History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 205

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 205

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Balthasar Hoffman arrived September 12, 1734, with his children,-Anna, Rosina and Christopher. He was born in Harpersdorf, Silesia. He early embraced 'the religious principles of Caspar Schwenkfeld. By close application he gained a knowledge of the Latin, Greek and Hebrew languages, to enable him the better to understand the Scriptures. On the death of the Rev. George Weiss, the first minister of the Schwenkfelders in America, Mr. Hoffman was chosen to officiate in his place, which was acceptably filled. He died from increasing debility July 11, 1775, in his eighty-ninth year. His wife, Ursula, died May 15, 1767, aged cighty years. He resided on the east side of the Skippack Creek, adjoining Towamencin and the present meeting-house, the property being now owned by Henry Derstine. Christopher Hoff- man, son of Balthasar, married Rosina, daughter of George Dresher, May 17, 1753. He died January 29,

1804, aged seventy-six years. He was an acceptable minister in the church. In the assessment of 1776 he was rated for a farm of eighty-three acres.

George Weiss, the first minister of the Schwenkfelder denomination in America, was a son of Caspar Weiss, and was born in Harpersdorf, Lower Silesia, Austria, in 1687. He married, in 1715, Anna Mesch- ter, of Langenneudorf. Owing to religions persecu- tion, he, with his wife and friends, fled in the night, leaving their property behind, and went to Herrnhut, in Saxony, on the 5th of May, 1726. During his eight years' stay at that place he followed weaving and teaching. He arrived in Pennsylvania in Sep- tember, 1734, with the colony of Schwenkfelders, and settled on a farm by the Skippack Creek, in Lower Salford. After a residence here of about a year and a quarter, Mr. Weiss was formally appointed the first minister and catechist of the denomination in this country. He continued in the office, giving general satisfaction until his death, which occurred March 11, 1740, in his fifty-third year. He was interred in the graveyard of the Lower Salford Meeting-house, where a stone has been erected to his memory as its first pastor. Some of the information here given, as also several other facts in relation to the Schwenkfelders in this section, has been obtained from the genealog- ical record of that denomination, published in 1879.

On the 15th of April, 1734, a tract of land contain- ing six hundred and ninety acres was granted by patent to Garret Clements. Parts of this large tract were sold by him to his sons,-Jacob, Abraham and John. To the latter he sold, September 6, 1738, "a certain grist-mill messuage, plantation and tract of land, on a branch of Perkiomen Creek." The tract contained one hundred and forty-one acres. It is ascertained from old manuscripts that the grist-mill was built by Garret Clements in 1726, and that Jacob Souder was the millwright and received for his labor thirty-three pounds. John Clements owned and oper- ated the mill property to May 25, 1764, when he sold it to Frederick Alderfer, who conveyed it to his son, John, July 1, 1776.

Although it does not appear that the Alderfers were an early family in the township, they have now become numerous and influential, holding here a considerable amount of real estate. The voters' list for 1883 fur- nishes twenty-six names. In the assessment of 1776 we find the names of Frederick Alderfer, miller, hold- ing four hundred and ninety acres, and John and Jacob Alderfer, his sons. The mill property is situ- ated on the Northeast Branch, a mile nortli of Leder- achisville. It is now owned by J. S. Groff, a son-in- law of the family. The wooden bridge over the stream here was built by the county about 1835.

George Heckler, the ancestor of that family, was a son of Michael, and was born in 1736 at Retchweiler, in Lower Alsace, then belonging to France. He was apprenticed to the tailor trade, at fifteen years of age and he became free at eighteen. To perfect him-

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LOWER SALFORD TOWNSHIP.

self in the occupation, he was then required to travel in the census of 1756 as a weaver and farmer. His daughter Margaret was married to Peter Janson, a well-to-do farmer in Skippack, and Catharine married three years as a journeyman. This opportunity deter- mined him to flee to America, if possible. He fortu- nately succeeded, and arrived in Philadelphia in the | Henry Strycker, of Salford. He was a zealous mem- ship "Neptune," from Rotterdam, September 30, ber of the Mennonite denomination, the religious ele- 1754. Such was his poverty that he was unable to pay his fare, and was sold by the captain for three years' service as a redemptioner. He was purchased by John Steiner, of Coventry township, Chester Co., opposite Pottstown, who paid for his time forty-eight

dollars of our present currency. After his freedom . Mennonite Meeting, where probably no stone bears an

he came to Lower Salford, where he in 1764, married Christiana, daughter of Peter Freid. Through his industry and judicious management he succeeded so well that in 1785 he purchased his father-in-law's farm, of two hundred and forty-three acres, for two thousand pounds, or about twenty-two dollars per acre. He was in the general practice of carrying his | pressly composed to be sung by his pupils, whom he instructed in vocal music.

surplus produce to the city on horseback. He died August 28, 1816, having attained upwards of eighty years, and left to his descendants a handsome estate.

The Freid family were early settlers in Salford. In the list of 1734 is found the name of Hans Freid, owning one hundred acres. In the assessment of Lower Salford for 1776, John Freid is mentioned as holding one hundred acres, and Peter Freid, two hun- dred and ninety acres, one servant, three horses and seven cattle. The latter, hesides two daughters, had a son, John, to whom he granted a water-right, dated May 4, 1775, on a part of the Gabriel Schuler property, for a dam to irrigate the meadow, which is kept in good repair to this day. There was at least one other son, whose name has been forgotten. Pe- ter Freid had purchased the farm from Hans Reiff in March, 1746. He had resided on the place thirty-nine years, and in the erection of the Salford Mennonite Meeting-house was a liberal con- tributor. His death occurred in 1791, aged about seventy-six years. The Freids are still land-holders in the township, residing near the Franconia line.

Christopher Dock, the noted teacher and poet, lived and died in Lower Salford. At what time he arrived from Germany has not been ascertained, but the ear- liest known of him is as a teacher at Germantown, During the second schism of the Mennonite Church which originated near the beginning of this century, the portion who withdrew erected for themselves a small one-story stone meeting-house, a mile northeast of Harleysville, near the present turnpike leading to Souderton. Those who built it were known as the Herrites, who held to extreme views,-among the rest, that members should not attend nor hear the where he taught school at intervals for at least four years. He purchased in the township, the 28th of Ninth Month, 1735, a tract of one hundred acres for fifteen and one-half pounds, adjoining or near the Perkiomen line. Upon that tract he settled and made the first improvements. In 1738 he gave up farming and resumed teaching, which he continued with great success to the close of his life. At the preaching or teaching of any other denomination request of Christopher Saur, the printer at German- whatever, and that they should rigidly adhere to their doctrines. By 1850 they had diminished so that the building was used only as a school-house, and five years later was torn down. It is supposed now that they have become extinct here, but a few scattered mem- bers are said to remain in the townships of Worces- iter and Whitpain, also in Lancaster County and some town, he was induced to prepare a work, in German, on school-teaching, which he was finally prevailed upon to have published in 1769, making a pamphlet of fifty-four octavo pages, containing practical sugges- tions on the subject. After the death of his wife he made his home with Henry Cassel, who was mentioned

ment of which entered largely into his mode of educa- tion and for whom he alone labored. He died suddenly, in the fall of 1771, being found lifeless in his school- room, after the pupils had been dismissed, He was buried in the graveyard belonging to the old Skippack inscription to denote the spot. Specimens of his " Fractur" and " Vorschriften" have been preserved in the Cassel family, and display splendid penmanship. Several of his hymns were collected and printed by Michael Billmyer, of Germantown, in 1790. and ex- hibit considerable merit. Some of these were ex-

Inns were established in Lower Salford at an early period, owing to the opening of the main road leading from the present Sumneytown, through this township, down to Gwynedd in 1735. This, with the increase of settlement above, led to a considerable amount of travel to Philadelphia with produce or for mer- chandise. . John Isaac Klein, kept an inn in the lower part of the present Harleysville, and also Gabriel Schuler, half a mile farther down the road, no doubt some time before 1750. Both of those places possessed unfailing springs of water, which was a desideratum to travelers in dry seasons. Some time before 1766, Frederick Dickensheit kept an inn, known as the sign of the "Stag," which was kept by George Schwenk in 1802, by Balthasar Heydrick in 1822, and afterwards by Wm. Reiff, who removed the sign about 1836. It has since been a private house, and is now owned by John Binder. Two inns were located at Mainland in the beginning of this cen- tury, if not earlier. One had for its sign the " White Horse," subsequently changed to "The Half-Way house," because situated midway between Maxatawny, (from whence there was considerable travel,) and the city.

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

parts of the West. The late Professor I. D. Rupp, has written and had published a pampblet on extinct denominations in Pennsylvania ; whether they have been included by him among the number has not been ascertained.

Harleysville is situated on the Sumneytown and Spring House turnpike, in the northern portion of the township. It contains one hardware, one tinware, one shoe, one feed and one general store, two clothing manufacturing establishments, one jeweler and watch- maker, one undertaker, one baker, one hotel, four physicians, several mechanic shops, a creamery and forty-two houses. It is an improving place and the buildings are large, neat and built of stone, frame and brick. In 1858 it contained a store, hotel, several mechanic shops and eleven houses, and in 1870 had increased to twenty dwellings. The turnpike to Sum- neytown and the Spring House was built in 1848, the pike to Lederachsville in 1868 and to Souderton in 1865. The first and only house in the place during the Rev- olution was that of Nicholas Schwenk, a blacksmith, who owned here, in 1776, one hundred and fifty acres of land. Samuel Harley built a tavern-house here about 1790, and, in connection with the same, kept a store, for many years doing an extensive business. He is regarded as the founder of the place, and after him it has been called. Abraham Harley, son of Samuel, afterwards became the owner of the property and at his house the township elections were held for some time. In 1840 he succeeded in having the post-office established there, none previously being ncarer than Sumneytown, five miles distant. The mail is now brought daily from North Wales over the turnpike. The oldest house in the township is supposed to be over one half a mile below this, and now owned by Adam Fisher. It was built by Nicholas Rary in 1748, one story high, but in 1812 was raised to two stories and repaired. The creamery at Harleysville was built in 1881, and its business has been increased to above twelve thousand pounds of milk, making daily four hundred and fifty pounds of butter, besides a considerable quantity of cheese.

Lederachsville is situated near the central part of Lower Salford, and at the intersection of six roads. It has hecome an improving place, containing now two stores, a hotel, telegraph-office, smith-shop and twenty- three houses. It occupies an elevated situation, afford- ing a fine prospect of the surrounding country, which is well cultivated and productive. The place, for its size, has been very little given to manufacturing. The post-office was established here in 1857. and Septimus Kriebel was appointed postmaster. The road passing through here from Sumncytown to Skippack is an an- cient highway, having been opened in 1728, and being the first from this section leading to the city. The village owes its origin to Henry Lederach, who built the first house here in 1825. He next put up a blacksmith-shop and carried on smithing for several years, after which he opened a store. Another store was opened by

Jacob Zeigler, about 1833, when Mr. Lederach oh- tained a license for a hotel, and thus the foundations for the village were laid. By the list of 173.1, Andrew and John Lederach were the owners of three hun dred acres of land. In 1776, Henry Lederach owned one hundred and thirty-two acres, Andrew Lederach one hundred and fifty, and John Lederach one hun- dred and fifty, denoting in the family an attachment to real estate. About one-quarter of a mile to the southeast of the village is the old Lederach graveyard, on the farm now owned by Abraham K. Freid. A stone has on it "C. L., 1776," another, "H. L., De. 24, 1799." An opinion is entertained that this ground has become reduced by cultivation and that some of the stones have disappeared. Several Indian squaws were also buried here, being the last survivors of those who lingered about in the village. This ground passed out of the Lederach family about twenty years ago, and it remains uninclosed and neglected.

Mainland is situated on the turnpike to Gwynedd, adjoining the Towamencin line and the Skippack Creek. It contains a store, hotel, post-office and thir- teen houses, besides several mechanic shops. The bridge over the Skippack Creek was built by the county in 1843, at which time the tavern and store were kept by Jonas Boorse, and the place was then known only as Boorse's Tavern. The post-office w is not lo- cated here until 1877. The inn, in the beginning of the century, had for its sign " The White Horse," subse- quently changed to the " Half-Way House." Another public-house existed about half a mile farther up the road towards Harleysville, which ceased business in 1834. During the Revolution, Washington and the army were encamped in this immediate vicinity for eight days, chiefly on the Towamencin side. About half a mile west of the village was the Stouffer property, now owned by J. D. Alderfer, which had been in their possession a long time. In October, 1777, it was occupied by Mathias Stouffer, at whose house several of the American officers connected with the camp took lodgings. The road through the village did not exist at that time, but crossed the Skippack half a mile below, passing Stouffer's and entering the present road at the Mennonite meeting-house. This change was brought abont in straightening the old road.

Among the extensive industries of this section de- serving notice is the manufacture of clothing for the city trade, which had its rise under singular circum- stances. John Binder, a German tailor, residing on a small farm near Harleysville, in August, 1849, pro- cecded to Philadelphia with a small load of produce to help meet his expenses. Near Third and Market Streets was a clothing-store kept by a German, with whom he was acquainted. From him he secured some work to take home and make up in his family. On returning it he secured more, and so from the honest and faithful manner that he attended to it the busi- ness kept increasing, so he was offered more than he

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and his family could make. He then gave some of it out to other poor families of the neighborhood, until it became a remunerative business. He received the goods in a trunk and returned the clothing therein until sewing-machines became introduced, which enabled him to further enlarge the business. In the Rebellion he thus became enabled to take large con- tracts of making clothing for the army, so that his business from 1860 to 1863 amounted to $55,000 annually. His success had been such that he with- drew, and the business was taken up by others. His son, S. B. Binder, entered into it in April, 1874, haul- ing the goods every week in a wagon with one horse, but he soon after used a two-horse team and next three horses, until he has attained to four loads every week, making eight thousand four hundred garments or four hundred and thirty-six thousand eight hun- dred in a year, weighing over two hundred and ninety-one tons. Besides the aforesaid, the business is also followed by John Egolf, in Harleysville, and by John Lutz, who resides about a mile distant. There are also others engaged in the clothing manufacture in Perkiomen and other townships, which, it will be seen gives considerable employment to families at their own homes, and thus greatly adds to the pros- perity of the neighborhood, Mr. Binder alone now paying out annually for this labor nearly seventy thousand dollars. From the number of sewing-ma- chines now used, a repairer of them resides in Harleys- ville, who has thus been kept busy for several years past.

The Schwenkfelder Meeting-House .- The meet- ing-house of this denomination is situated in the eastern corner of the township, near Skippack Creek, and within a few yards of Towamencin line. The present edifice is a one-story stone building, erected in 1869, thirty-five by forty-six feet in dimensions, and stands about one hundred yards from the road, beside a wood. The graveyard is small in size, not covering a quarter of an acre of ground, but is kept in neat condition. The names on the tombstones are Heydrick or Heidrick, Fischer, Flin, Schreider, Hoff- man, Meschter, Kreibel, Weand and Faull. No stone was observed bearing an earlier date than 1801. Con- sidering the time of its establishment, the number of graves appear small. The Rev. George Weiss, the first minister, was buried here in March, 1740. The present pastor is the Rev. George Meschter, son of Christopher and Catherine Meschter, born March 28, 1808. He resides on a small farm adjoining, in Towa- mencin. The services here are still confined to the German language.

The congregation dates back to an early period, the members having settled around here probably in 1734, or soon after, for Mr. Weiss was formally made their minister in 1735 or the following year, in which capacity he served them until his death. He was succeeded by the Rev. Balthasar Hoffman, who re- mained in charge till near his death, which took place

in 1775, at the advanced age of eighty-nine years, and he is also buried here. Through the exertions of the Rev. Christopher Schultz a more complete organization of the church was effected which went into oper- ation in August, 1782. No edifice was expressly used by them for worship in the county until 1789; pre- viously for this purpose the society assembled at private houses, and in the absence of a pastor the services were conducted by one of the members. There was a school-house at this place, erected in 1764, which was also used by the members for worship down to the erection of the present meeting-house, in 1869. The school was kept in operation through a fund of seven hundred and fifty pounds, Pennsylvania cur- rency, raised by subscription, the interest of which was early applied for the purpose.

During the French and Indian war the members settled around here raised by subscription the hand- some sum of two hundred and sixty pounds in aid of the Friendly Association, to gain and preserve peace with the exasperated Indians on the frontiers. This paper was signed by forty-two persons, and is dated Lower Salford, November 13, 1756. They state therein "that they are a few families of a dispersed people from Silesia, who have always, under God's blessing, main- tained themselves by the labor of their hands, having been forced to leave their estates behind." The names of these subscribers are George Andrews, George Kriebel, Byer's Estate, George Heydrick, Balthasar Heydrick, Hans Heebner, George Hoffman, Christopher Hceb- ner, David Heebner, George Heebner, Caspar Hey- drick, Melchior Hartranft, Christopher Hoffman, Balthasar Hoffinan, Christopher Yeakle, Abraham Yeakle, Balthasar Yeakle, Caspar Kriebel, Balthasar Krauss, Christopher Kriebel, Melchior Kriebel, Chris- topher Krauss, George Dresher, Christopher Dresher, Melchior Meister, Christopher Meister, David Meister, Christopher Nenman, Christopher Reinwalt, Melchior Scholtz, George Scholtz, Gregorius Scholtz, David Scholtz, George Scholtz, Jr., Christopher Scholtz, Caspar Seipt, Johannes Yeakle, Christopher Yeakle, Maria Yeakle, Christopher Wagner, Hans Weigner and Melchior Weigner. These, no doubt, constituted the larger number of the denomination then residing within the present limits of the county to which it has in the past been almost confined. They are said to have become extinct now for some time in Europe. Hence the greater interest has been attached to their history here. They have always been a well-disposed and industrious people, remarkable, according to their lately published " Genealogical Record," for longevity.

The Salford Mennonite-Meeting House .- This place of worship is situated about one mile west of Harleysville, and was built in 1850 of stone, one story high, forty-five by fifty-five feet in dimensions. 1t stands on elevated ground, with ample shedding at- tached and an open, unfenced woods adjoining. Jo- siah Clemmer, the bishop, resides in Franconia and his diocese extends also over Lower Salford and

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

Towamencin. The ministers are Isaac C. Clemmer and Jacob C. Moyer ; Deacon, Jacob Kulp. The meni- bership is upwards of two hundred and fifty. The services are still exclusively confined to the German. The grounds attached to the meeting-house comprise |There is no graveyard here, the rock being so near ten acres, upon which is also erected a dwelling for the sexton.

The graveyard is large, and many have been buried here. The oldest tombstone observed bears the date of 1741 and another of 1760. The surnames which appear upon the stones are Alderfer, Kolb, Ober- holtzer, Frederick, Lederach, Freid, Detweiler, Gottschall, Höring, Clemer, Benner, Ritter, Kratz, Saylor, Zeigler, Neisz, Shelly, Schlafer, Krupp, built in 1843, in which worship is held on alternate Sundays.

Scholl, Metzger, Bean, Moyer, Clemense, Lukens, Heckler, Greisz, Sleiber, Merkle, Musselman, Stoll, Kensey, Schultz, Sauder, Groff, Snyder, Cassel, Berge, Springer, Schott, Halteman, Weber, Custer, Panne- backer. Weil, Metz, Deterey, Hunsberger, Hendricks, Rosenberger, Wampole, Richards, Hose, Nyce, Delp, Bealer, Lower, Wierman, Strunck, Butterweck, Trum- bauer and Tyson. The tombstones are of various sizes and designs, some being four and a half feet high, and the inscriptions are about as numerous now in English as in German. The Mennonites, though a plain people in dress, unlike the Society of Friends, permit individuals to exercise their own judgment respecting the size, inscription and pattern of their monuments, as may be observed in any of their cemeteries.

The congregation possesses no early records ; hence the time of the erection of the first house of worship here is uncertain. Some have made it as early as 1730, and it is probable that it goes back at least to 1741. Henry Ruth, whose residence was here from 1718 to 1747, mentions, in a deed to Christian Stouffer, that one acre had been taken out for the use of a Mennon- ite meeting-house ground, without giving any date. Some have supposed the present meeting-house the . become extinct. The Price family here has furnished third erected here. The one torn down in 1850 is represented as a very ancient-looking structure. Among the ministers here in the past have been Oberholtzer, Christian Haldeman, Isaac Alderfer John Bergey and Jacob Kulp. The Mennonites are a numerous body in Lower Salford and the adjoin- ing townships of Franconia, Hatfield, Towamencin and Perkiomen. As a people, they show a strong attachment to an agricultural life, being prudent man- agers, excellent farmers and supporting their own poor.

The Salford Dunkard Meeting-House .- This meeting-house is situated near the extreme northern corner of the township, on the turnpike leading to Sumneytown, and on the west side of Indian Creek which name has also been applied to this congrega- tion. The present substantial house of worship was built in 1851, of stone, thirty-eight by fifty-six feet in dimensions, with a basement kitchen and fire- place for the purpose of holding love-feasts and communions. The present ministers are William P.

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History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 205

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