I recently purchased the 225th Anniversary of Exeter and the 250th Anniversary of Cumru Townships from E-Bay. There is so much information, I decided to make notes and post it for everyone to enjoy. I had to omit many facts but tried to include every name mentioned.
My line is the Millard line from Berks County. I have been unable to discover the name parents of Frederick H. Millard. Frederick had brothers Benjamin F. and Jonathan, and sisters Margaret and Mary. Benjamin married Lavinia Bechtel, Margaret married Joseph Palsgrove, and Mary married David Lykens. It is possible that Jonathan married Carrie M. Palsgrove. Sometimes these people used the last name MILLER, but their tombstones say MILLARD. Surnames are: MILLARD, MILLER, BLOOD, LYKENS, PALSGROVE, CLEMONS, CROSBY, BECHTEL, SMITH, MOORE, SWINEHART, RIMBY, SHEETZ, CARE, STANLEY, WHITMAN, BIVANS, BRADY, KEINARD. If anyone can help me out, please reply.

EXETER

§ Exeter Township was settled around 1718. It had been a part of Oley, Philadelphia County. In 1741, seventeen signers petitioned the court for the erection of a new township to be called Exeter. The signers were: James Boone, Benjamin Boone, John Boone, Thomas Hughes, William Hughes, Thomas Yarnall, Deter Yarnall, Michael Waren, **ttna Huig**t, Peter Higo, David *****, Ezekiel Mathias, Roger Rogers, Joseph Brown, Jacob*****, Elias Hughs, Squire Boone.

§ On the cover, Zack Millers Daily Stage from Reading to Pikeville.
§ Taxable List of 1759

Martin AlstadtJohn AurandtGeorge AlbrightJoseph BooneJoseph BrownGodfried BakerIsaac BrubakerJohn BishopChristopher BoyerJohn BowerPaul BridercumJames BooneBenjamin BoonePeter BeacleyJacob BeacleyJacob BowerHenry BoyerAdam BolichHenry CaknateConrad CeallerStephen CriderDaniel ConradFrederick CellerPaul DurstRobert DickeyMorris EllisChristopher FrederickPeter FisherJohn FullwilerGodfred GrinAdam GearittGeorge GarritJacob HuetGeorge HartDaniel HartJacob HislerLeonard HighJohn HughesSamuel Hughes Edward HughesNicholas HernerRudolph HecklerHenry HernerWilliam HentonPeter HintGeorge HintonHenry KersonWilliam KerbyDeter KerbyMordecai LincolnThomas LincolnPaul LeffelIsaac LevanMichael LudwigLenhart LeboAbraham LevanPhilip LouderlockHenry LeacePeter MatisWilliam MaugridgeVal. MessersmithGeorge MessersmithUlrick MoonePhilip NearPeter NullFrederick NackelHenry OderRobert PattersonThomas PayneJonathan PriceFrancis RitterPeter Rine Jacob RawnWilliam RusselMichael SisterJohn SuckPeter SmithJacob Scharer Peter SniderChristopher SheathWidow ShefferHenry SlyeHenry StuckerHenry ThompsonJohn ThompsonJacob WillearMartin WaltzJohn WebbJoseph WebbFrederick WallickChristian WeeksJohn WainwrightAdam YoungJacob YoderJacob Young SINGLE MEN:Adam BarnetJon BeacleyJohn BooneEngle BoyerJohn CollierFrederick HernerFrancis KerstonAbraham LincolnJohn ModlingWilliam PattersonNathan PughGeorge RutterPhilip StatlerFrederick WallickJames Webb

Interesting Facts:
§ Glen Hotel owned and operated by Charles Dengler. The hotel also had a large dance pavilion. During summer months, a Mr. Gauman held dances there on Wednesday and Saturday nights. The hotel burned to the ground on September 27, 1931.
§ Klapperthal Pavilion was a beautiful hotel built by the Reading Railway Company. It was constructed of red sandstone and frame and had a large dance pavilion about 200 feet long. There was also a baseball diamond nearby. Shows and other entertainment were held there. The building was torn down around the turn of the century.
§ Centennial Springs Hotel later became the Berks County Sanatorium until it was moved to Bern Township.
§ Baumstown is the oldest town in Exeter Township. It was first called Exetertown, and later named for Dr. Baum who settled there before 1800. His hospital was said to be the place later called Strawberry Mansion.
§ The Red Lion Inn – the oldest inn in the area.
§ The Black Bear Inn- stopping point on the way to Philadelphia. Mail was sent in care of ESTERLY, one of the owners. The post off remained ESTERLY and the area is still called that today.
§ The name St. Lawrence is from a brand name for a grade of woolen goods manufactured by the William Brumback Woolen mills in 1856.
§ John F. Lutz established the Lutz funeral home in 1884.
§ Albert H. Adams established the St. Lawrence Dairy Co. in 1888. Was the first milk wagon to deliver pasteurized milk to Reading in 1915 from St. Lawrence.
§ A butchering establishment was begun in the 1880’s by Darius Weidner, and later was operated by Reuben Behm.
§ The LeVan families were among the first settlers in Exeter. The family was of French Huguenot origin.
§ Limekiln is also called Snyderville and Oley Line. It is situated on the Exeter-Oley line and named for a limekiln in the area, which was the homestead of Hans Snider.
§ Susanna Cox was hanged in City Park for the murder of her child.
§ Stonersville – Philip Boyer opened a hotel in 1813 called the Compass.
§ Lorane, also known as Exeter Station.


BOONE FAMILY:
§ Most of the Boones were Weavers and Tanners.
§ George Boone III (George Boone, Sr.) was born at Stoak, near the city of Exeter in England. (The city for which Exeter is named). In 1689 he married Mary Maugridge, born 1669 near Exeter, England. All their children were born in England. The oldest were George Jr., Sarah and Squire. When George Sr was 51 and wife 48, they moved the family to America. They first lived in Abington and later to North Wales for about 2 years. In 1718, he obtained a warrant for 400 acres and allowances up Oley way (now Exeter). He built a log cabin in 1719-20 and in 1733 built the larger stone home. When George Sr. died, his body was taken to the Friends Burying Ground. His wife preceded his death by 3 years. George Jr was born in England in 1690. He was a schoolteacher, surveyor, and justice of peace, land speculator in partnership with Richard Peters. He erected a mill on his land in 1725-26 along the Monacacy Creek. Tradition has it that gunpowder was manufactured in this mill during the revolutionary war.
§ George Boone Jr. and his wife Deborah deeded one acre of ground to the trustees of the religious Society of Friends in 1736. Later, when John Lee bought the George Boone property, he donated an additional one-quarter acre and the deed was record in 1785.
§ Sarah Boone, second child of George Sr. and Mary, was born in 1692 in England married Jacob Stower.
§ Squire Boone, the third child of George Sr. and Mary was born in 1696 in England. He married Sarah Morgan. They settled in Bucks County, then in 1730 settled on what is now known as the Daniel Boone Homestead. In 1750 he sold part of his land to his brother Joseph Boone and the other part to William Maugridge, and moved to North Carolina.
§ The fourth child of George Sr. and Mary was Mary, born 1699 in England. She married John Webb and lived on the parental estate.
§ The fifth child of George Sr. and Mary was John, born 1701 in England. He was a bachelor and taught school at the Meeting House. John was a tanner by trade and had a tannery with his brother James on the parental homestead lands. He owned much land in Brunswick Township, Berks County (now Schuylkill County). Before his death in 1785 in Exeter Township, he turned all his lands over to his brother James.
§ Joseph, the sixth child of George Sr. and Mary was born in 1704 in England. He married a woman named Catherine. He had 5 children: Joseph Jr., Catherine, Mary, Hugh and Isaac.
§ The seventh child of George Sr. and Mary is Benjamin, born July 16, 1706 in England. He married first in 1726 to Ann Farmer and had one son. His first marriage took place at the Abington Meeting House. His second marriage was to Susannah Lycon (first cousin of Andrew Lykens). In 1735, Benjamin Boone and Mordecai Lincoln and four other men were appointed to lay out a road, one of the first roads in Exeter Township. He was a representative in Berks County until 1758. Benjamin’s children were baptized at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church and most of them settled in Northumberland County.
§ The eighth child of George Sr. and Mary was James, born July 7. 1709 and died September 30, 1785. Married first May 15,1735 and second in 1757 to Ann Griffith. All the children are from the first marriage. James inherited the homestead of his father and occupied it his entire life. He was a tanner by trade with his brother John. Two children were Ann and James Jr. James Jr. was a teacher at the Friends School and an astronomer of some note. A paper entitled the Boone Family by Dr. P. G. Bertolet of Oley written in 1858 says this of James Boone, Jr.

“Especially prominent was James Boone, Jr. who evinced a decided taste for letter at an early age. At the age of ten years, he mastered Geometry and Surveying. He resided form some time in Philadelphia, and while there often enjoyed the society of Dr. Ben Franklin and David Rittenhouse and other men of learning. He soon won a reputation, especially in the higher branches of mathematics. His copy of Sir Isaac Newton’s work on astronomy is interesting; on the margins are criticisms and calculations, proving not a few to be in error.

§ James Boone Jr. died almost in the prime of his life and buried at Friends Buying Ground.
§ Ann Boone, daughter of James was born April 3, 1737. She married at age 23 to Abraham Lincoln (Exeter’s Lincoln, not the President).
§ The ninth child of George Boone, Sr. and Mary was Samuel, born March 22, 1711. He married Elizabeth Cassel in 1734. They had 4 children. He died in 1745 at age 34. His sons were Samuel and Isaiah and were reared by his brothers and their mother who remarried reared the two younger children.
§ Samuel Jr., in 1776 lived in Frederick, Maryland where he manufactured guns and gun locks for the Revolutionary War. He supposedly lost all his money in this venture.
§ Daniel Boone, was born October 22, 1734 but due to a change in 1752 from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, we now know his birth date as November 2, 1734. Little is known about his life in Pennsylvania.

LINCOLN FAMILY:
§ Samuel Lincoln migrated to America and landed June 20, 1637 in Salem, MA. He settled in Hingham, MA. Samuel Lincoln and his wife Martha had 11 children. One son, born June 14, 1657 was named Mordecai. He was a blacksmith and ironworker. He married Sarah Jones and their first son was also named Mordecai. Mordecai Sr. died November 28, 1727 in Scituate, MA.
§ In 1714 Mordecai Jr, married Hannah Salter, daughter of Richard Salter. Mordecai and Hannah became the parents of six children, 1 son and 5 daughters. It is through their son, John that the family line descended to President Abraham Lincoln. It is said that Mordecai Lincoln Sr. of Exeter is buried in the Exeter Friends Burial Ground. Whether this is true or false is not known. The father of Mary (Mordecai Sr. second wife) was Andrew Robeson. Andrew Robeson was the first person buried in the cemetery of the Molatton Church (now St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, Douglassville).
§ Mordecai’s third son, Abraham, (the third son of his second marriage) was a Congressionalist as his marriage to Quaker Anne Boone was un-orderly.
§ Mordecai died when Mary was an expectant mother. Her stepson John was 21 years old and her four stepdaughters were only about 9-16 years old. Her own two sons were 4 and 6, Mordecai being born in 1730 and Thomas in 1732. Abraham was born October 18, 1736. Mary Lincoln remarried to Roger Rogers in 1742. There are no records of children by this marriage.
§ John Lincoln born 5-3-1716 in NJ married Rebecca Flowers Morris, a widow. Their first child was named Abraham and was the Grandfather of President Abraham Lincoln. This first son of John, named Abraham is often confused with Abraham of Exeter Township, the half brother of John and the son of Mordecai and Mary Robeson Lincoln was born October 18, 1736. Rebecca had nine children, eight born in Pennsylvania and the last in Virginia.
§ John Lincoln, the oldest son of Mordecai and later to be known as Virginia John and Josiah Boone, son of George Boone, Jr. about the year 1765 migrated to Linville Creek, Augusta County (now Rockingham County).
§ John Lincoln’s daughter Rebecca married John Harrison.
§ Abraham Lincoln, son of John married in Virginia in 1770. They had 5 children, on of which was Thomas, the father of President Lincoln. In 1782, Abraham moved his family to Kentucky, where he was killed in a cornfield by a band of Indians.
§ Thomas Lincoln married Nancy Hanks.
§ Mordecai Lincoln left four daughters at his death. Hannah Lincoln married Joseph Millard on May 10, 1743. His is designated Esquire of Union Township. They had 4 children, 3 sons and 1 daughter. Joseph Millard, then of Amity, died before 1770. His wife Hannah granted administration to her stepmother Mary Lincoln Rogers.
§ Mary Lincoln married first to Mr. Norris and second to Francis Yarnall in 1742.
§ Anne Lincoln was born March 8, 1725. She married William Tallman. They lived in Amity until 1742 and in the county until 1780. William Tallman was an innkeeper at Reading from 1768-1780. They moved to Virginia and settled near her brother John in the Shenandoah Valley. She died there about 1812.
§ Sarah Lincoln was born April 1727. She married William Boone on May 26, 1748. She died April 21, 1810.
§ Mordecai Lincoln Jr., of Exeter, son of Mordecai and Mary Lincoln, was born Mary 9, 1730 in Amity. He married Mary Webb or Ward in 1755. They had 5 children all born in Berks County. They were: Benjamin 10-29-1756, John (Thomas) 3-28-1758, Nancy Ann 11-22-1759 who married Jacob Giger, Hannah born in 1761 and Sarah born 2-25-1767 married John Jones. Sarah died 1-25-1838 in Fayette County, PA.
§ On January 4, 1787 Mordecai Jr. bought land in Fredrichtown also known as Hummelstown, which is 9 miles east of Harrisburg, Derry Township, Dauphin County, PA. On May 17, 1794, he sold the property to Valentine Hummel who was an innkeeper. Mordecai Jr., at that date was described as being a Yeoman of Union Township, Fayette County.
§ Exeter Abraham Lincoln married Anne Boone, daughter of James Boone. She was born 4-3-1737. They had 10 children, Mary, Martha, Mordecai, James, Anna, Rachel, Phebe, Ann, Thomas and John.
§ Thomas, third son of Abraham married Alice Dehaven. They had two children. Martha was born 11-22-1811 and married John Kaub. They had two sons. Martha died 11-12-1858 and is buried at Friends Meeting.
§ John Dehaven Lincoln, the only son of Thomas and Alice was born 1-1-1815. He married Sarah Gilbert and they had 10 children. They later separated.
§ The oldest son of John D. and Sarah was Alfred G. Lincoln. He married Anna Louisa Hemming. He worked on the railroad for about 20 years and then returned to farming. They lived on a farm between Painted Sky Road and the Schuylkill River. They had 6 children.

MILITARY:
§ A taxpayer of Exeter Township Henry Vanderslice was elected sheriff of Berks County in 1773. he was still in office when the Declaration of Independence was written and it was his duty to read the Declaration to the populace. He wanted to do more for the freedom movement so he applied for an appointment as a wagon master for the Continental Army. He headed a brigade of twelve wagons. Their duty was to forage for and cart to the army the many supplies and food which they needed. It is safe to say that without the successful aid of Henry Vanderslice, George Washington would probably have been unable to last through the winter at Valley Forge.
§ In 1784, right after the Revolutionalry Conflict, there were two Exeter companies in the Fourth Battalion of the militia. The officers of company 4 were John Ludwig; Captain, Abarahm Griffith; Lt., Conrad Teeder, Ensign. The officers of company 7 of the same battalion were John Snyder; Captain, John Hider; Lt., and Daniel Schneider; Ensign.
§ The war of 1812 – Exeter township participants:

Samuel Gerber
Jacob Kern
George Hartman
John Hill
John Klinger
Samuel Hill
William Moyer
Henry Emore
David Borst
Peter Borst
Nicholas Carver
Daniel Dietrich
Samuel Dietrich
George Gryberger
Jacob Heater
John Heckman
Jacob Jackson
Jacob Rowe
John Strunk
Samuel Smeck
Nathan Thomas

Buried in Schwarzwald Cemetery are Corp. Thomas Lincoln and Augustus Wert.

CHURCHES:
§ Friends Meeting House – Deeded by George Boone, Jr. on December 24, 1736 for the sum of twenty shillings. In 1784, John Lee who purchased the George Boone Jr. farm, deeded one-quarter acre of land to be used for burials. The cemetery was filled with graves and in 1818 was filled with ground to allow more burials on top of existing graves.
§ Schwarzwald Luther Church – First man to serve families was an unordained schoolteacher, Mr. John Philip Streiter.
§ Stonersville Union Sunday School was founded in 1867.
§ St. Lawrence Union Sunday School was organized in the St. Lawrence one-room schoolhouse on Bingaman Street on April 20, 1878.
§ Lorane Sunday School was organized about 1885 in the Green Tree schoolhouse. Organized by H.B.Levan, Amos Deeter and John Troxel. The chapel was built around 1900 by Dr. Jacob Rittenhouse.
§ Early records of Schwarzwald United Church of Christ are missing, lost or destroyed. However, 1737 has become the accepted date for the founding of Schwarzwald congregations. The log church remained in use until 1810-11 when it was replaced by a building of stone. The names of the building committee are said to have been: Jacob Levan, John Neikirch, Henry Boyer and Henry Klose. The ministers in charge of the congregation at the time were Rev. H. A. Muhlenberg, and Rev. William Pauli. The church was dedicated on November 10, 1811. Services were held in German and English. The stone church remained in use for about 60 years. The present structure, a brick building was erected in 1870. The building committee was Joseph Levan, Benjamin S. Ritter, Simpson Garber, Joseph Kissling and John Heister. Revs B.D. Zweizig and A.S.Leinback pastors officiated.
§ Exeter Bible Church – A group of 17 adults began a small Sunday School meeting first in the home of Richard Seidel on Jefferson Street and later moved to a first floor room in the POS of A building at main street and Pennsylvania Ave. Later named Birdsboro Gospel Church. George Quell of Wyomissing and Lester Grubb of Birdsboro served as teachers and leaders of the church.
§ Church of the United Brethren in Christ – located on a small plot of land along the Philadelphia Pike. One-half acre of land was bought from George Wamsher on 3-8-1869. Trustees were P. T. Poulton, Daniel Bower, John W. Hartranft, John Shantz, Abraham Eschleman, Samuel Romig, and George Kane (Treasurer). Pastor David McChalicher and Bishop Weaver dedicated the church in 1887. Later, a Rev. Melcher of Reading held revival meetings. The church was torn down in 1910-12.
§ Stonetown – July 1912, Rev. David Weaver.

PRIVATE CEMETERIES:
§ Dr. George DeBenneville, born in London in 1703 who was a medical practitioner encouraged the custom of having private burials grounds on the farm as a matter of convenience. The custom was observed until about 1860.
§ The Heckler-Esterly Cemetery on top of a hill off the Oley Turnpike is still in good condition. Daniel Heckler who was murdered by a British soldier lies there and also Daniel Esterly who as a revolutionary war veteran.
§ Ritter Cemetery – General Roth killed at Baltimore in the war of 1812 is buried here.
§ Young (Jung) cemetery on Ritter lane – two almost illegible tombstones here.
§ Kline cemetery off Ritter lane near Stonetown holds a veteran of the war of 1812, John Close.
§ Messersmith cemetery
§ Yeich cemetery – no trace left
§ Pet Cemetery – established in 1920 along Rt. 422 by veterinarian Dr. Romberger. Moved in 1936 to Route 562.

MILLS
§ Wanner’s Mill operated by Paul Feger. At his death in 1790, he willed the paper mills to his sons and son-in-law and the saw-grist mill to his widow. The paper mill manufactured the paper upon which the continental money was printed. In 1808 by sheriff sale, bought by Jacob Hill. In 1809, Jacob Hill sold the mill to his father, John Hill. John Hill turned the mill into a rifle-boring mill and moved it further up stream. Later it was sold by the sheriff to Christian Hoffmaster. His son, John Hoffmaster operated it until 1870 when the Wanner’s bought it. It was sold in 1929 to Peter J. Spuhler. The mill is now a retail feed store.
§ Saw mill owned by Henry Schoefer – no longer exists.
§ Paper mill owned by John Breiner, John Berstler used the power for a blacksmith shop. Philip Seidel had a forge nearby. Later owned by Samuel Hoffmaster.
§ Solomon Seidel’s forge near Antietam Creek.
§ Benjamin Custer owned land near Butter Lane. Lydia Custer married Henry Seidel, they had a son Solomon, who had a son Solomon. He went up-stream, built a race, which operated Philip Moyer’s Tilt Hammer and Sol Seidel’s Forge. Another owner was Gottlieb Moyer. Samuel Hoffmaster bought the property and conveyed it to his daughter Sarah who married Solomon Sweitzer. It was later known as the Sweitzer farm.
§ William Sweitzer bought 145 acres near Opal and Emerald Avenues. His farmhouse, which is no longer standing, was the old Carsonia Inn. Benjamin Custer’s cottage remains here. Jacob Brumbach bought the Benjamin Custer mill. He started his wooden mill about 1840 and then sold to his two sons, Jacob and William. They operated it until 1853 when Jacob withdrew. William bought the Housin Grist Mill.
§ George and John Hendel learned the trade of hat making from their father and took over the Jacob Brumback mill. After 2 years, and exchange was made with John Yerger (Yeager), the Hendels going to Reading and John Yerger taking the Hendel mill in Exeter.
§ Abraham Keller ran a paper mill.
§ Jacob and Adam Breiner had an oil mill.
§ Adam Johnson made castings for blast furnaces.
§ Daniel Guldin had a blacksmith shop, later used by the Seigel Brothers, Stauffer and Kretz and Abraham Stauffer.
§ Levan Brothers had a glue factory near Black Bear. Daniel Levan, son of Joseph started to manufacture hats. After Daniels death, his son William operated the business.
§ Ahrens Fertilizer plant.
§ Brumbach Brothers Woolen Mill. David, George, Aaron and Thomas built A.J.Brumbach. Building in 1892. It is now the Central Door and Plywood Company.
§ Housin grist mill – William Brumbach established a second mill. After it was destroyed by fire, his son Albert J. took over the operation. The product was called St. Lawrence Woolens. In 1895, Mr. Brumbach established a Pants and Vest factory at 14th and Muhlenburg and also one in Landsdale, PA.
§ Jacob Levan had a saw mill.
§ Bechtel family operated a grist mill.
§ George DeBenniville Keim had a clover mill. In 1845, George Gernant, High Sheriff of Berks County sold to Gottlieb Moyer and Daniel Yocum. In 1863, Daniel and Catherine Yocum deeded to Gottlieb Moyer a house, forge and 134 acres of land. Gottlieb Moyer deeded the same land to Morgan Althouse who married Moyer’s daughter. Moyer and Yocum operated the Exeter Tilt-Hammer forge when George Keim bought an interest in the business in 1828.
§ Daniel Yocum sold land to John Troxel for a pottery. John Troxel married Daniel Yocum’s daughter. It is said that Troxel made brick to line his grave. Ferdinand Winterhalter married Troxel’s daughter. Mr. Winterhalter had a milk route in Reading.
§ John Beckley owned the right to land at the intersection of Country Club Road and Philadelphia Pike when George Boone, Sr. bought it. The land was turned over to George Henton. Henton sold to John Bishop. George and Daniel Bishop, Amos Esterly, Nicholas Jones, Thomas Mull, George Ammon, Jacob Hertzog, Mrs. Maggie Leinbach and George Wamsher later owned the mill.
§ John Lincoln owned a sawmill on the Lincoln Homestead lands.
§ Rueben Seidel had a stream forge.
§ Jacob and John Gehr had a fulling and carding mill. This was on the Hans Schneider homestead lands. Jacob Gehr married a daughter of Schneider.
§ Grist mill owned by the Snyder family. Hans Schneider received a patent to this tract in 1734 and bordered the Boones. Snyder’s grandson Daniel became the miller. The land was sold to S. H. Sensenig of Conestoga Valley.
§ John Boone had a dam which powered a Tilt-hammer forge. His brother, Judah Boone operated the farm. John died in 1858.
§ Samuel Kaufman was an ironmaster from Maidencreek. It was leased to John Bland of Birdsboro in 1858.
§ The first main power east of the Monocacy Creek was the John Bechtel Mill. The mill was built by Judah Boone around 1772. Judah turned the land over to Nicholas Knabb. Other owners were Van Reed, Henry Knauss Jr.
§ Moses Boone had a wheelwright shop near the Antietam.
§ Abel Thomas had a sawmill. David Herbein later ran it.
§ Christian Link was a potterer. He dug his clay from the nearby Jacob Guldin farm.
§ Mahlon Guldin also had a pottery. His brother Jacob started the pottery.
§ E & G Brooke Furnace made pig iron sold by weight for refining into wrought iron.

SCHOOLS:
§ It was about 1790 when the Friends built a log cabin structure for the purpose of teaching. The schools were subscription or pay schools and were open to others as well as to church members.
§ Hans Snider homestead in Limekiln served as a school.
§ In 1889, Harrison Gechter was paid one dollar to furnish water at the All Sort School.

CUMRU TOWNSHIP
§ Hugh Jones, first landowner in Cumru, bought 1,000 acres of land in Cumru Township in 1732.
§ The tax lists of 1759 were kept and collected by David Evans, Jr. and included 142 married men and 20 single men.
§ Hemmig mill-seat was owned by Joseph G. Huyett and later operated by Benneville H. Hemmig.
§ Hendel’s Hat factory near Mohnsville. Owner George Hendel and built in 1878. First operated by George Hendel, John Hendel and Samuel K. Mohn.
§ Woolen and carding mill owned by Joseph Warner.
§ Mill owned by Henry Voight. Later became D. Matz sawmill.
§ William Pennypacker operated a mill in 1810 to bore out and grind rifle barrels.Cyrus Hornberger built a new mill there and later R. T. Gring established a mill in the general area.
§ Other small shops for the manufacture of guns were owned by Frank Miller, Henry Wooley (Worley) and Gougler and Heberling.
§ Cornelius Reichwein opened a gun shop where Ruth’s gristmill was located.
§ John White had a gun shop on the Wyomissing and later converted into Hiram and Joseph Holtry’s file works.
§ Franklin Schnader had a shop with a tilt hammer and boring machinery and made gun barrels. Later was owned by John Keim. At a power source further above on the stream, Kohl and Keim had another gun barrel factory, which then became a saw and clover mill for Joseph Schoener and then Amos Price. Near the head of the stream Moses Ruffner had a stave mill and John Gougler had a small woolen factory around 1862.
§ Absolom Ruth was the pioneer of hat making. In 1859 he and his sons, John K, William, Henry and Michael came from Adamstown and started the hat business at the location of the Kessler Hat factory. They bought the Mohn gristmill and converted it into a hat factory, which was later purchased by John K. Ruth. They produced fifty dozen hats per day. Jacob Kessler’s woolen hat factory was established in 1867 by Conrad Kessler and Brothers. It burned down in 1878 and was rebuilt by Jacob Kessler in 1880.
§ In 1878, Henry Worley began making hats using the power of a rifle factory built by Benjamin Mohn.
§ Daniel Glass had a trip hammer in his gun barrel factory as early as 1848 and Gougler and Heberling replaced him as owners and operators. Later, John Fichthorn made wool hats in the factory. Spatz, Miller and company took over.
§ Anthony Wertz had a cotton lap factory that replaced one of Franklin Miller’s gun factories in 1870.
§ J. H. Spatz opened a hat factory in a three-story frame building in 1878. In 1874, Mohn, Spatz and company began the manufacture of hats in another building. They were succeeded in 1878 by Cyrus Hornberger and Samuel and Jonathan H. Miller. The factory was later operated by Spatz, Son and company and made forty dozen hats per day. J. H. Miller erected a factory n 1886, one of the largest in the area and produced fifty dozen hats per day using steam.
§ George Frill controlled the ice interests on the Angelica Creek.
§ John K. White had a gun barrel factory on the Angelica.
§ Moses Ruffner ran the Forest File Works.
§ Gouglersville – Took its name from John and Philip Gougler.
§ Jacob Reedy built and inn in Gouglersville in 1813, which was later owned by William Kohl and then John Gougler in 1842.
§ Benjamin F. Hemmig was one of the earliest postmasters and justices of the peace.
§ David and Samuel Hornberger owned a cigar shop in Gouglersville.
§ Poorhouse – situated near Shillington on the former property of Thomas Mifflin along Old Lancaster Road. The first poor people admitted were William Hydecam, age 83 and his wife Dorothea aged 81 on October 21, 1825. John Ritter, Jacob Mast, David Bright, Abraham Knabb, John Breitenbach, Samuel Adams and John Warner were appointed directors to proceed in the establishment of an almshouse and serve until the election of three directors in October – John Beiteman, Daniel K. Hottenstein, and David Bright.
§ Schuylkill Road opened in 1750 and followed along the western bank of the Schuylkill river by way of Plow Tavern and Green Trees Tavern through Cumru, Caernarvon and Robeson Townships.
§ Neversink Road built in 1753 ran from Reading south through Flying Hils.
§ Early Doctors in 1886 were F. W. Frankhouser in Mohnsville, R. S. Schweitzer in Shillington and John Schnader in Brecknock.

EARLY LAND OWNERS:
§ Mary Lloyd 1750
§ Ruth Thomas 1808
§ John Pugh 1738
§ Jonathan Gottliff 1747
§ Henry Dease 1745
§ Adam Householder 1757
§ Charles McCollougn 1746
§ Henry Harry 1752
§ George Kabbes 1785
§ Adam Kinsor 1746
§ Benjamin Lightfoot 1776
§ John Adams 1743
§ David Jones 1735
§ Evan Lloyd 1737
§ Davis Lewis 1736
§ Hugh Jones 1732
§ John Lewis 1737
§ John Patton 1765
§ Evan Reese 1762
§ John Davis Jr. 1758
§ William Jones 1736
§ Thomas James 1737
§ Jost Shonour 1809
§ Casper Eckert 1768
§ David Stephens 1749
§ Bernard Adam 1785
§ John Eckhart 1744
§ John Hugh 1739
§ Nathan Evans 1749
§ Peter Weidner 1753
§ John Davis 1737
§ William Miller 1751
§ James Read 1754
§ Reinhard Rohrbach 1743
§ George Merckel 1793
§ Peter Franz 1752
§ William Boone 1752
§ George Brendle 1776
§ George Cole Jr. 1784
§ Francis Yarnell 1765
§ John Kachel 1808


CHURCHES:
§ Prominent churches in Cumru were Baptist. Near the Wyomissing Creek at Ruth’s Mill, Reverend Thomas Jones held services in the Welsh language.
§ The Salem Evangelical Church in Mohnsville was constructed in 1849.
§ Rev. R. S. Wagner led Wyomissing Church in Gouglersville built in 1850 in the Lutheran faith.
§ Christ Church of Yocum built in 1854.
§ Immanuel Church in Shillington opened in 1874 for Lutheran and Reformed.
§ Christ Evangelical Lutheran and Reformed Church – The reverend Thomas Leinbach, minister of the Reformed church preached in the schoolhouse and gave Catechetical instruction as early as June 27, 1823. On February 12, 1854 the following building committee was chosen; Daniel Yocum, Elias Fritz, Joseph Hemmig, Samuel Moser, Moses Yocum.
§ Wyomissing United Church of Christ – John Gougler was given credit for the founding of the church. Early confirmation class, confirmed by Rev. Martin L. Fritch in 1874 consisted of Amanda Fisher, Mary Hoster, Amanda Kohl, Lydia Kilmer, Elmira Kleinginna, Franklin Kleinginna, John Mosser, Sarah Mosser, Lydia Mosser, Franklin Mosser, Rachael Mohn, Rose Souder, Mary E. Snader and Henry Witeman.
§ Trinity Lutheran Church – Building committee consisted of John Gougler, Adam Grill, Cornelius Richwein and Joseph Schonour. Samuel Schlabach donated the land.

SCHOOLS:
§ The friends of free school held a meeting at the public house of Adam Groff on May 12, 1849. Jacob Matz was chosen president, Isaac Matz Vice Presidnet, Cornelius Freeman and Jacob Stoudt secretaries.
§ The first schoolhouse in Shillington was located at the old stone quarry. Huyett, Ruth , Gaul, Miller, Body, Hemmig, Straub, Schilling, Beidler and Hill families attended.
§ The school system in Cumru Township was accepted by the state in 1850.
§ In Shillington, July 15, 1904 at a special meeting, two bids were received for the painting of the Gouglersville School. James F. Pennpacker, 54.35 and M.M.Kurtz 46.60. M.M. Kurtz won the bid.

COMMUNITES:
§ The first inhabitants of this area were mill operators and farmers. Prior to the establishment date of the founding of Mohnsville in 1850, little is known of the settlers. Some gun-barrel factories were known to exist before 1850 in the area of Mohnton proper. These have been identified as William Pennypacker Sr. as early as 1810, Benjamin Mohn 1835 and Daniel Glass 1848.
§ Benjamin Mohn purchased a farm from John Schwartz. Some years later it was converted into a tavern by John Griner.
§ Samuel K. Mohn opened a general store and gristmill along the Wyomissing Creek.
§ In 1859, Absolom Ruth owned a wool hat factory along the Wyomissing Creek and near the Mohn gristmill.
§ The earliest known list of existing mills is an account that appeared in the Reading Eagle in 1875. They were: John Fitchhorn – hat, Henry Worley – gun barrel, John K. Ruth – hat, Mohn-Spatz and Company – hat, Cyrus Hornberger – wheelwright and coach maker and Reuben T. Gring, -Grist.
§ In 1882 John A. Bohler manufactured cigars.
§ Since 1885 George H. Leininger had a factory and employed 60 hands. No note as to what was made.
§ Mohn and Seitzinger had in operation a factory and employed 12 hands. No note as to what was made.
§ In 1886, Huyett and Compnay opened a factory employing 40 hands. No note as to what was made.
§ 1909 Montgomery list includes: Bakeries by Augustus Griffith 1892 with 4 hands; Cigar Factory by J. J. Eshleman 1886 with 40 hands; Cotton Lap Factory by Werley Brothers in 1908 with 4 hands, Grist Mill by John Spatz Estate 1888 with 2 hands; Hosiery Mills by George Leininger 1898 with 75 hand; William G. Leininger 1898 with 120 hands; Isaac Spatz 1903 with 35 hands; Werley Brothers 1904 with 25 hands; Paper Box Factory by E. G. Werner and Sons 1894 with 35 hands; Planning Mills by Frank Warner, now Tyson, 1880 with 8 hands; Isaac Spatz 1901 with 6 hands; Saw Mill by John Y. Weidner 1903 with 3 hands; Shirt Factories by William Werner 1897 with 30 hands; Biram Griffith 1908 with 18 hands; Dr. A. A. Stamm 1900 later Mary Strouse, 1909 with 30 hands; Underwear Mill by Hornberger and Killian 1908 with 25 hands; Wool hat factories by Jacob Kessler 1878 with 40 hands; Isaac S. Spatz 1898 with 50 hands and Wheelwright Shops by Henry Knoll 1880 with 4 hands and Henry Wise 1895 with 3 hands.
§ Samuel K. Mohn opened the first store in the mill around 1854. A few years later he erected a building for store purposes in which he traded 15 years. Here was established the Mohn’s store post office in 1857 of which he was postmaster. The second store was established by Ephriam A. Werner. The mail was brought to Mohnsville by stagecoach from Reading. When the trolley line was put in, the mail arrived by trolley from Reading and was hauled from the trolley station to the post office by wheelbarrow. Neson Kohl was the last carrier to haul mail this way.
§ Samuel K. Mohn started the water works in Mohnsville in 1882 and supplied the town with water. He continued the plant until 1901 when he sold it to Howard Ahrens and W. D. Mohn who enlarged the plant. The Mohnsville Water Company was incorporated on September 9.1885. Charles S. Mohn was president and John A. Bohler was secretary.
§ Additional reservoirs were established on the Betzler property and the Binkley property.
§ 1905 mail carriers – Charles Hornberger route 1 and Paul Warner route 2.
§ Howard H. Leininger started a local express business at Mohnton in 1902 for hauling manufactured goods, merchandise, and coal.
§ In 1894, Isaac Spatz built a plant at Mohnsville for supplying electricity. He sold it to Aaron R. Warner.
§ First landowners in Shillington purchased land from William Penn in the early seventeen hundreds. They were: Jacob Weiss 1733; Thomas Jones 1734; John Davis 1734; and Michael Ruth 1736.
§ George Riehm purchased 164 acres from Thomas Jones on July 7, 1761 and 104 acres from Jacob Weiss in 1771. He was an innkeeper at what was later called the Three-Mile House. It was later purchased by Valentine Straub. Straub was one of the largest landowners in Cumru and married the daughter of George Ream in 1777 and lived in the Fred Gehret home, one of the oldest houses in Shillington.
§ Jacob Shilling, father of the founder of Shillington, married Hannah Straub in 1816. He died in 1845 and was buried in the Lutheran Cemetery at Reading.
§ Samuel Shilling, a son of Jacob Shilling, founded the town in 1860 when he laid it out in lots. He was born in 1819, was a farmer and large landowner and tax collector of Cumru for 15 years. He died on March 29, 1891 and is buried at Yocum’s Church.
§ In 1874, a store was opened by Miss Mary Deeds, which was continued by Adam M. Rollman.
§ George Riehm built the Three-Mile House property in 1761. Among the proprietors were: George Riehm, Valentine Straub, Oliver Hinnershitz, Jacob Shilling, John Beidler, Abraham Beidler, William Gross, A. E. Hildebrand, Lemon Leisey and Levi H. Snyder.
§ Aaron Einstein was the proprietor of the Three-Mile Horse Track. Later, automobile races were held on the track. On September 29, 1906 with about 4000 spectators, William Nolan Jr., driving a Buick, won the race and after crossing the finish line struck and killed 15 year old George Pierce who was sitting on the inside rail. Nolan was exonerated of any blame.
§ Henry Deeds, a famous gun maker lived in Shillington.
§ Benneville H. Hemmig started the Cumru Band. Members were Benneville Hemmig, David H. Miller.
§ George Kohl built a tavern in Angelica in 1815.
§ The Freeman family settled in the area in the mid 1800’s. Cornelius Freeman Sr. is believed to be one of the first settlers in the area. His grandfather, George Freeman Sr. and father George Freeman Jr. lived in Cumru Township. George Sr. came to America from Germany around 1750 and settled in Cumru. The name C. Freeman appears on both the 1862 and 1876 Berks County Atlases of Cumru in the Freemansville area. This C. Freeman was the grandson of the original settler. His brothers, William and John also made their homes in Freemansville. Cornelius ran the post office in 1886.
§ Other early settlers in Freemansville were the Albrights and the Breidensteins.
§ David Krill opened a factory in 1885 in Gouglersville. He employed 35 hands.
§ At the turn of the century, Paul Reik and Harvey Body operated the Grill Hosiery company mills and employed 30 or more workers.
§ Howard Fritz owned a blacksmith shop in Grill.
§ Early landowners in Cedar Top were Peter Gramling and E. Warren.
§ The town of Pennwyn was named after the farm of William and Amanda High. The barn which still stands next to TAI-Tronics along Wyomissing Avenue outside Mohnton is all that remains of the High farm. William High named his farm Penwin. Another farm nearby owned by Irwin Y. Phillips also figured in the story of Pennwyn, as did the Hendel Hat factory. The first homes in Pennwyn were built along South Wyomissing Avenue by the Hendels, to be rented to the workers in the wool felt hat factory which was started by John, George and Henry Hendel in 1879. The factory was known as Hendeltown Factory and the business was located there because of the abundance of water. Hendel’s Dam was located to the rear of the row of homes on the west side of South Wyomissing Ave. The race then crossed the fields to the factory, cutting in front of the old Body home. With the construction of Hendeltown within the vicinity of the High and Philips farms, and two other nearby farms owned by the Giles and Leiningers, the beginnings of a small community were initiated. Between 1879 and 1916 the town grew. A two-story brick schoolhouse was constructed in the town around 1907. in 1916 the name of the school was change to Pennwyn, at the suggestion of Mrs. Mabel Good, a teacher at McCann’s Business School.
§ The oldest business in Pennwyn is Amos Milligan’s machine shop, founded in 1914 by James Milligan.
§ Along the Cacoosing Creek and the Tulpehocken Creek a paper mill was built near Fritztown around 1770 that was later converted into a gristmill. Early owners were George Hain, William Hain, an Addams, a Van Reed and the Marshalls. Not too far away, a distillery was operated by Jacob Miller. Philip Von Neida operated a sawmill in the same vicinity.
§ The Eberly family had a mill site for many years along the Cacoosing near Weitzelville. East of the village, the Grings had a gristmill along a small stream that sunk into the ground just south of Sinking Spring as early as 1840.
§ William Addams conducted a mill along the Cacoosing creek. Other early mills were operated by the Van Reeds, Lashes, Zugs, Grings and Fishers.
§ Iron ore mines dotted the Spring Township area. The names of Ruth, Fisher, Grill, Mull and Eckert are associated with these businesses.
§ The Ruth family was among the early settlers as were Jacob Lambert and Catherine Sohl. John Huy had a public house near the spring built in 1780. Another public house was built about the same time and was operatored by John Ludwig. Early merchandisers in Sinking Spring were John Ludwig, John Miller, and John Lamber Sr. who had a distillery around 1820.
§ The post office in Sinking Spring was started by Hiram R. Hull in 1831.
§ Weitzelville, two miles southwest of Sinking Spring was founded by Michael Weitzel who was a dyer and a cradle maker. His son John operated a turning shop. Conrad Marshall was a wheelwright in the village and John Haas was the blacksmith who also operated a tavern in 1824.
§ Fritztown about half a mile beyond Weitzelville was begun by Jacob Marshall and John Marshall and John Fritz. A store house was built in this town around 1849 by Charles Ruth. The Hill family erected a tavern in the town about 1780.
§ Early Locktenders at Lock 54 on the Union Canal were Jeremiah O’Conner, Michal Yeager and Thomas Swartz.