(Continued from Monday.)
er and come out at the other. One old lady tells us that her parents used to warn them, that some one might be in hiding in the feeder.
The farmer hauled his crops over top of the feeder in taking them into the barn. East of the bridgeway a deep cut is made through the hill, the feeder has so submerged itself that it crossed the road beyond underground. The ground heaped over the feeder just east of the road is still very noticeable. A little farther on the feeder bends round toward the canal and the Summit is reached.
Old Joseph Kreider, b. in 1814, son of John Jr., could remember when the canal was built, he being 16 years of age when the Canal Company paid damages to his father. Joseph says there was a great scarcity of hay at the time, that he, or rather his father we should think, got $20 a ton from the canal contractor! This was regarded as an exorbitant price. We are accustomed to such prices now, or rather look down on them.
Anna Kreider, likely the oldest child that grew up of John, along the canal, married Henry Bicksler (Bixler), who died in 1871, aged 62 years. After the death of Anna, Henry had married Mrs. Elizabeth Flickinger, by whom he had no children. Anna is buried at the Union meeting house, (Wolf's) north of Mt. Zion, but Henry and his second wife are buried at Cedar Hill cemetery, Fredericksburg. Henry was a farmer near Fredericksburg. Anna was a member of the Brethren church. They had 2 children:
Henry Kreider Bicksler, afore, m. in 1860 to Sarah Reno, b. Apr. 20, 1839; d. Jan. 7, 1899; farmer near Fredericksburg; Brethren; 9 children:
-Family Bible.
Joseph J. Kreider, afore, was married twice. His first wife, whom he married Mar. 22, 1838, was Lydia Long, b. July 27, 1821; d. Jan. 6, 1858, by whom were all his children that grew to maturity. Aug. 8, 1865; of Long Family in The Report of April 17, 1919. On August 8, 1865, he married Rebecca M. Fernsler, b. Oct. 1, 1824; d. Sept, 28, 1899, by whom he had a son that died in infancy. He and both wives are buried in the Ebenezer cemetery. He had in all 13 children:
-From Family Bible in possession of Tobias Kreider, husband of Celesa above.
There are things of interest to say about Joseph J. Kreider, which we shall say and then take up his children.
Joseph was the only son of John Kreider, Jr., and he received the home farm entire. He was a man interested in school and church. Kreider's School Near the Tunnel.
Joseph J. Kreider, yeoman and his wife Lydia, on Dec. 30, 1848, transferred to Henry Tice, Henry Shaeffer, Christian Brandt, Michael Hoffman, John Bohr, and Samuel Miller, director of the common schools of North Lebanon township, 20 perches of land, which was part of the land which Joseph Kreider received from his father John Kreider. It joined land of Abraham Bomberger. We are inclined to think it was on the corner of the road leading from the Kreider home to the road passing through the overhead railroad bridge. It was called Kreider's school.
This was likely the first school of the neighborhood under the common school system. Those who read our articles on the Schaeffer family, will remember that Henry Schaeffer was the first school director of his local school under the new system. The six gentlemen just named likely constituted the first school board under the new regime in North Lebanon township. We are not as clear on this school building as we should be, but are of opinion that we were told that it is now used as a residence. Hon. Henry Snavely taught singing school in this house.
Kreider's school likely succeeded Keller's school. We find that Tobias Kreider, doubtless Tobias of Cleona, trustee by Act of Assembly passed in 1850, sold all that messuage [sic] or tenement, school property on the road from Lebanon to Harper's tavern, being rendered useless by the new school law, inasmuch as it was close to the line between North Lebanon and North Annville townships. Jacob Keller and wife Mary had conveyed many years before this, land for school purposes, but the deed had been lost, hence the Act of Assembly. Tobias Kreider, the appointed trustee, sold this property to John Keller, yeoman, of North Lebanon township. Ebenezer
Annville and Palmyra were greatly developed and built up by the Kreiders, but Cleona and Fairland are Kreider towns, and so we may in a sense say is Ebenezer.
It seems evident that Joseph's first wife, Lydia Long, died before he retired from farming, that he buried her in the family cemetery and erected a tombstone at her grave. Later when he became interested in the Ebenezer cemetery, he evidently removed her body along with the bodies of his parents, and provided for her a new tombstone in the new resting place. The first stone is used, face down, as a step stone in the walk, at the front porch of the Kreider homestead.
Soon after 1872, if not in that year, Joseph J. Kreider retired from farming and built the brick house diagonally across from the Uhrich house. The Uhrich house is the oldest house in Ebenezer, built about 160 years ago. It is log weather-boarded. It stands on what was a tract of eight acres, between Yingst land on the north and Light land on the south. How it got in between seems now unexplainable.
About a square north of the Uhrich log house stood another log house on the Yingst estate. By far the highest tree in the neighborhood, -perhaps a poplar-stood in front of the Yingst house. It finally fell before the blast. It was estimated at 200 feet in height.
The United Brethren church was built here in 1871, likely chiefly through the influence of Joseph Kreider who was a trustee. At this time there was only one other house here beside the Uhrich house - the house of Moses Gingrich. The John Fields house was built in 1872. About this same time Joseph Kreider built and moved here. He built here because the church was here, or perhaps he had the church built here because he intended to build here. Everything must have a name, and Joseph suggested that they call this place "Ebenezer."
The Yingst farm was here, originally about 250 acres, now three farms -those of Daniel Speicher, Amos Meyer, and Norman C. Albert. The Light farm was here, now largely in the cemetery. We understand it was the property of Jacob Light, of Mountville, who owned eight farms. The Snavelys were southeast. But we are informed that Joseph J. Kreider was the founder of the place. The Family of Joseph J.
We have already given the list of Joseph J. Kreider's children as found in the family. Those of his children who made history are the following:
Elizabeth Kreider, daughter of John, Sr., son of George, one of four sons whom divided the 585 acres on Snitz Creek; married Abraham Bomberger, b. Oct. 14, 1786; d. Oct. 4, 1859. They lived on the farm bought by her father of the heirs of John Walter, already described.
Dec. 2, 1830, John Kreider, Sr., conveyed to Abraham Bomberger two contiguous tracts of land. One ran by land of John Kreider, Jr., to the Union Canal, by the same, by the north side of "Fitters," by Henry Snavely and by Christian Light, containing 115 acres and 125 perches. The other tract [???]amed but 5 acres. The above des[r?????] larger tract was a tract which the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania g[???]ed by patent of May 12, 1830, to [???]n Kreider, Sr.
The brick house on this Bomberger farm was built by Abraham and Elizabeth Bomberger [???]
The other house on the [????], log, weather-boarded, is the [???] building.Abraham Bomberger was previously married to Anna Kreider, by whom he had a son Christian, who inherited from his Uncle Christian Bomberger the present Adam Houck farm east of the "Kreider Settlement." See previous number of The News. Abraham's marriage to Elizabeth daughter of John, Sr., without doubt determined his residence beyond the tunnel. Elizabeth, the second wife, had 2 children:
JOHN BOMBERGER, afore, m. Polly Brandt; farmer on the Bomberger homestead; United Christian, 2 children:
JOSEPH BOMBERGER, afore m. Elizabeth Keller; farmer, 1 mile south of Annville; Lutheran; 2 children:
This brings us to the end of the history of George Kreider, one of the four brothers who divided the old estate of 585 acres on Snitz Creek, and also to the end of the Kreider history as a whole.
There are yet four children of Jacob the settler on Snitz Creek of whom we have not written, for the simple reason that we know little or nothing about them. These 4 children were as follows:
Francis Kreider, likely the third oldest son, likely born about 1729. He married Mary Tollinger. On Apr. 4, 1750, he received a warrant for 50 acres of land in Lebanon township. He died soon afterward, being deceased Oct. 2, 1751. Not unlikely his 50 acres became merged in the Kreider estate of 585 acres. His widow later married George Moss or Meiss (possibly Mays). Francis likely left no children, at least we have found no mention of any.
Henry Kreider was next to the youngest son of Jacob the Settler. He was born in 1738. Henry likely received in money his share in the 585 acres estate on Snitz Creek, for he signed a receipt and release Sept. 13, 1763, in favor of Christian Cryter, Martin Cryter, Tobias Cryter and George Cryter, "they being sons of one Jacob Kryter of Lebanon Township, in the County of Lancaster, late deceased." We know nothing more of Henry.
According to Egle, Jacob Kreider, Jr., was born in 1740, and married Ann Light. he likely received his share in the home estate. Not unlikely his wife Ann was a daughter of John Light, the original settler here in the City of Lebanon. The parents were close neighbors. A Jacob Croyder received a warrant for 100 acres of land in Heidelberg township May 30, 1749. Of course this was not our Jacob, who then was but 9 years of age.
At last a daughter, after eight sons, was born to Jacob Kreider the Settler, soon after which important event he must have died. She was his youngest child. Egle calls her Veronica, but the legal paper calls her "Ann." She married Nicholas Huber, and perhaps was mother to the Huber who became a prominent father in the United Brethren church in Franklin county. Nicholas after his wife had received £100. from the Kreider estate, signed a release in favor of the four brothers, Christian, Martin, Tobias and George.
It is a virtue to stop when you have said all you have to say. We have reached that point. As the first Kreider, as we understand, got his name by making a mark on the Alpine rocks, so may his descendants get the new name by making a mark within the walls of the Celestial City. Farewell.