Historical Address
AT THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF EGYPT REFORMED
CONGREGATION, OCTOBER 1, 1934
By Charles R. Roberts
On this 200th anniversary of this congregation let us endeavor to visualize this vicinity in the year 1734. It was principally forest, with a few Indian paths and some natural meadows. The timber was principally heavy and the ground usually well watered. Occasional bands of Indians still traveled through the country. A few emigrants from Switzerland, Lorraine, Alsace and various parts of Germany had the hardihood to settle in the forest in which were many bear, wolves, catamounts, wild cats, deer and other animals and clear the land. Their first houses were small, made of rough logs, usually located near a spring or small creek.
These emigrants had been reared in Europe, with the exception of the Lutheran Saeger family, in the Reformed religion, which has a wonderful history. The life of Ulrich Zwingli, the leader of the Reformed, a remarkable man, is an inspiration to those Who read it. Many of the settlers had lived for a time in Philadelphia or in Philadelphia County and had friends or relatives there and probably in communicating with them, mentioned their need of spiritual instruction, which resulted in Rev. John Philip Boehm, the pioneer preacher of the Reformed, visiting them and on September 23, 1734, performed the first baptism here, the child David, son of Peter Traxel, whose sponsors were Nicholas Kern and his wife, Mary Margaret.
The second baptism in the church records was on October 26, 1736, of John, another son of Peter Traxel, then church censor here, by Rev. John Henry Goetschius. The third baptism was that of Peter, son of Daniel and Anna Margaret Roth, on July 27, 1737. The sponsors were Peter Troxell, deacon, and his wife, Juliana Margaret. In a record written by himself in his testament, it is stated that he was born in April, 1737, in the same hour in which his father died. This was along the Jordan creek, about two miles from Allentown. He was taken among the Quakers, received a good education, spelled his name Rhoads, and in 1762 settled in Allentown. He kept a general store there for nearly fifty years, was treasurer of the Reformed congregation, and became the most prominent Revolutionary patriot in the county, holding office 38 years, a member of the first state constitutional convention in 1776, represented Northampton County in the State Committee of Safety, of which Benjamin Franklin was president, in the Assembly four terms, a member of the second constitutional convention of 1790, first President Judge of Northampton County in 1784, on the bench thirty years and first Burgess of Allentown in 1811.
The several families of the Reformed denomination who lived in this vicinity were the nucleus of this congregation. They were the Kohler, Troxell, Wotring, Hoffman, Kern, Roth, Burkhalter and Flickiniger families. Later came the Kern, Newhard, John Troxell, Schreiber, Deshler and other families. It is supposed that Jacob Kohler settled here at Egypt between 1728 and 1730. No record has as yet been found when he came to America. He was born in 1703, it is thought in Muehlhausen, then in Switzerland, now a part of Alsace. He lived for some time on his land before securing a warrant, which he secured on July 15, 1734, for 150 acres, the first warrant in the township. In 1737 he secured another for 100 acres. It was a rectangular tract with the Coplay creek flowing through it and with several fine springs. In 1755 he built the first grist mill in the vicinity, and tradition has it that as he had many daughters, they assisted in digging the mill race. An old document in existence proves that in 1753 he was one of the overseers of the poor of the township of Egypt, as it was called and in 1762 he was overseer of roads of Whitehall township. In 1768 he owned 115 acres of cultivated land and 215 acres not cultivated. In 1769 he deeded 155 acres and the mill property to his eldest son Peter and 193 acres to his son Jacob. He died in 1777 at the age of 74 years. A memorial to his memory should he placed in the cemetery here.
Some fifty years ago Squire Edward Kohler wrote a sketch of the history of Egypt printed in the "Skizzen aus dem Lecha Thale." On page nine he wrote: "During the first years of Kohler's settlement one of his children died, which he buried on a nice, sunny, level plot on a hill shaped like a half-moon, at the foot of which flowd the Coplay Creek. As also children of other settlers who died in the vicinity were buried here, so this burial place became the central point for the later Egypt congregation." Again on page 10: "When Kohler's warrants for land were surveyed the whole line on the edge of the hill was extended in such a direction that the graves remained outside of the measurements. The same thing occurred when John Troxell's second piece of land vas surveyed." On page 12 he wrote: "In 1754 Michael Kelchner took up a land warrant for sixty acres. With this warrant the hill, on which were the graves already mentioned, could have been taken up. But as it was already generally understood that some some acres should not be taken up, and were excepted for church uses, so this piece of land was left lie." Also on page 14: "About the year 1764 the Lutherans of Egypt formed their own church congregation. Before this it was necessary, if they wished to attend a church service of their own denomination, to make a journey of some distance. An agreement was made between the Reformed and Lutheran to build a union church. In 1764 the first church in Egypt was built near the already mentioned graves It was a log building; the seats were of logs, resting on blocks."
If such an agreement was made in 1764 for the building of a church, it has been lost, as we know nothing of it.
Rev. Daniel Schumacher, a Lutheran minister, as early as 1760, Baptized at Egypt children of John Nicholas Hertzog, George Ringer, and of Samuel Saeger, later a deacon of the Lutheran congregation, and confirmed several children, among them Mary Magdalena, daughter of Feitner, the ferryman at the Lehigh.
Your pastor and I think that as Rev. John Jacob Wissler appears to have been the first regularly appointed pastor here it is possible that there was already then, in 1752, a log church built here. He died in September, 1754. In a letter written by Rev. Stoy, dated September 30, 1757, he wrote: "The place where Domine Wissler labored, when living, has been pillaged and robbed of its inhabitants." We have no record of any persons having been killed by Indians at or near Egypt at this time, but in Heidelberg and Lynn townships, in 1756 and 1757, fifty-six persons were killed by Indians. A recently discovered draft among my papers shows a church marked where the lands of Jacob Kohler, John Troxell and Michael Kelchner come together. Kelchner took up his first warrant on July 31, 1754, so the draft must have been made after this date.
Abraham Wotring or Vautrin Was born in 1700 in Lorraine France, and in 1723 married Anna Margaret Mertz of Hangweiler in the Vosges Mountains. In 1733 they came to America. The Wotrings were millers for three hundred years on the River Saar on the borders of Alsace and Lorraine. Abraham became a miller at Hirschland and his father Abraham was a miller at Finstingen on the Saar River. Abraham located north of John Troxell's land but never had a mill here that has been located. Samnel Wotring, some relation of Abraham, later built a mill near Sand Spring on the Coplay creek and a Philip Wotring had a mill in Williams township. Abraham Wotring died in 1752. One of his daughters married John Schneider, who with three of their children, were killed by Indians in 1763, a mile north of Egypt.
Peter Troxell, whose son David was the first child baptized here, is said to have come from Switzerland and was born about 1691. The name Troxell or Drachsel is mentioned in Switzerland as early as 1367. He came to America on the ship Samuel which arrived at Philadelphia on August 17, 1733, with his wife, Juliana Catharine and two sons Peter, nine, and Daniel, seven. He lived for some years at Egypt and in 1736 is referred to in the records as church censor and in 1737 as deacon. In 1743 he purchased two tracts of 100 acres each on the Jordan creek and built a stone house, thirty by twenty-one feet, still standing, the oldest house in Lehigh County, near where the iron bridge formerly stood. Ancestors of mine, members here, were Jacob Kohler, Frederick Newhard, Daniel Roth and George Graff.
John Troxell came to America on August 30, 1737. In a list of emigrants from Zweibruecken he is mentioned as a miller from Duntzweiler. He secured land in 1737, later taken up by his son, John Peter Troxell, born in 1719, who secured more land, until he owned 410 acres. In 1756 he built the stone house still standing and in 1758 a stone barn 85 by 37 feet, torn down in 1874. In 1768 he sold this land to Peter Steckel and removed to Gwynedd township, Philadelphia County, and later to Maryland, where he died in 1799. His first wife was Anna Barbara Saeger, who died about 1750. He then married Catharine Maria Magdalena Schreiber, daughter of John Jacob Schreiber, whose mother, Anna Magdalena (Roth) Schreiber, after the death of her husband, John Jacob, in 1750 married John Peter's father, John Troxell. John Peter Troxell has many descendants in Maryland who holds an annual re-union. Another son of John Troxell was Nicholas Troxell, born in 1725, died in 1797, who remained here and is buried here but has no tombstone. His wife, however, Catharine Troxell, who died in 1777, has a stone. They are the ancestors of most of this family in this immediate vicinity.
Rev. John Daniel Gros became pastor here December 20, 1764 and served the four congregations, Egypt, Allentown, Jordan and Schlosser's, now Unionville. He reported that he found 94 members here and in 1766 thirty-one families. In 1767, the four congregations purchased a house and six acres of land in what was called "Moyer's Valley" as a parsonage. The cost was �152, Pennsylvania currency, or $345.67. Egypt's share was one-fourth or �38. In 1769 Rev. Gross wished to leave and complained about the unfitness of his dwelling, stating that it was a very poor building at a place where no wholesome water can be had, and wrote: "which to a minister in this country, who has nothing to drink but water, may be a chief cause for complaint, especially in the hot summer days, when through bad water one's health can easily be impaired." The minutes of Coetus state that the delegate from Whitehall, who was my ancestor, Peter Rhoades, of Allentown, was questioned concerning this and replied that the congregations at Whitehall were well satisfied with Domine Gros, and that they would be sorely grieved if they were forced to lose him.
Rev. Gros had a call from two large congregations at Saucon and Springfield, but stated that he would not leave unless Coetus would recommend to them in his place the first capable minister sent over from Europe. In 1770 he reported 36 families at Egypt and his salary �70, of which Egypt paid �18, 15 shillings, or $50.00. For a time he served both charges, preaching three Sundays in the Whitehall charge and the fourth Sunday in Saucon and Springfield. In 1770 he left the Whitehall charge and in 1772 complained that his congregations did not pay his salary. Because of their want of love, stubbornness, neglect of church worship and failure to pay his salary, he accepted a call to Kingston, N. Y., where he was pastor from 1773 to 1783, pastor of the German Reformed congregation in New York City from 1783 to 1795, Professor of German Languages at Columbia College, 1784 to 1795, and died in 1812. His successor was Rev. Abraham Blumer, who preached his first sermon at Egypt in February, 1771, from second Peter, first chapter, second verse: "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord." This was his first sermon in this country. He preached his first sermon in Switzerland on September 11, 1757, and in all he preached in Europe 441 sermons. In October, 1771, he reported to the Coetus a membership at Egypt of forty families. In 1779 he reported 45 pupils in the school; in 1782, 53, and in 1785, 46 pupils. In 1785 his salary was $100.
The forty families which Rev. Blumer reported as members of the congregation in 1771, I would name as follows: Peter Burkhalter, George Jacob Kern, Jacob Kohler, Sen., Peter Kohler, Jacob Kohler, Jun., Adam Deshler, Peter Deshler, John Schad, Urlrich Flickinger, Christopher Snyder, Jacob Mickley, Sen. Jacob Mickley, Jun., Nicholas Mark, Peter Steckel, Jacob Schreiber, Jacob Flickinger, Peter Flickinger, Nicholas Alleman, Michael Newhard, Sen., Michael Newhard, Jun., Jacob Moritz, John Moritz, Nicholas Troxell, George Leibenguth, John Hoffman, Jacob Miller, George Koehler, Engelbert Hoffman, George Flickinger, Sebastian Miller, Martin Mickley, Christopher Kern, Peter Siegfried, Frederick Newhard, Peter Newhard, Philip Roth, Peter Kern, George Graff, Christian Leibenguth, and Michael Kelchner.
Rev. Blumer resigned as pastor in May, I801, after serving over thirty years. Rev. John Gobrecht succeeded him and served from I801 to 183l. Then came Rev. Joseph S. Dubs, who was pastor here from 1831 to 1868. His valuable records of marriages and burials are now owned by the congregation. He was followed by Rev. Samuel A. Leinbach, 1868 to 1884; Rev. William R. Hofford, D. D., 1884 to 1900; Rev. George P. Stem, 1901 to 1925, and the present pastor, Rev. Thomas R. Brendle.
ln the old cemetery are buried over 1200 persons, of whom more than 800 have tombstones. The oldest person buried here was Mrs. Magdalena Hoffman, aged 97 years, and the youngest a child less then a day old. The oldest stone is that of John Nicholas Meier, who died in 1775. The next oldest are those of Leonard, son of Casper Peter, who died in 1777, aged a year and a half and Mrs. Catharine Troxell, wife of Nicholas Troxell, who died in 1777, aged 49 years. There are fifteen persons, including children, buried here who were drowned, either in Coplay creek or the Lehigh.
During the past thirty-five years I have interviewed many old people about the olden times and the old families. Among them were Euphemia Kohler, born in Egypt in 1807; Aaron Kohler, born in Egypt in 1809; Stephen Freyman, born in 1810; Owen Rhoads, born in 1811; Mrs. Catharine Eberhard, nee Schreiber, born in 1812, Mrs. Peter Roth, born in 1813; William Leisenring, born in 1818, Tilghman Freyman, born in 1819; Reuben Leisenring, born in 1824; Solomon Ruch, Dr. Louis B. Balliet, and Moses Woodring. I have heard many interesting anecdotes, such as how Sibilla Leisenring, widow of Conrad Leisenring, the first, frequently paddled up the Lehigh River in a canoe and attended services at the Stone Church, how she spun flax and her son Conrad sold it in Philadelphia, and she bought a tombstone for her husband, who died in 1781. It cost $21.00, and years later John Leisenring of Mauch Chunk, had an iron fence put up around it, which a Mr. Solliday of Allentown put up. It was removed some years ago. A story about Lorenz Ruch, the strong man, whose brother had loaded a wagon with produce to go to Philadelphia, and Lorenz was not ready, so with his hands he upset the loaded wagon and by the time it was reloaded he himself was ready; of how the farmers, returning from Allentown, stopped at John Rhoads' well at Sherersville, because the horses would not drink the Allentown cistern water, of how the Burkhalter farm, later the Breinig farm, was called "King's furrow land," or "heart of Whitehall," because it was considered such fine land; of Charles Burkhalter, who wore suits of half linen, as it was called, and was called "der halb lina gentleman," went to New York, entered the wholesale dry-goods business, became a millionaire, married a Miss Havemeyer and gave a great deal to charity; of a feeble-minded resident of the township, who often slapped his knee and said, "Ha! Ha! A constitution with a vice- president"; of the year 1816 without a summer, when there was frost every month and on July 5th ice as thick as a window pane; of the drought of 1820, when all the springs ceased to flow; how one family had an old speech, when they meant taglehner they said taglahr and how one woman said her family was "so gut wie adliche." John Grob lived east of Egypt where a Troxell family later lived and has many descendants in the west, one of whom was Assistant Secretary of State under President Cleveland.
The most prominent Revolutionary patriots of Egypt were Peter Burkhalter, Peter Kohler and David Deshler. Peter Burkhalter was elected a member of the first Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention in 1776, was captain of a company in 1775, a member of the Assembly, elected in November, 1776, reelected in 1777 and in 1784, 85, 86 and 87. In 1780 he was appointed one of the Sub-Lieutenants of Northampton County, who had control of the militia of the county, which position gave him the title of Colonel. He died in 1805.
Peter Kohler opened a store here in 1764, operated a grist mill and a house of entertainment. In 1770 his brother-in-law, George Graff, was his partner in the firm of Graff and Kohler. In 1776 he became a member of the Northampton County Committee of Observation, was appointed on the committee to collect clothing for the troops on November 8, 1777, and on December l6, 1777, was appointed by the Pennsylvania Assembly one of the persons to take subscriptions for the continental loan. He was commissioned a Justice of Northampton County in 1779 and elected a member of the Assembly in 1780, 1781 and 1782. He died in 1793.
David Deshler, son of Adam Deshler, was born in Switzerland in 1734, was naturalized in 1761; in 1762 purchased a mill property from Michael Rothrock on the Little Lehigh at Allentown, where he lived for about thirty years. In 1774 he became a member of the County Committee of Observation, was a delegate to the Provincial Conference of Committees which met at Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia on June 18, 1755, was chosen one of the judges of election at Allentown on July 8, 1776, and on March 12 1777, was elected by the Assembly one of the Sub-Lieutenants of Northampton County. He was appointed one of the Commissioners of Purchases for Northampton County in 1778; assistant Forage Master on April 5, 1780, assistant Commissary of Purchases on July 7, 1780, and 1787 a delegate to the convention to ratify the Federal constitution. He died where Catasauqua now stands and is buried here, but has no tombstone.
Peter Burkhalter and Peter Kohler have tombstones. Captain John Moritz was in command of the fourth company of the Second Battalion of Northampton County militia in 1778, under Lieutenant-Colonel Stephen Balliet. This battalion participated in the battle of Brandywine. The Second Lieutenant was Abraham Wotring, son of the first Abraham, who later removed from the county. Ensign Abraham Wotring was a son of Peter and a grandson of Abraham, the first. He removed to Maryland and later to Washington County, Pennsylvania, where he died.
Christian Leibenguth was a Corporal in this company. Privates were John Hoffman, Jacob Miller, Jacob Kohler, Peter Flickinger, Lorenz Ruch, Adam Deshler, Conrad Leisenring, George Koehler, John Grob, Frederick Newhard, Jacob Flickinger, Martin Meyer, Jacob Schreiber, Peter Newhard, who was also a gunsmith, George Flickinger and Jacob Mickley.
Adam Zerfass was Captain of a company under Lieutenant-Colonel Christian Shouse, in service in 1781. Nicholas Saeger was a Lieutenant in this company. He is buried in Allentown. Privates were Jacob Schreiber, Christian Bertsch, Peter Newhard, George Flickinger, Jacob Steckel and Henry Steckel. In 1782 Captain Zerfass was under Lieutenant-Colonel Balliet. Rev. Abraham Blumer was Chaplain. Sebastian Miller was Corporal. William Laury was a fifer. Gottfried Laury, Jacob Miller, Adam Deshler, and George Kern were privates in the company. Other soldiers from Egypt were Ensign Jacob Kern and George Gangewere, who served in the regular army in an expedition to Canada and in the militia and lived to be 95 years of age.
Men of Egypt have participated in all the wars of this country, which proves the patriotism of this community. As our forefathers of old walked with God, let us emulate them, and pray that the Grand Architect of the Universe will shower blessings upon this town and congregation.
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