History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 181

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 181

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).

ing the broad and fertile valley between Swamp Creek and Society Run, is red shale, easy of cultivation and free from stones ; on the plateau between Society Run and Old Goshenhoppen Run, including the castern A short time after his removal to Geneva, Mr. Tremper was admitted to the bar and subsequently as counselor in the Supreme Court of New York, as also in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. In 1838 he was appointed by Governor William L. Marey judge of the courts of Ontario County, and at the expira- tion of his term was reappointed, but before the close of his second term, on receiving intelligence of the death of his mother, he resigned the office and re- turned to Philadelphia to attend to the settlement of slope of the last-named stream, being the central part of the township, it is a white clay; and the eastern seetion, inclining towards Perkiomen Creek, is a yel- low, sandy soil, somewhat encumbered with bowlders. All the tillable sections have been brought by the un- tiring industry and thorough husbandry of the inhab- itants to a high state of cultivation and productiveness. Perkiomen, Swamp, and Deep Creeks possess remark- ably interesting and picturesque features. At their junctions the scenery is notably striking and rugged. the estate. From that time he resided in the city until : The swift-flowing waters of these streams, dashing over 1873, when, to be free from its turmoil and to realize his life-long desire for country life, be purchased and removed to the property on which he now resides, in Franconia township. Now, when just entering on his ninth decade, he can review the events of the past with much of satisfaction in the belief that his long life has been well spent.

CHAPTER LV.

FREDERICK TOWNSHIP. 1

FREDERICK TOWNSHIP is bounded on the north- west by New Hanover and Upper Hanover townships; on the east by Perkiomen Creek, flowing from north to south, separating it from Marlborough and Upper Salford townships; on the southeast by Perkiomen township; and on the southwest by Limerick and New Hauover townships. It contains an area of thirteen thousand four hundred and forty acres, is about five miles wide on the northwest border, four and three-quarters miles long on the southwest, and one and one-half miles wide on the southeast. Its eentre is fifteen miles distant northwest from Norris- town, the county-seat, and thirty-two miles from Philadelphia.

Throughout the township strong springs issue from the slopes and in the valleys, and are the sources of a number of streams which flow through and enrich the land. Deep Creek falls into the Perkiomen in the north, and Swamp Creek from the northwest and Mine Run from the south enter it in the south. The tribu- taries of Swamp Creek are Old Goshenhoppen Run and Society Run. The surface of the township is de- cidedly rolling, verging to a hilly character ; but it is well adapted to farming in all parts except in the north, where the Deep Creek hills attain considerable

and between smooth-worn stoues or falling over the numerous dams which check their free course, furnish beautiful views, worthy of the artist's pencil. In the past they abounded in fish, and they are yet frequented by lovers of fishing from near and far. The primitive forest has almost entirely disappeared. On the high grounds of the township grow oak, hickory, ash, wal- nut, chestnut, butternut, maple, gum, tulip-poplar, hemlock, pine and spruce, besides the smaller growthis, sassafras, dogwood, wild cherry, persimmon, spice- woods, juniper, sumac, elder and hazel, and the blackberry, whortleberry, raspberry, sheepberry and strawberry. In wet places the mottled-rinded button- wood or water beach may be found, towering to a great height. Along Swamp Creek grows a species of hickory bearing nuts of extraordinary size and of hard, thick shell. On Deep Creek and its affluents spruce and other evergreens grow to the exclusion almost of other trees. The land here is inclosed and devoted to grazing young cattle, which are driven into the pasture-called in the Pennsylvania German, Baschtert-iu the spring-time and left without further attention until fall.

The villages in the township, none of which are in- corporated, are Zieglerville, Frederick, part of Perk- iomenville, Klein's or Frederick Station, Obelisk and Delphi or Zieglerville Station.

Zieglerville, in the southern portion, is located on the Perkiomen and Sumneytown turnpike, at the point where the Great road diverges from it to the west, while the turnpike continues towards the north. It was, before the building of the railroad, an import- ant meeting-point for stage lines. Here the passen- gers from Pennsburg and Boyertown met three times each week, and were transferred from small, anti- quated coaches to the commodious and stylish omni- buses drawn by four or five horses ; and here on the alternate days the returning passengers were again separated and sent their different ways. The inn, located on high ground in the forks of the road, and facing to the south, was an old-time house of genuine

1 By Henry S. Dotterer.

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

entertainment to the traveler and drover; it was of breadth disproportioned to its two-story height, and a welcoming piazza extended before its entire front. A modern building of brick has taken the old tavern's place. At present the village contains one general store, a post-office, two blacksmith-shops, one wheel- wright-shop, one tinsmithery, one tannery, one school- house, two clothing-factories, one shoemaker-shop, one tavern, one saw-mill, one flour-mill, forty-four dwelling-houses and about two hundred inhabitants. A lodge of the Knights of Pythias meets here. A German weekly newspaper, the Wahrheits Freund, was published here in 1858.

Frederick village, on the Great road, near the uorthwestern line of the township, is about half a mile long. It contains a post-office, one general store, one creamery, one blacksmith-shop, one tannery, thirteen dwelling-houses and abont sixty inhabitants. The Green Tree tavern is located at its lower end.

The village of Perkiomenville is located in the northeast, on both sides of Perkiomen Creek, which is here spanned by a fine stone bridge. The larger part of the population is in Marlborough township. It consists, in Frederick, of a post-office, one general store, one tavern, an Odd-Fellows' Hall, a creamery, wheelwright-shop, eight houses and about sixty in- habitants. A lodge of the order of Odd-Fellows meets here. This vicinity is a favorite resort for camping, fishing and hunting-parties, and during the heat of summer the hotel here, kept by Isaac Rahn, is patron- ized by city residents, who come out to enjoy the bath- ing in Perkiomen Creek and the natural attractions of the locality.

Frederick Station, on the Perkiomen Railroad, is a compaetly built village of about one hundred and fifty inhabitants. It contains a post-office (Klein's), a hotel, a general store, a lumber and eoal yard, one feed store, a clothing manufactory, planing mill, blacksmith shop, oue segar factory, two grist mills, one saw mill, and twenty-one dwelling-houses. Christian Allebach has lately fitted up a large hall for the purpose of holding religious services in this place.

Obelisk, in the central portion. on the Great road, derives its name from the post-office established here. In it are contained Keeler's church, one general store, one tinsmithery, one school-house, one clothing-fae- tory, twelvedwelling-houses and sixty-five inhabitants.

Delphi is the name of the post-office at Zieglerville Station, on the Perkiomen Railroad. The village is on the Perkiomen and Sumneytown turnpike. It is located at the romantic point where Swamp Creek flows into the Perkiomen, at the foot of the rugged Stone Hills. The natural attractions here have made this a place of summer resort. A fine four-story hotel-the Weldon House-has been built for the ac- commodation of visitors. The village has one feed- store, coal and lime-yard, hay-press, a saw, grist and oil-mill, one tannery, one briek-yard, seven dwellings and about fifty inhabitants.

The Perkiomen Railroad skirts the southeastern border of the township, following the course of Per- kiomen Creek, a distance of about one and a halt miles. Two of its stations-Zieglerville Station and Frederick Station-are in the limits of the township.

The Perkiomen and Sumneytown turnpike road was completed in the year 1847, and extends through the township from Schwenksville rid Zieglerville to Per- kiomenville, a distance of somewhat more than four miles. The company was incorporated February 14, 1845, by act of the State Legislature. At the first election of officers, held at Perkiomen Bridge, March 14, 1846, the following were elected : President, Henry Longaker; Managers, William Sehall, Jacob Snyder, George Poley, Jacob Johnson, Jr., Abel Kerr, Henry Ziegler, Aaron Schwenk, William Worral, Abraham Hunsicker, David Beard, Joseph Hunsicker and Abrahamı Steiner; Secretary and Treasurer, John Steiner. John H. Steiner was secretary and treasurer from 1852 to 1862; Daniel D. Hunsieker, from 1862 to 1866; Abraham G. Schwenk, in 1867; George W. Steiner, 1867 to the present date.

The capital stock is eighteen thousand and fifty dollars. This sum was not sufficient to build the road, and a debt burdened the company until about 1875, when the last of it was paid. The company de- clared its first dividend in 1876, and has paid divi- dends annually since that time.

The road extends from Perkiomen Bridge to Green Lane, a distance of twelve miles.

The present officers are: President, Abraham G. Schwenk; Sceretary and Treasurer, George W. Steiner ; Managers, Michael Allerfer, Ilenry Snyder, Gideon Fetterolf, Thomas B. Hillegass, John B. Landis, Jesse Cressman, Mark Hiltebeitel, A. H. Seipt, Jacob G. Schwenk, William A. Welker, Evans P. Koons and J. A. Strassburger.

The headquarters of the company are at Ziegler- ville, where the elections are hekl.

Erection of the Township .- Up to 1731 the terri- tory now comprised in Frederick was without an of- ficial name and without a local government. It was known as Falkner Swamp, in common with the re- mainder of the extensive region drained by Swamp Creek and its tributaries. With the iuflux of settlers the necessity of civil authority became manifest. The following petition was made as a remedy for this want :

" To the Worshipfull the Justices at the Quarter Sessions held at Pbil- adelphia for the County of Philada, the first day of March, 1730-31.

" The Petition of the Inhabitants living Between Limrick township and Perkiomy.

"Humbly sheweth.

" That there are Settled a great many families on the North East side of Limrick township, between the same & Bebber's township & Salford, & are bounded on the northwesterly side with New Hanover township. The Tract of Land on which your Petitioners & many more are settled is Snposed to be about Seven miles long & five miles broad.

"Now forasmuch as your Petitioners' case is such that they think it is too great a Circuit for a Constable out of any of the aforesd townships & also unconvenient in making and Repairing of highways, And your Pe- titiuners living on the sd Tract of Land are humbly of opinion that it

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FREDERICK TOWNSHIP.

would be more Convenient for them that the same tract of Land was laid out for a Township.

" Therefore your Petitioners, both for the publick good & their own Conveniency, Earnestly Desire that you will be pleased to take the prem- ises into your Serious Consideration, and order a Township to be laid out & Established Between the forest Townships according as yon shall think fit, And your petitioners shall thankfully acknowledge your favour in the premises, and be obliged Ever to pray, as in the duty bound.

" Georg Philib Dodderer. Gotlieb Herger.

William Frey.

Johann Ludwich Dederer.

Andrew Frey.

Thomas Addis.

Han Ludwig Engelhart.

Hauns Michell Doderer.

Balthas Fauth.

Henrich Stetler.

Jacob Fauth,

Joseph Groff.

Friederich Reimmer.

Hans Crauss."

Michael Hörricher.

Appended to the petition was a draft of the town- ship. The court granted the prayer, and made the following indorsement thereon : "The Petition here- unto annexed being taken into Consideration by the Court, the Prayer of the sd Petition is Granted, and the Township is now named Frederick Township." This simple record does not answer the question sometimes asked: After whom was the township named? The name was probably selected because it had been borne by the German emperors in the Mid- dle Ages, and because the petitioners were, with per- haps one exception, of Teutonic stock.

Early Purchasers .- The circumstances connected with the taking up of the large tract of twenty-two thousand three hundred and seventy-seven acres by the Frankfort Land Company, a large portion of which lies along the northwestern border of Fred- erick township, naturally brought that territory into special prominence. The powerful influences put to work by the German company, seconded most heartily by the proprietary, drew settlers, immigrants from Germany, speedily to that vast property ; at first, to the banks of Schuylkill, at and about the mouth of Manatawny Creek, and soon after, in much larger measure, to the broad valley of Swamp Creek. The lower or southwestern part of this alluvial plain lies in Frederick township. As soon as the impetus given by the organized effort in Germany had somewhat spent its force, the immi- grant now and then chose for himself land along the banks of the lower Swamp Creek and of Society and Old Goshenhoppen Runs. Here, beside the clear springs and sparkling stream, close to the green meadows, he dug a cave in the sloping banks or built a rude hut for a dwelling-place.

Before the arrival of the actual settler, however, the ; choicest portions of land had passed from the pro- prietary into the hands of purchasers and speculators of England and Philadelphia, from whom the pioneers made purchases.

By patent dated the 8th of Fourth Month, 1703, there was granted to Nathanial Puckle a tract of four hundred and fifty acres, extending from the north- eastern line of Limerick into the Stone Hills.

By virtue of a warrant dated the 21st of Tenth Month (December), 1716, there was laid out to James

Shattick five hundred acres, part of a great tract which William Penn granted to Richard Pearce on May 4, 1682.

David Powell, who, on the Sth of Eighth Month (October), 1683, was appointed deputy surveyor by Thomas Holme, the surveyor-general, had surveyed to him, as "part of three thousand acres of land back in the said province (I'ennsylvania), near or on the Branches of Perkeawming," under warrant dated September 10, 1717, two tracts of two hundred acres each, and on December 7, 1717, a tract of one hun- dred and fifty acres.

Before March 25, 1720, John Henry Hagerman purchased of David Powell two hundred acres of the four hundred acres surveyed to the latter September 10, 1717 ; this was confirmed to him by the proprietors May 23, 1728. Henry Antes purchased one hundred and twenty-five acres of this tract in 1735, at which date Hagerman was a resident of Lancaster County.

March 25, 1720, James Steel, of the city of Phila- delphia, purchased five hundred acres, near a " Branch of Parkeawning," from William Clayton, of Chichester, to whom it had been surveyed under a warrant dated April 14, 1718, "in full satisfaction of a demand by ye said William Clayton against the Proprietary in or about the year one thousand seven hundred, for part of the land granted by ye said Proprietary to the Swansons in lieu of the ground whereon the city of Philadelphia is built." On the 17th of December, 1728, the commissioners of property confirmed this sale.

October 26, 1720, Ilans Neues bought of John Budd and IIumphrey Morrey seven hundred and twenty- five acres (part of the five thousand acres granted by William Penn, on the 12th of October, 1681, to Wil- liam Bacon), of which five hundred aeres were surveyed and located on the 1st day of November, 1720, in Frederick township, on both sides of Society Run, and facing the Frankfort Land Company's tract.

September 1, 1727, the proprietaries granted by patent to Henry Pannebacker, of Bebber's township, six hundred and twenty-two acres, located at and about the junction of Swamp Creek and Society Run.

Pioneer Settlers .- John Michael Ilerger, weaver, on the 7th of February, 1717, purchased of James Shattick five hundred acres. On the 1st of March, 1726, he sold to his son, Gottlieb Herger, eighty acres ; and on the same date, to John George Sprogell, one hundred and twenty acres. Previous to this date he had made sales to Martin Funk and Joseph Groff. Michael Herger was naturalized by act of Assembly May 19, 1739. He moved to Conewago, where he died in 1740. His wife's name was Anna Margaret. Gottlieb Herger was a resident of Frederick township as late as 1755, or later. John Herger, a resident of Frederick township, was born in America on the 6th of May, 1721; married Maria Salome, daughter of Frederick Reimer; died December 5, 1795, and is buried, as is also his wife, in Leidig's private cemetery.

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

Andrew Frey, mason, on August 5, 1718, purchased two hundred acres of David Powell.

Henry Grubb, on the 27th of September, 1718, bought one hundred and fifty acres of David Powell. This land was located on the banks of Society Run, below the five hundred acres bought by Hans Neues in 1720. He died in February, 1726, leaving his real and personal estate to his wife, Catharine. On the 22d of March, 1737-38, the widow, who had in the meantime married Jacob Frick, conveyed to her eldest son, Henry Grubb, the plantation formerly of the de- ceased, which, by a re-survey, was found to contain but one hundred and forty-nine acres, On November 11, 1734, there was surveyed to Henry Grubb, Jr., a tract of sixty-two and one-half acres adjoining the plantation lately owned by his father. On the 26th of April, 1743, Henry Grubb, Jr., and Anna Maria, his wife, conveyed to Conrad Grubb one-half of each of the above-mentioned two tracts. Conrad Grubb and Henry Grubb were naturalized at the April term of court in 1743. Susanna, born November 30, 1752; Henry, born March 26, 1755; and Jacob, born July 16, 1757, were children of Henry Grubb, Jr., and Anna Maria, his wife. In the private burying-ground of the family, beside Society Run, are the stones mark- ing the graves of Conrad Grob, who was born Febru- ary §, 1715, and who died March 20, 1798; and of his wife, Anna Maria Grob, who was born in 1714, and who died in 1778.

John George Schietz was one of the appraisers of tbe estate of Henry Grubb (deceased) early in 1726. He owned land on the banks of Society Run previous to this date.

George Philip Dodderer, of Falkner's Swamp, car- penter, bought of Hans Neues, of the Northern Liber- ties, on December 22, 1722, one hundred acres, and on February 2, 1725, fifty aeres, the two tracts adjoining and being located on the banks of Society Run. On the 29th of May, 1734, he bought from the proprieta- ries one hundred acres additional and adjoining his previous ownings. He made a will on the 19th of October, 1741, and he died on the 6th day of the fol- lowing month. His wife, Veronica, survived him until 1752. Their children were Michael ; Bernhard, who settled in New Hanover township ; Anna Elizabeth, who married (first) Michael Zimmerman and (second) Jacob Körr; Hieronimus; Barbara, who married Jacob Markley, of Skippack ; and Conrad. Hieronimus, son of George Philip Dodderer, died in November, 1727. He left a widow, Catharine, who shortly after- wards married Michael Krause, and two daughters, -- first, Veronica, born Jannary 7, 1725, married Philip Yost, died December 7, 1798; second, Agnes, born February 14, 1727, married Jost Bitting, died Novem- ber 2, 1785. Conrad, youngest son of George Philip Dodderer, was born in 1712, and died in January, 1801. He succeeded to his father's estate and lived upon it all his life. 1His wife, Magdalena, to whom he was married in January, 1732, died August 21, 1797.

Their children were Christian, Jacob, Conrad (who, it appears from the best information at hand, married Margaret Pannebacker, daughter of Peter Panne- backer, of Skippack, and migrated to Frederick County, Md., and there founded an influential family), John (a citizen of Frederick township for many years, who was born November 26, 1751, and who died February 1, 1835), Abraham, Catharine, Christina, Susanna, Elizabeth and Magdalena (who married, February 23, 1786, Peter ŒEsterlein, of New Hanover township). George Philip Dodderer and his sons were naturalized by act of Assembly passed May 18, 1739.

John Nyce, on the 21st of September, 1724, bought of his father, Hans Neues, of the Northern Liberties, two hundred acres on the west bank of Society Run, and fronting on the German tract. He made a will on the 5th of February, 1738-39, which was probated on the 22d of June, 1743, in which he appointed as his executors his wife, Mary, and Henry Antes. His plantation consisted of two hundred and ninety acres, and his entire estate, real and personal, was appraised at £913 6s., Pennsylvania currency. The children of John and Mary Nyce were John ; Joel; Zacharias, born December 25, 1735 ; William ; George ; Susanna, who married Peter Fedelee; Mary, who married, March 29, 1748, John Ringer. John Nyce, Jr., about the year 1747, married Catharina Hahn, and settled at Indian Creek ; their children were Elizabeth, Philip, John and Abraham ; he died about the year 1756. Zacharias Nyce married, in 1756, Margaret Hahn ; their children were Maria, born December 13, 1758; Catharine, born April 20, 1760; Susanna, born March 9, 1762; Elizabeth, born February 15, 1764; Johannes, born June 3, 1767 ; Margaret, born November 30, 1777. They lived in Frederick township; he died at the age of fifty-six years and four days ; his wife was buried September 7, 1798. George Nyce, who suc- ceeded to his father's estate, was a tanner in Frederick township. He married (first) Anna Dotterer, daughter of Bernhard and Gertrude Dodderer, of New Hanover township ; their children were John, Maria and Joseph. He married (second) -- Fuhrman ; their children were George (born February 15, 1760), Jacob, Nancy, Mary, Elizabeth, Catharine. He died Dceem- ber 5, 1789, aged sixty-four years. The name of this family is variously spelled, Nice, Nyce and De Nice. George S. Nyce resides upon a portion of the original homestead.

Michael Dotterer, of Falkner Swamp, son of George Philip Dodderer, on the 24th of January, 1726, bought of Hans Neues, of the Northern Liberties, one hundred and fifty acres on the east bank of Society Run, and facing the German tract, and on the 8th of November, 1734, the proprietaries granted him, by patent, fifty acres adjoining the foregoing. His wife was Anna Maria Fisher, daughter of Jacob and Sophia Fisher, an early settler of New Goshenhoppen, in Hanover township. Their children were Anna Sophia, born,

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FREDERICK TOWNSHIP.

March 5, 1726; Anna Veronica, born September 5, 1727; George Philip, born August 30, 1729; John Conrad, born May 10, 1731; Maria Margaret, born June 27, 1733; Michael, born October 31, 1735 ; Jacob, born July 4, 1737 ; a son, born January 22, 1739; twins, born November 18, 1741, who died in infancy ; Anna Maria, born January 4, 1745.

George Michael Kuntz arrived at Philadelphia on the 24th of September, 1727. He made an entry of the circumstance in his Bible (which is still in the possession of his descendants in Frederick township), in these words: " Den 24sten September im Jahr 1727 bin ich Georg Michael Kuntz gesund in America in der Stadt Philadelphia ankommen." He settled on lands along Swamp Creek, and married Eve Engelhart, sister to Ludwig Engelhart, on the 1st day of April, 1732. Their children were Mary, born November 12, 1734, who married John Stetler; Maria Catharine, born May 14, 1738, who married John Reimer; Susan, born October 24, 1740, who married Ludwig Reimer; George Michael, born July 7, 1742; Frederick, born July 6, 1744; John, born June 26, 1747; Catharine, born February 9, 1750, who married, first, Michael Krebs, and, second, John Richards; Elizabeth, born January 12, 1754, who married Jacob Zieber. George Michael Kuntz died August 10, 1759; Eve, his widow, died June 27, 1772.

John Ludwig Dederer arrived in the ship " Molly," from Rotterdam, and signed the declaration on Sep- tember 30, 1727. Hle settled in Frederick township. In the book of New Hanover Lutheran Church is recorded the confirmation of three of his children on the 8th of April 1750, viz. : Zacharias, aged eighteen ; Maria Barbara, fifteen ; Anna Maria, fourteen.

Balthas Fauth was an early comer. In January, 1728, he was one of the bondsmen on the bond given by Catherine Krauss, administratrix and widow of Hieronimus Doderer, deceased.

Jacob Fauth, on the 25th of February, 1728, bought fifty acres of Henry Pannebacker, part of his tract of six hundred and twenty-two acres, and on October 9 1728, fifty acres of Humphrey Morrey and John Budd.

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History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 181

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