Category: Pennsylvania

Welshans, Abraham

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Post date May 30, 2025
Categories In Pennsylvania, Riflemakers, York

School: York (Pennsylvania/PA) No biographical information available.

Graeff, John

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Post date May 30, 2025
Categories In Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Riflemakers

School: Lancaster (Pennsylvania/PA) Also listed as John Groff and John Grave. Listed as a gunsmith in the 1770’s, made rifles for the government. Associated with Jacob Dickert and Peter Gunter. Gunsmith during and shortly after the Revolutionary War.

Thompson, George W.

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Post date May 30, 2025
Categories In Pennsylvania, Riflemakers, Western Pennsylvania

School: Western Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania/PA) (Born 1836) Washington, Washington County (1858-80)

Wolf, Henry

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Post date May 30, 2025
Categories In Pennsylvania, Riflemakers, Western Pennsylvania

School: Western Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania/PA) Pittsburgh, Allegheny County (1787-1808)

Woods, Absolom

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Post date May 30, 2025
Categories In Pennsylvania, Riflemakers, Western Pennsylvania

School: Western Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania/PA) German Township, Fayette County (1816-18)

Breitenherd, Christopher

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Post date May 30, 2025
Categories In Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Riflemakers

School: Lancaster (Pennsylvania/PA) C. Breitenherd was an early Lancaster maker, documented as such from the late 1750’s through 1773. He emigrated from Wertheim (Germany)in 1753 where he learned the trade of gunsmithing. He built guns for the Committee of Safety and concurrently ran a tavern in Lancaster City. See Heckert and Vaughn, The Pennsylvania-Kentucky Rifle, […]

Wurtz, Samuel

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Post date May 30, 2025
Categories In Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Riflemakers

School: Lancaster (Pennsylvania/PA) Gunsmith, Lancaster Boro., 1837

Johnston, John

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Post date May 30, 2025
Categories In Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, Riflemakers

School: Huntingdon (Pennsylvania/PA) Borough of McConnellstown, Walker Township. Born 1772.

Oberholtzer, Christian

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Post date May 30, 2025
Categories In Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Riflemakers

School: Lancaster (Pennsylvania/PA) Gunsmith, Hempfield Township 1789

Goas, Jacob

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Post date May 30, 2025
Categories In Pennsylvania, Riflemakers, Western Pennsylvania

School: Western Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania/PA) No biographical information available.

Wallace, John

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Post date May 30, 2025
Categories In Pennsylvania, Riflemakers, Western Pennsylvania

School: Western Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania/PA) (Born 1816 in New York) Pittsburgh, Allegheny County (1839) Freeport, Armstrong County (1850-68) Franklin, Venango County (1870-78) Freeport, Armstrong County (1880-90)

Wolff, Bernard Jr.

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Post date May 30, 2025
Categories In Pennsylvania, Riflemakers, Western Pennsylvania

School: Western Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania/PA) (Hardware dealer, successor to Wolff and Lane) Pittsburgh, Allegheny County (1859-70)

Clewells, William

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Post date May 30, 2025
Categories In Northampton/Lehigh, Pennsylvania, Riflemakers

School: Northampton/Lehigh (Pennsylvania/PA) William Clewells, gunsmith, 1814-1835, Bushkill Twp., Northampton Co., PA. (Dyke)

Gumpf, Jacob

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Post date May 30, 2025
Categories In Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Riflemakers

School: Lancaster (Pennsylvania/PA) Jacob Gumpf (d. 1843) is listed as a gunsmith in county records as early as 1814. He worked within the boro or Lancaster.

Corolus

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Post date May 30, 2025
Categories In Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Riflemakers

School: Lancaster (Pennsylvania/PA) Gunsmith, Donegal Township, 1801

Moll, John, Sr.

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Post date May 30, 2025
Categories In Northampton/Lehigh, Pennsylvania, Riflemakers

School: Northampton/Lehigh (Pennsylvania/PA) Johannes Moll (aka John Moll Sr.) School: Northampton/Lehigh Johannes Moll (? – 1794) was the patriarch of a famous family of gunsmiths in the Lehigh Valley. He first appeared on the tax assessment of “Northampton Town” (Allentown) for the year 1764. He prospered in the gunsmith business and owned land in Allentown […]

Ford, John

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Post date May 30, 2025
Categories In Lebanon/Dauphin, Pennsylvania, Riflemakers

School: Lebanon/Dauphin (Pennsylvania/PA) John Ford was taxed as a gunsmith in Harrisburg, PA from 1833 through 1852. He served also as the superintendent of the state armory in Harrisburg. He was a capable builder of both flintlock and percussion longrifles. He died in 1862.