History of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Part 82

Author: Bell, Herbert C. (Herbert Charles), 1868- ed; John, J. J., 1829-
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1424

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Rev. August Schlueter, pastor at Locust Gap, succeeded Father Koch and had charge of Trevorton about four years. Then came Rev. Henry Relt, the first resident pastor, by whom a two-story parochial residence was built in 1882. In 1889 Rev. Francis L. Breckel became pastor and still ministers to the congregation. With the passing years St. Patrick's has undergone many changes, as the continued suspension in the coal trade caused many families to remove from the town. It now embraces about seventy families, principally German, and supports a flourishing Sunday school.

First Evangelical Church .- The organization of this church probably occurred in 1856. The school house was the place of worship until 1860, when a frame church edifice thirty-six by forty-five feet in dimensions was erected on the north side of Coal street. Although the basement was used for some years the building was never completed, and the Baptist church was occupied under lease for a time. The present edifice, a two-story frame building thirty-five by forty-five feet in dimensions, was erected in 1882 under the supervision of a building committee composed of Rev. J. O. Lehr, presiding elder, Rev. D. Z. Kembel, Rev. Charles Warmkessel, Joseph Kline, and William Knapp, and dedicated early in 1883, when Joseph Kline, Dan- iel Smith, William Knapp, L. L. Conrad, and George J. Maier constituted the board of trustees. Reverends D. Z. Kembel, Charles Warmkessel, D. F. Geary, E. R. Seip, W. H. Stauffer, and L. N. Worman, present incumbent, have served as pastors since the erection of the present church edifice; among the pastors prior to that date were Reverends Augustus Krecker, J. H. Shirey, B. H. Miller, S. T. Leopold, Samuel Wiest, H. D. Shultz, David Stauffer, Jacob Werner, and S. S. Chubb. The congregation forms part of Trevorton circuit, which includes Trevorton, Herndon, Mt. Zion in Jackson township, St. John's in Little Mahanoy township, and Seven Points in Rock- efeller township. Trevorton was formerly embraced in Mahantango and Uniontown circuits. Joseph Kline, who was elected leader of the German class in 1866 and served until 1890, and Solomon Derk, leader of the English class for a number of years, are among those who have longest been officially connected with this church. It sustains a flourishing Sunday school.

The First Baptist Church was organized on the 16th of February, 1860, with Furman Farnsworth and George Mowton as deacons and George Mow- ton as clerk. The meeting was held at the school house, Rev. O. L. Hall presiding. The church was formally recognized and constituted on the 8th of March following by a council of representatives from neighboring churches; Rev. J. R. Loomis, D. D., presided at this meeting, which was

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ZERBE TOWNSHIP.

also held at the school house. The first regular church meeting was held on the 24th of March, when Rev. O. L. Hall was elected as first pastor, Farns- worth Reed, treasurer, Reuben Kline, Furman Farnsworth, and George Mowton, trustees, and Ira Sayers, Furman Farnsworth, Isaiah Morgan, Thomas Berlew, and George Mowton, building committee. Ground was secured at the northeast corner of Coal and Ninth streets, the location of the present stone church edifice, of which the corner-stone was laid on the 9th of August, 1860; the basement was first occupied on the 1st of September, 1861, and the dedication occurred, January 8, 1862, when the dedicatory ser- mon was preached by Rev. A. H. Buckingham. Reverends O. L. Hall, George McNair, A. B. Still, Thomas, Godfrey, Delancey, Merriman, Hile, and W. H. Ellis, present incumbent, have served as pastors. George Mowton was the first superintendent of the Sunday school.

Zion Lutheran Church was organized in 1860 with the following officers: Gottlieb Crone and John M. Knapp, elders; Conrad Stein and Henry Schlimm, deacons, and Dr. William Fritz, treasurer. The first church edi- fice, a frame structure, was erected under the supervision of a building committee composed of Rev. C. J. M. Neuman and Dr. William Fritz; the corner-stone was laid on the 13th of May, 1860, by Reverends J. F. Horn- berger, D. M. Henkel, D. D., and Mr. Shultz, and the dedication of the completed building occurred in the following August, the same clergymen officiating. The present church edifice, a brick structure thirty-five by fifty- five feet, with tower and bell, was built in 1889-90. Rev. C. J. M. Neuman preached for some time before the organization of the church, of which the pastoral succession has been as follows: Reverends J. F. Hornberger, 1860 to July, 1864; J. H. Schmidt, October, 1864, to April, 1868; L. G. Eggers, May, 1869, to May, 1871; J. Albert, October, 1871, to January, 1875; A. Berk, 1875 to 1877; H. T. Clymer, August, 1879, to August, 1882; J. W. Early, January, 1883, to March, 1886; A. J. L. Breinig, December, 1887, present incumbent. Prior to the erection of the present building the name was Emanuel's.

CEMETERIES.

St. Patrick's cemetery was regularly laid out and inclosed with a stone and iron fence during Rev. J. J. Koch's incumbency as pastor. It has been the place of interment for St. Patrick's congregation since its organization.

The Lutheran cemetery embraces ten or twelve acres and is situated north of Trevorton at the side of the mountain. The ground was secured at the organization of the church.

On the 22d of January, 1891, two acres of ground were purchased by Dr. J. B. Newbaker, William Plummer, and J. Benjamin Brubaker with the idea of laying it out as a cemetery. A movement is now in progress to carry this object into effect.

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HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

MT. CARMEL TOWNSHIP. .

ORGANIZATION-DRAINAGE AND ROADS-COLLIERIES-MINING VILLAGES-CHURCHES.

M T. CARMEL township occupies the extreme southeastern part of the county, with Columbia county on the northeast, Schuylkill on the southeast, and Coal township on the west. Roaring creek forms its northern boundary a distance of thirteen hundred seventy-five perches, and on the west the line of division from Coal is described as "north one degree west seventeen hundred twenty-two and seven tenths perches " from the line of Cameron township to the middle of Roaring creek. The viewers by whom the erection of the township was recommended and its boundaries surveyed were David Rockefeller and Jacob Painter; their report was confirmed nisi, November 14, 1854, and while there is no record of the fact, its absolute confirmation doubtless occurred in the following year. Felix Lerch and John Yarnall were the first justices of the peace, G. A. Kehler was the first constable, and A. Renn was the first overseer of the poor.

The surface is extremely mountainous, the general trend of the principal ranges being east and west. Roaring, Shamokin, and Mahanoy creeks afford ample drainage. The old Reading road and the Centre turnpike are the . principal public highways. The railroads are the Philadelphia and Read- ing, Lehigh Valley, and the Shamokin division of the Northern Central.

Industrially, the township is exclusively a mining district. The coll- ieries located within its limits are the Pennsylvania, Black Diamond, Mt. Carmel, Reliance, Alaska, Merriam, Monitor, Locust Gap, and Locust Spring, of which the history is given in Chapters X and XI of this work, by Dr. J. J. John.

MINING TOWNS.

Locust Gap is situated on the line of the Philadelphia and Reading rail- road, and has been a place of local importance since the development of the adjacent region began. The postoffice was established in 1870 with J. S. Reyer as first postmaster. By the census of 1890 the population exceeded seventeen hundred.

The town is really a collection of mining hamlets, and the plat presents but slight evidences of regularity. It is owned almost exclusively by the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company; the number of free-

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MT. CARMEL TOWNSHIP.

holders, as ascertained by recent investigation, is thirty-three. Five general stores, one drug store, and five hotels constitute the business of the place. There are two public school buildings, a Catholic church and parochial school, a Lutheran church organization, and one newspaper, the Locust Gap Local. Apart from the coal operations in the vicinity, the town possesses but little of historic interest. It was a well-known rendezvous for the Mollie Maguires during the palmy days of that organization, and has frequently been the scene of disastrous railroad wrecks.

The Smaller Villages of the township are Stuartville, Bell's Tunnel, The Mountain, and Beaver Dale, all of which are virtually suburbs of Mt. Car- mel; Green Ridge, half a mile from the station of that name on the Lehigh Valley railroad; Alaska, at the intersection of the Mt. Carmel branch of the Philadelphia and Reading railroad with the main line of the Will- iamsport division, and Natalie, a village recently built in the northern part of the township by the Patterson Coal Company. Of these Stuartville is the oldest; it comprises fifteen houses, situated immediately east of Mt. Car- mel on the south side of the public road leading to Centralia, and was built in 1853 by the Locust Mountain Coal and Iron Company. Green Ridge is the location of Strong postoffice, of which J. M. Derby was appointed as first postmaster on the 10th of July, 1887. Diamondtown might also be in- cluded in this enumeration, although the name applies to a locality rather than a village. It was built by the New York and Middle Coal Field Com- pany, and received its name from John Diamond, the contractor by whom the tunnel was driven. It was situated immediately north of Mt. Carmel; after .the abandonment of the colliery the houses were deserted, some fell into decay, and some were burned, so that only two now remain.

CHURCHES.

St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Locust Gap .- Prior to the year 1866 services were held at irregular intervals by Rev. Edward Murray, of Dan- ville, Pennsylvania, but in September of that year Rev. J. J. Koch was placed in charge at Shamokin and this field of labor was assigned to him. He at once organized a parish, and held services every Sunday in the Locust Gap school house. In May, 1870, the erection of a church edifice was undertaken; the first services were held in the basement in November, 1870, and in the following year the edifice was completed at a cost of seven thousand eight hundred dollars; it was dedicated by. Bishop Shanahan, of Harrisburg, August 27, 1871. Father Koch was succeeded by Rev. August Schlueter, the first resident pastor, in October, 1878. He erected a paro- chial residence in 1879, and purchased a small tract of land near the church building for a cemetery. Father Schlueter served the congregation faith- fully until September, 1882, when he was succeeded in the pastorate by Rev. Thomas J. Fleming, who had charge up to February, 1891, and was then

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HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

succeeded by Rev. William Burke, the present pastor. The parish numbers over two hundred fifty families.

St. Joseph's parochial school was established by Father Fleming in 1887, and is under the care of five Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The first building was destroyed by fire, February 28, 1888, soon after which the present two-story frame structure was erected at a cost of six thousand seven hundred dollars. The average attendance is two hundred seventy children, and both church and school are in a prosperous condition.

St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Locust Gap, was organized by Rev. J. C. Shindel on the 10th of August, 1885, and forms part of the Mt. Carmel charge. The first officers were Lewis Karbley and Frederick Yentsch, elders; Henry Carl, Benjamin Thomas, and Gideon Fertig, deacons. .

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

ORIGINAL BOUNDARIES-FIRST TOWNSHIP OFFICERS- PIONEERS- INDUSTRIES-RE- BUCK-SCHOOLS-CHURCHES.

W ASHINGTON township was erected from Upper Mahanoy and Jack- son, January 14, 1856. From the official description of the original boundaries it appears that the northern line, which coincides with the sum- mit of Line mountain, is fifteen hundred twenty-six perches in length, and the western line, which extends from Line mountain to Jacob's ridge, twelve hundred sixteen perches in length.

The first township officers were Peter Reed and William D. Hoffman, justices of the peace; Solomon Billman, constable; H. D. Hoffman and Jo- seph Feger, overseers of the poor; John Haue and P. Reitz, supervisors; M. Drumheller, clerk; Peter Ferster, assessor; J. D. Hoffman, N. Kehres, and William Sherry, auditors.

The surface, like that of the neighboring townships, is rolling, with a red shale soil. No railway enters its territory, but public highways lead in all directions. Greenbrier creek, which traverses its whole extent from east to west, drains the entire area.

PIONEERS.

As in many other parts of the county, the early settlers of this township were of German origin. Among the first to locate here were Henry Rebuck, Peter Stull, John and Frederick Latsha, Peter Kiehl, Abraham Rothermel,

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WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

Daniel Gonsar, Philip Hettrick, Andrew Reitz, Peter Brosius, George Heim, Daniel and Jonathan Reitz, Jonathan Keefer, and George Reed. Their de- scendants still constitute a fair proportion of the population.

INDUSTRIES.

Keihl Brothers' mill is situated near Rebuck post office, on Greenbrier creek. The first mill on this site was erected during the early settlement of the township; it was replaced in 1838 by the present building, a frame struct- ure furnished with two sets of buhrs and capable of grinding ten barrels of flour per day. William Kehres purchased the property from a Mr. Knobel in 1830 and rebuilt the mill in 1838.

Latsha Brothers' mill was built in 1819 by Daniel Gonser, who erected at the same time a saw mill; the latter has not been in operation for some years.

One of the Rebuck family built a saw mill near Rebuck postoffice about 1815; it has been abandoned for many years.

Andrew G. Brosius's mill, also on Greenbrier creek, was originally erected by the father of the present proprietor. It is especially adapted to the manu- facture of linseed oil, but chopping is also done.

Henry Fisher established a foundry at Rebuck in 1870 for the manu- facture and repair of plows and other agricultural implements. It is now operated by W. H. Fisher.

REBUCK.

The post-village of this name is situated on the State road leading from Fisher's Ferry to Pottsville, in the valley of Greenbrier creek three fourths of a mile south of Line mountain and near the center of Washington town- ship, of which it is the polling place. The first postmaster was Godfrey Re- buck, in whose honor the office was named. The village comprises two stores, two hotels, blacksmith and wagon shops, the mill of Kiehl Brothers and the foundry of W. H. Fisher, with perhaps a dozen private residences.

SCHOOLS.

The first school in the township was established by the congregation of Himmel church in 1774, and the first teacher was Charles Henry Kauffman. Another early school was taught in an old log building which stood near the present site of Latsha's mill. The early teachers were Daniel Hoffman, Christian Geigerrith, John Eister, and Gideon Adams. The latter is now a resident of Shamokin.

The public school system was adopted, January 22, 1870, when the following persons were chosen as school directors: William Sherry, Levi T. Drumheller, Daniel Hettrick, Isaac Rebuck, Abraham Schlegel, and William Rothermel. There are now five schools with an equal number

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HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

of brick school houses, two of which were built in 1869 and the remaining three in 1870.

CHURCHES.

Himmel Church, Lutheran and Reformed, is one of the oldest denomina- tional organizations of Northumberland county. The records state that in the year 1773, "We, the Evangelical Lutheran and Reformed members of the congregation, have endeavored in the Providence of God to erect a man- sion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to have our children as well as ourselves prepared, through the Word of God and by means of the holy sacraments, for eternal life;" whereupon a patent was procured from the State for sixty acres of land, upon which a school house was erected in 1774, in which instruction was given by Charles Henry Kauffman. A log church building was also erected about the same time. On the 22d of Septem- ber, 1781, a resolution was placed on record stating that "the Evangelical Lutheran and Reformed congregations shall have equal right and privileges to land, church, school house, and so continue to have." In June, 1817, at a meeting in the school house for the purpose of deciding whether to repair the old church or build a new one, "These worthy men of both congregations. being of one mind, agreed upon the following plan: to build a new church- material to be used stone-upon a lofty place about twenty rods from the old church;" here it was again resolved "to build a union church for use of both Lutheran and Reformed members, and that it shall forever remain so in this newly erected Himmel church." Articles of agreement were accordingly drawn up and placed in the corner-stone, which was laid in the spring of 1818. The building committee was composed of Michael Reitz, Michael Rebuck, and Leonard Reitz; the ministers present were Reverends John Nicholas Hemping, John Felix, Philip Moyer, and George Mening. This is a large and commodious stone edifice, built in the old Pennsylvania style, with a one-story main room and gallery, an old-fashioned pigeon-box pulpit, and a seating capacity of four hundred. The large pipe-organ is a noticeable feature; from this circumstance it has been popularly known as "the organ church." This church was for many years the principal one in all the Mahanoy region, and was attended from a radius of twelve miles. Barefooted, coatless, and in farm wagons, the people would flock to their place of worship; no pride disturbed their minds, no fatigue furnished an excuse for absence, no one esteemed himself above his fellow-Christians. The German language has been mainly used throughout the history of the church, although English is being gradually introduced.

The first officers of the Lutheran organization were Nicholas Brosius and Peter Ferster, deacons, Daniel Kobel and George Heim, elders. Among the names which appear on the communion list of June 30, 1776, are those of Nicholas Snyder, Charles Henry Kauffman, George Ferster, Daniel Kobel,

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WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

John George Brosius, John F. Kauffman, Henry Reitz, Andrew Reitz, Will- iam Heim, John N. Hettrick, Henry Groninger, Philip Klinger, Henry Zart- man, John Shaffer, G. H. Reitz, John Miller, G. Heim, Joseph N. Brosius, Peter Ferster, John L. Kauffman, Michael Reitz, John Heim, George Henry Kauffman, Peter Albert, Edward Ferster, J. G. Heim, and John Harter; the entire number of communicants at that time was sixty-four. In 1818, when the present church edifice was built, the elders and deacons were Christian Thomas, George Miller, David Haas, Abram Hoch, Frederick Kahler, God- fried Thomas, Peter Reitz, and Jacob Falk. The communion list of April 12, 1818, gives the names of seventy-nine members, among whom were the families of Kauffman, Snyder, Rebuck, Reitz, Brosius, Hettrick, Gonser, Adams, Hoch, Reed, Kahler, Kieffer, Rothermel, Schlegel, Ferster, Rose, Yocum, Feger, and Drumheller, which have since been prominent in the history of the church. The protocol was begun in 1776 and contains lists of baptisms, communicants, members confirmed, and the articles of agreement mentioned. The first baptisms recorded were those of John and Maria Kobel, children of Henry and Catherine Kobel, who were baptized on the 7th of June, 1774. The following is a list of pastors: J. M. Enderline, 1773-87; Charles Christopher Getz, 1790; Christian Espich, 1795; J. P. F. Kramer, 1803; Conrad Walter, 1807; Daniel Ulrich, 1809; John Nicholas Hemping, 1812-47; Augustus Bergner, 1847-60; J. Hasskarl, 1861-63; John C. Schmidt, 1864-69; J. F. Bayer, 1869-70; John C. Schmidt, 1870- 81; J. F. Bayer, 1881-86; D. M. Stetler, 1887, present incumbent.

The first Reformed minister was the Reverend Cocto, who is supposed to have administered the ordinances of religion in this church during a period of twenty years. The name of Reverend Hendel appears upon the record in 1805, followed by Rev. J. Felix in 1812; the latter was present in 1818 at a congregational meeting held for the purpose of erecting a new church building. The pastoral succession since 1820 has been as follows: H. Knoebel, 1820-27; John Houtz, 1827-30; Benjamin Boyer, 1830-36; Rudolph Duenger, 1836-52; Isaac F. Steily, 1852-69; J. Fritzinger, 1870; John Wohlbach, and A. R. Hottenstein, the present incumbent, who assumed charge in 1875. The names of Andrew Ketterli and Peter Schmidt appear as officers in 1780; Andrew Brist, Christian Thomas, and Nicholas Adams, in 1809; Michael Rebuck and Jacob Schmidt, in 1811; Conrad Rebuck and Daniel Kieffer, in 1823; Abraham Rothermel and Gideon Adams, in 1826; John Geist and Bernhard Adams, in 1828. The family names at this date (1890) are those of Kieffer, Geist, Smith, Rebuck, Thomas, Falk, Sherry, Kehres, Ressler, Adams, Latsha, Runkle, Walker, Rothermel, Heim, Schott, Woodling, and others.

The parochial school has long since been discontinued; three Sunday schools are conducted at school houses located two miles north, east, and south, respectively, from the church building. The school house erected in

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HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

1774, enlarged and modernized, constitutes the residence of the organist, who officiates for both congregations and receives all the products of the farm with the use of the house in compensation for his services.

Both congregations were incorporated in 1854.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

ROCKEFELLER TOWNSHIP.

ORGANIZATION AND BOUNDARIES - DRAINAGE AND ROADS - VILLAGES - MILLS- SCHOOLS -- CHURCHES.

T HIS township, one of the interior subdivisions of the county, is bounded on the north by Upper Augusta, on the east by Shamokin, on the south by Zerbe and Little Mahanoy, and on the west by Lower Augusta. Its territory was originally a part of Augusta, and from the division of the latter until its separate organization it was embraced in Lower Augusta. A petition for the division of Lower Augusta was presented to the court on the 12th of January, 1880, whereupon G. W. Hower, John Eckman, and M. Haupt were appointed as commissioners to take the matter under advise- ment. This report having been favorable, an election was ordered for the 24th of April following, resulting in an expression of popular approval, and on the 7th of May, 1880, the township was formally erected by decree of court.

The surface is hilly. Little Shamokin and Plum creeks afford ample drainage. The principal highways are the Tulpehocken and Plum Creek roads; the former extends north and south, intersecting the latter three miles from Sunbury.

VILLAGES.

Seven Points, a village of one hundred twenty-five inhabitants, three stores, a postoffice, and the shops of several mechanics, is situated in the eastern part of Rockefeller township, on the Trevorton and Sunbury road about seven miles from the latter place. It derives its name from the fact that seven roads diverge at this place. The site was formerly embraced in a tract of several hundred acres owned by William Maclay, one of the first United States Senators from Pennsylvania. The first house within the pres- ent limits of the village was erected by William Raker in 1870; he owned the land adjoining, and sold it in lots of convenient size for purchasers. Mr. Raker also opened the first store. In 1874 the house now owned by William Eister was erected by George Shive, who started the first hotel therein; this

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ROCKEFELLER TOWNSHIP.

business, however, was only continued six years. The postoffice was estab- lished in 1874 with William Raker as postmaster; since that time G. Snyder, M. G. Ressler, and William B. Eister, the present incumbent, have filled the office. Mail is received three times a week, but arrangements are now (1890) in progress for a daily service from Sunbury. The school house, a one-story brick building, was erected in 1881.

Washington Camp, No. 139, P. O. S. of A., was instituted on the 20th of January, 1886.

Augustaville is a small post-village on the Tulpehocken road six miles from Sunbury. It consists of several houses, a general store, shoemaker shop, school house, and post office, which was established in 1880. The first · house was erected by Daniel Conrad in 1860 and was used as a hotel until 1886.

Augusta Lodge, No. 614, I. O. O. F., was instituted under charter dated November 19, 1867.

MILLS.

Weitzel's mill was established by Casper Weitzel, one of the first resi- dent attorneys of the county and a captain in the Continental army, who died in 1782. The mill is one of the oldest in the county, and has been in pos- session of the Weitzel family since it was first placed in operation. The present owner is Joseph Weitzel.

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History of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Part 82

Author: Bell, Herbert C. (Herbert Charles), 1868- ed; John, J. J., 1829- Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Chicago, Brown, Runk Number of Pages: 1424

Author: Bell, Herbert C. (Herbert Charles), 1868- ed; John, J. J., 1829-
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1424