USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, a history, Volume II > Part 30
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43
Albert H. Englerth was born in Gwynedd, Pennsylvania, September 7, 1861. His education was begun in the public schools of Franklinville, and he later attended school at Coal Point and Rose Hill, of Pennsyl- vania communities. When only eleven years of age he started to work, securing a position with H. S. Nash, in a clothing and men's furnishing store in Rose Hill. After five years' experience in this connection, Mr. Englerth went to Philadelphia, where he became identified with the Stetson Hat Company, as a finisher, and was employed along that line for ten years. Then coming to Ambler, Pennsylvania, he entered the employ of W. C. Evans, wholesale and retail dealers in coal and feed. He was with this concern as an employee for twelve years, after which he bought out Mr. Evans, and has since carried the business forward independently. It is advantageously located on the corner of Railroad avenue and Oak street, Ambler, Pennsylvania, and is counted among the leading distributors in this line in a wide area. Mr. Englerth is interested in all local advance, giving his aid and endorsement to any movement for the public good, and is actively identified with the Norristown Building and Loan Association. An enthusiastic supporter of the principles of the Republican party, he is a worker in the ranks of the party, but prefers to leave leadership to others. Fraternally Mr. Englerth holds member- ship in Fort Washington Lodge, No. 308, Free and Accepted Masons, and is also a member of the Knights of the Mystic Chain. His religious affiliation is with the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, of which he is a deacon.
Mr. Englerth married, on April 4, 1907, in New York City, Nellie Turner Bowers, daughter of George and Elizabeth Bowers, of that city.
JOHN B. SHERBON, M. D .- As a skillful physician and surgeon, Dr. John B. Sherbon has long been known and most highly esteemed and loved in the State of Iowa, but it is only since 1919 that the people of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, have been familiar with his name and his work. In the short time he has been with them, however, the people of Pottstown have learned to esteem him highly, both as an eminently skillful member of his profession and as a worthy friend and associate.
Dr. Sherbon is descended from very old Colonial stock, tracing his ancestry to John Sherbon, who came to America as royal governor of New Hampshire. As the population in the East increased and the hardier, more enterprising spirits moved westward, another John Sher-
234
HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
bon, descendant of the royal governor, went with the westward moving migration from New Hampshire to Pennsylvania, and settled at May- town, near Marietta, in Lancaster county. He lived the rugged life of the pioneer and reared a family of children, among whom was John B. (1), the grandfather of John B., of this review. Among the sons of John B. (1) Sherbon was John B. (2), father of our subject.
John B. (2) Sherbon was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1837, and died in Grundy county, Iowa, 1892. He was a minister of the Gospel (Church of God), who, inheriting the spirit of the pioneer, moved westward, as his forbears had done, finally locating at Cedar county, Iowa, where, in addition to the duties of preacher and pastor, he engaged in farming and also followed the trade of the carpenter. A sturdy pioneer, known and loved for his integrity and for his helpfulness, he contributed a worthy share to the building of the "West" of those days. He had previously served in a Pennsylvania regiment during the Civil War, thus contributing a share to the region of his early years, as well as to the new region of the later "West." He married Hettie Green, born in 1840, at Little York, Pennsylvania, who is still living, and they had the follow- ing children : James, Levi, Elizabeth and Emma, Howard, Georgie, Ella, Amos; John B., of further mention; Fred, Ida, and Eunice, all living.
John B. (3) Sherbon, son of John B. (2) and Hettie (Green) Sher- bon, born at Lisbon, Cedar county, Iowa, November 20, 1876. received his early education in the public schools of Cedar county. He then entered Western College, Iowa, from which he was graduated with the class of 1893. Continuing his studies in Iowa State University, he was graduated from that institution in 1904, with the degree of M. D., after which he began practice in Colfax, Iowa, and soon became associated with Victoria Sanitarium, a private hospital, where he remained for eight years, until 1912. He then removed to Hartley, Iowa, where he was engaged in general practice until 1916, at which time failing health com- pelled him to give up his practice. He went to the lumber districts of Wisconsin to recuperate, and by the fall of 1918 had so much improved that he entered the army as captain of a medical corps and was sent to Camp Greenleaf. His first assignment was that of assistant to local examining boards, which were short of men on account of the epidemic of influenza. In one place in Wisconsin he found all three members of the board prostrated with the "flu" and 125 men from the lumber camps waiting to be examined within two days. While waiting for their exam- inations the men had freely patronized the saloons of the place, and were totally unfit for examination. Dr. Sherbon met the difficulty by closing all the saloons, and found that, aside from the temporary disability caused by drink the lumbermen were a fine lot of men, all but six being accepted, and making good soldiers. At the close of the war, after receiving his discharge, Dr. Sherbon, with health fully regained, came to Pottstown, and entered general practice. He is attending surgeon of the G. Stanley Flagg Mills Manufacturing Company, and pathologist of the Pottstown Hospital, in charge of all laboratory work. He keeps abreast of the times
235
BIOGRAPHICAL
professionally, spending each Wednesday in Philadelphia with Dr. Bland, the well known gynecologist, seeing operations and widening his experi- ence and his fund of information, as well as keeping fresh his energy and his enthusiasm, and spares neither money nor time in order that he may as fully as possible keep himself prepared to render the best possible service to his large clientele. He is a member of the County, State and National Medical societies, and fraternally is a thirty-second degree Mason, Scottish Rite, and a member of the Royal Arch Masons, York Rite.
On October 12, 1912, Dr. John B. Sherbon married Minnie Updegrove, of Chester county, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Sherbon graduated from St. Luke's Training School, New York City, in 1910, and then went to the Victoria Sanitarium at Colfax, Iowa, as superintendent. That she met the responsibilities of her position in a manner entirely satisfactory to Dr. Sherbon is evidenced by the fact that he decided to make her the superintendent of his happiness and of his home. Dr. and Mrs. Sherbon are the parents of two children: John B. (4), deceased; and David, a robust boy of three years.
WILLIAM K. GRESH-Few names in the annals of industrial progress in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, have been more closely identified with the daily life of the people and the constant movement of progress than that of William K. Gresh, to whose energy and initiative the borough of Norristown owes one of its leading industrial enterprises. The third generation in this country, but coming of a very old and honored German family line, Mr. Gresh was a man of large natural ability, a man of broad sympathies and keen interests, and no phase of human endeavor could present its appeal to him without meeting in some form, an inspiring or substantial response. His death, which occurred in the year 1907, removed from the community a man whose place has not been entirely filled, although years have now passed by.
Nicholas Gresh, the pioneer of this family in America, was born in Germany and came to this country prior to the Revolution, settling in Berks county in the province of Pennsylvania. He became a highly esteemed citizen of the colony, and upon the separation of the colonies from the mother country, he cast in his lot with the patriots and served as a soldier in the War of the Revolution. He survived the struggle and for many years filled a useful and respected place in the community, rearing in the principles of righteousness his children: Christian, Nicholas, Daniel, and Elizabeth (Gresh) Wentzel.
Daniel Gresh, the youngest son of this family and father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, and was reared on his father's farm. Choosing to become a weaver, he learned this trade, which he followed until his death. A man of sturdy spirit and upright walk in life, he was esteemed by all who knew him. He married Susanna Kuser, who was of French descent, and they were the parents of the following children: Augustus Edwin; John; William K., whose
236
HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
name entitles this review; Rachel, wife of Harman Custer; Leah, wife of Alexander Hummel; Emmeline, wife of George Hesch; Elizabeth, wife of William Glase; Henry Abel ; Kate A .; Milton.
William K. Gresh, third son of Daniel and Susanna (Kuser) Gresh, was born in Pottsgrove township, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, January 23, 1834, and died in Norristown, Pennsylvania, September, 1907. His early life was spent in Berks and Montgomery counties in this State, and he attended the common schools of both, gaining a practical grasp of the fundamentals of learning. But by far the more important elements of education were his attitude toward life, his perceptions, and his keen insight into causes and conditions, which gave him at all times a broad familiarity with current events and a constructive appreciation of every force bearing upon local affairs. Ambitious to win a place of dis- tinction and usefulness, he entered business in an independent way when only seventeen years of age, establishing a brick yard at Center Point, a little community in Worcester township, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania. In this connection he also handled a very considerable interest, for that time, in contracting and building. Chafing at the enforced idleness of the winter months, he later founded a cigar factory, beginning in a small way and working only when nothing else com- manded his attention. The business grew beyond his expectations, and in the year 1867, it had entirely superseded his other interests. At that time he removed to Perkiomen township, in Montgomery county, where he purchased a tract of land and erected a factory. The business increased greatly within the next five years, and Mr. Gresh again sought greater facilities and more space for expansion, this time removing to Norristown, where he built on a larger scale. This was in 1872, and although at the time of its erection this plant was considered adequate for a lifetime of advancing endeavor, he was compelled to enlarge these quarters. In the year 1891, the present fine structure at the corner of Marshall and Corson streets, was erected, in its original dimensions, and in 1902 a large addition was made which more than doubled its capacity. The main building, fifty by ninety feet, a handsome brick structure, is four stories high, and constantly keeping in touch with the progress of the time in machinery and equipment, Mr. Gresh led his contemporaries as one of the small group in this part of the State of really significant men in his field. Its architecture an ornament to the community, its activities providing the means of a livelihood for more than 600 opera- tives, this enterprise is considered one of the important in Norristown, and produces 60,000,000 cigars annually, the chief factory brands being the "Meditation," "Sight Draft," "El Patio," and "Pathfinder."
Mr. Gresh is remembered in Norristown and in the cigar trade as one of the most indomitable workers, a man of the highest integrity, who built his success on his own ceaseless endeavors rather than upon the unrewarded labor of others. He was one of the substantial men of the community, his determined will governed by unfailing honesty of pur- pose, which inspired confidence in all who knew him. In political faith
237
BIOGRAPHICAL
he was a Democrat, and his standing in the borough is well appraised by the fact that he was elected to the council from a Republican ward, and his judgment in matters of public moment was frequently sought. For many years he was an elder of Trinity Reformed Church, and was a leading spirit in all branches of church activity. He reared his family in the faith to which he adhered, and they are now an honor to his name and exemplify the virtues of this faith in their daily lives.
Mr. Gresh married, at the age of twenty-one years, Mrs. Leah (Hend- ricks) Detwiler, daughter of Peter Hendricks, of Worcester township, Montgomery county, and they were the parents of six children : 1. Edwin Pierce, who died in 1903, after having been associated with his father in business for a number of years. 2. Hervey Clinton, who has been iden- tified with this business from his youth and is now manager ; is a member of the Valley Forge Commission, is affiliated with Lodge, Chapter, Com- mandery, and Consistory of the Masonic order; is a Noble of Lu Lu Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; also of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; Norristown Club; Plymouth Country Club; Manufac- turers' Club of Philadelphia, and Rotary Club. 3. Eraminda, deceased. 4. William Perry, who has also long been identified with the above busi- ness, continuing in this interest with his brother, Hervey C., and is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 5. Kate, wife of John S. Geller. 6. Annette, who died at an early age. The sons were received into partnership with their father in the year 1883, and Hervey Clinton Gresh is now at the head of the enterprise.
ALFRED M. STUMP-A man of versatile interest and of unusual ability is Alfred M. Stump, pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, of Red Hill, Pennsylvania. As a preacher, as an organizer of community inter- ests, and as a leader in athletics, as well as in other capacities, he has won the love and esteem of his people whom he serves faithfully and well.
Mr. Stump is a descendant of one of the sturdy German Protestants who came to this country between the years 1717 and 1720. Persecuted because of their religion, harrassed by the rude and despotic Frederick William I, of Prussia, and suffering from the ravages and the confusion of the Wars of the Spanish Succession, the unfortunate victims made their way out of the home land in great numbers. Families which had been wealthy and prosperous, reduced to penury, gladly bound them- selves to serve for a long period of time in the new world as the price of their passage over. Human greed on the ships, as well as in the making of the preliminary arrangements made capital of their misery, and sad indeed was the condition of most of those who finally arrived in the new land. Those who survived were of the sturdiest, and from these are descended the vigorous, capable generations of to-day.
Henry George Stump emigrated from his home in Germany, when he was twenty-eight years of age, crossing the Atlantic on the ship
238
HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
"Edinburgh," and landing at Philadelphia, October 2, 1753. A land warrant dated September 4, 1754, shows that Henry George Stump pur- chased from Philip Maurer, a tract of 200 acres by estimation, located in Albany township, Berks county. It was situated on the west side of Round Top mountain, in Albany, and included the farm later owned by James S. Focht, and the site of the red paint mine near Geenawalt's station along the Berks & Lehigh branch of the Reading railroad. He paid 575 pounds "of lawful money to him in hand given," but the war- rant, which appears in Deed Book 7, Page 12, was not recorded until November 6, 1778.
Family tradition says that Henry George Stump was "bound out" in one of the lower sections of Pennsylvania, probably near New Hanover, Montgomery county, until he had earned his freedom (cost of passage), when he removed with others from New Hanover to Albany township, Berks county, Pennsylvania. He was the father of sons, John and Henry, of whom we have definite knowledge, and William and Daniel, mentioned in the Albany records may also have been his sons. From these have descended a numerous progeny who have contributed to the development of the Keystone State in many fields, and are known as men and women of ability, thrift, and high moral character.
Alfred M. Stump, son of John K. Stump, a well known contractor and builder of the county, and of Catherine (Leibensperger) Stump, is the fifth of a family of seven children: Calvin S., Ella J., Jacob, Curtain D., Alfred M., Clara M., and James W. He was born December 23, 1884, in Berks county, Maxatawny township, and after receiving his early educa- tion in the public schools of his native district entered the Keystone State Normal School, following his graduation from that institution in 1902, with post-graduate work there in 1904. In 1905 he entered Muhlenberg College, admitted as a Sophomore, and graduated in 1908, with the degree Bachelor of Arts. He graduated from the Lutheran Theological Semin- ary, Mt. Airy, Philadelphia, in the year 1911, and was ordained at Trinity Lutheran Church of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, June 12, 1911, and accepted a call to the Lutheran church at Washingtonville, Montour county, Pennsylvania. In 1912 he became pastor of St. Luke's Lutheran Church, at Easton, Pennsylvania, where for six years he ministered faith- fully and most efficiently to the spiritual, social, and moral life of the community. In 1918 he was called to St. Paul's Lutheran Church, at Red Hill, Pennsylvania, and the five years of his pastorate there have been notable ones in the history of the church and of the town.
Mr. Stump has been very active in the civic affairs of the borough, and to his energy and ability the better roads of the neighborhood are largely due. He organized and serves as secretary of the Board of Trade of Red Hill, and in countless ways has labored for the civic advancement of the community which he serves. As one of the organ- izers and supporters of the Red Hill Athletic Association, he has come in close touch with the young men and boys of his congregation and of the community-at-large, and is exercising a powerful influence for good
239
BIOGRAPHICAL
in the young lives with whom he makes it his business to come in con- tact. The far reaching influences of the vigorous, wholesome, and strong leadership which Mr. Stump is exercising cannot be estimated in terms of the present. Only the future can reveal the finest and best results of his ministry at Red Hill.
On August 2, 1911, at Pottsville, Pennsylvania, Rev. Alfred M. Stump married Anna E. Burkhart, daughter of Fred and Louisa (Brenneman) Burkhart, and they are the parents of two children : Alfred M., Jr., born October 30, 1913; John Phillip, born August 13, 1915.
FRANK MARCELLUS BAILEY, LL. B .- Active in the profession of the law for a number of years in the city of Chicago, and during that time associated with one of the leading lawyers of his day, Mr. Bailey's more recent interests have in a measure eclipsed his profession, and as the owner of one of the most beautiful estates in Montgomery county, if not in the State of Pennsylvania, he is achieving success in a large way as an orchardist .- He comes of a prominent New England family.
Marcellus Bailey, Mr. Bailey's father, also a lawyer by profession, spent the greater part of his active career as a patent attorney in Wash- ington, D. C. Of forceful spirit and marked ability, he was successful not only from an individual viewpoint, but his activities contributed in a very considerable measure to the development of the industrial life of the nation through his cooperation with the leading inventors of the time. A veteran of the Civil War, he served with the rank of major, from 1861 until 1864, inclusive, and was stationed first at Washington, D. C., and later was attached to the Army of the Southwest. Marcellus Bailey mar- ried Harriet Page, daughter of Charles Grafton Page, the inventor of the Page coil, and editor of several authoritative books on electricity as a motive power. A model of the Page coil is on view at the National Museum at Washington.
Frank Marcellus Bailey was born in Framingham, Massachusetts, July 2, 1872. His education was begun in the private schools of the national capital, where he also covered his preparatory course, and enter- ing Harvard University he was graduated from that institution in the class of 1896. Serving as a law clerk for a short time, Mr. Bailey then went to Chicago to take up the practice of his profession. Specializing in probate and real estate law, Mr. Bailey continued until 1908, during the latter part of which period he had charge of several important estates in Chicago. Then returning east, Mr. Bailey located at Bryn Mawr, living privately for upwards of three years. His attention was thereby drawn to the possibilities in this section in productive endeavor, particularly orcharding. Looking about for a suitable place upon which to develop an industry along this line, he purchased the "Seven County View Farm," in Eagleville, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, from which, besides the county in which it is located, a splendid panarama is seen, including the counties of Philadelphia, Delaware, Bucks, Berks, Lehigh and Ches- ter. Purchasing the property in 1910, Mr. Bailey now has apple and
240
HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
peach orchards approximating 7,000 trees, and covering more than fifty acres of ground. He takes the keenest interest in all activities which have to do with orcharding and other farm affairs. He was instrumental in organizing, in 1921, at Collegeville, the Pennsylvania Fruit & Packing Sales Company, which concern was formed to look after the interests of the producer and packer, and of which he is director, Walter O'Neil, a broadly practical man in this field, being the manager. In other branches of progressive effort Mr. Bailey is also active, but although a worker for the advance of the Republican party, he has never accepted or desired political honors. During the World War, he served as a member of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, and was stationed at Camp Shelby, Missis- sippi, for two years (1917-18). He then took up the work of visiting different diocesan organizations in the States of Pennsylvania, Mary- land, Delaware and Virginia, in the interest of the welfare of service men. Completing this work in September, of 1919, Mr. Bailey then returned to Eagleville to his individual interests. Mr. Bailey is a member of the Loyal Legion, and is a member of the Knights of Pythias, a Chicago lodge, and is also a member of the Keystone Automobile Club. His religious affiliation is with the Episcopal church of Norristown.
Mr. Bailey married, at the Church of the Redeemer, at Bryn Mawr, on June 28, 1899, Katharine Robeson Bowen, daughter of Colonel Edward Roscoe and Katharine (Mather) Bowen. Colonel Edward Roscoe Bowen, now deceased, was prominent in the insurance business in Philadelphia, and led the 114th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infan- try, during the Civil War, serving with distinction at Gettysburg, with General Cole's Zouaves. He was the youngest ranking officer at Gettys- burg, and having enlisted in 1861, as a private, was promoted from time to time to the rank of colonel, receiving his honorable discharge from the service in 1864. Frank Marcellus and Katharine Robeson (Bowen) Bailey are the parents of a daughter and a son, as follows: Harriet Sewall, born Auugst 16, 1900, is a graduate of Hannah Moore College, of Maryland, has been a Congressional stenographer, and secretary to the dean of Harvard University ; Robeson, who was born May 3, 1906, is a graduate of Chestnut Hill Academy, entered Hill School, at Pottstown, Pennsylvania, in the fall of 1922, to prepare for Harvard, his purpose being to take a forestry course.
HARRY MILLER SHULER-A great-grandson of Michael Hille- gas, the first treasurer of the United States, and belonging to a family that has always been ready to give its sons and its treasure to the nation, Mr. Shuler was born at Sumneytown, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, October 10, 1858, son of Tobias and Elizabeth (Miller) Shuler. Mr. Shuler's paternal grandfather, Tobias Shuler, was a tailor, and the family traces its ancestry to one of the merchant tailors of continental Europe, who carried on his business in the sixteenth century, at a time when cloth was as precious as gold and tailoring a rich man's occupation. Mr. Shuler has in his possession a table which has been in the family since 1614, and which has been used as a tailoring table continuously from
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.