My Genealogy Hound

DR. CHRISTOPHER VAN ARTSDALEN, an eminent and successful physician and surgeon of Ashbourne, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, is the oldest resident member of the medical profession in that vicinity. He is a native of Feasterville, Southampton township, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, born March 2, 1850. The family of Van Artsdalen are of Dutch extraction, the progenitor of the American branch of the family, Christopher Van Artsdalen, (great- great-great-grandfather) having emigrated to America from Holland in the year 1732, settling in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, which has been the home of the family for five generations, and where many of his descendants still reside.

Christopher Van Artsdalen (grandfather) was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, and his entire life was spent in the neighborhood of his birthplace. He married and reared a family of five children, namely: Jacob, deceased; Aaron, deceased; Jesse, Eliza, and Christopher, deceased.

Christopher Van Artsdalen (father) was born in Southampton township, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, October 12, 1800. He received a common school education, after which he followed the occupation of farming, combining it with the trade of miller. His entire lifetime was spent in the vicinity of his birthplace, and he was respected and eteemed by all who had the honor of his acquaintance. He was a personal friend as well as a neighbor of General John Davis, father of General W. W. H. Davis, of Doylestown, Pennsylvania. He was united in marriage to Caroline Severn, a native of Bucks county, and a member of one of the well known families of that section of the state. Their children were: 1. John, unmarried, a prosperous retired farmer, residing in Southampton. 2. Elizabeth, unmarried, resides with her brother John. 3. Franklin Vansant, who became a physician and surgeon, practicing his profession for twenty-one years in Lower Merion township, Montgomery county, and then removing to Tioga, in Philadelphia, where he lived retired, and died in 1903; he was married to Mary Wilson. 4. Martin Van Buren, who married Elizabeth Ewer, and they are the parents of two daughters-Caroline, wife of Albert Mann, residing in Abington township, Montgomery county; and Lydia, wife of ____Hillborn. 5. Harriet, wife of William S. Hogland, no issue; they reside at Feasterville. 6. Juliet, wife of Charles S. Smith, and mother of four children: Lillian, wife of William Bittner ; Rupert, a druggist conducting business at Thirtieth and Walnut streets, Philadelphia; Martin Van Buren Van Artsdalen, who has traveled over the globe; and Harold, who recently made a tour of the globe. 7. Christopher, mentioned hereinafter. 8. Fred Paulding, a graduate of Millersville Normal School, and now a resident of Southampton township, where he is engaged in agricultural pursuits. The parents of this family are deceased.

Christopher Van Artsdalen obtained his early education at the Feasterville public school. At the age of fourteen years he entered Andalusia College in Bucks county, from which he was graduated June 19, 1867. He then engaged in the study of pharmacy with Henry F. Booker, of Philadelphia, and at the same time read medicine in the office of Dr. A. R. Thomas, who was the dean of Hahnemann Medical College. In 1872 he entered Jefferson Medical College, where he attended lectures for some time, and during 1873 assisted Professor Richard J. Levis at surgical operations at the Pennsylvania Hospital. While he was attending Hahnemann College he served as assistant in surgery to Dr. W. O. Griggs, who was associated with Professor John C. Morgan. After his graduation from the Hahnemann College Dr. Van Artsdalen, was appointed by Professor Morgan to the position of demonstrator of surgery in the Hahnemann Medical College, Dr. Van Artsdalen being the first to fill that position in this institution. On April 6, 1874, Dr. Van Artsdalen began practice in Burlington, New Jersey, taking charge of the practice of Dr. Cloud while he was away on his wedding tour. Nine months later he began practice at 1733 Chestnut street, Philadelphia, where he practiced until 1875, and since then, a period of about thirty years, he has been in continuous practice at Ashbourne, but still holds his office and continues his practice in Philadelphia. He has been remarkably successful in his diagnosis and treatment of the cases which have come under his personal observation, and by the ready sympathy and interest he displays in each of his patients, has won their confidence and constant patronage. He is a member of the National, State, and Montgomery County Medical Societies. In November, 1878, the Germantown Medical Club was organized, Dr. Van Artsdalen being its founder, and one of its six members, and it is now the largest organization of its kind in the United States, having a membership of one hundred and sixty.

Dr. Van Artsdalen has been a very active member of the Democratic party since attaining his majority, and has frequently been a delegate to county and state conventions. He had the honor of being the Democratic candidate for congress in the seventh congressional district, composed of Bucks and Montgomery counties, in 1900, receiving the nomination at the meeting of the confreres at Pottstown. He received twenty-one of the twenty-two votes cast on the first ballot, but as a matter of course was not elected, the district being very strongly Republican. He has never been absent from a primary election in his district, nor from a county, state or national convention of his party since he was twenty-one years of age, and he has been on the stump at every important election, doing his utmost to promote the success of the principles and candidates of his party. He has served in the capacity of vice president of the League of Clubs, and been prominently connected with other state organizations. He is also a prominent and honored member of several fraternal organizations, namely: Eagle Lodge, No. 222, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Huntingdon Valley, the Knights of Pythias, and the Knights of the Golden Eagle.

At Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 25, 1875, Dr. Van Artsdalen was married to Miss Georgia Barrett, daughter of John S. and Lydia Barrett. One child was the issue of this marriage, Ethelyn Parry Byrd, born July 10, 1883, now the wife of William Chamberlain, son of William Chamberlain, M. D., born at Crosswicks, New Jersey, April 27, 1881. Mrs. Van Artsdalen and Mrs. Chamberlain are communicants of St. Paul’s Episcopal church, at Ogontz, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania.