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 191

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 191

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JACOB COCKLIN was born January 30, 1797, in Upper Allen Township, Cumberland Co., Penn., and was reared a farmer. At the age of twenty- four he began farming on his own account in his native township, continued for several years, and then came to this township, and, until 1827, followed the same vocation; he then engaged in pomology and arbor culture for about thirty years. About 1855 he made a trip to Iowa, purchased 3,000 acres of land, returned to York County, and subsequently made twenty trips to Iowa, covering a traveled distance of over 40,000 miles; he also had dealings with over 1,500 persons; built seven houses, dug ten wells (four of which were over fifty feet deep), cut timber off 100 acres of land, burnt over 1,000 bush- els of lime, built several hundred rods of stone fence, and planted three miles of hedging. He commenced business with $10,000 and increased his capital to $60,000, employing a host of laborers, who partici- pated in his gains. He was a pioneer in the nursery business in the upper part of this county, and the country is filled with fruit trees of his introduction. He has never had a law suit, never been ill for any length of time, and never belonged to any secret order. He has assisted over fifty families to homes by advancing funds payable in from one to ten years, and in many other respects has proved him- self a philanthropist. January 29, 1828, he married Catherine, daughter of Michael Hoover, of Lan- caster County, and of German descent. This lady died March 13, 1872, the mother of six children, of whom two are living and have families: Sarah C. and Eli H. Mr. Cocklin's father was born in Lan- caster County, and was the son of a native of France. On the maternal side Mr. Cocklin is of Welsh descent. He has served as school director, constable, supervisor, collector, clerk, auditor, and in other positions of public trust, but has always been a "poor customer" to saloons, preachers, doc- tors and lawyers. Mr. Cocklin says of himself: "I never was drunk, never used tobacco or opium, never was in a house of ill fame, nor gambled; have not eaten more than two meals a day-in the morning and noon. From 1877 to this date, June 3, 1885, the following work has been done: 500 rod stone fence, four feet wide and four feet high; planted 1,500 locust trees along the fence, 3,200 locust trees in a grove of five acres, 6,800 fruit trees in orchard; ten acres of raspberries and strawberries; digging and hauling stones for fence; planted 400 grape vines, etc. My great-grandfather wrote his name Jacob Caquelin (French), my father wrote his in German, Gacklin. Some write it Cockley, Gockley, Conk- lin, etc."

ELI H. COCKLIN is the son of Jacob and Catherine (Hoover) Cocklin, and was born in this township, March 8, 1835. He was reared as a farmer and nurseryman until the age of eighteen, when he went to Waterloo, Black Hawk Co., Iowa, and for two years engaged in the propagation of

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evergreen and deciduous trees; he then returned to his native township, and has since followed farming and fruit growing. He has originated several varieties of fruit, including the Ida strawberry and Ida cherry, a description of which is given in Down- ing's "Fruits and Fruit Trees of America," third appendix. In 1861 he was elected school director, served six years, and in 1883 was re-elected for three years. He married Miss Sarah E., daughter of Chambers and Docey Caley, of Blackhawk County, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Caley are of English descent, and came from England, with four small children, in the ship "Victory," in 1840, having been fifty-eight days on the ocean. To Mr. and Mrs. Cocklin have been born six children, as follows: Ida May, April 9, 1861; Charles Chambers, June 29, 1862; Russell Trall, October 1, 1864; B. Franklin, July 9, 1867; Alice Dunn, January 31, 1871, and John Ault, April 26, 1873. Mr. and Mrs. Cocklin are members of the St. Paul's Reformed Church, of Mechanicsburg, Penn.

JOHN K. COCKLIN, son of David Cocklin, of this township, was born June 21, 1844, and was reared on the farm until sixteen years of age; he then served two years at carpentering. In 1863 he enlisted in Company A, Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry, under Col. Spear, took part in Big Bethel and other battles, and was present at the surrender of Gen. Lee; he served until August 20, 1865, when his regiment was discharged, after which he followed butchering two years. He next attended school at Dillsburg, under Prof. G. W. Hedges, with a view of becoming a teacher, and since 1867 has taught every year in York County, with the exception of one year in Upper Allen Township, Cumberland County, his terms in York consisting of sixteen in Monaghan Towuship and twelve at Filey's. July 13, 1867, he married Amanda J., daughter of James Collins, of Monaghan. Four sons and three daugh- ters have blessed this union. Mr. and Mrs. Cocklin and two of the children are members of the Lu- theran Church at Filey's, of which Mr. Cocklin is a deacon; he has also been superintendent of the Filey's Union Sunday-school for a number of years. He has been a K. of P. about eight years, and has served his township in the capacities of auditor, assessor, inspector and clerk.

HENRY DIETZ, son of Eli Dietz, of Lower Allen Township, Cumberland County, was born January 16, 1848, and was reared on the home farm. His first work on his own account was driving a mill team for Henry McCormick for two years and a half. In 1877 he commenced farming on the old homestead, but in 1879 moved to Andersontown, and started a blacksmith shop; never having learned the trade, however, he employed John Miller, an excellent workman and a finished coachsmith, to superintend; together they made a success, and through Mr. Miller's advice, coach-making in a small way was added and the business so flourished that Mr. Dietz was compelled to erect a one-story blacksmith shop and a two-story carriage shop, and he is now conducting the leading industry of the village. Mr. Dietz and wife became members of the Bethel Church, at Andersontown, in 1882, and they have had born to them two children; Jacob Eby, August 21, 1877, died September 22, 1877, and John L. Ru, born in 1879.

JOHN EICHELBERGER, EsQ,, was born April 6, 1816, and is the son of John Eichelberger, Sr., a captain in the war of 1812, at Baltimore. He was born February 20, 1787, was of German descent and died July 15, 1833. at the age of forty- six years four months and twenty-five days. Our subject was sent to school two years at Lititz, in Lancaster County, and afterward was about ten months in a store at Baltimore, Md .; then for two years served as clerk in the store of Alexander

Cathcart, in Shepherdstown, Cumberland Co., Penn., and was there married. He then moved to and farmed on the old homestead, near Dillsburg, for two years, and then settled on his present place near Andersontown, York County. He was elected justice of the peace for thirty-three years, and in 1880 was appointed to the same position by Gov. Hoyt; he has also been a very successful pension solicitor. November 2, 1837, he married Jane Eckels, of Upper Allen Township, Cumberland County, Penn., and to this union children were born as follows: James, born December 8, 1838, died August 30, 1861; William Henry, born March 25, 1841, died April 1, 1844; John J., September 13, 1843; Adaline, October 18, 1845; Jacob Trego, Feb- ruary 17, 1848; Alfred, April 5, 1850; Mary Jane, September 3, 1853; Alice, July 6, 1856, and George Washington, April 17, 1859.

HENRY S. FORRY, son of Henry Forry, Sr., of Upper Allen Township, Cumberland County, was born April 23, 1846. Reared a farmer, he com- menced on his own account in 1869; in 1875 he bought a dwelling and sixteen acres of land in An- dersontown, and engaged in growing small fruits and garden truck; he now ships about 5,000 boxes of strawberries each season, together with rasp- berries, blackberries, grapes, etc. Mr. Forry served during the late war, until August, 1865, in Com- pany F. One Hundred and Ninety-second Pennsyl- vania Volunteer Infantry, under Col. Stewart, and received an honorable discharge. He was married June 21, 1868, to Lydia A., daughter of Henry Kimmel, of Monaghan Township, and the result of this union is Laura Ellen, born February 18, 1874. Mr. and Mrs. Forry are members of the Bethel Church.

ZACHARY TAYLOR FORTNEY, son of David W. Fortney, was born in this township March 21, 1847, and was reared a farmer. He began life for himself in 1868, and then, from 1876 to 1878. was engaged in saw-milling; in the latter year he opened a small store in connection with the saw-mill, etc., near Mount Pleasant; then in the spring of 1880 moved to Mount Airy, Warrington Township. where he spared no means but made every effort to build up and establish a permanent trade, and also established the postoffice at that place; re- mained about three years, but by that great effort sunk $2,000 in cash; and then returned to Monaghan again; where he has built a new store and is estab- lishing a flourishing trade. He was the first post- master of Fortney, and held the office about 1wo years. January 2, 1868, he married Sarah A., daughter of George Wilson, of Upper Allen Town- ship, Cumberland County, and to this union have been born George W., October 18, 1868; Francis G., April 4, 1870; Clara Melissa, October 2, 1871; Har- vey Shopp, December 12, 1874, and Josephine Bertha, April 15, 1879. Mr. and Mrs. Fortney are members of the Chestnut Grove United Brethren Church.

JOHN HYDE was born in this township, June 10, 1810, to John and Barbara (Wolf) Hyde. His grandfather, Michael, came from Germany. John Hyde (father of subject) was born in Cumberland County, was a shoe-maker and farmer, served in the war of 1912, and died in this township in 1850, aged eighty-three, the possessor of sixty acres of land, and the father of eight children, viz .: Michael, Barbara, Jennie, Elizabeth, Kate, Mary, Fannie and John (subject). Our subject is the owner of forty-five acres of land in this township, where, with the exception of one year in Fairview Town- ship, he has passed his whole life, and is its oldest living citizen. His land he has gained through his own industry, and he still cultivates it. In 1853 he married Susan, daughter of Henry K. Kohlar, a na- tive of York County, and this union has been

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blessed with the birth of ten children, of whom nine are living, viz .: Barbara, Elizabeth, Mary, Ange- line, Sarah, Margaret, George, Andrew and Will- iam. Mr. Hyde is a Democrat, has filled the office of commissioner, and has been for many years school director.

HENRY KIMMEL was born September 1, 1826, to John and Susannah (Wonders) Kimmel, in Wash- ington Township, and is the second of three chil- dren: Leah, Henry and John. The grandfathers of subject, David Kimmel and Henry Wonders, were natives of York County and both farmers. John Kimmel, subject's father, was born in Wash- ington Township in 1793, was the owner of two farms, and died in 1853. Our subject, at the age of twenty-five, began farming on his own account in Monaghan Township and at the death of his father fell heir to a fine piece of property of eighty-three acres, well improved with buildings, etc. In 1850 he married Mary M., daughter of Peter and Lydia (Crone) Ference, of York County. The six chil- dren born to this union were named as follows: Lydia A. (Ferry), Susan (Sutton), Sarah J. (Frysin- ger), John (deceased), Leah C. (deceased), and Alice (Myers). Mr. Kimmel has held a number of local offices, and with his wife is a member of the Church of God.

WILLIAM KIMMEL was born in Monaghan Township, October 14, 1854, and spent his early life on a farm, and in attending school. September 30, 1880, he married Miss Minnie, daughter of Warren Whipp, of Frederick County, Md. Hehas had born to him two children: Gertie May, August 6, 1881, and Norma Blanche, September 29, 1882. Mr. Kim- mel began teaching school in 1877, filling six terms at Myers' school and one term at Andersontown. In the spring of 1881 he commenced farming on his own account. He has served his township as asses- sor and clerk, and is the present auditor. He is a deacon in the Bethel Church, at Mount Pleasant, of which Mrs. Kimmel is also a memher.

DANIEL LANDIS, son of Jacob Landis, of Up- per Allen Township, Cumberland County, was born January 4, 1829. He was married, October 14, 1851, to Barbara Ann, daughter of Joseph Solen- berger, of Dickinson Township. Cumberland Coun- ty. This lady died March 22, 1853, the mother of one son, who died at the age of twenty-one years and nineteen days. Our subject began for himself by doing days' work for about six years, and then farmed on shares for Jacob D. Mohler, near Me- chanicsburgh, for twelve years, then moved to that village and worked in the warehouse of T. B. Bry- son; from the spring of 1872 until the fall of 1873 he farmed for C. B. Hertzler, near Shepherdstown, Cumberland County, and then bought, from the ex- ecutors of Mrs. Mary Kinsley, a farm that had been deeded, in 1746, to Roger Cook by Thomas and Rich- ard Penn. April 10, 1874, he took possession of and still resides on this farm. He also leases to H. O. Shelly a magnetic ore mine of about eight acres. Mr. Landis' second marriage took place February 6, 1855, to Mary Ann, daughter of Henry Miller, of Mechanicsburgh, and to this union have been born one son (who died at the age of five years five months and seven days), and two daughters: Ellen and Nora. Mr. and Mrs. Landis are members of the German Baptist Church, of which Mr. Landis is a deacon, and which he joined at the age of fifty years. The maternal great-grandfather of Mr. Landis came from Switzerland; he landed in Amer- ica August 29, 1730, from the ship Thistle, which sailed from Glasgow, Scotland. His paternal an- cestors came from Holland.

PETER A. MYERS, son of Jacob Myers, Sr., was born in Monaghan Township, April 12, 1838. He was reared a farmer, and was educated in the public school and select schools of Wellsville and

at Dillsburg; subsequently he became a teacher and taught thirteen terms-two while single. May, 1, 1872, he married Elmira J., daughter of Daniel S. Hammacher, and to this marriage children were born as follows: Catherine L., June 19, 1863; Ulys- ses A., May 28, 1865; Will Penrose, February 24, 1867, died December 16, 1869; Clara E., December 31, 1869; John A., September 28, 1872; Anna M., February 18, 1876; Ira Calvin, March 23, 1879; Rus- sel Melvin, October 1, 1884. Mr. and Mrs. Myers started housekeeping in Henry Kimmell's spring- house, at an annual rental of $4; the next spring he rented a tenement from Samuel Myers, and for two years engaged in cultivating tobacco, in butchering and teaching. In April, 1865, he rented Daniel Fry- singer's farm, and for a year engaged in cultivating tobacco, butchering and dealing in stock. In the spring of 1866 he purchased a house and thirteen acres of land half a mile south of Mount Pleasant, and turned his attention to fruit culture, planting 555 apple trees, 1,800 peach trees of twenty-five varieties, 100 pear trees, 50 apricot and 25 varie- ties of cherry trees, and two acres of small fruits. Twelve years later he purchased his present homestead of 150 acres. Here he has three acres planted in strawberries, and in one season has shipped as high as 16,000 boxes, besides 10,000 box- es of raspberries, together with grapes, plums, peach- es, apples, cherries, apricots, etc. Mr. Myers has held several offices of public trust, including those of supervisor, assessor and auditor.

ELI D. MYERS, son of Jacob and Sarah (Mil- ler) Myers, of this township, was born October 17, 1843, and grew to manhood on the farm, receiving his education in the public schools during the winter months. He began business for himself iu the spring of 1869 on the farm of William B. Miller, in this township, remained one year, and then moved to his father's place near Siddonshurgh, where he still resides. He married Rebecca, daughter of Peter Huntzberger, of Newville, Cumberland Coun- ty, and was born October 11, 1844. To this union have been born five children: Alvin G., Sep- tember 21, 1870; Harry E., March 23, 1873, died May 7, 1879; Willie Clarence, April 17, 1875; Mer- vin Hayes, July 1, 1878, and Laura May, May 28, 1883. Mr. and Mrs. Myers are members of the Re- formed Church, at Filey's, of which Mr. Myers has been a deacon for six years; he has also served his township as inspector and collector, one year in each capacity.

JACOB MYERS, son of Jacob Myers, Sr., of Warrington Township, was born December 20, 1850, and is of German descent. At the age of five years he lost his mother, when he went to live with his grandfather; at the age of nine he returned to his father, and at fourteen hired out to an uncle; two years later he returned to his grandfa- ther, and remained with him until twenty-two years old, when, December 24, 1872, he married Anna, daughter of John B. Grove, of Warrington Town- ship. He was employed in trucking with Mr. Cocklin a year, and then bought a tract of land near Mount Pleasant, where he is still engaged in truck- ing and raising berries. He has had born to him a family of five children-three boys and two girls-of whom one boy and two girls are living.

SAMUEL MYERS was born in Monaghan Township, July 3. 1820, and is of German and English descent. He was reared a farmer and, in 1843, began on his own account. January 2, 1845, he married Leah, daughter of John Kimmel, of Monaghan Township, and of German descent. The children born to this union were John A., November 6, 1845; Elmira Jane, May 14, 1847, died March 2, 1851; Susan, May 28, 1849; Samuel W., November 16, 1851; Henry W., March 15, 1853; Solomon B., December 3, 1854; George E., October 22, 1856;

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David M., February 15, 1858; Elizabeth E., Decem- ber 22, 1859; Daniel E., June 24, 1862, died March 14, 1863; Charles L., November 6, 1864. Our sub- ject has been a member of the Bethel Church at Mt. Pleasant since 1844, and for over thirty years an elder; for twenty-five or thirty years he has been superintendent of the Union Sunday- school, and for about twelve years was su- perintendent of the Myers' Sunday-school; he organized the first Sunday-school convention in the upper end of the township and for a year acted as president; he served as supervisor for several years, and for seven years was a member of the Warrington Rangers, as orderly, having been honorably discharged in 1843. He assisted at the revival meeting at the Marshall farm near Wellsville in 1844, and was the first young man to make a public prayer in that neighborhood.

WILLIAM A. MYERS, justice of the peace. was born in this township, October 8, 1842, was reared a far- mer, and at the age of twenty went to New York City, then toLycoming County, this State, where he engaged in the lumber business, and in the fall of 1863 re- turned to his native county, and taught school in Washington Township six terms, and fourteen terms in Monaghan Township, doing farm work during the summers. He now owns two small farms de- voted to fruit culture. He married Mary, daughter of Daniel S. Hammacher, of Monaghan Township. To this union have been born four children, viz .: Anna L., August 30, 1871, died September 17, 1876; Levi Milton, January 22,1873; Elizabeth Ida, Octo- ber 7, 1874, died September 15. 1876; and Harry Calvin, June 22, 1876. Mr. Myers has served as assessor one year, auditor three years, tax collector one year, and was elected justice of the peace in the spring of 1884. He is a member of the Church of God, at Mt. Pleasant, of which church he has been a deacon three years and an elder three years.

JOHN ANDREW MYERS, postmaster, was born November 6, 1845, and is a son of Samuel and Leah Myers, of this township. He was reared a farmer, engaged in agricultural pursuits on his own account in 1866, and so continued until 1869, when he entered the mercantile trade at Siddonsburg; in 1873 he was appointed postmaster. June 3, 1884, he started on an extensive tour of the South and visited the south- ern part of Florida, and all points of interest in the Gulf States. He was married, December 26, 1865, to Sarah A., daughter of Peter Brenneman, of this township, and to this union were born Rosetta E., January 13, 1867, died October 8, 1870; Sarah Alice, November 13, 1868, died January 1, 1879; Clarence B., January 29, 1871, died March 29, 1871; Agnes, September 14, 1878; Jenny May, September 7, 1875. Mr. and Mrs. Myers are members of the Church of God, Siddonsburg, of which Mr. Myers has been deacon for a number of years, as well as superinten- dent of the Sunday-school. Mr. Myers is a stock- holder in the Harrisburg & Potomac Railroad, and a stockholder in and director and secretary of the Mt. Pleasant Hall Association.

DAVID D. MYERS, son of John and Eliza Myers, of this township, was born February 1, 1847, and is of German descent. He was reared on the home farm, of which he assumed charge in 1868. In 1871 he made an extensive tour of the West; in 1874 he commenced dealing in agricultural imple- ments at Dillsburg, and in 1881 he bought the home farm of eighty-seven acres, of which fifteen acres are in woodland. Mr. Myers has taken great interest in politics; has served his township as inspector; was a delegate to the Republican county conventions from 1868 to 1884 twelve times; aud to the State conventions of 1881 and 1883, and he is also a prominent member of the P. of H. In Decem- ber, 1867, he married Eliza Jane, daughter of Joseph Elcock, of Mechanicsburg, and this union

has been blessed with six children: Minnie Florence, Elizabeth Lillian, Walter Loudon, Mary Ellen, Eliza Edith and Lura (deceased). Mrs. Myers is a member of the Bethel Mt. Pleasant Church.

WILLIAM R. PROWELL, M. D., was born in Fairview Township, this county, March 20, 1854, and was reared on the home farm. He waseducat- ed in the public schools, and at the normal school, Millersville, Lancaster County. During the winter of 1872-73 be was engaged in teaching, and in the spring of 1873 began the study of medicine under Dr. Swiler, of Yocumtown. From 1874 to 1876, in- clusive, he attended Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, graduating March 10, 1876. He began practice April 11, 1876, at Siddonsburg, and now has a very large practice-has visited as high as thirty-five patients in twenty-four hours. October 5, 1876, he married Miss Jennie, daughter of the late John Elcock, Sr., of Siddonsburg, and this union has resulted in the birth of four children: Viola May, October 17, 1878, died September 13, 1882; Tolbert, born April 4, 1882, Ella and Nellie, born August 15, 1884. Ella died March 26. 1885. The doctor is a member of the Cumberland County Medical Society.

GEORGE D. SHAFFER, son of James Shaffer, was born in this township, November 15, 1822. At the age of eighteen he began stone-masonry, but disliking the trade, after three or four years, under- took farming. April 16, 1846, he married Margaret, daughter of John Myers, of Monaghan Township, and went to housekeeping on the farm of Judge Dare, near Siddonsburg, for whom he was manager for nineteen years. After the Judge's death, Mr. Shaffer removed to his present farm of 130 acres near Bryson Stone Bridge, which farm he had pur- chased from Jacob Cocklin. In addition to this place, Mr. Shaffer is now the owner of two other farms, on which there are good buildings. In 1876 Mr. Shaffer embarked in the lumber and coal trade at Bowmansdale, Cumberland County, ten miles from Harrisburg, on the Harrisburg & Potomac Railroad, in which road he is a stockholder; he has also traveled through the West and the Canadas, and was once a delegate to the Eldership of the Church of God at Findlay, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Shaffer joined this church in 1843, and Mr. Shaffer has been either deacon or elder ever since. He has also served his township as school director, treasurer and auditor. He is the father of eleven children: Dare G., in Kansas; Samuel M., mining in Colorado; James W., at home, assisting on the farm, and in the coal and lumber business, and eight daughters, of whom the eldest four are married, and two are dead.

JAMES WILLIAM SHAFFER was born March 16, 1852, in Monaghan Township, York Co., Penn. His father, G. D. Shaffer, being a farmer, his early life was spent upon the farm, and attending the dis- triet school. At the age of fifteen he entered the Cumberland Valley Institute at Mechanicsburg, remaining for several sessions, and then took a special course of instruction at the Chambersburg Academy. Wishing to learn a trade he engaged in the saddle and harness manufacturing business, and carried it on successfully from 1871 to 1874, when he sold out and engaged in farming. During the sum- mer of 1875 he traveled extensively through New York State and the Canadas. Visited Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, New Jersey and Dela- ware, during the winter of 1880. Engaged in the lumber and coal business with his father in Bow- mansdale, Cumberland Co., Penn., in 1876, and has continued it until the present. He also traveled through Florida and some of the Southern States in the summer of 1884. He was appointed enumer- ator of the tenth census, and held other offices of trust and honor.

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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 191

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