Portrait and biographical record of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties, Pennsylvania. : Containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties, together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States, Part 69

Author:
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1006

USA > Pennsylvania > Carbon County > Portrait and biographical record of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties, Pennsylvania. : Containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties, together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States > Part 69
USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > Portrait and biographical record of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties, Pennsylvania. : Containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties, together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States > Part 69
USA > Pennsylvania > Northampton County > Portrait and biographical record of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties, Pennsylvania. : Containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties, together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States > Part 69

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A LFRED M. PAFF, one of the native sons of Northampton County, was born in Lower Mt. Bethel Township, December 14, 1849, and for fifteen years and over his home has been in Bangor. In 1882 he organized the First National Bank of this place, which was incorpo- rated with a capital stock of $60,000, this having since been increased to $170,000, besides the re- served surplus and deposits. Since the bank was organized Mr. Paff has acted in the capacity of Cashier, to which position he was unanimously clected.

The ancestors of our subject, about one hun- dred years ago, lived near Baden Baden, Germany. The founder of the family in America settled in Bucks County, this state, and there our subject's grandfather, John, was born. He followed the lifelong occupation of farming, dying when his son Henry was about nine years of age. His re- mains were placed to rest in the cemetery within the limits of this county. He was a Democrat in politics, and a member of the Lutheran Church. On the maternal side the grandfather, Barnet Mil- ler, was a native of Northampton County, and

also followed agricultural pursuits. He died and was buried in the cemetery at Centreville, Stone Church, Pa. Our subject's father, Henry, who was born in Lower Mt. Bethel Township, October 4, 1821, died. March 14, 1859, and was buried at Martin's Creek, in the Three Churches Cemetery. Like his ancestors, he devoted himself to agricult- ure, and was industrious and a worthy citizen. In political faith he was a Democrat, and religi- ously was associated with the Lutheran denomina- tion, being a regular church attendant. He mar- ried Sarah A. Miller, by whom he had six chil- dren: Catherine Ann, Mrs. Reuben H. Labar, of Stone Church; Susannah, Mrs. Daniel Gruver, of Washington Township; Jacob H., who married a Miss Darrhon, and lives in Bushkill Township; Alfred M .; Sarah J., Mrs. Joseph Slamp, of Bangor; and William, who died in infancy.

Our subject was reared on his father's farm, his time being alternately divided between work on the homestead and in attending the public schools. Afterwards he entered Millersville Normal. As bis guardian was very careful of his ward's money, and allowed him barely enough for his expenses, he obtained a position as teacher, and thus worked his way independently for some years. In 1873 he graduated from the Millersville Normal, and then for the next five years held schools at Loys- ville, Perry County; at Portland, this county, and other places. The next two years he served as Principal of the Bangor School, being the first to occupy that position after it became a borough. He introduced the graded system in his school, and at the same time took part in the various branches of educational and institute work through- out the county. In the mean time, after graduat- ing from Millersville Normal, he applied himself to mathematics, Latin and the higher branches of learning. He has served this borough as Sur- veyor for a number of years, and had not his duties in connection with the bank precluded his acting in that capacity, he probably would have devoted himself to surveying. In 1878 he accepted a position in a private bank at Bangor, and remained in that place for four years. Hav- ing an eye to business openings, the young man became convinced that on account of the increas-

JOHN STOTZER.

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ing demands upon the bank a larger and more thoroughly organized institution would be ex- tremely practicable, and the First National Bank was the outgrowth of this idea.

Mr. Paff has been identified as a stockholder in the Bangor Union Slate Company, in which he is Treasurer, and in the Seek-No-Further Slate Com- pany of East Bangor. When the Bangor & Port- land Railroad was being organized, he was influen- tial in securing the right of way. In regard to polities he is a Republican, and actively interested in his party's welfare, having been elected to serve as Chief Burgess, member of the Council, a Diree- tor on the School Board, and in various other pub- lic positions.

May 6, 1876, Mr. Paff married Ariella, daughter of Joseph H. and Margaret A. Beck, of Stone Church, Pa. To Mr. and Mrs. Paff have been born two children, Joseph Willard and Mary Florence, their birthdays occurring in November, 1877, and in April, 1882, respectively. Mr. and Mrs. Paff are members of the Reformed Church.

J OHN STOTZER, a well known and respected citizen of Easton, is at present serving as a Notary Public, and is Treasurer of the Coun- ty Almshouse, which latter position he has filled with ability since 1882. In 1874 he was chosen to represent this district in the Legislature, and also attended the sessions of 1875-76. For four years he served efficiently as a member of the Board of Control, or Board of School Directors, and for three years was President of the organiza- tion. From 1863 to 1872, a period of nine years, he was a member of the Borough Couneil. It will thus be seen that he has long oceupied influential positions in the public service, and at all times he has discharged his duties with a high sense of fidel- ity and honor.

The birth of Mr. Stotzer occurred September 12, 1829, in Berne, Switzerland. His father, Samuel Stotzer, was born and spent his entire life in the same city. For a number of years lie followed the

oeeupation of coachman, and died while in the prime of life, in 1831, aged thirty-three years. His wife, whose maiden name was Mary Kocher, after- wards married Charles Bless, a cabinet-maker by trade. They came to the United States about 1833, and located in Northampton County, at what was then known as Catherine Furnace. They contin- ued to reside in that locality until 1846, when they became residents of Easton. Our subjeet's mother died in 1849, when in her fiftieth year.

The early education of John Stotzer was ac- quired in the publie sehools of Northampton County, which he attended until about thirteen years of age. He then secured a position on the canal, and gradually rose until he became the owner of a boat which was used for conveying coal from the mines to Philadelphia. In this business he continued until 1847, when he entered a store as clerk, and served in that capacity for two years. At the end of that time he engaged in the grocery business, and eondueted a successful trade until 1860 on his own account. While a youth on the canal he spent much time in study, and through his own efforts beeame well informed on general questions.

For six years Mr. Stotzer served as Justice of the Peace. Later he was elected Register of Wills, serving two terms of three years each. In April, 1867, he was made Commissioner's Clerk, and acted as such for three years. He then retired from publie offiee to open up a real-estate and convey- ancing business, which still occupies his attention. From 1871 to 1882 lie was Secretary of the Glen- don Building and Loan Association, and has been interested in other concerns having for their object the upbuilding of the city. Prior to the war he was for years identified with the Citizens' Artillery, being First Lieutenant of the organiza- tion.

Fraternally Mr. Stotzer is a member of Father- land Lodge No. 111, I. O. O. F., and helped to or- ganize Elm Lodge No. 604. He also aided in founding the Valley Union Eneampment, and has contributed much to the snceess of the Odd Fel- lows' Society. He acted as First Officer in both of the above lodges at their organization. For- merly he was a member of the Aneient Order of

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Good Fellows and of the Ancient Order of Druids, both of which societies have been discontinued. As a member of Amana Castle No. 77, K. of P., he has represented his lodge in the Grand Lodge of the state for about twenty years, and is a Past Officer in the state organization. He has been Grand Chancellor, and for four years was Supreme Representative from Pennsylvania to the Supreme Lodge of the World. When the lodge was organ- ized at Easton he was made First Officer of the same, and has filled all the chairs except that of Supreme Chancellor of National Organization. For twenty-three years he has been a member of the Masonic fraternity, being identified with Dela- ware Lodge No. 52, of Phillipsburg, N. J. Relig- iously he holds membership with the German Re- formed Church.

In November, 1849, Mr. Stotzer married Miss Sarah Catherine Dachrodt, whose father, John A., was a buteher in Easton. To our worthy subject and wife were born seven children: Mary A., wife of William B. Heckman, who is train dispatcher at Buffalo, N. Y., for the Lehigh Valley Railroad; Emma L., Mrs. Joseph Lightcap, of Easton; Charles W., whose home is in Easton; Anna J., Mrs. Gil- bert Fulmer, of Easton; Frank J., who is unmar- ried and also a resident of this place; Nellie, Mrs. E. W. Warne, of Phillipsburg; and Sallie C., who is deceased. Mrs. Stotzer was called to her final rest in September, 1884, at the age of fifty-three years.

QUIRE LEVIN A. MIKSCH is a public- spirited citizen, in harmony with the ad- vanced ideas, intelligent progress and the best methods of promoting education, improve- ments, and the good of his country generally. He is the oldest resident now living in West Bethle- hem, where he is one of its prominent lumber and coal merchants, conducting a fine business in con- nection with a Mr. Borhek.

Our subject was born November 1, 1820, in Nazareth, Northampton County, this state, and is the son of Jacob Miksch, whose birth occurred in

1787, at Christian Spring, that county. Grand- father Christian Mikseh was a native of Bethle- hem, but was reared to manhood in the above county, where he carried on the blacksmith's trade. The great-grandfather of our subject, Michael Miksch, was born September 27, 1710, in Moravia, Austria. The latter, during his younger days, was sent as a missionary to that country, but was not allowed to stay there long enough to accom- plish any good, being driven out of the country along with other missionaries. He returned to his native place, and was then sent to Georgia, as a missionary in the Moravian Mission Church. He labored there for many years, but finally re- moved to this state, where he was made manager of the Moravian Farm which he superintended for many years. His last place of residence was in Christian Spring, where his decease occurred January 28, 1792.

The father of our subject followed in the foot- steps of his father, and was also a blacksmith by trade during his younger years, but on abandon- ing that line of business located on a farm near Nazareth, whicre his decease occurred at the age of ninety-one years and two months. His wife, Mrs. Catherine (Weinland) Miksch, was born near Hope, N. J., and her father, Christian Weinland, was likewise a native of that state, whence he came to Nazareth in an early day.

Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Miksch had eight children, all of whom are deceased with the exception of Francis, who is eighty years of age and resides in Nazareth; Levin, of this sketch, and Joseph, who makes his home at Iron Hill. He of whom we write was reared in his native place and attended school until fifteen years of age, when he began working as clerk in a general merchandise store. In November, 1840, however, he removed to Wayne County, and in company with a Mr. Wooley es- tablished a general merchandise and lumber busi- ness at Hopesdale. They owned a large saw mill, and the lumber which they manufactured was rafted in logs to their mill, and when worked over into lumber was floated on the Delaware River to Trenton and Philadelphia. Mr. Miksch was thus employed for eleven years, and during his resi- dence in that locality had many thrilling experi-

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ences in hunting bear and other wild animals, of which he killed a great number.

In 1851 our subject came to West Bethlehem, where he was given the position of Superintend- ent of the Borhek & Knauss Lumber and Coal Company, and filled the position of Manager of their retail yards until August, 1860. Previous to that year one member of the firm, C. L. Knauss, died, and the survivor, Mr. Borhek, sold the busi- ness to A. C. Borhek, C. M. Knauss and L. A. Miksch, and these gentlemen operated together until 1877, when C. M. Knauss of the firm sold his interest to Mr. Borhek, and the style was changed to that of Borhek & Mikseh, which is still retained. Their yard is located on the corner of Main and Canal Streets and covers over three blocks. On it are erected all the necessary sheds and buildings, and the office, which is situated on Main Street, is built of briek. It is the oldest yard in the city, its original owner, Henry G. Guetter, having sold the business in 1848 to Borhek & Knauss. They carry all kinds of building materials and deal in large quantities of lime and hard and soft coal, making a specialty of Upper Lehigh Valley coal.

Mr. Mikseh is occupying with his family a sub- stantial residence on Canal Street, and it may be said of him that he has done more than any other one man toward the upbuilding of this place. He gives his aid to every project calculated to ad- vance its interests, and is therefore looked upon as one of the prominent citizens of Lehigh County. He has been very successful in his business career and owns considerable real estate in this vicinity.

Our subject was married in Wayne County, this state, in 1845, to Miss Magdalena, daughter of John Frebele. She was born in Germany, of which place her father was also a native, and departed this life in 1861. She was the mother of ten chil- dren, six of whom grew to mature years: Ellen, whose decease occurred in her sixteenth year; Will- iam, a merchant of Bethlehem, who died when thir- ty-three years old; Jacob, in business with his fa- ther; Harriet L., the wife of Alfred Moore, who makes her home in this eity; Levin A., Jr., a ma- chinist in this place; and Mary M., now Mrs. J. C. Wagner, who also makes her home in this eity.

Our subject is very popular in his community

and while residing in Hanover Township was elected, in 1855, as Justice of the Peace on the Re- publiean tieket, in the strongest Democratie town- ship in the county. He was re-elected to the same position in 1860, and was the incumbent of that office for ten years in succession. He is a member of the Moravian Church in Bethlehem, and is act- ive in all church and Sunday-school work. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Lumbermen's Protective Association, and with his partner is en- joying a large trade, which from the beginning has steadily increased.

H ENRY D. KECK, the popular Station Agent at Whitehall for the Lehigh Val- ley Railway Company, and agent for the United States Express Company, is a native of Le- high County, and was born July 14, 1853. His parents, William J. and Mary A. (Sheirer) Keck, were born in Pennsylvania, and both were of Ger- man deseent. The father is deceased, but the mother still survives, making her home at Laury's Station, Pa.

After completing the studies of the common schools, Mr. Keck entered the Eastman Business College at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., from which he was graduated in 1872. Subsequently he attended the Keystone State Normal at Kutztown, Pa., for one term. Afterward, for a number of years, he was engaged in teaching public and private schools, but, though meeting with success in his profession, he did not care to continue it for his life work. In 1886 he entered the freight department of the Le- high Valley Railroad at Perth Amboy, N. J., where he continued for four years, being head clerk dur- ing a portion of that time.

In 1890 Mr. Keck eame to Whiteliall and as- sumed the duties of Station Agent, in which eapa- city he has since been engaged. Socially he is identified with Seigfried Lodge No. 1026, I. O. O. F., and in his religious connections he adheres to the doetrines of the Lutheran Church, the faith of his forefathers. The political questions of the

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age receive from him the serious consideration which they demand, and he has firm convictions upon all subjects of general importanee. In po- litieal belief he is an earnest advocate of Demo- eratic principles, and invariably gives his support to the nominees of that party. He gives his aid to all public measures having for their object the promotion of the welfare of the people, and inay be relied upon to give his influenee in behalf of all that is true, uplifting and beneficial.

Establishing domestie ties, Mr. Keck was united in marriage, February 4, 1877, with Amelia E. Simmon, who was born in Lehigh County, Pa., a daughter of Harrison and Emeline Simmon, also residents of this eounty. The union has resulted in the birth of three children: Carrie E., George W. and Madeline M. By all who know them Mr. and Mrs. Keck are held in high regard as peo- ple of true worth and nobility of character.

A UGUSTUS WOLLE, deceased, who was foremost in so many of the great enter- prises of the Lehigh Valley, was a man of great publie spirit, was far-sighted and sagacious in his judgment, and many of his investments ex- eeeded his greatest expectation in their outcome. For generations his ancestors have been conspieu- ously associated with the history of the Moravian Society at Bethlehem. One of these, Peter Wolle, was born November 6, 1745, in Herrnhut, Saxony, Germany, and was sent as a Moravian missionary to the West Indies. His children ultimately emi- grated to the United States, becoming men of prominence. The Rt .- Rev. Peter Wolle, as he was ealled, was for years Senior Bishop of the society in America. Jacob was for many years Justice of the Peace, Chief Burgess, and a leading member of the Philharmonic Society in Bethlehem; and an- other son, John Frederick, our subject's father, for twenty years eondueted the business of the soei- ety's store at the corner of Main and Market Streets, this city. He married Sabina, daughter of Judge William Henry, of Nazareth, Pa., and grand-

daughter of Judge William Henry, of Lancaster, Pa. The latter was a member of the Continental Congress and a personal friend of Robert Fulton, to whom he gave the original idea and sketch of the steamboat, which the latter afterward patented. He was also in the Government employ during the Revolutionary War, furnishing arms to the Colon- ial army. At his death he was Treasurer of Lan- caster County, and the court appointed his wife, a woman of great ability, to fill out his term. Their son William was a pioneer, near Nazareth, in the iron furnace business, his forge and works being located at Jaeobsburg.

Augustus Wolle, who was born at Nazareth, Sep- tember 8, 1821, received a thoroughi education in the Moravian sehools, as did also his two brothers and sister. Sylvester, the eldest, was Treasurer of the Moravian Society of the Northern Diocese. Rev. Francis, the second son, was Principal of the Young Ladies' Seminary in Bethlehem for seven- teen years; and Elizabeth became the wife of Bishop H. A. Shultz in 1835.

Our subject entered the co-operative store su- perintended by his father, and was a clerk there for ten years. He then purchased the establish- ment, and remained its sole proprietor until 1853, when he associated with himself Robert P. Krause and James H. Wolle. Subsequently Ambrose J. Erwin was also admitted, and the business was conducted under the name of A. Wolle & Co. until 1863, when the firm name was changed to Wolle, Krause & Erwin, under which title they continued seven years, when the senior partner re- tired. During the thirty-five years of his active management, the business inereased with great ra- pidity, and its reputation as one of the principal trading-houses of the region was fully sustained. The aetive brain of Augustus Wolle developed many other enterprises of magnitude, and his ven- tures were attended with unusual sueeess. As early as 1837 his brother Franeis, when clerking for his father, invented a machine for the manufacture of paper bags, on which he received patents in 1852. In order to render thiis valuable invention profita- ble, a vast deal of energy and money were required, and the necessary means were furnished by Augus- tus Wolle. After an outlay of $75,000, much of this

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being spent in litigating infringements on the pat- ent, the right was disposed of for $200,000. The brothers were the pioneers, and the very first in the world, to manufacture paper bags by machinery. Eighteen years of anxious care, visiting of the Paris Exposition in 1855, and traveling to other European cities for the purpose of introducing the invention, were required to effect the great final results. S. E. Pettee, who made the most impor- tant improvement on the machine, contributed equally to its ultimate practical use and satisfac- tory success.

After disposing of the patent, Augustus Wolle again interested himself in the manufacture of iron, having previously been a stockholder in the Thomas Iron Company of Hokendauqua, when he had conccived certain original ideas upon the sub- ject. These he procceded, in 1857, to practically carry out, and in 1860, in company with others, he founded an iron company, which was located on the south side of the Lehigh River at Bethle- hem. Moreover, he purchased land in what is now known as South Bethlehem, and by his individual efforts succeeded in procuring capital in Philadel- phia and elsewhere. Though seemingly great risks were taken in venturing upon the enterprise with comparatively insufficient capital, the Bethlehem Iron Company was established in 1860, and is now one of the most extensive works of the kind in the world. Mr. Wolle was the first President of this great company, and four years later the success of his last enterprise prompted him to other fields, and his attention being drawn to the slate interests of Northampton County, his first move was the or- ganization of the Chapman Slate Company, which also proved a decided financial success. The same year he founded the Pennsylvania Slate Company, for which he pledged his personal responsibility, and this enterprise nearly proved his Waterloo, for the company encountered such severe difficulties and losses that it was obliged to succumb, but, un- willing to acknowledge defeat, Mr. Wolle re-organ- ized the company, which finally operated with suc- cess. In the building of the railroad from Bethle- hem to Wind Gap he was also interested. The old Pennsylvania Slate Company, where now stands Pen Argyl and at present owned by John I. Blair,

is now worth millions, and the Bethlehem Iron Company is noted the world over. In real cstate he had much invested at times, and was one of the founders of South Bethlehem.

In 1845 Augustus Wolle married C. E. Leinbach, of Salem, N. C., by whom he had ten children. Emily T. became Mrs. William S. Sieger, and died in 1873; Francis L. and Clarence A. reside in Beth- lehem; Rev. Edward S. is pastor of the Second Mo- ravian Church in Philadelphia; Alice C. is the wife of Rev. John H. Clewell, Principal of the Female Academy of Salem, N. C .; M. Eugenia is the wife of Rev. F. P. Wild, pastor of a church at Bethab- ara, Jamaica, West Indies; Edith S., whose home is in New York City, is the wife of E. J. Wessels; Grace has charge of the school of cookery in the Salem Female Academy in North Carolina; a sketch of George H. is on another page of this volume; and Elizabeth L. makes her home in Bethlehem. The mother of these children is still living at the old home, but the husband and father was called from this life August 11, 1878. He was every inch a true and noble man, who numbered many friends.

B ENJAMIN F. WONDERLY is a genial gentleman, whom it is a pleasure to know, and who has many warm personal friends, not only in the city of Allentown, where he resides, but throughout Lehigh County. He is a native of this state, having been born in Bath, Northampton County, November 7, 1835. He is the son of Roney and Eliza (Stout) Wonderly, natives of Northamp- ton. The father was a miller by trade, but followed the occupation of a farmer the greater part of his life. The mother makes her home in Catasauqua.

The subject of this sketch received a fair ednca- tion, and on leaving the temple of learning ap- prenticed himself to learn the cabinet-maker's trade at Bath, his native place. In 1858 he came to Al- lentown, where he followed his trade in the employ of different parties until 1865, when he formed a partnership with his last employer, the firm carry- ing on business under the style of Sell & Wonderly.

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They continued thus to operate until 1872, when the connection was severed, and our subject began to do business with Joseph D. Schreiber, the firmn being known as Wonderly & Schreiber. In 1879 he disposed of his interest, and in the fall of that year began in the undertaking business at No. 36 North Seventh Street, where he now has a large establishment and keeps a varied stock of caskets, and all the furnishings to be found in the store of a first-class undertaker and embalmer. He directs nearly three hundred funerals annually, and as a man of wide experience commands the respect and confidence of the entire community and surround- ing country.

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Portrait and biographical record of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties, Pennsylvania. : Containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties, together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States, Part 69

Author: Publication date: 1894 Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1006

Author:
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1006