The lot numbered 41 in the original Simon Gratz layout of the town of Gratz, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, was sold in 1816 to a farmer, Peter Ritzman, an early settler of Lykens Township. Ritzman built the house shortly afterward and by 1818 sold the property to Jacob Hoover. Hoover continued to live in Lykens Township […]
The original purchaser of Lot #46 from Simon Gratz in 1818 was Joshua Ossman. In 1820, Ossman left Gratz and sold the lot to Charles Coleman who owned it until he died in 1839 whereupon it is listed through his estate until 1852 when it was obtained by Jacob Laudenslager (1796-1869). During the estate period, […]
Veterans of the Civil War identified as having some connection to the Lykens Valley area and included in the Civil War Research Project. Updated 12 April 2011. ++++ Updated 19 April 2012. A Nicholas Adams (1843-1927)—- William Adams (18xx-xxxx) —- Joseph J. Alleman (1847-xxxx) —-William Alleman (1844-1894) —- John Allman (1838-xxxx) —- David Alspach (1839-1864) […]
Early in the nineteenth century, perhaps at the very beginning of the settlement of Gratz, a militia was formed to protect the area from intruders and from hostile Indians, of which there were some. At the beginning of settlement, Gratz was on the frontier and had a “well regulated militia.” The early settlers of the […]
In 1968, Tower City and Porter Township in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, celebrated its centennial. The “History Book Committee” was chaired by Howard G. Stutzman whose strong qualifications for the job were given in a brief biography on one of the book’s opening pages: attorney, historian, civil leader, churchman, public speaker, political leader, World War II […]
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