History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 117

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 117

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648

HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

court. Br. Bohler is quite cheerful and rejoices that he now knows what his value is. A num- ber of Mennonites Sackons were shamefully treated because they would not take the oath."

Christn. R. Heckewelder.

The following ministers served the congrega- tion: 1742-1747, Leonard Schnell and Gottlieb Petzold; 1747-50, Anton and Elizabeth Wag- ner; 1750-51, John W. and Rosina Michler ; 1751-52, Andreas and Dor. Horn ; 1752-53, John C. and Christina Francke; 1753-55, Daniel and Xanna Neubert; 1755-56, George and Gertrude Schneider; 1756-58, John C. and Margaret En- gel; 1758-60, John and Magdalena Schweitz- haupt; 1760-62, Daniel and Hanna Neubert; 1 762-63, George and Maria Pitsohmann; 1763- 66, Anton and Elizabeth Wagner; 1766-73, Henry and Elizabeth Lindenmeyer; 1773-77, Andrew and Maria Langgard; 1777-79, Fran- cis and Anna Bohler ; 1779-85, John J. and An- na Schwihel; 1785-86, Nicolaus L. and Anna Bagen ; 1786-90, John and Maria Roth; 1790- 91, John and Anna Beck; 1791-1793, Bernhard and Sarah Grube; 1793-98, George and Anna Mueller ; 1798-1801; Ludwig F. and Maria Boehler ; 1801-2, John and Anna Bardell; 1802- 05, John and Susanna Molther; 1805-07, John and Anna Bardill; 1807-9, Gottfried and Anna Oppelt; 1809-13, Theodore and Susanna Shulz ; 1813-30, Paul and Anna Weiss; 1830-36, John and Sophia Brickenstein; 1836-38, Peter and Eliza Kluge; 1838-39, G. F. and Eliza Troe- ger ; 1839-44, Levin T. and Louisa Reichel ; 1844-46, Julius and Emma Bechler ; 1846-53, Ambrose and Matilda Ronthaler; 1853-60, John and Carolina Rugennas; 1860-62, Edward and Annie Kluge; 1862-64, Lorenz and Anna Oer- ten; 1864-68, Henry C. and Mary Bachman ; 1868-76, Julius and Maria and Ellen Wünsche; 1876-77, W. H. and Dorothea Hoch ; 1877-79, Max E. and Martha Grunert; 1879-82, Clem- ens and Caroline Reinke; 1882, L. P. and Sarah Clewell.

In 1749 the first church was rebuilt and was located in the rear of the present parsonage. In 1766 an addition was made to the part used for school purposes, "because it was too small." For this addition the trees were felled by Frederick Rauschenberger, whose wife was a sister to the Reformed Itinerant preacher Goetschy, mem- tioned above. The present structure was erect- ed in 1834, to which the Sunday-school chapel was added in 1876. It was enlarged in 1906 and again in 1912. The present membership is 286, and the endowment fund is $17,000.

The water supply was obtained from two vil-

lage pumps, which stood in the middle of Main street, one in front of the residence of the late Tilghman Reinsmith and the other in front of the home of Samuel Rothrock. In 1790 the first store was opened by James Gill. The first postmaster was William Horsfield, Lewis Christ and Thomas Knauss conducted the first tavern, it was replaced about eighty years ago by the Exchange Hotel.

In 1798 a New England Divine records his visit to Emaus as follows:

"We pass the river Jordon, over a strong stone bridge as we enter this town, (Allen- town), and the Little Lehigh, as we go to Em- maus,-a small village about eight miles from Bethlehem, inhabited by the United Brethern. It is situated not far from the foot of a moun- tain and contains about twenty dwelling-houses, the congregational-house, united with the chapel is possessed by a minister (George and Anna Miller). In the chapel is an organ, and the minister is also the schoolmaster. The steward is an old man, and the storekeeper also superin- tends the tavern. But these are not public prop- erty as in Bethlehem and Nazareth.

An original settler, a brother, gave one hun- dred and thirty acres of land to the brethern for the support of the minister and school at Em- maus.

In this place, was one of those accommodations for the lodging of a married couple, which cause so much conversation. Perhaps it may not be amiss to indulge the curiosity of such, as may be very solicitous to be informed upon this point, what is the reason for this uncommon practice, and what the practice is, that in future such visit Bethlehem and Nazareth, may spare the in- habitants from needless enquiries, sometimes bordering upon impertinence.

According to constant practice, single beds are used by unmarried persons, from their youth up- wards. When couples are united in holy wed- lock and become heads of a family, these two beds and their bedsteads, are placed so contigu- ous to each other, that they are covered with one general blanket or counter-pane. This outer covering designates the lodging of some married persons, but this is not a universal custom, as many use the common large beds. It is con- venient in case of the sickness of either party, the nursing of children, and the poverty of young housekeepers, who may not wish to be at the expense of exchanging or altering their single beds, bedding or bedsteads. The bed is not different from that in common use, except that it has head, foot, and side boards."

During the early part of the nineteenth cen-

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BOROUGH OF EMAUS.

tury, hats, clocks, blankets, shoes and cigars were extensively manufactured. Gradually the strict rules governing the village were disregarded un- til in 1836, when the town was opened to mem- bers of other denominations. Emaus, however, remained "Quaint Old Emmaus" until the build- ing of the East Penn Railway in 1858, and the incorporation of the Borough in 1859.

Among the early settlers of the village of Emaus were Jacob Ehrenhard, Andrew Gearing, Abraham Ziegler, George Christ and Frederick Winch.

Jacob Ehrenhardt, one of the first settlers of Emaus and one of the founders of the congre- gation here, lived in the house formerly owned by Hiram S. Getz, of Reading. He was born on Maundy Thursday in Marstadt, Germany,

Township, Feb. 16, 1734, and baptized by Rev. John Philip Boehm, the Reformed minister. At the age of seven years, she visited her brother, Sebastian, and subsequently joined the Moravian Church. She died Oct. 3, 1804. They had several sons, among whom were John and An- drew. The former purchased land not far from the town, where he lived and died. He had four sons, John J., William and Thomas, and one other, who removed to another part of the state.

Abraham Ziegler was a native of Freundstadt, in Schwartzwald, in the Kingdom of Wurten- berg, the name has disappeared from the com- munity.

For many years the Christ family were active- ly engaged in the affairs of the village of Emaus.

HOUSE BUILT BY JACOB EHRENHARDT.

in 1716. He died Feb. 7, 1760. His wife, Barbara, daughter of Rudolph Andreas and his wife, Anna Catharine Braun, was born in Boehn, near Manheim, March 8, 1722. She was reared in the Reformed religion and arrived at Phila- delphia with her parents on Aug. 29, 1730. In 1764, as the widow of Jacob Ehrenhard, she was taxed one pound for fifty acres of deeded land. She died Sept. 18, 1777.

Andrew Giering, born Aug. 19, 1729, and died March 20, 1803, lived in a log house at the lower end of town, afterwards remodeled and lately owned by Francis Schaefer. He came to this country a single man, married here, and worked at his trade, which was shoemaking. His wife, Maria Catharine Knauss, as a daughter of Ludwig Knauss, and was born in Whitemarsh

The progenitor of the family was Christian Christ, a native of Igelheim, in the Palatinate, where he was reared in the Reformed faith. In 174I he was married to Maria C. Begdalt. They came to Pennsylvania in 1749 and settled in Lynn township, where they united with the Moravians. He died Oct. 21, 1801. Of his nine children, four survived him. They were: Daniel, Lititz, Pa .; George, Emaus; Margareth, the wife of John Ehrenhard, Shamokin; and Maria Catherine, Bethlehem.

George Christ was born in Lynn Feb. 12, 1753. He married Catharine Anders, a daugh- ter of Ludwig and Sophia Knauss Anders. After his marriage he came to Emaus, and erected two log houses on the tract now occupied by the resi- dence of Mrs. Sylvester Bieber. He had five

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

sons, George, Jacob, Lewis, Henry and Jona- than, all of whom, with the exception of the latter, passed their days in Emaus. George was a hatter, Jacob a tobacconist, Lewis kept the town tavern, Henry was a farmer, and Jonathan was a saddler.

George Leibert, son of Michael and Barbara Romlin Leibert, was born Dec. 1735. He learned the art of blacksmithing in the shop of Jacob Ehrenhard, whose daughter Elizabeth he married in 1760, and whom he succeeded as the village blacksmith. Henry Leibert, son of Mar- tin and grandson of Michael, was born in Phila- delphia March 25, 1743. He learned the trade of a turner with his brother, Peter, in German- town. He married March 10, 1772, Christina, a daughter of Jacob Ehrenhard and removed to Emaus.

One of the most prominent citizens of the later period was Frederick Jobst, a native of Alsace- Lorraine, who migrated with his father, J. George, and brother Francis, to America in 1828 and at once came to Emaus, where the family has become large and wealthy. He was renowned far and wide as a fiddler. He organized the Emaus band.

Samuel Stoudt is the oldest resident of the borough and probably of the county, being in his 98th year. He is a shoemaker by trade, which he still follows. He reads the newspaper with- out the aid of glasses. The first President for which he voted was Martin Van Buren.

SCHOOLS.

The early German settlers were particularly attentive to the education of their children. School houses were erected alongside the churches and frequently preceded them. In which cases they were used for church purposes until a larger edifice was erected. While all the denomina- tions and sects were solicitious for the training of their children, the pre-eminence must however be accorded to the Moravians.

A peculiar feature of the Brethren's Church from its earliest times, and retained to the pres- ent day, has been their solicitude, not only to preach the Gospel to the adults among Chris- tians and heathen, but "to suffer little children to come to the Saviour," and for this purpose to conduct their schools in such manner, that not only the faculties of the mind might become de- veloped and strengthened by judicious training, but the affections of the heart be drawn in early years to the best Friend of children. Before Count Zinzendorf left America he said in his "Pennsylvania Testament": It is one of my greatest hopes and desires that Bethlehem may

become a pattern of the education of children."

This desire was remembered and actd upon by those brethren to whom the superintendence and direction of all congregational affairs was entrusted, and a system of education was intro- duced, the like of which may probably never be found in any other community.

At a conference held at Bethlehem August 7, 1746, the representatives from Macungie (Em- aus) were informed that a school was to be es- tablished among them. A building was erected and on February 6, 1747, the school was opened with an enrollment of forty. Christopher De- muth, of ripe old age, native of Moravia, was placed in charge. A number of well trained children from the school of Nazareth were added "as a salt."

In September it was made a boarding school, with Christopher Heynes, John Muenster, An- ton Wagner and their wives in charge, they con- tinued to serve faithfully and well until 1750, when the whole school system of the Brethren church was reorganized. From an early annalist we quote the following pregnant sentence: "Many were judged ripe for reception in the church through baptism, while others the dear Lord took to himself." Among those who died during this period were two little Indian maid- ens. The obituary record of the congregation contains the following pathetic entrance :

April 3, 1748, little Hannah died, the first treasure seed out of the little school.

May 7, 1749, small Rebecca died and the next day was buried in her little wigwam.

On February 25, 1750, the girls school closed on the Ysselstein farm, now a part of South Bethlehem was closed. The older girls school was taken over to Bethlehem, while the younger ones were brought to Maguntsche. In 1750 there occurred an estrangement between Henry Antes, who had done so much for the upbuilding of Bethlehem, and the authorities, which result- ed in Antes' withdrawal to his farm and former home at Fredricktown. John Nitschmaun, with- out ever consulting with him, closed the flour- ishing school on Antes' premises.

In reference to the disposition of the pupils in this school, Bishop Levering in his history of Bethlehem, p. 251, makes the following state- ment : "On the 12th of that month (August, 1750) a number of the boys were taken to the Maguntsche school and a few of the Indian boys were removed to Bethlehem and Gnaden- huetten. Two weeks later the remaining of the boys were placed in the school at Oley." This school at Oley had been. organized in the month of February, 1748, and had now become quite

651

BOROUGH OF EMAUS.

an important school, but on account of the drain of these outlying schools on the Central treasury, the authorities determined to close it also. On September 10, 1751, the boys were transferred to the school at Maguntsche and the girls of both Oley and Maguntsche were taken to Beth- lehem. "The two single brethren, Schwarz and Adam von Erd, accompanied the children from Oley. Some other single brethren, namely : Peter Braun, Marc Ralfs and Heppner Schon, were sent as their assistants. During this year the families of Oerter, Horn and Christopher Francke were added to the working force of the institution. These children, some of them of well-to-do Philadelphia families, "with an al- lowance of meat twice a week," were abundantly cared for spiritually and temporarily. The rou- tine of the institution included morning and evening devotions, regular hours of study and recreation, also love-feasts in their season. On Sundays a brother held service in the church which the children attended." Thus the school was conducted as a boys school for two years, when the authorities determined to also discon- tinue the school at Salisbury. On the 27th of August, 1753, the school was closed and four- teen of the boys were removed to Bethlehem.

In 1754, John Ettwein and Francis Boehler and their wives were placed in charge of the work among the children at the outlaying places. In December of this same year it was deter- mined to re-open the school in Salisbury and on January 10, 1755, it was formerly opened, "with Joachim Sensemann and wife in charge of the household and Hans Peterson serving as precep- tor." But the peace of the school was soon again to be disturbed. In 1755 was the year of the In- dian outbreaks. Dark and dreary were the aut- umn days of 1755. Every day brought new tales of horror and woe from the frontier settlements, of crops destroyed, of buildings burned, of fami- lies massacred, of children carried into captivity. Truly the melancholy days of the year had come, yea the saddest of all the year.

During the month of November definite in- formation reached Bethlehem, that the Indians had determined to clear the entire region of white people and that on their great day, "Christ- mas" Nazareth and Bethlehem were to be de- stroyed. The morning of November brought the direful news of the massacre at Gnadenheut- ten. Nearer and nearer to Bethlehem carried the wild men of the forest their fiendish work. The provincial government was appealed to for aid and protection. Bethlehem now became very solicitous for the safety of the children in the outlying schools. On December 8th the children

from Nazareth were brought to Bethlehem, and immediately upon their arrival two wagons un- der guard were sent to Macungie to convey the boys of this school, with John Schmid and his wife, who had charge of them, to Bethlehem. Thus ends the checkered career of the boarding school of Maguntsche.

The long dreaded, Christmas passed without bringing ruin and disaster to Bethlehem. Though the Indians had stealthily, under the cover of night, made their way to Bethlehem, they found their plans frustrated, for the town was well watched and guarded. Their number was in- sufficient to besiege the town or to make an open attack, so they quietly retraced their steps, and left Bethlehem undisturbed in its peaceful slum- ber. There is, however, a tradition that a few stayed and were lurking on the hillside back of the Indian house, with the hope of yet before the break of day setting fire to some of the un- guarded outer buildings. But that early in the morning strange and doleful sounds fell upon their ears, which struck terror in their hearts, they had never heard anything like it before. Surely thought it must be the great spirit warn- ing them, that he people who had brough so many blessings to them were under his care and pro- tection. Frightened, they slipped back into the woods and disappeared in the forest. The strange sounds had come from the terrace roof of the Brethren House, where the trombone choir, with their jubilant chorales, announced to the new Bethlehem the birthday of the Saviour. It is said that when during the day the children of Bethlehem were assembled in the old chapel to enjoy a Christmas service, some one said, that the guardian angels of these children were the best Christmas watchers. Yes, who doubts or would be so irrevelant as to deny that the guard- ian angels of the little ones from Emaus, Nazar- eth and Bethlehem brought fear to the hearts of the maurading Indians, like the guardian angels of the Christ-child had brought peace and good- will to the hearts of the shepherds on the hill- sides of Bethlehem of old. After the Indian outbreak, the school was ropened but as a con- gregational school, and continued until it was displaced by the public school. In 1763 the sub- stantial stone dwelling on the opposite side of the street was erected as a home of refuge in case of an Indian attack. It was used for a time for school purposes.

In 1855 the "Lehigh County High School" was organized under the direction of James S. Shoemaker. All the elementary branches, to- gether with the higher branches of mathematics, Latin, French, German and music were taught.

652

HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

In it a number of young men were prepared for the profession of teaching. The school never attained the position of importance its founders had hoped for.

Emaus is first mentioned as a separate school district in the report by the Superintendent of Public Instruction for the year ending June I, 1861. Emaus then had two male teachers, a term of five months, an attendance of 59 male pupils, and 50 female pupils, with an average cost per pupil per month of 47 cents. The tax rate was 312 mills, the amount of the State ap- propriation was $47.60, and the average salary for the teacher per month was $23.00. The superintendent reported to the department that "in this part of the county, Emaus is the leader in educational affairs."

In 1877 the school term consisted of six months of 22 days each. From this time on un- til the present day, the schools have progressed by strides. At present the school term is nine months of 20 days each, and eighteen schools are in operation. The high school was the first in the county to qualify as a third grade high school. Among the teachers who taught the highest grades are : E. S. Miller, H. D. Greena- wald, A. E. Stahler, R. J. DeLong, Rev. M. E. Kemper, Rev. J. V. George, D.D., Rev. H. A. I. Benner, Supt. J. J. Unger, Principal H. L. Re- ber, W. H. Unangst, Supt. W. D. Landis, Rev. E. Elmer Sensenig, John Yerger and H. Snyder.

CHURCHES.

EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION.

The first Evangelical sermon in Emaus was preached in the house of Charles Fehr by Rev. Charles Hesser, in 1839. The Evangelical As- sociation began here in 1840. Rev. G. Haines was the first pastor. In 1845 Rev. Francis Hoffman, pastor, the first church, a frame one- story structure 30 x 40 feet, was erected at a cost of $1,450. Then as now Emaus belonged to Lehigh Circuit. The membership grew stead- ily until 1868, when under the labors of Revs. S. Ely and J. K. Seyfrid in a Great Revival 60 souls were converted.

In 1873 under the efficient administration of Rev. S. Ely, the present two-story brick church, 40 x 60 feet, with a seating capacity of nearly 500, was erected at a cost of $6,800, and dedi- cated by Rev. Solomon Neitz. In this year Emaus was detached from Lehigh Circuit, and changed into a Mission, and in 1878 made a station. The following pastors have served the congregation since the erection of the present church in 1873: Revs. S. Ely; F. Hoffman; J. Adams; B. H. Miller ; J. H. Stermer ; E. Butz ;

J. C. Bleim; S. B. Frey ; D. Lentz; C. N. Roth ; J. K. Fehr ; J. H. Smith ; G. Heinrich and L. A. Werner.

ST. JOHN'S REFORMED CONGREGATION.

On January 1, 1876, about sixty persons of the Reformed faith, under the leadership of Rev. A. J. G. Dubbs, met in the Moravian Church and organized themselves as St. John's Reformed Congregation. Immediately after organization the following officers were elected: Elders, James Tool and Adam Fink; Deacons, Samuel Roth- rock, William Heimbach and Edwin H. Sterner. The congregation continued to worship in the Moravian Church until the fall of 1882. Dur- ing the summer of that year the congregation in connection with the Lutherans had built what is now known as St. John's Lutheran and Re- formed Church of Emaus. The present mem- bership is almost 500.

The following pastors have served the con- gregation : Revs. A. J. G. Dubbs, 1876-1886; R. C. Weaver, (Supply) ; 1886-1891, C. E. Schaeffer, 1892-1896; P. A. DeLong, 1897- 1899; J. B. Bachman, 1900-1908; J. B. Stoudt, 1908-1910; D. E. Schaeffer, 1910 -.

ST. JOHN'S UNION CHURCH.

The foundation for St. John's Lutheran con- gregation of Emaus was laid by the late Rev.

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BOROUGH OF EMAUS.

William Rath, who invited the members of the Lutheran faith in Emaus and vicinity, to attend preaching service of the Lutheran denomination in the Moravian Church, where he conducted the first service February 28, 1875. The number of members at the beginning was about 40. At the first communion, held June 4, 1876, forty-three persons communed. By the courtesy of the offi- cials of the Moravian Church, services were regularly held in their church until the present St. John Lutheran and Reformed Church was ready for use.

On the 24th day of December, 1882, the Ev- angelical Lutheran congregation of St. John's Church, Emaus, was organized.

February 15, 1890, Rev. Myron O. Rath, who had been assistant pastor for some time, was elected to succeed his father the Rev. William Rath, and continues his pastorate to the present time. The first regular English service was held June 17, 1888. The present membership is about 300. St. John's Lutheran and Reformed Sunday-school held its first session April 19, 1885.

ST. MATHEW'S UNITED EVANGELICAL CONGREGATION.

The United Evangelical Church of Emaus was organized by members belonging to the so- called "Minority" at the time of the division in the Evangelical Association in the year 1891.

St. Mathew's United Evangelical Church, corner Fifth and Ridge streets, was erected dur- ing the pastorate of Rev. Thomas Knecht in 1894. Rev. Frank Sechrist was pastor 1895- 1897. During his pastorate a great revival took place, which resulted in seventy professed conver- sions. From this time on the church has had a slow but steady growth and to-day has doubled its original membership.

Besides the above named, the following minis- ters have served the congregation: Revs. C. S. Brown, two years; H. H. Smith, one year ; N. S. Hawk, two years; during this period it be- longed to Lehigh circuit.

In 1898 this church and Cetronia became a separate charge and since then it has been served by the following pastors: Revs. J. K. Seyfrid, four years; J. H. Stermer, four years; D. F. Kostenbader, three years. The present incum- bent is the Rev. J. H. Stermer.

MENNONITE BRETHREN IN CHRIST CON- GREGATION.

The two-story frame church on Chestnut street was built by Moses Wieand and used by the Free Methodists for a number of years. The

membership of the congregation became less and less, and finally ceased to exist as a congregation in Emaus.

In 1884 the Mennonite Brethren in Christ, who had prior to this time held services in private houses, purchased the church for $1,240, and established a regular appointment in the same. The Rev. Jonas Musselman was the first preach- er in charge. The church was served in con- nection with appointments at other places. The following pastors served the charge: Revs. Abel Strawn, Samuel Frey, L. B. Taylor, W. Stein- metz, L. Frank Haas, R. Bergstresser, and the present pastor, Rev. H. K. Kratz.

The present Board of Trustees consists of Harvey Thompson, President; R. T. Lauden- slager, Secretary; and William Yeakel, Treas- urer.

At the last session of the Annual Conference of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ, the Emaus Church and the Macungie were made a separate charge.

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History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 117

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