686 



HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



JOHN W. COOPER, a representative of 

 Ihat class of men known as agriculturists 

 whose energy, uprightness and progressive 

 spirit make them valuable citizens of w'hat- 

 ever community they cast their lot with, 

 is a native of- Pineville, Bucks county, 

 Pennsylvania, born May i8, 1880, a son of 

 Stephen K. and Ellen (Twining; Cooper. 



John W. Cooper was reared in his na- 

 tive village and acquired a practical educa- 

 tion in the John M. George school of New- 

 town township and at Pierce's Business 

 College, graduating from the latter insti- 

 tution in 1899. Shortly afterward he came 

 to Wrightstown township and assumed 

 ■charge of the old home farm, which for 

 many years was the home of his grand- 

 father. Liking the occupation and being 

 perfectly familiar with it, it was natural 

 that he should select it for his life calling 

 when the time came for him to act inde- 

 pendently, and by his progressive methods 

 and efficient management he has achieved 

 a large degree of prosperity. Mr. Cooper 

 was reared in the Friends' Meeting, but is 

 not a member of any religious body. He 

 is a Republican in politics. Mr. Cooper 

 married, October 15, 1902, Anna B. Fish, 

 daughter of John T. Fish, of Falls town- 

 ship, ex-registrar of wills, and a prominent 

 retired business man. They are the parents 

 of one child, Theresa Ellen, born October 

 ^o, 1903. 



MILTON KLINE ERDMAN. Promi- 

 nent among the business men of Quaker- 

 town is Milton Kline Erdman, grandson of 

 John Erdman, whose son George was born 

 February 15, 1818, in Milford township, 

 where he attended the common schools and 

 learned the carpenter's trade. For many 

 years he followed this trade in conjunction 

 with the building business. He was also 

 at one time an undertaker, and during the 

 latter part of his life was engaged in busi- 

 ness as a manufacturer of cigar boxes. He 

 was thrice married, his second wife being 

 Mary, daughter of Georp-e and Susan 

 (Haustach) Kline, and a native of Bucks 

 county. Mr. and Mrs. Erdman were the 

 parents of a son and daughter : Milton 

 K., mentioned at length hereinafter ; and 

 Anna Maria, married Dr. E. K. Blank, 

 of Hatfield, Montgomery county, and was 

 the mother of two daughters — Jeanetta, who 

 married and lives at Vinemont, Lancaster 

 county; and Elisa. The death of Mrs. 

 Blank, the mother, occurred in 1897. 



Milton Kline Erdman, son of George and 

 Mary (Kline) Erdman, was T)orn January 

 14, 1850, on a farm in Milford township. 

 When he was but a year old the family 

 moved to Trumbauersville, where they re- 

 mained until 1864, in which year they took 

 vip their abode in Sellersville. While in 

 Trumbauersville he attended a boarding 

 school, and in 1867 went to Quakertown, 

 having in that year graduated. In Quaker- 

 town he entered the store of James Cress- 



man & Company, dealers in general mer- 

 chandise. After remaining there one year 

 he worked for a time with his father in 

 the manufacture of cigar boxes, and in 1876 

 went to Pennsburg, where he engaged in 

 mercantile business under the firm name of 

 Hillegas & Erdman. The following year 

 he sold his interest and returned to Quaker- 

 town, where he became a hardware mer- 

 chant, his place of business until 1895 being 

 the store now occupied by Howard Stone- 

 back. In the above-mentioned year he re- 

 tired from that field of endeavor, having 

 reaped its reward. His business had been 

 from the first a thriving one, and he stood 

 at the head of an extensive and flourish- 

 ing trade. Since 1896 he has been engaged 

 in the coal, feed and hay business. He 

 is a member of the board of directors of 

 the Building and Loan Association. Mr. 

 Erdman is a good citizen, and has served 

 the community as assessor, judge of elec- 

 tion, inspector and delegate to the county 

 convention. He is a member and past master 

 of Quakertown Lodge, No. 512, F. and A. 

 M., and also belongs to the Knights of 

 Malta, of which order he is a charter mem- 

 ber. His political affiliations are with the 

 Democrats. He and his wife are members 

 of the Lutheran church, in which for thirty- 

 three years he has held the position of 

 organist. 



Mr. Erdman married, November 14, 

 1873, Mary Elizabeth Springer, and they 

 are the parents of one son, George Fred- 

 erick, who was born December 26, 1876, 

 and received his preparatory education in 

 Quakertown, subsequently entering Muhlen- 

 berg College, from which he graduated in 

 1898. He is now engaged in the printing 

 business in AUentown, and married, July 

 30, 1899, Mame, daughter of James Grader. 

 Mrs. Erdman is a great-granddaughter of 

 John Springer, a farmer, whose son George 

 was born January 18, 1786, and was a resi- 

 dent of Bucks county, where he was en- 

 gaged in general milling and building. He 

 married Katherine, daughter of George 

 Trollinger. who was the proprietor of a 

 hotel in Trollinger's lane, now Carpenter 

 Street, Germantown, Philadelphia. The 

 marriage took place October 11, 1807, and 

 the following children were born to Mr. 

 and Mrs. Springer : i. Enos, born July 29, 

 1809, died unmarried. 2. Sophia, born No- 

 vember 3, 1812, married Amos Jacoby, 

 of Sellersville, w'here their son, Enos Jacob, 

 now lives. 3. John, mentioned at length 

 hereinafter. 4. One who died in infancy. 

 5. Simon, born June 12, 1817. died. 6. 

 Maria, born April 29, 1819, married Daniel 

 Althouse. Mr. Springer, the father, died 

 June 3, 18 — . 



John Springer, son of George and Kath- 

 erine (Trollinger) Springer, was born Oc- 

 tober 9, 1815. a few miles from Sellersville. 

 He attended the subscription school, and 

 then learned the wheelwright's trade. He 

 was a resident of Rockhill township, where 

 he was much respected. He married, Octo- 

 ber 18, 1846, Hannah, daughter of Henry 



