USA > Pennsylvania > Northampton County > History of Northampton County [Pennsylvania] and the grand valley of the Lehigh, Volume II > Part 24
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Mr. and Mrs. J. Samuel Krause are the parents of three daughters and a son : I. Adeline E., born December 20, 1871, married Frank E. Hammann, and has four children: Elizabeth O .; John S. K .; Henry M., deceased ; and Frances E. Hammann. 2. Margaret, born May 24, 1873, married Henry T. Morris, and they have six children: John A., died in infancy; Frances K .; Margaret A. : Robert C., died in infancy ; Matthew K. ; and Joseph C. Morris. 3. Matthew, born October 21, 1875, died December 27, 1878. 4. Helen L., born January 13, 1877, married Fred T. McCain, and they are the parents of Fred T. (2), Samuel K., and Susan J. McCain. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Krause are all members of the Moravian church. The following is an echo from the past which is worthy of preservation :
City Councilman A. W. Schmich recently unearthed an old cannon and its mount in the stable back of the north side of city hall. The cannon was assembled and its parts pairted a maroon red. The carnon, of the cast iron type, has a four-inch bore, and is 531/2 inches in length. At its priming end, the weapon is 101/2 inches in thickness. The old field piece has a history. It was purchased by private subscriptions from Bethlehem citizens, led by the late Matthew Krause, father of J. Samuel Krause, banker and hard- ware merchant, about 1840. It was used on the Fourth of July and election day and
on other important occasions. It finally became the possession of the older Krause. For many years it lay in the market building on East Broad street, and finally found its way to the stable, where eventually it would have been sent to the scrap heap, had it not been found by Commissioner Schmich. The latter intends to heautify the space between the city hall and the old market building on East Broad street, which are now connected by an overhead bridge, with a flower bed. The cannon will be given a prominent position near the bed. The Yo Eddie Club has been granted permission by Mr. Schmich to make use of it at the South Side carnival this week.
FRANCIS H. LEHR-For nearly one-half a century Mr. Lehr has been engaged in the practice of law in Easton, Pennsylvania, most of his business during that period having been in the Orphan's court, that branch of the law particularly appealing to him. Ile serves a large clientele, and is highly esteemed by his brethren of the profession, both bench and bar. Originally the name was spelled Loehr, and was so borne by the father and grandfather of Francis H. Lehr. The name was brought to Northampton county by Frederick P. Lochr, born in Bavaria in 1784, who came to the United States about 1804, a young man. He located in Upper Mount Bethel township, Northampton county, Pennsylvania, where he followed his trade, tailoring, and operated a farm. He was a Lutheran in religion, a man of industrious habits and upright life. Frederick P. Loehr married Susannah Keiser, born December 9, 1787, died October 15, 1819. He died December 28, 1851. They were the parents of: Joseph, John, Catherine, Rebecca and Sarah Lochr, the second son, John, being the father of Francis H. Lehr, of Easton. Pennsylvania.
John Lochr was born in Northampton county, Pennsylvania, October 28, ISII, died April 19, 1889, a successful farmer located in Forks township, in his
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native county. Both John Loehr and his wife, Elizabeth Schoch Loehr, were members of the Lutheran church, godly people, and highly respected by all who knew them. They were the parents of four children: William, a farmer, who died in Michigan; Caroline, deceased, wife of Lewis Kahler ; Francis H., whose career forms the subject for this review ; Emma, residing at No. 625 Walnut street, Easton, Pennsylvania.
Francis H. Lehr was born near Bangor, Pennsylvania, January 4, 1842, and since 1867 has been a resident of Easton, his present home (1919). IIe attended the public schools of Forks township, in Northampton county, until thirteen years of age, then for three winters attended the pay schools of Easton. At the age of sixteen he began teaching in the county public schools, teaching in different public schools for eight years. The succeeding four years were spent as a teacher in Easton schools, he, during that period, studying law under the preceptorship of Judge Henry D. Maxwell, of the Northampton bar. He passed the necessary examinations, and on August 29, 1871, was admitted to the Northampton bar.
Immediately upon being admitted to the bar, Mr. Lehr began practice in Easton, and so continues an eminent member of the Northampton bar, one of the older members still in practice. He is a member of the local and State bar associations, is an able exponent of probate and property law, and, as far as practical, confines his practice to the Orphans' Court. He has all his life been deeply interested in religious works, and for thirty years was superintendent of the Sunday school of St. Paul's Lutheran Church. Politically he is a Democrat, has served several terms in council upon the school board, and in other positions has testified that in public spirit and civic pride he is not lacking.
Mr. Lehr married, January 5, 1867, Ellen E. Walter, daughter of Michael and Elizabeth (Helleck) Walter. Mr. and Mrs. Lehr are the parents of two sons and a daughter : 1. Horace (q.v.). 2. Walter Lehr, died February 23, 1918, aged forty-six years, a partner with his brother in the piano manufacturing firm, H. Lehr & Co., until his death; he married Henrietta Barber, who survives him with four children: Francis H. (2) Lehr, a soldier in the U. S. Army, ranking as sergeant of the 149th Machine Gun Battalion ; Emily H., married Lieutenant Thomas Burley, now located at Vancouver, Washington ; Virginia ; and Frederick B. Lchr. 3. Frances E., married William G. Ing- ham, silk manufacturer of Phillipsburg, New Jersey. They are the parents of John and Joyce Ingham. The Lehr family home is at No. 1148 Butler street, his offices at No. 609 Walnut avenue, Easton.
HORACE LEHR-The firm, H. Lehr & Company, was established in Easton, Pennsylvania, in 1890, by Horace and Walter Lehr, sons of Francis H. Lehr, whose life history is given at length in preceding sketch. Walter Lehr has been gathered to "that innumerable host" who have journeyed to "that bourne from whence no traveler returns," and Horace Lehr continues owner of the business now conducted by the Lehr Piano Company of Easton, Pennsylvania, which has made the Lehr piano a notable factor in the music trade of Pennsylvania and the entire Central and Eastern states. A success- ful business man and public-spirited, progressive citizen, Horace Lehr has won public confidence and respect to an unusual degree, he having been called to the highest office in the city government, and as chief executive of the city he fully justified the confidence reposed in him.
Horace Lehr, son of Francis H. and Ellen E. (Walter) Lehr, was born in Easton, Pennsylvania, May 14, 1868. He was educated in the public schools, Easton Academy and Lafayette College, the last-named institution conferring upon him the degree A.B. at graduation, with the class of 1887. For two years thereafter he studied law under the preceptorship of his father, an eminent member of the Northampton bar; but he was not content
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with the thought of a professional life, all his desires centering in a business career. He chose wisely, entered the business world as secretary-treasurer of the Lawrence Organ Company of Easton, manufacturers of piano-cased organs, and for six months bent all his energies to mastering the detail of organ manufacturing. In 1890 he organized the firm H. Lehr & Co., erected a factory, and began the manufacture of the Lehr piano. The business then begun has grown to one of importance, and the Lehr piano has won its place in the musical world for its excellence of tone, easy touch and durability. The piano is endorsed by the musical trade and art journals, by conservatory teachers and by private users, all testifying to its admirable quality.
With his business firmly established and his place won in the commer- cial world, Horace Lehr gave a portion of his time to public service, although he never sought public office. Neither did he decline a duty, and when solicited to allow his name to be used as a candidate for common council he consented, and for five years he served in that body, three years being president of council. Later he served as a member of select council, and in 1902 was elected mayor for a term of three years, he being but thirty-three years of age when elected. He administered the affairs of the office from the standpoint of the capable business man, and every department of the city government felt the influence of his strong personality. He has always been an effective member of the Easton Board of Trade, and in February, 1914, was elected its president. A Democrat in politics and in full sympathy with the administration, he was appointed postmaster of Easton by Presi- dent Wilson, April 1, 1915, an appointment which gave general satisfaction to the patrons of the office. He is a member of the Pennsylvania State Association of Presidential Postmasters, and in September, 1916, was elected president of that body, an office he yet holds. Upon assuming the duties of postmaster, Mr. Lehr withdrew from the active management of the affairs of H. Lehr & Co., his brother and partner, Walter Lehr, assuming the management, so continuing until his death in 1918, Horace Lehr's son, Horace A., then coming into control. Horace Lehr is a director of the Northampton Bank. He is a member of the various Masonic bodies, lodge, chapter, council and commandery, is a communicant of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, and a member of the Pomfret Club. He married, February 22, 1892, Irene Algert of Easton, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Lehr are the parents of two sons and two daughters: Horace A., associated with his father in the Lehr Piano Manufacturing Company, and in the late World's War held a lieutenant's commission with the U. S. Ordnance Reserves; Henry S., now at Naval Aviation Training School, Seattle, Washington; Elizabeth, residing at home ; Irene, a student at the Sargent School, Cambridge, Massachusetts. The family home is at No. 1144 Butler street, Easton.
There are several items of interest in connection with Mr. Lehr's public service as mayor and postmaster, which it would be an injustice to him to omit from the story of his life. As mayor he compelled public utility com- panies to pay the city for franchises granted, a percentage of gross receipts being the compensation exacted; he secured the passage of a law regulating building construction and creating a fire zone; he accomplished the purchase and improvement of the property known as the "City Hall of Easton." As postmaster he reorganized the financial system and thoroughly reorganized the delivery system, making it more efficient, and in these changes effected an annual saving of some thousands of dollars, while both departments were greatly improved. He established the present Auto Parcels Post delivery ; the Star Route, early auto service from South Bethlehem, whereby all Philadelphia and Southern mail regularly reaches the Easton post-office in time for the first delivery, and he has otherwise conserved the public good.
ERNEST A. STEIGLER, Ph.D., D.D .- Dr. Ernest A. Steigler, an emi- nent divine of the Lutheran church in America, doctor of philosophy of
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Rev. Dr. Enesta Stiegler
PUBLI LIOPARY
L
K
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Odenburg University, Hungary, and of notable ecclesiastica! record in Europe, is the beloved pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, a man whose influence is great among Americans of foreign birth, an influence sincerely and effectively devoted to the guidance and Americanization of his hard-working, industrious parishioners. His efforts during the national stress just ended have been much appreciated, particularly by the people of Bethlehem.
Dr. Steigler was born in Odenburg, Hungary, February 6, 1888, and although young in ministerial charge he has shown himself to be possessed of marked ability in that direction and to be adding a creditable chapter to the history of the Steigler family, which has had notable connection with the church in former generations. He is the son of the Rev. Gustave and Emma (Loog) Steigler, of Odenburg, Hungary, and in the maternal line his lineage is noble. His father, the Rev. Gustave Steigler, was the premier prelate of the ancient city of Odenburg, Hungary, and for twenty-five years was minister of the oldest church of that place. A graduate of Pressburg Uni- versity, the Rev. Gustave Steigler comes notably into Hungarian church history by reason of a catechism of which he was the author, which cate- chism has since become almost the standard work in general use in the churches of Hungary. He was a learned man, devout in his religion and universally respected throughout the region in which he labored. His demise occurred in 1903 in Odenburg, Hungary, and the resulting obsequies mani- fested strikingly the esteem in which he was held in the community. His wife, Emma Loog, of gentle birth, was the daughter of John and Teresa (Kolbenheimer) Loog. Her father and mother were both of aristocratic birth, and the former, following the custom of scions of Hungarian noble families, entered the army in commissioned grade, eventually becoming a captain in the Hungarian guard. In 1848 he participated in the war against Austria for the independence of Hungary, and was wounded in battle at Komaron ; the wound affected him throughout his life, for he partially lost the use of his arm. Mrs. Emma (Loog) Steigler, widow of the Rev. Gustave Steigler, is still alive and resides in Odenburg, Hungary, where some of her children also live. She is the mother of five children ; the offspring of the Rev. Gustave and Emma (Loog) Steigler are: Gustave, a prominent attor- ney of Odenburg, Hungary, is married and has one child; Margaret, who married Louis Baliko, a Lutheran minister in active charge in Koszeg, Hun- gary, and they have four children; Emma, who married Arnold Urban, of Budapest, Hungary, superintendent of a steel plant at that place, and they have three children ; Helen, who is unmarried and lives with her mother in Odenburg; and Ernest A., the subject of this article.
Dr. Ernest A. Steigler was afforded every educational advantage in his youth. He was aided in his studies by his talented father, who, however, did not live to guide his son far beyond the elementary stage. However, with the worthy example of his parent ever before him, young Steigler applied himself assiduously to his studies, and advanced rapidly ; so rapidly that at the age of twenty-two years he became a doctor of philosophy. His academic education was obtained principally in schools of Odenburg, where he passed through primary, preparatory and collegiate institutions, eventually graduating from Odenburg College. His desire was to follow his father into service of the church, and after graduating at Odenburg College he took the theological course at Maechenburg University, from which eventually in 1910 he was graduated with the degree of doctor of divinity. His uni- versity record was a meritorious one, and it secured him early and important place in ecclesiastical work; he was appointed chaplain to Bishop Frank Gyuracz, in Papsa, Hungary, in which clerical office he remained for more than a year. In 1912 he received a call from an American church of the same faith, and soon thereafter came to the United States and immediately
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assumed ministerial charge of the Hungarian Lutheran Church in New Brunswick, New Jersey. In that charge he manifested good promise and an ability to instill in parishioners a clearer and more earnest recognition of their part in and responsibility for church work and development. In two years he raised the membership of the New Brunswick church from three hundred fifty to more than six hundred members. In 1914 he left that church in a prosperous condition and came to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to take up equally hard, if not more difficult work in a Hungarian Lutheran church in that city. Since 1914 Dr. Steigler has labored unceasingly among Bethlehem residents who are of Hungarian birth or antecedents, and among the people of the foreign section of Bethlehem Dr. Steigler is becoming increasingly influential. His good reputation at New Brunswick had preceded him, so that when he arrived at Bethlehem in 1914 he found more than three hun- dred people of his faith assembled at the railway station to greet him and to welcome him to his new charge. He has increased the membership of St. John's Lutheran Church, Bethlehem, from three hundred to thirteen hundred since he came, and has so improved the church property that it is now free from debt. Dr. Steigler is an able administrator, a forceful speaker, and a convincing expounder of the Scriptures. Withal, he is a good pastor, entering with interest into the home life of his people and particularly aiding them in their desire to become good Americans. In an industrial community such as is Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where so many workers of foreign birth and little academic education are employed, the presence among them of a man of the type of Dr. Steigler is of great value. Dr. Steigler held a powerful influence for good and continued industrial effort during a time of grave international unrest, and his efforts have brought prosperity to his church and people, and honor to himself. In 1915 he was instrumental in organizing a sick benefit society among his church members and the foreign- speaking section of Bethlehem in general, and the society was soon strongly based financially. It has corporate powers, has four hundred fifty members, and benefits to an aggregate of $5,000 yearly have been paid from its funds, the society now owning its own building. Dr. Steigler also founded in 1915 a parochial school in which special attention is given to the teaching of the English language, as well as church history, to the children of members of the Lutheran church. Three teachers are employed, and there are more than one hundred pupils. Dr. Steigler's energy, persuasiveness and adminis- tration made it possible some time ago to install in the church a new organ, the cost of which was $2,500, and also to equip the church with chimes which cost $1,500, both of which expenditures were promptly met by funds raised among the members who are mostly workers in the Bethlehem Steel plants. He has benefitted the workers to an appreciable degree by the establish- ment of night schools, at which even elderly immigrants are students. Dr. Steigler is interested in all projects that tend to bring intellectual good to the Hungarians who have come to this country to start life anew, and he is an active member of many societies that have this end in view; and as an educational factor, the magazine Harangsso, of which Dr. Steigler was appointed editor by the General Church Council in Philadelphia, is an undoubted suc- cess, holding Americans of Hungarian birth or origin true to their own church, and injecting American ideas in the people by the readiest method, the Hungarian language with which all are familiar.
Dr. Steigler is prominently identified with Masonic activities in Bethle- hem, being a member of the G. Stanley Lodge No. 258. He has attained the thirty-second degree in that fraternal organization. Ile is also a member of the Knights Templar.
Generally, his labors within the city of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, since 1914 have been a factor of importance to that community.
Dr. Steigler recently married, October 19, 1918, in Bethlehem, Ida S.
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Frater, born in Newark, New Jersey. Her father, George Frater, lives with his wife, Bertha, in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. Mrs. Steigler's grandfather, Emeric Frater, is now Supreme Court judge of Budapest.
OSCAR MENTON RICHARDS, M.D .- As one of the skilled and honored physicians of Easton, Pennsylvania, Dr. Richards is fulfilling the promise of a quarter of a century ago, when he located in South Easton and began the upbuilding of a professional reputation. The years have dealt kindly with him, and the hopes of the young physician have been fully realized in professional eminence in a large clientele, and in the high esteem of the community in which his quarter of a century has been passed. He is of old Northampton county family, although at the time of his birth his parents were residing in Bucks county, Pennsylvania.
Joseph Richards, the founder of the family, came from England to Pennsylvania prior to the Revolution, and in Williams township, Northamp- ton county, found a home. He married, and upon his own farm of one hundred twenty acres reared his family. Later he was gathered to his fathers, and his son Joseph (2) Richards became head of the family in Williams township.
Joseph (2) Richards was born in that township, and there spent his life in the quiet pursuit of a farmer. One great excitement, however, came into his life, and during the second war with Great Britain he left the quiet and peace of the farm for the scene of conflict and served valiantly the cause of his country. He married Mary Elizabeth Miller, also born in Williams township, and they were the parents of John, William, Joseph, Charles, Aaron, Henry and Elizabeth. Joseph, the father, was a man of honorable upright life, very popular in his neighborhood. His sons were carefully reared, and they became men of high standing, and many of their descendants are now prominent in the professional and business life of the county.
Aaron Richards, fifth son of Joseph (2) and Mary Elizabeth (Miller) Richards, was born at the home farm in Williams township, September 28, 1837. He grew to manhood at the homestead, obtaining a good education in the district school and at Easton academy. He became very familiar with the work of the farm, and also taught school in his youth, but he aspired to a business career and for five years engaged as a merchant. He then moved to Bursonville, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, where he was proprietor of a hotel until 1876, when he sold his property in Bursonville and removed to Point Pleasant, Pennsylvania, where he was for several years a merchant, thence he went to Black Horse Hotel, which he conducted three years, and then moved to South Easton, where he again became a merchant. He became one of the substantial merchants of that place-then borough, now a city-winning with business success high standing as a man of integrity and force of character. He served the Lutheran church as elder and treas- urer, and was also treasurer of the Cemetery Association. Aaron Richards married in 1864. Sarah J. Shank, born in Springfield township, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, daughter of Ephraim and Catherine Shank. They were the parents of Dr. Oscar M. Richards, whose life and career is the inspiration of this review; Lillian E .; Newton B .; and a child who died in infancy. Newton B., the youngest son, prepared for a professional career and attained the degree of D.D.S., but he practiced dentistry only for a time, then became his father's business associate.
Oscar M. Richards, eldest son of Aaron and Sarah J. (Shank) Richards, was born at Bursonville, Bucks county, Pennsylvania. January 15, 1865, and attended public school at South Easton in 1876. He was graduated from Easton High School in 1883, then entered Lafayette College, specializing in chemistry, and in 1887 was awarded his B.S. degree. He then decided
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upon a profession, entered the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania, and there continued until he graduated M.D., class of 1890. Three years were then spent at the Presbyterian Hospital, Philadelphia, one as interne, two in charge of the surgical dispensary, after which he returned to his home in South Easton, and in 1894 began private practice in the profession for which he had so fully prepared. He is a member of and president of Easton Protective Association of Physicians and belongs also to the Northampton County Medical Society, Pennsylvania State Medical Society, American Medical Association, and he is highly regarded by his professional brethren. Success has come to him abundantly, and he is one of Easton's most honored professional men. He is a surgeon to the Lehigh Valley Railroad, surgeon to the Brotherhood of Locomtive Engineers, and secretary to the board of United States pension examiners of Easton, while his private practice is very large.
Dr. Richards is a Republican in politics, and under the borough forni of government served South Easton as councilman. After annexation, he served the city of Easton as a select councilman. He is a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, is a member of the board of trustees of Easton's Board of Trade, member of the Masonic order, the Pomfret Club, the McKin- ley Club, and the college fraternity, Phi Delta Theta. When at college the doctor was very much interested in field sports, played on the college baseball team, and he yet retains his fondness for out-of-door sports. His favored recreations are motoring and fishing.
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