Further bio.

In early life Col. Lehr attended the public schools of Allentown and the Allentown Academy at Eighth and Walnut streets, and at an early age actively engaged in business. His first employment was at Nonnemaker's brick yard at Tenth and Turner streets. He then entered the employ of Dr. Jesse Samuels and Jacob Dillinger, who had patented a machine for the manufacture of brick of dry clay. The machine worked very well, but the bricks were worthless and only one kiln was burned. In November. 1853, he became connected with the engineering corps of the Allentown and Auburn Railroad under Dr. Samuels. During four years he was engaged in work on railroads, including locating the central line of the Lehigh Valley Railroad between Allentown and Easton, the first train over which was run in 1855, and the Catasauqua and Fogelsville and East Penn Railroads and assisted in making a topographical survey. In 1862 he entered the employ of G. A. Aschbach, who was then city engineer, and assisted in distributing the maps of the county to 600 subscribers which sold at $5.00 per copy. On Oct. 16, 1862, he entered the service of the United States as Captain of Company B, 176th Regiment of Pennsylvania Infantry. The company was mustered in at Philadelphia on Nov. 7, 1862, and the enlistment was for nine months, but the actual service was ten months and two days. There were several companies from Lehigh County, and three from Monroe County.

A regiment was organized Nov. 11, 1862, under Col. Ambrose Lechler; Lt. Col.. George Piflrington; Major, W. M. Schoonover. Soon after the regiment was organized it was sent to Suffolk. Va, where it was thoroughly instructed in military tactics and discipline. When General Foster's expedition was organized for the reinforcement of the army operating against the defenses of Charleston. S. C., the 16th Pennsylvania, having been assigned to a provisional brigade of the 18th army corps under General Foster, accompanied the expedition, proceeding to Newbern, N. C., whence it embarked Jan. 27, 1863, arriving at Hiltonhead, S. C,, February 5th. The regiment served from this time in the department of the South and performing provost duty, and engaged in an important and valuable service upon the fortifications during the siege of Charleston. Upon the expiration of this term of service, the command returned North, and was transferred to Philadelphia, to be mustered out on the 17th and 18th of August 1863.

Col. Lehr then returned to Allentown and again entered the service of Mr. Aschbach who was still acting as city engineer, continuing in that position until September. 1864, when he was commissioned by Governor Curtin as recruiting agent to serve as such in the southeastern district of West Virginia until further orders were received. The appointment was authorized by special act of Congress, which empowered governors in the several states of the Union to appoint recruiting agents to serve in the states declared to be in rebellion. The object of this service was to fill the quotas of the several sub-divisions of the states. He reported to General Wilds, at Norfolk. Va., and was assigned to Newport News, to the recruiting rendezvous and there the commanding officers received an order from General Hunter restricting the limits of the recruiting agents and removing the able-bodied colored men out of the limited district, in consequence of which order there were no recruits to be had. There were 100 agents appointed, only one of whom was from Pennsylvania. Col. Lehr then returned to Allentown and continued in the civil engineering work under Mr. Aschbach until 1868. In that year, in company with Richard Emery, he became Mr. Aschbach's successor in his private business interests. The new firm established itself as civil engineers in Allentown. Its relation was maintained until the death of Mr. Emery, April 25, 1872, after which Col. Lehr continued alone. In the meantime, however, he had been appointed by the city council in 1869 to the position of civil engineer and he filled that position for twenty consecutive years, when he was succeeded by L. S. Jacoby. After the election of Col. Lehr as partner, Mr. Emery had carried on the private business of the firm until his death when Mr. Lehr put aside his private interests as a civil engineer, devoting his entire time and attention to the duties of the office of city engineer until his retirement from official service. He then opened an office for the private practice of his profession and was again alone in the business until 1894, when he admitted I. Howard Martz to a partnership, under the firm name of Lehr & Martz. Later A. W. Leh, architect, became a member of the firm and the business title was Lehr, Leh & Martz, civil .engineers and architects, until 1897, when the association was discontinued. Col. Lehr was then again alone in the practice of his profession until July 22, 1901, when Henry S. Bascom became his partner, and the firm became Lehr & Bascom, until the retirement of Col. Lehr on Sept. 14, 1908. For a period of 45 years Col. Lehr enjoyed a large patronage in the line of civil engineering and few men arc better known in this section of the state. He is president of the Pennsylvania Loan & Building Association, having been at the head of this corporation since its inception, and the Alien Printing and Supply Company.

Col. Lehr's term of office as civil engineer of Allentown was longer than that of any other incumbency in the history of the city, but he was called by the public to serve in a still higher capacity, and in 1890 was elected mayor of the city by a vote of 2,473 to 2,234 for William F. Yeager, which office he served with ability for three years until 1893. While he was mayor in 1890, the trolley made its debut. He then retired as he thought, from active life, but in 1897 he was chosen common councilman for a two years' term and was again elected in 1899, serving until 1901. He retired from the office of councilman as he has from the other public position, which he has filled, with the entire confidence and good will of the public, his course having ever been marked by the utmost loyalty to the trust reposed in him and the most absolute fidelity to the tasks which have devolved upon hint. When Col. Lt was a candidate for the Democratic nomination of mayor in Allentown, it took 30 ballots to make the choice, the other candidates being James F. Gallagher, William R. Henninger, W. K. Ruhe, A. D. Dresher, and J. S. Dillinger. Col. Lehr has never ceased to take a deep interest in military affairs and for many years after the Civil War, maintained active connection with military interests of the state. On June 21, 1869, he organized the Alien Zouaves, of Allentown which organization became Company B, of the 4th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He was elected captain of the company June 21, 1869, and retained the command until Dec. 2, 1875, resigning June 11, 1876. He took up the captaincy and commanded his company at the Reading riots. On Oct. 29, 1885, he was elected colonel of the Regiment, serving five years and being in command of the camps in this city in 1886 and at Slatington in 1888, and retired from active military life Oct. 29. 1891. On Dec. 27, 1911, by military order issued by the commander-in-chief: Governor Tenor, he was put on the retired list with the rank of brigadier-general. On Nov. 4, 1913) he was again called into public life by election to the office of councilman, one of five who govern the city, and is now superintendent of the department of streets and public improvements.

He is a leading member of the E. B. Young Post, No. 87, G. A. and the Lehigh County Historical Society, and of the Board of Directors of the Allentown Trust Company. His political affiliation is with the Democracy and he is a member of the Democratic League. Col. Lehr was married in 1865 to Elizabeth Engleman of Upper Saucon a daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Owen) Engleman They have one daughter.