History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 124

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Evans, Samuel, 1823-1908, joint author
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1320

USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 124

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to Yorktown ( York), where it was presented to Con- gress, It was favorably received, and he was dis- missed with good hopes and a letter from the Presi- dent of Congress to the Assembly, which was in session at Lancaster. The latter body received him in a very honorable way, invited him to be present at their sittings, and gave him a seat among their members so that he could give verbal explanations. The death of their president postponed definite action.

A pleasing incident occurred during this time in the arrival of an American lieutenant, Abraham Boemper, who handed us a package of ( manuscript) weaving-shop, the smithy, and the kitchen could be | church reports, which had arrived in Philadelphia, continued. Soon after the establishment of the hos-

had been seized in the eamp, opened, and when found pital, camp-fever broke out in the village, many were , to be very innocent matter had been rescued by the lieutenant, who took the trouble to deliver them to us himself.

infected, and five died, among them one of the pas- tors of the church. Familiarity with the soldiers had an injurious influence, especially upon the youth of the village, the effects of which were experienced for many years. Over one hundred of the soldiers died. They were buried in a field to the east of the village. No traces of these graves remain. Dr. Allison, who had the chief direction of the hospital, preserved the best order, and kept the people from molestation.

On the 27th of May the resolution of the Assembly, 1 in adopting the report of a committee appointed for the purpose, was published, saying that "although the : Assembly cannot grant the petition in the way in which it is intended, the House is, nevertheless, ready and willing to grant the petitioners every encouragement and protection in their power which may appear con-

In August there came a report that the whole of | sistent with the duty they owe their constituents and Lititz was to be vacated and used as a general hos- pital. A deputation from the Bethlehem authorities waited on Gen. Washington in regard to the matter,

the welfare of the United States of America." The diary gues on to describe the painful discovery that was made that twelve of the adult members and a considerable number of the younger men had, before the resolution of the Assembly was published, secretly taken the test oath, a step to which they had been in

1 The following : Payne's, Tauneberger's, Blick ansdoer fer's, Geitner's, Clausen's; and the whole of the Tschudy house, which was standing empty, was so occupied.

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WARWICK TOWNSHIP.

part persuaded by the officers and soldiers quartered here. Soon after several Brethren were ordered to join the militia. When they appeared on the " bail- day," in order to procure exemption, they were asked whether they had taken the test oath. They replied that they had not, but nothing more was said to them, and they were not again molested.

On June 12th one of the okler boys, Gottlob Jung- mann, who had a great desire to be a soldier, left the place and repaired to Lebanon, where he enlisted. The two English-speaking Brethren, Joseph Willey and Greenbury Peddycourt, were appointed to visit the sick soldiers in the hospital and speak "a good word to their hearts," which the soldiers gladly received.

August 28th the hospital was broken up and re- moved to Lancaster. Dr. Allison, on his return to the army, begged that his wife and two children might remain here until he could find comfortable quarters for them with himself. (They remained for ten months.) In November ensued an entire recon- ciliation among the members who had been alien- ated from each other, and the communion, which had not been held for several months, was again cele- brated. In December the Assembly repealed all the penalties attached to the Test Act, excepting that which denied the right of voting or being voted for to those who refused to take the oath. On the 30th the church observed the appointed day of fasting and prayer.

Of the year 1779 the diary says that it was distin- guished by a great rise in the prices of provisions and labor, and a constant depreciation of the paper currency. "Still," it continues, " we have not only had a sufficiency, but have been able to give to others." The taxes paid by the church were over four hundred pounds, and the citizens paid as much more, At the close of the year the whole member- ship was two hundred and seventy-three, of whom fifty-one were children. This shows a loss in ment- bership (in 1773 there were three hundred and forty- two members), mainly from the falling away of the country members.

After the restoration of peace in 1783 the church and community flourished. Four new houses were built in that year. May 25, 1784, the corner-stone of an addition to the Sisters' House (on the east side) was laid. This building was finished in the summer of the following year. July 26. 1785, the chapel on the second story was dedicated. June 17, 1786, the corner-stone of the present church was laid by Rev. John A. Klings Ohr, the pastor, and Rev. Ferdinand Dittmers, the warden. The building was finished the next year, and was dedicated Aug. 13, 1787, in the presence of very large congregations. The ser- mon was preached by Rev. J. A. Klings Ohr, whilst Bishop Ettwein kept the love-feast and communion. The new organ was played by Rev. John Herbst. Musicians from Bethlehem and Nazareth assisted.

The total cost of the church, not including materials that were donated, was $5326.58. Collections made amounted to 82360.64. From 1788 to 1821 legacies from deceased members to the amount of $1241 were received, and " from the sale of the Warwick school- house, which was donated to the church building by the Warwick Brethren," $400. In 1824 a legacy from Andrew Kreiter, amounting to $1000, reduced the debt to $404.785.

In 1802 a clock for the steeple was procured. The subscription-paper shows that about one hundred and twenty-five pounds, or three hundred and sev- enty-five dollars, were collected for this purpose.

In 1792 a night-watchman was appointed, there having been a good deal of thieving in the neighbor- hood and an attempt at robbing the store. He went on duty at ten o'clock, and after midnight called out the hours. His salary was twenty-four pounds,- about seventy-five dollars.

Concerning the life of the church and community at and after the commencement of the present cen- tury, nothing of special interest is recorded. It was a period of transition from the old times to the new, characterized by a tenacious clinging to customs and regulations that belonged to the past on the one hand, and an indifference or opposition to them on the other. Financially the community was, on the whole, not prospering, business being depressed, as was the case throughout the country.

Ang. 13, 1806, the church celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of its organization with special services, and in 1837 the fiftieth anniversary of the dedication of the church.

In 1855 the so-called lease system was abolished by a vote of the council, not without considerable oppo- sition, and thus Lititz ceased to be an exclusive church settlement. A charter of incorporation was procured in November of that year. The first board of trustees elected under it consisted of the follow- ing : Francis M. Rauch, Ferdinand D. Rickert, Na- thaniel S. Wolle, George T. Greider, John William Rauch, Samuel Lichtenthaler. The Sunday-school was organized in February, 1856, during the pastor- ate of Bishop Peter Wolle. In 1857 the church building was remodeled within and without, at a cost of fifteen thousand dollars, which included repairs and changes in the parsonage. A recess was built for the pulpit, pews took the place of the old mova- ble benches, and a vestibule was added in front. The dedication took place December 20th and 21st. The present organ, built by Hook & Hastings, of Boston, was put up in 1880. Its cost was two thousand two hundred dollars. The old organ was presented to the mission church in South Bethlehem. In 1883 the Brethren's House was remodeled and adapted for Sunday-school purposes, and a wing was added on the south side for the same uses. At the close of the year 1882 the congregation numbered three hundred and sixty-six communicants, two hundred and forty-

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HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.

two young people and children, a total of six hun- dred and eight persons. Besides meeting its own ex- · penses, the congregation contributed during this year 82270.19 for other church and benevolent canses,

The following is a list of the ministers and assistant ' is now occupied by it, after having been restored and ministers since 1742: Count Nicholas L. v. Zinzen- . modernized within.

dorf, 1742; Jacob Lischy, 1743; Lawrence T. Ny- berg, 1744; Daniel Neubert, 1745 ; Leonard Schnell, 1747 ; Christian II. Rauch, 1749; Abraham Reinke, Sr., 1748-53; Matthew G. Hehl, 1755-87; Franeis Christian Lembke, 1755; David Nitschman, Daniel Bischof, Daniel Neubert, 1756; George Neisser, 1757 ; Jacob Till, 1759; Abraham L. Rusmeyer, Godfrey Roesler, 1760; Christian Otto Krogstrup, 1762; Ber- nard Adam Grube, 1763; Nicholas Henry Eberhard, 1765; Godfrey Roesler, 1774; John Augustus Kling Ohr, 1784; John Andrew Huebner, Abraham Reinke, Jr., 1790; John Herbst, John Meder, John Fred. Frucauff, 1801 ; John Van Vleck, 1811 ; An- drew Benade, John Martin Beck, Abraham Reinke, Jacob Fred. Loeffler, Constantine Miller, 1812; Thomas Langballe, 1822; John Christian Bechler, Samuel Reinke, 1823; Andrew Benade, 1829 ; Wil- liam Eberman, Charles Fred. Kluge, Peter Wolle, 1836; Levin Theod. Reichel, 1853; Samuel Reinke, 1854; Peter Wolle, ad interim, 1860; Edmund de Schweinitz, 1860; Lewis F. Kampmann, 1864; Ed- ward T. Kluge, 1867 ; Charles Nagle, 1876.

Linden Hall Seminary .- As is mentioned above, the church from its very first establishment provided schools for the children of the membership, besides being very exact in its attention to their religious in- struction and training. The schools for boys and girls were held separately, though it seems at first in the same building, the old Warwick Gemeinhaus, or, as it got to be called, the " old school-house." Be- sides the regular parochical schools there was an in- fant school, and a school for the children from the neighborhood, the latter being kept in the old school- house. Separate houses were built both for the boys' and the girls' schools, as noted above. Until the year 186- the older girls attended school at Linden Hall Seminary. Of the Lititz Academy a notice will be found elsewhere.

Linden Hall Seminary, known until its incorpora- tion by the Legislature in 1863 as the Lititz Board- ing-School, came into existence in the year 1794. September 7th of that year Mrs. Marvel, of Baltimore, brought her daughter Kitty, nine years old, to Lititz, in order to place her under the care of the Brethren. The same year two other scholars from abroad arrived. The first years, until 1804, the scholars lived, one class or "room" in the Weavers' House (built in 1770, and still standing), adjoining the Sisters' House, and in the northwest room of the latter building. They lodged and boarded in the Sisters' House, forming a part of their family. In 1804 the school had so increased that a wing was added to the stone house quite close by (built, if we are not mistaken, in 1

1766), and now forming the principal's study and a part of the dining-room. From that time to this va- rious additions have been made, and in 1857 the Sis- ters' Ilouise became the property of the school, and

It is not considered necessary to enter into a de- tailed account of the system of management and in- struction pursned in this school. For particulars in- quirers are referred to the annual circulars. The school has maintained an excellent reputation, and has given to Lancaster County many of its best-cultured women. The whole number of scholars, not including day- scholars, to June, 1883, has been three thousand two hundred and seven, who have come from all parts of the country, but mainly from the State. During the past year eighty-two scholars were in attendance. The number of teachers is eleven. In April, 1883, Mr. George W. Dixon, of Bethlehem, donated to the seminary a chapel, as a memorial of his daughter Mary, the estimated cost of which is twenty thou- sand dollars. The list of the principals of the school is the following : Rev. John Herbst, 1794-1802; Rev. John Meder, 1802-5; Rev. John F. Frueauff, 1805- 15; Rev. Andrew Benade, 1815-22; Rev. Christian Beckler, 1822-24; Rev. Samuel Reinke, 1824-26; Rev. John G. Kummer, 1826-30; Rev. Charles F. Kluge, 1830-36; Rev. Peter Wolle, 1836-38; Rev. Eugene A. Frueaufl, 1838-55; Rev. Julius T. Beck- ler, 1855-62; Rev. William C. Reichel, 1862-68; Rev. Eugene A. Frueauff, 1868-73; Rev. Hermann A. Brickenstein, 1873.

Churches .- The less Mennonite Church.1

Salem Church, at New Haven, was built in 1823, and dedicated May 30, 1824. Its ministers have been Daniel Hertz, 1824-30; Jacob Laymeister, 1831-33; Samuel Seibert, 1833-37; Christian Weiler, 1837-49; Henry Habliston, 1849-51; Isaac' Gerhart, 1851-59; W. T. Gerhard, 1859-70; D. C. Tobias, 1870, who is the present minister. In 1881 they had one hundred and five members. The church has been a Union Church since its organi- zation. The New Haven Union Sunday-school has been carried on in connection with the church for some time.

Union meeting-house at Millport was built in 1846, and has been used by the Methodist and United Brethren denominations. There is a Sun- day-school in connection with it, which is conducted during the summer months.

The first society of the Jerusalem Church of the Evangelical Association at Lititz was organized in 1871, and was under the instruction of A. Shultz during 1871-72. After this the society was administered to by R. Dreiblebis and C. S. Brown for some time, but had no settled minister. In 1874, J. F. Sturgis do- nated a lot upon which to build a church, and the

1 See history of Mennonite Churches

Polen 8. Theist

WARWICK TOWNSHIP'.

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erection of the present fine brick building was com- menced. The building committee was D. R. Buch and C. Essig, and the trustees J. D. Withers, D. R. Buch, and James Kreider. The ministers who have served this charge are J. M. Oplinger, 1876-78; Jo- seph Specht, 1879-81; B. D. Albright, 1881. The present trustees are D. R. Buch, W. HI. Buch, J. D. Withers, C. Essig. John Kreiner, and Solomon Beaver. The membership in 1883 is one hundred and ten. Valuation of lot and church property, five thousand five hundred dollars.

The church of the United Brethren at Brunner- ville was built in 1869. It has never had a settled preacher, but has been served by itinerants. Its board of trustees are Abraham Eitneier, Elijah Bull, Jolin Keeler, and Andrew Minnich.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

PETER S. REIST.

The progenitor of the Reist family in America was Peter, the great-great-grandfather of the subject of this biographical sketch, who emigrated from Ger- many about the year 1723, and settled in Warwick township. Among his sons was John, who married and had a son Peter, who married a Miss Stauffer, of Penn township. After this event he removed to a farm purchased by him, and located in Warwick township, near Millport, where his lite was passed. In polities he was in early years a Democrat, and later became a Whig. As a neighbor and citizen, he com- manded general confidence and esteem, and was fre- quently honored in the settlement of important trusts. In religion he espoused the belief of the Mennonite Church. His children were John, for many years justice of the peace, county surveyor, and convey- aneer; Jacob, and Elizabeth ( Mrs. George Rudy). Jacob was born in Warwick township, and spent his early life on the homestead farm. He was united in marriage to Miss Naney Shaeffer, of the same town- ship, and had children,-Simon S., Levi S., Peter S., Elizabeth S. (Mrs. Royer), Anna S. (Mrs. Bear), Bar- bara S. (Mrs. Greybill), Lavinia S. ( Mrs. Oberholtzer). Jacob Reist was a citizen of much influence, and of superior executive ability. Ile was in politics an Anti- Mason, a Whig, and later a Republican. Ilis death occurred during the year 1868, in his eighty-third year, his wife's death having taken place during the year 1858. Their son, Peter S., was born on the 7th of March, 1823, at the family home near Millport, where the years of his boy hood were spent, chiefly at school or actively employed in tilling the soil, and also in teaching. At a later period he removed to the west- ern portion of Illinois, where, having secured a traet of land, he engaged in tarming, and also in banking, establishing, in conjunction with other parties, a pri-

vate bank, which was afterwards merged in a national bank. The year 1848 found him again a citizen of Lancaster County and established upon the family heritage, where he remained for twenty years. .

He was married, in 1850, to Miss Susan, danghter of George Stock, of Leacock township, Lancaster Co., and has children,-Sallie ( Mrs. Stauffer) and Alice (Mrs. Wolle). In 1878 he removed to Lititz, having re- tired from active farm labor. Mr. Reist is a director of the First National Bank of Lancaster and one of its founders. He is a director and treasurer of the Lan- caster and Ephrata Turnpike Company, president of the Lancaster County Hail Insurance Company, and president of the Lititz Plow and Implement Works.

He is president and director of the Lititz and Rothville Turnpike Company, and a member of the Lancaster County and State Horticultural Societies. He was in 1876 elected trustee of the Oregon Union meeting-house. In 1880 he was a representative delegate to the great Northwestern Agricultural and Horticultural Exhibition at Lawrence, Kansas, going with what was known as the "Col. John W. Forney Free Excursion," and was with the party which later made a tour to Leadville, Denver, and other points in the West.

He is a Republican in his political principles, and has among other offices filled acceptably that of school director of his township. His integrity and discretion have made his services valuable and much desired in the settlement of estates, and in fulfilling the re- sponsible duties of guardian. He was educated a Mennonite, but now worships with the Moravians.

GEORGE B. SHOBER.

Andrew Shober, the progenitor of the family, was born in Neu Hoffinansdorf, Moravia, Germany, in 1710, and came to Bethlehem, Pa., in 1742, where he died in 1792, aged eighty-two years. Ilis son An- drew was born in Bethlehem in 1749, and married Miss Thomas, of Lititz. Ilis death occurred near the latter place in 1805. His son John was born in Man- heim in 1770. He resided in the township of War- wiek, where he followed farming occupations, and erected, in 1808, thedwelling upon the homestead farm, later occupied by his son. He was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Bender, and had three sons, -Eph- raim, George B., and one who died in youth, The death of Mr. Shober occurred in 1847, in his seventy-seventh year, His son, George B., was born Sept. 7, 1795, on the homestead at Kissel Hill, now New Haven, in War- wick township. He received when a lad the ordinary advantages of education, and early acquired a knowl- edge of farm labor. Having decided also to learn a trade, he chose that of a stone-cutter, but, preferring an agricultural life, gave little attention to other pur- suits. Ile married Mary, daughter of Peter Buch, of the same township, and had one con, Augustus W., who resides in Lititz. Mrs. Shober's death occurred

118

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HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.

May 13, 1872, in her sixty-seventh year. Mr. Shober, after his marriage, engaged in mercantile pursuits at New Haven, which were continued until 1855, when he abandoned active business and led a life of retire- ment. In politics he was originally a Whig, but later became a Republican, though the excitements of political life were not in harmony with his quiet tastes. He was identified with the German Lutheran Church of New Haven, of which he was a member. Mr. Shober's death ocenrred Dec. 9, 1877, in his eighty-third year.

ISAAC G., PFAUTZ.

The good ship " William" sailed from Amsterdam, Holland, before the year 1709, and brought among her passengers one John Michael Pfautz, who landed in Philadelphia. He settled, lived, and died at Ger- mantown, now within the limits of Philadelphia. Ilis posterity at present peoples nearly every portion of the United States. In a direct line of descent was John, the grandfather of Isaac G., who married Elizabeth Heller. He was born Jan. 4, 1772, and after living a life of much usefulness and influence, died Dec. 23, 1857. Their children were Joel, Anna, Mary, Lydia, John, Leah, Ephraim, Joseph, and Daniel.

Joseph was born Aug. 22, 1814, on the homestead, where his death occurred Jan. 1, 1880, in his sixty- sixth year. He married Martha, daughter of Daniel Greybill, and had children,-Hiram, Isaac, Elizabeth, Mary. ITis son Isaac was born Feb. 24, 1841. His youth was spent upon the farm of his parents, after which he removed to Lititz and engaged in the pur- chase and sale of horses. This occupation still engages his attention, and has been very successfully con- dueted by him. He married Maria L., daughter of John Minnich. Their ten children are Ellen Mary, Amanda, Wellington, Lizzie, Mazie, Isaac M., Joseph Barton, Emma, John, and Charles. Mr. Pfautz, at a later period, removed to a farm adjacent to the village of Lititz, where he now resides, and combines the labors of an agriculturist with the business of a gen- eral speculator. Though not actively engaged in public enterprises, he is a director of the Lititz and Rothville Turnpike Company. He was formerly an ardent working Democrat, and served as a member of the township committee. Though still of the same political creed, he devotes less time than formerly to the annual party contests, his private business leaving little opportunity for such demands.

THE TSRUDY FAMILY.

The Tshudy family are of Swisy descent, the first representative in America having been Henry, who settled in Lancaster County, and was among the carly founders of the town of Lititz in that county.

Among bis sons was Christian, who married and had among his children a son, Matthias, who resided in Lititz. Ile married Miss Catherine Blickensderfer, of the same place, and had four children who sur- vived,-Salome ( Mrs. Huebner), Mary ( Mrs. Leibert), Jacob B., and Pauline.

Jacob B., the only son of Mr. and Mrs. Tshudy, was born Nov. 30, 1805, in Lititz. This place con- tinued to be his residence, where he engaged in mer- cantile pursuits, and was also interested in the lum- ber business and proprietor of the Lititz Malt-House. He was largely identified with the commercial pros- perity of the place of his residence, and one of its most influential citizens. Ile served two terms as county auditor, and was for several years a member of the board of prison inspectors of Lancaster County. Ile represented his county in the State board of rev- enue commissioners, was for a long series of years a director of the Farmers' National Bank of Lancas- ter; served as treasurer of the Reading and Colum- bia Railroad Company, and treasurer of the Lancas- ter and Lititz Turnpike Company. His death oe- curred Nov. 8, 1866.

He married Miss Caroline Harbach, of Frederick County, Md., and had children,-Sally C., who be- came Mrs. Dr. O. T. Huebner, of Lancaster, and whose death occurred in 1856; Richard R., also de- ceased ; Haydn H. ; Mary A. (Mrs. E. P. Blickens- derfer), of Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Tshudy was in his political predilections a Whig, and naturally gravi- tated to the ranks of the Republican party on its organization.

HIis son, Richard R. Tshudy, was educated at Lititz Academy and Nazareth Hall, and was by occupation a civil engineer. He was a zealous Democrat, and for many years chairman of the Democratic County Com- mittee of Lancaster County. He was twice elected school director of the Lititz School District, which is strongly Republican, and also elected justice of the peace, receiving a majority of fifty-three over his Republican opponent, while the balance of the Re- publican ticket was elected by two hundred and sev- enty-seven majority. In 1874 he was the Democratic candidate for senator from the northern district of Lancaster County, and though not successful, ran far ahead of his ticket. He died in Jnne, 1878, aged forty-three years, leaving one son, Robert Haydn.

Haydn H. was born June 12, 1840, in Lititz, where the years of his youth were spent. The Lititz Acad- emy afforded him early educational opportunities, after which his studies were completed at Nazareth Ilall, in Northampton County, Pa. Having decided upon an active business life, he entered the store of Hager Brothers in Lancaster, and devoted a period of four years to familiarizing himself with its routine, after which he returned to Lititz and entered the office of his father, who was then treasurer of the Read- ing and Columbia Railroad. Ile also for a time filled the office of ticket-agent for this railroad. On the

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History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 124

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Evans, Samuel, 1823-1908, joint author Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1320

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Evans, Samuel, 1823-1908, joint author
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1320