History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches, Part 126

Author: Futhey, John Smith, 1820-1888; Cope, Gilbert, 1840-1928
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1162

USA > Pennsylvania > Chester County > History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches > Part 126

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In 1822 there was a great flood in the Brandywine (2d month 17th), and a larger one on the 21st, which carried away bridges, mills, dams, etc., and several persons were drowned. The water rose about thirteen feet.

On the 6th of July, 1824, the township of Pennsbury was visited by a violent tornado. Between four and five o'clock in the afternoon there arose a small cloud in the north west, having a light and thin appearance, neither in- dicating much rain nor wind; but from it issued the most vivid flashes of lightning in sublime succession, accom- panied with very loud peals of thunder, A short time before sunset the cloud separated, one part went towards the south and the other towards the north, leaving the sky almost bare between them ; they soon reunited, producing the greatest agitation in the atmosphere that can be imag- ined. Those who saw describe it in the shape of a funnel, with the small end down, and having the appearance of a column of fire; the very clouds themselves seemed to be broken up and hurled to the earth. It commenced the work of destruction north of the Street road, on the farm of Jacob Baily, tearing down all his apple-trees except three, carrying some in the air at least three hundred yards from the place where they stood. It unroofed part of his barn, passing into the woodland of John Parker, Jr., tearing up and twisting off nearly all his trees, till it reached James Bennett's. Passing over his field and meadow, it over- turned all that stood in its way. Entering some woodland belonging to James Bennett and Edward Temple, it made an opening, like a clearing, 15 to 20 perches in width, leaving nothing but a few saplings. So great was the ve- locity of the wind that it splintered some of the toughest hickories that were near two feet in diameter.

In the open fields the force in places seemed collected in a small focus; where that was the case the ground was torn up about the size of a hogshead, and to the depth of a foot or fifteen inches.

The next woodland in its track was Moses Way's and Joseph Temple's, large white-oak timber, two and three feet over, where it made a clearing of several acres. It passed near the east end of M. Way's house, unroofed part of his kitchen, and overturned a number of trees in his orchard; then, descending into the hollow, it unroofed the barn of Joshua Harvey, and broke a cart which was standing near by, some timbers falling on it, and injured the roof of the dwelling-house.

It crossed the Brandywine near Chads' Ford, when its power gradually diminished, and no material damage was done. Wherever it passed over a corn-field the corn for

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about two or three perches was killed, and was as dry the next day as if exposed to intense heat. The oats for rods were leveled with the ground, and the grain switched off as if it had been flailed. Two thousand cords of timber are supposed to have been blown down, and much of it so split and broken as to be useless except for fuel.

The houses escaped with slight injury, but had they been directly in its track they must have been demolished.

The thunder and lightning was unusually severe; it struck a tree near Joseph Temple's ; he and his wife were stunned. It also struck one near Edward Temple's spring- house, killing a steer that was standing near it.

The early summer of 1826 was very dry. On 3, 22, 1828, the orchards were in bloom and the meadows very green, but in the following month snow fell to the depth of nearly two feet. A frost, 6, 6, 1836, killed the corn and damaged the wheat.

The summer of 1838 was remarkably dry, no rain of importance falling from 6th month 4th to 9th month 12th, and the grasshoppers became very numerous. Corn was put into shock during the latter days of summer. 8, 4, 1843, a violent thunder-storm occurred, with high water, which swept away many factory dwell- ings. The autumn of 1844 was very dry. On the evening of 7, 20, 1860, a very large metcor passed slowly across the northern sky from west to east. In 1877 a tornado passed over a portion of our county, of which an account, entitled " The Great Tornado," was published soon after in pamphlet form by Richard Darlington, Jr., and from which the following is con- densed :

ERCILDOUN TORNADO, JULY, 1877.

The tornado which passed over the village of Ereildoun occurred on the 1st of July, 1877, about three P.M. It commenced at a point three-fourths of a mile southeast of the Gap Station on the Penn- sylvania Railroad, and about two miles west of the Chester County line, and in length extended about twenty-two miles, terminating near Broad Run, in West Bradford township. The day was warm, the mercury registering about 92 degrees. The atmos- phere was very close, and the air was well charged with electricity. The storm-cloud was funnel-shaped, the larger end being attached to the clouds, the smaller extending to the earth, and sweeping it in a track from 50 to 200 yards in width. The track of the tornado was marked with fearful destruction to prop- erty, and while several persons were injured, only one was killed. Her name was Mary Hopkins, a colored woman, living near Newlin's mill, East Fallowfield township. A man named Jacob Eisinberger was gathered up by the storm and carried about 200 yards. His jaw was broken, and he was injured in many other ways. Samuel Jackson, of Parkesburg, was also badly hurt.

The storm-cloud had a rotary motion, in addition to a progressive movement of from twelve to fifteen miles an hour. The velocity of the rotary movement was very great, and the largest trees of the forest were unable to withstand its force. In a woods belonging to Thomas Shields, near Ercildoun, a complete track was cut, and several hundred

trees wore prostrated and lying in all directions. Several barns were destroyed, not a vestige being left above the foundation walls.

The general direction of the progressive movement of the storm-cloud was from northwest to southeast, the prevailing course being S. 75° E. After leaving Newlin's mill it veered a little to the north, and it moved S. 83º E. to a point about half a mile east of Ercildoun, when the cloud arose in the air and passed along at a higher elevation, relieving the farms and property from injury. It again descended, and struck the earth on Richard Baily's property, near Broad Run. His barn was entirely destroyed. The tornado continued between one and two miles at this lower elevation, and then arose and disappeared from view. The distance passed over by the storm-cloud without injury before reaching Broad Run was about seven miles.

The in-rushing winds on either side of the tornado pro- duced in some instances nearly as much destruction as the

STORM-CLOUD, 1877, ERCILDOUN, CHESTER CO., PA.

cloud itself. The injury extended, in a few cases, over a track 300 yards wide. Much speculation was indulged in as to the cause of the whirl, and even as to the formation of the cloud itself. Undoubtedly currents of air from ad- verse directions and of different temperatures had an impor- tant influence in generating the cloud. In fact, Joseph D. Pownell claims to have seen the first contact of the op- posing currents from the porch of his residence, near Gap Station, in Lancaster County, at which point the " whirl" began.

Currents of air, when meeting from opposite or from different directions, are supposed to encounter less resistance in their struggle for supremacy from lateral than from ver-

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HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

tical pressure, and if so a rotary movement could readily be inaugurated.

The storm-cloud in its course passed along the southern limit of Parkesburg, and overthrew several frame buildings in that borough. The next village in the track of the storm was Ercildoun, four miles east, and here was the greatest destruction of property. About half the houses

The injury to the Ercildoun Seminary property was over $10,000.

A noticeable feature of the tornado was the destruction of orchards; apple-trees in particular were easily over- thrown, the roots not being set deeply in the earth, and the foliage being heavy and dense. One orchard on the North Valley Hill, a short distance above Parkesburg, had 51 trees

ITTLE SC

EFFECT OF TORNADO ON RICHARD DARLINGTON, JR's., SEMINARY AT ERCILDOUN, CHESTER CO., PA., JULY 1, 1877.

were overthrown. The school property of Richard Darling- ton, including also a new dwelling in course of erection, was terribly injured. The unfinished dwelling was entirely de- molished. The trees in the lawn were in many instances cither overthrown or the tops were twisted off. A potato- patch in the rear of the dwelling was rendered entirely bare, all of the new growth being scraped off by the friction of the storm-cloud.

overthrown. The loss of property by the tornado along its route was estimated at about $36,000. As there was no insurance for injury of this character, the loss fell heavily on many of the sufferers. About $2000 were raised and distributed among the poorer classes in and around Ercildoun. This was almost the only amount raised by voluntary con- tributions. This is the most serious destruction of prop- erty by wind that our county has ever experienced.

Two brothers named Acker came over from Germany in 1732, one of whom, Conrad, located in Montgomery County, from whom those of this name in Chester County are de- scended.

Conrad married Barbara Ru- ble, from which union Peter was born. Peter Acker mar- ried Elizabeth Laugbaugh, and by her had but one child, Con- rad, the subject of this sketch. Peter subsequently married Elizabeth Beagle, by whom he had nine children. Conrad, son of Peter and Elizabeth (Laugbaugh) Acker, was born in Uwchlan township, Dec. 24, 1802. He was raised on the farm and attended the public subscription schools. He was married Jan. 17, 1828, to Leah Keeley, daughter of Con- rad and Margaret Keeley. From this marriage were born eightchildren : John ; William (deceased) ; Margaret, married to Frank Keyser; Elizabeth, married to Charles H. Duck- ett; Joseph (killed in the Re- hellion); Amelia; Ella; and Amanda. In the spring of 1828 he moved to Tredyffrin township, and bought of his father a farm, on which he re- mained until 1850, when he came to his present farm, where he has since resided. When he

CONRAD ACKER.

Conrad Acker

bought it the land was covered with woods which he cleared off, and on this farm of one hundred and seventeen acres he erected all the buildings and has made many valuable improvements. He has served seven years as school director, and frequently in other local positions. He belongs, with his family, to the Presbyterian Church. He is identified with the Republican party, and was a staunch supporter of the government during the Rebel- lion.

His farm is pleasantly lo- cated in the beautiful Chester Valley, and his home betokens happiness and comfort, as his homestead does thrift and prosperity. His son, Joseph Acker, was mustered into the United States service Sept. 11, 1861, for three years, in Com- pany C, Ninety-seventh Penn- sylvania Regiment; was ap- pointed fourth sergeant . Sept. 18, 1861 ; promoted to third sergeant April 30, 1862; pro- moted to second sergeant July 1, 1863 ; and was killed while advancing with skirmish line at Foster's Place, Bermuda Hundred, May 18, 1864. He was one of the best and bravest soldiers of this noble regiment, commanded by Col. Henry R. Guss.

RESIDENCE OF CONRAD ACKER, TREDYFFRIN.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL.

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

SINCE the first settlement of this province several genera- tions have passed away, and the oldest of our citizens can- Dot recall those who took part therein. Succeeding a pe- riod of almost total indifference upon the subject, there is now a fast-growing interest and desire manifested to know more of that unbroken line of ancestry stretching from the present into the dim, uncertain past. There are of course traditions in nearly every family, but traditions un- supported by other evidence are very unreliable. It has been noticed by all genealogists as a singular circumstance that in most families tradition assigns " three brothers" as their emigrant ancestors, which brothers, settling in differ- ent parts of the country, explains the spread of the name. It is equally singular that when persons are told of the universality of this tradition, they simply note its coinci- dence with the facts in their family history, not suspecting for an instant that they, like all the rest, are under a delu- sion. To all these we may say that unless you have posi- tive records, written at the time, in support of the theory, you should cast it aside as a dream.

We here present some brief genealogical and biographi- cal sketches from the vastly greater number which, but for want of space, might be given of the citizens and families of our county.

To economize space, some abbreviations common in ge- nealogical works will be used, such as the letters b. d. and m. for born, died, and married, etc.

ADAMSON, CHARLES, who lived at Corner Stores, near Phoenixville, in Schuylkill township, married Mary Corson, sister of Dr. Hiram Corson, of Conshohocken. The Adamsons were one of the old Chester County Quaker families. Both Charles and his wife are deceased.

THOMAS ADAMSON, son of the above, was born at Corner Stores, Chester County, and is one of the oldest members of the consular service. In 1870 he was appointed consul to Melbourne, Australia, which position he held until 1878, when he was appointed by President Hayes as consul-general at Rio de Janeiro. During his residence abroad he has taken "active part in every movement of social utility, and, not content with existing charities, ranked among the leading promoters of several new ventures of benevolence, among which was the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society."

SARAH R. ADAMSON (Mrs. L. C. Dolley, M.D.), sis- ter of the last named, and daughter of Charles and Mary, has the honor of being the second woman in this country who received a full medical education and the degree of Doctor of Medicine,-Elizabeth Blackwell being the first. She attended the select school of Graceanna Lewis, whose

loan to her pupil of a work on physiology first fascinated, and then led to the determination to make medicine a special study and its practice her life-work. She continued her studies at the Friends' Ccotral School, in Philadelphia, and as a medical student with her uncle, Dr. Hiram Cor- son. In 1849 she made application for admission to one and another of the medical schools, with the consent and encouragement of her preceptor, but in vain. For a time she studied practical anatomy under Dr. Edwin Fussel, who later became professor of anatomy in the Woman's College of Philadelphia. Soon after she was received by the Central Medical College of New York, at Syracuse, from which she was graduated in 1851 with the degree of M.D. She spent a year in Blockley Hospital, and received from its board of managers the same certificate as that awarded to the male physicians. Soon after she married .Dr. L. C. Dolley, of Rochester, N. Y., whither she re- moved, and which continues to be her residence. She is president of the Rochester Society of Natural Sciences, an outgrowth of a course of lectures by Graceanna Lewis. Mrs. Dr. Dolley is a sister-in-law of Elijah F. Pennypacker.

ACKER, CONRAD, and wife Barbara (Ruble), from Germany, settled at first near Trappe, in Montgomery County, but in 1771 removed to a farm in Uwchlan, Ches- ter County, now owned by George S. Acker, a great-grand- son. Conrad Acker was a firm patriot, and assisted in burying the victims of the Paoli massacre. Farming is the leading pursuit of the family, who are noted for industry, frugality, and good citizenship.

The children of Conrad and Barbara were,-1. Conrad, m. Magdalena, daughter of Johannes and Anna Catharine Laubaugh ; 2. Jacob, died unmarried; 3. John, m. Cath- arine Laubaugh ; 4. Peter, m. Elizabeth Laubaugh ; 5. Henry, m. Elizabeth Weisner; 6. Catharine, m. John Lau- baugh and, second, John Christman; 7. Elizabeth, m. John Weisner ; 8. Barbara, m. Jacob Weisner ; 9. Mary, m. John King; 10. Eve, mn. James Kenny ; 11. Hannah, m. Philip Souder.

The children of John and Catharine Acker were Eliza- beth, m. Abraham Fetters; Mary, m. Samuel Fetters ; and John. The last and his cousin Isaac, son of Peter, have been members of the State Legislature.

SAMUEL ACKER, son of Conrad and Magdalen, was born July 1, 1805, on Marsh Creek, in Uwchlan township. There he remained until sixteen years of age, when his father bought land in Tredyffrin township, where, a few years later, he died. Samuel was married to Mary Weis- ner, by whom he had one child, Zachariah. He was a practical farmer, and served repeatedly as township auditor. He was a member of the Reform Church of Pikeland, of which Rev. Jesse Knipe has been pastor for half a century.

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HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Samuel Asker

He was originally a Whig, then a Republican, and never missed an election up to two years before his death, Feb. 15, 1880. His widow survives him, and resides on the homestead place. He was a man respected for his probity of character and public spirit, which made his decease uni- versally lamented. His only child, Zachariah Acker, is a prominent and well-known merchant of Phoenixville, where he is also one of the proprietors and president of the " Moore Hall Foundry and Machine Company," chartered March 16, 1881. He is one of the leading and most pub- lic-spirited citizens of that town.

ALDRED, THOMAS J., son of William and Catharine, was born Oct. 3, 1803, in Brandywine Hundred, Del., the youngest of nine children. He was married by Rev. Henry Boehm, Feb. 23, 1826, to Hannah Bonsall Fisher, born ncar Mortonville, Chester Co., Feb. 14, 1801. They were prominent members of the Grove Methodist Episcopal Church, and were the parents of eleven children, of whom nine lived to maturity. William R., one of the sons, a graduate of Dickinson College, died in the army, Aug. 8, 1865. A daughter became the wife of Rev. George W. Lybrand, now of Minersville, Pa. The father dicd Dec. 11, 1880.

ALISON, D.D., FRANCIS, was born in the county of Donegal, Ireland, in the year 1705, and completed his stu- dies at the University of Glasgow. He came to America in 1735, and was for a while engaged as tutor in the family of the father of John Dickinson, of Delaware. He was licensed as a Presbyterian minister in 1736 or 1737, and on May 25th of the latter year was installed pastor of the New London Presbyterian congregation, in Chester Co., Pa., where he continued fifteen years.

In 1743 he opened an academy at New London, which became a justly celebrated institution, and served to aid in furnishing the Presbyterian Church with well-qualified ministers and the State with able civilians.

In 1752 he removed to Philadelphia, and took charge of the Philadelphia Academy. In 1755, upon the estab- lishment of the University of Pennsylvania, he was ap- pointed vice-provost and professor of moral philosophy. He was also assistant minister of the First Presbyterian Church.

The degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon him by Yale College in 1755, and by the College of New Jersey in 1756; and the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity by the University of Glasgow, in Scotland, in 1758. This last distinction, now so common, was then rare, and was only conferred upon men of the most distinguished abilities and learning.

Dr. Alison was a man of high character as a Christian, a scholar, and a preacher. He had an unusually accurate and profound acquaintance with the Greek and Latin clas- sics, and was well informed in philosophy, history, and general literature. To his zeal for the diffusion of knowl- edge Pennsylvania owes much of that taste for solid learn- ing and classical literature for which many of her principal characters have been distinguished.

He opposed the throwing off of the proprietary govern- ment, and as a reward for his services Richard Penn, it is said, gave him a fine tract of land at the confluence of the Bald Eagle with the west branch of the Susquehanna.

He was the founder of the " Presbyterian Society for the Relief of Ministers and their Widows," and the first named of its trustees. Although his family could ill afford it, he

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made provision in his will for giving his slaves their lib- erty.

He had considerable influence in the ecclesiastical judi- catories, and in the controversy which agitated the Presby- terian Church in his day he adhered to what was termed the " Old Side."

He died Nov. 29, 1779, in the seventy-fourth year of his age. The maiden name of his wife was Armitage. Among other children, he left a son, Dr. Francis Alison, who became a physician of eminence, and who was the father of the late Dr. Robert Alison, of Jennerville, and of Oliver Alison, at one time sheriff of Chester County.

ALLEN, JOHN, was born 8, 3, 1694, and died 9, 16, 1771. He married, in 1719, Amy Cox, and settled in Londongrove. He brought a certificate from Friends in Ireland to Newark Monthly Meeting, 2, 3, 1714. His wife died 9, 13, 1778.

Their children were: 1. John, b. 2, 8, 1720 ; d. 10, 1, 1754 ; m. 9, 12, 1740, Phebe Scarlet, and lived in London- grove. 2. Rebecca, b. 8, 8, 1722 ; m. Alexander Mode and William Chandler. 3. Emey (Amy), b. 6, 8, 1725; m. Philip Ward. 4. Elizabeth, b. 2, 29, 1728; m. Simon Dixson. 5. William. b. 8, 3, 1730 ; m. 5, 24, 1758, Sarah Greave. 6. Joseph, b. 5, 12, 1733 ; m. 11, 13, 1755, De- borah Hill. 7. Mary, b. 11, 1, 1738; m. Moses Fraizer. 8. Phebe, b. 2, 9, 1739 ; d. 10, 19, 1787. 9. Benjamin, b. 8, 4, 1742 ; m. 12, 20, 1764, Hannah Greenfield.

One Morrell Allen married Alice Scarlet, a sister of Phebe, wife of John Allen, and lived in Londongrove. There were also Allens in West Nottingham.

ALTEMUS, LEONARD, whose father was a Frenchman and mother a German, was born in May, 1763, and died Aug. 25, 1826. He married Sarah Walker (born Feb- ruary, 1764; died 1798), daughter of Jerman Walker, of Tredyffrin, Chester Co. They had children,-Lydia, Jer- man, Isaac, Hannah, Eliza, Rhoda, and Abijah. Isaac, born 9, 18, 1789, married, first, Hannah Swayne, and second, Sarah Ann Pusey, and lived in Londongrove. His children were Francis S., Marshall, Anna Maria, Al- mira, Hiram, and Hannah Emma.

ANDERSON, CAPT. PATRICK, was born July 24, 1719, on a farm on the Pickering Creek, in what is now Schuyl- kill township, and was the first child of European parents born within the limits of the old township of Charlestown. He was the son of James Anderson, a Scotch emigrant, and Elizabeth Jerman, daughter of Thomas Jerman, a noted Quaker preacher and thrifty miller, who settled very early in the Chester Valley. When a babe his mother occasionally left him with the friendly Indian women to be nursed, while she visited her parents across the mountain. In his youth he was sent to Philadelphia to be educated, and afterward he taught school in his father's house. He obtained the home property from his father, and on it at an early date built the saw-mill which now belongs to his great-grandson, Dr. M. J. Pennypacker. He was thrifty and enterprising, and among other possessions owned a number of slaves. There is a letter extant, written by William Moore, of Moore Hall, Nov. 5, 1755, during the progress of the French and Indian war, to William Allen, chief justice of the province, recommending him for a captaincy.

In the Revolutionary struggle he bore an active part. In 1774 he was elected one of the Chester County com- mittee of which Anthony Wayne was chairman. In March, 1776, he was appointed by the Assembly senior captain of the Pennsylvania battalion of musketry, and, though then considerably advanced in years, he accepted the position and recruited a company. This battalion, under the com- mand of Col. Samuel J. Atlee, was placed on the right of the American army at the battle of Long Island, fought with great gallantry, capturing from the British and hold- ing a height, and did much to save the army from destruc- tion. Lieut .- Col. Caleb Parry, a friend and neighbor of Anderson, was killed by his side, and, according to tradi- tion, the sight very much enraged him. His company lost heavily in killed, wounded, and missing. Atlee having been captured, the command of the battalion, which had been very much shattered, devolved upon him, and a letter from him to Benjamin Franklin, dated Sept. 22, 1776, detailing its condition, is printed in the Archives. At the capture of Fort Washington all, or nearly all, of his company were taken prisoners, and on the 9th of January, 1777, he made application for a lieutenant-colonelcy, but does not appear to have succeeded. The battalion was reorganized and consolidated with other troops, and he was put in command of the first company of the State regiment of foot, and later of a company in the Thirteenth Penn- sylvania Regiment in the Continental line.

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History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches, Part 126

Author: Futhey, John Smith, 1820-1888; Cope, Gilbert, 1840-1928 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts Number of Pages: 1162

Author: Futhey, John Smith, 1820-1888; Cope, Gilbert, 1840-1928
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1162