HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



645 



schools afforded him his early education, 

 which was supplemented in the Hightown 

 Petty Institute, and by a course in Bryant 

 & Stratton's Business College at Trenton, 

 New Jersey. When he had completed his 

 education he began farming, and his atten- 

 tion has been principally given to the tilling 

 of the soil and the raisiftg of stock. He has 

 a well improved farm property situated in 

 Falls township, and supplied with many 

 modern equipments and accessories, indi- 

 cating that he is in touch with the progress- 

 ive spirit of the twentieth century. His 

 study of the political issues and questions of 

 the day has led him to endorse Republican 

 principles, and he is a recognized leader in 

 the local ranks of his party. He has held 

 the office of supervisor for two years, and 

 is a member of the central committee for 

 Falls township at the present time. Mr. 

 Mershon wedded, February 24, 1881, IMiss 

 Jennie P. Blake, a daughter of Joseph and 

 Jennie Blake, of Trenton, New Jersey. They 

 had four children, but lost one son, Harry, 

 in infancy. The others are : Frank E., born 

 April 23, 1883; George B., May 12, 1886; 

 and Harrison M., September 6, li 



WILSON S. BERGEY, a well known 

 and prosperous merchant of Line Lexing- 

 ton, where he is also the incumbent of the 

 office of justice of the peace, was born in 

 Hilltown township. Bucks county, Penn- 

 sylvania, May II, 1872. He traces his an- 

 cestry to Henry Bergey, who married Liz- 

 zie Castle, by whom he had seven children. 

 Isaac Bergej^, the eldest child, married Liz- 

 zie Garges, and ten children were the is- 

 sue of this union. Jonas G. Bergey, the 

 sixth child, was born in Montgomery coun- 

 ty, Pennsylvania, in 1839. At the age of 

 twenty-four years he was engaged in the 

 trade of blacksmith, and by his industry 

 was enabled to provide a comfortable home 

 and give his children excellent educational 

 advantages. He was a Republican in poli- 

 tics. In 1862 he married Elizabeth Swort- 

 ley, daughter of John G. and Sarah (Shoe- 

 maker) Swortley, and five children were 

 born to them, namely: Sally, Reinhart, 

 Wilson S., Mary, and Silas, deceased. The 

 family are members of the Mennonite 

 church. 



Wilson S. Bergey, son of Jonas G. and 

 Elizabeth Bergey, attended the schools of 

 Hilltown township, Bucks county : Spring 

 City, Chester county ; and Royersford, 

 Montgomery county, this course of instruc- 

 tion making him capable of earning a liveli- 

 hood. His first experience in business life 

 was gained as clerk in a general store, 

 and in September, 1893, after serving in 

 this capacity six years, lie purchased the 

 store at Line Lexington from J. C. Swort- 

 ley, of which he is now the proprietor. 

 His establishment is well equipped with 

 a general line of dry goods and groceries, 

 and he has won and retained an extensive 

 and lucrative trade by his strict application 



to business and his courteous regard for 

 the wishes and wants- of his numerous 

 patrons. He was appointed postmaster un- 

 der the administration of the late President 

 McKinley, holding the office three years, 

 when he was succeeded by his wife. He 

 served as school director ten years, and in 

 1901 was elected to his present office of 

 justice of the peace. These positions of 

 trust and responsibility denote the esteerri 

 in which he is held in the community. He 

 supports the principles and votes for the 

 candidates of the Republican party. 



In 1893 Mr. Bergey married Orphia 

 Crouthamel, of Line Lexington, only daugh- 

 ter of Hilary and Mary E. ( Eikhart) 

 Crouthamel. Their children are : Clifford 

 and Olive. The ancestors of the Croutha- 

 mel family came to America from Ger- 

 many at an early period. Andrew Croutha- 

 mel, grandfather of Hilary Crouthamel, 

 was the son of one of the emigrant broth- 

 ers, and his son Joseph, father of Hilary, 

 married Lydia Hunsberger, who bore him 

 four sons and seven daughters, of whom 

 Hilary was the youngest son and fourth 

 child. He served an apprenticeship of two 

 years at the trade of tailor, and at the 

 time of his marriage (1863) to Mary E. 

 Eikhart, daughter of John Eikhart, of Hill- 

 town township, purchased the establish- 

 ment where he had been employed. For a 

 period of five years one of his brothers was 

 interested in the business, but since his 

 retirement he has had exclusive control. 

 He was the father of four children: Will- 

 iam A., Adam A., Elmer and Orphia. 



FRANK W. VAN HART traces his de- 

 scent from an ancestor who emigrated from 

 Holland and settled in Falls township prior 

 to the revolution. Jacob Van Hart, son 

 of this ancestor, was a farmer and shoe- 

 maker, and married Mary, daughter of 

 Daniel Richardson, who lived near Doling- 

 ton, and was one of the pioneers of the 

 county. They were the parents of fifteen 

 ' children. [Michael A. Van Hart, son of 

 Jacob and Mary (Richardson) Van Hart, 

 mentioned above, was born December 15, 

 1823, in Makefield township, and in his 

 tenth year went to work on a farm, re- 

 maining there until he reached the age of 

 sixteen. He then served an apprenticeship , 

 of five years at the tailor's trade, for his 

 board and clothes, after which he worked 

 for himself in various parts of Bucks coun- 

 ty. In 1863 he settled in New Hope, and 

 became the successful proprietor of the 

 Logan House. He is affiliated with the 

 Masonic fraternity, and in politics is a 

 Republican. He married Mary, daughter 

 of Francis &nd Sarah (Conrad) Worth- 

 ington, of Centreville, and they were the 

 parents of three children : Frank W., men- 

 tioned at length hereinafter; Kate, and 

 Minnie. 



Frank W. Van Hart, son of Michael A. 

 and IMary (Worthington) Van Hart, was 



