History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 144

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards
Number of Pages: 1418

USA > Pennsylvania > Berks County > History of Berks county in Pennsylvania > Part 144

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. Isaac Wentzel & Sons built a machine-shop near the Sacony in 1873, consisting of a two-story frame building, thirty by forty-five feet, with steam for motive-power. They manufacture general farming implements.

Cigars .- In the borough the manufacture of cigars is carried on by Fritch & Merker, Harvey Bast and C. W. Keiter, the latter employing six- teen hands.

Bricks .- John H. Mohr and William Weaver each have large and well-appointed brick-yards, just outside the limits of the borough, which give employment to a large number of hands. The clay is of fine quality and the bricks manufactured by them are very durable.

Lime is manufactured extensively by John D. Deisher, Neff Bros., Lewis Brown, A. W. Fritch and William Wessner. The first-named has a dozen kilus. This business affords occupation for a large number of men.

Kutztown Creamery. An association with forty- nine members was organized in the spring of 1881, for the manufacture of butter and cheese ; and in the following summer a fine two-story brick build- ing (thirty four by forty-four feet) was put up; and the other necessary buildings provided to carry on the business. The entire outlay was about four thousand dollars. The creamery has been carried on successfully, having about seventy patrons who supply milk daily. In 1885 William S. Kutz was president ; David S. Schaeffer, treas- urer ; and Jonathan Biehl, secretary.

Kutztown Furnace was erected by the Kutztown Iron Company, which was incorporated in 1872. Most of the stockholders lived in Kutztown and vicinity, although some persons from abroad were interested. A tract of five acres of land was secured from the D. S. Kutz farm, near the bor- ough, and thereon the furnace was built in 1873, the first ground having been dug July 2d, by Henry Boyer. The contractors were Lee, Noble & Co. The furnace was first operated under a lease by Charles H. Nimson & Co., with Henry C. Cooper as the manager. In the course of a few years the furnace became the property of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company, who leased it to different parties. William M. Kauffman & Co. have been the most successful operators. In July, 1883, the boiler of the furnace exploded, upsetting the smoke-stack, which fell across the casting-house and demolished it. Several work- men were fatally injured. Since that time the property has laid in ruins. The capacity of the furnace was nearly two hundred tons per week.

CHURCHES .- St. John's Church, commonly called the old Union Church, from its being the joint property of Lutheran and Reformed Congrega- tions, ranks with the oldest in the county. Its early history is somewhat obscure, owing to the loss of the records ; but from the history of con- temporary churches, its organization took place some time about 1755. The first meeting-bouse, built of logs, stood about a mile east of the present site. The church property included twenty-four

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BOROUGHS OF COUNTY.

acres of land. The ministers were Revs. Daniel Lehman and John Henry Helfrich. In 1788 the congregation determined to erect a church in Kutztown.

"On the 9th of November, 1789, the present congregations were reorganized ; and on the 24th of May, 1790, the corner-stone of the church was laid. It was dedicated August 7, 1791, with Rev. Daniel Lehman, Evangelical Lutheran preacher, and Rev. John Henry Helfrich, Evan- gelical Reformed preacher, as officiating ministers on that occasion. The earliest officers were: Trustees on the Lutheran side, Jacob Herman, 1789-1801 ; Jacob Schweirer, 1789 ; Michael Weortrlein, 1789 ; and, on the Reformed side, George Pfister, 1789- 1839; Jeremiah Kolb, 1789; Peter Christman, 1789-1813; as elders on Lutheran side, George Kistler, 1791 ; Peter Mathern, 1791; and, on the Reformed side, Nicholas Kieffer, 1791 ; George Kemp, 1791 ; as deacons on the Lutheran side, M. Bast. 1791 ; Abraham Biehl, 1791-95 ; Nich- olas Kutz, 1791-99 ; Jacob Esser, 1796-99 ; John Bieber, 1799 ; John Kutz, 1799; Abraham Eer- kel, 1800; and, on the Reformed side, John Sieg- fried, 1791; Simon George, 1791; John Levan, Jr., 1791; Philip Michael, 1795; Philip Klein, 1797-98 ; John Funk, 1801.

" In 1812 there was expressed a desire to com- plete the building. Up to that time it had cost $3307.334. On January 2, 1813, it became free of debt. In 1816 the building was weather- boarded, at an expense of $515.98. In 1842 the church-yard was completed, and in 1846 a new pulpit was constructed. The total cost was about six thousand dollars.

" The real estate of the congregation consists of seven lots. The first three, on the corner of which the building stands, were deeded to it September 8, 1820, for the consideration of one dollar, by Henry Kohler, the owner of them, and the then proprietor of Kutztown. On May 9, 1804, was delivered to it the school lots, Nos. 87 and 88, for five shillings, by Jacob Herman, lessee, and after- wards one of them for school purposes, gratuitously, by Henry Kohler. On one of them must still be paid a yearly ground-rent of thirty seven and a half cents, and on lots Nos. 85 and 86 a yearly ground-rent of seventy-five cents.

"For eighty-six years the Lutheran and Re-

formed people worshipped Almighty God in this venerable edifice. But the time came when they required a temple that would more worthily rep- resent their zeal and devotion in Divine things. So on April 4, 1876, at a meeting of the joint vestries, they passed the following resolution : 'That the question whether a New Union Church shall be built, shall be submitted to the members of the Lutheran and Reformed congregations of Kutztown, to be decided at an election to be held on April 17th, after service, to be voted upon with written or printed tickets as follows : for building a New Union Church and against building a New Union Church.' The result was two hundred and seventy-nine votes for and seventy-seven against building. There was immediately appointed a committee on subscription,-Charles Rahn, Charles Deisher, George Bieber, David Schaeffer, Jacob Sunday, Charles Kutz, Jonathan Bieber, John Christman, George Kutz, John Kemp, W. Rahn and Jac. Rahn.

"In the presence of a great multitude of people, on Whit-Sunday, June 4th, the corner-stone was laid. The exercises were continued on Whit- Monday, 1876." 1

The house was so far completed that the base- ment was used for worship in the fall of 1876, but the church was not fully completed until the following year, when it was formally dedicated. It is of brick, forty-nine by seventy-six feet ; the main room is on the second story. The basement is divided into four rooms. The church is supplied with a fine bell, the sound of which can be heard many miles away ; and also with an excellent pipe- organ.

The Lutheran congregation had, in 1885, about two hundred and fifty members, with Rev. J. J. Cressman as pastor. His predecessors in the min- istry of the church were the Rev. Daniel Lehman, until 1808 ; Rev. John Knoske, till 1837 ; Rev. Daniel Kohler; from 1839 to 1851; Rev. G. A. Hinterleiter and Rev. George F. Spieker.

The first minister of the Reformed congregation was the Rev. Henry Helfrich, who was suc- ceeded by Revs. Charles G. Herman and J. Sassa- man Herman. The present pastor is the Rev.

1 Ermentrout.

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

John H. Leinbach. The membership of the con- gregation is more than three hundred.

The Union Sunday-school maintained in the church had as its superintendents Milton J. Bieber and Charles Christman. The membership of the school was more than two hundred and fifty.

" About 1826 the first Sunday-school was organ- ized under the name of The Kutztown Sunday- School Union. It occupied an independent posi- tion. Prior to that time religious instruction was imparted to the young by the preachers, and during the summer, on the Lord's Day, by the organists, who also taught the daily parochial school. In the Fatherland it was, and still is, the custom for the pastor, on every Sunday afternoon, to explain the catechism to the children assembled in the church. But, as the pastors here were overburdened with work, it became necessary to organize the Sunday-school. The opposition to it was at first earnest, but it soon gave way. In addition to the one just mentioned other Sun- day-schools were established,-the ‘German Re- formed and Lutheran Sunday-School ' and the ' German Reformed Sunday-School.' Thus, at one time three schools vied with one another in training up the children in the way in which they should go. The last-named school having drained the first named of its members, on April 24, 1868, there was established in place of the 'German Reformed and Lutheran Sunday- School,' an exclusively Lutheran one. Of the latter, the first superintendent was E. D. Bieber.

"The first Union Sunday-school (Reformed and Lutheran) was organized by Rev. J. S. Herrmann, who served as superintendent for a number of years. Even before he became pastor in Kutz- town, he had taken a deep interest in the religious education of the young."

Of this Sunday-school John G. Wink was the superintendent from 1846 to 1857. Many others took a warm interest in its support.

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church is the off- spring of the Lutheran Sunday-school, which was organized April 24, 1868. After meeting in the old church for some time, the conviction was forced on the minds of those interested in its main- tenance that its welfare would be best promoted in a house of its own. At the same time the organ-

ization of an exclusively Lutheran Church was suggested, and on the 12th of February, 1874, definite action in this direction was taken by the Sunday-school deciding then that it would raise five hundred dollars towards the erection of a building, providing a room therein would be set aside for its use. This proposition was received with favor, and the work of building was begun in earnest, on a lot on the west side of Main Street. The corner-stone of the chapel of the proposed church was laid August 2, 1874, and December 25th of the same year the building was dedicated. It is a neat brick edifice, having a capacity for about five hundred people, costing about six thou- sand dollars. Nearly one-fourth of this amount was contributed by the Sunday-school. In April, 1876, the Rev. George T. Spieker became the pastor of the new congregation, and since May, 1884, the Rev. W. A. C. Mueller has served in that capacity. In the spring of 1885 the chapel was beautifully frescoed and otherwise improved.

In January, 1886, the congregation numbered two hundred and fifty members, and then it had the following consistory :

Trustees, Abraham Bieber, Isaac Fegeley, Henry Peterson, W. B. Bieber; Elders, Jacob B. Heffner, Richard Miller, D. H. Hinlerleiter, John Humbert; Deacons, D. K. Sprenger, A. B. Johnson, N. S. Schmehl, Charles B. Herman.

W. B. Bieber is superintendent of the Sunday- school, which has about one hundred and seventy- five members.

The Kutztown Reformed Sunday-school was or- ganized May 17, 1863, and had for first president J. S. Herman, and first superintendent H. R. Nicks. Its meetings were first held in the old Union Church, later in the Evangelical Church and the past five years in the public school build- ing. The superintendent, in 1886, was E. L. Kemp. Like Trinity Lutheran Sunday-school, this Sunday-school has led to the formation of a . separate congregation to be known as First Re- formed Church, which will erect a building on White Oak Street. The style of architecture will be Gothic, the material brick, and the cost about six thousand dollars. The building committee is comprised of Lewis Butz, president; Edward Hottenstein, secretary ; David H. Hottenstein,. treasurer ; J. D. Sharadin, Alfred Neff, William T.

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BOROUGHS OF COUNTY.

Stimmel and Nathan Kemp. Most of these meni- bers formerly had a connection with the St. John's Church.

Salem Church of the Evangelical Association .- The pioneer minister of this persuasion was the Rev. Bishop John Seybert, who preached the first sermon, April 12, 1828, at the house of Peter Neff. From that time until 1848 occasional preaching was held at the houses of such as ac- cepted the faith, but no regular congregation was formed until about two years later, when meetings were held statedly. In 1850 a lot on Main Street was bought, and a meeting-house built the same year, which was placed in charge of Trustees Jacob Stoudt, Solomon Ely and Benneville Klein, who were also among the principal members. The building was of brick, thirty-five by forty-five feet, and cost eleven hundred dollars. It served as a place of worship until May 6, 1885, when it was demolished, and the present fine edifice erected by a building committee composed of D. B. Sny- der, Jolın R. Gonser, Rev. W. H. Weidner, Silas K. Hoch and H. B. Mohr. It is a two-story brick building, with a very fine steeple, in which is a bell weighing five hundred and sixteen pounds. The bell on the old church weighed but eighty pounds. The lower part of the church was occu- pied in the fall of 1885, and the auditorium will be consecrated in the summer of 1886. Its cost has been six thousand dollars. The trustees are J. C. Gehr, Silas Hoch and D. B. Snyder. The membership of the church is small, numbering only thirty. Their pastor was the Rev. W. H. Weidner, preacher in charge of Kutztown Circuit. Other Evangelical preachers at Kutztown have been the Revs. McLane, Hess, Serm, Wieand, Leopold, Neitz, Ziegenfuss, Gingrich, Schultz, Sechrist, Stauffer, Miller, Yeakel, Overholtz, Ster- mer and Speicher. The Sunday-school has Elias J. Hoch for its superintendent. The first Evan- gelical Sunday-school was organized May 26, 1851.

Religious meetings are also held in the chapel of the Normal School, but they are non-sectarian in character. The principal of the school and visit- ing clergymen officiate at the services.

SCHOOLS .- The Parochial School, one of the first organized schools, was established by the con- gregations of the old Union Church, and measures

were early taken to make the instruction effec- tive and thorough. " In the rules which they framed on November 9, 1789, it is stated, that as the education of the young in reading, writing, and other branches, is of the highest importance, there shall be built as soon as possible a school- house ; that the school-house shall be located near the church; that when built, there shall be elected a man who is not only competent to teach and to sing, hut also bears a good moral charac- ter ; that the preachers, elders and deacons shall have a care that good order prevails in the school, that each child receives proper attention and that no partiality be shown.

" The school-house was built 1804-5. Its first trustees were Jacob Levan, Jr., Jacob Kutz, Jr., Henry Heist and John Bieber, Jr. The trustees had charge of the school-house and were required to hold quarterly examinations of the pupils, in the presence of the teacher, and with the co-opera- tion of the preachers, elders and deacons. The teacher lived in the building. His duties were to lead the singing in church, to play the organ, to teach the children how to pray, to spell, to read, to write, to sing, to cipher ; also, during the sum- . mer, on the Sundays when there was no divine service, Kinder lehre zu halten, and from time to time to confer with the trustees.

"On May 15, 1805, it was resolved that in the school-house there should be a room for the accom- modation of an English teacher ; that the follow- ing autumn there should be employed one who bore a good character, and who could instruct well in speaking, reading, writing and ciphering ; and that the trustees shall have a care that there be English teaching at least every winter." This school was kept up with satisfactory results until after the free school system was introduced.

Common-School System .- In the year 1838 Kutz- town accepted the common-school system. Ou the ground where the present school-building now stands, David Levan erected the first school- house, and on its site, under the supervision of the directors-Hon. H. H. Schwartz, Dr. Charles A. Gerasch, A. Manderbach, Aug. Sprenger and H. F. Bickel-there was built in 1862, at a cost of $3300.00, the building which now ornaments the borough. In it taught, at different periods, J. B. Van Scheetz, William Detweiler, John G.

866

HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Wink, Aug. Wink, Dr. Ed. Bieber, William Kelley, George Shinn, J. Vansickle, John Hum- bert, George Hertzell, R. T. Barnville, James M. Gehr, Jacob Humbert, J. K. Steven, G. W. Long, Daniel E. Schoedler, Allen Hottenstein, Lew Wanner, Thomas A. Strasser, P. S. Umbenhauer, Eugene D. Bieber, L. F. Sprenger, Irwin W. Bieber, Zach. C. Hoch, W. W. Kistler, James H. Marx," and a number of others. The schools are maintained at an outlay of sixteen hundred dollars per year and the attendance is about two hundred and fifty.

The Franklin Academy .- An interest in and desire for higher education was manifested in the borough at an early day, and as the parochial school did not supply this need, it was determined, in 1836, to found an academy. For this purpose an association was formed to establish this institu- tion. It was dependent upon the general public for support A new building was provided and the institution was opened on September 1, 1836. The number of students was limited to thirty- three, and no student was received for a less term than six months, the tuition fee for that period being ten dollars. In order to secure the State appropriation of four hundred dollars per year, offered to any academy which had twenty-five students on its rolls, the academy was incor- porated in 1838. Its first trustees were Daniel B. Kutz, Daniel Bieber, Colonel John Wan- ner, David Kutz, Dr. C. L. Schlemm, David Deisher and Henry Heffner. Among its teachers were Alexander Ramsey, Rev. Charles Lukens, Messrs. Murphy, Wanner, Kohler, Hill, Bitler, Salter and Woodbury. Its first teacher, Alexan- der Ramsey, migrated to Minnesota, and in time became Governor of the State, and its representa- tive for several terms in the United States Senate. On invitation of the Keystone Agricultural So- ciety, Senator Ramsey visited Kutztown October, 1874, and delivered an able and eloquent address.

The academy flourished for a number of years, but when interest in the public schools was in- creased its support diminished, and it was allowed to go down. It had a good library.

The desire for better schools and higher educa- tion, however, still existed, and, in 1847, Prof. G. Dering Wolff opened a select school at the solici- tation of a number of citizens. It was numerously

attended, and served its purpose a number of years.

Maxatawny Seminary and Keystone State Normal School .- Toward the close of 1860 a more important educational movement was inaug- urated. Rev. J. Sassaman Herman now applied to the Rev. Dr. Gerhart, president of Franklin and Marshall College, for a teacher, and Prof. H. R. Nicks, A.M., a graduate of that institution, was recommended. On November 15, 1860, this gentleman came to Kutztown, and opened Fair- view Seminary, in the house now occupied as a residence by Col. Thomas D. Fister. His assistant teachers were John Humbert, Esq , and Harry. Weand. In the spring of 1863, Mr. Nicks moved his school into the borough. Through the influ- ence of the professor, a man of fine scholarly at- tainments, some of the citizens of Kutztown and Maxatawny were induced to purchase five acres of land at two hundred and seventy-five dollars per acre, and to erect on it a building at a cost of four thousand one hundred dollars. This building (fifty by forty feet) became in time the northern wing of the present Keystone State Normal School. In the consummation of this work Prof. Nicks was greatly assisted by the Rev. Dr. Gerhart, who spent several days in Kutztown and vicinity, visiting our citizens and urging the importance of the undertaking. He suggested the plan on which the wing just referred to was erected. In consideration of the fact that the people of the township had manifested a very deep interest in the success of the project, the name of the school was changed from Fairview to Maxatawny Semi- nary. Prof. Nicks moved into his new home in September, 1864. His chief assistant was Prof. S. Transue, A.M., a graduate of Franklin and Mar- shall College. During several months of the year 1865, Prof. John S. Ermentrout also assisted in teaching in the seminary. His chief object in doing so was to prepare the way for carrying into effect a project which, as superintendent of the common schools of Berks, he had long entertained. This project was the establishment of a State Nor- mal School in Berks County for the education of teachers.

As he was journeying from Lyons to Kutztown, in the discharge of official duty, the superintendent of schools in the county, saw in the distance the

BOROUGHS OF COUNTY.

867

building known as Maxatawny Seminary. It occurred to him that, if the people of that section had taken sufficient interest in the cause of educa- tion to erect that building, they might be induced to assist him in carrying out his project of estab- lishing a regular State Normal School for the Third Normal District. On consultation with Prof. Nicks, he found that the project was favored. In 1865 the teachers of Berks County were collected in the seminary, for the purpose of normal in-

Susannah Hottenstein, Solomon Christ, each three hundred dollars; D. H. Hottenstein, Jon. S. Bieber, Isaac Roeller, B. E. Kramlich, C. A. Gerasch, A. R. Nicks, E. Butz, Susannah Hotten- stein, Wm. Hottenstein, G. Dietrich, Sol. Christ, David Schaeffer, J. D. Wanner, Jno. Kieffer, John Rahn, each two hundred dollars ; H. R. Nicks, one hundred and fifty dollars ; Ulrich Mil- ler, David Fister, G. Bieber, George Kutz, D. H. Hottenstein, each one hundred dollars ; H. R.

MAXATAWNY SEMINARY AND KEYSTONE STATE NORMAL SCHOOL.

struction but it was found too small to accommo- date the students who flocked thither from every part of the county and from adjacent districts. The success of this movement inspired the people of Kutztown and Maxatawny to erect such build- ings as the school law required, and to establish a regular Normal School for the district, and to the generous and enterprising citizens of that section of the county belongs the honor of having pro- vided the " material means " which were needed to purchase grounds and put up necessary buildings.

The contributors to the fund for building Max- atawny Seminary were Jacob Sunday and G. Bieber, each five hundred dollars ; C. A. Gerasch, D. H. Hottenstein, Lizzie E. Bieber, E. Butz,

Nicks, fifty dollars,-total, six thousand five hun- dred dollars.

Maxatawny Seminary, which was started as a private enterprise, disappeared. For the furniture with which Prof. Nicks had provided it, and for any necessary improvements he had made, he was compensated. Its stock, building and grounds were transferred to a new board of trustees, who purchased five additional acres of land, and began to procure subscriptions with which to erect what is now known as the Keystone State Normal School. Within a year, to the building formerly known as Maxatawny Seminary were added a centre building, one hundred by forty feet, and two wings each fifty by forty feet.

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

These improvements were made possible in con- sequence of subscriptions hy the following, who were also the original stockholders of the Normal School :

"Lewis K. Hottenstein and Susannah Hottenstein, each $1200; G. Bieber, D. H. Hottenstein, Dr. E. Hottenstein, each $1000 ; Jonas Miller, Jon. Bieber, Sr., Jacob Sunday, Dr. C. A. Gerasch, Dav. S. Levan, Horace Trexler, each $500; David Fister, $400; Da- vid Schaeffer, S. Bernhardt, A. Stein, D. Melot, D. Kemp, E. Butz, Jonathan S. Bieber, each $300; Danl. Dietrich, Danl. Christ, Dr. L. Thompson, Joel Hoch, W. W. Kemp, W. De Turk, C. F. Kutz, Jas. Weiler, Jacob Grim, A. C. Kieffer, Hon. J. G. Jones, David Levan, each $200; Henry Williams, Jon. Bieber, H. Stein, Hon. Jno. H. Fogel, S. H. Lease, Dan. Clader, Hon. H. H. Schwartz, Jno. S. Ermentrout, D. Shara- din, John Rahn, Jr., Mrs. M. J. Rahn, D. L. Gable, E. De Turk, Jno. Herbine, Jac. F. Kutz, David Kemp, Jonas Hoch, Ulrich Miller, Jos. Stichter, Fred. Laner, Dr. D. Luther, D. L. Wenrich, H. Bushong, Isaac Eckert, Dr. L. Trexler, Jonas Ritter, J. Nich. Hun- ter, Jas. Bushong, W. B. Bensinger, J. Moyer, W. B. Fogel, M. Arnold, S. W. Arnold, A. N. Ranh, J. C. Wanner, John Ebner, Isaac McHose, Ed. Clymer, Rich. Dunkel, C. Lesher, Nathan Levan, Jon. B. Grim, each $100,-total, $18,300."

They selected as the first board of trustees,-

"L. K. Hottenstein, Pres .; David H. Hottenstein, Sec. ; Lesher Trexler, M.D., President of the Board of Stockholders ; Jonas Hoch, Secretary of the Board of Stockholders ; Chas. Gerasch, M.D., Treasurer ; H. Bushong, E. Butz, D. Dietrich, John S. Ermentrout, D. Fister, Hon. Jno. H. Fogel, Edward Hottenstein, M.D., Hon. J. Glancy Jones, Rev. B. E. Kramlich, D. Luther, M.D., J. Miller, H. R. Nicks, Hon. H. H. Schwartz, D. Schaeffer, A. Stein, J. D. Wanner, Esq.

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History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 144

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards Number of Pages: 1418

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards
Number of Pages: 1418