Henry Wilson Storey's History of Cambria County, V.III, p.352

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History of Cambria County, V.3

352 HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.

door to which is situated his office, consisting of waiting room, consultation room, operating room, laboratory and bath rooms.
    The Hildebrand family to which Dr. Burkhart is related as mentioned above, was founded in Cambria county by Abram Hildebrand, who came hither from Lancaster county about 1797, and for several years resided in different places now included within the limits of the city of Johnstown. He subsequently purchased the tract of land on which East Conemaugh is now situated, and about 1823 erected thereon a grist mill and a saw mill which at that time were considered important improvements in the neighborhood. These mills were operated by him for a number of years, and were then sold to Daniel Huber, who afterward sold them to William Huber, by whom they were in turn transferred to Mr. Butterbaugh. The old grist mill building was finally remodeled into a dwelling house and store-room, which were in use as recently as twenty or twenty-five years since. In the saw mill was cut the lumber for the section boats on the old canal, and although all traces of the mill itself disappeared many years ago, the dam, with the exception of a small break on the north side, remained intact until a few years before the flood, and the entrance to the race, with its timbers, could plainly be seen until the occurrence of that event.
    Abram Hildebrand was one of the first associate judges of this county, under Judge Young, who was the first judge of Cambria county, and the old log house which he built and lived in at East Conemaugh remained intact and was occupied until shortly before the flood, when it was demolished. Here and there the town is dotted with old apple trees which were once a part of his orchard.
    Judge Hildebrand was the father of twelve children, six boys and six girls, six of whom had blue eyes and six dark eyes. All of them lived to very old age, George, one of the younger sons, dying in East Taylor township, December 19, 1877, at the age of ninety years, two months and four days. Judge Hildebrand himself lived to an advanced age, dying at the home of his son John in Huntingdon county, where he is interred. His wife met her death by blood-poisoning, the result of an accident, and is buried in the old Union cemetery, Johnstown.
    Catharine Hildebrand (paternal grandmother of Dr. Burkhart), youngest child of Abram Hildebrand, was born April 9, 1804, in Johnstown, then composed of possibly a half-dozen settlers and their families, and so far as is known she was not only the first white female child born here, but the first white child born in what is now the city of Johnstown. She became the wife of Ephraim Burkhart, as mentioned above. Mrs. Burkhart was a remarkably vigorous old lady, having been blessed with almost perfect health all her life, her only illness of any consequence being a very severe attack of pneumonia in the autumn of 1888, her complete recovery being attributed by the physician in attendance chiefly to the careful nursing of her daughter Jane. Mrs. Burkhart had a wonderful memory, and could entertain friends for hours relating in her pleasing way incidents in the life of early Johnstown and its vicinity, the vivacity of her mind being expressed to a very advanced period of life in the brightness of her dark eyes. Had it not been for the awful calamity which terminated her existence, she would no doubt have lived to see the century mark before death overtook her in a natural manner. She was a consistent member of the Church of the Brethren for more than fifty years.

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352	HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
door to which is situated his office, consisting of waiting room, consultation room, operating room, laboratory and bath rooms. The Hildebrand family to which Dr. Burkhart is related as mentioned above, was founded in Cambria county by Abram Hildebrand, who came hither from Lancaster county about 1797, and for several years resided in different places now included within the limits of the city of Johnstown. He subsequently purchased the tract of land on which East Conemaugh is now situated, and about 1823 erected thereon a grist mill and a saw mill which at that time were considered important improvements in the neighborhood. These mills were operated by him for a number of years, and were then sold to Daniel Huber, who afterward sold them to William Huber, by whom they were in turn transferred to Mr. Butterbaugh. The old grist mill building was finally remodeled into a dwelling house and store-room, which were in use as recently as twenty or twenty-five years since. In the saw mill was cut the lumber for the section boats on the old canal, and although all traces of the mill itself disappeared many years ago, the dam, with the exception of a small break on the north side, remained intact until a few years before the flood, and the entrance to the race, with its timbers, could plainly be seen until the occurrence of that event. Abram Hildebrand was one of the first associate judges of this county, under Judge Young, who was the first judge of Cambria county, and the old log house which he built and lived in at East Conemaugh remained intact and was occupied until shortly before the flood, when it was demolished. Here and there the town is dotted with old apple trees which were once a part of his orchard. Judge Hildebrand was the father of twelve children, six boys and six girls, six of whom had blue eyes and six dark eyes. All of them lived to very old age, George, one of the younger sons, dying in East Taylor township, December 19, 1877, at the age of ninety years, two months and four days. Judge Hildebrand himself lived to an advanced age, dying at the home of his son John in Huntingdon county, where he is interred. His wife met her death by blood-poisoning, the result of an accident, and is buried in the old Union cemetery, Johnstown. Catharine Hildebrand (paternal grandmother of Dr. Burkhart), youngest child of Abram Hildebrand, was born April 9, 1804, in Johnstown, then composed of possibly a half-dozen settlers and their families, and so far as is known she was not only the first white female child born here, but the first white child born in what is now the city of Johnstown. She became the wife of Ephraim Burkhart, as mentioned above. Mrs. Burkhart was a remarkably vigorous old lady, having been blessed with almost perfect health all her life, her only illness of any consequence being a very severe attack of pneumonia in the autumn of 1888, her complete recovery being attributed by the physician in attendance chiefly to the careful nursing of her daughter Jane. Mrs. Burkhart had a wonderful memory, and could entertain friends for hours relating in her pleasing way incidents in the life of early Johnstown and its vicinity, the vivacity of her mind being expressed to a very advanced period of life in the brightness of her dark eyes. Had it not been for the awful calamity which terminated her existence, she would no doubt have lived to see the century mark before death overtook her in a natural manner. She was a consistent member of the Church of the Brethren for more than fifty years.