USA > Pennsylvania > Schuylkill County > History of Schuylkill County, Pa. with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 80
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VILLAGES IN RUSH TOWNSHIP-SCHOOLS.
QUAKAKE JUNCTION.
The hotel at Quakake is said to be the oldest house in that part of the township. It was built on a farm, quite a distance from where it now stands, and was moved to its present position years ago. This hotel, a union depot and the homes of the railway employes make up Qua- kake. The public school building for Tamanend and Quakake is about a quarter of a mile southeast of the junction.
DELANO.
The youngest but the most important of the villages in the township is Delano. The repair shops of the Mahanoy division of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, located here in 1866, were the starting point of the village. All the lands in and around the town are owned by the Delano Land Company, and are leased by the Lehigh Val- ley Railroad Company. All the houses are built by the company. The shops and engine-houses have been en- larged from time to time, as business on the division demanded. The Mahanoy division is under the super- vision of James J. and A. P. Blakeslee, the latter of whom resides in the village.
John Campbell, as master mechanic here, is the suc- cessor of A. Mitchell. Building and repairing engines, repairing and repainting passenger cars are the industry of the place. About two hundred men are employed.
A temperance hotel, a large store, a public hall, a pub- lic school building and the shops and dwellings of the employes forni the town. In the hall religious services are held each Sabbath. The Episcopal, Lutheran and Presbyterian ministers from Mahanoy City supply the pulpit. A flourishing union Sunday-school is in opera- tion, the nucleus of which was the Sunday-school organ- ized by David Fletcher in the old school-house. A public library and reading room is sustained by the citizens, and is liberally aided by the company.
POWDER MILLS.
About the opening of the civil war the manufacture of gunpowder was quite an industry. A mill, known as Ginther's mill, near the Stone tavern, is still standing, but has been abandoned for several years. The mills of Dupont & Weldy, at Mintzer's station, are yet in oper- ation, and constitute the only manufacturing interest in the township. In 1868 the powder mill of David Bev- eridge exploded; in 1871 H. H. Weldy's mill exploded and one man was injured. In 1874 an explosion here killed John Crouse and Isaac Mumme. In 1879 this mill (now known as Dupont & Weldy's) again exploded, killing James Neifert and two little girls who chanced to be playing near.
EDUCATIONAL.
The first school in the township was opened in 1810, through the exertions of John Faust. It was held in an old log house a mile or more from the present town of Barnesville, and was taught by Francis Keenly, a Prus- sian. The instruction was entirely in German. Proba-
bly the first attempt to teach English was made by Richard Heath, a bachelor from New Jew Jersey, who came to the region about 1820. At any rate Heath was the first man in the section able to transact business in English. His attempt at teaching was made about 1822, in his own house, but failing to receive adequate support he aban- doned the effort. Jacob Faust, a son of John Faust, in after years, prior to the establishment of the free school system, built and furnished two school-houses, one near and one in Barnesville. He insisted upon having Eng- lish as well as German taught, and finally employed an Englishman to teach, but as he failed to give satisfaction he was succeeded by Miss Mary Blew. These early schools were primitive affairs, small houses, furnished with one large table, around which the pupils sat on benches without backs. The small scholars sat on benches against the wall. Class teaching was unknown, each pupil being taught individually.
The people of Rush did not embrace the free school system until it was forced upon them. On June 13th, 1853, the court appointed William Kaup, Jonas Richard, Thomas Van Horn, W. J. Thomas, Eli Neifert and Eli Faust directors. They organized on the 25th of the month, electing William Kaup president, and Jonas Richards secretary. William Mintzer was chosen treas- urer, and William Thomas collector, and a tax of eight mills was levied. In the present limits of the district no schools were opened until 1855, when three were put in operation; one near Hometown, one near the Stone tav- ern, and one near the old union church. Messrs. Jack- son, Shindle and Werntz were the respective teachers. The schools were kept open for three months-the mini- mum term-and the salaries were $25 and $30 per month. In 1858 Jacob H. Faust built and furnished a school- house at Birnesville, which he presented to the township for ten years, and in thit year a school was opened there with H. S. Strong as teacher.
In 1871 the school at Quakake Junction was opened, and in 1865 the school at Delano, which completes the number now in operation.
Some slight changes have been made in location as new, modern houses took the place of the old huts for- merly used, but each school has been in continuous oper- ation since the time it was organized. All the houses now are of modern construction, and with one exception furnished with patent desks. At Delano a large two- story, three-room building has been erected and two schools are in operation, making seven in the district. The schools are kept open an average term of eight months. The salaries range from $40 to $50 per month. The people are proud of their schools, and sustain them willingly. At an early day they saw the wisdom of ac- quiring a mastery of the English tongue. As a conse- quence very little German is spoken. Almost the entire population can read, write and speak English. In a few years the last trace of German will disappear, and this desirable change has been wrought mainly by the wisdom, the foresight and energy of the school directors, who have in many instances refused to employ teachers who
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HISTORY OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.
could speak Germin, so that the pupils would be com- pelled to speak English.
RAILROADS.
The Catawissa and Little Schuylkill railroads were both completed through here about 1854. In 1864 the Mahanoy division of the Lehigh Valley Railroad was completed. This road was completed as far as the site of Delano in 1862. The Nesquehoning Valley road was completed in 1870. This road is a branch of the Central of New Jersey. It was begun years before, but was abandoned for a season. It connects with roads leased and operated by the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company at Tamanend. About a mile from the Stone tavern this road crosses a narrow gorge, through which flows a considerable brook, and across this chasm is the High Bridge, an immense wooden trestle one hun- dred and fifty-seven feet above the bed of the creek. These roads have not only furnished the people of Rush an outlet for their products, but on them as employes many of the young men find steady and lucrative employ- ment. They have done more to improve the condition of the people than all other agencies combined.
CHURCHES.
Union Church .- The oldest church, and for many years the only one in the township, is the Union church, situ- ated in the valley about two miles from Tamanend. The Lutheran and Reformed societies built the old White church in 1831. It is a rough cast building, and makes no pretensions to architectural display. The interior is arranged so as to seat the greatest number possible. On three sides are galleries supported by pillars. The pul- pit is an immense goblet-shaped affair, and raises the pastor about midway between the upper and lower hear- ers. It is surmounted by a sounding board, which our forefathers considered so essential an adjunct to the sa- cred desk. Rev. David Kroll was the first Lutheran pastor, and was largely instrumental in establishing the church. Mr. Kroll had preached in houses about the township since 1820. Rev. Messrs. Solomon and Schimpf have both served the Lutheran part of the congregation. Among the German Reformed pastors may be mentioned Rev. Messrs. Hausinger, Schellhammer and Keiser. The present pastors are Rev. William H. Laubenstine, Luth- eran, and Rev. Mr. Fisher, Reformed, both of whom re- side in Tamaqua. The church was built and it has been maintained by the farmers of the valley. The member- ship is not large, and hence they have never been able to maintain a pastor of their own. The church is attached to the Tamaqua pastorates. Services are conducted in
the English and German languages. Attached to the church property is the old grave yard, where the pioneers of the region have been laid to rest.
The Evangeli. al Association .- In Barnesville the mem- bers of the Evangelical Association built a neat framed church in 1872. The congregation, though then small, has been constantly growing, and, though not strong enough to maintain a separate pastor, has service regu- larly, being attached to the Tamaqua circuit. Before the building of the church, preaching was conducted in any convenient building, as the nucleus of this church existed for some years prior to the erection of the church edifice. Since the completion of the church the regular pastors have been: Rev. Messrs. Kempfer, two years; Breifogle, one year; Krecker, one year; Delabar, one year; Smoyer, one year; Egge, one year; and Zimmer- man, the present pastor. Attached to this congrega- tion, and under its supervision, is a thriving Sunday- school. Edward McCase was the first superintendent, and was largely instrumental in establishing it. The present efficient superintendent is James H Reigle. The school has about 60 pupils, taught by nine teachers. This church has done, and is doing, in connection with its school a vast amount of good.
SONS OF AMERICA.
Washington Camp, No. 72, P. O. S. of A. is located in Delano. This society is composed of the very best ma- terial of the place, and is in a prosperous and thriving condition. The charter members were R. J. Orr, J. B. Beels, D. Bechtal, G. Butler, J. Bannan, F. Brown, F. Billman, W. Ballard, J. A. Depew, W. J. Depew, W. Ebert, H. C. Faust, W. J. Faust, G. Gasser, E. Halde- man, J. R. James, jr., H. O. Lattig, R. Martin, J. Mack, W. Opp, C. Price, P. Roseberry, J. Shoop, J. P. Swany, J. Thermeris, F. Wentz, W. Wilde, C. Vaughan, D. W. Zimmerman, H. Artz.
The first officers installed were: P. P., J. B. Beels; president, R. J. Orr; vice-president, J. F. Wentz; M. of F. and C., R. Martin; conductor, W. J. Depew; secre - tary, J. R. James; I. G., H. Faust; O. G., D. W. Zim- merman; treasurer, D. W. Bechtal; F. S., J. A. Depew; chaplain, C. Vaughan; trustees: W. J. Wilde, G. Butler, J. Bannan; sentinels: E. Haldeman, H. Artz.
The officers for 1881 were: D. Bechtal, president; C. R. Whitehead, vice-president; P. Roseberry, M. of F. and C .; W. J. Carroll, R. S .; G. Brown, A. R. S .; C. Vaughan, conductor; H. C. Faust, I. G .; J. Mack, O. G .; R. J. Orr, treasurer; D. W. Zimmerman, F. S .; F. Fritz, chaplain; trustees: J. A. Depew, G. Gasser, J. Mack.
lohn Campbell
JOHN CAMPBELL
was born in Elizabethtown, Dauphin county, Pa., Septem- ber 18th, 1832, the fourth of the eight children of Brooks and Christiana (Zecher) Campbell. His great-grandfa- ther, Brooks Campbell, emigrated from Scotland with his family and settled in Lancaster, Lancaster county, Pa.
His father, named after the immigrant, was born in Lan- caster, in March, 1796, and was the eldest child in his father's family. In the early part of his life he was a farmer. During his last fourteen years he was a foreman for Samuel Spencer, a heavy contractor of public works. He died in March, 1844. His widow is living at Pitts- ton, Luzerne county, Pa., with her youngest son, C. K. Campbell. The children of this worthy couple were as follows: Charles H., Brooks, Emanuel W., John, Eliza- beth, Cyrus K., Mary and Samuel; all are living except the last.
John Campbell was educated in the schools of Lancas- ter. In 1847 the family moved to Mauch Chunk, and for two years he was employed as a laborer on the public works. At the age of 18 he commenced to learn the machinists' trade of Bradley & Butler of Mauch Chunk, and he remained with them four years. In 1853 he be- gan railroading as a fireman on the Beaver Meadow Rail- road. After about five months he became engineer, and for the next fourteen years was employed in that capacity | a citizen is deservedly held in the highest esteem.
on the Beaver Meadow, Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company's, and lehigh Valley Railroads.
In 1857 he took charge of the shops of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company at White Haven, and up- on their removal to Ashley he continued in charge, being in both places four years. In 1871 he took charge, as master mechanic, of the general repair shops of the Lehigh and Mahanoy division of the Lehigh Valley Rail- road, situated at Delano, which responsible position he still holds.
Mr. Campbell is a Republican in politics. He is a member of Coalville Masonic Lodge, No. 474, at Ashley, Luzerne county; also of the Odd Fellows' lodge at White Haven.
IIe married, November 14th, 1859, Theresa Smith, who was born in Germany, December 23d, 1839. Mrs. Camp- bell came to America from Germany when but fifteen years of age, leaving home and fatherland unaccompanied by any member of her family. Three children are the issue of this marriage, viz .: Edwin O., born November 1 1th, 1860; Mary Elizabeth, born March 19th, 1862; and William S., born July 19th, 1864.
As a thorough and efficient officer Mr. Campbell has always enjoyed in the largest measure the full confidence of the companies by which he has been employed, and as
RYAN TOWNSHIP.
HIS township is of irregular outline, and lies in the east part of the county, between the upper and lower Schuylkill coal fields. It was formed from Rush and Mahanoy town- ships in 1868, and named in honor of Judge Ryan of Pottsville.
The first settlers within the present limits of Ryan were the Dreshes and Heasings, about 1784. Dur- ing that year David Dresh erected the first log house, on the Klingiman farm, on the road from Reading to Cata- wissa. Here he planted the first orchard in the town- ship. A man named Stauffer, from Berks county, moved to this farm in 1811, succeeding Dresh. A Mr. Feller lived early on the Charles Blew farm. John Faust, George Focht, and a man named Kregler were also early comers. Others, now well known, came later.
Rev. Messrs. Schellhart and Kroll were the pioneer
preachers in the township. They held primitive meetings in a log house owned by David Dresh. Isaac A. Blew organized the first Sunday-school in Locust Valley.
David Dresh kept the pioneer tavern of the townsphip, in a log house on the Catawissa road. The first regular hotel was built about 1820, on the opposite side of the road from the Valley House, by Timothy Lewis. The Valley House was built by a man named Kearn about 1842. William Weaver, the present proprietor, bought it in 1868. Isaac A. Blew built the first public school-house, in 1854. The first teacher was Henry S. Strong, now a resident of Donaldson, Schuylkill county.
A church building was erected by the Lutheran and Reformed denominations in 1848. The builders were Levi F. Blew, John Schlier and -- Faust. The first pastor of this union congregation was Rev. David Hasinger. Charles Faust was the first child baptized into the church (1848).
SCHUYLKILL AND WALKER TOWNSHIPS.
CHUYLKILL was one of the original town- ships of the county, organized in 1811. The division lines and territories of the original townships of Schuylkill and Rush were changed and confirmed August Ist, 1821.
A movement looking to a division was made successfully in 1878, and Walker township was formed from the southern section.
In 1834 Tamaqua belonged to Schuylkill township. Blythe was taken from it in 1846, Mahanoy in part in 1849, and in part Butler, New Castle and East Norwe- gian.
The first settlement in the two townships was made in the Lewistown valley (now in Walker), about 1802. The settlers were Germans and New Englanders, and the well cultivated farms in that section attest their thrift and energy. The experiences of the pioneers were similar to those of early residents in other portions of the county. The population was 600 in 1870, and 1,629 in 1880.
PATTERSON.
Patterson is probably the oldest town in Schuylkill township, though Tuscarora claims the honor. It is on the Schuylkill Valley Railroad, eight miles east of Potts- ville. In January, 1846, it contained a large hotel and one store. In two years' time the population increased to
to 169. In 1852 a new school-house was erected; the old school house was sold to the German Catholics, and services were held in it every two weeks up to 1878, when a majority of the residents emigrated into the Mahanoy valley. A small Irish Catholic church was erected in 1843, supplied by Father Fitzsimmons, from Pottsville. This was the only charge of that denomina- tion in the valley.
The Major and Sillyman collieries were worked for many years, until 1871, when the output had become no longer profitable. The Patterson of 1881 is a straggling town, of many unoccupied, broken down houses; and of about 70 population. Mr. Jacob Heitz, a resident of . thirty years' standing, look; after the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company's property.
TUSCARORA.
In 1846 Tuscarora was the terminus of the Schuylkill Valley Railroad. There were seventeen houses, two tav- erns, one store, and a population of 139. The place did not grow for several years on account of the bad condi -. tion of the railroad. May 20th, 1830, the post-office was established, with Mr. Donaldson as postmaster. In 1852 dwellings became in great demand, and the place flour- ished largely. J. and R. Carter sunk a new slope, and Patterson & Sillyman, Pottsville operators, were work- ing the mines on the Kentucky banks. These mines were worked up to 1875, when they passed to the propri-
SCHUYLKILL, WALKER AND SOUTH MANHEIM.
349
etorship of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company, and became part of the tract of the Alliance Coal Company (Cooper, Hewitt, Havemyer & Co.), of New York. Surveys were made in 1879 with the inten- tion of reopening and building breakers, but nothing came of them.
The Primitive Methodists opened their church for ser- vice November 15th, 1853. The building was purchased of Charles F. Shoener, then of Tamaqua, for $500. The amount was made up by the following persons: John J. Dovey, $275; John and F. W. Donaldson, $100; C. F. Shoener, $50; Robert Ratcliffe, $50; Charles Mills, $25. It had not been in use for several years, and $116.46 was contributed toward repairs. The building is of wood, and it has been closed for several years.
About 1855 the Reformed church was organized, and a stone building, with a steeple, erected at a cost of $3,000. This was done to accommodate the many city visitors who stopped at the great Tuscarora House during the summer. The hotel was at one time a well known institution; but it is now boarded up, and the church doors are rarely opened.
St. Gabriel's Catholic church was opened in 1877, and is in connection with the St. Jerome's charge, Ta- maqua.
NEWKIRK.
Newkirk, a coal village, was laid out in October, 1852, and two rows of stone dwelling houses erected. In 1854 a stone church and school-house in one building was put up at the turnpike bridge, and Presbyterian services were held.
The coal mines were opened in 1852 by Newkirk & Buck; then Fry & Shepp operated them from 1870 to 1875, when the breakers were burned. A large new breaker is located here, but it has not been operated
since 1877. The Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company are the owners.
REEVESDALE.
Reevesdale, a thriving coal town in 1870, has every house but one boarded up to-day. In fact, but few peo- ple find work in Schuylkill, owing to the entire closing up of the coal mines.
LEWISTOWN.
Lewistown is a post village, containing ten dwellings, one store, an Evangelical church, built in 1866, and a union Lutheran and Reformed church, an old-fashioned stone edifice, built about 1834. Revs. J. N. S. Erb and H. Liesse are the pastors.
POPULATION-SCHOOLS.
In 1828 Schuylkill township, which then included Walker and other territory, had 93 taxable inhabitants; in 1833, 188; in 1835, 175; in 1849, 368; in 1880, about 109. The property valuation in 1833 was $72,489; the amount of taxes levied was $587.25. In 1880 the tax- ation of Schuylkill aggregated $1,467.56; that of Walker $1,361,46.
The public schools in both townships are ably man- aged. Schuylkill continued under the old regime until 1837, when a board of directors favorable to general ed- ucation was secured. They at once opened six schools. Previously, three "pay schools," two in log houses built for the purpose and one in a rented room, were the only accommodations. Fifty cents a month was demanded from each pupil by the schoolmaster for his services. Nathan Barlow kept one of these latter schools in Lewis- town for twenty years in the center of a rich farming district.
SOUTH MANHEIM TOWNSHIP.
HIS township was formed by a division of Manheim township in 1845, and it is the central township on the southern border of the county. Several censuses have deter- mined its population as follows: 1850, 773; 1860, 1,078; 1870, 929; 1880, 960.
Matthew Hein, grandfather of George Hein, who lives on his well-improved farm a mile or so below Landingville, was the first settler in the vicinity, locating very early on the farm mentioned, which is known as Daniel Hein's farm. Another early settler in the town- ship, of whom people now living have knowledge, was Adam Smith. He located and lived on the place now kuown as Wert's farm, near the Blue mountain.
A few other pioneers settled in this neighborhood, but neither their names nor the dates and circumstances of their settlement are now known.
The few scattering inhabitants of this part of the county during the period from 1755 to 1763 were greatly alarmed on account of numerous depredations and mur- ders committed by Indians. The greater part of them fled to the southern part of the then county of Berks, which included Schuylkill. In October, 1755, the In- dians were traversing the region of the Schuylkill and kill- ing isolated settlers under circumstances of much cruelty.
The first saw mill in the present township was erected by a man named Werner, on a small stream known as Riffee creek, in 1777. The property there is now owned by William Zuber.
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350
HISTORY OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.
The pioneer grist-mill was Kershner's mill, built near Auburn about a century ago. It was remodeled many years since, and it is now known as Fisher's mill.
The primitive furnace, long a landmark in South Man- heim, was erected at an early but now uncertain date, by John Pott, one of the family of pioneers in iron-making. His father, Wilhelm Pott, came to America in 1734.
In 1877 the old furnace, after having undergone re- peated repairs of more or less importance, was destroyed by fire. A new establishment of this description was erected at Jefferson station, in the south part of the township. It is owned by John G. Kauffman & Brother, and affords employment, when in operation, to about 50 men.
EDUCATIONAL.
Manheim, having Pottsville and Norwegian on one side and Orwigsburg on the other, with their strong ex- ample in favor of the public school law, could not long resist the silent but potent influence of their successful common schools, which were securing to every child, at a comparatively trifling expense, educational advantages, which previously only a few had enjoyed. Thus assailed, front and rear, the opposition had so imperceptiby melted away that in the spring of 1838 the system was accepted by a large majority, and in the following November eight schools were put into operation for a term of four months. South Manheim at the time of the division
(1845) had five public schools. It now has five, includ- ing two in the borough of Auburn.
ST. PAUL'S CHURCH
of South Manheim is a stone structure with a seating capacity of 1,000 and is the third erected. In 1878 it was remodeled and nicely frescoed, painted and carpeted. The society was organized about 112 years ago. It is a union church, Evangelical Lutheran and German Reformed, hav- ing a membership of about 300 of each denomination.
The names of early preachers cannot be recalled. Among those who have officiated for the German Re- formed people since 1820 the following are well remem- bered: Rev. Mr. Moyer served about forty years, and was succeeded by Rev. Jacob Klein, the present pastor, who has been connected with the church twenty-seven years. Lutheran ministers who have been in charge from time time to time have been Revs. George Mennig, A. T. Geis- senheimer, J. Airhart, John Eberman, G. F. Warner, -- Jacobi, G. W. Scheide and Matthew Yeager. Rev. W. H. Kuntz has been in charge since 1874, having con- firmed 115 members.
The Sunday-school is a union school, and is kept open only during the summer. In 1880 it numbered 94 schol- ars. Who the first superintendent was no one knows. The school has no library. The last superintendent in 1880 was David Staller, who is also a public school teacher.
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