My Genealogy Hound

HENRY K. HARTZELL, M. D., President of the Hartzell Concentrating Company, and a leading business man of Allentown, was born in Bucks County, Pa., on the 6th of May, 1840, and is a son of Philip G. Hartzell, who was also a native of Bucks County, and was a farmer by occupation. The grandfather, Philip Hartzell, was of German descent. The mother of our subject, who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Kerr, was born in Bucks County, and was a daughter of Henry Kerr, who was of Scotch and Irish descent. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hartzell were born eight children, seven of whom are yet living, three being residents of Allentown.

When our subject was a lad of ten years his father died, and he went to live with an uncle in Montgomery County, Pa., where he attended the common schools and acquired his literary education. He then began reading medicine with Dr. C. Williams, of Tylersport, Pa., and later entered Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, from which he was graduated in 1863. He commenced practice in Goodville, where he continued for seven years, when he came to Allentown and opened an office. Subsequently he formed a partnership with P. Albright and J, F. Kline, under the firm name of P. Albright & Co., private bankers. They did a successful business and subsequently merged into the Girard Savings Bank, which ceased operations in 1873.

Mr. Hartzell afterward became interested in the iron mines of Lehigh and Berks Counties, and owns a considerable interest in magnetic iron-ore mines. This investment has proved a profitable one and yields him a good income. He formed a partnership with Thomas A. Edison, and for two and one-half years they experimented and succeeded in putting into successful operation a process for separating iron-ore by electricity. The Hartzell Concentrating Company was then organized, and Dr. Hartzell was made its President. In the spring of 1893 this was made a stock company under the laws of the state, and the following gentlemen are now the officers of the Hartzell Concentrating Company: H. K. Hartzell, President; and W. S. Pilling, Secretary and Treasurer. The works of the company are located in the Rittenhouse Gap in the mountain, and a superior quality of magnetic ore is mined. The company use all of the latest and best improved machinery for separating and concentrating the ore, and furnish employment to about two hundred men. They have two large Corliss stationary engines of two-hundred-and-fifty-horse power each, besides smaller engines, and about three hundred tons of ore are turned out daily. This is one of the leading enterprises of the city.

In 1879 Dr. Hartzell was joined in wedlock with Miss Mary Martin, a daughter of Dr. T. H. Martin, one of the highly respected citizens of Lehigh County, and to them were born two children, Helen M. and Harry Kerr. Their home is an elegant brick residence, built in modern style of architecture, supplied with all conveniences and tastefully and richly furnished. It is located at the northeast corner of Eighth and Walnut Streets.

In political sentiment, Dr. Hartzell is a pronounced Democrat, but has never been an office-seeker, preferring to devoted his entire time and attention to his business interests. Besides his interest in the mines he is connected with other enterprises, being a Director of the Lehigh Valley Trust and Safety Deposit Company, and also of the Allentown Hardware Works. He is a man of most excellent business ability, sagacious and far-sighted, and by close attention to details and well directed efforts, he has become one of the representative business men of this part of Pennsylvania.