My Genealogy Hound

THOMAS J. MARCH, of the March-Brownback Stove Manufacturing Company, Pottstown, was born in Lawrenceville (now Parkerford) Chester county, Pennsylvania, January 16, 1844. He is the son of Michael and Susanna (Christman) March.

Michael March (father) was born July 24, 1803, in East Vincent township, Chester county. In his younger days he was a carpenter, contractor and farmer. He became one of the founders of the March-Brownback Stove Company, at Lawrenceville, Chester county, in 1848. He carried on the business for many years, beginning in a small way and employing, at the time of his death, one hundred and fifty persons. He died in his seventy-seventh year. He married Miss Susanna, daughter of Henry Christman, also of East Vincent township, she dying in her eighty-first year. Michael March was a member of the Reformed church, while his wife was a Lutheran. He was a man of influence in his community, was active in the interest of the Republican party, and was a firm, ardent adherent of its policy. He served as school director for many years, and was one of the political leaders of his day. Michael and Susanna (Christman) March had six children: B. Franklin; Henry C., deceased; Ellen, who married James Brownback, of Linfield; Webster, deceased; Thomas J.; and Emma C., who married Rev. J. P. Miller.

Frederick J. March (grandfather) was born in Limerick township, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania. He was a carpenter, contractor and a farmer, and removed to Chester county, where he died in East Vincent township. He died in his sixty-seventh year and left a large family.

Frederick March (great-grandfather) was the first representative of the family in Pennsylvania. He was of German descent and settled in Limerick township, Montgomery county.

Colonel Henry Christman (maternal grandfather) was the eldest of three brothers and was born March 14, 1779, and died August 12, 1864. On February 26, 1806, Colonel Henry Christman married Eleanor Root, daughter of Sebastian Root. She was born April 10, 1787, and died August 19, 1854, while on a visit to her daughter, Margaret Buckwalter, at Parker’s Ford, Chester county. They lived on a farm adjoining the old Christman homestead, and also adjoining the farm of his brother Jacob. Colonel Henry Christman and his brothers were all stout, able-bodied men of good height and build, and were successful farmers. Henry Christman was the owner of an oil mill, which he converted into a flour mill about 1835, and which he retained until his death. He was commissioned lieutenant-colonel in the First Brigade in the Militia of Delaware and Chester counties, by Governor Simon Snyder, and served in the war of 1812. Colonel Henry and Eleanor (Root) Christman had the following children: George, born February 10, 1807; Sarah, born February 14, 1809; Susanna, born March 24, 1811; Henry, born August 13, 1813; Catharine, born September 22, 1816; Eliza, born October 1, 1818; Eleanor, born April 10, 1821; Maria, born February 10, 1823, and Margaret, born November 10, 1824. Of these children Sarah and Eliza died in childhood. Margaret married Isaac Buckwalter, and died January 16, 1885, leaving two daughters. Catharine married Isaac Shantz, and died July 28, 1866, leaving two children, a son and a daughter. Susanna married Michael March (father), and died April 19, 1891, leaving four children. Maria married Abraham Pennypacker (deceased) and has four sons living. Eleanor resides with her sister Maria Pennypacker. Henry died suddenly, July 24, 1865, unmarried. George married Miss Sarah Beerbower, December 23, 1827. In the autumn of 1843, after a prolonged illness, he died of fever, being in his thirty-seventh year. His widow afterwards married Henry Huzzard and died April 27, 1863, in her fifty-sixth year.

Henry Christman (great-grandfather) was born December 25, 1744, in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, and settled in Vincent township, Chester county, where he became the owner of a large tract of land on French creek. He lived on this farm during the Revolutionary war, and it is handed down as a tradition that he used his horses and wagons continuously in the cause of the patriots. By trade he was a saddler. He died September 16, 1823, and was buried in the family burial plot at Zion’s church, in East Pikeland, Chester county. He married Susanna Keeley, who was born February 25, 1750, and died September 19, 1823, three days after her husband’s death, and lies buried by his side.

Daniel Christman (great-great-grandfather) arrived in Pennsylvania, September 5, 1730, with forty-five colonists from the Palatine and their families, one hundred and thirty persons in all, in the ship “Alexander and Ann,” William Clymer, master, from Rotterdam, last from Cowes. March 27, 1735, he bought of Martin Funk and Magdalena, his wife, one hundred acres, and the following day sixty acres, situated in Frederick township, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania. Daniel Christman finally settled in Worcester township and in 1734 paid quit rents in that township. He was a member of the Lutheran church, as all the Christmans have been, and in 1748 contributed five shillings toward paying for a bell for the New Hanover Lutheran church. This information is principally obtained from the Colonial Records of Pennsylvania. It also shows that between 1730 and 1771 eleven Christmans with their families, arrived at Philadelphia, and swore allegiance to King George, the Second. The children of Daniel Christman were as follows: Anna Ella, who was married, in December, 1749, to Johannes Grob, who lived in Coventry township, Chester county; Felix, who was born in 1733 and removed to Vincent township, Chester county; Elizabeth, born in 1734; Jacob, born in 1737, and died in Frederick township, February 27, 1804; George, born 1739, a joiner, living in Frederick township; and Henry (great-grandfather), born in 1744.

Thomas J. March spent his boyhood days at his birthplace, Parker’s Ford, and attended the common schools. At the age of eighteen he entered the Millersville State Normal School, studying there two terms, and leaving the school to enter the service of the state during the invasion by the Rebels in 1863. He taught school the following winter. Receiving, as a representative of the seventh congressional district of the state, the appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, he entered as a cadet there June 15, 1864, and graduated in 1868, and was at once assigned to the Seventh Regiment United States Cavalry, as second lieutenant, under General G. A. Custer, and was on frontier service for four years. From October 11, 1868, to November 20, 1870, he was in Kansas and the Indian Territory, and was wounded in the battle of Washita with the Kiowa and Cheyenne Indians, November 27, 1868, besides participating in numerous other engagements with hostile Indians. In 1871 he was attached to the Schofield Tactics Board in St. Louis, Missouri, and February 11, 1871, he was again assigned to frontier duty, at Fort Lyon, Colorado. He resigned March 10, 1872, and returned to civil life, entering the firm of March, Sisler & Co., stove founders, at Limerick Station, Montgomery county. He has been engaged in the stove manufacturing business ever since.

The March-Brownback Stove Company had its origin in works established at Lawrenceville, now Parker’s Ford, in 1848, by March & Buckwalter, the members of the firm being Michael March, Isaac Buckwalter and Ezekiel Thomas. Thomas and Buckwalter soon sold out their half-interest to Mr. March. In 1849 John Church and Thomas Church purchased a half interest, and the firm became March & Church. In 1850 James L. Ellis bought out the Churches and the firm became March & Ellis. The firm went through various changes until 1866, when the works were transferred to Limerick Station, Montgomery county, now Linfield. After 1877 the firm was known as March-Brownback & Company until it was incorporated under its present title. In 1889 the concern was incorporated under the name of The March-Brownback Stove Company and the business was removed to Pottstown in 1892, to much larger and more extensive works, located on the block bounded by Charlotte, South, Penn and Queen streets, occupying the entire block. The officers and directors of the company are: Franklin March, president; James Rogers, vice president; T. J. March, treasurer; H. M. Ebert, secretary; and James Brownback, A. K. Shaner, M. W. Bailey, and Dr. J. Elmer Porter.

January 29, 1880, Thomas J. March married Miss Emma C. Kulp, daughter of Jacob and Maria (Geist) Kulp. They have one son, Michael Henry, now a student at Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. March are members of Trinity Reformed church, of which he is an elder.

Mr. March is a member of Stichter Lodge, No. 254, Free and Accepted Masons. He is commander of M. E. Richards Post, No. 595, Grand Army of the Republic. He is a member of the Order of Foresters, one of the board of trustees of the Pottstown Hospital, secretary of the Brancote Land Company and treasurer of the March-Brownback Stove Company. In politics Mr. March is a Republican and a strong protectionist. He resides at 433 High street, Pottstown.