Melchior Hay Horn (1822-1890)

From Vol. II of the History of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, 1914.

  Lehigh County, Pennsylvania native Melchior Hay Horn attained the rank of Colonel during the Civil War, and after his resettlement in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania became a leading citizen of that town, being at various times a banker, school director, and Sunday School superintendent. Horn gains a spot here on the site due to his election as Burgess (mayor) of Catasauqua, an office he held for one term. The son of Melchior Hay and Isabella (Traill) Horn, Melchior Hay Horn was born in Easton, Pennsylvania on April 9, 1822.

  A student at the Vandeveer School in his native city, Horn followed the mercantile trade during his youth, being employed in the Winter and Yohe general store. After several years in their employ, Horn elected to go into business for himself but later abandoned it to take up the trade of surveying. In October 1845 Horn married in Easton to Matilda Heller (1823-1903), to who he was wed until his death. The couple later had seven children, who are listed as follows in order of birth: Susan Butz (1846-1916), William Heller (1847-1917), Edward Traill (1850-1915), Frank M. (1852-1920), Harry Yohe (1859-1925), Isabella (1861-1882), Charles Robert (1863-1920).

  Horn would leave the trade of surveying behind to take on the post of cashier of the Farmer's and Mechanics Bank of Easton, and continued in that role until his removal to Catasauqua in the late 1850s. Soon after establishing roots in that community he was offered the post of cashier of the Bank of Catasauqua in 1857, an office he would hold until his retirement in 1888. After his retirement Horn advanced to the presidency of that bank, continuing until his death two years later. Horn's early Catasauqua residency also saw him elected as a school director in 1858 and would serve in that capacity well into the 1870s.

  Following the start of the Civil War, Horn served on the military staff of Governor Andrew Curtain, and "aided in forwarding troops to the front." 1862 saw the then forty-year-old Horn elected as a major in the Fifth Pennsylvania Militia, with which he served from September 11-27 of that year. In 1863 Horn was commissioned as a Colonel in the 38th Regiment, Pennsylvania Militia, and served with that unit until his discharge in August of that year.

From "A History of Catasauqua in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania", 1914.

  Following his military service, Horn continued in his banking and educational interests in Catasauqua and later was elected to one term as Burgess of that town, serving in 1874. From 1879-1887 Horn again served as a school director for the borough and aided in the establishment of the English Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity, being engaged as a Sunday School superintendent in that church. Melchior Hay Horn died in Catasauqua on February 28, 1890, aged 67, and was survived by his wife and children. He later was interred at the Fairview Cemetery in West Catasauqua.