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 1844 - 1901 (57 years)
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| Name |
SPANG, George Henry |
| Born |
1844 |
| Gender |
Male |
| Died |
1901 |
| Person ID |
I62 |
Hans Georg Spang |
| Last Modified |
2 Aug 2015 |
| Father |
SPANG, George A, b. Abt 1808, d. 1863, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania  (Age ~ 55 years) |
| Relationship |
Natural |
| Mother |
FISHER, Leah, b. Abt 1810, d. 1861, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania (Age ~ 51 years) |
| Relationship |
Natural |
| Married |
07 Aug 1831 |
Trinity Tulpenhoken Church, Jackson Twp, Lebanon Co., PA [1] |
| Family ID |
F44 |
Group Sheet |
| Family |
FOCHT, Emma L. |
| Married |
15 Dec 1872 |
Lebanon Co., Pennsylvania [2] |
| Notes |
- Lebanon Daily News - January 8, 1873
Married
SPANG -FOCHT - On the 15th of December, at the residence of the bride's parents, by the Rev. B. W. Schmauk, Mr. Geo. H. Spang to Miss Emma D. Focht, both of this place.
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| Children |
| | 1. SPANG, George Theodore, b. 14 Jan 1874, Lebanon, Pennsylvania , d. 1953 (Age 78 years) |
| | 2. SPANG, Amelia, b. Abt 1875, d. 1949 (Age ~ 74 years) |
| | 3. SPANG, Robert, b. 1878, d. 1878 (Age 0 years) |
| | 4. SPANG, Leah, b. 1885, d. 1924 (Age 39 years) |
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| Last Modified |
2 Aug 2015 |
| Family ID |
F46 |
Group Sheet |
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| Notes |
- BIOGRAPHICAL ANNALS OF LEBANON COUNTY. pg.307
GEORGE H. SPANG (deceased). In the death of George H. Spang,
on September 21, 1901. the city of Lebanon lost one of her most substantial,
influential and highlv valued citizens.
George H. Spang was born January 8, 1844, in North Lebanon township,
Lebanon county, son of George A. and Leah (Fisher) Spang, the
former of whom was a son of Michael Spang. For many years Michael
Spang kept the "Spang Hotel," which still stands on the Berks and Dauphin
turnpike road, north of the lane leading to the Lebanon County Almshouse.
The mother of Mr. Spang was a daughter of Joseph Fisher, who lived on the
farm which is now the site of the Almshouse.
The late George H. Spang acquired his education in the common schools,
and then, in 1855, came to Lebanon and learned the carpenter's trade. In
the early days of the Civil War, on September 23, 1862, Mr. Spang offered
his services to his country, enlisting in a company recruited in Lebanon,
under Captain Rank, this being attached to the One Hundred and Fifty-second
Pennsylvania Volunteers, and known as the Third Artillery. This battery
was stationed at Baltimore until the battle of Gettysburg, in July, 1863, when
it was moved to Mount Airy, thence to Gettysburg, where it was heavily
engaged on the right wing of the Union forces, the spot now being commemorated
by a handsome monument. Mr. Spang served as quartermastersergeant
of his company, and was mustered out by special order June 16,
1865.
Few artillerymen in the Union army became as expert in range-finding
as Mr. Spang, and his remarkable work in this line elicited the commendati()n
of his officers and the admiration of his comrades. At Gettysburg he was in
the thickest of the fray, having charge of two field pieces, and it was these
guns which did such deadly work, when Pickett made his famous charge, on
account of the accuracy with which artilleryman Spang found the range.
To recall a bit of that day of carnage, during which Mr. Spang was particularly
conspicuous, when Pickett's line approached, the officer who had charge
of the artillery had some trouble in getting results from his guns, owing to
faulty range, and in this emergency Mr. Spang was called upon to gauge the
distance, doing so almost instantly, placing it fully 200 yards nearer than any
other estimate, striking the line of the adversary in the middle.
In 1868 Mr. Spang became a partner with John H. Bressler in the
hardware business in Lebanon, and proved as successful a merchant as he
was faithful as a soldier. All progressive movements in Lebanon received
support from Mr. Spang according to their merits. From the beginning he
was active in founding and building up the fire department, and in August,
1865, became a member of Union Fire Company, No. i, and it was through
his untiring eff'orts that the present efficient steam engine was purchased.
Mr. Spang was the first chief engineer of the department, being elected as such at the reorganization of the department in 1873, three delegates from
each company joining in convention, lie being a delegate from the L'nion
company. His first appointment was for a period of three months, but later
he was elected for a term of two years. For over thirty years he acted as
president of the Union Fire Company, holding that position at the time of
his death.
In political activity Mr. Spang took a keen delight, faithfully serving the
Democratic party and stanchly upholding its principles. Influential in its
ranks, he was profifered many testimonials of esteem and confidence. In 1876
he was a delegate to the National Democratic convention, and supported
Samuel J. Tilden for president. In 1880 he was again a delegate and gave
his support to that brave soldier and courtly gentleman. Gen. Winfield Scott
Hancock. In local matters he was zealous in support of his party, and was
true to his political friends. When Dr. Gloninger was a candidate for
Congress, he received the assistance of Mr. Spang, who served as president
of the organization known as the "Boys in Blue." In 1883 he was elected county commissioner of Lebanon county, a wise and satisfactory choice
which his administration proved, and at the end of his first term, he was
re-elected. Many needed reforms were inaugurated and one of the most
important improvements in the county was brought about, the remodeling
of the county almshouse and the erection of a hospital at that institution.
During his term of office the annex to the court house and the new county
jail were erected.
In fact, to recount the public services of Mr. Spang is to recall the leading
events in the city's career. Although the city was Republican, his personal
attributes were so highly esteemed that he was elected city treasurer in 1893.
In 1896 his election took place as the first president of the Fireman's Relief
Association, for a term of four years, and in 1898 he was deemed the most
suitable citizen to become president of the Fireman's committee to make
arrangements for the State Firemen's convention, which was held in Lebanon
in October of that year. In 1900 he was the unanimous choice of his Democratic
friends for the State Senate, and received a very large vote. For
years he served as treasurer of the Democratic city committee. Mr. Spang
was one of the organizers of the Lebanon ^Manufacturing Company, of which
corporation he was treasurer and a director. Fisher Hall, well known to old
residents of Lebanon, was built by Peter Fisher, and ]Mr. Spang became first
its manager and then its owner, and in 1898 lie remodeled it and renamed the
building the Academy of ]\Iusic. In fraternal life he was a Knight Templar Mason, and also belonged to the Odd T'ellows, the L'nited Workmen and the
Lebanon Clnb, the latter a pnrely social organization.
Mr. Spang was married to Miss Emma L. Focht, danghter of William
Focht, deceased, and three children were born to this nnion, namely: George
T., Amelia E. and Margnerite L.
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| Sources |
- [S650] Pennsylvania Vital Records, pg. 39,082.
- [S606] Lebanon Daily News.
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