USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. II > Part 92
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In 1898, Mr. Griffith and his brothers Samuel and Charles formed a partnership with Granville Hahn, under the name of Hahn & Griffith Brothers to carry on a general store at Walnut- port, and since then they have developed a large trade.
In 1904 he became a director of the Slatington National Bank and since then has served on the Board of Directors, filling also the office of Vice- President of the Bank. In politics he is a Re- publican. He served as a councilman of the borough for four years. He affiliated with the following Masonic societies: Slatington Lodge, No. 440, F. and A. M., Slatington Chapter and Allen Commandery, and Rajah Temple at Read- ing; also with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Slatington.
In 1898, Mr. Griffith was married to Alice R. Schafer, daughter of Edwin Schafer, of Allen- town, and in that year he started house keeping at Slatington, where he has since resided. Pre-
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viously he had resided at Danielsville and Wal- nutport.
SAMUEL S. GRIFFITH, of Walnutport, en- gaged in the slate business with his brothers, Id- wal and Charles, was born at Danielsville, March 24, 1869. He was educated in the local schools and at the Millersville State Normal School from which he was graduated in 1893; then he taught school for five terms, one at Daniels- ville, three at Walnutport, and one at Slating- ton. Upon his father's decease in 1895 he be- came a partner of his brothers, Idwal and Charles, in the slate business and since then, under the name of Griffith Brothers Slate Co., they have carried on the operation, which is situated along the Indian Run at Danielsville. In 1899 he was one of the founders of the large general store at Walnutport which has since been conducted in a successful manner under the name of Hahn & Griffith Brothers.
In politics, Mr. Griffith is a Republican, and when the Borough of Walnutport came to be incorporated into a borough in 1909, his fellow citizens selected him to be the first burgess. Be- fore moving into Walnutport he had lived in the adjoining township of Lehigh and when the township high-school was established he was a school director, officiating as president of the board. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church and has served it as a trustee since 1903. He was one of the charter member of the Dia- mond Fire Co., of Walnutport, and served as secretary and president for a number of years.
Mr. Griffith identified himself with the Ma- sonic Fraternity. He was made a Free Mason in Slatington Lodge No. 440, and in 1903 be- came a Past-Master by merit. He was a mem- ber and Past-High Priest of Catasauqua Chap- ter, but his membership has been transferred to the Slatington Chapter. He is also a Knight Templar of the Allen Commandry No. 20, at Allentown, a member of Rajah Temple at Read- ing and the Bloomsburg Consistory, Thirty- second degree. He is also connected with the J. O. U. A. M. at Danielsville, and with the Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias of Slatington.
GRIM FAMILY.
Egidius Grim, of Wurtemberg, Germany, emi- grated to America on the ship "James Goodwill," which sailed from Rotterdam, Holland, and arrived at Philadelphia on Sept. 11, 1728. He settled in the section of Bucks county known as Macungie, where he secured a warrant for 100 acres of land on Aug. 13, 1734, under the name of Gitti Grim, a contraction of his name, some- times written Gideon. On Nov. 19, 1739, he
secured a warrant for 250 acres, adjoining his other land, and land of Adam Brauss and Hans Clinor, and on Oct. 28, 1746, a warrant for another hundred acres was granted to him. He was naturalized Sept. 27, 1743. He was one of the founders and most active members of the Lu- theran congregation of Ziegel church. He died in 1761, and by his will, dated Jan. 28, 1760, and probated Oct. 1, 1761, he divided his land equally between his two sons. His two surviving daughters were bequeathed £50 each and Frantz Roth, son of his deceased daughter, Margaret, £30. He is buried on the farm owned by Henry Grim, north of Grim's crossing, on the electric road to Kutztown. His wife, Anna Catharine, preceded him in death. She was an educated woman, and during a storm at sea on her voyage to America, she wrote the German hymn used in the General Synod Lutheran Church, "Nur in Vergnüglichkeit ist meine Friedenszeit." Egidius and Anna Catharine Grim had five chil- dren, Jacob, Henry, Catharine, Elizabeth, and Margaret. Catharine, married Peter Merkel and Elizabeth married Caspar Merkel, of Rich- mond township, Berks county. Anna Margaret, born July 22, 1727, married Frantz Wilhelm Roth, of Salisbury township. She died Nov. 22, 1746, and her tombstone at the Salisbury church, is one of the oldest in Lehigh county.
Jacob Grim, eldest son of Egidius, inherited the lower portion of his father's land, amount- ing to 245 acres. He was naturalized Sept. 24, 1762. He farmed his land and also conducted a distillery. He had three sons, Jacob, who went west, Peter, who died unmarried, in Weisenberg, and Henry, who received the homestead. Henry Grim, son of Jacob, was born March 16, 1756, and died April 3, 1829. He married Gertrude Trexler and had eleven children: Elizabeth, wife of Jonas Neff; Rachel, born 1797, died 1864, unmarried ; Jonas; Levi; Abraham; Solomon ; Judith, wife of Jacob Walbert; Catharine, wife of Jacob Herman ; David; Annie, wife of Benja- min Walbert, and Hetty, who died single. Jonas Grim had daughters: Lavinia, wife of Stephen Smith, Mrs. Mary Dutt, and Mrs. Elizabeth Croll. Abraham, Solomon, and David settled in Weisenberg township.
Henry Grim, youngest son of Egidius, was born in 1733, and died in 1804. His portion of his father's land was 250 acres. His wife, Anna M., was confirmed at Lehigh church in 1785, at the age of 54 years. He had seven children: Jacob, born 1754; Catharine, born 1757 ; Gideon, born 1760; Maria, born 1762; Henry; Jona- than, born 1769, and Peter, born 1771. Cath- arine, born July 30, 1757, died July 7, 1828, married Peter Trexler, of Macungie township,
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later of Mertztown. Maria, born June 23, 1762, married, Oct. 7, 1787, Jacob Sassamans- hausen. She died Dec. 1, 1844.
Gideon Grim, son of Henry, and Anna M., was born in 1760, and died in 1823. He was a farmer in Maxatawny township and married an Englishwoman, Elizabeth Kirby. They had sev- en children: David, unmarried ; Nathan, of Co- lumbia county; Gideon; Benjamin; Joshua ; Hannah, wife of John Siegfried, and Dinah, wife of John Dresher. Gideon Grim, son of Gideon, was born in 1792 and died in 1848. He was a farmer and miller in Exeter township, Berks county. He married Esther Knouse and had two sons, William K., and Levi, who died, aged 18 years. William K. Grim was born in 1825 and died in 1905. He was a tanner, miller, and iron manufacturer, and burgess of Boyer- town. He married Loretta B. Rhoads, and had four children: Mabelle, Sarah, wife of T. W. Sabold, of Yonkers, N. Y .; Kate, and William R., cashier of a bank in Texarkana, Texas. Ben- jamin Grim, son of Gideon, Sr., owned Grim's mill in Weisenberg and had five sons, Benjamin, Jonathan, Gideon, Willoughby, and Nathan. Benjamin, son of Benjamin, died in 1911, aged 81 years. He had three sons, Stanley M., of Weisenberg, Jacob G., of Kutztown, and Jere- miah G., of Macungie.
Peter Grim, son of Henry, was born in 1771, and located in Whitehall township, where he owned a grist mill, now Helfrich's Mill. He married Diana Van Buskerck and had one daughter, Elizabeth, who married James Desh- ler, and had six children: Mary, Jacob G .; D. J. Frank, Peter W. H., Caroline, and Eliza.
Jonathan Grim, a son of Henry and Anna M. Grim, was born in 1769. He was a tanner in Maxatawny township, and later lived in Kutztown. He married, first, Catharine H. Ber- tolet, and had one son, Col. Daniel B. Grim. He married, second, Elizabeth Snyder, and had three children: Jonathan, Joshua S., and Mary, wife of Charles Faber. Col. Daniel B. Grim was born in 1800, and died in 1883. He kept a store, hotel and tannery, and owned a 220-acre farm at Grimville, Berks county, and was active in the militia. He married Elizabeth Crouse and had nine children: Daniel P., a prominent citi- zen of Kutztown; Jonathan K .; Mary; Char- lotte; Catharine, wife of William Stettler; Sarah ; Susan, wife of Charles Dietrich ; Charles A. K., and Amelia, wife of William T. Breinig.
Jacob Grim, eldest son of Henry, was born June 17, 1754, and died June 24, 1833, and with his wife was buried on his farm in Maxatawny township, now owned by Mrs. Celia Grim Butz. He was first lieutenant in Captain Casper
Smeck's company, second battalion of Berks county militia, in 1777, under command of Col. Andree, and fought in the battles of German- town and Brandywine. He married Catharine Hottenstein, who was born Oct. 14, 1761, and died Aug. 21, 1848. They had eight sons and three daughters: Jesse ; David; Henry, who died unmarried, in Philadelphia; Sem; Jacob, who married Mary Shimer, of Saucon, and was the grandfather of Abraham S. Grim; Daniel, born June 16, 1799, died Sept. 22, 1801 ; Nathaniel, born Feb. 12, 1793, died, aged ten months; Levi, born in 1805, died in infancy; Sarah, wife of John Bailey, of Hamburg; Judith, wife of John Appel, of Saucon, and Catharine, born May 17, 1797, died Sept. 3, 1801.
Jesse Grim, son of Jacob, owned the old home- stead of 200 acres in Weisenberg township. He was elected to the legislature several terms, was one of the commissioners to select a county alms- house site and served as poor director. He mar- ried Mary, daughter of Daniel and Mary (Her- bein) Knapp. They had six children: Ephraim, married (1) Mary Eckert, and had two children, William, and Sarah, and (2) Sarah Morey, and had one child, Mary, wife of Henry Mosser ; Deborah, wife of William Edleman; Jacob, who married Mary Siegfried, and had a daughter, Mrs. Celia Grim Butz; William; Allen, who died, unmarried, and Walter J.
William Grim, son of Jesse, was born in Weisenberg township, Jan. 26, 1827, and died at Allentown, Oct. 29, 1875. He learned the trade of a currier at Boyertown, Pa., from a relative named William Grim. He came to Allentown and followed his trade of dressing and finishing leather, until about 1865, after which he formed a partnership with Benjamin and Samuel Roth, and became the successors to a Mr. Hagen- buch. About 1870 Mr. Grim withdrew from the firm and the balance of his life lived re- tired.
Mr. Grim and family were members of St. John's Lutheran church. He and wife are buried on Allentown cemetery. His wife, Eliza, was a daughter of the late Benjamin Ludwig, of Allentown. She was born Aug. 27, 1830, and died March 4, 1904. They had two sons: Al- fred B. and Henry J.
ALFRED B. GRIM, son of William Grim, was born in Allentown, May 5, 1850.
He was educated in the public schools of Al- lentown, and for a number of years served as clerk in the Allentown postoffice. In company with Abraham Grim, he entered the cigar man- ufacturing business, continuing for some time on Hamilton street, between Eighth and Ninth. He
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engaged in the flour and feed business at 826 Turner street for two years, when he was ap- pointed street commissioner of Allentown. under Mayor Allison, which office he held four years. With his brother, Henry J., he then engaged in the coal business under the firm name of Grim Bros., until he retired. For a number of years he was superintendent of the Allentown fair grounds, being its second superintendent. He built the home on Turner street occupied by his widow. He died Jan. 9, 1909, and was buried on West End cemetery. He was a member of St. John's Reformed church, and in politics an active Republican. Mr. Grim was a domestic man and devoted to home and family.
He married4 (first) Matilda Mattern, who died without issue. On Sept. 18, 1874, he mar- ried Alice L. Shoemaker, born in Locust Valley, a daughter of Enos Shoemaker. They had eight children: Elisabeth C., wife of Heber Yost, of Wyomissing, Berks county, formerly secretary to George F. Baer, and who has two children, Emma Louise and Mary Elizabeth ; William E., who resides in the West; Jesse Kessler, who died aged 12 years; Florence, married Lewis Bringer, of Allentown, and has a son, Charles B .; Helen L., died young; James Blaine, de- ceased ; Robert J., a merchant of Allentown, who married Hilda La Fever, and has five children, Jesse, Elizabeth, died young, Ernest, Dorothy, and Alice; and Ida, who died, aged nine years.
Mrs. Grim is a woman of culture and refine- ment, and is a descendant of the Shoemaker fam- ily, long known in Lehigh county.
Jonathan Shoemaker, the grandfather of Mrs. Grim, was a resident of East Texas, Lehigh county, where he was a farmer, stock raiser, and land owner. He married Lydia Eisenhart. Both were members of the Evangelical Church. They had one son, Enos J., who was born at East Texas, Oct. 24, 1826. He was educated in the schools of the vicinity and learned the tanner's trade, which he followed some time and later kept a hotel at Emaus, for five years. In 1870 he removed to Allentown, where he was a mer- chant at Ninth and Hamilton streets and later at Ninth and Turner streets. He died June 15, 1909. He was a believer in the Golden Rule, was a member of the I. O. O. F., and in politics, a Republican. He married Lucilla, daughter of Valentine Wieder. She was a member of Zion Reformed church, and died Oct. 30, 1891. They had two children: Mrs. Alice L. Grim and Ida, wife of Alvin Boyer, a merchant, of Allentown.
HENRY J. GRIM, former treasurer of the Al- lentown Shoe Manufacturing Co., and a director of the Second National Bank, was born in Al-
lentown, April 18, 1855. He was educated in the common schools and early became a coal merchant and for years conducted the business in Allentown, having vards on Linden street, be- tween Eighth and Ninth streets. In 1890 he connected himself with the Allentown Shoe Man- ufacturing Co., which was then organized as a partnership company, serving it as treasurer from 1890 until Jan. 1, 1913, when he retired. It be- came a corporation in 1893, under the present name, Allentown Shoe Manufacturing Co., with a capital of $150,000. The firm employs 250 people, and manufacture 2,500 pairs of shoes daily, which find ready market all over the United States. The office of this successful col - poration is at No. 20 North Eighth street. The buildings extend one-half square back to Lum- ber street, where it occupies 17-19-21 North Lumber street. The building on North Eighth street is 30 feet front and 54 feet deep, being three stories high. The firm are members of the Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Grim and wife are members of St. John's Lutheran church. He is a member of Lodge No. 130, B. P. O. E., of Allentown, and the Living- ston club. He married, Aug. 16, 1904, Miss Clara E. Sheldon, daughter of Lewis Sheldon, of Allentown. They reside in their fine residence at the southwest corner of Eighth and Turner streets, which was erected by William Grim in 1857, and has always been owned by the family. The ground originally was owned by Jesse Grim, the grandfather of Henry J. Grim.
Walter J. Grim, son of Jesse, was born in Weisenberg township, May 15, 1835. He was educated in the schools of Allentown and after assisting his father on the farm, he learned the trade of tanning and finishing leather, with his brother William. In 1857 he went into busi- ness on his own account, which he conducted un- til 1892. Mr. Grim served as councilman and member of the board of control on the Repub- lican ticket, and is a member of the Lutheran Church. He married Elizabeth, daughter of John and Diana (Fegley) Dresher, and had four children: Ida, wife of Henry Hunsicker; George, deceased, who married Emma Kressly, and had two children: John J., deceased, and Charles D. Grim, a dealer in coal and wood.
David Grim, son of Jacob, and brother of Jesse, was born April 12, 1787, and died Oct. 12, 1838. He was buried on the family grave- yard. He married, Nov. 3, 1812, Catharine Knapp who was born Jan. 9, 1794, and died Sept. 2, 1838. They had six children: Henrietta, born Sept. 5, 1813; Daniel K., born May 21, 1815; Seth K., born Oct. 21, 1817, who mar- ried Annie Hunter; Debora, born Dec. 7, 1820,
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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
died Sept. 22, 1838; David K., born March 20, 1826, and Peter K.
Peter Knapp Grim, son of David, was born Jan. 20, 1829. He was for many years in the tanning business at Allentown, but retired in 1881. In the Civil War he enlisted as a private in Co. C, Fifth Regt. Pa. Vols., and was mus- tered out Sept. 24, 1862. He married, Sept. 10, 1850, Elizabeth Kistler Mosser, daughter of Jacob and Salome (Kistler) Mosser. She was born May 2, 1827, and died July 1, 1899. Mr. Grim died March 28, 1900. They had nine children: David, married Sarah Schaffer; Mary Ellen Elizabeth, wife of Wm. J. Frederick; Cath arine S .; Amanda, wife of John S. Hartzell; Emma, died in infancy; Jacob W .; Albert P., married Matilda Hauck, and has one daughter, Florence; Rose Matilda, wife of Charles J. Ap- pel, and Anna M., wife of Lewis O. Shankweil- er.
Jacob W. Grim, brick manufacturer, married (first) Mary Alice Miller and had one daugh- ter, Anna Matilda, and (second) Agnes Frances Miller.
Sem Grim, son of Jacob and brother of Jesse, was born in 1801.
In early life he was a country store-keeper, in Upper Macungie. The latter years of his life he lived retired in Allentown. His wife was Anna Kline, daughter of Jonathan Kline. They had five children : Dr. Henry A., Isabella, married Rev. Alfred Herman, of Maxatawny, Pa., Louisa; Kate, married Davis Garber; and Oscar S., of Allentown.
Dr. Henry A. Grim, born in Upper Macun- gie, June 27, 1831. He received his early edu- cation in the old pay schools, and later the Quaker boarding school, in Bucks county. He then, for a short time, attended Rev. Aaron's boarding-school, at Norristown, Pa. He also attended Rev. John Vandever's boarding school, at Easton, following which he entered the Penn- sylvania College, at Gettysburg, graduating in 1852. He then entered the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania, from which he graduated in 1855. He then located at Al- lentown, and practiced here since, with the ex- ception of a few years while he was in the United States army. He entered as assistant surgeon in the twelfth Pennsylvania reserve regiment, was promoted as surgeon, to the fifth reserve regi- ment. This regiment was with the Army of the Potomac and Dr. Grim was in service be- tween two and three years. Later the surgeon- general of Pennsylvania offered him the One Hundred Ninety-Eighth Pennsylvania Regiment. This was one of six of the Union League Regi- ments. One regiment was commanded by Col.
Sickles, of Philadelphia. He was with the regi- ment until the close of the war.
He was a Republican, and served in the school board a number of years.
In 1885 he married Maria Metzgar, daughter of Nathan and Elizabeth (Worman) Metzgar. He resided at No. 147 Hamilton Street for many years, and died there in 1913.
JEREMIAH M. GRIMLEY.
The Grimley family, which was worthily rep- resented in the present generation by the late Jeremiah Moyer Grimley, for many years one of the foremost merchants of Allentown, active- ly interested in various other enterprises, and prominently connected fraternally, is numbered among the old families of the state of Pennsyl- vania, locating in Montgomery county, in the various activities of which they have always taken a deep interest.
The very first Grimley came to America prior to 1700. Neither his nor his wife's name are on record. The original home at Branch creek stood as late as 1865. They had two children, a son named Solomon Grimley, born Oct. 4, 1730. This Solomon married Elizabeth Reimer, Dec. 20, 1759. They had a son, Solomon, who was the father of Solomon K. Grimley, a great uncle of Jeremiah M. Grimley, was a prominent teacher for forty years without missing a day, also a squire. It is through him that the family history was traced. It was after his death that the name spelled Grimlei was found in Berne, Switzerland. The family has always been prom- inently connected with the Reformed Church, and is probable that they originally came from Switz- erland. The name is also found in England and Ireland spelled Grimley. It is thought that they are the descendants of the Protestants sent by Queen Anne to Ireland in 1709.
Frederick Grimley, son of Solomon Grimley, second, was a prominent agriculturist of Sal- ford, Montgomery county, Pa., where he spent the greater part of his life. His wife was a Schwenk, a descendant of Hans Michael Schwenk, progenitor of the present family of de- scendants, was born in Germany, 1696; arrived in Philadelphia from Germany on the ship "Lydia," on Sept. 20, 1741. The children ascer- tained were: Jacob, George and Nicholas. He settled in Frederick township. Frederick Grim- ley and wife, nee Schwenk, were the parents of eight children, namely : William, Jeremiah, Amos, Mary, Mrs. Trout, Mrs. Hallman, Jesse and Albert. All of the above sons taught school.
Jeremiah Grimley, son of Frederick Grimley, was born in Upper Salford, Montgomery county, Pa. After the completion of his education he
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engaged in teaching which he followed for many years, first in New Hanover and later in Upper Hanover. Subsequently he settled upon a farm in Frederick township, where he died in 1867, at the age of 50, respected and honored by all. He was a member of the Old Goshenhoppen Re- formed church, in which he took an active part. He married (first) Mary Ann Moyer, daughter of Jacob Moyer, of Upper Hanover township, who bore him two children: Oliver P., born April 2, 1846, cashier of the Kutztown National Bank, of which he was the organizer; Jeremiah M., of whom further. He married (second) Mrs. Louisa (Jacobs) Ziegler, who bore him one daughter, Clara J., of Philadelphia.
Jeremiah Moyer Grimley, son of Jeremiah Grimley, was born in Frederick township, Mont- gomery county, Pa., June 14, 1855. At the age of three years he was deprived by death of his mother, and nine years later his father also passed away, thus leaving him at the early age of twelve years, dependent upon his own resources. His first occupation was on a farm, his renum- eration being five dollars a month, and during this time, although busily engaged, he found spare moments in which he improved him educa- tion. In the year 1869 he secured a position in a large Philadelphia merchandising establishment where he remained for two years, gaining a thorough business training. He returned with the intention of attending school, but his guard- ian refused him the privilege. He then secured employment on a farm, and in a short time saved sufficient funds to pursue a course in Ursinus College. He received a teacher's certificate at the age of 16. For a number of years there- after he successfully taught school in Montgom- ery, Berks and Lehigh counties, his last posi- tion being at East Texas. He enjoyed teaching, as he loved children. In a letter of recommenda- tion signed by prominent people of Schwenksville, they say they know him from boyhood as an honest, energetic and persevering person. His ambition of youth to become a lawyer cound not be realized. He then decided to become a busi- ness man. In 1882 he came to Allentown and accepted a position as shipping clerk with C. A. Dorney & Company. On Feb. 9, 1884, he pur- chased the business he was conducting at the time of his decease. The business under his methods rapidly assumed large proportions, and in the year 1892 he was forced to enlarge his facilities to accommodate the ever increasing trade, and as a result he was proprietor of one of the largest and best stocked carpent stores in the Lehigh Valley. Mr. Grimley kept pace with the times, was prompt in his business trans- actions and accommodating to his customers. Honesty was his dominant quality and hard work
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his hobby. Until Jan. 1, 1910, the business was conducted solely by Mr. Grimley. On that date it was incorporated and operated under the name of J. M. Grimley Company, of which Mr. Grimley was president.
In addition to his business Mr. Grimley was actively interested in various other enterprises. He was president of the Security Building Asso- ciation, one of the largest and most successful of its kind in the state, he being an active factor in building it up to its present standing; a direc- tor of the Merchants National Bank since its organization in 1903; a member of the Cham- ber of Commerce; an elder and deacon of Salem Reformed church for many years; assistant su- perintendent of the Sunday school connected therewith for thirty years; and a trustee of the Allentown College for Women. Oct. 28, 1879, he became a member of Lehigh Lodge, No. 326, Free and Accepted Masons, at Trexlertown, and recently joined Jordan Lodge, No. 673, being the second of their members to pass away. He was also a member of Allen Chapter, No. 203, Royal Arch Masons; Allen Council, No. 23, Royal and Select Masters; Allen Commandery, No. 20, Knights Templar; Rajah Temple, An- cient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and of the recently organized Penn Allen Chap- ter, No. 145, Order of Eastern Star, and the first of its members to pass away.
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