History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 166

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 166

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SCHWENKFELDER MEETING-HOUSE is on the Washington township line, a short distance from Montgomery County. Connected with it is a small cemetery, where are interred the mem- bers of this faith who settled in lower Berks many years ago. It is a stone house, about thirty-five by fifty feet, and was erected in 1824. Extensive repairs in 1883 have again placed it in a good condition. The church members wor-

shipping here are few in number and services are held in connection with two other churches in Montgomery County, each church having a meeting every three weeks. The holidays of the church are strictly observed. A Sabbath- school is maintained the entire year.

VILLAGES.

CLAYTON is a hamlet on the Washington township line, with its principal interests in Hereford. It received its name when the post- office was established, in 1850. Before that time it had become a business point. It is located at the intersection of several roads, and is the southern terminus of a fine turnpike to Treich- lersville. There are a store, tavern, mechanic- shops and half a dozen residences. The first settler was Andrew Fink, a dealer in small beer and cakes, who lived in a small house opposite the present store. He sold out to A. B. Bech- tel, who put up the present improvements. John Bechtel put up the store building about forty years ago, and he and his son, A. B. Bech- tel, engaged in merchandising. This became the property of Henry Schultz and since 1872 the merchants have been H. H. and E. H. Schultz. The post-office is kept by them. It distributes a daily mail. The tavern was built in 1839 by Jacob Treichler, who also kept a small store in the same building. After his death the business was continued some time by his widow. The inn at present is the property of Frank Schultz.

HEREFORDVILLE is a small village, near the Montgomery line, in the northeastern part of the township. It has the usual interests of a country place and contains about two dozen buildings. The name was derived from the township and first used when John Hillegas laid out the vil- lage lots. Eli Ritz had one of the first im- provements here, keeping a public-house, soon after 1800, in part of the building which still serves such a purpose. The Hillegas family became the owners of the property, after Abraham Shell had occupied it a long time, and enlarged the old stone house. They carried on a tavern and store in it. Later John Hillegas built the brick store on the opposite side of the street, in which many parties liave merchandised.

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Benjamin Deysher lias had a tin and hardware store the past thirteen years. Lower down the turnpike, near the Montgomery line, Jacob Gery had a store and tavern, which were kept a number of years, but have long since been dis- continued. In this locality lived Dr. Joel Y. Schelley, for a number of years a successful practitioner. In Herefordville proper Dr. Henry Babb built a fine residence and was also engaged in the practice of his profession. The last resi- dent physician was Dr. J. P. Hersh.

TREICHLERSVILLE is a hamlet on the Perkio- men Creek, at the intersection of the "Clayton Turnpikes," and was named after Samuel Treich- ler, who opened a store at this point and was also the keeper of a public-house, begun about 1830. The latter has had many owners. It was con- ducted in 1885 by Daniel Bortz. The Here- ford post-office, established in 1830, is kept at this place, and Treichler was the first postmas- ter. For many years H. Kriebel held the office. The present postmaster is E. G. Fegley, the merchant of the place. Several mills are situ- ated here. Some years ago a small tilt-hammer was operated by the Bauer family.

PERRYVILLE .- Near the head-waters of the Perkiomen is a small hamlet called Perryville, or Gery's Mills, long operated by Michael Gery. He also had a store and tavern, the latter only being continued at present, with Nathaniel Gregory as the proprietor.

SIESHOLTZVILLE .- North, near the Long- swamp line, is the old hamlet of Siesholtzville, which received its name from Abraham Siesholtz, the keeper of an old-time tavern. The first pub- lic house was opened about 1800, by a man named Mensch. A store was begun by Charles Helfrich, and a later merchant was Charles Gery. The Siesholtzville post-office, estab- lished in 1849, is kept by the latter. A tri- weekly mail is supplied from Barto. Dr. J. A. Roth has been the medical practitioner for several years. A few mechanics find employ- ment in this locality.

HUFF'S CHURCH is a hamlet on the head- waters of the west branch of the Perkiomen, so called on account of the Hereford Union Church, located here, and the Huff family, who first made this a public place. It comprises

half a dozen houses. George Huff had a public- house at the place now kept by C. D. Gery, for many years ; the latter demolished the old house in the spring of 1886, and erected a three-story stone building in its place. Abraham Baum had the first store. In 1871 M. M. Gery built a large frame store, in which he engaged in business the following year. He was succeeded in 1876 by the present merchant, D. R. Bech- tel, who is also the postmaster of Huff's Church office, established in 1874, and supplied with a tri-weekly mail, on the route to Siesholtzville. A fine hardware store was opened in 1883 by Daniel C. Gruber, and it has since been carried on by him. There are also a few mechanic shops in the neighborhood. The school-house, a neat and attractive brick building, was erected in 1878.

TURNPIKES .- The township is well supplied with turnpikes, indicating the enterprise and public spirit of the citizens in that vicinity. There are three turnpikes,-

From Clayton to Treichlersville, three miles long. It was constructed by a company of citizens of the township. Henry G. Clemmer is the manager.

From Treichlersville to Montgomery County line, one and a half miles long. Managed by company or- ganized out of county.

From Treichlersville to Lehigh County line, one- half mile long.

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

ERECTION OF TOWNSHIP .- A new township, named Washington, was erected in 1839 out of the southern part of Hereford (forty-two hun- dred acres) and the northern part of Colebrook- dale (about eighteen hundred acres). The names of the early settlers of these parts are included in the lists of names given for said two town- ships.

EARLY SETTLERS .- The land on which Esch- bach's Crossing, Barto and Schultzville are sit- uated, together with the land constituting adjoin- ing farms in the vicinity, comprise five hundred acres, or one-half of a tract of one thousand acres which William Penn granted to a certain John Coles, of Calcut, in Somerset County, Great Britain, in September, 1681, to be taken

TOWNSHIPS OF COUNTY.

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up in the province of Pennsylvania. This grant became vested in Samuel Powel, of Philadel- phia, who shortly afterward caused five hundred acres to be located and surveyed in this vicinity. In 1724 he conveyed this tract of five hundred acres to Jacob Stauffer, a shoemaker, resident at Skippack. A large part of this tract has been retained in the Stauffer family from that time till now, it having been transmitted in a direct line from Jacob to Daniel, to Abraham, to Henry, to Abraham B., the present owner.

In 1734 a number of "Schwenkfelders " came to Pennsylvania,-altogether one hundred and sixty-four : eighty-one males and eighty- three females. Amongst these were Melchior Schultz, his wife, Susanna, and their three young sons,-George, Melchior and Christopher. They settled at a point several miles northeast from Schultzville about the year 1736, where they succeeded in erecting a capacious two-story dwelling out of tall oaks, which they had felled, cut into logs and sawed by hand into plank, the latter having been placed on the outside wall for protection ; and they, in their early life, manu- factured wagon-wheels out of oak timber, plaited horse-collars out of straw, twisted traces ont of hemp and raised their own flax and wool, which they spun into yarn and upon a weaver's loom wove into cloth for wearing apparel.

INDUSTRIES.

The " West Branch " of the Perkiomen af- fords some water-powers which are not surpassed in the county. They were improved at an early day to operate mills and forges. In the little dale, from the hills of Hereford to the lowlands of Washington, a distance of about three miles, there are a dozen powers, two of which at one time operated furnaces and three of them forges. When the latter were in operation this was one of the busiest sections of the county. One of the largest and most widely known of these forges was the one so long carried on by David Schall, and known as the " Dale Forge."1 It had a very superior water-power and large capacity. When first started it was known as " Focht's Forge." It has not been worked the past twenty years aud the power is now devoted to the op-

eration of a saw-mill. Below this place Aaron Covely had a foundry for the manufacture of cooking and heating-stoves, etc. It became the property of Anthony Eltz, who converted it into a forge after the foundry building had been burned down. The power has also been aban- doned. The lower forge was long known as Fisher's, having been last operated by Samuel Wise. Above this place there was a power used successfully for a time by Joseph Rush, in preparing whet-stones, the material having been quarried on his farm in the neighbor- hood. The quality was good, but the layer was limited and became exhausted some years ago. While used as a mill by Edward Meckler the property was destroyed by fire, in the spring of 1885. It has been rebuilt and converted into a turning-shop. In this locality the grist- mill of Jacob Anthony is operated in a small way. Lower down is the fine mill of Samuel B. Latshaw, which was lately enlarged and sup- plied with roller machinery, with steam-power added. This site was formerly known as Erb's, and later as Babb's. The Mount Pleasant Furnace was at a lower site, where the dale widens out into the level lands. After the manufacture of iron was discontinued the power was used to operate a saw-mill. Several miles below, Henry Landis established a tannery about seventy years ago. It was operated lat- terly by David Landis and by Jonathan Ma- thias. It has thirty vats. In 1885 the latter established a currier-shop at Churchville. The tannery has been idle since 1885. The last power in this county on this stream operates a grist-mill, owned by Amos Schultz. The building is constructed of brick and a profitable business is carried on by him.

On Swamp Creek improvements were made at an early period by the Kummerers, Bechtels and Stauffers. On a branch of the creek, in the northern part of the township, one of these mills is now operated by A. Benfield. Below, John Dotterer had in operation a clover and a grist-mill, but as the power was small it was soon abandoned, when he, in 1885, built a superior new mill on the old Kummerer site. The next lower power was made to operate the oil and saw-mills of John Bechtel and others. The

1 See Chap. VII., Early Industri s.

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

oil-mill has been discontinued. In 1882 James Bechtel started a grist-mill in its stead and re- built the saw-mill. The old Stauffer mill, next below, was also rebuilt in 1882 and supplied with roller machinery by John Stauffer, the present owner. Near what is now Bechtelsville, the upper mill was formerly supplied with ma- chinery for making linseed oil, but became a grist-mill under the ownership of William Bechtel. Jacob Oberholtzer is the owner of the lower mill. It was carried on for sixty years by John S. Bechtel and his son, David. It is still a good mill. A short distance below the village is the fine grist-mill of Henry Young, which is the last power on the stream in the township. Most of the above mills have a good capacity. When the water-power be- comes insufficient they are able, with steam- power supplied in recent years, to manufacture almost constantly. Altogether, thousands of barrels of flour are manufactured annually in the township, indicating the great value of the flowing water in the meandering streams of that township.

NORWAY FURNACE, at Bechtelsville, is the property of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company. It was projected and built by the Bechtelsville Iron Company, composed mainly of citizens of Washington township, in 1872-73, but owing to the panic coming on, it was never put in blast by the original owners. It resulted in great losses to the projectors. Afterward it was first operated under a lease by the Pottstown Iron Company. In December, 1883, the company transferred its lease to Gabel, Jones & Gabel. Substantial improvements were then made by this firm and they have since suc- cessfully operated it under the superintendence of Levi Yocum. The ore used is procured at the mine of the firm at Boyertown, and the daily product is forty tons of superior foundry iron. Forty-five men are steadily employed. The plant embraces thirty acres of land and the furnace cost originally one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

At Barto a valuable mine of iron-ore has been in successful operation for many years. The ore was first mined in limited quantities and the operations were confined to the

surface. Within the past twenty years steam- power has been employed and, in later years, three mines have been worked, viz .: the A. H. Barto, at a depth of one hundred and twenty- five feet; the R. S. Landis, at a deptli of three hundred and twenty-five feet, and drifts-the most productive of all the mines; and the mine of the Pottstown Iron Company, which has been wholly abandoned. Its shaft had reached a depth of two hundred feet, but not being very rich, and the water being trouble- some, the machinery was removed to other points. In 1885 the mines were idle. Near Bechtelsville iron-ore also abounds, but not in quantities to warrant mining operations.

CHURCHES.

MENNONITE CHURCHES .- Among the first settlers of the township of Hereford was a col- ony of Mennonites, who have since, in connec- tion with kindred settlements in Montgomery and Lehigh Counties, preserved a denomina- tional organization, which was formed in the last century. These early Mennonites were on very friendly terms with Father Theodore Schneider, the Jesuit missionary. They co-oper- ated with him in building the first Catholic Church, in 1743, and as a compensation to them for their kindness, an acre of land was granted to them out of the tract belonging to his society. This gave them a central location upon which to build a church of their own. The meeting- house which they then erected still stands and has a very primitive appearance, which indi- cates its extreme age. It is a low, wooden structure, a little larger than the ordinary school-house, with the joists extending far across the walls and the roof resting upon the same. It is occupied by the old Meunonites, who have stated services there in connection with other appointments. On the same lot there is a plain brick church, forty-five by seventy-five feet, which was put up by the New Mennonites in 1851. The building committee consisted of G. Bechtel, H. Eschbach and A. Bauer. It has since been occupied by them. Meetings are held regularly every two weeks by their ministers, Rev. C. H. A. Van Der Smissen and A. God- shall. The members number nearly two hundred.

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TOWNSHIPS OF COUNTY.

During the past sixteen years they have maintained a flourishing Sabbath-school. James H. Fuuk is the present superintendent. The congregations at Boyertown are a part of the old Hereford (or Colebrookdale) congregation, and the account there given will serve as a history of these congregations in the more important mat- ters and the causes which led to their separate establishment. The cemetery of the Washing- ton churches contains a large number of graves and is kept in good condition.

CHURCH OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT .- The earliest Roman Catholic Church in the county was erected in this township in the eastern section, about a half-mile from the connty line. The first church was built, in 1743, by the Rev. Theodor Schneider, from Bavaria, for the "Society of Jesus." During his efforts in this behalf he was assisted by the Mennonites and Schwenkfelders. This building is still standing in a good state of preservation. The record of baptisms begins with the year 1741, and includes, among other districts, Maxatawni, Tulpehaken and Goshenhoppen. Two patents were taken up for land-one for one hundred and twenty-one acres by Father Neale, in 1747, and the other for three hundred and seventy- three acres by Father Greaton, in 1748. A substantial brick church was erected in front of the old church in 1837, including a steeple, in which two superior bells were placed. The church was recently improved, figures were introduced and fine lamps were supplied for evening services. Two masses are conducted on Sundays.

In 1882 the old mission-house was torn down and a brick residence was erected for the priest. A new cemetery was set apart and con- secrated October 6, 1876.

Three priests lie buried under the floor at the pulpit in the old church building. They were the first, Father Schneider, who died July 10, 1764, aged sixty-two years ; the second, Father John Baptist de Ritter, who died February 3, 1787, aged seventy years, after having held the mission for twenty years; and the fifth, Father Paulus Erntzen, who died March 26, 1818, aged fifty-three years, after having held the mission twenty-seven years.

In 1820 Father Paul Kohlman, a Franciscan monk, became the first priest of the "Society of Jesus." He was assisted by Father Corvin, a Pole, till 1827; then the latter became the priest, and he continued to officiate till his deatlı, October 11, 1837.

Rev. Augustus Bally began his service here November 1, 1837, and he continued to officiate as priest with great success for a period of forty- four years. He died January 28, 1882. He was a native of Belgium and won a high posi- tion as a priest in this denomination. He possessed an active mind, and he was recognized for his liberality and enterprising spirit. Be- sides completing the church, which had been begun before he arrived, he also erected a fine brick school-house.

Rev. John Baptiste Meurer succeeded Father Bally as priest, after having assisted him since September 1, 1875. The parish now numbers three hundred and twenty-five families.

Father Schneider was settled here perma- nently in 1741. He erected a small two-story building, with one room on each floor, soon after he arrived. In the room on the first floor he instituted a school in 1743. It is said that about that time he and his scholars were com- pelled to remain in the building for a day and night owing to a heavy snow-fall. This school building is still standing. A school was con- ducted successfully in it till the township accepted the common-school system, in 1850, when the congregation established a parochial school. Reverend Father Bally erected a fine brick school building, to take the place of the old school-house. The school term extends through eight months of the year. Father Meurer pays the expense of one month, and the remaining expense is paid by subscription.

VILLAGES.

CHURCHVILLE is a pleasant village near the northeastern line of the township. It was laid out in 1860, by the Rev. Father Bally, on the lands of the Catholic Society of Jesus. It is situated in a very fertile country, and the beanty of its location is not excelled by any other village in the county. In this vicinity there are the fine Church of the Blessed Sacrament, two Menno-

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

nite Churches, stores and various kinds of me- chanic shops. The residences are substantial looking, and bear evidence of the thrift and comfort of the owners.

One of the first improvements was the public- house kept by Nicholas Andre, soon after 1860. It was subsequently enlarged by Samuel Cole and has since had a number of keepers. Oppo- site is a general store carried on by Wm. Bech- tel since 1869; also the hardware-store of Henry Reding, being a branch store of that first established here by Bechtel & Diehl. A clock and jewelry-store has been carried on by E. S. Gehman since 1882, and a general store by Frank Johnson since the fall of 1883. A plan- ing-mill, operated by steam, was started in the spring of 1886 by Anthony Johnson. To the north a hardware-store, begun in 1869, by Jo- seph Diehl, is carried on by H. M. Diehl & Bro. A post-office was established at Church- ville in October, 1883, with the name of Bally, and of which Wm. Bechtel was the first post- master. February 15, 1886, Aug. Kuhn snc- ceeded him. A daily mail is supplied. The village has at present over three hundred in- habitants.

BARTO is situated at the northern terminus of the Colebrookdale Railroad, in the centre of the township. It was laid out in 1869 by Thomas Christman, guardian of Abraham H. Barto, on land of the latter, at a point where the railroad company was then erecting a depot. It was first called "Mount Pleasant," because of its nearness to the spot where the old "Mount Pleasant Furnace " formerly stood. The name was changed to Barto in 1875 by the railroad company, to distinguish it from other places of the same name. In 1881 it contained a store, hotel, thirteen dwellings and sixty-six inhabi- tants. An extensive business in coal and lum- ber is carried on by William D. Schall. A large and valuable body of magnetic iron-ore has been mined in the immediate vicinity. Jacob Fretz was the first agent of the railroad. Since 1875 the position has been filled by W. W. Albright. Ore was formerly shipped in large quantities, but not since 1884. The first building in the place was put up in 1869 by Schall & Bauer, dealers in lumber and coal, and

was part of the present hotel first opened by Eli Gilbert. The house was enlarged by R. S. Smith in 1873, and kept by him ten years. The first general store was opened, in 1878, by B. F. Sell. He was succeeded in the spring of 1885 by Smith & Stauffer. The Barto post- office was established in 1882, and B. F. Sell served as postmaster until April 7, 1885, when J. A. Smith was appointed. It has two mails per day and is the distributing point for a number of offices.

SCHULTZVILLE is situated a half-mile east- wardly from Barto, at the intersection of two public roads,-one leading from Boyertown to Allentown, and the other from Dale (Barto) to Zieglersville. It was named in 1833 by Chris- topher K. Schultz, who theu and for over twenty years afterward conducted here a store and tavern. A post-office, named "Colebrookdale," was estab- lished here in 1828, and Mr. Schultz served as postmaster till his death, in 1856. He was suc- ceeded by the present postmaster, P. D. Schall, ' who is also the proprietor of the store and tav- ern. In 1881 it contained a hotel, a store, seven dwellings and fifty inhabitants. An independent school district was established in 1852 out of territory comprising the village and adjacent properties, since which time the directors have conducted a successful school, with the scholars varying in number from thirty to fifty.

This place has no mechanic-shops. Dr. Chester Clark practiced there as a physician from 1828 till 1842 ; then the property passed into the possession of D. S. Schultz, Esq., who has since occupied it. He is a practical sur- veyor. The Schultz and Stauffer families have been land-owners here for more than one hun- dred and fifty years.

North of Barto, near the Hereford line, the Dale post office was established in 1828, the name being suggested by the Dale Forge, car- ried on then at that point. The office has been kept by the Schall family since its establish- ment, the present mistress being Mary Schall.

In this neighborhood the Covelys opened a public-house. This became the property of Abraham Trollinger, and he then carried on a store also. These interests have been continued since by different parties. After the forges in

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TOWNSHIPS OF COUNTY.

the valley were abandoned, the place ceased to be an important business point.

ESCHBACH is nearly a mile southwest of Barto. It isalso a station on the railroad. It con- tains several shops, a store and tavern and about twenty buildings. It took its name after George M. Eschbach, a successful stock dealer and tavern-keeper on the road west of the present railroad station. He encouraged the railroad enterprise by a liberal subscription for the bonds of the company. The tavern is at pres- ent carried on by William Hartsough, who has, also, a cigar-factory in which eight hands are employed. Adam Glase had the first store in 1858, having removed here from Bechtelsville. The present merchant is William Hines, also the keeper of the Bechtelsville post-office, es- tablished half a mile west, in 1852, with Isaac Bechtel as postmaster. In 1858 George M. Eschbach was the postmaster and had the office first transferred to this place ; but, in 1866, when Jacob E. Bowman had the office, it was returned to Bechtelsville, thus intermingling the interests of the two places. The place was not laid out.

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History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 166

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