My Genealogy Hound

LAFENES H. LICHTENWALNER, one of the most prominent citizens of Lehigh County, is the proprietor of the Lichtenwalner Flouring Mill, which is located in Cedarsville. This property was purchased from Charles Mertz by Solomon Lichtenwalncr, the father of our subject, who at his death was probably the most well known man in the county, and his loss was sincerely and deeply mourned by all who knew him.

He of whom we write is a native of this county, having been born December 20, 1849. He is a son of Solomon and Maria (Stetler) Lichtenwalner, who are also natives of this section. He was reared to man’s estate in Upper Macungie Township, and thereafter followed farming for several years. When abandoning that kind of work he engaged in milling, which business he has found to be very profitable, and which he has carried on since that time. He received his primary education in the common school, and also carried on his studies in the normal at Kutztown, and the high school at Myerstown. Later he took a course in Blackwell’s Business College at Allentown, from which he was graduated, and when ready to succeed his father in the milling business was thoroughly prepared to manage affairs in a satisfactory way.

The Lichtenwalner Flouring Mill is a stone structure four stories in height, and was first built by Charles Metz. Our subject first rented the property for a number of years, during which time he operated it under the old system, but the second year of its ownership he put in a full roller process, which enables him to turn out the very finest flour in a very short time. He makes a specialty of merchant flour, besides also doing considerable custom work. The mill has a capacity of about fifty barrels in twenty-four hours, the machinery being run by water-power, and in the busy season it is kept working night and day. Our subject gives employment to three men, and in addition to manufacturing flour also makes at his mill the celebrated granulated bran, so well known throughout the county.

He of whom we write was married April 12, 1873, to Miss Agnes L., daughter of Charles and Rosa Folk, natives of Berks County, this state, and their union has been blessed by the birth of the following-named six children: Elmer C., Frank P., Edgar H., Ellis E., Bessie and Wilber. Though not a partisan in politics, Mr. Lichtenwalner is faithful to the interests of the Republican party, and always supports the principles of that organization. Religiously he is a member of the Lutheran Church, in which he has been Deacon and Superintendent of the Sunday-school for many years. He has met with good success in his .business career, and though he began life empty handed, is now numbered among the substantial citizens of the community.