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 73
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The father of our subject followed to a large extent the business formerly carried on by his fa- ther, and in his boyhood helped to run the boats on the river for the French Army. He became quite an extensive dealer in fruit and wine and also in
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cattle. During the Revolution of 1848, in which he was officially interested, he was captured, his property confiscated and he himself placed in the work house. After they had robbed him of every- thing, he was finally pardoned by the German Government on condition that he would leave the country. Lawrence Knapp in this emergency sent his parents every dollar he could spare and by this means they were enabled to leave the land where they had fared so hardly, and came to this state, loeating in Philadelphia, where the father's death occurred.
Lawrence Knapp, who is the third in order of birth in his father's family, passed his early years in the Fatherland, and from 1843 to 1847 learned brewing with Mr. Platz, now of Milwaukee. In 1847, having become proficient in his trade, he came to America and found work in the eopper mines near Belleville, later becoming assistant en- gineer and having to devote to his work eighteen hours of the twenty-four. Thus it will be seen that the money which he sent like a dutiful son to his parents was earned by the hardest and repre- sented truly honest industry. In 1849 the mines were shut down and the young man went to Phil- adelphia. There he worked at his trade until 1853, when, in September, he came to Laneaster, obtaining employment with Jolm A. Sprenger, with whom he was afterward a partner for about three years. Ilis next move was to become Superintendent of a brewery and distillery. With that concern he was connected for about thirty years, and was at the head of affairs. In 1886 he sold out his inter- est to Joseph Hoeffer, and located on this farm, which he had owned since 1872. This beautiful villa consists of thirty-six acres near the city limits and the proprietor has made all the improvements upon it himself.
.July 10, 1854, Mr. Knapp was married in Lan- caster to Mrs. Catherine (Spenger) Witmeyer, and they have had four children, John T., who is a machinist in the city; L. B., a photographer; Kate, wife of James Prangley, a briek manufacturer, and Louisa, who is at home. In politics Mr. Knapp is not tied to any party, but is independent, preferr- ing to use his right of franchise as he best sees fit. With his family he attends St. Anthony's Church
and is most highly respected. When the first street ear line was started in this vicinity he took great interest in the seheme and furthered it as far as he was able. Ile owns a good residence in the city, and has through years of industry amassed a comfortable fortune.
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REDERICK AUGUSTUS BEATES, one of Lancaster's highly respected citizens, was born at Elizabeth Furnace in November 1830, and is a son of Rev. William Beates, whose birthplace was only about two hundred yards from the old home of George Washington in Philadel- plua. Our subject's Grandfather Beates was a to- baceonist in Philadelphia, and sold tohaceo to members of Washington's army, but when General Ilowe learned of this fact, he had it locked up. Our subject's father was a minister in the Lutheran Church and preached for twenty years near the Furnaces, and then removed to Lancaster, where he was made pastor of Zion's Lutheran Church. Ile finally resigned his pastorate and died at the age of ninety-two years. Our subjeet's moth- er's maiden name was Mary Herbst, a native of Lancaster. Her parents were from Wurtemberg. ller father was a wine merchant on West King Street. The mother died at the age of seventy- five years. They reared a family of eleven chil- dren, six of whom are living, our subject being the youngest son. Ile was reared in Lancaster from the age of five years. Ile received his edu- eation at the common schools and afterwards at- tended school at Middletown, at Lititz school, and later at the Pennsylvania College at Gettysburg. Close confinement proved detrimental to his health and for about ten seasons he lived in the Alle- ghany Mountains. Ile always had a longing for farm life, so he purchased a farm amid the rocks and hills and set out a fine orchard of five acres and made beautiful the wild places. This five aere traet he transformed into a real paradise with
HON. JOHN J. PATTERSON.
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beautiful walks; a rapidly running stream of water with rocks and ferns makes the whole place one of pieturesque beauty. June 1. 1893, he located in Lancaster on Cottage Avenue. Ile was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Wetzel, a native of Laneaster, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Wetzel, who were farmers; she died in June, 1893.
Our subject's father was a noted man in his time; he preached in Lancaster County from young man- hood, the whole term of his ministry there extend- ing over a term of sixty years. When a mere boy our subject's father was on the street during the war with England, when a British soldier caught him by the hair and demanded that he hurrah for General lowe; he refused to do this, but hurrahed for General Washington and the Continental Con- gress. This enraged the soldier, and he pulled a handful of hair from his head. His brother. C. E. Beates. served the Government as a surveyor in early days and surveyed out the wilds of Pennsyl- vania, and finally settled on a thirty-three hun- dred and thirty-two acre tract of land in the wil- derness about Shamokin.
H ON. JOHN JAMES PATTERSON, of Lan- caster, comes from a very old and hon- ored family in this region, as over two hundred years ago the founders of the American branch, two brothers, John and James, emigrated from Seotland, making a settlement in Bucks Coun- ty, where many of their descendants are still living, others having gone to different parts of the coun- try. The Hon. Mr. Patterson, whose name heads this record, represented his district in the Penn- sylvania Legislature, and in 1872 was elected to the Senate from South Carolina, in which state he had been living for several years. In former years he was mueh interested in newspaper work and of late has been identified with many of the leading railroad enterprises of this loeahty. He is a very prominent and influential man in all circles, whether financial, social or legislative.
In tracing the ancestry of Mr. Patterson, we find 26
that the two brothers before mentioned were mer- chants who came from Ireland about 1701, set- thing at Trappe, Bucks County. Our subject is in the direct line of descent from John, and many of the same surname in this county are dis- tant connections of his family, and among these was Judge Patterson of Lancaster. who is now deceased. For two hundred years the family has been conspicuous in the political and public life of this eity and other portions of the state, and in all the wars of the country they have been well represented by able men. John Patterson, the grandfather of our subject. lived in Tuscarora Valley, Juniata County, Pa., and during the War of the Revolution was in active service for five years. In politics he was a Federalist and served as Clerk in the Prothonotary's office in Cumber- land County, and became a leading promoter and President of the Juniata Bank at Lewistown. He afterwards removed to Mifflin ( now Juniata ) Coun- ty, establishing the first store in its limits, was em- inently successful in his financial undertaking, and at the time of his death was one of the wealthiest men in the county. Ile was a member of the Presbyterian Church and a man of strict integrity and upright principle. By his wife, formerly Isa- bella Lyon, of Juniata County, he had the follow- ing children: William: James, who died at Bal- timore, Md , during the cholera epidemic of 1832; Robert, Andrew, John; Margaret Sterrett, who he- came the mother of Judge James Patterson Sterrett, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsyl- vania, and Jane. The mother of these children was born in 1770 and died in 1858. On the pa- ternal side the grandmother of our subject was a relative of samuel Wilson, who was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
William Hart Patterson, the father of our sub- ject, was a merchant and very successful business man. lle departed this life August 30, 1858, aged fifty-nine years. In politics he was a Whig and later became identified with the Republican party. Religiously he was connected with the Presbyterian Church and belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. By his wife, who was formerly Mary A. Wilson, he had two sons and three daugh- ters, the eldest of whom, George, died at the age
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of twenty-one years. The second child, Jane, mar- ried Judge Sterrett, of the Supreme Court of Penn- sylvania, a member of one of the oldest families of Juniata County, as his ancestors were among the pioneers of that region. For a period of twenty years the Judge has been a member of the Supreme Bench and is a very prominent man in legal and political circles. Anna became the wife of Samuel Van Dike, of Wisconsin; Salina, wife of Samuel Baird, is a resident of lowa; John James is fifth in order of birth in this family, and he was born August 8, 1830, at Waterloo, Juniata County.
The HIon. Mr. Patterson received his elementary schooling in the common schools of his native place, and later attended the Tuscarora Academy in Juniata County and graduated from the Jeffer- son College, where he was a student at the same time that James G. Blaine was at Washington Col- lege. After leaving school Mr. Patterson became the editor of the Harrisburg Daily Telegraph, this being in 1853, and this journal he condueted for ten years, on the expiration of which time he went to Mifflintown, where he afterwards organized the Juniata Valley Bank. In 1869 he went to South Carolina on business and continued to make his home there for about ten years, during which time he was elected to the United States Senate as a Representative from South Carolina, being a mem- ber of the Congressional body at the same time as was the noted statesman from Mame, James G. Blaine, from 1873 to 1879.
During the Civil War, Mr. Patterson enlisted at the beginning for three months' service, responding to the first call for troops, and was placed on Gen- eral Wilhams' staff as aide-de-camp and was ap- pointed Captain of the fifteenth Pennsylvania In- fantry some time later. In 1862 he was made Paymaster, and at the end of one year's service was obliged to resign on account of sciatica, re- ceiving an honorable discharge. For a number of years subsequently he was interested in the horse- cars and electric railroads being constructed at Bloomington, Ill., and in Wilkes Barre and Lancas- ter. In 1893 he came to this eity, and is President of the Pennsylvania Traction Company, which owns all the street railway property of this conn- ty and now contemplates the construction of sev-
enty-five miles of road within its limits and a line between Harrisburg and Philadelphia.
In 1855 Mr. Patterson married Miss Lueretia E. Moore, by whom he had four children, namely; Wilham II., who is in charge of the street railway in Bloomington, Ill .; Silas M., in business with his father in Lancaster; Mary W., living at home, and John .I., Jr., a lawyer located at Mifflintown, Pa. The wife and mother departed this life in Wash- ington City in 1884, and in 1887 he was married to Miss Mildred May Frank, of Wisconsin. This lady died in November, 1889. He was married to his present wife, Miss Flora Marcie Warfood, of Philadelphia, in February, 1893.
In his political faith Hon. Mr. Patterson is a Republican of the truest stamp, and has always been extremely active in everything pertaining to the success of the party with which he is identi- fied. Both while he was in the United States Sen- ate and at all other times has his voice been heard on the side of a protective tariff and in support of the broad and well laid platform of the Republican party. Socially he is a Mason, and in his personal character and relations with his fellow-citizens he bears a very enviable reputation as a man of honor, striet integrity and true merit.
ACOB BAKER LONG, stock commission broker of Lancaster and one of its shrewd and snecessful business men, is well and fa- vorably known throughout this portion of the state. Throughout almost his entire life lie has been identified with the interests of this city. Ile was born here October 25, 1849, and is a rep- resentative of one of the oldest families in the county. His paternal grandfather, who was of German descent, was an active member of the Lutheran Church and interested in all good works.
The father of our subject, John F. Long, was born in Lancaster and was a a lifelong resident of this city, of which he was a prominent citizen, do-
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ing much toward advancing its material interests. lle was proprietor of a finely equipped drug store at No. 12 North Queen Street, and was in that line of business for a period of sixty years. His death occurred in 1884, when he was in his seventy- seventh year. Ile was always interested in the welfare of the community and aided in whatever way he could in promoting its progress. In poli- tics he was a Republican and on that ticket was elected County Treasurer, filling that position for three years. Like his father before him. he was a devoted member of the Lutheran Church.
The mother of our subject was Louisa, daughter of Rev. John C. Baker, who for a quarter of a cen- tury was pastor of the Trinity Lutheran Church of Lancaster. Ile was a member of the General Syn- od of the Lutheran Church, a fine scholar and very influential in theological and educational affairs. His death occurred in Philadelphia. Mrs. Long was born in Germantown in 1814. and died in 1892, at the age of seventy-eight.
To John F. Long and his wife were born seven children, six of whom attained mature years and five are now living. Jacob B., who was the young- est but one, received his education in the common schools and the Yeates Institute. During the late war his brother, John C .. was Lieutenant in Com- pany D, One Hundred and Twenty-second Penn- sylvania Infantry, afterwards promoted to the rank of Aid to the Brigade Commander on account of valor. Our subject took a commercial course in East- man's Business College in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., from which he was graduated, and in 1867 entered a banking house on Wall Street, New York. A short time afterward, however, he returned to Lancaster and entered the employ of the Reed-MeGrann Company, a private banking institution. For three years he was employed in stock brokerage, then became paying teller in the Farmers' National Bank, in which capacity he was employed for two and one-half years.
In 1879 Mr. Long began in business for himself as stock commission broker, and being a careful manager and a good financier, he stands well in the business world. Ile was one of the original stockholders in the Lancaster City Railway and a prime factor in the establishment of the electric
street railway here. He was interested in all the roads in Lancaster and was the first to solicit for the first road built in 1884 to the fair grounds. He was Director in all the railways until Febru- ary. 1894, when the entire system was sold to IIon. J. J. Patterson. For live years he was a stockholder and secretary of the Lancaster County Fair Asso- ciation. In this city in June, 1881, he married Mis. Ellen (Hayes) Hager, daughter of llon. A. L. Hayes, who was an honored Judge of the courts in Lancaster for many years. In religious matters he is a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church, and in politics always casts his vote for Republi- can candidates.
ILLIAM B. GIVEN. Few professional or business men of Columbia have been more active in supporting its industries in a substantial way than this gentleman, who is a leading member of the Lancaster County Bar, and has also been admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of the state and of the United States. He is a man of great public spirit, has been actively concerned in educational affairs, and has been so- licitor of the city for three years. Politically, he is a Democrat, and a leading adherent to the party, being Chairman of the County Committee, and in 1892 was sent as a delegate to the convention which nominated Cleveland. In 1886 he was a candidate for Congress, but was defeated, owing to the fact that his party was in the minority.
The Given family is of Scotch-Irish descent, and our subject's great-grandfather on the paternal side was one of the early settlers in the village of Columbia. Ile became extensively engaged in lumbering when this article was brought on rafts down the river. He hecame quite prosperous, and at the time of his death possessed considerable wealth. Politically, he was a Democrat, and was a man of prominence in the community wherein he dwelt. A very active worker in the Methodist
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Episcopal Church, he bore a high reputation for personal integrity and worth. He married Miss Mercer, and had eight children. The father of our subject, William F. Given, was born in Columbia and received a common-school education. Follow- ing in his father's footsteps, he was employed in the lumber business, and retired quite early in life with an ample competency. He was a Director in the Columbia National Bank and in the Columbia Bridge Company. In the Methodist Episcopal Church of this place he held membership, and in polities was a Democrat. In 1862 he departed this life, leaving his wife and three children to mourn his loss. The former, whose maiden name was Susan A. Barns, is still living. Her children are William B., Frank S. and Martha W., wife of How- ard B. Rhoades, editor of the Columbia Herald.
The birth of our subject occurred September 23, 1856, in this city. He was given good educational advantages, and was a student in private schools of Baltimore County, Md., in which county his father was living retired from business at the time. Later he attended Saunders' Academy in Philadel- pina, a celebrated institution for boys, and in 1876 was graduated from the Ann Arbor State Univer- sity of Michigan, from the law department. Re- turning to Columbia, Mr. Given entered the office of Hon. II. M. North, and was admitted to the Bar in December, 1877. Soon afterward he opened his present oflice, where he does a large general prac- tice. In addition to his professional duties he is President of the Columbia Electric Street Railway, occupies a like position with the Columbia & Don- egal Railroad Company, being particularly inter- ested in local modes of transit, and a stockholder in all the companies in the county, which now have extensive plans for improvement and enlargement of the systems. Among the other concerns in which Mr. Given is interested are the Columbia Na- tional Bank, the Keeley Stove Company, of this place; the Wilson Laundry Machinery Company; the Triumph Shirt Company, the Columbia Water and Gas Companies, the East Columbia Land Com- pany, in all of which he is a Director, and with the silk mill of this place he is officiating as a Trustee.
September 6, 1879, Mr. Given was united in marriage with Mary B., daughter of Abram Bruner.
To Mr. and Mrs. Given were born three children, who are named as follows: Erna, Jenme B. and William B., Jr.
For nine years Mr. Given was a member of the School Board, and was President of the same for two years. In the recent long and hotly con- tested struggle on behalf of John Westerman for the position of Postmaster of Columbia, Mr. Given was one of the ardent champions of that highly respected citizen, and it was largely through his efforts that the appointment was now made for his friend.
In a large and beautiful home, which he has built for himself at Chestnut and Fourth Streets, Mr. Given lives, surrounded by every comfort that the age ean suggest, and here it is his delight to entertain his many friends from near and far.
A BRAIIAM L. LANE. The place owned and occupied by our subject is good farm- ing land, supplied with all the needed and convenient structures. It is located in West IIempfield Township, among whose residents Mr. Lane holds a good position. Hle is the son of Christian and Sarah ( Leighty) Lane, and was born in Rapho Township, this county, March 22, 1837.
Abraham Lane, the grandfather of our subject, was also a native of this county, where he was a ten- ement farmer. In politics he was a Whig, and in religion was a valued member of the Mennonite Church. He married Miss Barbara Reis, by whom he became the father of the following named chil- dren: Susan, Ehzabeth, Barbara, Christian, John, Jacob and Abraham. Christian Lane was born in Rapho Township in 1810, was a farmer by occupa- tion, a Republican in politics, and belonged to the Mennomte Church. The lady whom he married and who is now deceased, was known in her maid- enhood as Sarah Leighty, and to them were born two children, our subject and Annie. The father
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is still living, making his home with Abraham L., while the mother departed this life in 1883.
The original of this sketch received his educa- tion in the common schools as carried on in an early day, and has followed farming pursuits his entire life. Ile formerly owned fifty-seven acres of good land in West Hempfield Township, which he sold in 1893, and purchased a small tract adjoin- ing that farm. He has been reasonably successful as an agriculturist, and is in a fair way to become the possessor of a good competence.
Abraham L. Lane and Miss Susan Eby were united in marriage in 1856. Their union has been blessed by the birth of three children, two sons and a daughter. as follows: Jacob; Annie, the wife of Clayton Bowen, and Christian.
E DWIN C. DILLER, a resident of New lol- land. traces his ancestry back to the year 1685 in Alsace, France, when the first rep- resentative was obliged to flee to Holland on ac- count of religious persecution. His son, who bore the name of Casper, accompanied him on his re- moval, and when a lad of ten or twelve years went to England, where he was later married to an Eng- lish woman. It is supposed that he then returned to his native land and from there in 1738 emigrated to America, locating in Loch Platz, in the vicinity of New Holland, where he purchased five hundred acres of land and lived until his decease, in 1775 or 1780. at the remarkable age of one hundred years.
The family of Casper Diller comprises three sons and seven daughters, the former bearing the re- spective names of Philip Adam, Jean Martin and Casper, Jr. The daughters were all married, but their given names are not known. Philip Adam Diller was born in the Palatinate, about eleven miles
from Heidelberg, Germany, March 8, 1723, and af- ter coming to America, also made his home in this county on a farm in Earl Township. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Leonard Ellmaker, a native of Germany, and became the father of Adam, Anna Maria. Leonard. Magdaline, Margaret, Peter and Isaac. The last-named son, who was the grandfa- ther of our subject. reared by his first marriage the following-named children: Jonathan, William, Ju- lia and Isaac. By his second wife, Miss Maria Gray- bill, there were born Emma, Adam, and Amos, the father of our subject.
Edwin C. Diller was born in New Columbia, Union County. this state, November 26, 1839. IIis father's birth occurred on the old homestead on Mill Creek, this county, September 12, 1812. Ile received a common-school education and when thir- teen years of age was employed by his cousin, Ro- land Miller, as clerk in the latter's store. Ile re- mained with him for several years and then became connected with Anthony Roberts in the same ca- pacity.
About 1839 Amos Diller removed with his fam- ily to New Columbia and opened up an establish- ment of his own, conducting it with fair success for two years. when he went to Vogansville, where he was also the proprietor of a general store. From that place he came two years later to New Holland and was employed in the mercantile business alone until 1865, when, in partnership with Philip Bru- baker. he purchased the store which is now oper- ated by our subject, and their affairs were managed under the style of Diller & Brubaker for about five years. Amos Diller retired from active business life in 1866 and Edwin C. succeeded bim in all his enterprises. He was very successful as a merchant and accumulated a handsome fortune, which he uses liberally in support of the Lutheran Church, of which he was an official member, and all worthy en- terprises. In politics, he was a stanch Democrat.
In the year 1838 Amos Diller was married to Miss Mary, daughter of Anthony Carpenter, proprietor of a hotel in New Holland, with which he also com- bines the business of watch-maker. The parental family included two sons and one daughter, of whom our subject was the eldest. Emma died when thirteen years of age; and William G. departed this
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