By Sharon Gothard
William Parsons, surveyor, shoemaker, librarian, and much more, was sent by the Penn family to lay out the town of Easton. This was in 1752, when the county of Northampton was newly formed from the already established county of Bucks.
Thomas Penn selected the area of what was to become Easton, and the county seat. He elected Parsons to lay out the town.
If you look closely at the draught that Parsons drew, you will see one large outcrop along the what is now known as the Bushkill Creek. The letter A states that this place would make a good graveyard. That outcrop of a hill below the letter A is what we now call Mt. Jefferson.
Peter Kachlein (1722 –
1789) was first to have this hill and had mills at the bottom of the mount. However, he
never obtained a formal deed from the Penn family for this hill and property.
After his death, he willed the land to his daughter Elizabeth, married to Peter Ihrie.
In honor of Thomas Jefferson becoming our third President, it was decided on January 1, 1801, to call the “hill that overhangs over the south side of the Bushkill”, MOUNT JEFFERSON. According to the American Eagle newspaper, many toasts were given and drank, accompanied by the discharge of a cannon up on this hill.
Since the Ihrie’s still made no formal right to the land, Frederick Beates from Philadelphia, formally purchased the hill from the Penn’s for $35. In 1804, the Ihries repurchased it for $200. Peter Ihries willed the land to his sons, Benjamin and Ferdinand after his death in 1827.
Over the years, there were many occasions to fire the cannon on Mt. Jefferson and Napoleon (Poly) Patier was the cannoneer. On the 1850 map of Easton in the Marx Room, there is a “Cannon House” on Mt. Jefferson, along with a “Negro Shanty” at the base of the hill, possibly to take care the burial ground of the Blacks adjacent to the German Reform Cemetery.
Another celebration, Easton’s militia went down the Delaware River in Durham boats to welcome General Lafayette on his visit in 1824. Music played, crowds cheered and cannons were fired from Mt. Jefferson to celebrate his arrival.
In 1853, Ferdinand Ihrie sold his half of Mt. Jefferson to his brother Benjamin.
“Some malicious scoundrel, in whose bosom the fire of patriotism has become extinct, if it ever burned at all, spiked the cannon on Mt. Jefferson, on Thursday night, which prevented the firing of a national salute on the 22d.” Easton Express February 23, 1856
In the Easton Argus, February 25, 1858, “Washington’s birthday was appropriately celebrated in our Borough by a military parade and cannon firing from Mt. Jefferson. “Young America” is not deficient in patriotism.”
A thirty-three guns salute was fired from Mt. Jefferson in honor of the admission of Oregon as a state on February 14, 1859.
When Jacob Dachrodt was mustered out of the First Pennsylvania Regiment on July 26, 1861, he and few other volunteers, returned to a “rousing reception in Easton.” Church bells rang and cannons were fired from Mt. Jefferson.
Firing of Cannon off Mt. Jefferson (possibly Poly)
Courtesy of Library Company of Philadelphia (Circa 1870)
In
1869, Benjamin Ihrie sold most of Mt. Jefferson to his relative, Stephen Van
Buren Kachline, an Easton lawyer. Approximately 1870, Kachline must have built
a home on Mt. Jefferson as it is listed on the 1874 Northampton County Atlas
Map by Beers. Interesting note, John D. Sigman who was related to the
Kachline’s on his mother side, had built a house on the “cliff” of Mt.
Jefferson overlooking North West St. and downtown Easton. There is nothing left
of this home, it was torn down @1966 after being vacant for too long a time.
In 1879 the property went up for Sheriff Sale. Annie Kachline, Stephen’s wife, bought it back for $2,625 and kept the title in her name until she sold it to Anna M. (Whitesell) Steckel for $7,000 in 1896. Anna was married to Henry Steckel, lawyer.
Courtesy from Miles Dechant circa late 1890’s
In the 1880 Federal Census, the Kachlines were living on “Mt. Jefferson.” By 1882, Stephen passed away. Annie and her family were still living at Mt. Jefferson in the 1890 Census Directory.
On the 1897 Sanborn Fire map, it has a house on the property and several other buildings on Mt. Jefferson. One of the buildings has Paper Box Factory. Talking to Miles Dechant, a descendant of the Kachline’s, Stephen Kachlines’ son, John Franklin had the Box Factory. In later census’s, he is listed as a paper box manufacturer living in Reading, PA.
Original entry home with larger home in the back ground – Courtesy of Miles Dechant Later renovations of entry house
In 1914, Anna Steckel, wife of Henry, died. The property was willed mainly to her husband.
Sometime between 1916 to 1918, Steckel made improvements to the property, by adding a double garage.
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| Courtesy of the Easton Patch |
Henry Steckel died in 1919 at the age of 90. In his will, Henry divided the Mt. Jefferson property into three pieces. His daughter Jennie, was given the main house and after her death, it was to go to Henry's grandson, Henry F. Steckel II. His son, Daniel, received "his present residence on North Fifth street". This house was given to Daniel and his wife as a wedding gift in 1912 and still remains at the entrance to the Mt. Jefferson property. Many people confuse this house with the original larger Kachline/Steckel house.
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Side view of entry house
Both photos courtesy of the Easton Patch
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Jennie Steckel and a companion, lived in the Steckel Main House until her death in 1927. It is thought that the main house was either torn down or had burned, around the 1930’s as it is definitely gone and does not appear on the 1957 Sanborn Fire Map.
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Today, Mount Jefferson is nothing but overgrowth, trees and remnants of where buildings and the home stood.
Daniel Steckel lived in the “entry house” until his death in 1923. His wife, Mabel (Marnie) Steckel lived in the house until she went to a retirement home in 1963 and passed away at the retirement home in 1972.
In 1962, Hugh Moore Jr. and his brother, Craig were given an option to purchase Mt. Jefferson. They sold their option the next year to Rocks Construction, Inc., who had plans to build 100 apartments on the hill. By 1972, the project was abandoned.
The property went through a few hands, with hopes of restoring the “entry house”. Today, although there is a smidgen of beauty to the once grand place, some neglect can be seen.
There are still many mysteries to the hill known as Bushkill Hill or Mount Jefferson.
Many thanks to Richard Hope and his fabulous Walking Easton database. If you are looking for a more detailed report of what Hope put together, it can be found in the Marx Room.
Special thanks to William Grant, Frederick Bond and Miles Dechant.
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