BIO: ECKELS BROTHERS, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Joe Patterson OCRed by Judy Banja Copyright 2004. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/ _____________________________________________________________ >From Biographical Annals of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Chicago: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905, pages 845-848 _____________________________________________________________ NOTE: Use this web address to access other bios: http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/zeamer/ ECKELS BROTHERS. In the Old Grave Yard at Carlisle there is buried a Francis Eckels. The inscription on the tombstone at the head of his grave states that he died on Aug. 23, 1814, at the age of sixty-three years. Beside him is buried Mabel Eckels, "wife of Francis Eckels," who died May 31, 1816, aged sixty years, one month and twenty days. The name Francis Eckels appears upon the tax list of Carlisle in 1802, which, according to the researches that have been made, is the first appearance of the name upon the public records in the present limits of Cumberland county. He may have been in the county earlier but there is no documentary evidence of the fact. He was then fifty-one years of age. Francis Eckels was a brother to Nathaniel Eckels and James Eckels, who are referred to at some length in other Eckels histories given in this volume. According to a tradition long treasured in the family an Eckels child was born on the sea as the parents were on the way to America. It is the preponderance of opinion that this child was the Francis who is buried in the Old Grave Yard at Carlisle, and if this is correct the family must have come to America in 1751. Now, if the family came in 1751 and Francis Eckels first appeared in Cumberland county in 1802, where was he between those two dates? Among the court records at Carlisle are proceedings in a nun-cupative will, made on Oct. 7, 1781, by a Charles Eckels. The children named by the testator are Andrew, William, Daniel, James and Catrin. By the name "Catrin" evidently Catharine is meant. To his son William he willed his "cooper tools," and the fact that he had cooper tools is a pretty sure indication that he was a cooper by trade. It also appears that he had quite a number of other children, whose names are not given. There is nothing in the proceedings to show where in the jurisdiction of the Cumberland county court the testator lived, but an examination of the tax lists of Franklin county - which prior to 1784 was included in Cumberland - shows that it was in Hamilton township, Cumberland (now Franklin) county. Although not absolutely certain, in the present stage of research it is permissible to assume that the Charles Eckels who made the aforesaid nuncupative will was the father of the three Eckels brothers, Nathaniel, Francis and James. Tradition has it that the earliest American Eckels ancestor "settled in western Pennsylvania." At that time the section which included Hamilton township was western Pennsylvania, and it is quite probable that Francis Eckels's father first located there and that the Francis Eckels who is buried in the Old Grave Yard at Carlisle lived there before coming to Carlisle. Of course this leaves unsettled some important points in the early history of this family, but it is better that all the facts and traditions be frankly stated, for some day there may come along a historian who will be able to reconcile them and fuse them into history that is correct, reliable and complete. 846 CUMBERLAND COUNTY. Francis Eckels was married to Mabel Fleming and by her had the following children: James, Ann, Samuel, John, Jane, Betsey, Mary, Robert D. and Daniel. Three of the sons, James, Samuel and John, settled in Allen (now Upper Allen) township, bought property and engaged at coopering, which seems to have been the favorite occupation with the Eckels family in all the earlier generations. Samuel Eckels, son of Francis and Mabel (Fleming) Eckels, was born March 26, 1784, and on January 25, 1810, married Agnes Monosmith, who bore him four children, viz.: Martha and Mary, who were twins, James and William. William died in infancy. Agnes (Monosmith) Eckels died Feb. 9, 1813, at the age of twenty-four years, and Samuel Eckels, on May 3, 1814, married Mary Cooper, who bore him six children, viz.: Robert, William, Nancy, Elizabeth, Samuel and Margaretta J. Samuel Eckels for many years lived on what has long been known as the Yost property in Upper Allen township, where he followed the favorite family occupation of coopering. He died March 11, 1865; his wife, Mary (Cooper) Eckels, died Dec. 8, 1858, aged almost sixty-three years, and his remains and the remains of both his wives are interred in the cemetery of the Silver Spring Church. William Eckels, the second child of Samuel Eckels by Mary Cooper, was born on Jan. 16, 1817, on his father's farm in what is now Upper Allen township. Here he grew to manhood, received such education as the country district schools then afforded and learned coopering under the instruction or his father. At the age of twenty-five he located at Cedar Springs, which later was known as Milltown and still later as Eberly's Mills, where he was given charge of the cooper shops of George Heck, distiller and miller. Here he continued until in the spring of 1846, when he removed to Mechanicsburg and worked at his trade there. In 1853 President Pierce appointed him postmaster at Mechanicsburg, which office he filled for five years. Subsequently he erected a number of houses in Mechanicsburg. He was industrious and economical and accumulated sufficient means to enable him to spend his declining years in comfort. On Dec. 24, 1846, William Eckels married Miss Sarah Ann Proctor, daughter of John and Mary H. (Officer) Proctor, of Carlisle. The Proctor and Officer families were long prominent in the annals of Cumberland county. John Proctor came to Carlisle about the year 1814. It is not definitely known where he previously resided, but it is probable that it was in Adams county. He was a silversmith and plater and while in his prime was a very active and enterprising man. He died Jan. 10, 1847. The Officers came at an earlier date than the Proctors. John Officer first appeared upon the tax list of Carlisle in 1785, and from that time on continually until his death, which occurred on March 14, 1831. By occupation he was a carpenter and joiner. He was married twice and had the following children: Alexander, James, Mary, John, Nancy, Jane, Thomas and William. On Oct. 17, 1815, John Proctor, the silversmith, was married to Mary, daughter, of John Officer, the carpenter and joiner. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Henry R. Wilson, and the marriage is recorded in the marriage registry of the Silver Spring Presbyterian Church. John Officer, John Proctor, their wives and many of their kindred are buried in the Old Grave Yard at Carlisle, but all of their descendants who bear their names have left the home of their childhood and settled in other parts of the country. In CUMBERLAND COUNTY. 847 the row of Officer graves is one of Thomas Officer - brother to John Officer, the Carlisle carpenter and joiner - who died at the home of Patrick Wallace, in Frankford township, in March, 1813, in the ninetieth year of his age. Patrick Wallace was married to a Sally Officer, and probably was a son-in-law. One of John Officer's sons, as the reader will note, was named Thomas Officer, after this venerable uncle. Thomas Officer, the nephew - brother to Mary (Officer) Proctor - studied art and drifted away to California, where he achieved distinction as a portrait painter. His masterpiece was a portrait of the emperor of Mexico; but he also painted a portrait of his brother, and one of himself, that were accorded high merit. To John and Mary (Officer) Proctor, on Nov. 4, 1820, was born a daughter, who was named Sarah Ann, after her paternal grandmother. This daughter became the wife of William Eckels and shared the joys and sorrows of his home till the end of life. They were members of the Presbyterian Church and faithful and devout attendants upon its services. William Eckels died on Jan. 27, 1899; his wife died on March 2, 1899, and their remains rest in the Mechanicsburg Cemetery. William and Sarah Ann (Proctor) Eckels had six children, only three of whom are living, viz.: John Proctor, George Morris and Walter Lowrie. John P. married Miss Anna Hurst, moved to Decatur, Ill., and has ever since been there engaged in the hardware trade. His first wife died in June, 1892, and he has since married Miss Annie McDonald, a half sister of ex-Gov. James A. Beaver. GEORGE MORRIS ECKELS, M. D., was born in Mechanicsburg April 29, 1857, and received the full benefit of its public schools. On leaving the public schools he took a course in the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, from which he graduated in March, 1879. Returning to Mechanicsburg he in connection with his brother, Walter L., bought the drug store of his former employer, Mr. Bridgeford, and under the firm name of Eckels Brothers, they have been conducting an up-to-date drug business ever since. In November, 1903, they purchased a drug store in Harrisburg, which Walter L. is now running in the name of the firm. As were their ancestors before them, and as are the Eckelses generally in Cumberland county, the Eckels Brothers are Democrats, take an active interest in public affairs and bear their full share of the duties and responsibilities of citizenship. At the organization of the Pennsylvania State Legislature in January, 1883, George M. was elected transcribing clerk of the House of Representatives, which position he held during that session and through the extra session which followed. In September of that year he entered the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania from which he graduated May 1, 1885. He then began the practice of his profession at Mechanicsburg, practicing along with his drug business, and is still so engaged. In 1890 he was elected a member of the lower branch of the State Legislature and in 1892 re-elected, each time by handsome majorities. He is well known in all parts of the county, is frequently in the councils of his party and has rendered it faithful and efficient service. On June 9, 1897, Dr. George Morris Eckels was married to Clara Agnes Hertzler, daughter of Elias and Sarah A. (Lehman) Hertzler, of Monroe township, and they have one child, a daughter, named Janet Wallace Eckels, born Oct. 26, 1898. The family affiliate with the Presbyterian Church of Mechanicsburg. WALTER LOWRIE ECKELS was born in 848 CUMBERLAND COUNTY. Mechanicsburg April 19, 1859. He passed through all the various grades of the public schools of his native town and graduated from its high school. Upon leaving school he immediately entered the drug business and has been in it continuously ever since. Although diligent in his business he takes a live interest in public affairs and finds time to discharge the public duties that are sometimes assigned him. He served on the Mechanicsburg school board three years, during two of which he was president of the board. He married Miss Sallie Bowman, daughter of S. G. and Mary (Rupp) Bowman, but in a few short years was bereaved of her companionship. She died May 15, 1898, without issue. Mr. Eckels belongs to the Presbyterian Church of Mechanicsburg, in which he holds the position of elder.