Thomas Kuehner (1828 - 1909)

Born 28 Aug 1828 in Millport, Carbon, Pennsylvania, United States

Ancestors

Died 27 May 1909 at age 80 in Carbon, Pennsylvania, United States

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Biography

Thomas Kuehner (pronounced "keener" and sometimes spelled that way) was born in 1828, a son of Daniel Kuehner and Julianna Lorah.

Thomas was "born near Little Gap in the lower end of Carbon County." He was a boatman on the Lehigh Canal beginning in July 1839, "carrying lumber from White Haven to Philadelphia, and drawing logs to Penn Forest during the winter. After the freshet of 1841 he was employed by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company in restoring navigation." He again took up boating until 1861when he became shipping clerk for a business headquartered in Mauch Chunk. He also "entered into a store business at the weigh lock," but this was "wiped out by the flood of 1862." He worked again for the coal company in restoring navigation along the Lehigh River. "When this was completed he became shipping agent at Coalport, to which he added the store business at the Coalport lock in 1870. This was destroyed by fire in July 1876, when he entered the service of the Central Railroad of New Jersey at the car shops, and remained until ill health forced him to resign in 1908. "In 1853 he purchased the lot at the corner of Fourth and Centre Streets, East Mauch Chunk, and built a home there" (later the site of the First Reformed Church). (see Obituary which names his second wife, his children, Benjamin F. Kuehner of East Mauch Chunk, Mrs. (Ellen) Charles A. Stroh of Allentown, and Mrs. (Emma) William T. Bolt of McKeesport, brothers Daniel and August, and six sisters including Mrs. Daniel Green and Mrs. John Klotz. ^[1]

1850: Thomas, age 22, boatman, in home of his parents Daniel and Juliana Keener, Lower Towamensing, Carbon County, Pennsylvania. ^[2]

Thomas married 1) Susanna Bachman in Lehigh Township on January 19, 1851. They had 3 children: Benjamin, Emma and Ellen.

1860 Census shows children Benjamin F., age 6, and Harris, age 1.

1870 Census shows children Benjamin, age 16, Ellen, age 8, and Emma, age 6. Thomas' occupation: coal agent. Benjamin's occupation: RR clerk. ^[3]

Thomas married 2) Sophia Barbara (Unknown) born 1830, died 1913. Her first husband was Louis Dietsche.

Thomas died at age 80 and 8 months and 29 days, and is buried in Mauch Chunk Cemetery, Jim Thorpe, Carbon County, Pennsylvania. ^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ Thomas Kuehner Obituary https://images.findagrave.com/photos/2020/72/71658634_17b23871-1c04-4702-b250-6f75a3f28f8a.jpeg
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M44B-NX7 : 2 March 2021), Thomas Keener in household of Daniel Keener, Lower Towamensing, Carbon, Pennsylvania, United States; citing family 98, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZGS-QBG : 29 May 2021), Thomas Kuehner, 1870.
4. ↑ Find A Grave https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71658634/thomas-kuehner