Born in Reading, Pa., in 1856; educated in the public schools, graduating from the High School in the class of 1873; then attended the Northwestern College at Napierville, Ill., graduating from that institution in 1876; commenced the study of medicine, and was graduated from the Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, in 1880-1881; commenced the practice of his profession in Reading and is still in active practice in that city; had a post-graduate course in nervous diseases at the Philadelphia Polyclinic in 1889; was Secretary for several years of the Reading Medical Association and of the Medical Society of the County of Berks, and served a term as President of both organizations at different periods. Is also a member of the Pennsylvania State Medical Society and American Medical Association. Address, Reading, Pa. (p. 24)
Member of Legislature; born Feb. 24, 1866, in Upper Bern Township, Berks County, near Shartlesville; educated at Bernville High School; teacher in public schools at age of seventeen; was graduated from Keystone State Normal School in 1888; was delegate to Congressional Convention which nominated Hon. Henry D. Green for Congress, and made nominating speech; elected to the Legislature in 1902; member of Lutheran Church. Address, Fleetwood, Pa. (p. 30)
Lawyer; born in Reading, Pa., March 18, 1862; educated in the public schools, and graduated from the Reading High School in 1879, being assigned the class oration; entered Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster; studied law under Edgar M. Levan, Esq., and was admitted to the bar of Berks County, Nov. 10, 1884; served as County Solicitor; acted in politics as a Democrat. Address, Reading, Pa. (p. 41)
Archaeologist; born Jan. 12, 1848, in Cherryville, Northampton County, Pa.; educated at the common schools, also an academical education at Easton, Pa. On June 6, 1871, he married Mary Ella Reed, of Reading, Pa. He has occupied himself with archeological research. Is a corresponding member of Anthropological Society of Washington; corresponding member of University Archaeological Association of University of Pennsylvania; an honorary member of the Royal Italian Didactic Society, of Rome, Italy. He is the author of numerous archeological papers; also author of Section VI. of the East Allegheny Section in Prehistoric implements. Address, Allentown, Pa. (p. 49)
Educator; Legislator; Annville, Lebanon County; born near Reading, Pa., Dec. 1, 1839; educated in private schools and college; principal of Hamburg High School from 1864 to 1867; in 1867 he moved to Annville, and was for many years Professor, and from 1890 to 1897 President of Lebanon Valley College; secretary of Higher Education Department of National Teachers' Association, 1878-1880; degree of A. M. by Lafayette College in 1867, and Ph. D. by Ursinus College in 1892; member of the Lebanon County Historical Society; active in the Presidential campaigns of 1860, 1872, 1880, 1888 and 1900; member of the Republican State Central Committee in 1880; in 1900 elected a member of the State Legislature; 1902 re-elected. Address, Harrisburg, Pa. (pp. 53-54)
Principal Boys' High School of Reading, Pa.; born in the city of Reading July 17, 1877; educated in the public schools of his native city and was graduated with the highest distinction from the Reading High School June 28, 1894; had the previous year won first prize as essayist; entered Princeton University and won sophomore prize for essay 1896, College of New Jersey; was graduated from Princeton in 1898 with "high honors"' in classics; Instructor in History and Classics, Boys' High School, Reading, June, 1898, until elected principal in June, 1902. Address, Reading, Pa. (p. 57)
Engineer; born Nov. 16, 1844, near Reading, Pa.; descended from early settlers from Germany and Sweden; educated at the public schools, Friends' High School, Philadelphia; Hill School of Pottstown and Polytechnic College of Pennsylvania; expert in water right cases and irrigation problems; developed schemes for utilizing the power of Niagara River gorge and St. Louis River in Minnesota; General Manager of the South Mountain Mining and Iron Company; first American to examine and report on the noted Cerro de Mercado at Durango in Mexico; recommended blast furnaces on the Great Lakes to utilize the Lake Superior ores there; consulting engineer for receivers of Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company and Thomas A. Edison; at present, for the Cambria Steel Company and the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company; connected with United States Geological Survey as expert on iron ore. In 1889 he prepared the report on iron ore for the Eleventh Census; also Twelfth Census reports on iron ore and manganese ore. Past President of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, President of the famous Franklin Institute of Philadelphia, President of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association. Member of Engineers and Manufacturers' Clubs, Philadelphia; Engineers' Club and American Society of Mechanical Engineers of New York, and Canadian Mining Institute. Address, Broad and Cherry Sts., Philadelphia, Pa. (p. 57)
Jurist; born in Blandon, Berks County, Pa., in 1846; descendant of the first settlers of that district; educated in the Birdsboro public schools till the age of fifteen, when he enlisted in the volunteer army service and fought throughout the Civil War, taking part in the principal battles in Virginia and making an excellent record as a soldier. He was only nineteen at the end of his four years of war experience, and then, having to make his way in the world, he became a clerk in the Phoenix Iron Company, at Phoenixville, Pa.; the taste for mechanics here acquired induced him to become a machinist, at which occupation he worked in Philadelphia for some time, meanwhile studying in the evenings at a polytechnic school and spending much of the night over his books; as a result of incessant work and study he broke down physically, and, obliged to give up hard manual labor, he began the study of law under J.H. Jacobs at Reading, Pa. As a lawyer he quickly acquired an excellent practice, at first in the criminal courts, and afterward in the civil courts, winning a wide reputation as an advocate of unusual eloquence and marked ability. In 1891 he was appointed by Governor Pattison Judge of the Berks County Orphans' Court, to which position he was elected in 1902. Address, Reading, Pa. (p. 63)
Secretary of Monticello Brick Works; born in Reading, Pa., April 29, 1864; was educated in the public schools of his native city and at the Northwestern College, Naperville, Ill. He entered into business pursuits early in life, and incidentally embarked in politics; was elected to Select Council to represent the Seventh Ward, the heaviest taxpaying ward in Reading, in 1896; re-elected in 1900 and 1904; for the past two years has been President of Select Council; served as Vice President of Reading Sesqui-Centennial celebration in 1898. He is Secretary of the Monticello Brick Works, the largest brick concern in the United States, capitalized at $2,500,000; Secretary of the Reading Hardwood Company, employing 1,800 hands, and shipping its products to all parts of the world; Director of the Keystone Hardware Company, and also of the Consolidated Hardware Company. Married Kate M. Harbster, daughter of Matthan Harbster, in February, 1884. Address, Reading, Pa. (p. 65)
Pastor of the Berean Baptist Church; born Feb. 2, 1853, at Nottingham, England; was educated at Nottingham. Pastor of the Great Valley Baptist Church, Chester County, Pa.; Allegheny Avenue Baptist Church, Philadelphia, Pa.; and Berean Baptist Church, Reading, Pa.; married Sarah Henson, Nov. 24, 1875. Began business on his own account, 1875; relinquished the same and was ordained to the Baptist ministry in 1893; he is a Republican in politics. Address, 742 North Ninth St., Reading, Pa. (p. 68)
Pastor Reformed Church; born Sinking Valley, Blair County, Pa.; educated at public schools, Mercersburg Academy, Franklin and Marshall Academies, Lancaster, Pa., Franklin and Marshall College, which he entered in 1868, graduating with honor in 1872; Theological Seminary of Reformed Church, Lancaster, graduating in 1875. Was ordained to ministry in 1875, pastor at Claysburg one and one-half years. Taught at Martinsburg, Pa., as principal of academy one year. Pastor at Berlin, Pa., eight years; Trinity Reformed Church, Bloomsburg, Pa., two years; Reformed Church of the Ascension, Norristown, Pa., five years, and of Second Reformed Church, Reading, Pa., twelve years, which position he now holds; married Lydia A. Bowman, Chambersburg, Pa., on Jan. 19, 1876. During pastorate at Claysburg, Berlin and Reading, succeeded in having erected at each place a beautiful church edifice. While pastor at Berlin represented the Pittsburg Synod as Synodical editor of Reformed Church Messenger. For nine years has been a member of Board of Home Missions of Reformed Church. In 1896 was a delegate from Reformed Church of United States to "Alliance of Reformed Churches of the World," which met in Glasgow, Scotland, and in June, 1904, will represent this denomination at the "Alliance of Reformed Churches of the World," which will meet in Liverpool, Eng. Honorary title of D.D. conferred by Franklin and Marshall College in 1896. Address, 228 South 6th St., Reading, Pa. (p. 82)
Born in Wernersville, Berks County, Pa; educated in the public schools of Oley Township, in the same county, to which he removed with his parents at the age of five years; enlisted in Company K, Ninety-third Pennsylvania Volunteers and participated in all engagements in which the regiment took part until the expiration of his term of enlistment in 1864; located in Reading, Pa., at the close of the war; represented the Eighth Ward in Common Council for two terms as a Democrat; served three years as Collector of Taxes in the Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Wards of Reading, was Assessor of the Eighth Ward for twelve years. Married Sallie Brown in Princetown Jan, 27, 1866. Address, Reading, Pa. (p. 82)
President of First National Bank of Birdsboro, Pa. Address, Birdsboro, Pa. (p. 85)
Ironmaster, of Birdsboro, Pa.; born in that place in 1822; son of Matthew Brooke, a pioneer iron founder; with his brother Edward he built up the present large establishment of the E. & G. Brooke Iron Company at Birdsboro, operating furnaces, rolling mills, forges, nail works, etc.; also owning coal mines, iron mines, extensive quarries and many other properties. George Brooke has long been a prominent factor in the financial affairs of Berks County; he is President of the First National Bank of Reading, President of the Pennsylvania Trust Company, Director of the Wilmington and Northern Railroad Company, President of the Pennsylvania Diamond Drill Company, Treasurer of the Keystone Coal Company of West Virginia, and a stockholder in many other corporations; he has served in the Borough Council and in the School Board, and is in every way a public spirited citizen. In 1862 he married Mary B. Irwin, daughter of John H. Irwin, a grandson of Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg, the first Speaker of the National House of Representatives. Member of the Pennsylvania Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion. Address, Reading, Pa. (p. 85)
Educator; born at Ueberlingen, Grand Duchy of Baden, Germany, Sept. 24, 1840; came to America in 1846, and settled in Bucks County, Pa., in 1848; first City Superintendent of Allentown, Pa., in 1868 to 1878; of Reading, Pa., from 1878 to 1880, and of Lancaster, Pa, where he is still in office. Honorary degree of A.M. in 1878 and Ph.D. in 1886, conferred upon him by Franklin and Marshall College. Member of Pennsylvania and National Educational Associations, and Lancaster County Historical Society. Address, Lancaster, Pa. (pp. 99-100)
Last Modified