History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 165

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 165

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

MOUNT LAUREL FURNACE, near the moun- tain, on Laurel Run, was built in 1836 by John A. Bertolet, Mayberry Bertolet and Francis Palm as a charcoal furnace of small capacity, and shortly afterward it became the property of Samuel Kaufman. In 1846 it was sold to Wm. H. Clymer, who had it in blast pretty generally nutil 1872, when the charcoal furnace was abandoned and an anthracite furnace erected on its site. This improvement was made by the Clymer Iron Company, which was formed in 1873 and was composed of William H. Clymer, Edward C. Clymer and Heister Clymer, the former as president, the latter as secretary and treasurer. It has since been op- erated by that company. The officers in 1885 were Geo. E Clymer, president; and Abra- ham Sweitzer, general manager.

The plant comprises about forty acres of land, with mansion and thirteen tenements. It is connected with the railroad at Temple station, one mile distant, by its own track. The product is about two hundred tons of good foundry iron a week.

The company also controls the Oley Furnace property, and operates it in connection with Mt. Laurel Furnace. It has been out of blast some years, and was last operated by Levan, Merkel & Co., from whom it passed to the present company.

TEMPLE FURNACE is located on the railroad, at Temple, the plant embracing a finely con- structed anthracite furnace, with thirty-two acres of ground and eighteen tenements. The furnace was begun in 1867, and put in blast the following year by Wm. H. Clymer & Co., his brothers Edward, Heister and George E. being associated with him. He was the manager until March, 1871, when Isaac McHose secured an interest, and the firm became Clymer, McHose & Co., continuing as such until March 22, 1873, when the parties interested became an in- corporated body, as the Temple Iron Co., of. which Wm. H. Clymer was the president, and Ambrose A. McHose, secretary.

The property is still controlled by the Temple Iron Co., the present officers being Geo. F. Baer, president ; Edward T. Clymer, secretary and treasurer. The furnace has been out of

1 The record of this proceeding could not be found in the county court-house. On February 10, 1851, an act of As- sembly was passed, ordering the qualified electors of Muhl- enberg township to hold their general and township elec- tions at the public-house of Gabriel Gehret, which was at the Temple; and on March 11th following an act was passed ordering such elections also in Alsace township, to be held at the public-house of Peter Fies.

994

HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

blast since May, 1883. Its capacity is two hundred and forty tons of foundry iron per week. The larger part of the ore has been ob- tained from the inines of this company in Berks and Lehigh Counties.

SHEARER'S FRUIT FARMS, near Tuckerton station, are among the most noteworthy interests of the township. They embrace one hundred and three acres of good land, which have been made doubly fertile by skillful cultivation. The pro- prietor, Christopher Shearer, located here in 1858 and first successfully cultivated grain and hay, producing immense quanties of the latter, but soon devoted his attention to the culture of potatoes and tobacco, as principal crops. About the same time he began setting his farm with fruit trees, planting in one year one thousand seven hundred Bartlett pear trees and near the same number of apple trees. All varieties of small fruits were also planted, and a peach orchard of two thousand trees started, while the area of his apple, pear and quince orchards was much in- creased. In 1885 there were two vineyards of sixteen acres, set almost wholly with the Clin- ton grape, and nearly the entire acreage of the farm was devoted to the culture of the fruits named, about twenty acres only being set aside for tobacco. The farm has been well im- proved, containing, in addition to the home buildings, six tenements, large refrigerators and nine vaults, thrce cider-presses and other appli- ances for storage and manufacturing purposes. About forty thousand gallons of wine are made annually. From ten to thirty men are con- stantly employed.

CHURCHES.

ALSACE CHURCH is situated on the road from Reading to Kutztown, on a tract of land which adjoins the northern boundary line of Reading. It was first established about 1740, the exact time being unknown. It is the oldest site of a church in the vicinity of Reading. The earliest records of the church have been lost. A burying-ground was included with the property from the beginning of the church. Many of the first residents of Reading, after the town was laid out, continued to worship there for many years notwithstanding the erection of i and a fine new altar was supplied.

separate church buildings by the Lutheran and Reformed denominations in the town. A new and fine two-story brick building was erected in 1850 on the old site, the corner stone having been laid May 9, 1850, and the dedication having taken place on October 19th to 20th following. This is probably the third church. It is a fine, large brick building and occupies a prominent position on a knoll, which renders it visible for many miles. In 1885 it was hand- somely repaired and repainted ; new windows with stained glass were introduced, and a neat baptismal font was procured. A life-size painting of Christ is on the wall in the rear of the pulpit.

It is a " union " church for Lutheran and Reformed congregations. In 1885 the elders were: Lutheran, Henry Saylor and W. Fisher; Reformed, Reuben Frederick and Amos Gehret. The membership then was : Lutheran, one hund- red and ninety ; Reformed, two hundred and forty-five.

A new cemetery was set apart in 1854, and sheds were erected to accommodate one hundred teams. The church is inclosed in a spacious yard.

The ministers who officiated here since 1850 have been Reverends Geissenheiner, Wagner, Jaeger and Huntzinger for the Lutheran congre- gation, and Reverends William Pauli, Augustus Pauli and A. S. Leinbach for the Reformed.

HINNERSHITZ CHURCH is situated at Tucker- ton, on an acre lot of land, adjoining the Centre turnpike, which was donated by William Hinner- shitz (son of Conrad, an early and prominent settler in that section of the county) on February 17, 1849, for church purposes. During that year a large and handsome two-story brick building was erected by the people of that vicin- ity, and it was dedicated on April 28, 1850, taking the name of "Hinnershitz Church," after the generous donor who started the move- ment in its erection. Two additional acres were purchased for burying purposes. The building committee was composed of John Zacharias, George Maurer, Jonas Shalter and Peter Roth- ermel.

In 1882 the church was handsomely repaired

995

TOWNSHIPS OF COUNTY.

The elders in 1885 were : Lutheran, Frederick Hartman and James Schmeck ; Reformed, James Keller and Lewis Bridegam.

The membership of the congregations is : Lutheran, one hundred and twenty ; and Re- formed, one hundred and thirty.

The pastors have been : Reformed, Reverends William Pauli, Augustus Pauli and Aaron S. Leinbach (the last name : officiating now) ; and Lutheran, Reverends G. F. J. Iaeger, T. T. Jaeger, and B. D. Zweizig (the latter being the present minister and having officiated for the past twenty-six years).

VILLAGES.

TUCKERTON .- Conrad Hinnershitz died in 1838, possessed of a farm containing two hun- dred and twenty-one acres in the vicinity of Tuckerton. His son William became owner of the land by devise, opened a lime-stone quarry and carried on the business of lime, coal and grain. This business started a station on the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. In 1850 it was known as Steeleville, having been named after J. Dutton Steele, the civil engineer of the road. In 1862 an appli- cation was made for a station, to be named "Tuckerton," after John Tucker, the first president of the road, which was granted. The station has been continued since by this name. Along the pike, a short distance to the east, a number of houses were then erected, forming quite a village. It took the name of the station. In 1881 it had thirty dwellings, a church, tav- ern, store, warehouse and one hundred and sixty-five inhabitants. A post-office, named "Schuylkill Bend " was established with Jonas Shalter as postmaster, in 1838; afterward it was changed to " Tuckerton," and Thomas Baum was the postmaster. J. A. Moyer is the present railroad station agent, having held that position a number of years. Hinnershitz erect- ed stores and warehouses and was largely en- gaged in trade, being especially a heavy dealer in grain. He was succeeded by Daniel Baum and others, the present merchant being John A. Schaeffer. The first tavern in this vicinity was opened about 1845 by Solomon Horning and

kept by him a number of years. The present landlord is Lewis Breidegam.

TEMPLE is the largest village in the town- ship and has a pleasant location on the East Pennsylvania. Railroad, of which it is a station. It contains a large furnace, store, hotel and about seventy buildings and three hundred in- habitants.

The place has collected about a prominent "cross-roads" on the Kutztown road, five miles from Reading. It derived its name from an old tavern, which stood here many years before 1800, and had for its sign a figure of King Sol- omon, painted in gorgeous colors, sitting on his throne. The portrait was remarkably well ex- ecuted and thereby the place became widely known. It required no great inventive faculty to designate the tavern as the temple-a term by which it and the locality have been known the past sixty years. The sign was three by five feet and the post fifteen feet high. It was taken down about 1870. The tavern building was of logs and stone-the latter rough-cast- and owned, first, by members of the Hartman family. In 1836 the keeper was John Huyett, who leased it to Daniel Kerlin. Isaac Bieber was a later landlord. The present hotel was built by Daniel Kelchner in 1853, and kept by him about ten years. It has since been occupied by a number of landlords, the present occupant being William L. Granl. Shortly after the rail- roud station was opened and named " Temple " -the word "Solomon" was dropped.

Daniel Baum was the first merchant in the place, opposite the hotel, where he built a large business house in 1870. In the course of a few years he moved to Luzerne County, when he was succeeded by John H. Schaeffer and Daniel Kerling, and, since 1882, Michael Adam. The latter enlarged the building in 1884. The third story forms a hall, used for lodge purposes.

The Temple post-office was established June 20, 1857. Since August, 1883, B. F. Y. Graeff has been the postmaster, keeping the office in connection with his duties as railroad station master. Four mails a day are supplied.

Dr. D. L. Bieber, about 1840, was the first physician located here. Later, Dr. William Schlemm settled at Tuckerton and Dr. James

996

HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Mathews, in 1860. After the latter's retire- Inent, his son Franklin began practicing. The present physicians are Drs. Robert Hnyett and George Engler.

Among the first residents of this locality were Daniel Hollenbach, a chainsmith, who lived in an old log house on the lot now owned by Dr. Mathews, where he also carried on a small shop. Daniel Zweitzig lived here as a laborer, selling ont to Benneville Rothermel, a mason. Augustus Kerling has been a shoemaker here the past forty years, and Daniel Kerling a coach- inaker. Jolin Rothermel was one of the first carpenters. In the coach-making business Ker- ling was succeeded by his sons in 1881, the firm becoming Wm. F. Kerling & Bros. They have a well-ordered shop and produce about forty fine carriages annually. Seven hands are employed. Cigar-shops are carried on by Daniel H. and John B. Kerling, eight hands being employed in the aggregate.

Temple Council, No. 339, American Me- chanics, was instituted in 1873 and had in 1885 thirty-fonr meinbers. Since its organization the meetings have been regularly kept. The coun- cil has an invested fund of five hundred dollars and is generally prosperous.

HYDE PARK is a name applied to a hamlet on the Kutztown road, two miles north of Reading. It is chiefly on sixteen acres of land, which were laid out into lots by John Frymire and William Umbenhaner. The former built a large brick hotel in 1876, which he has since kept, and north of this point Henry Miller has a store. Near by is the old Geiger inn, known many years as the " Cross Keys," now continned by Edwin Becker. The hamlet includes a number of fine homes. Since 1838 Jacob Lutz has followed blacksmithing at this point, and his stone shop is one of the first im- provements in the place. The immense Wyomissing ice-houses were built in 1885 by Jefferson M. Keller, who removed them from Reading. The supply is taken from a fine large pond, of seven acres in area. Steam- power is used to elevate the ice. Beyond this is Bernhart's Crossing, the railway station of Hyde Park. It is at the lower part of "Spring Valley," a vale of striking beauty, through

which courses the sparkling Spring Creek, and in which there are a number of improvements. The Bernhart family was early settled here, and for many years was engaged in keeping a public-house. The successive keepers were Daniel, Jacob and John Bernhart. Opposite the brick hotel are fine pleasure grounds, ex- tending to Penn's Mount, and near by are several highly improved farms. The property is at present owned by James Nolan, of Reading.

HEREFORD TOWNSHIP.

ERECTION OF TOWNSHIP .- This district of territory was first settled about twenty years before the erection of the county, in 1752. The early settlers were principally Schwenk felders, and included Rev. Christopher Schultz, George Schultz, Melchior Schultz, Melchior Wiegner, David Mester, Gregorius Mester and Baltzer Yeagle. In 1753 a petition was presented to court, asking for the erection of a new township. which was to be bounded and described as fol- lows : " Beginning at a heap of stones on land of Adam Trump-being the chief corner of Philadelphia County in the line of Northamp- ton Connty; thence northwest 1320 ps. to a post; thence by lands of Peter Federolf, Adam Mon, Richard Gregory, Thomas May- berry and others, S. W. 1770 ps. to a corner of land of Jolin Hess ; thence S. E. 615 ps. to a chestnut-tree, the corner of Colebrook- dale township; thence along the line of said township by the same course 945 ps. to a post in the line of McCall's manor, being the upper line of Philadelphia County; thence by the line of said manor N. 38 E., 1800 ps. to the place of beginning, containing 15,930 acres."

The petition was signed by seventeen inhabit- ants of this section ; their names were,-

Michael Zell. Jacob Zell. Christophe Schultz.

Melchior Schultz.

George Steinman.

Benedict Strohm.

Jacob Fisher.

Jacob Stauffer.

Gregory Meschter.

George Bechtel.

David Meschter. Michael Bauer.

Peter Moll.

Abram Bechtel.

Abram Bauer.

Samuel Bauer.

Melchior Wiegner.

TOWNSHIPS OF COUNTY.

997

David Shultz surveyed the tract above de- scribed on January 5, 1753, and the lines not interfering with any other township, it was, on February 1st following erected into a township and named Hereford.

In 1839 a large part of the township in the southern section, comprising about four thousand two hundred acres, was laid off and appropri- ated toward the erection of a new township called Washington.

In 1841 a large tract in the western section, containing about eleven hundred acres, was asked to be set apart and added to District township. The court appointed James Dona- gan, Benjamin Tyson and M. S. Richards as commissioners to view the premises, who made a favorable report, and the prayer of the peti- tioners was granted. In 1849 the estimated area of the township was twelve thousand acres.

TAXABLES OF 1759 .- The following list comprises the names of the taxables of the township for 1759. Tax levied was £74 15s. 6d. Peter Featherolf was the collector.

George Acre .. 12

Frantz Leaher, Sr 20

Andrew Altendorf 2

Casper Leydecker

Michael Bower 14

Courad Ludwig. 1

Samuel Bower. 13

Jacob Leibegoodt 1

Widow Bower 12

David Master. 12

Widow Bechtel 7

widow Molling 8

Abraham Beclitel 10

Wm. Mayberry 75

Caaper Meyer. 14

Dewald Beck. 4

Jacob Miller. 12

Conrad Been 5

Andrew Mauer, 12

Peter Bishop .. 2

George Dea

George Marsteller,

Joseph Erman 15

Nicholas Nickuu. 8

Frederick Neater. 3

Nicholaa Fink

George Rorebach

Martin Reber.

William Richard

Richard Gregory, Seo 15

Anthony Risse

Richard Gregory, Jr. 6

Jobn Gri gory 12

Ludwig Ganger. 10

Jobo Stap ..

Leonard Gressemer 18

Benedic Stron

1.2

Jacob Gressemer 4

Frederick Sayler.

1.2

Martin Glaber 5

Conrad Scbaub.

Pater Gerich 2

Nicholaa Seydell.

John Schudy.

Abraham Herb

John Shomond

Jacob Hane 1

William Shell 9

Christopher Schultz 10

Jacob Stoler. 12

Michael Kolb

Jacob Kuniua. 4

David Kurtz 6

Mountz Lorentz 8

Benedic and Michael Leasher .. 10

Frantz Lesher, Jr. 9 Jacob Wetzel

Wolfgang Wolf

Roland Young 12

Valentine Weyble 10

Bernhard Young. 1

Ludwig Wagner .. 1

Baltzer Zimmerman 8

Yost Weyand 12

Single Men.

Christopher Aehbach.

Philip Leydecker.

George Beyer.

Henry Bortz.

Christopher Master. Philip Nyat.

John Ehener.

Philip Rauch.

Peter Faderólff.

Theodore Schneider.

Abraham Gohman.

Abram Stoffer.

Henry Gablo.

Henry Scheweckle.

Christopher Greter.

Abram Stauffer.

George Lahr.

George Wegner.

Philip Labr.

Peter Wolf.

INDUSTRIES.

The Perkiomen and its branches afford a number of mill-sites, whose powers have been utilized for more than a century. One of the oldest is the Wiegner mill, long owned and operated by that family, and which is now car- ried on by Eli Klotz. Near by a man named Sleicher had a mill, whose site was taken for a new mill by David Knetz, and of which Charles Knetz is now the proprietor. The Clemmer mill is closely associated with the early matters of the township. It was built by David Clemmer and is at present operated by James B. Funk, the motive-power being water and steam. In this part of the township a small pottery was started about forty years ago by John Frederick, which is still carried on by his family. The "Clayton Creamery" is owned and conducted by an association which was organ- ized in 1881. The present officers are Henry G. Clemmer, manager ; John L. Bauer, secre- tary ; and James B. Funk, treasurer. Spacious buildings are occupied, which are supplied with the most approved apparatus for making first- class butter and cheese, the products having a high reputation in the city markets. It is suc- cessfully managed. William A. Clemmer is the present operator for the association. A few miles from this place a tannery was built many years ago by Benjamin De Long, which had as later owners F. K. Wald, F. K. Knetz and, since January, 1885, M. K. Smith. It is a large two-story stone building and contains twenty-six double vats. It is worked largely on calf-skins.

On the main branch of the Perkiomen John E. Gery built an oil-mill, which became the property of Israel Kriebel in 1833. Four years

Jacob Trey. 12

Melchior Weigner 24

W. Daungs

Luckess Maudy

Jobn Erich 1

Peter Federolf. 18

Thomas Potta & Co.

Jacob Finckboner. 1

Jacob Fisher 4

Andrew Schworde 2

George Schultz

Christopher Gehman 10

George Herbst. 1

Widow Stomeny 14

Abraham Jeakella

Martin Kreater 18

Melchior Schultz. 18

Jacob Trollinger 2

Jacob Tressener 2

Henry Miller

Juba Bechtel 14

998

HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

later he put up a new stone mill-house, which he supplied with machincry for making linseed oil. It has been operated the past twenty-five years by Henry Kriebel. It is the only oil- mill now operated in the county. On the same stream, at Treichlersville, Samuel Treichler had an oil-mill, which was converted into a grist- mill by David Treichler, making the building three stories high and supplying three runs of burrs. A saw-mill at the same power has been abandoned. The flouring-mill is operated by the Treichler family. Above is the mill-seat improved by the Schultz family and which has been controlled by them many years. Beyond the hills, near the Lehigh County line, Jonas Shank had a carding-mill. Coarse cloths were manufactured. It has been idle some time. The next power above drives the machinery of the Christman mill. The present stone build- ing is the second on the site, erected by Jacob Christman. It is supplied with four runs of stones. At what is locally called " Perryville" is the stone grist-mill built by Michael Gery and which is now operated by E. N. Gery. These mills produce large quantities of flour annually and are a great accommodation to the people.

On the west branch of the Perkiomen, below Huff's Church, there was a small charcoal fur- nace, which was erected many years ago. It stood near a high bank, above Mensch's mill, and had a long race, leading to a dam above Huff's Church, to supply the power. For a time the furnace was operated by a man named Mayberry, but it was removed so long ago that scarcely any trace now remains. Several miles down the stream the Mount Pleasant Furnace stood for many years. It was built in 1739 by Thomas Potts. Both these industries are men- tioned in the draft of the township prepared in 1753. Mensch's mill is also one of the oldest in Hereford. The present mill is of stone, three stories high. A saw-mill is operated by the same power. The Mensch family have continuously owned this property for several generations. Some distance below, Daniel Hunter had a pioneer mill, which became known as John Rush's mill, but which is now the property of Hartsough & Bro. Between

these there was a forge carried on for a time by Peter Weller, but which was abandoned and the building converted into a smith-shop.

IRON-ORE MINES .- Valuable iron-mines have been carried on successfully for many years in the northern part of the township, those on the Bittenbender and Gehman tracts being worthy of special mention.

No. of

Tons Mined.

Average Cost per Ton @ $2.

Av. Price per Ton

Rec'd at $2.40.

Profits to

Mine Operators.

Profit to Prop'ty Owners from royalties.

Bittenbender Tract. Gebman West Tract. Gehman East Tract.

118,000 100,000 12,000

$236,000 $283,000 200,000 24,000

240,000 28,800

$47,000 40,000 4,800

@ 50c @ 35c @ 50c

$59,000 35,000 6,000

230,000

#460,000 $551,800

$91,800

$100.000

The following table shows the profit of the iron-ore mines in this township till 1880.

The yield was from the entire field, which is about three thousand feet long, and averaging in depth one hundred and thirty feet.1

At the Bittenbender mine the ore raised from January to August, 1880, was three thousand eight hundred and ninety-two tons.

CHURCHES.

HEREFORD CHURCH (Reformed and Luth- eran) .- In 1812 a stone meeting-house for the Reformed and Lntheran congregations was be- gun on a lot of land donated for this purpose by Frederick Huff,? which was not completed until 1814. It was a building almost square in ap- pearance, high, with three galleries and other characteristics of the old-time church. This liouse, from its location, became popularly known as the " Huff Church," and is so spoken of to this day, although the proper name is the one given. In a repaired condition the stone church was used until 1881, when it was taken down and a new edifice erected, whose proportions and attractive finish are surpassed by few churches in the county outside of the city of Reading.

1 1 Penna. Geol. Survey-" Berks "-part 1, p. 289.

2 Frederick Huff died in 1816, aged eighty-two years. He lived to see seventy-nine grandchildren and thirty-seven great-grandchildren.

999

TOWNSHIPS OF COUNTY.

The corner-stone was laid June 5, 1881, and just a year later the church was dedicated. It is a brick structure, sixty by ninety feet, two stories high, the basement being divided into four rooms. The auditorium is very high and has wide galleries on three sides, so that accom- modations for one thousand persons are afforded. The walls and ceilings are beautifully frescoed and embellished by life-size paintings of Moses, St. John, St. Mark, St. Matthew and St. Luke. In the rear of the pulpit is a portrait of Christ holding an open book containing the words, " Wer mich bekennet for den Menschen den will ich wieder bekennen for meinem Himlish- en Vater."

The pulpit furniture is very fine. A fine baptismal font was the joint gift of D. H. Schweyer and Wm. H. Sallade. The chandelier was presented by C. N. Gery, Wm. B. Mull and Dr. J. A. Roth. A superior pipe-organ was supplied in 1865. The church is sur- mounted by a shapely spire, in which is a bell weighing, with its hangings, twenty-two hun- dred and forty pounds. The cost of this fine improvement, exclusive of the labor performed gratuitously, was twenty thousand dollars. The building committee was composed of Samuel Bittenbender, Charles N. Gery, John Geisinger and John Rusb.

The Reformed congregation has had the pastoral service of the Rev. Charles Herman, Rev. J. Sassaman Herman, and, for the past twelve years, the Rev. Eli Keller. Its member- ship numbers nearly four hundred. The Luth- eran congregation has about four hundred and fifty members, and is under the pastoral care of the Rev. D. K. Humbert, who is the successor in this office of the Revs. Roller, Kramlich, Croll and Boyer. A flourishing Sunday-school is maintained nine months in the year.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 165

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