USA > Pennsylvania > Carbon County > History of the counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pt. 2 > Part 26
USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of the counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pt. 2 > Part 26
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Among the oldest settlers was Panlus Balliet, born in Alsace, in the year 1717. He landed in America
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NORTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP.
from the ship " Robert Oliver," Walter Goodman, commander, on the 10th of September, 1738; applied for ninety-seven aeres one hundred perehes of land, comprising the old Balliet farm, on the 12th of April, 1749, for the surveying of which a warrant was granted 9th October, 1759, and deed for same made 7th Sep- tember, 1761. Besides the above, he acquired seven hundred and thirteen aeres one hundred and thirty- one perches, between 1749 and 1774. On the 10th of April, 1759, he was naturalized, at the age of forty- three years. He married Maria Magdalena Wotring, a native of Lorraine, France, and she died in 1802. After a life of great usefulness and activity, Paulus, on the 19th of March, 1777, died at the age of sixty, and was buried in the southeast section of the old burial-ground of Union Church. He is still com- monly referred to among the people as " Bowl" Bal- liet, a name which, according to tradition, he received from the Indians, to whom he was aeeustomed, as landlord at Ballietsville, to furnish refreshments from a wooden bowl. He left five sons and four daughters, named Jacob, Nicholas, Stephen, John, Paul, Catha- rine, Susan, Eva, and Magdalena. Of these, Stephen, born in 1753, was a eolonel in the Revolutionary army, and engaged in the battle of Brandywine, in 1777. In 1789 he was elected a member of the House of Representatives at Harrisburg, and in 1797 was ap- pointed revenue collector for the Second Distriet of Pennsylvania. He died 4th August, 1821. His wife was Magdalena Burgalter, a daughter of Peter Burg- alter, who settled near Egypt about 1740. The descend- ants of old Paulus Balliet are numerous, and are scat- tered over the whole country. Among those who are. now deceased are Stephen Balliet, Hiram Balliet, and Asa Balliet, Esqs., and prominent among those at pres- ent living in North Whitehall are Aaron Balliet, Esq., Paul Balliet, Esq., of Ballietsville; Mr. Horace Balliet, of Ironton ; and Dr. Lewis B. Balliet, of Unionville. The name is variously written Balliot, Paulyet, Pal- liot, Palyard, and Balyard in the old reeord, but by Paulus himself either Baliet or Balliet.
Johann Nicholas Saeger came from Reichenbach, Bavaria. He landed at Philadelphia on the 22d of September, 1783, and in the same month took up above five hundred acres of land on Coplay Creek, which land is now owned by Tilghman Weaver, Benjamin Breinig, and Eli J. Saeger, Esq., one of his lineal descendants. His wife, Behesty, a native of the same place, and his five sons accompanied him to the New World. Two of these, named Christian Nicholas and John Nicholas, obtained possession of their father's land on his death, and remained in North Whitehall, the rest of the boys removing to New York State. Nicholas, the son of John Nicholas, born between 1760 and 1765, was the father of Joseph K. Saeger, Esq., who in his time was prominent in local matters in the township, attaining the rank of general of ' militia. Ile died Nov. 14, 1855, at the age of sixty- three. His wife, Mary Magdalena Saeger, a blood
relative of his, was born April 18, 1792, and died Aug. 15, 1836. Joseph K. Saeger established the first foundry and machine-shop and put up the first steam- engine in Lehigh County. The machine-shop is now included in the extensive works of Allen, Barber & Collum, at the corner of Third and Walnut Streets, Allentown, Pa. Eli J. Saeger, Esq., president of the National Bank of Catasauqua, is one of Joseph K. Saeger's sons, and is the present owner of one hun- dred and eighty-five acres of the original Saeger traet.
Paul Gross, born at Zweibrucken, in Germany, eame to America in 1754, and settled upon a tract of land in North Whitehall, in the vicinity of the present village of Schnecksville, which traet has always, wholly or in part, been in the possession of the fam- ily. His wife, a Miss Guth, from the same place, ae- companied him. He died at the age of forty-six years, leaving a daughter, who was married to Mi- chael Deibert, and a son named Peter. The latter was justice of the penee for forty-five years, begin- ning with the year 1812. He was married to Barbara Troxel, and eight children were the result of the union, only one of whom, John Gross, is now alive, residing near Allentown, in Salisbury township, at the advanced age of eighty-three years. Daniel Gross was another of the children, whose sons, Peter Gross, Esq. (president of the Slatington National Bank), Jonathan Gross (of Fogelsville), Rev. Simon K. Gross (of Sellersville, Pa.), and Joel Gross, Esq. (of Allen- town) survive him. Peter and Jocl Gross are in possession of eighty aeres of the original tract, being the old homestead. Peter Gross was married on the 26th of March, 1843, to Mary Rudy, a daughter of Duro Rudy, and has held many offices of publie trust in the gift of the township, notably that of justice of the peace for fifteen years, beginning in 1862. In 1876 he married Mrs. Henrietta Price, widow of Samuel Price, Esq. His son, Joseph P'. Gross, Esq., is an attorney-at-law in Philadelphia. Of Joel Gross' sons, Henry D. Gross is at present justice of the peace at Schnecksville, and William C. Gross, Esq., of Philadelphia, and Thomas F. Gross, Esq., of Allentown, are lawyers.
The first of the Siegers, whose Christian name is supposed to have been Melchior, eame from Würtem- berg, Germany, about 1750, and settled, in company with the Gross and the Guth families, on a tract of land upon which Siegersville stands. He built a log residence on the road leading from Philadelphia to the Blue Mountains, laid out in the time of King George III. in a portion of country well watered, but overgrown with scrub-oak. At his death his son, Samuel, succeeded him in the ownership of the farm. He built the old stone hotel at Siegersville, still stand- ing. The latter died in 1835, at the age of seventy- five, leaving a large family of children, among whom were John, Michael, Peter, and George. John Sieger was a prominent man in the township in his day,
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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
being elected a justiee of the peace. He also had a -Christian, who removed to New York, and Peter, who was born on the 28th of February, 1799, and who succeeded to the possession of his father's land. For many years he kept the hotel at Ruchsville, and was i a man widely known in the community. He held many positions of public trust, and was a leading spirit in militia organizations, in which he held differ- large tannery, and, in connection with his brother, Michael, did a great deal towards building up Sie- gersville. He died in 1820, at the early age of thirty- five. Among his sons are James Sieger, of Allen- town, Joseph, John, Charles, Reuben, and Samuel; the latter two are deceased. Among the sons of George Sieger are Nathan, Ephraim, and William, i ent ranks, from captain to that of brigadier-general all residing at or near Siegersville, and Frank G. Sie- ger, of Allentown. Lewis, John, and Amandes are sons of Samuel Sieger, and all live at Siegersville, en- gaged in extensive ore-mining. The last named is at present a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly.
of volunteers, being appointed to the latter in 1821. During the war of 1812 he commanded the Whitehall Troop, which for a while was in active service in the second war with Great Britain. Gen. Rueh died on the 19th of November, 1838, aged fifty-nine years. He married, on the 13th of March, 1801, Susanna Schreiber, with whom he lived in holy wedlock for thirty-seven years. Of their children three are still living in the township,-William, David, and Maj. Thomas Ruch.
Johannes Schaad landed in America from the ship "Queen of Demark," Georg Parrish, commander, on the 4th of October, 1751, and is supposed to have been the first of the family in the township. He came from Hanau, in Prussia, and was accompanied by two sons, named Georg Adam and Johannes, and three daugh- ters, who married into families by the names of Fink, Folk, and Fritzinger, in Heidelberg and Lynn town- ships. He took out a warrant for one hundred and eighty-five aeres of land on Coplay Creek, on the 24th
Johann Michael Watering (now often written Wot- ring or Woodring, and is derived from the French Voidwrain, "one who attends to horses") came from Lothringen ( Lorraine), and located on a tract of two hundred acres, near Sand Spring, about 1740. He of January, 1754, and on this the family settled. Georg | built the first grist-mill in that vicinity. He left two Adam, the elder son, later took up the land now form- sons, named Michael and Samuel, of whom the latter built, in 1773, the mill since known as Woodring's mill, of logs, which were contributed, ready for use, by the neighbors. The old mill is still standing, and was in 1837 converted into a dwelling-house, now or- eupied by Jacob Woodring, being superseded by the 1 present mill of stone construeted in 1834. Samuel also built the first saw-mill on Coplay Creek. He left three sons,-John, Michael, and Samuel. His brother, Michael, died in 1862, at the age of eighty- four. Of his children, there are still living in the township D. K. Wotring, of Unionville, Jacob and Eli Woodring. ing in part Thomas Ruch's farm, but in time his por- tion of the family disappeared, going West. From the second son, Johannes, are descended all of the family at present residing in the township. His son, Johannes, is the father of Moses B. and Tilghman Schaadt, of Allentown. Another son, Lorenz, who died Oct. '4, 1855, at the age of sixty-four, left Ren- ben Sehad, of Greenville, Mercer Co., Pa. ; David Schaadt, of Allentown ; Charles Schadt, of Philadel- phia, and other children. From Henry are descended William Schadt, of Indiana; Monroe Schadt, of South Whitehall township; and John J. Schadt, of Allentown ; while Abraham Schadt, the youngest son, was the father of Owen Sehadt, of Ruehsville, Pa., whose son, Milton E. Schadt, Esq., is an attor- ney-at-law in Allentown; and of Thomas Schadt, re- siding on a large farm near Coplay, formerly the Deshler farm.
George Ruch came from Alsace, but when or upon how much land he located cannot be distinctly told. He was born in 1664, and died at the age of one hundred and five years. The land he settled upon descended, on his death, to his son, Lawrence Ruch, born on the 14th of November, 1744, who added to it until at his death he was the owner of two hundred and twelve acres, part . of which was the estate called Westminster (contain- ing ninety-two acres), for which he received a warrant on the 22d of April, 1773. All of these lands lay in the neighborhood of where Ruchsville now is. Hle died on the 27th of October, 1825, aged eighty-two years less nine days. He was strong and courageous, and was a prominent man in the community, and his favorite expression of "Jetzt hundert" is still rement- bered. He married a Miss Knouse, and left two sons,
Christopher Bear eame from Germany, and between 1743 and 1754 took out warrants for six tracts of land along Coplay Creek, amounting altogether to four hundred and fifty-six acres one hundred and twenty- eight perches, for which he received a deed from the proprietaries on the 9th of October, 1756. He con- veyed all his lands to his sons, Melchior and John, in 1781. The former died about 1792, leaving a widow, Julianna, and four children, named Henry, Catharine, Susanna, and Magdalena, of whom the first named received most of the land. Of the chil- dren of Henry, who married Susanna Herman, Adam Bear is still living on a portion of the original traet.
The first of the numerous family of Kennels (or Kendalls, as they are styled in old deeds) was Joseph Kennel, who is named as the grantee in a deed, dated Nov. 2, 1757, for one hundred and forty aeres one hundred and fourteen perches, "near Macungy, in the county of Bucks, now Whitehall township, in the county of Northampton," from Peter Kocher, who obtained a warrant for it on the 8th of November, 1745. This land Joseph Kennel conveyed on the
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NORTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP.
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7th of June, 1766, to his sons, Dewalt and Jacob Kennel. Of Joseph Kennel nothing ean now be exactly told. Theobald, or Dewalt, as he is above ealled, was born in Europe, on the 11th of January, 1737, and came to America at the age of fourteen with his father, Joseph. He was naturalized on the 12th of October, 1765, and died Nov. 26, 1808. He was twice married: first to Maria Hoffman, with whom he had four sons, Peter, Johannes, Lorenz, and Michael ; and afterwards to Eliza Erdman, with whom he also had four sons, Dewald, Jacob, Daniel, and Conrad. Theobald added greatly to the possessions he received from his father, Joseph, and the greater portion of his land, including the original tract, passed into the hands of his son, Jacob, and is now owned by his son, Eli. Within the limits of the township there reside at present of the Kennel family Eli, Hilarius, and David Kennel.
George Christian Jacob, born on the 25th of De- cember, 1745, came to America from Würtemberg, Germany, in 1764, and settled upon ninety-seven aeres and one hundred and thirty-eight perches of land upon the Coplay Creek, which he bought from Lewis Bishel, about 1778, for twenty pounds. Ile died in 1822. He was married to Eva Guth, and had three children, Abraham, Hannah, and Susan. The first named, who was born June 29, 1775, inherited the land, upon which he lived till his death, on the 8th of February, 1857, at the age of eighty-one years. He was married to Elizabeth Peters in 1804, and bad eleven children, of whom Aaron lives at Allentown, and Abraham and his sister, Catharine, live upon the old plaee.
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Adam Romich, a resident of Saucon township, Le- high Co., Pa., bought, in 1790, a farm of one hundred and twenty-six acres on the banks of Coplay Creek, where he built a saw-mill, still standing, and after- wards a grist-mill, which was later torn away, and re- placed, in 1826, with the present mill of stone. Both mills have always been known as Romich's mill. Adam Romich did not move here, but his son, Peter, came here in 1790, and lived here till his death, în August, 151, at the age of fifty-seven years. He was married to launch Jacob, and his son, John Romich, is now living on the old place, at the advanced age of seventy-three years.
The Graff family is descended from Jacob Graff, who emigrated in 1760 with his son, Martin, from Alsace. The latter was born in that province in 1748, and consequently was twelve years of age on his arri- val in this country. He received a patent from the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania on the 28th of February, 1783, for a tract of one hundred and six acres in North Whitehall, called Grafton, and another for forty-eight acres one hundred and eighteen perches on the 13th of March following. He died in 1835, aged eighty-seven years. Of his descendants, l'eter Graff is now living upon a portion of the old traet.
Martin Semmel came from Frankfort-on-the-Main, and was married to Margaret Heiner, from the same place. He located about one hundred acres on the Jordan, a mile above Kernsville. He had three sons, named George, John, and Tobias, all of whom settled in the neighborhood. ITis lands deseended to Tobias, who was married to a Miss Wolf, and whose sons were Michael, Tobias, Martin, George, and John, of whom Michael received sixty-six aeres, and John the re- mainder of the original tract. Of the other sons, Tobias was born on the 22d of February, 1786, and died on the 5th of July, 1847, aged sixty one years, and was married to Anna Maria Klotz. The descend- ants of the family are numerous, and among those living in the township are Josiah, Reuben (the con- stable), Benjamin, Francis, Oliver, Henry, and Den- nis Semmel.
Michael Laury was born in Seotland, and with his wife, Barbara, a native of Würtemberg, Germany, emigrated in 1755, and while in Philadelphia, his son, Godfried, was born on the 22d of November in that year. Michael settled on a tract of land on Fell's Creek, ou which Knonse's mill, now owned by H. F. Beidler, Esq., stands: At the age of sixty, feeling lonely because all of his sons had joined the Revolu- tionary army and left him at home alone, he also beenme a soldier under Washington. He was killed in an engagement near Mount Bethel, N. J., where he lies buried. Godfried Lanry, his son, was also a sol- dier in the Revolutionary army. He died on the 27th of June, 1824, aged sixty-nine years. He married Susanna Rockel on the 4th of April, 1781, and lived with her in wedlock for forty-three years. She was born on the 7th of June, 1757, and died Nov. 9, 1829, aged seventy-two years. Their son, Johannes Lanry, was born on the 12th of September, 1784, and on his father's death inherited the old tract on Fell's Creek. Ile was married to Maria Magdalene Kuhns in 1804, and with her lived in matrimony for thirty-one years, rearing eleven children. He died on the 25th of April, 1836, aged fifty-one years. His wife, Maria, was born on the 18th of June, 1783, and died Sept. 1, 1885, aged fifty-two years. Of their children, the oldest, David Laury, born on the Ist of June, 1805, became the most prominent in township and county affairs. He was married on the 12th of August, 1827, to Maria Kline, and died on the 28th of September, 1883. Hle was identified with every movement look- ing towards the development and improvement of the village named after him, and spent the whole of an active and useful life in advancing the welfare of his fellow-men. For many years he was the landlord and storekeeper at Laury's, and was the postmaster from 1853 to the end of his life, with the exception of one year (1864), when he was causelessly removed, only to be implored again to accept the office the fol- lowing year. In 1855 he was appointed express, freight, ticket, and station agent for the Lehigh Val- ley Railroad at Laury's, which duties he faithfully
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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
performed to the time of his death, when he was the oldest official in the service of the company. Ilo held military commissions, from captain of the North Whitehall Rifle Rangers to major-general of volun- teers. In 1850-53, he was elected to the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania; in 1865, a justice of the peace; in 1868, associate judge of the courts of Lehigh County ; and, in 1873, re-elected to the same position. In 1844 he was foremost in having the common-school system adopted in the township. He always took a lively interest in religious matters, assisting, in 1838, in establishing the first Sunday- school outside of Allentown. In 1872 he was one of the building committee of St. John's Church, near Laury's. He was called to discharge many respon- sible trusts, and in every one proved faithful to the letter, and his influence upon all publie affairs was undoubted. His son, A. C. P. Laury, Esq., now re- sides upon a portion of the old farm, and has suc- eeeded to many of the positions of trust formerly held by his father.
The first of the Scheurers about whom anything definite can be told is Adam Scheurer, who occupied a farm of four hundred acres (upon part of which fronton now stands), all of which he acquired through his individual industry. He was a teamster in the Revolutionary army, and after the conclusion of the war of independence he erected several looms for weaving at this house, now occupied as a hotel by Joseph Kocher, at Ironton, which he erected in 1773. The first discovery of iron ore was made upon his lands. The ore was exchanged by him for iron at the Hlam- burg Furnace, and the iron was manufactured into nails by hand at a smithy which he opened, and at which a number of men were employed by him. He died in 1806, aged seventy-eight. He married Anna Eliza Hertzog, and left thirteen children, of whom one son, named Jonas, is still living at the advanced age of eighty-eight years with his son-in-law, David Hausman, near Ballietsville. The rest of his sons, named Adam, John, Peter, Daniel, John Jacob, Nicholas, Solomon, David, and George, are all de- ceased. The last named was for a time justice of the peace in North Whitehall. Of the sons of John Jacob Scheirer, James and Reuben are living near Ironton.
The Frantz family derives its origin from Anthony Frantz, who located on the Antalannee Creek, near the Blue Mountains, and who with his brother, a soldier in the French and Indian war, was killed by the savages. Immediately after that war his son, Jacob, being told that there was better land farther south, where there was less danger of attack from the Indians, took up four hundred acres of land below Unionville, about three-quarters of a mile be- low which village he erected a hotel and store build- ing and distillery, and here he lived until his death, in 1826, at the age of eighty-four, when his lands passed into strangers' hands. Two of his sons, John George and Heury Anthony Frantz, purchased a farm
on Mill Creek in 1801, formerly owned by Hans Schneider, and later by G. Reinch. John George was born June 18, 1775, was married for forty eight years to Catharine Kulus, with whom he lind ton children, and died June 8, 1518. Another son, Jacob, removed from the township, and John, the youngest, died in the neighborhood of his father's farm. Lewis Frantz, a grandchild of George, is living in North Whitehall, while of the sons of Henry Anthony Frantz, William, Abraham, Henry, and Daniel reside on farms in the township.
Sebastian Miller came from Germany, and, after a residence for some time in Montgomery County, Pa., located with his son, Jacob, on a tract of land called Mount Nebo, comprising one hundred and fifty-five and one-half acres, situated on the Lehigh River, above Laury's Station, for which he obtained a war- rant on the 25th of October, 1749. This he granted by will to his son, Jacob, above named, who acquired in addition three hundred aml seventeen and one-half aeres adjoining the Mount Nebo tract, in three par- cels,-one of forty-five acres, by deed-patent from the province on the 18th of February, 1768 ; the second, of one hundred and fifty-three and one-half aeres, by patent under date of May 31, 1784; and the third, of one hundred and nineteen acres, by patent dated May 18, 1784. He also located other tracts about the year 1758, which passed into the ownership of strangers. He was a teamster in the Revolutionary army. His relations with the Indians, who had an encampment on his land, were of the most friendly nature. He was in the habit of presenting them with milk, in re- turn for which they were accustomed to assist in herd- ing his eattle. At the time of the Indian disturb- ances, in 1763, he, with the rest of his neighbors, fled, with his family and effects, to Deshler's fort for safety, but returned almost immediately, upon receiving as- surances from his savage friends of their kindly dis- position towards him. They helped to return him and his household to the farm, and for a time he was the only white man who dared to dwell in the neigh- borhood. When the Indians finally withdrew from this region they took their last dinner with him be- fore departing. During his residenee in Montgomery County he was married to Elizabeth Miller, a native of Germany. He died about 1810, at an advanced age, and was buried at Egypt. He had but one brother, named Sebastian, who lived and died a bach- elor with the first Sebastian. Jacob Miller left four sons, named Jacob (who moved to Susquehanna County, Pa.), Sebastian, Peter, and John. Of these, Sebastian received the first-mentioned traet of one hundred and fifty-five and one-half aeres (now owned by Joel Peter), while to Peter and John he conveyed the three hundred and seventeen and one-half acres by deed on the 26th of May, 1798, reserving for him- self a life estate. The land was well overgrown along the Lehigh River with a fine forest of poplar-trees. The entire farm is still in the possession of his de-
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scendants or their near relatives by marriage. Por- tions of the farm are at present owned by Samnel Miller, of North Whitehall, and by William and Jacob Miller, of Allentown, Pa., the latter of whom owns the original homestead.
The first of the Newhards is supposed to have been Michael, who took out warrants for abont two hun- dred and fifty acres of land along the Lehigh, in the vicinity of Lanry's Station, between 1738 and 1765. It descended to his sons, Frederick and Peter New- hard, or Nyhard, as the name is oeeasionally found written, who had purchased from their father forty- three acres one hundred and three perches on the 18th of January, 1768, and one hundred and sixty acres one hundred and twenty perches on the 8th of Jan- uary, 1770, and also bought a traet of fifty-five acres thirty-five perches from Jacob Miller, on the 8th of January, 1770. Peter Nyhard besides located a tract called " Fairfield," of eighteen acres sixty-six perches, on the 16th of November, 1786. Portions of these lands are held at present by Owen, Joseph, and Al- fred J. Newhard, who are descendants from them.
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