A Biographical Sketch of Jacob Roop (1779-1858), Gunsmith*

Jacob Roop was born in Lancaster County (now known as Dauphin County), Pennsylvania in Paxton (or Paxtang) Township, August 20, 1779, the son of John and Maria (Poorman) Roop.1
He very likely apprenticed as a gunsmith in the late 1790s since in 1805 he is listed in tax lists for Swatara Township of Dauphin County as a gunsmith.2
He married Susannah Stroyer (variants: Stroer, Strayer) December 25, 1804, at Zion Lutheran Church, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.3 [Some sources have her mentioned as Sarah]. Susannah was born Feb. 26, 1787. They relocated about 1806, moving from Swatara Township (which was formed from Paxton Township), just south of Harrisburg, to a location near Halifax (on Armstrong Creek), just north of Harrisburg, in North Paxton Township, still remaining in Dauphin County.

Jacob and Susannah began having their family,
John Roop Feb. 12, 1806 - June 27, 1879.
Mary Roop May 3, 1809 - Feb. 16, 1885.
Christian Roop Aug. 18, 1811 - Feb. 16, 1897.
Jacob Roop Jr. circa 1813.
Susannah Roop March 10, 1815 - d.1898.
Lydia Roop 1819 - Feb. 24, 1849.
Jeremiah Roop Jan 10, 1822 - Nov. 15, 1888.

Jacob filed for a Bounty Land Warrant for his service in the War of 1812,4 and
although his service records have not been found, there is no reason to believe he fabricated his service. He stated that he was “drafted at Halifax . . . on or about the 1st day of August 1812 or 1813 (he thinks in the year 1813) and was marched from thence to Baltimore, Maryland and arrived there the next day after the Battle had been fought at that place.” He would have been serving in the Pennsylvania Militia (Capt. Dietrich’s Company) when they were called to service in the Defense of Baltimore. Even though they did not participate in the battle, having to march from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to Baltimore, Maryland, they did reinforce the defensive lines should the British renew the attack. This was when the British bombarded Fort McHenry in September 1814, when Francis Scott Key penned “The Star-Spangled Banner” upon witnessing the bombardment.

Jacob continued his gunsmith trade near Halifax, yet placed a classified ad in the May 30, 1815 issue of the Pennsylvania Republican5 [a Dauphin County newspaper], seeking to rent a boring mill. It is not known why he placed this ad: perhaps a temporary necessity, or possibly he refurbished a nearby mill in addition to operating his own?


To Rent

A BORING MILL, for boring and grinding gun and
rifle barrels, situated about one mile above Halifax,
Dauphin county; on Armstrong’s creek and near the
river Susquehanna. The mill is in good trim, having
new gears and grindstones all in complete order for
business. It will be rented for any term of years and
immediate possession given.
For terms apply to the subscriber in Halifax.
Jacob Roop
Halifax, May 29, 1815


Another classified ad, this one from the Saturday, October 16, 1819 issue of the Oracle of Dauphin newspaper [Dauphin County, Pennsylvania]:


30 DOLLARS
REWARD

Ran away from the subscriber, living in Halifax, Dauphin
county, on Sunday night the 10th of October instant, an
apprentice by indenture to the Gunsmith trade, who calls
himself
Benjamin F. Landis
about nineteen years of age, speaks good german and
english, he is about five feet eight inches high, well
proportioned, dark complexion, black hair and eyes; his
clothing consisted of a brown cloth roundabout and
pantaloons, a half worn fur hat, one black cloth jacket, one
new pair of coarse shoes, and one pair of white tow cloth
pantaloons. Whoever apprehends the above named apprentice,
and secures him in the Jail of Dauphin county, shall have the
above reward and all reasonable charges, by
Jacob Roop.
Halifax, October 16, 1819.


Around 1821, the family moved to Centre County, Pennsylvania6 near Bellefonte, on Spring Creek in Benner Township, settling in a little hamlet that Jacob named Roopsburg.7
Their other children, born in Centre County:
Elizabeth Roop circa 1825.
Josiah T. Roop circa 1828.

Jacob continued his gunsmith trade, also constructing a clover mill as well as a small brewery at Roopsburg, on Spring Creek in Benner Township, both of which continued in use for many years, even after Jacob’s departure from the area in the 1840’s.
At the second exhibition of the Agriculture Society of Centre County on Oct. 16-17, 1826, he won first place for his rifles.8
He also served as Justice of the Peace for Roopsburg and the surrounding area, listed in that capacity in the year 1823.9
In 1834, Jacob is listed as being taxed for land on which he operated his gunsmith trade, or “gun factory” as well as a sawmill.10

Roopsburg

Roopsburg was located in Benner Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania, alongside Spring Creek, and in the shadow of Bald Eagle Mountain. Jacob Roop settled there around 1821 with his family; he erected a mill and brewery, operating both until the 1840’s. The mill was also used for his gunsmith trade and very likely for milling grain and meal for the Centre County area, as his son, Christian, is listed in tax lists as a miller by occupation. His son, John, very likely continued operating the brewery for a number of years after the rest of the family moved west to Indiana, as he is listed as a farmer and brewer in tax lists during the 1850’s.10
As late as the 1890’s, Roopsburg was still shown on maps of Centre County and maps of Pennsylvania.11 In a city directory for Bellefonte, dated 190112, along with residents of Roopsburg, there is listed the Roopsburg Brewery, operated by the Haas family, and the Roopsburg Flour Mills, operated by the Wagner family. The following quote from a local book brings together a little history and an updated perspective.
“Roopsburg, an early settlement in Centre County, retains its identity today chiefly because the large red brick mill there still is known as “The Roopsburg Mill.” 13 Otherwise there is little to suggest the existence of a sizeable community in early times.
Located about two miles from Bellefonte on the Buffalo Run Valley highway, Roopsburg first came into historical prominence in 1795 when a forge-mill was erected by Daniel Turner on Spring Creek near what was to become the site of the village.
Jacob Roop gave the name to the hamlet about 1825 when he settled there to follow the gunsmith trade. In 1826 he built a clover-mill and small brewery, which subsequently were owned by Henry Brockerhoff. In 1857 he sold the brewery to Louis Haas.
In 1862 Henry Brockerhoff erected on Spring Creek near Roopsburg a three-story mill, which had a daily capacity of 75 barrels of flour. In recent years the mill was owned by Nathan H. Krauss of Bellefonte, who about 10 or so years ago sold it to Sam Nastase and Irvin Schlegel of Bellefonte. In the past decade, rooms in the mill have been used for such diversified activities as a church, meat market, farm market and storage.
Visible in the area today are traces of the brewery and the canal which carried water to power the mill from the “Horse Hole Dam” on Spring Creek.” 14
Today, (in 2001), there is an elementary school that is called the Roopsburg school and a road leading toward Bellefonte called Roopsburg Road.15

In the early 1840’s, Jacob moved to Tippecanoe County, Indiana, settling in Weaton (Granville) just west of Lafayette, on the Wabash River.16
In 1843, the “completion of the Ohio portion of the Wabash and Erie Canal opened up a through line from Lafayette to Toledo. It ushered in a brief heyday and Lafayette became a bustling port. The population had grown to about 2000, yet the general appearance had not greatly improved. Fewer stumps perhaps, more frame buildings, even several brick ones, but roaming cattle and hogs as usual, likewise dust and mud.”17
Jacob continued to practice the gunsmith trade in Tippecanoe County having a gunsmith shop, as well as operating the Jacob Roop Inn and a nursery of fruit trees.18 Susannah died in Weaton, Indiana on May 14, 1847, and is buried there. Jacob remarried, marrying Lydia Lucas, Apr. 9, 1848; then after Lydia died, he married Mary Van Blarigan Peters, widow of Jacob Peters; and following Mary’s death, he wed Sarah (who is mentioned in his will). Jacob died September 21, 1858, at the age of 79 years.19

______________________________________________________________________________________

* by David L. Roop 2402 Pennylane SE, Decatur AL 35601, dlroop@hotmail.com
1 Roop family papers of Pam Roop Kirkland and David L. Roop
2 see Dillin, Captain John G. W., The Kentucky Rifle, Ludlum and Beebe, New York, 1946; plate 33 and plate 124 show two of Jacob’s rifles [reprinted in the Longrifle Series by George Shumway Publisher, York, Pennsylvania, numerous editions.
Also: Tax Lists for Paxton, Swatara, and Halifax Townships, provided by George Shumway, publisher of early Pennsylvania history (including early Pennsylvania gunsmiths), after correspondence between Mr. Shumway and D. L. Roop in 1984. (A listing of tax list entries provided by Mr. Shumway was gathered by his son).
3 Weiser, Frederick S., Records of Pastoral Acts at Zion Lutheran Church, Harrisburg, Dauphin Co., PA 1795-1827, Pennsylvania German Society, 1987.
4 National Archives, War of 1812 Application for Bounty-Land Warrant, Jacob Roop,
The affidavit form Jacob filed in Tippecanoe County, Indiana may have been the result of an Act of Congress approved the 3rd of March 1855 with the principal change in this Act (as compared to previous Congressional Acts for the application for bounty-land warrants) being the reduction of service to 14 days of service or participation because he may have been unsure of his time in service but later felt that the change to 14 days would qualify him beyond question for any bounty-land being awarded. His file was rejected because the department found no record of his service under Captain Jacob Detrick of the Pennsylvania Militia.
In researching the records, I found a “muster roll of a company of infantry in the actual service of the United States commanded by Capt. Jacob Dietrich” in the Pennsylvania Archives 6th Series volume 8, pp. 950 - 959. Jacob Roop was not listed in the muster roll. In his affidavit he is off on the year, but is fairly close on the months as it does correspond with the events from August through November of 1814.

5 This classified ad from the Pennsylvania Republican and the following ad from the Oracle of Dauphin, were also provided by Mr. George Shumway.
6 Linn, John Blair, History of Centre and Clinton Counties, Pennsylvania, Louis H. Everts: Philadelphia, 1883 (reprint Centre County Historical Society, 1975), page 235. [also: Beers, J. H., Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, 1898, page 689]
7 Linn, page 258.
8 Linn, page 166.
9 Linn page 66.
10 Tax Records, Centre County Courthouse, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.

11 See, for example:
a) Walling, Henry F. and O. W. Gray, Historical Topographical Atlas of the State of Pennsylvania With Descriptions and County Histories with Maps of All Counties and Major Cities Historical, Scientific, and Statistical, Stedman, Brown & Lyon, Philadelphia, 1872 (reprint, The Bookmark, Knightstown, Indiana, 1977);
b) Pomeroy, A. & Co., Atlas of Centre County Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1874 (reprint, Centre County Historical Society, 1986);
c) Lesley, J. P. Geological Map of Centre County, Second Geological Survey of Pennsylvania, 1884.

12 Directory of Bellefonte, Pa., embracing directories of Axe Mann, Bush’s Addition . . . Roopsburg . . . : for the years 1901-02 . . . compiled by Alfred G. Wormser & Co., Harrisburg. Pa., Wormser, [1902?], Series: Pennsylvania history on microfilm.
13 Although known as The Roopsburg Mill, it is not the mill that Jacob Roop built, but rather the one that Henry Brockerhoff built in 1862.
14 Dubbs, Paul, Where To Go and Place Names of Centre County, State College and Boalsburg, PA, 1961.

15Conversation (s) with co-worker in 1998, 2000, whose family lived in Bellefonte/State College area of Centre County, Pennsylvania.
16 Papers of Charles W. Roop, Special Collections at the Tippecanoe County Historical Museum, Lafayette, Indiana; also, Biographical Record and Portrait Album of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, 1883.

17 Tippecanoe Tales, No.1, published by the Tippecanoe County Historical Association: Lafayette, Indiana, 1975.

18 Deed, Sep 24, 1845 between Atkins and Jacob Roop Inn;
Will, Sep 18, 1858, of Jacob Roop;
Inventory, Jan 11, 1859, of personal property of Jacob Roop;
Account, Feb 12, 1859, of sale of personal property of Jacob Roop;
Final Settlement, Mar 20, 1861, of estate of Jacob Roop;

19 Letter, dated Mar 10, 1970, from Charles W. Roop to the Tippecanoe County Historical Society [containing very much Roop family history]