terms of enlistment being frequently short in the Revo- lution, subsequently enlisted three times. He was present at and took active part in the battles of Trenton and Brandywine, was in the reserve at Germantown, and saw active service at various other points. A Hessian musket given him after The exact connection between the branch of the Hesser family to which John F. Hesser belongs and that whose history is given above is not clearly established, but it is certain they were of the same stock, as Frederick Hesser, father of the figlit at Trenton is now in the possession of the family. A British prisoner drummer taught him to drum according to army regulations, and he proved such an apt pupil that he was a drum major in the service when still quite young. John F., was a cousin or second cousin of Henry Hesser, son of Frederick (2). The grandfather

Removing to Schuylkill county while it was still a part of Berks county (divided in of John F. Hesser settled in Schuylkill county, 1811), he remained there the rest of his where he died.

life, living at Orwigsburg until his death about 1851. He was high sheriff of that county in 1815 and was court crier for several years, in those days assembling court by roll of the drum in the large open square where the old courthouse still stands. He was a brother-in-law of Francis R. Shunk, who became governor of Pennsylvania, and was himself a man of substance and importance in his section.

Frederick Hesser (2) had four sons of whom there is record ; it is probable there were no others. These sons were : Frederick Hesser (3) removed to Fort Madison, Iowa, where he became a prosperous merchant; it is thought he died about 1880. An- other son, whose name we do not know, left home when young and was never afterward heard from. Charles Hesser became a prominent bishop in the Evangelical Church : we have not the exact date of his death, but it seems to have occurred about 1845-48. Henry Hesser ( father of W. Reiff Hes- ser) was the youngest of the sons of Frederick Hesser (2), who had also two daughters: Cath- erine, who became Mrs. John Schoener, and Re- becca, who became Mrs. Fraley. Both are now deceased. Mrs. Fraley was the grandmother of Dr. Herbert Erb, of Orwigsburg.

Henry Hesser was born July 2, 1815, at Orwigs- burg, which was then the county seat of Schuylkill county. About 1844 he removed to Schuylkill Haven, Pa., and entered the service of the Phil- adelphia & Reading Railway Company, in which he remained about forty-five years, holding re- sponsible positions to the end of his life, in 1890. His family consisted of four sons and two daugh- ters, namely : Albert A. has for many years been in the service of the Philadelphia & Reading Ry. political views.

Mahanoy & Shamokin Division, and still holds a position with that company; Charles F. was a prominent business man of Cincinnati, Ohio, where he died Dec. 20, 1907; W. Reiff was for twenty- three years in the service of the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company in important positions, and is now in Reading, Pa., where he is serving as probation officer ; H. A. was in the service of the Philadelphia & Reading and other companies for many years before his death, in April, 1910; Elizabeth S. lives at Schuylkill Haven, Pa. ; Emma R. married H. B. Zulick and resides at Schuylkill Haven.

Frederick Hesser followed a seafaring life for some time. In 1861 he located at Coal Run, in Northumberland county, where he found employ- ment at the collieries, and for some time he was engaged as slate picker boss at the Hickory Swamp Colliery. He was murdered Dec. 19. 18:4. in the engine room of that colliery. by the "Molly Ma- guires." Mr. Hesser was an intelligent and re- spected citizen, well known in this section in his day. having been elected coroner of the county in 1872, for a term of three years. He was a Re- publican in politics, in religion a member of the Evangelical Church. He married Elizabeth Swenck, a native of Schuylkill county, and to them were born five children: Mary A .. Elizabeth (who died young). John F .. Charles H. and George F.

Jolin F. Hesser was born in 1853 in Schuylkill county, son of Frederick and Elizabeth (Swenck) Hesser. He came to Northumberland county with his father and attended the local schools until he commenced work as a slate picker at the Coal Run colliery. When he became older he was employed as a miner about four years, and then went to Pearson, Lebanon Co., Pa., where he was engaged for two years at the carpenter's trade. Returning to his home district he followed his trade and assisted in the construction of the Hickory Ridge breaker, having charge of part of the work. Upon its completion he remained there eleven years. as breaker boss, in 1898 taking his present position at the Hickory Swamp colliery. He has sixty-five men in his charge as outside foreman, and he holds their respect and good will to a gratifying degrec. Mr. Hesser is a member of the Independent Ameri- cans at Shamokin, and he is a Republican in his

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Mr. Hesser married Elizabeth Moll, and they John Philip Beyer, who came from the Palatinate have a family of six children, namely: Frederick to Philadelphia in 1731, with a number of chil- E., Charles Henry, Emma F., Mary E., Albert Quay and Laura B. dren. He settled in Frederick township, Mont- gomery Co., Pa., but later lived in Amity town- ship, in the lower end of Berks county, where he died in the spring of 1153, at a ripe old age. Ile belonged to the Swamp Lutheran Church, and was buried by the pastor, Rev. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, who reports the matter fully in the "Halleschen Nachrichten." His will is on record at the Philadelphia courthouse, and in it some of his children are named. Among his sons were : Jacob, the ancestor of the Boyertown branch of the family; and Johann Heinrich.

HENRY CAMERON, of No. 604 West Spruce street, Shamokin, has lived in that borough for almost fifty years, and throughout that long period has been employed at the mines. For over twenty years he has been engaged at the Cameron mines. Mr. Cameron was born May 25, 1852, in Potts- ville, Schuylkill Co., Pa., where his father, Charles Cameron, a native of New Jersey, located before the Civil war. His paternal grandfather had a family of six children, those besides Charles be- ing : Daniel, Eckbud F., John, Eliza and Lydia A.

Charles Cameron was a plasterer and bricklayer by occupation, and followed his trade all his life. He lived for some time at Shamokin, but even- tually returned to his native State, where he dicd. He married Mary A. Murkel, a native of Berks county, Pa., and a member of an old family of that county, and to them were born seven children : Emeline is the widow of David Reed; Mary E. married Henry Ressler : Henry is mentioned below ; Charles lives in Shamokin : Simon is a resident of Jamestown. N. Y. ; Wallace lives in Rochester, Pa .; Elizabeth married Emanuel Leiser.

Heury Cameron commenced work at the breaker when a mere boy and has followed mining all his life. He has been a stationary engineer during the greater part of his forty-eight years at the mines, and commenced work with the Cameron col- Hiery about twenty-five years ago, Sept. 15, 1886. He is now one of the trusted employees at the Cameron mines, bearing a deserved reputation for

trustworthiness and reliability. He is a member . Phillips. Later he moved to Dauphin county. of the Knights of the Golden Eagle and of the Shepherds of Bethlehem, in politics a Republican. and in religion an adherent of the Reformed faith.

Mr. Cameron married June 21, 1873. Harriet Rhoads, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth ( Kerstetter ) . Rhoads, of Northumberland county. and they have had four children: Sallie E. died at the age of thirty years, the wife of Charles Settelmover: Mary C. died in infancy: Jennie F. is the wife of John Young, of Shamokin, and has one child, Joseph Henry: Caroline M. died at the age of twenty-four years.

ABRAHAM C. BOYER. a young business man . of Sunbury who is engaged in the manufacture of buggies, carriages and wagons, was born Aug. 30, 1884, in Upper Augusta township, this county. son of Elias D. Boyer. The Boyers are a branch of an old family of lower Berks county, Pa., established in Northumberland county in 1831 by , Peter Boyer, great-grandfather of Abraham .C. Boyer.

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Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, Part 101

Author: Floyd, J.L., & Co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago, J. L. Floyd & Co. Number of Pages: 1024

Author: Floyd, J.L., & Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, J. L. Floyd & Co.
Number of Pages: 1024