USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of the counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pt. 1 > Part 90
USA > Pennsylvania > Carbon County > History of the counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pt. 1 > Part 90
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In the winter of 1881-82 a general conference was . held in the above-mentioned house of worship. Dele- gates from Canada, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan were present. At this conference the name " Evan- gelical Mennonites" was changed into " Evangelical United Mennonites." Since 1858 the above-mentioned congregation has increased to sixty-five members, and several young men have become ministers of the gospel, among them Joseph L. Romig, Abraham Kauffman, Jonas Musselman, John Traub, and others.
Since 1858 the congregation has been in charge of the following local ministers : Rev. William Gehman, Rev. William N. Schelly, Rev. Joseph L. Romig, Rev. L. Lambert, Rev. Abraham Kauffman, Rev. Abel Strawn, and Rev. Jonas Musselman, the present pastor. The present membership of this congregation is about sixty-five.
At this church, in 1875, there was a Sunday-school organized, which has flourished until the present date, and counts at present fourteen teachers and fifty-nine
At a special general conference held in December, 1883, in Harrisburg, Ohio, the above-named Evan- gelical United Mennonite denomination changed their name to " Mennonite Brethren in Christ."
Schwenkfelder Congregation in Kraussdale .- The ground and church of this congregation is also situated on the line between Lehigh ( Lower Milford) and Montgomery Counties. The land on which the church is erected (and which had been used nearly fifty years previous as a burying-ground ) was donated by Baltzer Krauss, Jr., unto Gregorius Schultz and Jacob Gerhard, trustees of the congregation, for i school and religious services previous to the year I meeting-house or church at this place was erected in
Evangelieal United Mennonite Congregation .-- This congregation was organized in the year 1857 by several members of the old Mennonite congregation. : 1805. Baltzer Kranss died Oct. 11, 1805. The first One or two years previous to that year some religions differences arose in this old congregation, and were | 1815.
376
HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
The date of the organization of the congregation is unknown, but no doubt it is to be placed many years previous to the year 1815. The names of the members in 1815 were as follows : Johannes Kranss, Andreas Krauss, George Kranss, Jacob Kriebel, George Schultz, Samuel Schultz, David Yeakel, Carl Yeakel, Christopher Neuman, Jacob Gerhard, Jore- mias Meschter, Christopher Yeakel. With this con- gregation a school was also combined.
In the year 1857 the old church gave place to a new brick edifice.
\ school was started in combination with this church, and continued until the year 1840. Besides the German, the Latin and Greek languages were favorite studies, and were taught as early as 1775.
The names of the ministers who had official charge of this congregation were the following : Rev. George Kriebel died Dee. 1, 1805, aged seventy-three years, one month, and twenty-two days ; Rev. John Schultz, died Nov. 3, 1827, aged fifty-five years, seven months, and twenty-two days; Christopher Schultz, died March . 22, 18.13, aged sixty-five years and five months; Rev. William Schultz; Rev. Joshua Schultz and Rev. Jacob Mesehter, present pastors.
Schwenkfelder Congregation (in the Hosensack Valley ) .- The church and ground of this congrega- tion is situated on the line between Lower Milford and Montgomery County. The Schwenkfelders (fol- lowers of Caspar Schwenkfeld, a Silesian nobleman, born at Ossing, in Lower Silesia, in 1490) fled their homes in the vicinity of Harpersdorf, in Silesia, in the months of February, March, April, and May, 1726, and went under the protection of Count Zinzen- dorf to Saxony, where they lived in a state of uncer- tainty as to their future for eight years. During the years 1733-37, the Schwenkfelders left Saxony and emigrated to Pennsylvania, and soon settled in the upper part of Montgomery and the castern part of Berks County (then Philadelphia County ), and in the southern corner of Lehigh (then Bucks County). They settled in the lower (southern) part of Upper, and especially of Lower, Milford (then Upper Mil- ford), in the present Kraussdale and Hosensack. Among the Schwenkfelders settled in Milford we tind the names of Kranss, Yeakel. Schultz, Schn- bert, Kriebel, Warmer, Wagner, Seibert, etc. The congregation of Hosensaek was immediately after-
In the year 1852 there was a meeting-house erected ward organized, and religious meetings held in pri- , by this congregation near the village of Vera Cruz, vate houses until the year 1781, in which year a , in Upper Milford. It was consecrated the same year.
house was erected for the use of school and church purposes. The land on which the meeting-house was erected was obtained from George Yeakel for five ponuds, Pennsylvania currency. Among the names of the members of this congregation we find the fol- lowing from the Milfords, viz. : Abraham Kriebel, Jeremias Yeakel, Baltzer Yeakel, Melchior Yeakel, Casper Yeakel, Jacob Seibert, Baltzer Schultz, Jere- mias Kranss, and others.
Church of the Evangelical Association-Evan-
gelische Gemeinschaft .- The ground and church of the Evangelical Association is located on a high spot on a branch of the South Mountain, in Upper Milford, and on the public road leading from the Hereford and Shimersville turnpike, through Powder Valley to the Hosensack Valles .. This congregation was first or ganized in the year 1890, by Key, John Seybert, the first bishop of the association. The first meeting was held on Bald Hill, at the private house of David Selmbert (a Schwenkfelder), on the 13th of Sep- tember, 1829, by Rev. William Orwig and Rev. Carl Ilammer.
Among the names of the first male members of this congregation are the following: David Schubert, Christopher Schubert, Peter Wiest, George Yeakel, Melchior Yeakel, Abraham Yeakel.
In the year 1831 a small tract of land was obtained from Christopher Sehubert and made a burying-place. In the year 1838, Christopher Schubert built the first meeting-house (of stone) on his own land and at his own expense, and sold the same in 1840, with three- quarters of an aere of land, besides the burying-ground, to the congregation for three hundred dollars. This house was in constant use until the year 1858, in which year the old meeting-house was taken away and a new one of brick, thirty-eight by fifty feet, was erected.
Evangelical Association .- A class, or a branch of the congregation of the Evangelical Association of Upper Milford, near Zionsville, was organized and established about forty years ago in the vicinity of the village of Vera Cruz. For a number of years the regular meetings were held in the Baptist meeting- house, near Vera Cruz. The present membership is about twenty-five. Some of the leading members are Francis Schwartz, Daniel Schwartz, Amandus Klein, Henry Mohr, and Thomas Kern. The pastor at present is Rev. Chs. Fehr, regular pastor of the Milford Circuit.
Baptist Congregation .- Previous to the year 1850 there was in Upper Milford a German Baptist con- gregation, organized by Rev. Mr. Fleischman, of Phila- delphia. Some of the first members of the congre- gation were William Dosch, Mandasses Baer, Jonas Yerk, Henry Desch, William Mohr, Henry Gehman, and Owen Rhoads.
About the same year (or previous) William Desch and William Mohr were elected and ordained as the regular ministers or pastors of this church. In the same year a graveyard or burial-ground was established on the same ground on which the church was built (which was purchased for that purpose from Man- nasses Baer). The congregation was in charge of the ministers above named until 1866, when Rev. Wil- liam Mohr moved from the neighborhood to Bucks County, since which time the church has been in
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UPPER AND LOWER MILFORD TOWNSHIPS.
charge of Rev. William Deseh alone. This eongre- gation has been reduced by death and other causes to only a few members. The church building has been also in use by a class of the Evangelical Association for several years. A flourishing Sunday-school was also organized, and continued for several years.
United Brethren in Christ .- In 1881 a new class or congregation of the United Brethren in Christ was organized near Vera Cruz, in Upper Milford, by Rev. James H. Unger, minister of the East German Con- ference of said eburch. The first meeting was held in 1880 in the Baptist Church near Vera Cruz, and later the congregation assembled in the private house of Charles Schuler, where services were held by Rev. James H. Unger, Rev. J. Mil, and others. Those who joined this class first were Charles Schuler and wife (Henrietta), Levi N. Schelly and wife (Mary) and daughter (Mary), Joseph Wieand, Amandus Snyder and wife ( Luey). Later enme Charles Mumbaner, Osear Romig, and Catherine Weidner. Meetings were regularly held in 1883 at the house of Charles Schuler by Rev. Eph. Light, Rev. John H. Ruhl, and Rev. H. B. Spayd, and also at the house of Levi N. Schelly.
Ministers of the Gospel .- Rev. George Kriebel was born Nov. 3, 1732, in Saxony, Europe, and emi- grated to the country in 1734 when two years old with his parents, Casper and Susanna Kriebel. Soon afterwards his father settled in Hatfield township, in Montgomery (then Philadelphia) County. In 1765, George moved to Lehigh County, and settled in the southern corner of Lower Milford (then Upper Mil- ford), and became a large land-owner in the township. He bought several traets, as follows, viz. : May 18, 1765, of Samuel Michling, five tracts, containing to- gether three hundred and two acres forty-six perches, at :£1560; Jan. 28, 1773, of George Stahl, twenty-five aeres one hundred and thirty-eight perches at $123 12%. ; March 4, 1773, of Andrew Greber, twenty-one aeres fifty-five perehies, at £83 5s. 64. ; April 5, 1783, of Henry Funk, one hundred and twenty-eight acres one hundred and fifty-six perches (on which was sit- uated the second grist-mill in Hosenstek ), at .4200. He was elected pastor of the Seltenkfelder congre- gations at Ilosensack and Kraussdale, which position he filled acceptably for over thirty years. Ile was frequently engaged as a conveyancer and in settling differences in his vicinity. He died Dec. 1, 1805, aged seventy-three years, one month, and twenty-two days. A grandson of his is still living on the premises,- Anthony Kriebel, aged near ninety-two years. Rev. George Kriebel was a prominent school-teacher, and served as such for his congregation for several years.
Rev. Joseph S. Dubs was born in Upper Milford on the Ist day of October, 1796. (See Allentown.)
Rev. Henry S. Bassler, son of Henry Bassler and Veronica (Schantz), was born in Upper Milford on the 11th day of August, 1804; studied theology under the control of Rev. Jacob William Dechant, was ordained
as a minister of the gospel in 1829, and served the Reformed Church for a period of over half a century. Hle officiated for the Upper Milford and Chestnut Hill Reformed congregations as pastor for several years. He died in Dauphin County on the 17th day of February, 1883, aged, seventy-eight years, six months, six days.
Rev. John Schantz, son of Abraham and Susanna Schantz, was born in Upper Milford on the 19th day of December, 1774. He was elected as pastor of the old Mennonite congregation in Upper Milford, and officiated for the same twenty seven years. He died Jan. 8, 1855, aged eighty years and twenty days.
Rev. Joseph Schantz, son of Rev. John Schantz and Hannah (Gabel), was born in Upper Milford on the 13th of August, 1814. Hle took charge of the old Mennonite Church in Upper Milford, and ministered to it for thirty-seven years, until his death, June 23, 1881. Rev. Schantz was likewise a progressive farmer, and lived in the Hosensack Valley, in Lower Mil- ford.
Rev. Eli Keller was born in 1826 in Northampton County ; studied theology in the Eastern Theologieal Seminary of the Reformed Church, in Laneaster, Pa. ; was ordained in 1855, and removed the following year to the State of Ohio, where he served his ehureh for a period of eighteen years. He removed in the spring of 1874, to Zionsville, in Upper Milford, and took charge of the Zionsville Circuit, composed of four congregations,-Zionsville, St. Peter's Church, both of Upper Milford, and Huff's and Huber's Churches in Berks County. He is still in charge of the same, and resides in Zionsville.
William Gehman, born in Berks County in 1827, came to Upper Milford in 1845. In 1847 the ohl Mennonite congregation in Upper Milford selected him as one of their pastors, which office he adminis- tered nearly ten years. He then resigned his office and became the leader of a new association called the Evangelical Mennonite Congregation, in Upper Mil- ford. He became later presiding elder of the new de- nomination in East Pennsylvania, which office he holds at present, besides that of minister of the gospel. Ile was also a successful farmer.
Joseph L. Romig was born March 13, 1837, in Berks County ; came to Upper Milford, and was se- lected in 1865 by the Evangelical Mennonite congre- gration of Upper Milford as one of their pastors, which office he administered three years, and died Jan. 12, 1869, aged thirty-one years, ten months.
William Mohr was born in Upper Milford prior to 1830. Ile was selected in 1852 by the new German Baptist congregation in Upper Milford as one of their pastors. He administered the office until the year 1868, when he resigned and moved to Hilltown, Bucks Co.
Henry Desch, born in 1824, in Upper Milford, was selected in 1854 by the German Baptist congregation as one of their pastors in Upper Milford and Macun- gie. Ile died in 1882.
378
HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
Jonas Musselman, born in Upper Milford about the year 1835, became in 1859 a minister of the Evan- gelical Mennonite congregation, of Upper Milford, Quakertown, etc. He is still pastor, and lives in Emans.
Abraham Kauffman was born in 1841, in Upper Milford; was minister of the Evangelical Mennonite congregations of Upper Milford and of other churches. He is still in office, and lives in Upper Milford, where he also follows farming.
Daniel Yeakel was born in Lower Milford (then Upper Milford) in 1826; became a minister of the gospel of the Evangelical Association. He is still in office, and besides attending to the duties of the ministry he is also a successful and large farmer in Lower Milford.
Educational-Early Schools .- The greater pro- portion of the early settlers within the present limits of Upper and Lower Milford (then Upper Milford township) were Germans. The Moravians principally settled at the northern portion, in the vicinity of Emaus, while the Schwenkfelders spread into the lower or southern portion, adjoining Berks, Mont- gomery, and Bucks Counties. The present popula- tion is of German descent. There were a few settle- ments previous to the year 1725, and as early as 1715 (the so-called squatters). The Mennonites, Lutheran, and Reformed eame in masses to this portion, and settled here from 1730 to 1750.
" The early German settlers came with a fair share of school learning, and there were but few who could not read and write. They carly established schools to educate their children, and it was a feature with the German settlers that they were hardly seated ju their new honses before they began to organize congregations and build churches. Among them were men of education, and especially among the Schwenkfelders and Moravians. Our present German population is not very far behind the descendants of the English-speaking settlers in the spirit of progress. Their schools are numerous and well attended, and they give the common-school system a generous sup- port.
"The early settlers in this township, as well as in several other parts of Lehigh and adjoining counties, soon after their arrival and settlements, established places of religious worship, and in due time made pro- vision for the education of their children, as we learn from the histories of the several religious congrega- tions of Upper and Lower Milford (for instance, the old Mennonite Church, the Schwenk felders in Hosen- sack Valley, the Great Swamp Church, the original Lutheran Church, the Chestnut Hill Church, and others). No doubt they believed that education made better citizens, and enhanced the ability and useful- ness of its possessors.
" Almost without exception the earliest schools were established at churches or at places of worship. And frequently the school-house preceded the erec-
tion of a church, and served the double purpose of church and school. These schools were church schools so far as instruction was concerned, but were not directly supported by the church. Each parent who sent children had to pay in proportion to the total number of days sent. In most cases the teacher ' boarded 'round,' which in those days was not an easy task.
" The instruction was imparted in reading, writing, and a little arithmetic. Instruction in the catechism and the doctrines of the church, with singing, were generally required. These schools were not strictly denominational, but generally admitted the children of other denominations. After the population had increased many of these schools were overcrowded, and some children had to go from three to fonr miles to school, and thus a demand for more schools was created, which were established at other places (such as the Birkenstocks, the, Schwartzs, the Brunners, the Krausses, and other old schools in Upper Milford). Some were first held in private houses until buildings could be erected for their accommodation. School- houses were built by communities, and were com- monly constructed of logs, were small, had low ceil- ings. They were in everything defective, but not in ventilation. The instruction was in the first schools exclusively in the German language. The teachers of these first schools were foreigners, and educated in Europe. Those at the churches were generally the leaders in siuging on occasions of religious worship (such as Loeser and Vigera, in the original Luth- eran) Upper Milford Church school, - ' Gemein Schule.'
" What commenced to do harm to the early schools in the time of the Revolutionary war or previous to that time was, that some of those principal teachers left their services as school-teachers and commenced to preach, and less qualified men were taken as teach- ers, and the schools lost greatly thereby. Teachers becoming scarce, which continued for a considerable time, until the education of the children was consid- ered a secondary thing, in consequence neglected.
" At this period almost any person that came along and made some pretensions to education was employed as teacher. This often brought into the school-room persons entirely untit, morally and mentally, for the position. Nearly all the old schools were noted for the severity in discipline. Some of the teachers were not only severe but cruel in their punishments.
" Up to 1800 the German language was tanght al- most exclusively. From 1800 to 1820 the English Jangnage was gradually, but at first very slowly, in- troduced in the schools. In these schools it was taught in connection with the German."
Previous to the year 1811, or previous to the adop- tion of the common-school system in Upper Milford. there were more than fifteen schood distriets in Upper Milford. Several of them became prominent, as a rule the church schools (" Gemein Schulen"), such as
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UPPER AND LOWER MILFORD TOWNSHIPS.
Hosensack, Swamp Church, Dillingersville, and the Mennonite Church schools, and others.
The names of these schools were, as nearly as can be ascertained, as follows :
1. Swamp Church, established between 1725 and 1730.
2. Hosensack, established in 1734 or 1735.
3. Dillingersville, established in 1734 or 1735.
1. Mennonite Church, established between 1735 and 1740.
5. Zionsville, established prior to 1760.
6. Berkenstock's, established prior to 1775.
7. Schwartz's, established prior to 1790.
8. Berg, or Hill (later St. Peter's), established in 1805.
9. Brunner's (first Bildhaus'), established prior to 1800.
10. Chestnut Hill, established -; re-established 1820.
11. Kern's, established - -; re-established 1820.
12. Krauss', established in 1842.
13. Weber's, established in 1790.
14. Kriebel's, established previous to 1800.
15. Ortt's, established previous to 1820.
16. Steininger's, or Lynn's. (See Schwartz's.)
17. Ruch's. (See Schwartz's.)
Of the above-named districts, No. 2 was on the line between Montgomery County and Lehigh, and did not entirely belong to Lehigh County or Upper Mil- ford. Nos. 4, 8, and 16 had been discontinued pre- vious to the adoption of the common-school laws, and but very little is known of their history. No. 10 was established very early, and kept for a number of years, and then discontinued until the year 1820, when it was reopened. School No. 17 (Ruch's) was kept only for three years in the private rooms of John Ruch by Michael H1. Albright, and was established in 1842.
The sub-districts Nos. 3 (Dillingersville), 5 (Zions- ville), 7 (Schwartz's), 9 (Brunner's), 11 ( Kern's), 12 (Krauss'), 14 ( Kriebel's), and 15 (Ortt's) had all been prominent old school districts, and were all adopted by the board of directors of the common schools in 1844, and made permanent sub school districts of Upper Milford. Previous to that year (1844) the school-houses did not belong to the township, but were owned by the communities that had erected them.
The Great Swamp Church school was no doubt the first school in Lehigh County. It was situated at the Great Swamp Church, and was established between 1725-30 by the Great. Swamp Reformed congrega- tion as a Gemein Schule (church school), and was conducted by the trustees of the church, and kept for a period of over one hundred and fifteen years. Ju 1844, when the commou-school law was adopted by the inhabitants of Upper Milford, the school board adopted this district for one year and paid twelve dollars and fifty cents rent for the school-house; and
Joseph Convoer was employed four months and a half; at sixteen dollars, as teacher. This was the last school at this place. John Dubs and Philip Mumbauer had been trustees.
The old Hosensack school was established very carly. It has been reported that there was a school established in the Hosensack Valley as early as 1735 by the Schwenkfolders, but we have no record of it. No doubt there were schools taught prior to 1740 in some private houses. The first school in this valley of which we have any record was established by the Schwenkfelder denomination, and was under the con-
trol of three trustees elected by said denomination. A "Gemein Schule" (church school) was established
in the private house of Christopher Krausz, or Krauss, in the year 1765 (on the same premises on which the present Carl's school-house in Lower Milford is situ- ated). The record says, " April 22, 1765 .- An agree- ment was made with Charles Guss to serve as school- teacher for us at the private house of Christopher Krausz for the term of four years for a salary of thirty- five pounds and eight bushels of grain ; besides, a free dwelling, garden, feed for one cow, and fuel per an- num. School to commence at said Christopher Krau-s' house on May 22, 1765." On Dec. 12, 1768, there was another agreement made with the same Charles Guss to teach a second term of four years at the same place. The salary was the same, except instead of eight bushels of grain twelve bushels was delivered ( whether wheat, rye, or corn the record does not say /. Christo- pher Gnss was no doubt a good and a suitable teacher.
It was reported that in this school by Christopher Guss and others the Latin and Greek languages were taught, besides the usual branches. From 1772-77, a period of five years, the records do not say anything about schools in this valley; but in the year 1777 Jost Vollert was employed as teacher, to teach half a year in George Yeakel's private house for twenty-two pounds. And also in the year 1778 Vollert was om- ployed for a second term (hall' a year) at the same place for the same salary.
The following years school was taught by the teachers named : 1780, Rev. George Kreibil, a term of five months for fifteen pounds, in George Yeakel's honse ; 1781, Rev. George Kreibel, four months, for twelve pounds; 1781, George Martin, one month, for three pounds, in Christopher Krauss' house; 1782, 1783, and 1786, Rev. George Kreibel, a term of four months cach year, at three pounds per month, in George Yeakel's house.
In 1790 a special house for school and church pur- poses was built on the premises of George Yeakel, in which school was continued by several teachers, among whom were G. Carl Stock, Christopher Yeakel, John Schultz, Isaac Schultz, John Krauss, and others. This school was discontinued in 18-40.
Chestnut Hill school was located on Chestnut Hill, on the spot where the present Chestnut Hill Union Church, in Lower Milford, is situated. This school
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