BIO: Henry WIRT, York County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/york/ _______________________________________________ History of York County, Pennsylvania. John Gibson, Historical Editor. Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886. _______________________________________________ Part II, Biographical Sketches, Hanover Borough and Penn Township, Pg 70 HENRY WIRT, the ancestor of the Wirt family of Hanover, was born in Germany, immigrated to this country and arrived at Philadelphia February 9, 1738. Nothing is definitely known of him from the time of his arrival in America until the year 1750, when he purchased the farm now owned by John Kehr, near Iron Ridge Station, on the Hanover & York Railroad. He was appointed constable of Manheim Township, in which his property then lay, in 1750, and served in that office several years thereafter. He was naturalized April 10, 1762, and died the latter part of the year 1764, leaving a widow, two sons – Jacob and Christian – and several daughters. The house built by him is still standing. Jacob, the eldest son, remained nearly all his life on the farm, and died unmarried in Hanover at an advanced age. Christian, the other son, was born May 12, 1763, and at an early age was apprenticed to Henry Felty, of Hanover, to learn the trade of a saddler, and after serving his apprenticeship went to Baltimore, but soon returned to Hanover, and in 1787 commenced business for himself as a saddle and harness-maker, which he continued very successfully until the year 1800. He then bought the property on the Diamond at Hanover, long known as Wirt’s Corner, from Col. Richard McAllister, and opened a general store. This received his close attention, and by good management he was enable to retire from business in 1816, with what was then considered quite a large fortune. He was never engaged in active business after this, but was always ready to encourage all public and private enterprises, having the public good for an end. He was married to Eve Catharine Gelwix, daughter of Charles Gelwix, and died March 2, 1842. His sons were Henry, Jacob and William, and his daughters were Mary, married to Jacob Eichelberger; Catharine, married to George Emmert; Lydia, married to Adam Forney, and Deliah, married to Dr. George W. Hinkle. Henry Wirt, son of Christian, was born October 2, 1789, and received what educational training the town afforded in those days. He and one other pupil were the only ones in Hanover who studied English grammar in his school- boy days. He entered his father’s store at a very early age, and gave the business his entire attention. For some years during the sickness of his father, the whole care of the large business rested entirely upon him. He was married March 9, 1815, to Catharine, second daughter of John Swope, and in the spring of 1816 succeeded his father in business at the old stand, which he continued eleven years, and in 1827 retired to private life. He took great interest in all the movements that were then made for the advancement of the educational, spiritual and material interests of his native town. He with several others were instrumental in establishing the first Sunday-schools in Hanover, and after very determined opposition, succeeded in putting the common schools in operation in Hanover during the year 1835. He was very much interested in the question of railroad connections to his native town. When the construction of the York, Wrightsville & Gettysburg Railroad was projected, he used all his powers to have it pass through Hanover. He heartily encouraged the building of the Hanover Branch Railroad, was the heaviest subscriber to its stock, and was a member of the board of managers for many years. He was for a long time a director in the bank of Gettysburg, the Hanover Saving Fund Society and was president of both turnpikes that extended from Hanover. He died in the spring of 1859, aged about seventy years, leaving a widow, who died in 1876, six daughters and one son (Henry) to survive him. Henry Wirt, son of Henry and Catharine (Swope) Wirt, was born in Hanover February 23, 1827. He received his education in the schools of his native town. Early in life he entered his father’s store and at the age of twenty years began the mercantile business for himself, which he continued until 1850, when he retired from active business. He has served as chief burgess of Hanover two terms, secretary and director of the Hanover Branch Railroad Company, president of the Hanover Saving Fund Society for eight years, and in the year 1885, is a director in the National Bank of Gettysburg, a director of the Hanover Saving Fund Society, a charter member and director in the Hanover Water Company, secretary of the Berlin & Hanover Turnpike Company, president of the Hanover & Maryland Line Turnpike Company and a member of the board of trustees of Franklin and Marshall College at Lancaster, to which institution he recently gave the first $5,000 toward creating an additional professorship in the theological department of that institution. Mr. Wirt was about fifteen years a member of the school board of his native town, and while serving in that office, was constant and earnest in his efforts to advance the cause of public education. He was married October 26, 1854, to Louisa, daughter of Mathias N. Forney, who was a prominent citizen of Hanover and one of the projectors of the Hanover Saving Fund Society. Mrs. Wirt’s mother, Amanda (Nace) Forney, was the daughter of George Nace, also a prominent and influential citizen. Mr. and Mrs. Wirt are members of Emanuel Reformed Church of Hanover, of which he has been elder for sixteen years. Jacob Wirt, second son of Christian and Catharine Wirt, was born February 24, 1801. He began the dry goods and general merchandise business for himself in 1827, succeeding his brother, at his father’s stand, and continued at the same place eleven years. He then engaged in the lumber and coal business for a short time. When the Hanover Branch Railroad Company was organized, in November, 1849, he was chosen its president, served one year and then resigned. He was elected a director of the same corporation in 1860, and continued until 1865. For a number of years he was president of the Hanover Saving Fund Society, which position he held until his death, and was recognized as an excellent financier. In politics he was a Whig originally, and afterward a stanch Republican. He was an ardent supporter of all enterprises that contributed to the welfare of his native town. He was a member of the Reformed Church. Mr. Wirt was married to Amelia Danner, November 20, 1827, and died November 8, 1869. Their children were Emma C., born May 28, 1829 (married to Dr. John A. Swope, of Gettysburg and now the representative in congress from the district to which York County belongs), deceased; Alexander Christian, born November 13, 1831, deceased; Jacob, born February 28, 1834, deceased; Eliza Ann, born May 10, 1836 (married to George W. Forney, of Hanover; they have two children, J. Wirt and Nettie A.); Martha, married to Albert Barnitz, of York (he died leaving two children: J. Percy and Emma W. Mrs. Barnitz lives in Hanover); Danner, born October 21, 1840, deceased; Reuel, born July 20, 1842, deceased; Calvin Clay, born April 12, 1844 (engaged in banking business in Baltimore; married Miss Ellen Buehler, of that city, and returned to Hanover. He died at the age of thirty years); Florence Amelia, born March 29, 1846, deceased. Robert Millard Wirt, the youngest son of Jacob and Amelia Wirt, was born January 16, 1853. Attended the schools of Hanover and afterward Pennsylvania Military Academy, at Chester, Penn. He was married June 24, 1875, to Miss Bertha B. Barnitz, daughter of Dr. C. S. Barnitz, of Middletown, Ohio. They have three children: Amelia D., Charles B. and Robert O. Mr. Wirt and family are members of the Reformed Church. He is a director of the Hanover Saving Fund Society, secretary of the Hanover Junction, Hanover & Gettysburg Railroad, secretary and treasurer of the Hanover Water Company, and treasurer of the Baltimore & Hanover Railroad Company.