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There is a Thomas Rees who died in East Buffalo Twp., but his estate was settled in Norristown May 25, 1796. His land was known up here as that of David Davis. He probably had a brother, Daniel Rees. Thomas Rees is in the 1790 Census of Northumberland County with three males 16 and up, two males under 16, and seven females, so we know he was an adult. A Thomas Rees was in the Revolutionary War as a private in Capt. John Loudon’s Company. He owned land on Strohecker’s in 1788. In 1796 Thomas and Daniel Rees are in East Buffalo Twp. In 1784 a Thomas Rees of Buffalo Twp. sold his land in Buffalo Twp. adjacent to Buffalo Creek and William Irwin and Wendel Baker. (This is in the area of Cowan.) There is a Thomas Rees, Sr. of Philadelphia County who had land on Catawissa Creek (Bloomsburg area). He sold it to a Daniel Rees of Northumberland County in 1784. Thomas Rees bought land in the town of Northumberland in 1785 and sold it in 1786. Daniel Rees bought land near Lock Haven in 1784. Abel Rees was in Buffalo Twp. in 1771. He bought land from David Davis of Philadelphia County. The land was on the head water of Lick Run. Apparently the Rees family came up here from Montgomery and Northampton and Philadelphia counties. They were Welsh and some were Quakers. Montgomery County wills show an Evan Rees with wife Hannah and son, Evan a minor, son Benjamin, Samuel, Daniel and other children— will pvd. May 4, 1793. In 1813 Daniel Rees of Lewisburg for Samuel Rees of Lower Smithfield Twp., Northampton Co. and Benjamin Rees of Upper Providence Twp., Montgomery Co. executors of Evan Rees, late of Upper Providence Twp. Evan Rees had land on Delaware Run in Northumberland County which was sold to David Watson The 1790 Census shows Abel Rees in Northumberland County with 2 males 16 and up and 3 females, so he was an adult. In 1810 Daniel Rees is a sadler with six males and three females, in Lewisburg. The Catharine Rees who had land in present day Union County in 1769 died in 1837 in Union County. I do not know who she was, but her land was next to Abel Rees. Now we go to the Stahl family. Philip Stahl was born in 1748 in Bucks County, Pa. He served in the Revolutionary War from Bucks County and died in 1799 in present day Union County, Buffalo Twp. and is buried at the Twin Churches, west of West Milton. The Tiadaghton Chapter of the SAR put up a tombstone for him about 1980 there. He was a private in 1st. Lieut. John Richison Company of Richland Twp., Bucks Co. He was a farmer, an innkeeper and a wagon maker. In 1793 with his sons, John and Jacob, and daughters, Susanna and Elizabeth and maybe others, he and his brother Jacob Stahl moved from Bucks County to Buffalo Valley and settled about seven miles west of Lewisburg. His wife Elizabeth died June 11, 1790 and is buried in Springfield Twp., Bucks County. Philip and Jacob Stahl were supposedly the first wagon makers in Buffalo Valley. Philip Stahl had children: John, 1773-1832; Philip, died in 1866, md. Susanna Spotts and moved to Ohio; Susanna, d. Feb. 7, 1845, unm., Jacob, 1783- Dec. 29, 1864; Peter, Sr. 1787-1868 wife Elizabeth (more later about her) On Aug. 13, 1802, John Stahl made an agreement with two gentlemen for “land for use of building a school house, and a German Lutheran Church and a burying ground”. This is now the land we call the Twin Churches, west of West Milton, both churches used and both cemeteries still used. Elizabeth Stahl is a complicated lady— Really! She was born in Bucks County Jan. 1777. She died in Lewisburg, June 15, 1849. But she died as Elizabeth Shank, having married William Shank later in life. Her will mentions John McCreight Rees in the same paragraph that names her son Semah Rees, as her executor. The will also refers to a grandson, Charles Flickinger. John, Semah and Viola Rees, the mother of Charles W. Flickinger are the only known children of Elizabeth Stahl Rees Shank. Semah Rees says his “Mother died 15th of June, at 6 o’clock in the afternoon in the year 1849 of cansor of the breast.” As for her husband Mr. Rees, we have in Buffalo Twp. in the proper time frame, Thomas Rees, Sr. who died in 1797 who had a son, Thomas, Jr. and three other sons who could have possibly married Elizabeth Stahl. Men of Daniel, Abel and John Rees line are also to be considered. Elizabeth Stahl’s children are: John McCreight Rees, Viola Rees, b. Lewisburg area and died in Buffalo Twp. md. Charles Flickinger of Berks Co. (b. 1780, died 1861) buried in Loran, Ill. He was a War of 1812 soldier. Semah Rees was born Oct. 25, 1800 in the Lewisburg area, died in Erin Twp., Stephenson Co., Ill., July 28, 1863. He and his wife were raised in Union Co. They lived on a farm in Buffalo Twp. and moved to Lewisburg in 1832 when they bought land from John A. Reed and his wife Catherine. There is evidence that Semah had a store in addition to his hat making. There is an account book in possession of one of his descendants which shows large quantities of potatoes, apples, barrels of vinegar, whiskey, beef and pork and great amounts of wood used in curing the skins of raccoons, mink, squirrel, fox, which Semah made into hats. One of the firms purchasing his product was Walls and Geddis. After his mother died in 1849 (Elizabeth) Semah sold the land in Lewisburg to William Leiser, left Pennsylvania and went to Illinois. The family Catharine, 17; John 15; James 13; Enos 11, William 10, Abbot 8, and Joshua 6 arrived in Stephenson Co., Illinois in May, 1850. He first lived in the Mill Grove area and then moved to an 80 acre piece which was the first part of 387 acres. He built his home there and it was lived in by the family until 1981. His wife was Margaret Seitz, born Feb. 22, 1801, Lewisburg, area, died in Erin Twp., Stephenson Co., Ill. She is buried next to Semah in a cemetery east of Pearl City, Ill. In 1870 she was living with her son John McCreight Rees and his family. Margaret Seitz was a daughter of George Seitz b. 1755, Reading, Berks County and died Oct. 6, 1824, Mifflinburg. He was a farmer (the eldest son of John and Margaret Seitz). George Seitz was in the Revolutionary War in Capt. Charles Gobins company, 6th batt. of Berks County. Mil. George Seitz’s wife was Catharine Burkhart, b. 1759 in Switzerland. She died Nov. 4, 1846 in Lewisburg. She nursed the soldiers in the Revolutionary War at Valley Forge and told the story of helping Gen. George Washington who was surgeon in charge. George Seitz is listed in Soldiers Buried Union Co. and in the “DAR PATRIOT INDEX.” Philip Stahl’s Will is in the courthouse in will book 1, his children, Susannah (unm), Jacob, buried at Mazeppa, Pa., Margaret, Philip, Peter, John, Catren, and Elizabeth, Mariah md. Joseph Frey. © Copyright 2008 by Mifflinburg Telegraph Weekly Newspaper Top of Page |
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