Northumberland-Philadelphia County PA Archives Biographies.....Heim, Andrew A. 1874 - 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 2, 2005, 2:50 pm Author: Biographical Publishing Co. ANDREW A. HEIM, a capitalist and business promoter of Shamokin, who has been actively and prominently identified with the industrial and financial history of the Shamokin coal fields, is a son of John Jacob and Mrs. Christiana (Weingarten) Heim, nee Mannal, and was born in the city of Philadelphia, October 11, 1828. His father, John Jacob Heim, was born in the Province of Alsace-Lorraine, France, now of Germany, but later located in the Province of Wurtemberg, Germany, where he lived until 1826. He was one of Napoleon's soldiers and was one of the famous Reserve Corps at the Battle of Waterloo. Seeking a wider field for his industry and talents, in that year he came to America, landing in the city of Baltimore, Md. Remaining there but a short time he removed to Philadelphia, Pa., where he found employment at his trade, that of silk weaver. He married while a resident of that city and soon after located upon a farm near Muncy, Pa., subsequently locating in Danville, Pa., where he followed various lines of business. For some years he was superintendent of a factory in Danville, but at the time of his death in 1869 he was a resident of Sullivan County. He was a man of progressive ideas, far in advance of the majority of the people with whom he was thrown in contact at that day. The common school system met with decided opposition on the part of a large proportion of the people in his section, but in him it found one of its stanchest friends and strongest advocates. At one time he was one of six in his township favoring its adoption, but by strenuous efforts in behalf of the institution the six carried the day. So it was in all matters of public improvements, such as canals, roads, etc., he was always among the most potent advocates of their adoption and promotion. Politically, in his early life, the father of our subject was inclined toward the Jacksonian school of Democracy, but the policy of the old line Whigs on the subject of internal improvements appealed to his spirit of progressive-ness, and he affiliated with the party of Clay and Harrison. Religiously he was a consistent member of the Evangelical Church. He married before coming to the United States and had one son, Jacob, an agriculturist of Freeport, Ill. His union with Mrs. Christiana Weingarten, nee Mannal, resulted in the birth of one son, the subject of this sketch. Andrew A. Heim had few educational advantages as his was the day of the old "subscription" schools, and when the public school system was adopted he attended but a short time, when he was called upon to fight his own way in the world. However, he made the best of his opportunities and obtained a fair schooling, which has been supplemented by careful study of the events which happened from day to day and which have been recorded in newspapers and other publications. At the age of sixteen Andrew was thrown upon his own resources and he went to a village of 500 inhabitants which has since grown into the city of Scranton, and there he was employed as a laborer in building the first rolling-mill in that vicinity. We next find him at Danville where he was similarly engaged for about six months, when he became an apprentice to learn the trade of carpenter. In 1850 the coal industry was just being opened in the vicinity of Treverton, and realizing that that section offered superior advantages for the plying of his trade, our subject went there and for two or three years was actively engaged in contracting and building. Most of the larger and more substantial buildings of that place are yet standing as evidence of his early enterprise and genius. In 1853 he launched in another business enterprise, that of building coal-breakers, but also continued his former business as a contractor, carrying it on under the direction of a foreman or superintendent. Thus he continued until 1863 when he moved to Shamokin and constructed the Burnside Colliery for Stephen Bittenbender & Company. In the following year he rebuilt the Bear Valley Colliery and subsequently operated it by contract; he also built and operated another colliery, the George Fales of the Bear Valley Company, operating it by contract; he rented both in 1872, operating them for several years in connection with others. In 1869-70 he built the Monitor Colliery at Locust Gap but sold it the same year to George W. Johns & Brother. During the autumn of 1874, in association with a number of others, he opened up a soft-coal mine at Reynoldsville, Jefferson County, Pa., and successfully operated it until 1884. In 1881 he and Mr. Audenried built what is known as the Black Ridge Colliery near Hazleton, Pa., which they operated until the fall of 1882, when they disposed of the plant. Recounting the facts of Mr. Heim's life is sufficient testimony to his activity and industry as a business man and a general business promotor. In addition to his identification with the coal industry he has been active in the promotion of other lines of business which have resulted in material benefit to the town of Shamokin. He has been prominently connected with the Shamokin Banking Company for years, having served as director, vice-president and president. He also is a director of the Shamokin Manufacturing Company; of the Shamokin Industrial Company; is largely interested in real estate; and always has been active in the promotion of the town's interests. In private life Mr. Heim is held in the highest esteem and has many friends in the several localities in which he has resided. Our subject has been a member of the I. O. O. F. since 1855, and he is a prominent Mason, being a member of Sunbury Lodge No. 22. F. & A. M., and a Master Mason. When Lee attempted to invade Pennsylvania, at the time the great battle of Antietam was fought, Mr. Heim was elected a lieutenant of a company of his fellow-citizens which was hastily organized for the emergency, but he declined the position and went out with the company as a sergeant. The company was Company K, 18th Regiment. Mr. Heim was joined in marriage with Barbara Kester and unto them were born seven children, three of whom grew to maturity: Arthur William, a merchant tailor of Reading, Pa.; David W., assistant cashier of the Shamokin Banking Company; and Charles Franklin, who is engaged in the real estate business in Philadelphia. Our subject's first wife, Barbara, suffered intensely, her health having failed. She was for twelve years helpless and died in March, 1897, at the age of sixty-eight years. Mr. Heim married as his second wife Mrs. Hester Eisenhart, nee Kulp, who was born and reared on a farm three miles southeast of Sunbury and was a daughter of Samuel Kulp. Politically Mr. Heim is a Republican and whilst he has never been an officeseeker in any sense, although frequently importuned to accept office, yet he always has taken a deep interest in the cause of good government. He was a Democrat up to 1856, but became a Republican on the organization of the party which succeeded the old Whigs. While in Trevorton he served as a school director, as poor director, and in 1858 was elected justice of the peace and served one term. Religiously Mr. Heim is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he has been an active worker since he was nineteen years of age, having held various offices. At the present time he is serving as trustee. On preceding pages, in connection with the above life history, the publishers of this work present excellent portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Heim. They will be viewed with interest by all the friends and acquaintances of our subject and wife. 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