Floyd’s Northumberland County Genealogy, pp. 320-345.

JACOB STRAUB, a venerable resident of East Chillisquaque township, Northumberland county, has spent his life in that section with the exception of the three years he was in the West, and there is no more respected citizen in the district. Born Oct. 19, 1826, in what was then known as Chillisquaque township, he is a grandson of Andrew Straub, the founder of what is now the prosperous borough of Milton.

Andrew Straub’s father was born along the southern border of Germany, and as his parents desired him to become a priest he attended the Catholic schools of that country until he reached young manhood. However, he did not complete his preparation for the church, but coming to America became a land owner and farmer, settling at Columbia, Lancaster Co., Pa., where he took up land, cleared it and followed farming to the end of his days. He was a good neighbor and true friend, and was on very friendly terms with the Wright brothers, the founders of Columbia and Wrightsville. He married after his arrival in this country, and his children were: Andrew; Valentine, who settled along the Tulpehocken creek in Berks county, Pa.; Mrs. Hougendobler; and Mrs. Merkle.

Andrew Straub, son of the emigrant, was born Feb. 14, 1748, on his father’s farm just back of the town of Columbia, in what is now Lancaster county. When a boy he was bound out to one Mr. Bashore, near Columbia, to learn the trade of mill wright, but he remained with him only four weeks, his master making him work at the trade during the daytime and split rails at night. his was too hard for the youth, so he returned home, and the Wrights gave him employment in the same line in which, being a natural mechanic, he soon became expert. Before the Revolutionary war Mr. Wright asked young Straub if he thought he could come up along the river to build a mill for the soldiers at Fort Augusta, and he agreed to do it. Making the trip to Sunbury by team, he came up the river above Northumberland to the Chillisquaque creek, where he erected the first mill; the iron for which was poled up the river from Columbia in a canoe. He then built a mill on the White Deer creek, in what is now Union county. Returning to Columbia he enlisted in the Continental troops for service in the Revolution, but when the conflict was over his mind again turned to the new country in which he had worked and in April, 1784, he returned to this section, locating at what is now Milton, and engaging in work at his trade, going, back to his former home, however, in the spring of the following year. On May 1, 1787, he married Mary Eveline Walter, and in 1790 took up his residence at Milton, where he built a log house on the lot now occupied by the Milton National Bank. Two years later he built a house near what is now the intersection of Center and Filbert streets and removed thither with his family. He obtained a large tract of land, and in 1795 had completed a residence upon the eastern part of his farm, at or near the corner of Center street and Turbut avenue, where he resided until his death, Aug. 2, 1806. One Christian Yentzer was originally associated with him in planning what is now the borough of Milton, but he bought Mr. Yentser’s interests in 1791 and laid out the town in 1792. An enterprising, farsighted and public-spirited man, his activity in promoting the interests of the new town was effective, and his name will ever be associated with its growth along the most beneficial lines. He made donations of ground for church and school use, established mills, encouraged local business and manufacturing enterprises, and lived to see Milton prosper, one of the most thriving towns in the valley of the West branch. He was kind to the poor, and a liberal supporter of every cause which was good and just, and no one citizen of the community has probably done as much as he did to place its fortunes upon a substantial basis. His children were as follows: Joseph; Andrew; Susanna, Mrs. Rhoads; Esther, Mrs. Lawrence; Rachel, Mrs. Jodon; Mary, Mrs. Smith; Abraham and Isaac, twins, born Dec. 9, 1794; Christian; and three who died young.

Abraham Straub, born in Milton, learned the tanning trade and followed the business until 1824, when he sold out and became associated with his twin brother in what was known as the Birchwood Mills, on the island opposite Milton. There they were engaged in milling and lumbering for many years. They invented and introduced into their mill the first reaction water wheel probably ever used in the State. They also had a railroad track to their mill and yard. In 1832 and 1833 they erected the first bridges over the West branch of the Susquehanna at Milton, carried away by the flood of March 17, 1865. In 1834 Isaac retired from the firm and went to Lewistown, where he engaged in merchandising, leaving that town in 1838 and going to Cincinnati, where he died Dec. 17, 1875. Abraham Straub continued to operate the mills until 1840, when he took down the gristmill and moved it to Muddy Run, two miles above Milton, where he continued the milling business until 1853. He then sold it and built a bridge across the Susquehanna, at Uniontown, after the completion of which work he turned his attention to the invention of a centrifugal pump. Though a self-educated surveyor, he became one of the foremost in that profession in his section of the State. He laid out Harmony cemetery, at Milton. He died Aug. 21, 1864. On Nov. 29, 1821, he married Nancy Balliet, who was born in 1804, and whose father was a native of Lehigh county, Pa., and a settler in Limestone, Montour county. She died Dec. 25, 1861. They had children as follows: John Andrew, Ambrose White (died in infancy), Stephen Daniel, Elizabeth Caroline (married Rev. William Goodrich), Clement Calvin (born Nov. 23, 1833), Ambrose White (2), William Alfred and Mary Louisa.

Christian Straub, ninth child of Andrew, taught school and was a merchant in Schuylkill county, served as sheriff of that county, and was elected to represent his district in the State Legislature and in Congress. He died before the expiration of his term as Congressman, and is buried at Washington, D. C., in the Congressional burying ground.

Joseph Straub, son of Andrew, was born Feb. 10, 1793, at Milton, and in his early life followed tanning and distilling. He owned considerable land in what is now Chillisquaque township, and followed farming until his death. Like his father, he is buried in the Harmony cemetery at Milton. His first wife, Elizabeth (Follmer), daughter of Henry and Susanna (Stahl) Follmer, was the mother of these children: Susanna, who died unmarried; Mary, widow of Reuben Follmer, residing in Milton; and Jacob. To his second marriage, with Mrs. Maria (Bright) Orwig, widow of Dr. Orwig, were born the following children: Franklin died in Ohio; Joseph served in the Civil war; John was killed at the battle of Gettysburg; Charles died young, of smallpox; Barbara married Dr. Koenig; Kate married William Moyer.

Jacob Straub, or, as he is familiarly known among his large circle of relations and friends, “Uncle Jake,” received such education as the pay schools of the home district afforded. He learned the trade of stonemason, which he followed only a comparatively short time, however. In 1864 he went out to Nebraska where he remained for three years living among the Indians still numerous in that region and following farming. At the end of that time he returned to the homestead where he had been brought up, and bought fifty-three acres of the old farm, upon which he built his present home in 1869. He followed farming and trucking here for forty years, retiring in 1907, since when his son has conducted the farm. Mr. Straub is intelligent, and having a good memory has become well informed, through reading, of which he is fond. He is an entertaining conversationalist, and though in his eighty-fifth year continues to take the deepest interest in all that concerns the community with which he has so long been identified. He has two heirlooms which he values highly, a grandfather clock that was made in the year 1786 and has been in the family for one hundred years, and an old secretary which was made in Milton in 1821, all the work done by hand.

On April 19, 1864, Mr. Straub married Araminta Agnes Schlebby, who was born April 21, 1836, and died April 30, 1904. She is buried at Milton. Two children were born to this union: Kate and John L. The daughter, born Aug. 22, 1872, now keeps house for her father. Mr. Straub is a Republican in political preference.

JOHN L. STRAUB, now engaged in farming in West Chillisquaque township, was born Sept. 11, 1873, in Chillisquaque township, son of Jacob Straub. He attended the Harrison school in his native township, and when old enough commenced to work with his father, with whom he continued to farm until 1909. He then removed to the old Dougal farm, in the same township, near the borough line of Milton, where he carries on general farming. He married Lois May Balliet, daughter of Charles Henry and Catharine (Hall) Balliet, and they have had two children, Annie Catharine and Andrew Jacob. Mr. Straub is a Republican in politics.

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