BIO: Adam BRETH, Clearfield County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja & Sally Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/ NOTE: Use this web address to access other bios: http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/1picts/swoope/swoope.htm _____________________________________________________________ From Twentieth Century History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and Representative Citizens, by Roland D. Swoope, Jr., Chicago: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, 1911, pages 776 & 777. _____________________________________________________________ ADAM BRETH. The parentage of this subject is as follows: The father's name was Henry Breth, born in 1792, and was the son of Henry Breth, who lived and was born in Germany, not far from the city of Mayance, and lived till he was one hundred and six years old; of the mother nothing is now known. Henry, Peter and Adam, three brothers, came to the United States in the year 1819. Henry, was married in Germany, and brought two daughters with him; the mother's maiden name was Mary C. Martin. This family located at Karthaus in Clearfield county; the father worked for Peter Karthaus as a stone mason when the works at Karthaus were first started. Here at this place the following named children were born to them. But first say, that Mary and Margaret were born in Germany, Mary in 1813 and Margaret November 5, 1815; at Karthaus, Elisabeth born February 24, 1820; Susan, February 17, 1822; Samuel, February 14, 1824. The parents then moved to Marsh-Creek, Center county, Pa. Here, Henry, the next, was born on April 12, 1826; Jacob, born at the same place, August 3, 1828. The parents then moved to Howard, Center county, Pa., where Joseph Harris, another son, and Adam, the present subject, were born, Joseph Harris on November 30, 1830, and Adam, February 10, 1833. In April of the same year the parents moved to what is Burnside township, near Patchinville. Here the family lived and worked at clearing up land and lumbering. In 1843 the family moved onto a farm two miles direct west from New Washington; lived on this farm till April of 1844, and then moved into Bell township and bought a farm in that township. Here the father lived till July 4, 1875. The mother died March 22, 1869, in the seventy-sixth year of her age. On the 29th of May, 1850, the subject of this sketch left home by the parents' consent to learn the trade of blacksmithing; served till September, 1853, at which time he had served three years, all but two months; for this two months he paid "his boss" $25.00, and went to New Washington, Pa. Here he worked in partnership with a brother at the smithing business. On the 24th of May, 1854, he was united in marriage with Margaret G. Lee, daughter of Isaac and Hannah Fulton Lee; to this union were born ten children, six of these died in infancy; the first born is Lettie Lucretia, born July 18, 1855, and is married to John H. Baker; Isaac Henry, born October 5, 1856, and died January 6, 1877; James, born August 31, 1860. He married Alice Fryer; to this union is born two sons, Adam Breth, born October 20, 1884, and Ernest, born January 31, 1885. The parents named were married December 20, 1883. Jane R., born May 8, 1862; she was married to William Thompson, November 11, 1886; to this union were born seven children, as follows: Lillian Elisabeth, born May 3, 1887; James Horace, February 4, 1889; Hazel Amanda, February 2, 1894; Margaret Anna, April 14, 1896; John Adam, February 26, 1899; William Herman, January 2, 1902; Helen Maxine, June 4, 1909. On the 28th day of July, 1869, the mother of the above named children, wife of the subject, died; the oldest girl took charge of the family of younger children. On the first day of April, 1872, the subject of this biography was again married, to Maria G. Armor, at Smicksburg, Indiana county, Pa. She was the daughter of John Armor and Jane Cochran Armor; the father was born in Lancaster county, Pa., and the mother was born in Westmoreland county, Pa. (have not the dates of either one's birth). To this union were born two children - a daughter, born September 27, 1873, and died October 3, 1873. Armor Gregg, born May 28, 1875, died September 8, 1876. In 1859 he was first elected justice of the peace for Bell township at the age of twenty-six years, and was elected for that township four terms (twenty years). Followed smithing, farming and lumbering up to February 27, 1877, when he moved to New Washington, Pa. Carried on smithing. In 1880 was elected justice of the peace, and is still serving out now (May 15, 1911) his eleventh term. In 1883 he was employed by a coal company (Clearfield and Cambria Coal and Coke Company) to take options for coal lands, and took up with but a few exceptions nearly 13,000 acres. The deeds of nearly all these properties was or were acknowledged before his term as justice of the peace, and checks of the company were delivered by him for the payment of the same. He continued with this company as bookkeeper-paymaster, and did the general business for the company up to July 5, 1902, when he left the employ of this company. He served as a notary public for two successive terms, of four years each. Served a number of terms as school director, one term as burgess, a number of terms on the council, has been borough auditor for years and is now auditor; is under appointment a local registrar of vital statistics of District 390, under the State Department of Health, and is secretary of the Board of Health for this borough. In 1890 he took up the study of surveying and civil engineering, also the study of shorthand and typewriting, and was successful in all these callings. Is now, since July 23, 1908, acting postmaster of the New Washington postoffice, Clearfield county, Pa. His wife being appointed postmaster, as he could not, under a State law, hold the office of justice of the peace. Can now in his seventy-ninth year write four different systems of shorthand, still does surveying, and does the work of the postoffice. Has five great-grandchildren.