USA > Pennsylvania > Juniata County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 2 > Part 18
USA > Pennsylvania > Perry County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 2 > Part 18
USA > Pennsylvania > Snyder County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 2 > Part 18
USA > Pennsylvania > Union County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 2 > Part 18
USA > Pennsylvania > Mifflin County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 2 > Part 18
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In 1808, we find Martin Cronimiller, black- smith ; Andrew Grove, blacksmith ; Wm. Lane, hatter ; Henry Yearick, hatter. Henry Yeariek was a native of Bucks County, Pa., born in 1780 ; followed the business of a hatter, which at one time was one of the principal industries of the town, was commissioned a justice of peace in 1813, by Governor MeKean, served thirty years. In 1836-38 was a representative in the Legislature of Pennsylvania. His wife was Maria Roush, a sister of Sammel Roush, Esq., for many years the efficient prothonotary of Union County. He had fourteen children, all of whom grew up to man's and woman's estate. His son Thomas has been for many years a merchant and resident of Aaronsburg, Centre County; another son, Emanuel, with two of his sisters, live in the house where they were born more than half a century ago. Mr. Yearick in carly manhood became a member of the Reformed Church, and was the first super- intendent of the Sabbath-school in Mifflinburg. He died January 21, 1866, aged seventy-five years.
In 1809 appear the names of Conrad Auble (schoolmaster), John Harlet, John Manly, Nicholas Millhouse (farmers), Godfrey Smelker (tavern-keeper), Conrad Staple, Andrew Wolf (masons), and Christian Young. In 1810, John Montelius, farmer. In 1811, Roan Clark, merchant ; and Thomas Wallis, physician. John Montelius owned and fived on the triangle at the foot of the Limestone Ridge, near the present publie school building. Here he reared a large family of six sons and five
daughters, and was quietly pursuing his vora- tion of farming until 1835, when he was elected by the Anti-Masons asone of the representatives of Union County in the Legislature of the State, an account of which will be found in the " Bench and Bar."
The following list contains the names and occupations of the persons assessed in Young- manstown for 1814 :
Conrad Auble, schoolmaster; Henry Aurand, job- ber ; John Buff, joiner; Michael Bartges, nailor; Bas- tian Berger, weaver; Adam Boyer, cabinet-maker; Frederick Bartges, joiner; Christian Boyer, shoe- maker; Henry Bogenreif, blacksmith; Christian Brown, potter ; Martin Bry, shoemaker; Frederick Barkley, tailor; Conrad Blumenbaum, householder; John Coverly, schoohnaster ; John Charles, hatter ; William Cooper, laborer; Jacob Cronemiller, black- smith; Jacob Crotzer, tailor; Jacob Conseler, stiller; Aaron Clark, silter; John Clark, weaver ; Peter Con- rad, jobber; Peter Consert, wagon-maker; John Dreisbach, gunsmith ; John Deuring, single; Chris- tian Derr, joiner ; Samuel Dreisbach, gunsmith ; Adam Deatrich, shoemaker; Jacob Deatrich, hatter; Chris- topher Deering, schoohnaster; Jacob Dehaven, shoemaker; Christopher Eilert, farmer; J. Henry Fries, preacher ; Charles Fisher, doctor ; Henry Fox, wheelwright; Mary Fox, householder; Widow France, householder ; Thomas Foster, single ; Adol- plus Fisher, single; Frederick Fisher, single ; Andrew Grove, blacksmith; Henry Grove, black- smith ; Jacob Gable, carpenter; Samuel Geddes, store-keeper ; Frederick Gutelius, sarveyor; Jacob Getzen, mason ; Ludwig Getzen, mason ; George Gottshall, cooper ; Valentine Hepper, weaver ; Henry Hassenplug, brewer; Israel Juman, tavern-keeper; Henry Kohm, store-keeper; William Irwin, attorney- at-law ; George Krap, twiner ; Adam Kramer, stiller; John Kennedy, doctor; John Lashells, attorney-at- law; Adam Leimbach, carpenter; Daniel Lemon, twiner ; Jacob Lenhart, shoemaker; John Lighty, tan- ner; Jacob Lambert, cordwainer; Peter Lenhart, shoemaker; Patrick Maris, laborer; Jacob Maize, tavern-keeper ; Joseph Musser, farmer ; John Monte- lins, farmer; Nicholas Millhouse, farmer; Abraham Mench, potter ; John Orwig, store-keeper ; John Ray, sheriff; George Roush, householder; Nicholas Ream, householder ; l'eter Reed, saddle-tree maker ; Peter Sangsel, householder; John Stitzer, smith-shop and tavern ; George Seitz, mason ; James Smith, doctor ; Widow Shultz, honscholder ; Jacob Smwelcher, sad- dler: Adam Spidle, honscholder; Michael Shoch, farmer; Samuel Spidle, mason ; Mathew Strine, tm- ner ; John Strom, weaver ; Jacob Shower, shoemaker; David Stamm, tailor; William Tate, carpenter ; Isaac Taylor, tavern-keeper ; Richard Van Buskirk, house-
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holder; Peter Withington, silversmith ; William Wilson, weaver ; Frederick Welker, tailor; Christo- pher Waggoner, farmer ; Andrew Wolf, mason ; Peter Withingtou, saddler; George Withington, store- keeper; Henry Yearick, Esq., hatter ; Simon Yearick, farmer; Jacob Yeariek, joiner; Elias Youngman, farmer ; George Youngman, saddler; Christian Young, householder; Widow Youngman, householder.
Nothing will more clearly show the shifting and changing character of the American people than a comparison of the names of the residents of Mifflinburg, from its founding, in 1792, and down to 1814, with the names of its present residents. It will be found that, with respect to the great majority, the place that once knew them knows them no more; and that in the long list of names, those of Bogenreif, Croni- miller, Crotzer, Grove, Gntelius, Getzen, Gott- shall, Hassenplug, Moss, Stitzer, Schoch, Yearick, Wolf and Youngman are the only ones that date back beyond three-fourths of a century.
For the account of the courts held in Mifflin- burg, in 1814-15, see the chapter entitled "The Freetion of Union County," pages 1175 and 1184.
On April 14, 1827, the borough of Mifflin- Inirg was incorporated with the following bound- aries :
"Beginning at a post on line of the heirs of Jacob Brobst, deceased; thence along line of the heirs of George Rote, deceased, by the same ; thence to a post in the centre of the road leading from George Rock- vy's to Mifflinburg ; thence along the eentre thereof, in a line between Michael Bartges, John Charles, Conrad Mull; thence along the north side of Lime- stone hill to beginning."
By a supplement to the act of incorporation, passed April 10, 1828, it was enacted that,-
" The west boundary of the borough of Mifflinburg, in Union County, be so extended as to include the whole of the road along or adjoining its western boundary within said borough, and that the road on the Eastern side of said borough be wholly excluded from s.tid borough."
At May sessions, 1884, application was made to have the borough subject to the general bor- ough law of April 3, 1851, and its supple- ments, approved September 20, 188 1.
April 17, 1817, Elias Youngman (or Jung- man), the founder of the town, died. He was
born in Germany Angust 15, 1738; married, January 11, 1763, in America, to Catharine Nagle, a daughter of George Nagle, who was sheriff of Berks County in 1772 ; she was born in 1745 and died January 23, 1822. Their children were Thomas, George and a daugh- ter, Catharine, married to John Dreisbach, Thomas' sons were George N., for many years a justice of the peace in Mifflinburg. John, who was for a long time a resident and business man at Winfield, or Dry Valley, died in 1885; Thomas and two daughters; (one married to George Withington, the other to George Lehman). George's sons were Elias P., of Lycoming County, and Thomas, who shot himself, and a danghter.
BUSINESS INTERESTS .- The names of early store-keepers of the place are given in the pre- coding lists. In 1829 the persons who kept stores were James Appleton, James A. Cum- mings, John Forster, Samuel Ronsh and Michael Ronsh. In 1835, Daniel and Benjamin Beck- ley, James A. Cummings, J. G. Chesney, Henry Gast, George Wolf, John Haas and Michael Roush.
Fifty years later, in 1885, the merchants who deal in general merchandise are Bogar & Spigel- myer, B. F. Reighard & Brother, H. G. Wolf, Foster & Co., Henry Strunk, J. D. S. Gast, T. R. Hayes. Dealers in hardware exclusively, S. W. Snodgrass and Young Brothers. Drs. D. M. Brubaker, J. C. Steans and James Kleck- ner each carry on a drug-store in connection with their medical practice. W. R. Sechler and R. T. Barber have grocery-stores.
FOUNDRY .- About 1834 David Joel Herr started a foundry on the lot now occupied by Minadore Schware's block of buildings. It was run by horse-power, and the making of castings for plows, which were furnished with the wood-work in another shop of the same establishment, constituted an important branch of the business. The finished plows were taken away by the wagon-load and sold in the adjoin- ing counties. The firm conducting the foundry business has been frequently changed, as the following list will show: At first, in 1831, it was David Joel Herr, and respectively, by S. & D. Herr, Dreisbach, Gutelius & Youngman,
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JUNIATA AND SUSQUEHANNA VALLEYS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Dreisbach & Gutelins, David Herr, Dreisbach & Gintelins again, Gutelins & Stoch, G. & S. Gutelius, Gutelins & Torrey, George Gutelins, Foster & Gutelins, Gutelius & Stayman, Stay- man &. Gutelins, (G. C. Guitelius); in 1868 Stayman & Zimmerman. In 1870 the last- maned firm removed the establishment to the corner of Third and Railroad Streets, and added a steam-engine, planing-mill, scroll-saws, etc. The business is still continued there by J. M. Stayman.
In 1876, Mr. Enoch Miller, an enterprising architect and building contractor, erected shops for the purpose, primarily, of working the lum- ber used by him in his building operations. He has placed an engine in his works.
Abont 1841 John S. Zitler commenced the manufacture of buggies and carriages in Mifflin- burg; he continued in this business a few years. This branch of mechanical industry now gives employment and support to more persons than any other business in the borough. There are about twenty different shops in the borough. The aggregate yearly production is about eight hundred buggies and about five hundred sleighs. Thomas Gutelius has, perhaps, been longer en- gaged in the business than any one else in the borough. He commenced in 1846. Among the other buggy manufacturers are T. B. Taylor, Il. A. Taylor, Jacob Gutelius, John Gutelius & Son, W. F. Brown, A. A. Hopp, James Moss, O. P. Mench, D. B. Miller, John G. Miller, W. H. Hursh, etc.
SCHOOLS .- In 1799 George Paget, a noted teacher, resided in Mifflinburg. He removed to Centre County in 1812, and lived north of Spring Mills until his death, November 2, 1834. Hle tanght until he was over seventy years of age. Thomas Lemon taught in the town in 1807, and in 1808 a man named Hazlett taught in a log building a little cast of the present resi- dence of Thomas Gutelius. From 1810-14 Christopher Deering taught in an old building on Chestunt Street, as did also his daughter during the summer season. A Mr. John Ilubbs taught about 1814, said to have been a very bright teacher, but very ernel and addicted to the immoderate use of strong drink. John C. Coverly taught and resided there several years,
from 1811 onwards. He was still living in Mifflinburg in 1823; his son Wells was born there. Coverly was a " Yankee." After teaching several years he tried merchandising, which re- sulted in disaster, financially ; he then, in 1821, rented the tavern at. Potter's Mills, in Centre ('onty, and removed there. Conrad Auble tanght in Mifflinburg about 1811; in 1818 a Mr. Hesser. In 1819 a Mr. Young taught a German school for several years, in a school- house which had been erected some years pre- viously at the corner of Fifth and Green Streets. One end of this building was arranged for a residence for the teacher, the other end con- taining the school-room. This school-house was for many years afterwards called the German school-house. In 1825 Jolm HI. Hickok, father of Hon. Henry C. Hickok, later State superin- tendent of common schools, taught and lived in this school-house. Mr. Hickok was a native of Connectient, a born teacher, remarkable for the thoroughness of his teaching and his skill and success in government. He also taught at White Springs and New Berlin. He had charge of an academy at Lewistown for ten years. He died at Harrisburg in 1841, in a railroad accident, aged forty-eight years. Before this time the Franklin school-house was built. Adam Gensel taught in 1827. From 1825 to 1838 and afterwards George Lehman taught, some- times in one school-house and sometimes in the other, but mostly in the upper, or German, school-house, and did a great deal of writing for citizens. From 1830 to 1836 Michael Il. Weaver was a teacher; from 1836 to 1841, clerk to the county commissioners. He died February 13, 1872, aged seventy-three years. In 1836-38 Joel Hamer taught in the Frank- lin school-house. He was an excellent teacher.
The borough accepted the common-school law in 1838, and commenced operations with the school-honses then in existence, viz., the " Frank- lin " and the "German." The first teachers were George Lehman and his son, Thomas G., followed by David Mizener, since a Methodist preacher, John Sprogel, B. F. Eaton, I. P. Cronimiller, J. M. C. Ranch, Mary and Eliza- beth Calvin, Nettie Montgomery, II. M. North and Rachel Yearick. Those who tanght in the
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old German School-house were Levi R. Durant, Henry Breyman, J. Wesley Pennington, Henry W. Crotzer, J. T. Smith, Ada Beckley (now Mrs. James Moss), Susan Cronimiller (now Mrs. Joseph Boob) and Miss Survey. In 1857 the board of directors purchased from the trustees of the Lutheran and Roformed Churches the Elias Church property, for the sum of one thou- sand dollars.
Some of the teachers in this building, when remodeled, were W. C. Hesser, John Bucher, Susan Cronimiller, Kate Gast, John McAlarney, B. T. Eaton, C. E. Hans, J. D. Passmore, Mary Hans, Mrs. Cummings, L. W. Anspach, Martha Rauch, Ada Herr, Ella Finney (now Mrs. B. B. Young), Miss Piper, Mary Eilert, Jane and Mary MeAlarney, Rebecca Orwig, Frances Shriner and Emma Barber. Part of the academy building was used in the fall of 1871. The teachers in this building were A. S. Burrows, C. V. Gundy, L. W. Anspach, IT. K. Mercer, John O. Hoy, J. E. Shadle, Mrs. Fanny L. Burrows, Susan Cronimiller, Mary MeAAlarney, Rebecca HI. Orwig, Emma Bar- ber and Frances Shriner.
In 1873 the school directors purchased of Rev. J. G. Anspach three aeres for fifteen Inin- dred dollars, and in 1875 built the present ele- gant and commodious brick building, at a cost of thirteen thousand dollars, including grounds. The directors then were John Badger, John S. Stitzer, S. B. Hoffman, Chas, II. Gutelius, Jas. Zellers, Jacob Zimmerman, Robert Wendell, Andrew J. Katherman and Albert Foster. Among the teachers in the new building may be named Jacob V. Mohr, Joseph M. Belford, F. M. Kaler, L. W. Anspach, Emanuel Hoffman, Georgie Kemble, Mary MeAlarney, Ada Ilerr, etc.
MIPPLANBURG ACADEMY was established in pursuance of an act of Assembly of April 14, 1827, which provides, " That there shall be, and hereby is, established in the town of Mifllin- burg, in the county of Union, an academy or public school for the education of youth in the useful arts, sciences and literature, by the name, style and title of the Mifflinburg Academy." The same act appointed Henry Yearick, James Appleton, Jacob Maize, James Merrill, John
Forster, Joseph Musser, Michael Roush, Thos. Van Valzah and John F. Wilson, trustees. See- tion 7 of the act appropriated two thousand dol- lars, to be applied by the trustees to the erection of a building. This academy was the first school regularly established by law, in the county, that aimed at giving instruction in the classies and higher branches of learning. Abont 1829 the school was opened in the western room of the Franklin School-house, the Rev. Nathaniel Todd, a Presbyterian preacher, being the principal, and remained in charge until 1836, when he was snceeeded by James J. Ham- ilton, for two years. E. Bradford Todd, a son of the first principal and a practicing attorney, had charge of it for a short time. For some reason the building contemplated by the act of Assembly establishing the academy was not completed until 1839. James McClune was next selected as principal, and upon his tak- ing charge the sehrool at once started on a career of prosperity. Mr. McClune was both a pro- ficient scholar and an excellent teacher. After successfully conducting the school some five or six years, he resigned to accept a situation in the Philadelphia High School. He was snc- ceeded by Henry G. McGuire, under whom the school reached the zenith of its fame. It was largely patronized from the neighboring counties, and many students were within its walls fitted for college, and are now occupying conspicuous positions in the various walks of life. About 1850 Mr. McGuire, too, resigned, to engage in teaching in Philadelphia. He was succeeded by Aaron C. Fisher, an excellent teacher. After few years he died in the work. After him, in order, came Mr. Kimball, Mr. Allison, Benjamin C. Youngman and Inther W. An- spach, all of whom were successful teachers. But the days of academies were by this time mmnbered. The Normal Schools of the State and the graded public schools of the towns had taken away from academies the patronage on which they subsisted.
In 1854 the Town Council purchased the academy building, had it torn down and rebuilt by the borough authorities in 1863, at a cost of one thousand nine hundred and seventy-three dollars. Doubts having arisen as to the legal-
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ity of this purchase by the borough, it was legalized by an act of Assembly of April 1, 1870.
THE REFORMED CHURCH .- In 1789 the Reformed congregation of the "Shamokin country " was organized. This was a compre- hensive name covering a large expanse of country about the West and North Branches (in- chiding Middle Creek, Buffalo Valley, Penn's and Brush Valleys). These churches imited in a call to Rev. Jonathan Rahanser, which he ac- cepted, and entered upon his work on the 23d of September, 1789. He was the first regular German Reformed clergyman who performed stated service in the valley. From the time of his arrival within the bounds of his charge, umtil October, 1792, he preached occasionally to the scattered flocks of Union County and Pen's and Brush Valleys, in Centre County. In 1792 he removed to Hagerstown, Md., and died there September 25, 1817. He is said to have been a very energetic and laborious pas- tor. From 1792 to 1794 the Reformed con- gregations were without a shepherd. In May, 1794, the Rev. George Geistweit took the place that had been formerly filled by Rahanser. He continued in this relation until 1804, when he accepted a call from York, Pa. He died there November 11, 1831, aged seventy years. From 1792 to 1800 the Rev. John George Pfruemer (pronounced Freemer), who, with others, was carrying on a religious movement, which after- wards resulted in the sect called the United Brethren in Christ, professing to be a minister of the German Reformed Church, made fre- quent visits to Buffalo, Penu's and Brush Val- leys, preaching and catechising the children.
Rev. John Deitrich Amrand, about the year 1801, also commenced preaching at Dreisbach's Church, near to which he lived, and to other congregations in Buffalo Valley and New Ber- lin, and continued to do so nutil, in October, 1804, he removed to Water Street, Huntingdon County, and founded a congregation of the Re- formed Church there. He died April 24, 1831. There appears to have been no regular pastor for the Reformed congregations for several years after the departure of Mr. Geistweit. During this interregnum the Elias Church, at Mifflin-
burg, was built by the German Reformed and Lutheran congregations, in 1806; sold to the school board of the borough after the erection of the present Intheran and Reformed Churches, in 1857 ; and after the erection of the new school building it was sold by the school directors to Mr. Weirick, and has since then been used as a barn. The following vivid de- scription of the old church is taken from the Reformed Messenger of October 7, 1885, and was written by Rev. A. C. Whitmer :
"Synod met (September 28, 1828) in the old Elias Church, at the south side of town. The building is now used as a barn. Oats, wheat and hay are now seen in the windows, from which the young people on the galleries there looked out over the valley. An aisle ran from the east door to the west door, and an- other from the altar to the north door (only the west door had lock and key ; the others were barred from within). On the south side was the pulpit, of wine- glass shape, high up against the wall. On the plat- form, just below it, stood the large altar, without rail- ing, at which Father Fries administered the Lord's Supper to the people as they moved around it. Two old Franklin stoves were at the east and west ends, a little in from the aisle. From these went pipes into a great drum overhead, and from the centre of this a pipe went upward. The elderly women sat in the southeast corner of the church, the elderly men in the southwest, the young unmarried women in the northeast corner and the young married women in the northwest corner. All these were below. A gallery was on three sides. To the right of the pulpit were singers and the organ ; at the west end sat the boys and young unmarried men, and on the north side, opposite the pulpit, sat the young married men. The pews below were very long, holding twelve or fifteen, with high backs. On the front pew, in the old men's corner, sat the elders and deacons. Along the front pew, on the women's side, was a red wood-ehest. The deacons always made the fire. Tallow-candles on the posts, on wooden or tin holders (brass for the pulpit only), dimly lighted the church. At confirmation (only every two years) the girls wore white eaps and white dresses. The commimion wine was in fine bot- tles and the bread was on a pewter plate. How changed all is to-day ! The evening sun throws its shadow over the grave of Father Fries, and no voice of worship rises from the old Elias Church. Looking from my study at the empty steeple, i sometimes think I must see the old bell swing and ring out the hour of service. (The bell, put up in 1820, is now on the public school building.) } can almost see the young people looking out of the upper windows, smiling at some late comer and whispering the news along the line. Alas ! in that church-yard dumb
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brutes chew the end, and where the altar stood the farmer now threshes his grain."
In 1808, Rev. Jacob Dieffenbach, settled in Mifflinburg as the pastor of the Reformed Church, also preaching occasionally in Peu's and Brush Valleys and elsewhere. He left the charge in 1810, and died in Espytown in 1825. The congregation was there again without a regular pastor until the advent of the noted Just Henry Fries. The following sketch of his early life is from the pen of Rev. Dr. Har- baugh : " He was born in Westphalia, town of Gusterhain, April 24, 1777. Ilc landed in Baltimore August 20, 1803. From carly childhood he had a strong inclination to the ministry, and, being poor, saw little hope of entering the ministry at home, where so many strict formalities were observed. He could not pay his passage, and was forced to become a ' redemptioner.' Mr. Fries fell into the hands of a kind German farmer, in York County. Ile was honest, industrious and trusty, and soon won the full confidence of his employer. Ile was fond of improving his mind in his spare hours, and his desire to be a minister stirred him strongly. He spoke in small assem- blies when he got the opportunity. There was, however, nothing fanatical about him, yet he went so far once as to preach a sermon, in a school-house, on the words ' Much study is a weariness to the flesh,' Ecclesiastes, xii. 1,- a singular text certainly to begin with. He commenced his preparatory studies with Rev. Daniel Wagner, in Frederick, Md., 1809, and, after being with him a year, was licensed at Harrisburg, and on the 20th of June, 1810, took charge of eight congregations in York County. In June, 1811, he came up on a visit to Buffalo Valley, and on the 22d preached in the Dreis- bach Church, and on the 23d in Mifflinburg, in the afternoon of the same day at New Ber- lin, and in the evening again at Mifflinburg. In October, 1811, he made a second visit to Buffalo Valley, from the 17th to the 24th. Ile preached at Anspach's school-house, Dieffen- bach's, White Deer school-house, Dreisbach's Church, Mifflinburg, New Berlin, Aaronsburg and in Brush Valley, and on the 28th was home again in his charge. A strong effort was
now made by the churches in Buffalo Valley and neighborhood to secure his services." Mr. Fries was called April 27, 1812, and entered upon his duties June 17th of the same year. His field of labor extended from Brush Valley and the lower end of Penn's Valley to Blooms- burg, on the North Branch, and from Muncy, on the West Branch, down to Selin's Grove. His first regular charge was composed of Mif- flinburg, Dreisbach's, New Berlin, Aaronsburg and Brush Valley (the last two in Centre County). Besides these he preached at many other points in school-houses, gradually laying the foundations of future congregations.
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