History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 189

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

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"Only? This seems like trifling with time. We speak of centuries then as years now. And well we can; for what transpired along the Schuylkill, the Tulpehocken and the Swatara before 1680? In England the nohlemen trace back their ancestry and government for centuries ; in Germany they go still farther hack, and the Maharajah of Jeypore a thousand years. Think of it! Two hundred years ago our people here were only in reality beginning to live and understand free civil government. Then the great grandsires of our forefathers were only developing the great ideas of independent thought and religious tolera- tion in France and Germany. Then the Monceys, the most

EARLY SETTLERS .- Among the early set- tlers was Jacob Bordner, from wliom have de- scended the Bordners of the township. He lived first in Tulpehocken, but located finally near where Millersburg now is, where he remained until his death. He had sons named Jacob and John, and daughters, who married Adamı Weber, Christopher Deck, Christian Knabel and Christopher Lebo. Michael Miller, the founder of Millersburg, had one son, Isaac, who remained in the township, and another, Joseph, in the public service . at Harrisburg many years. Along the Swatara lived the Frantz family. Westward, among the older families were the Newcomet, Grove, Royer, Batdorff, Walborn and Kurr families.

DIEDRICH SCHNEIDER'S INN .- Three miles east from Millersburg, on the State road, is an old inn, which is a land-mark in the township,

warlike tribe of the Lenape Indians, were roving at lib- erty over these mountains and valleys with no one to molest them, no one to interfere ; and then they traded peacefully with and sold their lands to the English at and about the mouth of the Schuylkill.

" But the next hundred years brought about a great change in this locality. Leaving their homes and all their great antiquity, the early German settlers crossed the per- ilous ocean and located here in this township of Bethel, one hundred miles from the sea, in the wilderness, at the very foot of the mountains, far enough, they thought, from civ- ilization, and out of the reach of encroachments on their personal rights. What terrible, overhanging cruelty drove them hither ? what fear induced them to fly from their homes and face the dangers of the Atlantic? what fond hopes inspired them with courage to travel into an un- known, uncultivated land, and risk their freedom and their lives with a race of matchless hrutes and barbarians ? Was it religious enthusiasm that induced these excellent and industrious husbandmen and artisans, with their families, to come here to evangelize the Indians? or did they wish to he free men and women, unfettered by thraldom and away from war, bloodshed and death ?

" As early as 1740, settlements were made here. Then all this section of country was a part of Lancaster County. Then the Moravians organized a congregation several miles east of the ' Swatara Gap;' and then, or soon after, they erected a two-story log meeting-house which they called ' Bethel Church.'

" And then it was that these earnest people were free and happy. But little did they think that their good work was gradually developing in the natives a bitter resentment. The red men of the woods, the hardy dwellers in frail hab- itations, the unlettered worshippers of the 'Great Spirit,' whose hearts had not yet been pierced with the conviction of Christ and His precepts, could not believe that their

1144

HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

having been in existence the better part of a hundred years, as the property of the Schlase- man family. On the mountain, northeast from this point, in Schuylkill County, but on a farm which lies partly in Berks, was the home of the celebrated Diedrich Schneider, who died in 1817, and was buried in the old cemetery at Rehrersburg. His wife, Dolly, whose maiden- name was Dorothea Hopp, continued the public- house after his death, and is well remembered as the keeper of that hostelry, noted for its plain, but unmistakable hospitality. She was a woman of remarkable vigor of body, and it is said, could dance as nimbly at the age of ninety-five as a young girl. Before her death the vicissitudes of life overtook her and she was taken to the Schuylkill County poor-house, where she died at the age of one hundred and seven years. The locality was long known as "Dolly Schneider's," after the house was aban- doned. On the Sunbury road, nearly three miles from Millersburg, was an old inn, about 1800, known as Lechner's, which after its de- struction by fire, was not rebuilt as a tavern. A mile nearer the mountain, on the same road, was the inn of Francis Umbenhauer, who died in 1812; this afterwards became the property of George Batz.

strange visitors should be such generous philanthropists as to come so far, without any pecuniary reward, for their especial happiness and salvation. Their lands were occupied and cultivated, their fish and game were taken, the products of their soil were consumed. What was all this for ? whence the right to exercise such privileges? They could not understand the various inquiries made of them for the purchase of their lands and hunting-grounds ; so they be- came suspicious and believed that an enemy in sheep's clothing was in their midst, endeavoring, by apparent kind- ness and unselfish devotion for their soul's salvation, to gain an advantage over them which would end in their conquest. The relations, however, continued unbroken till the breaking out of the war between France and England for American possessions. Then their suspicion and resentment was fanned into a flame of hate and revenge by the French. Then it was that these pio- neers, these German settlers, these, the forefathers of our citizens, in Bethel, sacrificed their precious lives on the altar of freedom; then, here in this pic- turesque hollow at the gorge, ' FORT HENNY ' was built for the protection of our early families from the scalping-knife and tomahawk of the savage ; and then, of all our country, this was the hattle-ground where the greatest cruelty was exercised, and where the most people were slain."

INDUSTRIES .- In this locality a taunery was formerly carried on by John and afterward by David B. Lerch, which was discontinued in 1866. West was another small tannery by a man named Barto; and near by a fulling-mill last operated by Philip Brown ; near Frys- town Thomas Kurr had a distillery, which has long since been abandoned, as well as other dis- tilleries of small capacity in various parts of the township. The Crosskill Mills were built by Abraham Newcomet, soon after the settlement of the township. Part of the old mill-house still remains. The mill proper has been much improved, and steam-power added ; Emanuel Spaunuth is the present proprietor. On the Swatara, a few miles from Millersburg Jacob Miller early used the power at that point to operate grist and saw-mills. These became the property of Peter Weidener, and later of Daniel Weidener, who now carries them on. Eastward, on a branch of the Swatara, Conrad Christ had a small grist-mill, to which a saw-mill was added, aud which are still operated by Jacob Ebling. Bethel is distinctly devoted to agri- culture, the foregoing mills doing only the cus- tom work the country demands.

CHURCHES.

SALEM CHURCH (Lutheran and Reformed) is one-half mile southeast of Millersburg, at the intersection of two public roads. It was put up in 1810. A steeple was added to the church and other improvements made about 1856, and an organ was supplied at a more re- cent day. When built, on a lot of ground given for this purpose by Godfrey Rehrer, it was intended for the exclusive use of the Ger- man

ul Reformed denomination, which had among its members, at that time, Jacob Bord- ner, John Klein, John Royer, John Ziebach, Jolin Lerch, Leonard Miller and Michael Mil- ler. About 1850 the Lutherans arranged for an interest in the property, and a congregation was organized by the Rev. Thomas Iaeger, who preached every four weeks. The petitioners to secure this arrangement were Martin Smith and Solomon Shreffler. This congregation has flourished, one hundred members being reported in 1885, with Rey. D. D. Trexler as pastor:

1145

TOWNSHIPS OF COUNTY.

In 1880 twenty-five members of the Lutheran congregation withdrew from the Salem Church, and organized themselves into a new body for the purpose of holding separate worship. They secured the use of the school building at Mil- lersburg, and Rev. J. J. Cressman as pastor, meeting regularly until the spring of 1885, since which time the interest has been allowed to decline. The organization is now imper- fectly maintained. .

The German Reformed congregation had two hundred and seventy members in 1885, with the Rev. H. J. Welker as pastor.

GERMAN BAPTIST MEETING HOUSES .- In the township are two meeting-houses belonging to this denomination, popularly called " Dun- kards." The one north of Millersburg is a large building of unent stone and was put up about thirty years ago. It stands on a lot taken from the David Merkey farm and has a grave- yard attached. The meeting-house at Frystown was built a dozen years ago. It is a frame of large proportions. With it is also a burial plat. Both these meeting-houses are arranged with the necessary conveniences to celebrate the ordi- nances of this sect. The membership is strong in Bethel. The meetings rotate with those in Tulpehocken, and among those who occasionally expound the word are Revs. Pautz, Hartzler and Klein.

VILLAGES.

MILLERSBURG is a village situated in the central section of the township, near the base of the Blue Ridge. It has a large school building, three public-houses, one grocery and one drng-store, and two general stores. It was laid out by Michael Miller, September 17, 1814, the town plan including fifty-two lots. He lived in the lower part of the place, in part of the house now known as Kurr's tavern, which was the first build- ing in the village. George Leidner put up the second house in 1817, the same being a part of the present Centre House, and which, like the Kurr house, has always been devoted to the entertainment of the public. Leidner kept his inn about twenty-five years, and had as a suc- cessor Daniel Bordner. In their early history the patronage was very large, scores of teams on 97

the way to Reading or points on the canal, be- fore the building of the railroad, stopping there. The third public-house, a three-story brick, was built by Daniel Althouse in 1854 and Jonathan Miller was the landlord. This is now known as the " Bordner House."

The third building in the place is opposite the Centre House and was put up by Adam Weber in 1818, who occupied it until his death, in 1854. In all this time he followed his occu- pation of pump-maker and was succeeded by his son, John, at the same business.

The principal early settlers of the village and their occupations were the following :

Michael Miller, farmer and inn-keeper; George Leidner, inn-keeper; Adam Weber, pump-maker; Philip Hunsicker, carpenter; Peter Herring, hatter ; Frederick Ressler, wagon-maker; Michael Schmelt- zer, blacksmith; William Blecher, tailor; Christian Swope, cooper; Absalom Klinger, weaver; Thomas Bordner, coverlet-weaver; Abraham Clark, merchant; Charles Cummins, merchant; Frederick Harner, mer- chant; Thomas Rehrer, merchant.

The latter built the first brick house about 1820, using the same for a store-room and did business there several years. He was succeeded, in order, by Abraham Clark, Chas. Cummins, Daniel Althouse and others. Since 1879, Eras- mus Gerhart has had a drug-store in the building. Jacob Tice opened the second place of business about 1830, and soon came Frederick Harner; on the site occupied by the store of Tyrus Lerch, who has been in trade since 1860. Jones & Bechtel opened another place of business after 1840, in which G. M. F. Rick was in successful trade many years, followed, in 1885, by his son, George, in a building adjoining the old stand.

Ever since the village has had an existence, the stores have had a large volume of business, attracting the trade of the surrounding country.

The post-office at Millersburg bears the name of Bethel. It was established in 1827, with Abraham Clark as postmaster. Subsequently the office was held by Charles Cummins, Fred- erick Harner, and after 1861, by G. M. F. Rick. Since October, 1885, the postmaster has been William Kline. The office has two mails per day from Reading and Myerstown.

The principal practitioners of medicine at

1146

HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Millersburg were Doctor . Henry Swope, from about 1828 until his death ; Doctor Abraham Ruth, a few years only ; Doctor David .Bat- dorff, for thirty-five years, dying in 1874; Doc- tor Willoughby Kline and Doctor J. V. Albert, each a few years ; Doctor James Y. Kline, one year ; Doctor Henry Batdorff, for the past eight years ; and Doctor D. M. Bat- dorff, since 1866. The latter is a nephew of Doctor Daniel Batdorff, with whom he studied and located here after his graduation. Doctor Henry Brown has been a reputable veterin- ary surgeon in Bethel the past forty years.

Bethel Lodge, No. 820, I. O. O. F., was in- stituted at Millersburg January 11, 1873. In 1885 the lodge was reported flourishing, with a membership of sixty.

One of the first acts of Michael Miller, when he laid out the village, was to set aside a lot for an English school, upon which the present school building stands. The first house was of logs, small in dimensions. Horatio Jones, who came to this place from Chester County, was the first teacher who succeeded in awaken- ing an interest in the English, and it was from him that the first English in this locality was learned, the conversation up to his time having been wholly in Pennsylvania German. The old log house was replaced by a small brick building. ·Afterward a two-story brick building was sub- stituted ; and this proving too small, a larger brick building was put up. The school affairs are conducted successfully.

The business of manufacturing pipe-organs has been carried on in the township by the Dieffenbach family more than one hundred years. One of the first instruments of importance was the organ made for the Tulpehocken Church by Jacob Dieffenbach in 1787, at his place of residence, one and one-half miles from Millers- burg. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Christian, and the latter by David Dieffenbach, father of the present organ-builder at Millers- burg. The organs built by the Dieffenbachs are remarkable for their durability, power and sweetness of tone, many of them having been continuously in use for several generations. Some of the larger organs built were for the Tulpehocken Church, in 1787; Bernville

Church, in 1796; New Hanover Church, in 1800; Orwigsburg Church, in 1808; Host Church, in 1812; and Rehrersburg Church, in 1816; and also for the churches at Stouchsburg, Strausstown, Klopp's, Mount Zion, Epler's and Millersburg. The present proprietor has given his attention to the business exclusively for the past fifteen years. He has in his possession a good pipe-organ made by his great-grandfather in 1780.

FREYSTOWN .- In 1823 Martin Frey pur- chased a tract of land, containing seventy-seven acres and twenty-one perches, in the south western portion of the township; and in 1830 he laid out a town thereon, and named it "Freys- town." The town-plan included one hundred and eighty-one lots. The dimensions of each lot were sixty-six by one hundred and ninety- eight feet. The lots were chanced off by lottery, each ticket selling for ten dollars. The following lots were sold during October, 1830:

No. 48 .- Abraham Newcommet.

No. 89 .- Jacob Kurr and Henry Schall.

No. 90 .- John Holsman.

No. 93 .- Benjamin Heffelfinger.

No. 94 .- John Xander and George Anspach.

No. 95 .- David Knoll and George Diel.

No. 96 .- Henry Spitter.

No. 132 .- Benjamin Batdorf.

No. 134 .- Jacob Kurr and Henry Schall.

No. 136 .- Isaac Seibert.

No. 137 .- John Brown.

No. 138 .- Michael Bashore.

No. 140 .- Jacob Stewart.

No. 142 .- Jacob Reedy.

No. 143 .- John Bordner.

No. 150 .- Peter Daub.

The chief industry here is a tannery, which was established by Elias Frantz soon after 1830, and carried on by him many years. The business is now in the hands of Henry Frantz, and the products are all kinds of oak- tanned leather.

The store at this point had among its first keepers Peter Lutz, who also had a public- house. The Cross-Kill Mills post-office was established here in. 1849, and kept first at the mills whose name it bears, west of the hamlet. A daily mail from Myerstown is supplied, the office being on the Millersburg route.

1147

TOWNSHIPS OF COUNTY.

SCHUYLKILL SECTION.

THE first settlers in the lower western section of the county migrated from Philadelphia County, across the Schuylkill, about 1715. They paid taxes for some years as assessed citi- zens of " Mahanatawny " (afterward Amity), in this county. The assessors of Chester County then included them also in their list of tax- ables. This caused them to complain, and they accordingly, in March, 1720, presented a peti- tion to the Executive Council of the province, iu which they represented,-

" That, whereas the Commissioners for the county of Chester have attempted of late to make us pay taxes in the county of Chester, notwithstanding we have ever since our first settlement paid our taxes in the county of Philadelphia ;

" And your humble petitioners having no trade with Chester, and seeing it is impossible for us to have any tolerable convenient road to Chester by reason of rocks and mountains ;

" And considering that the county of Philadelphia, if bounded, by the Schuylkill will not be above seven or eight miles broad at this place by an indifferent computation, and the county of Chester, if bounded by the Schuylkill aforesaid, will be near fifty miles broad by the like computation ;

" And considering that we must carry the produce of our labor to market at or near Philadelphia, which is forty or fifty miles, to purchase money to pay our taxes and defray the several charges we shall be inci- dent to by public services if we be taken into Chester county, which will be a very great burden upon us;

"The aforesaid considerations, your humble peti- tioners hope, are sufficient reason for us to pray your Honors that the counties may be divided, and that if possible, we may be (as heretofore) inhabitants in the county of Philadelphia, though on the west side of the Schuylkill."

This petition was signed by Israel Robeson, Francis Hughes, Henry Bell, John Sinclair, John Rumford and about forty more persons.1 The Council ordered the secretary "to inquire of the situation and case of the petitioners and report his opinion thereupon to the Board." On February 1, 1721, he reported that he was not able to find any authentic order for the division of the counties.

" That he finds most of the petitioners passed over the Schuylkill from the settlements on the eastern side of it, which were considerable before there were any of note on the western side so high up that river,

and accounting themselves to be still in Philadelphia county as they had been before they passed the river, they were accordingly taxed in the township formerly called Mahanatawny, but now Amity, town- ship, there being no practicable road nor convenient communication between those parts and Chester."

The board, after consideration of the case, ordered " that the commissioners and assessors of Chester County should, until the matter could be more effectually settled, forbear to claim those inhabitants," . . . and that they " be permitted to pay their taxes and do all other duties to the county of Philadelphia, as formerly, without any further molestation," etc.

The Schuylkill section included a consider- able portion of Chester County in the vicinity, and for many miles north, of French Creek to the Cacoosing. In 1729 all that portion of this section northwest of a line which extended through Union township, northeast by north twenty-one hundred perches, to the Schuykill, at a point a short distance below the mouth of the Sixpenny Creek, was separated from Chester County, and included in the new county then erected, and named " Lancaster." And in 1752 this portion, together with a tri- angular tract of land lying to the east of this line, was included in Berks County.

STREAMS .- In this section there is no con- spicuous stream which extends brauches into its several parts, as in the three sections,- Manatawny, Ontelaunee and Tulpehocken. It has, however, numerous creeks. All trend northeast wardly and empty into the Schuylkill, draining about four-fifths of its territory. The other fifth comprises Caernarvon, drained en- tirely by the Conestoga, the southern part of Brecknock by Muddy Creek and the southern part of Spring by Little Muddy Creek, into Lancaster County.

The streams worthy of special mention are Wyomissing, Angelica, Allegheny, Hay and Sixpenny, whose total length is about thirty- eight miles.

There are several smaller streams, which also empty into the Schuylkill, with a total length of about fifteen miles. The length of all the streams in this section is about three-fourths as great as the streams in the other respective scc- tions.

1 The names could not be ascertained.

1148

HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

HILLS .- A considerable portion of this sec- tion consists of wood-land, especially in Breck- nock, Cumru, Robeson and Union townships. In the first three townships named the hills constitute what is generally called "The For- est," and in Union they constitute part of " Chestnut Ridge," which extends into Chester County.

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS .- Numerous pnb- lic roads intersect this section. The most prom- inent are the following : "Schuylkill Road," which extends along the Schuylkill from the mouth of the Tulpehocken to the Chester Coun- ty line, a length of sixteen miles ; " Berks and Dauphin Turnpike," "Lancaster Road," "New Holland Road," "Morgantown Road," and the "Conestoga Turnpike," the latter extending through the southern portion of Caernarvon township, via Morgantown, in length three miles. All excepting the last lead from Read- ing.

The "Schuylkill Canal " extends along and near by the bank of the Schuylkill, from the southern line of Reading, at the foot of " Never- sink," through Cumru, Robeson and Union townships, a length of fifteen miles, and the " Union Canal " through a part of Spring and Cumru, along the Tulpehocken Creek and the Schuylkill, a length of about three miles.

The Lebanon Valley Railroad extends from Reading, diagonally through Spring, via Sinking Spring, a length of five and a half miles ; the Wilmington and Northern from Reading, through Cumru, Robeson, Union and Caervar- von, via Poplar Neck, Birdsboro' and Geiger- town, a length of eighteen miles; and the Schuyl- kill Valley Branch of the Pennsylvania Rail- road from Reading, through Cumru, Robeson and Union townships, via Poplar Neck, Birds- boro' and Monocacy, a length of thirteen miles.

This section comprises six townships. The first four were erected before 1752 ; the remain- ing two afterward. They are treated in the order named,-

ROBESON. CAERNARVON. CUMRU.

SPRING. BRECKNOCK. UNION.

ROBESON TOWNSHIP.

ROBESON TOWNSHIP had been known as a dis- trict before the erection of Lancaster County, in 1729, whilst its territory was a part of Chester County. At August sessions, 1729, of Lan- caster County, the lines of certain townships situated north of the South Mountain, between the Schuylkill and Susquehanna Rivers, were defined, but Robeson was not included. A constable for the district was, however, then ap- pointed-Francis Hughes. At the same time Israel Robeson was appointed one of the two supervisors of Leacock township, by which it would appear that he had moved out of the district, to the south, a dozen miles into the Conestoga Valley.

Andrew Robeson became a proprietor of land in this section as early as 1718. Together with a tract of one thousand acres on the eastern bank of the Schuylkill River (now in Exeter township), he purchased a tract of six hundred acres on the western bank. This was on Feb- ruary 20, 1718. He was then a resident of that part of Philadelphia County which is now Exeter, on the one thousand acre tract. Several years afterward (1719-20) he made his last will, whereby he disposed of a considerable estate. In it he names seven sons-Andrew, Israel, Jonathan, David, Thomas, Samuel and Peter-and three daughters-Elinor, Mary and "Margat." That part which related to land now included in Berks County was as follows :

To Israel, 600 acres " whereon he now (then) liveth, as also ten pounds to his three children"; (400 acres hereof having been conveyed by Israel to his son Moses fifty years afterward, 1770.)

To Jonathan, 1000 acres. (This was the homestead in Exeter.)

To David, 200 acres (occupied by David).

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History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 189

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