There were to Diehl families that settled at an early
date in Lehigh county. Daniel Diehl who came from Upper Saucon and settled
on the Lehigh mountain, and the family of Adam Diehl, who lived in Lowhill
township. Solomon Diehl, a son of Adam, was born in Lowhill township. He
was a weaver and at the same time farmed a small tact of land. His
homestead is now owned by Benjamin Kressly. He was a member of the
Fogelsville Reformed Congregation. he was buried at Morganland church, and
his wife, nee Zimmerman, is buried at Ziegel's church. Issue: Jessie,
Jonas, and Benjamin. Mr. Diehl was married the second time to Anna
Siegfried, an they had three children; Elias, Solomon, Uriah, Celsta (Mrs.
Irwin Stahler) and Matilda.
Benjamin Diehl, son of Solomon Diehl, lived in Lowhill township, where he
had a farm which he conducted. He was for many years a "Post Rider," Once
every week he made the circuit from Allentown, covering 7 townships. It
required two and half days to make the circuit. The postage at this time
was five cents. The "Post Rider" was very popular man and known by
everyone on the route. He is buried at Morganland church, where he was a
member of the Reformed congregation. He was married to Catharine Heilman,
with whom he had the following children: Alvin, Thomas, Reuben, Benjamin,
Catharine, (Mrs. Levi Smith), Phaon F. and Tilghman. Mr. Diehl was married
the second time to Judith, a daughter of John Diehl. The children of the
second marriage were the following: Lewis, Angeline, Chester, Maria,
Willoughby, Josiah, Richard, Amanda and Granville.
Phaon F. Diehl, a retired farmer and butcher, residing at Guthsville, was
born in Lowhill Sept 15,1838. His youth was spent upon the farm and for
about five years he followed the carpenter trade. He lived at Lyons for 11
years, where he followed the butcher business. He conducted the Farmers'
and Drovers' Hotel at Stony Point in Rockland township, Berks County, from
1878 to 1883. He then moved to Lowhill, where he purchased a 74 acre farm,
which he conduced until 1905, when he sold it to George Hardner. he then
purchased the Frank Miller homestead at Girthsville, where he now resides.
He believes in the principles of the Democratic party. He filled the
office of school director in Lowhill township for six years. He is a
member of the Reformed church at Morganland, which he served as elder. In
1860 he was married to Lizie J. Seibert, of Lowhill. Issue: Frank L. B.,
of Allentown; Annie L., died in infancy; Charles J., of Guthsville; Ida
C., wife of Horace Kuhns, of Coplay, and George P., farmer of south
Whitehall.
Jonas Diehl was born Dec 10, 1822. He was brought up on a farm and learned
shoe-making which he followed in Upper Macungie and North Whitehall for
upwards of 40 years. In 1894 he purchased a farm of 52 acres in Lowhill
and cultivated it until his decease. He died April 15, 1900. He was
married to Deborah Freeman, a daughter of Michael of North Whitehall, born
November 23, 1822, and died August 30, 1894. They had the following
children; Bennevile who married Maria Hoffman, Benjamin who enlisted in
the Civil War as a volunteer from Lehigh Co. but was shot when only 13
days in the service; Adam who married Mary Shoemaker, Morgan who married
Amanda Levan, Meno who married Catherine Fritz, Jeremiah W.; Caroline who
married Ephraim Michael and Sallie who married George Knerr.
Jeremiah M. Diehl, farmer of Lowhill, was born in Upper Macungie August
27, 1860, and there was brought up on a farm until he became 17 years of
age when his parents removed to North Whitehall. He was then employed in
the iron ore mines in the vicinity of Ironton for 17 years. In 1894 he
accompanied his father to the farm of 52 acres on the road from
Weidasville to Schnecksville in Lowhill which he had then purchased; and
he assisted his father in farming until the father died in 1900. Then the
son became the owner and he has farmed it ever since. He served as
road-master of Lowhill for one term, and also a deacon of the Morganland
Church.
In 1884, Mr. Diehl was married to Sarah Henry, daughter of Reuben Henry, a
miner of North Whitehall. They had seven children: Sadie who married
Reuben Hill; John; Helen; Addie; Morgan; and two (Amanda and Minnie) who
died in infancy. His wife's father Reuben Henry, was married to Polly
Handwerk, a daughter of Henry, a farmer of Heidelberg township, and they
had three children: George who married Carrie Craig, Catharine who married
Thomas Mill and Sarah above.
History of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical
record of its families by Charles Rhoads Roberts, et.al, Allentown, 1914.More Lehigh County History Books
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