History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 146

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 146

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HISTORIC HOUSES.

Philip Gabriel Fogel, in 1734 or 1735 settled in Lynn township. He took out warrants for 63 acres of land in 1748 and 37 in 1754. These

Fogel figured prominently in the earliest his- tory and settlement of the township. The house which he built was used as a "Block House" and there the settlers congregated during the Indian invasions. It was also used as a place of re- ligious worship before the establishment of the Ebenezer Church, in 1760. Tradition states that the settlers met there at intervals for several years. The house was constructed of heavy oak logs, which were roughly but very substantially fitted into each other at the corners and made specially secure by hickory pegs driven into big holes. The main part of the house was 40 by 56 feet. It had five floors. On the first floor rose a massive stone chimney with a wide open fire-place, and this floor was covered with large flat stones.

The second floor was of oak timber eight inches in thickness. Safety and strength were considered in the construction of this house,

LYNN TOWNSHIP.

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doubtless one of the very first in that section of Lynn. Oak logs were split through the middle, its sides being hewn even with a broad-axe by skilled hands until they were eight inches thick; and these pieces of timber were so interlocked as to leave no cracks in the floor peradventure the Indians would attempt to shoot at the settlers if they should gain entrance onto the first floor. From the second floor up, on the west side, the building projected four feet over the first story. The house had high gables and a peaked roof. There were four windows in each gable. The panes were 7 by 9 inches; and there were twelve panes in each window. The nails, hinges, and locks were of home-made iron, very strong and

of the pioneers, a circular groove at some places two and one-half inches in depth.

Three port holes, ten inches square, were at each gable end, showing that the house was used as a fort during the trying period of the French and Indian War from 1755 to 1763. The old- est residents of Lynn do not recall that it was garrisoned by soldiers, but it was guarded by fearless inhabitants with muskets in hand.

During the Revolutionary period an addition 14 by 30 feet, was built over a fine spring of water. This part had a cellar without air holes but had an outside door which, when not in use, was banked up with ground to conceal it from prowling Indians.

ANCESTRAL HOME OF THE STRAUB FAMILY OF LYNN.

heavy. The doors were massive, divided into upper and lower sections. The partitions were made of boards which were hewn with the broad- ax, and these boards were crudely and irregular- ly placed.

On the second floor in after years a store was established in one of the rooms; in which stood an old-fashioned wood stove where the sturdy pioneers of Lynn had congregated for years to warm themselves and exchange opinions con- cerning Indian invasions, raids, massacres, wars, and the loss of loved ones. Into the floor around this stove there was worn, by the heavy boots

After the Fogel family vacated the property, it passed to Burkhard Mosser, and he was suc- ceeded by his son, Jacob, who was followed by his son, John; then Jacob Mosser (born in 1832) the present owner, became the purchaser. His son, John S., now conducts the farm and his children are the sixth generation of the Mosser family residing on these acres.

On the south side of the Schochary, on the property long known as the John Snyder farm, now owned by Reuben Bachman and occupied by his son, Robert, are the ruins of a stone house around which centers much local history.

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

About the time of the Revolutionary War the house was built by Thomas Everett. Later it was occupied for many years by Dr. Joseph T. Zangerle, born in 1804, in Tyrol, Germany. His career was eventful. His saddle-back rides through the country, his gruffness of manner and speech, his domestic upheavals, his death by his own hand on May 14, 1860, at Lynnville where he last lived, and his burial, closed the chapter of an interesting character. After the removal of Dr. Zangerle to Lynnville, the his- toric house was occupied and tenanted by many families, but none lived there for any length of time. It stood unoccupied for many years and finally through lack of repair, fell into decay and ruin. The superstitions connected the house with weird stories and even murder is said to have happened in it. The much-mentioned building stood in the meadow between the Reuben Bach- man property and Charles V. Hollenbach. Dur- ing the Civil War the Knights of the Golden Circle (Copperheads) had their meeting-place in it and it was there that an attempt was made to blow up the organization.

KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN CIRCLE.

The Knights of the Golden Circle were an organization effected in the upper end of the county with places of meeting in Lynn town- ship, under the leadership of Harry Newell (a tailor by trade), and others, numbering about eighty members. They were sympathizers of the Southern Confederacy, and protested against the retention of Confederate prisoners during the progress of the Civil War. Secret meetings were held in a stone house situated one mile north of Lynnville, in the lowland of the John C. Snyder farm, on the south side of the Scho- chary. During the progress of a certain meet- ing in this place, Unionists, under the leader- ship of Dr. Trexler, had planned to put a barrel of gunpowder in the cellar and blow the Cop- perheads to atoms; but their plans miscarried. The members afterward considered themselves unsafe there, since the place of meeting was known, and then met in Kistler Valley, in the house of Michael Brobst, now owned by Jona- than Smith. At this place on a certain night, shots were exchanged between the guard and one who had secreted himself in currant bushes by the house, for the purpose of ascertaining what transpired within. They left Kistler Valley and met in the home of one, Behler, near Lynnport. Finally they met in the house of David Schütz in the same locality. Bitter feeling existed dur- ing these times and Newell and a man con- spicuously prominent about Lynnport, narrow- ly escaped being ridden on a fence-rail."

INDIAN REMINISCENCES.

Lynn township suffered severely from numer- ous incursions by the Indians, and for extended information on this subject the reader is referred to Chapter VI, entitled: "French and Indian War." The following reminiscences are, how- ever, given in connection with this township.

Samuel Benfield shot an Indian in 1795 at the Blue Mountain near where Levi Heintzle- man now lives in Lynn township. The Indian was alone. Benfield, fearing the approach of other Indians, hid himself in a brush, but no other Indians appearing, he took the Indian's gun and left the body on the ground.

The early settled farm, now owned by Levi Heintzelman, was formerly owned by a Gossler, and several miles away lived David Mosser who was visited by one Steinbrook from Longswamp township, Berks county. Steinbrook told his host he wished to pay his respects to his friend Gossler, but he was informed that the trip was dangerous and he had better remain. Steinbrook, however, went, and while sitting at a window at Gossler's he was shot dead by an Indian who mistook him for Gossler. The ruins of the house in which Steinbrook was shot can still be seen.

During the French and Indian War two sol- diers were stationed for some days in a house on the Frederick Leaser farm in Lynn, and In- dians with evil designs were encamped about three squares westward, who watched the sol- diers and settlers as they walked around on the outside. The soldiers were each supplied with six different uniforms or suits, and these they changed quite often during the day. By this hoax the impression was given to the savages that a dozen well-armed soldiers were ready for an attack, and it doubtless saved the lives of many pioneers.

During the French and Indian War, the sav- ages made an attack upon a family near the Blue Mountain, back of Lynnport, and the farm where the family lived is now owned by Albert B. Smith. The family saved themselves by throwing at the savages live wood-coal they got out of their bake-oven, which caused the sav- ages to retreat into the woods. About this time Bernhard Follweiller, the Indian fighter, who had been out with his gun, appeared on the scene, and he followed the Indians into the woods, where he blew a decoy by whistling like an In- dian, and this led an Indian to appear. Foll- weiler shot him and quietly buried the body un- der some rocks in the woods.

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LYNN TOWNSHIP.

Upon his death-bed, Follweiler told his sons that at a certain tree, under rocks, they would find the skeleton of a bear, and on investigation the sons found a skeleton, not of a bear, but of the Indian whom their father had shot in the forehead. This Indian skull until late years was in the possession of the Indian fighter's descend- ants. The gun, he decreed, should go to the oldest son from one generation to another, and this identical rifle is now in the possession of James Follweiler, of Ohio.

Mrs. Derr, wife of a Fetherolf, in 1844, when 80 years old, told Harrison Saul (born in 1827), that her brother, Derr, was murdered by the Indians on a farm in Lynn township which later was owned by Sebastian Bennighoff; and that the brother was buried at the Ebenezer Church, at New Tripoli.

Before the erection and garrison of Fort Ev- erett at Lynnport, in 1755, the settlers of that section assembled for the night in a block-house (a fortified building) at Fetherolfsville, when attacks were feared from the Indians.

Matthias Schitz, who lived near Lynnport, had collected clothing and articles of value into a chest which he buried along the hillside back of his house in which Wm. H. Reitz now resides. This was done peradventure he would return in the morning and find his house in ashes.

Christian Wannamaker was scalped in a log barn at Lynnport. In the morning he had gone out to feed his cattle; not returning, his family investigated and found him lying in the barn in great agony, his scalp having been taken by the brutal savages. He died that same day.

George (?) Enos, a lad aged about fifteen years, was captured by an old Indian during. the French and Indian War, in the meadow, on the farm now owned by Charles O. Oswald. This farm was the Enos homestead. After his cap- ture the lad accompanied the Indian without re- sistance. When the Indian and the boy on their march reached the Blue Mountain, the bare feet of the boy became sore, and the Indian, feeling kindly towards the lad, made him a pair of moc- casins from a deer skin which he had stolen from Ferdinand Enos, an Indian fighter, and probably the lad's father. The boy was then allowed to walk by himself and managing to get behind his captor, when the opportunity presented itself he ran away from the Indian with the swiftness of a deer. He safely reached what later was the home of Heinrich Billig (now the Benjamin Henry Estate), and there he hid under the

threshing floor of a barn. The following morn- ing he arrived at his home and danced about the room, happy over his successful escape.

On Feb. 14, 1756, the Indians surprised the inmates of the house of Frederick Reichelsder- fer, shot two of his children, set his house and barn on fire and burned all his grain and cat- tle. Thence they proceeded to the house of Jacob Gerhart and there killed one man, two women, and six children. Two of the children had slipped under the bed; one of them was burned, the other escaped and ran a mile to neighbors.

On March 24th following, ten wagons were sent to Allemangel to bring away a family with their effects. As they were returning, about ·three miles below one George Zeisloff ; they were fired upon by a number of Indians from both sides of the road, which caused the wagoner to leave their wagons and run into the woods; and the horse became frightened, ran down a hill and broke one of the wagons in pieces. The In- dians killed George Zeisloff and his wife, a young man of twenty, a boy of twelve, and a girl of fourteen. Four of them were scalped. The Zeisloff property is now owned by James A. Os- wald, situated two miles southwest of New Tripoli.

EARLY MILLS.

The description of the early grist-mills forms a valuable part of the township industrial his- tory, and the following eleven contributed their share towards its welfare, six of them on the Ontelaunee creek and five on the Switzer. Saeger Holben Bausch

Oswald

Benninghoff

Smith

Wanamaker Greenawald

Snyder Mosser

Rex

GRIST MILLS.

The description of the following grist mills forms a valuable part of the township's industrial history :

Saeger Mill .- Daniel Saeger embarked in the milling business in Lynn township in 1811, and erected a large two-story stone grist-mill with basement, which was supplied with water-rights from the Ontelaunee creek, about 1,000 feet dis- tant to the northeast.

It is at New Tripoli along the main thor- oughfare.

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

After operating it for two years he sold it to Samuel Ely, Jr. Ely carried it on until 1820, when he sold it to Jacob Grim. It then passed through a number of owners until 1867, when Joseph Rickert sold it to Reuben German, who operated it successfully for upwards of twenty years, having in 1885 installed the roller process machinery and added engine and boiler, besides the water-wheel for more reliable power. Reu- bens's son, Albert A., his brother, Jonas, and Jo- nas's son, Henry W., operated it in succession un- til 1910, when Henry A. Sittler became the pur- chaser and he has carried it on until the present time. Jonas German constructed a second dam along the race mid-way between the old dam and the mill, made necessary by the first having be- come filled with alluvial deposit. It covers about three acres.

A frame ice-house was erected at the breast of the dam in 1903, by Hon. James A. Mil- ler for storing ice, with a capacity of 200 tons.

This is the first grist mill along the head- waters of the Ontelaunee. The water-shed is situated about a mile beyond the mill, the waters flowing eastward, going into the Jordan and thence into the Lehigh river, and those flow- ing westward going into the Ontelaunee and thence into the Schuylkill river.

Oswald's Mill, a landmark near New Trip- oli, situated on the Ontelaunee, was built by Sam- uel Kistler, in 1816. It is a large stone build- ing, 40 by 60 feet, three and a half stories high. Christian Kistler hauled the stone from the mountain near-by for its construction. Kistler operated the mill many years, and was succeeded by his sons, Christian and David. The latter sold his interest to his brother a few years later and moved to Schuylkill county. William M. Kis- tler, son of Christian, succeeded his father ; later Mrs. William Kistler and John Kistler had the mill a few years. The next proprietors were Henry and James Sittler. Afterward Daniel Heintzleman purchased it for his son, Daniel A., Jr., known as "Little Daniel," who operated it three years. On Nov. 20, 1891, Sylvanus Os- wald purchased it and he has continued to op- erate it to the present time.

It is the second mill at that place. The first stood across the road from the present build- ing. It was built of logs by Conrad Kerschner and was one of the earliest mills in the district. It was operated by the Kerschner family for many years. The Kerschners owned a large acreage of land in Lynn township at an early period in its settlement.

Bennighoff's Mill, formerly "Reitz's," is sit- uated on the Ontelaunee. Peter Fenstermacher

built a powder mill at that place about 1834, and operated it several years, when Jonas Reitz became the owner. In 1840 he tore down the powder mill and built a two-story grist mill, which he operated. He also built and operated a distillery at the same place. In 1854, he sold it to his sons, Samuel and Benjamin. They con- ducted it several years, then sold it to John Ul- rich when it was destroyed by fire which culmi- nated in a law-suit and a conviction, and the place was idle some years. During 1889-90, the present mill, a frame building, 30 by 50 feet, two stories, was erected by Ulrich, who then op- erated it with his son, George L., for thirteen years. Since 1903 Albert F. Bennighoff has owned and operated it as a custom mill in a successful manner. It is equipped with roller process.

Wanamaker Mill, at Wanamaker Station, was first erected along the Outelaunee creek, near Steinsville, by Christian Wanamaker in 1825, and he operated it until 1840, when he sold it to his son, Daniel, who carried it on successfully until 1866, when he tore it down and erected in its place a large three-story brick-structure, which was then and is still one of the finest mills in this section of country. He continued busi- ness there until 1878, when Wellington B. Griesemer became the owner, and in 1881, Ben- neville Lutz. It was carried on by Lutz until his decease about 1900, when it was bought by Henry F. Kistler, who has operated it in a very successful manner since that time. Roller pro- cess was introduced by Lutz about 1890.

Snyder Mill was erected by Jacob Wana- maker, Sr., prior to 1829. It was a two-story stone building situated along the Ontelaunee, near Lynnport. Succeeding owners were Joel Snyder and his son, Alvin, and Levi J. Reitz. During Reitz's ownership about 1900 it was de- stroyed by fire. Then the place laid idle for sev- eral years when it was bought by Elihu Billig who built a frame, mill, including a cider press, and has since carried on business there.

Mosser Mill was first a log building erected by Philip Mosser before 1800 on the Ontelaunee creek, in the eastern portion of the township, two miles west of the line. He carried it on, in connection with an adjoining saw-mill until he died in 1817, when his son, David, became the owner, and a two-story stone mill was erected by the son in its place. David then carried on the business until he died in 1832, when his two sons divided the property, John taking the tan- nery, and Joseph the grist-mill and saw-mill. Joseph conducted the plant for about 40 years,

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LYNN TOWNSHIP.

in this time making two frame additions to the grist-mill to meet the demands of his increasing trade; then he rented it to his son, Lewis F., and the son has carried it on until now. The son purchased the property in 1893. Flour and chop were manufactured until 1890, then the making of flour was discontinued on account of com- petition.

In 1862 Joseph Mosser erected a superior two-story brick dwelling-house on the mill prop- erty near the mill, and a noteworthy feature in its construction was the decoration of the parlor ceiling and walls in oil painting with numerous butterflies, no two alike, executed during the winter months by three expert German artists who had got out of work at Slatington and were glad to earn off, in this manner, the cost of their boarding and lodging in the home of Mr. Mos- ser. Though fifty years have elapsed, the decor- ation is remarkably well preserved and reflects the great skill of the artists.

Holben Mill stood on the Switzer creek near Lynnville, on the farm now owned and operat- ed by George M. Miller. The first building was put up before 1813 by Jacob Holben, and there a stone mill was erected in its place by him. It was carried on by different descendants of the family until about 1895, when it was destroyed by fire.

Bausch Mill is situated on the Switzer creek, next to the Holben. It was erected before the Revolution. John Bausch owned and operated it for many years; then it was carried on by his sons, Jacob and George, together for a time and afterward by Jacob.

John Snyder, who married Jacob Bausch's daughter, purchased it in 1825, and conducted the business there until he died in 1872, he hav- ing added a saw-mill in 1845. His son, Nathan, then became the successor and operated the plant until his death in 1907. Oscar Betz, who mar- ried Nathan Snyder's daughter, then bought the property and since that time it has been operated by tenants. The saw-mill was abandoned in 1905.

Smith Mill, a mile and a half south-west of the Holben Mill, on the same creek was erected by Abraham Smith about 1840, and carried on by him for many years; then by his son-in-law, Gideon Moyer, and others until about 1890, when it was abandoned. A creamery was started in its place and operated for a time.

Greenawald Mill was the second on the Switzer Creek, near Stein's Corner, and it had its origin in 1790, because the owner, Charles Greenawald, was unable to buy the Rex mill

above. It was carried on for many years by Greenawald and then by his son, Edwin, and other parties, until 1905, when Franklin Leiby became the owner and Leiby has since operated it as a custom mill. Greenawald put a new ver- tical saw in the adjoining saw-mill and his son substituted a circular saw.

Rex's Mill was probably the earliest in the county, north and west of the Lehigh mountains. It was situated on Switzer creek in Lynn town- ship, near the line of Weisenberg, but the dam for operating it was in Weisenberg. It was built of logs about 1750. In 1790 it did a large busi- ness. It was carried on to produce chop as well as flour; also to break and clean hemp and bruise hemp seed; and to hull millet used to make "pap," then considered an extra dish. The mill was torn down many years ago, but the site is still visible.

INDUSTRIES.

The following industries are mentioned as an interesting part of the early history of this town- ship.

Kistler's Card Mill .- In Owl Valley, near Stein' Corner, in this township, there are land- marks still, that suggest a busy industry during the early settlement of the township. On the 34-acre tract, now owned and occupied by H. M. Fry, is the time-worn and dilapidated build- ing in which a man named Hower conducted one of the first stores of that locality. He was suc- ceeded by Daniel Kistler who, in connection with . the store business, operated a card-mill ("Kratzmuehl") for many years.

People took the wool, as it came from the sheep, to this mill to have it carded. The im- perfect machinery for carding the wool stood on the second floor. The first floor was used by James Kistler, son of Daniel, a blacksmith for many years.

After Daniel Kistler, the land was owned by Adam Bachman, who also operated the card- mill, and he was succeeded by his -his son, Jacob, whose estate sold the property to H. M. Frey, the present owner. The store and card-mill were separate buildings but they stood close together.

The first store in that section was at Fether- olfsville, near the county line, conducted by John O'Neill.

Ontelaunee Woolen Mills were located near Jacksonville on the property now owned by Charles E. E. Foster. George Breish was the first owner. In 1793 and 1794 he received the first water-rights for them. After him they were owned by Henry Fusselman; John Her-

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

many and Ralph Camp; Levi Brobst; Henry Brobst; Daniel Brobst; George Brobst; Reuben Buck. The last proprietor was Charles H. Fos- ter, who was the last wool-carder in that section. Shortly after the Civil War, Reuben Buck re- modeled the mill, and added new machinery. He manufactured all kinds of home-spun flax and woolen goods. It has been discontinued for up- wards of twenty years.

While in the ownership of Reuben Buck, a chopping-mill was also carried on.

Distillery .- In 1898 Henry Weaver started a small distillery for the manufacture of apple brandy, commonly called "apple-jack." It is sit- uated on the Ontelaunee, a short distance below the Mosser grist-mill, and is operated only dur- ing the months of September and October. The plant consists of two small frame buildings, one for the cider-press and the other for distilling the brandy. The production, during the season annually has been about 50 barrels.

Abandoned Slate Quarries .- Slate operations were begun along both sides of the Ontelaunee, a short distance south of Mosserville, on the Kis- tler and Mosser farms, about 1850, by Welsh- men from Slatington, and continued for forty years quite extensively; but they had to be dis- continued on account of the excessive cost of pro- duction. The nature of the slate mined was superior, with a durable, dark-blue color, and many roofs of buildings in this and other town- ships were covered with roofing slate manufac- tured there. The large deposits of waste ma- terials are the remaining evidence of the opera- tions.

Similar operations were also conducted on property of Peter W. Leininger, of New York city, located near Robert's Corner.

Reitz Stocking Mill .- Jonas Reitz started in 1830 the manufacture of woolen stockings in a part of his dwelling-house, near the Reitz grist-mill and distillery, on the same farm. He was assisted by his wife and children. It was chiefly carried on the fall and winter. It was continued 25 years.

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History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 146

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