November, 2001 : SOURCE: Floyd's Northumberland County Genealogy Pages 540 thru 562 File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Tony Rebuck. Genealogical and Biographical Annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.. IMPRINT Chicago, J. L. Floyd & Co., 1911. DESCRIPT xii, 988 p. ports. 29 cm. WALT. The Walt or Wald family is well known along the Susquehanna in the southwestern portion of Northumberland county, several of its members residing at Herndon and Dalmatia. Solomon Z. Walt, a thrifty business man and farmer of Lower Mahanoy township, William A. Walt, a resident of Herndon, who has been track foreman of the Herndon branch of the Philadelphia & Reading road for a number of years, and Joshua Wald, who is now living retired at Dalmatia, are all of the same stock, descendants of Solomon Walt or Wald. Solomon Walt (or Wald) was a native of Montgomery county, Pa., where he owned a fine farm and engaged in agricultural pursuits. Late in life, in about 1839, he removed to this section with his family, settling at Uniontown, which is across the river in Dauphin county. There he died, at a ripe old age, and there he is buried. He led a retired life after coming to Uniontown (also called Pillow), and for some years before his death was blind. He was a man of medium size. His wife, Catharine Underkoffler), also lived to an advanced age, and we have the following record of their family: Willoughby and David, both of whom lived at Dalmatia, are more fully mentioned below; Henry, who was a boat-builder and carpenter, lived at Liverpool, Perry Co., Pa., where he died when comparatively a young man and where he is buried (his wife, Rebecca Borrell, bore him three children, Jonathan, Jane, who is married and lives at Saint George's Lock, Del., and Rebecca, who died young); Catharine (Kate) married Abraham Ziegler, of Herndon; Susanna died unmarried; Caroline lives in Montgomery county: Sallie married Adam Gottshall and they lived at Pillow, Dauphin county; Betzy married Abraham Herman; Lovina married Henry Frey (after a short residence in Northumberland county they returned to Montgomery county). Willoughby Walt, son of Solomon, was born near Schwenkville, in Frederick township, Montgomery county, and came to Northumberland county about 1839-40. He died at Dalmatia when eighty-two years old, and is buried at the Stone Valley Church. His wife, Helena (Ziegler), of Montgomery county, was also about eighty-two at the time of her death. Eleven children were born to them, as follows: Catharine married Joel Engle; Abraham died young; Polly (Mary) married Reuben Aucker; Alfred died young; Willoughby C. is mentioned below; Benneville died in the Civil war; Peter lived at Dalmatia, Pa.; Solomon Z. is mentioned below; three died young. Willoughby C. Walt, son of Willoughby, is a native of Dalmatia, (Georgetown), Northumberland county, born April 17, 1841. In his earlier manhood he followed farm work, in June, 1869, beginning work on the Philadelphia & Reading railroad as a section hand. In 1877 he became section foreman on the Herndon branch, a position he held for over twenty years, during which time he came to be regarded as one of the capable employees of the company. Since 1900 he has been retired from active work of a laborious nature. He has served four years as supervisor of Herndon, and has been a useful citizen. During the Civil war he was a private in Company A, 208th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, with which he took part in the engagement at Fort Steadman, in 1865, and at the taking of Fort Mahone, April 2, 1865. He made a creditable record in the army for faithful and honorable service. In politics he is a Republican. In 1866 Mr. Walt married Amanda Sultzbach, daughter of Jacob, of Dauphin county, and they have had five children: Mary married C. W. Umholtz and they live in Philadelphia: William Augustus is mentioned below; Katie married Charles Bogar, of Herndon; Henry was drowned in 1871, when eighteen months old; Reuben was killed while playing baseball in Herndon, in 1906. Mr. Walt and his family are members of the Reformed Church. WILLIAM AUGUSTUS WALT, son of Willoughby C. Walt, and his father's successor as track foreman on the Philadelphia & Reading road, was born at Herndon Aug. 31, 1871, and there received his education in the common schools. He began working for the railroad company when twenty-one years old, and on April 19, 1900, was made track foreman of the Herndon branch, in which position he has since served. He has two men working under his supervision. His section extends from Herndon to Latsha. Mr. Walt has taken considerable interest in local politics and public affairs, having served as school director of the borough of Herndon and as election officer. END OF PAGE 554 Politically he is identified with the Republican party. In 1895 Mr. Walt married Sarah Bordner, daughter of Samuel and Rebecca (Heckert) Bordner, formerly of Dalmatia, this county. They have had four children, Katie A., Gertrude A., M. Arline and Mary M. Mr. Walt and his family belong to the Reformed congregation of the Herndon Union Church. SOLOMON Z. WALT, son of Willoughby Walt, was born April 1, 1848, in Lower Mahanoy township, Northumberland county. In his youth he was trained to farm work, but when a young man he took up the miller's trade, completing his apprenticeship when twenty-two years old. He had learned the business at Uniontown (Pillow) and Lewisburg, Pa., and worked at it on his own account one year, operating the Mandata mill, in Jordan township. For a number of years he followed wheelwrighting in connection with farming, beginning agricultural pursuits in association with his father, but in the spring of 1875 starting out for himself, on the thirty-three-acre tract in Lower Mahanoy township where he now lives. It is one mile southwest of Dalmatia, in the independent school district. Mr. Walt has an attractive home and a valuable piece of property. He has a man to look after the farm work, he himself conducting a wheelwright establishment, which is well patronized by his neighbors. He is an excellent mechanic, not alone in that line, but able to perform the work of various trades, and he does a thriving business, his services being in constant demand. In 1871 Mr. Walt married Polly Zartman, daughter of Adam and Susan (Forney) Zartman, and they have an only daughter Lena Susan, now the wife of Charles S. Deppen. Mr. Deppen was born March 24, 1874, son of William and Susan (Shaffer) Deppen, grandson of William Deppen and great-grandson of Christian Deppen. He is engaged as a traveling salesman, and is an intelligent and substantial citizen of his community, one who enjoys excellent standing. Mr. and Mrs. Deppen have had two children, Ivy Thelma and Stena Reba. Mr. Walt and his family are Lutherans in religion, and worship at Zion's Church in Stone Valley. Politically he is a Democrat, and he has served as clerk of his township. David Wald, son of Solomon, was born in Montgomery county, Pa., and when a young man learned the trade of carpenter, which he followed while living in his native county. About three years after his second marriage he moved to Northumberland county, settling at Georgetown (now Dalmatia), where he continued to work at his trade. For thirty years he was engaged as a carpenter in the boat yards at Mahantango, Liverpool and Northumberland, and for thirteen years he and Augustus Arnold rented a boat yard and repaired boats. During this time Mr. Wald and his family lived at Mahantango, Juniata county. He then retired to Georgetown, where he died and is buried. His first wife, whose maiden name was Neiman, was from Montgomery county, and they had a son Augustus, who died at Herndon and is buried at Georgetown. His second wife, Rebecca (Fegley), was from his own neighborhood in Montgomery county, and to them were born three sons and two daughters, as follows: William, Joshua, David, Elmira (married James M. Wiest) and Elizabeth (married George Bingaman). The family were Lutheran members of the Georgetown Church, and they are buried at that church. JOSHUA WALD, son of David, was born Aug. 18, 1816, (VKJ Note: believe this is supposed to be 1846)\ in Lower Mahanoy township. He received his education in the pay schools in vogue during his boyhood, first attending school in his native township and later in Juniata county. When only eight years old he began driving a mule on the towpath of the Susquehanna canal, and after a few years commenced boating, which he followed for seventeen seasons all told, two years before his service in the Civil war, and fifteen years after. He was only a youth when he enlisted at Harrisburg in Company K, 83d Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, for a year's service, but he was mustered out at the end of eight months, by reason of the war closing. Among his active engagements were the action at Hatcher's Run and the operations before Petersburg, besides a number of skirmishes. Resuming civil life, he continued boating until 1878, in which year he engaged in the livery business at Georgetown. After about five years in that line he went into the lumber business, in 1884, near Sunbury, contracting for logs and ties and peeling bark, and he was thus engaged for two years, in 1887 commencing farming. That year be purchased a seventy-five-acre farm at Hickory Corners, in Lower Mahanoy township, which place he cultivated for nine years. This farm was formerly the property of William Schaffer and is now owned by Elmer I. Radel. In 1897 Mr. Wald settled in Georgetown (Dalmatia), where he owns a fine residence and has since lived in practical retirement, though he occasionally engages in coal digging in the Susquehanna. He is a respected citizen and is trusted by his fellow citizens, but he has never cared to undertake the duties of public office. Politically he is a Republican. In 1875 Mr. Wald married Alveretta Heckert, daughter of William and Lydia J. (Favinger) Heckert, who had three children, Alveretta, Polly (unmarried) and Henry unmarried, who lives at Millville, Pa. Jacob Heckert, grandfather END OF PAGE 555 of Mrs. Wald, was a farmer in Lower Mahanoy township. His children were Catharine (Mrs. George Doney), Jacob, William and Jessie. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Wald: Jennie Lucretia, died when fourteen months old; and Edward M., who died when three months old. ----------------------------------------------------------- SOURCE: H.H. Hain History of Perry Co., PA pg 415 "During the boating period Liverpool and New Buffalo lived and thrived, largely through this industry, and the product of their shops and boatyards sailed the internal waterways well in many states. There were two boatyards at Liverpool, the upper owned by John Shuler, and later by John W. Murray, and the lower one by George Walker, John Sheets, and Henry Hoffman at different times. *(Among boatmen interviewed for information, 1919-20, were Ambrose L. Sterick, who boated from 1859 to 1900; S.E. Klinger who began boating in 1865 and whose pair of boats was among the very last to transport ties, grain, etc, from Liverpool to Sunbury, and John Trimmer, for three decades a boatman.) At one time over 50 boat owners resided in Liverpool and engaged in the occupation of boating. New Buffalo also had two boatyards."