Oley Valley High School - Olean Yearbook (Oley, PA)

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PIONEERS IN Tl-IE CHURCH In the beginning of the eighteenth century the territory known as Oley took in Earl, Pike. Rockland. and parts of Exeier, Alsace and Ruscombmanor Townships as its territory. Oley has always been connected with religion and men pioneering in religion. It has sent out many ministers who are now pioneering in other parts of the country. One of the first religious sects to pioneer in Oley were the Quakers. The first Quaker pioneered to Oley 'in 1710. They worshipped in their own houses until 1727 when they built the Friends' Meeting House. However, they brought no ministers along. They were like sheep without a shepherd. QW' fi' -1 mil? Nt xnxx if . el. X -its Another religious sect that pioneered very early in Oley were the Moravians. They came here about the same time as the Quakers did. However, they brought missionaries along. Andrew Eschen- bach gained a large number of followers. Later Count Zinzendorf came to Philadelphia. He sent missionaries into Oley and later he, hirnseli, came. Dr. George DeBenneville emigrated to the New World because of ill-health. He moved to the home of lean Bertolet in Oley. There he founded and preached the doctrine ot Universal Redemption. Another early sect was the New-Born. It had many followers until Henry Melchoir Muhlen- berg proved Mathias Bauman's doctrines wrong. From that time the New-Bom sect started to decline. Two other religious sects were the Lutheran and Reformed. In 1742 Henry Melchioi Muhlenberg, the great Lutheran leader, came to Philadelphia and migrated as cr minister to all parts of Pennsylvania. He preached English and German services in Oley. In 1746 Reverend Michael Schlatter, the great Reformed leader, organized the Refonned Church of America. He started the idea of having the German and English children instructed with approved catechisms. In 1736 the Salem Reformed Church was organized. In 1822 the Christ Lutheran Church was built alongside Salem Reformed. On Ianuary 1. 1830. steps were taken to build the Frieden's Church. It served as a joint church for both congregations. Some of the more recent pastors who pioneered in the Lutheran faith were: The Reverend Thomas laeger-The Reverend Peter Heilman. who was the first superintendent of Topton Orphans' Home-The Reverend William Kistler-The Reverend Anson W. Lindenmuth-The Reverend Harry Fitting-The Reverend Horace Ritter and The Reverend Luke S. Sweizter. The Reverend Paul I. Dundore is the present pastor. The Reformed pastors who pioneered in Oley were: The Reverend Isaac Miese-The Rev- erend P. P. A. Hoffman-The Reverend Daniel E. Schoedler. who was the principal of the Oley Academy, and The Reverend Isaac S. Stahr, who was a truly designated servant oi God. Now The Reverend Earl G. Wolford is serving the area. Finally come the pastors which Oley has produced, who are now pioneering in different sections of the country. The Reverend Ierome Leinbach-The Reverend Henry I. Stahr, president oi Hood College. Maryland-The Reverend Iacob B. Kershner-The Reverend Iames G. Dengler- The Reverend George B. Kershner-The Reverend David C. Kaufman-The Reverend Nathan B. Yerger. The Reverend Roger C. Kauffman, and The Reverend Webster K. Reinert, Superintendent of the Topton Orphans' Home. are serving as pioneers in the service of the church. Seven

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ix PIONEERS IN Tl-IE HOIVIE With Pioneering as our theme, we are dividinq it into three parts. Let us first consider the pioneers in the home. The first settlements were made at the close of the seventeenth and the beginning of the eighteenth centuries. Oley originally was called Oleka by the Indians. because it resembled a kettle. The Germans construed it Olich, signifying oil. Many of the first settlers of Oley were French Huguenot refugees, who fled from their native country under the persecutions which prevailed in the reign of Louis XIV. Sometime later Queen Anne of England induced many of these oppressed Protestants-French, German and English-to emi- L grate to Arrerica. They came to this wilderness in S1 ..l.l . ,gk 4.1,-e -tiff' we f? w search of l'omes and an asylum of religious freedom. Some of these early pioneers coming from France were Isaac DeTurck, who took up a tract of 300 acres in the very heart of Oltey in 1712: Peter Bertolet, who settled here in 1720. and lean Bertolet in 1726. iirrggmnvly Many of the original estates of the early pioneers are still in possession of their descendants. One of the most important of these is the Fisher Homestead built in 1801 by Henry and Susanna Fisher. who came to Oley from Heidelberg Township. This home was owned for many years by Daniel D. Fisher and is now owned by Frank Fisher, his grandson. Members of the Society of Friends. called Quakers, also made some early settlements in Oley. These, like the Huguenots, were refugees. but came mainly from England. Some German Quakers from Germany also found their way here. These also fled their native land on account cf oppression and persecution. One Quaker. Iohn Keim, believed to be one of the first settlers of the Oley Valley. arrived in 1698 and settled near Pikeville. Yost and Hans Yoder emigrated from a German-Swiss canton and settled along the Manatawny before 1714. Many of the descendants of these early settlers are still living in this community. Take the DeTurck family, for example. Isaac DeTurck was the one who originally started what is lznown as the DeTurck homestead. Two of his qreat-qrandsons. Abraham, Ir., and lohn, were among the prime movers for the erection of Frieden's Union Church. In the fifth, sixth and seventh generations the DeTurck name and blood were associated with some of the important families of Berks County, such as Van Reed, Leidy, C. K. Whitner. founder of Whitner's Store in Reading. Hoch. Hiester and many others. The Bertolet family is another one that still resides in Oley. lean Bertolet's great-grandson, Daniel Bertolet. was a very important man in Oley and is described as a man of iron will, marvelous industry and deep convictions . A son of lean Bertolet married and lived for a number of years on a portion of the original DeTurck farm. which for many years was owned by Israel M. Bertolet. The Herbein family is known for its interest in the church and as teachers and successful farmers. Ionathan Herbein is listed among the taxpayers of Oley Township in 1752. The original Herbein homestead probably was located near the Oley line, where many of the earlier Herbeins lie buried in a private cemetery on the original farm. One branch of these Herbeins moved to the vicinity of Strausstown. Another homestead that has stayed in the same family for many years is the Kaufman home. This home was built by David Kaufman, who came to Oley from Germantown in 1720. As his family became larger he added another tract of land, thus we have two Kaufman homesteads. but one family. This home has been handed down from father to son, until today it is in the hands of the Frank Kaufman estate. The Kaufman family is noted for its efficient farmers and preachers. CContinued on Page 633

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Eight PIONEERS IN THE SCHOOL We, the beneficiaries of a fine institution of leaming, owe a great debt to various men who pioneered education in the Oley Valley. The knowledge we have of earlier educational ideas being forwarded is given to us through letters explaining that schoolmasters then served a two-fold purpose. teaching and ministering the gospel to the people. The very first move to establish schools is credited to the Moravians. They built their first school in 1742. The ground upon which they built qv the school had been granted to them by Iohn , Diedrich Youngman. The building was available li' -li ftbljf for both public worship and school purposes. They built another building in 1776 to replace the first. which was then to serve as a boarding house. The l later building still stands. To this school ten boys came from Gennantown and seventeen boys from Faulkner's Swamp. Records say that as late as 1759 there were enrolled 47 children in the school. The charge for board for one-half year was six pounds. This was the original boarding-school in Oley. JUIEIISVK7 lglcilsl, llfgl mzlf' 'Q 'ill' We also find that Reverend Henry Melchior Muhlenberg. a Lutheran minister, and Reverend Michael Schlatter. a Reformed minister. were two of the first men who undertook the responsibility of starting schools and maintaining them. Reverend Michael Schlatter tried to forward education by having a good school connected with every church, in order that the rising generation might be properly instructed. Private schools sprang up because the people wanted their children to learn to read and write. A school such as this was located on the farm which was most easily reached by all scholars. ln 1812 Daniel Bertolet and Iacob Kerst built a pay-school on the Israel M. Bertolet farm which now belongs to Heyman Bertolet. Isaac Van Sickle. an Englishman, served as teacher. In 1834 a law was enacted that free schools should be established. This law was little favored, because the people thought that the success of free schools would be the death of the church. A fierce war of opposition against this law was waged, but the last of the districts finally succumbed to this law in 1867. Oley had accepted this law in 1854. In 1857 Peter G. Bertolet formed a stock company for the erection of an academy. which should meet the long-felt want for higher education. He succeeded in raising funds and the building was erected. Iacob H. Major served as the first principal. Among other outstanding pioneers we have had Israel M. Bertolet and Dr. D. E. Schoedler, who have been outstanding in education. The Oley Valley has been gifted with many people who have pioneered in the progress of education. Among those who are still striving to obtain high standards are: Dr. Henry S. Brunner. who served as a pioneer in vocational agriculture and is now serving at Pennsylvania State College: Mrs. Edna DeTurck Geiss Geiss, who has pioneered many Schools, and who has now been County Superintendency in Berks , who has served the community long and well: Mr. Newton W. an educational idea as teacher and principal of the Oley rewarded for his progressive and aggressive ideas with the County. The Community of Oley sincerely appreciates and pays tribute to Mr. Geiss. As class-room teachers. Mr. Charles S. Bower and Iohn G. Dengler were truly in the pioneering class. In the preceding paragraphs we have tried to give you an idea as to the many persons who have pioneered in the field of education. We have mentioned a few of the more important ones, and in so doing we apologize to all those whose names we have not mentioned. We wish to show due respect and sincere gratitude to these men and women who, in giving their all to further education in our community, have given us the opportunity by which we can and shall become better citizens. Holding all our pioneering ancestors in highest regard, we hope we have transmitted to you the idea of Step by step, but always forward in this phase of pioneering.