The name of Kohler is found in Switzerland as
early as 1476, when Nicholas Kohler is mentioned as participating in the
battle of Murten. Representatives of the family have been prominent in
civil life and as scholars in Switzerland since the sixteenth century.
Jacob Kohler, the ancestor of the Kohler family of Whitehall, came
from Muehlhausen. He was the first settler in the vicinity of Egypt, probably
locating there as early as 1728 or 1730. He secured his first warrant for
land on July 15, 1734, for 150 acres, which was the first warrant in the
township. He secured another hundred acres by warrant of Oct. 28, 1737.
In these warrants his name was spelled Colar. The entire tract of two hundred
and fifty acres was patented by him on April 29, 1760. It was a rectangular
tract with the Coplay creek flowing through it, and contained several fine
springs. Here Jacob Kohler cultivated his land, clearing if of timber,
year by year, until in 1768 he had 115 acres of cultivated land, as well
as 215 acres of uncultivated land. In 1755 he built the first grist-mill
in the vicinity and tradition has it that as he had a large family of daughters,
he employed them in digging the mill race. He was one of the overseers
of the poor in 1753, as is show by a small scrap of paper which was still
in existence in the early 1900's. On April 10, 1761, he was naturalized.
On Aug. 24, 1769, he deeded his land to his two sons, the elder receiving
155 acres and the mill property, and the younger receiving 193 acres. The
date of his death is not known. Jacob Kohler was a man of great energy
and wielded a great influence in the community. He and his wife, Mary Elizabeth,
had eleven children, the eldest of whom died in infancy and was buried
at Egypt.
The ten children, who all reached maturity, were:
(1). Mary Elizabeth Kohler, born May 17, 1733, died July 25, 1825. She married, March 16, 1756, George Koehler, who was born March 6, 1732, and died May 24, 1799. He was one of the leading blacksmiths of his day. Mrs. Koehler, a woman of ability, lived to the great age of ninety-two years, universally beloved and respected. They had no children, but had an adopted son, George Smull, who was the ancestor of the compiler of Smull's Handbook.
(2). Peter Kohler.
(3). Catharine Kohler, married John Philip Roth, and had sons: Peter, John Philip, and John Jacob.
(4). Jacob Kohler.
(5). Sabina Kohler, born Jan 14, 1744, died Aug 8, 1785, married, Nov 23, 1762, Peter Rhoads, of Allentown, and had four children that reached maturity: George, Peter, John and Catharine.
(6). Magdalena Kohler, married in 1767, to Peter Newhard. She had five children, and died in 1777.
(7). Margaret Kohler married John Nicholas Fuchs, who kept a hotel for many years at Seventh and Linden streets, Allentown. He died in 1809, aged 73 years. Their children were: Peter, Catharine, George, David, Barbara, Margaret, and Benjamin.
(8). Eva Catharine Kohler married John Miller, who died Sept. 18, 1788, leaving a son, Peter, and a daughter, Barbara, married to Leonard Weiss. She married second, Judge Peter Rhoads, in 1789, and died at Allentown in the old Rhoads homestead, Aug. 26, 1825.
(9). Barbara Kohler, born Feb 6, 1750, died Feb 8, 1826, married, May 1, 1770, George Graff. They removed to Allentown in 1774, where Mr. Graff conducted a store at Eighth and Hamilton streets for over fifty years. He was a captain in the Revolution and held other prominent positions. Their children were: Barbara, Magdalena, Joseph, George, Sara, Hanna, Catharine, Anna, and Jacob.
(10). Anna Mary Kohler, the youngest
daughter of Jacob, was born May 6, 1752, and died Feb. 6, 1823. She married,
May 18, 1773, George Jacob Newhard. They removed to Allentown and reared
a family of three sons: Abraham, Peter, and Jacob, and several daughters.
Peter Kohler, eldest son of Jacob
Kohler, Sr., was born at Egypt, April 2, 1735. He assisted his father on
his farm and at the mill and in 1762 opened a hotel at Egypt to which he
added a store in 1764. He continued to conduct the mill and became one
of the leading citizens of the township. At the beginning of the Revolution
he was chosen a member of the county committee of observation. November
8, 1777, was appointed a commissioner to collect clothing for the American
troops, and Dec. 16, 1777, he was appointed by the assembly to take subscriptions
for the continental loan in the county. He was commissioned one of the
justices of the county on May 28, 1779, and was elected to the assembly
in 1780, 1781 and 1782. He died Sept. 27, 1793, at the age of fifty-eight
and was buried at Egypt. He was a member of the Egypt Reformed congregation
and was one of the building committee that erected the second church in
1785, to which he was one of the largest contributors, giving £29.
He married Juliana Margaret Guth, born in 1740, eldest daughter of Lorenz
Guth. They had several children who died in infancy, namely: Peter, born
in 1761; Eva Catharine, born in 1763; and Jacob, born Jan 10, 1766. Their
youngest and only child that lived to maturity was John Peter Kohler, who
was born Dec. 18, 1780, and died Jan 23, 1871. He was a boy of twelve when
his father died and upon attaining his majority he obtained possession
of the mill and farm land which he continued to conduct. In 1809 he built
a new stone grist-mill, which still stood in the early 1900's, but did
not rebuilt the saw-mill, which had existed for many years. He was an active
member of the Reformed congregation at Egypt, and a man of prominence and
good standing in the community. He married, Sept. 3, 1801, Catharine Steckel,
daughter of Jacob Steckel, and his wife, Eve Catharine Saeger. She was
born Dec. 12, 1782, and died June 3, 1853. They had seven children: Ester,
Dr. William S., Peter, Aaron, Sophiana, Josiah, and Ann Lavinia.
Jacob Kohler, younger son of the emigrant Jacob, was born at Egypt in 1739, and died there Nov 1, 1830. He was a farmer all his life and cultivated the land received from his father.
He married (first) Mary Barbara Newhard, who died in 1780 and (second) Mary Elizabeth Frey. He had fourteen children:
(1). John Kohler, born Sept 6, 1766, died March 9, 1790.
(2). John Peter Kohler, born June 8, 1768, died May 24, 1848. He was an educated man and well esteemed in the locality. For many years he ran the mill for his uncle. He married, in 1801, Susanna Kern, and had children: Judith, born Feb 1, 1803, died April 7, 1805, buried at Allentown; Edward, born July 8, 1805, died Nov 22, 1882, for many years a justice of the peace at Egypt, and surveyor; and Euphemia, born Nov. 16, 1807, died Nov 15, 1896, unmarried. Squire Edward Kohler married Lydia Remaly and had children: Edward Xenophon, born 1836, died 1878, Celista R., married Abraham Schadt; Lydia M. T., married Aaron Ritter; Emeline O.P.; George P., Victor Z.; Rev. Phaon, of Glasgow, Pa.; and Rev. Sidney A. Kohler, of Mifflinburg, Pa.
(3). Susanna Kohler, born Feb 5, 1772.
(4). Anna Margaret Kohler, born Jan 17, 1774.
(5). John Jacob Kohler, born Aug. 13, 1778, died Feb. 10, 1817. He married Anna Maria Kretchman and had children: Joseph, who married Maria Saeger and removed to Indiana; Anna, married Michael Kelchner; Jacob; Mary; Euphemia, married Solomon Kratzer; Mrs. Margaret Kratzer; and Mrs. Reuben Semmel.
(6). Mary Elizabeth Kohler, born Dec. 16, 1779.
(7). Eva Maria Kohler, born May 31, 1781.
(8). Mary Catharine Kohler, born Jan 31, 1783, died Oct. 31, 1866, married John Jacob Scheurer.
(9). Benjamin Kohler, born June 10, 1785, married Catharine Burkhalter. He removed to Carbon county and had children: Catharine, Manasses, Lucas, Luciana, Henrietta, and Eliza.
(10). Abraham Kohler, born Aug. 6, 1787, died single, April 1, 1861.
(11). Daniel Kohler, sixth son of
Jacob, 2d, was born Sept. 5, 1789 and died June 14, 1865. He was a farmer
and married, in 1814, Mary M. Hensinger, who was born Nov. 30, 1793, and
died Oct. 5, 1759. They had seven children: Debora, born 1815, married
Eli Laubach; Ephraim, born 1818; Tilghman, born 1821; Joshua, born 1824;
Charles, born 1828; Edmund, born 1830, died 1897; Louisa S., born 1836,
and died 1901, married John Gracely; and Sarah Ann, born 1833, died 1902,
married Moses C. Woodring.