USA > Pennsylvania > Carbon County > History of Carbon County, Pennsylvania; also containing a separate account of the several boroughs and townships in the county, with biographical sketches > Part 16
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42
Rockport, while formerly a thriving and prosperous town, is to-day practically a deserted village. For romantic natural scenery, however, the locality cannot easily be surpassed, and it is yearly increasing in favor as a summer resort. Building-stone of excellent qual- ity abounds in this vicinity, the stone for the building of the present court house at Mauch Chunk having been quarried here. A Methodist church was organized at Rockport about 1851. Bishop John H. Vincent, des- tined to achieve international fame as a Sunday school
THEN
ART P. TILDET FU I ATION
ONOKO FALLS, GLEN ONOKO.
229
HISTORY OF CARBON COUNTY.
worker and as the head of the Chautauqua Scientific and Literary Association, preached in this church when but nineteen years of age.
St. Joseph's Roman Catholic church in the Laury- town Valley was organized a year earlier. It is under the jurisdiction of the parish at Weatherly, and during the pastorate of Rev. F. X. Wastl was repaired and improved. A union church was erected at Rockport in 1894 by the members of the Reformed and Lutheran denominations. The property is now owned by the Reformed people, Rev. A. M. Masonheimer being the pastor in charge.
Penn Haven was in 1838 made a shipping point by the Hazleton Coal Company. The Beaver Meadow Railroad was used from that year until 1852. A road was built from Hazle Creek Bridge to the mountain top at Penn Haven after the freshet of 1850, and the coal was conveyed to the river by means of two inclined planes twelve hundred feet in length. These were later abandoned. It is at Penn Haven Junction that the Mahanoy and the Beaver Meadow and Hazleton divisions of the Lehigh Valley Railroad diverge from the main line.
Glen Onoko, which has for many years been one of the leading attractions in this part of Pennsylvania for pleasure seekers, is situated in Lehigh township. The improvements here were made by the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company.
There are three school houses in the township, one at Penn Haven, another at Rockport, and one near the farm of the Middle Coal Field Poor District.
The Rockport Rural Telephone Company was organ- ized in 1910, and its line, traversing the township, con- nects with the Bell system at Weatherly.
230
HISTORY OF CARBON COUNTY.
LEHIGHTON BOROUGH.
Before its incorporation as a borough, Lehighton formed a part of Mahoning township, by which it is bounded on all sides except the east, where the Lehigh river forms the boundary line.
The first settlement here was that made by the Moravians in 1746. Gnadenhütten mission, which was then established, occupying the present site of South Lehighton. This was also the first settlement made by white men in Carbon county, which then belonged to Bucks, one of the three original counties of Pennsyl- vania.
How the Moravians came to establish this mission, the success with which their unselfish labors was crowned for nearly a decade, and the tragic fate which befell them when the Indians, smarting from the wrongs and injustices which had been heaped upon them by the greedy proprietaries of the province and by the unscrupulous portion of the settlers, took the war path in the autumn of 1755 and indiscriminately slew both friend and foe, has already been told in de- tail. Scarcely a trace exists to-day of this ill-fated settlement excepting the graveyard, where repose the remains of the victims of the massacre of Gnaden- hütten.
In 1794, the land on which Lehighton is built was largely owned by Colonel Jacob Weiss, a veteran of the Revolution, and another man, named William Henry. It appears that thus early it was recognized that a town would some day be built at this point, since Weiss and Henry had a portion of the ground laid out for that purpose. In the center of their plot was the town square, which was reserved for public use. A number of lots were sold in 1794, while other conveyances were
LOOKING NORTH ON SECOND STREET, LEHIGHTON.
-
٠٠:٥٠٠
W YORK LIBRARY
> LENOX AND -OUNDATIONE.
231
HISTORY OF CARBON COUNTY.
made in the year 1800, but it is not definitely estab- lished who these first purchasers were.
A bridge was built across the Lehigh in 1804, and a road was then constructed from here to the place where the "Landing Tavern" was later erected, at the foot of the Broad mountain. The Lehigh and Susquehanna Turnpike Company was incorporated about this time, and the road opened by this company reached from Berwick, on the Susquehanna, to Easton. There was a great deal of travel along this route, and taverns were established at regular intervals. Lehighton became one of the stopping places on this road in 1809, when John Hagenbuch built a tavern on the site now occu- pied by the Exchange Hotel. He came from Sieg- fried's Bridge, then known as Siegfried's Ferry, Northampton county. For many years he continued as the landlord of this tavern, and was succeeded by his son, Reuben Hagenbuch. Nicholas Fuller opened a tavern near the bridge in 1814, remaining its landlord for a long period.
David Heller started a tannery near Hagenbuch's tavern prior to 1820. John Davis established a store about this time where the residence of the late Joseph Obert now stands.
In 1825 Daniel Snyder erected a grist mill at the mouth of Mahoning creek. He conducted the mill for many years. John Koons was his successor, and he sold the property to the Lehigh Valley Railroad Com- pany. The growth of the town was slow until the building of the Lehigh Canal through this region, in 1828-29. The canal contributed materially to the de- velopment of Lehighton and the surrounding country. The fertile farming districts lying adjacent to the vil- lage were now fast growing in population and impor- tance, and this was an added factor in the upbuilding of the settlement.
232
HISTORY OF CARBON COUNTY.
In 1855, the Lehigh Valley Railroad was completed from Mauch Chunk to Easton, and early in the sixties the company established its shops and yards at Pack- erton. Many of the employes at this place built their homes in Lehighton. On March 16, 1864, the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad Company, later absorbed by the Central Railroad Company of New Jersey, was authorized to extend its line from Mauch Chunk to Easton. With the completion of this road Lehighton took another step forward, and on January 2, 1866, the town was organized as a borough, John Lentz becom- ing the first chief burgess. Ten years later, when the census was taken, Lehighton had a population of 1,485. The place has grown steadily since that time, and is now one of the most thriving communities of the Lehigh Valley.
One of the leading enterprises of Lehighton is the packing establishment of the Joseph Obert Company. The founder of this industry was Joseph Obert, a na- tive of Germany. He began as a butcher in 1865, soon making himself master of a large business. In 1875 his plant was destroyed by fire, but was rebuilt and en- larged. Mr. Obert died in 1896, and during the suc- ceeding ten years the enterprise was conducted by his executors. The Joseph Obert Company, of which Charles W. Obert is president, and Henry B. Kennell secretary and treasurer, was then incorporated.
The Lehigh Stove and Manufacturing Company, had its inception in 1867. The chief promoter of the enter- prise, and the president of the company for many years, was G. B. Linderman. C. O. Skeer, Robert Klotz, William Lilly, W. B. Mack, C. W. Anthony, and A. G. Brodhead were among the early stock-holders of the company. About one hundred men are here em- ployed, and "Lehigh" stoves, ranges, and furnaces find
233
HISTORY OF CARBON COUNTY.
their way to many quarters of the world. W. R. But- ler is now the dominant figure in the affairs of the con- cern.
Lehighton has in recent years attained prominence in textile manufacturing, the first and largest of the mills now located there being the silk throwing mill of The Baer Company, situated at Bridge and S. Seventh streets. This enterprise was established by Eugene W. Baer at Paterson, N. J., and was originally conducted under the title of Eugene Baer & Company. In 1898 the plant was removed to Lehighton, where the present four-story brick building had been built by the com- pany. In 1903, Mr. Baer purchased the interest of his father, Jacob F. Baer, and the company was incor- porated as The Baer Company, Eugene W. Baer, being its president and principal stockholder. The two upper floors of the building owned by The Baer Com- pany are occupied by the Helvetia Silk Company, the headquarters of which are at Paterson, N. J.
The Lehighton Lace Company was incorporated in 1905 with a capital stock of $150,000. P. M. Graul, W. D. Boyer, C. J. Kistler, and M. O. Kuntz were those most influential in establishing this industry, which em- ploys about sixty operatives. The president of the company is W. D. Boyer, while P. M. Graul is the gen- eral manager, secretary and treasurer. The plant oc- cupies the site where Daniel Olewine, prominent in the early annals of the town, erected a tannery in 1859. This establishment was destroyed by fire in 1873.
The Carbon Silk Mill Company was organized in 1906 by O. F. Acker, D. A. Rehrig, and P. F. Rehrig. D. A. Rehrig has been the president of this company since its beginning. From seventy-five to one hundred people are here employed, the mill being now operated under lease by P. F. Rehrig and W. B. Lovatt.
234
HISTORY OF CARBON COUNTY.
A smaller silk throwing mill, recently opened, is that of Howard Diefenderfer.
The Lehighton Shirt Factory was established in 1898 by New York capitalists.
The Crescent Stove and Manufacturing Company was organized in 1904, Edward E. Walters being its president, and Charles H. Bower the principal stock- holder.
The Lehighton Brick Company was formed in 1906 by Ira Seidle and Dallas Bowman. The plant operated by this company is owned by William S. Koch, who built it in 1899.
The Carbon Iron Works Company was incorporated in 1911. W. S. Koch is its president.
As has already been said, the first hotel to be opened in Lehighton was that of John Hagenbuch, in 1809. This property changed hands four or five times until 1867, when it was purchased by Thomas Mantz, who tore down the old building and erected the present Ex- change Hotel on the site. He is still the owner. The tavern erected by Nicholas Fuller in 1814, near the bridge which crosses the Lehigh on the way to Weiss- port was sold to George Esch in 1855. He removed the original structure and put up the Valley House in its place. This hotel has been conducted by E. W. Clauss since 1891.
Jacob Metzgar built the Carbon House in 1842, and opened it as a tavern under the sign of the Eagle. It has had many landlords, and is now owned by the David Ebbert Estate.
The Mansion House was built by J. A. Horn in 1879. The present proprietor is A. P. Anthony.
The Lehighton postoffice was established on October 1, 1812, John Pryor, Jr., being the first postmaster. Twenty-three others have since served in that capacity.
235
HISTORY OF CARBON COUNTY.
John Davis who has already been mentioned as the first store-keeper in the town, held the office from 1824 to 1836, when he removed to Easton, where he became the president of the Easton National Bank. His term of service was exceeded only by that of Thomas S. Beck, who held the office for thirteen years, though not successively, and by that of Henry H. Peters, who served from 1871 to 1885.
No one knows where the office was first opened; but most of the postmasters kept it at their places of busi- ness until 1898, when it was was located as at present by B. J. Kuntz.
In 1903 the only rural route beginning at this office was established. It extends through the Mahoning Valley. This was the first postoffice to be designated as a postal savings bank in the Lehigh Valley, being authorized to receive deposits during the summer of 1911.
David McCormick succeeded W. W. Reber as post- master in March, 1911.
A log schoolhouse opened by the Moravians about 1820 was also used for church purposes. The school was controlled by a board of trustees, and was kept during the winter months for many years.
A generation after the establishment of this institu- tion, Mahoning township, of which Lehighton then formed a part, accepted the free school system, and other houses were erected for school purposes. One of these was opened on Iron street about 1850. In 1853 another was built on the town square, which was used until 1873. Another was located on Pine street.
The present high school building was built in 1873 at a cost of $45,000. For a time all of the schools in the borough were kept here. The First Ward building, a modern brick structure of eight rooms, was put up in
236
HISTORY OF CARBON COUNTY.
1896. It cost $30,000. The Third Ward building, the best equipped in the borough, was built in 1902. The high school is an accredited "second grade" institu- tion having a three years' course. The schools of the borough have been under the direction of a supervisory principal since 1908.
A parochial school conducted under the auspices of St. Peter's and St. Paul's Roman Catholic church, was established in 1869. About eighty pupils, taught by three Sisters of St. Francis, are in attendance here.
Among the institutions of learning not having the support of the general public, was the Carbon Acad- emy, which was first conducted by R. F. Hofford at Weissport. The flood of 1862 carried away the build- ing in which the academy was housed, and during the same year a new building was erected by Hofford in Lehighton. In 1863 he was chosen as superintendent of schools of the county, and some years thereafter, A. S. Christine assumed control of the academy. Pro- fessor Christine died in 1868, and the school was closed, though several unsuccessful attempts were made to re-establish it.
Excepting the Moravians, it appears that the Re- formed and Lutheran people were the first to hold regular church services in this locality. As early as 1800 Reformed ministers traveled through this region and preached in the old Moravian chapel. The names of Rev. Thomas Pomp, Rev. W. F. Vandersloot, Rev. William Helfrich, and Rev. Charles Becker are found on certificates still in possession of members of the older families.
On March 23, 1818, a union congregation, composed of people of the Reformed and Lutheran denomina- tions, was organized. Services were held in the Mo- ravian chapel. After this building began to fall into
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ARTIR LENOX AND T FELLOUS ALONE
1
ZION'S REFORMED CHURCH. LEHIGHTON.
237
HISTORY OF CARBON COUNTY.
disrepair, the place of worship was changed to a school- house on South Third street. It was in this building that the first Sunday school in Lehighton was organized.
Until 1838 the religious interests of both Lehighton and Weissport centered in South Lehighton. During the ensuing thirty years the common place of worship was at Weissport. Jacob's Reformed and Lutheran church was built at the latter place in 1839. This was the mother of the churches of these denominations in Lehighton.
Prior to 1870 a union Sunday school had been organ- ized in a small building in the upper park. Later the school was kept in the Iron street schoolhouse. Thomas and William Kemmerer and Frederick Brink- man were the leaders in this movement. This school afforded a rallying place for the Reformed and Lu- theran people of Lehighton. An effort was made by these people to build a union church, but it proved abor- tive and separate houses of worship were erected.
The congregation of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran church was organized on January 5, 1873, by Rev. D. K. Kepner. The corner stone of the building which was erected was laid on the first of June of that year. Rev. J. H. Kuder has been the pastor of this church since 1882.
Zion's Reformed congregation was organized on April 29, 1893, the meeting for that purpose having been held in the building of the Carbon Academy. All of the charter members were connected with Jacob's church at Weissport prior to the forming of the new congregation. Rev. Abraham Bartholomew was the first pastor, serving the church at Weissport, as well.
Services were held in the academy building until 1876, when a church edifice was built. During 1902-03,
238
HISTORY OF CARBON COUNTY.
under the pastorate of Rev. D. A. Winter, the church was remodeled and enlarged at a cost of more than $27,000. The Sunday school of this congregation is at present the strongest in the county. George E. Gray has been its superintendent, since 1897.
The Presbyterian church of Lehighton had its begin- nings in the efforts of a pious Polish woman, named Fredericka Misca. She came to this country about 1825, and purchased two tracts of land from the Mo- ravians, embracing the site of the old Gnadenhütten Mission, for which she agreed to pay $500.00. She be- came inspired with the idea of building a new church on the site of the one burned down by the Indians, and accordingly began to solicit money. She made long journeys through the country and visited many cities, selling prints depicting the massacre of Gnadenhütten, the proposed church, and herself. For a time she lived in this locality. A gentleman named George Douglass, of New York, touched by her devotion and sincerity, generously gave her a sum of money sufficient to take up the mortgage against the property. She thereupon executed to him a trust deed, dated November 1, 1833, making him trustee of all she possessed, and stipula- ting that the avails of the property should be used for the construction of a church at Lehighton for the use of the Presbyterian denomination. The building was begun, the foundation walls and window frames put up, and the necessary lumber hauled on the ground. But from one of her journeys Misca never returned. The fate that befell her is shrouded in mystery; it is thought that she was murdered and robbed. This church was never completed.
In 1852 Douglass transferred his trust to a number of prominent citizens of Mauch Chunk. A portion of the property was sold by them, and the proceeds placed
239
HISTORY OF CARBON COUNTY.
at the disposal of the Presbyterian church at Mauch Chunk, the congregation of which was then gathering funds for the erection of a house of worship.
In 1870 an act of Assembly was passed enabling the trustees to sell the remainder of the property. The Gnadenhütten Cemetery Association became the pur- chaser. In 1872 Rev. Jacob Beleville, the Presbyterian pastor at Mauch Chunk conceived the idea of building a church at Lehighton. As early as 1859 missionaries had preached to a small congregation here, meetings being held in the schoolhouse on Iron street. In ac- cordance with Rev. Beleville's plans, the congregation was reorganized on the 12th of February, 1872, and the Misca fund was transferred to the trustees of the Le- highton congregation. A lot was procured and the corner stone of the church building was laid on the 29th of May, 1873. It was dedicated on May 7, 1874, Rev. C. Earle preaching the dedicatory sermon. Dur- ing the pastorate of Rev. R. E. Reimer, who served from 1900 to 1905, the church was remodeled and im- proved. Rev. H. A. Smith, D.D., is the present pastor.
The people of the Methodist Episcopal denomination began holding meetings in Lehighton about 1840. Serv- ices were occasionally conducted by missionaries, but usually the preachers came from Mauch Chunk. The society was organized in 1865, purchasing the Carbon Academy building, which was used until the erection of the present building in 1883. The church was dedi- cated on the 30th of September of that year. W. B. Durelle was the first regular preacher.
St. Peter's and St. Paul's Roman Catholic church was organized in 1869. Rev. G. Frende, who resided in Lehighton and had other churches in charge, was the first pastor. Rev. William Heinan, who later became the minister of St. Joseph's Catholic church at East
240
HISTORY OF CARBON COUNTY.
Mauch Chunk, and one of the best known members of the priesthood in this section of the State, succeeded Rev. Frende. This church was rebuilt under Rev. Francis Regnery, the present pastor. The corner- stone was laid on October 7, 1906. The church was completed and dedicated on September 1, 1907, being blessed by Bishop E. F. Prendergast, now Archbishop of the Diocese of Philadelphia. It cost $30,000.
The Ebenezer Church of the Evangelical Association was organized in 1872. Services were held in various places until 1876, when the present house of worship was completed. The church was dedicated by Bishop Thomas Bowman on the 21st of May of that year. The congregation has had about twenty pastors since that time.
The Mennonite Brethren in Christ, who have gained a footing here came into existence in 1882. Rev. Wil- liam Gheman was the founder of the organization.
Bethany United Evangelical church is the offspring of Ebenezer Church of the Evangelical Association. The society was formally organized on October 5, 1894, and a year later its house of worship was dedicated by Bishop Dubbs.
Grace Lutheran church was organized on November 29, 1903, Rev. Frank S. Kuntz served as the first pastor. A chapel costing $12,000 was soon erected, being dedi- cated on April 2, 1905.
All Saints' Episcopal church, which is a mission of St. Mark's church, of Mauch Chunk, had its beginnings in 1868, when the first public service of this denomina- tion was held in the Carbon Academy building. The present church edifice, one of the most magnificent in the county, was started in 1906, being the gift of Mary Packer Cummings. The corner stone was laid with im- pressive ceremonies on October the 10th of that year
241
HISTORY OF CARBON COUNTY.
by Rt. Rev. Ethelbert Talbot, Bishop of Central Penn- sylvania. The consecration sermon was preached by Rt. Rev. Leighton Coleman, Bishop of Delaware, on September 30th, 1907. It was Bishop Coleman, then stationed at Mauch Chunk, who conducted the first Episcopal service in Lehighton. The church, together with the vicarage, cost $50,000. Both are constructed of graystone, quarried at Bowmanstown, while the trimmings are of Wyoming blue stone. Rev. A. A. Bresee has been the vicar from the beginning.
The principal burying ground in Lehighton, and the oldest in the county, is the Gnadenhütten Cemetery, which has already been mentioned as the resting place of the Moravians who were massacred by the Indians on the evening of November 24, 1755. From the year 1820 the grounds were occasionally used as a place of interment by the people of the surrounding country. Fredericka Misca became the owner of the site about 1830. Since 1870 the Gnadenhütten Cemetery Associa- tion has been the owner.
Lehighton's first newspaper was called the Weekly News, started by O. M. Boyle, in January, 1872. Its publication was suspended in the fall of 1873. The initial issue of the Carbon Advocate bore the date of November 23, 1872. It was established by H. V. Mor- thimer, a veteran journalist. P. M. Graul became the owner of this paper in 1902. It has always been issued weekly, and has supported Democratic prin- ciples.
The Lehighton Press began its career on April 21, 1892, having been started by William C. Watson. On November 16, 1896, it passed to the ownership of David McCormick, under whose guidance it has be- come one of the most influential and prosperous weekly journals in the Lehigh Valley. Originally it contained
242
HISTORY OF CARBON COUNTY.
four pages of seven columns. It has since doubled its size. The Press is staunchly Republican.
The Evening Leader was established by George Morthimer, a son of the founder of the Advocate, on July 19, 1902. It is the only paper in the borough issued daily, and is an exponent of Democratic doc- trines.
Lehighton's earliest fire company was organized on August 24, 1874. It had fifty charter members. H. V. Morthimer was chosen president; C. F. Horn, secre- tary, and P. T. Bradley, chief. Morthimer and Horn were the prime movers in the undertaking. The latter is still a member of the company. The borough build- ing is occupied by this organization.
With the growth of the town, the need of additional protection against fire became apparent, resulting in the formation of Lehighton Engine Company No. 2. This company was permanently organized at Hoch- berg's Hotel on the evening of February 18, 1904. James I. Blakslee was elected president; E. W. Moser, vice president, and A. J. Snyder, secretary.
Soon thereafter an emergency school house on Third street was leased and remodeled to meet the needs of the organization. For years this company gave Christ- mas entertainments to which the public of the region was admitted, and large sums of money were expended in purchasing gifts for the children. From its incep- tion this company has reflected the progressiveness and liberality which characterizes its president, James I. Blakslee. Under his leadership a new fire house, costing $18,000, was erected during 1910-11. It is one of the model buildings of its kind in Pennsylvania. It is of cement block and pressed brick, being two stories high. The structure was appropriately dedicated on February 21, 1911. The municipality, as such, was not
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.