USA > Pennsylvania > Carbon County > History of the counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pt. 2 > Part 20
USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of the counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pt. 2 > Part 20
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On April 1, 1792, Peter sold this entire tract of four hundred and seventy-nine and a half acres of land to his son, John Peter. John Peter had nine children, to wit : Henry, Peter, Joseph, Charles, Daniel, and Polly (wife of Henry Miekley), Elizabeth (wife of Benjamin Boggs), Catharine (wife of Benjamin Kohler), and Salome (wife of Abraham Biery). Of these, Peter and Daniel moved to Indiana, Joseph to Ohio, Charles to Lower Milford (this county), Benjamin Boggs to Crawford County, Benjamin Kohler to Carbon County, where their descendants are still living. Abraham Biery obtained part of the original Burk- halter tract of land.
Henry Burkhalter, the oldest son of John Peter, was born Aug. 23, 1780, on the Burkhalter farm. He and his brother, Peter, bought two hundred and sixty- four acres of the farm, Feb. 21, 1857, which they sold some time afterwards, including the homestead to -
Breinig. Henry moved to Berks County, and sub- sequently returned to the old farm and settled upon a tract of ten aeres, where he died in 1835. He had twelve children, six sons-Charles, Stephen, David, Henry, William, and Reuben-and six daughters,- Esther, Sarah, Deborah, Elizabeth, Mary, and Chris- tiana.
Charles, Stephen, and Reuben at an early age settled in New York City, where they engaged in the wholesale grocery business, which they carried on successfully for many years. Charles was married to Anna M. Havermyer, a sister of ex-Mayor William F. Havermyer, Esq., of New York City. The three brothers died in the city of New York. David moved to Crawford County, where he is still living. Henry settled in Hamburg, Berks Co., where he died many years ago.
William moved to Tiffin, Ohio; served in the civil war, and died while a soldier. Esther, the oldest daughter, was married to Peter Steckel; preferred to reside with the Steckel family. Sarah was married to Charles Ruch, a descendant of the Rush family, which settled at Ruchville, in North Whitehall. He bought his father-in-law's tract, and died there in 1854, leaving seven children,-six sons, to wit: Henry, Allen, Stephen, Solomon, Reuben, and Edwin, all of whom reside out of the township, except Solomon, who is married into the Schaadt family; and one daughter, Sarah, intermarried with John J. Reil, living at Scranton, with whom the Widow Ruch now resides.
Deborah, another daughter of Henry Burkhalter, was intermarried with Paul Newhard, and Elizabeth with Joseph Newhard, both of whom resided in the township, and of whom an account is given in the sketch of the original Newhard family.
Mary (intermarried with William Beary), shortly after her marriage, settled in Seueea County, N. Y., at the place now known as Bearytown, where she died many years ago.
Christiana, the youngest daughter of Henry Burk- halter, was married to John K. Clifton, and settled in Northampton County ; descendants of this family are still living at Easton.
The first of the Leisenring family in this section was Johann Conrad Leisenring. Hle was born at Ilildeburg Hanse, April 27, 1727, and was baptized June 27, 1727. Hle emigrated to this country, land- ing at Philadelphia. He settled in Bucks County, and subsequently he resided with the family of Nich- olas Seager, in Whitehall township, for some years .. In 1766 he took into possession the Showalter tract, on the Lehigh River, at "Siegfried's Ferry," and bonght this tract, containing one hundred and fifty acres, from them April 1, 1771. He also obtained a patent, dated Feb. 19, 1788, for a tract of sixty-two and one-half acres, adjoining the Showalter tract on the north. The first house built here was of stone, erected in 1760, by Joseph Showalter, which was
485
WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP.
taken down by Johann Conrad Leisenring, and a new stone house erected by him on the same site in 1796, which is still standing, and occupied by the Leisen- ring family. The spring-house, partly stone and partly log, was built by Johann Conrad Leisenring in 1786, and is still in use. The barn now on the premises was built by Conrad Leisenring in 1794. The other stone house, now occupied by the Leisenring family, was built by Conrad Leisenring in 1816. Across the road at this place is a log house, painted red, of which there is no record, but evidently built by the Show- alters many years ago.
On this tract are located a number of springs, one at each of the old houses, and others along the course towards the Lehigh River. The water is used in irri- gating the meadow-land on this and adjoining tracts, the water rights being reserved by the adjoining owners. The Showalter family moved to Virginia after selling their land to Johann Conrad Leisenring.
Johann Conrad Leisenring died prior to the time of the Revolutionary war. His son, Conrad, then at the age of seventeen years, living with and supporting his mother, was taken with his team to the war, in which he served as teamster for a number of years. Peter and John, sons of Conrad Leisenring, served in the cavalry of Capt. Peter Ruch in the war of 1812. Of the survivors of the Leisenring family in the town- ship are William Leisenring, of Whitehall Station ; Catharine, Lydia, and Edward, still living at the old homestead; Mrs. George Daniel, and others residing in the vicinity.
Of the other original families in the upper part of the township may be mentioned Ulrich Flickinger, who obtained patents, dated May 22, 1762, for three hundred and two acres of land at Mill Creek. He shortly afterwards sold his land and moved to the State of New York. John Koeh, of Allentown, now owns a large portion of this tract.
Also George Ringer, who obtained warrants for one hundred and eleven acres of land on Mill Creek, in the northeastern limits of the township. The de- srendants of this family still live in the township.
Ou this original Ringer tract a stone grist- and saw- mill was created by Leonard Miller, about the year 1804. It was subsequently owned by Jacob Steckel, John Deichman, and Abraham Yellis, and the latter of whom, in 1855, rebuilt the mill, and it is now owned by -.
Michael Kelehner obtained a patent, dated Feb. 18, 1767, for twenty-seven acres, near Egypt. Among his descendants is Angustus K. Kelchner, who owns a traet of land near Egypt.
Michael Hoffinan landed at Philadelphia from Ger- many Oct. 11, 1732, and shortly after removed to the territory that later became Whitehall, and located two hundred and fifty acres of land along Indian or Coplay Creek, taking out his warrants on the 16th of November, 1714. Feb. 16, 1763, received the patents. The land is now owned by Samuel Butz
and Adam Shirer. Michael Hoffinan left two sons, John and Michael, who continued to occupy the tract bought by their father. John had two sons-Peter and Joel-and two daughters, -Caroline, who became the wife of Henry Guth, and Lydia, who married Joseph Long. Eli Hoffman, now living at Allen- town, is the only survivor of Peter Hoffinan's family. The family of Michael Hoffman, son of Michael, emi- grated to the Western States.
The farm of John Hoffinan was later owned by his son, Peter, and now belongs to Samuel Butz, of Allen- town, and the part that was inherited by Michael be- longs to Adam Shirer.
William Allen obtained from the proprietaries a traet of four hundred and fifty aeres in the upper part of the township along the Lehigh River, Dee. 12, 1759. He shortly after sold this traet in small par- cels to Joseph Showalter, Christopher Kern, George Kochler, and Joseph Bosler.
John Jacob Schreiber, the aneestor of the Schreiber family of Lehigh County, was born in Niederbrunn, provinee of Alsace, in the early part of the eighteenth eentury.
In a record, written by himself, it is stated that he was married to Anna Roth, of the same province, on the 28th day of April, 1733, and on the 4th of May following they set sail in the ship " Hope," of Lon- don, Daniel Reid, master, from Rotterdam, last from Cowes, for America, and landed, with two hundred and twenty-five others, at Philadelphia on the 28th of August, 1733.
It is stated in his record that they lived for some time in Sehippach township (now Montgomery Coun- ty), but the date and time are not given. From Schippach they removed to Lehigh County, and lo- cated on the west bank of the Lehigh River, where the village of Coplay now is. Here he located four hundred acres of land.
In a reeord kept by his son, Philip Jacob, we have the following :
" I, Philip Jaeob Schreiber, was born on the 18th day of June, 1785, iu Schippach township, Philadel- phia Co., and was baptized on the 15th of June in the same year." Tradition says that this son was five or six years old when the family took up their abode in Lehigh County.
Catherine Maria Magdelen was born on the 6th of January, 1737. The date of her baptism is not given, but her sponsors were John Schuck and his wife, Anna Maria. She was married to a son of Peter Troxel, with whom she moved to the State of Mary- land, and settled near Hagerstown.
Jolm George, the youngest child of John Jacob, was born on the 6th of December, 1739. He was baptized on the 2d of April, 1740, His sponsors were George Ruch and Eve Catherine, wife of Michael Hoffman. Ile was married to Elizabeth Julianna Deshler, and lived in Allentown up to the time of his death. He left no issue.
486
HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
John Jacob Schreiber died a comparatively young man. Ile is buried in the graveyard at the Egypt Church. His widow afterwards married Peter Troxel, the father of her son-in-law.
In the year 1756 or 1757 his eldest son, Philip Jacob, became the possessor of the homestead, which he held up to the time of his death.
On the 1st day of May, 1759, he was married to Catherine Elizabeth Kern, with whom he had eleven children, of which three died young. He died on the 5th of April, 1813, in the seventy-eighth year of his age. His wife survived him, and died on the 3d of November, 1819. Both are buried at the Egypt Church. Their children were :
1. Eve Catherine, born on the 7th of May, 1761; baptized on the 24th of May in the same year. Her sponsors were Peter Burghalter, George Schreiber, Christopher Kern, Margaret Kern, Julian Desehler, and Julian Hoffman. She was married to Jacob Mickley, with whom she had sons and daughters. The late Joseph Mickley, of Philadelphia, a promi- nent antiquarian and numismatist, was her son.
2. John Peter, born on the 27th of May, 1763. He was baptized on the 21st of September, 1763. His sponsors were George Koehler, Peter Deshler, Mar- garet, wife of Jacob Kern, and Eve, a single daugh- ter of Jacob Fatzinger. Ile was married to Susanna Deshler, with whom he had two daughters. Mrs. Aaron Dech, of Rittersville, is his daughter. He became the possessor of a part of his father's farm, where he died on the 24th of August, 1834.
3. Maria Magdelen, born on the 20th of January, 1767; baptized on the 12th of April in the same year. Her sponsors were Peter Deschler and Maria Eliza- beth Schreiber. She was married to Peter Desehler, with whom she had two sons and two daughters.
4. Barbara, born on the 12th of July, 1769; bap- tized on the 1st of August, 1769. Her sponsors were Christopher Kern and Catherine, a single daughter of Jacob Kern. She was married to Henry Miller, with whom she had three sons and two daughters. Isaac Miller, of Weaversville, Northampton Co., is her sou.
6. Susanna, born on the 1 lth of July, 1777: bap- tized on the 24th of August of the same year. Her ; sponsors were Christopher Kern and his wife, Cath- erine. She was married to Peter Ruch (who served as captain of a cavalry company at Marens Hook during the war of 1812), with whom she had four sons and one daughter. Capt. Thomas Ruch, of Whitehall, is her son, . and Mrs. Stephen Graff, of Ballietsville, her daughter.
6. Jacob, born Jan. 3, 1780; baptized on the 27th of February in the same year. Ilis sponsors were Peter Deschler and his wife, Magdelen. He was married to Eve Catherine, a daughter of Conrad Leisenring, with whom he had two sons and six : daughters. He became the possessor of the Schreiber homestead, where he died on Christmas-day, 1865, aged eighty-six years, less ten days.
7. Elizabeth, born on the 7th of September, 1782; baptized on the 3d of November in the same year. Her sponsors were Jacob Kern and his wife, Marga- ret. She was married to John Balliet, with whom she had seven sons and two daughters. They re- moved at an early date.to Northumberland County, this State, where many of her offspring still reside.
8. Daniel, born on the 4th of June, 1785; baptized on the 24th of July in the same year. Ilis sponsors were Christopher Kern and his wife, Catherine. IIe was married on the 19th of June, 1808, to Barbara, daughter of Conrad Leisenring, with whom he had four sons and five daughters. The sons were Reuben, Aaron, Daniel, and David,-all deceased but Aaron, who lives at Coplay. He died on the 9th of Decem- ber, 1857, aged seventy-two years, five months, and seven days.
Jacob Schreiber, son of Philip Jacob, who got to be the possessor of the original Schreiber homestead, the husband of Eve Catherine Leisenring, was the father of the following-named children :
1. Anna, married to Jacob Roth, with whom she had quite a number of children. Josiah Roth, of Whitehall Station, is her son.
2. Salome was married to Jacob Dillinger, a sub- jeet of a sketch elsewhere (in connection with a his- tory of the Allentown National Bank). She sur- vives her husband and one daughter, and has three living sons.
3. Edward, born on the 6th of May, 1807. Ile was married to Magdelen Laubach on the 26th of March, 1833, with whom he had six children, -- three sons and three daughters. He received one-half of his father's farm, erected the necessary buildings, and followed farming for some years. Ile built a distillery, and for some time was quite extensively engaged in that business. Later he purchased a farm and mill in Salisbury township, on the Little Lehigh River, known as the Edleman property, where he carried on farming and the manufacture of flour quite exten- sively. He took a great interest in fine blooded stoek of all kinds, and was the owner of some of the finest Durhams in the State. In the spring of 1869 he traveled over Europe, and visited Niederbronn, the home of his ancestors. Ile purchased in the city of Paris, France, six of the finest Percheron horses he could find, brought them home for his own use, and kept them on his farm up to the time of his death. He located five thousand acres of land in Northern Minnesota, where the Northern Pacific Railroad crosses the Red River, at the city of Morehead, which is now owned and cultivated by his eldest son, Frank J. Schreiber. He traveled quite extensively through- out the United States, which gave him much prac- . tical information. He was a man of much experience and more than ordinary enterprise. He died on the 16th of September, 1871.
4. Catherine, married to Joseph Eberhard, with whom she has two daughters. She lives with her
487
WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP.
husband on a farm situated in North Whitehall township, on the banks of the Coplay Creek.
5. Maria. This daughter is married to the Rev. Alfred J. G. Dubbs, pastor of Salem's Reformed Church, in the city of Allentown, where she, with her husband, have resided since the year 1857.
6. Owen L., born on the 9th of July, 1820, married to Louisa S., eldest daughter of Rev. Joseph S. Dubbs, D.D., on the 23d of December, 1847, with whom he has four children, one son and three daughters. He lives on a farm, near the village of Coplay, which is a part of the original tract owned by his grandfather, Philip Jacob Schreiber. Ile is a fancier of blooded stock, and is the owner of one of the finest herds of Devon cows in the State.
7. Eliza Julia. This daughter is married to Aaron G. Reninger, with whom she has five children, three sons and two daughters. Her husband is engaged in the mercantile business in the city of Allentown.
8. Malvina. This the youngest daughter was never married. She remained with her aged parents and cared for their wants up to the time of their death, when she took up her residence with her brother, Owen L. Schreiber, where she died on the Sth of Feb- ruary, 1875.
The Schreiber family strictly adhered to the church of their fathers. There is not a single one, at this time, bearing the family name who is not a member of the Reformed Church.
George Frederiek Newhard, the first of this family in the township, was born at Zweibrücken, on the Rhine. He emigrated to this country in the "Saint Andrew" galley, John Stedman, master, from Rot- terdam, last from Cowes, with four hundred and fifty persons, landing at Philadelphia Sept. 26, 1737. He settled in Whitehall township, and in 1742 obtained a warrant for two hundred and three acres of land along the Coplay Creek. In 1746 he bought two hundred and fifty acres of land along the Jordan Creek, from John Eastburn. Here he settled and erected a log house, near the present mill-dam, in which he lived until the time of his death, in 1770. He had nine children, five sons, to wit : Frederick, Lawrence, Christopher, Daniel, and Peter, and four daughters, to wit: Juliana (wife of Stephen Snyder, herein else- where referred to), Salome (wife of Mathias Albert), Sophia, and Elizabeth Barbara.
By deed of release Frederick and Lawreuee, two of the sons, obtained the above traet of two hundred and fifty acres, as also an adjoining traet of one hun- dred and twenty-one aeres, for which their father had in his lifetime obtained a warrant.
The other children of George Frederick Newhard continued to live in this immediate vicinity. A pat- ent was issued to Daniel, dated Oct. 16, 1788, for eighty-six aeres, adjoining tracts of Michael Kolb and Adam Miller, and which was afterwards owned by Godfrey Knauss and Henry Schneider.
Peter bought an undivided portion of the Giles
Winsor farm, along the Lehigh River, which is now owned by Jonathan Stemer. Frederick and Law- rence owned their tracts jointly until March 10, 1789, when by deed of partition of that date between them Frederick took the northeastern' portion, including the homestead, and . Lawrence the southeastern portion.
Frederick occupied his tract until his death, in 1794. He left nine children,-seven sons, to wit : Daniel, Henry, Peter, George Adam, Abraham, Frederick, and John, and two daughters,-Catharine (wife of Jacob Strauss) and Elizabeth. Of these, Henry, Peter, and Jacob Strauss moved to Monroe County, John to Montour County, and Abraham and Frederick to Ohio, Elizabeth died single, George Adam bought a tract of land known as the " Church Land," in the " Moyer Valley." He had four daugh- ters, - Elizabeth (wife of Michael Minnich, who now owns and ocenpies the original Lynford Lardner tract (" Grouse Hall"), along the Jordan, in South White- hall), Abbie (wife of Solomon George), Lydia (wife of Daniel George, who moved to the Western States), and Esther (wife of George Albright, who settled in Northumberland County).
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Daniel, the eldest son of Frederick Newhard, ac- quired the homestead of his father Nov. 13, 1795, and held it until his death, Sept. 14, 1840. He left eight children, to wit : Jonathan, Charles, Abraham, Henry, James, Renben, Anna ( wife of John Marcks), and Catharine. Of these, Reuben, Jonathan, and Henry occupied the land with the homestead, which is still owned by their families. Charles bought a tract in South Whitehall ; James settled near Egypt ; Abraham and Jonathan settled on the old homestead.
The southeastern portion of the original George Frederick Newhard tract was owned by his son, Law- renee, until his death, in 1817. He had ten children, to wit: Frederick, Christian, John Jacob, Peter, John, David, Daniel, Elizabeth (wife of John Moll, who lived at Allentown), Anna Maria (wife of Daniel Yundt), and Sally (wife of John Yundt). Of these, the first named moved West. Peter was a blacksmith by trade, and settled in Allentown, where his de- seendants are still living. John moved to Allentown, where he died in 1850, at the age of sixty-seven years. He had two sons-Paul and Joseph-and four daugh- ters, to wit: Deborah (wife of Thomas Clark, who settled in the township), Eliza (wife of Seligman Butz, who moved West), Caroline (wife of Jones George, of Allentown), and Elenora ( wife of William Mullen).
Paul bought the original Philip Verbal tract, along the Jordan, and parts of tracts of Jacob Wertz, Stephen Snyder, and Daniel Newhard, which he oe- cupied until the time of his death, in 1858, at the age of forty-nine years. At the time of his death he left two sons,-Franklin J. and Lewis P. By proceedings in partition, Franklin J. accepted the whole tract of land, and subsequently sold a portion of it to his
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488
HISTORY OF LEHIGHI COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
brother, Lewis P., which they still own. In 1875, Franklin J. Newhard was elected clerk of the Court of Quarter Sessions and Over and Terminer of the county, and health officer for three years. He is now secretary of the Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Lehigh County.
Joseph, the other son of John Newhard, accepted his father's farm, and lived at the old homestead, above the mill, until his death, in 1868, aged fifty- eight years. He left surviving one daughter,-Susan (intermarried with Franklin Koehler, who now owns and oeeupies the old John Newhard tract).
Daniel, the other son of Lawrence Newhard, ac- quired his father's homestead, which he occupied until his death. His widow still owns the old house. He had four sons-Manasses (now living at Wilkes- barre), Menoni, Edwin C. D. (who is dead), and Lawrence J. (now living at Allentown)-and two daughters, who moved out of the township.
On the Lawrence Newhard tract is erected a stone grist-mill. In the partition proceedings between Fred- erick and Lawrence Newhard in 1789, the rights are reserved by Lawrence for a mill-dam and mill-raee upon the land of Newhard, the mill not then having been built. In 1790 the mill was erected by Lawrence Newhard, which is still standing. Upon his death the mill property was acquired by John and Daniel, his two sons. In 1834, Daniel sold his share to John, who held it until his death, in 1850. Under proceed- ings in partition in the estate of John Newhard, the mill was occupied by his son, Joseph, who, with his brother-in-law, Tilghman Butz, carried on the milling business for some time. It subsequently passed into the hands of Peter Roth, who held it until his death. Shortly after this time it was sold to Thomas Strauss, the present owner. The mill is located on the Jordan Creek, which supplies the water-power.
The mill with the surrounding honses constitute a small hamlet. In 1834, Daniel Newhard, having sold his share in the mill, erected a house at this place, and surrounded it with a "clapboard" fence. In this he was followed the same year by his neighbors, and nearly the whole place was inclosed by these paling tences, at that time seldom used. David Newhard, then living at Hamburg, Berks Co., paid his brother at the grist-mill a visit, and, being impressed with the novelty of these fences, called the place "Clapboard Town," the name which it bears to this day.
The houses at this place, with few exceptions, were erected by the Newhard family and their descendants.
In 1831, John Clark, a son-in-law of John New- hard, erected a large house at this place. This prop- erty was sold by the sheriff, May 6, 1833, and bought by John Newhard and others, and sold by them, March 19, 1834, to Christian Copp. The same year Copp petitioned the court for a hotel license at this place, which was granted, and the house was known as the California Hotel for many years. His successors in the hotel business were desse Ochs, John Yund,
Charles Reinsmith, Capt. Weiand, Samuel Funk, and Peter Roth, the latter abandoning the hotel some years ago. The house is now occupied by the widow of Peter Roth as a dwelling.
Godfrey Knauss the elder settled on the Jordan Creek, at the place now known as Shreversville. He was living in this township before 1753, as in that year he was appointed by the court of Northampton County the constable of Whitehall township upon its organization. He obtained three patents, Jan. 12, 1763, for two hundred and thirty-five acres of land. Upon this tract he lived till his death, which is not known. He was buried on his own farm, in the orchard. He also purchased land near what is now Slatington, adjoining Nicholas Kern, who had settled in this township in.1735, and moved to this place in 1737. Prior to his death, July 10, 1771, he sold to his son, Godfrey Knauss, two hundred and seven acres of this land for six hundred pounds, payable in install- ments of fifty pounds per year. He left surviving six children, four sons-George Frederick, Philip, Godfrey, and Paul-and two daughters, -Eve Cath- arine and Mrs. Felix Griesemer, who lived in South Whitehall. George Frederick, Philip, and Paul Knauss, sons of Godfrey the elder, and brothers of Godfrey Knauss, Jr., removed to other parts of the county. Eve Catharine Knauss, their sister, was born in 1750, and married George Yundt, son of Jacob Yundt, who settled on the Lehigh River. She died April 22, 1818, aged sixty-seven years. Of these, Godfrey was born July 15, 1742, and settled upon the homestead. He patented on the 27th of May, 1789, a tract of thirty-two acres adjoining. His death oc- curred Feb. 15, 1806. He was a blacksmith by trade, and had a shop at what is now known as Kuanss' Bridge, over the Jordan. He carried on business at this place for thirty years, as appears by his account- book kept in German, which is still in existence. His accounts commence in 1770, and contain the names of most of the families living at that time in the township. During the time of the Revolution the entries for several years are few. In 1797 he erected the stone barn still standing, and subse- quently the dwelling-house. He left surviving six children, one son-Jonathan-and five daughters, - Saloma, Maria, Catharine, Hannah, and Magdalene. Jonathan was born Oct. 18, 1778, married Elizabeth Faust, daughter of Jonas Faust, and upon his father's death, in 1806, he purchased the interest of the heirs in the homestead, where he continued to live until his death, March 22, 1826. He left twelve children, of whom Reuben lives near the old homestead; Edward, Joseph, Jonathan, and Peter moved to Allentown ; William was a volunteer in the Mexican war, and died at New Orleans on his way to the seat of war ; Sarah, wife of Heury Hisky, settled near the home- stead, where she died; Adaline became the wife of Augustus L. Ruhe, of Allentown, and settled in that Icity ; Mary, wife of David Stemm, also settled in that
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