Reprint of excerpts from a series of articles published in the Pennsylvania German magazine during 1911.  The portion repeated here pertains to Saucon Lutheran Church in Easton, PA, and St. James Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in Greenwich, NJ (Straw Church).  A history of St. James Church can be found on their web site.  Mr. Heller's entire book, about 180 pages, can be purchased for $10.00 in the Marx Room of the Easton, PA Library.

        We will now turn back to the year 1752 and continue our journey westward over this plateau.  For many years prior to this date, this entire section, from the Delaware to Glendon Valley, was fully settled and cultivated.  The first settlers, besides those previously mentioned, were Peter Lattig, Philip Woodring, Michael Gress, George William Kohl (Kale), Peter Edelman, Philip Odenwelder, Lawrence Kuester, Philip Wendell Opp, John Rush, Melchor Hay, Conrad Hess, Michael Hess--sons of Balser--Powell Reeser, Dr. Frederick Ricker, and some of these had numerous grown sons, making quite a community.  The ravine, a short distance southeast of the Kleinhaus greenhouses, during the Revolutionary War was the headquarters of Proctor's Artillery when not in active service.  Here he held a sort of strategic position, easy of access to the River and within a day's journey of either New York or Philadelphia.  About fifty years ago, the ruins of improvised brick fireplaces were still in evidence through the entire length of the ravine.  Tradition says that huge piles of cord wood, placed some distance from the camps, were set on fire by Tories and the company formed a bucket brigade and extinguished the fire, sustaining a loss of only a part of their firewood.  This community had a settled center, the south end was where not is Cedarville, the north end is now Coal Street at the Lehigh.  Where the present Philadelphia road, Line Street and the Hellertown road meet, is an old stone house.  This was the hotel called the "Lofty Oaks" and conducted by Conrad Hess.  At the foot of Morgan Hill, on the site of the present reservoir, was a church, erected about 1730, which flourished until 1750.  It was known as the 'CONGREGATION ON THE DELAWARE RIVER BELONGING TO THE LUTHERAN RELIGION."  At one time it numbered about 300 people, living in the regions north and east.  The burial ground was the present Hay cemetery, to which we now come and from this vantage point we have an extended view up the Lehigh.  This burial ground was established by Jeremiah Bast and John Rush as a joint family affair.  Melchor Hay and his sons were farmers on the Rush plantation, and when Rush failed, Hay purchased the property.  Permission was then given to bury any of the near neighbors in this cemetery.  When the Oldenwelders acquired possession, they enlarged it for public use and give it the present name, in honor of Melchor Hay.

        This was probably the largest Lutheran congregation at that period in America.  Here worshipped all the Lutherans of upper Jersey.  During the first few years services were held only on important religious anniversaries.  Later they were held more frequently or whenever an itinerant preacher could be procured.

        On the day preceding these special services it was necessary to notify the inhabitants of the events.  This was done by building huge bon-fires on the summit of Morgan's Hill.  These fires could be seen for forty miles around and, on the following day, there could be found assembled Magnus Decker of upper Jersey, Nicholas Ensel of Sussex, Jacob Lunger from Changewater, John Adam Schnell, Jacob Loefler and Peter Herring from along the Musconetcong, Nicholas Kern of near Lehigh Gap, John Fein of Finesville, Philip Reimer from Upper Mt. Bethel, Wilhelm Volbrecht from Egypt, Ludwig Klein from Scott's Mountain and others of their neighbors.  The members of this remarkable congregation whose names are here recorded, constituted about the entire population at the Forks and the regions round-about:

        George Raub, Jacob Raub, Peter Raub, Martin Manlin, Michael Raub, Jacob Kister, John Lerch, Michael Meyer, John Bast, Jacob Bast, Jeremiah Bast, Leonard Kister, John Adam Schnell, John Schuch, Magnus Decker, Henrich Decker, Bernhard Wilhelm, Leonard Hartzell, George Wilhelm Koehl, Adam Bayer, John Henrich Kleinhans, Balzer Hess, Peter Hess, Conrad Hess, Michael Hess, Frederich Hess, Michael Bernhard, Laurence Merkel, Frederick Giehrast, Nicholas Ensel, Nicholas Kern, Wilhelm Gahr, Wendel Brechbiehl, John Bleyler, John Mathias Bruch, Jacob Abel, Daniel Wormbsea, Peter Quattlebaum, Leonard Vogelmann, Elias Hesel, John Berger, Frederick Lunger, Abraham Lunger, Dr. Peter Sailer, John Conrad Vogelman, Michael Wilhelm, Jacob Geyer, Henry Frantz, Henry Giehrast, Paul Reeser, Jacob Rodenhoster, Wilhelm Volbrecht, Peter Moelich, Johan Yost, Rothenberger, Johan Michael Enders (Andrews), Wilhelm Kern, Johan Philip Odenwelder, Jacob Maurer, Jacob Koch, Johan Frantz Mehrbos, Christian Miller, Jacob Gukert, Powell Frantz, Jacob Brotzman, Christian Mohr, Bodrik DeWinne, Gerhardt Mohr, Peter Wohleber, Frederick Brotzman, Gottfried Moelich, Michael Schumacher, Johan Schumacher, Godfried Reich, Jacob Zug, Peter Lerch, Jacob Ritschy, Elias Meyer, Mathias Fraunfelder, John Faas, Thomas Fein, Jacob Bentz, Rudolph Dantzeler, Henrich Luck, John Adam Frickeroth, Jacob Beutelman, Wilhelm Kern, Christian Eckert, Christopher Kintzel, Jacob Dech, John Melchior, Godfried Klein, Andrew Grub, Peter Grub, Wilhelm Philip, Elias Dietrich, George Mathias Otto, Conrad Fritz, Adam Schmidt, John Weiler, John Feber, John Michael Leder, Christopher Falkenberg, Leonard Kiefer, John Bartholomew, Peter Lantz, Nicholas Lantz, Conrad Zeller, John Shefferstein, Johan Peter Richer, Jacob Schaup, John Bast, Mathias Unzinger, Johan Philip Dick, Philip Bozzerd, Michael Koch, Jacob Paddendorfer, Valentine Schultz, Peter Wolleber, George Reimel, John Peter Herring, John Klackner, Johan Philip Weltz, Jacob Miller, Sebastian Keyser, Mathias Schmidt, Mathias Pentz, Henry Reimschmidt, Jacob Weltz, Johan Pohl, Jacob Reich, Jacob Trieb, Joseph Aninger, Anton Hener, Johan Drumheller, George Shick, John Daniel Reinheimer, George Henry Unangst, Philip Opp, George Michael Krauss, John Peter Schonfelter, John Christian Heil, Geo. Sickman, Jacob Kutzler, John Enneger, Henry Schrenk, Jacob Loeffler, Christopher Falkenberger, Ludwig Ditman, Johan Jacob Peisher, Henry Haudenshield, Jacob Ritter, John Conrad Wollenweber, Jacob Rumfelt, John Ludwig Repsher, Philip Wendel Opp, Jacob Klipel, Powel Kuntz, Henry Salmon, Baltzer Dielman, Frederich Kuhn, Mathias Unsinger, Jacob Zeller.  Not only these but their wives and grown children helped to swell the membership, making a congregation of nearly three hundred people.  This, certainly, is a remarkable showing for so early a period which was prior to the laying out of the county of Northampton and the town of Easton, in 1752.  Its disruption was caused by factional feuds, sectional warring being constant between the Jerseyites and the Pennsylvanians.  The great number of the English speaking people of the Jersey side, influenced, to a surprising degree, the German element living in their midst, and these poor deluded Germans began aping their English neighbors and imagined themselves a little better than their despised German brethren on the other side of the river who remained true to the tradition of their sires, maintaining intercourse with each other in the language of their Fatherland.  The German Jerseyites not only acquired the English language but evinced a desire to have their name appear in English form.  This was unfortunate for not many year later the different branches of many of these families utterly failed to recognize the relationship existing between them.  While some of these adopted names were of proper English equivalent, others show a lack of knowledge in the translation of the German term to that of English.  Some of these are more noticeable than others, as, for instance, we take the case of the two brothers by the name of Moelich.  One of these lived in Williams township and maintained the name in its original form, while the other changed his to Mellick.  He remained on the Jersey side of the river, built the old stone house still standing at Carpenterville.  They became entirely lost to each other.  Another prominent name of the period in review was that of Zimmerman, who changed his name to Carpenter.  Johannes Fein became the founder of Finesville.  Johannes Feit clung to his proper name, although some of his family run along, for some years, as Fight.  This transition certainly is more phonetic than correct.  The next is the compound name, Holtz-Heysen.  Someone of this name, evidently, not content with one change, handed down to posterity three ways of spelling it.  Schoeff, evidently, was in earnest in making the change, as he lived for several years under the name of Sheep, the English equivalent.  His descendants, however, grew up Sharp, and the family is quite numerous through Jersey under that name.  Reeser was represented by three brothers, two of whom retained the name, while the other omitted the last letter and this branch became the well known family by the name of Reese.  The descendants of Hans Ludwig Klein seceded from the Lutheran denomination entirely and found an agreeable place in the Presbyterian camp, where they are well represented under the English name, Cline.  Two brothers by the name Rothenberger settled along the river bank a short distance below the present railroad bridges, under the name of Rosenberger.  One of these, later, removed across the river into Bucks County, retaining the name, Rosenberger.  The other raised a large family who made the change into Roseberger, Rosenberg and Roseberry.  The original plantation remained in the possession of the latter branch and became known as Roseberry's Fishery.

        Dammer became Tammer, and later Tomer.  Schubmann was changed to Shipman.  Brechbiel turned into Brakely.  There were a great many other changes in these German names, but the change was not so far removed from the original.

        This transition of names and ideas also had its influence on the Pennsylvania side of the river where a few changes were made.  One of particular note is that of Leonard Keuster, a distiller in Williams township.  He had a large family, a number of whom migrated to different parts of the province and assumed different names.  One of these was Kessler, after whom the village of Kesslerville, in Plainfield Township, is named.   Another went to what is now Lehigh County under the name of Kistler.  Another went to what is now Monroe County and his descendants became known as Custard.  A part of this latter branch settled in Ohio and omitted the last letter, producing the name of Custar.  General Custer, the noted military leader, was one of this branch.

        The precise time when the church, belonging to this congregation, was erected, will probably never be known.  Neither has the year in which the congregation was formed, been determined.

        John Casper Stoever arrived in America in 1728.  He then was twenty-one years of age.  He immediately proceeded to the interior of the Province and began forming congregations among the scattered settlers.  In this congregation on the Delaware, he records baptisms in 1733.  The regular church records began in 1740, at which time Johan Justice Jacob Birckenstock, an itinerant preacher or reader, he not having been ordained to preach, assumed charge and continued to officiate here in connection with three other congregations along the south side of the Lehigh mountain between the Delaware and Schuykill rivers.  He was a man of education and was assessed as clerk.  In those days, the educated emigrants who possessed little or no knowledge of trades were compelled to seek a vocation to which they were more adapted, and, as there was a great demand for preachers and teachers, these men of profession turned their attention to missionary work.  Both Stoever and Birckenstock were men of exceptional ability and did great service in the cause of Lutheranism in the colony.  These two, among others of these itinerant preachers, paved the way for Muhlenberg who, clothed with ministerial power, arrived in America a dozen years later.

        Muhlenberg evidently did not recognize any unordained minister and persistently refused to ordain either Stoever or Birckenstock.  The work of these itinerant preachers was of a very different character from that of Muhlenberg.  They, as pioneer missionaries, were obliged to deal with the rude and gross condition of a neglected generation of people, gathered together to listen to the word of God for the first time.  There was no organization and no mode of worship. There was total ignorance on the part of the rising generation, and, in general, all the rudeness of the primitive and pioneer life.  There was no one in the Pennsylvania wilderness who was capable of examining or ordaining these workers, or even of administering the holy sacrament.  They officiated in the individual capacity and not like Muhlenberg, as a special representative of a powerful missionary institution in Europe and of the civil government in London.  However, there was no mistaking their adherence to the unaltered Augsburg Confession.  Muhlenberg's persistent hostility toward these indefatigable workers was really the means of brining about the very conditions that he deplores in his communications to the home body and it was only of late years that these early unordained missionaries received the credit due them.  Stoever organized this congregation between 1728 and 1730, served it for a few years longer as we find a baptism by him in 1737 and then, probably, relinquished his charge entirely as, about this time, he was confining himself to the territory west of the Schuykill.

        Birckenstock assumed charge in 1739 and began systematic record in 1740.  He also entered a memorandum, on the inside front cover of the Record Book, of two baptisms by Stoever, one of 1733 and the other 1737.  He, evidently, was popular with the congregation as it was during his pastorate that their membership made rapid increase.  In year 1749 he made a trip to Europe to become ordained and to raise  fund for religious purposes in America.  He, unfortunately, died while abroad and the congregation was reduced to the necessity of employing any itinerant who happened to be in the vicinity.  Muhlenberg records a visit to this congregation in 1747 and apologizes for so doing by saying that he was urgently requested, by friends, to make the visit.  He, evidently, did not know much about these two congregations, as he also mentions them as "two small congregations existing at the Forks."  Whether he desired to ignore them entirely or to make them appear of little consequence as, at that time, one of these congregations, under review, could show the largest membership of any Lutheran congregation in America.

        The year 1750 marked an epoch in the history of this congregation, Ludolph Henry Schrenk, one of Muhlenberg's emissaries, assumed the pastoral charge.  The smouldering [sic] embers of discontent now bursts forth in flames of disruption.  The Jersey faction seceded from the congregation and established a church of their own in Greenwich township, about two miles east of the Delaware, near what is now Stewartsville, Warren County, New Jersey.  Here, they built a church, covering the roof of it with straw.  It became known as Straw Church, and is so called even to this day.  They, some years later, adopted the title of St. James Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in Greenwich.

        The Pennsylvania faction of the old congregation, with a few of the Jerseyites who still remained loyal, are recorded in the church book as follows:

        A list of those who are minded to hold to the congregation here and what they are willing to give yearly, as long as each chooses.  Should, however, one or another quit, he shall inform the deacons that he no longer holds thereto.
 

        Five of these were, at this time, residents of New Jersey, and the records show the names of the two Rosebergers crossed out.  Evidently persuasion was brought to bear on these two worthies by the Jerseyites.  Some twenty years later, when the first records of the Straw church were begun, we find recorded the names of these two Rosebergers, along with those of Fein, Feit, Diterich, Sharps, Ritter, Lunger, Herring, Klein and Dammer, under the changed form of Tomer.

        The old congregation appeared to thrive for a while.  The list of communicants in the spring of 1750 was 53, in December of that year - 37, April 1751 - 26, November 1751 - 23, May 1752 - 62, November 1752 - 2, April 1753 - 122, including ten confirmed, 1754 - 37, 1755 - 77.  In April 1753 apparently was a rally day as the records for this occasion show the names of many of the Jerseyites, also some of the former Saucon congregation, at that time known as the Williamston and Sacona, and, at the present, Old Williams.  Probably this large attendance was caused by one of the visits of Muhlenberg who, about this time, had made a name for himself and cleared the field of many of the itinerant readers.  While Muhlenberg was creating a substantial ministerium, he was reducing the force of school teachers as all the itinerants were teachers as well as preachers, and they were equally as popular as those furnished by Muhlenberg.  The eastern end of Williams township, as well as many other parts of the Pennsylvania wilderness, depended on these itinerant preachers for many years after Muhlenberg's time.

        Just when this old congregation ceased to exist as a unit has not yet been determined, but services were held periodically until about 1815.  Occasionally services were held in the old church by the few adherents of the Reformed denomination.  They burying ground for this territory was what is now known as Hay's cemetery.  Here, about 1815, the remnant of the old congregation erected a building, or what might be termed a shed, in which they held services occasionally.  The majority of the members of the old congregation, about this time, became identified with the congregation at the Old Williams.  About the year 1820, the old church building was demolished and the stone part of it was used in the construction of the stone building directly west, along the opposite side of the Philadelphia road and which, after undergoing another change in the year 1907, is now a modern residence and bears no evidence as being part of the old church edifice.

        The supposition that this old congregation affiliated with the one at Easton, in the year 1755, at the time of the erection of what is locally called the Charity school, where Lutheran services were also held occasionally, is erroneous, as very few of the names appear on the records of this new congregation and these names were only those who had taken up their residence in Easton.

        Muhlenberg's antagonism toward these itinerant preacher/teachers was shared by his disciples and they kept up a constant strife until long after the Revolutionary war.  One of these regulars held forth at the Straw church and, when the parents of a month old babe that had not yet been baptized, fearing that death might overtake the little one, sent for this disciple of Muhlenberg to perform the ceremony, there being no other minister in the neighborhood at the time, he graciously complied.  However, he enters on the records of his congregation, "Baptized in Williams township, a case of necessity, a child named (here giving the names of the child and parents)". In the space allotted to sponsors, we find this statement, "besides the parents of the child, were present the grandparents, -----.  Owing to they being from a community in which they maintained disorderly preachers, they were rejected as sponsors."[Parents were Henrich Raub and wife Elizabeth--son b. Nov. 30, 1786, bapt. Dec. 14, 1786--named David.  Grandparents were Andrew and Magdalena Raub. JR]   The grandfather, here referred to was, at the time, a leading man of Williams township, sheriff of Northampton county and served two terms in the State Legislature.