BIO: Christian DALE, Centre County, Pennsylvania Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Wayne Barner Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/centre/ _______________________________________________ Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania: Including the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion: Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Etc. Chicago: J. H. Beers, 1898. _______________________________________________ COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD, pages 89-91 CHRISTIAN DALE (I), the progenitor of the Dale family here in Centre County, came to this country, arriving at Philadelphia, in 1749. Ludwig Derr, in 1772, owned the tract of land on which Lewisburg now stands, and that year Christian Dale was living on that part of the land known in 1877 as Col. Slifer's upper farm near the iron bridge, which place Dale cleared in 1772. He resided in Buffalo Valley, in which, he was one of the, first settlers, during the stirring times of the Revolution. In 1790 he removed to the end of Nittany Mountain, now College Township, Centre County, where in 1796 be built a gristmill and sawmill. He was one of those sterling old Germans to whom Pennsylvania owed so much, and whose walk in life was measured by the rule: "Be just and fear not". He died in July, 1805, at the age of seventy-two years; his wife Rachel passed away in December, 1808, aged seventy-six years, and their remains rest in the old Dale burying ground on the hill back of Lemont. These pioneers came to a vast wilderness, poor and died at a ripe old age, comparatively wealthy, leaving to their children fine farms, and the inheritance of names made noble by a long life of toil and hardship. Their children were: Henry, Philip, Felix, Frederick, Christian, Cornelius, Mary (wife of Nicholas Straw, a soldier of the Revolution), Eve (wife of Peter Earhart), and Rachel (wife of Lewis Swinehart). Of these, Christian and Frederick moved to Ohio; the descendants of the others are living in Centre county-they are quite numerous and have always been exemplary citizens. Henry Dale, the eldest child, was born in Northampton County, in 1758. He was a soldier with Washington at Trenton and Princeton, in 1776-77, and served in militia tours under Capt. Forster, of Buffalo Valley. On November 19, 1787, he married Rebecca Weberin, and their children were: Samuel, born November 23, 1788; Henry, born November 17, 1793; and John, born November 25, 1797. His second wife was Phillena -, whom he married April 22, 1804; she died September 11, 1836. The children by this union were: Christian, born December 20, 1806, and Henry (2) born April 2, 1813. The father of these children died in the vicinity of Oak Hall March 14, 1844, aged eighty-six years. The gun, pow- COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 90 der horn and fork, carried by him in the Revolutionary War, are in the possession of Clement Dale, Esq., of Bellefonte. Christian Dale (3), son of Henry Dale, died at his home near Oak Hall, November 7, 1885. His birth occurred December 20, 1806. His ancestors had bought a large tract of land, which they cleared and converted into several large farms. Christian Dale (3) often said to his children and others, that he well remembered when there was no land cleared between Lemont and Bellefonte except a small piece where William Grove lived in 1885 - a short distance from Lemont. By strict integrity and close economy Mr. Dale accumulated a large amount of wealth, and his personal influence was of the purest, and extended all over this section of the country. He had a memory stored with more unwritten or traditional history than, perhaps, any other man in Centre County. He often remarked to his children that where he used to play when a child there he saw his grandchildren play, meaning more particularly at a beautiful spring of sparkling water, that finds its way from the ground near the old homestead. He took great delight in gathering his children, as well as grandchildren, around him, and relating incidents of early and pioneer life. Many an incident was related by the venerable old man that will be remembered through life by those who listened. In politics he was a Republican, and in I 883 was the nominee of the party for the office of associate judge. His popularity in the county was evidenced by the large vote he polled. He received the vote of many Democrats who full well knew him to be a man eminently qualified in every respect for such an important county office. He was a consistent member of the Lutheran Church from youth up, and always contributed freely toward all religious and charitable purposes. The high esteem in which he was held by all who knew him could not be more forcibly manifested than by the large number of friends that attended the funeral, which was one of the largest in that part of the county for many years. Mr. Dale was described as "a tall, portly, gray haired old gentleman, and as fine a type of manhood as one can well imagine." On June 20, 1826, Mr. Dale was married to Hannah Shoeneberger, who died April 7, 1844, in her fortieth year. Their children were: Susan, born April 29, 1827, married John Musser, of near Filmore; Henry, born November 9, 1828, deceased; George, born August 1, 1831, resides near Lemont; William J., born June 22, 1833, lives near Pleasant Gap; Christian, born October 6, 1835, is deceased; Solomon, born October 21, 1837, served in the Civil War in Company A, 148th P. V. I., and was lost at the battle of Spotsylvania Court House, May 12, 1864; Mary C., born October 1, 1839; Catherine married John Musser, Jr.; Philip S., born May. 31, 1842, resides near Oak Hall; and Martin L. and Margaret L. (twins), born April 3, 1844. By a second marriage, this time to Eliza Neff, there were born: Austin W., who is now living on the old homestead; Alfred A., born July 29, 1849, of Bellefonte; and Clement, born February 25, 1851. The mother of these died November 4, 1874, in the sixty- second year of her age. Capt. Christian Dale (4), son of Christian (3), whose death occurred at his home in Benner Township, on December 1, 1895, in the sixty-first year of his age, like his ancestor of the Revolution, was a patriot. He was born and raised on the old homestead, where he worked through the summer season, and taught school during the winters. On the breaking out of the Civil war, he offered his services to his country, enlisting at Boalsburg, and was made fourth corporal Company G, 49th P. V. I. On January 11, 1863, he was transferred to Company C, and promoted to sergeant. On December 24, 1863, he re-enlisted as a veteran; on March 4, 1864, he was commissioned a second lieutenant, and December 18, following, was promoted to first lieutenant. On May 17, 1864, he received a shell wound, and on June 9, 1865, he became captain of Company H. He participated in every engagement in which his regiment took part, and his record was a brilliant and daring one throughout the war. At the close of the war he returned with the regiment, and, coming home, resumed the life of a farmer. He started a gristmill on his place near Pleasant Gap, which' was known as Logan Mills. For many years Capt. Dale was secretary of the Centre County Fire Insurance Company, P. of H. He was a member of the Union Veterans Legion No. 59, of Bellefonte, and was their colonel in 1894; he was also a member of Post No. 95, G. A. R., of Bellefonte. Capt. Dale was a man of firm decision of character, and took a common-sense view of everything. He had a kind word for everybody, poor or rich, and was a Christian man. His wife, who was Catherine Musser, and whom he married in 1867, preceded him to the grave, dying in 1890. Henry Dale, a brother of the Captain, died at his home at Oak Hall in 1Sg6. He was born at the Dale homestead November 9, 1828, and throughout life was one of the county's most successful farmers. He took a deep interest in the Patrons of Husbandry, of which he was an COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 91 influential member. He belonged to the Lutheran Church of Boalsburg, and was one of its main supporters and pillars. He was an honest, upright Christian gentleman, highly honored and respected by a large circle of friends. He left, surviving him, a widow and four children, namely: Charles is a farmer near Lemont; Catherine M. is residing at Centre Hall; Alice is the wife of H. F. McGirk, of Altoona; and Miss Anna M. is at home. Austin W. Dale was born April 22, 1847, at the Dale homestead near Oak Hall, where he is now residing occupied in farming. He was married, in 1868, to Catherine Keller, a daughter of David Keller, of Boalsburg, and the children born to the marriage were: Luther K., April 20,1870; Clement G., October 8, 1871; Christian K. (deceased). December 14, 187-; Margaret E., April 3, 1878, died January 20, 1879; and Ellen E., January 10, 1880. The mother of these died March 29, 1883, in her thirty-fourth year, and September 25, 1884, Mr. Dale was married to Rachel E. Meyer, who was born August 8, 1847, a daughter of Henry and Catherine (Hoffer) Meyer, of near Boalsburg. Henry Meyer was a son of Henry Meyer, Sr. Alfred A. Dale, a well-known attorney at Bellefonte, where he has been engaged in the practice of law for nearly a quarter of a century, was born and reared on his father's farm, where his early years and young manhood was passed not unlike that of the general farmer's son. His early schooling was received in the common schools of the neighborhood, and in a private school held on the Dr. Hammil homestead. He was prepared for college at the Boalsburg Academy, and was graduated from Pennsylvania College, Gettysburg, in 1874. Immediately afterward he began the study of the law, under the late D. S. Keller, of Bellefonte, and was admitted to the Bar of' Centre county at the August term of court, in 1876. "Al Dale," as he is familiarly called, has taken quite an active part in politics, and in 1892 was one of the Republican nominees for the General Assembly; but with the rest of that ticket he was defeated at the election in the Democratic land-slide of that year. The home paper in commenting on Mr. Dale's nomination said: "In A. A. Dale the voters of Centre county have a man whose ancestors were among the very earliest settlers of Centre county. Mr. Dale was born here, raised on the farm, and always took a deep interest and active part in all that pertained to the best interests of the county. He is, without doubt, one of the best qualified men for the Legislature that has been nominated in the county for years."