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Eli H. Free was born in 1825, in York Co., Penn., and is the eldest of eleven children of
Adam and Mary (Hake) Free, natives of York County, and of German descent, respectively,
and both deceased. The father was a carpenter, but at the age of twenty-five years, began
farming and running a distillery, which he followed until his death in 1854. Eli H. was
brought up a farmer, received a good education, and taught school for two terms, when the
free school system was first introduced. In 1847 he married Mary Krafft, who died in 1865.
They had six children: Oliver, Mary, Emma, Amanda, Sarah, Ida. In 1863, when the rebels
came to York, Penn., they passed his residence, then in Manchester Township, and took one
of his best horses. In the spring of 1863 he moved to York, Penn., and established a
hotel, now known as the Pennsylvania House. He remained there six years, when he sold the
hotel, and moved to his present farm, located in Newberry Township, which contains 112
acres of lan!
d in a high state of cultivation, and finely situated. Mr. Free’s second marriage was, in
1868, to Catherine Cassel. They have had three children: Clara E., Louisa and Daniel H.
(deceased). Mr. and Mrs. Free belong to the Lutheran Church. He is a member of the I. O.
R. M. Lodge 37, of York, Penn. In politics he is a Republican. He was a member of the
school board in Manchester Township, and is a member of the board where he now resides. He
served as justice of the peace in Manchester for five years, receiving his commission from
Gov. William F. Johnson. He also enrolled Manchester Township in the fall of 1861, for the
draft.
Taken from the book, “History of York County, Illustrated 1886” by John Gibson, Historical
Editor