USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of the counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pt. 1 > Part 64
USA > Pennsylvania > Carbon County > History of the counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pt. 1 > Part 64
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Residents in 1812 .- Following is the assessment made by the commissioners of Northampton County for this township for the year 1812 :
Joseph Abrecht.
George Heley.
Jacob Alshouse.
Michael Herwich.
Jacob Bast.
Aaron Ilillian.
Michael Baner.
Joseph Daniel, Jr.
Frederick Bearey.
Jacob Hower.
Felix Beissell.
Jonathan Hower.
John Beissell.
Jolm Inber.
(Inistian Bectel.
Abraham Huber.
Henry Bicker.
George Ising.
Nicholas Bickert.
Conrad I. leager.
Nicholas Brang.
Daniel lundt.
Henry Brolder. George Brolder. Jacob Cleder.
John Keim.
Jacob Clewell, Sr.
John Kelehner.
John Banding.
Michael Kelchner.
John Clewell, Sr. Charles Colver.
Peter Kelehner.
Jacob Colver.
Jacob Keiper.
Isaac Dacker,
John Keiper.
William Daniel,
Ludwig Ketper.
l'eter Pich ..
Joseph hidd.
Vbrabant Piffenderfor.
Andrew Kichlin.
John Ehrhard.
John Kuanss.
Potor Ehrett.
John Artman.
George Khrig.
George Koch.
George Evenreider.
John Keifler.
Michael Everhard.
Daniel Klauss.
Anthony Faas.
George Kortz.
Jacob Falzinger.
Georgo Kreidler.
Henry Fatzinger.
Jacob Kruber.
George V'anst.
George Laubach. Leonard Laubach.
Joseph Frey.
John Lehr. David Enckenbach.
David Gold.
Peter Minnich.
Philip Gross.
John Neuhard.
James Hall.
Joseph Dewald.
John Hall.
l'eter Ossenbach.
Christian Hartman,
Elizabeth Quier.
Christian Houver. Frederick Deller.
Jeremiah Ileller.
George Reichard.
Frederick Herman.
Michael Reichard.
John Nenhard.
Henry Rets.
Jacob Nenhard. Joseph Cleader.
George Rockel.
John Rockel.
Henry Shuyder. John Kremser. William Licht.
Christian Young.
Joseph Scherrer.
Henry Shoener.
Frederick Dieffert.
Daniel Blim.
Conrad Seiple.
John Andrens.
Jacob Seiple.
John Moore.
John Seiple.
Peter Kilter.
John Sterner, Sr.
Abraham Smith.
Abraham Sterner.
John Riegle.
Abraham Sterner, Jr.
John Kain.
Jolin Storner, Jr.
.lacob Kolb.
Joseph Sterner.
George Sterner.
Philip Strohm.
Peter Evenreiter.
Jacob Stuber.
John Herwig.
Isaiah Troxell. John Fatzinger.
Henry Vogelman.
Joseph Sterner.
John Walter. Abraham Keisser, Sr.
David Weinland.
Joseph Keisser.
AAndrew Zechner.
Daniel Reigert.
Martin Zechner.
David Gold.
Abraham Ziegler. Isaac Keller.
Mathias Rigel.
John Erd.
Abraham Keiper.
Joseph Bachman.
Joseph Keiper.
Joseph Quer.
Christian Hitter. lohn Reigle.
Sketches of Settlers .- The names of many of the old settlers are found in the foregoing list, and sketches of a few of them are here given :
Valentine Clader, a native of Pfalz, Germany, where he was born, June 17, 1726, emigrated to America and settled at Hecktown. He was married Dee. 12, 1749, and died Ang. 7, 1775. He had nine children, of whom were Adam, Jacob, Mrs. Henry Kramer, Mrs. Hatzell, and Mrs. Hatz. Adam was killed by the Indians in Sugar Loaf Valley. Jacob was a soldier in the Revolution, and married a daugh- ter of - Sherer, who lived in this section, and be- fore 1781 settled on a traet of seventy or eighty acres of land on the east bank of the Lehigh River, where now the Allentown Bridge spans that river. He. owned one-half of the ferry, which was in operation till 1812. He left nine children. Abram, who set- tled near Freemanshurg; a daughter, Polly, married Jacob Bast, who lived adjoining. Joseph settled on the homestead, and died in 1849, aged sixty-two years. He left six sous, John, Levi, Paul, Daniel, Josiah, and Owen, who, with the exception of John and Daniel, live in the township. Jacob, who first settled here, commenced burning lime in 1813, and his sons and grandsons are still in the business.
Jacob Bast emigrated from Germany when five years old, with his parents, in 1774. They settled on the east side of the Monoency. His son Jacob mar- ried Pally Clader, daughter of Jacob, and settled near the Clader farm, on the road to Bethlehem from Al- lentown. He died in 1863, aged eighty-three years. His sons were Jacob, Martin, and John. Jacob 4't- tled on the homestead, where he now lives, Martin in Manheim, Lancaster Co., and John in Sancon lowu- ship.
Jonathan Ott, a native of Germany, purchased one
Daniel Quier. George Quier. Jacob Quier.
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Philip Kleckher.
George Inndi. Georgo Keck,
Nicholas Kreamer.
Henry Frey.
Daniel Gangewuro.
Daniel Rohn,
263
HANOVER TOWNSHIP.
hundred and fifty-two acres of land before 1800 of George Ervenreider,1 on the Lehigh River, now owned by A. & S. Keck. He had three sons, Owen, Tilghman, and George, and one daughter, Mrs. Frank- lin Butz, of Whitehall. Owen settled in Allen town- ship, Northampton Co., Tilghman in Allentown, and George on the homestead until a few years ago. Hle now lives with his son Milton in the township.
John Conrad Yeager was born in Little York, Pa., in 1768, of German parents. He learned the trade of : 1740, before his father went out as a missionary. In a tobacconist, married, and worked at his trade in his 1745, when John was five years old, he was brought to this country and placed in a Moravian school near Frederickstown, Montgomery Co. This school was abandoned in 1750, and he was placed at the Moravian school at Emaus, where he was two years, after which he went to Bethlehem and learned the trade of a tailor. In 1755 he went to Nazareth and settled. Ile was married in February, 1779, and had two sons, Christian Frederick and John; the latter settled in Nazareth. Christian was born Jan. 23, 1780, and lived at Nazareth and Bethlehem until about 1808-9, when he moved to Hanover township. lIe purchased a small farm north of Rittersville, and was soon after appointed justice of the peace, and in 1822 was appointed by Governor Wolf prothonotary of Lehigh County, and by Governor Ritner in 1837. At the time of his first appointment as prothonotary The removed to Allentown, where he resided till his death in 1869, aged ninety years. He had eight chil- dren, of whom four are living, viz .: Amelia ( Mrs. John Matchett), Miss Henrietta Beitel, Maria (Mrs. John Yingling), Josiah D. Beitel. native place. He commenced to study for the minis- try under the Rev. Mr. Goering, and afterwards went to Philadelphia, and studied under Revs. Helmuth, D.D., Smith, D.D., and Schaeffer, D.D., one year. Ile then was examined in the Lutheran Synod of : Pennsylvania, and became a minister. He took charge of three congregations in New Jersey for three years. From there he removed to Williams town- ship, in Northampton County, and took charge of four congregations, to which belonged Friedensville con- gregation, in the year 1793. He soon after gave these up with the exception of Friedensville. In 1800 he removed to Hanover township, and took charge of Allentown, Shoenersville, and the Dry- land, he having preached at Shoenersville several years before. He served these four congregations till his death, in November, 1832. He lived on the farm now owned by James Remely. He had eleven chil- dren,-nine sons and two daughters,-all of whom were born in New Jersey and Williams township, Northampton Co., except Joshmia, the youngest son, who was born in Hanover, Sept. 23, 1802. Of these, George, Heury, Mrs. George Reichert, Mrs. Conrad Rinker, and Joshma Yeager settled in this county.
George settled in Hanover township, was a farmer, and died at the age of eighty-three years. His sou William lives at Bingen. Horatio lives at Beth- lehem.
Henry settled at Upper Saueon ; farmer ; died De- cember, 1882, in his eighty-fourth year. His sons Charles aud Harmon are farmers, living on and near the homestead farm.
Joshua studied theology from 1823 to 1827, under his father, and at his death became the pastor of the four congregations to which his father had ministered thirty-eight years. Joshua is serving two of the con- gregations, Shoenersville and Friedensville, at the present time, making under father and son a term of ninety-one years.
John Conrad Yeager, with a large family of chil- dren, educated his own children in reading, writing, and arithmetic, having an evening school.
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The first of the Beitels who came to this country was Henry, who was born in January, 1711, at Nen- dorff, Ober Schlessein. His parents were Catholics,
but he was not inclined to follow in that faith and became a Moravian. He married about 1738, and in 1741 was sent out by the Moravians as a missionary to the Dutch settlement of Guiana, on the north coast of South America, where he remained till 1745, and returned to Germany. About 1755 he emigrated to America and came to Betlilehem with two sons, Chris- tian Frederick and David. John, the eldest son of Henry, was born in Pilgerhnt, Germany, Dec. 21,
Charles Colver, a German, settled near Rittersville on a farm before 1781. He had sons who, with the exception of Jacob, went West. He settled on the farm now owned by the Park Association. He mar- ried Susanna Miller; they had eleven children, of whom are Charles, now living at Shoenersville, eighty years of age, Polly (Mrs. Henry Mink), Samuel at Allentown, and Mary ( Mrs. Jacob Bast).
Peter Kelchner was a resident here when the town- ship was created in 1798, His sons were John, Joseph, and Peter. Joseph settled on the homestead where his son Moses now resides ; Peter lives at Rittersville.
Henry Fatzinger was one of the earliest settlers in the township. He did not receive the patent from the Penns for his land until Jan. 15, 1790, in which it is shown he purchased one hundred and sixteen acres and one hundred and fifteen perches, for which he paid at the rate of sixty-five pounds ten shillings per one hundred acres. His land was adjoining Michael Kelehner, Daniel Klint, Joseph Albright, Henry Fogelman, Jacob Sterner, and George Meyer.
He purchased in 1804 a tract of land adjoining of the heirs of Nicholas Steiner. Henry Fatzinger built the old log and stone house still standing on the farm, where he lived till his death in 1836, aged eighty-two years. He left sons,-George, John, Adam, Jacob, and Henry.
1 George Ervenreider died in September, 1825, aged fifty-five years. He is buried in Christ churchyard.
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264
HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
Adam settled on the homestead and died in March, 1880, aged eighty-nine years. He served in the war of 1812, had passed in married life sixty-seven years, and left a family of nine children, of whom Tilgh- man and Charles reside on the homestead. George, son of Henry, moved to Ohio, John to Salisbury, and Jacob to Allen township, where he died in 1883.
The Laubach family settled in the township, and part of them in Northampton County. The records of the Christ Church Cemetery show that Anna Laubach died in 1848, at the age of seventy-three years ; John G. in 1851, aged eighty years ; and John in 1869, aged seventy-two years. George Laubach lived near the Lehigh, south from Allentown ; bis grandson, John, now lives on the farm; Leonard lived near the eentre of the township ; a son, Thomas, lives in Allentown.
The Kurtz family, east from Catasauqua, derived the title to their land from the Penns, from whom they received patents. John G. Kurtz died in 1835, aged sixty-seven, and Elizabeth died in 1849, aged eighty-three years. The Kurtz farm was inherited by George Kurtz, whose sons, George and Henry, live on the homestead.
Joseph Dewalt, whose name appears in the assess- ment-roll of the township in 1798, died in 1848, aged sixty years. The family were numerous, and lived to an advanced age, and were buried in Christ chureh- yard. Elizabeth died in 1876, aged eighty-four years; Jonas died in 1877, aged eighty-three years; Maria C. in 1859, aged sixty-four years; Nicholas in 1865, aged seventy-five years.
The family of Quier were living in the township in 1812, and had been for many years previous. Bar- bara Quier was born in 1784, and died in 1845, aged sixty-one years. Daniel was born in 1786, and died in 1850, aged sixty-four years. Elizabeth, George, and Jacob were also of the family. None of the name are now in the township.
The Reichard family settled first in Williams town- ship, Northampton Co. A son, Michael, was born in The name of Knauss appears in 1812. Later a John 1752; was a soldier in the Revolutionary army, and . Knauss was a windmill maker at Ritter-ville, and a after his service he married and purchased one him- justice of the peace. He died in 1866, aged seventy- one years. Sarah Knauss died in 1876, aged seventy- seven. Lewis Knauss, of North Whitehall, is a son of John Knauss. dred and fifty acres of land in what is now Hanover township, and settled there, and died in 1842, aged eighty-five years. He left a large family of children, of whom George was the oldest, and settled in the township, near Rittersville. Other sons were John, Jacob, Daniel, and Michael; the two last settled in Whitehall township, others in Hanover. Mrs. Joseph Minnich, Mrs. William Minich, and Mrs. Daniel Quier were daughters. J. Frank Reichard, William G. T., Edwin, and Robert Reichard are sons of George.
Henry Vogelman lived adjoining Henry Fatzinger. i eighty-three years, and left no descendants.
None of the family are in the township.
The Sterner family were carly settlers along the Lehigh River. Among them were Abraham, who died in 1828, aged fifty-three years ; Christian, in |
1848, aged seventy-nine years ; John, in 1848, aged eighty-two years ; and John, in 1849, aged seventy- eight years. Barbara Sterner died in 1839, aged sev- enty-eight years. None of the family are now in the township.
John Keim was a settler near the east line of the township while Hanover was yet a part of Allen- town. He was born in 1754, and died in 1815, aged sixty-one years. Many of the family lived to an ad- vaneed age. Elizabeth, probably his wife, was born in 1756, and died in 1839, aged eighty years.
In 1798 the names of John, Michael, and Peter Kelehner appear on the assessment-list of Hanover. They were here long prior to that time. Michael lived adjoining land of Henry Fatzinger in 1790. He died in 1820, aged eighty-one years. Jonathan, probably the John mentioned in the assessment-roll, died in 1864, aged eighty. The family lived between Rittersville and Shoenersville, and Henry, living on the farm, is a son of Joseph and deseendants.
The Keiper family, that in 1800 were prominent in the township, are still represented there, but are not as numerous as in the olden time. Jacob, John, and Ludwig Keiper were assessed in 1812. John died in 1820, aged sixty-seven years. Ludwig died in 1815, aged seventy-seven years. Others were Abraham, who died in 1828, aged sixty-one years; Catharine, in 1818, aged eighty-one years; Joseph, in 1865, aged eighty-six years.
Joseph Kidd, in 1812, was assessed in the township. Ile lived between Rittersville and Catasauqua, and died in 1827, aged seventy-seven. His son Joseph died in 1867, aged sixty-eight years. In the old Christ churchyard the burials of the family are numerous, among whom are Benjamin, who died in 1806, aged fifty-three; Catharine, died in 1835, aged seventy years; Elizabeth, in 1848, aged forty-seven years ; Solomon, in 1844, aged forty-eight; Susanna, in 1861, aged fifty ; and John, in 1876, aged eighty-three years. Descendants of the family live in the township.
Philip Kleekner was born Ang. 25, 1761, on the Susquehanna River. When a young lad he became a teamster in the Revolutionary army. He came to Allen township (now Hanover) after the war. In March, 1788, he married Elizabeth -, who died in 1839, aged seventy-one years. They lived above Rit- tersville, on the farm now owned by Henry Nonne- macher. He died on the 14th of January, 1845, aged .
Jacob and Jonathan Houer settled near Ritters- ville about 1780. Charles Hlouer, who lives on the Geisinger farm, near Allentown, is a son of Jacob. Jonathan Houer, a son of Jonathan, settled on the
265
HANOVER TOWNSHIP.
Lehigh in 1835, where he still lives and is in his ninety-second year. He was in the war of 1812.
Christian Young was a native of Bucks County and eame to Hanover about 1800, and opened a store east from the limekilns, on the road from Allentown to Bethlehem. In 1812 he opened the " Black Horse" Tavern, which he kept till his removal to Bucks County, about 1818. Dr. Samuel Young, of Allen- town, was the eldest of his sons. Joseph and William Young, of Allentown, are his sons.
Heinrich Brader was an early settler in the present township of Hanover, and his brothers, Philip and Laurence, in Hanover and Northampton County. Heinrich settled on the farm now owned by John Mitmar. He had sons, among whom were Daniel and George, who settled on the homestead and near there. Their descendants are in different parts of the county.
Early Roads .- The first road in the territory now Hanover of which any mention is made was the one laid out in 1747 by order of the Court of Bueks County, and extended from Bethlehem to the Gnaden Hutten Moravian Mission, north of the Blue Ridge (now the site of Lehighton, Carbon Co.). It was used by the mission till its destruction in 1755, and from that time to 1761 was used as a military road, after which for many years it was practically abandoned. About 1761 a road was laid ont that passed from the Phila- delphia road, through Salisbury township, crossed the river by a ford on the Geisinger farm near the old house, and passed through what later became Ritters- ville and Shoenersville, in Hanover township. Later another road ran from Rittersville to the Bethlehem bridge, and the earlier road was abandoned after 1825. At the first term of court (held December, 1812) after the erection of Lehigh County a petition of the inhabitants of the borough of Northampton was presented, setting forth "that a public road was much needed to commence at a spot fixed by the president, managers, and company for erecting a bridge over the Lehigh River, to proceed in a straight line from thence by the north side of Jacob Claders' house to the road leading from the ferry on the Lehigh to Bethlehem." Viewers were thereupon appointed, who made a report, which was confirmed. This action was the first taken in reference to roads in Lehigh County by the courts, and is the route of the road now used from East Allentown to Bethlehem.
1
Justices of the Peace .- Prior to 1840 the justices having jurisdiction over this territory were elected in districts, and their names will be found in the civil list of the general history.
Commissioned.
Commissioned.
Henry R. Hillman ... April 14, 1840
John Osman. .. April 15, 1862
Charles Kreader. ... 11, 1865
Levi Overholtzer .... 17, 1866
Samuel Saylor ..
15, 1815 !
T'hos. F. Imbuch ... 9, 1867
Michael Ritter.
11, 1818
lohn Osinah. 14, 1868
George Frederick 9, 1850
Michael Kilter ..
=
13, 1852
llenry C. Moyer .... .. 15, 1873
Tobias Sterner.
11, 1864
J. K. Holteustein .... March 19, 1877
Levin A. Miksch 10, 1855
Henry 6. Moyer. ... 25, 1878
Jacob E Bogh 28, 1856
Jedediah 11. Weiss, April 9,1881
Levin A. Miksch. 4 10, 1800
Edmund P. Tico.
10, 1860
Henry (. Moyer .... 6, 1881
Schools in the Township .- The early schools are mentioned in the settlements of Shoenersville, Rit- tersville, and West Bethlehem. Of the others nothing has been found. Hanover, with Allentown, accepted the school law during the same year in which it be- came a law (1834), while the other townships in the county rejected it. As soon thereafter as possible school-houses were erected in different parts of the township. Four were erected along the road between Allentown and Rittersville, including the one at that settlement. On the 13th of October, 1838, Abram Fatzinger sold a lot to the school directors for one dollar, for the purpose of erecting thereon a school- house, which was soon after built. Another was erected on the road leading from Rittersville to Beth- lehem. Several of these houses are still standing.
In 1855, Hanover township had 8 schools, 8 teach- ers, and 384 pupils. The township received for school purposes $1350, and paid out $1560, $162.50 appropri- ated from State. Directors were Samuel Breder, presi- dent; C. L. Bush, secretary ; Timothy Weiss, treas- urer. In 1877, Hanover had 10 schools and 548 scholars, and, in 1883, 11 schools and 321 pupils; West Bethlehem, 5 schools, 316 pupils.
Shoenersville .- The settlement is situated on the line between Hanover township in Lehigh County and Hanover township in Northampton County. It con- tains a church, school-house, store, post-office, hotel, and fifteen or twenty dwellings. It derives its name from Adam Shoener, who settled there in 1784.
Adam Shoener was born in 1769, came to Northamp- ton County in 1794, and settled at the place that bears his name, -a road at that time passed his house. He opened a tavern called the "Blue Ball," which he kept till about 1837, when he built a brick house near Christ's Church, where he lived till his death, Oct. 28, 1849, aged eighty-six years. His wife, Catharine, died Dec. 26, 1839, aged sixty-five years. They had ten children, of whom Mrs. Nathan Larrach, of Shoeners- ville, was the youngest, and the only one living. Of the others, Thomas kept the " Blue Ball" three years after his father retired, then moved beyond the Blue Mountains, where he died in 1858, aged forty-three years. Abram moved into Northampton County, and died in 1877, aged seventy- five years. Hannah lived in Shoenersville, and died in 1875, aged seventy years. They are all buried in Christ's churchyard.
Soon after 1794, Adam Shoener opened the " Blue Ball" Tavern, which he kept till 1837. Thomas Shoener, his son, kept it for three years. It was then kept by Charles Reinsmith, Nathan Larrach, and others. In 1850 Jonas Snyder built the present hotel on the other side of the street, and in Northampton County, and the " Blue Ball" was discontinued.
About the year 1825 Samuel Saylor removed from Easton to what is now Shoenersville, at that time con- taining the " Blue Ball" Tavern, Christ's Church, a I log school-house, and five or six dwelling houses. Ile erected a double house near the cemetery lot, in
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Samuel Saylor ... = 1.1, 1840
Michael Ritter 11, 1843
11. W. F. Eberhard. = 13, 1869
266
HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
which he resided and opened a store; the latter was continued by him till 1855, when his son, David O. Saylor, took the business and remained there till 1860, when he removed to Allentown, where he still resides. At that time he sold the store to other par- ties, by whom it was conducted for a short time and discontinued.
Soon after the building of the present hotel, in 1850, a store building was erected on the corner opposite the hotel and adjoining the old tavern. A store was opened by Joseph Pierson and John A. Deck, who continued several years, when Mr. Deck retired and Richard Snyder was interested. Later it passed en- tirely into his hands, and in 1864 the property was purchased by E. R. Benner, who now conduets the business.
The first postmaster in Shoenersville was Samuel Saylor; the office was kept at his store. He was sue- ceeded by Richard Snyder, who served till Dec. 8, 1875, when E. R. Benner, the present incumbent, was appointed.
Christ's Church .- This church was organized in 1780 as a Lutheran and German Reformed Union Church by the Rev. John Faust ( Lutheran), and the ! Rev. Mr. Gross (German Reformed). At the first communion under the Rev. Mr. Faust twenty-four took part. Soon after the organization a small log church was erected at what is now Shoenersville, and in which the congregation assembled and worshiped until the year 1819, at which time the society erected # stone church on the site of the present one, laying the corner-stone on the 10th of May in that year, and dedi- cating the edifice on the following Christmas. This church edifice answered their needs nntil 1872, when it was torn down, and on the 26th of May in that year the corner-stone of the present brick edifice was laid. It was completed at a cost of seventeen thousand dol- lars.
The Lutheran pastors who have served the church are as here given : Rev. John Faust, from 1780 to 1792; the Rev. George Joseph Wichtermann, 1792 to 1793; Rev. John Conrad Yeager, from 1793 till his death, in 1832, a period of thirty -nine years. He was succeeded by his son, Joshua, who was called to the pastorate and still serves the congregation, making a period of service of father and son of ninety-one years. The German Reformed Church has been under charge of the following pastors : Rev. Mr. Gross, 1780 to 1794, fourteen years. He was succeeded by the Rev. Mr. Hoffineier, who served six years, and was followed by the Rev. Mr. Van Der Sloot, who remained in charge till 1811, when the Rev. Charles Christian Becker was called to the pastorate. He remained till his death, in 1858, a period of forty-seven years. His son, the Rev. Cyrus Becker, was chosen as his successor, and is still in charge, having served twenty-six years, making a service of father and son in this congrega- tion of seventy-three years. The two congregations number between four and five hundred members.
Schools .- School was first taught in the settlement by a Mr. Bibinghous about the year 1800. He later studied theology, and became a minister of the Ger- man Reformed Church. He was succeeded by Fred'k. Holey. It was kept in a log honse creeted for the purpose on the churchyard lot of Christ's Church. About 1827-28 the present brick school-house was erected, and school was first kept by Owen Leopold. ITe later studied for the ministry. The school for many years was under the charge of the church, but after the thorough establishment of the present school system, it was by them given over to the directors of the township schools.
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