History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 227

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 227

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The Trinity Christian Church, at Freeland, has a fine, large stone church buikling. This church was founded in 1854. Rev. Abraham Hunsicker, a bishop of the Mennonite Church, on account of his advanced

UPPER PROVIDENCE TOWNSHIP.

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views on education, communion and other matters, was prevented from preaching in the Mennonite Churches at Skippack, Worcester and Providence, in the year 1851. He and his adherents, therefore, con- stituted themselves a new body, and proceeded to erect a church building at Freeland, upon land do- nated by Mr. Hunsicker. The building was finished and consecrated in 1855. It was first called "Christian Meeting," and the congregation was chartered as " The Christian Society of Freeland." There was no regular minister. Rev. Abraham Hunsicker, who preached in German, and Rev. Israel Beidle, who preached in English, assisted by Rev. Henry A. Hunsicker, made themselves responsible for the relig- ious services. Thus matters continued for several years. On May 24, 1861, a council was organ- ized by electing deacons and elders. The first conneil consisted of : Minis- ters, Henry A. Hun- sicker and Joseph HI. Hendricks; El- ders, Gideon Fet- terolf and Abraham Ilendricks ; Dea- cons, Henry D. Swartly and Daniel II. Reiff. At the s:une time arrange- ments were made for five ministers to alternate in preach- ing in the following order: Revs. Israel Beidler, Henry A. Ilunsieker, Abra- ham Hunsicker, Abraham Grater and Joseph H. Hen- dricks.

held, the other a small one for prayer-meetings and business meetings, The second floor is the main au- dience-room. The church is not connected with any other denomination, being entirely independent. There is a church at Skippackville, Perkiomen town- ship, which is a branch of the Freeland Church, both being in the same charge and served by the same pastor. The church is liberal in its creed, yet strictly orthodox, recognizing all Christian Churches as parts of the true church. It has a membership of about three hundred and fifty.

The Dunkard Meeting-House, at Green Tree, was built in 1833. In 1831 a congregation was here organized, with Revs: John H. Umstad and Isaac Price as ministers, and a church was ereeted, in 1833, on lands donated by Mr. Umstad. It is a large one story stone building. At present there is a large congregation worshiping there, with the Rev. Mr. Myers as pastor. The cemetery was enlarged in 1858.

REV. HENRY MELCHIOR MUHLENBERG.

It was not until 1862 that a regular pastor was | This is nearly one hundred years old, being bequeathed elected, when the Rev. Joseph H. Hendricks was called to fill this position. He had been ordained to the ministry June 23, 1861, but entered upon his duties of pastor April I, 1862. Since that time he has filled that position acceptably to his people, hav- ing, in all these years, missed but one appointment, and that by reason of sickness. In 1862 the title of the congregation was changed to "Trinity Christian Church at Freeland."

The church building was considerably enlarged and somewhat remodeled during the summer of 1874, and was rededicated October 3 and 4, 1874. The build- ing is two stories high ; the basement is divided into two rooms : a large one in which the Sunday-school is

On tombstones are found the follow- ing names : Bean, Davis, Dettra, Got- wals, Keyser, Mil- ler, Oberholzer, Rodda, Sehranger, Schrack, Shunk, Unstad and Walt. Near the Lime- Tiek line and the borough of Royer's Ford is situate the Dismants' burying- ground, being in- closed with a wall, by the Dismants, who were the first settlers in that locality. Several of the Dismants have made bequests to have the ground put in proper shape. There are here buried the Ranibos, Dismants, Tysons, Stahls and others. Just back of the Lutheran Church, Trappe, there is a small brick building used as a house of wor- ship by the Evangelical Association. It is of recent founding and has a fair-sized congregation.

PROMINENT PERSONAGES .- A number of the resi- dents of this township have attained distinguished hon- ors in county, State and nation, among whom are the lowing: Rev. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, born at Eimbeck, Hanover, September 6, 1711. In 1738 he graduated from the University of Göttingen.

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

He arrived in Philadelphia November 25, 1742, and immediately assumed the pastorate of the three Lu- theran congregations at Philadelphia, Providence and New Hanover. On December 26th he first preached at Trappe. He was married to Anna Maria, daughter of the celebrated Indian interpreter, Colonel Conrad Weiser, on April 30, 1745, and shortly after this moved to Providence, where they remained until 1761. Through his exertions the old Trappe Church was built in 1743. In 1776, Muhlenberg moved back to Trappe, and lived there through the exciting times

TOMB OF GENERAL PETER MUHLENBERG.

of the Revolution, an ardent patriot. His work was not confined to the churches named, but he became the overseer of all the Lutheran Churches in Pennsyl- vania, New York and New Jersey. On May 27, 1784, the University of Pennsylvania conferred on Father Muhlenberg the title of Doctor of Sacred Theology. October 7, 1787, he went to his reward, and was buried near the old church he had built.

General Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg, eldest son of Rev. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, was born at Trappe October 1, 1746. He was educated at Halle, Germany, and was ordained a minister in 1768. He was stationed in Virginia in 1776, at the breaking out of the Revolution. It was here he delivered his powerful sermon on the "duties to country," after which he threw off his robe and appeared before his people a girded warrior. A company of volunteers was raised there and then. He served throughout the war, and rose by merit to the rank of brigadier-general. In 1775 he was elected Vice-President of Pennsylvania, and was re-elected. He served in the First, Third and other Congresses with ability. In 1797 he was a mem-

ber of the State Assembly. In 1801 was chosen United States Senator from Pennsylvania, which honor he resigned the following year. On April 22, 1800, he was appointed major-general of Pennsylvania militia for seven years, and from 1803 to 1807 served as collector of the port of Philadelphia. He died October 1, 1807, leaving two sons. Peter was a major in the war of 1812 and Francis a Representative in Congress from Ohio. A few years ago General Muhlenberg's statue was placed in the National Gallery, at Washington, D. C., as Pennsylvania's most distinguished soldier.

Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg was boru at Trappe Jannary 2, 1750. Like his brother, he was educated at Halle and became pastor of a church in New York. In 1784 he was appointed judge of

Montgomery County. He was president of the State convention in 1787 that adopted the Federal Constitu- tion. He was the first Speaker of the National House of Representatives, being twice elected to that position, and was twice a candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania. He died in 1802.

Gottlieb Henry Ernst Muhlenberg was born at Trappe November 17, 1753. He accompanied his two «Idler brothers to Halle when nine years of age, where he remained until he was eighteen. Returning in 1770, he became pastor of the Lutheran Church in Philadelphia, and afterwards of Providence and Now Hanover. While settled in the county he devoted all his spare time to botany and mineralogy, and be- came one of the greatest American botanists, He died in 1815. Many of the descendants of these old Muhlenberg patriots have risen to eminence in the ministry, the law and in politics, but want of space forbids their mention.

Franeis R. Shunk was born near Trappe August 7, 1788. His grandfather, of the same name, was men- tioned as one of the first settlers of Providence. The parents of Franeis were poor, and he was early com- pelled to support himself, which he did by teaching school and working on the farm. In 1829 he was appointed as clerk of the eanal commissioners of Pennsylvania, and in 1838 Secretary of State by Gov- ernor Porter. In 1844 he was elected Governor of the commonwealth and re-elected in 1847, but almost immediately resigned on account of ill health. He ‹lied July 20, 1848, and was buried in the Lutheran Churchyard, Trappe. A handsome marble shaft was erected to his memory in 1851 by the citizens of the State.

General Francis Swaine was a resident of the township, was sheriff from 1787 to 1790 and was the first president of Montgomery County Bank.

Gottlieb Mittelberger, who lived in the township for several years, deserves notice. He brought with him from Germany the organs in the Lutheran Churches at Philadelphia, New Hanover and Trappe, parts of which last remain to this day. He was lib- erally educated as a linguist and musician. He ar- rived in 1750, October 10th, and for four years resided

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in Providence, holding the position of organist and schoolmaster in the Lutheran Church, and gave pri- vate instructions in music and the German language at the house of Captain John Diemer. On his return to Germany he wrote a very interesting account of

ground Railroad ; " Henry A. Hunsicker, the founder of Freeland Seminary (now Ursinus College); Rev. J. H. A. Bomberger, D.D., president of Ursinus Col- lege; Professor J. Warrene Sunderland, LL.D., founder of Pennsylvania Female College; and Pro- fessor Abel Rambo, for many years county superin- tendent, and now principal of Washington Hall Boarding-School.

Upper Providence lays claim to the first temperance organization in the county. On the 7th of June, 1817, a number of the farmers, Quakers and Dunkards, met at the Green Tree school-house, and organized a tem- perance society by electing Jonas Umstad chairman and James White secretary. Among the resolutions adopted was the following:

" We will not consider it a practice or custom to give liquors to laborers, or make use of any spirituons liquors in haying or harvest, or any other work, or knowingly suffer it to be used by laborers while in our employ ; provided further, that such action is not intended to prohibit the medi- cipal use of it."

Some time after this Jonas Umstad, John Barnett and Samuel Horning certify "that most of them have abstained without any ill, but with manifest good effects." The township has since maintained its tem- perance proclivities, being the only township in the county that gave a majority "against license" in the local option vote in 1873, and a large majority it was

The Lutherans at Trappe deserve the honor of SHUNK MONUMENT. founding the first school and building the first school- house. Before the first church was built, in 1743, a his sojourn in America, which was published in Ger- log school-house was erected, in which, for several man in 1756. Parts of the book have been recently years, Father Muhlenberg himself taught one week translated and published by Mr. Henry S. Dotterer, in three, nntil relieved by Mr. Mittleberger, who of Philadelphia. taught for several years. Francis Murphy, an Irish- man of learning, taught in this school-house for very many years, dying in 1855 at the advanced age of eighty-three. It is almost impossible to collect any sprang up for a short time and then died out.

Wright A. Bringhurst was born and lived at Trappe. He was a man of intelligence, and served in the Leg- islature of Pennsylvania. He left a large estate to the township of Upper Providence and the boroughis | definite information in regard to the schools that of Norristown and Pottstown, the income of which is intended for the destitute of these districts.

Hlon. Jacob Fry, Jr., born at Trappe, 1802, was a member of Congress from this district, 1834-38, and auditor-general of the State, 1857-60.

Hon. Joseph Royer, born near Trappe February, 1784, lived his whole life in Providence, was a mem- ber of the Legislature, 1821-22, associate judge of Montgomery County and several times a candidate for Congress. Two of his sons have since represented the county in the State Senate. Horace Royer was elected Senator in 1865 and Lewis Royer in 1878.

Among others worthy of note should be mentioned Hon. Samuel Gross, member of State Legislature, 1803-8, State Senator, 1811-14, of Congress, 1818-22; Rev. Abraham Hunsicker, bishop of the Mennonist Church, and founder of Trinity Christian Church, Freeland; Hon. Abraham Brower, State Senator, | paid per month is forty-five dollars.

1840-43; Rev. John H. Umstad, a preacher of the Dunkards; William W. Taylor, a noted anti-slavery advocate, and one in the line of the famous " Under-

About 1827 there was something of a regular system of pay-schools introduced into the township. The teachers were paid two dollars per scholar for a term of three months, or seventy-two days. The lowest branches only were taught. Upper Providence ac- cepted the Common-School Act about 1844, paying at that time a salary of seventy dollars for a term of thirteen weeks. The villages of Trappe, Freeland and Collegeville were erected into an independent common-school district by the court of Montgomery County on the 23d day of February, 1880. It is called "The Trappe Independent District." It contains two school-honses and four schools. The length of term is seven months, and salary is forty dollars per month. in the township there are eleven school-houses and twelve schools. The term is eight months, and salary

In addition to its public schools the township boasts of two regularly chartered colleges-viz., Pennsyl- vania Female College and Ursinns College, now open

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to both sexes, and one academy, Washington Hall Boarding-School. These are treated of in full under the chapter of Colleges. To speak of them here would be repetition. About 1834 a private academy was lo- cated at Port Providence.

In February, 1809, a public meeting was called to meet at the school-house, near Joseph Cox's, for the and Sarah H., now the wife of Rev. Henry W. Super, purpose of establishing a public library. Nothing D.D., vice-president of Ursinus College. can now be ascertained in regard to its success.

The county almshouse is situate in Upper Provi- dence, but as this is treated of in another place in this history, it is unnecessary to treat it more fully here.

Francis. In 1791 it again descended to the next gen- eration, and Moses Hobson lived there until 1831, when his son, Francis Hobson, came into possession. This Francis, who was the father of the subject of this sketch, was married, in 1829, to Mary Matilda Bring- hurst, by whom he had two children,-Frank M

Mr. Hobson completed a common English educa- tion at Washington Hall, Trappe. He taught public school three years at Trappe, and in 1856 moved to Freeland, where he kept a general store, which busi-

Frank M. Hollow

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

FRANK M. HOBSON.

Frank M. Hobson, of Collegeville, Montgomery Co., Pa., was born January 22, 1830, in Limerick township, said county. The farm upon which he was born and spent the first years of his life had been in the Hobson family since 1743, and consisted of two hundred and sixty-eight acres of the finest land in the township. Francis Hobson was the first of the family to settle in Montgomery County, having come front New Garden township, Chester Co. He lived on the farm from 1743 to 1748, when it' descended to his son

ness he pursued for twenty-four years, until 1880, since which time he has lived a retired life.

During these years he also engaged in surveying and conveyancing, besides acting in the capacity of administrator or executor in a large number of estates, conspicuous among which is the estate of his uncle, Wright A. Bringhurst.

Mr. Bringhurst left about one hundred and ten thousand dollars to the boroughs of Norristown and Pottstown and the township of Upper Providence for the benefit of the worthy poor of these districts. He was also one of the trustees named in the will, and af- terwards reappointed by the Montgomery County

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Court, whose duty it is to manage the trust. He has also frequently acted in other fiduciary capacities.

Ile has also filled the following public offices and trusts : Postmaster at Freeland, seven years ; school director, six years; township auditor, three years ; an officer in the Trinity Christian Church, twenty-two years ; secretary and treasurer of Ursinus College, ten years; director of Iron Bank, of Phoenixville, two years ; director in First National Bank, of Nor- ristown, seven years ; treasurer of Building and Loan Association, eleven years. He has recently been elected president of the Perkiomen and Reading Turnpike Road Company.

Mr. Hobson has been independent in polities. Starting life a Democrat, he so remained until 1854, when he left that party on account of its striving to force slavery into the free Territories of the nation. Since that time he has been a Republican. During the reconstruction of the Southern States he opposed, in opposition to his party, the granting of the right 01 suffrage to the negro until he had properly qualified himself by nature and education to exercise this high prerogative. To-day he is of the opinion that the de- velopments of the past twenty years have shown that his position was the correct one.

Mr. Hobson was married, October 8, 1856, to Lizzie Gotwalts, daughter of Jacob and Esther Gotwalts, of Upper Providence township. They have but two children,-Freeland G .. now in his twenty-eighth year. and Mary MI., several years younger. Freeland G. graduated at Ursinus College in 1876, was admitted to the Montgomery County bar in 1880, and is now engaged in the practice of his profession at Norris- town. In 1881 he was married to E'la M., daughter of Rev. Joseph H. Hendricks, by whom he has one child, Frank H.

REV. ABRAHAM HUNSICKER.1

One of the most eminent and respectable German families in Montgomery County is that whose surname stands at the head of this page. The record of its em- igration is that Valentine Hunsieker, a native of Swit- zerland-a nation which has preserved its freedom and independence a thousand years-came to the United States in 1717, and about 1720 settled in what was then called Van Bebber, since Skippack, now Perkio- men township. Ile is probably the progenitor of all of the name in Montgomery County. The next gen- eration in the direct line was Henry Hunsicker, whose wife, Esther, was the daughter of John Det- wiler. These were the parents of Rev. Abraham Hunsicker, the subject of this biography, who was born July 31, 1793, in East Perkiomen township, Montgomery Co., Pa. His ancestors being followers of Menno Simon, a plain, unworldly seet, most of whom grew up to undervalue liberal education "as of the world," Abraham Hunsicker enjoyed but the

most limited educational advantages. When grown up, he felt the disadvantages of the want of scholastic training, and being of a strong natural endowment, early conceived the idea of reforming his religious brethren in reference to that subjeet.

On May 30, 1816, he was married to Elizabeth Alderfer, and there were born to them ten children, as follows: Ann, married to John B. Landis; Ben- jamin A., to Hannah Detwiler; Esther, first mar- ried to Abrahanı Detwiler, and afterwards to Gid- eon Fetterolf; llenry A., married first to Mary Weinberger, and afterwards to Anne C. Gotwals; Abraham H., married to Rachel Rittenhouse; Eliz- abeth, wife of Franeis R. Hunsicker; Elias A., married to Susan F. Moyer; Mary A., widow of Rev. Jared T. Preston; Catharine A., wife of Rev. Joseph I1. Hendricks, pastor of Trinity Church, Free- land; Horace M., who married Eliza Cosgrove. All the children of Abraham and Elizabeth Hunsicker, except Benjamin, the eldest son, who died in 1855, are living. Two sons reside in Philadelphia, two in Montgomery County, a daughter in Bucks County, and the others near the place of their birth.

Abraham Hunsicker was ordained a minister of the Mennonist Church January 1, 1847, and soon after was elected a bishop. About that time a schism occurred in the Mennonite body, and Rev. Mr. Hun- «jeker was separated from the "old school" or con- servative class of the society. In 1851 a second division took place, when Mr. Hunsicker set about organizing anew. He issued a pamphlet entitled " A Statement of Facts and Summary of Views on Morals and Religion, as related with Suspension from the Mennonite Meeting." In this he portrayed the ex- cellence of that Christian charity and toleration which should prevail among religious denominations, as clearly set forth in the teachings and example of Christ. Ile deplored to the elose of his life the unduc tenacity evinced by most Christian sects for non- essentials in Christian doctrine, thus keeping them apart, instead of drawing them to co-operate in the great work of saving souls.

Though brought up a Mennonite, under a rigid discipline which forbade marriage with any outside of the meeting, prohibiting members also from going to law to recover property, and regarding a liberal education as not only unnecessary, but dangerous, he was strongly impressed with a sense of duty to labor to modify and correct these traditional views. He believed that whatever ground might have ex- isted in early ages of the church for striet adherence to such rules, the time for a change had come.

About the time of his ordination (1847) as bishop of the Mennonites of the district of Skippack, Provi- dence and Methachen he conceived the idea, in con- nection with his son, Rev. Henry A. Hunsicker, of founding a boarding-school to furnish his people better means of education. This was accomplished in 1848 by the erection, upon land which belonged to him, of

1 Ange's " Men of Montgomery County."

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

the extensive buildings now occupied as Ursinus College. At the head of this school his son, Henry A., who was shortly after ordained a minister, wa; placed, together with able assistants. The supervisory charge of bishop, which he now held, had been filled for many years previously by his father, Rev. Henry Hunsicker, Sr., who died in 1836, at the advanced age of eighty-five years, after fifty-four years' service as minister. Holding it to be the right and privilege of women, as well as men, to be liberally educated, he proposed, in 1851, in conjunction with Professor J. W. Sunderland, to found Montgomery Female Insti- tute (now Pennsylvania Female College) near by, which was also in due time accomplished.

These proceedings in the cause of education, and other liberal views held by Mr. Hunsicker, led to division in the Mennonite body of the locality, and he proceeded at once to organize Trinity Christian Church of Freeland and to build a new house of wor- ship, he tendering the ground for the purpose. This enterprise was accomplished in 1853. society in which he had been raised, he regarded Sunday-schools as a necessary adjunct of the church, and soon had a flourishing school connected with the meeting. In a missionary spirit he planted a Re- formed Church and school at Skippackville, which, like the Freeland society, has flourished, and both are ministered to by his son-in-law, Rev. Joseph H. Hendricks. These societies differ from old-school Mennonites not only in the matters before stated, but in holding protracted meetings, with a view of gather- ing in the unconverted.

which he labored to establish ; hence he was ever im- patient of meaningless customs and traditions founded on the letter, but destroying the spirit of the gospel. Accordingly, he was an advocate of free communion among evangelical sects, and set the example in the church to which he ministered. He continued to wear the plain Mennonite garb while he lived, but was not prepossessed in its favor, rather holding at- tire to be a thing of religious liberty, as he also thought of the form of baptism. He held, however, that the pouring on of water was the significant form of the rite, but would have every one act on his or her conscientious convictions in the matter.

He was of such clear judgment and so untrammeled

in thought that he followed the Divine word as he understood it. He was of a mild and generous nature, and yet uncompromising in what he regarded as vital ; so that he may be set down as one of the gen- uine reformers of our day. In alms-giving he was free to a fault. Although he differed from his old Men- nonite brethren in many things, he had the most ex- uberant charity for those who differed from him in their attachment to forms and dogma.

In person he was tall and stoutly built, weighing over two hundred pounds, with a face expressive of honesty, force and resolution ; his forehead was mas- sive, and his temperament sanguine-bilious, indicat- ing power and endurance ; his complexion was dark, but ruddy ; he enjoyed good health, as a consequence of a good constitution, vivacious spirits and temperate living ; he was eminently social, finding enjoyment in the company of young or old alike, and ever giving appropriate advice and counsel to all.

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History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 227

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