Dreisbach-Dresbach Family Association

Henry Dreisbach - 1800 - 1890 - Northampton County, PA

Appendix J of The Dreisbach Book However his connection to Simon Dreisbach Sr has now been discovered. See the link to “Mysterious Henry - A Mystery Solved” .

aka "Mysterious Henry"

Shoemaker. He was almost certainly the illegitimate son of Henry Dreisbach (1762-1841) and Eve Heinrich/Henry (1778-?)

Born: 17 Nov1800, Northampton County, PA.

Died: 14 Mar 1890, Kreidersville, Northampton County, PA, buried with his wife, Elizabeth Solt, in Zion Stone Church cemetery, Kreidersville, PA.

When The Dreisbach Book (1998, p. 32, section 6c: ) was written, Henry Dreisbach’s parents were unknown and he was given the title of “Mysterious Henry”. In 2009 the discovery of a nearly complete court case revealed Henry’s parents and connected him to the Simon Dreisbach line as the grandson of John Dreisbach (1735-1796) and the great grandson of Simon Dreisbach Sr (1698-1785). The story of this event can be read here: “Mysterious Henry - A Mystery Solved”.

Henry Dreisbach lived his long life, from 1800 to 1890, in what might be called the heart of Northampton County's Dreisbach country, Kreidersville.  Henry and his wife, Elizabeth Solt (1802-1881) were members of Zion Stone Church, Kreidersville, they, and some of their 12 children. are buried in its cemetery.  Henry's grandson, Ammon, the son of Daniel (1827-1863), was the founder of the Dreisbach Family Association and organizer of the family reunions.  Not only did Ammon have access to local Dreisbach traditions and lore, he lived part of his life with Henry on his farm.  Nevertheless, information on Henry's forebears is so totally absent from publications concerning Dreisbachs that one suspects his origins were intentionally kept out of print.

Most of Henry's descendants remained in eastern Pennsylvania.  Son Daniel, a shoemaker, went to Illinois in the 1850's to work in a shoe factory.  He sent for his family, and while they were staying at a hotel, waiting for their house to be ready, Abraham Lincoln came to stay there too, while he was campaigning.  Abraham Lincoln heard the two young daughters of Daniel speaking a Pennsylvania Dutch (i.e. Pennsylvania German dialect) and was charmed by them. He invited them to sit on his knee and talk to him.

During the Civil War Daniel joined the Illinois infantry and died of illness in a Memphis, Tennessee hospital on 12 March 1863. At the end of the war his wife took her family back to Kreidersville, to Henry's farm.

Provided by Ardis Grosjean-Dreisbach, descendant of Henry:
Henry seems to have settled in Kreidersville by 1836 at the latest (the year when an infant, probably the 8th of their 12 children, was buried in Kreidersville cemetery).  On Aschbach's map of Lehigh County (1862) there is a property in Kreidersville in the name of H. Dreisbach.  This seems to be our Henry.

Henry was born on 17 Nov 1800 (place not  known): died 14 March 1890, probably near Kreidersville.  There is a slight discrepancy regarding his date of death.  The Kreidersville church records, and Roberts, Stoudt, etc, say he died on 14 March, whereas Laura M. Helman says 10 March.  14 March is to be preferred.

Henry lived to be almost 90.  It is not known where he lived after his wife and his daughter Rebecca died, but he may have stayed near Kreidersville, where he was buried.

Though we have surprisingly little information on Henry, there is a photograph of him at a somewhat advanced age on page 26 of Laura M. Helman's book, "History of the Dreisbach Family", which was published in Allentown in 1924.

=======Notes=======
1.  There is an erroneous assumption that Henry's parents were the Jacob Dreisbach who was a grandson  of Simon Jr., and  Magdalena Bliem.  The source of this misconception was an article on the Dreisbach  Family in Chr.  R. Roberts, John  B. Stoudt, Th, H. Krick and Wm. J. Dietrich, "Anniversary History of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania" vol. II, Allentown, Pa.,  1914.  On  page 283 there is a mention of Jacob Dreisbach, described as son of Jacob, and of one of his daughters who married a Helman.  Then comes a paragraph on this Helman.  The very next paragraph reads: "Henry Dreisbach was born Nov. 17, 1800 and died March 14, 1890.   He married Elizabeth Solt, who was born Feb. 12, 1802 and died Sept. 9, 1881.  They are buried at Kreidersville Church". It is not surprising that some have interpreted this to mean that Henry belonged to Jacob's line, even though the usual qualification, "son of ..." is missing.

Records of the baptisms at the Kreidersville Stone Church have been microfilmed.  They show that Jacob and Magdalena had a number of children, including a Sarah, born 4 Feb. 1801 and christened 22 March 1801 (sponsors: Peter Dresibach (sic) and  his wife Anna.)  Since there is no reason to doubt the date of birth on Henry's tombstone, and since Henry could not possibly have been born into a family where another child was born only 2 1/2 months later.

Henry DREISBACH b: Nov 17, 1800 PA  d: Abt. Mar 14, 1890 in Allen twp, Northampton Co, PA
.  +Elizabeth SOLT b: Feb 12, 1802 PA m: Mar 06, 1821 d: Aug 09, 1881 in prob Allen twp, Northampton Co, PA

.... 2   Julian DREISBACH b: Jun 23, 1822  d: Dec 08, 1902 in Kreidersville, Northampton Co, PA
........  +George Adam WEITKNECHT b: May 23, 1817 Kimdelsheim, Baden, Germany m: 1843 d: Apr 30, 1908 in Kreidersville, Northampton Co, PA
........... 3   George Washington WEITKNECHT b: Feb 22, 1844  d: Jul 02, 1922 in Northampton Co, PA
...............  +Anna Savilla BACHMAN b: Oct 31, 1846  d: Apr 09, 1932 in Northampton Co, PA
........... 3   Charles Henry WEITKNECHT b: Oct 18, 1863  d: Nov 23, 1960 in Allen twp, Northampton Co, PA
...............  +Ellen A. REYER b: Jun 15, 1872 m: Nov 24, 1888 d: Dec 28, 1970 in Allen twp, Northampton Co, PA

.... 2   Catharine DREISBACH b: Feb 04, 1824 PA  d: Apr 07, 1888 in Northampton Co, PA
........  +Henry J. COLE b: Jan 12, 1817  d: Mar 13, 1912 in Allen twp, Northampton Co, PA
........... 3   Ellen COLE b: Jul 23, 1852  d: Sep 28, 1853
........... 3   Milton H. COLE b: Jul 15, 1858  d: Dec 21, 1951 in Northampton Co., PA
...............  +Mary A. TRINE b: Sep 25, 1862  d: May 20, 1938 in Northampton Co., PA

.... 2   Daniel DREISBACH b: Nov 04, 1827 Kreidersville, Northampton Co, PA  d: Mar 12, 1863 in Memphis, TN, in Civil War
........  +Christiann KRATZER b: Sep 23, 1833 Treichlers, Northampton Co. PA m: Abt. 1850 d: Aug 04, 1914 in prob Allentown, Lehigh, PA
........... 3   Ammon Peter DREISBACH b: Dec 12, 1850 Pennsville, PA  d: Sep 11, 1935 in Allentown, Lehigh Co, PA
...............  +Flora Anna DORWARD b: Mar 16, 1856 prob near Slatington PA m: Aug 01, 1873 in Indianland Church d: Feb 22, 1908 in PA
...........  *2nd Wife of Ammon Peter DREISBACH:
...............  +Mary Alice SENSINGER b: Oct 03, 1867 m: Nov 29, 1909 d: May 26, 1935
........... 3   George H. DREISBACH b: Feb 23, 1852  d: Jan 14, 1945 in Allentown, Lehigh Co, PA
...............  +Amanda E. WEILL b: Mar 31, 1856  d: Nov 02, 1931 in Allentown, Lehigh Co, PA

.... 2   George DREISBACH b: Aug 30, 1831 PA  d: Apr 15, 1889 in Northampton Co, PA
........  +Christina BEIL b: Sep 10, 1831  d: Jul 14, 1901 in Northampton Co, PA
........... 3   Franklin Sylvester DREISBACH b: Aug 02, 1864  d: Dec 23, 1929 in Kreidersville, Allen twp, Northampton Co, PA
...............  +Adina R. KLEPPINGER b: Jan 05, 1866 m: Oct 09, 1891 d: Sep 20, 1947 in Kreidersville, Allen twp, Northampton Co, PA
.................. 4   Elda Christiana DREISBACH b: May 14, 1896  d: Aug 1975 in Allentown, Lehigh Co, PA
......................  +Paul C. BREINIG b: Aug 30, 1897 Allentown, Lehigh Co, PA m: Aft. 1913 d: Dec 09, 1992 in Allentown, Lehigh Co, PA
........... 3   William Henry DREISBACH b: Mar 21, 1866  d: Oct 04, 1952
...............  +Ellen HOFFMAN b: Jul 27, 1866 m: Aug 26, 1893 d: Jun 23, 1908
.................. 4   Jennie C. DREISBACH b: Apr 02, 1894
......................  +Guy FREY  m: Jun 19, 1915
.................. 4   John L. DREISBACH b: Jan 11, 1896  d: May 1976 in Allentown, Lehigh Co., PA
......................  +Mabel DEIBERT b: Jun 01, 1896 Walnutport, PA  d: Mar 19, 1985 in Allentown, Lehigh Co, PA

..... 2    Samuel Harrison DREISBACH    b: March 08, 1839 in PA      d: Aft. 1900 in prob Northampton Co, PA         
.........       +Susanna NOLF    b: 1839                             m: October 08, 1868 in Shoenersville, Christ Lutheran Church congregation            d: Aft. 1920 in prob Northampton Co, PA
.............     3      John W. DREISBACH    b: March 1877 in Allen twp, Northampton Co, PA                                    Residence: 1910 Lehigh, Allentown, PA        d: Aft. 1920 in prob Allentown, Lehigh Co, PA 
.................     +Cora L. ?    b: abt 1877 in PA    d: Aft. 1920 in prob Allentown, Lehigh Co, PA      
.....................    4       Kenneth E. DREISBACH    b: July 17, 1901 in PA   d: March 31, 1971 in Los Angeles, CA 
.........................     +Dorothy F. ?  b: Abt. 1903 in CA                                  m: Abt. 1928              d: Aft. 1930     
.....................    4      Bessie M. DREISBACH    b: 1902 in Lehigh Co, PA
.....................      4    Marie M. DREISBACH      b: September 1908 in Lehigh Co, PA