Biographies from Historical and Biographical Annals by Morton Montgomery

KOCH, HENRY HARRISON

p.
1050

Surnames: KOCH, KERN, EAGLE, KULP, MARCH, UPDEGROVE, SHIREY,
DAVIDHEISER, BROWN

Henry Harrison Koch, dealer in coal and feed at Birdsboro, is one
of the younger business men of this section, who have made their
presence felt in the community, and who have already won a
substantial footing among the successful men of the town. Mr. Koch
was born in old Union township, Berks county, May 8, 1873, son of
Isaac K. and grandson of Isaac Koch.

Isaac Koch, the grandfather, was born and reared
in Berks county, and there spent all the years of his life until
1902, when he went to Montgomery county, Pa., and he is now living
there at the age of ninety-five years. All his active years were
devoted to farming, although he worked at his trade of shoe-making,
learned in his youth, in connection with it. He is a member of the
Lutheran Church, and in politics is a Democrat. At one time he
served as supervisor of Amity township. His wife, Anna Mariah Kern,
died at the age of sixty-five years. Their children were: Anna M.
m. David Eagle; Jacob; Henry; Catharine m. George Kulp; Isaac K.;
Lizzie m. George Updegrove; David; and Malinda m. John Shirey.

Isaac K. Koch was reared in Amity township, and
there attended the public schools. He learned the trade of painting
and paper hanging, and this he has followed the greater part of his
life. He married Sarah Elizabeth Updegrove, daughter of Levi and
Sophia (Davidheiser) Updegrove, and they have two children, Henry
Harrison and Roy C. Mr. Koch is a member of Neversink Lodge, I. O.
O. F., and P. O. S. of A. He is a man of high principles, and his
life has been lived along the lines of industry and integrity, and
he is eminently respected.

Henry Harrison Koch attended the public schools
and secured a good practical education. With his father he learned
the trade of paper hanger and painter, and this he followed with
success for eleven years. In 1899 he purchased the coal yards,
formerly the property of George Brown, and since that time he has
found his fully occupied in caring for his rapidly increasing
business. He now sells upward of 1,500 tons annually. He is
strictly honest and upright in his dealings, is courteous,
accommodating and kind-hearted, and is very popular with his
associates.

In 1896 Mr. Koch was married to Miss Delilah
March, daughter of Isaac F. March, and they have five children,
Sarah Elizabeth, Alberta Ruth, Esther Livingood, Isaac March and
Henry Matthias. They attend the Lutheran church, of which both Mr.
and Mrs. Koch are members. He belongs to Camp No. 417, P. O. S. of
A.

KOCH, J. CLINTON D.

p.
1033

Surnames: KOCH, DOTTERER, ESHBACH, MUMBOWER, MACK, GEISINGER,
NESTER, TROUT, STOUDT, HUBER, JACOB, LINSENBIGLER, SHIERY, LATSHAW,
HAUCK, REMINGER, FRANK, SCHANLY, LEINBACH, STAUFFER, OGDEN, SCHELL,
SCHULTZ

J. Clinton D. Koch, the chorister at Bowers, Pa., and one of the
leading music teachers of Berks county, was born on the line of
Berks and Montgomery counties, May 20, 1858, son of Abraham E. and
Elizabeth (Dotterer) Koch, and grandson of Andrew and Mary
(Eshbach) Koch.

(I) Andrew Koch was a native of Saxony. He came to lower Berks
county when a young man, and there he was married to Mary Eshbach,
who was born in Washington township, near Bally. By trade Andrew
Koch was a carpet weaver, and followed this occupation all his
wife. All of his sons learned the same trade, and nearly all of
them worked at it in conjunction with other callings. Andrew Koch
and his wife are buried at Bally Mennonite meeting house cemetery.
They had the following children: Elijah, of Niantic, Pa., m. Mary
Mumbower, and had six children; Eliza married Henry Mack of
Fruitville, Montgomery county, and had five children; John, of East
Greenville, Montgomery county, m. Sophia Geisinger, and had six
children; Henry, of Allentown, m. (first) Sarah Nester, had seven
children, (second) a Miss Trout, and had two children; Susan m.
Daniel Stoudt, and had seven children; Catharine m. Jacob Huber, of
Niantic, and had nine children, all but three now deceased; Fietta
m. George Jacob, of Bally, and had six children; Mary Ann m. Samuel
Linsenbigler, and had twelve children, all deceased but two; Sarah
died at the age of three years; William, of East Greenville, m.
Mary Shiery, and had five children; Jeremiah, of Niantic, m.
Matilda Latshaw, and had two children; and Abraham E. m. Elizabeth
Dotterer, and had ten children, seven yet living.

(II) Abraham E. Koch was born near Niantic, one mile from the Berks
county line, and one mile from Bally in Berks county, in 1832, and
he died Dec. 2, 1902, aged seventy years. He is buried at Huber
church in Montgomery county, of which during life he was a
consistent member, and in which he held all the offices. His wife
Elizabeth was a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Hauck) Dotterer, of
Faulkner Swamp. To Mr. and Mrs. Koch were born ten children: J.
Clinton D.; J. Warren; J. Abraham; Anna A. m. F. F. Huber; Leanna
m. W. D. Reminger; J. Humphry died young; Lucena m. A. B. Frank; J.
Grant died young; Lizzie m. Warren Schanly; and Katie died young.
Mrs. Koch was born Oct. 12, 1838, and lives in Pennsburg, Pa., with
her daughter Lizzie. During his life Mr. Koch was a farmer, and
dying he left a nice legacy for his family.

(III) J. Clinton D. Koch was reared upon the farm until he was
seventeen, and he attended the common schools of his locality. At
the age of seventeen his musical ability was recognized and he
began study under J. L. Leinbach of Gilbertsville, Montgomery
county. Later he took instruction in instrumental music under
Philadelphia professors, and a special course in vocal music under
Prof. J. High Stauffer, of Loganville, Ohio, a celebrated musician
and composer, and also under the late W. A. Ogden, of Chicago, also
a composer of repute. Mr. Koch continued his musical studies until
he was twenty-three, and then moved to the vicinity of
Schultzville, Berks county, where he engaged in teaching music. At
once the young musician became prominent, for he is a genius and
his classes grew to thirty-five pupils. In 1882 he was elected
organist of Huff’s and Huber’s churches. These churches he served
for seven years, but in 1889 he was elected organist of St.
Stephen’s Reformed church of Pottstown, Pa., where he remained for
two years. In 1891 he became organist at Bowers, and still fills
that position. For two years he was the organist for De Long’s
Union Church, and two years later was elected organist of Christ
Lutheran church at Dryville and St. Peter’s church at Topton.
DeLong’s Union church was destroyed by fire in 1903, and each
congregation held its own meetings, but Mr. Koch continued to act
as organist for both. He is still actively engaged in teaching
music, although his talented daughter Miss Lulu relieves him of
much of the work.

On May 20, 1882, Mr. Koch married Emma S.
Schell, daughter of Peter D. and Matilda Y. (Schultz) Schell of
Schultzville. Two children have been born of this marriage: Elsie
S., at home; and Lulu S., a graduate of the Keystone State Normal,
class of 1908, of which she was one of the youngest members. She is
a public school and music teacher and a young lady of unusual
ability, a great help to her father.

The family all belong to the Reformed church and
are active in it. During the many years he has been in the
profession Mr. Koch has rendered very valuable services not only as
organist to the several churches with which he has been connected,
but also to his classes, and many of his pupils are now holding
positions of importance throughout the country. Mr. Koch is a man
to whom music is the very breath of life and he possesses in marked
degree the power of transmitting some of his own genius to those
studying under him. In addition to his standing as a musician, Mr.
Koch has won an enviable position socially through his pleasant
manner and extreme courtesy, and he is a great favorite with all
who have the honor of his acquaintance.

KOCH,
JOHANNES

p. 1232

Surnames: KOCH, TEXTER,AUCHENBACH, BERGMAN, NEFF, GETZ, WEIDNER,
KILLIAN, HARDING, INTZEL, WENRICH, HASSLER, HARTLINE, BECK, GEHART,
GAUNER, LONG, LUTZ, BIERMAN, GRETH, FOX, PUTT

Johannes Koch, a native of Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany, came to
America with a regiment of Hessian soldiers, who fought against the
United Colonies during the struggle of the latter for their freedom
from British tyranny. These Hessians were imprisoned at Mount Penn,
at Reading. After their release, at the close of the war, many of
them decided to remain in this country as they could see it was a
fair and good one, and among these were Johannes Koch and one
Daniel Texter. They married women of Berks county and settled in
the South Mountains in Lower Heidelberg township, where they
secured land which they improved and cultivated and on which they
lived out honest, virtuous lives. Both reared generous families and
their descendants reside in Lower Berks County and at Reading, many
of them being among the most substantial citizens of their
localities. The children of these pioneers married and intermarried
and many of them still live in the same community and retain the
old plantations.

Johannes Koch was a weaver by trade and this
business he taught to all of his five sons. In addition he
conducted his small farm, which is now embraced in the property of
his great-grandson, Franklin Koch, of Lower Heidelberg township. He
was a tall, well-built, raw-boned man, robust and exceedingly
strong, and his sons and grandsons inherited his great statue along
with his sterling honesty and persevering industry. He was noted
for a kindness of heart that also distinguishes his descendants to
the present generation. In religious belief he was a Lutheran. His
burial took place at the St. Daniel’s (Corner) Church. His family
consisted of five sons and four daughters. (1) Stophel m. Elizabeth
Texter and had no children. (2) Molly, m. a Mr. Auchenbach. (3)
John m. Maria Bergman. (4) Jacob m. a Miss Neff, and settled and
died in Lancaster county, their children being, Frederick, Lewis,
John, Catherine, Matilda and Mary. (5) Maria m. John Getz and they
lived at Schoeneck, Lancaster county. (6) Susanna m. Benjamin
Weidner and they lived at Ephrata, Lancaster county. (7) Christian,
who was born in the South Mountains, Dec. 25, 1803, died there Oct.
7, 1875, in his seventy-second year. (8) Frederick m. Betsy Killian
and they lived at Blainsport, rearing two children: Levi; and
Betsy, who married Jacob Harding. (9) Elizabeth m. David Intzel and
accompanied him to Ohio.

Christian Koch, of the above family, was a
weaver by trade and owned a farm of seventy-four acres. Here he
built a set of buildings which have since been torn down with the
exception of the old log house which is used by his grandson and
family as a wash house. Christian Koch was a member of St. Daniel’s
Church and served as deacon and elder. He was twice married,
(first) to Mary Getz, who died July 10, 1838. They had two
children: Mary, who married Richard Wenrich, and Catherine, who
married Nathaniel Wenrich. He was married (second) to Hannah
Hassler, a daughter of Sebastian and a granddaughter of Philip
Hassler, of Heidelberg, and to this union were born three sons:
Adam and Isaac, twins; and Franklin. Adam lived at Wernersville and
Isaac lived at Reading. Franklin Koch was born February 21, 1852,
on the homestead in the South Mountains which he now owns and
operates. In 1891 he erected the present substantial barn, and in
the following year the house. In 1874 he married Malinda Hartline
and they had children as follows: Henry, Eva Ann, Aaron, Ellen,
Levi and Irwin.

John, second son of Johannes was a charcoal
burner and in time was able to purchase a small farm. His entire
life from 1795 to 1873, was passed in the South Mountains. He and
his wife, Maria, had nine children, Annie, John, Jacob, William,
Mary, Elizabeth, Benjamin, Joseph and Peter. John B. Koch, son of
John and grandson of Johannes Koch, was born Dec. 14, 1821, in
Lower Heidelberg township. With his father he learned the cooper
trade and followed this until he was of age, when he was married to
Sarah Hassler, daughter of Sebastian and Polly (Beck) Hassler, of
South Mountains. They lived at Middle Creek, Lancaster county, for
four years, where he was a general laborer, after which he worked
at his trade for seven years. For the next sixteen years he engaged
in farming in Lancaster county and then purchased land in Lower
Heidelberg township and lived on it for several years. He then
resumed farming on his father’s land in the South Mountains. After
the death of his father he purchased the farm near Wernersville now
owned by Albert Gehart and on that he lived for ten years and there
his first wife died. After remaining a widower for several years he
was married a second time and then bought land near Blainsport, in
Lancaster county, where they lived for ten years, until the second
wife died. Mr. Koch then sold that farm and made his home with his
son Samuel. Although Mr. Koch is in the latter eighties he needs
neither spectacles nor staff. He is, like his ancestors, tall and
well built and remarkably preserved and in his prime could lift a
barrel of cider unassisted with ease. He has no children born to
his second union, but six were born to his first marriage: Mary m.
Andrew Gauner of Lebanon; Samuel; Sebastian, deceased, who was
buried at Hokendauqua, Pa.; twin daughters who died young; and
Sarah m. Martin Texter.

Samuel Koch, a resident of Lower Heidelberg
township, was born Nov. 15, 1848, at Middle Creek, Lancaster
county, a son of John, a grandson of John and a great-grandson of
Johannes Koch, the ancestor of the family. He was reared on the
farm and lived there until he was twenty-five years old, after
which he worked in a stone quarry for about twelve years, opening
one at Wernersville and another between Manheim and Lititz, in
Lancaster county. Mr. Koch is very versatile and if he had been
forced to do so could have earned a good living at a half dozen
employments. For two years he worked at shoemaking near
Wernersville, then employed himself at various kinds of labor for a
time and for seven years dealt successfully in cattle, handling
from 300 to 400 head a year. In 1903 he took charge of the Hain’s
grist mill in Lower Heidelberg township, which he conducted until
the spring of 1908. During this time he made a speciality of
manufacturing two brands of flour which found a ready sale
throughout this district and Reading, the Young America and the
White Rose. After leaving the mill he retired to his own farm in
Heidelberg township.

In 1874 Mr. Koch was married to Catherine Long,
a daughter of Jacob Long, of Penn township, and to them have been
born the following children: Irwin, m. Mattie Lutz and is a
prosperous farmer residing near Albany, Ill.; Henry, residing at
Robesonia, m. Kate Bierman; William T., also residing at Robesonia,
m. Matilda Greth; Reily, also of Robesonia, m. Gertrude Fox; John
L., living at Robesonia, m. Bessie Putt; and Nora and George both
reside at home.

With his family, Mr. Koch attends the Hain’s
Reformed Church. in every relation of life he is respected and
esteemed and may be justly considered as a representative of the
best type of citizen to be found in Berks county.

KOCH, JOHN
PETER

p. 1401

Surnames: KOCH, KUHLMAN, FINDEISEN, HEETER, GUSSMAN

John Peter Koch, of Reading, was born in Bechteim, Hesse-Darmstadt,
Germany, Jan. 13, 1842. He came to America in 1864 and for a number
of years resided in New Jersey, but in 1876 moved to Reading, Pa.,
and has been settled there since that date. He was a baker by
trade, but from 1888 to 1902 he was engaged in that line of
business, and at the end of that time retired. He was elected, in
1902, a member of the city board of assessors for a one year term,
but was re-elected for a term of three years.

Mr. Koch has been twice married. His first wife,
to whom he was united in 1870, was Catherine Kuhlman, a native of
the same town as himself. After twenty-one years of married life,
she died, and in March, 1894, Mr. Koch married again. His second
wife was Lillie Findeisen, who died July 21, 1908, aged forty-nine
years. Three sons were born of this union, John, William and John
(2), all deceased. The children by the first marriage were: George
P.; Mary Elizabeth; Annie; and Kate, wife of Lewis Heeter, a hotel
proprietor in Reading. John P. Koch is a Democrat in politics, and
belongs to the Jackson Democratic Club, of which he was treasurer.
He is also connected with the Reading Leiderkranz, of which he was
a trustee. His religious affiliation is with St. John’s Lutheran
Church. He has been an essentially good citizen, and is highly
esteemed.

George P. Koch was born in New Egypt, N. J.,
Aug. 14, 1871, before his parents moved to Reading. He received a
good education and was graduated from the Inter-State College,
after which he secured a position with the Norwich Electric Railway
and worked there eight years. He was appointed to his present
position of water inspector Aug. 15, 1898, and has proved himself a
most capable official; he is a Democrat in his political
affiliations.

Fraternally he is a member of the Knights of the
Golden Eagle and in religion he is a member of the Grace Lutheran
Church. George P. Koch was married Jan. 13, 1895, to Emma
Elizabeth, daughter of Jacob and Emma Gussman, of Boyertown, Berks
county, and they are the parents of six children, John Jacob,
Howard George, Margaret Marie, Blanche Elizabeth, George Peter, and
Daniel. The two oldest boys are in school.

KOCH,
WILLIAM

p. 1360

Surnames: KOCH, ROLAND, NEIDER, DUMM, BUTTON, FICK, TOBIAS

William Koch was a builder and contractor of Reading, belonging to
a family long resident in that city, his father, also named
William, having likewise been a native of that place.

William Koch, Sr., was born July 2, 1824, and
was one of four children, the others being: Daniel, of Reading;
Adam, of Elmira, N. Y.; and Mary, who married George Roland.
William became a tanner, but after following that occupation for
many years, finally went into the mines at Topton, and there was
killed May 6, 1862, breaking his neck by falling down a shaft. He
was survived by his widow and three children. Mrs. Koch was a Miss
Louisa Neider and was the seventh child is a family of fourteen
born to Henry and Mary (Dumm) Neider. Of these there are living,
only Mrs. Koch, who was born Oct. 27, 1832, and Clara, the
youngest. The brothers all died at home except Lafayette, whose
death was caused by starvation during the war. William and Louisa
Koch were married Oct. 4, 1851, and their three children were:
Louisa, Mrs. John Neider, of Reading; Sarah, Mrs. Harry Button, of
Reading; and William.

William Koch was born Aug. 10, 1859, and after
going to school until he was eleven years old was obliged to begin
work, beginning at the rope walk. While still very young he was
apprenticed to his uncles, Michael and Simon Neider, to learn the
trade of bricklaying, and spent about three years with them. The
next seven years he passed as a journeyman, and then was employed
as a boss by many of the largest and best known contractors in the
city. In 1897 he went into business for himself and in the years
following put up a number of fine buildings and made a good
reputation for himself by his satisfactory work. Mr. Koch died May
17, 1909, aged forty-nine years, nine months, seven days.

Mr. Koch was married April 7, 1880, to Miss
Katie Fick, daughter of Henry and Catharine (Tobias) Fick, of
Reading. The children born to their union were: Bessie; William H.,
who was educated in the high school of Reading, and is now a clerk
for the Reading Iron Company; and Carrie, a graduate of the high
school, class of 1903, now at home. Mr. Koch was a member of the
Lutheran Church, and socially he belonged to the Sons of America.
He was a man of much ability, who had made his own way in the world
successfully and was much respected by all who knew him.

KOCHEL,
SAMUEL H.

p.1130

Surnames: KOCHEL, HARNER, QUINTER, STEIGER, BEARD, RILEY, RICHARDS,
EADES, KOCH, POTTEIGER, HAWK, KUHLMAN, CLAUSER

Samuel H. Kochel, a well-known Berks county hotel keeper, who is
conducting the popular “Gibraltar Hotel,” at Gibraltar, Pa., was
born in Robeson township, April 3, 1861, son of John and Amelia
(Harner) Kochel.

Samuel Kochel, grandfather of Samuel H., was a
stone mason by trade, and followed that calling in Exeter township,
where many stone mansions and Swiss barns testify to his skill and
workmanship. He died in 1868, at the age of sixty-eight years. Mr.
Kochel was a Lutheran in religious belief, and a Democrat in
politics. He married (first) Elizabeth Quinter, by whom he had
these children: Samuel, John, Lucetta, Reuben, Joseph, Jeremiah and
Solomon. He married (second) Anna Steiger, and to this union were
born: Leah, Cordelia, Allison, Caroline and Amanda.

John Kochel was born in Exeter township, but
later removed to Robeson township, where he lived for forty-four
years, he following the trade of a stone mason all of his life,
some of his work being the building of all the abutments for the
Wilmington & Northern Railroad. He died in 1902, and his wife
in 1901, both in the faith of the Lutheran Church. Twelve children
were born to them: Daniel; Margaret m Edward Beard; Elizabeth m.
Frank Riley; Mary m William Richards: Isabella m. Joseph Eades;
Samuel H.; Emma m. Al Koch; Solomon is deceased; Kate m. Al
Potteiger; Ella; John and Susan died young.

Samuel H. Kochel was educated in the schools of
Robeson township, and early in life learned the stone mason’s
trade, which, however, he did not follow for long, his next
occupation being that of pipe welder and heater at the Seyfert
McManus pipe foundry. Later he went to Pittsburg, in the employ of
the Pittsburg Tube Works, and thence to Warren, Ohio, for the Page
Tube Company, and subsequently for the Wheeling Tube Company. After
six years in Warren, Ohio, Mr. Kochel returned to Berks county ,and
engaged in a hotel business at Second and Buttonwood streets, where
he continued for three and one-half years. He then leased the
Michael Hawk sand quarry, where he remained about seven months, and
in the fall of 1897, he purchased the “Gibraltar Hotel” which he is
now conducting with much success. Mr. Kochel understands the wants
of the traveler, and his hostelry is becoming very popular with the
traveling public, who appreciate his clean service, excellent fare
and moderate rates.

In 1880 Mr. Kochel married Anna M. Kuhlman, and
to them two children have been born; John J. and Anna C. (m. Elmer
Clauser, a machinist). In religious belief the family are
Lutherans. Mr. Kochel is a member of Reading Lodge, No 549, F.
& A. M.; Excelsior Chapter, No. 237, R. A. M.; Reading
Commandery, No. 42, K. T.; Rajah Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S.; and
Washington Camp, P. O. S. of A. In politics he is a Democrat, but
he has never been an office seeker.

KOHL
FAMILY

p. 1008

Surnames: KOHL, GIETHA, GEHMAN, FRITZ, WILL, HUFFERT, ZIEGLER,
STRUNK, RATHMAN, McCARDY, GLASSMEYER, HOFFERT, KEFFER, WESTLEY,
SCHNABEL, BECKER, FREYBERG, HOSHAUR, MESSNER, GEBHART, STEFFY,
MOYER, LEBO, BIXLER, WISE, FURLOW, ZIEMER, GRIFFITH, REMP, SPATZ,
MOSSER, BLANKENBILLER, RATHMAN, HUFFERT, ECKEMOTH, YELK, FRY

Cumru township has for its most substantial citizens many whose
ancestors came to the New World from Germany and Switzerland. These
have left an ineffaceable mark upon the customs of the people, to
say nothing of industries established and continued in the family
name to the present time. Among the families early settled here is
that bearing the name of Kohl, and prominent in the family may be
mentioned Henry B., Nathan S., and Milton S. Kohl, of Cumru
township, farmers and truckers.

The earliest of the family to come to this
country was (1) Georg Kohl, a native of Baden, Germany, who crossed
the Atlantic in the ship “Peggy,: which landed at Philadelphia Oct.
16, 1754. Soon afterward he settled in Cumru township, Berks
county, where he owned land that has been divided and sub-divided
by his numerous descendants, some of it to this day being held in
the family name. In his family of children was a son, Georg.

(II) Georg Kohl, son of the emigrant, was born Jan. 10, 1759, and
died Feb. 28, 1824, aged sixty-five years, one month, eighteen
days. He built the “Kohl Hotel,” now known as the “Angelica Hotel,”
and was a man of much enterprise. He married Maria Gietha, who was
born Aug. 3, 1761: she died Aug. 28, 1832, aged seventy-one years,
twenty-five days. There children were: Simon, who built a large
stone house in 1845, on the property now owned by Peter Gehman, of
Cumru: George; William; Peggy, who married Daniel Fritz; and John,
who settled on the present site of St. Louis, Mo., one of the
earliest settlers in that section.

(III) George Kohl, son of Georg and grandson of the emigrant
ancestor, was born Jan. 10, 1784 and became a prominent citizen of
Cumru. He was the well-known proprietor of the “Kohl’s Hotel,” for
many years, besides owning considerable land and a number of
dwellings. He became rich and prosperous, and was actively
interested in public affairs. He was a member of the Allegheny
Union Church across the line from where he lived, in Brecknock
township, belonging to the German Reformed congregation. He was a
useful man in his community, and he befriended many in need, and
was greatly esteemed by all. He married Maria Will (born Aug. 9,
1787, died April 8, 1845, aged fifty-seven years, seven months,
twenty-nine days). He died April 1, 1845 aged sixty-one years, two
months, twenty-one days. There children were: Joseph (1811-1877) m.
Elizabeth Huffert (1817-1897) ; Mary m. John Fritz ; Rebecca m.
Samuel Ziegler ; Catherine m. William Strunk; Elias m. Betsey
Rathman; Henry, Sr.. m. Elizabeth McCardy; Benjamin (April 19,
1820- Sept. 1, 1888) m. Amelia Glassmeyer; Levi m. Susan Hoffert;
Richard m. Sally Keffer; Elizabeth m. Isaac Westley; Reuben m.
Susan Schnabel; and Luzenna m. (first) Isaac Becker, deceased, and
(second) Henry Freyberg, a millionaire, of Chicago, Illinois.

(IV) Henry Kohl, Sr., son of George, was born on the old homestead
May 10, 1815, and died Nov. 16, 1887. His entire life was devoted
to agricultural pursuits, and he owned a fertile farm of
eighty-nine acres in Cumru. He was very industrious and a man of
exemplary habits. He married Elizabeth McCardy (born July 2, 1818,
died Aug. 11, 1903, aged eighty-five years, one month, nine days).
There children were: Hiram; Joanna married John Hoshaur; Mary died
young; Henry B., Jr. ; Samuel ; Katie died young ; Elizabeth m.
Philip Messner ; Clara died young ; and Emma (deceased) m. Jacob
Gebhart.

(V) Henry B. Kohl, son of Henry, Sr., and one of the highly
respected residents of Cumru township, was born on his father’s
farm Aug. 29, 1848. He early learned the duties pertaining to a
farm, and until he was eighteen years of age he attended the
township schools and assisted his father. He then learned the
carpenter’s trade under the guidance of his uncle, Reuben Kohl, and
this he followed for twelve years. At the end of that time he
turned his attention to farming, and in 1892 he bought his father’s
farm, and now has 105 acres of rich trucking soil, and is engaged
in farming, attending the Reading market. He has erected all the
buildings on his property with the exception of the house, which
was built by his father in 1858. He has made many improvements, and
has been very successful in all his undertakings. In his political
principles he is a Republican, and he has been very useful in party
work, serving efficiently in any position he is asked to fill. For
three years he was roadmaster, and for one year, supervisor. He and
his family are Reformed members of the Allegheny Union Church, in
which he served as deacon for ten years. He is a member of the Sr.
O. U. A. M., Council No. 91, of Angelica.

In 1881 Henry B. Kohl married Mary Ann Steffy,
who was born Jan. 5, 1860, daughter of Ephraim and Elizabeth
(Gebhart) Steffy. Mrs.. Kohl has a son Harvey Fry (who married
Annie Moyer, deceased), and he has always made his home with Mr.
Kohl. To Mr. and Mrs. Kohl have been born thirteen children: Edwin
A. enlisted Aug. 20, 1899, in Company A, 47th U. S. Vols., served
eighteen months in Donsol, southern end of Luzon, P. I., and was
mustered out July 2, 1901, at San Francisco, Cal., and is now
assisting his father ; Menton E. ; Annie E. ; Henry M. ; Jennie L.
; Cora M. ; William Lebo ; Laura A. ; Mary E. ; Marcus M. ; Katie
E. ; Sadie M. ; and Maggie E.

(IV) Reuben Kohl, son of George and brother of Henry, Sr., was born
on the original Kohl homestead in 1825. He owned a tract of twenty
acres in Cumru , and forty acres across the line in Brecknock
township. He was a carpenter, and for many years followed that
occupation, erecting many dwellings. Many of the best carpenters in
this section gained their training under his watchful eye. The last
twelve years of his life were lived retired. He died June 12, 1891.
He was a Reformed member of the Allegheny Church, and was very well
known. He married Susan Schnabel, and they had six children, as
follows: Nathan S., former proprietor of the “Angelica Hotel” ;
Nelson S., a farmer in Cumru ; Milton S., a trucker in Cumru ;
Wilson S., a farmer on the old homestead ; Mary, who married Samuel
Wise ; and Ida, who married Frank Furlow.

(V) Nathan S. Kohl, until April 1, 1908, the popular “mine host” of
the “Angelica Hotel,” was born on the old Kohl place July 21, 1856,
son of Reuben. He attended the local schools for a few days each
winter until he was sixteen years old, when he began to learn the
carpenter’s trade from his father. After following that for eight
years, he learned the butcher’s trade, and for twenty-five years
gave it his attention, having his shop one mile from Angelica. He
had two men regularly employed, and killed weekly from five to six
beeves. During the winters in addition to the beeves he killed as
high as ten hogs a week, besides many calves. He attended the
Kissinger market in Reading, and also had teams supplying the
country trade. He made a great success of his work, but in 1897
gave it up to engage in trucking on his farm of forty acres near
Angelica, and this he continued for six years. In the spring of
1904 he became the proprietor of the “Angelica Hotel.” He built up
a nice trade, and was popular in the locality, keeping a
first-class place, and enjoying the good will of the traveling
public. He retired from the hotel April 1, 1908, and in 1909 began
farming his own lands in Angelica. He purchased his farm in 1891
from his uncle, Benjamin Kohl. He has put up new buildings, and
greatly improved the place, its generally up-to-date appearance
bearing witness to his thrift and industry. In politics he is a
Republican, and he and his family belong to the Reformed
congregation at Allegheny Church. He is a member of the Jr. O. U.
A. M., Council No. 91, at Angelica.

On Sept. 25, 1885, Mr. Kohl was married to Sarah
Ziemer, who was born in Brecknock township, daughter of William and
Catharine (Griffith) Ziemer, the former the proprietor of Knauer”s
Hotel foe seventeen years. To this union have been born four
children, namely, Emily, born Feb. 13, 1888 ; Salome, born April
20, 1893, died April 29, 1898 ; a daughter that died in infancy ;
and C. Stanley, born Oct. 6, 1901.

(V) Nelson S. Kohl, son of Reuben, born June 20, 1857, and now
industriously engaged in winning fortune from a fine truck farm of
forty-six acres, is one of the substantial and respected citizens
of Cumru. He was but twenty-seven years of age when he began for
himself, and in 1889 he purchased the farm which he now occupies.
Like his family he is a Republican in politics, and he has always
been interested in party work, although his own affairs have
engrossed too much of his time to permit him to perform the duties
attendant upon official position. He and his family are all
faithful members of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ Church, in
Brecknock township, and of this he has been class leader and
steward.

On Jan, 6, 1883, Mr., Kohl married Ellen Remp,
born Jan. 7, 1863, daughter of Samuel and Cassie (Spatz) Remp. Five
children have come to brighten their home, as follows: Katie (m.
Robert Mosser, a school teacher of Cumru) ; Stella, born March 7,
1891 ; Charles, Aug. 29, 1895 ; Paul, Jan. 21, 1903 ; and Mabel,
Jan. 5, 1907.

(V) Milton S. Kohl, a well-known trucker and farmer of Cumru, was
born in this township, Sept. 28, 1858, son of Reuben Kohl. His
education was acquired in the district schools, and in 1883 he
began work for himself, hauling ice for the Angelica Ice Company.
He continued at this for two years, and then for the following two
years was tenant farmer for Henry Kohl. From there he went to the
J. R. Blankenbiller truck farm, which he worked for six years, and
then spent three years on the Levi Rathman property. After three
years on the farm of his father-in- law, he, in the spring of 1899,
moved upon the property where he now lives. This he had purchased
the preceding year, and he has improved it until he has made of it
a most valuable property. He raises splendid crops, and his produce
has a well-earned and well-established reputation. In 1906 he built
a sand-stone house. In politics Mr. Kohl votes in support of
Republican principles. He and his family belong to the reformed
congregation at Allegheny Church.

On June 17, 1882, Mr. Kohl married Mary E.
Huffert, born Oct. 29, 1863, daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth
(Eckemoth) Huffert, the former a farmer who died June 6, 1902, aged
ninety-three years, three months, eleven days. To Mr. and Mrs. Kohl
have come three children: Howard, born Jan. 20, 1883, m. Lillie
Yelk, and has two children, Edward and Miriam ; Susan E., born June
19, 1887, m. Owen O. Bixler, and has two children, Reda and Bessie
; and William, born Aug. 8, 1891.

KOHL,
HENRY

p.1156

Surnames: KOHL, KEFFER, ARNOLD

Henry Kohl, one of the enterprising business men of Reading, who
is engaged in the restaurant business at No. 209 North Ninth
street, was born in Cumru township, Berks county, in 1865, son of
Richard and Sarah (Keffer) Kohl.

Henry Kohl attended the schools of Cumru
township, and came to Reading with his father in 1879. He was first
employed in the Reading Fire Brick works and was later in the
nickel plating department at the Philadelphia & Reading shops.
Here he remained for eight years, and then, being eager to enter
business on his own account, opened a restaurant, in 1901, at No.
207 North Ninth street, where he was located for a period of nine
months. At the end of this time Mr. Kohl located at his present
site, No. 201 North Ninth street, and here he has continued to the
present time with much success. He has two large dining rooms and a
large front room, and his trade includes some of the best in
Reading.

Mr. Kohl was married to Miss Katie Arnold,
daughter of Anthony and Sarah Arnold, and to this union have been
born children as follows: Vincent, who is assisting his father;
Arnold, at school; and Anetta. In politics Mr. Kohl is a Democrat,
but he has never taken an active part in public affairs, his
business claiming all of his attention. He and his wife attend St.
Paul’s Catholic Church. Mr. Kohl is a member of the Eagle.

KOHL, A.
CHARLES

p. 1172

Surnames: KOHL, MAURER, KLUMP, SCHORR, GROSS, HASSLER, BETZ, ROTH,
SLICHTER, LEHMAN

A. Charles Kohl, a well known hotel man of Reading, and one of that
city’s useful and representative citizens, is now the proprietor of
“The Grand.” located at the northwest corner of Seventh and
Franklin streets. Mr. Kohl was born at Reading, June 7, 1865, son
of Bernhard and Theresa (Maurer) Kohl.

Anthony Kohl, grandfather of A. Charles, was a
vine gardener in Baden, Kappelrodeck Achern, Germany. To him and
his wife whose maiden name was Klump, were born five children,
namely: Andrew, Magdalena, Caroline, Bernhard and Theresa.

Bernhard Kohl, father of A. Charles, was born in
Baden, Germany, Nov. 11, 1835, and when about eighteen years old he
came to America, and for a short time located at Philadelphia,
where his maternal uncle Klump resided. He soon, however, came to
Berks county, Pa., and here the remainder of his life was spent,
his death occurring Dec. 18, 1896. He worked upon the farm in Oley
township until his marriage in 1859 to Miss Theresa Maurer,
daughter of Fortunatus and Anna (Schorr) Maurer natives of Alsace,
France, who came to America in 1847 and located in Oley township,
below Friedensburg. Mr. and Mrs. Maurer had nine children, of whom
four survive, as follows: Theresa, Mrs. Kohl; Fortunatus and John,
of Reading; and Maria, the wife of Francis Gross, of Reading.
Bernhard Kohl was drafted for three years service during the Civil
war, but obtained a substitute, whom he paid $310, although at that
time money was very scarce. In the fall of 1863 Mr. Kohl came to
Reading, and for several years was employed as a laborer by the
Philadelphia & Reading Railroad. He then worked for thirty-five
years at Mellvain’s rolling mill, where he was known affectionately
among the employes as “Papa.” On account of his many years of
service. He was an intelligent, well-versed man, of a quiet,
peaceful disposition, and was a dutiful Catholic and consistent
attendant of St. Paul’s Church. He and his wife had the following
children: Franklin, who died in infancy; Anna, m. to Augustus B.
Hassler; Charles F., who died in infancy; A. Charles: John, a
printer of Reading; Katherine, who is single; Joseph, a printer of
Reading; Edward, who died at Porto Rico, while a soldier in Company
E, 4th Reg., Pa. V. I.,; Augustus, who died aged twenty-three
years; and Mary, deceased wife of Augustus Betz, of Reading.

A. Charles Kohl was educated in the parochial
school of St. Paul’s Catholic Church, and started to work for the
Reading Hardware Company in the drilling room, where he continued
about two years. As a lad he also worked in a rolling mill at
Philadelphia, whither his parents had removed in the ’70s, and on
coming to Reading he clerked behind the bar for his brother-in-
law, A. B. Hassler, whose history appears elsewhere in this volume.
Mr. Kohl continued with his brother-in-law for nine years, and at
the end of that time accepted a position with John Roth on Penn
avenue, above Eighth street, the present site of Leitheiser’s,
where he continued one and one-half years, subsequently entering
the employ of E. B. Slichter, on South Sixth street. For two
seasons he rented and conducted successfully the retail oyster
department, and the following seven years were spent in the employ
of G. W. Lehman, at the “American Hotel.” with whom Mr. Kohl was
associated in business the next five years, the firm being known as
Lehman & Kohl. In January, 1899, Mr. Kohl became proprietor of
the “East Reading Hotel.” which he conducted for four years, and on
Feb. 13, 1904, he took charge of “The Grand.” which he has since
conducted with much success, this being one of the best hotels in
Reading.

Fraternally Mr. Kohl is connected with the
Knights of St. John No. 271, Uniformed Rank, and is prominently
identified with this commandery. He was a subordinate commander,
then became president of the Commandery for four years, was then
elected first vice to the Grand Commandery, and one year later was
elected to the presidency of the Grand Commandery of the Diocese of
Philadelphia, his rank now being that of Brigadier General. He also
is a member of the Phoenix American Catholic Union. He and his
family are active members of St. Paul’s Catholic Church.

In 1889, Mr. Kohl was married to Anna Hassler,
daughter of Augustus Hassler, and to this union there have been
born five children, as follows: Annie, Clara, George, Ruth and
Edward.

KOHLER
FAMILY

p. 821

Surnames: KOHLER, HECHLER, FISHER, STRAUB, KUTZ, De LONG, MILLER,
BLANCK, MERKEL, TREXLER, FISTER, DIETRICH, HORNE, SCHOENFELD,
TURNER, HOLLENBUSH, BRUNNER, HORNE, STEVENS, LEIBY, DEISHER, RAHN,
GILDER, DeTURCK, SCHAEFFER, DREIBELBIS, KEELOR, SCHMOYER, EHST

The Kohler family of Berks county was founded here early, the first
ancestor in this country settling in Greenwich township, in the
vicinity of what is now Kohlers Hill, where he became the owner of
between five hundred and six hundred acres of land.

(I) John Kohler, the first of whom we have definite record, was the
great-grandfather of David A. Kohler, of Richmond township, and of
Dr. Daniel R. Kohler, of Boyertown. He was born March 15, 1769, was
a prominent man of his day, and died Jan. 31, 1849, leaving
considerable property. His wife, Hannah Rosina Hechler, born April
3, 1772, daughter of John and Maria Hechler, died Nov. 25, 1824.

(II) Adam Kohler, son of John, born Sept. 27, 1797, became a
well-to-do and influential farmer, owning and operating 212 acres
of excellent land. He was a member of the Grimville Lutheran Church
and for many years an elder. Adam Kohler died Aug. 5, 1869. He
married Annie Fisher, daughter of Philip Fisher, and to this union
were born: Daniel, who died in infancy ; Sarah, who married Isaac
Straub ; Adam, who died in 1901 ; John F. ; Eliza, the wife of
George Kutz, of Kutztown ; and Samuel D. F.

(III) Samuel D. F. Kohler, who died Aug. 16, 1908, after living
retired with his son David A. for a number of years, was born May
4, 1840. By vocation an agriculturist, he was also for a number of
years proprietor of the hotel at Crystal Cave. On Jan. 15, 1860, he
married Amanda De Long, and to this union were born: Ida married
Isaac Miller, of Windsor township, who died April 29, 1898 ;
Academus died single, aged twenty-nine years ; David A. is
mentioned below ; Rosie, unmarried, resides with her brother David
A. at the Cave.

(IV) David A. Kohler, now the owner of the famous Crystal Cave
property in the northwestern part of Richmond township, Berks
county, was born Aug. 9, 1865, in Greenwich township, and was
educated in the schools of Richmond township, whither he had been
brought by his parents. At the age of twelve years he commenced to
conduct visitors through Crystal Cave, and he has ever since lived
on the property. Coming into contact with so many people, he has
become well known, and his genial and affable disposition has won
him many friends.

Mr. Kohler was married March 29, 1889, to Miss
Ellacyda M. L. Merkel, daughter of John and Sally Ann (Blanck)
Merkel, prominent farming people of this vicinity, and one child
has been born to this union, Mabel Mae.

Crystal Cave, was discovered Nov. 12, 1871, by
William Merkel, who was quarrying stone. Gideon Merkel was the
owner of the property at that time, and in February, 1872, he
leased it to Samuel D. F. Kohler, who purchased it in March of that
year for $5000. He expended a considerable amount of money on the
property and in building before opening it for the inspection of
the public. The Cave has been explored for a distance of over two
thousand feet, and since its public opening, has been visited by
upward of twenty thousand people. Commissioner of superintendents
of public instruction, the inspector of schools and a noted
educator of Paris, France, went through the cave with Dr. J. S.
Trexler, Col. Thomas D. Fister, Mr. William C. Dietrich and Rev.
Dr. A. R. Horne, all of Kutztown, being a commission appointed to
examine American curiosities, and made this report: “Niagara Falls
and the Crystal Cave are the greatest natural wonders that we have
seen in America.”

The Society of Natural Sciences of Reading, Pa.,
sent a committee of learned men composed of Dr. J. Schoenfeld, D.
R. S. Turner, H. H. Hollenbush (chemist), Prof. D. B. Brunner and
Rev. Dr. A. R. Horne, to examine the cave and report on it. They
said in part: “Crystal Cave is filled with very interesting
curiosities; the stalactites, stalagmites and crystalline
formations present a variety of beauty such as is seldom seen.
Persons who visit the cave will be amply repaid.” Mr. C. B.
Stevens, a noted scientist of Toronto, Canada, said: “David A.
Kohler and his father, Samuel, have devoted the best days of their
lives in exploring this great yet practically unknown cave, for the
benefit of the American public. Money can never repay these men for
their labors.”

It was not idle curiosity that brought these men
to this geological phenomenon, but a desire to see it and to study
it at first hand. The problems presented in it are more than those
involved in the simple question of solutions. A student of geology
may glibly recite the fact that water containing carbon dioxide
acts as a solvent on limestone and that this solvency among other
conditions depends upon the amount of carbon dioxide present in the
water and upon the pressure to which it is subjected, and he may
further state that as soon as conditions are present which enable
the escape of the carbon dioxide the lime becomes insoluble again
and is precipitated in some form of incrustation. A journey to
Crystal Cave will throw more light upon this question than pages of
theorizing. To be brought face to face with the silent yet potent
forces of the past and present is the best way of understanding the
problems involved.

The rocks out of which this cavern has been
formed belong to the calciferous division of the lower Silurian
age. The entrance to the cavern is about eighty feet above a nearby
valley, and the soft Utica shales have been entirely removed from
the steep hill containing the cave, but are exposed at its base.
The limestone rocks here, therefore, are very resistant to the
weathering agents. Beautiful specimens of aragonite of a slender
stalactitic form are present, and there is an abundance of quartz
that has infiltrated between the rocks.

The floor area is approximately two acres in
extent and the average height of the roof is in the neighborhood of
twelve feet, although the height ranges in the main passage from
six to forty feet. The passageway narrows and widens from about two
feet to thirty feet.

Evidences of displacements of huge masses of
rock material are on every side, but judging from the rate of
growth of the aqueous deposits which have oriented themselves with
reference to gravity since these displacements the last mass of
dislodged material occurred many years ago. Mr. Kohler, who has
known this cave in all its details for thirty-eight years and who
has noticed all the changes that are likely to occur here with
time, positively states that during all these years there has not
only been little of no perceptible growth in the incrustations but
aside from certain acts of vandalism which despoiled it of some of
its original charms the cave to-day is exactly the same as it was
when first discovered.

Imagination has seen in the curious forms
assumed by the pilasters, the stalactites and the stalagmites a
vast variety of resemblances to natural objects, and one of the
most legitimate of training the imagination is to rethink these
likenesses and to imagine others.

The eagle-rock shows a remarkable likeness to
the national bird in the act of preying upon some innocent member
of the feathered tribe, and in the throes of death dame nature
crystallized both victor and quarry and held them there, an emblem
of the gigantic struggle which placed craft and brains to the
front. Anticipating by thousands of years the conical form of a
plate of ice-cream or as though nature in one of her tyrannical
moods visited her wrath upon a race of Titans about to partake of a
refreshing dish of orange ice already placed on a spacious table
and transmuted the delicacy into stone, the tempting dish, some two
feet high, has stood there unmelted all these centuries, waiting
the magic spell to unlock the stony molecules and to join the once
toothsome cream to the palate. Indeed, it seems as though that
tortuous cavern was about to witness a carnival of the giants. The
disemboweled intestines of some massive mastodon are still there;
the rib-roast partly sliced and ready to be served; the fowl was
picked and watermelon sliced and a mammoth fish awaited the repast.
But the giant hand of the caterer, like the hand on the wall of
old, was stilled; the bulky tooth which was to crush these viands
was severed ; and the prairie dogs which were waiting for the bones
of this breakfast of the gods are now silent in the gloom. The lily
chamber, which fancy pictures as the spare room for the giantesses,
and the massive cathedral room, with its three hundred frail
stalactites, the idol chamber (these strange beings must have been
idolaters), the bridal veil and all the other myriad evidences of
revelry, of remorse and of splendor are carved out of those
stupendous rocks with a realism which commands the admiration of
sculptors. Mother nature, to complete the ghastly scene, has caused
the body of the giant chief to be embalmed and placed in a
sarcophagus in a spacious crypt, as in the catacombs of ancient
story.

A natural curiosity of such magnitude and
interest should be visited by every person who has the opportunity
of doing so. Mr. D. A. Kohler, the intelligent and obliging
proprietor of the cave, has a natural love for the sublime in
nature, and he invariably joins with this a desire to satisfy every
reasonable wish of his many patrons.

(II) John Kohler, grandfather of Dr. Daniel R. Kohler, of
Boyertown, was born about 1804 on one of the Kohler homesteads in
Greenwich township, near Klinesville, and was probably a son of (I)
John Kohler. He lived in his native township, near Kutzs Mill, and
engaged in farming with fair success, owning a tract of 210 acres,
which later, in 1856, was divided into two portions, both now owned
by his sons. John Kohler died in 1875, and is buried at the
Grimville Church. He married Rebecca Leiby, daughter of Jacob
Leiby, of near Virginville, and she survived him, dying in the
spring of 1887. Their children were as follows: John (deceased)
lived near Douglassville, Pa. ; William (deceased) lived on the
homestead near Klinesville, on the farm now owned by his son John ;
Hannah (deceased) was the wife of John Deisher, of Kutztown ;
Daniel L. is mentioned later ; Jacob lives on the homestead in
Greenwich township, owning 150 acres, including that part of his
fathers farm on which the original set of buildings are located ;
Henry (deceased) moved to near Lansing, Mich., where his family
still reside.

(III) Daniel L. Kohler was born Feb. 5, 1834, on the farm now owned
by John Kohl, (son of his brother William) near Klinesville. He was
reared to farming, and followed that occupation throughout his
active years, retiring in 1895. He still lives upon his homestead
making his home with his son John. Mr. Kohler was a good practical
farmer, and owns a tract of 160 acres, which, as previously
referred to, was a part of his fathers homestead, divided in 1856.
Mr. Kohler is a Democrat in politics, and in religion a member of
St. Johns Lutheran Church at Kutztown, of which he was an official
for some years. He still serves as a director of Fairview cemetery.

In 1856 Daniel L. Kohler married Sallie Rahn,
who was born Oct. 28, 1834, daughter of John Rahn, of Maxatawny
township, and died April 30, 1907. She was the mother of eight
children, as follows : Hettie married Charles W. Gilder: John is
farming on the homestead ; Mary married A. J. DeTurck, a
harness-maker, of Oley township : Sarah married Alvin Schaeffer, of
Fleetwood ; Dr. Daniel R. is mentioned below ; Lizzie, unmarried,
lives in Philadelphia ; Dr. Henry, a successful veterinary surgeon,
is located at Trenton, N. J. ; Hannah married Chester DeTurck, of
Friedensburg, Berks county, and died in October, 1906, aged
thirty-two years.

(IV) Daniel R. Kohler, second son of Daniel L., was born April 19.
1868, in Greenwich township, Berks county, and was reared on the
home farm. He gained his early education in the common schools of
the township, and at the age of twenty-one entered the Keystone
State Normal School, at Kutztown, which he attended for a few
sessions. In the meantime he had decided to become a first-class
veterinary surgeon and after spending the summer of 1891 with Dr.
P. K. Dreibelbis, of Dreibelbis, Pa., he registered as a student at
the Ontario Veterinary College, Toronto, Canada, in the fall of
that year. In the spring of 1892 he went back to his original
preceptor, returning to the college in the autumn, and was
graduated from that institution March 25, 1893, winning a silver
medal for the best examination papers on “Diseases and Treatment,”
as well as prizes and honors in nearly all the branches of study he
pursued, materia media, anatomy and physiology. For a few months
following he practiced in the employ of Dr. J. Rein Keelor, at
Harleysville, Montgomery Co., Pa., on Nov. 28, 1893, settling in
Boyertown, where he purchased the good-will and paraphernalia of
Dr. Allen Keelor. Here he has since been located. As a veterinary
surgeon and dentist his skill has won him a large and lucrative
practice, and he has every convenience for caring for lame and sick
horses, conducting an infirmary of his own. It is equipped
through-out with box stalls. His patronage extends over a radius of
fifteen miles, and he keeps an automobile to help him cover long
journeys in good time. By 1900 Dr. Kohlers work had become so
heavy that he took A. H. Schmoyer as a student, and the latter,
after attending veterinary school for three winters and graduating,
has since continued with him as assistant. Dr. Kohler is a
prominent member of the State Veterinary Association, served two
terms as treasurer of that body, and in 1906 was elected president,
to which office he was re-elected in 1907.

Dr. Kohler is a man respected for his
intelligence and high principles, and he has been called into the
public service in several capacities. For three years he was a
member of the school board, and in the spring of 1906 was elected
chief burgess of Boyertown, during his administration of that
office rendering valuable service to the town. The terrible theater
catastrophe at Boyertown, on Jan. 13, 1908, proved his mettle. Dr.
Kohler at once appointed a permanent relief committee of ten men,
with Irwin T. Ehst as chairman, and the work they accomplished won
such high commendation from the general public and the press of the
county that the universal approval of their services was a tribute
to Dr. Kohlers judgment as well as to the devotion of the
committeemen. He displayed executive ability and character that
stamped him as a competent man for the chief executive office of
the city. He is a Democrat in political sentiment.

On June 8, 1893, Dr. Kohler married Mary E.
Dietrich, daughter of Daniel W. and Sallie (Merkel) Dietrich, of
Greenwich township, and they have had three children, namely:
Lawrence D., Daniel D. and Helen D. The Doctor and his family are
members of the Lutheran Church at Boyertown. They reside in their
own home in Boyertown, a comfortable residence at No. 42 West
Reading avenue.