CHRISTMAN FAMILY HISTORY
CHRISTMAN FAMILY HISTORY
Jacob Christman, a native of Wurtemberg, Germany, arrived at Philadelphia, on the ship,
Princess August, on Sept. 16, 1736, aged 25 years. He settled in Upper
Milford township, near Sigmund's Furnace, where he died in 1761. His widow,
Eva Margaret, afterwards married Francis Wescoe. Jacob Christman had seven
children: Eva, married Melchior Bear; George; Jacob; Susanna; John; Philip,
and Henry. George, the eldest son, became the owner of a 104-acre farm
in the township. Philip was a farmer and had six sons and three daughters.
John Henry Christman, son of Philip, was born Feb. 3, 1777, and became
a miller in Berk's county, near Sigmund's. He had twelve children: Jacob,
Henry, Jonas, Daniel, Nathan, Samuel, Ephraim, Polly, Susan, Rebecca, Sarah,
and Lydia. Jacob Christman was a miller near Sigmund's Furnace, and married
Elizabeth, daughter of George Mattern. They had seven children: James;
Charles E; Jacob L., of Macungie; Maria, wife of Tilghman Schmoyer, of
East Texas; Elizabeth, wife of Henry Hangen, of Reading; Elvina, wife of
Joseph Schambach, of Norristown, and Sarah, wife of Jonas Hiestand, of
Zionsville.
Charles E. Christman, son of Jacob, was a farmer near
Zionsville, and a deacon, elder, and treasurer of the Reformed congregation
there, of which the first Christman had been deacon in 1757. He married
Emmeline, daughter of Reuben and Sarah (Mohr) Schmoyer, of East Texas.
They had nine children: James, died young; Elizabeth J.; William H., born
May 8, 1867, a farmer at Vineland, N.J., who married Hilda Anderson, and
has three children. Sarah A.; Charles F.; Emma C., married Oscar Kuhns,
of Allentown; Albert L., born Nov 13, 1873, a clerk in the navy department,
at Washington, D.C.; Reuben J., born April 6, 1875, a hydrographic draftsman
in the service of the U.S. Coast Survey; Calvin E., born July 5, 1878,
a telegraph operator at New Rochelle, N.Y.
Charles F. Christman, manager of "Echo Farm," near Zionsville, was born in Upper Milford Township, March 4, 1870. He was educated in the township schools and Kutztown Normal School and was engaged in general farming on the 90-acre homestead after leaving school. He was a member of the Reformed congregation at Zionsville and superintendent of the Sunday school there. He has also served as school director of the township. Echo Farm is a model of its kind and one of its principal features was the large number of chickens which were seen on this attractive farm.
