USA > Pennsylvania > Schuylkill County > History of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, Vol. I > Part 4
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Christ, 1817; George Rahn, 1820, and reelected in 1831; Matthias Dreher, 1823, died in office, and John Rausch appointed to fill vacancy ; Samuel Huntzinger, 1825; Charles Frailey, 1828; Henry Rausch, 1834; Peter F. Ludwig, 1837; J. T. Woolison, 1840; Jeremiah Reed, 1843; John T. Werner, 1846; Christian M. Straub, 1849; James Nagle, 1852; William Matz, 1855; John P. Hobart, 1858; John Rausch, 1861; Michael Horan, 1864; George C. Wynkoop, 1867; Charles W. Pitman, 1870; James I. Pitman, 1871 ; J. Frank Werner, 1874; William J. Matz, 1877; Michael J. Scanlon, 1880; C. J. Meade, 1881; Monroe Boyer, 1882; B. J. Duffy, 1885; Andrew Comrey, 1888; Joseph Woll, 1891; Alex. Scott, 1894; John J. Toole, 1897; Roland Beddall, 1900; T. J. Whitaker, 1903, the present incumbent.
Prothonotaries :- James McFarland, 1811; Philip Frailey, 1817; Jacob Dreibelbies, 1819; Henry W. Conrad, 1821 ;. Peter Frailey, 1824; Jacob Hammer, 1827; Lewis Audenreid, 1836; George Rahn, 1839; Charles Frailey, 1842, reelected in 1860; Christian M. Straub, 1845; Thomas Mills, 1848; John Harlan, 1851; Samuel Huntzinger, 1854; Daniel H. Shoener, 1857: Joseph M. Feger, 1863 ; Thomas J. McCam- ant, 1866; William J. Matz, 1869; Hiram Moyer, 1872; Thomas F. Kerns, 1875, and reelected in 1878; Wm. J. McCarthy, 1881, reëlected in 1884; M. P. Brannon, 1887; S. C. Kirk, 1890; James R. Deegan, 1893-6; W. S. Leib, 1899; Samuel H. Gore, 1902, the present incum- bent.
Treasurers :- Daniel Graeff, 1812; John Hammer, 1815; Jacob Hunt- zinger, 1818-1822; John Schall, 1819-1825-1832; Joseph Hammer, 1828; Joseph Ottinger, 1834; John M. Bickel, 1838; Jacob Hunt- zinger Jr., 1840; Henry Shoemaker, 1844; Henry Krebs, 1846; B. C. Christ, 1848; F. B. Kærcher, 1850; George D. Boyer, 1852, Isaac Ward, 1854; Samuel K. M. Kepner, 1856; William Bickel, 1858; James R. Cleaver, 1860; Joseph H. Richards, 1862 ; Henry J. Hendler, 1864; William B. Rady, 1866; Conrad Seltzer, 1868; Edward Bradley, 1870; George A. Herring, 1872; Daniel Barlow, 1874; Cyrus Moore, 1876; Louis Stoffregen, 1878; 1881; Louis Blass, 1884; Michael Whalen, 1887, died in office; Thomas Pepper, 1890; D. D. Dechert, 1893; Elias Davis, 1896; Gustave A. Doerflinger, 1899; F. C. Noonan, 1902; R. E. Lee, 1905.
Registers of Wills, Clerks of the Orphans' Court, and Recorders (the three offices combined until 1857) :- James McFarland, elected in 1811; Philip Frailey, 1818; Jacob Dreibelbies, 1819; Francis B. Nichols, 1821; Peter Frailey, 1824; Charles Frailey, 1831; Samuel Huntzinger, 1833; Joseph Morgan, 1836; Jacob Hammer, 1838;
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Jacob Krebs, 1840; John H. Downing, 1842; Samuel Guss, 1845; Daniel Kercher, 1848; Lewis Reeser, 1851; Joshua Boyer, 1854.
Recorders (created a separate office in 1857) :- Levi Huber, 1857; Dennis Maher, 1860; Benjamin F. Griffith, 1863; Martin Schæfer, 1866; Ernst F. Jungkurth, 1869; Jacob J. Webber, 1872; Adam Hart- wig, 1875; John A. Reilly, 1878; W. C. Haussler, 1882; A. J. Shortall. 1885; J. H. Levan, 1888; Henry Scheunman, 1891-1904; Emanuel Jenkyn, 1897; J. H. Nichter, 1900-1903; C. E. Folmer, 1906.
Registers of Wills and Clerks of Orphans' Court (since 1857) .- Jacob Feger, 1857; Joseph Bowen, 1860; Adolph Dohrmann, 1863; Charles McGee, 1869; Benjamin F. Crawshan, 1872; Richard Rahn, 1875-1881; James C. Purcell, 1881; George W. Johnson, 1884; Samuel Beard, 1887-1893; Charles C. Matten, 1893; Frank C. Reese, 1896; Charles L. Adams, 1899; Thomas S. Herb, 1902; Henry H. Seltzer, 1905.
Clerk of the Courts. (This office was combined with that of Pro- thonotary until 1857.) Since the office was established the incum- bents were :- Charles A. Rahn, James Glenn, Charles F. Rahn, O. J. Aregood, Daniel Duffy, John J. Toole, Alvin J. Shortall, John T. Shoener, each serving two terms, and Isaac Ball, now serving the second term.
State Senators, (Some of the early senators were elected from the other counties comprising the district) The following named persons have been elected from Schuylkill county) :- Peter Frailey, 1812-1816; James B. Hubley, 1820; William Audenreid, 1823; Jacob Krebs, 1828-1832; Charles Frailey, 1836-1850; Francis W. Hughes, 1844; George Rahn (to fill vacancy occasioned by resignation of Francis W. Hughes), elected in 1845; John Hendricks, 1853 ; Christian Straub, 1856; Robert M. Palmer, 1859; Richard Reilly, 1862; William M. Randall, 1865-1868-1871; Oliver P. Bechtel, 1874; all representing the whole county. Also John P. Colihan, 1875; Luther R. Keefer, 1877-1896; William L. Torbett, 1876; John Parker, 1879; Charles F. King, 1883; M. C. Watson, 1887; B. J. Monaghan, 1891; John J. Coyle, 1895; Samuel A. Losch, 1897, died Sept. 11, 1900; John F. Higgins, 1899; Charles E. Quail, 1901; Daniel J. Thomas, 1903. An act passed at the special session of the legislature in 1906, reduces Schuylkill's senatorial representation to one senator, and the legislative representation to five members instead of six.
Representatives in State Legislature: Jacob Krebs, 1812-1813; Jacob Dreibelbeis, 1814: Christian Holdeman, 1815; Michael Græff, 1816-1825; John W. Roseberry, 1819; Jacob Rahn, 1820; William Audenreid, 1822-1823; George Rahn, 1824-1826-1827-1829; Samuel
.
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SCHUYLKILL COUNTY
Huntzinger, 1830-1831-1832; Charles Frailey, 1833-1835; Henry D. Conrad, 1834-1835; Jacob Hammer. 1836-1844-1853; Daniel Krebs, 1837; William Mortimer, 1838; Augustus Holmes, 1840; John Deaver, 1841; Christian N. Straub, 1842-1844; Abraham Hubner, 1843; James Taggart, 1845-1846; George Boyer, 1845-1846-1848; Samuel Kaufman, 1847; Alexander W. Leyburn, 1847-1848; John A. Otto and John W. Roseberry. 1849; Nicholas Jones, 1850; William J. Dobbins, 1850-1851; John S. Struthers, 1851; Stephen Ringer, and Bernard Reilly, 1852 ; John Horn, Jr. 1853-1854; Samuel Hipple, 1854- 1856; Benjamin Christ, 1855; William R. Lebo, 1856-1857; George Wagonseller, 1857; Charles D. Hipple, 1858; Michael Weaver, 1858- 1864-1865; T. R. L. Ebur, 1858; Cyrus L. Pinkerton, 1859-1860; John S. Boyer, 1859-1860; P. R. Palm, 1859; Joseph R. Maurer, 1860; Henry Huhn, Daniel Koch and Len Bartholomew, 1861 ; James Ryon, 1862; Lewis C. Dougherty, 1862; Adam Wolf, 1862-1863; Edward Kerns, 1863-1864; Conrad Graber, 1863-1864; John Dormer and Joshua Boyer, 1865; Kennedy Robinson 1866-1867; John M. Crossland, 1866; P. F. Collins, 1866-1867; Philip Breen, 1867-1869; Edward Kearns and Michael Beard, 1868-1869; D. E. Nice, 1868-1869; James Ellis, 1870-1871; J. Irving Steele, 1870-1871; F. W. Snyder, 1870; Francis Mckeon, 1871; Wallace Guss, 1872; Charles F. King, 1872- 1873; W. H. Uhler, 1872; Thomas Egan, 1873-1874; Benjamin Kaufman, 1873; John W. Morgan and Frederick L. Foster, 1874. (Under the Constitution of 1874, the term of office was extended to two years.)
In 1875, the legislative representatives were elected as follows :- John W. Morgan, Charles J. Loudenslager, Joshua Boyer, Maj. Samuel A. Losch, William J. Lewis and Frederick L. Foster. In 1876, the following were elected: John W. Morgan, David J. Mckibben, W. C. Felthoff, John M. Kauffman, Decius H. Wilcox, and W. Ramsey Potts, but Mckibben and Felthoff were contested and although the court decided in their favor the legislature unseated both of them and awarded their seats to James and Fowler respect- ively. At the election of 1878 : Patrick Conry, John F. Welsh, Jno. T. Shoener, S. C. Kirk; in 1880 C. B. Palsgrove and Clay W. Evans were elected. Elected in 1882: Fred E. Stees, Joseph J. Edwards, John Boland. Elected in 1884: James Brennan, William E. Fulmer, Edward Hummel. In 1886: John M. Kauffman, M. A. Leary, D. D. Phillips, Thomas Purcell, C. W. Sherman and Thomas W. Evans. In 1887: Elias Davis, Charles C. Matten, John Tahæney. In 1889: W. M. Bachert, Calvin W. Brower, Eugene Donahue, Ramsey W. Potts, Daniel F. Gallagher and William E. Jones. In 1891 : James
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SCHUYLKILL COUNTY
J. Brennan, Samuel S. Cooper, and George W. Kennedy. In 1893: John J. Coyle, John X. Dence, Warren T. Follweiler, S. A. Losch. In 1896: Daniel C. Shuey, Benjamin F. Stuck, Joseph Wyatt and Augus- tus C. Schrink. In 1897: Evan A. Griffith, Frank J. Kehler, Earl Witman and John D. Kershner. In 1898: William Anderson, Harry H. Constein, A. D. Guenther, Harry O. Haag, James A. Noecker, and Daniel F. O'Brien. In 1900: Charles L. Ferrebee, William J. Galvin, Albert B. Garner, and Howard E. Leib. In 1902: Wesley F. Crone, Charles G. Palmer, Irvin A. Reed, Wallace A. Sitler and Charles A. Snyder. In 1905: John W. Woodward, Charles A. Sny- der, Charles J. Johnson, deceased, Wallace A. Sitler, Alfred Garner, and Charles G. Palmer.
Representatives in Congress from Schuylkill County :- Edward B. Hubley, 1834-1836; George N. Eckert, 1846; Charles M. Pitman, 1848; Christian M. Straub, 1852; James H. Campbell, 1854-1858-1860; Meyer Strouse, 1862-1864; Henry L. Cake, 1864-1868; James B. Reilly, 1874-1876-1886-1890; John W. Ryon, 1878; Charles N. Brumm, 1880-1884-1892-1894; James W. Ryan, 1898: George R. Patterson, elected in 1900, and died in office, in March, 1906, having served con- tinuously from first election. No special election held to fill this vacancy.
County Solicitor :- This is an important appointive office under the jurisdiction of the county commissioners. The office seems to have existed in this county prior to 1817. "The Bench and Bar of Penn- sylvania" states that John W. Roseberry was the first county so- licitor, and that he received the munificent salary of $16.00 for a year's services. His successors have been, in order of appointment : James B. Hubley, 1817-1819; John W. Roseberry, 1820-1821 ; George Taylor, 1822-1824; John Bannan, 1825-1839; William B. Potts, 1840-1845; John Bannan, 1846-1849; C. Tower was appointed in 1857, but resigned the position; John Bannan served in 1850-1851; Robert M. Palmer in 1852; John Bannan, 1853-1856; F. W. Hughes, 1857- 1858; T. R. Bannan, 1859-1865 ; Charles D. Hipple, 1866-1868; George DeB. Keim, 1869-1871. The office was then made elective, and the following were elected to this position: F. W. Bechtel, 1872-1874; Horace M. Darling, 1875-1877; James F. Minogue, 1878-1880. Now the office was again given to the county commissioners to appoint their own counsel and the following were the appointees: W. J. Whitehouse, 1881-1882; A. W. Schalck, 1882-1885; W. J. Whitehouse, 1885-1886; D. C. Henning, 1886-1888; James F. Minogue, 1888-1893; B. W. Cumming, Jr., 1893-1894; John O. Ulrich, 1894-1897; Charles
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SCHUYLKILL COUNTY
E. Berger, 1897-1898; Harry O. Bechtel, 1898-1900; Charles A. Sny- der, 1900-1906; A. W. Schalck, 1906.
Controller's Office :- With the increase of population in the more populous counties of the state, it became apparent that too much work was centralized in the county commissioners' offices, and a remedy was sought in dividing the duties of that official by creating a new office, to be known by the above title. The general assembly of 1893 passed an act providing for the election of county controllers in counties having a population as specified in the act. This law was decided unconstitutional, but was revised and reënacted at the session of 1895, and this is the law under which the office of county controller now exists. The duties of the position are suggested, in a measure, by the title of the office. The names of those elected to the position in Schuylkill county are as follows: B. F. Severn, elected in 1893, and reëlected in 1895; H. J. Muldoon, elected in 1898, and reëlected in 1901; C. T. Straughn, elected in 1904, is the present incumbent.
District Attorney: (since 1850, when office was created), formerly known as Deputy Attorney General :- Robert M. Palmer, 1850; Charlemagne Tower, 1853; Thomas H. Walker, 1856; Howell Fisher, 1859; Franklin B. Gowen, 1862 (resigned in 1864, and Guy E. Far- quhar served the balance of the term by appointment) ; James Ellis, 1865; Charles D. Hipple, 1868; James B. Reilly, 1871; George R. Kærcher, 1874; Adolph W. Schalck, 1877; Joseph H. Pomeroy, 1880; J. Harry James, 1883; W. John Whitehouse, 1886; Richard H. Koch, 1889; James W. Ryan, 1892; E. W. Bechtel, 1895; B. W. Camming, elected in 1898, resigned, Mr. Bechtel continuing in office until M. P. McLoughlin was elected in 1899; Charles E. Berger, 1902; I. A. Reed elected in 1905, present incumbent.
Judge of the Orphans' Court :- This is at present one of the most important elective offices in the county. Its existence was author- ized by the Constitution of 1874, providing for a separate Orphans' Court in all counties of 150,000 population, but the provisions of the law did not become operative in this county for years after the census of 1890 showed this county entitled to it, owing to the tardi- ness of the legislatures in discriminating as to the eligible counties, on the basis of population, as provided in the constitution. On March 28, 1895, the act was passed to establish Schuylkill county a separate orphans' court jurisdiction, and Governor Hastings ap- pointed Hon. Thomas H. B. Lyon to fill the position until the succeed- ing election. Hon. P. M. Dunn was chosen as the successor of Judge
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Lyon at the general election of 1895, and reelected in 1905, the term of office of all judges being ten years.
County Surveyor :- Geo. W. Beadle, 1884; John Stoudt, 1887; Francis Moyer, 1890; Joseph W. Geary, elected in 1893-1895 and in 1904, being the present county surveyor; Francis Stoudt was elected for a second term in 1898; C. H. Kershner was elected in 1901, and served until 1904.
Directors of the Poor (since 1884) :- Martin Dormer, 1884; M. W. Brown, 1885; David Gorman, 1886; George Heffner, 1887; William Leininger, 1888; Thomas Tracey, 1889; John Bergan and Robert Ebling, 1891; William Derr, 1892; Jacob Day, 1893; Neri Deitrich, 1894; Stephen Middleton, 1895; Frederick Ahrensfield, 1896; Jonathan Walburn, 1897; John J. Horgan, 1898; Henry Becker, 1899; Edward Kester, 1900; Anthony Schmicker and Frederick Portz, 1902; (Portz reelected for short term in 1903), Benjamin Kaufman, 1904; H. H. Brownmiller, 1905.
Jury Commissioners (elected since 1885) :- William Stevenson, 1885; Thomas O'Donnell, 1888, and reelected in 1891; Thomas Richards, 1894; John Anstock, 1897; Sherman Reed, 1900.
Coroners (elected since 1885) :- Emil Luks, M. D., 1886; B. C. Guldin, M. D., 1889; D. S. Marshall, M. D., 1895; C. A. Bleiler, M. D., 1898; A. L. Gillars, M. D., 1901 and 1904.
County Commissioners (term of office three years) :- Abraham Angstadt, John Ruth and John Zebner, elected in 1811; John Ham- mer, Conrad Kershner and George Kimmel, 1812; George Orwig, 1813; Benjamin Christ, 1814; Henry Straub and Christopher Boyer, 1815; Daniel Focht, 1816; Christian Brobst, 1817; Jacob Hehn, 1818; Philip Foegley, 1819; John Pott and Abraham Reifschneider, 1820; John Seltzer, 1822; John Reed and Abraham Angstadt, 1823; John Gehner, 1824; Henry Shoemaker, 1825; Ludwig Berger, 1826; John Matz, 1827; Henry Ege, and Samuel Haine, 1829; David Turner, 1831; George Reed, 1832; William Mortimer, 1833; John Brans, 1834; John Shoener, 1835; Philip Osman, 1836; Adam Focht, 1837; Abraham Boughner and Benjamin Pott, 1838; Benjamin Lantzer and Edward O'Conner, 1839; George Seitzinger and George Boyer, 1841; Samuel R. Medlar, 1842; George Moser, 1843; Henry Zimmer- man, 1844; Frederick Beck and William Wagner, 1845; George H. Stichter, 1846; Lewis Dreher, 1847; Isaac Betz, 1848; William Frailey. 1849; Michael Fritz, 1850; Thomas Foster, 1851; George Hartline, 1852; Jacob Kline and Isaac Straub, 1853; Andrew H. Wilson, 1855; David Lengle, 1856; Philip Boyer, 1857; Edward O'Conner, 1858; Samuel Kaufman, 1859; Evan J. Thomas, 1860; Daniel B. Althouse,
4
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1861; Robert Wall and Edward O'Conner, 1862; David Foley and Charles Springer, 1863; Elijah Zeiglar, 1864; Benjamin Evart and George Wilson, 1866; Edward Kerns, 1867; Patrick Dormer, 1868; Peter Miller, 1870; Valentine Benner, 1872; Moses Hine, 1873 ; Patrick Conry, 1874; Morgan W. Fehr, Lewis Blass and Patrick Collins, 1875; Samuel Garret, Daniel Boyer and A. J. Shortall, 1878; Daniel Boyer, John Leahy and N. J. Shortall, 1881; John C. Callery, John Leonard, 1884; J. Oliver Rodes and Geo. Evans in 1885 in place of Callery and Evans; Samuel G. DeTurk and J. J. Bowes and Thos. Mayer, 1887; they were reelected in 1890; Frank A. Rentz, Charles F. Allen and J. P. Martin, 1893; Charles Meyers and F. A. Rentz, 1896; H. F. Reber, F. R. Kantner and Geo. Opiel, 1899; and all reelected in 1902. The present (1906) members are P. J. Boyle, L. J. Brown and H. C. Gardner, elected in 1905.
Pioneer Life in Schuylkill County .- It cannot be determined with certainty when the first resident settlers crossed the Kittatinny and established homes in the valley of the Schuylkill lying north of Blue Mountain and the main streams above the "gap." It is equally uncertain as to whether the advance was made from the Tulpehocken, then a considerable settlement in Berks county, or from the vicinity of Allemingle. By the purchase of Thomas Penn in 1732, the lands along the Tulpehocken were thrown open to settle- ment, and those north of the Kittatinny, from the Delaware to the Susquehanna, were opened in 1749, and these purchases, or treaties, gave the settlers the right to the soil which they had not previously possessed though some had occupied the lands without legal authority. It is probable that many adventurous pioneers took advantage of the additional security afforded by these purchases, and became permanent settlers along the streams north of the Blue Mountain. The names of these early pioneers, as far as known, will be given in the articles on township histories.
The wild and mountainous region, and the absence of roads for transporting goods by means of wagons, prevented the settlers from passing far beyond the confines of the older settlements; and the encroachments upon the wilds of Schuylkill county were gradual, with the "base of supplies" always in view. There is no authentic evidence that anyone had penetrated the wilderness as far as the head-waters of the Schuylkill, with a view to settling there, until after the close of the French and Indian war. The pioneer usually had scant means, and his efforts were directed to the support of his family, rather than to accumulation.
First a clearing is made with a view to planting and raising a crop
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of vegetables to supply the family needs. The "house," however, is his first consideration. This is usually located at or near a spring, regardless of the future location of roads or the inconvenience of reaching his home. The cabin is hastily prepared and in the most primitive form, to be "soon replaced" by a home of greater preten- sions when she who is to share his joys, sorrows and dangers, arrives from beyond the mountains, or from the fatherland across the sea. His hours of labor are not measured by whistle or bell, and he often wishes that the sun might shine perpetually. He works in the clearing until hunger reminds him that exhausted nature needs refresh- ment, and he prepares his frugal meal of such delicacies as the forest and his trusty rifle can produce.
As time passes the primitive shelter is superseded by a comfortable log cabin, but the "mansion" of happy early dreams, in the ordinary progression of pioneer life, is still far in the future. The work of leveling the forest trees progresses in proportion to the strength and industry of the worker, and the choice timber is rafted or sent to the nearest saw-mill, while the refuse is "logged" into great piles and burned. The new cabin is built of logs, usually round, and notched down at the corners for the double purpose of reducing the apertures between, and also to render the building strong and compact in resisting storms or prowling enemies. The roof is made from "shakes" split from timber, and about four feet in length, and as thin as common shingles. These are held in place by heavy "weight-poles," for the day of nails and glass has not yet arrived.
The floor is made of "puncheons" split from logs, though clay often served the same purpose. The door is made of strong pun- cheons, firmly pinned together with wooden pins, while the hinges, latch and fastenings are of the same material. If a window is desired, the space is left between the logs, and the aperture is covered with greased paper to admit the light and yet keep out the cold. Briefly stated, this is a description of the typical log-cabin of the early days, the ground dimensions being fixed according to the needs of the family to occupy it; but in no case were they too large! School-houses and churches were constructed after the same "archi- tectural" plan.
The social customs of the time were conducted on the broad basis of human equality. No man considered himself better than his neighbor except as the neighbor had proved himself unworthy of public confidence. Social functions were as primitive as the locality, and were usually confined to those gatherings rendered necessary by the circumstances of the people. Log-rollings, barn-raisings, husking-
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bees, flax-pullings, all indicate the purpose of a public gathering, and they generally terminated with a dance, or other source of amusement wherein the sexes were brought together. As civilization progressed a little farther, the old-fashioned singing-school and the spelling- school became a source of enjoyment as well as of mental improve- ment. But the spiritual welfare of the pioneer in the depths of the wilderness was not neglected by the ever-active and vigilant mission- ary. Representatives of the different creeds and dogmas of religious worship were as zealous then as now, and as self-sacrificing as the needs of the community demanded. They established preaching places in the cabins of the settlers, and their circuits covered an area of many miles of frontier settlements. These appointments were reached on horse-back, and often on foot, while the minister frequently combined medicine with theology, though possessing but little knowl- edge of either. By reason of this double mission, he was always welcomed to the cabins of the pioneers, serving, as he did, as a medium of communication with the outside world.
The school-houses were used on all occasions of public gatherings, and were constructed with that end in view. Like all other buildings in the wilderness at this time, they were constructed of logs after the style of the cabins, with the exception that one entire end was occupied by a fire-place wherein large logs could be used as fuel, and the pupils seated on puncheon benches in front of it. Usually the teacher, or "master," was only required to teach the elements of the three "R's," though his ability to wield the birch was a prime consideration. School was "kept" six days in the week, and the teacher was paid (by popular subscription) from $8.00 to $12.00 a month, according to his ability and the needs of the district. The duration of the school seldom exceeded three months in the year, during that period when the pupils were least useful at home. Socia- bility and universal good-fellowship prevailed among the early settlers and if differences arose they were settled on the spot and afterward forgotten.
Supplies for the limited needs were brought from the city on pack- horses, or if the settler was not so fortunate as to own a horse, he walked and carried such necessaries as his scant supply of cash would provide. The first consideration was the powder and lead with which to supply the family larder from the abundance of wild game which infested the forest, and also for protection against the marauding bands of Indians who harassed the settlers and kept them constantly on the alert.
During the French and Indian war, the scattered settlements along
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the Blue mountain were in constant peril from Indian depredations. On Feb. 14, 1756, near the "Old Red Church" in West Brunswick township Frederick Reichelsderfer and two of his children were mur- dered, their house and barn burned including grain and cattle. The same band went to the house of Jacob Gerhart, and there murdered one man, two women and six children. Two terror-stricken little ones secreted themselves under the bed, but one was burned to death in the destruction of the home. The other one escaped and ran a mile to alarm the nearest neighbors.
On the 24th of March of the same year, a band of Indians attacked a train of ten wagons and their drivers who were conveying family effects from Allemængle to the settlement north of Blue mountain. Some three miles below the home of George Zeisloff they were fired upon, which caused the horses to stampede down a hill, the drivers having taken to the woods for safety. The Indians pillaged the wagons, carrying away the most desirable of the goods on five of the horses which they appropriated. They then went to the house of George Zeisloff and killed five persons, including Zeisloff and his wife, and scalped four of their victims. Two other persons were wounded at this massacre, one of whom, a girl, was shot through the mouth, in the neck, and scalped, yet she managed to escape. A boy escaped with three knife-stabs. This occurred near the site of Fort Franklin in West Penn township.
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