HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



585 



Willis Neeld, of Richboro. Bucks county; 

 Charles, deceased, who was a prominent 

 veterinarian in New York; and Anson B., 

 of Solebury. 



Ezra Michener was the eldest son, 

 and was reared on the farm in Bucking- 

 ham, and acquired his education at the 

 public schorls and at the first State Nor- 

 mal School at Millersville, Pennsylvania, 

 and at the Excelsior Normal Institute at 

 Carversville. On January 21, 1864, he mar- 

 ried Margaretta Smith, daughter of Joseph 

 and Sarah _ (Twining) Smith, o* Bucking- 

 bam, and in the following spring located 

 on the farm in Solebury, where he has ever 

 since resided, purchasing it of his father ten 

 years later. He has been for many years a 

 breeder of thoroughbred Guernsey cattle, 

 has bred many famous cows, and always 

 has a fine herd on his farm, in which he 

 takes great pride. He was one of the or- 

 ganizers and is now a member of the execu- 

 tive committee of the American Guernsey 

 Cattle Club. This club was organized at 

 the Astor House, New York city, February 

 7. 1877, by Dr. Charles R. King, S. W. 

 Comly and Ezra Michener, of Pennsyl- 

 vania; Silas Betts and Mason C. Weld, of 

 New Jersey ; James P. Swain, of New 

 York, Charles M. Beach and Edward Nor- 

 ton, of Connecticut; and E. F. Bowditch 

 and James M. Codman, of Massachusetts. 

 Of these only the last mentioned and Mr. 

 Michener are now living. Mr. INIichener is 

 also a member of the Guernsey Breeders' 

 Association. In politics he is a Republi- 

 can ; he has been a member of the school 

 board of Solebury township for thirty 

 years, and is now a member of the board of 

 county auditors. He is the postmaster of 

 Michener postoffice, established at Cottage- 

 ville in 1902. Mr. and Mrs. Michener have 

 been the parents of six children : Thomas, 

 a farmer in Buckingham ; M. Alice, resid- 

 ing at home ; Edwin J., deceased : Lois 

 W., a conductor on the Willow Grove 

 Trolley line ; Isaiah, who conducts the 

 farm ; and Edith B., residing at home. 



JACOB L. SHELLY, who is interested 

 in agricultural pursuits in Bucks county, 

 and in the produce business in Philadelphia, 

 was born in Buckingham township, this 

 county, December 24, 1866. His paternal 

 grandfather was Samuel Shelly. His father, 

 Henry S. Shelly, was born December 25, 

 18.37. at Brick Tavern, Steinsburg, Bucks 

 county. For many years he successfully 

 followed farming in the county of his 

 nativity, having a rich tract of land which 

 he placed under a high state of cultivation. 

 In religious faith he was a Mennonite, and 

 served as deacon of the church at Deep 

 Run. He wedded Miss Mary Leatherman. 

 a daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Bishop) 

 Leatherman. 



Jacob L. Shelly, son of Henry S. and 

 Mary Shelly, attended the public schools 

 of New Britain township, Bucks county, 



and in his boyhood assisted in the work of 

 the home farm. Following his marriage 

 he engaged in farming for a year in Bed- 

 minster township, and then removed to the 

 Joseph N. Gross farm in New Britain 

 township, where he continued the tilling of 

 the soil for seven years. He took up his 

 abode in 1897 on the J. L. Gross farm, 

 where he has since resided, and in con- 

 nection with its cultivation he is engaged 

 in the produce business in the Philadelphia 

 markets. He does an extensive business 

 in raising hogs, poultry and vegetables, and 

 finds a good sale for these in the city. He 

 has led a busy and useful life, his business 

 cares making heavy demands upon his time 

 and energies, and yet he has found time 

 to foster measures for the public good. 

 He served for six years on the school board 

 in New Britain townshio, and is inspector 

 at the present time. He is also a mem- 

 ber of the Mennonite church, and in his 

 political views is a stanch Republican. 

 Jacob L. Shelly was married February 9, 

 1888, in Bedminster township, to Miss Liz- 

 zie Rosenberger, a daughter of Jacob D. 

 and Hannah (Barns) Rosenberger. Her 

 parents had ten children: Daniel. Mary, 

 Isaiah, Lizzie, Emma, Fannie, Maggie, John, 

 Etta and William. Of this number Mrs. 

 Shelly was born October 23, 1862, and by 

 her marriage she has become the mother 

 of six children : Edith R., born October 

 25, 1888; Howard R., born September 6, 

 1890, and died November 22, following; 

 Henry R., born November i, 1891 ; Jacob 

 Arthur R., born October 19. 1894; Annetta_ 

 R., born September 11, 1898; and George 

 R., born March 16, 1904. 



LLOYD RIDGE, who carries on gen- 

 eral farming and dairying in Lower Make- 

 field township, belongs to one of the old 

 and honored families of Bucks county. 

 His paternal great-grandparents were resi- 

 dents of this county, and his grandfather, 

 Daniel Ridge, lived and died in Bensalem 

 township, near Trevose. He gave his at- 

 tention to general farming throughout his 

 entire life, and the property which he 

 owned is still in possession of the Ridge 

 family. His wife bore the maiden name of 

 Rachel Staats, and they became the par- 

 ents of eight children : Jonathan ; William 

 W. ; Hiram : James : Charles ; Elizabeth, 

 wife of Spencer Tomlinson; Emeline, wife 

 of John Comly ; and Daniel. 



William W. Ridge, son of Daniel and 

 Rachel (Staats) Ridge, was born in Ben- 

 salem township, September 12, 1817, and 

 in early life began farming on his own ac- 

 count, after which he gave his entire at- 

 tention to agricultural pursuits until his 

 life's labors were ended. In 1853 he pur- 

 chased a farm in what is now the Thirty- 

 fifth ward of Philadelphia, and continued 

 to reside thereon until his death, which oc- 

 curred May II, 1903. An unfaultering advo- 

 cate of Republican principles, he was prom- 



