My Genealogy Hound

CHRISTIAN PHILIP HUMRICH. The Humrichs are of German descent. Christian Humrich, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, came to America in 1793. He settled in Pennsylvania, and on the 14th of June, 1802, before Hon. Hugh H. Brackenridge, a Justice of the Supreme Court, presiding in the circuit court of Lancaster, he “abjured all allegiance and fidelity to Charles Theodore August Christian, Electorate Prince of the Palatinate in Germany, of whom he was heretofore a subject.” and was duly naturalized. He was a saddler by trade. In 1807 he removed with his family to Carlisle, where he took possession of the “Black Bear Inn” property, which he had bought at sheriff's sale in September, 1806. This property is situated on the northwest corner of Hanover and Louther streets, and has been in the Humrich name ever since, being now owned by Christian Philip Humrich. Here Christian Humrich kept hotel and carried on the saddle and harnessmaking business until 1824, when he retired from the active duties of life. He died on Oct. 22, 1842, aged about ninety-four years. He was a successful business man and owned much desirable property in and about the town. He also took a live interest in the various public enterprises of his day, and was a member of the building committee that erected the town hall which stood on the court house square near where the soldiers’ monument now stands. For their services he and the other members of the committee were awarded a vote of thanks by the Cumberland Fire Company, as appears by the minutes of that organization. He was an active member of the German (now the First) Lutheran Church of Carlisle, took a prominent part in liquidating the debt incurred in 1807 by the erection of the first brick church building, on Bedford near Louther street, and at different times served as vestryman and treasurer. On the 20th of April, 1840, when over ninety years of age, as an “inspector,” he helped to conduct the election of church officers, as appears by the certificate of that election which is still in existence.

Christian Humrich was married to Christina Foltz, and, as appears by the records of the Trinity Lutheran Church of Lancaster City, had the following children: Anna Maria, born Dec. 24, 179 — ; Catharine, born April 18, 1795; George Philip, born August 19, 1796; Sarah Elizabeth, born March 11, 1798; Johannes, born Aug. 10, 1799, and John Adams, born Sept. 3, 1800.

John Adams Humrich, the youngest child of Christian and Christina (Foltz) Humrich, learned the saddler’s trade, succeeded to the business of his father and continued it until in 1830, when he changed to the grocery and provision trade, which he conducted on the aforenamed corner at Hanover and Louther streets until 1840. He then relinquished the mercantile business and thereafter directed his attention to farming and the management of his properties. He died on the 18th of February, 1880. He was an energetic, successful business man and like his family for generations before him, was a member of the Lutheran Church. In politics he was an old-line Whig and an ardent supporter of William Henry Harrison for president. Subsequently he was a radical Republican and an “Underground Railroad Man,” but never held an elective office.

In 1830 John Adams Humrich married Mary Ann Zeigler, of North Middleton township, a daughter of Philip Zeigler, whose father, Philip Zeigler, Sr., came from Wurtemberg, Germany, in the year 1753, and located in Upper Salford township, Philadelphia (now Montgomery) county, where on Sept. 24, 1763, he was naturalized. He was a land owner and a farmer and a warm friend of the Continental cause in the Revolutionary war. He and his wife Elizabeth had six sons, viz.: Henry, Andrew, John, George, Mark and Philip, and two daughters, Catharine and Elizabeth, as appears by his last will and testament, duly probated in Montgomery county. His son, Philip Zeigler, Jr., who was one of his executors, married Mary Kramer of the adjoining county of Bucks, and by her had three sons and two daughters born in Montgomery county. The sons were John, Abraham and Samuel, and the two daughters were Elizabeth and Mary Ann. With this family, in 1801, when his daughter Mary Ann was yet less than five years old, he migrated to Cumberland county and settled near Sterrett’s Gap, in Middleton (now Middlesex) township, where he resided until the end of his days. In addition to the above-named children three sons, Jesse, David and Philip, and a daughter, Sophia, were born after the family settled in Cumberland county. Three daughters, not named, died in infancy, but the rest of his children all grew to maturity, married, and with a single exception left families. Elizabeth, the oldest daughter, married Dr. Conrad Eckert, of Carlisle, and died without issue in August, 1823, in the thirty-fifth year of her age. Sophia, the youngest child, became the wife of Jacob Wise, and at the age of almost ninety-two years is still living at her home in the village of Springville, in this county, reasonably active in mind and body.

Philip Zeigler, Jr., the Cumberland county ancestor of the Zeigler family, was also a member of the German Lutheran Church of Carlisle, as were all his children and many of his grandchildren. He was a Democrat in politics, and took interest in public affairs, but never sought office. He was possessed of considerable property and as a stockholder and director lost heavily in the old Agricultural Bank of Carlisle. His chief occupation was farming, at which he engaged extensively, and the “Mansion Farm,” which he bought in 1801, is still owned and farmed by his grandchildren.

John Adams and Mary Ann (Zeigler) Humrich had four children, viz.: Christian Philip (whose name heads this sketch), John A., Samuel K. and William A. John A. died in 1862, leaving surviving him his widow and three children, of whom only the widow and one son are now living. The other three sons are living and all are residing in Carlisle.

Christian Philip Humrich, the eldest son of John Adams and Mary Ann (Zeigler) Humrich, and the especial subject of this sketch, was born in Carlisle March 9, 1831. He grew to manhood and received all his education in the town of his birth. On Aug. 16, 1836, he entered one of the first primary schools organized in Carlisle under the free school law. Miss Rebecca Wightman was his first teacher. From the primary he passed through the different grades to the high school, from which he graduated in the summer of 1847. On leaving the public schools he entered the preparatory department of Dickinson College and completed a full course in that institution, graduating from the college proper in July, 1852. In the fall of 1852 he entered the office of R. M. Henderson, Esq., as a student-at-law, and under his instruction pursued the study of the law until Nov. 14, 1854, on which date he was admitted to the Cumberland County Bar. Since then he has been practicing his profession in this and adjoining counties. Along with his law practice Mr. Humrich has paid some attention to agricultural pursuits and given much time to the study of history. The history of Cumberland County and of the counties formed from “Mother Cumberland” has been with him a favorite theme for many years, and upon this particular subject the members of the community in general have long regarded him as an authority.

In politics Mr. Humrich is a stanch Republican. He helped to organize that party in 1856 and has shared its fortunes ever since, serving as chairman of its county committee, and as the representative of his county in its State organization. On three different occasions he was a candidate for county office, twice for District Attorney and once for State Assembly, in each instance receiving a creditable vote, but the Democratic majority in the county was too large to overcome and he was defeated with the rest of his party ticket. In municipal affairs he has been prominent nearly all his life. As early as 1862 he served as a member of the Carlisle town council, and again since 1899. As school director he has enjoyed an exceptionally long and honorable career, as may be gathered from the following extract from a Carlisle newspaper: “On last Monday evening, Dec. 7, 1896, C. P. Humrich, Esq., entered upon his fortieth year of continuous service as school director of the borough of Carlisle, having taken his seat as a member of the school board on Monday, the 7th day of December, 1857. He has also served as secretary of the school board since Feb. 6, 1860, and the minutes of the board are in his handwriting.”

His term of service as school director terminated on the 7th of June, 1897, he having served continuously in that capacity for almost thirty-nine-and-a-half years. He has likewise figured as a fireman. On the 5th of March, 1859, he became a member of the Good Will Hose Company; on April 15, 1862, he was elected president of that organization, in which capacity he served until June 20, 1899, when he was made president of the board of trustees, which position he still holds. On the 6th day of September, 1862, he was commissioned captain of the Keystone Guards, a military company which was organized by and composed principally of members of the Good Will Hose Company. This organization shortly afterward became Company I, 1st Regiment of the Pennsylvania Militia, commanded by Col. Harry McCormick, and served on the State border in the Antietam campaign under the proclamation of President Lincoln and the orders of Gov. Curtin. In connection with Hon. W. F. Sadler and others Mr. Humrich organized and put into successful operation the Carlisle Building & Loan Association — the first of its kind in Carlisle — and acted as its secretary from the time of its organization until it was voluntarily dissolved by order of court, a period of nearly nine years. He is now president of the Cumberland County Bar Association; has served as treasurer of the Cumberland County Law Library Committee since January, 1875; has administered the Hamilton Trust School Fund since 1885: has been secretary of the Hamilton Library Association since 1891, and is a charter member of the Pennsylvania German Society.

On May 12, 1859, Christian Philip Humrich was married to Miss Amanda Rebecca Zeigler, a daughter of Jesse and Mary Ann (Peffer) Zeigler, and granddaughter of Philip Zeigler, of North Middleton township. To their union nine children were born, six of whom survive, these being Charles F., who is engaged in the insurance business; Ellen King; Carrie Amelia, who is the wife of Jacob W. Humer; Blanche Zeigler, Mary Ann and Christian Philip, Jr., all of whom reside in Carlisle and are members of the First Lutheran Church. On the 8th of May, 1899, his wife, Amanda Rebecca, after a protracted illness caused by grip and pneumonia, died, and her remains were laid to rest in Ashland cemetery, at Carlisle. His home and that of his family has been at No. 149 West Louther street since April, 1860.

Mr. Humrich has lived in Carlisle all his life. He well remembers the great hail storm that struck the town in June, 1839, by which the large willow tree standing near the First Presbyterian church was blown down, the attic gable end of the house of William Leonard, corner of Hanover and Louther streets, blown out upon the adjoining residence of Abel Keeny, and much other damage that was done. He vividly recalls the election campaign of 1840 and the log cabin that was erected on Pitt street opposite to where the Opera House now stands; the defeat of Henry Clay in 1844 and the medals and badges used in that campaign; the burning of the court house and town hall in March, 1845, and the building of the new court house. He is one of the few surviving witnesses of the McClintock riot, which occurred in June, 1847, having been in front of the court house when it took place; he heard the trial of the defendants at the August court of quarter sessions following, and was present when the Confederate General Fitzhugh Lee, on the night of July 1, 1863, bombarded the town.