History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families

1914·75.4 MB·English

by  Roberts, Charles Rhoads

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HISTORY
OF
LEHIGH COUNTY
PENNSYLVANIA
AND A GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF ITS
FAMILIES
BY
CHARLES RHOADS RO^RTS,
Member of Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Lehigh County Historical Society, Pennsylvania
German Society, Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution,
Historian Newhard Family.
REV. JOHN BAER STOUDT,
Member of Pennsylvania German Society, Society of American Folklore, Historical Society of Berks
County, Lehigh County Historical Society, Northampton County Historical and Genealogical
Society, Historian of the Baer Family, Author of History of the Western Salisbury
Reformed Congregation, Fifteen Years of Grace, Life and Times of
Col. John Siegfried, The Riddles and Nursery Rhymes of the
Pennsylvania Germans.
REV. THOMAS H. KRICK,
Member of Pennsylvania German Society, Historical Society of Berks County, Lehigh County
Historical Society, Historian of the Krick, High and Overholtzer Family Associations.
WILLIAM DIETRICH,
J.
Member of Pennsylvania German Society, Historical Society of Berks [County, Lehigh County
Historical Society, Bucks County Historical Society, and Author of
Dietrich Families in America.
IN TWO VOLUMES—
Illustrated
VOL.
II.
Lehigh Valley Publishing Company, Ltd.
Allentown, Pa.
1914

I
GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL
Acker Family. property in Macungie, but in the next published
assessment in 1812 no Acker property was as-
Philip Jacob Acker, the ancestor of this sessed in Macungie, but in that same year Daniel,
family, was born in 1696 in Germany and landed Michael and George Acker were assessed in
at Philadelphia on September 25, 1732, on the Weisenburg. These three individuals were sons
ship “Lo3^al Judith,” with his brother Henry of Jacob Acker, who had purchased the Weisen-
Acker. He was then thirty-six years of age. burg property in 1786 and who at this time was
He settled in the district, which at that time was seventy-six years of age, and, no doubt, had trans-
called Macungie in Bucks county, now Upper ferred his property to his sons.
mMialceusngweiset toofwnAslhliepn,toLwenh,igohn cwohunatty,isanboouwt tshiex CapJtaacionb ATcrkeexrl’esr’nsaCmoemipsarneycorudnedderascaoPmrmiavantde oifn
Koch farm, on the south side of the public road Col. George Breinig of the Northampton Militia,
leading from Allentown to Fogelsville, located May 14, 1788. (Page iii, Vol. 8, 5th Series of
several miles east of Fogelsville and probably one Pennsylvania Archives.) The names of Chris-
mile east of Chapman’s Station on the Catasau- tian Acker and Jacob Acker, Junior, also appear
qua and Fogelsville Railroad. in this muster roll. Jacob Acker, as well as
Philip Jacob Acker was naturalized at the his father, Philip Jacob Acker, was buried at
session of the Supreme Court in Philadelphia on Ziegel church. The tombstone of Jacob Acker,
September 27, 1743, and in 1745 he was one of a slate slab, contains the following inscription:
Wtheeisoerngbanuirzgertsowonfshtihpe.ZiOegnelMCahrucrhch3,0-l3o1c,atIed757in> “JuHleyre25r,es1t7s36i,n Ghaodd,liJvaecdoibnAtchkeemra,twrihmoonwiaasl sbtoartne
David Schultze surveyed land for Philip Jacob with Eberhartine Heisler for 47 years, to whom
Acker in Macungie, as also for Dewald Koontz, nine children were born, eight sons and one
Christian Heisler, Adam Fisher and Co.nrad daughter.” The rest of the inscription was de-
OPinenJa(nSueearPyeriki,iom17e5n9,RePghiiolnipVJola.cob3, APcakgeer9w1a)s. facEebde.rhartine Acker survived her husband and
granted land adjoining his other land and that of lived to an old age in the small house on the
Christian Heisler in Macungie township. In old Acker farm in Weisenburg. Jacob Acker
1762 he was assessed £10 in Macungie township. married Eberhartine Heisler, daughter of Chris-
Philip Jacob Acker and his wife Anna Maria tian Heisler and his wife Eva Elizabeth. They
had one son, Jacob Acker, who was born July 25, had these children: Christian, born December 25,
1736. 1755; Philip Jacob, born August 30, 1757;
On March 24, 1786, Jacob Acker purchased John Leonhart, born September 22, 1752;
by assignment from William Green, of Reading, George Henry, born December 10, 1761;
Berks county, for the sum of £120 in gold and Daniel; Michael, born December 25, 1766;
isilver money, 170 acres of land in Weisenburg John, and two daughters.
township, Lehigh county, formerly owned by Christian Acker was a soldier in the Conti-
George Wise, of Germantown. This land is nental Army. He and his wife Elizabeth had
located five or six miles from the original Acker a son George Henry, born November 15, 1782.
farm in Macungie township, and about six miles Philip Jacob Acker is said to have lost his life
northeast of the Ziegel church. It is said the in the service of the Continental Army. George
reason of the further removal from the fertile Acker was at one time a member of the State
soil of Macungie to the hills of Weisenburg was Legislature of Pennsylvania. His descendants
the lack of water in the former lands, which was settled in Longswamp, Berks county.
;abundant, and still is abundant, in Weisenburg. Daniel Acker married May 21, 1793, Marga-
The Acker farm in Weisenburg remained in tbe retha Schmidt. He owned the old Weisenburg
family until about 1870, when it was sold to a farm. One of his sons, Joseph D., lived in West
Mr. Grim. It is now owned by Mr. Grim’s Chester, Pa. The other of his sons, George
«on. Acker, had a large farm, part of which was in-
In 1781 Ja—cob Acker was assessed for the old cluded in the limits of Allentown. He married
VOL. II
HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
2
Elizabeth, widow of Daniel Knauss, nee Frey, Their children were: Joseph John, born June 7,
daughter of John Frey. She was born Oct. 28, 1868, died Nov. 12, 1885; Ida, born Dec. 16,
1795, and died March 9, 1855. They had five 1869, died Feb. 15, 1880; Sarah E., born May
children: Abbie, who married a Mr. Foley; 15, 1871, married Oscar D. Knauss; Agnes, born
Reuben; George, a Civil War soldier, who died Jan. 9, 1873, baptized Oct. 2, 1873, married
unmarried Mary, married to Phaon Haas and Harvey W. Haines. Issue: Ruth A., born
; ;
Sarah, married to Levi Kuhns. March 15, 1895, who married, June 18, 1913,
Reuben Acker, the eldest son of George and Claude U. Keck, of Allentown, and Helen Agnes
Elizabeth (Erey) Acker, was born in Allentown, Haines, born Dec. 3, 1903. Mrs. Agnes Haines
in 1825. He spent his youth upon his father’s has her home at 1613 Chew street, Allentown;
farm and his early education was limited to the Martha D., born Oct. i, 1875, married Edward
opportunities of a farmer’s boy in the common W. Lewis. Issue: Reuben, May, George and
schools. During the entire period of his active John Lewis.
A
life he was a hard worker at whatever his hands daughter of Jacob Acker married Michael
found to do. Mr. Acker, in 1847, age of Reichert and both are buried in Milton, Pa.
twenty-two years, left home to seek his fortune, Their descendants are: Rev. George W. Rich-
with a capital of one dollar and fifty cents. He ards, D.D., of the Theological Seminary of the
went to New York City, from thence to Ohio, Reformed Church at Lancaster, and his son,
working at various employments, but always man- Joseph W. Richards; Mary Louisa, wife of Dr.
aging to save some of his earnings. In 1852 he, James S. Smith, of Allentown, and Cora D.
with others, set out with an ox team for Cali- Richards, who was a school teacher, married in
fornia, and in just six months they reached their 1914, Mr. C. J. Burger, of Allentown.
goal. Mr. Acker found work in Alameda county Another child of Jacob Acker, probably a
on a farm at eighty-five dollars per month “and daughter, was born August 3, 1771.
found.’’ He remained five years and with his Michael Acker, youngest son of Jacob Acker,
savings embarked in business for himself. His was born December 5, 1766. The sponsors were
first year’s profit was $2,400; that of the second Christian Acker and Anna Maria, daughter of
year about the same. He then engaged in buying Adam Heberly, both single. He was born in
and selling cattle, and continued in this business Macungie and died at tbe age of 44 years. He
for upwards of eight years, meeting with fair married Maria Klein, daughter of Peter Klein,
success. In 1864 Mr. Acker returned to Allen- of Weisenberg and his wife, Margaret Stettler.
town and purchased his parents’ old homestead They had six children, four sons and two daugh-
of one hundred and twenty-six acres, near Allen- ters, namely:
town, where he settled in 1865. In vain did he Jonathan, the oldest son, married Sallie Schaef-
offer to give one-half his land to any person who fer and died at the age of 62 years. They had a
would erect for him suitable buildings on the re- number of children, all of whom are now dead.
maining half of the tract. This proved to be a Elizabeth Acker, born September 6, 1790, mar-
blessing in disguise, as the growth of the city of ried John Dennis. They lived in Snyder county.
Allentown extended to his property and its lands Pa. Mrs. Dennis died at the advanced age of
became populous and valuable, from all of which over 88 years.
he derived a substantial benefit. He watched this Jacob Acker lived and died in Upper Macun-
growth and contributed his full share in promot- gie. He married a Miss Feldhof. They had
ing the interests of Allentown. After retiring sons and daughters. Among them were: Jacob,
from active farm work, he resided at 1125 of Allentown and Caroline, who married a Mr.
;
Turner street, Allentown, giving considerable at- Kuhns, of Atchison.
tention to real estate. In Sept. 1905, in com- Henry Acker married Sallie Hartman. They
pany with his son-in-law, H. W. Haines, he went settled in Ohio, about twelve miles west of
to the Pacific coast to visit the places in which he Akron. He died at the age of 84 years and had
had formerly made his home. While on this sons and daughters.
visit he died, Oct. 5, 1905, and his remains were Polly married Jacob Reinbold. He died at tbe
brought to Allentown and interred in Union age of 97 years, and she died at the age of 78
cemetery. In politics he was a Democrat, always years. They moved on the south side of South
taking an interest in the city’s political welfare Mountain, near Emaus. They had one daughter,
and its institutions. He was a consistent member Elizabeth, who married Solomon Reinbold and
of the Lutheran Church. Reuben Acker married, had sons and daughters. Mr. Reinbold died a
in California, Sarah Andrews, born Jan. 17, number of years ago at the age of 58 years. Mrs.
1838, died Aug. 19, 1896, and who was interred Reinbold died several years ago at an advanced
in Union cemetery by the side of her husband. age.
Digitized by the Internet Archive
2016
in
https://archive.org/detaiis/historyoflehighc02robe
Rev. D. Acker.
J.