Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, Part 12

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 12

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The Pennsylvania Archives. Vol. I, page 385, show that George Ross was the owner of a ship known as the brig "Mary," fifty tons, registered Nov. 23, 1762. On Jan. 11, 1276, George Ross was appointed adjutant of Col. Arthur St. Clair's

Frederick R. Dornsife received his education in 2d Pennsylvania Battalion, which was in service the public schools of the home locality, was reared from January, 1726, to January, 1777. Hc re- to farmn life, and when eighteen began to learn

signed this commission July 1, 1726, and was pro- the trade of painter and paper hanger. He con- moted to lieutenant of marines with the rank of tinued to follow that occupation until 1900, in ensign. On July 4, 1776, delegates from the As- which year he became proprietor of the "Never- sociated Battalions held a convention at Lancaster. sink Hotel" at Trevorton, Pa., conducting that Pa., when two brigadier generals were elected, and establishment for three years. On June 5, 1904, George Ross, who was president of the convention Mr. Dornsite came to Dornsife, where he has since ( D. Olymer was secretary), received nine votes. been successfully engaged in business, conducting There were eight candidates for the positions, the store and hotel, of which latter he is owner Daniel Roberdean and James Ewing being the as well as proprietor. Since 1902 he has also been two successful contestants. One of the resolutions adopted at this convention reads:

postmaster. Besides a full line of general mer- chandise, for which he has an extensive local trade, Resolved. That Col. George Ross, Lieut. Col. Mr. Dornsife deals in coal, salt. railroad ties, bark Daniel Clymer and Capt. Sharp Delaney be a com-

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mittee to review and correct the minutes of the corded as a lieutenant, Oct. 25, 1777. He served proceedings of this day, and they are hereby desired nine years and eleven months. to publish them in the several newspapers of the Colony, and that they be signed by the President. D. Clymer. George Ross, President.

Secretary.

Lancaster, July 4, 1776.

In the summer of 1776 George Ross was com- missioned a colonel of a company from Laneaster county. He also served the aforesaid county as deputy quartermaster general. In the summer of 1776 he issued a regimental order to which he signed his name "George Ross, Colonel." On page 15, Vol. VII, of the 5th Series of Pennsylvania Archives, is an aceonnt of moneys expended by Michael Dieffenderfer for the support of the wives and children of militiamen belonging to Capt. George Musser's company in Col. George Ross's battalion of Lancaster county.

George Ross, Jr., son of George Ross, above, in 1776 was a lientenant of the 11th Pennsylvania Regiment, Continental Line, and on Sept. 30, 1776, was promoted to the captainey of a com- pany of Col. Richard Hampton's regiment, known as the "Old Eleventh." On June 11, 1277, Colonel Humpton, while in camp at Mount Pleasant, N. J., makes a report of his eight companies ; Cap- tain Ross had eighteen men in camp, thirteen at Philadelphia, one a prisoner of war, two claimed, seven deserted : total, thirty-two men.

John Ross, another of the four brothers men- tioned, settled in Lancaster eounty, Pa., from which territory he served in the Revolution, mak- ing an excellent and honorable record.

Joseph Ross, another of the four brothers, and his son, Joseph Ross, Jr., both served with credit in the Revolution. After the Revolution he set- tled in New York State, where his descendants still reside. Some of his grandsons became drov- ers, and in the course of their journeyings as sneh met and talked with the descendants of William Ross, the other brother of the four, who then lived in Lower Augusta township, Northumberland Co., Pennsylvania.

William Ross, to whom the Northmmberland county family traces back, in a list of miscel- laneous officers is given as a captain of a company in the Revolution ( Pennsylvania Archives, 5th Series, Vol. IV, page 205). The same anthority mentions him as a private in the Continental Line earlier in the war. In July, 1777, he was a pri- vate of the 5th Battalion, and in September. 1517, he was a private of the 4th Battalion, to which he had been transferred. From Ang. 1 to Sept. 3, 1781, he was a private in Capt. Samuel Holliday's company. Later in the same year, for twenty-six days, he was on the pay roll as a private of Capt. William Hnston's company. Late in 1981 he was enlisted as a private of the first class in Col. Al- exander Brown's regiment. In the Pennsylvania Archives. 5th Series, Vol. VII, page 3, he was re-

There was a James Ross who lived in Lancaster county and was related to the four brothers, but the relationship is uneertain. He, too, made a most ereditable Revolutionary record.

William Ross first settled in Lancaster county, later coming to Sunbury, where he took up a large tract of land. At the time of the Whiskey Insur- reetion, in 1994, he was again in the serviee for some months, and is said to have been killed at that time. He had an only son, William.

William Ross, only son of William, was a mere child at the time of his father's death, and he was bound out at Lancaster. where he learned the trade of hatter. Returning to Sunbury, he was married there to Betsy Miehmm, whose people came from the vieinity of Money, Pa. After several years, in 1807, he settled on a traet of land in what is now Lower Angusta township, Northumberland eoun- ty, now owned by John Haupt. But he lived there only a short time, in 1808 moving to the locality where his grandson William Ross lived until his recent death, this homestead having now been in the Ross name for over one hundred years. When the pioneer William Ross located thereon only three-quarters of an acre had been cleared-a deer patch made by the early hunters to help them eateh the animals easily. Salt was spread on the ground for the deer to liek, and it was a compar- atively casy matter to shoot them onee they were in the elearing. The Daniel Levi warrant or survey for this tract, which calls for 349 acres, bears the date 1793. It was purchased by Au- gustus T., William and James Ross, sons of Wil- liam Ross, Jr., who had also a son John and two daughters, Betsy and Polly. and all this family lived and died there except Augustus T., who died in Lopez, Sullivan Co., Pa., where he is buried. William Ross, Jr., followed hatting while living in Lower Augusta township. He died in middle life, and he and his wife are buried in the River cemetery at Fisher's Ferry, but there is no tomb- stone to maik the spot.

William Ross, one of the four sons of William Ross, Jr .. was born Oet. 6, 1806, at Sunbury, and was in his infancy when his parents removed to Lower Angusta township, where he passed all his lite. He lived on the same ground later owned by his son William, having a tract of 122 aeres. mostly woodland, and in 1850 he built a stone honse which was torn down by his son William in 1891. In 1850-51 he also built a barn. which his gon William rebuilt in 1896. When he built the present large brick house. in 1825, he made the bricks himself, he and a neighbor, Aaron Wilkin- son, who also put up a brick house, making the bricks together in 182 1 and putting up their houses the following year. Mr. Ross was a typical pioneer woodsman, and he was handy with many tools

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but particularly skillful as a woodworker. There plant they obtained their first seed wheat from Rev. were no sawmills in the vicinity in his early life, Mr. Risen. Though an active man Mr. Ross de- voted all his time to his own affairs, always refus- ing official honors. In polities he was a Repub- lican, in religion a Presbyterian. and he helped to build the Mountain Presbyterian Church. He died at his home at Augustaville Nov. 14. 1910, and was buried at that place. He was not only prom- inent as a well-to-do farmer of his home section, but was also well known in Sunbury, and was uni- versally respected, his death being regarded as a loss to the whole eonnnunity. so he shaved shingles by hand, made handles for pickaxes, hammers, etc., and was an all-around useful man at mechanical labor. He helped to build the first Shamokin dam at Sunbury, and helped to clear much land in this vicinity. His death occurred April 13, 1885, and he is buried at the Mountain Presbyterian Church. His wife Sarah (Renn), born in March, 1818; died in June, 1879, aged sixty-one years, three months. twenty- six days. Her parents. Philip and Rachel Renn, had children as follows: Henry, who located in On March 16, 1880, Mr. Ross married Hannah J. Strasser, daughter of Henry Strasser, and to them were born six children : George E .; William W., who married Ruth Schwenk: Clara E., who married Ernest Metz and died not long afterward : Sarah G. : Laura A., and M. Ella. Decatur county, Ind. : John, who located in Lower Augusta township; Betsy. Mrs. John Cornell : Sarah, Mrs. Ross: and Tiny, Mrs. John Flem- ming. To William and Sarah (Renn) ' Ross were born the following children: Amos, who was born on the forty-fourth anniversary of his father's The Ross family has a wooden chest bearing the date 1726 which was made in Germany and was brought to America by a Derr, who settled in Little Mahanoy township, this county.' birth, died March 26, 1884. aged thirty-three years, five months, twenty days : William is mentioned be- low: Sarah Elizabeth died unmarried Jan. 20, 1880, aged twenty-three years, seven months, twen- ty-one days; Jane died unmarried just three weeks after her sister, on Jan. 20, 1880.

WILLIAM Ross, son of William and Sarah (Renn) Ross, was born May 24, 1853, in Lower Augusta township, where he passed all his life. His educational advantages were rather limited, but what he lacked in that kind of training he made up for in practical experience. In early life he learned his father's trade, making shingles and handles by hand, giving his attention chiefly to the production of handles of all kinds. He also helped to clear three different tracts of land, so that he knew considerable, by personal experience, of the work of developing land for cultivation. His last work of this kind was the clearing of five acres of timber, in the fall of 1909, of the 130-acre tract which he owned on the top of Mahanoy mountain, where he built a house for his son William W. Ross. He gave to each of his sons, George E. and William W., thirty acres of this 130-acre tract. For a number of years he followed Iumbering, bnt he was most extensively interested in agriculture. at the time of his death owning about four hun- dred acres of land, including the homestead in Lower Angusta township. He owned the first tract of land cleared and settled in this section of the county, still known as the "Rev. Risen tract." Rev. Mr. Risen was a Methodist minister and prob- ably the first settler in his part of Northumberland county, the house he occupied standing near a good spring. He planted locust trees. The Tul- pehocken road, the first road leading to Sunbury from Reading and Berks county, and from New York State, was later laid out through this land. Conrad Weiser and the Indians passed this way in their journeyings. When the New Jersey pi- oneers who settled in this section were ready to

John Ross, previously mentioned as one of the sons of William Ross, Jr., was born in Lower Augusta township, and followed farming and la- boring work generally, making piek handles to eke out his income. He owned a large tract of land on the northern slope of the Mahanoy moun- tain. He is buried at the Mountain Presbyterian Church, where his wife, Mary Elizabeth ( Smith). also rests. They had children as follows: Eman- uel : Angustus, who is deceased : Alexander, John and Frank, all of whom live at Shamokin: and Emma J., who married Ed. Bademan, of Sunbury, and died about a year afterward.

EMANUEL Ross was born July 28, 1847, in Low- er Augusta township, where he was reared and re- ceived his education. Until eighteen years of age he continued to work on the farm, and then for a period of twelve years followed railroading. dnr- ing this time making his home in the borough of ' Shamokin : he has since made his home in Roeke- feller township, and from 1887 to the present time has ocenpied his present farm there. It consists of 103 aeres, and was formerly the homestead of Se- bastian Zimmerman, who erected the barn in 1892. Mr. Ross has owned the property since 1894, hay- ing been a tenant during the first few years of his residence there. He is a progressive farmer, and one of the substantial citizens of his neighbor- hood, a valuable and respected member of the com- munity and a worthy representative of an honored old family.

In November, 1870, Mr. Ross married Sarah Bixler, daughter of Joseph and Maria ( Wolfgang) Bixler, of Shamokin, and they have had the follow- ing named children: Charles E .. who married Eva Eister, lives in Rockefeller township: Emma died at the age of thirty years, unmarried : Har-

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James Ross, son of William Ross, Jr., was born in Lower Augusta township, and died in that sec- tion abont 1857. aged fifty-two years. He is bnried at the Mountain Presbyterian Church. He was . a farmer and huckster, selling his produce at Potts- ville and Minersville, and was a skillful wood- worker, making grain eradles, handles for miners' tools, ete. He had a third interest in a 200-acre traet in Lower Augusta township, and lived on his part. This tract is now owned by Henry Eis- ter and adjoins the farm of Wellington Ross, son of James Ross. An enterprising and intelligent man, he occupied an honorable place among his fellow citizens. Mr. Ross married Harriet Col- dren, danghter of Solomon Coldren, of Lower Au- gusta township, whose wife's name was Minnier. Six children were born to this union: Edward died in 1901 in Ohio and is buried there, in Otta- wa county: David A. lives near Herndon, in Jack- son township. this county; Marion, who died when thirty-nine years old, was a charcoal burner in Lower Augusta township; Nelson was a farmer for some time in the State of Ohio and died in Ten- nessee : Wellington is mentioned below; Mary Jane lives in Northumberland county (she is a deaf mute). For her second husband Mrs. Ross mar- ried William Shipman, who died in Snydertown borough. Seven children were born to this union, namely :. William H., Elliot A., Jefferson, Malin- da, Emma, and two that died in infaney. Mrs. Shipman died in July, 1902, aged seventy-five years, and is buried at the Mountain Presbyterian Church.

WELLINGTON Ross, son of James Ross, was born May 1, 1854, on his father's farm in Lower Au- gusta township, and there received his education in the public schools. He was reared to farming. and in his early manhood learned powder-making from A. S. Specce. in Little Mahanoy township. which he followed there for four years. In the spring of 1880 he began farming on the tract he · still occupies in Lower Augusta township. his prop- erty consisting of seventy-three aeres lying along the north side of Mahanoy mountain. Mr. Ross erected the dwelling he occupies in 1881, and the barn was built by the previous owner, John Ful- ler ; the original owner of this place was one Isaac Rogers, a pioneer of this section, after whom Levi Barrett owned it, Mr. Fuller succeeding him. The situation is admirable, the view of the surrounding country from this location being particularly fine, and the property is valuable for its productive qualities, Mr. Ross raising considerable grain and

In 1878 Mr. Ross married Sarah Eister, daugh- ter of Isaiah and Lovina ( Reitz) Eister, and to. this marriage were born four children: Laura, wife of Charles Burrell (they live in Shamokin) ; Henry, who died young ; Mary, married to John Raker (they live at Philadelphia) ; and Elmer, who died young. Mrs. Ross died Jan. 31, 1888, aged twenty-nine years, two months, five days, and is buried at the Mountain Presbyterian Church. In 1890 Mr. Ross married (second) Annie Reader. daughter of Robert R. Reader, and they have had seven children: Lewis (who died young), Her- man, Bertha, Elsie, Walter, Erma and Rosa. Mr. Ross and- his family are members of the Mountain Presbyterian Church.

JACOB W. STROHECKER, a prominent farm- er of the southern portion of Jordan township, was born Nov. 5, 1850, on the farm where he now lives, son of William and Sallie ( Wiest) Strohecker.

John and Elizabeth ( Williams) Strohecker, his grandparents, were natives of Berks county, Pa., where the Strohecker family has been established from an early date. Coming to this region, John Strohecker died when a comparatively young man, in the Mahantango Valley, and is buried at How- erters Union Church, of which he was a Reformed member. He is described as a tall man. with dark hair and brown eyes. His widow married a Wil- liamsport man, by whom she had five children, and she is buried at Williamsport. By her marriage to. John Strohecker she had two children: William and John, the latter, who was a mason, settling in the Lykens Valley and reared a family still living in that seetion.

Daniel Strohecker. the great-grandfather of Ja- cob W. Strohecker, died prior to June 19, 1826, the. date papers of administration were filed, Jacob. Seitzinger being administrator of his estate. The record is found in Will Book 2, page 517, at the Northumberland county courthouse.

William Strohecker, son of John, was born Jan. 7, 1811, in Upper Mahantango township, Schuyl- kill Co., Pa., and farmed practically all his life. in Jordan township, Northumberland county, part of his farm being now owned by his son Jacob W. Strohecker, the rest by William L. Trontman. He made frequent trips to Reading, at which place the farmers of the section did most of their marketing then, and he also drove a Imekster team to Potts- ville. He was a popular man among his neigh- bors, served two years as supervisor of Jordan township, and in politics was identified with the Democratie party. His death occurred July 21, 1889, and he is buried at St. David's Church, Hebe, where his wife also rests. Mr. Strohecker-

vey W., who married Emma Yeager, lives in Sun- truck and making a specialty of fruit, growing; bury; William J. is a carpenter by trade; Alex- various kinds, in abundance: he has two acres of raspberries. He takes his truck to the Shamokin markets, where it finds a ready sale. ander and Jackson live at home; Stella A. died when four years old. Mr. Ross and his family at- tend the Methodist Church. In his political views he is a Democrat.

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married Sallie Wiest, who was born Feb. 21, 1816, family, which has been established in this region daughter of John Wiest, and they were the parents for many years. of sixteen children, namely: John (deceased), George (deceased), Harry, William (born in 1836, died in 1845), Sallie, Samuel (deceased), Louisa (deceased), Joel, Tobias (deceased ), Dan- iel, Jacob W., Moses, James, Polly (deceased ), Da- vid and Hannah.

Jacob W. Strohecker received his education in the pay schools which were conducted in the home neighborhood during his boyhood, and was reared to farm life, working for his parents, as was cus- tomary, until he became of age. In 1872 he began farming on the homestead on his own account, having purchased sixty acres of his father's prop- erty, and in 1885 he purchased another tract, of 100 acres. He farmed all this himself until his recent retirement, in the spring of 1909, since which time he has made his home at Hebe, where he owns his nice residence and a small piece of ground. In the spring of 1910 he purchased a tract of fifteen acres near that place, and he is one of. the substantial residents of the region, where he is much respected for his industrious career and usefulness as a citizen. He was successful and prosperous during his active years as the result of hard work, and he gained the reputation of be- ing an excellent manager. For a number of years he has been quite influential in the local councils of the Democratic party and he has held various public offices, having given able service on the school board, of which he was a member for fif-

teen years, twelve years consecutively, and he was name of one of his wives being Brosius. He had children by both marriages, viz. : Philip, Alexan- George Klock.

supervisor for five consecutive years. He has also been active in church work as a member of the Re- der, John, Peter, Barbara (Mrs. Zerbe) and Mrs. formed congregation of St. David's Church, at Hebe, to which his family also belong ; he has held all the church offices, having been deacon, trustee at the time the present church was remodeled, and elder, which office he still holds.

On Jan. 2. 1870. Mr. Strohecker married Eliza- beth Wiest, danghter of John and Lucy ( Beissel) Wiest, of Jordan township, and they have three children : John, who is now a lumberman in Cow- litz county, Wash., is married and has two chil- dren ; Cassie married Frank Hoffman and they are farming people. living on the Strohecker farm in Jordan township. where they have been located since the spring of 1909 (they have had fourteen children, five of whom are deceased): Mary mar- ried Harry Boyer, an engineer, and they reside in 'Oregon (they have had one danghter, who died in infancy).

KLINGER. The oldest resident in his section is David S. Klinger, of Klingerstown, who has lived at that place for sixty years and in the neigh- borhood all his life. Henry C. Klinger, a well known young citizen of Lower Mahanoy township, Northumberland county, is a member of the same

The Klinger family is of German origin, and its first representative in this country, Johan Philip Klinger, was born July 11, 1623, in Germany. He and his wife came to America and settled in Read- ing, Berks Co., Pa., where she died, without issue. Going back to Germany, he remarried there, and on his return to America again made his home at Reading, where all his children, four sons and one daughter born to the second union, were born, Mor- ing thence to what is now Hubley township, Schuylkill Co., Pa., he took up one thousand acres of land in the neighborhood about Klinger's Church, and there lived and farmed until his death, which occurred Sept. 30, 1811, when he was over eighty-eight years old. He donated the land upon which the first Klinger's Church was built, and it was so named in his honor. The children born to him and his wife Anna were: George, John Philip, Alexander, Peter and Elizabeth. The daughter married Conrad Weiser, son of Frederick Weiser and grandson of Conrad Weiser, the not- ed Indian interpreter. Philip, George and Alex- ander Klinger are mentioned in the marriage cer- tificate of Conrad Weiser, Jr., Nov. 12. 1775. George Klinger, Esq., drew up an agreement in regard to the estate of Conrad Weiser, deceased, Mahanoy township. Of the four sons of Johan Philip Klinger, the emigrant, we have the fol- lowing account.

George Klinger was married twice, the maiden

John Philip Klinger lived on a farm now owned by Emanuel Deibert, and later moved across the Susquehanna river to the location in Snyder coun- ty where he died. His wife's maiden name was Snyder, and they had children. (At Klinger's Church is buried Philip, "son of Johann Philip and Anna Klinger," born March 11, 1792, died March 30, 1854.)

Alexander Klinger, born at Reading Feb. 17, 1761, died April 6, 1839, and is bnried at Kling- er's Church. He married Magdalena Haag. who was born in 1770 and died in 1846, and to them were born two sons and three daughters: Alex- ander, George, Catharine, Eve and Anna Maria.

Peter Klinger, born Nov. 3, 1:73, died Ang. 10. 1858, and is buried at Klinger's Church. He mar- ried Catharine Steinbruch, who was born May 3. 1774, and died Sept. 21, 1845, and the following children were born to this union : Peter, Johannes. Jacob, George, Daniel, Alexander, John Adam. Philip. Eve (married Samuel Wiest), Hannah (married Michael Dietz) and Mrs. John Reis- inger.

Alexander Klinger. son of Alexander and grand-

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son of the emigrant ancestor, married Elizabeth Schwalm, daughter of John Schwalm, the Hessian soldier, and they were farming people all their lives. " To them were born three sons and one daughter: Amy, John, Samuel and David S.

DAVID S. KLINGER, son of Alexander and Eliza- beth (Schwalm) Klinger, was born May 15, 1827. He learned the trade of millwright, and has had a busy and successful career, all of which has been passed in his native locality. In 1851 he settled in Klingerstown, where he has since resided, and he has a comfortable home and many other things which go to make life pleasant. He lias accumu- lated considerable property, having a 150-acre farm in Mahantango township, Schuylkill county. a ten-acre tract in Klingerstown, and a tract of sixteen acres two miles from Klingerstown, in Ma- hantango township. Though long past the age of eighty Mr. Klinger has an active mind and a clear memory, and the family history used in this article was all contributed by him. He and all his family are of the Reformed faith, Mr. Klinger being a Reformed member of the Union Church at Klingerstown. His father was a Lutheran.

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Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, Part 12

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