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 53
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The paternal grandfather of our subject, John Breuninger. made his life work that of a tanner, and died in Germany. He had a family of four children, Jacob J., Elizabeth, Caroline and August. The eldest of the family, JJacob J., the father of
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our subject, was born at Sieglingen, Wurtemberg, Germany, July 2, 1818. He learned the tanner's trade, at which calling he worked for about forty- five years. Ile was quite a prominent man, and was a Councilman in Brackenheim, Germany. and religiously was identified with the Lutheran de- nomination. For his wife he cho-e Caroline Eber- bach, by whom he had six children, Louisa, who married A. Saalbach; August, Mary. Emanuel, Charles W. and Herman.
The birth of Charles W. Brenninger, of whom we write. occurred in Brackenheim, Germany, Au- gust 29, 1858. For some seven years he attended the excellent schools of his native town, and re- ceived a good education in his mother tongue. In the year 1871, he bade adieu to the friends of his youth and set sail for the United States. He pro- ceeded direct to Pittsburg, Pa., where in order to obtain a knowledge of English he attended school for about four months. He worked as a printer in the same city for the next three years, and for a period of four years was employed by a book and publishing house in the same place. Then going to Philadelphia he worked for two years in the employ of a publishing house, and at the end of this time abandoned the trade. Going to Coates- ville, Chester County, Pa., he learned the baker's business with his brother, where he remained for three years in that locality. For a year and a-half he was in partnership with his brother. Emanuel. and after their connection was dissolved he came to Strasburg. and bought out the baking establish- ment of Jobs F. Hull. For the past eight years he has operated this plant and has made a success of his business venture.
Though not a member of any church organiza- tion, Mr. Breuninger is one of the Trustees of the Presbyterian Church of this borough. Socially he is a member of the Masonic order, belonging to Lodge No. 564, of Coatesville. A very active worker in the ranks of the Republican party, he has been chosen by his fellow-citizens to be their representative in the town council, and has served in that capacity for six consecutive years. receiv- ing high commendation for his fidelity to the best interests of all concerned. At the present time he is the President of the honorable body, and his in-
fluence is safely relied upon for the promotion of local enterprises and improvements. September 29. 1886. Mr. Breuninger was united in marriage with Catherine Finkbohner. and of their union have been born four children, namely: Mary, Carl, George and Walter.
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OUN HOFFMAN HIGII, ex-City Treasurer and ex-Sheriff of Lancaster. makes his home in the city of that name. where he is a pop- ular official and prominent resident. He is a native of this county, having been born in New Holland. November 2, 1836, and is the son of Jacob Iligh, also a native of Lancaster County.
The High family are of Swiss origin and the patronyme was originally spelled Hoch. Jacob Iligh worked as a linen weaver until his marriage, when he abandoned that occupation and began farming. Ile owned a good estate in East Earl Township, where he was residing at the time of his decease, when eighty-six years of age. His wife, formerly Miss Susan Hoffman. was the daughter of Jacob Hoffman, a farmer in East Earl Town- ship. and a member of the Mennonite Church, with which religious body the parents of our subject were also connected. Jacob High was a School Director for many years, and in politics was first a Whig and later a Republican.
Our subject was the eldest but one in the pa- rental family of three sons and one daughter, and obtained his education in the district school near his home. Ile remained under the parental roof until attaining his majority, and then, ready to establish a home of his own, was married to Miss Maria M. Renninger, born in East Earl Township, and the daughter of Jonas Renninger, a farmer by occupation. Young High immediately began farm- ing on his own account, and purchasing a tract of land upon which the village of Spring Grove is
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now located, set himself arduously about the work of its improvement. lle later laid out twelve acres of his farm in a small township, and erecting a store, carried on a large business as general mer- chant, doing 820,000 worth of business each year. Mr. Iligh also established two mail routes in the vicinity and was the first Postmaster of the place, occupying the position for ten or twelve years. During this time he continued his mercantile busi- ness with remarkable success, and in the spring of 1881 was the successful candidate for the office of Sheriff, being elected over his opponent by a major- ity of one thousand votes. December 20 of that year he moved into the city of Lancaster with his family, and was the incumbent of the office of Sheriff until January, 1885. During that time there were nine murder trials tried in the courts, and besides these desperate men. Sheriff High cap- tured innumerable burglars and desperate charac- ters of every sort. Ile was very shrewd in dealing with criminals and succeeded in capturing Isaac Bussard in Chicago and bringing him back to this state, lodging him in the penitentiary.
After the expiration of his term of office, in 1885, Mr. High lived retired from any kind of bus- iness for two years, when he began the manufac- ture of steam radiators in company with Dr. M. L. Ilerr and F. H. Bare. The business was later incorporated as the Lancaster Steam Radiator Company, with a capital stock of $35.000. Mr. High was Superintendent and Treasurer of the Company until 1890, when he disposed of his in- terest in the concern. In 1893 he was elected to the office of City Treasurer by the Council, and his long experience as a business man and politician is a source of great value to him. He is popular with all with whom he associates, and having gathered a never-ending fund of aneedotes, is never more interesting than when relating some story of his experience as an official. Mr. Iligh and his family occupy a comfortable home at No. 533 Duke Street, and besides this residence our subject owns property in East Earl Township.
Mr. Iligh is one of the Directors of the Northern National Bank, with which he has been connected since its organization. To our subject and his
of whom only two daughters are living: Alice C., the wife of J. B. Eshleman, of Ephrata, and Carrie M., now the wife of Fred Pfeifer, of this city. In polities our subject is a Republican. and has been active in the interests of his party for twenty-one years. Religiously he is connected with the Re- formed Church and aids in the various phases of church work.
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A BRAHAM L. THOMAS. Genial manners and strict integrity of purpose are traits of character that invariably make a man popular throughout the community in which he resides, and certainly such has proved to be the case in the history of Mr. Thomas, who is num- bered among the most popular citizens of Lancas- ter County. Ilis judgment is excellent, and he possesses a large amount of mechanical genius. Ile bears the distinction of being one of the oldest iron merchants in the United States, and is at present a member of the firm of Anne & Thomas, of Laneaster.
The original of this sketch was born in Stafford- shire, England, August 3, 1835, and is the son of Thomas Thomas, a native of Gloucestershire, where he was a manufacturer of tin plate, and died at the age of fifty-four years. Grandfather John Thomas was likewise born in that shire, and fol- lowed the above business for many years. He lived to the advanced age of niety-five years.
Mrs. Phebe (Lester) Thomas, the mother of our subject, was a native of England, and the daughter of John Lester, manager of iron works in Tipton, England; he died when in his eighty-first year. Mrs. Thomas was accidentally killed in 1858. She was an active member of the Bloomfield Methodist Episcopal Church.
The parental family of our subject ineluded estimable wife there have been born five children, . seven children, of whom three are living. Thomas
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L. is a wealthy iron merchant of Tipton, England, and Phebe married Joseph Fullwood, and is also living in her native land. Abraham L. attended the common schools of his shire, and after com- pleting his education began learning the iron busi- ness, working in the rolling mills. ITe commenced at the very beginning, and was promoted from time to time until he was made Superintendent of the mills.
In 1863 the original of this sketch decided to come to the New World, embarking on the steamer "City of Cork." On arriving in this country he went to Allentown, where he was made Superin- tendent of an iron plant, which position he held for two years, and for the years intervening be- tween that time and 1870 was Superintendent of Tamaqua Rolling Mills. That year, however, he was made President and Superintendent of the Schuylkill County Cast Steel Company, controlling that plant for two years, when he went to llam- burg, and for two years filled the same position for a firm there.
In 1877 Mr. Thomas came to Lancaster, and was soon placed in charge of the Penn Iron Works as Superintendent until 1883. The following year he formed a partnership with Mr. Anne, and the firin have been in existence since that time and are known throughout this portion of the state. Mr. Thomas is held in high esteem by the citizens of his community, both for his present sueeess and for his energy in so nobly conquering the obstacles that stood between him and wealth.
The marriage of Mr. Thomas and Miss Maria Thompson was celebrated in England, July 14, 1861. The lady was born there and was the daughter of John Thompson, a contractor. Mrs. Thomas departed this life in 1877, the same year the family came to this city. She left at her de- cease six children, Anne M., now the wife Alders C. Ilershock; Thomas J., engaged in business with our subject; Ada E., now Mrs. John W. Anne; Florence 1. and Berta A., at home with their fa- ther; andAmy E., now deceased.
Socially Mr. Thomas is a Mason, belonging to Lodge No. 238, at Tamaqua. He is a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and in- terested in religious matters. In politics he is an
ardent and influential Republican. In 1893 Mr. Thomas made a trip to England, visiting his old home and his many friends and relatives. He was accompanied on the journey by his daughter, Mrs. Anne.
APT. WILLIAM D. STAUFFER, ex-Mayor of Lancaster, and an extensive wholesale and retail hat dealer, was born in Earl Township, on the 20th of March, 1840. ITis fa- ther, Jolin Stauffer, was born in Salisbury Town- ship, Lancaster County. The grandfather, John, was a native of the same place as his son, and the great-grandfather was born in Germany, on the Rhine; he was there married, but subsequently settled in this county, in East Lampeter Township. He had two brothers, Jacob and Benjamin, who set- tled in Pennsylvania, in Montgomery and Bueks Counties respectively. They were all millers by trade. Our subject's great-grandfather built a mill which he operated for many years, and also carried on an extensive farm consisting of six hundred acres, which he purchased from William Penn. Our subject's grandfather purchased a farm in Sal- isbury Township, which he improved. IHis wife's maiden name was Sarah De Shung. She was a Bap- tist in her religious faith. Iler grandparents were born in France, and emigrated to this country with their family, locating in Philadelphia, the father being an importer of chinaware.
Our subject's father was reared in Salisbury. and was a farmer and surveyor by profession, and followed it throughout his life. Late in life he moved to Earl Township, near New Holland, where he led a retired life, and finally settled in the vil- lage of New Ilolland, where he died in 1882, aged eighty-one years. The family were Presbyterians. Our subject's mother, Elizabeth ( Wenger) Stauffer, was born near Bird in Hand, Leacock Township, and was the daughter of Jacob Wenger, who died upon his farm. Captain Stauffer's mother still re-
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sides with her daughter Josephine, in the village of New Holland, in her eighty-fourth year. The parents of our subjeet reared a family of seven children, five sons and two daughters. Theodore W., who served in the Second Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery as First Lieutenant, now resides in Phil- adelphia and is a hardware merchant; J. New- ton served as First Sergeant in the late war, in the One Hundred and Ninety-fifth Regiment, and is now a hardware merchant in Lancaster; Isaac M. is a railroad engineer, residing in Springfield, Mo. The eldest and youngest children are deceased. Our subject, the fourth eldest in the family, was reared in New Holland, and received his education in the publie schools in that village.
In Mareh, 1856, Captain Stauffer came to Lan- caster, where he worked in a hardware store, re- maining in that line of business until the breaking out of the Rebellion, and May 6, 1861, he enlisted in the Union Guards of Lancaster, which company Was mustered into the United States service as Company B, First Regiment Pennsylvania Re- serves, and remained for a period of three years. Ile was promoted from time to time, finally reach- ing the rank of Captam. Ile participated in some of the heaviest engagements of the war, including the seven days' Peninsula campaign under MeClel- lan, second battle of Bull Run, South Mountain, An- tietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and others of historic note. After the battle of Gettysburg he was in the Mine Run expedition under General Mead. When the Army of the Potomae was re- organized and the spring campaign opened May 4, 1864, and when General Grant took command, our subject took part in the battle of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House, Bethesda Church and Cold Harbor. Ile remained until the elose of the war, receiving an honorable discharge. It should be said in this connection, however, that when he returned home for the first time after serving three years, he assisted in raising a company for the One Hundred and Ninety-fifth Regiment and was made its First Lieutenant. November 1, 1864, he re-enlisted in the field for one year, and was made First Lieutenant of Company C, of the same regiment, from which position he was promoted to Captain of Company Il, One Hundred and Ninety-
fifth Regiment. For five months he served as Ad- jutant of his regiment, when he was detailed as Aide de-Camp and Assistant Adjutant General on the staff of Gen. W. Il. Seward, Jr., son of Pres- ident Lincoln's Secretary of State. He was finally mustered out of the service with his company at Washington, D. C., on the 31st of January, 1866. Ile made a most excellent soldier and saw much of real hardship and exposure.
After his return from army life Captain Stauffer beeame Chief Deputy to the Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas of Laneaster County, and in the autumn of 1869 was elected to the office of Prothonotary and served until December, 1872. The following spring he made an extended trip through the west, visiting Kansas and Colorado. In political matters he has always been very ac- tive. Ile was elected Mayor of the city after a hard fought battle in the fall of 1873, with a ma- jority of thirty-one, and was re-elected in Febrn- ary, 1875, by a majority of four hundred and eighty-four votes, when the Democratic majority of the city was over five hundred. llis term of office expired in October of 1877, at which time he engaged in the real estate and insurance business, and served as Deputy Revenue Colleetor under Thomas C. Wiley, but resigned that position to en- gage in the wholesale and retail hat business under the firm name of Stauffer & Co. The business oe- cupies three floors of a building 22x103 feet in dimensions, located at Nos. 31 and 33 North Queen Street.
Our subject was united in marriage November 9, 1869, with Miss Sarah D. Strickler, daughter of Cyrus and Catharine Strickler, residents of Colum- bia. By this union five children were born, all of whom are living and bear the names of Celeste B., William R., James D., John W. and Jeanette C.
Mr. Stauffer has been a member of the School Board for many years and was the youngest Pro- thonotary and Mayor ever elected in the city of Laneaster. He is an honored member of the Ma- sonic order, having attained to the Knight Tem- plar Commandery. Ile is also a member of the Odd Fellows' society, and is prominent in the Grand Army of the Republic. IIe has served as Post Commander of Gen. George II. Thomas Post 1
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No. 84. G. A. R., and is a member of Pennsylvania Commandery Military Order of the Loyal Legion. In religious matters our subject is identified with the Presbyterian Church. Politically he is a Re- publican.
J FREDERICK SENER is a very successful business man of Lancaster, and is undoubt- edly one of the most influential residents of the county. He is President of the North- ern National Bank and a member of the firm known as G. Sener & Sons, dealers in lumber and coal. The family is a very honored and respected one in these parts. where they have been located for several generations.
The great-grandfather of J. F. Sener, Gottlieb Sohner, came from Germany, setting sail for Philadelphia in the good ship "Fane" from Rot- terdam and landing October 17, 1749. On the 18th of September, 1750, he was married in Lan- easter by the Lutheran pastor, Handschuh, to Maria Barbara Klein, and there were born to them eight sons and daughters. For a livelihood he followed the carpenter's trade. His fifth child, Johannes, was born in Lancaster, Pa., October 7, 1765, and died July 11, 1814. He married Cath- arine Rung, who was born May 20, 1770, and died November 21, 1851. She was the third child of Heinrich and Anna Maria (Nicholai) Rung. Her grandparents were Wilhelm Rung and wife, An- genosa, on the one side, who came from Grimburg, Darmstadt to Lancaster about the year 1755; on the other side, Johann Dies Nicholai and wife, Elizabeth, who came from Eliburg, Nassau, about the same time. Nine children blessed the union of Johannes Sener and wife; John ( first-born, 1798), who married Ann Maria Fick; Godlieb (1800), the father of our subject; Jacob ( 1802), bachelor: Catharine (1804), married to Christopher Hlager; Frederick ( 1806), bachelor; George (1807); Henry (1808); Sophia ( 1809), the last three dying in infancy, and Elizabeth or Eliza (1810), widow
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of Samuel Miller, who (1894) is the only survivor. The name was originally written Sohner and for convenience sake was changed to the present orthography.
The father of our subject, Godlieb Sener, was born on North Prince Street, Lancaster, Pa., April 23, 1800. Until 1848 he followed the trade of edged tool making, having a shop on North Prince Street. Subsequently he purchased a lumber busi- ness from his two brothers, Jacob and Frederick, who had established it in 1833 on the Conestoga Creek, and the following year located the yards on the present site. In 1855 he added a retail coal business and the firm then took its present title. One of his sons, William Z., who was for years President of the Ephrata Bank, is now a partner of our subject. Formerly he was largely interested in many enterprises, among which were the Ilamil- ton Watch Company, of this city, and the Ephrata Water Works. In 1863 the father started a lum- ber, coal and slate yard at Ephrata which his sons carried on until April, 1894. The death of God- lieb Sener occurred Jannary 11, 1877. He was a devout supporter of the Lutheran Church, being a member of Trinity congregation. He served as a member of both Common and Select Councils from the First Ward, being elected by the Republicans. His wife, Rebecca Zahm before her marriage, was born in this city. She is a daughter of Godfried Zahm, also a native of this city, who was engaged in brush manufacturing until his death, which oc- curred in his eighty-sixth year. The Zahm family came to this country at a very early day, locating in Bethlehem, Northampton County, whence they came to this neighborhood. Mrs. Sener's grandfathi- er, Mathias Zahm, was born in Nazareth and died in this city in his eighty-sixth year. Seven children were born to our subject's parents: Henry M., who died in 1884, and Edward A., who responded to the emergency call during the late war and died in 1880, both of whom were members of the firm of G. Sener & Sons and Sener & Bros., Ephrata; Cecelia, Mrs. Goodell; Elizabeth, Mrs. Stormfeltz; J. Fred- erick; Mary, Mrs. Rumple, of Brooklyn, N. Y., and William, a partner with our subject. Harry and Edward were both practical business men. The mother of these children, who is an adherent of
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the Lutheran faith, is still living, being now in her eighty-fifth year.
The early years of J. Frederick Sener were pas-ed in this city, where he had good public and high school privileges. When fifteen years old, or in April, 1848, he went to work in the lumber yard and became thoroughly familiar with every department. On attaining his majority his father took him into the firm and he has since been con- nected therewith. Of late years the yards have been greatly enlarged and many improvements made. They cover one-fourth of a block on the corner of Prince and Walnut Streets, and the coal office is at the same location. The firm deals in Schuylkill and Wilkes Barre anthracite coal, of which they make a specialty, and have a very ex- tensive trade.
August 10, 1885, the Northern National Bank was organized and from its start Mr. Sener has been its President. The capital stock of this concern is $125,000, and it is one of the most solid financial institutions of the state. Its Vice-Presi- dent is J. L. Brubaker, and E. J. Ryder is the cash- ier. Fraternally, Mr. Sener is a charter member and Past Master of Lamberton Lodge No. 476, F. & A. M., and also belongs to Chapter 43, R. A. M., and to the Knight Templar Commandery, No. 13. Ile is a true and tried Republican, who is | greatly interested in furthering the best interests of his party. In religious faith he is a Lutheran, being a member of the Board of Trustees of Grace Church.
is a beautiful place in the suburbs, the grounds covering five and one-fourth acres (on Lititz turu- pike) known as Ermosa Vista.
In tracing the ancestry of Mrs. Sener, who comes from a very old and honored family of Lancas- ter County, we find that her great-great-grand- father, Johann Peter Keller, was a native of Ger- many, who came to America prior to 1760, settling in this county, where he died. Ilis wife, Anna Maria, likewise a native of the Fatherland, died in this city January 6. 1782. Their two children, Carl Andrew and Johann Adam, were born in Germany. The elder, whose birth occurred July 14, 1750, married Barbara Bigler, who was born August 9, 1755. The former died in 1805 and the latter in 1831-both in Lancaster. They had ten children, the second of whom, Adam, was born September 28, 1776, and married Elizabeth Schaef- fer, who was born in 1786, and of their union thirteen children were born. The second of the family was Jolm Andrew Keller, the father of Mrs. Sener. Ile married Harriet Tressler and both passed their entire lives in this city. Their eleven children were as follows: Samuel, deceased; Ben- jamin, deceased, who married Miss Leibley; Will- iam A., who married Mary A. Smith, of Philadel- phia; Clara, deceased; John A., who married Anna Carrigan; Elizabeth, who is next in the order of birth; Kate, deceased; Harriet M .; Ella, wife of David Early; Emanuel, deceased, and Charles B., who married Harriet, daughter of Lieut. D. II. Leche, of Baltimore.
The first marriage of J. Frederick of this sketch was to Kate J., daughter of Peter Hamilton, both natives of this county. The lady was a descend- ant of the original Andrew Hamilton, who laid out and owned much of this city. Mrs. Sener died about four years and nine months after her mar- riage, leaving one child, Charles M., who lived to H ENRY MARTIN, engaged in business in Lancaster under the name of the Henry Martin Brick Machine Manufacturing Company, is the inventor of this economical ma- chine, which is used all over the world. Several have been recently sent to the West Indies and to Sagua la Chica, Cuba. They are used at Bangkok, Siam; Dundee, New Zealand; Finland, Russia, and be nearly twelve years of age. In April, 1868, Mr. Sener married Elizabeth Keller, who was born and reared in Lancaster, and is a daughter of John A. Keller (son of Adam Keller, one of the worthy early settlers), who followed the business of saddlery. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Sener: Frank K., who is in business with his father, and Rosa A. The family residence are doing a great work in saving labor. Henry
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