History of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, Part 134

Author: edited by John F. Meginness
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1650

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HISTORY OF LYCOMING COUNTY.

elected a member of the State legislature in 1883 and was instrumental in get- ting the State appropriation to the Williamsport Hospital. He was elected a justice of the peace in 1882, re-elected in 1889, and has filled the office of township auditor. He was one of the founders of the West Branch Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and has been a director since its organization. He also filled the office of treasurer and is one of the adjusting committee. He is a Democrat in politics and belongs to the Lutheran church, in which he has held the office of deacon and elder. He is a member of Elimsport Grange, No. 98, P. of. H., and the Washington Alliance.

FREDERICK DEITRICK, the third son of Frederick Deitrick, was born in 1810, on the homestead farm in Clinton township. He was educated in the common schools, and after growing to manhood he purchased 120 acres of land in Washington town- ship where John Bennage now lives. This he cleared, improved, and lived upon until his death, in 1854. He married Elizabeth Heilman, and to this union were born the following children: Levi; John H .; Frederick; Sarah, deceased wife of John Strieby; Joseph H .; Susan, deceased wife of George Wagner; Jacob, who was a soldier and died in a Southern prison; Hannah, wife of William Shuler; William: Laura A., deceased wife of John Wilson, and Heilman S. Mr. Deitrick was a Democrat in politics and belonged to the Lutheran church.

JOSEPH H. DEITRICK, the fourth son of Frederick and Elizabeth (Heilman) Dei- trick, was born November 9, 1840, on the homestead farm, in Clinton township. He was educated in the common schools and brought up at farm labor. In 1870 he purchased his present farm containing seventy acres and is engaged in general farming. He married Sarah E., daughter of Samuel Sunderland, and to them were born the following children: Robert; Bettie; Samuel S .; Joe; Clara A .; Delroy, and Elwood. Mr. Deitrick has held some of the minor township offices and is a Democrat in politics. He is a member of the Lutheran church and belongs to the Patrons of Husbandry.

McLEES FAMILY .- Among the early settlers of Northumberland county, Penn- sylvania, was a Mr. McLees. He was a native of Ireland and his business was that of a land jobber. He owned a large tract of land in what is now Lycoming county, and also a number of tracts on the north side of the Susquehanna river between Williamsport and Jersey Shore. He resided and died in Northumberland county, Pennsylvania. His family consisted of six children: Samuel; James; William, and three daughters who married men by the names of Kirkpatrick, Worden, and Inghram. Samuel, his eldest son, was born in Northumberland county in 1777. He learned the trade of a saddler, and subsequently traveled through the country between Sunbury and Philadelphia, engaged in his business. Later in life he settled at Catawissa, where he followed his trade for some time. In 1826 he purchased a tract of 336 acres at the head of Spring creek, in Washington township. In the spring of 1827 he settled upon the same, and cleared up a farm and resided there until his death in 1860. He was a solder of the war of 1812, and served in a com- pany raised in Catawissa. He was a prominent old-line Whig, and while not a member he was a consistent attendant of the White Deer Presbyterian church. He married Ann Winter, of Philadelphia, and to them were born seven children: James, deceased; Inghram, deceased; Mark, deceased; Wordon, deceased; William; Eliza, deceased, and Maria, deceased. His wife died in 1840 and he died Deceniber 29,

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

1859. William, his fifth son, was born at Catawissa, September 16, 1819. He was reared on the homestead farm in Washington township and was educated in the common schools. On reaching his majority he rented the home farm and sub- sequently purchased a part of it. He followed farming until 1871, when he retired from active business and settled in Elimsport where he now resides. He has held the office of supervisor, and while thus acting he built the road from Elimsport over the mountains to Williamsport. He is one of the organizers and original stock- holders of the White Deer Bridge Company, and has been its president for ten years. He is a member of the White Deer Presbyterian church, and has been a trustee for several years. He is one of the prominent Republicans, and takes an active interest in the advancement of the party. He was married, November 9, 1843, to Catherine H., daughter of Thomas Comly, who died February 17, 1892. Mr. McLees is one of the leading citizens of Washington township, and enjoys the respect of his fellow-citizens. Always alive to matters of public interest, his advice and counsel have been sought by the people of his township.

JACOB HESS was born in Mifflinville, Columbia county, Pennsylvania, November 27, 1801. He learned the trade of a tanner and when a young man he built a tannery at Mifflinville, where he did business until 1836. During this year he purchased 124 acres of land in Washington township, Lycoming county, which he cleared, improved, and farmed until 1839. He then removed to Elimsport where he died, January 13, 1841. He was a major in the State militia, and was a prominent Democrat. During his early life he was a Lutheran, but after settling in Washington township, he became connected with the Evangelical church. He gave liberally to the support of churches, having contributed to the construction of the Methodist Episcopal church of Elimsport. Mr. Hess married Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Knorr of Mifflinville, December 15, 1822, and to this union were born ten children: Elisha, deceased; an infant, deceased; Savilla; Elias, deceased; William, deceased; Whitney; Samuel, deceased; Silas, deceased; Jacob, and Mary, wife of George Forseman. Mrs. Hess died, December 31, 1878.

WHITNEY HESS, the fourth son of Jacob Hess, was born in Mfflinville, November 11, 1830. He removed with his parents to Lycoming county and was educated in . the common schools. At the age of eighteen he went to Mifflinburg, where he learned the trade of tanning. After having been engaged in business for four years in partnership with John Reighard, he purchased the tannery of William Sechler of Elimsport, which he has ever since conducted. He was originally a Democrat but is now a Prohibitionist. He has served as township auditor, and has been elected twice a justice of the peace but would not serve. He has also been elected school director. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Elims- port, and is class-leader and secretary of the board of trustees. Mr. Hess was married in 1876 to Nancy, daughter of Robert F. and Isabella McCormick, and to this union have been born three children, two of whom are living: Ethel B. and Kate M. Mr. Hess is a member of the Elimsport Council, O. U. A. M., No. 232, and belongs to the Washington Alliance.

SAMUEL L. PAWLING was a native of Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, of Eng- lish extraction, and a son of Benjamin Pawling, who emigrated from England and settled in Montgomery county. Samuel was taught the trade of a miller by his

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HISTORY OF LYCOMING COUNTY.

father, and after reaching maturity he removed to Dauphin county, where he engaged in the mercantile business. About 1829 he settled in the White Deer val- ley, purchasing a farm where his son Samuel now resides. Here he died. He mar- ried Wilhelmina, daughter of Llewellyn Davis of Chester county, Pennsylvania, and to this union were born the following children: Zeikel D .; Lemuel; Samuel S .; Miranda; Harriet; Caroline, deceased, and Caroline, wife of Thompson Lemon. Mr. Pawling died in 1865 and his widow survived only a few months. He was an old-line Whig and afterwards affiliated with the Republican party. He was a con- sistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

SAMUEL S. PAWLING, youngest son of Samuel L. Pawling, was born January 18, 1821, in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, and came with his parents to Lycoming county, where he received his education in the common schools. In 1850 he pur- chased seventy-two acres where his son William H. now lives. Upon this he resided for nineteen years and then bought the farm where he is now located, con- sisting of 140 acres. Mr. Pawling was formerly a Republican, is now a Prohibition- ist, and has filled the offices of supervisor, school director, and overseer of the poor. He has also served as administrator, executor, and trustee. He gave $1,000 for a substitute in the late war. He is an original member of the Elimsport Baptist church and served for years as deacon of the same. Mr. Pawling was married in 1843 to Hannah, daughter of William Schooly, and to this union have been born the following children: Rev. Lemiel D., deceased in 1876; Elizabeth, deceased wife of John Fisher; Wilhelmina, deceased wife of James Flick; Mary F .; Lucy S .; William H., and Robert S.

JOHN CANADA, a native of Ireland, settled where William Deitrick now lives in Washington township at an early day. He was the father of six children: John; Christian; Jacob; William; Elizabeth, wife of George Breen, and Kate, wife of Henry Berger. William, the fourth son, was born in 1808 on the homestead, and was educated in the log cabin school houses of his neighborhood. He purchased a farm where his son Henry now lives and after clearing about 100 acres, he died in May, 1887. He married Elizabeth Farley, and to them were born the following children: Henry; Mary; Hiram; Harvey; Alma, wife of J. H. Presler; Annie; John; Sarah, and William. In politics Mr. Canada was a Democrat. Henry, the . eldest son of William Canada, was born March 11, 1843, on the homestead farm. He received a common school education and was brought up at farm labor. He enlisted in Company H, Two Hundred and Seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, and saw serv- ice for nine months, participating in the battles of Petersburg and Fort Stedman. Returning from the war he resnmed farming on the homestead, where he has since remained. In politics he is a Democrat, and is one of the progressive farmers of his . native township.

JACOB BASTIAN, a native of Snyder county, Pennsylvania, and a soldier of the Revolutionary war, was an early settler at Newberry. He owned the grist mill now in possession of a Mr. Good. Here he operated a saw mill, a grist mill, and a carding mill. He also cultivated 300 acres of land which eventually passed into possession of John H. Cowden. Mr. Bastian died at what is now Nesbit. He was twice married, his first wife being a Miss Hartley, by whom he had the following children: Henry; George; John; Frank; Jacob; Samuel; Rosanna, who married

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

John Sloan; Kate M., who married Peter Hacker, and Hettie, who married John Epley. His second wife was a Miss Verline, to whom were born: Solomon; Betsy, and Peggy. Jacob Bastian was one of the leading men of his day. He gave the land for the Newberry cemetery and was a pushing and enterprising citizen.

HENRY BASTIAN, the eldest son of Jacob, was born in Snyder county, and came with his father to Newberry. He lived upon a portion of his father's farm for thir- ty-five years. He then bought a tract of 400 acres in the Nippenose valley where he lived for twenty-five years. He afterwards purchased a farm in Upper Fairfield township situated on Loyalsock creek, and finally died at the home of his son George, aged eighty years. He married Mary Busler, and to them were born ten children: Harry; Jacob; Dr. John C .; George; Annie, wife of William Spangler; Lydia, deceased; Polly, wife of T. Cypher; Catherine, wife of P. Konkle; Amelia, wife of William Konkle, and Ellen, wife of John Konkle.

DR. JOHN C. BASTIAN, the third son of Henry Bastian, was born March 21, 1818, at Newberry, Lycoming county. He was educated at the subscription schools and attended the Williamsport Academy for seven years. At the age of seventeen he commenced working on the farm which he continued for three years, after which he served an apprenticeship with Daniel Newcome, and learned the shoe- maker's trade. He followed that occupation for a number of years, and during his spare moments he studied medicine. In 1845 he began the active study of medi- cine with Dr. George Treon, of Muncy, with whom he remained one year. After spending another year with Dr. Pollock, of Williamsport, he attended a medical college at Philadelphia. He practiced for six months at Ralston, and in the spring of 1848 was graduated from the medical college at Philadelphia, after which he located at Block House, Tioga county, remaining there for three years. He removed thence to Hughesville, where he practiced seven years, and then settled on the old homestead in Upper Fairfield township. Seven years later he purchased a farm in Brady township and practiced his profession in that community for eight years. He then settled upon his present farm, where he has lived for seventeen years. He is now retired from active practice. Dr. Bastian was married January 3, 1850, to Catherine, daughter of Isaac Moore, of Block House, Tioga county, Pennsylvania, who died May 8, 1876, the mother of the following children: Sylvester; Maria, wife of Gird Felter; Francis A .; Harriet A., wife of Charles Baysore; Charles. B. B., a physician at Salladasburg; C. P., who graduated at Missionary Institute, Selinsgrove, in 1892; William K., who graduated at the Muncy Normal School in the autumn of 1891; Ellen, and Margaret A.

ADAM BAIR, a native of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, came to Lycoming county in 1811. He settled on a farm near Montgomery, where he died about 1862. He was married in his native county and was the father of the following children: Daniel; Gideon; Eli; Samuel; Adam; Isaac; Lydia; Polly; Ann, and Leah. Eli, the third son of Adam Bair, was.born in 1808. He was reared on a farm and set- tled on the land where his son Joseph now lives. He owned and cleared three farms in Washington township. He married Elizabeth, daughter of John Waltman, who died in 1841. To this union were born: Joseph; John; Benjamin; Isaac; Levi; Har- rison; William; Susan, wife of M. French; Savilla, deceased wife of W. B. Sheddy, and Margaret, wife of Jacob Derr. Eli Bair died in 1878, and was a Republican and a member of the Lutheran church.

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HISTORY OF LYCOMING COUNTY.

JOSEPH BAIR, the eldest son of Eli Bair, was born February 25, 1835. He was educated in the common schools and reared upon the farm. In 1867 he purchased a portion of the old homestead and erected his present buildings thereon. He was married three times. By his first wife, whose maiden name was Mary A. Myers, he had five children: William; John; Charles; Robert, and Emma. Catherine M. Shuler was his second wife, and died in 1884. His third wife was Mrs. Emily A. Deitrick, a daughter of Anthony Follmer. Mr. Bair has served as a member of the school board for seven years and has held other township offices. He is a Democrat in politics and belongs to the Lutheran church, in which he has been deacon and elder. He is also a member of the P. of H. and the Washington Alliance.

MICHAEL BAYSORE came from Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, about 1819, to Lycoming county. It is thought that he was born in Easton and emigrated with his brother Jacob, who settled in Ohio. Michael first rented a farm with John Waltman in what is now Brady township, where he lived for two years. He and Henry Berger purchased a tract of 280 acres where his son now resides. Mr. Bay- sore retained 140 acres of this farm and Mr. Berger sold his portion to Peter Buck. Mr. Baysore was a Lutheran and was one of the organizers of the Lutheran church of Washington township. He filled the offices of deacon and elder, and was the leader of the choir of that organization for many years. He was married in Leb- anon county, and was the father of one child, Lydia, who married Jacob Keeler of Northumberland county. Mr. Baysore was married a second time, to Mrs. Eliza- beth Berger, also of Lebanon county, and to this union were born the following children: William; Daniel; John; Mary; Joseph, and Henry. Mr. Baysore died in 1870.

JOHN BAYSORE, third son of Michael Baysore, was born, February 11, 1831, and was reared on the homestead farm. He was educated in the common schools, and in 1860 he and his brother Daniel purchased the homestead, which they subse- quently divided. John was married to Hannah E., daughter of Charles Glass, of Brady township, and to this union have been born eight children, seven of whom are living: Charles; Wilson; Mary C .; Sadie, wife of Robert Bear; Henry C .; Will- iam, and Watson. Mr. Baysore is a Democrat in politics and has served as a mem- ber of the school board. He is a member of the Lutheran church and has been elder and deacon of the same, and also belongs to the P. of H.

PETER BUCK was born in Clinton county, Pennsylvania, in 1812, and was a son of Peter Buck, a native of Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, who settled in Black Hole valley, Clinton county, in the latter part of the eighteenth century, where he cleared a farm and died about 1855. His children were Peter; John; Susau, who married Jacob Heverly; Catherine, and Mrs. Samuel Eyre. About the year 1835 our subject settled in Washington township, Lycoming county, where he purchased 120 acres of land. He cleared the same, and lived thereon until his death, in 1877. He was a Democrat in politics, and belonged to the Lutheran church, and helped to build the old Stone church. He served as elder, deacon, and trustee in that organ- ization. He married Sarah Baney, a native of Berks county, Pennsylvania, and to this union were born the following children: John; William; Peter; Daniel; Margaret, wife of A. Keefer; Lydia, wife of Josiah Serles; Sarah, wife of William Bredering, and Susan, wife of Stephen Fry. Mrs. Buck died in 1881.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

PETER BUCK, JR., son of Peter Buck, and grandson of Peter Buck, Sr., was born in 1847, in Washington township. He was educated in the public schools and reared on the old homestead. About the time of the death of his father he purchased his present farm, and is engaged in farming and burning lime. He has two lime-kilns, from which he produces about 2,000 bushels a year. Mr. Buck was married to Mary E., daughter of John Hoffman, of Brady township, and to them have been born six children: John; Otto; Charles; Cora; Annie M., and Blanche. Mr. Buck is a Democrat in politics, is a member of the Lutheran church, and belongs to Elims- port Council, O. U. A. M.

JACOB BOWER was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, in 1796, son of Michael Bower, a native of Germany, who settled in Berks county at an early day. Jacob lived in his native county until 1839, when he settled in Washington township, Lycoming county. There he purchased what is now the Koch farm of 115 acres. This he cleared and lived upon until his death in 1850. He married Mary Zimmer- man, who died in Berks county in 1832, and was the mother of the following chil- dren: Benneville; Hettie, who married Abel White, and died iu Michigan, and Sarah, who was twice married, first to William Oaks, and secondly to Jacob Hen- ning. Jacob Bower was a Lutheran, and a member of the Old School Lutheran church, in which he was a deacon. He was a Democrat in politics. Benneville, his only son by the first marriage, was born in 1818, in Berks county, and came with his father to Lycoming county. Iu 1848 he settled upon a farm where William Deitrick now lives, which he rented for eleven years. He then purchased his present farm, which he has cleared and improved. He is a Democrat in politics, has filled some of the township offices, and belongs to the Lutheran church. He was married in 1847 to Susan, daughter of Jacob Kocher, of White Deer valley, and to this union were born eleven children, eight of whom grew to maturity: Albert, deceased; Jacob; Lucy; Wilson; Henry; Pierce; Levi, and Susan M., wife of George Kitchen. Jacob Bower married for his second wife Eliza Harner, by whom he had eleven children: Joseph; Mahlon; Catherine; Harriet; Harrison; Jacob; Richard J .; Mary; Rachel; Emma, and Maggie.

RICHARD J. BOWER, the sixth son of Jacob Bower, was born September 22, 1842. He was educated in the common schools and worked on a farm until he was eighteen years old. He then learned the trade of miller with William Trump, which he followed for twelve years, operating mills for various persons. In 1873 he purchased his farm of eighty-three acres and has since followed farming. He was married to Louisa S., daughter of David Ramsey, of Union county, and to this union have been born three children: Annie J .; John S., deceased, and Harry C. Mr. Bower is a Democrat in politics and has served as school director for eleven years. He is a member of Elimsport Council, No. 232, O. U. A. M., and Washington Alliance. In his religious views he is an Old School Lutheran.

JACOB BAKER, a native of Berks county, Pennsylvania, born in 1812, a son of Joseph Baker, settled at Alvira, Union county, Pennsylvania, in 1837. He was a blacksmith by trade and established the first business of that kind at that place, which he carried on for twenty-eight years. He also purchased the farm on which he now resides. He married Dinah Rotharmel, and to this union were born the following children: Maria, wife of Rev. S. E. Davis; Sophia; Keziah, wife of Fran-

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HISTORY OF LYCOMING COUNTY.

cis Fegley; Joel; Jacob; Ella; Henry C., and Charlotte, wife of J. H. Clarke. Mr. Baker is a Republican, and a member of the Evangelical church.

JOEL BAKER, the eldest son of Jacob Baker, was born, April 2, 1846, in Alvira, Pennsylvania. He was educated in the common schools and at New Berlin Semi- nary. He learned the blacksmith trade and carried on the business at Alvira for three years. After farming for nine years in Union county, he located on Red run, along the road from Alvira to Williamsport, where he carried on the blacksmith business for seven years. He then purchased his present farm and established the blacksmith business which he now conducts. He has always taken an active interest · in the schools of his neighborhood, and has served as school director. He is a Republican in politics, and is a member of Elimsport Camp, No. 463, P. O. S. of A. He was married in 1871 to Sarah C., daughter of Nathaniel Yoder, of New Berlin, and to this union have been born eight children: George H., deceased; Willis Y .: Mary E., deceased; Jacob N .; Annie D .; Emma C .; Joel R., and Sarah R.

FREDERICK YARISON was born in Mecklenburg, Prussia, in 1819, and emigrated to America in 1852. He first settled in Anthony township, Lycoming county, where he worked one year for Jacob Smole. He then purchased 100 acres of land in Wash- ington township, to which he has added 300 acres, and cleared and improved them. He married in Prussia Mary Ahrent, by whom he has the following children: Charles; Frederick, deceased; Frederica, who married Henry Greenawalt; William: Jonathan and John, deceased, who were twins; George, now living in Texas; Eliza- beth, deceased; Jacob; Catharine, who married William Greenawalt and resides at Williamsport; Caroline, who married Albert Douby, and resides near Elimsport, and Lewis, who is at home with his father. Mr. Yarison is a Democrat in politics, and is a member and elder in the Mount Union Lutheran church.

CHARLES F. YARISON, the eldest son of Frederick Yarison, was born in Prussia in 1842. He was educated in the public schools of his native country, and worked for various farmers until he was nineteen years old. He then took employment in saw · mills for different companies for fourteen years, after which he engaged in farming. He purchased several small places until 1874, when he bought his present farm of eighty acres, npon which he erected his buildings. He was married to Catherine, daughter of George Swartz, of Union county, and to them have been born three children: Maggie, wife of Charles Bair; M. Luther, a teacher, and Abbie T. Mr. Yarison has filled the offices of overseer of the poor, school director, and supervisor. He is a member of the P. of H., the Washington Alliance, and belongs to the Lutheran church, in which he has been deacon and elder.

JOHN P. HAGENBUCH, a native of Columbia county, Pennsylvania, was born in 1812 and about 1839 he settled in Delaware township, Northumberland county, where he engaged in the hotel business for three years. He then located in Allen- wood, Union county, where he kept hotel for eighteen years. From there he removed to the farm in Washington township, where J. B. Kitchen now resides. After remaining there for three years he went to Winchester, Virginia, remaining there for ten years. He again returned to Washington township and settled near Elims- port, where he died in 1891. He filled the office of county auditor, and was a delegate to the national Democratic convention of 1860. He was a prominent mem- ber of the Lutheran church. Mr. Hagenbuch was married to Barbara, daughter of

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History of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, Part 134

Author: edited by John F. Meginness Publication date: 1892 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Brown, Runk Number of Pages: 1650

Author: edited by John F. Meginness
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1650