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 200

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 200

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ROBERT F. KOLLER, farmer, was born in Shrewsbury Township, December 24, 1828. His

parents, Peter and Eve (Klinefelter) Koller, were natives of York County. They had thirteen chil- dren-eight daughters and five sons-of whom Robert F. is the youngest. He lived on the farm until nineteen years of age, receiving his education at school and from the newspapers. At the age of nineteen he went to Lancaster County, and served an apprenticeship of two years as millwright, which trade he followed fifteen years, but gave it up on account of his health. He returned to Shrewsbury Township, and farmed eight years. In 1866 he went into the lumber business, in which he lost $35,000, following it for ten years; then returned to New Freedom, where he bought a fine farm of seventy-four acres, upon which he has since re- sided. February 22, 1854, he was married at Seitz- land, to Adeline Deviney, of York County, and of Irish descent; and has seven children: Charles W., Maria, John D., Edward G., Harry E., Ida Bell and Robert F. (deceased). Since 1875 Mr. Koller has been engaged in the lumber business at New Free- dom. He was a commissioner of Clinton County three years, and director of the poor three years. His wife died in 1879.

BENJAMIN F. KOLLER, an eminent civil engineer, surveyor, conveyancer, insurance and law agent, and justice of the peace of Southward, Shrewsbury Borough, was born here August 26, 1830. His father, Isaac Koller, a native of Shrews- bury Township, was born February 5, 1800, and was married May 1, 1825, at Peter Smyser's hotel (then the Blue Ball Tavern, on the York and Balti- more Pike), two miles south of Shrewsbury, to Sarah Shank, who was born near York, July 16, 1802. To this union were born the following named chil- dren: Margaret, Mary E., Benjamin F., George W., Andrew J., John W. and James B .- all still living. The ancestors of Isaac Koller came from Germany, and those of his wife were also German. During his life he was first a blacksmith, then a merchant, next a hotel-keeper, and finally associate judge of the court of common pleas, York County. He reared all his children in his hotel, and of the five boys not one is addicted to the use of intoxicating liquors. He died October 21, 1854, sincerely mourned by his family and a widely extended circle of acquaintances. Benjamin F. Koller has served as justice of the peace for thirty years, was elected State revenue commissioner in 1860; clerk of the several courts of York County in 1875, and is commissioner for the States of Maryland and New York. He was married, March 7, 1852, to Mary Magdalene Young, youngest daughter of the late Dr. Young, and has had born to him children as follows: Isaac D., Cyrus C., and Beulah, living, and Fannie V. and Cora Clotilde, deceased. Mr. Koller stands high in the order of F. & A. M., hav- ing attained the thirty-second degree, Scottish rite, than which there is but one degree higher. He is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. His wife and son, Isaac, are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church; his son, Cyrus, is a member of the Evangelical Church. B. F. Koller was one of the principal men who secured and or- ganized Summit Grove Camp-meeting Association in 1874, and has been identified with its manage- ment ever since.

JOHN L. KREBS was born in Codorus Town- ship, June 19, 1859; he remained in the township until thirteen years of age, being taught in the dis- trict schools. He was the second of four sons of Adam and Mary (Warren) Krebs. When eighteen years old he began farming for himself, which he is still engaged in. September 18, 1881, he was mar- ried to Lucy Shaffer, daughter of Daniel Shaffer, a prominent farmer in Shrewsbury Township, and has two children: Harry C. and Allen. Mr. Krebs is a member of the Lutheran Church.

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SHREWSBURY TOWNSHIP.

JACOB H. LAMOTTE, son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Hershey) Lamotte, of Maryland and Pennsylvania, and of French and German descent, was born in Baltimore County, Md., May 8, 1819, and was the eldest of seven children. He was brought up on the farm and educated in the com- mon schools in Maryland. He was married in Car- roll County, Md., to Elizabeth Zimmerman, of German descent, and had seven children: Joanna (deceased), Eli (deceased), Jeremiah (deceased), Joshua (deceased), Calvin, Cornelius and Ella. He brought his family to York County, in 1840, and settled in Manheim Township, where he lived until 1884, when he rented his farm and removed to New Freedom. He was one of the organizers, and is a director of Codorus & Manheim Insurance Com- pany. He has held various township offices, and in 1879 he was elected county commissioner for three years. The family are members of the German Reformed Church. His parents died in 1865 and in 1847, respectively, aged seventy-six and fifty-four years. The farm which he owns in Manheim Town- ship contains 170 acres of finely cultivated land.

JACOB LANIUS, born June 22, 1837, in Hope- well Township, is the eldest of a family of four sons and three daughters of John H. and Sarah M. (Hersey) Lanius. His mother was a native of Dela- ware. His great-grandfather, Lanius, came to America from Germany, in 1731, and settled in Kreutz Creek Valley, and all his descendants, with the exception of Jacob Lanius, a brother of sub- ject's father, have resided in York County. The subject of this sketch attended the schools in his neighborhood and worked on his father's farm un- til he was seventeen years old. He engaged in the lumber business, in Hopewell Township, with his father, and followed it fifteen years. In 1872 he removed to Fawn Township, and engaged in the mercantile business in New Park, until 1879, when he removed to York, having been elected recorder of deeds for York County, which office he held for one term, and then engaged in the lumber business in Maryland (leaving his family in York), which business he is still carrying on. He was married, October 2, 1873, at Stewartstown, to Agnes E. Dun- can, a native of Hopewell and daughter of John Duncan, of Irish descent. He has three children living: Walter M. V., Inez Loretta and Iona Veronica. Two daughters-Irena and Lelia-are dead. His father died in 1882, aged eighty-three years. In the spring of 1884, our subject purchased the farm now occupied by him near Shrewsbury Borough. He is an active Democrat and held the office of assessor of Hopewell Township and was postmaster at New Park five years. He and his wife are both members of the Presbyterian Church.

GEORGE C. LEE, a farmer in Shrewsbury Township, was born in Baltimore City, in 1851. His parents, John and Elizabeth (Carty) Lee, natives of England and Maryland, had four children, of whom two died very young. Of the remaining two George C. is the youngest. His education he re- ceived partly in Baltimore, where he remained until seventeen years of age, and in Shrewsbury Town- ship. In 1868 he came to York County, where he has since resided, following farming. His parents are both dead; the father died in 1851, before sub- ject was born, and the mother died in 1872, in Shrewsbury Township. March 1, 1877, he was mar- ried in New Freedom, to Isabel Hedrick, daughter of George W. Hedrick, of Baltimore County, and of German descent. They have three children: Annie Elsie, Maude Elizabeth and Lawrence Ray. In 1881 he removed to his present farm in Shrews- bury Township, containing 170 acres, to the culti- vation of which he devotes his whole time. Mr. and Mrs. Lee are members of the Methodist Epis- copal Church.

JOHN E. LOWE, a farmer in Shrewsbury Town- ship, was born on the farm now owned by him, March 26, 1846. His parents, Isaac and Elizabeth (Stabler) Lowe, were natives of Pennsylvania and Maryland, and of English and German descent re- spectively. They had six children, of whom John E. was the youngest son. He was brought up on the farm, and learned the carpenter trade before he was twenty-one years of age. His education he received at the public schools. In 1875 he began the butchering trade and followed it about five years, and then returned to farming, which he has since followed. He was married in 1872, at York, to Elizabeth Singer, daughter of Charles Singer, and a native of Germany. They had five children, one of whom died when but three years of age. The living are Willie H., Ada M., Annie E. and Charles. Mr. and Mrs. Lowe are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, although Mrs. Lowe was brought up in the Lutheran Church. He is a member and Master of the P. of H. No. 446. of New Freedom. Jacob Lowe, a brother of John E., was a soldier in the United States army and served about two years. The father died in 1875, aged seventy-two years, but the mother is still living, and about seventy-two years of age. Mr. Lowe was one of the organizers of the New Freedom Building Association; and is a director in the same.

ELI McDONELL was born in Shrewsbury, Feb- ruary, 18, 1835. He is the second son of twelve children of Hamilton and Sarah (Beck) McDonell. At the age of twelve years he entered the employ- ment of Myers & Small, merchants, of Shrewsbury, and continued until February 1, 1859, when he entered the establishment of Lewis Wagner, bard- ware merchant at Baltimore, remaining until July of the same year, when he returned to Shrewsbury, and, September 8, 1859, embarked in the general merchandise business which he has continued to the present. He carries a stock of $6,000, doing a business of $18,000 in dry goods, notions, groceries, boots and shoes, hats and caps, glass, queensware, etc. He was married, May 2, 1872, to Justie E. Berg, daughter of Rev. Andrew Berg, a citizen of Shrewsbury. They have four children: Emory C., Annie, Elsie and Mabel. Mr. Mc Donell and wife are members of the Lutheran Church. He has been treasurer of the Sunday-school since 1859; treasurer of the church since 1865; treasurer of the Shrews- bury & Rail Road Turnpike Company, since 1878, and is a director in the Shrewsbury Savings Institution; was postmaster during Lincoln's administration, and served one term as town councilman and one term as school director. He is a member of Shrews- bury Lodge No. 423, A. F. & A. M., and of Mount Vernon Lodge, No. 143, I. O. O. F .; has passed all the chairs in the latter, and is treasurer of same.

WILLIAM H. MANIFOLD, M. D., was born in Hopewell Township, September 5, 1830. His parents, John and Marenda (Meads) Manifold, were natives of Pennsylvania and Maryland, and of English and French descent. They had cleven children, of whom William H. was the eldest. His early life was spent on the farm, and he received his education at the public schools, and at the Tuscarora Academy. For six years he taught school. From Tuscarora Academy he entered the

Allegheny College at Meadville, in the junior class. but abandoned it on account of ill-health. In 1858 he entered Dr. Gerry's office at Shrewsbury, and read medicine for six months. He then went to the University of Maryland at Baltimore, and gradu- ated as M. D., in the spring of 1861. He first located at New Market, Md. In the summer of 1864 he went with the army as assistant army sur- geon, and remained until the close of the war. At one time he was ordered to take charge of the field

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

hospital of the Thirteenth New York and Ninth New Jersey Cavalry, who were then fighting Mosby. In May, 1865, he returned to Washington, and remained at the United States General Hospital. He then returned to New Market, where he re- mained till 1866. From there he removed to Logan- ville, where he practiced six years, and in 1872, he came to New Freedom, where he has since resided. In 1859 he was married in Baltimore, to Margaret Ann Sheffer, a native of Shrewsbury, York County. They had eight children: John H. C. (now a student of Pennsylvania College, Gettysburg), Sarah E., Aaron B. N., Luther C., William J., Mary M., Joseph (deceased) and LeRoy W. Mr. and Mrs. Manifold are members of the Lutheran Church, and Dr. M. is now serving his third term as school director.

EPHRAIM MILLER, D. D., resident pastor in charge of the Lutheran Church at Shrewsbury, was born December 8, 1818. in Cumberland County. His parents, Daniel and Elizabeth ( Frankenberger) Mil- ler were natives of Pennsylvania and of German descent. They had four sons and five daughters, of whom Rev. E. is the eldest. In his early life he as- sisted his father at his trade, and attended the public schools. At the age of fourteen he began clerking in a store in which he remained three and a half years. In his eighteenth year he entered Pennsylvania College at Gettysburg, and gradu- ated in 1841, as A. B., and later received the degree of A. M. Up to 1844 he taught school in Illinois. In 1845 he was licensed at Shelbyville, Ill., and in 1846 was ordained and preached at Shelbyville un- til 1847. From there he went to Springfield, Ill., where he had charge of a Lutheran Church for four years; then to Oregon, Ill., for one year and a half; then to Cedarville, Ill., for seven years; then to Peru, Ill., two years; next to Mount Morris, three years; back to Springfield for six years and a half; then went to Dixon, four years; Cincinnati four years and a half; Smicksburg, Penn., two years. In 1881 he came to Shrewsbury, and has charge of New Freedom and Fissel's Churches. October 13, 1846, he was married at Hillsboro, Ill., to Mary J. Boone, of Kentucky, descended from a brother of the famous Daniel Boone. They have had eight children, of whom two died in infancy. The living are William E., Mary E., John Henry, Alice E., Walter Boone and Charles A. Rev. Miller was one of the organizers of the Hillsboro College, in 1846, and of Carthage College in 1870, and of Mendota College in 1856. In 1849 he established a classical school at Springfield, Ill., and continued it until 1851. He also helped to organize the synod of northern Illinois in 1851. He was twice elected to a pro- fessorship in the college at Springfield, Ill., but both times felt it his duty to decline.

JOHN E. MILLER was born in what is now New Freedom Borough, November 19, 1836. His parents, Meinrad and Anastasia (Dienst) Miller, were natives of Baden, Germany, near Freiburg, and came to America in 1833. They landed in New York, and went from there to Chillicothe, Ohio, returning, in a short time, to Baltimore, where they lived one year, and in 1834 settled in Strasburg, now Shrewsbury Township, where three of the children were born. One liad been born in Ohio, and seven in Germany. Of the eleven children six were sons. The ancestors be- ing farmers, the boys were brought up for the same purpose. Our subject received his education in the public schools. About 1850 he learned the cigar- making trade at Baltimore. At the age of twenty- one he began life for himself. In 1861 he went to Europe, and spent one year there visiting the birth- place of his parents, and many other places of in- terest. He also visited England, France and Hol- land. Returning, he located at Baltimore, Md.,

where he followed the cigar business until 1881, when he removed to New Freedom, where he be- gan the manufacture of cigars exclusively. In 1879 he was married, in Baltimore, to Mary Wissel, of Maryland, of German descent, and had three children : Rita Mary, John E. and Joseph Vincent. Mr. and Mrs. Miller were brought up to the Catho- lic faith, and are active members of the church. His only brother, Albert A. Miller, carries on manufacturing, canning and farming at Upper Falls, Baltimore Co., Md., and his only sister re- sides in Hopewell Township, and is the wife of An- drew Bisker. The father died in 1856, aged sixty years; the mother died in 1839, aged thirty-nine years. The father of Mr. Miller was one of the principal men to build St. John the Baptist Catholic Church at New Freedom, in 1842; the only members were Meinrad Miller, Caspar Druschler, Anthony Dienst and John Dotterman.

GEORGE F. MILLER, son of Samuel and Mary (Fishel) Miller, of Pennsylvania and Maryland, re- spectively, was born in Shrewsbury Township De- cember 19, 1843. He was the second son and fifth child in a family of eight children, and was reared on the farm, receiving a common school educa- tion. He taught school one winter, and then en- gaged in droving and butchering, which he followed up to 1883. January 10, 1867, he was married, at Shrewsbury, to Leah Koller, daughter, of J. P. Koller, of that place, and had eight children: Ida, Clinton, Elsie, Harvey, John, Lulu, Samuel and Mary. In 1871 he removed to Maryland, where he carried on the butchering and droving. In 1882 he purchased a tract of land, heavily timbered, near New Freedom, on which he erected a steam saw- mill, and converted the timber into lumber, em- ploying from eight to fifteen men. Mr. Miller be- longs to the Evangelical Association, is a Granger, and for ten years was a school trustee in Maryland .. His father still lives in Shrewsbury Township,, aged seventy years, and his mother sixty-five years. He is a trustee of the church, an active worker and; exhorter, and has been superintendent of Ruhl's Sabbath-school for eight years. He is still living in Baltimore County, Md., but keeps part of his family in York County, at the saw-mill, where he keeps a boarding house for the hands. His eldest daughter, now sixteen, attends to the work here,

MARK RADCLIFFE is a native of Yorkshire, England, was born August 3, 1827, and came to America in March, 1848. His parents, Joseph and Anna (Heathcote) Radcliffe, had six children, of whom he was next to the youngest, His brother, Abel, came to America in 1840, and died in Dela- ware County, Penn., in 1873. When fourteen years of age he was apprenticed to rope-making, which trade he has always followed. His mother died when he was but three years old, and his fa- ther when he was sixteen years old. He landed in. Philadelphia, and came direct to Glen Rock, where. he engaged in rope-making in company with George Shaw, a comrade who came with him to America. For two years he ran a walk out doors. In 1853: his establishment burnt out, but was rebuilt, and! in 1873 they bought a large grist-mill at Centreville, and at once commenced the business of rope-making in an extensive way, working about 900 to 1,000 pounds of material a day. For three years he also ran a livery stable at Glen Rock. In 1847 he was mar- ried, in Lancashire, England, to Mary Ann Shaw, who died eight years after coming to America, leaving two children: Iveson H. and Joseph. In 1859 he was married, at York. to a younger sister of his first wife. They have had six children, four of whom are living: John S., Millie, Minerva and Ed- ward B. Mr. Radcliffe was constable in Glen Rock about four years, also deputy United States mar- shal of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania District from.

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SHREWSBURY TOWNSHIP.

1861 till the close of the war; assistant assessor of the Fifteenth District in 1865; borough councilman and chief burgess for two years, ending in the spring of 1884.

JOSEPH RAFFENSPERGER, eldest son of Christian and Rachel (Wagner) Raffensperger, of German descent, was born in Paradise Township, August 18, 1838. Leaving home at the age of thir- teen he went to live with Rev. Mr. Berg, in Shrews- bury, and at the age of seventeen entered the store of Myers & Small; remained with them and their successors eleven years. In the spring of 1868, in partnership with C. F. Ruling, he engaged in the mercantile business at Goldsboro, and after one year sold out to his partner, returned to Shrewsbury, and clerked with Mr. Hartman until 1873; then embarked in the hotel business, continuing with the exception of one year until 1880, then removed to York; clerked in a mercantile establishment there one year; returned and resumed the hotel business in Shrewsbury in 1881. and in the spring of 1882 purchased the Shrewsbury hotel, which he has since conducted. He was married June 12, 1859, to Arabel Hartman, daughter of Joseph Hartman, and they have had four children: Fannie Eliza, died at the age of four years; Effie D .; Claudie M., wife of Jacob Banner, of Baltimore, and Henrietta L. He is a member of both Lodge and Encampment of 1. O. O. F., is now (1884) serving his third term as borough councilman, and has been delegate to Democratic county convention several times.

REV. JOSEPH A. RAMSAY was born in Balti- more, April 5, 1815. His father, Joseph Ramsay, came from Ireland to America iu 1796, and stopped in York County, where he married Agnes Andrews, a native of York County. He was a shipsmith, and worked in 1812 under George Stiles, mayor of Baltimore, on the gun-carriages of Fort McHenry. Joseph A. was educated in St. Mary's College, and lived in Baltimore fifty years. Having learned the trade of shipsmith he formed a partnership, at the age of twenty-one, with Charles Hergisheimer. and continued four years; then engaged in the book business twenty-five years; bought a farm in 1865, on the Pennsylvania and Maryland line, on the Baltimore & York Turnpike; moved to it in 1866, and has resided there ever since. He was a member of the Baltimore city council in 1840-41; was one of ten "Maine Law Delegates " to the house of delegates in the Maryland legislature in 1953-54: was brought up in the Presbyterian Church, but united with the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1841; was licensed to preach in 1873, and has preached occasionally since that time; assisted by a liberal donation in building "Asbury Chapel," at New Market, and preaches there. He is an honor- ary member of the P. of H. and a member of the I. O. O. F. He was married October 29, 1840, at Pimlico, Md., to Mary Agnes Shaw, a daughter of Daniel Shaw, and a member of the Presbyterian Church.

CHESTER C. RICHEY, born in Shrewsbury, April 12, 1848, is the youngest of the family of five sons and two daughters of Robert and Margaret S. (Dinkle) Richey. At the age of eight he began cigar-making, and since 1865, when he began busi- ness for himself, he has been engaged in the manu- facture of cigars, either on his own account or as a journeyman. In 1880 he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked a year, then returned to his native borough, and in 1881 started a factory, which he has since conducted, manufacturing 350,000 cigars annually. He was married in 1870, at Shrewsbury, to Elizabeth Hofacker, who died in October, 1879, leaving two children: Claudie and Harry. He was next married at Hametown. October 23, 1881, to Millie Anstine, daughter of Emanuel Anstine, and they have had two children; Elsie E. and Beulah

Jane. Mr. Richey was educated in his native town. He is a Mason.

PETER RUHL, born in Baltimore County, Md., June 30, 1834, is the eldest son of William and Elizabeth (Crim) Ruhl, who had four sons and eight daughters. He was brought up on the farm, and attended the district school. At the age of twenty- six he began farming. He was married, in October, 1855, to Sarah Rogers, a native of England, and has had six children: Clara Virginia, died at the age of one year and a half: the five living are Rob- ert J., mining in Virginia; John W., school teacher; George E., a farmer; Charles E., a farmer at home, and Sarah Lizzie Jane, at home. He removed to York County in 1867, and located where he has since resided; owns a fine farm of 167 acres. He has served one year as judge of elections; as school director since 1876; he was one of the organizers and for two terms a director of the New Freedom Building & Loan Association, and is a member of the Evangelical Association.

EDWARD K. SEITZ, born at Hametown, Janu- ary 20, 1836, is the eldest son of a family of thir- teen children of Samuel and Christiana (Klinefelter) Seitz. He lived on a farm, attended the common schools and Shrewsbury Academy. Beginning at the age of twenty-one, he taught school eight terms in the public schools of York County; has practiced surveying since 1865; has been keeper of the toll- gate of York & Maryland Line Turnpike since 1867; has manufactured hames since 1869, besides managing his farm where he lives, about one mile and a half north of Shrewsbury. He was elected justice of the peace in 1883, by a large majority, although an active Republican in a Democratic township; was a candidate for recorder on the reform ticket in 1872, and was defeated by a small majority; is a member of the Republican county committee, and has been a delegate to the county convention at different times. He was married, in 1864, at Glen Rock, to Miranda Miller, daughter of Samuel Miller, and they have eight children: James Elmer, Lizzie Mary, Allen Harvey, Samuel Clayton, Henry Clinton, Charles Edward, Carrie Christiana and Alverta Miranda. He is a member of the Evangelical Association; is superintendent of the Union Sunday-school at Hametown, and has been Sunday-school superintendent or assistant for thir- teen years.

ADAM D. SEITZ, son of Levi and Magdalena (Dice) Seitz, natives of York County, and of Ger- man descent, was born May 7, 1837. Of five chil- dren, he is the eldest. He remained on a farm until sixteen years of age, receiving his education at the public schools. He also attended Union Seminary at New Berlin, and the York Normal School. At the age of seventeen, he began teaching, and fol- lowed it for sixteen years. He was married at Loganville, November 3, 1859, to Anna Maria Hildebrand, daughter of Casper Hildebrand, of German descent. They have four children: Maggie, Susan E., Frederick C., and Martha Daisy. Mr. Seitz is a member of the Reformed Church, and was an elder for several years. In 1873, he was elected justice of the peace and served five years. He was also a school director for a number of years. In 1866 he removed from Loganville to Hametown, where he has since resided. In addition to farming, he has run a huckster route for eight years. In company with R. Seitz, he built the Hametown puh- lic schoolhouse. He is agent for the Southern Mu- tual Fire Insurance Company of York County, and was president of the building committee of Shrews- bury Reformed Church.

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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 200

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