History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 179

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 179

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Mill creek flows along the entire length of the northerly boundary line and empties into the Lehigh river at the old Yellis Mill, half a mile above the village of Cementon.

Helfrich Spring .- A large spring of lime- stone water is situated in Whitehall township, along the Jordan creek, two miles north of Al- lentown, and its large and never-failing supply gave it distinction in the early history of the county. Before 1872, for seventy years it was known as the "Grim Spring," after the owner during that long period; and previously for thirty years as the "Blank Spring." Since 1872 it has been known as the "Helfrich Spring." The present owner, Sylvester Helfrich, inherited it, with a farm of 145 acres, from his father, Reu- ben Helfrich, in 1891.

Minsi Fishing Club. - In 1908, a fishing club was organized and named "Minsi," which secured the right of establishing a fishing-place at the Helfrich Spring. The necessary improve- ments were made to the large natural basin and many thousands of trout were supplied. The club has twenty-three members; the officers are: President, Frederick Krause; vice-president, N. E. Worman; secretary and treasurer, Charles Berger. The "Mickley Road" extends along the easterly side of the large basin, and numerous au- tomobile parties riding by this route look with much interest at this picturesque locality.

EARLY SETTLERS.

Jacob Kohler appears to have been the first settler of Whitehall township, having located there between the year 1728 and 1730, accord- ing to the late Edward Kohler, Esq., in his his- torical sketch of Egypt. He was a native of Muehlhausen, Switzerland, and lived some time on the land before he secured title by a warrant dated July 15, 1734, for 150 acres, the first war- rant in the township.

Nicolas Kern was also an early settler, having secured warrants dated Dec. 3, 1735, and Oct. 28, 1737, for 300 acres, which he deeded to Lawrence Guth in 1739.

John Eigender or Aigenter, who arrived at Philadelphia, Sept. 21, 1731, took up a warrant as early as Dec. 7, 1734, for 200 acres on the Jordan Creek, but lived there only a short time, and his land came into the possession of Jacob Wertz, and later the Horlacher family.

Michael Hoffman, who landed Oct. II, 1732, received 150 acres by warrant Sept. 22, 1737.

Peter Troxell, who arrived Aug. 17, 1733, settled here not long after his arrival, for in September, 1734, his son David was baptized by Rev. Boehm, and he secured his first warrant for 300 acres on Oct. 15, 1737. On the same ship came others who settled in the township; John Lichtenwalner, who received his first war- rant for 100 acres on Sept. 6, 1738; George Ruch, who received 100 acres on Oct. 13, 1737; and Ulrich Flickinger, on Jan. 19, 1743, se- cured 150 acres. On Aug. 28, 1733, arrived Daniel Roth who applied for 150 acres on May 25, 1737; John Jacob Mickley, who secured 761/2 acres on Nov. 5, 1745, and John Jacob Schreiber, who warranted 150 acres on Sept. 22, 1740.

On Sept. 28, 1733 Ulrich Burghalter, Ab- raham Wotring, and John Nicholas Saeger land- ed at Philadelphia. Burghalter /secured 160 acres of the best land of the township on Feb. 4, 1743; Wotring secured 200 acres on Oct. 16, 1738, and Saeger warranted 250 acres on March 28, 1737.

Frederick and Michael Newhard arrived Sept. 26, 1737, the former secured 20312 acres on Feb. 1, 1742, on the same date that George Kern secured 203 acres, and the latter (Michael) secured 200 acres on June 14, 1738.

John Troxel, who arrived Aug. 30, 1737, took up 250 acres on Oct. 28, 1737, but by non-com- pliance, it became void and his son Peter Trox- ell secured it by warrant Jan. 26, 1743.

Lorentz Guth arrived Sept. 19, 1738, and the following 27th of February purchased 300 acres from Nicholas Kern.

1003

WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP.

Jacob Showalter, a Mennonite, settled along the Lehigh at an early date.

The above instances show that in most of the cases land warrants were secured three or four years after the arrival in America. A number of the early settlers spent the first few years in Philadelphia (Montgomery) county before go- ing into the wilderness farther north. It re- quired much courage to venture into a strange country where there was danger of attacks by hostile Indians and wild beasts. History does not record any attacks by Indians in Whitehall prior to 1763, though it is probable that the up- per part of the township was visited by them from 1755 to 1757, when a large number of the inhabitants of Heidelberg and Lynn town- ships were killed or taken prisoner.

The accompanying map, with the following description, shows how the tracts of the first set- tlers were located.

Abraham Wotring, the greater part of whose land lay in the present North Whitehall town- ship, secured 201 acres and 26 perches by warrant Oct. 16, 1738. He died Nov. 28, 1752, and a portion of the land came into the possession of his son-in-law, John Schneider. On Oct. 8, 1763, Schneider with his wife and three chil- dren were killed by Indians and their home was burned. Nicholas Marks, Schneider's son-in-law, secured the land and in 1780 sold it to George Remely of Heidelberg township. Remely's heirs sold it in 1801 to George and Henry Frantz. The greater part is now owned by descendants of Henry Frantz.

John Jacob Mickley secured 761/2 acres on Mill creek by warrant on Nov. 5, 1745. In 1752 and 1755 he secured additional tracts ad- joining Wotring's land on the west and Ulrich Flickinger's on the east. In 1768 he owned 50 acres of cultivated and 195 acres of unculti- vated land. On this tract, two of his children were killed by Indians in 1763, on the same day as the Schneider family. John Martin Mick- ley, second son of John Jacob, secured the greater part of this land after his father's death in 1769, and purchaser 27 a. 97. p. from Peter Trox- ell on Oct. 8, 1771, and 1634 acres from his brother, Jacob Mickley, on Jan. 6, 1786. On Oct. 15, 1794, Martin Mickley sold the home- stead and 308 acres to Jacob Dinkey for £1,900, and removed to Adams county.

Ulrich Flickinger took up a tract of 160 acres on Mill creek on Jan. 19, 1743, and on Oct. 24, 1752, secured another tract of 142 acres adjoin- ing. In 1768, only 60 acres of this land was cultivated. After his death in 1792 his son Peter secured the land and sold it; then with his

brothers, Jacob and George, removed from the township.

George Ringer warranted a tract of 863/4 acres at the mouth of Mill Creek on Dec. 29, 1748; on which, in later years, Yellis' mill was located. He subsequently secured additional tracts warranted by Jacob Alleman in 1748, on which was located a large spring and Michael Kelchner secured several tracts from 1754 to 1772 adjoining lands of Flickinger, Ringer, and Jacob Kohler.

West of Kelchner's land and south of the Mickley tract was located the large plantation of John Peter Troxell. The first warrant for this was taken up by his father, John Troxell, on Oct. 28, 1737, for 250 acres. The requirements not having been complied with, the warrant be- came void, and his son secured it Jan. 26, 1743. On this tract he built a large stone house in 1756 which still stands. On May 28, 1768, he sold all his land (410 acres) to Peter Steckel for £1,420, and removed to Maryland.

Peter Steckel was a resident of Whitehall township as early as 1742, residing for some years on a tract further north. In 1768, when he purchased the Troxell farm, 150 acres of it were cultivated. He was one of the most pro- gressive farmers of his day and constructed an Archimides' screw to water the higher ground on his land. He died in 1784. His sons, Henry and John, received the land by their father's will. His son Jacob received 20 acres and £50; his sons, Daniel and Peter, £200, and each of his four daughters, £50. The old stone homestead was in the possession of the Steckel family over 100 years.

Adjoining the above mentioned tract on the west was the land of John Nicholas Saeger, who warranted 250 acres on March 28, 1737, and a tract of 401/2 acres on Jan. 24, 1739. The great- er part of this land is located in North White- hall, owned by the Lehigh Portland Cement Company. John Nicholas Saeger died in 1762, and bequeathed his land to his two eldest sons, Samuel and Christian, who were each taxed in 1768 for 65 acres of cultivated and 85 acres of uncultivated land. The old homestead came into the possession of Nicholas Saeger, son of Samuel, whose son, Gen. Joseph K. Saeger, be- came the owner after the death of his father, Nicholas, in 1829, and Gen. Saeger bequeathed it to his son, the late Eli J. Saeger.

South of the Saeger tract, Ulrich Burkhalter secured 300 acres by purchase from Richard Hockley on Feb. 4, 1743, which he conveyed by deed of gift to his only son, Peter, on Nov. 9, 1754. He died in 1762. His son secured additional land and in 1768 was the owner of

1004

HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

130 acres of cultivated and 240 acres of uncul- tivated land. This land, considered by old set- tlers as the finest in the township, later came into the hands of the Breinig family.

Adjoining the Burkhalter tract on the east was the first settlement in the township, that of Jacob Kohler, who secured 150 acres by warrant July 15, 1734, the earliest dated warrant in the township. On Oct. 28, 1737, he secured an ad- ditional 100 acres. In 1755 he built the first grist-mill on his land along the Coplay creek. On the east bank of the creek, near the southern line of Kohler's land, was the wigwam of an Indian, who lived for some years on Kohler's land, and whose family were on friendly terms with the white settlers. On August 24, 1769, Jacob Kohler deeded his land to his two sons, (Peter, the elder, receiving 155 acres, and the mill property, and Jacob receiving 193 acres). The mill and considerable land are still owned by the family. Lewis Kohler, the present own- er, received it from his father, Aaron, who re- ceived it from his father, Peter, son of Peter Kohler, Sr., and descendants of Jacob Kohler, Jr., still own portions of the original tract.

South of the Kohler land lay the 203-acre tract which George Kern warranted on Feb. I, 1742. This land remained in the Kern family for many years. The greater part is now owned by a cement company. Adjoining this land on the south was the 2031/2-acre tract which Fred- erick Newhard secured by warrant of Feb. I, 1742. A few years later he sold it to Adam Deshler, who erected a stone dwelling in 1760 which was used as a place of refuge in the In- dian troubles and called Fort Deshler. This is still standing. He also erected a grist-mill, which he conducted some years, the site being unknown. Adam Deshler secured additional land and in 1768 owned 130 acres of cultivated land . and 258 acres of uncultivated land. He died in 1781 and his son, Adam, Jr., became the owner of the homestead. He died in 1790, and his only son, David, became the owner. David Deshler's son, James, became the owner at his father's death in 1827. James Deshler died in 1842. His sons were Jacob G., D. J. F., and Peter W. H. The property passed through sev- eral hands and in 1899 100 acres of it were sold to the American Cement Company.

Between the Kohler, Kern, and Deshler tracts and the Lehigh River, Jacob Schowalter settled on a large tract of 450 acres between 1750 and 1752. He was a member of the Mennonite church on the east side of the Lehigh, where a number of families of that faith had settled. There is no record of a warrant for the land and as Schowalter had no title, John Moore,

sheriff of the county, sold a half interest in the tract to William Allen, on June 20, 1759, and on Dec. 12, 1759, Allen purchased the other half interest from Schowalter. A few days later on Dec. 31st, Allen sold the tract to the Scho- walter family, divided into smaller tracts, as follows: Joseph Showalter, 150 acres; John Showalter, 100 acres; Jacob Showalter, 100 acres; and Peter Basler, a son-in-law, 100 acres. The amount in each case was £169. Joseph Sho- walter sold his tract on April 1, 1771 to Conrad Leisenring. John Showalter, at the same time, sold his tract to Christopher Kern, and Jacob Showalter, Jr., sold his tract to George Koehler. The Showalters then removed to Lancaster county, except the father, who resided with his son-in-law, Peter Basler, until his death in 1773, when Basler sold his tract of 100 acres to Philip Jacob Schreiber and also removed to Lancaster county. Jacob Showalter, Sr., had among other children, sons Valentine, Peter, and Joseph ; and a daughter married to Henry Funk.

Conrad Leisenring secured a tract of 621/2 acres adjoining on the north which had been warranted by Peter Showalter in 1752. The first house on this tract was built of logs by Jacob Showalter, Sr., about 1752, and stood be- tween the spring-house and the small house in the rear of the larger house. The spring house under which there is a very large spring, is said by some to have been built by the Showalters, and this is still standing. Conrad Leisenring died Aug. 14, 1781, and on April 18, 1789, his eldest son, Conrad, Jr., purchased from the heirs the entire estate of 212 acres, paying to each of his six brothers and sisters, f70. He demolished the house, and in 1794 erected a large stone barn, in which the family resided until the large stone house then in course of erection, was completed in 1796. This is still standing.

Across the road is an old red building, partly log and partly stone, which is very old. Daniel Leisenring resided in this building, and here his son, William, was born in 1818. The small stone house in the rear of the larger dwelling was built in 1816 by Conrad Leisenring, Jr., for his mother, Sybilla, as directed by his father in his will dated in 1781, the year of his death. A box wood plant stands alongside the house, which was planted by Catharine, wife of Conrad, Jr., in 1816. Another building formerly stood on this tract south of the dwelling-house and was used first as a distillery and later as a tannery. The old stone barn was converted into dwell- ings. In 1820, Conrad Leisenring, 2d, convey- ed to his son, Conrad, 3d, 87 acres of his land with the use of the stone building occupied as a distillery during his life only, which was located

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1004

HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

130 acres of cultivated and 240 acres of uncul- tivated land. This land, considered by old set- tlers as the finest in the township, later came into the hands of the Breinig family.

South of the Kohler land lay the 203-acre tract which George Kern warranted on Feb. I, 1742. This land remained in the Kern family for many years. The greater part is now owned by a cement company. Adjoining this land on the south was the 20312-acre tract which Fred- erick Newhard secured by warrant of Feb. I, 1742. A few years later he sold it to Adam Deshler, who erected a stone dwelling in 1760 which was used as a place of refuge in the In- dian troubles and called Fort Deshler. This is still standing. He also erected a grist-mill, which he conducted some years, the site being unknown. Adam Deshler secured additional land and in 1768 owned 130 acres of cultivated land and 258 acres of uncultivated land. He died in 1781 and his son, Adam, Jr., became the owner of the homestead. He died in 1790, and his only son, David, became the owner. David Deshler's son, James, became the owner at his father's death in 1827. James Deshler died in 1842. His sons were Jacob G., D. J. F., and Peter W. H. The property passed through sev- eral hands and in 1899 100 acres of it were sold to the American Cement Company.

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on land conveyed to his son, Daniel, with free ingress, egress, and regress, and the right to take water out of the springs and lead the same to convenient ditches. The Whitehall Portland Cement Company and the town of Cementon are located on this land.

South of the Showalter land, John Jacob Schreiber secured 250 acres along the Lehigh by warrants in 1740 and 1749. His son, Philip Jacob Schreiber, added to this, and patented on Feb. 10, 1763, 402 acres and 60 perches. In 1768 he had 90 acres of cultivated and 310 acres of uncultivated land. In 1773 he bought the Basler tract of 100 acres adoining on the north. The house he erected in 1799 still stands. His son, Jacob, received the northern half and his son, Daniel, the southern. The borough of Co- play and the works of the Coplay Cement Com- pany are on this tract.

Michael Hoffman secured as early as 1737 a warrant for 150 acres which was situated south of the Deshler tract and west of the Schreiber land. In 1744 he patented a tract of 16334 acres and in 1763 an adjoining tract of 94 acres. In 1768 he owned 80 acres of cultivated and 270 acres of uncultivated land. He died in 1786, leaving two sons, John and Michael, who re- ceived his land, a portion of which was located in the present North Whitehall.

Christian Bertsch patented a tract of 253 acres in 1786, located west of Hoffman's land; and adjoining Bertsch's land was a tract of 213 acres owned by Daniel Roth, who secured it by warrants from 1743 and later.

Adjoining this on the east was Jacob Mickley, Jr.'s, land, who lived here as early as 1 762, hav- ing left the homestead on Mill creek. In 1789 he was the owner of 278 acres on which the village of Mickley's is now located.

A tract of 550 acres between Mickley's land and the Lehigh river was granted by William Penn to William and Margaret Lowther on Dec. I, 1733. On April 1, 1754, Nicholas Scull, as sheriff, sold this tract to William Parsons, who, on April 15th, sold it to Richard Peters. On April 16th Peters sold it to William Allen and Joseph Turner. On Dec. 4, 1761, Allen and Turner sold 187 acres of it to Adam Deshler for £339, who sold 100 acres of it to Jacob Mick- ley on May 7, 1762. The Thomas Iron Com- pany eventually became the owner of 185 acres.

In 1785, Henry Biery owned a tract of 200 acres on Coplay creek, adjoining the Mickley tract. On this tract still stands the old stone school-house, in which Mickley's church congrega- tion was organized. At the mouth of Coplay creek, Jacob Hartman owned a tract of 25 acres and here he kept a flat-bottomed boat, with which

he ferried passengers over the river as early as 1785.

Adam Miller owned a tract of 292 acres along the Lehigh, adjoining the Biery and Hartman lands, parts of which he patented in 1788, 1789, and 1801. He died in 1815, aged 91 years. His descendants owned the land many years and West Catasauqua is located on the tract.

Michael Kolb owned a tract of 167 acres west of Miller's land, of which he had 45 acres cul- tivated in 1768. He and his wife died a few weeks apart in 1812, and his daughters received the land, two of whom married into the Roth family.

Adjoining the Kolb land, Daniel Newhard patented a tract of 86 acres in 1788. He died a bachelor in 1801, and his estate, amounting to 125 acres, was valued at £937. His brothers and sisters, and nephews and nieces were his heirs, and his niece, Elizabeth, wife of George Shick, and daughter of his elder brother, Christopher Neuhard, who was killed in the Revolution, ac- cepted the land at the valuation.

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History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 179

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