Biographical Sketch of Henry ASHENFELTER (b. 1814); Chester County, PA

Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by 
Sandra Ferguson [ferg@ntelos.net]

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The following is from THE HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY PA, by Futhey and Cope.

     ASHENFELTER, HENRY. --Ashenfelter (originally Aschenfeldter or 
Eschenfeldter) is a German name, meaning an ash-field. Upon the 
Revolutionary militia-rolls of Philadelphia County are the names John, 
Ludowic, and Thomas. Henry Ashenfelter was born July 24, 1814, in 
Montgomery County, and was the son of Pater and Mary (Gotzwaltz) 
Ashenfelter. His mother was the daughter of Henry Gotzwaltz, who married 
the daughter of Christian, son of Heinrich Funk, the eminent theologian 
and author. Christian was also a distinguished divine. Heinrich had a 
celebrated religious work printed in Philadelphia in 1763, which was 
reprinted in Biel, in Switzerland, in 1844, and at Lancaster, Pa., in 1862. 
Christian's father, Henry Funck (Funk) settled on Indian Creek, in 
Montgomery County, in 1719, and was an eminent Mennonite preacher. He wrote 
another book, called Ein Spoegel der Taufe," printed at Germantown in 1744. 
He, with Dielman Kolb, on behalf of the Mennonites, supervised the 
translation from Dutch into German of the Martyr Book of Van Braght, 
published at Ephrata, Pa., in 1748, and the most imposing literary of 
colonial days.
     Henry Ashenfelter's grandfather, Ludowic, was in the war of 1812. When 
five years old Henry removed to this country, and in 1824 began working, 
when only fourteen, in the Phoenix Iron-Works. He remained in Phoenixville 
until 1832, than worked at the mouth of Wissahickon in re-ruling unsalable 
English bar-iron. He returned to Phoenixville and worked in the iron business 
until 1836, when he removed to Reading, where he helped to make the first 
nails manufactured there. Here he was two years a school director. In 1845 
he returned to Phoenixville, where he was engaged in the mills (nailing-) 
until 1850, where he organized the Workingmen's Iron and Nail Company, by 
whom he was appointed inspector of mills. After his return from Reading he 
was school director five years. In 1852 he embarked in the railroad building 
as manager, and in 1853 became manager of differenet departments in the 
Phoenix Iron-Works and so continued to 1857. Since then he has been tax 
collector and asesessor. For the past nine years he has been in the school 
baord, and for five, its treasurer. He was four terms a notary public. He is 
a Republicanm active in his party and zealous for its success. He has been a 
member of Phoenix Lodge, No. 212, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, since its 
organization in 1847, and has passed all the chairs. Was a charter member of 
the Sons of Temperance, instituted in 1845. He was married, Dec. 20, 1836, to 
Martha Knerr, and has had the following children: Mary Emma, died young; 
George W., deceased; Hannah Maria, married to Isaac Laning, of Bridgeton, 
N.J.; S. M.,; and Martha Emily, married to David Moore, of the firm of Caswell 
& Moore.
     Mr. Ashenfelter is one of the county's best citiziens, upright and public-
spirited. He pays special attention to numismatics, in collecting rare and 
ancient coins, relics, etc. His son, George W., was first lieutenant of Company 
H, One Hundred and Fourth Pennsylvania Regiment, and was wounded in the ankle 
at Fair Oaks, before Richmond, in 1862. He was subsequently promoted to be 
captain, was a brave soldier, and died after the close of the war. His son,, 
S. M. Ashenfelter, graduated at Dickinson College in 1864. He then read law 
with ex-Mayor Peter McCall, of Philadelphia, and subsequently spent several 
years in South America, a portion of which was in the office of the United 
States consul at Guyaquil. He was all this time a correspondent of the New 
York Tribune. In 1867 he returned from South America and entered the law-office 
of Hon. J. B. Hawley (member of Congress), of Rock Island, Ill., where he 
completed his legal studies. In 1869 he was appointed by President Grant United 
States district attorney for New Mexico, which position he held until Mr. Hayes' 
administration. He edited the Grant County (New Mexico)Herald for several years, 
and is now editing and publishing the Daily Southwest, in Silver City. New 
Mexico. He is an enterprising young man, and well versed in the Spanish language.



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