Blair County PA Archives Biographies.....Kellerman, William April 11, 1816 - ???? ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Judy Banja http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00004.html#0000757 January 14, 2025, 1:08 pm Source: Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Blair Co, PA: Philadelphia, 1892. Author: Samuel T. Wiley WILLIAM KELLERMAN, for many years a popular hotel keeper in Blair county, and who recently died, was a son of Christian and Catherine (Pool) Kellerman, and was born April 11, 1816, at Tyrone, Blair county, Pennsylvania. His grandfather, Frederick Kellerman, was a native of Germany, but was brought to America in the British army at the beginning of the revolutionary war. His sympathies were with the struggling colonists, and embracing the first opportunity, he deserted from the British forces, joined the American army, and did good service in the cause of liberty and independence. On one occasion he was detailed and served in the guard at Valley Forge. He was a blacksmith by occupation, and died at Woodbury, Bedford county, this State. Christian Kellerman (father) was born in Lancaster county, March 12, 1790, but removed to what is now Blair county during the first year of this century, locating with his father, near Tyrone. Later he removed to Colraine Forges, Huntingdon county, and from there to Bald Eagle furnace in 1826. He was a teamster by occupation, and died in 1858, aged sixty-eight years. He was a Lutheran in religious belief, a democrat in politics, and married Catherine Pool. She was born in this county, was a devoted member of the Lutheran church, and died January 21, 1862, in the seventy-second year of her age. William Kellerman was reared in Blair county, and educated in the old log school houses which were the temples of learning in those early days. After leaving school he engaged in wagoning and working around iron furnaces. In 1836 he went to Sarah Furnace, Bedford county, where he remained ten years, engaged principally in hauling cordwood for the furnace. He then returned to Blair county and opened a hotel at Bob's creek, near the foot of the mountain, which he conducted for two years. Later he removed to Centre county, where he erected a new building on the turnpike running from Tyrone to Phillipsburg, and continued the hotel business for two years at that place. In 1854 he came to Gaysport, and for a long time successfully operated a leading hotel there, known as the Kellerman hotel, retiring from active business only a few years ago. He resided at Gaysport, superintending the two farms which he owned in Blair township. He also owned considerable valuable property at Gaysport, and accumulated a handsome competency of this world's goods, notwithstanding he began life as a poor teamster, and had to depend on his own efforts while making his way in the world. Among his early experiences were several trips made with a team between Baltimore and Cincinnati before the era of the railroads. In 1842 Mr. Kellerman was married to Luvicy Hamilton, a daughter of John Hamilton, of this county. He was a member of the Lutheran church, and in political belief was a stanch democrat. He was all his life a hard working, energetic, and enterprising man, and always acted on the principle that whatever was worth doing at all was worth doing well. As a consequence he achieved financial success, and stood high in the estimation of his neighbors and friends. Additional Comments: Originally submitted 2001. Transcribed by Judy Banja jbanja@comcast.net This file has been created by a form at http://www.usgwarchives.net/pafiles/ File size: 3.8 Kb