Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on September 22, 2012

The current house on Lot #60 is not the house that was on this property at the time of the Civil War.  The original house, believed to be of only one story was built before 1850 and appears on the 1855 and 1858 tax records.

The oldest picture of the current house (pictured above) is from the 2nd half of the 20th century.

After the Gratz family sold this lot, it remained in the possession of William H. Yohe and his wife Annie Yohe until the Civil War years.  The trail of ownership is difficult to follow because a piece of adjacent Lot # 58 was sometimes sold with it.

Lydia [Schoffstall] Crabb, the wife of Henry Crabb, was supposedly iving in Williamstown when she owned the original house that was here.  Her second husband, Joseph Witman, who she supposedly married during the Civil War, was living in Gratz in 1860. Joseph Witman was a Civil War veteran.  Lydia’s son, William Crabb, was also a Civil War veteran.  There is a great deal of confusion about the death date of Henry Crabb – his stone in the Gratz Union Cemetery indicates he died in 1865, but other sources give the date as 1856.  Whether Lydia had a child with Witman before Henry Crabb died is not certain.  Lydia is buried in the Gratz Union Cemetery in the Crabb family plot – as “Lydian wife of Joseph Witman.”  Lydia’s son, William Crabb, received the property in a transaction in 1872 and conveyed it back to his mother, who at the time was named as “Lydia Witman.”  At the time, William Crabb also owned the lot next door, Lot #58.  After Lydia died in 1873, her heirs sold the property to Jonathan A. Umholtz.

Jonathan A. Umholtz (1848-?) was a farmer and a director of the Gratz Agricultural Association.  He served as postmaster of Gratz for 10 years, but in 1885, he left the area and took up the hotel business in Herndon, Northumberland County, eventually ending up in Philadelphia where he was the proprietor of a hotel and owner of  cigar store.

In the early 1890s, the Gratz Bakery was established at this site by the Hess family, then owners of the house and lot.  One of the specialties of the bakery was a pretzel which was sold for penny a bag.

This is part 42 of an ongoing series on Gratz during the Civil War.  Some of the information for this post was taken from the book A Comprehensive History of the Town of Gratz Pennsylvania.  

Other parts of the series on Gratz During the Civil War can be found on this blog by clicking on “Walking Tour.”

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | 1 Comment »
Tags: African American, Herndon, Williamstown

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on September 21, 2012

The row of houses on the south side of Market Street in the first block east of Centre Street (formerly Chestnut Street) now appears as abandoned and partially boarded-up.  During the Civil War, this was the property of two Gratz businessmen, Philip W. Keiter and Cyrus Snyder.  The original buildings were built some time before 1827.

The earliest available picture is from the 2nd half of the 20th century and is shown below.

Known as Lot #40 of the original Simon Gratz land subdivision, the second owner was Jacob Hoffman Jr. (1782-1862), a grandson of Johann Peter Hoffman (1709-1798), pioneer settler of the Lykens Valley.  He purchased it from Jacob Wiest and his wife Mary Wiest in 1821.  Many of Jacob Hoffman Jr.‘s grandsons were Civil War veterans including five of the sons of Amos Hoffman (1809-1899).  One of Amos’ sons, Thomas William Hoffman, was the recipient of the Medal of Honor for gallantry at the Siege of Petersburg.

In 1827, Jacob Hoffman Jr. sold the property to Philip Keiser (1800-1839), a tailor.  Keiser also had many grandchildren who were Civil War veterans, including Henry Keiser (1840-1933), who kept a diary during the war.  Portions of that diary have been previously featured on this blog.

Philip Keiser only kept this property until 1834, when he sold it to John Bressler (1809-1886) who was also a tailor but was working as a millwright.  Bressler had been a tenant on the property, perhaps as early as 1830.  But he only kept the property until 1839, when it was sold to another member of the Hoffman family, Jacob P. Hoffman (1812-1874), a tailor.  Following this purchase, the lot was subdivided into two sections, one of which was sold to Philip W. Keiter, a carpenter.  Keiter is named on the “business directory” at the bottom of the 1862 map of Gratz as an “undertaker, cabinet ware and chair manufacturer.”  Prior to the Civil War, he was a member of the Gratztown Militia, and when called into service by the Governor for the Emergency of 1863, became a member of the 36th Pennsylvania Infantry Militia, Company C.

In 1863, the Keiter’s sold the western part of the lot to Cyrus K. Snyder.  For the remainder of the war, Snyder owned it but after the war sold it to Amanda [Kissinger] Riegle (1831-1897) the wife of Civil War veteran Josiah R. Riegle (1829-1886).  This part of the property had deteriorated significantly and after Josiah died, Amanda had difficulty maintaining it.  She took in sewing to try make ends meet, but in 1888 sold to James F. Hoffman who had purchased the eastern part of the lot in the same year.

The eastern part of the lot was sold by Philip W. Keiter in 1870 to  Daniel Klinger, a cabinet maker, who made significant improvements and maintained the property until 1881 when he sold it to William McNoldy.  McNoldy was a hostler and during the Civil War was probably working at the Lykens Hotel on the southeast corner of Chestnut and Market Streets (see 1862 map above).  By 1881, William McNoldy was working as an undertaker and cabinet maker from this property.  Because corpses were placed in the house here, old-timers in Gratz have related ghost stories that have been passed down through their families.  One of those stories appears in the book, A Comprehensive History of the Town of Gratz Pennsylvania.  During the smallpox epidemic of 1882, some of the pallbearers and those who officiated at the funeral of Edmund Umholtz (a Civil War veteran) contracted the disease, believed to have been spread from this house.

William McNoldy sold to James F. Hoffman in 1888 and the property reverted back to a single lot.  Then in 1890, it was sold to Howard H. Romberger who had been a minister from 1881 to 1890, but decided to become a merchant.  He made extensive repairs to the buildings, including the conversion of one part into a dry goods store and the addition of a steam heating system, the first central heating of this type in Gratz.

This is part 41 of an ongoing series on Gratz during the Civil War.  Some of the information for this post was taken from the book A Comprehensive History of the Town of Gratz Pennsylvania.

Other parts of the series on Gratz During the Civil War can be found on this blog by clicking on “Walking Tour.”

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Tags: Gratz Borough, Walking Tour

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on September 20, 2012

This house and Lot #89 at the western end of the original plot of the town of Gratz, was purchased by Suzanna [Matter] Ritzman in 1858 from the estate of Christian Yerges.  The house dates to about the year 1843 and was probably built by Yerges when he owned the property.

The earliest available picture of the house dates to the mid or late 20th century.

Susanna [Matter] Ritzman was the owner during the Civil War years and she lived here as a widow until her death in 1903.  Lora Dornheim, another widow, lived here as well, but in a separate part of the house.

Susanna was married twice.  Her first husband was Henry Rowe and her second husband was Jacob Ritzman (1794-1857).  Jacob had been previously married to Susanna’s sister Elizabeth who died in 1837.  Susanna and Jacob Ritzman had one child who survived to adulthood, Esther “Hetty” Ritzman, born about 1842.  Hetty married John J. Phillips of Gratz.  The son of Hetty and John, Joseph W. Phillips (1865-1939) purchased the property in 1904 during the settlement of Susanna’s estate.  Joseph W. Phillips, a postmaster of Gratz, never married and lived with his sister, Clara [Phillips] Buffington, and for a good part of Joseph’s ownership of the property, tenants occupied it.  One of those tenants was the brother of Joseph W. Phillips, Frank Phillips.

No Civil War veteran has been associated with the ownership of this property.

Susanna [Matter] Rowe Ritzman is buried in Gratz Union Cemetery.

This is part 40 of an ongoing series on Gratz during the Civil War.  Some of the information for this post was taken from the book A Comprehensive History of the Town of Gratz Pennsylvania.  

Other parts of the series on Gratz During the Civil War can be found on this blog by clicking on “Walking Tour.”

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Tags: Gratz Borough, Walking Tour

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on September 19, 2012

As with some of the lots in Gratz, this Lot #63 changed hands many times in the years before the Civil War.  The house that existed here during the Civil War was demolished in the second half of the 20th century.  It remains a vacant lot today.  Two of the early owners of this property were George Klinger and Ludwig Faust.  Ludwig’s widow, Catherine Faust, was listed as the owner from 1834 to 1847.  At that time, the property records indicate there was an “old log house and log barn” here.  When Catherine died, her son handled the estate and sold the property to George Kissinger and his wife Catharine.  Then Kissinger sold the property to the John W. Saltzer family.  In 1855, a tenant named H. Crabb (probably Henry Crabb) was living here.  The Crabb family owned or rented several other properties in Gratz from which they operated their blacksmith businesses.

The above picture, probably taken in the late 19th century or early 20th century shows Elmira Clark and her daughter Maggie Clark.  The Clark family lived here from about 1864 to 1870 and then repurchased the house in 1880 after it had been in the Hepler family, the Schwalm family and the Rine family for the ten year interim.

Many members of the various families who were associated with this house served in the Civil War but it not known at this time which of them actually lived here.  For most of the Civil War it was owned by Frederick Harner, a German immigrant, who purchased it in 1858.  Frederick was a farmer who had lands in Lykens Township and later in his life, moved to Gratz.

This is part 39 of an ongoing series on Gratz during the Civil War.  Some of the information for this post was taken from the book A Comprehensive History of the Town of Gratz Pennsylvania.

Other parts of the series on Gratz During the Civil War can be found on this blog by clicking on “Walking Tour.”

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Tags: Gratz Borough, Lykens Township, Walking Tour

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on September 18, 2012

The heirs of Simon Gratz sold this corner property, Lot # 31,  in 1852 to Daniel K. Ossman.  The house on the lot was built some time before the sale.  From its appearance, it originally was a double house and was indicated as such in the will of Daniel K. Ossman, which was written in 1858. Ossman was a skilled tinsmith and the Ossman family had other properties in the area including in Lykens Township.  Daniel died in 1859 and his widow, Sarah [Fagely] Ossman lived here throughout the Civil War until 1867, when she died.  Living with her in sections of the double house were her daughters, her mother, and Emanuel Faust, an 11-year old apprentice coach maker.

Later owners of the property were Henry Kauderman, a master boot and shoe maker, and Henry Maurer.

The earliest available picture (above) showing the entire house is from the 2nd half of the 20th century.

Abraham F. Dreibelbis also owned this corner lot and house beginning in 1876 and it remained in his family until 1922.  Abraham F. Dreibelbis was a Civil War veteran and amputee..  The following brief sketch is from A Comprehensive History of the Town of Gratz Pennsylvania:

Abraham Dreibelbis was a veteran of the Civil War.  During his service, he had several serious wounds, including the amputation of part of his right leg.  In later life, his eyesight failed him to the point that about 1920 he stated that he “was not able to see well enough to leave his house alone.”  When he returned home from the service, he worked for a time in the New Lykens Valley Slope.  In December 1868, his arm was seriously wounded when a lump of coal fell on him.  The service injuries plus the mining injury may have influenced Abraham to try a new occupation.  By 1870, he turned to saloon keeping here in Gratz.  He continued in that business for many years, probably on this property. 

Abrham F. Dreibelbis is buried in Gratz Union Cemetery.

This house is on the northwest corner of the main intersection, or square, of Gratz, Chestnut Street (now called Centre Street) and Market Street.  Many early pictures of Gratz show a portion of the right side of the front of this house.

On the south side of the square were two hotels (southwest corner and southeast corner) which were active during the Civil War and on the northeast corner was the general store and post office.  The hotels were destroyed in two separate fires.

This is part 38 of an ongoing series on Gratz during the Civil War.  Some of the information for this post was taken from the book A Comprehensive History of the Town of Gratz Pennsylvania.  

Other parts of the series on Gratz During the Civil War can be found on this blog by clicking on “Walking Tour.”

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on Gratz During the Civil War – Ossman House
Tags: Gratz Borough, Lykens Township, Walking Tour