CHAPTER XXIII.
LOWER TOWAMENSING TOWNSHIP.
Pages 760 to 768
This township lies on the south border of the
county, and is bounded on the south by the Blue Ridge or Kittatinny Mountains
and Northampton County, on the east by Monroe County, on the north by Franklin
and Towamensing townships, and on the west by Lehigh River and East Penn
township.
The principal stream within its limits is the
Aquashicola, which rises in Monroe County, flows easterly along the base of the
Blue Ridge, and enters the Lehigh at Lehigh Gap.
The Township was set off from Towamensing with its
present territories between November, 1840 and March, 1841, as in that month
the name of Lower Towamensing is first found in official records of Northampton
County. An effort was made in 1851 to
again divide the township.
Commissioners were appointed, who were to report at the March term of
court. Their time was extended to
September term. No further mention of
the matter is in the records, and the effort failed.
Early Settlements, —The families of Boyer,
Bauman or Bowman, Mehrkem, and Strohl are the only ones of the early families
whose descendants are today residents of the township. A few dates gleaned from deeds and old
papers, a few traditions handed down from generation to generation, are all
that remain of the pioneers of the “wilderness” above the Blue Ridge. Were it not for assessment-rolls and old
deeds their very names would be forgotten.
The first mention of one who settled within the
present limits is in court records of Northampton County, of the October term
of 1752, when Nicholas Opplinger was appointed constable. Mention is again made of him by Benjamin
Franklin, in a letter to Governor Morris, dated Fort Allen, Jan 26, 1756, who
says, speaking of the march of the troops from Bethlehem to Gnadenhütten, where
they erected a fort, “We marched cautiously through the gap of the mountain, a
very dangerous pass, and got to Uplinger’s (Opplinger), but twenty miles from
Bethlehem. . . . There were no
habitations on the road to shelter us until we arrived near at the house of a
German, where and on his farm we were all huddled together. . . . The next day being fair we continued our
march, and arrived at the desolate Gnadenhütten.”
The general
impression has been entertained that Nicholas Upplinger, or Opplinger, lived on
the hill above the Snyder mill, but a draft, made in 1791, shows that Upplinger
had two tracts of land, one at the Gap between the tract now owned by Col. John
Craig, and the Snyder mill; the other, warranted June 12, 1751, lay above
Millport, and contained twenty-six acres.
The tract that lies down by the Gap is on the line of the road up to
Gnadenhütten (Lehighton). The draft
above referred to (in possession of
Col. Craig) also says, speaking of the road that passed up the river, that
there was barely room for the road between the rocks and the river.
The impression also has
gained that at the Gap the road laid out in 1747, and continued as a military
road till 1761, turned and went up the Aquashicola and passed round the hill,
but the remarks in the draft of 1791 prove conclusively that the early road at
that time did go along the river-bank.
Soon after 1791 a road was used on the south side of the Aquashicola
Creek, as far up as the bend of the river, near the Snyder mill. About 1800, it was changed to the north
side. On this draft occurs the name of
Nathaniel Irish, as owning a large tract of land. He…
Page 761
…resided near Bethlehem, and was living there in
1741, when the first house was erected at that place. At the time Franklin passed through here there was no house
between the Gap and Lehighton. The Mehrkem
family, if they were here at the time, were living back from the river, where
they settled. The Boyer family was
broken up, and nothing is known of the precise time when the Baumans and
Strohls came in.
The Christian name of the Boyer who came to this
township, with his wife and two of three children, before 1755, is not
known. He had taken up a tract of land
now owned by Josiah Arner, James Ziegenfuss, and George Kunkle. At this farm they were living in 1755, when
the Indian troubles commenced. The
family had gathered with other families at the place now occupied by Charles
Straub, where a block-house was erected for protection. How many families, or who they were, with
the exception of the Boyers, is not known.
No traditions are among the Mehrkems or Baumans that their families were
gathered in the block-house at the time the Boyers were there. Mrs. Nicholas D. Strohl, a granddaughter of
Frederick Boyer, was brought up in her grandfather’s family, and relates that
while the families were at the block-house, Mr. Boyer, one morning, went up to
the farm with his son, Frederick, then thirteen years of age, and the other
children, to attend to the crops. Mr.
Boyer was plowing and Fred was hoeing potatoes, while the children were in the
house or playing near by. Without any
warning they were surprised by the appearance of Indians. Mr. Boyer first ran towards the house. Finding he could not reach it he ran for the
creek, and was shot through the head as he reached the farther side. Fred had escaped to the wheat-field, but was
captured and brought back. The Indians
scalped his farther in his presence.
They took the horses from the plow, his sisters and himself, and started
for Stone Hill, in the rear of the house.
After reaching the level land on the top they were joined by another
party of Indians and marched northward to Canada. The sisters, in the march, were separated from their brother and
were never afterwards heard from.
Frederick was a prisoner with the French and Indians in Canada for five
years, and was then sent to Philadelphia.
Nothing was ever learned of the fate of Mrs. Boyer or of the other
families who remained at the block-house.
After reaching Philadelphia, Frederick made his way
to Lehigh Gap and took possession of the farm.
Soon after his return he married a daughter of Conrad Mehrkem, then
living in the township. They had four
sons –John, George, Henry, and Andrew—and four daughters, --Mary (Mrs. Joseph
Buck), Susan (Mrs. Hess), Elizabeth (Mrs. Leonard Beltz), and Catharine (Mrs.
Andrew Ziegenfuss and Mrs. Lenhart).
Frederick Boyer died Oct. 31, 1832, aged eighty-nine years. It is stated on his tombstone that he was
born in 1732. This is evidently a
mistake, as it is admitted he was but a lad when he as captured. There were no troubles with the Indians
prior to 1755, when the defeat of Braddock took place and the Indians were
incited to deeds of violence.
In the year 1822 the Boyer farm was divided by
Frederick Boyer between the sons and Mrs. Andrew Ziegenfuss.
John Boyer, The eldest, married Elizabeth Snyder, a
daughter of one of the family who lived at or near the Gap. His son Daniel resides in the township, and
Jacob lives at Weissport.
George was born in 1768, and died in 1861, aged
ninety-three years. He married
Christiana Klein and settled on the homestead.
His sons, Adam and William, live in the township, and Jacob resides in
Franklin Township.
Henry married Magdalena Strohl and settled on part
of the homestead. Of their sons, Henry
resides at Weissport and Joseph and Reuben live in Franklin Township.
Andrew married Mary Greensweig and settled at Little
Gap. Of his sons, John, the eldest,
emigrated to the West, Andrew, Daniel and Frederick settled in the township, as
did also Mrs. Buck, a daughter.
Andrew Ziegenfuss, with his wife, settled on that
part of the homestead left her by her father.
James Ziegenfuss, their son, now lives on the place.
Another daughter of Frederick married Peter Lenhart;
their daughter became the wife of Nicholas D. Strohl. She is how living at an advanced age.
Conrad Mehrkem was living in the township before
1763, as in that year he was appointed constable of Towamensing. He lived in the western part of the
township. In the assessment-roll of
1781 Conrad Mehrkem is assessed on real estate, and Jacob appears a single
man. His sons were Jacob and
Abraham. A daughter married Frederick
Boyer, soon after his return form Canada in 1761. They settled on the Boyer farm.
Jacob married a Miss Smith, by whom he had two sons,
Jacob and Conrad, and five daughters.
One married a Nicholas Box, who owned real estate in 1781; Susan and
Kate remained unmarried; Mary became the wife of Mr. Heimbach.
Jacob settled at or near Little Gap, where he died,
leaving a widow and children. Christian
Mehrkem, living on the old farm, is a son of Jacob.
Conrad, a son of Jacob, and brother of Jacob,
married Christina Greensweig, daughter of David Greensweig, and settled on the
old place. He died at the age of
seventy-eight years. His widow, now ninety-two
years of age, is living at Bowmansville.
Adam Mehrkem, of Millport, is a son
Gottfried Greensweig was a resident of the township
before 1781. His sons were Jonas,
Henry, David, Tobias, Gottfried, and Jonathan.
With the exception of Jonathan, who emigrated to the West, they all
settled in this and adjoining townships.
Mrs. Conrad Mehrkem and John Greensweig, father of Benjamin…
…Greensweig, of
Towamensing, were children of David Greensweig.
The first of the family of Strohl of which anything
definite has been obtained is the appointment of Peter Strohl as constable of
Towamensing in 1764. On the 30th
of October 1765, Peter Strohl took out a warrant for two hundred and forty-six
acres of land, now owned by Reuben Ziegenfuss, Oscar Kern, Jeremiah Kern, Levi
Straub, Wilson Mushlitz, John Craig, and the congregation of St. John’s
Lutheran and German Reformed Church. In
1781, the names of Peter, Michael, Elizabeth, and Daniel Strohl appear on the
assessment roll as owning real estate.
Nicholas Strohl, who died in 1875, at seventy-four years of age, was the
father of thirty children, twenty-three of whom were living at the time.
Very soon after 1781 two brothers, Jacob and
Nicholas Snyder, came into possession of three hundred and ten acres of land on
the mineral spring laid down in Scull’s map of
1759.1 The mill on the
creek, a short distance above the mouth of the creek, was built by them, and is
now owned by Solomon Snyder.
In 1806 the property was surveyed, and the mineral
spring was analyzed by Thomas E. James, of the University of Pennsylvania. He made a report of its waters February 24th
of that year, and later Alexander Boyd, a coal operator of Philadelphia,
certified that he had known of the spring and its healing qualities for many
years.
Bath-houses were erected, and it was used as a
summer resort, but for only a short time.
On the 19th of November. 1807, a deed of
partition was made by the brothers, Nicholas and Jacob, and the land was
divided. Jacob married the daughter of
Henry Bauman, and in the division took the property on the creek, including the
mill, and lived at the mill and kept it until his death, in 1813, aged fifty-three
years. He left seven children,--Daniel,
Mary C. (Mrs. John Kuntz), Jacob, John, Stephen, Simon, and Solomon.
Daniel, the eldest, was born in 1794, and emigrated
to the West. Jacob married a daughter
of Henry Bauman, lived at the mill about thirty years, and moved farther up the
road, where he built a stone house. He
became interested in the Evangelical Association, was prominent in the
organization of the society, and building of the church in 1844. He became a local preacher in the
Association, and later in life moved to Parryville, where he died. Stephen now resides at Parryville. Solomon, the youngest son, owns the mill
property and lives there.
The spring property was bought by James Rutherford
of Stephen Snyder. Nicholas Snyder, who
has a portion of the property, bought from his brother’s three sons, --Peter,
Nicholas, and Jacob. Nicholas and Jacob
removed to Crawford County, Pa.; Peter settled here, and had children, none of
whom are in the township. Lewis, a
grandson of Peter, resides in Bethlehem.
The date of settlement of the Baumans is unknown.
Honstetter Bauman is a name found in an old draft as
owning land that in 1791 belonged to Bernard Bauman. In 1781 the name of Henry Bauman appears. On the 22nd of May, 1788, Bernard
Barman took a warrant for one hundred acres of land at Lehigh Gap. On the 18th of November, 1808, he
sold thirty acres of the tract to Joseph Bauman, who built the stone tavern at
the Gap, and lived there until 1814, and on the 15th of March in
that year he sold it to Thomas Craig, in whose possession and that of his
descendants it has been retained to the present.
In an old draft it is mentioned that the Snyders
were in possession of this tract, but it does not appear that they warranted
the tract.
Nothing is known of who were the descendants of
Honstetter, Bernard or Joseph Bauman.
Henry Bauman, supposed to be a brother of Bernard, had two sons, John D.
and Henry Bowman.
John D. Bowman Settled at what is now Bowmansville,
and in 1808 built the stone hotel. He
built the road along the river in 1808, when the Lehigh and Susquehanna
turnpike was put through. He kept the hotel at this place, and died here. He had eight sons, --Jacob, John, Jonas,
David, Henry, Peter, Dennis, and Josiah.
Jacob settled at Millport, John and Dennis at
Parryville, Jonas, David, and Peter at Mahanoy City, and Henry and Josiah at
Bowmansville.
Of the daughters of John D. Bowman, Kate married
Jonas Peter, and settled in Heidelberg; Susanna became the wife of Jonas
Andreas, of East Penn township; Sarah married Daniel Kieper, of Allentown; and
Rebecca, James Dinkey, of Easton.
Henry Bowman, the brother John D., settled at what
was known as Hassertville, and owned land on the other side of the river,
opposite where his son Joseph now lives.
Daniel, Adam, William, and Joseph are sons of Henry. Of the daughters of Henry, Sarah married
Reuben Hagenbuch, who kept hotel for many years at Lehighton, and later kept
the lock at Bowmansville. Susanna
married ____ Berlin, who kept tavern near Kresgeville. Another married a Mr. Butler, of
Nesquehoning. Rachel became Mrs.
Jonathan Haintz, of East Penn. Mary
married August Lehr, who for some years kept a tavern at Hassertsville, and
Rebecca married Dr. Yarrington, of Easton.
In the year 1806, George Ziegenfuss, a miller by
trade, came to Aquashicola Creek and built there a mill, around which grew up
the village of Millport. He lived at
the place the remainder of his days, and left seven sons, --John, Daniel,
George, David, Simon, Charles, and Samuel.
John remained on the farm at Millport, and died in
1869. Daniel located in Philadelphia,
and later…
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…went to Mexico.
Samuel became connected with the Ashland Forge and Furnace, under Joseph
J. Albright, and remained there till 1872, the former having been long
discontinued. From that time Samuel
Ziegenfuss has resided in Millport. The
other sons of George Ziegenfuss went to other parts.
Early Roads. —The first road in the territory now Lower
Towamensing was from Bethlehem to Gnaden-hütten, the mission of the Moravians,
at what is now Lehighton.
The route on which this road was laid out in 1747
was first traveled by Count Zinzendorf in 1742, when he and his party held a
treaty with the Indians, at what four years later became Gnadenhütten. This road was used by the Moravians until
the destruction of the mission, in 1755.
I t was traveled by Franklin and his troops on their way to build Fort
Allen, in January, 1756, and used as a military road from that time to
1761. No mention is made of its use for
twenty years after. The route
originally ran along the bank of the river, but from time to time it has been
changed in places to higher ground and a better road-bed. It became a part of the line, in 1806, of
what was known as the Lehigh and Susquehanna turnpike, or the road from Easton
to Berwick. About 1790 a road was laid
out up the valley of the Aquashicola Creek, which is still in use.
Clarissa Forge and Furnace (later Ashland). —David Heimbach, owner of
Hampton Furnace, Lehigh County, and his son, David, erected a forge between
1817-20 on the Aquashicola Creek, about a mile northeast from Little Gap, on
property now owned by Samuel Ziegenfuss.
Pig-Iron was brought from Oley, Berks Co. Charles Belfort, now living at Parryville,
remembers when his father was an assistant at the building of the race and dam
for the forge, and he himself worked at the forge in 1830. In 1827, David Heimbach, the younger,
erected a furnace near the forge, which he named “Clarissa” in honor of his
wife. Ores were brought from Whitehall
by boat to Lehigh Gap, and thence six miles to the furnace. The furnace was eight feet in the bosh. John Bachman, a brother-in-law of Heimbach,
was superintendent. In the next year,
1834, David and John Heimbach (of the “New Hampton” Furnace, later the “Maria”)
attended the funeral of their father in Allentown, where he had lived, and
shortly after their return were taken with typhoid fever, from which they both
died. David at night and John the next
morning. Whether the furnace was
continued by the estate is not known, but on the 26th of January,
1837, the property was purchased by Joseph J. Albright, Samuel P. Templeton,
and Jacob Rice, ironmasters. Mr.
Albright had been assistant manager of the “Oxford” Furnace, New Jersey, form
1831 to 1834, and manager of the “Catharine” Furnace, at Easton, Pa., from 1824
to 1837. While he was in connection
with the “Catharine” Furnace he learned through the Journal of the Franklin
Institute the discovery of the hot-blast by Mr. Crane, of Wales. The idea struck him as favorable, and with
William Henry, then carrying on the “Oxford” Furnace, New Jersey, at their own
expense, introduced the hot-blast at the Oxford Furnace, which, however, proved
a failure. Mr. Albright then made
designs for pipes, which were cast by Banetz & Gangwere, of Easton, which were
used in the “Catharine” Furnace with good
results, and were continued until the works were abandoned. Mr. Albright took the management of the
“Clarissa” Furnace and Forges upon its purchase. He being a strong Henry Clay Whig, changed the name form Clarissa
to “Ashland Iron-Works.”
They were worked successfully until January, 1841,
when the works were entirely washed away by the flood of that year.
This disaster, through so great, did not deter them
from again endeavoring to carry on business at that place. The furnace was not again rebuilt, but in
one year from its destruction the forge was rebuilt with enlarged
capacity. It was scarcely completed
when its was partially destroyed by fire, and again repaired and work resumed,
and was conducted by him till 1851, when Mr. Albright was called to take the
management of the coal-mines of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
Company, and the furnace passed into other hands, and later to Cooper &
Hewett, and closed about 1860. Samuel
Ziegenfuss, the present owner of the property, was clerk at the forge in
1856. At that time ten men were
employed in the forge and ten others in connection. Four fires were used in drawing iron, and one on blooms.
In 1844, Mr. Albright, in connection with Hon. H .D.
Maxwell and Samuel Sherrard, purchased a large tract of land near Natural
Bridge, Va., on which were furnaces.
This venture was not successful, and he returned in 1849 to the Ashland
Iron-Works, which had not, however, ceased work.
The following are the names and occupations of those
who appear on the assessment-roll of Lower Towamensing in 1843-44:
John
D. Baumann, Tavern-keeper.
Nathaniel
Anthony, forgeman, 100 acres.
Joseph
J. Albight, merchant, 519 acres, forge and steel-factory and saw-mill.
John
Anthony, Jr. saw-mill
Benjamin
Andreas, tailor.
Jonas
Arner, carpenter
Enos
Alan Carter.
Joseph
Bock, farmer, 115 acres.
Simon
Brown, 86 acres.
Daniel
Blose, farmer, 29 acres.
Adam
Brown, 50 acres.
John
Balliet, 14 acres, tailor.
George
Boyer, 29 acres.
Henry Bauman, lawyer, 29
acres.
John
Boyer, farmer, 29 acres.
John
A. Boyer, farmer, 43 acres.
Dennis Bauman, surveyor.
John
D Bauman, innkeeper, 600 acres and a saw-mill.
Jacob
Brown, Carpenter.
Henry
Boyer, Farmer, 111 acres.
Jacob
Boyer, farmer, 45 acres.
Samuel
Behler, farmer, 74 acres.
Bohler
& Strohl, 100 acres.
John
Betty, Jr., tanner.
Boltz
& Strohl, 100 acres.
Jonas
Bock, blacksmith, 132 acres.
Daniel
Boyer, farmer, 180 acres.
David
Boyer, carpenter, 71 acres.
Adam
Boyer, Tanner.
Andrew
Boyer, tailor, 60 acres.
Andrew Boyer, farmer, 158
acres, saw-mill and thrashing-machine.
Francis Beltz, 41 acres.
Daniel Boyer, blacksmith, 50
acres.
Daniel Beltz, farmer, 29
acres.
William Boyer, farmer.
Jacob Boyer, carpenter.
William Baily, cordwainer,
68 acres.
Joseph Bauman, Farmer 160
acres.
David
Bauer, saddler.
Michael
Broat, carpenter.
Thomas
Craig, merchant, 516 acres, postmaster.
Edwin
Deemer, carpenter.
Charles
Deterline, carter.
Merrit
Derries, forgeman.
John
Esch, Boat-bulider.
Peter
Erhelman, boatman.
George
Frantz, farmer, 180 acres and saw-mill.
John
Fenstermacher.
John
Fuss, cordwainer, 56 acres.
David
Greenzweiz, farmer, 73 acres, cordwainer.
Nicholas
George, cordwainer.
Henry
George, farmer, 149 acres.
Peter
George, farmer, 400 acres and saw-mill.
John Greenzweiz, farmer, 234
acres.
David Griffith, 20 acres.
Tobias Greenzweiz, forgeman.
James Greenzweiz, farmer, 86
acres.
George Greenzweiz, farmer,
160 acres.
Jacob Gresard, doctor.
Jacob Hauk, weaver, 41
acres.
Abraham Harleman, farmer,
194 acres.
Andrew Hummel, farmer, 131
acres.
Abraham Huebner, farmer, 100
acres.
Joseph Hahn, blacksmith, 82
acres.
Kelchner & Ziegenfuss,
29 acres.
John Kelchner, 56 acres.
John Klim, carter.
Samuel Klim, gentleman.
George Klein, and John and
T. Craig, 28 acres.
Lewis Kleintob, weaver.
Levi Kern, farmer, 102
acres.
Charles Klotz, blacksmith,
211 acres.
Henry Kech, woodchopper.
Adam Kunkel, farmer, 115
acres.
George Kean, Boat-bulider.
Nicholas and Matthias Krill,
forgemen.
Thomas Knabenberger,
blacksmith.
George Kast, doctor.
Henry Kostenbader, miller.
Joseph Krum, cask-maker.
Jacob Huntzman, cordwainer.
Janes & Kostenbader, 84
acres and grist-mill
Abraham Luckas, farmer, 45
acres.
James Lawer.
Alexander Lintz, merchant.
George B. Linderman,
blacksmith.
Reuben Leah, clerk.
Conrad Mehrkem, farmer, 138
acres.
Jacob Mehrkem, 148 acres.
Charles Mendem, saddler.
Andrew Olewine, 17 acres.
John Olewine, 38 acres.
Caspar Ort, mason.
Jonas Peltz, blacksmith.
Abraham Prutzman, farmer,
126 acres.
Henry Remely, farmer, 24
acres.
Willen Rinker, boatman.
Michael Remely, cordwainer,
26 acres.
Jacob Rehrig, lock-tender.
John B. Reicherderfer,
blacksmith
David Sander, 20 acres.
Adam Strohl, carpenter, 15
acres.
David Shafer, carpenter, 31
acres.
Paul Sheibly, weaver, 25
acres.
Nicholas P. Strohl, farmer.
Jacob Smith, farmer, 106
acres.
Simon Snyder, farmer, 106
acres.
Jacob Snyder, miller, 166
acres, grist-and saw-mill.
Stephen Snyder, farmer, 320
acres.
Thomas Strauss, farmer.
Peter Snyder, farmer, 267
acres.
George Strohl, 125 acres.
Nicholas D. Strohl, weaver,
100 acres.
Thomas Snyder, tanner, 26
acres, tan-yard and bark-mill.
Solomon Snyder, farmer, 224
acres.
David Straup, farmer, 96
acres.
Adam Shearer, farmer, 60
acres.
Cornelius Snyder, gentleman.
Jacob Shearer, farmer, 179
acres.
Charles Simpson, carpenter.
John Smith, teacher.
Jacob Strassberger, mason,
26 acres.
Wendel Schwartz, farmer, 125
acres.
Smith & Richards, 192
acres, non-resident.
Smith & Caldwell, 1100
acres, non-resident.
Peter Stern, 65 acres,
non-resident.
Melchoir Smith, mason 20
acres.
George Santee, farmer, 100
acres.
Charles Straup, carpenter.
Benjamin Snyder, carpenter.
Daniel Snyder, blacksmith.
Peter
Saunders, carter.
Lewis
Sellers, clerk.
Monroe
Snyder, farmer.
William
Wingert, forgeman.
John
Walp, cordwainer.
George
Walch, farmer, 60 acres.
Zebulon
Yarington, superintendent.
Jacob
Young, blacksmith.
David Younker, wheelwright.
Jacob Zerly Collier.
Andrew Ziegenfuss, farmer,
288 acres.
George Ziegenfuss, teacher,
93 acres.
John and Junkin Ziegenfuss,
64 acres, grist-mill.
John E. Ziegenfuss,
blacksmith.
Jacob Zink, cordwainer.
James Ziegenfuss,
blacksmith.
St. John’s Congregation, —This congregation is a
union of Lutheran and German Reformed Churches. It was organized on the 12th of February, 1798, and on
that day the society agreed to buy six acres of land of Michael Strohl, for
which they were to pay twelve pounds.
On the 6th of February, 1799, the society
convened and elected officers. Of the
Lutherans, John Solt was chosen trustee, Jost Bowman, John Kline, Sr. and Peter
Solt were elected deacons. Of the
German Reformed, Nicholas Kern was elected Trustee, and Nicholas Snyder, Peter
Stine, and Jost Dreisbach were chosen deacons, and Nicholas Kern treasure of
both congregations.
At this meeting preparations were commenced for the
election of a church edifice. The
contract for the carpenter-work was given to Nicholas Bachman for twenty-five
pounds. It was to be built of hewed
logs, pine and oak. The corner-stone
was laid on the 12th day of June, 1799, by the Rev. John Caspar Bill
of the German Reformed. This church ten
years later was weatherboarded, and prior to this time was used without a
stove.
The Rev. John H Helffrich was succeeded April 7,
1811 by the Rev. Frederick W. Mendson, who served till 1852. In addition to this charge Mr. Mendson had
the care of the following churches:
Zion’s Church, Allen township, July 1, 1810, to June
15, 1852.
St. Paul’s in Lehigh township, July 8, 1810, to June
6, 1852.
Salem, in Moore township, July 15, 1810, to July 18,
1852.
Egypt, in Whitehall township, July 22, 1810, to July
18, 1852.
The First and Second Chestnut Hill congregation, in
Monroe County, Sept. 9, 1810, to Oct.22, 1815, and from 1839 to 1844.
East Penn township congregation, 1814 to Dec. 26,
1819.
Gnadenhütten, at Lehighton, 1817 to Jan. 1, 1836.
Christ Church, in Moore township, Aug. 15, 1830, to
Aug. 15, 1852.
Mauch Chunk, 1835.
St. Paul’s congregation, in Franklin township, 1841.
He preached his last sermon Nov. 20, 1879 and died
at Kleckner, Northampton Co., on the 5th of August, 1871, at the age
of ninety years, seven months, and twenty-six days. He was succeeded in 1852 by ____ Kuntz, ____ Kistler and the Rev.
G. B. Breugel, the present pastor.
The Rev. Mr. Bill, of the Reformed Church, was
succeeded by the Rev. H. Vanderslice.
Of others who have served are the following: ____ Becker, ____ Gerhardt,
____ Rybelt, A. Bartholomew, and J. E. Freeman, the present pastor. The church was rebuilt of brick in 1862.
The Church of The Evangelical Association, situated on the road from
Lehigh Gap to Stemlerville, was erected of stone in 1844, mainly through the
instrumentality of Jacob Snyder, who donated the land, and Jacob Bauman, who
donated seven hundred dollars. The
first pastor was the Rev. Mr. Haintz.
The church is in the district with Parryville, and served by the pastors
in charge. It has a membership of
forty, and a Sunday-school, with Benjamin Peters superintendent.
German Catholic Church, —This church was built in
1856, and up to the year 1871 was in charge of pastors from Allentown. Since that time it has been under the care
of the pastor of Lehighton and East Mauch Chunk Church.
Schools, —The first schools in the township were held at the
Union Church, and under the Lutheran and German Reformed congregations.
But few other schools were kept until the township
accepted the free-school system in 1838.
From that time schools have been kept with regularity. About the year 1852 seven stone
school-houses were built at the following places: Little Gap, Lehigh Gap, Bowman’s, Fire Line, Milford, Mehrkem’s
and at Strohl’s.
The schools at present are ten in number, with an
attendance of four hundred and sixty-six pupils, an account of which is here
given as far as can be ascertained.
Little Gap, No.1, —On the 15th day
of November, 1838, Samuel Templin, Joseph J. Albright, and Jacob Rice, who then
owned the Ashland Furnace, sold a lot for school purposes to the school
directors, who at the that time were John D. Thompson, John D. Bowman (the
elder), Thomas Snyder, Conrad Mehrkem, Abraham Bier, and Abraham Pretzman. On this lot a school-house was erected,
which later was replaced by a stone one, which is still in use. There are at present in attendance in this
district forty-three pupils.
Boyer’s, No. 2, —A stone school-house was built at Mehrkem’s
about 1852, which was in use until 1874, when the present one was built at
Boyer’s. This school now contains
thirty-nine pupils.
Millport, No. 3, —A school-house was in use at this place
soon after the acceptance by the township.
This was replaced by a stone house in 1852, and in use till 1882, when a
double house was erected, at a cost of fourteen hundred and ninety-five
dollars. The two schools in this house
contain eighty pupils.
Lehigh Gap, Nos.4 and 5, —About the time of the
acceptance of the school law a house was fitted up for school purposes at the
Gap, and school was taught for two or three winters by Samuel Hutchinson during
the winters of 1828, 1839, and 1840. On
the 27th of March, 1844, the directors of the township purchased a
lot for school purposes of Abraham Pretzman, on which they erected a frame
school-house. In 1852 a stone house was
erected, which was in use till 1882, when the property was sold, and another
lot was purchased of Abraham Pretzman, and the present double house was
erected, at a cost of fifteen hundred and forty-five dollars. The present number of pupils attending is
eighty-one.
Fire Line, No. 6, —The school-house at this place was built of
stone in 1852, and is still in use.
Forty-four pupils are in attendance.
George’s, No. 7, —was established in 1877, and the present
frame building was erected. Twenty-two
pupils are in attendance.
Bowman’s, No. 8,—At this place the directors purchased, on
the 23d of march, 1844, a lot of John D. Bowman, on which a stone
house was erected, and used until 1879, when the present frame building was
erected, at a cost of six hundred dollars.
There are at this school sixty-five pupils.
Harleman’s, No. 9, —In this district and about 1852 a stone
school-house was built near the residence of Nicholas Strohl, which was used
until about 1875, when it was abandoned.
The present brick building at Harleman’s was erected to better
accommodate the district. Twenty-eight
pupils are in attendance.
Klotz, No. 10, —This school contains twenty-seven pupils, and
was established in 1878, when the present frame house was built.
Lentz, No. 11, contains thirty-seven pupils. It was established in 1876, when the present
frame house was built.
The school directors of Lower Towamensing in 1841
were Jacob Snyder, John A. Ziegenfuss, David Straub, John Greensweig, Joseph J.
Albright, and Abraham Hasselman.
The following have been school directors of the
township since the erection of Carbon County in 1843:
1844,
—N.D. Strohl, Abraham Pretzman.
1845,
—Thomas Straub, Jacob Mehrkem.
1846,
—Dennis Bauman, George Linderman, Andrew Boyer, Jr.
1847,
—Benjamin Andreas, Jacob Bowman.
1848,
—Conrad Mehrkam, David Griffith
1849,
—Jonas Peter, John Smith
1850,
—John Olewine, Reuben Leh, Ed. Kostenbader.
1851,
—Charles, Roder, John A. Boyer.
1852,
—Levi Kern, Thomas Brown.
1853,
—Peter Kester, Charles Kelchner.
1854,
—Daniel Serfass, Daniel Beltz.
1855,
—John Smith, David Newhart.
1856,
—Cornelius Snyder, Charles Menasen.
1857,
—John A. Boyer, Samuel Ziegenfus.
1858,
—Monroe Snyder, Joel Ziegenfuss, William Bowman.
1859,
—Jacob Kline, Daniel Beer.
1860,
—Emil Lambert, Nicholas Krill.
1861,
—James Ash, Monroe Snyder.
1862, —Jacob Cline,
Earnest Piersol.
1863, —Aaron C. Heiney,
Nicholas Krill.
1864, —James Ash, Levi Kern.
1865, —Jacob Kline, Michael
Remely, Adam Mehrkem, N. C. Strohl
1866, —Joel Ziegenfuss, Adam
Mehrkem.
1867, —Charles Stroup, Henry
Bauman.
1868, —Charles Mendson,
Nicholas Krill.
1869, —Wendel Schwartz,
David Shaeffer, Andrew Boyer.
1870, —J. C. Kreamer, Andrew
Boyer.
1871,— Charles Mendson,
Charles Klotz.
1872, —John Ash, John
Balliet.
1873, —J.C. Kreamer, Owen
Lerch.
1874, —David Shafer, Daniel
Lichtenwallner.
1875, —James Ziegenfuss,
Simeon Bloss.
1876, —Wilson Mushlitz,
Samuel Ziegenfuss, Owen Strohl.
1877, —Moses Stroup, Reuben
Greensweig.
1878, —Josiah Bowman, George
Kunkle.
1879, —John Craig, Samuel
George.
1880, —Moses Stroup, Charles
Klotz.
1881, —David Ziegenfuss,
Simon Bloss.
1882, —John Craig, Benjamin
Corell.
1883, —A.C. Prince, Amos
Greensweig.
The Justices of the Peace have been as follows:
John
A Boyer, March, 1846: March, 1851.
Abraham
Pretzman, March, 1851.
Adam
Mehrkem, March, 1856.
John
A. Ziegenfuss, March, 1856; March, 1861.
Adam
Mehrkem, March, 1861.
John
A. Ziegenfuss, March 1866.
Adam Mehrkem, March, 1866.
Francis Kinett, March, 1869.
Jacob
Murklitz, October, 1870.
Francis
Kind, March 1874.
Adam
Mehrkem, March 1880.
Samuel
Ziegenfuss, March 1878.
Adam
Mehrkem, March, 1880.
Samuel
Ziegenfuss, March, 1883.
Post-Offices, —When the post-office was established in Mauch
Chunk, in the year 1819, mention is made of a post-office down the river, eight
miles, as being the nearest. This office
was at the Lehigh Gap, and kept by Gen. Thomas Craig. In 1822, he was succeeded in the store and post-office by his
son, Thomas Craig, the father of Col. John and Allen Craig. About 1840…
… Thomas Mendson was
appointed postmaster, and served two or three years, and was followed by Thomas
Craig, the brother of Col. John Craig.
The office was kept from the time to 1867 by Reuben Leh and Valentine
Hoffman. In 1867, Col. John Craig was
appointed, and still holds the position.
The Aquashicola post-office was established in
1855. This office is located, by the
above name, at the village of Millport.
The postmasters have been Thomas Bowman, Levi Wentz, F. J. Kistler, and
L.W. Boyer, the last of whom is still postmaster.
At Little Gap a post-office was established in 1850,
and Samuel Ziegenfuss was the postmaster, and he was succeeded, in 1872 by the
present incumbent, Adam Mehrkem.
A post-office was established at Bowman’s in 1883,
under the name of Prince’s. John Rush
is the Postmaster.
Millport,—The land on which the village is located was taken
out on a warrant by Michael Wetzel.
The first movement that brought the establishment of
a village at this place was made by George Ziegenfuss in the year 1806. He purchased land at this place, on the
Aquashicola Creek, and built the gristmill.
He as a miller by trade, and carried on the business many years. In 1834 the mill was in possession of his
son, John, and in that year burned down.
The property was then sold to his brother, George, by whom the mill was
rebuilt, and in 1845 was sold to Jacob Bowman.
From that time to 1875 it passed through many hands, and in the latter
year came into possession of William Wagner, who greatly enlarged it, and by
whom it is now owned. At the time Jacob
Bowman purchased the mill he erected a store building, in which store was kept
for several years. The building is now
occupied as a dwelling.
A store had been opened earlier by George
Ziegenfuss, conducted a few years, and discontinued.
The present store was erected by Samuel Ziegenfuss
in 1872.
A Two-story building was built in 1871, the upper
story of which is used as a public hall and the lower part for a store.
The hotel was built in 1836 by John A. Ziegenfuss,
and kept by him for many years. He was
succeeded by his son, Joel. In 1860 the
property was sold to Levi Harleman, who was the landlord for twelve years, and
in 1872 sold it to Lewis Graff, who now owns it.
A paint-factory was established in the lower end of
the village about 1855, by ____ Lawrence, who continued it till about 1868,
when it was sold to A. C. Prince, under whom it burned down in the winter of
1881.
In 1855 a post-office was established at the place,
with Thomas Bowman as postmaster.
Before the year 1830 a tannery was started by an
Englishman by the name of Mecke. He
sold to George Ziegenfuss, and later it passed successively to Thomas Snyder,
Peter Kester, and Reuben Miller, and burned down in 1875. The tall brick stack is still standing.
About the year 1864, Stephen Lentz discovered a
slate-bed, about ten feet below the surface, near the village of Millport, and
on the east side of the main street.
The slate is much darker than any other in this region of country, and
is called “Black Diamond.” A company
was formed called the Millport Slate Company, by whom the quarry was worked for
a time and discontinued. It is now
worked by G. W. Davis.
About 1874, another quarry was opened across the
street, which is worked by individuals.
A lodge of the Knights of Pythias was organized at
this place with one hundred members in December, 1871. The society has a present membership of
twenty-eight members. The present
officers are Oliver Straub, C. C.; Edwin Ziegenfuss, V. C. C.; Samuel Ziegenfuss,
K. R. S.
The lodge of Independent Order of Odd-Fellows was
organized in April, 1872. The present
officers are John Strohl, N. G.; Joel Ziegenfuss, V. B.; Henry Smith, Sec. The lodge has twenty-five members.
The Evangelical Association, —As early as the year 1842
preaching was held in the old cooper-shop and mill. The Rev. Charles Hassert was the first to hold divine
service. The pastors of the church have
been in charge of the district, of which Lehighton and Millport are a
part. The present church edifice was
erected in 1866. The present pastor is
the Rev. Mr. Wingert.
Millport at present contains a mill, hotel, two
stores, post-office, hall, school-house, church and forty-six dwellings.
Lehigh Gap, —Gen. Thomas Craig, of whom an account is given
elsewhere, settled at Lehigh Gap in 1814, and kept the hotel from that time to
1822, when Thomas Craig, his son, became the landlord, and continued till 1851,
since which time it has been rented.
About 1830, Thomas Craig, the father of Col. John
and Allen Craig, in partnership with Stephen Hagenbuch, his brother-in-law,
built the present store building and opened a store, which is now kept by Col.
John Craig.
In 1852, Frederick Paley erected a brick building on
the bank of the canal. It was opened by
him as a hotel and store, and kept till his death, in 1874, and
discontinued. The Philadelphia and
Reading Road passes through the Gap.
Bowmansville, —This place derives its name form John D.
Bowman, who opened a hotel at the place in 1808. It was then on the route of the Lehigh and Susquehanna Turnpike
Company’s road, and on which, shortly after, a stage-line was placed.
The place attained no significance until the Lehigh
and Susquehanna Railroad was built through, since which time it ahs been a
station on the road. In 1868, David
Snyder opened a store, which he continued till 1873. John Balliet built a store and opened the …
… business in 1872, and still continues. The hotel was kept by John D. Bowman till
his death. His son, Josiah, kept it for
a time, and it was sold to Wendell Schwartz, and is now owned by John Balliet,
and kept by Mr. Harleman.
In May, 1879, the Iron-Ore Metallic Paint-Works of
Prince Brothers was established at this place, having previously been at Lehigh
Gap. This business was first
established in 1858 by Robert Prince, the father of the present proprietors,
and was very successfully conducted by him until his death, and by the sons
until the panic of 1873. The ore from
which this paint is made is mined in large quantities out of the so-called
Stony Hill, near Bowmansville, Carbon Co., at which place there seems to be an
inexhaustible supply. This ore, as it
is taken from the mines, is of a blue-gray cast, and is quite soft. Arriving at the factory, it is put in kilns
and burned. It comes out of the kilns a
dark maroon color, and much harder.
After having been burned it is ready for the grinding-machine, in which
it is soon converted into a powder, ready to be packed and shipped to
market. The ore contains a large amount
of hydraulic cement, which gives it the peculiar properties, after burning, of
withstanding the destructive action of heat, acids, gases, alkaline solutions,
including ammonia, salt and fresh water, etc.
********************************************************************************
The History of the Counties
of Lehigh & Carbon, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
By
Alfred Mathews & Austin
N. Hungerford
Published in Philadelphia,
Pa., in 1884
Transcribed from the
original in November 2003 by
Edward Schaeffer
Proofing
&
web page by
November 2003