History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 173

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

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Casper Wink, married to Gertrude Kemp, was also one of the early settlers. They reared six children ; Catherine, the eldest daughter, born in 1728, and Theobald, the eldest son, in 1733. The latter was the father of sons named Philip, John, Peter, Jacob (a Revolutionary

soldier) and Dewalt. His daughters married Isaac Roberts, Jacob Levan, John Heiden- reich (father of Judge Wm. S. Heidenreich), John Hausman and Daniel Kemp. A brother of Theo- bald Wink, John Peter, born in 1745, went to the Revolutionary War and never returned. Dewalt Wink, son of Theobald, born in 1776, was married to a daughter of George A. Fister, also a Revolutionary soldier, and who was the grand- father of Colonel Thomas D. Fister. He was the father of eleven sons and two daughters, among the former being John G. Wink, of .Kutztown. Casper Wink was a Catholic and a faithful colonist, having his allegiance certified, which reads as follows :

"I do hereby certify that Casper Wink, of Berks County, State of Pennsylvania, hath voluntarily taken and subscribed the oath of allegiance and Fidelity, as directed by an Act of General Assembly of Pennsyl- vania, passed on the 13th day of June A.D. 1777.

"Witness my hand and seal, the 26th day of May, A.D. 1778.

" PETER TREXLER, ESQ."

A similar paper was procured by Davold (Theobald) Wink November 3, 1777, and was attested by Samuel Ely. These interesting papers are now in possession of John G. Wink. Casper Wink was buried on his farm, which is still owned by a member of the family in the sixth generation.

Jacob Hinterleiter was a large land-owner near Topton. He was the father of Daniel Hinterleiter, of Kutztown, born in 1800, and grandfather of W. C. Hinterleiter. George, another son, moved to New York.

At Eagle Point the Kroningers were early settlers. One of the family, Daniel, became a very old man. John George Sell, living near Kutz- town, also became very aged. At Bowers the De Long family were early and prominent settlers, the church at that place being often called by that name.

Southeast of Kutztown lived Peter Wanner (born where Fleetwood now is), who also became very old, dying at the age of ninety-two years. He was the father of sons named Peter, Daniel, Samuel, Thomas and John, the latter being the father of J. Daniel Wanner and Dr. Charles H. Wanner, of Kutztown, and of Amos B. Wan- ner, of Reading.

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Numerous other old settlers in the township attained a great age, bordering on a century.

REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY. - In reference to the Revolutionary history of the township, Professor Ermentrout says,-

"In the War for Independence, Maxatawny was not passive.

" From John G. Wink, one of the most intelligent citizens of Maxatawny, we learn that Washington's army marched through Kutztown. Eye-witnesses informed him that it came from Easton, and encamped for a time in the valley between the present residence of John Kemp, Esq., and the farm of Daniel Zimmer- man in Maxatawny. Washington and his wife were with the soldiers. Mrs. Sassaman, for some years deceased, used to delight in telling her visitors that Mrs. Washington, who lodged in the house of her father, Joseph Gross, lifted her on her lap, and soothed her with caresses. On their way from Trenton, by way of Easton, to the well-known camp at Read- ing, the captured Hessians were marched through Kutztown.

"It is interesting also to know that, whilst the battle at Germantown, 1777, was raging, the thunders of the cannon fell upon the ears of the inhabitants of Kutztown and vicinity ; that after the battle of Brandywine, 1777, a regiment of the American army encamped on the farms now owned by the Hotten- steins, and, on leaving, impressed the horses and wagons of the people; and that George Kemp, Esq., was one of the wagon-masters who were present at- the battle of Germantown.

"In Maxatawny there were still living in 1840 the following Revolutionary pensioners: Henry Grim, aged seventy-five; Frederick Bower, eighty-three ; Jacob Wink, eighty-two; Philip Noyes, eighty-four ; Christian Schmick, seventy-six. To this list we add the names of William Marx, Sr., and son, William, Casper Wink (buried on Squire Kemp's farm), Jacob Esser, Peter Kutz, George Pfister, Peter Wink, Philip Wink and Doldridge. On January 7, 1857, Matthias Roth died in Rockland township, aged seventy-eight years. On the last Monday of November, 1836, an- other died, Peter Klein, Esq., of Greenwich town- ship, aged seventy-seven years, who was buried at Dunkel's Church.

"On the farm of J. Bieber, Jr., in Maxatawny, stands the Mammoth White Oak of Berks. It may be justly called the Centennial White Oak of Pennsylvania. On the 15th of September, 1877, one hundred years will have passed by since the baggage train of General Washington's army, on its retreat from the battle- field of Germantown, sought and found protection under and around this Revolutionary tree. It is said that two centuries have looked upon this oak ; and competent judges assure us that it is now sturdy enough to defy the storms of another hundred years,

and may wave its branches in honor of the Centennial of 1976. One foot above the ground it measures twenty-eight feet in circumference, and ten feet above it begins to stretch forth twenty-seven limbs, some of which are three feet in diameter."

TAVERNS .- The oldest tavern in the town- ship and first opened to the public is the " Kemp Tavern," one mile from Kutztown, on the Easton road. It was opened probably as early as 1740, by Daniel Levan, and since 1788 has belonged to the Kemp family. George Kemp kept the tavern fifty-two years and was succeeded by his son, John, who still owns the property. For many years the "Half-Way House " in Richmond township, and this one were the only public-houses on the State road between Reading and Allentown. Part of the present house was built by George Kemp in 1795, and the addition by John Kemp in 1852. It is a long stone building, and though large, was often taxed to its uttermost to accommodate the many travelers who visited or passed through that section before the era of railroads. Not only were all the sleeping rooms occupied, but the bar-room was frequently filled with sleeping teamsters and peddlers. In this part of the township Dr. David Hottenstein was a practicing physician many years and was fol- lowed by his grandson, Oscar Hottenstein, now in practice at that place. Farther up the State road, in the Zimmerman neighborbood, George Bohn had a store from 1817 on for the next eighteen years, when the place was converted into farm property. Soon after 1800, when the State road was extended through this section, the Siegfried Inn (north of Kroningersville) was opened to afford entertainment for the public. It has been maintained since.

INDUSTRIES.

MILLS .- On the Sacony, below Kutztown, the Bieber family had a pioneer mill, John W. Bieber being for a long time the owner. In a repaired condition this grist-mill (with saw-mill attached) is now operated by Charles Kutz. The first mill in Maxatawny was on Mill Creek, near the hamlet of Eagle Point, and owned by Jacob Levan. A new mill, on the same site, is now the property of Charles Levan. Near by was formerly a tannery, also carried on

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

by the Levans, but long since discontinued, John Levan having been the last to operate it. Another mill, on the same stream, was built by Daniel Siegfried and after a time also became the property of the Levans and is now owned ly George Levan. That locality is locally known as Siegfried's Dale, on account of the early improvements made there by members of that family. North of Bower's, on a branch of the Sacony, the Grims had a good grist-mill, long operated by Daniel Grim, and which is still carried on by the family of Charles Trex- ler. The present is the second mill, a substan- tial stone building.

FURNACES. - The East Penn Furnaces, at Lyons, were built in the summer of 1871, on sixteen acres of land, seeured from the farm of Daniel Angstadt, by the East Penn Iron Com- pany, which had among its members John Deisher, William Grim, David Kern, Benjamin Helfrich, Amos Barto, Daniel Angstadt, Levi Kutz and Jacob Haag. Jolin T. Noble, of Pottsville, Pa., was the contractor and builder. This large establishment cost over two hundred thousand dollars. Franklin Brownback was the first manager for the company. It was oper- ated for four years and then the property passed into the hands of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company, which still controls it. A fire destroyed the engine-house and damaged the furnace to such an extent that it has been out of blast the past five years.

At Bower's, a small furnace was erected in the summer of 1883, by S. Good and Jacob Smith. Before it was put into blast a storm destroyed the casting-house and otherwise damaged the property so that it has never been repaired. Subsequently Smith became the sole owner.

IRON-ORE .- Iron-ore abounds in the. town- sluip and is usually of a good quality, yielding about forty per cent. of pure metal. On the Jacob Glasser farm, east of Kutztown, some of the first mining operations were carried on. Some of this ore was supplied to "Sally Ann" and " Mary Ann" Furnaces many years ago. Since 1870 mining has been carried on more extensively, with the aid of modern methods and machinery ; about sixty men are employed at the mines. At Rothroeksville profitable mines

are worked. At Bower's extensive shipments are made by Schweyer & Leiss, the Thompson. Iron Company, Isaac Bieber, C. W. Kutz and Kauffman & Eckert, the ore being mined within a radius of a few miles of that place. Extensive limestone quarries are operated by the Clymer Iron Company, of Temple, averaging fifty tons per day. The stone quarried there is superior for smelting purposes.

SCHOOLS .- In 1852 Maxatawny accepted the common-school system and organized its first board at the house of David A. Hottenstein, May 16th, of that year. The first directors were Sam. Kutz, Dan. Hinterlciter, Sam. Bern- hart, Peter Deysher, Henry Wagenhorst and Henry Heffner. At the first examination, held October 8, 1852; certificates were granted to Jacob Gehr, Benneville Stimmel, John Hum- bert and Jonas Hoch; on October 23, 1851, to William Levan, Isaac Fisher and Samuel Ber- net; on November 13th to a Mr. Fisher and Benjamin Dornblaser.

Most of the districts have been provided with good school buildings and supplied with the necessary books and charts for conducting the schools successfully. The school-house at Lyons is the largest one outside of Kutztown. It is a two-story brick, erected in 1876, and cost one thousand two hundred and forty-seven dollars. In it are maintained two well-attended schools.

CHURCHES.

MAXATAWNY CHURCH (Reformed and Lu- theran) is located at the village of Bower's. It is, next to the St. John's Church, at Kutztown, the oldest in Maxatawny, and one of the oldest in the eastern part of the county. For the first one hundred years of its existence it was the exclusive property of the Reformed congrega- tion, the union not having been formed until 1859. The first house of worship was a log building, erected in 1759, on three aeres of ground which had been donated for that pur- pose by John Sharadin, Peter De Long and Andreas Haag, each giving one acre, "to be used as long as the sun and moon shine." Sub- sequently additions were made to the church property until it now contains abont eight acres. Most of this is included in the cemetery, which

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TOWNSHIPS OF COUNTY.

is well inclosed and contains some fine monu- ments. The first church stood on this donated land. The second building was constructed of stone and was located very nearly on the site of the present edifice. It was erected in 1808 and served its purpose until 1871, when it was demolished to make place for the imposing structure which is now the spiritual home of the two congregations. It is of brick, fifty by seventy feet, and has a stately steeple contain- ing a bell weighing one thousand six hundred and ninety-four pounds. A smaller bell, of three hundred and twenty pounds weight, is used by the Sunday-school. These bells were provided in 1872.

The Reformed congregation had the Rev. M. J. Schalter as its first minister, although he did not sustain a pastoral relation. Others who preached from 1759 to 1772 were the Revs. --- Fritz and Philip J. Michiel, neither of whom succeeded in building up the congrega- tion spiritually, and it is said "left it in a wretched condition."

"As specimens of these leaders of the people, may be mentioned a Mr. Fritz, who, on one occasion, as- cended the pulpit of De Long Church 1 in a state of beastly intoxication ! He announced his text :

'If any man will come after me, let him deny him- self, take up his cross, and follow me.' Repeating bis text, with emphasis, he lost his balance and tumbled down the high pulpit stairs, with the last words, 'follow me,' in his mouth ! One of the el- ders arose in his seat, and earnestly addressing the people, exclaimed, 'No brethren, we will not follow him !' He was immediately sent away." 2

The real history of the church begins with 1772, when the venerable Rev. John Henry Helferich became the pastor. His Christian piety and examplary life exerted a great influ- ence for good in the many years of service which he gave to the church. He died Decem- ber 5, 1810, and his remains repose in the Sas- samashausen burial-ground, in Maxatawny. His successor was the Rev. Charles G. Herman, beginning his ministry in August, 1810, and also served the congregation until his death, in 1863, a period covering fifty-three years. He

was recognized as one of the ahlest ministers in this section of the State. His son, the Rev. Alfred J. Herman, had previously begun to officiate as the pastor and he still faithfully serves the congregation. The membership is about four hundred.

The Lutheran congregation had as its first acceptable pastor the Rev. Alfred D. Croll.3

His successor was the Rev. S. R. Boyer and since the fall of 1872, the present pastor, the Rev. David K. Humbert. The congregation has about one hundred and ten members.

ZION'S CHURCH (Lutheran and Reformed), commonly called Siegfried's, from those who took an active part in its erection, is in the northern part of the township. It was built in 1828, on one and a half acres of land, a part of which is set aside for cemetery purposes. Lately, half an acre more was donated to the church by Mrs. Matilda Kohler. The building is of stone.

The Lutheran congregation had for its first pastor the venerable Rev. Gottlob F. J. Iaeger, who was succeeded by the Rev. Isaac Roeller, and, since 1862, by the present Rev. B. E. Kramlich. The congregation numbers about two hundred and fifty members.

The first pastor of the Reformed congrega- tion was the Rev. Charles G. Herman ; the next the Rev. A. J. Herman, under whose ministrations the congregation flourished. 'The membership is about two hundred.

SAINT PAUL'S LUTHERAN CHURCH, of the East Pennsylvania Synod, at Lyons, is an off- spring of the old Maxatawny Church. It was erected in 1868, being a brick edifice with an auditorium and basement-rooms, having a capacity for three hundred persons. Those active in building it were Levi L. Springer, Jacob Rohrbach, Reuhen Grim, David Fisher, Solomon Yoder, Willoughby Fenstermaker, William L. Grim, Charles G. Cline and John Deisher.

The Rev. Alfred D. Croll was the first pas- tor, continuing until his death, June 19, 1876, at the age of thirty-seven years. He was a

I The Maxatawny Church.

2 Harbangh's " Lives of the Fathers of the Reformed Church," 242.

' He left the old Synod and connected himself with the East Pennsylvania Synod, in consequence of which St. Paul's Church at Lyons was built.

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

native of Albany township, but was reared in Maxatawny. He was an eloquent minister, and under his pastorate the church flourished. The next pastor was the Rev. W. I. Cutter ; afterward the pulpit was filled by supplies for a number of years. The later ministers were the Revs. Edward E. Baron, J. H. Singmaster and the present Rev. George W. Fritch. The congregation numbers sixty members.

Mr. Reed is superintendent of a Sunday- school which numbers eighty-five teachers and scholars.

East of the village is a cemetery of two acres, well improved, which is the property of St. Paul's Church.

ZION'S CHURCH, EVANGELICAL ASSOCIA- TION, in the village of Lyons, is a plain frame building, twenty-eight by forty feet, which has as its trustees, in 1885, David Fegeley, Solomon Fegeley and Charles Parks. The members number only twenty-three, and the ministerial service is supplied by ministers in the Kutztown Circuit. A Sunday-school is connected with the church, consisting of one hundred and twenty-three members, with David Fegeley as superintendent.

TOWNS AND VILLAGES.

LYONS is a thriving village favorably located on the East Penn Railroad, one mile west of Bower's, and two and a half miles from Kutz- town. It was the railway station of Kutztown till 1870, when the branch railroad was ex- tended to that borough from Topton. It was named after M. E. Lyons, chief engineer of the railroad. The first improvements had been made before a station was located. The land on which the village stands was owned by John Haag and David Kemp, who donated the depot grounds. Upon this, John Haag built the railroad station-house in the winter of 1859. The depot is the shipping point for a large scope of country lying south of the railroad. W. B. Lance has been the agent since 1881. The first building in the place was the Lyons hotel, put up in the fall of 1858 by Jacob Reichert. It has been a public-house since that time, Amos Barto being the present keeper. About five years afterward the Ameri-

can House, a spacious three-story brick build- ing, was built by Jacob Mathias.

John Haag erected the first business house, a few years after the building of the railroad, aud Levi Kutz first occupied it for mercantile purposes. Subsequently it was enlarged and became the property of William Grim. Kauff- man & Merkel traded in it in 1885. The next business stand was opened about 1870, by Adam Glase, in a building erected by Jacob Bertolet, of Oley. The mercantile firm of Moses & Augustus Kutz now carry on business there. The first grain, lumber and coal dealer was Jacob Haag. This business is at present carried on by the Hoch Bros. (Solomon, Jacob and Daniel). Among the first settlers and mechanics at Lyons were Daniel Angstadt, far- mer ; Charles Parks, carpenter ; William Fet- ter, cooper ; Joseph Dry, blacksmith ; Amos Barto, shoemaker (and afterward miller, grain dealer, etc.) ; Samuel Kutz, tailor ; Henry Boyer, coach-maker ; Edward Reed, cabinet- maker and undertaker. Benjamin Helfrich conducted business successfully in the Bertolet building for some years. The growth of the place has not been fast, but substantial. It contains a number of fine residences. It is supplied with superior water by a company specially organized for that purpose. The East Penn Furnaces are situated half a mile to the east. In January, 1886, there were about five hundred inhabit- ants.

The Lyons post-office was established in Oc- tober, 1860, with Jacob Reichert as postmaster. The office has five mails per day and is the distributing point for a stage route which sup- plies the mails for Dryville, New Jerusalem and other points south.

Among the doctors at Lyons have been Drs. Frederick Spang, Levi Thomson and Kunkel. In practice are Dr. B. A. Yeager, homoeopathist, and Dr. M. E. Koch, allopathist, the latter locating in the village in 1883. Dr. C. H. Thimmo is the dentist of Lyons.

Lyons Steam Mill .- The first grist-mill at Lyons was built by Solomon Yoder & Son. It was destroyed by fire July 12, 1876, being at that time the property of Amos Rapp and William Bieber, who rebuilt it in 1877. It

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became the property of the Hoch Bros. in 1882. In 1885 they remodeled the mill, sup- plying it with six sets of roller machinery. The engine is forty horse-power, and the capac- ity is seventy-five barrels per day. The mill is a three-story brick building, with an engine- house attached.

Lyons Creamery has been carried on by Wil- liam Forward since January, 1883, in the manufacture of gilt-edge butter, the product being about nine thousand pounds per month. The business was established in 1881 by Wil- liam Grim, Ed. Miller and Nace & Swartley (the latter of Philadelphia), as the "Lyons Creamery Company, Limited." The creamery building is supplied with the necessary machin- ery, etc., and is operated by a ten horse-power engine.

Societies .- Lyons Lodge, No. 102, Knights of Pythias, was instituted June 1, 1869. In 1885 there were sixty members.

Lyons Lodge, No. 634, I. O. O. F. The membership in January, 1886, was thirty- seven.

BOWER's is a pleasant village in the southern part of the township, on a branch of the Sacony. It is a station on the East Pennsyl- vania Railroad, with about two hundred inhabit- ants, a church, and a number of very fine resi- dences. The place was named after Jonas Bower, the owner of the farm on which the village was laid out by him in 1859. That year he converted the farm-house, which had been built in 1820, into a hotel, which was afterward kept by Amos Bower, Jacob Hill, James Fegeley, Geo. B Yoder and Henry P. Schoedler. The first new building was put up in 1859 by E. J. Knoske, a part of which be- came the store of the place, being first occupied for mercantile purposes by Boyer & Knoske. A large number of persons have traded there, among others being Levi H. Leiss and Wil- liam Seidel. In it was established the Bower's Station post-office, in June, 1860, with E. G. Knoske as the first postmaster. The office is at present kept by Wm. F. Seidel. The ground for the railroad station was donated by Jonas Bower aud Daniel Grim, and the station-house was built by the first agent, E. G. Knoske, who

occupied it, in part, as a warehouse to carry on his business as a coal and grain dealer. It has since been used in the same way by the succes- sive agents. C. W. Kutz is the present agent.

The only active industry of the village is the marble-yard of Schweyer. & Liess, established in 1863, by D. H. Schweyer. That year he purchased the Sell mill, in Rockland township, and fitted up the same for sawing marble into shapes for dealers and cutters. In 1865, Levi H. Liess became a partner. Three years later they formed a connection with the Easton Marble Company, which is still maintained. In 1882 they purchased the blue marble quar- ries at " King of Prussia," in Montgomery County, and marble-mills at that point, which gave them facilities for carrying on business on a very extensive scale. The quarry is one of the best in the State. The shipments at Bower's amount to about twenty-five thousand dollars per year. Ten men are employed at the Bow- er's yard and at the mills in Rockland.

KRONINGERSVILLE is a small hamlet, about three miles from Kutztown, near the Greenwich line. It derived its name from Daniel Kron- inger, a land-owner at that point, who also car- ried on the coach-maker's trade. The shop is still kept open by the family. A store and tavern were started at that point, about twenty years ago, by J. P. T. Haas. The former has been discontinued, but the tavern is still carried on by James Mertz. In August, 1862, a post- office was established there with the name of " Eagle Point." Since that time the locality is. frequently called by the same name.

MONTEREY .- The first improvements ofa busi- ness nature were made about 1830 by Israel and Jonathan Wertman, who opened a store, when the place became known as Weisport. At a later day Isaac L. Bieber built a tavern, which was first kept by one of the Wertmans. In May, 1847, the post-office was established, with the name of Monterey, and Joshua Miller as postmaster. The present store building was put up by Henry Lowe. At present James Fisher is en- gaged in trade, and he is also the inn-keeper and postmaster. A cabinet-shop was formerly carried on by David Zimmerman. The hamlet contains but a few houses. Ten years ago a

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

co-operative store was opened under the au spices of the Patrons of Husbandry, but it was kept up only a short time. At present a regu- lar store is carried on by John G. Shofer. The place has a few houses and a shop.

ROTHROCKSVILLE is situated in the town- ship, near the Lehigh County line, and took its name from its founder, Dr. Jonas Rothrock, an eccentric physician, who located there about 1830. He followed his profession and at the same time kept a public-house. Afterwards he was a justice of the peace. It is said that he had a quar- relsome disposition and that his neighbors lived in dread of him In the later years of his life he moved to Reading, where he was an object of public charity on account of his having be- come a cripple. He frequently visited the court- house and afforded the clerks much amusement. He was a devoted Democrat and was earnest in his expressions for the party. The village has about thirty dwellings, several mechanic-shops, a store and a tavern. At one time there were two public-houses, both having been built by Rothrock, who kept the new one at the same time that Christian Swoyer had the old one. The inn-keeper in 1885 was Stephen Rohr- bach. In this house is kept the Maxatawny post-office. It is supplied with a daily mail. The first store was kept by Daniel Clader. The present merchants are Stephen Smith and Martin Croll (Smith & Croll), who do an ex- tensive business. Dr. Milton Richards is the physician of the village, having located there several years ago.

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History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 173

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