History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 79

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 79

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Letters of inquiry from all parts of the country,- publishers asking opinions of books; writers begging information ; teachers with a pronunciation to be set- swears at the orthography, which took him eight , tled or some knotty point to be unraveled ; natural- hours to correct. . . . He has read every word with the greatest interest, and is more than satisfied." This same Garigue, in one of his letters, thanks Mr. Haldeman for the " love" with which he worked.

ists forwarding packages of shells, insects, or miner- als for identification; farmers and others sending clays to be analyzed; learned societies submitting manuscripts to his examination ; requests for lectures ; Archaeology was the latest study which engaged Dr. Haldeman's attention. Having been ordered to take exercise for his health, he carried out a design long contemplated of digging for Indian relies in requests for articles in his own " inimitable style" on the most heterogeneous subjects; requests for data for " scientific popular" newspaper articles; requests for reviews from editors, and more pathetic requests what is now known as the Chikis Rock Retreat. from struggling talent, -- all poured in upon him. Here, in a shallow cave formed by the antielinal axis ! And this not alone in the States; he had correspond- of the rock, within the grounds of his own residence, . ents as far as the Cape of Good Hope, in Russia,

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HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.

Sweden, Norway, France, Switzerland, Germany, and | member of lyceums, literary societies, and college England.

He returned this confidence in his knowledge by an unbounded liberality in giving of it to all who asked. No letter remained unanswered, no request unfilled that it was possible for him to grant. A gentleman who met him casually when traveling in Mississippi, J. M. Preston, Esq., wrote in 1850: " I well remember your ability and your willingness to communicate information to the ignorant or only partially learned (if such can be called learned at all ) ont of the rich store-house of your mind, . . . and that you possess an immense amount of information in detail -- the best kind of information-on almost all subjects." A scholar to whom he lent a rare book thanks him in these words : " It is almost my bread and butter, the light of my eyes, and the joy of my heart. I do not think I can procure another copy either for love or money." And not only books were lent; he offer- one the illustrations to a set of lec- tures he was then delivering, and the manuscript of the lectures themselves, modestly adding, " If you think it proper to consult them."

lle took great interest in education, and in his young days was always ready to lecture before ly- ceums, and later before teachers' institutes. At the meeting of the Pennsylvania State Teachers' Associ- ation in Washington after his death many of the members spoke feelingly of the assistance he had ren- dered them.

Yet Professor Haldeman was considered a severe critic, and so he was where falsehood and pretension were concerned ; but he was as rigid with himself as with others. Ile spared no labor to acquire facts. Eminently truthful, he detested what he called " wild assertion." It was the habit of writing without sufli- cient preparation or with willful perversion that he condemned. It was the "quackery" in literature that he denounced and there his interest in the subject forced him to be inflexible. But no one was more conscientious in giving others their due, or more ready to aid any one with or without credit. The number of learned societies to which he was elected i- a noticeable proof of the standing which he en- joyed :

societies through all the States.

Ile was also chosen Professor of Zoology in the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, in 1841; chemist and geologist to the Pennsylvania State Agricultural Society, 1852; occupied the chair of Natural History in the University of Pennsylvania from 1850 to 1453; the same position in Delaware College, Newark, 1855- 58, and that of Comparative Philology in the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania from 1876 to the time of his death, the same university conferring upon him the degree of Doctor of Laws.

Professor Haldeman traveled abroad in 1859, '63, '62, '66, and 75, visiting England, Ireland, Wales, and the Continent. Ilis time was spent in the library of the British Museum, London, the Magazine and Government Libraries in Paris, at the Propaganda in Rome, about old book stalls and shops, and in all kinds of out of the way places, studying language-, dialects, or pronunciations from the natives them- selves, none of which escaped his sensitive ear, nor could not be reproduced by his flexible organs of speech. Thus he heard Hawaiian at Liverpool, and from Queen Emma of the Sandwich Islands, who was ' in London at the time of his visit there in 1866; Gudjerati from a Parsee in Paris, the languages of the Tonga Islands and Courdish from natives study- ing at the Propaganda College at Rome.

Though born of Protestant parents, Mr. Haldeman was a sincere and practical Cathofie, having joined that faith after due consideration when about the age of thirty ; but in all things he was liberal.

In person Mr. Haldeman was about five feet seven inches high, with small, well-formed hands and feet, a large and remarkably round head, giving great breadth across from ear to car, high forehead, Roman nose, full lips, black eyes, and in youth a quantity of black hair, which at his death was of suowy whitede-s. Long before it was usual in the States he wore a moustache and beard, not for adornment, but for con- venience. His movements were rapid, his disposition cheerful, his general health excellent, his physiologi- cal temperament bilious, and his interest in his pur- suits unflagging to the end of his life.

To the Entomological Society of Stettin, Prussia, 1839; Société Cuvierienne, Paris, 1842; Natural His- tory Society of Nuremberg, 1819; Imperial Economic In politie- Mr. Hableman was a Democrat ; his sympathy was always with order and liberty. In his youth he often spoke at political meetings, and was ready to do what he was able to advance the interests Society of St. Petersburg, Russia, 1857; Philologieal ' of the country. Ouce, on returning from Europe, Society of London, England, 1872; Societe des Americanists, Belgium, 1876. being asked if he had been presented to any of the crowned heads, he replied, " Oh, no! I went to see people of eminence and learning."

In this country he was elected member of the Acad- emy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, in 1837; to Dr. Haldeman's death took place suddenly at seven o'clock, Friday evening, Sept. 10, 1890. On return- ing from the meeting of the American Association can Association for the Advancement of Science, in : for the Advancement of Science, held at Boston, An- gust 23d, he complained of fatigue, but insisted on oc- cupying his library as usual. A physician was in at- the Entomological Society of Pennsylvania (of which he was one of the founder-), in 1812; to the Ameri- 1844; to the National Academy of Science, Washing- ton, in 1876, and to some thirty more which want of space forbids mentioning, besides being an honorary ( tendance, but apprehended no danger until the fatal

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WEST HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP.

moment arrived. He was seated before his study | Christian Kunkel, one of Harrisburg's earliest set- table until a few hours before his death. Paralysis of the heart appeared to be the immediate cause. He left a wife, two sons, and two daughters to mourn his loss.

The following words, spoken of Professor Haldle- man by Dr. Morris, at the next meeting of the Ameri- can Association for the Advancement of Science, which took place at Cincinnati after his death, seem appropriate here :

" He was no ordinary man whom you might com- pliment with a passing respectful obituary notice,-in science and letters he was a great man."

Biographieal notices of Dr. Haldeman will be found in " Men of the Time," London, 1865; " Alli- bone's Dictionary of Anthors," 1858; " Appleton's Encyclopedia," " Johnson's Cyclopedia," and a list of seventy-three of his works are given by Aga -- iz in his "Bibliographia Zoologiew et Geologica," 1852.

HON. JAMES MYERS.

tlers, and representing one of the oldest and most re- spected families of that section. Their children are Hallie M., wife of Dr. J. F. Cottnel ; Emily Eckert, wife of Clement M. Brown, of Philadelphia ; Miss Clara G., and John A.

Mr. Myers was born and reared in the German Re- formed Church, but later connected himself with the Presbyterian denomination, and for several years be- fore his death filled the office of ruling ehler in the Presbyterian Church of Columbia. In politics he was a Republican, and, as his business implies, a protectionist, who practically devoted himself to the dignifying of American industry and the protecting of American labor. Being a man of wealth and in- fluence, he was often solicited to accept political office. These overtures he frequently declined, but was onee indneed to be a candidate for representative in the Legislature of his State, when he was triumph- antly elected.

Mr. Myers was a man of imposing presence and a most genial nature. His business principles were as solid and reliable as the pig-iron of his furnace. During some of his business projects previous to the construction of the Donegal Furnace he became finan- cially embarrassed, but speedily made settlement with his creditors in the most honorable manner, paying all his obligations, principal and interest, in full. In this connection his own words may be quoted : " If I knew of one dollar of an old debt, I would drive twenty miles to pay it." Mr. Myers died at his home, day of October, 1872. In his life he was universally respected, and his death was greatly regretted. Among the foremost self-made men of Pennsylvania in her representative iron industry, there is no more honorable name than that of James Myers, of Done- gal Fornace. In his death the State has lost one of her most upright business men and best of citizens.

Isaac MIvers (or I-nach Mier, as originally spelled), great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, emi- grated from Prussia to America, and founded the town of Myerstown, in Lebanon County, Pa., in 1768. Ile built and lived at the old homestead, still stand- ing, which at that early day was surrounded by for- ests, and at one period used as a fort, to which the settlers iled for protection from the Indians. He was the magistrate of his district, and having incurred the enmity of some malicious person, was fatally shot . " Norwood," in the suburbs of Columbia, on the 22d while sitting with his back to a window in a neigh- boring inn, to which he was summoned ostensibly on business, in the fortieth year of his age. Isaac Myers left five daughters-Mrs. William Heister, Mrs. Reil- ley, Mrs. Reigert, Mrs. Wood, Mrs. Luther-and one son, John. The oldest son of the latter, who was also named John, was born Feb. 6. 1789, and died March 0, 1816. John Myers was married to Miss Catharine Maria Lyon, their third son being the subject of this sketch .. MICHAEL H. MOORE.

James Myers was born at Myerstown, Lebanon Co., The grandfather of Mr. Moore was Michael, born November, 1766, in Penn township, Lancaster Co., where the carly years of his life were spent. He was married to Margaretta Gross, whose birth occurred March 22, 176, in the same township. Their chil- dren were five, of whom Magdalena (Mrs. Hotl'man), Michael, and Rebecca ( Mrs, Stehman) survived. Mr. Moore died in August, 1843, in his seventy-seventh year, and his wife Oet. 25, 1857, in her ninety-second year. Pa., Nov. 25, 1820. His early youth was spent upon the farm and as assistant in the transportation of grain, which his father was largely engaged in hand- ling. In the year 1837, at the age of seventeen, he embarked in mercantile ventures on his own account. A few years later he was engaged in mining coal at Pine Grove, Schuylkill Co. In 1844 he removed to Columbia, Lancaster Co., and began the manufacture of pig-iron, being the pioneer in the use of anthracite coal as fuel on the Susquehanna River. Afterward, Their son, Michael, was born March 18, 1794, in Penn township, and married Elizabeth Hertzler, of Rapho township. Their children were George, Mi- chael 11., Rebecca, Elizabeth, Susan, John II., Martin, Harriet, and three who died in infancy. In politics, Mr. Moore was an Old- Line Whig and later a Repub- in connection with Dr. George N. Eckert, of Phila- delphia, and Daniel Stine, of Myerstown, Mr. Myers erected the Donegal Furnace, near Marietta, which was successfully operated by him until his death. In October, 1812, he was married to a Miss Elizabeth W. Kunkel, a granddaughter of the well-known lican. His religious creed was that of the Lutheran

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HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.

Church, of which he was a member. His death oc- curred, after a life devoted to agriculture, on the 14th of February, 1866, in his seventy-second year. Michael Hertzler, his son, was born Jan. 19, 1819, in Penn township, where his youthful days were spent. His limited opportunities for education were afforded at the nearest school in Rapho township, which required a daily walk of two and a half miles, ' the Farmers' Chibinet, published in Philadelphia. Ile Ile devoted his energies to farm-labor until his twenty- third year, when a desire to lead a more independent 1 career prompted him to make a Western tour, where he engaged in the purchase of cattle.

In 1846 he became purchaser of the mill-site of which he is the present owner. The business of mill- ing has been conducted by him with signal success, his financial transactions having escaped the disasters involved in two serious panies. He is also largely engaged in other mercantile transactions.

Mr. Moore was married, Nov. 15, 1860, to Barbara S., daughter of Joseph Stoner, of Helen township, York Co. Their children are Ella S., Phares S., and Alice B. He is a director of the First National Bank of Lancaster and also of the Columbia and Chestnut Ilill Turnpike Company. In politics he is a Repub- lican, but not an aspirant for office. Ile was baptized in the Lutheran faith, but is now a supporter of the Church of the Mennonites.

JACOB B. GARBER.

Three Garber brothers, Swiss Mennonites in faith, came to America soon after the organization of the while the third located in Hempfield, Lancaster Co., three miles east of Wright's Ferry. He had a son, Christian, who remained upon his father's farm, mar- ried, and had children, -Andrew (who removed to York County ), Christian, John (who settled in Kan- sas), Abraham (who resided in York County), Ann who married" Michael Segrist), and a daughter who married a Weidman, of Manor township.

Andrew, on the occasion of the battle of Brandy- wine, was returning home with his team, after drawing wheat to Newport, when he was surrounded by Fed- eral soldiers, who crowded into the wagon, mounted the horses, and hung from every available spot, while they forced him to carry them beyond the reach of the victorious enemy.

Christian, of this number, married a Miss Segrist, and settled upon his father's farm. He had one son, Jacob B., the subject of this sketch, who was born, in the year 1800, on the farm now owned by him, on which his great-grandfather settled, the residence being the third in succession built upon the place. Ile was educated at the common school of the neigh- borhood, and before attaining his majority displayed a marked taste for the study of botany. In 1832 he erected a green-house, said to be the first established in the State west of Philadelphia. Here he has daily i

until the present time devoted some hours to his favorite pursuit, and has from time to time gathered many rare exotics. Sixty years ago he contributed a series of valuable articles to the Imerican Farmer on the "Carculio," and was a much-esteemed writer in the columns of the Germantown Telegraph, whose editor, Mr. Freas, was a warm personal friend, and treated a subject with terseness and common sense, and at once reached the ears of his readers. Many of his practical suggestions were adopted by florists and nurserymen in Boston, Philadelphia, and other cities with success. To this plain and unpretentious farmer the present generation are largely indebted for many choice fruits and rare plants. In 1846, in connection with Eli Bowen, he established the Lan- caster County Farmer, which was devoted, as the name implies, to the interests of the farming community. It had, however, but a brief existence, and proved financially unsuccessful. Mr. Garber is the principal stockholder in the Lancaster and Susquehanna Turn- pike Company, and has for many years been one of its directors.

Hle was married to Mi-s Susan Stauffer, and has children as follows: Lemuel, who married Barbara Mellinger, and had a son and a daughter; Henry, who resides in Baltimore, Md., and has five children; John A., residing in Donegal, who married Miss Herr, and has seven children ; Mary Ann; Abraham, who was a physician, and at an early age displayed a taste for botany and chemistry. He traveled extensively in Cuba and Florida, and gathered specimens for Dr.

county. Two of these brothers settled in Virginia, . Grant and Lafayette College, and died of consumption

in Cuba in 1882. Hiram, who manages the farm of his father, and is a successful raiser of blooded stock, making fine horses a specialty ; and. Fanny, married to William H. Grove. Mr. Garber takes pleasure in recalling the fact that not a foot of ground has been sold from the farm upon which he lives, other than for public improvements, since his great-grandfather first settled upon it.

CHAPTER LIX.

EAST LAMPETER TOWNSHIP. 1

EAST LAMPEPER, prior to 1841, formed, with West Lampeter, the original township of Lampeter, which was laid out in 1729. Asoriginally laid out it was very large ; the part now comprising East Lampeter was settled by Palatine Germans and English Friend-, and the lower part, or West Lampeter, by Swiss Palatine Germans, and Scotch-Irish. The great si. e of the township, and the diversity of opinion on many points of township government, caused the

1 By Frances Gibbons.

JACOB GARBER.

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EAST LAMPETER TOWNSHIP.

separation of the township in 1841. East Lampeter at present has the form of a parallelogram, and lies diagonally across the county. It is bounded on the north and northeast by the townships of Upper Lea- cock and Leacock, east by Leacock, southeast and south by Paradise and Strasburg, southwest by West Lampeter, and west by Lancaster townships. This township lies wholly in three valleys, -- the valley of Conestoga on the west, Mill Creek Valley in the centre, and Pequea in the eastern part. These val- leys are divided by small ridges only, as there are not any hills worth calling such. The Conestoga is the only creek which has any affluents worth mentioning; these are Stauffer's Run and Bard's Run. The other creeks receive nothing but a few small springs in their course, and on account of this the township is not very well watered. The soil is a rich limestone loam, but is not able to withstand droughts or long series of dry summers, There are no longer any forests worth mentioning in this township, as the wonderful fertility of the soil, and the great profits arising from the culture of tobacco, have caused the unwise destruction of the forests. The total area of this township is about twenty-one square miles.

The water-courses have shown such great diminu- tion within the last few years that the attention of scientist- has been called to this fact, and all have attributed it to the destruction of the forests, as they asserted that this township was a wooded plain when the early settlers came. The oldest tree cut upon the tract of one of the early settlers was found to have been thirty years old at the landing of Penn, and James Smith (early settler) could see the deer from the present village of Smoketown to New Strasburg, showing that there was no heavy timber at that time. It was generally conceded that the Indians had burnt off the timber, for as soon as the land was taken up by settlers it became covered with forests.

From what place the township took its name way for some time' a matter of doubt. Some historians asserted that it was named from a man named Peter, who was lame; but it takes its name from the town of Lampeter, in Wales, which is quite an important town, and the seat of St. David's College.

Early Settlers .- Within the limits of this town- ship was one London tract of five thousand five hun- dred and fifty-three acres, and part on another tract of five thousand seven hundred aeres. In 1699, Wil- liam Penn granted to a number of London merchants the right to survey and hold for colonization sixty thousand acres of land. This land was surveyed in large tracts at different times, called London Com- pany's Land, or London tracts. The following names are those of the actual settlers, as many who took out warrants did not get patents, and some who got patents never became settlers, but sold their rights to others.

Philip Ferree, Hans Graff, Peter Leman, James Smith, John Steer, William MeNabb, Joseph Steer,

James Gibbons, William Evans, John Hendrickstone, Andreas Soldenrick, Jacob Landis, Joseph Buckwal- ter, Michael Danner, Felix Landis, Benjamin Wit- mer, John Hess, Joseph Dawner, John Musgrove, William Willis, Derrick Jansler, Peter Yorkee, Mar- tin Bare, John Graff, Hans Brand, Jacob Graff, Jacob Mayer, were pioneers.

With regard to these carly settlers but little can now be told, as many of the Palatine families have not been strict in the registration of deeds, and very few churches keep good records. In giving sketches of these pioneers I shall begin at the eastern end of the township and proceed westward to Bridgeport on the Conestoga.

Philip Ferree. Abraham Duboise, of Ulster County, N. Y., was a Huguenot, and received a patent for a tract of one thousand acres, a small part of which is in East Lampeter township, and of that I shall speak. He left half of this land by will to his daughter Leah (who had married Philip P'erree) during her life only, and after her death to her children, The brothers and sisters of Leah Duboise Ferree released to her and her husband all their claims upon the property, and on July 2, 1752, Philip Ferree and ~ Leah, his wife, gave to their youngest son, Joel Ferree, three hundred thirty-three and a half acres of land, and one hundred acres of this land were sold on March 30, 1789, to Jacob Sonder. Seventy acres of this tract in East Lampeter township are still in pos- session of a descendant, Joel L. Leightner, Esq., who resides on the old Ferree homestead at Soudersburg, which was built in 1795.

Hans Graff. The land adjoining the Ferree tract was one of the numerous tracts taken up by Hans Grat. lle was the founder of Graff or Graffthal Dale, in Earl township.

Peter Leman received a patent for four hundred acres of land in 1723, came here and lived, and by will dated April 29, 17 H, granted this land to his sons, Isaac and Daniel. This family of Lemans are correctly supposed to have been Huguenots; and entirely distinct from the family of Lehman. Peter Leman's descendants still reside in the county. .

James Smith was an English Friend who settled in this county in 1723 on a patent granted by the Lon- don Company. He lived on this land until Dec. 24, 1761, when he died, and his family came into pos- session of the property. His family lived here for some years when they sold their property and moved to Chester County, where his descendants reside.

Joseph Steer, William MeNabb, and John Steer were Friends who took patents in 1723 for the land lying west of James Smith and south of James Gib- bons. Joseph Steer took out a patent for two hun. dred acres, and in 1719 sold some to the Friends' meeting-house at Bird-in-Hand, and finally in 1765 disposed of all their lands to Jacob Witmer and John Witmer, and moved to Virginia.

William MeNabb received a patent for two hun-

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HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.

dred acres, and in 1748 died, leaving it by will to his son, John McNabb, who in 1749 gave two acres to the Friends' meeting-house in Bird-in-Hand. John MeNabb disposed of all his lands and removed from the county, very likely to Virginia, as there was quite a movement of Friends in that direction shortly be-' fore the Revolution.

Of John Steer no records remain with this excep- tion, that John V. Bachel sold his grant of two hundred acres to William Hamilton in 1748, only | having had possession for fourteen years. In looking over the old surveys it is almost impossible to tell where the lines between the Me Nabb and Steer prop- erties lay. The house now occupied by Benjamin B. Groff, near Bushong's mill, lay on one of these tract -. The eastern part of that house is very old, but all dates and records of it have been lost.

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History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 79

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