https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/128621190/abraham-martin-zimmerman
Once on this site, click on the family member names, you are navigated to their information.
1930 Census Lancaster City Record "Manager Machine Company".
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Death Certificates for Abraham and Elizabeth Zimmerman.
1870 Census Parent's Record
Published Obituary
This page provides family information about Abraham/Abe Zimmerman, his wife and immediate family. Information will be added as found. This is not intended to be a genealogy presentation, rather select Abe & family information that may shed a light on the man and his family that founded New Holland Machine Company.
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1924 - A History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, J.M.J. Klein, Published by Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc. - During this time period people could subscribe (pay) to have family history published in a book which was sold to the specific area. In this case it was Lancaster County. Below is what was published for Abraham Zimmerman. Click on each image for a full view. This was digitized by the University of Virginia in August 2007 and available online.
1880 Census Parent's Record - "Son"
U.S. Census Records - 1870, 1880, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940 & 1950
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1940 Census Sussex County, Va. Record "Traveling Salesman - selling books".
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1950 Census Sussex County, Va. Record - only daughter Anna E and wife Elizabeth.
1910 Census Lancaster City Record "Manager Machine Shop"
1920 Census Lancaster City Record "President Manufacturing Plant".
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Family Timeline
This is a timeline as it pertains to Abe Zimmerman, and family. This was selectively pulled from the Timeline Detail-Level tab.
1869 – Abraham Martin Zimmerman (Abe) was born July 31, 1869 in Lancaster County, Pa., the son of conservative Mennonites Martin Wenger Zimmerman (1839-1898) and Annie Weaver Zimmerman (1838-1917). Abe’s wife was Elizabeth Martin Zimmerman, born June 29, 1863 in Lancaster County, and died August 27, 1957 in Virginia and is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Williamsburg, Va. They had two children: son Ivan Martin Zimmerman (27 Jan 1898 - 29 Nov 1972) and daughter Anne Elizabeth Zimmerman (23 April 1895 - 29 Mar 1990). Abraham had 8 siblings. Abraham died January 24, 1944 and buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Williamsburg, Va.
1888 – Abe worked for Ezra F. Landis Machine Works in Lancaster, Pa. learning the machinist trade. After his apprenticeship with Landis, Abe worked for Peter Shirk, owner-founder of the Blue Ball Machine Works. Blue Ball, Pa. is just east of New Holland.
1895 – Abe founded the New Holland Machine Works in 1895. Abe worked for Peter Shirk at Blue Ball Machine Works and opened a machine shop in a horse barn on Luther Avenue which later was renamed to North Railroad Avenues, New Holland. It consisted of two frame buildings, each being about 30’x40’. There was a 12 HP boiler which Abe constructed for powering the steam engine which drove the machinery. Twelve-inch horizontal sandstone mill in a wood frame was made. (Clarion, May 30, 1896)
1900 – June 13 Lancaster City Federal 1900 census – “Abe M Zimmerman” is listed as “Machinist”, age 30, wife Barbara was age 26, daughter Annie E age 5 and son Iva M age 2 were listed.
1903 July 1903 Issue of The Gas Engine – “The New Holland Machine Co., New Holland, Pa., has recently been incorporated to success the New Holland Machine Works, of which Mr. A. M. Zimmerman was the proprietor.
1905 – Zimmerman’s Mennonite faith was disputed over the use of pulpits, which was a feature of mainline churches. Zimmerman became a “Russelite”, a precursor to the Jehovah’s Witnesses when he was converted by a job applicant.
1905 – The New Holland Clarion reported on April 1 that A.M. Zimmerman was seen on the streets in his new automobile. He was one of the first townsmen to sport one of these modern machines.
1906 – The Clarion reported A.M. Zimmerman and Harry K. Landis of the New Holland Machine Company, spent several days at the automobile show in Madison Square Garden, New York. (Clarion, June 1 1906)
1911 – May 27 The Clarion reported: “A.M. Zimmerman, president and manager of the New Holland Machine Company, and J. Maurice Smith, foreman of the foundry department of the same company, left on Wednesday to attend the convention of the American Foundry Foremans’ Association in Pittsburg.”
1914 – May 16 New Holland Clarion reported New Holland Machine Co’s. annual statement shows a 20 percent increase. A.M. Zimmerman was re-elected President and general manager.
1914 – Several years earlier, Abe had a religious conversion and started to follow Pastor Charles Taze Russell’s (1852-1916) preaching. Known as “The Russellites”, they believed the world would end in October 1914. Russellites disposed of their possessions and spent their assets for good works waiting for the Second Coming of Christ. Zimmerman sold his shares in the company and steps down as President and leaves New Holland Machine Company. Zimmerman was the inventor/designer/innovator leaving no one at the company to provide this capability.
1916 - Jan 19 – A M Zimmerman signs company letter as “MGR”.
1918 – September 12 Son Ivan Martin Zimmerman of 136 East Clay St, Lancaster, age 19, was listed as a Clerk in the Cost Department for the New Holland Mach Co in his WWI Registration Card.
1918 - September 21 – The Clarion Newspaper September 21 indicates: “Abram Zimmerman has rented Jonas Martin’s farm for next year (Goodville). Goodville is 5 miles east of New Holland on the east side of Blue Ball.
1920 – January 13 Lancaster City Federal 1920 census – Abraham M. Zimmerman is listed as “President Manufacturing Plant”, age 49, wife Elizabeth M age 46, daughter Anna age 24 was single and son Frank age 21 was married to Helen age 21.
1929 – A. M. Zimmerman (60) was brought back for a short time to jump start the operation. To remain open, the company produced alternative products and service. For example, they started making large metal door stops shaped liked cows, dogs and other animals. Most were not labeled.
1930 – April 14 – Lancaster City Federal 1930 census – A.M. Zimmerman is listed as “Manager Machine Co.”, age 60, wife Elizabeth M was age 56.
1933 - Zimmerman retires a second time. Sometime before the 1940 Federal census, Abe and his wife moved to Jamestown as their only daughter had moved to Virginia earlier for the Jehovah Witnesses.
1935 – A. M. Zimmerman was living in Martindale, Pa., when his brother Eli Martin Zimmerman passed away.
1936 – A.M. Zimmerman’s wife Elizabeth is listed as living in Charlottesville, Va. according to her mother’s obituary. Abe may have also been in Charlottesville – the notice just lists Elizabeth.
1940 – April 19 1940 Federal Jamestown Va census – Abram M. Zimmerman is listed as “Traveling Salesman Selling Books”, age 71, work 52 weeks in the year, 30 hours a week. His wife Elizabeth M was age 67. Daughter Anna E. age 39 was single listed as “Distributing literature Private Institute”.
1944 - January 24 – Abraham M. Zimmerman died at his Jamestown, Va. home, buried in an unmarked grave at Cedar Grove Cemetery, Williamsburg, Va. His death certificate indicates he was a minister.
1957 – Mrs. Elizabeth Zimmerman died at Eastern State Hospital, Jamestown, Va., buried at Cedar Grove Cemetery, Williamsburg, Va.
Zimmerman Bible Study Group
Lancaster County Marriage License Information:
New Holland Hit and Miss Engines
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