BIO: Joseph ISENBERG, Huntingdon County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by JO Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ********************************************************** __________________________________________________________________ Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley: Comprising the Counties of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata and Perry, Pennsylvania, Containing Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens and Many of the Early Settlers. Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. Runk & Co., 1897, pages 186-187. __________________________________________________________________ JOSEPH ISENBERG, McConnellstown, Huntingdon county, Pa., was born in Fox Run, now Blair, then Huntingdon county, March 28, 1825. He is a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Caricher) Isenberg. The Isenbergs, five brothers, came to this country about 1775, and were soon actively engaged in the Revolutionary war, one of the brothers being a chaplain in the Continental army. Enoch Isenberg, grandfather of Joseph Isenberg, was born in Maryland. He was a farmer, carrying his produce to market in Baltimore; he also manufactured plows, and made the first plow with wooden mould board. In 1805 he came to Pennsylvania and bought a farm near Alexandria. This farm he cleared and improved, building a distillery. His political views were Democratic. Enoch Isenberg married Dorothy Ann Smouse. They had eleven children: George; Henry; Daniel; Joseph; Abraham; Samuel; Enoch; Catharine; Susan; Ann; and Mary. He was a member of the Reformed church. He died on the homestead farm, aged eighty-two. His wife died at the age of eighty- four. Henry, father of Joseph Isenberg, came with his parents from Frederick county, Md., to Pennsylvania and grew up on their farm near Alexandria. For twelve years he was a blacksmith. He then became a farmer, first renting near Alexandria, where he lived three years. He next moved to Barree, near Alexandria, remaining there three years; then took the farm of Judge Kerr, in Walker township, near Huntingdon, which he held for thirteen years. Mr. Isenberg then bought a farm of 300 acres in Juniata township. Here he resided until he retired and made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Yocum. He was a member of the Democratic party. Henry Isenberg married Elizabeth Caricher, who was born in York county, Pa. Several of their children are dead: Benjamin; Samuel; Henry, who died at the home of Joseph Isenberg; Eve; Alfred; and Daniel. Those living are: Joseph; and Dorothy Ann (Mrs. J. W. Yocum), of Juniata township. Mr. Isenberg was an influential member of the German Reformed church in McConnellstown. He died in 1869. His wife died in 1850. Joseph Isenberg attended the subscription school at Barree, taught by John Neesbitt, for one term; he then attended for a short time a school in Porter township. His father having moved to Walker township, he next went to a school in McConnellstown, taught by Hugh Campbell. Afterwards he spent three months under Peter C. Swope and three months under John Tussey. Public schools being established about that time, he attended the school near Huntingdon, kept in a small house with slabs as seats and rough boards as desks. Here he studied for three terms, after which he worked on the farm until he was twenty-one. He learned carpentry in McConnellstown and became a contractor, building many farm houses and barns. In 1850 he erected a fine dwelling house in McConnellstown, where he still resides. Mr. Isenberg is a member of the Democratic party. He has served acceptable for fifteen years as justice of the peace, has been school director, supervisor of roads and tax collector for fifteen years. He is now nearly blind. Joseph Isenberg was married April 29, 1852, to Mary, daughter of Moses Harner, of Walker township. Mrs. Mary Isenberg died February 20, 1852. He was married a second time, February 4, 1859, to Mary A., daughter of Joseph and Rachel (Madzon) Norris. Mr. Norris, a farmer of Scotch descent, had four children: Allison, living in Indiana; Mary (Mrs. Joseph Isenberg); Jackson, of Warren county, Pa.; and Washington, living in Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Isenberg had four children: Lizzie Mary (Mrs. Charles N. McCarthy), of Huntingdon; Warren D., a lawyer, now residing at St. Louis, Mo.; Joseph N., contractor, of Altoona; and James M., was a student at Ursinus College, Collegeville, Montgomery county, and is a minister of the Reformed church at Durham, Bucks county, Pa. Mr. Isenberg takes a deep interest in church affairs, and has been deacon and superintendent of the Sunday-school for more than twenty years and an elder for twenty-five years.