Ephraim R. Hartman, father of Sydney J. Hartman and son of Valentine Hartman, was born July 7, 1848, in Alsace township, where he lived until he attained his majority, working on the family homestead. In 1873 he began farming for himself in Alsace township on the Pricetown road, continuing there for five years. He then removed to the homestead, where he remained until 1891, at which date he settled at Friedensburg to engage in a general merchandise business, but after nineteen months he sold his interests to H.R. Yerger, the present proprietor of the store. Mr. Hartman then retired, and now resides at Friedensburg in a handsome, large stone residence, which was once known as the Benneville Glase house. In addition to his home, Mr. Hartman owns a valuable farm of 151 acres in Alsace township, the Hartman homestead; the foundry and machine shops at Fleetwood, formerly known as the Schaeffer & Merkel foundry, now occupied by the Reading Metal Body Company, a successful corporation employing 120 men. He is also the owner of No. 837 Penn street, on which property is located "Leithams Hotel." It has a frontage of 30 feet 9 inches, and being in the very center of business part of the city, is very valuable. In addition to his other interests Mr. Hartman was one of the organizers of the First National Bank of Oley incorporated in 1907, of which he is now director. He is also a director of the Oley Knitting Mills where thirty people are employed. During the civil War a very valuable iron ore mine was worked, 4,000 tons of ore having been taken from the mine which is located on the Hartman homestead. In all of his business enterprises Mr. Hartman has been very successful, and he has not only won prosperity, but also the confidence and esteem of his associates for his honorable methods and unflinching integrity of purpose. In religious affiliations Mr. Hartman and his family are members of the Reformed denomination of Spiess church. In 1872 Mr. Hartman married Amanda Gass, daughter of Jacob Gass, of Muhlenberg township, and these children were born to them: Sydney J.; Esther m. Jabez Hartman, of Lehigh county, Pa., now a grocer of Reading; Warren G. is cashier of the First National Bank, at Fleetwood, Pa.; Valentine is a student of Franklin and Marshall College; and six died young.

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