Washington-Chester-Montgomery County PA Archives Biographies.....Christman, Enos 
December 27, 1843 - January 18, 1912
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Mark Christman spaatz965@yahoo.com August 6, 2006, 4:36 pm

Author: Unknown

The Christman Family.

ENOS LEWIS CHRISTMAN was the pioneer of the Christman family in Washington
County, PA. He was a son of George Christman and Sarah, nee Beerbower, and was
born on the 27th day of December, 1828, in Vincent township, Chester county, Pa.
His father died in 1843, when the subject of our notice was under fifteen years
of age, leaving a widow and two younger children, William Davis and Jefferson.
The mother was left in circumstances which rendered it necessary for the elder
boys to take care of themselves. Enos L. spent the summer of 1844 with an uncle,
Jacob Beerbower, who kept a store in Brecknock township, Lancaster county, where
he assisted in attending store and working on a farm. In the fall of that year
he returned to his mother’s home and attended the public school until February
10th, 1845, when he entered the office of the Village Record, at West Chester,
Pa., and was apprenticed to the late Hon. Henry S. Evans, for five years, to
learn the art, trade and mysteries of a printer. He was the successor as an
apprentice in that office, of Bayard Taylor, the great traveler; Hon. Wm.
Butler, Judge of the U.S. District Court, and of Edward M. Paxson, one of the
Supreme Judges of Pennsylvania. Here he served his master so satisfactorily that
when the gold fever broke out all over the country, in 1849, Mr. Evans not only
released him from serving the balance of his time as an apprentice, but advanced
him four hundred dollars in cash to go to California. This money was returned at
the end of two years with a handsome percentage added.
He sailed from Philadelphia on the 3d of July, 1849, in the good ship Europe,
Capt. Addison Plummer, passing around Cape Horn and stopping a month at
Valparaiso, Chili, to repair damages to the ship. The voyage was an eventful
one, occupying two hundred and twenty-two days and landing Mr. Christman in San
Francisco, in February, 1850. His face, like that of all others at that time,
was turned towards the gold mines. After suffering many hardships he was soon at
work with pick, shovel and bowl, washing the golden sands on the upper waters of
the Mariposa river. He met with indifferent success as a miner, and in July,
1850, he printed the first number of the Sonora Herald, at Stockton, and carried
it to Sonora on horseback, where it was circulated, at fifty cents per copy. A
printing office was soon established in a tent in Sonora, and a little later he
entered into partnership with Dr. Lewis C. Gunn, formerly of Philadelphia, and
the paper was published regularly for several years. After roughing it in the
Golden State until the fall of 1852, Mr. Christman returned to West Chester,
Pa., where he married Miss Ellen A. Martin, a native of Philadelphia, whose
mother dying when she was a little child, the daughter was taken to West
Chester, and raised in the family of the late Capt. William Apple, her uncle, as
one of their own children.
In November, 1852, Mr. Christman with his wife came to Washington, Pa., and
purchased a half-interest in the Commonwealth newspaper and entered into
partnership with Geo. C. Stouch, a former fellow apprentice in the Village
Record office. The paper had been started by Seth T. Hurd. This partnership
continued until the death of Mr. Stouch, in December, 1855.
The Hon. Wm. S. Moore subsequently became a partner with Mr. Christman in the
publication of the paper, but owing to the disintegration of the Whig party,
which cause it had espoused, and the formation of the new political parties, the
paper became embarrassed and early in 1858, it was consolidated with the
Reporter, then as now the oldest paper in Washington county. After the
consolidation, without disposing of his interest in the paper, Mr. Christman
returned to West Chester, where he was employed by his old master, Mr. Evans, as
foreman in the Village Record office. Here he remained until the rebellion of
the slaveholders broke out, when he promptly enlisted in the latter part of May,
1861, and became Second Lieutenant of Company K, Fourth Regiment, Pennsylvania
Reserve Volunteer Corps. With this body he served in the field until May, 1863,
when he was appointed by President Lincoln Provost Marshal of the Seventh
District of Pennsylvania, embracing Chester and Delaware counties, with
headquarters at West Chester, filling the position until the close of the war,
being discharged November 30th, 1865.
While in the field he participated in the battles in front of Richmond, known as
the Seven Days; the Second Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam and
Fredericksburg, and was promoted first to Captain and then to Major of the
Fourth Regiment.
It is a curious coincidence that the three brothers, all in different commands,
were almost side by side in the bloody battle of Antietam. Enos L. was under
Gen. Meade in front of the cornfield to the left of the pike; Wm. Davis was a
Lieutenant in the 124th Regiment adjoining the Reserves on the right and near to
the Dunkard church, while Jefferson was in the Seventy-second Regiment fighting
on the left of the Reserves.
At the close of the war Mr. Christman moved with his family to Somerset county,
Md., where he engaged in farming and the timber business. Not succeeding up to
the standard of his desires, he returned to West Chester and became assistant
editor with Mr. Edward B. Moore, in the publication of the American Republican.
In 1872, Hon. Wm. S. Moore, his old partner in the Washington Reporter, having
been elected to Congress, was very anxious that Mr. Christman should return to
Washington and resume his place in the printing office. This was agreed upon,
and on the 2d of April, 1873, Mr. Christman returned to Washington, after an
absence of fifteen years, and took charge of the publication of the of the
Reporter during Mr. Moore’s absence at the National Capital. In August, 1876,
the first number of the Daily Reporter was issued. Shortly after this Mr. Moore
died and his interest in the paper passed into the hands of Alex. M. Gow, Esq.
In January, 1883, Mr. Christman purchased the interest of Mr. Gow and became
sole proprietor of the paper. He had now a family of eight son and daughters
around him, and in March, 1891, the Christman Publishing Company was chartered,
being a family concern as the name indicates. At this time Mr. Christman’s
health failed and since then he has had but little to do with the practical
publication of the paper–the company, under the leadership of his son William,
managing it vigorously and successfully.
The children of this family are:
Mary Elizabeth, died in infancy.
Sarah, married to Charles M. Hayes; two sons, Harry and Clyde.
Misses Elizabeth and Ella.
William, married to Miss Fannie M. Morgan, deceased in 1891, having three
children, Howard L., Frank and Herbert.
George, baggage master, B. & O. R. R.
Henry, married to Miss Lena Fleissner; one daughter, Nellie.
Edwin A., married to Mrs. Maggie Frazier; two children, Roy and Hazel.
Charles F., married to Miss Clara F. Neff.
All residents at this time, 1892, of Washington, Pa.
Mr. Christman’s youngest brother, Jefferson, learned the printing business in
the office of the Commonwealth and subsequently settled in Philadelphia. After
serving three years in the Seventy-second Regiment, he took a situation in the
Public Ledger office, where he has been employed as a compositor for many years.
He married Miss Maggie Powers, and they have four daughters, two of whom are
married–Lillie, to Morris Naylor, and Ida to Harry Conaway.
Wm. Davis, the other brother, after following the mercantile business for many
years in Chester county, removed to Washington and took a position in the
Reporter office. He married Miss Zilpha Maxton. They have two sons living–Dr.
Percy, a successful physician at Washington, and Frederick B., engaged in the
printing business in Chicago. An only daughter, Cora, died in young womanhood,
at West Chester, in 1879.
John Beerbower was the father of Sarah Beerbower, wife of George Christman. He
was born in Vincent township, Chester county, Pa., March 10th, 1779, and died in
East Vincent township, October 20th 1858. He was a carpenter and farmer, and was
many years a Justice of the Peace. He was commissioned by Gov. Simon Snyder as
captain of a company of militia in the First Brigade of the Third Division of
the counties of Chester and Delaware, on the 1st of August, 1814, and served a
tour of duty during the war of that time with Great Britain. His wife was
Elizabeth Fertig, who was born July 20th, 1784, and died March 29th, 1828. They
are buried at (Brownback’s) First Reformed Church of Coventry. This church was
organized in 1743.
Herman Bierbauer was the father of John Beerbower. He was born in Germany, July
16, 1741, came to America when a young man, died December 29th, 1801, and is
buried at the old Hill Church, on the Ridge Road, in East Pikeland township,
Chester county. His tomb-stone is lettered in German. His wife was Christiana
Hoffman. She was born October 7th, 1747, and died February 7th, 1826.
The ancestors of the Christmans were Germans. The Colonial records of
Pennsylvania show that between the years of 1730 and 1771, eleven Christmans,
several with families, landed at Philadelphia and swore allegiance to King
George the Second. This record states that
“Daniel Christman arrived at Philadelphia September 5th, 1730, with forth-five
palatines and their families, 130 persons in all, in the ship Alexander and Ann,
Wm. Clymer, Master, from Rotterdam, last from Cowes.”
Daniel subsequently settled in Worcester township, now Montgomery county, and in
1734 paid quit rents in that township. He had five sons and one daughter. Felix,
the oldest son, was born in Germany, the other children in Pennsylvania, viz:
Henry, George, John, Jacob and Magdalene. Of these Felix, Henry, George and
Magdalene settled in Vincent township, Chester county, previous to the
Revolutionary War. Felix, when an old man, was found dead in shallow water, in
Birch run, near his home. He was a blacksmith. Henry was a saddler and George a
miller and millwright.
Henry Christman, the saddler, was born in Montgomery county, Pa., December 25th,
1744, and settled in Vincent township, Chester county, as above stated, where he
became the owner of a large tract of land, situated on French Creek. Here he
lived during the Revolutionary War and it is handed down as a tradition that he
did considerable hauling for the patriots at that time. It is also said that his
fine heavy draught horses were sometimes hidden in the thick bushes along the
creek to prevent them from being seized by the British who ranged through that
neighborhood while Washington was at Valley Forge. On one occasion he traded a
barrel of whiskey, being a distiller, and a set of heavy wagon harness for forty
acres of land, which afterwards became valuable. He died September 16th, 1823,
and is buried in the family burial plot at Zion’s church, in East Pikeland,
Chester county. He married Susanna Keeley, who was born February 25th, 1750. She
died September 19th, 1823, only three days after the decease of her husband, and
is buried by his side.
This couple had three sons: Henry, Jacob and George, and six daughters who grew
to womanhood. Madeline married John Young; Catherine married John Miller;
Margaret married Isaac Hause; Elizabeth married Peter Yeager; Mary married Jacob
Finkbiner and Frederick Yost, and Susanna married Frederick Oyer.
George, the younger of the brothers, married Elizabeth Brownback, and lived on
the old homestead on French Creek until his death. He was born May 9th, 1793,
and died January 17th, 1866. His wife was born January 5th, 1793, and died March
19th, 1870, of gangrene after having a foot amputated. The old homestead with
its many acres is still in possession of the family.
Jacob, the next older brother, was born May 5th, 1788, and died March 2, 1871.
He married Margaret Evans, who was born December 13th, 1791, and died April 1st,
1862. They lived on a farm of about three hundred acres adjoining the old
homestead. They had four children: Elizabeth, married to Jesse Brownback;
Susanna; Jacob, married to Miss Hannah Worman, and Henry E., married to Miss
Martha Christman. The last named retain the farm owned by the father.
Henry Christman, the eldest of these brothers, was born March 14th, 1779, and
died August 12th 1864. February 26th, 1806, he married Elenor Root, daughter of
Sebastian Root. She was born April 10th, 1787, and died August 19th, 1854, while
on a visit to her daughter, Margaret Buckwalter, at Parker’s Ford, in Chester
county. They lived on a large farm adjoining the old Christman homestead as well
as that of the brother Jacob. These brothers were all stout, able-bodied men, of
good height and build. They were successful farmers and distillers, and in their
early days sold many a barrel and tierce of first quality apple whiskey in the
Philadelphia market. Henry was also the owner of an oil mill, which about the
year 1835 he converted in to a flour mill. This with the farm he retained until
his death. He was commissioned Lieutenant Col. In the First Brigade in the
militia of Delaware and Chester counties by Governor Simon Snyder and served a
tour of duty in the war of 1812-14 with Great Britain.
To this couple were born a large family: George, February 10th, 1807; Sarah,
February 14th, 1809; Susanna, March 24th, 1811; Henry, August 13th, 1813;
Catharine, September 22d, 1816; Eliza, October 1st, 1818; Elenor, April 10th,
1821; Maria, February 10th, 1823, and Margaret, November 10th, 1824.
Of these Sarah and Eliza died in childhood. Margaret married Isaac Buckwalter
and died January 16th, 1885, leaving two daughters. Catherine married Isaac
Shantz, and died July 28th, 1866, leaving two children, a son and a daughter.
Susanna married Michael March and died April 19th, 1891, leaving to survive her
two sons, Franklin and Jefferson, and two daughters, Mrs. Ellen Brownback and
Mrs. Emma Miller. Maria married Abraham Pennypacker; she survives her husband
and has four sons living. Elenor resides with this sister. Henry died suddenly
July 24th, 1865. He was unmarried.
George, the first born of Henry and Elenor Christman, spent his childhood under
his father’s roof. At the age of twenty-one he married Miss Sarah Beerbower,
December 23rd, 1827, and continued in the service of his father as farmer and
teamster until 1835, when he moved to the Seven Stars tavern, on the Ridge Road,
in East Vincent township, less than a mile from where he was born. The farm
connected with the tavern was worn out and nearly fenceless. He worked hard and
soon and things greatly improved in appearance, building an addition to the
house. In the fall of 1843, after a prolonged illness, he died of fever, in his
thirty-seventh year. He was a tall, angular man with dark hair and eyes. His
widow subsequently married Henry Huzzard and died April 27th, 1863, in the
fifty-sixth year of her age.
All the earlier Christmans were Lutherans ad their names are found in the church
records of that denomination in Chester and Montgomery counties.
WASHINGTON, PA, Sept. 1, 1892
 
Enos Lewis Christman.

ENOS LEWIS CHRISTMAN was born in Vincent township, Chester County, Pa., December
27th, 1828.

ELLEN ANN MARTIN was born in Philadelphia, June 17th, 1829.

E.L. CHRISTMAN AND ELLEN A. MARTIN were married in West Chester, Pa., on
Wednesday evening, October 20th, 1852, by Rev. Alfred Cookman.
Mary Elizabeth Christman.

MARY ELIZABETH CHRISTMAN, daughter of Enos L. and Ellen A. Christman, was born
on West Chestnut Street, Washington, Pa., on Monday morning, August 15th, 1853.
She died at the residence of her parents, West Beau Street, Washington, Pa., at
9 o’clock, Monday evening, September 18th, 1854, of cholera infantum, and is
buried in Lot No. 44, Section 9, Washington Cemetery. When she was buried there
were but few graves in the cemetery.
 
Sarah Christman.

SARAH CHRISTMAN, daughter of Enos L. and Ellen A. Christman, was born on West
Beau Street, Washington, Pa., on Saturday morning, at 12:20 o’clock; June 2d, 
1855.

CHARLES M. HAYES, son of Morgan and Sarah Hayes, was born May 30th, 1857.

CHARLES M. HAYES and SARAH CHRISTMAN were married, in Washington, Pa., on June
24th, 1880, by Rev. Dr. George P. Hays.

HARRY WILSON HAYES, son of Charles M. and Sarah Hayes, was born in Washington,
Pa., May 21st, 1881.

CLYDE CHRISTMAN HAYES, son of Charles M. and Sarah Hayes, was born in East
Washington, Pa., June 24th, 1890.
 
William Christman.

WILLIAM CHRISTMAN, son of Enos L. and Ellen A. Christman, was born on Church
Street (now North Franklin Street,) Washington, Pa., on Tuesday, at 1:15 P. M.,
January 12th, 1858.

FANNIE M. MORGAN, daughter of Jacob and Alice J. Morgan, was born in Chartiers
township, Washington County, Pa., on the 24th of January, 1858. She died after a
prolonged illness of a complication of diseases, on the morning of March 27th,
1891, and is buried in the Washington Cemetery.

WILLIAM CHRISTMAN and FANNIE M. MORGAN were married at the residence of the
bride’s mother, on Jefferson Avenue, Washington, Pa., May 28th, 1879, by Rev.
Dr. George P. Hays.

HOWARD L. CHRISTMAN, son of William and Fannie M. Christman, was born on
Jefferson Avenue, Washington, Pa., on Sunday, July 11th, 1880.

FRANK CHRISTMAN, son of William and Fannie M. Christman, was born on West
Prospect Avenue, Washington, Pa., on Thursday, September 7th, 1882.

HERBERT CHRISTMAN, son of William and Fannie M. Christman, was born on West
Prospect Avenue, Washington, Pa., on Tuesday, September 8th, 1885.
 
Elizabeth Christman.

ELIZABETH CHRISTMAN, daughter of Enos L. and Ellen A. Christman, was born on
Church Street, West Chester, Pa., on Saturday, at 3:20 P. M., April 2d, 1859.
 
Ella Christman.

ELLA CHRISTMAN, daughter of Enos L. and Ellen A. Christman, was born on North
Darlington Street, West Chester, Pa., on Tuesday, at one o’clock, P. M., August
13th, 1861.

[At the time of her birth her father was Second Lieutenant of Company K, Fourth
Regiment, Pennsylvania Reserve Corps, on duty at Baltimore. He was telegraphed
to and was fortunate enough to obtain leave of absence, and reached home as the
clock struck the hour of midnight, thus surprising his family.]
 
Henry Christman.

HENRY CHRISTMAN, son of Enos L. and Ellen A. Christman, was born on North New
Street, West Chester, Pa., on Saturday, at 1:50 o’clock, A. M., March 12th, 
1864.

LENA CATHARINE ERNESTINE GERARDENE HENRIETT FLEISSNER, daughter of Carl Heinrich
August and Johanne Hermine Christiane (nee Rodich) Fleissner, was born in
Osternburg, Germany, on the 12th of August, 1869, came ot the United States when
she was nine months old with her parents, who settled at Steubenville, Ohio. In
1878 the family moved to Washington, Pa.

HENRY CHRISTMAN and LENA FLEISSNER as above, were married at Washtingon, Pa., by
Rev. Arthur D. Brown, on Thursday evening, February 3d, 1887.

WALTER AUGUST CHRISTMAN, son of Henry and Lena Christman, was born in
Washington, Pa., on the 5th of July, 1888, and died of cholera infantum, June
16th, 1889.

NELLIE CHRISTMAN, daughter of Henry and Lena Christman, was born in Washington,
Pa., Saturday, April 19th, 1890.
 
George Christman.

GEORGE CHRISTMAN, son of Enos L. and Ellen A. Christman, was born on North New
Street, West Chester, Pa., on Monday, at 8 o’clock, P. M., April 9th, 1866.
 
Edwin Christman.

EDWIN CHRISTMAN, son of Enos L. and Ellen A. Christman, was born at Woodville,
Princess Ann District, Somerset County, Md., on Saturday, at 5 o’clock, A. M.,
August 1st, 1868.

MAGGIE FRAZIER, daughter of John and Margaret Cahill, was born at Nashville,
Tennessee, February 28th, 1863.

EDWIN CHRISTMAN and MAGGIE FRAZIER (nee Cahill,) were married by D. M. Donehoo,
Esq., in Washington, Pa.

ROY and CHARLES, sons of Edwin and Maggie Christman, were born in Wheeling, West
Va., September 6th, 1887. Charles died when six days old.

HAZEL, daughter of Edwin and Maggie Christman, was born in Washington, Penna.,
July 18th, 1889.
 
Charles Francis Christman.

CHARLES FRANCIS CHRISTMAN, son of Enos L. and Ellen A. Christman, was born on
North New Street, West Chester, Pa., on Tuesday, at 12:30, P. M., April 25th, 
1871.

CLARA FRANCES NEFF, daughter of William B. and Fannie Neff, was born at Bucyrus,
Ohio, April 9th, 1872.

CHARLES F. CHRISTMAN and CLARA F. NEFF were married at Cumberland, Md., December
30th, 1889, by Rev. Richard Norris, Pastor of the Cumberland Methodist Episcopal
Church.


Additional Comments:
Source: The Christman Family Record, Washington, Pennsylvania, 1 September 1892.
Publisher unknown but either the Christman Publishing Company or J. H. Beers &
Co. Document is housed in the Chester County Historical Society archives and was
copied to microfilm on February 21st, 1947 and kept by the Family History
Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Transcribed 6 August 2006 by Mark Christman
<spaatz965@yahoo.com>

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