BIO: George KUNKEL, Dauphin County, PA

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Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, 
Containing Sketches of Representative Citizens, and Many of the 
Early Scotch-Irish and German Settlers.  Chambersburg, Pa.: 
J. M. Runk & Company, 1896, page 247.
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  KUNKEL, GEORGE, son of Jacob Kunkel and his wife Rebecca Stine, was 
born on January 21, 1823, in Greencastle, Franklin county, Pa.; died 
January 25, 1885.  He became a printer in Philadelphia, and while 
earning fifteen dollars a week at the case, in 1844 he left it to get 
twenty-five dollars to sing and play with the Virginia serenaders.  
When they disbanded he organized Kunkel's Nightingale Minstrels, Mr. 
John T. Ford becoming the manager of the troupe, which was very 
successful.  Mr. Kunkel was a noted bass singer.  Kunkel's Minstrels 
were on the road eleven years, and disbanded in Washington in 1855.  
Mr. Kunkel was the original manager of the Jenny Lind theater, 
Washington, which stood on the site of the National theater.  It was 
destroyed by fire, by which Mr. Kunkel lost eight thousand dollars.
  After the disbanding of his troupe, with Mr. Moxley he managed a 
theater in Richmond up to the time of the beginning of the war.  In his 
company were J. Wilkes Booth and Edwin Adams, and his state manager was 
Joseph Jefferson.  Some time during the first year of the war Mr. 
Kunkel returned to Baltimore and became manager of the museum at 
Baltimore and Calvert streets.  Afterwards he undertook the role of 
Uncle Tom, in which character he first appeared in Charleston, S. C., 
in 1861.  The city council of Charleston, on the occasion of his first 
appearance, held a meeting and passed a resolution forbidding any 
colored person from entering the theater under pain of punishment.  
Parson Brownlow published an editorial in his paper advising the 
driving out of the troupe from the city.
  In 1864, when manager of the Front street theater, he married Mrs. 
Ada Proctor, who was leading lady at that place.  Two children, a son 
and a daughter, survived him.
  In the character of Uncle Tom Mr. Kunkel perhaps pleased more 
children than any other living actor.  In 1883 Mr. Kunkel starred 
through England in the character of Uncle Tom under the management of 
Jarrett & Palmer.  It was a most successful tour.  The last time he 
played Uncle Tom was in New Haven, Conn., during New Year's week, 1885.  
He died suddenly at Baltimore, Md., January 25, 1885.