Jacob Krebs

Jacob Krebs (March 13, 1782 – September 26, 1847) was an American politician who served as a Jacksonian member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania’s 7th congressional district from 1826 to 1827. He was born on March 13, 1782, in Longswamp Township, Pennsylvania, to Michael and Catherine Kunz Krebs. Little is recorded about his early childhood, but he came of age in the post-Revolutionary era in Pennsylvania, a period marked by rapid political and economic change that would shape his later public career.

As a young man, Krebs relocated from Longswamp Township to Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania. There he purchased a large tract of land, part of which later became the county farm known as Rest Haven. He devoted substantial time and effort to developing this property and engaged extensively in agriculture. Contemporary accounts and later county histories describe him as having become very wealthy for a man of his time and note that he stood as one of the most prominent, widely known, and influential men in his community. He married Elizabeth Bayer, also recorded in some sources as Elizabeth Boyer, and balanced family life with his growing responsibilities as a landowner and farmer.

Krebs’s public career began at the state level during the War of 1812 era. He served as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1812 to 1814, participating in state legislative affairs at a time when Pennsylvania was navigating issues of war, finance, and internal development. After each of his early terms in public office, he consistently returned to his agricultural pursuits, maintaining his primary occupation as a farmer and landholder even as his political profile increased.

Krebs entered national politics as the Second Party System was taking shape. As a Jacksonian Democrat, and identified in contemporary terms as a member of the Jackson Party representing Pennsylvania, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives to fill the vacancy in Pennsylvania’s 7th congressional district caused by the death of Henry Wilson. He took his seat in the 19th U.S. Congress on December 4, 1826, and served until March 3, 1827. His single term in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, as debates over federal power, internal improvements, and the emerging Jacksonian movement were reshaping national politics. During this one term in office, he contributed to the legislative process and participated in the democratic representation of his constituents, but he did not seek reelection at the close of the term and returned once more to his agricultural interests.

Krebs continued his political service at the state level after leaving Congress. From 1828 to 1836, he served as a Democrat in the Pennsylvania Senate, representing the state’s 6th district. In the Senate, he was part of the Jacksonian Democratic ascendancy in Pennsylvania, a period characterized by efforts to expand political participation and address issues such as banking, transportation improvements, and state governance. His legislative work in the upper chamber of the state legislature further solidified his reputation as an influential public figure in Schuylkill County and the surrounding region.

In addition to his legislative roles, Krebs held important county offices later in his career. He was elected Register of Wills, Clerk of Courts, and Recorder for Schuylkill County, positions that were combined into a single office at the time. He served in this capacity from 1840 to 1842, overseeing vital records, probate matters, and court documentation for the county. True to his established pattern, when this term of public service ended, he again returned to his agricultural pursuits and management of his landholdings, underscoring the centrality of farming to his livelihood and identity.

Jacob Krebs died in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania, on September 26, 1847, at the age of 65. He was interred at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery in Orwigsburg. Remembered as both a prosperous agriculturalist and a committed public servant, he occupied a prominent place in the political and civic life of early nineteenth-century Pennsylvania, bridging local, state, and national service during a formative era in American democracy.