Laubach
Variations – Labach, Laback, Lauback, Lobach

Written by Rich Henninger
Copyright 2004-2006

The story of our Laubach family in America begins with the arrival of the ship “Queen Elizabeth” in Philadelphia on September 16, 1738. The “Queen Elizabeth” sailed from Rotterdam and was captained by John Mirion or John Davies. There were 324 passengers on board and among them were Reinhart Laubach age 70, his son Johann Christian age 39, and Christian’s two sons. They were born in Strassburg, near the Rhine, Germany. There were numerous Laubach’s in Germany and Switzerland. Many worked in the iron industry and would find similar work in America. Soon after their arrival they settled in the area known today as Lower Saucon Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. Some Laubach’s would settle in neighboring Durham and Springfield Townships in Bucks County. They tended to have very large families and within a few generations Laubach’s would be living in nearly every community in northern Bucks County and Northampton County.

Johann Christian (c1699 – 1769) would make quite a name for himself commanding the Saucon Rangers. Christian and his Rangers, which included his son John George Laubach, saw frequent action from 1755 – 1760 defending settlers on the frontier from Indian attack. He would later return to his mill and farm in Lower Saucon where he was also a blacksmith. Christian’s name appears as one of the original inhabitants of Saucon to petition for its erection into a separate township. Their petition would eventually succeed and Lower and Upper Saucon Townships were formed about 1743.

Christian is a common ancestor to both my wife and I, being my wife’s 7^th and my 6^th great grandfather. From Reinhart Laubach our family lines are illustrated in the chart below followed by a brief biography of each line.

After Christian my line begins with Johann Frederick Laubach (1744- 1797) who was a farmer in Lower Saucon Township. He served in the Revolutionary War in the 1st Battalion Militia, 4th Company at the rank of Ensign. There is evidence he was acquainted with Robert Traill, another of my wife’s ancestors and one of Easton’s founding fathers and a brilliant lawyer. Frederick appears as a co-witness with Robert Traill on a will. Unfortunately Johann Frederick committed suicide by hanging. Church records described the incident as “he hung himself as a result of melancholy”. It is another of those mysteries that will never be solved. This man appeared to have so much going for him it is difficult to imagine what drove him to such a tragic end. Johann Frederick had a son also named Johann Frederick Laubach (1784 – 1851) who appears to have settled in Durham and operated a farm. Frederick had a daughter Christianna Laubach (1820 – 1876) who married a Kressman and there is where my Laubach line ends.

Following Christian Laubach my wife’s line begins with John George Laubach (1729 – 1802) who was a Blacksmith in Williams Township. He had a very large family. In addition to his service along side his father with the Saucon Rangers, his will abstract indicates he served in the Revolutionary War – 1st Battalion Militia, 1st Company, 3rd Class. His son was John Adam Laubach (1761 – 1828) who had a son John Laubach (1789 – 1870). This John would eventually settle in the city of Easton where in 1850 he was working as a Mason. He would also have a son named John Laubach (c1826 – 1904) who would reside in South Easton. He worked as an Engine Builder and Machinist possibly for the railroad or one of the many other industries along the Lehigh River corridor adjacent to South Easton. John’s son Alvin Edgar Laubach (1867 – 1925) lived in Easton and worked as a Trolley Conductor on the Bushkill route, which ran from Easton to Tatamy, much of the way following the Bushkill Creek. His grand daughter Marion Drake described to me her memories of riding on her grandfather’s trolley, which included good times had at Bushkill Park. Marion remembers him as being quite a large (heavy) man. I found this 1911 picture, which shows a scene from the route Alvin Edgar operated, if not his actual trolley car.

One of the most successful and widely known Laubach’s was William Laubach (1833 – 1914) founder of the Laubach’s Dry Goods store in Easton. He was a man of enormous drive and ambition. William was the grandson of John Adam Laubach shown in the chart above. William’s brother Stephen Laubach (1839 – 1921) was a noted physician in Easton. One of William’s other brothers, Owen, helped him run the store. In later years William’s sons would take over various executive positions in the company. For the complete story of Laubach's Store click here.

The Laubach’s store on Northampton St. in Easton about 1910

Sources for this article:
Marion Drake – Interviews with Marion Drake, my wife’s grandmother and Laubach descendant.
http://www.palproject.org/pa/1738qe.htm - List of passengers on board the “Queen Elizabeth” 16-SEP-1738
Early Pennsylvania Reformed Church and Cemetery Records, Author: Ruth Allen, Closson Press, 1992, p. 68
http://www.interment.net/data/us/pa/bucks/durham/durham.htm - cemetery transcripts for Durham
1850 census for Durham Township, Bucks County, PA – p. 240b
Various census data for Northampton and Bucks Counties in Pennsylvania from 1790 - 1920
History of Bucks County Pennsylvania, Author: W. W. H. Davis, 1876 and 1905 editions, p. 141-143
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~kdecker - Kelly’s Family Tree Page an excellent source for Laubach genealogy
http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/pa/northampton/davistoc.htm - online version of the book “History of Northampton County Illustrated 1877
http://www.familysearch.org/ - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
http://home.ptd.net/~nikki/1btnncrev.htm - Lists of Revolutionary War units

This article last edited on 9/18/2006

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