History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 235

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 235

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time to come. But when it came to agreeing upon a name, the unanimity of the meeting was at once broken up, the advocates of the different names be- coming very much excited, and each vehemently insisting upon the adoption of his favorite name. It becoming evident, after a long discussion, that neither party could command a majority of the votes of the meeting for the name desired by it, a compromise was effected, by which it was agreed to adjourn the meeting for a week, and to invite all either in or out of the village who felt an interest in the matter to attend.

Notice of the adjourned meeting was accordingly published, and as each party had been busy in advo- eating its cause, the meeting proved large and en- thusiastic. After another heated discussion the vote was finally taken, when the name of Pennsburg was adopted by a considerable majority over its compet- itors. The proceedings were ordered to be published in the Bauern Freund, at that time published in Sumneytown, and from thenceforth Pennsburg was the name under which the village has grown and pros- pered. At that time the village contained twelve houses scattered along the road, in one of which was a country store. It also had a blacksmith-shop, a carpenter-shop, and some out-buildings. The tavern was wanting. There had formerly been a tavern kept in the large two-story store building at the crossing of the Pottstown and Quakertown roads, but for want of patronage this had for several years been abandoned. It was not till the year 1847 that a tavern was again opened in the place, when Mr. George Graber put up the large two-story frame building, which was licensed the same year, and which has since been kept as a tavern by the name of the Pennsburg Hotel.

For many years before the village was named there was a post-office established and kept at a house in the lower end of the place, at present owned by Mr. Aaron Griesemer, which was called Upper Hanover post-office. At that time there was a weekly mail to aud from Philadelphia, by which a person could with reasonable certainty count upon getting an answer to a letter sent to any part of the State in from two to four weeks. About the year 1840 the post-office was moved to the house before mentioned as having been a tavern, where it was kept till 1866, when it was moved to the store of Jacob Hillegass, Sr., where it is kept at present. The name of the post-office was changed to Pennsburg about the year 1850. The first improvement in mail service was a tri-weekly mail from Philadelphia to Hereford and return, established about twenty-five years ago, which passed through the village. Then came a daily mail over the same route, after which auother daily mail was established from Pennsburg, by way of Quakertown, to Philadel- phia and return. These services were kept up till the opening of the Perkiomen Railroad rendered a change necessary. At the present time the mail ser- vice consists of two daily mails from Pennsburg to

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Philadelphia and return, one by the Perkiomen Rail- road and the other by the way of Quakertown and the North Pennsylvania Railroad. A daily mail is made up from Pennsburg to Hereford, and a tri- weekly mail from Pennsburg, by way of Hillegassville, Pleasant Run, Douglas and Frederick, to New Han- over and return.

In 1851 a lodge of Independent Order of Odd-Fel- lows was opened in the village which now numbers one hundred aud seventy-five members, and meets on Saturday evening of every week. An encampment of the same order has been established, which meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. Penns- burg contains upwards of one hundred dwelling-houses, two potteries, two blacksmith-shops, one wheelwright- shop, one butcher-shop, two carpenter-shops, two cooper-shops, one fine school-house, one brick church (occupied jointly by a Lutheran and a Reformed congregation), a printing-office (at which the Bauern Freund und Pennsburg Democrat is published, also the Perkiomen Valley Press), a steam brick-yard where bricks are manufactured by machinery, a steam l'elloe manufactory, a large steam planing-mill and sash-factory and numerous out-buildings. There are in the place a hotel, a restaurant, two large country stores, a hardware and drug-store, a shoe manufactory employing a number of hands, and a tinware and stove-store. Several trades in addition to those enu- merated are carried on in the place. William M. Stauffer began the manufacture of cigars here about 1870, and later John Dimmig, J. M. Keller and Wil- liam M. Jacobs entered the business. About sixty persons are employed in this industry, and four mil- lions of cigars are made annually. The Perkiomen Railroad Company have erected here a large and convenient depot, and have also put up a large frame engine-house, cattle-pen and the necessary sidings. Messrs. Hillegass & Mensch have opened a coal, lime and lumber-yard near the depot.

The railroad facilities enjoyed by this village have greatly increased the value of property. Streets are being opened, building-lots laid out, which, when offered for sale, command excellent prices, and the idea of those who named the place, "that it was to become the largest and most important town in the valley," is fast being realized.

Palm Station or village is situated on the Goshen- hoppen and Green Lane turnpike, between two and three miles northwest of East Greenville. The main highway is here intersected by a cross-road leading to the Schwenkfeld meeting-house, and the Perkiomen Railroad passes within a few hundred yards of the turnpike. The village has its hotel, store, post-office and station, with mechanic industries and a number of dwellings, most of which appear to have been re- cently built. The village is pleasantly located near the base of the Hosensack Hills, and near where the Hosensack Creek empties into the head-waters of the Perkiomen. The surrounding country is well

improved, and the station is one of considerable importance to the community.

Kleinville, so named from two brothers by the name of Klein, who owned several farms in the vicinity, is nicely located on a straight and level piece of the turnpike road. It is a rather scattered village, containing about fifteen houses, most of which are neat and comfortable farm-houses, surrounded by the usual farm buildings. We here find the tavern, the store, blacksmith-shop, shoemaker-shop and several useful trades.

Hillegassville is divided into two parts, each of which is apparently about to set up for itself and to repudiate the old name. The upper part of the vil- lage consists of a hotel and several dwellings. The hotel was built about fifty years ago by George Hille- gass, who died shortly after its erection. It then, with a large traet of land, passed into the hands of his sons, who, several years back, sold the hotel, with abont eighty acres of land, to Henry N. Hevener. This part of the village is but a fourth of a mile from Hanover Station, on the Perkiomen Railrord, and Mr. Thomas B. Hillegass, the owner of the land on the north side of the public road leading from the hotel to the station, has laid out his front in building- lots, several of which have been sold to parties who intend to erect buildings thereon. The upper and lower parts of the village are divided by a tract of farm-land of more than a quarter of a mile in length, making the two parts of the village more than a quarter of a mile apart. Some years ago a post-office was established at a place called Red Hill, a hill on the turnpike road about a mile below Hillegassville. At that time a store was kept there, the proprietor of which selling out, and there being no other place for the post-office, it was removed to the store in the lower part of Hillegassville, which at once adopted the name of Red Hill. This part of the village was commenced in 1836 by Jacob A. Hillegass, now deceased, who in that year built a large store and dwelling-house and a large barn and out-houses, which were occupied in the spring of 1837. Subse- quently he put up other buildings in the place. This part of the village contains about a dozen dwellings, a school-house belonging to Upper Hanover District, a blacksmith-shop, a tailor-shop, a cigar manufactory and other buildings. This is the last of the villages in the basin through which the Perkiomen, the Northwest Branch and the Macoby Creeks flow.

There are eleven public schools in Upper Hanover, including the independent school district of Penns- burg. The regular school term is five months, nine teachers (all male) being employed at a salary of thirty-two dollars per month. When Pennsburg was formed into an independent school district a large two-story brick school-house was erected at a cost of four thousand dollars, which is conveniently fitted up and is an ornament to the place. Two schools are organized in this building, for which two teachers, one

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

male and one female, are employed, the former at a salary of fifty dollars and the latter thirty-two dollars per month. The school term is six months. The en- tire number of pupils in attendance upon the pub- lie schools in the township is four hundred and sixty- six.

The number of taxables is 628; value of improved lands, $1,305,970; value of unimproved lands, $74,- 540; value of 540 horses, $33,615; value of 1205 cat- tle, $35,360; total value of property taxable for county purposes, $1,511,705.

The following, from the mercantile appraiser's list of 1884, gives an accurate idea of the present business places in this township: Joseph B. Bechtel, live- stock; Frank Bachman, butcher ; William Christ- man, live stock ; William Diel, stoves ; B. B. Emery, merchandise; M. K. Gilbert, merchandise; D. K. Graber & Brother, stock ; S. P. Hillegas & Co., live- stock ; M. H. Houch, merchandise ; Hillegas & Heyner, flour and feed ; J. G. Hillegas, lumber and coal ; John G. Hillegas, flour and feed; William Hiestand, coal; William Hiestand, flour and feed; Charles Kentz, coal and feed ; D. S. Kern, sewing-machines ; Krause, Brother & Lesher, flour and feed; Milton Kern, butcher ; John Kepler, flour and feed; Kline & Brother, flour and feed; S. G. Mensch, hardware; John Mack, merchandise; Wilson Ritter, live-stock ; Jesse Rodenberger, live-stock ; E. Senkle, butcher ; F. S. Schelley, merchandise; J. F. Seasholtz, live- stock ; M. Snyder, flour and feed ; W. H. Trump, coal and lumber; W. H. Trump, flour and feed ; Charles Void, boots and shoes ; William A. Welker, merchan- dise; J. Yergey, flour and feed; C. A. Miller, buteher ; Peter S. Renninger, live-stock; Henry Schwenk, live-stock ; Henry Stahsel, truck and fruit ; F. K. Walt, boots and shoes.

Reformed Church of Goshenhoppen .- About one mile west of East Greenville, and close to the east bank of the Perkiomen, stauds the Reformed Church of New Goshenhoppen.1

The reason of its location at this point was owing to the donation of six acres of land for graveyard purposes by John Henry Sproegel at the opening of the eighteenth century. It is impossible to fix the date of this benevolent aet more definitely. It is known from the publie entries that the Sproegel brothers entered the province of Pennsylvania as Hollanders, and that they were naturalized in 1705. By several purchases they acquired thirteen thousand acres of land, which was known for many years as the "Sproegel Manor." A part of the domain em-

braced Upper and New Hanover townships. Their homestead of six hundred acres lay in Pottsgrove. In the neighborhood of Pottstown, on the bank of the Schuylkill, the Sproegel burying-grounds are still to he seen. The six acres which were donated for burial purposes were given to the Reformed, Lutheran and Mennonite denominations, and were used by the several parties till quite a late period. Tradition establishes the German Reformed Church at New Goshenhoppen as early as 1716, but, adhering to the first church records, of which there is certain knowl- edge, it is only safe to date its organization from the opening of the book. In 1731 the following preface was written : " A Record of the names of the Fathers of Families who belong to the congregation at New Goshenhoppen."

Catologue of names: John Steinman, Henry Gall- man, John Bingeman, Joh. George Welker, Bene- dict Strohm, Philip Emmert, John Hut,, Abraham Transu, Aredreas Graber, Philip Ried, George Mesz, John George Pfalsgraff, Jacob Fischer, Paul Staab, Wendel Wiandt, Herman Fischer, Conrad Colb, John Michael Roeder, John Michael Moll, Frederick Hil- legass, John Bartholemaus Kucker, Michael Lutz, Andreas Loehr, George Mirtz, Michael Fabian, Henry Jung, Philip Jacob Shellhammer, Loenhart Fuozf, Jacob Fnozf, Caspar Lamm, Caspar Holtzhauser, Michael Zimmerman, Baltasar Hut, Michael Lefy, Jacob Maurer, Frederick Maurer, Christian Fnozf, Frederick Pfanenbeker, Benedict Raderly, Valentine Griesemer, Lorentz Hartman, George Philip Dotder, Jacob Meyer, Daniel Lanar, Peter Walzer. Some of the emigrants whose names had been entered in this early church-roll had arrived prior to 1727. Quite a goodly number of this colony are still represented in the congregation by their posterity. Of these are especially to be noted the Hillegasses, Grabers, Molls, Reids, Griesemers, Welkers, Wiandts, Youngs, Maurers, Roeders, Pannebeckers, Kolbs, Fishers, Kuckers, Lefys, Moyers and others. The church at this time had a membership of about one hundred and thirty-five persons. The bulk of these original members had been to the Germanic churches what the Pilgrim Fathers were to the Puritans in America.

With these Pilgrim Fathers of the Reformed Church in the New World, we count the primitive members of the German Reformed congregation at New Goshen- hoppen. Johann Heinrich Goetschy, who brought a number of Swiss to this country about the year 1731, is accredited with being the first minister of this congregation.

The pastors-Boehm, who had arrived in 1720, and Weiss, who piloted a colony of Palatinates in 1727 to Pennsylvania-doubtless installed Goetschy in his large field, the various points of which were Skip- pack, Old Goshenhoppen, Egypt, Maxatawny, Masil- lon, Oley, Bern, Tulpehocken, Great Swamp, Saucon, and here at New Goshenhoppen. Pastor Goetschy was a learned man, being familiar with the Holland,

1 The region known aa "Goshenhoppen" ia a part of Perkiomen Valley, and comprisea two sections,-Old and New Goshenhoppen. The division of the territory does not imply an earlier and later occupancy, aince the whole was aettled simultaneously ; but that the southern por- tion (Old) was brought into note somewhat sooner than the northern part (New) in consequence of its proximity to Philadelphia. Since the date of the oldest record extant Goshenhoppen haa been variously written, viz. : Quesohopen, Cossehoppa, Coshenhoppen, Coshahopin, Cowissahopen, Coschehoppe, Goshenhoppen.

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German, Latin and Greek languages, and was a most diligent worker. His pastorate seems to have closed in 1739. It is not to be unmistakably inferred that Dominie Goetschy had really been the first pastor at New Goshenhoppen. All that can be declared is that he opened the church register in a regular way. Pastor Weiss may have been the pioneer and founder of the congregation, and he may have placed Pastor Goetschy in the field after an organiza- tion had been effected under his hand, for he was familiar with the whole Reformed field at that day, and subsequently became closely identified with this charge. Pastor Weiss was born at Stebbeck, in Necherthal, Germany, about 1700. He was educated at Heidelberg well and thoroughly, and licensed in 1725. He emigrated in 1727. Ministering in Phila- delphia and visiting outlying points for the purpose of organizing congregations in various localities, sueh as Skippack especially, he returned to Holland in 1729, in company with Elder Reiff, of the latter point, to collect funds for church-building. In 1731, Domi- nie Weiss returned to America, Elder Reiff remain- ing abroad still longer. Instead of returning to Skip- paek, we find him operating in the State of New York from 1731-35, the reason for which being thus ac- counted for : The Rev. John Philip Boehm, who had emigrated in 1720, already had, as a schoolmaster, per- formed ministerial functions at the earnest solicita- tions of the people and flocks scattered over the prov- ince. Dominie Weiss could not endure such an ir- regular course. A long quarrel ensued between the two men and the several parties siding with them. Opposition organizations were forming. Weiss' trip to Holland was directly occasioned by a desire to gain funds for the church edifice at Skippack. Mean- while Boehm was ordained, in the wake of which act a reconciliation was effected and the opposition ceased. Consequently Weiss sought another field on his return. In 1746 he returned to Pennsylvania, according to the records extant. He commeneed his labors now at Goshenhoppen (New and Old) and Great Swamp, in Montgomery and Lehigh Counties (then Bucks), re- ceiving an annual salary of forty pounds and con- tinued in this charge until the day of his death, in 1763. His tomb is inclosed in the churchyard at New Goshenhoppen.

Comparing the roll of membership which Pastor Goetschy entered with that of Pastor Weiss, an addition of a number of emigrants is noticed, whose names were mingled with those of the primitive colony. Although they were all possessed of a religious mind and identified with the Christian Church in the Old World, it must not be forgotten that the Reformed colonies planting themselves over the province of Pennsylvania during the early period of its history were a chaotic body.

Many and severe were the trials of the zealous and cultured Dominie Weiss in organizing the masses into congregations. They were suspicious of ecclesiastical

enslavement and imposition above all things. When Pastor Weiss presented his ordination certificate in Latin they ignored it, and obliged him to secure a German copy, which they could themselves read, ere they con- fided in him. It was during Pastor Weiss' term that the six acres which John Henry Sproegel had originally donated as a burying-ground to the Reformed Lutheran and Mennonite denominations were increased by fifty acres and twenty-six perches. The purchase was effected in 1749, although the deed was not secured until February 23, 1796. The instrument was executed by Abraham Sniger and his wife, Anna, and Thomas Tresse and wife, Mary, who succeeded to the Sproegel estate, to Wendel Wieandt and John Schell, of the Re- formed congregation, in trust. The Lutherans and Mennonites became joint owners with the Reformed.

The first church was accordingly a Union Church. In what year it was erected no record declares. The primitive log building may have been planted shortly after the organization of the congregation, in 1731. Perhaps the year 1744, during which the church in Old Goshenhoppen was built, may be taken as a good and a correct one. The Lutheran congregation sold out itsright, in 1796, to the Reformed for ninety pounds. The Mennonites had erected for themselves a meet- ing-honse in Washington township, Berks Co., in 1741. They, however, held a burying right until a very late day. The parsonage grounds, a traet of some fifty acres, were likewise appropriated to the use of the three Reformed congregations during Pastor Weiss' reign, in 1749-50. In 1834 the Old Goshenhoppen congregation seceded from the trinne fellowship. In 1865 the remaining two congregations soll the parson- age to Mr. Jonas Welker, in whose possession it still remains.

The death of Pastor Weiss caused a break in the regular line of ministers likewise at New Goshen- hoppen. The congregation had not been left wholly without a shepherd, the following persons having tem- porarily officiated : Jacob Reiss, a pastor almost un- known, who had been minister in charge at Indian Field and Tohickon from 1749-53. It is probable that he had not been a regular pastor after the year 1753. He died December 23, 1774. Another pastor was Philip Jacob Michael. Though a weaver by trade, he is said to have been a man of culture. He was the founder of Ziegel's church, and succeeded in gather- ing a series of congregations around himself near his home. Pastor Leydich had been the minister at Falconer Swamp and New Providence, in Montgomery County, a man in good repute and loyal to the church. He emigrated in the year 1748, from which time dates, likewise, his long and settled pastorate to the end of his life. Besides ministering faithfully to his own charge, he supplied, in seasons of emergencies, Upper Milford, Salzburg and New Goshenhoppen. Pastor John Theobold Faber was born in the Palatinate in 1739.

His early training and later preparation for the

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

office of the ministry had been of the highest order. He sailed for this country and landed at Philadelphia September 2, 1766. On the 24th of October of the same year he opened his pastorate as minister in the charge composed of the three congregations at New and Old Goshenhoppen and Great Swamp. He resided near Sumneytown, Montgomery Co., hav- ing found a home at Mr. Hiester's house. On the 7th of August, 1770, he was married to Miss Barbara Rose, of Reading, and after his marriage moved to the parsonage. For thirteen years his ministry in this field went on smoothly. In 1771 a new church was erected, and the inner life of the congregation near his home had especially revived. The Reformed Church at Lancaster had, at various times, extended a call to Pastor Weiss to that charge. His old charge unanimously desired to retain him as their pastor, but, notwithstanding, the thrice-repeated call led the Synod to urge him to make the change. He preached his farewell sermon at New Goshenhoppen October 6, 1779. It seems that the city of Lancaster contrasted unfavorably as against the quiet valley of Goshen- hoppen in Pastor Faber's mind. In his correspond- ence with his former rural friends he betrayed a restlessness and frequently expressed his regret over the change he had made. Nor did things move on so smoothly in his new field, and he assured his wife and intimate friends that he would return to the lower counties by the first opportunity. After the lapse of three years the Indian Field charge, in Bucks County, Pa., became vacant. A call having been ex- tended him, he promptly accepted it, and now he was within fifteen miles of his former home. He labored in Bucks County dnring two years, when he moved back into his first and favorite field. During his absence the Rev. Frederick Dellicker officiated at Goshenhoppen from 1781-84, and Rev. Frederick Wilhelm Vandersloot from 1784-86.

The reunion of Pastor Faber with his flock resulted well to both parties, but it was not of long continu- ance. At the close of a funeral sermon, preached on the 2d day of November, 1788, he became uncon- scions and in a short time breathed his last. Two days later his grave was dug within the walls of the church, beneath the pulpit. The elder Weiser had a memorial tablet placed over his remains, with an inscription corresponding to another similar one which he had also placed over the remains of the younger Faber's dust, likewise buried within the church, at the opposite side of the pulpit. For nearly one year after the sudden demise of Pastor Faber the Goshen- hoppen flock was without a pastor. The neighbor- ing ministers did all necessary services, but in 1789 the Rev. Nicholas Pomp commenced his ministry here and remained in charge till Johann Theobald Faber, Jr., had prepared himself to be his father's successor. John Theobald was in his eighteenth year (1789) when he entered upon his preparatory course for the holy ministry. In the early part of the year 1791

he was licensed, ordained and installed pastor of the charge. His return to the flock as pastor was a cir- cumstance of much interest to all parties. In his in- troductory he did not fail to call attention to the pe- culiarly solemn position in which he found himself placed. The death of his beloved father occurring, as it were, in the very spot on which he then was speaking ; his mouldering remains lying under his very feet ; his youth and hasty preparations to become his sire's successor ; the questionable propriety of becoming a prophet in his own country,-on all these poiuts the young pastor delicately touched with much trembling and many tears. He was married to Mary Arndt, of Easton, Pa., in 1796, and then established himself in the parsonage, becoming fully his father's successor. He filled the pulpits in charge acceptably, the older mem- bers regarding him in the light of a dear son and at all times addressing him in words of enconrage:ment and love. Ile wisely cared, too, for the young of his flocks, and gave himself no little concern for the main- tenance of parochial schools. In consequence of some dissatisfaction arising, he resigned his charge, in 1807, for one in New Holland, Lancaster Co., Pa., after having served this people in the room of his father for the period of fifteen years.

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History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 235

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