Jacob Houser and Barbara [Unk]

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Husband Jacob Houser ^{1 2 3}

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           Born: Abt 1760
     Christened: 
           Died: 14 Feb 1832 4
         Buried: 

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         Father: Martin Houser (      -1800) 5
         Mother: Anna Mosser (      -      ) 5

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       Marriage: 

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Wife Barbara [Unk] ¹

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           Born: 
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Children

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1 M Martin Houser ^{6 7}

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: Abt 1857
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Catharine Rumbarger (      -      ) 7

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2 M Jacob Houser ⁶

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           Born: Abt 1796
     Christened: 
           Died: 1867 - Bellefonte, Centre Co, PA 8
         Buried: 

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3 F Elizabeth Houser ⁴

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           Born: 
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         Spouse: Frederick Leathers (      -      ) 4

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4 F Martha Houser ⁴

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         Spouse: George Cronemiller (      -      ) 4

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5 F Catharine Houser ⁴

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           Born: 
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         Spouse: [Unk] Haldeman (      -      ) 4

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6 F Barbara Houser ⁴

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           Born: 
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         Spouse: [Unk] Braught (      -      ) 9

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7 M Daniel Houser ⁴

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           Born: Abt 1797
     Christened: 
           Died: 27 Mar 1878 - Houserville, Centre Co, PA 4
         Buried: 

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8 F Ann Houser ⁴

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           Born: 
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         Spouse: [Unk] Wertz (      -      ) 9

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General Notes: Husband - Jacob Houser

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His father was the first of the family to come to America. He came as a redemptioner, and was obliged to work an entire year for one of his more fortunate countrymen in order to pay his passage.

He came in 1788 from Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, to Spring Creek, later the site of Houserville, Centre County, having the year previously bought a large tract of land of Josiah Matlack, known as the Isaac Catherell Survey, December 5, 1774. He was prosperous and became a wealthy farmer. He had eight children.

He bought two tracts in the warrantee names of "Isaac Catherell" and "Caleb Jones" from Josiah Matlack, Dec. 27, 1787, came up from Dauphin County in 1788, and settled on the "Caleb Jones," where Houserville, in College township, now stands, the same year. He was an industrious, frugal German, and before 1800 had erected a grist- and sawmill, to which he added a fulling-mill in the year 1803, and carding-machine. Gen. Benner became his neighbor in 1793, and their disputes enter largely the legal history of the county. Benner vs. Houser, 11 S. & R. 352. In May, 1829, Jacob Houser, Sr., had a lot of ground surveyed off for a school-house and graveyard upon his place. [HCC 1883, 201]

Jacob Houser, who, as the inscription on his tomb-stone says, "came to Spring Creek in 1788." He settled on the site of the hamlet of Houserville, which bears his name.
Jacob Houser was of German descent and came from Dauphin County. His father came to America as a redemptioner, being compelled to work a year for one of his more fortunate countrymen to pay his passage. He was a thrifty, frugal, hard-working German, and the results of these good qualities soon began to show themselves. Fields were cleared, cattle and stock increased, and Jacob became a prosperous and wealthy farmer.
He erected a fulling-mill, or woolen-factory.
In that early day disputes about land were of frequent occurrence. Jacob Houser was not exempt from these disputes, and as his land joined that of Gen. Philip Benner, he and the general were constantly in the courts. Many funny anecdotes are related of old Jacob and his wealthy neighbor. At one time a dispute arose concerning some land, and Mr. Houser determined to take possession. Benner warned him not to do so, and told him that if he did the crows would bother him so that he could not work. Houser took possession next day, and sure enough the crows came, and kept up such a constant cawing that Houser became frightened and left. The old general had hauled a dead horse to the disputed land, and that had attracted the crows.
Jacob Houser had three sons and five daughters.

1 William Henry Egle, History of the County of Dauphin in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Peck, 1883), Pg 506.

2 John Blair Linn, History of Centre and Clinton Counties, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1883), Pg 201, 272.

3 Editor, Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, Including the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion. (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1898), Pg 539.

4 John Blair Linn, History of Centre and Clinton Counties, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1883), Pg 201.

5 Wm. H. Egle, Notes and Queries, Chiefly Relating to the History of Dauphin County (Harrisburg, PA: Lane S. Hart, Publisher, 1884), Pg 213.

6 John Blair Linn, History of Centre and Clinton Counties, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1883), Pg 201, 274.

7 Editor, Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, Including the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion. (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1898), Pg 131.

8 John Blair Linn, History of Centre and Clinton Counties, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1883), Pg 274.

9 John Blair Linn, History of Centre and Clinton Counties, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1883), Pg 272.