Matthan Harbster ¹

   FamilySearch ID: 27ST-392.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Book: Historical and Biographical Annals of Berks County Pennsylvania, 1909. ¹

Matthan Harbster, former president of the Reading Hardware Company, and a business man who has been prominently identified with some of Reading's most successful enterprises, was born May 18, 1831, in Lehigh county, Pa., son of Henry and Mary (Bucher) Harbster.

The Harbster family originated in Germany and was founded in Pennsylvania by John Harbster, grandfather of Matthan. At an early age he came to Berks county, later resided in Montgomery and still later in Lehigh, where he died.

Henry Harbster, son of John, was born in Berks county. His trade was that of blacksmith, but he was also something of a machinist and realized an ample fortune from the manufacture and sale of coffee-mills. He married Mary Bucher, and they had seven children, Matthan being the fourth in the order of birth. The parents both died in 1860.

Matthan Harbster had what might be termed meager educational opportunities, as he was but a lad when he began to contribute to his own support, engaging in boating on the Schuylkill and Juniata canals. After several years' experience in this hard life, his brother William took him into his blacksmith shop, at Hamburg, to learn the trade, where he also learned coach-making. When he had completed the necessary apprenticeship, he worked as a journeyman, as was the custom then, until 1851, when the three brothers, Matthan, William and John, became associated in business, and in a little shop at the foot of South Sixth street, the firm name of Harbster Brothers, was founded the immense business which is now known all over the United States as the Reading Hardware Company. All three brothers were practical business men, energetic and industrious, and the business was profitable from the start. Its expansion soon made larger accommodations necessary, and in 1858 the concern was re-organized, William M. Griscom coming into the partnership and the firm name becoming then Harbster Brothers & Co., which continued until 1862, when the present name was adopted. Of the original partners only Matthan remains, the other two brothers being deceased.

The Reading Hardware Company conducts one of the largest manufacturing enterprises in the United States and employs 2,500 men in turning out the various products and attending to the vigorous pushing of the business at different points. The works, which cover an area exceeding five acres, comprise substantial brick buildings, three and four stories in height, all especially constructed for the operations carried on in them, and all equipped with all the modern conveniences known in the business. The buildings include large storage warehouses for the completed articles of manufacture, shops where the artistic finishing is done by expert workmen, a japanning building, lock and general hardware buildings, shops for drilling, plating, bronzing and finishing, machine shop, butt and screw factories, and all of these have been completely furnished with the best mechanical appliances, serving to reduce expense while turning out better and better products each year. The Reading Hardware Company has branch stores in such centers as New York, Philadelphia and Chicago. Its traveling representatives cover the whole country and are welcomed wherever the excellence of the products of this concern has been tested. The firm makes a specialty of all kinds of builder's hardware, and special hardware furnishings for the most up-to date buildings.

In addition to his important duties in connection with this immense industry, Mr. Harbster for a time was president of the Reading Screw Company, whose works were located in Norristown; was formerly president of the Montello Brick and Clay Company, and is also president of the Reading Land and Improvement Company. He is on the directing boards of the following institutions: Farmers' National Bank, Reading; Reading City Passenger Railroad; and Reading and Columbia Railroad. In former years he was connected with a number of the city's infant industries and his sound advice and financial backing have done much to make many of them the successful enterprises they are today. For sixteen years he served as water commissioner of Reading, and for several years was a member of the school board.

Mr. Harbster married Aug. 12, 1856, Susan Bingham, who died in 1900. She was survived by four children, namely: Ida C., John E., Ellen Kate and Nellie G. Mr. Harbster was married (second) in 1904 to Mrs. Mary Hetrich.

In political sentiment Mr. Harbster is a stanch Republican. He has never accepted office outside of the city, but as a member of the council at various times has demonstrated his public spirit and shown his interest in the welfare of his fellow- citizens. He is a Mason of long standing, and for many years has been a member of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church.