History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 154

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

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Emanuel Church of the Evangelical Asso- ciation, at Fleetwood, was built in 1866. It is a brick building of respectable appearance, with about five hundred seats. Among those interested in its erection were Dr. L. H. Thomp- son, George Kline, Levi Templin, Samuel Heckman, William Bernhart, Henry Gehris, Peter Gehris and George Haight. The mem- bers number fifteen hundred and seven, consti- tuting three classes.

The Sunday-school connected with the church was organized with Peter H. Gehris as superin- tendent, and is at present in charge of Edwin M. Mill. It is well attended. The pastor in 1885 was the Rev. H. J. Glick, serving the church in connection with other appointments on the Friedensburg Circuit.

Daniel Koch

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BOROUGHS OF COUNTY.

The United Mennonite Church was built as the Church of God, by Daniel Koch and others, in 1868. The same year the few members at this point connected themselves with the United Mennonites, a relation which has since been maintained. The society has not been strong at any time, and in 1885 there were but sixteen members, who had C. F. Hill as elder and Dau- iel Koch as deacon. Among the pastors have been the Revs. S. H. Fry, Gaman, Shelly and Samuel Musselman. No regular minister serves at present, but Mr. William Gaman, of Lehigh County, is the presiding elder of the district to which this church belongs.

INDUSTRIES .- The oldest industry, in the place, and the only one operated by water-power, is the grist-mill of Franklin Fritch, situated on Willow Creek. The power was first improved by the Wanner family. Samuel Wanner has a pioneer grist-mill. The mill now standing was built in 1844 by William Schaeffer, and has had as intermediate owners to the present, Jacob Wanner, Daniel Hoch and Daniel Koch. The capacity is small and the milling is done by old methods.

DANIEL KOCH is of German descent and the grandson of William Koch, who resided in Schuylkill County, where he was both a miller and a successful farmer. He was twice married, the children by the first alliance being Mrs. Knoskey, Mrs. Haller, Mrs. Rouse and Mrs. Hunsicker. By a second marriage, to Miss Nei- phon, were children-William, Jacob, Henry, John, Hannah (Mrs. Benjamin Bensinger) and Sarah (wife of Daniel Fultz, M.D., of Schuyl- kill County). Henry Koch resided in his native county of Schuylkill until his death, at the age of seventy-six years. A miller by trade, he afterward adopted agriculture as a pursuit. He married Susannah, daughter of Baltzer Bock, of the same county, whose children were four sons and one daughter. The children of Henry Koch and his wife are Daniel, Benjamin, Hugh, Henry, William, Charles, Maria (wife of Eli Miller), Catherine (wife of William Schuman), Sarah (wife of Charles T. Bowen) and Amanda (wife of Jacob H. Pile).

Daniel Koch was born on the 24th of De- cember, 1816, in Schuylkill County, where,

after a common-school education, he engaged in work on the farm. At the age of seventeen he decided learning the trade of a miller, and with that purpose in view, entered the mill of his father, where, after an experience of four years, he became thoroughly proficient in the miller's art. Soon after he engaged in the purchase and sale of produce and later opened a country store at McKeansburg, Schuylkill County, from whence he removed to Middleport, in the same county, and conducted a prosperous business for a period of thirteen years. He next became a farmer, having purchased a farm in Auburn, Schuylkill County, and removed to it. Eight years later he repaired to Monocacy township, Berks County, and purchased a mill, which, after managing a short time, he sold, and, removing to Fleetwood, in 1866, again engaged in milling. At the expiration of an extended career of six- teen years Mr. Koch retired from business. He was elected, in 1860, to the State Legislature as a Republican; has also filled several borough offices. He has frequently been appointed to such responsible offices as that of administrator and executor and filled them with a scrupulous regard to duty.

Mr. Koch and his family enjoy a record for patriotism which can be equaled by few fami- lies in the State. He enlisted in the Twenty- seventh Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers for the emergency period and served for two months in defense of his State, engaging in the skirmish at Wrightsville, Pa. Three of his brothers also enlisted and were in active service. Mr. Koch was, on the 24th of October, 1839, married to Mary Ann, daughter of Emanuel Beck, of Columbia County, Pa. Their children are Harriet (Mrs. Benjamin Jacobs), born Jan- uary 17, 1841 ; Francis D., born August 21, 1842; Allen, February 10, 1844; Jeremiah, October 27, 1845; Albert, November 27, 1847; Sarah (Mrs. L. R. Lentz), March 26, 1850; Richard Henry., April 2, 1852; Emanuel, March 3, 1854; Areneus, April 3, 1856; Catherine (Mrs. Oscar Melot), January 8, 1859; Ambrose E., January 24, 1864.

All of this number survive but Albert, who died April 6, 1853. Francis Koch joined the Forty-eighth Regiment Pennsylvania Volun-

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

teers and served until the close of the war, par- ticipating in many important engagements, in one of which he was severely wounded. He was promoted to the office of captain before his discharge. Allen enlisted as a drummer-boy, at the age of seventeen, and during his three years of service participated in many battles. Jeremiah accompanied his father during the emergency period. Mr. Koch's religious creed is that of the Evangelical United Mennonite Church, of which he is a member.

In 1867 George Cox, William Cox and Wil- liam S. Young built a wadding-mill, which was enlarged in 1869. The Messrs. Cox came from New York to engage in this business. Later, C. A. Messersmith became interested in the factory, employed from ten to twenty hands and transacted a yearly business of one hundred thousand dollars. On May 5, 1873, the factory was totally destroyed by fire, involving a loss of forty-five thousand dollars, and it has never been rebuilt.

Amandus Kern began the manufacture of mill-picks in 1868, and in 1885 he carried on a shop with two fires.

About the same time E. C. Weston began the manufacture of cigars, and he has since contin- ued the business in a factory which affords em- ployment to fifteen hands. Small factories are also carried on by Oliver Hoch and the Gehret Bros.

Coach-making is followed by Daniel Focht and Moses Foulk.

William B. Melot has a small shop for the manufacture of a seamless base-ball, which was patented by him November 27, 1883, and which has been received with great favor by the several leagues in the country.

Creamery .- The Fleetwood Creamery was built in March, 1885, by Cleaver & Moyer, and has been operated since by them. They occupy a fine building supplied with steam, and manufacture butter, cream only being delivered by the farmers who patronizeit. The operations of the first year were very successful.

Foundry .- The most important industry in the borough, which more than any other has given growth to the place and quickened its business activities is the

Fleetwood Foundry and Machine Works, car- ried on by Schaeffer, Merkel & Co. The busi- ness was established in 1864 by Lewis, George D., Daniel and Jonathan Schaeffer in a shop which is now the main building of the works, and this was enlarged as the business expanded. In 1885 the works embraced a machine-shop, foundry, wood-working shop, a blacksmith- shop and pattern-house, buildings for the stor- age of machinery and sheds for housing lum- ber, all conveniently provided with sidings from the railroad. The firm occupy three acres of ground. The motive-power is steam. The cupola of the foundry has a capacity for eight tons at a casting. From eighty to one hundred men are employed ; capital invested, one hun- dred thousand dollars. The products embrace all classes of general farm machinery ; mining machinery, since 1869 ; stationary engines and mill machinery, since 1876 ; and the celebrated Reliance Turbine Water-Wheel since 1873. The latter machine was invented by Adam W. Haag, a member of the firm, and is reputed one of the best wheels of the kind now in the mar- ket. The engines manufactured here are also de- servedly popular. In 1867 George D. Schaeffer retired from the firm, his successor being Charles Melcher, when the title became Schaef- fer, Melcher & Co., and so continued until 1872, when Wm. S. Merkel took the place of Melcher in the firm-name. The present members of the firm of Schaeffer, Merkel & Co. are Lewis Schaeffer, William S. Merkel, Adam W. Haag, C. F. Reifsnyder and John B. Bertolet.

LEWIS SCHAEFFER .- The Schaeffer family comprises numerous members in Richmond and adjoining townships of this county. The pro- genitor was George Schaeffer, who emigrated from Germany about 1750, and upon arriving at Philadelphia, proceeded to " East Penn Val- ley," and settled in Richmond township, where he took up land and carried on farming. He had four children-two daughters (one married to Dewald Bieber, and the other to John Bieber, a brother), and two sons-Philip and Peter, the latter of whom moved towards Philadelphia, where many of his descendants are now living.

Philip Schaeffer was born in Richmond town- ship, and there carried on farming. He was.

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BOROUGHS OF COUNTY.

married to a Miss Fetherolf, a descendant of that old family in Northampton (now Lehigh) County, by whom he had issue twelve children -eight sons (George Jonathan, Peter, Isaac, Daniel, Philip, William and David), and four daughters-Sarah (married to Jacob Delong), Elizabeth (married first to Isaac Siegfried, and then to Solomon Yoder), Anna (married to Isaac Merkel) and Esther (married to Francis Delong).

The second son of the eight named, Jonathan

(married to Joel Hoch, of Richmond), Mary (married to Peter L. Diener), Amanda (married to John B. Bertolet), Susanna (married to Amos Rothermel and Caroline. He died in 1869, aged seventy-seven years, and his widow died in 1884, aged sixty-seven years.

Lewis Schaeffer, the eldest son of Jonathan Schaeffer, and the subject of this sketch, was born in Richmond township in 1838. He was educated in the schools of his native township, and was then engaged at farming for a time.

Lewis Schaffen

Schaeffer, was born in the same township, and there carried on farming for a number of years. He then became the senior partner of Schaeffer & Co., a firm organized at Fleetwood for the purpose of carrying on the manufacturing busi- ness, in which he continued till his decease. He was a man of enterprise and highly esteemed by the community. He was married to a Miss Barto, by whom he had issue ten children,- Lewis, Reuben, Adam, George, Jacob, Sarah

In 1864 he became interested with his father in the manufacturing business at Fleetwood, in which he has continued successfully till now, being the senior member of the firm of Schaeffer, Merkel & Co., and owning the major part of the interest in its business and property. Mr. Schaeffer is recognized for energy and success in business affairs, and he has contributed great- ly toward the development of the borough of Fleetwood. In 1877 he officiated as chief burgess.

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

He was married twice ; first to Caroline Mes- sersmith, daughter of Benjamin Messersmith, who died in 1881, and by whom he has two daughters, Mary and Alice, and then to Mrs. Sallie Schaeffer (nee Kaufman), a daughter of David Kaufman, of Oley township, by whom he has a daughter, Alice.

TOPTON.

The borough of Topton is situated at the junction of the Kutztown Railroad with the East Penn Railroad, near the northwestern line of Longswamp township. Its name was derived from its location, at the highest point of the East Penn Railroad between Reading and Allentown. Although the railroad was opened in 1859, the place made but slow progress until within the past five years, .when some substantial improve- ments were erected.

INCORPORATED INTO A BOROUGH .- On the 11th of August, 1875, a petition, signed by forty-five persons, was presented to the Court of Quarter Sessions of Berks County, praying for a decree authorizing the incorporation of the town as a borough, and on the 12th day of the same month the grand jury reported favorably. Excep- tions having been filed October 12, 1875, object- ing to the incorporation, on account of including too much farming lands, action in the matter was stayed. Subsequently the plan was modi- fied to exclude these lands, and on January 18, 1877, the decree of incorporation was finally granted. At the first election, held in that year, the following borough officers were elected :

Burgess, Peter W. Fisher; Councilmen, Benjamin Pott (president), C. D. Trexler, T. DeLong, David Merkel, J. D. Sanders, Peter L. Diener; Secretary, E. J. S. Hoch; Treasurer, B. C. Baer.

Since that time the following have been the burgesses and presidents :

Term. Burgess.

President. 1878 John Henning B. C. Baer.

1879-81 John Henning. C. D. Trexler.

1882 John Henning Jesse Fisher.

1883 S. H. Fisher .Peter W. Fisher.

1884. S. H. Fisher. Josiah H. Fisher.

The secretaries for the same period were E. J. S. Hoch, W. D. Trexler, L. F. Moll and James W. Sallade.

In 1885 the officers were,-

Burgess, S. H. Fisher ; Councilmen, M. H. De Long (president), Ephraim Butz, C. D. Trexler, Philip De Long, Josiah H. Fisher.

The borough justices then were William D. Trexler and John H. Miller. These offices had been previously filled by Levi F. Kuhns and B. C. Baer.

The population in 1885 was estimated at six hundred.

STORES .- One of the first business houses in the place was carried on in the Butz building, now occupied by the Topton Bank. There a store was kept in 1860 by Jerome Tidlow & Co., and three years later by Peter L. Diener and Smith Ubil. The next stand was opened in 1866 by Peter W. Fisher, being the building now occupied by C. B. Trexler as a general store. In 1875, Michael H. Miller built another store house, which was first occupied by David H. Merkel, and where Peter L. Diener is now in trade.

HOTELS .- The first hotel in the place was the Topton House, built in 1859 by James Butz, which became the property of Peter W. Fisher in 1866. The following year James Butz built the present American House, which is still owned by his family. The Washington House was built in 1874 by James George. It contains a hall, used for lodge purposes.

In February, 1886, the first shoe-store was erected, which was occupied by Daniel Heist. An extensive business in lumber, grain and coal is carried on by A. S. Heffner.

TOPTON POST-OFFICE was established in August, 1861, and J. D. Haas was the first postmaster. His successors have been Peter I .. Diener, C. D. Trexler and Levi F. Moll. The office is supplied with four mails per day.

PHYSICIANS .- Dr. W. D. Trexler has fol- lowed his profession successfully the past fifteen years ; and since 1881 Dr. A. C. S. Herman has also been located at Topton.

Dr. C. H. Rives was located at Topton a short time before 1870, but soon removed. In 1875-76 Dr. D. S. Bruner was at this place as a prac- ticing physician ; and others have lived here for short periods.

TOPTON FURNACE was built in 1871 by a

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BOROUGHS OF COUNTY.

company organized for this purpose, which had Isaac McHose as president, John H. Miller, secretary, and Thomas Berker, treasurer. Wil- liam H. Berlin was the. first manager. The company failed in 1873, and for some time the property lay idle, when Jacob H. Huntzinger became the owner. In 1879 the furnace was again put in blast and operated by William M. Kauffman & Co. until March, 1885, when that firm was succeeded by the Topton Furnace Company, of which Henry S. Eckert is presi- dent and Isaac S. Eckert superintendent. The plant embraces about twenty acres of land. Six good tenements are included.

TOPTON ROLLER-MILL was built in 1885, and set in motion in August of that year, by Sylvester Rohrbach, Oliver Rohrbach and Albert F. Kutz, the firm-name being Rohrbach Brothers & Kutz. The mill building is a three- story brick, forty-five by fifty-five feet, with an engine-house attached, and a sixty-five horse- power engine. The mill is supplied with twelve pairs of Odell rollers and operated on merchant work only, one hundred barrels per day being produced.

T. & M. H. DELONG'S FURNITURE-FAC- TORY was established in 1880 by T. DeLong. The power is furnished by a steam-engine, and fourteen men are employed in the manufacture of furniture. In 1883 the present warerooms were occupied, which are well stocked with ·first- class furniture.

RAILROAD STATION. - The present depot building was erected in 1875. It has ample accommodations and is well conducted by the station agent, G. F. Motzer. Large quantities of ore are shipped, but the output is only one- fourth as large at present as ten years ago, owing to the depression of the iron trade.

TOPTON NATIONAL BANK was organized under the National Banking Laws, June 1, 1885, with a paid-up capital stock of fifty thou- sand dollars. The old Butz building was fitted up for this purpose, and the business has been highly prosperous. At the close of the first six months the assets were $93,859.29, and the undivided profits $1683.19. The erection of a new bank building is contemplated, a lot for

this purpose having been purchased opposite the Toptou House.

The president was John N. Jacobs, the cashier James M. Slifer. The other members of the board of directors were John H. Miller, Levi F. Mall, M. S. Long, D. H. Schweyer, George B. Schaeffer, William F. Stimmel and Ben Smith.

SCHOOLS .- The chief object aimed at, by the incorporation of Topton was obtained in the improved condition of its schools. A superior building was erected in the fall of 1885, at a cost of nearly five hundred dollars, it being an imposing two-story brick edifice, thirty-four by seventy-two feet in dimensions, surmounted by a belfry, which contains a fine bell. There are four recitation-rooms, three of which have been occupied by schools since October 12, 1885, under the principalship of S. W. Kline. The enrollment of pupils was one hundred and thirty-five. At the time the building was erected the board of directors was composed of A. S. Heffner, D. D. Hinterleiter, J. H. Moll, H. C. Roth, W. D. Trexler and Levi F. Moll.

SOCIETIES .- Topton Stamm, No. 201, Red Men, was instituted in 1873. It is a beneficial order, paying five dollars per week in case of sickness of members, or one hundred dollars in the event of their death. In 1885 there were thirty-five members, and the society had a reserve fund of nine hundred dollars.

Centennial Castle, No. 80, Knights of the Mystic Chain, was instituted at Topton in 1876, flourished a short time, but after three years the meetings were discontinued.

Topton Lodge, No. 437, K. of P., has been in existence since 1873, having forty-six mem- bers twelve years later. It has a fund of five hundred dollars invested for the good of the order. The meetings are held in a good hall, in the Washington House.

CENTREPORT.

The principal town in Centre township com- prises several hundred inhabitants, three stores and one public-house. It is located in a very rich section of country, two miles

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

from Mohrsville. The locality became a busi- ness point as early as 1818, when a public-house was opened by John Haag, whose family owned a farm covering the site now occupied by the town. This house has since been open for the entertainment of the public, and it was kept for a long time by John Pefferman and Bennewell Loose. In a part of the building John Faust, George Haag, Samuel Perry and others kept small stores. The first building for mercantile purposes was put up near this house in 1856, by Jacob Haag. William Borkey occupied it first in 1857, and after a period he was fol- lowed by James R. Koller and the present Kantner & Rentschler. The post-office is at this store. It was established in 1868, with James R. Koller as postmaster. The present postmaster is J. H. Spatz. It is supplied with tri-weekly mails from Mohrsville.

At the upper end of the town Perry Ludwig and John Koenig opened the first store, where John E. Pautsch aud James T. Kline are now carrying on business. William Haag has a furniture-store.

The first mechanics, etc., at Centreport were :

Daniel H. Noecker, saddler; Joseph F. Seaman, shoemaker; Michael Rentschler, tailor; Joshua Re- ber, blacksmith ; Emanuel Pleiss, coach-maker ; Isaac H. Reber, undertaker; John Riegel, cigar-maker; George P. Rentschler, butcher.

PHYSICIANS .- Doctor J. H. Spatz is the oldest physician of the place. He located in West Leesport in 1848, and north of Centreport in 1874. Siuce 1881 he has resided in the borough.

The first doctor at Centreport was Dr. Wil- liam Palm, who came in 1860 and remained until 1875. Dr. C. G. Loose was here from 1876 till 1882, when Dr. James A. Hoffman, a native of Kutztown, located in the practice of his profession and still remains. Dr. C. G. Rither located here in the spring of 1885.

INCORPORATION .- Centreport became a bor- ough in 1884, mainly to obtain the benefits which such bodies have in regulating their own affairs. The bounds are small, including only the town proper. The first registry-list showed only thirty-two voters. The first Board of Councilmen was organized April 10, 1884, with

W. W. Haag, president ; J. H. Moll, secretary ; Henry Stoyer, treasurer ; David Stepp, W. R. Kline, G. W. B. Kauffman.

Morris Reeser was the first burgess; William Dewees, constable ; and G. W. B. Kauffman and James W. Klopp, justices.

The first Board of School Directors was com- posed of John E. Pautsch, David Myers, Henry Stoyer, A. A. Lesher, John Stepp, George P. Rentschler.

A well-conducted school is maintained in the borough.

CHAPTER XXV.

TOWNSHIPS OF BERKS COUNTY.

BOUNDARY OF COUNTY .- Berks County is bounded on the northwest by Schuylkill Coun- ty, the Blue Mountain forming the natural boundary line, in length about thirty-six miles ; on the northeast by Lehigh County, the line extending N. 49° W. 24 miles -; on the south- east by Montgomery and Chester Counties, the line along the former county extending S. 33}º W. 16; miles, and the line along the latter S. 53° W. 11} miles ; and on the southwest by Lancaster and Lebanon Counties, the entire line extending N. 492° W. 39 miles-along the former county 19 miles, aud along the latter 20 miles. These lines inclose 526,000 acres, or 822 square miles.

The Schuylkill River divides this territory into two nearly equal divisious,-the eastern division containing about 280,000 acres, aud the western 246,000 acres ; and each division is capable of a natural subdivision.

FOUR SECTIONS OF COUNTY .- The eastern division can be divided into two sections by a line which extends eastwardly from the "Great Bend " of the Schuylkill, at Tuckerton, along the upper boundary lines of Muhlenberg, Rus- comb Manor, Rockland District and Hereford townships to Lehigh County. The southern section contains about 133,000 acres, and the northern 147,000 acres. Each section was identified from the earliest settlements by con- spicuous streams of water, the southern section having been known by the name of Manatawny,

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TOWNSHIPS OF COUNTY.

and the upper Ontelaunee. Both these words are of Indian origin. The Indians had first possessed the entire territory, and their names naturally became attached to it. It is not only natural, therefore, to recognize the Indians, but simple justice to them in the use of these names to perpetuate their memory in its description. These streams extend northwardly through, and drain the greater part of, the respective sections from one extremity to the other. Nature has made them prominent ; the Indians recognized them ; and the historian cannot justly do other- wise.

The western division can be similarly di- vided. A natural boundary line divides it into two sections. It extends from the outlet of the Tulpehocken stream along the northern and western boundary lines of Spring township, formed by the stream named and its tributary, the Cacoosing, to Lancaster County. The upper section was called Tulpehocken by the first set . tlers-a word also of Indian origin. This stream extends westwardly and north wardly through this section and drains it almost en- tirely. The lower section was called Schuylkill, from its connection with a large district of ter- ritory in Chester County known by this name. It has two streams which are known by Indian names, the Wyomissing and the Allegheny ; but neither was sufficiently prominent to give its name to the entire section. The upper section contains about 130,000 acres, and the lower 116,000 acres.

The four sections have therefore been named Manatawny, Ontelaunee, Tulpehocken and Schuylkill, and they are treated in the order mentioned.

MANATAWNY SECTION.

The Manatawny section comprises fourteen townships, viz :

OLEY.

HEREFORD.

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History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 154

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