USA > Pennsylvania > Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania Vol. II > Part 87
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89
Mr. Kemmerer married, December 1. 1863,
510
HISTORIC HOMES AND INSTITUTIONS.
Annie L. Leisenring, daughter of Hon. John Leisenring, of Maucn Chunk, Pennsylvania. Their children are John L., Mahlon L., and Ger- trude L. Kemmerer.
KEMMERER FAMILY. The first of the family of Kemmerer to settle in Salisbury was T. Kemmerer, a native of Wurtemberg, who, about 1744, took up land now owned by Martin Kem- merer, his grandson. Later his son Heinrich, who was assessed in 1781, took up a large tract nearly a mile long, extending from his first tract southwest over to the Little Lehigh. His sons were Jacob, George, John, Adam, Henry, and Martin. His daughters became wives of men named Bortz, Reinhart and Ritter.
I. Jacob settled on the line between Bucks and Montgomery counties, and died in 1828.
2. George settled on part of the large tract and near the Little Lehigh. He died in 1845, aged eighty-six years. He had two children, George and Lydia. George lived at Emaus, and died in 1883, aged eighty-five years. Lydia be- came the wife of Lawrence Klein. They settled on part of the homestead of the Kleins.
3. John settled on Cedar Creek and died in 1845, aged eighty years. His son Solomon now lives on the place, aged eighty-four years. A daughter (Mrs. Gangwere) resides in Whitehall township.
4. Adam settled in what is now Whitehall, and died in 1850, aged eighty years. A son (George) and a daughter (Mrs. Minnich) now live in Whitehall.
5. Henry settled on part of the large tract near Emaus, and died about 1855, aged eighty- three years. Two daughters (Mrs. Snyder and Mrs. Larrich) both settled in Northampton county. Samuel, a son, settled on the homestead, where he lived many years, and moved to Allen- town, and died in 1879, aged sixty-four years.
6. Martin, the youngest son, lived on the homestead of his father until 1820, when he moved to Milford (Upper), and lived there until his death in 1854, aged seventy-six years. He left six sons and one daughter-Philip, David, Henry, Solomon, Martin, Daniel, and Maria.
Philip and David emigrated to Ohio. Henry, in 1854, was on his way to Iowa to settle, and was killed on the journey. Solomon settled on the homestead in Upper Milford, and died in Jan- uary, 1864. Martin settled on the homestead in Salisbury in 1843, and lived there until 1867, when he moved to Allentown, where he now re- sides.
Daniel settled in Upper Milford, and now re- sides there.
Maria became the wife of Adam Lauden- slager, and settled in Zionsville.
SILAS COPE. Prominent among the rep- resentative and influential citizens of Hellertown, Northampton county, Pennsylvania, may be men- tioned the name of Silas Cope, a native of Hill Town, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, the date of his birth being March 26, 1841. He acquired a good English education which prepared him for the active and important duties and responsi- bilities of life by attending the public schools of Bucks county, and after completing his studies he assisted his father with the management of the ancestral estate, which was located in Bucks county, and on which he continued to reside up to the time of his marriage.
In 1861, occurred the marriage of Silas Cope and Susannah Rickert, who was a daughter of John Rickert, a practical and successful farmer of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, and Sarah (Eck- ert) Rickert, and granddaughter of Andrew Rickert, one of the pioneer settlers of Bucks county, and an active and prominent participant in all the measures that conduced to the material growth and development of that section of the state. Their children are-Mary, Nettie, Laura, William, and Raymond.
ROBERT ROLAND ROTHERMEL, as- sistant manager of the Lafayette Hotel in Allen- town, was born in that city, October 28, 1876. Because of his business connection, because of his service as a soldier of the Spanish-American war, and because he is a representative of one of the oldest families of this portion of the state, he well deserves representation in this volume.
5II
GENEALOGICAL AND PERSONAL MEMOIRS.
In the early part of July, 1738, the ship "Thistle" left Zweibrucken, on the river Rhine, Captain John Wilson of Rotterdam commanding, with three hundred German emigrants on board, bound for the new world, and after a pleasant but long voyage of about fifty days anchor was dropped in the harbor of Philadelphia, in Sep- tember. Part of the voyagers went to what is now North Carolina, but subsequently returned to Pennsylvania. The others at once established homes for themselves in the north part of this state, and among these were Lorendze Guth and his wife. In his native land Lorendze Guth had been a commissioner of forestry, and on one of his scouting trips he discovered what he sup- posed to be a bear, but upon firing he discovered that he had shot a man. He immediately give himself up, and after a hearing was exonerated and discharged, but so keen was his regret over the accident that the familiar haunts had lost their charm for him, and he determined to emi- grate to the new world. Taking up three hundred and fifty acres of land along the Jordan river in Whitehall township, Lehigh county, he increased his realty possessions by purchase made from Nicholas Kern, Richard Kohler and Thomas and Richard Penn, until he was the owner of one thousand acres. He built thereon a stone house which is still owned and occupied by Eli J. Guth, having never been out of possession of a member of the family. Lorendze Guth, the founder of the family in America, had six children: Lo- rendze; Jr., who married and had nine children ; Adam, who married Barbara Strickler and had eleven children; Peter, who married and had two children ; Julia Ann, who became the wife of Peter Kohler; Eva Barbara, wife of George Henry Mertz; and Margaret, wife of Adam Dor- ney.
Lorendze Guth, Jr., married Margaret Xan- der and had a large family, one of whom, Daniel Guth, married Margaret Weider. They became the parents of Edward Guth, who married Polly Troxell, and they had two sons, Clinton Guth and Albert Jacob Daniel Guth. The former married Ida Hoffman and had three children, Jennie, Hannah and Mable, and of these Jennie married
Elmer Newhardt, and has one child, Ida; while Hannah became the wife of Clinton Kuhns, and has a daughter Florence. Albert Jacob Daniel Guth married Sarah Kresley, and they have two children, Elmer Alvin, who married Barbara Guth, and George E. K.
Adam Guth, the second son of Lorendze Guth ( Ist) married Barbara Strickler and had eleven children : Henry, George, Daniel, Peter ; Susanna, the wife of Jacob Boetz; Maria, wife of Nicholas Robinault; Sallie, wife of Thomas Kern; Eliza- beth, wife of Jonathan Haas; Hannah, wife of Solomon Gross; Adam, and John, who died in childhood.
Daniel Guth, third son of Adam and Barbara (Strickler) Guth, the grandfather of Dr. N. C. E. Guth, had a family of eight children: Benja- min; Lavina, who became the wife of Nathan Sieger, and had four children; Manasser, who married Sabina George and had four children; Lucinda, wife of Elias Troxell, by whom she had three children ; Owen, who married and had three children ; Ephraim, father of Dr. N. C. E. Guth ; Uriah, who married Maria Ludwig and had three children; and Mary, wife of Edwin Erdman, by whom she had seven children.
Ephraim, the sixth child of Daniel Guth, mar- ried Catherine Strauss and had five children : Tillara, the eldest, is the wife of Moses Haas and has six children ; Jennie is the eldest and the wife of Silas Rothermel. Agnes (2d) is the wife of Peter P. Adams and has two daughters, Mamie and Jessie. George (3d) married Sarah Arner. John M. (4th) wedded Mary Wiser and has a daughter, Irene. Irving (5th) married Beulah , and has two sons, Robert and Clarence. Edgar (6th) married Alice and has three children, their home being in Richmond, Indiana. Frederic E. (7th) married Minnie Reiff and has three children. Monroe Guth, sec- ond child of Ephraim Guth, married Ellen Erd- man and had one son, Irving, now deceased. Milton J., third child of Ephraim Guth, married Amanda Woodring, and has two children: Ella, now the wife of Charles O. Neal, by whom she has a son, Rex ; and George, who is married. Amanda, the fourth child of Ephraim Guth, is
512
HISTORIC HOMES AND INSTITUTIONS.
the wife of Simon Heninger, and they have two children, Annie and Nettie. The former is the wife of William Eberhardt, and has four chil- dren, Charles, Fred, Minnie and Edna. The lat- ter is the wife of George F. Schneck, and has a daughter, Helen. Dr. N. C. E. Guth, the fifth member of the family of Ephraim Guth, married Amanda Rosenberger and has two children, Her- bert W., who married Minnie Kline; and Nevin H.
Jennie, the eldest child of Ephraim and Cath- erine (Strauss) Guth, became the wife of Silas Rothermel, and they had three children, George B., Robert and Nellie. The eldest son married Alice Stauffer and has four children: Harry, George, Wallace and Helen. The daughter Nellie E., is the wife of Arthur Rupert and has two daughters, Pauline and Evelyn.
Robert Roland Rothermel, the second son of Silas and Jennie Rothermel, acquired his early education in the public schools, and upon its com- pletion entered Hotel Allen, the leading hostelry of the city, in order to learn the business in all its departments. He remained there until the outbreak of the Spanish-American war, when he enlisted for three years service in Company B, Eighth Regiment United States Infantry. He left Allentown for Huntsville, Alabama, en route to Cuba, and from that place the regiment went to Havana. After spending two weeks in the Cu- ban city they proceeded to Quenados, thence to Vedado, and afterward to LaPunta. While in the last named place Mr. Rothermel served as one of the special guard of thirty selected to take charge of the three million dollars which was sent by the United States government to pay off the Cuban army. From LaFunta the regiment was sent to Mariant, afterward to Guinahi, and later returned to Havana, whence it sailed for the United States. After reaching this country the regiment was stationed at Fort Snelling to do garrison duty in the northwest. Frequent orders caused it to be located at different places, and through the entire time of Mr. Rothermel's service the command was constantly engaged in skirmish duty and in quelling disturbances in the new possessions. Finally the regiment was
stationed at Fort Yates, at the Standing Rock reservation, in the country of the Sioux Indians in North and South Dakota. There Mr. Roth- ermel remained with his command until the ex- piration of his term of service, when he returned to Allentown. He was twice promoted, being first made corporal and afterward sergeant. Dur- ing the three years of his connection with the army he met with many stirring experiences and during his connection with the service was en- gaged in many important events in the discharge of his duty.
Upon his return to Allentown Mr. Rothermel picked up the threads of life just where he dropped them when he responded to his country's call, returning to his old position in the Hotel Allen. There he remained until September, 1902, when he resigned in order to accept a position in the Lafayette Hotel in the same city. He is now connected with that business as as- sistant manager. He belongs to several social organizations of Allentown, including the Span- ish-American War Veterans, Franklin Chapter, K. F., and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. In his political views he is a very strong Republican, while his religious faith is indicated by his at- tendance on the services of the Lutheran church.
In 1902 Mr. Rothermel was married to Miss Cora R. Strauss, of Allentown, a daughter of Wilson and Sarah (Reichard) Strauss, who had a family of three daughters, Cora, Emily and Ida. The two youngest are still at home. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Rothermel has been born a son, Roland Wilson R. Rothermel, whose birth occurred June 8, 1903.
THOMAS SMOYER was born August 9, 1839, in Allen township, Northampton county, upon the farm which is now his home, and which was originally the property of his grandfather, John Smoyer. For more than a century the fam- ily has been represented in the Lehigh valley. About 1809 the grandfather removed from Le- high county to Northampton county, settling in Allen township, where he died at a very advanced age. His wife was Eve Deithrick, and they were the parents of four children. Joseph Smoyer,.
513
GENEALOGICAL AND PERSONAL MEMOIRS.
the father of Thomas Smoyer, was born in Allen township, Northampton county, in 1809, was reared upon the home farm, and subsequently became a resident of East Allen township, estab- lishing his home near Miller's slate quarry, where he carried on agricultural pursuits and reared his family. He was a member of the Reformed church, and was a Republican in his political views. He married Miss Mary Latchour, and their children were Edwin, Thomas, Emma, William, Mary, Mantena Amanda, Harriet, Christian and Stephen. Joseph Smoyer died in 1885, having for twenty years survived his wife, who passed away in 1865.
Thomas Smoyer was reared upon the home farm and pursued his eduaction in the public schools. He resided with his parents until he had attained his majority, and then, starting out in life on his own account, settled upon a farm in East Allen township. In 1880 he purchased the old Knauss estate in Hanover township, and has since followed agricultural pursuits on that property. His land is under a high state of cul- tivation, and modern equipments have added to the value and productive appearance of the place.
Mr. Smoyer has beeen twice married. In 1864 he wedded Miss Suzanna Edelman, a daugh- ter of John Edelman, of Upper Nazareth town- ship, Northampton county. By this union there were four children, but three died in infancy. The surviving daughter is Martha Jane, the wife of Walter Landis, by whom she has seven chil- dren. Mrs. Smoyer died in 1879. His second marriage was with Elmira Ritter, a daughter of Simon Ritter of Hanover. Their two children are Elmer, born November 16, 1880; and Mary, born November 18, 1886.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN KING, a leading representative of the agricultural interests of East Allen township, Northampton county, Pennsyl- vania, where he has resided since his early child- hood days, is a native of Lower Nazareth town- ship, the date of his birth being September 4, 1851. He is a son of Henry and Anna Mary Magdalina (Young) King, and grandson of Henry and - - (Beidleman) King, the two
latter named being the parents of three children- Caroline, who became the wife of Simon San- tel; Henry, father of Benjamin F. King; and Polly Ann, died single. Henry King, Sr., was a carpenter by trade and conducted his business in Lower Nazareth township. He was a member of the Lutheran church, and his political affilia- tions were with the Democratic party.
Henry King, Jr., father of Benjamin F. King, was a native of Lower Nazareth township, Northampton county, Pennsylvania, and was born on the old homestead. He attended the common schools of the neighborhood, and upon attaining man's estate chose the occupation of farming. In 1854 he removed to East Allen township and purchased the John Frederick farm, whereon he conducted operations on an extensive scale, and this enterprise proved a lucrative means of livelihood for the remainder of his active career. Mr. King was united in marriage to Anna Mary Magdalina Young, daughter of Thomas Young, and seven children were the issue of this union; Benjamin Franklin, mentioned at length hereinafter ; Mary Ellen, wife of John O. Bachman, warden of the Northampton county prison ; Martin, who married Ellen Lerch, and his death occurred in 1883 ; William H., a prom- inent citizen of Nazareth, married Lauretta Johnson, a native of Nazareth, Pennsylvania; Laura Matilda, wife of Edgar Steuben, of Beth- lehem ; Charles Edwin, a resident of Nazareth, married Alice Gold; and a child who died in in- fancy. Mr. King served in several township offices, was a member and elder in the Lutheran church, and a Democrat in his political affiliations. His death occurred at his home in East Allen township, January 9, 1900; his wife passed away in 1899.
The early years of the life of Benjamin F. King, eldest son of Henry and Anna M. M. King, were spent in attending the school adjacent to his home and assisting with the many and varied duties of farm life. In this manner he became thoroughly familiar with all the details of farm- ing, and this knowledge proved of great assis- tance to him in the management of the old home- stead, which became his property by inheritance .:
33 X
514
HISTORIC HOMES AND INSTITUTIONS.
at the death of his father. His land is under ? high state of cultivation, yields a goodly harvest in return for his labor, and is considered one of the most productive in that section of the town- ship. He is serving in the capacity of school director, and in many other ways demon- strates his keen interest in public affairs. He is a member of the Lutheran church, and since attain- ing his majority has cast his vote with the Demo- cratic party.
Mr. King was united in marriage, September 28, 1873, to Elizabeth C. Hess, who was born in Bethlehem township, August 10, 1850, a daughter of Charles and Mary ( Ritter ) Hess. Their chil- dren are : I. George Henry, born August 1, 1874, a resident of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, married Lillie Anna Kahler, and they are the parents oi one child, Charles Henry King. 2. Robert C., born December 4, 1876, graduated from the high school at Bath, the normal school at Steubenville, the normal school at West Chester, and Lehigh University. 3. Clayton Franklin, born April 22, 1879, acquired his education at the preparatory school of Bethlehem and the Lehigh University, and for seven years has served as teacher in the same school. 4. John William, born September 2, 1882, a farmer by occupation. 1
PHILIP C. ODENWELDER follows farm- ing on a tract of land in East Allen township, Northampton county, on which his birth occurred October 24, 1855, his parents being Philip and Eliza (Heller) Odenwelder. The family is of German lineage, and John Odenwelder was the first of the name born in Northampton county. His parents were natives of the fatherland, and established their home in Pennsylvania during the colonial epoch in American history. John Odenwelder became the father of Philip Oden- welder, the grandfather of Philip C. Odenwelder. Philip Odenwelder purchased a farm of two hun- dred acres of cultivable land upon which stood the Forrest House, one of the old landmarks of the county. His estate bordered the Lehigh river on the north, and the district finally became known as Odenweldertown. He became the pos- sessor of extensive landed interests, and at his
death bequeathed to each of his ten children a farm.
Philip Odenwelder, father of Philip C. Oden- welder, was born in Odenweldertown, Williams township, Northampton county, October 5, 1814, became a resident farmer of the locality, and married Eliza Heller.
Philip C. Odenwelder was reared to farm life, early becoming familiar with the work of the fields, while this literary training was re- ceived in the public schools and in Weaversville Academy. He then settled upon the old home farm, and afterward succeeded to the ownership. He has one hundred and sixteen acres of rich and arable land, and is engaged in general agri- cultural pursuits, raising the crops best adapted to the soil and climate, and keeping his place in an excellent state of improvement. Mr. Oden- welder is serving as a school director, and he gives his political support to the Republican party. His religious faith is that of the Re- formed church.
He was married December 24, 1881, to Miss Martha V. Lerch, a daughter of Aaron Lerch, and their children are: Lizzie, who was born March 12, 1883, and is the wife of Chester Ihrie; Maggie, born June 26, 1885 ; Calvin, August 4, 1888; Mary, August 15, 1890; Warren, October 20, 1893 ; and Elmer, born November 1, 1896.
ALFRED H. LILLY, who follows farming in East Allen township, Northampton county, was born in this township in 1845, and the family has been connected with agricultural pursuits in the Lehigh Valley for several generations.
Joseph Lilly, the grandfather, was a farmer of Lehigh township, Northampton county. Unto him and his wife Catherine there were born six children : Joseph, Jacob, William, Catherine, Ann and another. The eldest of these, Joseph Lilly, Jr., the father of Alfred H. Lilly, was born on the old homestead farm in Lehigh township in 1811, and in his youth became familiar with farm labor in all of its departments. He first settled in Lehigh township, where Coplay now stands and in 1847 he purchased the farm upon which his son Alfred is now living. There he carried
515
GENEALOGICAL AND PERSONAL MEMOIRS.
on general agricultural pursuits, and also engaged in the butchering business for many years, his life being characterized by unfaltering industry. He married Miss Catherine Menson, and unto them were born seven children: Mendaus, Henry, Jo- siah, and Mary, all deceased ; Harry H., Alfred H., and Robert J., who has also passed away. Joseph Lilly was a member of the Reformed church, and he filled various local offices in his township. His death occurred in 1876, and his wife passed away in 1893 at the age of seventy- five years.
Alfred H. Lilly was reared upon the home farm, and when eighteen years of age became his father's partner in business. He went to the coal regions of Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in butchering until 1899, conducting a profitable trade. In that year he returned to the home farm, and has since devoted his energies to general agricultural pursuits and to dealing in horses. He is a man of enterprise in business, sound judgment and unflagging industry.
Mr. Lilly gives his political allegiance to the Republican party, but has never sought or de- sired office. He is a member of the Lutheran church. In 1877 he married Miss Ellen J. Didz, a daughter of John Didz, of Allen township. They are the parents of five sons : William, Joseph E., Edward H., Louis and Howard.
WILLIAM G. GORDON, vice-president and general manager of the Bath Silk Manufacturing Company, was identified with silk manufacturing at Paterson, New Jersey, the center of that indus- try in America, before the establishment of the factory at Bath. He mastered his craft in Eng- land, and with a thorough understanding of all the techitical processes involved he unites the executive ability and the understanding of men which lead to the commanding positions in every line of business.
William Gatley Gordon, grandfather of the present William G. Gordon, was of the nobility of the north of Scotland. He went to England, where his son John won fame and fortune as a manufacturer of silk. John Gordon married Elizabeth Pritchard, and the couple became the
parents of seven children, namely: William G., Alfred, Edward James, Henry Frederick, Walter, Emma, and a child who died in infancy. Of this family, four sons, William G., Edward James, Henry Frederick and Walter came to America.
William G. Gordon, oldest child of John and Elizabeth ( Pritchard) Gordon, was born March 4, 1852, at Macclesfield, England. His scholastic education was obtained in the common schools, and his industrial education at the Me- chanics' Institute and the School of Textile De- sign. After this thorough preliminary training he entered his father's business, and was con- nected with the works until 1879. It had long been a cherished idea to carry his business and his methods to America, then a comparatively new field in the manufacture of silk. This plan became possible in 1879, when with a shipload of machinery he came to this country and estab- lished the William G. Gordon Silk Mills in Pat- erson, New Jersey. These mills he conducted for five years with great success, when he sold out to a corporation and became superintendent of the Nassau Silk Mills of Paterson. Following this engagement he went to Newark as super- intendent of the manufacturing department of the Cutter Silk Mills there. In September, 1899, in company with Mr. Cutter, he organized the Bath Silk Manufacturing Company, at Bath, Pennsylvania, of which he has since been vice- president and general manager.
Mr. Gordon married, February 22, 1872, Miss Elizabeth Clarke, a native of Aberdeen, Scot- land, and daughter of Alexander and Eliza- beth Maria Clarke. Mr. Gordon was a member of the Church of England. Their three children were as follows: John Percy, who is superin- tendent of the Lehigh Valley Silk Mills, married Minnie Brinick; Walter, who died in England ; Lillian Elizabeth, who died in Easton at the age of sixteen years.
ISAAC H. BAKER, now deceased, was a resident of Northampton county. He was born in Lower Mount Bethel township in this county in 1818, his parents being Jacob and Elizabeth (Hubler) Baker. He pursued his education in
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.