John Keim was born in Oley Township, July 6th, 1749. When quite young he accompanied his father, Nicholas Keim, to Reading, where he entered the hardware and grain business which had been established by his father, about 1755.
In 1777 John Keim marched with Lieutenant-Colonel Nicholas Lotz's battalion to reinforce General Washington's army, being discharged in 1782 after serving five years.
He served as Burgess of Reading for a time and also served one term as County Commissioner, from 1787 to 1790. He took a very active part in the development of Reading, particularly through internal improvements and the erection of houses.
At the close of the Revolutionary War he entered into partnership with his father in the hardware and grain business, and in 1800, after the death of Nicholas Keim, he formed a co-partnership with his two sons, Daniel and George, under the name of John Keim & Sons.
He died February 10th, 1819, in his seventieth year, of which sixty-four years were spent in Reading, and of his activities during that time there is ample evidence today.
Source: Official Program of the 175th Anniversary of the Founding of Reading, PA, and the 150th Anniversary of the Reading Volunteer Fire Department Sept. 30th to Oct. 6th 1923, ed. by the Chairman of the Publicity Committee, Reading, PA, 1923, p. 127.
Submitted by: Nancy.
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