BIO: Frederick SEIDLE, Cumberland County, PA
  
  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/
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  >From Biographical Annals of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania,
  Chicago: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905, pages 130-131
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  NOTE: Use this web address to access other bios:
  http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/zeamer/
  
      FREDERICK SEIDLE, one of the leading representatives of the 
    manufacturing interests of Mechanicsburg, Pa., was born in Philadelphia, 
    Oct. 26, 1825, son of Frederick (Sr.) and Magdalena (Bergner) Seidle, 
    both of whom were natives of Wurtemberg, Germany. These parents came to 
    Philadelphia in 1825, where the father engaged in a produce business, 
    both in that city and Lancaster until 1836, when he removed to 
    Cumberland county and purchased a farm in Silver Spring township. There 
    he and his wife spent useful lives, and died firm in the faith of the 
    Mennonite Church. Their family was as follows: Conrad, deceased; 
    Frederick; Martha Anne; Lizzie and Catherine, the latter of whom is the 
    wife of Christian Brenner, of Philadelphia.
      Until he was eighteen years of age, our subject remained upon the farm, 
    receiving a limited common school education in Silver Spring township. 
    At the age of nineteen years he came to Mechanicsburg, and served an 
    apprenticeship at the trade of carpenter and cabinetmaker. Although he 
    started out in life with a very small capital, by hard work, good 
    management and honest methods he has made a success of his life. He 
    attended the Paris Exposition in 1878, with exhibits of his manufactured 
    material, and received several gold medals. Mr. Seidle also traveled 
    over France, Germany, England, Belgium, Holland and Switzerland, 
    visiting many carriage and manufacturing establishments, and he took 
    orders enough to keep his business running for over a year.
      Prior to the Civil war, Mr. Seidle engaged in business with Samuel 
    Eberly, for the purpose of manufacturing wagon material, such as spokes 
    and other articles pertaining to wagon making, and also hay rakes, sash 
    and doors, and all kinds of building material. About this time he took 
    out patents on what is known as the Seidle hay rake, and later made 
    large sales of it throughout the entire West. In 1860, the partners 
    closed their business, and engaged in bridge building for the United 
    States government. Alter a year Mr. Seidle returned to Mechanicsburg, 
    and engaged in the manufacture of hay rakes until 1865, when he again 
    embarked in the spoke, hub and wheel industry, from time to time 
    enlarging his plant, until he is the leader in his line in this 
    locality, and one of the largest in the United States.
      In November, 1850, Mr. Seidle married Miss Elizabeth Stevenson, born in 
    Cumberland county, near Harrisburg, a daughter of
  
  CUMBERLAND COUNTY.  131
  
    David and Leah (Shriner) Stevenson, natives of Pennsylvania. Three 
    children were born to them: Albert E., who married Miss Mary Rodgers, 
    and has one son, Albert; William D., who assists his father in the 
    business; and one child deceased. In February, 1898, Mr. Seidle lost his 
    wife, whom he hourly misses, she having been an unusually charming and 
    cultivated lady. Throughout his business career, Mr. Seidle has made 
    many warm friends as well as congenial business associates, and he is 
    very popular as well as prominent in business and social circles.