USA > Pennsylvania > Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania Vol. II > Part 40
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Colonel Lehr has never ceased to feel a deep interest in military affairs, and for many years after the Civil war maintained active connectioin with military interests of the state. On the 21st of June, 1869, he organized the Allen Zouaves of Allentown, which organization became Com- pany B of the Fourth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He was elected captain of the company June 21, 1869, and retained the command until December 2, 1875, when he was chosen major. He then served in the latter po- sition until January 1I, 1876, when he resigned to again assume command of his old company, and held that rank for ten consecutive years. October 29, 1885, he was elected colonel of his regiment, which he commanded until October 29, 1891, on which date he retired from active military life. He is an influential and leading member of E. B. Young Post, No. 87, G. A. R. His political affiliation is with the Democracy, and he is a member of the Bryan Democratic League.
Colonel Lehr was married to Elizabeth Engle- man, of Upper Saucon, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Lewis M. Engleman, and a granddaughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Owens) Engleman. She is the eldest of three children, the others being Harry, who was married and resides in New York; and Clinton, who wedded Mary Wolf, and has three children-Julia-A., who is the wife
of Earl Douglas, and has a son and daughter, Norman E. and Helen E .; and Elizabeth, and Rachel. To Colonel and Mrs. Lehr has been born one daughter, Cora May, who is the wife of Arnon P. Miller, and has two children, Mar- garet, and Samuel Lehr. Colonel Lehr is a man of domestic tastes, manifesting strong devotion to his family, and the same earnest loyalty he gives to his friends. The circle of his friendship is almost coextensive with the circle of his ac- quaintance. Respected in every class of society, he has for some time been a leader of public thought and action in Allentown, and in what- relation of life he is found-in municipal service, in military circles, or in business or social rela- tions-he is always the same honorable and hon- ored gentleman whose worth well merits the high regard which is uniformly given him.
DANIEL MILSON is one of the well-known men of Catasauqua, Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, who have grown up with the town, and he is not only a loyal citizen of his adopted country, but has been a promoter of its interests as well. He was born in Neath, Glamorganshire, South Wales, February 28, 1830, a son of Charles and Rachel (Thomas) Milson, the former born in England in 1783, and the latter a native of South Wales. They were the parents of fourteen chil- dren, seven of whom are living, namely : Charles, Mrs. William Richards, Daniel, Ann Margaret, Mary, Prudence, and Hannah, the first three re- siding in America, and the remainder on the other side of the water.
Daniel Milson was reared in his native coun- try and educated at the common schools of his native town. At the age of sixteen he arranged with his maternal uncle, Joseph Thomas, to learn the boiler making trade. This he accomplished, becoming one of the best mechanics in his own shire, and he could not be surpassed when he came to this side of the Atlantic ocean. He worked at the Neath shipyards up to the year 1852, at which time he came to this country, landing in New York after a long and dangerous voyage of more than three months. Shortly . after his
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arrival he removed to Philadelphia, where he entered the employ of Merrick & Son, and later, because of his superior workmanship, he entered the service of the United States navy yard as boiler maker, being one of the men who worked on the vessel that captured Mason and Slidell, during the Civil war. In 1854 he came to Catasauqua and for two years was employed by the Crane Iron Company, and after dissolving this connection he was employed by the Thomas Iron Company in the erection of their furnaces at Hokendauqua, becoming a stockholder in the company in 1862, which relation still exists, and from which he derives a goodly income. In the latter part of the year 1863, in company with David Thomas, Jr., he went to Ohio, where they erected a furnace, of which Mr. Milson was as- sistant superintendent, and which they conducted until 1865. In that year Mr. Milson returned to Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, and opened a boiler shop on his own account, employing a force of fifty men and executing the best work possible. He supplied the furnaces in the Lehigh Valley with the finest production of his skill, and after successfully conducting the shop for a quarter of a century he retired from active business pur- suits, having acquired a compentency. In 1890, the year of his retirement, having decided that his system required a complete change and relax- ation from business cares, he took a trip to the scenes of his childhood, and this proved a source of much profit and enjoyment. Mr. Milson holds membership in the Presbyterian church of Castasauqua, and in his political affiliations is a staunch Republican.
In 1861 Mr. Milson was united in marriage to Elizabeth Davies, a native of Wales, who bore him eleven children, as follows: I. Thomas H., who is an extensive steel pipe maker of Paterson, New Jersey ; he married Ange L. Johnston, and their children are Josephine, and Thomas H. Milson. 2. Dr. Charles E., who married Camilla E. Deily, and their children are Gertrude A., Helen C., Ruth D., and Marie, deceased. 3. An- nie, who became the wife of John W. Thomas. 4. Elizabeth. 5. David T., deceased. 6. Minnie,
who became the wife of William R. Thomas, and they are the parents of one son, Daniel M. Thomas. 7. Joseph. 8. Daniel, Jr., a coal and wood dealer in Catasauqua. 9. Henry D., de- ceased. 10. Mabel. 11. Eleanor, who became the wife of J. M. Fitzgerald, and they are the parents of one son, Herbert M. Fitzgerald.
WILSON FRANKLIN MORE, who for eighteen years was pastor of the Reformed church in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, was born in Bethlehem township, Northampton county, Penn- sylvania, on the 2d of March, 1858.
It is a matter of tradition that the founder of the family in America was John More, and that he came from the west of England, near the bor- der line of Wales. He is supposed to have set- tled either in Berks county, Pennsylvania, or at Carlisle, Cumberland county, of the same state. These traditions are now being investigated, and there is some prospect of gaining absolute authen- tic knowledge concerning the origin of the family in the United States. Thus far the genealogy has been traced with certainty only to to Thomas More, the great-grandfather of Rev. More. He was born July 8, 1776, and died March 13, 1857, his remains being interred in the cemetery at Bel- fast, Northampton county. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Anna Elizabeth Yeager, was born September II, 1775, and died May 20, 1814. She is buried at or near Trexlertown, Lehigh county, Pennsylvania. Both were probably born in Berks county, this state.
James More, their son, and the grandfather of Rev. Wilson F. More, was married to Miss Mary Magdalene Boehm, a descendant in the fifth generation of Rev. John Philip Boehm, who was probably born in the Palatinate, Germany, in the year 1683. He was the first minister of the Re- formed church in Pennsylvania, and one of the first in America. His services in behalf of his denomination and the moral development of the state were invaluable. In 1725 he became pastor of the three churches at Falckner's Swamp. Skip- pack and White Marsh, but his herculean labors covered the territory embraced in the southeastern
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part of the state and extended as far as Egypt in the Lehigh Valley.
William More, the father of Rev. More, was born in Allen township, Northampton county, Pennsylvania, March 10, 1826. His educational privileges were very limited, and throughout his business career he followed the occupation of farming. He took an interest in the affairs of the community, and filled the office of school director ; while in his church he served as deacon and elder. His death occurred December 7, 1902, and his re- mains were interred in the cemetery at Altonah, near Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He was married on the IIth of February, 1856, to Eliza Rebecca Frankenfield, a daughter of William Franken- field.
Rev. Wilson Franklin More acquired his early education in the public schools, in which he also served as a teacher from his fifteenth to his nine- teenth year. He then entered Swartz's Acad- emy at Bethlehem and prepared for college. He pursued a full classical course in Lehigh Uni- versity at South Bethlehem, and was graduated in June, 1883. Having completed the prescribed course in theology in the seminary of the Re- formed church at Lancaster in May, 1886, he was licensed to preach, and ordained and installed as pastor of the congregation at Catasauqua, being the first alumnus of Lehigh University to enter the holy ministry. In this connection a contem- porary publication says : "Coming to his first and only charge with the vigor of youth, fresh from the halls of learning, he at once identified himself with the best interests of the congregation, the town and the Lehigh Valley. A man of such liberal culture, generous impulses and deep ex- perience cannot be hid very long within the nar- row limits of a pastoral charge. Like a star ra- diating in every direction, he will exert a help- ful influence in all the walks of life. The true servant of God is more than a preacher and a pastor. He is a man, and as such he will take a lively interest in everything that pertains to the spiritual, moral and mental uplift of the people. Accordingly, we find Rev. More, by his exemplary life and his faithful attention to his pastoral du-
ties, bringing his congregation safely through storms of adversity into a strong and influential condition commanding the respect of the entire community and being a credit to the denomina- tion. As a member of the classis which ordained him, Rev. More has always taken a keen and act- ive interest in all its proceedings, never shirking any duty assigned him. One of the special objects of his endeavor has been to develop interest in and to devise plans for the payment in full of all apportionments for benevolence, and these efforts have been crowned with a large measure of suc- cess. By his straightforward and manly char- acter Rev. More has won and holds the esteem and confidence of his brethren in the ministry. He has twice been chosen the presiding officer of classis, frequently serves as chairman of the most import- ant standing and special committees, and has proven himself a worthy representative, when delegated, which he frequently is, to synod and general synod.
Rev. More is not only known as a scholarly divine, but also as a writer of considerable merit, his literary efforts being confined to subjects bear- ing upon the church, her activity in various de- partments, and her intellectual, moral and spirit- ual development. He is the author of excellent translations into German of a number of well known English hymns, among them being "Lead, Kindly Light," and "Abide With Me, Fast Falls the Eventide." For eleven years, beginning with March, 1893, he has been the editor of the Con- sistory Department of the "Reformed Church Messenger," the principal organ of the Reformed Church in the United States.
Rev. More has always taken a lively interest in the public schools, and, though living in a town where the party opposed to his political views is strongly in the majority, he was elected a mem- ber of the school board, and graced its presidency with an assiduous devotion to duty characteristic of the man. During his term of office he was largely instrumental in improving the course of study; in organizing a regular institute for the advancement of the teachers ; in introducing new and better textbooks; and in promoting a fra-
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ternal feeling amongst the faculty, parents and children. On the completion of the new school building he was chosen to deliver the main oration of the day to an audience of thousands of people. On account of the increasing pressure of pastoral and church duties he refused a renom- ination though earnestly solicited by the better class of citizens of both parties to continue in office.
For a number of years Rev. More has been a member of the board of trustees of Allentown College for Women, where his influence has al- ways been potential in raising the standard of the institution and in extending its usefulness. In 1899 he was appointed professor of German in the college, and filled the chair acceptably until the summer of 1904, when he was compelled to resign this office, together with his pastorate, to assume the superintendency of the Bethany Or- phans' Home at Womelsdorf, Pennsylvania, to which position he had been called by the unani- mous vote of the board of managers of that noble institution. Here he has since labored with the manifest approval of the entire church. Being well adapted to the position by birth, education and training, he finds the work exactly to his taste, and attends to it with the greatest satis- faction and with every promise of success.
On the 26th of June, 1883, in Bethlehem township, Northampton county, Rev. More was married to Miss Matilda Applegate, a daughter of George and Esther (Deemer) Applegate. Her father was born in Williams township, Northampton county, February 20, 1818, and for three winters he attended a country school three or four miles away from his home. That was the extent of his school privileges. In 1835 he began boating on the Delaware and Lehigh canals, and was the owner of three canal boats. In 1840 he opened a country store, and thus be- came identified with mercantile interests in his locality. In 1868 he went to Milton, Northum- berland county, where he first purchased three thousand acres of timber land, which purchase he afterwards increased by two thousand acres, turning his attention to an extensive lumber busi-
ness which was developed through his efforts and enterprise. He was the founder of the iron works of Applegate, Shimer & Company at Mil- ton, Pennsylvania, and he belonged to that class of representative American citizens who, while promoting their own individual success, promote also in large measure the general prosperity. He holds membership in Trinity Lutheran church, and was a generous contributor to the building fund of Trinity Lutheran and Bethany Reformed churches, West Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to the latter of which his wife belonged and there her memory is perpetuated by a large art glass memorial window.
Mrs. More was educated in the public schools, and remained with her parents up to the time of her marriage. She is an efficient helpmate of her husband and more so than ever in his present position where, as superintendent and matron, the two constitute the united head of Bethany Orphans' Home. Three children have been born to Rev. and Mrs. More: I. Florence Esther, born near Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Au- gust 23, 1884, she was a student in the public schools ; afterwards graduated in the Allentown College for Women, studied a year at Lake Erie College, Painesville, Ohio, and entered Mt. Holyoke College as a sophomore in September, 1904. 2. Blanche Rebecca, born in Castasauqua, Pennsylvania, October 9, 1888, attended the pub- lic schools, and is now a junior in Allentown College for Women, and a member of the editorial staff of the college paper. 3. Ruth Irene, born in Catasauqua in 1891, died in infancy.
THE AYERS FAMILY. Among the long- established families of Northampton county, the Ayers family of Lower Mount Bethel township is one of the best known. It is of Sctoch origin, and the founder of this branch of the family came to the region when it was yet a wilderness. He was a notable man among the early settlers, and the succeeding generations have been improtant factors in bringing the wild land under cultivation, and in forming the so- cial and industrial traditions of the community.
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HISTORIC HOMES AND INSTITUTIONS.
The strong moral fibre and tenacity of purpose which characterize the Scotch as a race have been marked traits of this worthy line of men and women.
David, the earliest ancestor, owned a sec- tion of land in the vicinity of Richmond, North- ampton county, extending from Richmond to Gruvertown. He bought the land in its primeval state, and not only cleared a large tract, but he built there a house that was the pride and won- der of the settlement in that time of primitive dwellings. So well and substantially was the building done that the house is still in a good state of preservation, and is the home of the great-granddaughter of David Ayers, having always remained in possession of the family. David also built a mill, which was a boon to the early settlers, and which he operated during the remainder of his life. He had more ample means than most of his neighbors, and was less restricted in his business methods and his mode of living. This fact, together with the vigorous personality of the man and his unflinching in- tegrity, gave him great influence. He was looked to for the soundness of his judgment and his strong practical sense, and for a great many years he was justice of the peace in the township. He was a stanch Presbyterian and a large con- tributor to the beginning of the local church. He had two sons, David and Moses, of whom David pushed on into the new Ohio country, and Moses stayed on the homestead.
Moses, son of David Ayers, was born on his father's farm in Lower Mt. Bethel township, and spent his life there, worthily filling his father's place in the community. He operated the mill in addition to the farm, and was a shrewd and practical man of business. He was widely known and commanded universal respect. He was a liberal supporter of the Presbyterian church, and a valued member and counselor. He married a woman named Britain, and was the father of the following children : Levi, who made a home in the west; David, who operated the mill; Nathaniel ; Moses, whose line is here traced ;
Samuel, who became a Presbyterian minister; Jane ; Betsy ; Peggy ; Sarah.
Moses, son of Moses Ayers, was born on the . old Ayers homestead in Lower Mount Bethel in 1814. He became a farmer, and of his grand- father's original section of land, he owned nine- ty-seven acres, which included the site of the. homestead. He cared for and improved this land,. bringing it to a high state of cultivation and hold- ing it in trust for those who should come after. He was a prominent member of the Presbyterian church and a man thoroughly respected. Of his marriage with Charlotte Reed, two daughters,. Emma E. and Sarah A., were born. Sarah A., who became Mrs. Miller, is now deceased. Moses, the father, died January 27, 1890, and his. wife, who was born in 1816, died in 1884.
Emma E., daughter of Moses and Charlotte (Reed) Ayers, was born December 14, 1837, on: the old family place. She possesses those quali- ties of mind and heart that have given dignity and worth to so many members of her family, and experience has devoleped wide sympathies. and sound practical judgment. She has spent her life in the ancestral home, which is hallowed to her by family association. In 1859 she mar- ried Reuben J. Good, and became the mother of six children, who are as follows : Charles A., born. October 27, 1861, who is in the employ of Bush & Bull of Easton, Pennsylvania ; Herbert J., born December 8, 1863, who is a farmer in Iowa; Samuel L., born June 29, 1865, who is a dentist in New York; Charlotte A., born January 22,. 1867; Moses A., born August 27, 1868; Estella A., born September 6, 1881.
Reuben J. Good is of German descent. His. grandfather, John Good, born of German parents, first settled in Bucks county, afterward moving to Northampton about 1803. His wife was an English woman, and they had two sons, John and George, born in Mount Bethel township. The son John became a farmer and was the owner of about one hundred acres of land. He was a man held in high esteem, and was a mem- ber of the Methodist church, in which he was a
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class leader and steward. He was married twice, the first wife being Barbara Grover, who was the moher of he followingt children : Reuben J., Mar- garet A., Elizabeth, Jeremiah J., William, Henry, Caroline, John. The second wife was Rachel Lockard, to whom were born Emma, Josiah, Enos, Sarah, and George, of whom only Josiah and George are living. Reuben J., oldest son of John Good, married Emma E. Ayers. He is an experienced farmer and has carried on the management of the Ayers estate since his mar- riage, having been for fifty years a resident of the neighborhood, where he has won universal esteem1.
THOMAS COPE, M. D. Among the repre- sentative members of the medical profession in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, is Dr. Thomas Cope who for upwards of thirty-five years has successfully and continuously practiced his chosen calling in that city. He is a son of Jacob and Sarah (Fehr) Cope, and was born in Northampton county, Pennsylvania, August 18, 1847.
Thomas. Cope attended the common schools of the neighborhood and acquired a practical English education which proved to be an ex- cellent foundation for his later studies. Having decided that a professional life would best suit his tastes and inclinations, he began the study of medicine with Dr. Charles Sellars, of Nazareth; Pennsylvania, and in due course of time matric- ulated at the Jefferson Medical College, Phila- delphia, Pennsylvania, from which institution he was graduated in 1869 with the degree of Doc- tor of Medicine. He immediately entered upon active practice as a physician and surgeon in the city of Nazareth, and the large patronage now accorded him is the result of a good equipment, he having been a close and earnest student of the fundamental principles of the science of medi- cine, and during the passing years has kept in touch with all the improvements and new methods of treating disease. For thirty years he served in the capacity of house physician of the North- ampton County Almshouse. He is a member of the Northampton Medical Society, Lehigh Valley
Medical Society, and the Pennsylvania Medical Society.
In addition to his large professional prac- tice, Dr. Cope serves in the capacity of president of the Nazareth National Bank, in the organi- zation of which he was largely instrumental. He is also a director of the Drexel Portland Cement. Company. His religious sentiments are in ac- cord with the tenets of the Lutheran church, and his political affiliations are Democratic, he hav- ing been elected by that party to serve as chief burgess of the borough of Nazareth, Pennsyl- vania.
In 1870 Dr. Cope married Camilla Haguen- bach, daughter of John Haguenbach, of North- ampton county, Pennsylvania. Their children are : I. Mary Alice, died February 15, 1900, at the age of twenty-nine years; she was the wife- of John A. Miller and mother of two children- Conrad C. and Mary Alice Miller. 2. William F., who received his educational advantages at Nazareth Hall, Lafayette College and Jefferson Medical College, from which latter named in- stitution he was graduated in 1902. He served an interneship at St. Luke's Hospital, and then established an office in the borough of Nazareth for the pracitce of medicine and surgery. He was united in marriage to Sally Blackly, of Easton, Pennsylvania. 3. Katherine, who resides at home with her parents.
JONES FAMILY. The early history of Bethlehem, the chief seat of the Moravians in Pennsylvania, is closely connected with the his- tory of the Jones family of Bethlehem township, who at one time owned all the land lying between Bethlehem and Freemansburg, besides other valu- able property in the immediate vicinity. This tract of land above referred to consisted of a tract of five hundred acres, and was purchased by John Jones from Patrick Graeme of Phila- delphia, on the 4th of April, 1750. It is be- lieved that the Jones family was the first actual occupant, and that the land had been taken up by Graeme solely for the purpose of speculation.
According to the Bethlehem "church book"
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and the inscription on his tombstone, John Jones was born at Skippack, now Montgomery county, in June, 1714. His father says Mr. Reichel "had emigrated from Wales with other persons of excellent and worthy character, descendants of the ancient Britons, principally from Radnor, Bryn Mawr, and Haverford in Merionethshire." This company founded a settlement in Montgom- ery county, and in 1690 purchased a tract of forty thousand acres from William Penn. We need not say that these lands subsequently passed into the hands of the Germans, so that the Welsh settlement has long since utterly disappeared.
Of the early history of Griffith Jones, the father of John, we known little or nothing. His wife Sarah had been previously married to Israel Morris, by whom she had three sons, Israel, Daniel and John. The will of "Griffith Jones, of Skyppack" is on record at Philadelphia. It does not appear that he was possessed of much prop- erty. He says "I give and bequeath unto my dear wife Sarah Jones, whom I do make and ordain my sole executrix, full power to settle upon and improve my land late purchased of Anthony Morris of Matchin, to the bringing up of my three children, viz : John, Ann & Mary, until the expiration of my son John's age of twenty-one, and then to be the said John's and his heirs for- ever, he paying to his sisters Ann and Mary the sum of ten pounds current money of the pro- vince aforesaid." His wife was to have all the personal property, and his stepsons, Daniel and John Morris, were each to receive a legacy of five pounds, "if in case they shall live with and help my said wife Sarah improve my said lands until they be of the age of twenty-one."
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