History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 109

Author: Roberts, Charles Rhoads; Stoudt, John Baer, 1878- joint comp; Krick, Thomas H., 1868- joint comp; Dietrich, William Joseph, 1875- joint comp; Lehigh County Historical Society
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Allentown, Pa. : Lehigh Valley Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1158

USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I > Part 109

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Veterinarians .- Dr. William Heckenberger practiced as a veterinary surgeon at Catasau- qua from 1861 to 1909, when he was succeeded by his son, Henry, who has since continued the business. An earlier practitioner was Peter Laux.

Lawyers .- The earliest lawyers at Catasau- qua were Adam Woolever, R. Clay Hamersly, Joseph Hunter, William H. Glace, and A. N. Ulrich.

Those in practice in February, 1914, were Austin A. Glick, William Schneller, and Charles N. Ulrich.

Barbers .- The first barber here was William Welch who conducted a shop from 1855 to 1873. He was succeeded by George Fitzhugh who has continued the business until now.

Francis Zellers conducted a shop from 1871 to 1898, and he was succeeded by his son, Alvin R. who is still in the business.

Edwin Weiss started in 1898 and he was succeeded by Oliver Gering in 1903.

Others here are William Roxbury (1893), Q. H. Smith (1898), John Missimer (1907), Sa- muel Roth (1908), and William Johnson ( 1913, succeeding F. J. Wehrle).

FUNERAL CONDUCTORS .- Owen Frederick moved to Catasauqua with his family in 1848, and embarked in the business of conducting fun- erals in connection with cabinet-making, and car- ried it on for 30 years until his decease. He was succeeded by his son-in-law, Henry A. Stew- ard, who continued until his decease in 1897; then Ogden E. Frederick (son of Owen) and William H. Scherer (who had been in the em- ploy of both Frederick and Steward) purchased the business from the Steward Estate and they have carried it on until the present time under the firm name of Frederick & Scherer. The plant has always been where it is now, at No. 208 Front street. The cabinet-making branch was discontinued in 1902. Some of the coffins are still manufactured by them; the others are obtained at casket factories.

Elmer E. Erdman has been a licensed em- balmer and funeral director at No. 143 Front

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street since 1902. He succeeded Charles Snyder who had carried on the business since 1875.

Edward J. Rodgers located here in 1911.

HOTELS .- There are nine hotels at Cata- sauqua :

Biery House .- The first hotel at Biery's Port was erected in 1826, by Frederick Biery, on the public road from Allentown (now Race street) a hundred feet east of the canal. It was con- ducted by Solomon Biery and others until 1850. It is still standing, an attractive cut-stone two- story building. The first post office was conduct- ed here from 1844 to 1846.

Eagle Hotel .- The Eagle Hotel was erected by Joseph Laubach, at the northeast corner of Front and Bridge streets, in 1850. He car- ried on the business until 1861 ; his son, William H., to 1864; and his son, Franklin P., to 1876; when the father resumed it from 1876 to 1886. There were different owners during the next twenty years; then E. L. Walker purchased the property and he has conducted the hotel until now.

American House .- A large three-story brick building was erected at the south end of Front street as a hotel, in 1850, by Solomon Biery, who placed his brother-in-law, Nathan Frederick, there as the proprietor, who carried on the busi- ness for several years; and he was succeeded by Charles Beck, Biery's son-in-law, who continued there until 1870. Afterward it was conducted by different parties till 1912; since then George Monshine has been proprietor.

United States Hotel .- A large three-story brick building was built on the opposite corner at the same time by his brother, Jonas Biery, who started a hotel there. It was occupied by Wil- liam Gross; then by Biery's son-in-law, Augus- tus Gilbert, who conducted the business till 1860; afterward it was a general store till 1907; since then it has been occupied as a wholesale liquor store.

Catasauqua House .- Charles Knauss erected a three-story brick building in 1850, secured a li- cense for a hotel, and carried it on for some years as the Catasauqua House. Different par- ties conducted the business until Jesse Weaver became the owner, who sold it to a Mr. Wess- ner of Philadelphia. Wessner's Estate is still the owner. The present proprietor is Frederick Swegler.

Pennsylvania House .- Harrison Hower built a three-story brick building on the northeast corner of Second and Bridge streets, in 1853, and established a hotel there, which he carried on for 15 years. He was followed by different parties. John W. Geiger purchased the place in 1897, and he has since conducted the business.

Mansion House was erected on Front street, between Church and Bridge streets, in 1871, by Henry S. Harte, and carried on by him until his decease, in 1882; afterward by his son, Lewis K., Franklin Medlar and William J. Hopkins until 1900; and since 1900 by Henry Blocker.

Walker Hotel, in East Catasauqua, was es- tablished by E. L. Walker in 1897, and he con- ducted the place until 1906, when he purchased the Eagle Hotel at Front and Bridge, which he has carried on until the present time.

Imperial Hotel .- After the Catasauqua Na- tional Bank was removed to its new quarters on Bridge street in 1904, the building was sold and converted into a hotel, called the "Imperial," and as such it has been carried on till now. Victor Miller was the first landlord, who with partners carried it on till 1907, Then Adam Langkam- mer bought it, and since then it has been con- ducted by him and his son, Charles.

There are five other licensed places at Cata- sauqua, which are conducted as saloons.

PICTURE GALLERIES .- John Swartz started a gallery in 1852 at the southwest corner of Sec- ond and Bridge streets for taking pictures by the Daguerre process. He was succeeded by a Mr. Guth.

In 1864, Theodore J. Kline embarked in the business of supplying photographs. Others since then have been A. M. Bachman, G. D. Lentz, and C. Roth.

MOVING PICTURES .- The first moving picture show was opened at Catasauqua in 1908, by Wil- liam H. Wentz, at the southeast corner of Front and Pine streets, and there he has continued ex- hibitions until the present time. His place had a capacity of 500 persons, but it was enlarged in February, 1914, to hold 800. It is known as the "Majestic."

The Bijou was opened in 1910 and continued until the Summer of 1914. The Palace was op- ened in 1911, and has been continued until now. They are located on Front street, at Walnut.

COAL YARDS .- Shortly after the Lehigh canal was opened. Johnson & Swartz embarked in the coal business (about 1826) and carried it on for many years. Their yard was located along the canal, south of Race street; and this yard has been operated by different parties until now. Daniel Milson has been in the wholesale and retail business there since 1898, and he also supplies wood, sand, limestone, crushed stone, and cement.

George B. F. Deily has been in the coal busi- ness since 1885. His yard is along the canal north of Race street. He is largely interested in farming, owning several large plantations east

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

of the borough. His father had carried on this yard from 1849 to 1862; and Edwin Swartz from 1878 to 1883.

A third coal yard is carried on along the canal north of Pine street by F. W. Wint & Co. in connection with their planing mill and lumber yard.

REAL ESTATE Co .- In 1905, Rowland T. Davies, George H. Williams, and Mrs. Wini- fred Williams Emanuel formed a limited part- nership under the name of the Catasauqua Real Estate Co., and as such erected, during 1906, sixteen fine brick dwelling-houses in the Second ward, along Pine and Third streets. They are held by the company and rented to tenants.

FANCY POULTRY .- In 1902 Samuel Gibson engaged in the fancy poultry business, directing his attention particularly to three varieties of the "Orpingtons." His yard is at American and Locust streets, and there he has continued until now, with special birds numbering from 100 to 300. His shipments are made to all parts of the United States.

In 1909, Hopkins Thomas and John Steitz en- gaged in this business, directing their attention to the "White Cornish Game." Their yard is in the Third ward, with special birds numbering from 50 to 100, and they forward shipments to all parts, as far as California.

In 1912 a poultry show was held in Fuller's Hall, during Christmas week, with 500 exhibits, which was largely attended. The superintendent was Samuel Gibson. Besides the parties men- tioned, the others interested in poultry here since 1900 are Harvey Rinker, George Reinhold, Li- bold Ehle, George Williamson, Robert Gibson, and Percy Seibert.

POLITICAL ANIMOSITY .- As elsewhere, polit- ical animosity manifested itself in this vicinity in various ways on different occasions. Three in- stances are submitted.

Spiked Cannon .- The Allentown Democrat, in November, 1844, contained the following item relating what the Whigs had done to the Demo- crats right after the State election which resulted in their defeat at the polls :- "The Democrats found their cannon spiked when about to fire it off on Saturday afternoon in honor of their late victory. This shows to what means the 'coons' will descend to get revenge. We would caution our friends to be on the look-out, for we would not trust them in our hen-coop."

Salt River Parade .- But the Democrats could also show feeling against the Whigs in 1858. The fight during the campaign and at the polls was bitter, and being successful as a matter of course, they had to ridicule the foe by taking them up "Salt River." Those at Cata-

sauqua therefore got up a badge and distributed it throughout the community for the amusement of the participants in the political jollification; which made the announcement of the proposed excursion in the following interesting manner, even if it was sarcastic :

BOUND FOR LECOMPTON RETREAT at the head of FREE TRADE RIVER.

The slow southern steamer Old Buck will leave for Lecompton Retreat at the head of Free Trade River from Biery's-Port on Monday morning next, October 25th, at sunrise :-

Commander and Dictator, Bill Biery

First Mate, . Old Sol

Second Mate, Wash Bogh

Steward, Charley Beck

Clerk,

Al Woolever

Engineer,

Jake Bogh

Fireman,

Jack Heinley

Cook,

Jake Kester

Bar-keeper,

Ike Miller

Purser,

Joe Laubach

Pilot,

J. Gross

Barber,

Lew Bogh

Physician,

Josh Siegfried

General Ticket-Agent, Jim Schall

Boot-black and watchman, Joe Lazarus

A colony is to be established at the head of Free Trade River where the worshippers of Old Buck can worship him at their heart's content and where all who are willing to bow the knee and submit to his Lecompton Test are invited to settle-with the understanding however that no settlers will be allowed to advocate Home Protection or be un- willing to labor for 10 cents a day.

It is understood that the small great men of the Old Keystone, including the Joneses, the Big- lers, the Dewarts, the Landys, the Phillipses, and the Leidys have already gone in advance.

The steerage will be reserved for the small-fry politicians in Allentown who subscribe to Lecomp- ton.

For further information inquire of A. S. S. Bridges, Allentown, and at the post office at Biery's- Port, just below Catasauqua.

Doylestown, Oct. 20, 1858.

Federalist Denounced .- Thomas Barr, a resi- dent of Allen township, represented Northamp- ton county in the State Legislature in the year 1852-53, and he was elected as a Federalist or Whig. His actions at Harrisburg excited the ire of the Allentown Democrat, which was led to criticise him in the following manner :

The citizens of the county (Lehigh) are now witnessing, if they have not been made to feel, the evil consequences resulting from the election of Federalists to the Legislature by our sister North- ampton; and the Democracy of the latter county have the very questionable gratification of knowing that her representatives are laboring zealously to prostrate the best interests of a neighboring con- stituency.

With true Federal instinct, her representatives cling to and support monopolies, just as naturally as a "nigger takes to a banjo"-vide Mr. Barr's

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course in the matter of the Catasauqua & Fogels- ville R. R. He seizes every opportunity to bring it up in the House. Scarcely a bill is read but he springs up with an amendment to strike out all after the enacting clauses and insert a bill to au- thorize the Lehigh Crane Iron Co. to build a rail- road to their ore mine, lease quarries, etc. A more iniquitous proposition, we venture to say, has rarely been introduced into our Legislature. Without re- gard to private rights, and for the benefit only of a mammoth iron company, the Legislature is asked to cut up the farms of a rich agricultural region that this company may enjoy a still greater monop- oly of the iron business.

We cannot believe that the Legislature will in- flict such injustice upon the other furnaces along the Lehigh, or upon those whose property it is proposed thus to cut up and sacrifice. We can- not believe that justice has yet flown from our Legislative halls, and hence we cannot believe that a project more iniquitous than the famous Gettys- burg Railroad will be fastened upon a portion of our citizens.

A charter was nevertheless secured in 1854, and the railroad was found a great benefit to the townships through which it was constructed, in that it relieved many miles of the public roads from the hard and injurious travel by the num- erous ore teams in transporting many thousands of tons of iron ore from the mines of the Crane Iron Co. to its large and prosperous works in Catasauqua. These roads were rendered almost impassable during the wet seasons before the con- struction of this railroad for upwards of ten years, and the persons mostly affected were the adjoining farmers, though many of them received large royalties and benefits far beyond what they otherwise might have realized from cultivating the land.

The first efforts in this behalf had been made by securing an Act of Assembly, dated April 5, 1853, which authorized the following commis- sioners to establish and maintain the Catasauqua and Fogelsville Plank Road, and the Lehigh Crane Iron Co. to subscribe for stock :

Jacob Dillinger Jonas Biery

Samuel Sieger

Phaon Albright

Aaron Guth

James W. Fuller

David Thomas Charles W. Cooper

Owen Rice

Finding that the plank-road was an impracti- cable enterprise, an Act was passed April 20, 1854, authorizing this company to construct and maintain a railroad instead of a plank-road.

MEXICAN WAR .- During the Mexican War, two men enlisted from here: Levi Kraft (a tin- smith who worked for C. G. Schneller), and Ho- ratio Good ( who lived up the river). They went to Mauch-Chunk and there joined their company ; thence to Wilkes-Barre, and by canal to Har- risburg, thence to Pittsburg, thence by river steamer to New Orleans. Both of these lived to

come back, wearing their peculiar uniforms of the army at that time, with caps like a coal scuttle, decorated with metal chains. Kraft aft- erwards served three years (1861-64) in the 47th P. V. Reg. and died a few years ago at Dayton's Soldier's Home. Good went overland to California and was killed by the Indians.

Several enlisted men from Allentown return- ed from Mexico at the same time; but one, John Kuhn, was missing. A year afterward he re- turned but the cruelties of a Mexican prison had made him insane. His home thereafter was in the Lehigh county poor-house. Every year for 25 years, in his summer vacation, he visited Catasauqua in his old uniform, hat bedecked with flowers and a cavalry sword suspended at his side clanking on the pavement; and to the time of his death he was known only as "Mexico John." No one would think of molesting him in any way; the people showed respect for him, and encouraged him in his innocent amusement.

LOCAL FLOODS .- Catasauqua was the scene of great excitement during the flood of June 4-5, 1862, when the water rose above its usual level from 24 to 27 feet, and was about 412 feet higher than the flood of 1841. All the bridges, with a number of small buildings, great quan- tities of lumber and fencing materials, and many wagons, etc., were carried away. The engineer of the Crane Iron Co. remained in the engine- room and was instrumental in rescuing several persons from drowning. Many of the boats which were here, loaded with ore from New Jersey, were lost including the possessions of the boatmen. A German family from Newark (man, wife, and two children) were on their boat at Parryville when the flood tore it loose ; they reached Catasauqua but the boat was wreck- ed below the town, and all they had was their clothing on their backs. Another family from Stanhope, N. J., also lost their boat and all their clothing; they were knocked off the boat and rescued, excepting an infant, fourteen months old, which was drowned. When morning dawn- ed, two men were discovered on a cinderbank, in the midst of the river; and at another point a man and boy were on a tree. A father was on a tree near by, and his screaming daughter on another ; and a little girl was seen holding on to a ledge at an arch of the Biery Bridge. Fruitless attempts were made to save these people by a raft attached to a rope, but the current was too strong; finally the superintendent of the Crane Iron Co. rescued them by means of a flat-bot- tom boat, made by his carpenters, after struggling heroically for more than an hour.

The scene was awful to behold. While standing on the river bank, the roaring torrent

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

could be distinctly heard, and also the agonizing cries of men, women, and children, who were carried on logs, boats, etc. Below the town a house was swept from its foundations and car- ried down the valley; and at Wheeler's locks several houses and barns, with household goods, animals and other contents were swept away. Words cannot describe the loss and suffering.

Relating to the flood of 1841, mentioned in the beginning of the foregoing article, the fol- lowing entry was made in the books of the Crane Iron Co., to show how it affected the works:

"On Thursday, January 7th, at nine o'clock in the evening, the river rose so that the back water prevented the wheel from turning, at half after ten covering the tow-path of the level above lock 36. At twelve it was two feet over the banks, and was one foot over the bottom of the hearth of the furnace. At 1.20 the water was at its height, and 34 inches in the furnace. It was at its height until 3.30 o'clock when the river began to fall. The water wheel was muddied all over and the water was nine inches over its top. The dam and canal bank was broken so that when the water fell in the river it was too low to turn the wheel, though every effort was made to fill up the bank, but they could not succeed and were obliged to throw the furnace out on Monday, the IIth of January.

"DAVID THOMAS, "THOMAS S. YOUNG."

(The furnace was blown in again on May 18, 1841.)

OLDEST BUILDINGS .- There are eight old buildings in the borough which are still standing worthy of special mention.

TAYLOR MANSION .- The most conspicuous old building is the Taylor residence on account of the great prominence of the owner of the premises who erected the building, which led the Historical Committee of Old Home Week to select it as one of the local features in advertis- ing the seventy-fifth anniversary of the town, and therefore an extended reference to the title will be regarded as appropriate in this connec- tion :

John Page secured 2,723 acres from the Penns by patent, Sept. II, 1735, which was located along the east side of the Lehigh river, and em- braced what is locally known as the "Irish Set- tlement."

He devised by last will, in 1741, all his estate in Pennsylvania to Evan Patterson, of Old Broad street in London, and then Patterson by Letter of Attorney, dated July 7, 1750, empow- ered William Allen and William Webb to sell and convey this land, who, on Dec. 8, 1750, con- veyed 331 acres of the large tract to Thomas Armstrong, situated along the river at and in the vicinity of the Catasauqua creek; and Arms- strong, on March 10, 1767, conveyed the 331 acres to George Taylor. Armstrong was an

elder of the Allen township Presbyterian church, and in 1755 was commissioned as the coroner of Northampton county. His residence was near the mouth of the creek.

In 1768 Taylor erected a large two-story stone mansion on this tract near the river, opposite the Jacob Yundt mansion (afterward known as the "Frederick Mansion"), on a bluff a short dis- tance south of the creek which is still in a good state of preservation. The walls are two feet thick. There are three fire-places on the first floor, kitchen, and adjoining sitting-rooms; and across the rear face of the recesses he set iron plates, cast at the Durham Furnace in Bucks county, each with the following inscription :

G. T. 1768.

The plate in the fire-place of the kitchen, 40 inches square, was removed by the Deily Estate and presented to the Historical Society of Le- high county in 1910. The others have been concealed by a coat of plaster and wall paper.

In 1768 Taylor was a member of the Pennsyl- vania Assembly; and in the assessment list of that year he was assessed for 100 acres of culti- vated land and 200 acres of uncultivated, includ- ing 4 horses and 4 cows. (In the same list there appears another George Taylor, who was designated as "poor.")

In the assessment of 1770, besides the land, he was assessed as having had then six horses, eight cows, and three negroes.

Taylor sold the premises in 1776 to John Benezet, of Philadelphia. He was a member of Congress and a signer of the Declaration of In- dependence. He died at Easton on Feb. 25, 1781.

Upon the erection of the Third ward school building along Race street in Catasauqua, the School Board recognized the great local prom- inence of Taylor and therefore they selected his name in preference to others suggested as the most proper by which to designate the new building.

In 1782 Benezet sold the premises to David Deshler, of Allentown, but there was no men- tion made of a grist-mill. In 1785, however, in the assessment list, Deshler is mentioned as the owner of 350 acres in Allen township, including a grist-mill, which is the first record evidence of this mill. It is also mentioned as "Deshler's Mill," on the Howell Map of Pennsylvania, published in 1792. He died in 1796.

In 1801 Michael Bieber, Jacob Schreiber, and Peter Deshler conveyed 250 acres of this tract to Abraham Ziegler.

In 1815 Ziegler sold 159 acres, 115 perches of the tract to John Beisel for $21,200; and, in 1821, Beisel sold the same to George Geisinger,

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BOROUGH OF CATASAUQUA.

of Salisbury township, being then bounded by lands of Michael Miller, Daniel Rohn, John Sterner, Frederick Biery, and the "forks" of the road leading to Bethlehem and Shoener's Tav- ern; and Geisinger died in 1823, when the Orphans' Court adjudged the land, (including the "Taylor Mansion"), to his daughter, Maria (intermarried with Jacob Deily), whose de- scendants still own the premises.

DEILY BARN, a stone structure near the Cat- asauqua creek, east of the new concrete county bridge, supposed to have been erected about 1760, and now owned by the F. J. Deily estate.

BIERY FARM-HOUSE at Second and Race streets, two-story stone, plastered and marked in

THOMAS HOME .- The first home of David Thomas was on Front street, opposite the Crane Iron Works, a two-story frame building erected for Thomas during the summer and fall of 1839 by the company while he and his family sojourned at Allentown till it was finished. A stone ice-house was erected for his use at the same time on the lot along the street, now used as a small store; owned by the company. There were two prominent and useful institutions in connection with this home which are also worthy of special mention.

A sun-dial was established in 1840 by the Crane Iron Co. along Front street near the gate leading to this home which was highly appreci-

TAYLOR HOUSE BUILT 1768.

imitation of brick; supposed to have been erect- ed about 1760; now owned by August Hohl.

BIERY HOTEL, on Race street, at rear of American Hotel; fine two-story cut stone, used for many years as a tavern; erected in 1826; now owned by George B. F. Deily.

BIERY HOME at Race and Canal streets, op- posite the large grist mill of Mauser & Cress- man; fine two-story cut stone, erected in 1830; now owned by Frank B. Mauser and occupied by him as a residence.

BIERY STONE-HOUSE, on Race street at the canal; fine two-story cut stone, used for many years as a store and residence by James Lackey, Joseph Laubach and George Deily to accommo- date the boatmen; erected in 1835; now owned by George B. F. Deily and occupied by him as a residence.

ated in the village for 30 years. Whenever the sun shone, it indicated the correct time to all the inhabitants and visitors who passed the place. Watches and clocks were expensive then and not in general use.

A well was sunk by the Crane Iron Company on this premises at the same time that the dwell- ing-house was erected for Mr. Thomas, and a pump-stock was placed there with a long iron handle to raise the water and a long handled iron cup attached to a chain from which to drink it. It was in use until 1860.

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History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 109

Author: Roberts, Charles Rhoads; Stoudt, John Baer, 1878- joint comp; Krick, Thomas H., 1868- joint comp; Dietrich, William Joseph, 1875- joint comp; Lehigh County Historical Society Publication date: 1914 Publisher: Allentown, Pa. : Lehigh Valley Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1158

Author: Roberts, Charles Rhoads; Stoudt, John Baer, 1878- joint comp; Krick, Thomas H., 1868- joint comp; Dietrich, William Joseph, 1875- joint comp; Lehigh County Historical Society
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Allentown, Pa. : Lehigh Valley Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1158