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 26
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 26
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 26
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 26
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 26
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John Smith published a German paper, called the Union Adler. C. Moeser published a paper called the Union Democrat. In 1855, the American Flag, a Know-Nothing or Native American journal, was started by Ettinger & Quick. It existed ten months. In 1851 The
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Volksfreund was started by F. & E. Smith. It was sold to A. J. Peters, and by him taken to Middleburg.
About 1812 the Evangelical Association established a printing-office, book-bindery and book depot in New Berlin, in the building now occupied by M. 1. Schoch, Esq., as a residence and law-office; there they carried on the busi- ness of publishing religious books in the Ger- man and English languages, and also issued from their press two religious weeklies, called Der Christlicher Botschafter and the Evangelical Messenger. The former was a periodical in the German language, the latter in the English. Their business having assumed such dimensions as were not dreamed of upon the establishment of the concern at New Berlin, it was deemed expedient by the managers to remove to some place supplied with railroad facilities. Accord- ingly, in 1854 the whole establishment was removed to Cleveland, Ohio, from where the Evangelical Messenger is now issued, and pays its weekly visits to the place of its birth.
Mr. Charles Buchmiller, a native of Stntt- gart, Germany, who was employed in the book- binding department of the Evangelical book concern, is all that is left in New Berlin of the Evangelical publishing-house. Mr. Buchmiller carries on the busmess of book- binding, and his is the only establishment of the kind in the county.
On September 10, 1841, was published the first number of The Temperance Advocate and Family Visitor, a semi monthly publication in book-form, of sixteen pages, by S. G. Miller and JJ. Porter. After a few months they sold the establishment to Jacob Haus, who pub- lished it until April 12, 1842, when he sold one-half interest in it to Robert Swineford, and on June 24th the other half. Mr. Swineford o stinoed it- pol lution until the end of the
Absalom Swineford also, for several years prior to 1855, published a temperance paper called the Good Samaritan.
John Flinn also published a monthly literary journal called Buds and Blossoms of Literature.
UNION SEMINARY .- At the session of the West Pennsylvania Conference of the Evan- gelical Association, held in York, Pa., in March, 185 1, it was resolved to establish an institution of learning. Revs. W. W. Orwig, J. M. Young and C. F. Deininger were appointed to draft a plan for raising the necessary funds. The first board of trustees consisted of the following- named clergymen: W. W. Orwig, James Dunlap, Jacob Boas, Lewis May; Laymen- Henry High, Henry D. Maize and Martin Dreisbach.
Six aeres were seenred at New Berlin and a three-story brick building, with brown-stone trimmings, was built.
In 1855 the East Pennsylvania Conference united in the establishment of the institution now called the Union Seminary. In January, 1856, it was opened for the reception of stu- dents, a large number of whom presented them- selves for admission. A curriculum, embracing a course of three years, was adopted.
The faculty consisted of Rev. W. W. Orwig, principal and professor of moral science and the German language; Rev. Francis Hendricks, A. M., professor of mathematics; Jacob S. Whit- man, professor of natural sciences; August S. Sassaman, A.B., professor of ancient languages and literature; Francis C. Hoffman, A.B., professor of English branches and book-keep- ing; George B. Dechant, teacher of vocal music; Amanda M. Evans, preceptress and teacher of instrumental music; and Hester A. Stoner, teacher of primary department.
A teachers' course and a classical collegiate course were added.
During the scholastic year of 1858-59 two hundred and sixty-four pupils were in attend- ance. In June, 1859, the first class of five young ladies were gradnated. In 1859 Rev. Francis Hendricks. A.M .. was chosen principal
McClane & Hess, who removed it to Mifflin- spared ho pathe to bring the seminary to the burg.
highest possible standard. In 1860 August S. Sassaman, A.M., was chosen principal. The number of students during the year 1859-60 was two hundred and forty-one.
In June, 1862, Prof. Sassaman resigned ; studied law and afterward served one term as
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judge of the courts of Berks County, Pa. Rev. lohn IT. Leas, A.M., was next appointed to the presidency of the seminary.
From 1863 to 1865 the doors of Union Seminary were closed on account of the Civil War and financial troubles.
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A munber of persons, most of them ministers of the Central Pennsylvania Conference, led by Rev. M. J. Carothers, of Milton, president of the board of trustees, met the financial claims against the building. They divided the amount into shares of twenty-five dollars each, issued certificates of stock, and in 1865 organized themselvesinto " The Educational Society of the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the Evan- gelical Association." The seminary was re- opened for instruction during the summer of this year. It was conducted on the plan of an academy from that time on till the spring of 1880. The number of students during this period ranged from IS to 120. In 1865 Prof. F. C. Hoffinan, A.M., was appointed principal, and continued till 1869, when he resigned. Prof. D. Denlinger rented the seminary and conducted it until 1874, when Rev. Francis M. Brake, A.M., become his successor. Rev. J. W. Bentz was associated with him in the lease, and this period is generally known as the Bentz and Baker administration. During this time the Eastern Conferences formed the project of es- tablishing a "Centennial College," and all the educational interests being merged in this, Union Seminary suffered very much for want of patronage.
In March, 1883, the seminary was transferred to the Conference, and became the property of the church. In July, 1883, the building was remodeled and enlarged, at a cost of four thou- -and dollars. In June, 1885, the board of trus- tees adopted a full classical course, making the seminary practically a college.
An annual catalogne is issued, which gives the course of instruction, cte., in detail. Since the incorporation the patronage has more than doubled what it was just before that event. The statistics from the catalogue of 188 1-85 are as follows : Professors and instructors, six ; the number of students in the scientific de- partment was twenty-seven ; in elementary
department, eighty-two; in commercial depart- ment, twelve; in theological department, one,- in all, one hundred and twenty-two.
Professor Baker resigned his position in March, 1879. Professor Bentz became his successor. Rev. A. E. Gobble, then professor of mathemat- ies, was appointed to the principal-hip, and has since continued to hold that office. Professor Gobble drew np a course of studies in 1880, which was adopted by the Educational Society. A charter was granted on the 20th of Septem- ber, 1880.
REV. AARON EZRA GOBBLE, A.M., was born near Millheim, in Penn township, Centre Conn- ty, Pa., on the 14th of February, 1856. His ancestors are of German descent, but have been in thiscountry for so many generations that their original home in Europe cannot be ascertained. On his father's side his ancestors can be traeed to his great-great-grandfather, and on his moth- er's side to his great-grandfather, and these have both been American citizens, and, as near as we can learn, American-born.
Jacob Gobble, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of the southern part of Bucks County, this State, and spent a good portion of his younger days in the vicinity of Germantown, and later in Reading, Berks County, where he learned his trade, which was that of a felt-hat maker. After he was married he lived for some time in Lebanon County, but while yet a young man he moved, with his family, to Centre Coun- ty, where he continued to live to the time of his death, in February, 1868. His family con- sisted of seven children,-four daughters and three sons,-of whom the youngest, Samuel, was married, in December, 1851, to Sarah, the young- est daughter of John Willaman, a well-known manufacturer of spinning-wheels, and grand- daughter of the Mr. Ream in whose house Rev. Jacob Albright first commenced to preach in that community, in 1805. Four children com- pleted the circle of this family, of whom the oldest, Aaron, is the subject of this narrative. Five weeks after his birth his parents moved to the old Willaman homestead, which they bought, and where they still live, about three miles from Spring Mills, and here Aaron grew up to man- hood. Living on a farm, he was put to work
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during the summer months as soon as he was ok most ready to euter college. They, however, and strong enough to be of use; but early in suspected his motives, and when he did break his boyhood he already manifested quite a dis- taste for his father's occupation, preferring to the secret to them they were not very much sur- prised, but ready to offer him all the assistance employ his time with his father's carpenter tools in their power. Accordingly, he entered the or with some book. Besides this, being frail, sophomore class of Franklin and Marshall Col- uated in June, 1879.
and often sickly, his parents were not slow to lege, at Lancaster, in September, 1876, and grad- discover that thejr boy would never make a farmer, so they determined to send him to school.
In February 1879, he was licensed to preach Ile attended the public school near his home i by the East Pennsylvania Conference of the
Achobble
until he was fifteen years of age, and then en- tered Penn Hall Academy (now Spring Mills Academy) and prepared himself for teaching.
He taught in the public schools of Centre County for four winters, and during the sum- mer months continned his studies at the acad- emy. Here he conceived the idea of a collegiate «cheation, and at once began to take up studies preparatory to that end. Fearing opposition
Evangelical Association. Two years Inter he was received into the Central Pennsylvania Conference, by which body he was ordained dencon in 1882 and eller in 1885.
Immediately after graduating at college he was appointed to the chair of mathematics in Union Seminary, at New Berlin, Union County, Pa., and on Angust 6th he entered upon the discharge of bi- new duties. In this position he contin-
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was appointed to take his place, a position he has continued to occupy up to the time of this writing, September, 1885, and longer than any of his predecessors.
On the 27th of June, 1882, he was married to Miss Kate Krauskop, of Lancaster, Pa., a daughter of William and Catharine Kranskop, who came to this country from Hoham Solus, Kreitz Weitzler, Prussia, in 1815; settled in Baltimore, Md., for a few years, and then came to Lancaster, where they still live.
CHAPTER XVII.
LIMESTONE TOWNSHIP.1
THE inhabitants of the southern portion of West Buffalo township became dissatisfied with their township connections, and from 1827 to 1850 there was an almost continued agitation upon the question of the erection of a new town- ship. Sundry schemes of annexing portions of it to Buffalo, Union, ete., were projected and came to naught, until, in 1850, the whole snb- jeet received its quietns by the erection of the township of Limestone. Some of these abortive movements will be here given.
At the December session, 1827, sundry in- habitants of West Buffalo petitioned to be an- nexed to Union township, with division line to begin at or near Mitchell's Upper Mill, thence to a point at or near Henry Sanders', thence to a point at or near John Seceboll's mill. Upon this petition Simon Snyder, Peter Hackenberg and George Aurand were appointed viewers, who reported to February sessions, 1828, that they had laid a line nearly as given above. This was not confirmed by the court.
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At the May sessions, 1838, a petition was presented from the inhabitants of West Buffalo township, stating "that since the town of Mifflinburg has become a borough, your petition- ers have been situated between the lines of the townshipof Buffalo and said borough, and nearly cut off from the township they live in ; and, since the school-law has been adopted in the borough
of Mifflinburg, we are prevented from joining the inhabitants of West Buffalo in schooling our families. Our difficulties would be obviated if a part of the line between Buffalo and West Buffalo townships were so altered that the town- ship of Buffalo, on the north side of the Lime- stone Ridge might extend to the borough of Mifflinburg, and include your petitioners in the bounds of the township of Buffalo, beginming on the Limestone Ridge, where the line crosses between the two townships, thence along said ridge, until it intersects Conrad Moll's line, thence along said line till it intersects the borough of Mifflinburg, including William Eilert's, thence along said borough line till it strikes Buffalo Creek, thenec along the creek till it strikes the line of the aforesaid townships of Buffalo and West Buffalo." The court appointed William Harris, Philip Fredericks, John Glov- er and Hugh Wilson, viewers. At the same term of' court a remonstrance was presented against the annexation of the territory above- mentioned to Buffalo township. Viewers re- ported to September sessions, 1838, to annex the territory in question, which report was set aside and not confirmed.
At the same court, May, 1838, a petition of the inhabitants of West Buffalo, Union and Hartley was presented for the formation of a new township out of parts of the above-named town- ship. The petition sets. forth that "the said townships are too large to afford equal conven- iences to a great number of citizens, and more particularly on account of the Shamokin and Limestone Ridges by which nature has divided the territory, and separated the interests of the settlements on either side; that the present situation of these townships is very unpropitious and prejudicial to the common school system, because of the difficulty in forming sub-districts and loeating school-houses to the convenience of the inhabitants, and on account of those high ridges running longitudinally and forming a complete separation of interest. It is therefore the desire of your petitioners to form a new township by taking parts of the townships of Union, West Buffalo and Hartley."
At the May sessions, 18 II, a petition of in- habitants of West Buffalo was again presented,
' By R. V. B. Lincoln.
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stating that they labored under great. disadvan- tages by reason of the great extent of territory of the township, and asking for a division of the same according to the bounds therein set forth. James Madden, Thomas Clingan and James Dale were appointed viewers, and made report to the September sessions that they had ran a division ling forming a new township, with boundaries as follows :
" Beginning at a post where the township lines of Buffalo and West Buffalo cross the 'officers' line;' thence westerly to a post on the western line of the borough of Mitllinburg ; thence along the same to a post on the officers' line on the north side of Buffalo Creek, along that line S. 78º W. 313 perches, S. 70° W. 197 perches, and W. 56 perches, S. 88° W. 384 perches, to a point between West Buffalo and Hartley townships, along the township line 502 perches to a post on line of land of Samuel Barber, along the line and the line of Thomas Barber S. Gt' W. 95 perches, to a post being the corner of Thomas Barber and Michael Lawyer, along the said line S. 80º W. 700 perches, to a post on line of West Buffalo and Centre townships, along the same on the top of Jack's Mountain until it intersects Penn's Creek ; then"e down said creek until it intersects the line of West Buffalo and Union townships, near Schwenk's mill, :dong the line N. 49, W. 285 perches, to a post N. 14º W. 166 perches, to Sweitzer Run, near John Seebold's mill, np the run 680 perches, to the head of John Stees' spring; thence north to the place of begin- ning it."
At September sessions, 1848, a petition was again presented from inhabitants of West Buffalo township, asking for the erection of a new township. Samuel Roush, John Gundy and John Schrach were appointed commis- sioners to view the territory. They made report at February sessions, 1819, that they met at the house of Michael Klockner, in New Berlin, on October 29, 1848, and proceeded to form a new township as follows :
" Beginning at the southwest corner of the borough of New Berlin at Penn's Creek ; thence along the borough line to the northeast corner thereof ; thence north to the public road ; thence along the southeast side of the road leading from New Berlin to Lewis- burgh to the line between the townships of Union and Buffalo ; thence along the line of Buffalo township to the officers' line along said line to the borough line of Mifflinburg ; thence west to the southwest corner of the borough ; thence north to the turnpike east of stre along the turnpike to the line.
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along the same to the Centre township line on the summit of Jack's Mountain; thence casterly along the mountain to Penn's Creek to the place of begin- ning."
This report was accepted but not confirmed ; another commission was appointed, viz., James Marshall, John App and Leonard Wolfe, who made a report. February 26, 1850, which was confirmed by the court and named Limestone.
The territory of Limestone township is ou the border of the purchase of July 6, 1754. In that year Andrew Smith lived at White Springs. Jean Jacques Le Roy (or as he was called by his English name, John Jacob King) settled at the spring on the place owned by Hon. Isaac Slenker, deceased. Peter Lick, after Switzer Run was called Lick Run, lived near the stream. Henry Leininger and Bastian were neighbors of Le Roy. Jacob Breylinger lived below New Berlin, on land now owned by the Maizes. For an account of the capture of some of this family by the Indians and their ad- ventures, the reader is referred to the third chapter of the general history, page 60.
EARLY SURVEYS .- On the western side of the township on Penn's Creek, a survey was made for John Harris, February 23, 1769, on a warrant of 1755. Harris sold this property to Christian Shively in 1773, who in turn conveyed it to his son Christian in 1775, who settled upon it. This embraced the "Smith improvement " made by a settler of 1754 named Andrew Smith ; next cast was the Thomas Smith survey made Angust 12, 1775, on which Joseph Green built a mill, afterwards known as Stees' and Bellas'. Johan Nees was assessed in 1780 with a grist-mill, and in 1781 Joseph Green was assessed with a grist-mill and a saw-mill. Mr. Green resided about a mile cast of Mifflinburg before he removed to Penn's Creek, and built his mill there. He was a surveyor and dealt largely in lands. He also took an active part in the Revolutionary struggle. On May 1, 1782, he was captain of a company which was ont in defense of the frontier against the ont- rages of the Indians. In 1781 his mill was sold from him by the sheriff; he then went further up Pom'- Creek into Hartley town-hip and built a -as-mill, after card- Weicher, and
UNION COUNTY.
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died in 1802, buried at the Lewis grave-yard. ! Robert and Thomas Barber, having no children Joseph Green, of Lewisburgh, is his grandson. East of Green's land came the Jesse Watson survey on warrant of October 31, 1771. The Thomas Craig, north of Thomas Smith was sur- veyed Angust 13, 1769, on a warrant of Angust 10, 1767. East of the Craig was the Thomas Paschall, surveyed October 8, 1772 ; east of the latter, the George Ryne, surveyed August 1-1, 1769. Later, Paschall Lewis owned the northern half of these two surveys, and Thomas Mathers, the southern half.
The Edward Lee survey owned in 1796 by Robert Barber, Esq., called the White Springs tract, was an old improvement of 1755, owned by John Harris, and surveyed by Colonel John Armstrong in 1755, re-surveyed by William Maelay, in February, 1769. The James Wat- son was surveyed October 14, 1773, on which a saw-mill was created in 1781, and a grist-mill in 1786, now, and for many years known as Seebold's mill. Christopher Seebold became its owner in 1793. New Berlin is located on the cast end of the John Ord survey made April 10, 1769, and the west end of the George Albrecht, surveyed December 19, 1771.
The David Davis, formerly the Hay farm, was surveyed June 13, 1771, and purchased by Philip Ilay in February, 1773. At the north- east end of the township lay the John Philip De Haas, one of the officers' surveys made in May, 1769. Limestone township bad quite a number of settlers within its bounds before the Revolation. Robert Barber, Esq., of Lancaster County, built a house at White Springs in 1772. John Scott occupied it in 1773.
In the assessment of 1775 appear the follow- ing names of residents in what is Limestone township, viz : John Clarke, Joseph Green, Philip Hay, Adam Colpetzer, James Moore, George Overmier, Daniel Lewis, John Mc- Cashon, Samuel Mathers, John Mitchell, John Neos, Andrew Poutins, John Rearich, Adam Smith, Michael Snyder, John Scott, Christian Shively, David Smith, Patrick Watson, Michael Shirtz.
Robert Barber came from Yorkshire, Eng- land, about 1700, and settled at Chester, Pa. At his death he left his property to his nephews,
of his own. Robert, alone came to America in 1711 and took possession of his uncle's estate. Ile married Hannah Tidmarsh, who came from England. They moved to Hempfield, now Columbia, Pa,, in 1728, and purchased one thousand acres of land. He was a member of the Society of Friends and first sheriff of Lan- caster County. His grandson, Robert Barber, moved to Buffalo Valley, abont 1781, and set- tled at the White Springs, where he died. The final distribution of his estate was made a few years ago, among sixty-eight descendants.
Robert Barber, Esq., the paternal ancestor of the Barber family, in Union County, was a descendant of the Robert Barber who was the first sheriff of Lancaster County at its organiza- tion in 1729. The elder Barber owned a fine tract of land on the Susquehanna River, where the town of Columbia now stands, on which he resided and on which he erected a log jail, in anticipation of that point being selected as the county-sent for the new county. His hopes were however disappointed, the town of Lan- caster being awarded the coveted prize by the commissioners appointed for that purpose. In August, 1772, Robert Barber bought of Reu- ben Haines, the Edward Lee warrantee and im- provement and built a house at the head of White Springs and placed it in the hands of a tenant (John Scott), for a term of years (seven).
In 1785 he removed to his property at White Springs, and in 1791 erected a saw-mill there, which has gone out of existence many years ago. November 29, 1792, he was commissioned a justice of the peace. In 1793 he had a dis- tillery, and in 1797 built the first grist-mill on White Spring Run, still in existence. He died in 1841, in his ninety-first year. His wife was Sarah Boude, who died in 1818, aged sixty-five; both interred in the Lewis grave-yard. Their children were Thomas, Samuel, James, Robert, Mary (married to Joseph Chambers), Sally (married to Benjamin Chambers), Elizabeth, Ellen and Hannah. The three daughters last- named never married, and all of the five died within sight of the place where they had been reared. James and Robert went West many years ago; J. W. Barber, of Mifflinburg, is a
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grandson of the Robert who moved West. Samuel Barber married Mary Vanvalzah, a daughter of Dr. Robert Vanvalzah, of Buffalo Cross-Roads, a physician of very extensive practice. Samuel Barber was a man of posi- tive convictions, with the courage to avow and ability to defend them. He was one of the pioneers and most prominent advocates of total abstinence from alcoholic drinks in the county. Ile died March 24, 1846, in his sixtieth year. His wife died February 24th, one month carlier in the same year, in her fifty-sixth year ; both died of erysipelas. Thomas Barber was mar- ried to Betsey Clingan.
The following extract from "Flarel Roan's Journal as quoted in Linn's Annals of Buffalo Valley," is descriptive of their wedding : " 1812, March 26, Thomas Barber to Betsey Clingan ; groom came with fourteen attendants ; thirty-seven strangers, altogether. 27th, twenty strangers besides the bride and groom, break- fasted at Clingan's ; twenty-two of us left Clingani's with the bride and groom ; four joined us at Dr. Vanvalzah's; went to Esquire Barber's, where there was a very large party and much dancing, although Qnakers." Thomas Barber died in 1856 (April 12th), aged sev- enty-two years; his wife died in 1872 (April 5), in her eighty-sixth year. Both Thomas and Samuel Barber had parts of their father's original purchase, where they lived and reared their families. Their descendants, the majority of whom reside in Limestone township and ; ed with horses and wagons. Mifflinburg, would, if mustered together, make a respectable battalion.
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