History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 36

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 36

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Pioneer Raiment and Provisions .- Previons to the present century flax was one of the principal pro- duets of the soil of what is now Clay township, or at least as much as was required for home consumption in the manufacture of wearing apparel for the in- habitants, both old and young. Farmers usually raised from half an acre to one and a half acres each, and when ripe it was pulled by hand, tied into small bundles, and when dried the seed was separated from the stalk by taking a bundle in the hands and beat- ing the seed end of the flax against a log or large stone, which would also open the boll in which the seed is grown. The flax was then spread npon green- sward until the woody part was sufficiently rotted, when it was broken by means of what was then known as a hand-break, when it was hackled, sepa- rating the woody part or inside of stalk from the fibre. The fibre was then hatcheled by hand, and made ready for the spinning-wheel. The spinning was mostly done during the long winter evenings, and not unfrequently parties of a dozen or more of the pioneers' daughters would meet of an evening and have an old-fashioned "spinning bee," each carrying her own wheel upon her shoulder. The thread thus spun was next placed in the hands of the weaver, who would weave the linen any desired width, usu- ally about a yard wide. The finest of the linen was used for shirting, and the coarser dyed in colors to suit the owner and made into other wearing apparel, usually breeches and jackets.

But a small amount of woolen goods was worn by

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HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.

the pioneer of the last century, as comparatively few sheep were raised at that time. The wool was cleansed in a primitive way, carded into rolls by hand, and spun and wove by hand, the same as the linen.

The provisions of the pioneer were more of a sub- stantial nature than those at the present day. Luxu- ries in provisions were few, and the families that could afford them far between. Pork and wild meat were the backbone of the pioneer farmer, with such vege- tables as he could raise in the little patch near the cabin. Beef and corn was not then a staple food as at present ; soup of some kind, occasionally some mush and molasses. But the sturdy old German pioneer loved his sauerkraut und speck, snitz nnd knep, bastenaden, karbsen, rueben, weiskrant, boh- nen, erbsen, mehl und grumberen soup, noodle soup, smaltz kuchen, apple-tumbles, pot-pie, panhasen, and other good things not always at hand.

Pioneer Settlers .- Most, if not all, of the pioneers ; of what is now Clay township came from Germany and located here between the years 1740 and 1770, among whom were the Weidman, Weachter, Miller, Elser, Householder, and other families belonging to the Lutheran congregation, and from a place called "Durlach," as can be seen on some of the grave- stone, in the Briekerville Church graveyard, one of which reads, "Born in Russheim, in der Morgrafchatt Durlach, in Europe," and were called in that section of the township the Durlachers, from which the Dur- lach post-office received its name.

The Brubacher, Hackman, Wissler, and other fami- lies were Mennonites, and among the other families were the Appel, Bentz, Bollinger, Deardorf, Weaver, Herchelroth, Stover, Erb, Eberly, Laber, Oberlin, Ileacker, Wealand families, and some others of the first settlers, who lived in one-story frame or log houses, a small number of which are standing yet.

Nissly Family .- Jacob, the pioneer of the Nissly family in this country, came here in the early part of the last century, and settled in the west part of what is now Lancaster County, and was naturalized in 1729. He had three sons,-Jacob, John ( Hans), and Henry. Jacob, Jr., had three sons also,-Henry, Jacob, and Martin. John (Hans) Nissly had six sons,-Michael, John, Jacob, Abraham, Samuel, and Martin. The first above-named Henry Nissly was born in 1722, married a Miss Reif, and resided on a mill property and one hundred and sixty acres of land on Chikis Creek, below Sporting Hill, in Rapho township. He was the ancestor of the Nissly family of what is now Clay township. He had eight children, -Barbara, married to Michael Brandt; Anna, married to Jabez Shuey ; Henry, Martin, Catharine, married to Dr. Michael Kaufman (late of Manheim borough) ; Jacob, and Maria and Abraham, who died in infancy.

Martin Nissly (last above named) was born Jan. 16, 1759, married Elizabeth Hallocker, and located in what is now Clay township in 1787, on a farm of one hundred and seventy-two and one-quarter acres of

land. He had two children, -- Catharine, married to Benjamin Bollinger; and Henry, who was born July 12, 1783, and married Catharine, daughter of Peter Martin, and died in 1869, leaving nine children,- Peter, Martin, Henry, Samuel, Elizabeth, John, Cath- arine, Anna, and Isaae Nissly, all born in Clay town- ship. Peter married a Pfoutz, and has one son, Jacob, residing near Richland, in Lebanon County. Sam- uel, a justice of the peace for Clay township, is pos- sessor of the old Nissly homestead farm in Clay. Isaac married a Mis- Bryson, and died in 1862, leav- ing one child,-Ida V., now living in Reading. Sam- uel's mother was Catharine, daughter of Peter Martin, and was born in what is now Ephrata, Pa., March 29, 1789, in the house now occupied by Adam Konig- macher.

Peter Martin located in Clay township in 1804, in the house now occupied by John Y. Weidman, where his daughter Catharine married Henry Nissly. In 1808, John Martin, grandfather of Mrs. Nissly, came trom Bradla, Switzerland, and located in Shenandoah County, Va., and married Ann Maria Koelb. He was a shoemaker by trade, and subsequently, with his wife and three children,-Peter, Ann Maria, and Catharine,-all born in Virginia, together with his wife's two brothers, John Adam and Jonathan Koelb, and a sister Christiana, emigrated to Ephrata, and located on the hill, a short distance from the "Sisters' House." The Koelbs were both bachelors and shoemakers by trade, and died at Ephrata of old age, and their sister Catharine married a Mr. Luther.

Hans (John) Martin, also at Ephrata, made shoes and bad a small store, and died at the age of seventy- seven years where Adam Konigmacher now lives. His son, Peter Martin, when twenty-seven years of age, married Catharine Flickinger; his daughter, Ann Maria, married Samuel Keller, and his daugh- ter, Catharine, married Henry Miller, who owned the property now owned by Israel Erb. Hans (or John) Martin was a scrivener as well as shoemaker and storekeeper, and at the age of thirty-two years was, in 1791, commissioned by Governor Thomas Mithin as justice of the peace for Cocalico and Elizabeth, and in 1804 moved into what is now Clay township, where he kept a store till 1829, and was acting justice of the peace till 1835, a term of forty-four years, and died in 1814 in the eighty-fourth year of his age. His children were Catharine, Mary, Jacob, Anna, Han- nah, Peter, Isaac, and Elizabeth. Catharine married Ilenry Nissly in 1808; Mary married Jacob Eberly and moved to Columbus, Ohio; Salome (Mary) mar- ried Samuel Erb and resided in Clay township, on the farm now owned by Hiram Erb; Jacob married Catharine Forry and resided near Shippensburg, l'a., where his wife died in 1834; Anna married Owen Bruner and resided in New Ephrata, now Lincoln village, where he kept a store and died in 1845; Ilan- nah married Richard R. Heistler, Esq., a shoemaker

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by trade, surveyor and serivener, resided at Ephrata, and died in 1847; his wife is still living. Peter, Jr., married Charlotte Konigmacher, and for his second wife her sister, Susannah Konigmacher. He was a surveyor and scrivener, also was elected prothonotary of the county in 1860, and associate judge in 1866, and died in 1867 in the sixty-fourth year of his age. His wife survives him. I-aae died unmarried, and in 1834 Elizabeth married Adam Bard and moved to Reading, where he is engaged in the hardware bilsi- ness.

Weiss, Bollinger, Pfout=, Royer, Fry .- Jacob Weiss obtained a warrant Jan. 4, 1733, for one hundred and sixty aeres of land, and after having settled upon and improved a traet of land containing two hundred and eighty acres, situated on either side of Middle Creek, died in 1753 before obtaining a patent for the same. He left two sons, Jacob and George Michael. Jacob obtained a patent for one hundred and forty acres, and in 1754 sold the same to his brother, George Michael Weiss, who in 1762 obtained a patent for the other one hundred and forty aeres, and in 1767 sold seventy-one and a quarter acres to Daniel Bollinger, and the same year sold seventy-three and three-quar- ter acres to Abraham Frantz, and in 1771 Frantz sold the same to Martin Moyer, and in 1811 Moyer sold the same to Rev. Jacob Pfontz. His sons were John, Jacob, Moses, Abraham, and David Pfontz. In 1852 David Pfoutz became the owner of the seventy-three and three-quarter acres, and died in 1875. His son, Henry Pfoutz, is now the owner of the property.

Daniel Bollinger, the owner of the seventy-one and one-quarter acre tract, had two children, Peter, and Anna who married John Royer. Peter Bollinger (son of David) became the owner of the tract in 1792, and retained possession till his decease in 1840. His children were Daniel, Benjamin, Christian, Jacob, Samuel, and Anna. Anna married Samuel Royer, and Samuel, son of Peter Bollinger, became the owner of the traet, and in 1851 sold to Jacob Fry, who in 1878 sold to Abraham Fry, the present owner.

The Herchelroth Family (pronounced Herkelrode) .- John Herchelroth, one of the pioneers of Clay, emi- grated from Germany, and took up, under warrant of March 16, 1747, a tract of one hundred and fifteen acres of land, lying on the west side of Middle Creek, and located on the same, where he died, leaving six children, -- Lawrence, John, Henry, Christian, Juli- ana, and Elizabeth. In 1762 his son Lawrence be- came the owner of the above traet, for which he pro- cured a patent in 1764. He also purchased another tract adjoining, and after his decease his two sons, Henry and Lawrence, became joint owners of the two tracts, and in 1816 made a division of the property. Lawrence settled on the original or south traet, war- ranted by his father in 1747, and Henry took the north tract, Middle Creek being the dividing line be- tween their tracts. The original traet is now owned by Benjamin Bollinger, who married a llerchelroth,

and is a son of Abraham Bollinger, who resided on what is known as the Deardorf property.

Deardorf and Bollinger .- In 1748, Henry Deardorf settled on the west side of Middle Creek, on a tract of one hundred and seventy acres of land, whereon he built a one and a half story house, which is still standing, and upon which is the name of the then owner and date of building the house. After the decease of John Deardorf, Abraham Deardorf became possessed of ninety six acres of this tract, and in 1802 it passed into the hands of Abraham Bollinger, and in 1807 Jacob Bollinger became the owner, and died in 1852. Ile had seven children, viz. : George, Jacob, Anna, Elizabeth, Catharine (married Emanuel Wid- der), Mary (married Samuel Fahnstock), and Sarah Bollinger. Abraham's son, Jacob, became the owner of the Bollinger part of the tract, and died in 1875, and in 1883 the property was owned by Henry Bol- linger.

Householder and Stober .- March 3, 1733, Matthias Weidman obtained a warrant for one hundred and forty-four and one-half aeres of land, and died before obtaining a patent for the tract. Ile left four chil- dren, viz. : Martin, John, Matthias, and Elizabeth, who married Adam Householder, when they sold their interest in the above traet to Lawrence House- holder, who was born in 1727. Ile subsequently, Jan. 22, 1762, procured a patent for the above one hundred and forty-four and one-half acres of land. At his decease he left a son, Jacob, and daughters, Barbara, who married Frederick Adams; Catharine, married George Stober; Elizabeth, married Henry Miland; and Susanna, married George Scherb.

Jacob Householder, son of Lawrence, died in 1814, leaving no sons. George Stober died in 1828, leaving two sons, Jacob and John. Jacob married a Miss Zartman, and had one son, Elias, who married a Miss Zeigler, and had one son, J. A. Stober, Esq., now re- siding in the village of Schoeneek, West Cocalico township.

Brubaker Family .- In 1757, Abraham Brubaker, Sr., purchased of Martin Weightman one hundred and seventy-two and one-quarter acres of land in what is now Clay township, and in 1787 sold the same to Martin Nissly, and in 1788 purchased of John Carpenter, at Indiantown, Clay township, three hundred and sixty-nine acres of land, and at his de- cease he left five sons, ---

1. Abraham, who had five sons, David, John, Abraham, Jacob, and Peter.

II. John, who had three sons, John, Jacob, and Abraham.

HH. Daniel, who had two sons, Daniel and John.

IV. Christian, who had two sons, Abraham and John.

V. Jacob, who had two sons, Jacob and John.

From this small beginning the large Brubaker family in this part of the county sprang.

The Miller Family .- Christopher Miller, one of the

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HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.

early settlers of what is now Clay township, was born in 1744, and located here on a large tract of land, where he died in 1815, leaving four sons,-Johannus, Jacob, George, and Christopher. Johannus died in 1844, leaving three children,-Samuel, John, and Elizabeth. Elizabeth married John Garret. A daugh- ter of Jacob Miller married Dr. Samuel Illig. George Miller had three children, -Peter, Susanna (who mar- ried Samuel Ressler), and Catharine (who married Jacob Ranck).

Christopher, son of Christopher, was the father of ten children, viz. : David, Henry, William, Christo- pher, Isaac, Leah, Sally, Polly, Nancy, and Lydia. Samuel, son of Johannus Miller, died in 1881, leav- ing four children, viz. : Harriet, married Urias Car- penter; Margaret, married Hiram Fry; John, and Curtis Miller. The three last named still live in Clay township.

The Weachter Family .- George Weachter was one of the pioneers of what is now Clay township, coming from Durlach, in Germany. He married Catharine Weidman, and was the father of five chil- dren, viz. : Frederick (born in 1763), John, George, Elizabeth (married Peter Elser), Catharine (married Leonard Illig).

John Weachter was born in 1765, and had five children,-John, George, Lydia (married Samuel, son of Henry Miller), Margaret (married Samuel, son of Isaae Miller), and Hannah (married Samuel Mil- ler, a blacksmith by trade).

George Weachter, son of John, was born in 1792, and had two sons, Jacob and George, and four dangh- ters, viz. : Hannah, married Joseph Weidman ; Lydia, married Peter Weidman ; Catharine, married David Gring; and Sarah, who married Peter Zartman. George now owns the old mansion and farm property formerly owned by his father, great-grandson of the pioneer George.

Weidman Family (spelled and pronounced Weight- man, also Weitman) .-- Martin Weidman patented in 1745 three hundred and eighty-seven and one-half acres of land that had been surveyed in 1733 to Fo- ladine Miller. Weidman sold, in 1757, one hundred and seventy-two and one-quarter acres of said tract to Abraham Brubaker, who in 1787 sold the same to Martin Nissly, and it is now (1833) the property of Samuel Nissly. The buildings on this last-named tract were ereeted in 1755, and on the corner-stone under the house, still standing, is the following in- seription, cut in capital letters :

WER WILL BAVEN AN DI STRASEN MUS FIN JEDEN RODEN SABEN W. W. M. A. N. 0. 1755. JAHR S. D. M.

In 1766, Martin Weidman sold two hundred and fourteen and one half actes of land to his son, Jacob Weidman, who died in 1804. His sons were George, John, Jacob, Christopher, Samuel, and Peter. His daughters were Catharine, married Baltzer Lees; Elizabeth, married George Yundt; Susanna, married

Johannus Elser. At present there are living Joel, son of George Weidman ; George, son of John ; Peter and Henry, sons of Samuel; David, Joseph, Peter, and Emanuel, sons of Peter; John Y .; two great- grandsons of Jacob, Martin L. and Ward Weidman.

Romig Family .- Henry Romig, Sr., came to Clay township in 1820, and died in 1843. Ile had one son, Henry, now over eighty years of age, who has a son Jacob, whose two sons, William and Jacob, are resi- dents of this township.

Laber Family .- Martin Laber was born in 1738, and finally located in what is now Clay township, and died here in 1823. He had a son George, who died in Clay in 1847. His two sons were George and Jonas. Jonas inherited the old homestead and a large tract of land. llis two children are Sarah and Mar- garet.

Bentz Family .- In 1735, Ulrich Bentz warranted a tract of ninety-eight acres of land, for which he re- ceived a patent in 1748. In 1753 two hundred and thirteen and three-quarter acres was warranted to Christian Eby, and in 1766 the same was patented to Ulrich Bentz, making a total of three hundred and eleven and three-quarter aeres, and in 1770 he sold to liis son, Christian Bentz, two hundred and twenty- eight acres of the above tract. Christian died in 1790, when his oldest son, Jacob, became owner of a part thereot, and Ludwig Bentz the balance of said tract. The sons of Jacob Bentz were Christian, George, and Martin. George is still living.

Pioneer Weddings .- In the early history of this township, before the era of fashionable ministers and weddings, the happy pair that had become desirous of being made one would agree upon the time, as is usual in such cases, and the place would be under the branches of a large tree at some point along the principal road. The minister would be notified of the time and place, and thus, in the open air, with none but the innocent little birds for witnesses, Fritz and Katrina, with the benediction of "what God hath joined together let no man put asunder," would be made happy-for a time at least.

Pioneer Funerals .- Previous to 1825 there were no coaches, carriages, buggies, or spring-wagons owned in what is now Clay township. Funerals were at- tended on foot, horseback, and in the old Conestoga wagon. There being no such thing as a fashionable hearse, the remains of the deceased was placed in one of the old Conestogas, covered with white eloth stretched over the high bows, and drawn by four horses, the driver riding the near wheel-horse, as at the present day. After placing the remains in the Conestoga, all the friends that could would find seats in the wagon, and thus be conveyed to the burial- place. On all such occasions wine and cake were served to all present before leaving the house for the grave.

Pioneer Mills, Taverns, Stores, etc .- A frame grist-mill was built in pioneer days on Middle Creek

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by Peter Wiland. It stood a short distance below the present mill, and when Jacob Erb became the owner in 1787 he built the present two-story stone mill building, when the old mill building was con- verted into a school-house. Upon the death of Jacob Erb, his son Isaac became the owner of the mill property, and in 1820 sold the same to his brother, Jolin Erb, who carried on the milling business until 1840, when he sold to his son Hiram, who in 1841 built the saw-mill adjoining the grist-mill, and in 1871 sold the mill property to Michael S. Eberly, who in 1875 added one story to the grist-mill, and is at present carrying on the milling business.

John Erb died in 1862, leaving four children,- Hiram, John B., Esq., of Lititz, Henry B., and Pris- cilla, who married George W. Steinmitz. Upon the decease of his father, Hiram became owner of the briek mansion, in which he has kept a store since 1875.

Near the old grist-mill was built a tavern-house by - Eberły in 1767, at which place a tavern has been kept continuously to the present time, and known as the " Red Lion." The property was owned by Jacob Erb, and by his son John. The tavern property has been owned and kept as such since 1868 by George W. Steinmitz.

The Weidman grist- and saw-mill on Middle Creek was built in 1755 by Christopher Weidman, who owned and operated the mill till 1811, when the prop- erty was purchased by Michael Shepler. He removed the saw-mill and built a fulling-mill on the site, which he operated until 1833, when the property was pur- chased by James and Jesse Pennabecker, who re- moved the fulling mill and erected a rifle-barrel man- ufactory, and in 1861 Jesse Pennabacker rebuilt the grist-mill, making it a three-story building, and is in operation at the present time.

The Levi Dreisch frame saw-mill and bending- works, located on Middle Creek, was built in 1874, destroyed by fire in 1879, and rebuilt in 1880.

The Elser saw- and hemp-rolling-mill, located on Middle Creek, was built by the early settlers, on a tract of one hundred and four acres of land warranted Jan. 3, 1738, to Michael Kitch. Kitch not comply- ing with the terms of the warrant, the land was sur- veyed March 13, 1749, for Martin Weidman, and April 26, 1750, a patent of the same was granted Michael Shank, who, on April 30, 1750, conveyed the same to Henry Mock, who subsequently conveyed to Peter Elser, who came from Germany. Mr. Elser held In 1780, Nicholas, his second son, became possessed of the original property, and in 1800 sold the same to his brother, Michael Klein, who built the mill in 1813, and died in 1842. the property during his life. He left four sons, George, Peter, Jolin, and Adam. After his death his executors, on Aug. 22, 1788, conveyed his property to his two sons, George and Peter Elser, and on Jan. 10, 1789, George This Michael Klein had also fourteen children. George, Michael, Jacob, John, Samuel, Henry, Daniel, William, David, and Joseph were the sons. conveyed his undivided part to his brother l'eter, who married a Miss Weachter, and carried on the saw- and hemp-mill until he died, in 1845, at the age ; The daughters were Julia, married to Ephraim Car- of seventy-nine years. His son, Samuel Elser, then , penter; Catharine, married to Andrew Welborn; became the owner, and carried on the business until | Molly, married to John Seibert; Elizabeth, married

his decease in 1879, and after his death his son, John ! O., became the owner of the property and is at present carrying on the business.

Lincoln Mill is a three-story stone grist-mill, lo- cated on Middle Creek, and was built in 1842 by Jacob Wissler. The pioneer at this place was John Jacob Graff, who settled on two hundred and two acres of land by survey of Oet. 30, 1733. From him the property passed to Andrew Wissler, and from Andrew to Jacob Wissler, and from him to Christian Wissler, who died in 1878, when his son, Benjamin Wissler, became the owner, and is still conducting the milling business.

Eberly's mill is of stone, located on Middle Creek, and was built in 1774, on a tract of one hundred and fifty acres of land warranted Jan. 24, 1737, and pat- ented April 28, 1757, to Ulrich Stealy, and sold the same year to Jacob Eberly, who, on Aug. 27, 1766, obtained a patent for thirty-one aeres aod forty-three perches of land on Middle Creek, and in 1784 sold the premises to ITenry Eberly. Henry Eberly had five sons,-Jacob, Samuel, Henry, Peter, David. In 1836, Henry Eberly, Jr., became the owner of the grist-mill, and in 1878 conveyed the mill property to his two daughters, Mrs. John B. Wissler and Mrs. Israel W. Groh.

Henry Eberly, Sr., had a brother, Jacob, who had five sons,-Joseph, David, Samuel, Jacob, and John.

The sons of Joseph Eberly are Joseph, Elias H., Levi, John, and Isaac.

The sons of David are Jacob, Samuel, John, and David.

The sons of Jacob are Henry and Isaac.

The sons of John are Benjamin and John Eberly.

The Snyder Mill .- The three-story stone grist- mill located on Hammer Creek was built in 1813 by Michael Kline. His father, Michael Kline, came from Germany, and on Feb. 15, 1748, took out a war- rant for one hundred and thirty-seven acres of land on Hammer Creek, and on Jan. 26, 1749, he obtained a patent for the same. He had fourteen children. Ilis sons were Michael, Nicholas, George, Daniel, Jacob, and Leonard. His daughters were Gertrude, married Hartman Merrel; Fanny, married Michael Quiggell; Catharine, married George Wilt; Magda- lene, married Adam Dreisch ; Margaret, married George Bowman ; Dorothea, married John Bowman ; Barbara, married George Geiger; Susanna, married John Brown.

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HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.

to Henry Summy ; and all fourteen lived ummarried until the youngest child was two years of age. George, John, Henry, Daniel, William, and Joseph all had farms adjoining each other, along near Hammer Creek. Jacob kept a tavern at the turnpike in the brick house now owned by Rev. John R. Hess. Michael was appointed a justice of the peace in ISIS, and kept store in the frame house next to the present ! residence of Samuel Nissly, Esq. In 1849, Joseph became the owner of the mill property, and in 1869 sold it to George Flory, who built the saw-mill ad- joining, and in 1870 sold the property to A. B. Snyder, the present owner.

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History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 36

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