History of Lebanon, (Lebanon County) Pennsylvania United States of America

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Local History Notes:

LEBANON, a county in the S. E. part of Pennsylvania, has an area of 300 square miles. The Swatara river flows through the county towards the S. W.; it is drained also by Little Swaturn, Quitapahilla, Tulpehocken, and Indian creeks. This county forms part of the Kittatinny valley, bounded on the N. W. by Kittatinny or Blue mountain, and on the S. E. by the South mountain or Conewago hill. The soil of the valley is remarkably fertile, and in a good state of cultivation. Wheat, Indian corn, rye, oats, hay, cattle, and pork are the staples. In 1850 this county produced 274,095 bushels of wheat; 241,939 of corn; 372,542 of oats; 25,602 tons of hay, and 417,074 pounds of butter. There were 36 flour and grist mills, 13 saw mills, 1 iron foundry, 3 forges, 3 furnaces, and 15 tanneries. It contained 52 churches, 5 newspaper offices; 5738 pupils attending public schools, and 174 attending academies or other schools. Limestone and slate are abundant in the valley. Mines of excellent iron ore are worked in the S. part of the county; the Cornwall mine yields 70 per cent. of metal; rich veins of copper occur in connection with the iron. A quarry of gray marble, susceptible of fine polish, has recently been opened on the Swatara river, 6 miles from Lebanon. The county is intersected by the Union canal, and by the Lebanon Valley railroad. Organized in 1813, and named from one of the principal townships included in it. Capital, Lebanon. Population, 26,071.

Biographies:

Jacob Kline, soldier, was born in Lebanon, Pa., Nov. 5, 1840; son of Levi and Belle (Ebert) Kline. He attended Dr. Partridge's military school at Bristol, Pa.; Dr. Russell's military school at New Haven, Conn., and Pennsylvania college, Gettysburg, Pa. He was studying law at the outbreak of the civil war, but left it and entered the army, receiving his appointment from Pennsylvania as 1st lieutenant in the 16th infantry, Sept. 9, 1861. He was brevetted captain, April 7, 1869, for gallant and meritorious services in the battle of Shiloh, Tenn.; major, Sept. 1, 1.864, for gallant and meritorious services during the Atlanta campaign; was promoted captain, Sept. 30, 1864; was transferred to the 25th infantry, Sept. 21, 1866; to the 18th infantry, April 26, 1869; promoted major and assigned to the 24th infantry, Oct. 6, 1887; lieutenant-colonel and assigned to the 9th infantry, March 23, 1892, and colonel and assigned to the 21st infantry, April 30, 1897. He served as an instructor in the art of war at the U.S. Infantry and Cavalry school at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., 1887-93. He was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers for service in the war with Spain, June 1, 1898, and was discharged from the volunteer service, March 15, 1899, when he rejoined his regiment and served in the Philippine Islands from May 10, 1899.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Godlove Steiner Orth, representative, was born in Lebanon, Pa., April 22, 1817; son of Godlove and Sarah (Steiner) Orth; grandson of Balzer, Jr., and Rosina (Kucher) Orth, and great-grandson of Balzer Orth, a Moravian, who emigrated from Germany to Lancaster county, Pa., with Count Zinzendorf, and was settled in Lebanon in 1730. Balzer Orth, Jr., served in the Revolutionary war, and had charge of the Hessian prisoners after the battle of Trenton. Godlove Steiner Orth was graduated at Pennsylvania college; studied law in the office of James Cooper, and was admitted to the bar in 1839. He settled in practice in Lafayette. Ind.; was a member of the Indiana senate, 1843-48, and became president of that body. He was a candidate for elector on the Taylor and Fillmore ticket in 1848, and was appointed one of the five commissioners from Indiana to the Peace conference of 1861. He entered the U.S. army in 1862, as captain of the 76th Indiana volunteers, which he had recruited, and was placed in command of the U.S. ram Horner on the Ohio river. He was a Republican representative from the ninth district of Indiana in the 38th, 39th, 40th and 41st congresses, 1863-71, and served on important committees, including that on foreign relations. He was a representative from the state-at-large in the 43d congress, 1873-75; was instrumental in securing the right of expatriation; active in behalf of the annexation of Santo Domingo, and in reorganizing the diplomatic and consular system. He was recommended by the entire senate and house as U.S. minister to Berlin, in 1871, but President Grant decided to make no change. He declined a commissionership of internal revenue and accepted the appointment as U.S. minister to Austria in 1875, having previously declined the mission to Brazil. He resigned his mission in 1876, upon his nomination as Republican candidate for governor of Indiana, Feb. 22, 1876, and made the canvass for that office, but on Aug. 2, 1876, withdrew his name in favor of Benjamin Harrison, who was nominated and defeated. He received the votes of fifty-nine Republican legislaters for U.S. senator, Jan. 24, 1879, when Daniel W. Voorhees was elected. He was a Republican representative from the ninth district in the 46th and 47th congresses, 1879-82, and was defeated for the 48th congress in 1882. He was married first, in 1840, to Sarah Elizabeth Miller of Gettysburg, Pa., and secondly, Aug. 28, 1850, to Mary A. Ayers of La Fayette, Ind. He died in La Fayette, Ind., Dec. 16, 1882.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor