History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 170

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1534

USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania > Part 170

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

1 Since the above has been written, additional research has disclosed the following interesting document, that now obliges the writer to make here a slight correction :

" In pursuance of a Warrant from the Proprietaries, to mo directed, December 17, 1733, I certify I have surveyed unto Isaac Norris, of Fuir Hill, Esq., all that Great Island lying in the River Schuylkill, opposite the Manor of Williamstadt, situate in the County of Philadelphia, the said Island being in length about 400 perches, and in breadth in the broadest place about 60 perches, containing 88 acres. Returned into the Secretary's office, 8th of 12th month, 1733-34.

"BENJAMIN EASTBURN, Sur .- Genere l."

770

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

visitors can be accommodated with refreshments. Pleasure-boats and fishing-tackle may be had by those who wish to amuse themselves with sailing or fishing. Within a few yards, in a beautifully retired spot, is a fountain of pure, sweet water, shaded by a thick cluster or grove of trees. Between the spring and the river there is a fine green lawn, which adds much to the beauty of the landscape. In fine, the subscriber in- vites his friends and fellow-citizens to come, see and be convinced."

The only improvements on the island are its farm buildings, and it is not used for any other purposes. Its probable area is now about fifty acres, with very little

Robert Hamill ; 1824, Charles Jones; 1825, Levi Pawling ; 1826, Frede- rick Conrad ; 1827-28, George Govett ; 1829, Alexander Moore, Jr .; 1830, John Freedley ; 1831, Samuel D. Patterson ; 1832, Philip Keudell ; 1833- 34, William Powell ; 1835-36, James M. Pawling; 1837, John HI. Hebait; 1838, William Powell and Enoch C. Frys, tie vote ; 1839, William Powell ; 1840-41, Benjamin F. Hancock; 1842, Henry Freedley ; 1843-44, James Boyd ; 1845, John Potts; 1846, William Rossiter ; 1847, John R. Breiten- bach ; 1848, John H. Hobart ; 1849, Israel Themas ; 1850, Benjamin E. Chain ; 1857, Thomas W. Potts; 1852, Joseph W. Hunsicker ; 1853-55, Zadok T. Galt; 1856, R. T. Stewart; 1857, Charles T. Miller ; 1858, Enoch A. Banks ; 1859, Charles H. Garber ; 1860-61, Edward Scball ; 1862, Franklin March ; 1863, William Il. Griffith ; 1864-65, Edward Schall ; 1866, William Allahaugh ; 1867, Daniel Jacoby ; 1868-69, William Alla baugh ; 1870-72, Ileury S. Smitb; 1873-74, Jonas A. Reiff; 1875-76, George Schall ; 1877, William J. Bolton; 1878, Irwin P. Wanger ; 1879, Wallace J. Boyd; 1880-82, George W. Grady; 1883, F. J. Baker ; 1884- 85, John 11. White.

& J May

remaining woodland. A fine view of it is presented from the western abutment of the De Kalb Street bridge. It has been suggested that the borough of Norristown should purchase it and have it made into a public promenade and park, for which purpose it would be most excellently adapted. The advantages of a park would be to help maintain the purity of the water, and from its insular position the breezes would always prove inviting during the sultry heat of summer.

The following is a list of the burgesses of the borough of Norristowu from its organization to the present time.

1812, Gen. Francis Swaine ; 1813-16, Levi Pawling ; 1817-18, Matthias llelstein ; 1819, William Henderson ; 1820-21, Thomas Russ ; 1822-23,

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

SELDEN T. MAY.

The progenitor of the May family in America was John May, who emigrated from Mayfield, County of Sussex, England, and settled about 1640 in Rox- bury, Mass. His two sons, John and Samuel, came with him, from one of whom, in the direct line of descent, was born, the 11th of March, 1733, Eleazar May, the grandfather of the subject of this biographi- cal sketch. He married Sibyl Huntington, and had children,-John, Sibyl, Cynthia, Anna, Elizabeth,

771

BOROUGH OF NORRISTOWN.

Eleazar, Prudence, Clarissa, Huntington and Heze- Norristown. He died on the 4th of June, 1884, in his kiah. Of this number, Hezekiah, born December 26, seventieth year. 1773, married Margaret White, a descendant of the first white child born in New England, whose children DAVID Y. MOWDAY. were Clara, Hannah W., Benjamin, Hezekiah H., Selden T., William W., Mary Ann and Helen S. The birth of Selden T., occurred in Brownville, Me., from whence, in early youth, he removed to the western part of Pennsylvania, and received very modest ad- vantages of education. In 1821 he accompanied his parents to Venango County, in the same State, and

Mr. Mowday is of English descent, and the grand- son of Christian Mowday. The latter was born at the Pine Iron-Works, Douglas township, Berks Co., l'a., and having at an early age been left an orphan, was bound out until twenty-one years of age. He then began the business of teaming, which was continued during his active life. His children were

Ringe hay

there engaged in the lumber business, continuing thus occupied until 1866, when, having retired from active commercial life, he made Norristown his place of residence. Mr. May was in politics a Republican, and while manifesting an intelligent interest in all the public questions of the day, never participated in the annual political contests of the county or State nor as- pired to office. He, however, held the position of school director of the borough of Norristown. Mr. May married Miss Cynthia Elizabeth Selden, of Chester, Conn., whose death occurred August 11, 1880. In his religious belief Selden T. May was a Presbyterian, and a member of the First Presbyterian Church of

David, William and Elizabeth. David was born at the Pine Iron-Works in 1805, and followed milling for a limited time, after which he worked at the forge. He was, in 1826, married to Miss Sarah, daughter of Christian Yergey, of Berks County, and had children,-Mary Ann (Mrs. John Rynard), Wilhelmina (Mrs. Israel Jones), George W. (who died in youth), John R., David Y., William Y., Sarah Ann (Mrs. Nathan Swabeley), and Susan (Mrs. Daniel Eagle). David Y., of this number, was born May 13, 1834, at the Pine Iron-Works, Berks Co., where his youth, until fourteen years of age, was spent. He was then, after having received very lim-

772

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

ited advantages of education, placed at work upon a farm, and remained until his seventeenth year. Ile early manifested a desire to render himself indepen- dent by becoming master of a trade, and with that end in view, started with a very meagre supply of worldly goods for Norristown. His frank and manly bearing soon secured for him a friend and employer in Reuben C. Titlow, of Norristown, with whom he learned the trade of a cabinet-maker and undertaker, serving four years as an apprentice, and afterwards as journeyman. In 1858, with small capital, but good credit and strict integrity as a business man, he began his mercantile career. He was obliged, in 1861, ow-

W., Howard J., George W., Walter S., Orella E. now living, and Mary Ella, Franklin E., Joseph A. and William H., deceased. Mr. Mowday has devoted his time and attention exclusively to his busi- ness, and had no leisure for matters of a political or public nature. He is president of an influential or- ganization known as the Liveryman's Association of Norristown. He is a member of Curtis Lodge, No. 239, I. O. O. F., and also connected with the Knights of Pythias. He has been for thirty years connected by membership with the Central Presbyterian Church of Norristown, Mrs. Mowday being also a member of this church.

D. C. Merciday

ing to the increase of business, to enlarge his shops and warerooms, and still again to extend their dimen- sions until his growing trade rendered necessary the erection of a block of buildings embracing twelve thousand eight hundred square feet, known as Nos. 240, 242, 244 and 246 Main Strect, Norristown. Here he still continues the business, employing eleven men, eight horses, eight business wagons, one clerk and two salesmen, and giving his personal attention to every detail of this large and successful establish- ment. Mr. Mowday was, on the 8th of August, 1858, married to Miss Eliza S., daughter of Jacob Hummel, of Norristown, their children being David T., Daniel

DANIEL LONGAKER.

Daniel Longaker is the son of Isaac and Catherine Longaker, of Lower Providence, and was born August 6, 1813. After such opportunities as were obtainable at the school nearest his home, he engaged in active labor as a mechanic, and in 1842 removed from Plymouth township to Norristown, having two years before purchased an interest in a grocery-store in con- nection with Jacob T. Moore, under the style of Moore & Longaker. He, the same year, secured a lot and ereeted a dwelling, which was occupied as a family residence. The capital and energy which Mr. Longaker brought into the business soon made itself

BOROUGH OF NORRISTOWN.

773

felt in a marked increase in trade, and the firm were rewarded by signal prosperity. In 1847, Mr. Moore retired, having sold his interest to Jacob Childs, the firm becoming Longaker & Childs. The senior part- ner at this time turned his attention to real estate operations and erected several buildings, which have since been intimately associated with the business in- terests of the borough. Still another change was effected by the retirement of Mr. Childs, when the firm was known as Daniel Longaker & Co., his son George being admitted as a partner in 1860. After a career of uninterrupted prosperity, covering a period of thirty-three years, Mr. Longaker retired from active business, devoting his attention to his various invest-

may be regarded as a remarkable example of what in- dnstry, energy, frugality and sagacity may accomplish when employed in a single direction. Daniel Long- aker was, in 1834, married to Elizabeth, daughter of George Boyer, of Norriton. Their children are George W., Kate (deceased), Anne E., Bertha (Mrs. D. W. Moore), Ella (Mrs. L. K. Evans), Sally, Lizzie (Mrs. Howard), Harry, Clara Bell, Mary (deceased) and Daniel (deceased).

WILLIAM STAHLER.

Elias Stahler, the father of William Stahler, was born in Lower Milford township, Lehigh Co., where he resided during his lifetime, and was actively

DANIEL LONGAKER.

ments. He was largely interested, and a direetor, in ; the Norristown Gas Company, the Norristown Water Company, the Montgomery Cemetery, the Philadel- phia, Germantown and Norristown Railroad Com- pany, the Montgomery National Bank, the Norristown Bridge Company, etc. He was never actively identi- fied with the politics of the county, and did not con- fine his vote strictly within party lines, voting inde- pendently and with special reference to the fitness of candidates. He was in his religious views a Luth- eran and a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norristown, filling the office of trustee at the time of his death, which occurred August 7, 1880. Mr. Longaker possessed no advantages at the begin- ning of his career either of capital or education, and

interested in the enltivation of his farm. He married Catharine Brong, and had one son, William, and 8 daughter, Sarah, who became Mrs. Jonas Hnber. William was born February 5, 1826, in Lower Milford, and at the age of thirteen, having been deprived of a father's eare, hecame a member of the family of an uncle in Philadelphia. He received a plain English education in the latter eity and became a clerk in the drug-store of Jenks & Ogden in 1845, and remained until 1854, meanwhile becoming proficient in ehem- istry and the various branches of the business. He then removed to Norristown and embarked in the drug business in connection with Amos W. Bertolet, with whom he continued for a period of eighteen months, when Philadelphia again became his home. Circum-

774

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

stances influenced his return to Norristown in 1856, when he became sole owner of the store in which he was formerly interested, and has since that date been its proprietor. Mr. Stahler was, on the 3d of June, 1856, married to Miss Savilla Eshbach, daughter of Abram Esbback. Their children are Eugene A., a druggist in Bridgeport ; William E., a Lutheran cler- gyman at Mount Jackson, Shenandoah Co., Va .; and Harry L., associated with his father in business. Mr. Stahler is one of the representative business men of Norristown and foremost in promoting its prosper-

SAMUEL YEAKLE.

The subject of this biographical sketch is the grand- son of Christopher Yeakle, the pioneer and progenitor of the family in America, and his wife, Maria, daughter of Balthasar and Susanna Schultz. The children (six in number) of this worthy couple were Susanna (MIrs. Abram Heydrick), Maria (Mrs. George Dresher), Regina (Mrs. Abram Schultz), Abraham, Anna and Christopher. The last-named and youngest was born October 7, 1757, and married Susannah Kriebel, daughter of Rev. George Kriebel, on the 4th of June,

Millian Stahlen

ity. He is a director of the Montgomery National Bank, as also of the Norristown Insurance Trust and Safe Deposit Company. In politics he is a Democrat, and has been for many years a member of the Council of the borough of Norristown. He was also made a Presidential elector in 1884. He is an active member of the Masonic order and connected with Charity Lodge, No. 90, and with Norristown Chapter, No. 190, and with Hutchinson Commandery, No. 32, all of Norristown. He is a member of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, in which he has been for twenty years a deacon and for ten years treasurer.

1782. Their children were Lydia, born in 1783; Agnes, in 1785; Daniel, in 1786; Anna, in 1789; Sarah, in 1791; George, in 1793; Rebecca, in 1795; and Samuel in 1798. Mr. Yeakle resided on the place inherited from his father, which is the present site of the Pennsylvania Railroad depot at Chestnut Hill, where his death occurred July 10, 1843, and that of his wife April 24, 1830. Their son Samuel was born August 25, 1798, at Chestnut Hill, in Philadelphia County, where his youth, untiltwenty-four yearsofage, was spent. He was early taught the value of indus- try. and with the exception of the winter months de-

775

BOROUGH OF NORRISTOWN.

voted his youth to the various pursuits of a farmer. In November, 1823, he married Lydia, daughter of Abraham Anders, and had children,-William A., i merchant of Bordeaux, west of France, but of Dutch born in 1824; Charles A., in 1826 ; and Abraham A., in 1830. His wife having died on the 26th of Decem- ber, 1846, he married a second time, on the 19th of November, 1850, Susanna, daughter of Samuel Dresher. In the spring of 1824, Mr. Yeakle removed to White- marsh township, and engaged in farming employ_ ments, which were continued until 1853, when Nor- ristown became his residence. Mr. Yeakle was first

ancestry are briefly recorded as follows: His father was the son of Daniel Auge, a wine and shipping

or Belgian extraction. When a boy of twelve years Bennett, with an elder brother, Nicholas (1790), came to Cape François, Hayti, the former to serve as a clerk on a sugar plantation, and while so employed (in 1791),. at the age of thirteen, he barely escaped assassination during the famous insurrection of the slaves. After lying hid, however, two days and nights among the sugar-cane-, he was rescued, taken into the city and

ef yearer

a Whig and afterwards a Republican in politics. He has been school-director of Whitemarsh, and was twice elected to the Borough Council of Norristown. He is in religion a member of the society of Schwenk- felders, and worships with them when not prevented by the infirmities of age.

MOSES AUGE.

Moses Auge is the second son and fifth child of Bennett and Ann Auge. He was born at Centreville, New Castle Co., Del., November 11, 1811, and removed soon after to Pennsburg, Chester Co., near by. His

placed in the white and mulatto army of defense, and after a time transferred to the city of Port au Prince, where, after serving two or three years longer in the army, he, with other white inhabitants, fled the island, and with his brother came to Philadelphia about 1797 or 1798, and soon after the former was placed at school in Wilmington, Del. After leaving school he engaged a short time in business in that town, and soon after (1801) was married to Ann, eldest daughter of Moses and Mary (James) Mendenhall, of Pennsburg, Chester Co., who lived a mile west of the battle-ground of " Brandywine." The Mendenhall family were Friends,

776

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

and came to Pennsylvania about 1685 from Wiltshire, England, the progenitor settling at Concord, Chester (now Delaware) Co., Pa. The subject of this sketch is of the seventh generation from the original settler, Benjamin Mendenhall. He received a very limited education in primary branches, such as country schools imparted seventy years ago, only supplemented by a few months' instruction at West Chester Academy, under Jonathan Gause and Barbara Fuller. In 1827, when sixteen, he apprenticed himself to his brother, then in the hatting business at West Chester, to learn that trade, and, after working for him, boy and jour- neyman, ten years, came to Norristown (1837) to con-

the first and one of the latter deceased. The public service of Mr. Auge consists of the following: In 1857, in addition to his other business, he assumed the edi- torial management of the Olive Branch, a newspaper formerly conducted by Franklin P. Sellers, Dr. Joseph Moyer and Lewis H. Gause, which changed its name to the Norristown Republican, advocating temperance and "Republicanism," the latter then a very unpop- ular party name, and this publication continued until August, 1862. Mr. Auge served his country with the emergency men of 1863, carrying the musket as a private soldier. In 1871 he started a small weekly sheet to advocate temperance and other moral reforms,

M. Ange

dnet a hat-store for his brother. The next year he | publishing it also while continuing his hat and clothing entered a partnership, under the firm-name of M. & S. Auge, which existed five years, after which he continued it alone, and afterwards, for some time, in connection with Florence Sullivan, and, finally, alone until 1877, when he retired from mercantile business altogether, having managed one concern and lived in the same adjoining dwelling about fifty years.

In March, 1839, he connected himself with the First Presbyterian Church, Norristown, and in the spring of 1842 married Mary, second daughter of Thomas and Hannah Cowden, of Plymouth township. They have had four children, one son and three daughters,

business until November, 1874. In 1877-78 he col- lected materials and prepared his volume,-"Lives of the Eminent Dead and Biographical Notices of Prominent Living Citizens of Montgomery County." He also published a pamphlet of essays on reform subjects, covering sixty-four octavo pages. His moral and mental make-up, consisting of positive and un- yielding qualities, place him out of the range of "available" men for public place. He has never sought or obtained any political preferment or the emoluments of publie office. Mr. Auge is an apt writer, aggressive and critical in all reformatory

777

BOROUGH OF NORTH WALES.

measures. A plain, truthful and eccentric man, he lives in the enjoyment of his own convictions, sound in mind and body at the age of three-score years and ten, and in the expectancy of post-mortem fame and rewards.

CHAPTER XLVIII.

St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church .- BOROUGH OF NORTHI WALES. One of the most interesting church organizations of Montgomery County is what was formerly known as THIS thriving borough was incorporated August 20, 1869, and is situated about a mile northwest of the centre of Gwynedd township, from which all its ter- ritory, comprising about one hundred acres, was taken. In its form it is nearly square, and was laid out in " the old yellow church." Not a stone is left to mark the foundation of the endeared temple, but the spot is still sacred as the sleeping-place of those who wor- shiped within its walls. It is very difficult to furnish a complete history of this church. No minute-book 1867 by David Moyer. The streets in general run at of meetings held by the congregation or church council can be found except those of recent date. The pastors' record, beginning with 1787 and con- tinuing until the present, though sometimes irregular and illegible, contains only the pastors' official acts.

right angles, the principal names of which are Wales, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Church, Montgomery, and Walnut. The Sumneytown and Spring-House turnpike, completed in 1848, forms Wales Street, which passes through the borough nearly half a mile. The North Pennsylvania Railroad divides it into nearly two equal portions, and thestation here is about twenty miles from Philadelphia and about thirty-five from Bethlehem. North Wales is a translation of the Welsh name Gwineth, of which Gwynedd is a cor- ruption. The settlement at the Friends' Meeting- house about a mile below this borough was called Gwineth by Lewis Evans on his map of 1749. The road through this place to the Spring-House was laid out before 1735. So recent is this borough that in looking over the county map of 1849 there is mention made only of the farms of Philip Hurst, D. Miller and J. Booz, on the Sumneytown turnpike, and, at a cor- ner of the cross-roads, St. Peter's Church. The com- pletion of the North Pennsylvania Railroad in 1856 laid the foundation for its prosperity. In 1884 the value of improved lands was $299,945 ; value of unim- proved lands, 89185; value of all property taxable for county purposes, $335,875. According to the census of 1880, the borough numbered six hundred and seventy-three inhabitants. Since then there has been a considerable increase in the population. North Wales contains one carriage manufacturer, two black- smiths, one foundry, two general merchants, three green-grocers, one cigar manufacturer, two cigar- dealers, one jeweler, two feed merchants, one artist, three hotels, one bell-foundry, one restaurant, two physicians, one dentist, two undertakers, one planing- mill, one lumber-yard, one shutter-bolt manufactory, three florists, one coal-yard, one carpet-weaver, one hardware merchant, several house-painters, one mar- ble-yard, one depot, two harness-makers, two barbers and one printing-office, in which is printed the North Wales Record.

which one hundred and seventy-one pupils are in at- tendance. The school term is nine months and three teachers are employed, one at a salary of forty-three dollars and two at thirty-dollars per month.

There is also an academy and school of business conducted by Professor I1. U. Brunner, a full descrip- tion of which can be found in the chapter on " Edu- cation."

Three church buildings in succession have been erected and used by the congregation. The exact date when the first church building was erected, or when the congregation was organized, cannot be deter- mined from the books and papers in the possession of the church. An old deed, however, shows that the "old yellow church " must have been built about the same time that independence was declared in the United States. In 1772, Philip Heist became owner of fifty-one acres of land in Gwynedd, and it appears he gave a piece of ground and assisted in building a church upon it. He died some time after, without hav- ing given a deed to the church authorities. In his will he empowered his excentors to make good and suffi- cient deeds to buyers of his lands. These executors granted a deed dated June 10, 1780, for half an acre of ground, declaring, "The same is intended and is hereby granted to remain for religious purposes,-that is to say, for a church of worship already erected thereon for the use of the High Dutch Lutheran and the High Dutch Reformed or Presbyterian con- gregations in said township of Gwynedd," etc. The first church was built between 1772 and 1780. Who the pastors were about this time the records do not show. The first pastor of whom the church has definite knowledge was Rev. Anthony Hecht, who was in charge from 1787 to 1792. His first baptism was that of an adult, Abraham Hoffman, March 4, 1787; his first infant baptism, Henry and John, sons of Christian and Anna Knipe, June 1, 1787; his first confirmation of a class of catechumens (five in num- ber) December 25, 1788; his first administration of holy communion July 13, 1788, and eleven names are recorded as communicants. This day, July 13, 1788, is called in the records "the Day of Consecration." The first marriage record is dated October 29, 1786.

The houses of worship include German Reformed, Baptist, Lutheran and Methodist Episcopal Churches. First election of officers recorded is September 23, There are three public schools in the borough, at , 1787.

778

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

The next pastor was Rev. Jacob Van Buskirk, 1843 and remained until 1855. He was unable to preach German, and during his time it was dropped, and from that time to the present the services have been in the English language. beginning in 1783 and, perhaps, leaving this charge in 1797. He was born at Hackensack, N. J., February 11, 1739. It is said that Van Buskirk's work of useful- ness among men closed very suddenly. One day he The next pastor was Rev. John W. Hassler, who was about to go to his church, and while in the act of , came in 1856 and remained until 1862. At the out- mounting his horse fell back to the ground lifeless. break of the Rebellion he received an appointment as chaplain in the army, and resigned here to accept - it. He died August 5, 1800, and lies buried very near where stood the altar of the church in which he officiated.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 170

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901 Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1534

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1534