USA > Pennsylvania > Berks County > Kutztown > The centennial history of Kutztown, Pennsylvania : celebrating the centennial of the incorporation of the borough, 1815-1915 > Part 7
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The will of Jacob Deysher was probated Janu- ary 6, 1804. He had issue: Magdalena, Daniel, Esther, Deborah, Jacob, married to Catharine Rothermel and settled near Fleetwood: John, who obtained the old homestead and was mar- ried to a daughter of Colonel John Lesher, of Revolutionary fame: Maria and Peter.
John Deysher purchased from George Kutz in 1795 lots numbered 60 and 63, and from John Stoudt and his wife, Margaret, innkeeper of Ami- ty township, lots numbered 47 and 49. Ever since the laying out of the town the Deyshers and their descendants have been vitally identified with the development of Kutztown.
SEBASTIAN ZIMMERMAN .
Sebastian Zimmerman, whose plantation is designated on Schultz's map of the Easton Road, was probably a son of Abraham Zimmerman, whose name appears in the tax list of 1734. He was a close friend of Jacob Levan, whom he suc- ceeded as a colonial justice, and whom, accord- ing to Schultz's diary, he accompanied to Phila- delphia at the time of the Indian uprisings to petition for relief. Ex-Prothonotary Eldridge Zimmerman, a descendant, owns the old home- stead. It was here that the Moravian missionary, Leonard Schnell, preached to an apparent un- responsive audience and made the following en- try in his diary :
"March 6 [1746] I preached in Maxatawny at [Se] Bastian Zimmerman's on the text Romans 4:5. I preached with great difficulty ; it appeared to me as if there was no hungary sinner there. I set out for Elsass ( Alsace) but because I could not reach it I stayed overnight with a man whose name is Beutelman."
DIETRICH FAMILY
The name "Dietrich" is almost "Legion" in this section of Berks county and in this brief sketch we must confine ourselves to those of the family who have become identified with Kutztown. The Dietrichs bail from the German Palatinate. Of those identified with Kutztown we mention :
Lewis K., born in 1847 and residing in town for many years. He is a bricklayer by trade and a contractor. He is an excellent workman and thoroughly understands his trade.
Jonathan C., a son of the late Daniel Dietrich, who was born at Dietrich's Mill, Greenwich town- ship, in 1852. For a number of vears he was en- gaged in the creamery and ice business, became chief bookkeeper of the Keystone Shoe Manu- facturing Company, Deputy Controller, clerk in
35
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF KUTZTOWN
one of the departments of our county offices, and is at the present time assistant postmaster of Kutztown.
Lawson G., although not living in town but is identificd with a number of our industries, to which he devotes a good portion of his time. He was born in May, 1864. His parents were Mr. and Mrs. James H. Dietrich. He received his training at the Keystone State Normal School, is engaged on a large scale in farming, follows the occupation of surveyor, has taught a num- ber of years, and was elected two years ago to the office of Clerk of Quarter Sessions, which office he fills very acceptably. He is a man of sound judgment and many excellent qualities He resides on his farm in Richmond township.
Charles H. He was born in Greenwich from Mr. and Mrs. Henry P. Dietrich July, 1838. He was engaged in the store business, driver, travel- ing salesman for hat establishment, solicitor for the Kutztown papers, and a general all around useful man. His children, Chester W., living in Davenport, Iowa, is a graduate of civil and mining engineering ; Walter S., is head clerk of the buying and selling department of the Kutz- town foundry, and Dr. Paul Henry, physician at Ashland, Wisconsin, in Dott's Laboratory.
Harvey O., son of Jonathan P. Dietrich, and a graduate of our Normal School, was born and raised near Grimsville Church. He graduated from the Keystone Normal School and Bucknell University. He held the position of principal of the Fleetwood schools and is now supervising principal of the Curwensville Schools. He is married to the only daughter of our worthy townsman, Benj. M. Deibert.
KUTZ FAMILY
Kutztown derived its name from the Kutzes. It therefore goes without saying that the Kutzes must have been here prior to the founding of the place. So they were. Jacob Kutz, a native of Switzerland, emigrated to America on the ship "Pink Plaisance" in the year 1732, at the age of 58. He settled in Maxatawny township, on the tract now known as the Stock Farm and of which the Kutztown Fair Association owns a rart. He had a son, Jacob, 2d, who married Christira Bossert ( Buzzard on her tombstone in the old burial ground of the Union Church). They had sons and daughters. Among them we find Jacob, 3d, who was married to Susanna Geehr. He was born in 1770 and died in 1835. Of their children a few need mention as the immediate an- cestors of our present townspeople. They are Benjamin, born, 1806 and died 1874; David, Sam- uel, Joseph and several daughters. The first ramed, Benjamin. was the father of the late Wm. S. Kutz. who died at the old homestead on Nor- mal Hill in July, 1914. His son, Wilson B., and several children of another son, Harry, who died some years ago, are the only surviving relatives.
Wilson B., is a member of the Historical Com- mittee of the Centennial Association and is noted for his remarkable memory of facts, scenes and incidents of the carly history of the borough. His memory retains all the incidents that were at any time brought to his notice. He is a most useful member of the committee on this account.
Mrs. Jonathan Biehl, a daughter of Benjamin, still lives in her pleasant home on Normal Hill, just opposite the residence of her nephew, Wilson B, She has no descendants.
Daniel B., a son of Benjamin, was born in July, 1828, died several years ago, some eighty odd years old. He was an exceedingly sprightly old man and in his Ist year still served as Judge of Elections. His widow, whose maiden name was Louisa Kutz, still lives on Main street, at their old home. The only descendants of this family are the grandchildren, Salem Bock, hold- ing a very responsible position in the Kutztown Foundry, Mrs. Walter C. Snyder and Mrs. Milton G. Oswald.
David Kutz, a brother to Benjamin, was for a number of years Associate Judge of Berks coun- ty. He resided on the farm from where the borough gets its water supply. One of his sons, Sell, who died a year ago, was a prominent citi- zen of the borough for many years. His only son Harry, is a leading attorney in Nazareth, Northampton county. Charles Kutz, a son of Jacob Kutz, has lived for many years on a farm along Greenwich street.
1136223
GRIM FAMILY
One of the respected families of Kutztown is the Grim family. With the dawn of the 19th century Daniel Bertolet Grim, known later as Col. Daniel Grim, came into the world. He was born July 17, 1800. He became a tanner by trade. At the age of 24 years he bought over 200 acres in Greenwich township, which soon became known as Grimsville after a hotel, store, tanner and distillery had been established. In August, 1833, his son, Daniel P., was born there, who, after the retirement of his father, assumed the labor of managing the various industries of his father. After a strenuous life of about 40 years Daniel P. came to Kutztown to pass the evening of his life in semi-retirement. He soon became one of the honored men of town and took interest in some of our industries. He was one of the founders of the Kutztown National Bank and served as director from its organiza- tion till the close of his life about a year ago. He reached the ripe old age of 80 years. His son, Daniel P., Jr., has been for a number of years a clerk in the bank. Two daughters, Annie C. and Emma, still reside at the old homestead on upper Main street, while a third, A. Elizabeth, is the wife of Ira P. Rothermel, attorney, and resides in Reading.
36
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF KUTZTOWN
PRETTY RESIDENTIAL SECTION IN NEW KUTZTOWN ( Formerly Park Avenue)
HANDSOME HOMES ON UPPER MAIN STREET (The stone house to the right is the remodeled First House Erected In "Freetown")
37
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF KUTZTOWN
DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOWNSHIP
Returning to the statement that Maxa- tawny was settled soon after 1732, the date of sale by the Indians of their lands, and to the evident improbability of that state- ment, as shown by the facts recited and papers quoted, it becomes necessary to ex- plain how it was that the Indians sold their lands after the settlers had occupied them.
The earliest settlers bought their lands from the proprietary government without any question as to whether the government had secured a clear title from the Indians. Securing their deeds or patents they occu- pied the land. The Indians, though friend- ly to the settlers, complained that the land thus bought by the settlers from the pro- prietaries had never been purchased by the latter from the Indians. D. B. Brunner ("The Indians of Berks County," p. 15) says :
"The settlers spread over the country with great rapidity and occupied the land. The Indians, seeing this, believed that the white people settled on land for which they [ the Indians] had not been paid. The Kings who had gone to Molatton, thence to Philadelphia, to treat about the Cacoos- ing affray [the murder of three Indians carly in May, 1828, by two white men] took occasion to visit the Provincial Coun- cil, June 5, 1728, and informed the Gover- nor that the English subjects were going beyond the limits of Penn's territory. The secretary produced a number of deeds, and convinced [?] them that none of their land was taken, whereupon they signed a release of 'all the land situated between the two rivers, Delaware and Susquehanna, from Duck Creek (in Delaware), to the moun- tains on this side of the Lechay [Le- high ].'1
" 'Sassoonan ( Allumapees) said that the land bevond these bounds had never been paid for, that they reached no further than a few miles beyond Oley, but that their lands on the Tulpehocken were seated by the Christians.'
"'Mr. Logan, (the secretary), answered that he understood at the time that deed was drawn and ever since that the Lechay hills or mountains stretched away from a little below Lechay or forks of the Dela- vare to those hills on the Susquehanna that lie about ten miles above Paxton. Mr. Farmer said those hills passed from Lechay a few miles above Oley, and reached no
further, and that Tulpehocken lands lie be- vond them.'2
"It was decided then that the Tulpehock- en lands belonged to the Indians. The com- missioners said that they authorized no one to settle there and seemed surprised [?] to learn that such was the fact. Sassoonan said that he could not believe it himself that the Christians had settled on them, until he went there and saw their houses and fields."
What is said here of Tulpehocken might, in all likelihood, have been said of the Max- atawny section. The proprietary govern- ment had no hesitation in issuing patents for lands lying no one knew exactly where, sold land to settlers beyond the limits of what had been fairly acquired of the Indians and only when the latter complained, ex- pressed feigned surprise at the boundaries having been crossed and then purchased from the Indians territory in which were included lands which these same wily and somewhat unscrupulous successors to Will- iam Penn had already sold to the first set- tlers.
In addition to the leading families, al- ready treated, many others pressed into the settlement year after year. Of some of these descendants yet remain in the town- ship or the town. Names of others have entirely disappeared, the families having died out or their descendants moved away.
On September 6, 1742, a petition was pre- sented to the Court of Quarter Sessions of Philadelphia county, praying for the erec- tion of a new township out of the said county. The survey of the tract of land for the said township was made by Esquire George Boone (likely George Boone, Jr., uncle to Daniel Boone, the Kentucky pion- eer) a draft of which was attached to the petition. William Parsons, surveyor gener- al of the Province, certified that the survey did not interfere with any other town- ship, the order for erection was made on the same day. The petition is apparently lost, but the following is a copy of the re- cord preserved in Philadelphia.
"Upon the Petition of several of the In- habitants of the County of Philadelphia, situate at a place called Maxatawny, set- ting forth that they had been settled in that part of this County for several years and paid Taxes and County Levies, and that the said Place is now become very populous, praying this Court would be pleased to
1Colonial Records, iii, 339
2Colonial Records, iii, 340
38
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF KUTZTOWN
view and examine a Draught of a Tract of Land to the said Petition annexed, and would erect the same into a Township by the following Bounds, viz: Beginning in Bucks County Line and from thence run- ning South West one thousand seven hun- dred and sixty percnes ; thence North West one thousand three hundred and sixty perch- es ; thence North East one thousand seven hundred and sixty perches to Bucks County Line ; thence along the same South East one thousand three hundred and sixty perches to the place of Beginning, containing four- teen thousand nine hundred and sixty Acres of Land.
"The Court having taken the said peti- tion into consideration and the Surveyor- General of this province having certified to the Court that the several Courses and bounds of said Township petitioned for do not interfere with any other Township, The said Tract of Land bounded as aforesaid, containing fourteen thousand nine hundred and sixty Acres of Land, is now erected by this Court into a Township by the name of Maxatawny."
From the following list of taxables for the year 1759 some idea may be gained of the growth of the population of the town- ship. At that time 64 heads of families, 30 "inmates" (probably "aliens, strangers, per- sons not properly belonging to the place where they dwell") and 14 single men. The amount of tax levied was £77. The col- lector was Andrew Hauck, (spelled "Hagh" in list, now generally "Haag.") The sums placed opposite the names are evidently the assessed valuation.
TAXABLES
€
John Bast
16
Anthony Bennsinger
4
George Bader
12
Conrad Bader II
Teterich Bever 10
John Bever
II
Henry Lutz
2
Peter Brown
5
Henry Christ
13
Michael Christian
Tacob Sharadin
2
Frederick Delaplank
25
I
Peter DeLong
Georre Weser
2
John DeLong
6
John Weser
I
Anthony Fisher
10
William Grose
IO
Nicholas Harmony 16
16
John Hill
15
Henry Hagh II
Andreas Hagh
20
David Huttenstein
23
William Aldeman
Tacob Kootz
Geor~e Bader
Conrad Metzger
John Hargerader
16 Jacob DeLong
Peter Minch
Tulius Kerber
6 George Etzler
Philin Roth
Deobald Kempt
20 Joseph Gross George Steinbrook
Nicholas Kutz
IO Frederick Hauseman Tacob Steinmal
Thomas Kutz
IO Michael Heit
Michael Steinborn
£
Caspar Killiam
2
Derst Kersner
4
Charles Korn
3
Widow Kemp 10
George Kutz 16
Jacob Kutz 17
jacob Kraul
15
Philip Kraul
Sebastian Levan
Daniel Levan ..
25
Jacob Levan, Esq.
31 9
Henry Luckenbill
Conrad Manesmith 16
Nicholas Moffly 10
I
Christopher Road
7
George Sassamanhouse 10
Andreas Sassamanhcuse 7
Henry Sassamanhouse 12
Joseph Siegfried
23
Baltzer Swenck
2
John Siegfried
21
Peter Sherer
22
Jacob Sheradeen
14
Paul Sheradenn
5
George Sell
12
Caspar Smith
5
Nicholas Shoneaker
2
Henry Wetstone
13
Dewald Wink
Richard Wistar 19
25
Christian Wanner
5
Abram Zimmerman 16
Bastian Zimmerman
23
INMATES
Anthony Altman
2
George Breinig
2
Jacob Bauer 2
Christian Baum 2
Daniel Dosser 2
George Esser
3
Andreas Hagh, Jr.
I
Tacob Moyer
I
Daniel Ort
3
Leonard Saul
2
Christopher Slenker
2
Martin Sea
John Smals
2
Peter Stutz
2
Philip Hain
2
Michael Henninger
2
John Huth
3
Leonard Kern
2
Jacob Kamerer
2
Michael Bower
3
John Miller
2
David Musgenig
T
Christopher Urban
2
Joseph Wild
I
George Wild
2
John Hartman
Peter Will
2
SINGLE MEN
Conrad Henninger
13
Tacob Wildraut
23
Michael Ott
39
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF KUTZTOWN
EARLY ROADS
As the population increased the want of roads, something better than the trails of the Indians, was felt.
In 1736, at the June sessions of the Pro- vincial Court at Philadelphia "a petition was presented for a road from Jacob Le- van's Mill in Maxatawny, to the 'King's Highway,' by John Yoder's fence in Oley." The court, granting the petition, appointed as viewers John High, John Yoder, Jr., Samuel Golden, Benjamin Langaworthy, Abraham Ashman, and Thomas Ellis, all of Oley, by whom the road was laid out. "It is now called the 'Kutztown Road,' and ex- tends from Pleasantville, via of Lobachs- ville, and Stony Point to Kutztown." On the plan of the "Easton Road" (1755) this road is marked "New Maxatawny Road." An amusing story in connec- tion with this road, handed down by locally to accommodate certain young folks, matrimonially inclined, resident in the Oley and Maxatawny settlements, who found the
lack of a fair road between the two places an impediment to their love making. The Yoders and Levans being prominent in Provincial affairs at this time possessed sufficient political influence to accomplish a project which, while ostensibly necessary as a public improvement, was a convenience to the younger members of the family. A considerable portion of this road is yet in use. Portions of it, however, have long since been abandoned. A stretch which is abandoned ran to the east of Kutztown near the line which now separates the farm of Dr Edward Hottenstein and that of the Nick's estate, now the property of Cyrus J. Rhode and John K. Deisher. Near it stood the Maxatawny Reformed church and the earliest school. Part of the road may yet be traced, sunken considerably below the level of the adjacent fields, between the rail- road and the driving road to Topton. Near the latter road is a thicket covering the site of the early graveyard in which a number of "the rude forefathers" of the vicinage sleep in unmarked graves.
"THE GREAT ROAD"-OR EASTON ROAD
The first lines of travel were, evidently, between the newer and the older settle- ments, between Maxatawny and Oley, as appears by the foregoing, and between those two settlements and Philadelphia, the seat of the government and the center of com- merce. As the number of settlers increased in the great valley-the East Penn Valley and the Lebanon Valley, as those two parts are now called-the need of better facilities lengthwise of the valley became more in- sistent. Prior to the middle of the 18th century a road, probably following an east and west Indian trail extended from the Le- high to the Schuylkill and thence to the Sus- quehanna. Over this road, doubtless a primitive one according to modern notions, yet a great improvement over the Indian trail, single travelers and companies of men and women passed. Among the lonely travelers of whom tradition or history speaks were Count Zinzendorf and other Moravian missionaries and ministers of other faiths, as Michael Schlatter, of the Reformed church, the first superintendent of schools, in a sense the official ancestor of the present Superintendent of Public In- struction of our State. Of the travels of these ecclesiastics and their visits to the early settlers in Maxatawny, detailed ac- counts may be read elsewhere in this vol- ume. (See histories of the churches. )
In 1753, according to a Moravian diary, a company of Moravians, intent on found- ing a colony at Salem, North Carolina, passed this way over the road mentioned above. The little caravan, which started from Bethlehem on the morning of the 8th of October, passed through Maxatawny in the afternoon, probably, since the diary tells of their stopping at "Moselem mill" on the night of the 8th. They had at least one wagon, as is learned from the narrative. There were fifteen in the party, twelve colonists seeking the new home in the South, and three companions who, what- ever their original intentions were, soon afterwards returned from North Carolina. These three were "Brother Gottlob Koe- nigsderfer [a Moravian minister ], Nathaniel Seidel [who later gained rank and fame as a bishop among the Moravians\, and Joseph Haberland." An interesting inci- dent is told of their tarrying at "Moselem mill." Hearing of their arrival a neigh- boring settler, Huey by name, came to the mill and addressing one of the leaders in- quired of him whether he knew anything of the healing art. An inmate of his house- hold, he said, was seriously ill, and if there could be blood-letting there might be hope of his recovery. One of the Moravian lead- ers went with Huey and performed the de- sired operation, with what final result we
40
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF KUTZTOWN
are not told. Next morning the caravan went on its way, crossing the "Tulpe- hocken," (possibly the Schuylkill at or near the Great Bend). From this narrative the conclusion is derived that (I) a road ran through the valley in much the same gen- eral direction as the present highway ; (2) that its course did not altogether coincide with that of the present road but, several miles west of Kutztown, turned to the right to Moselem creek which, probably, it fol- lowed to the Ontelaunee, and thence to the Schuylkill; (3) that it did not lead directly to Reading, although, possibly, it did con- nect with that town by means of the "Mai- dencreek Road:" and (4) that it was a road over which wagons could pass.
This early road, however, did not long answer the growing necessities of the sett- lers. Consequently, in 1753, a petition
the route taken through Maxatawny and Richmond townships and indicating cross- roads, the location of the homes of a num- ber of settlers, and the distances in miles from Easton. It will be noted that no house is marked as existing in 1755 in the territory now included in Kutztown. (See "The First House.")
This road, known as the "Easton Road" ( because its eastern terminus was at Eas- ton ), or as "The Great or High Road" (so given in early deeds), was calculated to be fifty miles in length from Easton to Read- ing, "but to count from the center of both the said towns fifty miles and one-half." It entered Reading by what is now Eighth street.
This "Easton Road," on its completion, constituted an important link in the chain of roads that connected "with the ancient
Maxatawny
New
BASTIAN ZIMMERMAN
DEWALT KEMP
0
DANIEL LEVAN 33 =
HOTTENSTEIN
RUDY BERGY
MACUNGIE TOWN SHIP
O
38
37
36
35
39
4
42
30
JACOB LEYAN 0
Road
Maxatawny
29
MAIDEN- CREEK
Road
TOWNSHIP
MAXATAWNY SECTION OF
THE EASTON ROAD From a draft made by DAVID SHULTZ, Surveyor 1755
CW.N.
signed by thirty inhabitants of Berks and Northampton counties and headed by Con- rad Weiser was presented to the Governor and Council of Pennsylvania, asking for an order for the laying out of a road from Easton to Reading.
The request was granted and the court appointed Francis Parvin, Jacob Levan, Benjamin Lightfoot, James Boone, Sebas- tian Zimmerman, and Joseph Penrose as viewers for Berks county, and William Par- sons, Peter Trexler, John Trexler, Timothy Horsefield, John Everat, and Ludwig Klutz as like executors of the judicial order for Northampton county, which, at that time, included what is now Lehigh county.
The road was surveyed and built. A map of it, drawn by David Shultze in October, 1755, may be seen at the rooms of the Historical Society of Pennsyl- vania, at 1300 Locust street, Philadel- phia. From this map is taken the accom- panying "Maxatawny Section," showing
Minnisink Road, whose outlet was Kings- ton on Hudson's River, and beyond, by a second chain of thoroughfares with the busy towns east, as far as Massachusetts Bav."
In this year, 1755, June 16, according to a statement in Montgomery's "History of Berks County," (p. 855) there was con- veyed to Jacob Kutz, by Jacob Wentz1 and his wife, Elizabeth, 130 acres in Maxatawny township, along the Saucony, the tract now
1 Jacob Kutz was a brother of Nicholas Kutz, who settled near Eaglepoint. The brothers were natives of Switzerland. The name was spelled Coots, at least by Englishmen. Nicholas Coots came to America in 1729, or earlier. Jacob seems to have arrived later, coming (according to the "History of Berks County," D. 1194) "on the shin 'Pink Plaisance,' which qualified at Philadelphia in the fall of 1732." Where Jacob lived from 1732 to 1755 is not known. It seems to have been his nephew, George Kutz, son of Nicholas, who laid out Kutztown in 1779-spelled Coots- town until 1835. (See article on the postoffice.)
Maidencreek
Messilem
Saucon
0
031
32
34
WILLIAM GROSS
0
Road
Road
Creex
41
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF KUTZTOWN
known as Pleasant View Stock Farm, a part of a large tract of 550 acres which Jacob Wentz had inherited from his father Peter Wentz, the original patentee of 1000 acres,
The crossing of the Saucony, being mid- way between Allentown and Reading, was a propitious site for a town, and the set- tlement that grew up in this neighborhood soon become of importance on this great artery of travel the through line from New York to Baltimore and the Caro- linas." Not much before the Revolution, perhaps, but certainly shortly before the beginning of that war, and during its con- tinuance this road was one of the noted highways of the State, Over it passed in that early time bodies of soldiers bound to or returning from the wars. Civilians of note traveled this once famous highway. Nevertheless, and strangely too, its im-
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