USA > Pennsylvania > Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania Vol. II > Part 88
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the common schools, and entering upon his busi- ness career followed the pursuit to which he had been reared, that of farming. In 1842 he pur- chased a tract of land in Allen township, and be- came one of the leading and progressive farmers of the neighborhood. He was always the first to introduce modern improvements, and was the owner of the first mowing machine brought into his township. All the accessories and equipments upon his place were in keeping with progressive ideas of agriculture, and he improved a splendid farm property which returned to him a good in- come as the reward for the care and labor which he bestowed upon his fields. In all of his busi- ness dealings he was straightforward and hon- orable, his life being in consistent harmony with his profession as a member of the Reformed church. He took an active part in church work and contributed generously to its support. His political allegiance was given the Republican party.
On the 15th of December, 1842, Mr. Baker was united in marriage to Miss Ann Young, a daughter of John Young, of Newton, New Jer- sey. She was born July 14, 1822. Mr. and Mrs. Baker became the parents of five children : Will- iam F., born May 27, 1844, is now residing in Philadelphia ; his twin died in infancy ; he wedded Mary Shimer, who is now deceased, and of that marriage there was one son Harry. Sabella, born September 6, 1845, is the wife of Robert A. Shimer, and they had two children : Florence and John J., but the latter is deceased. David A., born October 28, 1849, was married in 1891, to Jennie Smith and has one son Frederick. J. Jacob, born August 27, 1854, was married in 1874, to Miss Maggie Lehn, of Easton, Pennsyl- vania, and they have a daughter, Harriet. Mr. Baker died September 19, 1855.
WALTER T. HUBER. The old homestead in Hanover township, Northampton county, on which Walter T. Huber was born and on which he now resides, has long been in possession of the family. Prior to the Revolutionary war his ancestors came to Northampton county. His great-grandfather, Michael Huber, was born in
this county in 1743 and died October 29, 1822. He was the father of Philip Huber, whose birth occurred in Hanover township, February 13, 1801. Having arrived at years of maturity Philip Huber began farming on his own account, and purchased the land which is now in possession of William T. Huber. While living the life of an enterprising agriculturist he also found time to devote to public affairs, and served as census enumerator and in several local offices in his township. In politics he was a Democrat, and he was a member of the Lutheran church. His death occurred in 1881. In early manhood he married Maria Moyer, and they had three chil- dren : Hattie, Sarah and Lake Erie.
Lake Erie, the father of William T. Huber, was born on the old homestead June 13, 1828, and pursued his education in the public schools of Hanover township. Throughout his entire life he lived on the old home farm, and his energies. were devoted to its further development, culti- vation and improvement. He, too, was called to serve in various public positions. He was twice married, having first wedded Anna Maria Heller,. a daughter of Jacob Heller, in July, 1860. By this union there were five children : Emma, Jen- nie, George, Clara and Ida. Mrs. Huber died April 19, 1872, and Mr. Huber was again mar- ried May 4, 1873, his second union being with Mary E. A. Smoyer, who was born in East Allen township, May 4, 1849, a daughter of Jo- seph and Mary (Lutichull) Smoyer. Her father was a native of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, and a son of Jacob Smoyer. The children of Mr. Huber's second marriage were three in number, William T. being the eldest. Mary, born April 27, 1878, is the wife of George Hess and has three children-Raymond, Helen and Mary. Esther, the youngest, was born February 5, 1884 .. Mr. Huber was an elder, deacon and trustee in the Methodist church, and took an active and in- fluential part in its work. He died April 27, 1900.
William T. Huber was born April 12, 1874, and acquired his education in the public schools of Hanover township, Northampton county. From early boyhood days he has been connected with
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the cultivation of the home farm, and now in connection with agricultural pursuits he is acting as agent for various farm machines, including the celebrated Sharpless Separator. His busi- ness is well conducted along progressive lines, and he is meeting with desirable success. He was married October 18, 1895, to Miss Bertha Keim, who was born in East Allen township, Au- gust 19, 1876, a daughter of Cyrus and Diana (Laubach) Keim. By this union there are three chlidren : Mabel, born May 16, 1896; and Clara, born July 31, 1898, at home with their parents ; and Clarence, who was born October 30, 1891, and died September 4, 1902.
JAMES W. FULLER, who as the promoter of many business enterprises has contributed in large measure to the commercial and industrial activity and consequent prosperity of Catasauqua and the Lehigh Valley, was born in 1845. The ancestry of the family can be traced back in direct line to Robert Fuller, whose eldest child, Edward Fuller, was the founder of the family in Amer- ica. He had four other sons : Samuel, who was baptized at Revenhall, Norfolk, England, Janu- ary 20, 1680, was married first to Elsie Glass- cock, secondly to Agnes Carpenter, and thirdly to Bridget Lee. Roger, who married Jane Gow- en, and had eight children. Ralph, who married Elizabeth - -, by whom he had four chil- dren, and died in 1650. John, who married Mar- garet Balls, and had two children.
Edward Fuller, the eldest son of Robert Fuller, was baptized at Revenhall, Norfolk, Eng- land. About the year 1607 or 1608 he fled to Holland with his brother, who was a physician and deacon. The name of Edward Fuller ap- pears as the twenty-first signer of the compact drawn up on board the "Mayflower" previous to the landing of her passengers at Plymouth Rock in November, 1620. His wife is supposed to have been Anne, "who died soon after they came on shore." They had two children: Mathew, who died at Barnstable, Massachusetts, 1678, and whose wife was Frances Fuller ; and Samuel.
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Samuel Fuller, of the third generation in the line of direct descent, was born in Leyden, Hol-
land, in 1612, and was brought to America on the "Mayflower" by his father, Edward Fuller. He became a freeman in 1634, and was married in Scituate, Massachusetts, April 8, 1635, by Cap- tain Miles Standish to Jane Lathrop, a daughter of the Rev. John Lathrop. He died October 31, 1681. His children were : John, Hannah, Samuel, Elizabeth, Sarah, Mary, Thomas, and John.
John Fuller, the youngest son of Samuel Fuller, was born between the years 1650 and 1656. He married Mehitable Rowley, and after- ward wedded Elizabeth Fuller. Their children were as follows : Thomas, born about 1679; Sam- uel, about 1682 ; Shubael, about 1688; Thankful about 1688; Edward, about 1691; Elizabeth, about 1693 ; John, about 1697; Joseph, March I, 1699 or 1700; Benjamin, October 20, 1701; Mehitable, April 6, 1706; Deborah, about 1689; and Anne, about 1703.
Joseph Fuller, son of John and Elizabeth Fuller, was married December 22, 1722, to Lydia Day, and after her death was married on Janu- ary 8, 1766, to Mrs. Serviah Noble, this marriage taking place in Connecticut. Their children were : Joseph, born in 1723; Rachel, 1723; Zach- ariah, 1725; Grace, 1726; Jeremiah, 1728; Lydia, 1729; Mindwell, 1730; Ruth, about 1735; Abra- ham, October, 1737; Jacob, 1739; and Isaac, who was born in 1741, and was married November 5, 1769, to Sarah Kelsey.
Joseph Fuller, the son of Joseph and Serviah (Noble) Fuller, was married August 10, 1752, to Zerviah Hill. He bought land in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, from the Indians, June 19, 1767. Later he emigrated to Pennsylvania, and his will is recorded at Wilkes-Barre. To him and his wife were born nine children : Joshua, born July II, 1754; Benajah, born June 4, 1756; Lydia, born April 23, 1758; Joseph, born December 19, 1760; Jehiel, born December 15, 1763; Abigail, born May 16, 1766; Ruth, born September 3, 1769 ; Zerviah, born May 24, 1774 ; and Jeremiah, born February 24, 1776.
Jehiel Fuller, son of Joseph and Zerviah (Hill) Fuller, was born in Sharon, Connecticut, December 15, 1763. In 1769 he accompanied his parents on their removal to Stockbridge, from
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whence he came to Pennsylvania, settling at a place now called Centermoreland, where he died. He married Hannah Hill, who after his death went with her children to Illinois, dying at El- mira, that state, about six years later. Their children were: Chauncey Day, born June 25, ' 1799; Orin, Ambrose, Harry, Jehiel, Malinda, and Hannah.
Chauncey Day Fuller, the grandfather of James W. Fuller, during his later years made his home in Lehigh county, and for a number of years served as justice of the peace. His death occurred in 1867. His wife, Sarah (Wheeler) Fuller, bore him the following children: James W., Orlando, Charles D., George W., and Abbott.
James W. Fuller, father of James W. Fuller, was born at Forty Fort, or Freemansburg, Penn- sylvania, and died at Catasauqua about 1872. He married Clarissa Miller, who was born in Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Henry Miller, who was of German descent. Their chil- dren are: James W., Orange M., Clarissa C., Abbott F., and Clinton, born July 24, 1858.
James W. Fuller, whose name introduces this record, was born March 16, 1845. Although he had not yet attained his majority at the time of the Civil war he joined the Union army. He entered the service as a private, and there being a vacancy for the adjutancy he was appointed. His term of service extended over a period of seven months, and after his resignation he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he occupied a position as salesman. In 1868 he returned to Catasauqua, where he and others organized the firm of McKee, Fuller & Company, proprietors of the Car Wheel Works. They opened a factory at Fullerton, subsequently bought out the concern of Frederick & Company, and about the same time built a forge. Since then their factory has been known as the Lehigh Car Wheel and Axle Works. They have developed an enterprise of extensive proportions, contributing materially to the business prosperity of the community. Mr. Fuller has been connected with many of the in- dustries of the valley. He is also interested in the raising of live stock.
Mr. Fuller was married to Catherine Maria
Thomas, who was born in Beaver Meadow, Penn- sylvania, a daughter of Hopkin Thomas. Their children are: George Llewellyn; Maude Miller, the wife of A. J. Averson; Blanche, the wife of Dr. L. A. Salade; Mary Louise ; and James W., Jr., who married Miss Myers, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and they have a son James W., who is the fourth of the name in successive genera- tions. Mr. Fuller and his family are members of the Presbyterian church.
JULIUS A. REMMEL, a well known and public-spirited citizen of Mauch Chunk, Pennsyl- vania, where for many years he has been identi- fied with all movements tending to further local and general interests, is a native of that bor- ough, his birth having occurred there on Janu- ary 8, 1850. His parents were Nicholas and Charlotte (Howard) Remmel, whose family con- sisted of seven children, namely: Alfred, who died in childhood; Sarah, who became the wife of Judge J. W. Heberling, and they are the parents of several children; Catherine, the widow of F. H. Moser, late of Bethlehem; Edwin, who married Carrie Reading; Julius A. and Julia (twins)-the former named is mentioned at length in the following paragraphs, and the lat- ter died in childhood; and William. Nicholas Remmel (father) was a patternmaker by trade, this occupation proving a lucrative means of live- lihood. In his death, which occurred in Janu- ary, 1893, the community lost one of its repre- sentative citizens. He was survived by his wife, who resides in Mauch Chunk.
Julius A. Remmel obtained an education in the public schools of his native city which quali- fied him for the practical duties of life. During the first few years of his active career he was employed in various positions, thus obtaining a practical experience of business life, and later he was employed as clerk in the dry goods store of J. W. Heberling & Co., with which he continued his connection for several years. Subsequently he secured a position and served as mail messen- ger on the road for a term of three months, and was then offered employment in the postoffice of Mauch Chunk, serving as assistant to the post-
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master. He was faithful and painstaking in the performance of the arduous and varied duties of the position, which he retained until 1888, in which year he was appointed postmaster under the administration of President Benjamin Harri- son, holding the office four years. During his connection with the postoffice he became familiar with the general public, who learned to appre- ciate him at his true worth. In matters of citi- zenship he has ever been loyal and progressive. He served in the capacity of drummer boy during the recruiting of five companies in Carbon county, Pennsylvania, during the progress of the Civil war. In politics he is a Republican, earnest in his allegiance to the party and its principles. He holds membership with the Royal Arcanum, and Carbon Lodge, No. 242, Free and Accepted Masons. The success which he has achieved is attributable entirely to his own efforts, dili- gence and perseverance. He has now retired from business pursuits.
Mr. Remmel was united in marriage to Miss Josephine V. Babcock, a daughter of Charles and (Connor) Babcock, well known residents of Mauch Chunk. Their only child, William L., died in early life. Both Mr. and Mrs. Remmel are highly esteemed in the community, and enjoy the acquaintance of a wide circle of friends.
WILLIAM CHAPMAN, deceased, for many years one of the highly esteemed citizens of Beth- lehem, Pennsylvania, who through his connection with the far-famed Chapman Slate Quarries gained prominence throughout the country, was a man of energy, judgment and perseverance, and his sagacity and superior business qualities created one of the important industries of Penn- sylvania, which will live and thrive and which is a fitting monument to his memory. He was born on the plains of Waterloo, at Mt. Tonenshau, a village south of Brussels, Belgium, in 1816, whither his mother had hurried to the side of his father, who had been in battle and had been severely wounded.
William Chapman, father of William Chap- man, was born in the parish of St. Peth, in Corn- wall, England. He was a slater by occupation
and was employed in the Dilli Bole quarries, owned by Lord Thomas Avery, who fitted out a company of ninety men at his own expense for service in the English army against Napoleon, and Mr. Chapman was made a lieutenant. The company was sent to the continent before the battle of Waterloo, and with his command Lieu- tenant Chapman took an active part in that fa- mous engagement and was severely wounded. He was then taken to Mt. Tonenshau and was nursed back to health by his faithful wife, who hastily made her way to his bedside. Lieutenant Chap- man died at Cornwall, England, at the advanced age of eighty years, and his wife, Elizabeth Chap- man, passed away in the year 1828. They were the parents of three sons, including William Chapman, who became the pioneer slate oper- ator of the Lehigh Valley.
William Chapman was reared in Cornwall, England, and at the age of seven years began working in the slate quarries where his father was engaged. He became a practical workman and also an expert judge of slate. Subsequently he secured employment in Devonshire, England, where extensive quarries were opened, and later he superintended the quarries of Sir John Francis, in Wales, and during this period of time saved considerable money. Sir John Francis was likewise an expert in his knowledge of slate, and, placing great confidence in the ability of Mr. Chapman, induced him to make a prospecting trip to Amer- ica. After much persuasion Mr. Chapman con- sented, and in the spring of 1842 he set sail on the "Hindoo," and on reaching Easton, Pennsyl- vania, presented letters of recommendation from Sir John Francis to Mr. Eyre, an attorney-at- law of that city. He next proceeded to the Del- aware Water Gap, where a small company was working, and afterward went to Christian Springs, near Bath, Pennsylvania, where for a short time he superintended the quarry owned by Charles B. Daniel. Subsequently he took to exploring the slate fields, and finally leased the tract of land now known as Chapman Quarries, with the privilege of purchasing it. This he did in 1850, and the result is the renowned Chapman Quarries, their product being extensively used
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in this country. At first the firm was Chapman & Helfrich. The enterprise proved so successful that in 1864, by a special act of the state legis- lature, he was able to incorporate the Chapman Slate Company, the stock of which was in- creased from time to time until at his death it amounted to four hundred thousand dollars. Mr. Chapman was always the president and treasurer of the company, and for years he personally con- ducted its business at the New York offices. It was he who sold the slate to roof the capitols of Albany, New York; and Hartford, Connecticut ; Holy Trinity church, the Gilsey House, the Brunswick, Chickering Hall, the Grand Central Depot, and numerous other large edifices in New York. He developed a business of considerable magnitude and one that proved of value to his community through the promotion of industrial activity. He entered upon the active duties of life unaided by influential friends or advantage- ous circumstances, and was the sole architect of his own fortune, molding his own character and shaping his own destiny. Chapman Borough was named in his honor, and many of the influen- tial citizens of Pen Argyl and Bangor came to this country upon his inducement. He was a member of Trinity Episcopal church, and a Mas- ter Mason. For a number of years prior to his death he resided in retirement in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
At Easton, Pennsylvania, in 1856, William Chapman married Miss Emilie Frances Carey, who was born in South Carolina, educated in Baltimore, Maryland, and was an accomplished lady and a devoted wife and mother. Eleven chil- dren were the issue of this marriage: I. Martha, who became the wife of Samuel Bradbury, Jr., of Germantown : 2. Virginia, who became the wife of William B. Myers, of Bethlehem ; 3. Clifford R., engaged in the Chapman Quarries ; 4. Francis Howard, a resident of New York city ; 5. Wilbur A., deceased ; 6. Emily L., who became the wife of Robert Packer Rathbun, who was born March 27, 1860, a son of Roland N. and Helena (Packer) Rathbun, who were the parents of three children-Robert P., Helena Gertrude, and Wal- ter Roland, all of whom are now deceased. Rob-
ert Packer Rathbun died February 10, 1899, leaving one son, Robert Packer Rathbun, born February 14, 1893. 7. Claire, who became the wife of Rudolph Elliott, of Germantown ; 8. Joy, who became the wife of Charles H. Pettinos, of Bethlehem ; 9. Elise, who became the wife of Francis Davis, of San Francisco, California; 10. Josephine, who became the wife of C. Wheeler Lord, of Germantown; II. Richard D., a resi- dent of Bethlehem.
William Chapman, father of these children, died December 13, 1902, after an illness of sev- eral weeks, aged eighty-six years. Services were conducted at his late residence, December 16, 1902, and the interment was in the family plot in Nisky Hill Cemetery. He survived his wife many years, her death having occurred in 1883.
W. BION FRITCHMAN, prominent as a business man and leading citizen of Freemans- burg, Northampton county, Pennsylvania, is a representative of a family which through several generations has contributed to the growth and development of the town, helping in large meas- ure to make it the brisk manufacturing suburb of Bethlehem that it is.
The great-grandfather of Mr. Fritchman was a native of Germany and a pioneer in Pennsyl- vania, coming to America just prior to the Revo- lutionary war. He had a son William who was instrumental in the construction of the Lehigh canal, then the principal means of transporta- tion in that region. William Fritchman not only took an active part in the building of the canal, but he was made superintendent after its com- pletion. He married Christina Ehrhart, and had a son Peter, who upheld the name his father had made for himself in that section.
Peter was educated in the public schools, con- tinuing through the high school course. He taught school for a short time, but when he was sixteen he became a clerk in a mercantile estab- lishment. After a few years he gave up this line of business and became a contractor. In this vo- cation he was highly successful, superintending the construction of some of the most important structures in the county, among them being the
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county prison and two bridges for the Lehigh Valley Railroad. During his residence in Free- mansburg, where he was held in high regard, he was elected to many of the local offices. He was auditor for four years, school director for nine years, and for twenty-one years served as secre- tary of the town council. He was also justice of the peace for twenty years, was a lifelong Demo- ·crat, and popular among fraternal orders. He was a member of the Lutheran church, and be- longed to the Knights of Pythias, the United Or- der of American Mechanics, the Patriotic Order of Sons of America, and the Knights of the Golden Eagle. He was a strong believer in the principle of fraternal societies, and an earnest worker in the affairs of his church. He married Hannah A. Apple, a daughter of former Judge Apple, of Bucks county, and two children were born, of whom only one, W. Bion, is living. Peter Fritchman died in April, 1899.
W. Bion Fritchman was born in Freemans- burg, and attended the public schools of the town, afterward studying in private schools of Free- mansburg and Bethlehem. At the age of sixteen he went into the employ of the Lehigh Valley Railroad as clerk. He remained with the com- pany for eighteen years, being promoted in the interval through various departments and prov- ing himself in any capacity a trustworthy and highly valuable employee. At the time of his resignation he was station master and ticket agent at South Bethlehem. He returned to Freemans- burg in 1892 and associated himself with his fa- ther, who was then engaged in real estate, insur- ance, and general conveyancing business. The partnership was continued up to the time of his father's death in 1899, and since then he has con- ducted the business along the same lines for him- self. He has a large clientage, being a man widely trusted for his keen insight and sound judgment. He is connected with the Lutheran church, and his political sympathies are with the Democratic party. He holds membership in many fraternal societies, and is a member of the town council. The organizations to which he belongs are as follows: Amethyst Lodge No. 846, Royal Arcanum ; Huldah Lodge, No. 364, Knights of
Pythias; Washington Camp, No. 429, Patriotic Order of Sons of America ; Freemansburg Camp, No. 6988, Modern Workmen of America.
Mr. Fritchman has been married twice, the first wife being Belle F., daughter of William and Anna M. Snyder. The children of this marriage were Calanthe L., Paul A., and W. Bion, Jr. Four children have been born of his marriage with Millie N. A. Ochs, daughter of Tilghman Ochs, of Allentown. These children are Miriam L., Emily Margaret, Leon A., and Harold D.
WILLIAM B. SHAFFER, chief of construc- tion of the Martin Superior Improvement Com- pany, is one of the foremost business men of Northampton county, having been the organizer and promoter of various enterprises which have contributed in large measure to the substantial upbuilding of this section of the state as well as to his individual success. He was born in Lehigh county, November 27, 1851, and is of German lineage.
His paternal grandfather, John Shaffer, came to America in the year 1734 and settled in North Carolina. He followed farming throughout his entire life. John Shaffer, the father of William Shaffer, was born in North Carolina in 1812, and died in 1888. Having obtained his education in the common schools, he also took up the occupa- tion of farming as a life work, and devoted his energies to the tilling of the soil in North Caro- lina for a number of years. Later he removed to Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, where his last days were passed. He married Julia Barber, a native of Lehigh county, and their children were William, John F., Elvina, Mary J., Charles G., Caroline S., Louisa, Sarah A. and Elizabeth.
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