History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. II, Part 88

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: 948

USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. II > Part 88

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

memory on both the violin and piano no less than two hundred selections. In 1898 she played for Eugene Ysaye the greatest living violinist, and as a remembrance he took from his violin which he used the night before to play a recital in Bos- ton, the E string and presented it to her.

On November 26, 1906, Lorena Olivia Smith Gildner, an only child was born to Mr. and Mrs. Gildner. On May 28, 1913, Mrs. Gild- ner died from the result of an operation.

CHARLES H. GILDNER, the youngest son of Elias K., was born at New Tripoli, Pa., Oct. I, 1878. He was educated in the township schools and at an early age he learned the barber trade from his father. In 1906 he engaged in the bar- ber business for himself and conducts an up-to- date tonsorial parlor, having two chairs. Mr. Gildner is also a printer, having assisted his fath- er in the printing establishment and in the shoe store from his youth up.

He is a Lutheran member of the Ebenezer church upon which he performed much work in its erection from its foundation up to the steeple. He was first employed to carry the water for the laboring men and worked upon it for almost two years.

Socially he is a member of Council No. 204 J. O. U. A. M.

GILLESPIE FAMILY.

David Gillespie, a native of County Derry, Ireland, was born in 1832, and came to America when but sixteen years of age, locating at Cata- sauqua, where he secured employment with the Crane Iron Co. Later he became foreman for Morgan Emmanuel, by whom he was employed for a number of years. In 1867 he entered the mercantile business on 2nd street in Catasauqua, which he conducted until his death. He served two terms as councilman and two terms as school director in the borough of Catasauqua. He was prominently identified with Catasauqua Lodge, I. O. O. F., having filled all the various offices of the organization. He served many years as trustee and elder in the Bridge Street Presby- terian Church. His wife was Sarah Hazelett, who was born in 1832 and died in 1904. They had the following children: Mary, married J. Henry Leickel; Robert; Sarah, married Joseph Weisley; Maggie, married Charles Lawall, druggist, of Catasauqua; Lizzie; Martha; and David, who succeeded his father in the mercan- tile business.

ROBERT GILLESPIE, coal and feed merchant, of Coplay, was born in Catasauqua, February 24, 1861. After attending the public schools of his native borough he learned the moulding trade at the Union Foundry, which he followed three

years, after which he learned telegraphy, which he followed for 18 years in the service of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. During this time he also served as ticket agent, baggage master and yard master. During four years of the eighteen in the employment of this company he was lo- cated at Phillipsburg as train dispatcher. He was train dispatcher when the company built its third track between Greens Bridge and Canada. In 1898 he resigned to engage in the coal and grain business, which he conducted very success- fully at Coplay. For eight years Mr. Gillespie was Republican committeeman of Catasauqua. He is a member of the Catasauqua Lodge, I. O. O. F. In 1889 he was married to Annie G. Lee, daughter of Armat W. Lee, of Allentown. To them the following children were born: Harold Lee, a chemist in the employ of the Atlas Cement Company; Armat L., assisting his father; Carl L .; Robert H. and Emily Hazlet, who died in May, 1912, at the age of four years.

THOMAS OLIVER GINKINGER.

Thomas Oliver Ginkinger, an aged citizen of Allentown, and a notary public for 50 years, is of German origin, his ancestor coming to Am- erica at an early date. The family have resided in Allentown for several generations.

Christian Ginkinger, born 1760, died 1828, for some years, carried the United States mail on horse-back weekly, between Allentown and Heidelberg. He married Mary C. Bischof, born 1762, died 1838, and had sons: William, James, Thomas and Samuel.

Thomas Ginkinger, son of Christian, was born in Allentown, where he learned the trade of tin- smith, then engaged in that business on his own account, dealing in stoves and other wares in that line. He was born in 1799 and died in 1851.

He married Veronica Miller, born in Ger- many in 1797, died in 1867. Children: Matilda (Mrs. Joseph Nonamacher) ; Thomas Oliver ; Annie M. (Mrs. William Leh) ; Tilghman; Sarah and Henry, who died young.

Thomas Oliver Ginkinger, son of Thomas and Veronica (Miller) Ginkinger, was born Sept. 14, 1823, in Allentown. He attended the subscrip- tion schools and the old Allentown Academy, which was taught by a Mr Douglass, the village schoolmaster. When his school days were over, he learned the tinsmith trade with his father and later he took over his father's business, con- tinuing it for four years, when he disposed of the same; and assumed control of the Penn Hotel, conducting it for four years. He resumed his old trade, and was in the employ of J. H. Bush and Company, upward of 5 years. He then formed a partnership with George T. Young,

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GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.

and they conducted a stove and tinware business for four years, when the partnership was dis- solved. In 1864 he was given a commission as notary public, by Governor Curtin, and has held the commission to the present date (1913). For nearly 70 years he has resided at No. 119 North Seventh street, in a brick dwelling, which is one of the oldest in that section. He is a well-known and respected citizen. He is called "The Grand Old Man" of Allentown, is yet hale and hearty at the ripe age of 90 years, and in full posses- sion of all his faculties. In politics he is a Re- publican. His life motto has been the "Golden Rule."

THOMAS O. GINKINGER.

Thomas O. Ginkinger married May 13, 1842, Elizabeth Miller, daughter of Henry Miller, of Hanover township, Lehigh county. She died in 1897, aged 76 years, and was interred in Allen- town cemetery.

There were born to them 9 children: Ellen Jane, widow of George Youse; Eliza Ann (Mrs. Edward Schlauch) ; Henry T., residing in Al- lentown; Emma F., residing with her father; Wilson T., also residing in Allentown; Harvey and Edgar, deceased ; Estella B., widow of Dan- iel Dutt, Jennie Virginia ( Mrs. Joseph Shiffert) .

Estella B. has sons, Floyd and Willard Dutt. She resides with her father.

GISH FAMILY.

Among the lists of early immigrants into Penn- sylvania, Matthias Gisch appears as a passenger who crossed the ocean on the ship Pennsylvania- Merchant which landed at Philadelphia on Sept. 18, 1733; but on the original list his name is recorded as "Mathias Kish." And a Jacob Giss appears as a passenger one year earlier who landed at Philadelphia from the ship Pennsyl- vania on Sept. 1I, 1732.

There is a tradition in the family that three brothers had emigrated from the Palatinate, Abraham, Jacob and Matthias. Abraham had a son named Abraham; and Jacob also had a son by the same name who was buried in Mt. Joy township, Lancaster county, on a farm now owned by Jacob Stern, near Reeser's Meeting house on the road leading from Manheim to Elizabethtown.

The Abraham, son of Abraham, was a black- smith by trade; born Feb. 4, 1775, and died Feb. 24, 1855; married to Anna Eshelman, a daughter of Jacob and Catharine (Stauffer) Eshelman ; and they had eight children: Jacob, John, Abraham, Barbara, Catharine, Anna, Elizabeth and Michael,

He was married to a second wife, named Bar- bara Meyer (a widow, who died in 1864, aged eighty-nine years) but with whom he had no children. And the Abraham, son of Jacob, was married to Elizabeth Capp and they had five children: Christianna, John Abraham, Jacob, Anna Maria (married to Henry Bestoler), and Catharine (married to S. Brendel ) ; all of whom lived to old age.

Abraham Gish, son of the second Abraham, was born Nov. 21, 1803, in Mt. Joy township, Lancaster county, and moved to Northampton county in 1827 when the Lehigh canal was being constructed. He followed a mercantile business for many years in connection with operating a farm of 120 acres, which is still owned by mem- bers of his family (William H. Gish and his sis- ter). In 1833 he was appointed a justice of the peace by the governor; and in 1853 he estab- lished the postoffice at Berlinsville where he served as postmaster for a continuous period of twenty-seven years. He was greatly interested in school matters during the transition from the parochial or pay schools to the public-school system. He was one of the organizers of the Dime Savings Bank at Slatington and he served as a director of it until it was closed; and he operated a slate quarry for a number of years. He was married to Elizabeth Hummel and they had eight children, viz: Annie (who died un- married, Oct. 13, 1898) ; Maria (married Rev.

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

William Yost, of Cleveland, Ohio) ; Ellen (married Dr. H. H. Riegel) ; William H .; Emma L. (married D. Z. Herr, of Cleveland, Ohio) ; and Martha E. (married William Craig, of Blue Springs, Nebraska). He and his family were members of the Evangelical church ; and he died Jan. 10, 1880.

WILLIAM H. GISH, son of Abraham and Eliza- beth ( Hummel ) Gish, cashier of the National Bank of Slatington, was born at Berlinsville, Northampton county, on January 9, 1839. He attended the schools of his district, also the Eastern Academy and Union Seminary at New Berlin, Pa., and in 1856 he began to teach school at Berlinsville and taught there one term and two terms at Slatington; then for a number of years he filled very credibly the position of chief book- keeper of the Carbon Iron Co. at Parryville, and also of the Lehigh Slate Co., at Slatington.

In 1866 he located at Slatington to take charge of the Dime Savings Bank and he conducted this institution for several years in a faithful man- ner, acquiring thereby an intimate knowledge of banking affairs which enabled him to render valuable and efficient aid as one of the organizers of the national bank at that place in 1875 and he became the first cashier of this financial institu- tion, and since then has filled this position most creditably, its remarkable success being to a large degree attributable to his wise and conservative management which is evidenced by its growth from total resources of less than $300,000 to total resources in April 1914, of almost

$1,000,000.

During this period of almost fifty years, he manifested a constant interest in everything that related to the industrial as well as the financial welfare and development of the community. In this behalf he had the earnest co-operation and support of his father-in-law, Robert McDowell, Hon. D. D. Roper and Thomas Kern, of Slat- ington, Dr. H. H. Riegel, of Catasauqua, Col. John H. Craig, of Lehigh Gap; Peter Gross, of Schnecksville, and V. W. Weaver, of Millers- town (now Macungie).

In politics Mr. Gish has been a staunch Re- publican from the inception of the party. As such he was elected treasurer of the borough and served several terms. Mr. Gish's name was oft- times mentioned in connection with important public offices, but he had no ambition for public life.

Simple and unostentatious in his tastes and pleasures he was a man who after the cares of the day, liked best to go to his own home to rest and bring cheer to those he loved. In religious mat- ters, he has been equally zealous. He connected

himself with the United Evangelical Church and served the congregation in various ways.

In 1867 he was married to Helen McDowell, a daughter of Robert and Sarah E. (Mulhallan) McDowell and they lived together in affectionate companionship for nearly fifty years.

She died July 16, 1912. They had an only daughter, Elizabeth May, a graduate of the Slatington High school, and of Wilson College, Chambersburg, Pa., is at home with her father.

WILLIAM H. GLACE.

William H. Glace, lawyer at Catasauqua for 40 years, and a public official here for a time, was born Feb. 12, 1839, on the farm of his grand- father, John Swartz, situated along the Lehigh river, one mile north of Catasauqua, at Dry Run. He received his education in the public schools of the vicinity, and in Wyoming Semin- ary, at Kingston, Penna.

One year prior to the Civil War, he went to Charleston, S. C., and secured employment as entry clerk in the wholesale house of Thayer Dewing & Company. While engaged here, he saw the weekly sales of slaves in an enclosed yard adjoining Broad street, the thoroughfare of the city, and he observed the secret preparations which were made there for the "Conflict." A United States arsenal was located in this promi- nent place, which was being filled with munitions of war by the then Secretary of War under Presi- dent Buchanan. Great numbers of open boxes with rifles were carried there and this performance at the national depository attracted much public attention.

Realizing that a conflict between the North and South was apparently imminent, Mr. Glace determined to return home while he could do so conveniently without embarrassment; and shortly afterward he enlisted as a sergeant in Co. F, 47th Penna. Vols. He continued in active service for three years, having participated with his regiment in all the battles of the Red River expedition, and also in the numerous engagements of a part of the Northern army in defending the outposts of Washington against the exiciting raids by Con- federates under General Early.

Upon his discharge from the military service, he became the bookkeeper and paymaster of the C. & F. R. R. Company, at Catasauqua, and he filled this position for two years. Then he studied law in the offices of John H. Oliver, Esq., at Al- lentown, and was admitted to practice in the sev- eral courts of Lehigh county, April 13, 1868. Soon after his admission to the bar, the auditor general of Pennsylvania (General John F. Hart- ranft) selected him to be the assessor of the na- tional banks in Lehigh, Northampton, and Mon-

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GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.

roe counties, and he filled this position for two years from 1868 to 1870. During this time he had begun a preliminary practice of the law at Allentown. While there, in the fall of 1868, he was nominated for the legislature by the Repub- lican Party, and his popularity was shown by re- ceiving the highest vote of his party.

In the fall of 1869, he was nominated for jus- tice of the peace at Catasauqua, and of the four candidates on the ticket he received the highest

In the practice of the law he directed his at- tention chiefly to the settlement of estates in Cat- asauqua and the surrounding township, the ex- amination and transmission of title to real estate in these districts, and the investment of money on reliable security, in all of which he became a safe adviser and recognized authority. During the past twenty-five years, he prepared the last wills of nearly all the prominent men of the com- munity. His practice in the respects mentioned

WILLIAM H. GLACE, EsQ.

vote. He was commissioned for five years, and at the end of his term this time was extended to the spring of 1875 by the new state constitution of 1874, and he was commissioned accordingly. He was then elected chief burgess of the borough and officiated for the year 1876. He subsequent- ly served as auditor for six years, as borough so- licitor for seven years, and as school director for three years; and he also acted as a notary public for 28 consecutive years.

became very extensive, which evidences the large volume of business transacted by him. After a continuous practice of forty years, he retired from the active duties of professional life.

While a student of law at Allentown, Mr. Glace became a member of the first post of the G. A. R. in Lehigh county, which was organized shortly after the close of the Civil War. He has been a member for many years of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia.

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

In 1870, Mr. Glace organized the Catasauqua Loan and Building Association, and notwith- standing the financial panic which extended from 1873 to 1877 and seriously affected this commun- ity, he directed its affairs in such a successful manner that it was dissolved in eleven years and all the shareholders received their money.

In 1906, Mr. Glace with other persons at Cat- asauqua, organized the Lehigh National Bank, which embarked in the banking business and it has since been conducted in a successful manner. He was selected as its first president and officiated two years.

Mr. Glace having been prominently identified with the history and development of the com- munity, he published, in February, 1914, a com- pilation entitled "Early History and Reminis- cences of Catasauqua," as an historical contribu- tion toward the proper observance of "Old Home Week," which the citizens determined to celebrate.

In 1874, Mr. Glace was married to Mary Jen- nie Stark, a great grand-daughter of Aaron Stark, who fell as a sacrifice in the awful "Massacre of Wyoming," in 1778, and whose remains repose under the historic Wyoming monument.

Mr. Glace's father, Samuel Glace, was a na- tive of Reamstown, in Lancaster county. He was born in 1805 and when two years old his parents removed to Conyngham, Luzerne county. He was educated in the English schools of the village, and when he became of age he located at Mauch Chunk, where he entered the employ of the Le- high Coal and Navigation Company. Shortly afterwards he went to Lehigh Gap and was the first person to manufacture hydraulic cement in the Lehigh Valley, a special paper on this sub- ject having been prepared by his son ( the subject of this sketch) for the Historical Society of Penn- sylvania. In 1830, he took up his residence at Biery's Port, upon receiving the appointment of division superintendent of the canal from the "Slate Dam" at Laury's to the "Allentown Dam," and he filled this position for ten years; and afterward he served the Crane Iron Com- pany as mining agent for many years. He lived in retirement nearly twenty years at his residence No. 307 Bridge street, and he died in 1892, at the advanced age of 86 years. He was married to Isabella Swartz, daughter of John Swartz, and they had two children: William H., the subject of this sketch; and Amanda E., married to Dr. Daniel Yoder.

His mother's great-grandfather on the maternal side was John Jacob Mickley, a Huguenot. Upon the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, his par- ents with numerous other countrymen, were obliged to flee from France and locate in the Pal-

atinate where he was born, and in 1733, he emi- grated to Pennsylvania. After landing at Phila- delphia, he immediately proceeded up the Dela- ware and Lehigh rivers and settled in the vicinity of Egypt on a tract of land four miles northwest of Catasauqua. In 1763, while three of his little children were hunting chestnuts near their home, two of them were murdered by the Indians. Other persons were also murdered during the In- dian invasion. The Historical Society of Le- high county in the fall of 1913, set up a stone "marker" in Whitehall township, about a mile from Egypt, to indicate the locality of the mas- sacre, and the names inscribed on this "marker". include those of the two Mickley children. Three sons of this early settler were enlisted in the Revolution, and one of them brought the "Lib- erty Bell" from Philadelphia to Allentown, where it was secreted for a time in the cellar of Zion's Reformed church.

Her great-grandfather, on the paternal side, was Nicholas Swartz, who settled in Longswamp township, Berks county, in 1750, and in 1787 his son Christian, migrated to the Irish settle- ment in Northampton county, where he then built a large stone dwelling house along the Le- high river near the outlet of Dry Run, and it was here that Mr. Glace's mother as well as he him- self, was born.

The residence of Mr. Glace is at 307 Bridge street, Catasauqua, Pa., where he has resided al- most continuously since 1855.

GLICK FAMILY.

Johannes Glück with his wife, Magdalena, and some children, came to this country from Hanau, Germany, on the ship, Snow Good Intent, from Amsterdam, and landed at Philadelphia, October 23, 1754. They settled near Wessnersville, in Albany township, Berks county, Pennsylvania. This pioneer was born October 29, 1715, and died March 23, 1781. Both are buried at the Frieden's Church, near Wessnersville, Berks county, Pa. Their brown sandstone tombstones are still intact and the inscriptions plainly leg- ible. The last will and testament of Johannes Glück is on file in the Register's Office, at Read- ing, Pa., in and for the County of Berks, in which his widow, Magdalena, and his sons, George and Philip are appointed the executors. The will bears date November 14, 1780. Letters were granted the executors August 23, 1783. The name of Johannes Glück appears upon the tax- list of Albany township from 1758 to 1780; and different land purchases are of record to his credit. He had these sons, viz: Philip, Daniel, Frederick, Henry, Peter, George and probably David.

The federal census of 1790, records Philip,

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GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.

Daniel, Henry and Peter Klick as heads of fam- ilies in Albany township. Frederick Klick at that time the same authority, records as the father of four sons less than sixteen years of age and two daughters. They lived in Greenwich township, which adjoins Albany to the south of it.

George Glick was recorded in 1790 a resident of Whitehall township, in Lehigh county, Pa. After the year 1801 the name of Glick is no longer found upon the tax-list of Albany town- ship. The names of Philip, Daniel, Frederick, Peter and Henry Glick, were spelled very often in the old records with a "K" instead of the "G," hence K-l-i-c-k.

Philip Glick is on the tax list of Albany from 1775 to 1794. _ He moved to the State of Ohio and there his grandson, George W. Glick was born, who in 1883 became Governor of Kansas. He is mentioned later in this history.

Daniel Glick is on the tax-list of Albany from 1778 to 1801. He moved to the state of Ohio, and probably lived in the town of Fairfield.

Peter Glick is on the tax-list of Albany from 1787 to 1792. He moved across the Albany township line to Greenwich township likewise in Berks county, Pa. There he died intestate.

Frederick Glick is on the tax-list of Green- wich township from 1780 to 1788. He was a pri- vate in Capt. Ferd. Ritter's Company, 6th Battal- ion, Berks county Militia, commanded by Col. Jos. Hiester, in the service of the United States from Aug. 10 to Sept. 9, 1780. (Penna. Arch.)

Henry Glick is on the tax-list of Albany from 1787 to 1801. In 1786 he was one of the af- firmed jurors to value property of John Correl, deceased, of Albany township. In 1788 Henry Klick and Daniel Klick (affirmed) and Philip Klick (on oath) valued property of George Hall, deceased. On Dec. 14, 1790, Henry Klick was surety for John, son of Nicholas Strausser, de- ceased. Henry Glick was born December 15, 1755, and died December 19, 1804. His will in German, is of record in the courthouse at Read- ing. His wife, Eve Catharine, was born in 1756 and died in 1819. Both are buried in the grave- yard at Wessnersville, as is their son, Daniel, born in 1790, and died in 1800, and John Fried- erich Glick, born in 1779 and died in 1801. The latter probably was their son also.

(John) George Glick was born Dec. 24, 1749, and about the time of the Revolutionary War he settled in what is now South Whitehall town- ship, Northampton (now Lehigh) county, near the town of Cetronia, Pa. He was a farmer and owned considerable land. He rendered his coun- try service in the Revolutionary War, serving for 5 months and 26 days, according to the muster- roll of the 6th class of the Ist Battalion of the

Northampton county Militia in command of Col. Henry Geiger, Nov. 15, 1781. They were in active service. He was also a private in the Con- tinential Line from Northampton county, and drew depreciation pay.

George Glick was twice married, his first wife was the oldest daughter of Peter Herr of South Whitehall township, Lehigh county, Pa. They had two children: Magdalena, who married Adam Guth and died without issue; and Daniel, born Sept. 6, 1778, and died Feb. 23, 1852. He married Eva C. Steininger, born October 21, 1781, and died October 8, 1857. They are both buried at the Western Salisbury Church. Their children were: Charles, Benjamin, John L., Sol- omon, Lucy and Florence.

Charles Glick was born February 17, 1809, and died Aug. 10, 1896 in his 88th year He mar- ried Maria Hauser, daughter of Michael and Hannah Hauser, and had one child, Charles B. Glick, Jr., of Cetronia, Lehigh county, Pa. Charles Glick, Sr., was a deacon, elder and trus- tee in the church and in the Sunday school he taught the Bible Class. He was a farmer and iron-ore miner in South Whitehall township where he lived all his life.

Benjamin Glick moved West.

John Levi Glick married Elizabeth Kemmerer and lived in Allentown, Pa.

Solomon Glick moved to Tiffin, Ohio.

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History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. II, Part 88

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: 948

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: 948