Northumberland County PA Archives Biographies.....Bergstresser, Samuel E. 1854 - living in 1899 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com July 7, 2005, 9:18 pm Author: Biographical Publishing Co. SAMUEL E. BERGSTRESSER is recognized as one of Mount Carmel's foremost and most progressive business men, being proprietor of a large hardware business and also being in the fire insurance business, representing several of the leading companies in the United States. He is a son of Samuel A. and Elizabeth (Case) Bergstresser. and was born in Elysburg, December 12, 1854. Our subject was educated in the common schools of Elysburg and in the academy at that place and also took a course in an Eastman National Business College, from which he graduated in the spring of 1873. He then worked as a clerk until the spring of 1875, and in August of that year he engaged in business with his father, the former having about five years previous removed to Mount Carmel and opened a hardware store. The business was unusually successful and our subject continued in it with his parent until 1882, when he branched out for himself, continuing the hardware line. He has since been actively engaged in that business and has made it one of the principal and largest mercantile interests of Mount Carmel. A handsome and substantial brick building on Oak street, 25x75 feet in dimensions and three stories high, is devoted entirely, to the very large and the constantly increasing business which, under Mr. Bergstresser's able management, has grown to be one of the most important and one of the largest concerns in Northumberland County. In addition to his original business our subject also is agent for nine of the leading and most representative fire insurance companies in the country, and he annually places many thousands of dollars of fire insurance, so satisfactorily and promptly does he adjust losses and so reliable are the companies he represents. Mr. Bergstresser was one of the organizers of and is now a director in the First National Bank of Mount Carmel; is a director in the Mount Carmel Water Company, of which he was an original member; was an organizer of the Edison Electric Illuminating Company, of which he is treasurer; a director of the Citizens' Building & Loan Association of Mount Carmel; also a director of the Mount Carmel Iron Works. Politically our subject long has been an ardent and an active Republican, although he never has cared to relax his attention to business sufficiently to accept office, so frequently as he might have done. He has served twelve years continuously on the board of school directors of Mount Carmel, taking especial interest in school work and doing much to advance the schools to their present high position among the schools of this state. Fraternally our subject is a prominent member of Mount Carmel Lodge, No. 378, F. & A. M.; Griscomb Chapter No. 219. R. A. M., and Prince of Peace Commandery No. 39, Knights Templar, of Ashland, Pa.; and a member of Washington Camp No. 231, P. O. S. of A., of Mount Carmel. On May 4, 1879, Mr. Bergstresser was united in marriage to Clara Keeler, daughter of Ralph Keeler of Northumberland County, and to them have been born seven children: Elizabeth E.; James L.; Florence Ethel; Clara B.; John Walter; Catharine K.; and Samuel A. The subject of this sketch, Samuel E. Bergstresser, comes of a family of pioneers in this state who lived useful and honorable lives in Eastern Pennsylvania, where they were among the earliest settlers. Samuel A. Bergstresser, the father of our subject, was born December 25, 1816, near Mifflinsburg, formerly in this county but now in Union County. He is a son of John and Ann (Auchmuty) Bergstresser. His paternal great-grandfather was John Jacob Bergstresser, a native of Germany, who came to this country in 1731 and settled in the eastern part of Pennsylvania. Subsequently, with his three brothers, he removed to Union County, where they were among the earliest settlers. The paternal grandfather of Samuel A. Bergstresser, Philip Bergstresser, was a native of Montgomery County, this state, was a farmer by avocation, and died in Union County. The father of Mr. Bergstresser and the paternal grandfather of the subject of our sketch, John Bergstresser, was born in Union County, October 8, 1775, and resided in that county for a number of years. He removed to Dauphin County, Pa., where he died March 27, 1852. He was a millwright by trade and ran several saw and grist mills, building one at Fisher's Ferry in 1817, which he successfully operated for nine years. He served as captain of a company of American volunteers in the War of 1812. His wife. Ann Auchmuty, was a daughter of Samuel and Ann (McMahan) Auchmuty. Samuel Auchmuty was born near Selinsgrove, Pa., where he resided nearly all his life time. He served with the patriots in the War of the Revolution from 1776 to 1781. He was a private in Capt. Stephen Chambers' company of the 12th Regiment; was transferred to the 3d Regiment in July. 1778, and was discharged from the American Army January 25, 1781. John Bergstresser was the father of ten children, as follows: Jacob; William; Mary, wife of Joseph Shipman; John; Lot: Phebe, who became Mrs. Jonathan Hoffman; Samuel A., the father of our subject; Hannah, Mrs. Daniel Rumbarger; Asa; and Julia, Mrs. A. B. Sprout, all of whom are deceased excepting Samuel A. and Asa. Samuel A. Bergstresser, the esteemed father of the subject of this review, came to Northumberland County with his parents in 1817. He received some education in a subscription school, but, as his father died when he was quite young, he was obliged early in his youth to "paddle his own canoe." He learned the trade of millwright of his father and followed it for about twelve years in the vicinity of his home. In 1847 he took his modest savings and went to Elysburg, where he entered into business, opening a general store, which he conducted very successfully until 1870, a period of twenty-three years. He removed to Mount Carmel in 1870 and there engaged in general merchandising, soon possessing a large and very successful business. He continued as the active head of the business until 1873, when he practically retired, leaving the business in charge of his son, Samuel E., the subject of our sketch. In politics the father of our subject was originally a Whig, and naturally he was one of the organizers of the Republican party, with which he has been allied since its formation in 1856. In 1853-54 Mr. Bergstresser served as a member of the State Legislature for Northumberland County, and in 1860 he was a delegate in the Republican national convention at Chicago which nominated Lincoln for president. He has frequently served the borough as school director and councilman. He is an elder in the Presbyterian Church, of which he has been a member for over fifty years. He was one of the organizers of the First Presbyterian Church of Mount Carmel, which was organized July 10, 1887, being one of the first board of elders. He was a charter member of Elysburg Lodge No. 414, F. & A. M.; a member of Griscomb Chapter No. 219, R. A. M.; and Prince of Peace Commandery No. 39 of Ashland, Pa. The father of our subject has twice married. He first won as his bride Elizabeth Case, daughter of John Case of Montour County, Pa. To them were born seven children, four of whom died in infancy. These survived to youth: Ella, who died at the age of twenty-one years; James Calvin, who is the editor and proprietor of the Insurance World of Pittsburg; and Samuel E., the subject of this review. Mr. Bergstresser's second marriage was to Anna M. Robins, sister of Dr. Edwin S. Robins of Shamokin. To this marriage has been born one daughter, Annie, who died in her infancy. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Book of Biographies of the Seventeenth Congressional District Published by Biographical Publishing Company of Chicago, Ill. and Buffalo, NY (1899) This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 8.3 Kb