BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF
JUDGE DENNIS BAUMAN.
Pages 759 & 760
Page 759
The ancestors of the Bauman
family emigrated from Germany. Henry
Bauman, the grandfather of Dennis, was among the first settlers of Northampton County
north of the Blue Mountains, in Towamensing township, now Lower Towamensing
township, Carbon Co. The place he chose
for settlement was about two miles north of Lehigh Gap, near where the Lutheran
and German Reformed Church now stands.
The 
first
thing he did was to clear land, thus making a farm for himself and family. He also followed the lumbering business, and
spent much time in hunting and trapping.
His family consisted of four children, equally divided in sex. In those days the settlers were frequently
persecuted by the Indians, so much so that at one time Mr. Bauman was forced to
send his wife and family to a place near Easton for safety. When his sons arrived at the age of maturity
they were married. The oldest, John D.,
father of Dennis, was born about the year 1772, and in 1796 settled in a place
now known as Bowmansville. His house
was built of logs, and to-day near the place stands the elegant residence of
his youngest son, Josiah. He then
became engaged in clearing a farm and lumbering, and, as his father before him
had done, spent much time in hunting and trapping. In 1808 he built a large stone house, in front of which ran the
old turnpike from Berwick to Easton. He
obtained license, and from that time until his death, which occurred in 1853,
kept the hotel, which to-day is still used as the same. Mr. Bauman was an active, intelligent
business man, and in all his undertakings was successful. He was one of the leading citizens of that
county; was also elected at one time county commissioner for three years, which
term of public office he very creditably filled. He was loved and respected by all who knew him. He was the father of twelve children,—eight
sons and four daughters,—five of whom are now dead.
Henry
Bauman, his brother, settled on a farm about one mile north of Lehigh Gap, on
the north bank of the Lehigh River, where he spent his entire lifetime. He too reared a large family, and died at
the age of ninety-two.
Dennis
Bauman, the seventh in succession, and son of the late John D. Bauman, was born
April 10, 1819, at Bowmansville, then Northampton County, now Carbon.
His
early life was spent at home, assisting his father with his farming and
lumbering. In those days an education
was not as easily obtained as it is to-day.
While at home he attended the three months of winter school until he was
sixteen years old, when he went to Mauch Chunk for a period of four
months. Mauch Chunk was seven miles
from home, so he boarded there during the week, going home on Saturday and
returning Monday morning by stage. At
the age of twenty he felt the need of a better education. He then went to boarding-school at Line
Lexington, Bucks Co., Pa., for two successive winters, each term consisting of
four months. By these means he obtained
a fair English education. Among the
other studies which he mastered was surveying, which he put into practice soon
after his return from school, and followed it closely and carefully, with
considerable success, for nine years.
In the mean time he was appointed by Governor Shunk as deputy surveyor
for Carbon County. At this time
surveyors were appointed by the Governor.
Mr. Bauman was actively engaged in his profession all over the country
until about the year 1850, when he was elected prothonotary for Carbon County,
and served in this capacity for a full term of three years, when he was
re-elected without any opposition for another term of three years, which he
filled acceptably to the public and with great credit to himself. About a year later he was elected as one of
the associate judges of Carbon County, and sat on the bench with Hon. Judge
Barrett for a term of five years. About
the year 1855 he connected himself with the firm of Bowman Brothers & Co.,
at Parryville, and became one of the most active members in erecting an
anthracite blast-furnace at Parryville.
In this firm he continued as the acting financial member until the year
1857, when the company dissolved their copartnership, and in its place was
organized and incorporated the Carbon Iron …