BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF
SAMUEL HARLEMAN
In the southeastern part of this State is
Chester County, well known for its rich and productive farming land, where, on
the 29th of November, 1799, was born Mr. Isaac Harleman, the father of the
subject of this sketch. In his younger
days he followed farming; afterward, for a period of twelve years, he was
engaged in shoemaking; from this he went to boating lumber on the Lehigh Canal
from Lehigh Gap to Allentown, after which, in 1838, he went to Parryville, and
worked for the Beaver Meadow Railroad Company until 1840, when he moved to Penn
Haven, where he became boss of the Sugar Loaf 
Company's wharf, and remained until the
freshet of 1841, which entirely destroyed their wharf. He was then ordered to Mauch Chunk, where he
attended to the shipping of their coal.
After this he located at Penn Haven, where he became engaged in boat
building. On April 1, 1853, he moved
his business to Rockport, Pa., where he stayed until 1857, when he moved to
Weatherly, Pa., and secured work in the Lehigh Valley Railroad shops of that
place. The old gentleman is still
living, though somewhat infirm. He
lives with his son, Samuel. His wife,
whose maiden name was Miss Catharine Ziegenfuss, was born March 19, 1801, in
Chester County, Pa. Her father, George
Zeiegenfuss, who married Miss Susan Kemp, removed from Chester County to
Millport, Northampton Co., Pa. She died
April 19, 1872, having been the mother of seven children,--five sons and two
daughters. Mr. Samuel Harleman was the
fourth in descent. He was born April
17, 1829, at Millport, then in Northampton County, and spent his younger days
in acquiring an education. In 1840,
after moving to Penn Haven, Samuel took charge of the lock for the Lehigh Coal
and Navigation Company up to 1845, when he worked for A. Pardee & Company,
on their wharf. In August, 1846, he
went to Weatherly and became a brakeman on a coal train, which work he pursued
for two years, when he was promoted to fireman of a locomotive. In 1848 he was made an engineer. He was married to Miss Susan Setzer, April
25, 1850. Her parents having died when
she was still very young she took up her residence with her uncle, Charles
Gilger, at Weatherly. Mr. Harleman
continued engineering until 1864, being under the employ, the greater part of
the time, of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company. After the completion of the Lehigh Valley Railroad to
Phillipsburg, which was in 1856, Mr. Harleman ran the passenger train to that
place, which was the only train at that time.
He ran engine "Delaware No. 4," James I. Blakslee, now
superintendent of the Mahanoy Division of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, being
conductor of the train, which left Mauch Chunk at four A.M., returning at ten
P.M.
In 1862, Mr. Harleman enlisted in the Nineteenth
Pennsylvania Regiment, Col. Robert Klotz being in charge. In 1863 he went out as captain in the
Thirty-fourth Pennsylvania Regiment, under Gen. Albright. In 1864 he was made dispatcher of the Lehigh
Valley Railroad Company, at Weatherly, which position of confidence he has
filled and is still filling with great merit and credit alike to himself and
company. On April 22, 1869, he was made
postmaster at Weatherly, which office he has since held acceptably to the
public. In 1871 he was elected to a three-years'
term as county commissioner; he was again re-elected in 1881, which term he is
still serving. He has been school
director at different times for a period of at least fifteen years; also a
director of the Second National Bank of Mauch Chunk for two terms; was
connected with Council for three years.
He is a director in the Weatherly Water Company, incorporated some three
years ago; has also been a director in the Oak Hall Association of Weatherly,
and since 1866 has been treasurer of the same.
His wife, Susan Stetzer, after a lingering
illness of several years, departed this life Sept. 21, 1872, leaving a family
of five children, --three daughters and two sons. The oldest, Charles Horace, a bright and interesting boy, died at
the age of fourteen; Adelaide, the second child, enjoyed good school
advantages, spending several years at the State Normal school at Millersville,
Pa. On Feb. 3, 1874, she was married to
Mr. Duer A. Melvin, of Susquehanna County, who is now station agent at Newburg,
N. Y.
Next is George Milton, who spent two years
at Lafayette College, Easton, Pa. He
was married Aug. 6, 1878, to Miss Mary Ritter, of Weatherly. He is now dispatcher of the Lehigh Valley
Railroad Company at Bethlehem, Pa.
Miss Mary Jane, after graduating at
Millersville Seminary, was married Dec. 28, 1880, to Mr. Thomas Dunn, of
Weatherly. Mr. Dunn is a successful
moulder by trade.
The youngest, Miss Lizzie Estelle, is now at
Millersville, Pa., preparing herself as a teacher.
Mr. Harleman was married June 6, 1874, to
his present wife, Mrs. Vesta Lochner, with whom he is now enjoying the
happiness to be derived from the prosperity surrounding those who are growing
up about them. Mr. Harleman has been a
consistent and trusted elder of the Presbyterian Church since 1858.
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RETURN
TO THE MATHEWS & HUNGERFORD
INDEX PAGE
From
The History of the Counties of Lehigh & Carbon, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
By
Alfred Mathews & Austin N. Hungerford
Published in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1884
Transcribed from the original in July, 2002 by
Vincent
E Summers
[3X-great-grandson of David Weatherly Sr., namesake of the town of Weatherly]
Web
page by
August
2002