BIO:  JACOB M. LONGSDORF, 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 553-554
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  NOTE: Use this web address to access other bios:
  http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/zeamer/


     JACOB M. LONGSDORF, one of the prominent retired farmers owning a pleasant
  and comfortable home in Mechanicsburg, Cumberland county, was born April 9,
  1836, in Silver Spring township, Cumberland

    554  CUMBERLAND COUNTY.

  county, son of George and Elizabeth Longsdorf.

    George Longsdorf was born in 1800, in Silver Spring township, and belongs
  to one of the county's fine old families, whose ancestral history will be
  found elsewhere. He was the father of eight children: Margaret S.; William
  Zeigler, deceased; Henry, deceased; Emanuel; George A., deceased; Jacob M.;
  John, deceased; and Sarah, wife of John Kast, of Nebraska.

    Jacob M. Longsdorf passed his youth on the farm, and attended the district
  school in the old log school-house in Silver Spring township, during the
  winter seasons, until his eighteenth year, and he remained with his father
  until his marriage. After this event he settled on a part of his uncle Adam
  Longsdorf's farm, the old Longsdorf homestead in Silver Spring township,
  operating that farm for five years, and then moved to New Kingstown, where he
  remained until 1870. In this year he removed to the borough of Mechanicsburg,
  where he bought a small tract of ten acres, and there engaged in a nursery
  business, growing and handling nursery stock extensively and successfully
  until 1898. At this time he disposed of his stock, but retained his little
  farm, on which is a good dwelling, barn and numerous sheds. Mr. Longsdorf has
  been a very industrious man, and has met with excellent success in all of his
  efforts.

    On Dec. 22, 1859, Mr. Longsdorf married Mandilla Williams, of Silver Spring
  township, born in York county, Nov. 10, 1836, daughter of John W. and
  Wilhelmina L. Williams. They have no children. Both he and wife are members
  of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, in which he has been a deacon for
  eighteen years, and an active; worker in the Sunday-school. In politics he is
  a Democrat, and for three years he was elected a member of the borough council
  of Mechanicsburg, from a Republican ward, this being a pretty fair indication
  of the esteem in which he is held by his fellow citizens.