History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume II, Part 102

Author: Prowell, George R.
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1390

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William R. Snyder lived in his native lo- cality until the age of seven years, when his father moved to the farm just south of Win- terstown in what is now North Hopewell town- ship, and there he remained until manhood. He was educated at the local schools, his first teacher being Anthony Bowman, and his last, his brother, Henry H. Snyder. His family was an intelligent one, all of them being fond of books, and it was often remarked that the Snyder children stood at the head of their

classes. Although reared as a farmer he learned the carpenter's trade and worked at it for a few seasons. He then taught school in the township for three winters, working as a carpenter in the summer seasons. Mr. Snyder was teaching school at the outbreak of the Civil war, and, as his brothers were in the army, he remained in that occupation and in charge of the family at home until his own en- listment for one year, Aug. 31, 1864. On that date he was enrolled in Company B, 209th P. V. I., under Capt. H. W. Spangler and Col. T. B. Kauffman, with First Brigade Col. Devens, Third Division. Gen. Hartranft, Ninth Corps, Maj. Gen. Parks. The regiment was sent directly to the front without previous drill, going by vessel from Harrisburg to Balti- more, and Mr. Snyder participated in the bat- tles of Fort Steadman, the second day's fight at Petersburg and Bermuda Hundred. He was honorably discharged May 31, 1865, at Alex- andria, Va., and has a record to which he can refer with pardonable pride, as a brave and faithful soldier. After his return from the army, Mr. Snyder farmed for his father-in-law for a short time, and when his father became

In politics Mr. Snyder is a very strong supporter of the Republican party. His first vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln while he was in a blue uniform at Bermuda Hundred, voting at a point from which the enemy's forces could be plainly seen. Mr. Snyder was twice elected supervisor of his township and once inspector, and since coming to Winters- town he has served as judge of elections.

Mr. Snyder was married, Oct. 4. 1866, to Sarah A. Fulton, born in Hopewell township, daughter of the late James and Eliza ( Meads) Fulton. Eleven children have been born to this union, namely: James F., of Hopewell township: William M., of Winterstown, who married Clara Grove; Ruth E., wife of W. N. Carman of Winterstown; Arthur F., of Win- terstown, who married Claudia Strayer; Jacob N., of Hopewell township, who married Flor- ence Althouse; Ivy Pearl, wife of Garfield Mundis, of Winterstown; Sanford Clyde, of Hopewell township, who married Susan Kib- bler : Irving C., of that township, who married Daisy Waltemeyer; Miss Orpha J .; Wilfred Ray, at home; and Sarah E., who died aged twelve years. These children were all given careful rearing and excellent educational ad- vantages, and have grown up to be respected members of society. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have made many warm friends since coming to town and still retain the deep friendships formed in earlier years. They are hospitable, kind, friendly people, who are respected and beloved wherever known.

SAMUEL URICH, a retired farmer of Wellsville, Warrington township, York coun- ty, was born July 12, 1832, in Warrington township, son of John and Catherine Urich, and a grandson of John and Catherine (Lani- bert) Urich.

The grandparents were both born in Leb- anon county, Pa., and the grandfather was a farmer all his life. He settled in Warrington township, where he purchased land, and be-

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

came quite successful. He reared the follow- ing family of children : Jonas, David, Emanuel, John, Elizabeth, Polly and Sally. In religious belief Mr. and Mrs. Urich were Lutherans, while in politics he was a Democrat. His death occurred in 1842, while Mrs. Urich died in her eightieth year. John Urich was highly respected in Warrington township. His re- mains rest in the cemetery at St. John's Church in that township.

John Urich, the father of our subject, was born in Warrington township, and like his father followed farming all his life. He ac- quired a piece of property of 190 acres, and was one of the substantial men of his time. He and his wife. Catherine Benedick, were the parents of the following children : Harriet, Samuel, Lucinda, John, Matilda, Templeton M., Henry, Sarah, and Catherine. In religion the family were Lutherans, and like his father Mr. Urich was a Democrat. Mr. Urich died at the age of forty-six, April 17, 1848, while his wife survived until 1857, being fifty years old at the time of her death.

Samuel Urich received his education in the common schools of Warrington township. After completing his schooling he worked upon a farm for eight years, after which he pur- chased a farm of fifty-four acres. In 1861 he located upon this property, which he cultivated until 1879, and then sold it and purchased a farm of sixty acres on the State road, which he cultivated until 1902. This he sold to Richard Young, of New York City, together with a farm he had purchased in 1885, which was known as the Bushey farm, and consisted of eighty acres. Mr. Urich now owns a small home on the State road and the property in which he resides in Wellsville.

Samuel Urich married, in 1856, Miss Lydia Furrer, daughter of Henry and Harriet (Sprenkle) Furrer, who was born in Dover township. Mr. and Mrs. Urich have never had any children of their own, but they have reared the following children: Catherine Urich, a sister of Mr. Urich, was nine years old when taken in the family, remaining with them until she was eighteen years old; she is now the wife of E. L. Apple, a manufacturer of leather fly nets of Wellsville. Grant Sprenkle came to Mr. and Mrs. Urich when five years old, and remained with them until the age of fourteen. Anna Snellbaker was given a home at the age of five, and remained

with them until she was twenty-seven years old, when she married Jacob Stough, and after marriage they remained on the farm until Mr. Urich disposed of it, when Mr. Stough was re- tained by-Mr. Young as farm manager.

Mr. and Mrs. Urich are members of the Evangelical Church. Mr. Urich is a Demo- crat, but has never taken an active in- terest in politics. Mr. Urich is noted for his kindness of heart, and he is very highly re- spected in the community, in which he has made his home. .

BENJAMIN F. STRICKLER stands at the head of one of the leading industrial enter- prises of York county, Pa., being the manu- facturer of the "Success" tobacco-scrap ma- chines, cigar-mold presses and various cigar manufacturers' supplies and specialties, and having a well-equipped plant in the village of Benroy. He is one of the representative busi- ness men of his native county, controls a large and far-reaching trade, and is a citizen who is markedly public-spirited and progressive, well meriting the high esteem in which he is held in the community. He was born in Windsor township. York Co., Pa., Nov. 9, 1844. and is a scion of one of the sterling pioneer fam- ilies of the county.

Christopher Strickler, grandfather of Ben- jamin F., was likewise born in York county, where his parents settled in an early day, being of stanch German lineage, and he became one of the influential and successful farmers of Spring Garden township, where his death oc- curred, and his mortal remains rest in the old Strickler cemetery at Stony Brook, that town- ship. Of his children, Daniel died in Wayne county, Ind. ; Henry became the father of Ben- jamin F. ; Magdalena and Susanna married and passed their entire lives in York and Cumber- land counties : David, Lena and Mary were triplets, and all attained venerable age, the first named having died at the age of eighty years, Lena at the age of eighty-two, and Mary at the age of eighty-four, and all of them died in Manchester township, the daughters being buried in the old cemetery at Manchester, and David at the Bear school house in Manchester township.

Henry Strickler. son of Christopher, was born in Spring Garden township, Feb. 12, 1809, and was reared under the conditions and in- fluences of the pioneer era, receiving a common-

BY Strickle

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BIOGRAPHICAL

school education, and early becoming inured to the strenuous work of the home farm. He be- caine a successful farmer, having followed this vocation in Spring Garden, Windsor and York townships, and he finally removed to Wayne county, Ind., where he remained but a short time, and then, being dissatisfied with the out- look and conditions there, he returned to his native county and purchased a tract of more than two hundred acres in York township, where he continued to be engaged in general farming until his death, March 11, 1898, when he was aged eighty-nine years and twenty-sev- en days. He was one of the leading farmers and most honored citizens of this part of the county, and, having made his life count for good in all its relations, he commanded the unqualified es- teem of all who knew him. The remains of this sterling citizen were laid to rest in the family cemetery. In the year 1837 was solemn- ized the marriage of Henry Strickler to Miss Catherine Bahn, who was born and reared in York county, daughter of Adam Bahn and sis- ter of Rachel Bahn, of Hellam township, who is specially well-known throughout the county. Mrs. Strickler was summoned into eternal rest Feb. 18, 1894, and is interred by the side of her husband, at Stony Brook. Both were con- sistent members of the River Brethren church, and in politics Mr. Strickler was a stanch Dem- ocrat. The children of this honored couple were as follows: Aaron, who married Sarah Hartman, is a retired farmer, residing in the borough of Manchester, this county ; Israel died Feb. 6, 1854, at the age of fourteen years, four months and eight days; Mary is the wife of John Sechrist, and they reside near Yoe, Wind- sor township: Henry, born in 1843, is a repre- sentative farmer of York township, and has been twice married, first to Emeline Reichart, who died March 24, 1871, and second to Eliza- beth Everhart: Benjamin F. was the next in the order of birth: Rachel is the wife of Jacob H. Sechrist, of York township, who is indi- vidually mentioned elsewhere: Annie is the wife of Rev. Peter Williams, a Dunkard clergy- man, and they reside in York township : Emma is the wife of Michael Hosan, of Dallastown, this county ; Cassandra, the wife of Milton Ar- nold, died in York township. Aug. 7. 1900; Adam, who married Susanna Horn, resides in Windsor township, where he is engaged in farming and in the manufacturing of cigars: and Sarah is the wife of John Garner, of York township.

Benjamin F. Strickler received his early education in the common schools of York county, continuing his attendance until he had attained the age of eighteen years, and making good use of the advantages thus afforded him. He then entered upon an apprenticeship at the trade of millwright, becoming a thoroughly skilled artisan in the line, and continuing to follow his trade as a vocation for nearly a score of years, though during the major portion of this period he was engaged in business on his own responsibility. As a boy he established a machine shop in his father's wood house, and he here manifested such distinctive mechanical .ability that his father showed his practical ap- preciation by erecting and equipping for him a good shop on the home farm, and there he turned out a great deal of excellent work. Later he erected for himself a larger shop, with better facilities, the same having been located a short distance west of his present plant, and there he carried on business for nine years, within which time the enterprise had grown to such scope and importance as to render it ex- pedient for him again to increase his facilities. He accordingly sold the shop last mentioned, and purchased of Peter Williams a tract of fifteen acres of land, with a good water power, upon which he erected his fine plant, the build- ing being 56 x 45 feet in dimensions and three stories in height. In the manufacture of the various products of the factory he gives em- ployment to a corps of ten skilled mechanics, and the superior excellence of the patent ma- chines and devices turned out has gained to the concern a trade that extends into the most diverse sections of the Union.

It is consistent that special reference be made to the "Success" tobacco-scrap machine, which was invented and patented by Mr. Strickler, and which is a great improvement on all other devices utilized for the handling of scrap tobacco, being economical in operation. and turning out the best class of work with maximum facility and expedition. For a full decade Mr. Strickler worked to perfect this machine and secure his letters patent, and on March 5, 1901. he received his patent. The machine is manufactured in various sizes, for operation by steam or hand power, and it has met with the highest indorsement wherever it has been introduced among the manufacturers of cigars, being used in the largest and most im- portant factories in the Union and in Canada. Mr. Strickler also manufactures cigar mold-

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

presses and various other supplies and special- ties demanded by the manufacturers of cigars and other tobacco products. The plant includes a well-equipped foundry, which has recently been enlarged, and general machine shop, and the equipment throughout is of the most mod- ern and improved type. There is also a saw mill and a grist mill on the property which are being conducted in connection with the manu- facture of the specialties already mentioned. Mr. Strickler has traveled extensively through many States in the interest of his machines, and has always been successful in introducing them-their general excellence being quickly seen-on the demonstration of their practica- bility.

Mr. Strickler is a man of marked business acumen and of progressive ideas, and he has not confined his ambition to the furtherance of mere personal ends, but has taken a marked in- terest in all that has tended to conserve the general welfare of the community, giving his aid and influence in support of all worthy meas- ures and enterprises. In politics he accords an unqualified allegiance to the Democratic party, and while never a seeker of official preferment he has been called upon to serve in various township offices, including those of assessor and inspector of elections, while in 1886 he was appointed postmaster of Benroy (a town which he himself founded), an incumbency which he has ever since retained, under both Republican and Democratic administrations. In 1889 he was a candidate for the office of jury commis- sioner, and later was again urged to ac- cept nomination for this office, but refused to consider the overtures. Since 1886 our sub- ject has acted as station agent for the Mary- land & Pennsylvania Railroad at Benroy. He is not identified with any religious denomina- tion.

On Oct. 6. 1869. was solemnized the mar- riage of Mr. Strickler to Miss Sarah Garner, who was born and reared in York township, daughter of Solomon and Catherine . ( Holt- zinger) Garner, and of the children of this union we enter the following brief record : Dal- las F. married Miss Fannie Forry, and he is employed in connection with his father's busi- ness ; Mary and Rachel are twins, the former being the wife of Nathan Herbest, of Windsor township, and the latter the wife of John Hilde- brand, of York township : Oscar Peter married Miss Lillie Heindle and resides in Windsor

township; E. M. is deceased; and Ezra D., Charles E., John H. and Anna May remain at the parental home, the family being prominent in the social life of the community, and the pleasant home being a center of gracious hos- pitality.

WILLIAM HENRY RAAB, ex-post- master of Dallastown and a prominent business man, is himself an American, but comes of German-French ancestry. He was born in York township, April 15, 1853, to Aaron and Mary ( Blouse) Raab.

Mr. Raab worked on his father's farm until he was twenty-one, attending school during that time for two months out of each year. In 1874 he located at Dallastown and engaged in business for himself as a cigar manufacturer, in which line he has since remained. In these thirty years his trade has steadily increased until he now employs over 100 people and has a business that is highly remunerative. He was one of the incorporators of the First National Bank of Dallas, and is at present a director. In politics Mr. Raab is an active Republican and has filled a number of local offices, his service as postmaster covering four full terms. He has been for many years a trustee of Emanuel Church ( United Brethren) and fraternally belongs to the Independent Sons of America and P. O. S. of A.

In 1873 Mr. Raab was married to Miss Mary Ann Olp, who is a member of one of the oldest families in York township. To them five children have been born, namely : Iva, wife of Charles F. Heizler, D. D. S., of Dallastown; Sterling F .; Harry M .; Wilmot and Spurgeon G.

JACOB A. SECHRIST (deceased ). Among the well known and highly respected citizens of York borough, York county, was Jacob A. Sechrist, whose death occurred at his home No. 306 South Queen street, May 17, 1901. He was born Dec. 1, 1822, son of John and Elizabeth (Grove) Sechrist. John Se- christ was a tanner by trade, and died while living with his son, Jacob A., with whom he had been residing for eighteen years. The birthplace of Jacob A. Sechrist is not known, but it is recorded that during a portion of his boyhood he lived with a Mr. Hengst in Spring- field township. He then married Mary Snyder, of that township, and the couple moved to

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BIOGRAPHICAL

Baltimore, Md., where the husband clerked in a store, afterward locating at his wife's home in Loganville, where he kept a general store. There Mrs. Sechrist died, leaving three chil- dren : Charles F .; Emma, Mrs. Ben Frick, of York city; and Mary (now deceased), Mrs. Justus Frisby, of Indianapolis, Indiana.

In 1858 Mr. Sechrist married Mrs. William Grove, who before her first marriage had been Elenora Caslow. About two years after his second marriage Mr. Sechrist removed to York, where he engaged in a general merchan- dise business at George and Princess streets, continuing at that locality for many years, and retiring from active business, in 1888, on ac- count of the death of his wife's mother. Mr. and Mrs. Sechrist then cared for Mr. Caslow at his home, corner of Queen and College ave- nue, living there until the time of his deathi. After his demise Mr. Sechrist located in a res- idence on Main street, in July, 1896, moving to the home where Mrs. Sechrist now resides, at No. 306 South Queen street, where he died. Mr. and Mrs. Sechrist were members of the King Street Evangelical Church, in which he was a class leader for forty years. Originally Mr. Sechrist was a Republican, but in his latter days was a strong Prohibitionist. To him and his wife these children were born: Harry Caslow, of York, who married Mary Lentz ; and Lena, who died in infancy.

Mrs. Sechrist is a daughter of Henry and Helen (Houseman) Caslow and was born in 1834, near Livingston, York county. She was reared at Springwood, coming with her father to York, where the latter kept the "Seven Star Hotel" on South George street. Later Mr. Caslow kept a grocery store on the corner of College avenue and South Queen street, where he died about 1890, aged eighty years. Mrs. Sechrist first attended subscription schools, and as a girl learned to spin and knit. Her first marriage was to William Grove; who was killed in a runaway accident, at a point just beyond the old reservoir, only a few months after mar- riage. Mrs. Sechrist's grandfather was John Caslow, who died near Dallastown, leaving a widow, Mary (Flinchbaugh). The maternal grandfather of Mrs. Sechrist, Christian Houseman, was born in Germany and came to America . at the commencement of the Revolutionary war, enlisting in the patriot army and serving until its close, when he re- ceived an honorable discharge. He passed

through many hardships, and, upon one occa- sion, as he could not eat the army bread which had been baked with lime water, he made a trap with which he caught mice and, wrenching off their heads, drank their blood. Mr. House- man was the owner of a farm near Freysville, York county, and had come to America with a family, to one of the daughters of which, Bar- bara Harshimer, he had been engaged before the war, and whom he married after the close of hostilities.

Mr. Sechrist was a very prominent man in the affairs of York, being one of the original promoters of the Farmers National Bank and a charter stockholder, as well as one of the pro- jectors of the old York city market; also a trustee of the orphans' home from its incep- tion until his death, doing much to advance its interests. Mr. Sechrist was widely esteemed for his charitable traits, and was known as the father of the King Street Evangelical Church.

EMANUEL STONER (or as the name was formerly spelled, Steiner) belongs to a family whose members have resided for gen- erations in Hellam township.

The Stoner family originated in Switzer- land; they were of the Mennonite faith and fled from religious persecution. Christian Stoner, great-grandfather of Emanuel, born June 28, 1733, was brought to America by his parents when he was four years old. the family settling on what is now the pike in Hel- lam township; he died June 28, 1786, and is buried on the farm now owned by his great- grandson, Emanuel. He was a prominent citizen and held many township offices, in- cluding that of tax collector. His family com- prised the following children : Catherine, born Jan. 20, 1759; Christian, grandfather of Emanuel, born Feb. 9, 1762; Elizabeth, born Nov. 6, 1764, who died in childhood; John, born Oct. 13, 1766, who died in childhood; Robert, born Jan. 6, 1769, who settled in Westmoreland county, Pa .; and Susan, born Jan. 15, 1771, who died in childhood.

Christian Stoner (2), grandfather of Emanuel, was born in the old stone house on the pike, on the land settled by his forefathers. He inherited the place, which was one mile square, the pike being cut through it in 1803. The old house has many historic associations. During the Revolutionary war a company of soldiers on their way to join Washington at

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Valley Forge stopped there and bought feed of Great-grandfather Christian. The receipt given is preserved in the Historical rooms at York. The old house was always hospitable, and once sheltered a number of congressmen on their way from Philadelphia to York. Mr. Stoner married a Miss Herr, daughter of John Herr, a large land-owner and farmer of Hellam township. He was the owner of the present Ebert farm, on the pike, one and a half miles west of Wrightsville. Christian Stoner (2) was a prominent man in his part of the country, and much in demand as ad- ministrator and executor in the settling of es- tates. He owned 225 acres of farm land, and a large tract of wood land on the mountain, and died on his homestead Sept. 16, 1833, firm in the faith and communion of the Men- nonite Church. His children were as follows : (I) John, born July 23, 1790, married a Miss Strickler, daughter of John Strickler, and sis- ter of the John Strickler who is still living. at the age of ninety-two, near Sprenkle's mill in Hellam township. John Stoner died on his farm adjoining the homestead in 1824. (2) Anna, born Jan. 5, 1792, married Samuel Newcomer, and lived in Mechanicsburg, Cum- berland county, where she died. (3) Maria, born Oct. 9, 1793, married .Daniel Dietz, and lived and died in Cumberland county. (4) Miss Elizabeth, born Jan. 23, 1796, died in her native township at the age of ninety-four. (5) Miss Lydia, born Jan. 9, 1798, died on the old homestead in York county. (6) Susan, born Oct. 8, 1799, married James Kerr, a school teacher of Hellam township. This was a run- away match, as the parents opposed the mar- riage. Mrs. Kerr died in Wrightsville. (7) Henry, born Dec. 18, 1800, became the father of Emanuel, of this sketch. (8) Joseph, born Sept. 5, 1802, married Barbara Sprenkle, of West Manchester township; a

he was farmer in Hellam township, and is buried in the family graveyard on the farm of Emnan- uel Stoner. (9) Christian, born June 16, 1804, married a lady from Lancaster county, and died a year after his marriage. (10) Ja- cob, born Jan. 23, 1806, died at home, inmar- ried. ( II) Catherine, born Feb. 2, 1808, mar- ried Peter Sprenkle, and lived and died in West Manchester township. ( 12) Sarah, born March 2, 1811, married Jacob Strickler, of Hellam township, where she died. (13) David, born Nov. 8, 1814, married Susan,

daughter of John Strickler; he was a well- to-do farmer, and a Dunkard preacher, and died on his farm two miles west of the old home.

Henry Stoner, father of Emanuel, was educated partly in the neighborhood subscrip -. tion school, and partly at home by a teacher employed by his father. He was reared to farm work, and was always industrious and ready to adopt new and improved methods. He inherited a portion of his father's land, and on the death of his brother Jacob bought the remaining interests of the heirs. He mar- ried Anna, daughter of Jacob Strickler, a blacksmith at Stony Brook-also a Dunkard preacher and in later life, a farmer. Mr. Stoner was brought up in the Mennonite faith, but some time after his marriage he and his wife joined the Dunkard Church, with which they were connected the balance of their lives. Mr. Stoner. never took an active in- terest in politics. He died on his farm March 22, 1872, his wife having passed away Sept. 29, 1869. They had the following children : ( I) Miss Mary died unmarried Oct. 12, 1859, aged thirty-two years, seven months and six- teen days. (2) Sarah married David Detwiler, and died at Wrightsville, Dec. 13, 1901, aged seventy-two years, ten months and seven days ; she was the mother of D. S. Detwiler, who is mentioned elsewhere. (3) Henry, born Nov. 28, 1830, a farmer, married Sarah Fahringer, and lives at the old homestead. (4) Samuel died Feb. 15, 1858, unmarried, aged twenty-five years, two months and four days. (5) Jacob, died Jan. 11, 1853, at the age of eighteen. (6) Anna, married John Strickler, and died March 27, 1883, aged forty-six years, six months and twenty days. (7) John, unmar- ried, died Dec. 21, 1884, aged forty-six years, four months and fourteen days. (8) Eliza, married George Dietz, and died in Hellam township, June 24, 1896, aged fifty-six years and seven months. (9) Rudolph, born May 10, 1841, married Fanny Forry, of Hellam township, and now lives in York. (10) Emanuel is mentioned below.

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History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume II, Part 102

Author: Prowell, George R. Publication date: 1907 Publisher: J. H. Beers Number of Pages: 1390

Author: Prowell, George R.
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1390