Annals of the Oley Valley IN BERKS COUNTY, PA .
...
()ver Two Hundred Years of Local History of An American Canaan
By
REV. P. C. CROLL, D. D. ot Womelsdorf, Pa.
Rtadtn.i Eaale Preu Rtadtns, Pe. 1926
OTHER BOOKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR
Tributes to Luther, 1884. Golden Wedding Ring, 1887. Historic Landmarks of the Lebanon Valley, 1895. Art Work of Lebanon County, Pa., 1895. Bible Quiz, 1897. Bible Gems, 1908. The Penna,-G\!rman-A Magazine- 1900-1905. Gardening and Out-of-Doors, 1917. Slumberland and Slumber Songs, 1917. Annals of Womelsdorf, etc., 1923.c. Tulpehocken Bi-Centennial, 1923. Western Berks, in 3 Vol. History. 1924. Translations lrom the German Jewish Artisan Life (Detitzsch), 1884. Jcs·us and Hillel (Delitzsch), 1884. Alli, or Blessed are t!-te ~ercfful (Hoffman), 1886.
'Dedicated to the 'Descendants of the., Oley Tioneers and to cAll the Tresen~ '{Jfappy 'Dwellers of this earthly Taradise.,
THE AUTHOR
Tbt1 Olty Vallt1y
Annils ol the 0111 V1ll11 5
ANNAIJS OF THE OLEY VALLEY
INTRODUCTION
For many years I have beera Im <•f the kettle as well. Some of theae pressed with the rfohne88 In hL,torlo hills still bear thft local name, u the lore and the charms of the soenlo Oley Hills, Olloher Berge, a■ the beauty of the community of the Oley Pennsylvania German settlers of Valley. It Is nestled among the these parts call them, for thoy wm broken hflls of Its environment, corrupt both the In61an ortslnal, which have given the township the Ollnk, and the mngltsh equivalent, form of a huge kettle, apparent oven Oley, Into OUch, And speaking about to the untutored mind and t>Yo of Its nomenolature remfnd1 me of a tho aborigines, who named lt tor deftnltlon, or ety~loglcal reaaon, this reuembl.lnco, The name Oley Is for the name given me when, as a from the Indian Ollnk, which ts de etudent 60 yeara ago, I spent part fined to algnlty "hemmed In like a of a summer's vacation doing ca· kettle," It has been Indeed for over po.-teur work In · this township for 200 years a bolling kettle of atlrrlng the American Traot Soolety. Hear• life; a bee-hive of Industrious "ctlv Ing the name Oltoh quite frequently lty; a blrd•s neat of worthy Colonlp l In the vernacular upon the Ups of family settlements: a cradle of re my prospective purchasers and pa ligious agitations; a colleglum of tron,, I made bold one day to ven rudimentary and hl1her education; ture the query to one of Its ltfe-tonR" a center of Important historic hap Inhabitants as to the d6rlvatlon of penings and a paradise of peaceful this township's name. Promptly thla flgrlcultural home life. home-spun etymologist made answer The portrayal of all theee feature, In the flattest and plainest Pennayl In a series of condensed word-pic \'an16'•German dialect, as follows: tures- a. little brochure of pen •·nes will lch a1r grad aaage. Wte sketches, woven Into something of a der Columbus noch Amerlka kumma composite, with these phases of the le, noh het er noch gern ncch township's paat life and hlatory ap Reading gewollt aella dag, Noh hut pearlng-11 the obJeot · of the aerlea er evva abschtard su lawte: und wle of article• here besun, With the help er uf die Berae do komme le, nllh la of other,l In gaining reliable data Juscht die sonn nunner aonsa, noh and avail ng myself of wrltlnp cov hot er auageruffe, '0 Licht!' Now ering one or the other of tht1e heszt evva, 0 llohtl" features, I hope to succeed. OF INDIAN ORIGIN. l'1'6 NOMENOLATURE, It took some effort to keep a sober Inumuoh as orlrtnally the town face and to· appear grateful for the ship of Ole)' lnoludeo· the territory, ,attafactory Information given, but entire or In part, now occupied by 1 think I played the game succeaa the preaent townships of Exeter fully _not to wound thr, feelings nor (ereoted In 1718), District (176'1), rob my Informant of the Joy It gave Rockland (1'168), Earl (1781) and him to convoy so conclualve and l>lke (18U), and lta own present self-evident a piece of Information limits, we shall deal with people and to a atran1er and anxious lnqufrer. events of thl1 larger dletrlct as the I have, howevel', elnce learne6' of Giey Valley ln our present treatise. the Indian origin of thfl name and As It wa■ orlstnally erected when have been disposed to cHng to the stll'. a part of Philadelphia countY, latter derivation and meantnr;. In 1710 ft Included not only the In And eurety the Indiana 3hould ner apace of the Pl)t, but the walls know: tor did they not occupy 6 Annals ot the Oley Valley from time immemorial thla bolltng pion4ter etruggle a.id upbulldlng of and brolllng kettle. bordered by the our county, State and nation as to eastern ana' northern and western be of vaat Interest and Importance hllla and the southern BchuylkUJ, to students of our county's history: with lta blutrs? Le1end and rumor and because here are atlll preaervea·, combine In the story that a serious either In rulra, or Intact and well battle was fought here between kept relics, some eloquf'nt and beau these red•aklnned ocoupanta of tiful proofs In architectural land the territory and a oomp-ny ot marks of the sklll, good taste and pioneer prospectors who sought fo Industrial enterprise and efficiency get th~ir lands from them, l\bout o! these frontier pioneers, berore the middle ol the Seventeenth cen our country had attained Its freedom tury, The site of thia battle ls given · and Independence, An« all these are as close- to where the Oley churohe& Interesting objects to behold ln this now stand. Hince then the gospel of day ot the faddlat for the antique, u peace, and the spirit and people of well as tangible and eloquent teaoh Amity, its slater townahlp to th.; e.•:3 ot the sklll and virtues of our South, and the subsequent baptism forebears of the prlmltlve daya of our here of three Indian converts to the country's history. The tools, houses Christian faith, in 17 ,al have wipe« and churohe1, Industries, farms, even out the stain of the b1ood ahed 10 the stone fences along our fteldit and much earller, And now the IncUana highways tell ot the lnouatry, ln have all gone-at least those with gonulty, piety, honesty and ability of the red skin-but their territorial our Immigrant,, of whatever , tock, and townehlp name baa survived the Swede, English - Quaker, Welsh, race, Scotch-Irish, SwlH, German or With this originally wider tel'rl Frenoh Huguenot, our Berka county tory known aa Oley we shall be able pioneers may have been. Migration to locate within this bowl all the bs never done by the weak and In faota and personages we want to write dolent, the Ignorant or shlftleaa, but about, and will not have the trouble by a country's moat courageous and to locate a hlstorio tact, pei-aonage moat alert. The new country, thero or homestead which Ml88 Ida M. fore, gets the very best elements of 'l'arbell, the celebrated authoress, the old, and so we shall ftnd th~ ftret had when peraonally she vlalteo· settlers of Oley were not the otr those. quarters a few years ago to aoourlns of Europe, but lto ch.>ke1t locate and describe the old Lincoln cla88es. homeltead, of Oley, but now no In this hlatorlc ramble ot 200 years longer In Oley, since Exeter town ago we aht\11 meet these elements of ahl_,, In which this bulldlng ls lo persecuted and agitated Europ~ · of cated, was alnce separated from Oley. the close of the Seventeenth and the beginning of the Eighteenth centur WSTORIOALLY FASCINATING, ies, an« look Into their taoea, agatn Thia original township of Oley Is and admire theee quaUUea of head 10 important and faaolnatlng to the and heart and hand. local historian, 'because It was the Oley the beautiful I Oley the agri ftrat ~eftlOn of Berka county to bo culturally rich! Oley the scenic nnd eettled:• because many of- the names hfatorloall the Indiana called thee of the ftrat settlers· have been hanl,ed Otlnk, the kettle. The Greek, might down to the present time, and are have called 'thee the amphitheatre. atlll borne and repeated In the com The modern sport-loving and sport munity as the netghb1Jrhoo4 dwel promoting universities of America lers of the preaent day, now In the would call thee the bo,,l 01• stadium. sixth to eighth generation: because Let mt aee what games have been here were enactec1 _ events of the played for 200 years Sn thine arena. Annals ol the Oley Valley 7
Ch.apter I. Causes That Led to the Huguenot, Swi88 and Palatinate German Emigration ·to America, at the Beginning of the Eighteenth Century ·
GENERAL REMARKS ON THE winding through the western border OLEY VALLEY and the Mnnatawny, much the Dy tho late Dr. Peter G. Bertolct larger of the two, ls formed by numerous streamlets arising In the The Vall~y ot Oley comprises an rnnge ot the hills to the east and area ot about thirty square miles, north, running through the whole and Is situated In the central por length ot tho valley on the eastern tion ot the· County ot Berke-five border~ and leaving It Jn a eouth milts east ot Reading. It ls almost eaeterly direction. Near the pince entlreJy surrounded by hills, as It of the ext ot this stream nn lf,let wore, with : the rest ot the world remains which Induces some to be 8lmt out. The Indians ~hought It Jlevo that thfs was once a lake. resom bled a kottJe, and named It (This spot ls known by the name ot Oloka, which, accordtng to their Strong Cavo. ) It hCLs a flno descent dlnlect,, le the name ot this Jmr,le and furnishes many excellent water ment, and hence the name Oley was pusses. contracted. · The Germans construed It Ollch, elgnltylng oll, considering It There are ln i"?1t{~.,.. . :,~. . . . ~,•· ·:. ' J' : ·, 1.••• . ~/ ,.t;• ~y . . I J' .j - .... ~-.='~rt~ '. · :1;~,:lt: ..>t.rrtt{:fht· ... _,.·'.· , .. i ~ ' ~. Dr, Peter G. Bcrtolet Ann•ls ol the Oley Valley 9 EARLY HUGUENOT SEYM.,I,ERS backed by the malicious Jeffries, of Many of the first settlers of Oley whose doing the history of the dis were French Huguenot refugees, mal dungeons of "Old Bally" and who fled from their native country "Newgnte" will show an ample tes under the persecutions Which pre timony. valled ln the reign of Louie XIV, These also came hither In search which became so aggravating and of a home, where they might unendurable after the death of the breathe the air of religious liberty good Colbert. Somewhat later, and to their honor be It spoken, they Queen Anne, upon her accession to nol only sought to secure this home the throne of England ln 1 '102, in unto themselves, but they main duced many of these oppressed Prot tained and extended the same prlv estants, French, German and Eng Uege to oth~re who came to settle lish, to lmmlgrat~ to Amerlca. with them. Among these were An These were some of the principal thony Lee, from wbom has de pioneers of this place. They came scended a numeroue family; also to this wilderness in search of George Boone, Sr., the grandfather homes and an asylum of religious of the Kentucky pioneer and of sev freedom. Many ot these were un eral others, whose names have be doubtedly pfoue and good men, re come llhietrloue and distinguished. garding their duty to God Impera But most of their descendants have tive above all else, and have Jett good examples to their pol!lterlty. removed to other sections and com They are the fathers of thrifty de paratively few of them remnln In acendanta and, In not a few ln the neighborhood. etancos, were any to be found vain If some of these were not actual enough, they might boast that followerfl of Wm. Penn Jn hie Mcond the blood of some noble famllles vJslt to this country th"'Y must have flowed In their veins. arrived here very shortly a(ter• Suet) ancestors seldom entail upon John Kelm was for some time their posterity the woes and vices Lee's nearest neighbor: he had sot• which are so apt to follow In the tied In the northeaetern part of the wake of the more recklege adven valley, now a portion of Pike town turers of the present day, who pene ship. From him h:1ve descended the trate the wlldo of either places In tamllfee ot thnt name. eearoh of bounty and maturing J>lote The Yuders. (Yoders), a family of tor speonlatlve gain. Swl88, made a settlement near Crooked Dam of the Manatawny. Such la the Uneage of many fam The precise date of their arrival le ilies now residing In Oley, having difficult to obtain, but they figure the names of their fP.thers, and ,10me con11plououely In the early history of of the original estates are yet Jn this J>lace, and hence shall advert to poeseaslon of their descendants. them again in the following pages. The names of the Huguenots who It IA thus seen that either were ad settled here were DeTurk, De La ded to the :Huguenots and Quakers: Van, De La Plank, Bertolet, Berdos, and later Ktlll an accession of the French and German, who made no De Long, Sharadln, Lorah, etc. particular religious profeBBlon. Her Few, ff any, of these names have blne came from France, eo did become extinct, t>Ut on the contrary Reiff, It la said, Grlesemer was from have "multiplied" and so extensively Germany. that members of these families are Much of the land of the valley Is now scattered all over the wide now under cultivation and that not Union. under the plough ls heavily wooded. Such was not the case upon the ar QUAKEM SETrl,ERS rival of the first Inhabitants. Tim• ber wae only found along the water Members of the Soclet~ of Friends courses and the northeast portion, called Quakers, also made some while the greater portion had none. earl)• settlementi, In Oley. These, It was In consequence of thle thP.t like the Huguenots, were refugees, the first settlements were made but came mainly from England. along those wooded ilatrlcts Jn 1>ref Some German Quakers from Ger erence to the west, which they at many also found their way hither. that time considered far up ht value. These also fled their native land on But we must next take a glance account of oppression and pereeou nt the trials and privations of these tlon. These people were epeclally early settlers. annoyed toward the close of the • Oeorge Boone, Jr,; and his sister Mary reign of the arbitrary JameEJ II. mme before Oeorg(' 8001111, Sr. 10 Annals of the Oley Valley TRIAL.S AND PJUVATIONS suffered their hearts to be broken by The trials of these early settlers, bitter despair, few, if any, would common to other new settlements, probably have survived. "A light were yet in some measure peculiar; heart Is a balm unto the' soul." "A these refugees retreated at once good conscience makes a soft pll deeper into the bosom of the wilder low." In truth these were tho good ness than they would probably have cordials which sustained tho pio done had they not been so madly neers in their afflictions and trials. driven by the scourge of persecu tion, and would have undoubtedly A BRIEF HISTOltY have preferred locating nearer the OF tHUGUENOT PEUSEOUTIONS Atlantic shores, where they might SUMMARIZED have availed themselves more of Inasmuch as the first cause of the the comfort of civlllzatlon with largo Huguenot innnigratlon to Am greater conveniences. But the erica, early in the eighteenth cen Christian (?) community had at tury, is found in the fierce and in that day become more intolerable human French - Catholic persecu and repugnant than the company of tion ot these Calvinletlo Protestants the heathen savage, from whom of France, it is in place to summar they had less to tear. ize the causes, steps and methods The narration ot the trials and employed In this scheme of at deprivations these people were sub tempted extermination. Hence this jected to would fill considerable brief historic summaty: space, and many ot the events The influences of the German would be scarcely credible at this Reformation spread Into the sur . present day. They were too poor to rounding countries of Norway and build themselves a mill and the Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Switzer nearest they had, tor a long whlle, land, France and England. In Switz was at Germantown on the Wissa erland anrl Holland the Zwlngllan hickon, a distance of about fifty doctrines colored the faith of the miles. To and from this mlll they fonowers. In France Calvin's ten convoyed their grain and meal In ets were generally accepted, prose sacks on ·horses, and the only road cuted until it wo11 a large and zeal leading thither was nothing more ously loyal following and adherence, than an Indian path. The settle while In the north countries of Den ment would go In companies. Mra, mark and Scandinavia the Lutheran J. Reppert, when a girl, accompa phase was unlversnlly adopted. But nied In th Charles IX was on the throne The same cruelties were practised of France. Under the pretext and at Angus, Trages, LaCharlte, and guise of a royal wedding-the King especially at Lyons, where they de of Navarre (Prince Henry, later stroyed above eight hundred Protes King Henry IV), with the sister of tants; children hanging on their King Charles IX-to be royally and parents' necks; parents embracing nationally celebrated at Paris on St, their children; putting ropes around Bartholomew's Day, August 24, the necks of some and dragging 1672, many of the leading Protes them through the streets; throwing tants were Invited to the Capital, their mangled, torn and half-dead under a solemn oath of safety, these bodies Into the river." leading Huguenots were Innocently It was a scene that out-Neroed trapped. A carefully planned (but :Nero. The numbf'r slain in three from the Protestants, concealed) days has been varlo·1<1ly estimated at scheme of bloodiest tragedy was from 70,000 to 100,000 Protestants. now set In motion. It was at the In After this carnage had raged for stigation of the Queen - mother three days It was through the In Catharine de Medici, that It was fluence of Dr. Ambrose Pole, the done. The Queen dowager of Na Court physician, that an order for varre, herself a zealous Protestant, staying It was obtained from the was poisoned by a pair of gloves, be King. He was also a Huguenot, but fore the marriage was solemnized. when the King engaged him, the CoJfgny, the admiral of France, was doctor forced a tour-fold agreement basely murdered In his own home, from tho monarch. He would never and his body thrown out of the win command him to enter his mother's dow to gratify the maUce of the womb, to, be present In the day of Duke of Guise. His head was after battle, to quit the King's service, or ward cut off and sent t() the King to go to mass. The King was bound and Queen mother; and his corpse, by them and for the esteem In which after a thousand Indignities to it, the doctor was everywhere held strung by the feet to a gibbet. After could not afford to make a common this the murderers revenged the sacrifice of him. Thus the massacre whole city of Paris and butchered was brought to a sudden halt. (Read In three days above ten thousand Protestant lords, gentlemen, presi Macaulay's Account). dents and people of all ranks. A hor The King died the following year. rible scene! ... The groans of the A faint hope began to glimmer of dying and the shrieks of those that brighter day., ahead for the Hugue were about to be butchered, were nots ot France still Jett and stlll everywhere heard; the bodies of the Joyal to their faith In Christ. A new slain thrown out ot the windows. King In the perfJOn of Henry IV was The courts and chambers of houses crowned. He had Imbibed Protestant were filled with them, while the Influences and teachings In his dead bodies of other victims were youth. The Huguenots rallied about dragged through the streets, their him. Nor dtd he disappoint them. blood running through channels In He Issued an edict that granted them such plenty that torrents ran to liberty of worship - the famous empty themselves Into the neigh- Edict of Nantes, Issued Aprfl 1 S, . boring rivers. An Innumerable num 1698. Protestants had now legal ber of men, women. and children rlght11 of worship and expansion. were Involved In one common de They had about 760 churches, and struction, while the gates and , for a while prospered anew. i3ut entrances to the King's palace were soon and gradually their political all besmeared with blood. strength was ·crushed by the mighty "From the city of Paris the mas genius of Richelieu. King Henry's sacre spread throughout the whole successor (second in line) was Louis kingdom. In the city of Meaux XIV, and on October 18, 1686, this they threw about two hundred Into bloody monarch signed a decree tor gaol and after they had ravished the revocation of the Edict of and kllled a great' number of women Nantes, and thus ·by one stroke of and plundered the houses of the the pen deprived half a mllll~n of Protestants, they executed their fury his best subjects of their Uberty Qf on those they had Imprisoned. Call r.onsclence and religion. Again the Ing them one by one they were killed bloodhounds of persecution and Uke sheep In a market. In Orleans murder were let loose. To bring they murdered about tour hundred about Catholic conformity, force was men, women and children, and en to be employed. But the Huguenots, riched themselves with their spofls. rather than contorm to the estab- 12 Annals of the Ole.:, Valley llehed religion, quitted I<"'rance, tak halt the persecution. Catholic zeal ing refuge In Great Britain, Holland, ots, unde1· the reign of Louis XIV, Prussia, Switzerland, and flnall)' in which endured to 1716, crossed the America. And thus It came that the borders of their country and with Valley of Oley received in due time, sword and fire brand, Invaded u.~ its quotu of thut excelJent strain of Rhine countries of Germany and Huguenot blood in the DeTurcks, some of the country of Switzerlnnd. Bertol1Jts, Yoders, DeI~ongs, Levans Was it one of those marvelous over and others. rullngs Qf an alJ-wleo Providence by which the new country of America, France lost 400,000 of Ile Protes and especially the Province of Penn, tant citizens, among them the most thrown open to the free exercise and Industrious, lntelllgent and sincere!)• toleration of an religious cults, religious of the entire nation. The might rec.:;!ve the best blood of toes was Immense, for there were France, Oerr.1:tny, Switzerland and merchants, manufacturers, s\ Chapter II. EARLY SETTLERS OF OLEY Posterity Still Quite Numerous The first settlement of Oley t1nte Creek and located In the present dated lts early erection Into a town Oley with a thin sprlnkUng of ship. When WIiiiam Penn first laid French and Swiss Huguenots and out his colony In 1682 he districted German.s as neighbors. It Into three counties, Philadelphia, Chester and Bucks, all radiating out The first known pioneer to locate from the point on the Delaware and seat land In this vicinity was a River where the new city and capi young German, John Kelm, by ta I of Brotherly Love was to be lo name, who staked off and lald claim cated and built. And It was from to a tract ()f land In this general this radiating center of Philadelphia nelghb9rhood as enrJy as 1698. He that the earliest land occupations then returned to Europe, where he took place, Theso usually followed later married a Miss Herfcourt and the water courses, Thus It came that with hts bride came back to Am'e,· along the Wl88ahlckon, the Dela lca to establleh their home In the ware and the Schuylklll and their wilds of Penn's Woods. In 1706 he branches land was first taken up by built his first rude home on this the new comers to these back woods pre-empted tract of Oley, whose boundaries were then eomewhat In of Penn. definite, and began to clear Its acres By the beginning of the 18th cen, of fertile and well-watered soil for tury the first daring pioneers of the cultivation. Later he erected his Perkiomen, the French Creek and more imposing and spacious perma the Manatawny, all branches of the nent stone dwelllng, which Is etlU Schuylkill, ventured to rear their standing. Here they Jived until log cabins by the side of the In death · gathered them to their dians. fathers. And SQ did futue ~enera The Swedes came In lar&-est num tlons of Keirns down to very recent bers up this river and formed a little years. colony several miles above the We visited this charming old place mouth of the Monocacy, about Mor the past tan and were f asclnated lattan now Douglaasvllle. Here with the size and structure of this the oidest rellcs of clvlllzed llfe ln attractive Colonial homestead ant: Its the county are to be found. Here outbuildings. The two-century-old are yet visible some old graveyarde boxwood tree le still growing nea. and a few ot the oldeet houses. We the front doorway. Two eJd~rly know that the Swedes lived In peace maiden slaters ot the last genera among their red-skinned neighbors, tion of Keirns who spent an their and from thls amiable way of Uvlng days here, to the beginning of this the territory-and later the town century, became somewhat shy ot shlp--came to be known and offi• strangers, as they had been quite cially named Amity. This settle!' recluse In their habits, used to hide ment dates from the first year of to watch the ftrst automobflea go bv, the 18th century, and the home of which they called "Gewltter Mounce Jones, erected In 1718, hae '\Vagen," that Is lightning coachea. Jong since been pointed out as the oldest house stlJI st,tndlng In Berks Of course we went to the two pri county. vate grave enclosures on the farm to read and copy the old and the QUAKERS ARRIVE. more recent tombstone Inscriptions nnd found that the pioneer died In Not Jong after the Swedes set 1768. He had numerous descend tled on the SchuylkUJ, the English ants, of whom a considerable num Quakers came up the Manatawny ber lie burled tn these two well- 14 Annals of the Oley Valley preserved enclosures on thP farm, numerous Raut'tmans, sometime be .. both of which are In sight from the fore 17 32. It la a noteworthy fa.ct house. Among these descendants that these original homettteads of were men of considerable promi Ket~. DeTurcks, Levans, Hoch.s, nence ln our county's hlst~ry. Yoders and others have remained Jn the possession ot descendants for HUGUENOTS OOME. the 100 years. These may all be found, with their colonial atone By 1710 a number ot settlers had houslls, within a radius ot about ftve oome to this Oley section for homes. mfle.!J. It speaks Joudly ot the thrJtt, In. 1712 Isaac DeTurck, a brother-· Esnte1•prlse and dtimestlc loyalty and fn-law of Kelm, who had first lo sentimentality of these family circles. cated at Esopus, N. Y., settled on a tract of 300 acres r,earer the present vtllage of Frledensburg, where It EARLY ASSESSOR'S LIST. was deetlned some Important history The first preserved assessor's 11st would be enacted In the years to of Oley dates back to 1734, which re come. Abraham Levan came In 1716 ports 61 land owners then In thttt and ta.Id the foundations of a home townahlp. In J 750, the township stead and whose family history has held 181 tax payers. The first set endured to the present day. The later tlers found three Indian encamp Levans, taking root elsewhere in ments In the township limits. They Berks and Lehigh counties have, by belonged to the Lenl-Lenape tribes, their prominence, kept the name on "the original people." They were the pages of the chronicler to our divided Into three principal tribes, day. They, Uke the DeTurcks, were known as the Turtle, the Turkey and French or Alsatian Huguenots, who the Wolf tribes. As far as fs known had escaped the storms of persecu no white people of Oley were ever tion. murdered by Indians, though rela In 1 718, Anthony Lee, an English tions were sometimes strained. Quaker, the first to arrive In Oley, There le a letter extant, written settled near where the present vU by George Boone In 1728, to the lage of Pleaaantvllle Is located. His deputy governor ot the Province, re name has been perpetuated In this questing troops to be sent for the Otey territory to the Present day, the protection of settlers ot this section ta11t t}\ember of thl8 famllv tree being from the Indians. As there ta, no Charles Lee, of Stonersvllle, who, as recorded evidence that any troovs the la.st adherent to the old faith, ls were sent In answer to this appeal, p~rpetuatlng the tlfe and history of It le altogether likely that all dif the Ancient Exeter Meeting of this ferences were amicably adjusted. general section. Thia pioneer Quaker After the negotiations with the In Lee was soon joined by the Boones diana for all the land lying south and others of the same religious of the Blue RldJre, as far west as persuasion, so that as early as 1726 the ·Susquehanna River, which took they were strong enough to separate ploce In September, 1732, and 1742, at themselves from the Philadelphia which both Benjamin Franklln and and GwYnedd Meetings and org:,nlze Conrad Weiser were parties and wit thert1setvee into a separate congre• nesses, the Indiana of present Berks gatfon and build their first church county gradually withdrew beyond edifice. .tonathan Herbein and Peter these northern and western barriers. Bertolet came In 1720. But It Is claimed that stragglers among them lingered tonger In Oley In 1726, Rudolph Hoch, ancestor than fn any other part of Berks. of moat of the Berks County Hocha, For long years one remafned In the and Highs, came Into Oley and set Bertolet tamfly, when suddenly he tled on a tract of 600 acres. This disappeared to Join hta tribal breth Jand had ftrst been soJd by wmtam ren. Penn to one John Snashold, of Eng land, as early aa 1682 and the latter now dlspo,1ed of It to this religious J\ELIGJOUF.l AonvtTY. tugltlve originally from the htlls of Among these setttementa' there France and tater from the valley ,.urred ever a zealous rellBIOus a. ot the Rhine, on the Necker. Jean tlvlty and mlBSlonary ardor. An Bertolet, !l brother ot Peter and a early leader was a man by the name moat tnterestlng character In Oley ot Matthias Bauman, who had history, came In 1126. John Yoder, gained a following to hie cult under another first anc~stor ot an Impor the name of New Born, who stood tant Berks family. arrived In l 728, out against the mort formal and an Chapter III. MATTHIAS BAUMANN AND THE NEW-BORN SECT Among the earliest settlers of Oley as was revealed to his spirit Jn was a rather unique, and, rellglously heaven, to warn him against the nnd historically considered, an fn .. wrath to come. In heaven It was terestlng character In the person of told Baumann that "men bellevec! Matthias Baumann. He arrived from they live by day, but the reverse by tlie lower Palatinate of Germany and night." settled In Oley In, or before the yenr Some limo after this last revela• 1718. That· he was intensely re tlon only did Baumann emigrate to ligious, certainly fanatically pf'r America and settle In Oley, where he slstent In, his tenets, wm appear from became the founder of his new Met. what follows. From hie book the following quota Baumann was a poor day laborer tion Is made (translation): "Men say ot the town of Lamsheln, of the thnt Christ has abolished sin. It fa Lower Palatine .who In 1701 hnd n true with me, for I am as Adam was speli of Ulness, 'during whtch he de before the fall. As Adam was before clared to have been entranced and the fall so I have become. Only with saw wonderful visions and received the body cnn one sin before God." remarkable heavenly revelations. It Js enough to show that such a These, he claimed, ho was divln.ely claim of sinless perfection and holl urged to make known to hls fellow ness ttbove others lends to tnnatlcaJ men. When restored to consciousness self-righteousness and spiritual ar from this trance he exclaimed rogance. And, however, wholesome aloud unceasingly for a full hour: his doctrine of needed l'egeneratJon "Oh! my fellowmen, be conve,-ted; of the natural man may have been, the day of judgment ls drawing this nrtogance and self-righteousness nigh!" was npt to lend Baumnnn and his The peculiar religious tenets of followers Into grievous errors, as, ac. this leader of a new sect, which cording to their critics, abundant came to be known as the New-Born, tHstlmony Js Jett they after his departure, havln"' Its lnftu• preachers In the world that have not ence In this region for a period of been made t1·ee from sin, and yet can about 80 years untll It was super• sln-suendlgen koennen-nre false seded by other religious tenets and teachers, be they plous or impious. leacjers. Naught but Christ ls of any avail In His kingdom. He that hath not MARIA DcTURK'S EXPEWENOE. Christ, ls none of His; for where Christ ls there Is freedom from sin. As n specimen ot the effect It had "I again greet you all cordially. upon lts subjects or adherents a Jet Think of what I have written, lay ter which Marla DeTurk, one of Bau. It tc, heart; It will be more precious mann's earliest converts, wrote to to you than all else In the world. her relatives In Germany, ls often quoted. It Is ns follows: "MARIA DE TURCK, "\\'hose maiden name was Marla Oley, May 14, 1718. De Haroken." l. e. Herlcourt. Brothers, sisters, relatives and There ls doubtless a sweet spirit friends: ual concern manifested In this letter, "I greet you all cordially, I have evidence oi a devout, regenerated received your Jetter from which I heart shown, and withal a funda• learn what you wish, but to answer mental New Testament doctrine of which Is a small matter. I wlll make regeneration and Its satisfying ettects my situation known to you-tell you upon the human heart's cu>lrltual how It ls with me. I am now In n longings set forth, but when It enters better state than I had been In Ger• the sphere of judgment upon othere- many, Here God made me free from especlally Christian ministers, pious sin, I cannot eln any more, for or Impious, and of sinless security which I now, and shall ever praise for hers(\lf, this zealous follower of God. I clave unto Him, and thus He Baumann Indicates a misdirected drew nigh me and has tnken his motive. abode In me, It you doslre tQ enjoy the new birth wlth me, withdraw BAU&Li\NN'S INOONSISTENOIES. your mind and thoughts from all worldly things-seek God only-con• }from the contemporary evidence ttnue to pray, sigh day and night, of the most devout and earnest re that God would regenerate you. If llglous leaders of that Jay ot every you prove sincere, you will ex varleh· of faith and practice, we . t,erlence wonders. Men boast of gather that the dally life of many of being Christians who know not what these new born did not tally with the new birth Is. The new bh·th ls their profession. Their lofty zeal nt the new stone, which no one knows, "confounding and condemning oth only he that receives It. ers" led them oft Into very question "To emlgrnte to Pennsylvania Is able excesses of conduct. Thus we \'aln, tf you are sinners. \\'tlo knows have extant the account of Rev. whether you wlll arrive safety? Most Henry Melcholr Muhlenberg, a de• r>ersons have to endure elckneS8- vout pletlst himself; Count Zlnzen• many die. In Pennsylvania there Is dort, Conrad Belsael, the aplrltual unrest, too, as well as tn Germany. mystic. and Rev. George Michael Ir tt ts not by reason of war, there Weiss, one of the earliest and most le something else, which le disagree fndefatlgable ohua·ch fathers and able. founders of the Reformed faith, to point out the lnconsh1tenolee of PERFECT RJt::S't DEFINED. Baumann and many of his fQllowers. Rev. Dr. Muhlenberg, father of "Men will neve!:' flhd rest in this American Lutheranism, occasionally world, go whither they will. With came In contact with some of Bau• Ood only le there rest. If you seek mann's followers. In his journal of reRt elsewhere you will etfll be rest June 10, 1748, this fact ls recorded: leBB-thue It ls In America. But IC ''I was accomparal"d by the school• ono ls free from sin he may go master, Mr. T, L., of Hanover. I abroad, or remain In Germany, then· called to eee one of these eo-called he has the most precious treasure New Born, driving t:lght miles trom with him; he ts contented wherever New Hanover. This man had mar he IB...-fe delighted with his treasure ried a widow some 20 years ago. She anywhere In the world. bore him flve children, whom· th13 mother, without the consent of the "Preachers and their hearers, Cather, sent to be Instructed (cate• all of them, are no Christiane, chlzed) and baptized, The old man they are elnriere. ct,rlet has come to professes that he had been born abollsh sin. He. thon, that le not fr.ee anew In the Palatinate. The evi from sin, for him Christ has not dences of hla regeneration are, ac yet come Into the worltl. All the cording to hie own oft-repeated ·ae- Annals of the Oley Valley 19 sertlons, that he had withdrawn Poor fruits surely from n tree of from tho Reformed Church, refused ~mch loud and high profession. to take tho holy sacrament, and Count Zlnzendorf, according to would not take the oath of fealty Ulshop Spangenbcrg's "Life of Zln to tho new prince, on which account zendorf p, 1382, bears this testimony: he and some others were cited to The New Born ( 1742), maintain that appear before the consistory, which If a man Is regenerateo·, everything he refused to do, and consequently that he does Is right and good; for was Imprisoned, and, as he Imagines. he can sin no more. Holding these he has sul'fered for Christ's sake. views, they justify gross sins of He will not llston ti1 any reasonable the flesh." o,•idence, or rec-a've the Scripture In all Its parts as proof. Nor will he receive any Instructions, being solf AN UPRIGHT MAN, wllled, turbulent, passionate, abus The Chronlcon Ephratense says of ing the liberty he enjoys. After ar this sect: "In their journeys through riving in thl.e country he united with Conestoga (Lancaster county), where the New Born, a sect so called. These tt ey here and there found accep profess a new birth, which they have tance they flnally also came to thE. received immediately and Instanta SUP.erlntendent (Beissel), when Bau neously by Inspiration, in visions and ma1rn commenced about the new dreams from heaven. Having thuq bfrth. The superintendent gave him received this new birth they lmngln<' Iii tie satisfaction, tailing him to they are like God and Christ. ·rhey smell of his own filth: whereupon say: 'They can neither sin nor err they called him a crafty spirit, full -they have attained perfection- of subtllty and departed. It wae hence they need no longer to use the C1hservea· that from this time on they means of grace. The Word of God 1,st all power to spread their reduc they consult only to support thelt· tions any further, which flnnlly died false principles. They ridicule the out with their originators. He sacraments, speaking soandaloUBIY (Eaumann), Is said otherwh1e to of them.'" ht.eve been an upright man, and not to have loved the world Inordinately: MUHL/~NBERG'R TESTIMONY. but Kuehlenweln, Jotter (Yoder), Muhlenberg gives another In and other followers of his wore ln stance of the conduct of one of Bau sutlable In their Jove of the world.'' mann's followers with whom ha In 1729, Andrew Bradfora". the came in contact during his ministry, noted printer and publisher, of (Baumann died In 1727, but his Philadelphia, In those colonial days disciples abundantly trod In hi~ Issued a pamphlet of U pages, wrlt polemic steps). "I preached a Ger l~n by Rev. George Michael Weiss, man and English funeral sermon In V. D. M. (Verbl Del l\llnlster, I. e. a spacious church, because many Minister of the Divine Word), a rare German and Engllsh people wer9 copy, If not the only one of whlcb present. I was somewhat dlsturbett hns been found In Uie Congressional by an old self-willed man, calllng Library at Washington, D. c., tran himself a New Born, who was on scribed ,·erbatlm et llterathn by M. the outside of the house, preaching A. Gruber of the Capital City and boisterously as he was wont to some which original has been translated folks, with the design of Interrupt Ir.to Englleh by Wltllam E. Weis Ing me. He became quite enraged gerber, of Luthersburg, ant\' pub because few stayed to listen to him. llshed entire In the May, 1912, lasue After having retailed hie .slang he of the Penneyh•11.nla-German l\laga went home angry, I would fain havo zlne, of which the following le a listened to him, had I believed that transcript of the title page: his call to the ministry and his doc trine werA of God. His fundamental TRR MINIRTRR doctrines are: 'Many years ago ht> IN THE AMERICAS WILDER:-IR88. had by night seen in his bed cham Among rnen of nrlou1 natlonalltle1 and re ll1lon1, wanderln1 from pl11~ to ber a Jlght which 1·eveated to him place and 1'1rlou1l7 tempted, that he was a child of God-that the Portra1ed and Introduced by a ronYereatlon magistracy, the ministry, the Bible, with a the sacraments, churches and POJ.ITJCU8 and a NBW DOHN. schools were all from the devil Written Y-"lth 1.,.clal reference to the Sew that all must become such, as he Dirth and brou1ht to llabt from penonal was, etc.' However, were all to be• t'xperfence for the advancement or the come as he was, a New Born, the irlory of best interests of society would by no JERUA. means be promoted because he be 87 Oeorae IIIC'heel Wel111, V. D. II. comes occasionally beastly drunk. Printed ac PHILADELPHIA, 1729. beatft his poor wife unmercifully." 87 Andrew Bradfordt. 20 Annals ol the Oley Valley FRUITS NOT MANIFF..ST. It Is undoubtedly Rev. Weiss' own This pamphlet, prefaced by a long unique way of showing his estimate original hymn, consists of a lengthy of this New Born sect. dialogue between a minister and a ,ve have Introduced these cotem• representative member of the New pornneous nnd highly authoritative Born sect, which Is calculated In testimonials to show what other de• this form beet to Jay bare the ar- nominations thought of the claims 1·oga nce, delusion, deception nnd of this sect of Oley, which held n ignorant obstinacy of the latter, nnd large place in the religious thought a Scriptural proof ls furnished that of that day among the early settler& the despising of God's word, the of this community. It gives us n Bible and public worship, with the picture of the times In our own ohurch's administration of the di county when beginnings of church vine means of grace, are but unmis life were made, and when religion takable evidence of deception on the figured perhaps ns the dominant part of those who rely wholly upon thought of the new settlements, and their so-called experience of the new shows how the various tenets ha Chapter IV. THE BOONE FAMILY Early Berks Quakers and Pioneers in Several States Among the early settlers of Oley whnt reports of this new country the we find George Boone and famtl)·. three children must have poured According to geneologlcal records Into the cnrs of the new arrivals! preserved, there was quite a line of The family _probably remained a George Boones, natives of Deven whlle with their children and other shlre, Eng. The Oley Immigrant ls ncqualntances In Abington, where ·oeorge Boone, 3d, horn 1666: but as their offspring seemed to have at we now begin tho story of the Amer first settled. The elder Boone then ican Boones we shall call him moved with his family to North George, 1st. Ho, too, had a son Wales, where they stayed about two George, whom we sha11 know as ~•ears, when they moved to Oley and George, 2d, here built a permanent home on According to Mrs. Hazel Atterbury land that George Boone, 1st, had S1>raker's excellent and voluminous r>urchased, book on "The Boone Family,•• the fh•st Oley Boone-om· George, 1st married Mary Maugrldge, of Brand A HISTORIO LANDMARK. wloh, Eng., eight miles from Exeter The fireplace of this George In Devonshire, some 20 years before Boone log house, erected In 1720, In their emigration to America. Both the northeastern section of what le had been members of the Society of now Exeter township, ls still stand Frl ends In England and brought let ing, and the Historical Society has ters of recommendation with them recently had It securely bound with to Pennsylvania. They probably cement-mortar tor Its preservation knew Wllllam Penn In their native as a hlstorlo landmark, hoping land, and he may have Induced eventually to build about It again a them, and their children hefoN log cabin after the orJglnal model them, to venture on life In his virgin (n photo of which ls In hand) nnd colony In America, At all events, to carefully mnrk It with a stone the.Ir three oldest children, George, mnrker, , holding an Inscribed his Sarah anll Squire Boone, preceded toric legend. them by tour years In exploring and Whon Uie Immigrant Boones lnvestlgatlng conditions In this new moved Into this humble pioneer colony of Penn. We Ond the eldest dwelling they took with them six son was married soon after their ar rl\'o.l, leading to the nuptial altar on )'ounger children who were reared May 27, 1718, Miss Deborah ffl)well. here, They were the pnreJ\ts, there of Haversford, Chester county, fore, of nine children. whom he had probably known and The first documentary allusion lo loved In England. this Boone dwelling that we know of ls found In a petition to the authori ties of Philadelphia or Chester A HAPPY MElin"ING. county !or a new road from the Tul The . reports from their children J>ehocken to Oley, drawn In 1727. It -of conditions and opportunities In ls a quaint nncl typical Colonial "Penn's \Voods," doubtless helped document and reads as follows: their parents to decide on moving blther also. So they followed them Se11tember, 1727. In· 1717, bringing their other three 1'o the Honorable Bench: -children with them and landing at We, whose names are here\\·lth Inscribed, Phlladelphln. on Aug. 17, · of that ye lnhnhllhnnt11 of re Northwest part of re _year. We can Imagine a happy TownehlJ• of Oley, Tohiebocken ont.J parts ad• . meeting when the vessel reached J11rent. Ilnlnir no Road III fl't e11tabllehed port, or at least eoon thereaftei-, 11mon.1(1t u, by mean• whereof we 11utrer direr -when the famlly was reunited. And lnconl"enll'R<'l'II and a 1reot 1111rt of ye 11111,I 22 Anna:.;. ol the Oley Valley al 11resent not Fettled, through which Y<' her(' as the Oley settleJnents; that In 1727 by l*tltloned road ls nntur111ly dl'IIIKnnte1l lo there was nlready n Friends' Meet .. go by of whereof there will be no opposition Ing House In these parts and located mo1le In ye laying It out. near George Boone's; that George Wherefore, wo your l'etltlonerR, humh'.y Boone was n mlller or owned a mill: reqW'Bt that you will be pleased to ordrr ,1 thnt one of his son's name was Ben jamin, nnd thnt the Tulpehocken Highroad to be lftld out. Deglnnlnit ut thl' settlers knew their way "lUt to world J.utherun lleetlng House at Tol11rhoekPn, t'> Intercourse Jny southwaxd, and by Plld In the 111gb road 11( ye Qnnkl'r llN•llnK publlJ highway towards Phtlndel .. llousp, near Georg<' Boone's MIii, In Oh•y. phln, and not northwar~. by the A 111I your 11etlttoners sh11ll l'\'l'r 11rny. water course of the Susqvehanna to New York colony, whence, they hnd 86 PETITIONERS. come. To this document are nttached 36 A LARGER DWEIJLING. nnmes as petitioners, most ot whom were those of persons resldent·ln the Whlle the Boone tamlly was Tulpehocken region. Only eight show renred In this pioneer log house of they were settlers ot the Oley end 1720, we know that In 1733 the l!l!!r-~:::~mr,,-,,•?,: * I\ ~.-: :.=···--- • I '! Fireplace onlJ reminder left where George Boone homc8tead 01100 stood. ot the line of this proposed road, father erected nearby a larger stone vhs., Benjamin Boone, Isaac Wise dwelling. This Is usually refeNed man, John CoHlns, Jose1)h Raker, to ln our day when one speaks of Jonathan Baker, Hugh Edwards, •-the old Boone house. There ls a William Roberts and Peter Hilton. stone marker at the roadway, set up It was before Mordecai Lincoln had by the Historical Society of Berke settled In these parts or we should doubtless find hie name attached, as County, Indicating It as such. wo know him to have been quite This marker bears this lnsorlp" actlvo ln neighborhood Improvement tlon: ll0111e hull t In 1788 hy measures. Ul-:OROE llOOSg, Orandfuther of The petition reveals a number ot DA~IEJ, 800!11~. things: That at this time the coun llltP of Ueorl(e Boone's loK home, try had been opened up with hlgh built 11ho11t 172<1 . .way:1 from Phtladelphla only a• far lll1torlrnl Korlety of nerk•. Annals ol tbe Oley Valley OWNE.Q LA R G E TRAOl'S OF REOOUDED IN OLD BIBLE, LAND, An old fnmlly Bible records the It Is said that Father Boon~ never fact that "when grandfather died he lived in this now house ntmself, de left eight chlldren, 52 grandchildren claring it was too grand for one of and 10 great-grandchildren Jiving, In all 70, being as many per.sons as the his simple tastes. It was therefore house of Jacob, whleh came to occupied by his eldest son, George Egypt." Boone, the second, who by this time had moved with his famUy to Oley A., no stones mark the graves of those Interred in this Oley (now from Abington. When the elder Exeter) meeting burial grounas we Boone died in 1744 his body was cannot positively say, but probably carried from the Jog cabin to thts within this enclosure went to dust new house and from there to his most of the family of Boones, above burial at the Exeter Meeting burial enumerated. We know, however, grounds, adjoining the Meeting that some did not for t!ils recordea · House. list embrace Daniel Boone, the rover, and his father's family who By this time Boone and his sons later moved to North Carolina. had bought up large tracts of land The follo,vlng register embraces In this neighborhood, and an the the entire family of George Boone famlly had settled down, They Ukely the first: prospered, for there is a tradition l. George Boone, b, 18 July, 1600, . that before the Revolutionary War a. 2. Snrab Boone, t,. 18 Feb. 1091 (0. 8.) bold robbery was committed at this Feb. 20, 1792 (S. 8.) Married Jacot, l;!tover (Stnhl'r, Stowber) stone Boone house, which would lead (settll'd flr11t In this 10<.'allty and dll'd prob• to the Inference that the occupants ably before 1744. She very likely left the wero wen to do and had valuables Quali:l'ra and nfflllated with the llornvlana.) 8. Squire Boone, b. 21> November, 1098. stored away here. It does give re 4. llary Boone, b. 28 September, 1600. Hable proof that not all dwellers of G. John Boone, b. 3 January, 1701. the Oley Valley of that day were (He never \\'ns married. Wu n school tcnrhl'r. Kept records of fa'tlllf births, etc-., saints. died In 84th year.) 0. Jose11h Boone, b. I> April, 1704. This Oley section fUJlng up with (Married Catharine --; died Jnn. 30, Qunker settlers, early be<'ame a sep 1770 l 7. Benjamin Boone>, b. 10 l'uly. 1706. Rrate organization for rellglc-us 8. JArnes Boone, b. 7 July, 1700. meeting and called for such recogni lie had following children: tion from the Gwynedd meeting ot Judah, ~lose>~, then Bucks count)', to which they Jomu, had formerly beh>nged. George Jo~hua, Boone's membership in this Friends 1'1arlln, m. Oeorgl' llnJrhee. Rachel, m. Wllllom Wilcoxson. organization Is made plain by the Annie, m. Al,raham J.lncoln. following extracts from the Friends' )fAry, Ill. ThomAB I.RO. records: fl. Samuel Boone, t,. aliout 1711. 10-31•1717 (Dec. 31) George Uoone, er., pro• FROll STATE AROHIVE8. ducl'd n Certificate of hla good lite and eon• nraatlon from tho Monthly Meeting nt Cnl• We cot>Y from the Pennsylvania lumptou In OreRt Britain, which wu read Archives, Second Serles, Vol. 19, pp, and wu well received. In 1720 Oeorae Boone 683 nnd 644, respectively, the fol lowing, throwing Ught on Stover WAI CAiied to acco1mt for allowlnir the court• and Boone settlements in Oley: et.111 between hi ■ daughter Mnry &nll John Webb. He aeknowledged hie fAt1lt thn!I; Slirned a r«tent to Jacob 8t11uber for 1>10 ti•0•172V. George Boone baa openl1 ac• a'a (acres) at Ole7 Creek (Manatawny?) knowledged In the meettnr hit forwardneH In doted the Otb, 4 mo., 1714. a land ,rrant to 1lvln1 hie consent to John Webb to keep him, made for £60." company "·Ith hit daughtt" In order to marry, A1rel'd with Oeorge Boon of Owyned, Ber'r, rontrary to ye eatabllabed order amon11t u1. for hla Son Georire, for 400 n's of Land al Oley, tor £14 p. c't anti one thlll. ater. Gwynedd Meeting records In 1736 qultr't ye warr't dated ye 20th Xber, 1718. · that Oley Friends had appointed Ge.orge Boone's third child wae George Boone one of two In tbe Squire Boone, who, acf!ort11nt· to the community to make a canvass of the above register, was born Nov. 2&, famllles in the neighborhood of his 1693, In Devonshire, England. He Oley home. This was doubtless to became the father of a family of secure the funds to build their ee<' nine chlldre.-a, of whom Danlel, the c,nd meeting house, which \\'e know Kentucky pioneer, was the sixth, \\'llS erected ln 1787. Squire Boone was married on Sept, Annals of the Oley Valley j Annals of the Oley Valley 25 23, 1720, In Oley, to Sarah Morgan, Creek, Rix miles north of Harrison• daughter of Edward Morgan, an burg, It ls understood that the early settler In the Welsh colony or Boones and Lincolns were acquaint Gwynedd, In Buck.,1 county. He lived ances In Pennsylvania. If the Lin 1n Oley, near his father'a homestead, colns had already come to Virginia, from 1720 to 1760, reared his noine the Boones were doubtless their here (orlglnally a small log house) guests on Linville Creek: It the Lin• where most of his children, Daniel coins followed· they mny hnve been lacluded, were horn. In 1789 he was dh•ected to Linville Creek by the a trustee of the Oley Meeting. On Boones." Oct. 22, 1733, Dnnlel, the sixth chlld of Squire nn nanlcl 1100110 (Courtesy of tho "Independent," DoHton, Maes. From "l{lt Cnr11on VnyH," J>Ubllehed hy A. C. Mcclurg & Co.) taken, however, In placing hie birth n family of children, who In turn In Bucks, Instead of Berks county. married Into families by the name And now thnt this place has been of Mays, and Scholl, and Broughton definitely setued, efforts should be nnd Cramp, etc,, etc, made by the citizens of Oley and It ls known that twice nfter hie Exeter, by the scattered relatives In departure from Berl KU Curson, (~rnml!olotl ot Unnlt•I Boone (Cou1·tosy of the "lnde1,011<1ent," Hm1ton, Mnss. 1'.. rom "l{lt Cll1'8011 DayH," 11uhJIHhe Chapter V. AN ANCIENT QUAKER MEETING HOUSE Hallowed Memories Cluster About It The nnclenl Qunkel' :::\lcotlng tenor6d dnys nnd wnys of bygone House or present Exeter was first genemtlont1 of our fellow toilers and lrnown as the Friends' Meeting home nnd nation builders.and to hear House, ot Oley. So It ls nnmed tn oneselt repeat the pathetic yet beau the road petition of 17 27, already tlfully-meneured and worded lines of quoted, "Ye Quaker Meeting House Orny's Immortal elegy. nMr Qoorge Boone's ~1111 in Oley." Now for 176 years nn,1 more lt hns Here nt this Exeter meeting house been the Friends' Meeting House ot this strange feeling of hll\'ing one's Exeter. spirit take Its excursion with the pa.et Whether Oley or Bxeter, this Rtenlt1 over the writer with a pecu Ancient Meeting Houoe of Berks le llnr thrill. Here lie six generations one of the oldest religious ecllfices of humble, honest, quiet, thoughtful, of tho Quakere in the Ellnte outside devout nnd peace-loving folk, akin ol' Phllndel1>hln. The first house of ln thought and spirit with the peaoe worship wns erected In 1726 nnd eo lovlng and religiously-keyed founder It ls In 01·der to celebrate Its 200th of our colony, Wllllam Penn, him nnnlvel'Sary this year of grnce. self. Some doubtless, personal ac Ae the Friends, or Qunkc1·s, hnvo qunintnnts of his, lf not blood kin: never been a strc,ng clement numcr some mnklng their marks In the new lcally nmong our Berks settlers, world's later history, and writing enrly 01· late, It ls of some peculln1· their names high on the tablets of lntere~t thf\t pres~nt Berks county Btnte and natfonnl renown-tor tltlzens look upon their three meet Instance, as the Boones nnd Ing houses still extant In our midat1 Lees nnd Lincolns - an(l not Exeter, Ren Their narue, their yean, 1111elt by the unlet• FIRST BUILT IN 17!:8. tere.t mu ■ e, So came this ftrst meeting house Th<• 11lnce of fame and ele11 1uppl1. of Oley ,(Exeter) and every one since the original one built of loge Nor are here realized that In 1726. We know that Oeo1ge Boone collected funds In 1736 tor lfany n bol,>· text around ebe 1trew1 a better and possibly larger one, That teach the ruatlc moralllt to die. which re1>lnced the log structure In 17:i7. Likewise, us this waa found l\lODEST HOUSE OF WORSHIP, Insufficient, there came a third, the Anti when one enters this ancient preeent edlftce, of stone, some time und modP.st house of Ood, nearby, between the end of the Revolution thet·o Is nothing In the form of altar, ary War and the close of the 18th or pulpit, or sacred sacramental ves century, tho exact yea~· not known sels, or pictured stained glase win to the writer or any one ot the ad dows to eymboll?.e the churchly herents left. Thie makes the prc11- worship or the storied blbllcal Ute ent Friends' Meeting House of Exe und death ot Jesus nnd His aa>oetles ter one of tho oldest houses of ·wor to stimulate 1·everence anll worship. ship now standing In Berks county. Just two simple rooms provided It, therefot·e, commands reverence with table, plain pews and stove for Its very age, history and elm and separated by a partition tor the pUclty. se1>arate accommodation ot the two sexes In congregational business. No During the 21st pilgrimage ot the ornamentation whatever. It ls a Hlatorlcal Society of Berks County "meeting house" alone: no lecture taken last tall the Itinerary had this or amusement hall, no pulpit needed Friends' Meeting House and burial tor formal stated preaching, no altar grounds on the program as Its 71st chancel or baptismal font tor the place of historic Interest to pass or use and dispensation ot tho sncra• visit that day. The ninth etoJl tor mente, no organ or choir-Iott tor tho day was made here and a some• the rendition of sacred hymns, an what J>rotrncted meeting was held, thems or cantatas, or th·& vocal gym .. when. among other things, Charles nasties ot some operatic soloh;t or I.cc,• of Btonersvlllo, one or the llult the physical fingering display ot romnnnte of tho Lees of Ol6y and repreiumtlng tho Inst famll~• of some mof'lern Mendelsohnlan or• Ji'rfends In this community, t·end a ganlst. The wortthlp of the Quaker bt·let history ot this congregation Is simple. It Is supposed to be er,lr• nncl exhibited n letter written on ttual, thou8'httul, reflective and el• Mny 5, 1705, by John Lee, of Kerk• lently prayerful. If the spirit moves Jey Wo:>dhouee, Eng., to his brother, you one may speak, exhort or leao Anthony Leo, then living at Darby, In a spiritual song, unaccompanied Chester county, Pa., but who Inter by musical Instrument and without ,1ettled In Oley (near the present lntro,luctlon or apology. Spiritual Plensnntvllle) and one ot the foun devotion salts on the ,vJngs of sol• ders of the first Oley meeting house emn, quiet reflection, unaided or nncl n forebear of Charles Lee. This unhlnder~d, as the case might be, hlstor)' and this letter are of suffi by objective symbol or spectacular cient Interest to he Inserted het·e, ne performance. Quaker worship be .. follows: lleves that "Ood ~e a spirit and they that worship Ood must worship Him Hl9rORY. In spirit and In truth," and hence .''The present stone Friends' they stand for the simplest forms Meeting House ls the third that Exe, and the humblest houses of worship. ler Friends built at this J)lace. The first was erected of round togs In And yet they belleve In not neg 1726, but this was aoon found to be lecting "the asitembltng of them too small, anil In 1786 a lnrgE'!r struo• selves together," for In this fellow ture waa erected, also or round togs. ship of spirit the fire& ot devotion The present house was built before are kindled and burn more freely, the year 1800. There was but ono Hence they erect their "meeting place of worship ln this looalltY houses" In every community where built botore the Friends', and that their number le · lnrge enough to was by the Swedes, who built n build and maintain them. house near where DouglaMvllle now • Hee l'ag<> 1 1 O. etnndH, about the year 1720, Annals of the Oley Valley 31 "lfany of the Friends who first establlshcd nt Maidencreek, Readln,g, located In this vicinity came hero l'ottstown, H o b e s o n, Catawissa, from Gwynedd, Montgomery county, .Muncy, etc. and this Monthly Meeting was es• "The graveyard was filled with tabJlshed by Gwynedd Friends In graves and In 1818 one-half of It 1787. was Oiled up. The,•e have bf\en "One of the early Friends to sett!t• nearly 200 Interments In the pa.rt In Exeter was George Boone, Whll thnt Is filled up. There Is no record moved here In 1720, he having com,-. of the Interments that were made from England In 1 717. He ereotetl before this." a log cnbln, part of which ls stl!l standing, and In whl•:lh he IIVell until his death In 1744. His son, \VRl'M'EN O\'ER 200 YEARS AGO "Squire," was the fat.her ot DanleJ The letter ot John Lee to Anthony Boone, the Kentuck)' pioneer, Daniel Lee. "Living with Thomas Smith, was born on a farm near here In bucher In Darby In ye county of 1788, and with his parents move11 Chester, In ye province of Pennsylvn to North Carollna In 1760, when ho nln. Amerlcn," Is nl§ follows: was 1 7 years ot age, "Ono of the first Friends to locate Kerkh>' woodhow1, Mnr re 211, 110.,. In Oley was Anthony Lee, who JA,vln,r brothe1·, thl• with kind J,ore to 1011 settled here In 1718. Ho was born and to ll't )'OIi know thnt I nm In icooa near Mansfield, In Nottlnghamshll''?, helth u I hope thl'•e few llnl' ■ \\111 ftnd you. England, and came to Pennsylvania but I nm much trollll'd that I r.rnnot hPre about tho year 1700, when he was from rou oi 10 lonlf a time, for 7e, f.n11t 22 years ot age, The vessel In which JA•ter rt I rere,ed from rou w.111 dntl'd ye he and his brother" sailed was cap 28 ot A1u1t lT0.1 and III I desired 7011 dt>• tured by pirates, and they, with reeled to oo r.eft n t re 110,1 In lfan1foeld. others, were taken prisoners, but the pirate was finally run down by And ft I• about o rear Sine" I ■ ent 7011 re an Englleh man-ot-war, and thl)' J,11111 IA'ter from whl<'h I hue rereved no prisoners safely lant'ed rn Phlladel• nn ■ l'r. I have lent yon 8 J.rtrr11 llefore thl ◄ phla. Anthony mar1·led Mary Whit• and have ltereved hut 3 tro111 yon, but I nn1 aker about the year 1718. They Korer to here or ,our" troblH that h,fell 1011 were my great-great-grandparents, at Sea, 1et am Olad to hear of your h1111e)' and . had eight children. R ■ rape out of th,re hand ■ whlrh you w111 In Danrer of belnr Rnl'n('d. Hut I df'llrf' "Exeter Monthly Meeting records that 7ou would Rend 8 a , .. ,.r If po11lbtt> give the following account ot him: ti.at 7011 ran, And ofter If ronven1>nc1 will 11 'Anthony Lee departed thla lite admit 1ou, And In your next I.et me know at his home In Oley, Berk• county, what 1ou Ila)' for a l.eter when rou Rerl'Ye Pennsylvan.la, First Mo. 12th, 1768, ft 1111d what 7011 ,rive with a l.eter, tor I pa, fn the 86th year ot hla ase, and was but 0d at l11n1reeld for a l,eter. And I burled In I•'rlends burying ground at Exeter. He was born near Mans• De1lre to )'OU eend what 111 rour "mplo1 fleld In Nottinghamshire In Old Eng whether 1011 follow 7e trade of a bucher or lao,d. His parents brought him up what hath t,een 7our lm11lo1 and what a In the profession of the Church ot man 01111 be b<>rded for a weet.· In that conn• England, but becomln.r acquainted, tr7 I would bave ■ ent 1011 11 token Dut It when young, with Friends, continued 1oln1 throu 10 man1 h1nd1 yt would be tn hie love to them and their way, till 1reat danft!r that It would not 10. Our he came Into this province and some cu,en Robert I• dead a 1oldler In re bordeu time atter was received as a member ot .Jerman, re lut Au1u1t. of our society. He was a dlllgen.t All at preaent from your ever lovlnr Droth• attender of meetings for Worship and Discipline, antl also careful to er, .JOHN J,EIC. bring his family with him: was an IJ7 mother and brother, nnd ■ laters I• mder In our meeting tor more than Yerr Wl'II and de ■ lreth to be remembered to 20 years. We may add that he wae 1011. Mr mother and I doth live torether 111 an affectionate husband anti tender before. Remember my kind fo'l'e to Hobert paren.t, n kind master to hlff servants Rton and to 1111 wife unknown and tell him and given to hospftaUty.• thnt If It be my fortune to come over I "I hh-Ve no record ot the number 1hnll exaiert him to he 111 rood a• hi• of Friends who have been members 11roml1 th11t I• maklnr of 11 1ut of cto1e an4 11 b11rell ot wine which he 1iroml1et1 me 1H of this monthly meeting, exce))tlng Alaac York Radford,. I 11ra1 ron IG1cu1e my In the yenr 18 2 7, when there were bad wrltlnr tor It I• n1r own wrlttnr end 276 membe1·s. I would hl\'e you to 1e111l me or rour own ''From here Friends moved to that I m11 know ft doth com!! tro111 )'\lut other locntltles and meetings were 01\'II hnnd. 32 Annals ol the Oley Valley AN HISTORIO SIIWNE Jnmea I Jnt~•rlor of •~,n~u•r 1''rlt•m1M' Mt•t•tl111r House. By Courte11y of RBADlNO ·rnIBUNE. Annals of tb, Oley Valley as Chapter VI. THE FISHER HOMEST~AD Rarest Specimen of Architectural Beauty The Fisher homestead, In Oley, Is then comes Its magnificent lay-out; undoubtedly the most beautiful Colo Its wide hallways with Its reversea nial structure of Its kind In Berks handsome stairway and ralllng, ana county, The quaUtylnr clause may ba Its nrst floor division into tour large saying muoh-eome may think too corner rooms with their two-foot much-when WA recall the few old wide paneled window spaces, framea l.ron mutera' manelons atlll left (as Into the wall, each window with lta the Udree home, In Oley: the Ege !!4 llghts, ot Sxl0-lnoh panes and the mansion, of Charming Forge, and the 0h11.lr rails and Indescribably beaut!• 81\IIY Ann Furnace home of the rul paneled wood decorations, all Hunters) or the modern palatial painted Immaculately white, and this realdenoea of Readlnf, or the <'Xqulalte flnlah carried all the way architectural marvel• o that city's through the second ftoor to the attlo flUburbs, Mt. Penn, Pennslde, Wyo~ loft, only that tho bridal chamber, mlsalng and Intervllla. or spare gueat-room, has been given Without wtahlns to become cu• some special touches by those tangled In an ar&'Ument concerning master : country carpenters, wno arohltectural beauty and values with nbounded In those early days In modern arf)hltects who are supposed Pennsylvania-German sections. ~o to be masters In thoir art, or the reproduce again in these days these posaesaore ot the .,,any ttne homes sldlled masons and carpenters of ot the county, whose tastu nre not that period would be to found an supposed to have IIRlh\'R)' and aturoue. A BRIEF HISTORY, from John Lesher Jr., and move4 hea·e In 1791 Into an old home• Through the help of the present stenct. Tho Lesher homestead farm owner, Mr. Fisher, we havo un wnH originally a much larger tract. earthed some of this homestead's In• 'rho brief of title to this tract In terestlng history. It was built dur the llllnds of tho 1n·osent owno1• re ing the outgoing years of tho 18th cites th.~t on April 20, 1682, . dua· century and the incoming of the 1'9th century, finished ln 1801, ana· lng tho 34th year of the a·olgn of having three years ht Hs construo I{lng Charles II, Wllllam Penn, of tlon. It was built by Henry "'ormlnghurst, SuSBex county, Eng and Susanna (Ruth) Flshet·, who land, c't'eeded to John Shoh'ne, of both came to Oley from Heidelberg York county, England, 1,000 aoree township, Borke county. They woro of lnnd ln the Province of PonnayJ. the present owner's paternal great \'nnla. Later this Mr. Shelrns deeded grandparonts. They bought the farm this trnct to John Flshbourne and 36 Aanah of the Oley Valley The i-~ront Doorwa,. Jane, hla wtfe, who were the own know that Oen. Lesher laat Uved ers until 1760, when they 4'eeded the and died nnd was burled' on n tract same to John Lesher, John Lesher eomo miles North of this pince, near owned It untU 1791 when he sold ft t<> tho hamlet of Plensantvllle, Hla the above-named Henry Flaher. son, Dr. Jacob Lesher, built the OrJglnally the 1,000 acres were sold Mary Ann Furnace. later operated by Penn, by patents deed, for the by hie son-In-law, Reuben Trexler, sum of £20. It Is quite certain thnt ht J,ongewump township, In 1-:SJ Flshor pald oonsldernbly more for (the same year this tract ln Oloy only one-third of this tract n cen was sold to Henry Flaher), where tury later. ·ate deed calla for 387 the Trexler mnnalon la atlll stnnd ncres, showing that the major pnrt lnr. It so chanced thnt n dat1ghte1 must have been sold ott before. We of 11ald Henry Fisher, Sally Ann Annals ol the Oley Val/11 37 Old-Fashioned Bed. 88 Annals of the Oley YalltJy Annals of the Oley Valley 39 : •. .;: :, : .. : ;. ~ ..•·. ·,_.·/~ I •,,..:~/ :•• Tree Planted D>• Early Swedish Settlers. Fisher, married Jacob v. R. Ht.nter, roof of this house, being of spilt who tor many years operated u-,., cednr shingles, 34 Inches long and old Eckert furnace, near Bowers ~ Inches thick at butt end, served Station, ana· was henceforth named to keep this house dry for 92 year~ for her, whloh mansion and farm wh ~n, In 1893, It was replaced by a has lately come Into the possession n£w one,. wh\ch Is already morti or Congressman Esterly, nnd by worn than · the old one was when hlm brought Into the limelight or removed. The west side of the publicity. house still has the original spouting, 01 namented by the builder's name SPRING HOUSE 10~ YEARS OLD, an<\· date. Ono of tho old carpeta• ters must have been nn ndmlrer or When Henry Fisher bought this Napoleon, ns he carved the Corsican Oley homestead, In 1791, the oulld genernl riding his horse, In minia lngi, on It were already old, ancl ll!§ ture, on the door Jlntel of the rear soon as he could arrange tor lt, hti extension of the building. made preparations for this new nn<1 beautiful structure. During the The house contains slx th'e placet, building of It. the family llhl' their one for each room of the house, but cooking In a large spring hous~. two. Some of these nre lined on eUJl standing nearby. whlcl:l Is nbout the outside with Italian mnrble an We are Interested fn the master present owner and dweller here, craftsmen of this structure and are Daniel D. Fisher, and family got glad that the name of the chief car lJ(lSsesslon, who has farmed here penter at least hns been preserved. from AprU 2, 1889 to the present Hfs name was Gottlieb Drexel, aM· day, a period of nearly 88 yeare, We to hfm belongs the credit of the can wish tor them the joy of dwen hand panels Jind stairway" and. ing here while they live, as they can trfezes. He was surely an ar; :it and 1caroely hope to live In a finer habi his works praise him to thls day. tation until by God's favor they may He erected the Salem Reformed move to the mansions on hl&'h, Church, of Oley, 20 years later, In which, according to the ApooalypUc 1821, and his master hand le seen tlslon of St. John Is to excel It-for here as welJ. I don't know If he was ll has jasper walls ana· pearly gates a relatfve of the financiers of Phlla and golden floors, and its 12 founda delphla. by that name, but they were tion stones are garnished jewels, be both ot Pennsylvanla-Oermap stock. Ing twelve of the most precious stones known to man-the whole llghtelnnlng wheels not yet sold off daughter, and son-Jn-law, Mr. Spang, the place on which these were nnd died tJtere on June 22, 1823, annne covers, that deft fingers of the and Jive here till hls death, whlch olden days could sew, and especially occurred in July 18-. The prop n prize-winning sott Paisley shaw,, erty then came Into the possession whose age Is great, whose beauty ls of his son. John O. Fisher. who lived beyond words and whose value Is be here until 1889, when his son, the yond gold. Annals ol tbe Oley Valley 41 Chapter VII. PUBLISHED MINUTES OF THE OLEY CONFERENCE Rare Copy Found and Translated It was a rare discovery when the acimlnJsterlng the holy sacramenUJ! writer recentJy traced what Is pos Mention Is made of Count Ludwig sibly the only copy extant-surely von Zlnzendort, a Scottish preacher, the only known copy In Berks and Elder Andrew Eschenbach, In countr.-ot the printed 1>amphlet, tul'n as presiding over the conter conta n!ng the proceedings or that once. There were present to address sJgnlftcant German religious confer them a "Quakeress teacher," ci"oubt ence ot various sects and denomi less trom Philadelphia, four deputies nations ot Eastern Pennsylvania, of Ephrata (Conrad Belssel's repre which convened In Oley, Berks sP.ntatlves) and Conrad Weiser, county, In the home ot John De though his name ls not mentioned 'l'urck on Feb. 10, 11 and 12, 1742. r,s such In the document. Where, but In that shrewd, alert, appreciative, Ute - long collector's VEXING PROBLE~IS. hands ot Dr. George Helrlch, ot The proceedings reveal that the BJro'Bboro, could such a 1·are docu de.ye were spent In devotions, and In ment be round? And knowing of It, deliberations over the various prob and of Its rarity and historic value, lems that then \'exed the church, It took some considerable coaxing, viz. ot · the mode of baJ>tlsm, the e,me more solemn promises ot safe proper Sabbath o·ay, the question of guarding It meanwhile, and some matrimony as held by the Ephrata pledged assurances of Its safe return Cloister Brethren (followers of Con• within a week to gain the owner's rad Beissel) and the various doo permission to Jet this pamphlet out tl'ines and practices ot the Men ot his hands that long for the pur nonites and the Mora\'lan Brethren, pose ot making a trnnslntlon or It oi Bethlehem, as well as the Bap Into Engllsh tlRts. ot Germantown, and the Lu therans, on the Tulpehocken. PLEADINGS PREVAIJJ. But the pleadings and promises AN UNFULFILLED DREAM. and pledged bonds and covenants at And to reconcile these varying be last prevailed, and I ha\'e hnd the llets and practices Into harmony great prlvlJege ot not only reading and weld them Into a unified whole through this dooumont and acquaint was the dream of Count Zlenzendort, ing myself with its con.tents, but also and the objective of this conference. to translate It Into English, ,:ind thus It was Indeed the third, and not hold a copy ot said translation for yet the last, of a series ot conter the printer to be henceforth pre ('noes, which this strong and newly served In Its muttlplled torm against nrrlved Moravian leader, Count Zln the danger of Its total loss by fire, zendort, under the doctrinal guise of gnawing roa·ents, pllterlng thieves being a Lutheran, promoted. That or any other destructive element. he tailed finally of his well-meant Not only ls Its rarity enhancing Its dream may be attributed to the value, but the contents give us a jealous and Intolerant v.eal tn relig clearer Insight Into the many re ious matters of that da.y, to the ligious currents of thought and prac fH.•rupulous emphasis laid by some tice which prevailed In Eastern on non-essentials, to· the difficulty l'ennsylvanla-the cradle of early ct reconcfUng Protestant mysticism tt,llglous sects-when Berks county nnd monasticism with defined oredal came to be settled. And what strong fundamentals, and to the arrogant IPaders - born, renred and some dominance ot Its proponent and a,chooled Jn German universities would-be leader, over against the did these various cults have to em treachery and lntollerance of others, phasize the differing tenets ot faith ano· last, but not least, to the com and life and' the varyJng modes ot Ing from Europe ot two more 42 Annals ol the Oley Valley TITLE PAGE OP PAMPHLI<:r. Annals of the Oley Valley 43 sincere and succe....si"'i superiors, convention saw an expectant crowd Muhlenberg and Schlatter, to lead of people ))resent and feared there forth their respective branches of · 111lght ensue some kind of a preju these German church-folk forward dice against their mod" of baptism, to succe& printed thus 17 Hi. Was It unsettled tl•e Moravian brethren were not only which year of grace It was?· We find Indebted to all, but also that the this occurrence oft ln this first half confererice could and should consist of the 18th <'entury, of all souls who knew and sought ,Tesus, and that no denomination, MANY DISAGREEMENTS. which either hat\' a true foundation or was ltselt united, or honest In During the meeting ot this confer Its endeavor, had anything else to ence there was strenuous disagree expect from us (them) than love ment on the Sabbath question with and helpfulness, all of which Onels the brethren from Ephrata, so that muR (the prior) received lovlngJy after the second day the latter dele (and so forth)," gates withdrew from conference In n "peaceable'' manner tis true, accord OHRONIOLES OF EPHRATA. Ing to the report of the chronicler of the minutes. But a day or two The "Chronlcon Ephratense" (the later the two chief disputants met Chronicles ot the Ephrata Com• again face to face, at Tulpehocken, munlty) alludes to this conference ana· sought to be reconciled. In Oley, and states that Zlnzendort Count Zlnzendorf has this to say: was so violent that he wns deposed "The same day and the following from hfs office as syndic (presl the prior of Zion who from thence dc•nt), and a Scotchman. Installed ln came to the syndic, at Tulpehocken, his place. (Zlnzendorf says he de explained the brethren's final atti cllned to preside any longer tor fear tude concerning what had happened of ottence), and that "the confer at the recent conference. He then ence ended to the disgust of all pres read to him the article concerning !'nt." Zlnzendort reports tho con deputies, which he found all too clusion ot conference thus: nlfld, but since we were satisfied "We then gave each other the kiss with the withdrawal of the brethren, cf peace, kept a blessed lovefeast, ft could not, according to pnge 30, arid finally closed with the Installa Section 16, be altered. In general, tion of the previous worker In the syndic explained to him thnt Georgia, Brother John Hagen, 8.8 John Deturk ltomc, in Eseter towmhlp, where early Moravians held service. Anrials of the Oley Val/ey .f5 missionary among certain Ino1ans, WEISER PRl!.~ENT. the three newly-chosen servants ot Since writing the abovo I have the Lord (trustees) officiating. An <:C'me across a Jetter cf Conrad dreas Frey prayed tor him; and dur \Veleer's which proves that he was !ng the Installation the congregn present at the Oley conference nnd t1011 sang: witnessed the baptism ot the three "Oo abow tho priest ■ of Juu11 Indians converted. I quote from hie now he, from sin t'release 111 letter to Rev. Peter Brunnholtz, of Once on the crou had died, et<'." Philadelphia, oated Feb. 16, 1747: These contrary reports do not "This · Christian (Henry) Rauch auger an easy reconclllatlon soon to had been ln the country some time follow. before the count (H~rr Graf), and had settled at Stlflng or at Sheco PRESENT RESOLUTIONS. meko, and had labored very falth ti;lly for a German who lived there, When they were taken back with during which Ume he visited the great Joy In their dwelllng, the l\J oh lean Ina1ans, which lived near synod contlnuea· and was largely the German unUl he won their con occupied with resolutlous. fidence and tlnally was able to speak Losklel, the Moravian historian, to them concerning the things of describes the above Indian baptismal God, In the low German (Dutch) C'eremony and event as follows: language, which they partly under ''The whole assembly being met, the stood. This Christian Rauch ex three catechumens were placed In hlblted a heart-felt love toward the the midst, and with fervent prayer Indians and a burning zeal tor their nnd supplication devoted to the Lord, conversion. At the Oley conference Jesus Christ, as His eternal prop three awakened (Indians) were bap erty, upon which Rauch, with great tized as Christians. I was present. t1motlon of heart, baptized these 1.'hey were named Abraham, Isaac three firstllngs of the North Amer1- ano· Jacob. They were earnest men cnn Ina1ans Into the death ot Jesus, who sufficiently took to heart the In the name of the Father, Son and love tor truth and the newJy-begun Holy Ghost, calling Sabash, Abra work of grace. I discoursed with ham; Seim. Isaac. and Klop, Jacob." them before their baptism In their own language, and found so much In them that I began to love them SOME PERSONAGES. fl-om the bottom ot my heart and Among the persona&es attending, have not to this time been able to beyond those already mentioned In forget them. It dld not remain with these proceedings, are John De these three first converts, but their Turck, the owner of the house; John number Increased until they grew Bertolet, who conducted an election Into a small congregation. Gottlieb ot trustees by the customary lottery Buettner came to them and worked plan; Andrew Esohenbnch, · the among, them with blessed results. evangelist and pastor of Oley; John The desire to leaa· souls to the Lord llagen, the former missionary of Jesus consumed this Mr. Buettner, Georgia, and the other two brethren Cor through his Journeys ln cold here ordalnea· to the ministry, viz. and raln, privations and fatigue, he Gottlieb Buettner and John Chris <-ontraoted a disease and finally died. topher Pyrleaus, all of whose names In 17 43 I Journeyed to Shecomeko adorn the later history of tho Mor.a to visit my father, who Jived 10 vian Church, miles from there, ana· also at the Of these, according to Rupp, the snme time to visit my friend Buett historian, Jean (John) Bertolet, was ner and his Indian brethren; but I ., native of Chasteadeux, of the Can dld not find Buettner at home, but ton of Berne, In Switzerland, a remained wlth these Indians for sev Huguenot, who with his wife, su eral days, and freely talked with sn.nna, and hls family of ftve chil them and waA present at several of dren, came to America ln 1726 and their meetings and heard them ex settled In Oley. They had come di hc,rt one another and pray. I said rectly from Gutenberg, whose of to myself, they are th~ children of ficials provta·ed them with a letter, or pns&port, still preserved, giving God, and the Lord ls among them, them a most praise worthy certlfi• and have not found that I was In <'Ille ot character and sklll. Hts (lrror. And now, Indeed, some of daughter Esther later married In their number have removed to Beth Oley the celebrated Dr. George De lehem and' some have located near Bennevllle, the founder of Univers Bethlehem. and several still remain alism ln America. whose fine home In Sheeomeko, the bravest of whom In Oley ls stlll preserved. t.ave lately dled of various dlsenee11," 46 Annsl.J ol the Oley Valley -:❖ •.,::·.•.:::•. ::,:-:•·•. {11111' u Annals o/ the Oley Valley Chapter VIII. THE LINCOLNS OF BERKS COUNTY As the birthday anniversary of HOME OF HIS ANCESTORS. Abraham Lincoln, the martyr presi dent, occurs o.'l Friday, Feb. 12, It \Vas our Civil \Vnr President ever ls entirely appropriate that this In Borks county? No, but chapter of the "Annals ot the Oley ho names It ao once the home Valley" should be devoted to the of his ancestors In that one-page genealogy ot his family, so far as lt nutoblo'traphy which he furnished a relates to B~rks. campaign committee when chosen as the Republican standard bearer of There was llvfng In this county, !860, that precious nutshell of hfs nearly 200 years ago the great Lin lite hitherto, as but "the simple an coln's great-great-grandfather, Mor nals of the poor." But he knew very decai Lincoln, and his descendants little ot his relatives back ln old have not yet died out here. Berks and had never visited them. His son, John, married and rearelt Once he came _#rom IlllnolR to New his famtly here and a branch of this England to dellve1 political speeches Jlne of descent has remained ln old ln a presidential campaign, but he Berke to this day, while others ot did not pass through Berks en-route, the household treked to Vlrglnla a Again ln February, 1860, after his little after the middle of the 1~th 1 debate with Douglass, he came East, century. upon lnvHatlon, to deliver an addreea on the political questions of that agt Of this Berks stock came Abraham tatad pe1·lod In Cooper Union of New L\ncoln, who was born, reared and 1,"ork, but lt Is known he did not lived and honorably represented the h·avel either to or fro over the Phila county In State, constitutional and delphia & Hen county, New Jersey, In 1720 and flret Boone,· and his youngest son, Abra settled ln Cheater county and for a ham, a daughter of that house." number of years was a880clated with There ls every reason to believe Samuel Nutt and Wllllam Branson In that Mordecai Lincoln at once the manufacture of lron on French stepped Into n good position In the Creek. In 1780 he purchllsed 1,000 country to which he had come. We acres of land In this portion of what find blm n justice of the peace, an Is now Berka county-but then Lan inspector of highways. He was on caster-and aoon thereafter began to an ascending scale socially nnd flnnn erect his home. It Is clalme<1 that cfally, when in 1736, at the age of 49 the first building waa but 16 by 301h years, he dle,t. Five months nfter teet In 'dimensions and that a part his death another son was born wl\o of the present building was since was named Abraham and grew up added to It. Here were reared hta five children already born to hlm from a first wife-a Miss Hannah Salter-and here three more chll• dren were born of his second wife- a Miss Mary (Robeson?) In May, 1736, Mordecai Lincoln dled and the property descended to hls widow and chlldren. John, a married soh of his first wlfe moved Into the homestead and here was born hie son, Abraham, who after, or about the time he reached his ma.jorlty, treked with his parents and neighbors, the Hankses and Boones nnd numerous Pennsyl vania German settlers of these pnrts and Lancaster and York counties In that flood of southern migration be tween 1760 and 1776, the outbreak of the Revolution, that soon filled the upper counties of the Bhennndoah Valley of Virginia with as tblck and Abraham "1ncoln. charaoterlstlcally Pennsylvania Ger man a settlement as 1!1Etstern Penn to be an honored Berks countlan·. sylvania itself. The Lincolns were The eldest son, John, by nnd by oc carrlod along In 176·6 and tor a while cupied the homestead and of him settled In Rockingham county, where wns born Abrahnm, the grnndfather Abl'ahnm in 1770 manled a Penn of President Abraham Lincoln. He sylvania-German girl, BathshcbB. was born In Berks county and In this Herring, by nnme. Arterwnrds h" Lincoln landmark and here grew up, followed Daniel hoone weatwnrtl had his training nnd moulding in nnd moved with his family to Ken fluences in Berks, married n. Penn tucky, where he was killed by the sylvanla•Germnn girl (now Vlrglnla Indians In 1786, when Thomas, his German) \ probably born in Berks, so youngest son, the father of Presi that Prefddent Lincoln had a good dent Lincoln, was but a hut of few deal of Berks county Influence and yearat. blood mixed In his mllke-up-enough indeed, to have enabled him to qual BOONES THEIR NEIGHBORS. ify as a member of the Pennsylvania -German Society, hnd ft already MIBS Tarbell In her sketch of Lin• existed fn his day. coln's ancestors hae this to say of the famlty whUe still settled In Berks county: ABRAHAM, POSTHUMOUS SON, "The Lincolns were not without Mordecai's posthumous son, Abra. neighbors. The most Important of ham, an uncle of the Abraham, who these were the Boones. 'l'here was moved to Virginia and also born In George Boone, about Mordecnl's age, thie house and later occupied It tor with Deborah Howell, his wife, living 89 years, so.long ns head of his own with thelr 10 children not far away. ta.mlly, was the man who remalned There was Squire Boone, the father ln Berks when the other Lincolns of Daniel with hls big family. . . • migrated, at1d won here a pame for The Lincoln and Boone children community, leadership and states grew up together. One can see them manship a1ready alluded to. Prof. racing back and forth over the fields Learned of the Pennsylvanla Uni and naturally enough, althouih Mor versity has dug out the fact that it d&oai was not to live to see It, as they was this Lincoln of l3erks who was grew older, falling In love, Mordecai's chosen to n'lllke the address to Oen. daughter, Sarah, was to marry a Washington In Phtladelphla, after 50 Annal; of the Oley Valley the Revolutionary battles had been luir Ann Boone and servlo1 Derks count, la flnally crowned with victory and the l110 honored placee named. surrender of Lord Cornwa)Jfs at Mordecai Lincoln'• eat.ate waa eettled b7 Yorktown. Eighty years afterward Hugh 1m11 and Squire noone, the father or hts namesake and kin of Sprlngtleld, Jlanlel. Tbe Inventor,' of bl• peraonal prop• Ill., on his way to Washington, D. c., erty lnrludes two slave,, representlnr neari., stopped at Philadelphia en route and 011e-rourth of It• sum total. at the same Independence Hall, on Gen. Washington's birthday anniver JOHN LlNOOLN GOES 'l'O VfR.. sary, made that ever memorable ad GINIA. dress that pictured and presaged the John Lincoln sened KIDa Oeorre Ill as oae Imminent outbreak .of the Civil War. of h111 tn rollectors of Herks In 1760. Ht. migrated to R-,cklnrham rounty, Vfr1lnla and IN'.l'ERliM'JNG MEMORABILIA OF took with him his elicht C'hlldren, ran,rlog from LINOOLNS IN BERKS. 4 to 21 ,-eara, One of t1Jeae wu Abraham, grandfather of the f>re11ldent. He rt'llded la From n search of Court House Berks hnlf his alloted 7eara. He wu llllot to records, Harry F .. Kantner, attorney, of Reading, has dug out Interesting death by an Indian In Kentuck1, whither he historic dntn pertaining to the Lin had remol'cd from Vtrgtnl11 with his ramll7 a colns of Berks county. The nRme few 1<>ar• prevfo111, In 1786. usod to be var!ously :\pelted, Lin n,manlah r,tncoln, son of Thomas (John', corn, Llnckhorn, Llnco11 and Lin aon), waa rommluloned u ,i serreant In tbe coln. Mr. Kantner's Information In rompany of tits unrll', Capt. Oeorge Na1le, of cludes the following: Col. Wlllln,o Thomp1on'1 regiment. On Oct. .f, 1776 he wu commluloned !lrst lieutenant of One ot the pioneer J,ln('()ln• w:ia 11;•erllf of Col. Wllllam Cooke'• 12th Pennaylvanta rerl· flf'tkl county and as IIUCh It WU his 1,•dnful ment. Ile wit11 promoted to a captaincy Ua1 duty to h11n1 n woman convicted of mur-ter. 20, 1777. He probabl7 never returned to Hord<'C'al J.lnroln was an owner of 11lu"I llerks county tor he later lived In Northumber• hero In Jlerk• and these are provided tor 111 laud count>· (111 1778, UT& and 1780) and from ti, will nm.mg h111 other chattel• and worldly there went to Kentuckf Hnd Joined u ranirer roods. H111 ~N'at•gre11t-1randaon treed wtth with. Danie) noont>, one stroke of 'his pen mllllon11 of slave• on After llvlnir tor several year, In Hnrdln J11n. I, 1868. co1;nt1, Kr., he later followed Boone Into Ml•• John r,tnl'Oln, «n>at-a:randft1Ull'r of the Pre•I· ,outl. where he settled la 1798. lie had two dent, wu n ta:r collector In Berka before he sou, Auatln and Davll, wtio aho berame pion• mo""" to \'tr,rluJa. een of lJlnourl and whom Prcatdent J,lncoln :-Jo fewer th1111 three «eneratlons ot Llnroln• once met, arrordlnr to a letter he wrote llved In Jlerh lx>tore their mhrr11tlon Suutb, JUrhr.rd \'11nD111klrk l,lurotn, of Herke county, dated April, 1860. but onl,r the ,rrand(11ther In direct line ot the Pre11htent WIii born 1tnd reared here. More Abraham J,lnt'oln, the (J08thumous son of tJ1on thl"l'e 1timeratlon1 line llved here 1toce, Mordecai, born In the I.lnroln homestead In the l1111t and best known betoir Richard O. 1786, wu th" moat prominent of the Berks J.lnrol11, ~nd his two 11latera, lfrs. Marttia count7 J,lncolna. On Jut7 10, 1160 tie married Focht and 3,frs. 811rah Huth, third COUAIDI ot Ann11 Boone, a <'Ollaln of D11nlel lloone. Mhe wu a Quaker and her m ■ rrlafe "out ot n,Ht· the Pre,ddent and all resldln.- In Readlnr at Ina" wa11 ron11tdered a "dleorderl)' act•' for thla time•. \\'hlch ■ he wae dtadpllnl'd b7 ttte E1eter A complete 11st ot American lJncoJn, pul> monthly meetlna. 8he acknowled1ed her error lllhed In 1923, embraNt about ~.000 namea. on Aul', 27, 1761. ranging from Abrat1am to ?..eroda In ttie mate He was one of the 111. A••emblymen elffttd tine nm1 from Abl,rall to Well"'me In the fe• Oct. 7, 1782 to repreaent Derk• <'OUDt)', n• male IIDC'. There were 29 Ahr11ham1, of wholJ\ l'elvln,r the· third larre ■ t vote, Jil1 brottier, the l'rl'lldent WH ltll' l!Jth In rhronolo1l~I :\lordecal J,ln<'Oln, 11,rned the etectlon return, order; there were 20 lfordecal, and •~ o, one of tho Judre ■ of election, lie wu a Tbomuu. mewber ot the State l'oa,entlon of 1787, aad Our l(ordrr11I arqulred title b7 teue In 1729 ot th(' Cont1tlt11tlonal convention of 1789-IO, of 1,000 nrr,., ot lltnd In wtiat was then Jt I• eald thlll after the cto,e of the Rnola• Phllndelphla. now Derks rount1, 11nd from tlon i1t, "·,. 1clet:led to addreu Oen. Waablnf, thence to t1l1 dPaffi ne resided In Oler, now ton at l'hll,,d<>Jt,hla. Rseter town,hlp, but only a little over two Hie pre<"l1l11n 111 " man ma1 be Illustrated 7ears In t11e Jandhlllrk homl'll\ead, •till •t•nd• Crom the tottowln11 t>ntrr In hi• "Ac<'ount lnir. IIMk:" "Ahrnhum r.lnroln 11nrl Anne noonP Mordrral J,Jncoln hnlt five t'hlldren wtrh t,111 were marrletl on Nie fifth dny of the weelr, flr11t wife, nee Hannah 8altar, •la, John (the on the 10th da,- of ,luly, A. D. 1760, whPn hi• 1reat-1randf11ther ot the rre,ldent), and tbe nre wu 23 yeara, 8 mon~11 and 11 da71 and tour da1urhlers m11rr7lnll well•kno~·u h1111h'lnd• her /lllce WBI 28 years, 2 month• nnd 26 d1171, b7 t11e n11mes of lflllflrd, Yarnall. Tallman hP being I\ months, ta daya nnrl 22 hours older and Jloonl', ~•rectlvely. With hh1 1Pro1'<1 wlftt, 11,au &ht!." In tfle 11ame manner II complete Marr Jtobeaon ( ?) he had three chlldrei. Mor• rerord of all the member11 of hi ■ fnmll1 wu decal, 'J'ltoma ■ 11nd Abraham, the latter m,\ff'7• kept so that the VPrf mln'!te of their birth ■ Annals of the Oley Valley 51 and dPaths w111 rerorded In ever, ln1tAnce. In 1719-Snrue by wlll to Jonitthan Robe1on, Thia "Account llook" can be seen In the Penn- 8 BOD, 11lvenla Jllatorlcal 8oclet1, ft lied with Inter• Oct. 27, 1720-Samo by deed to Thom111 lfll• estlng hlstorlral data, most11 preceding me J11rd. Revolution. He died Jan. 81, 1800 11nd was burled In liar 10, 1780-Same b1 deed to llordeul the Friends' lleetlng House burial grounds of l,lnroln. Exeter. In II rele11se from Morderal 11nd Abraham Lincoln to Mlrhnel Zelster, the will of llor deral, ar., la quot~. Ho divided the land Into A RIOHLY STORIED PAST. thre-e 1111rts--lfordec1I to rerrlve "the lower It will thus be seen that this Lin most, or southeast part, Tbomns the middle• coln homestead Is laden with a moat nnd U1e p.,athumou1, the upper part." I richly storied past and has witnessed C'lln send yon the full quutatlon IC 700 wtl1!. many noted characters enter It and The will le regl ■ tered at Philadelphia. depart from Its historic threshold. A part of the Thomu J,lnroln tr11rt was The Historical Society of Berktf bon,rht b1 m1 grandfather, William Althousr. County In 1916 placed an Inscribed 111 um~. wher1 the dwc.>lllng-hoUJe waa n vef'T stone marker at the site of the road• Jorge log strurture. I have always t110111rht way, opposite the home and In 3ep t111t thla old lo,r house must have antedated tember, 1923, at lts annual pilgrim what la now ronsldered the original Lincoln age, amid fitting ceremonies, rnlsecl home and wu re11ll1 the home of tho elder a flag-pole In front of the homestead llorderal. On this trnrt Is atlll standing a from which floats forever the Amer ver1 old two-story bulldlnir, tho ftrat ftoor of ican flag, which the great war which ser.ted for ye11rs na n "summer kltrhen." President nnd his Joyal army and I hnvo · In my (l0ffsos11lon nn 11grpement bP· navy so nobly defended In the four twern Mordecai J.lnroln, Abraham l,tncoln and years of ClvH War, and brought back Hlcll:iel Zel11tl'1' (who bought the Tbom11,, Ltn• from the tray with an Its stars. roln trnct) of the one part and Jarob Hechtel That still another old bulldlng in of ttie other, relating to the uae of thJ water the neighborhood Is pointed out aR lo th~ Irrigating system then I(, force (17•>• a Lincoln relic appears from a Jetter Thi' following la n quotation fr,•!11 the agree, quoted below. In March, 1924, the mont: writer wrote an addr888 on Berks County J.,lnk of the Lincoln Geneal "All that mtteuaire, plantation ar,d tr11ct ot ogyt which was rend before the lnnd, wt1l'N'on the ,aid Aforder11l now lives, BerKs Chapter of the D. A. R. So• situate In E:1:!'ter township In the count7 of clety and published In the Reading nerk11, containing three hundred • • • acres, Eagle of March 23, of that year, In he the Mme more or leu, beln1 n part of tile response to which the following In lowermo11t third pnrt of n trart of landing, teresting lettet- was received by the rontalnln1 1,000 1rre11, more or Jess, willed bf author: llordrral J.tnroln (father of the said Mordecai Lorene. Pa.. lf11rch 23. 1924. nnd Abraham) dereued, to his eon Morderal, Rev. Dr. P. C. Croll, Thomn11 and thll eald Abraham." Womelsdorf, Pa. It would h,l lntere1llng to know If the r.tn• lff de11r Dr, Croll: rolns put tbe ahoTe-mentloned Irrigation 11•· In rei1dlnir )'our 11ccount of the Llnroln tern In OJ)f'ratlon. The water wu led from f11mlly In the.> He1dln1 Jl:11,rle, I notice 7011 the Antietam Creek throu1h a race and aque mention nie purch1111e of 800 arrea of land In duct, which I remember ■ eelnr II a child. 1730 by llorderal l,lnroln. ~lordMal l,lneoln'1 will wa ■ dated Feb. 22, I baTP kept the followln1 notes ttlatln,r to 1783. land rerentlr sold by membera of our famll1: Honing the foreJolng notes ma1 proYe of Feb. :zo, lilR-Tobln ■ l'otl('t, Daniel Qnr.lr Interest to 1ou, I am, ver, trul7 7our■, and llenr1 Ooldner sold 1,000 acres ot land to Andrew Robeson. MISS ~I. A. YEIOH. 52 Annals ol the Oley Valley Annals of tbe Oley Valley 53 Chapter IX. THE BERTOLET FAMILY An Illustrious Progeny If one would consult the Directory western France by the cruel scourge of the city of Reading, he would ftn,1 of religious ,persecution, found a a long llet of Bertolet, or Bertu• reetlng place, like Noah's dove, In lette, names, most of which Turoks, Freys, nnd their descent Into Specht, Flory, DleroJr, Berkheimer, other families, and so on until th'l Knecht, Ziegler, Antrim, Jordan, Rlxth generation Is reached. The Wisler, Brunner, Kurtz, Yeaket, same le true of the other nve Rosenberry, Kuppelberge,, Snell, branches. They hnve grown out or Hunsberger, Benner, Narehood, Fox, the parent stem and then dlvlde1l Wagner, Hamilton, Markley, Gabel, ngaln and again for generations, llke Bucher, ZolJers, Kline, Baum, Gart the branches of a mighty oak, sub ner, Lehman, Eggellng, Buffington, divided Into smaller branches nnd Kessler, Lapp, Grubb, Johnson, Lud branchletEJ, twigs and buds. wig, Haltemnn, WJllauer, Hoff, 'Wis We have In one branch nlone mer, Fagley, Bickel, Bergey, Funk, hundreds of descendants nnd scores Stauffer, Piehl, Kulp, Erb, McMur of different family names, but. many trle, Hillegas, Porter, Diehl, Det having their ftrst American begin weiler, Nyce, Stearly, Kratz, Chase, nings In Otey. They Include HUCh Royer, Shearer, McDonald, Jack, names as Kinsey. Urlesemer, Orlm, Nagle, Hartman, Hlnnerahltz, Ester Plank, Ehst, Hoffman, Bard, Leffler, ly, Lewis, Quelllgan and Smith. Cleaver, Price, Kauffman, Wick, What a banyan out of but a single MIiler, Maize, Badger, Moes, Myers, branch of the parent stem. Helllg, Sommerville, Davis, Mc Marla Bartolet, eldest daughter or Cracken, Ke1ihn, Levan, Sherer. the original Jean. was married to 'rhe Jean Uertolct Memorial Marker, 56 Annals ol tbe Oley Valley Stephen Barnet, a native or and Catharine Von Welm6r l,eVan, Sohwoazlngen, Gt1rmany, and had another refugee Huguenot fan•lly of aeven ohlldren bY him, who In turn France, who had settled In Oley. tn.termal'rted with the Kleffers anti He remained on the old homeateaa others, but of which branch ot tha until hie death In 1769, then wa, tamlly Jen Is known, as record,1d, succeeded by his eldest son, John, Jean (John) Bertolet, the thlM ae farmer, and here hls mother at,., ohlld of American ancestor, was ended her days, having su"lvecl thu married to Catharine Bally and turn father by some years, They had U children, Intermarried with Wein, several children, who by marriage Frey and others, who baa a w1ao added such family na.mea to thelr11 spreading descent, adding 8UCh as Alstadt, Bechtel, Reeser and pamee as High, Leinbach, Mensch, Kershner, through whose descent Frey, BIilen, Lorah, Halloway, have ·come many notea county Fredericks, Kline, Stltnr and oth names, such as Fox and Shartle, el'S. R,ider, etc., Into the family reglater, Peter Bertolet, youngest son ot WIFE OF DeBENNEVILlJE. Jean and Susanna, as has already been shown, died single, at the age Esther Bertolet, fourth child anti of 16 years, doubtld88 as a Moravian ttecond daughter of J~n and Susanna student at Bethlehem, Pa. deHarcourt Bertolet, was ctes tlned to lead a checkered and inter esting life with her noted husband; PETER BERTOI.FJI' DRANOB. for she married on Feb. 24, 1746, a Through the ftrat American an few months before the Rev. Henry cestor's brother, Peter Bertolet, an Melchior Muhlenberg marrfed Anna other less numerous and, In Ber1 got It first-handed, where the ftou1· sturdy, progreulve, patriotic and re lehing calf gets Us nourishment, at llklous leaders In his progeny! }i-, the mother cow's reservoir of the set them a pace-an exa.mple. liu pure, unadulterated article beforo was prominent among the Moravian lts proc888es of malting, condens• revivalists of his day, attended Zln Ing or admixture of water or other zendorf's conferences for the eatab essence could weaken it, and he llshment of a Pennsylvania synod flourished In the Lord's grace and and furthered the erillghtenln1r truth and love. And this first teachings and rellglous cult of that handed conviction, this independent wonderful pastor In his closing dayB, method of religious research, seems his own son-in-law, Dr. George De to have been transmitted to not a Bennevllle. No wonder his de• few of his descendants, for we ftn~ scendants should arise and call him them In many places standing out blessed and revere hill memory and conspicuously as religious leadere, mark his resting place. He must even If but laymen. and builders of have had. a helpful and healing churches - Moravian, Mennonlto. touch on his times as he caats hlA Evangellcal--or supporters of wha-:. long shadow Into our day of 201J ever cult that ts genuine, aggresalve, years a~ter. sincerely tinctured with Bible truth and grace. OTHER BERTOLffl'S. Thus It came that Jean Bertolet I want to add Just a paragraph or consecrated his Oley house to God two to say a word about n rew and opened It fc,r the proclamation Bertolets of Oley of tho later gen and promotion ot true religion. In erations, who may be personalty re tt preached Eshbach and Henry called doubtless by many still Jlv Antes, Count Zinzendorf, DeBenni, lng, as these seem to stand out n. ,,me, and possibly Whltfteld. Re, little even above their own kindred Ugton was the major topic of hfs day for strength of character, loftiness and llfe. It was spelled with a <'apl of purpose or peculiar traits that tal R. It took a· dominant place In WOUid show leallershlp. a man's thinking, acting and living, I refer ftrst to Danl£•1 Hertolet 'J'hoso were not the days of coal (1781-1868), a son of lJanleJ !\net or railroad strikes, Income tax, Marla Yoder Bertolet, grand11on of World Court or Public Service Com• kbraham and great-grandson of mission legislation, toll bridge, tarll't Jean Berto let, He married Marla or aesqui-centennlal dlscuselons, or Grlesemer, daughter of Peter o., In mammoth, many-sheeted new,s 1802, had a family of nine children papere, or picture shows and radl(\ and spent all his years In Oley. He concerts, of institutes and club din was an active man all his life and ners, and baseball or football, hik put his tremendous energy Into till ing or golf clubs and game&, no traf Ing the soil, sawing lumber, writing fic questions, or prleon reform, or poetry and preaching earnest ln~ almshouse problems, no prolonged aermons. He Js described as "I\ dla('usslonr over the erection of •l. man of Iron will, marvelous lndu!l Museu%'\, (Hy Hall or Court House try and . deep convictions." In aJJ to lnterrllPt one in his thinking anj J>earance ·some even thought he re practlclng. About the only things sembled BenJamln Franklin, another to talk about were the -training, self-made man of power and Influ feeding and clothinl" of one's farn ence. He received his early educn Uy, religion e.nd war. And our• tlon at a Quaker school, near Pleas pioneers gave all of the 24 noure of antville, and Imbibed many good a day they could spare from sleep Quaker lessons and aDsol'bed (and they could get along on less Quaker Influences and characteris sleep than we do, especlany In the tics, such aa his opposition to war early morning), to theae three and slavery{ and hie klnclly spirit thlnga, And they uauaUy masterect towards ne ghbora and practlolng them. Their children were well fe«t the golden rule and giving goo Tito late Danie) hertolct, Annals of the Oley Valley 59 or tobacco, especlally by the cler.n, Bartolet, which Samuel wne a eon of and strong drink, slavery, Infant Abraham, the eldest born of Jean bnptlem nnd mnny polltlcal an Former Moravian Mootln,r Hou!fe, Now V!ied as a Dwelling: Erected 1'141 Annals of the Oley Valley 61 Chapter X: THE DeTURCK FAMILY Two Hundred Years of Amc-rican History The name DeTurck (DeTurk) le "Bateme amourd buy dlmanche lndellbly fftamped upon Oley Va1ley 29 C. D, April, 1712. Mon,sieur Louis grnealogy. For considerably over Rou Mlnlstere Ba Use Eat her Le 200 yeurs there never was a time Turque Nee C 30 c. d. Aoust dern1er when some dwellers of this nam,, fllle de Isaac le Turque et Marin ea were not spolten to and about by temme, presepte an St 8ateme par other Ole;, citizens aa "neighbors.'' Francois Lucas et la mere dudlt The members of the family seem cntan pareln et Martenne I.. Rou, to the manor born. They ha vu Pasteur." proven themselves good citizens and so by Ood's good providence the COW; TO PENNSYL''ANIA, stock has not died out, nor le It ln Immediate danger as far as that le The DeTur Staat New York, In der Gegend of Isaac beTurck, opened his house ~sopus. In der Zell der Koenlgen and barn to them for worship, .Anna: zogen von da nach Oley though his mother had been nn Zwlschen 1704 and 1712. Das Patent ardent espouser of the Baumannltcs. von melnem Land let 1712." This the sect of the New Born. The Mo translated, reads as follows: ravian mleslonary and pastor of Olev "My ancestors, by the name ot was Andrew Eshenbat:il, who hud Isaac DeTurok, lived In France and marvelous eucce&S In awakening the belonged to the so-called Huguenots, community and winning followers whence they fled, on account of their to his new and warm nnd earnest religion, to the Palatinate, residing Goepel. He had labored at Esopus Jn the city of Frankenthal. From befo1•e and doubtless knew the older thence they journeyed to Amerlc11 DeTurcks, and so the work of tench and settled fn the State of New York ing and evangelizing cente1·e<1 at the In the region of Esopus during the house of John lJeTurck, who was the reign of Queen Anne. From there only son of Isaac, the American pro- they moved to Oley between 1704 genitor. . and 1712. My land was patented In This old De1 urcJ( homestead is 1712." located a little to the southwest of Frledensburg, on Kaufman's Creek. OTHERS COME. The farm first consleted of hundreds of acres of the richest Oley land. The settlement by the DeTurcks The property Is noted ror two things, In Oley so early doubtless brought besides being the ant'estral home of on other Huguenot fugitives from the DeTurck'e, which give lt his Switzerland and Germany. We torical 11lgnlftcance: have the correspondence from Oley It le the place where was held In ot Mrs. DeTurck. as early as 1718, February,· 1742, by Count Zlnzen writing to her relatives stlll In Ger-. dorf and hla colaborers, the third many, and1 at least one sister's tam of seven conferenced, calculated to Uy (Mre. Jean Bertotet) was In reeult In the formation of eccleslaetl duced to follow them In a few years cat union a,mong all German de thereafter. Otey was becoming to nominations then acUve In Pennsyl be a spiritual, as well as natural E't vania: The Moravlane, Seventh Day dorado for the Huguenots of France. Baptiste, Dunkarde, Mennonites. Here they founded a community ot Separatists, Lutherans and Re earnest religious folk, at ftrst formed. It was known as the Penn doubtless adhering to their Calvln sylvania Synod. lstlc doctrines, very probably con The other wae the establishment ducting rellglour. services In their here of a Moravian school that wae houses and possibly stfll cllnglng to widely known and flourished for A their French language or dialect. llttle while. · It so, th.,n they repeated the Lord's Prayer as follows, as found cople1 In. one of their French Bibles now IGNOMINIOUS FAILURE. highly ta-ensured by the descendants: As far as this conference was con cerned. we have previously devotetl '"Nostre pere, qul es ea cleux! a whole chapter to It, and so will · Yon Nom rolt aanctlfle. Tou regne only add here that, dettplte the zeal• vlennel To votonte solt falte alna1 ous endeavor and diplomatic plan en la terre ~omme au clell Donne, ning of Count Zlnzendorr to weld noue auJourd hul nostre pain· quo together fnto a homogenoue whole tldlen ! Et nous qultte nos debte.,, these elements of faith and practice comme au&Sl nous qultons a nos det In the divided German rellgloue teurs lea heurs! Et ne nos lndul ·folk of Pennsylvania, he Ignomin- poJnt en tentatlon, mate dellvre nos iously fa lied. du malln ! Car a tol est le regne et But because oi It the Moravian la pulssance et la glolre a Jamals! Church of Oley was doubtless Amen!" etrengthened by thte Conference of 1742. John DeTurck's homestead FLOOD OF NEW SETTLERS. became the center of their meeting. But the French tJngue gradually Untll a larger edlflce was erected d18appeared amid the Engllsh, whl<'h the house and barn were used as I\ the Quakers ab-.,ut them used, anll rellglous gathering place. The Mo especlally was It given up finally tor ra vlana had gained such a hold the German, whfoh the flood of new upon the community by the mle Immigrants and 1,ettters was bring elonary work done by their zealous Ing to Oley When the Moravlnn pastors, stimulated by this large mlMlonarles came to do their evan gatherhig of relJgloue leaders amt gelizing work an,ong these early solemnltes connected with the ordi settlers, and the remnant of In• nation and baptlernat services con• dlan11 stlll tlngerlng In camps by thfl ducted here, that Mr. DeTurck of• neighboring streams, John, the son fered to donate sufficient land for Annals ol the Olsy Valley 63 the erection of a house of worsh11, It would require a volume to and two others for school and dormi enumerate all descendante of the tory purposes, and a burial groun<1. first pioneer DeTurck. It may be should the congregation, aided by said In general, however, that the the brethren at Bethlehem nnd else DeTurckY ttave branched out con where, proceed with the project o( siderably, married Into many of the erecting here a Moravian Church best families o( the county, and and Boarding School. It was ac settled In distant parts, but have al cepted and soon aooompllahed. Be• ways kept a goodly sprlnkllng of the tween 1742 and 1746, three tog old stock In the township to main buildings were put up. The cause tain the home fires of Oley burning, flourished tor a number of years. They have figured In many an hon The school house Is the only onp orable enterprise at home and that Is stlll preserved. It flourished abroad, though In Oley agriculture as a widely 1>atronlzed boarding has been the principal pumult. Be school and church for some time, · sides oulUvatlng their or!rdnal broad haVlll8' been completed In 1746. It acres, In the later gAneru.tlons they drew students from as far as Mary~ have acquired and u.i,1ed the old land and beyond. In 17-16 there were Squire Boone plantatlon. 88 students from widely scattered The DeTurck famll:,, for three places. generations of the Oley line la as We visited this place during the follows: Spring of 1902, and then wrote tho following description: · EARLY GENERATIONS. "The house has four rooms on I. Jenne DeTurck (1680-1721) mnrrled lire. each floor, heeldes a wide hall across Mnri11 lleroken (Harcourt) Weimer (a widow). the building. One or the rooms on II. 1. Catharine (Weimer) a 1\epdaugbter the first floor seems to have been of Jaaac DeTur~k, married Abrabatn J.eyan. used for a kitchen on account of It 2. John DeTurck, marrted May 18, 1140, having a large fireplace. One of tht, Deborah Hoch. At their home the third Ole7 Conference met, Feb. 10, 11, 12, 1742, called queer things noticeable Is that the by Count Zln1endort, to unite all Oerm11n other rooms do not have any algnA denomination, Into a Con1re1atlou of the of being heated In any way. In the Hr,lrlt. Here three Indian, were baptized and four men ordained to Morul11n mlnh,tr.r. hall on the.second floor there Is nn 8. Bather UeTurck manled • Abraham Ber• open fireplace on opposite sides In tolet, the large chimney, but none In the Ill. The children of John and Dehorah rooms. The same holds true on the (Hoch) DeTurck were u tollow1: first floor. If the surrounding room1t l. iaaac, b. 170, died young. were to be heated from this flre: 2. Daniel, b. 1142, married Catharine Le· y11n, whoee otr111rln1 married Uriel, 8hlre7, place through the doors entering tho lfetrner, llnebner. hall, I am sure there were some 8. 8u11nn11. b. IT.f6, married -- Rchuf• chllly days for scholars In those ter. ot Tulpehocken. times. Thie third building, com• 4. John, b. 1747, married Ellaabeth Berto• pleted about 1746, wne long uee,.l Jet, whose children were John, Abrahatn, for a church and three years as a nnnlel, F:ll11beth of whom John married a 111111 Bower and bad children )Bue (m. lllu boarding school." Moll), l\amuel (hi, MIii Altbouae), Ellaabeth (m. Samuel Bl11tt). GROWTH OF OTHER CONGRE• ft. IIRrla, ~ ..\74~ married n1nlel Weiser. GATIONS. 6. Samt\f'l, L. 1751, married Cath. Crtat (Keret) and their rhlldren were Oeor1e, John, With the decllne ot the Moravian Hamuelz Jacob and Deborah, of whom Jal'Ob Church In Oley, the Lutheran ancl marrlea Esther Ooodhart and bad a fnmll7 German Reformed began to grow of nine <'hlldren. Into prominence: the New-Born T. Abraham, b, 17152, married Anna Weiser. were dying out and losing prestige; They had children, AbrahRm, leaac, Calb• the Quakers held their English fol nrlne, Hannah, ot whom Abrahom m. Either lowers exclusively, while many of J.ev11n and they had eight children. the descendants of the HuguenotY 8. A daughter. who died young, 0. Esther ---. and Moravlana were gathered with 10. Philip, b. 1767, married (llrat) Eether other German settlers, Into the Shenkel. (second) Marla Hoch, who bad Lutheran and Reformed folds. Im l'hlllp, John;. lllur. Suaanna, Daniel, Jacob, posing edifices were erected and nann11h, Ramuel, Eatber. or lheae l'hlllp mnrrled Marla Yoder and ther bad ftve rhll• large congregations organized. It Is dren. Into these and the churches of the 11, Jo,e11h, h. 1Tli8, dll'd young. Rvangellcal Asaoclntton-the fol• 12. Deborah, b. 1761. 0111rrled Petl'f Knahb. lowers of Jacob Albright, after Their <.-hlldren ,,·ere John, Cordelia nnd De• boralr. 1800-that the church-going folk oC tit.The children of Rather DoTurck and Oley have been mostly gatherl''1 Abr11hnm Dertolet were: · ever since the first half century of 1. llarl11 Dertolet, h. IT86: m. 0111\l<'l Roch. Otey eettlements, Today the two 2. Dnnlel llertolet, b. 17-U: m. Marla Yoder. S. Rll111belh hertolet, b. 1142; In. John De• former have a strength none of the Turck. three earlier denominations ever :it• 4. 8Rmt1l'I Bertoll't, b. 1148: m. Either Frey, tatned. ft. Either Bertolet, b. 1146; n\. Oeo. Yoder. 64 Annals ol tbtt O/tty Valley O. John Hertolet, ll. ti~O: m. -- ~benkel. when the we11ternmoat membf3rl!I of The mother, Rather Jlf>'rurl'k, wu born In the Oley ( Pike) Union congrega New York: marrll'd 1136: died li98. I>1111lel J>cTur<'k, 111orrll'1I to Oatharlne Le• tions were clamoring tor a separate ,·an, h1ul fh·e daughtl'r11, Susannah, Oatharlne, organl1'atlon, about a century ago, I>ebornh, Marf11, Ruroh. as the vlllage of Frledensburg was (Hee his will dated Moy 8th, 1701, IJook sprlnglng up, we 'ftnd two great 8 t•ago 176 In Berka l'ouuty Court House), grandsons ot the Immigrant ( Abra. Their fourth daughter, Marla, born Feb• ham DeTurck, Jr., and John De ruary 16th, 1789, married Jarob ~la11rer Sept. Turck) among the prime movers 19th, 1820, the ceremony being perfonned by ltc,·. Pouly (l'aull), J,'our <'hlldren were ot the enterprise. Their names born, three df('tl In lnfanc-y, but one I>anlel are found among those of the l>eTurck Maurer, born lfay 7th, I 82 S, llnd first contributors, and In 1880 to a good age. the organlzatlon was el"feoted and Airs. Nagle has 111 her pos&fsslon, lfarla l>e• the edifice of Frleden's Union Church 1'urck's Dible ulfh her name l11 her hand• begun. This was completed the fol• writing, on the fly lt>af, and some other papers, lowing year at a totnl cash expense which they ,rttatly ,·alue. of $1,678.11 ~·1 How the dollar hn1t In the fifth, sixth and seventh gen shrunk sln·ce then! erations, the DeTurck name and blood was associated with these tam VAST CHANGES IN 900 YEARS, Ules: Deysher, Orlesemer, Butz, Spohn, Van Reed, Altenderfea·, Leidy, What marvelous changes have Snyder, Barto, Dotter, Herbein, Hott come to the Oley community, and to master, Bear, C. K, Whitner, founder all Berks, and even tQ the original of Whltner's Store ln Reading, Hoch, homestead farm, slncr flrst Isaac Herzog, MoJJ, Mengel, Becker, DeTurok, the American progenitor, Guldin, Kline, Griffith, Stefty, 01ft, settled herel While the soll has not Mullen, Rieser, Unger, Reber, Ber deteriorated, rather gained, In fer tram, Hiester, Selbert, Grim, Groff, tlUty, the streams stm flow ne they Moyer, Zerbe, Wentzel, Balthnser, dld then and thousands of )•ear11 be- Spangler, Strausser, Stertzer, Dries, fore-singing · Trlvltz, Rothermel, Adam, Sunday, For men may rome and men m11)· go. LuokenblU, Klee, Reist, Ehman, But I 10 on tore\·er, Borts, Schmeck, Reltf, Hnrtmnn, Koch, Kerschner, Ma.rquet, Rev. the brook's soJUoqunclous mur Louis Smith, Krebb, Goodhart, Shol muring, according to Tennyson, and lenberger, Brumbach, Llvlngoo,1, the surrounding hills of Oley stlll Jackson, Moser, Gelger, Rhoads, border the aborlglnnl Ollnk (kettle) Pyle, Mtuer, Shiver, Oreenawatt, of the red men, yet the white set Holl, Brown, Rahn, Kutz, Bechtel, tlers have brought on the march or Bernhart, Immel, Dick, Lewis, Bie progress now vlslble on every hand. ber, Dry and others. These early settlers have turned this "kettle". ot the lncUans into a rich SERVED IN REVOLU'l'ION, domestic and ngrJcultural paradise, und with other comers have made ol Of the descendaate of the third Berke county an empire or busy Ufe, generation, Daniel, second son of Industry, activity, population, wealth John DeTurck, wns a captain In th& anu mguest civlllzatlon. The plan Revolutionary War He had chargo tation of Isaac DeTurok has now .\ ot a company of rangers on th'3 pipe line feeder, laid (underground) frontier, being In service In thol through lt by the Tuscarora Oil memora.ble July of 1776, Two othef Company; the Boyertown troUey JIM brothers, A·braham and Phfllp, croBBes lt, and a telephone wire chat• served in the Rl)Volutlon, as prlvutee, · ters overhead: a concrete hlghwi\y in the company of Capt. Reiff. Wu wm thl11,year be bunt nearby, whll, can thus see the stuff or which tho airplanes aaU over with Uncle Sam's early generations of thla household mnll, and the wnve motions of the were made. They were ardent pa upper atmosphere bring concert&, triots and fought for American In• sermons and addre•es In a dozen dependence. Here, ln the present metropoUtan cltl~ by radio to the generations, lt seems to me, the ftrealdes ot scores of Oley dwellers Berks Chapter of the D. A. R. Bo• each night and on every Sabbath clety and the Sons of the .Revolu day, Waken not the slumberln• tlon shi>uld be able to find recruit.-! ploneer11 who bunt the first road~ . for their reepectlve orders. ,r fl laid the foundation& of the ftr~t But not only In war, but In peace. l,<1mes, schools and churches, an-:l were the DeTurcks ever counted were on peaceful terms wlth nelgn among community progre881ves and t,ortng Indians, tor the world has promoter• of all betterment enter moved forward since their day and prise&. Thus the pioneer, Isaac, wae lt would b~ hard to persl,ade them a. fi!gner for the erectlon of Oley that they were Indeed ln Oley, In township as earJy a11 1720. Again, prlmltlve America! Annals ol the Oley Valley 65 Chapter XI. THE LeVAN FAMILY Early Huguenot Settlers The LeVans, of Berke were Hu returned to America and located guenots of the Huguenots. That permanently on this land, tor which scholarly atudent and fellow-de he received a warrant in 1720, He scendant of this atc,ck, Rev, Dr. A, was the ancestor of a great and hon Stapleton, In his treatise on "The Hu ored posterfly. guenot Element In the Settlement of "Batore proceeding let us glance Berks County," contend\' that the tor a moment at the map of Bavaria. Kolms, Bertolets, DeTurcks and Le Not far from the city of Spier, the Vans were all closely related by tlee home of the Keirns, will be seen of kinship before they ever came to Llnde.u, from whence Rev. Joshua America. He saya: Kocherthal led the flrst colony of "A careful study of the settlement Pa~aUnates to London, and thence of Berks county convinces us of the to New York, and from whence tact that there were well-defined and eventuaUy nearly all came to Penn preconcerted movements of Hugue sylvania. You wm keep this Initial nots, as well as German elements, colony In mind. Not tar from Spier with a view to contiguous settlement. was Franke11thal, where the De;. This ls shown In their connections Turcks locat~ when they fled from prior to emigration, and the fact of France at the Revocation <1686). their settling In close proximity Another town within easy reach was when they came, even though they Minnetelten, w)lere the Bertolets lo did not come in a body. · cated for a while. Muehlhaften, a "Probably the first member of email town, la situated near Lindau, what was the most Important Let lt be borne In mind that these Huguenot settlement In Berks coun places were all within easy commu ty was Johannes Kelm, from the nication. At Muehlhaften, was the vicinity of Spier, In Rhenish Ba home of Jean de Harcourt, of the varia. Although he bore an honored ancient French famlJy of thnt name. German name, yet we know from That the Keirns were connected with the researches of several of his de this family admits of no doubt, as scendants that he was connected the grandfather of the Oley Immi with the de Harcourt family, one of grant was Ludwig de Harcourt Kelm; the moat distinguished of France. and on the Ud of a box brought over Rlchard Count de Harcourt, one ot by the Immigrant and Btlll preserved the Kn 1ghts ot Wllllam the Con by his descendants, ls the portraJt.of queror (1066 A. D.), has glven to a. pair bearing this Inscription: England some ot its greatest States men, l,UDWJO 11.\RCOUR'f KEIM, BERTHA KEUI, THE PIONEER KEIM, LANDORAFF VON AI.SACE A. D., 1662. "French hlatoey abounds with references to the achievements of "From this It would seem that the maJ'.}y who bore thia name. Soon Keirns were of the nobluty. Among after the revocation of the edict of the chfldren of Jean de Har.. Nantes, they retired to places of court wer~ at Jeast two, and securfty. We wUl meet one of perhaps three daughters who as these tamlllea p re a e n t 1 y, and mothers gave to posterity thousnnds quite likely the one with which ot Berks county's best citizens. The Kelm was connected. The plo• French armies having overrun and neet, Joh1innea Kelm, came to ravaged the entire valley ot the the Oley Valley in 1698, squatted Rhine, the Inhabitants wel'e driven on a tract of land below (above i. e. Into terrible straits. Spier, Manheim, n, e. of) Frledeneburs, and re HeMelberg and many other places turned to Europe, In 1706 he mar were laid ln ashes, and the French ried, according to family tradltlon, who had found a refuge there were a de Turck, and the following year In greater distress than ever b~fore. · 66 Annals of tbe Oley Valley AIDED BY QUEEN ANNE. from their native land, with 60,000 "A family of pstl'lclan rank other tugltlves. named de Bertholet, hav..ng fled from Danlel LeVan, who had marrled France to Switzerland, some of the Mary (de) Beau, of Pioal'dy, went members and perha.ps the entire with his family to, Holland, where, family later removed to Mlnnefelten, after rearing a tamlly of ohlldren, where a son named Jean (John) the parents ended thelr days. But married Susanna de Harcourt, about 1716, tour of tbelr sons, Isa&c, daughter of Jean, previously noticed, Jacob, Abraham and Joseph started In 1710.' He located on a farm be out for America, Joseph died In the longing to the bailiwick of Seltz, In passag0 hither, and Dr. Stapleton Alsace, about 30 mlles from Stras hints that It may have been his tam burg. At thlR time the Inhabitants Uy which arrlved (without a male of this region wore fleeing by thou head) In 1732 and located ln Mua sands to London; their g1·eat leader tawny. Her daughter Ann Elizabeth was as said, Rev. (Joshua) Kocher LeVan and Sebastian Zimmerman, of thal', who In 1706 went to Englanca Maxatawny, were married by Rev. and Interested the authorltles In the John Casper Stoever In 1'186. woeful condition of his country. The three sons that arrived In 1716 settled In this section. Isaac located "Receiving assurances of support In then Lower Alsace, now Exeter from high nuthorltles, he set out In township, near the Sohwarzwald 1708 tor London with some 21 fam- Union Church. Jacob settled near 111es, composed of 6 4 persons. They Kutztown, at a place kuown as Eagle reached their destination after great Point on the Mill Creek, where hardships, and utterly destitute. he built the first mm In Maxatawny Good Queen Anne was touched by township. Here Count Zlnzendorf the sad story of their sufferings and visited him In 1742, and preached gave them an allowance of a shllllng from the balcony of his mlll. The each per day. The colonists were same mill ls still standing. supplied with tools and other neces Mlll Creek 1·Jses near New Smiths• saries, ana· In April, In company with vllle and empties Into Sacony Creel.: Gov. Lovelace, they were sent to New one and a half miles northwest of York. In this convoy we are deeply Kutztown. It was probably the Max interested, as about half of them atawny Creek in Indian times and were French Huguenots, and almost changed to Mill Creek after 8 mills the entire company eventually came were built along Its banks of 7 miles to Lancaster and Berka counties." length. Montgomery's History of - In this list we see the name of Berks states n . road was laid out Marla Wemar (Weimar) widow, from Levan's Mill In Maxatawny to and her daughter, Catharine, aged the King's Highway In Oley by John two years. She was a daughter of Yoder's fence. Locally It was sald Jean de Harcourt (de Heroken), of thnt the road was laid out for Le• Muehlhaften, already referred to. van's son to call on Miss Yoder, Then we ftnd the name of Isaac de 1'hls rond-bed Is etlll visible a TurQk, who was then a bachelor short distance through the Hotten well along ln years. stein farm beyond the railroad out east of I riving Sept. 18, 17 27. There were the Church Record, which la here over 300 other immigrants aboard, reproduced: of whom were 120 male passengers over 16 years of age, who were Trnmlatlon. obliged to take a rigid oath of aJle Certllkate of the Book of Dapt11m1 of the glance to the king of Great Britain Wnllonne Church of Amsterdam. (Oeorf9 II), and his successors. Daniel LeVan, belr,g sick on arrival, I, the underalgned, authorized by the Con• the olc_·k signed his oath for him. sh,tory, and Elder, to whose care the book of He settla~ !!: !u.axatawny township, Jlopthms Is committed, certify that Abraham, where he died at· an arlvanced age, sou of Daniel J.eveut 11nd of Marie Deau, Wl\t leaving a family. born the 20th da)' of the Month of September. Two Huguenot colonies were early In the )'ear 1698, and waa baptlr.ed In the formed, one at New Rochelle and 111!tl church by Mr. II. Colvleu1, In the pres the other at Esopus, N. Y., hut ence of Abraham J,'abre aud Susane Lennt, whether the LeVan brothers were wltneHea. first parts of either of these settle D•1nn :it· Amsterd11m, Jul)' 10, 1761. ments before coming to Berke county Josias llelesolirne, Elder. the writer has not been able to de termine. In 1730 we find aJI four The Levans were Intermarried of them located here. We shall con with the Kaufmans, DeTuroks and. fine ourself chiefly to the story of othet old Oley tamtlles, and from Abraham In this sketch. thorn have deecended some ftne an•I highly prized heirlooms, in the forr_1 The original homestead of thl11 of rare china, corner cupboard and famlly must have bEien humble and other antique furniture. While the rudely constructed, very probably n generations ha.ve spent their time log cabin: but In 1757 a. more im mostly In farming, they have been posing house was built of stone, a ready supporters of the community part of which Is sttll standing in the church and school life. Jacob K. present homestead that has served Levan, the last to cultivate the old at least four generations and adorns farm, was president of the township the ftrst permanent farm of. this school board at the time of hlP branch of the famUy. death, In 1906. He was building a handsome house in the town of !l'rie• FARM STILL IN FAMILY. densburg when summoned by death. Into this home, however, his widow The original farm of Abraham and family movecl on completion, Levan consisted of 180 acres of the nnd here she spent her last days. Of best land. It has remained for their 12 children seven were swept generations in the same family. nway by death through a scourge Finding on arrival In Pennsylvania and epidemic of diphtheria within that he had left his baptismal cer two weeks. Of the others some re tificate in the old country, he aft main to carry forward the name and erwards sent for It, or a copy from stock of their OJey forbears. L In the earUest tax lists In Exeter of the three brothers In 1715-ls and Oley townshlPB the names '>f now being minutely written fnto n Isaao and Abraham Levan are volume by Rev. Warren Patton found. We find the following Coon, of 442 Fourth avenue, New LeVans aa honorable partici ark, N. J., a former chaplain f n the pants In the Revolutionary War: u. S. Army In France. and a lineal Lieut. Col. Sebastian LeVan, of descendant of the Berks county Le Seventh Battalion: Lieut. Jacob vans, from whom Information may LeVan, In Gen. Udree's Second Bat be gained by descendants of our day talion, Isaac Levan, Jr., quarter concerning his or her place In the master Jn Col. Hlester's Sixth Bat family tree. Many of them are now talion. A creditable showing, Jiving and widely scattered, though May this generation of these Berks county naturaJly Is most storm-tossed, self-sacrlftclng pioneers thickly sprinkled with the stock. appreciate what these have contrib They have left their deepest Impress uted un Chapter XII. THE KEIM FAMILY How Its Members Have Contributed to the Upbuilding of City and County We havo alrekdY alluded to John reared their first rude log cabin an This family register translated lure to Reading and other parts of Into Englleh reads as follows the county, or the country, anti I, John Kehn wu married In the 1ear 1706, "Kelmed" (1 e. germinated), took 1' da1• before St. Michael'• Day. root there and flourished. Those Katharina WH born OD St. Michael'• D17, who died on the old homestead were 1708. (In another hand): burled the 8th ot Ha7, l'JN. gathered Into two, enoto.sed private And In the 7ear 1711, four weelr1 before family burial plots near the old Beiter, my IOD John waa born Into the world. home, where on well marked tomb• Stephen, born March 28, 1717. stones their life story may be briefly John Nlcholae, April 2, 1719. read In chiseled German epltaphi,. Ellut>etb, Februar7, 1723. When here the grandson of the Jacob, Octobei', 1724. American progenitor, George, was And In the year 1781, the ftrat da7 of the brought. to his final rest In 1859, and )·ear, 1'131, I took my 1ecood wife Into wet!• his wife In 1866, they alone left nln~ lock. children, forty-seven grandchildren And In the year 1732, the 27th of .\prll, my and two great-grandchildren to per 1100 Henry waa bOrn Into thla world. petuate the famlly. George's wife Here the record ends. But not was Susanna Muensch. They had the births. By this second marriage lived 64 years together. Th rled a. daughter ofv Dr, George De name and influence of \his Kelm Bennevllle, of Oley, and from thl11 strain of Oley ha.e come down to our union d8illcended a family of chil day In honor and ble•tng. dren whose progressive deeds are The second son, George DeBenne felt today In the advance strides of ,•IUe Keim, born In Readln8', 1778, the City of Reading. Of these per was old enough tn 1794 to march haps the second son, George Dtl with Washington from Reading to Bennevllle Kelm, has been the most Carlisle, when our first President, aa Uluatrlpus, though Daniel and Ben commander-ln•ohlef, had to take up nevJlle wer" alike noted and enter the sword and lead an army towards prising. Their father took the tw:> this ftrst Internal uprising against oldest soue, Daniel and George, Into Federal authority-the Whiskey In partnershi9 and this store was run surrection of Western Pennsylvania. under the name of Kelm & Sons. It After a thorough educational and was one Ol the Jarg,?at stores ot the mercantfle trafnln( fn Phlladelphfa, city and laid the foundation of the he came back ln his 20th year as a present Stichter hardware stor< et partner fn hfs father's buefness. He this historic and central corner ot later engaged ln the manufacture of the city. Iron, agriculture and the extenslvd culture of tho grape. He was presi HIS OBITUARY, dent of a bank, burgess o.t the city This aeeoclatlon of his sons In and president of Town Cou•,cll for bu1tlness allowed tne father, John many years and took a leading pa1•f. Kelm, to venture Into new enter fn the establishment of educational prises, and so we find him dealing Institutions, such as the old Reading tn the building trade and real es Academy and Female Seminary. He tate until he became a large prOJ> promoted such publlc Improvement.a erty owner. He was publlc-splrltcrl as bridges, turnpikes and worthy also and J>Ushed the Internal Im charities. In mllltla and mllltary provements of the city, waa elected organizations he took deep Interest bin•tr.~,'8 antJ then county commlB and rose to a colonelcy as aide on sJHner. ancl aided In the construotlon Governor Hfeater'a start, and at o! t'"•" fln;t Penn street bridgo nn·ou tained the rank of general fn 1830 :n O Schuylklll River. He Wt.t, f!O Jn the Sixth Division of the State ()H~e11-ned !,:,1hly for hls enter))rlse MjUUa, His wtfe was Mary May, 11. art.l hitC.!tHy that tho Berks and daughter of James May, and they P.rhuy.:.cUl .,1<'urnal published an h11d seven chJJdton, three sona and o·!)Jtuurr "·~ rnost laudatory ~ncoml four daughters, The sons' names oum ut the tl,rie '-'this decease, were John May, George l\fay an11 -~~ ~il: ''P.3 tult1 resided In thhl Danlol May. He died In 1862, A hot'r.,.~h tor 64 nnrs, during which· and of the Consolidated Coal & Iron Reading and Bohuylklll furnaces, In Company, Another brother was Charm.Ing and Busan and Little Henry May Kelm, lawyer, U, B. Con Schuylkill forges. The grandfather, sul to Prlnce Edward Island, and John, was one ot the fncorporatorH secretary and trea8Urer of the Val ot the Reading Company. ley Rallroad of Ohio. The three sisters were Mary May Kelm, wl to To George deBennevllle and Mary of the late Dr. w. Murray Weidman, May Kelm was born a. son In 1806, 214. South Fifth street, Readlng; named George May Kelm, who was Julia Mayer Kelm, wlte of Gusta.v A destined to act an honorable part ln Behne, the artist, who Uved a happy his day In his natlve city. He was a and lnterestlng Ute In Texas, Cub•l member of the ftrm of Kelm, Whit and Europe for 40 years, and atter aker & Co., who were predecessors the husband's death came back to or the Reading Iron Wo\•ks, and pro end her daye In Reading, where sht.! prietors of the Windsor Furnace, died In 1916 at the age of 86 years, whloh made famous casUngs. At 21 and Susan Douglass Kelm, who mar• years of age he was cashier of the rled her ftrst cousin, Charles F. Farmers National Bank, then read Mayer, of Baltimore, who waa for n law and practiced In Reading: was long time president of the B. & o. collector of the Port of Philadelphia Rallroad The portion of this Oley and U. s. Marshal for the Eastern Kelm famUy which Identified ltselr District of Pennsylvania, served sev with Reading seems to have taken a eral terms In Congrees, served an leading part In all or the city's mo Chapter XIII. THE GULDIN FAMILY An Interesting Genealogy The Guldin family tree, with Its beto1·e me-ft contains over 900 roots back In the mountainous can names of American Guldlns, If not tons of Switzerland, a. sapling of all Qu1dlns In name, yet all C-utdlns which was transplanted Into the In blood, and the blood of the first rich Oley son of Pennsylvania .in the Amerlcnn Immigrant and progeni second decade of the 18th century, tor, who came to this country in 171 o. has In 200 years spread out Its The task demanded a trip to Eu branches and let down new root rope, a lengthy and minute search taking sclone over a large part ot for· records of the family forebears the United States like another .ban In the cantons of Switzerland and yan. If one were to shake the orig an almost Inexhaustible correspond inal stem its fruits would drop Into ence and research of registers, the following States at least, and court documents, tombstone entab po88lbly others: Pennsylvania, New laturee and personnt household vis York, Delaware, Virginia, Indiana, its. As a ruult this lneellmably Illlnofs, Iowa, Kansas, Arizona, Now valuable labor of love gives us a Mt1xloo, Montana and Colorado. olear line of three generations of The late Isaac M. Guldin, A. M., Swiss Guldlns, together with a ftne 1042 Chestnut street, Reading, wne ly drawn mav ot Swltnerland, and this family's painstaking genealo another of the canton of Zurlck anll gist. After giving 12 years of time Lake Constance, both by his own and spending a great deal of money hand; a brief slcetoh of Switzer In accomplishing his task, he hnd land, a minute descrJi,tlon of the tho partly fallen tree again erected beautiful Cathedral of Berne, of -root, trunk, branches, limbs, which Rev. Bnmuol K. Guldin, twigs, twJglets and leaves, a thing the AmerJcan prouenltor, was tor ot majestic beauty, even more loud yenrs an nSAlstnnt p1stor, and a ly prootalmlng the providence nn,t completo and orderly register of handiwork of God, than the nrborlnl eight gonoratlone of the ou.ldln THE EARLY GUI DINS, and published II numbl'r of hookl In l,atln. Died 11t Orats. ~ov, 8, 1648. After the genealogist had tr:~cetl the family history In Switzerland he GULDINS OF OANTON VAUD, came upon the neme Guldin In St. Gall as early as 1629. In this manu J o h n G u 1 d I n married Marie facturing city then or 38,087 In Raber (born In 1776). ChlJdren: habitants, he finds the name of Paul Marla Vera R. Ouldln, born 1801. Guldin (often wrltten In native Rev. Frederick Abraham R. Guldin, born Swiss with the final "n" omitted, June 11, 18115. Died Jnly 111, 1888. He w111 Guidi), who was a mathematician, u1l1tant p111tor 11t Kurtzenberi, near Ht. o.. n. born and educated here (St. Gall l.t1ter paator at Worb, elx mllP ■ from De •ne, was a famous eeat of learning since Harried Ell111betb 81glu, of Worb. · the eighth century), nut later In life Rev. Frederick's famlly consisted a professor at Gratz and Vienna. of two chlldren with his first wife and tour with his Hcond (who was The next Guldin name found wa!J Sophia Koenig), c,f whom the Hans Joachim Guldin, of St. Gall, youngest, Charles Eugene, with his who ln 1833 migrated to Berna, son, were the only male Guldlns In Switzerland, and became a citizen Switzerland at the time of th·e gene of that town by the payment of l 00 alogist's visit in 1894, crowns. He was of the nobltlty and followed the example of other The line ot ancestors of the nobles by seeking citizenship or the American progenitor (Rev. Samuel Berne Canton, which was the most K. Guldin) and descendants ls as prominent and artletocratlc of all follows: Swltze1•l!l.nd. It was this noble's Han• Joachim Guldin marrlect 81111nna grandson, Rev. Samuel K. Guldin, Trlbolet. who In 1710 came with his family b Han• Joachim T, Guldin mu~led Ann11 :uar11 America. He was one of the most Koch. dletlngulehed preachers of Switzer Rt1", Ramuel K. Ouldln married lfary Har• land In his day, as he afterwarde he delena Malacrlda. came of Pennsylvania. His name It flnmuPI ll. Ouldln married Ellaabeth Hll ■e• written conspicuously Into the on weclc. nals of Swlss and American chul'oh John H. Guldin married - _, Mar1 Ua,rd11len1 H. Guldin married Fred• history as far as the Reformed trick Leinbach. C(ln• branch of Protestantism Is Daniel nutdln married Catharine Ell111beth cerned. He 18 recognized ns the flrst Oeltbacb. Reformed minister of Pennsylvanl&. and the forerunner of this denoml• We shall presently carry on thue nation in the State. throe branches In their American history of intermarriage nn" dletrl GULDIN8 OF Wf, GALI,, butlon. For the moment It Is lnter ostlng to know that Re,·, Samuel K, The Guldins of St, Gall, as well n, Guldin wa11 born In Switzerland In those of Berne, belonged to tho U84. He married, as stated above, noblllty: Mary Magdelena Malaorlda, dau1h Melchior Ouldln, born In Rt. 01II In 11120. tei- of Rev. Peter Malaorlda, pastor Oulldmuter In 11180. Senator In 1383. Oled at Wyl, and wife (Esther .Fisoher), Sn 1828. with · whom he had four children, Helchlor thldln, Jr., ■ on of forml'r, born all born In Switzerland, ns follow•: 11111, Wu town cleric In 1604. Samuel If, Guldin, b-,l'Q No,. 8, 1898, l'aul Ouldln, horn of Bvan1ellcal parent ■ Marie Catharine M. Ouldln, born Jan, 8, In UTT. JolnNI the Juu1t1 In 11107. Wu a 1898, 1ohbmlth at lret. After bl• connralon to Ohrl ■ totret ll. Guldin, born Jut, IT, 1887. Uo11111nl1m be bt>came a noted mathematician. Rrumanuel Fred u. Ouldln, born March 18, W111 proftuor It OrAtl an He had ,served, before his emigra marking by gen~ratlons, as the sixth tion to America following charges from the first-named Swiss ancestor. in Switzerland: Stettlen, three mile, It may be noticed, before engag from Bern (1692-1696); In the Bern ing ln the construction ot this table, Cathedral as assistant pnstor. 1686- that when the Ouldlns came to Amer 1699), nnd at Boltlgen In 1701. ica in 1710, Pennsylvania had n totnl Then he went to northern Germany population of only about 40,000; tho In 1702, and from thence came with city or town of Philadelphia of his family to Philadelphia in 1710, about 8,000. When Samuel M. Gul landing on Sept. 24. He bought a din, the blacklJllllth youth, moved to House built by Samuel 1\1. Guldin, between 1713·1'122, on road between Yellow JlouRO and Prlcdcnsburg, In OleJ, farm at Rox-boro and after his lnbori, Oley in 1718, the Indians were still In Pennsylvania, there he died on numerous In the valley, and were by Dec. 81, 1746, and wns probably no means unfamlllar In the n'eigh burled in Warner-s Graveyard flt borhood ot Philadelphia. They Oermantown. He was well know11 brought deer to the homes of white rte an influential, organizing minister settlers and sold them tor whrit In \n Philadelphia and environs. our money would amount to about fifty cents. Wild turkeys weighing 80 poµnds were sold for 26 cents. SON A BLAOKBMITJI. nnd wlht pigeons at S cents a dozen. His son, Samuel M. Guldin, Fish and game wore abundnnt learned the blacksmith trndo when 6Vorywhero. Apples, peaches and he came to Oley, n youth of 24 other fruits grew pJentlfully along years. Hero ho was married on the Delaware River, the plantings ot May 22, 1722, nnd about thlf1 limo the Bwecles and early Quaker built his log house In Oley. He hn1l settlora. Provlsl-,ns of nil kinds eight chlldren. of whom throe nre wero cheap, becnuao nbundant. known to have married nn Let us now · trace the three Oley Illes, One Jn thl1 line, Daniel Jack.loo Gulden, branches ot Ouldlns, the three mar wu killed lo the Battle. of Antietam, Sept. 17, ried children of Samuel H., the first 1862. Marie s. Ouldln(1), of the 18TeDth 1eo, settler In the valley, who reared eratlon, waa the mother or the Leinbach broth• famUles. They were John H., Mary en, of the woolen mlll1 on North Fourtia Mi\gdalena H. (married to Frederick ltreet, Beadln1. Leinbach) and Daniel H, Guldin, the John Jacob o. Ouldln (1T66-1828). descent of the last named being by Samuel 0, Ouldln (176CM7711). far the most numerous. A summary John 0, Ouldlo (lTi0-18112), He married of our Information on this subject 13 Har, Oronratb and wu a blackamlth, 11,101 as follows: about a mite from Gtonernllle. They bad children and their children Intermarried with JOHN H, GULDIN BRANCH. the Clauaet', Rhine, Babb, BIiton, Strocker, The name ,,f John II. Ouldln'e wife Is not Louer, Eyrich, Rheell, Doe,, Oanaer, Mengel, recorded, at least ha• not been found, but Detrich, Green, Ritter, I.Arre, High, He7t!fl, their children are 1lnn u follows. Thie l• Reltr, Orey, Lamm, Bright, HIii, Hiester, thr alxth generation: Happel, Wener, Cu1ter, BUii, Smith, Bau• man, 8D)'der, Hummel, lleuman, Bum,, Hoff. Daniel ll, or W. (1766-1829) had el1ht man, Wllkloaon, Sarelleta, Dollow11, Van chlldren. Several married, who reare1I tam• Reed, Fz:9ncl1, Barnhart, Trantet', Diehl, Elli• Ille, of theft' own, and their chltdren llkewlal', tohrp, Harner, Pbllllpe, Oroa,, Merkel, Der• to the preeent time. Such famn, names u Zlhbach, Buts, Ritter, Rboada, «;Jllt>ert, man, Pott,, Hurd, Pr,or, Bunter, Yea1er, Strunk, Vanderallce, 8aa11man, lllne, Or,, l,udwl1, Schaeffer, Kaurrman, Rhoad,, rro• Bickel, HIil and others are lnterw,,no by baaco, Wood•, Stephen, lflnker, Davldhelaer, msrrl11,re with thl• braocn of the famll7. Bertolet, Oel1er, Lodet', Jack1on, Reinert, They are well scattered offr eaatern Peno ■ 1l• Zluhao ■, Witman, Krtcll, Ihan1, Matthlu, nnla and a few have 1one Wett tu Indiana Berner, Dutcher, Maurer and Auman f•m• and beyond, lllea, Of thl1 line one patriotic 100 made the supreme eacrlftce of hl1 life In the ct,JI War, Warren O. Guldin, of the ninth 1eoera, LEINBACH BRANOJI. lion, Another aon, Rn, lobo O, Guldin, D. Marr M11datena B, Ouldlo married Fred• D., (1799), 1ave hi• lite to the hol7 ailolatr,. el'lck Leinbach, of Ole1, u we line aeen. Be wa• married to • d1u1hter of Rn, r. L. The1 bad four children, 11 follow,: Berman, D. D,, and pt'eacbtd lo OhHttr anl'I Otor1e a., Fredertcll o., ADDI G. and F.1110 rranllllo couotlu, Pa., and for l!O 1eara Jo o. Sew York c1t1, The couple are burled at Tarr,town, N, Y. Obarlt1 a. Guldin WII • DANIEL R. GULDIN BRASOH, dontlat Jut practlcln1 at Allentowc, where Daniel H, Guldin (178G·1817) married Cati•• ho died and 11 burled. Another eon, Oeor11e arloe Bllaabtth OtlN>ach (1T-M8lTI and thny \V, Ouldln, of thl• line, Wik> IIYtd ID Lu1tr11e bad the followlo1 10 cblldrtDI count,, Pa., donated the 1rovod OD wble-11 the 81111uel 0, Ouldlo (1708•171111). D .John Hcbaeffet', n.: Sarall G. Boch turrlod Samuel O. Guldin (1TTT•l8M), who wu lacob B. Bell; Daniel O. Boch died ,,n11,ar married to Catharine Ludw14r and had children rled, 1878; John o. Hoch, died In 1881; PY.Isa. a, follow•: beth G, Boch married Samuel H. Lelnbacb; Abraham O. Boch married X.,dla L. Uecbtel, Frederick J,. married Catharine Reed. Their ond Hannah 0. Boch, born 1814, died 1623. elx children are Sallie R., who married J. 8. Un1er and Jin In RMCUn1: Daniel R., who Oeor•e O. Guldin (ITT4•1814), whoae wife married Eleanor Helfrich; William R., mar• fl not a1ven, but wbo had children a ■ follow•: rled; Samuel R., 1ta1le; Murray R., married, John D., who married ftnt Anna Hocb, wboae and Joel B. (1869-18711). elde ■ t dau1hter, Rebecca, married Tbom11 Lee, and their children marr'led II follow,: Daniel l,. Guldla. Emll1 o. Lee married Oharlea Trueadell; Ed· Solomon r,. Guldin. 1ar 0. Lee married Nettle Morrison: William Joel L. Ouldlb, whoae ave chlldrea are 0. Lee married Emma Yer1er: J. Oliver tee widely acattered In ■ neral atatea. They are: married Eme Dater; lltnnte o. Lee married Elisa, Malinda, Samuel, Yoder and Re,. Frank Cleaver: Eleanor G. Lee married Barry Jonathan Guldin, an Bvan1ellcal mlnl ■ ter. L. Cleaver, a dent11t, of Readlnl'. lobn D. and Ann Hoch Guldin'• second dau1hter, Bl~m L. Guldin, whole three children ue Amelia 8., wae married to llllton Hartline, Alice, Penro,e and E>lwlna. who· re1lded at Becbtelnllle, and whoae five aurvlvln1 children and their families ore living Samuel L. Ouldla. In ea ■ tel'D Berk•. • Annie L. Guldin mar:ied a Mr. Price. John D. Guldin married u hi• second wtfe Suaan L. Guldin married a Mr. Moyer. Hannah Bertolet, with whom be had two chlldren, Mary B. and Daniel D. Guldin. After Uary Ann L. Guldin. the deitlh of hl1 aecond wife, John D. Oudln Abbie L. Onlrtln man1ed A Mr. Afanwlller, married a ■ hla third wife Sunn Dlerolt, and after her death he married Leah Reber u hi• Catharine L. Ouldln. fourth life companion. lie had no cblldre~, Ellaabeth L. Ouldln married a Ur. Rhen• With bit 1111 two WIYel. Ho had brothera and berf. al1tera u tollowa: Daniel D. Guldin, wife'• name not 1lvea: Catharine D, Guldin married uar, A. Ouldln. Jacob Trout: l,ydla 0. ouldln m11rrled Samuel Ann r,. Guldin. Bertolct; Bll ■ abeth D, Guldin married lacol> Fre!lerlck Ouldln ( who mar• Trout; Mary D. Guldin married William Prlt•• o. 1710•18.18), enkulfer: Hannah D. Guldin, not married, rled Sarah VanReed Weaver, with whom he had the followlar nine children: Abraham 0, OuldlD (1176-1888) WH marl1e•I L1dla w., who married Henr1 Seidel and to Uannah Hain and their four <'hlldren were: bad two chlldren, F'l'anlllln and Parah, who married a Mr, Throm. Their aon la a law,,., JOl6Ph H., born 1808, died a ba<'helor In 1880. In Readlaf, Lewe who married Ma1dalena Shalteu, Elisabeth who the wtce w., JI. (1807-1882), mi• Their 11 children wert': Harah Ann, 8. Amelia, of Henry Knl• and bad two children, CAth• married to Dr. Wllllatn Runaber1er, whoee arlae 1ad Robert. .l1mll1 'ol chlldt'ea bue adnnced themeelHt Renj1mln H. (1818), died In Pottnllle IIJl In the profeulona; Albert 8,, who manled In the 00'1, at the berlnnlnr of thl• 20th cen• 8u11nna O. Rothermel and their dau1hter, tury. He waa for 40 yeare a Juetlre of the lfa,rdalena Irene, mnrrll'd Irwin S. l.aner: ptare, wu twice ntarrled (ftrat to Mu1 Rod, Bila s., who married Harrison Roth~rm•I: and •teond to Jene Ea1el) and had tht'e.t mmollne 8., who married Samuel Boch I Lu• children, ,11: John A. married M11r1 Mortimer, cetta S,, who died 1oun11 Mablon Lewe 8,, died 1011n,r: Ma,rdnlt>na r.enore 8., of nlan, wboee one daurhter, llar1, berame the wife don: Mnrr Ad11IIM 8., allo llve11 11t Dlandon: ol Rn. Lewi ■ Walnwrlfbt, a Pre1b7terlan Wlnllold B~ntt, died 1oun1: Joaephlne 8,, mlnleter, and the aecond dau1hter, Mlnnette died ln lnfanc1, M,, married Frtd Uodd, ana the third, nertln M., mur'le1I John Uunln ■• Their ■ on•, name Anna w. Guldin, wbo married Oeorre nun, wu Mortlml'r M, Onhlln: the ■ econd child, kel. Their children are; Rolomon, RttR, Hannah Rllanbeth, died when 16 year■ old; the Oeor10, Frederick, Owen, Sarah, who mar third child wu JlonJamln Charlee, n doctor, ried l1cnr1 Hartman; Bmma, who mal'rle,1 who marrll'd Allee Hhoad• and r,ractlced melll• Abram Huey, and Bu ■ an, Tbe,e all lived In clno In lJlnernllle, Kchuylklll count7, Their the nol1hborhood ot Temple 11nd DIAndon. three chlldrl'n wno named Rion Heberca, Alire Reuben W. Guldin married llat1 Oe ■chwlnJ, Uarraret and Anett11 ltoaeberr7 Ouldln. whowe children ate Vtlentlnr, 011rlan, mar• Wllllam O. (J.818-1874), a oachelot', waa tor rled to f;arah B, Derr; Rllu: Jeremiah, who many yeare coal ■ hipper at l'ort Ollntoa. married Amelia Yodel' and 11,e ■ at Trexln• town, 1Nhl1h county, Tlu,rr lour children art Catharine 8, (1821M8&3), Whl\ marrle1I John Oora, nat17, Rlalo and Yoder, who married n Charlee Conrad, HIH Hau. Davit!, Jame ■, M11blon, Kah,, 80 Annals ol tbe Oley Valley who married Frank Smith; Allee, ,vbo mar• Harriet, married Levi Bertolet, whote cbll• rled Eugene l..el11en111er1er; Ellen, Who mar• dren are LeYI 0., of Wllmln1ton: Jeremiah, rled a lh'. Heller; Senora, wno married John dead, •nd J,llepblne, wbo waa Brat married to F. Dower; Amanda, who 11 tbe wife ot Dr. Dr, J.ck and 1tcoodl7 to llr. Heckman. Tbe1 Dort1, of BlterJ,: Reuben, wbo married have llnd lo- the old bomeatead. Amanda Reinhart; llatllcla, who married • a Lllndla. lfr, lfadelra, and Sarah, who married a llr. Peter Ouldlo, wbo marrrea Illas Zimmerman. What a tamlly gathering this Dadd W. Guldin, wbo died 1lo1le. would be If all could meet in one placer May we not hope our blcsstid EJIAbeth \V. OuMln, wno married \\'llllam Lord, who has spoken of "the Altho111e and had re1lded ne11r Lorane, Derk, Father's House," may some day county. Their children are lfabJon, Wallace, summon them nil to that celestial Amanda, who manled a lit, T1eon: Amelia, reunJon? who married John Yelch, nod Mien, who mar ried Solomon Obrlatlan. lfu1t of tbla faml17 The writer has only been A.('• quafnted with two of this lattt house Jive at Lorane. hold ot Ouldlns sufficiently well to Daniel W. Ouldln, bOrn 1823. know their prospects of this reunion Wubln1ton W, Ouldlo married Lovlo:1 nre bright, tor the one was n Indy SchmehJ. Their cblldl'en are AfaJlnda, wlte follow student ot normal school of Esra Kline: t,dla, wife of Horrl• DeTurck; days, nnd she was known for her nannah, wife of Irwin Kline. unusual kindness ot. heart, and the Catharine w. Guldin, who wu married t11 other Is the aocompllshecl wlte ot Dr. Anthon7 Eldenbentt, our town's Reformed pastor, uni• Peter O, Guldin (1'182-1820), HI• cbUdren versally beloved for her klndnead weN: and grace, her thoughtfulness of others and her disinterested love for Mat,-, who wu the wife of J'rederlcll Lauer. all thnt Js good, Mrs. Rev. Harvey J, Their children ate rranll o. and Oeorjft, MUler. Annals ol the Oley Valley 81 Chapter XIV. THE YODER FAMILY Record of Pioneers and Descendants The Yoders of Oley origin and ftrst addition to this Yost's brother, Hans settlement form another American Yoder, left four eons to give the plant, transplanted from a Oerman Yoder nnme and stock a good start. Bwles canton to this western con Their names were Hnne, Samuel, tinent soil early In the 18th cen Poter and Daniel. tury, These two Immigrant brothe1·s The name as first foun OLD OEJt,TIFIOATE, man. He was generous, kindly dis• posed, and knew how to appreciate Among the interesting papers of friends, while thus Isolated In the the tamlly ls preserved the mar wllderne~- , . • " rJage certificate of Marla Yoder to In consequence ot this coincidence, Daniel Bartolet, a grandson of tha the Manatawny has received the pioneer Jean Bertolet. It reads 'l3 name or ''Crooked Dam" at thl11 follows: place, and even the farm, which, These pre1ent1 certlf7 that Daniel Dertolet according to Yoder's desire, :ioon 11nd )farla Yodl.'r, of Oley township, In the tound a settler, has, unto this pres• Oounty of Derlrs and Ptovlnee of Pennt1l· ant da)', retained the appellation of vanla, In North America, were Joined torether the "Crooked Farm" or "Orummen In the nol1 Bonda of .Uatrlmony, and pn,. Platz." oounccd man and wife 1ccordlo1 to the form It Is related by the above quoted eat1bl11bed by law, In tho Church of Eng, authority that on this Yoder tarm land, this 111th d17 of December, lo the year one of the last Hngerlng Indian tam of our Lord, ooe thouaaod, •seven hundred and files-long atter the white people •lxt7-el1bt, by me, had settled an around them-etlll ALZXANDEIR MURRAY, Ylnleter. re,slded on tho banks of the creek, n short distance a•bove the Yode,· Rev. Murray was then Episcopal homestead: that they were expert rector of the St. Gabriel's Church, basket makers and had gained a DouglaSBvJlle, taken over from th~ wide celebrity for this Industrial art. Swedish Lutherans. Only t~elr fondness tor "fire-water" The Yoder Blble le regarded tho caused them to tall, become boh,ter most precious relic this branch of ous and sometimes threatening and the family brought with them trom a gonoraJ nuisance In the nelghbo1·• tho old country. One can lmaglno hood when they found It wise to how Jt was treasured nnd guarded mo\'o on. It was supposed that these Jn the early days, It wns printed In became subsequently allled with 1630 during the lite-time of Mnrtln Brandt's desperadoes, says Dr. Bar Luther and Is among tho onrllest tolet. German Bibles published ntter hl:i translation at Wartburg In 1621 and 1622. It descended as a preclou:i HAND TO HAND HA'ITLE. heirloom through the family or The other Yoder homestead ol Daniel and his son, Dnvld, whose Hans, built where now stands Orles daughter, Mary n. Yoder, wns tho omor's Mills, Is pointed out ns the last possessor. fJCeno of n hand-to-hand battle with Somo of the descendants ot this a drunken band ot predatory In• l>ranoh ot the Yoders scattered east dlans by this pioneer In his day, ward to Now York, and westward t? when a single-tree was his only wea tho Mlssl881ppl. From them sprnng pon, and a cool head won him the S. s. Yoder, ot Limn, Ohio, who rep v!otory. Thus for two generatlonq, resented hie district In the 60th ft seems tho Yoders were closo United States Congress In 1887-89, nelghb,,rs ot, or else were otten mo lested by the red men, This home NEVER TOOK ADVANTAGE OF stead ot Hans, was located near ANY ONE. Plea11antvllle, and he bunt and owned what are known as Or!os• It Is related by that careful emer's Mills, which were later ohronl<:ler ot Oley history of the (1847) burned, but rebullt by a de post generation, Dr. Peter O .. Der• scendant and trom 1860 on were . tolot, that while the pioneer YOBt 01,emted. Daniel Yoder's par.+~ mill Yoder "was measurJng off hie farm stood about one-hnlf mile north one day with a surveyor, Jae ran reg west ot Plensnntvme. Hero was born ular courRe9-Stralght long llnoe nhout 1860 tho Senior Bishop of tho untll he cnme · very close to a fine Evnngellcnl Church, Rev. Dr. s. C. eJjrfng. The surveyor remarked: Broyfogel, ot Reading. 11 vou wJll of course have me run The eldtst son of Hans Yoder, straight out to the pln"e of begin• the Immigrant, was also named nlng which will Include for you this Hans (John), who married a Mls9 beauttful and desirable spot In your Sarah Shingle (Shenkel), In Novem own tract." "Nol" wne the reply. ber ot 1746 and with her he had "rhese you out clear ott. This spring tour chllch'en named: (1) Daniel we wUI le"vo for others.• This spot (1748-1820), married to Margaret le Inviting anu mav ·attract betoro Oyster, who lived and died In Oley long some one who will settle here aud are burled nt Ploasantvllle; (2) and thus become my nelghbor,"-•a Martin, who was a lieutenant ot thu t'h1ng ho valued more than anything Fourth Company tn Ff fth Battalion else. The tranknees In this was hue oC Berke County In the Revolution n. type ot the oharncterlstlo ot th!R ary War; (8) Jacob (1758-1882). Annals of the Oley Valley 83 who was born in Reading, was a so! stuff that haa conquered wild and dler during the Revolution, In 1780 primitive America and the world ot moved to Western Pennsylvania and today. in 1782 descended down the Monon The last eon of Hane Yoder, gahela, Ohio and Mlsslsfflppl rivert5 Jacob's father, was Samuel, who with a cargo of flour to New Or fought for America's freedom and leans, In the first flat-boat (built h:v Independence, and then lost his life himself) that ever floated down thu near at home by falllug to his death Father of Waters. from a horse he was riding near tho He was In this respect the fore Oley churches. runner ot Abrahnm Lincoln, who In The later generations ot Yoders 1831, nearly 60 years latAr, took a have come and gone, taking part In flat-boat load ot pork (which oratt the world's work In their day, mar he had constructed with his own ried, reared famllles, won successes ekllJful hnnds), down the Sangamon, and met failures, some staying on Illinois and Mlsslaslppl to this south the native heath, others scattering ern market city. Capt. Yoder car more and more, lived their days and ried on a sugar trade with Cuba and sank to rest: ·but volumes could be Phlladelphla, whlle Louisiana still written ot what good they have ac was under the French flag, and he complished, what honors they have came widely known In his day as :rn won and deserved, what part fn extensive tradesman. He died In school and church and State they Spencer county, Kentucky, and llatt have taken to uplift the race, to bet•• burled at Loulsvllle, Ky. Over hht ter conditions, to serve their day and grave ts erected a mnrker bearln1J generation, to befriend mankind and this tnscrlptlor, on an Iron tablet, to glorlty God I Among them we cast by Hank8 & Nllee, ot Cincin find farmers, craftsmen, merchants, nati, Ohio, In 18 34: polltlclans, doctors, dentists, law JACOB YODER yers, and preachers. They haw W111 · born In neadlng, J:>enn11h"anla, penetrated all pRrts of the county AUiUlt 11th, 173S and gone tar beyond Its borders- And wu a aoldler In the Rovo111t1onar1 Army but not all have ever, In all the In 1777 and 1778: more than 200 years, since the two He eml,rr'ated to the West In 1780, and In liar brother progenitors set toot on Oley 1782, from Fort Redatone, on the soil, Jett this rich nnd historic val lfonon1ahel11 IUver ley, where their pioneer homesteads In tho were reared. FIRST FJ,AT ROAT Thu11 Daniel Yoder Ill (Hans. 2d, That enr deacended the Mlululppl, Hans let), orchard 1st, distiller or lle landed at New Orlean,, with a carro ot flax oil. and farmer In 1800, built Produ«. his home on the or1 glnal premises, ne died April T, 1832, at hll farm In 8pt'h(.'1'? which le still presel'Ved. With hie Count7, Kentucll1, and Ilea hero wlte, Margaret Oyster, he had nine Interred beneath thl• tablet. children: (1) Hannah (1776-1823), mnrrl~<\ to Jacob Knabb; (2) Daniel MAR\'ELOVS CHANGES. (1777Jl826); (8) Martin (1780- What Improvements have comti 1837): ( 4) Catharine (1788-1882), since Capt Yoder's day! Indlnne married to William Williams; ( 6) gone! Their prairies eubdued and Marlo. (1786-1864), married to settled and converted Into prosper Phlllp DeTurck: (6) John (1788, ous Stateel The rl\'ors plying with 1868): (7) Margaret (1790-), mar steam, oil or el~ctrlclty pro11elled ried to Solomon Peter: (8) Samuel boate and ocean greyhounds riding (1793-), and (9) David (1796- the great seas! The sparsely settled 1881 ). country studded with mighty cltlos Ot these, MnrUn was a tanner and where the teeming millions live! The hotel and storekeeper nt Ple1urant neighboring States of tho expansive v11le, where he did n. flourlehlng country strung together by ralle anct buslnees." Hie children were Inter communicative wire and the con married. Into the Yoder and Kemp tlnl)nte by cable! And now the wire famllles, The youngest, Martin less, the radio and the flying ma ( 1819-1888). n. farmer and lmplo chine-ships sailing the nlrl Inven ment dealer, ran tor Congress tion and commerce and worlct ngalnst Daniel s. Ermentrout and courts and leagues have brought the was defeated. Ot hie four chlldrer, ends of the world together Into dally one wne Mary (Mrs. Joseph DeLong, fellowship and communion l Science ot Topton), who 'became the mother has marvelously triumphed, but the of Rev, Calvin DeLong, of East daring, the enterprlee and the pa o,•,)envllle and of Mrs. Rev. John triotism of CaptL Jacob Yoder, ot B.Hll' Stoudt of Allentown. She died Oley, wns but tne prognoetlo nnd on Sept. 20, 1016. Another le Henry pr,:•llmlnar)' toreglenms of the snme H., who wns n fal'mel' and lmple- 84 Annals of the Oley Valley ment dealer assoolated wfth his number of years, when he sold It to father. He owned the old homestead the Reading Paper Company. He with 236 acres of fertile land. He then retired to · PJeasantvUle and help'ld to organize the FJrst National Jived In comfort and ease unUI his Bank, of Oley, of which he has been death. Most of the Oley Yoders aro a director from th~ beginning. His ourled at Pleasantville. brother, Ezra, was a teacher in his day. One •branch ot the family, Jacob, son of John, settled In Bern town ship, nnd was marrJed Into the Rick RARE RELIOS. enbach family, Ot their children, Among the rare relics kept in tho Reuben, later owned four large family are zfno dishes, rare china, farms In Center township, where h~ an old Revolutionary sword and two was lnftuentlaJ and respected. He bugles, quilts and spreads of four donated the land tor the German generations and raH old booka all Baptist Church between Centerport preserved in old dower chests. and Shoemakersville, of whloh ha was a member and Is burled there. David Yoder was a farmer and Hla children are scattered ln Lititz. millwright and served a term as Kutztown and other places. county commissioner (1848·0). Ht, wife was Hannah Bitler and they sun another branch, Danie, had the following children: Mar Yoder, son of a farmer near New garet, wife of George K. Levan, of Jerusalem of the Oley stock, settled Maxatawny; Hannah, Daniel, Cath about 1840, on a farm near Sinking arine, wJfe of Nathan Sohaetter, or Spring o nd from him sprang the Fleetwood, and Sarah, wife of Abra Yoders ol that community, Wernera ham Guldin. The grandfather'"' vllle, Robesonia and Womelsdorf. clock as an heirloom and made by Ot this stuck Is Rev. Paul D. Yoder, John Kelm, descended to Mary, who Reformod pastor at Codorus, York prizes it highly. She has a sens3 county, and the dentists and lawyers of appre€'\atlon of the anti,:iue an(l ot that name ot Reading, historic and she has preserved on But the woods are full of them her premises the first Jog cabin or and I have no doubt that every her ancestor, and other rellos. Yoder In Berks county, U not In the Daniel B. was born near Cata• State, can trace his origin to one of wJssa, and later a resident of Oley. the two brothers who broke grounrt He was A soldier In the Civil War tor their first rude American cablno under Capt. James McKnight anti In Oley, hard by the banks of the thon fotlowed farming and bullt u Manatawny In or before the year paper mill which he ,operated a 171'. Annals of tbe Oley Valley 85 Chapter XV. THE KAUFMAN FAMILY Efficient Farmers and Preachers There are many Kautmans In our Ano Keutmo11, wldo\\', \Vitia her two 1on1, land today. The name· Is variously David and Jacob, came to this countrr soml'• spelled as Kauffmann, Coffman, time after 1720. The)' settled In Oermnn• Coughman, etc., but the first Arner town. lce.n progenitor, after a brlet c!ay tn Germantown, settled In Oley 111 Jonathan Uerbl'ln (Harben) recelnd o w11r• 1727. From this pioneer have spruu"' n111t tor ll 1rnnt of 200 ftl•res of loud 111 all the Kautmans ot Berks and ad Oley, Phlladelphht county, Jan. 23, 1720. 'l'hl1 jacent counties ot Eastern Penn lrJt~t was 11urve1ed :Uarch 7 of the eame ye11r. sylvanlt\ today, whether their naml' l>RVld Kaufman (Coffman) purchued th!! contains one or two f's or termi right to this from Jonathon Uerbelu · for 30 nates wlth one or two n's. 1io1111t11. He recel\"ed a patent for thlll trart. This family has the distinction ot Xov. 28, 1727, and aerured an a11ttt11ona1 1:4 having ,continued 1>ossesslon of the 11cre11 for roads and hl1hw1111. ancestral acres of Oley on which The original drllft of this tra1•t, houndeJ thoir, great, great, gl·andslro settled hy latlda of Oabrlel Uo7u, Uan11 \'odl'r, Peter and oocu1>led, now lacking but onll Jl117ll'y, John Flllhl'r and ,·ac11nt 1111111 lo tbll year of being 200 years ago, More 111t11lh, b In the 1io111es1lon of John Knurmnn, over they hold nll the legal 1>n})erM o: Oley, udmfnf1tr11tor ot thP utate ot 1th1 of tho original purchase, transfers, t11ther, the lato 1-:phrnlm K. Kaufmnu. who deeds and releases from the flrst died htAt l)pcember. l>11\'ld'e 111ot111•r. Aun Penn warrant to the present day. J{autmnn, nud her eon. Jnrob, Jol1111,· 1111r• cluued a tract ot 110 acre ■ In Oermnntowu. The homesteads are ndJolnln..r Jan. T, tT~O, from Cornellt11 8wPrt• aud farms-there are two of them cov 8ophla, his wfte. ering between 400 and 600 acres and each Improved by beautiful colonial Tho eon, Jacob, ctled In Onm11ntown, :11 houses nnd outbulldlnt;s-coverlng 1\ 1782. Ills mother, bel1111 next of kin, w111 history of two centuries ot rich 11rante1I lelter11 of 11dmlnl1tra !Ion, b7 Peter rural life, and from six to nine gen Mvane, re1h1ter 1eneral of the 1•rovlnce of orations of moral, intelligent, pro renn•1lvanla, and the rountles of New c,,,.. greesl ve and advancing Pennsylvania tie, Kent 1111d Suuu, on the Ol'loware, t•t-t,, German folk of the first rank for 7, 1T82i (Theso orl1lnal leltt'l'II llrl' 111 our neighborhoocl betterment. po11e11lon.) The early members of this orlgtnnl 1>11\'ld Knufman beeame n11tur11ll1Pd be· stook soon bought more land nnit tween 1729 nnd 1780. He obtnlnerl a warrant as the same household Increased for a ■ econd tract of land, l1ln1 ,outh c,f hi• and divided into second and thirrt Or1t tract, cont11lnlnir 100 lll'l'fl, from Thom," generatlone, two homesteads wero Penn, t'eb. ff, 1788, tor which ho wa ■ to p111 estnbllshed, and thus two Kaufman tho ,um of 111 pound• and 10 11hll111111, cur• farms n.nd households, side by sld\), tl•nt money of thla l'ro,lnce, nnd a yenr1,· came to make history and bless the r111lt rent of one h11lf•(ltnn7 lllt'rlln,r for ever,· world with their thrift and enter ncre thereof, (The ort1ln11I warrant la 111 prise. Thus ft comes thnt we havo our 11osaeulo11), This trnct was 1111 ,eyect 1-'et,. two colonial Kautmnn homosteadH T, In tho 1111me yenr. Uavld Kaufmnn (Coll'• of Oley to write about nnd but one man) recelTl'd a 11atent tor this tract, with Kaufmnn tamlly history. six acrea for ro11d11 and hl1'hwa71, M111 7, 1734. Thl' patl'nt 111r1 If the 111arl7 quit rent CONOISE l<'A~III,\' JIISTOUY. 11 not p11ld within 90 d11y1 r.fter It ta 1luP., the tract ,viii be re,entered 1111d held until For this history \\'(.' lll'C lndobte1l 1111ch tfme u nil 11rreara and U('fn1t1 are to Mrs. Elizabeth K. Kruger ot 01<'" nn lntelllgent nnd devoted deeoond 11nld. After re.-ell"hl this p11tent, he paid a nnt of the same orlglnnl l J<"nmk KnufmRn's Jlomc. ACQUIIC.ES MORE LAND, Jnrob, lived on the home1te,11I nil his Ute. lie wu married to Dannnh Jllel, daughter Dold •:autman (Kourhman) received 11 warrant for n third tract of land, 1110« to of Jacob fffel, who owned a large tract of tho 1outh of hl1 1eeond tract, Feb. 28, 17.fO, land In Dlatrlct township. Jncob Kaufmnn 1urve1ed April 7, contalnlnr 3-1 11rrea nod lH ll't\'ed Oen. Wa•hfnrton with beet nn1I cotton. percliea, nod on allowance ot ■ Ix 11crc1 tor Tht>ro I• nn 01,1 tradition hundtd down th!lt lllrhwa1• nod road,. Uc wu to pn~· tor 111:" n bond of M Indiana came to Ja<'Ob Kauf trnct 8 pound, llhd 10 1hlllln1t• and 11 YCllrlY man's farm ont' evenlnr en War and wa ■ honornbl7 dlachnrged Just be Yoder, who lived on an adjoining farm. Jacob fore the Battle of Brand7wlne. There Ill n (Ill) dlt'd of typhoid fever In 1832, a1ed 89 ator, In exlatence that during the war a nry years. lie hod four children, Jacob (IV) and valuable hor ■ e wna captured from a dlatln• Mary, both of whom died lo lnfanc1; Frank gulsbed British offker. Thi' horse was 11re- Y. and Hiram Y. Kaufman. These two eon• 1ented to Oen. Washington. lie stotlone,I a Inherited their father'• eatatc. Three men ,quad of aoldlera on the preml1ea to guud were appointed to divide the estate ■ atllfac• thl' horte, which waa kept In an old Jog torlly between tho two aone, The1 were 111, 1t1ble that stood on the Knutman homest~1d, ano four 1ear1 old reepect1,el1. Frank Y. Thi• ,table haa alnce been burned down, but Knufmnn, the eldest 10n, received the part a new atablo waa erected on the Identical on which the old home 1tood. lie we ■ mar• 1pot and tbla hlatorlcal lnchh•nt aBBorhted rled to Hannah D. Clouaer. Thie 11 a part with It. During the war n rom1111ny of ·101• of the old original tract and b7 1927, next dlus wu encamped In the old orrhord, north rear, this wilt have ooen In the famll1 name o( the homeatead. for 200 7ear■• Thie Is run a ■ the Frank Y. Kaufman R11tate, by hi• children, Sara K. On Sept. 14, 1807, Jacob (II) wu mnrrled Oertolet, Rmll1 K. no1er, Rllaabeth K. at the arc of IIO years, to Sulftnnf\ Kelm, Kruger, all of Ole1; Rn. Uuld C. Kaufman, dnushter of John and Snllftnnn Wt'ldner Kelm, Rma111, J,ehlgh county, anti Rev. Ro1er C. at the age of 2-t. There 111 a lltlle rournnce Kaufm11n, of Woodetock, Ill. Two diu1htere, connected with thla part of the family. Beckie and Mary Koufmnn, preceded their Jacob (II) 10,·ed R111anna Weidner. hut 1be fnther In death. A areal many of the famlly lond John Kelm more, yl't 11he promlsetl It are burled In the old arueyard and on the 1he 1hould ever horn n da111hter, J11rob ml1ht 11remlse1, ln('ludlng Jacob I, JI, Ill nnd IV. woo her. This la exactly what happened. John Kelm had n ilaurhter, 8u1nnna. Jacob Kaufman vl ■ lted and aometlmea rocked her Btrll/1' ABOUT 1786, In her cradle. When ehe w111 2-t yean olll 'fhe preaent houee on the premhe1 wae 1he married him. The1 had four 1one, Jacob built about J706. The old 8wl11 barn w,111 (Ill), hnac, Daniel and David, two dau1h• Nectetl eRrlll'r. Henry Conrad, the tennnt tere, Rather, wife of Daniel Orleaemer, Ole7, on the !<"rank Y. Kaufman farm, 1101 lived and Hannah, wife of Daniel LeVan, Oley. thne for 80 yenra and hie father h11d bee·• Jacob (11) died April 27, 1848 aged 86 1eau. the tenant before that time. The portion of Defore hie death he had an addition built the farm that belonred to Hiram Y. Kaut• to the hou10 for hit wife to Jin In after he mon, deceased, wa11 sold to Mu. M11r1 llnrt• wu gone. Illa wife, Bu1111nna, died 27 1ear,1 m11n. Hiram Y. Kaufman w1111 married t9 later, aged 88 1ear1. Adn ~lnrtln, of Jl'nJe7 Clt1, N, J. The1 hnd two tlauirhter ■, llt'nrlettn, n1arrletl to Jnm,•• nutler, Philadelphia, and l,1lllnn, marrle•J to INIIERITS OLD HOME, •~ward Coates, Hnthoro, Mont1oml'ry count,. Jacob (Ill) lnherltbd the part of the utate llrs. Jamee nothrnber,ier and Mrs. Jn1nP.1 on which tho old home 1tood. laaac lnherlte1I Snyder arc the onl1 aunl,on of tho 111th half of the land to the north. Dadd was 1eneratllln of the Kaufman ■ In ote,. The1 born 1819 and died In 1848, a1ed 24 1ear,. are rraudda111htera of Jacob Kaufman (II). Be bad been manled to Hannah Reiff, There were no children. He was burled In the oltl Elisabeth Oelrer, Franklin Dnrr1 Whltmnn 1rne 7ard on tho premlaee. Daniel lh·ed at and ~utfl Rllaabeth Kaufmnn are tho ninth Frleden1bur1, Oley town1hlp, at the mlll reneratlon. F:llaabeth Oeh:er anti Franklin propert1. He waa married to Cathrine Knabb. H1rr1 Whltmftn are Rreat-arantlchlltlren of Thet had two aon1, Ammon, of Oley, and Ephraim Kaufman. Ruth Ellubeth Kaufman J'amea, of Readln1, and one dau11hter, Baille, la a 1re11t•grand1ln11ghter of .Ammon K, Knut married to Lewie 8chaell'or, of Fleetwood, man. l1aac Kaufman wna married to J,ur1 Knabb. The1 occuph,d " part of the old HtRte. Their LIVED 87 YEAHS IN SAME children wero Ephraim, Daniel, Jacob, Ellen, HOUSE. wife of Jamea Rothenber1er, Ole7; Emmn. Thie complete and satisfactory wife ot J11mea 8n7der, Ole1; Rebecca, wife of genealogical outline 'needs no em Anthon, Rhoad• and Buun Kaufman, &ph• bellishment, nor can It well be Im-· ralm Inherited hi• father'• homeatead, a part proved for clearness nnd Interest. of the earl1 ort1lnal tract. Re alwa71 ll\'eJ We add only n tow commonts to. there. He wu married to Wllll DeTurck, show what a rich contribution thh, who preceded him In death man, 1earr, Their family has made to Oley's nnd nil of children were Gila, wife of Edwin 8a11aman, Berks county's population. and John, married to Annie Bchaell'er, ot Most readers of this 'should know l'leetwood, Ephraim Kaufman died Dee. 9, of the long and nctlvo Iron business, 1020, HI• eon, John, own, the old homl!• whloh the Leesport branch of the ateAd. J'acob Kaufman (Ill) wn1 horn on 11 Kaufman& added to the county's part of tho old homeatelld In 1818. lie w111 wealth and prosperity, The writer " far,ner and veterlDRtlan. Ho waa marrll'd knows some of thorn as long as 60 to Marauet Yoder, dnt11hter of William years ago, Then there le that brnnch 8R Annals of the Oley V .Jlley which settled at Fleotwood, wher~ after the battle of Brandywine and today Kaufman & Schaeffer, deal from whence he _lsaued a dispatch ers ln flour, feed, grain and coal, are with orders to Gen. Anthony Wayne. dolng a pl'osperoue trade. The two Mr. Kaufman's men In 1904 dug up Lutheran mlnlste1·a of Eanaus, an Tho Lato l<~Jthrnlm Knntmnn's Homo. Annals ol the Oley Valley 89 A ).11tOGUESSlVE FAI\IILY. dl~Ungulehed horseback travelers The famlly has always boen pro and visitors elected to put up for gressive and connubially and colat the night. terally connected With the best and I ha.ve just come from the old most })romlnent famllles of Oley as cemetery here at Womelsdorf and we have seen-the Keirns, Yoders, copied tho epitaphs on these ,nn Levans, DeTuroks, Grlesemers, Lesh~ keepou' groves of long ago nnd this ers, Clousers, Knabbs and Bertolets. ls what they contain: When they married outside of the township, they associated themselves SACRED wlth good famllles, as for lnstanc(', lo the memory ot when Katharine . Kaufman married JACOH HELTZJm Jacob Seltzer, of Womelsdorf. The born Sept. 15th, 1164 Seltzers were enterprising folk of and the Tulpehocken regJon. The first departed tb'• Ure building to go up fn the newly laid Januarr IS, 1828. out town-plot of John Womelsdorf, Aged 68 7e,r1, 4 month• Sn 1762, was the hostelry of Jacob 2/t d171. . . /\::.\:_:~~~··'.• . ::. >-. ·.·.,. .. :::.- Johannos Kautrmnn Homcstcad in Malden Cre,)k, Seltzer, sr., and Into this publlo SAORF.D house doubtless tho Bon by the same to the memor1 ot name led hie bride of Oley, to be OATHARJNR BRIA'ZER come for years the hoate88 to thij She wu born II CRutman traveling public, the managing cook on the 6th dRf of Bolllember for that horde ot wagoners that uoe later, before the Union canal came, llnd de11Rrted thll life used this highway to transport tholr Ortobe~ 211, 1842 grain to the Phlladelphla market, 01· Aaed TO 1e11r1, 1 111onth furnace teams haullng their ores and 20 d1111. from Cornwl\lt to Charming Forge. The elder Seltzers are burled 1n It ahould be Interesting to all tho the same row '1hd from their epi Kaufmans ot Derks and beyond to taphs one learns that Jacob Seltzc1-. know that It fell to tho honor of er., and his wife were getting ngcct Katharine Kaufman Seltzer, moat when the presidential party were Ukely fn all her queenlleat manner guests here. Marin. Catharine, tho (a woman ot 27 years) to watt upon wife of the senior Jacob Seltzer wna Presldent George Washington nnfl born In 1786 and died 1817 and wn11 his muetrloue party from Phlladel 68 YN\rs old at the time of thP r,hla, on Nov. 18, 1798, ns the Junlo1• President's visit. So we will bellevr> mistress and hosteau, of the Seltzer thla Oloy daughter-In-law did the House of Womelsdorf, where theHo honors of 1irobably wnltlng at tho 90 Annals ol the Oley Valley table and further entertaining this features that single It out as Inter Illustrious group consisting of Presi esting to antiquarians and the his dent Washington, Robert Morris, torically curlt>us. In the tront bed financier of the Revolution: David room Is a emnll opening through the Rittenhouse, astronomer and engin south wall near the celllng, whtoh eer; Wllllam Smith, provost of the was undoubtE,dly left aa a port hole University of Pennsylvnnln, nnrt for defense ngalnst Indian depred• Tench Francis, tho land-ngent of the ators by the builder. Penns' Estate. Another feature Is the condition of the 'lime c,r sandstone threshold When the now Seltzer House wns ot the front door of this home. 1t built-still standing nnd In use lo so worn the.t a concavity of about about the beginning of the 19th cen half the stone has been made by thtt tury, we can Imagine Mr. and MrR. constant usago of many years. Jacob Seltzer, Jr. took charge n~ It reminds the writer of what he proprietors, to be succeeded after heard his father relate of a certain their demise by their son, the Into acquaintance who was building a Michael Seltzer. This was probably house for hlrnselt and when they about the year 1828, when he died, placed an eight-Inch limestone though she lived nearly 20 years threshold he remarked: "Oh! How I longer. Her sepulture hero links wish that I might live until I had our town cemetery by this Knufmnn worn this stone through by walking grave, wlth the private burial plot over It barefooted I" Surely this man ot the Kaufmans on tho homestoo Chapter XVI. THE LESHER FAMILY Patriots and Ironmasters We have reserved the three proml• EARLY CONVEYANOE, nent Oley lronmnsters - Lesher, Hunter nnd Udree-who were noted When this tract wns surveyed It pntrlots ns well, to furnish tho ma wns noted a Uberal allowance ot terial for articles which shall form four acres was thrown In tor roads tho next throe chapters of our An· nnd water courses, so that Lesher nnls ot the Oley Valley. We wm eecua·ed In tact 484 acres. We quote begin with Col. John Leshor's fnmlly the fulsome preamble of this land history, conveyance from Bhelrs to Flsh The first American pioneer of this bourn ns a matter ot curiosity, rnmlly was Nicholas Lesher, who \Vhe~u, tho late proprletnry, Wfllfom with his son, John Lesher, came to l•enn, by the name or William l'enn tho Oley Vn.lloy as early as 17 20, and of Wormh111huret In tho County of Su ■, belonged to that colony of li'rench 11u, Kaqr., by Indenture ot role1110 of the Huguenots, who poured Into thht 2nd ond 20th do71 of April, Anno Domini, section ot Ponns)•lvnnla, In the 1082, did arnnt, release nnd confirm unto second nnd third FARM TRANSFERRED, HEED SIGNATURES AND AO• KNOWLEDGMENT, After Nlcholne Lesher's dt>ath, the When Nloholas Lesher ln 1747 or son, John, paid more attentlo., to J749 deeded over his 214-acre farm agriculture and less to the lro;1 In• to his son, John, the slgnature11 of dustry, since he now owned (beforo hoth hlmselt and hie wlte were le 1760) one of the finest farms of Olt-y gally called for and the tollowh11; In the forks ot the Junction of the forms are attached to this legal In smaller Manatawny, with the larger strument: "Nlheel Lese her and stream. On February 24, 17 4!), Marla Johannestlu· Leecherln." Nicholas made virtually n gift of this Of course ther-, Is the German farm to his son, John, who was des form and usage apparent In these tined to become the noted Revo!·J• 11,rnaturee, Nicholas, written as most tlonnry soldier, known thereafter as commonly spoken and tho 'c' added to the English form of Lesher, tho Col. John Lesher, samo as In Fisher the German form The farm consisted of 214 acres being Fischer, The wife's feminine suffl~ .,r 'In' to her name ls the Ger nnd was conveyed as stated In the man way ot expressing Mrs. and Is deed "out of pure Joye and affec used constantly, The acknowledge tion," and for a nominal sum of ment, dated Feb. 24, 1760, refids as 160 pounds. To IN THE REVOl,UTION, who first (17 32) located In Sklppach, or else of Jacob Lesher who, In 1732, On April 17, 1775, this battlo was arrived In America an ~lal'k<>r 1•hwcd by Jllstol'lc Society or Dorks Count)' In 1924, so valuable a. property, namely 220 on the name-plate of thifl stove he pounds. The same day were trans nret learned to dlstlngu,r.h the let ferred to him the one-third ot three •ers of the alphabet an t many a other large landed tracts namecl winter evening It roasted hls ehlnu Lesherton, Leehervllle and Conten as he, with e. row of brothdr& and tion, respectively In Earl townsh' 1, playmates plnyed "Blumsook" and "Hulley-Oully" on the long wood THE TREXLER FAMILY. chest that stood back of it, Thht In due time (1793), Jacob Lesher was hie first Introduction to the set up forges In District township name, Trexler. In the year~ to and In 1796 he built the Mary Ann come, an elder, now sainted brother, Furnace In Longswamp township on the late Rev. A. D. Croll, of Lyons, the Little Lehigh Creek. He lived married Into thte family, namely for a while In Longswamp and Allee C. Trexler, second daughter of bought more lands, most of It forest Dr. Leeber and Elmira (Shindel) land In the nearby· Lehigh moun Trexler, of Longswamp. Dr. Trex• tains. In 1796 he secured the water ler wae one of Reuben Trexler'a right on the Little Lehigh by pur eons and received the maternal chasing the grist mtll from Adam maiden surname as hie Christian Hovarter and Jacob Rlcheteln, thf' name. Annals ol the Oley Valley 95 BURIED AT HOllESTEAD, tor of all the Trexters of Berks The Trexlere descended from county. In both Berks and Lehigh Peter Trexler, who emigrated to counties, under the names of Lesher Amerloa from Germany prior to and Trexler and Morgan an Stove CaHt at Snll)' Ann l•'urnaoo 100 Years qo, Aaa,Ja ol tb~ Oley Valley 97 Chapter XVII' THE HUNTER FAMILY Early Ironmasters and Patriots We are uoder obllsatlons to ms FIRST VENTUl\lll. Charles H. Hunt,,r, of Reading, for much of the famlly data in this Mr. Hunter's first venture ln the sketoh. His valunble paper read at iron busln'1sa was in 1798, when he the unvelllng of the marker set up gnlned possession of the Dlatrlot at the &ally Ann Furnace by .the His Furnace on Pine Creek, a branch of torical Soolety of Berka coun1.y, on the Manatawny. This waa Dletrlot the socidy'a pllgrhnage in Septem Furnace No. 2 orlgtnally buflt by ber, 19~4, eets forth much of the wnuam Pott, and then owned by hta lnform~tlon here given. son, John, who sold out to Nlcl.lolu LikrJ the Leahers, the Hunters Hunter, (.first written Jaeger rr Iaeger, the ln 1803 Mr, Hunter obtained poa O~rman for Hunter), were early te88lon of . the Sally Ann Furnace Oley Pioneers. property In Rockland township by 'rwo brothers by this name, Nioho purchase from Valentine Eckert, wh<1 laa and Anthony Iaeger (Hunter), bf1gan the manufacture of Iron here arrived In America In 1788, and In 179.1, Mr. Eckert was owner settled oloae together in Oley town of another furnace ln Richmond ship. township, known as the Moselem One of these, Nloholu, beco.me the furnace, famous Iron maeter and the pro genitor ot moat ot the Hunte,•s now Mr. Hunter conducted the· Iron In this part of the State. Hts home busJneBS at this Rockland !ttrnace stead was located at the northwest ftom 1804 to 1825, when he retired, angle made by the Oley piko, where and this fumace, Joco.ted on Saucon Kletter's toll-gate formerly stood, Creek, south of Bowers Statton, on south of the OJoy ohurohea. the East Ponn Railroad, came Into Among the earlleat Iron masters of the poesesaton of his son and late BerkfJ county wru, Nloholaa Hunter, partner, Jacob Van Re.ed Huntflr, The Uat Included auoh men as w1'0, having married Sally Ann Thomas Rutter, John Potts, John :Fisher, a daughter of Henry Fisher, Lesher, Nlkoll and :Mlller, Michael of Oley, now named the furnace tor Reta and Garrett Brenner, Valentine hts wife. Specimens of ten-plate Eckert, George Ege and Nicholas wood stoves may ettll be seen with Hunter. the Sally Ann Furnace stamp. The two brothers, Nicholas and Pots, kettles and· other ware were Anthony, arrived In America in 1738 n1ade here. Nicholas Hunter moved and settled In Oley, It waa the aon to hie home In Oley and there died of the elder Nicholas also named ln 1828. He started his six sons In NJoholas_ who became the noted tron the tron )mslness. rnaater. His career waa eventful. When but 18 yeare ot age, the Rev olutionary War broke out and be at ms FAMILY. once offered hla senloes and en The following table gives n history listed in Capt. Daniel Reift's Com pany ln the 6th Battalion of the of his family: Pennsylvania. Mllltta, He reached the rank of major before the war J--,~lrholu Hunter, the emigrant, arrived olosed, and was then elected one of In Ole1 In 1788; married Ann Reatoa Hllle1.ae, the Judges of the Berks <'OUnty duuahter ot John Fmncl11 110d II relative or courts and re-elected to the &&me of Mlrhael lllll<'iR8, ftret trensnrer of the United floe for a ~cond term tn 1188, Ht& States, who served from 1771i to 1189. He died wife wu Hannah Van Reed, a a11d wa ■ burled ln 'Oley In 1761S. He Wftl twice daughter of l-Ienry Van Reed, a Hol• m11rrled nnd left n widow and seven rhlldren, lander, who settled In Amity town · two of whom were the Issue or his ae<.'Ond ablp In 1750, wife. 98 Annals ol the Oley Valley Grave of Ool. Danlol Hunter. Aaaals ol tbe Oley Valley 99 JJ-:,Jlcbola1 Hunter, Jr., bom 1168, married IS, liar, A. Hunter, who beca111e the w1ft of Hannah Van Beed; w.. officer lo ne,otutlon, fCamuel o. lfa7er, of a prominent Llncuter twice electei, Judre of Berka count, couru, camu,. He waa ma1or ot Readlnr from 1811 noted lronmuter: died In Oler, 1828. lie left a ~1ffl, ' t11nll1 ot 1lx wne and alx dau1tlter1, u O. J. Nlcbolu Bunter, who married Sophia tollow11 8wo7er, of a well•known Lehl1h count, 1. Jacob V. B. Bunter, m. 81111 Ann r11htr, 110111,. 2. Nichol.. V, B. Hunter, m. Hannah 7. Luc1 F. Hunter, who became the wtte or 8panf, William )(. se,tei't, eon of Simon 8e7fert, 110 8. Henry V. R. Hunter, m. L7dla Scholl, lronmHter. 4. Danlfll V. R. Huntei', m. U1r1 Kemp. 8. Jacob Hunter, who married lfarr 0111- IS. Samuel V. R. Bunter, m, Brianne De• aenhalner, a daurhter ot BeY, r. w. O.lutn• Younr halner, Jr., or New York, a well-known Lu• 0. John V, n. Hunter, m. Ana Heimbach, theran mlnlater, and alao later ldentUltd with The dnuabtera were: tho Iron lndu•tl'7 ot Penn171Tanla. 7, Marr V, R., who manled Jacot. Orlen• o. Henr, A, Bunter, who married Harrlt!t me,. MIiihoiland, dau,titer of Jamee Mlllbollan1, 8, Ann V. B., who married Joh~Duta. who, In 1872, \\'II Republican candidate for 9. BIIMbeth V. R,, who marrlfd William Con("eH. llotten,teln, 10. JDmma JD, Hunter, who married her ftrat 10. Catharine v. n., wbo marrltd Dewalt <.'OUlln, Daniel 8. Hunter, who 111IO WII ID Bieber. ltonmute,. • ll. euunna v. n., who married John r11her, MOVFA3 TO READING, 12. lfar1aret v. R,, WI~ remained UD• matrted. In 1846 Jacob Van Reed Hunter We notl<.'e two 111arrlecl Into the Uenr1 · moved from Rockland to Reading rtaber famu,, and tbu1 connected with an• and bought, with hla brother Nich other patrtotlo tamll1 of Heldelber1 towo1hl11 olas aa partner, the ha.lf•lntereat orl1l111ll1, •Ince Hen.., rt ■ hei' wu a aon of In tho Reading Iron Works. then op Peter, who ,vu a eoldler of the Rnolutlonar1 eratod aa Seyfert, McManua & Co. Later he took over hie brother's War, aenln1 In 0.pt. John Ludwt1'1 com• share. Then ha ene,'lged In building panr, ftnd hi• wife w111 .ApJ)()loola Eckert, of and contracting, and erected a row the fkkert famll)' or western Berke, alread7 of houses on the northeast corner mentioned. 'l'hrou1h Mr ■• Hen.., J'laher the1 of Fifth and Spruce atreets, Reading, were connected with the Rutha, Epler ■ and which became known as Hunter's llle1tere, of I.i0\Ver He1.J9lber1 nnd Bern town• row. ■ hip,, lfrt. Henl'7 rtlber w.. a balfaleter r.f OoYemor Joreph Bleater, while lier father, He "weathered through" the panlo of 1856-51 by keeping hfs men em• CJlrfttllb Ruth, WII anoth\'r 1oldler In the ployed and paying them In flour, Be~lutlon, ha1'1n, aened lo Capt. Dtnlet wheat, potatoes, whisky and tobacco De'l'11ttll'• comp1n1 ot tlle Third Battalion ot becauae of the tlghtneu of money. tbe Berka Count, Brt11de, commanded b7 Tho Iron, meanwhile, waa stored In Col. Mlcbael Llndenmutti. ~e~dlng on the rear of his houses 111-llr, and Mn • .Jacob \·au Reed Hunter·, In Hunter's row, and sold when times thll4ren, ell bot'b at tbe Sall, Ann Furnace, became better at a food price. He Wtrtt died on March 1. 1 61, In his 71st 1, Jame, J'rederlclr, who died II member• )·ear, while hie wlte survived him i,lect ot the State Le1l1lature before be conlit by six years, during which time the quallt1, be: ·-r eln1le and 11ld ,o hue been Bally Ann furnacg was operated by tbt 1ounr:eat member erer elected to the members of his famtly. Le1lelatun. This branch of the family le still 2. Sarah Hunter, who married Horati., well represented ln Reading and Tlle•ler, .on of Reuben, an lroomuter of other parts of the county. Much of ton11wamp, who ll)IDt tbe latter part or bl• the good blood of the older ·~en lite In Readtn1, where bit fine man1lon 1>11 eratlons ls preserved In the younge~. South J'lftb 1treet 1UU 1tand1, now the homo It lleems to have lost none of lts of the Jlllk1 Lodae. Be wu proniloent tn hi• charaoterlstlcs or humanitarian day, anll a benefactor, havln1, amonr other charity and publlo spirit, as anyone ,ttta, donated tbe pipe l'rran to St. Jam,• wlll testify who intimately knows the Luthu111 Ohurcb of that cit,, . scions of our. day and le acquainted 8, 8uaan M. Hunttt, wbo married the l1t11 with their deede of· community fur BIY, F, A, M. Kellel', tor l001 1eara putor therance of the good unto better of 8t, Jamee Lutbtran Oburch, Beadlnr. ment. 4. Oharlea B, Hunter, who manled Emily II. Nlcbol100, daurhter of Dr. Jamea S. ~lrh• l\llt, OHARLES H. HUNTER. t1l1on, 1001 a well-lrnown ob11lclan r,t Among the~e ranks high Mr. Beadln,, Charles H. Hunter, a son of Jacob 100 Annals ol th, 01,y VaJJ,y Annals of the Oley Valley 101 Nicholas lluuter, Oreat•Orandfather ot c. H. Hunter V. R. Hunter, who was a l'l'aduate Nicholas Van Reed Hunter's life of Princeton College and University was mostly spent In the management of Pennsylvania, aided In the organl of the Moaelem furnaces, whlch had za.Uon of Medical Aasoclatlon of their own history, and later In the Reading In .1860, and was its 11rst Reading Iron Works. Space floes not treasurer: waa prothonotary of the permit us to go into this. He passed county In 1861 to 1864; waa a local his closing years In Reading, and left mllltary leader and In time of Clvll hla family of four sons and three War helped to recruit a regiment daughters to enrich Its oltlv.enahlp. and went to the front in 1862 as The eons walked In the father's ways. captain of Company E, 11th Regi The eldest daughter, Catharine, be ment Pennsylvania Volunteers, and came the wife of Dr. Hiester H. tn 1868 was sworn in as colonel of Muhlenberg: Caroline, the youngest, the 42d Regiment Pennsylvania Vol married ·Henry S. Eckert, another unteers, composed of Berks county Iron master. oompanlea, and advanced from Har In like manner have the other sons rleburg to the Potomac at the time of Nicholas Hunter, Jr., 1>romot8d the of Lee's Invasion, and in U.64 served Iron Industry of Berks. the army as surgeon. He died In R·eadln« in June, 1876 and was sur C.AMl1J WITH ms BROTHER. vived by hls widow and ftve children: Jaoob, V. R,, Charles H., Jamee N., The career and descendants of the Henry M. and Edward Clymer. brother hnmlgrant, Anthony Hunter, Hunter, are llkewlse of great historic Interest 102 Annals ol the Oley Valley ·------··------.. --~--~~ --- ( 1Ustorll'al Marker at. site of old &\Uy Ann Furnace. Annals ol the Ole1 Valley 108 to students of Berks' Industrial, pa stltuency, (See proceedings of Con• trtotlo or famtty history, gress tor July 13, 1778), He wns a fellow emigrant from the He represented Berke county fn Lower Pa.lattpate (Rhein Pfalz), the first Provlelonal Conference held with his brother Nicholas, and made In June, 1776, and was a tfelegate his home In Oley In 1788, settllng a to and took conaplcuous part In the llttle to the west of hls brother's proceedlngi, of the convention of homestead. In tho Pennsylvania delegates which met In July, 1116, Archives, Eecond Serles, Volume 2, In Philadelphia, and whtch laated page 298, hfs name Is found among a two months and adopted \he Deola• list of persons who were naturalized ration of Rights that Is a form of fn the year 1740, when hfs name was government for the province of changed from Jaeger to Hunter, Pennsylvania, lte ftrst constltutlon. though Jn thA tax Usts of Oley tor He was a member of the First Gen 1769, the German form ls stlll maln eral Assembly ot the State and wu talned. Hts tax b111 tor this year ts twice re-elected (1777-1788), !mt fourth tn the township, having patd while serving ln this capacity waa U6, while hts brother Ntoholl\s palcl ll1 8, but £80. Only John Lesher, Casper suddenly taken and died Feb. Orlescmer and Samuel Hoch (Htgh) 1783, nKed but 41 years. patd moro than he. He died tn 1769. From his will wo learn that other His oldest .son, Daniel Hunter, chlldron of Anthony nnd Ablgall- shon'> forth during the Revolution• Huntol' wero In their order: Cath ary War period and beyond as a ntlne, rnnrrlod to Unlzar Goehr; bright luminary of Oley. First we Henry, who married Elizabeth - find him pnymnster In the army, and a. lady from Maryland; FMdorlc'<, then rising to be colonel of a regi who at hfs father's death, was still ment, that pnrtlclpated In the bat• single; and Ellznbeth, slnglo at fath tlo of 'l'renton, N. J., where Gen. er's death, but later wns r1,arriod to Washington took 1,ono Hessian Ellns Hcdchc. prisoners. At the battle t1f Brandy Whitt\ this family tree ls not as wine his command and that of Gen. well known to the wrttor, we find Udree served as Washington's Re tl\llt Martin D. Hunter, of Stony serves. An Interesting and urgent Creek Mills, ts a worthy scion of letter fs preserved showing how he this stock, Surety, In consideration stressed the Importance of Imme of all these strong family sketches, diato mllltary and commtBSary as no ono will darf' raise the question, sistance from his native Berks con- Can any good como out ot Oley? 10, Aanah ol the Oley Valley Annals of the Oley Valley 105 Chapter XVIII. GENERAL UDREE'S CAREER An Iron-Master, Legislator and Military Hero Thero le one character who be In the ll'on lnduetry of his uncle, longs to the Oley Valley, but who Jacob Wlney. Mr. Wlney was then Is dlfterent In a number of respects Interested In the Moselem and Oley from most of the others, whole forges and furnaces. As enrly as careers we have sketched In theso 1778 we find Mr. Udree a partner "Annala." with his uncle a.nd others In the In the . first place he was Amer ownership and operation of the Oley ican-born and came to the valley furnace, and subsequently he he when already the ftret settlements came the sole owner of this and thP. were made, ~ockland furnaces. Nor was he of the stock who The history of the Oley furnace may be briefly summarized. It hne came earler a.nd dominated ths set been thus constructed and given b~ tlement - the Rwedes. Quakers, that diligent research genius or Read.Ing, Mias Owen, through her sister, Mrs. Steinmetz, and by the kind hands of Rev, I. S. Stahr, of Oley, It came to me, f:lB tollowR: SKJiYroll OF OLEY FURXACE. Au1. 18, 1H4, a tt'act of 'and In Oley Townlblp WU ,ranted to DledrlC'h Welker. On tbl1 tract he erected • tumace. How 100n after 1744 the furnace wu ererted 11 not known. Thi• he ~lled the Shearwell Furna~!!. Be manufactured • 1to,e on which the name Shearwell furnace appeara. April 10, 1769, • warrant waa 1tanted to Diedrich Welker, Benjamin Swope and Peter Bai'pel for 800 acrea of land In Ole7 Town1hlp. NOY, 10, 1760, Swope and IIArllt'l 10M their l11tere1tii to Dietrich Welker nnd \\'111111•11 Jda7berr7. April ~. 1162, Welker berame 1ole ownet. In 1768, Welker borro\\·ed UOO fron1 John Leiber, who In return wu arantt'd the rl1'1t ot 1ettlnr ,vood from H acre, HT pt'tchu of l\laJor General Daniel Udree. wr<>dland. Aur. 8, 1768, land ftnd furnat'l' i&Ohl Chy French Huguenots and Germans. 1herlffl to Chrlatlan 1.owl'r, Jacob Wine,- 11n'1 Nor did he leave a progeny to per Uenr1 6mlth, with the tese"atlon of the petuate hie name, nor for long hie woodland to John Leiber. blood In Oley, though ne did his lffe The new owneN built another furnace In work here, and here ended hie day., 1772 and aa late a, 1786 both furnaC'e ■ wne and lies burled In Its eon. The last operated. ot his descendants passed away In In 1178 the furnace• were ,old 10 Daniel Oley some years ago. A remnant or Udree and Jacob Lever 8e7ler. atlll with the two ot them stlll Jive fn Reading r,y rese"atlon of the woodland to John f,elher. the name ot Snyder. The price paid wae £2,000 Penn11l\1lula Daniel Udree was born In Phila mone7. In 1801 Daniel Udree bourbt hi, delphia on Aug, 6, 1751. He seems pat'tner'1 ahare tor H,800. to have been of English or Scotch At the df'ath of Daniel Udree In 1828, the ancestry. though this le not certain. furnace became the 11ropett7 of Jacob ~. In early manhood (1768) he came 8n7der. l..ater the name of the ftrm na to Ole~. brought hither as a clerk Snyder A DewHt. 106 Annals o/ the Oley Valley .\ftu them l'nlm, ~mn & Co. be<'ame the Then the chal'(:oal burner look charge. owners; aftl'r that Samuel Merkl•) & C def'fllY r.-llgto111. Indeed the rnost attractive neighbor. His body wns In.id to rest 11arl or the picture, as I recall II, was pre· In the Reformed Church graveyari.l gi,uted on ea<'h 11ucceulve Sundn)· mornlni;, at the Oley churches, where a monu when manager and workers and thl'lr fomlll•·~ ment marks his tomb. It contaln!i \"iended their wa)· down this -valle,· an!I 1:11 the following epitaph: ,·ooder bill to the vlllaire rhurrh at 1-'rleden•• Zum .-\ndenkeo burg, where He,·. T. T. Jaeger and lt<'L I'. 1. von A. Hoffman prel<."hed to thc•m th1• ~lmpl•J Oeneral Daniel Uitree Oosfl(>I by whlrh they lh·ed their altn11IP but Er wurde geboreo In Phlladelpbla den !Hen Auguat, 1761. devout IIH's." Er dlente Im Re,·olutlone-KrleJ ala Captain, apa therhln als General. lffi. UDUEE'S PUBLIC Sl~H\'ICES. (This word should bo "Colonel," u be onl1 rose to the rank ot major general during the ~1r. UdreQ was always a 1>ub~:c War of 1812.) s1>lrlted man. At the outbreak of In det Oesezgebuog, Penne7lv1oleoa und Im the Revolution he sacrlflcc den 16teo Jul1, 1828. ness for the patriotic en use of lib· Selnes .\lters 70 Jahr, 11 Monat Uod 10 Tag. ert~• and lnde1>endence. He rost, Aus klndllcher Liebe 1et1ten die Selnlireo from a. colonelcy to that of major dleses Denkmat. general of the Mllltln. of Berks nnd Hube aanft In Jeoen herrllcben Hoben, Hube sanft nach au1gerun1ener Kratt, Dauphin counties. At the Battle of His wlr eloat un3 alle wleder eehen Brandywine It Is said, he hnd n Und un• J<'11111 alie Ruhe acbatt. horse shot from under him. On hl:i return to private )lfe he was honored The translation of the above ls as by his county In being selected to Collows: represent It for several terms In the lo Memor1 ot Pennsylvania Oenernl Assembly, and Oene,al Danie\ Udree for two terms as Congressman fo1· lfo WU born ln Philadelphia, Aur. ti, 1'161. He served fn the Revolutlonar7 War u the termB of 1813-16 and 1823-25. c-a11taln, later •• general (colonel). Jo the He also participated in the War of J,egh,111ture of l'eno1:,1Yanla and In Conirre11 1812. Despite this public servlcP. hl' wu ever l>Usllr emplo1ed tor tbe 1Jood ot he isupervlsed his private buslneits his countr1, He died the ltlt.h da1 of July, Interests. His farm, a flour m\11 1828, aged 70 yura, 11 montba and 10 dar,. His kin hue ertcted thle monument out of which he erected on his Oley estate, ftllal love. and his two furnace properties, were Heat aoftlr In yon glorloua helirhte, well managed. · Tho mlll Is still In Re•t auttl1 aftel' well-apent etreo1tb, a·unnlng order over a century nfter t1 ntll we all ahall renew our sights Its erection. 'fhls lnrge bvslness And Jesus bring all to our rut at length I made him the largest taxpayer oC In the early decades of the 19th the county during the Inst few yea1-.1 century, when the local mllltla of of his Ute. . Oley kept up its organization and It'! Hls only daughter, Mnrln, ma•·· drllJs and parad(!B, Mr, Udree took rled to Jacob W. Snyder, lnherlted an actlve part ln their promotion the entlro estate and had ·the man and their mid-summer "battalions" sion enlarged and remodeled. l:l'our (public cJress parades), when he 8J>Rh of driving horses were added to served as major general for years. the stable eatabllshment and about In this capacity he was a much im 200 acres of udjolnlng land put lnh, portant and admired character, the park .. Jlke order. The place became hero and admiration of many n noted for lavish hospitality. Guests youth of this section of the county. came In conches nnd carriages ~rom As• Representative in the State As places as tar as Philadelphia. sembly he favored leglsla.t•'ln rela In polltlcs Oenern.l Udree wns 'l tive to public Internal lmprovemen~ Democrat, and during his Inst term then before the State of Pennsvl• In Congress the campaign be• vanla. · tween Jackson and John Quincy Adams was fought, resulting In the election of Adams as President, HIS RE\'01.,UTIONARY CAREER. though Mr. Udree brought In a vast But It was as a Revolutlonan majority of Berks votes for Jackson. soldl0r that he out the most Im portant figure and cast the longes~ shadow In the publlo eye. That OLEY IN MOURNING. diligent student of loo'al history and Personally he was a flne looking, biographer of Berlur, Morton L. well developed man, sllghtlv belo., Montgomery, has given us a com the medium height, and oourteou~ plete portrayal of his military rec-, and agreable, wlth a convereatlonal ord. Inasmuch as the three mlll manner that was quick and nervous. tary officials of Otey, sketched In At his death Oley mourned the de• these "Annals of Oley" have been parture of a great end honored given ln the same paper by Mr. 108 Annals of the Oley Valley Montgomery, we shall Include the "Hunter's Battalion - H e n r y RevoluUonary War services also of Knause, Colebrook.clale; • Charles Cols. John Lesher and Daniel Hun Crouse, Longswamp; Jacob Whet• ter In thle quotation: "The lmmedl stone, Brunswick: Conrad Geist, a.ite occasion that called out the Read!ng; John MoMurray, Rob Berke Mllltla wrui the lnvanlon of eson; John Lesher, Oley. the British Into Pennsylvania vln "Undree's Battalion - S t e p h e n Chesapeake Bay In the summer of Crumrine, Colebrookdale; Peter 1777, which brought on the battles Smith, Reading; Conrad Minich, of Brandywine and Germantown In Brunswick; John Rightmyer, Read September and October of that year. ing; John Esslngton, Union: George Washington's army had been en Batdorf, Bethel. camped at Wllmlng,ton, from whence he struck out to Intercept AT BATl'LE OF BRANDYWINE. General Howe's move to reach Philadelphia In his round-about wav ''During the Battle of Brandywine from the Chesapeake. Mr. .Mont· the left wing of. Waehington's army gomery says: consisted of General Armstrong's Pennsylvania. Mllltln, In which were "Shortly before, on August 20, both Berke 'battalions, locatett two battallons of Berks County about 1 ~ mlles below the main Mllltla, under the command or Col. army for the purpose of protecting Daniel Hunter and Col. Daniel the 'lower Corda. Colonel Hunter't1 Udree, were reported at Cheste1·, th'.? Battl\llon was a part of Potter's Br~ former with 848 men, and the lnttel' gad3, and Colonel Udree's a part of with 297 men, they having been Irvine's Brigade. While varlou:J mustered Into service on the 16th of moves were made of this force dur thait month. ing and after the battle, It does not appear that this wing of the army ORDER COMPLIED WITH. saw much of the fight, though tradl• . "Col. Jacob Morgan, the lieuten lion claims a horse was shot from ant (principal mllltary officer) o: under Colonel Udree. the county, had received orders from "During all Washington's maneu the E'xecutlve Counoll of Pennsyl vers this fall and In the Battle of vania on July 28 to organize one Germantown these Berks battalion, class of men and forward ·them share~ the hardships and fate of his forthwith to Chester, unde~ the com nrmy. 'l'wo additional battallom1 mand of proper officers, and he ·re~ frvm Berks were called for, one of J>lled on the 80th that he would ex which was commanded by Col. ert himself to do so. On August 1 i Michael Lindenmuth with 283 ln !dX he addre88ed the following letter lo companies, and another under th'9 the Councll In reference to his com command of Col. Joseph Hiester. pliance with the orders: comprlslns six more companies, with 268 men In all. The captq.lne or "I hue J1111t now bad tb11 honor of II letter Col. Lindenmuth'• command were: from you of the 111th lo1t. by expre11, order• Sebastian Lentz, Rockland; Jacob tnr the eecood clue of mllltla of thl1 county Rodearmel, Richmond: Francie Um to march. ·u la with areat pleaaure J can benhower, Bern: Daniel DeTurck, Inform you that we hne alread>· marche1I Aleace: John Wagner, Bern; Danlt'l two claut'1, hnlor underttood the order of Womelsdorf, Heidelberg. Those of lilt Excellcnc7, the Prealdent of the Councl:, Col. Hlester's Battalion were: (Ir the 8ht of Jut Harcb, In .t letter from Jilm Capts. Jacob Roth, Amity; Jacob of that date to me, to Intend the marchlnr Dreibelbis, Greenwich: Sebastian of two dlHen. It 11 pte ■ umed that the Emertoh, Bethel; Peter Nasel, areater p,att of the 12 compaolee of ,;·hlrh Reading: John Graul, Reading, and theee two clauea coosl1t, are by tbl• time Conrad Weiser, Heidelberg. These at Cheater, a ■ •nerat of them went from .four mllltla battalions of about 1,200 th11 town the week before Jut, others lut men from Berks County partici week and the Jut compan7 7e■ terda7. The pated In the Battle of Germantown whole number lo the two cla11e1, otBcer'I amt on Oct. 4, 1777. Here Lieut. Willian\ i;rlvatea, are 6116 men; lo the opinion of every Whitman wu severely wounded and ()De here heart, and able men, ftt to take thr Phlllp Ludwig, of Reading, wns field aratnat our Inveterate enemies. The two killed at he Chew House fight. battalion ■ are commanded b1 Col,. Danllel While encamped at White Marsh, Bunter and Daniel Udree. after the battle, the strength of re• "The companies of these two bat BJ)ectlve battalions was reported a.a talions were commanded by the fol follows: lowing captains, the placee after tho "B11nte·r•1, ftve com('enlea wltb HT men. Udtee •• 1lx companlea with ffl men. names Indicating their residence and Lindenmuth'•• two companlu with IJO men. the vicinity from which the men n1e1ttt'1, three comnanle1 wltb 164 men. were raised: A total of l,018 men. Annals ol tbe Oley Valley 109 "The publlshed plan of Washing- . field, or else tolled and oontrlbute1 ton's army does not show any of goods from farm, factory and tnr.: these battallons of m1lltla to have nace to win the war, 11ft their been quartered at the Valley Forge het-1.ds today as the sons and daugh• encampment, so it ls presumed that tcrs of the Revolution, and nonA they returned home, as terms or more so than the offspring of our servlce had expired/ though many heroic leaders, Cols. Lesher, Hunter, may have re-enlisted later In bat Udree, of Oley; Lindenmuth, Hies talions of Col. Henry Spyker and ter, Spyker, Weaver and Morgan, Cot. Jacob Weaver. The captains ot from other parts of patrioUo Berka, Col. Spyker's command were: Mich We olOBe this chapter by lnserllns ael Vogge, Richmond; Jacob Shadel, a poem by Berton Braley that seems Dern; George Riehm, Cumru; fitting after the review of three old Jacob Rhoads, Amity; Mlchae! Iron masters' successes In Oley and Bretz, Pine Grove; Conrad F.A::ker::, elsewhere In Berks, believing that Heidelberg; Henry Weaver, Tulpe: back ot success lies more than luck, hocken. Of Colonel Weaver's ba.l· that luck must be prefaced with a talion the six companies wer~~om "p" (pluck) and action with manded by Captq, Daniel Reiff, Oley; thought. Henry Egner, Longswamp; Ferdi nand Ritter, Albany; Sebastian Mtl ler, Cumru; Phlllp Krick, Cumru; THE THINKER. David Morgan, Caernarvon; Jacob Back of the bea Unr hammer b7 whlrh the Kraemer, Bethel, and Phlllp Filbert, lteel 11 wrourht, Heidelberg. It seems they gave Back of tbe workahop'1 clamor the ,eeker maJ some guard or reconnoitering scr,· Gnd the thou1ht; tce, for they were known to be In The thought that 11 ever maeter of Iron and Montgomery County at the time ettatn and ateel, ,when Washington's army went Into 'That rlaee above dl111ter and tramplee 1t winter quarters at Valley Forge." :inder hee1, FURNISHED S&O WAGONS. The drudre ma7 fret 111d tinker or J1bor with Colonel Morgan carried out an lo1t7 blow ■, other order of the Executive Coun But back of hhn atand• the tblnker, the dear cil of Pennsylvania by issuing their . e7ed man who knowa; request for Berks C9unty to fur For lnlo each plow or 11bre, each piece and nish 860 wagons with the utmost part ond whole, dispatch. Thia was apportioned to lfut ro the brain ■ of t ■ bol', which 1tve1 the the various townships according to work a aool. population and assessment valu Dack Charles ll('C, l..ast Snrvh·or of the F.xctcr Friends• Meot.~ng. A l<"an1lllar Oley PerhOnaUt7. Annals of the Oley Valley lll Chapter XIX.· THE HOCH (HIGH) FAMILY Family Prominence and Reunions For over 200 yttnrs members of there decided he would get rid of the Hoch (High) family have lived hlo Pennsylvania German name by here and parhdpated in the com changing It to its English equivalent, mon and forward looking things of Fllnt. So all hls neighbors came the community. They were Hochs to know the newcomer as Mr. Flint. when the two Moravian brothers, One day another Pennsylvanian vis Rudolph and Melchior, landed here ited a friend who, speaking of hlR ln 1717 from their former home ln nearest neighbors, menUoned the Switzerland. Some of the descend name of Mr, Flint. ''Flint! Fllnt!" ants have changed their name to sald the visitor; "that ls a Pennsyl High by simply naturalizing it Into vania German name! Jt means gun, English when thell' possessors be He must be a Pennsylvania German. came themselves naturalized ln this So later this conversatlon was re Brltlsh colony. It has clung to peated to Mr. Fllnt, who that eve some of them ever since, though it ning told hJs wlfe that they were has not changed their blood nor al• dl8Covered. Their Pennsylvania ways their language, for some can Germt n origin had become known be heard to speak the Pennsylvania and they must move again and German dialect to this day, oliange their name a second time. This change of name dld not lose They forthwith moveu to Iowa and . quite ns much by AngllclzaUon as ~ were ever afterward known as Mr. few other Germans who came here and Mrs. Gunn. From Firestein to with pronounced Tuetonlo cogno Gunn ln 'two changes! Qul~ ia mens. transftlon! So ne tong ae Hoch Mr. Schwer, direct from Germany, stays High and does not Jump h' settled nearly 100 years ago in Mar Lofty, most folks wlll be able to tinsburg, W. Va., and Uvlng among recognize descendants of both En&"Jlsh-speaklng neighbors, the)' or branches of the famlly ae near kin. he changed his name to Heavy. Some years afterwards some of hlR relatives from ~rmany settled ln Sw:rrLliID IN MONTGOMERY. lllinola. They had not heard from Ru401ph Hoch temporarily settled thls cousin and brother for years. near Pottsgrove, M o n t g o m e r y· So one of them on an eastern trlp County, and Melchior In BuJks decided to stop off at Martlneburg County, upon their arrival in Amer nnd hunt up his relative. He ln ica. Melchior's two _sons, Phlllp qulre money, but he had a lot of treasures Hooh'a family conslt!ted of the fol• that he and some of his descendants lowlng chUdren: Daniel ds, Shenk descendants who have stayed on thl:' eta and Fishburne. homestead farm. A small orna Many are the scions of thltJ mental open-faced watch now near\·: pioneer Hoch family of Oley, who 800 years old ls in good condition have added luster to the name and and was last h1 the hands of one ot bleeslng to their fellow men. We the Oley kin. Phtllp D. Hoch used can montlon but a few and pick out as a whetstone a piece of petrlfted such, the story of whose achieve wood, which the immigrant brought ments are best known to the writer. over the waters. It has been found Among these who havo had -the as good as a hone to sharnen razors. energy, the wi)J and ability to push out from the even-tenored path of FAMILY BURIAL PI..OT. tollsome agriculture or useful handi craft we might mention Daniel D. Rudolph Hoch brought with him Hoch, of the sixth generation. his wife and son John when ho through the line of Rudolph's son landed here from Swft.i:erland. Hi::t Samuel. Mr, Hooh has been an ex wife died ln 1728 and her death was tensive brick manufacturer In Oley. the occasion of establlshln~ th~ e. school director, treasurer ot th, burial plot on the home farm. Hd Oley Academy tor 21 years, deacon died 20 years later (1748) and was and elder for many years ot the laid a.aide of her. Of theh· flve lions Frledensvme Lutheran Church and we have only the genealogy of two1 superJntendent ot the Sunclay school, John and Samuel. The former oc theae purchased the old homestead, buying It from or settllng for lt with POSTHAh'l ER A, M. HIGH, Wllllam Mayberry, Another of this same line of the John. mnrrlea a Mlss Herbein and slxth generation was the late Sam was the father of 11 chlldren, their uel H. High, son of Martin VanReed births dating from 1721 on. They High, He served in Company C, were Jn their order of birth: De 167th Regiment of Pennsylvania borah; Samuel, who married Esther, Volunteers In the Clvll War, waa A a. daughter ot Jonathan Herbeln, deacon and trustee ln the Oley Re Rudolph, who marrl<'d and settled formed Church, and had one son, ln Maldencreek Township, whero Warren E.t a doctor, who was phy elx sons and four daughters wero sician Jn tne U. 8. Navy and trav born and. reared; Daniel, who had eled as such to all parts ot the nine sons and tour daughtera; Marla globe. and Magdalena, twlns; John, who Still another scion was the long married Saran Levan and had one time recognized Republican leader daughter when he died In 1768; ot Berks county, who waa known u Susan; Jacob married (fL'8t) a. Ml88 A. tower of strength in his party and Welau, and (second) a Mias Fisher, . served as Reading's postmaater from with whom he had flve sons and 1899 to 1911, A. M. High. Ht was three daughters, all born and rearecl four Umes chosen a delegate to Na In Maidencreek; Esther; A'braham, tlonal Republlcan convention. He who married Susanna Wel8er and was the son ot Joel and Marie Mer• had one son, Abraham, and two kle High, and one of hla R0ns, Wayne daughters. M., la today state highway supei:ln Samuel, the second son ot Ru tendent of Berks. dolph, the Oley progenitor, married A new feather was added to his and settled on a farm near the site cap when the lnte l"ebruary blizzard of the Moravian school, a mile eouth had the entire 11tate mow-bound of Frledensburg, The clalm fa madu with a snow blanket of from one that the Hochs donated 38 acres tor foot to over throe In thickneBB, the Moravian church and school Through the efforts of Mr High and purposes. It has reverted, since the his UO men, Berks County was th3 abandonment by the Moravlaru,, to banner county In f\rst having all its the township of Oley. Samuel main highways open tor traffic. It Annals ol the Oley Valley took him less thnn · three dnys to could he seen In the valley. The)' nccompllsh It. "How Is that tor hnd disappeared like a mhit. For High?" some time they hnd been sus1>ecteit Another High, Gen. WIJllam High nnd ctoRely watched hy the settler!'. (1789·1864), son of Isaac, Hon of To excite these whites stllJ more the Samuel, son of ,John, son of Rudolp'l 1·umo1•s t!J>rencl thnt with the dls (Hoch), tho Immigrant, wm1 a gen• nJ>pearnnce or the IndlnnK, on th!:' eral In the War of 1812 with l~ng Rame night, n tnmlly or whites In Jnnd. He mnrrled Cnthnrine Vnn• Rockland Township had hE>en mur Reed and thoy were the grent ,lc,·ed h}• the Indians. It mnde these gran •·1nsT IIOl'Sl•~ IX OLEY. ·we quote the foJJowlng from nr. Bertolet'e "Historic Skl'tches of Oh•} nnd Vtclnlt)':" On the farm of Ohle1>11 Jl the1 1iene1,·ed this. 1111n, 111 he neared tho • WATCH O\"EU. 300 y)<;Ans 01,D. fort, 11r11recl · to bo the Htl:'f lndtvl4ual re. 1•orlcd to hne been munll>red ,,1th hi• f1D1• At the8e nnriuaJ gatherings thc1·e llf fwo nlabta 110 anti beside. thnt he w11 nre genernJly distributed, UBUaUy In ~tlrelJ. lauqrant of anr lndl~n morement,. the Corm of a button to be worn tor 'l'lll'lr Jo>• w1111 11l111011t lncx11re11lble and It CID the day, some souvenir of. the fam u·nrt·clr be added that the)' all returnt•d to ily, such as u miniature J>lcture or ttielr homes cre•Ur relieved for tbe time an«l Maj. Oen. WJJllam High, with rc1u11111•cl. their labora when, they had left plumed hnt and epauletted coat, u,,,111 tho liar beforP. mounted on a spirited, caparisoned ho1·se, or n picture of the old tamlJy 'l'hl• vener11blc old l111111e v:hlch ten·ed thl9 lllble, or else tho heirloom watch donhll! 1111rp••~c and ~helteretl for a ntrht au over 300 years old and brought from tho lnl111blta11t1 of this \'alley would not 1101, Europe by the first American ances be adequnte to hol~ one-tenth, tor. These meetings hn\'e been ad dressed by such Invited guests as DeB. Randolph I{elm, autho1• of TOid> JIY AGED RESIDESTS. "The Kelm and AJlled l<.. nmlJles;" Col. Henry \V. Shoemaker, Rev. Dr. 'J'hese Incidents aro related by Dr. I. S. Stahr, Rev. John llner Stoudt, Dertolet as traditions that had come former Mayor John K. Stauffer and ,lown from the elders c octogenarJ former Mayor Shnnnmnn, of Head nns) to his boyhood drtys, gh•en as ing. a·ellnble ncco1,mts nncl, In some In• In the historical addresses at stances, as the story of eyewit• these reunions ·It hns been brought ne.sses. He quoteR an aged lh·s. ,T. out thnt Hoch settlers In the south ne1lpert ae suoh a witness, as well a.1 Jnnd hncl changed their name to Phllh> DeTurck, whose grandfather, Holm, or It wns so corrupted by be Martin Shenked, told him of . the Ing correct!)' pronounced In Oer sudden disappearance of the Jnst mnn, which sounds like the l<~ngJlsh Indian, nnmEd Skan)·, ·who was hh; Hoke, nnd Crom this It Is claimed neighbor up to this time. It was thnl the late u. S Senator, Hok') surely a prearranged Instigation Smith, was a lineal descendant of that brought about this concerte,\ the Berks Countv Hochs. It le dP• and wen-timed evacuation, lnas• cJnred that Count Lehmanowsky, much ns it Is known they were per- who fought under Napoleon and was 11uaded to cast. their lot with the captured with Marahal Ney, escapeJ French and the northern and west to America, where he met Gen. Wm. ern tribes In waging this war agnln9l High, of Poplal' Neck, at n Fourth the English and to effect the ex of July celebration In Berke County termination of the frontier settle In 1817. Thl8 story Is contained In ments. the book, "Under Two Captalna." This unique ohnraoter, Count Leh For the last 16 years the clan of manowsky, afterwards was ordained Hooh-Hlghe have been holding an to the Lutheran ministry and served nual fnmlJy gatherings In some sec congregations in Corydon, Ind., an•l tion of Berks. They have had t.> other points in the then "Synod of meet In various public grounds or the West." municipal parks to accommodate thfl The Poplar Neck farm, once the large crowds which usualJy attend. home of Gen, WIJllam High and. The programs for the day consist of later of Ezra High, conslated o,·Jg music, speech-making, reading of inally, of 876 acres, which was famUy history and of course gamu deeded to Edward Farmer by the and eats. The official historian ts Penn proprletarlee M early as 1785, Rev. Thomas H. Krick, of Coplay, · long before Reading was founded. Pa., whoire door of admission to the lt was a son of the Immigrant Hoch famlJy clan Is through his material who bought this ftne estate, and his great-grandfather, Gen. WIJllam grandson, Gen. WUUam 'High, kept High, Other famlly historians na this place in auch an attractlvo sletlng In the gathering 6t the com shape In hla Ute-time. This General plete data for an American Hoch High was associate Judge of Derks High family tree are Samuel :\I. County, county commissioner and. Hoch,. the bUnd organist, of Lyonsi· member of the Pennsylvania General Rev. John Bear Stoudt and Danie Asaetnbh· and delegate to Stat~ con• K. Hoch, of Reading. stltutlonal conventions In 1888. Annals ol the Oley Valley JIS Chapter XX. THE HERBEIN FAMILY Among the Early Settlers We find thnt nnother ohl nnll hon ltnm, Lydia nnd Levi, His brother ored family name of llel'l or his daughters, one (Susan) be or n«,v.• John PhlllJ> Boehm, «1uotes c•ame the wife or Dr. \V. H. Gr1me3, a document found In lhc llornvlan or Achlson, Kun.; n son, Col. Thomas Archives of Bethlehem, which xlvei Herboln, ll\'ed In Tacoma, \Vash., us the lnformutlon thnt .lonnthnn nncl another daughter, Eliza ,)1\lle, He1·beln 01>ened his houKe to Rev. became the wife or nev. s. ~. C111- Henry Antes preal'l1h1g lhen, 1n encler, D. D., of 1\lechnnlcsburg, Pu. 1736. It Is na follows: Another member of this Oley In the year 1736, 1le11r1 ,\11tl'K c•11111e to family, John, settled In Bern Town Oler and 1•re1chetl there with hll•~11111ar. lie ship, mnrrle 4nd Lutherar 1 unite In one purposE MEETS WITH SUCOESS. lrrespectlve of creed or language. Missionary Eschenbach met with We wonder who was the progressive Immediate and wide success. He prime mover? preached In houses and barns throughout the Oley region and ANOTHER DOOUHENT. opened Moravian mission stations, or at least prepared the way tor But there ls still another docu such to be Immediately opened, at ment extant which has Jonathan Germantown, Sklppach, Frederick Herbeln's name attached and which town, Conestoga (Donegal), Tulpe gives him more historical Import• hocken, Heidelberg and Mlll Creek, ance In the neighborhood than as n possibly Hebron and Bethel In pres mere fellow petitioner tor a new ent Lebanon county. The follow township, It throws conslderf\ble Ing year (1741) a great awakening light on the Moravian religious occurs In Oley. The ancient docu movement of Oley, and we shall ment, now In the Bethlehem make free quotation from lt. Archives, reports that "Eschenbach It seems that Henry Antes' early preached d urlng the year with preaching tours to Oley were In the power and conviction. The entire Interests of his own Reformed peo township was In a state of excite._ ple, of which he was long recog ment. One saw the people In nized as one of the most pious and crowds on their way to hear the active laymen. To this faith doubt Gospel." less originally clung most of the The Moravian congregation soon early Huguenot and German Immi formed enrolled the following: grants, but at this time under the Frantz Ritter, Rude Hae (Rudolph spell of the Now Born Influence. Hoch), Jean Bertolet and wife, John Antes, as lay preacher, doubtless Heinrich Neewklrch and wife, John sought to dissuade these Baumann Leinbach, er., and wife, Heinrich enthusiasts back Into tho Reformed Leinbach and wife, John Leinbach, fold, but felt himself too weak, The jr., and wife, Frederick Leinbach able and antagonistic Rev. Welsa and wlfe, Jacob Buerstler and wife, had visited this setitlon and bitterly Stephen Shoemaker and wife, Mr. attacked Baumann by speech and I{lntzer, Jacob and Michael Vetter, printed document. Finally came John DeTurck, Abraham LeVan, - along the learned bhhop of the MtJ Keleher and wife, Casper Nein nn'1 ravians. Rev. A. G. Spanenberg. wife, Jonathan Harpeln (Herbein) who seems to have been. able t<> and wife, Samuel Hoch, Abraham turn the Ude. But while the tide ~n Bartolet, .John Leisher (Lesher), Its flow swept the Baumannlle Peter Bortolct's sons, Ludwig Hueb toundatlona away, It ebbed out ner, Abraham Hess, Matthias Hoff:-. practically everything Into Moravian man, Joseph Sheboch, Marlin Leick. channels for the time being. Jt Samuel Mann, G. Jungmann, John carried Antes himself alorig, head · J, Schnelder, Peter Schnelder, ':':ath and heart and hand, from out of his arlne Cogln, Catharine Oppln anf1 mother church, the Reformed, Into Elizabeth Schnelderln. this new cult of the Herrnhuters. So here we find Jonathan Her Jonathah Herbein was won over. He bein enrolled ·In this new-born spir had opened hlA house to Bishop itual flock, to be a congregation In Spangenberg's preaching. A new the Spirit, without surrendering hie revival was soon Inaugurated, which carJler religious tenets or denomlnn ·was destined to sweep the Oley Val ttonnl adherence. Tl1en came the ley from one end to the other. From Count Ludwig von Zlnzendorf and SpangElnberg'e and Whltfteld'e Infor his party and the Serles of Confer mation Count Zlnbendort, of Eu• ences of t 742 under his control, rope, became Interested In the Oley Herbein attended some ,of these. An situation and sent forth Andrew attempt was made to organize the Eschenbach, of Naumburg, ae mlR• various sects and denominations aionary to Oley. He reached the represented at the Oley· seaslon colonoy Oolober, 1740, and was In• (Feb. 9, 10 and 11, 1742) Into I\ troduced to the people In Oley by permanent body, when discord Henry Antes, soon making his per arOfie, A consistory was to be manent home with Johannes Lein olected by lot, whtch declarE'd JonA. bach, sr., who was a native of Lan than Herbein and Frantz Ritter gen Selbot, where Eschenbach ,·:ai:i chosen. Herbein protested, "deem• born tn~l674, and served for several Ing himself unworthy nnd lnl'npnbl& yeaM as organist in the Reformed of etdershlp." Ffnally, ·howev8", Church of which hie host's ramlly they accepted, but while attendln~ had been members before emigrat a later conference, held in German ing to Pennsylvnnla In t 728. town this same Rprlng, thny fell out Annals of the Oley Valley wtth Zlnzendort. Herbein wrote a necka. 'They wanted to ordain ua by the '--ng letter In reply to Zlnzendorf'a laying on of band• In order to better CO'D• ,·equest to state his position, from ,·~y to ua their magical powen, since ,, which we quote at length. It ahowR were expected to partake with them of the the ablllty and character of Herbein Hol7 Supper. Thia I deC'llned and told them and sheds light on the early con I would not come. Ecchenbach said that I fusion nnd disruption of the l\lo was such a auaplcloua l,rother that I should rnvJan movement In Oley The let tell him what w11 the matter with me. ter Is as follows: RETRAOES HIS STEPS, JONATHAN IU~RB1'~1N'S IJETJ.'ER. answered: "You promised ua that we Dear Friend and Brother: With 1;,,., 01•· ahoultl neither be dependent on llerrnhut or portunlt)' I desire to <'omply with your l'f'· the lloravlan brethren, but 1hould be a c1ueat to Present the course of events In l'ungregatlon or Christ. Wh7 then to be writing faithfully and truly aa follows: When ordalnl••I by m•m? Hather we 1hould Im• <'<'Ddltlona were, as they are well known lo plore nnd nwalt from the 8ulour, t1111t lie ,-ou, Eschenba<'h ume to us and spoke f,r gh·e u11 wisdom nnd ability." And thus It lK>11utlful lnatltutlons, Including tile educa rl.'malnl.'d until the next Conference, where tion of the children and the 11reaC'hln1 of the for two d&Yl! nothing hut controversial mat• Ooapel according to the pure <'Ustoru of the tera rl'gnrdlng SMioenfeld and other matters A1ioat1e1, I. 1•. without nny 1ectarl1mlsm. were brought forward. ·f.eely and without charge. And since there Yrirnta Ultler llnally uked what the \fo,·d \\U nothing ,,bJectlve In theae repre1enta "lo forbear" meant, that they et.ould Inter, tlon11 we conlfoted. He, however, demanded )lret It to him. The sly Count, beC'au1e Ile I call from UI, Which WU granted ar.•I knew whnt q11e11tton1 wero lltelr lo follow, •lrned by some. asked: "Who la It that ■ peaks." The an• llut wl1en the Count (ZlnzendorO <'Jnti! 11wl.'r came, "Frants Ritter." Whereupon the ti.ere w11 a once talk of a con1regatlon: he 11rdent ('ount broke forth In a etorm: "You wanted at on<'e lo mate ehlera and al••> ml'n from Oley, you do nc,t belong to the l1elpers and servants, whkh wu done. The'l ('()ngreg11tlon and hue nothln1 to do with he 11tve directions how a meeting hoine our <'onference." 1ho1Jld be bunt, about which a quarrel nrosl'. Then Franta Hitter arose and spoke hi~ One party wanted It simple, the oth!'r mind, anti putting hi• band on the door, 11a1J; wanted It grand and 1tately, which u of "'fhen continue In your aelf•rlghteou1ne11" old, at llabel, caused a confualon for which 111111 teft. on Recount ot thb the nre bur11t I unfortun1tel1 ,11d to bear the blame. Jle more vehemently until Onally he (Zln1en• «uee It wu I who had made the propoll• dorf) began: "Yea, men of Oley are b7po, tlon for a plain bulldlnr and moil of the <'rltea and liars, one 11hould have debarred people 1lder me, mRde a1>0lo1les and klaaed me." recognise that I bad •Inned araln1t tilt> At which I aroae and said: "Thia la an ap• 8otour In thl1 <'lie." Hut my ronaclenre parent untruth, for he c-ame to ua and did not a<'cu1e me, IJecause It wu evident kl111ed u11 and now lmpeacbe1 u,. We are not to rue that there \\'911 more of a dealre for llar11, but truti.10,·lng souls,'' :However, external 1how In thla matter before heart• 111nm no argument• were credited and Lud· 11·ere Inwardly ronverted or renewed. wl,r (Zln1endorf) apato only out ot nbe• Thi• wa ■ not without a 11peclat rnelatlon men<'e, I 111": "Here la onl1 •trite and It of Ood. For meanwhile the adherents of th~ «Jou not deepnd thereon that one belon11 to Count dahned that the Saviour had auure1 a large congregation, for the Saviour aa7s them that there ahould be a con1re1atlon Ir. that 'Where two or three are gathered to• Oley. When, by meaq_• ot the lot, the plan• gether, In ma name there will Ue be In the had been tnade, tlle1 demanded of that u11 mldlt of them,' opened the door and went we should hold conferer.cea threP tlmea ~ awa)· wt11blng them much good." 'lffek, In order to re,eel utr tbourhts to 0011 another, to act unitedly and to ron,tder how Signed J, JONATHAN llBRB&IN. beat 10111• could be won and brourht In, for The letter continues reciting the which we were tbourht to hne aufflrlen~ various steps by which Herbein and ability. Rerardlng tbl1 I 1ot Into • dhpute the leaders. of the Moravian move and I uld that I ('0Uld not ('ODtent to It. ment became utterly alienated, J'or It seemed too 1tmple 11nd trivial thro11cti The probablllty le that Mr. Her in eaally rontrolled lot to ,erure all the bein returned to hie Reforme(J neceu1r1 ability to convert eoul1. Church relations, from whence he The Count repreaented to ua that •n~h ml!,, had been temporarily swept by the truat wu only at the be1lnntn1, lie acted Moravian revival, for with tha ..-ery trlendl7, <'Ame to u,, embrared and breakdown of the Moravian Church tl11ed u, -and aald:. "I muet love my breth• In Oley and the shifting of Its cen ten." Tbtou1h thl1 mean• he de•lred to ter to Bethlehem and elsewhere, the tel ever7thlo,r right. nut there were more Reformed and Lutheran people be• dlmcultlea to be met. They thou1ht b7 gan to receive more attention from their <'UDnlng and 10,e, together with ftat• their own shepherds and thus be tery, they might rut their ro1ie• around out gan to find themselves. Annals ol the Oley Valley ]J9 Chapter XXI. DR. GEORGE DeBENNEVILLE A Noted Teacher, Doctor and Preacher Twenty-four yenra ago, then n RFSI'ORED TO HE' -· ...... resident of Lebanon, and as a side, Upon bis arrival In Philadelphia, 11 told literary labor ot love to his pastoral bf a deacendant of Chrlsto11ber Sower, tbla office, editor ot the Pennsylvania German Magazine, the writer gnth celebrated Oennantown printer of that period erfng material tor n pfl["rfmage was by repeated dreams Induced to search out thl ■ unheralded and unknown ski. refugee, article for his Journal, started out took him to hla home and restored him to from Reading over the Oley Pike to hralth, after which the latter remained for a visit some of the historic places of time In hie employ. Here he met Jean Der Oley and eastern Derks, later pub•· tolet, a rellglou1 11loneer of Oley, who In lfshed hfs lm1,resslons of thfs visit duced him to take up his abode In Oley as a to the DeBennevllJe homestead a.i teacher and phy1lclan. In 17fl5, he married foUows: lfr. Dertolet•• daughter, Esther, built his fine Olry Line! Dr turning to the right one stone homeateod near a beautiful ■ prlng that would ret to Stonersvllle and nentually to gushes from rocky limestone cavern,, and In Philadelphia. By turning to the left we a large room ~ltted out as a chapel within v.-?uld lkl to the hlllsldr, whence rise many tho same homestead, be be1an to preach the or the streams that water thl• fertile garden doctrine of Unhenal redemption to 1111cb of (Oil')'). nut we take the Scrl11tural course his friends as ftoeked to bear him. He lived and turn neither to the rl1bt nor left untll here but 10 rear■, when he removed to Ger a mile beyond, at another cN>B&n>Rd1. or part. mantown (Dranchtown), where he practiced Ing of the way,, punrtuated by that poetic medlelne, but devoted much time t" prencblDir marker-a rountry blnck&mlth Fho1-wher-1 hi ■ favorite theme of Unlver ■ al ltestoratton, we dellect for nearly a mile to the aouth to dylnr at the age of 00 re ■ rs. 'l'be Del1enne \'bit one of the rtrelt of historic 1hrlne". vllle descendant• are many and celebrated, • u)le('lallr tbO!e of the Kehn braneh. Con, Tht. Is the <'elet>rated (1eor1e DeHennevllle hc,mutead, the birthplace of Unlverulli1:n ,·er■e Cleaves, of Phfladelphla, Intermarried fnto this braneh ot the t11mll7, has publlshed In America. a booklet on the Ilk of this <'elebrated an• Thia home wu erected In 11fl5 by II rounii ceator, In whkh are narrated ~ome remark• Huguenot nobleman, l)r. Oeorge DeDenneTlllt!, 1ble experiences In this e,·entful llfe. HI• who had but recent!r emigrated to th11 fervent piety 11nd deep learnlns nior be •P· country, a son or a fugltlte from France lo preclated 'br a Iona lettH addreoed to E1ekleJ tl,oae troubloua da,-1, who had been peuonalh Ran11mel1ter, of Ephrata. lnTlted and 1heltered by William 111., 'lf Eoaland. Oeorae wu born of noble parentaro CRADLE OF UNJ\'F...RSALISM. In 1703 and hi• parent ■ drln,r 1ounr, he waic brourht (up) u a child under the peraonal The Ole7 homestead 11 DOW In the bande care of Q11een .-\nne, who save him an excel• of Mr. Jkkert, a wealthy Heading 1entleman, lent eduraUon In both thPOl01r and medt• who bu remodeled the same tor a country home and ron,·erted the chaJiel Into a ru1tlc cine. He wu C'Onven11nt and fluent fn almMt club room, known as WIiiow l..odge, and de• all European language• and beran co preach ,·oted the ume to b0dll1 real, <'onvtvlalltr to the Hu1uenota of France at the early ago! and luxurious eue, a ■ one would Infer from ef 17 rears. He was arre1ted and eondemned the fumlture, and the mottoes that adoro thl' to death, but saved ht the verf nick of time wall, ono readln,r: by a re-1irlne from the Kine (Loul11 XV.), ob Old wtne to drink, old wood to burn, tained through the En1ll1h ambauador at the Old book• t? read, old friend• to greet. ln1t11at1on of Queen Anne. After bis re Thia cradle of Untverullsm was vl11lted lease he preached to the scattered lluguenoh on June 12, 1890, br over 100 1>llarlm1, who, of .~rmany, Holland and Flanders for 1S ne delegates attended a Untverllill,,t cobven• 7ean, when, on account of tallln1 health, be tlon, then held at Reading. ernl1rated to the Sew World, with a con,lc• We will let one of his descend tlon of divine 1uldanre In ttie matter. ants give us a pen-picture or this 120 Uluetrioue character of Oley. When "After his conversion he felt him . Dr. Peter G. Bertolet wae writing self called upon to preach the Goe his "Hletorlc Notes of Oley" In 1864, pel and when 17 years old em he secured from one ot hie rela• barked for France. He epent about tlvee and correspondents, Mre. An 1 O years In that country preaching nie DeBennevllle Meat·e, of Branch the Goepel and underwent persecu town, a direct descendant of Dr. De tion, after very narrowly escaping Bennevllle, a rellabla sketch of the with his lll7e, and was confined in Ute and vlclB11tudes of her dletln prison much of his time. gulehed ancestor. Following ls from "One day whll,, they were wor her pen: shiping in some &.\eluded epot they were surrounded by a party of sol SKETOII OF DR. DcBENNEVILLE. diers and many of th~m ts.ken pri'I• "Dr. George· DeBennevllle was oners, among whom we,•q DeBenne born In London July 26, 1708. His vUle and a Monsieur uurant, a father, George DeBennevllle, was a young man of about 24 years of French refugee, who sought refuge Geneva. with his family In England, upon " 'After a month's lmprleonment the invitation of hla majesty King we were condemned to die,• he to be Wllllam, who took tender care of hanged and DeBennevllle to be be• u .. •m and employed them at his headed. court. His r.~!'ther was of the Gran vllle family, hat\ nine children In "•we were conducted to the place ftve years after marriage, having of execution and on the way Dura1,! twins tour yea,e successively, and snng the 126th Psalm and died the subject ot this sketch was tho faithfully,' DeBennevllle was then last. She died aoon after he was oonduoted tQ the scaffold and his born. The father died before hla eyes were ordered to be bound to birth. prevent his seeing, but at earneat "Queen Anne promleed that she request that was omitted. would adopt the Infant and provide "He then fell on hie knee:, and tor his education, which she tul prated the Lord that Ho would not fllled faithfully. He remained In require his bl<'od at their hande and England until after the death of the while he wae employed In so aolng1 Queen, when he went to Germany a courier arrive(\ from the King arid France and resided In the home (Louis XV.) with a reprieve for of hlo ancestors for a while. He re him, Imme,Jlately he was much de marks himself: 'After the death ot jected In his eoul. He was re-con my mother Queen Anno provided ducted to prleon at Pnrl!I, where he me with a nuree and she had the was conftned tor some time, but care of my ftrst years. When I was eventually waa llberated through 12 years old I was very wild, etc. the lnterceaslon of the Queen, At one time being present at a ball and having overheated myself, I RELEASED FROM PRISON, ordered my servant to prepare linen for me to change and as I was put "After hie release he retired Into ting it on I fell Into a fainting flt. I Germany and began to learn the had a vlslo,n of myself living ae a Jangunge with great difficulty, Ho firebrand ln hell ,and coming to my- spent much of his time among the 11etf again, I cried out, "I am Frenoh refugees nt Berlin, Me.ne dammed." Prayers were desired In burg, Brandenburg and Brunswick the French churches for ono who In the Palatinate and many other hnd lost his senses nnd wns melnn places-HolJand, Waldenses, etc .. ohoJy.' From this time dates his where he preached ln German, conviction which led ultimately to Dutch and French for 18 yeara. his conversion. "He sa.ys: 'After I had pasBed about 18 years In Germany and IN STATE OF TRANOE. Holland, I became sickly of a pul "Much ls safd ot his trancee- monary disorder brought on by over whnt he saw and did In this state. exertion In the work of salvation of the writer (Dr. Bertolet) hns skep souls.' tical views on this subject and ques "'About this time,' he says, •1 tions whether the visions were more visited my brothere, preached the due to an overwrought mind nnd a Gospel and took leave of them all, broken down constitution, and nfter because my God and Sovereign nil were mere halluolnatlone. For called me to go to America nnd one part we do not believe tho body preaoh there. I took the departure while living capabJo of undergoing for this source In the 8 8th year ot all there adverted to. my age, 1'141.' Annals ol the Oley Valley 121 ARRIVES IN PHILADELPHIA, "In 17 46 he married Esther, daughter of Jean Bartolet, by whom "In the year 1741 he arrived In he had two sone and flve daughten. PhUadelphla and was met by Daniel, the oldest, served M a sur Chrlatopher Sower, of German geon during the Revolutionary War, town, who knew ot his coming "In 17615 he purchased a place at through previous correspondence. Branchtown, Phfladelphla county, Sower found him so reduced by lll• ness that he could not walk, He Rix miles north of this city, to kindly took him home and nursed which he removed and continued him. He remained with him but a to practice mecUclne and frequently short time, when he was met by visiting many places for preaching Jean Bartolet, who had emigrated the Joapel, to Amertoa. with his family and "In 176& he laid out a part ot hie eett1ed In Oley, Berks county. Some place at Branohtown for a burial 20 years previous Jean prevailed on place tor the tamlJy, and th1s has the doctor to accompany him home, been r-reserved as such ovar since, which he did. He occupied his time The ffrst persona burled there were tn Otey by teaching eohool, preach two BrJtf1h officers, who tell at the Ing and making frequent visits Battle of Germantown (the graves among the Indians, who, by tho a re stlll preaerved). way we are told, had become very tona1 of his society, RETIRES TO READING, "Whlle he was teaching several "About the Ume of the colonial of the Indian ohlldren attended his trouble with the mother country, ha 1chool, relinquished hie praotloe to his ' . //'· i "· ..,; Dr, Gcorse DeBcnnovUlo. 122 Annals ol tbe Oley Valley youngest son, George, and son-ln cemetery at Branohto,vn, Philadel law, Dr. John Bertolet, and retired phia, on Old Yord road, and their to Rea<11ng and Oley." graves are marked by stones with Mrs. Meara concludes: "In the the following lnscrlptlons: year 1798 my aged grand-sire de In Memory of parted this life In the full hope thnt Dr. Oeor1e DeUennevllle, Sr., had ever sustained him through life, Who Departed Thie Ufe aged 90 yenrs, and dedicated the March 19, 1103, following to hie memory:" In tbe 90th You of 111• A1e. •._Ith la the Chrlttlan'a nldence ta Memory ot Of thln11 not aeu b1 mortal e7e. Eether Bertolet I>eDeanevltll!, It pauea all the bound, ot 1enae, Wldow of Dt. 0eor1e I>eBennetlllA, Sr,, And penetrate ■ the lnmoat 1k1. Who Departed Thi• Life With 1tron1 penua ■ lon from atar March 7, 17PIS, The heuenl1 rerlon It 1u"e11, In the TIith Year of lier Aae. Rmbracea all the bleuln1• there Recently a portion or tht, .:>ld And here enJ011 the promlaee. cemetery waa sold, a strip 87 feet o, faith we p111 the vale of teara •Ill• and wide and 100 feet deep, for the eerene, erection thereupon of an apartment R1 faith 1ubdue the kln1 of teal'9, dlat~ued house, but the PhUadelphla Orph And 10 r,Jolcln1 to our re,t. ans' Court had to approve of the 110.le, lJecauee of a provision In elder Dr. DeBennevllle's will (1768), thnt BIS FAMILY. It be kept forever ns a "private Dr, George DeBennevllle and arravoyard," Dr. s. Weir Mltohell Esther Bertolct were married Feb, lu hla novel, "Hugh Wynne," makes 24, 1746, at the Bertolet home. In frequent reference to Dr, DeBenne• the next 16 years they had the fol ville and his historic burlnl ground. lowing children born to them: Rather DeR•nnevllle, born April IO, l'HG; PLOT WELL CARED FOR. married Jacob Drown; died l'eb. 4, 1883, The plot Is In splendid condition, The7 bad 10 cblld~n. 15howlng evidence of loving care, 8uaan DeBennnllle, born Ma, 16, 1748: and Is still being used by some of 111arrled Jobn Kelm; died JID, 16, 188T. the descendants as a cemetery. It TheJ had 8 l'hlldren, was found when Brond Rlreot, Mar, Denennnllle, born Au1. 20, lTGt; Philadelphia, was extended, that married lobn LITln1tton1 died March ~. two British Revolutionary officere 1818. Tbe1 had 6 children, were burled there. With consider J>ulel DeBennnllle, born No,. 12, JTM; able ceremony their bodies were re married a MIii Ooatt: died AUi, 1, 182T. moved, to permit the cutting down Sarah ~ennnllle, Feb, 9, born 17661 to Broad street, 11 depth of from 9 died u a child, to 10 feet, Obartotta DeBennevllle, born Oct. 18, 1TG81 There hs a quaint tombstone of a married Dr. John Bertolet, a tffODd cou1lu1 ohlld, Mary L., daughter of Amos dttd April 21, 1822. 'l'he1 bad G children. J. and Anna de Bennevlllo Mlohe• Oeor,o DfDononllle, H. D., born NoY, 10, ner, born Jan, 28, 1864, and died !TOO; married Eleanor Robert11 died Dec. 11, Feb. 18, 1886. 1e:,o. lie wu a nc.te4 l1octor 1114 1ur1eon. Then there was t.he surgeon of TheJ had T children, whote 1randda111htet . the 11th Pennaylvanln Reserves, WH the IIN. Annie DeB. Mean quoted James B, de Bennevllle, born June abGYe. 19, 1824, who died Sept. 5, 1866. When, In 1890, a new Unlveraalhrt How Jong, how checkered, how church was built In Reading, a large useful, how far-reaching may be the and handsome memorial window wae life of one man Is well Illustrated provided by Dr. George DeBenne• In this teacher, doctor and preacher vllle's granddaughter, Hannah DeB, of Oley-tho Huguenot fugltlve, Dr. Kelm, with thta. lnscrfptton: George DeBennevme I One Father! One De1Un1I Eleanor, wife of the founder of the Obrl1t Wilt Conquer burial ground, llveu to be 92, 110- To the Olor1 of Ood and cordlns to the datee. All the D8 In Honor of nennevllles Beem to have been Jona Dr, Oeol'le DeBnnnttte, Uved, a period of 197 years ela1>aln·,r 1TOS•IT88, In only three generatlone, the The place of eepulture of both an• granddaughter of Dr. George de oeatora, Dr. George and Eather (Ber• Bennevllle, Harriet deB, Kelm, toten DeBennevme la · In an old paRSlng on at the oge ot 97 In 1900. Annals ol the Oley Valley 123 Chapter XXII. THE GRIESEMER FAMILY Founders of a Village in Oley Members of a famlly amount to t>lck up the neighborhood and world something In any community when news from the patrons of the store, they perpetuate Its name ns the or bar room, while they received a founders of a v11lage or town. Oley Is sack ot corn meat or buckwheat rloh In everything but towns and vll• flour from tho smlllng, dusty miller'• loges. For the number of Its Illus hands at the mill. trious families there are but few A vlllnge life In a pioneer com home otu11ters. munity ls a world-center, n most It seems Its early settlers were tmportant factor, a veritable sine rather lnnd-owners and left ut1 fnm qua non In the onward march of lly estates and homesteads Instead of civilization. vlllages. Tholr homes were tholr cas tles and their estates their domin PUT IT ON THE MAP, ions. Even most of them In the second generation had the',· own Eastern Oley had this prime water supply, their own rnl11s roqulslto early In Its history. Peter or oJderpresses, weaver's beams, Orlesemer put It on tho mnp. smithy shops, cobbler's bench and He J>lanted himself on whnt was snddlery, They even provided their destined to become a double high own private tamlly burial plots. The way, a cross roads of travel, now on family unit was supreme In Otey tor the road from Frledensburg and the a number ot generations. Oley Furnnccfl to tho Yellow House, But the Orlesemers left a village Amityville nnd Philadelphia, going to perpetuate their name. It was south: while It le lined on the road, named In hono1· of Peter Grlesemer, going east, from Oley Line to Pleas lte founder, who erected a hotel nnd nntvllle and Boyertown nnd the store building and thus stnrtecl forges nnd furnaces of the eastern Oley hllls. Orlesemersvllle. The placing of a school nearby Though It ls not much for size, It (the Kletrer school) and the location haa ranked high as a business place, of the hnclent Oley churches and a trading post, a news center and a burial grounds, have put this settle• reconnoitering and meeting camp of ment and village of Orlesemer'e Into the humble and honest folk who the very center of things for eastern were born and reared within two Oley for all the generations past. miles of It for the Inst five genera Ohl that the stone mansion of the tions. Orleeemer's might receive a mouth, Where else would this neighbor like some animate sphinx, to speak' hood go for lte groceries, but this lte hidden secretfl-lts family llfe, store of the GrJesemers, paying for here enacted, Its neighborhood gos them In butter and eggs and other sip, here spun out Into a gossamer produce, such as poultry and garden patchwork \lf local history, five gen• greens? erntlons long and six nntlonalltles· Where else would It go for powder wide! The village store and Inn of and shot and Christmas tor candles, the former dayat Ahl methinks It paying for them In pelts, and pack combined the telegraph, the tele ages of cleaned and combed RWlne's phone and the radio of our modern· bristles from the laet butchering? times, nil In one-plus the trnns Where else would the neighboring oontlnental nlr mall and · rural free farmers and toilers go for their papers, and their annual almanacs deJlvP.rles thrown ln f and occnslonal letters, but to the Orlcsemer poet office, OA~IE PROM FRANOE, And where else for their morn• And wh" was this gAnlus, this an Ing bitters and their evening cient village builder of the pioneers "schnnp1t" but to this bar nt Orlese of Oley? He was ono of two (some mere, Incidentally they could say three) gmmtsons of Valentino IH Annals of the Ol~y Valley Orlesemer, who came from Alsace, maohon von nun an und kunftlg al France, to Pennsylvania In the ship Jonehaft Joa und ledig gozohlt seln Thistle landing at Phlladelphla., Aug. und blelben son. 29, 1'180. The list contains only the Doch mlt auedruckllohum vorbe father's name, but as the son~ were hald doser oberuhrte Johunn Valen evidently below 18 years of age, their tino Orelehelmor und selnem Welb namea are not reported. A·nd this und Kinder, uber kurtz oder tang ln la probable, since Casper, the son, uneem IAnden oder Vollmaslgkelt died only ln 1794, 64 years after wo wler dnu reoht der Lelbelgen landing. It bears the names of but shaft hargebracht slob hlnwlederum 76 males of over 16 years, women eetzen order hauslloh wlederla88en and youths. We give here tho orig wlrd, dass selbfge a.a dann pla-taoto inal pa88port in quaint German: mlt vorlger Lelbelgenshaft wleder official und ohna welterer Orkuntnlss uns zu1rothan aeln sollo. THE ORIGINAi, PASSPOI\T Urkundlloh unserera dlesem Ma Von Gottoe Onaden, wlr Frantz mu nlrtlons Schein bel gedrugton Ludwig des helllgen Stuble zu Malritz lnnslegels gegeben. und Ertz-Bishoff dee helllgen Rom Worms den 28th A1>rll, 1730. lshen Reiche durch Germanlen Ortz Churturstlloh Oberamta Rogeer Cantzler und Chur--Furst Admlnls•. ung. trator dos Hoohmolsterthumos In John Adan, Von Hohanus. Preusen MelitJter Teutehon Ordene in Following data ls glvon by Mrs. Peter Grlcaemor Hom<', Teutsh und Welehen Landen Dlehott Roy 81>nngler, n descendant of the IO Worms und Ureaslau, Probst un Ezra Grlcscmer Homo. are Sarah m. Mr. Pa·utzmnn. Jacob Marla m. Daniel Bertolot, Catharine m, Mary V. R. Hunter, John m. died slngle, Ellzabeth Doyer and occupied the homestead after his father's death. Casper's eons Valentine and Abra His children were Welllngton B. m. ham both dlod 1wlo1· to 1791 and 8arah Kiefer, Percival, D1·. Hiram left lfunte, Casper's daughter, Re and Dr. John and Caroline. Welling becca m. John VanReod. There were ton B. Grlesemor was the fourth other daughters. generation to occupy the old home Danlcl Grlcsomcr'R children are: stead, However, It wae not the orig De Donnovlllo m. Hannah Kinsey, inal house as that had burned down. Petet• m. Ann Reher, Henry m. Two of his grandsons, aone of Cathnrlne Ritter, Danlol m. Lydia Charles Grfeeomoa·, are doctors fn Bower, John m. Sarah Kinsey, Reading. They are Dr. Wellington Esther m. Hiram Cleaver, Qe Denne Orlesemer and Dr. Howard Grlee ville wns a school teacher and taught emer. Enoch, another eon of Jncoh In the private school house on the m. Hannah Hoffmn.n nnd was given Peter Orleeemea• estate. No doubt part of the homestead along tho he was also a muelclan ne he la Oley pike, near the church whe1·0 known to have ma Jll\.'Ob lloc.•h Grll•acmcr 1796-1846, The two sons accompanying their youngest son of Poter, wae captain father, John Vnhmtlne Orlesemer, ln of a company of mllltla of Berke this emigration voyage were Casper County, at the time of hle death. nnd Peter. Some ndd n thlrd broth• His children nre: Emma V. n. m. er's name, John Leonard, ns among John Lornh, Rebecca. V. R. m. John the passengers. If Ho, hie settiembnt Leiss, 2d Dr, Moore, Ezra Z. ( 1826- and history are lost. A year later1 1897) m. Hannnh Landis (1824• one Martln Orleeemer ls mentlonea 1907), James Z. (1829-1901) m. In a list of Immigrants arriving at Ellen Nora Mnua·or, 1')1>hrnlm Z, Philadelphia ne among the male Orleaemor (1031-1862), C. A. z. passengers, but under 16 years ot Orlo1temer (184\•1899) m. Mn,•y Ult age. Of hie hlatory we know llttle tlng .. or nothing; nor doee this sketch Ephraim Z. Orlesemer We wlJI give the following outllne to very strong, He had three sons and help It along: three dnughters e.s follows, plus fl Casper and Rebocca Grlesemer's son drowned In boyhood: children were ns follows: Ellznbeth Danlol, who later lived on part of married n Guldin, Anna Marla mar old homestead; Sally, who married ried a Graetr, Anna Margaret mar• John Deysher: Elizabeth, who mar rled n Reiter, Susanna. (unmarried). ried John Deysher (second wife): Eva married a Ludwig, John, Peter Susan who married William Carra married a Mlsa Hoch, Jacob married gan: Jacob L., Mary, who married Elizabeth Lorah. Had three son9 nnd Jacob Hertzog, tour daughters. Valentin, a decensen' Valentine had the following two son, at time ot will, who Jett a son children: Leonard and Gertrude, and daughter named Abraham and who married ,Jacob Gery, whose de• Catharine, scendants are still to be found In These ctilldren and two grandohtl• Hereford, Leonard (1788-1821), was dren are mentioned In Casper's wllJ, n potter nnd had a pottery on hh1 The daughters, each received 600 Hereford farm, which was worked pounds In gold and sliver, and to by 01,e of the descendants (Gabriel Valentine's two children each was Grlesemer), c.c late ns 1866, when It left 260 pounds In gold and sliver. was destroyed by flre. Leonard w,111 The sons were remembered In real n progressive and publlc-spfrlted The Grlct1Cmer Shops. estate, nnd the widow In furniture, mn.n In hfs day, promoted schools bttddlng, linens, all ready money, nnd did teamst~r wurk, hauling for bonds, notes, book-debts, etc, It the Continental Army during the shows a. considerable estate. • Revolutionary War and suffering the Of this second generation we note loss of a valuable team. His wlf9 that Peter's eon, Abrah~m. married WAS Ellznbeth Faber nnd their chll;. Catharine Ritter, with whom he had dren were: John Jacob, Abra.ham, the following children, when he died Isaao and Catharine, who married In 1847: David, who died in 1847,i Abraham Mertie. San,uel: Sarah, who married Davia Kline: Esther, who married David A LOOK DAOKWARD. Kline (second wit~): Joseph, who died In Cnlltornla: Reuben, who To go back to the (II.) Jacob rnarrleli Polly Nein. Orlesemer branch of the ·tamUy, the Ju.cob, a. eon ot an Immigrant, eon, Jacob L., born 1812, tlved all Casper, remained on the old home• his life In Oley, where he owned the stead nnd owned It and the Grles Grlesemer homestead fnrm of t•bout emer mitt, which waa destroyed by 200 acres. His wife was Cordelia flre in 1850, He was a tall and heavy J four ohlldren who died young, and Regina Meschtcr, and they had these the following to grow to maturity: children: Elizabeth, marrJed Henry Deborah IC.. who marrled Mllton Kriebel; Susanna (unmarried); Althouse: Peter K,; Ammon K,; Sarah, Henry Schooler; Mr.tthlaa, Mary Ann (dled unmarried): Wll died In Infancy; Owen, teacher; Uam K.: Hannah K., who m~rrled Mary, m. Levi Moll: Percival, lives Darius J, H111, and Kate K., who In Goshen, Ind.; Joseph M,, who married Ellle Yoder. Jacob L. lives on the homestead. Orleaemer wae a highly respected and useful ,.,u1en. He dled In March Joseph M. Orlesemel· was born 1885, His son, Peter K,, occupied Maroh 11, 1857, and he studied at varloua offloos. He was nppolnted the Keyetone State Normal School hoapltal steward at the Berks County at Kut&town. He le an lntem.,ent Borne ln 190'1. He was the owner farmer on the Hereford homestead ot the old ancestral homestead at and has taken an active part In the the time of his death. EH B., hie progressive steps of his township. eon, was hie eucoessor in many of Among the more conaplouou, the township positions and potises namee of the Orleaemer famlJY etons. After teo.ohlng school he n-~ght be named Its members who turned to bu~lnese. He once ran the have s1trved f n publlo office and Cleaver creamery, at Pleasantvllle, have thus heen brought more Into with excellent euooess. He Is now the public eye. Among those we a conductor· on tho Rending and would name Jacob OrJesemer, who Boy8rtown trolley line. His wlfe was fn 1818 ar.d 1819 served his com Annie P, Stapleton and they have a munity tor a term Jn the State t,eg.. happy family of halt a doien ohll Jslature. Another, E1ra z. Grleae dren. mer, wn& a director of the county's Hfe brother, George, had a store poor during'the years 1868-87. WeJ at Plensantvlllt1 until hie recent Ungton D. Or1esemer was prothon death, whose last will was written u,nry from 1866-69, and A. R. on a small pleoo of cardboard and Orlesemer servet1 In the same office so admitted for probate at tho from 1914 to 1916. W, B. Orleaemer County Registrar's office. again 11erved as one of the county Jacob remained on th~ Hereford prison Inspectors In 1812 and 18'18, homestead. Abraham had elx chil The first oil Inspector of the county dren, some of ,vhom had elgnal suc was A. Z. Grle1emer, named In 1880 ceu, one, Abraham, as first dentist and aaaln In 1888, John o. Orleae In Allentown, wh~ue son-In-law, Dr. mer was coroner for the yeara 18H• Thomae A. Stral!.1 1•,r, a noted speolal 97. Surely they as a family oon• 1 fst In diseases oL the eye, ear anti trlbuted their "blt. ' to keep the ma nose, and whose son waa Dr. Acker chinery ot State and county govern Grlesemer. ment smoothly runnlnr theae 100 Isaac (1777-1872) married Cath year,. arJne Gross, of Maxatawny, with In reUglon the Orle1emer1 were whom he had six chlldren, and as a generally of the R•formed faith. aecond wJte, Catharine Jacoby, The Hereford branoh haa wonthlped Isaac, another son of Leonard and at the Ooaenhoppen Ohuroh and Gertrude Orieaemer, had a eon by there 1'9 membera lie burled, The the name of Gabriel 0., born Deo. Oley branch of the tamlJy adhered J'{, 1818. He marrJe Chapter XXIII. THE LEINBACH FAMILY A Family of Preachers The Borks County ramlly ot Leln of the Trinity Tulpehocken parish, bachs traces Its ancestry to Henry wlth paraonage on the Wtlllam Penn and Barbaro. (Lerch) Leinbach, o! Highway two miles east ot Myers• Wetternu, Germany. The nrst town. He was the 16th of 21 chll• American progenitor of the tnmlly dren of John Henry Leinbach, wh? was their son, Johannes Leinbach, was the second son of Johannee sr., who was born In Langen-Rel• Leinbach, Jr., the youngest son of bold Wotterau, March 9, 1674, an his three preacher sons and his divinity, y~t he will be remembere The Old "clntmch Homcetcad, \ which he served from Sept, 6, 1848, aermone to prepar'> and deliver on to March, 1883. Part of this time Sundaya and thoU8nnds or cateohell he wae nlso pastor of the 8chwnrz cal lectures to deliver nnd tens of wn1d congregation. After a·ealgnlng thousands of pastoral cnlls to make. the First Church of the cit)' he be For there were few men of hie dR)' gan hie labors In a large counta·y who enjoyed a wider acquaintance• pastorate, consisting fl'Om a few tu ship throughout Berks County thnn ten rural congregations, Jylng out In did Hev. Dr. Leinbach. He wne be n11 directions from Reading. Thf)r loved wherever known. Hie name were the flocks or Rhn1tera, Hlnner was n household word throughout shltz, Al.saco, Hamburg, St. Mich• largo eoctlons or the county. He ne1'11, Robeson, Mohrsvl1lc, Bern, wus friendly (gt1muethllch) to nil Lees1l0rt nnd 8chwnrzwn1d. nnd won their hearts. Re·v. Aaron Lelnbnch's pastorehlp hegnn In 11166 at Bohwartzwald, at Pfo\lN AND PRACTICAi,, Shaltcr'e In 1864, Hlnnerehltv. 1871, Rev. Dr. Aaron s. Lein bnch was n Alsace 1871, sptee' 1878. Ho served good J>reaoher, plain an,t tlrnctlcal. this charge lll he retired from the and nn able member of hie olassl11. ministry. He also served nt differ Franklin and .Mnrshnll College hon ent times Immanuel Church, Ham ore,l him with the Ullo of doctor or burg (1864-1866), St. Mlohael'e Aaalls ol the Oley Valley 131 (1864-1867), St. John's, Gibraltar paratory course at the F. and M. (1864-1873), St. Timothy, Mohrsvllle School, finishing his theologlcat (1866 - 1881), Hern (1876 • 1883), training at tho Mercersburg Re Leesport (1870-1881), formed St:mlnary, whence he gradu He was twice marrled-Hrst to ated In 1860. First he became an Eliza A. Schantz, of Allentown; sec• nsslstnnt to his tnther In n large ond, Annie E. Wetzel. He was the rurul parish. Later he received I\ father ot six children. His son, call from five country congregation~ Rev. John H. Leinbach, a constituting n par·!sh, viz., the vromln'3nl Reiormcd minister, 1ne Schaerreretown, Mlllbnch and New• ceded him In death by leils than u mnnetown churches In Lebanon year,• and two other sons, Thomns county nnd the Reamstown and nnct Jacob L. s. Lelnhaoh, passed Swamp churches of Lancaster awn,· later. Tho surviving chlh1ron county, He served this charge nre:· :\l1-.i. Adum B. lUcsc1•, :Mrs. nbout tour yenrs, when ho resigned to nccept the Bernville charge, sar\.'• Ing which he sJ>ent the rest of his long nnd busy pastoral life. Thl3 charge consisted at times or ns many ns seven congregations, consisting of lhe Bernville, North Heidelberg, Strnusstown, Host, Little Tulpe hocken, St. Michael's and Robesonia churches. Tho characteristics of his 1>reach lng were the same ne those of his brother. He was plain and popular In his style, clear and eloquent In hie utterances, practical and biblical In his theology. Tho common 1>eo J>lo flocked to his preaching and cvere Joyal to him as vastor and they were hound to him Rh wit:, hooks of steel by his affability and 11oolal nature. He knew nil his va~t flock by name nnd Jived on frlendll• est and most famlllar terms with them. Ae a popular Ge1·man preacher his fame had gone over tho onth•f' county. The record of his ministry t·xtended without n break from 1860 to 1909, two years longer tl)nn thnt of hie older brother. SONS IN MINISTRY, He wae married on Sept. 6, 1870. to Marla. R, Selbert. 'rhey took up a·eeldence In Womelsdorf. They hncl 1 t children, of whom seven dle Robesonia, to which he and hfi, p1•emature death In the beglnnlns genial family removed. of this century, The third of Rev. Thomas r:. As we go down the Leinbach Lelnbaoh'e preacher sons ls Rev. genealogy we shall come upon a ~lmer G., the baby of the family, 11 number of othor present-day aoUve repllca of his father In facial tea Reformed preachers. No otner turea and a capital preacher. He family of Berks haa given 10 many, haa served Mlllersbur8', Dauphin But thtJ:V are none too many. How County pariah: Schuylklll Haven much better our people could be charge and now ls pastor of the Re 11erved If some other tamllles would fc. rmed Churoh at Palmyra. pray tho Lord to call their sons into Between the last two named sons the holy calllng of proclalmlnR of Rev. and Mrs. T. C. Leinbach God's arace and winning souls from was born Oliver Eugene Leinbach, cln and error Into the way of aalva the other of tho quartet of aone tlon I Then a paator'a field of labor surviving. He la a clerk In the em would no longer be tttretohlng over ploy of the Reading Company, re a halt or a quarter oC a county as siding at Readlns. the elder Lelnbach's t>arlsh did, REV. SAMUEi, A, LEINBACH. OTHERS IN WNISTRY, We now come to Rov. Dr. Thomae The ftret of three more Reformed H. Lelnbach's third ministerial 110n, ministers we chance to know and Rev. Samuel Augustus Lelnbnch, who are n_ow In active servfoo-the D.D., whose course cf training was one at SchuyJklll Haven, another llt thP snmo as his two eldor brothen. Kutztown and the third at Readln11 He gra took hie college course at Lanca,,ter, The two other preacher Lelnbact.-·, &TaduatJrur from F. and M. coneae hinted at are brothers-R'3V8, In 1901 and the theological ('lf!mlnary Thomas Hii and Elmer H. Lelnbaob, here lrl 1904, His first charge was aoM of m Leinbach, of Re&cUns, a the Ol~v6t congregation ot Reading, brother of. the Leinbach Broe,, ror• which he served tor over three, merly Jn the clothing bualnem, yeare. In the fall of 1907 he ac Joaeph A, and George A, Leinbach. cepted a call to the Jonestown The former of these la pastor of St. (Lebanon oounty) char•e, from John's Reformed \Jhuroh ln Rea1• . which he went some yeara ago as Ing; the latter ot the Reformed par paetor of the Reformed charge of ish ot Kutztown. Schuylkill Haven, which he Is now faithfully serving, His wlfA 1, Mary LAST BUT NOT I,EAST, Snavely L&lnbach, a daughter or Oeor•e Sna.vely, of Spangvllle. An But one came near forgetting suH older brother, Clement Waldo Lein• another Reformed preacher of thlR bach, a graduate of Franklin i..nd stock. He Je last but not least, Rev. Marehall College (189S), was Roy E. Leinbach, of Carlisle, In the teaching some yeara Jn the Oley active ministry there. High School and latterly has bee 1 Beeidee these 14 Reformed mlnle• employed In the A, J. Brumbnch ters, the fnmlly gave one preacher factory at 1!71sterly. They are tho to the Presbyterian and one to the only children of the late James R. J..:ptscopal churches, an by the name Leinbach, a noted church organist, of Leinbach, who, with the tw·., who waa the son of Daniel s. Lein• Revs. Reber, lather and son, makes bach, wboee father wa ■ Benjamin, the number of ministers 18 that came out of the loins and descent of the venerable and patrlarchlnl John Daniel IAlnbach, ot Otey, who was thrice married and father of 2, children. It Is an unbl'oken recor\l tor Berka County. The Leinbach family of Berks has contrJbuted many other citizens wh..> · have made a success of life In other calllnga boeldes that of tho office ot the holy ministry. or theae somr were noted teachers of the count)', church organleta, sucoe11ful farm• era, merchants, manufacturere nnd hotel proprietors. A few havA held public office, like the varly progenitor of a lnrge branch of the stock, John Daniel, 1746-1817 (third In Jlne of American g,meratlons), who WkB n.· member of the AssC>mbly from Berke In 1790. Among th1t most conspicuous of these buslneOJlJ affairs to have etamped the name of Leinbach on Berke history may be mentioned the Lclnhnch clothing store establishment conducted In Reading for years by the late Joseph A. and George A. Leinbach. Leinbach'& Hotel ot Bern Town ship enjoyed a wide reputn.Uton as a place of entertainment untll prohi bition closed lta bar and this speaks much fot• its proprietors of three generation ts. Such was their buel • nees for orderllneRS thnt they could be lending members ot the Bern BcnJ, F. Leinbach. Church at the same time they con ducted this rural ho!!lelry. Such who waa the 11th aon ot John Daniel were the reputatlone of Christian, and Mary Magdalena (Hartman, the 10th eon of John Dnnlel J.eln'• Leinbach. John Daniel was the aon baoh, down to Chrlstlnn111 grandR011, of Johannes, Jr,, who was the son of Peter M. ~lnbach, the pro1>rletors Johannes Lelnbaoh, er., the Amer .. tor three generations. Tho hotel lean Immigrant, who cnme to Oley wae built In 1848 and has always In 17118, been a reputable puhllc housl'. 134 Annals ol tbe Oley Valley Another scion of the famlly, ti. lo the 1ear A. D. 1780, on the 29th of Llewellyn Leinbach, settled a.a farm Au1u1t, my IOD John Benr, WAI born-el~ er near Oley Line, after some ex of Vtrrtn. Spon ■on, John Sehlelfer and wit:-. perience as a teacher and mer• 6. In the 7ear A. D. 1788, on the 21 ■ t of chant. and has achieved his great June, my 10n John Dablel wa ■ born-Io 811n est success as a farmer, first In of Bain. Sponeor■, Philip Diller aocl wife. Amity township and later on the ... ECOBD OF OHILDBEH BY BEOOllD WIFE, home farm near Oley Line, the (N. · B.-1 do not know ~tlnl7 who bl• homesteA.d of hie rather-In-law, second wife wa,, bnt think her name WH Samuel Marquette, whoro he made Catharine Bom ■ n.-0. B. L.) a success In truck farming. HI~ 7. Io the year A. D. 1787, on the SUI' of family Is favorably known here March, my eon Abraham wu born-In Sign abouts. of Seorplon. Sponeore, Obnmacht and wife. 8. In the 1ear A. D. 1788, OD the 9th '>f Of the J. o. Leinbach ~ Co. woolen mills In Reading we have lune, mr daughter Catharine WAI bom-lo already spoken. They a1·e a monu Sign ot Virgin. Sponsor, Catharine Lerch. ment to the grit and business tact About .\. D. 1789, be WAI married the thlrJ and ability of the Lelnbnch name. Ume (now) to Yar7 lfa1dalena Bartman, Still another son of the fnmllr BEOORD OF OHILDJLEN 'WITH 'l'HE TBrlD early settled In West Reading and WIJ'E. ut ona time owned large por.tlons of 9. In the rear A. D. 1790, on the 24th '>t real estate before this portion of September, mr aon larob \WAI born. Sponaor, the city was bullt up. This ls J. Jatob -- • Calvin Leinbach, of the Bern 10. Io the year A. D. 1791, on the ~th or .branch of the family, active In the November, m1 IOD Christian wu born. 8pon devt,lo'pment of West Reading. rore, Ohrtetlan Ooech and wife. 11. In the -,ear -A, D. 1798, September 26, · We have recently seen the Dible ru7 eon Benjamin wu born. Sponeon, Del· of the Leinbach family, a Basel edi Jamin Leinbach and wire )far,aretta. tion, doubtle88 brought to Oley by 12. In the year A. D. 1795, Auru ■ t 12, a,y the first progenltor1 as It was printed eon Joaeph wu bom. Ro died on th·e 6th or two years before ne emigrated. It NoYember In the aame 1ur. came down through his grandson, 18. In the year A. D. 1796, Auru•t 27, m, John Daniel Leln·bach, whosa son William wu born. Sponsor, Pa ■ tor Bou. youngest son (21st chUd), Rev. H. In the 7ear A. D. 1'198, April 14, m,- Charles H. ~lnbach, D. D., copied 1on 811mucl ,vu born. 8pon1ou, Daniel Bart• and translated Into Engllsh for tha man and llarla Lerch. U!W of his tamfly the family register, !ti. In the 7ear A. D. 1800, on the 211t of as therein contained. It la tts fol }.prll, m7 daughter Harta lla1dalena wu lows: bom, Sponsor, Harla Hardalena Bartman. 18. In the year A. D. 1802, Januarr 1-1, JlEOO:aD OF 'l'RE lOHH DAHIEL LEl!f• rn:, son Thomu wa ■ born. Sponaore, Peter BA.OB FAIIILY, Mohn and hls wife Ma1clalena . . la the year A. D. 1168, Noy, 9, l, lohn 1T. In A. D. 1804, rebru1r7 23, m7 dlUI"• J>anlel LelnlMlch, WU rnanled to CathUlll/\ ter Salome WAI born. Spon101'11, John Knabb 1lrau1. (He wu bom Jan. 19, 1T46, 100 of and his wife Salome (died 1ounr), lobn Leinbach, Jr.) She dl~d on April 6, 18. In A. D. 1807, A11p1t 9, m)' IOQ A. D. 1788, after haYlnir lhed torelher ~n Frederick wa ■ born. Sponaora, Fred&rldt Ohn• Mlt wedl~k 16 ;reare and li rnonthll-le11 3 macht and wife. da71. 19. In A. D. 1809, lune 9, my eon SolomO:\ ,ru born.' 8pon10r, Rn. Boae. BEOOJlD 01' OBILDBElr r:ao11 FDlBT WUE 20. In A. D. 1818, Aprl1 U, my dau1hter 1. In the 7ear A. D. 1'711, on the 9th of nachel waa born. She died on the 10th da1 March, tn7 dau1hter Salome wu r>orn.- of lfa7, 1813. 8110 or the Goat. 21. In the 7etr of our I..ord 18111, !'loY. 7, 2. In the 7enr A. D. 1778, on the 17th tJt my 10n Charlea wu born. (Rn. Fred Her November, m7 dau,hter, Marla 8abllla, wu man, Jr., baptised lbe and atood u 1pon10r born-slrn or the Goat. From the orlll'lnal record In l,elnbacb faml17 8. In the year A. D. 1173, on the ht of Bible, copied. bJ CbarJeJ H. Leinbach on t?I• NoYember, m7 dau1hler 8uaanna wu born 11th J'ebruarr, 18711). Sl1n of Waterman. Numbers 16 and 21 were des f, In the year A. D. tTT8, on the 84 Jr tined to become the two ftrst min• April, m, ■ on Johb waa born-8l1n of Canca~ taters In this remarkable American 8pon.or, John Leinbach, Leinbach preacher family. Annals of the Oley Valley 135 Chapter XXIV. THE OLEY CHURCHES Reformed and Lutheran History We have nll'eady described the them. That authoritative historian ch uroh lite ot the Friends or of the Reformed Church, Rev. Prof. Quakers, the Baumanltea and tht! W. J. Henke, D. D., in his "Life and Moravlans, with allusions to the Letters of Rev. John Phillp Boehm," Evangelicals and Daniel Bartolet as pago 78, glves us this meager light one of their local lenders, and Dr. on the origin and early history of DeBennevlJle and his followers, the the Reformed Church of Oley: Restoratlonlsts or Unlversallets. Jo 1186 Boehm added oootber congrega There remains an account of the tion to hla extemlTo parlm. It was Ole1 lo establishment ot the "church peo Derks Couot7. Oermito aettlere from the ple" versus the sects-the Reformed State of New York had be,un to aettla lo and Lutheran congregations of the tbei Ole7 V'olle7 u earJ7 a ■ 1712. The drat Oley valley. Reformed eenlce1 lo Ole7 were heJcl b7 lleT. These were simultaneous, or Oeor1e lllcbael Wel11, probabl7 In 1729. It nearly so, In their establishment of wa ■ at Ole7 that Wela came In contact wltn churches In the valley with the the New Doro, ancl bl ■ book agaloat them Quakers and New Born and Morav WOI printed In 1'129. Sometime afterwarda lans, and they are far more numer actuaJ con1re&'lltlonal life manifested lt ■elf ous in their membership than any there, tot on April 18, 1834, John Leiber, a of those named ever were. Calvlnlat, coove7ed b7 deecl 182 perches of :aocl to Gabriel 807er ancl oa,per Orleuemer, EARLY IDSTORY. In tru ■ t for the 1odet7 of Ohrl ■ tlan people lnbab1Un1 0117. Upon thla lot a amall meet Among the most populous Lu• Inf boDH 11 nlcl to ban been built In theran and Reformed congregations 1786. In 1'118 tile COD11'8Utlon came nnder have flourished In and about Oley the control of Boehm. Upon the earneat re, since the earliest settlements of these que ■ t ot the peopJe, BIT, Boehm Tltlted Ole7 parts. The Swedea at Morlatton, the on Ha7 4, 1T88. ancl helcl the Lord'• Supper Germana at AmltyvUle, the Hill tLere, at which time • commun.lcant1 were Church, Lobachsvllle and Rockland p?Hent. At the tlme of Ill ■ aeconcl vlalt, (the Merta Church) have been hla· NOY, 17, 1'188} 40 111ember ■ tonk lllrt In the torlo churches, where the Lutherana communion. It waa at till ■ Ume that Boehm and Reformed people have wor• Installed tour elclera ancl two ducooe, ahiped now almost two centurlN. elf'Cted b7 the coqre,atlon and blmeelt, WU The Oley congregations ar.3 like a~pted b7 them II their paetor to vlalt wise venerable with age, It ls quite them twice a 7e ■ r, durtnr the week, to ad• possible that Rev. Samuel Guldin, ot mlnt.ter communion and baptl.. children. Philadelphia, the forerunner of th1:t Reformed Churoh In America, may Bhortl7 arterwarda Bev. John Benr, Ooet• have extended his ministry as far as ech7 came Into the Ole7 rerton and au~ Oley and occasionally preached to Cffdtd In perauadln, a part of the conrrera• the people of hla persuasion In theso tlon to aclJlere to him. At the time of bl1 parts before Reva. George M. Wel88 tblr4 Yldt, In the Bprlnr of 1787, Boehm or John Phlllp Boehm reached the found the conrreratlon In a etate ot coa community, though the latter 1:, tuelon. Hence be retired and left the 8e1d generally regarded as the founder to Ooe~h7, who preached at Ole7 probabt)' of the Oley Reformd congregation. from 1787 to 1'18t. In 1740 Rev. P. u. Rev. Boehm was to the Reformed Donlu1 l&eml to HT& IUpplltl! tht CODl'fd• )>eople of Pennsylvania what Rev. ration oec11lon1l17. On l'eb. IS, 1'1f0, tbe John Casper Stoever was to the elden ancl membere proml1ed 10 pouDd1 an'i scattered Lutherans in the first ha.If 20 bu ■hela or oat, tonr,t-1 a mlnl1ter'1 ul ot the 18th century-the greatest ar,. Rn. P. B. Dor ■ lua preached OCCHIOD• organizer of congregations among ally In 1140. After that Ole7 dluppear■ 136 Annals ol tbe Oley Vall,y Oler Reformed Ohurcb, Spanpvllle, Pa. Annals of the Oley Valley 137 from -view for a number of years. On Ser,t. this time forth there have been two 28, 1746, Rev. Michael Schlatter met l'red• churches, lflde by side, located on erlck Ca ■ lmlr Mueller, ot Ole7, who was the Oley pike, just north of Orleee mlnl1terfn1 to 10 or HI email con1re1atlon1 mersvllle towards Pleasantville. In or about Ole7." Schlatter ofi'erod to write 1-lere worshiped practically all the to Holland to 1ecure llueller'e ordination, ff Reformed and Lutheran people oi he would aaree to ab1taln meanwhile from Oley until 1830, when those dwell admlnlaterlnr the 11crament1. Mueller mPde Ing ln the western section, ln the the promise but broke It again the followlnir neighborhood of Frldensburg, with Sun~aJ. lioace Scbl11tter lost all lntereat in drew and organized new congrega him. Dow Ion _ Mueller IE'ned Ole7 we are tions and built a Union Church at unable to 117, but on .,prll 9, 1'176, John that place. Among the prime mov- Leeber, of Ole7, appeared before the Coetua at Lancaater and requeatc OTHER PASTORS, Next the names ot Reva. Phlllp J. Michael, Phlllp Leydich, John Is. Rieger, Wllllam Neuellng, Bernhard Wllly and John William Ingold arc mentioned as having served tho congregation, each ot them only fo:. a short time. Thie Information ls furnished by the present pastor, Rev. Stahl', It would seem that no regular and settled pastor of this flock could be found until 1786, when Rev. John Wllliam Boas assumed that placo and preached here 20 yeal'S. The next pastor probably was Rev. Dr. Frederick L. Herman. He le known to have served the congre gation for some time and he prob• ably filled the interval between 1806 and 1819. He was a leader In the church of his day and a noted theo logical teacher, who prepared 11 soore of young men for the ministry by private lnstructlon. He was a loader of the Free Synod party of his church. Rev. Jacob William Dechant bl3· camu pastor In 1819 and served un til his death ln 1882. He WU suc ceeded by Rev. Augustus Paull, who was pastor many years. He was followed by Rev. J. Sassaman Her man, whose pastorate . ended in 1874, when Rev. Dr. D. E. Sohoed ler eucceeded him, for 10 yelirs. In 1884 the Incumbent, Rev. I. s. Stahr, was Installed. He has given the church lts longest ministry. Rev, IKaaC s. Stahr, THE LUTHERANS, era In this new congregation were The l4utherana continued to wor Abraham DeTUrck, Jr., and John ship here until 1821, when they be DeTurck, great-grandsons of the came a distinct congregation and t:nmlgrant, Isaac, DeTurck. bullt their own church alongside the It la known that the. Oley Ria Reformed. This stimulated the Re formed Church, · with Jta pastors, formed congregation to build a new stood aloof from the Coetus, acting church a year later (1822). Fi-om independently of synodic connec- Annals ol tbe Oley Valley Annals of tbe Oley Valley 139 tlon, and so the published minutes gatlons at Tulpehocken and Swatara of this organized body has Uttle to earnestly long !or a paetor; Reading say of Oley for a number of years. and Oley also." In 1 '189 Sebastian Gref ls reported nR elder and Fred Lelbl end Henry From the minutes of Coetue held Werner as deacons. In 1747 we In Lancaster May 8 and 9, 1765, we have this reference in the records oC Jearn that a systematic visitation of Coetus: "Oley, Manatawny, Maxa the churches had been made the tawny, Macungie, Allemaengel, Le previous year by the officials and high, etc., are not yet ripe enough. other pastors. As such Dr. Alsentz They should be let alone untll their visited, among othere, the Oley con dealre for true and regular mlnla gregation and reports: "The shep ters beco_mes greater." herdless congregations are waiting for ministers and troubled about their condition. The others are In n prosperous state." OVER 1'70 YEARS AGO. At the meeting of Coetus In 1765, we again find an allusion to Oley. NEW EDIFIOF.,S, The minutes state that "John Among the statistical table for Loescher (Lesher) from Oley, to 1785, the congregation at Oley Is not JJether with Casper Grloshelmer, mentioned at all, showing It must appeared, being pralseworthlly con have previously withdrawn from Its cerned for the Increase of the Re jurisdiction and stood as an "Inde formed Church In that district. pendent" church, as many other.!f Hitherto, neither church nor school did for a long period. In 1764 n. house had been established there, new church was built. The rooster notwithstanding it was one of th13 vane Is attll preserved. A third earliest settled, well-to-do and begt church was erected In 1822 and the farming regions. These people now present edifice In 1901. humbly desire to be subject to our Coetal institutions, lo be served In In later years this congregt...tlon the future by no other than a min came back again Into afflllatlon with ister approved anct eont by tho tho Reformed Synod and Classls and Coetus, "it being further noted thn t' has had long years ot regularity and they had almost completed a stone been served by a list of capable and church. Domine& Steiner and Ley conscientious ministers, of whom dloh were appointed to Investigate the able Rev. I. S. Stahr has been this case more fully,'' The commit their faithful shepherd for ove1· 40 tee r4)ported favorably and ga,•e years. them five or six mlnl3ters of Coetus The Lutherans have had .nn 01· to supply them once a month with ganlzed church life here, renchlng preaching until further arrange back about as far as the Reformed ments could be made. and para.lletlng their history to the present day. They must havo In 1'166 Oley Is reported thus: worshiped tor three-quarters of a "The people of 01.;;·, nc,"'· as weJI ae century In the same edifice, t!lther bt,:~re, rathe!.' prefer to enter Into by permlaslqn from the Reformed the kiu~d-:,m ot heaven by the broad people or as· a. Union Church. From way. They have again chosen as the Documentary History of the their minister an undesirable man, Mfnlsterium of Pennsylvania, we because they hate aerlously to re learn that as early ns 1762 they had linquish the sins ~t the world to fol a church school and congregntlou low Christ. Alas, the grief!" here. In the Preachers Conference of the 16th Convention of Mlnlsterl um, held at Philadelphia, Rev. J. H. DELEGATE FROM READING. Schaum la reporte4 aa pastor, who In 1 '181, records show that "a states: "At O!ey a worthleBB school delegate came from Rending with master had to be dlsci.arged, a request from the congregation hence the school baa fallen lqto de there, and the congregallon at Oley, cay nt prt-sent." that they might have Dr. Otterbe.ln tor their pastor. Whcireupon brother PFl'I'l'IONS FltOM OLEY, Otterbein declared thnt he coul Frtedem Union Church, Frtedensburs, Oler, Pa, An11als of the Oley Valley 141 imminent do.nger of long dlstnncJ During Dr. lirownmllle1· a pad• travel may easily be inferred, Thu to1·ate In 1908-9, a new church, the minutes record among letters read present Gothic brick structure, WaH "a petition from Oley recently erected, called Stoor to have preaching At Its dedication on Whitsuntide, every four weeks." May 30 and 31, 1909, the pastor W£\l:i In 1777, Rev. Fred A. C. Muhlen assisted In the services by Revs. D. berg having been driven out of New D. Trexler, C, E. Kistler, A. W. Lin York city by the approach of the denmuth, D. G. Gerberich, M. L. British army for his loyalty to the BrownmlJter, W. O. Laub and Dr. J. patriotic cause of the Conlin en ti\ lt; J. Kline. The 100th nnnlveraary of now In revolt, settled at New Han• the erection of the first edifice was over, preached for a season for thla commemorated by fitting services on Oley Oock. Pentecostnl Sunday, 1922, when. Rev. Stahr, who Is a reliable au Rev. Dr. J. B. Focht, of Selinsgrove, tho1·lty on the hlstol'y of the Oley and Robert B. Lynch, of Kutztown, churches claims the all early allu 1 preaohed. sions to Oley Lutherans aJ)plles to tho Hill Church of Pike township at LEADS WORLD FOR ECONOMY. that time a part of Oley ter1·ltory. In 1830 a large number of mem Tho Christ Lutheran congregation of bers of both Reformed and Luth Oley, he states, was founded by Rev. eran congl'egatlons or Oley llvlng tn Conrnd Miller, some short time be the western portion ot the Otey fore 1820. Valley clustering about Frleden'3- burg, withdrew their membership to OORNER STONE LAID IN 1811, organize new ~ongregatlons and build a Union (Reformed and Luth At length, in 18?.0, this congrega eran) Church In the town of Frled tion reeolved to bulld Its own onsburg. The building was erected ohuroh alongside the old edifice an Lutheran-Rev. Ieaac Foeller, In 1886 the present church (sec 1881-1888; Rev. Daniel Kohler, ond) wns built at a cost of 110,190.06. 1888-1848; Rev. George Miller, Both churches have held their 1849-1868; Rev. G. A. Hfnterloltner. own and flourished and today about 1868-1866; Rev. Thomas T. lager, everybody who goes to church In 1866-1888: Rev. U. P. Hellman, Oley except smaller congregations ot another denomination at Frfed 1883-1897; Rev. W. U. KJstJer, onsburg and Pleasantville, now wo\'• 1897-1904: Rev. A, W, Lindenmuth, ship Jn either of the two Lutheran 1906-1910; Rev. H. w. Fitting, and Reformed churches of the Oley 1911-1916; Rev. H, B. Ritter, 1916- Valley. These two denominations coming down from the days ot tha 1926, Reformation, have stablllty among This church sent three sons lnt\l Germanic communltles and adapt the Lutheran ministry: Revs. David themselves to the tlmes-the truth C. l{aufman, of Emaus: Roger C. ' of the Gospel like a. ~ook, mlrrorln1: Kaufman, of Woodstock, Ill., and Itself In the changing tides of Tlme'e Nathan B. Yerger, ot Quakertown, flow at- Its base. Annals ol the Oley Valley 143 Chapter XXV. THE OLEY SCHOOLS An Excellent Record The schools of Oley, like the household, and as they had brought church life, the industrial develop with them their Blblee and dAVO• ment, the r.ommunlty centers of vil tlonal books, they uaunUy conducted lages and towns, and the agricul family worship In their own homn,. tural paradise of modern Oley had holds, so that before the first nil to be evolved. churches were reared In Oley, the The germ, or seed-thought, of all Incense of divine worship rose to these advancements was contained heaven from many a home altar as l:i the heart and desire and will of the smoke of their cabin fires curled the people who first settled the val to the sky from their stone chim 4 ley, W(l have seen that they were neys, of noble stock, Intelligent, reltglous So, for a few years, were the and skilled In the arts and Indus homes the ftrst schooJe. The father tries that promote a community. or mother taught the children to But they came to plant their rend their French or German Testa homee In a wilderness inhabited by ments and PsalteJ-S, or in case of the 11avages with not the first signs of Quakers, their Engllsh books of re civlllzatlon about them, The pio ligion. Many a humble home In neers had nothing beyond Indian Oley during the early part of the trails in the way of roads through 18th century echoed with the fath the Impenetrable forests, and fuJnd er'y base and the obUd's treble voices their first task was to open roads for repeating their e-c, a-c, a 4 b: e 4 b: communication and to clear their 1-b, 1-c; o-b, o-c; U 4 b, u 4 c, This WU Janda for cultivation as soon as their the germ from which has grown the first rude cabins were erected, Then present school life of Oley. came their need for the necessltlM As the community came to be of llfe and mllls, saw-mllls, forges more thickly settled, schools of and furnaces, the small artisan some other kind were contrived. shops and Industrials a1ong their The Germans were dependent on the water courses. · Amid all these was traveling pay-schoolmaster, or else the desire for religious worship and the paroohtal or church school education. Not one of these could teacher untll once their con be omitted long. Hence a common gregations were established and an struggle was made to have their re Instructor could be provided. Nearly ligious wanta''aupplled and the best t.11 our early churches had the parish that could be done, amtd such con4 schools and school teachers. We dltlons of scattere,t living, waft done flnd such a school tn existence ln" the to provide their children with the Oley Reformed and Lutheran con essential rudiments of an education. gregation at an early date. But they were not known to be flourishing, Ellm.VIOES IN HOUSES. Often there was trouble In support Religious services were held in ing the teacher or erse he proved houses, where a pious exhorter or himself unworthy and had to be Jay reader conducted a service of dismissed. Then there was the lan prayer, praise a.nd exhortation or guage question. The Quakers wer'3 Blble lndootrJnatlon. Until ordained English, the Huguenots knew pastora could be found to come to F'rench beet and the Refnrmed and them in the wilderness, they shifted Lutherans were German. the beet they could for the bread of life. As most of the early settlet'z3 FIRB.r HiTABLISBED SOHOOl.8. of Oley were religious fugtUves, de Wit)\ reference to the opening ot voted followers of the great head the first district echool ot Oley, thla of the church, of a staunch Cnlvln 4 credit belongs to the Quakers. Quot tetlo or Pletlatlo falt'h, the heads of Ing Dr. P, G. Bertolet's "ltlstory of families W\}re the priests of th'l Oley," we learn thfa: · Annals of the Oley Valley Frolll the toregolna remark• It ls to be <,b• the Oermn youths ano· maidens. 1ened that moat of thue Quakeu came from The MoravJan school tor bJgher Bngland. 01 courae, the7 brouaht with then, education came next, and of this we th<' fanauaae of that countr1, nt well na mftn) have alrendy had an account. A .Mr. of the Enafl•h ca1tom1 aud uaagea. Tbe1 Bnders was their star teacher. Then opened achoola at ftn e11rly day and for nearly came the pa1·ochfal and private paf a century bad almost the exrlualvc 11atroo11ge schools, to be followed by the pub (n teaching the rounir ot thf& t>ntfre neigh• lic aohools, nearly a century ngo, borhOOd. The,- excelled In tenchlng and had These have grown ln popular1ty, many among their rank th11t would be no efflolenoy and advancement In dl1credlt to tlie profe11lon of tenchh1g at thla grades, until the pubJlc high schools day, Moat of the old (peoplel now lh·lna In of our towns-and surely that Oler remember them. No •ooner had tbe1e of Frledensburg-are abreast with people paved the war, u ft were, thRn the the very best In the land. In Its German,, a 1agRcfou1, vfrtuou, 01111 fnduatrl• supervision, faculty and school•splrlt 0111 race. began to emfarate hither l>r tho lt ls alert and diligent, and In the Olt~)' }Ugh School. tbou111nd1. It 11 only 100 1ean aa() that very front in 1,ursult of every acr there wu (1t111) vacant l1nd In Ole7. vnnce step. Thi• wu the lut lnfln of an7• people t.iat ett1bl11hed hom11 bert-, which bu contln~d to a dlmlnl1bed e:stent to the preaent day RANK WITH BE&'T, (1860). Burr reu 1on,e of tbeae hmllle• "The present townshlp sohooht of eettle alonr the blll•tlde and reclaim land, Oley rank with the best ln the coun by their 1tronr arm•, wblcb bu been of no try. With a wlde-av.ake supervis ulue, 1o.nd here (the German) rean hi• 1lruple ing principal, who le the head of the fa1DU7, brfnc• up Tlrtuou•, bale anct robu1t township high school, Prof. Newton cbllctren,• reJolc1n1 ibat be ll In a land ()f w. Geiss, has brought about a school ffftdom, where be nted• not rerud an, man curriculum for the township and H muter. created a 1ohool-aplrlt · .:hat la not Here toUows a sketch of the life excelled anywhere. ot Dr. George DeBennevllle, who But It waa not alwaya thus. The came to be recognlMd e.a the first aohoola, like the church, town or great teacher of Otey, eapeolall)' of community life, have evolved from Annals ol the Oley Valley 145 rude and crude beginnings. In a re But by and by these schools cent commencement day program of came. Our own Pennsylvania Ger the Oley High School, Prof. Geiss man Governors, Shulzo and Wolf, arranged an essays and orations for trom Berks and Northampton coun the day to center around the com ties respectively, pushed the matter mon theme of "Our Schools." We through the State Legislature and have had an opportunity to read signed the blll to make lt a law. In over these papers, a·eallng with course of time tta establh•hrnent such subjects as "The Curriculum," came to Oley. It called for a. dJe• "Early History of Oley Schools," trlbutlon of school houses over the "Products of Our Schools," "The township, ae well as the provision of First School of Otey," "Evolution of teachers for all of them. We quote o-,r Schools," "Great Oaks In an from a copy of the minute book of Educational Forest," "Origin nnd Oley the secretary's . report or state History of the Oley Academy," "An ment of busJnesa tTansactlon for Educator, Rev. Dr. Daniel E. Schaed March 29, 1849: ler," "A Digest of School Notes" and "The Board of School Directors "Social Life a·ad Its Relation to the met at the house of Jacob Kemp, In Schools." One can Imagine here la Oley Township, to elect officers rich material irom ~·blob to cull for agreeable to an Act or Assembly and this historic sketch of . the Oley to establish a general eyatem of sohools, cducatlo11 tor the common schools." From the paper on "El.rly Hls• tory," we learn that the course of WERE EVIDENTLY NEEDED, education In Oley began In 1712, wlth the arrival of the ftrst settlers. According to the mis-spelling, It Not all education was of the head, Is evident common schools were by means of bookR; much consisted needed. The tax levy for school of a training of the hand by the use houses to be ereoted and the time of tools. These early German plo• of opening schools were fixed at thli, neers were mechanics and skllled meeting. The public sohool system artisans, and they taught their sons had been adopted and Oley district some trade by a long proceu of &P• was organized Into 12 Integral prentloeshlps and Journeymen crafts• school dfstrJcta and named Furnace, manshlp, before they were supposed llrumbach's, Church, Klefer's, Hunt to set up In business themselves. ter'e, Knabb'e, Wfest'e, Reltf's, Gul But In their church schools they dln'e, Hoch's, Palm's and Pleasant• learned to read, write and cipher, ville Independent. With thts ste, a·nd aa llterature they had the Psal came English teachers into Oley, ter and the New Testament. Some the source being mostly Cheater of them grew to be expert mathe• County, until the Oley Academy was matlcJans, especially In their practi esta.b llshed, cal appUcatlon of the science to The first Board of School Directors their varied trades. P~lng through of Oley (1849) were Daniel Berto the period of crude pay schools, or let, John Kaufman, Joel· Le Van, parochial schools, we come to that ~ra · Grlesem&r, Martin Yodel' and ot the State, or pubUo school. Nathan Knl,lbb. They rented nine rooms or dwellings and fitted them PUBLIO SOJl(>OLS ESTABLISHED. out for school purposes and for each of these they pafd $5 a month rent. After the Sta.te took up the mat• Puplls were at first expected to pay, ter of free publlo schools, about a according to the curriculum they century ago, there was oonsldera.ble took, some three cent, a day, somu agitation, and In many places five to ten cents a week. Theri:, among the German countlee, oppo• seems to have been in this a mixture sltlon to the project. There were ot the pay and tree system em sections where liberty poles with ployed to get back the price ot banners flying In oppoaltlon to free rented rooms. schools and consequent taxation The arrangeme~t ot these early were raised. Whether Oley ever dis aohool rooms was to line the walla played auoh short-sightedness I can• with long desks and benches, on not tell, Properly understood, our which each pupil's apace was German people were not opposed to marked off. In the middle stood education, nor to universal educa• the long wood stove. Pupils, whfle Uon, but to universal free education studying, had their baoka turned to with taxation upon those who al• the teacher, who occupied the mid ready bad provided for the educa• dle of the room. For recreation fhq tlon of their own chlldren In re pupils were supposed to gather the ligious parochial schools, for which wood and chop It Into lengths for they pald, They teared the tax and the stove. the probable secularization of the Crude ways for writlng were ftral public 10hoole. employed, using charcoal or wood, t\ 146 Annals ol tbe Oley Valley sort ot Lincoln's boyhood method. OLEY ACADElll.'. 'Later came the slate and penctl, There were no maps, blackboards, Next came the Oley A<'ademy. pictures or calenders on the wall. ,vhen the :mbllc tree schools were The course ot study was reading. adopted In Oley, there were those writing, arithmetic and a little who desired a school to be estab mualc, lf the teacher could tench It. lished· where the higher branches ot study might be pursued, and espe TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR. cially where teachers might be trained for the township schools. Under the present system the But It tell through at the time. Its township achools are re-numbered leading advocates were Dr. Peter G. and all pursue a systematic grade Bertolet and Martin Yoder, but course and have the supervision of though temporarily defeated by the the principal of the Township High other members of the board, they School, Professor Geiss. were not discouraged. They simply ' . . ~ ,. _'.i,: : Oler Academ7. The old first township s~hool, near awaited their time. In 18157, another John CJauser's, ls now Furnace effort was made by Dr. Bertolet and School, No. 9; second, Brumbach·11 strongly supported by such men as CroH Roa.de, now Bt·umbaoh', Bennevme A. Glase, Pantel a. Lein School, No, 10; third, between bach an« others, the project wu WUllame' and Yoder's, now Pleas• carried thus to erect In Frledenaburs antvtlle, No. 8: fourth, near Oley such an Institution, where the ohurehea, now Church School, No. higher branches would be taught 11: ftfth, near Fisher's, now Klefer's, and the community lifted In general No. 6; sixth, near Herbeln's, now enlightenment. It was erected and Welat'1 School, No. 4; seventh, near controlled as a school Independent Knabb'e, now Knabb's School, No. of State tun~ and It was named aa 6; eighth, Bertolet•s, now Ouldln's the Oley A emy. The promoters School, No. 3. There were several became Incorporated; anti· consisted recitations In each branch every day ot Daniel 8. Leinbach, Bennevllle A. In the old-time school-how mo• Glase, John R. · Edelman, Daniel H. notonoue, · Levan, John K. Bertolet, Pet~r O. Annals ol tbe Oley Valley 147 Bertolet, Jacob Bertolet, Daniel S. \VAS IT IN VAIN? Bertolet, Samuel F. Busby, Jacob H. Major, Peter Guldin and David S. Was tt in vain that their school Baer, A large two-story br1ok buUd was !oundea·, and after 50 years Jng was ereoted In the vlllage ot closed Its doors? One mfght as well FrJedensburg (still standing and aak, had a pair of boots or an auto constituting the p r e s e n t Grades mobile any value, because they may School bulldlng), and equipped, and be worn out In five years? Surely on Deo. 1, 1867, opened for service, ft Jett tmperfshable results. Besides with Prof. Jacob H, Major as its first Hghtfng the pathway !01· many an prlnclpal. The enrollment presently eager youth and maiden, It lifted up rose to 40 students, and the enter the entire community, by lnstllllng prise proven a success. higher ldeals,by llftlng ft on a higher plane of lntelllgence and filling homes with the finest and best ln KNOWN FAR AND WIDE. literature and art: and by sending The oiey Academy was known out to walks of usefulness many, far and wide as an excellent school and to fame, not a few. Among the tor advancea courses. It malntalnod latter are such names as Rev. its popularity and success until a George Detloker, ot Bethlehem: Rev. greater luminary arose in the Key David A. Souders, Supt. or Immigra st.one State Normal School, estab tion Dept. of Missions In Reformed lished in 1866, at Kutztown, only Church: Rev. James n. and George 10 miles away, when It began gradu. B. Kerohne1·, both ln active mlnlstry; ally to wane. In 1874 and 1875 the Reuben Weldin, a former county of outlook was discouraging. Every ficial; Daniel K. Hoch, a former effort was put forth to revive lt. member of State Legislature; Prof. '!'here was rallied to Its support E. l\f. Rapp, superintendent of Berks larger. financial backing, old dobtK schools since 1896. Other names wiped out, a larger boarding house could be added to this 11st. We name aud this position since 1916 nnd the past Frledensburg school, grades three four years hatt been township super• and four: Mrs. John B. Reider, Pri vlatng principal and aohool work In mary, grades one and two: Wllll De the township has steadily risen. Dur Turok, Guldin School; Mae Kelm, Ing his year or two answering the Knabb School; Catharine Rothen World Draft a Miss Bobb supplied bere-or, Hunter School: Alvin Reider, In hi& stead. Wiest School; Emily Manvlller, Church School 1 William M. Hafer, Mano.tawny Sonool; Webster Rein ert, Kieffer School; Mrs. Arthur L. Rhoads, Furnace School; Anna Ang stadt, Brumbach School. All high school teachers are col logo graduates, All rural school teachers are Normal school gradu ates or Its equivalent. FUHS. 'We have to bring these "Annals of the Oley Valley" to a close be fore, indeed, the finis has been reached of the hletorJcal and genealogical study ot this Interest Ing community. We are sorry for thl11, but there Is a limit to a man's Ume and strength tor research work, as there le a llmlt to even so mammoth a sheeted newspaper as the Reading Eaale, Thie limit, I know, I have afready transcended and trespaBSed on valuable space, which the paper usually devotee to other news. At least half-a-dozen, or more, equally early and Import• ant Oley famtllee have, therefore, to be omitted from these sketches. They are the Knabbs, Relffs, Lee15, Snyders, Weh1ers, Stapletons, Ang stadt&, De la-Planks, Dleners, D, Long's (my own ancestors) and others. But the llmlt ot time, en ergy and printing opportunity le reached and we beg pardon for this omlselon ot these various clans. We hope this book wlll yet ap Prof. Newton W.' Gel88. peal to many of them, and that from each family circle may arise The faculty t>f the Oley High some chronicler who shall do full School, all College graduates, toda.y Justice In, bringing out the various consists of: Prof. Newton w. Geise, famlly hletorlee for nigh or over supervising principal and teacher two centuries of Amorlcan lite. of social science: Mies Edna H. De We must yet acknowledge the as Turck, English; Miss Nellie H. De sistance ln the task, now brought to Turok, hf11~ory; Mies Vivian Weisner, a close, the valuable help which languages: Ml88 L.tura L. Smith, Rev. I. a. Stahr, Prof. N. W, Oetee, eolence; Hf.Ni Ada ~. Fisher, mualc. Mr. Chester L. DeTurck, Mrs. Eliz Thia fa the cotrect roster of teach abeth K. Kruger and others have ers as ft,etands at the present time. rendered In bringing out these Newton W. Geise, Supervising sketches. Without their aid some Principal of the Oley Public Schools errors would have crept Into print, and teacher of social science; Edna and the publicity which they re H. DeTurok, English ln the high ceived In the Oley region would not school; Vivian Wiemer, languages; have been given them. We cordially Laura L. Smith, science; Adam I. thank them for tmme, while we send Simon, mathematics: EU F. Wiemer, forth this book In the hope of meet muelc: C. 8. Bower, Intermediate, Ing ·with favor, wherever It may grade, five and six; Ellen Yerger, ftnd olrculatlon. 1>ears first In da·en: Jacob, l\lary, Ann, George, a list of pet1Uone1·s for the erection Charlea and Abner. of Oley Township ot date Sept. :;, Johannes Herbein, supposed to hl' 1720, where It Is given ns Jonathan a grandson of David, who witnessed Herbein. The name of the latter the wfll, settled In Richmond Town occm·s first fn the fmmfgrnnt lfst o( ship and here "near a s1>rlng11 bul:t passengers on the ship Pink, which a house in 1790, st111 standing. He landed at Phlladelphla Oct. 17, 1782, married Barbara. FJes, and the~• }\'hen his name ls written os an spent their Jives farming. They were l!Jngllshman would write the Ger survived by three , children: John. man pronunciation of the nnme- Jonathan and Sallle; wife or Samuel Peter Harbyn. He was accompnnle·I L. Hoch. by hie wlte, Margaret. Was he a brother of Jonathan? • His name Is found among the 172 FAMILY OEMETF..RY. petitioners, who In 1788, tor the The Oley homestead was probably ffrlit time asked for the new county near the Oley Une and here many of of Berks, the earller Herbelne Ile hurled In a He Is listed among the taxpayers private cemetery on the farm. Here of Oley Township In 1762, when Abraham (Sci) lived until 1842, and the county of Berke was erected. with his wife, Susanna Hoch, ha