History of the counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pt. 1, Part 57

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904; Hungerford, Austin N., joint author
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Everts & Richards
Number of Pages: 948

USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of the counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pt. 1 > Part 57
USA > Pennsylvania > Carbon County > History of the counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pt. 1 > Part 57

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The death of Dr. Hutter occurred Sept. 21, 1873, in his sixty-first year. Ifis remains are buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia.

EDWARD S. SHIMER.

The pioneer of the Shimer family was Daniel, who emigrated from Germany at an early date. Among his sons was Adam, whose son Jacob was the great- grandfather of the subject of this sketch. He settled at Shimersville, in Upper Milford township, Lehigh Co. Among his sons was John, born on the home- stead where he resided. He was by occupation a farmer, and also officiated as the justice of his town- ship. He married Sally Van Buskirk, and had chil- dren,-Jaeob B., John B., Charles B., August B., and two daughters. Charles B. cultivated the homestead farm, where his life was spent. He married Anna Schantz, of Whitehall township, to whom were born children, --- eight sons and two daughters.

The birth of Edward S., the third child, oeeurred at Shimersville, July 13, 1832. He was instructed in the rudiments of English at the school near his home, and later became a pupil of the seminary at Stewards- ville, N. J. Ilis business career soon after began as a clerk at Emans and Shimersville, a brief period having been spent at each place. At the age of ser- enteen he removed to Allentown, since that time his residence, where he spent three years in the store of IT. Guth & Co. He next became a clerk for Messrs. Grim & Reninger, with whom, atter a service of five years, he was admitted as a partner. At the expira- tion of the second year the firm became-by the retirement of Mr. Grim -- Messrs. Reninger & Shimer, and later E. S. Shimer & Co.

same place), the Allen Fire Insurance Company, and member of the Board of Trade of Allentown. In politics he is a Republican, and as the candidate of that party was elected to the office of mayor of Allentown in 1884. Mr. Shimer was married, Oct. 31, 1858, to Miss Ann Catherine, daughter of Charles and Julia Kramer, of Allentown. Their children are Alice M. (wife of Dr. J. D. Christman) and Edgar C. Mr. and Mrs. Shimer and their children are men-

CHAPTER XXII.

BOROUGH OF CATASAUQUA.

TILIs vigorous little Vulcan of the valley has an interesting history, albeit it is one which extends through scarcely more than twoscore years. It owes its origin and growth to the successful solution of the long-vexed problem of how to make iron by the use of anthracite coal as fuel. The Lehigh Crane Iron Company began operations here in 1839, with David Thomas as their superintendent. They sought to make iron with the fuel which nature had placed in vast abundance in the Lehigh region, succeeded in a degree equal to their most sanguine hopes, and the industry established by the company built up a town on this favored spot which had for a hundred years been farming land, its owners never anticipating the busy scenes to be enacted upon it.

Catasauqua takes its name from the creek which empties into the Lehigh River below it, though this appellation must have been originally applied by the Indians to some tract of land upon its banks, for it means literally "dry ground" or "burni ground." It is not improbable that it was a term used to desig- vate a spot which the aboriginal inhabitants swept with fire in successive years, for the purpose of de- stroying the undergrowth that they might better follow the chase. Such was their custom in many localities. However this may have been, we find the name first nsed by the whites to designate the small stream which is also marked on some old maps " Mill Creek," from the fact that the first mill in the neigh- borhood was built upon its head-waters by Thomas Wilson in 1735. The name was originally spelled "Catasocque," but it is probable that its proper pro- nunciation is better represented by the present or- thography.

After a business association embracing a period of twenty-eight years, and involving numerous changes, he established in 1879 a house for the sale of carpets, oilcloths, etc., of which he is the present head. Mr. Shimer is a man of much energy and determination, which, with clearness of judgment and a well-balanced For a number of years after the settlement of the town it was called Craneville, in honor of the Welsh ! ironmaster with whom David Thomas, the father of the works, established here, had been associated in mind disciplined by habits of acute observation, have been the important levers to his success as a business man. He is largely identified with public interests, as trustee of Muhlenberg College (since its establish- , making his experiments with anthracite coal as a fir- ment), director of the Millerstown Bank of Maenn- nace fuel. It is a fact not commonly known that in gie, the Millerstown Iron Company (located at the ' 1815, when the idea of making a change was agitated,

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

the name "Sideropolis" was suggested as the name of the village, and actually used for a brief season. This Greek name meant Iron City. Application is said to have been made to the Postmaster-General to have the post-office name also changed from Crane- ville to "Sideropolis," but if such petition was ever made it was not granted, and shortly afterwards the soft and musical Indian appellation was happily adopted.

Origin of Land Title.1-The town is situated on a portion of a tract of land containing two thousand seven hundred and twenty-three acres, and part of a traet of ten thousand acres. It was described as follows: " Beginning at a black oak standing on the east bank of the West Branch of the Delaware [the Lehigh is always called the West Branch of the Delaware in old land warrants] (about two hundred perches in a north- erly direction from the northern point of the large island in the Lehigh River (at Allentown), thence by land of Caspar Wistar east two hundred and two perches to a small hickory; thence by vacant land north 6° 47' west twelve hundred and eighty-eight perches to a post in a line of John Page's other land; thence by the same and land of William Allen west four hundred and forty-two perches to a Cader stand- ing on ye bank of said West Branch (about forty perches in a southerly direction from the mouth of Hockquandaugoa Creek, at the village of Stemton) ; thenee down the West Branch, the several courses thereof, to the place of beginning, containing two thousand seven hundred and twenty-three acres, being part of ten thousand acres devised by William Penn unto his daughter Lætitia, who afterwards intermar- ried with William Aubrey of the city of London."

The ten thousand acre traet was afterwards trans- ferred by William and Laetitia Aubrey unto John Knight of the Liberty of Westminster, in the county of Middlesex, England, by indenture bearing date 4th and 5th November, 1724, and conveyed by them to John Page of Austin Fryars, London, by indenture bearing date 4th and 5th November, 1730. The title of the ten thousand acre tract was perfected on the Sth and 9th of February, 1731, by indenture tripartite made between William and Letitia Aubrey, of the first part, John, Thomas, and Richard Penn, of the second part, and John Page, of the third part.

The two thousand seven hundred and twenty-three acre traet was surveyed by Nicholas Seull, Oct. 10, 1786, in pursuance of a warrant dated at London, Oct. 10, 1731, in order to complete the residue and quantity of land conveyed to John Page.

The patent from the proprietaries of Pennsylvania erceted the tract into a manor by the name of Chaw- ton, and granted to Page and his heirs the power to "ercet and constitute within the said manor a Court Baron," and leave "to have and to hold view of Frank Pledges for the consideration of the Peace,"

etc., in consideration of which Page or his heirs was to, yield and pay to the proprietaries, their " heirs and successors, one Red Rose on the 24th of June in every year forever hereafter to such person or persons as shall be from time to time appointed to receive the same."

John Page, by his will bearing date July 18, 1741, devised all his land and estate in Pennsylvania to Evan Patterson, of old Broad Street, London, who, by letter of attorney dated July 7, 1750, appointed William Allen, of the city of Philadelphia, and Wil- liam Webb, of the connty of Chester, his true and lawful attorneys, to bargain, sell, or convey any lands in his manor.

Among the names of the early settlers and pur- chasers of this tract are those of Thomas Armstrong, Robert Gibson, Robert Clendennin, Joseph Wright, John Elliott, Andrew Mann, George Taylor, and Nathaniel Taylor.

The Armstrong traet contained about three hun- dred and thirty acres, the greater part of which is now owned by Jacob Deily. This was purchased in 1760 by George Taylor, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Robert Gibson's tract contained one hundred and ninety-three and a half acres, and ineluded the farm afterwards owned by the Fausts.

That portion of the tract which constitutes the Deily farm, adjoining the borough, passed into the possession of one Eddy, of Philadelphia, about 1767. He sold to George Beisel, who transferred it to George Geisinger about 1814, who in turn soll it to his son-in-law, Jacob Deily.

That portion of the tract on which the greater part of the town is built appears to have passed into the possession of Andrew Hower, and Marks John Biddle secured one hundred and ninety aeres at sheriff's sale in 1795. From him Frederick Biery made his first purchase in 1805. Biddle also sold some portions of his lands to Zeigler, who sold to Biery and Kurtz. Hower retained a small amount of land until 1828, when he sold to John Peters.

Early Residents, -- Prior to the establishment of the iron-works the locality which was known as Biery's Port was settled in about the same degree as the surrounding country, the few residents being farmers, with one or two exceptions. There were but four families living upon the ground which the town now covers, the Bierys, Fausts, Peters, and Breisehs, and of these one family (the Fausts) were beyond the present borough limits. The Deilys lived in the old stone house south of the creek, built in 1767, and Mr. Kurtz west of town, on the farm where he still resides.

The Bierys-Frederick and Henry-had come to the locality early in the present century, and bought the stone mill now owned by William Younger, who rebuilt it in 1869. Heury Biery soon removed to New York, and Frederick remaining, exerted his

1 From an article by the late Jacob Falzinger,

233

BOROUGH OF CATASAUQUA.

energy in making many improvements in the neigh- borhood. He carried on what was known as Biery's Ferry, and in 1824 built a chain bridge, which was swept away by the high water of 1841. It was re- built the same year, and in the progress of the work Daniel Tombler received injuries from which he died. This bridge, which was also a chain structure, was destroyed by the flood of 1862, and the present struc- ture was then ereeted. He built a stone tavern (still standing and occupied as a private honse) in 1826, and a stone building of the same material (also re- maining) in 1835; also the stone house now occupied by James Thomas. Thus a little eluster of buildings was in existence at the east end of Biery's Bridge before the site of Catasauqua had been chosen for manufacturing purposes. Frederick Biery was a man of ability, industry, and good character. His sons were Daniel, Jonas, Solomou, David, and William; and his daughters were the wives of N. Snyder, Samuel Kochler, and Jacob Beille. Solomon, whose widow (Mary Fredericks) still resides in Catasauqua, seems to have inherited his father's energy, and was during his whole life an active character. He carried on the tavern for many years, and was postmaster. i Jonas, who was engaged in the lumber trade, is now represented in the town by a son.

John Peters lived at what is now the corner of ; then ealled, was all owned by Scotch-Irish settlers; Bridge and Front Streets, and this spot is still marked south of Bridge Street to Taylor's land (now Deily's) was owned by Jos. Wright; that cast of Howertown road, in Hanover township, by Robert Clendennin, while that north of Gibson's large traet being owned by Andrew Mann. by his old stone barn. He moved to this location in 1823 from Heidelberg (where he was born in 1799), and bought his small farm of Andrew Hower, at first occupying a house which had been built by John Zoundt, and afterwards erected a stone dwelling. He followed weaving for nine years, and was one of the first lock-tenders for the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company. In 1851 he moved away, and now resides in Allentown with his daughter, Mrs. Owen Schwartz.

The Faust family, of which we have made mention, had been long settled where Walter Faust now lives, just north of the borough boundary. The first repre- sentative of the family here was John Philip Faust, great-grandfather of the present occupant of the prop- city. Jonas, his son, on the death of John Philip. about 1831, received his lands, and, dying two years later, the farm was accepted at its appraised value of fifty dollars per acre by his son Paul, who lived upon it until his death, in November, 1883. A portion of his land was divided and sold in town lots.

The following sketch of Paul Faust was contributed by Wm. II. Glace, Esq., of Catasauqua, the family so- licitor :

" The subject of this sketch was born Sept. 30, 1809, and died at the homestead in Allen township, Northampton Co., immediately outside of the limits of the borough of Catasauqua, on Nov. 12, 1883, aged seventy-four years, one month, and twelve days.

" As he had spent his whole life on the farm where he died, and as all that portion of land comprised be- tween Bridge Street, west of the Howertown road, up

to Swartz's dam, in Allen township, at one time be- longed to him or to his ancestors, with the exception of about eleven aeres, which belonged to Henry Breisch and was sold to the late David Thomas about 1847, it was thought a brief sketch of the titles as well as of his life wonkl not fail to prove interesting to at least some of the older residents of this vicinity. " At the time of his birth and early manhood the surrounding country was but thinly settled, his near- est neighbors on the south being John Peters and Frederick Biery, the first named living at a point near the canal, some twenty feet north of the plank walk leading to the canal bridge, the old barn belong- ing to his place still standing opposite Boyer's drug- store, while those on the north were Michael Fenster- macher and John Swartz ; on the east the Kurtzes, and on the opposite side of the river the Miller, Miekley, Butz, and Biery families. His great-grandfather, Henry Fanst, purchased the farm-originally one hundred and ninety-three and a half acres-of Robert Gibson, a Seotch-Irish settler, who owned two thou- sand seven hundred and twenty-three acres in Allen township, embracing all that land from a point near Bridge Street to Stemton, west of the Howertown road.

" Prior to the Revolution the lands hereabouts on the east side of the west branch of the Delaware, as

" The immense immigration from the Palatinate at the invitation of Peun and his agents in the carly part of the eighteenth century, as well as the large number of Hessians who settled lower down the river after the battle of Trenton, began to crowd out the Irish settlers even at that early day, until now there remains but few of the broad acres of Northampton County in the possession of their descendants,

" Their large farms were eut up in smaller tracts, and under the stubborn will, patient plodding, and untiring industry, characteristic of the race, trans- ferred the wilderness and forest into the rich agrienl- tural lands of to-day.

"AAmong these early settlers was Henry Faust, who was born in Albany township, Berks Co., and was the son of one of two brothers, Bastian or John Fanst, who had landed at Philadelphia at an early period of Pom's emigration from the Palatinate, and settled in Berks County. lle died April 14th, 1795, leaving to survive him a widow and eight children. The eldest son, John Philip, the grandfather of Panl Fanst, accepted the land at the appraisement, which was calenlated in pounds, shillings, and pence.

" He built the ohl stone mansion, still in good con- dition, and purchased five acres which was afterwards sold to Mr. Kratzer, who sold to John Peter, who, in I addition to managing his small farm, carried on the

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HISTORY OF LEHIGHI COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

"Upon his death, July 12, 1832, leaving to survive him a widow and four children, the ellest of whom, Jonas Faust, accepted the land at the appraisement at fifty-five dollars per aere, being the upper tract, while Elizabeth Knauss, his sister, accepted the lower tract of sixty acres, and soon after sold to John Peter, who thus increased his acres to seventy-five, and all of which, less some lots sold, passed into the possession of the late David Thomas about 1850. Jonas Faust died the following year, after acceptance of the farm, leaving to survive him a widow and seven children, the eklest, Paul Faust, the subject of our article, accepted, on Jan. 24, 1834, the land at the appraisement of fifty dollars per acre. He was at this time twenty-four years of age, and took npon himself a burden few, at that time of scarcity of money and poor markets, would undertake, and a less sturdier man would have despaired of retaining the land. For, in addition to the recognizances entered into to secure his brothers and sisters their share, there were those of his father's who had died soon after his acceptance of the land, and also three dowers, viz. : His great-grandmother, Catharine, widow of Henry Faust, who long lived on the place in a small house, long afterwards oeenpied by Jesse Brown, at the lower spring, now the site of F. W. Wint & Co.'s planing- mill, but who afterwards remarried to a farmer named Huth, and died at an advanced age in Moore town- ship, near the Blue Mountain ; the dower of his grand- mother, Barbara, who died Oct. 4, 1842, at the resi- ilence of her daughter, at the stone mansion still' standing near the entrance of the bridge across the Lehigh from Stemton to Coplay; the dower of his mother, who subsequently remarried Henry Breisch, and is remembered by the earlier residents, who occu- pied the farm of eleven acres and old stone house. lately destroyed, at corner of Third and Bridge Streets, 1 which was owned and built at an early day by a farmer named Gross.

" The late David Thomas came here in 1839, and the town of Catasauqua was commenced, but it was a half-mile across the fields from his farm to the works, with the Peter's farm between. There was no road where Front Street now is; the road led from the dam along. the canal west of the house, crossed present Front Street where Chapel Street intersects, and was laid out at an early day in a direction due cast, pass- ing where the chapel of the First Presbyterian Church stands, and along north side of the Breisch farm-honse to the lowertown road where it intersects with the road to Bethlehem, which passes the farm-house of Henry Kurtz.

business of weaving. In addition, John Philip Fanst purchased five acres of land from Yarrick Rockel, being the land now bounded by Third, Pine, and Walnut Streets to Ilowertown road, while about eleven acres were sold to the Lehigh Coal and Navigation "Prior to 1860, Paul Faust had sold a lot to the Catholic Church, and a few others south of Chapel Street, on Front and Second Streets, which helped him to pay off' some of his liabilities; lots, however, were cheap, and it was not until 1865 that he was fairly out Company to build the dam and canal to supersede the | of debt. The last dower was paid off in 1870 upon floating of arks of coal down the river. the death of his mother, the widow of Henry Breisch, who died at Allentown, where she had removed with her husband at the time of sale of their land to the late David Thomas, about 1847, the previous year, at an advanced age.

" By the rapid extension of the town northward, at the close of the war, the deceased sold about forty-five acres, besides the new eanal traet, to the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company for town lots, the greater portion lying in Northampton County, and at the time of his death had accumulated considerable wealth, his land, prior to the panie of 1873, being valued by good judges at seventy-five thousand dol- lars.

" He was the oldest of seven children, the others being Joseph Faust, South Whitehall ; Reuben Faust, Catasauqua ; David Faust, president Union National Bank of Philadelphia ; William Faust, of Allentown, lately deceased; Elizabeth Laub, Kreidersville ; and Maria Koch, of Allentown.

" Mr. Faust was married, Jan. 6, 1835, to Amelia Brenig, who was born Sept. 7, 1816, in Long Swamp township, Berks Co., Pa., and was one of twelve chil- dren, having eight sisters and three brothers. She was the daughter of George Brenig and Polly Wetzell. His widow resides on the homestead, and the five children, viz., Amy Borger, at Peru, Il .; Walter, on the farm; Jane Koehler, in Easton ; and M. Alice and Clara B., with their mother.

" His form was a familiar one to all the residents here, and he possessed strong physical and mental characteristics, which, if fortune had smiled more kindly upon him in his earlier years, would have made him a successful man in any sphere of life he might have chosen. Of more than average size, a posi- tive man of strong likes and dislikes, his confidence was slow to obtain, but when once gained it could not easily be shaken. His nature was too kind and easy, however, for that of a successful financier, and he was often imposed upon in monetary matters by designing, unscrupulous men, as he was loath to im- pute dishonesty to any one. He had strong domestic tastes, was retiring in his habits, and his life was a sin- gularly pure one,-a man of few words, good judgment, and none can say that he was ever heard to speak dis- paragingly of or to his fellow-men. Of methodical habits, careful in all his transactions, leaving a record with his vouchers, and papers carefully kept and filed away, slow to make a promise, yet when once made, he thought it his conscientious duty to perform it, though at great pecuniary sacrifice.

" All of the original land-owners here when the iron-works were first started have now passed away,

Cand Famil

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BOROUGH OF CATASAUQUA.

except John Peters, who resides at Allentown, and Henry Kurtz, who, at a good old age, resides upon his farm in Hanover township."

Henry Breisch, who was a stone-mason, lived where Dr. Daniel Yoder now does, and owned ten aeres of land surrounding his bumble home. At the , Catasauqua. He left in 1854, and his store passed time the town was laid out a road extended up the : into the possession of Weaver, Mickley & Co., a firm which was composed of V. Weaver, Edwin Miekley, Samuel Thomas, and John Thomas,

hill from the Faust farm-house, past Breisch's home, and onward to the lowertown road. The land on the gentle slope, where are now the best residences of Catasauqua, was in part tilled and in part rough pas- ture land, in many places overgrown with brush and trees.

Among the first settlers after the establishment of the iron-works were the Williams family, the Fullers, James Lackey, Samuel Glace, Joshua Hunt, Joseph Laubach, Peter Laux, Charles G. Schneller, and Na- than Fegley.

David Williams, father of Thomas (who was killed on the railroad in 1872), of David (now superintend- ent of the Union Foundry), of John (cashier of the Crane Iron-Works), and of Oliver (president of the Catasauqua Manufacturing Company), came here in 1840 from Wales, and took a contract for moulding : with the Crane Company. His death occurred in 1845.

James W. Fuller, father of the well-known citizens Orange M., James W., Abbott F., and Clinton II., came from Freemansburg in 1842, and died in Cata- sauqua thirty years later. He was a contractor and merchant. Four brothers of James W. Fuller (Charles D., George W., Abbott, and Orlando) became resi- dents of the town, and their father, Chauncy D. Ful- ler, also settled here. He was a popular justice, and long in office. He died in 1867. Of his sons, only one is living,-Orlando, who is located in Bethlehem,

Samuel Glace, of Luzerne County, who had been engaged with the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Com- pany as early as 1828, entered the employ of the Crane Iron Company in 1842, and settled here in that year. He is still living, a hale and well-preserved man. William H. Glace, Esq., is his son, and Mrs. Dr. Yoder his daughter.

Joshua Hunt, a native of Chester County, came here in 1813, as the book-keeper of the Crane Iron Company.

James Lackey, a native of Reading, came to Cata- Nathan Andreas. sauqua abont the time the operations were commenced William Hiery, carpenter. which developed the town, and was the first merchant drawn hither by those operations. The Bierys and a John Boyer, Joseph Brown, tailor. man named Neilly had, however, previously kept store Hugh Bratton, laborer. here. Mr. Lackey had his stock of goods in a small Daniel Biery. Jonas Biety. frame house at first, and afterwards in the stone house Jacob Beil. where George Deily now lives. ' He remained in Cat- Aaron Bart, carpenter. asauqua until 1858, when, having been elected pro- Jolm Brobat. thonotary, he removed to Allentown, where he now Charles Becker, minister. William Bayard. , resides. One of his daughters ( Mary Margaret ) mar- ried Esaias Rehrig, now president of the Allentown Lewis Bough. National Bank, who carried on boat-building and the Imweinda Biers, mercantile business in Catasauqua from 1852 to 1858. . David Bedelmon, weaver, Steptien Biers.

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History of the counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pt. 1, Part 57

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904; Hungerford, Austin N., joint author Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Everts & Richards Number of Pages: 948

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904; Hungerford, Austin N., joint author
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Everts & Richards
Number of Pages: 948