History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended, Part 170

Author: Gibson, John, Editor
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago
Number of Pages: 1104

USA > Pennsylvania > York County > History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended > Part 170

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CHARLES M. WOLFF was born near Hanover, Penn., in October, 1847, is a son of J. George and Eleanor (Bittinger) Wolff, and is of German-French extraction. He was educated at the Pennsylvania College, at Gettysburg, and graduated from that institution in 1871. Subsequently he went to Potts- ville, Penn., and for five years conducted a news- paper, known as the Tremont News. He began the study of the law in Pottsville. Penn., under ex-Atty .- Gen. Francis W. Hughes. In 1877 he returned to York County, and the same year was admitted to the bar in York and Adams Counties, and has since been in the active practice of his profession. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., and is an energetic citizen. The father of our subject was born in Adams County, and is now engaged in the grain business at Gettysburg.

CHARLES YOUNG, born in Hanover, March 3, 1830, is the fourth child and third son of a family of four sons and two daughters. His parents, George and Susan (Sholl) Young, were natives of Hanover, and of German descent. His father was a farmer, and died in 1867, in the seventieth year of his age. Charles Young attended the public schools until sixteen years of age, assisted on his father's farm until twenty, then went to Middletown, Ohio, where he carried on a hardware and iron store, and bought grain for eight years, and farmed four years more; then returned East, and remained until his father's death, after which he went to Kansas City, Mo., remained in that section about seven months, when he again returned to Hanover; and soon afterward engaged in the lumber and coal business, which he still follows. He was married in Middletown, Ohio, · in December, 1852, to Miss Susan Zearing, a native of Warren County, Ohio, and of German descent. They have had four children: Louisa Catherine, who died aged about eight months; William Z .. who died at the age of twenty-two; Ida S. and Emily L. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mr. Young is one of the stewards of the Hanover congregation. During Lee's invasion of Pennsylvania, Mr. Young served in the militia of his State. He served the borough as school director one term of three years; as councilman two terms, and was elected chief burgess in February, 1884. He is a Republican in politics, and is a member of the Masonic fraternity.

REV. WILLIAM KNOX ZIEBER, D. D., who for many years has been a prominent and influential clergvman of the Reformed Church, was born at Reading, Penn., September 26, 1825. His parents, Philip and Catharine (Bruckman) Zieber, are natives of Reading. They brought up a family of ten

children-six sons and four daughters. The father was a merchant in his native city for forty years. The subject of our sketch attended private schools: at twelve years of age he had a fair English educa- tion, and knew something of Latin. During this time he was a classmate of Hon. Hiester Clymer. From the age of twelve to eighteen years he was a clerk in his father's store. He entered Marshall College, at Mercersburg, Penn., at nineteen, and graduated in the classical course in 1848. Three years later the degree of master of arts was con- ferred upon him. He entered the theological sem- inary of the Reformed Church immediately after leaving college. He was licensed to preach in 1849, and went to Easton, Penn., where he was assistant preacher, and a teacher of a private school. He was ordained in 1850, and during the next year removed to Miamisburg; Ohio; he was pastor there for three years, and at Tiffin, Ohio, five years. The succeed- ing two years he was engaged in the home mission- ary work, in the meantime traveling in the far West in the discharge of his duty. In July, 1859, he came to Hanover, Penn., to take charge of the Emanuel Reformed Church, which position he held until May, 1882, when, from over-work, he was compelled to resign on account of physical dis- ability. Rev. Dr. Zieber was married at Mercers- burg, Penn., on September 25, 1850, to Miss Sarah Good, a native of Pennsylvania, and a sister of Rev. William James Good. Five children were descend- ants: Annie, Blanche, Bertha, Grace and Paul. Bertha is teaching in a female seminary at Hagers- town, Md. Grace is also a teacher in a kindergarten in Philadelphia, and Paul is a druggist in the latter city. During a ministry of twenty-two years. in Hanover and vicinity, Dr. Zieber preached exclusive of lectures 3, 106 times, baptized 700 persons, added to his church 496 members, officiated at 379 funerals, performed the marriage ceremony 254 times, and collected for benevolent purposes $12,000, which went to home missions, orphans' homes, and for the preparation of young men for the ministry. Dr. Zieber is well read in all departments of literature, a theologian of recognized ability, and has done much to improve the moral, educational and social interests of Hanover. His home is a model of re- finement and culture.

FRANK A. ZIEGLER, Pennsylvania Railroad agent at Hanover, was born in Littlestown, Adams Co., Penn., February 27, 1844, and is a son of Charles H. and Margaret (Brothers) Ziegler, of Adams County, and of German descent. His father, who died in 1879, had been in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company as collector of tolls on the Pennsylvania Canal at Clark's Ferry, and subsequently at Middletown, from the time the canal passed into the hands of the Pennsylvania Railroad till within four years of his death. The last two years he spent as bridge toll collector at Wrightsville. Frank A. is the eldest of seven children, and grew up principally in his father's of- fice. At the age of fifteen years he began learning telegraphy, and soon after occupied a place as op- erator in his father's office at Clark's Ferry, but remained only six weeks, and went to Harrisburg, where he was until August 22, 1863, when he en- listed in Company A. One Hundred and Twenty- seventh Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry; he served nine months, and was honorably discharged at Har- risburg. On his return he took his old position as operator in his father's office, which he kept until 1870, when he was transferred to Middletown, and at the end of two years went to Alexandria, Va., where he was clerk in the freight office of the Penn- sylvania Railroad. After a few months he was ap- pointed agent and operator at Bowie, on the Balti- more & Potomac Railroad, which position he held for three years, and then was removed to Baltimore

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

City as clerk in the car record office of the Northern Central Railroad. At the establishment of the Frederick division of that line he was transferred to the superintendent's office at York, and remained there from 1875 to 1879, when he came to Hanover, where he has since held the office of the agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad. In July, 1881, he, in company with D. P. McKeefer, established the tel- ephone at Hanover, but sold out to the Pennsyl- vania Telephone Company. In 1866 he was mar- ried, in Dauphin County, to Ellen Garman, of that county, and has had five children: George S., Grace G., Carrie M., Mary C. and Carl E. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Z. is a Mason, a member of the I. O. O. F., in which latter he is a trustee, and a member of the G. A. R. In 1883 he was elected councilman of his ward, but was defeated as chief burgess in 1884.

FRANCIS S. ZINN, junk dealer of Hanover, Penn., was born in Austria in 1847, and is the eld- est of two sons of George J. and Theresa (Hergesell) Zinn, natives of Austria. The father was a major in the Austrian army for eighteen years; he came to this country in 1858 and settled at Hanover; in 1862 he enlisted in Company G, One Hundred and Sixty-sixth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, for one year, and died in 1879. Francis S. was brought up at Hanover, where he received a good German and English education, which enabled him to teach a German school in New York State one term. In 1868 he was married to Belinda Parr, who died, leaving five children: Ida K., George W., Otto J., Harry W. (deceased) and Rosa J. Mr. Zinn belongs to the Lutheran Church of Hanover; is a Mason and a member of the I. O. O. F., commander of Encampment No. 47, of Hanover. In politics he is an active Democrat, and has held the offices of assessor, school director, district superintendent of schools of Heidelberg and Penn Townships, and in 1880 was enumerator of the census for the same townships. Before engaging in his present bus- iness he followed farming.

WRIGHTSVILLE BOROUGH AND HEL- LAM TOWNSHIP.

JAMES A. ARMSTRONG, M. D., was born in Lisbon, Ohio, January 8, 1839. His parents were James and Margaret (Knepley) Armstrong, of Ohio and District of Columbia, and of Scotch-Irish and German descent respectively. Until his fourteenth year he lived on the farm, receiving his primary education at the schools of New Oxford, Penn. At the age of twenty he entered the office of Dr. Pfeiffer, of New Oxford, where he read medicine for two years," going from there to Abbottstown, where he read with Dr. Pepper for three years. After practicing and continuing his studies for a few years, he entered the University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia, from which institution he graduated,' in the spring of 1871, as medical doctor. After practicing a year in Philadelphia, he discovered his health to be failing, and discontinued for about one year, devoting his whole time to the recuperation of his physical forces. In 1873 he removed to Hellam, where he has since been practicing his profession with success. He was married, at Abbottstown, in 1876, to Miss M. Wolf, and had born to him six children, three of whom died in infancy. The living are Ernest A.,

Mary E. and Margaret L. Dr. Armstrong is a member and deacon of the Lutheran Church, and was school director three years, and is a member of the State Medical Association, and of the York County Medical Society, of which he was vice- president at one time.

THEODORE D. BAHN was born July 14, 1833, on the Dosch farm, half a mile south of East Prospect, York Co., Penn. His parents were Henry and Maria (Dosch) Bahn, and soon after subject's birth removed to Marietta, Penn .; when he was about one year old they removed to Lewis- town, Mifflin Co., Penn., thence to the Comfort Farm, five miles west from Lewistown; thence, in his fifth year, to a farm in Juniata County, and in his seventh year to McAlistersville, same connty, where his father engaged in the tanning business, and died in our subject's thirteenth year. When Theodore was fonrteen, his mother died, leaving a family of six small children, he being the eldest and only boy. All were subsequently well cared for by kind friends, he with his eldest sister being taken into the family of his uncle, Jacob Dosch. At the age of fifteen he removed with his uncle to. the then far West, arriving at Galena. Ill., on the 1st of December; thence they traveled by team to. Fayette County, Wis., where they settled. He re- mained with his uncle, working at the carpenter's trade and farming at intervals, until he was eighteen years of age, when he went into the Wisconsin pineries, where he spent one year working at shingle-making; returning again to Fayette County, he worked at lis trade and farming, until the spring of 1857, when he removed to Lodi, Colum- bia Co., Wis., continuing at his trade in the summer and teaching school in the winter until April 18, 1861, when he enlisted in Company H, Second Wis- consin Volunteers, for three months, going into. camp at Madison, where the regiment was drilled until the 11th of June, when he, with the entire regiment, re-enlisted for three years (being pro- moted in the meantime to the position of fifth ser- geant) and on the same day embarked for the seat of war. He participated in the first Bull Run battle, when he received a gunshot wound in the right shoulder; was granted a furlough for two months, returned home and in due time joined his regiment. He participated in all the battles in which his regiment was engaged (except those of second Bull Run and Antietam, at which time he was on detached dnty in the engineer corps), up to the battle of Gettysburg, where he was severely wounded in the left side during the first charge of the famous "Iron Brigade," within thirty yards of he spot where Gen. Reynolds fell. With consider- able difficulty and severe pain he reached the court house, then being used as a hospital, where he re- mained until the close of the battle; he was then transferred to the United States General Hospital, at York, Penn., where he remained until February 11, 1864, when he was pronounced unfit for field service, and transferred to the Second Battalion Veteran Reserve Corps. Company 108, with the rank of first sergeant. He was assigned to duty as clerk in the office of the surgeon in charge of the above-named hospital, where he remained until June 11, 1864, when he was honorably discharged. He returned to his Western home, where, on the 21st day of July, the third anniversary of the first Bull Run battle, he was married to Miss Hattie C. Bartholomew. Resuming his trade, he worked for- the government at Dnvall's, Bluff, Ark., on hospi- tals for six months; returning again to Lodi, Wis., he pursued his trade until the fall of 1869, when he removed to the city of Milwaukee, where he was engaged in a sash, door and blind factory until the spring of 1872, when he removed to Cedarburg, where he engaged in the same business until the-

WRIGHTSVILLE BOROUGH AND HELLAM TOWNSHIP.

fall of 1874, when he came to Wrightsville, and entered the employ of his brother-in-law, John Beidler, in the lumber and hardware business. In 1880 he entered the millinery, trimming and fancy goods business, in which he is still engaged, with very fair prospects of success. At present he holds the position of "Post Commander" of Lieut. R W. Smith Post, No. 270, G. A. R., and is a member of the E. Lutheran Church and Sunday-school.

JOHN BEIDLER. The subject of this sketch is one of the most prominent and active of the busi - ness men of Wrightsville, and is now engaged in the hardware business. For many years he carried on the lumber business in Wrightsville, and his trade extended through York and Adams Counties in Pennsylvania, and Frederick and Harford Coun- ties in Maryland, and from his extended business connections he is well and favorably known throughout this whole region of country. He has recently placed the lumber business in the hands of his eldest son, Harry B. Beidler, and devotes his at- tention to the hardware business. Mr. Beidler was born in the year 1836, on the farm now owned by him, about two miles from Wrightsville, in Hellam Township. This farm has been in the uninterrupted possession of the Beidler family since the year 1744, having been conveyed, in that year, by patent from John Penn, Thomas Penn and Richard Penn, to Ulrich Beidler, the great-great-grandfather of John Beidler, and has been transferred from one generation to another of his descendants until it reached the present owner. Ulrich Beidler, above mentioned, was one of the first of the German settlers of the Creitz Creek Valley, though we have no record of the exact date of his arrival. The records of the family show that he and his wife Barbara left three sous and three daughters. One of the daughters, Anna, was married to Henry Strickler, and was the maternal ancestor of many of the Stricklers now living in the valley. Barbara, another daughter, was married to Jacob Blasser. We have no record of the descendants of the other daughter, Frena, or of the two younger sons, Peter and Jacob, though it is more than probable that descendants of Jacob Beidler, who, it is known, left children, may be found. The eldest son of Ulrich Beidler, Daniel Beidler, and who inherited the home farm, married, and with his wife Barbara, had a family of one son and eight daughters, all of whom lived to grow up and become heads of families of their own. Of the daughters, Barbara was married to Joseph Erb, of Warwick Township, Lancaster County; Magdalena, to Jacob Witmer, of Cumberland County; Anna, to Daniel Flury; Frena to Jacob Grove, of Hawkins County, N. C .; Eliza- beth to. Nathan Barns, of Washington County, Penn .; Mary to Melchoir Bringalf, and Catharine to Berutheisel. Daniel Beidler the second, the only son, who was born March 6, 1770, married Susanna Fitz, and on the death of his father, Daniel Beidler the first, came into possession of the homestead, paying to his sisters their respective shares of their father's estate. He had six children, namely: Jacob, born in 1804; Barbara, born in 1805; Daniel, born in 1807: Baltzer, born in 1808: Anna, born in 1809, and John, born in 1810. John died when less than a year old. and before the death of his father. Daniel Beidler the second, died sud- denly, at York, August 5, 1816, and the farm passed into the possession of his widow, Susanna, and his children, Jacob, Barbara, Daniel, Baltzer and Anna. With the exception of Baltzer these all died without having married. Jacob died in 1824, Anna in 1861, Susanna (widow of Daniel Beidler the second) in 1862, Daniel in 1872, and Barbara in 1880, leaving Baltzer Beidler the only survivor and sole heir to the estate left by his father, Daniel Beidler the second. Baltzer Beidler was married

in 1834 to Elizabeth Stoner. They had but two children: John, the subject of this sketch, and Susan, who was born August 11, 1838, and died May 10, 1842. Mrs. Elizabeth Beidler died January 12, 1841, in the twenty-seventh year of her age. Baltzer Beidler died May 4, 1884, aged seventy-five years ten months and six days, when the estate passed to John Beidler, the only heir. John Beidler, the only son of Baltzer and Elizabeth Beidler, was born in Hellam Township, York County, February 10, 1836, and received a common school education. For a short time, in early man- hood, he engaged in teaching in the public schools of the county. In the year 1859 he was married to Miss Mary E. Bahn, of Hellam Township, and soon after his marriage he removed to Wrightsville and engaged in the lumber business. At this time, Wrightsville was the center of a large lumber trade, and wagons came from all points south and west for a distance of twenty, thirty and forty miles, to the number often of as many as thirty in a single day, to be loaded at his yards. A few years ago Mr. Beidler opened a large hardware' store at the corner of Front and Locust Streets, and he has since placed the lumber business in the hands of his son, Harry B. Beidler. Mr. Beidler has one daugh- ter and three sons living: Cordelia S., Harry B., Daniel and Elmer J. His residence is in Hellam Township, adjoining the borough of Wrightsville.

GEORGE E. BERGER was born in York Town- ship, York County, April 11, 1852, and is the youngest son in a family of seven children of Jo- seph and Lehna (Yaney) Berger, of York County. He was brought up on the home farm, and received his education in the district schools of his neighbor- hood. At fifteen years of age he left home and worked at various occupations until the spring of 1871, when he began learning the trade of black- smithing with his brother Isaac, in Longstown, York County, and remained there two years, after which he came to Stony Brook and followed his trade for eighteen months, then entered the employ of Chris- tian Stoner, at Stoner's Station, where he remained eighteen months; then opened a shop of his own, which he conducted until 1881, when he came to Hellam, where he has since been engaged for him- self. He was married April 6, 1879, to Hannah Kel- ler, daughter of Jacob Keller, of York County, and has hy this union two children: Lillie D. and Maud.

HENRY BIRNSTOCK was born in Saxony, Ger- many, November 4, 1837; came to this country in 1854 and located at York, where he at once appren- ticed himself to D. D. Doudel, to learn the trade of tinsmith. In April, 1861, he enlisted at York, in Company A, Sixteenth Pennsylvania Volunteers, for three months, and in August, 1861, re-enlisted in Company I, Seventy-sixth Pennsylvania Volun- teers, for three years; with the exception of the last six months in the Army of the Potomac, he served in the Army of the South Atlantic, and participated in the engagements of Fort Pulaski, Pocataligo, S. C. (in which he was slightly wounded), Fort Wagner, James Island, Cold Harbor (Army of the Potomac), Chapin's Farm and front of Petersburg. He was mustered out at Harrisburg as first sergeant in November, 1864, having served three months over time. On his return to York he entered again the employ of Mr. Doudel, with whom he worked until 1869, when he moved to Wrightsville, where he has since successfully carried on the manufacture of tin and sheet iron ware and roofing, and the stove business. He is a director of the Wrightsville Town Hall Company, the Wrightsville & Chanee- ford Turnpike Company, and the Wrightsville Hardware Company; is a member of the school board, and also a member of the Masonic order, I. O. O. F. and the G. A. R. He and wife belong to the Lutheran Church. In the borough he has

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

served three terms as chief burgess, and one term as councilman. In 1865 he was married at York to Barbara Wisman, of York, who has borne him eight children, of whom five are living. Silas M., Harry D., Charles F., Willie W., Mary E .; Laura N., Freddie and Calvert were the names of the de- ceased.

JACOB A. BLESSING was born in Lower Windsor Township, March 20, 1848. His parents were Alexander and Charlotte (Kauffelt) Blessing, of York County, and descendants of a very old family. Their only child is Jacob A. He was educated at the public schools, and in 1870 hegan business for himself in Hellam Township in the manufacturing of cigars, and in the mercantile business in company with J. W. Gable; the part- nership, however, was dissolved in 1872. In 1873 he began the manufacture of cigars at Hellam for himself, and in 1879 he opened the "Hellam House," which building he had erected. He man- ufactures from 400,000 to 500,000 cigars per an- num. May 1, 1870, he was married in York Town- ship to Ellen Sakemiller, of Hellam Township, and has three children: Annie, Walter and Gro- ver. Mrs. Blessing is a member of the German Reformed Church. Mr. Blessing, although a young man yet, possesses good business qualities and is highly esteemed. In 1882 he was assessor of Hellam Township.

CHRISTOPHER C. BURG was born in Lower Windsor Township, March 15, 1829. His par- ents were P. W. and Eliza (Dosch) Burg, na- tives of Amsterdam, Holland, and York County, respectively. The former died in 1856, and the lat- ter in 1848. They had four sons and two daughters. Christopher is the second son. He was brought up on the farm, and educated at the public schools. His father owned a mill, where Christopher spent five years of his early life. From his twenty-fourth to his thirty-fourth year he was engaged in canal boating. Since 1872 he has been engaged in farm- ing, four years in Spring Garden Township, and since in Hellam Township, two miles west of

Wrightsville, on his fine farm of 106 acres. In March, 1854, he was married to Mary Hauser, daughter of John Hauser, deceased; and has had born to him five children: P. W .; Sarah, John L., Mary E. and Alfred W. Mr. Burg and family be- long to the Lutheran Church; he is an active Re- publican, and from 1865 to 1872 he held the office of justice of the peace of Wrightsville. His first pres- idential vote was cast for John C. Fremont.

JAMES CLARK CHANNELL, M. D., was born in Fawn Township, York County, October 11, 1843. His parents were John and Mary (Clark) Channell of Fawn Township, of Scotch-Irish and Scotch descent, respectively. They had ten chil- dren, of whom Dr. Channell is the fourth. He spent his early youth on the farm, and received his early education in the public school-, and later at the York Normal School, and at the Stewartstown Academy. He entered the University of Pennsyl- vania, at Philadelphia, in 1868, and graduated in 1871, with the degree of M. D. Prior to entering the college he had taught school for six years. August 7, 1862, he enlisted at York in Company I, One Hundred and Thirtieth Pennsylvania Volun- teer Infantry, and served his full term. He partici- pated in the battles of Antietam, Fredericksburgh and Chancellorsville. At Antietam he was slightly disabled by a spent ball. Through exposure and marching he also contracted varicose veins, from which he has never recovered. He next entered the service as second lieutenant of Company D, One Hundred and Ninety-fourth Pennsylvania Vol- unteer Infantry. Returning he commenced the study of medicine and began the practice in 1871, at State Hill, York County. He left there in 1879,

traveled to some extent, and finally located at Wrightsville, where he has since practiced his pro- fession. In 1875 he was married at New Brunswick, N. J., to Elizabeth F., daughter of Dr. Frank W. Clement. of Philadelphia. Dr. Channell belongs to the Presbyterian Church, is a member of the K. of P. and Post 270, G. A. R., and a correspondent for different newspapers.

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History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended, Part 170

Author: Gibson, John, Editor Publication date: 1886 Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Gibson, John, Editor
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago
Number of Pages: 1104