Reuben Haines
Reuben Haines | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Died | October 23, 1793 (aged 66) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, brewer, firefighter, landowner |
| Known for | Brewing business "Reuben Haines and Sons"; founding Northumberland, Pennsylvania; development of early Pennsylvania Route 45; member of Fellowship Fire Company |
Reuben Haines (January 1, 1727 – October 23, 1793) was a notable early American entrepreneur involved in brewing, firefighting, and land exploration, primarily operating out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Haines gave his name to Haines Township located in Centre County, Pennsylvania. In 1771, he financed the development of a route—currently known as Pennsylvania Route 45—that extended from Sunbury through the "Woodward Narrows" to what is now Spring Mill. This was the inaugural roadway in the area that later became Centre County. The present-day limits of Penn Township and parts of Gregg Township were originally carved out of the larger Haines Township, which existed prior to Centre County’s formal establishment in 1800.
He owned the historic Wyck House situated in Germantown, Philadelphia, and was responsible for founding Northumberland, Pennsylvania in 1772.
Family and Marriage
Born to Josiah Haines and Martha Burr from Burlington County, New Jersey, Reuben Haines became connected through his mother’s remarriage to Timothy Matlack Sr., making brewer and political figure Timothy Matlack his half-brother. Additionally, he was a first cousin to John Woolman, the Quaker abolitionist.
On April 4, 1760, Haines wed Margaret Wistar (1729–1793), daughter of the well-known glassmaker Caspar Wistar. Together they had five children:
- Catherine Haines (1761–1808), who married Richard Hartshorne
- Caspar Wistar Haines (1762–1803), married Hannah Marshall; he inherited the Wyck House estate and was father to Reuben Haines III, a scientist and farmer
- Josiah Haines (born 1764), married Susan Harriett Bull
- Reuben Haines Jr. (1765–1793)
- Martha Haines (1769–1781)
Firefighting
Both Haines and his stepfather Timothy Matlack Sr. were active members of the Fellowship Fire Company, recognized as the second established fire brigade within the British American colonies.
Brewery
Upon the death of his stepfather in 1752, Haines came into possession of a brewery along with several properties and significant debts. He managed this enterprise with his sons Caspar and Reuben Jr. Between 1784 and 1793, their business operated under the name "Reuben Haines and Sons" at 145 Market Street in Philadelphia. Near the end of his life, he orchestrated a procession featuring over seventy-five brewers throughout Philadelphia, advocating slogans such as "Home brew'd is best" and "Proper drink for Americans."
His patrons included distinguished individuals like Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. Moreover, Haines was affiliated with the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture, illustrating his involvement in wider commercial and farming pursuits.
Death
Both Reuben Haines and his wife Margaret passed away in Philadelphia amid the yellow fever outbreak of 1793.