USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. III > Part 52
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Henry Reinhart, son of George Reinhart, was educated in the public schools and upon attain- ing manhood married Caroline Hartzell, daugh- ter of Samuel Hartzell. Issue: Wilson, married Ellen Roth; Victoria; Martha; Harley and Marcus G.
MARCUS G. REINHART was born April 19, 1874, in Salisbury township and was reared upon the farm. His education was acquired in the public schools. He learned the carpenter trade
Ella married to Charles Nonnemacher.
*Bolivia, married to Henry Kramer.
*Amanda, married to Frank Romfield.
*Clinton, married to Amanda Snyder.
* Annie, died aged 6 years.
Emma, married to Theodore Trexler.
*Jane, married to William Marsteller.
*Deceased.
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GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.
and was for five years employed in foundry work. In 1902 he engaged in the contracting business and became the leading builder in Emaus. He also operated in Allentown and the surrounding community. He employs about twenty people. His office is at Emaus. He is a member of the Evangelical Church and has served in the various offices.
He married Josephine Frick, a daughter of Charles and Anna L. (Miller) Frick. Issue : Wilson, Timothy and Caroline.
AMBROSE W. REINHARD, son of George and Mary (Wagner) Reinhard, was born in Upper Milford, Nov. 30, 1851, and educated in the township school. He began farming on his fa- ther-in-law's farm of 103 acres in Upper Saucon which he later purchased and cultivated for some years. Subsequently he was engaged in the ce- ment business at St. Louis, Mo., with his brother- in-law, Mr. Brunner, for several years. He then returned to Lehigh county and became associated with the Allentown Paving and Construction Company, of which he continued a member until his decease. His home was in Upper Saucon, and he was accustomed to travel to and fro daily on the trolley line, and on the way home on the evening of Dec. 23, 1901, was accidentally killed with six other persons.
Mr. Reinhard was married to Emma M., daughter of Charles B. and Caroline (Bender) Weber, of Upper Saucon. They became mem- bers of the Lutheran congregation at Friedens- ville, which he served as deacon, elder and trustee.
REINSMITH FAMILY.
Four members of this family served their coun- try in the Revolutionary War, as followers : Jacob, John, John, Jr., and Samuel Reinsmith, natives of the upper end of what is now Lehigh county. John and John, Jr., were members of Col. Henry Geiger's battalion, on Nov. 15, 1781, and Jacob and Samuel Reinsmith at the same time were members of the Associators and Militia from Northampton county. Jacob, being a member of Capt. Mathias Probst Company and Samuel being a member of Capt. G. Schmetter's Com- pany.
The first Federal Census of 1790 records one Jacob Reinsmith as the head of a family residing in Albany township, Berks county, having a wife and one son, the latter being under fourteen years of age.
Charles Reinsmith was born in Lehigh county. For many years he kept a hotel at the north end of 6th street, in Whitehall township. At differ- ent times he was engaged in the hotel business
at Emaus, also in Allentown. He was a Republi- can, and served the office of constable of the Fourth Ward, Allentown. He died from apo- plexy while a candidate for re-election the night before the election. During the latter years of his life, he resided on Hamilton street, upon the present site of the public library. He and his wife, Maria Nagel, were members of the Re- formed Church. Their children were: Maria, married to George Dutt; William Tilghman, Mrs. Theodore Siegfried ; Walter; Reuben and Alice married to Alfred Sieger.
.
William Reinsmith was a brick laying contrac- tor, and built the Lehigh Valley R. R. Station, in Allentown, the Easton Station, the Mauch Chunk station, the Weatherly station, the Shenan- doah station and the Mahanoy City station for the same road. He also built many houses at Al- lentown and Delano, Pa. He married Carolina, a daughter of Col. T. H. Good, and their chil- dren were: Charles H., Annie, married to John Pascoe, James and Harry.
Henry Reinsmith, a native of Lehigh county, was a carpenter at Emaus, where he is buried in the Moravian cemetery. He built his own house in that borough and lived in it for fifty years. He was an active member of the Evan- gelical Church and frequently preached in differ- ent churches of the denomination.
He was married to Sallie Kemmerer, and they had twelve children, two of whom died small. They are :
Tilghman ( (m. Fianna William, lived at Emaus.
Romich). Tillie, died in 1877.
Amelia (m. John Eck- Clarissa.
ert). John, lives in Macungie.
Sarah (m. Peter Butz). Thomas, lives in Iowa.
Maria (m. William H. Wint).
James.
James Reinsmith was born in Emaus. He was a bookkeeper at Allentown, and in 1877 he lo- cated at Buffalo, N. Y., and from there drifted to Findlay, Ohio, where he was engaged in the hotel business until his death in 1909, in his fifty-fourth year of age.
MARTIN A. REINSMITH, real estate operator and notary public, with offices in the B. & B. building, was born in Allentown, Jan. 21, 1878. He was educated in the public schools of the city, and later, in 1898, graduated from Wood's Ameri- can Commercial School. Afterward, he accepted a position with Breinig and Bachman, in whose employ he remained for a period of nineteen years, seventeen years of which he was the bookkeeper of this established house. During this period he took a course of study in the Ecconimist and Bond Training School of New York City. Later he graduated from the International Realty Associ-
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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
ation School of Chicago, and since Oct., 1911, he is engaged in the realty business; and since that time, he has sold upwards of $900,000 worth of real estate, in and about Allentown.
He is actively identified with the Zion United Brethren Church, and he has served as a general steward since the year 1904; and from 1898 to 1909, he was the superintendent of the primary department of the Sunday school of that church. Socially he is a member of Franklin Chamber, No. 9, O. K. of F., and Jordan Lodge, No. 673, F. & A. M.
On Sept. 14, 1898, he was married to Clara K. Butterwick, daughter of Alfred M. and Mary A. (Miller) Butterwick. They have these chil- dren: Alfred D., George M., Winton H., Ger- ald J., Paul E., Mary A., William A. R. and Lydia C.
Mr. Reinsmith is a property owner in different sections of the city and resides with his family at 127 South West street.
REITZ FAMILY.
The pioneer ancestor of this family was John Frederick Reitz, a native of Wurtemberg, in the Palatinate, Germany. He sailed from Rot- terdam, Holland, on the ship Hampshire, with seventy-four other passengers, and landed at Philadelphia on September 7, 1748, when he took the oath of allegiance to the King of Eng- land. On April 3, 1751, Frederick Reitz se- cured two warrants of land of 25 acres each in Philadelphia county, but later settled in North- ampton county, now Lehigh county. His land, which he patented on Nov. 26, 1760, was in the present South Whitehall township, northwest of Muhlenberg College property. The names of Frederick Reitz and his wife, Anna Margaret, appear in the list of communicants at the Blue church, in Upper Saucon township, then a Lu- theran congregation, on Nov. 10, 1751, and on May 7, 1752, and on Jan. 3, 1753, their daugh- ter Anna was baptized there. Their son Jacob was baptized at the age of four weeks on April 8, 1759, at the Western Salisbury Church, his sponsors being Jacob Gensler and wife, Anna Maria, and their son Lorentz was baptized there on Jan. 2, 1762 at the age of three weeks, by Rev. Daniel Schumacher. His sponsors were Lorentz Guth and Gertrude Guth, both single. His eldest son, Henry, was confirmed here in 1760.
Frederick Reitz died in Whitehall township in 1763, leaving seven children: Henry, born in 1745; Anna Margaret; Elizabeth, born Jan. 25, 1749; Anna, born in December, 11752; Eva Elizabeth; Jacob, born in March, 1759, and Lawrence, born Dec. 1, 1761. He left no will
and John Wyand was appointed administrator of his estate and the three eldest children chose Adam Gable as their guardian and the court ap- pointed David Berringer guardian of the four younger children. When Jacob Reitz the sec- ond, became fourteen years of age he chose John Griesemer as his guardian.
Henry Reitz, eldest son of the pioneer, was born in Germany in 1745 and accompanied his parents to America with his eldest sister. He secured part of his father's land and in 1768 was assessed as the owner of 80 acres, 15 of which was cultivated, one horse and one cow. . He be- came Captain of a company in the Revolutionary War, commanding a company in the Second Bat- talion of Northampton county militia, under the comand of Lieut. Colonel Balliet. His name ap- pears in muster rolls in the years 1777, 1778 and 1780. On March II, 1794, Henry Reitz bought of the heirs of Lynford Gardner for £957 18 shilling speicie, "current gold and silver of Pennsylvania," the plantation of Springwood, containing 1541/2 acres, which adjoined his land on the west. This plantation was situated along the little Cedar Creek, near Cedarville, and is now owned by Col. H. C. Trexler. On April I, 1797, Henry Reitz conveyed to his son-in-law, Samuel Brobst, a tract of 122 acres and to Dan- iel Brobst, another son-in-law, 104 acres. He had erected the first woolen mill in the vicinity on his land which he operated for a time, and his sons-in-law many years. He was also a stone mason as well as a farmer. He and his wife, Magdalena Herr, had four children, Peter, born March 9, 1773; Elizabeth, wife of Samuel Brobst; Era, the wife of Daniel Brobst, and Margaret, born Oct. 9, 1778, died Jan. 18, 1855.
Elizabeth Reitz, daughter of Frederick, was born Jan. 25, 1749 and died Feb. 15, 1831. She John Adam Schwander, son of Frederick Schwander, who owned a large tract of land ad- joining the Reitz property.
Jacob Reitz, another son of the pioneer, served as a private in the Revolution and later removed to Northumberland county, along the Swabian creek, near where an uncle had settled previously. His children were: Daniel, Jonathan, Peter, Henry and Samuel.
John George Reitz, brother of the pioneer Frederick, landed at Philadelphia on Sept. 14, 1751. He settled in Washington township, Northumberland county. He had two sons, An- drew and Michael, and several daughters, who have many descendants.
Lawrence Reitz, youngest son of the pioneer, and from whom most of the Reitzes in Lehigh and adjacent counties have descended, settled and lived in Lynn township. About the year
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GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.
1784 he bought 90 acres of the manor land, known as "Vineyard"; which had been surveyed to Thomas Penn, January 3, 1734, being situ- ated along the Ontelaunee creek in Lynn town- ship, east of Lynnport. This manor was a square tract, in area 2,000 acres, extending south from the Blue Mountain two miles in length and one and two-thirds miles in breadth, east from the present village of Lynnport. It is described in the Penna. Arch. (3rd ser., Vol. IV.) said "Vineyard."
Lawrence Reitz selected his land in the centre of this Manor, and after clearing it off erected a log house and barn about a quarter of a mile west of the present home of Edwin Reitz, who owns the original tract of his great-grandfather. On Feb. 1, 1790, he took out a warrant for 95 acres of woodland on the Blue Mountain, and a part of it has been in the possession of his de- scendants ever since. Some of it is now owned by his great-grandson, Rev. Dr. J. J. Reitz.
Lawrence Reitz was a good penman and wrote his name Lorentz. He was born Decem- ber 1, 1761, and died March 10, 1844. He was married to Catharine Hess (daughter of Philip Hess, a Revolutionary soldier). She was born August 4, 1759, died December 26, 1837, and is buried by the side of her husband at the New Tripoli church. They raised a family of seven children, five sons and two daughters: John, Heinrich, Andreas, Jonas, Philip, Elizabeth and Catharine.
John, the eldest son of Lawrence, went farther into the interior and settled upon a farm between Danville and Catawissa. He had a son Levi, who migrated to Missouri.
Heinrich, the second son, settled on a farm near Lenhartsville, in Berks county, Pa., where he married and had two sons, Daniel and Lewis. Jonathan Reitz, of Reading, a son of Daniel, who died in 1907, was a well-known business man.
Andreas, the third son, owned and lived on a farm in Lynn township, now the home of Samuel Waidelich. He married the widow of Christian Klingaman (who was killed by light- ning). He was born September 1, 1791, died November 16, 1876, and is buried at the New Tripoli church. He and his wife, Anna Maria, (nee Oswald) had eight children: Catharine (born Aug. 30, 1815, died Nov., 1863; mar- ried Christian Brobst) ; John A. (born Nov. 4, 1818, died Jan. 11, 1890; married Percetta Gild- ner) ; Rebecca Polly; Maria (born Aug. 13, 1824, died March 2, 1897; married Dan. Foll- weiler ) ; Maria Elizabeth (born May 19, 1827; married to Mr. Roth at Riverside, Pa.) ; Eli
(born July 18, 1829, died young) ; Helena (born Nov. 18, 1832, died 1910, married Levi Ebert) ; Nicodemus (born June 1, 1835, died young)
Jonas Reitz, fourth son of Lawrence, was born May 1, 1796 in Lynn township on the old Lawrence Reitz homestead. He owned and lived on an adjacent farm of 60 acres (having had two other tracts of Blue Mountain wood- land besides). In 1840 he built a grist mill on this farm which was situated along the Onta- launee creek and then he also built a distillery near by which he operated for over 20 years, making applejack and rye whiskey. He was a weaver by trade and invented a loom for knitting stockings by the aid of which he made many woolen stockings of a superior quality for peo- ple in Northampton, Carbon and Schuylkill coun- ties. He was a busy man and was assisted by his wife and children. He also wove linen goods, among them the favorite of the times, called by Pennsylvania Germans "Chimborine," and "Halbleina." He occupied a prominent position in the community. He served as road supervisor when the "Wertman Mountain Road" was constructed across the Blue Mountain. He assisted liberally in the erection of Ebenezer church at New Tripoli in 1824, and was offici- ally connected with it for many years, being an elder at the time of his death. He was a Lu- theran; in politics a Whig and afterward a Re- publican. At his decease, besides the above- named properties, he owned an adjoining farm of 80 acres, and also 35 acres of woodland on the Blue Mountain. The 80-acre farm is now owed and occupied by Mr. Hartinger, who is married to Ellen Reitz, a granddaughter.
During the career of Jonas Reitz the times were not always encouraging. At one time he helped to thrash with the flail for one whole week, and received only one dollar for his serv- ices-that was during the panic of 1837. He was married twice: first to Catharine Lutz, daughter of Peter Lutz and Catharine, his wife (nee Klingaman) who was born in 1794, and died in 1834, and to them were born the fol- lowing children: Jacob (who died a young man) ; Catharine (married John Leiby and died in early married life) ; Samuel; Benjamin; Sa- bina; Daniel, and Elias (whose sketches appear in this work). His second wife was Barbara Smith, and they had three children: Phaon, David and William. He died on June 10, 1861, and is buried at the New Tripoli church.
Samuel Reitz, son of Jonas, was an energetic farmer and distiller and an influential citizen in Lynn township. He and his brother Benjamin owned and operated for several years the grist
1036
HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
mill built by their father, and then sold it to John Ulrich, when he bought one of his father's farms (the 80-acre tract) and there he lived till he died. In connection with farming, he operated for many years an applejack distillery, and for some years a store. His premises had a central location in Lynn township and for many years the township elections were held there. He was twice married. First to Abby Smith, with whom he had six children: Mary Alice (m. Oscar Peter), Josephine (m. Amandes Lutz), William M. (m. Alvena Krauss), Oli- ver J. (m. Mary T. Reichelderfer), Levi (m. Miss Rauch ), Ellen (m. Charles Hartinger). His second wife was Susan German, and they had two sons. He died in 1903 and is buried at New Tripoli.
Benjamin Reitz, son of Jonas, was an active and respected farmer and miller by occupation. In his younger days he was foremost in school for studying arithmetic and geography. He learned the trade of miller, and when the Slat- ington grist mill was rebuilt in 1851 he leased it and operated it from 1851 to 1854. After that he and his brother Samuel bought their father's grist mill in Lynn township, and they operated this successfully until 1858, when he retired to one of his father's farms, the old Reitz homestead, where he lived the remainder of his days. He was connected with the Ebenezer church at New Tripoli and served for some years as its treasurer. He was twice married : first to Leah Philips, the daughter of John and Margaretha (Lauchnor) Philips, and they had two sons: Thomas Franklin, born February 27, 1855, and died March 26, 1873, while he was the public school teacher of Snyder's School near New Tripoli; and James Jefferson, the other son, was born December 13, 1859 (a sketch of him being given in this work). His wife was born February 22, 1836, died May 8, 1871, and is buried at the New Tripoli church. His second wife was Sarah (Schitz) Reitz, widow of his deceased brother, David Reitz, and they had two sons: Calvin (born December 2, 1872, and lives in Idaho) ; and George (born December II, 1875, died in 1897, and is buried at the New Tripoli church). He was born in Lynn town- ship February 25, 1829, died September 3, 1886, and is buried at the New Tripoli church.
Sabina, the daughter of Jonas Reitz, was born in Lynn township. She married Stephen Ebert and they owned and lived on a farm near Stine's Corner. Two children were born to them: Sarah (who married a Mr. Bailey), and Ches- ter.
Daniel L. Reitz, son of Jonas, was born in
Lynn township on the Reitz homestead. He married a Miss Greenawald and afterwards went to Hayes City, in Kansas, where he owned and lived on a farm. They had two children: Jonas and Ellsworth.
Elias Reitz, son of Jonas, was born in Lynn December 25, 1834. When four weeks old his mother died. She was a daughter of Peter and Catharine (Klingaman) Lutz. The father then made provision with his sister, Elizabeth (wife of Daniel Oswald) who cared for him like a mother for 18 months, when he was taken to his father's brother, Philip Reitz, who raised him to the age of 18 years. He worked at farm- ing until that time, then he went to Jonas Creitz as an apprentice to learn the trade of cabinet maker and stayed for 18 months, and afterward he worked at farming for a number of years. He is a Republican in politics, and a member of the Lutheran church. On March 15, 1862, he married Sarah S. Billman. Soon afterward he bought three acres of land in Lynn township, near Rabert's Corner, on which he erected a house and there he and his wife have been living ever since. They have lived to become one of the oldest married couples in the neighborhood, both still healthy and able to do a day's labor. On May 4, 1912, they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. They have eleven chil- dren: W. Harrison; Jennie (married George Herbster) ; John A. (m. Edna Leibenguth) ; Alice (m. Samuel Schellhammer) ; Elmira (died young) ; Clara (married John Weller) ; James (died in infancy) ; Jonas (died young) ; Aquilla (m. Mr. Epler) ; Frederick (m. Edith Moyer) ; Rosa (m. Edwin Heller).
Phaon Reitz, son of Jonas Reitz and his sec- ond wife, Barbar (nee Smith ) was born in Lynn township and owned and lived for many years on a farm which adjoined the one on which he was born. He is a miller by trade. He married Lucy Hunsicker, who died in 1900. She was a daughter of Peter Hunsicker of Mossersville. They had issue: Alvena (m. Joseph Scheirer) ; Ellen R. (m. Allen Kistler) ; Lewis B. (m. Amanda Smith, died Aug. 21, 1900) ; Mary (m. Henry Smith) ; Minerva (m. Menno Wehr, died 1912) ; D. Milton (m. first, Mary Snyder, and 2nd, Mary Kunkle) ; Thomas (m. Miss Brobst) ; Gertrude (m. Harvey Reinert), and Henry (m. Mary E. Oswald). He is an aged and esteemed resident of Lynn. He served for many years officially the Ebenezer Lutheran church at New Tripoli. As a widower he has for many years made his home with his son-in- law, Allen Kistler, of Mossersville.
David Reitz, son of Jonas and his second wife,
-
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GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.
Barbara, was born February 10, 1840, died May 3, 1864, and is buried at the New Tripoli church. He was married to David Schitz's daughter, Sarah, with whom he had three chil- dren: James M. (m. Sallie Christ ) ; Ida J. (m. J. D. O. Moyer) ; Aaron, of Alaska.
Philip Reitz, son of Lawrence Reitz, and grandson of the pioneer Johan Friederich Reitz, was born in Lynn township, on the "Vineyard Manor," and there he lived all the days of his life to an old age. He is buried at the New Tripoli church. He married Sarah Straub, and they had three children: John P. (m. Polly Leiby) ; Rosa (m. Daniel Leiby), and Anna (who died young).
Elizabeth M. Reitz, daughter of Lawrence and Catharine (Hess) Reitz, was born Novem- ber 28, 1795, died February 18, 1864, and is buried at the Jacksonville church in Lynn town- ship. She married Daniel Oswald and they had seven children: Daniel (married Rebecca Cor- rell, born June 23, 1816, died July 7, 1898) ; Samuel R. (m. Elizabeth Correll) ; Solomon R. (m. Elizabeth Smith) ; Elias (died an infant) ; Rebecca (died young) ; Catharine (died young) ; Elizabeth (m. Daniel Creitz).
Catharine Reitz, daughter of Lawrence and Catharine (Hess) Reitz, was born at the old Reitz homestead in Lynn. She married Peter Steiger, with whom she lived in Berks county. They raised a family where they lived in the Mahoning Valley, about two miles west of Le- highton. They had two children: Mary (m. Nathan Rabenold) ; Polly (m. Jacob J. Os- wald). She lived to a very old age, and is buried in the Lehighton cemetery.
WILLIAM HARRISON REITZ; a prominent na- tive citizen of Lynn township, was born October 31, 1842. He was one of the early students in the free school system and his teacher during his first two years was Nauson Knapp. He was raised on his father's premises, which comprised a mill, farm and distillery. In 1857 he became a clerk in a general store at Lynnport, but the following year he resumed working for his father and remained in his employ until in 1862, when he again became a clerk in the store at Lynn- port. But he continued there only four months,. then enlisted in the service of his country in Aug. 1862, in Company G, 128th Regt. Pa. Vol. Inf., and served nine months, participating in the battles of South Mountain, Antietam and Chan- cellorsville. In the last engagement he was taken prisoner and confined in Libby Prison, but paroled several weeks afterward.
Upon his discharge from service he returned home, and worked there for some time, when he became a railroader at Mauch-Chunk and he continued there for several years, when he re- turned to Lynn and engaged in the mercantile business for two years at Lynnport. In 1869 he and his brother, Phaon, bought the Philip Kerschner farm of 50 acres, situated one mile from Lynnport, and this they cultivated for seven years. During the first two years they also operated their father's grist mill. In the centennial year (1876) he purchased the Matthias Schütz homestead, consisting of 125 acres, situated one mile east of Lynnport. Its soil was well adapted for potato raising and this industry has been very profitable of late years.
On this farm there is a large stone house, which was built in 1825, by Heinrich and Eliza- beth (Sechler) Schütz, and a fine picture of it appears in the descriptive history of Lynn town- ship. There is another house on this farm in which Mr. Reitz resides, which was built by David Schitz, son of Heinrich, and grandson of Matthias Schütz, in 1847. The first barn upon this farm was built by Matthias Schütz in 1765; and the second by Heinrich Schütz in 1801. The latter was razed by W. H. Reitz in 1888, and he then erected the present barn.
Mr. Reitz purchased this farm when a severe panic was in the land and crops were a failure; now, however, it reflects the superior care and attention of its owner, whose industry and good management have made it a most desirable prop- erty.
Politically Mr. Reitz is an independent Re- publican and for nine years has served upon the school-board of the township. During his ad- ministration three graded school houses were built and the schools were elevated to a higher plane of usefulness ; but these were only secured after strenuous exertions. Frequently Mr. Reitz was alone in these forward movements, and criticism was not spared against his actions. But he has lived to see scores of school children grow up into educated men and women of the town- ship who now attribute their success in life to the high standard of the township schools, which he was instrumental in establishing; and the community at large now respect and honor him for his wisdom and foresight, the soundness of his judgment, and the courage to stand by his convictions.
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