Boldface, numerical superscripts, and [lineages] were added by me to help follow the generations.  Andrew¹ is the 1742 immigrant.

JACOB⁴ STRAUB [Joseph³, Andrew², Andrew¹], a venerable resident of East Chillisquaque township, Northumberland county, has spent his life in that section with the exception of the three years he was in the West, and there is no more respected citizen in the district.  Born Oct. 19, 1826, in what was then known as Chillisquaque township, he is a grandson of Andrew² Straub, the founder of what is now the prosperous borough of Milton.

Andrew² Straub's father [Andrew¹] was born along the southern border of Germany, and as his parents desired him to become a priest he attended the Catholic schools of that country until he reached young manhood.  However, he did not complete his preparation for the church, but coming to America became a land owner and farmer, settling at Columbia, Lancaster Co., Pa., where he took up land, cleared it and followed farming to the end of his days.  He was a good neighbor and true friend and was on very friendly terms with the Wright brothers, the founders of Columbia and Wrightsville.  He married after his arrival in this country, and his children were: Andrew²; Valentine², who settled along the Tulpehocken creek in Berks county, Pa.; Mrs. Hougendobler; and Mrs. Merkle.

Andrew² Straub, son of the emigrant, was born Feb. 14, 1748, on his father's farm just back of the town of Columbia, in what is now Lancaster county.  When a boy he was bound out to one Mr. Bashore, near Columbia, to learn the trade of mill wright, but he remained with him only four weeks, his master making him work at the trade during the daytime and split rails at night.  This was too hard for the youth, so he returned home, and the Wrights gave him employment in the same line in which, being a natural mechanic, he soon became expert.  Before the Revolutionary war Mr. Wright asked young Straub if he thought he could come up along the river to build a mill for the soldiers at Fort Augusta, and he agreed to do it.  Making the trip to Sunbury by team, he came up the river above Northumberland to the Chillisquaque creek, where he erected the first mill; the iron for which was poled up the river from Columbia in a canoe.  He then built a mill on the White Deer creek, in what is now Union county.  Returning to Columbia he enlisted in the Continental troops for service in the Revolution, but when the conflict was over his mind again turned to the new country in which he had worked and in April, 1784, he returned to this section, locating at what is now Milton, and engaging in work at his trade, going, back to his former home, however, in the spring of the following year.  On May 1, 1787, he married Mary Eveline Walter, and in 1790 took up his residence at Milton, where he built a log house on the lot now occupied by the Milton National Bank.  Two years later he built a house near what is now the intersection of Center and Filbert streets and removed thither with his family. He obtained a large tract of land, and in 1795 had completed a residence upon the eastern part of his farm, at or near the corner of Center street and Turbut avenue, where he resided until his death, Aug. 2, 1806.  One Christian Yentzer was originally associated with him in planning what is now the borough of Milton, but he bought Mr. Yentser's interests in 1791 and laid out the town in 1792.  An enterprising, farsighted and public-spirited man, his activity in promoting the interests of the new town was effective, and his name will ever be associated with its growth along the most beneficial lines.  He made donations of ground for church and school use, established mills, encouraged local business and manufacturing enterprises, and lived to see Milton prosper, one of the most thriving towns in the valley of the West branch.  He was kind to the poor, and a liberal supporter of every cause which was good and just, and no one citizen of the community has probably done as much as he did to place its fortunes upon a substantial basis.  His children were as follows:  Joseph³; Andrew³; Susanna³, Mrs. Rhoads; Esther³, Mrs. Lawrence; Rachel³, Mrs. Jodon; Mary³, Mrs. Smith; Abraham³ and Isaac³, twins, born Dec. 9, 1794; Christian; and three who died young.

Abraham³ Straub, born in Milton, learned the tanning trade and followed the business until 1824, when he sold out and became associated with his twin brother in what was known as the Birchwood Mills, on the island opposite Milton.  There they were engaged in milling and lumbering for many years.  They invented and introduced into their mill the first reaction water wheel probably ever used in the State.  They also had a railroad track to their mill and yard.  In 1832 and 1833 they erected the first bridges over the West branch of the Susquehanna at Milton, carried away by the flood of March 17, 1865.  In 1834 

Christian³ Straub, ninth child of Andrew², taught school and was a merchant in Schuylkill county, served as sheriff of that county, and was elected to represent his district in the State Legislature and in Congress.  He died before the expiration of his term as Congressman, and is buried at Washington, D.C., in the Congressional burying ground. [See transcriber's notes.]

Joseph³ Straub, son of Andrew², was born Feb. 10, 1793, at Milton, and in his early life followed tanning and distilling.  He owned considerable land in what is now Chillisquaque township, and followed farming until his death.  Like his father, he is buried in the Harmony cemetery at Milton.  His first wife, Elizabeth (Follmer), daughter of Henry and Susanna (Stahl) Follmer, was the mother of these children: Susanna⁴, who died unmarried; Mary⁴, widow of Reuben Follmer, residing in Milton; and Jacob⁴.  To his second marriage, with Mrs. Maria (Bright) Orwig, widow of Dr.  Orwig, were born the following children:  Franklin⁴ died in Ohio; Joseph⁴ served in the Civil war; John⁴ was killed at the battle of Gettysburg; Charles⁴ died young, of smallpox; Barbara⁴ married Dr. Koenig; Kate⁴ married William Moyer.

Jacob⁴ Straub [Joseph³, Andrew², Andrew¹], or, as he is familiarly known among his large circle of relations and friends, "Uncle Jake," received such education as the pay schools of the home district afforded.  He learned the trade of stonemason, which he followed only a comparatively short time, however.  In 1864 he went out to Nebraska where he remained for three years living among the Indians still numerous in that region and following farming.  At the end of that time he returned to the homestead where he had been brought up, and bought fifty-three acres of the old farm, upon which he built his present home in 1869.  He followed farming and trucking here for forty years, retiring in 1907, since when his son has conducted the farm.  Mr. Straub is intelligent, and having a good memory has become well informed, through reading, of which he is fond.  He is an entertaining conversationalist, and though in his eighty-fifth year continues to take the deepest interest in all that concerns the community with which he has so long been identified.  He has two heirlooms which he values highly, a grandfather clock that was made in the year 1786 and has been in the family for one hundred years, and an old secretary which was made in Milton in 1821, all the work done by hand.

On April 19, 1864, Mr. Straub married Araminta Agnes Schlebby, who was born April 21, 1836, and died April 30, 1904.  She is buried at Milton.  Two children were born to this union:  Kate and John L.  The daughter, born Aug. 22, 1872, now keeps house for her father.  Mr. Straub is a Republican in political preference.

The author makes the same mistake made by Egle (1898), whom he appears to have used as a reference.  Christian STRAUB did not die while serving his term in Congress.  He was elected to a term in the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1856-1858, after he had served his full term in the U.S. Congress, from 1853-55.  According to his congressional biography, he was buried in Pottsville, Schuylkill Co., PA, not in the congressional burying ground.  He did die in Washington, DC, which may have given rise to this myth of his having died during his term in Congress and to his being buried there. 

Family Group Sheet of Joseph HOUGENDOBLER & Maria Eva STRAUB

Family Group Sheet of Christian MARKLE & Anna Maria STRAUB

Family Group Sheet of Joseph RHOADS & Susanna STRAUB

Family Group Sheet of Abraham STRAUB & Nancy BAILIET

Family Group Sheet of Andreas STRAUB & Anna Catharina SPRINGER

[note to myself -- seven other FGSs link to this page]