Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, Part 67

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 67

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of about seventy-five. The following children were born to this conple: Solomon, who died in In- diana : Conrad; John, who died in Indiana, un- married ; Elias, who went to serve in the Civil war and died while on his way home at the close of his service: Salome, wife of Jacob Stepp; Catharine, wife of George Snyder; Susan, wife of Richard Sudden ; Polly, wife of Andrew Jackson, of Indi- land county (he is deceased) ; Mary, wife of Sam- uel Hutkins ; and Rebecca, who married Henry H. Shaffer.

AUGUSTUS F. WAGNER, late of Shamokin, was a native of Little Mahanoy township, North- umberland county, born Jan. 11, 1849. His fa- ther, Samuel Wagner, was a tailor, and followed his trade in Little Mahanoy township, where he

also his wife, Catharine ( Ferster). They were the parents of a large family, viz .: Harry; Moses; Levi; Isaac; George; Durella; Augustus F .; Rebecca, wife of Samnel Fees; Juda, wife of Jacob Goss; Annie, wife of Benjamin Zortman ; Mary, wife of Henry Durk.

Augustus F. Wagner was reared in his native township, and in his young manhood learned mill- ing, which trade he followed for three years. In 1873 he came to Shamokin, where for about a year he was engaged at day labor, his next work being at the coal breakers, where he was employed for six years. After that he was a miner at the Burnside colliery until, on Dec. 22, 1889, he met with the accident which caused his death a few weeks later, Jan. 8, 1890. He was buried in the Shamokin cemetery. Mr. Wagner was a good hus- band and father, an industrious and reliable work- man, and had the respect of all who knew him. He was a member of the Reformed Church and of the Sunday school, and socially united with Camp No. 149, P. O. S. of A. In politics he was a Republi- can.

On April 4, 1870, Mr. Wagner married Laenda Ferster, daughter of Peter and Mary (Swenhart) Ferster, of Little Mahanoy township, and she sur- vives him, living in the old home at No. 139 South Third street, Shamokin, where they first settled on coming to the borough. Eight children were born to their union : Katie died young : Charles E. died young ; Samuel A., who holds a position in the hosiery mills at Shamokin, married Mabel Metz, daughter of Jonas H. Metz, and they have five chil- dren. Clarence A., Charles T., Sarah L., David HI. and Mildred Frances; John J. died young; Wil- liam L., of Collinsville, Pa., married Annie Kichl.

Florin Dietrich, son of Adamn, was born in Low- er Mahanoy township. He lived on what is now the Elias Bingaman farm, where he followed agri- cultural pursuits for some years, until the forties, when he sold out and moved to Fulton county, Ind. He owned a large tract of land there which he sold after some years, moving into the town of Kewanna, Fulton county, where he died in 1866. and their children are Margaret,. William M .. Ed- He is buried there. His wife, Sophia ( Haupt), gar A. and Robert; Prof. Thomas J. is a graduate

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of the Shamokin high school and of Franklin and ( married David Klinger), Sarah (married Wil- Marshall College, Lancaster, class of 1910; Clar- liam Strohecker), Polly ( married George Shartle) . ence A., of St. Clair, Pa., in the employ of the and Mrs. Harry Hoffa. Pennsylvania Railway Company, married Frances Thomas, of Wilkes-Barre; George W. died young.

WTEST. The Wiest family of the southern sec- tion of Northumberland county had its origin in Berks county, Pa., where one Jacob Wiest settled abonit 1758, in Oley township. The following year (1759), when the first tax was collected, he paid a federal tax of four pounds sterling, $10.64 (the Pennsylvania pound being reckoned at $2.66). In 1759 his son Jacob, Jr. was assessed among the "single men."

According to tradition the Jacob Wiest (1775- 1811) who founded the family in Northumberland county-settling in that section of Mahanoy town- ship now embraced in Jordan township-was in the third generation from (that is, a grandson of ) the Jacob who settled in Oley township in 1758 and the third in direct line to bear the name of Jacob, which has always been a favorite family name, there being a fourth and fifth Jacob in this line.

The family has become a numerous one in North- tel Wiest," the leading hotel of Herndon, North- umberland county and its representatives are found' umberland county, was born Dec. 2, 1874, at in various vocations.

Jacob Wiest, born Jan. 5, 1775, in Oley town- ship, Berks county, died Aug. 14, 1811. He came to Northumberland county with his fam- ily from Yellow House, Berks county. He mar- ried Barbara Fick, born Jan. 29, 1774, who long survived him, dying Sept. 11, 1855. She married for her second husband Michael Sallende. To Jacob and Barbara (Fick) Wiest were born six children : (1) John is mentioned below. (?) Samuel, born Aug. 21, 1795, died Jan. 3, 1867. He was a butcher by occupation. He married Eve Klinger, born Jan. 16, 1794, died Jan. 18, 1870, and they had children as follows: John (known as "Oley John") married Lucy Beisel, was a farmer and lived in Jordan township (he went to California to hunt for gold) ; Jacob K. is mentioned below ; Hannah married Isaac Rothermel : Jestina (1828- 1872) married William W. Shartle ; Polly married Peter Rebuck; Catharine married Samuel Clark ; Barbara married Daniel Snyder. (3) Jacob is mentioned below. (4) Daniel, who lived at Sac- ramento, Pa,, had children : George, Edward. John and Philip: (5) Mary married Joseph Tobias. (6) Catharine married Peter Klinger.

John Wiest, son of Jacob, was born at Klingers- town Feb. 14, 1794, and died Oct. 10, 1881. He was a very substantial business man and became one of the leading citizens of his section, being a merchant at Klingerstown for many years. He married Catharine Merkel (born Feb. 26, 1795, died May 2, 1858 ) and they had children as fol- lows : Moses, Daniel, Samuel. Tobias M., Jacob, Hannah (married William Deibert), Barbara

Tobias M. Wiest, son of John and grandson of Jacob, was born March 3, 1829, at Klingerstown, Schuylkill county, and was engaged as a merchant there throughout his active life, succeeding his father in the business. He also conducted a gen- eral store at Gratz, Dauphin county, owned land in that village, and also owned several farms. He served as postmaster at Klingerstown, and, all in all, was a man of prominence and considerable in- fluence in his day. He died April 25, 1885, and is buried at Klingers Church, where many members of this family are interred. Tobias M. Wiest was twice married. His first wife, whose maiden name Preston, was Baum, bore him three children: who is a resident of Harrisburg ; Victor, of Kling- erstown; and Emma, married to John Connon, a retired resident of Venango county, Pa. His sec- ond marriage was to Mary Trautman, who sur- vives him, now making her home with her only child, Carlos.

CARLOS WIEST, owner and proprietor of the "Ho-

Klingerstown, Schuylkill county, son of Tobias M. and Mary (Trautman) Wiest. He was reared at his native place, and at an early age began to as- sist his father as clerk in the general store. He was quite young, however, when his father died. In 1896 he purchased what was then known as the "Union Honse" at Herndon, and he still carries on the business, though the hotel is now known as the "Hotel Wiest." The property has been greatly improved during Mr. Wiest's ownership, and he has also enlarged the hotel, which is now one of the leading hostelries in the Susquehanna valley. There are twenty-two rooms, provided with steam heat and every modern convenience, and in con- nection with the hotel Mr. Wiest carries on a first- class livery establishment.

Mr. Wiest is well known among the fraternities, belonging to the I. O. O. F. lodge at Herndon and to various Masonic bodies-Lafayette Lodge, No. 194, F. & A. M., of Selinsgrove, Williamsport Lodge of Perfection, the Consistory, and Rajah Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. He lives with his motlier.

Jacob Wiest, third son of the Jacob Wiest who founded the family in Northumberland county, was born at Uniontown June 11. 1797, and died March 5, 1857. He removed to Uniontown from Klingerstown after his marriage, and became one of the most substantial and prominent citizens of that region. At the time of his death his estate was valned at $36,000-a large fortune for the time and place. He owned fully three hundred acres of land, for many years operated the grist-

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mill now owned by Mr. Bohner, in Uniontown Gap store of which his father was part owner. In 1821 operated a linseed oil mill and also had an old-style he moved with his father to MeKees Half Falls,. sawmill about three hundred yards south of the where he worked in the store for one year. It was oil mill. He built a barn near the present mill. He on Dec. 27, 1871, that his father met his death, a helped to build the Uniontown Lutheran and Re- formed Church and was one of its leading mem- bers, serving many years as an elder. He married Mary Tobias, born Jan. 28, 1796, daughter of Jonas Tobias, and she died June 23, 1868. Mr. and Mrs. Wiest are buried in the Uniontown eem- etery at Pillow: Their children were: Harry, Jacob (mentioned below), Rev. George, Mary (married John Bingeman), Elias (mentioned be- low), John (called "Philadelphia John"), Wil- liam, Elizabeth (married Dr. Isaiah Sehminkey) and Daniel (of Temple, or Yellow House, Berks county).

log rolling on him, and after that James M. Wiest and his brother-in-law, William M. Boyer,. continued the business for a while, Mr. Boyer eventually buying out the business, which he moved farther up the river. In 1872 Mr. Wiest began boating on the Susquehanna canal, following that business for seven years. For the next two. years he was a clerk in Bickel's store, at George- town, and then moved to Vera Cruz (Malta),. where he operated a store for the Farmers' Alli- anee for a period of four years. Returning to the employ of his unele Elias, at Hickory Corners, he. worked for him another three years, at the end position as clerk ete. with R. S. Aucker, looking after his real estate and rents for eighteen years. In the spring of 1907 he located at Dalmatia, where he had a desirable home on the principal street, and there he has since lived, enjoying all the comforts of his life in his retirement. He owns twenty-nine aeres of land near the town and rents

Jacob Wiest, son of Jacob and Mary (Tobias) of which time he moved to Shamokin, taking a. Wiest, was born at Uniontown, where he was a mer- chant for many years, later engaging in business, in the same line, at Selinsgrove, and afterward at McKees Half Falls, where he met an aceidental death Dec. 27, 1871, when he was fifty-one years old. His first wife, Susanna (Bordner), was a daughter of Peter Bordner, of Berrysburg, Pa.

Mr. and Mrs. Wiest are buried at Uniontown. The it out on shares. He served as constable of Lower children of this marriage were: Mary Jane, who Mahanoy township, and has been always classed married William M. Boyer; James M .: and Wil- among the useful, intelligent citizens of his eom- munity, held in high esteem by all who know him. In politics he is a Demoerat, in religion a member of the Reformed denomination, he and his family belonging to the Reformed congregation at the Dalmatia Church. liam, who was killed Marel 17, 1865, when twen- ty years old, near Fayetteville, N. C. Jacob Wiest married for his sceond wife Catharine Lark, by whom he had three children, all of whom died small. His third marriage was to Sarah Naee, and to them were born five children: Rev. Edward (of York, Pa.), Cora, Frederick, Jonathan (who

died in infancy) and Jaeob (who died aged sev- Wald, of Montgomery county, Pa., and grand- enteen years).

On Dee. 11, 1864, Mr. Wiest married Elmira Wald, daughter of David and Rebceea ( Fegley) daughter of Solomon and Christine ( Underkoffler) Wald; Mrs. Solomon Wald died March 3, 1871, year. Five children were born to David and Re- becea Wald, namely: William, Elmira, Joshua, Lizzie and David. Mr. Wald by his first wife, whose maiden name was Harner, had one son, Au- gustus, who died at Herndon and is buried at Dal- matia ; he left two children, Clara and Annie.

JAMES M. WIEST, son of Jacob and Susanna Wiest, was born in Uniontown, Pa., Dee. 25. 1843. just a few days' before completing her ninetieth His early education was received in the local pub- lic schools, and later he attended Union Seminary, at New Berlin, in 1856-57, and for one term was a pupil at the Freeburg Academy. When a mere child he began clerking in his father's store, and he also clerked in the store of his uncle Elias, at Hick- ory Corners, with whom he lived for a number of Mr. and Mrs. Wiest had seven children: (1) Wilmer W., a railroader, died aged forty-five years and is buried at Shamokin. He left a wife, Ellen (Spotts), and one daughter, Clara. (2) Charles H. is mentioned below. (3) John Augustus died aged seventeen years and is buried at Dalmatia. (4) Benton E .. a carpenter, lives at Shamokin. He married Katie Kulp and they have children, Catharine and Allen. (5) Mary E. married Mil- ton E. Keeler, who is purchasing agent for the Kingston Coal Company, and their home is at Kingston, Pa. They have one child, Frances Ruthi. (6) Selin M., baggage master for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at Shamokin, lives in that bor- ouglı. He is unmarried. (7) Annie L. married years, he having been but two years old when his mother died. When less than eighteen years old, Oet. 16, 1861, he enlisted for three years' service in the Civil war. At the end of fourteen months he fell ill of typhoid fever and had to return home, remaining with his father one winter. On Christ- mas Day, 1862, his uncle Elias lost all his build- ings at Hickory Corners by fire, the ealamity being a very grievous one for him. Mr. Wiest then re- joined his unele, with whom he continued for two years. During the winter of 1864 he assisted his father in butehering and in December, 1864, he was married. In the spring of 1865 he moved to Selinsgroye, where he worked for six years in a

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Thomas Spears, an employce of the Pennsylvania operated the store at Vera Cruz. He owned a Railroad Company, and they live at Shamokin. farin at Hickory Corners, now the property of his They have had two children, Elmira and Vivian, twins. son-in-law, Jonathan Spotts, and in the same neighborhood had another tract, of thirty-eight acres. He was the first postmaster at Hickory death. In one winter he killed one thousand sheep, which he sold at Pottsville, besides many hogs and cattle. For business enterprise he hield the rec- ords in his vicinity. Though a busy man he found time for activity in the work of the local church, lie and his family being Reformed members of Zion's (Stone Valley) Church, where he took par- ticular interest in the Sunday school, being a teach- er for many years and superintendent for some years. His wife, Catharine (Bingaman), born April 15, 1828, daughter of Adam Bingaman, sur- vived him, dying Aug. 18, 1899. They had a fam- ily of six children : Emina J., who is the widow of Aaron Mattis : John, deceased ; Mary, wife of D. J. Keen ; Frederiek M. ; Jacob A., deceased ; and

Charles H. Wiest, son of James M. Wiest, was born July 29, 1867, at Selinsgrove, Pa. He re- Corners, and was retained in that office until his ceived his education in the public schools. After working on the farm in Lower Mahanoy township for five years he began learning the carpenter's trade at the age of twenty, and that has since been . lis vocation. For some years he worked in Sha- mokin and Philadelphia, in 1907 locating in Sun- bury and becoming a member of the contracting firm of C. H. Brosius & Co., contractors and build- ers. There was another member of the firm, F. R. Yeager, who withdrew one year after the organiza- tion of the firm. C. H. Brosius & Co. enjoy a fine reputation for high-grade work, and as the work demands employ as many as forty-five inen. Among the buildings of their construction are the W. A. Shipman residenee on Market street; the Sunbury Daily printing office ; the No. 3 Lythia Henrietta, wife of Jonathan Spotts.

Springs school building in Point -township, where

Frederick M. Wiest, son of Elias, was born Jan. they also remodeled the No. 2 building; the Cat- 7, 1854, at Hickory Corners, where he spent his awissa avenue M. E. Church, which they erected . youth and received his edueation. For a time he in 1910; and many other business buildings, resi- dences and schoolhouses. Mr. Wiest is a member of Local No. 37, Carpenters' & Joiners' Union, of Shamokin, and socially belongs to Shamokin Camp, No. 72, Sons of Veterans, and Camp No. 30, P. O. S. of A., of Shamokin. He and his family are members of the Reformed Church. In 1893 he married Ida Witmer, daughter of Ephi- raim Witmer, of Lower Mahanoy township, and they have had four children : Stella May, Alvin Monroe, Madeline Elmira and a son that died in infancy. was employed in sawmills in Lycoming county and then in the lumber regions of Lycoming and Potter counties, still later being at Peale, where he drove a mercantile team for the McEntire Coal Com- pany. In 1887 he returned to Hickory Corners, where he lived until 1889. That year he moved to his present home, owning a tract of ninety-five acres in Lower Mahanoy township which was for- merly the Dohney homestead and later owned by Jacob Peifer, who sold it to William Bingaman (uncle of Frederick M. Wiest) ; he sold it to Levi Kauffman, from whom Mr. Wiest acquired it. He has made many improvements upon the place. changing the buildings, fertilizing the ground, and in many ways adding to the value of the property, which bears evidence of his thrifty care and man- agement. In politics he is a Democrat, and he has held various loeal offices.

Elias Wiest, son of Jacob and Mary (Tobias) Wiest, was born May 8, 1825. in Uniontown, Pa .. and died July 29, 1890. He lived at Hickory Corners, where he conducted the store, hotel and farm, his establishment being the nucleus in which all the life of the place centered. Hc built up this In July, 1876, Mr. Wiest married Sarah Spotts, daughter of Michael Spotts, and they have had nine children : William H., now of Millersburg, Pa .; Mary E., wite of John Witmer; Frederick M., of Hampton Roads, Va. ; George, of Millers- burg, Pa. ; Daniel W. : Michael A. ; John E. ; Laura C., and Sarah E. Mr. Wiest and his family belong to the Reformed congregation at Zion's (Stone Valley) Church. village during the forties, and it thrived until on Christmas Day, 1862, the store, hotel, a private dwelling, sheds, etc., were destroyed by fire, the loss being very heavy. Mr. Wiest at once under- took the rebuilding of the place, which to this day has continued to be a business center. He was a thorough business man, influential because of his high character as much as on account of his suc- cess, and thougli the Baker silver inine affair, in Jacob A. Wiest, son of Elias, was born in Lower Mahanoy township, and became a traveling sales- man for Miller, Bain, Beyer & Co., wholesale dry goods and notion dealers, of Market and Filbert streets, Philadelphia. He was thus engaged for about twenty-eight years, his territory being in Colorado, caused him heavy financial loss through the assistance he gave to others, he was a leading man in his community to the end of his days. He was in active business pursuits until his deatlı. He ran a huckster team to Pottsville, hauling con- siderable produce to that city. As a branch of his central Pennsylvania and including the counties establishment at Hickory Corners he owned and of Schuylkill, Dauphin, Northumberland, Center.

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Snyder, Perry and Juniata. He had a fine farm through the kitchen. Their children were: Harry, of seventy-seven acres in Upper Paxton township, John T., Amelia ( married Reuben Shade), Frank, Dauphin county, upon which he made his home for Samuel, E. T., Catharine ( married Edward Wit- iner, of Allentown, Pa.), Monroe (of Allentown, Pa. ), Jacob (deceased), Preston and William. four years, only superintending its cultivation, which his son Harry looked after. For thirteen years his home' was at Dahnatia, whenee he re- moved to Millersburg, where he had resided about five years at the time of his death. He died while

JOHN T. WIEST, son of Jacob K., has long been a substantial citizen of Jordan township, North- umberland eounty. His present home is at Hebe. undergoing an operation at Philadelphia, Nov. 17, He was born in the township Oct. 4, 1846, was 1905, at the age of forty-nine years, nine months, reared on the farm, and worked for his parents twelve days, and is buried at Zion's Stone Val- ley Church, in Lower Mahanoy township. Mr. Wiest was an active member of and worker in the Reformed Church, and just before his death had been instrumental in having the Millersburg Re- formed Church frescoed ; one of his last acts was to collect the money to pay the expense of fresco- ing. He was always a liberal contributor to the support of churches and religious enterprises. Mr. Wiest is survived by his wife, Mary J. ( Snyder), daughter of Jacob and Polly ( Messner) Snyder, and she makes her home at Millersburg. They had one child, Harry, who was born Sept. 30, 1876, at Bridgeport, in Lower Mahanoy township, North- umberland county. until he attained his majority. For about five years following he worked at Klingerstown in the employ of Jacob M. and Tobias M. Wiest, mer- ehants at that place, driving their huckster team to Pottsville as often as twice a week. From Kling- erstown Mr. Wiest moved to Hebe, Northumber- land county, where he lived for six years, engaged in eattle droving, and then settled on his father's farm of 120 acres near that place, which he bought. After a year's ownership of that property, however, he sold it at a profit to John Trautman, and moved to another place in Jordan township, which he bought, consisting of seventy acres near Union- town. He cultivated this place for seventeen years, at the end of that time moving back to ITebe, where

Harry Wiest received his early education in the he owned a house and where he remained for public schools, attending at Dalmatia and Millers- burg and later taking a course in the business college at Collegeville, Pa. In the spring of 1895 he began farming, and he has been working on his own account since 1899, his place showing the re- sults of good management and intelligent cultiva- tion. . It is a very desirable property, lying along the north side of the Mahantango creek. It was once the David Lantz homestead. Mr. Wiest is a progressive and industrious farmer, and he is ob- taining excellent results from his work. In 1898 he married Annie M. Ossian, daughter of Andrew and Sallie (Negley) Ossman, of the Lykens Val- ley, and they have one child. John Elias. He is a Republican in polities, and he and his family are members of the Reformed Church; Mr. Wiest was a Sunday school teacher for some years, and served for a time as superintendent of the Sunday school at Malta.

three years before moving to the farm he has since occupied. This place is also close to Hebe, and consists of 125 acres, which he and his son Irwin owned for a time in partnership, Mr. Wiest finally purchasing his son's interest. This was at one time the Henry Bowman homestead. It is a fine piece of property, fertile and well located, and Mr. Wiest has cultivated it profitably for a num- ber of years. He built the present barn on the place in the nineties. , He is an industrious man and an excellent manager, and his fellow citizens have so approved of his integrity and ability that they have chosen him to serve in several public offices. He was treasurer of Jordan township for eight years, school director seven years and super- visor one year. He has also been prominent in church affairs as trustee and treasurer of the Hebe Church known as David's Church, of which he and his family are Reformed members. He has also served the church as deacon and elder, having been one of its prominent workers for years.

Jacob K. Wiest, son of Samuel and grandson of Jacob, was born Jan. 14, 1821, in Jordan town- In 1867 Mr. Wiest married Catharine Heim, daughter of Sanmel and Catharine ( Battorf) Heim, of Washington township, Northumberland county, born Feb. 24, 1848: Mrs. Wiest died Oct. 12, 1908, and is buried in the Wiest family plot at Hebe, where a fine monument marks her grave. To Mr. and Mrs. Wiest were born four children : Irwin H., mentioned below ; Nolan H. : Catharine, who married Maurice Brosius and they are farm- ing people in Jordan township (their children are Mabel, Carlos, Frederick, Harold and John) ; and ship, Northumberland county, and died April 20, 1877. He was a farmer in Jordan township, own- ing a tract of 120 acres, and during the winter time following butchering and selling meat. He was also engaged in droving, and in buying and selling cattle, to some extent. For eight years he- fore his death he lived retired, making his home in Uniontown, where he owned a house and where he died. Hle and his wife, Elizabeth (Trautman). daughter of Peter Trautman (whose wife's name was Potteiger), are buried at Klingers Church; John E., who died when four years, four months she was struck dead by lightning, while walking old.

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Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, Part 67

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