Historical and biographical annals of Berks County, Pennsylvania, embracing a concise history of the county and a genealogical and biographical record of representative families, Volume I, Part 55

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846; J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago : J. H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1018


USA > Pennsylvania > Berks County > Historical and biographical annals of Berks County, Pennsylvania, embracing a concise history of the county and a genealogical and biographical record of representative families, Volume I > Part 55


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).


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1857-58


McCandless, Robert


C. H. Wanner


1863-64


Lewis Hottenstein


.1872


J. D. Wanner.


1873-74


David Hinterleiter


.1875


S. S. Schmehl. 1876


1877


R. Dewalt


1878


Reifsnyder, Abram


20


Rever, Adam


760


John R. Gouser.


1897-1900


Charles D. Herman


1900-03


Charles J. G. Christian.


1903-06


Jeremiah T. Fritch. 1906-09


H. W. Saul.


1909-12


John M. Graeff


Daniel B. Kutz. 1850; 1855


Hiram F. Bickel


George Bieber


32 20


242


HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA


A. C. Beidelman 1867


H. H. Schwartz


.1868-70; 1873-74


Jonas Hoch 1872


E. D. Bieber 1875


J. H. Marx. 1876-78; 1880; 1899-1901


Oliver H. Sander 1897


Dr. Henry W. Saul.


1898


Charles H. Wanner 1902


Albert S. Heffner. 1903-10


JUSTICES OF THE PEACE


Jacob Levan 1814-23


Benjamin Gehr


1818


James Donagan 1820


John Wanner


1820-23


Lloyd Wharton


1828


Henry Heist


1840-45


Jacob Graeff


1840-44


Charles Weirman


1844-47


William S. Bieber


1845-55


John B. Scheutz.


1847-52


H. B. Von Scheutz


1852-56


James M. Gehr.


1855-60


J. Daniel Wanner


1856-67


Charles W. Esser.


1860-64


Hiram H. Schwartz


1864-83


Allen K. Hottenstein. 1867-71


John Humbert 1871-76; 1883-94


John H. Marx. 1876-1906


A. S. Heffner


1894-1904


H. S. Sharadin


1906-11


A. J. Rhode


1904-09


George H. Smith.


1905-14


POSTMASTERS


The postmasters for the past thirty years have been :


Jonathan Bieber


Christian Bieber


William Sander.


1885-89; 1893-97


Michael T. Donmoyer


.1889-93


John P. S. Fenstermacher Since 1897


BOROUGH OFFICIALS-1909


Chief Burgess, Dr. H. W. Saul


Town Council, L. A. Stein, President


James S. Heffner


Nicholas M. Rahn


William F. Stimmel


Stephen W. Keinert William B. Schaeffer


Pierce Schell A. S. Heffner, Clerk


School Board, Walter B. Bieber, President


George C. Bordner, Secretary


A. W. Fritch, Treasurer


George Glasser


Dr. N. Z. Dunkelberger


John H. Barto


Auditors, C. L. Gruber J. H. Marx


A. F. DeLong


Assessor, Llewellyn Angstadt


Collector, Charles A. Frey


Treasurer, N. S. Schmehl


Justices of the Peace, Howard S. Sharadin


George H. Smith


Constable, Charles Glasser


Board of Health, Dr. E. K. Steckel. President


Solon A. Stein, Secretary


George H. Smith, Treasurer Fred T. Williamson


David James, Health Officer


INDUSTRIES .- The place being inland, for nearly one hundred years its development was slow. Var-


ious trades incident to every community were car- ried on with more or less activity, but without any marked improvement. Some establishments were operated for a number of years and then discon- tinued. The introduction of the steam railway in 1870 was a great assistance. The East Penn railroad was opened for travel from Reading to Allentown in 1859, and in 1870 a branch was con- structed from Topton to Kutztown. This facility for the shipment of goods stimulated manufactures and the erection of different kinds of shops and factories. This industrial activity has been kept up with increasing success until the present time. In 1909 all the places employed about four hun- dred hands, and their productions were sent to all parts of the United States.


Establishments


Sharadin Shirt Factory (1896), 30 to 35 hands ; carried on by Howard Sharadin from 1896 to 1902; by his brother Francis from 1902 to 1907; and by S. Liebowitz since 1907.


H. K. Deisher Knitting Mill (1890), 45 to 50 hands.


Kutstown Creamery Company (1881-1907) ; milk depot established near railroad station in 1907 by Charles M. Richardson ( Bernville).


Wents Marble Wl'orks, 15 to 20 hands ; carried on by father, Philip, until 1895, and since by his son William as Wentz & Co.


Keystone Shoc Factory (1885), 100 hands; car- ried on by Dr. J. S. Trexler, William Stimmel and Charles Miller until 1902, and since by Lewis Stein.


Sacony Shoe Factory, Inc. (1897), 40 hands.


James S. Heffner Roller Flour Mill (1887) ; al- so lumber, coal and grain.


Kutztown Foundry and Machine Works, Inc. (1896), 90 to 110 hands.


U. B. Ketner Paper Bor Factory (1906), 10 to 12 hands ; carried on by Charles Ahn from 1906 to 1907.


R. Miller's Son Carriage Factory. 10 to 12 hands ; Richard Miller started before 1850, and succeeded by son Charles.


Bicber's Brick Yard, 10 to 15 hands; started by Jonathan Bieber before 1860, and succeeded by son William.


Stimmel Brick-Yard (1906), 20 to 30 hands; brick machinery driven by steam.


Kutstore Silk Mill (1900), 20 to 80 hands ; started by Hartley Brothers and operated until 1907, and since by the Merchants' Silk Company.


And then there were at Kutztown, besides the industries named, the following :


Cigar factories 2 Hat and shoe stores. 4


Blacksmith shops 2


General stores 5


Wheelwright shops 3


Carpet weaving shop 1


Department store 1


Book-making factories 2


Printing office 1


Millinery shops 5 Hotels 7


Hardware stores .2 Law office 1


243


BOROUGHS


Physicians 5 Drug store


Dentists 2 Amusement Halls 2


1


BANK .- A national bank was organized at Kutz- town in 1871 and carried on twelve years, when it was removed to Reading and there re-organ- ized as the Keystone National Bank. In 1897, another national bank was organized in the bor- ough under the name of Kutztown National Bank, with a capital of $50,000, and it has been carried on in a very successful manner. In June, 1906, the total resources were $458,480; par value of shares of stock, $100, market value, $218; loans and discounts, $269,598 ; deposits, $276,745; sur- plus and profits, $65,966. John R. Gonser has been the president since its organization; and O. P. Grimley the cashier. In 1908. the bank erected a superior building with an attractive sandstone front and all the latest improvements for protec- tion against fire and burglary, at a cost of $20,- 000. The directors took possession in February, 1909, and its financial status then was as follows: Resources, $464,388 ; deposits, $278,434; surplus and undivided profits, $86,000.


A new State bank is about being established in the borough by the name of the Farmers' Bank of Kutztown, with a capital of $50,000.


PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS


Water Supply .- In 1889, the Kutztown Water Company was organized and incorporated by Dr. J. S. Trexler, Sell D. Kutz, J. Daniel Sharadin and Peter D. Wanner for supplying the town with wat- er. They established a reservoir on Kutz's Hill, a mile west of the town, with a capacity of 1,000,- 000 gallons, and put down mains to and through the borough. The water was secured from springs, Kemp's run, and an artesian well, 800 feet deep, with a flowing daily capacity of 100,000 gallons. Dr. Trexler was president of the company until his death in 1902; and Mr. Wanner has officiated since. Theretofore, wells had been used by the residents from the beginning of the place.


Light .- In 1905, the council established a muni- fire, and the necessary apparatus was procured. cipal electric light plant to supply the borough In 1871, the borough council erected a building with light along the public highways. Previously, for the apparatus. The association was not reg- coal-oil lamps had been used. Many persons have ularly kept up until recently; then a reorganiza- adopted its use in their dwellings and business places.


Railroad .- Railroad communication was opened with Kutztown from Topton in 1870. From 1859 to that time the nearest railroad station was Ly- ons, on the East Penn railroad, to which place the residents went by conveyance for the purpose of visiting Reading to the westward by train, and Allentown to the eastward.


excavations are still visible at numerous places along the route, evidencing the fruitless expen- diture of large sums of money in behalf of an at- tempted establishment of this much needed enter- prise.


Previous to 1857 the mode of public travel to and from this place was by stage-coach, and its daily arrival and departure were a matter of much interest to the community.


Streets .- The principal streets have been macad- amized, but no modern paving with vitrified brick or asphaltum has been introduced as yet. The Act of 1815, establishing this borough, was found defective in respect to the improvement of streets, and therefore nothing was done in this behalf for forty years. In 1854, by petition to court, the provisions of the amended Act of 1851, relating to boroughs, were accepted; and in 1855 an ordi- nance was passed by the council to effect this local improvement, but it was enforced more especially for securing better sidewalks.


Trolley Lines .- A street railway line was opened for travel from Kutztown to Allentown in 1902, and from that time dwellings began to be erected in Maxatawny township, east of the Sacony creek, forming until 1909 a large and valuable addition to the borough, though beyond its boundary line. In 1903, a trolley line was extended to the bor- ough from Reading, thereby opening through trav- el from Reading to Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton, via Kutztown.


Similar building operations have been carried on beyond the western limits of the borough, op- posite the Keystone State Normal School, mak- ing that section also very attractive. As else- where, the influence of this railway has been felt in the general development of the place. A power- house was established at Kutztown in 1902, and this has supplied the power to and from Trexler- town, and to and from Temple since the exten- sion from Reading.


Fire Protection .- An association was incorpor- ated in 1844 for the purpose of affording protec- tion to the inhabitants of the borough against


tion was effected and a new building is being put up, costing $7,000. When an alarm of fire is given, the community respond in general and all able-bodied men are expected to lend their aid in extinguishing the fire. Fortunately. no costly fires have arisen to require organized effort under ex- pert direction. The pressure of water fom the reservoir is strong owing to the elevation of the water-supply. The fire apparatus consists of two hand-engines, hose-carriage, and hook and lad- der truck.


A railroad had been projected from Allentown, by way of Kutztown to Hamburg and Auburn, in 1854, and subsequently the road-bed was par- Fair-Ground .- A local fair-ground, situated on the south side of the borough, was carried on by tially constructed between Kutztown and Ham- burg, but never completed. The embankments and a society for upward of thirty years from 1870.


244


HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA


Then the society was obliged to vacate the pre- ficent purpose. By 1840, more especially by 1850, mises, and it purchased a superior site on the north. they had come to be particular occasions for rev- elry and dissipation; and this peculiar character was observable all over the county. They were discontinued before the Civil war. In 1905, it erected the necessary buildings and constructed a fine half-mile track; and in the fall of that year the first exhibition was given on the new ground.


Park .- A large park, comprising ten acres, was established in 1903 by a private corporation. It is situated in the eastern addition to the borough, along the main thoroughfare to Allentown, and since then it has attracted much public attention. It has been improved by the planting of selected shade trees and shrubbery under the supervision of H. K. Deisher, who served as a director for a time and continues an active interest in the wel- fare of the park. A ball-field is included in the park improvement.


The small monument, which had been erected be- fore the Keystone State Normal School in 1876, was removed to the park in 190C.


Auditorium .- An improved and modern amuse- ment hall was provided by the Kutztown Audi- torium Company in 1907, and a superior brick building was erected and equipped at a cost of $30,000, with a seating capacity of one thousand persons, which has been well patronized by the com- munity.


A frame music hall, with a seating capacity of five hundred, was established in 1890, and various entertainments there have been much encouraged.


Band of Music .-- A band of music has been main- tained at Kutztown for many years, which devel- oped a great reputation for the rendition of classi- cal music in a superior manner. The instructors and leaders have been James Sander, Henry Druck- enmiller, Theophilus Wagonhorst and Preston Wagonhorst.


BATTALIONS .- Kutztown was a prominent center for seventy years after the Revolution in the mat- ter of assembling of the local militia companies for the purpose of keeping up familiarity with military exercise, and the dav was commonly known as "Battalion Day." Multitudes of people went from the surrounding districts for ten miles to witness the exhibition and the day came to be recognized as a holiday for amusement and hilar- ity. The following announcement made in 1831 will give a correct idea of its character at that time, over seventy-five years ago :


"The yearly fair will be held August 12th and 13th, 1831. Persons fond of military parade will see Capt. Grim's company of Horse, and Capt. Bieber's company of Infantry, and the Kutztown Band of Music parade on these days. Shows and pastimes of all kinds will be ex- hibited. Hucksters will be well provided with beer, mead, sweet-meats, and all the fruits in season. The youth are informed that there will be an abundance of good music, and plenty of pretty girls to dance to it."


For some years after the Revolution, these an- nual meetings in May and September were rec- ognized as of a serious nature in order to main- tain a preparation for war in time of peace, but then they gradually drifted away from its bene-


CULTIVATION OF GINSENG .- The cultivation of ginseng at Kutztown was begun by Henry K. Deisher in 1904 and he has been very successful. The beds cover several acres of ground situated at the rear of the premises, where he resides on Noble street, and they contain upward of fifty thou- sand roots. He is also cultivating beds several miles from Kutztown which contain upward of fifteen thousand roots.


NEWSPAPERS .- The Kutstown Journal, a Ger- man newspaper, was begun in 1870 by Isaac F. Christ and published by him until 1875, when Conrad Gehring and A. B. Urich became the pur- chasers. In 1877, Mr. Gehring bought the interest of Mr. Urich and continued publishing the paper until 1887, when he sold the plant, including a book and wall-paper store, to Jacob B. Esser, who had learned the printing business there; and Mr. Esser has continued its successful publication until now.


The American Patriot, an English-German news- paper, was also started by Mr. Christ in 1874. He sold it to Gehring and Urich in 1875, and Urich sold his interest to Gehring in 1877. In 1887 Geh- ring sold it to Esser, who has published it since. In 1888 the use of the German department in the news- paper was discontinued. It has been issued con- tinuously from the Journal office. In 1905, Mr. Esser introduced the linotype machine, with mat- rices for English and German composition ; and he enlarged the Patriot to eight pages. Both newspap- ers have a large circulation, but that of the Patriot has been the larger of the two since 1895.


The National Educator was published at Kutz- town as an English educational journal by Rev. Dr. A. R. Horne from 1872 to 1877, when it was transferred to Allentown. He had removed to that place in 1877. The newspaper was printed in the Journal office.


The Normal T'idette was first issued in March, 1894; and has been published quarterly in Octo- ber, January, April and July. It is mailed to the majority of the graduates and former students of the Keystone State Normal School, to school teachers, to school superintendents, and to school directors; and sent as an exchange to a great many colleges, normal schools, academies, and high schools of Pennsylvania as well as to other States.


Its staff consists of Prof. Harry T. Stein, man- ager ; Prof. James S. Grim, editor ; Prof. George C. Bordner, alumni editor ; Caroline V. Hov, editor of school news; and Prof. H. W. Sharadin, art- ist. Professor Stein has been connected with it almost from its very inception. It has proved a strong medium in bringing alumni in closer touch with their alma mater. It has been printed and issued by the publisher of the Journal.


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KUTZTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA KEYSTONE STATE NORMAL SCHOOL


-


--


245


BOROUGHS


SECRET SOCIETIES .- The following Secret So- cieties have been instituted and carried on at Kutz- town :


F. & A. M., Huguenot Lodge, No. 377, 1866 ; 141 members.


K. G. E., Adonai Castle, No. 77, 1886; 350 mem- bers.


Jr. O. U. A. M., Charles A. Gerasch Council, No. 1004, 1895 ; 325 members.


Ladies Golden Eagle, Purity Temple, 1900; 80 members.


Royal Arcanum, Maxatawny Council, 1900.


Fraternal Order of Eagles, Kutztown Aerie, 1903; 200 members.


CHURCHES .- In 1790, a union church was erect- ed of frame material by members of the Luther- an and Reformed denominations of the vicinity, and this was maintained until 1891, when a su- perior stone church was substituted. But mem- bers of these respective denominations have since erected beautiful denominational churches, known as the Trinity Lutheran (1892), and the St. Paul's Reformed (1885). In the old church, a Sunday- school was organized in 1826, and this has been carried on successfully until now.


The Evangelical Association erected a church in 1850, and organized a Sunday-school in 1851; and the members have maintained both until now. They erected a fine new building in 1885.


CEMETERIES .- Besides the burying-ground con- nected with the old Union Church, Hope cemetery was established near by in 1871; and the Fair- view cemetery along the road to Reading, a short distance west of the Normal School, in 1861. The latter was enlarged in 1905 by the purchase of twelve acres as an annex, situated on the west side of the public road. There are a number of costly monuments in these cemeteries.


SCHOOLS .- The subject of education received, the earnest attention of the inhabitants from the beginning of the town. While a union church was being erected by the Lutheran and Reformed denominations, rules were framed for the govern- ment of a school, and it was carried on under the supervision of the church council until the intro- duction of the common school system in 1838.


In 1892 the borough erected a large and superior ·school building with eight rooms at a cost of $25,- 000. It embraces five schools. The total annual expenditures are $5,000.


Keystone State Normal School .- This institu- tion, though not situated within the corporate lim- its of Kutztown, is nevertheless so thoroughly iden- tified with the borough as to justify a description of it in connection with the historical narrative of the borough. Proceedings are now pending in court relating to the annexation to the borough of adjoining property, which includes the Normal School. The article which follows was prepared .by the Rev. W. W. Deatrick, A. M., Sc. D.


The buildings of the Keystone State Normal School are admirably located on elevated ground along the "Easton Road" in the southwestern part of Kutztown, midway between Reading and Allentown. "The landed property of the institution, now embracing some fifty acres, ex- tends on both sides of this noted highway for quite a dis- tance.


This normal school is the direct outgrowth of two ear- lier schools, Fairview Seminary and its predecessor, the old Franklin Academy. This earliest school was housed first in the old stone parochial school-house and later in the small wooden building still standing at the intersec- tion of Walnut and Whiteoak streets, in the heart of the town. It was founded in 1836; and in 1838, in order to secure an annual appropriation of $400 which the State then offered to an academy having on its roll twenty- five students, it was incorporated. The first trustees were Daniel B. Kutz, Daniel Bieber, Col. John Wanner, David Kutz, Dr. C. L. Schlemm, David Deisher and Henry Heff- ner. The number of pupils was limited to thirty-three and no one was received for a shorter period than six months, for which time the tuition charges were $10.00. The school had quite an extensive library for the time. Hon. Alexander Ramsey (in later years a prominent states- man of Minnesota) was at one time a teacher in this academy. After rendering excellent service to the com- munity Franklin Academy closed its doors.


In 1860, another attempt was made to provide oppor- tunities for advanced instruction. In that year, mainly through the efforts of the Rev. J. Sassaman Herman, a clergyman of the Reformed Church, Fairview Seminary was established. This school was opened, and for sev- eral years was conducted in the building now known as "Fairview Mansion," the present residence of Col. Thom- as D. Fister, at the extreme western end of the town. Prof. H. R. Nicks, A. M., was the first teacher. He opened the school with five pupils: Erastus Bast, O. C. Herman, Jefferson C. Hoch, Nathan C. Schaeffer (later for sixteen years principal of the Keystone State Nor- mal School and, since 1893, superintendent of public in- struction of the State of Pennsylvania), and Miss Clara Wanner. The school prospered under Professor Nicks. By April, 1861, he had forty-one pupils on the roll, and in the spring of 1863 there were eighty-five, of whom a large number were boarding students. This number taxed the capacity of the building, and, in 1863, through the influence of Professor Nicks, five acres of land were purchased, where part of the Normal buildings now stand, and on that tract was begun the erection of a larger brick building. This structure cost $6,500, and later became the old northeastern wing of the Key- stone State Normal School, making way in time for the present Boys' Dormitories. In the fall of 1864, Fair- view Seminary was moved into this building and there conducted under the new name of Maxatawny Seminary. Professor Nicks continued as principal, associating with himself, in 1865, as assistant, the Rev. Samuel Transeau, who remained with the school till 1867, and in 1873 re- moved to Williamsport, where for a number of years he served as city superintendent of public schools.


As early as 1857 the location of the State Normal school for the Third district, composed of the counties of Berks, Lehigh and Schuylkill, was discussed. In that year, in an address delivered at Reading, the Hon. H. H. Schwartz, then superintendent of schools of Lehigh, advocated the claims of Kutztown as the site for the proposed institution. In 1862, the Rev. B. E. Kramlich suggested that Professor Nicks's "Fairview Seminary" be converted into a State Nor- mal. The Rev. John S. Ermentrout, superintendent of the Berks county public schools, favored Hamburg, as a better locality. Professor Nicks, however, was the individual who worked hardest and did most, accomplishing what others merely talked about. In 1863 he entered into corres- pondence with the Hon. Thomas H. Burroughs, State sup- erintendent, in order to ascertain what steps were to be taken to secure recognition of his school as a State Normal


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216


HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA


school. In the spring of 1865 a number of public school first catalog, 1866-1867, contains the names of 318 pupils ; teachers were gathered into Maxatawny Seminary, where 263 of them male, 55 female. they were given formal pedagogical instruction by County Rev. John S. Ermentrout served as principal until 1871 when he was succeeded by Rev. A. R. Horne, A. M. After an absence of three years, Professor Ermentrout returned in 1874 and served as Professor of Mental Science and English Literature (or "Belles Lettres," as it was called at first) until 1881. In 1877 Dr. A. R. Horne was succeeded in the principalship by the Rev. Nathan C. Schaeffer, A. M., who, after winning unusual distinction and receiving honorary degrees from eminent institutions of learning, severed his connection with the school in 1893 to become State superintendent of public instruction of Pennsylvania. Rev. George B. Hancher, Ph. D., became principal in 1893 and served till 1899; since that time to the present, the Rev. A. C. Rothermel, Pd. D., has been the efficient head of the institution. Superintendent Ermentrout. When the success of Maxa- tawny Seminary had been assured, Professor Nicks pro- ceeded to interest the community in the greater project. As the direct result of his advocacy of the measitre and of his persistent energy, an organization was effected in the summer of 1865 and funds were speedily subscribed for the erection of two additional buildings, a central building and a wing on the northwest similar to the Max- atawny Seminary building, which, after the erection of the two new edifices, formed the northeast wing of the com- pleted structure, the whole then presenting a frontage of 240 feet, "with boarding accommodations for 300 and school accommodations for 400 students." The corner-stone of this structure was laid Sept. 17, 1865, by Superintendent Ermentrout. In the corner-stone "were deposited, among other things, the Bible and the Apostles' Creed." Addresses on this occasion were delivered by Hon. J. Lawrence Getz. William Rosenthal, Esq., Daniel Ermentrout, Esq., Llewel- lyn Wanner, Esq., and Prof. Albert N. Raub. The building, erected by Messrs. Garst and Mast, of the city of Read- ing, was completed within a year at a cost of about $40,000.




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