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 99

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 99

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In 1882 Mr. Schofer married Ella C. Kline, a daughter of Elam and Catherine Kline, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Schofer have had the following children: Robert R., who is manager of his father's store; Henry H., deceased; James F., a clerk in the establishment; Mabel A., a pupil in the Reading high school; Edward K. and Charles. In September, 1905, Edward K., of the above family, was accidentally killed while delivering goods to the "Mansion House," Reading. He belonged to the class of 1908, Reading high school, was particularly bright and was a great favorite with his classmates. His death was a ter- rible blow to his parents. The family belong to St. Luke's Lutheran Church, where Mr. Schofer has. been superin- tendent of the Sunday-school for seventeen years.

Mr. Schofer has been eminently the architect of his own fortunes and his success but points the way for others to follow persistently the path of industry and economy in youth. In politics Mr. Schofer is a Democrat, although he has never cared for political offices.

J. ALLISON ORR, one of Reading's representative business men, superintendent of the Mt. Penn Stove Works for twenty-five years, and for thirteen years a partner in the Reading Radiator Company, of which he later was president, held a position of recognized influence in the industrial circles of the city. Mr. Orr was born March 9, 1845, near Chester Springs, Chester Co., Pa., son of Wil- liam and Margaret (White) Orr, and grandson of Robert Orr, and he died Oct. 1, 1907.

Robert Orr was born in Ireland, and was brought to America in childhood. His parents located near Yellow Springs, and there after reaching manhood he engaged in farming. He died in 1853. For many years he was sex- ton of the Vincent Baptist Church. His five children were: William, George, John, Jesse and Mrs. Catherine Sturgis.

William Orr was a shoemaker by trade, but later he became superintendent of an ore quarry. The latter years of his life he devoted to farming. He became a man of some substance, and lived to the age of seventy-eight years. His wife, Margaret, died aged seventy-four years. They had three sons: John W., of the Mount Penn Stove Works; Jesse, deceased; and J. Allison. In religious be- lief the parents were Baptists. The father was a Demo- crat.

J. Allison Orr was afforded better educational advan- tages than were many of the youths of his day. He at- tended Franklin Hall and Pikeland Seminary, both ex- cellent schools. After completing his education he became a clerk in a general store in Chester county, remaining six years. In 1868 he came to Reading as a stove mounter for Orr, Painter & Co., but twelve years later 'he went to Philadelphia, where he purchased a milk route, which he carried on for two years, returning to Reading at the end of that time. He then accepted his late respon- sible position with the Mount Penn Stove Works where he had charge of 130 workmen.

On Dec. 31, 1868, Mr. Orr married Cassie R. Saylor, and they had six children, three still living, as follows : Jesse, chief shipping clerk for the Mount Penn Stove Works, m. Katharine Goodhart; Bertha is at home; and Edwin was a student in the Electrical Department of the University of Pennsylvania .. The home of the family is at No. 40 North Third street. Mr. Orr was a member of the Royal Arcanum. In politics he was a Republican.

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

EDWARD S. KREMP, lawyer, Reading, comes from an ancestry which had its origin in Alsace-Lorraine, sev- eral generations of the family having resided in Saar- Union, while under the jurisdiction of France, of which municipality his great-grandfather, John Kremp, a Chev- alier de St. Louis (born Dec. 12, 1747, died Feb. 26, 1836), was Mayor from 1810 to 1819.

Xavier Kremp, grandfather of Edward S., was born April 13, 1791, and was for a number of years municipal clerk of Saar-Union.

Dominic Kremp, son of Xavier, born June 18, 1832, came to America in June, 1850, taking up his residence in Read- ing, Berks Co., Pa. He dealt for many years in real estate but is now living retired. His wife was Matilda Leitham, daughter of Martin Leitham, a prominent farmer of Bally, Berks county. To them were born three chil- dren : Mary E., Anna A., and Edward S.

Edward S. Kremp is a native of Reading, born Nov. 16, 1866. His early educational training was gained in the public schools of the city, and he later attended St. Vin- cent's College, at Latrobe, Pa., where he was graduated with first honors in 1886. Beginning the study of law in the office of Cyrus G. Derr, of Reading, he was admitted to the Bar in November, 1889, and has since continued to practice.

Mr. Kremp married, in 1890, Miss Elsie Boas, who comes from distinguished ancestry, being the daughter of Capt. E. P. Boas and Elizabeth Kupp, the latter the daughter of Major Henry S. Kupp, of Birdsboro, Berks county, who was provost marshal during the war of the Rebellion. Her mother, Rebecca (Morgan) Kupp, was a daughter of Colonel Morgan, the founder of Morgantown, Berks county, and the line here runs back to the Morgans of Revolutionary fame. To Mr. and Mrs. Kremp has been born one daughter, Augusta.

Mr. Kremp at one time owned the beautiful country seat known as "Ravenswood" in the suburbs, which was built by him, and he is the author of "Caws from Ravens- wood," a booklet of poems which appeared in December, 1895, and which two months thereafter was translated into German by Professor Wilhelm Hartmann.

F. J. KANTNER, M. D., a well-known physician, of Reading, Pa., where he has been successfully engaged in the duties that pertain to his profession since 1888, is one of the leading citizens of the city. He was born Sept. 12, 1852, in Penn township, Berks county, son of Joel and Elizabeth ( Leib) Kantner.

Thomas Kantner, grandfather of the Doctor, was born in Tulpehocken township, Berks county, in 1790. He be- came a prominent and well-to-do farmer, and he also owned and operated an old-time applejack distillery, ac- cumulating a comfortable competency. He died in 1869, and his wife, who bore the maiden name of Catherine Heister, was born in 1792, and died in 1878. They were the parents of the following children: Lydia m. John Zerby; Isaac; Maria m. Jacob Spangler ; Margaret m. Isaac Knoll; Joel; Levi; Asa; Hannah m. Bennewell Deg- ler ; Zeth; Elizabeth ; Ismael; and Augustus. In religious belief the family were all members of the Reformed Church, and in political matters they were Democrats.

Joel Kantner, son of Thomas, received his education in the common schools of Upper Tulpehocken township, and early in life he became interested in working in wood. He was a skilled and ingenious mechanic, and there was hardly anything in the line of wood or iron work that he was unable to make or repair. He built many church pipe organs in his locality, some of which are in use at the present time, and he also manufactured melodeons. In addition Mr. Kantner operated a small farm. He was a member of the Reformed Church, giving liberally to its support, and he died in its faith in April, 1888, aged sixty- six years. His first wife died in 1859, aged! thirty years. He married (second) Leah Miller. His four children were all born to the first union, and were: Washington, of Reading: Dr. F. J. : William T., of Reading; and Levi, who died aged four years. In politics Mr. Kantner was a stanch Democrat.

Dr. F. J. Kantner's early education was secured in the schools of Penn township, and he later attended Stouchs- burg Academy, subsequently teaching school for one term each in District and Jefferson townships, and later he at- tended the Womelsdorf Academy for two terms under Professor Grumbine. He then engaged in the sewing machine and musical instrument business, but afterward returned to the old home where he remained about one year. At the end of that time Mr. Kantner moved to Bernville, remaining there until 1877, when he came to Reading and accepted a position with C. M. Maxwell, selling pianos and organs, later engaging on his own ac- count at No. 517 Penn street in the same business, Mr. Kantner took up the manufacture of reed organs on a large scale, but finding competition too great, he sold out his business to take up the study of medicine, having previously read medicine with a view to entering the pro- fession, but abandoning the idea on account of lack of funds with which to pursue his studies. He entered Jef- ferson Medical College of Philadelphia in 1885, and was graduated therefrom in 1888, with the degree of M. D., at once opening offices in Reading, where he has since been engaged in a lucrative practice.

In 1872 Dr. Kantner married Mary C. Zellar, of Marion township, Berks county. Four children have been born to this union : Laura L., a teacher in the public schools of Reading ; Harry H., an attorney-at-law; Mary A., wife of Dr. Stryker; and Lottie, at home. Dr. Kantner is a loyal Democrat in politics, and was elected coroner of Berks county for one term.

CALVIN KLINE WHITNER, president of the Farmers' National Bank of Reading and founder of the mercantile business of C. K. Whitner & Co., at Reading, Pa., who has become known throughout Berks and surrounding counties as one of its leading merchants, was born in 1841, in the southern part of Oley township, son of George and Christiana ( Kline ) Whitner.

Rev. John George Wittner, of Bellheim, Germany, the great-grandfather of Calvin K., was born in 1733, edu- cated at the University of Heidelberg, and in 1766 was sent by the Holland Deputies as a missionary to Amer- ica, landing at New York in the fall of that year. He was a son of Rev. Abraham Wittner, a Protestant min- ister in Germany from 1734 to 1743, and subsequently a councillor to the Consistory at Heidelberg.

Abraham Wittner, his grandfather, was born in 1773, in Upper Milford township, Northampton ( now Lehigh) county, in the vicinity of Zionsville. He was brought up to farming and about 1800 located in Albany town- ship, Berks county, where he carried on farming until 1810, when he removed to Columbia county, and there continued agricultural pursuits until his decease, in 1854. at the age of eighty-one years. By his first marriage he had an only child, George, born Aug. 3, 1800, the father of Calvin K .; and by his second marriage he had eleven children.

George Whitner, his father, was a farmer near the "Yellow House" in Oley for many years. He died Jan. 13, 1869, in the sixty-ninth year of his age. He was an earnest advocate of the common school system, against much local prejudice, and his influence assisted in its adoption by Oley township in 1850, he having been a great admirer of Hon. Thaddeus Stevens, who was the chief agitator and defender of public schools before the people and the State Legislature. During this period, about 1845, the spelling of the family name was changed from Wittner to Whitner. He married Christiana Kline (horn Dec. 2, 1804, died Dec. 16, 1872), daughter of David Kline. of Amity township, and a lineal descendant of Elder George Kline (who was born in Germany in 1715, emi- grated to New Jersey in 1738, and settled along the North- kill, Berks county, about 1750, where, as one of the "Breth- ren" or "Dunkards," he preached the Gospel for up- ward of twenty years). They had eight children : David, Rebecca, Abraham, Hiram, George, Samuel, Sarah and Calvin, of whom the only survivors are Hiram and Cal- vin. The first two children, David and Rebecca, died

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BIOGRAPHICAL

whilst young, and Sarah at the age of nineteen years. of his business have been gradually developed to a high Abraham became a banker at Pottsville, having been con- state of perfection, even to drilling his employes to the tap of a bell to meet a sudden emergency-such as a panic caused by a real or false alarm of fire. Having been asked to what he attributed his success mainly, he re- marked epigrammatically: "From the start of my career as a merchant, I have made my business a constant pleas- ure for myself as well as for my employes, and not pleas- ure a business." nected with the Miners' Bank for many years. Hiram served as a teacher in the public schools in Berks coun- ty; became a graduated physician of Jefferson Medical College and practised in Berks and Schuylkill counties; served as a surgeon in the Civil war; then located at Chicago, Ill., where he invented and introduced "The Whitner two-rope safety device" for facilitating the work of and protecting window cleaners of large public build- ings, which has come to be extensively used in all the principal cities throughout the United States. George served as postmaster of Reading from 1881 to 1885. Samuel served in the Civil war with the Ringgold Light Artillery (First Defenders) and Durell's Battery, act- ing as quartermaster-sergeant from 1863 to the close of the war.

Calvin K. Whitner received his education in the town- ship schools, and worked on his father's farm until nine- teen years of age, when he entered the country store of Spang & Son, at Spangsville, situated about a mile north from the farm, which had quite an extensive trade on account of the "Spang Forge" at the Manatawny creek near by. He remained here about a year, when he became clerk for Isaac Plank in his general store at the "Half Way House," eight miles north of Reading, on the Kutztown road. After serving in this position faithfully for three years, he became ambitious to con- duct a store of his own, and feeling qualified to do so established himself at Friedensburg," in Oley township; but after carrying it on for two years he decided to go into a larger field, with greater opportunities for suc- cess, and, disposing of his store stock, went to Reading in 1868.

After looking over the business situation at the county- seat for a short while, and determining to follow a mer- cantile life there as his chosen vocation, he found em- ployment in the large and prosperous establishment of Kline & Eppihimer, on Penn Square, in order to become thoroughly acquainted with the manner of conducting bus- iness in a growing city, which was different from that in the country. He continued with this firm until the spring of 1877. With this preparation, and appreciating the great resolution necessary to embark at that trying time in business for himself, he opened a dry goods store with a single department and six salesmen at No. 432 Penn Square, in a room 20 feet wide and 90 feet deep. Here he persevered with a constantly increasing trade for six years, when his quarters were found to be altogether too small, and, being obliged to secure a larger place to accommodate the demands of his business, and the opportunity being then afforded, he secured just such a place as he needed in the immediate vicinity, a few doors to the east, on the same side of Penn Square, at Nos. 442 and 444. In the spring of 1883, he removed to the new quarters, with a floor space increased to near- ly four thousand square feet (the room being 30x130 feet), and started with ten departments and twelve sales- people. His announcement of a "Grand Opening on March 17th" was greeted with a flattering recognition by the public. His course of dealing was found to be so straightforward and satisfactory, that notwithstand- ing great competition his trade multiplied rapidly, and in 1891 he enlarged the room, added four new departments, and increased the number of salespeople to forty.

In 1889, Mr. Whitner's son, Harry K., was admitted as a partner in the business, and the firm then became C. K. Whitner & Son; but the son's promising career as a superior business man of Reading in the footsteps of his father was cut short by his untimely decease in 1891. A faithful employe for many years, John A. Britton, was taken in as a partner in 1897, when the firm name became C. K. Whitner & Co .; and Jan. 1, 1907, his son-in-law, John Rick, was also admitted as a part- ner.

Notwithstanding his great devotion to the establish- ment of his business in a thriving community, Mr. Whit- ner has shown much interest in the religious, social and financial affairs of Reading for many years. He and his family are members of St. Paul's Memorial Reform- ed Church, in which he officiated as a vestryman for several years. He is a trustee of the Y. M. C. A .; a director of the Reading Mutual Fire Insurance Com- pany; president and director of the Farmers' Nation- al Bank, and president of the Merchants' Association of Reading.

In the Sesqui-Centennial of Reading, in 1898, he was chairman of the "Historical Committee," which super- vised the publication of a souvenir of the great and successful occasion, which was compiled by the author of this revised history of the county.

In 1864, Mr. Whitner married Amelia Knabb, daughter of Daniel D. Knabb, of Oley, and Sarah (Hill) Knabb, his wife, and to this union there were born three chil- dren: Harry K., Sarah K. (m. Arthur E. Carrier, of New York), and Charles. Harry K. Whitner m. Es- tella Davis (daughter of Charles Davis and Emma Par- ker, his wife), of Reading, and he died in 1891, aged twenty-five years, leaving a son, Harry Davis Whitner. Charles Whitner died in infancy. Mr. Whitner's first wife died in 1873, and in 1876 he married (second) Mary Shalter, daughter of George Shalter, an ironmaster of Cumru township, and Eliza (Kline) Shalter, his wife. There were four children born to this second marriage: George Shalter, who died in 1901, aged twenty-four years, after having shown much promise as a business man in his father's store; Elizabeth S .; Carrie G. (m. John Rick, of Reading, and has one daughter. Mary Elizabeth, and one son, Horace Whitner) ; and Mary S. Mrs. Whit- ner died June 9, 1909.

Mrs. Whitner's father, George Shalter, carried on the iron furnace business at the Mount Penn Furnace in Cumru township. several miles south of Reading, Pa., for a number of years. He died there in 1881, in his eighty-second year, after he had lived for a number of years in retirement. His wife survived him until 1892, dying at the age of seventy-seven years. They were the parents of ten children: Richard m. Hettie Swartz; Isabella m. William M. Kauffman; Sarah m. Cyrus Hun- . ter: Emma m. Dr. John Kalbach; Mary m. Calvin K. Whitner; William m. Mary Kurtz; four children died young.

In 1898, he purchased the adjoining property to the west, when he remodeled and extended the whole inter- ior of the building to cover a total floor space of 42,000 JAMES M. HIGH, a prominent citizen of Amity town- ship, Berks county, was born in Richmond township, this county, Aug. 23, 1846, son of the late Joel and Maria ( Merkel) Hoch. He was reared upon his father's farm. and was educated in the common schools, White Hall and Olev Academies and the Kevstone State Normal School at Kutztown. At the age of eighteen years he began teach- ing school. and taught five winter terms and two summer terms in the select school at Fleetwood. square feet, developed the departments to thirty-one and increased the salespeople to 215, or over five times the number in 1891. Since then, the departments have been somewhat changed and consolidated, so that now they number twenty-eight, but the salespeople have been in- creased to 260. His numerous patrons come to his "Day- light Store" not only from all parts of the city and coun- ty, but also from many places in the surrounding coun- ties. The brightness, cheerfulness and cleanliness of his On Sept. 24, 1869, Mr. High with his family moved to establishment are not exceeded anywhere. The details Amity township, where he had purchased the Mount

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Pleasant Mills from his father-in-law, David Dry. This of the East Reading Electric Railway Company. Mr was then an old style custom mill, but in 1873 Mr. High Bard and family reside at No. 27 South Ninth street. remodeled it, substituting turbines for the old fashioned water wheels, and changed it to a flour mill. In 1890 he again remodeled it, this time installing a complete roller process, and changing the name to the Amity Roller Mills, under which he is still operating, turning out annually large quantities of flour and feed, for which he finds a ready market. He also has a well cultivated farm of some forty acres in connection with his mill.

Mr. High is a firm believer in Republican principles, and takes an active part in politics. Notwithstanding his party is in the minority he served his township three years as school director, and fifteen years as justice of the peace. Since 1891 he has been a notary public, and was re-ap- pointed only last February (1909). He served three years as county auditor, and for forty years has followed sur- veying, during that time settling many boundary disputes, besides being frequently appointed by the courts to lay out public roads and bridge sites for the county. He has officiated in the settling up of many estates as executor, administrator and assignee, and is frequently consulted in legal matters. He is a scrivener and conveyancer, and has always held the confidence of the community.

In addition to all these many duties, Mr. High is secre- tary and a director of the Yellow House Creamery Asso- ciation; and a director of the Sinking Spring Fire Insur- ance Company, of which he has also been president. In the spring of 1908 he moved to near Yellow House, from where he can look after his many interests. His son Wilson D. at the same time moved to the mill. Mr. High and his family belong to the Reformed Church, in which for twenty years he held the office of elder.

On Nov. 23, 1867, Mr. High married Amanda Y. Dry, daughter of David Dry, late a prominent farmer of Rock- land township. They have had three children, namely : Wilson D., a miller in his father's mill, m. Ellen Herbein, daughter of the late Aaron Herbein; Maria D. m. Samuel R. Rhoads; and Annie D. m. Edwin H. Schearer, one of the proprietors of the Yellow House.

A. RAYMOND BARD, a member of the firm which makes up the well known business house of Reading, the Bard Hardware Company, was born at Tremont, Pa., in 1873, son of George W. and grandson of Adam Bard.

Adam Bard was the founder of this large and import- ant business of the city of Reading. Originally the firm was made up of Adam Bard and James T. Reber, and the location was at No. 741 Penn street. The business was organized in 1856, and was continued at the original lo- cation until 1878, at which time the firm bought property at the corner of Penn and Eighth streets. Adam Bard remained a member of the firm until 1878, after which the members of the firm were George W. Bard, D. P. Schlott, A. F. Kramer and James T. Reber. The latter retired ir 1893, and at the same time James M. Bard was admitted to the firm, and in 1897 A. Raymond Bard became a partner.

George W. Bard was born near Ephrata in 1841, but moved to Reading in early childhood. He was still a stu- dent when he enlisted for service in the Civil war, entering the 93rd Pa. V. I., and for three years he honorably wore the Union blue and took his chances as a soldier. He then entered into the hardware business at Tremont, in Schuylkill county, and when his father retired he took his place in the firm of Bard, Reber & Co. The company owns a four-story building which extends from Penn to Cherry streets. Their business is both wholesale and retail, and the house is known for its reliability all over the State. George W. Bard married Irene Barbour Wummer, a resident of Reading, who graduated from the Reading high school in 1868. They have these child- ren : Alma, wife of Dr. C. H. Shearer ; A. Raymond; Charles W .; Claude M .; George P .; Mary E. ; R. Lynn; Warren; Margaret A. and W. Hugh. Mr. Bard is a director in the Penn National Bank (chartered March 12, 1883) of which his father was one of the founders. He is also a director in the Reading Trust Company and

A. Raymond Bard attended the public schools of Read- ing and was graduated from the Boys' high school in 1889. He then entered a business house in the capacity of cashier, and spent one year in Philadelphia, connected with the Phoenix Bridge Company. Since he entered the firm of Bard Hardware Company he has been in charge of the office, as well as purchasing agent for cutlery, paints, bolts, etc., and is a competent and shrewd man of busi- ness. He is a very popular citizen. During the Spanish- American War he was in the service for nine months, a member of Company A, 4th Pennsylvania Volunteers, and spent five months in Porto Rico, being acting Hos- pital Steward in the Reserve Medical Corps. He has numerous business connections, one of these being treas- urer of the East Reading Electric Railway Company, of Reading. He is superintendent of the Sunday school of Trinity Lutheran Church, and treasurer of the Humane Society of Berks County. For five years he was president of the Luther League of Pennsylvania, and for two years was president of the Reading High School Alumni As- sociation, during which time he founded a Free Scholar- ship Fund, of which he is treasurer.

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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 99

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

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