George Casper Kohr was born in Ehrstädt, Germany, 17 November 1724, baptized there 13 March 1725, and died 28 May 1801 in Bethel Township, Dauphin (now Lebanon) County, Pennsylvania. His baptism was sponsored by Casper__ and Sibylla__ (Lutheran Church Kirchenbuch, Ehrstadt, Germany), and he came to America with his parents aboard the “James Goodwill.” The ship left Deal 15 June 1728 arriving in Philadelphia 11 September 1728 and was almost three months at sea.
George married (1) Anna Barbara Ohrendorf (born July 1728, died 20 November 1763) before 1747, and (2) Anna Maria Meily (born 20 December 1745 and died 23 September 1828) on 1 May 1764, in Lickdale, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. The family was among the earliest settlers of Lebanon Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Anna Maria was raised on the frontier during the French and Indian Wars. She was born in the Moravian Church, her parents being among the first families associated with the church in their neighborhood. (Rupp, D.I., History of Berks & Lebanon Counties, 1844, “Lebanon Township”). They had 10 children.
Casper was listed as an early member of the Reformed Church in Tulpehocken sometime between the years 1735 and 1755 in I. Daniel Rupp’s 30,000 Names (I.G. Kohler Printing, Philadelphia. 1876). He later became a member of the Moravian Church, possibly during the French and Indian War, when settlers in his area were driven to refuge at the Moravian missions. He was elected in December, 1774 to represent Bethel Township as an inspector and receive tickets from electors at an election for the “Committee of Observation,” which was to observe the conduct of those involved with the Continental Congress of the newly-formed United States (Rupp, I. Daniel. History of the Counties of Berks and Lebanon).
George Casper passed away in 1801 in Dauphine Lebanon, Pennsylvania, having lived a long life of 77 years and was buried in Hebron Moravian Cemetery, Lebanon, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.
George Casper Kohr was chosen on 8 Nov 1775 to serve on the Committee of Inspection and Observation, representing Bethel Township (7th District) Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He was appointed (surname Corr) Overseer of Roads for Bethel Township in 1774. These Committees were charged with enforcing the trade boycott, and they also resolved to organize local militias. Kohr’s two eldest sons, Christian and Johannes, enlisted as members of Capt. Caspar Stoever’s 3rd Company, 2nd battalion of the Lancaster county Militia and served near the end of the Revolutionary War.
Lebanon’s role in the Revolutionary was an important one, since it was a depot of supplies and a storehouse for ammunition during the occupancy of Philadelphia by the British. It was during the Revolution that furnaces at Cornwall supplied large quantities of iron for cannons and balls. The inhabitants not only volunteered for service but also contributed flour, meat, clothing, leather, and they hauled supplies to Valley Forge during the terrible winter of 1777 and 1778.