USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > Portrait and biographical record of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States > Part 33
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OIIN J. BAUSMAN is one of the enterprising and progressive young farmers of Manor Township, his postoffice being at Millers- ville. Ile is a son of one of the pioneer fam- ilies of this locality, and from boyhood has been reared to an industrious and active life. For the past seven years he has been engaged in eultivat- ing and operating the farm formerly owned by his grandfather. It comprises one hundred and four aeres and is one of the most valuable and highly improved farms of the township.
The subject of this biography was born October 12, 1859, in Laneaster Township, of this county. Ilis parents, Henry and Barbara (Brennman ) Bans- man, were born in this county and are still living, though well along in years. on the farm cultivated by the father during his entire active life, it being advantageously situated in Laneaster Township. The boyhood days of John J. passed uneventfully, his time being spent partly in giving such assist- ance as he could in the work of the farm, and the remainder being devoted to the pursuit of an edu-
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cation. Ile attended the schools of the neighbor- hood and also those at Millersville. His school life was tinished in the Normal, which he left at the age of seventeen years to devote his entire time to the future occupation of his life, that of farming. Hle remained under the parental roof until attaining his twenty-eighth year, when he was married and removed to this farm, which is owned by his father, and formerly was the property of Andrew Bausman. Our subjeet makes a speci- alty of raising tobacco, in which he has been very successful, and is a good general and practical all- around farmer.
The marriage of John .J. Bausman was celebrated in January, 1887, when Miss Barbara Fry became his wife. She is a lady of excellent education, is a good housekeeper, and is a devoted companion and helpmate to her husband. Iler father, John Fry, is a successful agriculturist of Rapho Town- ship. Mr. and Mrs. Bausman are members of the Reformed Church of Millersville, of which the former has been a Deacon for two years. In his political affiliations he adheres to the platform and candidates set forth by the Republican party.
I EORGE S. NORBECK, one of the success- ful business men of Lancaster, is now Al- derman from the Third Ward, having been appointed and commissioned by Governor Patti- son March 20, 1893, to fill the unexpired term of J. K. Barr, deceased. For the past five years lie conducted a carriage manufactory, and had a well equipped repository. His temporary headquarters were at Nos. 126 and 128 East King Street, as his factory on Duke and Vine Streets was burned down. He is now located at No. 144 East King Street, where he has one of the finest saloons in the city.
at the corner of Utah and Franklin Streets, Bal- timore, for a number of years prior to his death, which occurred when he was in his forty-fourth year. Ile married Lydia C. Little, who was born in the same county, being the daughter of Henry Little, a farmer of Adams County. Mrs. Little was of English ancestry and a member of the Lutheran Church. The paternal grandfather of our subject, JJacob, was born in Gettysburg, and was in the War of 1812. Ile was in early life a farmer, and later engaged in the grocery trade, his death occurring when he was about three- score and ten years of age. In religious belief he was a Catholic, as was also his son. After her husband's death Mrs. Elizabeth Norbeck went to Gettysburg, and later became the wife of Philip Doerson, a carriage manufacturer. In 1865 he started in business in this city as a member of the firm of Slingerwalt & Doerson. After a few years he bought out his partner and ran the business under his own name, and is now carrying on the carriage business in Gettysburg. His wife died in 1891, in her sixty-ninth year. By her first marriage she became the mother of two sons and two daughters: William A., a carriage trimmer, of Lancaster; George S .; Clara L., Mrs. McElligott, of this city; and Lovina, who married Dr. J. M. Bentz, of Carlisle, Pa.
The early years of George S. Norbeck were passed in Baltimore and Gettysburg, and he was born in the former place November 10, 1848. In 1857 he went with his mother to Gettysburg, and was partly educated in Mt. St. Mary's College, at Emmetsburg, Md. When the family removed to this city, in 1855, he came with them, and two years later was apprenticed to learn the carriage trimmer's trade in his step-father's factory. After- ward he traveled for the firm, introducing the Doerson patent fifth wheel, the invention of his step-father. For eighteen months he was on the road and traveled all through the northern, west- ern and eastern states.
In October, 1889, Mr. Norbeck started in busi- ness for himself as a carriage manufacturer in this city, and kept twenty-six workmen employed un- til the fall of 1893, when he closed the factory.
Lewis Norbeek, our subject's father, was born in Adams County, Pa., and was of German descent. He was engaged in the wholesale grocery trade | Ile then rented a place at the corner of Duke
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and Mail Streets. Formerly he manufactured sev- enty-five different kinds of vehicles, buggies and carriages. This location he has remodeled and improved extensively, owning the property from King to Mifflin Streets, and was sole agent of the Columbus Buggy Company. Ilis shop has a front- age of thirty-nine feet, and he leases platforms and sheds for storage.
December 17. 1871, Mr. Norbeck married Lizzie A., daughter of John Tomlinson. now deceased, who was formerly a contractor for sand and stone. Mrs. Norbeck was born and reared in Lancaster, and by her marriage has become the mother of one child, David R., who is in business with his father. Mr. Norbeck is now proprietor of Nor- beck C'afe and Ilotel, Nos. 144 and 146 East King Street, formerly the Golden Horse Hotel. Ile be- longs to the Home Building and Loan Associa- tion, and fraternally is identified with the Order of Elks.
H
P ATRICK KELLY, who makes his home in Lancaster, is an extensive buyer and ship- per of cattle, and has made a fine snecess of his ventures in this direction. For over thirty 1 years he has given his exclusive attention to this occupation and is an authority on the subject. A native of the Emerald Iste, he was born in County Derry March 26, 1826, and left the friends and scenes of his youth soon after attaining his major- ity to make his fortunes in the New World.
James Kelly, the father of our subject, was, hkc his son, a native of County Derry, Ireland, where he followed the calling of a farmer until his death, which occurred in April, 1866, at the good old age of seventy-eight years. Ilis wife, Ann (Kelly) Kelly, by her marriage became the mother of twelve children: Mary, who became the wife of Andrew Kelly; Catherine, Bridget, Ann; Margaret, who is still living in the Old Country; Michael, a former resident of Lancaster, and now deceased; Daniel
and John, who are still in Ireland; JJames, Patrick, Ellen and Isabella. The mother of these children died in November, 1866, when she had reached the allotted age of three-score and ten years.
Patrick Kelly received good educational advan- tages in his native land, and continued to make his home with his parents until twenty-two years of age, when, in 1848, he set sail for America alone, and continuing his journey to Lancaster, arrived in this place on the 1st of June. Ile soon obtained employment with his uncle, Patrick Kelly, for whom he was named, who was extensively engaged in buying cattle and in conducting a banking business.
With this uncle the young man remained until the death of the former, which occurred in June, 1861, and after that event he started in on his own account. Going to Ohio, Ilinois and other west- ern states, he bought cattle and drove them over- land. Later he turned his attention more exclu- sively to shipping cattle, and has carried on a large business for many years. By means of his indus- try and economy he has made a good hving for himself and family, and has laid aside from year to year a goodly sum with which to provide means for pleasantly passing his declining years.
On the 1st of May, 1862, MIr. Kelly was united in marriage with Miss Juha Gratton, and they are members of the Catholic Church. Mr. Kelly uses his right of franchise in favor of the Democratic party and its nominees. At one time his father crossed the Atlantic and made his son a pleasant visit, but subsequently returned to his old home- stead.
H
EVI H. MANN, a progressive and well-to- do farmer of Manor Township, is the pro- - prietor of a well cultivated farm which comprises two hundred and thirty-six acres, and which has been in his possession since 1879. In addition to general farming Mr. Mann is inter-
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ested in raising horses and faney grades of live stoek and regularly sends the products of his farm to the markets of Columbia. lle is entitled to high praise for what he has accomplished in life, for he has acquired his fortune by close economy and industry, particularly in his early years. Ile comes from an old family of this township, as his paternal grandfather for long years was one of its inhabitants, and his descendants have ever since been members of this community.
Barney Mann. the father of our subject. was a son of George S. On arriving at mature years he became the owner of a farm of seventy-five acres in Manor Township, to the cultivation of which he devoted the most of his life. Later he removed to West Hempfield Township, where he operated a place of one hundred and three acres very successfully and attended the markets at Columbia. Politically he was a stanch Democrat and had a high ideal of the duties of citizenship. Ile was twice married, first to Elizabeth Hershey, who died when only twenty-six years of age, leav- ing two sons: Christian, whose death occurred in childhood, and Levi II. By the second wife, Mary Ann Stoner, six children were born, namely: Mary A .. Cyrus, Emily, Amanda, Barbara and Christian. The father was called from his labors in 1889, aged seventy-six years.
The birth of Levi II. Mann occurred September 25, 1835, in Manor Township, and in boyhood at- tended the schools of the neighborhood until six- teen years of age. Ilis mother died when he was only two years old, and he was early placed among strangers, where he had to work his way in order to obtain a livelihood. When fourteen years old he returned to his father's roof and remained there for three years, assisting in farm work. Then under Barney Stoner he served an appren- ticeship as a carpenter, but that calling not being entirely to his taste, he took a position with a farmer by which he earned 8400 in the three years. By close economy during the three years he re- mained there be saved 8250, which amount was the nucleus of his fortune. Returning to his fa- ther's home he then made that his place of abode until his marriage, at the age of twenty-eight years, when he rented a house and for the succeeding
two years engaged in tobacco-growing, and subse- quently operated the farm of his father-in-law in Manor Township for a period of thirteen years, running it on shares. In 1878 he became the owner of the farm on which he is now living, and in the following year bought two hundred and thirty-six acres of land, one hundred and seventy- five of which are now cleared and under cultiva- tion.
In 1860 Mr. Mann wedded Anna, daughter of Bernard Mann. an agrienlturist. To our subject and his wife were born seven children: Mattie, Anna. Effie, Agnes, Franklin 11., and Edith and Emily, twins. The family are members of the Evangelical Church of Creswell, of which Mr Mann is a Trustee. With his ballot he supports the men and measures of the Democratic party.
EORGE NAUMAN is one of the leading attorneys of Lancaster, having conducted successfully his extensive practice here since 1862. During three years of this time he was City Solicitor and frequently represents the Penn- sylvania Railroad Company. Moreover he is coun- sel for the Laneaster Street Railroad Company and for all of the three oil lines in this county. In the various business, social and political circles he is exceedingly popular, and bis name has frequently been put forward for high positions.
The birth of George Nauman oceurred in Holton, Me .. February 5, 1811, his parents being Col. George and Mary ( Dummett) Nauman, natives of Lancaster and England, respectively. Colonel Nau- man, a distinguished officer in the United States Army, was born October 7, 1802, and at the age of seventeen was enrolled as a cadet at the West Point Academy. In 1821 he was acting Assistant Professor in French in that institution and three years later was graduated, the same year being ap- pointed Second Lieutenant of the First Regiment of Artillery. From September 28 to August, 1829,
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he was assistant instructor of French at West Point, and in May, 1832, received the rank of First Lien- tenant. During the Florida War, which lasted from February, 1836. to May, 1838, he served con- tinuously. being in the battle of Wahoo Swamp, and was made Captain of the First Artillery in February, 1837. During the Mexican War he was brevetted Major for gallant conduet at the battle of Cerro Gordo, April 18, 1847, and later received the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel for meritorious service at the battle of Contreras and Churubusco, which oc- curred August 20. At the engagement at Cha- pultepee September 8, 1817, he was wounded, but continued in the service and commanded the First Regiment of Artillery, being prize commis- sioner at Vera Cruz at the close of the war, conduct- ing the evacuation of that city. From May, 1854, until January, 1861, the Colonel served at different points on the Pacific Coast. As Major of the Third Regiment of Artillery, he commanded the same from May, 1854, until March, 1857, and for seven months in 1860 was inspector of artillery for the departments of Oregon and California, from 1859 to 1861 conducting the artillery school at Van- conver.
July 23, 1861, Colonel Nauman was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel of the First Artil- lery, and was at Newport News in March 1862, dur- ing the engagements with the "Merrimac" "York- town" "Jamestown" and other rebel steamers; was chief of artillery and was favorably mentioned by General Mansfield in his report of the affair. He was stationed at Ft. Warren in Boston Harbor in 1863, where he engaged in placing that important work in a proper condition for defense. August 1, 1863, he was promoted to be Colonel of the Fifth Artillery, but was permitted to enjoy this honor for only ten days, for his death occurred in Phila- delphia Angust 11 of that year. Ilis health having been much impaired by the exposure and hardships to which his long and active career had subjected him, he was prostrated by sunstroke, from which he did not recover. For forty years he had served in the United States army, having been stationed in every section in the Union, and in every capaci- ty acquitted himself with honor and distinction. At the time of the breaking out of the Rebellion
he was residing with his family in Florida, and though offered high rank and command by the men organizing the new Confederacy, spurned it all, preferring to stand by the flag under which he had so long fought.
The marriage of Colonel Nauman was celebrated in St. Augustine, Fla. The lady's father, Thomas Dum- mett, a native of England, became a sugar planter on the Isle of Barbadoes until the abolition of sla- very there, when he went to Connecticut. When the United States acquired Florida he was one of the first to introduce sugar planting in that state. Our subject's mother died in 1861, leaving six children, four of whom still survive.
Until 1853, when a lad of twelve years, George Nauman of this sketch remained with his father at the different military stations where he had his headquarters, and when the Colonel went to California with his mother and the other members of the family, went to St. Augustine, Fla. There he remained until the breaking out of the Civil War, but prior to this, in 1859, he had graduated from St. James' College at Ilagerstown, Md., with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, after which he read law in Florida for a year. In the fall of 1860 he became a student in the department of law in the Univer- sity of Virginia, and in June, 1861, came to Lancas- ter, where he continued his legal studies and was admitted to the Bar in 1862. Ile immediately en- tered upon his professional career in this city, which has been marked with great success. For a number of years his office has been located on North Duke Street and among his patrons and clients are numbered many of the leading citizens of the county.
In Lancaster in 1867 was celebrated the mar- riage of George Nanman and Miss Lizzie Hender- son. Iler father. Amos S. Henderson, was in former years a leading banker of this place. Mr. and Mrs. Nauman have become the parents of seven children who are living. George is a member of the Civil Engineers' Corps of the Pennsylvama Railroad and is a graduate of Lelngh University; Alfred is in the hardware business in this city and graduated from the Franklin and Marshall College. The younger children are in order of birth as fol- lows: John, Frank, Elizabeth, Spencer and Harriet.
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Mr. and Mrs. Nauman are members of St. James' Episcopal Church of this city, in which they are actively interested. As a leading Democrat our subject has served as Chairman of the Democratic City Committee and was the candidate for his party at one time from this distriet for member of Congress but unfortunately was in the minority party.
H ON. EDWIN S. SMELTZ was elected Mayor of Lancaster in February, 1894, being victorious in a hotly contested figlit between the political factions. Ile was a candidate, with two others. for the nomination and received over twenty-one hundred out of thirty-three hundred votes cast at the primaries; though his final majority in the regular election was only ninety-one. A Republican of the truest kind, Mr. Smeltz is decidedly the man for the po- sition he now occupies and is not one who would for a moment allow any narrow motives to sway him in the management of the public affairs en- trusted to him. As one of the native sons of this city he has always taken great interest in what- ever pertains to its welfare and general advance- ment and is greatly concerned by all things which may effect its prosperity for good or evil. Ile is Secretary of the Umion Building and Loan Asso- ciation, which has a capital stock of over $200,000; it is a most important organization and has bene- fited the citizens and place inestimably.
The birthplace of our subject was at the corner of North Queen and Lemon Streets, the event tak- ing place May 9, 1852. This parents were Jacob R. and Rebecea (Iloffman) Smeltz, natives respec- tively of Lancaster and Bainbridge, Lancaster County. The father of Jacob R. Smeltz was also one of the pioneer residents of the city, being of German descent and a member of the Reformed Church. For many years our subject's father was a successful cigar and tobacco dealer and later be-
came interested in the grocery trade. The store in which he carried on his retail business was cen- trally located at the corner of North Queen and Lemon Streets, and in former years his headquar- ters were at the corner of Chestnut and North Queen Streets. He was a prominent church mem- ber, having been one of the organizers of the Weinbenarian Church, in which he served as a Deacon. Politically, he affiliated with the Repub- lican party and served for a time in the City Couneil. His death occurred in 1875, but his wife survives him, still making her home in her former residence. Mrs. Smeltz' father was a merchant and one of the prominent business men in former years of Bainbridge.
In a family of eight children born to Jacob and Rebecca Smeltz only three sons and a daughter are now living, and of these Edwin S. is the eld- est. IJe was reared in Lancaster and attended the common and private schools, graduating from the high school in 1869 with honor when sixteen years old, his average, the highest in the class, being ninety-six per cent. For a short time thereafter he was in his father's store and then took up the printing business in the office of the Church _Idco- cate, where he remained for a year. When that paper was removed from the city he commenced his apprenticeship as a coach trimmer for S. B. Cox & Co., and was with them for four years, after which for the year following he worked at his trade in different places. For a like period of time he was traveling salesman for Philadelphia and New York hardware firms, hus trips being in this and adjoining states. At this time occurred the siekness and death of his father, and the young man was obliged to take charge of the store and estate. The grocery occupies one of the old- est sites of the retail business in this city and is one of the most successful stores in that branch of trade.
In 1888 Mr. Smeltz was appointed to the office of Chief of Police by Mayor Edgerley without his solicitation, and served for a term of two years. Ile was then elected Street Commissioner, acting as such for two years, and then left the field of polities, becoming reporter for the Intelligencer and also being employed in the office. In 1893 he was
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again honored by being elected Street Commission- er, which he held until the end of the year, then as- sumed the office of Mayor. For five years prior to his election as Chief of Police he served suc- cessfully as Clerk of the Street Committee and has also been Clerk of the Special Water Committee. and in these capacities has succeeded in effectually improving the advantages of Lancaster citizens.
Fraternally, Mayor Smeltz has been for fifteen years a member of Conestoga Conneil No. 22, Jr. O. U. A. M. For ten years he was Master of Finance of Inland City Lodge No. 88, K. of P., in which he has passed all the chairs; belongs to Her- schel Lodge No. 123. 1. O. O. F., in which he is a charter member, and has acted in several offices in Conestoga Council No. 8. Sr. O. U. A. M.
In 1876 oceurred the marriage of Edwin S. Smeltz and Lydia Eshelman, who was born in Liverpool, Perry County. Pa., and to them has been born a daughter, Mabel. The pleasant home of the family is at No. 9 East Lemon Street, within a few feet of where he was born, the resi- dence having been erected by Mr. Smeltz. His good wife is a member of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Lancaster and is a lady who is greatly esteemed by her many friends. Polit- ically he is an active worker and is recognized as one of the influential members of the Republican party in the city and county.
P ROF. JOHN FREDERICK CARL THOR- BAIN, who is very prominent in musical circles, is instructor of instrumental music at the high school and leader of the high school orchestra at Lancaster. He is Professor of orches- tral instrumental music, and pays especial atten- tion to the classics, having had during the last year pupils whose work has been mainly on Beethoven's and Haydn's Symphonies.
Professor Thorbahn had the honor of passing his early years in the house in which occurred the birth of the noted military man, General von
Moltke. The Professor's birth occurred in the same house as that of the great general, for his fa- ther had bought the place at the time that the General's parents removed to the city to educate their elnldren. Our subject was born February 8, 1834, in Parchim, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Ger- many, being a son of John J. and Maria Dorothea (Genze) Thorbahn. The former, whose birth oc- curred in the same vicinity, February 26, 1794, followed agricultural pursuits, and at one time visited the United States. He died after reaching a good old age, and one of his brothers lived to be one hundred and two years old. Ilis wife, who was born in Mecklenburg, August 17, 1803, was a daughter of Jacob and Anna D. (Luebeke) Genze. She came to America, her death occurring in Can- ada, and her six children are all living. One son, llerman, is a wholesale merchant in Ottawa, Can- ada, at the present time.
Professor Thorbahn received an excellent edu- cation in his native language, and manifesting marked ability in a musical way, was given the best instruction that could be had. He attended the musical academy of his birthplace, and later learned to be a skillful player on the clarionet, vio- lin and other orchestral instruments. lle gradu- ated from the academy when nineteen years of age, after which he easily seenred engagements in or- chestras for several years. In 1854 he set sail for America from Hamburg, landing in Quebec after a stormy voyage of fourteen weeks upon the deep. When they arrived at their destination the vessel was in a most unfortunate condition, and nearly disabled, as there was not a whole mast left upon it. Proceeding to Montreal, the Professor secured a position with the George Coopers English Grand Opera Company, later secured the position as leader of the orchestra of the Theater Royal, which he held for seventeen years, playing every night in the week except Sunday during this time. With the orchestra of which he was a member he traveled considerably to fill special engagements in Boston and other points. In the Boston Theater he took part in many concerts given by the Harvard Or- chestra, in oratorios by Ilandel and Haydn, the conductor being Carl Zahran. While in Boston, during the Parepa Rosa Opera season, he became a
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