488 



HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



of two children — John Stapler and J\Iar- 

 garetta. Mrs. Stapler died July 7, 1S97. 

 Mr. Stapler is a worthy representative 

 of a worthy ancestry that have in the 

 past, as shown by the preceding sketch, 

 held many positions of trust and honor, 

 and been closely associated with the de- 

 velopment and maintenance of our in- 

 stitutions in the state and county tor 

 many generations. Like all his Ameri- 

 can ancestors he is a member of the So- 

 cietj- of Friends. He has enjoyed a long 

 and successful business career, and en- 

 joys the reputation of a careful, conserv- 

 ative and conscientious business man. 

 For over sixty-five years engaged in 

 ntercantile pursuits, he has been 

 brought in close contact with the people, 

 and has always enjoyed their confidence, 

 and esteem. 



HARRY B. SCHMITT. Among the 

 enterprising and successful farmers of 

 Buckingham' township, is Harry B. 

 Schmitt, who was born in Hilltown 

 township, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, 

 September 7, 1865, a son of Leonard and 

 Elizabeth (Baukert) Schmitt, both na- 

 tives of Germany. Leonard Schmitt was 

 born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, m 

 1828. He learned the trade of a black- 

 smith in his native country, and in 1852 

 emigrated to America. With him came 

 his affianced wife, Elizabeth Baukert, 

 who, failing to obtain the cpnsent of 

 her parents to marry the man of her 

 choice, fled with him to America and 

 was married to him at Philadelphia on 

 their arrival. Mr. Schmitt worked at 

 his trade in Philadelphia for about six 

 months, and then removed to Hagers- 

 ville, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, where 

 he worked as a journeyman blacksmith 

 for two years, after which he removed 

 to Line Lexington and 'worked one 

 year. He then opened a shop of his 

 own at Reiff's corner, Hilltown, where 

 he did a prosperous business for twenty- 

 four years. In 1876 he took up the tailor- 

 ing business, and was successful finan- 

 cially, but returned to the anvil after 

 two years. In 1887 he purchased the 

 farm in Buckingham where the subject 

 of this sketch now resides, and con- 

 ducted it until the marriage of his son, 

 Harry B., when he retired from its ac- 

 tive management. He died in 1900, and 

 his wife Elizabeth died in 1892. Mr. 

 Schmitt was a Democrat in politics. He 

 and his family were members of the Ro- 

 man Catholic church. Mr. and Mrs. 

 Leonard Schmitt w^ere the parents of 

 nine children, only three of whom sur- 

 vive: Harry B.; Philip, now living in 

 Oklahoma; and Mary, a widow of James 

 McColgan, of Philadelphia. 



The subject nf this sketch was born m 

 Hilltown, and removed with his parents 

 to Buckingham in 1887. On November 

 18, 1890, he married Mary Kern, a na- 



tive of Plumstead, daughter of John 

 and Christiana (Saylor) Kern, the former 

 a native of Bingen, and the latter of 

 Baden, Germany. Mr. Schmitt assumed 

 the conduct of his father's farm in 1891 

 and purchased it in 1897, and takes pride 

 in making it one of t4ie neatest and most 

 productive in the neighborhood. In poli- 

 tics he is a Democrat. He is a member 

 of the German Aid Society of Doyles- 

 town, the Doylestown Mennaerchor, St. 

 Joseph's Society, and a number of 

 other benevolent institutions. Mr. and 

 Mrs. Schmitt have two children, Ruth 

 Elizabeth and Grace. 



THEODORE P. HARVEY, for a quar- 

 ter of a century an expert telegraph opera- 

 tor, was born in Doylestown township, 

 February 18, 1833, being a son of Joseph 

 and Ann (Horner) Harvey. Mr. Harvey 

 was reared on the farm and received such 

 education as could be attained at the pub- 

 lic schools, and afterwards" 'was a pupil of 

 Rev. Silas M. Andrews in a private school 

 at Doylestown. He was an apt student and 

 acquired a good education. He studied 

 telegraphy and learned the manipulation of 

 the key under Thom.as H. Walton, of 

 Doylestown, when seventeen years of age, 

 and soon became an expert operator. After 

 filling the position as operator at Doyles- 

 town he was called to Allentown. and from 

 there to Norristown. At the latter place 

 he also conducted a drug store. In 1858 

 he went to Cincinnati, where he filled a 

 responsible position for one year, during 

 which time he was called upon to transmit 

 a presidential message, which he did accu- 

 rately and expeditiously. In 1859 he re- 

 turned to Doylestown and assumed the 

 management of the local telegraph business, 

 and continued in that capacity until his 

 death, on February 5, 1886. He w'as inter- 

 ested in several local enterprises, and was 

 at one time joint owner with the late James 

 Kane of the Doylestown Gas Works. He 

 was a careful business man, a good ac- 

 countant, and faithful and efficient in all 

 trusts reposed in him. He was a member 

 of Doj-lestown Council, No. 166, Jr. O. U. 

 A. M., and the treasurer of that institution 

 for many years prior to his death. In poli- 

 tics he was a stanch Democrat. He was 

 married in 1861 to Lydia A. Shearer, 

 daughter of Jesse W. and Margaret 

 (Kneedler) Shearer, of Doylestown town- 

 ship, who survives him, and is a resident of 

 Doylestown. 



Jesse Shearer, father of Mrs. Harvey, 

 was born in Montgomery county in 1808. 

 In early life he was a school teacher, and 

 later was a clerk in Polk's store at White- 

 hallville (now Chalfont), for some j-ears, 

 and then went into the mercantile business 

 for himself at North Wales. After suc- 

 cessfully conducting the store there for 

 several years, he removed to a farm in 

 Warrington township. Several years prior 



