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 81

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 81

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REV. ADAM ETTINGER.

Rev. Adam Ettinger, father of Prof. D. M. Ettinger, of York, was one of the original clergymen of the Evangelical Association in York County. His father, Rev. Adam Ettin- ger, was a clergyman of the German Re- formed Church, and died in 1809. His

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

mother was a sister of Rev. John Stouch, of the Lutheran Church. In the fall of 1813, under the administration of Rev. John Walter, the first fellow-laborer of Rev. Jacob Albright, founder of, the Evangelical Associa- tion, Adam Ettinger joined that denomination which at that date, had only fifteen preach- ers and 769 members in America. In 1815 he was licensed to preach, and the next year joined the conference. No minister of the gospel was a more devoted fol-

summer time camp-meetings were held in the woods adjoining it. To the church and its interests he was generous and philanthropic beyond his means. He died October 31, 1877, aged ninety years, seven months and twelve days, after serving as a minister of the gos- pel for sixty-two years. His remains were interred in Prospect Hill Cemetery.

REV. CONSTANTINE J. DEININGER. Rev. Constantine J. Deininger was born

E. g. Meininger.

lower of the doctrines and principles of the church of his choice than he, giving not only his time but his means to the support of the cause he so faithfully advocated. He was married early in life to a daughter of Conrad Miller, a soldier of the Revolution, and well-to-do farmer of Hopewell. His father-in-law and mother-in-law then formed a part of his family, and their home became a great place for religious meetings, and in

in Center County, Penn., August 30, 1822, and was the son of the late Rev. A. G. Deininger, a prominent and influential Luth- eran clergyman, who was born in Wurtem- berg, Germany, in 1795, emigrated to Ameri- ca at the age of seventeen, and located in Center County. He married Susan Phebe Brown, of Center County, born in 1819, and died in 1872. He studied theology at Lan- caster. After serving the Lutheran congre-

Mottatheart

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gations of Dover, Paradise, East Berlin, and Pigeon Hill, and other churches in York County, for the long period of fifty-one years, he died in the village of East Berlin, Sep- tember 30, 1880, at the advanced age of eightv-five. Rev. A. G. Deininger was the son of Dr. Christian Deininger, a noted phy- sician of the kingdom of Wurtemberg. Rev. C. J. Deininger, the subject of the present sketch, entered Pennsylvania College at Get- tysburg in 1840, and was gradnated in 1844. After completing the theological course at the seminary of the same college, he entered the ministry in 1846, and was ordained in Sep- tember, 1848. On November 4, 1846, he was married to Maria (daughter of Isaiah -), of Adams County. They had children as fol- lows : Luther T., Emma (deceased), Susan P., Charles' A. (deceased), and Mary Louisa. Rev. Deininger's first charge embraced the churches of East Berlin, Jefferson, Zeigler's and Wolf's which he served until 1850, when he accepted a call to Indiana, Penn., remain- ing there two and a half years ; on account of ill health returned to East Berlin, and during 1852-53, supplied Berlin and Wolf's Lutheran congregations. In 1853 he removed to York, where he remained until his death, July 21, 1885, at the age of sixty-two years four months and twenty-two days. In the course of his long pastorate of thirty- seven years in York County, he ministered to a number of Lutheran congregations and organized the congregations of that denomi- nation in the following churches: Mount Zion, Spring Garden Township, 1852; Salem Church, in Springfield, 1853 ; New Salem in North Codorus, 1861 ; Manchester Borongh Church, 1857; Trinity, in Seven Valley, 1878; and Stoverstown Church, in 1882. At the time of his death, and for many years before, he served with great acceptability the Luth- eran congregations of Mount Zion, Paradise, Quickle's and Wolf's Churches. He was a faithful and beloved pastor. Until a few weeks before his death, he was unceasing in his interests to furnishing the writer with valuable facts and statistics of the Lutheran Church of York County, for this history. He kept a careful record of all his ministerial acts, a summary of which from September, 1846, to his death in 1885, is as follows : Infant baptisms, 3,860 ; adult baptisms, 215 ; funerals, 1,617 : confirmations, 2,118; mar- riages, 1,649 ; sermons preached, 4,481; number of miles traveled in pursuance of min- isterial work, 83,640 miles, or a distance of three times around the world.

REV. ROBERT CATHCART, D. D.

Rev. Robert Cathcart, D. D., deceased, was

the son of Alexander Cathcart and Mary Walk- er, his wife. He was born in November, 1759, near the town of Coleraine, Ireland, where his early education was conducted. He afterward became a student at the University of Glasgow, where he graduated, and having selected the ministry as his profession, studied divinity at that institution. He was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Route. and labored within its bonds for several years. Hav- ing an uncle in America, the Rev. Robert Cath- cart of Wilmington, Del., he came to the United States in 1790, and joined the Presbytery of Philadel- phia, filling various vacant pulpits in that vicinity. During this period he declined a call to Cape May, on account of its supposed unhealthfulness. In October, 1793, he was installed pastor of the Pres- byterian churches at York, Penn., and Round Hill, in Hopewell Township in York County, by the Presbytery of Carlisle. Of the latter church he was pastor for forty-two years, and of the former for forty-four years, preaching in each on alternate Sun- days, while pastor of hoth. During these forty two years, though the Hopewell church was distant from his home in York fifteen miles, he never failed when at home, to reach his pulpit, excepting on one Sabbath when ill. For thirty successive years he was yearly elected by the Presbytery to which he belonged its commissioner to the general assembly of that denomination, and for twenty years was stated clerk of that body. The degree of doctor of divinity was conferred on him by Queen's, now Rutger's College, New Brunswick, N. J. He was for thirty years a trustee of Dickinson College, Carlisle. and obtained from it the degree of doctor of divinity for Scott, the great Scriptural commentator. Always identified with and an active promoter of public education, he was one of the original trustees of the York County Academy, and president of the board for many years. Some years before his death he tendered his resignation as president, but the board declined to accept it. He was a liberal contributor to all the missionary and charitable enterprises of his own church, as well as to those not strictly denominational, such as the Bible and Tract Soci- eties, and the American Sunday-school Union. It has been justly said of him that he taught his people liberality by example, rather than by precept. One of his successors wrote of him: "I knew Dr. Cathcart as well as a son could know a father, visited him daily for years, and, with the hest opportunities for judging, can say that he was among the best and purest of our American clergy." Another summing up his character, says: " He was remarkable for his honesty, liherality, gentlemanliness, philanthrophy and attachment to his church and her principles and form of government." In 1796 he married Susan Latimer of Newport, Del. He survived her thirty-nine years, and died on October 19, 1849, leav- ing three sons and two daughters, of whom only one daughter is now living. Dr. Cathcart was a man of great learning, of broad and liberal culture, and catholic views on all religious questions. Though 26

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

ardently attached to the Presbyterian Church, in which he was born and to which he devoted his life, there was nothing narrow or sectarian about him. He was not an orator in the ordinary sense of the term. His delivery was somewhat monotonous, and with little gesture and no attempt at rhetorical display; but the purity and elegance of his diction, the depth and breadth of thought, the originality displayed in his sermons, always attracted a large and attentive audience of the most cultivated and intellectual people in the town. His high personal and professional standing in the community, his long connection with the highest judicatory of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, and the influence he there exercised in molding and guiding the policy of the church, make it eminently fitting that he should be selected as the representative of Presbyterianism in this work. In the great schism, which rent the Presbyterian Church in twain about 1837, Dr. Cathcart was an earnest advocate of the liberal or" new school" side. The trial of Rev. Albert Barnes for heresy by the synod of Pennsylvania, took place in the York Church. One of the few lawsuits concerning church property growing out of that schism was instituted by the "old school " minority of the York congregation to recover the church and parsonage property. It was tried in 1841 before Judge Hayes of Lancaster, Messrs Mayer and Chapin being of counsel for the "new school" party, and Messrs. Hambly & Mason for the " old school," and the former gained the suit both in the court below, and in the Supreme Court. The cause is reported in 1 Watts' and Serjeants' Reports.

MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

THOMAS HARTLEY.

Col. Thomas Hartley was born in the neigh- borhood of Reading, Berks Co., Penn., September 7, 1748. Having received the rudiments of a good classical education in that town, he removed when eighteen years of age, to York, Penn., when he commenced the study of the law under the tuition of Mr. Samuel Johnson. Having pursued his law studies with diligence for the term of three years, he was admitted to practice in the courts of York, July 25, 1769. He now arose in his profession with an almost unex- ampled rapidity, for he not only had a thor- ough knowledge of the law, but was ac- quainted with two languages, each of which was then necessary in such a county as York; his early days having been spent in Read- ing, then as now mostly peopled by Ger- mans, he was from childhood acquainted with their language, which he spoke with the flu- ency of an orator. Another thing which favored young Hartley much, was that he and the Hon. James Smith were for some time the only practicing lawyers of the county; Mr.

Johnson, with whom he had studied, being then prothouotary.

Hartley was early distinguished as a warm friend of his country, both in the cabinet and in the field. In the year 1774, he was elected by the citizens of York County, a member of the provincial meeting of depu- ties, which was held at Philadelphia on the 15th of July. In the year 1775, he was a member from the same county, of the provin- cial convention which was held at Philadel- phia on the 23d of January.

The war of the Revolution was now ap- proaching and Hartley was soon distinguished as a soldier. The Committee of Safety for Pennsylvania, recommended a number of per- sons to Congress, for field officers to the Sixth Battalion, ordered to be raised in that colony, and Congress accordingly January 10, 1776, elected William Irwin, Esq., as colonel; Thomas Hartley, Esq., as lieutenant-colonel; and James Dunlap, Esq., as major. Mr. Hartley was shortly afterward promoted to the full degree of colonel.

Col. Hartley having continued about three years in faithful and laborious duty as an officer, wrote a letter to Congress Feb- ruary 13, 1779, desiring leave to resign his commission. Congress thinking the reasons offered, satisfactory, accepted his resigna- tion, and on the same day resolved that they had " high sense of Col. Hartley's merit and services."

In October, 1778, he was elected a member of the State Legislature from the county of York.

In the year 1783, he was elected a member of the Council of Censors, the first day of whose meeting was on the 10th of November.

In the latter part of the year 1787, he was a member of the State Convention which adopted the Constitution of the United States.

In the year 1788, he was elected a member of congress and accordingly attended their first session nnder the constitution. As a new order of things had now commenced, the public mind was filled with hope and fear. The citizens of York County had taken a great interest in the establishment of the new constitution, and as Col. Hartley was the first person who was to go forth from among them, as a member of congress under that constitution, they determined in the warmth of their feelings, to show him every honor. When he set out from York on February 23, 1789, on his way to the city of New York, where the congress was to sit, he was accompanied to Susquehanna by a great number of the inhabitants of the

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borough and was there received by a com- pany from that part of the county and from Lancaster. The citizens then partook of a dinner, and the whole was one splendid celebration. When on the way of his return, he arrived at Wright's ferry on October 6, he was met at that place by a number of gentlemen from the borough and county of York, and was there conducted to his house in town amidst the acclamations of his friends and fellow citizens.

Col. Hartley continued a member of con- gress for about twelve years, he was such until the time of his death.

On April 28, 1800, he was commissioned by Gov. M'Kean, as major-general of the Fifth Division of the Pennsylvania Militia, consisting of the counties of York and Adams.

His life of labor, usefulness and honor are now drawing to a close. Disease was destroy- ing his energies, and had already commenced the work of death. After a long and tedious sickness he died at his home in York, on the morning of December 21, 1800, aged fifty- two years, three months and fourteen days. When his mortal part was deposited in the burying ground of the Church of St. John's the following tribute of respect to his mem- ory was paid by the Rev. Dr. John Campbell, his pastor and friend:

" If I could blow the trump of fame over you ever so loud and long, what would you be the better for all this noise? yet, let not your integrity, patriotism, fortitude, hospi- tality and patronage be forgotten. Another (who need not be named), hath borne away the palm of glory, splendid with the never- dying honor of rearing the stupendous fabric of American freedom and empire. Departed friend! you hear me not, the grave is deaf and silent. In this work of blessing to future ages you bore, though a subordinate, yet an honor- able part. Soldiers of Liberty! come drop a tear over your companion in arms. Lovers of justice! come drop a tear over your able ad- vocate, and of science! come drop a tear over its warmest patron. Children of misfortune! come drop a tear over your benefactor and protector. Brethren of the earthly lodge! rejoice that our brother is removed to the temple of the Supreme. Ministers of relig- ion! come, drop a tear to the memory of a man, who, lamenting human frailty, was ever the friend of truth and virtue. And thou, my soul! come not into the assembly of those who would draw his reposing spirit from the bosom of his Father who is in heaven." Asan appendix to the biography of this soldier and statesman we give the following address to his constituents, which he published a short time before

his decease, and which is one of the last acts of his life.

Fellow Citizens:

Through want of health, and a wish to retire from a sedentary public life and to attend to my private concerns, which have been much deranged by my absenec from York town, I have been induced most fixedly to decline serving in the Ilouse of Represent- atives in Congress after the third day of March next. Indeed it is well known that for some years past I have not wished to be elected; and should long since have declined the honor had it not been for the political condition of the world, and of our own States in particular, which have frequently suffered from two great nations ;- I hope however we shall soon have peace.

A great portion of my life has been devoted to the service of my country, as will appear from the fol- lowing facts. I have to say that I was in two pro- vincial conventions previous to the revolution, that I served in the Revolutionary army more than three years, was one year in the Assembly of the State of Pennsylvania, in the Council of Censors one year, was in the convention which adopted the constitu- tion of the United States, and have twice been elected by citizens of Pennsylvania at general elec- tions. and four times at district elections, as a member of the House of Representatives in Congress. In some instances I have perhaps been useful; but I may say I have ever desired to advance the interests of the United States as far as my powers and consti- tution would admit. I shall endeavor to be of much service as possible in the militia, which will occa- sionally require some attention and exercise.

I thank the citizens of Pennsylvania at large for showing their frequent confidence in me, and par- ticularly of that part of the State composing York and Adams Counties, andwish them every happiness.

I am with due respect for them,

THOMAS HARTLEY.

York, September 8th, 1800.

N. B .- My indisposition has retarded this publi- cation longer than I intended.

HON. JOHN STEWART.

Hon. John Stewart was the second repre - sentative in the United States congress. Upon the death of Col. Hartley, he was elected at a special election on January 15, 1801, to succeed that distinguished statesman and soldier. He was re-elected in October, 1802, and became a prominent and influential representative. Before his election to con- gress he had served continuously. with great credit to his constituents, as a member of the Pennsylvania Legislature from 1789 to 1796. Mr. Stewart died in 1820, in Spring Garden Township, and his remains were interred on his farm now owned by John H. Small. A tombstone marks his grave.

HON. JAMES KELLEY.

Hon. James Kelley was born in the lower end of York County, received a classical ed- ucation at Princeton college, studied law, and was admitted to the bar at York, July 17, 1790, and practiced law; was a member of the legislature 1795-96-97-98; was elected a representative from this county to the ninth

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congress and was re-elected to the tenth con- gress, serving from December 2, 1805 to March 3, 1809. He died at Philadelphia, February 4, 1819.

HON. WILLIAM CRAWFORD.

Hon. William Crawford, M. D., was born in Paisley, Scotland.in 1760,received a classic- al education, studied medicine at the Universi- ty of Edinburgh, Scotland and received his de- gree in 1791; emigrated to York County (now Adams County) and located near the present site of Gettysburg, purchased a farm on Marsh Creek in 1795 and spent the remainder of his life there practicing medicine among his friends, with the exception of intervals that he was elected to office. He was an associate judge and was elected to represent the York district in the eleventh congress, in 1808, as a Democrat or Republican, as the name was then generally termed. He was re-elected to the twelfth congress to represent York dis- trict and to the thirteenth and fourteenth congresses to represent a new district formed, of which Adams County was a part, serving continuously from 1809 to 1817, after which he resumed the practice of medicine, and died in 1823.

HON. HUGH GLASGOW.

Hon. Hugh Glasgow was born September 8, 1769, at Nottingham, Chester County, to which place his father emigrated about the year 1730. His grandfather was a man of local distinction in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. The father died at Nottingham in 1772. Hugh was the third son, but the only one that grew to man- hood. Soon after his father's death he came to York County. For a time he was engaged in farming, and shortly after the Revolution- ary war, began the store near the Peach Bot- tom Ferry. He continued this business for a number of years, and became a prominent man in township and county affairs. He was commissioned an associate judge of the courts of York County, at the age of thirty- one years, on July 1, 1800, and continued to hold that position until March 29, 1813. At the October election in 1812 he was elected to represent York County in the national congress, and was re-elected in October, 1814. He thus was in public life for a term of six- teen years-twelve as judge, and four in the House of Representatives at Washington. He was a man of excellent character and dis- criminating judgment. During the war of 1812-14 he was an ardent supporter of Pres- ident Madison. Before leaving congress, he secured the establishment of a postoffice at

Peach Bottom, the first in that section. He had a library of well-selected books. He con- tracted a severe cold, took sick while in Washington, and died of consumption on January 31, 1818, at his home in Peach Bot- tom, about two miles from the river. His re- mains were interred in the Slate Ridge bury- ing ground. As was the custom in those days, he rode on horseback as far as Baltimore, and from there he went by stage to Washing- ton, when a congressman. His son, Cun- ningham R. Glasgow, owns and lives on a farm one mile south of the old Glasgow homestead. The famous Mason and Dixon's line crosses it, and his home is on the Mary- land side. The third milestone from the Susquehanna, placed there by the direction of the distinguished surveyors in 1768, stands near his house. Mr. Glasgow has already lived to be thirty years older than his father was when he died.

GEN. JACOB SPANGLER.

Mr. Spangler, born in 1768, was one of the first pupils of the York County Academy. Early in life he turned his attention to sur- veying, and served York County as county surveyor for many years. He was one of the commissioners in 1800, and ran the lines to divide York County and form the new county of Adams. 'Iu 1817, by the authority of the attorneys of the heirs of the Penns, he made an accurate re-survey of the Springetsbury Manor. He was elected a representative to the Fifteenth Congress from York County by the Federalist party, and served from De- cember 1, 1817, to April 20, 1818, when he resigned. He afterwards became a promi- nent Jackson Democrat. He subsequently served as surveyor-general of Pennsylvania. and died at York, June 17, 1843. His title was obtained as a commander of volunteer and militia regiments and battalions, and he was well versed in military tactics. In his day he was a prominent man in the affairs of York County. He had the honor of being the chief escort of Lafayette on his trip from York to Harrisburg, January 30, 1825. They crossed the river at York Haven, took dinner at Middletown, and arrived at Harris- burg amid great enthusiasm at 5 P. M.

HON. JACOB HOSTETTER.

Mr. Hostetter, who represented York County in the Congress of the United States, was elected March, 1818, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Hon. Jacob Spangler, was re-elected in October of the same year and served a full term of two years, and previously served as a member of

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the State legislature from 1797 to 1801. He was born near the present site of Hanover, on May 9, 1754, and was promptly identified with the growth and prosperity of what was then known as the Conewago settlement, be- ing born ten years before Hanover was laid out by Richard McAllister, who came to the settlement after him. Early in life he learned the trade of a watchmaker, and for many years manufactured the large eight-day chronom- eter, then familiarly known to a large section of country as the " Hostetter clock," some of which are still in existence, and kept as relics by the descendants of persons who purchased then of the manufacturer. He diligently followed his trade in a building yet standing next door west of the Central Hotel, in Han- over. In the meantime he was au influential Jefferson Democrat of York County. His son, then a youth of twenty years, at the close of the congressional session regularly went to Washington on horseback to bring his father home, there being no railroads at that time. Jacob Hostetter, Jr., the son, in the spring of 1822, emigrated to Ohio, locat- ing at New Lisbon, Columbiana County, where a considerable Pennsylvania settlement had already been formed. He was followed three years later by his father, who had shortly before completed his second congres- sional term. The clockmaker's business was continued by both father and son together. They subsequently moved to the vicinity of Canton, where the father, Congressman Hostetter, died, June 29, 1831, at the age of seventy-nine years. His wife survived him until 1840. His son, Jacob Hostet- ter, became a member of the legislature of Ohio from Stark County, superintended the taking of the census of the same county in 1830, and was an associate judge of the courts for seven years. A number of de- scendants now live in Columbiana and Stark Counties.

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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 81

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