Biography:  Augustus R. Anderson, Washington Twp, Berks County

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Historical and Biographical Annals of Berks County, Pennsylvania
Compiled by Morton L. Montgomery, Volume I, p. 571

Surnames:  Anderson, Bailey, Body, Foust, Frunheiser, Hartline, Hartman, Kelley
                   Kline Levan, Mosser, Muthart, Nagel, Pattison, Reifsnyder, 
                   Reppert, Ritter,  Schnabel, Seachrist, Snyder, Spohn

AUGUSTUS R. ANDERSON, President of the Board of County Commissioners and a 
representative citizen of Mohnton, was born in Washington Township, Berks County,
March 21, 1865, son of Peter S. and Catherine (RITTER) ANDERSON.

The ANDERSON family to which Augustus R. belongs is of Irish origin, and is 
descended from James, a native of Ireland, who came to this country before the 
Revolution.  He became a clerk in the Oley furnace and forge and is supposed to
have boarded at “Woodchopper City.”  The little colony known by that name was 
located in Earl Township, and sprang into existence about the middle of the 
eighteenth century.

James ANDERSON (2) was born in “Woodchopper City” in 1794, and lived to his 
ninetieth year, passing away in 1883.  By trade, he was a shoemaker, but also 
farmed and was the owner of a tract of forty-four acres in Washington Township.
He married Miss Rebecca SPOHN, the daughter of Casper and Rebecca SPOHN, and to
their union children were born as follows:  Hettie m. Gideon HARTLINE, a farmer
at Shanesville; Matilda m. Daniel MOSSER of Reading; Sophia m. Henry FRUNHEISER,
a farmer in Washington Township; Rebecca m. Jacob SEACHRIST, who moved to 
Fulton County, Ohio; Catherine m. Augustus NAGEL, of Gilbertsville; James, a 
farmer and shoemaker of Washington Township, was twice married; Jeremiah, of 
New Berlinville, PA, m. Miss Catherine MUTHART; Peter S.; John, twin brother of
Peter, a blacksmith at Shanesville, was twice married; and Jacob died aged twenty-two.

Peter S. ANDERSON was born in Washington Township, September 24, 1835, and 
received most of his education in pay school in that section, with one year in 
the public schools.  As a young man he learned the trade of wheelwright, at 
which he was employed but four and a half years, when he turned his attention 
to farming.  In 1878 he moved to Reading and has since made his home there, 
except for a period of six years when he lived with his son Augustus at Mohnton.
On October 16, 1857, he married Catherine, daughter of Isaac and Anna (Mosser) 
RITTER, and they became the parents of:  James, of Boyertown, a victim of the 
Boyertown calamity of January 13, 1908 [Rhoads Opera House Fire], m. Miss 
Laura REPPERT; Henry died aged nineteen; Audora, deceased, m. Harry LEVAN; 
Lizzie m. Albert REIFSNYDER; Jacob R. m. Miss Sallie FOUST, and he conducts a
secondhand furniture and auction house at No. 229 North Ninth Street, Reading, 
PA; Augustus R. m. Miss Rosa H. SNYDER; Anna L. and Wellington both died 
during the “spotted fever” epidemic, and were buried in the same coffin;  Ida 
died of the same disease two weeks later;  Irwin m. Miss Norah KLINE, and is a
barber in Reading, PA; Laura m. Adam SCHNABEL of Reading, PA; Edwin m. Miss 
Emma KELLEY, of Reading, PA; and Kate m. James BAILEY of Reading.

Augustus R. ANDERSON was sent to the public schools during his boyhood, but 
left at an early age to go to work, and for five years was employed as clerk at
the “Union House” in Reading, the beginning of his association with hotel life.
The next four years he was in charge of the “Oley Line Hotel” at Lime Kiln, and
in 1888 he engaged for a time as clerk in a hat store, and then was employed by
a tea and coffee house.  In 1891 he was ready to return to the hotel business 
and accordingly leased the “Mohnsville (now Mohnton) Hotel” from Frank F. 
MOSSER for two years.  Results proved entirely satisfactory and April 27, 1893,
Mr. ANDERSON bought the place and at once proceeded to remodel it, adding all 
the latest improvements.  The house has twenty-eight rooms, is well managed and
regularly patronized by a large proportion of the traveling public.

Mr. ANDERSON is essentially a public-spirited man and has done much to add to 
the convenience and pleasure of his fellow citizens.  One of his progressive 
enterprises was to purchase the BODY estate in Mohsville (now Mohnton), held 
at a high figure, and to erect on that site the upper station at Mohnton, a 
great accommodation.  Just opposite this he built in the spring of 1906 the 
Mohnton Auditorium, standing near the trolley tracks.  This building, 50x100 
feet, is finished throughout in yellow pine and hard wood lumber, with all 
modern appointments, and is used for sociables [sic], band rehearsals, basket 
ball, poultry shows, entertainments of all kinds.  In 1907 there was added at 
a considerable expense an artistically equipped stage.  Politically Mr. ANDESON
has made himself well known in Berks County, working in the Democratic ranks.
He has served as township committeeman, county and state delegate, acting in 
the latter capacity at the convention where Hon. Robert E. PATTISON was 
nominated for governor.  In 1904 he was a candidate for director of the poor, 
and polled a large vote.

Mohnton became a borough in the spring of 1906, and Mr. ANDERSON was elected 
to the first council and chosen as the first President, thus evidencing his 
popularity in a community not fettered by party lines.  On November 3,1908, he 
was elected to the office of County Commissioner by the sanction of 16,204 
voters, a compliment of no mean significance, and of this board he was also 
chosen president.  He was one of the organizers of the Mohnton National Bank, 
in which he has held a directorship since its founding.  Socially Mr. ANDERSON 
is equally prominent and popular.  He belongs to the F.O.E., Aerie No. 66, 
Reading; Eagles’ Mountain Home; the K. of P. No. 485, of Mohnton; D.O.K.K. No. 
37, of Reading; the I.O.O. F. No. 518, and Rebekah degree; the Knights of 
Friendship, Fidelia No. 5 (all of Reading); to the P.O.S. of A., No. 221, of 
Oley Line, also P.O.S. of A. Commandery Lexington No. 2, of Reading; the 
Liberty Fire Company No. 5, and the Schuylkill Camp Club of Reading.  

On November 25, 1882, Mr. Anderson married Miss Rosa H. SNYDER, daughter of 
Jacob and Emma R. (HARTMAN) SNYDER, the former a landlord in Exeter Township.  
Three children were born to them: Emma May; Wellington S, who died May 1, 1896,
aged eleven years; and Edna.