Local History: Northumberland County Biographical Sketches: Zerbe (Trevorton), Cameron, Little Mahanoy, Jackson, Lower Mahanoy, Washington, Jordan and Upper Mahanoy Townships: Bell's History of Northumberland Co, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Tony Rebuck Tar2@psu.edu USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. Transcribed from Bell's History of Northumberland County Pennsylvania CHAPTER LII. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. ZERBE (TREVORTON), CAMERON, LITTLE MAHANOY, JACKSON, LOWER MAHANOY, WASHINGTON, JORDAN, AND UPPER MAHANOY TOWNSHIPS. J. B. NEWBAKER, physician and druggist, was born at Halifax, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, July 2, 1820, son of Philip and Mary K (Rahm) Newbaker. He attended the schools of his native borough, after which he began the study of medicine with Dr. S. P. Brown, of Halifax, and graduated from Jefferson Medical College in 1852. He located in Lower Augusta township, where he practiced his profession two years. He then removed to Jersey Shore, Lycoming county, where he remained one year, when he again located in Lower Augusta township; there he remained until 1881, and then settled in Trevorton and established his drug business, which he has since conducted in connection with his practice. He was married in 1842 to Caroline, daughter of Henry Maize, of Dauphin county, by which union they have four children living: Phillip, a physician of Danville; Louisa, wife of A. L. Bastress, of Lycoming county; John J., of Dauphin county, and Mary M., wife of J. J. John, of Lykens, Pennsylvania. In 1862 the Doctor was commissioned by Governor Curtin assistant surgeon of the Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania Volunteers, with which he remained three months, when he was compelled to resign on account of failing health. In 1864 he was again commissioned by Governor Curtin, and was attached to the white Hall END OF PAGE 1217 hospital, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, and the Seminary hospital, Alexandria, Virginia. In politics he is a Democrat, and in 1871 was chosen to represent this county in the State legislature. He has served in the office of township treasurer, also as school director many times. He is a member of the Baptist church, is connected with the Masonic and I.O.O.F. fraternities, and is recognized as one of the representative citizens of Northumberland county. JAMES RENNEY, deceased, was the pioneer of Trevorton. He was born in England, about the year 1788, and in 1830 immigrated to this country and first settled in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, but soon after removed to Sunbury, where he became acquainted with Hugh Bellas. About 1883 this gentleman with Burd Patterson and others employed Mr. Renney to take charge of the Gap coal veins near the site of Trevorton, his duty being to develop the coal lands and hold possession of them. He at once removed his family to the place, and built the house he lived in at the time of his death, August 29, 1878. When Mr. Renney settled at what is now Trevorton his nearest neighbor was a mile distant and the nearest store was at Sunbury, twelve miles distant. As soon as the coal veins had been fully located the work of laying out the town began. Hospitality was one of the leading traits of his character, and for years their lonely house was the headquarters of all who visited that region. Mr. Renney married Ann Bell, May 7, 1816, at Long Benton, England; she survived him, dying June 9, 1886, in her ninetieth year, at the residence of her son-in-law, William Foulds, of Trevorton. Their descendants are fourteen children, eighty-four grandchildren, and over one hundred great-grandchildren. Eleven of their descendants served in the Union army, their son, James B., dying at Yorktown of disease contracted in the service. In all relations of life both Mr. and Mrs. Renney were honorable, upright, and charitable, and to him is largely due the early growth and development of the town of Trevorton. THOMAS FOULDS, SR., was a practical English miner, who immigrated with his family to this country in 1849, locating at Good Spring, Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, where he was engaged in mining until 1851, and then removed to Trevorton. When the two mines were consolidated in 1853, he was appointed superintendent, which position he filled until 1858. While superintendent he discovered the vein of coal known as Zero, which underlies No. 1, and was overlooked by Professor Rogers in his geological survey, and for this discovery Mr. Foulds was presented with a handsome gold watch by James L. Morris, president of the company. After severing his connection with the colliery he was engaged in manufacturing powder, and afterwards in connection with his son, Thomas, and Robert Goodwill, leased the Bear Valley mine, and subsequently purchased the Union Hotel at Trevorton, which he conducted until his death in 1876. In politics Mr. Foulds was a Republican, and a prominent member of the I.O.O.F. He married END OF PAGE 1218 Dorothy Metcalf in his native land, and his family consisted of three sons and five daughters. Thomas; William; Annie, wife of Joseph Ditchfield; Jane, wife of Alexander Simpson, of Scranton; Richard, deceased; Mary, deceased wife of James Caldwell; Carrie, wife of Scott Dawson, of Wilkesbarre, and Julia, wife of Daniel Campbell. THOMAS FOULDS, proprietor of the Pennsylvania House, Trevorton, is the eldest son of Thomas and Dorothy Foulds. He was born at Tupton Moor, North Winfield parish, Derbyshire, England, September 16, 1830, and came to America with his parents in 1849. He followed mining in Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, until 1851, when he located in Trevorton, and subsequently entered the employ of the late William H. Marshall, and in company with him went to Centralia, Pennsylvania, where he was engaged one year prospecting for coal. He returned to Trevorton, and opened all the principal gangways of the North Franklin colliery, except two on the west side of the Gap. In 1856 he purchased his present place of business, and in 1857 assumed charge of the hotel. In the same year Mr. Foulds went South with Mr. J. W. Beebe, of New York City, and took charge of the bituminous coal mines for a New York company near Montevallo, Alabama, and while there was successful in introducing coal on the steamboats on the Alabama river. Returning to Trevorton in 1858, in connection with his hotel he engaged in the mercantile business, which he conducted until 1867, and again embarked in the coal trade at Bear Valley, and was also connected with the Rock Ridge Coal Company of Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania. Mr. Foulds's early advantages were limited, but he educated himself by a knowledge gained from books and close observation of things around him. In 1862 he invented an improvement in ordnance known as the needle gun, for which he refused ten thousand dollars. In 1872 be invented a pump, and also invented a condenser (or what is commonly known as an exhaust in receiving pipes of pumps), for which he was awarded the only medal for condensers at the Centennial Exposition in 1876. In 1885 he received letters patent for an improvement in injector condensers, and in July, 1890, he patented an exhaust steam receiver. A metallic railroad tie is his latest invention, for which letters patent have recently been received. He is also well known as the proprietor and manufacturer of the tonic called "Uncle Tom's Bitters," for which he received a trade mark in 1886. He was the originator of the sliding scale adopted by the Bear Valley Coal Company in the regulation of its payment of wages for mining coal, previous to the adoption of the same by the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company. Mr. Foulds has served in the various township offices, and in his political affiliations is a Democrat, but was a zealous exponent of the Greenback party, and was its candidate for the legislature in 1879. In religious faith he is an Episcopalian. Mr. Foulds was married in 1849 to Margaret Framey, a native of Queens county, Ireland, who died, May 10, 1863, leaving two children: END OF PAGE 1219 Julianne, wife of J. L. Beury, of West Virginia, and Anastasia, wife of Jeremiah Pannel, of Kentucky. His second wife was Mary Knapp, daughter of Henry Herb, and by this union they have had one child, Thomas H., deceased. Mr. Foulds is connected with the F. & A.M., the K of P., and the I.O.O.F. WILLIAM FOULDS, Sr., proprietor of the Union House, was born at Tupton Moor, North Winfield parish, Derbyshire, England, in 1833, Son of Thomas and Dorothy (Metcalf) Foulds. His early life was spent in England, where he followed mining, and in the employ of his father, who was engaged in the manufacture of coke for some years previous to his immigration to the United States in 1849. Mr. Foulds's entire business transactions, prior to the death of his father, who came to Trevorton in 1851, were confined to his business, as he was connected with him in all his enterprises. On the death of his father in 1876 the hotel in Trevorton passed to him, since which time he has given that business his sole attention. Mr. Foulds was married in 1855 to Eliza B., daughter of James Renney, the pioneer of Trevorton, and by this marriage they have had sixteen children. Those living are: George; M. Eliza, wife of Peter Badman; Mary A., widow of S. N. Derrick; Susan, wife of Thomas Moore; Alice E.; Sophia J.; Martha B.; Florence J., and Thomas J. In polities Mr. Foulds is an independent voter. He is a member of Trevorton Lodge, I.O.O.F., and Augusta Encampment. RICHARD LOBB, miner and farmer, was born in Cornwall, England, January 7, 1837, son of Richard and Jane (Treawin) Lobb. When a child his parents removed to Monmouthshire, Wales, where he lived until 1851; at the age of nine years he commenced working in the mines. His father's death occurred when he was five years old, and his mother married William Pinches, who immigrated to this country, and in 1851 our subject, in company with his mother and her family, joined his stepfather, who had located at Trevorton. Richard Lobb found employment at the mines, where he remained a few months, and in company with his stepfather went to Schuylkill county, where they were employed eight months, when they were engaged by Judge Helfenstein to shaft the Shamokin region, his stepfather being appointed foreman, in which work they were engaged six or seven years. They then went to Ashland, where they remained one year, and returned to Shamokin to work in Bear Valley colliery. In 1859 Mr. Lobb returned to Trevorton and remained one year working in the mines, after which he went to Lykens valley, where he remained until 1862, and again returned to Trevorton, where he has since resided. Mr. Lobb is also engaged in farming, owning some fifty acres at Trevorton, and a farm of two hundred forty acres in Maryland. He was married, June 17, 1855, to Mrs. Emia Jones, a native of Wales. Mr. Lobb is a Republican in politics, and has filled the office of overseer of the poor for Zerbe township. In his religions faith he is a Methodist, of which he is a lifelong member; he has been END OF PAGE 1220 Sunday school superintendent for many years, and one of the official members of the Trevorton church. He is also a member of Shamokin Lodge, F. & A.M., Trevorton Lodge, I.O.O.F., and the K. of P. In 1864 he enlisted in the emergency corps. He is one of Trevorton's progressive citizens, and has responded liberally toward the building of all the church edifices of Trevorton. He is a warm friend to the cause of education, and manifests an interest in any movement tending to the advancement of his community. BENJAMIN KNAUSS, deceased, was born in Northampton county, Pennsylvania, in 1790, and was one of the early settlers of Trevorton. He served through the war of 1812, and held the commission of lieutenant. He was prominent in the old State militia, and had the commission of captain, being appointed by Governor Snyder. In 1810 he settled in Mifflinburg, Union county, Pennsylvania, and subsequently removed to Montour county, and in 1853 came to Trevorton and engaged in the hotel business, keeping the Franklin House for many years. His death occurred in 1883. He was twice married; nothing of his first marriage is known by his descendants. His second wife was Miss Billinger, by whom he had seven children: Susan; Fannie; Margaret; Elizabeth; Benjamin; Ellen, and Daniel. GOTHILF C. CRONE, deceased, was born in Westphalia, Prussia. In 1849 he immigrated to this country and settled in Reading, Pennsylvania. He subsequently removed to Lehigh county, where he was engaged in the mining of slate; one year later he removed to Middleport, Schuylkill county, and engaged in coal mining. In 1855 he located in Trevorton and for a number of years was employed in the mines at this place. He married in Prussia, J. W. L. Stollen. Their children are all deceased excepting three sons: Julius, of Shamokin; George F., of Shamokin, and Herman T., of Trevorton. His wife died while he was a resident of Middleport, Pennsylvania. In his religious faith he was a Lutheran, in which church he was an elder for many years, and superintendent of the Sunday school. While a resident of Trevorton he filled the offices of supervisor, tax collector, and poor director. In politics he was a warm Democrat, and was one of Trevorton's enterprising and solid citizens. His death occurred at Trevorton in 1868. HERMAN T. CRONE, butcher, was born in Westphalia, Prussia, in 1834, son of Gothilf C. and J. W. L. Crone. He came to this country in l849 with his parents, and spent his early life in mining. He came to Trevorton with his father and for some years was engaged in the same business. In 1862 he enlisted in Company D, One Hundred and Seventy- second Pennsylvania Volunteers, serving nine months. In 1869 he engaged in his present business, which he has since conducted. In 1882, under the firm name of Gillespie, Crone & Company, the Shamokin Powder Company was organized. He subsequently sold his interest and in connection with his brother George F. established and erected their present work at Trevorton, under the firm name of H. T. Crone & Brother, manufacturers of powder. Mr. Crone was END OF PAGE 1221 married in 1861 to Fredrica Knapp, who died in 1862, leaving one child, deceased. He subsequently married Mary S. Yuengling, of Trevorton, and by this union they have six living children: Emma C.; Louisa P.; Francis G.; Henry J.; Bertha C., and William. In his political sentiments Mr. Crone is a pronounced Democrat, and has filled the office of school director and tax collector. He has been connected with the K. of P. and the I.O.O.F., and is a Lutheran in religious faith, and a member of that church. Mr. Crone is one of the progressive citizens of Trevorton, and manifests great interest in all public matters; he is a warm supporter of all enterprises of a public character, and enjoys the respect of the people of the community. JOHN P. PLUMMER, retired, was born in the parish of Kilmerstone, Somersetshire, England, June 9, 1821, son of Thaddeus and Ann (Pratton) Plummer. He was reared and educated in his native parish, and early engaged in mining. In 1856 he immigrated to this country and located at Trevorton, Northumberland county, Pennsylvania. He found employment under Superintendent Mowton at the coal breaker, and was soon promoted to foreman, which position he filled twenty years. He is the oldest outside operator now living in Trevorton, and one of the oldest citizens of the place. Mr. Plummer was married in 1842, in England, to Harriet, daughter of Thomas Giddings; her death occurred in 1854. They were the parents of three children: Joseph; William, and Harriet M., wife of Joseph Knight, of Ohio. Mr. Plummer married for his second wife Sarah, daughter of James Bellas. He is a member of the Baptist church, of the I.O.O.F., and politically is an independent voter. Joseph Plummer, the oldest son of John P. Plummer, was born in England in l844, and is a miner by occupation. He married Ellen Binscotter, a native of Berks county, Pennsylvania, and their children are: Harry; Hattie, and Carrie. Mr. Plummer is a member of the Methodist church, of which he is a local preacher, and politically he is a Republican. William Plummer, second son of John P. Plummer, was born in England, February 12, 1847, and has always followed the occupation of a miner. He married Rebecca, daughter of John Singer, and they have one child, William R. Politically Mr. Plummer is a Democrat, and has filled the offices of supervisor and township auditor. He is a member of the Methodist church, and an industrious, public-spirited citizen. DENNIS FITZPATRICK, proprietor of the Trevorton House, was born in County Limerick, Ireland, in 1834, son of Timothy and Mary (Hanlon) Fitzpatrick. His parents were farmers and his life was spent upon the homestead until 1854, when he immigrated to this country. He found employment at Plymouth Hill, Connecticut, where he remained a short time, when he removed to Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, and obtained employment in the construction of the Lebanon Valley railroad. In 1857 he settled in Trevorton and engaged in mining, which business he followed until 1887, END OF PAGE 1222 and then went into the butcher business, which be conducted until September, 1889, when he assumed the proprietorship of the Trevorton House. Mr. Fitzpatrick was married in County Limerick, Ireland, in 1854, to Mary, daughter of Thomas Joyce, and they are the parents of twelve children, nine of whom are living: Thomas; Mary A.; Dennis; Bridget; Ellen; John; Matthew; Johanna Amadia, and Maurice. In politics Mr. Fitzpatrick is a Democrat, manifests great interest in the success of his party, and has been treasurer of his township. In his religious faith he is a Catholic, and is a member of St. Patrick's church of Trevorton. WILLIAM DEPPEN, deceased, was a son of George and Margaret (Greise) Deppen. His father was a native of Berks county, Pennsylvania, and settled in Jackson township, Northumberland county, near Herndon, about 1830, where he died. He had three sons and one daughter. William was the eldest son, and when a young man be engaged in the mercantile business at Augustaville, subsequently living in Jackson township, at Mahanoy, for eighteen years. In the spring of 1860 he located at Trevorton and engaged in merchandising about two years, when he retired from active business. He was a Republican in politics, and a member of the German Reformed church. He married Susan Lantz, of Lower Augusta township, and they were the parents of three sons and one daughter: B. F.; George W.; R. L., and Sarah A. He died in January, 1876; his widow survives him, and resides in Trevorton. B. F. DEPPEN, merchant, was born in Jackson township, Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, in 1847, son of William and Susan (Lantz) Deppen. He was educated at the public schools, and was appointed agent for the Philadelphia and Reading railroad at Trevorton, which position he filled twenty years. In 1889 he established his present business. Politically Mr. Deppen is a Republican. He married Susan Herb, who died in 1888 leaving four children: Laura M.; Susan M.; Samuel H., and William R. JAMES COOPER, proprietor of the House of All Nations, Trevorton, was born in Staffordshire, England, January 26, 1818, son of William and Susannah (Jones) Cooper. At the age of ten years our subject commenced the life of a miner, which he followed in his native land until 1863, when he immigrated to this country and settled in Trevorton, Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, where he found employment in the mines. He subsequently removed to Shamokin, was employed in the mines near that place until l869, and then returned to the mines at Trevorton. In 1870 he went to Mahanoy City but the following year he returned to Trevorton. In 1872 he opened his present hotel, which he had purchased in 1869, and has since been engaged in the hotel business. Mr. Cooper was married, November l5, 1845, to Jane Sunland, of England, who died, May 26, 1885. She was the mother of seven children, all of whom are dead except Mary A., wife of Otto Lout, of Trevorton, and James, who resides in Clearfield county, Pennsylvania. END OF PAGE 1223 Mr. Cooper was again married, November 17, 1885, to Mrs. Betsy Whittle, a native of England, and a daughter of Abraham and Jane Roper, also natives of England. Politically our subject is a Republican, and has filled the office of township supervisor. He has been a member of the I.O.O.F. and the K. of P. He is one of the oldest living miners in Trevorton, and has always manifested an interest in the growth of his adopted home. JOSEPH KLINE, tinsmith and merchant, was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, January 25, 1829, son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Keene) Kline. He was reared and educated in Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, and learned the trade of blacksmith, which he followed twelve years. In 1863 he settled in Trevorton, and purchased his present business from his brother, who had established it some time previously. Mr. Kline was married in 1852 to Catharine Bumgardner, of Lebanon county, and by this union they are the parents of six children: William H.; Joseph A.; George M.; John E.; Addie K., widow of Henry Foulds, and Ulysses Grant. In politics Mr. Kline is a Republican; he has served as school director and in other township offices, and is a member of the Evangelical church, in which he was class leader twenty-four years. ABRAHAM ROTHERMEL, a native of Berks county, Pennsylvania, settled in what is now Little Mahanoy township about 1800. He married Mary Yeager, who bore him six sons and three daughters: William, deceased; Samuel, of Philadelphia; Joel, deceased; David, deceased; Lewis, deceased; Reuben; Annie, wife of Samuel Wagner, of Illinois; Susan, wife of John Hensel, of Little Mahanoy township, and Maria, wife of Solomon Dunkelberger. He purchased some three hundred acres of land in Little Mahanoy township, where he lived and reared his family. He was a prominent Whig, and for many years filled the office of justice of the peace. He was one of the organizers of the German Reformed church of that township, and gave liberally toward the erection of the church edifice. WILLIAM ROTHERMEL, eldest son of Abraham Rothermel, was born upon the homestead in 1805, where he was reared and obtained such education as could be had at the schools of that period, and was engaged in farming a number of years. In his latter years he engaged in the mercantile business in Little Mahanoy township, which he carried on until his death in 1851. In his political sentiments he was a Republican, and a life member of the German Reformed church. His wife was Judith, daughter of Daniel Herb, of Upper Mahanoy township, and by this union they were the parents of eleven children: Rebecca, wife of Gail Smith; Maria, widow of Matthias Boughner. Samuel, of Ashland, Pennsylvania; Sarah, wife of Daniel Greoff; Catharine, wife of James Raker, of Little Mahanoy township; William, who served through the war of the Rebellion as a member of the Seventy-seventh Indiana Volunteers, subsequently enlisted in the United States regular army, and was killed by the Indians in Arizona; Daniel H; Eliza- END OF PAGE 1224 Page 1225 contains a portrait of Joseph Haas. Page 1226 is blank. beth, deceased, who married William G. Maurer; Lavinia, wife of Nathaniel Reitz, of Illinois: Lawisa, wife of Rev. I. H. Wohlfarth, of Illinois, and Susan, wife of William Wright. DANIEL H. ROTHERMEL, merchant, was born upon the old homestead, April 10, 1840, son of William and Judith (Herb) Rothermel. He was educated in the common schools, and engaged in farming in his early life, and with his father as clerk. In 1870 he located at Trevorton and established his store, which he has since conducted. In politics he is a Republican, has served in the office of township treasurer, and is the present tax collector. Mr. Rothermel was married in 1875 to Mary E., daughter of Felix Maurer, of Upper Mahanoy township, and by this marriage they are the parents of four children: Minnie M.; Harry M.; Reuben B., and Clara B. Mr. Rothermel is one of the leading citizens of Trevorton, and is a liberal supporter of all enterprises tending to promote the interests of his town or county. He was one of the largest subscribers towards the building fund for the erection of the new Evangelical church of Trevorton. PETER S. BERGSTRESSER, county surveyor and teacher, was born in Lower Augusta township, Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, November 2, 1836 son of Lot and Jemima (Snyder) Bergstresser. In 1848 his parents moved to Berrysburg, Dauphin county. Here he attended the Berrysburg Seminary; at the age of seventeen he commenced teaching at Reed's Station in Shamokin township, Northumberland county, and subsequently became a student and teacher at the West Chester Academy, Chester county, Pennsylvania, where he remained two years, obtained a preparatory course, and fitted himself for Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania, which institution he entered in 1858. In 1862 he was commissioned first lieutenant of Company I, One Hundred and Seventy- seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, a nine months' regiment. After the expiration of his term of service, he taught one year, when he raised Company H, One Hundred and Ninety-second Pennsylvania Volunteers, and had command until the close of the war. In 1865 he re-entered Lafayette College and graduated in 1867. In 1868 he was elected to the legislature from Dauphin county, and in 1874 was appointed principal of the Lykens high school, where he remained seven years. In 1883 he received the appointment of principal of the Trevorton high school and superintendent of the township schools. In 1889 he was elected county surveyor, which position he now (1890) fills. Mr. Bergstresser is a member of Lincoln Post, G.A.R., of Shamokin, Trevorton Lodge, No. 528, I.O.O.F., and of Susquehanna Lodge, No. 364, F. & A.M., of Millersburg, Pennsylvania. He was married, November 3, 1868, to S. Jane, daughter of John D. Snyder, and by this union they are the parents of five living children: Una M.; Bertha S.; Alice O.; John L., and Roscoe K. ADAM SCHLEIG immigrated to this country from Germany, served through the Revolutionary war, and subsequently settled upon the land now owned END OF PAGE 1227 by Isaac May, Sr., in Cameron township. His son Adam is the progenitor of the present Schleig family of Cameron township. He was born about 1774 and inherited the homestead, where he lived his entire life. He taught German in the neighboring schools; his death occurred in this township. He married Catharine Derck, and they were the parents of six children: Daniel: Michael; Martin; Elizabeth; Sarah, Mrs. John Derr, and Catharine, Mrs. Philip Kerstetter, all deceased but Elizabeth, who resides in Cameron township. DANIEL SCHLEIG, the oldest son, was born at the old homestead, August 8, 1812. He learned the blacksmith trade, which he followed in connection with farming. He served in the minor township offices, and was a member of the Reformed church, of which he was an elder and deacon. He was a prominent Democrat in politics. His death occurred in 1872; his wife survives him and resides in Cameron township. Their family consisted or seven children, five of whom are living: Peter; Joseph; Michael; Hannah, wife of Daniel Knarr, and Salome, wife of Henry Sortman. PETER W. SCHLEIG, merchant, was born in Cameron township, Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, April 28, 1845, son of Daniel and Catharine (Weary) Schleig. He was reared upon the old homestead inherited by his father, and educated in the township schools. At the age of thirteen he began working in the mines, filling various positions for sixteen years. In 1874 he established his present business. He has always been a warm friend to the cause of education, and served many years as a member of the school board; he has also filled the offices of township treasurer, auditor, assessor for five years, and in 1876 was elected justice of the peace, and is now filling his third consecutive term. Mr. Schleig has been a life-long Democrat, of which party he is a leading spirit in his township. He is a member of Gowen City Lodge, I.O.O.F., of Shamokin Lodge, F. & A.M.; and Gowen City Camp, P.O.S. of A. In faith he is a member of the Reformed church, of which he was a deacon six years. He married Annetta, daughter of Benjamin Haupt, and of this union they have one son, Andrew. The latter was born, March 28,1864. He was educated in the public schools and entered the employ of his father at an early age, in whose employ he has since continued. In 1885 he was appointed postmaster for Gowen City, which position he now fills. He has served in the office of township auditor, and is the present tax collector. He is a member of Gowen City Lodge, I.O.O.F., and of the encampment. He married Mary, daughter of Nathan Henninger, of Cameron township, and by this union they have two children: Charles and Goldie. Mr. and Mrs. Schleig are members of the Lutheran church; in his political affiliations he is a Democrat THOMAS HENNINGER, deceased, was born in Tulpehocken township, Berks county, Pennsylvania, in 1801, son of George Henninger. His early life was spent at farm work upon the homestead; at a suitable age he was put END OF PAGE 1228 out to learn the weaver trade, and subsequently removed to Schuylkill county, where he engaged in his business among the farmers. While a resident of Schuylkill county he married May, daughter of Peter Karl, who bore him eleven children: Peter, deceased; Joseph, superintendent of public works, Shamokin; Elizabeth, Mrs. Daniel Derk, deceased; William, deceased; Charles, deceased; Isaac, deceased; Jared, of Cameron township; Maria, Mrs. Henry Long, deceased; Nathan; Aaron, of Shamokin, and Kittie, Mrs. Benjamin Haupt, deceased. About the year 1838 Mr. Henninger removed to Cameron township and purchased a farm of one hundred nine acres, upon which he lived until his death in 1843; his wife survived him and died in 1876 at the age of seventy-one years. Mr. Henninger was a man of strong religious belief, and was a prominent member of the Lutheran church. In politics he was a Democrat until the two last years of his life. NATHAN HENNINGER, farmer and stock raiser, was born in Cameron township, Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, in 1839, son of Thomas and Catharine (Karl) Henninger. He was reared in his native township, and educated in the German schools. His early life was spent upon the farm, after which he Local History: Chapter XVII - Part I: SHAMOKIN. Bell's History of Northumberland Co PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Tony Rebuck Tar2@psu.edu USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. Transcribed from Bell's History of Northumberland County Pennsylvania CHAPTER XVII - Part I SHAMOKIN. BRIEF OF TITLE THE TOWN FLAT - PIONEER SHAMOKIN IN 1839 - SUBSEQUENT GROWTH SUMMARIZED - THE FIRST STORES AND HOTEL EARLY PHYSICIANS AND LAWYERS MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNMENT - THE RIOT OF 1877 - FACILITIES OF TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION - THE SHAMOKIN COAL TRADE - GENERAL INDUSTRIAL INTEREST. ALTHOUGH the old Reading road, opened in 1770 to connect the incipient settlements of the upper Susquehanna with the Schuylkill valley, passed through the present limits of Shamokin borough, this locality was for many years practically unmarked by the influences of civilization. There were numerous varieties of timber, but its value was trifling and a long period elapsed before the waters of Shamokin creek at this part END OF PAGE 591 of its course were made to subserve a useful purpose in furnishing the power for a single saw mill; and there was coal in practically inexhaustible quantities, but its existence was scarcely known and the time had not yet arrived for its profitable development. And when, at length, the miner's pick and shovel began the work of prospecting, the immediate results were not such as to encourage sanguine expectations. The railroad and mining industries of this country had not yet passed the experimental stage, and it was not until adequate transportation facilities had been provided, with the growth of a demand for the distinctive product of the region, that the way was opened for its unrestricted development. Then followed a rapid influx of population, diverse in language, nationality, and creed, but homogeneous in the purpose of lending their common energies to the work, and thus Shamokin, the largest town in Northumberland county, has reached its present proportions. It has sixteen churches, an efficient system of public and parochial schools, water, gas, and electric light companies, three lines of railway, two banks, and an ample quota of stores and hotels, while the collieries of the surrounding region and a variety of local industrial establishments furnish employment for the population. BRIEF OF TITLE. The following brief of title of the town plat of Shamokin is presented through the courtesy of John P. Helfenstein:- Survey to Samuel Clark, August 3, 1773; patent to Samuel Clark, April 11, 1776. Samuel Clark and wife to Thomas Lightfoot; deed dated November 6, 1776; consideration: twenty-seven pounds, nine shillings, two pence, for the undivided one third of the Samuel Clark survey. - Entered, February 6,1832, in Deed Book Y, p.190. Thomas Lightfoot and wife to Jacob and Mary Tomlinson; deed dated November 3, 1803; consideration: thirteen pounds, fourteen shillings, seven pence, for the undivided one third of the Samuel Clark survey. - Entered, February 6, 1832, in Deed Book Y, p.192. Samuel Clark to Francis Johnston; deed dated April 18,1792; consideration: five shillings, for the undivided two thirds of the Samuel Clark survey. -Entered, April 29, 1792, in Deed Book E, p.375. Francis Johnston to Abraham Cherry; agreement dated February 8, 1801; consideration: eight hundred forty-three dollars, to sell the undivided two thirds of the Samuel Clark survey. Entered in Deed Book X, p. 394. Abraham Cherry to John Cherry; assignment dated April 10, 1808; consideration: five hundred sixty-two dollars, for his interest in the foregoing agreement on the Samuel Clark Survey. Entered in Deed Book X, p. 394. Roger Wolverton, administrator of John Cherry, deceased; commission and return of proceedings in the common pleas court, January, 1831; recites that Francis Johnston died in 1801, seized of the undivided two thirds interest in the Samuel Clark survey, having, on the 3d of February, 1801, agreed to convey said interest to Abraham Cherry for eight hundred forty-three dollars, and that Abraham Cherry agreed to convey said interest to John Cherry by agreement dated the 10th of April, 1808, for five hundred sixty-two dollars. - Entered, January 20, 1831, in Deed Book X, p. 394. Alexander W. Johnston, executor of Alice Johnston, executrix of Francis Johnston, END OF PAGE 592 by his attorney in fact, Ebenezer Greenough, to Roger Wolverton, administrator of John Cherry, deceased; deed dated November 22, 1881; consideration, five hundred sixty-two dollars, for the undivided, (now the divided) two thirds interest in the Samuel Clark survey. - Entered, May 19,1882, in Deed Book Y, p.265. Jacob Tomlinson and Mary Tomlinson with John Cherry; agreement dated December 6, 1808; contract mutual (five hundred pounds forfeit) for a division of the Samuel Clark survey by a line "beginning at a stone corner near the road, thence north Seventy-three degrees west thirty perches, to a white-oak, thence south eighty-four degrees west thirty-four perches to a white-oak, thence south seventy-six degrees west sixteen perches to a stone, thence south one degree east to the back line." - Entered, July 12, 1830, in Deed Book X, p.271. Jacob Tomlinson, survivor, to John Housel; deed dated May 12, 1826; consideration: five dollars, for all his interest in the undivided portion of the Samuel Clark survey which was allotted to the Tomlinsons. - Entered, June 29, 1826, in Deed Book W, p.41. John M. Housel to John C. Boyd; deed dated June 15,1826; consideration: one hundred dollars, for the Tomlinson portion of the Samuel Clark survey -Entered, June 28,1826, in Deed Book W, p.40. James R. Shannon, sheriff of Northumberland county, to Jesse Major; deed dated August 20, 1854; consideration: twelve dollars, for all the interest in the Samuel Clark survey belonging to Walter Brady. - Entered, March 1, 1826, in Deed Book V, p.667. Jesse Major and wife to John C. Boyd and John Housel; deed dated May 1, 1826; consideration: two hundred thirty dollars, for the Brady interest previously mentioned. - Entered, June 25, 1826, in Deed Book W, p. 38. John M. Housel and wife to John C. Boyd; assignment dated June 15, 1826; consideration: one hundred dollars, for all his interest in the Brady interest. John C. Boyd to David McKnight; deed dated June 7, 1886; consideration: five hundred dollars, for the undivided one half of his interest in the Samuel Clark survey, called Boyd's stone coal quarry. - Entered, August 4, 1886, in Deed Book Z, p.670. David McKnight to Richard Richardson; deed dated January 28, 1840; consideration: six thousand dollars, for the undivided one half of eighty acres of the one hundred six acres jointly owned by Boyd and McKnight. - Entered, February 1, 1840, in Deed Book BB, p.88. Richard Richardson to John C. Boyd; deed dated April 10, 1841; consideration: twenty thousand dollars, for the undivided interest in the eighty acres. - Entered, June 25,1841, in Deed Book BB, p.542. John C. Boyd to the Shamokin Coal and Iron Company; deed dated October 18, 1841; consideration: fifty thousand dollars, for ninety-six acres sixty perches of the Samuel Clark survey, all lying south of Spurzheim and east of Grant street. - Entered, December 80, 1841, in Deed Book CC, p.140. Felix Maurer, sheriff of Northumberland county, to William Platt; deed dated January 8,1846; consideration: six thousand dollars, for the ninety-six acres sixty perches previously mentioned. - Entered, November 11, 1843, in Sheriff's Deed Book, BB, p.868. William Platt and wife to William L. Helfenstein; deed dated December 16, 1854; consideration: eight thousand dollars, for the ninety-six acres sixty perches previously mentioned. - Entered, April 17, 1855, in Deed Book LL, p.266. John Cherry with George Derk; agreement dated April 28,1813; consideration: eight hundred dollars, to sell inter alia all the western end of the Samuel Clark survey one hundred acres. - Entered, August 26,1814, in Deed Book S, p.872. Sheriff of Northumberland county to John Speece; one hundred acres, sold as the property of George Derk. - Bellas vs. McCarty, 10th of Watts, p.13, etc. END OF PAGE 593 John Speece to Philip Moore; one hundred acres - the western part of the Samuel Clark survey. Sheriff of Northumberland county to Samuel Sigfried; deed dated August 17, 1829; consideration: one hundred dollars, for one hundred acres - the western part of the Samuel Clark survey - sold as the property of Philip Moore. Administrator of Samuel Sigfried to William McCarty; sale dated April 19, 1832; consideration: five hundred sixty-five dollars, for the undivided half of one hundred acres - the western part of the Samuel Clark survey. - Entered in Orphans' Court Docket, No. 7, p.800. Samuel Sigfried to Alexander Jordan; deed dated February 4, 1830; consideration fifty dollars, for the undivided half of one hundred acres - the western part of the Samuel Clark survey. - Entered, June 15, 1830, in Deed Book X, p.243. Alexander Jordan and wife to William McCarty, Thomas Davis, and Joseph Warner; deed dated January 5,1831; consideration: forty-five hundred dollars, for the undivided one fourth of one hundred acres - the western part of the Samuel Clark survey. - Entered, July 7, 1836, in Deed Book X, p.643. John Cherry to Benjamin Campbell; deed for one hundred acres - the middle portion of the Samuel Clark survey. - Entered in Deed Book S, p.372. Jacob McKinney, sheriff of Northumberland county, to William McCarty, Thomas Davis, and Joseph Warner; deed dated August 18,1830; consideration: two thousand dollars for one hundred acres, sold, April 24, 1830, as the property of Benjamin Campbell and in occupation of John Templin. - Entered in Deed Book X, p.353. William McCarty and wife, Thomas Davis and wife, and Joseph Warner and wife to Alexander Jordan; deed dated March 7, 1838; consideration: twelve hundred fifty dollars for the undivided one fourth of one hundred acres of the Samuel Clark survey, bounded on the north by J. Brady, on the east by John C. Boyd, on the south by William Green, and on the west by other lands of the grantors. - Entered, June 17, 1840, in Deed Book BB, p.280. Thomas Davis and wife, Joseph Warner, and William McCarty, by their attorney in fact, Joseph Warner, to William L. Helfenstein; deed dated February 6, 1850; consideration, nine thousand dollars, for three fourths of the western part of the Samuel Clark survey and two other smaller tracts, excepting certain specified lots. - Entered, June 17, 1858, in Deed Book OO, p.411 The researches of Dr. J. J. John have developed some very interesting particulars regarding the transfers immediately preceding Boyd's purchase in 1826. Walter Brady, sheriff of Northumberland county, 1815-18, subsequently became embarrassed financially, and the upper part of the Clark tract, of which he was then the owner, was attached upon an execution involving eighty-three dollars fifty cents, entered in favor of Michael Zuern. It was several times offered at sheriff's sale and at length found a purchaser, August 19, 1824, in Jesse Major, a gentleman of uncertain occupation, variously accredited as a burglar, counterfeiter, and horse thief. Tradition asserts that he had been but recently released from jail, and happened to be passing by at the time of the sale; no one seemed disposed to bid on the property, and, having made an offer of twelve dollars, he was forthwith declared to be the purchaser. To the surprise of every one present he produced the money in gold; but to a person unaccustomed to the acquisition of property by honorable means its possession was more of an in- END OF PAGE 594 Page 595 contains a portrait of J. J. John Page 596 is blank. cubus than a pleasure, and after making several visits to his purchase he next endeavored to sell it. About this time Mr. Major evinced a strong desire to own a horse, an aspiration not foreign to his nature, but which, probably for the first time in his life, he was prepared to gratify according to the ordinary methods of purchase. As Dr. J. J. John aptly expresses it, he offered his "kingdom for a horse." Having found several specimens of coal in the creek, between Clay and Webster streets, he induced a black- smith at Paxinos to give them a trial; they were accordingly placed on the charcoal fire, but had no sooner become hot than fragments exploded in every direction, and the new fuel was pronounced a failure. Undismayed by this, he continued to exhibit his mineral samples in the course of his peregrinations over the country, and, while his efforts as a real estate agent were doubtless persevering, and did more to attract public attention to this locality than anything else at that time, they were not rewarded with immediate success. At length, in the spring of 1826, Major found himself one evening at the hotel of Joseph Snyder, in Rush township. Mr. Snyder had an old gray horse, not a very desirable specimen to the ordinary observer, but sufficiently so in the eyes of Major to prompt him to suggest the transfer of his land to Mr. Snyder and take the horse in payment. The proposition was respectfully declined, but Snyder directed the impatient and impecunious real estate owner to John C. Boyd, who, he said, was disposed to speculate. Major promptly interviewed Boyd, and as the result of their conference his double purpose was accomplished - he sold his land, at the consideration of two hundred thirty dollars, and secured a horse, valued at fifty dollars. And, with the object of his ambition at last attained, Mr. Major had no further connection with the history of Shamokin. The growth of a town in its incipient stages was not calculated to interest a man of his tastes. THE TOWN PLAT. The speculative tendencies that had induced Mr. Boyd to purchase the Shamokin tract also caused him to dispose of parts of it, and thus an interest (but of what nature does not appear) passed about the year 1830 into the hands of Jacob Graeff, of Reading. It was with him that the idea of laying out a town originated. In 1830 he had a part of the land surveyed and one street was opened through the brush, but beyond this the attempt was not followed by any immediate or definite results. It was reserved for Mr. Boyd to found the town on a permanent basis. In 1834 the Danville and Pottsville railroad between Sunbury and the gap was placed under construction; it was the prospect of railroad facilities for the transportation of coal and of increase in population naturally incident to the establishment of railroad facilities that decided Mr. Boyd in making a second attempt to found a town. The plat was accordingly surveyed on the 1st of March, l835, END OF PAGE 597 by Kimber Cleaver, an engineer on the Danville and Pottsville railroad, assisted by Ziba Bird, who was then operating a saw mill at Locust Gap, and his son, Joseph Bird, afterward a prominent citizen of Shamokin and Northumberland, who carried the chain. The street cut out by Graeff was still distinguishable. The part laid out included the Major tract; it received the name of Marion, but a town in the West having that designation had recently proven a failure, and in his quest for a more propitious title Mr. Boyd wisely selected Shamokin. This was probably suggested by the creek. It is an Indian word, and signifies "Eel Creek" or "Eel Pond." At the earliest period in the history of this region to which authentic information relates, the name was applied to an Indian town at the site of Sunbury. From this circumstance, in all probability, it attained a wide popular significance as the unofficial designation of the purchase of 1768. In 1789 it was substituted for Ralpho as the name of an extensive township including the eastern part of the present territory of the county, and shortly after the opening of the Centre turnpike became a postoffice designation as applied to the hamlet of Snufftown, now Paxinos. Although the choice of Mr. Boyd doubtless commanded considerable respect, it was not at once accepted in popular usage, and not until 1840, when the name of Coal postoffice was changed to Shamokin, was it finally and permanently engrafted upon the place. The lower part of the Clark tract was platted as a town by McCarty, Davis, Warner, and Jordan about the time that Boyd laid out Marion. It received the name of Groveville, in honor of Mrs. William McCarty, nee Grove, but both places were more generally known as Newtown for some time. In order from the west, the principal streets of the borough extending north and south are First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Market, Seventh, Eighth, Grant, Marshall, Orange, Liberty, Washington, Rock, Shamokin, Franklin, Pearl, Vine, Cherry, and Lombard. In order from the north, the principal streets extending east and west are James, Kase, Packer, Cameron, Dewart, Sunbury, Commerce, Independence, Shakespeare, Spurzheim, Clay, Webster, Race, Chestnut, Spruce, Pine, Mulberry, Willow, Walnut, Arch, Church, Elm, Spruce, Pine, State, and Montgomery. Lincoln street extends from Market to Spurzheim parallel with Shamokin creek, which was turned into its present channel on the 20th of September, 1872. The principal additions to the original town plats within the borough limits are the Cameron addition, on the north, Baumgardner's and Graeber's, on the east, and Cruikshank's, on the southeast, while Springfield adjoins on the east, Uniontown on the northwest, West Shamokin on the west, and the Bellas addition on the south. PIONEERS. The Cherry family was early represented in this locality, and is said to END OF PAGE 598 have suffered in the Indian depredations of the Revolutionary period. The name of James Cherry appears as a taxable in Shamokin township in 1788; he was probably the first settler, and cleared land at Luke Fidler, Springfield, and elsewhere, residing at a house subsequently known as Irich's. By the division of the Clark tract in 1803 John Cherry was assigned the lower or western portion. Joseph Cherry settled on the plat near Eagle Bun brewery, where vestiges of his improvements were visible long after his residence there had terminated. Prior to the war of 1812 Abraham Cherry built a saw mill on Shamokin creek opposite the Cameron colliery, and near it stood an old dwelling house, for many years a landmark in this section. Another member of this family had a distillery on the hill east of Shamokin. The Tomlinsons, Solomon Dunkelberger, and William Ducher were also among the early settlers at the site of Shamokin. Of the Tomlinsons but little is definitely known, and that is not to their credit. Solomon Dunkelberger built the first house upon the present site of the borough; it was a log structure, and was situated where the brick residence of Benjamin F. Lake now stands. William Ducher is said to have been murdered; in 1824 the Brady tract was described as "bounded by lands of Benjamin Campbell, late Benjamin Tomlinson, on which there is a stone coal quarry; a small part of the land is cleared, on which is erected a small log dwelling, occupied by the widow of the late William Ducher, deceased." On the same day that Cleaver began to survey the town plat, Ziba Bird had the lumber for a house hauled from his saw mill at Locust Gap, and at once inaugurated building operations. Parts of the framework had already been put together and the remainder was sawed and mortised ready for use. Alexander Caldwell was one of the teamsters. The house was set on posts in the ground, and had no stone foundation. It was commenced on the 1st of March, and had so far approached completion as to be occupied as a dwelling on the 5th of April. It occupied part of the site of the National Hotel, corner of Shamokin and Commerce streets, and forms the front part of that structure. Mr. Bird then began the erection of another house on the opposite side of Commerce street; after its completion he moved into it, and finished the first by the addition of a cellar and foundation walls. The following letter, published in a Philadelphia paper and unearthed by Dr. J. J. John, conveys a fairly accurate idea of the appearance and extent of the place at that time:- Shamokin P.O., July 9, 1835. I have just returned from a short ride of six miles to the termination of the graded part of the western section of the - allow me to call it "Girard railroad" - being accompanied by the assistant engineer, Mr. Totten, to whose polite attentions I am much indebted for much of the pleasure of the trip through the mountains. The road from this point (which is on the Shamokin creek, thirteen miles east of Sunbury) passes up the creek, principally through an almost uninhabited country - the population, at least, is very sparse. Some three or four miles up we came into the Shamokin coal region, END OF PAGE 599 by the mines of which the country below, as far as Sunbury, is supplied, and from which, when the road is completed, large quantities will be sent to the Susquehanna river for exportation. On arriving at Mr. Boyd's mines, near the terminus of the graded part of the road and amidst the solitary mountains, we were gratified to see a large two-story dwelling house, a large store, barn, and other out-houses erected and nearly completed in a neat and handsome style. But if our surprise was great at observing such buildings in such a place, judge what it must have been when, on our return, we met five or six wagons loaded with furniture, women, children, cats, dogs, and chickens, and accompanied by cows, calves, sheep, and pigs, wending their way up the railroad to these very buildings, where, Daddy informed us, he was about to open a tavern. From whence his guests were to come I could not, for the life of me, conceive, at least until the road should be completed to his place and the mines should be worked. The next building erected, I suppose, will be a blacksmith shop, when the place will have all the attributes of a town in a new country, and will be entitled to a postoffice. In 1836 there were five families at Shamokin. Ziba Bird and Joseph Snyder resided at the Boyd town plat, and Dr. Robert Phillips, James Porter, and Jacob Mowry at the lower part of the town. John C. Boyd, the founder of Shamokin, was born in West Fallowfield township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, in 1793, youngest son of John and Mary (Cowen) Boyd; the former was a soldier in the Continental Army during the Revolution, brigadier general in the State militia, and member of the legislature. He was reared to agricultural pursuits, but left the farm to enter the office of his brother, a broker in Philadelphia, for whom he subsequently traveled as agent and collector. In 1820 he married Hannah, daughter of General Daniel Montgomery, of Danville, and shortly afterward removed to that place, where he opened a store. In 1824 he relinquished merchandising and located at the "Boyd farm," two miles above Danville on the opposite side of the river. There he built a grist mill and mansion house, and purchased adjoining land until he owned nearly a thousand acres. In the midst of his extensive agricultural operations he was also connected with various enterprises designed to promote the development of the internal resources of the State, notably the Danville and Pottsville Railroad Company and the Susquehanna Canal Company, in both of which he was a corporate member. His early mining operations and the circumstances under which he laid out the original town plat of Shamokin have been detailed in the preceding portion of this chapter. He was also largely interested in the old Shamokin furnace, and experienced serious financial loss by the failure of that enterprise. The remaining years of his life were spent in an arduous struggle to retrieve his fortunes, and he had about reached a point where his embarrassments would have terminated, when his death occurred, August 18, 1856. Seven children survived him: Mary L., who married William Neal, of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania; D. Montgomery; H. Eliza; James; J. Alexander; Christiana J., who married Colonel William M. McClure, and Joseph C. Kimber Cleaver, the distinguished engineer by whom Shamokin was laid END OF PAGE 600 out, was a native of Roaring Creek township, Columbia county, Pennsylvania, where he was born on the 17th of October, 1814. He began his career as an engineer during the construction of the Danville and Pottsville railroad, located at Shamokin shortly after the town was laid out, and was a member of the firm of Fagely, Cleaver & Company until 1844. During this period he was also connected with the Mount Carbon railroad, constructed a map of the Middle anthracite coal field from personal surveys, and located the route for a railroad from Shamokin to Pottsville. He was principally engaged in professional work in Schuylkill county from 1844 to 1850, and in the latter year laid out Trevorton. He was chief engineer in the survey and construction of what is now known as the Herndon branch of the Philadelphia and Reading railroad, and was subsequently connected in a similar capacity with the Philadelphia and Sunbury railroad; he also performed a large amount of very important engineering work at the various collieries of the Shamokin coal field. In politics he was closely identified with the Native American party, of which he was the candidate for Governor, surveyor general, and canal commissioner of Pennsylvania, member of Congress, etc. The suggestion of the Atlantic cable was originally due to him, and a variety of ingenious and useful inventions also emanated from his fertile brain. He died on the 19th of October, 1858. Ziba Bird was born in Warren county, New Jersey, a son of James Bird, who immigrated to Rush township. There he engaged in farming on Little Roaring creek and was so occupied when he formed the acquaintance of John C. Boyd, who induced him to take charge of his mining operations at Shamokin. He was thus one of the earliest residents of that town. He erected the first buildings that occupied the sites of the National and Vanderbilt Hotels, two double houses on the south side of Commerce street between Franklin and Pearl, and probably others. When the town began to decline after its first period of prosperity he returned to his farm, and afterward removed to Red Point, on the Susquehanna river below Danville, where he died. Mr. Bird was three times married, and was the father of nineteen children. Joseph Snyder, the pioneer hotel keeper of Shamokin, settled in Rush township, Northumberland county, in 1818, and engaged in farming, but subsequently became proprietor of a hotel at Paxinos, whence he removed to Shamokin in July, 1835, as described in the letter previously quoted in this chapter. The "large two-story dwelling house" referred to by the writer stood upon the present site of the Hotel Vanderbilt and has been partly incorporated in that structure; here John B. Snyder, the first white child born at Shamokin and oldest native resident of the town, was born on the 3d of April, 1836. Having met with but little encouragement Mr. Snyder resumed business at Paxinos, whence he again returned to Shamokin, but relinquished hotel keeping several years later to accept the office of resident land agent, END OF PAGE 601 which position he held for some years. He was born in New Jersey, October 10, 1796, and died at Shamokin, February 1, 1867. Benjamin McClow was born near Bear Gap, Northumberland county, June 25, 1812, son of Joseph and Mary (Campbell) McClow. He was brought up in the vicinity of Elysburg and learned the trade of carpenter. In 1835 he came to Shamokin and was employed at his trade until the following year, when he took charge of a saw mill on Coal run. In the spring of 1838 he erected his present residence at the corner of Pearl and Commerce streets, and brought his family thither in June of that year. Here he has resided almost continuously ever since. Jacob Mowry came to Shamokin in 1836 and took up his residence in a small log house of which the site is now covered by the refuse from the Cameron colliery. In the spring of 1838 he built the first house in the lower part of Shamokin, and engaged in business as a butcher. During the years 1836-37 he was principally employed in exploring the surrounding region and locating the outcrops of the coal veins of this basin. It was he who "drove" the first drifts in Buck ridge, now known as Big mountain, and also the first drifts in the ridge opposite the old furnace. Subsequently he engaged in hotel keeping, farming, etc. Mr. Mowry was twice married, and was the father of nineteen children. He died on the 9th of April, 1875, in the seventy-third year of his age. Jonas L. Gilger arrived at Shamokin on the 20th of March, 1838, and is one of the oldest residents of the borough. During the first three years after he came here he was employed as a journeyman carpenter by George Marta, under whom he worked on the construction of the furnace, railroad shops, the first blocks of miners' houses, etc. He then engaged in business individually, and was for some years a builder and contractor on an extensive scale. He built the first Methodist and Lutheran churches, and was associated with Stephen Bittenbender in the construction of the First Presbyterian church. He was elected burgess in 1866, serving one term, and served as school director fourteen years. William and Reuben Fagely were born in Shamokin township, Northumberland county, the former, January 5, 1806, the latter, July 25, 1814. Upon arriving at the age of manhood William engaged in merchandising at Snufftown, whence he removed to Paxinos, where Reuben was associated in the business. In April, 1838, they located at Shamokin, and in 1839 opened one of the first stores in that town. They entered the coal business in 1841; their early operations were confined to the Gap (now Cameron) mines, but they subsequently operated the collieries at Green Ridge, Locust Gap, Luke Fidler, and the Gap, while Reuben was also interested in the Big Mountain mines. From 1842 to 1852 they leased the Danville and Pottsville railroad between Shamokin and Sunbury and operated it by horse-power; during this period the laboring classes of Shamokin were employed almost entirely by END OF PAGE 602 them, and their enterprises alone prevented the depopulation of the town. They enjoyed in an exceptional degree the goodwill of their employees, among whom and in the co