Wilhelm BLUM

                   Clearfield Progress 22 Jan 1925, pg 1
Rotarians Hear Early County History From Historian T.L. Wall
Thomas Lincoln Wall, of Grampian, who as taken upon his shoulders the burden of writing a history of Clearfield county, following a bent toward which he has been inclined for many years, was the guest of the Club and speaker of the evening at last nights meeting of the Clearfield Rotary Club.  Mr. Wall has already gathered much that is interesting regarding the early history of our county and detailed a number of interesting happenings of the early days in this region.  He is a stickler for accuracy, wherein much of our early lore is sadly lacking.

In telling of the coming to this county in 1800 of William Bloom, the first of that large family in this section, Mr. Wall receited some of the hardships of real pioneering.  William Bloom was accompanies to what is now Curwensville by his son Benjamin and daughter Elizabeth then children of teen age.  They built themselves a log cabin and in the fall, the father returned to Nittany in Centre county for the remainder . . .  (continued on page 2) . . . of his family, whom he left at the old home.  The two children were left alone at the cabin in the wilderness, their nearest neighbor, an uncle Paul Clover, residing some half mile distant through the timber.  For some reason or other the father was delayed in his return and forced to remain at the Centre county home all winter.  There was a scanty food supply left with the children, principal of which was a stock of turnips the Blooms had raised in their meager clearing about the camp.  Benjamin Bloom and his sister lived all winter on that turnip diet.  Four feet of snow covered the ground from early fall until late spring and when even the turnips failed them the sturdy youngsters clambered through the snow to the Clover cabin and managed to secure a little corn bread to tide them over until their family arrived in the spring or summer.  Elizabeth Blom married Matthew Ogden in 1802 and came to Clearfield to live and became the mother of seventeen children, theirs being the first marriage of Clearfield county people.  It has long been told that Squire Arthur Bell performed this wedding ceremony, but historian Wall says Arthur Bell was not commissioned a Justice of the Peace until four years after that marriage in 1806.  He said the old marriage certificate is preserved in the Ogden family and shows the marriage ceremony to have been performed at Philipsburg by Charles Trcziyulny the civil engineer, who made an early survey of this region and who was also a Justice of the Peace.

At this point the article goes on to discuss other Rotary meeting business.
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Following information from a book titled, "Some Genealogies and Family Records"  by Albert Y. Straw, pg 150-151

"William Bloom, Sr., was born in Germany February 26, 1752.  Married Mary Metler, April 2, 1778. She was born April 10, 1754.  William Bloom, Sr. serve six years in the Revolutionary War under General Washington.  Side by side with Robert Askey.  Mostly in General Wagner's Brigade from New Jersey.  (See New Jersey archives for his record).  They were married in New Jersey where the following children were born:  Issac, born August 10, 1780, deid 1859, married Sarah Apgar; Anna, born October 31, 1778, married Thomas Price; William born April 17, 1782, died August 12, 1871, married Mary Roll; Elizabeth, born August 22, 1784, died 1875, married Matthew Ogden; John, born January 25, 1786, died 1872, married Susannah High; Benjamin, born December 31, 1790, died August 13, 1878, married Sallie McClure; Mary, born December 25, 1792, died May 17 1877, married Matt Caldwell; Abraham, born April 10, 1795, died September 23, 1874 married Margary Caldwell; Sallie, born June 30, 1796, married Richard Rowels; Peter, born February 7, 1789, died March 27, 1840, married Pollly McElhatten; James, born February 28, 1798, died September 18, 1866, married Polly Passmore, born March 9, 1802."

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Family Bible and Clearfield County Pa Records b. also listed as Rheinpflaz, Germany, probably born in region of Dierdorf in Rhine Valley, Wurtenburg, Germany
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See Rupp 30,000 Names pp 217-2 John Peter Blom and John Peter Blom (son)
Name on tax list of Potter Twp Centre Co 1801
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Served six years in Rev War under General George Washington.  Mostly in General Wagner's (of NJ) Brigade.  Wounded on cheek by British bullet served with Robert Askey.   Family Tradition - served as personal bodyguard to Gen. Washington.  Came to USA 1752 on the ship Two Brothers and settled in Hunterdon NJ.  The ship sailed from Rotterdam in 1785. Came to Potter Twp Center Co (Then Cumberland Co) Pa (Penns Valley) 1801 to Clearfield Co.   Driven out of Europe by French Devastation from the Seven Years War and related conflicts (See Book by Chambers, Early Germans of New Jersey). Came to America when 7 months old, confirmed 19 May 1771 German Reformed Church of Alexandria, marriage date may different month April.   Fought at the Revolutionary Battle of Manmouth. Moved from Penns Valley settled on bottomland above Anderson Creek in 1801 (Clearfield, Pa) came with 4 sons 1 daughter.  In fall returned to Penns Valley for rest of family

Source: Parish Registry of the German Reformed Church,
       Alexandria, "The Jerseyman" June 1897, pg 46

Died: May 4, 1828, Pike Twp, Clearfield, Pennsylvania.  He is buried in McClure Cemetery, Curwensville, Clearfield, Pennsylvania.  He is listed on the Mifflin, PA 1790 Census.  He was baptized on May 19, 1771 in the German Reformed Church, Alexandria, Hunterdon, New Jersey.  In 1783, he resided in Old Fort, Potter Twp, Cumberland, Pa, which is now Centre County, Pa.  In 1798 he went to Clearfield County (Source: Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, 1898, Vol 1, pg. 753.  He served 6 years under General Washington in Rev War in General Wagners Brigade (Source: Commemorative Biographical Record...) In "History of Clearfield Co., Pennsylvania with Illustrations, 1887", pg. 631 it was is stated:  The Blooms, as a class, are worthy citizens; almost all farmers, and are the largest family in Clearfield County. William Bloom, Sr., was born in Germany, and emigrated to this county at an uncertain time, reaching Clearfield county in 1801. Previous to this he had been in the State of New Jersey, also in Penn's Valley, Centre County, Pa.  During the Revolutionary War he served for some time in the ranks, but we have no means of ascertaining the length of time. He was born on February 26, 1752, and married Mary Mettler on April 2, 1778, who was born April 10, 1754. The pioneer Bloom came to Clearfield County alone, and settled on what is now known as the "Irvin farm," one mile up the river from Curwensville. Here he proceeded to make a clearing and succeeded in getting out a five-acre field of wheat and a few turnips, preparatory to bringing his family to the scene of operations. Little did he imagine that the name he was then striving so hard to maintain was destined to become the most common one in a rich and populous county 60,000 inhabitants. In all eleven children were born of this union - seven boys, and four girls, as follows: Annie, born October 31, 1779; Isaac, born August 8, 1780; William, born April 17, 1782; Elizabeth, born August 22, 1784; John, born January 25, 1786; Peter, born February 7, 1789; Benjamin, born December 31, 1790; Mary, born September 25, 1792; Abraham, born April 10, 1795; Sally, ____; James, born February 28, 1798.  Pike Township is the stronghold of the Blooms. Probably two-thirds of the family are located here."

IBID, pg. 428-429
"This township was named 'Bloom' in honor of one of the pioneer families of the county that has been, perhaps, more prolific than any other in the county, the descendants of William Bloom being counted by the hundreds, and being now scattered through several of the townships of the county.  Bloom Township was erected upon the petition of divers inhabitants then residents of the several townships of Penn, Pike, Brady and Union. This petition was presented to the Quarter Sessions Court held in the month of August, 1857, and by an order then made John L. Cuttle, Ellis Irwin and James T. Leonard were appointed commissioners to view the premises and make the division necessary for the new erection....  In the month of October following this order was made: 'The court orders a vote of the qualified electors of the township from which the largest number of taxables to be embraced in the proposed new township residing...  The formation of the new township was completed by the following order of the court: 'And now on the 14th day of January, 1860, the new township is erected to be called 'Bloom'; the public house of James Bloom is designated as the place at which elections shall be held.'...The various offices of the township were filled at the first election, as follows: ...; constable, James Bloom; ...inspectors, ... and Gainor Bloom; ... overseers, James Bloom and ...;)

(Rich Houghton (genforum.genealogy.com/bloom/messages/143.html) submitted the following:  There is a strong family tradition that William served in the Revolutionary War. The statement appears several times in the local histories of Clearfield County. One statement runs something like this. "One day when he was plowing, two men from the army came to where he was at work and told him the British soldiers were near and that his services were needed. He said, "I will go. We will first go to the house and get something to eat. He put his team in the barn, went with the men to the house and told his wife what was expected of him. She said, "How will I manage while you are away?" His reply was for her to get a neighbor to look after things during his absence.   William was a large man and wore a full beard of dark color. A spot on one cheek was white where it was alleged to have been grazed by a British bullet during his military service.   After the war, William returned to Hunterdon County, NJ where he remained until 1785. In that year, he and his family migrated by ox team first to Penn's Valley in Mifflin (now Centre) County Pennsylvania, where he settled in Potter Township. He is listed in that county in the 1790 and 1800 U.S. census, and on Potter Township tax list in 1792. The 1790 census shows a family of one male over sixteen, four males under sixteen and three females - this is probably William, Maria and their first six children.   Around 1800, or perhaps a year of two earlier, he moved to join a former neighbor from Hunterdon County, NJ, Paul Clover, who had moved to Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, around 1797 and where Paul was the first settler; Clover was married to Nancy Mettler, William's sister-in-law. There William settle on a tract along the Susquehanna about three-quarters of a mile from the mouth of the Anderson Creek near the "Old Red House" on what was called, in 1949, the Bailor Farm. He brought five of his older children - four of his sons and his daughter Elizabeth - with him to build a cabin and clear some land in preparation for the coming of the remainder of the family from Potter Township in the Spring of 1802. They planted corn, potatoes and turnips and erected but did not finish a small house; the door was made from bearskin.  In the fall of 1801, William returned to Penn's Valley with his sons Isaac and William to fetch the rest of the family. That left Elizabeth (age seventeen), John (age fifteen), and Benjamin (age eleven) to take care of the homestead until he returned. For some reason that is now unclear, he was prevented from returning until the spring, leaving his three children to fend for themselves during an unusually bitter winter. John was fond of adventure, and spent most of his time hunting with the Indians. However, by February, their stock of provisions was almost depleted. For two weeks during which John was hunting, the other two children were without bread and survived by eating turnips "raw, cooked and roasted".  When John returned, Elizabeth instructed him to go over the mountain to a mill to get some ground corn. He started off, but on the way met up again with his Indian friends and, not realizing the danger of starvation that his siblings faced, proceeded to join them on yet another hunting expedition. During his protracted absence, the snow fell to a depth greater than four feet and Elizabeth and Benjamin "were reduced to the greatest straits for the want of food." As a result, Elizabeth, "being a girl of determined character and indomitable energy", decided that they should shovel a path to their Uncle Paul Clover's house. While it was only a distance of three-fourths of a mile between the two houses, it took them two days to reach the Clover's place.  Although the Clover family was not in much better shape, he gave the Bloom children all of the bread there was in the house at the time, which was an Indian cake " not much larger than a four-penny load". They returned home with it, and made it last almost two weeks, at which time John returned with fresh game. They pa
ssed the rest of the winter like this in the half-completed house.   When William and the rest of the family returned, it became apparent that he had no clear title to the land upon which he had settled and was ordered to move off it. A law suit developed, and a compromise eventually reached under which he moved to a new area in Pike Township, south of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, latter called Bloomington in his honor. He is listed in the December 1806 list of taxable of Chinklacamoose Township (encompassing all of Clearfield County at the time), and in the first assessment of Pike Township in 1814.

William died on Sunday, 4 May 1828, in Pike Township. He was buried next to his wife. His tombstone reads:
      Wm BLOOM Sen,  Died,  May 4 1828,  Aged  76 years 2 mo and 8 ds )

This individual was found on GenCircles at: http://www.gencircles.com/users/khanneman/1/data/91
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Aldrich History, Chapter 48:
The Blooms, as a class, are worthy citizens; almost all farmers, and are the largest family in Clearfield county. William Bloom, Sr., was born in Germany, and emigrated to this country at an uncertain time, reaching Clearfield county in 1801. Previous to this he had been in the State of New Jersey, also in Penn's Valley, Centre county, Pennsylvania. During the Revolutionary War he served for some time in the ranks, but we have no means of ascertaining the length of time. He was born on February 26, 1752, and married Mary Metter on April 2, 1778, who was born April 10, 1754. The pioneer Bloom came to Clearfield county alone, and settled on what is now known as the "Irvin farm," one mile up the river from Curwensville. Here he proceeded to make a clearing and succeeded in getting out a five-acre field of wheat and a few turnips, preparatory to bringing his family to the scene of operations. Little did he imagine that the name he was then striving so hard to maintain was destined to become the most common one in a rich and populous county of 60,000 inhabitants. In all eleven children were born of this union-seven boys, and four girls, as follows: Annie, born October 31, 1779; Isaac, born August 8, 1780; William, born April 17, 1782; Elizabeth, born August 22, 1784; John, born January 25, 1786; Peter, born February 7, 1789; Benjamin, born December 31, 1790; Mary, born September 25, 1792; Abraham, born April 10, 1795; Sally, _____; James, born February 28, 1798.