History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 167

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 167

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BECHTELSVILLE is a growing village, with a fine, large furnace, mills, several stores and taverns and sixty good houses, occupied by seventy families. The increase of population has been greatest during the past few years and almost all the entire growth has been made since 1869, when it became a railway station. .. Before that time there were two mills and three houses, most of them belonging to the family of John S. Bechtel, after whom the place took its name. The village has a pleasant location on Swamp Creek. Isaac Bechtel had the first store in a building near the mill, some time about 1850. The building was after- wards converted into a tavern, which is still kept. Another tavern was opened by David K. Borkey. This became the property of Matthias Dotterer, and he then introduced a store. Two more stores were opened in 1885, by H. C. Schoenley and John E. Stangier & Bro. The cabinet and undertaking business was established in 1883 by William Conrad. A marble-yard is owned and carried on by Thomas W. Hoffman & Son ; and J. H. Moyer is a dealer in coal and feed.

PHYSICIANS.

In 1884 Dr. B. S. Grim located here as a physician and continues in practice. At Esch- bach, Dr. Frauklin R. Brunner (the present State Senator from Berks County) has been in practice the past twenty-five years ; at Church- ville, Dr. Isaac R. Yeagle, the past eighteen years ; and near the latter place Dr. C. K. Christman, the past sixteen years. The first to practice medicine in the eastern part of the township was Dr. Joel Y. Shelly, who lived near Herefordville. He was the preceptor of Dr. Nathan Young, who was at Schultzville from 1828 till 1842. Dr. Oliver Young also practiced medicine at that place. Drs. John and Joseph Wilson were practitioners a short time, the latter retiring and the former moving to Bethlehem.

ABRAM H. BARTO, of Washington town- ship, is the son of Isaac Bartow (as the name was first spelled), who was born in Oley township August 17, 1786, and, in 1812, was married to Elizabeth Feger. In April, 1838, Mrs. Bartow and her two daughters died. On November 24, 1843, Mr. Bartow was married to Magdalena Huber, by whom he had one son -Abram. Isaac Bartow came from Oley in 1813, and purchased land in what was then Hereford (now Washington) township. The tract contains one hundred and fifty acres. He died June 27, 1865, highly honored and re- spected. Abram, his son, succeeded in the ownership of his property.

Abram H. Barto was born March 4, 1855. He was educated in the public schools, Mount Pleasant Seminary, at Boyertown, and the Kutztown State Normal School. In 1875 he took a scientific course in the Allentown Business College. He married Miss Stauffer, and they have three children.

In 1868 the Colebrookdale Railroad Com- pany surveyed its line from Pottstown, via Boyertown, to a terminus on and near the west- ern border of Mr. Barto's farm. The road was soon completed and a fine depot erected at this terminus. In 1870 he had building lots sur- veyed and commenced to sell them. A dozen i honses have since been erected, and the name of

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

the station changed from " Mount Pleasant " to " Barto," which is also the name of the post- office. Mr. Barto conducts a store at this place. He is closely identified with Sunday-school and church matters.

lowing five persons only were mentioned as patentees:

Jacob Tysher, patent issued April 25, 1764, for one hundred acres.

Adam Speitlemyer, patent issued December 9, 1766, for one hundred and one acres.

abram H. Barto.

RUSCOMB-MANOR TOWNSHIP.

MANOR OF RUSCOMB ERECTED .- Pursuant to a verbal order from the proprietor, Nicholas Scull surveyed, on July 26, 1739, for the pro- prietors' use, a large tract of land, situated be- tween Oley and Maiden creek, containing ten thousand acres, which was named the "Manor of Ruscombe."

No positive information was obtained respect- ing the early settlements in this district of terri- tory. It is more than probable, however, that very few settlements were made in it prior to 1752. This inference is drawn from a survey made by Cadwalader Evans, Jr., in August, 1789. In a return made by him then, the fol-

John Riegel, patent issued February 2, 1772, for fifty six acres.

Jacob Zauger, patent issued February 21, 1772, for one hundred and ten acres.

Conrad Schmell, patent issued February 21, 1787, for thirty-eight acres.

Other patentees then were John Christian Slegle, Jacob Miller, Yost Wagner, Ulrich Huy and Conrad Price, and there is also given a list of names of persons who have marked out lands for themselves within the manor lines. This list comprises one hundred and fifteen names, and the tracts together contained eight thousand nine hundred and eighteen acres and twenty three perches. It is more than likely that if settlers to any considerable number had

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located in this section, they would have taken up lands by patent more than those named as settlers did in neighboring districts.1

I was not able to find any record of the erection of the manor into a township. Its lines were changed by the erection of neighbor- ing districts into townships. The earliest evi- dence of it as a township is the assessment record of the county for the year 1759, in which it is included in the list of townships.

TAXABLES FOR 1759 .- The following list comprises the names of the taxables in the town- ship in 1759. The total tax levied was £16 11s. 6d. Jacob Leapert was the collector,-

George Angstadt

Anthony Kruest

Joseph Allgaier

Philip Kluninger 2

John Allbright.

Simon Kraus

4 1

Genrge Becker

Peter Kline

Christian Bruchman. 2

Frederick Liess ..

Frederick Bachman 2

Henry Liesg,

Frederick Boyer. 2

Jacob Liebert. 8

Henry Bondt 2

Michael Miller ..

Anthony Bronst.

Tobias Metzger

Jacob Deiser. 12

Jacob Michael 6

Jacob Doylman. 1

Conrad Priess 12

Peter Dietbelman 4

John Ringle

Dietrich Fall

George Rock 5

Jacob Fuche.

Ludwig Riegle 5

Michael Fieher. 1

Adam Smeal

Valentine Ginter

Genrge Swartz

Bastian Gernant.

Andreas Sigfried.

Jacob Gilbert

Michael Sigfried 6

Nicholas Gilbert. 5

Godlieb Volck. 3

Jacob Heller 1

Yost Waggoner 10

Stephen Haverhacker 5

John Weidinghamer. 7

Cusper Hoffman

Peter Williams, 6

Christian Hoffnagle 3

Jacob Zouner 2

Krafft Kearn

Single Men.

Dietrich Fall.

Christopher Gernandt.

Ynst Fall.

Owing to the altitude of the township and the temperate habits of its citizens, a large number of people attain extreme old age. A partial list of those who have passed the allotted " three-score years and ten " shows that Daniel Rider, at the age of ninety-six, is still able to do work on the public roads ; John Gift, eighty-six years old ; John Manwiller, eighty-five; John Heller, eighty-eight; David Manwiller, eighty-two ; John Glasser, eighty- one ; John Buskirk, John Heller and Danicl Moyer, eighty ; and Daniel Brown, John Rider, Isaac Hoeffer, Samnel Schmehl, John

Haas, Benjamin Foos, Charles Schaeffer and Daniel Spies are each over seventy-five years.

The highest point in the township is on " Wagner's Head," about a mile southwardly from Pricetown. It is about two hundred feet higher than Pricetown and seven hundred feet higher than Fleetwood, on the East Pennsylva- nia Railroad (two miles distant), or about eleven hundred and fifty feet above the sea. It commands a magnificent view of the East Penn Valley to the north, Lebanon Valley to the west and the Oley Valley to the southeast.

INDUSTRIES .- The water-power of Ruscomb- manor is limited to several small streams whose volume is strong enough to operate small mills or other common industries. Near Pricetown William D. Haines had in successful operation a good tannery from 1824 for a number of years. William Haas was a later owner and tanned until ten years ago, when work was discontinued. Below this place George Heck- man carried on a tannery until his death, when the property passed into the possession of Benjamin Kline, who then operated it for some years. These buildings have been removed. In 1855 Michael Buck put up a tannery in the eastern part of the township, which he carried on about five years, and then in 1861 he con- verted it into a glue factory. As such he operated it until 1875, when his son, Fred. Buck, became the owner. Since 1885 Peter Hill has been the proprietor. The motor is steam and the annual product is about. eighty barrels. Lower down, on the Willow Creek, Henry Gilbert owned and carried on a mill about 1800, which became the property of John Focht. The first mill had only a small capacity. About forty years ago Samuel Wanner built the present mill, now owned and operated by Israel Leinbach.

A short distance below, Henry Rettinger had a small saw-mill, which was afterward removed and the power abandoned. Another power was improved to operate a tilt-hammer for a man named Biecher, which became the property of Henry Rettinger, who employed the power to operate a clover-mill. Here is now a feed-mill and machine-shop owned and operated by Schmeck & Haag. An improvement lately

1 Rupp, in his "History of Berk + County," page 244, mentions the names of thirty-eight land-holders within the township in 1749.

Henry Landerslagle 1

Jacob Brown

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

made will enable them to manufacture yellow ochre at the same point. The mineral is obtained from an abandoned iron-mine in the neighborhood. This stream was also appro- priated before 1800 to operate a carding-mill for Peter Wanner for some years, which has been discontinued and the power used to carry on a saw-mill for Nicodemus Noll.

Near Blandon, William Moser had a grist- mill containing good machinery, but as his water-power is weak, very little work is done.

The first iron-ore mine was opened in the township about 1860. The locality is near Fleetwood. It is commonly called the Madeira Mine. Some years afterward the " Clymer Iron Company " opened several ore-mines about a mile eastwardly from Pricetown, from which much ore was obtained.

CHURCHES.

BAPTIST MEETING-HOUSE .- In 1807 Mar- tin Gaube conveyed to "The Old Baptist Soci- ety," composed of members in and about the township of Ruscomb-manor, a lot of ground containing one acre, and a " House of Divine Worship " thereon erected. This lot is part of the Price tract. The trustees of the society then were Martin Gauhe, David Kinsey, Chris- tian Kinsey and John Beyler. This church was in existence at least a score of years before. A "burying-ground " was also inclosed. Be- fore the completion of the church the meetings were held under a large tree, which stood on this lot, and in the Gaube house or barn, he be- ing the first preacher. Among the members were persons belonging to Kenzie, Reublemoyer, Fiant and Price families. The local member- ship was not large at any time. At present only few members survive. Among the preachers at this church have been George Price (of Ches- ter County), John Price, John Zug, Henry Kas- sell, Samuel Harley, Jonas Price, William Hartzell and Christian Bucher. The present preachers are J. Rothermel, Joshua Koenig and Israel Koenig.

ST. JOHN'S CHURCH (LUTHERAN AND RE- FORMED) .- Rev. Augustus Herman, a Re- formed minister, and Rev. Jacob Miller, Lu- therau, visited this locality before 1840 and

occasionally preached in the Baptist meeting- house ; but none of their ordinances were ever observed in that place and no efforts made to form congregations. The Harvest Home meet- ings were usually held under the large tree near the church. In 1841 William D. Haines suc- ceeded in interesting a number of people to unite with him in building at Pricetown a new church for the use of the Lutheran and Re- formed congregations, which had been formed of the Haas, Fry, Buskirk, Levan, Rider, Van Miller and Lamb families. It was dedicated as the "St. John's Union Church." It is a stone building standing on an acre of land pur- chased from John Haas for this purpose. The membership of both congregations has al- ways been small, and the aggregate number belonging at present is not more than one hun- dred and fifty.

The Reformed congregation had as its first pastor the Rev. Isaac Miesse. At present it is served by Rev. Isaac S. Stahr. His predecessors were Revs. N. Strassburger, William Good, Philip Hoffman and Daniel Schoedler. The pastors of the Lutheran congregation have been the Revs. Isaac Roeller, Daniel Kohler, J. M. Ditzler, A. Hinterleiter, T. T. Iaeger, G. F. Spicker and U. P. Heilman.

The Sunday-school conducted in this church by Samuel J. Hill, superintendent, was first organized in the Baptist meeting-house, in the spring of 1833, by William D. Haines, who by birth was an Englishman, and came to this place from Philadelphia. He was the superin- tendent many years, and it was his interest in this matter which led to the building of the church, although for many years the Sunday- school was elsewhere held.

The church bell is the old bell which hung for four-score years in the old court-house at Reading. It is still in a good state of pres- ervation, and when rung produces a pleasing sound, which reverberates grandly amongst the high hill-tops surrounding. Years ago it summoned the citizens of the county to give their attendance before the transitory judgment-seat of man ; but it is now, and has been for over forty years, used to summon the surrounding community into the church to pre-

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pare the way for the judgment-seat of God, "Eterual in the Heavens."

. SALEM EVANGELICAL CHURCH at Pricetown was built in 1857 by John Brown, Franklin Palm and Rev. Henry Bucks, as a committee appointed for that purpose. It is constructed of mountain stone, very plainly built, and stands on an acre of ground, the greater part of which is a cemetery. The trustees in 1885 were Eph- raim Stitzer, Obed Manwiller and David Bier- man. The membership is weak, only twenty persons belonging to it. These form a class under the leadership of Francis Heckman. The church is an appointment of the Friedensburg Circuit, of which Rev. H. H. Glick was the preacher in 1885. Other ministers who preached here : Revs. Henry Bucks, Hess, Schultz, Litzenberger, Butz, Kurtz, Ziegenfuss, Kahıl, Hooper, Sechrist and Lerch.

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS .- A society of this faith was organized at Pricetown in the fall of 1883 by Elder Henry A. Rife, acting under the auspices of the Pennsylvania Conference. Amos Snyder was appointed local elder and Samuel S. Gruber deacon. The ten members originally composing the society have received an addition of eight members, and the work of the society is fairly prosperous. The meetings are held in the school-house at Fleetwood and at the houses of the members at Pricetown, ex- cept when a protracted effort is made, when a large tent is provided, in which visiting elders, conduct the services. The society is part of District No. 1, whose headquarters are at Al- lentown.

In addition to- the cemeteries connected witlı the foregoing churches, there are a number of private burial-grounds in the township, usually on the farms of those who made the first inter- ments, and containing the dead of the original owners and their family connections. Among them are those of Samuel Fox, Samuel J. Hill, David Croll, Henry Knoll, Washington Schmeck, Isaac Hoeffer, Dr. Levi Thompson, Zachariah Hilbert, Samuel Hoeffer, Daniel Jaeger, Samuel Schmehl and Ephraim Snyder.

SCHOOLS .- One of the first schools in the township was taught in the vicinity of Price- town. A school-house was afterward built at

Pricetown, on the same lot that the Dunker Church occupies, the building committee having been Daniel Brown, Daniel Snyder and Abra- ham Wagner. In this both English and German were taught, George Price being a German teacher. The best remembered Eng- lish teachers were Cyrus Knapp, John P. Dan- iels and Isaac Jacobs. The free-school system was accepted by Ruscomb-manor in 1837, the township being one of the first in the county to adopt it, and the first school at Pricetown under that system was taught by an Irishman named Murphy.

VILLAGES.

PRICETOWN is the only village in the town- ship. It is located on the highlands south of the centre. It contains several hotels and stores, three churches and about thirty resi- dences. Its nearest railroad station is Fleet- wood, on the East Pennsylvania Railroad, two

SUMO

THE FIRST LOG HOUSE.

miles north. The place took its name from Conrad Price (Preiss), who purchased a tract of one hundred and one acres lying here from Adam Spittlemyer in 1768. It is supposed that the town plan was laid out by him in 1780. He erected a log house on this tract in 1773 which is still standing. Some time about the Revolution he gave each of his sons a tract of this land, and made calculation for a future village by providing for an alley-way in the rear of the land. These smaller tracts were subsequently cut up into lots to suit purchasers. One of Price's sons lived in the eastern part of the present village, and was by trade a pump- maker. Another son lived in the western part, and was a farmer. A tailor named Gable was

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

an early citizen of the place, and a little later came Anthony Le Fever, who had a small tan- nery in the eastern part, which became the property of Aaron Heckman, who last carried it on. And mechanics came as the surrounding country was developed, among the number be- ing Jacob Weiser and Henry Haines, carpen- ters ; Christian Glasser, John, Elijah and Amos Brown, shoemakers ; Thomas Sechrist, tailor ; Benjamin Tobias and Valentine Ebling, black- smiths. Lewis Frank, a Jew peddler, also lived here many years, becoming quite noted in other parts of the country for the sharp bar- gains which he drove. Jonathan Price built a tavern on the present Guinther stand and op- posite another house, in which he opened the first store. In the tavern business he was suc- ceeded by Henry Bernhart, who kept it until his death, when his widow carried it on. The present tavern was built by Israel Wentzel, who enlarged the old building. In 1885 it was kept by Saphenus Guinther. After Price dis- continued his store Benjamin Kline succeeded him, and he had among his successors Henry Dengler, Samuel Babb, Charles Levan, Jacob Engle and Charles Levan, the last in trade at that stand.

Near by Daniel Brown opened another store some eight years ago, which is still continued by him. In the lower part of the village Ben- jamin Kline put up a store and tavern building fifty years ago, and was in business there about ten years. It has been carried on there since 1868 by Weston & Brother.

The post-office at Pricetown is the only one in the township. For a long time it had but a weekly mail, and George Heaner was the post- master. Samnel Babb was his successor, fol- lowed by Aaron Heckman, Charles Levan and William C. Weston, when the mail was tri- weekly. Since July, 1885, a daily mail from Fleetwood has been supplied, and George Hill is the present postmaster. Charles Levan, a prominent and very successful merchant at Pricetown, was the postmaster for twenty-eight years, till October, 1864.

Dr. Jacob Rothrock is remembered as one of the first physicians located at this place. He was followed by Dr. Henry Burch. Dr. |

Adrian Loeven was also a practitioner for some years, and he died in the township. Dr. Charles Weber located at Pricetown about thirty-five years ago, and is still in successful practice, having been the longest located in the township.

In 1844 the village contained twenty-five houses, one church, one store, two taverns and one hundred and sixty-five inhabitants ; and in 1883 it contained four churches, two stores, three taverns and two hundred inhabitants.

Among other country inns maintained at different times in the township, the most im- portant was the one kept by John Stermer, about 1820, on the place now owned by David Manwiller. West of Pricetown, Peter Miller had an inn about the same time, the place be- ing at present the farm-house of Washington Schmeck.

ROCKLAND TOWNSHIP.

ERECTION OF TOWNSHIP .- In May, 1758, Henry Vanderslice surveyed a large tract of land, containing twelve thousand and eighty- five acres, in the " Oley Hills," for a township. It was confirmed by the court on November 14th following and named " Rockland." The lines were as follows :

" Beginning at a corner of Oley township ; thence along the same S. 70 E. 1070 perches, to a stone corner; thence along territory in which there was then a great number of settlers, but which was not yet a township (though it was known by the name of East District, having been the Eastern District of Oley), N. 40 E. 1350 perches, to a chestnut tree; thence along territory known by the name of Long Swamp (which was not yet a township, though steps were then being taken to erect it into a township), N. 35 W. 972 perches, to a stone corner ; then along Maxa- tawny township, S. W. 599 ps., to a Hickory tree corner, and N. W. 472 ps., to a white oak tree corner ; thence along Richmond township, S. W. 668 ps., to a stone corner ; thence along Ruscomb-manor township, S. E. 578 ps., to a white oak tree corner, and S. W. 639 ps., to the place of beginning."

In 1840 a large tract in the western section of the township, containing about one thousand four hundred acres, was cut off and added to Richmoud township, by petitiou of interested citizens, on account of grievances felt in respect

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TOWNSHIPS OF COUNTY.

to road taxes and to attending military exercises. M. S. Richards, Samuel S. Jackson and Samnel Beard were the commissioners.

In 1842 a triangular tract in the extreme southeastern section was cut from the township by Samnel S. Jackson, William Wunder and M. S. Richards, commissioners on petition, etc., and added to Pike township.

In 1733 (March 10th) a warrant was issued to Casper Wistar, of Philadelphia, for one thou- sand acres. The tract was not then located. In August following Conrad Reiff, of Oley, ob- tained a patent for three hundred acres under this warrant, which he located in the northern section of Oley, and which subsequently became a part of Rockland.

ROCKS IN ROCKLAND.

The township took its name from the numer- ous large rocks found on its territory, especially in the central section. A large rock (in dimen- sions, thirty feet long, fifteen feet wide and fifteen feet high), which rests on another some- what smaller, is situated in an open field near by, and to the south of the road leading from Drysville to Fredericksville, and about a mile west from the line of District township. It is commonly known as " Shott's Head." A rock twice the size of the one mentioned lies on the surface of the field near by. A large collection of rocks, comprising what is generally known as " Guinther's Head," are situated abont a mile to the north of " Shott's Head." The topmost rock is sixty feet long, twelve feet high and ten feet wide. Its appearance is imposing, the sur- face of the earth descends abruptly for several hundred feet. It is in a direct line with the Keystone Normal School and the "Pinnacle " (Albany township). It is abont one mile west

from, and fifty feet lower than, a prominently projecting point in the Longswamp Hills, which has been selected by the United States govern- ment as a station in the triangulation survey, and represented to be visible from the State- House at Philadelphia. Near by " Gninther's Head " there is a succession of six large rocks (somewhat lower in elevation), which project upwards in a line at an angle of seventy de- grees, and about one hundred and twenty feet in length. The water-shed of the township is in this vicinity, the water draining to the east, south and west.

TAXABLES OF 1759 .- The following list comprises the names of taxables in the town- ship in 1759. The tax levied was £31 178. 6d. Henry Mertz was the collector. The early settlers were Germans, who migrated north wardly from Oley before the erection of the county :

₺

John Anstadt

Henry Lang.

John Albrecht.

Henry Mertz.

Conrad Bear.

Conrad Manessmith 2

Nicholas Bearninger. 10

Nicholas Moyer.

Philip Barnaby.

John Jost. Mertz

Charlee Bernhard

Frederick Olrich

Jacob Burrel.

George Oberdorf. 2

John Bast

William Pott 12 .

George Bieber

John Pott

Widow Breifogel.

Matthias Peck OT

William Dallrish

Casper Pecking ..

Melchior Danner.

Hans Nicholas Platter

Michael Dressley

Jacob Poger.

Jacob Drog

Ludwig Prim

John Eck

Conrad Road 3

Jacob Ellinger.

Casper Rubbert 2

George Flack

Lawrence Rerick.

Jacob Groul ..

Peter Reemer

Andreas Great

Casper. Rep

Richard Hoffman

John Ludwig Rout

Frederick Reich 2

Peter Rieff, Sr 20

George Shoemaker.

Christian Henry.

Peter Heeder

Herman Imrich.

Henry Sobarsh. 9

Frederick Schekler.

Jacob Kutz

George Seibert

Michael Kerver.

Hane Scheirer, Jr 1

Jacob Sheradeen .. 2

Michael Kline.

Christian Shoemaker 4

Jacob Keim

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History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 167

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