History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume II, Part 5

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

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Samuel Cox Bonham was born in Lincoln- ton, N. C., and was but three years of age when his father died. Prior to 1820 he came to Pennsylvania, first settling in Washington, Lancaster county. He afterward removed to York county, and settled on the homestead in West Manchester township, where he carried on farming until his death, in May, 1856. He was a public-spirited citizen, a Democrat in politics, and an intimate friend of President Buchanan. In 1820 he became a member of the I. O. O. F. in Washington, Lancaster coun- ty. Samuel C. Bonham was married twice. His first wife was Mary, daughter of Gen. Ja- cob Dritt, an officer in the Revolutionary army. It is supposed she died in Lancaster county. To this marriage were born two sons : De Witt Clinton, who went to Mississippi to live, and when the Civil war broke out, entered the Con- federate service, and died at Camp Beauregard after three months' illness with fever; and Ja- cob, who went West and died in young man- hood. For his second wife Samuel C. Bon-

BIOGRAPHICAL

ham married Mrs. Elizabeth (Stayman) a strong petition gotten up by the citizens of Strickler, who died in November, 1867, in the faith of the Methodist Episcopal church. Five children were born to this union: Rebecca, who married T. Addison Denny, of Maryland, and who, about 1874, went to Rome, Ga., seeking, in the mountain air, relief for asthma, and there died ten years later ; Sarah, who died unmarried in June, 1891; Horace and John Milton, twins, of whom the latter married Elizabeth Nimick of Pittsburg, who died in April, 1886, and he died at Atlantic City, June 17, 1897; and Emily, who died in August, 1868, at the age of twenty-five. the district for the retention of Mr. Bonham. In February, 1869, he went abroad to study painting, finally locating in Munich. In the fall of 1869 he returned to York, and for the remainder of his life devoted himself to his chosen calling. His pictures were exhibited chiefly in Boston and Philadelphia, invariably winning high commendation from connois- seurs from all parts of the world. His picture "Nearing the Issue," showing a group of men witnessing a cockfight, in the expression on the eager faces, shows marvelous ability in the portrayal of emotions. This famous painting hangs in the Cochran Art Gallery, at Wash- ington, D. C.

Horace Bonham was born in West Man- chester township, York county, on his father's farm, Nov. 26, 1835, twin, as above stated, to John Milton. He began his education in a private school, conducted by a Quakeress, Ann Love, and under her guidance he remained until he entered York County Academy, where he studied until he was fourteen. Horace was sent to Williamsport, Pa., where his brother- in-law, a Methodist Episcopal minister, was stationed, when fourteen, and there entered Dickinson Seminary. He remained there a. short time, and then he and his twin brother entered Wesleyan Institute, Middletown, N. Y., to prepare for Yale. After a few months at Yale, Mr. Bonham suffered an attack of typhoid fever, followed by erysipelas, and after a long illness entered Lafayette College, grad- uating with the class of 1856. His father died just prior to the son's graduation, and the lat- ter returned home. As it had been the father's wish he should study law, the young man, much against his own inclination, read law in York, under Thomas Cochran, and was ad- mitted to the Bar. All his life he had given evidence of artistic talent, and he desired to give his whole time and attention to painting. He gave up law, but did not immediately take up art. He purchased the York Republican, and edited it for a few years as a weekly. In 1861 he started a small daily, called the York Recorder, but after about three months dis- continued it because of lack of support. Dur- ing the first administration of President Lin- coln he tried for the United States assessor- ship of this Congressional District, and se- cured it. and was reappointed for a second term, but when Lincoln was assassinated, and President Johnson succeeded to the office. another assessor was appointed in the face of

Mr. Bonham was a singularly modest man, and found his greatest happiness in his home. He was a man of fine literary distinction and was very fond of reading. Many fugitive gems of poetry came from his pen. In his- youth he was confirmed in the Episcopal Church, under the Rev. Mr. Thompson, and for many years was a regular attendant upon church services, but in his later years he be- came very liberal in religious views. While a member of the York Club, he could not in any way be regarded as a club man.

On Jan. 27, 1870, Mr. Bonham was mar- ried to Miss Rebekah Lewis, who was born in Baltimore, daughter of Eli and Rebecca (For- ney) Lewis, of Hanover, York county, and granddaughter of Eli Lewis, who, although a Quaker, was major of a battalion in the Revo- lution, and fought at Germantown and Brandy- wine. The progenitor of the Lewises was in the service of the State from Chester. Pa. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Bonham. namely: Mary L .. who died in infancy in May, 1872; and Elizabeth S., Amy L. and Eleanor M .. at home. Mr. Bonham entered into rest March 7. 1802, sincerely mourned hy a wide circle of friends.

RICHARD E. COCHRAN, senior mem- ber of the law firm of Cochran & Williams. was born Jan. 6, 1857, son of Thomas E. and Anna M. (Barnitz) Cochran, of York, Penn- sylvania.

Richard E. Cochran was liberally educated, completing the course at the York high school, the York County Academy, and the York Col- legiate Institute, graduating from the latter institution in June, 1876. He read law with

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

his father, and was admitted to the Bar Sept. at the age of seventy-five years, in 1894. His 15, 1879, since when he has taken a leading position in the courts of York county. He was subsequently appointed deputy secretary of the Commonweath by Governor Hastings, and assumed the duties of office Oct. 20, 1897, re- signing the same March 1, 1899. His father was long known as a man of eminence in his profession, and his mantle has, in great meas- ure, fallen on his son.

On Nov. 10, 1886, Mr. Cochran was mar- ·ried to Miss Mary E. Dickey, of Lancaster, Pa., who died Aug. 30, 1887. Mr. Cochran was married (second) Dec. 14, 1898, to Miss Agnes M. Wainwright, of Middlebury, Ver- mont.

On Oct. 20, 1897, Governor Hastings ap- pointed Mr. Cochran Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth, which official position he filled until March 2, 1899. Mr. Cochran is a mem- ber of the Lafayette Club, of York. He also belongs to York Lodge, A. F. & A. M., How- ell Chapter, and York Commandery, Knights Templar, and is a past master, at present holding the office of district deputy grand master of District No. 42, in which York is located. He is a member and one of the ves- trymen of St. John's Episcopal Church.

HON. NEVIN M. WANNER. The his- tory of a county, as well as that of a State, is chiefly the chronicle of the lives and deeds of those who have conferred honor and dig- nity on society. The public generally judges the character of a community by that of its representative citizens, and yields its tribute of respect and esteem for the genius, learning or virtues of those whose deeds constitute the record of the county's prosperity and pride. York county's records contain the names of many citizens who, through long service, the gift of genius, or by their faithful performance of duty, have reflected credit upon their coun- · ty, but none are written in better form than that of the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this review.

Hon. Nevin M. Wanner, now one of the judges of the courts of York county, Pa., was, before his elevation to the Bench, one of the most prominent lawyers of southern Pennsyl- vania, and had acquired a legal reputation that extended beyond the boundaries of his State. He is the son of Rev. A. Wanner, D. D., a former well-known minister of the Reformed Church, whose death occurred at York, Pa.,

mother, whose maiden name was Rebecca Mil- ler, died at York, Pa., Nov. 8, 1905. She was a daughter of Solomon Miller, Esq., who was the head of one of the oldest and best-known families of Franklin county, Pa. Of the family of Judge Wanner's father there are now sur- viving three sons and two daughters, viz .: Nevin M. Wanner, the Judge; Atreus Wan- ner, city superintendent of public schools of York, Pa .; WV. S. Wanner, wholesale dealer in leaf tobacco, of York, Pa .; Alice, widow of William H. Leighty, deceased, of German- town, Ohio; and Myra, wife of Samuel Bar- nitz, merchant, of Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania.

Nevin M. Wanner, the subject of this sketch, was born May 14, 1850, at Washing- tonville, Columbiana Co., Ohio, where his edu- cation began in a typical log schoolhouse of the olden time. He finished his public school life by graduating from the high school at German- town, Ohio, in 1866, and in the same year en- tered Heidelberg College, at Tiffin, Ohio, at the early age of sixteen years, where he re- mained for two years. He then entered Frank- lin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pa., where he graduated in 1870, carrying off one of the leading honors of his class, viz. : the "Franklin Oration." After graduating there he took a two years' course of law lectures, in the Law Department of the University of Pennsyl- vania, during the sessions of 1870-71 and 1871-72. His legal preceptor in Philadelphia was Gen. B. F. Fisher, with whom he acquired the office experience so necessary to success- ful practice. His preceptor at York, Pa., was Erastus H. Weiser, Esq. On Aug. 28, 1872, Mr. Wanner was admitted to the Bar of York county, and later on was admitted to practice in the Supreme and Superior courts of his State, and to various county courts in the commonwealth.

In the last twenty-five years of his prac- tice, Mr. Wanner is said to have attended, for the argument of his cases, at every meeting of the Supreme court of Pennsylvania, held for York county cases. Before going on the Bench Mr. Wanner had acquired such an ex- ceptional reputation as a trial lawyer that but few important cases were tried in the local courts in which he was not retained. During his practice of thirty-three years he probably tried more cases than any other member of the local Bar had ever done. As a lawyer he held numerous positions of trust and honor, not

nom M. Mannen

BIOGRAPHICAL

the least of these being that of solicitor for ter, Pa., in 1873. After filling positions in the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, the Northern Central Railway Company, and the lines controlled by them in York, Adams, Cumberland and Perry counties. different schools in Pennsylvania he accepted the assistant principalship of the York High School, in the spring of 1876. Mr. Wanner served the public schools of York as assistant principal of the High School from 1876 to 1880, and as principal from 1880 to 1890, when he accepted the duties of the superin- tendency. During his administration as city superintendent York has nearly doubled in population. This required the erection of a large number of school buildings and the es- tablishment of many schools. The educational interests of York have been rapidly advanced under his care and direction.

In politics Mr. Wanner is a Democrat and has always supported the principles of con- servative Democracy. In 1887 he was elected District Attorney of York county, Pa., and on Nov. 7, 1905, he was elevated to the Bench. His election to this honored position was not merely the usual result of a party nomination. His party in the county of York had suffered a disastrous defeat at the polls at the preced- ing general election. But Mr. Wanner's long experience at the Bar, his acknowledged abil- ity, and intimate personal acquaintance with all classes of the people, gave him such a gen- eral support, independent of party lines, that he was triumphantly elected.

Beginning his career with a complete classical education Mr. Wanner continued to be a close student of the law, and has devoted himself to his practice alone, to the practical exclusion of all other business enterprises. In religion he is a member of the Reformed Church, though in latter years he has attended the Episcopal Church.

On Nov. 1, 1882, Mr. Wanner was united in marriage to Miss Amelia Doudel Croll, a daughter of the late well-known and prominent merchant, John S. Croll, of York, Pa. Mrs. Wanner comes from one of the oldest families brian. in the city. Her ancestors since Revolution- ner's work in the Trias, by Lester F. Ward, ary days have been prominent in society and local history.

The Wanner family is of German extrac- tion on both sides. Peter Miller, the maternal great-grandfather of Judge Wanner, was born in Frankfort, Germany, March 7, 1743, and died in Franklin county, Pa., April 10, 1829. His paternal great-grandfather came to Amer- ica late in the eighteenth century. His grand- father, Jacob Wanner, settled near The Trappe, Montgomery Co., Pa., where the Judge's father was born, and where he lived until he went into the ministry.

ATREUS WANNER, City Superin- tendent of the York Public Schools, son of Rev. Aaron and Rebecca (Miller) Wanner, was born in Washingtonville, Ohio, Sept. 26, 1852. Both parents and grandparents were natives of Pennsylvania. He was graduated at Franklin and Marshall College, of Lancas-

Mr. Wanner is a vestryman of St. John's Protestant Episcopal Church, treasurer of the York County Historical Society and president of the York Public Library Board. He has devoted his leisure to scientific pursuits and is a contributor on local archaeology and geology to the government reports and to sci- entific papers. He discovered fossil reptile tracks in the red sandstone of York county. A descriptive paper first presented to the American Association for the Advancement of Science was subsequently published with illustrations in the Pennsylvania State Geo- logical Reports. He has also discovered a number of new species in the York county geological formations, thus adding to both the flora of the Trias and the fauna of the Cam- The following estimate of Mr. Wan-

is from a recent government report ("Older Mesozoic Floras of United States," page 430) : "Mr. Wanner's excellent work in Pennsyl- vania has tended to bring the deposits of York County, Pennsylvania, into substantial ha'r- mony with those farther south." An excel- lent paper read by Mr. Wanner before the Historical Society of York County relating to local Indian tribes appears in the first vol- ume of this work. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and member of the American An- thropological Association.

Mr. Wanner was married, June 21, 1882, to Miss Clara J. Eckert, daughter of Henry and Elizabeth C. Eckert, of Gordonville, Lan- caster county. An only child, H. Eckert Wan- ner, is a member of the class of 1907 of the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Wanner's brother, Hon. N. M. Wanner, is one of the judges of the courts of York county.

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

HON. JOHN W. BITTENGER, Presi- dent Judge of York county, is a descendant of old Pennsylvania ancestry, and was born at York Springs, Adams county, Nov. 10, 1834, son of Henry and Julia A. (Sheffer) Bit- tenger.

Capt. Nicholas Bittenger, great-grand- father of the Hon. John W., was a native and resident of Adams county, then a part of York county, of which he was a worthy pio- neer. He was one of the patriot soldiers in the war of the Revolution. His son, Joseph, was the paternal grandfather of Judge Bit- tenger.

Henry Sheffer, maternal great-grandfather of the Hon. John W. Bittenger, was also a Revolutionary patriot. Daniel Sheffer, son of Henry, was a native of York county, and early in life practiced medicine, becoming subse- quently Associate Judge of Adams county, and in 1836 he was elected to represent Adams and Franklin counties in the United States Con- gress. He attained great distinction as a po- litical leader and lay jurist, and was one of the prominent figures in the political and pub- lic circles of his day.

Henry Bittenger, son of Joseph, was united in marriage with Julia A. Sheffer, daughter of Daniel Sheffer, and they became the par- ents of three children, viz .: Mrs. George C. Barnitz, of Middletown, Ohio; Mrs. Reuben Young, of Hanover; and John W., President Judge of York county.

John W. Bittenger acquired his elementary education in the public schools, at the academy at Strasburg, Pa., and in Rockville, Md., which was supplemented by a partial course at Penn- sylvania College, Gettysburg. While studying at Pennsylvania College, he registered with the Hon. Moses McLean, of Gettysburg, as a student-at-law. He subsequently went to Rockville, Md., where he finished his legal studies in the office of W. Viers Bouic, subse- quently Judge of the Circuit Court of that county, and was admitted to the Bar of Mont- gomery county, Md., in 1856. In the same year Mr. Bittenger entered Harvard Law School, at Cambridge, Mass., and was gradu- ated in the year 1857, with the degree of LL. B. He then went to Lexington, Ky., and en- tered upon the practice of his profession, re- maining in that State three years.

tenger has always been a Democrat, and has taken a prominent and influential part in the party councils, having been a leader and cam- paign orator in the Democratic contests in York county. In 1862 he began his official career with the nomination for and election to the district attorneyship of the county. Through re-election he served for six years. Upon re- tiring from that office he entered upon his practice at the Bar, and at the time of accept- ing the judgeship had worked up a large and lucrative practice, and become a leading mem- ber of the Bar. In 1888 Judge Bittenger rep- resented his party in the National Convention at St. Louis. In November, 1890, he was ap- pointed by Governor Beaver to fill the vacancy occasioned on the Bench of the Nineteenth Judicial District, York county, by the death of the Hon. John Gibson. The same year the Judge became the nominee of his party for the judgeship, and was elected at the November election, and in 1900 he was re-elected by a handsome majority, the Republican party hav- ing endorsed him in convention, and made no nomination against him. Since 1895 he has served as President Judge of the York County Courts, and his rulings have attracted atten- tion all over the State on account of their clear- ness and fairness.

Judge Bittenger married Miss Anna Bren- neman, of York county, and they have the fol- lowing children, all at home: Ida, Julia, Dan- iel S., Charles E. and Louisa Augusta. All are attendants and members of Trinity Re- formed Church of York.

REV. GEORGE W. ENDERS, A. M., D. D., is a son of Jacob Enders, who came to America in 1854.

Dr. Enders was born in Germany Oct. 26, .1841, and commenced his education in the schools of Germany, which he attended until his thirteenth year. He was born in the same old stone house in Germany in which his fath- er, grandfather and great-grandfather had been born, this house having been built before the Reformation. On his wedding tour, in 1870, Dr. Enders revisited this old home, and preached in the church in which he had been confirmed. This historic old home was in Nor- heim, near Bingen-on-the-Rhine. The Doc- tor's father, grandfather and great-grandfath- er conducted freighting and passenger traffic

In 1860 Mr. Bittenger removed to York, Pa., with whose Bar and judiciary he has since been identified. In politics Judge Bit- in the old country, and managed large landed

BIOGRAPHICAL

estates. The mother of our subject was Eliza- Frederick Greinman, in memory of an eight- beth Beyer, daughter of Jacob Beyer, of Nied- year-old grandchild, who was the daughter of J. A. Dempwolf, the architect. The child's name was Margaret Wilhelmina Dempwolf. Mr. Dempwolf has been for many years sup- erintendent of Christ Sunday-school. erhausen, Germany, who was the possessor of vineyards and landed estates. The Doctor has one sister, Anna Maria, now the widow of Rev. John W. Lake, D. D., who was pastor of the Lutheran Church of Montgomery, Pa., and who died Feb. 9, 1904, in his sixty-eighth year.

Dr. Enders, when a lad of thirteen, landed in New York City, and then went to Peapack, N. J., where he gained his first knowledge of the English language. After attending the district school for some time young Enders was appointed assistant to the teacher of the school he attended, and took private lessons from his pastor. He next attended the Hart- wick Seminary, New York, and after four years of classical studies and three years of theological studies was graduated in the class of 1868, and was licensed to preach that same year, being ordained to the ministry in 1869. During his last two years as a theological stu- dent Dr. Enders preached at Maryland, Otsego Co., N. Y., where he organized a congrega- tion and built a church.

Dr. Enders's first charge was at Bridgeton, N. J., where he was pastor of St. John's Luth- eran Church for four years and while there he took a post-graduate course in the Mt. Airy Lutheran Seminary, in Philadelphia, and also a course of lectures in Pennsylvania Univer- sity. On May 1, 1873, he became pastor of St. James Lutheran Church, at Gettysburg, re- maining there two years. His health break- ing down at this time, Dr. Enders tendered his resignation and traveled for two years, when, having recovered his health, he accepted a call on June 1, 1876, to St. Paul's Lutheran Church at Richmond, Ind., remaining there six years, at the end of which time he was called to the pastorate of Christ Lutheran Church, York. This mother church of Lutheranism in York was founded Sept. 23, 1733, and the large con- gregation of Christ Church is now worship- ping in the third edifice that has been erected. Dr. Enders located in York July 1, 1882, and from the beginning of his labors here to the present his efforts have been marked with suc- cess. He has paid the church debt, erected a $30,000 building, built a parsonage which is paid for, and spent $8,000 additional in other- wise improving the church property. Among other notable things that the church possesses is a $2,500 organ, presented to the church by

Over a century ago one Barbara Schmidt left a small property to Christ Lutheran Church. This property was converted into money, and a pipe organ was purchased and in- stalled in the old stone church, where it re- mained until 1814, when it was stored away until the church was completed. It was in constant use until July, 1905, when it was transferred to the chapel. After it was re- built in the chapel this organ was re-dedicated in November, 1905, and is known as the Bar- bara Schmidt Memorial Organ.

Dr. Enders married Phoebe A. Miller, daughter of David T. Miller, a farmer of Deer- field, Cumberland Co., N. J., his bride having been organist and choir leader of Emmanuel Lutheran Church, at Friesburg, N. J., of which church Dr. Lake, brother-in-law of Dr. End- ers, was pastor. Six children were born of this union, of whom one died in infancy, and John Lake, another child, died Aug. 6, 1885, in Deerfield, N. J., while visiting his grand- father. The survivors are: Rev. George W., Jr., born at Bridgeton, N. J., Aug. 10, 1871, is now the pastor of the Lutheran Church at Clearfield, Pa .; he has a son, George W. (III). Caroline R. married July 7, 1903, Rev. George Bayard Young, B. D., who after tour- ing Europe, became pastor of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, at Brooklyn, N. Y. Rev. Martin Luther Enders, B. D., born Feb. II, 1868, at Richmond, Ind., is now pastor of Sa- lem Lutheran Church, Catonsville, a suburb of Baltimore, Md., where, in a pastorate of one and a half years, he built a $35,000 church; he was married Oct. 7, 1902, to Grace Hubner, daughter of John Hubner, president of the State Senate of Maryland for three terms. Paul Melanchton, born April 15, 1887, after attending York Collegiate Institute became a student in the Susquehanna University at Sel- insgrove, and later entered Hartwick Semi- nary in Otsego county, N. Y., where he is a member of the class of 1909.

Dr. Enders is vice-president of the Home Mission board of the General Synod of the Lutheran Church, of which he has been for seventeen years a member. He was a director

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

of the Theological Seminary of Gettysburg for death at the age of eighty-seven. His wife fifteen years; a number of years director of was a direct descendant of Capt. John Mason, the celebrated Indian fighter, who achieved distinction in the Pequot war. Capt. Mason was of English birth and came to America in 1630. Wittenberg College, at Springfield, Ohio, and was president of the Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Pa., for three years. Dr. Enders takes an active interest in the Luther League, being a great friend of the young people. His church work is of the broadest and most lib- eral type, and he has raised hundreds of thou- sands of dollars for church work at home and abroad. In 1877 the degree of A. M. was con- ferred upon him by Wittenberg College, and in 1889 the same college conferred upon him the degree of D. D.

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History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume II, Part 5

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