My Genealogy Hound

HARRY HERTZLER, clerk of Cumberland county, and one of the prominent residents of Carlisle, was born one and a quarter miles east of Carlisle Nov. 8, 1861, a son of John and Fannie (Erb) Hertzler.

The father of our subject was born and reared on what is known as the Strickler farm, and received a public school education. After his marriage he located on the Erb farm, east of Carlisle, and later purchased this property of his father-in-law, consisting of 130 acres, whereon he followed farming until his retirement, in 1873, after an unbroken record of fifty years as an agriculturist. Upon his retirement he moved to Carlisle. In addition to farming he was a large horse dealer, and was successful in all of his ventures. Mr. Hertzler was a kind-hearted, public-spirited man, prompt to assist the unfortunate and to further any measure calculated to prove of benefit to the community in general. Both he and his excellent wife were members of the Mennonite Church. Both are now deceased, Mr. Hertzler passing away in December, 1896, aged seventy-seven years, and the mother May 13, 1896, aged seventy-six years. She was a native of Lancaster county, daughter of John Erb, who resided near Maytown, but was buried on the old farm in Cumberland county.

Nine children were born to this worthy couple: Mary married Joseph Ruhl, of Middlesex township, Cumberland county; Abraham is a resident of Indianola, Iowa, a farmer and cattle dealer; John E., residing on the old homestead, is a farmer; Samuel, was until recently, proprietor of the “Franklin House” at Carlisle, Pa.; Annie married Rev. J. M. Herr, of Monroe township; Barbara married John D. Greybill, of Carlisle; Daniel is a dealer of Carlisle; Harry is mentioned below; Catherine died in infancy.

Harry Hertzler was reared upon the farm, and like his father was educated in the public schools. In 1876 he came to Carlisle with his parents and later was assistant to his brother-in-law J. D. Greybill, at the Middlesex mills, and at the Carlisle mills. In 1884 he engaged in a livery business in Carlisle which he conducted until 1894, and he was also interested in handling horses in company with his brother Daniel, shipping from the West to Eastern markets. This branch of the business is still continued, but he retired from the livery business in 1894. At that time he took charge of the “Franklin House” at Carlisle, which he conducted for five years, or until 1899, when he assumed management of the bottling works. These he operated until Dec. 23, 1902, when he sold the plant in order to give all his attention to his official duties as clerk of the court and recorder of deeds, having been elected to the office in the fall of 1902, upon the Republican ticket. He has also served as a member of the council for two years. He has been auditor and assistant burgess, being elected to the latter office by a majority of seventy-two, and councilman from the Third ward by a majority of forty-nine. At the November election in 1902 he carried every ward in the city, thus demonstrating his wonderful personal popularity. He has represented his party in county and State conventions and is a very important factor in its ranks.

Fraternally, Mr. Hertzler is a member of the Masonic order, Cumberland Star Lodge, No. 197; St. John Chapter, No. 191; St. John Commandery, No. 8 (of which he is trustee); Harrisburg Consistory, S. P. R. S., 32d degree; and Lulu Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Philadelphia. He is a member and treasurer of Two Friends Lodge, No. 56, K. of P.; treasurer of the K. of G. E., No. 110; member and trustee of the B. P. O. E.; and a member of the Carlisle Club.

In addition to his other interests Mr. Hertzler acts as secretary of the Star Street Railroad Company and the Steelton, New Cumberland & Mechanicsburg Street Railway Company; is treasurer of the Carlisle Horse Protective Association, and is active in all of the leading enterprises of the city. There have been few movements successfully carried out within the past decade or two in Carlisle which have not directly or indirectly owed their consummation in some measure at least to the influence and enterprise of Mr. Hertzler, and the city certainly owes much to this eminently enterprising and broad-gauged man.

On Dec. 24, 1885, Mr. Hertzler was united in marriage to Miss Katie Foreman, a daughter of ex-Sheriff James K. Foreman. Mr. and Mrs. Hertzler have a beautiful home at No. 560 South Hanover street, where they show to their many friends a most gracious and lavish hospitality.