USA > Pennsylvania > Lycoming County > Genealogical and personal history of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. Volume I > Part 23
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found the officials and employes gathered about a handsome leather chair. Mr. C. LaRue Munson was to have made a presentation address, but he was unexpectedly called out of the city, and the paper which he had prepared was read by Mr. Ed Quay, one of the company's employes. The response of the delighted recipient is worthy of preservation, not only as expressive of his pleasure, but as affording a glimpse of the change in manufacturing conditions during his lifetime. He said :
" I have always regretted that I could not make a speech. I can write out my thoughts and can express myself all right in conversation, but when it comes to addressing a gathering I am at a loss. And I may say that never in my life have I more keenly felt this deficiency than at the present moment. It would give me unbounded pleasure if. I could just express to you the feelings which thrill me at this evidence of your good will and esteem. As your spokesman has said, this occasion is one of a good deal of interest. I am the oldest member of this Company, and I have watched its development from a weak beginning to ยท the great proportions which it has assumed to-day. During that time I have seen many changes which the boilermaker of this advanced age would find it hard to realize. We do things now with much greater facility than in the early days of the industry, and yet it is true that in those early days there were boilermakers of better all-round capacity than any of to-day. A boy coming into a shop now cannot hope to become a boilermaker in the strict sense of the term; indeed, it is considered sufficient now for one to become expert at riveting, or some other branch of the business. Not that the young men of to-day are not as well supplied with brains as we were, but they have not the opportunity to learn all of the business.
" It is especially pleasing on this occasion for me to consider that the relations existing between the employes of this Company and myself are so pleasant. I believe that I have always had the good will, yes, I will say, the affection, of the men under me and associated with me to as great an extent as any employer in town. That is a thing that I have always been proud of. I thank you sincerely for this ovation, and hope that you will be a long time in the present Company's employ, and that I may be spared many years longer to work with you."
Mr. Barton married, in 1866, Miss Susan A. Keeler, daughter of John Keeler. She was born July 23, 1841, and died February 6, 1881. She was a woman of noble character and lovable traits, and was to her
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husband all that a real wife could be, sharing with him in all his en- deavors, and giving her encouragement when disaster and sorrow seemed impending. The great sorrow of their life was in the sad death, by drowning in the Susquehanna river, of their only child, a bright boy, William H. Barton, who was born May 10, 1867, and who was lost to them May 29, 1882, when little more than fifteen years of age.
Mr. Barton preserves a fine physique, and his mental attributes are at their best. A gentleman of the old school, he is held in sincere regard throughout the community. He is an exemplary member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, and in politics is a stanch Republican. He holds membership with the Odd Fellows, the United Order of American Mechanics, and the Patriotic Order of Sons of America. During the Civil war he served in an emergency regiment called out by Governor Curtin to repel the invasion by the rebel army under General Lee, and bore himself as faithfully as a soldier as in the peaceful pursuits of life.
ANTHONY RICH JACKSON.
Anthony R. Jackson, one of the members of the Lycoming County Bar of Pennsylvania, and one who enjoys the esteem and confidence of all with whom he is brought in contact, was born in South Williamsport, July 1, 1872. The pioneer ancestor of the family was Lemuel Jackson, a native of England, who settled in the state of Maine about the year 1750. He was the father of seven children, namely: Sarah, Lemuel, John, Godfrey, Ira and Nicolas. Lemuel, his eldest son, moved from Welch, Maine, to Ohio, in the early part of 1820 and entered lands in what is now known as Polk township, Crawford county, Ohio. He was a member of the old school Baptist church and was known over the country as one of their strongest members, and his influence was greatly
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felt in that church. He was united in marriage to Mindwell Ward, and the issue of this union was nine children: Betsey, Silvia, Lemuel, Abner, John, Enoch, Pharez, Joshua Mindwell and Anna. Enoch, his third son, was a native of Maine and married Rhoda Lewis, daughter of John Lewis, one of the first settlers of Knox county, Ohio, and men- tioned in Howe's history of Ohio, and their children were as follows : Pharez, Ambrose, Mitchel, Appleton R., Hannah, Jane, Rhoda, Mary and Ruth. Appleton R., his fourth son, was the father of Anthony R. Jackson, the subject of this article.
Appleton R. Jackson, his father, was born in Polk township, Craw- ford county, Ohio, November 4, 1838. After completing a common school education he served an apprenticeship at the trade of saw-filing, at which he was employed until 1865. He then turned his attention to the oil business on Pioneer run, a tributary of Oil creek, Venango county, Pennsylvania, where he drilled several wells and was a partner in the well known Andrews well on Western run. Upon his return to Will- iamsport he again engaged at his trade, continuing until 1872, in which year he purchased real estate on the opposite side of the river, to which he removed and there continued to prosecute his trade until 1885. He then engaged in mercantile pursuits and also devoted considerable time to real estate transactions, and being a man of excellent business ability his affairs were managed with tact, promptness and discretion. He was a Democrat in politics, and held the office of councilman. In 1859 Appleton R. Jackson was married to Mary E. Heller, daughter of Reu- ben and Julia Ann (Hand) Heller, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, the latter named having been a native of Northampton county and a descend- ant of a Scotch-English ancestry. Five children were the issue of this union, namely : Orville E., Walter E., John S., Anthony R., and Charles
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R. C. Jackson. The family attend the Methodist Episcopal church of South Williamsport.
Anthony R. Jackson was educated in the public schools of South Williamsport, Dickinson Seminary and College, Williamsport, and the Ohio State University at Columbus, Ohio. He studied law in the office of W. C. Gilmore at Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and after passing a successful examination was admitted to the Lycoming county bar in January, 1896. Since then he has practiced his profession, has won an enviable reputation and secured a liberal patronage. He is a Republican in politics, and as a citizen is public-spirited and progressive, contribut- ing liberally toward the upbuilding and development of the community in which he resides. He is a member of the Third Presbyterian church of Williamsport. He holds membership in Ivy Lodge No. 397, Free and Accepted Masons, and the Scottish Rite Masonic bodies of Williams- port; Amazon Lodge No. 662, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Williamsport, of which he was secretary for one year; West Branch Encampment, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Williamsport ; West Branch Lodge No. 98, Knights of Pythias, of which he is now vice chancellor ; and Williamsport Lodge No. 173, Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks.
On March 3, 1903, at Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Anthony R. Jackson was married to Josephine Mudge, a daughter of Hiram and Fanny Mudge, and a graduate of Wellesley College. They are the parents of one child, Josephine Mudge Jackson, born August 27, 1904. Hiram Mudge, father of Mrs. Jackson, in company with Abraham Up- degraft, organized the First National Bank of Williamsport, of which he was cashier for eight years. He was vice-president of the City National Bank for four years, and subsequently was teller of the Lumberman's National Bank and secretary of the Susquehanna Trust and Safe De-
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posit Company. Mr. Mudge served as burgess of Williamsport, and for three years served in the capacity of city treasurer. He was one of the organizers of the Third Presbyterian church of Williamsport, and for many years an official member thereof. In 1852 Mr. Mudge was united in marriage to Fanny Smith. Silas Mudge, father of Hiram - Mudge, was a native of Connecticut and served in the war of 1812.
THE SCHNEIDER FAMILY.
The branch of the Schneider family that reside in Williamsport, Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, trace their ancestry to George and Christina (Neingesser) Schneider, natives of Paungstadt, Grand Duchy of Hessen, Darmstadt, who after their marriage moved to Neuhausen, near Worms on the Rhine, and purchased the Kaiser mill, one of the largest and finest mills in the Valley of the Rhine, in the year 1787. During the latter portion of the Thirty Years' war, Napoleon became the owner of the left bank of the Rhine, and compelled the citizens to contribute to the support of his army. On the refusal of Mr. Schneider to furnish flour and feed continually to the commissaries of Napoleon he was incarcerated in the prison in the city of Worms, which was in a deplorably filthy condition, and was released therefrom upon his promise to again furnish food. Owing to the trouble in the currency, which consisted of paper scraps which no one would take for debt, Mr. Schnei- der was compelled to sell his mill in order to meet his liabilities. He then purchased a mill at Fell, near Bernshein, which he conducted up to the time of his death in 1832. The children of George and Christina (Neingesser) Schneider were as follows:
I. Frederick, who in 1809 was drafted into the French army, and was in active service until 1814, a period of five years. He was made
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prisoner by the Prussians at the battle of Cats Back, there being only eighty soldiers left out of the entire regiment, and he was taken to Bres- lau in Schlesey. In 1815, after nine months' imprisonment, he was ex- changed and then went home to Neuhausen. He rented a mill at Bern- shein, but after remaining there a short time moved to Lutzenbach, then to Aflterbach in Odenwald. He married Cathrina Loesch, who bore him the following named children: Karl, who died in Germany in 1835; George Ludwig, always known in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, as "Louis "; Fritz, Jacob, Christopher, and Elizabeth. The mother of these children died in Lutzenbach in 1827. Mr. Schneider then broke up housekeeping and his children were taken care of by his relatives. In the same year he assumed the management of his cousin's mill at Eberstadt, and in 1834, the year of his marriage to Elizabeth Messer- schmit, he commenced business for himself at Bernshein. In 1838 he sold his property and came to America with his family, landing in New York, July 16, 1838. He located in York, Pennsylvania, then went to Huntingdon, same state, where he and his sons obtained employment in constructing the dam above Huntingdon. They continued to work at that occupation until Christmas week, when they were obliged to leave on account of the deep snow. Mr. Schneider then turned his attention to farming, at which he was fairly successful. He died in 1863, aged seventy-three years, leaving the children of his second wife-Philip, John, George, Ernestina, Margaret and Bridget-two farms one and a half miles below Huntingdon.
2. Karl, who, upon the death of his father, became the owner of the property, which he sold in 1840 and he came to America with his family and mother, leaving the latter with her daughter, Mrs. Sterline, at York, Pennsylvania, where she died. In 1842 Mr. Schneider settled
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at Huntingdon and commenced farming, which occupation he continued there throughout the active years of his career.
3. Magdalena, who became the wife of a Mr. Loesch and mother of five children: Henry, Magdalena, Philopena, Dorothy, and William. After the death of Mr. Loesch his widow and children moved to Hunt- ingdon, where they resided for more than a year, and then changed their place of residence to York, Pennsylvania.
4. Dorothy, who became the wife of John Sterline, and shortly after their marriage they came to America, landing at Baltimore, Mary- land, after a voyage of ninety days. From there they moved to York, Pennsylvania, and later to Lancaster county, near Columbia, where they lived and died.
5. Philopena, who became the wife of a Mr. Fieal, and upon their arrival in America settled in New York City.
6. Elizabeth, who became the wife of a Mr. Knecht, and after their arrival in this country they located in the state of Indiana.
George Ludwig Schneider, commonly known as "Louis," son of Frederick and Cathrina (Loesch) Schneider, accompanied his father to America in 1838, and in the spring of the following year was sent by his father to the west in order to look around, stopping at Louisville, Kentucky, where he took up the trade of cabinet-maker. On May 12, 1840, he returned to Huntingdon, and in the spring of 1843 established a boatman's store below Huntingdon, but relinquished it the following spring and then opened a cabinet-maker's shop in Huntingdon, which he continued to conduct until the spring of 1847. In that year James Gaston, a dear personal friend, established him in a confectionery and bakery business, which proved a most profitable investment. In the spring of 1851 Mr. Schneider purchased from Thomas Fisher the prop- erty between the canal and the Pennsylvania Railroad, improved it to
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the amount of six thousand dollars, and thereafter located his plant upon it. In 1852 he was forced to sell his property at a loss, receiving there- for only twenty-eight hundred dollars, owing to the depression in busi- ness which was occasioned by the filling of the streets with the tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the blocking of the street with cars. He then located in Marshalburg and purchased a country store from Frank Neff, which he sold the following year to John Garner. In the spring of 1854 he moved to Williamsport and established a jewelry and music store, which he sold three years later to J. W. Mussina.
Mr. Schneider then went west, intending if he found a favorable location to settle there, but not seeing the opportunity he sought for re- turned to Williamsport, and in 1854 purchased the property on Third street from Ralph Elliot, where he established a confectionery store, of which he later disposed. In 1859 he opened a flour and feed store, which he sold three years later to David and Aaron Keifer, and then in partnership with James Goodlander, purchased the planing mill from A. Updegraff on East Third street. In 1864 Mr. C. Davis was admitted into partnership, and in June, 1865, Mr. Schneider disposed of his inter- est to his partners, and he then superintended the Collier Oil Well in Perry county until August, 1866, during which time he lost his capital in oil stocks. On September 1, 1866, he entered into partnership with Ades McVeigh in the real estate and fire insurance business, continuing the same until 1885, and from that year led a retired life until his death, which occurred February 23, 1905.
On May 12, 1840, at York, Pennsylvania, Mr. Schneider was mar- ried to his cousin, Magdalena Loesch, who died February 28, 1885, after forty-five years of happy married life. Their children were: Adolph, born June 10, 1843, died August 12, 1843. Louis, born June 22, 1844, mentioned hereinafter. Mary K., born January 1I, 1846, became the
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wife of Amos Wagner, and their children are: Mamie, deceased; Va- netta, wife of Richard L. Scott, and mother of two children-Mary and Lucy Scott; John L., Laura, and Helen Wagner. William Frederic, born February 3, 1848, died February 28, 1848. George, born Novem- ber 1, 1849, died April 9, 1872. Elizabeth, born April 15, 1853, died April 27, 1853. Henry, born February 1, 1855, died May 5, 1855. Joseph Luther, born August 8, 1859, married and had children: Helen and Louis Schneider.
Louis Schneider, second son of George Ludwig and Magdalena (Loesch) Schneider, was born June 22, 1844. He was educated in the public schools and Dickinson Seminary, after which he took up the study of medicine, later matriculating at the University of Pennsylva- nia, from which institution he was graduated as a medical cadet. He joined the United States army, served in the hospital at Camp Curtin, then at West Philadelphia, and then at Louisville, Kentucky, in the Brown Hospital, and in 1865 he graduated from the Kentucky School of Medicine. He then came east to Chatham Run, located and estab- lished a private practice there, remaining until 1884, when he removed with his family to Williamsport, where he engaged in the active practice of his profession, continuing in professional work until the date of his death, December 29, 1900.
Dr. Schneider was united in marriage to Jennie Chatham, a daugh- ter of John Hall Chatham, and one son was the issue of this union, George Chatham Schneider, born at McElhattan, Clinton county, Penn- sylvania, May 10, 1876. Dr. Schneider is survived by his widow and son.
John Hall Chatham, father of Mrs. Dr. Schneider, was a first lieu- tenant in the war of 1861, for eight years was treasurer of Clinton county, Pennsylvania, and during the year 1858 and subsequent years
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was a resident of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. His parents were Walter S. and Elleanor (Hall) Chatham. His wife was Hannah de Haas, a daughter of John Philip de Haas, the third, who was born and educated at Philadelphia College, a son of Lieutenant John Philip de Haas, of the war of the revolution, and his wife, Anna (Shippen) de Haas, cousin of Peggy Shippen and daughter of Captain William Shippen, who was killed at the battle of Princeton in 1777, having been a member of General Washington's army. Lieutenant de Haas was a son of Brigadier General John Philip de Haas, who was a captain in the colonial wars with George Washington, was a personal friend of that great general, and was a member of his staff in the war of the revolution. He was a gentleman to the manner born, son of Nicholas de Haas, who came to these shores in 1732, and who was a direct descendant of the noble family Von-Haas. The founder, Charles, acquired large possessions near the city of Strasburg, France, in 1549. He was a baron and gen- eral under Rudolph the Emperor. He took the city of Florence, Italy, and was made governor of Central Italy. He was authorized to appro- priate the city of Florence for his " coat of arms," and when the province was annexed to France the name was changed to " de," the French, in- stead of " Von," the Dutch. General de Haas was a squire in Philadel- phia under King George. He was a man of much wealth at the time of his death, being the owner of hundreds of acres in the Bald Eagle Valley, where his son, Lieutenant de Haas, died in 1828, and is buried there. General de Haas is buried in Philadelphia, where he lived in splendor. The "coat of arms " was used in the de Haas family until 1828, not being adopted after the death of Lieutenant de Haas.
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FRED REINHARDT MILLER.
The man whose name heads this sketch ranks among the enter- prising and truly loyal citizens of Williamsport and is at the head of a very extensive book bindery, blank book and job printing estab- lishment, which he founded without means or credit, other than his great energy and peculiar adaptability for such work.
He was born April 13, 1860, at Syracuse, New York. The father was Reinhardt Martin Miller, of Wurtemberg, Sax Mieningen, Ger- many, born May 21, 1835, and came to America in 1853, first settling at Roundout and then at Wilbur, New York, but subsequently removed to Syracuse-about 1856, but in 1861, during the oil excitement, went to Titusville, Pennsylvania, he being among the first to go there. He worked at the cooper's trade making oil barrels. Later he joined the police force and was a highly successful detective for a period of fifteen years. He handled many extremely difficult cases and displayed much tact in this role, capturing and bringing to justice many hardened out- laws. His parents, also of Germany, came to America. They were Casper and Dorothy Miller, who had nine sons and one daughter. He married early in 1859, Anna Caroline Ziska, born November 21, 1835, at Dresden, Germany, coming to America about 1844 with her father, two brothers and one sister and locating at Syracuse, New York. Her father took charge of one of the German Evangelical Lutheran churches. She was educated in the University of Dresden. Her two brothers were in the Civil war from 1863 and both were captured and imprisoned in Libby Prison, where they died of starvation. This sorrow caused the death of the father in 1866; he died, it is related, of a broken heart. Her mother died about 1851. One sister married and remained in Dresden, Germany, the wife of a large cloth manufacturer. One of
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the daughters of this lady became a noted singer and sang before the royalty, having been blessed with a remarkable voice which was highly cultivated. Our subject's mother died at Titusville, Pennsylvania, Octo- ber 4, 1876.
The father, Reinhardt Martin Miller, worked at locomotive build- ing and salt barrel making while at Syracuse. He was a fine musician and a member of the then famous Maurers Band of Syracuse, New York. About 1882 he settled in Chicago, Illinois, but a year later bought property in Erie, Pennsylvania, where he lived for eleven years and died after a four months' illness, March 23, 1895. The first building used as a railroad station at Titusville was constructed by him. His fam- ily consisted of a wife and seven children, two living and five died in infancy. Fred R., and Minna, who married Benjamin Althof, of Erie, Pennsylvania, and has an interesting family.
Fred R. Miller accompanied his parents to Titusville, Pennsylvania, when but one year of age, in 1861. He was educated in the public schools until eleven years old, then left for Syracuse, New York, where he attended a German school for sixteen months, and was confirmed in the German Evangelical Lutheran church in 1873. His grandfather was pastor of this church at an early day. He then returned to his parents and again entered the public schools, remaining until the spring of 1875, when on July 6th of the same year he was apprenticed to Jacob Young, a practical book binder and blank book maker, where he served two years and nine months. After this he was variously occupied for three months and then left for Syracuse, this being in 1878, finding employment with August Koehler, who owned a bindery, and in three months young Miller was given charge of the plant, having under him forty persons. At this period he was but eighteen years of age, which shows that he commenced to show good executive and managing ability
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at a very early age in his career. Here he remained until September, 1879, when he took a situation with a ladies' ruching and lace man- ufacturing company, as traveling salesman on commission, his route be- ing in southern New York and Pennsylvania. But his sphere had not been wisely chosen and he hankered after the work of his trade, a book binder. So after two weeks of road life he, one dark night in October, 1879, landed at Williamsport with just one cent in his pocket ; he expected a remittance for his commission to be sent him at this point, but on account of his having notified the house of his intention of quit- ting their employ it was not sent and is still due. Not being easily dis- couraged, however, he deposited his grip-sack over the desk at the old Crawford House and trusted for something to turn his ill into good luck. This was Saturday night and early on Monday morning he was out among the dealers, and sold a few nice bills of goods, still looking for his remittance. The same afternoon of that day he secured employment with G. E. Otto Seiss, then Williamsport's only book binder. Soon after this, he being a single man, he was thrown out of employment, but managed to earn enough to pay his hotel and other bills. About November 25, 1879, he left for Philadelphia, but en route he stopped, as if by Providence, at Pottsville, Pennsylvania, where he dropped into the Journal office, and upon entering he chanced to meet the manager coming out. He inquired of him for work, whereupon he was pulled into the private office and told that if he was a practical book binder he might consider himself engaged, thus ending his proposed Philadelphia trip.
After five months there, Mr. Miller could not but believe that Williamsport had some better things in store for him, so April 3. 1880, he left for that city and formed a partnership with a Mr. Heilig. Neither possessing any capital, they leased the old "Banner bindery," trusting to
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