Wiiilifi of ^i^atm^knmMit 1002-1303 .: i (iA-.TA-r., sr^mi ■ 5'. i.r/.-.?,-..'i!a-~- :. V O-K:^ .r; ;i y Pass C 3 7^ Book- >6 vy>y ? /909 7^ a 1/ 75 A -< 7; »-H >, P^ :^ V _£. < *J ■^ K c/: iT a :::, •-H X —^ l; ^ (S S 0^ o 0! / ..-alu\.. iFamtlu JPrnufiyloania 1632-1909 Each successive link is holden /)'!' the one zchich goes be/ore; And the nezc is to the old on^ One link more. ' ' iRraiiiny. IJpmtei;luania v ,"\ PRINTED BY LUTHER S. MOHR. READING PA. J^ PREFACE. 'Tills work \v;is \iiulert akcn tlii-ough a desire ot some of the family to luive a record preserved, as perfect as it can l)e obtained, of the einiij;ration to, and the settlement of thcii- ancestors in this country ; and also of the situation and connection of their descendants at the present time. While there are some families throughout this country either hearing tiiis same name or being descendants there- from, and which are not included in this work, it must be understood that we have herein traced merely the descend- ants of Carl (Charles, Sr.,) Shoemaker, who was a grandson of .lac(»l) Schiunacher (now Shoemaker), who emigrated to this country from Cresheim, Germany, on the good ship .\merica, with Francis Daniel Pastorious and party, on the Kith of August. ieiS2. 'to' These records date from the first emigrant to this country by the name of Shoemaker, so far as tve know, and continues their genealogy to the present time. < I— ( > w < w o O w nf ^l^opmakerBuiUf, Pa. ^■"j"^ HE Shoemaker family is one of the oldest in the I I I State of Pennsylvania, its ancestry dating back to I ^ J {)re-Revolutionary times, Jacob Schumacher (now Shoemaker), Georg WertmuUer, Isaac Dilbeck, Tune Kunders, Arents Klincken, Denis Kundore or Conrad, arrived from Cresheim, Germany, on the good ship America, with Francis Daniel Pastorius and party, on the sixteenth of August, 1682, and settled in what is now German- town. Pastorius located where he laid out Germantown the same year in which he and his party arrived in Philadelphia ; the land of the Germantown settlement having been taken up by them on October 12, 1682. The town formed by this com- pany consisted of thirteen families, but in less than five years fifty houses had been erected. Pastorious had an interview with Conrad at Crefelt, Germany, April 12, on his way to America. The first religious meeting, by Quakers, or Friends, was held at this same Conrad's house, in Germantown, 1683. Out of their Germantown homes, these emigrants carried the teachings of their fathers. It was because of the hatred of tyranny by these early settlers, and their love of home and country, that they sought an asylum here. It was because of this that the blood of these early emigrants came to be among the first that flowed into the veins of the new Christian Com- monwealth. The first protest against slaver}' — a public 4 THE SHOEMAKER FAMILY protest — was written by that noble-spirited German Quaker, Francis Daniel Pastorius, in 1688, and signed by him and a few of his fellow countrymen. Of Pastorius Whittier has sung in his "Pennsylvania German," and of him his race is proud. This company of emigrants, Germantown Quakers under the Germantown charter of 1690, headed by Pastorius, bought 25,000 acres of land from William Penn. Pastorius was appointed attorney for the company. Jacob Schmacher (Shoemaker) was made sheriff of Germantown in 1690. He married Margaret . Their children were Georg, Thomas, Susanna and Jacob, Jr. In 1715 Changton Monthly Meeting issued a certificate recommending Jacob Schumacher, a merchant, and his family to Philadelphia ^Monthly Meeting. About this time he moved to Philadelphia. He was 17 years old when he came to this country, a brother of Georg and Peter Schumacher, and died ip 1722. Sarah Shoemaker, oldest daughter of Georg and Sarah Shoemaker, arrived in the colony some months in advance of her mother (a widow) , brothers and sisters, having accom- panied her uncle, Peter Schumacher, in the ship Frances and Dorothy, which arrived at Philadelphia, October 16, 1685. The marriage certificate of her brother, Georg Shoemaker, and Sarah Wall is in the custody of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Georg w^as a very successful farmer or "planter," as he was denominated in early deeds. He became the possessor of large landed estates, and was also a tanner, his yards being located on the east side of York Road, south of Taconv Creek. z o ^ 2 = X 5i ^, • IT. OF SHOEMAKERSVILLE, PA. 5 Isaac, a brother of Georg and Sarah Shoemaker, born in Germany in 1669, when a young man, moved from Cheltenham to Germantown, where his uncle, Peter Shoemaker, had settled in 1685. Here was established the well-known Germantown l)ranch of the Shoemaker family. Isaac Shoemaker became a man of note, not only locally, but in the country at large, serving as sheriff of the county in 1695-6, and as burgess in 1706. We learn from the minutes of the Provincial Council that "Isaac Shoemaker and his cousin, Peter Shoemaker, were authorized to arrange with workmen to build a prison house and put up stocks as soon as possible." Isaac Shoemaker was engaged in business as a tanner, his yards being on ]\Iain street (now Germantown avenue), east of the present Coulter street. That he was a progressive citizen and interested in the moral and intellectual welfare of the community, may be inferred from the fact that he contributed to the fund for the erection of a Friends' Meeting House in Germantown in 1706, and was a patron of the famous school established by Francis Daniel Pastorius, the greatest scholar of his time in Pennsylvania. The home of Isaac Shoemaker was near the corner of ^lain street (now Germantown avenue) and Shoemaker Lane (now Penn street). This home remained in the possession of the Shoemaker family for over a century, until 1843, when it was razed. Jacob Shoemaker, Jr., and Elizabeth Roberts were married "2 mo. 24 day 1724." He was appointed sheriff of Philadel- phia from 1770 to 1772. 6 THE SHOEMAKER FAMILY Henry and Carl (Charles, Sr.). sons of Jacob Shoemaker, Jr., moved from Germantown, Cheltenham Parish or Township, to Shoemakersville — then a dense forest, almost an unbroken wilderness — about the year 1765, where Henry built the first stone house in 1768. He afterward sold it to his brother, Charles, Sr., who occupied it until death. In the living room of the old house, still in good condition, are painted these words : ^'Gott segne dieses House Und alles ivas do geht ein und ons ; Gott allein die Ehr." These lines were covered over with whitewash for many years, until finally in scraping off the lime they were brought to light again. A marble tablet is built into the gable end of the house, upon which is inscribed, "H. & C. S. 1768." Charles Shoemaker, Sr., was born in Germantown in 1735, and died in Shoemakersville in April, 1820. He married Maria Kepner, daughter of Benedict Kepner, a miller of Bern Town- ship (now Bern Station) , owner of a grist mill, tannery, 150 acres of land, two horses, five head of cattle and four sheep. The mill came into the possession of the Fisher family in 1839, and was purchased from a Peter Bright, who sold it because he wanted to get nearer to the Union Canal, and for that reason bought a property near Bernville. A few j^ears later the Schuylkill Canal and the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad were built, both passing within a quarter of a mile a w n O w 2: OF SHOEMAKERSVILLE, PA. 7 ot the mill. Several years ago the whole exterior of the mill was given a coating of cement to preserve the walls, which were apparently too weak to carry the strain that would come upon them from the heavy rolls about to be installed. For three generations this mill has been owned by the Fisher family and has been in continuous operation. The builder built well, as the years have made little impression upon the old mill, which in its earlier days sheltered the Kepner family, dwelling rooms occupying one end of the structure, the usual custom then among mill owners. It also served as a refuge from Indian attacks and was known as "Kepner's Fort." The mill is now known as the "Monarch Roller Mills," Fisher & Co., proprietors. After the death of Charles Shoemaker, Sr., his wife, Maria, moved to her daughter Sophia, married to Jacob Huey, of "Weidenshollen," a beautiful home east of Leesport. This home, owned later by Adam Huey Gernant, is now the prop- erty of John Unger, father-in-law of Rev, Edwin Gernant, of Towanda, Pa. Henry and Carl Shoemaker frequently went to Europe, and on one of these trips brought with them a pipe organ for the stone mansion at Shoemakersville. The Shoemaker family were farmers, tanners, merchants and statesmen. During Revolutionary days the men were away from home attending to affairs relating to their country — the women in their absence nobly taking their places. A tannery was owned and operated by the brothers, Henry and Carl, Sr., situated on the east bank 8 THE SHOEMAKER FAMILY of the Schuylkill river at .Shoeniakersville, bark for which was crushed with stones by the women. In 1765, Charles Shoemaker, Sr., bought of William Penn large sracts of land, a part of which was situated in Windsor Township, Berks County, a part in Buffalo Valley, Union County, and a part near Shamokin. The tract of land in the vicinity of Shamokin was used for pasturage for the Shoemaker herd of cattle, the animals grazing there from early in the Spring until late in the P'all. All of the cattle were branded with an "S" to identify them in case of theft or by straying to other herds in that region. Charles Shoemaker, Sr., also owned all of the land near Orwigsburg where the Schuylkill County Almshouses now are. This property was later owned by his son, Charles, Jr., who was the first Judge of the Court of Schuylkill County, Orwigsburg being then the County seat. Charles Shoemaker, Sr., exerted a large influence in the politics and business of the upper section of Berks County. He represented the County in the Provincial Conference, and also in the Constitutional Convention of 1776. He was appointed, in 1777, as one of the Justices of the Peace of Berks County for the term of seven years, and at its expiration he was re-appointed, serving until the adoption of the Constitution of 1790. He also officiated as a Judge of the Courts from 1785 to 1790. EC c '-' 1 > n > K OF SHOEMAKERSVILLE, PA. '-^i The State Assembly, in December, 1777, appointed and empowered him to sohcit and take subscriptions for the Continental Loan. This service required a large measure of ability to fulfill the duties required. He was successful in obtaining quite a number of subscriptions from various citizens of Berks County to carry on the war with England. At the close of the Revolutionary War much loss was suffered l)y farmers and merchants from non-redemption of the loans they had made to their country in its extremity ; these good people showed their patriotism in deeds instead of words. Charles Shoemaker, Sr., acted as one of the Commission- ers who assembled at New Haven, Connecticut, in November, 1777, to regulate the price of commodities in the Colonies. He represented the County in the General Assembly for twelve years — 1792 to 1801 and in 1810 and 1812— and was' in the Senate for four years — 1813 to 1817. He died March 27, 1820, after living in retirement for several years, aged 78 years, 2 months and 29 days. ''Ruhet heir im Kuhlen Shoze der Erden." His surviving children were five sons and three daugh- ters : Samuel, Charles, Jr., Jacob 3rd, Benjamin, John, Sophia (married to Jacob Huey, of "WidenshoUen," East Leesport), Catharine (married to Jacob Dunkel), and Mary (married to Benjamin Kepner). Maria Kepner, wife of Charles Shoemaker, Sr., was born in February, 1746, married April 22 1767, had 9 children. 10 THE SHOEMAKER FAMILY 48 grand children and 36 great grand children. She died September 3, 1831, aged 85 years and 7 days. Her funeral text was Psalm 116: 7-9, with the following inscription upon the tombstone : Gottes Ruh, Heimgaganen findest dn, Allen Traurigen und Muden, Geiht die Mutter Erde, Fried en, Sanjt und mildt decke dich zu Gottes Ruh. Charles Shoemaker, Jr., was born at Shoemakersville June 19, 1779. He married Elizabeth Kershner, of Phila- delphia Township (now Perry Township), November 22, 1801. They commenced housekeeping in the large log inn which he had built the previous year. In this inn all of their children were born except the two youngest, who were born in their new home, built in 1820, across the street from the inn. The inn was torn down in 1880 and the Metropolitan Hotel erected on the site. From October, 1791, to 1800, Charles Shoemaker, Jr., served as Representative from Berks County, and again in 1809 and 1811. He was elected Senator in 1812. He served in the War of 1812 as Quarter Master of the Brigade of Pennsylvania Troops commanded by Brigadier-General John Adams. He died November 8, 1822, while serving as Associate Judge of Berks County. OF SHOEMAKERSVILLE, PA. 11 The children of Charles Shoemaker, Jr., and his wife, Elizabeth Kershner Shoemaker, were : Sophia, born June 26, 1802, died July 15, 1807 Elizabeth, born January 8, 1804, died February 20, 1896 Susanna, born November 21, 1806, died July 14, 1891 Joseph, born December, 1807, enlisted in the Civil War and" never returned, being numbered with the unknown dead; Hannah, born June 20, 1810, died September 28, 1879 ; Sarah, born June 10, 1811, died February 5, 1885; Charles 3rd, born July 30, 1813, was killed, about 1840, by a falling tree while cutting timber in Venango County; Edward, born May 8, 1816; died September 10th. 1904; Rebecca, born October 20, 1817; Sophia, born January 20, 1820; James Monroe, born January 15, 1822, died June 31, 1823. The first hotel in Shoemakersville, a large log house, was built by Charles Shoemaker, Jr., and conducted by him for many years. The famous Coleman Line Stage Coach, operat- ing stage lines from Philadelphia to Womelsdorf, Lebanon, Harrisburg, Lancaster, AUentown, Easton, Sunbury and other towns, in 1828 established a daily stage from Pottsville via Reading to Philadelphia and made Shoemakersville one of their stopping places. Charles Shoemaker, Jr., later built a brick house opposite the inn, into which he moved with his family and where he died. His widow left Shoemakersville with her nine children and moved to her old home, then occupied by her brother, 12 THE SHOEMAKER FAMILY John Kershner, and family. Years later when her youngest daughter, Sophia, was married to Charles Huey Mohr, of, Mohrsville, she w^ent to live with her at Mohrsville, where she died May 24, 1S49. She was buried at Zion's Church by the side of her husband and among his people. In 1812, Colonel George Shoemaker discovered coal in Schuylkill County and hauled twelve wagon loads of the fuel to Philadelphia, where he sought a market for it. He sold two loads, but the people not knowing hoF to use this newly discovered fuel declined to buy any more and the other ten wagon loads had to be given away. j OF SHOEMAKERSVILLE, PA. 13 The first house of the settler was built of logs, the chinks daubed with clay, and the roof thatched with long grass. In the later and better class of dwellings the logs were hewn square so as to need no chinking, the windows consisted of two small lead frames, set with a few tiny diamond-shaped panes of glass (or sometimes oiled paper) and hinged so as to open outward against the house, the doors were of oak plank and were securely fastened at night l)y heavy wooden cross- bars. In the center of the house rose a stone or brick chimney, about twelve feet square at the base, affording a fireplace large enough for seats to be placed at the side. To "lay the fire" was no small matter : for -the back a huge "back log," perhaps four feet long, was rolled in ; then on the andirons was placed a "front log" ; l)etween these were piled enormous quantities of small wood. The kitchen and the "best room" were the chief apart- ments. In the kitchen the center of attraction was the great fireplace, with its swinging crane and pot-hooks to hold the iron pots for cooking. A brick oven was built beside the chimney. This was heated by a fire of fine "kindlings," then swept clean, and the bread or beans set in to bake. Matches had not been invented, and the fire was carefully kept over night in the ashes. If it unfortunately "went out" it was relighted l)y sparks from the flint and steel, or by live coals brought from a neighl)or's hearth. The room was rarely seven 14 THE SHOEMAKER FAMILY feet high, and from the bare joists overhead hung bunches of herbs, seed corn, and long strings of drying apples. The furniture was plain : a tall wooden clock ; a high-backed wooden settle ; a dresser set out with the cherished pewter dishes; a spinning wheel, and perhaps a loom for weaving. The "best room" was used only on state occasions. The andirons were of brass that shone like gold. On the mantel shelf stood the high brass candlesticks and the accompanying tray and snuffers. Here, too, was the library, containing a few well read books— for books were scarce and costly, and reading was a serious matter, taken up for improvement and not for past-time. Among those few books were sure to be found the family Bible, Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress," Young's "Night Thoughts," Watt's "Improvement of the Mind," Fox's "Book of Martyrs," Addison's "Spectator," and Milton's "Paradise Lost." The front door was decorated with a huge brass knocker. The Mistress spun, wove, and stored her household linens in crowded chests, and scrubbed and scoured her floor and wood work. The happy burghers breakfasted at dawn, dined at eleven, and retired at sunset. On dark evenings, as a guide for belated wanderers, lighted candles were placed in the front windows. In Colonial times nearly all kinds of industry were carried on in ways very different from those of to-day. There was very little machinery in the country, and many tools that are OF SHOEMAKERSVILLE, PA. 15 now common were unknown ; therefore it took much more labor to produce a l^ushel of wheat, or a pair of shoes, or a pound of nails. The people also lacked very many things necessary to our comfort and convenience to-day, either because such articles had not yet been invented, or because they cost too much. In farming, the chief occupation of the covmtry, the colonists had the advantage of a fertile soil: land was plentiful and cheap, and when one field was worn out it was abandoned for a new one. The farming implements were few and clumsy compared with those used by farmers to-day. Grain was sown by hand, reaped with sickles, and threshed with flails. Grass was cut with scythes, and the hay gathered up with hand rakes. Calfskin shoes, up to the time of the Revolution, were the exclusive property of the gentry ; farmers, mechanics, and workingmen generally were clothed in red or green baize jackets, leather or striped ticking breeches, and heavy cow- hide shoes — all home made. The women wore linsey-woolsey. Many sheep were raised for their wool. Beside wool, practi- cally the only fibers produced were flax, hemp and silk. Great forests supplied plenty of fuel, and enough lumber was sawed for the needs of the colonies. Much wood was burned merely for the ashes, from which were made potash and pearlash. Among the chief colonial manufactures were flour, leather and leather goods, hats, bricks, and coarse cloths and clothing, made mostly in the household. 16 THE SHOEMAKER FAMILY In household manufacturing the women played a very important part: beside spinning and weaving the flax and wool, they dyed and knit, made soap and candles, and did many other things that girls nowadays never learn to do. Mrs. Washington, it is said, kept sixteen spinning wheels running. The soldiers of the Revolution were clad mainly in homespun. On one occasion forty or fifty young ladies, who called themselves "Daughters of Liberty," brought their spinning wheels to the house of Rev. Mr. Morehead, in Boston, and during the day spun 232 skeins of yarn, which they presented to their pastor. Within eighteen months by one family in Newport, 487 yards of cloth and 86 pairs of stockings had been spun and knit. The ladies in their tea drinking, used instead of imported tea, the dried leaves of the raspberry. Ministers' salaries were generally paid in produce — wheat, corn, beans, bacon, wood, etc. On one occasion 150 beaver skins were received. A farm of 100 acres was set apart by law for each clergyman, and also a j)ortion of the "best and first gathered corn." The usual mode of travel was on foot or horse-back ; the trip from New York to Philadelphia occupied three days if the wind was fair. Until after the Revolution, the mails were carried by postriders on horseback. Even a bridegroom, were he rich or poor, who sought a wife in a distant inland town, rode there on horseback and brought his bride home on OF SHOEMAKERSVILLE, PA. 17 a pillion behind him. There were few wheeled vehicles until near the end of the colonial period, and even these few went out of use during the Revolution. In all of the Colonies there were many white indentured servants — persons who were bound to service for some fixed period of time, during which they were little better than slaves. There were also negro slaves in every Colony, those in the North being chiefly house servants. 18 THE SHOEMAKER FAMILY Elizabeth Shoemaker* Elizabeth Shoemaker married Solomon Albright in 1844. She had six step children : One was Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Albright, a lawyer, of Mauch Chunk; John and Henry, of Reading; Kitty, wife of Henry Brobst, of Rehrers- burg; Mary, wife of Loose, of Myerstown; Harriet, wife of Frank Wagner, of Wagner's Mills, in LTpper Bern. Mrs. Elizabeth S. Albright lived with Harriet A. Wagner after she was a widow. Harriet A. Wagner had two children : Anson and Annie. Annie married Levi Stoudt, of Shoemakersville. They had one daughter, Elizabeth Albright Stoudt. Levi Stoudt died and the family moved to Hamburg. Some years later Annie W. Stoudt was married to Rev. Percy Shelley, pastor of the Reformed Church, at Hamburg. Later they moved to Florida and took Grandmother Albright with them. Several years later they returned to Slatington, Lehigh County, where Elizabeth S. Albright died and was buried at St. Michael's Church, in Upper Bern, on the family burial grounds. Elizal)eth A. Stoudt married Thomas Robinson, Camac Street, Philadelphia. ELIZAHKTH K. SHOEMAKER ALBRIGHT. OF SHOEMAKERSVILLE, PA. I'J Susanna Shoemaker. Susanna Shoemaker was married to Abram Fisher, of Heidelberg, September 3rd, 1830. He died January 5th, 1S43, leaving six children. Six years later she married Samuel Stepp. They had one son, James. Susanna S. Stepp died at Mohrsvillein 1885. James Stepp, of Mohrsville, married Sara (nee Haag), widow of Peter Metz, of Bernville. They reside at Mohrs- ville, where James Stepp is senior partner of Stepp & Heffner, proprietors of the Mohrsville Box Manufacturing Company. One grandson of Susanna S. Fisher, William Fry, of Mohrsville, married Elmira Peters, of Shoemakersville. They reside at Shoemakersville. William Fry is the Station Master at Mohrsville for the Philadelphia ct Reading Railway Com- pany. William Fisher married Minnie Ulmer, oi Loudonville, Ashland County, Ohio. He is a leading merchant of the city. They have five children : Howard, Emma, Susan, Mary and Charles. Susan was married to a Mr. Yates, who died a few years ago, leaving one child. Charles Fisher married Polly Savage, of Upper Bern. They had two daughters : Alma and Mrrgaret. Charles Fisher died in Reading in 1878, his wife having died at IMohrsville in 1868. Alma Fisher married William Sponsler, of Milton, where thev reside. 20 THE SHOEMAKER FAMILY Margaret Fisher married Levi Kurtz, of Reading. They have two daughters. Emma Fisher lived with her aged mother at Mohrsville, and still lives there in the old home. iMargaret Fisher, of Mohrsville, married Jacob Snyder, a drover. They reside at Shoemakersville. One daughter. Alma, died. Two sons, Lloyd and Charles, and a daughter, Emma, and her two children live at home. The oldest son, Owen, resides at Mohrsville. He has two children, Alma and Elsie. SUvSANNA K. SHOEMAKER STEPP. OF SHOEMAKERSVILLE, PA. 21 Joseph Shoemaker* Joseph K. Shoemaker married Mary Miller, of New York, who taught a private school at Kutztown before her marriage. They resided in Reading, Pa., and had six children. Joseph K. Shoemaker enlisted as a soldier in the Union Army during the Civil War and never returned home, his death being un- accounted for. His widow taught a private school in Reading for many years. Their children were: i\lfred, Mary Frances, Charles, Eliza Jane, Mary l^llen, and Sarah Henrietta. Only the latter two siu'vive. Charles U. Shoemaker married Rebecca Crillman, of Reading, Pa. They had one daughter, Mary Rebecca, who survives her parents, both of whom died in Philadelphia several years ago. Charles U. Shoemaker was a conductor on the Philadelpliia & Reading Railroad. Eliza Jane Shoemaker was married to Amos T. Hubbard, August 'J3rd. 1S66. Mr. Hubbard was at that time engaged in the book business in Philadelphia. They had five children: Alfred Elwood, Walter Warren, Florence May, Henry David and Mal)el Estelle, the latter still li\ing at homo. All of the others married, but Florence died shortly after her marriage to the Rev. Rittenhouse Neissee, of Philadeli)hia. Sarah Henrietta Shoemaker married Mr. David, of New York City, March .3rd, 1S7(). She has one son, Dr. I'rank Haines David, with whom she resides in New York City. 22 THE SHOEMAKER FAMILY Hannah Shoemaker. Hannah Shoemaker was born June 2()th, 1810. 8he left hei- home in Windsor Township when a young woman to hve with her sister, Sophia K., wife of Charles Huey JMohr, at .Mohrsville. She died September 28th, 1879. and was buried in the Union Cemetery at Mohrsville. HANNAH K. SHOEMAKER. OF SHOEMAKERSVILLE, PA. 23 Sarah Shoemaker* Sarah Shoemaker married Thomas Reber, of Shoemakers- ville, son of Adam and Mary Reber (born GLasser), of Kutz- town. They were married from the home of her uncle, John Kershner, Sr., in Windsor (now Perry) Township. They went to housekeepinjr on the Reber farm in Maidencreek. Nine sons and three daughters were born to them. [Adam Reber and wife (Mary Ghisser) bought all that tract of land at Shoemakersville of Charles Shoemaker, Jr., where now the I^nion Church is built and the Reber farms are. At the death of their son James the}' buried him in a field on the farm. Later others buried there, and then father Adam Rel)er gave the ground for a burial place and a church to be built there, free of charge. Adam Reber's son, Thomas Reber, married Sarah Shoemaker, of Shoemakersville.] Francis S. Reber, Thomas and Sarah Reber's first child, was born on the 4th day of March, 1S33, at Shoemakersville. His god-mother was his grandmother, Mrs. Charles Shoemaker. In May, 1856, he was married to Mary M., daughter of Samuel Sullenberger. To this union were born three daughters and two sons, all of them being born at Shoemakersville except the youngest child, Kugene S., who was I)orn at the old Reber homestead in Ontelaunee Township, Berks County. Francis S. Reber died on the 22nd day of March, 1866, and was buried in the Union Cemetery at Shoemakersville. Minerva S. Reber, eldest daughter, was born on the 21st day of April, 1857. She was married on the 5th day of July, 1881 . at Shoemakersville, to Eli D. Conrad, of Lebanon, Pa. 24 THE SHOEMAKER FAMILY They went West nnd lived in Bible Grove, Clay County, Illinois, for some time and then moved to Altamont, Etfing- hnm County, Illinois, their present place of residence. To this union were born four daughters: Alma Bertha, Mary Lavinia, Laura and Edna Julia. Eli D. Conrad died suddenly on the Sth day of December, 1906, at Altamont, and was buried in the Union Cemetery at that place. Alma B. Conrad has just finished a two-years course in the University of Illinois, at Champaign, 111. She won a scholarship and is entitled to a full course. Mary L. Conrad graduated from the Altamont High School and at present is a compositor. Laura Conrad graduated from the Altamont High School in the Class of 1909. Edna Julia Conrad is a student in the Altamont High School. Salina S. Rel)er was liorn on the nth day of Novetnber. 1X59, and with her sister, Matrona S. Reber, who was born on the 19th day of October, 1S61, lives with their mother at U)\ Montgomery Street, Newark, N. J., which has been their home since 1SS7, when they moved there from Centreport, Pa. Their home is in a beautiful location near one of the principal thoroughfares of the residential section of the city and directly opposite the St. Barnabas Episcopal Hospital. Lloyd S. Reber was born on the 4th day of April, 1S63. He was married on the 5th day of November, 1890, to Anna W. Smith, of Newark, N. J. He is a bookkee[)er and they reside at 131 South Tenth Street, Newark, N. J. SARAH K. SHOEMAKER REBER. OF SHOEMAKERSVILLE, PA. 25 Eugene S. Reber was born on the .'^rd day of .luly, bSG5. He was married on the 31st day of May, H)()(), to Ehzabeth Ada Cassedy, of Waterloo, N. J. To this union was born a daughter, Marjorie Lavinia, on the 16th day of May, 1902. Eugene S. Reber is a salesman and their home is in \'erona, a residential town of New Jersey. Van Buren S. Reber was born .July 11th, 1S35. After his graduation from the University of Pennsylvania he went to St. Louis and became one of the leading physicians and druggists of the city. In 1858 he married Julia Antoinette Guion, of St. Louis, by whom he had five children: Thomas L., Francis L., Marie Antoinette, Wendell and \'incent. The latter died. Thomas L. Reber was ])orn in 1860 in St. Louis. He is a physician in the city of Philadelphia and his home is at 1755 St. Paul Street. In 1891 he married Rachel Neff, by whom he has one child, a l)oy. Francis L. Reber, born in 1862 in St. Louis, is now a pharmacist in his native city. In 1890 he married Johanna Fitzgerald, l)y whom he had four sons. ^Larie .Antoinette, born in 1865 in St. Ijouis, was married in 1899 to Richard T. Sheehy, of St. Louis. They had five children : Frances, Marie, Helen, Eleanora and Richard Wendell. Wendell, boiii in 1867 in St. Louis, is now an eye surgeon in Philadelphia. In 1901 ho married Jessie Dalrymple, of that city. Van Buren S. Rel)er's first wife died in 1870, and in 1873 he married Harriet Proctor, of St. Louis (boi-n in iMigland), 26 THE SHOEMAKER FAMILY by whom ho had one other son, Charles P., born in bS74 in St. Louis. Charles P. Reber, who is an optical merchant in St. Louis, was married in lOOo to ]\Larie Haas. Issue, a 1-year-old daughter. \':in Ruren S. Pe])er died in St. Louis. Mayberry S. Reber, born February 5th, 1S38. He was a graduate of the LTniversity of Pennsylvania and began the practice of medicine at Shoemakersville in 1863, and continued there until 1898, when he moved with his family to Readinir and continues the practice of medicine at No. 518 North Ninth Street. When a young man he taught public schools at Port Clinton, Becker's, Shalter's, and Mohrsville. He was married to Louisa Porr, of l^ernville, July 16th, 1865. They had foui children, two of them, Laura and Chambers, dying. DaCosta Reber, son of Mayberry S. Reber, married Nora Kunkle, of Shoemakersville, by whom he has two children: Ada and LeRoy. DaCosta is superintendent of the Dust Plant of the Sternberg Bolt and Nut Works, at Reading, Pa., but resides at Shoemakersville. Virgie May Reber, daughter of iNLayberry S. Reber, mar- ried Samuel Reiter, of Shoemakersville. Their only child, Ada Louisa, died. They reside at No. 518 North Ninth Street^ Reading, Pa. (.^lambers S. Reber, born March 20th, 1840, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and practiced inedicine in the State of Missouri until the time of his death March 28rd. 1867. OF SHOEMAKERSVILLE, PA. ^^7 Jefferson S. Rehcr, Irnvn October 2n(l, 1S42; died August :ilst, 1S43. Mary S. Rei)er, born August 16th, 1844. She went to St. Louis, where she married Ulysses Courvoisir and liad four children. She died in St. Louis. Lyman S. Reber, born May 28th, 1846. He graduated from the LTniversity of Pennsylvania and is practicing medi- cine in St. Louis. He married Louisa Swartz, of Tamaqua, Pa. Their two children, Ada and Roscoe, are both married. -A. daughter, born in October, 1848, died the same month. James S. Reber, born June 22nd, 1850. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, he studied haw and later took up joiu-nahsm. He is the editor of a paper jiublished in Kansas City. He nuirried Alice Hardcastle, of St. Louis, and they have three children. Wirt S. Reber, born May 7th, 18o2. He married Mary Huey, of Ontelaunee, by whom he lias two children, Roscoe and Helen. He conducts a general store at South Evans- viUe, Pa. Rebecca S. Relier, born February 11th. 1854. She married Eli Kemmerer, of Maidencreek, who is a member of the firm of Kemmerer ct Zechman, real estate and insurance agents, Reading. Pa. Tiieir only child died. Residence, 1108 North Ninth Street. Owen S. Reber, l)orn November 20th, 1858, died January 27th, 1859. 28 THE SHOEMAKER FAMILY Edward K. Shoemaker* Edward K. Shoemaker was l)orn in the old Log Hotel at Shoemakersville, May 6th, 1816. When a boy he lived at Rehrersburg with his cousin, Mrs. Kitty All)right Brobst. He suffered much with wide or white swelling, and his cousin. Dr. Warren Treyon, cured him. He often took care of the late Dr. Edward Brobst, of West Leesport, when the latter was a child. The doctor was born at Rehrersburg and was Edward Shoemaker's namesake. When a young man, Edward K. Shoemaker taiight a public school at Garmansville, Lehigh County, after which he clerked in a store at Steinsville, Pa. In 1S58, he was married at Weisburg, Lehigh County, to Fianna Harper, of Weisburg. After his marriage he bought a farm near Slate Quarry, Lehigh County, and lived there for sixteen years, during which time the following children were l)orn : Owen, Emma, Charles, Tilman and Ella. In 1869, the family moved to Tamaqua, where Edward K. Shoemaker conducted the American Hotel, on Centre Street, for two years. They then moved to North Penn, where he was landlord of a country tavern for eight years. While living at North Penn another son, Oliver, was born. In 1879, Edward K. Shoemaker moved to Lansford, Carbon County, where he conducted a hotel. Edward K. Shoemaker died at Lansford, September 10th. 1904. EDWARD K. vSHOEMAKER AND WIFE. OF SHOEMAKERSVILLE, PA. 29 Owen Shoemaker married Kate Zehner, of Zehner's, Pa. They Hve at Tamaqua, Pa., and Owen is foreman for a local contractor of that city. Emma Shoemaker married James W. McLaughlin, of Lansford, Carbon County, Pa. Their children are : Howard Edward, a clerk in the Lansford National Bank, and Emily Euphrasia, a teacher in the public schools of Lansford. Ella Shoemaker married Charles Leopold, of Tamaqua. They have one child, Edward S. OF SHOEMAKERSVILLE, PA. 31 Minnie A', was horn June lotli, 1881. Remains single at home. She is a tailoress. Sarah M. was born June "inrl, 188.3. Remains sinj2;le at home. She is a ilressmakei-. Henry K. Miller was a merchant for 31 years at Shoe- makersville, moving with his family to Reading ten years ago. He is now engaged in the insurance business and resides at 214 North Second Street, Reading, Pa. Sarah S. Seidel, of Shoemakersville, married Abram G. Mengel, May 3()th, 1872. Her husband was a merchant at Virginsville, Pa. He died June 4th, 1904. Later Mrs. Mengel moved home to her mother, Mrs. Rebecca K. Seidel, at Shoemakersville. Charles H. Seidel married Ida V. Stoudt, daughter of Adam Stoudt, of Shoemakersville, Septendjer 25th, 1877. He was a tanner in his father's tannerv for a number of years, but is now engaged in the nursery business. Five children were born to Charles H. Seidel and wife, as follows: Henry Edward. Solomon Clayton, Rebecca Catharine, Frederick William and Sarah Sophia. Henry and Solomon died in infancy on the same day, aged 1 year and fi months and 7 months, respectively. Rebecca Catharine Seidel lives witii her aunt, Mrs. Annie Seidel Lenhart, at lsi25 ]^'rki()men Avenue, Reading, Pa. Sarah So))hia Seidel was married to Edward T. Williams, March 7th, 1aw Clerk in the Attorney General's ofhce, at Harrisburg, for the past fourteen years. Charles P. Addams was married to Laura Gardner, youngest daughter of Frank Gardner, of Carlisle, Pa., on December 26th, 1888. They have one child, Lawrence Grey Addams, six years old. They reside in Carlisle, Pa. Anna Sophia was boi-n at Turbutville, Northuml)erland County, Pa. She graduated from the Carlisle High School. On October 25tli, 1900, she was married to William James Jeffrey, of Philadelphia, (formerly of Torquey, England), and resides in Philadelphia. Sarah ]\Laude was born at Turbutville, Northumberland County, Pa. She is a graduate of the Carlisle High School and the Normal School, at Shippensburg, Pa. On November 10th, 1892, she was married to Carlton Rice Bard, of Port Allegheny, Pa., and is now residing at Glean, N. Y. They have one son, Donald Addams Bard, 15 years old. OF SHOEMAKERSVILLE, PA. 35 Susan .M. was hoiTi at .Mitfiinhurfi, Union ("(tunt_\', I'a., .lunc 16th, 1873, and died August 3rd, J 873, and is buried at Mohrsville. Katharine Mohr was born in Carlisle. Pa. She is a grad- uate of the Reading High School and is now living in Los Angeles, California. William S. Mohr married Katharine Stitzel, daughter of Judge George Stitzel and wife (Amanda Weidenheimer, of Blandon, Pa.), of Reading, Pa. He was Assistant Paymaster for the Philadelphia A: Reading Railway Company for a nimi- her of years, and served as Cashier of the Citizens Bank, of Reading, Pa., until it w-as merged with the Second National liank, of that city. He resides at 203 North Sixth Street, Pleading, Pa. His son, George Stitzel Mohr, died August 19th, 1877. Katharine Stitzel Mohr died I)ecend:)er 24th, 1877, aged 28 years. Charles S. Mohr married Kathai-ine Kershner, of Tuscarora, Schuylkill County, Pa., on February 19th, 1868, at Pottsville, Pa. He succeeded his father, Charles H. Mohr, in the tanning and hunl)er business at Mohrsville. The tannery was burned to the ground on November 10th, 1882, and while he was building a grist mill the next year on the taimery site he was taken sick and died, A))ril 9th, 1883, in the house in wliich he was born. In the Sununer of 1884 the Pennsylvania Uailroad Company extended its lines from R(?ading to l*ottsville, its course being through the Mohr Homestead. The railroad company bought the property and is using tlie old home as its .Mohisville station. 36 THE SHOEMAKER FAMILY ("harles S. Mohr enlisteci in Company G, 46th Regiment, for ninety days service in 1863, being mustered in on the 30th day of June, and honorably discharged on August 11th, 1863, at Reading. He was then 18 years of age. Charles S. .Mohr and Katharine Kershner Mohr had five children : William Frank Mohr, born at Tuscarora, Schuylkill County, Pa. Learned the printing ti-ade at the Tribune office, at Mahanoy City, Pa., and then became a reporter on the Reading Eagle, of which he is now the editor of the Sunday edition. During the Spanish-American war he enlisted in the Governor's Troop, Pennsylvania Cavalry, and served five months. He received the aj^pointment of Second Lieutenant in the 39th Regiment, I'nited States Volunteers, and served in the Philippines. His collection of curios from the island of Luzon is a very valuable one. He was married to Dorothy Miller, of Reading, Pa., on June 6th, 1904, in New York City. They have one child : Frances Miller Mohr, born December 2nd, 1907. Luther Seth Mohr, born at Mohrsville, Pa. Learned printing at Mahanoy City, published the Birdsboro Dispatch from 1894 to 1908, under the name Mohr Publishing Com- pany, composed of William Shoemaker Mohr, William Frank Mohr, Luther Seth Mohr and Howard Charles Mohr. The newspaper was sold to H. E. Hart, publisher of the Birdsboro Review, and Luther S. Mohr is now engaged in job printing in Reading, Pa. He married Anna Elizabeth Davis, of Sey- fert. Pa., on May 19th. 1906. They have two children : Charles Edward Mohr, born June 3rd, 1907. Helen Davis Mohr, born May 5th, 1909. OF SHOEMAKERSVILLE, PA. 37 Mary RelxHU-a Molir, horn at Mohrsxillo, Pa. She is a nurse and lives with her mother, in Readin";. Pa. Howard Charles Mohr, horn at Mohrsville, Pa. Learned the printing trade at Mahanoy City, Pa., then became a part- ner in the Mohr Publishing Company, at Birdsl^oro, Pa., and later went to California. In 1903 he accepted a position on the Hawaiian Star, Honolulu, H. T. He married Mabel Line Hart, of Carlisle, Pa., in Los Angeles, Cal., on June 9th, 1904. They reside on the slope of an extinct volcano in the city of Honolulu, with a fine view of the ocean and city. Hannah S. Mohr, born at Mohrsville, Pa. Graduated with honors from the Reading (jiirls' High iSchool. 8he is a school teacher in Reading, Pa., and lives with her mother. 38 THE SHOEMAKER FAMILY ^Ito^makrr iFamtlii 'NottB, Charles Shoemaker, 8r., had Shoemakersville, Berks County, named for him. Peter Shoemaker had Shoemakertown (now Ogontz, a su))urb of Philadelphia), named in his honor. George Shoemaker had the village of Shoemaker's, near Mahanoy City, named for them. The Shoemaker family were Friends (Quakers), Init when they intermarried with Lutherans and other believers they became connected with the leading religious sects of the country. Benjamin and Samuel Shoemaker, who belonged to this branch, were both Mayors of Philadelphia before the Revolutionary War. Benjamin was also one of William Penn's most trusted advisers. Penn made him Provincial Councillor and he became noted for his ability in making just and peaceable treaties with the Indians. Some of these documents are on exhibition in the Congressional Library in Washington, 1). C. Samuel Shoemaker, brother of Charles Shoemaker, Jr., married Mary Reber, sister of Thomas Reber. After her death he married Sieger, of Siegersdale, Pa. Samuel Shoemaker lived in the old stone mansion after his father's death. His daughter, Mary Shoemaker, married Benjamin Gardner and lived in Windsor. The rest of Samuel Shoe- OF SHOEMAKERSVILLE. PA. 39 maker's family moved West. >fary S. Gardner's son, lien- jamin (lardner, lives ;it Hamburg with his fair.ily. Mary Shoemaker, daujihter ot" Charles Shoemaker, Sr., married Benjamin Kepner. She had one son, John, who was blind. He was educated at the Institute for the Blind, in Philadelphia, and for two years he lived witli his cousin, .Mrs. Sophia K. Mohr, at Mohrsville. His trade was hroom- makinp;, and he made brooms in a work room over the wagon-shed. He had a Bible with raised letters for the blind, which he very much enjoyed i-eadino-. P.ernard Kepner, son of lienjamin Ke])ner and Mary Shoemaker Kepner, kept the Tuscarora Hotel, at Tuscarora, Schuylkill County, in 1850. From there he nmved to Tamaqua, and conducted the United States Hotel. He was married to Kate Boyer, of Orwigsburg (one of her sisters was Mrs. Hannah Boyer liensinger, a widow, who conducted the Lewistown Hotel for many years, and a brother, Samuel Boyer, of Lewistown, is the grandfather of Professor Charles lioyer, of Kutztown State Normal School). Bernani Kep- ner's daughters were : Mrs. Henry Stidfold, Mrs. Richard Jones, Mrs. Linn Farrer, Mrs. Snyder and Mrs. Henry Haas. He also had three sons. They conduct tlie Kepner Shoe Factory, jit Orwigsburg. Vn. In razing the walls of the oldest building in Pottsville, Pa., in July, li)()".l, a casket was unearthetl that contained lumps of coal and a unicjue document. The piece of parch- ment said that these lumps were chippings from peculiar "black stones," made by Colonel (Jeorge Shoemaker, of Pottsville. taken in 1S2!>. The relics were turned over to the Schuvlkill Countv Historical Societv. 40 THE SHOEMAKER FAMILY Henry V. Shoemaker, of New York City, who recent!}- became the owner of The Reading Times, is descended from the Peter Shoemaker Hne. Peter Shoemaker, 3rd, moved to Berks County about 1740, and he had two sons: George Shoemaker, famous as the discoverer of anthracite coal, and John Shoemaker, who served in the Revolutionary War, and who was the great grandfather of Henry F. Shoemaker. Both brothers, George and John Shoemaker, settled near Schuylkill Haven, then Philadelphia County, and later had large coal mines at Pottsville and Tamaqua. In 1865, Colonel John Shoemaker, father of Henry F. Shoemaker, dropped dead on his way home from Pottsville to Tamaqua, where he then resided. He also owned and operated coal niines at Tamaqua. Between 1735 and 1740, the neighborhood of Reinholds- ville was settled by Germans such as Peter Shoemaker, Hans Zimmerman, and others. The mother of William Penn was a Dutch lady of Rotterdam, Holland, Margaret Jasper, a cousin of Conrad Kershner, the emigrant, and she was a member of the Reformed Church. X N ;^ y. - x r. :r ^•-i r. /-^ y T -^- r. ■a- »^ ',>,y^»;~^^''!?r?sr!s""--*v " > /^ T. *** ?; T T. r, X ■J. OF SHOEMAKERSVILLE, PA. 41 ®lu^ Qlliurrh aub ^rl^niiL The Zion's Union Church, in Peirv Township, three miles east of Hamburg, was the worshiping place for the Shoemakers in the early days. In the cemetery many of them are buried, and it is a place of unusual interest to the present generation. The original log church was used during the Revolutionary War times as an arsenal and store house when food and clothing were solicited for the army and was guarded by militia. The congregation assembled in Conrad Kershner's barn for worship during the War. Conrad Kershner, like Conrad Weiser, the Indian inter- preter, and other pioneers of Berks County, of Colonial times, was deeply religious in his observances, and anxious for the spread of the gospel. It was mete, therefore, that some of his descendants should be thus inclined, and that his son, Conrad Kershner, .Jr., who had removed to Perry Township, near Shoemakersville, should have helped materi- ally in the erection of Zion's Church, in that township. Conrad, Jr., joiuneyed to Philadelphia as early as 1760 for the pur|K)se of conferring with the sons of William Penn in regard to obtaining a grant of land for congregational use. A tract of 40 acres was donated by the Penns, and upon it a small log church was built in 1701. Ten years later this was displaced by a larger structure, also of logs, iiut when it came to erect a finer and more commodious building, more in accordance with the requirements of the growing congregation, a hill site was selected and a purchase of the required ground made. The church which stood almost a 42 THE SHOEMAKER FAMILY eenturv was torn down in lOOS and a handsome I)iiok edifice erected in its place, being dedicated on Ascension Day, 1909. Rev. Daniel Shumaker (Shoemaker) was pastor of the Lutheran congregation at Reading, 1754-1757. He also had supervision of the rebuilding of the Lutheran Church at Orwigsburg, burned by the Indians in 1756. The New Vied Church, in which the Lutherans still worship, was finished in 1770. Rev. Daniel Shoemaker had established the little Lutheran congregation in Schuylkill County as early as 1754. Rev. Daniel Shoemaker was also pastor of the Jerusalem Church, located on the banks of the Little Lehigh about ly^ miles north-east of Emaus, from 1759 to 1763. and again 1766-1768. This is one of the oldest conp-egations in the Lehigh Valley, having been organized in 1742. It was known as the Western Salisburg Lutheran Church. The early settlers of Berks County were fugitives from religious persecution in the Fatherland. It was a religious motive that led them to establisn schools in or near their homes. They believed in the Bible as the only rule of religious faith and practice. Hence every child must learn to read in order to know how to use this guide to correct living and believing. In 1708, eighteen school-masters came from Germany. The school-master became, next to the pastor, the most important person in the community, and at times performed, in connection with his school duties, the function of reading sermons and baptizing children in cases of necessity. 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