Sullivan County PA Archives Biographies.....REINBOLD, Henry 1839 - ************************************************ 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 May 11, 2007, 12:21 am Author: Thomas J. Ingham (1899) HENRY REINBOLD, one of the most prominent and prosperous farmers of Cherry township, has been a life-long resident of the farm which he now owns and occupies. He was born on this farm March 24, 1839, and his memory goes back to the time when it was almost in a condition of a primitive wilderness, for only a few years before his birth his father had founded a home in the wilderness. The family of which Mr. Reinbold is a worthy and honored representative has been domiciled in America for three generations. The paternal grandparents of our subject, Ludwig and Sally (Lindes) Reinbold, were natives of Germany. Emigrating to America they tarried for a time in Philadelphia and later removed to Lehigh county, where they remained through life. Ludwig Reinbold rendered signal service for the country of his adoption by enlisting in the Revolutionary war and serving under General Washington. His wife proved her devotion to the cause of liberty by baking bread for the hungry patriots. The family of Ludwig and Sally Reinbold consisted of twelve children. The eldest son, William, lived to the extreme age of almost a century, dying in 1875, at the age of ninety-nine years, ten months and twenty days. Another of the sons, Henry, was the father of our subject. He was born in Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, 1796, and there married Mary Werst, who was born in Lehigh county in 1796, the daughter of Jacob and Susannah (Landrus) Werst, who remained life-long farmers of that county. In 1833 Henry Reinbold, Sr., emigrated to the present home of his son, subject of this sketch. He purchased fifty acres in the wilderness, paying for it two dollars and fifty cents per acre. In this forest he made a small clearing, upon which to build a log cabin. When completed, settlers from far and near gathered for a house-warming or a dance. House furnishings were not very complete in those times, and a blanket served for a door. One of the party leaned against it and was precipitated into outer darkness. He was severely reprimanded by a companion for imagining that all people had doors to their houses. Deer abounded in the vicinity, and many were shot. One dark night Mr. Reinbold shot a deer and lost his way in the forest. He only found his path home by making a loud outcry and evoking a distant bark in response from the dog of a neighbor. Guided by the sound he recovered his bearings in the trackless wilderness. Henry Reinbold, Sr., was a shoemaker, and he followed his trade in the wilderness home. He was fertile in resources and possessed of excellent business judgment, becoming quite prominent in the new community. He died September 24, 1867, aged seventy-one years. His widow survived until October 8, 1890, when death overtook her at the age of eighty-six years and eight months. Both are buried in Germany cemetery. The children born to Henry and Mary Reinbold were as follows: Lavina, widow of Samuel Faust, of Tavola, Pennsylvania; William, who resides with his brother, Henry; Ann, wife of George Bender, a farmer of Cherry township, Sullivan county; Mary, who first married Solomon Hess and later Edward Diggin, of Northampton county; Elias, who married Sarah Biddle and lives in Northampton county; Henry, subject of this sketch; Samuel, deceased; and Hannah, wife of Daniel Babst, a farmer and butcher of Sullivan county. Our subject has always remained upon the ancestral farm in Cherry township, where he has engaged successfully in farming, besides filling various public trusts. He was married September 26, 1875, at Overton, Pennsylvania, to Ann M. Bahr, who was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, January 18, 1835, daughter of John and Susannah (Hoffman) Bahr, and granddaughter of John and ______ (Reeser) Bahr, and of John and ______ (Kruber) Hoffman. Both grandfathers were farmers of Berks county. In 1835 the paternal grandparents of Mrs. Reinbold removed from Berks county to Cherry township, Sullivan county. Two years later her parents, John and Susannah Bahr, also came to Cherry township. John Bahr, the father of Mrs. Reinbold, was a farmer and stone-mason. He died August 16, 1884, aged seventy-six years, nine months and eleven days. His wife died April 26, 1884, aged seventy-seven years. Both are buried at Germany cemetery. The family of John and Susannah Bahr consisted of the following children: Charles, deceased; Ann M., wife of our subject; Julius, deceased; Mary, deceased; Jacob, deceased; Susan, who married John Hartzig and now resides in Cherry township; Catherine, wife of Jere Barth, a farmer of Cherry township, and Libbie A., wife of Louis Bender, a farmer of New Albany, Pennsylvania. Henry Reinbold served as township assessor for the years 1883 and 1884. In 1892 he was elected surveyor for the Farmers' Home Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Sullivan county, serving three years. In 1898 he was re-elected to the same position. Since he was eighteen years of age Mr. Reinbold has been a member of the Lutheran church. In politics he is independent. He has demonstrated his fondness and ability for an agricultural life by bringing his excellent farm under a high state of cultivation. Mr. Reinbold is regarded as one of the leading men of the company, a reputation which has been won by the success of his life, by his advanced ideas, and by his interest and helpfulness in public affairs. Additional Comments: Extracted from: History of Sullivan County Pennsylvania by Thomas J. Ingham Compendium of Biography The Lewis Publishing Company Chicago: 1899 This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 6.2 Kb