ISAAC LAUBACH-MASTER STONE MASON
Isaac Laubach was the ninth of ten children of Adam and Elisabeth Berger Laubach. They had nine sons. Isaac was baptized on April 27, 1806 in Williams Twp. in the Old Williams Congregation Church (St. Luke's Lutheran Church). He was confirmed on November 2, 1821 in the Old Lower Saucon Twp. Church (United Church of Christ), in Lower Saucon Twp., PA. He was eighteen years old when he married Elizabeth Kiefer, the daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth Kiefer. They were married on July 27, 1824 at the First Reformed Church of Easton (First United Church of Christ). Elizabeth Kiefer Laubach was a daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth Brotzman Kiefer, Jr. Andrew Kiefer, Jr. was the son and only child of Sgt. Andrew Kiefer, Sr. Andrew Kiefer, Sr. was killed at the Battle of Long Island (Battle of Brooklyn, August 27, 1776, Revolutionary War).
In 1830, Isaac Laubach purchased the first building lot in Riegelsville, Bucks County, Pa. for $50 from Benjamin "The Miller" Riegel (1792-1860). He built a stone house there in 1834 with the inscription above the doorway I.L.1834. It was the first house built in Riegelsville, Pa. In 1838, he built the Riegelsville Inn for another Benjamin Riegel; Benjamin "The Farmer" Riegel (1777-1848). Benjamin "The Miller" Riegel was the nephew of Benjamin "The Miller" Riegel. Riegelsville, Pa. and Riegelsville, N.J. are both named in honor of Benjamin "The Miller" Riegel.
Like his father before him, Isaac Laubach was a master stone mason. After the death of his first wife he sold the Riegelsville home for $650 to Samuel Fox from Durham Twp., Bucks County, PA. He moved his family to Finesville, Warren County, NJ. where he built another stone home along the Musconetcong River. He built numerous stone houses in and around the Finesville area.
The second wife of Isaac Laubach was Susanna Kiefer. She was the younger sister of his first wife. Isaac Laubach died of consumption (tuberculosis) on July 14, 1873. He was 67 years old. His tombstone is located near the center of the eastern wall of the Finesville Union Cemetery in Finesville, Pohatcong, Twp., Warren County, NJ; He is buried next to his good friend and neighbor John Fine.
George Laubach, his grandfather and Adam Laubach, his father, were veterans of the American Revolution. Isaac S. Laubach, his son, was a Civil War veteran. His great-grandfather, Christian Laubach, Captain of the Saucon Rangers, served during the French and Indian Wars in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. George Laubach, his grandfather, was also a Saucon Ranger. Reinhart Laubach, his great-great grandfather, was a Sergeant in the Ysenburg Regiment near his home in Budingen, Germany. Reinhart was a veteran of the War of Spanish Succession. He died in America in Lower Saucon, Northampton County, in 1739. Frank Y. Laubach, his great-grandson, was a World War I veteran. Earl Richard "Dick" Laubach, his great-great grandson, was a World War II veteran.

THE LAUBACH FAMILY— This large and honorable family claims as its common ancestor Christian Laubach, who, together with his wife, children and his father, REINHART LAUBACH, aged seventy years, landed at Philadelphia, September 16, 1738. Along in the same ship came Andreas Lerch and his three sons, Peter, Anton and Gratius. It is said that they were friends before departing for America; at least, they settled on adjoining tracts on Laubach's Creek in Saucon Township, Northampton County. Soon after their arrival in 1745, Christian Laubach erected a saw and grist-mill and added five adjoining tracts of land to the original homestead, some of which are still in possession of his descendants. He was a blacksmith by trade. The records of the Durham furnace show that he had many castings made there, especially iron pots and kettles. Christian Laubach had been trained as a soldier in the German army. On August 29, 1755, he was appointed captain of the Saucon Rangers, and was stationed at various times during the two following years at Rose Inn, Nazareth, Christian Springs, Gnadenthal Mill, and at the various blockhouses along the Blue Mountains. A letter, read at the centenary of the Nazareth Inn, June 9, 1871, contains this reference to him: In this way, during the winter of 1755 and 1756, did the Rose exchange its character of an inn for that of a city of refuge. But it was also for a military post, and suffered from military occupation. This occupation fell in the interval between the 26th of November, 1755, and the 20th of February, 1756; and some of its incidents are the following: In the evening of the aforesaid 26th of November, a company of Saucon Rangers, in command of Captain Christian Laubach, halted at the inn and bivouacked for the night. Having scoured the neighboring woods the next day, on receiving intelligence of the enemy's presence in the gap of the mountain (Wind Gap, PA), they broke camp at dusk, and when the moon had risen, set out in pursuit. Meanwhile two detachments of mounted men had arrived. These failed to recog-nize any necessity for their presence, and having dined, departed. His son, John George Laubach, was a member of the company. The younger sons remained at home, conducting the farm, mills and the blacksmith shop. Christian Laubach was born in Germany in 1699, and died on his homestead November 29, 1768; his wife, Susanna Catharine, was born in 1705, and died March 12, 1770. They lie buried at the Lower Saucon Church, Northampton County. His will bears the date, March 4, 1768. in which he says: "I bequeath unto my wife, Susanna Catharine, such household goods as she may desire, also the sum of six pounds sterling money annually; the annual interest of 150 pounds, and a yearly allowance of 10 bushels of wheat, 5 bushels of rye," unto his son, John George, he bequeathed the sum of 50 pounds; to his daughter, Elizabeth, 30 pounds; to his sons, Conrad and Frederick, all those messuages and tenements consisting of a grist-mill, saw-mill (situated on Laubach's Creek), plantation, and five tracts of land, containing 215 acres, granted to him by a proprietary patent, bearing date, April 28, 1762, but subject to payments of certain sums of money, to wit: To his son, John George, 70 pounds ; to his son, Peter, 70 pounds. After the death of his wife the rest and residue of his effects were to be divided in equal shares amongst his five sons. CHRISTIAN LAUBACH was the father of six children: I. JOHN GEORGE LAUBACH, born in the fatherland, November 11, 1729, and died October 19, 1802. He was a farmer. He was married to Margaretha Jansen. They had issue: i. Susanna, born November 27, 1756, died 1837; was married to Valentine Miller; ii. John Michael, born November 28, 1759, died 1800; was married to Elizabeth Weitknecht, and had eight children, iii. ADAM LAUBACH, born April 25, 1760, died February 25, 1828; was married to Elisabeth Berger, and had ten children, iv. John Christian, born June 30, 1762, died July 8, 1823; was married to Anna Mary Fritchey, and died at Danville, Pennsylvania. leaving twelve children, v. Anna Maria, born October 21, 1764; was married to John Jacoby, and had seven children, vi. John, born December 23, 1766, died 1830; removed to Fishing Creek, Columbia County, vii. John Conrad, born March 3. 1768; was the father of three children: Catherine, Pamelia and Mary. viii. Anna Margareth, born January 19, 1770, died March 29, 1856; was married to Dr. Peter Saylor, and had seven children, ix. Catharine, born February 26, 1772, died March 22, 1837; was married to Jacob Best, x. John George, born March 3, 1774, died January 3, 1863; was married to Elizabeth Riehl, and had nine children, xi. Walburg, born February, 1776, died in infancy, xii. Elisabeth, born April 10, 1779. died in infancy.
SOURCE: HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA, VOLUME II, BIOGRAPHICAL, WILLIAM J. HELLER, 1920.

TERRY T
July 2011