History of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, Vol. III, Part 122

Author: Davis, W. W. H. (William Watts Hart), 1820-1910; Ely, Warren S. (Warren Smedley), b. 1855; Jordan, John W. (John Woolf), 1840-1921
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1040

USA > Pennsylvania > Bucks County > History of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, Vol. III > Part 122

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Abraham Slack, son of Cornelius Slack, was born near Yardley, Pennsylvania, in 1794, and in early life became familiar with the labors of the farm, which occupied his attention throughout his remaining days. He, too, belonged to the Presbyterian church of Newtown, and his influence was a potent element for good in the com- munity. He married Frances Gurtin, and they became the parents of eight children : Washington, who died in infancy: Aaron, who died in early manhood; Samuel and James, also deceased; Abram Kinsey, of this review; Mary Ann, wife of Cyrus Slack; Elizabeth, wife of James Haines; and Sarah, wife of Joseph Moon.

Abram K. Slack, born at the ancestral home in Upper Makefield township, in April, 1828, is indebted to the public-school system of Bucks county for the educational privileges he enjoyed. He assisted his father in the cultivation of the fields through the months of summer, and after leaving school gave his entire attention to the further improvement of the home farm until twenty-five years of age, when he en- tered upon an independent business career by renting the old Kirkbright farm, upon which he lived for ten years. He then re- moved to the George Justice farm, where he spent another decade, and on the expiration of that period, because of the careful hus- banding of his resources, he was enabled to purchase the farm upon which he now resides. For many years he was a most active and able representative of agricul- tural interests in Bucks county, making steady advance in keeping with the progress displayed along agricultural lines. The years added to his income, and in 1889. with a comfortable competence, he retired from business life 'and is now enjoying a well earned rest. Since age gave to him the right of franchise he has supported

the Democratic party, and has held the office of school director for three years in Lower Makefield township, but has never sought political preferment, desiring to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs, wherein he has gained creditable success. 1

Mr. Slack married Miss Caroline Cad- wallader, a daughter of Jacob and Mary Cadwallader, and they became the parents of seven children: Mary Emma, the de- ceased wife of Henry Path; William, who occupies a position in the Mechanics' Bank, of Trenton, New Jersey; Morris; Cryus ; J. Cadwallader, also of the Mechanics' Bank of Trenton; Flora, who died in childhood ; and Anna, wife of Abram Beekman Con- over, of Chicago, Illinois.

DAVID HOWELL. The members of the Howell family have been residents of Bucks county since the early part of the eighteenth century. Timothy Howell, who was born in this county, August 7, 1762, became, in 1812, the owner of a fine farm of one hundred and forty-three acres in Lower Makefield township. This is still in possession of the family, being now the property of his granddaughter, Mrs. Mary E. Ely. He continued his farming operations there up to the time of his death, July 29, 1831, when the property was di- vided between his two sons, John and David. In early manhood he married, and had two sons, Levi and Asher. He afterward wedded Rebecca Margerum, and they had six children: John, who was born July 29, 1803, and married Elizabeth Richardson; David, born De- cember 17, 1804; Sarah, born March 25, 1807, and became the wife of Mr. Fen- ton, and after his death married Lewis Moore; Mary, born August 10, 1809, and died September 17. 1836; Susan, born June 10, 1813, and married Mr. Hoag -. land, and after his death became the wife of John Temple; and Martha, born July 3, 1815, and married Samuel G. Slack.

David Howell, second son of Timothy Howell, remained upon the homestead farm until fifty years of age. In 1855 h'e purchased from the' George Yardley estate a tract of land bordering on the Delaware river, and resided there until his life's labors were ended in death, Att- gust 2. 1864. He was a prominent farmer, enterprising and progressive, and his personal traits of character com- . manded the respect of all with whom he was associated. He married Harriet 1. Sandoz, who died August 6. 1899, a daughter of Francis and Mary E. (Schmit) Sandoz. the former a native of France, and the latter of Germany. Her parents settled in Philadelphia in 1795. David and Harriet 1. Howell be- came the parents of seven daughters: Mary E., Ellen A., who died in child-

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

563

hood; Martha A., Emma; Caroline; Wil- helmina, who died in infancy; and H. Amelia, who died June 25, 1901.

Martha A. married Joshua Maris, and had three daughters: Bertha H., who died in 1891; Dela H .; and Elma H. Caroline married Samuel W. Throp and had three children: Helen A., who died in infancy; Russel R. and Ethel N.

Mary E. married Edward N. Ely, and had one son, Howell, who died in in- fancy, and two daughters: Carrie Howell and Harriet Sandoz; Carrie Howell, who married William Stanley MacLewee, has one daughter, Dorothy. Harriet Sandoz married George K. Robinson.

Edward N. Ely died June 13, 1899. The homestead, now known as "Maple- wolde," is cccupied by Mary E. (Howell) Ely, her daughters, and their families.

HARRINGTON B. ROSENBERGER, of Doylestown, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, was born in Hilltown township, Bucks county, October 27, 1869, and is a son of Isaac R. and Harriet (Brunner) Rosen- berger, of Colmar, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania. The pioneer ancestor of the subject of this sketch was Henry Rosen- berger, who came to Pennsylvania from Zweibrucken, Germany, about the end of the first quarter of the eighteenth century, and settled in Indian Creek Valley, Montgom- ery county, then Philadelphia county. He purchased a farm in what is now Fran- conia township in 1729, and died there, date unknown. He was of the Mennonite faith, and without doubt left the father- land in search of religious freedom denied him there. The first Mennonite meeting house of Franconia was erected on a part of his plantation, and his youngest son, Rev. Henry Rosenberger, was a minister there for many years. He married before com- ing to America and most of his children were born in the Fatherland. He had at least four sons, Daniel, Benjamin, John and Henry, all of whom have numerous de- scendants in Bucks county. Daniel, John and Benjamin settled in Hatfield township, near the line of Bucks county, at Line Lex- ington. The original plantation of Henry Rosenberger in Franconia still remains in the tenure of his descendants by the name of Swartley, two of the daughters of Rev. Henry, who inherited the homestead, hav- ing married two of the pioneer ancestors of that family.

Daniel Rosenberger, probably the eldest son of Henry, the pioneer, was born in Ger- many in 1715, and accompanied his parents to Pennsylvania. In 1740 he purchased a farm in Hatfield, and later purchased addi- tional land adjoining. He died there in September, 1771. His wife's name was Fronica, maiden name unknown, and their .children were, David, Isaac, Ann and Mary.

Isaac Rosenberger, second son of Daniel

and Fronica, born in Hatfield, November 30, 1751, inherited from his father 160 acres in Hatfield, and subsequently purchased considerable other land there and in Bucks county. In 1790 he purchased 100 acres in Hilltown township, Bucks county, which he conveyed to his son Henry in 1803, and it is still in the tenure of the descendants of the latter. Isaac Rosenberger died July 30, 1830. He married Christiana, an adopt- ed daughter of Rev. John Funk, of Hatfield, and their children were: Henry, of Hill- town, born October 1, 1775; Jacob, who married Catharine Rickert, and settled in Hilltown; Isaac, Jr .; Ann, who married a Swenk, of Bedminster; and Elizabeth, who married Henry Wireman, of New Britain, Bucks county.

Isaac Rosenberger, Jr., son of Isaac and Christiana, born 1782, on his marriage in 1806 settled on a farm in Horsham town- ship, where he resided until 1833, when he purchased the old homestead in Hatfield and spent his remaining days there. He died May 1, 1853. He married Susan Detweiler, and they were the parents of eight children; Martin, who lived on the Hatfield home- stead until 1833, and then located on a farm on Broad street, Hilltown township; Isaac D., of North Wales; Joseph, see forward; William, who died in Philadelphia; John; Elizabeth, who married (first) John Eckert, and (second) Michael Snyder; Sarah, wife wife of Jacob Ruth; and Mary, who mar- ried Michael Snyder.

Joseph Rosenberger, son of Isaac and Susan (Detweiler) Rosenberger, born in Hatfield, Montgomery county, Pennsyl- vania, September 15, 1811, settled early in life in Hilltown where he was a farmer, merchant and lumber dealer, being the pro- prietor of a store and lumber yard at Mt. Pleasant for many years. He was prom- inently identified with the affairs of the community in which he lived, and was one of the well known and popular men always looked up to, loved and respected by all who knew him. He served as justice of the peace, and was one of the directors of the Doylestown National Bank for many years prior to his deatlı, March 31, 1877. He mar- ried Mary Ruth, born February 4, 1815, daughter of Henry Ruth, of New Britain. She died July 1, 1881. They were the pa- rents of ten children, seven of whom lived to maturity, viz .; Susanna, wife of Henry Alderfer, of Hilltown; Emeline, married (first) Abraham Hunsberger and (second) William Souder ; Anna Mary, wife of Mah- lon Myers, of Perkasie; Isaac R., see for- ward; Joel, who married Sarah Moyer, daughter of Dr. Joseph Moyer, removed to Philadelphia; Elizabeth. wife of Edwin Jones, of Newtown, Bucks county ; Charles R., of Colmar ; who married Amada Fluck, of Hilltown.

Isaac R. Rosenberger, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born at Hill- town, July 15, 1846, and acquired his edu-

564

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

cation at the public schools there. As a boy he was employed about his father's farm, store and lumber yard, and on arriv- ing at manhood farmed on his own account for six years. In 1872 he located at Col- mar Station, on the Doylestown branch of the N. P. R. R., and engaged in the flour, feed, hay, coal and phosphate business. In 188I he took as a partner in the business his younger brother, Charles R., and they continued to carry on the business there un- til the spring of 1905, and both still re- side there. In addition to building up a very large business at Colmar, they in 1885 erected a hay press and warehouses at Doylestown, where they handled large quantities of hay and straw. Two years later they established a like plant at Buck- ingham Station, to whichi was later added a cider making plant. Both the last named plants, (Doylestown and Buckingham) are still in successful operation. The two brothers, Isaac R. and Charles R. Rosen- berger, are well and favorably known in central Bucks and Montgomery counties as business men of high standing and cour- teous and broad minded gentleman.

Isaac R. Rosenberger was with Harry J. Shoemaker, Esq., of Doylestown, the pro- jector of the Doylestown and Easton Elec- tric Railway, and it is due to their untir- ing zeal and personal sacrifice of time and money that the road was built, and Mr. Rosenberger was the first president of the company. He was married December 4, 1866, to Harriet Brunner, daughter of Will- iam Brunner, of Chalfont. She was born February 16, 1848. Her grandfather, Henry Brunner, was a farmer near the county line in New Britain, and her maternal an- cestors, the Clymers, were prominent resi- dents of the same locality. The children of Isaac R. and. Harriet ( Brunner) Rosen- berger were; Mary Alice, born April 12, 1868, died September 29, 1881; Harring- ton B., the subject of this sketch; Flora Estella, born June 4, 1871, died June 20, 1876; Ella Blanche, born March 4, 1873, now the wife of Wilson H. Godshall, of Lansdale; Charles Grant, born December 4, 1874; and William, born September 20, 1878, both now in the employ of a con- tracting firm as engineers, and located at Columbia, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania.

Harrington B. Rosenberger was reared at Colmar, and acquired his education at Doylestown Seminary, West Chester Nor- mal School, and the College of Commerce, Philadelphia. He came to Doylestown in 1891 and took charge of his father's busi- ness established there, or bailine and ship- ping hay and straw, and continued to man- age it for his father until March, 1905, when he purchased the plant and now conducts the business for himself.

Mr. Rosenberger married, June 6, 1900, Elizabeth H. Moore, daughter of John S. Moore, now of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Their only child, John, was born September

25. 1901. Mr. Rosenberger is a member of Doylestown Lodge, No. 245, F and A. M., and Aquetong Lodge, No. 193, I. O. O. F., of Doylestown.

JOSEPH ANDERSON ELLIS, of Buckingham, was born in Buckingham township, Bucks county, in May, 1836, a son of Charles and Martha (Conrad) Ellis, the former of Welsh and the latter of German descent. The Ellis family were among the earliest settlers in Chester county. The ancestors of the subject of this sketch re- sided for several generations in the neigh- borhood of Bryn Mawr, which is said to have derived its name from their home in Wales.

Rowland Ellis, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a son of William Ellis. He married Lydia, daughter of David Gilbert, of Buckingham, and at the death of the latter in 1802 they became the owners of IO8 acres of land, part of 500 acres whereon Joseph Gilbert, the great-grandfather of Lydia, had settled in 1702, near the village of Buckingham, now owned by Joseph L. Shelly. Rowland Ellis was a tailor by trade, and prior to settling on the Buckingham farm followed his trade in Philadelphia.

Charles Ellis, father of Joseph A., was horn in Buckingham, October 30, 1801, and died there August 17, 1874. He was a tenant farmer in Buckingham for thirty-one years, and then purchased a farm in lower Buckingham, where he died. He married Martha Conrad, of Buckingham, whose an- cestor, Tuneis Kunders, came from Krei- sheim, on the upper Rhine, over two centu- ries ago. Eight children were born to this marriage, of whom only three survive ; John C., of Trenton, New Jersey ; Henry, of White Earth, North Dakota; and the subject of this sketch. William Ellis, another son, who was for many years a resident of Buckingham, died a few years since.

The subject of this sketch was reared on the farm in Buckingham, and acquired his education at the public schools. On January 26, 1871. he married Caroline, daughter of James C. and Mary Elizabeth (Garges) Fell, of Buckingham. He resided on his father's farm for four years, and for six years each on the farms of John Rich, in Upper Buckingham. and William Staveley farm in Solebury. In 1887 he re- moved to his present farm, where he has since resided. Mr. and Mrs. Ellis have been the parents of two children, Charles Howard, deceased ; and G. Thompson, who resides with them and conducts the farm. G. Thompson Ellis married Helen Yerkes, daughter of Jonathan and Anna Mary (Goss) Yerkes, of Buckingham, by whom he has one child, Anna.

In politics Mr. Ellis is a Democrat. The family are members of the Presbyterian church. He is a member of Neshaminy Lodge, No. 139, Knights of the Golden. Eagle.

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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

SAMUEL SLOTTER, of South Perka- sie, was born in Hilltown township, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, May 26, 1844, and is a son of John F. and Mary (Landis) Slotter. Johannes Schlotter, the pioneer ancestor of the family, was a native of Ger- many, who settled in Bucks county and reared a family, among whom were three sons ; Christian, Abraham and Daniel. Christian settled in New Britain, where he died in 1822, Abraham and Daniel lo- cated in Haycock.

Abraham Schlotter, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, learned the trade of a fuller with Joseph Fretz, who had a fulling mill on the Tohickon, in Haycock township, and at the latter's death in 1806 purchased the fulling mill and one hundred acres of land lying on both sides of the Tohickon, in Haycock and Bedminster townships, which he continued to operate until his death in 1820. He married Su- sanna Fretz, daughter of his old preceptor, who was several years his junior, being born April 6, 1792. Her father, Joseph Fretz, was born in Bedminster, May 9, 1761, and died at the old fulling mill in Haycock, March 29, 1806. He had married, Novem- ber 1, 1781, Maria Krout, who was born in Bedminster, February II, 1762, and they were the parents of eleven children; Eliza- beth, who died young; Christian and Bar- bara, who also died young; Anna, who married Jacob Bishop; Maria, who died young; Susanna, who married Abraham Schlotter ; Agnes, who died at an advanced age unmarried; Rachel, who married Abra- ham Zetty; Joseph, who died young ; Sarah, who died in 1884, aged eighty-five years; John and Veronica. Joseph Fretz was a son of Christian and Barbara (Oberholtzer) Fretz, and a grandson of John Fretz, the pioneer ancestor of the family in Bed- minster. The children of Abraham and Susanna (Fretz) Schlotter were: John F., born November 28, 1815, and Samuel, who died young. After the death of Abraham Schlotter, his widow Susanna married his brother Daniel Schlotter, and they had one son, Daniel F. Slotter, born March 26, 1822, who married Amanda Ruth, October 27, 1844, and settled in Centre Valley, Springfield township, Bucks county, where they reared a family of ten children.

John F. Slotter was born in Haycock, November 28, 1815. After the death of her second husband, Daniel Schlotter, in 1824, his widow removed to Milford township, Bucks county, where her son John F. was reared and educated. He learned the trade of a shoemaker, which he followed for several years. About 1840 he removed to Rockhill township, where he purchased a small farm and lived until his death on December 4, 1879. He married, July 28, 1839, Mary Landis, daughter of Abraham and Barbara (Bergy) Landis, who was born February 12, 1813, and died June 6, 1876. The children of John F. and Mary

(Landis) Slotter were: Abraham L., born March 5, 1842, married October 17, 1865, Susanna Allebach, and has two children; Samuel, the subject of this sketch; Mah- lon L., born August 26, 1846, married June 29, 1866, Hannah Rouchenberger, and has eight children; Kate S., born August 28, 1848, married October 1, 1870, Henry F. Ott, and resides in Philadelphia; John L., born December 15, 1859, married Emma Willauer, and resides in Pennsburg, Mont- gomery county ; and Mary, born December 2, 1852, died March 13, 18SI, married, June 17, 1880, Henry Moyer.

Samuel Slotter, second child of John F. and Mary Landis Slotter, was educated in the public schools of Sellersville. When a lad he learned the trade of a cigar maker, which he followed for eighteen years. In 1871 he removed to his present farm in Hilltown, near South Perkasie, where he has since lived, having purchased the farm in 1890. His farm has since been included in Perkasie borough. He served as town- ship assessor for three years, and has been a member of council in Perkasie borough for three years. He is a member of the Lutheran church, and politically is a Re- publican. He married, August 6, 1866, Amanda Wambold, daughter of Noah Wam- bold, and they were the parents of six chil- dren: James Irwin, born September 26, 1867, married Emma Strohmoyer, and has four children; Josiah C., born October 29, 1873, married Sallie Stout, and has three children; Emma, born October 26, 1868, married Henry Kramer, of East Rockhill, and has one child; Matilda, born November 15, 1870, married Jacob Hoff, and has two children; Henry, born August 20, 1872, died September 29, 1872; and Edith Jane, born December 21, 1878, wife of Eugene Holland. His wife Amanda died November 20, 1887, and Mr. Slotter married a second time, November 30, 1889, Matilda (Cope) Fretz, widow of John S. Fretz, by whom he has one child, Hanna.

WILLIAM PAULIN WINNER, a member of the firm of Roberts, Winner & Co., stove founders, of Quakertown, and an ex-member of the state legisla- tttre of Pennsylvania, was born on a small farm about two miles north of Wrightstown, Bucks county, Pennsyl- vania, August 26, 1852, son of Samuel and Sarah Ann (Wood) Winner. the latter passing away when her son, William P., was two days old.

He was taken to Philadelphia by a maiden aunt, Elizabeth Winner, with whom he made his home until his elev- enth year, in the meantime attending the public schools of that city. He then re- turned to Bucks county and was em- ployed on the farm of Daniel M. Hibbs, near Newtown, he being considered one of the best and most progressive farm-

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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

ers of lower Bucks county, and the five years of his residence with Mr. Hibbs he always recalls with pleasure. At the expiration of this period of time he re- turned to Philadelphia, this time to be- come an apprentice at stoveplate mould- ing in the foundry of Stuart, Peterson & Co., founders, who were then located at Broad and Noble streets. He remained at this place as an apprentice for four years, and thereafter as a journeyman until 1880, with the exception of eight months during the year 1876. when he was employed by Schantz & Keeley, stove founders, of Spring City, Penn- sylvania. During the year, 1880, he as- sisted in organizing the firm of Roberts, Rogers, Seypes & Co., at Quakertown, a party of moulders who took over the works of the stove foundry of Thomas, Roberts, Stevenson & Co., of that place. Although the firm has had many changes in its membership, the three men who composed the firm of Roberts, Winner & Co., consisting of William Penn Rob- erts, William Paulin Winner, and Fran- cis Moore Cavanaugh, have clung to the plant which they helped to place, build up and nourish with their intelligence and energy.

Mr. Winner has always taken an ac- tive part in the local affairs of Quaker- town. In politics he has been actively engaged with the Republican party, serv- ing as chairman of two committees of the second ward, and developing the strength of that organization; until final- ly, in 1898, Mr. Winner was nom- inated and elected by the Republican party to the state legislature, over his opponent, George F. Rush. Democrat. by a majority of four hundred and twen- ty-eight. During this session. although an untried and inexperienced member, Mr. Winner was appointed on the com- mittees of appropriations and apportion- ments, most important committee, which was an exceedingly great honor. This session will be ever memorable in Penn- sylvania state politics as the year when Matthew Stanley Quay, as candidate for United States senator, put to the test the personal fealty to him of the people's rep- resentatives as against party fealty and independence. In this fight Mr. Winner. though tremendous influences were brought to bear upon him to change his vote and influence from against Mr. Quay to favoring him with his vote, stood out the fight in the interests, as he believed then, of the people who elected him, and the credit of the com- monwealth. and so well were his services appreciated by his constituents that in 1900 he again became his party's stand- ard bearer for the legislature, and on the platform of opposition to Quay, and was this time elected by a majority of seven hundred and eighty-three over his opponent. David S. Harr. Democrat. During the session of the legislature of

1900-02 Mr. Winner, by the manner in which he had upheld what he thought to be right during his previous tenure of office, found that he had created many enemies in his own party. But it was to no man's credit to stand by and uphold the actions of the dominating party in the session of that legislature. In no history of local self-government (sup- posedly free) were things generally car- ried with so high a hand. Bills and ap- propriations were rushed through that legislative body in a manner that de- stroyed every evidence of selfishness and venality. The so-called Ripper bills were pushed through, trolley car fran- chises were grabbed, and no fair show was offered any man who did not bow and stand in with the so-called Republi- can ring. Such was the condition of things that "every man was supposed to have his price." From being on com- mittees of repute and worth during his first term, Mr. Winner was relegated to so-called five wheel committees. How- ever, he performed his duty as he found it, and retired at the end of his term with clean hands.

Mr. Winner married, December 23, 1879, Mary Magdalene, daughter of Philip and Abigail (Ash) Simons, of Spring City, Chester county, Pennsyl- vania. Mrs. Winner was one of three children. She attended the Spring City public schools and high school, complet- ing her studies at the latter institution. She has always taken an active interest in music and art, especially the latter, and the work she has done as a painter in oils has received special commenda- tions. She is a member of the Oratorio Society of Quakertown, in which she takes an active part, and is a participant in all the work connected therewith.

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History of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, Vol. III, Part 122

Author: Davis, W. W. H. (William Watts Hart), 1820-1910; Ely, Warren S. (Warren Smedley), b. 1855; Jordan, John W. (John Woolf), 1840-1921 Publication date: 1905 Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1040

Author: Davis, W. W. H. (William Watts Hart), 1820-1910; Ely, Warren S. (Warren Smedley), b. 1855; Jordan, John W. (John Woolf), 1840-1921
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1040