Among the oldest mill sites in the county, within 300 hundred yards of the historic Oley furnaces, of charcoal days gone by, between the Oley hills and threading the valley, is the Udree Mill powered by the Furnace creek, which gave life to active water-wheels, a mill famous during the American Revolution. The owner of this mill was Daniel Udree, a native of Philadelphia, born on Aug. 5, 1751. One of the more historically important Oley Valley citizens during the Federal years and leader of the Revolutionary War was Udree.
He came to the Oley Valley and engaged in the production of iron ore, operating for 30 years the Oley furnaces and the Rockland forges, until the Sally Ann furnace was established on the latter site. During the Revolutionary period, Daniel Udree not only kept the mill running day and night, making flour for the soldiers, but enlisted for several years and commanded a regiment at Brandywine, where his horse was shot from under him. Udree took an active part in the local militia of Oley Township for many years and was later appointed Major General, serving seven years.
Within Oley Township, Berks County, were the homes of the wealthiest farmers and best farmhouses, surrounded by the richest limestone farmland of the county. Scores of homes still bear all detail of the architecture of the Colonial period, but among the finest is the well-known Udree farm. The farmhouse located across the road from this historic mill still retains the approximately three-feet deep lower entrance way, small colonial window frames and the historic stone chimney running from cellar to garret, with original fireplaces. This mill was in the hands of the Weinberger family for 40 years, although inactive in operation for many years, and the furnace industry has been dead even longer.
American born, Daniel Udree, whose community leadership had made him an outstanding soldier and excellent statesmen, made our Oley Valley agrarian people a major contributor to United States Democracy. Udree, born in Philadelphia in 1751, came to the Oley Valley in 1768 with his uncle, Jacob Winey, a Philadelphia merchant who had been involved with the Moselem Forge and Oley Furnace. Daniel (1751-1828) became the Iron master after Truckenmiller was the first to build an iron forge on Bieber Creek.
Eventually, Udree, through diligent work, climbed his way up to owning the Oley Furnace and Rockland Forge up in the Oley Hills. Most likely of Scotch ethnicity, Daniel Udree has been described as “of about medium height and a good conversationalist and businessman.” He was very successful in dealing with Colonial immigrants, who like himself, wanted to take advantage of New World resources to produce food and manufacture iron product as an industrious and skilled pioneer people throughout the area.
Although the Oley Furnace originally was begun by Diedrich Welker, who bought a tract of land in Oley Township in 1744, the early furnace was called “The Shearwell Furnace,” which was molded on their cast iron stoves. However, by 1762, Welker became sole owner, having bought out Benjamin Swope and Peter Harpel, previous business partners. In 1768, Welker borrowed 100 pounds from John Lesher, who in turn was allowed to take wood from Welker’s tract of land. However, in 1768 the Shearwell furnace was sheriffed and sold to Christian Lower, Jacob Winey and Henry Smith. By 1772, another furnace was built and both operated as late as 1785.
In 1778, the furnaces were sold to Daniel Udree and John Lever Seyler, but Udree bought his partner’s share in 1801. At this time, Udree, as sole owner, built his iron master’s mansion, and later the huge Udree Flour mill across the street. Under Udree’s talented business sense, the Oley Furnace flourished in spite of Daniel Udree’s taking time out for his patriotic service to serve in the American Revolution at a time when the iron resources of the Oley Valley were just as important as the number of patriotic soldiers who fought in nearby battles to win our independence.
Richard L.T. Orth is assistant director of the American Folklife Institute in Kutztown.
