History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 185

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 185

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Land values vary greatly, depending on char- acter of the soil, topography, condition of farm buildings and improvements, and proximity to towns and railroads. In the limestone valleys the values range from $75 to $150 an acre, while in the Berks shale loam the values are from $35 to $75 an acre. In other sections prices range from $25 to $65 an acre, or more. These figures do not take into account speculative values of possible suburban extensions.

The farmers throughout Lehigh county are in a prosperous condition and practice a well- developed system of practical agriculture. Dairy- ing might be more widely developed to advan- tage, as large quantities of dairy products are consumed locally, and New York and Philadel- phia afford good and easily accessible markets for milk and butter. While a few farmers have si- los, more of these should be constructed to fur- nish green feed for stock throughout the winter. The introduction of better breeds of dairy stock would prove profitable. The potato industry is very important in the county, and could doubt- less be extended with profit, especially on the Berks shale loam. Fruit could be more exten- sively grown in certain parts of the county to advantage. A larger acreage should be devoted to truck farming, mainly to supply local de- mands. Considerable poultry is raised through- out the county, this industry being given primary attention on many farms. This is a profitable branch of agriculture which might be extended.

On the whole, in view of the accessibility of large markets and the adaptability of the soils to a wide variety of agricultural products, the agriculture of Lehigh county should be made more intensive, greater attention being given to the production of special crops, which produce a greater revenue than the general farm crops.

SOIL.

Thirty-one soil types are found in the county.

In the South mountain region two types of the Chester series are mapped, the Chester loam and stony loam. These are formed by the weathering of gneiss rocks which largely form these mountains. The roughest areas are mapped as Rough stony land.

The Blue mountain region, the rocks of which are mainly sandstone, includes areas of Rough

stony land. The less stony lower slopes are oc- cupied by the Dekalb stony loam and Dekalb loam. The stony loam type of this series is found in small sandstone and quartzite areas in the South mountains.

Near the border of areas of the Triassic for- mation, trap-rock dikes are found, and these on weathering form the Montalto stony loam and Montalto clay loam.

The Triassic shale and sandstone formations in the southern part of the county give rise to the Penn series, of which the Penn silt loam, shale loam, stony loam, and gravelly loam are mapped.

The lighter colored rocks of the Triassic for- mation give rise to the Lansdale silt loam and stony loam. Where adjacent to the dikes of trap rock, contact metamorphism has produced conditions giving rise to the formation of the Le- high shale loam.

The Hagerstown series, including the Hagers- town stony loam, loam, and silt loam, is derived from limestone. The loam and silt loam types constitute the best farming land of the county, while the stony loam is inextensive and of little agricultural importance.

The Martinsburg shale, with the interbedded sandstone, on weathering and decomposing, gives rise to the soils of the Berks series in the north- ern part of the county. These are the Berks stony loam, shale loam, and silt loam. The shale loam is the most extensive soil in the county and is rapidly becoming a very valuable soil owing to its especial value in the production of Irish po- tatoes. It is locally known as "gravel land."

In depressions in the Martinsburg shale and Triassic formation the Lickdale clay loam has been formed.

The second bottom or terrace land is mapped as the Wheeling gravelly loam, loam, and silt loam. The Holston soils differ from the Wheel- ing in that they do not show any evidence of admixture of glacial materials. The first bot- tom soils are mapped as Schuylkill fine sandy loam and Huntington silt loam.

General farming is practiced on all the cul- tivable lands. The Hagerstown loam and silt loam, Penn silt loam, Lansdale silt loam, and Chester loam are best for ordinary farm crops. The Berks shale loam is especially adapted to potatoes. The Chester soils are best suited to apples and the Berks shale loam and Penn stony loam and gravelly loam to peaches.

Two types, the Huntington silt loam, and De- kalb stony loam, are least suitable for cultiva- tion in their present condition. The rough stony land is not tillable.

1037

INDUSTRIES.

The following table gives the actual and rel- ative extent of the several soil types in Lehigh county :

Areas of different soils.

Soils.

Acres.

Per cent.

Berks shale loam,

78,976

35.9

Hagerstown loam,

47,360

( 26.5

Gravelly phase,

10,880

Chester stony loam,

15,552

7.1

Huntington silt loam,

8,576

3.9

Chester loam,

8,448

3.8

Dekalb stony loam,

8,192

3.7

Rough stony land,

5,888

2.7

Hagerstown silt loam,

3,840

1.7

Dekalb loam,

3,520

1.6

Penn gravelly loam,

3,392

1.5

Murrill loam,

2,752

1.3

Wheeling silt loam,

2,688

1.2

Berks silt loam,

2,688

1.2

Lickdale clay loam,

2,432

1.I

Berks stony loam,

2,304

1.0

Penn shale loam,

2,240

1.0

Montalto stony loam,

1,216

0.6

Penn stony loam,

1,152

Schuylkill fine sandy loam,

1,152

· 5

Holston gravelly loam,

1,024

· 5

Lansdale silt loam,

832

. 4

Holston silt loam,

768

Hagerstown stony loam,

640

. 3

Penn silt loam,

384

Lehigh Shale loam,

384

Wheeling loam,

320

. 1

Lansdale stony loam,

320

. 1

Upshur shale loam,

256

, I

Mine dump,

256

. I

Total,

220,160

TREXLER FARMS.

Deer-Park Reservation .- In 1901 Col. Harry C. Trexler embarked in a great agricultural en- terprise which has attracted marked attention, not only in Lehigh county, but throughout the entire State of Pennsylvania. He then began to purchase farms in North Whitehall and Low- hill townships along the Jordan and Mill creeks in the vicinity of Schnecksville, ten miles north- west from Allentown, and until this year he has secured altogether twenty-four farms, which cover a total area, in continguous tracts, amount- ing to 2,500 acres. He immediately began to turn up the soil of the hilly, unprofitable land and sow seeds in order to secure permanent pasturc, and when these made their appearance he set apart about 1,000 acres, enclosed with an 8-foot wire fence, and placed there seventy deer and several buffaloes and elk. This was in 1908, and the land took the name of "Trexler's Deer-Park." The animals have increased in number and now the herds numbers several hundred deer, 20 elk, and 15 buffaloes. They have become a great curiosity, and many persons are seen almost daily, especially on Sundays, driving or walking along the road from Schnecksville through the

park for several miles, to see the wild animals grazing on the hill-sides.

Peach Orchard .- The profitable land Col. Trexler has kept for farming purposes, excepting about 300 acres, on which he has planted peach trees and apple trees, about 22,000 of the former and 5,000 of the latter. He started the large orchards in 1905. Soon afterward he began to realize crops; and last season they were large, profitable and encouraging, 50,000 baskets of peaches and 500 barrels of apples. Like the "Reservation," these orchards have also attracted much attention, and many farmers and fruit growers are watching the result of this experi- ment. But it can be said that the enterprise of Col. Trexler is not, and was not started as an experiment. He took up the matter as a busi. ness proposition, and, like his other large enter- prises, he has made this too, a success.

From the beginning, the Colonel has had the assistance of an experienced farmer to look after and manage this great undertaking for him, Mr. P. S. Fenstermacher, of Allentown. The super- intendent of the orchard has been Mr. Carl Lindee, who resides on the place.

Some of the first efforts in the county towards the extensive production of peaches in large orchards were made about thirty years ago, by William Slifer, of Spring Valley, in the lower end of the county. He was followed by Sam- uel Brandt and Benjamin Dalrymple, of New Jersey. Brandt took some thousands of young trees to Lowhill township and gave them to certain farmers with instructions how to plant and care for them, for which his compensation was to be one-half of the crops. But the farmers were indifferent and the undertaking proved a failure.

FRITCH FARMS.

Dr. D. D. Fritch, the large miller at Ma- cungie, is worthy also of special mention for his enterprise in respect to the successful cultivation and production of potatoes by a crop rotation different from that generally followed by the ·farmers of Lehigh and Berks counties. His large farm, with its attractive, substantial buildings, which adjoins the borough of Macungie on the west, has attracted public attention for many years. His annual crops of potatoes have been phenomenal, and quite naturally he has come to be recognized as the "Potato King of Lehigh." And this he has accomplished on land generally said to be not adapted for potatoes. The details will be found in the personal sketch of Dr. Fritch which appears in the biographical annals of this publication.

896

Wheeling gravelly loam,

832

Montalto clay loam,

1038

HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Many farmers in Lynn township have been particularly successful in the production of large quantities of potatoes, and this has made the sta- tions along the railroad prominent shipping points, mention being made in the narrative of the township.

ECKERT FARMS.

Several miles northwest of Allentown along the main thoroughfare, John Eckert has several adjoining farms which have been recognized for their superiority. The buildings and general appearance reflect his care and management and his herds of Jersey cattle attract much attention. Mr. Eckert was president of the great Lehiglı County Agricultural Society for many years.

COOPER'S CATTLE SALES.

Another subject worthy of mention in this chapter is the great and commendable enterprise of Tilghman H. Cooper for his efforts at Coop- ersburg, covering many years, in importing, in- troducing and popularizing the Jersey breed of cows, with a fine pedigree. His annual sales on Decoration Day have popularized Lehigh county to a remarkable degree throughout the United States and through them many distinguished farmers from distant states were led to visit the county and witness her progressive spirit in ag- ricultural matters as well as industrial. He had started these sales in "Madison Square," at New York city. His farm of several hundred acres is regarded as a model.

HARDNER FARMS.

The Hardner farms, embracing about 650 acres, are located in Lowhill, North Whitehall, South Whitehall and Upper Macungie town- ships. The joint corner of these four town- ships is situated on his land. He is recognized as one of the leading agriculturists of the county and produces large quantities of potatoes and rye, of the former about 8,000 bushels annually. He embarked in agricultural pursuits in 1904 and from the beginning his farms have been under the general supervision of D. G. Hopkins.

CLIMATE.

The table below gives the normal monthly, seasonal, and annual temperature and precipita- tion for this section of Pennsylvania. These records are from the Weather Bureau station at Mauch Chunk. While the station is about 26 miles north, the records are fairly representative of conditions in Lehigh county.

Normal monthly, seasonal, and annual temperature and pre- cipitation at Mauch Chunk, Carbon County, Pa.

Temperature.

Precipitation.

Month.

Absolute maxi-

Absolute mini-

mum.

Mean.

Total amount for

the driest year.

Total amount for

the wettest year.

Snow, average

depth.

OF.

O F.

Inch.

December,

-5

4.2

5.7

7.9

7.8

January,

-- 13

3.6

5.I

4.5

11.0

February,

-I4

4-3

2.0

7.2

12.6

Winter,

12.1

12.8

19.6

31.4

March,

-9

4.7

2.5

4.9

8.7

April,

3.3

6.3

5.4

1.8

May,

5.1

3.0

0.6

Spring,

13.1

11.8

10.9

10.5

June,

3.8

1.7

8.9

July,

104

5.2

5.4

6.6

August,

4.8

2.I

3.6

Summer,

...

13.8

9.2

19.I

September,

3.9

1.3

7.9

October,

3.6

2.8

5.8

November,

4.0

3.0

1.6

3.2

Fall,

...

11.5

7.1

15.3

3.2

Annual,

104

-I4

50.5

40.9

64.9

45.1

The mean annual temperature is 51 degrees F. The average rainfall of 50.5 inches is well distributed throughout the year.

The average date of the last killing frost in the spring is May 3, and of the first in the fall October II. The latest date reported in the spring is May 29, and the earliest in the fall September 22. The figures indicate that there is a growing season of 153 days in which there is no danger of frost. In Lehigh county, how- ever, the season is probably somewhat longer. [U. S. Soil Survey.]

FURNACES.

HAMPTON (SIGMUND) FURNACE. This in- dustry was situated in Upper Milford township, along the north branch of the Perkiomen creek, near the southwesterly line of Lehigh county. It was built by David Heimbach, Wisserman, and Coverly, in 1809, but Heimbach soon bought the interest of his partners, and conducted the furnace alone for 23 years. It was then called "Hamp- ton Furnace." Different parties owned the property during the next 18 years; then Frederic Sigmund purchased a fourth interest, comprising then the furnace and 67 acres of land, and in the next nine years secured the other three- fourths interest. He conducted it until his de- cease in 1860. During this time it came to be

Mean.

mum.

1039

INDUSTRIES.

known as "Sigmund's Furnace." His sons, Al- bert and Henry, became his successors. . They operated it together for five years; then Henry became the sole owner and he operated it until 1868, when it was abandoned. It was a prom- inent industry during the Civil War. In its early days, "ten-plate" wood stoves were made there which had a wide sale and secured a great reputation for heating and cooking purposes. Later it was devoted wholly to the production of pig-iron. A recollection of it is still preserved in the name of the post-office maintained there.

It was 6 feet wide at top of the bosh, and 32 feet high on the inside. In 28 weeks of the year 1857 it turned out 722 tons of first-class car-wheel iron, made of neutral and somewhat magnetic black oxide from the Barto mines, 7 miles southwest, mixed with brown hematite ore from neighboring lower silurian limestone land.

LEHIGH FURNACE was situated in Washing- ton township, Lehigh county, at the base of the Blue mountains, along the head waters of Trouť creek, four miles southwest from the Lehigh Water-Gap. This locality was selected on ac- count of its nearness to large quantities for burn- ing charcoal; and also of the running water there. It was built in 1826, by Stephen Balliet and Samuel Helffrich, 712 feet wide and 31 feet high on the inside, and blown-in shortly after- ward. In 1857, during 26 weeks, it produced 55434 tons of pig-iron out of brown hematite ore from South Whitehall township, nine miles to the southeast. Helffrich died in 1830. Two years later his interest was bought by Balliet, who operated the furnace until his decease in Janu- ary, 1854. Afterward, for several years, it was carried on by his heirs; then it became the property of Cooper and Hewitt, of New York, who held it for upwards of thirty years, but dis- continued its operation about 1880. The pres- ent owner of the land is Henry W. Blose. The original tract contained 25 acres ; other adjoining tracts were subsequently purchased.

The first manager was named Applebach. He was succeeded by Samuel Lewis, Sr., later of Al- lentown, who managed the furnace four years, until 1832. Benjamin S. Levan filled this posi- tion afterward until 1854.

The great Crane Furnace is described mi- nutely in the narrative of Catasauqua; and the Thomas Furnace in the narrative of Whitehall township (Hokendauqua) in this publication.

IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRIES.

FIRST ENGINE IN LEHIGH COUNTY-THE IRON INTEREST .- In connection with the history of industrial enterprises in Allentown we note the interesting fact that the first engine in the town

or county was introduced in the year 1837, by Jo- seph K. Saeger. He came here from North Whitehall to establish a foundry and machine- shop, and carried on such an establishment suc- cessfully for about twelve years, when he retired from the business, though he continued to reside in Allentown until his death, in 1855. His son, Eli J. Saeger, took an active part in setting up the engine. This engine was built by Rush & Muhlenberg, of Philadelphia. It is still in ex- istence, and having served well for a number of years the purpose for which it was designed, was finally relegated to what may be called a subordinate position among the ponderous mod- ern engines and other machinery of the Thomas Iron Company of Hokendauqua. The little en- gine looks quite quaint, particularly because, though very small, it is a beam engine.

The people of Allentown were quite early astir to secure the benefits of iron manufacture in their midst. A meeting of citizens was held at the hotel of George Wetherhold, on Jan. 23, 1845, "for the purpose of adopting measures for forming a company to erect an anthracite fur- nace for the manufacture of iron at or near Al- lentown." J. W. Hornbeck was elected pres- ident, and S. A. Bridges secretary. A commit- tee of five persons was appointed to draft reso- lutions expressive of the sense of the meeting. One of these resolutions stated that it was "con- sidered of vast importance to this community that an anthracite furnace for the manufacture of iron should be established among us," and it was therefore resolved that a committee of five should be appointed to solicit subscriptions of stock under the general provisions of the law of 1830. This committee was duly appointed, and consisted of William H. Blumer, William Saeger, William Edelman, George Probst, and George Keck. It was expressed as the opinion of the men who drew up the resolutions that a capital of forty thousand dollars would be sufficient to carry out the project. Nothing whatever resulted from this movement, but it would doubtless have borne fruit had not the object aimed at been reached very speedily by the enterprise of others. The latter action was that which brought into ex- istence the Allentown Iron-Works, one of the most prominent and successful establishments of the valley. Samuel Lewis, afterwards the su- perintendent of the works, a native of Chester county (born in 1805), was indirectly, but none the less surely, the means of bringing into opera- tion at Allentown this industry. He had been reared in the iron trade by his father, had worked under that celebrated ironmaster, James Cole- man, at Elizabeth Furnace, in Lebanon county, and also at the Lehigh by the Blue mountains,

1040

HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

and later became engaged in the coal trade at Broad mountain, back of Port Carbon, above Pottsville. He had thus become not only fa- miliar with iron manufacture, but obtained a wide knowledge of the mineral region of Eastern Pennsylvania. In 1845 he was employed by Bevan & Humphries, a prominent and wealthy shipping firm of Philadelphia, who were on the alert for investments, to make an examination of the Lehigh Valley with especial reference to the location of an anthracite furnace, for the making of iron with anthracite had by this time been demonstrated as entirely safe and success- ful by the five years' operation of the Crane works at Catasauqua. In the winter of 1845-46 he reported to Messrs. Bevan & Humphries in favor of Allentown as a location for the pro- posed furnaces, his decision being induced by the close proximity of ore-beds and the transpor- tation facilities offered by the canal. He had not long left the capitalists' office when he chanced to meet Mr. Benjamin Parry, a noted foundryman, and Messrs. Haywood & Snyder, no less noted as engine-builders. He told them of the project under discussion, advising them to go to Messrs. Bevan & Humphries. They were not slow to act upon this advice, and before their conference had ended Mr. Parry had promised his assistance in building the furnaces, and Messrs. Haywood & Snyder had received a heavy contract for building engines and making other machinery, with a check for five thousand dol- lars to bind the bargain. Such was the method of the firm when they once decided on a course of action. Messrs. Bevan and Humphrise bought on the Ist of April, 1846, seventy-two acres of land from Adam Sterner, paying therefor one hundred dollars an acre. The title-papers were received on the 9th of April, and on election day in October the company produced its first pig-iron. The furnace, to be sure, was small as compared with those now in use. It was thirty-five feet in height, and had twelve feet bosh or diameter. Furnace No. 2, built the following year, was of the same size. Together they had a capacity of about two hundred and fifty tons of iron per week. In 1851 the works were sold to a cor- poration, chartered, with two hundred thousand dollars capital, as the Allentown Iron Company, and composed of David E. Wilson, Henry King, Esq., Christian Pretz, and Samuel Lewis, of Al- lentown, and Joseph Cabot, Nalbro Frazier, Ben- jamin W. Frazier, and Charles Cabot, of Phil- adelphia. Of this company Joseph Cabot, who had been associated with Messrs. Bevan & Humphries, was elected president, and held that office until his death, in 1878, when John Lawler Welsh succeeded him. He in turn was succeeded,

in 1881, by Mr. Fred. Prime, Sr. After the change in the company, Nos. 3 and 4 Furnaces were built in 1853 and 1854, and No. 5 Furnace in 1872, and Nos. I and 2 enlarged. Nos. 3 and 4 were each fifty-five feet in height, with sixteen feet bosh, and No. 5 was sixty-five feet in height, with seventeen feet bosh. Samuel Lewis, of Allentown, was the superintendent of the works from the start until 1878, and to him was, very largely due their wonderful success, for few furnaces in the country have yielded greater re- turns than have these. His successor was Steph- en B. Neumoyer. The ores used by the com- pany were obtained, the hematites from Berks and Lehigh counties, and the magnetic from New Jersey principally, and the iron made from them always had a high reputation. The works when running at full capacity employed a very large number of men, and were a potent factor in Allentown's prosperity.

ALLENTOWN ROLLING MILLS.

The Allentown Rolling-Mill, second in age among the iron-works of the city, dates as an organized industry, from 1860, but it absorbed an establishment five years older, as well as two others started soon after its own origin. To be- gin with the institution antedating the rolling- mill we will say that, in 1855, Samuel A. Bridges, Nathan German, and James W. Wilson bought from Henry Nonnemacher, eighty-five acres of land in what is now the Sixth ward, with a view of establishing a foundry and laying out a plat of lots as an addition to Allentown. Both projects may be described as successful. The company laid out streets and sold off one hundred thousand dollars worth of lots. Their foundry was carried on successfully for a num- ber of years, and finally, Mr. German having retired and Messrs. Thayer and Erdman becom- ing partners, sold, in 1878, to the Allentown Rolling Mill Company for one hundred thousand dollars. This company, as we have said, was or- ganized in 1860. Benjamin Haywood, of Potts- ville, was one of the leading spirits in the enter- prise, and Christian Pretz, Samuel A. Bridges, John D. Stiles, and others, of Allentown, were heavy stock-holders. The Lehigh Rolling-Mill had been started in 1861, by Samuel Lewis. Merchant bar-iron was the original product of this mill, but a year after it was established the manufacture of railroad-spikes and boiler-rivets -the latter made by the Butterworth solid die process-was added. Joseph B. Lewis was su- perintendent of the mill from the start until July, 1866, and after that time it was carried on under Francis S. Kent and Thomas C. Brainerd, managers. It became, in 1864, the property of

ar L E K

1041

INDUSTRIES.

an incorporated company, consisting of Samuel Lewis, president; Charles Cabot, John Cabot, Edward W. Etting, Joseph Cabot, Frank S. Kent, and Thomas C. Brainerd. Through the mis-appropriation of funds by a member of the New York and Philadelphia firms, through whom the product of the Lehigh mills was put in the market, the company failed and the works were sold at sheriff's sale, being bidden in by Henry Schnurman, who leased them for one year to Reuben S. Shimer and Thomas J. Saeger. These gentlemen carried them on for a time, and they then passed into the hands of a receiver, by whom they were transferred to the Allentown Rolling-Mill Company in 1868. The Roberts Iron Company was organized in 1862, the prin- cipal stockholders being George B. Roberts, Al- gernon Roberts, and Edward Roberts, Sr., of Philadelphia; A. Pardee and George B. Mar- kle, of Hazleton; William Lilley, of Mauch Chunk; Eli J. Saeger and Samuel McHose, of Allentown. This company built two blast-fur- naces and operated them until 1871, when they were merged with the property of the Allentown Rolling-Mill Company. This organization car- ried on business until 1882, when a charter was obtained for the Allentown Rolling-Mills, which corporation succeeded to the property and business of the Allentown Rolling-Mill Company. The products of the works were pig-metal, iron rails, merchant bar-iron, rolled shafting and car-axles, rolled beams and angles, railroad chairs and fish- plates, bolts, nuts, rivets, locomotive turn-tables, steam-engines, and shafting, mill-gearing, blast- furnace and rolling-mill castings, mining-pumps, etc. When in full operation the works gave em- ployment to 1,200 men and produced about 25,- 000 tons of pig-metal and 30,000 tons of rail, merchant iron, and other finished irons per annum.

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History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 185

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