Genealogy Trail: Brush Valley - Home of the Brothers Smull

Last week I made the long-awaited trip to Brush Valley in Pennsylvania. This includes towns like Centre Hall, Rebersburg, Aaronsburg, Smullton, and other villages within Centre County at it's east end. I had the immense pleasure of having a tour guide, Evonne Henninger, who is the greatest historian of the area for whom I could wish. We spent the morning traveling around the valley and spent a bit more time in Rebersburg, the place my family had settled. I learned more in two days there than in years of studying from afar.

As a refresher, Johann Peter Schmoll and Julianna Sarah Mueller lived in Montgomery County,
Pennsylvania. They had ten children. Four of these went to Centre County to help build the Union Church in Rebersburg. Jacob, the oldest of the four, Peter, Henry, and the much younger Jesse. Jesse later returned to Montgomery County, but the others did not. The church was used from 1823-1876  by the Lutheran and Reformed denominations. According to Evonne, the bricks for the church were made along Elk Creek in Smullton (formerly Kreamersville) in the area of the Raymond Bair farm. Evonne drove me past this location. They razed this church after a Lutheran and a Reformed Church were built next to each other in 1876. The Amish recently purchased one of these, but neither is being used as a church at this time.

Jacob Smull's 1825
Georgian Style Home

After the building of the church, Jacob, Peter and Henry (1799) stayed on and became a big part of the community. Jacob ended up a building a German-influenced Georgian style house on E Main St in 1825 which still stands. He ended up dying in 1830. The two daughters of his marriage who survived to adulthood moved on to Lock Haven in adult life.

Peter, who is extensively written about here on the blog, left in 1847 for Stephenson County, Illinois. His entire family eventually joined him in that area.

That left Henry. Henry farmed and did whatever else he could to make a living. His first wife, daughter of one of the town's earliest residents, Elizabeth Royer, had seven kids. She died in 1834. Henry married immediately the former Catherine Kreamer, who was the widow of George Hosterman, who also died in 1834.  They combined their families and continued with life in Rebersburg. The couple had an additional five children.

One of the cool things he did was operate a toll house on Rockville Rd near Hwy 192. Toll houses existed on many roads in Pennsylvania. The tolls paid for maintenance and operation of the road since the government was not then involved. Henry Smull, in addition to his farm, had a toll house in Rebersburg. The toll house is on the right. Operators of such toll houses could earn a chunk of change each month as well. Tolls at one toll house were:

Henry Smull's Toll House on Right

Toll Gate Charges –

A score of sheep – 4¢ (score = 20)

A score of hogs – 6¢

A horse with his rider – 3¢

A score of cattle – 12¢

A sulkey with 1 horse and 2 wheels – 6¢

2 wheels & 2 horses – 9¢

4 wheels & 2 horses – 12¢

4 wheels & 4 horses – 20¢

Henry also had an opportunity to go to other parts of Pennsylvania and picked up ideas along the way. He

remodeled his toll house with unique diagonal design. During his time in Rebersburg, he also farmed. We went to the farm he ran between what was originally Kreamerville and Rebersburg. Today, the farm is in the hands of the Amish and a new homestead has been built.

Here is Henry's toll house with its unique design:

And here is the Henry Smull barn (later the C H Smull barn and now an Amish barn). This is an example of a L-shaped Pennsylvania barn.

There was so much more to learn about Henry and his kids on this trip. What I loved most is that I could feel the place and see the mountains and see how the villages connected to the mountains. It allowed me to gain perspective that no book or Internet record could provide. And, having a tour guide like Evonne was priceless. More to come.

B&W photos courtesy of Evonne Henninger of Penn's Valley, Past & Present

The Schmoll/Schmehl/Smoll/Smull Connection Looks Like it's Coming Together at Last

Two years ago, I wrapped up with what I could do on my 3X great grandfather, Peter Smull's family tree. I was blocked not knowing who his father and mother were, but I knew some things to help me in the dig. Still, it got me no further. With the advent of rampant DNA testing and more time, I think I have come up with a theory on the parentage of Peter.

The basic story is here and here. The stories involved my four Smull relatives:  Jacob, Peter, Henry, and Jesse. You can read other Smull stories here.

First, here's what I knew:

In Peter's grand-nephew's (brother Henry's grandson George's) bio in the Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania:

"...The first of the line in America was _____ Smull, the great-grandfather of our subject. He was a native of Ireland, whence he came to this country in the latter part of the 18th century to locate in the eastern part of Pennsylvania. Six of his children lived to adult age - two daughters and four sons, the names of the latter being Henry, Jacob, Peter, and Jesse. The Smull family in Brush Valley is descended from the first three sons, who were skilled masons, and all went at the same time to Rebersburg to build the wall for the Lutheran Reformed Church. They remained in the Valley, and living in German settlements, they and their children adopted the language and customs of their neighbors...
...Henry Smull, our subject's grandfather, born in eastern Pennsylvania, February 2, 1799; and, coming to Brush Valley in early manhood with no capital except his own abilities and strong physique, obliged to work for many years as a day laborer. He saved his money, however, and in time managed to buy a farm between Kreamerville and Centre Mill. The care of the place devolved mainly upon his family as he comtinued to work at his trade." 

There is a lot wrong with this. But, again, these are paid bios made by a company that did this in towns and villages across the country whose writer's were not necessarily worried about accuracy. George Smull, the subject, is bound to have made the same mistakes we all have in repeating our own family lore (I always think of a game of telephone). His grandfather died while George was a very young child. George most likely had no contact with the non-Brush Valley Smulls. And, they are definitely not Irish and German was their native tongue. Still - the most interesting thing I got out of this was there were two sisters and their non-Brush Valley brother was Jesse.

I then moved on to another Commemorative Bio - this time, for Henry Smull (1842), son of Peter (born in 1796 or 1797-depending on source) and who left Brush Valley for Stephenson County, Illinois in the mid-1800s. Henry's bio had this to say:

"HENRY SMULL, a retired farmer now residing in Macon County, is a native of the Keystone State. He was born in Centre County, Pa., February 23, 1842, and is a son of Peter and Mary (Waggoner) Smull, who were also born in Pennsylvania. The latter was of German descent. The paternal grandfather of our subject was a hero of the Revolution. He left the Old Country to avoid entering the army, and arrived in the United States just in time to aid the Colonists in their struggle for independence.

For seven years he participated in the Revolution. The father of our subject was born February 27, 1796, and died in February, 1869, being buried in Rock Grove, Stephenson County, Ill. His wife, who was born February 4, 1801, died and was buried in the same place in September, 1878. Mr. Smull was always a supporter of the Democratic party. He was a mechanic, and always followed the occupation of farming. He came to Illinois when Henry was a lad of twelve years, and located upon a farm in Stephenson County, where he spent his remaining days." Portrait & Biographical Record of Macon County, Illinois, 1893

The Schmoll I found who fit this criteria, was Johann Peter Schmoll, born 1752 in Eastern

Pennsylvania. Additionally, they had a son Jesse. Most interestingly, there were two sisters.

Finally, the gaps in the births of my Brush Valley brothers Smull fit in beautifully with Johann Peter Schmolls family tree. A fellow researcher also helped me connect Jesse to Johann Peter/Juliana Sara through a baptismal document that wasn't available to me when I started this.

But, I needed the time to work through all of this and there a still a couple of scruffy problems to clear up. Still, I feel fairly confident this theory is on the right track.

This is roster of children I believe were born to Johann Peter Schmoll and Juliana Sara Mueller:

Here is my big issue.  There is another Peter Smull, often attributed to Johann Peter and Juliana Sara who does not seem to have any supporting documentation to support his connection to those parents. Some have that Peter listed with a 1797 birth (I believe this is my Peter) and also with a 1790 birth. Both of these have been connected to Catharina Bischof as wife. I'm very interested to see if anyone has any evidence that Peter m. Catharina Bischof is actually connected to Johann Peter and Juliana.

While it is not unusual for Germans to have more than one child with the same first name, I don't think that's the case here. (See info on naming conventions here).

The volume of Schmolls/Schmehls/Schmoehl/
Smoll/Smull/Schmoels/Smeals in Pennsylvania during the 1780s-1880s is massive. In my DNA, I connect to no fewer than 30 in the 5th to 8th cousin range. Yet, I can find connections only to about a dozen of those (most have a DNA matches of under 15cM across 1 segment - which basically means we're all of some German descent).

That's my surmise. Look forward to other Smull/Smoll/Schmoll researchers who might have an alternate theory, other supporting facts, or theories. 

James Bergey Smull Family: Jesse McGarvey Smull

UNK SMULL > JESSE SMULL > JAMES BERGEY SMULL > JESSE MCGARVEY SMULL m
Mary Etta "Etta" Robison

Jesse's father James was the son of one of the original Brothers Smull of Brush Valley, Centre County, Pennsylvania. We covered Jesse M Smull's brother Judson previously.

Jesse McGarvey Smull was born to James Bergey Smull and Louise McGarvey on 26 Sep 1891 in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He married Etta Robison at Cumberland, Maryland on 23 Feb 1910. She was born 04 Aug 1891, also in Altoona. The couple had four daughters.

Jesse was a sign painter by trade and quite well known for being good at what he did. Their lives hummed along without much incident until August 1925, when Jesse was caught up in a tragedy.

William Heller, a retired tinsmith who resided on Juniata Gap Rd, was walking home from the store to his Point View cottage when he was struck by Jesse M. Smull's automobile at about 8 pm on 05 Aug 1925. Smull's address at the time was 1212 Seventeenth Ave in Altoona. He was reportedly on his way home to Altoona when he struck Heller. Smull loaded the injured man into his car to take him to the hospital and got only a few feet before he struck another car. Heller was seriously injured and did eventually get to the hospital. He held his own for some time before his injuries got the best of him and he died. The autopsy revealed he died of a cerebral hemorrhage.

There was no doubt from the outset of the investigation - Jesse M. Smull was intoxicated when he struck Heller. He was immediately placed under arrest. The Corner's inquest was called and witnesses testified about the victim and the driver. Many of the witnesses smelled liquor on Smull's breath, yet, the panel rendered a verdict absolving Smull of carelessness or reckless driving. Didn't matter to the district attorney though, he decided to pursue a charge of involuntary manslaughter against Smull. At his arrest, Smull had bailed at $3,000.He went to trial in January of 1926 and a jury was empaneled. He suddenly changed his plea to guilty. He was sentenced to no more than seven months in county jail, a $100 fine, and the costs of the trial.

Jesse, we presume, served his sentence and went on with his life. In 1936, he was arrested again - intoxicated - but this time was found sleeping in his car at 1 am with no keys in  the ignition, so the charge was just drunkenness.

Jesse died in an Altoona hospital after a brief illness on 05 Feb 1967. His wife and three daughters, Beatrice, Virginia, and Frances, survived him.

James Bergey Smull Family: Judson Gray Smull, Sr

JESSE SMULL > JAMES BERGEY SMULL > JUDSON GRAY SMULL, SR m Margaret Erwin

Click image to enlarge

Judson G Smull, Sr at Lehigh University

Judson Gray Smull was born 02 May 1882 to James Bergey Smull and Louise McGarvey. He was born and raised in Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania. He married Margaret Montgomery Erwin,who was born 23 Sep 1880 in Bethlehem in Blair County.

Judson attended Altoona High School and then got his bachelor's in chemistry from Lehigh University in 1906. He went on to get his master of science degree in 1921. He belonged to Tau Omega and was business manager of the student newspaper.

For many years, he worked as the chief chemist at the New Jersey Zinc Co in Franklin, New Jersey and worked as an investigator in the research laboratory of the National Lead Company. He conducted various studies in Linseed oil research. In 1919, he started on the faculty of Lehigh University, working his way up to professor.

He was a charter member of Sigma Xi at Lehigh and was affiliated with the American Chemical Society, the American Electro-Chemical Society and the American Association of University Professors. He also advised for Alph Rho chapter of ATO fraternity. He served on the board of the Moravian Prep school, was active in the Boy Scouts, and belonged to the Central Moravian church.

August Werft
Captain
Lacrosse Team at
Lehigh U 1931

Mrs. Smull died 16 Feb 1917 at her home in Richmond Hills, Long Island and was brought to Bethlehem for burial. She was 36 years old.

Professor Smull died 21 Apr 1978 at age 95 in Bethlehem.

The two children of this marriage were:

Louise Smull, born about 1908 in New Jersey. She was a graduate of Moravian College.  At some point, she became the second wife of US Steel coal operations executive and Lehigh-graduated mining engineer August Werft. They retired to Sarasota, Florida. She died 16 Aug 1992. August died 15 Jan 1987. If she was married previous to this, I've been unable to locate that information.

Judson Gray Smull, Jr. was born 03 Jul 1913 in New York. He married Gertrude Miller, born in 1914 in Bethlehem, on 04 Sep 1937 in Bethlehem. Judson also graduated from Lehigh. Judson died 18 Jun 1979 and Grace died 03 Feb 2015. They had five children.

Jesse Smull Family: Henry Bergey Smull

JESSE SMULL m Mary Keil Bergey > HENRY BERGEY SMULL

Click image to enlarge

You can read about Jesse Smull here.  Son Henry Bergey Smull was born in about 1844 and died in mid-1873 (prior to May 12th, when his will was proved) at the age of 29 after a long illness. The family had lived in Frederick, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania for several years and then moved

The Village Record, 12/24/1869

on to Spring City/East Coventry in Chester County.

Henry married Annie E Francis on 18 Dec 1869 in Chester County in her parents' home. She was born 13 Apr 1846 in Spring City. In 1870, the couple was living in East Vincent and Henry's brother James, then 17, was living with them.

On 26 Apr 1873, Henry must have known things weren't looking good. He set down his will. On 12 May 1873, he is referred to as "deceased" and the will was proved. My only observation about his will is he didn't seem to have a lot, but wanted it to go to his wife only if she stayed a widow! There were no children. She didn't stay a widow and remarried about 1879 to Nathan Stubblebine and they had one daughter. She died 21 Dec 1937 in South Coventry, Chaster County.

I, Henry B Smull, of the borough of Spring City in the county of Chester, and state of Pennsylvania,
being of sound mind, memory, and understanding but weak in body, do make and publish this my last will and testament, hereby revoking and making void all former wills by me at any time heretofore made. And first, I direct that my body be decently interred, according to the Christian church and that my funeral be conducted in a manner corresponding with my estate and and situation in life. As to such estate as if hath please God to entrust me with. I dispose of the same as follows. I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Annie E. all my real and personal property during the time she remains my widow, by her paying the interest of the money now invested in the property in judgment. In case my said wife should desire the property sold during her widowhood, my executor hereinafter mentioned, shall dispose of the same to the best advantage private or public sale using his own discretion, and pay all judgments and just debts, and the balance shall be invested in real estate secured on Bond and Mortgage, by me executor, the interest whereof shall be paid annually to my said wife, Annie E, so long as she remains my widow. Should she again marry, the said money so invested which shall include all my estate, except three hundred dollars, which shall be paid to her in her own right, shall be placed in the hands of a guardian or guardians, duly appointed by the courts or otherwise, for the use of my children. And, I hereby constitute and appoint my esteemed friend, Dr. William Brower, my sole executor of this my last will and testament. In witness whereof, I, Henry B Smull, the testator, have to this my will written one sheet of paper. Set my hand and seal this 26th day of April 1873.

Dr William Brower

Henry's "esteemed friend," Dr. William Brower, came from Dutch early settlers to East Coventry township. He spent time at both the Oakdale and Freeland Seminaries before going to Pennsylvania State Normal School. He taught school for six years before studying medicine at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, graduating in 1867. He practiced successfully in Spring City and was involved in the public affairs of the town.

Jesse Smull Family: John Francis Smull, DDS

JESSE SMULL > CHARLES GEORGE SMULL m Lydia Rebecca Francis > JOHN FRANCIS SMULL, DDS

2544 W Lehigh Ave where the laundromat is currently
was the Smull family home for two generations
Imagine it what it might have looked like 100 years ago

Jesse Smull was one of the Brothers Smull of Bush Valley, Centre County, Pennsylvania. He and his wife Mary Bergey had several children. Their oldest boy was Charles B Smull who was born 20 Oct 1840. He married Lydia Rebecca Francis, who was born 06 Apr 1849 in Chester, Pennsylvania, the daughter of John and Elizabeth DeFrain Francis.

They had two boys. John Francis, born 19 Apr 1874 in Philadelphia and Harry, who died at seven months old in 1873, who was born in Spring City, Chester County. In 1880, Charles was listed as a "provisions dealer," Charles was a "provisions dealer" and partner with Levi Shengle (and possibly with brother Jesse Jr., who in 1880 was also a "provisions dealer." He also boarded with the Shengle's in 1900) in Shengle & Smull, located at 255 N 12th St in Philadelphia at the corner of Vine and N. 12th. That business appears to have operated from the mid 1880s-before 1910. In 1910, Charles as listed as a "solicitor" in the publishing industry.I would surmise that means an advertising solicitor rather than an attorney. The family lived at 2544 W Lehigh Ave.

John Francis was educated at the Philadelphia Central High School and Penn College of Dental Surgery, graduating in 1895.He married Ruth Esther Bankes, daughter of Peter and Mary Whetstone Bankes. They had one child, Ethel Frances, born 24 May 1909.

John was active in the national Dental Association of Dental Surgeons, 32nd degree Mason, Old Guard, City of Philadelphia; Sons of Veterans, Patriotic Order of the Sons of America, IOOF, Knights of Pythias, Fraternal Order of the Eagles, Independent Order of America, Brotherhood of America, He was a retired Major in the National Guard of Pennsylvania, attached to the 3rd Infantry Regiment.

He died, "suddenly," at his home on 23 Nov 1922 at the family's home on Lehigh Ave. His death certificate said he died of a stab wound to his heart, self-inflicted.This is supported by the news item published after his death that states he committed "hari-kari."  The funeral was held the following Monday morning at the David H. Schuyler Building at Broad and Diamond Sts. His widow Ruth survived until 19 Mar 1957.

Brothers Smull: Jesse Smull

The Brothers Smull include Jacob, Peter, Henry, and Jesse, the brothers whose parents are still unidentified. The first three settled in Centre County, Pennsylvania sometime near the turn of the 19th century, soon after its founding (1799).

Jesse was the odd brother out. He wasn't a farmer or stone mason like his brothers, but a day laborer. The first decipherable census of 1850 has him age 36, married to Mary Bergey, with four boys: Charles, Henry, Jesse, and John, living in Frederick County, Pennsylvania.

In 1860, the family had pulled up stakes and relocated to East Coventry, Chester County. Mary and Jesse, had by then, three boys at home:  John, James, and Irwin. Jesse worked as a farm hand.

By 1870, they were still in Chester County, though no census is available for the family. That census would have been Jesse's last. In 1879, while working in a paper mill in Spring Valley, Chester County, Jesse met with a terrible accident.

According to the local paper, The Reading Times, Reading, Pennsylvania:

Jesse Smull, an old employee of the American Wood Paper Company, Spring City, this county, died while working in the alkali house, this morning, because of the tanks suddenly sprung a leak, covering him with liquid and scalding him fatally. He lingered with intense pain until 4 o'clock in the afternoon, when death relieved him of his suffering. Deceased leaves a family.
September 11, 1879

Mortality Schedule, Chester County, PA ending 31 May 1880 (Click to open)

It appears that they did not live a well-off life if at age 65 he was still laboring. What a horrible way to go.

I believe Mary died some time in the next decade. I'm taking a new look at his children, but most of them appear to have remained in the Reading area.  His children generated at least a couple of PhDs and a dentist.  His hard work paid off. I'll update on this soon.

MysteryMuddle: Solving the Mystery of the Early Smulls

George Henry Smull, the first subject of
the Smull Commemorative
Biographical Sketches

Way back in the day (sometime around 1825-ish), three brothers arrived in the Brush Valley, in Centre County, Pennsylvania. The story is not told through records, but through the centennial commemorative publications popular throughout the United States that profile prominent citizens and told the history of the town. Their accuracy was only as good as the transcriber and the subject providing the information so these publications often offer only mixed results.

Those Centre County Smulls were Henry, Peter, and Jacob. Another brother, Jesse, lived in another part of Pennsylvania and the two daughters referenced below have not been identified.

The Smull story is muddled by these very bio sketches. George Henry Smull, son of Reuben Smull, grandson of one of the three Brush Valley Smulls who first arrived to the area, Henry, was profiled in the J. H. Beers & Co. Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania, including the counties of Centre, Clinton, Union and Snyder Counties:

"The first of the line in America was _____ Smull, the great-grandfather of our subject (Henry, son of Reuben). He was a native of Ireland, whence he came to this country in the latter part of the

Centre & Clinton Counties, 1792

eighteenth century to locate in the eastern part of Pennsylvania. 

Six of his children lived to adult age - two daughters and four sons, the names of the latter being Henry, Jacob, Peter and Jesse. The Smull family in Brush Valley is descended from the first three sons, who were skilled masons, and all went at the same time to Rebersburg to build the wall for the Lutheran Reformed Church. They remained in the Valley, and, living in German settlements, they and their children adopted the language and customs of their neighbors. Of the brothers, Jacob, in later years, did an extensive business in cutting tombstones for the Rebersburg cemetery from native rock, and several of  these monuments are still standing. Jacob died at his home below Aaronsburg, and was buried at Rebersburg. Peter removed in later life to Stephenson county, Illinois, and died there." 

Just off the bat, this doesn't make sense. While there are some Smull's hailing from Scotland, the Schmoells, Schmulls, Smulls, Smalls, etc. hailed from Germany. The areas like Rebersburg were very German, speaking and conducting all of their business within their German communities in their language, educating their children in German, and maintaining their customs. It would not make sense for Irishmen to integrate into the German community. But who knows?  Intermarrying had already started.

Centre County Township Map, 1861

On that basis, I've since been looking for some other explanation and finally found one, which also may or may not be fully accurate. This taken from Portrait & Biographical Record of Macon County, Illinois, 1893 by Lake Publishing and the subject was Henry Smull (1842*), a heretofore unidentified child of Peter Smull and Mary Waggoner. There is one child of Peter and Mary whom I still have not identified, based on 1830 & 1840 census calculations. It tells a completely different tale about the same ancestor (the unidentified grandfather of both profile subjects):

"The latter (Peter) was of German descent. The paternal grandfather (unidentified) of our subject was a hero of the Revolution. He left the Old Country to avoid entering the army, and arrived in the United States just in time to aid the Colonists in their struggle for independence.

For seven years he (the unidentified grandfather) participated in the Revolution. The father (Peter) of our subject (Henry)was born February 27, 1796, and died in February, 1869, being buried in Rock Grove, Stephenson County, Ill. His wife, who was born February 4, 1801, died and was buried in the same place in September, 1878. Mr. Smull was always a supporter of the Democratic party. He was a mechanic, and always followed the occupation of farming. He came to Illinois when Henry was a lad of twelve years, and located upon a farm in Stephenson County, where he spent his remaining days."

I think this description may be more accurate, but may be bloated in the heroic description. Until it can be ascertained who the parents of the Brothers Smull were, it's all moot. I have yet to find one person who has a reasonable solution to the problem. What I know is that the family is not related, or is very distantly related to John Augustus Smull, the author of the Smull's Legislative Handbook. 

The big questions for me are:

• Did Jacob Smull have wife and children and if so, whom?
• Did Jacob Smull leave the Centre County area? No records of him exist, but the house which he built in Centre County is on the National Historic Register
• Who are the parents of Mary Waggoner, Peter Smull's wife? I have a case to put before the court of public opinion, but will share that later.
• And, finally, WHO ARE THE PARENTS OF THE BROTHERS SMULL?

*Henry Smull (1842) is the son of Peter Smull and Mary Waggoner and is listed with his birth year to differentiate him from Henry Smull, brother of Peter.