My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in the book,  Portrait and biographical record of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties, Pennsylvania published in 1894 by Chapman Publishing Company.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

* * * *

SQUIRE LEVIN A. MIKSCH is a public-spirited citizen, in harmony with the advanced ideas, intelligent progress and the best methods of promoting education, improvements, and the good of his country generally. He is the oldest resident now living in West Bethlehem, where he is one of its prominent lumber and coal merchants, conducting a fine business in connection with a Mr. Borhek.

Our subject was born November 1, 1820, in Nazareth, Northampton County, this state, and is the son of Jacob Miksch, whose birth occurred in 1787, at Christian Spring, that county. Grandfather Christian Miksch was a native of Bethlehem, but was reared to manhood in the above county, where he carried on the blacksmith’s trade. The great-grandfather of our subject, Michael Miksch, was born September 27, 1710, in Moravia, Austria. The latter, during his younger days, was sent as a missionary to that country, but was not allowed to stay there long enough to accomplish any good, being driven out of the country along with other missionaries. He returned to his native place, and was then sent to Georgia, as a missionary in the Moravian Mission Church. He labored there for many years, but finally removed to this state, where he was made manager of the Moravian Farm which he superintended for many years. His last place of residence was in Christian Spring, where his decease occurred January 28, 1792.

The father of our subject followed in the footsteps of his father, and was also a blacksmith by trade during his younger years, but on abandoning that line of business located on a farm near Nazareth, where his decease occurred at the age of ninety-one years and two months. His wife, Mrs. Catherine (Weinland) Miksch, was born near Hope, N. J., and her father, Christian Weinland, was likewise a native of that state, whence he came to Nazareth in an early day.

Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Miksch had eight children, all of whom are deceased with the exception of Francis, who is eighty years of age and resides in Nazareth; Levin, of this sketch, and Joseph, who makes his home at Iron Hill. He of whom we write was reared in his native place and attended school until fifteen years of age, when he began working as clerk in a general merchandise store. In November, 1840, however, he removed to Wayne County, and in company with a Mr. Wooley established a general merchandise and lumber business at Hopesdale. They owned a large saw mill, and the lumber which they manufactured was rafted in logs to their mill, and when worked over into lumber was floated on the Delaware River to Trenton and Philadelphia. Mr. Miksch was thus employed for eleven years, and during his residence in that locality had many thrilling experiences in hunting bear and other wild animals, of which he killed a great number.

In 1851 our subject came to West Bethlehem, where he was given the position of Superintendent of the Borhek & Knauss Lumber and Coal Company, and filled the position of Manager of their retail yards until August, 1860. Previous to that year one member of the firm, C. L. Knauss, died, and the survivor, Mr. Borhek, sold the business to A. C. Borhek, C. M. Knauss and L. A. Miksch, and these gentlemen operated together until 1877, when C. M. Knauss of the firm sold his interest to Mr. Borhek, and the style was changed to that of Borhek & Miksch, which is still retained. Their yard is located on the corner of Main and Canal Streets and covers over three blocks. On it are erected all the necessary sheds and buildings, and the office, which is situated on Main Street, is built of brick. It is the oldest yard in the city, its original owner, Henry G. Guetter, having sold the business in 1848 to Borhek & Knauss. They carry all kinds of building materials and deal in large quantities of lime and hard and soft coal, making a specialty of Upper Lehigh Valley coal.

Mr. Miksch is occupying with his family a substantial residence on Canal Street, and it may be said of him that he has done more than any other one man toward the upbuilding of this place. He gives his aid to every project calculated to advance its interests, and is therefore looked upon as one of the prominent citizens of Lehigh County. He has been very successful in his business career and owns considerable real estate in this vicinity.

Our subject was married in Wayne County, this state, in 1845, to Miss Magdalena, daughter of John Frebele. She was born in Germany, of which place her father was also a native, and departed this life in 1861. She was the mother of ten children, six of whom grew to mature years: Ellen, whose decease occurred in her sixteenth year; William, a merchant of Bethlehem, who died when thirty-three years old; Jacob, in business with his father; Harriet L., the wife of Alfred Moore, who makes her home in this city; Levin A., Jr., a machinist in this place; and Mary M., now Mrs. J. C. Wagner, who also makes her home in this city.

Our subject is very popular in his community and while residing in Hanover Township was elected, in 1855, as Justice of the Peace on the Republican ticket, in the strongest Democratic township in the county. He was re-elected to the same position in 1860, and was the incumbent of that office for ten years in succession. He is a member of the Moravian Church in Bethlehem, and is active in all church and Sunday-school work. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Lumbermen’s Protective Association, and with his partner is enjoying a large trade, which from the beginning has steadily increased.

* * * *

This family biography is one of numerous biographies included in the book, Portrait and biographical record of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties, Pennsylvania published in 1894 by Chapman Publishing Company. 

View additional Lehigh County, Pennsylvania family biographies here: Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Biographies

View a historic 1911 map of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania

View family biographies for other states and counties

Use the links at the top right of this page to search or browse thousands of other family biographies.