USA > Pennsylvania > Northampton County > History of Northampton County [Pennsylvania] and the grand valley of the Lehigh, Volume II > Part 14
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The oldest building in the borough is the octagonal block house, stand- ing amid the busy scenes of the Atlas Portland Cement plant, on the western bank of the Hokendanqua creek, near Howell's mill. This miniature fort is thought to have been erected by Thomas Wilson soon after the former's return to his home from Bethlehem, whitherto he had fled in "the runaway" from Lehigh, Allen and neighboring townships which followed the brutal massacre by the Indians of eleven persons, at Gnadenhuetten on the Mahon- ing, now Weissport, November 24, 1755. It was upon this mill, and the mill at Howersville, owned and operated by Jost Dreisbach, that the settlers and the soldiers on the frontier depended for flour. No doubt for the protection of himself and family and for the mill, the blockhouse was erected. It is a small eight-cornered stone building, the wall two feet thick. It had no win- dows, but seven small portholes, and a door on the southern side ; and is still in its original condition. When the Atlas Portland Cement Company acquired the mill property from Capt. Theodore Howell, they, through Mr. Seaman, the superintendent, gave their word of honor to preserve it.
Northampton was the site of a famous Indian village many moons before it became a pale-face settlement. The beautiful meadow in front of the home of our fellow-townsman, John Smith, and the busy scene of the Atlas Port- land Cement mills, were the site of the quiet and peaceful Indian village or plantation of Hockyondocquay (Hokendauqua). This village was at the time of the "Walking Purchase" the home of the famous orator and "honest old Indian." Chief Lappowinzo.
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When the Lehigh & Susquehanna railroad, now the Central Railroad of New Jersey, was built in 1866, workingmen discovered an Indian burial place. It is said that toward the close of the month of August, about two thousand feet above the Siegfried depot, in digging they came upon a skele- ton, and that a few days later several more were unearthed; and that on or about September Ist quite a number more, nineteen all told, were uncovered. William Miller, Jr., who at the time was in the employ of the railway, in a letter dated Siegfried's Bridge, November 5, 1879, relates how one of the graves, under an old apple tree, was much larger, and the skeleton of unusual size, which led them to believe that they had unearthed the remains of a chief, and that they were further strengthened in this belief by the fact that they found along with the bones and ashes a large number of pearls, mostly white, and that about two dozen of them, some of which were blue in color. were the size of sour cherries. Also, that they found in this same grave a copper coin on which only the date (1724) was legible, a pipe, a tomahawk, arrow heads, and other implements of war. He further states that in each of the nineteen graves a pipe of white clay, several pearls and a number of arrow heads were found. Their bones were not reinterred, because upon being exposed to the air they soon crumbled.
The true history of any State, town or community must begin with its first centers of worship, its venerable churches and well filled graveyards. These were not only the first venerated and sacred places in the early settle- ments, but have always been the centers to which the deepest thought of men have tended, and from which have gone ont those benign and moulding influences which have made individuals, families, communities and states as wealthy, worthy, prosperous and peaceful as they are. Such a center of influ- ence and the nucleus for the town of Siegfried is found in the old Mennonite meeting house which stood in a grove on what is now West Twenty-first street, opposite the cemetery.
No definite data as to the settlement of the Mennonites in Whitehall and Allen townships have been handed down to us, and the names of some of them are entirely forgotten. That the Showalters, Baslers, Funks, Zeiglers, Heistands, Siegfrieds and Landis are of Mennonite extraction is, however, a known fact; these, no doubt, were the founders of the congregation, and the people worshipped in the meeting house which stood on West Twenty-first street. Jacob Showalter, Sr., of Whitehall township, appears to have been one of the leaders of the congregation. In 1759 he sold to William Allen his farm of 450 acres, including the "undivided half" belonging to John Moore, the high sheriff of Northampton county, situated between the Lehigh river and the Deshler, Kern and Koehler plantations, and the Indian Falls in the Lehigh river and the Schreiber plantation. In the same year Allen sold the same again in four tracts, viz .: 150 acres to Joseph Showalter; 100 acres to John Showalter, Sr .; and 100 acres to Peter Bassler. This was apparently only a paper transaction, for the purpose of giving the occupants a clear title ad deed to their already established homes. These four families, as stated above, were Mennonites, and probably the nucleus of the congregation. Hav- ing obtained a lawful title to their possessions, they, no doubt, if it were not already built, determined to erect a house of worship. It is therefore NORTH .- 1-34.
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probable that their meeting house was erected in 1760, or possibly a few years prior, surely not later than 1761, for on an old land draft of that year the church is already designated. Tradition describes it as a small log build- ing, rudely constructed, and also tells us that the early worshippers were frequently disturbed in their services by the Indians. During the summer and when the building became insecure, services were held in the woods adjoining. In 1771, Joseph Showalter sold his farm to Conrad Leisenring, John Showalter to Christopher Kern, and Jacob Showalter, Jr., to George Koehler, and removed to Lancaster county. A few years later Peter Bassler sold his property to Philip Jacob Schreiber and joined his former neighbors in their new homes. He is said to have been the last of the Mennonites in Whitehall township. Through removal and death the congregation gradu- ally declined, and the building became insecure and was finally abandoned.
The cemetery originally comprised one acre. It was conveyed March 10, 1770, "by Daniel Chambers to Joseph Showalter, Henry Funk, Peter Fried and Jacob Baer, in trust and for the Mennonist congregation of Whitehall and Allen Townships." When in 1802 the new meeting house along the road from Weaversville to Kreidersville was erected and the cemetery opened, few interments, if any, were made in the old plot. By a special Act of Assem- bly, May 8. 1829, Jacob Funk, a surviving member of the old congregation, was given permission to sell the unoccupied part of the cemetery and use the proceeds to erect a stone fence around the part containing burials. On the 28th of the same month the unused part was conveyed to Daniel Siegfried, a son of Col. John Siegfried. A stone wall three feet high and sixteen inches
wide was subsequently erected ; this wall was removed in 1885 and the present iron fence erected. When Twenty-first street was raised, the cemetery was also filled in to bring it up to the level of the street, and all the little mounds were covered over, and even the headstones, with the exception of those of John Siegfried and Jacob Baer, both of Revolutionary fame. The cemetery is one of the few really old landmarks, and all that is left to remind the present generation that the town was once the center of a peaceloving and Godfearing Mennonite settlement. In it are said to repose the ashes of almost a hundred of the carly settlers.
Col. John Siegfried, the friend of General Washington, from whom the village of Siegfried obtained its name, was of the Mennonite faith, and of German, Swiss or Alsatian origin. His grandparents had settled in Oley, Berks county, before 1719, whence they removed across the hills to Mexa- tawny. Here, February 2, 1727, Joseph Siegfried, the father of the colonel, was born, and here in 1745 the colonel was born. Comparatively little is known of his boyhood education and training. He first came into public notice in 1770, when he removed to the west bank of the Lehigh river, at what became known as Siegfried's Bridge, where he conducted a store, a tav- ern, and a ferry. The tavern was a one-and-one-half-story log house, and the sign contained in large letters this inscription : "Entertainment for Man and Beast." This tavern was favorably located. The ferry was the only means of crossing the Lehigh river, which separated the two populous settlements of Allen and Whitehall townships.
It was upon Colonel Siegfried that Washington depended in matters per-
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taining to Northampton county during the campaign of 1777, in making his urgent appeal for reinforcements to the yeomanry of Northampton county, who promptly responded, and within seven days after the issuing of the call the first division of Siegfried's battalion was in Philadelphia, prepared to take the field. Siegfried was commissioned lieutenant-colonel, and Rev. Ros- brugh, chaplain, of the Third Battalion from Northampton county. The sol- diers of Northampton county were assigned to the division of the army under the command of Gen. Israel Putnam. They took part in the campaign which resulted in the capture of one thousand Hessians at Trenton, but were unsuc- cessful in their attempt to cross the Delaware river. In the fall of the year 1777 the militia of Northampton county were again called out in the famous Pennsylvania campaign, and took part in the battles of Brandywine, German- town, Red Bank, and Monmouth. During a part of this campaign the men from Northampton county were under the command of Gen. John Armstrong and of Brigadier-General James Irvine. After the battle of Germantown, Colonel Siegfried returned home to attend to affairs in the county. While at home, Washington wrote a letter to him, requesting him to collect blankets, cloth- ing and provisions and forward them to the army at Valley Forge. This duty Colonel Siegfried performed, his hotel being the center for a collecting bureau.
The following summer, General Clinton, who had succeeded Howe, alarmed by the coming of the French to aid the cause of freedom in America, evacuated Philadelphia and hurried to New York City. Washington fol- lowed, overtook and defeated him at Monmouth, New Jersey. According to his diary, Siegfried also took part in this campaign which ended in Clinton shutting himself up in New York, and Washington watching him from the Highlands. In the spring of 1781, General Washington sent an officer to Easton to confer with Colonel Siegfried, who was in command of a detach- ment of militia at that place, in reference to sending a quota to the army.
Col. John Siegfried died November 27, 1793, and was buried in the old Mennonite Cemetery. Shortly before his death he, together with Michael Beaver, whose brother Jacob settled near the Western Salisbury Church, and Abraham Levan, a kinsman of Mrs. Siegfried, all three natives of Berks county, conveyed one hundred and twenty-three and a half perches to Henry Biel and Peter Butz in trust for a school. The schoolhouse was built of logs, and was known as Levan's School. Colonel Siegfried served as high sheriff of the county for one year, 1781 to 1782.
At a public meeting held in the high school auditorium, Gov. S. W. Pennypacker was the principal speaker; sentiment favored the erection of a monument to Col. John Siegfried in the cemetery and a committee was appointed. On the 30th of May, 1914, a large granite monument was dedi- cated, containing a bronze tablet with a suitable inscription.
The Levan family, kinsmen of Colonel Siegfried, removed from Berks county to Allen township about the same time. For a time they operated a paper mill, and later erected the grist mill now operated by Richard Smith. In 1858, Adam Laubach established a general store, coalyard, lumberyard and sand depot at Siegfried. He was postmaster for Siegfried upwards of forty years. In the spring of 1842 a Sunday school was organized in the vil- lage schoolhouse, known as Levan's school. The first superintendent was
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John Knerr. The Sunday school was Union, instruction was given in Eng- lish and German, and it was supported by Lutherans and Reformed. On June 5, 1892, the Sunday school dedicated a chapel, which is now the audi- torium of Zion Lutheran Church. In it services were conducted by the neighboring Reformed and Lutheran pastors. These services led to the organization of the Union Zion Congregation of Siegfried.
Zion Evangelical Lutheran congregation was organized March 2, 1896, under the leadership of Rev. Hiram Kuder, having acquired the interest of the Reformed congregation in the building in which they had jointly wor- shipped. The congregation was incorporated in 1911 as the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Northampton, Pennsylvania. The cornerstone of the renovated church was laid August 27, 1911, and the edifice was dedicated March 21, 1912. Rev. Allen R. Apple, who succeeded Rev. H. Kuder, is the present pastor.
In 1896 St. Paul's congregation was organized. They called as their first pastor the Rev. F. H. Moyer, who in two and a half years succeeded in bring- ing the membership up to 240. He was succeeded by Rev. M. N. George. During his pastorate the congregation sold its interest in Zion Chapel to the Lutheran congregation, and in 1910 erected the beautiful edifice at the corner of Nineteenth street and Lincoln avenue, at a cost of upwards of $30,000. Rev. I. M. Bochman succeeded Rev. George in 1913. The mem- bership is five hundred and forty.
Trinity United Evangelical Church was organized by Rev. E. Butz in 1896, in which year the church on Main street was erected. In 1911 a par- sonage was erected. The congregation numbers about one hundred, and is served by Rev. L. O. Wiest.
The lower part of Northampton, formerly known as Stemton, was laid out by George H. Stem in 1867, when George H. Stem & Company erected the extensive car works later incorporated as the Lehigh Car Manufacturing Company. For a time, farm and spring wagons were also manufactured. The industry declined when steel cars began to displace those made of wood. The shops were located west of the Derry Silk Mill, the place now being covered by additional railway trackage. For many years prior the place was called Laubach's, but before the formation of the borough the post-office and rail- way station were changed from Stemton to Northampton, which is still the name of the railway station. When the union of the two towns and the in- corporation were proposed, the name Alliance was agreed upon. However. it was found that another municipality had taken the same name. The borough was finally called Northampton. The two post-offices of Northamp- ton and Siegfried were continued until in 1913, when the Siegfried office was abolished and a more central location was obtained for the main office, with sub-stations in the upper and lower part, and a general delivery system.
In 1796 Henry Biel, whose father, Baltzer Biel, had with his family removed from Saucon township to Allen township, erected a grist mill near the mouth of the Hockendanqua creek. Later it was known as Kearn's mill. In 1822 Peter and Joseph Laubach acquired the property. It was owned and operated by the Laubach family until within recent years, when it was pur- chased by the Mauser Milling Company, who now operate it. In 1839, Joseph
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Laubach removed from Easton to this place. The business was enlarged by adding a coal and lumber yard and general store. The place was known as Laubach's. The post-office was in the storeroom. Joseph Laubach served as postmaster for thirty-one years; he represented the county in the House of Representatives in 1848-1849; in 1855 was elected State senator; and in 1861 was elected associate judge of the county, and was twice re-elected. Samuel Laubach, son of Peter, succeeded his father in the ownership of the above- mentioned properties, and he in turn was succeeded by his sons: Edward H. Laubach, who served two terms in the State Senate ; Peter J. Laubach, presi- dent of the Laubach Company; and Samuel Laubach, who conducts the coal- yard. The store building is now the property of the Northampton Improve- ment Company, and is occupied by the Bundy cigar factory.
A Union Sunday school was organized in the Dry Run schoolhouse, which stood at Fourth and Main streets, in 1864, and reorganized in 1867 by William Stem. When the public school building was erected in Stemton in 1871, the sessions were held in it until the spring of 1896, when it passed out of existence. In the fall of the same year, Grace Union Protestant Sun- day school was organized in the public school. Upon the completion of Grace Reformed Church, the Sunday school occupied the basement of the church. On February 5, 1903, the Lutheran element withdrew from the school, and it became an integral part of Grace Reformed congregation. The member- ship is about four hundred. For upwards of seven years C. J. Troxell has been its superintendent.
The neighboring Lutheran and Reformed pastors occasionally conducted services in the public school building. The development of the cement indus- try brought many people to the community, and the need of a house of worship was felt. The proposition for a Union church having failed through the lack of support by the Lutheran element, the erection of a Reformed church was determined upon at a public meeting, July 5, 1897. On August 9. 1897, fifty-nine petitioners were formally organized as Grace Reformed Church. Immediate steps were taken for the erection of a house of worship, which was dedicated June 19, 1898. In 1906 a beautiful parsonage was erected. The congregation numbers about four hundred. The pastors have been Rev. J. G. Rupp (1898-1911), Rev. J. B. Stoudt (1911-).
Grace congregation opened its doors to and welcomed to its services the Hungarians, who have come to reside in Northampton and vicinity. On April 9, 1917, a number organized themselves into the First Reformed Hun- garian congregation and called a pastor. They worship in Grace Church. Their present pastor is Rev. John Sezgy. Their membership is sixty.
Holy Trinity Lutheran congregation grew out of the same circumstances as Grace Reformed congregation, the Dry Run Sunday school, and the preach- ing services in the Stemton public school building. At a meeting of a num- ber of Lutherans, September 16, 1897, it was resolved to organize a Lutheran congregation and erect a church. The cornerstone was laid October 24 the same year, and on February 6 following, the church was dedicated. In 19II the beautiful parsonage was erected. The first pastor was the late Rev. H. F. Sieger, November. 1908. The membership is about three hundred.
In 1901 Holy Trinity congregation invited the Slovacs of the community
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to hold services in their church. This offer was accepted, and they continued to worship in the church until 1906, when they erected their own church on Washington avenue.
The borough of Northampton enjoys a very fine system of graded schools. Upon incorporation it was made an independent school district, and Prof. W. D. Landis was selected superintendent. The teaching force consists of forty- four teachers, and the enrollment is about 1,600 pupils. The high school has been classified by the Department of Public Instruction as first grade. The number of graduates, 1902-1919, was 258. Musical supervision was inau- gurated in 1912; medical inspection in 1913; manual training in 1915, and domestic science in 1918. The schools are housed in five good buildings, up- to-date in equipment and appointment. They are: The Washington, erected in 1904 at a cost of $25,000 ; the Central, renovated in 1908 at a cost of $34,000; the Franklin, erected in 1907 at a cost of $38,000; the High School, erected in 1909 at a cost of $90,000; the Wolf, erected in 1914 at a cost of $47,000. The Board of Education and its officers are: President, C. H. Gross ; vice- president, John S. Renner ; secretary, Samuel W. Snyder; treasurer, W. D. Easterday ; Henry B. Reed, P. A. Christman, Arthur W. Heyman ; solicitor, Edgar C. Nagle ; superintendent of schools, Prof. W. D. Landis.
The officials for the borough of Northampton for 1920 are: Burgess, A. H. Laros ; councilmen : Clinton Lindemoyer, president ; Reuben Cole, Wil- liam Smith, J. M. Newhard, Ammon Mitman, Alfred Burger, Benjamin Cole- man, and Theodore Schepler ; secretary of council, J. G. Koch ; treasurer, W. H. Newhard ; solicitor, E. C. Nagle ; engineer, L. J. Grossart ; justices of the peace, T. J. Rup and John Schierer.
The Young Men's Christian Association Red Triangle League of North- ampton maintained a service register during the late war, ou the central school grounds. It contains the names of two hundred and thirty persons who had entered the service. The Roll of Honor contains the following names: William H. Yoch, Nicholas Taros, John F. Gillespie, Edgar Smith, Oliver J. Moser, Fred A. Snyder, John Beck, Franklin A. Scholl, Ross G. Kiechel, Clayton J. Beers, Lieut. E. Floyd Kresge.
Northampton Heights-The borough of Northampton Heights was formerly a part of the township of Lower Saucon. It is connected with the city of Bethlehem by a bridge over the Lehigh Valley railroad, and extends for about five blocks down two parallel streets. The population is estimated to be about 1,200, mostly employes of the Bethlehem Steel Works. During the late war the population was increased several thousands, a large percentage . being Greeks, Hungarians, and Russians. At a short distance from the borough is located the Lehigh Coke Works, operated by the Bethlehem Steel Company.
St. Mark's Evangelical and St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran congre- gations, which at one time held religious services in the borough, have been discontinued and their former houses of worship are occupied by foreign- speaking congregations. Shiloh Reformed Church, on Williams street, is at present the only English service congregation in the borough.
Northampton Heights was incorporated in 1901. The chief burgess in 1919 is George Brown; the clerk, Harry Bodder. The Bethlehem Water
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Works Company supplies the borough with water, the fire protection being taken care of by a volunteer fire company, the department being equipped with a fire steamer of approved pattern and a hose carriage.
North Catasauqua-This borough is contiguous, as the name indicates, to Catasauqua, and the reason for its separate corporate existence is found in the fact that North Catasauqua is in Northampton county, and Catasauqua is a part of Lehigh county. In almost every way except legally, it is a part of Catasauqua, and steps toward consolidation are being taken. North Catasauqua was incorporated in 1908. The boundary line between the two boroughs is the old line between the townships of Allen and Hanover. This in 1812 was made the line between Northampton and Lehigh counties. It was in dispute for many years, and was finally determined by commission appointed by the joint action of counties concerned. On the affidavit of Daniel Fogel, the eastern terminus was fixed at a spot in the Monocacy creek where the public road leading from Hanoversville to Bath crosses it; and its western terminus, on the affidavits of Reuben Fanst and Daniel Bur- ger, at a point twenty perches south of Faust's ferry, on the Lehigh river. Having determined these two points, the commissioners ran a straight line between these points, which now constitutes the boundary line. It cuts diag- onally through the Faust property, and cuts a small corner of the Bryden horse shoe works property, thence it passes north of Theodore Bachman's house and touches the bay window of Daniel Wilson's home ; it crosses Adam Rau's premises so as to cut it into two equal triangles, and it also cuts off a foot and a half of a corner of the stand-pipe.
The borough is part of the Manor of Chawton (not Charotin), which the Penn heirs conveyed to John Page in 1731. The territory was a part of the Irish Settlement. However. by 1800 they had been replaced all along the river by the Pennsylvania Dutch, who were much better farmers. Christian Swartz of Longswamp, Berks county, purchased the Nathaniel Taylor tract in 1787. Swartz Dam takes its name from this family. Henry Faust from Albany, Berks county, purchased a tract of almost two hundred acres from Robert Gibson; a part of this tract lies in Northampton, and a part in North Catasauqua.
When the houses were few, the children attended the school at Dry Run, now a part of Northampton; later the township erected a two-room building on the Faust tract, hence it was called the Faust school. The population increased rapidly, and on Thanksgiving Day, 1913, the very fine ten-room school building was dedicated; erected at a cost of $25,000.
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