Biography of Peter Acker

PETER ACKER, an industrious and prosperous farmer of Pawling, and a representative of one of the sturdy German families to which the Commonwealth owes so much, is the younger of the two sons of John and Susannah (Sloanacker) Acker, and was born on the old homestead, in Schuylkill township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, May 12, 1836. Here he was reared and educated, and here he has always lived, quietly and industriously engaged in agricultural pursuits. He now owns the home farm, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres of valuable land, all well improved except ten acres of woodland. In politics he is a stanch republican, and while never taking an active part in the turmoil of practical politics, yet always gives an intelligent- and earnest support to the party of his choice.

On February 19, 1861, Mr. Acker was united in marriage with Martha Jones, a daughter of Enoch and Mary (Johnson) Jones, of East Vincent township, this county, and to them was born a family of three children, two sons and a daughter : Enoch J., born December 17, 1862, married Emma Stetler, and is now a prosperous young civil engineer, of Norfolk Virginia; Frances S., born September 12, 1864, married Theodore Cramer, a well known jeweler of Phoenixville ; and Burton J., born June 29, 1876, and now (1892) attending the State Normal school at West Chester. Mrs. Martha Acker died December 15, 1882, aged forty- one years.

The Ackers are of German descent, and trace their American ancestry back to Conrad Acker, who was born in Germany, but left that country when a young man, and settled in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, in 1732. He married Barbara Ruble, and had an only son, Peter Acker (grandfather), who was born in Uwchlan township, and after attaining his majority married Elizabeth Laugbaugh, who bore him one child, Conrad; and after her death wedded Elizabeth Beagle, by whom he had a family of nine children: Jacob, Isaac, Catharine, Mary, Sarah, Hannah, Rebecca, John, and one that died in infancy. All are now deceased except Isaac, who resides at Atglen. Peter Acker was a farmer by occupation, and passed all his life in Uwchlan township, near Lionville, where he died at an advanced age. He owned a large quantity of land, and his farm operations were extensive. Politically he was a whig, and a Lutheran in religious belief and church membership. John Acker (father) was a native of Uwchlan township, born on the old homestead in 1813, where he lived until his marriage, in 1833. He then removed to Schuylkill township, locating half a mile east of Williams Corner, where the subject of this sketch now resides. Here he passed the remainder of his days, dying in 1888, after an active life of three quarters of a century. His occupation was that of a farmer and stock raiser, and he became prosperous and well-to-do. In religion he adhered to the faith in which he had been reared, and was almost a life-long member of the Evangelical Lutheran church. Politically he was a whig and republican. In 1833 he married Susannah Sloanacker, a daughter of Jacob Sloanacker, of East Pikeland, and by this union had a family of two sons: Jacob S., who married Susannah Christman, and is now a prosperous farmer of Tredyffrin township; and Peter, whose name heads this sketch. Both are well known, useful and highly respected citizens of Chester county.

Notes

Deed M10-112, John and Mary Acker of Kentucky, 4/18/1888. Woodlot in Charlestown township of 6 acres 6 perches. The tract was purchased by Peter Acker in 1818 (of Uwchlan who died in 1854) who then sold it to John Acker senior, and was then inherited by John Acker junior.

The above deed suggests that John Acker of Kentucky was a third son of John Acker but the biography says there were only 2 sons and that seems to be confirmed by the deed history in the Joseph Barnes tract 12

Peter Acker of the above biography died in Schuylkill township in 1912.

References

1. Source: Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County Pennsylvania, by Samuel T. Wiley, Gresham Publishing Company, Philadelphia 1893. Found here at babel.hathitrust.org