USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of the counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pt. 1 > Part 93
USA > Pennsylvania > Carbon County > History of the counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pt. 1 > Part 93
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elected as a building committee, and George Krauss, Anthony Krauss, and Henry Stauffer, trustees. During the summer of the same year a stone school- house was ereeted by the building committee, at a cost of $322.71, which was paid by subscription. the fall of the same year the trustees employed Jo- seph Convoer as teacher, and he taught in English , Church District, The first school-house was erected and German for a term of three months. In the ! spring of 18.13 Henry B. Schleifer was employed,
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UPPER AND LOWER MILFORD TOWNSHIPS.
Joseph Convoer, for a term of four months, at seven- teen dollars per month. Mr. Convoer's report for 1845 was sixty-five scholars (forty-one males and twenty- four females), of whom twenty-eight learned German. By the division of the distriet, Eberhard's sub-district was included in Lower Milford. In 1873 the first school-house gave way to a new and larger stone school building, which was erected by the directors at a cost of over twelve hundred dollars.
Since this sub-district was formed (1845) school has been tanght by the following teachers, viz. : Joseph Convoer, J. J. Thomas, William T. Cramer, M. H. Albright, John S. Albright, Edwin Roberts, Edwin Albright, William Albright, B. X. Schell, F. P. Albright, Mrs. Sadie James, Milton H. Mill, C. W. Urffer, and William S. Erney, the present teacher (January, 1884) reports for the present term twenty- four scholars.
Dubs' sub-distriet (No. 7) is situated near the cen- tre of Lower Milford. The school-house is in the Hosensack Valley on the publie road leading from Limeport to Hosensaek, and in a straight line one and one-eighth miles east from Dillingersville. This school was established in 1845, and the sub-district was formed from parts of the original Dillingersville, Swamp Church, and Chestnut Hill sub-districts. The same year a school-house was erected on the premises of William Dillinger by David Heil, contractor, for two hundred and nine dollars. It is still in use. The same year Philip Mumbauer was employed as teacher for four months at sixteen dollars per month. Ile reported forty-four scholars (twenty-one males and twenty-three females), of whom eighteen learned Ger- man. By the division of Upper Milford, in 1852, this sub-district was included in Lower Milford. Since the establishment of the school the following persons have been employed as teachers: M. H. Albright, Samuel Weiss, J. D. Dillinger, S. S. Schiffert, Tilghman Sehmoyer, Joshua D. K. Reinhard, John D. Eber- hard, Charles Dotts, Edwin Albright, Edwin Roberts, William Albright, Laurentius Weaver, E. Schaffer, John S. Erney, William M. Schwenk, William S. Erney, Albert S. Erney, C. W. U'rifer, and others. Calvin E. H. Davidson is the present teacher.
Dietz's snb-district ( No. 8) is in the eastern part of Lower Milford, and the school-house is situated on a public road, near its centre, and nearly two and a quarter miles south from Limeport. The sub-district was formed by the directors, in 1845, from parts of the original Weber's and Berkenstock's sub-districts (originally Engelman's sub-district was included in Dietz's, but it was separately organized in 1863). The same year ( 1845) a school-house was erected on the premises of Joseph Dietz by Samuel Derr, as contractor, for two hundred and eighty-eight dollars. i The first teacher employed at Dietz's school was J .. J. Thomas (for four months, at sixteen dollars per month). He reported sixty scholars (forty-three male and seventeen female), twenty-seven of whom learned
German. In 1863, Dietz's sub-district was divided into two separate sub-districts, Engelman's then being formed. The same year a new school-honse was built nearer to the centre of the district, about half a mile southwest from the first school-house and near the house of Aaron Dietz. The following teachers have been employed at Dietz's school, viz .: Adam Snyder, Samuel Hatel, L. M. Engelman, Joseph D. K. Reinhard, John S. Albright, John S. Erney, David Erney, William S. Erney, Albert Erney, David Dietz, C. W. Urffer, and others. In the fall of 1883 the second school-house gave way to a new one,-a large stone school-house, with patent desks, erected at a cost of over one thousand dollars. The same year C. W. Urffer was employed to teach in the new school-house a term of five months, at thirty-two dollars per month. HIe reports thirty-seven scholars as attending the school at present.
Engelman's sub-district (No. 9) is situated in the most eastern portion of Lower Milford, and the school- house is near its centre, on a road leading from Lime- port to Steinsburg. Engelman's schoo! sub-distriet was established in the year 1863, and was formed from parts of Dietz's and Johnson's sub-districts. It is the only school sub-district established in Lower Milford since the division in 1852. A school-house was erected in 1863, on the premises of Jeremiah Schleiffer, at a cost of over eight hundred dollars. Since 1863 school has been taught by several teachers, among them William S. Erney, Charles N. Bitting, B. X. Sehell, Lewis Jacoby, and others. The present teacher at this school is Lewis Jacoby, who reports the whole number of scholars as thirty-seven.
The school-house of Johnson's sub-district (No. 10) is situated in the most northern part of Lower Milford, on the public road leading from Zionsville to Coopers- burg, and about three-quarters of a mile south from Limeport. This sub-distriet was formed by the di- rectors of common schools of Upper Milford, in 1845, from parts of the original ( Berkenstock's and Chestnut HIill) distriets. The same year ( 1845) a school-house was created on the premises of James Johnson and Henry Engelman by John Schaeffer and Enos Nace. as contractors, for two hundred and seventy-one dol- lars, which school-house is still in use. By the divi- sion of Upper Milford, in 1852, this sub-district was included in Lower Milford district.
The first teacher employed by the directors of com- mon schools to teach school here was Will E. Hor- lacher (1815) for a term of four months, at seventeen dollars per month. He reported for the first term forty-two scholars (nineteen male and twenty-three female), of whom sixteen studied German.
The names of the teachers who have taught in the district are as follows, viz. : Edward Reinhard, Lewis M. Engelman, Charles HI. Blank, M. 11. Albright, Uria M. Engelman, John D. Eberhard, John N. Bit- ting, E. S. Bitting, W. F. Bitting, C. N. Bitting, David Dietz, Emmanuel Wieder, and B. S. Gabel, pres-
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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
ent teacher. The present number of scholars is thirty- five.
Manufacturing Industries in Upper Milford- Grist- and Saw-Mills, etc .- Seibert's grist-mill is situated on Seibert's Creek, and on the great public road leading from the King's high-road to Dorneys- ville and Mauch Chunk, or to Emaus and Allentown, between Emaus and Vera Cruz, a little over one mile from the latter place. The premises on which the mill is situated were first settled by Philip Thani (or Dony, or Towny), by virtue of a warrant dated Nov. 27, 1747, for thirty-eight acres and seventy-one perches and allowances. These premises were later (about 1758) purchased by Jacob Hahn, a miller, who took an- other tract by virtue of a warrant dated June 17, 1768, containing twenty-five acres, on which he obtained a patent on the 22d of the same month. JIahn (or Hawn) purchased on the 18th of March, 1778, from Michael Wolfgang, Jr., a third tract, containing sev- enty-one aeres and one hundred and three perches, for two hundred and fifty pounds. This Jacob Hahn erected the first mill on the first-mentioned traet of land, between 1768 and 1778, and, no doubt, it was first a saw-mill and then a grist-mill. How long he was in possession of this mill property is not known, but no doubt it was over twenty years. It was sold to Jacob Dilgert, who was in possession of the prop- erty for nearly ten years, and sold to Peter Fink, who sold, in 1810, to Henry Seibert, of Bethlehem, who ran the mills nearly twenty-three years, and died 1833.
On March 29, 1834, the grist-mill and abont forty acres of land was sold by John Seibert and Peter Schwartz, administrators of Henry Seibert, deceased, at public sale to Charles Keck, for three thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight dollars and thirty-four cents. The saw-mill property was sold previons to that time to Daniel Laner. Keck ran the mill five years, and sold to John Gross.
John Gross tore down the old mill, and erected a large stone mill on the same place, and carried on the same for six years, and sold to William Schantz, who was in possession of the same for nearly thirty-live years, until his death in 1880; but for the last fifteen, years his son, Ambrose Schantz, was the manager of the grist-mill. lo the year 1881 the mill was sold, with a few acres of land, to William G. Moyer, son-in- law of William Schantz, deceased, who rebuilt it, at a cost of over three thousand dollars, and sold it, in 1883, to Jesse Stauffer for eight thousand dollars.
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Burger's grist-mill is situated on ludian Creek (a branch of the Hosensack), and also on the public road leading from the Shimersville and Hereford turnpike to Sieszholtzville, Berks Co., and nearly one mile southwest from the village of Zionsville (old), in Upper Milford. The first mill was built here in or about the year 1774 by Adam Koehl (or Kehl). He purchased one year previous (June 28, 1773), of Jo- hannes liestandt, one aere of ground for that pur-
pose, and May 11, 1782, another tract of fifty acres of William Schaffer. Kehl built about the same year a saw-mill, which he sold Sept. 12, 1789, with all his land, to his son, Simon Kell, at .27 ($18.663), who sold April 17, 1809, to Jacob Trnekenmiller ; who sold April 8, 1811, the saw- and grist-mill, with al- most twenty-three acres of land, to Daniel Fretz ; who soll May 5, 1813, to William Ries-er, at £1500. Hle sold April 1, 1815, to Friederich Nchs, who sold April 26, 1845, to Henry Burger and Samnel Beck at $6250. In 1864 the old grist-mill was torn down, and a large stone grist-mill erected, and the saw-mill was discontinued. Henry Burger purchased his partner's sbare, and his son, Samuel Burger, went in as a part- ner, and business has been continned by them to the present year.
Yenkel's grist-mill is situated in Upper Milford, on Indian Creek, and about one hundred rods above Miller's spoke-wills. This grist-mill was first built as an oil-mill by Christian Metzger previous to the year 1790, and was about the year 1810 rebuilt and changed to a grist-mill, and sold to Jolm Schuler, who, about the year 1820, sold to Abraham Yeakel. The mill was destroyed by fire about 1824, and rebuilt the same year by Yeakel, who continned it for a num- ber of years. Yeakel died Oct. 27, 1865, and his son, Levi Yeakel, purchased the property, and has run the mill ever since. This is one of the best grist- mills in Upper Milford.
Wieand's grist- and saw-mill is situated on the Per- kiomen, in Upper Milford, and on the publie road leading from the Hereford and Shimersville turnpike to Hampton Furnace, and nearly two miles southwest from Zionsville and half a mile east from Hampton Furnace. This mill was built previous to the year 1800 by Christian Mensch, and kept in operation by him for a number of years, and then sold to Andrew Yeakel, who sold, in 1837, to Benjamin Kriebel, who sold, in 1856, to Owen Weaver. He sold, in 1864, to John B. Gelman, and he, in 1866, to C. W. Wieand, the present owner. The mill is occupied at present by Hiram Yeakel.
Miller's grist-mill is situated on Miller's Creek, in Upper Milford, and on the public road leading from " the King's high-road" to Emaus, and about one and a half miles in a straight line from Shimers- ville.
This is an old mill, nearly one hundred years old, erected by a man named John Wetzel prior to 1800, and was kept by the Wetzels until about the year 1830 or later, and then sold to Joseph Beitler, who kept the same nutil the year 1835, and sold to George Miller, who kept the same over thirty years, until his death, in 1865.
Bitting's saw-mill was situated in Upper Milford, on the Indian Creek and on the public road leading from Shimersville to Sieszholtzville, and two and one- quarter miles west from Shimersville, This saw-mill was erected previons to the year 1820 by Jesse Bit-
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UPPER AND LOWER MILFORD TOWNSHIPS.
ting, and was run by him for a number of years and then abandoned.
Schelly's saw-mill is situated near Leibert's grist- mill. The first mill was built about the same time or perhaps prior to the grist-mill. It had been in posses- sion of Jacob Dilgert, - Fink, and John Leibert. After John Leibert's death the saw-mill was separated from the grist-mill, and sold in 1884 to Daniel Lauer, who kept it nearly ten years and sold to John Ortt, who operated it about five years and sold to John Schleif- fer, who sold two years later to Willoughby Mohr, who erected a new and larger saw-mill in 1865, and sold the same a few years later to Henry Schelly, who has operated it ever since, In this saw-mill there was set up by Daniel Lauer, prior to 1840, a wool-carding machine, later operated by John Ortt for several years.
Heimbach's oil-mill was situated on a branch of the Perkiomen Creek, and about half a mile east from the old Hampton Furnace. This oil-mill was built by Wendell Heimbach about the year 1815, and was run by him for several years, and then changed to a elover- mill, and continued for a number of years, and about the year 1840 discontinued.
Schneiter's clover-mill is situated on the Perkiomen in Upper Milford, and on the Hereford and Shimers- ville turnpike, about two and a half miles southwest from Zionsville, and half a mile south from Wieandt's mill. This mill was built by Andrew Yeakel for an oil-mill, and was made a clover-mill previous to the year 1825. He kept the same in operation for several years, and sold about the year 1840 to Daniel Wieand, who continued the same for several years and sold to John Mohr, who sold later to David Schneiter, the present owner, who changed it to a grist-mill.
Miller's spoke-mill is situated on Indian Creek, in the Powder Valley, and on the public road leading from the Hereford and Shimersville turnpike to the Hosensaek Valley. This mill was first an oil-mill, and was built by Henry Trump, about the year 1880, and run by him until 1848, after which his son, Wil- liam Trump, purchased the property and continued the mill for abont eight years, and sold to Michael Miller, who discontinued the oil-mill and established a grist-mill and stave-factory, which were run by him- self and by his son, Elmer Miller, until the year 1866, and then sold to Samuel Miller, who changed it to a spoke-mill, which he has continued until the present.
Powder-Mills .- A powder-mill was erected in the present. Powder Valley in 1829, by Henry Kemmerer, and was kept in operation by him for one year, and then sold to Henry Trump and Henry Schell, who continued it about one year, when it exploded and was never rebuilt.
In the year 1870, Peter Faust purchased the old Hampton Furnace, and erected the same year, within the buildings of the furnace, a powder-mill, which was carried on for nearly four years, when it also exploded. The explosion was caused by a lightning stroke. The life of one employe, James Watson, was lost.
Emaus Furnace .- The Emaus Furnace is situated nearly one-half of a mile southwest from the onter limit of the borough of Emaus, and between the tracks of the East Penn and the Perkiomen Railroad. In the fall of the year 1869 there was a company or- ganized in the borough of Emaus and vicinity, by the name of the Emaus Iron Company, of which the fol- lowing were elected officers: S. Gross Fry, Esq., president ; John P. McFadden, secretary. The same year the old Christ's farm, containing one hundred and thirty-five acres, was purchased from Widow Judith Wenner for twenty-two thousand dollars, and cut up into building lots, with the exception of forty- three acres, which was retained by the company as the furnace property. In 1870 and 1871, on this tract of land, there was one of the handsomest and most durable furnace buildings erected in East Pennsyl- vania. A contract was made by the company with Wren & Noble, of Pottsville, to build their furnace for one hundred and sixty thousand dollars; but be- fore the furnace was finished Wren & Noble became bankrupt, and the iron company was obliged to finish the work during the year 1871, at an additional cost of twenty thousand dollars, so that the whole amount of cost was nearly one hundred and eighty thousand dollars. George J. Henninger was the regularly ap- pointed superintendent of the iron company. After the Emaus Iron Company had finished their furnace and all the necessary outbuildings, the manufacture of iron was carried on for nearly three years. The company then failed, and appointed Paul Borger as their assignee, who sold the furnace property in 1874 to the Hematite Iron Company. This company con- tinted the operation of the furnace for only about one year, and sold to the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company, which company leased the fur- nace property to Ormrod, Fisher & Co. The average production is one thousand tons of pig iron per month, or twelve thousand tons a year. In the year 1883 a large pipe foundry was erected on the premises and near the furnace. Pipes of from four to ten inches diameter of the best quality are to be made in th foundry.
Hampton Furnace is situated on the Perkiomen, and on the public road lending from the Hereford and Shimersville turnpike to Sieszholtzville, about two and one-half miles west from Zionsville. This fur- nace was built in the year 1809 by David Hembach, Wisselman & Covely. Soon after Heimbach bought three years, and sold it on Ang. 13, 1832, with ninety acres of land, to John V. R. Hunter (Jaeger), of 1
Henry Kemmerer erected near the same place, in . 1831, a second powder-mill, and ran it about two : his partners ont, and- conducted the furnace for twenty- years, when it exploded and three lives were lost, two negroes and one German, Lewis Reiter.
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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
Allentown, who continued it for two years, May 20, ! Organ-Builders .- John and Andrew Krauss, sons of 1834, Hunter sold the furnace, with ninety acres of | land, to Daniel V. R. Hunter, of Oley, Berks Co., for ten thousand dollars, who continued its operation for six years. March 31, 1838, Daniel V. R. Hunter sold the furnaee and land to John V R. Hunter and Paul Lehigh County. On Feb. 7, 1850, Sheriff Ihrie, of : Lehigh County, sold the property at public sale to Frederick Sigmund, of Upper Milford, for three thou- sand five hundred and twenty-five dollars. On Oct. 29, 1859, F. Sigmund purchased another tract of sixty- five aeres one hundred and fourteen perches of land from John McManus and John V. R. Hunter. Frederick Sigmund continued the operation of the furnace for ten years, until his death, June 25, 1860, after which the furnace went to his sons, Henry M. and Albert M. Sigmund, who continued the same until 1867, and sold to l'eter Faust, who discontinued the furnace and creeted a powder-mill, which ex- ploded three years afterward.
Balthaser Krauss, Jr., made their first organ in the year 1790, when John was only twenty and Andrew only nineteen years old. This was no doubt the first pipe-organ which was manufactured in Pennsylvania. It was constructed ,in an old shop on their father's Miller at ten thousand dollars, who continued the premises, which is still to be seen, and is now owned same for about eleven years, when they sold the fur- by Levi Krauss. Previous to the year 1809 an organ nace property at public sale to John Gross, of Allen- . was built by John and Andrew Krauss for the use of town, who did not comply with the conditions, and . the Roman Catholic Church in Washington town- the property went to the hands of Sheriff Ihrie, of . ship, Berks Co., which is still to be seen there in the old church, and a little later an organ was made by the same firm for the use of the Long Swamp Church (Union), in Long Swamp township, Berks Co., and 1812 another for the use of the Jordan Union Church, in North Whitehall township, Lehigh Co. In 1826, at the same place, a bass viol was made by George Kranss and Joel Krauss, sons of Andrew Krauss. In 1828 a melodeon was made at the same place by George and Samuel Krauss, sons of Andrew Krauss, which was no doubt the first melodeon ever made. Later an ingenious globe was made by Andrew Krauss and his sons, George S. and Samuel. This globe was turned by a clock, which was made by Samuel and George Krauss, and the painting and printing was put No doubt this was the first furnace erceted in Le- high County, and David Hembach the first iron- master. on by George S. Krauss, taken from a map of the world which was printed in London. This globe turned by clock once in twenty-four hours, is still to Stahler Machine-Shop .-- Anthony Stahler, son of : be seen in the Perkiomen Seminary, East Greenville, Montgomery Co., Pa., and isstill in a good condition. The building of organs was continued by Andrew Krauss and his son, George S. Krauss, until 1840, when George S. Krauss moved to the neighborhood of the present Palm, in Montgomery Co., and estab- lished his business at that place, where it is still carried on by Edwin B. Krauss. In 1840 the old factory was abandoned.
Henry Staller, erected in the year 1837 a machine-shop on the public road leading from Shimersville to Vera Cruz, about one-half mile from Shimersville, in which he established a threshing-machine factory. He made excellent machines, and carried on business until his death, in 1860, after which his son, Henry, continued it for a few years. About the year 1862 the property was purchased by George Moyer, who still operates the factory.
Guth's Coach-Factory .- This coach-factory is situ- ated on "the King's high-road," between Shimers- ville and the borough of Macungie. A village, but without a store or tavern, has grown up around it. The coach-factory was created about the year 18:15 by Jonas Yerk (sometimes called Jonas George), and carried on by him until the year 1851, when it was sold to the present proprietor, Charles Guth. In con- junction with the factory is a saddler-shop, carried on by Mr. Laudis, son-in-law of Mr. Guth.
Grist- and Saw-Mills .- Kriebel's grist-mill is sit- uated on the Hosensack Creek, in Lower Milford, and on the publie road leading from the village of Hosen- sack to Palm, in Montgomery Co., about three-fourths of a mile southwest from Hosensack village. The land on which this mill is situated was first settled. 17.11, by Peter Rittenhouse, and was originally two hundred and fifty aeres, who sold to Abraham Meyer, who obtained a patent, granted Jan. 8, 1774, by the name of " Meyer's Negleet," who sold, May 26, 1774, one hundred and twenty-eight acres to Henry Funk for eight hundred and fifty pounds. This Henry Funk built a grist-mill on his land in or about the year 1775, and ran the same until the year 1783, and sold to Rev. George Kriebel. During the time of the Revolutionary war Henry Funk manufactured a good deal of flour for the use of the American army, ' which was conveyed to the place of destination by George Klein. On Feb. 18, 1796, George Kriebel of land, to his son, Abraham Kriebel, at nine hundred
Vera Cruz Creamery .- This creamery is located at the village of Vera Cruz, in Upper Milford. In 1880 a company, by the name of the "Vera Cruz Creamery Company (limited)," was organized, and the same year a fine building, with engine and suita- ble machinery, was erected, in which a snecessful business has since been carried on. In this creamery there was manufactured in the year 1883 over thirty- six thousand pounds of butter, and over seventy-five ; sold the mill, with one hundred and forty-nine aeres thousand pounds of cheese.
Mechanical Industries in Lower Milford- pounds, who continued the same for nineteen years,
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UPPER AND LOWER MILFORD TOWNSHIPS.
until 1816, when he died. On May 24, 1817, his son, Jacob Kriebel, bought the mill, besides twenty-five and three-fourths aeres of land, at one hundred pounds, and had possession of it for a period of fifty- eight years, and died March 17, 1875, aged eighty- four years, six months, four days. The same year the mill property was sold, at publie sale, to Joel Yeakel, at nineteen thousand five hundred dollars, who sold later to his son, Daniel K. Yeakel, who is still the proprietor.
Sehantz's grist- and saw-mill is situated in Lower Milford, on the Hosensack Creek, and nearly half a mile above the village of Hosensack. Previous to the year 1800 there was a saw-mill erected at this place by Abraham Schantz, and several years afterwards (after 1800) he erected an oil-mill at the same place, and continued the same until the year 1811, when he sold to his son, John Schantz (later a minister of the gospel), who continued the oil- and saw-mill for many years, and sold to his son, Henry Schantz, who rebuilt | the oil-mill in 1852, and erected a grist-mill, and dis- continued the oil-mill. The grist- and saw-mill were then continued by Henry Sehantz until his death (about the year 1864), and were sold to his son, Milton Sehantz, who has since continued their operation.
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