USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. II > Part 94
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John Henry Gross was a resident of Allen- town, as early as 1773. His wife, Anna Eva, was born in 1737, and died in 1817. Among their children were two sons, Jacob and Henry. Charles Gross, said to be a descendant of this family, was elected a recorder of deeds in 1854, and died in office in 1856. He married Lydia En- gelman and had five children: George T .; Wil- son H., born June 23, 1845, died Oct. 1, 1912; Solomon ; Amanda; and Mrs. William H. Non- nemacher.
Hon. George Tilghman Gross was born in Allentown, Dec. 24, 1831.
At an early age he learned the printer's trade, under James W. Wilson. He became an edu- cator in the public schools of his native city. In . 1856 he succeeded his father as recorder of deeds, holding the office for three years. In 1874 he was elected a member of the state legislature and re-elected in 1876, serving four years.
In 1885 he was appointed postmaster of Al- lentown, during President Cleveland's adminis- tration, serving his full term.
On Sept. 10, 1861 he enlisted for three years in Company I, 47th Pennsylvania Regiment, un- der Captain Keck, and was discharged on ac- count of disability, after eleven months' service, July 30, 1862, on surgeon's certificate, and he then returned home.
In 1866 he became an assessor and served in that capacity nearly three years. He was then appointed prison inspector by Judge Longnecker in 1872, serving three years; was also a court crier for two years, when he resigned to enter into partnership with Mr. Schlough, in the wholesale liquor business, which he followed for several years.
He was a Democrat, and during the Horace Greeley campaign, was chairman of the state committee; also served in like capacity in 1880, during the Hancock campaign. He was a mem- ber of the Masonic Order; of G. A. R. Post; of the Royal Arcanum and Red Men.
Hon. George T. Gross married, Dec. 12,
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GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.
1871, Elizabeth Weikel, daughter of David and Sarah ( Horwish) Weikel. He died Feb. 5, 1904. Mrs. Gross still resides in Allentown, and is a member of the Reformed Church. They were the parents of one son, Malcolm Gross.
Malcolm Gross, the present city solicitor, was born in Allentown, and was educated in the pub- lic and high schools, and Muhlenberg College, of Allentown, taking the degree of M.A., in the class of 1894. He then entered the law office of Judge Harvey, remaining until 1899, when he was admitted to the bar. He served one term as register of wills of Lehigh county, and later the city council elected him city solicitor, which office he now holds.
He married Mabel Yost, daughter of John H. Yost, and has children: John T. and Elizabeth Viola Gross.
GROSSART FAMILY.
Phillip and Elizabeth K. Grossart, were the parents of the following: Lewis J. H. Grossart, Annie E. Grossart, Charles W. Grossart, Bertha K. Grossart, and Orlando P. Grossart, all surviving them with the exception of Or- lando P., who died in 1887.
Philip Grossart was born in St. Goar, Rhine Germany, on Jan. 22, 1838, being a son of Se bastian and Catharine Grossart.
There is no exact knowledge of the time of the death of Sebastian Grossart, but Catharine Grossart died at Coblenz, Germany, on Oct. 31, 1876. Philip Grossart had one brother, Henry Grossart, born in 1834, who died at St. Goar, on Oct. 22, 1906, and one sister, Kate Grossart, who was married to Charles Faebicy- sky, who died at Coblenz, Germany, on April 16, 1894.
Jacob Grossart, of Trier on the Mosel, was the father of Frederic W. Grossart, born Aug. II, 1841, died at Washington, D. C., Jan. 22, 1900, and is buried in Arlington National cem- etery, and of Augustus Grossert, of Trier, and of Carl Grossart, of Mühlhausen, Alsace, and of one sister-who we believe, died, at the age of twenty years. From apparently reliable sources we learn that the family originally lived along the River Rhone, in France, and that they were all engaged in the tanning of white leather, being forced to locate along the Rhine in Germany, on account of religious disturbances.
Philip Grossart learned the trade of baker at his father's place of business in St. Goar, and after serving his time as apprentice he followed his occupation successively at Berlin, Trier, Hamburg, St. Petersburg, Paris, Liverpool, and London, emigrating into America on or about Aug. 11, 1863. He saw service in the Civil
War, being attached to regimental headquarters, being wounded at City Point, Va., receiving treatment for these wounds first in the field and afterwards at the hospital at Washington, D. C. When he was cured of these wounds he had employment at the city of Washington, D. C., and later on at Egg Harbor City, N. J., where he was in business as a baker and where he married Elizabeth Kunigunde Schmidt, the mother of the family named above. He died at Allentown, Dec. 21, 1904.
Elizabeth Kunigunde Schmidt was the daugh- ter of Joseph and Margaret Schmidt, and was born in Baltimore, Md., on March 3, 1845, her parents emigrating to America from Binggarten, Bavaria. She died July 1, 1904. She had one brother, John Schmidt, who died at Patapsco, Carroll county, Md., in 1906. Margaret Schmidt afterwards married Henry Michelman and died at Allentown, May 23, 1890, and is buried at Allentown.
Joseph Schmidt died at Baltimore on July 19, 1856.
LEWIS JOHN HENRY GROSSART, C.E., the civil engineer with offices at No. 423 Common- wealth building, Allentown, Pa., and in the post- office building at Bethlehem, Pa., was born at Egg Harbor City, N. J., Sept. 20, 1866, and has resided in the city of Allentown since 1869, when his parents took up their residence here after living at Corry, Pennsylvania.
He is the first son of the late Phillip Grossart and Elizabeth K. Grossart, nee Schmidt, one of the early families of the First ward, Allentown, but who later on built and resided in the home- stead at the corner of Fourth and Liberty streets, where they spent the remainder of their days, and it is this home where this son now resides. While serving as city engineer of Allentown, Mr. Grossart married Carolin Ashley Moore, of De- lano, Schuylkill county, Pa., on Sept. 7, 1893. Their union has been blessed with two children, a son, L. Phaon Grossart, born July 30, 1894, and a daughter, Katrine Louise Grossart, born Oct. 1, 1905.
Mr. Grossart attended the public schools of Allentown, graduating from the Allentown high school, June 20, 1882.
During the summer vacations he studied Ger- man in the private school conducted by Rev. G. F. Gardner, at St. Peter's Lutheran church, in the First ward. He entered Lehigh University at South Bethlehem, in September, 1882, and re- ceived the degree of civil engineer on June 24, 1886, and having maintained a rank in scholar- ship in the first fourth of his class during his collegiate course he was honored by an election to the Tau Beta Pi Association, Alpha Chapter.
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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
This honorary society was founded at Lehigh University by Prof. E. H. Williams, Jr., and corresponds to the Phi Beta Kappa society, the latter being a classical society, while the Tau Beta Pi being a technical society.
Prior to his graduation from Lehigh Univer- sity he spent three summer vacations by serving in various capacities on the primary triangulation of the state of Pennsylvania, the field operations being conducted by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, in Lehigh, Carbon, Schuylkill, Lebanon, and Dauphin counties.
After graduation at Lehigh University he im- mediately took up regular employment with the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company on the con- struction of the branch railroad leading from Pottsville to Hazleton, with headquarters at Delano, Pa., and when this construction was ended he spent some time on track valuation work into the collieries on the Mahanoy division of the L. V. R. R. He then was assigned to the engineer corps on the preliminary location and later on final location of the mountain cut- off from Fairview to Avoca, afterwards to loca- tion work from South Plainfield to Roselle, N. J., then on the line from Freemansburg to Phil- adelphia, and the line from Van Ettenville to Geneva, N. Y. Leaving the service of the Le- high Valley he filled the position of instructor in the department of civil engineering at Lehigh University. While serving in this capacity he was elected borough engineer of Bethlehem, Pa., which office he held until April, 1891, during which time he acted as engineer for the boroughs of West Bethlehem, and of Hellertown, Pa. He was elected city engineer of Allentown, in May, 1891, and served one term until May, 1894. From September, 1894 to January, 1902, he act- ed as engineer of construction for the Atlas Portland Cement Co., on the construction of the cement plants at Northampton, Pa., and then as superintendent of construction for Milliken Bros., of II Broadway, New York City, at Tremley Point, N. J., at Plainfield, N. J., and at Mariner's Harbor, Staten Island, and since July, 1903, has resumed the practice of civil en- gineering at Allentown and Bethlehem, and is now serving the towns of Northampton, Catasau- qua, and Hellertown, as their town engineer.
Mr. Grossart is a member of Bethlehem Lodge No. 283, F. & A. M., member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, member of the Penn- sylvania German Society, the Lehigh County Historical Society, and of the American Road Builders' Association.
He has a wide experience in the construction of foundations, for bridges, buildings, and ma- chinery, the construction of water works and
sewers, the building of docks, piers, and pile driving at tide-water, and on the construction of cement plants and their equipment.
Latterly he has devoted his attention to mu- nicipal improvements of all classes and is still in active control of a large clientele and cor- poration work which brings him in constant touch with cases of large import.
He is a man of clean habits, high ambitions, and recognized ability. His tastes are strongly domestic, and he is extremely fond of his home and fireside.
Mrs. Grossart is a daughter of John S. Moore and the late Katharine Fritz Moore, formerly of Delano, Pa., but who have resided at No. 622 North Sixth street since 1900. She has two sis- ters, one Mrs. Ria H. Pursell, of 622 North Sixth street, Allentown, and Mrs. H. B. Rosen- berger, of Doylestown, Pa.
CHARLES W. GROSSART, a surveyor and engi- neer of Allentown, is a native citizen and was born in the First ward, in February, 1870. His early education was obtained in the public schools of Allentown. At the age of 18 years he was employed for some time under A. W. Steadman, chief engineer of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Co., on engineering and location work through Sullivan county, Pa., on the Southern Central R. R. between Sayre and North Fair- haven, N. Y., and on the Peach Bottom & Delta R. R. between Baltimore and York, Pa. When he returned he entered the employ of Col. S. D. Lehr, as assistant engineer and remained with him eleven years, attending and assisting in every detail of the work which was of the kind that brings out every ability of a young man, namely the construction of the Allentown & Bethlehem Rapid Transit Company, from Allentown to Bethlehem, and from Allentown to Catasauqua; the Lehigh Valley Traction Company from Al- lentown to Catasauqua, and Northampton and to South Bethlehem ; the Bethlehem & Nazareth Street Railway, and the Allentown & Kutztown Electric Railway, which included the erecting and constructing of power houses, car barns, and bridges.
In 1901, he decided to undertake the struggle for himself and with industry and hard work soon acquired position in his profession. He con- tracted and laid 16,000 feet of 16-inch water mains at East Orange, N. J., and completed a sanitary sewer at Plainfield, N. J .; built a $30,- 000 sanitarium and storm water sewer at Wilkes- Barre; built the trolley line between Walnutport and Danielsville, which included the power house and car barn, and made the preliminary sur- veys for the Franklin and Towamensing Street Railway Company.
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GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.
He surveyed and laid the lines for the borough of North Catasauqua, made its maps and pro- files and has been borough engineer since, has been borough engineer of Coplay the last seven years, and is borough engineer of Walnutport, since its creation.
He has made plans and supervised the con- struction of numerous dwellings, mills and fire houses, including the Keystone Textile Silk Mill, South Allentown ; the A. R. Cressman Sons' cigar factory in this city; the town hall and fire house in Catasauqua; the engine house for the Diamond Fire at Walnutport, and a school house at Pennsville, Northampton county. At such work the every-day duties of a competent engineer and surveyor, he is particularly adept.
He also surveyed the deer and buffalo park owned by Col. Harry C. Trexler, containing 2,- 000 acres, and the Hickory Run tract owned by Col. H. C. Trexler and George H. Hardner, which has 11,000 acres of woodland.
Several county bridges have been erected un- der his supervision in Lehigh county. He is a member of the Democratic party.
Mr. Grossart was married, in 1893, to Emma S. Keenly, daughter of Peter and Mary (Kuder) Keenly, who was a saddler at Macungie, Pa. They have an only daughter, Aileene E. Gross- art.
GROSSCUP FAMILY.
Charles C. Grosscup was a native of Chester county, Pennsylvania. He was born in 1828, and when a young man he learned the tailor trade, settling in Bridgeton, N. J., in 1851. He was a stranger to that town, with no money and no friends, but in a comparatively short time he acquired property and distinction and was recog- nized as one of the leading citizens and business men. In the spring of 1855 he purchased what is now known as the Grosscup block, at the northeast corner of Commerce and Laurel streets. Progressive business men considered his purchase hazardous and foolhardy. He had the first curb- ing set in Bridgeton and in 1856 he put up the "Old Familiar Grosscup Corner," which is now the very heart of Bridgeton.
Mr. Grosscup has figured in some of the lead- ing enterprises of his county, having aided ma- terially in the construction of the West Jersey and New Jersey Southern railway entering Bridgeton ; was for a number of years director and treasurer of the Cumberland County Steam- boat Company, and for a score of years treasurer of the Bridgton Savings Fund and Building As- sociation of his city. He was, moreover, promi- nently identified with many leading enterprises ; was the heaviest contributor and backer of Pearl
Street Baptist Church. He was solicited by his fellow citizens to represent them from township committeeman to a member of the U. S. Con- gress. In 1869 he was elected City Treasurer, being the first Democrat to be elected to the po- sition, and in the fall of the same year he was elected a member of the State Legislature and the following term was re-elected. In 1872 he was a candidate for State Senator, and narrowly missed an election in an overwhelming Republi- can stronghold. In 1874 he was a member of City Council and although that body was strong- ly Republican he was made president of council, a position he held for three years.
Mr. Grosscup, for fifty years, was one of the very foremost business men and citizens of his city. He died in 1899, aged 71 years. His wife was Anna D. Haires. Their children are: William H. and Charles E., of New York City; Frank K., a real estate operator, Oakland, Cal .; Edward E., Frederick V., Allen H., and Barron P., of Ingott, Cal.
Edward E. Grosscup, son of Charles C., is the present Democratic chairman of the state of New Jersey and was most active before the Baltimore convention in the nomination of Governor Wood- row Wilson for president of the United States. He was born in Bridgeton, New Jersey, and for a number of years was engaged in business in that city, later he and his brother, Allen H., were engaged extensively in the real estate business. He is one of the prominent men of his state.
ALLEN H. GROSSCUP, of Allentown, Pa., is the senior member of the firm of Grosscup & Son. He was born in Bridgeton, N. J., on Feb. 26, 1869, and was educated in the public schools of his state and in the Palms Business College, Philadelphia. Being associated with his father un- til he was 24 years old, then entered the federal service in the post office at Bridgeton and served in that position, to the day, II years. In 1903 he and his brother, Edward E., engaged in the real estate business under the name-Wenoah Realty Co. They promoted a large tract at Wenoah, N. Y., also Seaside Park, N. J., and under the name of the Manhasset Realty Co., at Philadelphia, they promoted Seaside Heights, which embraced 150 acres of land. The brothers dissolved partnership in 1909 at which time Mr. Allen H. Grosscup came to Allentown, Pa., to take charge of the real estate for O. C. Dorney ; and after he had closed out all the holdings for Mr. Dorney, in April of 1910, he took a piece of land in North Bethlehem known as "Moravian Terrace" and in eighteen months had closed out that tract. Mr. Grosscup had charge for four months of the Emaus Improvement Company, and in July, 1912, he and his son, Clyde E., or-
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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
ganized the present firm, and they are established at No. 417 Hamilton St.
Mr. Allen H. Grosscup, served as chairman of the Civil Service Commission for Bridgeton, N. J., and that section of the state. He is a Demo- crat. On June 16, 1890, he married Ella Adams, daughter of Jesse and Elizabeth (Cameron) Adams, who for some years was engaged in the glass business at East Stroudsburg, Pa. They have these two children, Clyde E., who was educated in the public schools and the South Jersey Institute, at Bridgeton, N. J., and Edith M.
WALTER J. W. GROVES.
William Groves, whose father was a native of England, and the mother, Martha Rusk, came from Omagh, County Tyrone, Ireland, where the family have large estates, was born in the city of New York, and died in Bethlehem, Penn- sylvania, where he had been a resident for' some years. He was a member of the firm of Simpson, Amsden & Company, of New York, the American branch of the Holland firm of Simpson & Company, importers of wines and drugs. Mr. Groves married Mary Margaret Weiss, who now resides in Glendale, Ohio. She is a direct descendant of Mathias Weiss, one of the original settlers of Bethlehem in 1742, and the first house built in Bethlehem remained in possession of the family until it was finally torn down to make way for the Eagle Hotel.
Walter Jedediah Weiss, a son of William and Mary Margaret (Weiss) Groves, was born in Bethlehem, Northampton county, Pennsylvania, June 5, 1873. He acquired a sound practical education in the Moravian Parochial school of the same place, and attended there until he had reached the age of sixteen years. He then de- termined to enter at once upon a business career, and commenced this as bookkeeper for the Beth- lehem Foundry & Machine Company, retaining this position for a period of six years. Removing to Allentown, Pa., in 1895, he became associated as secretary with the Midvale Foundry Company, manufacturers of soil pipe and plumbers' sup- plies. This business was successful, and later was absorbed by the Central Foundry Company, a combination of a number of manufacturers in that line of business. He then became secretary of the Weaver Hersh Company, who built the large plant now occupied by the Traylor En- gineering Company, and the machine shops of the Mack Brothers Motor Car Company. This business proved unsuccessful, and he then be- came actively interested in the manufacture of hardware specialties at Slatington, Pennsylvania, and continued in this business for four years.
In May, 1906, he accepted the position of auditor of the Mack Brothers Motor Car Com- pany, manufacturers of commercial motor cars, and then at the beginning of its remarkably suc- cessful career. Shortly thereafter he was made secretary and a director in the company, and acted as their financial man until the company was absorbed by the International Motor Com- pany in 1911.
Remaining with the International Motor Com- pany for a period of a year, he retired to devote his time to his own interests. Among these are the Germania Security Company and the Daeu- fer Brewing Company, in both of which com- panies he is secretary and director, and takes an active interest. He is also a director in the Penn Counties Trust Company.
Mr. Groves was married in 1900, to Mabel R. Kline, a daughter of the late Henry A. Kline, whose history appears in this volume. They have the following children : Margaret I., Eleanor K., and Henry K.
WILLIAM H. GRUBER.
William H. Gruber, farmer, near, Siegers- ville, traces his family history to Jacob Gruber, who was born December 5, 1798, and died April 14, 1864, and is buried at Howertown church. He was married to a Miss Fenstermacher. They were the parents of the following children : Henry; Jacob, born March 19, 1819, died April 29, 1883; William; Sallie, married a Mr. Zell- ner; Caroline, married James Fretz; Eliza, married Jacob Bloch, and Mary, married Chris- tian Danner.
Henry Gruber, son of Jacob, was born in 1817. In the early and later period of his life he lived in Allentown. For some time he fol- lowed farming in Salisbury township, and for a few years before he died he made his home with his son William. He was married to Mary Reichenbach, born in 1812, died in 1873. They had the following children: Emelina, who died young ; Christiana (Mrs. Waldo Beissel) ; Wil- liam H .; Amanda (Mrs. Amanda Boyer), and John, of Emaus.
William H. Gruber was born in Whitehall township, May 3, 1845. At an early age he worked in the fire brick works of McHose and Ritter in Allentown, and was employed there until the outbreak of the Civil War, when he enlisted in Co. K, 54 Penn. Vol. Inf, He was wounded at Dayton's Blank road on March 29, 1865. He participated in a number of engage- ments. On April 6, 1865, he was captured at High Bridge and for three days he was com- pelled to march with the Rebel army without anything to eat. Upon the surrender of Lee he
475
GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.
was exchanged and rejoined the Union army. He was mustered out on May 31, 1865. After the war he again worked in the fire brick works, and in 1872 commenced farming in Salisbury township, where he remained fifteen years on his 24 acre farm. In 1891 he sold his farm and purchased the William Levan farm of 54 acres, where he now resides. He is a member of the Jordan Reformed church and of E. B. Young Post, G. A. R., at Allentown and Veteran's Le- gion, Camp Sheridan, No. 18. In 1868 he mar- ried Sarah S. Levan, daughter of William and Sarah (Burger ) Levan, of North Whitehall. Issue : Eugene, married, first, Ida Kemmerer, of South Bethlehem. They had one son, William. He married the second time, Lillie Peter, and they have one daughter, Laura, 2, Levan, single.
GRUVER FAMILY.
The Lehigh county branch of this family trace their family history to Bucks county, where we find the name of John Philip Gruver.
Philip Gruver was born in Bucks county, Nov. 13, 1753, and died August 16, 1842. His wife Margaret, was born in 1760 and died Jan. 18, 1809. Among the children of Philip and Mar- garet Gruver was Joseph, who was born in Bed- minster, Bucks county, in 1800, and died in 1880. He was married to Elizabeth Maust, who was born in Bucks county in 1800 and died in 1882. This union was blessed with the fol- lowing children: Louisa, born June 19, 1821, died May 27, 1844; Caroline, born May 26, 1823, died May 29, 1909; Reuben, born Nov. 13, 1825 ; Veronica, born August 23, 1827, died June, 1869; Philip, born April 22, 1829, died in youth; Mary Magdalena, born July 14, 1830; Francis, born Jan. 3, 1833, died in youth; Elias W., born August
3, 1834, died Oct. 18, 1912; John M., born Feb. 7, 1837; Isaac M., born May 18, 1838; and Joseph M., born Sept. 22, 1841.
Joseph M. Gruver, son of Joseph and Eliza- beth Gruver, was born in Bedminster, Bucks county, where he resided until 1858, when he moved to Lehigh county and taught in Balliets- ville and later at Ironton. He was the organ- ist in the Howertown church and later at the Indian Land church. He conducted a general merchandise store at Springtown, Center Val- ley, Guthsville, and in 1893 located at Fifth and Gordon streets, in Allentown, where he con- tinued until 1912, when he disposed of his busi- ness and retired. He was married to Josephine Laury, of Ballietsville, and they were the par- ents of the following children: Orville ; Ada C., m. Wm. H. Guth ; Ellsworth J .; Marvin L.
ORVILLE E. GRUVER, son of Joseph M. and Josephine (Laury) Gruver, was born in North Whitehall township, July 7, 1868. At the age of thirteen years he started to clerk in his father's store and continued with him for a number of years. In 1892 he engaged in business for him- self in Cementon, where he is now located. He enjoys a large patronage and employs four people. He has always taken a keen interest in the political affairs of his township and county. He is prominently. identified with the Demo- cratic party. When only 21 years of age he was elected justice of the peace of South Whitehall township, being at that time the youngest in- cumbent in that office in the state. He was as- sistant postmaster at Stettlersville and at Guth- ville, and since 1906 a member of the Lehigh county Democratic standing committee. At pres- ent he is filling the office of President of the Whitehall township commissioners, which is the only first class township in the county. He is a member of the Cementon Camp, Modern Wood- men of America. He is a member of the Luther- an congregation of St. Paul's church, Cementon, which he has served as deacon and has been the organist since its organization. He is also the organist of St. John's (Miller's) church at Laury's since 1907.
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