Preface

 [George Hechler] The ancestor of the Heckler family, which resided principally in Montgomery and Bucks Counties, Pa., was born in the reign of Louis XV, King of France, on the 26th day of April 1737 at Retchweiler, in Lower Alsace, a country between the river Rhine and the Vosges Mountains. It has been said that his father's name was Michael, besides he had a brother Michael and a sister whose name is not known. There were only those three children in his father's family. Obeying the advice of his parents when he was fifteen years of age, he went to learn the tailoring trade, and after three years of rigid apprenticeship he became free from his master. He was then about eighteen, at which time, according to law, he would be compelled to go "auf die wander schaft," which meant to travel from place to place as a journeyman tailor, working for and learning from numerous masters to make himself more proficient in his trade. But as his first master had been a severe one, presuming they were all so, he refused to obey that law and, rather than to submit to arrogant tyranny, fled to America. He arrived at Philadelphia in the ship Neptune from Rotterdam and on the 30th day of September, 1754. On his arrival here he was in a state of extreme poverty and could not pay for his passage, as it was custom then to sell those poor passengers, who had no money to pay for their passage, into servitude to such men as would buy them; Our great-grandfather, George Hechler was also sold for 18 lbs. equal to $49. People sold that way were called redemptioners, because there was a time set in the contract when he was to be redeemed and have his liberty. He was sold to Jno. Stoner or Steiner for three years; this man lived in North Coventry Township, Chester County, Pa opposite Pottstown, and during those three years of servitude he did not get much money in possession, but in return received that which was better, the knowledge of the value of money. Money was scarce in those times, so when his time of service had expired he had learned how to work in this, his adopted country, and hired himself to Mr. Stoner and remained there a faithful hiredman for several years. Ten years after his arrival in this country, or in 1764, he married Christiana, daughter of Peter Freed of Lower Salford. She was a good-natured, kind hearted and peace-loving woman; generous and kind to the poor, and a member of the Mennonite Church. The least that can be said of her is that in all respects she was worthy of being the helpmate of the first Heckler progenitor in America. At the time of their marriage he was 28 years of age and she was 23. Soon after their Marriage his father-in-law gave him 50 lbs. in money, a sum equal to $133.33 to commence housekeeping with, to buy furniture and whatever they would need to establish their idea of comfort; but so saving was he, that he put out the 50 lbs. at interest at 5 per cent., and worked a year getting their exigencies gradually supplied as they earned the money. Several years after their marriage he purchased a farm, at or near the present Blooming Glen Meetinghouse, containing 100 acres, very cheaply. The farm was in Hilltown township, Bucks County Pa. and on the farm they lived seventeen years. It was during the time that they lived there, that the Revolutionary war took place, and his farm wagon was pressed into the service of the Continental Army; but after the war was over, it was returned, and is still preserved by George P. Heckler on the old Heckler farm in Lower Salford; but it is a little like the boys pocket knife which had been repaired so often that it was almost another knife . In the spring of the year 1785, George Hechler purchased from his father-in-law, Peter Freed, the large plantation in Lower Salford, supposed to contain 243 acres for 2000 Lbs. in Solid Gold and silver. More recent surveys show that it contained 260 acres. This large plantation is now divided into numerous small tracts or parcels of land and is occupied by eight residences belonging to Jacob Heckler, George Heckler, Joseph Heckler, Samuel R. Landis, Andrew Delp, Peter Garges, and Abraham B. Alderfer. On this tract are quarried some of the best building and flag stones in the township. This large tract of land, on the Tattle Branch, contained much heavy timber in the beginning of this century. A strip through the upper part of it containing about forty acres, was not so heavy timbered, for there the land was low and wet. It was a thicket overgrown with bushes, briers, and huckle-berries in abundance. it was a great place for blackberries. At that time this wet, wild land was called "Heckler's Plain." It was a great place for rabbits and partridges in the fall and winter. Skunks and possums were also found there. Besides, it was also a great place for snakes in the summer. People used to go there in parties in the summer to pick huckleberries and blackberries. This was about the year 1820 to 1830 and later as I have been informed, but there is now not a vestiage of them remaining. On this farm, apparently, there must have been 500 apple trees, wild and ungrafted, besides many other fruit Trees of various kinds. About the year 1795, George Heckler erected a distillery, and manufactured large quantities of "Apple Jack" and some peach brandy from the many peaches which grew there. Besides, they made a kind of drink called "Cider Gil," more properly called ciderkin. They also boiled large quantities of apple butter. They had a large family of boys and girls to do the work and to help make money. At that time their taxes amounted to only about five dollars every year, and very little expense. They did all their own work themselves and had no expense in that line. Another way that they had of making money, was by keeping bees and raising honey. They also gave some bees to other people to raise and attend for the half. In this way they raised great quantities of honey and wax which they sold and the money they received in return they knew how to keep. They also manufactured a kind of liquor, a very fashionable drink in those times, from honey and honey comb, called Metheglin, but the germans who could not say Metheglin, and called it Mediglin. it was made by boiling and fermenting and adding some kind of spice to give it flavor. They also kept sheep and raised wool which the women spun into yarn. They also raised much flax, and the consequences were the girls kept busy at the spinning wheels. Then they had a weaver shop where several of the boys were kept busy weaving through the winter, thus manufacturing their on goods for clothing, and their one clothing also. There was no fooling around on Saturday and Sunday, and sitting at some publice place on a rainy day, for those boys, as the custom no is, but with them it was work on every day except Sunday. The boys were kept at work at home until they were bachelors. But than after they were Married the received help from their fathers. It has been related to me of Old George Hechler that he was so very busy and industrious that he could hardly rest a whole Sunday. He had a quick step and was a fast walker, and in his best time a fast runner. It is said on one occasion, when he hauled a load of grain, he met another man who also had a load of the same kind of grain, and as they were together at a tavern in Whitemarsh, or now Flourtown, they became imbued with liveliness, jesting and plaguing each other, when one challenged the other to run race, and both came to the argument to stake their loads of grain on the race. The one would gain the race was also to gain the others load of grain. The distance was agreed upon, the race was run and our Greatgrandfather gained the race and the other load of grain. This may have been true, or may have been only a joke, but it was related to me. The farm contained a great of good meadow land and much pasture. They raised their own cattle and at that time cattle could supply themselves in the woods during the summer. They also went to market in Philadelphia with their produce, but in the winter and spring, they went on horse back when the roads were bad, for the roads were in a terrible condition sometimes. They had large wallets which were open on each side, which they hung over the horses back in which they carried their produce to market. They could load a good deal of produce on a horse in that manner, and if they had a large load the man would walk and lead his animal. They had eggbaskets which I recollect seeing, they were made of splints in the shape of a jar, only much larger. In them they packed their eggs in chaff or hay seeds, and put the basket full of eggs, thus packed, into a wallet on the horse and carried them safely to market. Thus I might relate many things of how the people used to do that they now do do not know much if anything about. It sometimes happened in the spring of the year when the roads were very bad, for there were no turnpikes, that there were great quagmires in the road and the horses would sink in so deeply that they could not get out and in trying to get out the futher down they would sink. Then they would fasten a chain around the horses neck, and by the help of the other horses they would pull them out; but very often they were dead, even after they had succeeded to such an extent, one of the worst places in the road was down at Nicetown, below Wayne Junction. I remember that my grandfather, Peter Heckler, told me many of his adventures in his young days; when I was a boy, and I took delight in listening to his stories. But I must return again to Old George Heckler, for it came to pass after his fathers was dead, that his brother Michael wrote him some letters in regard to his father's estate and these letters I have copied in German and preserved them in a box. By one of these letters it appears that fourteen years after George Heckler had left his home his parents did not know what had become of him. His father died in 1780, his mother in 1774 and his only sister in 1764. Those letters were written in 1784 to 1787 and 1789. George Heckler had much truble in getting his share of his father's estate, for it was against the law to take or send money out of their country. He therefore appointed Peter Welrich, who made it a business to act as agent for people, to act for him also and gave him a Power of Attorney to show that he was authorized to act; but it makes this story too long to write all of that here. [Georg Hechler gave Peter Ulrich a Power of Attorney to show that he was authorized to bring George's share to him; as it was forbidden to take the money out of the country and a severe penalty imposed, he had to invest the money in goods, which he was permitted to transport, and brought them here to George. One of the things he brought was a large book on Natural history of Birds and Animals, containing many illustrations, and the other articles were dry goods, heavy cloth of which an overcoat was made and was in use yet when I was a boy] ... his brother Michael had a son George who came to Pennsylvania when he was quite an old man and he and his six children settled in Schuylkill County in 1842. Two of George Heckler's cousins-in-law were living in Washington Township Schuylkill County at that time, and he and his family came to them for they were cousins, but George Heckler the father died soon afterward. One of the boys was a tailor. He went to Philadelphia and died there about the year 1860. He was unmarried. There would be yet much to write but I must leave some things out, and make my story short, or I may not have room for more important matter, which I must not omit. In the spring of the year 1800 our ancester, George Hechler, purchased from John Delp a farm containing 146 acres on the skippack Creek in Lower Salford Township for 1500 lbs. His other farm contained 260 acres, besides ten acres more that he purchased from John Keiff, making in all 416 acres: This was doing pretty well for a man who, forty-six years before, did not even own so much as himself, when he was bought by another man. When he was sold and bought by other people. But at the end of his life he was a rich man, for those times. His estate apparently was worth more than #30,000. Eli Stoner told me it was $40,000, but I think that is too high. They had eleven children but only eight lived to share the estate. On that twelfth day of January 1814 George Hechler made his last will and testament in writing and therein appointed his two sons, Peter F. and Abraham F. to be his Executors. He divided his plantation containing yet 208 acres to his two sons, Abraham F. and David F. Sometime previous to making his will he built a house and barn and some other out-buildings for his son Jacob F. and cut out 52 acres of land for him. This same property is now owned by Samuel R. Landis. The farm on Shippack Road was bought expressly for his two sons, George F. and Peter F. Abraham and David had the farm in peaceful partnership by virtue of their father's will during a period of 23 years, without making any deed or survey until 1838. .... George Hechler died suddenly as he was out before his door, where George P. Heckler no lives, where he sunk down from a stroke of apoplexy and died at 60 years, four month and two days. His wife, Christiana, survived him yet by 16 years....They are buried at the Lower Salford Mennonite Cemetary.

The farm on the Skippack Road was divided between George and Peter. At first they tried to live together in the same house on the farm where Benj. Ruth no lives, but it did not go well with the women. Then George built on the premiss where his son, the late George Heckler, lived which is now owned by Samuel Freed. Georg and Peter both took the same way to makes money as their father had done. They both had weaver shops and tried to earn money; besides they both kept bees, but evidently George had better success in making money than Peter, because he became rich while Peter could hardly be called rich.

 Barbara Heckler, the oldest of the family, never was in her right mind. She never done any work worth mentioning but used to sit and lie in their large fire corner and when strangers would come, she would stir about in the ashes with a stick and on that account the neighbors called her the "ash puddler." She died in the fire corner, aged about 57 years. At that time her mother was still living. She is buried in Salford. Hannah Heckler married Christopher Rohr. They had a small farm in Hatfield. He died in 1822, aged about 53 years and is burried at the Mennonite Meeting House at Line Lexington. After his death Abraham Heckler, son of Peter, and John Heckler, son of George in company with Benj. Reiff, Esq. for their surety took out Letters of Administration and settled up the Rohr estate. Hannah Rohr died in 1851, aged about 84 years. Christopher Rohr [her husband] always went by the name of Christian. He was a german, born in Germany in 1769. They had ten children, but many of them died young. John was a boy who died before he was grown, and Jacob Rohr lived to be an old man. He had been married to Elizabeth Kramer but they did no live together long. Their residens was in Bucks County, where they had one child, a daughter, Susan, who in later year, married William Godshall and had two children whose names were Richard and William, but I am informed they are all dead at this time. Jacob Rohr used to travel around from place to place among his friends. He died Feb. 3, 1890, in his 85th year, and is bured in Towamensing. Cristiana Rohr, or Tiena as she was called, married John Faber and they had four children, namly John and Levi who were twins, Henry and David; John's and Levi's decendents are living in Philadelphia and are smart People. Tiena's husband, John FAber, did not live to get old; but she was 58 years old when she died. She is burried at Line Lexington Cemetery, but has no gravestones, neither does her father have grave-stones. Barbara Rohr had an intelligent child named after the father there of Jacob Ottiner, but it is said the child died. Barbara Rohr died in the poor-house, aged 44 years. The whole family of Rohr were weak-minded, and when old Christy Rohr's estate was settled, each of the children recieved yet $200. Jacob Rohr had yet $600 when he died. They were related with a family of Rohr in Bucks County. Barbara was the oldest of the children who lived. The next was Christiana or Tiena, as she was called, and sometime after her was John, and after him was Jacob. They could not read or write.

George Heckler built himself a cheap house on his farm on the Skippack Road. For many years they climbed up a ladder to go upstairs. The house was only a story and a half high, and then they had no parlor, but had a bed-room downstairs on the first floor; they had five children....There might have been one or two children between Samuel and Jacob. If there were, they died young. Nothing is known of them. George Heckler was a weaver by trade and he weaved all their goods while his wife done the spinning, as long as their children were small. He lived to be an old man and in his old age would often walk up to see his brother David on the old homestead.