History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 160

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

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Thomas Potts.

Conrad Behm.

John Potts. Samuel Michael Essig.

John Conrad Roths. Frantz Yoster Staudt.

Matthias Rhoades.

Joseph Walker.

Friedrick Frey.

Jacob Maiklon.

Thomas Willson.

Thomas Potts, Jr.

The survey was made by George Boone, Esq., and reported by him to William Parsons, sur- veyor-general, who, in December following, cer- tified that the courses of the district surveyed did not interfere with the bounds of any other township; whereupon the court erected the same into a township by the name of Cole-Brook- Dale.

In 1839 the area of the township was reduced over one-third by the appropriation of about three thousand six hundred acres in the upper section toward the erection of Washington town- ship. The estimated area in 1849 was six thousand acres. In 1866 the borough of Boyer- town was erected out of a portion of territory in the eastern section of the township. A post-of- fice had been established at this point in the township in 1828.

EARLY IRON-WORKS .- Iron-works were be- gun at a very early period in this district, and it is believed that they were the first in Peun- sylvania. In the colonial records they are re-

963

TOWNSHIPS OF COUNTY.

ferred to as the " Mahanatawny Iron-Works," because they were situated in the district of country known by that name. They comprised a furnace, which has been called and known as "Colebrookdale." It is supposed that this fur- nace was erected in the year 1720, " or a year or two earlier," by a company comprising, among others, Thomas Rutter, Anthony Morris, James Lewis and Thomas Potts, and carried on for about fifty years.1 The furnace was situated on the Iron-Stone Creek, an important branch of the Manatawny, within a mile to the south of the present borough of Boyertown. It stood about five perches west from the creek, near the road which leads from the Reading road to Englesville. A large dam was constructed im- mediately above the furnace and supplied with water by a bead-race, which extended from a point in the creek about one hundred and forty perches north from the furnace and lay to the west of the creek. The early discovery of a valuable deposit of iron-ore near hy induced the erection of the furnace at this point. The mouth of the mine-hole was about one hundred and fifty perches distant from the furnace in a north- eastwardly direction. A great abundance of magnetic ore has been mined in this vicinity. Two veins have been worked very successfully, -- one at a depth of three hundred and ninety-two feet, which was found to be twenty-two feet thick and to yield fifty per cent. of red magnetic ore; and the other at a greater depth, which is said to be inexhaustible. Latterly for some years the mine has been operated by the War- wick Iron Company. A portion of Boyertown has been undermined.

The land upon which this furnace stood was taken up by David Powell, to whom a patent was issued in 1718 for two hundred acres, and he conveyed it to Thomas Rutter in 1719.

SETTLEMENT ATTACKED BY INDIANS .- The first conflict between the Indians and the early settlers of this section of country, now included in Berks County, was in 1728, in the Mana- tawny region.2 A petition, subscribed by a number of the inhabitants of Colebrookdale,

was presented to Governor Gordon on May 10, 1728, in which they referred to their sufferings from the Indians and prayed for "relief of themselves and their poor wives and children, who were to them more than life itself." 3 A skirmish is alleged to have taken place at " Mahanatawny Iron-Works" between the in- habitants of that region of country and a party of foreign Indians, and the Governor, in pur- suance of the petition mentioned, accompa- nied by divers gentlemen, visited the place. Upon his return to Philadelphia lie met the Executive Council, on May 15, 1728,

" And acquainted the board that he had just re- turned from Mahanatawny, where he found the people in very great disorder by the noise of the skirmish that happened between some of our people and a small party of Indians ; that many of the back inhabitants had quitted their houses and seemed under great apprehensions of numbers of Indians coming to attack them ; that several Palatine families, numbering some hundreds of persons, were gathered together at a mill near New Hanover township, in order

. to defend themselves, and that there he saw the man who was said to have been killed by the Indians, but he appeared to be only slightly wounded in the belly. The report had been, that the Indians fired upon some of our people, wounded several slightly and one man mortally ; that having examined several persons there and at Colebrookdale, touching the said Indians, he understood that they were eleven in number, painted for war, armed with pistols, guns, etc., and had been in that neighborhood for some days, that they were all armed, and had a Spanish Indian for their captain ; and that having been rude in several houses where they forced the people to supply them with victuals and drink, some of our inhabitants, to the number of twenty, were armed with guns and swords, went in search of the Indians, and, coming up with them, they sent two of their number to treat with the captain, who, instead of receiving them civilly, brand- ished his sword and commanded his men to fire, which they did and wounded two of ours, who, there- upon, returned their fire; upon which they saw the captain fall, but he afterward got up and ran into the woods after his party, having left his gun and watch-coat behind, and that since that time they had beeu seen no more." 4

EARLY ROADS .- On March 22, 1723, a public road was laid out in this section of terri- tory from Thomas Rutter's iron-mines to the great road which led from " Manahatawny "

1 See Early Industries.

23 Col. Rec., 321.

3 ] Penna. Arch., p. 213.

" Rupp's " History of Berks County," p. 96.

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

to Philadelphia, by Thomas Rutter, John Roades, Jonathan Robeson and Burg Hollen- bock. A public road was laid out in 1728 from Skippack to Colebrookdale.

EARLY TAXABLES .- The following eighteen persons were reported as taxables in the district for the year 1734:

Thomas Potts. John Parker.

Garret Ingle. Andrew Buzard.

Daniel Stover. John Ball.

Joseph Walker. Jacob Buckwalter.

John Henry Kyler. Peter Bideler.

Joseph Murry. Michael Bower.

Samuel Griffiths. Wooldery Ingery.

John Garret. Jacob Harman.

Richard Gregory.

Hance Bower.

The following list comprises the names of the taxables of the township for 1759, from which it appears that the early settlers were almost entirely Germans. The tax levied was £50 12s. 6d. Conrad Laglider was the collec- tor.

Allenhach, Peter. 7

Mifflin, George & Co. 30 Bacher, John .. 10

Potts, Thomas 45 Booch wolder, John 15

Potts, Rebecca 10

Beem, Conrad, 8

Bishopbarger, Jacob. 4

Richard, Casper 17

Brindle, Andrew

Rutter, Paul. 16

Bonse, John 3

Rhoads, Matthias 16

Esbenhach, Andrew 9

Rhoads, Adam 10

Erney, Frederick

Rhoads, Conrad. 8

Eared, Peter 6

Stalez, Christian, 8

Feagley, George.

Slegle, John 6

Gerber, John, 8

Sassemanhouse, Manus 19

Gilbert, George 4 Stover, Daniel. 10

Gerher, Adam 9

Gulden, Jobn 16

Shen, Peter. 8

Honck, Jacob 2

Kooser, Michael. 10

Keplor, David. 9

Tuddow, Michael .. 10

Long, Dowald 10

Tuddow, Matthias. 10

Laglider, Conrad. 9

Wannemacher, Bernhard. 5

Lober, Peter 14

Willson, Thomas. 19

Mayberry, William. 5

Wersbler, John 10

Mechlin, Jacob 12

Yon, John.

Matthias, Martin 9

Yerger, Barbara 7

Poor Men.

Biper, Emanuel. 1

Kill, Adam 1

Coplebarger, Henry' 1

Leahegood, Peter 1

Eackel, Henry. 2

Mengle, Christopher 1

Ensmenger. Philip 1

Naugle, Christian 1

File, George 1

Ranisey, Joseph. 4

Frean, John.

Sackman, Henry 1

Hardman, George 1

Shallgod, George 1

Heffner, Frederick. 1

Hup, Augustus 1

Keller, Martin. 1

Single Men.

Bucher, Casper.

Gilbert, Henry.

Bem, Jacob.

Happle, Christian.

Collin, Thomas.

Rhoads, Matthias.

Clotz, Leonard.

Williams, Richard.

Dum, Ulrick.

Weiman, George.

Erne, Jacob.

Eagle, George.

Yon, Joachim.

INDUSTRIES .- East of Boyertown is an old- established tannery, which was carried on many years by the Landis family, and at present con- ducted by Samuel G. Landis. There are thirty vats. Steam is employed to heat the liquor of the vats only, the other portion of the work being done by the old methods. The product is mainly fine leather. In the same locality is the David Landis tannery, also an old estab- lishment, and operated, on a small scale, in 1886, by Tobias Landis. Beyond these a num- ber of powers are afforded on the Swamp Creek, which were early made to operate mills and small factories.

Near the Washington township line is the old Reninger mill, a stone, plastered building, hav- ing small grinding capacity, which is owned by Jacob Oberholtzer. The next lower power operated is a small saw-mill, the capacity of which was increased when Ambrose Stanffer introduced steam-power. A short distance from this William Johnson put up a fulling-mill and also made cloths and light cassimers. It became the property of Henry Fisher and was operated by him a number of years. For more than twenty years the factory has been carried on by Nicholas J. Fisher. Steam-power is employed. The building is an old frame structure. Some fine work is produced.

On the stream, next below, is a large brick mill, supplied with good machinery, operated by water and steam and owned by Nicholas Johnson. The next lower and the last mill-site in the township was improved to operate a full- ing-mill for the Allebaclis, which has given place to a grist-mill, owned by Jacob Merkel.

The site of the old Knauss mill, on the Iron- stone Creek, near the head-waters of that stream, has been occupied, since 1865, by the mill of William K. Grim. It is a stone build- ing and has four runs of burrs. In the same locality Henry Knauss had a small tannery, which, in 1830, became the property of Gideon Grim, and which was carried on by William K. Grim until 1877, when work was discon- tinued. The buildings are still standing and when fully worked the tannery had a good ca- pacity, having in all forty vats. Lower down this stream the Gables had, for many years, saw

Snept, George.

Scheffner, Henry 1

Shinhard, George. 10

Shen, Thomas 8

Shaw, Hannah 30

Rutter, Thomas. 65

965

TOWNSHIPS OF COUNTY.

and oil-mills, but converted the latter into a spoke and handle factory, which are still carried on by John Gable. The power below was also improved by the Gables, and the present mill, built in 1860, by David Gable, and operated by Henry G. Gable, is below the site first occupied by the old Henry Gable mill, which has been removed. It is a stone and brick building and has a good power and four runs of stones, with a large capacity.

On the lowest power in the township was the old Rhodes mill and the Colebrookdale Fur- nace, the former built about 1800. Later it was owned by the Morys; and the new mill built at this place by Mathias Ritter was burned down in 1884. It has been rebuilt by William Groff, the present owner. The power is limited. Aside from the above interests, there has been but very little manufacturing, excepting such as has a relation with agricultural pursuits. In 1881 the Colebrookdale Creamery was gotten in operation by a stock company, which has since continued it. The factory has a good location, two miles from Boyertown, and does a prosperous business. The building is large and supplied with both butter and cheese-making machinery.

In 1876 Dr. J. H. Funk began the cultiva- tion of small fruits, apples, pears and cherries on his farm near Boyertown, and, having safely passed through the experimental stage, he has succeeded in establishing a pleasant and profit- able business, which gives steady employment to six men, and in the fruit season, to scores of persons. In 1885 he produced eight hundred bushels of strawberries and had an enormous vintage from fifteen hundred grape-vines. He also grows from fifty to sixty thousand heads of cabbage per year. His success has caused other fruit and truck farms to be opened, among the principal being those of Funk & Schaeffer, twenty-one acres in grapes and pears, and John Schaeffer, five acres in a variety of fruits.

On the farm of Jacob Bechtel is a large de- posit of black lead, which has been mined to some extent by the owners, and which at one time was a profitable business. The quality is good, but not as fine as some recently discovered in other localities, which has caused this mine. to be abandoned for the present.

ZION'S CHURCH, EVANGELICAL ASSOCIA- TION .- This is the only house of worship in the township outside of the borough of Boyertown. It is a plain brick building, thirty-two by forty feet, and was erected in 1850, in the village of New Berlinville, upon a lot of land given for the purpose by Henry Gilbert, who was one of the original members of the association at this place, and who was most instrumental in the organization of the church. Among other prominent members were Edwin Fritz, Amos Brower, Wm. G. Fritz, David York, Augustus Levan, Mathias Levan, Stover Worman, Josiah H. Reninger, Melchoir Schultz and George Schultz.

The latter three served as the first board of trustees. This church has never had a strong membership, but it has shown much spiritual life, and has contributed faithfully to the exten- sion of religious influences in the community. It has also furnished four serviceable ministers, -the Revs. David Stauffer, Aaron Steltz, Wil- liam H. Stauffer and F. G. Stauffer. In 1885 there were fifty members, who had their ministerial service from the Milford Circuit, the Rev. Frank Sechrist, preacher in charge. In 1869 the church secured three-fourths of an acre of land for cemetery purposes ; and in 1886 the property was controlled by Trustees Wm. H. Stauffer, David Worsler and Stover Worman. A Sunday- school of fifty members has Henry B. Stauffer as the superintendent.

VILLAGES.

NEW BERLINVILLE is a growing village, a little more than half a mile east from Boyer- town, sustaining a suburban relation to that place. It was started about 1835 on the lands of Samuel Gilbert, Peter Houck and Jacob Gottschall, and was long called New Berlin, in compliment, it is said, to a worthy German orphan boy who was reared here and whose nativity was Berlin. When the post-office was established, February 23, 1883, the present name was adopted to distinguish it from New Berlin, in Union County. Jacob W. Leaver has been the only postmaster till now.

Two daily mails are received. The office is kept in a store carried on by Leaver, as the

966

HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

successor of his father, Samuel Leaver, who here engaged in trade in 1879. Other merchants in trade at this stand were David Johnson, Levi Gilbert, Josiah Reninger, P. Y. Brendlinger, (for about twenty years), Fritz and Hagy. In the same building an inn was opened in the spring of 1886 by U. Y. Houck. A store for the sale of farming implements was established in 1885 by D. H. G. Kuser, and C. W. Ritter has also recently opened a jewelry store. At the railway station, some distance from the main part of the village, E. H. Moyer began business in the coal trade in 1884, and also put in operation a small feed-mill. In this locality a large brick-yard was opened in 1883 by James Muthard, Samuel G. Landis and Henry R. Eschbach, which is now carried on by Jacob Schaeffer. The clay is of a good quality and the product is large. New Berlinville contains some handsome residences, and it has one church, Zion's Evangelical. The ordinary me- chanic trades are also carried on in the vil- lage.

MORYSVILLE, on the turnpike, west of Boyertown, is a hamlet comprising about thirty houses, clustered around what was formally the site of the old Colebrookdale Furnace. Its proximity to the above place prevents it from becoming much of a business place. It contains a store, mill, shops, etc. The name was de- rived from the Mory family, prominent at an early day in this settlement.

In 1869 R. R. Engel began merchandising at this point and he has since continued. For many years he has been a tobacconist. In 1885 he erected a cigar factory, in which eight men are now employed. William Groff is the mil- ler of that locality and also carries on the coal business.

ENGELSVILLE is also a small hamlet in the southwestern part of the township, about two miles from Boyertown. It derived its name from Peter and John Engel, farmers and coop- ers, who lived at the " Cross-Roads" at that point. Later other cooper-shops were opened. Coopering was the principal occupation of the inhabitants for a number of years, the barrels etc., being peddled over the country. A public house was opened by William Engel in a build-

ing which has been devoted to other uses. While it was yet an inn Solomon Stetler kept another tavern and a store in connection, the place then having two public-houses. The store has been discontinued, having been last kept by Jacob Shaner, but the tavern is still continued by Jeremiah G. Brumbaugh. A pottery after being conducted for some years has been dis- continued. The manufacture of brick is carried on by William Kehl.

In the northeastern part of the township John Muthard had a public-house, about 1800, on the farm now occupied by John Emerick, which was discontinued many years ago ; and within the past few years W. H. B. Shanely has opened a country store in the Ironstone Val- ley. The first store was kept here about fifty years ago by Abraham Gobel.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

LEWIS P. G. FEGLEY was born August 23, 1851, in New Berlinville, Colebrookdale town- ship. His father, Peter Fegley, was born in Douglass township, Montgomery County, August 14, 1815, and in 1843 moved to New Berlin, on the farm of his father-in-law, Ja- coh Gottshall. At this place Lewis P. G. Fegley was born. He attended the pub- lic school of his native township, and Mount Pleasant Seminary, at Boyertown. In the fall of 1868 he began to teach among the Mennon- ites in Butter Valley. In 1869 he taught the Treichlersville school, and the succeeding four terms the New Berlin school, and the two follow- ing terms the Boyertown High School.

He was elected justice of the peace for his native township in 1885. In 1881 he taught the Colebrookdale Grammar School. In 1878 he was appointed by the heirs of a deceased relative to go to California to look up their interest in an estate of a deceased uncle. After meeting with success during his journey to and fro, he took notes of interest and incidents along the entire route, and has since written a little volume of over two hundred pages, which he styles "From Ocean to Ocean," or, "Across the Continent." He has had many and large estates to settle as administrator, assignee and trustee. January 2, 1883, he was appointed act-

967

TOWNSHIPS OF COUNTY.

ing cashier of the National Bank of Boyertown, to fill a brief vacancy.

He is closely identified with Sunday-school and church interests ; was superintendent of the Reformed Sunday-school of Boyertown for five years ; served as deacon in the church for six years and secretary of the congregation since September 24, 1882. At the Democratic County Convention held at Reading, September

sentatives of Pennsylvania. He did not miss a single session.

DOUGLASS TOWNSHIP.

ERECTION OF TOWNSHIP .- A petition of several inhabitants of the township of Oley was presented to the Quarter Sessions at Phila- delphia, in the beginning of the year 1736, 1882, he announced himself as a candidate | which set forth "that for several years past,

L.P.S. Jegley.

for State Representative. Under the rule of his about four miles distant from the high road party, he withdrew his name before balloting leading to Philadelphia through George Mc- Call's manor and several other tracts of land, the roads have been so bad that it was difficult for a single horse to pass without damage, and that the said petitioners had several times rep- resented to this court the badness thereof, but that nothing as yet had been done the reason, as they were informed, was because no overseers have been as yet appointed by the court over the said road, and that there were at least thirty commenced and waited until the Convention of 1884, and when the ballot had proceeded about two-thirds he had eleven votes more than were required to nominate him, and was at that point, with his colleague, Mr. Baer, nominated by acclamation and elected at the general elec- tion that fall. Resigned as justice of the peace December 1, 1884. Jannary 6, 1885, he took his seat as a member of the House of Repre-

968

HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

families settled on the said lands who are not in Hanover or Amity townships, between which townships the aforesaid road lieth," and prayed " the said court would be pleased to erect the said lands into a township and appoint a con- stable and overseers." In pursuance of an order of the court upon this petition, the surveyor- general, Benjamin Eastburn, made a draft of the said lands petitioned for to be made a town- ship, and certified that the same did not inter- fere with any other township. The courses and distances returned by him were as follows :

" Beginning at a corner of Amity township by the river Schuylkill, and extending thence by the said township, N. 20 E. 700 perches ; thence N. 70 W. 89 perches ; thence N. 20 E. five hundred perches to the upper corner of the said township; thence on vacant land N. E. 660 perches; thence on vacant land and on a line dividing the lands of Thomas Potts & Co., from lands belonging to the heirs of Thomas Rutter and lands of the Colebrookdale Co., and on other land and on George McCall's manor, S. E. 1380 perches, to a line of the German Co.'s land; thence on the same S. 40 W. 1200 perches, to the aforesaid river ; thence up the same, 1060 perches, to the place of beginning."

And this tract was erected by the court on June 7, 1736, into a township, naming it " Douglass ; " and in the order of erection John Ball and James Yokham (Yocum) were ap- pointed as the first overseers of highways, and Andrew Ringberry as first constable for the ensning year.

In 1842 the boundary lines of the township separating Colebrookdale and Earl were ad- justed in order to remedy an existing incon- venience with respect to road taxes.

In 1849 the estimated area of the township was seven thousand acres.

The southern section of the township adjoin- ing the river is flat, but the central and northern section are considerably interspersed with hills and wood-land.

TAXABLES OF 1759 .- The following list con- tains the names of the taxables of the town- ship in 1759. The tax levied was £37 17s. 6d. Derrick Cleaver was the collector.

Busserd, Samuel. 16

Bostick, William 2

2 Bean, Nicholas 2

Burk, Michael. 3

Beard, Jacob .. 1 Cleaver, Derick. IG

Conglar, Michael 16

Cosbear, Christian 12

Potta, Jolın.

Conrad, Christian 3

Close, John 2 Potts, Thomas 6

Focht, Valentine 3

Fretts, George

Ringberry, Andrew 5

Geiger, John

IInling, Andrew 9

Haunselinan, George 10

Herriger, Leonard 2

Hoffman, Michael. 14

Shamberger, Henry.

Harman, John 1

Smith, Conrad.

Kelly, Valentine 20

Seglar, Zacharia.

Keepers, William

Teferheiser, Jacob.

Keaser, John.

Walters, Philip 13

Kearinger, George

Wills, Daniel. 10

Leabergood, Peter 14

Wanderalice, John, 6

Leabergood, Adamı 9

Wikle, Christian 12

Morris, Anthony & Co 40)

Wombeck, Frederick 9

Miller, Adam

Yocum, Margaret 12

Moses, Christopher. 1

Yocum, Peter 15

Neagle, Jacob 16

Yocum, Jonas

Near, Martin. 8

Single Men.

Holmes, William.

Ryan, James.

ITosselbarger, Philip.

Ringberry, Samuel.

McGilly, Roger.

Romesh, John.

EARLY IRON-WORKS .- The only industry in the township is the " Pine Iron-Works," situated on Manatawny Creek, near the line of Amity township. It occupies the site of the " Pine Forge," which was begun by Thomas Potts in 1740. A piece of pig-metal is pre- served on the place, which was cast then to signalize the foundation of the industry. Its length is one and a half feet, and its appearance thus :

TP 1740

Two forges named " Pool " were then in this vicinity, on the same creek, one above and the other below the " Pine Forge." John Potts, son of Thomas, succeeded him as owner ; and he, after having carried it on till 1769, sold it to David Potts, Jr. In 1783 David Rutter bought it at public sale, and carried it on till his decease, in 1815, when his son John became the owner and operator. In 1844 Joseph Bailey pur- chased the property, who, in the following year, tore down the forge and erected in its stead a rolling-mill for making plate-iron, with a capacity of eight hundred tons, and substituted the name " Pine Iron-Works." The mill was rebuilt and enlarged in 1869, with its capacity increased to twenty-eight hundred tons, from which time it has been owned and operated by

Newman, George

Peck, Thomas 1

Poltner, Philip.

Schotler, George 12

Schuler Christian. 8

Spotts, Michael. 13

Spece, Hieronynine. 5

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History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 160

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