356 



HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY . 



1876, when, having purchased a lot in the 

 village of Forest Grove, he erected sub- 

 stantial buildings thereon and made 11 

 his home for the remainder of his days. He 

 died August 30, 1900. Mr. Gray was a 

 prosperous and successful man, and left 

 his family in comfortable circumstances. 

 In politics he was a Republican, but never 

 held other than township othces ; he was 

 for many years a member of the school 

 board, and was one of the best known men 

 in his neighborhood. He was a member of 

 Warrington Lodge, I. O. O. F., and for 

 many years was treasurer of that organi- 

 zation. At his death he devised to the 

 lodge $5,000 to enable them to erect a 

 building for lodge purposes. Mr. and x\irs. 

 Gray were the parents of two children : 

 George Henry, deceased ; and Samuel Scott 

 Gray, a sketch of whom follows. Mrs. Gray 

 resides at Forest Grove. 



Samuel Scott Gray, son of John M. and 

 Rachel Fell Gray, was born in Bucking- 

 ham township, Bucks county, November 14, 

 1867. He was reared on his father's farm 

 and attended the public schools, after 

 which he took a full course at Pierce's 

 Business College. Arriving at manhood 

 he engaged in the butchering business a: 

 Forest Grove, and continued there for four 

 years. He then removed to Newtown and 

 opened a meat store and conducted it for 

 two years. In 1898 he returned to his 

 ninety-acre farm near Forest Grove and 

 has since made his home thereon, and is 

 recognized as one of the best farmers of 

 the neighborhood. He married, June 14, 

 1898, Elizabeth M. Kirk, daughter of 

 Charles Johnson and Lydia (Scarborough; 

 Kirk. In politics Ivlr. Gray is a Republi- 

 can. He IS a member of Doylestown 

 Lodge, No. 245, F. and A. M., Doylestown 

 Chapter, No. 270, R. A. M., a Philadelphia 

 Commandery, Knights Templar, and of the 

 Philadelphia Consistory. He is also a mem- 

 ber of Warrington Lodge, No. 447, I. O. 

 O. F. and Newtown Lodge, K. of P. Mr. 

 and Mrs. Gray have no children. 



FRIEDRICH STEEB. Throughout the 

 length and breadth of the county there 

 can be found no more loyal foreign-born 

 citizen than Friedrich Steeb, of Levin. Mr. 

 Steeb is a son of Friedrich and Magdaline 

 (.Magley) Steeb, natives of Germany, 

 whose family consisted of the following 

 children : Friedrich, mentioned at length 

 hereinafter ; John ; Christopher ; and Caro- 

 line, who is the wife of Carl Colmer, of 

 Trenton, New Jersey. The three sons are 

 also residents of the United States. 



Friedrich Steeb, son of Friedrich and 

 Magdaline (Magley) Steeb, was born No- 

 vember 21, 1844. in Germany, and in 1870 

 emigrated to the United States. He set- 

 tled in Gardenville, Pennsylvania, where 

 he was employed by Nathan Fretz, and 

 about twenty years ago purchased the old 

 Kratz farm in New Britain township. 



Since that time he has been an enterpris- 

 ing and successful agriculturist, his pros- 

 perity being the result of the industry and 

 thrift which he has exercised all his life. 

 As a citizen he possesses the highest es- 

 teen of all his neighbors. Politically he 

 is a member of the Democratic party. In 

 matters of religion he is identified with the 

 German Lutheran church of Hilltown. Mr> 

 Steeb married in Germany, Louise Haff- 

 ner, a native of that country, and they are 

 the parents of the following children : 

 Charley, born November 6, 1866, in Ger- 

 many, and died in Bucks county at the 

 age of seven years; Annie, born August 

 17, 1870; Sophia, born August 9, 1872; and 

 Friedrich D., born November i, 1880, mar- 

 ried Ellen Cassel, of Montgomery county^ 

 and has one child Laura. Ihe Steeb fam- 

 ily, it will be seen, is largely represented 

 in the United States, where it has recruit- 

 ed the ranks of our useful and loyal citi- 

 zens. 



ALFRED H. FAUST, proprietor of the 

 Chalfont Creamery, one of the leading in- 

 dustrial industries of the town of Chalfont^ 

 Pennsylvania, was born in Frederick town- 

 ship, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, 

 September 28, 1857, a son of Samuel and 

 Mary Faust. 



During his boyhood he obtained liberal 

 educational advantages, attending the pub- 

 lic schools of his native township and 

 Norristown, also Washington Hall Semi- 

 nary and Sumneytown Academy. The 

 knowledge thus acquired thoroughly quali- 

 fied him for the vocation of teaching, which 

 he followed for two years. He then ac- 

 cepted a position as superintendent ot a. 

 creamery in his native township, retain- 

 ing the same for six years, and also served 

 in a similar capacity at Franklin for two 

 years, and in the Union Creamery in 

 Plumstead township, Bucks county. On 

 April I, 1894, Mr. Paust, in company with 

 Mr. H. W. Gross, purchased the Chalfont 

 Creamery, and they conducted business un- 

 der the firm name of A. H. Faust & Co.,. 

 Mr. Faust taking upon himself the active 

 management of the same. Two year* 

 later Mr. Faust purchased his partner's in- 

 terest in the business, and from then to 

 the present time (1905) has successfully 

 conducted the same on his own account. 

 He is honorable and straightforward in all 

 his transactions, and therefore well merits- 

 the prosperity which has crowned his ef- 

 forts. In 1900 he was elected justice o£ 

 the peace, of which office he is still the in- 

 cumbent, and he also served in the capacity 

 of borough treasurer and school director. 

 He adheres to the doctrines of the Lutheran 

 church, in which body he holds membership- 

 and serves as trustee. His political alle- 

 giance is given to the Republican party, 

 and lie is an honored member of the 

 Knights of the Golden Eagle, and the 

 Protective Order of Sons of America. Mr. 

 F'aust was married March 20, 1880, in. 



