History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume II, Part 128

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

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February, 1896. to Miss Elizabeth Wunder. daughter of John Wunder. Her one brother died in 1904. and her sister Mary. is Mrs. Henry Bier. By his second wife Mr. Ronse has had one daughter. Helen R. The family home is an old stone house, adjoining Mr. Rouse's shops, and it is one of the oldest residences in the county. Mr. Rouse is a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, of the Foresters of America, and of the Improved Order of

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

JOHN K. FISHER is one of the old resi- Cumberland, whose husband was drowned in dents and highly respected citizens of New- the Susquehanna river; Mary, married to market, Fairview township, York county. He George Heffelberger and living in New Cum- was born Feb. 14, 1834. in Newberry town- ship, this county, son of John and Sarah .( Kirk) Fisher. berland; Sadie, married to Samuel Snell and living at Newmarket; Russell, who married Mary Flesher and lives at New Cumberland; and Ellsworth, who married Bertha Mitchell and lives at New Cumberland. There are thir- teen grandchildren.

David Fisher, his grandfather, was of Ger- man descent. He died in Newberry township, leaving children as follows: Jacob, David, Samuel, Daniel, Abraham, Nancy and Jolin.

John Fisher, the father of John K. Fisher, was born in York county, and followed farm- ing, first in Newberry township, later remov- ing to Fairview township, where he continued farming until his death. He married Sarah Kirk, daughter of Solomon Kirk, and she died in Fairview township, both she and her hus- band being buried there, at Salem Church. They were the parents of the following named children : Samuel, who died in High Spire, Dauphin county ; Mary, who died at the same place ; John K .; William, who lives on the old homestead in Fairview township; Zacharias, who died in Fairview township; Sarah Ann, who died in Decatur, Ill., and is buried at Har- risburg; Barbara, living in Indiana; and Lu- cinda, who lives in High Spire, Dauphin county.

John K. Fisher attended the public schools of Fairview township until about twenty years of age, and was then employed in the steel works at Steelton for about twenty-five years. In 1850, he settled in Newmarket, where he follows farming and trucking, and he is one of the oldest residents of that place. On Feb. 15, 1857, Mr. Fisher married Elizabeth Wist- ler, daughter of Joseph and Mary (Musser) Wistler, of York county. Mr. Wistler was a miller by trade and ran the old Eyster mill for a number of years. To Mr. and Mrs. Wistler the following children were born : Harry, Jacob, Joseph, Samuel, Adeline, Martha, Mary, Elizabeth, Susan and Anna.

Mr. Fisher enlisted Feb. 25, 1865, in Com- pany K, 192d Regiment Pennsylvania Volun- teers, at Harrisburg, and was discharged Aug. 24. 1865, at Harper's Ferry. He has an hon- orable war record. In politics a Republican, he has never aspired to public office. To him and his wife the following children were born: Edward, who married a Thorby, lives at New Cumberland, Cumberland county ; Joseph, a machinist of Chicago, Ill. ; Ida, living at New

GEORGE KABLE, a retired merchant tailor of York, who was for many years en- gaged in business in that city, was born April II, 1841, in Germany, son of J. Leonard Kable.

J. Leonard Kabel (as the name was then spelled), was born in Germany, where he en- gaged in vineyard pole making. He married Eva Elizabeth Olt, born in Germany, daughter of George, a tailor by trade, and for many years burgomaster in Breitenbrunn, Grand Duchy of Hesse Darmstadt, Germany. Mr. Olt came to America and settled near Dallas- town, where he lived retired until his death Feb. 24, 1870, at the age of eighty-four years, eleven months and five days; his remains were interred in the Union cemetery in Dallastown. J. Leonard Kabel died in 1855, during a great small-pox epidemic in Germany, and. on April 27th of the same year, his family landed in America, first at New York, having been on the water forty-seven days. From New York the family removed to York Co., Pa., settling near Dallastown. The widowed mother died at York, at the home of George Kable, Sept. 15, 1872, aged sixty years, four months and twenty-two days, and was buried at Prospect Hill cemetery. She was the mother of four children : George, our subject; Dorothy, who preceded the family to America, accompanying her grandfather from Germany, and who is now keeping house for her brother George; Philipp, who died at the age of seventeen years ; and J. L., merchant tailor on West Philadel- phia street.

George Kable attended the schools of Ger- many and was fourteen years of age when brought to America by his mother. On Oct. 15, 1855, he was bound out to Jacob Brown to learn the tailor's trade, and at the time of the big fire in York, the latter's place was de- stroyed. Mr. Brown removed his place of business to the county jail, northeast corner of

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George and King streets, until he rebuilt on America. After a sixty days voyage on a sail- South Queen street and in April, 1862, Mr. ing vessel he landed at Baltimore, and from Kable engaged in business for himself on West Market street. Here he remained four years and then removed to the present site of the Western National Bank. In 1868 Mr. Kable bought his present . property, No. 264 West Market street, of John Boreing. This he re- built and conducted a business therein inntil Jan. 16, 1903, when he retired from active life.

Mr. Kable married Barbara Breitling, who was born June 24, 1844, at Wurtemberg, Ger- many, daughter of Gottleib Breitling. She died Sept. 17, 1876, and was laid to rest in Pros- views. pect Hill cemetery. The children born to this union were as follows: J. William, born July I, 1862, married Lula Ross, who died April 5. 1904, and he is now engaged in the merchant tailor business at his father's old stand ; Charles Philip, born March 20, 1864, married and is proprietor of the White Rose Laundry of York: George W., born Jan. 6, 1866, is mar- ried and resides on Beaver street, and has been a letter carrier of York for thirteen years; Leonard, born Sept. 6, 1868, died at the age of seventeen years; Paul Olt, born Sept. 26, 1870, is a merchant tailor of Massachusetts ; and Cor- delia is the wife of Frank Beck of York.

On November 21, 1905, Mr. Kable again married, the bride being Mary M. Fuhrman, representing an old and respected family of York.

Mr. Kable is a Republican in politics. He has been a member of the First Moravian Church of York for seventeen years, and is a good citizen and an upright man. He has never let anything in the way of discouragements in- terfere with his success, as during the flood in York, his loss was great, his place being situ- ated then, as it is now, near Codorus Creek. This did not daunt Mr. Kable, however, and except for a slight pause, his trip to success was not interfered with in the least.

JOHN W. FLECKENSTINE, a popular and successful hotel-keeper in Wrightsville, was born in that town Oct. 22, 1862, while his parents were residing just opposite the present site of his hotel.

George Fleckenstine, father of John W., was a native of Saxony, born in February, 1832. He received his education there, and was twenty-six years old when he came to

there made his way to York county, Pa. At first he secured employment on Mr. Rouser's farm near York, but later, after his marriage, was engaged in the lumber yard of the Henry James Company, in Wrightsville. His wife was a native of Germany, born in Saxony in 1835, accompanied her parents to America in 1859, and settled in York. She died in 1899. She and her husband were both members of the German Catholic Church in Columbia. Mr. Fleckenstine is a Democrat in his political

John W. Fleckenstine attended the public schools until he was fifteen years of age, for the greater part of this time under Prof. Gard- ner. After leaving school he entered the em- ploy of Loomis & Brillinger in their lumber- yard, and for three years worked there for fifty cents a day, his wages going to his par- ents. He then became an apprentice with the Wrightsville Hardware Company, to learn the molding trade, and spent the next three years in their foundry, after which he spent four years in Waynesboro, Franklin county, work- ing as a journeyman. Returning to Wrights- ville at the expiration of that time, Mr. Fleck- enstine was made foreman for his former em- ployers of the Hardware Company, and re- mained there two years. He then spent eight years with the Keeley Stove Company, Colum- bia, Pa. Still pursuing his trade, he worked successfully in Danville, Limerick and Read- ing, but since 1892 he has been occupied with the hotel business instead of his former em- ployment, taking charge of the hotel owned by his wife.

Mr. Fleckenstine was married in April, 1892, to Mrs. James McLanghlin (whose maiden name was Catherine Miner), of Co- lumbia, Lancaster county. Mrs. McLanghlin had come into possession of the hotel property at the death of her first husband, and for the five years previous to her second union had been conducting the house herself. Mr. and Mrs. Fleckenstine have made extensive im- provements in the hotel, in particular adding a forty-five foot brick addition to the rear of the structure, which affords nine more rooms. They well understand the art of making their guests comfortable and spare no pains to ren- der their hostelry as satisfactory and com-

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plete as possible, an effort fully appreciated by their patrons.

To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Fleckenstine one son has come, Carol Stewart, born April I, 1895, while Mrs. Fleckenstine has two daughters by her first marriage, namely : Emeline, aged twenty-three, and Pauline, aged eighteen. The mother is a member of the Lutheran Church, as are also her daughters, while her husband belongs to the German Catholic Church.

Mr. Fleckenstine has long taken an active part in local politics and wields considerable influence in the Democratic ranks. He has been on the county committee several times, and has been a delegate to six county conven- tions. He is now serving his third term as councilman from the First ward, and the hand- some majorities by which he has overcome a nominal Republican majority of one hundred well attest his popularity and fitness for the office. Mr. Fleckenstine was one of those who started the agitation for dividing the borough into wards, which was accomplished during February, 1900, since which time he has served his ward continuously. He is also a charter member of the Wrightsville Fire Company, lias been its chief for the past six years and has also taken an active interest in the State affairs of firemen, so that he is well known, and is as widely respected as he is known.

LEVI BANGE, one of the leading busi- ness men of Glenville, has been engaged for the past thirty years in selling sewing ma- chines, but has also found time to pursue some other lines as well, and has by his energy and good business qualities become one of the sub- stantial men of Codorus township.

Jacob Bange, grandfather of Levi, was the first of the family to leave Germany, and he settled in Manheim township among the early residents of York county, passing the rest of his life there. By his wife, Elizabeth (New- comer) Bange, he had two sons: Jacob, who died at the age of seventeen, and John N.

John N. Bange was born on the home farm, and spent his whole life there, dying when seventy-three years old. His wife, Elizabeth (Umberger) Bange, lived to be seventy years of age, and the remains of both are buried at the "Stone Church" in Codorus township. They had a large family, as follows: Levi; John; Noah, deceased ; Aaron, of Harrisburg;

Levina, wife of Henry Sterner, of Codorus township; Lydia, Mrs. Emanuel Stremmel, of Penn township: Caroline, deceased wife of Charles Rinehart, of Manheim township; Elizabeth, Mrs. Valentine Wildasin, of Penn township; and Katie, Mrs. Ephraim Messin- ger, of Paradise township.

Levi Bange was born in Manheim town- ship, Sept. 4, 1848, and attended the local schools till he was twenty. He remained at home a short time longer before entering upon his business career. He became a dealer in sewing machines and also in buggies, doing both a wholesale and retail business. The first machines which he handled were the White, but later he changed to the Singer, and is still selling that popular make. The firm is known as Bange & Son, and they are very well-known through the county, where they have placed several thousand machines. Mr. Bange has been located at Glenville since 1902. For ten years he was also engaged in farming on a tract of ninety-six acres which he owned in Manheim township, but in 1905 he sold the place to his son, George H.

Mr. Bange was married, in 1876, to Miss Emma Rosa Kraft, daughter of Jesse and Lu- cinda (Baughman) Kraft, the former the pres- ent owner of the Heidelberg mill. They have two children, George H. and Annie. Mr. Bange is a member of the "Stone Church" (Lutheran) and is actively engaged in its work. He is a good citizen, always ready to promote the best interests of his county. In politics he is a Democrat.

WILLIAM H. KUHL, proprietor of a livery and boarding stable at No. 388 West Mason alley in York, is a native of that city, born Aug. 23. 1861, to Peter and Elizabeth (Weist) Kuhl, of German ancestry.

The great-grandfather of William Kuhl was the first of the family to leave Germany. His son Peter was born in America, and for the greater part of his life was a distiller in West Manchester township, York county.

Peter Kuhl (2) was born in that town- ship in 1826, and lived till May 29, 1904. From the time he was seven till he was seven- teen he lived with Adam Smyser, and being given then no opportunity to go to school, was obliged to get his education by himself later, as chance offered. Learning the black- smithing trade under John Winter, he worked

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with him for seventeen years in West Man- chester township, and then after a couple of years at Kreutz Creek, Hellam township, re- turned to his old employer for another year. The ensuing five years were spent working on his own account in a shop he built on land bought from William Smyser, but at the end of that time the shop burned, and instead of re- building Mr. Kuhl purchased John Winter's homestead and passed the remainder of his life there. For fifty-five years he followed his trade, but his last six years were free from such arduous labor. He was a man active in public affairs, supporting the Republican party, while in religious matters he was identified with the Wolf's Reformed Church, and he filled the offices of elder, deacon and president of the board. Mr. Kuhl made his first aim in life to do what was right to his fellowman, and his kind, considerate disposition and conduct made him a host of warm friends, while not one was his enemy. Throughout his life he was never engaged in a law suit, neither suing nor being sued ; he was temperate in all things, never used intoxicants, and he was an example in every way to his community. He began life a poor boy, but succeeded in amassing a hand- some competence.

Peter Kuhl chose for his wife, Miss Eliza- beth Weist, who still survives him. She bore him children as follows: Ella, Mrs. Frank Gross, of York; William H .; Alice, Mrs. John Fisher, of West Manchester township; Annie, Mrs. Israel Fishel, of Codorus township; George A., a finisher for the York Carriage Company ; Lizzie, who married the late John Elliker, of York township; Katie, Mrs. Clar- ence Grass, of West Manchester township; and Sallie, who died in childhood.

William H. Kuhl was reared on his father's homestead, where he remained till he was twen- ty-four years old, assisting his father in the smithy. He then bought a piece of property at Bear's Station, in West Manchester town- ship, and carried on the blacksmith's business there for five years before selling the place. In 1891 he moved into York, worked a year for P. C. Wiest as candy-mixer, another as traveling salesman for the Acme Candy Com- pany, and spent still another twelve months as agent for the Prudential Life Insurance Com- pany. During the next six years he served as constable for the Eleventh ward, an elective office, and then in March, 1898, embarked in his

present enterprise. As proprietor of a livery stable the same success attends Mr. Kuhl that has marked all his previous undertakings. He carries a full line of livery stock, comprising sixteen first-class horses, and he does a large business, receiving many orders for carriages for funerals and weddings.

Mr. Kuhl has rounded out the second decade of his married life. He was united, May 13, 1885, to Miss Lillie Eisenhart, daugh- ter of Dr. Herman Eisenhart, of Manchester township. They reside at No. 452 Park street,. and are both members of the Lutheran Church. In politics Mr. Kuhl is an ardent Republican and active in the affairs of his party. He be- longs to the P. O. S. of A., Jr. O. U. A. M., and Brotherhood and Royal Fire Co., of York, and is a popular member of these organizations. In the business and social world alike he com- mands the respect of all who know him.

JOHN GOCHENAUER, of Washington township, York county, was born in that town- ship, July 13, 1825, near the Red Run Church, three miles from East Berlin, Adams county, son of Joseph Gochenauer. His grand- father was born in Germany, and emigrated to America at an early day, settling in York coun- ty, where he reared his family.

Joseph Gochenauer first followed farming in Dover township, but later came to Washing- ton township and bought a farm of 140 acres, where he farmed for a number of years and then settled in Reading township, Adams coun- ty. He spent his last years in retirement on a small farm there. He married (first) Sarah Leathery, who died shortly afterward, and he married (second) Peggy Myers, also deceased. Her children were: Maria, Susan, Elizabeth and John.

John Gochenauer attended school in his boyhood, during the winter seasons, his sum- mers being spent in assisting his father on the farm. He farmed for some three years for his father, and then bought the home place, on which he lived for fifteen years when he bought a farm of 212 acres, from Abner Binder, in Washington township, which he continued to operate until 1904. He built there one of the largest and most substantial barns in the town- ship, its dimensions being 123 by 55 feet. He also improved the residence and made every- thing surrounding tidy and attractive. The land is situated along Bermudian Creek and

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probably is one of the most fertile and pro- age and were buried at Weigelstown, Dover ductive farms of the township.

Mr. Gochenaeur married Lavina Spangler, daughter of John Spangler. She was born in Warrington township, and died in 1897, and is buried at Red Mount church, in Washington township. The children of this marriage were : Daniel died aged forty-three years; Joseph, a farmer in Washington township, where our subject makes his home, married a Miss Strayer; Jesse went West and is located at St. Paul, Minn. ; Charles is deceased; Susan D. is the wife of Lewis Bosserman; Elmira (de- ceased ) was the wife of William Wherley ; and Sarah is the wife of David Craul, of York.

In his political views Mr. Gochenauer lias always been a supporter of the Democratic party. He has shown his interest in educa- tional matters by serving many times as school director in his township. He is a member of the Evangelical Church of which he has been treasurer. Mr. Gochenauer is one of the large land owners of this locality. He has two farms in Adams county, one of thirty-four and the other of ninety-six acres; two in Washington township, aggregating 353 acres, fifty acres of woodland and 483 acres of cleared land.

JACOB N. BENTZEL, one of the highly respected citizens of Dover, York county, and an honored survivor of the Civil war, was born in 1844 on Col. John Hoff's farm, in York county, on the Susquehanna river, a son of Daniel H. Bentzel, and a grandson of Henry Bentzel. Henry Bentzel, the great-grandfather, was born in York county, near the Bull road, where his father had located with his brother David. Henry Bentzel settled in Dover town- ship, where he was a farmer and distiller, and also engaged in teaming to Baltimore. He was owner of the farm on Bull road, and died at an advanced age. He was interred in Dover township. His wife was born at sea, of Ger- man parents. The children of Henry were: David, Samuel, Phelix, Henry and Barbara.

Henry Bentzel (2), the grandfather, owned and conducted an excellent farm in Dover township, where he put up all the substantial buildings. Like his father he did a great deal of teaming to Baltimore, the railroads not hav- ing yet established their lines through this section. He married Catherine Naylor, who was born in Lancaster county. Both the grandparents of Jacob N. Bentzel died in old

township. They had children as follows : John died in West Manchester and is buried at Weigelstown; Elizabeth died in Cumberland county and was buried there; David died from an accident, being burned to death while burn- ing bush near the homestead; Daniel H. was the father of Jacob N .; Henry died in Dover township, and was buried at Neiman's Church ; Rachel died in Dover township; Elias died in West Manchester township, and is buried at Neiman's Church, Dover township.

Daniel H. Bentzel, the father of Jacob N., was born in Dover township, and assisted on the family farm until he learned the carpen- ter's trade and cabinetmaking, with John Frantz, in Manchester township. After master- ing these vocations he went to Strinestown, where he followed them for about twenty years, removing then to the farm on which Jacob N. was born. This he operated for about ten years, and then returned to Dover township; went next to Manchester, and later again located in Dover township ; subsequently took possession of John Thomas's farm, in Manchester town- ship, and then operated Bentzel's Mill. Finally hie settled in Dover borough, where he built a comfortable home and followed his trade as long as he was in active life. After the death of his wife, about twenty-two years prior to his own decease, he lived with Jacob N. Bent- zel. His death took place in 1897, at the age of eighty-eight years and three months, and his burial was in the churchyard of the Re- formed Church, of which he was a worthy member. In politics lie was a Democrat.

Daniel H. Bentzel married Anna Mary Neff, daughter of Henry Neff, of York, York county. She died aged sixty-six years, and is buried at Strayers' Church. They had chil- dren as follows besides Jacob N. : Catherine, who was the wife of Rufus Rhoades, was killed by a stroke of lightning at the age of twenty-two years, and is buried in Manchester township; Anna Mary died young; Henry married (first) Rebecca Bremer and (second) Mary Sweitzer, the latter of whom lived in Baltimore, where he died aged sixty-two years ; Daniel is a farmer in Dover township, and married Barbara Miller; Peter married Mary Richardson, of Indiana, and lives on the Pacific coast, an official on a vessel; Susan married Jacob Meisenhelder, and lives in York.

Jacob N. Bentzel was educated in the pay

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schools of Manchester township and Weigels- town, Dover township, attending until he was fourteen years of age, and then assisted his father on the farm for two and one-half years. 111 1862, although only seventeen years old, he enlisted for service in the Civil war, enter- ing Company G, 166th P. V. I., under Capt. D. L. Spangler, was mustered in at York, and was sent first with the command to Washing- ton. Thence the regiment was ordered to Newport News, Whitehouse and Yorktown, returning to Washington and Harrisburg, where our subject was mustered out in July, 1863. In October, 1863, he re-enlisted, in the Carlisle garrison, and was appointed a sergeant of cavalry under Capt. Myers. Sergeant Bent- zel was a very young officer, too young to undergo the hardships which came his way, and from which he suffers more or less to the present time. He participated in all the en- gagements of his regiment, and is one of the few men who can tell the true story of "Sheri- dan's Ride," for he was one of that dashing troop himself. Of all that gallant body of brave men few indeed are left. In telling of the way in which he was wounded so seriously he says it happended while he was delivering a dispatch from the gallant Gen. Kilpatrick. Although he had his horse shot from under him he delivered the message; when he re- turned he asked permission to take off his shirt, and the wound in his back was found to be bleeding profusely. Mr. Bentzel has a rec- ord of surviving seven horses which were shot beneath him, and he is confident of killing three of the enemy, on all these occasions being in such close quarters that he could do nothing else. He was finally mustered out of the serv- ice, Aug. 16, 1865, at Nashville, Tenn. The graphic story of the war told by Mr. Bentzel is very interesting, and only limited space pre- vents insertion of many facts never before pub- lished. It is a matter of regret that this brave soldier has been so crippled from the effects of his army service that for the past fifteen years he has been confined to a chair. A copy of the following order was presented to him, but as it came to Washington after Lee's sur- render, he never received his commission :

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History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume II, Part 128

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